Sometimes I listen, sometimes I don't

Love this.

Saw this in Swoozie's yesterday and can't stop thinking about it. Where could it go? Bathroom? Kitchen? Small wall near the stairs. Hmmmm.

Preschool

This picture shows Libby's mad hopping skills, Maddy's cheesy grin, but what it doesn't show is a power struggle to wear shoes and not sandals, not wanting to walk in the "dirt", and an early morning dance routine to "I Love A Rainy Night."

baby steps

Instead of rambling about how I haven't blogged in two months, I thought I would just start back with baby steps. Literally. Pictures, think lots of pictures.

Training for another half marathon or two. I couldn't do it without my running girls, especially those that push me through eight hard miles on a Saturday morning, or get me out of bed for a 5:45 AM run to in the darkness.

Even though I don't have a coolio iPhone, I can use the coolio retro camera app on my Droid that I heart as much as an iPhone.

Summer Summary

Swimming lessons - check.

Using the pool more than 5 times like last year - check.

Jumping off the side into the "big" pool - check.

Blowing bubbles - check.

Eating, eating, and more eating - check.

Sleeping in til nearly 8am after a big day at the pool - check.

Oh, and potty training! Check! Not 100%, but doing great and two little girls will be wearing big girl panties to school tomorrow!

Will it ever click?

This afternoon, I was holding Libby on my lap when all of a sudden, I felt something warm.

Yuck.

Yes, and on dry clean only pants.

Yes, I had just asked her two minutes earlier if she needed to potty.

We are about a week away from their 3rd birthday. I know everyone says that they'll potty-train when they are ready, but I'm beginning to wonder when that is.

June 12

Today was our minister's last day at our church. It's hard for me to wrap my mind around how someone who you may only 'think' about once a week is so ingrained in our lives. I'm assuming because he serves as our portal to God, if that is a proper description for a minister.

As I listed to his sermon today, I cried. I thought about hearing him preach for the first time, meeting with him during our pre-marriage counseling sessions, the night of our rehearsal dinner, the beautiful sermon he gave on our wedding day, how we consoled us and prayed with us when Maddy and Libby were in the NICU, and provided us with uplifting messages when we needed them and when we thought we didn't.

Everyone around us was crying and it was almost surreal seeing grown men sob over what so many would see as a promotion and a time of congratulations.

He told us to always remember the mission of our church and that did ring true with me. You have to always go back to the basics and that is true for so many things. Relationships, parenting, houses, exercise, clothes, food, etc.

Yes, our church won't be the same without him, but his twelve years of service have made so many remarkable changes, but I will remember the basics.

Still here.

I've heard from a few friends wondering what happened to the blog. Well, it's still here, I'm still here, just haven't made the time to write in the last, oh, six weeks! How did that happen!?

Life in a nutshell ...

Busy time as President-Elect for the Junior League: writing a speech, giving a speech, preparing a board retreat, lots of meetings, burning up the phone, traveling to Philly, and trying to make time for some strategic/big picture thinking.

Working part-time ... from home, thank goodness.

The girls are amazing. Growing up. Almost 3. Independent, funny, sweet, communicating, lots of pretend-play, hugs and kisses, tantrums and foot stomping. Typical almost 3 year old behavior.

We had a busy weekend ... pool, yard work, church, coffee, run with friends, burgers on the grill, seasonal summer beers, popsicles in the freezer. Lots of fun and much needed.

Hopefully, I can get back in the swing of this soon. I miss writing, but often find myself with nothing to write about, so I just read more blogs.

Parenting Fail

This afternoon, Maddy, Libby, and I had fed the dogs, gotten a snack ( a very specific TWO graham crackers and goldfish) and were hanging out. Maddy had wandered out of the room to go to the potty, and I looked up and didn't see Libby. I had also started a load of laundry, reviewed some paperwork, etc. ie. Not fully engaged. I listened for footsteps or the scream of "Mommy! I pottied ... I want candy!", but I heard nothing. I went through the house and looked in the office where they sometimes play and noticed our front door open. Not the outer door, but our inner wooden door, but I knew I hadn't opened it. I quickly glanced in the yard to find it empty, then I started up the stairs when a man knocked on my door asking if I was looking for twin girls. With my heart in my throat, I ran out into the yard with him and found them with another man. The "what-if's" are still running through my head and I can't even go there right now. One of the men lives on our street and I never found out if the other man was a neighbor or just driving through. Both girls were wearing their princess shoes, Maddy was carrying her mouse, and Libby had her water bottle. They were two houses down from ours and that seems worlds away to me. My BIG note to self from today ... no more half-assed paying attention, I'm checking all door locks, and may really feel the need to install an alarm that goes "beep-beep" when the door opens. We had several talks about not opening the door without Mommy, Daddy, or a big person. I plan to have several more. Hug your little ones and say your prayers. I almost didn't write this post, but I know how easy it is to get preoccupied with other "priorities" and as women, we call ourselves multi-taskers and know we can do it well, but it may not be worth the outcomes.

Potty Update

My parents are visiting and arrived on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Mom was pretty adamant about trying out the big girl panties and potties, so we did. I've been a little hesitant and while we've been using the potties from time to time, we haven't done any kind of major work just yet. I kept waiting for a free weekend, but having two extra adults around helps too.

Things were going well ... we had a couple of accidents, and things were starting to click,and they had both gone in the potty several times. I bought some MnM's, had an arsenal of stickers, and decided to do a load of laundry.

It was fine until the washing machine stopped working. In the midst of potty training twins? Really?

