Flashback Friday: June 2009 Uncle Jeff and Aunt Jane

Uncle Jeff and Aunt Jane were visiting my parents this last weekend from Kansas. Last time we'd seen them was the summer of '09.

 Jeff is my mom's brother and that have kids that are all grown up now and on their own. Here's my mom and Jeff.

Funny, but I am actually the shortest of all of their children, with the female just a tad taller than me, and I learned the tallest "boy" is 6'10". I had always thought 6'8"!

They came over Sunday to see the Super Bowl and we all had dinner together, which was fun. Soren loved them, hanging all over them and wanting them to tickle him! They also brought him a t-shirt and this cute laughing cat.

Soren was hanging all over Grandpa too.

It was so nice to see you both, Uncle Jeff and Aunt Jane!

New Blog Address

I am trying out WordPress and have moved the location of my blog.
Please go to here to start following. Looking forward to seeing you there!

WILTW: Lots of Goodies

This week, I learned many new things:
1) Interval Training, while hard, can make one feel so proud of accomplishments!

2) I learned that switching over to WordPress could be a lot more difficult and time consuming than just staying with Blogger. It could have a lot of neat options, but with limited time, is it worth the transfer over? Does anyone know if there's an easy way to read others' posts from WordPress, like Google Reader for Blogger? When I realized all my "followings" didn't import from Blogger and that I'd have to resubscribe to all of them, I wondered if the switch is worth it?

3) When your son hits his Fisher Price t-ball set so hard the base of it breaks, and he loves to run fast, it may just be time for t-ball! (Enrolling this week!)

4) I learned that sometimes, some days, it is possible to just have crazy irritable days, for no particular reason. Pamprin, Diet Coke, and chocolate COULD help...they don't hurt, right?

5) You can wake and just wonder if indeed, you too, may just (but you hope you don't) get the crud being passed all around. Do Pamprin, Diet Coke and chocolate help with that?

For more fun, see Julie's blog.

What did you learn this week?

I Did It!

Okay, it sounds so like Dora the Explorer, but I Did It! I did my Day 4 of the C25K running program yesterday, what seemed like the hardest day yet, and by myself. My running partner is from work, so Saturdays, we have to do it alone. Check this out:

Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:

• Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
• Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds)
• Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
• Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes)
• Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
• Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds)
• Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)

Yeah, so I ran 16 minutes yesterday. I've NEVER run that much, ever. I could never even run a full 4 laps around the track in middle or high school!

Okay, so I'm proud of myself. That's okay every once in awhile, right? What I learned were two (actually three) things:
1) It really helps to have an iPod. I can't hear myself breathing like they are my last breaths.
2) It helps to have a partner, someone you know is doing it too. Makes you not want to cheat.
3) Self talk is amazing. "You can do it. Only 2 more minutes. Look how far you've come!"


With no intent to really have this running program take me anywhere, because I just started it to start back into exercise, who knows where it might take me? A friend today said I have to do a 5K when I'm done. Who knows, maybe I should?

WFMW: Weekends and Motivation

This past weekend I found myself highly motivated. That's not far from my norm, but my motivation to do chores in the early morning was high. Minutes after my son got out of bed, I had my first load of laundry in the wash (I'd even prepped it the night before), and shortly after breakfast, I was already dusting. Sure, we had company coming later in the day, so of course I wanted the house clean, but I had a moment (yes,  a moment), where I thought, "I should do this every weekend, get the chores done early and have most of the rest of the day, or next day off." I felt exhilarated by the idea, then realized that while I felt that way Saturday, I might not feel that way every Saturday.

What I realized that might just work instead, is to go with the flow each Saturday, and see where my motivation takes me. I often try to plan, plan, plan my moments, to get the most accomplished, when in actuality, sometimes the less I have planned, the more I actually get accomplished because I do things as I'm in the mood for them. I also find I seem to have more fun and am more in the moment, versus where I need to be going or what I need to be doing next.

Of course, while that feels like a revelation, and one I'd like to stick with, who knows if I'll really follow through? I always love great ideas to start with, but don't always continue with them.

How are you best motivated on weekends?

See We Are That Family for more of What Works for Me Wednesday.

WILTW: Butt Kicking and More

I wish I could brag and say I was the one doing some butt kicking this week, but honestly, I had MY butt kicked by this Couch to 5K program I'm doing. Ouch. My butt DOES hurt today.

That's one of many things I learned I learned this week:

1) After not exercising for several years, even just running 3 minutes at a time can kick your butt. I'm hoping days two and three this week are easier!

2) I shouldn't second guess myself on buying the next size up for my son in jeans. He's gotten skinnier, but definitely taller. He may end the summer in some great high waters. Hopefully other 3-year-old won't tease him.

3) I'm beginning to think it is easier to save money when you do Bountiful Baskets each week. It is so easy (and inexpensive) for side dishes of yummy veggies and fruits that all you really need is a great protein to go with it.

4) Blogging is super hard to keep up with when work, home, and family keep you so occupied. I miss being able to read all the great blogs out there. I started this one when I had some down time in the summer, and miss those days. Instead, I'm not trying to be hard on myself, and just post a few times a week, and catch up on a few favorites I read.

5) I need to give myself some downtime on the weekends, where I schedule absolutely nothing, on paper or in my mind, to just spend some great family time or downtime. It feels sooo good!

What did you learn this week? Has anything kicked your butt lately or have you done anything butt kickin'? :)

For me, see Julie's blog, always so funny!

Wow, I'm out of Shape!

Okay, so I wrote awhile back that I was joining a friend in doing the Couch to 5K running plan.

I'm not sure why I'm doing it, except that I decided I really wanted to get back into exercising (used to be a huge part of my life pre-baby) and a friend at work was doing it. I thought I'd just join her one day a week. Well now, I figure in order to keep up with her, I should try to do the whole plan too.

The thing is, I aspire to be a runner, but I've never had the follow-through-ed-ness to do it. I always overdo it and give up. I'm more the hiker/biker/weightlifting kind of gal.

Anyhow...I decided to really join her, and this week did one of the sessions one the treadmill (probably not as good as real-life) and one outside. Today started week 3, and I had to walk 5 min, run 90 sec. walk 90 sec. ...then here's the big part...run 3 minutes (YIKES!), walk 3, then do the sequence again. To jump to the end of the story, I did do it. I did think also that my heart was going to jump out of my chest and I probably looked really silly in those last 2 minutes of running each cycle, like a dying person trying to get to that imaginary water pond they are hallucinating.

But, I did it. And I figure really, I'm more or less a week behind my friend since she's done the full two weeks prior, where I'd only done 3 of the 6 days. It can only get easier right, and easier with a friend. Today I was all alone in my neighborhood, choosing my route trying to stay behind, and pick my path behind, some random man walking down the road that I felt a little uncertain of.

I do feel like I have more energy, and it is always a great feeling knowing you have exercised for the day.

What are you doing lately for yourself that you are proud of?