When you give a toddler an iPad, he’ll perform a Google search.
I need to stop watching Ancient Aliens with him.
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Tag Archives: moms
Motherhood Makes Beautiful Things
In recent months, there has been a resurgence on “war on women”. I’m not referring to the “war on women” that has been happening for centuries in the Middle East or the heinous atrocities happening to women in Africa or even the verbal attacks in the U.S. political arena. Instead, I’m referring to the age old war of working moms vs. stay at home moms and the other ugly battle, attachment parenting vs. traditional parenting. First, it was the ridiculous comments made by Hilary Rosen about Ann Romney. Then, there was an uproar in response to the Time magazine cover.
Why do we allow society or the media to flame these feuds?
If you work outside the home and still have the strength to raise a family, then you should be applauded. If your job is a full time mom trying to juggling it all without losing your mind or yourself trapped between a world of toddlerese and Lori Berkner, then your efforts should be applauded as well. Neither job is easy. Motherhood no matter how it’s dressed up, be it a corporate suit or yoga pants, requires sacrifice and that sacrifice should be praised not ridiculed.
And yet, somehow that sacrifice opens the door for ridicule or judgment rather than praise.
As moms, we make decisions every day about child-rearing with the sole purpose to do what’s best for our children. Therefore, how can any reasonable child-rearing choice be wrong? If you choose to breastfeed your child until school-age, who are we to judge? If you choose to bottle feed your baby over breastfeeding, who are we to judge? And if your child stays on the bottle, boob or binky until kindergarten, then that’s also a parenting choice and no one should judge.
No matter which avenue we choose to get there, we all want a stress-free existence with confident, well-adjusted children. Our ultimate goal is the same. So why not build a society that mirrors the one created when we cradle infants in our arms, be it on the breast or on a bottle?
Acceptance and support starts with each of us. As mothers, we need to stop criticizing each other and start supporting one another. We can’t allow magazine images and political sound bites to open the door to criticism and attacks.
Motherhood makes beautiful things. Society needs to stop turning into something ugly.
With yesterday being Mother’s Day, I felt compelled to share my thoughts about moms supporting other moms and what better way than incorporating it into a Music Monday post. What topics and tunes are moving you?
I’m still co-hosting with Xmas Dolly and her Monday’s Music Moves Me crew (Lorie, Stacy, Callie and Cathy), so link up and share.
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Random Thoughts about Nutella, Superheroes, a New Challenge, Anxiety and Track Tuesday
So, have you heard the news about Nutella? Are you surprised to hear it’s not healthy? Shocking, I know. How could something with sugar listed as its first ingredient not be healthy? Not to mention, it has 3.5 grams of saturated fat and only 3 grams of protein. How on earth did anyone think Nutella was healthy while peanut butter and eggs get a wrap?!
I have so many runner friends that love the stuff and I’m sure their Nutella power balls are getting soggy from all the sobbing they’re doing since hearing the latest news. Personally, I never liked the stuff because it always tasted fake to me, but I think maybe I’ll make some cookies just to tease smooth things over with my runner friends.
My family and I can’t wait to see The Avengers this week and since we’re so pumped about the new movie, I planned this month’s fitness challenge around it. When I told my oldest daughter, Allana, about the challenge, she told me I should have created exercises specific to The Avengers and then demonstrated some examples.
“You could smash something like the Hulk”, she said and threw a clasped fist as she squatted.
“And then you could throw a shield like Captain America”, she said as she twisted her torso to throw an invisible shield off to the side.
“And then you 
could smash a mallet like Thor”, she said as she twisted her torso and pretended to smash a mallet to the opposite side. “But I’ll have to think about Iron Man.”
I think she’s onto to something there and I wish I had consulted her sooner. We could still do the 
Superman exercise but call it Iron Man instead because Iron Man flies too. I’m going to video record Allana and I performing the exercises and maybe we can throw them into the superhero mix. Wouldn’t that be funny?
Last week, I had some terrible bouts of anxiety. I’ve never shared my issues with anxiety before on my blog, because I’m a little embarrassed by it. I’ve always been a “shake it off” kind of person and so it’s hard for me to admit to any issues with anxiety, but last week, I had two attacks and I feel compelled to share.