Turns out that one mardi gras necklace in the drain of your washer will cause your washer not to work, will cost you $129 and will cause you to halt potty training.

So, after catching up on laundry, we've picked it back up over the weekend and the girls have been doing so great. I think they each earned 3-4 MnM's today, had a couple of accidents a piece, but are so excited for one another when they "go."

My babies really are growing up.

Not a potty picture, but earlier this week when they "stole" the bubble gum eggs out of one of our little Easter chickens and I caught them conspiring behind our chair about eating the eggs.

Taking me way back

I think I had this same skirt, but I can't remember when. Sophomore year of college?

I was checking out Lands End Canvas to see what is new for Spring, but I think this definitely fits my rule of "If I wore this style more than a decade ago, just say no." Love the madras, though.

B double e r u n, beerun!

I've only run 18 miles this YEAR, and I'm running in a hilly 5 mile race tomorrow.

Plus, I'm the one who mentioned to Hubby that we should run it.

I think I am officially crazy.

Wish me luck!

Social media

Question for you lovely readers out there.

I know we all use social media on a daily basis. We Tweet, we blog, we Facebook, we Stumbleupon, etc.

Does anyone have any good books on B2B social media and marketing strategies?

Interested in what the big dogs are doing and who's doing it right.

Thankful

Today, I am thankful for

Starbucks grande skim vanilla lattes
Mucinex
Neti Pot sinus relief thingy
Daffodils blooming in my yard
Two two-year-olds that napped from 2-4:30pm
Returned phone calls

Jelly beans in Hubby's grocery bag

A favorite sitter with availability

A meeting free evening and dinner plans with the fam

Blog, neglected.

I'm still here and still checking your blogs ... just not updating mine.

I'll fill you in on the latest. I feel like this post is one large whiny rambling, but maybe I'll just hit publish instead of save and be done with it.

I've been busy feeding hungry children and helping adults learn to read through my position with the Junior League. Oh, ok ... so I'm not single-handedly doing this, but our organization is. Doesn't that sound better than saying I'm going to meetings every morning and night? Is handedly a word? I'm not complaining ... it is all very rewarding, but my schedule has been a bit crazy to say the least.

I've also been thinking about my personal vision statement. This could be an entire post, but it all relates back to a seminar I recently attended and the speaker asked if we had our own personal vision for our life. I could hear the crickets chirping in my head. Do you have one? I truly had to joke my way through that seminar, even when I'm sure I should have been taking it seriously.

Maddy and Libby have learned to open our back door, and while they haven't escaped just yet, the dogs are certainly enjoying this new skill.

I have a knot on the back of my neck ... does this mean I need a massage, or is it a tumor?

I also have a cold. Boooo. It's definitely not making me feel like doing anything that I need to do and I've been injesting large amounts of Vitamin C, cold medicine, saline nasal spray, and graham crackers. Not that graham crackers will cure a cold, but for some reason they taste pretty good.

It's 9:28, off to refill my water bottle, put the doggies to bed, take some more cold medicine, and go to bed. Night-night.

My valentines

Hoping to make cookies for Hubby aka Daddy when the girls wake up from their nap. I guess "make" should be replaced with "open package, pull out pre-squared blob of cookie dough and place on pan". While I love homemade the best, I'm ok with making un-homemade cookies today.

Shoes

I have been missing a pair of black flats since last week and have searched high and low, under the bed, in the closet, etc.

Today, I looked down to see my flats neatly inserted into a box that contains Maddy and Libby's princess dress up shoes.

This made me smile and wonder what other laughs that Maddy and Libby will provide in the coming years. At least someone thinks that Mommy is a princess.

Potty all the time, potty all the time, potty all the tiiime.

Sorry, but I just can't help it.

Ok, parents of potty-trained children, I need your help. I've been afraid to really start this process, but I think it's time to get serious.

Libby (finally) went on the potty last night before her bath and was the proud recipient of lots of applause, hugs, and 2 Elmo stickers. I definitely think I will change stickers to MnM's when we are in serious mode, but right now, I know that I always can find a sticker, even if I'm pulling it off a banana.

So, what else do I need?

I have the children, two potties, two potty seats, big girl panties, and the Patty Potty panties that are super thick. We have 2 hand me down Potty Books and one DVD from a friend, plus the Potty Animals book that seems a little too old for them. It talks more about making sure you shut the toilet seat and I'm just in the going on the potty stage.

Did you have a favorite book or DVD? Pull Ups or No ... what's your opinion? Anything that worked for your family? Moms of multiples, did you train them at the same time or try to get your stronger pottier trained first and hope the second will follow?

I promise that one day I will use this blog for some constructive blogging and not potty training questions. A friend of mine posted today that she misses blogging and I do, too. Just struggling with putting pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard some days.

Maddy, Libby, and the landfills of North Carolina thank you.

Preschool

This week, our preschool held open houses so current and potential parents can go and visit the classrooms. I made my way to the 3 year old classroom and even though I know that I'm essentially looking at kids that are a full year ahead of Maddy and Libby, it is so hard to think that my babies will be ready to be in that class in the Fall.

They said the Pledge of Allegiance, actually sat still during circle time (well, most of them), they went on a letter hunt around the room and knew words that started with each of the letters. I was impressed by the teachers and really liked the actual classroom.

Sigh.

They are growing up so much. I just see so many changes and milestones ~ opinions, questions, counting, recognizing colors, reciting ABC's, more questions, sentences, sitting on the potty, helping feed the doggies, lots of "Noooo" and "I do it, I help you", pushing the kitchen stool around to fetch bananas, tomatoes, or what ever else they can find on the counter, more independent play, etc.

