Oooh...aaahh...Dingoes Dodging Fireworks in July! - Page 5

[JayGee]

Real ~ your plumber sounds like he's fixing everything!!!  It's so nice to get house stuff done, especially when it will end up making your life easier.

Gaye ~ I am with you on the exorbitant community pool fees.  We don't belong to the town pool (DS and DD do, but only for swim team purposes) so every time I take the kids swimming, it's at least $15-$20 a pop.

mommajb ~ I am thinking about you and hoping you see the light at the end of the tunnel.  I will tell you that eating Paleo has greatly diminished my O symptoms and PMS mood swings, not to mention shortening the duration of AF from 6 days down to 4.  Unfortunately, it has also shortened my cycles to 22 days, but I think that may be more perimenopause related than anything else.

MelW ~ I can only imagine the fallout from failing a student.  Doesn't sound like fun at all.  I am always so envious of your trail runs.  Someday I'll talk my family into a west Canada coast vacation and join you up on those hill trails!

NRR ~ the wedding last night was SO much fun!  There were lots of kids there, and DD2 was up on stage with the DJ, dancing with two of her best friends from kindergarten and having a ball.  She even ate completely across the room with her friends (and the mother of the bride supervising).  I barely saw her all night, except up on the stage dancing!  DH and I kept looking at each other and saying, "Who is this child?!"   DD1 also saw a friend from school there and they hung out together all night.  DS found a somewhat younger boy to play with and I dragged him out on the dance floor a few times too.  It was the kids' first wedding ever and they all thought it was tons of fun.  I am really happy for the bride and groom as it is a second marriage for both of them and a fresh start after two very painful divorces.  All in all, a lovely evening.  And I danced enough for me to call it a RR!

Today I am taking DD2 to a birthday party and the hosting Mom asked me to stay and help supervise (it's a pool party in their backyard, she has a lifeguard, but wanted a little extra help).  Twenty-four 6 year olds in a pool!  Ack!  Give me strength (she did promise me a margarita.....)

ETA:  GO, BEC, GO!!!!!!!

Edited by JayGee - 7/15/12 at 6:21am

[Nickarolaberry]

Go BEC!!!

And congratulations to Naughty Dingo who had her baby last night! 

RR: 9.5 slow miles with a friend this morning. Humid...and ouch, can you say CHAFE?! Ugh. I guess my bra is wearing out because the area on the straps where the velcro meets itself is coming apart a bit...and wow, the chafe. Ugh.

[MelW]

Go Bec!!!!

[mommajb]

What a busy weekend for the dingos! wedding plans, ironmans, babies!

ND, Congratulations and welcome to the newest dinglet!

bec,

Sparkle, you are being to hard on yourself! Those are sprints with recovery. C25K gives longer walk breaks. I know because I am climbing out of a hole fitness wise also. Misery loves company. Enjoy the space in the king size bed.

jo, after all the schedule changes your dh has thrown at you in the past he is really taking the wedding plans to heart.

DM, you have been bitten by the tri bug.

JayGee, swim team is time intensive but the kids are all hanging together. I bet you will both miss it and be glad when it does finally end. How tired are you after the pool party?

MelW, your plans make my head spin. It sounds like just too much.

Real, it sounds like you have a plumber you can recommend to others. I hope it stays that way until well after the project is done.

RR: A run with dh where we tackled some huge hills and I feel it. Time to strength train. I've got my plans together and tomorrow is the start day. After our run we had brunch at the beach like a couple of tourists. I was excited to go with him, to stay on budget, and to find good choices. How often does that happen?

[Shantimama]

Uh-oh.      Very bad Dingo here.

I was just tidying up a shelf that I don't use very often and guess what I found tucked into the back corner? My still unmailed Secret Sprinter reveal package. I am so sorry, dear Dingo sister. I think I will open it up, add some extra lovelies, repack it and actually TAKE it to the post office this time.

I am so sorry! 

[sparkletruck]

Ugh; one over-looked, unplanned for result of yesterdays near-hour of cardio: eating the house down to the rafters And Im not talking brussels sprouts. Le-sigh. Tomorrow is another day...

