Trip to the farm

Oh - in case you are wondering. I did get out the other day. I didn't quite run, but I got a brisk walk going for about 30 mins. Hey! Better than nothing, right?! This weekend hubby had to work and I took the girls Fri and Sat to a local farm event. We walked and walked all day long and saw some pretty cool stuff (not real exercise I know)!

Let's just say - I think I could live on a farm. Yep, that's right, I would love to live on a farm, with animals, a barn, a huge garden, a simple life. Hubby and I talk about how cool it would be to have a small goat farm and make cheese (first we'd have to learn a LOT). A wine vineyard would be cool, but too much money to get into.

Here are some pics from our farm trip:

Just read this

Check this out:
http://fitnessformommies.net/

I'm going to get my adidas on, load up the girls in the double stroller, leash up my dog who is begging for some exercise anyway....it's only 85 here today, so I have no excuse!

Not doing so hot

Ok, this blog was created with the intent of holding me accountable to my goal of doing another triathlon! Let's just say I'm not doing so hot in the triathlon goal arena....

Notice the gap in posts. It's because I felt guilty for not doing anything to further my goal! How sad is that!? I couldn't even come on here, to my new little blog, that few people read, to say that:

- I haven't exercised at all. Unless you count chasing a 3 and 2 year old around the house.

- I ate a half pan of brownies yesterday - but I left one last bite, so I didn't eat them all!

- I drank like I was back in college all weekend (that's rare for me these days since I'm always worried Sophie will have a seizure and I'll be drunk)! I just felt like I needed to - and no, I'm not an alcoholic!

- My treadmill has underwear hanging all over it (thanks to my 2 year old) and piles of folded laundry that need to be put away. I told you I use it as a laundry basket!

- That I've been totally out of breath all week from doing the lamest things - running my 2 yr old to the potty, playing hide n seek, refilling my coffee. Sad.

What's it gonna take for me to get my butt in gear! I know I can do it. I need to do it. I can feel my body begging me to do it. I'm just in a funky state of mind right now, something I'm not used to. I usually have so much control over my emotions, my situation, but I'm feeling a bit helpless right now. Frustrating! Probably something a good run could cure......see, I even know what would help me! Let's see if I do it. I'll report back tomorrow. If I don't, you'll know I probably didn't do it.

awww, the beach just has a way

We had a great time at the beach. It was cold, but we didn't mind since we were escaping 100+ temps in AZ! The beach just has a way of totally relaxing me. Everytime we go back to CA, a part of me misses living there, but then I spend more than 24 hours there and I'm reminded of why we left.

Sorry I haven't posted in so long. Things have been a little crazy around here, and our $$$ problems are weighing on me pretty heavy. I know God has truly blessed me though, and I wouldn't change a thing (although eliminating a few thousand dollars in medical bills for my beauty below would be nice). So I'll just try and remember the sound of the waves, the smell of that salty air that is so terrible for curly hair (notice no pics of me), and the fun sounds of my girls building a sand castle and splashing in the waves. My stresses are already disappearing......

Here is my amazing Sophie running into the water with no regard for the cold water temps or the waves.....

Anyone remember standing next to your mom, just waiting for the water to cover up your feet? This brought back a lot of memories, and looking back at the pictures almost brings tears to my eyes that I'm now doing that with my oldest daughter. Crazy.

She could play in the sand allllll day long. To be 3 again.

My beautiful Kylie. She's happy as long as mommy is right next to her.

They tried to do this to me, but I was a party pooper and said, "no way, bury your dad"!!

Watching the surfers from the peir.

I love these 3 people more than anyone else in the world!!

Off to the beach!

I'm last minute packing for a much needed long weekend away at the beach in CA!! We really can't afford it, but we exchanged our timeshare about 8 months ago so it's been paid for. ARGH - don't get me started on the timeshare thing! Do any of you own one? It's been a great way for us to take trips we otherwise wouldn't be able to, but the fees, and more fees are killing us! This place has a full kitchen so I'm bringing stuff from home and we'll bbq on our patio each night. All we plan to do is play at the beach and and the pool - FREE! And maybe get some long walks in too. I can't wait.

