The Drill

We are holed up today. It's cold and rainy outside, Nuala has a fever, Oscar has a trip to the museum planned in an elaborate day dream, the baby has underwear and I've got a cup of coffee.

I've been so busy lately that I haven't even been taking pictures. None. In fact this morning I realized that I can't even remember the last time I turned my camera on. I will work on this. I will take pictures today.

Or tomorrow.

Micah is finishing up a nice 10 day antibiotic treatment. Never mentioned it here, but he was really starting to worry me after about 5 weeks of on again off again illness. To the point that I actually started taking him to see our pediatrician. I never take sick kids to the doctor, but he was really starting to make me nervous. You know when there is something wrong. As a parent you just know.

He's feeling much better, fingers crossed that this first round took care of the strep, and we just started probiotics to hopefully replenish all that nice healthy bacteria that the medicine did away with.

Otherwise, it's just standard stuff around these parts. Hide and go seek. Games. Laughter. Tears. Hugs. You know the drill.





The knitting has been put down, I think all those leg warmers did me in, or the beret I made over and over again in 5 different colors. Turns out I only really like one of them. I'm glad I was able to flex and stretch my knitting muscles this winter though and lovely creations like this hat make me realize just how much I enjoy my needles.

Big kids. Big changes on the horizon.

Busted.

I know I say it all the time, but I will say it again (in fact I'm starting to wonder if I'll ever stop saying it) and again and again. Kids grow up way too fast.

Maija just got back from a class trip to NYC. She had a great time and I'm pretty sure that even though a few things went wrong (broken iPod anyone?) she will remember the good things from her adventure.

I can say this with confidence because she already informed me that she plans to go again next year.

Lots of trains in the living room right now. After rearranging the furniture a few months ago we wound up with a fairly decent amount of empty floor space. I'm still puzzled about what to do with it, but for now the tracks are taking over.

My ankle is not 100%, but it has improved dramatically and I am pretty much on track with my weekly marathon training. Nearly all of my "free" time lately has been devoted to preparing for July 31st. I can't tell you how supportive Brendan has been through this. Training takes a lot of time and it takes me away from my family, I wouldn't be able to do it without his support and I feel incredibly blessed to have him cheering me on along the way.

I'm not sure if I have ever told you how much I love yoga, but it's true, I love it. I am thankful for my practice every day (or at least once a week) and honestly believe that it makes me stronger in nearly every aspect of my life. Last fall I found a "teacher" who I absolutely adore and a few months ago she asked me to write up a little "student of the month" blurb for her studio's monthly newsletter. Here's what I came up with.....

"After the birth of my youngest daughter in June 2009, I decided that I was ready for a change. Tired of feeling run down and fatigued all the time, I could no longer deny that I was overweight, obese even, and that I needed to start focusing on my health. I began eating smaller portions and fresher foods and then joined a gym and started working out. Within 4 short months I had lost nearly 40 pounds and decided to train for a sprint triathlon while also signing up for a handful of 5K’s just for fun. Yoga quickly became a “side kick” to my rigorous running schedule, an easy way for me to supplement my training with something other than mileage. I liked it well enough to set my alarm for 5am in order to catch an early class and still make it home in time for breakfast with my family. I liked it well enough to buy my own mat and start memorizing the names of some of the poses, but back in those early days I had a very narrow idea of what yoga meant to me and I choose to incorporate it into my life in a very limited way. I was, after all, a runner and a new one at that. Inexperience meant that I still had a lot to learn about the virtues of cross training and the importance of being a well rounded and balanced athlete.

Then in the fall of 2010 two events occurred that changed my approach and appreciation of yoga. The first of which was that I suffered the loss of a loved one and had a very difficult time handling my grief. I wanted to put on a brave face for my family, but inside I was falling apart. My gym membership was put on hold, my late night ice cream binges were at an all time high and my yoga mat began collecting dust in the back of the closet. I even stopped running.

The second event occurred when I accidentally stumbled upon a new yoga instructor, who was none other than Shayne Broadwell. After weeks of making it through the days in ‘bare minimum’ mode and feeling like I was barely surviving, I decided on a whim to take my gym membership off of hold and try a few classes. I was emotionally exhausted from battling my grief and I remember during my first session with her she asked the class, “What are you holding on to?” and then she gave us permission to let it go. I actually cried on my mat that day as I began to realize that my practice could become the place of safety and healing that I had not been able to find elsewhere. Even after my previous experience with various yoga classes and instructors, I’d never had anyone lead the way as gracefully and powerfully as Shayne did. It was with her guidance that I began to see that yoga was going to be so much more than just another “work out”, it was going to become an important part of my overall health; mind, body and spirit.

I playfully tell people that yoga is my therapy, and in a way it is because it has helped me find a sense of inner peace and balance that I strive to share with the world around me. The fact that it has also made me a stronger runner is just a bonus! I am currently training for the San Francisco Marathon and I intend to use yoga to help me get across all 26.2 of those miles."

Core Essence Yoga is the name of her studio and she offers classes every day of the week. I can't say enough good things about this studio so go check it out, you will not be disappointed. I'm about to head out for a run now, happy Wednesday everyone.