the boy who ate his nana

progress

So... an update on the 12 minute mile goal. My baseline run was completed in 18:54, but according to RunKeeper it was at an average pace of 18:12. I'm sure there is something sophisticated about how those two numbers can be different but I haven't got the energy to figure it out.

So that plus the fact that my GPS tends to go a little wonky on my block (where I usually run), I've got a backup method of just starting the stopwatch. The other day I took both kids for a walk in the double stroller and we went around the block (1/2 mile) - RunKeeper told me I had gone 2.75 miles in like 12 minutes and sent me a congratulatory email. Fail! Bad RunKeeper! I've used it on a marked trail and it worked perfectly. The good news is that it seems that when in goes wrong, it does so in a big way. I can see my minute-by-minute pace suddenly drop or rise to ridiculous levels. So we will be measuring in a more simple way - how long it takes to cover one mile. Preferably a known mile so I don't fake myself out.

Anyhow - I ran the same stretch last weekend with my sister-in-law in 18:17. Yay for intervals! Yay for having company on the run! Boo for waffles and blueberry sausage beforehand!

Then this past weekend I ran on a high school track.  I had always assumed the innermost lane was the one that was exactly .25 miles around, but according to the GPS and RunKeeper I had a bit further to go to make it a mile. So I did, and finished that in 16:40. Yay for progress! And flatness! Anyone know how those tracks are usually calibrated? Is it the middle lane that is exactly .25 around? That would make sense.

Will be adding some Pilates to the mix, and I picked up a copy of Jillian Michaels' 30-day Shred. I've heard good things. On we go.

valentine's day

There is a lot to dislike about Valentine's Day - overpriced flowers, limited menu at your favorite restaurant, crowds and a general air of panic. I used to love being at the grocery store on Valentine's Day right after work - just to watch the desperation as people try to find some way to adequately express their love via prepackaged edibles. The pressure!

I wish we could go back to how we did it when we were kids -  a day to do nice things for your friends and share with the other kids in your class (community), and even find something nice to say about those kids who drive you crazy.

I'm a big believer in telling people what they mean to you, which does not necessarily have anything to do with romance. This day is for everyone.

I'm so grateful for my family. My sisters Becca, Judy, Sabrina and Amanda. They know me better than I know myself sometimes. My brother, my parents (all four). My gigantic extended family. 54 FIRST cousins. I haven't even tried to count the second cousins. Aunts and uncles. The best in-laws anyone could ask for. The extended family on Stephen's side, all of whom have welcomed me with open arms. Amazing nieces and nephews. Grandparents, great-aunts and uncles. I am so very lucky to have so many. Some families could field their own sports team - we could have a league.

I'm lucky to have good friends, old and new. College friends who thought me wild. Childhood friends  who thought me quiet. Work friends. Now mom friends. Art friends and kindred souls. Friends who see the batsignal. Friends to travel the world with. Friends who can just pick up after forever. Long friendships that have grown a comfortable veneer. New friendships with the spark of possibilities. Every one means something to me, every one adds to me and makes me a better person.

My husband: my great romance, the love of my life. There is nobody like him.

My kids - I say enough about them already. But they are my delight. I laugh a lot more these days. I never thought I would be a mom but I am glad I am.

XOXO

more to remember

Stella loves to role play. "You be Stella, I'm Momma" etc. I love how whenever she is being me, she puts the most serene smile on her face. I'm sure I don't really look like that but I like to think she is showing me that she feels the love. She also talks so sweetly, "aw, hi honey..."


This has to be my favorite role play exchange (I overheard):
    Stella: Daddy, I want a cupcake. 
    Stephen: No, honey, cupcakes are for later. 
    Stella: Wait - you're Stella and I'm Daddy. 
    Stephen (playing along): Ok. Hi, Daddy. 
    Stella (sweetly): Honey, do you want a cupcake?

She's getting clever! When she's playing Daddy she tries to pick Stephen up. "You're getting so big!"

I was starting to think she was not particularly imaginative. Her dolls were named baby doll, baby boy, and baby girl. And then we met Flowerpot! Flowerpot is by far her favorite. This week we met her imaginary friend Tito. (I like to think it's Tito Jackson or Tito Puente.) We do know he has no mommy and periodically stops by her friend Jackson's house. Stella and Jackson also have a puppy together (an old balloon on a string). They take very good care of it - when we were leaving Jackson's house I told her the puppy had to stay there, and she turned to Jackson and made sure he would feed it. I heard reports later that Jackson did indeed take excellent care of the puppy.

What else... I know there is so much I will forget! The other day I offered her strawberries and she told me she likes them when they are not cold. I said "I agree!" because I too am a connoisseur of room-temperature fruit and she said, "no, momma, you're not a gree. you're a momma."

snow week

There are really only two seasons in Dallas - Christmas and Summer. We have very mild winters that sort of phase into some pretty spectacular thunderstorms and then before you know it, it is hot again.

So people get pretty excited about snow. Well, it snowed last week. And the whole city shut down. I mean schools and most businesses closed for FOUR DAYS. People from northern climes would look at this as a normal Tuesday, but there are no snow plows in this city, and they use sand instead of salt on the ice. Have you ever tried to melt ice with sand? Yeah, me neither.