I shared this on Facebook, but will have to share it here. Now someone please tell me where my babies have gone.

What I'm loving

I was picking up birthday gifts this summer and one of the people in line was buying a book called BrainQuest. We started talking about these and he told me that he had been buying them for his son since he was 2. I decided to pick up a pack of these for Maddy and Libby.

At first, they weren't really into them, but as of late, they are slightly obsessed.

These little books are full of pictures and questions that are geared to build your child's vocabulary. Maddy and Libby looove them and are constantly asking to "Read Max." (Max is the main character of the little vignette stories for the one we have.) There are 3 books with pictures on each side, so there are lots of options and you don't get bored reading them over and over.

For example, for the one we have, one picture may show a school room and you ask your child different questions about "where could they hear a story" or "color a picture" and some open-ended like what else can they do at school. The next page will have specific questions about items found in a school classroom, or different activities they do at school.

The one we have is for 2-3 year olds and they go up into the teen years and with different topics. I have been impressed at what questions they could answer on their own, and what they have retained from reading these books.

I just noticed that they have ABC and Counting ones for their age and I think that those may show up for Valentine's Day or Easter.

They are wonderful and may be my new go-to gift for friends. I have seen them locally at Barnes and Noble and also at our local toy store, Toys and Co.

Blah, Blah, Blah

My rambling Thursday thoughts ...

• I have become slightly obsessed with making smoothies. I'm back on ol' WW, and for 1 cup of milk, 1/2 cup frozen strawberries, 1/2 a banana, and 1/2 cup ice, it's only 2 points and yummy ... plus, it's dairy and fruit! Yes, I realize that it's 34 degrees outside, but I seriously want one everyday. I feel like I should be adding protein powder, or whey powder, or something to it. Do any of you use protein powder? I know it would make it a little more filling.
• I'm trying a new Cooking Light recipe tonight ... slow cooker meatloaf . It smells really good. I'm just hoping that I didn't screw it up by using cremini mushrooms instead of shiitake.
• Our schools have been closed for 4 days due to the snow that we had on Monday. I think everyone is a little stir crazy and ready for kiddos to get back to a normal schedule. Even Libby has been asking if she was going to get to see one of her classmates today.
• I realize that when I'm driving the huge double-seater shopping cart at the grocery, I look very large and in charge. I promise you that I'm not trying to run you over. Yes, that is directed at you, woman in the soup aisle with the big 1980's eyeglasses.
• My running shoes miss me, or they miss running. I've been working out nearly every day, but have only run 4 miles in the last 2 weeks. I'm hoping to change that soon.

This will be mine

Not the good cheekbones, but my very own Warrior Dash helmet! Hubby and I, along with another couple we know signed up last night. Laura C will also participating in her 3rd, so I know it will be a party.

Oh my gosh.

Am I crazy? Probably.

Will this be something I'm proud to tell my Grand kids about? Most definitely.

Have I figured out how I'm training for this? No idea.

Am I thinking about the many places I can wear this helmet? Of course.

Am I excited? Hell, yeah.

Mysteries

I'm still trying to figure out how the Goldfish are lasting so much longer than they did before.

Hmmm, maybe I really was eating half the box for lunch and not admitting it to myself.

I, Susan D. haven't had one yummy goldfish cracker in nearly 5 days. I can count the little achievements, right?

Ok, so I lied.

That 5 pounds that I said I wasn't going to worry about? Well, that was a lie.

I do want to lose a few pounds and be more healthy (through the cleaner eating, running, exercise, etc.)

Will I stress if I never have a flat stomach again? No. I'll just keep pulling my jeans up over my twin-skin and know that it will be OK.

Hubby has joined a weight loss challenge with some friends, so if one of us is going to be watching what we eat; it's just as easy for both of us.

Plus, I was already paying for my Weight Watchers online membership, I decided to log back into today and use it.

So far, so good. The first day is always hard and it took every smidgen of self control that I had not to eat Maddy and Libby's leftover goldfish. (I didn't.) Hubby and I also did the P90X DVD tonight which was a hard, but good workout.

So, here's to coming clean about my lie-filled resolutions.

Self-service

Maddy and Libby have recently discovered that they can move the stool around the kitchen to access the sink and counters. Not sure why they have just now figured it out, but it has been somewhat entertaining to watch.

For dinner tonight? Why, they served themselves bananas. Peeled them and ate about 1.5 a piece. The other night? Cherry tomatoes, right out of the bowl. I guess it could be worse. They've also learned to open the refrigerator and have been able to climb enough to reach the higher shelves. Cold macaroni and cheese, grapes, and yogurt have been their choices. Oh and they did grab spoons, too.

It also seems that they wait until I am in the middle of something else - fixing dinner, or grabbing laundry so I'm not paying full attention when they strike. I think outsmarting Mama is their daily job, too.

We have definitely hit the stage of picky eating. Yesterday, I made a pasta salad with sauteed olives, carrots, broccoli, and zucchini, with cheese. Not even one bite and both of them said "No like it." The yogurt at Panera for lunch? "No like it. Mommy eat it."

I know this is a stage and if they eat bananas for dinner, they'll be OK.

Looking ahead

It's still hard for me to believe that 2011 is almost here. That's a common theme around here, because I can never believe the girls are as old as they are. I think that means I'm getting old.

I have pretty much repeated my resolutions from 2009 in 2010, so I think it's time to write some new ones.

