Otherwise known as parenting. I don't always make good decisions in life... like today at work I was so intent on what I was working on that I came to the sudden realization that the 20 oz. of water I chugged in the last hour had created an urgent situation... TWICE. Or that eating chocolate in angst to start the work day does wonders for a blood sugar crash late in the morning.
So when it comes to my kids one should note that while in my head I think it would be so cool to be SUPER MOM (hear the music and see the cape flap) I am alas only human and sometimes I don't make good decisions.
I am envious of a few of my friends who always seem to come across as being in a mommy bliss so full of love for their children that they always seem happy and unflappable. I am sure anyone that sees me with my kids thinks what does that woman take because she is like the energizer bunny... maybe she should slow down and actually finished getting dressed before she runs out the door. I love my kids, really I do, but sometimes I just need to catch my breath.
So this morning I get up with high expectations of a great day leading into a weekend filled with travel, family and what is sure to be a beautiful wedding. But oh it wasn't to be. What is it about six-year-olds that makes them so much harder to deal with than 18-month-olds. Give JJ a banana and a room with a cat and he is in bliss and can keep himself entertained for at least a few minutes while I fold a weeks worth of laundry. I know I can tackle him, get him dressed and groomed in under five minutes to leave the house on time.
His older sister Abigail is a whole 'nother story. She had brought some potato heads (read 7 or 8 not sure why we have so many) up to hear room last night. Mind you she hasn't played with these in months so maybe that was the fascination. But after dragging her out of bed she proceeded to sit down on the floor and start to play. I am thinking it is 6:30 and I still have to put the clothes away and really we don't need to leave the house until 7:20 so I ask her to get dressed and I leave the room. I come back in 10 or 15 minutes after finishing my chores and she is still sitting on the floor playing with the potato heads. Still not dressed or groomed. So I ask her nicely for the third time to please get dressed and groom herself or perhaps the potato heads will be no longer once I get out of the shower.
So I go shower and come back to her still sitting on the floor... dressed this time and looking mighty proud of herself. At this point it is 7:10 and I am thinking S$%^ no way we are going to make it out of the house on time if she doesn't get a move on. I am by now more than a little annoyed she is still sitting quietly in her room playing (why can't she do that when we want a few minutes of peace???) So I scoop up her brother and race downstairs all the while hollering at her to get her butt moving. So after two trips up the stairs she finally wanders down (with all the potato heads wrapped up in her blanket... she thinks I don't know) and I hustle her towards the bathroom.
She is in there while I am loading the car and getting her brother ready and I am thinking OK we are getting somewhere. I go in to the bathroom and I haven't a clue what she had been doing for five minutes but she hadn't brushed her hair or teeth. So I ask her what she was doing and she says 'mommy my tummy hurts so I can't brush my teeth'. This is Abby code for 'I am hungry so I refuse to function like a normal human'.
By then I am ready to strangle her because this will be the fourth day out of five that I am running late for work (at least two of these days were because of Abby getting stuck in neutral... one because we overslept and one because well it was Monday). So screechy bird mommy with flapping swirling motions comes out... I am pissed at this point and she is crying and JJ is standing there looking absolutely baffled. God help us please I am thinking... so she did brush her teeth 'just super fast mommy' and we get to the car where I toss her a brush, a breakfast bar and her lunch and we are off for another day with the episode soon to be forgotten.
How it makes my heart ache to start the day like this... usually happens once a week so I vow to change MY behavior, and to talk to Abby, AGAIN about HER behavior and how it makes us both feel, and we live to love another day.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Olympic Accomplishment...
I am sure I mentioned in one of my June blogs about the follies that started my season. Wind... Rain... and a bit of disappointment to be sure. I had three more races lined up for late August and early September with a month of rest in between. The first was Hickory Grove... I did this race last year and well... it sucked. I did part of the swim looking into the sun and then have to run up a huge hill to get to transition. The bike has a hilly 3-4 mile loop with a one mile out and back so basically no forward momentum allowed. The run covers every terrain possible, grassy path, asphalt road (very hot), more grassy trail, and then gravel road...
So you might ask why do that race again. First reason... great swag as they have the best workout shirts in the race packet and second because last year I had just had a baby and this year some training had actually taken place so I was off to see if I could improve my time. So I get there and hang out with my friend Jill (doing her second triathlon ever) and go through the motions. the swim was good... the bike was uneventful and the run was hot just like I remembered... YUCK! I only dropped five minutes off last years time so that was a bit of a let down especially after being so on fire at Hy-Vee in June. The plus to this race is Joe brought the kids so I actually had a cheering section which I love. The weather was beautiful (the skeeters were horrible.) I probably will only volunteer at this one next year since it is so close to home.
Then I was up to do CyMan in mid September which is a fundraiser/charity race put on by the ISU triathlon club. I was feeling a little blah but took the kids down to pick up my race packet anyway and scored a new running hat. Ok folks this kind of nice gear is expensive to buy so I get most of my workout clothes at the races I do so I apologize if I sound so material. I ended up not doing the race with my first Olympic looming as I would have had three races in five weeks time.
