Comments

Just a little FYI.  Since I changed my background and set up here at Girlsworld, I have been having some people leave comments on a different post than they meant.  My comment button used to be at the bottom of the post, but now it’s at the top.  Keep commenting away!  I love hearing from everyone who stops by.

Look what I did

Because I’ve been feeling really good and strong and motivated about my running since the Nike Women’s Marathon last month and the fact that I’ve been instigating over at The Sisterhood, I’ve decided to separate my regular blog from one that I will chronicle or journal about my running ups and downs.  I came up with a really awesomely cool name for it – Running In a Girls’ World. Really creative, huh?  This way, those of you who could care less about my exercise triumphs and not so good days.  (I won’t say failures because as long as you are doing and going, then you aren’t failing at exercising.)  My plan is to try and import just my running posts from here over there.  That way my Running blog will be complete.  If anyone has any pointers about how to do that in WordPress, I’ll be happy to take advice!

Black Friday

I have never gotten up at the crack of down for a deal.  Ever.  Until yesterday.  This year things have been tighter than normal and I knew if I was going to get Sass her present from Santa that I needed to get a good deal.  Not only did I break with tradition of sleeping in late on Black Friday, I went to my nemesis. The place I refuse to enter under normal circumstances – Wal-Mart.  I did get the deal.  And then I went to Starbucks and got coffee.  Because, OMG I needed coffee.  Then I went and picked up a friend and we headed to the malls.  We hit the Nike store, the Sanrio store (which we were disappointed wasn’t having any sales and who really needs a freakin’ Hello Kitty canvas bag for $27, but we did get some stocking stuffers), and Gap.  Then we headed to Build-a-Bear where we redeemed lots of coupons and got free stuffed moose.  We hit some more stores and found some more deals.  I didn’t spend that much overall.  I didn’t have a lot to spend, but I got what I wanted: a few deals and some time away from the house with adult conversation.  We got home about 1 p.m.  We had Sass’s little birthday celebration with family and friends yesterday evening.  T reheated some roast for tacos and they were delicious!  We ate cupcakes (red velvet with cream cheese frosting) and by evening’s end everyone was worn out.

After getting the kids to bed, T and I hit the hay ourselves.  Snuggled up in bed I decided to check the score on the Boise State/UNR game.  (There is a HUGE rivalry between the two schools.)  Even though we both grew up here and should be UNR Wolfpack fans, the fact that T graduated from Boise State and that Idaho holds a special place in our hearts, we ALWAYS root for the blue and orange.  Have I mentioned that we don’t have cable/satellite?  Well the game was being broadcast on ESPN2.  I thought I’d get a little update on the score and call it a night, but low and behold ESPN was broadcasting the game on the internet.  So there we sat, snuggled in bed under the cozy blankets watching Boise win the game 44-33.  They are undefeated this year, again.  They one more game against New Mexico State next week and then we find out if they get the bowl game they want.  I believe it’s the Fiesta Bowl again.  Anyone remember the amazing game in 2007 when they beat Oklahoma in overtime 43-42?  That was an amazing, nail-biting game.

So that was my Black Friday.  Today I’m running and hanging out with the kids.  T is brewing some Christmas beer this afternoon.  I’m going to enjoy the rest of the weekend and continue to be thankful for what I have in my life.  Family, friends, health, jobs, a roof over our heads, and food in the fridge.

Thank Goodness

I am so very thankful this Thanksgiving Day for my health that allowed me to run this morning in the cold November air.

I am thankful for my wonderful husband who only beat me by 2:30 minutes.  He is the driving force, my constant companion who is always there to support me in this life we lead.

I am thankful for my children. who remind me every day that life is short and fleeting and my heart aches to watch them grow up so fast and know that I must do right by them.

I am thankful for friends and family that are healthy and keep me healthy by making me laugh at life, at myself, at silly things, and who will always be there when I need them.

I am thankful for my life.

(Thanks, Lissa, for reminding me I needed to blog my thankfulness today.  I am truly thankful for your friendship!)

