They're Four!

 

Kathryn and Owen turned four yesterday! Four. Time is flying by too quickly and my babies are getting so big. We celebrated in Huntsville at Chuck E Cheese and it was a great party. We had grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts and uncles, great aunts and uncles and cousins there to celebrate with us. Seeing our little ones blowing out their birthday candles surrounded by so many family members was the best part of the party to me. It meant a lot to Bruce and me to have everyone there to help us celebrate.

It really does seem like just yesterday that they were born. Their little feet were so tiny that I put pink and blue baby doll socks on them in the hospital. Now they are little kids, about to start karate and gymnastics, learning to write their names, dressing themselves, riding scooters, asking all kinds of questions, and wanting to play video games and bake cake pops. The last four years may have been loud, chaotic, and sometimes challenging, but these years have also been a gift from God and we have been blessed beyond measure. It is a joy to be Owen, Kathryn, and Sullivan's mother!

 

Happy 4th birthday Owen and Kathryn! We love you with all our hearts!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ho Ho Ho

26.2

Meg and I ran the Rocket City Marathon on Saturday! I can't say that I loved running 26 miles, but I can say that by the time I crossed the finish line I was in good spirits and in a lot less pain that I thought I'd be in. The race actually went by really fast and I don't remember much of it to be honest with you. I guess adrenaline will do that to you. I never hit "the wall" which I was very happy about. I hit it hard during my first half marathon so I was hoping I wouldn't go through that again. I kept hearing horror stories about miles 18-22 being the toughest and I was dreading those miles, but when I looked down at my watch and saw "21.10" I thought to myself "we're going to make it!!" and we did!

Crossing the finish line! This was a very well organized race and the course was flat - just a few small hills. A flat course is a marathoner's friend!

Meg really rallied through all of the pain she was in and I'm so proud of how hard she fought to finish. Her knees had been bothering her since our 20 mile training run about a month ago. She had a couple rounds of cortisone shots in her knees and IT bands during training, iced her knees constantly for days before the race, used knee trackers and used every muscle cream known to man. I know she was hurting and she kept going. Way to go Meg!

 



So what do I really think about running a marathon? Well, training is a huge time commitment and, if you have children, you really need a good support system to help you on your long run days. I'm very lucky - even though Bruce was deployed for almost all of my training, my Mom, Mother-in-Law, Meg's husband Kevin, and their sweet babysitter Kaitlyn were willing to help me out. I'm blessed to have such sweet friends and family.

For a sport that really just requires you to put one foot in front of the other I spent a lot of money preparing for the marathon. Shoes, hats, nutrition belt, running socks, watch, Gu's, etc. In my book, it was all worth it because I was comfortable and well-prepared on race day, but I did have to shell out the money. Be prepared to spend a nice little chunk of change for your first marathon if you ever run one.

I guess the biggest piece of advice I have for someone who's thinking about running a marathon is don't make it more complicated than it has to be. I noticed along the way that a lot of other runners I would talk to would try to fix problems before they happened. Like taking salt tablets constantly during their training runs, but they had no history of cramping issues prior to training. Use your long training runs to learn your body and what works for you. By the time you get to your 18 and 20 mile runs, it should be more about completing the mileage and not what to eat for breakfast that day, whether you like Gu gel or Gu chomps, what you want to carry in your pack or if you're going to carry one, or when and where you need to take your water breaks. Stay focused on your goal and fight through the training and just run. It will all pay off in the end.

The Rocket City Marathon doesn't allow runners to wear headphones so I feel like I really was able to take it all in and think about what I was doing and enjoy the experience...well as much as you can enjoy something like that. Ha! I still can't believe I've run a marathon. It's a great feeling knowing all of our hard work paid off and we finished the race. Finishing was our only goal. Never in a million years did I think that I would ever see a 26.2 sticker on the back of my car. The training was terrible and such a long and grueling process, but race day made it all worth it. Will I ever run another one? Maybe. I've learned to never say never. My next big challenge? Reminding myself that I can no longer eat like I'm training for a marathon. ;)

Seeing these guys at mile 18 gave me the boost I needed to keep going.

We're all so glad Bruce is home!!

 

 

Marathon finishers!

4:52:03 (chip time)

#'s 815 and 816 out of 1,145 runners

 

My sweet family came out to cheer us on.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!

 

VOTE!

 

 

VOTE TODAY!

 

If you haven't already done so today, go vote! Remind your friends, neighbors, and family. Take your children and explain to them the importance of voting and show them how it works. If you don't like it, vote to change it and if you do like it, vote to keep it. Republican, Democrat, Independent, liberal, or conservative, your vote counts! Run, walk, ride to your polling place and cast your vote. 

 

YOUR VOTE COUNTS!

 

Happy Halloween!

Quote of the Day

 

 

"If I only had a sword I could fight crime."

- Owen

 

Hooray for Healthy Teeth!

