Dogs of our past

Like I said, I don't have a picture of Stanley - or the other dogs my friends own.  BUT I thought I would see what dogs we DO have pictures of. 

 

Here's Katie and Gracie - the puppy who lives at Grandma's house. Well, she's not exactly a puppy anymore. The do get bigger, I have learned.

 

Even then, Katie felt Gracie was big, I guess.

 

.

This is me and our dog, Paco.  (Did I spell that right?)

I was told he was my best friend while I was still eating in a high chair.

 

This is Muskie our new puppy as we introduce him to the cat, Gizmo.

As you can see, Gizmo let it be known right away who had the upper hand.

 

Muskie slept with me every night....

 

....but he was really my Mom's baby.  He was her protector.  When we would go camping and go swimming, he cried and cried if she went out on an air mattress without him.  He would NOT go into the water to get wet.  So she would have to paddle back to shore so that he could ride with her. 

 

 

 

Trying this again....

Ok, I'm getting excited about a handful of new dogs again.  This time they are at a different shelter, which promises on their website to move quickly.  It says "adoption approval can take up to a week."  Well hell, we've been waiting 3 1/2 weeks with the other place and I havn't even been able to get our adoption counselor to call me back.  A week sounds damn good.

There are about 5-6 puppies that we would be happy to get I think......so I don't want to jinx it, but......

Katie checked out a MASSIVE book on dog breeds and training from school.  That's been very helpful!  And also made us realize that there are a lot of ugly dogs out there.  I'm sorry - but there are.  I'm sure they are wonderful companions when you get to know them. 

End of October

This year is just flying by - I know people say that all the time, but this one especially seems to be really moving along.  The note in the previous post was left by my sister.  If you haven't read it - I strongly encourage you to do so.....she really surprised me with that one.  Usually she's pretty mature and reserved....but occasionally she'll get a little wild. :)

Still no dog.  We are slowly moving forward with the shelter, BUT getting frustrated now that ALL the dogs we initially were crazy about are gone.  John has started looking in the eBay classifieds, so if we find something there we like, we'll do that.  There is a puppy at the county shelter that looks good - I may call on that too.  Since they are paid employees and not volunteers, it may move a bit faster. 

A friend of mine thought it was crazy because years ago her husband just walking into the pet store on a whim and came out with a dog.  Wham, bam.  Plus, it ended up being the absolute sweetest dog....ever.  (And part of the reason why I'm excited for the kids to have one.) His name is Stanley and they had family pictures with him a while back which prompted me to think - gee, I don't have any pictures of me with Stanley....I should have a picture of me and Stanley!  I still need to do that. :)

Halloween stuff this week.  We are going to the nature center tonight to do their "Walk When the Moon is Full" program with Katie's Girl Scout Troop.  Shouldn't be too cold.  Tomorrow evening is the annual trick or treat party at the grocery store, which is always fun.  You trick-or-treat around the inside of the store, but they don't give away candy.  It's cartons of milk, packages of crackers, fruit snacks, carrots, etc.  Wednesday the kids will wear their costumes to school for their parties.  I'm helping at Will's school running some sort of a bean bag game I believe. 

Have I even told you what they are going to be?  Katie is Supergirl, and Will (this should come as no surprise) is Batman.  Three years ago I bought a Batman costume off Craigslist for $8.  This will be the 3rd year he's worn it for Halloween (not to mention the hundreds of times inbetween).  Last year we added a mask to it....this year, we added cool Batman gloves.  It's getting a little small so I will be on the hunt after Halloween is over to find a marked down Batman costume in a larger size. 

Katie has been trying to get Will to wear his Superman costume at some point so they can match, but so far Will hasn't been up for that.

Keep trying!

I called Monday - the shelter was closed.

I called Tuesday and they assigned me to a new adoption agent because they were surprised I hadn't been contacted yet.  So we'll see....I'm going to bug them again on Friday if I haven't heard anything. 

Katie is flip flopping about wanted a dog.  She does, she doesn't.  Good thing we aren't getting it for her!  Will is excited to play fetch.  I'm excited to have a walking/running buddy.  I think John is excited to have someone jump for joy when he comes home.  (I try, but the effect is lost.)

Dog adoption

John and I went through a list of animals on the Midwest Animal Rescue Center's website.  We picked a handful of choices and submitted our application over the weekend.  It said that someone would be in touch within 24 hours because they are eager to get animals placed and get the process started. 

After not hearing from anyone for 4 days I got frustrated and called them myself.  Seems there's only one person working in the office and she couldn't find my application.  Finally, she was able to dig it up and said that she'd have someone call me back.  I'm a bit eager to get the process started because it takes a looong time to go through.  We have to pass a phone interview, a home inspection, our references need to check out and then we need to schedule meetings with the animals. 

In the days it took to just get a call back, one of our top picks seems to have been adopted.  Good for him, but sad for us.  So, sorry guys, no Tanner. :(

It's Friday...