Hubby has been traveling so much lately, so this time away as a family will be nice. I'm tired, but I know he's exhausted! He just got in at 9 tonight from Texas and has been working 19 hour days 6 days straight. He's been there since last week helping his company deal with the hurricane aftermath. I know he really would just like to relax at home, but once he smells the ocean (I so miss that smell) I know he'll feel right at home.

Enjoy your weekend! I'll post beach pics when I return. =)

But it's a dry heat

I did get up and walk this morning before the girls and I met a friend and her kids to play! It wasn't my finest walk, but it felt good to get out and moving! It's been hard to get out and exercise since it's so dang hot here! I guess I live smack dab in the middle of the desert, so what did I expect!

It's finally cooling down though and it's only about 100 degrees today! Yes, "you do get used to the heat". And yes, "it's only a dry heat"!! I didn't quite buy into either of those statements when we first moved here 3 years ago from Southern CA. I was miserable! I missed my family, I missed the beach, I missed the cool breeze, I missed green, I missed the variety of people, I missed all the ma and pa restaurants with yummy food, I missed being able to take a walk anytime of year, I had a newborn baby with health problems (that's another post) and I wanted to go home and never see another cactus again!

BUT 3 1/2 years later this is home and I love it! Those saguaro cactus that I used to think were so ugly, are now absolutely beautiful to me! Sure there are trade-offs and things I love about CA, but we would never go back. When we first left we'd always talk about if we won the lottery that we'd move back in an instant. Now hubby and I both agree CA is not for us. I'm not sure this is the perfect place for us either, but for now we are here, and what is perfect anyway?? Do any of you really consider where you live perfect? If so, I'd love to know about it. I think anywhere you live will have it's drawbacks - yes, even Hawaii!

But as far as the heat goes, it isn't really a factor anymore. Because you do get used to it and after all, it's a dry heat!

This is my dad telling the girls all about cactus on one of our many hikes!

My crew on a hike this past winter (yes, this is how our Feb. looks) isn't it pretty?

I love it when the saguaro flowers bloom in May.

Night Owl

So I think I've figured out that I need to go to bed earlier. I'm always tired when I wake up (rather, my girls wake me up) and cranky until I get at least 2 cups of coffee in. My 3 year old wakes up every day around 5:30 am!! It's loads of fun. Neither of my girls sleep through the night - my 3 year old has epilepsy and I know night-wakings are common among kids with seizures. She's never been a good sleeper and I don't expect anything to change. My 2 year old wakes up several times too...she's ready for a big-girl bed, but our budget doesn't allow for a bed purchase just yet. Also, yes I'm going to say it, she still nurses. Yep, 2 and she still drinks milk from the boob. Many look down on that, and I never thought I would nurse this long, but it kinda just happened. I'm ready to be done, but it's not like I can just turn it off and if you know her, she's not easily distracted from what's important to her. OK, now that I've digressed!

My point is, I'm tired and have reason to be since I spend a large portion of my night up with little people. My hubby is great and usually will take one and I'll get the other, but when he travels (right now he's in TX helping his company deal with the hurricane aftermath) it's a nightmare. We all end up in my bed or me on my bedroom floor once I'm done with being kicked and jabbed???? How I let my little ones rule my world. But I love them so. =)

Again, my point, I just love nights after they've gone to bed. It's time for just hubby and me, and when he's gone oh - the silence is almost deafening after all the noise and chatter of the day! Those last few hours of the day are the ONLY ones I spend for myself and I value them. OK, so one would think, great! Perfect time to jump on that dust-collecting treadmill I use as a laundry basket! But no, I usually have a bowl of ice cream and sit in front of the couch or computer. I'm so exhausted that the thought of doing an exercise video or running on the treadmill is the last thing on my mind. But I'm ready to make a lifestyle change, so I'm thinking this is part of it! Right? As I'm typing I realize nights are probably one of my few options for getting fitness in. Or if I went to bed at a decent hour I could wake up refreshed ready to take on the morning and a jog (walk for now) with my old lop-sided double stroller and my English Setter.

I'm going to do it. I'll go to bed by 10:00 so I can go for a walk/run in the morning OR make time to exercise at night after the kids are in bed. There, I said it.