Today I took Sullivan, Owen, and Kathryn to the dentist. It was Sullivan's first appointment and she was such a big girl...no tears, no screaming. In fact, she was so good that the dentist said her behavior was "unheard of for a two year old" and that most of the time his only goal is to get a look inside a two year olds mouth and get them comfortable with the whole experience. Today she had her teeth polished, flossed, and brushed with fluoride. Sweet girl. She really tries to be big like her brother and sister. We are all so proud of Sullivan!

Owen and Kathryn had their first x-rays made. All of their permanent teeth are present and look like they're supposed to. How in the world am I talking about my babies' permanent teeth? But I saw them with my own eyes and I'm sure the tooth fairy will visit before we know it. Dr. Purvis predicted that Owen would be the first to lose a tooth in a year or year and a half. I found that funny considering his two year molars are in, but have yet to drop all the way...and he's almost four.

My favorite moment of the appointment might have been when Owen told the dentist that he stopped sucking his thumb. Dr. Purvis and Miss Christy were SO proud of Owen and he got to pick out an extra goody from the goody basket. It was fun to see Owen have the "ah hah!" moment and finally understand that what he had done was truly important for his teeth. I guess as a little dude it's one thing to hear that from you Mom every day, but to hear it from your dentist is another. ;)

I was really nervous about taking all three to the dentist by myself, but it went as smoothly as it possibly could have and it turned out to be a fun and memorable appointment. All three kiddos got an A+ at today's visit...hooray for healthy teeth! I'm so proud of my little munchkins!

After we left the dentist we went to the gym, got Kathryn a hair cut, and went to the grocery store. Poppie came in town for a visit and took us to dinner on his way to Gadsden to watch Unlce Joshua play football. It was a fun and BUSY day.

Pumpkin Pancakes

My recipe for pumpkin pancakes...yummy, healthy, and orange! Just in time for Halloween.

Pancakes

- Add approximately 1 cup of canned pumpkin to your pancake batter of choice. Make sure you buy pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling.

- Mix in 1/2 - 1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice and another 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon if desired

- Add 1 teaspoon vanilla

- Mash and mix in 1/2 banana for extra fiber and natural sweetness

- I also add about 2-3 tablespoons of flax seed meal - your kids will NEVER know it's in there and it is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and the good fat we all need and typically don't get enough of.

Syrup

Heat your choice of light syrup and 1 tablespoon of butter in the microwave until butter has melted. Stir and add in 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, stir again, drizzle over pancakes before serving. (I usually use about 3/4 cup of syrup for a whole batch of pancakes.)

This recipe can totally be adjusted to reflect your family's likes and dislikes, but these pancakes are fun to make and full of really healthy ingredients. (Except for the butter, but hey, life's too short to not eat a little butter every now and then right?) ;) Enjoy!

Highlights of My Day

My little helper asked me today if he could pull weeds for me. My answer? "Uh...yeah buddy!" He got right to work and had all those tiny little weeds pulled up in no time. That's the first time Owen has ever asked me if he could pull weeds for me. It was so sweet and grown-up that I thought it deserved a blog post and a picture.

This little boy also pointed out to me today that we were stopped behind a Lowe's truck. Owen said, "SEWOL that says Lowes." He spelled it out right to left, but he recognized all of the letters. We have been working hard on letter recognition lately. Since I am also their pre-K teacher, it made me happy to know the things the kids and I have been working on are sinking in. They're sharp little cookies and they amaze me daily with the things they've learned and remember.

Another highlight of my day today happened as we were leaving the gym. I sent Kathryn in with a bow and she came out without it, but I didn't realize it until we were at the car. I asked her "Kathryn where's your bow?" She said "In Owen's pocket." Really? I leaned over and gave Owen's pocket a pat and, sure enough, her hair bow was in it. It dawned on me as we were headed home that at some point she wanted to take her bow out or it fell out and instead of taking it to the nursery worker, she asked her brother for help and her brother was happy to help her. I'm sure it was a very sweet exchange...I wish I had been a fly on the wall at that moment.

My sweet twins on a recent trip to the botanical gardens

 

Owen and Kathryn's twin bond is really noticeable now. They really do remind me of a little old married couple! :) They call out for each other if they haven't seen each other around the house in a while, K will usually cry now if she's separated from Owen, and she always talks about Owen being her "buddy" and wanting to do pretty much everything with Owen. I hear them talking some nights before they fall asleep and catch them in all sorts of sweet conversations throughout the day. They balance each other out so well and it is an absolute joy to watch their special bond strengthen as they grow.

We're all feeling better now, staying busy, and taking advantage of this beautiful weather with trips to the park and lots of playing outside. School is going well and I'm fighting for that "A" I need before I apply for the nursing program in February. This semester is definitely more of a challenge, but I'm learning a lot and still really enjoying my class. Finding time to study is a little bit more difficult than it was this summer. As it turns out, kids don't care if you need time to study during the day or if you have a test that day. ;) Go figure. Until next time...

