You know how sometimes you mean to say one thing but it comes out so different you just stand there and think, "I hope no one heard me." It is one thing if you do that to a spouse or close friend. They usually just look at me and laugh.
Being a mom, however, catches you off guard all the time. At any second in conversation you may be asked to solve any one of the world's most complexing questions. You have to know the answer that is supportive, loving yet truthful. Because mother knows best, right?
Here are some recent examples.
Example #1: Nike Girl walking out of the bathroom 30 seconds before we have to walk out the door to school. She had asked if she could wear some lip gloss. I said sure but please hurrry. She comes prancing down the stairs and says, I am ready mommy. How do I look? I turn and look at her with an affirming smile that stopped in mid track. I literally gasp! out loud with hand gesture over my mouth and all! Clear lip gloss was bright red gooey paraben infested lipstick from her toy princess bag used only as dress up. My gasp sent her to the bathroom in tears. I give her a 10 second lesson on blotting and how clear lip gloss is the way to go in the daytime hours. She makes it to school before the tardy bell with red smears but clear coated lips. I did not mention the smears on the side of her face. Parenting is so spontaneous.
Example #2: Nike Girl loves to act and sing. She attended a week long theatre camp toward the end of summer. They had try-outs the first day of the camp. She came home upset. She had been casted a Thug instead of a Princess. I sat her down and said that you can not get a lead part every time. You should concentrate on being the best Thug there is.....She told me who was cast as the princesses. One happened to be her dear friend with blonde locks like Cinderella. I said, Nike Girl, part of acting is looking the part. Your friend looks like she could play Cinderella with her golden hair so maybe....she stopped me and held back the tears as she asked with long dramatic pauses......"You mean to tell me Mommy....that...I.....look.....like....a....thug?" That is not what I meant at all but my words did seem to be leaning in that direction! I had to back peddle like no ones business to get out of that hornet's nest. She ended up in her mother's eyes of being the best thug ever!
I could go on and on with examples. Each day I wake up and pray that the words I say and my actions are encouraging and loving to those I encounter. I win some and obviously I lose some. I just didn't really give it much thought as to how important your words asa mother really become as your child grows and begins to question you, herself and the world. Mother knows best are big shoes to fill! It keeps life interesting! Besides,someday it will give them something to blog about.
Peace.
The "New Balance" Girl
Running Report: Start of school has been all about running.....running around to activities and events....and finding the time to train. I have a half coming up in another week. I am excited! I still go back and forth with a full this fall. Time as I mentioned is by far the biggest challenge. I can't seem to find it right now. I need a big planner to get organized. Autumn is coming and I love love love this time of year when it is cool in the mornings again. Peace.
9.27.2011
9.21.2011
Summer's End
By summer's end, the 100 degree temperatures began taking a toll on everything. The grass was turning pitiful brown, the flowers were drooping, and the swimming pool felt like bath water. During these dog days of summer we decided to head to the "hills" and get some relief.
Peace.
The "New Balance" Girl
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| Euro Jumping on a mountain makes it seem like you are flying. |
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| Do you know how hard it was to keep track of the three little duckies the entire trip? At least it is better than the package of wipes she slept with for weeks. |
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| Hiking in the morning ROCKS! If everyone started their morning off with this I predict there would be no more road rage on the morning commute to work. |
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| Converse and Weebok enjoying the awesome trail system. But remember what goes down...has to go up. Oops! Forgot that little physics lesson. |
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| Nike Girl and I hoping the bike we rented made it back to town. It was a little shaky to say the least. Makes me laugh! |
A great view with some great smiles.
Good-bye Hills! Thanks for the memories!
The "New Balance" Girl
7.06.2011
Heatwave 2011
I am thankful for little backyard pools that allow me to work in the yard and garden on summer mornings. Hope you find some relief from the heat, too!
Peace.
The "New Balance" Girl
7.05.2011
A Day on the Farm
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| Cowgirls |
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| like to play |
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| in Nana and Papa's garden |
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| on a HOT 4th of July! |
The "New Balance" Girl
Running Report: HOT! Early am is the only time to run. Countdown to the fall race! Did I mention HOT?