2010 was a tough year for me in many ways. Mom found out that she had breast cancer, Hubby lost his job, and I lost my job. But, even with all the uncertainty, when I look back I do have good memories. Mom handled breast cancer like a champ. Hubby got a new job, and well, I'm still looking and trying to take advantage of this time while I can. Plus, we had another year with Maddy and Libby and it's been wonderful, stressful, funny, and enjoyable all at the same time. Watching them grow into full blown toddlers has been amazing to say the least. The verbal skills and their personalities are definitely shining through.

So, for 2011, I hope to ...

1. Keep running. I ran 4 half marathons and walked a 60 mile/3 day event in 2010. 820 miles for the year, give or take a few. I had hoped to be a little closer to 1,000, but I'll take it. I also hoped to run a 5th half marathon, but I just didn't quite make it. I don't think I'm going to make a goal of a specific number of races, but just try to run consistently and finish at least run 2 halfs.

2. Simplify/Less Stress. If the house is trashed; it's ok. If I don't have the perfect outfit; it's ok. If I never lose this extra 5 pounds; it's ok. If my to-do list isn't finished; that's ok, too. I do want to simplify my eating - cleaner, healthier, easier. I want to simplify our house - get rid of the clutter, and enjoy our home, finally do some projects that I have envisioned. I want my daughters to have a simpler life - do they really need every toy out there? I want them to have the experiences and remember the important stuff.

3. Do something for me. I'm not sure what this will be. An art class? A writing class? Bikram yoga, again? Finally figure out the manual setting on my camera? But something just for me.

4. Find a job that I love. Amen to this one. Right now, I'm feeling a little stressed to find a job. But, I really don't want to take just anything. I want to feel great about it and find somewhere that can be fulfilling to me and that I can contribute to the success of the company and make a difference.

5. Be a better Mom/Wife/Friend. Oh, I think this one needs a lot of work. Hubby and I need to plan date nights and actually take time to talk. I need to have more patience with Maddy and Libby. I need to be the friend that picks up the phone more.

So, on that note ... Happy New Year, my friends. Hubby and I enjoyed a home cooked meal with our daughters (even though all we heard was "I don't like it"), but it was a nice dinner, nonetheless. I'm going to pour another class of cab and wish in 2011.

Looking for...

Anyone know who else makes a similar product? This one is now unavailable. Here is the link.

Pottery Barn Kids has a few that are similar, but I really like the more simplistic design of this one. Once we moved in the cute kitchen, all I feel like I'm staring at are two big blank walls, oh and 9,000 pieces of Melissa and Doug food.

I thought it would be cute to have somewhere to display Maddy and Libby's artwork from school, along with photos. Or, I could hang the front loader frames that are easy to change out.

Or the clipboard look. Hmmm. As seen here. I kind of love this look.

Christmas 2010

Excuse the blurriness. Excitedness = not stopping to stand still for a photo.

Merry Christmas!

Twas the day before Christmas and all through the house; not a creature was stirring not even a mouse. The girls were both napping, and Hubby was out; buying a few presents that we had forgotten about. The dogs were at camp, frolicking around, and Susan D. was baking

and eating gum drops.

Merry, Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Just remembering

I hope that I will always remember mornings with my girls like the one I had today.

We were supposed to be meeting up with friends for Story Time with Mrs. Claus and lunch following. Unfortunately, one of my friend's daughters was sick, so they had to cancel. Since we were ready to go, we headed over to Barnes & Noble.

There were quite a few people there, mainly a couple of years older, but we sat down and waited. They weren't perfect, but they managed to sit still and listen for most of the time. Maddy had spotted an Elmo with book so as soon as Mrs. Claus was finished, we made a bee line to look at it.

Not that we need anymore Elmo's or books, but it really was cute - the book has 3 Christmas songs, plus it had an Elmo. I told the girls that they could pick out one book as a special treat. Maddy obviously had her choice and Libby found a set of Corduroy books.

We checked out, held hands in the parking lot without fussing, and headed over to pick up bread to make french toast casserole. They nibbled on cookie samples and were enthralled by the bakery. We walked down a few shops and had lunch at Subway. They were so good and ate their lunches, told me they were "careful" when holding their milk. They did pull a few bags of chips down that I had to replace, but other than that, I couldn't have asked for much better.

I guess it's these days that you want to remember forever when you can look at your children and just smile. They were so cute and sweet, and other shoppers said hello and asked about them. This is so much better than days with hitting, biting, screaming, or crying and it just seems like there have been a lot of those lately. Those are the days that I feel like I have no idea what I'm doing as a parent. Today was one of those days that I'm like "Yeah, I can handle this. I took two 2.5 year olds out in public to several places and didn't need my husband or a friend with me to do it. Go me."

Santa 2010

So, this pretty much sums up what we thought of Santa this year.

Oh well, there's always next year.

Overheard

Hubby and I were reading books to Maddy and Libby before their nap today. Hubby was reading one called "Who Do You Love." It shows different animals and who they love. The bees love their majesty, the Queen; Bunnies love all of their baby bunnies; The Owl asks "Whoo, whoo, whoo do you love?"

Hubby asked Libby who she loved and she loudly and confidently replied "Meee!"

Gotta love it and I secretly wish that she will feel that way forever.

On my list

Does it mean I am officially old if I want one of these?

But, but, but it's a Bissell Sweep & Steam and you can clean tile and hardwood floors with it. Plus, it vacuums and steams at the same time?

Anyone out there own one? Love it, like it, hate it?

I think I want it.

Snow Day

Snow day fun =

PBS overload ~ Sesame Street, Curious George, Super Why, and The Cat in the Hat. How much TV is bad for 2 year olds again?

