Goodbyes are never easy

The last two weeks I have been in another world.  Caiden was here for the Summer and was getting ready to leave.  We spent some time playing games, watching movies and just hanging out.  I had a major paper due (and a test every week) while he was here, but luckily HR was here to take him out.  He also helped me tremendously with Trey's 3rd birthday party at school.  The theme was tractors, the boys absolutely love tractors...and we made smocks and goody bags for his class.

We dropped of Caiden at the airport last Saturday.  We spent the day Thursday and then again on Friday playing outside in the water and on a giant waterslide.  It was a blast and the boys really enjoyed their last few days with big brother.  I feel like it went by too fast, like I had just picked him up and I was already having to drop him back off.  One more year!  One more year of grad school and one more year without my baby.  I always miss him when he leaves, but I know he's in good hands.  So proud of him for being such a great big brother.  His brothers definitely look up to him:

School has kept me pretty busy and the kids continued to pass a bug around for a few weeks, but I have still found some time to run 2-3 times a week, which is much less than I'd like, but better than nothing.  Yesterday I ran 40 minutes.  Generally I don't like treadmill running, but I ran 2 on the treadmill in the middle of my run to cool off and break up the run (It was 4:45pm when I set out on my run and 101 out).  I'm still not convinced I like treadmills or would use one very often, but it was nice to get out of the heat/humidity.  It was also much easier to keep up my goal pace.  

This was just a little update to let you know I'm still here!  

Challenge

I'd love to write about running and all the consistent running and progress I've been making.  I'd love to write about how I've acclimated to the outdoors and have been doing some indoor "speed" workouts at the university gym.  I would be lying.

I ran 3 short runs last week and once this week.  The truth is, as much as I want to run more, life's little challenges have gotten in the way.  You may call them excuses, but there are some things I just cannot get around.  Last week HR was gone for 7 days and 8 nights.  He was working in a rural cellular "dead zone".  Our contact was limited to a few strange texts that came at random times of day.  When he is gone I am a single mom.  He hates when I say that, but I am.  We have no friends (other than the ones I've made that are actually part of my program) or family around to help me.  Seventy percent of the time I am a single mom raising 2.5 kiddos (Caiden has been splitting his time visiting us and his cousins and grandma).  I have to get my runs in sometime after I drop off the boys at daycare at 8:00am (but not until my 8:30am class is over at 10:30am) and before I pick them up at 4:15pm.  Not to mention that I am currently taking summer courses.  I pretty much have a 4.5 hour window on a given day to do whatever it is I need/want to do which includes things like: working out, showering, cleaning house, laundry, reading, homework assignments, grocery shopping, cooking.....

Last week Trey scratched his cornea.  I spent a day at the doctor for a few hours since we were walking-in.  Thursday there was no daycare due to the 4th of July holiday.  I ran Tuesday and Friday and intended on a Sunday long run since HR would be back by then.  I opted instead for a family walk/run.  We walked about a mile, and Trey ran just over 400m with me.

Trey ran and ran, and even stopped to smell the flowers =)

This week Trey woke up one night throwing up.  I had to get up and get him bathed, the bed itself cleaned and the sheets, pillow and comforter had to be rinsed and thrown in the wash.  In the midst of it all Ryan woke up. I had to put them both to sleep.  Cut to...about an hour later I finally drifted back to sleep when HR's phone was going off.  The yard was calling and wanting him to come in in an hour.  The yard is about 35 min away, so we scrambled to make sure he had everything and I saw him off.  I had restless sleep the rest of the night.

The next evening Trey had a nose bleed and then it was Ryan's turn to throw up.  Womp Womp.  Repeat clean up.

Today, I got a little creative and did some stairs in the library and some stride outs too.  It's Thursday, the library was dead.  My back ached from sitting for hours, not to mention it was freezing in there.  Why not?

***This was written last week and I completely forgot to submit it ***
FYI: This week was no better for running as I had a research paper to do and the stomach but made another round, to include myself and Caiden this time.  Running has take a bit of a back seat, but I've not forgotten it.  Ran 2.5 easy miles this morning.

South Texas Training

I've been training myself to start training.  Sounds a little stupid, I know but what I mean is that I have been trying to acclimate to the heat and humidity.  Summer arrived while I was taking about a month off to nurse my sprained ankle.  Humidity has been getting close to 90% pretty much at any time of day. I think I'm getting used to running in South Texas conditions.  I am definitely hydrating more and have considered getting a camelbak.

What I mean is for now, I'm just been putting in "time" on the road.  I haven't worried much about how many miles or how fast I am going.  The couple of times I took my Soleus gps watch out I was sorely disappointed.  Mentailly, it's a difficult thing to run now.  I was fairly competitive back in my day and seeing the numbers now makes me cringe a little.  So I set my goals as 30 min, 45 min, etc...except on Saturdays when I typically go to back home and run with members of a running club.

