Carrying the path

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morning
Originally uploaded by nativmom

I love this picture of my Elaina who is not a morning person. She needs to curl up with a book and slowly wake up and I so wish she could do that every morning however most days she runs by a blur of wet hair and sports bag running up to the bus.

Goal for the rest of the week

Today:   Train with Billy the Awesome Trainer

Wed: Run 3miles

Thurs: Run 5miles

Fri: Train with Billy the Awesome Trainer

Sat: Run 3miles

Sun:  Rest (yessss!)

Hola! not as in hello but as in Hola Heck!

So I've decided to do it! I have decided to sign up to run the Mountain Goat race! Why have I decided to engaged in what the website describes as; "A 10 mile course was created that needed to be a demanding course, which tested runners and provided a true sense of accomplishment for all those who finished."??? (read sense of accomplishment as I can't believe I am still alive) Well the there are two reasons

1. I have always thought that I would never ever be able to do it.

2. I am turning 40 this spring.

Whenever I see someone wearing a Mountain Goat t-shirt;
I always think they are so cool to have ran in that race. Their coolness quotient increases automatically just by wearing the shirt! I can't say that I have actually noticed any other race shirts other than the ones that have the same 5k shirts that I have. And I associate no coolness factor to the bearer of the shirt. 5k? meh. Even I've done that, the laziest person I know!

So far I have completed week one level 1 run two. Which means I ran 3 miles the day before yesterday (easier than I would have thought considering it's been a few weeks!) and today I almost hurt myself running four miles in 39.40 minutes.

I am slated to lift weights with "Billy the Awesome Trainer" tomorrow and then run 5 miles (what the what what??) on Friday. Yikes!

Grad School!

So I have been busy going to grad school.  I am hoping to finish. 

Yup. that's my goal.

 It remains my goal because I want to have my life back....SO BAD. It will be a miracle if I stick this out and finish it.

There are some great positive aspects about being an adult in grad school. However the amazing amount of time that it sucks from my life is the big hairy negative that I cannot seem to balance. There...is...no....balance.

So....

So the whole organizing a little at a time is....slow. However the cupboards that I have done bring me such ridiculous happiness you'd think I accomplished something major. What was major was the amount that was sent to rescue mission just from the few cupboards that I have gotten to. The most difficult part will be culling the tupperware that I have amassed. The parties around here are so fun (and lots of good food to). You almost don't realize that you are there to spend crazy amount of money on plastic containers that seem so useful at the time. Anyway I have a soft spot in my heart those empty containers and do-dads that I have spent a lot on.

I had numerous lofty plans for storing items after making them in the hope of eating them before the penicillin production began. Yup high hopes I tell you.

working at it

So in my quest for an organized life. I decided to step it up.

I have been holding back because one of the first places to start is the kitchen. arrrgh. For some reason the kitchen is so difficult and overwhelming. Perhaps because it is so many things, a gathering place, a cooking place, a cleaning supply place, a pantry, a laundry room (yes mine is), and a family bulletin board area.

However I have been approaching things all wrong. Regina Leeds, doesn't say to figure it all out at once, she simply asks that we focus on one cupboard at a time. Since I don't have a day to focus on my kitchen I decided to take an hour when I get a chance.

Here is my first before picture! What is so funny is that I open these cupboards every single day and yet there are some things I never noticed. For example the foodsaver. We purchased this for my in laws. They did a ton of freezing of greens and berries. I would watch them stick a straw in and suck out all the air. We thought they would love the convenience of the food saver. However, looking back, what's more convenient than a straw? I mean it worked for them and took up a miniscule amount of space. They had the box unopened for three years. When my mil passed, my fil gave the box to me saying that he wouldn't use it. So I gratefully accepted it and decided that it would be so useful and I even started looking at the accessories I could get, even before I opened the box. Thankfully I never purchased any accessories because I never opened the box and It has been almost five years since it came home!

The other box just came here last year. My sweet fil purchased a set of knives off the tv, for all of his children. I am told they are amazing. I have no place to store them open. That's a lot of knives! Not sure how we came by that extra menacing looking one sticking out though...

I also found my pretty pot for oatmeal. This was going to make our mornings sing. It was pretty and expensive.

I forgot I had it.

I have been having oatmeal in plain old pots. The shame of it all...

Time marches on

spring summer 2007 decor 047
Originally uploaded by supershoppertoo

Late. again.
There are just some things I can't stand being late for and some things I wont be late for and somethings that even thought I shouldn't, I am continually constantly late for. This ends now.

