My Therapy

To start my day off with a 10-mile run is amazing, and thank goodness the weather is warming up. It's really no big deal for me to run in freezing temperatures if I dress warm and keep running. Except for my hands. My hands must have very little circulation, because they are never warm and start feeling numb after a few miles of running. Even gloves aren't adequate all the time. Sometimes, warming them up actually hurts worse than when they were just cold. One time, I cried as Chris used his hands to warm up mine. Ugh. I'm such a wuss.

My run this morning went by fast. I highly recommend getting a running partner for those long training runs. The miles quickly fly behind me as I talk about life and other unrelated things with someone beside me. I have a new friend, Crystal, as my partner. The running itself is great therapy, but it's even better to have a friend listen to me as I talk or complain or rant. As of right now, we are training for a girls-only half marathon in May. This will be a great motivator for me since I am very goal-oriented. I haven't raced since my marathon last March in Little Rock. It will be nice to get back into the habit.

For the Sake of Keeping You Informed...

I'm up really late, and I really shouldn't be. Not too long ago, I finished my cleaning and balanced the checkbook. It needed to be done. I don't mind doing it, though. When I clean, I can usually go into my own world and think of silly things that make me happy.

Chris' birthday was last Thursday, but I took him out to celebrate on Friday. Date night! For a brief few hours, we felt we were rollin' in the dough. I saved some money from what I earned through child care. First, we went to Nakato's Japanese Steakhouse for dinner. Sushi! We had enough cash left over to go to Andy's for yummy frozen yogurt. We had a lot of fun as we normally do.

To do something fun for himself, Chris decided to start taking inprov classes. He really needs this to help him get through the monotony of the week. And he should do something that he is good at, too. In March, his class is scheduled to perform a show! I'm looking forward to watch him be funny. Of course, I have the pleasure of watching him do that everyday. Chris is also dabbling in stand-up comedy. He attends just about every open mic slot he can find. There aren't that many in Springfield, but at least he is still doing what he enjoys. He's had a great time getting to know other comedians as well. I think he's so brave to get up in front of people and try to make them laugh. Brave or crazy. Sometimes, I'm not sure which. (I'm just teasing.)

Ok, it's definitely time for bed. Good night!

Treats and My Sweets

Tonight, I did something I don't normally do. Something I haven't done in a really, really long time...

I polished my toe nails. (And blogged about it.)

As Chris likes to call it, tonight is his "birthday eve." But instead of focusing on him, I decided to treat myself and make my feet look pretty. I rummaged through my stock of nail polish. Most of them were very old and had to be thrown away. I did manage to find 5 bottles that are still good for painting. Two dark blue, one purple, and two sparkly clear polishes. I would definitely like more variety. Still, it's a start for a girl... woman... girl-woman who is still learning how to make herself look gorgeous, dahling.

Chris' parents were very generous in taking our family out to eat Mexican food tonight for Chris' birthday. El Puente! It's amazing every time. It was nice to go out to eat. Good food, no dishes or clean-up, and a fun time with my family.

I'm looking forward to Chris' birthday tomorrow and taking him out Friday. We will be having a date night! Both Chris and I are very blessed to be able to do these things. We always have lots of fun together.

Just got word that the kids will not be having school tomorrow. The weather is projected to be too severe for traveling, but it hasn't even snowed yet! Still, I had lots of fun with them last Monday when they weren't in school for President's Day. So, I'm sure we will make the best of tomorrow as well. Good night and pleasant dreams!

Anniversary Adventure

Seven years. That's how long Chris and I have shared our lives together. We wanted to create a memorable weekend, and this is how it went down.

Last Saturday started out well. After we dropped off the kids at my in-laws' house, it was lunchtime, but we decided to go for a walk in the Springfield mall, discussing what we would like for Christmas. (No, it's never too early to discuss Christmas...presents.) Later, we decided it would actually be time for us to eat, time for Hu Hot. Chris and I both love food, and we love a Mongolian grill! The Not So Sweet and Sour sauce is the best and is my favorite. It's name is ironic since sweet and sour sauce is the type I crave the most.

Next, we checked into our hotel. We made sure to get a nice room, and it was nice. The only thing we wished we had was a bigger bed. (Spoiled much?) Swimming at the pool was not an option since I forgot my swimsuit. Still, we made the most of our time, hanging out at a coffee house drinking water, because it's where you can find the best water. At least, I hoped so. We also hoped to find a game of chess, but to our dismay, there were no pieces, only a game board. No worries. We eventually found a game, even lots of games. 1984, the place to play old school arcade games downtown is where we ended up. We played every game we wanted to except for Rampage. The same group of kids were playing it over and over the whole time we were there. I told Chris I was tempted to ask them, "Isn't it past your bedtime?" We wanted to bust some buildings, man!