OH MY GOD I HAD TO ACTUALLY STAY HOME FOR FOUR DAYS STRAIGHT. Whew. My tips for surviving a Texas snowstorm:

1. Gather the necessary provisions. Stella and I hit the fabric store Monday night and I am so glad we did. I surely would have gone mad without a few projects to work on. I've made 4 1/2 little girl outfits so far. Stella has a new passion for gluing things to other things. And using scissors. And now I have to find a new place to keep the scissors because I am afraid of her using them on her hair.
2. If you have someone you can potty train, go for it. You will regret it for a while, especially while chasing a very excited (but messy) two year old who just earned herself some candy. Yuck. You will especially regret it when your husband decides he works for the post office and braves the roads to work, leaving you to handle this on your own. But I will say that by day 3 we were starting to see some success. Fingers still crossed.
3. Don't bother complaining. Yeah, it's just a teeny bit of snow. But it's a lot of ice under that snow. Someplace with actual winters would have 1) plows, 2) salt trucks, and 3) drivers who can handle it. We just don't. 
4. Hold out for the good snow. Our front walk looked like it had freshly fallen snow on it all week. But really it was ice, then a layer of snow, then another layer of ice. You could walk on it and not leave footprints. That is not the fun snow. That is nasty! Then Friday we got a good 5-6 inches of fluffy powder. Hooray! This is the fun part. We played in it Friday, and by Saturday morning it was wet enough to do some snowmen and Stella made a snow birthday cake. By Saturday afternoon it was almost all gone. 
5. Don't go anywhere. There is just nothing worse than driving in bad weather, getting in an accident, and then wanting to kick yourself for driving in that weather in the first place. I've learned this one the hard way. Three times.
6. Improvise. It is just not worth buying a sled or snow boots for a once-a-year snow day. Stella made do with rain boots, and we just happened to have snow outfits for both kids. We got some excellent advice to use a laundry basket as a sled, but in the end went with a cookie sheet and some upholstery cording. Voila!

no resolutions, just goals

So along with everyone else, I've been thinking a lot lately about new years' resolutions. I find that any time I get to step outside my normal routine I get a new perspective and all kinds of new ideas. That's one of the reasons I love travel so much. Even when I was working a 9-5 job I would get my best ideas while stuck in all-day meetings. I think this is why we all are inspired to make resolutions in January - we have the holiday season to take us out of our normal routines. And once you are out of your routine, you tend to re-examine it and hopefully consider ways you might want to improve your life.

Well last year was anything but routine! So I had a long time to think about this one, and I figured with a c-section and new baby in November, and then the holidays, 2011 was the time to really focus on my fitness goals. So I've had lots of time to recover from the surgery, Roman is doing great, and it is not incredibly hot outside. Now its just a matter of logistics, but my goal for this year is to run a 12-minute mile.

Real runners are laughing at this goal, and non-runners might be thinking that is fast. I can assure you it is not fast. Not even close. But it is faster than I have ever run! It is the benchmark I could never meet growing up - it was the bane of my existence in gym class. I had mild asthma but probably the real problem was that I didn't learn how to breathe right until I was in my 20s. I know that sounds ridiculous, but anytime I tried to run, I would inhale with EVERY SINGLE STEP and hyperventilate after about 100 yards. Finally Stephen helped me figure it out when we first started dating. I use the word "running", but it would probably be more accurate to say "jogging" - my mascot has always been the tortoise!

Since then I have trained for and completed two half marathons. I've done 5ks. All slowly. I know what it takes to do distance, and the mental game involved. But these days my pace really can't even be considered "jogging". We'll be nice and call it jogging or running because the movements are the same, but really it is just some kind of ambulation.

So I finally did my baseline run. 18 minutes and 12 seconds (disgraceful!). I guess I should be glad I can even complete a mile after about a whole year without running. But YIKES! I'm even slower than I thought! I mean people can walk faster than that. (Not me, of course - I checked.) I might be the slowest ambulator in the history of ever. But on the upside, nowhere to go but faster!

I've got the RunKeeperPro app on my phone to track my time, pace and distance. The best part - it gives coaching and cues through the headphones, so I don't even have to look at my phone. I have it set up to coach me through intervals - it will tell me when to run fast, slow, etc. I will also be configuring it to automatically post my runs to Facebook - all this is to help me stay accountable.

It may well take me all year to reach this goal, but I think it is a good one. Simple, portable, and quick. It is snowing outside at the moment, and there is a thick layer of ice underneath that has kept most of the city indoors since Monday night. I have a serious case of cabin fever, but even I know better than to try to run on ice. (I don't have a great track record of "not falling down" either. Something to consider for 2012.) But I'm ready for my next run - I will be doing intervals to get faster. Next run will be 2 minutes at my normal pace, followed by 15 seconds of sprinting. Rinse and repeat. As I improve, I will up the amount of time spent going fast. This should do the trick.

Wish me luck. Encouragement and good-natured taunts will be much appreciated!

stella names that tune

Stella has a habit of renaming her favorite songs. Stephen had the bad luck to be in the car with her the other day and she wanted to hear "the shooby dooby song". He was totally stumped.
So for reference of anyone who may be on a long car ride with my daughter, here are some of her favorite songs and their real names:

The Princess Song:
"Gloria a Te, Cristo Gesu" by Andrea Bocelli. It does have a lot of fanfare.

The Shooby Dooby Song:
"Pennies From Heaven" by Louis Prima

Happy Birthday Baby song:
"Happy Birthday" by the Ting Tings. This one does make sense.

The Sunshine Song:
"Rhythm of Love" by Plain White Ts

The Sing Song:
not sure who sings it, but we all love this one!

The Stella Song:
"Want You Back" by the Jackson 5

The Aunt Becca Song:
"Seven" by Fever Ray. I think she thinks my sister sings this song.

The Hey Hey Hey Song:
"A-Punk" by Vampire Weekend