Chasing After the Naughty Dingos, 6 years on -- July Thread - Page 6

[bec]

I think triathlons are messing up my running mojo.  That, and I have road bike on the brain!  I am GOING to run tomorrow.  We have an endurance lake swim today at a lake that we can't swim out too far (not allowed, boat traffic, etc.), so it's like swimming long laps, and we can always stand (I find this less effective training, as I kind of need to be where I have to swim or drown in order to be properly motivated).  Anyway, it is what it is.  I have to bring the kids as my babysitter has bailed on us to go camping instead.  So, they can play on the beach or swim in the very shallow part. 

I love the star wars comments!  DH insisted on playing the Star Wars, Empire, and Return of the Jedi for the kids while I was out of town once.  I imagine the little two were just fine (blood thirsty little things that love good/evil battles) and the big one probably had a hard time with it.  She is SO freaking sensitive!  Seriously, Cars 2 was a bit much for her!  She's 10!  Anyway, they like to play Jedi amongst themselves (that and Harry Potter, but I won't let them see beyond the second movie!).

Geo - I think you TOTALLY deserve a bottle of wine if you make it through the summer!  I'm sorry to hear about your nanny problems.  I have had the same issue looking for the occasional babysitter!  I haven't looked as hard as you have, though, but it is discouraging to hear that the lack of responsibility runs so deep!  I would totally be up for that gig!!!

Real - You are going to do fine with the swim!!!  I would say that resting at the end of a lap is totally acceptable.  It's easy to stay out of the way there.  But, I doubt you'll need it!

RM - What are you doing for the clean eating challenge?  I SO need to do something!  Of course, it won't be until after vacation, so beginning of August, but still, I need to plan!

[bec]

So I was thinking of my lack of running mojo, then I was thinking how nice the breeze coming in from the window was, and what a really nice day it was, and how the kids have been begging for a bike ride, etc. 

I was also thinking about my running shoes that have a hole in the stitching at less than 100 miles on them (more like 75), and how the running store (GREAT customer service) agreed to take them back as a defect, and how I needed to go in and get some new shoes, and how I really needed to have them broken in before the tri in August.  So, I didn't think, I just went.  We went to the store and got fitted for new shoes (they stopped making the old ones), and am now in Adidas Sequence.  Then, we came home, and the kids biked while I ran after them!  Abby was a bit wobbly at first, but really, really improved as she went along (I think she's the most naturally athletic of the kids).  We got in a nice 3.5 miles!  I'm feeling a lot better.  With the swim coming up this evening, I'm feeling nicely exercised! 

Oh, I don't remember who mentioned the CLO, but I've been taking it for the last few weeks (I don't taste it if I put it in some vitamin water, but it looks horrid with the whole oil/water not mixing, so I try not to look at it!), and I think it has made a difference.  It has seemed that the last bout of depression mostly manifested as being tired all the time.  Not so much sad, as everything was just kind of difficult. I've been feeling very tired lately, and I'm starting to really feel like I have my old energy back.  So, thank you to whoever suggested it!  Plady?  Was that you?

Oh, and speaking of Plady - how did that bite on your daughter's neck turn out?  Was it just a mosquito bite?  Did you take her in?

[sparkletruck]

I have a lot to say, but Im too grouchy to do it now. Having a hard day - just sent a detaied email to two friends about a problem Im having and I cant find it in my sent file! Do I type it all again or wait to see if they got it Sigh. I need their advice; grumble

Real - I do want to ask you though, what distance are you doing? Im totally watching you b/c Im thinking of doing this tri in Sept.. I read the website last night and the swim is "seeded" and I thought "hmm, do I need to have raced before?", but then you said you sent in a time, so now Im thinking I need to *just* swim the distance and time myself and send it in?...


Ok, more later, when I get the cranky stick out of my arse

[bec]

Hurray, the cranky stick description is catching on!  It's the little things in life that make it rich!

Have you checked your drafts, Sparkle?  Or have you done a search on the subject line?
 

[sparkletruck]

Bec - yeah, I found it in my drafts. Happier now. I the cranky stick!! about the CLO!