I estimate that I ran about 25 miles last week (cautiously).  On Saturday I got up at 4:30 to run with my girls back home.  It was 78 degrees but actually felt it.  Generally I am used to the heat index being 10-15 degrees higher.  It was a welcome change, too bad I can't run at that hour all the time.  Anyway, our goal was to run 6, but we ended up overshooting a little and ran 6.12.  These are the times I kind of wish I used my Soleus more; I would have completed the 10k.

Incorporating any speed work will come in the next few weeks.  I really just wanted a little base mileage to get my body going and have a starting point.  I did manage a mini speed workout in the form of a tempo run last week and hit pretty close to what I'd like my goal pace to be for the half in October.  My sister and I are collaborating on my workouts.  Mostly she tells me what to do and I try not to have to modify it too much, lol.  Honestly, usually what she tells me is what I had in mind anyway, but it's easier for me to be motivated when I have to be accountable to someone else.

Sunday was my day off and today ended up being an unexpected day off because I had to take Trey to the doctor (he scratched his cornea).  We didn't have an appointment so we spent a couple of hours at the doctor and then I had class.  Next week I start a morning class, so my availability to workout will be the window between 10am and 3pm.  Not looking forward to that...will probably move most of my runs indoors unless HR is home.

My Motivation

I have decided to run more.  For years I've run a couple of times a week, most weeks, ok, a lot of weeks.  Of course there have also been times when I didn't run for weeks or months for personal or health reasons.  I had a lower lumbar spinal fusion, pneumonia, ankle sprains, three children-one of which was high risk and resulted in an emergency c-section, etc... I've been a military wife/mom, I've been a single mom, and now I'm a married civilian mom raising my children mostly alone because my husband's job keeps him away about 75% of the time.

Since my competitive years (I started when I was 9 and ran in high school and collegiately), running is more of a social event for me than anything else.  I doubt I will ever be as fast as I once was.  It's not that it's impossible, but it's just not a priority.  I enjoy running with others and find it difficult to get out the door and run alone.  Last year I found a running group where I lived and made fast friends with a few members who lived just miles from me.  I ran alone a few days a week, as well as with my new friends once or twice a week.  I've since moved for grad school, but whenever I go home we do our best to meet up and run on Saturday mornings.

Generally, I lack motivation. I think it may be the procrastinator in me....but I want to run more.  Lack of motivation stems from: the hellish South Texas heat and humidity (heat index consistently in the triple digits), maintaining the house, keeping up with three boys-two of them under the age of 3, and my courseload.  I took 15 hours last semester (my first semester), 9 this Summer and will be taking 16 in the Fall.  I actually just got a phone call informing me that my request for an overload was granted.  A lot of times I also just have no one to watch the boys-we moved from away home for me to attend grad school, plus the great friends I've made are in my program and have the same class schedule as I do.

Lately though, I have been motivated.  I read several blogs about fitness, running and nutrition which makes me daydream about accomplishing my own, similar goals.  I've been reading them for months, however, and it hasn't really lit much of a fire in me.  My true motivation is coming from people who are just beginning (or re-beginning) their fitness journeys.  Maybe it's less intimidating, or because I know their struggles.  Those who are well into their journey make it seem so easy and effortless.  I guess I feel like I have training partners in the newbies because we are dealing with the same demons and their small words of encouragement through a text or social media means they're watching me too.
.

Two weeks ago I decided to amp up the motivation and make an actual goal for myself.  I've run more races in my career than I could even begin to count but never anything over a 10k.  My goal is to complete the Hill Country Half in October.  Excerpt from their race description on active.com:
 "Lookin' for that new 1/2 marathon challenge in your life and a race worthy enough to call Texas home? Wrestle up your favorite runnin' shoes cuz the elements that make Texas great from the wide open spaces to the native landscape covered hills await you along a very scenic & smooth roads in and around the JW Marriott.  When you're done, enjoy an after party full of everything Texan and the kind of relaxation only a world class resort can provide. Great group room rates available. We run Texas tough; no challenge too steep and no reward too luxurious. Are YOU ready for the challenge?"
Definitely a challenging first 1/2 marathon to pick, but hey if you're gonna go for it, go big!  Here's hoping for smooth training....

Weekend family time

Spent the weekend here!

This weekend we went "home" to visit both sides of the family.  HR's parents hadn't seen the boys in several weeks and my older sister was driving down to meet Sophia.  We stayed at my in-laws.  The pic above is part of their backyard.  Isn't it lovely?  I took dozens of pictures, but this was one of my favorites.  The boys played in the water and roamed around the "ranch".  I imagine they feel pretty adventurous back there.  There is lots to do and find there.

We took a little break from the outdoors and went to see Monster's University.  This was Trey's first movie theater experience.  He did really well and we all enjoyed the movie.  Caiden's bff and cousin Katelyn joined us as well.  It's always cute to see how protective he is of her (and his brothers), walking her to the bathroom and up to her door when we dropped her off.