Master bdrm. is up and running and oh, it is lovely

But the real reason I'm here: Book Recommendations?! I'm going to family camp in a week and I need a good one. Ive just read "Wild", and then "Carry the One", both of which were perfect summer reading: light enough that I blazed through and didnt want to stop, but well written enough that I enjoyed the craft.... Whereas I'm also reading Wolf Hall (....Hilary Mantel....about Anne Boleyn and Thomas Cromwell), which is well written and dense and yummy, but a little much for the catch-as-catch-can reading I'm doing...I'd take NF or F...


ND and Bec - :joy:joy:joy

[tjsmama]

Yay, bec! You did it! Can't wait to hear your rr!

Welcome, naughty dinglet!

sparkle~50 Shades of Grey? (why yes, I am on the waiting list at the library, why do you ask?)

jo~That's so interesting...I had no idea Ramadan moved up every year! I figured it was kind of like Easter and Passover, where it moved around a little but stayed in the same general timeframe.

dm~The one day membership fee is very standard for almost all triathlons, if you don't have an annual USAT membership. If the tri you just did didn't have that fee, it probably wasn't a USAT sanctioned event (which most tris are, partially because the membership fee helps provide liability insurance). Honestly, I don't think I've ever done a tri that didn't require a one-day or annual membership, and I've done a LOT of tris in the past 5 years!

WASApalooza yesterday was pretty darn fun. We started off with a relay race involving getting dressed (and undressed) in lacrosse gear and shooting a lacrosse goal (in honor of the lacrosse game we were going to after the event), did a killer "gladiator" relay (carry a water cooler jug, do a tire run thing, a plank walk on all fours, weave through some cones, throw a medicine ball, and run up a hill!), played human foosball, some weird game with a ball and no defense, a razor scooter relay around the stadium, scooter hockey (my favorite!), ultimate frisbee, and flag football. It was all super fun, up until flag football, where I jammed my thumb and bruised/got a ropeburn on my other hand from a jerk who tied his flag belt on. Oh, and I have a giant bruise on my quad from blocking a shot in foosball. Still, fun! It was a long day in the hot sun, though!

After I rode up Highgrade last weekend, a friend said that he had never done it and wanted a tour guide. With some persuasion in the form of free babysitting (his three sons and wife were AWESOME with DS today), we set out from his house this morning. Which added 15 miles of rolling hills on each end of the normal ride. Not so bad on the way out, but it kinda hurt on the way back! Not to mention that it was HOT. I drained both my bottles on the way up, chugged two bottles of gatorade at the rest stop up top, and took another bottle of water with me for the ride back. 55 miles, just over 4 1/2 hours, with about 4200 ft of climbing. I am sore. And sunburned. And desperately wanting to wimp out on a run tomorrow and just go for a swim instead, but with the Courage Classic next weekend and no hope of running the rest of the week...it must be done.

[babybugmama]

So totally off topic...what do your 9/10 year old girls do with friends when they hang out?

Dd has a good group of friends.  it's  just a few, but they're great friends.  However, as they get older I could see her drifting from one and with us homeschooling, while there is opportunity, sometimes it's not as frequent as say going to school.  Her current friends they just listen to books on cd, draw, and talk.  I dunno, my mommy guilt/anxiety is on high today and I just noticed that she was more isolated than I thought and I encouraged her to invite some kids over.  She may have been a little overzealous...but then if they do reciprocate, my concern is that she doesn't know what to do with these girls... Ack.  Even typing this out sounds silly.

[Mel38]

Congratulations ND and brand new baby girl!

Bec! You rock star!!

Originally Posted by babybugmama 

So totally off topic...what do your 9/10 year old girls do with friends when they hang out?

Dd has a good group of friends.  it's  just a few, but they're great friends.  However, as they get older I could see her drifting from one and with us homeschooling, while there is opportunity, sometimes it's not as frequent as say going to school.  Her current friends they just listen to books on cd, draw, and talk.  I dunno, my mommy guilt/anxiety is on high today and I just noticed that she was more isolated than I thought and I encouraged her to invite some kids over.  She may have been a little overzealous...but then if they do reciprocate, my concern is that she doesn't know what to do with these girls... Ack.  Even typing this out sounds silly.

