Dinner, a Movie, and Some New Readers

Today was kind of an exciting day for me.  I finally took a leap of faith and put the link to my blog on Facebook.  Until now, it's just been me and about 10 other people.  Now, it's out there for all to see.  On my side, I can see the stats of how many people are looking at my blog.  It's been fun to see the number rise today.  So, Welcome to anyone new to reading.  I hope you don't find it as boring as my brother Josh does...

To catch some of you up, I've decided to run my first 1/2 marathon this year, and starting a blog has helped to keep me motivated.  BUT, no one wants to read just about me running every day so I toss in the day to day craziness of Aidyn. 

Anyway, I hit the gym a little later than I wanted this afternoon.  Aidyn  is still a little under the weather, so I didn't put too much effort into rushing out to the gym.  I hoped on a bike for only about 15 minutes.  Then I had to run to the store to stock up on a few things for my sort of sickly kid.  

Apparently, my Bubble Pizza from the other night didn't satisfy Tim's pizza craving because when I got home he asked if we could order pizza for dinner.  He had also hit up the Blockbuster this morning and got Aidyn a movie for tonight: 

Tomorrow is going to be a super busy day at work, and I have to fit in 5 miles before I pick Aidyn up from school.  Luckily, I get to end the day with a haircut....so I got that going for me.  Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to finish my DVR'd America's Next Top Model and Top Chef before I head to bed. 

Until tomorrow!

Quick and to the Point

Not too much going on tonight.  I went for a run before the rains came, but I can't even tell you how far I ran.  I don't know if I hit something on my watch or there was too much cloud cover or what, but my watch didn't start measuring my distance until I had already gone more than a mile away from home.  According to my watch my 1st mile was almost a 20 min. mile.  Since I wasn't walking, pretty sure that isn't accurate.  I do know I ran more than 3 miles and I ran for 42 minutes.  Good enough!

Tim had to work late tonight, so Aidyn and I had an old Taillon favorite, Brupper (Breakfast for dinner).  We had multi grain pancakes, mine with a little syrup, Aidyn's with choc. chips.  Hers tasted way better than mine.  I think I needed a little more salt in my batter.  It was a little too plain. 

Two pics to share tonight.  One is the dress I mentioned yesterday that Aidyn wants to wear for pictures on Friday.  She has two, this is the black and white dress, but they both fit just the same...

My next pic is proof that summer needs to come, and needs to come soon! 

Yes.  Yes, she is "swimming" (in a bucket) at the beach with her pet flamingo.  That was a weird sentence huh?!  She either has a severe case of cabin fever or severe hallucinations.  You decide for yourself. 

Not much I can say after that, so GoodNight!

Is It Time To Run Yet?

As you can probably see, I've been doing a little maintenance to my site.  Blogger and I fought a little yesterday as I tried to figure out setting up a new page, and I'm pretty sure I lost.  I hope you like the addition of a recipe page and that I can figure out how to use it! 

Today was chilly and a little snowy.  More of the same tomorrow which really bugs me.  Since I did my long run on Friday, I took the weekend off to give my foot time to rest a little.  Today was a stretch and strength day, so I just stayed home and did a workout video from  here.  It might sound crazy to you, but I'm really ready to get back out and run.  I feel like I've taken a ton of time off, but really it's only been a few days.  I just wish it wouldn't be raining and/or snowing when I go.  :(  My long run is suppose to be 9 miles this week, but I'm ready to do 10.  For some reason 10 miles is my mental block, so I need to know that I can do it.  I can hardly believe I'm now less than 3 weeks away from the race!  It makes me nervous just thinking about it!  I hope my body holds up!

Not too much to report in Aidyn's world.  I think she has a little bug or something.  She hasn't been eating or sleeping very well.  You wouldn't know it to look at her though.  She still plays like a maniac.  On Thurs. and Fri. this week, Stepping Stones, where I work is doing Spring picture day.  I'll take Aidyn in to get her pics taken, so today we had a fashion show of her dresses to see which one she would wear.  My choice is a cute little brown sundress.  Her choice is a dress we bought for her when we went to Mexico last year.  It's purple and white, probably see threw  in the right light, strapless with a tie around her neck that won't stay tied and it's still a bit big so it slips down in the front.  We'll see who wins.  We'll probably need a mediator.  

On Saturday, I made a new dish called Bubble Pizza.  I had never heard of it before until a friend posted it on her Facebook page. (Thanks, Shelby!!)  I Googled it, and realized the skies the limit with this recipe!  Here is how I made my version:

Bubble Pizza

2 tubes refrigerator biscuits (I used Grand Jrs.)
1 lb. Italian sausage
turkey pepperoni - I always have the sliced pepperoni on hand, I just took a couple handfuls and cut them in half.   
1 jar favorite spaghetti sauce
splash of red wine (sure, why not?!)
1 tsp. (or so) Italian seasoning
Mozzarella cheese

Cook up the sausage and then add in the pepperoni.  Cook the pepperoni a little and then add in the spaghetti sauce.  Add the wine to the sauce, and then to your wine glass.  Add Italian seasoning.  Cut the biscuits into quarters.  The recipes I looked at said to use a 9x13 pan, but that seems too big to me, so I used a smaller casserole dish.  Use whatcha got!  Add biscuits to your dish that has been sprayed with pan spray.  Sprinkle in some of the cheese.  Pour the sauce mixture over the biscuits and mix up a little.  Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.  Take out and sprinkle on the rest of the cheese and bake another 10 minutes until brown and melty.  Make sure the biscuits on the bottom are all the way cooked.  I didn't cook mine long enough to start with and had gooey biscuits.  
The possibilities are endless with this dish!  I think next time I'm going to make these as individual dishes so that everyone can make their own.  Just do your favorite pizza toppings.  My next one will be white sauce with sausage, mushrooms, and spinach.

