Just keep swimming swimming swimming

I must've repeated the above little mantra to myself a thousand times this morning as the rain came down throughout my run. 

Sometimes, when you don't really know what's coming, its easier just to get out and do it. I've never run a 10K before. Now, I wouldn't consider myself out of shape, but I certainly don't wake up everyday and run 6.2 miles. When I signed up for this, I thought "Could I do this? Would I be totally wasted the rest of the day? Would the EMS have to come revive me part of the way through?" I had doubts, and I acknowledged their existence, but I did not allow myself to linger on them.

I just got up and went out there. And I ran it. I ran straight through, only stopping to walk for a grand total of 3 minutes on the steepest inclines on Enfield. I completed the 10K in 1:11 (breaks down to 11:31 per mile). Not only did I run straight through, but my times weren't too shabby. I mean, I run a mile and a half max 4 days/week. Those runs are broken into sprints and running drills and often aren't a simple straight run. Yet, I did it. And then I came home and took a nap!

I exited the post-race scene rather quickly and hustled back to my car. I called Mark first and still all fired up, I decided to call my Dad. Susan answered and said Dad was out at the race too. "Running!?" I exclaimed. "This is his 2nd year for the race," she replied. Wow. I had no idea. That is so freakin' cool. You go Dad... You go!

Diamond in the rough

Mark and I actually had to pack up and leave a restaurant tonight before our meal was served. In my 5 years of parenthood, we've managed to avoid, persuade and coax our ailing children into compliance. But not tonight. Oh no. My oldest (saint that he is) asked to go to the Clubhouse to play, so he was absent from this little drama. The other two beasts, however, were - - - monsters... little hellions... demons possessed by a devil with the sole intention of making all those around them miserable. 

We decided to try a new place for pizza called Pizza Gallery on Hwy 360 just before the Pennybacher bridge. They seat us in the far back - right next to stacks and stacks of bottled red wine that are oh so appealing to under 18 month old hands (who wanted nothing more than to remove each precious bottle from it's nice, safe holding place). The place was one solid room of concrete, and every voice echoed. Bellowed even. Lucy, my claustrophobic child, started to shake her head "no no no" and climb out of her high chair. Luke, echoing his sister's sentiment, decided that he, too, wanted nothing to do with this place. Service was nonexistent and the white wine (which I desperately needed) was warm. So - Mark scuffled the kicking, screaming beasts who were so rudely interrupted from their wine-removing endeavors outside to a nearby fountain to splash in the water while I humbly succumbed to the idea that I would have to eat my delicious pie in the car on the drive back home. *sniff*

Feeling quite defeated, I shuffled out to the car with our pizza and the $2 bagel I purchased for Luke to try and pacify him and greet my husband who is beaming proudly and proclaiming "Lucy walked all the way from the fountain to the sidewalk on her own! She did it! She's walking!" 

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds - my not-so-little girl - she's off and running on her own! My constantly sore arms thank you so very much! 

Two weeks ago I thought there may, perhaps be true delays, and within that time, they both branched out on their own. I am so, so happy.

I want my $3.25!

Unless you are a child of the '80s, the above title will mean absolutely nothing to you. It references one of my all-time, favorite '80s movies "Better Off Dead" with John Cusack (still yummy after all these years...*sigh*). One of the characters is a newspaper delivery boy who chases down John Cusack's character on his bike when John is unable to pony-up the $2 for the monthly newspaper fee. The kid chases John around chanting "I want my $2! I want my $2!" Believe me, it's a much funnier scene that what I've been able to reiterate. I'm not known for my recounting of tales...

But I digress. I have a love/hate relationship to Starbucks. I love going. I love the fresh coffee and pastry smell, the earthy decor, the comfy chairs, the wide variety of choices. But, I hate paying $3.25 for my tall, 1.5 pump, no-whip mocha of which I only drink about 1/2. Why only half? Because in my efforts to shed my multiple layers of fat, I can't bring myself to drink all the chocolate that settles to the bottom, so I dump it. Yup. I dump a daily $1.50 or so down the drain. Literally. My intelligent self knows that I would not get "The sharpest crayon in the box" award for this action, but I can't seem to keep myself from going. I keep telling myself that I'm going for the experience. Yes. The experience of Starbucks. It calls me back each day with an audible "I want my $3.25!!" I must not be the only one who hears it's beckoning call either. The line at the drive-thru always wraps around the parking lot.