I remember waiting in the van and my sister running out jumping in at the last moment. I never understood what took her so long that it was always such a dramatic rush. Never understood that is until sometime during my teenage years I too did the diving dash toward the family van of impatient and not too happy punctual family members. We still hear about the time that my sister did the routine leap and go, it wasn't until they actually drove the 150 miles to the amusement park and all jumped out that she realized that she had no shoes.

I still feel like this happens. I feel like I have all the time in the world, to check email, braid someone's hair, get dressed and out the door. But right before I leave I see the kitchen floor and decide to sweep, I see the shoes by the door and think, "I'd rather not see those when I come home" and take just a minute to put them away. This "just one more thing" routine continues until I have moved from just on time to definitely, completely late. irritating i know. (almost as annoying as lack of capital letters in an incomplete sentence.)

I am not really into the drama of arriving late, I don't feel that I get a thrill in blustering in past the expected time. Most days it is me, somedays and only some it is my children that are the reason I am late. Especially my little guy. He can't stand to transition out the door, he lives to create a scene by the front door. we are working on that too.

I am working with the book, One Year to an Organized Life by Regina Leeds. I am inspired by the title and that is all, I haven't read much past the first twenty pages, but I am convinced that I will improve. Because if I don't time will still march on...

10 Random things on a Wednesday

1. Went to Ikea and purchased two new dressers for kids room. I love them!

2. I am a perfectionist but have niether the time nor the energy to follow through with those tendencies.

3. I am stressed because of this.

4. My poor flower garden is suffering from lack of attention.

5. Thankfully, my children and husband are not.

6. I am wearing a summer hat today. People are already looking at me funny. lol

7. Two Gi-nor-mous pimples have taken residence on my face. I've named them Bruce and Katelyn.

8. I have a friend that I've gotten back in touch with and I just love her. She's so fun and scary when she says exactly what I need to hear.

9. I can't stop thinking about what my life will be like when I leave this job.

10. I am hopeful.

Beautiful day, quiet day at work.  Calm before the rush. The after-school activities have got me running. Now that all three are in school that means all three have after school things to do.

All the time.

They all seem to require that I am a part of it. This would be fine if I was lucky enough to have a maid, cook, and chauffeur.

Not that I am complaining or anything.

Thursday Thirteen

I saw this on some other blog during my wanderings this afternoon.  So I will add my thirteen random musings for today.

1. If I live to 100 people will still be saying this about me: "You can just look at her eyes and tell what she is thinking"  yeah, poker would never be my forte.  I could never be a secret junkie or anything either. My eyes give everything away.

2. I had a great time with my oldest dd yesterday. We made brownies and cuddled up on the couch to watch Medium. So cozy.

3. Speaking of brownies I need to get back to the gym. I am in such a lazy funk.

4. Although I miss my family when I go away, it is sooo fun to come home and see the "welcume hom" sign on the wall.

5. Speaking of fond hearts, dh and I are like giggling kids lately. ditto on the so fun. We look at each other and just smile all silly. Just feeling so thankful lately.

6. I have crazy people call me as part of work all the time. I am handling it pretty good today.

7.  Looking forward to visiting the fam this weekend. I miss my momma. I miss her cooking. We will talk about db upcoming wedding and make favors for the happy couple to decide on.

8.I read a good book that my dd let me borrow : The Uglies.  I can't wait to read the sequel, The Pretties.

9. I have a henna on my hand that is so cool that I will miss it when it fades away.

10. I will never get a tattoo.  It's not that I am afraid of pain or needles, in fact I think I wouldn't mind the process at all.  It's just that I change my mind so often that I would probably be sick of it after a couple of months.

11. I don't have cable t.v. or the channel that Grey's Anatomy is on.  I love NBC though.  I wish I could say with a shrug that I'm just not a big TV watcher.  Actually if I had cable or a satellite dish, I'd be a t.v. whore. My poor kids would crave home cooked meals and time to see more than the profile of me because I would be facing the t.v. all the time.  No having two channels for me is a good thing.

12. Hmmmmm....let's see...what else...Oh I just talked to my sister today. She is really funny, the smart kind of funny. I am not sure she knows it. I like bantering with her but don't do it often enough.  Plus she makes really cool kids.

13. I forgot that it will be St. Paddy's day.  I have no plans, maybe my mom will cook cornishwhateveritis.