Excited for movie time.

On Sunday my mom's boyfriend bbq-ed for us.  The boys, my sister and I had a blast playing with Sophia.  The boys couldn't get enough of her, always trying to hold her and kiss her.  

Have I mentioned the hubs had a chance to come down?  He was supposed to be off Wednesday, Thursday and Friday but wasn't able to come home afterall.  On Friday night they finally made it in from Buffalo, TX and he decided to drive down.  He arrived at 3am and had to be back in Kingsville by midnight to be ready to be called out.  So we spent the day playing with the boys and he left after dinner, around bedtime.  Such a treat for them (and me)!!!

Now it's back to reality....class tonight!

Back at it

So I obviously took a blogging hyatus, again.  It happened near the end of last year too.  I guess I just need a break from life by the end of the school year.  I focused on getting my thesis proposal done and turned in, potty training Trey and Caiden coming home for the Summer.  Good news I got all As and also, Caiden made it home in one piece....so proud of him for flying alone. He made it here a full week before he decided we were boring and asked to go visit his grandparents and cousins, lol.

Now I'm back at it.  I am taking 3 classes this Summer and have already signed up for the Fall 2013 semester-16 hours, eek!  I had to apply/request permission to take an overload.  Luckily, one of my "classes" is my practicum which means no assignments or tests (although I'd argue that all the lesson plans ARE assignments as they take a lot of creativity, time and energy) and another just changed from a 3 hour course to 4.

I had to stop running for a few weeks because I sprained my ankle pretty badly playing basketball with my nephews and niece.  I still got some moves and by the way, my team won!  So I have been slowly building back up, going from running only twice a week, to finally running all week this week.  It's been a grueling comeback as the temperatures are now soaring in the 80-90s and humidity in the mid- to high 70s...makes for "real feel" temps in the 90s and 100s.  It is exhausting, but I have been reading some great articles on acclimating to the heat.  I intend on staying exclusively outside for another week or two and then moving speed workouts indoors to benefit from them more (and not kill myself!)

I must say I enjoy running here, despite the almost unbearable temperatures.  There is so much beauty around me.  I love seeing the historical structures, wildlife, livestock, open fields, Texas/country pride...  Here a few images of where my feet have taken me:

Ryan, my poor baby, he burned his hand on my curling wand earlier this week.  I was taking Trey to the restroom one morning just before leaving for daycare when he wandered into my room, plugged it in and then apparently touched it to the top of his hand.  He didn't cry or scream, I had no idea it had happened.  He walked to the truck and climbed into his seat and still I had no idea.  I figured it out when we got to daycare and got this shot of it: 

I'm no expert, but we are guessing it borders between a 2nd and 3rd degree burn.  It now (3 days later) looks like this:

                                                         

That picture was immediately after I uncovered it,that's why it looks a little "wet".  I have done some reading and contacted the doctor by phone (HR just got a new job and we are having some insurance issues) and he assured me the color and secretions were typical of a burn.  A moist environment is needed for it to properly heal and the skin secretes plasma to help protect the raw skin.  We are keeping it covered most of the day, especially at daycare and letting it breathe in the evenings.  

This weekend I get to go home and visit family, my sisters, mom and I will all be together to have a little welcome party for my newborn niece - Sophia Grace.  

Bubba

Tomorrow is Caiden's 9th birthday!  NINE!  I can't believe how fast time has flown.  I still think of him as my little chunky monkey.

I'm so proud of the little man he has become.  He has always known exactly what he wants.  I know it may seem odd to refer to him as a man, but he has always been his age going on 30.  He's strong, intelligent and extremely rational.  He keeps us all grounded.  He has a keen sense for others emotions and feelings, and I've seen him lie to protect us.

I am bummed that I won't be with him on his big day, but I know he is happy.  He told me when he came down for Spring Break that he knew how hard this was for me because I love him so much and he loves me too, but that he was happy to be in California with his dad because his dad loves him too and deserves a chance to get to know him better.  He couldn't be more right.

His big wish every year: to have ALLhis family together in one place.  Maybe someday.....graduation maybe?

I love you son, I hope that you have a special day with your dad!  Happy Birthday!

Huarache Turbo

A good friend and former collegiate teammate of mine is a race director in the San Antonio area.  Her company name is Huarache Turbo.  She and her family help advertise, time and organize races for others (sister company is iaapweb.com), but she has also started to create her own races.  They are creative and fun and usually have a Mexican flair about them.  Her newest "baby" is a race here in Corpus Christi, about a half hour from where I am going to school!  The run starts and ends on the beach and is the weekend before my Summer session begins at school.

