Labels: My Best Girl

We had a wonderful Monday! Our school district was out for staff development, and it couldn't have fallen on a more perfect day. It was sunny, and our temperatures were in the mid-70's. We spent three hours at the park with friends, and I could have stayed longer. After enduring more snow and cold temperatures than we are used to during the winter, it was such a blessing to have a day like this. I am thankful for the beautiful reminder that spring is on its way.

We'll be back to business around here on Tuesday, and rain is coming as well. However, we won't leave all the fun behind. My Favorite Boy is excited that I am coming to his school tomorrow for Parents in P.E., and my Best Girl is looking forward to a visit from a police officer at preschool (it's community helpers month).

I am glad we had such a wonderful opportunity to enjoy ourselves outside today, and I look forward to the week ahead!

Labels: Family and Friends, Fun

Well, I was making great progress with my running plan, and then my shins started hurting. I have had problems with shin pain in the past, so I knew I needed to address the pain quickly before it kept me from running at all. Thankfully, I came across the name Danny Dreyer and his idea of ChiRunning on several websites. According to the information I read and the reviews of runners who attest to the technique, ChiRunning leads to pain-free and effortless running. With painful shins, I thought that sounded pretty good, so I decided to read the book.

ChiRunning is based on principles of Tai Chi. I am not qualified to fully explain it all, but the idea is that our bodies were made to run, and if we run with the proper form (including posture, balance, and technique), it should not be painful. What I learned from reading the book is that I am definitely not running in a Chi kind of way. As a matter of fact, I am running with a pound the pavement kind of form that is prevalent in our "just build your leg muscles" and "no pain, no gain" western running environment.

Some of the thoughts in the book are eastern-y/be one with nature/be centered in yourself kind of ideas. However, in the same way that I think a person can benefit from the physical aspects of Yoga without adhering to its spiritual components, I think that the lessons I am learning about running are truly beneficial to me. Unfortunately, I am going to have to take the time to re-learn how to run, and this will delay my progress in the Couch to 5K program for a few weeks.

Although I am a goal-oriented kind of girl, I am okay with this delay. I really want to stick with running long-term, and I know I won't do this if it hurts. Now I have to get busy teaching this old dog new tricks. I'll let you know how it goes!

Labels: Running

On day eight of our Disney trip, we headed to Animal Kingdom. We only spent one day in this park, but it was packed with fun. Neither of my kids had ever ridden Expedition Everest, and they both decided to give it a try (my Best Girl was just tall enough). As soon as we arrived, we headed toward the mountain, ready to conquer it.

Although both kids were willing to give Everest a try, they were somewhat hesitant. After riding, however, they both declared it to be one of the best rides in Disney World, and over the course of the day, we rode it four times. It was so much fun to enjoy it as a family.

After our first ride on Everest, we headed to Dinoland where my Favorite Boy rode Primeval Whirl. My Best Girl wasn't tall enough, so she rode Triceratop Spin (a dinosaur version of the Dumbo ride) and then had her picture made with Goofy and Pluto.

We spent the rest of the morning enjoying It's Tough To Be a Bug, the Safari, and Everest (again). At one point, as we were walking through the Africa section, my Favorite Boy stopped to entertain us. There was an African man leading the music, and children were invited to join in the fun. My Favorite Boy loved it!

During the afternoon, we watched Finding Nemo: The Musical and then watched the Jingle Jungle Christmas parade. This was wonderful. Minnie's float even smelled like hot chocolate.

The kids begged all day to ride the Kali River Rapids, but we made them wait until the end of the day because it was cool. My Favorite Boy really didn't like the idea of wearing a poncho, but his mean parents made him (so we wouldn't have to hear "I'm cold because my clothes are wet" all the way back to the hotel). After the first ride, I was lucky enough to be relatively dry, so I got off, knowing my luck wouldn't hold out forever. Because all the sane people were avoiding this ride, there was no line, and the rest of my crew chose to ride again. I was able to take their picture while they rode. I think my Favorite Boy was the wettest, and he was thrilled about that.

After a wonderful day, we headed back to the hotel, but we stopped for a picture in front of the Tree of Life on our way to the exit. I love these three people!

Coming soon...Day 9. Only two more days to document (maybe I'll get these posts wrapped up before we go again)!

Labels: disney

In last month's I Read It carnival, Carrie shared a post about Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. After her review, I knew I had to read it.

I am home with a sick little girl (she's sick enough to be home from preschool, but not sick enough to stay out of trouble), so I will simply point you to Carrie's review and say that this is a beautiful story, and I highly recommend it. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is about love, family, honor, prejudice, and fear, and I enjoyed every page.

Thanks, Carrie for your recommendation (which you read based on someone else's recommendation—I love that!). I am so glad I Read It!

Labels: Books

Remember this?

That day, for no particular reason, I decided to go for a little run. So I ran to the end of the road. And when I got there, I thought maybe I'd run to the end of town. And when I got there, I thought maybe I'd just run across Greenbow County. And I figured, since I run this far, maybe I'd just run across the great state of Alabama. And that's what I did. I ran clear across Alabama. For no particular reason I just kept on going. I ran clear to the ocean. And when I got there, I figured, since I'd gone this far, I might as well turn around, just keep on going. When I got to another ocean, I figured, since I'd gone this far, I might as well just turn back, keep right on going.

Well, my accomplishment pales in comparison to running for 3 years, 2 months, 14 days, and 16 hours like Forrest Gump, but I am thrilled about my progress. I am starting week six of my Couch to 5K program. At the end of week 5, I had to run for 20 minutes straight. I will confess that when I started running in January, 20 minutes sounded like forever, and even when I started the 20 minute run, I wasn't sure how it was going to go, but I did it! Now that I know I can run for 20 minutes, I am excited to finish the next three weeks. These weeks consist mostly of 25, 28, and 30 minute runs, but now that I passed 20, I know I can do it.

My short-term goal is to participate in a local 5K in April. I can't wait to cross the finish line!

Labels: Running

At the beginning of January, my Dad retired, and he and my mom moved back to Tennessee. They now live in the town where I grew up, which is about an hour from where I live now. On the Sunday before President's Day, my husband left for a business trip, so the kids and I headed to my parents' new house for the night. Although we planned to return the next day, it snowed, so the kids and I got to spend several days there.

The kids enjoyed exploring Grammy and Papa's new house. My Best Girl found a harmonica that belonged to my Papa (my dad's Dad). I am sure he never imagined that his great-grandchild would one day play his harmonica very loudly and for a very long time. :)

Since it was cold, we enjoyed completing a few LEGO projects, playing UNO, and watching the Olympics. We did make it out to eat once (at Captain D's because my Favorite Boy really wanted to eat there), but we mostly just relaxed. We are excited that Grammy and Papa live so close, and we look forward to visiting them again soon!

Labels: Family and Friends, My Best Girl, My Favorite Boy