Running into the Dingo Cafe

[Runningmommy]

Welcome runners of all shapes, sizes and abilities!! We are a chatty group, so please just jump in any time.

[eksmom]

Race List

Thanks RM! Here's the race list. If you have something to add, just let me know. PM-ing is probably the best way to assure that I see it, but posting is OK too.

JayGee - 5K - Feb 19
kate~mom, grnmtnmama - UGLY MUDDER 7 Mile Trail Run - Feb 25
Runningmommy - 500 Festival Training Series 10K - March 10
YumaDoula - March On City Finals 5K - March 10
Janessa - Shamrock Shuffle 10K - March 17
modmom and DH - Shamrock Shuffle 8K - March 25
kate~mom - Nat'l Assoc. of School Psychologists Annual Convention 5K - March 30
Runningmommy - 500 Festival Training Series 15K - Apr 14
CherylAnn - Wenatchee Marathon - April 22
kate~mom - Lehigh Valley Half Marathon - April 29
HBM - 5K - April
mamabeth - half - April (?)
Runningmommy, doctorjen, Balancin1, eksmom - Indy Mini-Marathon (half) - May 5
CherylAnn and family - Pig Jig 5K - May 12
Schatz - Mad City Half Marathon - May 27
HBM, mamabeth - Peachtree Road Race 10K - July 4 (registration ~ March 18 - fills up fast!)
Runningmommy, Balancin1 - Chicago Marathon - October 7

The Preggo Dingo List

sally_Z - June
Po6 - late July
Plady

[schatz]

Thank you, Runningmommy.

[doctorjen]

Just subbing and wanted to tell you guys a funny. Anyone ever read "The Clan of the Cave Bear"? I read them a long time ago and just picked up the first one again recently. In the first one the magician/medicine man guy is named Creb - only, now, I can't read it that way. Every time I see the word my brain automatically goes "c-reb" as in "c-reb-run"! I've read over a hundred pages and I'm still doing it in my head every time I read the name!

[poppywise]

subbing, even though i am on a running hiatus [for no good reason, just finding it hard to stay motivated]

one of my students came up to me after class and said she was working on a project for a different class where she needs to profile a noteworthy/noteable/famous living female scientist. she asked if i could think of any and sadly, i could not. you guys know i operate in the arts/design world, so science is not my forte but i was starting to get MAD [at myself] that i couldn't think of a single one of the top of my head.

that said...i know geo, or kerc, or any of you smart women would surely have some examples for me... the 'noteworthy' part means they need to have invented something or made some newsworthy strides in their area of expertise, etc

ok - i hope all is well with everyone. i am reading along, waiting to jump back into training once i feel better and get motivated. soon, i hope.

[CherylAnn]

Gosh, Proudmom! Your comment surprised me so much! I feel like such a newbie/wannabe still. It made me realize that, like I used to say when I was first getting into running, we are all runners no matter our mileage or speed. Not joggers, which conjures up a plodding, slow image. We are runners!

Aw, Megs I believe it's totally okay to let your kids see you cry and struggle. It makes it more acceptable for them to learn to express their feelings. It's really okay. I just read what Monica said...she said what I meant to say!! Glad you're feeling better today!

Monica Dh needs some better listening skills! I'll have to check out that Alive.

Wow, LuLu! We have such an international board here! I love it!

WTG, Schatz!!!

MissBliss I so related to this, "What my schooling did for me, was to install a lifelong distrust of teachers, schools, and administrators." That's why I'm so intense about making sure my kids grow up loving to learn in a positive environment. I still can't stand school at 37! Everytime I take a class in some subject I love, I become disinterested and don't do the work like I think I should. I still do fine, but I feel antsy and never connect with the instructors. I keep thinking I'd like to go back to school and then panic sets in!

In bigger cities, I think that public schools are often wonderful. We just live in a tiny town with few resources and everything is getting cut for the WASSL. You can't even take physics anymore and most of the foreign languages have been cut or are only offered occasionally, so if you didn't catch it the first time around, you can't continue on. Kids aren't getting enough high level credits to go to major universities because those classes are cut for WASSL prep. It's insane! There is no art or drama and very little music. They have this whole "Afters" program to try to meet those needs. I teach knitting one session a year for that, and this session starts today! There is no gifted program. The best we can hope for is sending our kids an hour away during their Junior and Senior years for the Running Start program at the community college.

Patti Ann, what a wondeful idea! I skipped my run today and plan to make it up tomorrow. That's perfect! I look forward to running for Wendy and Penelope.

RM, thanks for the new thread!! You used the name!

