there's something to be said for a day when the household is feeling under the weather. still in comfy pjs at lunchtime. lots of tv. hot cocoa throughout the day. snuggles and rest. i hate to admit it, but i'm thoroughly enjoying our self-invoked quarantine today.
don't think our day is without excitement and drama, though. as we run out of grocery essentials, we now put our food storage to the test. oooh, the adventure of it all.
happy snowy tuesday, world. see you tomorrow.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Love letter
Dear Legs,
I apologize. Sometimes I'm frustrated with you because you're a little chunky and a lot white. Sometimes I'm even embarrassed. But I will never feel embarrassed or ashamed of you again because of what you did for me today.
You did so great during that UltraMarathon. Better than I hoped. Better than you needed to. I was planning on taking a leisurely 6 hours to complete the race. My heart really wanted 5:30, but I would've taken 6 happily. But 4:54?!?! And just the second pair of female legs to finish? Unbelievable. Congrat-the-heck-ulations.
You kept going when my brain told you to stop. Normally I don't condone disobedience like that, but I really appreciated your stubbornness today. I tried to send you enough water and food to help you along, and whether I did my job well or not, you acted like it was perfect.
As you battled the potholes and sandy dirt and brambles and ravines and hills with great aplomb, I was able to enjoy my perfect race-day playlist while staring at the beautiful landscape. One scene was so breathtaking it made even you stop as I gasped and stared, remember that? But then you remembered our purpose, and it was back to business.
I don't know if you talked to Stomach much today. He was struggling -- he was waterlogged and sloshy and couldn't take much more of the jostling jogging from about miles 25-28. But that didn't stop you; you simply kept on at a brisk walk until he was feeling a little more settled. Esophagus wanted me to thank you for your sensitivity, as that saved several potentially unpleasant upheavals.
Left toe took one for the team with that blood blister around mile 16. I'm sure she'll lose her toenail, and I appreciate her sacrifice. But it is to you, my non-cramped and stalwart Legs, that I owe my sincerest and most deep gratitude.
Thank you for making this race day what it was -- beautiful despite the physical brutality.
Respectfully,
Brittney
I apologize. Sometimes I'm frustrated with you because you're a little chunky and a lot white. Sometimes I'm even embarrassed. But I will never feel embarrassed or ashamed of you again because of what you did for me today.
You did so great during that UltraMarathon. Better than I hoped. Better than you needed to. I was planning on taking a leisurely 6 hours to complete the race. My heart really wanted 5:30, but I would've taken 6 happily. But 4:54?!?! And just the second pair of female legs to finish? Unbelievable. Congrat-the-heck-ulations.
You kept going when my brain told you to stop. Normally I don't condone disobedience like that, but I really appreciated your stubbornness today. I tried to send you enough water and food to help you along, and whether I did my job well or not, you acted like it was perfect.
As you battled the potholes and sandy dirt and brambles and ravines and hills with great aplomb, I was able to enjoy my perfect race-day playlist while staring at the beautiful landscape. One scene was so breathtaking it made even you stop as I gasped and stared, remember that? But then you remembered our purpose, and it was back to business.
I don't know if you talked to Stomach much today. He was struggling -- he was waterlogged and sloshy and couldn't take much more of the jostling jogging from about miles 25-28. But that didn't stop you; you simply kept on at a brisk walk until he was feeling a little more settled. Esophagus wanted me to thank you for your sensitivity, as that saved several potentially unpleasant upheavals.
Left toe took one for the team with that blood blister around mile 16. I'm sure she'll lose her toenail, and I appreciate her sacrifice. But it is to you, my non-cramped and stalwart Legs, that I owe my sincerest and most deep gratitude.
Thank you for making this race day what it was -- beautiful despite the physical brutality.
Respectfully,
Brittney
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
wishing you well
dear friend,
we hope you have a very happy day today. because that's what we're having over here.
with love,
my-idea-of-a-really-funny-joke-is-to-get-dressed-in-layla's-clothes-carson,
just-woke-up-but-never-too-early-to-make-a-bead-necklace-layla,
&
look-everyone-i'm-walking-now-addie
Monday, October 19, 2009
math time: story problems
"Linda* has 6 large maple trees in front of her house. In the fall, the trees drop all their leaves. Each tree has approximately 18,200,000 leaves. Each 32-gallon bag holds about 200 leaves."
1. How many leaf bags will Linda need to fill to clean up her yard?
2. How many days will it take Linda to clean up her yard if she fills 10 bags a day?
3. How many days will Linda simply pray for snow to cover it all up for the next 6 months?
4a. When snow fails to appear, how many neighbors will get sick of the soon-to-be-legendary Leaf House and contact the city for Linda's family's eviction?
4b. If your answer to (4a) was more than four, how much will Linda have to pay the city in blight fines, and how many full-time leaf-remover-workers will she have to pay to be able to still live there?
Real-world application. Let this be a lesson to all you kids out there.