PJ wearing.

Finding a reindeer craft for the preschool Holiday party next week.

Tracing and cutting out 12 pair of hands on red paper for the reindeer craft.

Hanging and unhanging ornaments on the tree.

Coloring with crayons, block stacking, book reading.

Taking all of the silverware out of the drawer and lining it up the floor. No, that one wasn't Mama approved.

Junior League work ~ strategic planning and survey questions.

Thinking about how a 4 mile run from yesterday has made my quads sore.

Receiving lots of Christmas cards in the mail!

Relaxing with the movie, Leap Day while the girls were napping.

Pretzel Crisps, Granny Smith Apples, and Extra Sharp Cabot cheddar for lunch.

Oh, productive stuff like house-cleaning, job hunting, or that stuff? Nah, but I did find out about and applied for an interesting job opportunity this week.

While a relaxing day, here's hoping for no more snow days and no delays for tomorrow.

You know that CoverGirl lip gloss that's supposed to stay on for 8 hours? The one that never stays on for more than 30 minutes?

Did you know that on 2 1/2 year old children, it will stay on until you take it off, just like the ad says.

This is what happens when I go upstairs to get dressed and forget that my purse is within reach. 2 glosses and 2 Burt Bees chapsticks were out and plentifully applied. Thank goodness not on the upholstery, carpet, etc.

Luckily, a little eye makeup remover and a baby wipe took it off enough not to get funny stares at the grocery store.

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Obviously, I can't count

Hubby's 40th birthday is next week and I ordered a cake for a dinner that we had last night.

4 candles x 10. We told him he had to blow them out that many times.

I thought we would have 12 for dinner, so I ordered a cake to feed 12-16, but ended up with 9 for dinner, but I think only 6 had cake (losers).

So, do you know what that means? I'm left with a truck-load of yummy cake.


If this stays in the house, this may be my downfall.
Cake, anyone?

Trying to get back on the horse

After a couple of friends who read my blog, and even Hubby started asking me why I haven't been blogging, I figured it was time to check in.


I'm still here ... just haven't been writing. I didn't really mean to take a break, but it just happened.


I'll blame it on travel-work stuff-holiday preparations-cold/sinus thing-writers block-reading a good book-telling Maddy and Libby "don't touch that" multiple times a day, etc.


So, what is on my mind?

It's December 9 and I still can't find the candles for our windows.

My tree is half-decorated. Partly to keep ornaments out of two year old hands, but partly because the boxes are still in the basement.

I'm making a soup with Velveeta for dinner and I had to ask where it was at the grocery. It's not refrigerated and that kind of grossed me out. What is Velveeta, because it sure as heck isn't cheese.

Fifth half marathon for the year isn't gonna happen. The above cold/sinus thing has kept me from running since Thanksgiving, so I'm giving myself an extension and trying to run 5 within 12 months. My goal, my rules.

My cousin sent Maddy and Libby a Jingle Bell Elmo and I have heard Jingle Bells via Elmo about 10,000,000 times a day.

It is freezing here in NC. It snowed on Saturday and the snow is still lingering. It's just unheard of for here.

I am loving all of the holiday crafts that M&L are making in preschool. Mitten shaped paper ornaments, popsicle stick stars with paint and glitter, red poinsettias. Cute.

Oh, and did I mention that I lost my job? Yeah, not I what I needed/wanted/expected to happen, but I'm wrapping up a final project and will be finished by Christmas. I try to keep things happy and full of rainbows and sunshine here, but I just feel like it's not being truthful if I don't mention it. My new mantras include "everything happens for a reason, put on your big girl panties and deal with it, and don't forget to take those happy pills."

But, life does go on ... Hubby and I celebrated 5 years of wedded bliss in November, we are healthy, our children are healthy, I enjoyed a much-needed girls trip to New Orleans the weekend after I found out about the layoff, and I do believe that everything will work out.

So, that's it in a nutshell.

And just so I'm keeping this full of rainbows and glitter ...

"Keep your face to the sunshine, and you cannot see the shadows." - Helen Keller

Predictable

Predictable is boring, right? Or does it mean stability?

How much unpredictability can a person endure before they crave the comfort of knowing what is going to happen tomorrow.

Does the person who works in a factory knitting socks enjoy the fact that they know their job will be the same day in, day out ... or do they loathe having to make the same stitch, in the same color, hour after hour, day after day.

2010 has definitely been a year of unpredictability and let's just say that the planner in me has had about enough. I'm definitely seeking stability, oh, but with flexibility and a little creativity thrown in for good measure.

Sigh.

NYC Recap

We had a great mini-vacation to NYC that involved 26.2 miles of running (Hubby) and a lot of eating (me).

Hubby ran the marathon for the second year in a row with a time in 4:07. His goal was under 4 hours, but I thought he did a great job and shaved over 20 minutes off his time last year. I watched from Central Park and had a blast watching the elite runners finish, as well as seeing Bobby Flay red-faced and serious on the course, along with thousands of other finishers. So inspiring.

Pre-race

Just being a spectator and not a runner of this marathon, I will say that they seem to have theiract together ... everything from the Expo to the race day logistics seems smooth, especiallywith 45,000 runners and 2.5 million spectators. The only issue I had were that the text messages I was supposed to receive updating me to Hubby's whereabouts didn't come as timely as I had hoped.

