Get Your Shoes on Now!

Ever have a morning like this? The following is sadly a true account and rather disturbing glimpse of my morning "off from work".
6:00am I did manage to wake up before the family to run. Then Hello Chaos.
7:30am Nike Girl and Weebok awake, get dressed and brush hair, teeth, and start eating breakfast.
8:00 am :"Get your shoes on, please." Cleaning up from breakfast.
8:08 am: Changing diaper. "Nike Girl, find your shoes and get them on please." Nike Girl reading the cereal box.
8:12 am Feeding the dog. "Do you have your shoes on? Please get them on."
8:15am Grabbing Weebok and looking for my keys that I thought I had left by the garage door. "We are leaving. You have no shoes."
8:18am "Get your shoes on Now! "Forgot diaper bag run upstairs to get bag.
8:20am "Nike Girl Get your shoes on NOW! " Wipe Weebok's face again.
8:23 am "Everyone into the car, march 2,3,4. Everyone buckled? " Oh .I forgot my purse. Just a minute. Run inside.
8:25am "Let's go kiddos! " "Mommy...MoMmY...MOMMY....  "I turn around. Nike Girl is pointing at Weebok's feet. Oh, Weebok doesn't have her shoes. Run back upstairs.
8:29am  Headed down the road amazingly on time to participate in a workshop entitled, "Bring Peace to your Home." I am beaded up with sweat. It is a hot and humid day. I certainly can not get there fast enough! We need peace, like peanut butter needs jelly!

I sit at a round table with a group of gals, I do not know. We start going around the table to introduce ourselves and tell why we decided to join in and bring peace to our homes. I develop hives on my neck at the thought of any public speaking. I heard things like, "Our kids are so stressed", "We have activities going every night" "My husband and I work two jobs each", "I have 8 kids" , " I have 4 dogs"  then it was my turn.  " Hi. We need peace because I seem to be frazzled, disorganized, and tired of being the one always rushing and yelling "Get your shoes on now!"  Blank stares. That seems so lame, almost embarassing. I know there are so many real things that are much greater to conquer but for me at that moment it felt so true.

My family seems to be living in a busy fast paced activity driven world. Always jetting out the door to get somewhere, work, an activity, or to buy something that we really probably in the spectrum of things do not need. There has to be a balance between these things. Sure we go on family outings, bike rides, hikes, and things like that. It is the everyday grind that is hard to find peace in sometimes.

The one common thread I heard over and over was that the adults especially the female in the family seems to set the mood of the household.  I was at first defensive toward that statement because surely moi does not create chaos. Then I realized in our family dynamics there is truth to that statement. Converse always jokes and says , "If mama is happy then daddy is happy." Maybe he was on to something. It was suggested that we should get back to just relaxing at home. Kids should play and be creative with their own imaginations. Why all the pressure from our culture to be the best at anything when we are only 6? If one has a God given talent , it will come out one way or another. The grown ups should know their limits of being too stressed and stop and relax before you get to that point of yelling towanda. It is about finding a balance between it all. Things I know but am too busy to put into practice. We should stop and smell the roses even if they are wilting a bit. 

So I left the workshop feeling a little more in control. A little more in control because when we got into the car to leave Nike Girl and Weebok had both shoes on. A little more in control because I just needed to know I was not alone in this chaotic feeling world. Get back to some simplicity. Find a balance. Pray, that is a big one for me. Use common sense, like just putting shoes by the back door would probably be beneficial.  I am hopeful tomorrow will bring a little more peace to our home. Well ,until the dog refuses to go outside to do her thing because it is suppose to rain in the morning and she is disturbed by wet paws. But I will try really hard to find balance.

Peace.
The "New Balance" Girl

Running Report: Ran 6 miles and did Jillian Michaels. The heat and humidity makes me not want to get my own shoes on and walk out the door. But once I am out there running, my mind clears and it is peaceful. Hope you find some peace today and remember to smell the roses even if some of them are wilting.

Do you Speak Boo Boo?

Weebok just turned 18 months. Everyday is exciting as she seems to have a new trick up her sleeve. More words, more opinions and more dance moves. All of these new tricks also lead to more boo boos. At the pool yesterday, she was standing next to the fountains filling her flowered pitcher, then screeching in joy before dumping the water out. Then she would do it all over again, and again, and again. A little boy , about her age, walked up to her and started playing with the same fountain. She stood back and sized him up, glanced at me and smiled, then started playing. I wish I knew what she was thinking. They took turns running through the fountain. The little boy got a little too excited and fell hurting his hand. His mom brushed it off and kissed it then set him back down to play. The whole time Weebok was just staring at the mother and her son. Once the little boy started playing again, Weebok got in his face and then said, "Boo Boo?" The little boy pointed at his hand and said , "Boo Boo. " Weebok then pointed to her knee and said "Boo Boo." The little boy pointed at his hand again and said, "Boo Boo." This conversation went on for two more rounds. The other mom and I just looked at each other and laughed. It was obvious they were speaking their own language, Boo Boo.

Peace.
The "New Balance" Girl

Running Report: Back in the saddle again. Following a new program to increase speed, lots of tempo runs and 400's. Then one distance run a week. Today I ran 400's on the treadmill due to poor scheduling on my part and not getting out of the house before the heat set in. When I was finished I felt like speaking Boo Boo. It hurt.

Cheers Converse!