Then, we found some cheesy fries. We're talking about fries with cheese melted on top and bacon! We stopped at Big Whiskey's for a bite to eat (also with surprisingly amazing water) and became engrossed in the Yankees vs. Tigers game. Chris told me of his Little League days when his team was named after the Detroit Tigers for a few years in a row. I always cheered for any Detroit team when I was a wee child, because that's where my mom and dad grew up. So, we sort of reconnected with that team on our night out. Overnight, and over a plate of cheesy fries, we became die hard fans. Of course, it only lasted for a night.

Oh yes, I just remembered to mention the rain. It rained. Hard. One might even call it a downpour. But, it was actually a lot of fun half running/walking in the storm. We were pretty soaked for the night, but we didn't care. We were just glad to be together. At the end of the night, our hotel room welcomed us with open...windows. So, we shut them, put on our PJs, and snuggled into bed. Our TV selection before shutting our eyes? Billy the Exterminator! (At this point, I give you permission to audibly groan.) Billy actually had some really interesting facts about...rodents...eww! Why am I talking about this?

We woke the next morning refreshed and ready to continue our amazing (and very mini-) vacation. We were actually able to sleep in! A definite high highlight of the trip! Breakfast was downstairs. It was a buffet, and I piled my plate high with French toast, sausage, I-love-cheese-y eggs, a poppy seed muffin, cantaloupe, yogurt, and a banana. Cranberry juice was my choice of drink. (I know, you're thinking, "What, no water?") It was delicious. Chris thought I was wasting space putting fruit on my plate at the buffet when I always get that at home. He decided to take advantage of the biscuits and gravy among other things.

Later on, we went bowling. Unlike our favorite baseball players from the night before, we were actually trying to get (at least) three strikes. No luck there; though, we got a couple. We only played one game since the prices have risen to a ridiculous level. $2.50 for one person to rent shoes, and then $2.99 for one game per person. Holy crap! I was disappointed by that, but no matter. We just made more time for sushi at Nakato. We didn't get the cooked-in-front-of-you meal; we sat at the sushi bar, which I had never done before. That was pretty cool to me. Chris and I chatted and enjoyed being in a relaxed atmosphere. When we were done, he surprised me with...

A walk down Memory Lane. Well, that's what I'd like to call it. We strolled along a trail that Chris took me to a couple of times when we were dating. The leaves on the trees surrounding the trail were changing colors. That is why I love the autumn season. It was nice to revisit that place, even though this time there were huge puddles from the downpour. Still, we had fun talking about random things, even a little bit about our future. That's the end of our anniversary adventure, but it's not the end to a wonderful relationship. Whatever my future holds, I will be with my best friend, Chris.

Guacamole and Other Important Things

I love food. When it's 9 o'clock in the evening, and my husband offers to make me guacamole, I can't resist. So here I am, sitting at this desk, and dipping chips in mashed avocados in between typing words. It's a great way of life.

Not long ago, Chris and I were able to purchase a used car from a friend for a great deal. Now, we have a white mini-van and a Honda Accord, also white. (Chris swore he would never get another white vehicle.) We are a two-car family! We haven't had two cars as a family since Chris and I were first married (almost 7 years ago.) Because we have two cars, I have more options on when I can get errands done. Devon and I went shopping together today. I quickly learned (or re-learned) that I need to give her something to keep her hands (and mouth) occupied. (I hadn't shopped with her or any of my kids for a long time. The shopping was done after Chris got home when he could watch them.) So, what did I have to keep her occupied? At first, a book. I decided to buy a Halloween book for the little ones. We always need to add more books to the kids' bookshelf since the older books get ripped and worn out after awhile. When the book didn't cut it anymore, two lollipops did the trick. I don't normally give my kids more than one candy bar or lollipop at a time, but I'm not sure if there is any such thing as "too much candy" while shopping with young children. I really, really don't want them to touch anything in the cart.

After our Wal-Mart extravaganza, Devon and I walked from our house to pick up Paige from Preschool. I've really been impressed with how well she is doing. She's making lots of friends and learning things I wouldn't think about teaching her at this point. She knows how to spell and write her name! It's amazing to see all that she can do. When we pick her up, it's funny to see her get shy when her classmates tell her, "Paige, your mom is here!" And, she prefers me to pick her up with the van. Not a huge fan of walking, I guess. But, I will try to take advantage of the cool weather for as long as I can. It's good exercise, and I am saving gas that way, too.