Looks who's walking

Finally. Right when Mark and I decided to intervene and obtain physical therapy for the twins to get them upright, Luke takes his first independent steps. He began toddling on Saturday when Mark broke out the box of Lucky Charms. Turns out they are magically delicious. Their magical powers are strong enough to sway the shaky legs of a toddler toward their sweet, oat-y goodness. Luke, motivated by all things sweet, toddled to his reward all afternoon, and then later, decided that walking was actually fun and proceeded to stroll (sometimes holding our hands lightly) everywhere he went! We may go ahead with therapy for Lucy. She wanted the Lucky Charms just as badly as Luke but was certainly not willing to work for them. I think it will just take a few days for her to realize that Luke is getting places faster with less knee pain for her to go upright as well... with any luck.

We had such an enjoyable Easter. Tara and her crew came over for homemade pizza, egg dying, egg hunts and hours of afternoon play. Yup. It rocked.  Luke and Lucy didn't really get the concept of the egg hunt this year, but they did enjoy the chocolate!  Jack raced around like a rabbit (how fitting...) We got creative this year and actually hid the eggs - or made them work for it!

Teeny Tiny Baby Boy

Every now and then I upload pictures to scrapbookpictures.com and have them printed in ginormous sizes. I found this treasure in one of my many picture stashes and felt such a surge of emotion that I had to scrap it right then. My teeny, tiny Luke - so new and sweet and cuddly. While I don't miss the little baby stage as a whole, I do miss these quiet moments. Luke's still my cuddle bug. Each time I pick up that sweet thang, he lays his head down on my shoulder as if to say "I love you, Momma." Lucy on the other hand, tries to stick her fingers in my mouth. 

Master of the Ponytail

Back in January, I suffered from "Mom of 2 boys-itus", and it showed. Poor Lucy received a boy haircut complete with bangs. And while she still looked absolutely adorable, I decided I would never subject her to the same haircut as her brothers' ever again. So we've been growing out her hair, and thankfully, my friend Diana passed on to Lucy tons of 'little girl' hair clips and ponytail holders that her 5-year-old can no longer use. Today I took a deep breath, opened up the cup drawer for Lucy so she'd be entertained and gathered her hair into a ponytail 'Pebbles' style. Isn't she adorable?  I mean, seriously. Just stinkin' cute!

The sad thing is, Luke could benefit from a ponytail too.  His hair is growing all curly like past the nap of his neck.  He desperately needs a hair cut. Soon. Or I'll be forced to 'Pebbles' him too!

Pretties for Spring

Yay! I finished the samples for my card class at Felicia's Scrapbooks on April 12th. Love the patterned paper for these by We R Memory Keepers (Promenade collection). Lots of little techniques in these pretties - crumpling, stamping, paper piecing, decorative ribbon. They were such fun to make! 

I have a terrible fear that I will have labored over these sweet things to no avail. What if no one shows up to take the class? At least I can say I enjoyed creating them, and if nothing else, I now have a few cards to put in my box for when I need them. That being said, if you live nearby, please take my class. {beg}!

Om Namah Shivaya

Om Namah Shivaya

"I honor the divinity that resides within me." ~ Sanskrit Yoga hymn

I often to do not. I often treat myself the worst. I often forget that I am actually supposed to be enjoying my short stay on Earth. But when I read these words this weekend, I began to repeat them inside my head. I chanted them on the plane trip home from visiting my sister. (Silently, of course.) I repeat them now, as I care for the twins and as I move through the peace that comes with nap time.

I honor the divine within me. My God is the Universe and all things in it, and we all have a direct connection to the divine. It can be reached through simple acknowledgment of it's existence. It's the soul. It's the trees. It's the flowers. It's the smile and wave from my daughter. It's the belly chuckle from my younger son. It's the inquisitive, insightful questions from my 5-year-old. It's the true connection I feel with my husband. It's all relationships, all things, and all encompassing.

So -  I leave you with this quote, taken from the book I am reading and most definitely recommend, Eat Pray Love, "You bear God within you, you poor wretch, and know it not." ~ Epictetus.

Yes, Epictetus, you are right. I'm trying to remember His presence though. Sometimes we all need reminding He's there.

Stephanie's Top 10

Nearly every Monday, my friend Kristen lists 10 things that she's grateful for in her blog. I love this idea and have been responding to her list with 10 things of my own. Lately I've been caught up in the drama that surrounds my life, but each week, I'm reminded that the drama just doesn't matter. It's dust in the wind. (cliche!) It's the bath water after it's gone cold. It's the soup left over after all the alphabet letters have been eaten. It's the... wait... you get the picture. 

