Charlotte's birthday is coming up next week and she is starting to count down the days. I appreciate the fact that she is starting her countdown a week out as compared with Emma who starts counting down when she has 364 days to go. Anyway, tonight, I was trying to not so discreetly sway Charlotte's choice of birthday presents. She really loves to ride on her scooter, but the one she has is broken, so she is always taking Emma's scooter, which results in lots of fights. So, I asked her, "Wouldn't you like a scooter for your birthday?" She says, "Yes, I would because my Spiderman scooter is broken. I'd like a Dora electric scooter." Whew.
An hour later, Charlotte is talking to me in the bedroom.
Charlotte: You know what I reallllllllllly, realllllllllllllllly want for my birthday?
Me: What do you really want?
Charlotte: I want a giant tiger that I can play with and hide under. I promise it will only be in my room or the playroom. (Side note: I hate, detest, despise stuffed animals and this is most assuredly the last thing that I want to get Charlotte.)
Me: Are you sure you want that? I mean, you have a giant cheetah already.
Charlotte: Well, maybe a zebra. You know the other thing that I realllllllllllly, reallllllllllllly want?
Me (hopeful for something less despicable): What?
Charlotte: I really want a pet rabbit. Just a cute little bunny to play with. (Seriously!? This is worse than the stuffed tiger or zebra. I am not a fan of animals - stuffed, living, or previously living and now stuffed.)
Me: Are you sure you want a rabbit? They poop a lot. Would you clean it up?
Charlotte: You're right. I want a cat. A little kitten. I will discipline it. It will poop in the toilet. I will hold it over the toilet when it has to poop. Then, I won't have to clean anything. Kittens are better than cats because they don't scratch. I realllllllllllly want a pet kitten. Just a little pet kitten.
At this point, I cannot carry on with this conversation. How is it that Charlotte wants all the things that there is no way in the world I am going to buy her? I feel bad just knowing that she is not going to get what she wants. Maybe I'll spring for the electric scooter to ease my guilt.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Saturday, September 24, 2011
The Responsible Nod
When I was in college, my good friend Deana and I would go walking in the mornings. We'd walk from the main campus down to the lake and back most mornings at about 7 a.m. After awhile, we started to recognize the other regulars who hit the street in the mornings for a little exercise. Whenever we'd pass a regular on the route, they would nod at us and we would nod back in return. We used to call this the "responsible nod" because it seemed a recognition from our peers that we were making a good decision to get up early and exercise.
One of our favorite regulars was this older guy who we'd often pass on the track around the lake. He was a sweet fellow and he'd always stop and say a few words or tell some little joke. We thought he was the cutest little guy. We saw him every morning we were out for the longest time. Then, one day, we didn't see him anymore and we wondered what happened to him. We missed our morning pleasantries and our responsible nod!
This morning, when I was out for my long run, I got a few responsible nods from the runners I passed. It made me smile and reminded me of my college days!
On the half-marathon front, I am halfway through my training with six weeks left until the race. This week, I finished 7.74 miles and shaved another seven seconds off my average pace. I feel pretty good about the fact that I have been able to consistently take seconds off my average pace especially considering that my average pace normally would slow down when I add distance. I've been adding a mile each week and have still managed to reduce my time. This week, I learned that I need to either eat before I run or take a snack with me when I run more than six miles. I was starving after about an hour of running and felt like I was going to pass out!
One of our favorite regulars was this older guy who we'd often pass on the track around the lake. He was a sweet fellow and he'd always stop and say a few words or tell some little joke. We thought he was the cutest little guy. We saw him every morning we were out for the longest time. Then, one day, we didn't see him anymore and we wondered what happened to him. We missed our morning pleasantries and our responsible nod!
This morning, when I was out for my long run, I got a few responsible nods from the runners I passed. It made me smile and reminded me of my college days!
On the half-marathon front, I am halfway through my training with six weeks left until the race. This week, I finished 7.74 miles and shaved another seven seconds off my average pace. I feel pretty good about the fact that I have been able to consistently take seconds off my average pace especially considering that my average pace normally would slow down when I add distance. I've been adding a mile each week and have still managed to reduce my time. This week, I learned that I need to either eat before I run or take a snack with me when I run more than six miles. I was starving after about an hour of running and felt like I was going to pass out!
Queen Charlotte
Charlotte: I want to be queen and you can do everything I tell you.
Me: You think I'm going to do what you tell me to?
Charlotte: Okay, you and me will be Queens and Daddy will do everything we want.
I like the way Charlotte thinks! I'm not sure Brian feels the same way.
Me: You think I'm going to do what you tell me to?
Charlotte: Okay, you and me will be Queens and Daddy will do everything we want.
I like the way Charlotte thinks! I'm not sure Brian feels the same way.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Who wore it best?
One benefit of having all girls is the opportunity to get lots of use out of the baby clothes we bought or received. When I see the layouts in magazines of celebrities wearing the same dress, it makes me think of how the girls looked in the same outfit. Recently, we got to the end of the kid line with one of my favorite outfits - "Hello, My name is Kissable." I'm still chuckling at the fact that Ella is wearing something at five months that Emma and Charlotte wore when they were one.
Emma - 1 year old
Charlotte - 11 months old
Cristina - 7 months old
Ella - 5 months old
Emma - 1 year old
Cristina's Reaction to My Weekend Run
The last two weeks were so busy that I couldn't quite manage to get all the runs in that I was supposed to with the training plan I'm using. On Saturday, despite lackluster training during the week, I went out for a six mile run. I was out the door before 6 a.m. The weather was so refreshing compared to the last weekend long runs that I have done. I kept thinking that it was amazing the difference in running in 55 degrees versus 80 degrees. I ended up finishing 6.77 miles and cut another 25 seconds off my mile average. I felt really great when I came back in the house after running.