6.15.2011
Livin' in a Bubble
Every morning since Nike Girl could walk, actually run as she has never walked, we would raise her window shade to look outside and see if it could possibly be an outdoor playing day. Her little sister is now following in her shadow. We always say a little Thank you Lord for today and the sun or clouds or wind or rain. I even muster up a thank you for the snow because I know it is the right thing to do. This little morning tradition is expected around our house without fail.
I think the girls are following in my footsteps by becoming little outdoorsy active souls. On weekends, after my early morning long run, the girls are waiting by the front door with bed hair ready to go with me outside and "run" themselves. So back on the trail we head to go over to a neighborhood pond and throw rocks or see tadpoles. The newest adventure is to climb the rocks around the pond's edge and watch the girls spit into the water to make the little perch think it is a bug to eat. Gross but oddly fun and as Converse says....it is free entertainment.
We bike, we skate, we hula hoop, we pogo stick, we hopscotch, we zipline in the backyard, we dance, we climb trees, we swim, we jump on our trampoline for hours, we are a family that does not live in a bubble. Outdoor adventures make us happy. Well they did make us happy. Until this.......
Our first broken bone in our family (besides when I broke my leg in high school chasing a boy and fell down a flight of steps because untied high tops were cool). Oh the guilt......Weebok and Nike Girl were at a birthday party jumpin' and playin' on a trampoline like we do all the time. When "pop"Weebok fell and did not get up. I was inside and Converse had just turned his back for a second. So off we went to the ER. Oh the guilt of letting her jump on the trampoline.... at 2...... Poor baby! Nike Girl and I were quietly shedding tears along side Weebok when she chose "puple" as her cast color. Oh the guilt....did I mention that? And the looks of the nursing staff real or imaginary, probably the latter...saying," Why would a mother let a 2 year old on a large trampoline with older kids then go inside to eat a bag of chips " because that is why I left my sweet baby's side and went in...to indulge in junk food! Oh the guilt.....
We are a few days out. Three weeks left with a waterproof cast. The best possible fracture scenario.We have continued swimming per doctor's advice. The looks I see from under my sunglasses are funny really as the other mom's look from afar like I have a big red light above my head flashing...irresponsible! Ok, maybe a little dramatic. But I did have two fellow mother's say, " Well, I would never let my children on a trampoline, they are dangerous." Thank you for your opinion and sharing it with a complete stranger whom has cried every night with mommy guilt!
Bottom line is...as Converse and Weebok are sitting on a park bench, his arm in a cast and sling (previous post Wonderboy) and she is sporting a "puple" cast that we do not live in a bubble and never will. We will continue to be calculated risk takers because life is a lot of fun when you are challenging yourself to move and play. We will just be a little more careful when we chase bubbles.
Peace.
The "New Balance" Girl
Running Report: Running almost daily in the early am which has done my soul good. The weather has made for some great outdoor playing days! I have been watching these 4 little geese grow by a pond near our house. The momma and dada geese are very protective and honk at me each morning. It makes me laugh out loud. I ponder if they will live in a bubble or let their little ones fly solo one day? Have a great day!
I think the girls are following in my footsteps by becoming little outdoorsy active souls. On weekends, after my early morning long run, the girls are waiting by the front door with bed hair ready to go with me outside and "run" themselves. So back on the trail we head to go over to a neighborhood pond and throw rocks or see tadpoles. The newest adventure is to climb the rocks around the pond's edge and watch the girls spit into the water to make the little perch think it is a bug to eat. Gross but oddly fun and as Converse says....it is free entertainment.
We bike, we skate, we hula hoop, we pogo stick, we hopscotch, we zipline in the backyard, we dance, we climb trees, we swim, we jump on our trampoline for hours, we are a family that does not live in a bubble. Outdoor adventures make us happy. Well they did make us happy. Until this.......