Drjen - Holy crap woman! You are on the ball. Bleh about the heat, but at least it got you to the Y and a potential running group.

RM - I am very curious about your clean eating challenge. Arent you thin and dont you run an 8 minute mile or something? Seriously, what is the motivation? Weight loss, energy, curiosity, all of the above?

Jaygee - Im so glad you're back ... although I know you arent. I was just thinking how quiet the board seemed lately ... too many vacations and too much carpooling!!

RR: resting today. I usually do after weights b/c I work [intentionally] hard enough to feel a little crippled the next day.

NRR: Im lately b/c I continue to feel not myself and I dont know what to do about it. My hair is very skinny, I am not, or at least, I have some lbs. Id like to lose but suddenly cannot get them off for the life of me, and my moods are schizophrenic, to say nothing of the acne, all of which I blame on hormone craziness, but I cant find any "answers" and I dont know what to do! Im crying a lot - it's not helping

[sparkletruck]

Is it possible to get a GPS that isn't uber expensive but is still reliable and has all the info. you'd want?

[Nickarolaberry]

Sparkle, I'd be interested in that too.

Bec, enjoy the new treads. I got some last week and took them out for a nice long run trail spin on Sunday..very happy. I love my Asics.

I am so FRUSTRATED. We got the lease. Okay, at least that's good. But the landlord is another nut case and the lease is ridiculous. So now I'm waiting to hear if they are going to make the revisions we've requested or not. If not, I have to move on to another house option. Which I have, but I am loathe to start this process all over. I am trying very hard to be Zen here but am failing miserably. I've already run today but I need another one. Gah.

Oddly, yesterday the weather was disgustingly hot and humid and I had a great 6 miler. Today the weather was nicer and I bonked after 3.5. You just never know, you know?!

For those who have raised $$ when running for a charity in a big race, how did you send out your letters? Did you do a mass email? I am hesitant to do that but the truth is this is a great charity and I want to support it. Any ideas are welcome here. Thanks!

[zubeldia]

HI dingoes!

jaygee, good luck with the MRI... I hope you can FINALLY get some answers. It seems like a long, long time.

bec, that is an awesome bike. I bought a Cervelo P2 this year and with it about an additional mile per hour

DrJen, I can't bear to run in heat but I do acclimate eventually. Hope that's the same for you. And I know you will be fantastic, so hope you;re not too nervous.

Real fantastic race reports. And, seriously, can you imagine how fast you'd be on a fast half marathon course! As for the tri.. I am just a terrible swimmer and did much, much better than anticipated. It was nice to realize that I have completely over estimated the abilities of the competition

Nic, gah, I hope you can get this house rented without the craziness.

Sparkle, do you mean a GPS for the car or a watch type thing? I used my Android when I had one for navigation but my iPhone doesn't have a free service so I am wondering the same thing as my husband calls me the 'demented homing pigeon'!

Well, I am still pregnant... and nervous. I am not nearly as sick as I was with DS and I am holding on to your words that every pregnancy is different. I am extremely tired, though, and I feel terrible that DS is sat next to me watching something on my iPad as I just can barely function and DH is at his night class. Roll on 8pm. I have a viability scan tomorrow. Going from LMP I will be close to 7 weeks but going by my chart I will either be 6 weeks or 6 weeks and 1 day. Should I expect to see a heart beat tomorrow? I am so nervous.. please send good-heart beat vibes our way. I am a wreck just imagining them telling me they can't see anything. Ack.

On top of that I have hurt my achilles. I ran 9 slow miles on SUnday and had no pain but I woke up with some soreness and stiffness and despite not running since then it feels worse. I have cycled, which didn't hurt at all. I hope it resolves itself soon.

[sparkletruck]

I was thinking a bike GPS, like a bike computer with GPS abilities.