Ok, off to bed!  Fingers crossed that the rains hold off so I can hit the road again tomorrow!

Vanilla Almond Granola

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup light brown sugar

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon vanilla

4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not the quick cooking)

1/3 cup wheat germ (I used ground Flaxseed)

1 cup sliced almonds

1/2 - 1 cup of your favorite add-ins (I used dried cranberries)

Heat oven to 300 degrees.  Line 1 or 2 cookie sheets with foil.

In a large bowl, combine the honey, brown sugar, butter, salt, and vanilla.  Add the oats and wheat germ, then stir the mixture until it's evenly blended. 

Spread the granola onto the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through to keep it from burning. 

Remove the pan from the oven and stir again.  Add the almonds, then return pan to the oven and bake 10 more minutes.  Note: Keep an eye on the granola and stir occasionally so that it doesn't burn. 

Remove the granola from oven and stir one last time.  Allow  it to cool completely.  Once cooled, stir in your add-ins.  Store in an airtight container.  Can be stored for up to four weeks.  Makes about 7 cups.

I find the less you stir, the more "clumpy" your granola will be.  I usually only stir once but am careful to watch for burning.  This recipe came from Family Fun Magazine and included a few different versions.  I am minimalistic when it comes to granola, so this is my favorite version, but you can add just about anything you like to make this exactly how  you like it.  Enjoy!

Chili-Roasted Almonds



3 Tbsp. peanut or canola oil
1 1/2 tsp. dried crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. whole almonds with skins (about 3 cups)
coarse kosher salt

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Add crushed red pepper and black pepper and stir to distribute evenly in skillet.  Add almonds and stir to coat with oil-pepper mixture.  Cook until almonds begin to darken slightly and mixture is fragrant, stirring frequently, about 8 minutes.  Careful to keep an eye on them, as they can burn quickly.  Transfer to a lined baking sheet; sprinkle generously with coarse salt.  Cool completely. 

These are really easy to make and very addictive. 

Good news and bad news!  Good news - according to the MRI, there is nothing wrong with my back.  Bad news - according to the MRI, there is nothing wrong with my back.  Sigh.  Back to the drawing board...

Since yesterday was the "warmest" day of the whole weekend, my friend Stephanie and I met in the afternoon after work to get in our long 8 mile run for the weekend.  Aidyn ended up coming with us in the stroller.  This is the longest run I've ever done pushing the stroller.  She fell asleep soon after we got going and didn't wake up until we were on the way back, which was nice.  I actually felt pretty good, but I was very aware of how far away we were from our starting point.  

Distance: 8.01 miles
Time: 1:22.18
Avg. Pace: 10:09 min/miles

It started to get colder on our way back but Aidyn was so good, I think she complained once that she was cold.  I promised her a little treat once we got back for being so good.  But, once we got back I realized just how cold she really was even with being bundled up.  I felt so bad that her little treated ended up being a chocolate milk, chocolate covered pretzels (she shared them with me), a rented Scooby movie and McDonald's for dinner.  Spoiled?  Probably, but if you had seen her little tears and heard her, "Mommy, I'm just so cold", you would have felt bad too!  Anyway, we both finally warmed up and I was forgiven.

Today, was mostly a lazy day.  Aidyn didn't sleep well last night and she actually ran a little bit of a temp this afternoon (no, I don't think it's related to being so cold on the run yesterday, but thanks for making me feel bad again).  We lounged around and had a movie day and I was able to get some things done in the kitchen.

I made some Vanilla Almond Granola:

Then, we did our nails:

Then I made some Chili-Roasted Almonds:

Then for dinner I made something called Bubble Pizza.  I don't know how I didn't know about this before!

I'll post recipes tomorrow, it's getting a little late tonight.  Sunday is suppose to be cold and possibly snowy, so we may just do more of the same as today.  I'll leave you with a fun pic from Friday night:



 Go Fish or Poker? 

No New News

Not much to report tonight.  No word from anyone as far as MRI results, which stinks.  I really hope to hear something before the weekend. 

I ended up going for a run with my running partner, Jenny.  We didn't have a set plan, we just took off and waited to see how we felt. 

Distance: 4.58 miles
Time: 45:52
Avg Pace: 10:00 min/miles

It was a nice easy run and running with Jenny is always therapeutic.  :)  Tomorrow, I think we are going to try and tackle 8  or 9 miles.  We should be taking the day off but of the next three days, Friday is suppose to be the warmest and the driest.  Now that Spring is here and I've had 70 degree days, I'm going to be a baby about running in possible snow this weekend.   I should be doing a 10K (6.2 miles) race this weekend, but there aren't any that I could find in town, and with Tim working all weekend, it's hard to plan an out of Lawrence race day. 