If anyone is interested in registering, contact me for a coupon code for $5 off =)

Anyway, she is my motivation for working so hard recently.  She has created 5 of her own races and I would really love to support her throughout the year.  (Visit www.huaracheturbo.com to find out about her races) Having some races to look forward to will also keep me motivated and consistent with my running.  I have been running a lot here in Kingsville, but not as much as I had hoped when we first moved here.  The amount of running I get in during a given week depends on the amount of work I have for class.  Tuesdays and Thursdays I usually don't run because I am at school all day until 5 and then have to pick up the boys, so I decided I would do bedtime Insanity after I put the boys to bed.

I definitely have to modify Insanity, at least for now.  I had back surgery several years ago and have avoided core work because I have a difficult time differentiating good pain from bad in this case.  So, Tuesday I did girl push-ups instead of regular ones because it is less weight and less work for my back.  Today's workout had a lot of squat jump.  Squats and lunges, if I do too many, send a shooting pain down my tailbone area.  So, I didn't try to keep up.  I set the goal of picking someone out in the video and doing every other one with them.  That seems to work.  My core feels tired and a little sore, but I don't feel any pain.  I'm hoping that I will build up the muscles in my core enough that I will someday be able to keep up.

Generally I would do my long run over the weekend.  Last weekend I ran 9 miles with two good friends back home.  This weekend HR won't be home to help with the boys, so if I'm not too sore, I'm going to try to run long tomorrow.

Spring Break with Caiden

My Spring Break flew by, and I wouldn't have it any other way!  I Minecrafted everything I could think of for Caiden's room.  Since we moved after he left and he never saw the place, I really wanted him to feel like this was his home too.  Trey generally sleeps in there, but I didn't tell Caiden that.  I just didn't want him to think he didn't have a space of his own or for him believe we forgot about him.  He loved it!  I racked up many, many cool points there!

Caiden arrived on Friday, May 15th, alone.  He was nervous about flying alone, but we knew that although we too were apprehensive, he is very mature.  He ended up loving it.  As he got off the plane he said, "That was so cool, I want to do it again."  His wish would come true two weeks later :/

Unfortunately because our schedules didn't coincide, I was only able to see him on the weekends.  It was hard knowing he was so close, yet still too far away.  We were able to make the most of it.  The first weekend was a lot of traveling and trying to see everyone, my family, my father's family and my husband's family.  My sister took us in that night he flew in and we spend Saturday at the playscape in San Marcos.

We played a few rounds of parkour; he beat me every time.

Sunday night Caiden read to his brothers before bedtime.  HR and I took the boys to daycare Monday, I skipped class, and we took Caiden to the aquarium, the two-story Whataburger in Corpus (per his request because it's the "best burger place ever" and there are none in Cali), and then to the beach for an hour or so before heading back to pick up the boys.

At the Aquarium

The second weekend I took Caiden and his best friend/cousin Katelyn to see The Croods in 3D.  My mom and younger sister joined us.  I normally wouldn't go to the movies, let alone a 3D one, but he really wanted to see it.  More cool points!

The 3rd and final weekend we spend with my husband's family celebrating Easter and visited with my mom for a bit before driving all night to San Antonio Saturday.

Lawn darts; he beat me yet again!

Sunday morning Caiden and I said bye to the boys and HR before heading to the airport.  As we left, Trey got emotional and hugged Caiden tightly, to which Caiden replied, "Such a harmless thing (to want to see his dad), but it hurts so bad."  He's too wise.  At the airport he saw that he would be flying with a girl about his age who was also an unattended minor.  He looks at me and said, "I guess I'll have to make the most of it."  What a ham!  Miss my wise little man.  Can't wait for Summer to have him back!!!

Minecrafting

In case you aren't familiar with the game, this is a screen shot from Minecraft.  I just want you to see how blocky everything is.









Caiden is coming to visit for 2 weeks during his Spring Break.  I wanted to do something special for him.  He is really into the game Minecraft, so I began minecrafting a green storage ottoman of his into a creeper character. Minecraft is all about square, pixelated images, I thought scrapbooking paper would be perfect for some wall art.  I printed out a Steve and Diamond Steve on photo paper and mounted them onto scrapbook paper.  From the available colors I had, I also managed to make a cow and a pig.

Then I was stuck about how to hang my art.  I didn't want to put holes in them.  I used to use a glue gun at school, but I was afraid it would tear the sheet rock.  I thought about using the tacky gummy stuff, but I couldn't find any.  Square frames aren't exactly the standard.  This morning I found these:

$6 dollar store decorative frames

They were almost perfect!  The scrapbook pages are 12x12; the openings in the frames were about 11.5x11.5.  I had to cut my squares down.  I died a little inside as it threw off my proportions slightly :(
I kind of wanted to redo them, but it was time consuming to get it right the first time around.  I'm sure Caiden will not be bothered (though he's a lot like me and probably WILL notice).

No one makes Minecraft licensed bedding. To solve the bedding issue, I bought green sheets and a brown comforter.  I pained a creeper face on one corner of the pillow.

