Becoming a Good Sport

My son is just 12 days shy of his 5th birthday. For those of you without children, here's a translation:

He is a confident force to be reckoned with!

Really and truly, he wants to be a super hero when he grows up. If that doesn't pan out, he's sure that he will be "the best Globe Trotter EVER!" (despite the fact that his current basketball skill is that he knows what a basketball is). He assures me that he is a faster runner than me (despite the fact that he begs me to slow down so he can catch up when I'm running and he's biking with me) and asserts on a daily basis that he will always be older than his sister (which is, in fact, true).

Unfortunately hurt feelings can accompany all of this young confidence. He's starting to discover that other people's athletic skills are a bit more fine tuned than his and that hitting a ball with a bat is harder than it looks (even with a tee)! This makes my job as his mom a bit more challenging this summer than I thought it would be.

Thankfully I have some good stuff in my arsenal.

1. YMCA Rookie Sports Camp - My son spent the first week out of school at the soccer/t-ball rookie camp. I was thrilled that the core value they promoted all week was Sportsmanship. In addition to working on dribbling, catching, hitting (and running in the right direction), the group of 4-8 year olds learned how to encourage one another and celebrate success without being arrogant.

2. Books that promote kindness and acceptance of others - Now that he's reading independently more regularly, we're reading books together and discussing them the first time through. Then he rereads them on his own. After we read them again as a family (with little sister!) I have him tell me something the main character learned in the story. This often leads to an age-appropriate discussion about if/when he faces that situation what he can do. Where's Your Smile, Crocodile? by Claire Freedman was a good one we read last week that showed the importance of helping others. I was also happy to discover an Early Reader that chronicled a pair of friends who struggled with competition: Cork & Fuzz: Good Sports by Dori Chaconas. And you'll notice the new book Nico & Lola: Kindness shared between a boy and a dog by Meggan Hill in the photo below.

3. Family Runs/Rides - I DO want my son to feel confident, but I want him to feel good about specific things he can do (not just what he *thinks* he can do!). So even though when he rides his bike while I run it makes my runs s-l-o-w-e-r, I know this won't always be the case. To build his confidence as a rider, I'm using the time to cheer for him when he's doing well with detailed compliments: "Wow! When you steer straight like that, you can go farther faster!" or "I noticed how smoothly you took that turn!" These become part of our reports to his dad at dinner time and then we set a skill focus/goal for the next bike outing. Of course, riding on the tag-along on the back of Dad's bike during our family trail rides is great, too.

4. Water Balloons - Good ol' "Catch" isn't a favorite at our house (i.e., we have strong reading skills, but need to work more on hand-eye coordination!), so now we're working to make it fun and game-like so he can be successful when he plays a bit more seriously with kids at school or the playground. Water balloons are great for this on these warm summer days.

This last summer before he heads off to Kindergarten promises to be one of growth for all of us. I'm glad that fun can be at the base of all of it!

How about YOU? What do you do to help your children strike a healthy confidence balance? What's in your fun/learning parenting kit?

Interview by The Running Knitter

The Running Knitter sent along these five questions for me to complete as a fun little blog interview. Eileen posted her interview and I left her a comment letting her know I wanted to join in on the fun. She emailed me the questions so here are my answers. If you’d like to be interviewed, be sure to follow the directions at the end!

1. How did you come up with the idea to write your book "We are Girls Who Love To Run"?

I've known since I was a kid that I wanted to write books (the Young Author competition was the highlight of every year for me in elementary school!), so it was just a matter of time before I made it happen for real.

There wasn't much time to think about writing when I was teaching and getting my Master's (and marathon training!), so it had to wait until life settled a bit. When I finished school and then stepped away from teaching to have my own children, I had more time for brainstorming and word play. I also have a husband who has his own passion for writing, so he supported me as I ran after this dream (no pun intended).

I wrote several rough drafts of other stories about running, but none of them worked out to be just right for a first book. When I thought back to the inspiration Girls on the Run brought to my students who ran (and to me, second hand), I knew my first book needed to be a gift for girls who embrace running. Running didn't find me until I was 23, so We Are Girls Who Love to Run is my uplifting nudge for girls of all ages to see how welcoming the world of running is . . . as well as how the power of running spills into all areas of life. Hopefully it will encourage girls to give it a try earlier in life - and maybe even get their moms, aunts, sisters, cousins, neighbors interested in it, too. I believe it is important to pass the torch to others!

Shameless plug: If you are interested in getting a copy of my book, you can find it at Amazon.com, at specialty running stores in the Puget Sound region, at Dragonfly Secrets in the St. Louis area, or by mail order through Balanced Steps, LLC. Place your mail order by this Friday, March 6th and Balanced Steps will knock $5 off the price of the book in celebration of International Women's Day on Sunday, March 8th! Be sure to read my reviews of other great running and uplifting books here.

2. What advice would you have for other moms who are trying to balance family, work, and exercise?

Balance is a tricky thing. I try to take things one day at a time, because what works for me one day often doesn't work the next! There are countless variables in motherhood, as there are in the work world. And there are days when priorities flip.

Ideally I'd like to exercise 5-6 days/week. Realistically I currently get in an average workouts 3-4 days/week (not counting walks to the park with the kids or yard work). Truthfully there have even been a few stretches along the way where a week (or two) goes by without a single workout. Working out first thing in the morning enables me to get my workouts in - if I haven't done it by 7:30AM on weekdays or 10AM on weekends, it likely isn't happening. I also do a childcare swap once a week with a friend - sometimes I use the time to run, other times I write, and sometimes I nap!

I am a better mother and a better writer, and essentially a better person, when I get in my runs and my balance ball workouts. Throw in a yoga class or a class at the YMCA and I am in my element! Even my kids will tell you that life is best when I get in my exercise. But I also know that there are times when it is okay to take a break (like when the kids are sick and I'm not getting any sleep . . . or I'm sick . . . or we have visitors staying at our home). These breaks make my return to running even sweeter. I try not to beat myself up about missed workouts and to celebrate the days when I get in my groove and GO. That's my yellow-hatted nature, I suppose.