I'm very ready for the weekend to get here.  Since the weather is suppose to be lousy, I think Aidyn and I will just stick close to home.  Maybe get some more baking done this weekend.  I have a granola recipe that I really like and have been wanting to make for a while. 

N

It didn't turn out very well, but this is Aidyn defeating Daddy in a sword fight.  She was in a super silly mood tonight and did a lot of posing for the camera.  It must be time for a new phone, cus they were all lousy pics.  I think Aidyn has had a taste of the warm weather too, and isn't too happy about having to come back inside to play.  She's dying to start a little flower garden outside and isn't understanding why we have to wait a bit longer.  We did get a few planters so I think we might get a few flowers started inside this weekend. 

That's all for tonight.  Happy Friday!

MRI? Sure why not?!

So, instead of doing any workout today, I went to the hospital and had an MRI done on my back.  Random right?  Sort of. 

Last week when I went to see my chiropractor we started talking about how to move forward with my lower back problem.  I've been going to see him for a few months now with not much progress as far as "curing" my back pain.  I was able to get a hold of x-rays done about a year ago by an Ortho doctor here in town (he was an ego-ass and I never went to see him again) and my chiro and I decided that the MRI might be the best bet now to move forward.  Since I don't have shooting pain down my leg, it doesn't seem like I have nerve damage or anything wrong with the vertebrae itself BUT, the x-ray does show some kind of an abnormality for lack of a better word, to the spacing of my last vertebrae.  It's all very confusing unless you're looking at the little model skeleton in the doctor's office.  Basically, we're just checking to see if I'm falling apart from the outside in or from the inside out. 

Anyway, that was my afternoon.  I probably won't hear back for a few days but I'm hoping before the weekend.  I'm going to press on with my training until I hear otherwise.  I can't decide if I want to do the 5 miles I'm suppose to do or turn it up a bit and do a pretty hard hill workout.  I guess I'll wait and see how I feel tomorrow and see what I can talk my friend Jenny into...

Night all!!

5 Mile Tuesday

I'm so happy the weather is finally nice!  But, I do live in KS, so of course beautiful Spring weather comes with lots of storms and tornado possibilities.  It looked like rain all day today and we even had a tornado warning (which expired quickly) but it turned out we never saw one drop of rain which made me very happy for my 5 miles today.

I picked a new route today to mix things up a bit.  I started at Bruce and Nancy's (my in-laws) house and ended up doing a loop that was closer to 5 1/2 miles.  It was really REALLY windy today when I started - I probably ate plenty of sand.  It was also a route that followed one of the busier streets here in Lawrence.  I may not go that way again because I'm pretty sure afternoon traffic does not want to see the fat kid on the sidewalk picking her shorts out of her thighs every 20 feet.  At least no one honked at me. 

The good news of the run is that I got to use my new toy which I've had for more than a week now and finally got to use it for the first time on Sunday's long run.  

My new Garmin 310XT

I'm still trying to figure out what the hell it does though.  This was a huge step for me to make this purchase.  I research and scrutinize almost all goods and services over $50.  I'm really excited to figure out all of the features on it.  If I ever learn to swim, I can use it in the water.  One of my favorite things is that when my info is uploaded to the computer, it puts it all right there in front of me to look at nice and neat.  I can compare runs and it even shows me a map of where I ran today.  I'm not ultra techie, but this is pretty cool. 

My other big purchase for the week...Body Glide.   Probably too much info for most but, I've never done so many miles to have skin irritation be a problem.  It's new to me!  Right under my sports bra line is really starting to get to me.  It's suppose to work on your feet too, so I'm helping it helps with my blister spots.  I do think it helped a little today.

In Aidyn news, she had a great day going to school with me yesterday.  A guess a few of the kids asked if she was coming back again soon. 



Enjoying some sun



Reading a new magazine

 Ok, off to bed.  Tomorrow  is shaping up to be a busy day!  Happy Mid-week! 

Clean, Run, Eat, Repeat

I guess it's a good thing that Spring is finally here.  Not only does it bring sunshine and warm weather, it also brings back my motivation which seriously drags during the winter months. 

I got up Saturday ready to clean!  I went to work on my never ending mountain of laundry, and then headed upstairs with my vacuum and a bottle of pledge.  I got a lot of winter stuff put away which means it's sure to snow at least one more time to prove my ambition wrong.  Aidyn and I also got some cookies made, made Play-Doh birthday cakes, played a game of Memory, made tacos for dinner and ended the night with a few bed time stories.  My workout for the day, yup, that was it. 

Today,  I was able to tackle more laundry (seriously, it really is never ending - and my most hated job) before I headed out to run at noon.  It. Was. A. BEAUTIFUL. Day!!!  I saw 80 degrees at some point today, but it was pretty windy.  I felt pretty good but my friend Steph was not having a good running day (nothing wrong with that, it happens.  some days you just aren't feeling it).  It was suppose to be 8 miles but I did my last two miles by myself and ended up pushing through a 9th mile.  I'm sure I'll be paying for it tomorrow.  My foot is sore, but I iced and I'm hoping a good mix of light running and cross training will get me through the week. 

