Wordless Wednesday….Crunch

 

 

 

Random Tuesday Thoughts, Or How I Ramble For The Entire Post

My sister and niece were visiting this weekend, which I will use as an excuse for the lack of posts in the past few days.  We had quite a nice visit and I wish it could have been longer.  It seems like we’re both so busy these days, my sister is a full time student and I’m quite poor at time management and follow through, so we don’t get together as often as we should considering she lives less than three hours away.  We traipsed all over the Puget Sound area, but my favorite stop was the Brown and Haley’s outlet in Tacoma. Brown and Haley are the makers of the scrumptious Almond Roca, among other tasty treats.  At the outlet you can buy the odds and ends that are not quite up to standard for a very reduced price.  I’m set on chocolate for a few weeks now.

I mentioned that my 5K was on Saturday, it went quite well.  I finished 364th out of over 1100 people. So, that’s pretty awesome.  My goal was to finish in under 38 minutes, and I accomplished that, with a time just under 35 minutes.  It was not as horrible as I was expecting, though it wasn’t easy.  I ran the entire thing, I didn’t puke during or afterward and I had a lot of fun.  Running with that many people is chaotic and loud and quite enjoyable.  I plan to do it again very soon, I need another race date to help keep me motivated.

It is snowing right now, and that makes me happy.  I don’t live on the east coast, so I doubt we will have the blizzard of the century, but a light dusting would be nice.  We do not actually get snow that often here, maybe for one week every year, and it shows when people try to drive in it.  I don’t mind driving in the snow too much since I grew up with the stuff, and a white Christmas would be quite enjoyable.

Speaking of Christmas, I can’t wait!  I am looking forward to watching Tysen as he unwraps his gifts and then playing with all the new toys and games.  I have had to test a couple of them, just to make sure they were age appropriate of course, not because I needed to amuse myself for a hour or so.  I am waiting on one last gift to arrive (thank you Amazon and your lightening deals!).  I managed to get everything wrapped yesterday, I know I was cutting it a bit close but I’m known to procrastinate. 

In case I forget to mention it in another post, I hope everyone had/has a wonderful Hanukkah and Christmas.

Today Is D Day....errr, 5K Day

Today is the day, today I run 5K, or 3.1 miles for those non metric speakers. I'm excited and nervous and scared and joyful, I'm a bundle of nerves and energy. I cannot wait to get out there and see what I can do, but at the same time I am worried I will get about 10 feet and want to quit. I won't of course, that would be embarrassing.

I know it's not a marathon, or even a half marathon, but for me it is quite a big deal. I have been training for this for 10 weeks, and hopefully I am ready. I have joked that I will be carrying my cell phone, for when I am lying along the side of the road dying. But I don't think it will be that awful. I hope it won't be that awful.

I will have some wonderful friends and family there to offer encouragement and support, maybe laugh at me when I'm puking afterwards, but for the most part it will all be positive.

All I have left to say is Santa had better look out, 'cause I'm coming for him with my running shoes locked and loaded.

Christmas Traditions, New and Old

I’ve been reading various blog posts about Christmas traditions.  I would read these and think to myself, we never really had such a thing growing up, and I don’t think we do now.  However, over this weekend, I was surprised into remembering several traditions that hold many fond memories.

Back in the day, we would travel to my aunt and uncles house many many miles away to celebrate Christmas.  It was a long drive, but we generally stayed at least a week and I loved spending time there, so it was well worth it.  I guess that in and of itself is a Christmas tradition, though it is not exactly what I was going for.

On Christmas Eve, we would be allowed to open one gift. One year I got a Garfield indoor tent.  It was just about the coolest thing ever, and of course I had to sleep in it right there in the living room.  Poor Santa must have had a very difficult time getting all those gifts under the tree while I was in dream land a few feet away.

Christmas morning, stockings would be opened first before breakfast.  These were always filled to overflowing with seemingly random gifts, but very personalized; comfy socks for my cousin with poor circulation, books for my mom who loved to read.  And of course, the greatest gift of all, the Lifesaver Candy book.  I have tried in vain for many years to find these little books, but the only thing I’ve come across contains Gummy Lifesavers, so not the same thing.