3. What do you enjoy most about running?

I love that it is time just for me. I can use the time to think about something specific or to just let my mind go while I focus on my breath and posture or nothing at all. The increased energy level after a run is a definite plus for chasing around 2 young children the rest of my day. Running also keeps my optimism flowing. I could keep going with this list, but I'll stop now while I'm ahead . . . and you are still reading!

4. What is your favorite holiday and why?

I have to go with Christmas for this one. I could sit by a Christmas tree all day long, soaking in the twinkle of the lights and the sparkle of the ornaments. The glow warms my soul and makes me feel more twinkly, too. I also like planning special gifts for the people I love. Sadly, this is my husband's least favorite holiday . . . but we're working on that!

5. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

Can I pick more than one?? As someone who spent a semester abroad in college, I think spending time in a foreign country is something everyone should consider doing. I'd go back to Italy in a heartbeat, but also have interest in visiting other European countries (Germany, Ireland, and Norway top that list). I think my husband and I may head to Australia for 2 weeks next year to celebrate our 10th Anniversary, as that is a place neither of us has explored and we're already on the West Coast. The REI Adventures seem awfully appealing, especially after a long winter!

To play along:

1. Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.”

2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. (I get to pick the questions).

3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.

4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview others in the same post.

5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Sick House

This is the view we were treated to on Monday morning - surprise snow and an unusually beautiful/eerie sky. I didn't get a chance to share it with my usual Starting with a Thankful Heart post because I've been busy taking care of two sick kids.

I've lost count of the number of weeks our family has been plagued by some sort of cold/infection. We finally threw up (no pun intended) the white flag and I took the kids to the doctor.


The first trip was on Saturday afternoon after a morning of my son's incessant humming (which, as we learned last fall, is his "tell" for an ear infection). A quick visit to the doc (hooray for Saturday appointments!!!!) confirmed our hunch and we were able to get his antibiotics rolling right away.

Yesterday we went to see a second doctor (our regular one) because despite the meds, he got a fever. Turns out a mild case of pneumonia was lurking in his little self, too. And, Little Sister was starting to wheeze and her cough took a turn for the worse. Breathing treatments helped . . .

But today Little Sister has a fever. So, back we'll go. Even though her ears were clear yesterday, some infectious bacterial bugs could be rearing their wicked little heads somewhere in her today. Lovely. Cross your fingers that we can get through this quickly!

Thankfully through all of these weeks of illness, I've been keeping up with my workouts. My sanity is intact (more or less) thanks to my treadmill sessions and balance ball work. I'm so glad I haven't thrown the towel in on those because then I'm sure I'd be next on the sick list.

I'm also hoping that this strong base I'm building indoors will transfer well outside when I'm able to get back out on the pavement and trails again. I'd like to do a few 10Ks this year and maybe even a half marathon in the fall. If we can get everyone healthy, I think this will be my year to get back into some serious running!

Upbeat Week

Despite some frustrating events (like locking my keys in the car!), this has been a very good week on the homefront. So good, in fact, that I'm wound up and ready to go FINISH my daughter's birthday quilt - one more row to quilt and then the binding goes on. Since this project has been going for, oh, something like 6 months now, I'm getting really anxious to get it done.

Tomorrow we're off to the YMCA to give the childwatch another try while I do the treadmill thing. If it goes well, I'll feel secure in trying a class out next week! My goal is to attend at least one class/week to add some flavor to my usual running and balance ball workouts. I'm getting excited that next week might be the week I start. Keep your fingers and laces crossed that Little Sister continues to do well with childwatch . . . that's the key piece to making it all happen.

Happy running/balancing/reading, everyone! I'm off to sew . . . happily!

Aiming for Balance in 2009

Here's a quick line of silliness I couldn't resist before sharing my goals for next year.

"I'm going to build a magic tree house and go back in time! I'll go back FIFTEEN years to the time of the dinosaurs!!" Mr. Music exclaimed while planning an adventure.

I have to admit that my high school years fifteen years ago did have their scary points, but I don't recall seeing any T-Rexes roaming the halls. I think we need to sit down and take a look at a timeline!

As you know, my focus in life is on finding (and trying to keep!) a sense of proverbial balance. I've never really been one for making a New Year's resolution, but this year I feel compelled to focus my energy in new ways by setting some important goals (not really resolutions, per se):

1. Before starting any new sewing projects, I'm going to finish the ones that I've started. This includes the quilt I started months ago for my daughter. Her birthday is at the end of January, so the clock is ticking on this one! I'm also going to finish up the curtains I'm 70% done with for our sliding door in the basement and a Christmas table runner I started for my mother-in-law a number of years ago (so long ago, I've lost count of the years, actually). It will feel refreshing to have those projects done and a clear sewing table! (The photo is of a finished quilt, but it is one I forgot I made!)

2. I'm going to limit my blogging to three posts/week. This will keep my posts more focused and uplifting. My prime goals will be posts about thankfulness, finding the silver lining in difficult/unbalanced life experiences, and fitness/youth-oriented book reviews. Other things are bound to creep up, of course, but it is nice to get my brain hooked on the very important idea of quality, not necessarily quantity. This will also free up time for me to READ and maybe even spend some extra time with my handsome husband.

3. I've already told my husband that as a family I'd like us to have more fun this year. 2009 shall be our Year o' Fun! Our camper will get more use, we'll crank up the tunes and dance around the house, and just generally enjoy one another more and the silliness that comes with having 2 small kiddos. That's my plan. Life is too short to be as serious as I feel I've become. Lately I've been feeling like I'm 100 instead of a new 30. It is time to change that! (This is a photo of where our camper has been parked for a year now - it is longing for an adventure!)