Dh is scoffing at me, but we will be riding on roads that wiggle-waggle all around a national forest. I finally managed to track down a road map of the area (just West of Yosemite), which will tell me whether roads are dirt or paved (and help us decide if we will take road or mtn. bikes), but Im a little worried about having to keep track of where we've been in order tp get back to the campground (I can just imagine; "um, do we take a right or left at this intersection?" x 15)

Im trying to appeal to his lust for gear, but he really isent interested. Im shocked

[bec]

1200 yards in the lake today.  It was a really good swim.  We were buddied up and were practicing spotting and drafting, so every length of the beach (we have to swim within the designated swim area), we would switch who swam first.  It was a good exercise. 

[Geofizz]

Originally Posted by sparkletruck 

I was thinking a bike GPS, like a bike computer with GPS abilities.

Dh is scoffing at me, but we will be riding on roads that wiggle-waggle all around a national forest. I finally managed to track down a road map of the area (just West of Yosemite), which will tell me whether roads are dirt or paved (and help us decide if we will take road or mtn. bikes), but Im a little worried about having to keep track of where we've been in order tp get back to the campground (I can just imagine; "um, do we take a right or left at this intersection?" x 15)

Im trying to appeal to his lust for gear, but he really isent interested. Im shocked

Where are you going "just west of Yosemite"? I could ask my dad, biker extraordinaire, with lots of miles in that area.

Nanny interviewee showed up. Eh. Fine. Responsible. Not inspiring.

In other news, our family now sports two fish and their I Hate Swimming parents. DS is now getting dive sticks off the bottom of the pool, where a month ago he was still hanging on for dear life. He's also working hard on the minute of backfloat gets a scoop of ice cream incentive. (60 sec backfloat and 60 sec treading water both earn a scoop - both one time deals.)

Pick up at the Music and Math camp I found at the last minute is getting a little embarrasing. Not sure how to communicate to the teacher that I would love him to learn more music, and please don't teach him more math? I think we need a strategy for handling these things, as E makes his capabilities much more clear than K ever did.

RR: 5 plus strength at the track at 8:30 last night, then 3 fast miles at 5:30 this morning. Not recommended. Yawn.

Still crossing fingers and toes for you, Zub.

I hooe you find a reasobnable place, Nic. How far from the synagogue? The skirt, by the way is fantastic. Perfect for me.

[LaLaLaLa]

doctorjen--It sounds like you are doing a fantastic job of getting organized and settled! I'm so glad your daughter managed to fit into her schedule everything that she needs to do. When I was in high school, running every day after school on the cross-country and track teams, I always thought it was incredibly dumb that I had to take PE classes.

Nic--I'm sorry you're still having trouble with your living arrangements. I hope that you'll be able to fix the lease so you won't have to start over from scratch again.

Zub--I'm so sorry you're feeling concerned about your pregnancy. Every pregnancy really is different, but I can see how it would be unsettling to have been sick the first time around and have a different experience. For what it's worth, I felt great for my entire first pregnancy, with not a bit of sickness at all. My second one was a vague carsick-y feeling, but never any puking. I'll be thinking of you at your scan; please let us know what happens.

Geo--I'm glad you found a nanny candidate, but bummer she isn't the very best. We took our kids to the park today and there was a teenaged girl there with two little boys and my kids latched onto their little group. DH was baffled, until I explained to him that nannies and babysitters have to play with the kids at the park, while the moms and dads get to sit on the side and relax.   While we were there, two more babysitters showed up with kids, too. 

So, DH didn't hear his alarm this morning, and woke up late.  He says it's less of an issue for him to call in than to show up late, so a day off it was.  Grrr.  It did mean that I dragged him with us to the park, though, and left him on a bench with a book while I ran five miles.  It was right at noontime and pretty hot, but it was nice to be able to get out there on a day when I didn't think I'd be able to fit in a run.

Birthday party plans continue to stress me out, especially since now I have to call the parents of the kids who haven't responded to make sure we know who is coming and have enough parting gifts for them.  I hate making phone calls equally as much as I hate throwing parties.  But I have twenty-five pair of rainbow glasses and if I don't have to hunt down more of them, that would be good.  Maybe tonight will be the night I don't have a nightmare about the party.