The weeks are sure going by fast now that school is in full swing.  We have such a scheduled fall, things run in half hour time slots it seems.  Katie is getting better with the homework load.  It seems she is getting more done in school, and instead of an hour or "down time" after school, I'm only giving 30 minutes.  That seems to help too.  Although yesterday I let her and Will watch James and the Giant Peach after school.  We had finished the book a while ago and the movie was a special treat.  Seriously - if you haven't read that book (by Roald Dahl) pick it up. It was one of the funniest children's books I have read in a long time.  I think I mentioned the swearing it contained in an earlier post. 

Speaking of Roald Dahl, the church musical this year is Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.  Auditions are in November.  Katie obviously wants to audition and I'm hoping for a small part.  She'll probably be an Oompa Loompa, right?  I'm trying to decide if I want to audition again.  Even though the week of the dress rehearsals and performances were really exhausting last year, it was so much fun.  Katie and I both made friends and connections that we wouldn't have made otherwise, and it's such a fun group of people. 

We have a birthday party this weekend that should be fun - friends celebrating their daughter's 1st birthday.  It's their first child too....so it'll probably be a big blowout. :)  There were a lot of babies born this time last year....

Ok - I'm off to wash the kitchen floor.  I can't run today because the 3 year old doesn't have preschool today.  I may be able to work in a workout while I'm cleaning. :)  It's also Homecoming this week so we have a parade to go to this afternoon.  Katie will be walking in it and handing out pencils. 

Where have I been?

I've been "post-less" for a while now because I had major computer issues last week.  It was working fine Monday night, but when I went to turn it on Tuesday morning I only got a black screen.  I could hear it running, fan blowing, etc.  I did some messing around with it - hooked it up to an external computer monitor and the HD tv - still nothing to display.  From searching on the Internet (thank goodness for other gadgets to go online with!) I deduced that it was probably the video card.  Unfortunately, in a lap top the video card is part of the motherboard itself and you'd have to replace the whole thing. 

As I was trying to get something to display on the external monitors, it seemed the fan had quit working as well.  I wasn't really making any sounds, but there was a slight "hum" to it.  In speaking to 2-3 computer savvy people they all agreed that it was shot.  It had overheated a couple times this summer and spontaneously shut off.  They said that if it continued to overheat, the motherboard and who knows what else, could be severely damaged.  That's why (I'm now told) that it's important to get your laptop cleaned every 2 years or so to avoid this.  A desktop computer has lots of air and circulation space in the tower so that isn't as necessary, but a laptop has very little space to move air around.

It really made a week from hell even worse.  In the end, I did get a new computer on Wednesday afternoon.  That night when I was trying to install software on it, it kept crashing.  My printer software, my anti-virus software, even Microsoft Office.  I called the computer center where I bought it, and they agreed - I had gotten a lemon.  I brought it back on Thursday and they gave me a new one to try again.  This one has worked wonderfully. 

I have an external hard drive that I would use to back-up my previous laptop.  My last back-up was done this summer, after a spontaneous shut down (due to an overheating issue!)  So I THINK I have most of my information saved.  I have yet to hook up the hard drive and see what I can get off it.  Worst case scenario, I've had two guys offer to transfer files for me from the old hard drive to the new one, but hopefully it won't be necessary.  As long as I can get the pictures and videos of the kids and my music - I'll be fine and manage.

So far, so good.

School is a couple weeks in now - finishing up week 3 - and things are going well.  We're getting into the groove and haven't missed a bus, yet.  I've also have 5 mornings now for about 2-3 hours of "me" time....well time that I run errands, get housework done and try to squeak in 30-40 minutes of "me" time.  Since "Pebbles" is getting taken to preschool by her parents, I don't have her until noon those days.  So, once 8:15 comes and both kids are on the bus, I'm "off the clock" until 11:20.  Here's my routine....

8:15 - 8:45 - have a cup of coffee and catch up on e-mails I have to return. 
8:45 - 9:10 - get dressed and ready for a run.  (This may seem like a long time, but I have a process that I go through)
9:10 - 9:50 - run and stretch
9:50 - 10:00 - water/banana/apple
10:00 - 11:10 - shower and run any errands that are needed - store/school/library/etc

Once I did this a few days, I realized that I didn't really have much time.  In my head - it seemed longer. :)  But, I figure I'll do this as long at the weather is cooperative. 

Will seems to like kindergarten.  It will be interesting (as it always is) to go to conferences in October and hear what his teacher has to say.  But he seems to play with lots of kids - and always has good, funny stories to share.

Katie is liking 3rd grade too.  It's officially "upper elementary", you know.  It seems to be more serious this year.  Homework is really corrected and graded - not just stars and stickers.  Points are taken off for punctuation, misspelled words, etc.  And if your name is missing from any homework, it gets crumpled up in front of the class and thrown away.  Then you stay inside during recess to re-do it.  This hasn't happened to Katie, yet.  Although I did hear from a parent of a girl that it did happen to - and that little girl was NOT happy. 