I so wish I could paint one wall green, but we are renting.  I am now on the hunt for some bright blue curtains.  I plan on painting blocky white clouds on them.  I can't wait for Bubba to see his Minecrafted room!!!

Summer Tease

It was about 92 degrees with a cool breeze, but the sun was hot.  It was much nicer in the shade.  I thought twice about going for a run because the sun was bright and beating down on me as I walked outside.  What was I thinking?  It was a gorgeous day out.  Summers here are easily in the triple digits, even without considering the heat index.

I ran a long run yesterday, so I only wanted to run an easy 3.  I should really have taken the day off, but tomorrow is my long day + client, and it's difficult to get a run in before I have to pick the boys up from daycare. I would prefer not to leave them there until it closes.

I ran contnuously:
1/2 mile warm up
1 mi @ 9:24
1 min jog
1 mi @ 9:17
1/2 mile cool down

I ended up pushing myself a little instead of an "easy" run, but it wasn't a hard workout either.  I guess yesterdays 6.6 mile run was just the break I needed to push through.  My legs were a little tired, but my abdominal area and lower back were not sore.  It was a pleasant surprise.  (Since I had my back surgery and c-section, I have had some constant aches and pains.)

 

The Impasse

This morning I went on a long run.  I ran about 6.6 miles.  I didn't have my watch, so I wasn't sure how far I ran at the time.  The first part of my route I've run several times before, so I knew where my first 3 miles were.  My goal was to run for an hour, but I ended up running a little more.  Lately I have been stuck in a run rut.  I have been running 2.5-3.5 miles for several weeks and just couldn't get passed that 3.5 mile mark.  I think last week I finally ran about 4, but I struggled through it and had to walk halfway through.
Today I struggled for the first two miles.  I really just wanted to turn around and go back home, but I purposely set out to run away from home for about a half hour so that I would be forced to run (or at the very least walk) back.  After two miles I stopped to catch my breath and figure out what I would do about this:

At the top right of the pic is a bridge.  I quickly decided I would not be running on the bridge.  It is a two lane bridge, but two cars barely fit and there is no shoulder, not to mention it is at least a quarter of a mile in length.  I decided I did not want to play chicken with oncoming traffic.  Then I thought about running through this, if you can tell there's a road/trail on the other side of the "ditch" (aka waterless canal).  I decided against this option as well.  The grass is high and we have cacti and rattlesnakes, among other dangerous critters around these parts.  I decided to turn around and run a different route.  

After stopping briefly to contemplate crossing this bridge, I began to run again and struggled to jog the third mile.  Then something awesome happened~I got a second wind!  I was able to run the second half+ smoothly and easily and without thoughts of wanting to just get home.  It was a great feeling. I really was able to just enjoy the beautiful morning, soak up the sun to try to get rid of this bad boy:

If you look closely you can see the remnants of the RAD tattoo I had
when I ran with the grad school girls in early February!

I actually wasn't ready to stop when I did, but I had to get back to the boys.  The sitter asked that they be picked up by 9:30 am so that she could have time to get ready for church.  It was 9:15 when I got home and I had time for a quick rinse before picking them up.  I'm really looking forward to this week and the following week and having a little extra time to run.  My Spring Break technically starts Thursday 12:15 pm.  I actually can't wait for my Spring Break to be over because Caiden comes that Friday for 16 days =)

Falling in place

Things are falling in place, finally.  I got my client a few weeks ago, the week several assignments were  due and even a test. It was a rough week, but things have started to get easier.  I've finally seen for myself, I am not going to ruin his life, lol.  It's not quite as bad as I'd worked it up to be.

Living here has made it easier to be a family.  HR has been home on several occasions when we might not have been able to see him had we been "home" in Weslaco.

Story time before bed.

Last week I didn't get to run much.  I came down with something...sinus infection maybe.  I had a difficult time breathing and had a terrible migraine for two days.  This week I got back on track.  Sunday I did insanity, and yesterday and today I was able to run for about a half hour each.  

Caiden called HR today, and we all got to talk to him.  We are trying to arrange for him to come during his Spring Break (which is 2 whole weeks and then some).  We are all excited!!!  Trey has a had a language explosion and Ryan is unstoppable.  I think he will be my little runner!

Be My Valentine Run

This past weekend I ran the Be My Valentine Run put on by one of my college cross country/track teammates, Ceci.  She has created several races in the past two years that are fun, lively and hard to get into if you wait too long.  She is making quite a name for herself in San Antonio.  I have signed up for a few of her races before, but I have been unable to make it~once I was busy have an emergency C-Section, another was about the time Trey had his seizure.  I almost missed out again due to....I will diagnose myself to spare you some details....a stomach bug.  I decided that although I was drained and didn't feel up to it, I would surely regret it.

Don't you just love Ceci's run logo?  This would totally be me and HR!