One happened during a run with my Strider friends. About 3 miles into the run, I pulled back away from the pack to slow down a bit. At the particular point, the path became very dark. Since I had forgotten my flashlight, an overwhelming sense of fear began welling up in me. I tried to stay focused on my pace to avoid crying. It was awful. Next time, I need to stay with a buddy or bring my flashlight or pop a Zoloft. Though, I think fear worked in my favor because I had a pretty good run.
4 miles
Time 39:11
Ave Pace 9:48
Max Pace 7:29
The next panic attack happened the very next day at a media event at Sea World. I became overwhelmed by the crowd, but I powered through it once again. I haven’t had a bad spells with my anxiety in awhile so I was really taken back by these episodes.
Hubby is out of town for a few days, which has put a damper of my training especially my speed work. Therefore, I have no sprints to share this week. Hopefully, Ricole can be a hero and save the day with some faster than a speeding bullet sprints for Track Tuesday.
How about you? Did you do some sprints? Link up and share.
By the way, while you’re here don’t miss out on the Joggermom Marathon and giveaway!
Joggermom Marathon 2012
As a mom on the run, I understand the difficulties of training for races while raising a family. Mother runners struggle with balancing sleepless nights, sick children, crazy schedules, carpools, after school activities and homework with our training. It’s not easy.
Thankfully, Joggermom has made training and racing while raising a family easy with her Joggermom Marathon, but don’t let the word “marathon” scare you. With Joggermom’s virtual marathon, you simply run a total 26.2 miles during the month of May. In other words…
“You have from May 1st thru May 31st to complete 26.2 miles. That means you have 31 days to run 26.2 miles. That is a little more than 6 miles a week, a very attainable goal for even a couch potato. This marathon is not about who comes in first, it is about completing something you set out to do for yourself.” – Joggermom
Think you can do it? Like Joggermom said, it’s totally attainable. I participated last year and I’m joining Joggermom Marathon again this year. Now, I want to share this fun, totally attainable marathon with you.
One lucky Run DMT reader will win a free entry in the Joggermom marathon.
To enter this Joggermom Marathon entry fee giveaway, leave a comment below and tell us how you plan to reach 26.2 miles in 31 days. Giveaway ends midnight on 5/14. One winner will be selected at random with the help of random.org and announced on 5/15.
Even if you don’t win, please sign up as 10% of each entry will go to the American Heart Association. Registration will remain open until May 15 at midnight.
There a few “rules”, like keeping track of your mileage in a spreadsheet and submitting photos as proof of your efforts, but it’s so worth it when you see the fabulous prizes you can win. Not to mention, there’s that sense of accomplishment you’ll feel when you finish. Then, you can wear that pride along with the Joggermom Marathon finishers bib to make it official!
How fun is that?!
Rest assured your favorite stunner will be sporting a bib for sure.
So, you will join Joggermom Marathon and wear a finishers bib too?
Babes and Blossoms
While the weather is pleasant, Little Lion Man and I have been partaking in the preschool-appropriate fun at our neighborhood shopping center. With camera in tow, I try my best to snap photos of a rambunctious toddler who is more interested in shopping cart shaped like police cars, trains and fountains than lizards and hedgehogs.
So although I couldn’t capture a decent photo of Liam, I was able to snap some photos of the flowers cascaded through the plaza.
Spring is definitely in full bloom at our favorite stomping ground, The Shops at Wiregrass, which is perfect timing for the Leap into Spring! Photo Challenge.
For these photos, I decided to have fun with Field of Depth so you could truly experience the sights and smells of spring in my neighborhood.
Now, gather a whiff of the Jasmine bush growing wildly outside our front door. With its twined vines and pungent fragrance, it welcomes you to our home.
Well, it would welcome you to our home if one particular little man would stop the picking the flowers. Otherwise it will just be bush with a bunch a leaves waving hello.
“Has Spring sprung? Post a photo journal of what Spring is looking like in your neck of the woods!”