[MelW]

Originally Posted by LaLaLaLa 

Geo--I'm glad you found a nanny candidate, but bummer she isn't the very best. We took our kids to the park today and there was a teenaged girl there with two little boys and my kids latched onto their little group. DH was baffled, until I explained to him that nannies and babysitters have to play with the kids at the park, while the moms and dads get to sit on the side and relax.   While we were there, two more babysitters showed up with kids, too. 

I hired a college student as a babysitter from the park last year because I loved the way that she played with the kids, but also gave them space. I took the risk of sounding creepy and asked her if she was a nanny and if she was interested in any other work. It was terrific timing, since her employer had just told her that morning that they were cutting her hours...

Geo, hope you find a terrific nanny soon. Or a decent nanny that can fill the gap until a terrific one comes along. My childcare drama amped up today, since my daycare provider had an ultrasound with baby smaller than expected/slower growth. She's 37 weeks tomorrow, and might have a c-section a week earlier than planned. I had been anticipating the possibility, but still have a bit of scrambling/back up to do for next week...

LaLa, hope that you have exactly 25 coming and enough sparkly glasses. Your party planning is impressing me- last year for my daughter's 5th was the first time I did gift bags, and then I forgot to give them out. We have the advantage of a November 1st birthday, so everyone is oversaturated with Hallowe'en parties and candy and I can just throw a mellow party.

Zubeldia, good luck with the scan tomorrow. Sending you strong heartbeat vibes.

Sparkle, did you do acupuncture for the moods/hair loss, etc? Did it help any?

RM, I'm interested in what the clean eating challenge is, too.

Nic, hope you get a good lease with a sane landlord.

Jen, congrats on all of the organization. Will your DD run with you for home-PE? I think it's terrific that they'll let her work her schedule that way.

RR- Did a quick 30 min run/walk this evening. Second run of the week- I might just be getting back into things!!

NRR- I hate to complain about the weather (seriously, is there anything more boring?), but I'm going crazy with the lack of summer. The five day forecast calls for rain everyday. I was so cold at work today that I wore my coat on top of my long-sleeved shirt all afternoon. And on my run this evening there were several houses with wood stoves burning. I am far to close to wanting to turn on the heat and the fireplace for July. There had better be some beautiful weather at some point this summer, or I'll go on a roadtrip chasing the sun...

[tjsmama]

Argh! Multi-quote function isn't working, so I can't remember any of my personals, and don't have the patience right now to scroll back through the thread for them. Sorry, ladies.

I was up till nearly 2 last night working on my homework, and then of course, DS was up before 7 and NOT playing nicely by himself. Sigh. Oh well. I've decided that from now until the 29th, sleep is going to be totally overrated. Who needs it?!

After realizing that my plan to swim Friday afternoon won't work because the Y childwatch closes at 2, I nixed today's planned ride in favor of hitting the pool. 2600 yards, and now my arms are sore. This is what happens when you haven't swum since your last race, three weeks ago.

Tomorrow is a day "off", school-wise. Which really just means that I have to do tons of homework instead of being somewhere. And I need to get my long run in since I have to work Saturday and have a long ride on Sunday. So, it looks like I will be running 12 miles at 2 pm, right at the peak of the forecast 90 degree temps. The nanny is coming to watch DS while I do it, so if it's really bad, I guess I'll go to the Y.

And speaking of DS, he's awake at midnight for no good reason, so I turned on Nick Jr. for him to watch while I decompress from clinical. Could I use a few more and tonight? Also? This "Oobi" show appears to be one of the dumbest things I've ever seen in my life. Maybe even dumber than the Fresh Beat Band, which is pretty stinking dumb...

[Realrellim]

DrJen--glad to hear you're getting settled in.