And of course, blamed her mother for not reminding her to put her name on her homework. :)

Strangely enough, I think Katie likes this extra structure and rules.  It's comforting knowing what to expect each day.  And the teacher has told us that she is really strict and firm early on in the year while the kids get used to her, and then as the year goes on it's easier for her to take a step back and watch them take on the classroom expectations themselves.  It should be a fun year!

Friday Funny

I don't know these kids....

One night last week, the kids were playing quietly together downstairs.  Then, they came up.....and this is what they looked like......

Swapped clothes and identities.....

Off and running

School is off and running.  Katie has already gotten into the homework routine without much complaining, and Will is excited to get on the bus each morning.  Today he made sure to walk ALL the way to the back of the bus so he could sit in the last seat. 

Katie has her own caterpillar in her 3rd grade classroom, in a jar right on her desk.  (All the students have their own.)  I saw hers last night at a school meeting and it's already in it's cocoon.  This year, Katie tested into the Program for Academic Challenge as well.  So on Tuesdays she gets to go to the "PAC" room for an hour and work on more challenging problems, read more difficult books, etc.  As part of this program, she also gets to have 15 minutes of "relaxation and mindfulness" every Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday.  This is where she has a scheduled time to go into the "PAC" room, lights dimmed and soft music playing.  She lays on the floor and they practice deep breathing, letting things go, etc.  Sounds kind of nice.

Will has very positive things to say about Kindergarten.  He got to go to the library and check out a book this week, which was a big deal.  He talks about a few friends in his class already (one that lives right down the street!) 

Heading to school....

Waiting for the bus.  Since it was Will's first day riding the bus, I was planning on riding along. (As all parents were invited to do - and many did.) John stayed home to make sure Katie got on her own bus. 

Will waiting with his classmates before going into school.  The 2 little boys to the left are in his class and ride his bus. 



M/W/F "Pebbles" is in preschool.  So I leave to pick her up after Will gets home on the bus.  That means I have about 3 hours before kids start trickling back into the house.  Monday I went for a run, had a cup of coffee and went to the grocery store.  Today, I plan on going for a run, having a cup of coffee and taking the car in for an oil change.  Friday we are camping with friends so I'll spend that morning getting everything ready...and go for a run.  Wow - 3 runs in a week.  It's been a LOOONG time since I've been able to work that in!

Friday Funny

No school pictures

Ok, so I keep forgetting to take pictures of Katie in the morning before school.  We WILL do it tomorrow...then it will be Will's first day and Katie's third.....

In the meantime, here are some pictures of when we visited Itasca State Park!

Walking across the Mississippi.....John helped Katie walk across the rocks so she wouldn't get too wet.

Then, being the good dad he is, John came BACK to help Will across the rocks. 

 (Hey, I was holding the camera!)

And here would be John climbing out of the water after he slipped of a rock. 

But notice how dry the kids look!

Riding bikes on the trails....John and Will are up ahead.

Nothing better than ice cream after a 3 mile bike ride!

100 foot tall fire tower.

I was a little shaky on the way up....not wanting to go up to the top and not wanting the kids to go to the top.  After stating this, Will yelled "I'M GOING TO THE TOP!"  Ok.

I did get there - just after the other 3.

....If I stayed low, I didn't have to look over the edge. :)

More vacation....

The Wednesday we were up north, we went into the local town of Longville.  Every Wednesday from June through August they have turtle races at 2:00.  An entire street is blocked off and people buy a chance to pick a turtle and race it.  (You can also bring your own turtle as long as the shell is over 5 inches wide.)  The racetrack looks like a bullseye.  12 people (and their turtles) start in the middle, then on "GO!" you let them go, and the first one out of the outside ring wins.  Also, the turtle still closest to the starting line wins too as the slowest. :)

Of course Katie and Will both raced their pick of the litter.  Katie came in second fastest.....Will's came in second slowest.

The other big kid-centered activity of the week was the fishing contest put on by the lodge we were staying at.  All kids - fish for 30 minutes (or until everyone has caught at least 1 fish) using whatever bait you wish.  The owner of the lodge went around and took pictures of every child and their first fish.  From then on, he wanted measurements and pictures with what could be the biggest fish or the smallest fish.  Also keep track of the number you catch because there'll be a prize for the most caught too.  Katie missed out on biggest fish by something ridiculous like 1/4 of an inch.  She caught a really nice small mouth bass.  In the end Katie caught 5 and Will caught 4.  AND they were both fishing like pros by the end of the week.



    Stay tuned for details about our stop at Itasca State Park and the Mississippi headwaters.  BUT I have a feeling tomorrow I'll have first day of school pics for Katie......

Funny Friday

Ok - I'm a mean mom, but I thought this was funny.

And as I showing Katie and Will the pictures later....they laughed too. 

So the three of them were riding on the paddle board.  John started rocking it and they thought that was fun.

Pretty soon they started begging Dad to tip them over.....

Almost....

Just about...

AND THEY'RE OVER!

They are also mad...