*Name may or may not have been changed to protect a woman who may or may not have a lot of leaves in her front yard.
1. How many leaf bags will Linda need to fill to clean up her yard?
2. How many days will it take Linda to clean up her yard if she fills 10 bags a day?
3. How many days will Linda simply pray for snow to cover it all up for the next 6 months?
4a. When snow fails to appear, how many neighbors will get sick of the soon-to-be-legendary Leaf House and contact the city for Linda's family's eviction?
4b. If your answer to (4a) was more than four, how much will Linda have to pay the city in blight fines, and how many full-time leaf-remover-workers will she have to pay to be able to still live there?
Real-world application. Let this be a lesson to all you kids out there.
*Name may or may not have been changed to protect a woman who may or may not have a lot of leaves in her front yard.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
forgive my ranting, but...
so i was waiting outside the elementary school to pick carson up, when a little boy (probably about 3 years old) accidentally ran into the front door being opened by a young student. the boy whacked the corner of his forehead - SMACK - directly on the corner of the door with a resounding thud that both seemed to echo and stop at the same time.
waiting on the sidewalk only about 10 feet from him, and as the only adult around at the moment, i immediately hopped off my bike and ran over to him. his face was red, he was bawling, and i could already see the formation of a very large goose-egg. i tried to calm/comfort him, but he wouldn't really let me touch him (good for him -- i'm a total stranger, after all), and after making sure he wasn't bleeding profusely or anything, i hurried inside to ask the secretary if there was any ice nearby.
the secretary came out and took over, thankfully, as i was not having any luck in my attempts to help the little now-blotchy-red-faced boy. she talked to him as he continued crying hard. finally, with secretary-lady and myself waiting by him, his older sister (a student at the school) came and held his hand as they walked...
...about 25 YARDS TO HIS MOTHER, WAITING DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOL, IN FULL VIEW OF EVERYTHING, FROM THE COMFORT OF HER PARKED CAR.
i was, and, typing this, still am, furious. the mother didn't even give the kid a second look, she simply opened the door for them both to hop in. now, granted, i am a self-proclaimed "involved" mother and am working hard to not be too in-your-face to my kids (with varying degrees of success), but COME ON. the kid was truly hurt, he had a large growth on his forehead from being smacked by a moving steel door, and he had been struggling for probably 5 whole minutes with two strange ladies who meant well and tried to comfort him but of whom he was obviously scared.
fine, i understand that i really can't judge, and i realize that every mother has her "off" moments and we all make mistakes and everyone is doing the very best she can and heaven knows i'm a highly imperfect mother myself and i shouldn't jump to conclusions. i get all that, but i guess i'm evil, because i'm still dumbfounded and infuriated by her utter oblivion, disregard, and/or lack of concern for her small child. how DARE she.
please, can someone respond with a good excuse or explanation for this woman? seriously, i'd really like to stand corrected.
whew. sorry. had to get it out. poor little boy.
waiting on the sidewalk only about 10 feet from him, and as the only adult around at the moment, i immediately hopped off my bike and ran over to him. his face was red, he was bawling, and i could already see the formation of a very large goose-egg. i tried to calm/comfort him, but he wouldn't really let me touch him (good for him -- i'm a total stranger, after all), and after making sure he wasn't bleeding profusely or anything, i hurried inside to ask the secretary if there was any ice nearby.
the secretary came out and took over, thankfully, as i was not having any luck in my attempts to help the little now-blotchy-red-faced boy. she talked to him as he continued crying hard. finally, with secretary-lady and myself waiting by him, his older sister (a student at the school) came and held his hand as they walked...
...about 25 YARDS TO HIS MOTHER, WAITING DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOL, IN FULL VIEW OF EVERYTHING, FROM THE COMFORT OF HER PARKED CAR.
i was, and, typing this, still am, furious. the mother didn't even give the kid a second look, she simply opened the door for them both to hop in. now, granted, i am a self-proclaimed "involved" mother and am working hard to not be too in-your-face to my kids (with varying degrees of success), but COME ON. the kid was truly hurt, he had a large growth on his forehead from being smacked by a moving steel door, and he had been struggling for probably 5 whole minutes with two strange ladies who meant well and tried to comfort him but of whom he was obviously scared.
fine, i understand that i really can't judge, and i realize that every mother has her "off" moments and we all make mistakes and everyone is doing the very best she can and heaven knows i'm a highly imperfect mother myself and i shouldn't jump to conclusions. i get all that, but i guess i'm evil, because i'm still dumbfounded and infuriated by her utter oblivion, disregard, and/or lack of concern for her small child. how DARE she.
please, can someone respond with a good excuse or explanation for this woman? seriously, i'd really like to stand corrected.
whew. sorry. had to get it out. poor little boy.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
"hi, BIG guy!"
three words a parent does NOT want to hear her 3-year-old saying to a very large man entering the home improvement store.
i may or may not be speaking from experience.
hoo boy.
i may or may not be speaking from experience.
hoo boy.
