Sunday, November 23, 2014

Quick Run

I love old lady magazines.

I really don't know why.

A lot of my friends prefer People or US.

I'd much rather tuck into a new issue of Better Homes and Gardens.

Recently, I had an offer for a free year of Family Circle, which is kind of a waiting room magazine to me.  Something you used to read in the doctor's office before your cell phone brought you so many more options for spending time while waiting.

I was thumbing through the latest issue of Family Circle and this popped out at me.


It motivated me.

Often I'll feel like I need to make it worth my while if I'm going to head out to execize.

This feels do-able to me.

Who can't jog for 5 minutes?  Nice and slow and easy til you build it up.  Or even a fast walk?

It makes me not try to carve out 2 hours for exercise and more willing to squeeze it in.

You're welcome:)

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Truth or Dare

Today Carl raced in the regional portion of the Junior Olympics for cross country.

Running the 3000 meter (1.8mi) for the second time in Seattle at Lower Woodland Park.

I'm so proud of him for trying a new sport this season and for doing amazingly well.

Coming up on the finish line
(Un)fortunately his team didn't place to advance to nationals-in South Carolina.

Thank goodness we don't have to tell him we aren't willing to make the stretch to send him that far 2 weeks before Christmas.

But super bummed for the kids who wait all year for cross country season and won't be advancing.

Anyway, it was a nice morning watching the activity around such a big event.

Cheering on our buddy.

And hitting our favorite hamburger place, Red Mill on Phinney (our old stomping grounds-I used to live on 48th & Phinney).

On the drive home, as we cruised down Hwy 99 past the Ferris Wheel Carl was playing Truth or Dare off his Ipad.

It was Mark's turn.

He selected truth.

The question:

"What's more important to you; personality or good looks?"

Mark knew he was in a tough spot but answered,

"Personality."

Without a pause Carl blurted out,

"Then why'd you marry mom?!"

Huh.

Is that offensive or meant as a compliment.

I'm not really sure.

I asked him if he knew what personality meant.

He sure as heck did,

he described it to a T.

And he didn't think there was a thing wrong about his question.

While I'm flattered he thinks I have "good looks" I also want him to value personality over looks.

And I'll be honest, I sure do wish he thought I had a good personality.

Out of the mouths of  babes...

Thursday, November 20, 2014

A Blip of Time Inside My Befuddled Mind

I'm not writing this because I think I'm exceptional. 

Or that this is radically different from anyone else. 

I write this because I've been re-reading some of my older posts and marveling how different life is as the kids get older and more self sufficient.

Usually I cringe as I read what I've written in the past (I won't go near my senior thesis from Whitman and am thankful my graduate thesis was a now defunct website {historichome.com}).

I usually feel I could have written better with my advanced current wisdom (ha!).

But I've been enjoying re-living the insanity of those days.

Many of the events I had already forgotten.

So, this post (and there just might be more of these) is to share with myself and kids the tornado inside my head as I struggle through the logistics of our beautiful crazy, busy family life.

So now, without a further adieu:

A bit of time inside my befuddled mind

Charlie and Elsa run off the bus.

Figure out snacks.

Help with homework.

Elsa read one sheet once.

Elsa read another sheet 3 times.

Elsa math worksheet.

Elsa science sheet.

Charlie starts cutting up math flashcards.

Charlie asking why he has to go to Sarina's basketball game.

Us  explaining he gets to go.

Charlie proposing all kinds of other places he can go instead.

Many emails trying to pin down a meeting time for a new (work) contract- for me.

Waiting on contract in the mail.

Cancel existing apt to replace with meeting now scheduled for new contract.

Try not to think about packing and preparing food for next week.

Many, many texts trying to figure out how to get Carl from archery (after school activity) to cross country practice (his last before his regional Junior Olympics 1.8mi race on Saturday).

Realize there's no possible way to get him to practice, Mark with Charlie and Elsa to Sarina's game, and me off to work.

Scratch Carl going to cross country.

Figure out exactly when Sarina is playing basketball in Tumwater.

Find out she's playing 1 quarter varsity and 3 quarters JV.

Try to reason through the advantages of 1/2" concrete versus 3/4" concrete for Mark's massive outdoor table project.

Try to figure out what temp to put the lasagna in the oven when we're all out of the  house a couple of hours between when it goes into the oven and when someone will be there to eat it.  (The instructions say 45 min at 350-I put it in at 280 at 4pm- fingers crossed it's not a big cracker by 6).