Post-race

We decided to rent an apartment this year and I have to say, that was a big thumbs up in our book. Not only were we convenient to pretty much everything (57th Avenue and 6th), it was less expensive, roomier, and we had a doorman. Of course, it came with a few drawbacks ... on the first night, we couldn't get the key to work in the lock and it took us forever to get someone tohelp. We also had to wait for 3 hours for the super to check a suspicious non-flushing toilet. But, all in all, I was happy with our decision and would do it again.

Here I am showing how small the kitchen was, but it was perfect for our needs. I could touch from cabinet to cabinet. Not what you'd want to prepare Thanksgiving dinner, but again ... perfect for most New Yorkers.

We did some of the typical New York sightseeing/touristy things ... MoMA, Magnolia Bakery (ehhh - wasn't that impressed), boat cruise around the city, Top of the Rock, caught a show(Promises, Promises), ate NYC pizza (Joe's and John's ... I may be slightly partial to Joe's), window shopping on 5th Avenue, crazy taxi rides, etc. One must do for me is to buy the City Pass ... we did this last year and also this year. The City Pass that gives you tickets to all the major museums, Empire State Building,etc. It's so worth the price even if you don't use every ticket.

Statue of Liberty from our cruise.

We also found a great tour in Greenwich Village called the Foods of NY Food Tour. They host several different tours around the city, but this one was perfect. A three hour tour filled with historical tidbits, and 6 different samples of Greenwich Village hole in the wall restaurants and bakeries. I really loved Greenwich ... so much more quiet, laid-back, arty, and unique. I would definitely like to spend more time in this area again. You can see where my eating marathon took place!

Holy Cannoli from Rocco's

Holy macaroni and cheese from Home.

Holy big chocolate chip and oatmeal cookie from Milk & Cookies.

My favorites ... hmmm, almost all of them. I would definitely have to say Home Restaurant (we decided to go back for lunch the following day), Milk & Cookies Bakery, Rocco's Bakery, Amy's Breads plus these rice/risotto balls from an Italian specialties shop. Oh my gosh.

Did I tell you that the day after our food tour, we walked from 57th street to 12th? Holy food coma. We spent some time in Chelsea, visited the Chelsea Market and the High Line Park. While High Line isn't the prettiest park in the world (read: manicured), it was a great idea to take a train trestle and turn it into a 1.5 mile walking trail above the city. It's still under construction, but made for some pretty neat vantage points above the city streets. It's a little bit gritty, but it's nice to see something turned around in positive way.

Cool street view

Flowers and bricks.

So, here's my long-winded recap and if you're still reading, thank you.

See you next week!

Thinking about ...

Thinking about ...

My friend, K who was put on bed rest yesterday. She is almost 25 weeks along with boy/girl twins. Please keep her in your thoughts and feel free to send her entertaining blog posts.

Running. Why is it that you take a week off and it feels like an eternity and that much harder to get back in the groove? I ran 5 miles on Tuesday and plan to go tonight. Hoping for a longer run this weekend, because #5 will be here before I know it!

The fact that when it's time to give Maddy and Libby their medicine (antibiotic - ear infections), Libby will blurt out "Maddy turn!" and put her hands over her mouth. After a couple of days, we figured out that bribing with Elmo or a special snack is the way to go and we don't have to deal with crying/flailing arms. What is funny is that Libby still takes it better than Maddy, but she still tries to get out of it. I guess I can't blame her.

I also wanted to share a picture of M&L's preschool class. I think I can safely say that I could never do the job of a preschool teacher. I'm still amazed that they were able to get all of these kids lined up and stand still long enough for the parents to snap a few photos. Plus, they dressed up in costume and had fun. Oh, yeah ... no idea why M&L are the only ones NOT wearing their spider crowns.

All for now ... happy Friday, everyone.

Pumpkin Spice, oh yeah

A bag of Betty Crocker pumpkin spice cookie mix fell in my shopping cart a couple of weeks ago, and I'm so glad it did.

I made these cookies tonight and they turned out to be very good. Kind of cakey in texture, and when paired with homemade cream cheese frosting, you can't really go wrong. Paired with milk or coffee and they would probably be even better.

Of course, the cookies are very easy ...they do come out of a pouch. All you do is add an egg, butter, a little water and mix it up. The frosting took a bit longer because you, or your Hubby has to sift 2 cups of powdered sugar, but it's definitely worth the effort. Don't buy the stuff in the can because the homemade is so much better. Just ignore the fact that the ingredients are cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla. I'm definitely not looking up weight watcher points for that one.

Happy Fall!

Runner Susan, need your help

Runnersusan, I need your help. I'm getting a pop up message to log onto your site when I am on my site. My readers (all 12 of them) are also receiving this message at well.

I noticed your site is under construction. Can you offer any advice how to fix this, or why it happened?

xoxo,

Susan D. who wishes she had the boot collection and half marathon times of Runner Susan.

a post just to post

I've found that there is a strange pop up coming up when people visit my blog. It's actually for a blog that I read. Not really sure what is going on, but I'm going to see if adding a new post will make a difference.

Hmmmm ... it's Wednesday, what's going on in your world?

Today means a Halloween parade at preschool, work, crockpot lasagna on the menu for dinner (even though it's 70 degrees outside), Sesame Street songs, and I'm sure other adventures around the house.

Pumpkins and witches, oh my.

Yesterday, we attended our church Fall Festival, complete with "Trunk or Treat." I didn't know if the girls would "get it" or not, since this was truly their 1st trick-or-treating experience. They quickly learned that all of the people would give you candy to put in your little buckets. Even though they really didn't eat much candy, they still liked that idea.They also loved our neighboring car who let them take nearly every piece of candy out of their bowl and put it into their buckets. I was just happy it was MnM's. Just kidding, sort of. Mini Butterfingers would have been better.

