Guess who learned how to tie her shoes at preschool last week?
Archive for June, 2010
15 Jun
Training update
I’m halfway through week four on the Couch to 5K program.
It’s awful. I hate it.
No! No. I don’t mean that. It’s just . . . challenging. Weeks one and two were great—not too hard, I enjoyed the time outside (by myself), and I felt good about what I was doing.
Now, a couple of weeks later, the pain has set in. Here’s this week’s plan:
- Warm up – 5 minutes
- Run – 3 minutes
- Walk – 1:30 minutes
- Run – 5 minutes
- Walk – 2:30 minutes
- Run – 3 minutes
- Walk – 1:30 minutes
- Run – 5 minutes
- Cool down – 5 minutes
I’m officially running more than walking, even counting those luxuriously long warm up and cool down periods. And, while my lungs seem to be doing just fine, my legs are paying the price. By the time I hit the cool down, I want to crawl the rest of the way home just to rest my poor shins.
I decided the concrete wasn’t doing me any favors, so I tried the treadmill in the basement this morning. On the plus side, the pain was lessened due to a cushier surface, and I could watch Law and Order.
On the other hand, I missed being outside, and now I have actual proof of just how slow I am. I did not need that MPH information just yet.
I really am trying to be positive about this. No one is making me do it. (Although believe me, if I hadn’t posted it here—and on Facebook, and told everyone at work what I was doing—I would have quit days ago.)
I am still somewhat doubtful that I will actually be able to run the entire 5K, but the program is working so far. We’ll see . . .
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to find some Advil.
14 Jun
They just keep coming.
Ava: Mom, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that I found my roly poly. The bad news is that he’s dead.
14 Jun
Overheard: Career aspirations edition
Ava: I’m going to be a doctor and a mom and a crabby patty maker. I’m going to squeeze out the whole “being a princess” part so that I have more time to spend with you.
12 Jun
Potty training in one day
After months of flak from Bryan, I decided to get serious about potty training Olivia.
Ava was fully trained at two years and three months (after one horrible week in which we decided to do away with pull-ups cold turkey).
Olivia is two and a half, and so it seems she should be ready. I’m not so sure, but I do know that her father is certainly ready on her behalf.
Last night, I did a bit of research on the one day training methods for older kids. The plan is pretty simple—set a timer to go off at regular intervals, ditch the diaper and load up on salty snacks and sugary beverages.
Nine hours later, behold the trained toddler.
Olivia seemed excited this morning, selecting Cinderella underwear and settling down with a tanker of orange juice. I set the timer for 20 minutes, and watched her promptly pee on the floor.
We’re on to Elmo underwear. I’d say it’s going well so far.
10 Jun
Petri dish cookies
I’m putting “petri dish” right up there in the title, because when I made these for Bryan, he didn’t know what they were supposed to be. I was so pleased with this idea, which I found through Not So Humble Pie via Neatorama months ago, and I was a bit disappointed they apparently lost something in translation. Bryan recovered nicely, noting, “You even make bacteria look appetizing.” Good save.
I used royal icing for these cookies–it was my first experience with the powdered sugar and egg white frosting, and I absolutely loved it. I piped stiff icing around the edges of the cookies, then added a bit of water to make the rest of the icing the right consistency to “flood” the top of the cookie. The result was glossy smooth icing that dried very quickly. Plus there’s a pretty sheen to boot. Now, I just need to develop a steadier hand for piping the outer edges.
9 Jun
Happy, happy birthday
Today is Bryan’s birthday. The girls and I kicked off the celebrations by decorating the house and making him a special breakfast (a birthday sandwich, at his request). Happy birthday, Bry—we love you!
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