Our first broken bone in our family (besides when I broke my leg in high school chasing a boy and fell down a flight of steps because untied high tops were cool). Oh the guilt......Weebok and Nike Girl were at a birthday party jumpin' and playin' on a trampoline like we do all the time. When "pop"Weebok fell and did not get up. I was inside and Converse had just turned his back for a second. So off we went to the ER. Oh the guilt of letting her jump on the trampoline.... at 2...... Poor baby! Nike Girl and I were quietly shedding tears along side Weebok when she chose "puple" as her cast color. Oh the guilt....did I mention that? And the looks of the nursing staff real or imaginary, probably the latter...saying," Why would a mother let a 2 year old on a large trampoline with older kids then go inside to eat a bag of chips " because that is why I left my sweet baby's side and went in...to indulge in junk food! Oh the guilt.....
We are a few days out. Three weeks left with a waterproof cast. The best possible fracture scenario.We have continued swimming per doctor's advice. The looks I see from under my sunglasses are funny really as the other mom's look from afar like I have a big red light above my head flashing...irresponsible! Ok, maybe a little dramatic. But I did have two fellow mother's say, " Well, I would never let my children on a trampoline, they are dangerous." Thank you for your opinion and sharing it with a complete stranger whom has cried every night with mommy guilt!
Bottom line is...as Converse and Weebok are sitting on a park bench, his arm in a cast and sling (previous post Wonderboy) and she is sporting a "puple" cast that we do not live in a bubble and never will. We will continue to be calculated risk takers because life is a lot of fun when you are challenging yourself to move and play. We will just be a little more careful when we chase bubbles.
Peace.
The "New Balance" Girl
Running Report: Running almost daily in the early am which has done my soul good. The weather has made for some great outdoor playing days! I have been watching these 4 little geese grow by a pond near our house. The momma and dada geese are very protective and honk at me each morning. It makes me laugh out loud. I ponder if they will live in a bubble or let their little ones fly solo one day? Have a great day!
Summer Sailing
Aren't spontaneous "get-togethers" with friends on a clear summer evening fun?
Even more fun when they bring their little sailboat that could.
Peace.
The "New Balance" Girl
6.01.2011
Wonderboy
It was the bottom of the 9th. Thunder could be heard in the distant sky. You could smell the rain in the air. Bases were loaded with two outs and a full count. The batter's forehead beaded up with sweat. His teammates were yelling banter from the dugout. "C'mon Hobbs, knock the cover off the ball!" He dug into the ground with his cleats. The crowd roared. He remembered his dad always telling him to get the elbow high and squash the bug with his foot. "Dig in son and hit the ball!" He dared not blink. The ball came in hard and fast and a little to the outside. He rotated his torso and extended his arm with all of his might. Lightning flashed onto the field. The wooden bat made contact as a loud pop was heard.......
Oh how I wish for Converse's sake, this story had a "Rudy" ending. I wish the loud pop had been from the cracking bat. It wasn't. Here is how the story really goes.
It was the bottom of the third. The sun was setting at an angle sure to blind everyone who was up to bat. You could smell Copenhagen from a mile away because none of the player's wives would knowingly let them chew. No one was on base. No one really even made it to base yet. The batter's hamstring was hurting. His teammates were yelling banter from the dugout. ""I told you Hobbs, people don't start playing ball at your age, they retire!" He dug his cleats into the dirt noticing his socks did not match because his wife had folded laundry with two screaming children under foot. The one person in the stands was a newlywed wife of one of the players. She sat quietly while drinking her diet soda probably counting how many games she will have to sit through if she is married for 50 years. She was not smiling. He remembered his dad telling him to" not play like a girl son". He dared not blink but the sun in his eyes made it an impossible task. The softball came in slow and high. He rotated his torso and extended his arm with all of his might. As he swung the bat a loud pop was heard. Actually a snap, crackle, pop echoed as his bat made contact with the air. His arm fell to his side. It was not pretty. He sat in the dugout for a few moments with a makeshift ice bag and a dangling arm, scared to go home. His teammates asked him if he was sure he could not play. He called his wife from the dugout to tell her he was contemplating whether or not he should go to the emergency room, the second time this season. His softball career was over. She sighed loudly.
