And it all comes round

A couple very great weeks have been had in spite of bronchitis and work! Actually - work is a necessary requirement of having the fun so really, the fun isn't in spite of work I suppose but let's not think about that now.

I got to spend time with friends and family. Family posts of wonderful Thanksgiving celebrations will follow once I figure out how to get them off my phone and into the computer file; and by figure out I of course mean find the little cord.

Friend time - local and out of town. Spent an amazing weekend in Arizona with new and old friends. It was a great weekend of little to no responsibility, a fantasy for us parents. We hiked (beautiful for sure) up to the top of a summit at +/-2000ft elevation and the very next day sat around and watched football. Two of us literally did not get off the couch unless we had to use the facilities or to make our pizza when our wonderful male friends went out to handle the errands. It was a weekend everyone should have. And don't get me started on the cupcakes.

Locally I got to hang out with different friends ranging from the spa, hockey, too cooking/baking while enjoying our traditional mimosas. In itself these times are fantasy like as well, yes we had responsibilities and kids (let's be honest, even if they weren't in AZ they were still there) but it was fun times that were carefree.

Too often I think we try to work too hard to make events perfect and forget to just stop and enjoy them along the way. That was the best part of the prep for holidays weekend in AZ, we stopped and had fun. We smelled the roses and anything else we wanted. We laughed, cried (yeah, not really but maybe kind of a little as we know I don't do that cry thing, right? right.), we ate, danced, slept and just enjoyed each other's company.

My suggestion to all of you during the holidays? Take time to enjoy the company and the moment, you never know what doors it may open.

Race Day!!!

This morning I woke up very early on a Sunday, the day after Nikki's birthday, to watch her run a marathon. How does one watch a half marathon? You are there to smile, de-stress and pump up your runner. You hold the bag and convince them to take off the pants that will prove to be to hot once they hit mile 5 of 13.1. You make them use the dreaded port o potty before the 13.1 miles. The supporter cheers on at the start line making jokes and holding more layers deemed no loner necessary.

How do I know this? Well, I don't. I am guessing as this is my first time! I watched her in high school run cross country or track meets but nothing like this. In other words, I could be full of crap and not have been helpful at all...but it was fun :) and next time I will have signs. And balloons.

Once they are gone (in a very huge group of what looks like 1000s) you find a curb in the sun near the finish line to cheer on the end. I chose to lay down in the sun and read before I realized I needed to write. It's a beautiful day in the sun, there is music and people. Someone is shaking a tambourine which is awesome in itself! And of course the pumps from the bounce houses for the patient kiddos. Well, and the kiddos themselves.

The 5kers are coming in now and the crowd cheers for each one like they are personal friends. That last bit of support and push for the finish line. After all, we aren't running and most of us couldn't finish.

Side bar - someone just ran by in those funny feet shoes. Still ew.

Super fast marathons start coming in at about an hour and us fans start making friends with one another helping spot who we can as the runners start coming in at 1:30 (time). Oh, I found time to make a sign - they had a table and paint, it was perfect. Some of the runners come in looking fresher than I do by far, others death and everything in between. Nikki comes in under 2 hours (YEAH!!!) and while she hits the chute, I head that way.

Now comes the banana runs, power-aide supplying and end run support. The walking to stretch back out her legs, and whatever else it takes to keep her from see spots or locking up. It was so very awesome to share in this with her and she was a rock-star for doing it!

The weather was perfect and the morning even more so. By 10:30a (a mere 3 hours from when we got there) we are back in the car heading home; the 13.1 mile runner and me. It amazes me the strength those runners have to get out there and train and race, let alone run that full 13.1. Anytime I can support someone like that, I am up for it. Way too cool not to be a part of - thanks for letting me be:)

Sigh

I put the kiddo in a truck tonight on his way to yet another camp out. He loves these things, can't get enough of them, and seeing as how the first thing he does when he gets home is showers, I don't think he loves the weekends just because he doesn't have too!

Regardless, it is great to see the kiddo really grow up into his own. It wasn't so long ago that I was helping with the packing, or reminding him of things like Wisps (the only way to have a boy successfully brush his teeth when the mom is not around). Now he packs, including the Wisps and is ready to go. Well, almost, we did have to pick up yet another headlamp.

Guess he still does need Mom reminding him:)

It's a circle

Ever have one of those moments that you are SURE you have done that certain action before, had that conversation or lived that part of your life. Well we all have and this isn't about that.

This is about looking at where you are in life now and knowing somehow that this was the way it was supposed to be. I am not referring to life as a whole, rather certain circumstances. There is a reason things happen when they do just as there is a reason why they happen and why they happen the way they do.

Today, while standing over a tire filling it with air and laughing with an old friend about how we just had to make it so far down the road I got the calming feeling that this was the way things were always supposed to be regardless of how we got there.

Just a thought, something to ponder as you are yelling at the traffic or getting frustrated with what life isn't giving you when you want it:)

Inner hall monitor - oh yes, you have one.

In movies, cheesy ones, there is always some sort of angel on one shoulder and devil on the other.

I have this habit, every day I read my horoscope (that I call horrorscope) late afternoon for a laugh. Well today it told me to listen to my inner hall monitor or something would happen, yada yada yada. As an adult, we spend most of our time listening to our inner hall monitor on what is right and what is wrong. There shouldn't be a grey and yet...I made the comment that I silenced that monitor years ago, and that really isn't true - I still err more on the side of caution and pleasing others than taking a chance and pleasing myself.

It's the old angel and devil scenario in living color. Who do you find yourself listening too more often?

Then life says HA

As an adult, a parent, you try to do what you can for your kids. Prepare them for life and all of its ups and downs. Then life smacks you and reminds you that while, even if you do the best you can, sometimes you have to say no. Sometimes, you have no other choice but no and there is nothing that can be done about it. And it isn't because the kiddo wouldn't be safe, or isn't prepared. It isn't because he did anything wrong at all - it is just life.

In time, yes I have a solution in my head and know it will all be fine - but right at this moment, I am still stinging from the smack.

Time to find that little thing to make this feel a little better...don't let the smacks get you down, get it out then move on. Spray on perfume, dance and laugh. It might be hard but it does get better!

It's a team

This morning the rain was coming down - it was 2am. So imagine my thoughts when the alarm went off at 4:45am...please let it be pouring, please let it be pouring. No such luck.

Drove cross town to boot camp and there is a drizzle but no trainer...hmm....after some thought, the class decided we were going to work out anyway. I was in the car at this point and they started to run laps. I have a boot right now so I get to watch the running, jumping, squats but did modify the other warm ups we went into with balancing and arm work. Still no trainer.

Then one of the ladies in our group asked me what exercise we should start with that I could do - and we did. We kept working until our trainer came and finished out the rest of the work out.

We have been in boot camp for 4 weeks but today? Today we became a team.