Sunday, March 29, 2009

Run Baby Run!!


I did my first organized 5k run this past weekend. We live in a town with a large university and it sponsored the run called "Campus on the Run". It was a huge turnout but mentally it prepared me to run among a lot of people. Typically, I run with my running partner or by myself. In the only other time I ran in an organized event, I got claustrophobic around too many people-but this time I kept my mind clear and calm and JUST DID IT like Nike suggest. I don't know how long it took. My running partner and I ran almost 1 mile before the event, ran the 5K, and then ran back to where my car was parked. This way we got in extra pavement time. I felt relaxed and loose during the run. I really like to run. I think it's the only "sport" I have felt good doing.

The only concern I'm having with my running right now is my left foot. I wore high boots over the weekend and twisted it while walking on grass...not good. Since then, it's been hurting on and off after a run. I hope this doesn't sideline me. I think I will have to do elliptical instead of run to give it a break.
(Picture of me wearing a shirt my Oma gave me for Christmas for the run).

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Charlotte's Web

I am reading Charlotte's Web to the boys. I wasn't sure if they would get bored with more story and little pictures. Since it's a long book for the boys, I allow them to hold a toy and play quietly beside me as I read. As I read along, I am thinking "are they even getting this?" and "my throat hurts from reading outloud for this long". As I read chapter 5 where Wilbur meets Charlotte and she reveals herself, the boys stopped what they were doing and stared at me. They were excited because they were engaged in the book and all of the sudden wanted to see the picture of her. Okay, so I guess I can move away from the picture books at the library from time to time. How fun is that?

Monday, March 16, 2009

Thank heaven for siblings

Thank you Koo for being in our lives especially S.E.'s because without you, S.E. would be too serious. I'm so happy you are there to test his patience, be his bestfriend, and let him practice his social skills on you. Thank you.

S.E. "Koo you took a toy out of my hand. That's not nice. You are being a bully when you do that."

Koo "Fine S.E.-I won't play with you anymore." hmmmm.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

They were the best of friends...and the worst...


Here's the latest, the boys share a room and have bunk beds...S.E. is on the top and Koo is on the bottom. They drew pictures to keep the other off their beds.

I don't know if it's a new phase my two sons are going through or if it's just been a long winter cooped up in the house but they are either bestfriends or enemies-the switch is so fast that I can't keep up. One minute, they are playing well together and sharing you know the stuff that you see in the movies. The next minute, it's like a remake of "The Problem Child(ren)" and there's hitting, whining, and lots of crying. My ears!!!



Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Snow...AGAIN?!!!




Mother Nature thought we needed a little more snow and was not ready to give us spring even though the daylight savings time change occurred early. It's been snowing lightly last week and melting much to my lovely husband's disappointment. He's been itching to use his big snow blower since its arrival. Well, we got dumped on these past few days and he has had four occasions to use it. He has been giddy and skipping along while removing snow from our driveway and our neighbors. Our boys and I have gone out to play when he's been out there and I gotta say-I don't know what to do with myself now that I don't have to shovel snow. So, I've been taking pictures and standing around looking useless and chattin' it up with my neighbor while husband snow blowed. His big smile and rosy cheeks make me happy to have snow for him.

His joke used to be "How do you turn a dishwasher into a snow blower? Give her a shovel." Well, I am retired from the backbreaking snow shoveling for now and that makes me smile.

Update on my boys

Koo striking a pose.






S.E. enjoying the snow.







My little boys must be on a growing spurt. They have been waking up hungry and eating most of whatever I serve for breakfast. Right now their favorite is oatmeal drizzled with maple syrup and bacon (they dip the bacon in the oatmeal). This new way of eating has been beneficial to them too because they have been eating more vegetables and whole grain. They don't get too much sugar in their diet and soda is a once a month treat so I'm not overly concerned.

As for a potty training update on little Koo, he has been doing his business by himself all the time and and only had one oops because when he goes #2, he gets on and off so fast he doesn't get all of it out. We are working on patience. He gets so excited to see his little "nuggets" (TMI huh?).

As for Lovely Husband, he's been having a sinus infection on and off for over two months and for a week or so there it went away but reared its ugly head again. It makes his head hurt and he gets sluggish and drained. Poor hubby.

Monday, March 9, 2009

Weight progress

I had a really hard workout these last few days and am looking forward to Tuesday when I get a day off. My clothes feel better and in an effort to get as much wear as possible, I've been taking in my pajama bottoms so I don't have to buy new ones. And, I'm not saving all my fat clothes because psychologically it makes me feel like I'm going to fail at being thinner and be back in those clothes again someday.