...very mad.  :)  But it didn't last long.

Busy week back!

Holy cow - it's been a busy week back at home.  State fair, 2 school open houses, beach day, pool day, and it isn't even Friday yet!

Let me see where were we....ah yes, vacation pictures.....

On Tuesday last week we rented a boat for the day.  The kids were able to catch fish off the docks, but they really got a kick out of catching them in the open water.  I didn't mind putting the worms on the hooks, but I let John deal with getting the fish off.  I attempted one time and then gave up.  I DID however manage to get one off later in the week.  Deb: 1  John: 50

Katie driving the boat!

Will is the king of the world....

Northern cabin vacation

Oh boy do I have some good pictures for you all.  We had an amazing time on our week up north.  It was just so great and we got to experience so many things together.  I think for the most part everyone was in a good mood for every day.  (Well, 3 out of 4 anyway.....we'd switch off.)

We left last Saturday and drove about 3 1/2 hours north / northwest towards the area of Remer, MN and Longville, MN.  The cabin was technically in Remer, but we never actually went into that town.  Longville, however, was a little hotspot of about 143 people. :)  We stayed in a 2 bedroom cabin that had a loft with another 2 beds.  The kids slept up there.  We had a stove, oven, fridgerator, microwave, toaster and coffee pot.  It had a good sized dining table and a little loveseat.  No tv, no air conditioning.  Luckily, we didn't need either.

Thunderlake Lodge is a family run and owned resort of about 7-8 cabins and 5-6 hotel type rooms.  It was small enough that the owner greeted you as soon as you drove up and were immediately introduced to his wife and their 14 month old son.  They had canoes, peddleboats, and kayaks all free to use, and boats that you could rent for the day.  A small beach was closeby that had tons of sand toys, a playground, beach volleyball court, and a very nice lake with a swimming dock. 

Honestly, the days kind of blurred together after Monday.  So here are some highlights.....

John in the kayak.

Katie and John in the peddleboats.

Will enjoying the sand as Katie drifts off in the lake.

John and I both found it pretty challenging to stand on the paddleboard.....

....Katie, on the other hand, was a rockstar on it!

On to the bike....

So after I got all laced up, I hopped on the bike. It felt good to be doing something other than swimming, and I felt comfortable on my bike. I love my bike. After having done a race with "her" already - we were bonded. Many more participants had "tri bikes" or "racing bikes" which meant they had really narrow, thin wheels, special pedals/shoes/straps, and special handlebars. I didn't have any of those things - just me and my road bike. The course was pretty and scenic, along the Mississippi River, but I couldn't see much of it for all the trees. I also wasn't looking around that much. I was concentrating on where I was going and who was coming up behind me. Overall, the course wasn't too hilly. A few up hills that I had to work a little harder on, but nothing like a couple of the hills in the duathlon last fall.
Thanks to the cooler temperature and/or the amount of water I swallowed in the swim - I didn't take too many water drinks. I think I grabbed my water bottle twice for a couple quick sips. My goal was to finish the 15.5 miles in an hour or less - and I wanted to try to have an average speed of at least 15 miles per hour.
My time - 1:02:37
Average Speed - 14.9 mph
I felt pretty good about that.

After that, it was time to re-rack my bike. It was funny - when I came out of the swim to get my bike - it was VERY easy to find. On my entire side of racked bikes - probably 500 or so....mine was the only one there. Pretty easy to spot. When it came time to put the bike back, it was a little more trickier to find my spot. I knew this would be the case which is why I picked a towel laid out for transition that I would recognize quickly. Got my helmet off, grabbed a bite of a banana and a drink of water, and I was off on the run.
I knew it would feel "odd" to run after riding the bike so that wasn't shocking. I would say after the first 1/2 mile it began to feel more normal. That's they way it's been in the past and wasn't anything new race day. All of a sudden I was at the mile marker - and then suddenly it was 2 - and then I was coming around the last corner. The run went by very quickly for me, I was very relaxed and enjoyed it. I was about 1-2 minutes off my "average" mile pace, but - again - that's ok.

My run time - 32:26
Average pace - 10:28 per mile

The only thing that bothered me the whole race was how hard it was to let go of being in the water. For the first 6 miles on the bike - I was re-playing everything that happened in the swim. As soon as I crossed the finish line, I was remembering the swim, and the water, and the chaos. It made me very emotional and I cried to John as soon as he asked me about it at the finish. I have very mixed feeling about the whole race. I liked how I biked/ran. I finished the swim, and I know I should be happy about that - but I didn't finish it the way I wanted to. I'm not disappointed that I stopped at almost every noodle - I expected to do that. It was how I swam between noodles. I didn't get my head in water as far as I should have, my hips were dragging, my kicks weren't as effective, I wasn't side breathing. I wasn't able to apply what I had been learning and training for in the pool. Again, I chalk it up to inexperience. Now the question remains - do I want to gain more experience in this area or is it a "been there, done that" kind of thing.