Sullivan and Kathryn on the carousel at the Galleria

Warrior Dash 2012

Meg and I had a great time running in the Warrior Dash today. We were happy with our time too - we finished the course in 36:35! Not too shabby in my book considering the fact it was raining for part of the run and really, really muddy. Meg and I both had to take last week off from running. Her knee was bothering her and I was sick. We were ready to do something, anything to get us moving again and this was the perfect way to do that, shake off last week, and get our heads back in the game. I was nervous about running today, but when I got up this morning and felt as good as I did, I knew I wanted to do it. I'm glad I did...it was an exciting "girls day out" and I hope we get to do it again next year!

 

Before the race

 

 

And after

 

Day at the Doctor

Kathryn had been complaining of headaches recently. After mentioning a headache every morning for about a week I decided it was time to go to the doctor. Yesterday morning I loaded everyone up and off we went to get an answer. The doctor said she was VERY congested (a bad cold started making its way around our house about a month ago) and her tonsils were HUGE, but not red and she hasn't complained of throat pain in a couple of weeks. She decided to do a strep test and test for mycoplasma, also known as walking pneumonia. A finger prick, throat swab, and 20 minutes later we found out our sweet K had strep and tested positive for the mycoplasma. No wonder she's had headaches! I had no idea she was that sick...she's only complained of the headaches. I felt terrible for not knowing, but I was also very relieved there was a reason for her headaches. She's one tough little lady! If her tonsils don't go down in two weeks she'll have to see an ENT soon. A common cause of headaches in children her age is sleep apnea/snoring, often caused by enlarged tonsils. We'll see what happens.

After that appointment I dropped off her prescription and headed over to my doctor. I told them how I was feeling and K's diagnosis. The doc went ahead and gave me a steroid shot for inflammation and an antibiotic shot. He also gave me a prescription for cough medicine and a z-pak. They drew my blood and I told them to call me with the results. Three hours in doctors' offices is not how I had planned on spending the morning with the kids. However, they did beautifully! They got a little wiggly at the end, but they hung in there with me and I was so proud of them. A few hours later they called to say I also tested positive for the mycoplasma. So there you go. Mama and K have walking pneumonia. I woke up this morning though feeling like a new woman. Gotta' love those steroid shots.

We'll be back to normal in another day or so, those z-paks work quick and we're both on that and Kathryn's taking amoxicillin too. I'm hoping this was our little "hiccup" for this deployment and that the Owen and Sullivan don't get sick too.

Funny Photos

My trio is always up to something fun (or dangerous - ha!).  This morning it was dress-up for S and K and just a few minutes ago I heard "Help! Help! We're stuck!" Oh dear. When I got to Sullivan's room I found all three kiddos on the changing table and Owen was strapped down to it and couldn't undo the buckle. Never a dull moment around here I tell you!

 

How adorable are their poses?

Crazy how much Sullivan and Owen look alike isn't it? They do to me at least.

 

 

Why Sullivan is wearing only underwear and church shoes, I can't tell you. She was in the process of dressing when I left her.

 

 

I'll try to make this very long story short. Bruce deployed last Friday and will be home hopefully in the first week of December. The last deployment update I posted on here was about him leaving in October I think and coming home in December. Then it changed and he was going to be gone all of December. After that I was thought to myself "I'm not posting any more deployment updates...I know it will change again." And it did. For the last two or three months he was told he was going to leave possibly at the end of August, then October, then November, then...you get the idea. It is what it is and that's the way things go sometimes, but it was exhausting to think about it all the time. In a way, only having 11 days notice made it easier. Not much time to think about it or get too sad. It's another short deployment and for that we are very grateful. He will hopefully be home in time for my marathon and should definitely be home in time for our anniversary, Christmas and O and K's birthday. Yay!!

 

I feel like this deployment has already gotten off on a much better foot for me and the kids. Everyone is a few months older, a little more capable of helping me and each other, can communicate a little better, and Sullivan is potty-trained. I have class once a week and plenty of studying to keep me busy at night, plus all of the normal every-day kind of stuff around here with the kids and the house, and then there's my marathon training. I don't sit down much. This week we've done two play dates and an outing to the mall with some of our friends for lunch and a carousel ride. I'm trying to keep the kids entertained - busy days go by faster for all of us. I know we're only a week in and there's a lot of time left to go, but I really do think this one will fly by even faster than the last. I hope so at least...we miss Bruce like crazy! Well, I'm not sure I made that story short, but I tried.

 

This weekend is a 12 mile run, plus the Warrior Dash following that for a total of 15 miles on Saturday. In an effort to protect my knees I have given up all classes at the gym except Pilates. I need the core and back work for running and it's functional strength training so it ties in well with training. I haven't been able to run this week because of an AWFUL cough and it's driving me nuts. I'm ready to get back out there and make some progress.

 

My Mom will be here this weekend too so I'm sure we'll find something fun to do with the kids. I'll have an update early next week I'm sure. Enjoy your day...the weekend is almost here!