Run Swim Bike Cook 2011

For the past 3 years, I've followed the Run Swim Bike Cook challenge each February. Here's how it works, quoted directly from Chou, one of the hosts:

You have 28 days to do one of the challenges, some of the challenges or all of the challenges. You decide based on your fitness level. For every challenge you complete, you will get one entry into a drawing for a yet undecided but absolutely fabulous prize.

Challenge 1: Run 26.2 miles (I suggest a mile a day)
Challenge 2: Swim 2.4 miles*
Challenge 3: Bike 112 miles**
Challenge 4: Cook 3 of the 4 superfood "iron-chef" challenges.

This is the first year that I thought I should participate. Technically, I didn't complete any of the challenges, but I did actually start working out. This past week I walked 3 miles and biked 3.5 miles. Nothing remarkable, but it's a start. The walking was done on a treadmill set at an incline and was actually really intense. Maybe next year, I'll actually own a bike and start earlier in the month:) At any rate, I'm looking forward to it! 

Life is like a kitchen floor

When we first moved into our home, we were delighted by the bright and spacious kitchen. It had 6 recessed lights in the ceiling, plus one over the sink. After a few months, one of the lights burned out. I put “buy replacement bulbs” on my list of things to do. Perhaps a month later, a second light burned out. I moved my shopping trip up the priority list slightly, but there was really no rush. It was still easy to see, I told myself.

By six months into our home, we had three burned out bulbs in the kitchen. It was alright, though. We could see fine. I did not realize how dark it had become in the kitchen until one day (today), I bought and installed the replacement bulbs. I was amazed at the difference! I wanted to call someone to share the good news! Then I wondered if the scenario with the kitchen lights ever played out in my life. Was I living without the full light of the gospel? I thought about my personal prayer bulb. “We still have family prayer every day and couple prayer. That’s plenty of praying,” I heard myself rationalize. What about my temple bulb? I had attended the temple only sporadically for quite some time. My temple bulb was on, but it seemed dim. Right there, and right then, I recommitted to keep my spiritual light bulbs ON!

Now that the kitchen is bright again, I can really see the dirt on the floor. I’m sweeping and getting out the steam mop! And isn’t that again like the gospel? In the light of Christ, we see our own dirty spots, and thanks to Him, we can find the motivation to change and to become clean again.

Which makes me think that we’re more like kitchen floors than we think. One good washing isn’t going to keep us clean for the rest of our lives. We need daily sweeping to get the surface dirt off and regular mopping, maybe even daily mopping.

Singing, singing all the day!

There are 2 girls who live at our house who love to sing, a big one and a little one. This is a song we sing every week in nursery; it helps me to learn everyone's name. When we sing it, we pat our knees on the downbeat and clap on beat 2. Elizabeth LOVES it! Periodically during the day, she will sit down and start patting her knees, which is her way of requesting this song.

Her other favorite songs are How Firm A Foundation, which she requests by singing the opening interval, which is a perfect fourth, and Deck the Halls, which she requests by saying, "La la la!" Just like a singing pig. (If you can name the book, I'll know we are kindred spirits.)

Normal day with The Girl

The cheerful picture is from today; the bottom picture, in which I think The Girl looks like an angry hippo, is from a few days ago. 

Elizabeth helped me clean up this morning by climbing up into each chair, inspecting the dishes, and feeding herself the remaining baked oatmeal from each bowl. I decided to be pleased about it and told myself that she's developing independence and responding to her own needs.

We wandered upstairs and spent a good ten minutes laughing while she gave me high fives and I cheered, "Woo!" She looked at books, climbed on me, played with blocks...

When we came back down, it was snack time, and I learned that Elizabeth's love for bananas surpasses any interest she might have in leftover brownies. Wish I could say the same for me!

On the docket for the rest of the day - read a chapter in Elder Maxwell's book on discipleship that I started last night, attach Ethan's newly received Bobcat to his Cubscout shirt, tidy up the kitchen, do a load of laundry, make manicotti and a salad for our dinner with the missionaries tonight, and finish reading my new book that arrived yesterday.

Random thoughts

It's V-day. When Ethan threw up all over the bathroom tonight, Mr. M cleaned it up. No complaints. He just did it. That is true love. We also consumed some chocolate together after dinner. Mmmm, chocolate....

I just got invited to a baby shower being held at a bar. Come enjoy champagne, wine, and tapas, the invitation says. What's up with that? I am not a bar girl, so that doesn't sound appealing at all. But even if I were, what about the mother-to-be ??? She can't be drinking, and it's her party! I really like this mother-to-be, and I was thrilled to see that there was a shower for her, but ... I'm pretty sure the only bar I've been to was the bar inside Benihana while I was undercover as a mystery shopper with Mr. M. I ordered a Sprite with lime in it:) Wait, there was one other time. I was 17, returning home to Minnesota after spending Christmas in Hawaii with my family, and our flight to Rochester was canceled, so Northwest stuck us in a van from Minneapolis. It was below zero outside, the van had no heat, and we had on t-shirts and sweaters, pathetically inadequate for the harsh Minnesota winter. (Who flies to Hawaii in winter clothes?) The van actually broke down on the side of the road, and it was so cold that we took refuge in a nearby bar. My brothers and I played arcade games and drank hot chocolate until Northwest sent a limo to take us the rest of the way home. Good times.  

How's everyone out there in bloggerville? Is anyone not sick? I was just perusing Facebook, and it seems like everyone's status is about strep, flu, or other yucky germs.