I relate it to someone having a baby. As soon as they go through labor and have the baby if someone asks them if they want to do it again....most are going to reply with a very strong "Hell no." Then time passes.....

I'm here.....and here's what happened.

The triathlon is officially past tense.  I got through the swim and it was way harder on my head than my muscles.  Luckily I could legally wear the wet suit that I rented because the water temp was below 78 degrees.  It was really the only thing that helped me calm down when I felt like I was gonna loose it.

A short re-cap....at least I'll try to keep it short. 
I woke up at 5:45 am and thought I'd just lay there til the alarm went off. The alarm didn't go off at 5:50 am as planned.  When I checked I saw that I had set it incorrectly the night before - was set for 5:50 pm.....I don't know how I woke up on time, but I did.

I had breakfast and got dressed.  I had loaded the bike and packed my bags the night before so I was ready to go.  It took me about 20-25 minutes to get there and parked.  I parked behind a woman who was there to watch the race.  Her DIL was volunteering as a noodle swimmer.  I told her that I would say hi since odds are I would probably be meeting her.  (I didn't.)
I met friends on the way there and we walked to the transition area to set up our things and rack our bikes.  Setting up your transition area is an artform all on it's own.  You need your helmet, sunglasses, socks/shoes, race bib, etc all set and ready to go when you need them.  And some people have shoes just for biking/just for running.  We then went and got "marked up" with our race #, age, and swim wave.  We got our timing chip, and had time for a bathroom run before the mandatory swim meeting at 7:40. 




I was in swim wave 6 - start time 8:15.  I was a deer in headlights.  Can you see me up there??  Off to the left - white swim cap.  Anyone that hugged me and wished me good luck brought tears to my eyes.  I didn't know what to expect and didn't know if I was going to be swimming in on my own or riding in on a boat because I'd had to be picked up.  The swim route is sort of like a triangle....you swim out at an angle (150 yards), turn a corner - swim the backstretch (200 yards), swim back at an angle (150 yards).  They set us off and I walked very slowly into the water, letting others plow on ahead.  I didn't want to louse up anyone's rhythm.  Finally I got to a point where it was time to lift my feet up and go - I didn't think about it too much and am actually surprised that I didn't freeze right there.  The toughest thing was just sticking my head in the water and finding a rhythm....actually I never did do that.  Tried once and it was so unnerving not to know what was ahead of me.  So most of the time my head was bobbing at water level - much of what was exhausting me in the beginning.  I skipping the first noodle person and went to the second.  Stayed a minute - then skipped another noodle person and went to Cathy.  (At this point I was hanging out with them....I might as well get their name.)  I stayed with Cathy about 2 minutes because by then the next wave was coming up on me and I just wanted to let them go by.  I think I stayed too long because she pretty much had to say - get going!  Just do it!  This was right before the first turn and I think that was intimidating me too. 

I went around the turn, and then started back floating - back floated past a noodle person (I think) and then flipped over to see where I was.  I couldn't see anything - no swimmers, no noodle people, no buoys.  I didn't have the first clue which direction to swim.  For some reason things were turned around for me - it didn't seem like I was going in the right direction - yet I didn't know which direction I had come from.  It was at this point - looking back, that I would have panicked big time if it hadn't been for the wet suit.  In that - I could easily tread water and know that I wasn't going down.  Just find a noodle person, get to them and ask directions. :)  And that's what I did.  I was a little less than halfway.

From this point on, I didn't try to skip noodles.  I went to every noodle, just didn't stay very long.  30-45 seconds.  Enough time to get their name and make my offer to run twice as long later, if they would just take me to shore now.  They were great - very encouraging and calming.  In the end I finally hit the sand with my feet - sweet, sweet sand.  I wasn't very dizzy getting out of the water - I expected worse.  Probably because I spent as much time vertical in the water as horizontal. 

My swim time - 28:53.  I beat my initial guess by 67 seconds. :)  So that's something, right?  Plus - there are TWO people that finished the race and were slower in the water than me.  I'm thinking the 3 of us should get together and commiserate.

I pulled off the top of my wet suit, saw great friends cheering me on as I climbed up the sand - which made me cry...again.  I washed my feet off in the kiddie pools waiting for us and ran to the transition area to get my bike.  Pulled off the wet suit (easily)...pulled on my running skirt, socks, ankle wrap, shoes, helmet, sunglasses, and watch.  I was ready to go off on my bike.  Time for all this madness - 4:08.  I got held up a few times when I was getting wet suit off and putting my ankle wrap on because I kept having to take my timing chip off.  (It was velcroed onto my ankle)  Then I'd put it back on only to find out I have to take it off again to get the ankle wrap on. 

Next up - 15.5 miles on the bike.

5 days and counting....