*Also submitted at*
Random Thoughts about Skipping a Beat, 10 Burpees, Some Shoes and a Few 5Ks
I’ve spent the past two days recovering from Spring Break which has been mostly spent sweeping and tidying away the fallout from Easter and Spring Break. It’s amazing how dirty and unkempt my house looks even though we spent so little time in it over the past week.
I’ve been so busy trying to play catch-up to my housework that I didn’t even blog yesterday for Music Monday. Gasp! I had a post in my head complete with photographs showing all our fun in the sun which I was going to link up at Kristi’s Leap into Spring! Photo Challenge at Live and Love Out Loud. However, time just escaped me while one Little Lion Man wouldn’t leave me side, so I couldn’t swing it. Maybe I’ll work on it for Wordless Wednesday, minus sunny day song.
We’re on day 10 for the 30 Day Burpee Challenge, which means we’ve moved hit double digits. Truth be told, ten burpees about did me in today. I am so out of shape, which why I need to do burpees. It’s a vicious cycle.
Have I ever mentioned that I assist with my kids’ running club after school? Every Tuesday, I run about 3 miles with my stroller and close to 50 kids. Besides spending quality running time with my girls, it’s all part of my evening training plan to help me train for upcoming evening races in warmer weather. And you thought I was trying to be a good mom! Nope. I’m just trying to be a better mother summer runner.
I officially registered for my first summer race: Oldsmar 5K (formerly the Oldsmar Taphouse Run) in June. Even though it’s hotter than hell, this is one of my favorite races. I love the flat course and its beautiful view of the bay. It’s not chipped, but the first 50 finishers get “Das Boot” and since that will never be me holding Das Boot, I’m just going to have fun with it and get my drink on after the race. I get to do my thing, taking photos running happy and snappy as usual and I’ll have a beer or two or three when it’s all finished. Did I mention that there is free beer for all runners at the finish?
My new Brooks Trance 10 running shoes arrived last Thursday afternoon and I unfortunately didn’t have the chance to break them in before the race. In other words, I wore brand-spanking new shoes for a race, which incidentally was 5K trail run. I had no idea it was a trail run! So not only was a panicking about not running for over a week due to plantar fasciitis, I began panicking because I hadn’t trained for a trail. And on top of it all, I worried that I would dirty my pretty new white shoes. Such a girl! I’ll tell you more about the race in another post.
Speaking of shoes, our new pup chewed through my pink Spenco flip-flops. Son of…! They were about a year old anyway and I was long overdue for a new pair as they had lost some of the support in them, but still. UGH! Thank goodness it wasn’t my new Abeo shoes but I’ve been hiding those out of the dog’s reach. Oh well. Now, I have an excuse to buy a new pair. Maybe I’ll go for the pink (honeysuckle) cork shoes?
Before I forget, WordPress is hosting a Automattic Worldwide WP 5k. The WWWP5k is set for Sunday, April 29, but you can do your run/walk anytime from April 23rd-29th, which means you’ve got a week to fit it in. If you’ve never done a 5K, the WWWP5K is the perfect no-pressure 5K, because like the Automattic gang put it so eloquently, “you can run, walk, or skip the 3.1 miles. It’s up to you. There’s no time limit and there’s just one requirement: that you participate! You can do it inside or outside, on a treadmill or on a track, or even do a swim or a bike ride instead of running/walking – just get moving!”
So, will you join the WWWP5K on April 29? Of course, I’m down with WWWP5K. Yeah you know me. It should be a lot easier than 10 burpees.
*Proudly submitted to Stacy Uncorked, because when I blog about my training, it’s usually pretty random.*
Spring Sprint 5K
“Mom, do you plan to run this race easy or hard?” Allana asked.
“I was planning to run with you, so whatever pace you want to do.”
“Well, Katie, Jackie and I are going to run easy, so you should just run how you want to, Mom.”
Before the start of the Spring Sprint 5K, my pre-teen gave me the “all clear” to run the race hard, but in reality I think she chose to be with her friends over me. It was my first taste of the teen years to come.
Honestly, for the time being, I’m o.k. with it as this was a chipped race and selfishly, I wanted a good time on my Active.com profile. I’ll worry about being blown off for friends another day. This mother runner needed to finish a 5K in under 30 minutes! (Just call me Domino’s, because I can get there in 30 minutes or less.)