After my run, and after chugging a Gatorade AND a chocolate milk, I met Tim and Aidyn for a quick lunch then out to the store for some necessities for the week, got my car washed and de-Aidynized vacuumed and then back home to do a bit more cleaning and cleaning up so we could head to his folks house for dinner and the start of the KU basketball game.  Whew.  Finally, time for bed.  Stupid motivation makes me tired!

As a side note, Aidyn has been eating non-stop for the last three days.  She is hardly EVER a big dinner eater, but she's been putting away everything I give her.  Must be time for a growth spurt.  Sigh...I JUST bought her clothes for spring/summer.  I can't afford to replace them already. 

Ok, off to bed.  I have no one to watch Aidyn tomorrow, so she is actually coming to work with me tomorrow.  She'll spend the day in the room with the other 4 and 5 year olds.  She'll have a blast! 

Good night!  I hope your weekend was as productive and successful as mine! 

What's your most hated household chore?

F.R.I.D.A.Y.!!!!

Happy weekend!!  I don't know about you, but this was a looong week.  I think part of my problem was taking most of the week off from running.  I'm getting a little antsy to get back on the road.  My foot is feeling so much better, so I'm glad I laid low this week, but I'm ready to get going again.  I'm going to tackle  8 miles on Sunday, and hoping the rain either holds off or ends early.  Today I headed to the gym to do my new lifting/workout program.  It's hard, but I like it.  I was sweating when I was finished and I can tell I'll be sore tomorrow. 

Yesterday, we enjoyed the St. Patty's Day Parade.  Lawrence does a pretty good parade for a relatively smallish town.  Aidyn collected candy until she couldn't hold any more. 

Waiting for Grammy and Grampy to come



Hanging at the bar, waiting for the parade to start

It was a good day.  Aidyn and I ended with a little girl's dinner and some shopping for non-necessities. 

Tonight, Aidyn decided she wanted to help me cook.  I usually give her her own bowl and some ingredients, and hope for the best. 

I was told this was cupcakes

Finished product, whatever it may be

She asked if we could made something for real that we don't have to dump down the drain, so I'm thinking it's a cookie or brownie weekend! 

Ok, funny story and then it's off to bed.  Aidyn and I had dinner by ourselves last night and walking back to the car she handed me her purse and said, "here Momma, you carry this for me".  "Why do I have to carry your purse for you?"  "So I can put my hands on my hips!"  And she sauntered all the way to the car shaking her hips.  Sigh...

Have a good weekend, I hope it's Springlike!

I'm climbing into bed, but wanted to check in for the day.  It felt like a long one!  I left work a little later than I had hoped, so when I got home I only had about 45 minutes to relax chase Aidyn before I had to head back out to the gym. 

When I made my appointment a few weeks ago, I asked Sara my trainer to make it a good one.  Yup, she did.  I can already tell my arms and tush are going to be sore tomorrow.  She knows I'm running a lot, so she gave me a lot of leg exercises to help strengthen.  My legs were burning today!  I'm excited to get back to the gym and go through the whole workout again.  I also got on a bike at the gym and rode 6 miles before my appointment.  I love the bikes at my gym.  They have TV screens and you can do different levels and different races and courses, but my favorite is a "video game" level.  You peddle through this fantasy world collecting different color coins and then go find a dragon of the same color.  Some colors are worth more points than others and the higher point dragons usually can be found at the top of big hills, so you have to work harder to get yourself up the hills and get the higher points.  Anyway, for me, I find biking not very fun and this is how I survive it.  The time goes by really fast.  

After the gym, I ran home to relax chase Aidyn some more before we headed back out because Aidyn did not have a proper Irish shirt for tomorrow's holiday AND it's the start of the basketball tourney so she also needed a new KU Jayhawk shirt.  Luckily, here in Lawrence you can combine the two into one shirt.  Problem solved.  Lawrence does a big St. Patty's Day parade every year, so Aidyn is playing hooky from school to hang with Daddy and Grammy and Grampy for the day. 

After we grabbed a quick bite to eat, we headed to the KU women's basketball game.  They won and Aidyn had a good time hanging out with and climbing all over Bruce (Grampy).  After the game, they all headed out to get a bite of ice cream, but I was about done for the day and came home to once and for all put my feet up and catch up on some America's Next Top Model (you have your guilty pleasures, I have mine...don't judge). 

Time to sleep.  A lot going on tomorrow, but probably not much working out.  :(

Have a safe and fun St. Patty's Day and good luck to everyone on your March Madness brackets!

Day Off!

I didn't really plan on taking today off from exercise, but it just worked out like that.  My foot is feeling better today, so I'm confident taking it easy this week will put be back on track next week. 

Instead of going to the gym like I usually do while Aidyn is at school, I met her and her class for a field trip.  We got to hear a storyteller named David Gonzalez.  He was in town doing shows for 3 and 4 year olds, and Aidyn's school was lucky enough to get to go.    It was just him standing there telling the stories, but it was really good.  He did The Lion and the Mouse, The Fisherman and His Wife and The Turtle's Shell.  He did voices and was really interactive with the kids.  It was pretty fun.  After the show, the kids got to take a school bus back to The Art Center.  It was a little crazy to see Aidyn climbing onto a bus.  She looked so little!  Soon enough though....