So then comes Peregrine Charities race in Waterloo. It was super fun to go back to my old hometown area. I stayed with some old family friends and had a delightful dinner with their Indian (the country) friends and was up early the next morning to head to the race. It was a beautiful morning with mist coming off the lake (64 degree water & 42 degree air temp). We hopped around in our wetsuits to stay warm for an hour while the opening ceremony and first six waves got off. I was excited and one of the race volunteers got a photo of me seconds before my start with a huge smile on my face (I will try to get it and post it.) I rocked the swim at just over 25 minutes and first in my wave to finish. They had pool noodles on ropes guiding us so it was almost like following a lane rope.
I took my time in T1 wiggling out of the wet suit, putting on my socks, shoes and jacket because I was soaking wet and it was chilly. I had a solid ride but know I can do some different training next year to do better. Then a quick T2 and out onto the run course... the first mile was pain as my feet were completely numb. I don't know if I mentioned this was my first Olympic race since Hy-Vee was cut short. It is a .9 mile swim, 25 mile bike and 10k run (6.2 miles). Running has been my nemesis over the years but I have been working hard with better form and more consistent training to make running easier for me. So I headed out for only my 3rd or 4th 10k run of the season. The last one I did was in early July and didn't have a triathlon attached to it... I did the same time on this 10k and came it at 3 hours and 1 minute at the finish line. The Peregrine folks organized a GREAT race with fun things like a unique race shirt and sock, and my race number actually had my name on it. And what a great charity to give money to... rare pediatric diseases. I love the Olympic distance so I will have to look for most races in the Midwest at that distance.
So I am already looking ahead to next year and the year after. I am thinking I might see if I can get on a team together and do the swim for a 1/2 ironman next year. I am also wanting to build up my run speed for next year from just under a 10 minute mile to something in the 9 minute pace. I'm hoping in two years barring any running issues I would like to do Dam to Dam with Joe or the Des Moines half marathon. Just thinking if I can conquer that there might be a 1/2 ironman in my future. I won't say never but I still think it highly unlikely that I will ever do a full ironman because a 15 hour race that ends with a marathon just seems a little bit crazy to me. I know a lot of you are thinking doing a triathlon at all seems a bit crazy, but I love competing against myself, having clear goals and working hard to maintain my fitness and set a good example for my kids. So until next year enough about the tri. :)
So you might ask why do that race again. First reason... great swag as they have the best workout shirts in the race packet and second because last year I had just had a baby and this year some training had actually taken place so I was off to see if I could improve my time. So I get there and hang out with my friend Jill (doing her second triathlon ever) and go through the motions. the swim was good... the bike was uneventful and the run was hot just like I remembered... YUCK! I only dropped five minutes off last years time so that was a bit of a let down especially after being so on fire at Hy-Vee in June. The plus to this race is Joe brought the kids so I actually had a cheering section which I love. The weather was beautiful (the skeeters were horrible.) I probably will only volunteer at this one next year since it is so close to home.
Then I was up to do CyMan in mid September which is a fundraiser/charity race put on by the ISU triathlon club. I was feeling a little blah but took the kids down to pick up my race packet anyway and scored a new running hat. Ok folks this kind of nice gear is expensive to buy so I get most of my workout clothes at the races I do so I apologize if I sound so material. I ended up not doing the race with my first Olympic looming as I would have had three races in five weeks time.
So then comes Peregrine Charities race in Waterloo. It was super fun to go back to my old hometown area. I stayed with some old family friends and had a delightful dinner with their Indian (the country) friends and was up early the next morning to head to the race. It was a beautiful morning with mist coming off the lake (64 degree water & 42 degree air temp). We hopped around in our wetsuits to stay warm for an hour while the opening ceremony and first six waves got off. I was excited and one of the race volunteers got a photo of me seconds before my start with a huge smile on my face (I will try to get it and post it.) I rocked the swim at just over 25 minutes and first in my wave to finish. They had pool noodles on ropes guiding us so it was almost like following a lane rope.
I took my time in T1 wiggling out of the wet suit, putting on my socks, shoes and jacket because I was soaking wet and it was chilly. I had a solid ride but know I can do some different training next year to do better. Then a quick T2 and out onto the run course... the first mile was pain as my feet were completely numb. I don't know if I mentioned this was my first Olympic race since Hy-Vee was cut short. It is a .9 mile swim, 25 mile bike and 10k run (6.2 miles). Running has been my nemesis over the years but I have been working hard with better form and more consistent training to make running easier for me. So I headed out for only my 3rd or 4th 10k run of the season. The last one I did was in early July and didn't have a triathlon attached to it... I did the same time on this 10k and came it at 3 hours and 1 minute at the finish line. The Peregrine folks organized a GREAT race with fun things like a unique race shirt and sock, and my race number actually had my name on it. And what a great charity to give money to... rare pediatric diseases. I love the Olympic distance so I will have to look for most races in the Midwest at that distance.
So I am already looking ahead to next year and the year after. I am thinking I might see if I can get on a team together and do the swim for a 1/2 ironman next year. I am also wanting to build up my run speed for next year from just under a 10 minute mile to something in the 9 minute pace. I'm hoping in two years barring any running issues I would like to do Dam to Dam with Joe or the Des Moines half marathon. Just thinking if I can conquer that there might be a 1/2 ironman in my future. I won't say never but I still think it highly unlikely that I will ever do a full ironman because a 15 hour race that ends with a marathon just seems a little bit crazy to me. I know a lot of you are thinking doing a triathlon at all seems a bit crazy, but I love competing against myself, having clear goals and working hard to maintain my fitness and set a good example for my kids. So until next year enough about the tri. :)