Ruptured bicep tendon. Surgery. Full length arm cast. Vacations postponed. Modified self care skills. These are a few of Wonderboy's favorite things.
The raw truth hurts the worst. After many years of competitive ball starting with t-ball as a toddler, Little League through grade school, traveling ball as a high schooler followed with a stint in college, his ball career had ended. It ended abruptly on a Monday evening in May when he failed to make contact with a slow pitched softball in a men's recreational "C" league bracket playing the bad news bears.
The way I see it you had a good run, Converse. Never say never. Healthcare flexible spending account starts fresh after the first of the year.
Peace,
The "New Balance" Girl
Running Report: With humor aside, I am so thankful Converse will heal up in no time. I think he will play again as he loves the sport. Just like I have been loving my early morning runs. I am so thankful to be able to get out in the morning air and clear my mind. I have been running 4-6 miles at least 3 days a week and then run a longer run on the weekends. That seems to keep me occupied for the time being. I still dream of Boston which will be my "Rudy" moment. A fall marathon is sounding like the plan.
Oh how I wish for Converse's sake, this story had a "Rudy" ending. I wish the loud pop had been from the cracking bat. It wasn't. Here is how the story really goes.
It was the bottom of the third. The sun was setting at an angle sure to blind everyone who was up to bat. You could smell Copenhagen from a mile away because none of the player's wives would knowingly let them chew. No one was on base. No one really even made it to base yet. The batter's hamstring was hurting. His teammates were yelling banter from the dugout. ""I told you Hobbs, people don't start playing ball at your age, they retire!" He dug his cleats into the dirt noticing his socks did not match because his wife had folded laundry with two screaming children under foot. The one person in the stands was a newlywed wife of one of the players. She sat quietly while drinking her diet soda probably counting how many games she will have to sit through if she is married for 50 years. She was not smiling. He remembered his dad telling him to" not play like a girl son". He dared not blink but the sun in his eyes made it an impossible task. The softball came in slow and high. He rotated his torso and extended his arm with all of his might. As he swung the bat a loud pop was heard. Actually a snap, crackle, pop echoed as his bat made contact with the air. His arm fell to his side. It was not pretty. He sat in the dugout for a few moments with a makeshift ice bag and a dangling arm, scared to go home. His teammates asked him if he was sure he could not play. He called his wife from the dugout to tell her he was contemplating whether or not he should go to the emergency room, the second time this season. His softball career was over. She sighed loudly.
Ruptured bicep tendon. Surgery. Full length arm cast. Vacations postponed. Modified self care skills. These are a few of Wonderboy's favorite things.
The raw truth hurts the worst. After many years of competitive ball starting with t-ball as a toddler, Little League through grade school, traveling ball as a high schooler followed with a stint in college, his ball career had ended. It ended abruptly on a Monday evening in May when he failed to make contact with a slow pitched softball in a men's recreational "C" league bracket playing the bad news bears.
The way I see it you had a good run, Converse. Never say never. Healthcare flexible spending account starts fresh after the first of the year.
Peace,
The "New Balance" Girl
Running Report: With humor aside, I am so thankful Converse will heal up in no time. I think he will play again as he loves the sport. Just like I have been loving my early morning runs. I am so thankful to be able to get out in the morning air and clear my mind. I have been running 4-6 miles at least 3 days a week and then run a longer run on the weekends. That seems to keep me occupied for the time being. I still dream of Boston which will be my "Rudy" moment. A fall marathon is sounding like the plan.
5.27.2011
Tornado Alley
I have always said I love the weather. Growing up in the Midwest on a grain/livestock farm has made me appreciate looking at the sky and analyzing the clouds for as long as I can remember. My family would be out in the fields trying to harvest crops or work up the land getting it ready to plant the next crop while always looking to the west and south for developing thunderheads. I may not of known the names of the clouds, but from the back tail gate of the farm truck, I would look up and I knew what was about to come. Take big puffy clouds mixed with a hot southwest wind and that spelled trouble. Sure enough by early evening, the lightening would begin in the horizon and we would be scrambling to drive back to the fields my dad and brother were farming to take them to safety. It drove me nuts that my dad and brother would turn and make one more pass in the field before stopping. They would wait until the last possible second, when the gust front would move in, to retreat out of the combine or tractor and into the cab of the truck for safety. I was comforted as I ducked in the backseat of the Pontiac, that it was just Jesus rolling potatoes down the hill. I find myself telling the girls that now as it makes storms a little less scary.