4. I'm picking out at least 4 races to run this year. Two are easy because they're right here in the Snoqualmie Valley where I live and I'm dedicated to supporting our little running community, but the other two can be someplace new and exciting. I'd like to do the 10K option for both races (one in June, the other in November). My running has been stronger as of late, so I may even get a wild hair and plan for a Half Marathon. Since I did a Full Marathon for my 25th birthday, I think it would be nice to do some sort of distance for this age milestone, too, even if it is well after my actual birthday. (In this photo my husband and I - and some other random runners - are about to reach the top of an amazingly steep hill for the Duvall Days 10K in June 2008).

5. I'm dedicated to getting my book out in the world more. 1,000 copies are out there in homes, schools, public libraries and the like, but this year I'll work to forge some new business relationships to get We Are Girls Who Love to Run into even more hands! My mom and I also set a goal for 2 big author visits this calendar year. As a former teacher, my passion is definitely in talking and working with children, so I'm looking forward to getting more visits lined-up. These visits always leave the kids smiling and feeling confident and ME feeling more energized and passionate about running and setting goals - so they're good for EVERYONE involved.

From the looks of my goals, 2009 will be a busy one (but FUN!). I wish you and your family love, good health and positive energy as you get a fresh start in the New Year!

Unexpected Workouts

The snow out here in our little area of Western Washington has been nearly non-stop for the past 4 days. I haven't left the house in a vehicle since last Wednesday. Our neighboring towns haven't gotten nearly as much as we have - we're up to over 20 inches so far, and the snow continues to pour down - so even folks just 8-10 miles from us have only seen 4-10 inches. Ours is truly a winter wonderland.





On Monday morning my son exclaimed, "This is the coldest day EVER!" Turns out he was right. At 17 degrees Fahrenheit, it WAS the coldest day ever in his 4.5 years . . . until Saturday when the temperature dropped to 3 degrees. Not dropped 3 degrees, dropped TO 3 degrees. Brrrrrr!







With all of this snow, what better to do than get out and play in it! Little sister wasn't too thrilled with the whole idea, but she is pretty keen on the snow pants and boots. And since the rest of us were interested, she decided to join in a bit for the sledding. That's my girl - up for the best part of the adventure!












(Hard to see the smile under her coat, but it was BIG!)






Even Albus played for over an hour in the snow on Thursday, running up and down our hilly street, playing with other dogs and the kids. As a lab mix he just ADORES the snow! Sadly his fun came to an end when he me up with a dog who wasn't so interested in romping. They got into a fight and Albus came out of it with a nasty gash (that we didn't discover until bedtime). My husband and my dad walked him down to the local vet's office (about a mile) the next morning for some staples and antibiotics. Thankfully he was able to make the walk there and back without much trouble. Whew!


So, with all of this time on our hands, both my husband and I have gotten in some extra runs on the treadmill. The sledding and hill climbing in the snow are great for cardio workouts, too! He took our son for a mile-long snowshoe trek up the hill to my parents' house on Friday (and back!), so Mr. Music is getting good physical release in all of this, too. This morning I took him out to crunch around on the icy snow for a bit and we collected big chunks of ice along the way. I can honestly say I've never had an ice collection until today!


My parents are the ones getting the best workouts in all of this. They've snowshoed down to our place 3 times in the last 3 days. My dad also made the extra trek to the vet's, so as he puts it, "I've worked out more in the last 3 days than I have in 3 months!" I think this is just the experience to get them both back on their fitness paths. Sort of a jump start for the New Year!

That being said, I should probably see about getting my balance ball workout in for the day. I finished the 6 week Bounce Your Body Beautiful plan by Liz Applegate and am 2 weeks into doing the workouts for a second time. I'm really into this strength training stuff and am kicking myself for not giving it a shot sooner!

Have a wonderful Christmas week, everyone!

Oh, and I'll see if I can add a picture tonight to show you the full 20 inches of snow. All of the photos above are from early in the storm experience.

All about Balance

Here we go - a new look! What do you think?!

Since I've been doing this blogging thing for just over a year now, I figured it was time to find myself a new template. Sort of like a haircut, if I have the same style for too long, I start to feel stale. I AM still sticking with one of the free one-size-fits-all template that comes with Blogger, but that is because I'm trying to keep things simple and balanced for this little life of mine. Someday I may dive into a unique look, but for now this works for me.

I commented over on Mizfit's Thanksgiving gratitude post that if I had a custom made bracelet like the one she has as a giveaway I'd have it say BALANCE (yes, that picture is of me on a balance board - one of my author photos that I use to tell people about the programs I offer!). For me, balance happens when:

1. I take care of my body with at least 2 runs/week (and now that I'm totally into this Balance Ball thing, 3 times of that, too - and these are easier to fit in, too). I'm happier with more, but for now life is about balance, not about performance.

2. I read. Walking away from all things with plugs (except the lamp by my bed or chair!) and sitting down with a book calms me and centers me. Fiction helps me escape and non-fiction empowers me with knowledge to improve myself. Children's books reunite me with my youth while grown-up novels and books show me what the world has to offer that I haven't yet explored.

3. I incorporate music. When I feel overwhelmed (or even worse, when my son points out, "Mom, I think you could use some time to yourself."), I find that everything goes better with the right background music. I use it as motivation when we have to clean, uplifting when we get home from errands and school and transition to lunch/dinner, and a great change of subject when the kids are arguing in the back seat of the car. Music changes everything - and almost always for the better.

4. I feel successful with my writing. Whether it be dashing out a blog post, forming a new business connection through email, getting an important press release put together, or selling a single copy of a book to a young reader, the quality of words I string together has a direct affect on my mood. When I take time and put together something strong, my confidence is higher and it spills into the other areas of my life. My sloppy writing is a reflection that somehow the other areas of my life are disorganized, too, and I need to figure out how to get back in balance.

