Best Husband Eva

Still sick. My dear husband called me up today offering to take the three girls out so I could have some peaceful rest. Once he told me this I decided I better take a nap to rest up for my "peaceful" time, so I talked the girls into watching a little Spongebob in my bedroom while I dozed in and out of consciousness. I know, not the best mom - a little selfish, well actually a lot.

For my peaceful time I decided to go for a run. I don't think this is what my husband quite had in mind, but my logic is that I need to sweat out some of the crud that has lodged in my head and chest. It was a hard run, much slower than my last and I sweated MAO (I wish). Seriously though, I thought I was going to pass out, and my lungs hurt so bad! When I was done, sweat was actually pouring down my face into my eyes. Weird - I only did three miles, between 9 1/2 to 11 minute pace, and I didn't have this type of sweating with my previous run which was longer and at a faster pace. I followed it up with a nice soak in my new tub, solo this time.

I'm hoping I feel better tomorrow so I can run a decent time for Nancy's Nine on the Ninth, if not I may need to hold off until Sunday to do this race. I;m excited about this run though because I have a hot pacer and cool trainer.

So after three hours of quiet time, the family arrived home. Chuck spoiled the girls sufficiently with princess makeovers at the local strip mall and and a new cell phone for the teenager. Best of all he brought me home a bottle of wine to help with the sore throat. What a guy.

Sick Day

Everyone in my house was sick today (except my hubby - thank goodness because he is the biggest baby!), we still got stuff done though - I still went to work for a few hours, my girls still drove me crazy.

First the business, I did a five mile treadmill run tonight:

mile 1 - 10:53

mile 2 - 9:59

mile 3 - 9:56

mile 4 - 9:46

mile 5 - 9:31

Total time - 50:05

That felt pretty good. I'm happy that my time is improving, especially considering I have been sick. So I've done 10% of my 90 mile goal this month- I need to get serious. I can do it though, especially since I have 9 - 11 mile longs runs coming up on the weekends.

I topped off my run today with my first bath in my brand new tub! (AAAHHHH) I wish I had sound effects on my blog, because if I did that aaahhh would sound like the angels of heaven singing in perfect harmony.

The bath wasn't quite as long as I would have liked because both Char and Delaney decided to join me, and they get a little crazy - but we did all fit comfortably.

Things that made me laugh today:

Delaney's dinner, can't wait till she's a teenager! She is only five and she is all over being healthy (Char on the other hand loves her snacks). I swear Delaney arranged this plate herself - it is actually (since the picture isn't very clear) three bean pods, some soy beans, and one teeny tiny broccoli on a bed of rice. Yes, Delaney is making a goofy face. Don't worry, she is not malnourished - she gets plenty of protein and fats in her diet too, since she is a growing girl.

My Border Collie, Zoe sleeping on my mini dauchunds bed. Silly dog.

Char's cross-eyed, mad face. Char was in a particularly bad mood today, sick. She was donned Queen Crabby Patty for the day. The only way I got her to laugh was to pretend to eat her Crabby Patty tummy.

A Bright, Bright Sunshiney Day

I had a cleansing run today. It wasn't a good run, but it felt like it cleared a bunch of junk out of me. January was rough weather, rough health, and rough emotions. It has rained everyday here for the last two weeks (but it feels like a month), our remodel has put a lot of stress on our household, and everyone has been sick the last week - including me. So I struggled this morning deciding to put my running shoes on, because I knew I wouldn't run well, but I also knew it would make me feel better. The day started with some welcome rays of sunshine though, and they called me out of my house winning over my hesitation.

The first mile and a half were rough, my lungs felt tight, my back was achy, lots of mud puddles an muck to negotiate. Then Johnny Nash came on my ipod, "I Can See Clearly Now, the Rain is Gone" - it felt like a new beginning. This song isn't on my running playlist, but I messed up my settings when I started my run and didn't want to stop and fix it. It was the perfect day for this song. I played the song two more times, and let all the gunk work it way out of me. I ran faster, left the bad stuff in the mud and finished my four miles faster than I started.

I've been stuggling with setting my running goal for the month....I want 90 miles, but then I struggle with if I really have the time to fit those miles in. Am I suppose to count the miles I walk for warm-up and cooling down in my total mileage? I feel like I'm cheating if I do this.

Who Knew?

I never would have guessed a year ago, 10 years ago that i would engoy the cyber company of all the blogs I visit daily. All the women i feel a kinship with via running, momisms, etc. Thank you Al Gore for inventing the internet.

Home Depot Birthday Celebration

How did I celebrate my 40th? Nice dinner at an upscale restaurant without kids followed by a trip to Home Depot. Our central heat went out yesterday so we had to get space heaters to keep us from freezing at night!

It was a nice birthday though, and so far 40 is not so bad. I've copped up to the age to most everyone I know, and most people react by saying "You don't look that old"! I don't know if that is a compliment or a slap?

I got a Garmin for my birthday (I had Garmin envy reading everyone else's blogs and have been hinting pretty heavily) and I tested it out this morning, I clocked a 2 minute mile - in my car. Hoping to get a real run in tomorrow morning.

Tonight the girls want to take me to Chuck-E-Cheese to celebrate - Woohoo!

I Know, I Know

I haven't posted in almost a week....and I haven't ran since last Monday......and my diet has been horrible this week. But lets be positive, this is what has been accomplished this week:

1) Painted my new bathroom and bedroom.

2) Our bathroom has been tiled and the granite bath top installed.

3) New hardwood floors in our bedroom, and the girls rooms - which we had to move furniture for.

4) Reset up the beds in our room and our girls rooms.

5) One sixty second (not minute) plank thanks to Non-Runner Nancy's inspiration.

6) Probably some more stuff that I can't remember since I am almost 40, have two small children, etc. etc.

I can't wait to post before and after pictures of our bedroom/bathroom - not of me!

I will restart my diet tomorrow. I will run 7 miles tomorrow. Plus, we have our first renters moving into our guest house tomorrow so I will be cleaning up out there.

Diva Delaney Turns Five

So despite Delaney's objections to having a winter birthday, she turned five today. I managed to talk her into a minor celebration, with the promise that her "real" birthday will be in the summer with a pool party.

The rules (as outlined by D):

1) NO SINGING, although she did want the traditional singing balloon we get every time there is a birthday in our house.

2) We will take a shopping trip and she will pick out a five year old present, followed by us preparing her favorite dinner (homemade mac 'n cheese), and an ice cream cake.

3) At her real party (summer) she wants two pinatas, one for herself that no-one else can hit, and one for everyone else.

4) She liked the idea of wearing a birthday crown today, doesn't like that Charlotte is wearing one too. Since I told her she would just have to deal with that, she decided she is the Queen and Char is the princess.

Notice the lack of smile in her picture, that is her Queen attitude. Queens don't smile. Princesses however do, knowing that they are bugging their sister!

Luckily my other two girls aren't nearly as demanding as Delaney - she is a DIVA! I think she gets it from her father. So this is what five looks like.