After I went later and picked Addy up from school, I went to see my chiropractor and he adjusted my foot and ankle for me.  He thinks that it's just an overuse and shoe change problem.  Icing as we speak.  Tomorrow I am meeting with the trainer I work with at the gym, Sara.  She is setting me up with a new weight lifting program.  I'm excited to see what she's got.  I told her to make it challenging for me. 

Tim had to close tonight, so Aidyn had mac and cheese for dinner, and I tried a new recipe I'd been wanting to try.   Lemon-Garlic Shrimp and Grits.  Normally, I'm not a fan of grits, but I gave them the benefit of the doubt.  It turned out pretty well.  I don't cook a lot of shrimp even though we like to eat it.  I think I have a fear of always over-cooking shrimp so I don't make it very often.  My picture isn't very good, I need some tips on taking pics of food, but you get the idea. 

I think I will make this again but change the grits to polenta maybe.  Aidyn and I were also needing a sweet treat before bed, so she helped me make up some sugar free chocolate pudding.  She "helped" me wash the dishes while it cooked in the fridge. 

I opted for strawberries on top, she went with whipped cream. 

I was inspired to try something new tonight because my new Food Network Magazine came yesterday.  It always makes me want to be in the kitchen more after I read it.  That reminds me, Duff Goldman from Ace of Cakes (Food Network) was on the KU campus tonight giving a lecture about how he got started as a cake decorator.  I REALLY wanted to go, but couldn't find anyone available to watch Aidyn.  It's a real bummer sometimes when you work in child care, yet can't ever find anyone to help take care of your kid when you really want it.  Sigh, maybe next time!

That's all for tonight.  My foot is pretty well frozen from icing, so time to go try and thaw it out.  Not to mention, I still hear a certain someone awake upstairs.  As I left the room, she was reaching for her toy toolbox.  I'm a little afraid to go see what's been built.

What's your favorite after dinner/before bed treat?

Snowy Monday

I'm pretty ready for bed tonight to I'm going to try and keep it short.  Stupid time change. 

Today was a busy Monday at work.  I grocery shop for my week on Monday mornings and today I just couldn't catch up.  It was soup for lunch today which went nicely with our new 2 inches of snow (which came and melted all in the same day...such weird weather!).  It's suppose to get progressively warmer for the rest of the week, so I'm looking forward to that. 

After my long run yesterday, I've gotten a little worried about my left foot.  I'm sure I mentioned a few weeks ago it was bugging me a bit, and up until now it hasn't been bad.  It hurt after the run yesterday and hurts today.  I'm going to baby it for the week and lay off the miles to see if I can get it better.  Looks like a lot of biking is in my immediate future.  I'm staying optimistic though that a little rest will put me back on track.

As for my weigh-in tonight...thumbs down.  I didn't lose anything BUT I did lift weights tonight right before I weighed in, and I've been told you shouldn't workout and then weigh yourself.  I'm sticking with that reasoning and will hope for better results next week.  Looks like I need to cram in some more fruits and veggies  this week, just in case. 

For his birthday this year, Tim got a Magic Bullet and it's become one of my new favorite things in the kitchen.  I've been using it to make smoothies for myself and it's so nice because you put all of the ingredients in one cup and then it gets blended right in the same cup.  Amazing! 

This isn't the Magic Bullet cup, but I had to try and make my smoothie look beautiful for you all.  Frozen strawberries, fresh raspberries, and a little banana.  I don't measure anything, so I'll see if I can't find a good basic smoothie recipe to share with you all. 

Time for bed.  Aidyn has a field trip for school tomorrow and I'm going to try and finish up with work a little early so I can meet them there.  Some kind of a storyteller, I'm not even sure what it's all about.  I do know that we have our pretty dress, a necklace, two headbands, three rings, a whistle (I don't know), 4 back up dresses in case the first gets dirty,  jammies in case all 5 dresses get dirty, and a raincoat in case it rains.   We like to be prepared. 

Night all!

Is it Sunday night already?

I'd say happy Sunday, but it's rain/snowing here with lots more to come through the night so Bleh on Sunday right now!  Friday and Saturday were so beautiful here, that today's 40 degrees felt chilly to me.  The wind didn't help much.  Luckily, my friend Steph and I got our run in way before the rains came. 

I went on Saturday and finally got my new running shoes.  They even took back the pair that didn't work for me.  I debated about whether or not I wanted to do all 7 miles in them, but ended up taking the chance.  We'll see how I feel tomorrow. 

Distance:  7 miles
Time:  1 hour 11 minutes
Avg. Pace:  10:10 min./miles

 Aidyn also made out pretty well on our trip into KC.  Old Navy was having a sale on dresses so I picked up two of the exact same dress in different colors.  The girl knows what she likes.  We also headed over to Costco and I was able to find two more little dresses.  Actually, I can't say little.  I bought size 5T in most of the dresses because she is just so stinkin tall.  I don't want her growing out of these dresses mid-summer so we went bigger.  If you don't know, kids clothes go by age for the most part.  6-12 months for baby clothes for example, and then when they get older it's 2T (toddler), 3T and so on.  Eventually they get to the normal small, med, large sizes.  So, for Addy to be wearing 5T, it means she's a big kiddo.  (Josh, I think that explanation was for your benefit.)  We had a fashion show for her stuffed animals when we got home. 