Converse and I were married  a long time, 10.5 years to be exact, before Nike Girl entered this world. I will never forget when she was born. Converse's exact words were , " What did we just do!" as tears were streaming down his face. I remember being just quiet taking the experience all in and deciding that there was no other word ( besides the obvious word painful) for what just happened than a true genuine miracle. A few days later sitting at home the sleepless nights started, the constant worry started, the overwhelming feeling of responsibility hit us both. We wanted to be perfect. (silly thought) There were several days I shamefully admit ,thinking  those very words , "What did we do?"  Converse was feeling the same.

Then after a couple weeks, life started to return to a new kind of normal. And before you knew it Converse and I fell in love with the little thing. He soon didn't care if she projectile vomited on his shirt as he was rushing out the door to work, he didn't care if she put her slimy little hands on his face to point out body parts, he didn't care that the only thing that would calm her in a grocery store was singing Barney tunes. He became a daddy. And he loved his new found role in life.

Then only 5 1/2 years after that,  Weebok came into our world. She came three weeks early to arrive on our 16th wedding anniversary. She came knockin' at the door at midnight. I woke him up to tell him and he said "What time is it?" I told him and he said, " Can you wait a couple hours I just got to sleep? Are you sure it is time?" I gave him my perfected " this is not the time to joke"  look. I use that a lot in tense quiet moments, he can't help himself.  So he rolled out of bed, brushed his teeth and a half hour later , we found ourselves cruising in the Accord thankful it still was not the Beretta. We started laughing, well sort of,  because instead of jetting off to Paris on our anniversary like many friends our age, we were starting down another new path. This time when she popped into the world, Converse was ready and looked at the new baby, tears streaming down his eyes, and said "You have another beautiful daughter." I exclaimed, "What!" I just knew it was a boy. I was so secretly excited that it was another girl but more importantly she was healthy. Another true miracle! What a ride it has all been since.

Cheers Converse! You make us laugh everyday.
Happy Daddy Day!

Peace.
The "New Balance Girl" 

Running Report: Foot healed, back to training on Monday. I have picked a race! yea!

Treadmill Anyone?

Wake up at sunrise.....check

Nike Girl and Weebok asleep still....check

Converse still at home....check

New running shoes on...check

Ipod blasting favorite tune...check

Garmin Forerunner set....check

Step outside ready to roll.....check

...uh...

Treadmill anyone?

Excuse Me...You Got a Little Something On Your....

                                  Me like brownie batter, A LOT!

Peace.
The "New Balance" Gal

Running Report: Still cross training due to a foot injury. Should be healed soon, I hope. Until then, I need to stay away from all types of brownies smothered in homemade vanilla ice cream.

The 21st Century Male Cardinal

A couple weeks ago, I was trimming up some bushes in the backyard. That is when I happened upon a bird nest nestled in the branches of a wild rose bush. The Mama Cardinal was sitting happily on her little birdies until I got too close. She flew away to a nearby branch and glared at me. I peeked from a distant at the three little birdies, ugly as could be, beaks turned upward, wanting food. So I backed away.

A few days later, I showed Weebok and Nike Girl my recent nature find.  The baby birdies had grown bigger but still were ,well , quite homely. Kind of like the Seinfeld episode where Jerry and Elaine go to the Hamptons to visit friends and meet their new baby. "Is it me, or was that the ugliest baby you have ever seen?" ...."I couldn't look. It was like a Pekinese."......" Boy, a little too much chlorine in that gene pool." Poor baby birds.

A small thunderstorm blew through the other night. So yesterday, The girls and I went to check on the birdies.The rose petals had fallen on the ground and unfortunately there on the ground laid two little birdies. Nike Girl shed tears. Then we heard a little chirp. And this is what we saw....

 One birdie had survived the storm! As we started jumping up and down with joy screaming,  the birdie fell off of its nest! Uh... Houston we have a problem! The Mama Cardinal came flying in screeching at us and landed next to her baby to make sure all was ok. Step away from the bird! What do I do? Nike Girl is screaming do something Mommy.....Do I pick it up? Do I let nature take its course? The neighbor's big scary looking cat likes our yard. I can't take the pressure!

Then in absolute amazement, we witnessed the Mama Cardinal AND the Daddy Cardinal begin to teach the baby how to fly! They both chirped and took tiny little flights around the bird. The baby bird would hop and try to fly then crash. This happened several times in a row. Just like a toddler walking between her parents. The only thing missing were camcorders. Finally the little bird was able to fly up to a nearby branch of a lilac bush and sit there looking so proud. The parents stayed by its side the entire time! Amazing! 

We proceeded to have a celebration service for the other birdies as I buried them under the rose bush. Nike Girl said a few words that went something like, " We did not know you , oh little birdies, but we wanted to. But really we didn't have a lot in common. The neighbors cat might have gotten you anyway. God loves you.Amen." 

A few hours later I went out to check on the birdie in the lilac bush by the garden. It was on a higher branch with mom and dad still looking over it. Today the entire family was gone. It earned its wings! I hope.....

So kudos to this little Cardinal family with a 21st century dad! Helping out 50/50. Who would have known that nature had evolved through the generations, too!  I imagine when the Cardinal family made it home, they put the birdie to bed, the Mama Cardinal finished dishes and made lunches for tomorrow while the 21st Century Cardinal Dad sat on his branch and peered into our living room window just in time for our 21st Century dad to turn on Sports Center to get the baseball highlights.  There is no place like home.

Peace.

The New Balance" Gal

Running Report: Lots of cross-training this week. Lots of reading articles on increasing your speed over the distance. Lots of fun outside with bubbles, sidewalk chalk and learning to dance. Weebok has found her moves!