I walk in the door and Cristina gives me a concerned look. She says, "Are you okay, Mama? Did you fall? Did you hurt your head? Are you okay? Did you fall on the ground? Are you hurt? Does your head hurt?" She kept at this line of questioning for several minutes even after I told her that I went running and was fine. Apparently, I looked like someone who had injured myself. I'm hoping my appearance improves before the finish line of the half-marathon.
I walk in the door and Cristina gives me a concerned look. She says, "Are you okay, Mama? Did you fall? Did you hurt your head? Are you okay? Did you fall on the ground? Are you hurt? Does your head hurt?" She kept at this line of questioning for several minutes even after I told her that I went running and was fine. Apparently, I looked like someone who had injured myself. I'm hoping my appearance improves before the finish line of the half-marathon.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Let the Great World Spin
It is kind of ironic that I was reading this book this week just before the tenth anniversary of 9/11. Let the Great World Spin is a book set in 1974 and opens with the story of people looking up at the World Trade Center Towers watching a man who is walking a wire from one tower to the other. While the book is fictional, the opener is based on the real life feat of funambulist Philippe Petit. The book is one that pulls you in from the beginning. I could totally feel myself holding my breathe like a spectator on the street waiting to see if the man would fall off the wire.
It made me think of all the people on the streets of New York ten years ago, who were looking up at the towers with disbelief as they burned and later crashed to the ground. I remember going to work on that Tuesday morning and learning that one of the towers had been hit by a plane. Then, laying on the couch in our basement apartment at Georgia Tech and watching hours of coverage on the television. For days I watched the coverage, hoping that survivors would be pulled from the rubble. It was so awful that I really couldn't wrap my head around it. I just kept watching and hoping, but there were so few rescues after that first day.
The book is about rescue in a lot of ways. A group of lost souls - some who knew they were and others who didn't realize it. It is one of those books that tells the story of several characters and the stories end up intersecting in a variety of ways. It could be a little predictable, but the writing is very engaging and paints such a detailed picture that you can really see the details of 1974 New York City.
It made me think of all the people on the streets of New York ten years ago, who were looking up at the towers with disbelief as they burned and later crashed to the ground. I remember going to work on that Tuesday morning and learning that one of the towers had been hit by a plane. Then, laying on the couch in our basement apartment at Georgia Tech and watching hours of coverage on the television. For days I watched the coverage, hoping that survivors would be pulled from the rubble. It was so awful that I really couldn't wrap my head around it. I just kept watching and hoping, but there were so few rescues after that first day.
The book is about rescue in a lot of ways. A group of lost souls - some who knew they were and others who didn't realize it. It is one of those books that tells the story of several characters and the stories end up intersecting in a variety of ways. It could be a little predictable, but the writing is very engaging and paints such a detailed picture that you can really see the details of 1974 New York City.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Half-Marathon Training: Week 3
Week Three was a little rough for me. I usually run on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. Unfortunately, on Monday, I left a very essential piece of my running wardrobe at home. (Let's just say I didn't want black eyes.) So, I didn't get my run in on Monday.
On Wednesdays, I have a short window of time to get over to the gym and run in between teaching and a meeting. Since I had to run 3.5 miles on Wednesday, I was really pushing it to finish quickly. When I got back from the gym, I realized I'd left my keys somewhere at the gym. I had to dash back over and retrieve them, which left me short on time to eat and change for my meeting.
On Thursday morning, I had the bright idea to make up my run from Monday, so I'd get all the runs in this week. I got up early and headed out to get it done before work. I was about 1.5 miles from the house when I had this horrible pain in my left shin. I started walking - thinking a walk break would help. So, I walked a quarter of a mile and then went to start running again. I had this excruciating pain in my shin and couldn't even lift my leg up to run. I've never in four years had any pain from running, so this was no fun. I ended up turning around and walking slowly back home. I was seriously bummed out and worried about my shin.
So, this morning, I was debating if I should go for the five mile run or not. Since I have Fogleman blood in my veins, I tend to be stubborn, so I decided I'd at least give it a shot. I figured if my leg was still bothering me, then I'd at least walk the five miles. Thankfully, my shin was just a tad sore, but there was no shooting pain. I started out a little slower than I had earlier in the week, so I wouldn't aggravate anything in my leg. I ended up running 5.73 miles, but took 20 seconds longer per mile than I did last week. I guess all things considered that wasn't such a bad end to the week.
On Wednesdays, I have a short window of time to get over to the gym and run in between teaching and a meeting. Since I had to run 3.5 miles on Wednesday, I was really pushing it to finish quickly. When I got back from the gym, I realized I'd left my keys somewhere at the gym. I had to dash back over and retrieve them, which left me short on time to eat and change for my meeting.
On Thursday morning, I had the bright idea to make up my run from Monday, so I'd get all the runs in this week. I got up early and headed out to get it done before work. I was about 1.5 miles from the house when I had this horrible pain in my left shin. I started walking - thinking a walk break would help. So, I walked a quarter of a mile and then went to start running again. I had this excruciating pain in my shin and couldn't even lift my leg up to run. I've never in four years had any pain from running, so this was no fun. I ended up turning around and walking slowly back home. I was seriously bummed out and worried about my shin.
So, this morning, I was debating if I should go for the five mile run or not. Since I have Fogleman blood in my veins, I tend to be stubborn, so I decided I'd at least give it a shot. I figured if my leg was still bothering me, then I'd at least walk the five miles. Thankfully, my shin was just a tad sore, but there was no shooting pain. I started out a little slower than I had earlier in the week, so I wouldn't aggravate anything in my leg. I ended up running 5.73 miles, but took 20 seconds longer per mile than I did last week. I guess all things considered that wasn't such a bad end to the week.
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