My skin is looking better again and I'm healthy. In addition, my boys have been staying healthy and happy. My lovely husband has been having a lot of sinus issues for the past year or so and finally, he's doing a little better. Really can't complain about life. It's been really good to me and I wanted to take a moment to lament this because I don't want to take what I have for granted.

Dear skin,
Please don't itch. Please stop breaking out in little hives. Please. Please. I know you didn't like it when I messed with raspberries and other berries and pitched a huge fit all over my body. I won't eat any fruit and will try to not be depressed over the extra pound or two I gained due to it. Not an apple. Not a banana. Nothing. Promise. Just let me heal. I'm tired of scratching all night long. I'm tired. Please.

Yours forever,
Me

Car talk

"Mom, do you think Koo and I will ever meet the real Santa or do mommies just go out and buy presents?" -S.E.

"Why do you ask S.E.?" -Me

"Well, I was thinking he's very busy trying to remember the little good kids and he might not have time to get it all done." -S.E.

Such big, big dilemma for a six-year old.

Opposites

Two boys. Came out of the same two sets of genes. But so different. S.E. is mild-mannered and clean. I mean the kid eats clean, plays clean, can go through a rough and tumble play in the woods and come out...well clean. This is the kid you want to get hand-me-downs from. His hands don't get sticky unnecessarily, his blanket and other personal toys are clean and in great shape considering wear and tear. The bottom of his white socks-stays white. And his shoes. No smell. None. Now, the thing about a clean and orderly kid is he is easily grossed out by sticky, itcky, smelly stuff. Enter Koo.

Koo on the other hand, is either happy or sad in a matter of three seconds flat. After he outgrows shirts and pants, they go the garbage pile. Stains. Check. Holes. Check. Unraveling of seams. Check. His place at the table after he's done eating is usually sticky and wet. If we are walking in a field, Koo will find the one poo pile left by dogs and step in it. I've have used sticks, water, soap, and paper towel combination many times to remove caked-on poo underneath shoes. Sometimes, I just give up and chuck the shoes. If there's stuck-on gum anywhere, he'll be digging it up to show me. What I love about him is he does all this and more whole-heartedly. He's more likely to go with the flow.

Two boys. Came out of same belly. Oh, so opposite. Both are the sun and moon for me. Thank goodness for opposites. If I had only one type I would not be as open-minded about how unique and special children are. The best lesson I've witness is tolerance for differences. The boys have had to adjust and accept each other's habits and try to make the best of the situation.

Thankfulness

I was remissed in mentioning all the hardwork of others around me and the sacrifice they've had to make so I could run. First and foremost, my lovely husband. Seriously, he has been patient and very supportive of me taking time out to train, bring me food, take care of the boys even when he wasn't feeling well, and to just have more faith in my ability than I had.

Next, my friends (and the boys surrogate aunt & uncle) Tia and Tio for taking my boys on a journey to Portland this past weekend so I could just focus on the race. My boys had an absolute fantastic time and they are ready to go next year. I'm not sure I can take another two straight days without my kids being an hour or so near. I will admit I had to look at a lot of pictures of them and called them way too many times during their time away but I missed their spirit in our home. Lovely and I spoke of how quiet it was around the house without them-and clean.

To my friends and trainers who only spoke of encouraging words and to support me when I believed I couldn't possible run a marathon. Also this may sound cheesy but whenever I was running a long run, I would think as I'm running along by myself, that I was actually being carried by God.

Now, this marathon didn't define me, what it did was a symbol of how strong I am to do something I never thought I could do. Whatever your "marathon" moment is, I hope this blog finds someone whose looking for that extra encouragement to push yourself.

Not bad for an overweight, pre-diabetic mom who two years ago couldn't make it through the day without taking six Advils just to do normal tasks.

10-10-10 marathon.

My husband heard a saying "If you don't do something outside your comfort zone, you won't grow". Well, I was uncomfortable to say the least today. I ran my very first marathon. Full. I did it. I was scared. I hurt. It was extraordinary. I pushed my self to run straight for 5 hours and 18 minutes. No walking. No crazy speed. Slow and steady and I did it. Me. Former fat kid picked last in any sports-taking over 30 minutes to just run 1 mile. Like being pregnant, given enough time, I maybe could be talked into doing it again.

I had a great support team of friends and family saying I could do it and to my friend Ro for driving and just being a security blanket on race day in case I needed help. Last but not least, to my friend Mr. Beefcake for not only telling me I could do this but helped me train for this run. On top of it, he ran it too.

So what did I learn? Even when you want to give up-stick to your commitment and have the courage to do it-even when you are afraid to.

Priorities

I've been off-kiltered with my priorities lately. I am a stay-at-home MOM. But lately, I've been getting short with the kids and not having time to do things like read to them, wrestle with them, volunteer in their classrooms (like I've always wished my mom could do when I was little and scared to be in a school not understanding much English). I find I'm short with them, not really helping or asking them about their schoolwork or show much interest when I drop them off at school.
Also, I have not made time for studying the Bible and continuing my relationship with God. I mean a deliberate relationship with him. I'm finding that I when I'm helping the kids with their verses, I just want them to memorize them-not explain what those verses mean. Something has to give.

So I am halting my alterations-on-the-side job. I don't make enough for the time I spend on stuff and I'll pick it up again once both boys are in school for more than two hours. I thought I could do this but I'm finding that any extra "free" time at home is spent working on fixing clothes for others. While I enjoy this, I love my boys so much I don't want to miss what it means to be a mom whose job is to help raise well-rounded boys and to stare at my husband for more than 10 seconds without wondering if I can sneak a moment downstairs to work. He works hard enough for us...So, I'm finishing up the last of my obligations and I'm done. Only for pleasure and for fun. I hope you all understand. My boys won't stop growing-they need my full attention.