For my DD2 who is 10 this year, the one-on-one visits work best. Anything else inevitably results in someone being left out. When it's just one friend over, they talk, play make believe, listen to music or beg to play on the wii.

[Dmitrizmom]

For my dd who will be 9 in less than 2 weeks, she does best one-on-one as well... unless they are able to be outside (she's the kid that adores climbing trees).  When they play inside, like Mel's dd, they talk, play make believe, listen to music, play on the wii, color, play with dolls, play dress up, beg to make cookies (or some other such baked goodies). 

[sparkletruck]

BBM - We have only ever done play-dates with one friend at a time. They do crafts, but lately have been wandering around the neighborhood Seriously, Saturday she had a friend over and they walked to the park (5 blocks away). and to Walgreens for a treat (4 blocks away), and they go on bike rides, or hang out in the backyard swinging and playing basketball.... But I wanted to add that this particular friend is one that we do not see regularly, as they do not go to the same school anymore. We also moved away for a year at a time when they were at the same school, and through both, the girls have made a point of maintaining their friendship b/c they have a lot on common (tomboys!) So it could be that your dd can maintain friendships despite the lack of school just by doing the one-on-one occasionally....

RR: bike and run/walk for an hour. The bike was harder than the other day, the run was better. What can I say? I'm a runner

[mommajb]

shanti, that is totally something I would do for Secret Sprinter. I sat out this year but I plan to join back in all the fun next time.

sparkle, I think you have the book rec you need. I haven't seen a shopper check out of costco this summer without a copy.

tjsmama, offering a teen as a babysitter that I reward in some non-cash way later has been a route I have taken to get running partners in the past. Dd1 is rewarded by me not harassing her into physical activity so it isn't exactly a win all the way around. Dh assures me she will grow out of early teen slothdom soon...

bbm, do not have a group of three but you already know that. They play with younger siblings allowing them build legos, play with dress-up and playmobil, dig holes, they craft or cook or bake, the take walks, they play online at sites we know, etc. Klutz books can be great starting points. If I have to help or intervene we play games (cards or board games) or make something in the kitchen. I send them outside - we have enough bikes, hula hoops, skip its, and jump ropes to go around. Another way to stay in touch with friends is to take a class or activity together or join a group like roots and shoots. Dd2 took a dance class with a friend and now they are planning to both join the girl scout glee chorus.

I am ready to run, all dressed and coffee'd up but my RP is snoring. I am giving him until 7am. If we wait any longer Charlotte will want to run with us, Helen will want to bike along...it changes things, you know?

[Nickarolaberry]

Sparkle, vacation reading: series that I love include the Gideon Allon books by Daniel Silva (new one out now but start at the beginning if you can, they're all at the library); the Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear (woman detective set in post WW1 England -- really great writing and stories); the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series by Laurie R. King ('what if' Sherlock Holmes married a young woman late in his life and she was his sidekick/apprentice? awesome series also); total twinkie beach reading: anything by Dorothea Benton Frank (all novels set on the barrier islands off Charleston, SC). I have others but those are a great start depending what you like!

BBM, both my girls at that age did much better with dyad playdates. They like(d) to dress their American Girl dolls/set up plays with them, do board games, craft projects, cooking (if I allow it), obstacle courses and jump rope games in the back yard, ride bikes/scooters, and make up plays (complete with constructing scenery, etc.).

Shanti, I did the same thing but I caught it earlier.  And who says getting an unexpected gift in July isn't totally awesome?!

Had a great long run on Sunday with my sister-in-law's best friend whom I've become close to with running, 9.5 miles. I love running with her because she's totally willing to do potty stops and water breaks and does not get uptight about pace etc. at all. Very easy to talk to. We picked up another friend later in the run who is a riot but it is hard to run and laugh! Ha. Excellent. Later that day we took all the kids to see the new Ice Age movie and it was actually really good! 

I managed, in the space of 14 hours, to set off my parents' house alarm and smack myself in the head with 5 rubber dryer balls as I was folding sheets. .