Although the race was in its second year, this was our first time participating in the Spring Sprint 5K, race to raise funds for autism awareness and education projects. What a great little charity race from start to finish!
As logistics go, the race event coordinators had it together. Oakstead Elementary hosted packet pick-up the evening before the race which was a smooth operation. Parking on race day was also smoothly orchestrated. As any runner will tell you, packet pick-up and parking are HUGE factors for any race and the organizers behind this race worked out every detail beautifully.
The start line was clearly marked as well as visible. Both the 5K and 1 mile Fun Run had their own start line banners.
As for the course, it was right in my backyard, so to speak. The 5K course wound through the flat and scenic streets of my neighborhood, the very same streets I train on. We ran past my kids’ school, the middle school and high school.
We even ran past my Publix and my favorite running store, Suncoast Running, who cheered for us as we ran by.
The sunrise was like any other running day in my neighborhood, but the sun seemed to be shining just a bit more brightly today. Maybe the sun knew it was a great day for a race?
For a small race with less than 500 participants, there were a great number of volunteers and spectators, many I believe to be faculty and staff of Oakstead Elementary. The finish led us back to the high school where we ran a half lap around the track.
DJ Elvis called out our numbers as we ran past and people in the stands cheered for us as we crossed the finish line.
*Photo provided by Suncoast Running.*
Gun Time 28:39
Chip Time 28:34
Ave Pace 9:14
Division Place 10/35
Overall Place 139/415
As for Allana, she did GREAT. She ran it without stopping, a first for her. However, I missed Allana crossing the finish line as I had to be at the start line for the 1 mile Fun Run with Emmalynn. My husband snapped these photos of Allana and her friend, Jackie.
Allana’s Stats
Gun Time 50:16
Chip Time 50:00
Ave Pace 16:11
Division 26/27
Overall 409/415
For the 1 Mile Fun Run, we ran back onto the road in front of the high school and then looped back onto the school groups to finish on the track once again.
Of course, I was so proud of both girls, but I was extremely proud of Emmalynn. She held onto a nice pace and avoided side stitches.
By doing so, Emmalynn earned a personal best for this race and redeemed her Gasparilla Jr. performance! Way to go Emmalynn!
The sun was right. It certainly was a great day for a race. Even my friend, Chrissy, did well and finished 6th in her division with a chip time of 29:23.
On a side note, with this race falling on Saint Patrick’s Day, I thought everyone would be all decked out in green. I totally expected to see others wearing sparkly green running skirts and silly St. Patrick’s Day hats or runners dressed as leprechaun look-alikes. Um…not so much.
I did not expect to be one of the very few people wearing green not to mention being the only one wearing a green tutu. Talk about feeling like the belle of the ball and making a spectacle of myself. Wow.
Kermit wasn’t kidding. It’s not easy being green but then I don’t think Kermit ever wore a tutu and a little leprechaun hat. Well, at least I’ve raised the bar for next year.
And we’ll definitely be back next year.
It Happened at Disneyland
It happened at Disneyland.
Code Adam. Words you never hope to hear. With my second daughter and middle child, Emmalynn, it has always been the inevitable.
For years, my family and I participated in the taping of Disney’s Christmas Parade at the Magic Kingdom. Although our one-day park tickets would be free, the cost would be more than we were willing to pay.
Since my husband attended graduate school on Saturdays, my parents joined me and the girls this year. It had been decades since my parents visited the park and could now relive the magic through their grandchildren’s eyes. We arrived early and had a wonderful day taking in all the sights of Magic Kingdom.
Several of our friends were there for the taping as well and it felt like one huge family reunion.
As to not make for a long day with young children, my parents and I decided to leave the park around 6:00 p.m. For cutting our day short, we promised my oldest daughter a toy from the Emporium on Main Street when we left the park. To avoid any Houdini moments from my clever little two year old escape artist, Emmalynn wore her monkey harness most of the day or sat buckled in her stroller, however, once inside the Emporium, I unbuckled Emmalynn from her stroller so she could choose a toy in the shop.