I ran into some old faces from college, and I had a blast running the course which was on the river.  It started and ended at the San Antonio Museum of Arts, which my husband and I took full advantage of after the run. The scenery was beautiful.  I ran nice and easy and chatted up some of the runners (Ceci, you and your runs are definitely well liked!!!)  I had goals for a run time, but I didn't end up trying to pursue them.  I just took it in.  It had been a rough weekend, full of disappointment, but I made the best of it all, including the run.  I ran close to a 9:00-9:15 pace, but finished in about 29 minutes, due to having to stop a couple of times to retrieve my sock which had bunched up at my arch and was causing a blister.

One of the race sponsors was Alamo Beer.  After the race I got a beer for HR.  While he was drinking it he noticed something floating around in it.  It was very likely some plastic from the cup itself. So, while he's looking down and swirling it, some guy walks over and asks if there's something wrong with the beer.  HR tells him there's something floating around.  The man says, "Well swirl it around a little more and maybe the Virgin Mary will appear and you could charge people to see it."  THEN, he proceeds to introduce himself as Mr. Alamo Beer himself.  The founder/owner in the flesh.  We had a drink with him.  I totally name-dropped and told him that Ceci was a good friend and got me hooked on it.  He was a pretty cool, down to earth guy.

One of the things my husband loved about the run is the intimacy.  I've been running since I was 9 years old, and I don't think I've ever participated in anything like it.  The bib numbers are personalized and as you come in every person is called by name and cheered in.  The owner of Alamo beer was walking around introducing himself and making sure everyone had a good time.  Ceci was taking single/taken photos.  It was well organized, well run and well worth the travel (it's a 2.5 hour drive for me) even if I didn't get to "race".  There was just a feeling of....well, like everyone is family or friends.  It was such a good time.  We didn't get to stay too long after because the boys weren't feeling well, but I can tell from the pictures that we missed out on even more.

Rad Run

Today was the Color.Me.Rad Run.  Many of the CSDO grads participated and it was a blast!

Brianna, Tori & Me

The three of us rode up together.  All of us grads had planned to make shirts and coordinate our outfits, but it's grad school and finding a time when everyone could meet was rough.  We decided to make our own fashion statement.  We also happen to be the only newbies that participated.  (We are first semester grads, the others are second).

We found some more of our group

 
So, we made our way to the start line.  The wave times that people registered for basically meant nothing.  To keep things moving they had several waves within each main wave.  We just happened to be cut off from the first 10:15 wave, so we were at the start second 10:15 wave.  We were so spunky and energetic that the MC called us out.  He wanted US to start the wave.  We had lost a few of our team members in the cattle herding process, so he was cool enough to make everyone make way for them to get through.  We were directed to trip anyone that tried to pass us in the first 100 meters or so, lol.  Have I mentioned our team name?  PURE AWESOMENESS counted down in the MC's megaphone to start the next wave.  So cool! I think we all ran those first 100 meters, some walked, some ran, some did both, but we all had an amazing time.

The MC is the dude in the middle, the one that looks like a smurf!!!

After with the original musketeers + Adina

After the run we went to eat on the bay.  It was a beautiful day and the live music was great.  I wish that part of the day didn't have to end.  Now, the dreaded H-word.  Homework all evening so that maybe I can enjoy the Superbowl tomorrow.

Tennis Balls + Moving Cars

According to our program director, throwing tennis balls at moving cars is very therapeutic.  Not exactly my idea of stress management.  Of course, I prefer to run.  This week, I was able to run with HR a few times.  I enjoy running with him and wish we had more time to do so.  Sometimes he starts out on the bike and I run and then we switch off periodically.  Today we actually ran together, no bike involved.  It was nice.  At times we were just quiet or weren't running exactly together, other times he slowed down to run with me and we talked or I sang loudly (and horribly) the song playing on my iPod at the time.

Trey is still in a period of adjustment at daycare, but he is fine once breakfast is served.  Ryan went from not even attempting to walk 1-2 weeks ago, to running this week.  He is so silly, always smiling.  I'm missing my Caiden, but he is really enjoying his new adventure.  I'm happy for him.

School is going.  I have a lot going on in the coming week.  I will finally get to meet my client next week.  I'm nervous, but excited.  He happens to be a nine-year-old boy, so I'm already a little sensitive about that...he's Caiden's age!  I know I will learn a lot from him.  I have several assignments and a test to do next week, eek!

My in-laws are watching the boys this weekend.  They offered and I didn't want to be disrespectful and argue, lol.  It comes at a perfect time, as there is a color run this weekend that most of the CSDO grads are going to be participating in.  I'm hoping to snap some pictures for a blog about it!  I will also be spending time working on a stuttering project and preparing for my client.  Busy weekend!!! I love my kids, but I'm happy to be able to have a little kidless fun with a great group of new friends. Updates to come....