Today I did 6 miles on the trails near my parents house. Have I mentioned I  trail running? It was rocky, hilly, and buggy but I still loved it. It's one of the best reasons to stay at my folks' a few days...there is such a good trail network here that was never here when I was growing up. 

Now, off to the running store to exchange my kicks which have a hole in the toe for no apparent reason, to the carwash to get the sand out from our lake excursion yesterday, and to the playground for ds to burn off some energy. Seeing a college friend and her babies later today which should be fun. 

[bec]

Ok, I'm here and I have a moment to breathe!!!

I am still feeling overwhelmed and not quite believing that I finished the darn thing!

So, We drove up the day before for packet pickup, and the like.  It was a group of 4 women that have been training together since January.  We were part of the bigger tri group, but our coach had a different and special plan for us.  We have been getting up and doing something or other at 6am about 3 times a week for a long time now!  Anyway, we got there, had a hard time finding parking before standing in line to get our packets.  After that, we went shopping!  I got a couple shirts, a couple of hats, and just enjoyed myself!  Then, we went to deposit our bikes at transition and listen to the race talk.  Except we missed the race talk, and just chatted with the race director and asked him all our questions.  We found out that the water was 70 degrees!!!!  Thank you heat wave!!!  We racked our bikes, put plastic over the handlebars and seats (there were supposed to be thunderstorms that night), and went to the hotel to check in.  We got our stuff in the room (Forever grateful for being able to bunk with them!), and headed out to dinner.  We headed to an Italian place.  It was not spectacular, amazing food, but it was simple and large portioned.  I had gnocchi with meatballs.  We went to Dairy Queen for desert!  So, feeling fully carbed up, we went back to the hotel to relax for the night.  I had an idea that I wanted to give the girls little presents.  So, I gave them each a baggie of this soy nut energy mix that I get from Costco that they all like, and I made friendship bracelets (I know, I'm like 10 years old)!  I found a pattern that has a wave on it, so made that.  The only problem is that I started on Friday, and wasn't quite done!  So, while we all watched Blazing Saddles on tv, I furiously knotted!  I did finish it, but it was close!  At any rate, it helped me channel most of that nervous energy!  So, we went to sleep, where I felt like I tossed and turned all night long! 

Finally, the 4am alarm went off!  We dragged ourselves out of bed and got ready to go! 

We got to transition around 5:30, got bodymarked and went in to set up the rest of our stuff.  The lady next to me was very anal about how everyone around her was setting up, and was kind of bossy about where things should be.  I chalked it up to nerves, and let her be.  I got my tires pumped, chain greased, and stuff set up.  I am impressed with the minimalist transition setups I saw.  Shoes, socks, t-shirt.  I was trying to figure that out, as I had a pack, pump, food, water bottle, sunglasses, hat, sunscreen, etc., etc.  I need to work on the amount of crap I bring with me to these things!  Anyway, at 6:30, transition closed, so we had to go.  It was a one mile hike up the beach (no shuttle) to the start.  About halfway there was a bench that we stopped to get our wetsuits on.  We called that our warmup and continued our trek.  The water was as beautiful as promised.  We got wet, got used to it, and even swam a little to make sure our goggles weren't leaking or anything.  At 7am, the gun went off for the first wave of pros.  It was impressive seeing the churning water at the start!  My wave didn't go off until 8:08, so I had a while.  I got to cheer 2 of my teammates as they started their waves.  Finally, I saw my wave lining up!  I had a major case of nerves, but then we were at the water, and everything sort of settled.  The gun went off for us, and we were underway!  Everything was just right for this swim.  Everything was perfect.  I killed the swim in 43:08.  By far, my strongest leg.  I felt in the zone and like I was really just out for my own swim.  There was never a lot of people around me, so I didn't feel pressure to either let them pass or to try to keep up.  Just did my thing. 

