The Flying Pig

Elvis and I went for a hilly run!

For a couple years now I have been looking at Runner's World's advertisements for the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati, Ohio.  This year I ran it.  I should have paid closer attention to the elavation map, because if I had I'm pretty sure I would not have been so excited to run this race.

There were over 12,000 registered for the half.  The corrals were well marked but a little small, especially in the last corral where I and several walkers hung out.  They call the corrals PIG PENS and that's exactly what they felt like. If this is how pigs feel before the slaughter than I feel a little guilty about my love of bacon!  There was lots of chatter about how hilly the course was that I could of done without that morning, and I wished I had not forgot my gum, but other than that things went well

The view from the last pig pen!

Still waiting to start!

The 6:30 am start was early, but it was also nice to be done and back at the hotel before lunch.  Starting near the Ohio river and in between two sports team stadium's was pretty cool too.  There were lots of people to cheer you on throughout the course. Every couple of miles there were bands and there were signs everywhere.  The community did a great job supporting the runners, even us slow ones in the back!

One of the many bridges I ran over

Learning that bridge=hill

 The course was hilly.  The first hill was the first bridge over the Ohio River into a cute Kentucky town.  I'm sure the town would of been cuter if I wasn't so tired from dodging the potholes on the bridge and the hill to get to Kentucky.  The hills for the first four miles were just teasers to what miles 6-9 had in store.  At mile 6 you start the ascent up to Eden Park.  This hill was huge and just when you thought you were done, you'd turn a corner to only see more hill.  At least the view from the top was beautiful and I was very thankful for the band and water station up there!  Now why I had to look at my time at the 10K mark going up hill eludes me, but I was only 5 minutes behind my estimated time.  Which was pretty good since I don't run hills and was dealing with stomach issues!

The view from the top!

Bob Platt can kiss it!

Water stations and porta potties were plentiful until mile 10.  Why oh why did I pass up the mile 10 porta pottie I'll never know, but it made for a slow and sloshy three miles to the finish.  At mile 11 you start to go down hill.  A big down hill!  By now my feet were protesting and I could feel the blisters,  One for each foot.  I haven't had blisters in a long time, but I assume its from the swelling and up and down on the hills and sliding around in my shoes.  See there is a valid reason why I don't run hills!

The finish was lovely!  There were people lined up everywhere and they were loud!  We got a mylar blanket, even though it was close to 70 when I finished and a cool two sided medal with a flying pig.  There was plenty of food and water at the end of the race.  I wish that they had coke, but I was happy to see a short line at the porta potties!

Adoring fans at the finish!

What's For Dinner

I like to bake.  I like to cook and I like to try new things.  Taking these things into account it should not be a daily battle to answer the question, "What's for dinner?"  There's plenty of good material to choose from on the internet.  I even have a whole Pinetrest board dedicated to food to assist with deciding what's for dinner.  Why does this daily question have to be so hard?

We used to do menu planning for the month.  That helped when I was coaching and my husband's work schedule dictated that he started supper.  There is only so much concession stand food one can eat before your stomach just says NO!  Now when we used to menu plan for the month, each of the kids got a day of the week to pick a meal.  With five kids, that only left two days for me to plan for.  That wasn't too bad, but now the children have tired of menu planning and no longer get excited about assiting with the task.  They will on occasion fight and argue about what we should have for dinner, but to actually plan out a meal that doesn't require one to dirty every dish in the house, or eat out of a paper bag is not in their skill set yet.  Their favorite meal to request is fried chicken, home made mac and cheese, home made crescent rolls and home made cake for dessert.  Who has time for that on a Tuesday after work, and before soccer practice?

Many people ask their husband to assist with meal planning, but my husband isn't really all that picky.  I usually get a whatever you want response.  Well, if I didn't have to cook it I'd like roasted potatoes, home made bread, steak and chocolate moose with a chocolate graham cracker crust for dinner.  Since I'm the one who usually has to cook, calling for pizza looks really good!  Eating out could be a solution.  Problem one with that solution is there are not many restaurants to select from in our area.  Problem two with that solution is we are not rich!

So, if you read this blog (and I hope someone other than my husband is reading this blog) I'm open to suggestions about What's for dinner?

The homemade cake my kids would like for supper

Kids favorite meal minus homemade bread

Vacation

Where I Should Be- At The BEACH

It's currently my spring break.  Many people have littered social media with all the cool things that they are doing during their holiday.  Lots of trips to Disney and the Beach.  Special days with children engaging in activities such as mani/pedi's, fishing, eating out, visiting with out of state relatives you get the idea.. fun and family! So, what do you do when your break doesn't align with the rest of your family and friends and well, you're broke?  You could sit at home elbow deep into an Oreo package feeling sorry for yourself, (definitely not good for your diet, or migraines- trust me I've tried) or check out the list of things I've done during this break in the absence of family and the beach!

1. Troll Social Media for people in your same situation. Beware, you'll also find those friends who are on your dream vacation too!

2. Clean your house!  Not exciting, but at least my home will smell clean and be disinfected until the kids get home on the bus.