Hit the ground running

Since the move I have run just about everyday.  I took a day off this past Saturday because HR was away at work and I didn't have anyone to watch the boys.  I have noticed I am feeling sluggish.  My sister suggested that it may be my diet or sleep habits.

I'm beginning to understand that it may be a combination of things.  It is crazy windy in Kingsville, being so close to the coast.  Despite feeling less than motivated, I have continued to run daily.  I even found that there are not just 3 dogs, but 7...6 of the same breed.  I will try to snap a picture soon, but I'm not exactly thinking about taking out my phone while running past these puppies.

I am enjoying the view though.  It's peaceful and calming, despite feeling like I'm running in place.  I have even had to resort to walking at times, it's just so draining.  I believe that it will only benefit me in the end.  Apparently the wind never dies, so I will have to make the most of it.  Hoping to start incorporating a track workout or two each week at the university track.

Milestones

Ryan is thriving in daycare.  In just a week Ryan has begun walking.  Before we moved here, he was not in daycare and he showed very little interest in walking.  He's been pulling himself up since he was about 6 or 7 months, but he rarely walked along furniture.  Now, seemingly out of nowhere and with little practice, he is walking across the room pretty easily.

He is also 24+ hours pacifier free.  I wanted to wean him from it within a month or so of moving here.  I informed the daycare that I would prefer them not give it to him, but I left it in case they needed to because of his transition (moving and the daycare for the first time).  The first week he had to use it often, as he cried a lot and this was one of the only things that would soothe and comfort him.  Yesterday I forgot the pacifier at the daycare, which I thought might be a problem at bedtime.  He went to bed easily without it!  His teacher said he didn't use it at all today.

Caiden loves his new school.  He has made friends quickly, but as it's only been 3 days, he hasn't gotten the names down just yet.  I'm sure that after a semester of going in late, getting out early and having lots of breaks (it's more of a year-round schedule), he will be dreading Texas public schools.  I facetime with him a few times a week...charging the iPad now. (=

I have been doing a lot of running.  My body is feeling it, I feel sluggish and work out...so tomorrow I may just bike and give my running legs a break.  Saturday was the only day I wasn't able to run because HR was away working.  This weekend I probably won't be able to run at all; it's not an off weekend for him.  I will likely take the boys for a couple of long walks on the wagon.  They really enjoy being out here in the country.

Caiden: Long story short

It has come to my attention that my subtle clues about Caiden haven't been received.  Upon careful and lengthy consideration, I decided to allow him to stay with his father for a few months.  He is currently in California and really enjoying the time getting to know his dad.  It means that we here in Texas have to take a backseat, which is by no means easy.  It is one of the hardest things I've ever had to decide on, but I truly believe it is in the best interest of those immediately involved.  I'm so happy that he is enjoying his time and taking on new adventures.  So far he is making the most of it.

Caiden went rockclimbing for the first time.  He said it was scary at first, but he loved it.

Cashed in thousands of tickets at Dave and Busters (His father and I started saving them several years ago).

Long days

Anyone who truly knows me knows that I cannot function without two things: SLEEP and FOOD.  Without the proper amount of sleep or food I can get rather...lets call it irritable.

Today happens to be my "long" day. I start class at 9:30am and don't get a break until 1:45pm. This means I don't get to eat a big lunch.  It also means I will have little patience in my final class of the day~big problem considering....I'll get to that in a bit. My first two courses are taught by the same professor. Judging by his syllabi, I was expecting a grumpy old man. He was young, funny and easily distracted. Not sure whether this will be a good thing or a bad thing. He requires a lot of reading and even more writing~my arch-nemesis 

My afternoon class is called Fluency~think of it as the flow/fluidity of speech. The book for the course is Working with People Who Stutter: A Lifespan Approach. There will be no exams, just a series of experiential assignments.  Here's my problem.  By this time in the day I am STARVING and tired of sitting in the same class all morning (my back aches from sitting so long, not to mention the "cold" 40s temps). Oh, and the professor stutters.  Now, I'm not sure how many of you are familiar with the clinical meaning of stuttering, but  there are varying types of "behaviors" that are classified as stuttering. He displays several. I have nothing against the guy, he is intelligent, interesting, and brings a lot of personal experience to the subject, but that doesn't make it any easier for me to focus on what he is trying to say. A fellow classmate told me it does get easier for all of us. As the semester rolls on he gets more comfortable with the class and stutters less, and the students just kind of get used to it. I hope so.