Tomorrow is a stretch and strength day.  I'll happily take that.  I think I'm going to lift as opposed to the BodyFlow I've been taking.  I also get weighed in for my Slim-down Challenge.  We'll see if I've lost anything this week.  I've really upped my veggie/fruit intake so I hope that shows. 

I'm actually pretty proud of myself for tonight's dinner.  I stepped out of my comfort area and had fish for dinner.   

I normally don't eat fish unless it's in the form of a stick or 'n' chips so this is pretty good for me.  Before you get too excited though, it's frozen and heated in the oven.  No fancy work by me.  I actually have no idea how to cook fish correctly or yummily.  But, fish is good for me so I guess it's time I learn.  

Off to bed now.  Need to get my sleep so I'm well rested to be grumpy about snow tomorrow.  It takes a lot to bitch and moan about snowy weather.  :)

Gooood Night!

Do you cook fish at home?  What kind and how do you prepare it?

Sunny Saturday!

Good morning All!

I was too tired last night to stay up and write, so I headed to bed early and was up and going this morning BEFORE 7 -- that's a.m. -- amazing I know!!  It's not even 9 and I've already had my coffee and have some laundry going. 

Today's agenda is to finish my laundry mountains, do some produce shopping, go to the post office, go to Kansas City to exchange my running shoes and to find some new Spring clothes for Addy.  I also have to find some time to get in 50 minutes of cross training.  All of this may be a little ambitious for me...but we'll do what we can! 

Yesterday was a beautiful day, in the 70s.  I was happy to have the day off from running because Aidyn and I got to spend some time at the park, practiced on the scooter for a bit and enjoyed some ice cream with Grammy and Grampy.



I also got an awesome package in the mail yesterday!!  I'm now the proud owner of an Ipod shuffle.  Thanks so such Megan!  It came fully loaded with music and everything.  It's been fun to see what is song is coming next.  Aidyn did confiscate it for a while yesterday, she liked that it was "her size".  I think I'm really going to like having it to run.  What a big difference in size!  Your "trade" package will be going out soon!!

Unfortunately, the whole contents of the package didn't make it safe and sound.  A little treat that Megan included in the envelope somehow mysteriously disappeared en route to us.  I'm not gonna lie, we had a few tears, but I let her play with the shuffle for a while, and she got over it.  Megan, when you come to visit you may have to answer to my 4 year old, your fault or not for the lost items...I apologize in advance.  :(

Ok, time to get our day started.  Heading out to KC in a few.  First, I have to un-bury my kid...

Have a great weekend!

Finally, the end of the week!

I am very very very happy it is finally Friday.  This was a long week.  Even better, I think the weather is suppose to be fairly warm and mostly funny.  Aidyn and I are hoping to take her scooter out for a spin this weekend. 

Today was a good run.  4.5 miles, but it was a little cooler than I realized.  The shining sun was a bit deceiving. 

Time: 43:16
Distance: 4.5
Avg. Pace: 9:36 min./miles

I even picked a route that was kind of hilly.  I'm actually looking forward to my long run this weekend.  Should be 7 miles, but I may shoot for 8 if I'm feeling it.  I also made it to the gym tonight to lift, and despite my back giving me a little trouble today, I was able to go up in weight for a few things.  Today was much better than yesterday's massive flop of a workout.  It was chilly so I didn't want to go out and run, and Aidyn didn't want to go to the gym.  So, when she dozed off on the couch mid-afternoon, I slipped in my Jillian Michael's 6 Week Six Pack video in the hopes of getting in some kind of a workout.  Naturally, she woke up just after the warm-up part of the video and was mad because 1.) Scooby wasn't on 2.)She didn't have a snack in front of her.   After resolving both problems, answering two phone calls, and probably 3 trips up the stairs for kid drama, I was able to get through the video.  I didn't feel it at all yesterday, but can today.  I think this will be a great rainy day video. 

I've been doing so well with my eating too...until last night, and today.  a new Famous Dave's opened up here in town , so Tim wanted to go and check it out.  We've been doing pretty well not eating out, and a night off from cooking sounded pretty good to me.  Of course, we had too much food, but I had chugged a whole glass of water when we sat down, so I think I could have done worse.  Today at work, I totally un-did my 4.5 mile run by eating a whole bunch of food right after I ran.  Some of the teachers brought in food so we could sit on our lunchbreak and watch college basketball and pig out.  At least I had some salad...

Can't wait for the weekend, and my day off from running tomorrow.  Addy and I will probably make a trip into KC so I can resolve my running shoe issue once and for all and to find something fun to do.  She's gotten so tall from last summer that she won't have anything to wear once the weather does warm up, so maybe a little girl shopping is in order.  Dresses, of course (she obviously did NOT get that from me). 

To leave you for the night, a few silly pics before bedtime. 

Shirt stuck on the head is hilarious every time. 



Taillon or what!?



Notice we switched it up tonight.  See, sometimes she wears pants!

Rained out Tuesday

Well, at least it didn't snow today...oh wait.  Well, at least it didn't snow a lot today.  It was a chilly wet day here, with lots of rain and a little snow mixed in.  I was all prepared to hit the streets in the rain but when I saw gigantic snow clusters coming down, I gave in and headed to the gym. 