3. Bake cookies for said germ carrying children, and you know if you give a kid a cookie then they'll request three other varieties to be ready when they get off the bus tomorrow!

4. Create a new playlist for your next half marathon!  In a total poor planning moment, and a major race director not taking my spring break into consideration, next weekend I'll be running the Flying Pig in Cincinnati.  My Albany playlist wasn't long enough for the entire half, so I'm working on a longer one for this race.  It's also a ten hourish drive so I'm taking music suggestions I can sing while I drive that may, or may not annoy the heck out of my husband (depends on traffic)!

5. Sleep in, sorta of.  Mom duties don't end because mom is the only one on break.  Wake up call is still at 6am for the kids, but it is nice to go back and sleep until 8am.  Of course this plays havoc with my carefully constructed sleep schedule for migraines and Hashimoto's but you only live once!

6. Watch daytime television and know why you work.  Really, how many times can you watch Maury and know "you are not the father!"

7. Tackle that mountain of laundry that never gets done!  Its a battle that is never won until the kids move out, but I thought I had cleaned every piece of laundry in the house until I opened the kids' bathroom door.  If you don't open the door and pretend you never saw the mountain can you still claim victory?

8. Go for a run and not worry about getting home in time for practice, or groceries, or an appointment, or in time to get ready for work and not be late.  Of course forgetting that you have not run in warm temperatures since last summer and coming home a salty, dehydrated mess is part of the vacation fun.

9. Organize the closet.  Not fun or exciting, but Goodwill will get some donations and when I do have money then I can buy some more clothes.  I will be going to a race expo next weekend and a girl can never have too many running shoes or running attire!

10. Relax!  This is the hardest for me to do.  I like a schedule and lots of activity.  The idea of just sitting on the couch with the dog and vegetating goes against every fiber in my nature, but under husband's orders that's what I did yesterday.  The migraine helped with keeping me off my feet and the horrible day time television helped with inducing some much needed napping.

Rescue

This is Noah the rescue dog. He's in training as a migraine/seizure dog. He alerts by laying on top of you. He will also stand in front of you if he feels something is going on. At times this is annoying,  but Elijah and I not very good about slowing down before migraines attack. Noah on the other hand has no problem taking it easy and getting in your way if you need it. 

Sometimes we all need someone, or some dog, whose willing to rescue you when you're too busy, or unwilling to rescue yourself. My husband has to work so, he's not always available to rescue me. Noah on the other hand, his job is to watch and alert. He's technically a "working" dog and he does his job very well!

Now Noah is pretty spoiled since leaving the animal shelter.  He sleeps on the couch when he's not "working" and acts like a human most of the time. I'm pretty sure if there was a way for him to sit at the dinner table he would.

Noah may have needed to be rescued, but he's rescued Elijah and I on numerous occasions. He stands watch, alerts, and comforts when migraines and seizures attack. Not every rescue dog does what Noah does, but you'll never know when who, or what you rescue,  will rescue you!

Queen Josephine Turns 14!

Josie sedated after her first surgery.

The Queen has turned 14!  Okay, Queen Josephine turned 14 on Thursday.  As I'm baking her chocolate cake for her birthday party I've been looking at some photos of our little Queen.  Her existence into this world did not come easy, as you can see from the picture.  She was early and minutes after she was born her lung collapsed.  She was rushed to neonatal where she spent a few weeks due to her lung collapsing and fluid in her other lung.  While the NICU was trying desperately to save her life, the Queen would pull out her tubes whenever she was not sedated.  It was almost three weeks before we even knew what her eyes looked liked due to the sedation because she wasn't cooperative with the NICU staff or equipment, but they admired her fighting spirit!

Breathing on her own and chunky cheeks

The first year of the Queen's life she had pneumonia so many times that she had to be placed on specialized formula from England.  Despite being sick more than she was well, she hit all her milestones and was a happy baby!  I waited years to have a little girl to dress up and fix her hair, but like with everything concerning the Queen, she did things in her own time.  Poor girl didn't have a full head of hair until she was almost three!  Speech issues due to funny formations in the back of her throat didn't hinder her communicating with the world that she was here to stay and in charge!

I parent her different than the boys.  It probably has something to do with the fact that she is my only girl.  My husband will be very sweet and doting, I on the other hand can be very demanding and pushy.  My expectations for how she behaves, how she dresses and most importantly how she becomes a strong woman in the end drive many of our interactions.  Raising a Queen over a follower can be a grey hair experience.  Trust me I have the proof on my head. It's not always easy looking in a mirror and bumping two large personalities.  I'm sure that the boys are entertained by the fireworks at times.

 People assume that she takes after me.  If being bossy and stubborn are inherited traits, she got them honestly from yours truly.  Lots of people say she's a mini me, but that is not really true.  Queen Josephine is her own person! It is true that we share many of the same interests, but she participates in the world a lot easier than I do.  Like a true Queen, she really doesn't care about public opinion.  She does her own thing.  Her selection of friends in eclectic and not many people stay strangers for long.  Of all my kids, she works the hardest for everything that she gets!  School is not easy for her like it was for me.  It takes her a long time to read and she's a little bit of a perfectionist (I think it's a requirement for Queens). The Queen is confident that she has much to offer the world (and so is her mom)!  Time goes by very fast, but I'm excited to see the kingdom Queen Josephine creates for herself over the next 14 years!