Anyway, I got out of the water, and there was a LONG run (walk?) up the beach to transition.  I saw some girls from the tri group that had come up to cheer us on!  That was a HUGE jolt of energy!  They had these little kiddie pools with water, that you could step in to rinse the sand off your feet.  Brilliant!  And then, my favorite thing, the wet suit strippers!!!  I got my wet suit down below my butt, sat down, and they ripped it off of me!  Then, they helped me back up!  Seriously, took like 15 minutes off my transition time!  So, hurried to my bike, switched to bike shoes, and bike jersey, slathered some sunscreen on and discovered the nasty chafing the wetsuit caused on my neck!  That got my attention, but I had no time for it.  Started jogging my bike to the bike out, and was nearly run over by a guy.  There was plenty of space near me, but he must have been threatened by my complete bad-assedness that he needed to shove into me.  He clipped my ankle with his bike pedal as he passed me by (glad he didn't push me down!) without a second glance at me or my swearing after him (for the record, there was plenty of space on either side of me to get by, if he had wanted).  Anyway, blood trickling down my ankle, I was allowed to mount up and start up a big hill!  56 miles of beautiful Wisconsin farmland (some of it riper than others).  Rolling hills, bright sun, just a gorgeous day.  Of course, 60 degrees and overcast was what I ordered, but not to be.  I got 90 degrees and full sun!  Ah well.  It was still a beautiful ride, even if they did seem to defy physics by making the big loop all up hill.  Anyway, I was struggling a bit with a tight back, but managed to work through it.  I missed my girls from my tri group.  We all rode together at least once a week.  Even when I wasn't talking, just listening to their chatter and drafting with everyone helped pass miles!  They had several aid stations along the ride, where volunteers held out water bottles, sports drinks, Gu, or food.  I packed my bike jersey with water bottles, drinking and pouring over me.  Eventually, we came back into town, and it was time for the run.  I was so happy to be off the bike by that point, that even a half marathon sounded good!  As I was riding in, I saw my husband and children with signs and cheering for me.  Again, a boost exactly when I needed it!

This transition felt slower, even though it was faster.  I needed more sunscreen, had to put socks on, needed more water, etc.  It seemed like I just could not move fast enough!  Anyway, eventually, I headed out.  Within the first half mile, I saw the tri group cheering squad, and that galvanized me to try a run (shuffle, really).  Anyway, I thought I would try a run 2 minutes, walk a minute strategy at first.  I did, and started actually feeling pretty decent.  Walking up hills (there weren't many, but a couple coming out of the beach area where transition is set up) and through water stations.  Eventually, I switched to a run 3 minutes, walk 1 minute, and did well with that as well.  But, it was really, really hot.  Thankfully, the community really supports this race, so there were homeowners across the entire run route that had hoses, sprinklers and water guns set up to cool runners down.  Also, at the aid stations, they had cold sponges you could take, and they had cups of ice that you could dump down your shirt!  The course was not terribly exciting.  It was an out and back that you had to do twice.  Heading out for the second loop was one of the hardest things I've done!  I saw my family (with a surprise visit by my parents) a couple more times, as well as the tri girls.  As I was heading out for the second loop, I told them that when they saw me again, I'd be a half ironman!  That was starting to sink in.  I knew I would make it.  Even if I had to walk the last 6 miles, I would finish this race.  Turned out, I ran most of it!  The only thing that was really distressing to me was that in the last 5k of the race, my Garmin battery pooped out (shouldn't it last more than 7 hours?).  I swore a LOT, because the only thing that was keeping me in a good rhythm was the run 3, walk 1.  When I got to the mile 11 sign, though, I decided to try to run the last 2 miles.  Again, more like shuffle.  I am pretty sure most people could walk faster than I was "running", but I reminded myself that it was a gait, not a speed!  Finally, against all probability, I saw the finish line.  I saw my friends that had finished before me, and I picked up my pace to something like a fast amble.  I threw my hands in the air in victory and brought it in and became a half ironman! 

The support of this race was simply amazing.  Everywhere I turned, volunteers was cheering and helping.  I saw so many people I knew in the crowds.  So many people coming to support me!  It was overwhelming and I am in awe and so very thankful.  I could not have done this without the support of my family, the people I trained with, and the coaches that lead us. 