5. I show gratitude. Whether through verbal or written reminders to my family or friends that I appreciate who they are and how they play a part in my life, or through prayer, this is an essential piece of who I am. I know that I can't go it alone in life and that it is because of the people around me that I have a rich and full life. I have been blessed in numerous ways and it is important that I take time to be thankful and to show others gratitude. Easy to think about post-Thanksgiving, but important to incorporate into life year-round.

6. My kids are happy. This comes with getting down on the floor for tickles, puzzle doing, play doh squishing (well, at the table for that one), book reading, and lots and lots of body movement. When they get cranky and pick on one another, that's a sure sign that I'VE dropped the ball and need to get them involved in something fun.

7. My husband is happy. This is a delicate balance of leaving him alone for awhile (he's an introvert, I'm an extrovert) to let him do his own thing on the computer or in the garage/garden/guitar/whatever and doing things with him like watching a movie/working in the yard/etc. Sometimes this just involves me taking the kids for a walk so they stop climbing Daddy Mountain. Other times it involves getting the kids into the kitchen to work with us to make a big breakfast as a family.

When I first put together this list, I thought that #6 and #7 were totally dependent on the first five items. Yet, the more I think about it, each piece holds significance and #5 and #6 have strong pulls on the other areas of my life. They are all quite interlocked. I guess they have to be connected in order for me to feel balance - if they weren't, life would be even more crazy - like swimming through a pit of balls - than the current balance board exercise I feel my life to be.

Whew! Did you make it through all of that? Good!

Now . . . please let me know by leaving a comment - what makes YOU feel balanced?

I'm off to spend some time with my husband now that we've both had our half hour or so on our computers and then I get to dive into a new book. *Happy Sigh* Hooray for balance!

Getting a Head Start

It has been ages since I've visited anyone else's blog. While I've been away, I have been making some real progress in my other life areas:


1. I sent out over a dozen press releases announcing the award for We Are Girls Who Love to Run. Which leads me to an important question for YOU, dear reader: Did you know that Her Sports + Fitness is now Women's Running Magazine? Be sure to check it out!

2. I've been working on some meaty guest blog posts for some BIG blogs out there. I'll let you know where to go when they're posted!

3. I just put the final touches on our Christmas letter - and it isn't even Thanksgiving. While I really enjoy Christmas cards, I usually get stressed about this aspect of the holidays. I write the letters from the kids' points of view, so they're not a typical blah-blah-blah letter - and they're also SHORT! Well, tonight the inspiration hit and it is DONE (in the voice of Little Miss Fireball). I even got the wallet-sized photos ordered to include with the letter. BTW: this is MUCH more budget-friendly than photo cards and the leftovers can go in my wallet so that I actually have photos of my kids with me.

4. My husband and I have been spending our spare moments cleaning out junk. You know the stuff - the pile of old Runner's World magazines, the rubber bands from the heads of lettuce we bought at the farmer's market in June, the thousands upon thousands of kid art projects, scraps of fabric from quilts I made two years ago . . . I feel so liberated with all of it sorted into the appropriate bins: garbage, recycle, mail.

5. The Fireball's horrid cold is nearly gone now, so we squeezed in a trip to the park while the sun was out for a bit this afternoon. We almost didn't get it in, though, as Mr. Music is going through one hum-dinger of a growth spurt and is back on track with nearly daily naps. It's no wonder I can't get myself on a schedule!!!

Now that the Christmas cards are under control, I'm off to have that yearly sit-down with the husband (who after a year of blogging, should have a nick-name - I'll work on that) to figure out a healthy balance for Christmas gifts. Things to consider for balance:

- price
- environmental impact
- time involvement (last year I made about 30 personalized pillow cases for family members - BIG hit all around, but BIG time sucker on my end . . . and I have some quilts to finish!)
- personal significance of gift (I like gifts to have some sort of important connection and meaning)
- do we consider donations in our family members' names through a reputable charity?

Does anyone have experiences with the charitable donation approach to gifts? Did you receive one? Have you given one? I'd love to get your insight!

Readjusting for Balance

My morning run was a great one. I found the perfect pace - even Albus was pleased with our speed (usually he pulls to go faster!) - and could have run forever (our 30 minutes were good, though). I was so completely in the zone with my foot strikes, breathing and noticing the interesting smells around me (dryer sheets, worms, the perfume of the runner that crossed our path, etc.) that I didn't even realize we were running in the rain until my leg brushed against Albus' wet fur. Yes, it was that good of a run. I'm feeling more confident about next Saturday's Riverview Runs Turkey Trot 5K . . . my first race as a 30 year-old (just 2 days after my birthday) - yikes, that's a new age bracket, isn't it?

Today's run, along with some other things, has led me to the decision to make some changes with our family routine (which my husband and I discussed together. I'm no dictator!). Just a few minor tweaks are bound to pay off:

- Tuesday nights will be TV and computer-free. That's right - no blog reading, no CSI watching, no working from home, no Facebook status updates. Monitors will be off. Books will be open, or who knows, we might even pull out a game or *gasp* sit and talk. Time without the kids climbing on us is slim, we really need to do a better job of making those rare moments more about quality and less about technology (which I love, I just need to get other things into my life, too!).

- My husband is returning to yoga. He is slowly getting back into running after a few months off and realizes that he runs best when he has an active yoga practice. Sound familiar? I think he'll go one night and I may go another. We have yet to work out all of these details.

- I'm actively pursuing some bigger media attention for the book. Newspaper articles, radio shows, even TV perhaps! I'm gleaning some knowledge from other authors and working to put it to good use. I'm making Monday nights my Media Night.