[grnmtnmama]

hi everyone! i'm in the airport in San Diego. had a wonderful day yesterday hanging out with friends, not having any responsibility for a day, and enjoying a little bit of warm weather. I ran for an hour, from my friends house to my old surf spot and back and it felt really good. also, i've been diligent about doing abs and pushups while I'm here. trying to start a new routine.

looking forward to being done with traveling. dh sounds really tired and overworked so it's about time I return to being a mommy.

talk to you guys tomorrow!

[poppywise]

i would love to run tomorrow in honor of penelope and wendy. it's a privilege to 'know' all of you amazing women, so i will come out of my running hiatus and run for penelope/wendy tomorrow. great idea, patti i am sorry you are missing your mom and griffin

[wawoof]

jaygee - yep, i'm definitely on the spinning bandwagon. and swimming too, since i can't run these days. yay on your long swim!

mandy - glad you're enjoying ca. hope your return home is ok. my kids have been wearing me out since i got back from my conference sunday. next time i need to plan some kid time after returning before going back to work (though i'm not sure how to do so, given conference schedules).

cherylann - nightmare school scenario! my fingers are crossed that my kids can get into the wonderful elementary a few blocks from us, and after that, who knows.

monikita - you asked about challenger schools. i have no personal experience, but checked out the website. i came away with a mixed impression from a psychological motivation perspective:

good
- teaching kids that learning comes from effort rather than innate ability
- providing each kid with constant challenges that are hard enough to be interesting but not ovewhelming

bad
- teaching kids to focus on academic "achievement" rather than learning
- encouraging kids to base self-esteem on academic achievement

since i study the motivational costs of basing self-esteem on performance, the last thing is a big negative for me that would probably keep me from choosing such a school. also, gobs of evidence shows that focusing on learning is better than on achievement, so that is also a concern. then again, it's hard to tell how these philosophical points translate into day-to-day practices at the challenger schools. there are likely other schools that have the bad of the challenger schools without the good, so i don't know how they compare to other options. however, compared to my son's montessori school, which really focuses on learning being driven by curiosity, the challenger schools seem problematic. i'm interested to hear perspectives of anyone with direct challenger school experience.

gotta run prep for my second class

[calicocj]

Starting February at the Dingo Cafe is the way to go!!!

Thanks for starting the thread RM!

Eks - I'm contemplating signing up for an event in April, but haven't gotten motivated yet...

Poppy - that sounds like a great assignment... here are some that popped into my head - Lynn Margulis (endosymbiotic theory - that our mitochondria evolved from bacteria that were engulfed by early cells, same w/ chloroplasts in plants, incidentally she was married to Carl Sagan), Jane Goodall (the primatologist), Hunter Lovins (natural capatalist, sustainability), Eileen Collins (first woman to command space flight - recent - although I have to admit I had to look up her name I just remembered the news about her). That is tough to think of, but then it is also hard to think of men that are alive and famous for science....

HBM and BBM, this is belated, but I loved the pics that yall posted! They are all so sweet!

MissBliss - I Mrs. Piggle Wiggle!!! What a great blast from the past!

PattiAnn- that is a great idea - Plady - your family will be with me on my run tomorrow!

Megs - glad you are feeling better

Monikita - I am sorry about your tough time with DH

CherylAnn - loved what you said about being runners. Sometimes i catch myself saying that I like to run and then brush it off no, I mean jog, but I am going to try to say runner, that sounds strong!!

Shanti - can I be in on the secret sprinter thing too : I am new but love doing stuff like this... what do we need to pm you?

Mandy - I'd love to hear more about San Diego, we're thinking about heading that way for a weekend soon...

[babybugmama]

[HomeBirthMommy]

subbing...
The girls came home with a note from school today that one of the boys in 5th grade died yesterday. They didn't know him and neither did I, but my heart is breaking for that family.
Go hug your sweet kiddies extra tight.

[Balancin1]

Subbing. showed her nasty head last night, maybe if I blame her for my torpor this last week I can get past it?

Must do the run that got pushed off the plate yesterday just as soon as DH comes home from the dentist.

When ABD came up in the old thread, I meant to sarcastically quote our nasty-ass schedule to illustrate. This is before DH told me he basically has to have his first chapter revised and the draft of #2 done by the end of the month. Thank you life for kicking me for my thoughts even though I did not even articulate them. :

[sally Z]

okay think i have caught up

Eksmom- love and logic what age is this appropriate from? I have a really really demanding 2,4year old and i am lossing my cool more than keeping it.