I have seen many funnels develop, 6 tornadoes, and hail the size of softballs fall. But Sundays outbreak has made me stop in my tracks. Our families live close by Sunday's Joplin tornado. Joplin was our go to metro area growing up. I knew that afternoon conditions were setting up. Even though, I do not live there now, I always watch the radar and analyze some maps for my parents and Converse's parents. As a matter of fact, my friends that are closest to me, that are strung out around the country, know my love of the weather. They text me and call me Supercell Suz, as soon as the skies start turning dark. It makes me smile.
On Sunday, there were several regions stretching into Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Kansas, and Missouri that I began monitoring from afar, sending out texts as conditions changed. It was quickly becoming the perfect storm as the afternoon heated. Some friends were at ballgames, some were at outdoor activities, and others were at home. All it was going to take was for the cap of high pressure to break. It did not take long. It broke alright. The problem was....no one really knew what was happening. It happened fast.
The EF5 multi-vortex monster was rain wrapped. By report of friends, it looked like a wall of dark rain clouds moving in. My in-laws said the sirens sounded but they just saw heavy rain moving in. When the sirens blast everyone turns on the tv or turns up the radio to see what is going on. In the Midwest, the sirens go off at least 5 if not more times a season.It is not that you ignore it, it is just that you are use to it and your eyes go to the sky. Unfortunately, the eye did not tell the whole truth of the strength of this tornado. Thankfully, my parents who were leaving for Joplin but decided to just go to the local town found refuge at a church when the hail started coming from the north and south at the same time. The funnel started over their small town we later learned from the Weather Channel who drove through town that it then intensified from there. As it moved into Joplin, I later learned that a close friend and her family had just left a shopping center, that was minutes later destroyed. They made it to safety but the what ifs haunt them. My in-laws, were safe at home a few miles away watching it unfold on tv rather than eating out that Sunday evening, again thankfully. It did not take long for the lives of thousands of people to change forever....destruction set in.
The stories I hear fill my heart with intense sadness and empathy for the victims. I kept hearing more and more stories of loss and despair. It was overwhelming. One young person lost her husband and two children at Home Depot right after they dropped her off to work at the hospital. That is so incredibly sad. There are so many more like this story. Just when the stories of despair are heard, almost in the same breath you hear an amazing story of courage and miracles. It is difficult to watch it all unfold but it is impossible to understand something of this magnitude, don't you think? My prayers go out to those who have lost their children, husbands, wives, parents, grandparents, friends......the list goes on. Below is a link you can cut and paste that will show you the before and after pictures of the area.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1389737/Joplin-MO-tornado-At-89-dead-twister-cuts-4-mile-swathe-Missouri-town.html
Together, we can make a difference, by praying for the people who are affected across the country and world by similar scenarios this spring. It leaves you speechless.
Peace.
The "New Balance" gal
I have seen many funnels develop, 6 tornadoes, and hail the size of softballs fall. But Sundays outbreak has made me stop in my tracks. Our families live close by Sunday's Joplin tornado. Joplin was our go to metro area growing up. I knew that afternoon conditions were setting up. Even though, I do not live there now, I always watch the radar and analyze some maps for my parents and Converse's parents. As a matter of fact, my friends that are closest to me, that are strung out around the country, know my love of the weather. They text me and call me Supercell Suz, as soon as the skies start turning dark. It makes me smile.
On Sunday, there were several regions stretching into Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Kansas, and Missouri that I began monitoring from afar, sending out texts as conditions changed. It was quickly becoming the perfect storm as the afternoon heated. Some friends were at ballgames, some were at outdoor activities, and others were at home. All it was going to take was for the cap of high pressure to break. It did not take long. It broke alright. The problem was....no one really knew what was happening. It happened fast.