- I'm continuing my Balance Ball routine. I know I've mentioned it over and over again, but REALLY the difference in my posture and my running is AMAZING. My body fat has also dropped 2% in the last two weeks and my pants are fitting the way they should. Talk about instant results. I'm passing along the book to my mom - she's excited to try it out, too!

How about YOU? Are you making any new healthy changes to your life routine? Have you found a simple change that has a significant impact on your family's health and life quality?

Feeling Good (and Balanced!) About November

After a fun finish to October, I'm looking forward to an exciting November. To keep it simple, here are two little lists of why I'm feeling great . . . and even, dare I say, balanced:

October's Nice End:

- Though we were feeling *blah* (for lack of a better word), my husband and I went out for a date night dinner last week. When we got home we VOTED! Absentee ballots are GREAT. We were able to sit down and take the time to discuss and read about the different candidates (our ballot was nearly 2 full sides) for the offices (not to mention the big issues up for vote, too) and cast our votes confidently. The ballots went in the mail the very next morning! I feel good about my choices and like that I had the time and comfort to get everything right at home instead of waiting in line at a polling station and then trying to remember who I wanted to choose (really, this was much more than just presidential stuff!).

- There's just something fun about the discovery of Halloween through a not-quite-two year-old's eyes . . . "NANDY!" Little Sister cried over and over again while clutching bags of Skittles and M&M's. I was thrilled that she remembered her manners when people tucked new goodies into the bag I made her as we went from shop to shop in our town's Downtown Trick or Treat experience.

Here's my husband with Little Sister dressed as a puppy and Mr. Music in all his pirate glory before we headed out to loot the town!

- We only got 8 trick or treater's (not a type-o, just 8 little souls), BUT, we were also pleased to have three middle schooler's stop by on a food bank collecting mission. We were happy to donate some canned goods to the local food bank . . . and they were happy to get a few containers of playdoh - "Sweet!" they chimed together when I offered them the goodies. It warmed my heart to see their excitement over playdoh!

- Though my husband was not excited about turning a year older on Halloween, he was happy to be greeted with "Happy, Dada!" from Little Sister all day and to card after card after card that Mr. Music made for him to celebrate the day. A large carrot cake from our local bakery sweetened the day, too, as did the roasted pork my mom made for him (I don't do pork) for dinner. Oh, and carving the pumpkin - can't forget that!

Here's Mr. Music checking to make sure we got ALL of the seeds!

November's Sweet Beginning:

- The boys braved the rain to hit the trail for a bike ride on Saturday. They came back grinning from ear to ear and literally COVERED with dirt - head to toe. Priceless.

Check out our little "Swamp Monster" and his muddy coat. I think his tag-a-long might need a rear fender. You think?

- My head cold is finally clearing, so I decided to brave the treadmill this morning. I started off with a walk to make sure that my lungs could handle things and ended up running for about 10 minutes of my 30 minute work out - a day earlier than my goal. Hooray!

- Swimming lessons start this week at the Y. I'm hoping to also work in a day or two of classes for myself, taking advantage of their great childcare program. I'm feeling stronger by the day with the balance ball work I've been doing, but look forward to mixing things up a bit with some cross training, too.

- I'll be turning the big 3-0 in a little over a week. That weekend I'll be signing books at a race. I think that's a fun way to kick off a new decade - full of positive energy and a good run.

I wish you all a great week - and a great month, too! And if you haven't already . . . go make your vote count!

Trials & Achievements - How is it October already?

I'm heading to the Robert Plant & Alison Krauss concert tonight (and to dinner beforehand with my husband!), so my time here will be zippy.

Here are some recent trials I'm working to overcome (mostly life balance related!):

1. A bit of a break from doing work things has been refreshing and has allowed me to do more things on the homefront, but now work-related projects are creeping up on me and I'm not sure how to work them back into my life!

2. I'm struggling with how to strike a balance between how our family is used to living and being more environmentally aware. Being green isn't always a cheap way to go, but it is definitely smarter and has a positive long-lasting impression. More on this to come, for sure.

Some recent achievements I'm excited about:

1. Next week we're taking our first step toward carpooling for pre-school. Since the kids are young (3 & 4), the other mother and I are taking it slowly so that it is as easy as possible on the kids. We'll have a bit of a playdate one afternoon and then each do one pick-up from school later in the week. Wish us luck - this will be FABULOUS for time and gas savings if the kids roll well with it (11 miles each way)!!!

2. Little Sister's room is painted. Turns out the walls never really were painted before (or maybe just once in 10 years, we're guessing) - so they soaked up TONS of paint. It took nearly 2 full gallons to cover 4 relatively small walls. But, it is done and looks fresh and happy.

3. My wonderful readers are reaching out to their local bookstores to ask them to carry We Are Girls Who Love to Run! We're starting to get requests from bookstores that order through a different distributor than the 3 we use to order directly from us. Very few things are more satisfying to an author than to hear that her books are in demand!

4. I tagged over 100 items to sell at a big children's and maternity consignment sale this weekend in Seattle. I'll haul them all to the event Friday afternoon and hope that most of them will sell on Saturday & Sunday! If it goes well, I'll be even more thorough in getting things ready for the spring sale (I didn't go through accessories and such this time around, just clothing). The great thing about the sale is I had a choice to donate what doesn't sell to a local charity or have them set it aside for me to pick-up. Everybody wins at these events!!!

Off to pack the kids for their overnight at my parents' and then get myself out of my mom duds and into some fancy concert-going attire. Think I'll remember how to put on make-up?

What are your recent trials? Have an achievement you'd love to celebrate with us? Be sure to leave a comment!

Saturday: Anything Goes!

I was so glad to see that my theme for today is Anything Goes. I can leave the thinking behind for today and plow through with some easy updates. It also gives me an opportunity to show my son with the 100 piece Melissa & Doug puzzle we completed the other day. He was SO proud of the accomplishment! And, yes, that is a mini piano in the background - and yes, it DOES get played daily.