Micah received a 100% on his spelling test today! He is so proud, and I am so happy for him and proud of his accomplishments. He's very smart. He's good at math and getting much better at writing. (That was an issue for him last year.) We read every weekday together for at least 15 minutes (at the request of his teacher.) Several words he already knows, and so I have him try to sound out new and simple 3-letter words to increase his vocabulary.

I've really enjoyed watching all of my children grow. Amazing things happen when I focus more on what I have than on what I want. And right now, I still have my chips and guacamole. Awesome.

The Inevitable Is Here

Fearless. That is how I describe my daughter, Devon. I could describe her using other words as well (i.e. sneaky, mischievous, destructive, etc.) But, I will make it known that Devon is learning so well, because there is not much that she is afraid of. Today, my little warrior started an important (but hopefully not a lengthy) journey, potty training. I had a preview of what the upcoming months may have in store for me. The anxiety of possible accidents, the clean up, the nakedness. It's started.

Devon started the day in pull-ups. I had her go to the bathroom frequently, but nothing happened in there. It all happened in between bathroom breaks. After awhile, I started to believe she thinks that going potty means wetting the diaper and then sitting on the toilet. In an attempt to teach her otherwise, I decided to put underwear on her. After that, there were several more potty breaks, and still nothing happened. She was in dry underwear for quite some time. Then, the inevitable occurred. I watched Devon come down the hallway almost like a old western cowboy, legs apart, awkwardly maneuvering one foot in front of the other.

At one point, Devon did do the "deuce" in a pull-up. Determined to do things on her own, she did not give me any notice of this. Instead, she decided to clean up herself, making more of a mess in the process.

"Mom! Devon got poop on the floor!"

Ugh. I sigh and droop my shoulders as I go to discover the damage. Not as bad as I had thought. (I'll spare you the dirty details.) Still, this means Devon will need me to keep a closer eye on her.

Devon does not enjoy being covered sometimes. She has an inclination to go naked every now and then. Why? Who knows. I'd much rather her have clothes on while potty training. If she does have an accident, there's a much greater chance that she won't get any pee or poop on the floor. I'd much rather do laundry than bend down on hands and knees to scrub the carpet.

Despite all that happened today (which in all honesty was minimal compared to other potty training days), Devon is an amazing little girl.

As a matter of fact, I am completely convinced that she will quickly learn how to use the bathroom on her own. She has learned just about everything else at a seemingly fast pace, too. She was a seven-week preemie. She has been through many tumbles and falls. But, man, she is tough! And she has the brains to prove it!

Sunday Happenings

It is probably pointless to try to "catch up" from where I last published a blog post. So, I'm just going to start from the here and now.

Waking up later than normal today was awesome. I usually like to be ready for the adventure that is my day before the kids wake up, but, it was nice snuggling with my little ones in my bed. And, we had to snuggle to keep ourselves warm. Our house was a little chilly, 60 degrees. What is lovely outdoors but may not be so great indoors. Still, we braved the freezing temperature and did not turn on our heater. We just put on an extra layer (of clothing.) It's October! Where is our fall season? Is it really going to be summer to winter this year? Hopefully not.

Every six months, the world has the opportunity to watch General Conference. Leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints speak to their audience about many spiritual topics. (What is spoken in the conference is later published on-line and in the church magazines.) I try to listen to conference live, but it's hard to keep 3 young kids watching the show. I wish I was more prepared to have them occupied and focused on the conference talks. (Live and learn and do.) What I could hear I really enjoyed, though. I was excited to hear about the new age for when male and female members can become full-time missionaries. (It was 19 years of age for boys and 21 for girls; now it's 18 for boys and 19 for girls.) The younger age will provide more opportunity for missionary work. I loved to hear our prophet talk about prayer and how our Heavenly Father answers our prayers. It was great to learn how I can keep the gospel strong in my home (one thing I was searching for.) I am definitely looking forward to reading the conference talks in next month's Ensign (one of our church magazines) and learning more.

Our family attended a birthday party for one of Paige's preschool classmates, and then we went to Chris' parents' house for dinner! Wok food! It's the best stir-fry ever! And of course, I really enjoy spending time with family and friends. Great day! I do wish we played a game after dinner. Hopefully, it will happen next time!