Oh, and yes ... no witch costume for Maddy. No way, no how, wasn't going to leave the house without screaming and tearing at the costume kind of meltdown, so we decided a happy uncostumed kid was better than a miserable, costumed kid.

Maddy did oblige me by wearing the witch hat when we got home. Do you like her ink?

Libby did end up with one lollipop that she thoroughly enjoyed, plus a new frog tat.

Cute and practical

These boots from Nine West are hitting many of my loves ... they are wedges, and the fact that they are "practical" since you are getting 2 boots in 1. You can upzip and remove the top if you want to wear them under jeans, or want to go with the shorter boot look. I haven't decided how I feel about ankle boot trend. I still feel like if I wore them in the 7th grade, then I shouldn't be wearing them now. Actually, I don't think I owned any ankle boots back then, but I think the cool girls did and I think we called them granny boots.

One of my friends pointed these out to me in a Southern Living and I've been looking for them ever since and found them on Zappo's.

Brown or black, brown or black ...

Makes me happy

True love

Libby loves Fig Newtons. I mean really, really, really loves Fig Newtons.

We keep them in a glass canister on the kitchen counter and several times a day, she will typically run over to the counter, point, and say either "cookie", or "I want one."

Today, I had an appointment to get a haircut after preschool. Bad timing on my part, but my sitter had arrived and Libby asked for a Fig Newton. She let them have one and then told them that when they were finished, it was time for a nap. Libby was adamant that she wanted another cookie, but the sitter held firm (like I wanted her to) and told them that they could have another one when they woke up from their nap.

Somehow Libby ended up with a package of fig newtons (the small, 2 in a pack ones) and took it upstairs with her. When they woke up this afternoon, she was still clutching that little pack of Fig Newtons in her hot, little hand. I'm actually surprised she napped at all, knowing that she was that close to getting another cookie. I'm also surprised that she didn't figure out how to open up that package and have a little snack in bed.

4 down, 1 to go

So, I did it. Signed up on Friday, ran a half on Saturday. I typically am not that much of a non-planner, but I've been thinking about this race a lot, but I just didn't know how I would feel after the Komen walk, so I didn't want to commit ... mentally or financially, until I knew that I was "ready."

Ok, so I probably really wasn't "ready" by a lot of people's standards, but I came back from the walk without blisters, any major pain, and I knew that my legs could take the miles. I did a mid week, longish run and felt OK, so I decided to go for it.

Race day was great. Sunny and cool ... a perfect day for running. I met a neighborhood friend around mile 2 and we ran together until mile 5. She has great form and was keeping right below a 10 minute mile. I knew I couldn't stay with her forever, but I felt good for those miles.

We split off right around mile 5, and I was still feeling good. I shedded my long sleeve shirt at the turn around, and remember thinking to myself, "ok, I can really do this."

Keep in mind, this race is on the greenway that we run all the time, so I guess it's good and bad. You definitely know what to expect ahead of you, but it's also familiar.

Around mile 10, I started having some cramps in my left calf. Ugh. I slowed up, walked a bit, stopped to stretch, did a little talking to myself and kept going.

By mile 12, you are back in the park where eventually you'll finish and I also knew that I was getting ready to tackle the hill that I will always remember as one of our hill repeat hills. I ran up it, but stopped again to stretch at the top. After that, Missy Elliott came on the iPod, I perked up and remember thinking "Susan, you walked 60! miles last weekend. You can run 1-2 more."

Did anyone mention that running is 90% mental and 10% physical?

So, Missy and I ran in the last 1-2 miles and I pushed repeat on her song so I could make it to the finish line. Which is on top of another hill, I might add.

I saw my friend who I ran with cheering me on, so that was good to see a familiar face, along with a few others. Let me give my PSA for race spectators. Please cheer for people, even if you don't know them. You have no idea how much this lifts their spirits ... especially when they are finishing a race that ends at the top of a hill.

So, I finished. #4. Not a PR, but still respectable for me. 2:18:37, I think was the chip time.

A little sore yesterday, but nothing too bad. Yes, I had a few people tell me I was crazy and a few that said amazing. Don't think I'm either one of those, but it was good to finish #4, because now completing #5 doesn't seem that bad.

Silly goals. Silly goal-setter.

So, I'm up ...

Having coffee, dressed in my running clothes, and trying to fool myself into thinking this is just a Saturday morning training run.

The problem is that I have a timing chip on my shoe, and a bib number pinned to my shirt.

So, I did it and signed up for the Cannonball Half.

Here goes nothing ... hopefully I can give a good report in a few hours!

Pondering

I've had my running clothes laid out for the past 2 mornings, but when my alarm went off shortly before 5am each day, I quickly turned it off and rolled over. I am finally dressed in running clothes and plan to hit the gym after I do preschool drop off.

Amazingly, I did not return from the 3-Day walk with any blisters, or really any soreness. I had some weird top of my foot pain, and a few twinges when I would go up steps, but nothing that made me feel like I had just walked 60 miles. Who knows ... maybe I did stretch more than I thought, or maybe all the running from this summer helped keep me in shape. Or maybe it was the copious amounts of Biofreeze and Tiger Balm that I used.

Anyway, there is a little, local half marathon this weekend that has been on my "calendar." The thing is, I haven't done any running in over 2 weeks, I haven't registered for it, and I haven't arranged childcare.