On the kid front: Tuesday is the 1st day of school for Mr. Music - look for a fun event here on that day to celebrate the start of the school year (and get ready to tell your friends - because this is BIG)! Unfortunately Little Sister is a bit off kilter with a snotty nose and a bit of a cough, but maybe this low-key weekend will get her back on track.

On the home front: I'm feeling inspired to get back to work on Little Sister's big girl quilt. Here are photos of it, as I've been promising. I'm not sure if you can tell, but half of it is quilted, the other half of what is there needs quilting - and then another big row will be added. The quilt is reversible, with 60+ fabrics making up the scrappy front and 7 composing the back.

On the work front: More balance is needed here. We're working on it!

On the running front: More balance is needed here, too. I'm working on that, too. Something tells me that if I can get THIS in order, other things will fall into place, too. Baby steps.

I know I didn't keep up with my promise for the book review on Thursday or Friday . . . so it will have to wait until this next Wednesday. I'm frustrated with myself for letting this ball drop, but I don't like to do important things like book reviews in a hurried fashion - and everything this week seemed to be done in a hurried and stressful fashion. That wouldn't be fair to the book, its author, OR its readers. Important things deserve true focus and concentration.

Well, the sun is shining and the weeds are calling. Have a great Labor Day weekend, everyone! Wishing you a happy balance in your life (I'm wishing that for myself, too, today)!

Monday - Here We Go (it started with silliness)

Somehow there WAS balance to the day, though if you had asked me how the juggling was going at 1PM I might have thrown a few balls at you (but don't worry, my aim is terrible, hence my gravitation toward running and not something like softball or ultimate frisbee)!

The day started out with a big laugh and confirmation that I HAVE been working hard at this book publishing thing and that it IS getting some notice around the house. A bit of background knowledge for you non-publishing world readers: Baker & Taylor is one of the largest (if not THE largest) book wholesalers in the world - that is, publishing companies sell their books to them and they in-turn sell them to bookstores, libraries, etc. We discovered that if you are to sell a book successfully you need Baker & Taylor on your side (though I'm sure it IS possible to do without them, but I wouldn't!), as well as the all powerful Amazon.

Anyway . . . yesterday was the education day, so I'll fast forward here for you to the nearly verbatim conversation at 7:15AM after both children pitter-pattered their little selves into my cozy, cave-like room:

Mr. Music: Good morning, Mama! What a sunny day. It's after 7, let's get up!
Said Mama: Good morning, Sweet Boy. You're looking happy this morning.
Little Sister: Me. Me. Me. (nods)
Said Mama: Oh, yes, you, too, Little Girl. Good morning.
Mr. Music: Can we turn on Baker & Taylor and dance around the playroom before breakfast?
Said Mama: (surpressing full blown laughter) I think you mean JAMES Taylor.
Mr. Music: Yeah, that's what I said! Baker & James Taylor!
Little Sister: Me. Me. Me. (nods)
Said Mama: Sure, Baker & James Taylor it is.

And in our pajamas we proceeded to dance ourselves silly for a good half hour before breakfast to the fabulous tunes of music great James Taylor, who shall forever more be known in my house by the longer, book related name.

The morning really did progress nicely and we got my mom to the dentist for the first part of her root canal (which went well). The afternoon was more stressful with the full-blown "I don't want to take a nap now, even though my behavior CLEARLY indicates that I need a nap and if I were to give in and put my head on the pillow I'd be instantly asleep" tantrum from Little Sister. But, she did finally give in after 40 minutes of back-and-forth (mostly me just ignoring her - the best I could). Have you had these at your house? I'll be glad when we finally get this new single long nap at 1PM set in the routine.

We had a similar, but much more mellow, experience at bedtime with Mr. Music who just lurks about trying to be noticed after we've said our good-nights. I managed to dodge that one for a bit tonight because I headed out for a 20 minute run with Albus (dog runner) and my new Garmin. I was blown away that once I get in my groove I really AM cranking out close to a steady 8:30 mile. Because it was a short run (after an hour long bike ride yesterday that I can still feel in my glutes), everything averaged out to 10 minute miles, but now I know what I can do . . . there's power in that!

Mr. Music was still peeking around corners when I got home, so I gave him an ultimatum: Go to bed or I'll get in it and wipe all my sweat on the sheets first to make the bed stinky.

I believe his last words of the evening were, "Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwww, Mom - NO!" And I'm happy to report that we haven't seen his cute self since.

No, I wouldn't have REALLY done it, I just wanted to see if the idea of it would catch his attention. And it did. Better than I could have imagined. And tomorrow we'll debrief and laugh about it so he doesn't have nightmares about his sweaty runner mom who tortures young children with her stinky post-run sweat!

Ah, life balance!

Balance? What's THAT?

Today was the first day of summer vacation from preschool. I'm thrilled to report that we survived it and even had a pretty good day, too. I'm sure the lucious sunshine had a role to play in our upbeat day, as it allowed us to get outside to play several times. We just love our sandbox and park times!

It is slowly dawing on me, though, that the great balance I worked so hard for the last few months to achieve is now gone. I had whittled out some variables and was able to rearrange my days to make way for the biggest priorities, taking out a few of my favorites, but overall it worked okay. But now . . . vacation is getting going and I'm totally off kilter again!

Things that got squeezed out and I need to encourage back into my days:

- yoga (which will hopefully return with Date Night in July)
- date night (we've taken a hiatus for some family visitors at my parents' house)
- book reading (I've only neglected it for a week, but I miss it! I have read 3 magazines cover-to-cover twice, though)
- book promotion (I was fried and intentionally let this one go for about 2 weeks, but NEED to get back on it!)
- strength training (OK, you caught me - I've never been good at having this in my routine - other than yoga - so this is a new one that I'm wanting and needing to inject into my life. Are you proud, MizFit?)