I realized I haven't updated much on my ankle - been busy these last 2 weeks.  The first week after I hurt my ankle I thought it was healing pretty well - I could walk on it with out much of a limp.  Then about 7 days in - holy hell.  I had pressed it the wrong way getting up one day and pretty much had to start all over again.  The swelling came back - couldn't put all my weight on it, etc.  Now it's about 2-1/2 weeks after the initial fall and it feels pretty good.  I got a compression wrap to wear and that helps a lot.  It just feels more secure.  I've ridden the bike, gone running and swimming and it feels pretty good.  Aches for a while afterwards, but feels ok during the actual activity.  So I'm sure it will be fine for the race - however, I'll still wear the wrap for the bike and the run portions. 

My final swimming lesson is tonight - they have helped a lot and I've learned some great tips and things to work on.  I've been promised a whole lane tonight - so far I've just been working in about 5-6 meters, flipping, breathing, etc. and have only swum lanes on my own.  I'm having issues with the 3rd/4th breath while I swim and at that point I flip over because I'm not getting good air.  I'm hoping to correct that and get better.  If not, well - then I'll just do more flipping during the race and that's ok too. 

The race is Sunday.  If the water temperature is below 84 degrees, they will allow me to wear a wet suit which will provide me with more buoyancy, and I'll only have to focus on forward movement.  I'll get done faster, but won't be eligible for finishing prizes.  That's ok - I'm a ways off from that.....
While I will feel more comfortable during the actual swim - I'll be a bit anxious about getting the damn thing off during the transition.

My friend Anne (aka Debbie Downer) has told me that she thinks the water temp will be warmer than 84 because we've had such a long warm spring/summer.  (That's ok Anne....I still love ya. Little does she know I'll be attaching a rope to her ankles so she can pull me along....)  No anxiety about the transition without the wet suit.....now just the water.  Which I'll be fine anyway - just will take longer. 

Here's my expected finishing time for each portion......
Swim - 30 minutes
Transition to bike - 4 minutes
Bike - 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes
Transition to run - 2 minutes
Run - 30-35 minutes

My starting time is 8:15....so I should be done around 10:15-10:30 depending on how much my ankle yells at me for doing all 3 at the same time.  I'm really upset that I hurt my ankle at all.  I mean I was only worried about the swim - I felt totally comfortable with the bike and run portion.  Now, it's my ankle that makes me think those parts will take longer - well, on the run anyway.  And that last leg was going to be my favorite part.  Well, maybe "favorite" is too strong of a word - but it was the part that I knew the best.  I know what I will feel like, I KNOW that I can do that portion well, I know how to calm my mind and body down when it's telling me to stop.  I'm getting there on the bike....I'm more comfortable with it, and I know what my body feels like on a long ride, and how I can get it to just give a little more without stopping.  That "override the brain" feature is what I'm missing in the swim.  My head says "What are you doing!?  You can't do this!  Flip over and grab on to something!"  I remember those thoughts going through my head when I first started running too.  It'll come.  I'm just not sure I enjoy swimming enough to keep trying. 

Another request

I've added a new Caring Bridge website over on the right side.....there's another little girl and her family who would really benefit from some prayers, good vibes, happy thoughts - whatever you got. 

The Olympics are coming!

After this whirlwind of birthday action, Katie informed me that we forgot Molly's birthday which we had assigned to the 23rd.  Oh well.  She seems ok with it.  She's 2.  Things like that happen as you get older.

I fell down the stairs last Saturday and rolled my ankle.  It hurt more than anything I recently remember - thought for sure I cracked or broke something, but after I was able to put weight on it about a hour later we decided that x-rays could wait.  We had tickets to go to Batman, and a babysitter was on her way.  I did have an x-ray on Sunday and they didn't see any cracks or breaks - just a sprain so they gave me a splint and told me to stay off it for 2 days.  Yeah, like that's gonna happen.  But thanks to John I was able to spend most of Sunday off it, and took the splint off yesterday.  It feels pretty good - I can walk without a limp.  There are moments when it hurts - going down stairs, some ankle circles, etc.  But overall it's pretty good.  When I was rolling the trash cans out last night I even tried jogging back up to the house and it felt ok.  Did some jumps on it, and it held up fine.  So if it's going to be a little cooler this weekend maybe I can work in a 2 mile run or so to see how things are.  My tri is 2 weeks from this Sunday!

I have my 2nd swimming lesson tonight.  My instructor is Amy and she is very encouraging and has really helped me with my flipping over in the water.  I still need to tweak my breathing though.  I swam last Friday - before the fall.  All the lanes in the 25 meter pool were taken and I didn't feel like lane sharing.  So I went to the lane in the other pool, but it's only 20 meters.  I was able to do 10 laps (400 meters) and did NOT feel like throwing up!  I didn't feel like I was overly exhausted - although I still did some resting at each wall (30-120 seconds).  I would have done more but I was getting frustrated because I kept getting mouthfuls of water and not enough air.  I think I just need to turn over more when I breathe.  However, my turns onto my backfloat and then returning into a front float were great.
The race director of the tri even e-mailed me back (because I had sent her a question) and verified that their goal is to have a noodle swimmer every 25 meters.  Other than 20 noodle swimmers they will also have 15 lifeguards and 3 boats in the water.  She pretty much guaranteed me that they would save my butt if I needed it.