My plan is to see how I feel on my run today, and go from there. If I'm feeling bold, I will go ahead and register and find a babysitter, and just try to get out there on Saturday and do it. Hubby's running 21 miles on Saturday, so that's why he won't be available.

Am I crazy? Ok, maybe I don't want you to answer that.

More 3-Day Walk D.C.

My sweet friend and teammate, Rene put together this moving slideshow that recapped our walk beautifully. Hope you enjoy.

Also, here is a link to Leonard Pitts' article. He walked in the DC walk in memory of his Mom and we stalked him, found him on Saturday, and got to chat with him about his experience. He wrote a great recap. Maybe if I learned to write like him, someone would be paying me for this blog.

The Walk

So, I think that most of you know I recently walked the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure and all I can say is WOW. It was truly an incredible experience.

A group of my teammates and I drove to DC on Thursday. We arrived in time to enjoy some great pizza and a walk to Georgetown for a cupcake. We split one that night, and bought others to enjoy the next morning for our pre-walk breakfast.

Mmmm, cupcakes.

After a somewhat restless night for everyone, we got up early to catch our 5am shuttle that took us to the opening ceremony location. As soon as we checked in, I knew it would be emotional. The signs on people's backs in honor or memory, the opening ceremony itself, the survivors circling a flag of remembrance. I truly felt lucky that I had the ability to walk 60 miles. Throughout the next 3 days, I would often think that this was way easier than chemo. Or losing a breast. Or losing a loved one.

Our team at the opening ceremony.
(The guy with the pink beard behind us is actually not a part of our group!)

One of my favorite signs.

Then we walked. And walked. And walked some more. On Friday, we did 20.5 miles throughout D.C., even stopping for a moment as the Prime Minister of Jordan passed by us and his Secret Service made us stop. We headed into Georgetown, and made it to Maryland. All along the way, they have pit stops where you can grab a snack, refill your water bottle, stretch, use the porta-pottie, etc. The event logistics are amazing to me, and must take a dedicated staff and incredible volunteers. After we had walked on Friday, we were bussed to our campsite for the weekend ... a huge farm in Maryland.

Part of our row of tents, complete with appropriate decorations.

There we could pick up our luggage, set up our tent, enjoy a hot shower via mobile shower tractor trailer units, and eat dinner. One important note ... plastic utensils make steak very hard to eat, but I enjoyed every bite. The campsite has a 9pm lights out policy, but I think everyone is so tired by the point, it is an easy rule to enforce.

Saturday, our schedule was 24 miles and this time we actually started the walk to camp and no buses were involved. This day we stayed in Maryland and had great support from cheering sections, and also just people set up in parking lots. I almost cried at every large cheering station as the people are thanking you for walking for their Mom, Wife, Sister, etc.

This was one of our favorite cheerleaders and he was out on the course all weekend, cheering on his wife. She is a survivor and had done many Komen walks and was walking in 3 walks this year! Plus, he had chocolate and a cool wig.

On Saturday night, Nancy Brinker (Susan G. Komen's sister) who started the foundation in honor of her sister spoke and it was such an inspiration to hear her story. Again, lights out at 9pm and I found that chicken was easier to cut with plastic.

We were up at 5am on Sunday so we could take down our tents, put our bags in a truck, eat breakfast and hit the road. We were bussed to another area of Maryland and we walked to DC. The Dupont Circle cheering section was great and we got to see some of the sights ... complete with a walk past the White House.

Day 3, still smiling, and ready to go!

Our team nearing the end of Day 3, in front of the White House.

As we finished the walk, we were cheered on by crew members, volunteers, onlookers, other walkers ... you name it. There was music, cheering, clapping. It was incredible and emotional. Our team linked arms and came in together. We started together and that's the way we wanted to finish. Each and every one of us walked every single step and our feet showed it. Lots of blisters, but you literally could feel the strength of all of us combined.

We stayed in a holding area until all of the walkers were in, then we all lined up together to walk to the National Monument. This was exciting to have the entire 2,000+ people together since we had been spread out most of the weekend. The survivors followed us, wearing special pink tee shirts.

The closing ceremony was just as emotional as the opening, with good speakers, music, and of course the survivors raising a flag. One of our team members who is a survivor was asked to be on stage! Even though we couldn't see her from our point, we were thrilled that she got to have that special experience.

The one shoe salute for all of the survivors as they walked into the closing ceremony.

At lunch on Day 3, our team captain asked if someone offered to donate the amount that we had raised if we would walk again the next day, and I can definitely say that I would. I really felt like I had made a difference, and it was incredible to witness it. Individually, I raised over $2,800; our team raised nearly $27,000; and the D.C. walk raised $5.3 million. Incredible.

With our team captain and my tent roomie!

A huge thank you to my family and friends for their love and support throughout this amazing journey.

I'll be walking

and walking, and walking some more.

It's almost time to leave for the Susan G. Komen 3 day walk for the cure and I'm still amazed that it's here.

I was scared that I couldn't meet my fundraising goal, but I did.

I was scared that I wouldn't have time to train, but I did.

I've been amazed at the generosity of friends, family, and friends who I've never met, but have gotten to know through blogging who have supported me. Whether through financial donations, or through emails and talks, I know that I will be carrying the love of many people with me and that is why I know I can walk 60 miles.

Our team has raised a collective $26,000 for breast cancer research and community programs and I am inspired by each and every member.

I'm way behind on blogging, but promise to do a big post with photos and a recap when it's all over.

I will tell you know that my PINK LL Bean duffle is almost packed and I've probably never packed more pink clothes for one weekend in my whole entire life. See you next week!