Things that are new to my days and not going anywhere:

- having my son home all day, every day (LOVE him, but I'm not used to having him here all day!)
- my daughter's morning nap is getting later and later, sending me the red flag that the morning nap is about to become obsolete (AGH!!!!!!)
- sunshine (at least I hope this one is here to stay for at least one whole season!)

I'm thankful that other than ditching the 10K and replacing it with a short run on Saturday, my running has been a constant during the past few months. We have some "new" toys (translation: a freebie toy kitchen from a garage sale and the food toys that used to be without a cooking area) near the treadmill, so I'm thinking of having the kids explore their gourmet talents (translation: lick the plastic foods and then pass them to one another in plastic pots, open and close all of the doors a million times, stir around matchbox cars in the pots and flick the microwave "dinger" until it just won't ding anymore) one morning a week while I make like a hamster and log my miles in the house. I can run outside the other days in the evenings when my husband is home, but this gives the kids some toy variety and insures that I stick with my increase in milage.

That all being said, I'm off to relax. I think that's something else that gets neglected. Don't you think we'd all be a bit better off if we just took the time to breathe (and I don't mean on a run or practicing yoga, I just mean while doing nothing . . . or curling up with a book . . . ) and just BE. I'm so much of a "Type A" person that I forget that it is healthy to have rest, too.

How often do you find yourself revamping your plans for life balance?

What happened to nap time?

As the mother of two young children, I live for nap time. I've been known to use the time to catch a few winks for myself, but usually that only happens if I'm sick or didn't sleep the night before (hence my naps twice last week - the kiddos have been needing TLC in the wee hours of the night). Nap time is the time I reserve to wear my author shoes. You caught me - I don't wear shoes when I write, but you get the drift! The kids close their eyes and I know I'm safe to dive into my work when I hear the contented slurping of fingers (the thumb from my son's room, two fingers from my daughter's room).

But events from the last few weeks leave me in a bit of a panic. My daughter (nearly one) is content with just one nap in the afternoon (GASP!). To make matters worse . . . my son is now napping only EVERY OTHER DAY (double GASP!). That leaves me with just one opportunity for writing/reading others' work/researching/etc. a few times each week instead of my treasured twice a day gold standard. I fear this leaves me with no time for procrastinating or day dreaming because nap time is now more precious than . . . than . . . it is nearly as precious and rare as sleeping-in!

So now the work begins for me. My life-balance is out of whack and I'll be adjusting to find a new (and temporary, of course!) balance that will keep me working (books just don't launch themselves and my poor mom/business partner can't do it ALL herself!), the kids happy, the house hopefully out of the reach of chaos, my body healthy all the while maintaining my marriage so my husband knows I appreciate him and am still quite pleased that we found one another for this journey. I think that was a run-on sentence. Seeking balance sometimes does that to me - my thoughts get spinning faster than I can track them. Listing things is helpful in sorting it all out.

So, for the next few weeks as we figure out this new sleep schedule, you can bet that I'll be eyes-to-the-screen, fingers-to-the-keyboard every possible moment my children slumber. My blogs might be filled with to-do lists and adventures in figuring out how to sort through them. Stick with me, it means I'm problem solving and my brain is still functioning, slowly but surely. You can worry when the blog entries get sparse. It will mean one of two things:

- my son has given up naps altogether (it pains me to even type that, for fear it might come true!)
- the new speed of life has led me to establishing a balance that includes ME taking a nap on a regular basis

Either way, I'm up to my eyeballs in life's adventure looking forward to whatever comes my way! It will just be easier if I can somehow convince my son to keep napping . . .

What am I doing?!

Most days I tend to cruise along. You know, I start the day with the traditional "Good morning!" greeting with my children, we do breakfast, get ready for the day and then make our way through our mostly "regular" day before my husband and I tuck them into bed at night. Wash, rinse, repeat. Sure, we sometimes get off course with the pesky cold (sometimes WAY off course when the cold lasts longer than a week) or enjoy a thrill or two when visitors are in town or we cram extra fun into a weekend. But usually we just stick to the schedule. Kids do well with schedules. Moms do well with schedules. Dads like it when they can follow the schedule. Remember to take this all with a grain of salt and know that I'm really just generalizing here!

But then a day like today comes along and *SLAM*. I'm on the ground clutching my head and looking up at Mt. Rainier wondering how I plowed head-first into it (something so big surely couldn't sneak up on a person). No, I didn't really ram into a mountain, rather I confronted about a dozen very real realities that are a part of my proverbial mountain - publishing my book. Dozens of hand-scrawled notes are strewn about my computer space (which I just cleaned last week - really!), I have at least 7 tabs open in my Explorer window going at any given time, and I'm following-up on emails and tasks for six different aspects of the business (distribution, website, reviews, author visits, marketing and . . . give me a minute, oh, yes, this blog!). Yet, while I toil away (breaking for an hour or two at a time to tend to my motherly duties) I don't feel as if I'm getting anywhere. It is like I'm running on the treadmill without the thrill of endorphins or a satisfying sweat. I'm left wondering, "What am I doing?!!"

Thanks to that husband of mine I'm stepping back and looking at each thing one at a time. He even took the paper and pen out of my hand and wrote the list for me (and checked-off some items I'd already managed to accomplish to show me that I AM making progress) so that it would seem more do-able. And so now, before I turn-in for the night (and before I do turn in-to a pumpkin), I can say with a sigh of relief that yes, I think we have some shipping issues on the way to being under control, we are a step closer to having a distributor, I think the formatting is better for the commerce section of the website, it is okay to wait until tomorrow to put together the review packets, author visit stuff can wait until we get the other stuff under control, marketing is another task for another day, and this blog entry is nearly finished.

There. I think I can breathe now. I'm stepping back from that mountain - one careful step at a time. If I can distance myself from it a bit more I'll be able to enjoy its majesty and beauty and then do some training before I attempt to summit it again.