The EF5 multi-vortex monster was rain wrapped. By report of friends, it looked like a wall of dark rain clouds moving in. My in-laws said the sirens sounded but they just saw heavy rain moving in. When the sirens blast everyone turns on the tv or turns up the radio to see what is going on. In the Midwest, the sirens go off at least 5 if not more times a season.It is not that you ignore it, it is just that you are use to it and your eyes go to the sky. Unfortunately, the eye did not tell the whole truth of the strength of this tornado. Thankfully, my parents who were leaving for Joplin but decided to just go to the local town found refuge at a church when the hail started coming from the north and south at the same time. The funnel started over their small town we later learned from the Weather Channel who drove through town that it then intensified from there. As it moved into Joplin, I later learned that a close friend and her family had just left a shopping center, that was minutes later destroyed. They made it to safety but the what ifs haunt them. My in-laws, were safe at home a few miles away watching it unfold on tv rather than eating out that Sunday evening, again thankfully. It did not take long for the lives of thousands of people to change forever....destruction set in.
The stories I hear fill my heart with intense sadness and empathy for the victims. I kept hearing more and more stories of loss and despair. It was overwhelming. One young person lost her husband and two children at Home Depot right after they dropped her off to work at the hospital. That is so incredibly sad. There are so many more like this story. Just when the stories of despair are heard, almost in the same breath you hear an amazing story of courage and miracles. It is difficult to watch it all unfold but it is impossible to understand something of this magnitude, don't you think? My prayers go out to those who have lost their children, husbands, wives, parents, grandparents, friends......the list goes on. Below is a link you can cut and paste that will show you the before and after pictures of the area.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1389737/Joplin-MO-tornado-At-89-dead-twister-cuts-4-mile-swathe-Missouri-town.html
Together, we can make a difference, by praying for the people who are affected across the country and world by similar scenarios this spring. It leaves you speechless.
Peace.
The "New Balance" gal
4.25.2011
Easter Memories
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| Chocolate Bunnies... Big Hair Bows....Baby Ducks and Geese |
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| New Jump Rope.....Mud Puddles....Sidewalk Chalk |
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| Love.....Hope....Peace |
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| Happy Easter! |
4.20.2011
I Heart ....
I heart ..... my future "Title 9" girls loving a little challenge in nature on a cold early spring day.
I heart ..... Daddy-Daughter dances that result in big hugs, smiles, fruit punch mustaches and days of singing "The YMCA". Converse may have pulled a hamstring.
I heart.... that Nike Girl ran her first 1/2 mile race and full mile race this past weekend for a charity. And even cooler, she wants to do it again! So we are in May.....
I heart.... that Weebok makes her Barbie Jeep go so fast she needs safety goggles...or so she thinks. Oh wait those are my college chemistry goggles we have packed around for 7 states now. I knew I kept them for a reason.
Life gets so full of "things" that we need to remember what we really heart...... What do you heart?
Peace.
The "New Balance" Girl
Running Report: I am training for a half in May. Very excited to race again. This past weekend I did a four mile run 35:29. That is a PR for me so it made me smile plus it was for a fantastic cause. What made me belly laugh, however, was that the female winner ran 20:03. She needed Weebok's safety goggles!
I heart ..... Daddy-Daughter dances that result in big hugs, smiles, fruit punch mustaches and days of singing "The YMCA". Converse may have pulled a hamstring.
I heart.... that Weebok makes her Barbie Jeep go so fast she needs safety goggles...or so she thinks. Oh wait those are my college chemistry goggles we have packed around for 7 states now. I knew I kept them for a reason.
Life gets so full of "things" that we need to remember what we really heart...... What do you heart?
Peace.
The "New Balance" Girl
Running Report: I am training for a half in May. Very excited to race again. This past weekend I did a four mile run 35:29. That is a PR for me so it made me smile plus it was for a fantastic cause. What made me belly laugh, however, was that the female winner ran 20:03. She needed Weebok's safety goggles!
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