8 more weeks

I'm sure my faithful readers have noticed that I haven't blogged in awhile. I haven't dropped off the face of the earth, I've just been overwhelmed with life. I have been consumed with tantrums, fighting, keeping the kids busy, and training for my next marathon (which is just under 8 weeks away).

Since I don't want to dwell on the tantrums and fighting, I'll focus my blog today on marathon training. This next marathon is an important one for me. I hope to reach a major milestone: running a marathon in under 4 hours. 

So why is this such a big deal? Well, an article I read recently put it pretty well. The author had done some research on what percentage of runners can complete a sub-4 marathon. The answer: between 20-25 percent. So in other words, if you can run a marathon in under 4 hours, you are in the top tier of runners nationwide. This is a pretty big deal, especially for someone like me who did not grow up being very athletic.

I told myself that I would train hard this summer to achieve this milestone, but between the heat and dealing with tantrums, I have had a hard time motivating myself to get up and run before the kids wake up. I guess you could say I have been in a bit of a depression. However, I have been running faster than ever lately, so I know I at least have a shot. 

Getting this close to a milestone has given me an opportunity to reflect on where to go from here. Do I challenge myself to go faster or farther? If I decide my next goal is speed, the next milestone would be to continue to qualify for the Boston Marathon. I would need to run a 3:40 to qualify. If I want to go for distance, that means joining the world of ultra marathons.  No, I'm not talking about one of those crazy 100 mile races...yet. I would start with a 50k to see how my body responds. I have actually looked into this, and there is a 50k on Antelope Island in October. I guess first things first, I need to work on that sub-4 marathon. 

A sign of what's to come

Sadie is officially registered for preschool in the fall, and she is beyond excited.  The place I will be sending her invited her to come and spend a day to check it out.  So, on Tuesday after I dropped Adam off at Kindergarten, I took Sadie to preschool (backpack and all).  Then, I headed home with Tyler.

The house was soooooo quiet without Sadie's constant chatter.  So, I turned on some music, and got to work.  I couldn't believe how much I was able to accomplish.  Maybe this is a sign of things to come.  I weeded the entire garden and raspberry patch, I washed all the dishes in the sink, I folded a batch of laundry, and I ironed three shirts.  I felt I was starting to come down with a cold, so then I turned on PBS and let Tyler watch Clifford the Big Red Dog while I closed my eyes.

When I picked up Sadie at 3:00, she was very excited to tell me all about her "first day of school".  She can hardly wait to go back.  Now every day she asks if it is "fall" yet.  I hope this won't be a long summer!

I'm not a master gardener...yet

Every year I dream of growing a beautiful garden.  Every year I fail.  It's not that I don't have skills, it just seems like every year I'm either pregnant and have no energy or I have a baby and no energy.  Since I am neither this year, I set high expectations for my garden.  One thing I forgot to factor into the equation:  I have one of the busiest 18-month-olds known to mankind.

I managed to get a modest garden planted with a few basics.  But every time I go out to work in it, I have helpers.  Sadie and Adam trample the onions and lettuce, and Tyler picks up dirt by the handfuls and throws it.  I decided it was time to get their swimming pool out...

I inflated their pool, rinsed it out, and put a few inches of water inside.  The kids were thrilled.  No sooner did I turn my back, though, and Tyler started making trips back and forth from the garden to the pool with a determination to throw as much dirt as he could in the water.  He had great fun, but Adam and Sadie were not pleased.

Time for Plan B.  I had been planning on making Tyler a sand/water table to play with outside.  This situation motivated me to finish it....fast.  Here's what I did:

Made a trip to Lowe's for a 2x4, a 2x6, some screws, and a large mixing tub
Cut the wood to make a frame for the mixing tub
Screw it together
Add some legs
Insert mixing tub
Fill with water and toys

I thought about putting sand in it, but I was afraid Tyler would throw it all over the yard.  So, for now I will stick to the water.  Tyler can throw as much dirt and rocks as he pleases in it.  Maybe later I will try sand.  In the mean time, kids are happy.  So, I can get back to gardening.  I'm not a master gardener yet...  First I need to master the art of keeping my kids busy.

Team Adam

Last weekend was Adam's first 5k.  We wanted to do the race as a family, so we registered everyone except Tyler.  The day before the race, we picked up our t-shirts.  Sadie was so excited to be part of the team that she took her shirt to bed with her.

On race morning, we ate breakfast, put on our matching shirts, and headed to the starting line.  Gotta love Adam and Sadie with their headbands on...

Adam had been "training" for weeks, but hadn't been running very far lately.  So, I figured we would be walking more than running.  When the race started, we began jogging.  Adam periodically needed a break, so we walked while he got a drink and an energizing jelly bean. 

To get him running again, I motivated him by encouraging him to pass people.  It worked, but it may have inflated his ego a little too much.  Every time we passed someone, he would turn to them and say, "Team Adam passed you!"  By giving a little encouragement and commenting on how many people he was passing, he was motivated enough to keep running and finish strong.  He was thrilled to get to the finish line and realize he won second place in his division.  After a popsicle and some water, it was time for the awards ceremony. It was cute watching him run up to the stage to receive his award.  As icing on the cake, he won the grand prize drawing at the end of the ceremony.  Once again, he ran to the stage and waved to the crowd and got his picture taken with the tether ball system he won.