The less-fun, but necessary, side of balance

What a day we had yesterday! Funny how being woken-up at 6:30AM doesn't seem so terrible when your three-year-old is bellowing "Santa left a trail of fruit snacks! He came!" We enjoyed living the day through his eyes, while keeping tabs on the little sister (not yet a year old, but close!) as she tried sampling wrapping paper, boxes, and crawling over/through/around the opened packages to make sense of it all (using all of her 5 senses). We also enjoyed many phone calls to family scattered across the country as we shared Christmas greetings, stories of Christmases come and gone, and thanks for love and generosity . We also reported our good fortune of having a white Christmas (not REALLY, but we did enjoy watching snowflakes fall for about two hours). It was a good day.

So yesterday's words were "fun" and "family". Today's words are "clean" and "juggle". I'm the one doing the cleaning - the bathrooms, the laundry, finishing cleaning the kitchen (my husband started this morning, but that job is just NEVER finished), getting gifts put away. My husband is chief-in-charge of the juggling, though I suppose I'm doing a bit of that, too. He's finishing a floor tiling job with my dad in our basement (thanks, Dad!), juggling our son (the "helper"), the dog who is happy to go outside/inside (repeat!), and some of his own cleaning as he works on the floor. I'm handling the other half of the time with our son ("I need a break - that's hard work" he reports), thank you notes (one at a time, which is as long as I can keep Ethan's attention to complete, or as long as I can sit before having to refocus Megan!), and our still-curious and excited daughter. Oh, and of course, there's that cleaning stuff!!

But as part of me wants to grumble (cleaning is not my cup of tea, but really who wakes up and says, "Wow! What a beautiful day, I think I'll go scrub a toilet. There's just nothing more satisfying than a clean throne!"), the other part of me realizes the reality of cleaning/chores is all part of what enables us to enjoy the "fun" and "family" part of life. Thank you notes are an essential part of the season for me. I like taking the time to reflect on the love and thought that went into the carefully chosen gifts people sent, processing the true puprose of gift exchange. And I hope that sharing those moments with the gift-givers helps them feel like they are here with us.

Oh, And I DO have to admit that there IS something satisfying about a clean bathroom, even if it isn't the force that drives my day.

Relaxation for Balance

I sometimes feel a bit like Elizabeth Gilbert (the author who opens her life to us in her book Eat, Pray, Love, the book I'm currently enjoying a handfull of pages at a time). She writes of her self-conflict - her brain is in a constant mad dash (toward what? She's not always sure.), she is driven by creating a long list of accomplishments and she's left exhausted if ever there's a pause in the whirlwind of her life. I'm not living at the extreme end of the scale as Liz describes, but I do have a brain that I struggle to quiet (if even for 5 minutes!), I thrive from having an overflowing plate of responsibility (much to my poor husband's utter dismay and my parents' confusion), and if there's a moment of pause, I tend to get sick. Like a truck hit me, sick. Like I'm too weak to lift my body out of the bed sick.

My husband knows this. He knows me better than I know myself, it seems. So in November he put his knowledge to use and got me a gift certificate for 4 hours at the spa for my birthday. 4 whole hours! Initally, my thoughts ran wild about how I was going to schedule 4 hours at the spa when we have 2 small children and we like to reserve evenings for family time. Of course, he already had that part figured out (smart man!). He would take off a day from work to be with the kids, giving me "the day off". Then my thoughts ran wild about how I'd manage to be away from them all for 4 entire hours. I hadn't yet processed the generosity of the gift or how I really did NEED the relaxation to help knock me back into balance. I politely thanked my husband, who must have thought he did something wrong because I stood in silence for much longer than I should have, and then pushed aside the gift certificate. I'd have to mull over how this would all work and if a plain Jane gal like me really had any place in a fancy spa (I'd been to one before - a gift from my husband early in our marriage - and felt a bit out of place).

The first time I scheduled the appointment things went very wrong, seemingly confirming that it was best if I remained in control (have I mentioned that I like being in control, as much as I try to back-off, I have more trying to do!) and stayed with the kids and let a more deserving person go in my place. First, I got started late, then I got 5 miles down the road and realized I didn't have my gift certificate with me, then a tree went down on a major road and all traffic had to be rerouted. After sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic for 30 mintues on a 2 lane road, I realized there was nothing relaxing about rushing to a day of pampering when you'd miss half of the massage (and for me, I think that is the best part). SO, I called the spa (my third call to them that morning) and asked if I could reschedule (I think my sobbing convinced the manager that this really was not my choice, but truly was due to an act of God, so they would kindly allow me to book my appointment another day). It comes as no surprise to my family that I got sick just 2 days later. Like a truck hit me, sick.

Anyhow . . . I had (and kept!) my appointment yesterday (a week after the second round of knock me down sick). I learned some very important things:

1 - Yes, a stay-at-home mother, wife and author DOES belong at the spa (on occassion, this doesn't need to become habitual!)
2 - My husband is a wise man (though he won't admit it)
3 - 4 hours of time to myself (when I am healthy, not in a sick-induced sleep) to breathe and relax with no responsibility was amazing
4 - I'll be less pouty and rediculous next time someone offers me such a generous gift
5 - Some of my destination-focused energy can use refocusing to soak-in the actual journey

So my next challenge is taking some of Liz Gilbert's modeling of meditation with my own recently experienced calm and applying it to my daily life. It is a WHOPPER of a challenge for me, but I think its effects will ripple nicely throughout my family. Just a few minutes here and there for calm. With regular doses of relaxation maybe my body won't feel like it has to lurch into illness - it might actually enjoy the quiet and reward me somehow. Wow, now that I put it that way, this is definitely something I need to do. Calm, quiet, relaxation . . . Guess my first step is to step away from the computer, right?