You Capture – Food

This week.  Let’s see here.  It has been a week filled with kids anxious and excited about the upcoming holidays and birthdays and the change in weather and amount of daylight.  It’s been filled with lots of deep breathing for me.  I will give my girls credit.  The past two days have been exponentially better.  But last Thursday?  Last Thursday was a day I’d had my fill of the whining and complaining and bickering and tattling and… I’ll stop there.  Do you know what made my day?

This

A nice, hot cup of peppermint mocha.  Mmm.  I savored the moment.  I inhaled the sweet aroma.  And for at least that moment, I didn’t think about what was next.  I just enjoyed.

(Check out what others took delicious pictures of here at Beth’s.)

So have you seen?

We are trying to start something big.  I am so excited about it too!  You’ll find the details over here.

I’m Planning

So I’m back to plan for this holiday week.  It will be a short week in regards to school and work.  Sweet Pea actually has the whole week off.  Hopefully she doesn’t get carried away with her button-pushing antics and drive me crazy! (And by button-pushing antics, I don’t mean buttons on electronic devices.  I mean the buttons she pushes on her sisters and myself.)

1. I’m planning on not getting sucked into Twitter while I’m trying to work.  Sometimes that is VERY hard to do.
2. I’m planning on running 3-4 times this week.  Today is a run day and then Thursday T and I are doing a 10K Turkey Trot.  I haven’t decided if I will run Wednesday or Saturday.  We’ll see.
3. I’m planning on enjoying my turkey day feast. We will have the basic yummy stuff.  And we are celebrating with my family and friends.  Should be a good time.
4. I’m planning on getting Sweet Pea into bed earlier. I think her button-pushing has a lot to do with not enough sleep.  Hopefully I can convince her that she needs to sleep – that’s the hard part.
5. I’m planning on having some family and friends over for cupcakes to celebrate Sass’s 7th birthday.  Hopefully my last minute calls won’t be a problem with anyone.
6. I’m planning on heading out to the mall for Black Friday with a friend.  Need to see if there is anything that needs to be bought that is extra cheap.  I am not looking forward to paying for Christmas this year.  Ugh.

So if you’re planning anything this week, let me know.

I wish it was always this good

Last Saturday SmartyPants had her second gymnastics meet.  On the ride up there I turn around and glance at the girls in the back seat, and I see this.

Oh, the love in her eyes.  Did you  notice the detail?

Here’s a closeup.

Worn out

The past couple of weeks have drained me.  The girls have been at each other’s throats just about every second of the day.  I’m at my wits end with them.

Also? I’m not an open book.  I’ve been burned in the past by allowing people into my heart and actually feeling.  Between all my dark and twistiness stuff mixed with participating in RCIA with T, my heart has been open for an extended length of time.  Do you know why I don’t have an open heart?  Because there is too much that I either have to cope with or chose to handle on a regular basis that doesn’t allow me the time to have a meltdown because I’m feeling the emotions of it all.  That sounds awful, but those of you who have traveling husbands understand.  You are IT.  You are the one handling all the day-to-day activities of keeping the household running smoothly.  You don’t have time to have a meltdown.  You are doing the job of more than one adult and it taxes the system.  If I function on autopilot things go much smoother, I have a better attitude, and things seem to flow smoother.  If I have my shit together, then the kids feel that.  If I feel at loose ends and more emotional, they know…and then they are more emotional.  Which just leads to me loosing my cool more often and it just spirals downward.  That is where I feel right now.  Vulnerable.  At the end of my rope.  I despise feeling like I don’t have control.  Check out #13 on my list of 100 things. I own it.  I need to feel like I can handle what is coming my way.  Lately, I feel like I’m hanging on by a thread.  I don’t like this feeling.  (Hmm, I think I’ve said that too many times in this post already, can you tell that I.don’t.like.this.feeling?)

So how do I find the balance?  The balance of being able to let people in but not feel like I’m out of control in the rest of my life?  Really.  Any suggestions?  Since that fateful day in September, I have cried more days than I care to admit.  But, I just admitted it.  Damn, this blog is going to be the death of me! I’m sitting here on my couch with my laptop next to SmartyPants having a drink and twittering.  With tears very close to the surface.  Again, I hate this.  I am thankful for my friends, though, and T.  They are getting me through this even if they don’t know it.