I read a Facebook post from Runner's World just before Thanksgiving about a challenge to run at least one mile every day from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day. The thought is that most people lose a lot of their fitness during this time because they don't make the time for exercise in all the craziness of the holidays. So, on a whim, I decided that I was going to sign on for the challenge. Not that there is any reward besides the satisfaction of successfully completing 38 consecutive days of running. I have 10 more runs to go to complete my streak!
I have to share this funny story regarding day 18 of the streak. Brian was out of town, but had planned to come home early, so I'd have time to run in the afternoon. Well, it ended up that he wasn't going to make it back as early as he intended, so I had to get creative to get my mile in with four kids in tow. I put Cristina and Ella in our double stroller and told Emma to get her bike and Charlotte to get her scooter. I figured I could push the stroller along side them while they rode. Well, Charlotte decided that she didn't want to take her scooter, which she is really fast on. She wanted to take this old tricycle instead. I tried to convince her of her scooter prowess, but she was steadfast that she wanted the tricycle. I knew it was a mistake, but I really wanted to get my mile in, so I relented.
We headed off for the mile. We were maybe 1/3 of a mile from the house with multiple starts and stops with me running ahead and then back to drag Charlotte along. Finally, Charlotte says,"this tricycle is really not my thing. It's just not my thing." She was struggling to keep up and wanted to just run. So, I did the only thing I could think of short of abandoning the tricycle on the side of the road. I picked up the tricycle and let Charlotte run home. So, yes, I was the crazy women running in the neighborhood holding a tricycle and pushing a double stroller! Trust me, it wasn't easy, but it was better than pulling Charlotte on the tricycle while pushing the stroller or constantly running back and forth with the cumbersome double stroller. I really felt like I earned the mile on day 18. Thankfully, most of the runs have been easy in comparison to this one.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Random Christmas Comments
With Christmas fast approaching, there has been lots of talk about the holiday in the house. Being the good mom that I am, I have been reminding the girls to behave themselves, so that Santa will bring them presents. Well, the other night, Charlotte and Emma were running around the house screaming as usual and this was our conversation:
Me: Girls! You need to settle down.
Girls: (Continuing to run around like maniacs.)
Me: There isn't going to be any Christmas around here if you don't behave. You have to be good, so Santa will bring you presents.
Charlotte: Christmas isn't about Santa, it's about Jesus. If Santa doesn't come, we'll still have Christmas.
Girls: (Commence running around like maniacs.)
Yesterday, I picked Emma up from school and took her to buy presents for her sisters for Christmas. On the way home, we had this conversation in the van:
Emma: Mom, did you know that Bube doesn't believe in Santa Claus?
Me: Oh, really. (Thinking: Uh, oh!)
Emma: Yeah, and Raquel and Anushka don't either. There are other kids that don't either.
Me (trying to be all casual): Huh.
Emma: They said there is no such thing as Santa and that it is really your parents.
Me: Oh. (Thinking: Oh my goodness! Is this the end!!?? I'm so glad she can't see my face.)
Emma: Well, I believe in Santa. You know why? Last year, when Cristina got that car for Christmas, it had a tag on it that said "From Santa." Who else is going to do that? I mean really. Parents aren't going to do that. That is just silly. I don't care what they say. I told them they were wrong.
Me: Ok.
Emma and Charlotte have both been talking about American Girl dolls for Christmas. They both really want one. Emma wants one that looks like her and Charlotte wants one that looks like her and maybe Josefina or Rebecca. They have been studying the American Girl magazine for the last few weeks.
Charlotte: Oh, I want this doll and this outfit and this pet and this....
Emma: Charlotte, you know that is like $500 dollars or something. Probably a thousand dollars.
Charlotte: So what?
Emma: You are going to have to ask Santa for it because there is no way we can get something that expensive.
Charlotte: Well, if Santa is bringing it, it doesn't matter how much it costs.
Emma: Yeah, we're going to have to ask Santa for this stuff because it is WAY TOO expensive.
Me: Girls! You need to settle down.
Girls: (Continuing to run around like maniacs.)
Me: There isn't going to be any Christmas around here if you don't behave. You have to be good, so Santa will bring you presents.
Charlotte: Christmas isn't about Santa, it's about Jesus. If Santa doesn't come, we'll still have Christmas.
Girls: (Commence running around like maniacs.)
Yesterday, I picked Emma up from school and took her to buy presents for her sisters for Christmas. On the way home, we had this conversation in the van:
Emma: Mom, did you know that Bube doesn't believe in Santa Claus?
Me: Oh, really. (Thinking: Uh, oh!)
Emma: Yeah, and Raquel and Anushka don't either. There are other kids that don't either.
Me (trying to be all casual): Huh.
Emma: They said there is no such thing as Santa and that it is really your parents.
Me: Oh. (Thinking: Oh my goodness! Is this the end!!?? I'm so glad she can't see my face.)
Emma: Well, I believe in Santa. You know why? Last year, when Cristina got that car for Christmas, it had a tag on it that said "From Santa." Who else is going to do that? I mean really. Parents aren't going to do that. That is just silly. I don't care what they say. I told them they were wrong.
Me: Ok.
