We're Moving

No, not really.

Well it depends who you ask or what you see when you walk into our house.  According to the kids, were relocating, to where I have no idea.

The night started with E dragging a re-usable bag around the house putting random things inside.  I did not get a picture because I forgot until I had already put everything away.  The contents included were a book, her cup, allergy medicine (she loves that bottle), 2 shoes (not matching) and teething ring.  I guess she knows what shes gonna need.

After the packing, E decided to move furniture to make the move easier.

She moved it about 10 times before she found the perfect spot, behind the couch.

So how will we get to our new place?

By wagon?

I think hes trying to call a cab.

By horse?

 Still looking for that cab.

By riding a rocking, laughing Elmo?

Yes, they are laughing not yelling at each other.

I believe he took that cab that finally showed up and she settled on Elmo.

Yes, shes rocking a white-T and Dora Socks

Or Im completely wrong and they decided to stay...

And read.

Wordless Wednesday...Bedtime

L4Z 10K

http://www.living4zachary.org/

Before every run, I have of list of items that I MUST have with me.

• 3 Hair-ties  My hair is really long and thin so I have to tie it several times to get it to stay.
• Headband  With long, I also have fly aways and they are easier to control with this.
• Chapstick, LOTS of chapstick
• Headphones  I get bored easily so I sing and not think about how far Im running
• 2 sport bras  These puppies bounce and it hurts, with 2 on they stay put
• Spandex , if i dont my legs chaff, yes gross but its a must

Finally,

• Band-Aides Why you ask?  For my toes.  For whatever reason, no matter how far I run, I always get a blister on my toe besides my big toe.  Not on the tip, on the bottom.  You know, the spot that if you bent your toe to the bottom of you foot, that little space?  Blister.  Every time.

I was ready for this run. Nervous, yes, but I was read.  I tagged my shoe, pinned on my number and headed to the start line.

The route of the run was fairly easy.  There were not many hills, I just fell like I was running in a circle.  (The route was more of a clover shape, up one road turn down the road, go strait , turn up road, turn around, back down road....you get the point)

Mile 1-4 were easy peasy.  I didnt even start to breath hard or feel anything on foot that a blister was going to pop up.  There was a water stop along the way so at the 3rd one, I grabbed a cup.  While trying to drink, and run, I missed and dumped half of it down my shirt.  I laughed and kept going.

Then I hit mile 5.  Oh mile 5.  The clouds opened and down came the rain.  I was soaked and my shoulder cramped up.  I took a second, in the rain, and stretched my shoulder.  I did not stop just slowed to a walk for about 30 seconds.  Once the cramp was gone, I was off again.  In the rain.

The 6 mile marker the appeared.  All I could think was "Please rain Please rain stop so I can finish"  Right then, the rain stopped and I took off.

I crossed the finish line, in front of the man that I had been following all day.  My time? 

1:06:45  Thats right :) Can I say how excited I was?  If the dang rain would have held off, I might have been under an hour, maybe.  Either way I was super excited to finish with that time for my first 10k.

Whats next? The half.  I can only hope to finish that in 2.5 hours.  At this moment, I dont want to think about that. Im going to focus on another goal checked off my list.

Pat on back

Cheer for Coupons

I <3 coupons.  I doubted how much money they can save you until I actually started using them on a regular basis.  I have a budget of $200 a month for groceries that is more than enough for the 4 of us.  (Never mind that 2 out of the 4 are not 2 yet)  I love when the little extra work pays off. Like today, on my lunch break.

What I bought:
3 packages of Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls (Great for Saturday/Sunday mornings)
1 package of romaine lettuce hearts
1 package of Athenos Hummus
2 packages of Tontinos Pizza Rolls (Hubs loves them for snacks)
4 Tubes of Crest toothpaste (Dont mock, it doesnt go bad so it gets used eventually and everyone needs it)
2 packages of Mahatma Rice
2 packages of Bumble Bee Tuna
1 bottle of Dawn Dish soap

Normally, with no sales or coupons, the total would have been $32.40  INSANE

But thanks to my Kroger card, addtional coupons, and about 5 minutes of time this morning, my cost?
$5.08

Much Better :)

Running with a wagon

T minus 2 days until I run an official 10k. (nervous)  I dont know why Im nervous.  Ive run 7-8 miles non- stop without an issue.  Ive run 6 miles no problem.  I think being in front of people, scared to death that I fall or take 3 hours to finish, is whats getting me caught up.  Im nervous that I will fail. Im not setting a time goal.  Okay, I lie, I am.  I want to finish in 1 hour and 15 minutes.  That gives me a little more than12 min mile on average.  (I have to confess, deep down, I want to finish in an hour but Ill settle for 15 minutes over if thats what I end with)  No matter what the finish time is, as long as I dont stop, I will be happy.

So, as part of the training for the half marathon that Im GOING to do on December 5 ---ekkkk---, the plan was to run 6 miles.  The hubs wasnt home yet so I drug the kids along for as long as I could go in this handy dandy do-dad.

(Poor baby girl with her bald head, one day sweetheart, one day)

I give props to ANYONE that runs with kids.  Its ridiculous.  I should have taken the stroller but they were already in the wagon. (Its in the living room, classy I know, and they sit in it with the cat toys everyday, when I figure out why, Ill let you know)  My neighborhood is hilly so going down was great, going up not so much.  The whole time, all I hear is C giggling  and E going "Giggle Giggle Giggle WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Giggle Giggle Giggle" Yes she sounds like the pig on the Geico commericals.  I was laughing the whole time, attempting to jog up the hills.  I lasted little over a mile and took them home to dad and took off.  5 miles and about 50 minutes later, I was done.  Wheew, 6 miles in an hour shouldnt be that hard to do right?  We will see.