So, I've lost 13 lbs. so far by exercising and staying with the Weight Watchers program. I broke the 130's!!! I haven't seen 1-3-...since the day I got married 7 1/2 years ago. Now when I get to the 120's it will be crazy. I don't recall ever being in my 120's. I know in 8th grade I was 132 lb. and was really embarrassed about it. I only remember because it was written in my diary. I know I had to pass the 120's to get to the 130's but I don't remember ever seeing or enjoy being at that weight range. I have 20 lbs. to go in order to be at my BMI range. Hopefully my heart, pancreas, lungs, and other vital organs will rejoice that they don't have to work so hard to keep my alive.

Shallow Me

When I read other blogs, I feel so humbled by the depth of words that come out and am amazed at what other people are thinking and doing. I feel my blog is fluff...very trivial topics and some are just complete nonsense. Why do I continue to blog? I blog so that I have an outlet to write and do something that does not have to do with being a stay-at-home mom (cook, clean, run around playing referee).

I can go through a day without a profound thought and often any attempts at being intelligent (like reading nonfiction books or how to books) results in frustration because either I can't follow the book or don't have the concentration for it anymore. I remember in college and reading several research articles per week. Now, I even avoid Wikipedia because it is too IN DEPTH. Guess if I don't use it-I lose it. Hence, I continue to ramble on in this blog.

This reminds me of when I was in third grade and I was the weird kid in my class because each afternoon when English was taught, I had to leave the room because I was in a special class-ESL. I had been to the U.S. about four years and had been in ESL since Kindergarten. I had trouble speaking and writing in English. I totally needed the extra help. My parents didn't speak English and when we were at home, we were not allowed to speak English. Anyway, I was getting better with my adopted language and hated being different. The other kids didn't understand where I went for an hour or so-I think they thought I was "special" (not in a good way). Remember as kids we didn't want to have anything affliction that would make us "different" for fear of being teased?! I was that different child. One day, after coming back from ESL and heading outside for second recess, I told Mr. Morrison that I did not want to leave the class anymore and that I would try to do better in class (I would even welcome extra homework to catch me up). Mr. Morrison was amazing. He let me stay in class but took the time to take me to the library one a week during recess to check out lots and lots of books. He told me if I can read all the extra books, I would be able to grasp the English language better. Hence, the birth of the bookworm. By the end of the school year, I was reading at a fierce rate and tried so hard to keep up with the English as a first language students that by fifth grade, I was in HONORS English because my comprehension of the English language. I don't remember if I ever had an accent or when I lost it but I even mastered talking in English fluently.

Why am I even telling this story?! Because it's a reminder to me that even though I don't write at college level anymore, I shouldn't stop-and that's why I blog and still read any book that interest me-so what if they aren't Nobel prize worthy.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Little Babies

All kids have a special stuff animal, toy, or blanket to help get through sleeping alone or to cuddle with. My boys have not only a special blankie but for S.E. he has a brown bear and for Koo it's a white dog. Both boys refer to their stuff animals as "Baby". We really need whenever there's a meltdown or naptime. All very cute and lovely because the boys take care of their babies and blankies-bath days for these items are usually met with whining and crying. They've gotten better now that I let them throw them into the washer for a bath. We are glued to the house until it makes it into the dryer.

In my mind, I would think "what would these boys do if we lost their blankies or babies?!" Would I be able to deal with the meltdowns? I am secretly fearful of this happening. When we travel, they bring their entourage and because their babies might get lonely-usually they sneak one or two extra friends along. Packing light is not a concept the boys and myself are good at.

Then, it happened. To S.E. in October. He left it at my parents home SIX HOURS away. Well, my mom is old school so she didn't send S.E.'s baby back to us. At first, S.E. acted very brave but for a week, he would sadly talk about the leaving his baby and who would look after it. Eventually we thought he forgot about it. Nope. He would just find substitutes to cuddle with until his baby can come home, but what happened was then his bed was overrun with a mound of different stuffed animals. It was like Noah's Ark on his bed. We finally got Baby back in January. Whewww...S.E. was so happy and has since been able to let go of some of the other substitutes.

This week, Koo lost his Baby and he fell apart. We looked high and low and all around the house and even enlisted Tia and Tio to help find Baby. Koo's loss was profound and I was at my wits end because this has been going on since Sunday. I can't take months. I don't have that kind of patience. Then, S.E. found it this morning underneath our loveseat. Reunited never looked as good as how Koo celebrated the return of his baby. He has been cuddling and talking to it all morning. Super cute. S.E. was so loving to Koo and their were thank yous and hugs for each other. It made all the whining and crying worth it to see my boys care for each other and their babies.