My violin studio has shrunk down to 6 violin students. One quit, but I think it's all for the best. She was 4 and was possibly overscheduled (still has dance and piano classes). Speaking of scheduling, we have let Ethan's swim classes lapse. He has been taking lessons twice a week for the last few months and LOVES it. We're taking a break, though, because he had something going on every day, and we don't want to burn him out. Let children be children, I say! Long live bike rides around the block, building forts with chairs and blankets, and reading books in huge bean bags. And long live stream jumping (which my boys haven't tried yet).

The picture above is of my brother who is closest to me in age. It is one of my favorites (and so is he). Everything's a blur except for him. Look at his expression as he leaps across that stream; he's moving fast, excited to be airborne, perhaps a bit nervous about where he will come down.  Maybe adulthood isn't all that different from childhood?

What's going on in your life?

Biggest. Pita. EVER!

I know it's not the best picture, but can you see how enormous that thing is? This was an experimental pizza crust. Turned out very thin and somewhat crispy. Not filling enough for Mr. M, but it sure was fun to see it puff up!

And for your viewing pleasure, here is a little movie of The Girl, who should be known from here on out as The Spinning Girl.

How to save $70 per month on your grocery bill

Ethan, the pita maker

In January, we tried an experiment in which we did not buy any bread from the store. We mostly made whole wheat pitas or plain old whole wheat bread. Everyone here loves fresh bread, and we saved and saved a ton of money! From Dec to Jan, the difference was over $200, but even from our average monthly grocery bill, we saved $70.

I have to say that it is extremely motivating to try again for this month. I need to find a good recipe for crusty buns or as they are called in Belgium,  pistolets. Mmmm. And Scott keeps begging me to try making baguette. Any advice from successful baguette makers out there?

On a sunny day

On the beautiful sunny day that was yesterday, we explored some of the city's walking/bike trails. Elizabeth had fun wandering and pushing her stroller. She loved the rocks and the dirt and the dogs.

I had to include the shot of our freezer contents. The boys announced that they are saving the snowballs for summer.

In which I share too much information for the general public. Also, I need to buy a new toothbrush.

My throat was mildly sore last Monday evening. Tuesday morning, my sternocleidimastoids were painful to the touch, especially by my ears, my cheekbones and jawbone were throbbing, and it felt like there was a stake inside my head. My extra-strength Tylenol did nothing for me. I laid down with Elizabeth (who had a fever) and slept for 3 hours Tuesday afternoon.

Tuesday night, I wore a t-shirt and pajama pants, heavy socks, a sweater, and a sweatshirt to bed. I slept under a sheet, a blanket, and a heavy blanket. I couldn't sleep though; I was so cold that I was shivering. Elizabeth did not sleep well that night, either.

Wednesday morning, I got up feeling very cold. Even with all my clothes and coat and hat on, and the car heater on blasto, I was still cold.  I made an appointment for Elizabeth with the pediatrician; I figured she was suffering more because she didn't understand pain and fever. Her throat looked fine, one ear looked good, the other ear was questionable, but no prescription. The doctor kindly agreed to look at my throat and to do a strep test. The instant one came back negative, but he gave me a prescription for penicillin based on the way it looked and told me to take some ibuprofen and to get some for Elizabeth as well. 

I came home, found my prescription strength ibuprofen (which took 2 hours to kick in - that's the level of pain we're talking about - moan moan) and slept again with Elizabeth for a good chunk of the day.

Yesterday, I felt somewhat better, especially on my ibuprofen. At lunch, I saw that my right tonsil had big white globs oozing about. I removed one with a q-tip and a few hours later, another one was there. I removed that one, too. Last night, I took a 90 minute bath with a good book and felt really good.

Today, our snow day, we were all up early (for a snow day), and I took a 3 hour nap with Elizabeth from 11 am - 2 pm. This afternoon, my husband took a call from the pediatrician's office, reporting that my culture swab for strep had come back positive. Since the snow on the roads has all melted, I am going to get dressed and venture out to buy a new toothbrush. I feel vindicated. All the pain and all those naps were not just me being wussy.

SNOW DAY

An awful, jarring sound broke the stillness, rousing the somnolent beast from its warm den. "Who DARES disturb my slumber?!" it roared. 

When the phone jangled, I was confused. My alarm had not rung yet; this was a phone call. "Who is calling me at 6:15 in the morning? I'm not answering that!" It took me a few seconds to remember that today was Friday, that there had been a chance (and high hopes) for snow. "It's the school! It's the school!" I gleefully predicted. "They're calling to tell us there's no school!" Listening to the message confirmed that it was, indeed, a snow day!

Excitedly, I hopped out of bed and went to look out the front window. "Ummm, there's no snow?" I tried looking out another window. A light dusting, possibly half an inch, covered the road, and if I looked between the blades of grass, there was a little bit of snow on the lawn. For a Minnesota girl with Canadian blood, this was a strange thing. But I embraced it.


The boys were outside before 7 am. Scott wanted to see if he could make a snowball. He reports that yes, he managed to make a snowball. He just came in a second ago. "I tried to make a snow angel."

The news reports that the last measurable snowfall here was in 2004 , 0.7 inches. Evidently, there was some freezing rain which turned the roads to ice last night, now covered with a little snow. Driving conditions are not safe, especially for a city which rarely sees snow. We're staying at home today, catching up on important things like blogging and laundry. Hooray for snow!