Pumpkinseed- hope you dad is okay and that the visit helps

I love the dingo cafe idea- i would so come all the way just to visit it

BBM: wow what a cute boy, love the bath pics. NB dipes are so cute while they last, send them to me or any other mama you think would like them.

Shanti- how is your arm, pleae no snow driving this year, i still remember your scarey story from last year. Love the colours of the quilt you had planned

HBM- cute pics, your girls are getting big

MoniktaUT- another one with a lovely pic

Dr Jen: i think it is so great you manage to fit your running into your very busy life- well done. And yes i have read clan of the cave bear on Creb, speaking of which how is creb-run?

Mamabeth- how you feling?

Plady- thinking of you tomorrow

Proudmom- glad the Dr thought the pap was not +, what a relief

Megs- s babies are such overwhelming things, some day even when you have done everything you can think of the still cry. Glad you are feeling a little better

Lulu- don't think i know your friend, sad soon i can no longer say in Sunny South Africa

Patti: s, think of you often

So now i have to think of boys names! I am sold on Noah but dh will not hear of it

[mamabeth]

that's just so awful, HBM.

plady, I will be honored to dedicate my run to you and Wendy, if that's okay. I have been trying to do "intentions" on my run for people and I will lift her and you up, and your new little babe as well. :

puts my "problems" in perspective today, which is a good thing.

love y'all.

[Plady]

Thank you Patti and all of you mamas. It is so sweet for you all to be thinking of us, I just feel all warm and loved.

I ran today! I wondered if maybe running would stave off the puking so I took my dog out for a couple miles. It seemed to work, I felt good while running and the nausea never came back afterward. Now if only I could have that same hole in the morning schedule every day!

HBM - That is so sad. Any idea what happened?I hope that family has the support they'll need.

Megs - Glad you are feeling better. I clearly remember a time or two when I was watching C crawl around and I'd just burst into tears. She'd come over, looking confused and that made me cry even harder. Those hormones can be cruel but I agree with Monica and others who said that there is value in children learning that grown-ups can be super sad and that it goes away and it's okay.

Dr.Jen - That is so funny, I'm sure I'd see exactly the same thing.

CherylAnn- Definitely time for you to face the fact. You are a Runner. Wannabes do not train for marathons the way you are.

OMG I just noticed that some toilet paper from our roof bathroom has caught the wind and is papering our house! I wish I knew a good way to post a picture, the tp is just streaming out of the window. I'd better go try to reel it in before it's too late!

[1jooj]

Plady and Wendy will help me catch up to my weekly goal tomorrow.

We just got a roofing quote. :

Long day tomorrow. Wake me up early, girls, if I am to run.

[Mommabelle]

Dingo Cafe sounds like a great place to be!

Dr. Jen..that is so funny.

HBM...heartwrenching news.

SallyZ..you are "sounding" good

grnmtnmama..It's fun hearing from you on your trips

eksmom.. I think I'm doing the fun run at my kids school..I'll pm it to you..it's 5k

Yesterday at my daughters dance one of the Mom's I always talk to just had a lump removed from her breast and it's malignant. She's my age and has a 5,3 and 9 month old dd's.

I'm doing non cardio workout this evening. Weights and pilates.

[babybugmama]

Plady - I found in the early months when I was running was the only time I wasn't sick... I can't recall when you said you were due?

Oh Mommabelle what a horrible experience for your friend. I hope she can take care of it easily.

Jo - I am LOVING your blog. I stalk it regularly and it gives me hopes of doing something on a much smaller scale. Think chickens and garden.

Sally - when you settle in your new digs, pm me your addy and I'll send you a little care package. I loved the dipes...but my chunka chunka love already blasts out of them. Sigh. I just retired all of his 0-3 month clothes. He's six weeks old.

HBM - Loving my babies.

I am not running. I am not going to run. It is too freakin' cold. I will run once it is out of the teens. I'm sorry I'm being such a wuss. Once upon a time I was hard core. Now...I'm a milky mess.

[Patti Ann]

mamabeth-the motto worked. Just back from 2.4 miles in the dark.

BBM-I don't blame you. E is only 6 weeks, I wouldn't expect you to be hardcore. Do some baby snuggling instead. That has to burn some calories, right?

HBM-how awful for that family.

Must go shower, but wanted to check in. I think I really need the accountability.

my kids don't even really know what grades are. I just want them to enjoy learning and know it is alright to make mistakes. Some great discoveries are made that way. I check their work and know they are doing fine, but don't want them to be stuck on a letter grade. How many 7 year olds do you know that are so excited when their new grammar books come in the mail. I don't want to extinguish that love of learning they have. I'm probably not making any sense right now, but just wanted to chime in on the subject.

Patti