JayGee--welcome back!

bec--yay for new shoes and a good run.

sparkle--I'm doing a sprint tri. They asked for a time when we registered and I essential made a time up (17 minutes for 525 yards) then. I figured once I worked up to that distance, I could always email them if my time was radically different. As it turned out, they went an email out to all the registrants asking for updated pool times if our times were different from what we'd originally predicted.

zub--you might be able to see a heartbeat, but then again you might not. We did see one with J that early. Also, I'd hang on to not being as sick, seeing as it's preferable to the other option: being even sicker than the first time. FWIW, a friend of mine who had even worse HG than I did (as in "on a zofran pump during the second pregnancy") is pregnant for the third time and her HG wasn't as bad as it'd been with the first two. She's having a girl this time and had boys with the first two, though I have no idea whether that makes a difference.

Geo--yay for fish children!

tjsmama--I hope it clouds over just before 2. I tend to do my long runs then and I've found that the heat is vaguely bearable if you don't have the direct sun on top of it.

Rest day for me. I was planning to run on the TM tonight, but J didn't get to bed until 10 and I'm wiped from last night. I didn't get to bed until 2 last night, and then J woke up puking at 4 and kept it up every hour or so until 8:30. Ack. I'm not sure which bothered me most: that she pukes right on my chest (every time--even the time I draped a prefold across me because that time she moved the prefold and then threw up) or that she'd have this happen just before we do a weight check at the doctor's office. Oh well. I have my fingers crossed that tomorrow's weight check will be just fine anyhow.

[doctorjen]

zubeldia - you might see a heartbeat at 6 weeks exactly, but that's on the edge of when you can see it.  Better chance if you are having an internal ultrasound.  Don't panic if they see a gestational sac and no heartbeat yet, because it might be just a little too early.

bec - that's nice that they took the shoes back for you!  New shoes always make me happy :)

RR - The front desk lady at the Y hooked me up with a group of ladies that meets at o'dark thirty to run a few mornings a week, so I got up and met them at 5:30 this morning for a run.  I agree with Geo (yawn!) but it was so great to have company!  I'm hoping I can still manage it 1 or 2 days a week once I start working again.  Now, I going for a nap!  We're going to the midnight showing of Deathly Hallows tonight, so I need to bank some zzzzs.

[JayGee]

Good Morning!  The family is slowly getting settled back into life back at home after vacation.  I did more laundry yesterday than one woman should ever have to!  I did manage to escape to the Y (DH was still off yesterday) for a 3 mile walk and a little stretching and weights.  I really need to learn what to do with weights from a trainer or something.  I'm clueless! 

zub ~ thinking of you today and hoping your scan shows a healthy, bouncing bean!

Real ~ hope your DD's weight check is good, in spite of the barfing.

sparkle ~ have you had your thyroid levels checked?  All those symptoms sound thyroid-y.

DrJen ~ congrats on a successful move!!!

Lalala ~ your party is going to be GREAT!  But I do hope at least 2 people say "sorry, can't make it!"

bec ~ yay for new shoes!

Nic ~ I hope the house lease works out for you.  When do you need to move in by?  And how was your DH's race?

Geo ~ even though she may not be "WOW", I'm glad you have a nanny on deck.  How stressful.

Must go get ready for my appointment this morning.  After more than two years of this injury continuing to rear it's ugly head, I just can't feel optimistic about these appointments anymore.  Sigh...

[bec]

Jaygee - I am thinking of you this morning.  I so hope you get some good, concrete answers.  This has been going on toooooooo long! 

DrJ - You are so organized with this move!  Congrats on finding a running group.  I have a dear friend in Overland Park that is starting to get into running.  She just signed up for her first 5k!  I do have to agree that there are some significant hills!  Who would have thought?!

Zub - My biggest symptom with my pregnancies was mind numbing exhaustion!  It was seriously ridiculous.  But, I would take that over constant puking!  Keep us informed about the scan.  I have all my crossables crossed that you see a heartbeat (even though it may be too soon!). 

Real - My kids always threw up on my chest as little ones.  Every.Single.Time.  They never threw up on DH.  I found that very unfair!  I'm hoping the weight check goes well.  Those can be so very stressful!

Geo - Glad you found at least a nanny, even if she isn't the bomb-dog diggedy of nannies.  I keep hoping someone wonderful will come your way!

Nic - I really hope you get your lease straightened out.  I've had my fair share of crazy landlords, and they can make living in a place miserable!