Get everyone out the door.
Tidy all the after school papers scattered EVERYWHERE.

Switch the wash.

Figure out if I should wear new CAbi coat with red silk scarf or pretty pink sweater with grandma's broach with my new very subtle camo pants for work. 

Change my mind (and clothes) 2 times.

Gather all my stuff for my work meeting.

Stop to grab the mail on my way out.

Got a new contract for work (yay!)

Mental note to review that contract and file tonight.

Talk to mom on the drive.

Text Sarina's friend's mom about the friend coming home with Sarina after the game to work on a school project.

Stop to pick up 4 very large and heavy moving blankets for Mark plus a 1,000lb hydraulic cart from a store in Lacey on my way to work.

Talk to mom.

Discuss coordinating outfits for pictures next week (mind  overload).

Try to remember the name of Mark's recently retired co-worker for mom.

Blank.

I can picture him clear as day and tell you all kinds of things about him

Still no name.

Stop for coffee on my way into Steilacoom.

Text a bit with Mark about picking up goods for him (he was sweetly grateful).

Decide to write a blog about all the random shit in my brain.

Remember Mark's co-worker's name.

Ponder new fences that have gone up in the community where I work.

Not pleased.

Call mom to tell her name of the co-worker before I forget again.

Open up the building for my meeting.

Email new board member about meeting prior to meeting.

Get text that Carl can't practice tomorrow for the Junior Olympics-his little body needs two days of rest before the race.

Damn, I probably should have known that.

Now he won't get any practice.

Guilt lurking in the back of my mind all night - could I have worked the logistics better?

Realize Mark needs something on the computer I brought with me to work.

Text him picture of the screen hoping it will suffice for tonight.

Type this up.

Now I have 15 minutes to prep for my pre-meeting meeting.


And this is all just within less than 2 hour time-span.

Monday, November 17, 2014

Privacy in the Bathroom

I'll try to keep it PG rated.

Elsa's comments are not PG rated.

Yesterday I overheard the three younger kids talking about seeing me without my clothes on.

I won't share Elsa's comments but Charlie's response was,

"Really?

All I look at is the boobs."

Nice.

Carl said, "I just look at her face."

Bless him.

Even if he isn't telling the truth.

I just might need to lock the door at shower time from now on..?

I missed you

This weekend Elsa got to have a sleepover at her grandparents house with her cousin.

As I tucked her in the next night I snuggled her close and told her how much I'd missed her.

Clear as day, she responded in a surprised voice,

"Really?! 

Cause I forgot about you."

Ouch.

Thanks.

It's a good thing, I know.

But forgot about me?

I'm going to interpret that as she wasn't homesick and pining for me...

Yup, I know that's exactly what she meant.

Thursday, November 13, 2014

"Charlie the Poop"

Sometimes Charlie can get a bit moody.

Ok, really moody.

Tonight seemed to be the night.

Not sure the trigger,

Possibly that he didn't get to play at the creek as long as he wanted to when Mark took the kids down to see the salmon spawning.

Maybe it was because he picked them up a little early from school so they could go looking for deer.

Regardless, as I was cleaning the kitchen and not catering to him, he looked at me with his big eyes smoldering.

"I should write a book."  He spat.

"You know what I'll call it?"  He continued.

"Charlie the Poop."  He answered himself.

"It's about a kid named Charlie, whose parents treat him like poop."

Poor buddy.

Every kid should have parents who treat them like poop the way we treat Charlie.

Please Lord let him learn to see what's really happening around him rather than getting so caught up  in his emotions that he thinks the world is against him.

I will admit.

That one did make me laugh a little bit.

Of course I had to sing the song my dad used to sing to me whenever I threw myself a pity party.

"Nobody likes me, everybody hates me, think I'll eat some worms..."

He wasn't impressed.

I'm Important

I don't know why.

But sometimes I ask my kids weird questions.

Or questions that seem pretty obvious,

just to hear what they'll say.

Last night I looked at Elsa snuggled in her bed,

holding Goofy,

fresh from her bath

with her hair in two neat, little braids.

I asked her why she was so special.

Her eyes lit up as she straightened up and answered,

"I know!

Because I'm important!"

Amen sister.

You are so, very important indeed.