Friday, October 2, 2009
W-A spells 'GO!'
one cheer-chant i heard coming home from cheerleading camp, from layla and her cousin ella. there were several others, equally motivating and accurate, during the drive home. screamed with exuberance and punctuated with swishing pom-poms across the backseat. for 12 minutes straight.
you wish you were me, don't you.
okay, it was actually funny and kind of cute. these girls were beyond excited to participate in the high school's cheer camp for girls aged 3-12. it was cute to watch them try to coordinate their bodies to keep up with the cheering rhythm. in layla's case, it didn't happen, but her smile was so big you didn't even care.
she got poked in the eye by another little girl's pom-pom at the end, though, and was too sad to participate in the culminating group dance. fortunately i had gotten enough video footage throughout the night that paul was able to see the real elation of the experience later that night.
they were served dinner there. layla, a scrawny little thing, ate her entire piece of pizza, which, for the record, was the largest single piece of pizza i've ever seen. she threw up at about 3 a.m. that night. bless paul for cleaning the carpet in several spots as i cleaned the bedding and the girl herself.
at least we've all learned a valuable lesson: w-a spells 'go.'
you wish you were me, don't you.
okay, it was actually funny and kind of cute. these girls were beyond excited to participate in the high school's cheer camp for girls aged 3-12. it was cute to watch them try to coordinate their bodies to keep up with the cheering rhythm. in layla's case, it didn't happen, but her smile was so big you didn't even care.
she got poked in the eye by another little girl's pom-pom at the end, though, and was too sad to participate in the culminating group dance. fortunately i had gotten enough video footage throughout the night that paul was able to see the real elation of the experience later that night.
they were served dinner there. layla, a scrawny little thing, ate her entire piece of pizza, which, for the record, was the largest single piece of pizza i've ever seen. she threw up at about 3 a.m. that night. bless paul for cleaning the carpet in several spots as i cleaned the bedding and the girl herself.
at least we've all learned a valuable lesson: w-a spells 'go.'
zoo
it was a nice day at hogle zoo last saturday. some memories:
that baby elephant is too cute. i could sit and watch her (?) for hours. we stayed the longest at the elephant venue, for sure.
the kids could hardly focus on anything until they had ridden the train and carousel. baby tigers? meh. pet a soft snow leopard's pelt? yawn. see the gigantic rhinos? who cares, get us on the train. the baby giraffe gave momentary distraction (amazing that a "baby" is taller than my husband!), layla especially liked that, but it was one-track-minds until the rides were ridden.
is it just me, or does that train ride get lamer and lamer? either way, addie SCREAMED the whole ride. even safely on my lap, it freaked her out, poor thing. i mean, really, she was terrified. carson and layla, true to form, loved it. paul did a good job of faking excitement about seeing those same two bison that have been there probably since he was a kid.
the carousel is what it is. layla rode it for the first time in her life on her own animal; when paul told her at the beginning to make sure and "hold on tight," she did. i don't think the photos really capture the extent to which she was clutching the pole, squealing with half-delight, half-terror. total white-knuckler.
the lion drinking fountains were a hit.
cute baby elephant. layla made up a whole family story -- the baby was there with her mom, and the daddy elephant (who was in the other area) was off at work. i love how layla's mind works. she's cute.
there were a million people there, for some diabetes walk or something. a good cause, i'm sure, but it was quite crowded. annoyingly so, if i'm being honest, but that makes me sound selfish and tunnel-visioned. which i am, but i don't think i'm supposed to publicize that.
addie loved watching the penguins swim around. she's quite strong herself, and it took all i had to keep her from breaking free from my grip and jumping in with them. which would not have been good.
we somehow, somewhere, lost one of addie's cute pink converse shoes. i'm very sad about that. but my life has continued with vim and vigor since that fateful day, so say-la-vee and stuff.
i had run 20 miles that morning and was pretty stiff. but the walking around turned out to be a good thing -- i wasn't sore at all the next day. note to self: stop at the zoo after the ultra in a few weeks.
did i mention the baby elephant? too cute. a real-life "jungle book" character, but cuter. i overheard someone say that it weighed 320 pounds. that seemed like quite a lot based on her size from afar, but whatever.
carson LOVED that little fiberglass-pseudo-gopher-hole thing. he hung out there forever, poking his head up and down in different holes. i guess there were bats flying around in the entrance to it, and one flew into layla's head when she went to join carson. i wasn't there, but my heart goes out to her. ewwwww. bats are creepy, i don't care how old you are. layla was brave, though, and it didn't even phase her that much. i would've handled it much differently, and "mature" wouldn't have been one of the adjectives used.
none of the animals looked particularly happy. i'm trying not to be disturbed, especially when i got to see wild animal babies galore, but...i can't deny it. kinda sad. but happy, since they're so well taken care of. but sad because they're not "free." i don't know -- this argument, for me, could go either way.
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