So - Stephanie's Top 10 List of Things to be Grateful For Today: (ahem)

1) Kickboxing class. 

2) Bathroom conversations. It's the only place Mark and I have privacy to talk. Sad, but true. And no, we're not using the bathroom while we're talking.

3) A very happy Luke. (see pic above)

4) Benadryl.

5) My bed my bed my bed my bed.

6) Having a destination for Jack tomorrow morning. Cooking camp here he comes!

7) This beautiful, child-proof house.

8) Free water for the lawn. (thank you spring time rain!)

9) My day planner w/out which I would be lost. Or always late.

10) That Jack's birthday party went off fabulously this past weekend.

Got your own top 10? Do share.

Where is my pot of gold exactly?

Today was an "I've had it!" day. I needed 2 hours in an empty house. That's all. Just 2. Mark was kind enough to cart the children away after we returned home from my Dad's house in Georgetown so that I could stow away to my craft room. These pictures have been sitting on my table for a couple of weeks, and I just now had the opportunity to do something with them. Can I just say that I love this layout? The happy rainbow paper has been sitting in my stash for - oh - 4 years probably... The scalloped edge makes me smile. The embossed sentiment on the heart gives the layout a Hallmark touch. Yup. I like my own work. heehee... 

Oh - and now for the most exciting news of all:

I am scheduled to teach my first-ever crafting class at Felicia's Scrapbooks on April 12th. I plan on making 5 or 6 cards using rubber stamps from Inque Boutique. I'll be working on the samples and will have them on display at her store by the end of the week. If you're in Austin, come take my class! Please?!

5 years ago today...

5 years ago at this time (3pm), I was struggling desperately to hold onto my ideal, natural birth for my first child. In approximately one hour, I will say "f-that" and scream my code word for the epidural. At a little before 11pm on March 6, 2003, Jack will enter the world blue and breathless with the cord wrapped tightly around his neck. He'll spend the next 3 hours in the nursery maintaining his own body temperature before the nurses will finally release my new baby boy to his mommy.

And the rest, as they say, is history. This big dude is truly a shining light in my life. His stories, wit, creativity, logic, love, tenderness, gentleness, patience and kindness bring me joy that never would have been there if he hadn't come into my world.

Jack is currently upstairs playing with the new Star Wars Lego set he received for his birthday, and as I had just finished singing his praises in the previous paragraph, I hear Jack loudly proclaim "Somebody pooped!" Did I say Jack was tactful? Oh, good. Glad I left that one off!

Happy Birthday Big "J"!

I want a new car

Psst... I really can't stand Mark's car, the Scion XB. I whack my head on the roof every single time I buckle Jack into his booster or reach into the back seat for something. I'm sick of driving a stick shift in traffic. At only 100 horsepower, I have to press the gas all the way to the floor just to get it to 60mph. I chronically suffer from "big trucks eating my ass" syndrome. 

So - the Scion XB must go. Here is what I want in a replacement car:

1) Must not be a large SUV.

2) Must not be a mini-van. (ie - I don't need another large people-mover.)

3) Must be able to fit all 3 car seats (2 Britax Roundabouts and one Britax Parkway booster) comfortably.

4) Must get good gas mileage.

5) Must have reasonably good "get-up-and-go" power.

6) Must have navigation system, ipod ready and XM radio.

Does such a car even exist? 

My life in a box

There it is. My life in a box. Some of it - that is. I stored all of my memories up until the age of 27 in this giant, dilapidated cardboard box. This box has been with me as I moved away from my childhood home in Georgetown, to my 2 dorms in San Marcos, to my first apartment, then my second and then to both homes. The contents include 5th birthday cards from my grandparents to the very first emails I ever received from Mark. (Even before I scrapbooked, I was a memory junky and had the good sense to hold on to what I considered to be emotionally valuable.)

Other fun stuff in there:

* The last check my mom wrote me still in its original Valentine's Day card from 1995

* A few really raunchy love letters that I can't bare to part with.

* Notes passed between friends in Jr. High

* Elementary through high school report cards

* My "baby names" list started when I was 11

And that list is just from memory. I haven't looked inside there in years. So now, I leave the sanctity of my computer to dive into its contents with my ipod serving as accompaniment. My memories are rotting inside that box. The contents must be sorted, purged and what's left, preserved.

Here I go.

Update one hour later: I am so glad that I lived my adolesence pre-email. The handwritten letters I am rediscovering melt my heart and instantly transport me back to that time and place. Emails will never replace the uniqueness of handwriting.