My mom, Allana, Emmalynn and I made our way to the check-out while my dad stayed with the stroller. I bought Allana’s toys and my mom waited behind me to purchase Emmalynn’s toys. Then, in a blink of an eye, Emmalynn ran off. My mom tried to chase her, but she was too slow and Emmalynn vanished.
I was finishing my purchase when my mom returned without Emmalynn. With clothing racks positioned throughout the store like walls of a labyrinth and an exit door leading to a mob of people strolling down Main Street, we didn’t even know where to begin looking.
I grabbed a cast member and explained what had happened. I described Emmalynn’s clothes, her features and displayed her image on my digital camera. (This was years before I owned a cell phone with a decent camera.) My heart sunk. I thought I was going to be sick.
How would I ever find my child in a sea of a million people? How would I explain this to my husband?
The Disney Security Team reported to the scene. I was advised to stay in one place while the team located Emmalynn. And then, he said the words no parent should ever have to hear, “We have a Code Adam.”
I called my husband, who was waiting for us at the hotel, to explain why we hadn’t arrived yet. I tried to utter the words, but he couldn’t understand me. Other guests saw my uncontrollable sobbing and tried to locate her in the store, but there was still no sign of her.
Forty five minutes later although it felt like a lifetime, two guests found Emmalynn following strangers down Main Street still holding two small stuffed toys.
Years later, she still holds those stuffed Minnie Mouse and Mickey Mouse toys which prompt her to ask me to retell the tale of the time we lost her at Disney.
“Were you sad, Mommy?”
“I couldn’t stop crying. Even Allana cried for you,” I reply with a lump in my throat as relive the horror.
Since that first Code Adam moment, we’ve lost her countless times and by the grace of God, she’s always been found within a few minutes. Rest assured, if you ever hear a Code Adam, it’s because I’ve lost one of my children again.
Yes, I am that mom and my path to neglectful parenting happened at Disneyland.
*This “It happened at Disneyland” post was inspired by Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop.*
Random Thoughts about Green Things and Other Gross Stuff
Little Lion Man’s green snot situation is still sticking around. Poor little dude can’t shake whatever he’s got and then this morning it escalated into a hacking cough. I debated calling the doctor, but since I had to run some errands, I thought I’d call the doctor on the way. No appointments were available until the afternoon, so against my better judgment, I decided to stop by Target while I was out.
Once in Target, Little Lion Man’s hacking developed into a projectile vomit situation and he puked three times in his stroller. I made a mad dash to the cart wipes area to clean the mess. As I attempted to clean up his entire stomach contents, Little Lion Man notices the bananas nearby. “Mama, nanas.”
Yes, there are bananas over there.
“Mama, nanas, please.”
“Seriously, dude. You just puked all over yourself. Now you want a banana?” He replied with a huge grin across his face.
Wondering if this is a good idea, I reviewed the BRAT diet in my head. “Bananas are good for upset tummies and we really do need diapers. And Allana needs a science board and cough drops. Right then!”
As I ran off to finish my shopping, I hoped no one would sniff him or the stroller while we shopped.
On my way to the infant aisle, I spotted some fun skinny jeans. Before you judge, the women’s section is right next to the baby stuff and I didn’t try them on! I swear! I just looked.
Anyway, I love the animal prints and the variety of bright colors for spring. Thank goodness I didn’t spot anything sparkly. Poor Little Lion Man would have really suffered.
Later at the doctor’s office, I learned Little Lion Man has a nasty respiratory infection and some fluid in his ears. Poor little guy!
Although Little Lion Man is my latest patient, it’s been like revolving door of a hospital ward in this house. Someone has had some infliction or illness for the past month. It’s crazy which also makes me crazy because it’s difficult to squeeze in my running when I’m playing nursemaid.
However, last Saturday, I ran in the Armadillo 10K (full recap to follow shortly). Then, I ran 3 miles on Monday, but I forgot to charge my Garmin, so no stats. This morning, I did some speedwork. Nothing fancy, just 1 mile warm-up followed by 4 quarter sprints and a mile for a cool down.