Running 4.5 miles on the treadmill sounded pretty awful to me today, so I decided to mix it up a bit.  I warmed up for 5 minutes and then reset my treadmill.  I did my first 2.5 miles as a Tabata workout which I mentioned last week.  The miles went by fairly quickly (that is after I had to get on my second treadmill since the first one just stopped working after two minutes.  I guess I didn't check the fat kid limit before I got on).  I started the treadmill at 8.0 with no incline, but moved up to 8.7.  I sprinted to 20 seconds and the rested for 10 and repeated for 2.5 miles.  Then I slowed it down and just ran my other 2.5.  It was nice to get my legs going fast, I think it helps just to make sure they are paying attention once in a while. 

Yesterday, I went to BodyFlow and it was just so-so.  I've been enjoying it, but I was too tight and everything was pretty hard for me.  At one point I just sat and laughed when the instructor showed us what to do next.  I think I just need to come to terms with the fact that I've never been and never will be a flexible person. 

At home tonight I tried to think of something different for dinner.  Sometimes when Tim works late, I like to make Brupper (breakfast for supper - it's a Taillon thing) so tonight I made biscuits and gravy.  The biscuits although store bought refrigerator kind, were whole wheat.  I also used turkey sausage so it wasn't as unhealthy as it could have been. 

I added a big side of kale and some apples, and I think it made for a pretty good dinner.  I cook my kale differently depending on how it tastes, as sometimes it can be bitter.  This wasn't at all so I just cooked it up in some olive oil and garlic (I was too lazy to chop it tonight, so I just smashed it and tossed it whole into the pan) and salt and pepper. 

I went last night to get weighed in for my Slim Down Challenge and lost almost 2 lbs.  I'm trying to keep that as my motivation to watch what I'm eating...that and the chance to win about $750. 

Aidyn and I just hung out tonight watching some Scooby and some Barbie.  She also worked on some "paper work" for a while.  At what age do you think I should be concerned about her anti-pants campaign? 

I'd like to say I'll be back outside tomorrow, but I think it's looking like a little chance of snow again so we'll see.

Night all! 

Are you a flexible person or do you struggle to touch your toes likes me?

Leisurly Sunday

It was nice to sleep in a bit today, and even nicer that Aidyn slept in a little too.  We spent the morning not doing much of anything but watching Scooby Doo (big surprise). 
At around 11, Aidyn headed to Kansas City with her Grammy and Grampy, which left me to go meet my friend Stephanie for a run.  I wasn't sure how much I wanted to do today since I raced on Saturday, but we ended up doing 6 miles which was actually a really good run. 

Time: 1 hour exactly
Distance: 6:00
Avg. Pace: 10:06

After I got home, I was able to catch up on some DVR'd shows that I had not been able to watch and I also got some much needed housework (laundry) done.  Overall, it was a pretty quiet day! 
This week starts week 7 of training.  My "shorter" runs go to 4.5 miles this week and my long run will be 7 miles, which I think I'm ready for.  Oh yeah, the website for the 1/2 marathon finally put their map up of the course.  It's not at all where it was last year, in fact it's totally on the other side of town. I'm not too wild about it, but it should be super flat which means it should be pretty fast (relative term of course). 

We've also started to think about some of our summer plans for this year.  I took Aidyn to an outdoor kids music festival last year in KC, and we had a blast!  It's coming up Memorial weekend (May 28th-29th) as our summer kick off.  We're accepting reservations at Chateau Guy for that weekend if anyone wants to check it out with us!

Off to bed.  Not sure what this week will hold, hopefully some good weather at least.  Stay warm my NY friends and family and hang in there.  Surely Spring has to come eventually...right?

Anything good on your agenda this week?





    

Busy Saturday

I just wanted to check in before I head to bed.  It ended up being a pretty busy day...but not exactly productive.  My race this morning went well, except that IT.WAS.COLD!!  I knew it would be chilly to run, but I wasn't expecting 22 and a little windy.  Plus, the course is right on the river so the wind off the water was nice and biting.  Made my eyes water.  It was a good turn out, there were tons of people there.  The start of the race was a little messy and jumbled but smoothed out fairly quickly.  My legs felt a little heavy, but I think it was just the cold.  I was able to pass a lot of people on the way there and back and only got passed a few times.  At the finish, I was able to hold off the person behind me which I can NEVER do.

Time: 25.09
Distance: 3.07
Avg. Pace: 8:11/min. miles

I'm really happy with this time.  Especially since last weekend was 26:10, a whole minute off a week later...I'll take it!  It helped that there was no snow on the course this time (same course too) .  It felt good to get inside and warm up after the run.  They served a breakfast, but the line was so long I skipped and had a bagel and found some coffee which is just what I needed.  The results took forever but ended up being worth the wait.  I managed to squeak out 3rd place for my age group.  The results are still not up to see how I did overall. 

As expected, my running partner Jenny smoked me.  I'm anxious to see the results to see how she did.  It helps me that she's in the age group below me, gives me a fighting chance for those medals  :)

After the run, I headed to a Pancake Breakfast here in town to meet up with my in-laws and Aidyn.  Then, it was home for a little bit of resting and a quick power nap.  When I did get myself moving again I baked a cake and made some peanut butter frosting for my mother-in-law's birthday.  I also made a white bean dip with pita bread and veggies and put together a salad with a warm bacon dressing to take to their house for dinner.   I was running late (big surprise) so I didn't get any pictures taken of my food.  I'll try again tomorrow with the leftovers. 