Mel - I hear you on the weather!  It's either 95 or 60 here, it seems.  Although, I have to say the last two days have been really gorgeous!  It makes me nervous that we have used up our good weather days or something, though!

[Nickarolaberry]

Hi all,

Sparkle, I think a gps for the bike is an excellent idea. Maybe it offends dh's sense of 'never ask for directions' in some kind of primeval I CAN DO IT MYSELF way. My dh is very odd like that.

JayGee, hope your appointment goes well.

Dh did great in his first half ironman, a little under 6 hours. But he was a bit pissed because apparently the swim was mis-timed; apparently they went over the chip mat and then had to wait like 15 minutes for his heat. So his swim time was a lot longer than it actually was. That's a pretty bad snafu actually. Other than that though, and the fact that he thought he was going to die in the half marathon (which was his first run ever longer than 11 miles!) he did great. He was telling me his pace was a bit over 10 minute miles for the half -- I joked that I should run with him in a race AFTER he's done a 1.2 mile swim and a 50 mile bike because that was the only way we'd ever run together. 

On the up side, doing these races gives him a lot of input for himself and his own race.

Dingo mamas, I could use some parenting input: Dd1 is at overnight camp for the first time, this sunday is visiting day (3 wks in...she'd have one more week there). She wrote home that she is very homesick and wants to come home. I have spoken to the camp director, the bunk and division moms several times, and they said she is having a great time but has moments of sadness and comes frequently for hugs to the 'substitute mommies'. She has never been away from me so long (longest is two days!). Dh wants to bring her home. I want her to stay. I feel like she'll feel very successful and proud if she sticks it out (the way she did after she ran a mile the first time) and will regret coming home right away (not to mention be bored out of her skull). Her photos online (they put new ones up every day) show a happy kid (dh thinks the smiles are forced). 

What do you all think? Bring her home a week early or encourage her to stay? (Perhaps an 'incentive' is in order? I don't usually do it but she has been begging for a Kindle and it could be a kind of 'you were so independent and grown up staying at camp and this is a present for a kid who is more grown up.')

Gar. 

Had a wonderful 6 mile run this morning. Gorgeous skies, cool breezes, no humidity. 

Now waiting on the lease to come back with revisions I wanted...sigh. Can I just go run again, like..all day?!

[Geofizz]

Originally Posted by Nickarolaberry 

Dingo mamas, I could use some parenting input: Dd1 is at overnight camp for the first time, this sunday is visiting day (3 wks in...she'd have one more week there). She wrote home that she is very homesick and wants to come home. I have spoken to the camp director, the bunk and division moms several times, and they said she is having a great time but has moments of sadness and comes frequently for hugs to the 'substitute mommies'. She has never been away from me so long (longest is two days!). Dh wants to bring her home. I want her to stay. I feel like she'll feel very successful and proud if she sticks it out (the way she did after she ran a mile the first time) and will regret coming home right away (not to mention be bored out of her skull). Her photos online (they put new ones up every day) show a happy kid (dh thinks the smiles are forced). 

What do you all think? Bring her home a week early or encourage her to stay? (Perhaps an 'incentive' is in order? I don't usually do it but she has been begging for a Kindle and it could be a kind of 'you were so independent and grown up staying at camp and this is a present for a kid who is more grown up.')

How old is she?  I bet if you were to explain it just like that:  moments of sadness aren't overwhelming the fun, and you fear she'll be bored at home with nothing going on, and that you are so proud of her for being so big and independent.  I'd also bring along a care package (maybe even a letter for each day they have left for her to open at bed time?), a bright cheery disposition, and bounce in and out of visit day.

A month is a long time, though.  I did a month when I was 12 or 13, and it was only after several summers a week at a time.  I think it's important to recognize that this isn't easy for kids, and it is a long time. 

Tonight's nanny interview majored in human nutrition, is training for a marathon, and loves cooking vegetarian.  Honestly, I'm a little scared my kids will talk about how they love bacon and hot dogs and she'll get up and leave.