Three days post race, Adam is still wearing his medal around the house.  He is very proud of it.  Go Team Adam!

Always use the right tool for the job

I have something rather embarrassing to admit.  I screwed up.  My few faithful readers know I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist, so I hope this shocking revelation doesn't shake their faith in me.  :)

For Mother's Day this year I wanted to give Mom something a little different than the traditional hanging flower basket.  Since she has a new deck to enjoy, I thought I would make her a nice deck chair.  So, I reviewed some plans I found online and made a trip to Lowe's for the wood.

The first step of the project requires you to cut two pieces from a board with unusual angles.  Since I didn't have an angle finder, I thought I could just "wing it" and be okay.  So I estimated where to make the cuts and continued with the project.  Everything was going great.  I cut, sanded, and painted the boards.  Then, I began to assemble.  The seat portion went together great.  Then, I attached the legs.  I sat down to test it.  Actually very comfortable and very sturdy.  Then, I stood up and looked at the legs.  My heart sank.  This is what is what I saw...

It doesn't take a genius to realize the angles I "estimated" were way off!  Lesson learned.  Always use the right tool for the job.  I just need to figure out when it is okay to "wing it" and when you absolutely must follow the instructions.

After much internal debate, I decided to finish the chair as is.  Here is a picture of the finished product... This picture was actually taken from a pretty flattering angle.  :)

Unfortunately, I am too embarrassed to give it to Mom for Mother's Day.  So, Mom, if you are reading this... I'm so sorry.  I have since purchased the tool I need and would be happy to give it another try.  I would even paint it any color you want.  I could even do a matching set with a chair for Dad.  Or if you would rather, I could make you something else or buy you a nice traditional hanging flower basket.  :)  I actually have been wanting to try making this bench...

Are my readers disappointed in me?

It's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game

One of Adam's most endearing qualities is that he is one of the friendliest little guys you will ever meet.  He makes friends at school.  He makes friends in the parking lot at Walmart.  He makes friends wherever he goes.  No matter where he is, he waves at people, says hello, and introduces himself.  He has even been known to give hugs to checkout ladies at the dollar store.  He is just plain social.  I didn't even think about this when I signed him up for soccer.

Adam has always had a love for any kind of sport involving a ball.  So, naturally, I half expected him to be the star of the soccer team.  I envisioned him leading his team to victory...kicking the ball down the field and scoring goal after goal.  That's not what I got.  What I did get was a little boy who was just excited to put on his uniform and hang out with other kids.

Game after game I have sat on the sidelines and watched Adam run around the field with the other kids, and I have wondered why he wasn't being aggressive with the ball.  Every time he did kick it, he would stop and wave at me, giving someone else the opportunity to swoop in and steal it.  I finally realized that he wasn't in it to win.  He just wants to have fun with other kids.  His favorite part of the night, I think, is doing the team cheer and congratulating the other team after the game.  I see him out there giving high 5s, fist bumps, and hand shakes.  Then he runs to the sidelines where snacks are handed out.  :)

Last night I told him before the game that if he scored a goal, I would give him 30 minutes of bonus time on the Wii.  What I got in return was somewhat of a transformation.  That kid played the entire game.  He was all over the field, kicking the ball and almost scored a goal.  At one point, he kicked it down near the goal and one of his teammates was able to score.  The opposing goalie raised up his fists in frustration.  Adam, being the social boy he is, assumed the boy was cheering for them and ran up and gave him a high 5.

Well, Adam's team still ended up losing, but Adam didn't know any different.  He had fun, played hard, and made friends with every single player on the opposing team.  After it was over, Adam gave out more high 5s than ever before.  Then he ran to the sidelines to get snacks from his coach.  The other team liked him so much they gave him some of their snacks too.  I guess it's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game.

A perfect record

It's been a busy two weeks at the Wolf House. Adam and Sadie have had swimming lessons 4 days a week. Adam also started soccer practice twice a week and has school five days a week. On top of that, I've been planting my garden, weeding the raspberry patch, trying to stay on top on the housework, and fitting in short runs whenever I can (marathon season is almost here and I'm not ready!).

Today was the last day of swimming lessons. Adam and Sadie have come a long way in two weeks. They're not ready to progress to the next class quite yet, but I'm proud of what they've been able to accomplish. Adam can now float on his back and kick his legs without help. Sadie isn't quite there yet, but she's close. They both have issues getting their faces wet, but they have been able to go completely under water, which is a huge improvement from day 1 of class. Today after demonstrating what they have learned, they were able to go play on the water slide until class was over. They had a blast. When it was time to go home, they were both pretty sad and asked if I would please sign them up for more swimming lessons. :)

So, it looks like we may be spending more time at the Aquatic Center when I can find an opening in lessons that will work with our schedule. In the meantime, I have got to find Miss Sadie a new swimming suit. One-piece swimming suits on little girls are too impracticle. Sadie ended her two-week swimming course with a perfect record of interrupting class every day to go potty. Don't get me wrong...I'm happy she is potty trained. It's just a little hard to run her into the locker room in the middle of every class and pull that wet swimming suit down over her body when I have a wiggly little boy that is struggling to get out of my grasp and run away. What she needs is a cute tankini that covers her belly and has matching bottoms. Oh, and a bigger bladder would be nice.