A Runner in Need

When I last posted, my little Bean was sick. A week before that, the hubs and I got a call from the babysitter while we were out to dinner letting us know The Princess had thrown up. Then last night, a week after Bean recovered from her 48-hour bug, she puked three times. Needless to say, we have been doing lots of laundry, steam cleaning carpets, and disinfecting things the past few weeks. However, with our latest round of puke, we have an added adventure. The washing machine isn't working. So there is a mound of vomit-covered laundry waiting for the repairman to come work his magic this afternoon. Bean's bumper pad and my comforter, however, are too big for the washer and need a visit to the laundromat. I'm hoping the repairman is speedy because there is a blizzard warning for this afternoon. Life is never dull!

Now on to non-puke related things. Because we are part of one of the most amazing groups of people in the world, I need your help. One of our fellow runner(d)s needs a little love and advice. Here is her dilemma, in her own words:

"Why is it that some husbands just don't 'get it' about the feelings you get when you run?! Mine is such pain in the a--. He just doesn't 'get' the adrenaline rush that I feel when I run and the excitement. He thinks it is all bologna! So hard to be married to someone who doesn't feel your enjoyment in an activity that you enjoy so much :( "

So if you can empathize, sympathize or offer her words of encouragement or advice, please share. I will be sure to pass all your comments on to her. Plus, I'm sure she isn't the only one out there struggling with this, so your comments could be far-reaching.

Hopefully I will be back tomorrow to share my thoughts about and goals for Thursday's Turkey Trot 5K, but just in case ... Happy Thanksgiving and good luck to all you Turkey Day runners!!

Trump

I'm tired. I haven't run since Saturday. I haven't read one blog since last week. My kitchen floor desperately needs mopped. My to-do list is ridiculously long.

That's what happens when your baby gets sick. Throwing up nine times yesterday sick. Sleeping with Mommy and Daddy sick. Not eating sick. Falling asleep in Mommy's arms at ten in the morning sick. Currently working on an unheard-of second nap of the day sick.

Yet snuggling my baby when she is sick is one of the few things that can come between me and a run without any accompanying feelings of guilt.

Mommy trumps runner every time.

Runner Bean

I like to run while The Princess is at preschool so I can run outside but only have to push the single jogger. My Bean loves our runs because she gets to hang out with Mom, eat snacks, watch movies on my iPod (and sometimes sleep). She never asks to get out; she just enjoys the ride.

(Wednesday's run. Calm, 40 degrees, snow flurries. Perfect.)

When I go running with both my girls, The Princess always wants to get out and run at some point. My little Bean will get out and run a few steps, but she usually sticks pretty close to me. For her, it isn't about the running. She just wants to get out because her sister is out. And she half-heartedly runs because her sister is running. Then the other day, she randomly brought me her "running shoes" and put them to good use. (Don't mind the rest of her outfit. She got some big girl panties -sorry EMZ- that day and didn't want to wear anything over them. Luckily she was okay wearing her diaper under them.)

She might just be a little runner after all.

Thankful

This morning I found out a friend from high school was put on hospice. Breast cancer. My age. Three small children. She has been strong. She has had faith. She has stayed happy. She's losing the fight.

Then my girl came home from preschool and told me she needs to take money to school. Not to buy a sucker. Because two little girls in her school are sick. And need medicine. That will make their hair fall out.

So I ran four miles. I kept turning up the music. Kept speeding up the treadmill. Trying not to think anymore.

This song came on. And I couldn't help but think.



Today I am thankful. Not because it's November. Just because. So thankful. For everything. Good and bad.

Too much of a good thing

Because I've been spending so much time with this:

I am grateful I get to spend time with these:

What are you grateful for today?

I Like It

When we didn't find any grasshoppers on Monday's run, we tried again yesterday without any luck. However yesterday's run was not without entertainment. I let the girls "run" the last .5 mile (I say "run" because that portion took as long as the previous 2.6 miles had taken). While the girls were running, we started to cross a street as a car approached. The Princess was helping push the stroller, so we were moving pretty slow. As the car passed, I noticed the look on the driver's face and said, "I think that lady was annoyed at us." The Princess' reply: "She can't be annoyed at me. She isn't my mom. Only moms can be annoyed at children." Okay then.

While there are many more mommy/daughter runs ahead, I think that might have been our last grasshopper run. This morning when we came downstairs, we found a new little friend sleeping soundly in a jar on the counter.

Apparently the hubby found this furry little gal (of course it's a girl) before he left for work. We have made her a comfortable little home and plan on letting her stay as long as she seems content. I am much happier with a caterpillar than a grasshopper living in my house. And of course she inherited the grasshopper's name (Avrie Hallie Emma Sophie Gracie Candice); maybe we'll call her Fuzzy for short. I'll have to run that by The Princess though.

I'm considering a little cross training for today. My legs need a break from the double jogger, and running while The Princess was at school didn't happen because I had too many errands. When I pulled out a Christmas CD this morning, I realized I've been missing my running tunes (I don't listen to anything when I'm with my girls). I also realized it's time to add a little Christmas music to my playlist. Yes, I am one of those annoying people that starts listening to Christmas music and decorates for Christmas as soon as the Halloween decorations come down. Since my hubby isn't a big fan of Thanksgiving and we are all crazy for Christmas at our house, we try to enjoy the season as long as we can.

Anyhow, thinking about my running tunes gave me the idea to share the last ten songs I added to my playlist. You are welcome to do the same if you have a blog so maybe we can all get some ideas for new running songs. And as you can see, my ten recent iTunes purchases reveal a little of the runnerd in me:

Just the Way You Are - Bruno Mars
Misery - Maroon 5
Club Can't Handle Me (feat. David Guetta) - Flo Rida
The Only Exception - Paramore
Billionaire (Glee Cast Version)
Empire State of Mind (Glee Cast Version)
The Adventure - Angels & Airwaves
New in Town - Little Boots
I Like It (feat. Pitbull) - Enrique Iglesius
Animal - Neon Trees

I'm too lazy to link to each one on iTunes, but they are easy to find. If you have any trouble, send me an email (ihaverun@hotmail.com) and I will forward you a link.

Fear the Beard

I had a request today to run with my girls. The Princess wants to look for grasshoppers. Last week, we saw dozens of grasshoppers during a run, and then The Princess found one in the backyard the other day and asked me to catch it in a jar. So I did.

My girls were fascinated and entertained by the grasshopper for hours. The Princess named it Avrie Hallie Emma Sophie Gracie Candice after her favorite friends at school (and me!); her dad suggested we call it Hopper for short. After Hopper spent the night with us, I suggested we let Hopper go (after seeing how much poop – at least that’s what I think it was – a grasshopper could produce in one night). After some initial resistance, I told the girls Hopper’s family was probably worried about him/her, and they decided to set it free. So today we will venture out to find another grasshopper or two that would like to spend the night at our house (and experience some mild torture as the girls press their faces against the glass and constantly shake it down when it tries to climb up the side of the jar).

The upcoming grasshopper hunt/run is much needed after the weekend of Halloween cookies and candy. I’m not a fan of scary, bloody, gory things, so Halloween isn’t my favorite holiday. Why can’t everyone dress up in happy, warm, cuddly costumes? That’s (kind of) what we did at our house. And it is quite remarkable that everyone at our house donned a costume this year. It is the first time the hubby and I have dressed up on Halloween since we got married (and probably many years before that as well). The girls' and hubs' costumes were more specific while mine was kind of generic but still fun. Can you tell who we all are??





Hope you all had a great Halloween! Now onto the holidays I do LOVE.