Wordless Wednesday...with Pumpkins

Or so I thought

On Saturday, the plan was to run 8 miles. EKKK  But I had my mind set to do it so off I went.

Or so I thought 
My alarm was set for 5:30 AM.  It went off, I hit the snooze.

Or so I thought.
I hit off and did not realize it until 6:45.  So I headed out late but the plan was to finish the 8 miles.

Or so I thought
When pulled up to the park, I saw this

This was when I finished and it was much worse with a black sky, but you get the point.  It looks like a bad horror movie, especially running through the trees filled with fog.  Here's the thing.  I live in Texas.  It does not get cold here.  Not this morning, not this day.  It was cold and Im not talking Texas cold.  Cold, cold.  My legs got tingly and my hands were rolled up in my sleeves.  Then my knees began to ache.  They hurt as they throbbed as I ran.  At the 2 mile mark, my ankles began aching.  I finished 3 miles and had to make a decision.  Continue to run, in pain and risk hurting myself or stop and call it a day.  Im running a 10k next week and I dont want to hurt myself, so I decided to call it a day.

Any other day, I would have been disappointed in myself for not completing the 8 miles.  Saturday was different.  On this day, I was happy to run the 3.  In the cold. With knee pain.

But Ill take it.

I confess...

Things you probably dont know about me....

 

1.  I dont follow recipes when I cook.  I look at one and then do what I want to it.

I dont taste everything to decide if its just right.  I smell it.  Thats right, I smell it.

When it smells right, its done.

2.  I dont like chocolate.  I dont like sweets.  Every now and then Ill

Get the craving for a white chocolate bar (which Im told its not REAL chocolate)

9.5 times out of 10, Ill pass on dessert.

With the exception of cheesecake, I cannot say no to cheesecake.

(which Im told his not really a sweet because its cream cheese)

My little dare devil

I knew having boy/girl twins was going to be challenging because lets face it, different genders means they will be treated different.  I hate saying it but its true.  Boys are dirty and tough and girls are dainty and want to play dress up.  Boy was I wrong.

He is laid back and quite until he gets mad or frustrated (no clue where he gets that from).  He does NOT like being dirty at all.  (See below)

(see how hes in the grass) 

(and now looking at it like EWW mom get it off)

He DOES like to rough house and be thrown around. He does NOT like it if he's not in the mood.  He would rather read and eat than do anything else.

Which brings me to Miss Evil Kanevial

She talks ALL the time.  She insists on wearing my shoes every time she finds them.

She climbs on everything and shows no fear and practices yoga ;)

We went to the park yesterday.  She took off, running up and down the bridges and played with the boys (heaven help us) and he stayed by my side.  After about 10 minutes, she found the slide.  She went down BY HERSELF and giggled.  Ran around and slid again.  And again.  AND AGAIN.  Thats when he eased up and started running around the bridges. 

Then I got the look.  "MOM" and she climbs herself up the stares to the BIG slide.  She giggles and throws herself down it.  Cries? Not at all.  She giggles, runs around and climbs back up and slides again. All this time , he is staring at her like shes crazy.  I go "Cole its ok. Watch Elyse, Watch."  Then I hear 'WATCH WATCH" and she throws herself down it again. 

Needless to say, he never went down the big slide.  Maybe gender thing has nothing do with anything.  Oh there is so much these two teach me. 

Wordless Wednesday

Trip to Pittsburgh

Last week, I finally got a break from work and had a chance to relax.  Every year, there is a trip planned to eat, drink, and relax with no worries of work.  I was lucky enough to be invited back this year.  So off to Pittsburgh I went.

I chose to have a layover because 1, Im cheap and 2, seemed simple enough.  On the plane, I was given a snack.

(The Biscoff, whatever that is, was on the first flight, the pretzels on the second)

I was not impressed., so I headed to the food court and got a smoothie.  It was soooo good and hit the spot.

Once I landed in Pittsburgh, I was starving but took a nap instead.  You see, I was up at 430 AM to catch a 730 flight an hour away, so I slept.  Then it was time for dinner.  I had a steak (let me wipe the drool) with garlic mushrooms and onion stings.  It looks like a mess, but it was so tasty.

It was so good but I was reaking of garlic for the rest of the night.  Luckily, so did everyone else, so I was in good company.  AND no vampires would come near to us ;)

With the steak, I had a side of asparagus.  A side. What the menu didnt say was it was a side for 10 people. I ate plenty but it doesnt look like I even touched it.  The sauce, which Im sure was filled with the not so good for you stuff, was great.  I nearly licked it clean.

After dinner, we headed out, which Im sure I drank what calories I lost this week in running, but its ok.  It was totally worth it.

When I landed back in Dallas, I whipped out my phone and brought up where I typed in where my car was parked. I tend to lose it often at Walmart so I was determined not to lose it at the airport.  So sad, lost it anyway.  After 30 minutes of going up and down isles, there it was.  On the end.  Where I left it.

All in all it was a good trip.  The best part was picking the kiddos up from my moms, she took them to a football game, and seeing their faces light up when I walked in the room.  Eyes lit up, squeals filled the room and one tiny girl clung on to my leg saying "Momma..Momma...Momma" as the boy slept despite the noise.