So, official times:

Swim: 43:08

T1: 8:06

Bike: 3:42

T2: 7:43

Run: 3:21:15

Total: 8:02:12

[Geofizz]

I answered BBM's question on FB, but to expand here -- DD's closest friends (yes, I think we can pluralize this term now!!!!) tend to play good old fashioned make believe.  They play Warriors, Ga'Hoole, or whatever fantasy books they're all reading.  It's refreshing to see them so engrossed in these games, and in the background, pressuring each other to read more books.

It was touch-and-go there for a while, but I did come home.  IT was hard to leave those mountains.  Now I'm back to the land of the heat index.

Laundry -- I'm finding I can address the stink by soaking in OxyClean and near boiling water.

OK, I've got an increasing problem here.  Deodorant has never been very effective for me as an anti-perspirant.  However, it's getting kinda ridiculous.  I'm soaking my clothes under the arms even sitting still and in air conditioning.  This has been getting worse over the last 2-3 years.  I've tried and discarded many, many brands of stuff, but I am getting good at dealing with the laundry.  We won't even talk about what happens when I get up in front of a few hundred people and talk for an hour.  Any solutions?  My only rule is that the solution be unscented.

[Plady]

Morning mamas,

BBM - Just another vote for no three-way playdates.  I often shoo girls outside or suggest a card game or board game.  Mine have never played with dolls so that's never been a thing with friends either.  Kicking it off with an organized (supervised) craft is always a hit though.

Bec - My head spins!  You are so awesome!!  Just the other day your leg was broken and here you are, a half ironman! 

Commencing lame personals.  It's just been so busy here.  The kids and I are still hacking up a storm.  I did take dd1 to the doc to rule out whooping cough before continuing to be around anyone else and the diagnosis was asthma.  I was actually the same age when I got the same story after a round of bronchitis or something that wouldn't let up.  But, I do question it a little since I have a similar cough and now so does Ali G.  And my poor friends who are arriving from RI today for a week!  I am hoping with all I have that we can avoid infecting any of them!  DH hurt his back yesterday and was almost entirely incapacitated while I was off at my theatre camp.  Ali G was home with him and her cough and spent the day in front of the boob tube, blissfully unaware that her dad was unable to move in the next room.  Luckily he can move today and so can get himself to the chiro.  Other good news is that Bobcat sounds like they will do the right thing for the tractor.  They agreed it sounded like something that should not have broken under any circumstances so that's good.  And now it's time to get everything moving toward getting out the door to my little crowd of spazzie monkeys that I've got in camp this week.

[Shantimama]

Geo - my friend's dd was having that same problem with soaking shirts while sitting still. She is a young teen so it was devastating for her - but not pleasant for anyone to have to deal with. She went to a naturopath and then eliminated wheat and dairy and she is fine with regular deodorant again - also no mor skin breakouts or lethargy. This may not be of any help to you, just fresh in my mind as this was a recent discovery.

[sparkletruck]

Geo - and for something from the complete opposite end of the spectrum Ive read that botox under the arms stops sweating ... and its not weird, its actually sort of becoming average...

Books - thanks ladies! keep 'em coming. I am far too pretentious to ever read Shades Ive been meaning to get to the autobiograhies (yes, plural) of Edward St. Auben, so maybe Ill see if they are available at the library...

Having a hard day. Had a really bad/weird/painful night of sleep, and woke to feeling bleh. Oh well. One day at a time...

[Nickarolaberry]

Geo, I have the same problem. Going vegan and gf has helped but not as much as it needs to. It's getting worse as I get older . Maybe it's hormones. The only thing I find works at all is the 'clinical strength' anti perspirant, for me the Secret brand works best. It is not a natural solution and is probably toxic, so I only use it when I am going to teach or something or need not to sweat through my clothes and look disgusting. 

I think they sell pads to put in clothes and I would consider that Botox thing too if I had the cash...

[bec]

There are a few kids that I can have more than one over for a playdate with my 11 year old, but, they are usually sibling pairs, that match up closely with my kids' ages, and they are chosen very carefully.  Usually, it's just 1 on 1.  Too much pressure on her to perform and entertain more than that.  But, I am happy to say that she has forged a few close friendships in the past year.  I don't need her to have a lot of friends, but it does my mama heart good to see her have a couple!