I also fully expect to be inspired by watching the Olympics which start tomorrow!  Opening ceremonies start at 6:30....swimming and men's gymnastics start Saturday night.  To get you through til then, here's some shots of Katie from gymnastics camp a few weeks ago.

2 very short videos....sorry for the blurry footage.  My camera was losing power!

Birthday pictures!

A re-cap from Will's birthday.

Angel food cake topped with strawberries and whip cream! 

I even found the "5" candle we used when Katie turned 5!

Katie found Will a Star Wars game at a garage sale.  It's an easy game of luck - which Will has yet to win.

And of course, a talking, web-shooting Spider Man.



And yes, Will did get his "Joker house" which topped the list of his bithday wish list.  It even topped my list because I found a used one for $10!

Today's plan

Even though we didn't get any rain yesterday - it's relatively cooler and less sticky today.  A nice treat before the weekend warms it up again.  Speaking of the weekend.....The Dark Knight Rises opens this weekend!  Have you got your tickets?  Of course - we already have ours. :)

Katie is at "Safety Camp" all day today.  Our city sponsors it and they discuss fire safety, water safety, bike safety and a few other related topics as well.  Katie got to take her bike and helmet and will get to ride through an obstacle course of sorts that simulates the rules of the road.  It goes all day and they provide lunch, snacks, water, juice, a t-shirt, etc.  Pretty darn good for $22.

Will also has a play date/ birthday party today at a friend's house from school.  So that means I have about 2 hours to myself!  My plan is to ride my bike for about 10 miles near the nature center and then run a few miles after that.  Since it's pretty comfortable out, it should be doable.  I also start my swimming lessons tonight so I'll work in all 3 activities today!

And some pictures......

The kids (and John) found a big frog in the backyard last week.  Usually we just get a lot of little toads.

Of course Will wanted to bring it in the house while we ate supper.  So we found a plastic box with a lid and he sat and watched us eat. 

Molly was VERY interested...

...and wouldn't leave her new "friend's" side.

A bit of this and that

It's almost 8 am and a pack of (non-wild) girls....13-15 year olds, just ran by the house.  Gosh, at least 12 of them our exercising in a group run.  Oooop, there goes another smaller pack a little bit behind....  That's a lot of organization for before 8 am.

A woman walking her big dog was having a hard time getting him out of the neighbor's yard sprinkler.  He was having a good time getting cooled off and getting a drink.

This past weekend my husband's brother, Jim, came to stay with us and we all went to a Twins game.  They lost, but it was a fun game.  It's really hard to find 5 tickets together that aren't all in the sun for most of the game.  So John and his brother found a pair in the shade on Club level, and the kids and I found some out in the outfield overlook.  Even finding 3 was hard - I guess you aren't supposed to go to the game in odd numbers. 

The kids were very well behaved.  When we were leaving after the 3rd inning to meet John and Jim TC Bear was shooting out t-shirts in our area.  We stood in the aisle about 10 seats down from where we were sitting.  Wouldn't you KNOW it?  That damn bear shot a t-shirt right into Katie's seat.  The lady sitting next to us reached over and handed the shirt to the boy sitting in front of us.  When we returned to our seats with cotton candy and cracker jacks we were filled in by our other neighbor on how we missed the t-shirt shooting.  "Yes," I replied, "we saw it.....why do you think we came back with cotton candy?"

I swam again last night too - after I put Will to bed.  I got 8 laps in - 3 with the kickboard, 5 swimming freestyle/backfloating.  Other than feeling like I was going to throw up and crying in the hot tub afterwards, it went well.  (Eye roll.)  I spose my endurance level is improving if nothing else.  And like everyone tells me, I'm getting comfortable in the water.  (I am?)

Swimming is hard.  It's more physically taxing than I anticipated and the mental issues are sometimes overwhelming.  Do you want to hear about my experiences as a child?  Of course you do....
It was nothing traumatic, but I remember it very clearly.  I started out taking 2 summers of private lessons.  I worked with a sweet girl - Casey.  She was the daughter of a high school teacher and very patient with me when I refused to do things she wanted me to try.  She is the sole reason I can backfloat today - I still hear her voice in my ear telling me to push out my belly button.  After 2 summers, my parents didn't want to pay for private lessons anymore - public lessons were cheaper and I thought I was ready.  I must have been about 7-8 and was taking swimming lessons at the local pool, (indoor at the time).  My aunt Carol was taking me because I was staying with her for the week, and the lessons were every day.  I started at station 1.  In order to move on to the next level, you had to do 10 bobs.  I finished that the first day and moved on to Station 2.  Station 2 was doing a front float for 10 seconds, and backfloating for 10 seconds.  It took me a couple days, but I finally did it, and moved on to "3".  Station 3 was where we had to front float across over half the width of the pool and backfloat back.  On my first day at Station 3, I could front float across fine.  But then on the backfloat, I would always stop in the middle thinking I couldn't do it.  On my (maybe) 3rd attempt the jackass running station 3 yelled at me in front of everyone when I stopped.  "What do you think you're doing!?!  You stop, you lose!  Don't be such a baby!  You're never going to get anything right!  You're never going to swim!" and on and on....