Emma and Charlotte have both been talking about American Girl dolls for Christmas. They both really want one. Emma wants one that looks like her and Charlotte wants one that looks like her and maybe Josefina or Rebecca. They have been studying the American Girl magazine for the last few weeks.
Charlotte: Oh, I want this doll and this outfit and this pet and this....
Emma: Charlotte, you know that is like $500 dollars or something. Probably a thousand dollars.
Charlotte: So what?
Emma: You are going to have to ask Santa for it because there is no way we can get something that expensive.
Charlotte: Well, if Santa is bringing it, it doesn't matter how much it costs.
Emma: Yeah, we're going to have to ask Santa for this stuff because it is WAY TOO expensive.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Adventures in Potty Training
Many moons ago, when Emma was a wee little one, we embarked early on potty training. It ended up being a winding road with lots of twists, turns, and dead ends. In hindsight, we started before she was ready. She'd show interest for a few days, then act like she'd never seen a toilet before in her life. After awhile, she succumbed to bribery and would go in the potty in exchange for a My Little Pony. After amassing quite the collection of colored ponies, she finally was potty trained.
When it was Charlotte's turn to potty train, I decided that I was going to wait until she showed interest before starting the potty training journey. Unfortunately, she didn't show interest as early as I had hoped. I would ask her if she was ready to go pee-pee in the potty like a big girl and she would say no. I offered the bribe of a new bicycle and she still refused. Finally, one Saturday, I asked her if she was ready and she said yes. Just like that, she wore panties and went in the potty with no accidents. The next week, she was riding her bicycle like a maniac in the driveway.
For the last few months, I have been trying my Charlotte method on Cristina to no avail. She has been as stubborn as a mule! I asked her if she wanted to be a big girl and wear panties and she would say no. I tried talking up going to the potty with the only result being that she now follows me into the bathroom and praises me for going potty like a big girl. I tried bribery, but apparently, she is above that - or maybe I just don't know what really speaks to her. In desperation, I promised to take her to Disney World if she would use the potty. Even the prospect of meeting Mickey and Minnie was not enough.
A few days this week, she has come into the bedroom in the morning and put on panties. Then, she'd make it halfway through the day before asking to be put back in diapers. Yesterday, something clicked for Cristina. She put her panties on in the morning and stayed in them all day without any accidents. She even pooped in the potty, which was especially exciting for her. She was running all around the house saying in an extremely loud voice, "I POOPED in the potty. I POOPED. I POOPED."
Yesterday gave me a few funny moments that I resisted the urge to capture on SD card. First, when Cristina decides she needs to go to the potty, she stops wherever she is and pulls down her panties, then runs to the potty with her panties around her ankles. Seeing her little butt trying to move quickly across the house with panties around her ankles is really quite hilarious. She is still working on the mechanics of pulling her panties up and down. At one point yesterday, she had the princess gown she was wearing all caught up in her panties. She didn't notice and was dancing around the livingroom with her dress stuck in her panties. Finally, she seems to have a perpetual wedgie. I don't know if this means her panties are too big or too small or what, but I've seen a lot of little girl butt cheek all weekend!
I am so excited to only have one kid in diapers. I wonder how long Ella will keep me waiting to potty train?
When it was Charlotte's turn to potty train, I decided that I was going to wait until she showed interest before starting the potty training journey. Unfortunately, she didn't show interest as early as I had hoped. I would ask her if she was ready to go pee-pee in the potty like a big girl and she would say no. I offered the bribe of a new bicycle and she still refused. Finally, one Saturday, I asked her if she was ready and she said yes. Just like that, she wore panties and went in the potty with no accidents. The next week, she was riding her bicycle like a maniac in the driveway.
For the last few months, I have been trying my Charlotte method on Cristina to no avail. She has been as stubborn as a mule! I asked her if she wanted to be a big girl and wear panties and she would say no. I tried talking up going to the potty with the only result being that she now follows me into the bathroom and praises me for going potty like a big girl. I tried bribery, but apparently, she is above that - or maybe I just don't know what really speaks to her. In desperation, I promised to take her to Disney World if she would use the potty. Even the prospect of meeting Mickey and Minnie was not enough.
A few days this week, she has come into the bedroom in the morning and put on panties. Then, she'd make it halfway through the day before asking to be put back in diapers. Yesterday, something clicked for Cristina. She put her panties on in the morning and stayed in them all day without any accidents. She even pooped in the potty, which was especially exciting for her. She was running all around the house saying in an extremely loud voice, "I POOPED in the potty. I POOPED. I POOPED."
Yesterday gave me a few funny moments that I resisted the urge to capture on SD card. First, when Cristina decides she needs to go to the potty, she stops wherever she is and pulls down her panties, then runs to the potty with her panties around her ankles. Seeing her little butt trying to move quickly across the house with panties around her ankles is really quite hilarious. She is still working on the mechanics of pulling her panties up and down. At one point yesterday, she had the princess gown she was wearing all caught up in her panties. She didn't notice and was dancing around the livingroom with her dress stuck in her panties. Finally, she seems to have a perpetual wedgie. I don't know if this means her panties are too big or too small or what, but I've seen a lot of little girl butt cheek all weekend!
I am so excited to only have one kid in diapers. I wonder how long Ella will keep me waiting to potty train?
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