A coworker brought grapefruits in to work to share, and the smell brought back a very happy memory.  Every year, we would sit down to the world’s longest breakfast, it seriously lasted an eternity.  And on Christmas morning no less!  This breakfast would always start with each person eating half a grapefruit, I always applied plenty of sugar to mine.  These days, I rarely eat grapefruit, but whenever I smell one I am reminded of everyone gathering around the table four at least an hour, simply enjoying the company of family. Afterward we would adjourn to the living room for present opening.

I suppose it’s the simplest traditions that have the most meaning for me, because they often revolve around spending time with family.  As Tysen gets a bit older, I hope to carry on some of these with him because they remind me so much of my loved ones.

Wordless Wednesday-Whheeeeeee

Random Tuesday Thoughts Without a Clever Title

Why is it that when there is a problem at work (caused by someone else) it immediately becomes an emergency I have to fix?  Justin can often be quoted saying something along the lines of “lack of preparation on your part does not constitute and emergency on mine.”  Yep, that’s what I feel like.
I hate Saturdays. A lot. Loath entirely. My hate for Saturdays actually starts on Friday, when my coworkers are wishing one another a happy weekend or asking if they'll be doing something fun, I have to keep repeating that I have to work Saturday, so no, I will not be attending such and such event. No, instead I will be waking up at 5:30 and spending my day working while dreaming of the things I could be doing. I should be grateful, I have a great job that supports my family. But I have one day to spend with that family, Sunday. It's hard to pack an entire weekend of fun and errands into one day of the week. There are a lot of events we have not been able to attend, activities we would otherwise have gotten to enjoy that only happen on Saturdays.
I suffer from a memory loss disorder, it’s called situational memory.  It mostly relates to things I plan to do and only think about while I in the situation, but forget as soon as I leave the room.  For instance, I’ve been meaning to soak my shower head in vinegar for MONTHS and every time I’m taking a shower I think, I’ll do it as soon as I get out.  That never happens.  Ever.  I did finally soak it, not that it made a big difference.  These types of situations occur all the time…now that I think about it though, it mostly relates to cleaning or tasks I am not fond of.
I started using LiveWriter the other day, not sure how I feel about it yet, but it’s loads better than the tiny blogger window.
I also added a new comment widget, hopefully it will work and comments will stop being randomly deleted.  It makes me sad when someone comments and *poof* it is gone a few minutes later.
That is all, Happy Tuesday.

Justin, Because I Love You.

Eleven years ago today, Justin and I chose to begin the journey to share our lives with one another. We had our first date, out to the middle of nowhere to watch a meteor shower. It was freezing and wonderful. And now, more than a decade later, I cannot imagine life without Justin by my side. He is first and foremost my best friend, and I love him for that. So for him, I have found this:

Dear So and So...It's Finally Friday!

Dear Strawberry Candy Cane,

WTF! Seriously. You disguise yourself as a peppermint NORMAL flavored candy cane, yet you are nauseatingly sweet and quite disgusting. I do not like being fooled when it comes to candy.

Wishing I had my toothbrush,
Steph

----------------------------------------------------

Dear Wal-Mart "Customer Service" Department,

Yes that was my toddler throwing the temper tantrum while six of you stood around doing nothing and one employee worked. I'm sure the 20 people in line behind me enjoyed the musical stylings Tysen had to offer. I on the other hand would have preferred to get my $2.00 refund in a more timely manner.

Lying to myself when I say I won't shop there again,
Steph

----------------------------------------------------

Dear BFF,

Happy Birthday! You drive me insane a lot of the time, but I know you do it with love. I hope today is special and you remember mine is the best present.

Hugs,
Steph

----------------------------------------------------

Dear Summer,

I miss you, please come back. I'm sure it's nice in all those southern hemisphere countries, but I'm cold. I don't look good in a hat and gloves.