I went back to the wall, crying.  I got to the steps, walked out of the pool told my aunt I wanted to go home and I never went back.  I never even went back to that swimming pool with friends.  A few years later they renovated the pool and made it an outdoor one, I think I went there twice before I graduated high school.  I still remember the asshole.  He graduated with my brother, and my husband.  Years later, in high school - he was a sub for my German class and I remember telling him (out of the blue) that I didn't like him at all, and he wasn't a very good teacher.  He was a sub - he said nothing. 

So here we are.  I'm trying to convince myself that I can swim, but there's a giant voice in my head saying that I'll never do it.  Hence - the crying when I got out of the pool after 8 laps.  I had wanted to do 10, but I just didn't have anything else in me for the night.  I have my first lesson Thursday night.  I doubt anyone at FOSS will make me cry, but I'll let you know if they do.   

My first real swim

So I went swimming by myself for the first time last Thursday.  I did activate my free 3-month Lifetime membership and I was right - it's a full 3 months.  The great news is that the kids can come with me for free.  There's no extra charge for them to go to the kid's place while I work out and they can also go swimming with me later.  

Katie was spending the afternoon with friends so I dropped Will off at the play place and went off to swim.  There were lap lanes open so I didn't have to share.  I'm not quite smart enough to do that just yet, let alone good enough.  I decided to use a kick board first - no arms, just work on my kicks and see how effective they are.  Boy, it was a LONG way down the length of the pool.  I think my kicks could be a lot better and hopefully they'll be able to give me some pointers at my lessons.  I did 4 lengths of the pool with the kickboard, then 2 lengths swimming freestyle, then another 2 with the kickboard and finally 2 more freestyle.  That's 5 laps total, half of what would be done in the tri.  Each time I got to a wall, I waiting 30-60 seconds at least.  I'm not at a point where I can just keep going.  Also, the last lap I did freestyle I had to switch to a backfloat about 3/4 of the way down each time.  BUT, I feel comfortable on my back and can at least keep moving.  I just can't see where the hell I'm going. 

I keep reminding myself it was this way when I started running.  Remember?  Remember when I could only run 1-2 minutes at a time and running a whole mile seemed downright laughable?  Like anything else, it WILL get easier.  Any progress towards improvement will give me the positive boost I so need right now.  It was a bit disheartening to struggle so much.  It's hard for me to not be able to do something, and even harder to admit it to other people.  I may be able to get in the water today - depending on the kids.  If I can talk them into letting me swim first this afternoon....then I'll be able to get a few minutes in.  Otherwise, I think I should focus on lifting some weights at home and working on upper body strength - of which I have none it seems. 

Next week I start my lessons.  Every Thursday night at 8 for 3 weeks. If nothing else, it's more time in the water. 

Friday Funny

I have a distinct feeling that this applies to everyone in my house.....not just the kids. :)

Didn't happen.....yet

Ok, ok.  I know I said I was going to swim last night, but it didn't happen.  With Will's birthday yesterday the whole night kind of got away from me.  I still have 4 Wednesday swim workouts I can do and a friend, who is a super-star swimmer, is going to go with me next week (probably to make sure I go!) :)

BUT, I am planning on going swimming today.  I got to thinking about my Lifetime membership that I won.  Did I tell you about that???  Our county hosted a "Get Up and Go" program earlier this spring and you kept track of your workouts online.  If you logged 150 minutes per week you got entered into a weekly drawing.  At the end they had some extra drawings and I won a 3 month single membership to Lifetime Fitness.  We used to be Lifetime members before Will was born, so I'm familiar with what they offer.  At the location in our town they have a really great outdoor pool and indoor pool that have swim lanes always open for adults. 

The downside is that it is a single membership, but I can add on extras to it so that the kids and John can go too.  I'll have to see how much that is.  In any case, I'll have to add the kids because it will be nice to be able to swim while they are having some time in the child center.  That way I can do it whenever - not just after 6 pm. 

When I first got the certificate it had an expiration date of 7/31/12.  That meant it was only going to be good for about a month, not 3 months.  But as I got to reading it today it sounds like I have to activate it by 7/31/12....but then it's still good for 3 months once it's activated.  So that would be VERY nice. I left a message for the membership coordinator lady and she's supposed to call me back.  Once she does, I'm taking Will at 2:00 to head there and check it out.  I don't have "Pebbles" today and Katie is playing at a friend's house this afternoon.  No excuses, right???  It would sure be nice if the TWO places I called to get some lessons would call me back to schedule those!  However, I did get a swimsuit to use for training.  Not sure if I will wear it in the race though.  I'm not too sure how I feel about running in it yet.  I will have to try it out.