Overall, dinner was great.  I had to pull a mean mommy tonight though and Aidyn was not allowed to enjoy cake and ice cream with the rest of us (for my chocolate/ice cream fiend, this was a major catastrophe).  She's been giving me a bit of a hard time with eating and not wanting to eat even though I know she likes what is being served.  So far, giving her clear instructions on how much she has to eat (3 bites of meat and 3 more broccoli) has been working just fine.  Tonight though, she was not having it.  She ate all the meat I told her to, but she refused to eat one little tiny bite of potatoes.  I had to tell her either eat the tiny bite or no cake and ice cream.  She wouldn't eat it, so I had to stay strong on my decision.  I'm a very "pick your battles" mom and tonight I was willing to battle.  So, we enjoyed cake and ice cream to the sound of Aidyn's sobs in the next room.  Don't worry, she was over it in less than an hour and we happily went about our evening.  Lesson learned?  I guess we'll see next time.   

Man, I need to get to bed.  I wasn't sure what my workout plan was for tomorrow yet, but as long as the sun is out a little bit I think I will be running with my friend Stephanie.  She needs to get in 6 since she didn't do the race today and I could probably use a nice long slow run.  We'll see how the day goes. 

Good night!

Yay for Friday!

I'm going to keep this short tonight since I have an early wake-up call for my 5k tomorrow.  The good news is that it doesn't seem like it's suppose to rain tomorrow morning, but the bad news is that it's dipping down below freezing now, so it certainly won't be warm at 7 a.m.

I think I'm all ready to go.  I made a spaghetti dinner tonight to get those good running carbs and had my friend/running partner Jenny over with her little boy Arlo.  Jenny is running tomorrow too, and will most likely beat me by a fair amount.  I just can't keep up with the girl...and I'm ok with that!  :)

It was a nice night of good conversation, food and Megamind.  Aidyn and Arlo are great friends, and can just be themselves around each other...

Might need to work on a few things before she goes on a real date...

Ok, time for bed.  Have to get Addy and myself going pretty early tomorrow.  Night!

Is Today Over Yet?

Whew!  What a day.  When I woke up this morning, I didn't know I had so much to fit into my day.  After work, I went and did my 4 mile run, came home and gathered up our recycling (a workout in itself) and headed out to the Walmart to do our recycling and a little shopping.  Then back home to make dinner and after cleaning up the dishes, I headed out to the gym at about 7:45 to fit in my lifting for the day. 

My run went well except I was really sore today. 

Distance: 4.18
Time: 45:53
Avg. Pace: 10:58 min/miles

I felt a little slow today, but I ran without having a destination in mind which I normally don't like to do (I appear to be surprisingly accurate though when it comes to getting back to my starting point without going over my required mileage by a whole lot).  I ran through the KU campus and even made myself run a few long hills.  It helped that it was in the 60's since I thought it was suppose to be a lot colder than that today. 

Since I'm doing this Slim down challenge at the gym, I decided that Little Debbies were most likely not going to win me the pot of money that is up for grabs.  Did I mention I think the money to be won is about $750?  I'll stop eating Swiss Cake Rolls to win that much cash.  Anyway, when we went shopping this afternoon, I stocked up on some healthier snacks that are fairly easy for grab-n-go.  I have found that my day is not always conducive to sensible eating so I have to work extra hard at it.  I know I should be an eat 6 times a day person, but have a hard time staying organized enough to do it.  This weekend I will take some time and make up a little trail mix I like to snack on as well as a really yummy granola that I make to put on yogurt. 

Aidyn was super duper moody today after school, so shopping and getting home to make dinner was not a joy.  She kept crying over the littlest things which is a very clear sign that she is beyond tired.  After we finally got through an emotional dinner, I happily left Tim to get Addy ready for bed so I could go to the gym and lift, no mom guilt involved.

I love going to the gym so late at night.  I don't have to fight for my space and all weights and equipment are available and I can just do my thing without much distraction.  I really enjoy lifting and always have, but coming up with different and effective exercises is not my expertise, so I do rely on a professional for help (and totally recommend if you can afford/put in the time).  
I don't lack the motivation to get to the gym and get it done, I lack the knowledge on HOW to get it done.  So, at my gym, I do what they call a Program Design, which is I meet with a trainer and tell her what specifically I'm looking for as far as what I want to work on and accomplish with my program.  She then puts together a lifting/cardio program that we go through together one time, and then I'm on my own. It works for me, and well worth my money every few months. I know not everyone can spend the money to work with a trainer, so there are lot of books and websites to check out that will give you tons of ideas for lifting.  I'm pretty sure I have a Weight Training for Dummies around here somewhere that I used to use.   

I was pretty sore and tight once I started lifting so I didn't push it too hard.  In fact, I didn't even go through my whole program.  I cut out the last 4 or 5 exercises and instead had a nice long, much needed stretch.  Now, I'm about to go meet up with my old friend BioFreeze and head to bed.  Tomorrow is my day off from training, and I'm happily going to take it.  Saturday is another 5k and it's looking like rain.  Saaweeet!

Good night and Happy Friday to you!

Have you ever or would you work with a personal trainer?  Besides money, what would stop you from trying it?