Freezing without you,
Steph

----------------------------------------------------

The Hunt For The Perfect Christmas Tree

 

Last weekend we set out to find ourselves a perfectly healthy tree to chop down and set up in our living room.  I’m a real tree kind of person, I love the pine smell that you just can’t get with a tree out of a box.  We drove out to one of our favorite tree farms (living in the Pacific Northwest, there are many to choose from) and set out with our cart and hand saw.

Tysen liked both of these, but they weren’t quite right for us. One was too small, the other too blue. 

A bit further down the rode we found quite a few more trees that Tysen liked. Most of them were taller than he was, but too small for our living room.

We finally found our tree and Justin used his manly skills to chop it down. Sadly I was using Justin’s phone to take pictures because I had left the camera in the car.  I asked him to email me ALL the pictures (including the pictures with him cutting down the tree which are mysteriously absent) which is why there are none of his manly powers.

It was a great afternoon, even if it was only 20 degrees outside.  

Wordless Wednesday-Merry Christmas To ME!!

Couch 2 5K- One Last Week

I mentioned in two of my previous posts ( Couch 2 5K and Half Way There) my quest to train for a 5K in 9 weeks. I'm sure to some, running a mere five kilometers might seem like no big deal and does not actually require training. These would be the people who are naturally athletic, have never been out of shape and who I despise envy. However, the thought of running farther than down the hall was once enough to make me panic. Sure if I was running after a piece of cake or pie, that would have inspired me.

After completeling 8 of the 9 weeks in the program I know that not only will I be ready to run my 5K on December 19, but I am looking forward to it. When I first decided to begin the C25K program, I knew that I would need an end goal to help keep me motivated. I set out to find a race that would be close to when I was scheduled to finish and found one that is just one week after my completion date. No chances to do a week over, or take a week off. That was ok though, because I needed something to count down to and a way to hold myself accountable. So, here we are, just over 2 weeks away from my first 5K in over a decade.

Today at the halfway point of my run I was looking back on how much progress I have made, how different I felt today versus my very first day. On day one, the thought of running 5 consecutive minutes freaked me out. A lot. These days, it takes me about 20 minutes to get warmed up, to let go of the stress that has followed me even though I vow to let it go before I put on my running shoes. I love it when I reach this part of my run, it is very calm; I don't have to think about my breathing or my stride because it all just happens on its own. Once I've gotten to this point, I feel like I'm running on someone else's legs and that I could go for hours. It is a great feeling, and usually it lasts until the end of my run. This is why I started the C25K program in October.

Running has brought me peace. Even if it's for less than an hour a day, it is time when I can relax and just breath.

Wordless Wednesday-Milk Coma

Being Random Has Exhausted My Brain

I try not to judge other parents, I don't want them judging me afterall. There is one exception to that rule: parents who don't educate themselves about rear vs forward facing their children over one. In Washington, and most other states I think, the law grants parents the right to turn their child's carseat forward facing at one year of age and 20 lbs. It drives me insane when my friends turn their kids around without giving it a moments thought. That's all I'm going to say, I know it's a topic that excites a lot of people, so I'll leave it at that.

We bribe Tysen to go poo-poo on the toilet. We give him a tractor or a car or some small vehicle every time. At the JBF sale I purchased about 100 small Hotwheels, Tonka trucks and various other brands. A lot of time the previously earned tractor makes it back into the box...I don't know how that happens, it must be magic. But Tysen doesn't notice and it keeps me from having to buy more and clean up poopy pull-ups.

I haven't gone through my Google Reader in two days, now there are more than 350 posts to read. I have been putting it off because I know it will take me forever to get caught up on all that. Procrastination rarely helps with these sorts of things, but I'm willing to try it anyway.

I love football, most people don't know that about me. Many years ago, when Justin and I were first married, he introduced me to a friend of his (who is now a very close friend of mine) and went on and on about the fact that I get football and all its intricacies. Apparently my knowledge of what Cover 2 is was mentioned quite a bit. Every time I see this friend, he asks me what Cover 2 is, or I will often receive random texts mentioning it. It's annoying after five years.