Easter ten years ago!

The Queen at 14!

Flashback!

Swimsuit Shopping

This weekend Josie and I went shopping for swimsuits.  Being only three hours from the ocean means we will be going to the beach.  Now I know that I have put on 20 pounds from the Hashimoto's, but being a size 8 I really didn't think that there would be too many issues getting a swim suit, that was age appropriate, for a reasonable price.  I was wrong....so wrong.

Six Wal-Mart suits that Josie, nor I could fit in

Use to be that I could walk into Wal-Mart, pick a swim suit in the appropriate size and walk out. 30.00 tops!  As I am almost 40, and have a little bit of a gut, I currently am not comfortable in a bikini.  The stretch marks and tendency to burn in the stomach region also always make me think twice about the one piece/two piece debate.  Josie and I quickly realized that those cute triangle tops were doing nothing for our C and D cup chests.  At first I thought trying on the larges would be a hit to my self esteem, which it was when I couldn't pull it up over my hips, but then I had Josie try on the bathing suits.  Guess what?  She couldn't get them up over her hips either and she's a size 6 if we push it.  We moved to some two pieces in hopes that we were weirdly constructed, but even with a extra large top, neither one of us were covering the top half.  The bottom half wasn't working either.  I'm not sure what Wal-Mart is thinking in its stock of bathing attire, but I'm on the small size for Wal-Mart's average customer!

Round I forget!

Our Wal-Mart fiasco behind us, we figured we could find something at the mall.  We both found two pieces, but I'm not about to pay 120.00 for a bikini!  I even found a one piece that promised to make you look ten pounds lighter!  That one will set you back 150.00 and for that much I'll just continue to look fat!  We went to four different stores!  Finally found a two piece for 28.00, for Josie in Old Navy.  I on the other hand had to continue to look because my D cup check has now morphed into and extra large top size at Old Navy.  Wow!  Magically overnight my breast have grown to extra large status!  My husband will be so happy!  Finally ended up at Penny's where thank GOD they were having a sale!  Normally priced at 50.00 and up I was able to find four suits that would cover necessary body parts, without looking like something my grandmother wore in the 20's.  Of the 10 bathing suits I tried on that day, only two met the requirement of covering items that need to be covered!  The suit was originally 80.00 but since I like to stay married I was thankful that it was on sale for 56.00.  That is still more than I have ever paid for a swimsuit and guess what?  My husband was unhappy that it was a one piece!  I'm not ready for another battle, so he'll just have to pretend he likes my new swimsuit for awhile!

My husband unhappy about a one piece!

11 Years and Still Going Strong

Me and My Hubby

Today marks a milestone, I have been married to my husband for 11 years!  God bless him for hanging in there this many years.  Today, people at work were asking why I had not posted a picture of us on our wedding day.  The truth is there wasn't a big fancy wedding.  Brian and I ran up to Tennessee with three kids in tow to tie the knot.  I wore a blue dress and a white sweater.  Brian did wear a shirt and tie so, I guess he was dressed up.  I'm pretty sure the two oldest boys were in sweater vests and my daughter was in a dress.  When we said our vows, the children proceeded to role down the aisle.  When we were done, we loaded back into the car and drove home to Atlanta.  That friends is how a marriage was started!

Brian was present at my first wedding which was a pretty big affair.  In fact he was in the wedding party.  There was a white fancy dress, men in tuxes and I even drove away in a classic Rolls Royce.  That marriage did not last for a variety of reasons, but this one has.  No fancy wedding, or honeymoon to a fancy place.  Three kids that are biologically not his, mountains of debt, migraines, seizures, car wrecks, college degrees, moving-he signed up for this voluntarily and has stayed!

Brian has been one of my best friends since I was 15. He was my partner in crime whenever I wanted to take a road trip to the beach.  When my first serious relationship hit the rocks, he held me while I got snot all over his pants and then went shopping with me to help cheer me up.  The first day of my senior year he brought me pizza and a coke just because.  He suffered a 24 hour car ride with my mother and sisters to make sure I was okay at Mercer.  When I went into labor with my oldest, Brian went to the emergency room with me and then drove in a blizzard to pick up my son's father.  There has never been a time that if I needed Brian that he has not come to my aid (usually with a coke, pizza, cupcake or donuts).  I have never had a truer friend than Brian!

There are times that I wish Brian and I had started our romantic relationship when we were younger.  Life probably would not be as complicated as it has been if, I had not overlooked what was right next to me when I was 15! I'm sure God had his own plans and things happened just how they needed to happen.  There isn't a day that I'm not thankful to be married to my best friend.  He knows me better and loves me more than words can express.  While we have only been married for 11 years, I can't imagine sharing this crazy life with a more wonderful person than my husband!  Here's to more years of going strong!