My crazy one

My 2 year old is my crazy, fiesty, odd child. She carries around random items throughout the day, every day! Each day it's something new, or her fetish might last a few days and then she moves on. Today it was a pair of my underwear (clean of course), a blue pen, a blue bracelet, a blue pot lid, and daddy's blue guitar pick in her closed hand (notice that blue is her color of choice). She had to have all of these things with her at all times, even when using the potty.

Those bumpy things

Tonight just before bedtime (for the girls, not me) I was cleaning up the kitchen and washing dishes. I wasn't wearing shorts, just underwear and a shirt of course, and my 3 year old starts rubbing the upper back part of my legs, and says "what's that mommy". I say "what"? She says "all those bumpy things on the back of you legs"? OK, is that a wake up call, or what?! I guess I need to get my rear in gear and start using that dusty old treadmill that gets more use as a laundry basket.

I'm having trouble figuring out where to start. I walked 3.2 miles on Thursday, 2.5 miles on Friday, approx 1 mile to the park yesterday, and does 4 hours at the zoo today count for anything?

My problem - I always feel like I need to have a master plan before I jump into anything. When I started training for my first triathlon (pre-kids of course) I went all in. I sought the help of a personal trainer (like I said, pre-kids which meant 2 incomes), I had a gym, a lap pool, a track, everything I needed at the university I worked at - oh, I even rode my bike to work a couple days a week. I've got to get creative now with my limited time, $$, and lack of places to swim and bike. At least I've made a start with walking again, but I need a plan. A "master plan".

Why a blog for me?

I figured a blog would help hold me accountable to my new goal of getting healthy - actually to do a triathlon. That doesn't seem possible to me at this point, but I WILL do it. I just wrote it and now I'm blogging it on the web, I have to do it! That's why I'm going to blog. Plus it seems like fun! I'm new to the blogging world and it's pretty cool so far. Here is more about me:

By 3:00 each day I’m exhausted, burnt out, ready for my hubby to be home from work! Don’t get me wrong, I love my full-time job as mommy, but who are we kidding, it’s a lot of selfless work! I don’t get a paycheck or a glowing performance evaluation each quarter, instead I get to break up fights, clean up mess after mess, do laundry, pick up dog poop, cook (OK, maybe I get out of that sometimes), and deal with more dr’s than I ever thought possible (I have a special needs child - that’s another story). But did I mention yet that it’s the best job in the world, that I would never trade any of that mess-cleaning, diaper-changing, fight-ending, stuff for a “real” job or a much needed paycheck?

Amidst all this chaoticness (is that a word?) I feel like I’ve given up a part of who I am. I rarely get time for myself (when I do it might be an hour to rush to the grocery store). I feel like my most important jobs - to be a good wife, mom, and homemaker - are suffering. I’m constantly tired and I’m finally at that point where I need a break, a way to recharge myself so I can be a better wife and mom. I know that exercise is the huge missing peice.

Pre-kids I did 2 sprint distance triathlons and was feeling the best I ever have! I don’t like to exercise, never have, running is boring, and lifting weights is even more boring. BUT the idea of a competition, an ultimate goal, a TRIATHLON - now that’s more like it! I did my first triathlon in Aug 2003 while trying to lose the 45 pounds I gained in college. My goal was to cross the finish line, even if I had to crawl across. I did it and lost 30 pounds and never felt better (I should mention I never once “dieted” to reach this goal)! I did my 2nd triathlon in March 2004 and didn’t think that would be my last (at least for a while) but the next month I found out I was pregnant! The rest is history….all that weight is back, that listless feeling along with it. I constantly feel tired (my girls still don’t sleep at night) but I know that’s not entirely it. I lack energy, I feel heavy to the ground, 90% of the clothes in my closet are too small. I’m not healthy and I’m feeling it. I want to be a good example to my girls and I want to feel good every day I’m with them.

I’m ready to make a lifestyle change, I need to. The challenge - TIME, MOTIVATION, RESOURCES, ME, and did I mention TIME?! Join me as I try to tackle the notion of being a mom, wife, and triathlete!! There are no gaurantees, just this blog to help hold me accountable, and track my journey to a refreshed and healthier me!