And the winner is....

The winner of the personalized jewelry from Stephanie's Stamp It Up Designs is...

The Mind of a Mom!

I have passed on your information to Stephanie and she will be contacting you about your winnings! If the email attached to your blogger profile is not your preferred email please let me know so that I can pass the correct one on :)
Publish Post

Happy Thanksgiving-Thankful Thoughts

Today on Thanksgiving, I am remembering all that I am grateful for. It's easy to make a list and say that I'm thankful, but I've been trying this year to really embrace and show how grateful I am.

I am thankful for my best friend on this journey of life, my husband. There may be times when he drives me crazy, or when I feel as though I'm not appreciated. But those times are outweighed by the love we share. I am the confidant person I am today, because of him. In the past, there have been times when I could not have carried on if he hadn't been the one to be standing by my side, holding my hand. I love his crazy sense of humor, how he can make even the mundane task entertaining. He makes me feel beautiful and when we are together I feel as though we can survive any challenge.

I am thankful for the love my mom showed me growing up. I owe my mom a great deal, and I'll never be able to show her that, but I can honor her memory by showing others the same love she showed me. One of the most memorable lessons my mom taught me was that I should always be nice and respectful to people, especially those I did not like. I try to approach everyone with that philosophy, even if they do not treat me in kind.

I am thankful for my son, my glorious, beautiful son. He has shared more joy with me in the last two years than I have experienced in the previous 20something. There are times when I want to run away and throw my own tantrum, but those are few and far between. When he laughs, he lights up my heart. And when he smiles at me and tells me that I am his sunshine I will forgive him anything.

I am thankful for my family. My sister, my nieces, my sisters-in law, my brothers-in law. I love them all. Sometimes I'm thankful the majority of them live thousands of miles away, but most of the time I'm happy they are a part of my life.

I'm thankful for my godson and the love he has in his heart. He's kind of a big deal, but he's humble and kind. He showers Tysen with attention when they are together, and Tysen loves him like a brother. They are brothers and he is our son.

I'm thankful for you, my readers. I'm humbled that you take time out of your day to sit and read the ramblings I have to offer. I know life is hectic and free time is hard to come by, thank you for spending yours with me.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

Wordless Wednesday- Don't Take My Cake!

My Baby Turns Two

Today he turns two, but it seems like yesterday; feeling his warm body against mine, hearing his first cries and feeling complete awe at the tiny boy who had become my son. I remember the first thought after he was born, "he so little." I had been prepared for a big baby, but 6lbs 9ozs is a lot smaller than it sounds.

He has grown to be a rambunctious toddler, full of joy and wonder. Everyday he amazes me and everyday I thank God that he is mine.





Happy Birthday Tysen, I love you.

Metal Stamped Jewlery Giveaway!

I don't normally do giveaways, but it's the season of giving (or at least pretty close to it) so I have one to share with you. Stephanie, of Stephanie's Stamp It Up Designs, has graciously offered to you, my wonderful readers, a personalized hand stamped metal ornament or necklace.


   

So, leave a comment and you'll be entered to win. For extra entries you can follow me on Twitter, just let me know that you have done so. The giveaway will end Friday at 9:00pm PST.

Sunday Stealing-Party Meme

Sunday Stealing: The Party Mummy Meme

1. Name someone with the same birthday as you. Mark McGwire

2. Where was your first kiss? In the neighbors backyard, at least I think it was :)

3. Have you ever hit someone of the opposite sex? If yes, why? Yes-because he deserved it

4. Have you ever sung in front of a large number of people? When? Nope, I don't sing in public. Ever.

5. What's the first thing you notice about your preferred sex? Smile. Gotta make sure all the teeth are in place.

6. What really turns you off? Smoking, rudeness.

7. What is your biggest mistake? Acting without thinking.

8. Have you ever hurt yourself on purpose? No.

9. Say something totally random about yourself. My toes are so cold they're purple.

10. Has anyone ever said you looked like a celebrity? Once. About 10 years ago. I must not have aged well, no one has said it since.