1 mile
Time 9:46
Lap 1 – 0.25
Time 1:44
Ave Pace 6:53
Lap 2 – 0.25
Time 1:48:65
Ave Pace7:18
Lap 3 – 0.25
Time 1:48:22
Ave Pace 7:12
Lap 4 – 0.25
Time 1:50
Ave Pace 7:29
1.1 mile
Time 10:39
Ave Pace 9:43
My girls and I have the Spring Sprint 5K this Saturday. I’m excited to run our first 2012 race together and of course, we’ll all be wearing green for St. Patrick’s Day. Hopefully, Little Lion Man’s snot situation won’t coordinate with his shirt by then. That’s an accessory I can do without.
*Proudly submitted to Stacy Uncorked, because when I blog about my training, it’s usually pretty random.*
Random Thoughts about a Swelled Head, a Shrinking Waist and a Princess Problem
In the past few weeks, Run DMT has been spotlighted on several websites and it’s giving me a big head.
Marathon Training Schedule compiled a list of top running blogs and Run DMT is #64. Then, RN Central.com shared 50 Inspiring Blogs for Your Post-Pregnancy Weight Loss and Run DMT is #5 on the list. How exciting is that?!
I’m flattered to be considered an “inspiration” to others for post-partum weight-loss and I hope yours is going better than mine because I’m sill struggling to lose the last of my baby weight 19 months later. What’s that old pregnancy rule of thumb for weight-loss? Nine months up, nineteen months down? That sounds about right.
Five unflattering pounds are still sticking around from my pre-pregnancy weight but I don’t put a whole heck of a lot of value on the scale since most of my old clothes are fitting me.
So the numbers on the scale are not dropping but I am definitely toning and shrinking inches, thanks to our Love My Abs Challenge. If you haven’t been following along, you should go over there RIGHT NOW and check it out! Each week, I’ve been sharing photos and a brief recap of my progress.
Tomorrow, we’re moving onto to Week 4 and 200 reps, but it’s not too late to join in the fun. Even if you fell off the wagon, you can simply start over at 100 reps at Week 1. It’s not about how many reps or how long, but more about making a commitment to a better you.
Speaking of wagons, I will be catching a carriage ride over to Orlando this weekend for the Disney’s Princess Half Marathon. I don’t feel prepared at all for this race, but it has nothing to do with training. I still haven’t figure out what to wear!
Should I be Belle or Tiana?
Both princesses are equally smart, brave, fearless, beautiful and good role models for my girls (next to their mom, of course). But…
If I dress as Belle, I’ll wear a yellow running skirt, matching yellow top, a tiara and carry a red rose.
If I dress as a Tiana, I’ll wear a green top, green shorts and a magnolia rhinestone hair clip in my hair. I wanted to find a green tutu to wear over my shorts, but I haven’t had any luck yet. 
As any stylish, runner (a.k.a stunner ) will tell you, tiaras and tutus are a must for any Disney Princess race. I think what I wear will be a game time decision, but I would love to hear your vote: Belle or Tiana?
The girls have the Gasparilla Jr. Race on Saturday. Next year, Liam will be old enough to run the Gasparilla Jr with Emmalynn, but this is Allana’s last year to run it as she’s getting too old for it now. The thought of it makes me all melancholy, but she’s moving on to bigger distances with her mom.
And who knows maybe she’ll run a Princess race with me someday. Then she can be Belle and I’ll be Tiana! There. Problem solved. Hopefully, by then I would have found a green tutu or made one or bought one of these shnazzy sparkly skirts. A runner mom can dream, can’t she? Like a wise mouse once told me, “If you dream it, you can do it.”
And now for my running stats!
I suffered from a stomach bug for two days after the Rock ‘n Roll Half Marathon, but I think the forced rest helped me run under 30 minutes for the first time in nearly a year.
2/15
3.1 miles
Time 29:35
Ave Pace 9:33
Max Pace 7:31
2/16
4 miles
Time 41:09
Ave Pace 10:17
Max Pace 7:59
2/18
6 miles
Time 1:13:27
Ave Pace 11:51
Max Pace 8:56
2/21
3.1 miles
Time 30:21
Ave Pace 9:48
Max Pace 7:06
*Proudly submitted to Stacy Uncorked, because when I blog about my training, it’s usually pretty random.*