11. Do you still watch kiddie movies or TV shows? Yes, I love me some Disney!

12. Are you comfortable with your height? Short people rock!

13. When do you know it's love? I don't think you can ever really be sure.

14. What's something that really annoys you? People who are judgmental of others.

Coffee Coffee Coffee

It's quite possible I'm addicted. I'm always planning when I'll get my next fix and the thought of going without a delightful espresso concoction is enough to cause a panic attack. I'm not too sure when this obsessions with the coffee beverages began, but I think it might be getting worse.

I get headaches, a lot. And over time I have noticed that if the regular dosage of Advil isn't cutting it, I can usually stem the tide with a nice white chocolate mocha. This has lead to the preventative mocha; I've got to drink one before the headache comes on, right? That's really the only logical step. At least in my world.

In the hope of reducing the financial loss my addiction is likely to cause, I am wishin' and hopin' and prayin' for an espresso machine this Christmas. I don't requite much, it doesn't need to be able to produce 12 beverages at once, nor does it need a satellite dish. I just want it to make a nice mocha. Is that too much to hope for. I think not.

I have no plans to change my coffee drinking ways, so I might as well make it as convenient and inexpensive as possible, right? Now, back to my regularly scheduled espresso.

Dream Big

Every once in a while my husband and I play the “what if we won the lottery” game. Would we quit our jobs or keep working in some fashion? Buy a McMansion or build our own complex? Go crazy buying cars or airplanes? It would probably take quite a windfall to accomplish all of my lottery dreams, because I like to dream big. What’s the point of dreaming if you aren’t going to aim high? I would most definitely quit my job, though I would probably get a masters in graphic design and have an in home business, a goal I hope to achieve even without winning the lottery. For the rest of the items on my wish list, I am giving you a glimpse into my imaginary world.

For starters, we would definitly upgrade our abode. Right now we are squishing 3 people and an array of primary colored toys into about 900 square feet. Don't get me wrong, that's quite a lot of room compared to most New York apartments. But we're not in New York, we in the burbs, and about 800 square feet has been taken over by a toddler tornado. Something a little bigger would be nice, say something like this:

Or maybe....

Really it would just be a tiny upgrade...Can you imagine playing football on those lawns at Thanksgiving? I've always wanted a HUGE lawn...and a landscaping service to take care of it for me. Both of these options are nice, but I think I prefer the first, it comes with plenty of acreage, which means we could build a home for our in-laws on the property. I know you're all thinking I'm crazy, but I think it would be awesome.

Once the house was taken care of, I would need some form of transportation. I'm not really picky on this, I don't need to spend $100,000 on a car to be happy. I just want something that is comfortable and safe. I would probably be just as happy with this:



as I would be with this:


And that would pretty much take care of my purchases. I'm a generous person, so I've also given a lot of thought to what I buy for the people in my life. Because I like to give, and if I were to win the lottery, I could do it on a BIG scale.

For my mother-in-law who loves to sew and is incredibly crafty I would buy a free arm quilting machine. Something similar to this:




For Justin I would support his gaming habit in the best way possible, with a super expensive and fast PC such as this one:


Processor: Intel Core i7 965 (3.925 GHz), RAM installed: 12 GB DDR3 SDRAM, Graphics Processor: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 280

I know, I'm awesome.

Moving on down the list to Tysen...That's where it gets a little tricky. He's my baby, I want to give him the world, literally and figuratively. I've included the one must have item:




I know what your thinking, I do; it's quite a jump from contemplating a fish to owning a horse. But the boy loves horses. How could I deny him this? If we are going to own a ginormous house with plenty of acreage (did I mention it has a barn?) we need to have at least one horse.

I know the chances of actually winning the lottery are minuscule, and I have no real dilutions that I actually will. But every once in a while, it's nice to dream. So, what are your lottery dreams?