After school I came home to start a crockpot dinner and clean up. HR comes home tonight. I ate a lite lunch and then went on a run before I picked up the boys. I decided to avoid Larry, Moe and Shemp today (the ranch dogs).  I hadn't seen them the few times I drove by their house, but I didn't feel like running into them and awkwardly spending so much time pretending I wasn't scared and forcing polite conversation just to get passed them. Maybe there's some sort of secret password I need to say before they'll let me pass????  I was bummed I didn't get to see Veggie (the baby calf in my pic from yesterday). He's definitely a cutie, but I'm not sure I would have seen him anyway because they rotate pastures to graze 

I ran, instead, near the university. I parked at the boys' daycare and ran a large loop around some historical buildings in the downtown area. I must admit I enjoy the "old time" architecture; the details are beautiful.  I only ran about 25 minutes, but I pushed the pace. It was a nice run, although I really need to find the headband I have that covers my ears (not sure what it's called).

Anyway, I survived another day. Now I have a ton of reading to do and a few assignment due tomorrow.

Friends

I've never been one to have many friends, though I do consider each one that I do have to be near and dear. We can go days or weeks without speaking and pick up just where we left off. My friends are more than just friends, they're family.

TAMUK admitted 11 new graduate students for the Spring cohort. I assumed that each of my classes would consist of only us 11 students, but we have the Fall cohort with us as well. Most of the students (both old and new) did their undergrad at TAMUK as well, so they are quite cliquish.  I managed to make friends with the only other "outsider". After class, she and I found our way around campus to get i.d. cards, permits, bookstore items, etc. There's something about being lost with someone else on campus that makes one feel a little less lame!!! We also had lunch together.  I learned that she has over a year of clinical experience as an assistant, so I know she's an asset.

The boys started school today, I can only hope they too made some little friends. I hear they did awesome, and they seemed to really enjoy themselves (from what I can make out from Trey's gibberish and the teacher reports).

I was also able to go on a slow 4-miler. I definitely took things slow due to the back pain I've been experiencing. I forced myself to stop and stretch a few times to keep my back loose. So I took the time to snap of few pics of my surroundings.

I was trying to take a picture of the open pasture itself, but the cows came running.

I figured they wanted to be in the picture too.
I guess I made a few more friends!  

Wide open spaces with little traffic = <3

I was excited to finally get a run in here. I've been itching to enjoy the countryside~the rolling hills, the pastures, the cows. It was a blast! I am a little bummed that I couldn't make friends with 3 fellas in particular...three ranch dogs that apparently have their run of the county road.  The first time I passed them they just came to the middle of the street, annoyed.  On my way back they followed, barked and even growled :(  How do you befriend country dogs????

I got a nice surprise in the evening when my momma stopped by.  A cousin of hers passed away and the funeral was in the area. Sad about the cousin; yay for getting to see mom!  She finally got to see our house, and I'm sure the boys were happy to see Nana.  

I also heard from a birdy that HR will likely be on the yard for the next couple of weeks.  This is great news! It means that at the end of each day he will be able to come home, and home is a mere 20 minute drive or so.

All in all, it was a pretty awesome day. I am blessed! 

Aches and pains

...aches OR pains?

We moved into our new home on Saturday. Well, I didn't move anything; HR and my brother-in-law did. I supervised ;) by Monday morning, however, my back was killing me. The pain is all on my right side-the sciatic joint. Along with that comes a lovely pinch down my quad.

I tried resting. I tried a little stretching. I tried ice. I tried heat. Nothing seemed to help. I usually couldn't tell you the difference between aches and pains in my back, as I am in a constant state of discomfort.

Yesterday, my friend Doc (sports medicine guru!) Invited me to his office to see what he could do. He stretched me and i thought i was going to die. He worked a little pressure point magic, afterwhich I could barely walk. Doc did his best to realign things. He suggested i stretch really well a few times a day.

Today I went on a short run. I ran 11 minutes out, just over a mile. Then the discomfort got so bad that i had to stop. I proceeded to walk and jog slowly the rest of the way back home.

I'm bummed. When i was a competitive athlete I was taught to observe the signs my body was giving me...to know the difference between good pain and bad pain. I am not sure anymore, not when it comes to my back. Mentally i am almost numb to the pain. I just tune it out. I do know the pinch isn't as intense. I'm hoping that today's discomfort/pain is merely soreness from Doc's pressure and aggressive stretching. Here's hoping.....

Home

Well, we are finally in our new house. It has only been a few short days, but it is actually starting to feel like home. My cousin even came to hang out all day today.

The boys at adjusting well. Ryan is having fun exploring. Trey likes all the "aminals". There are cows in the fields both behind the house and immediately across the street. There is also a charming red barn that houses an antique shop diagonally across from us. For those that don't know, Caiden is spending a semester abroad. It was a tough decision, but he is visiting with his dad in California. He is having a blast, making friends already and starts school next week. I miss him, but he sounds so happy. I'm glad that he us able tho get to know his dad a little before he has to go back to sea duty/deployment for his remaining 3 years.

I am anxious to get a run in here. There are rolling hills and wide open spaces. The boys won't start daycare until next week though, so for now it's Insanity and walks around the countryside with the boys in the wagon. It's peaceful.

Satellite TV and internet service will be connected Friday. School starts Monday. It's all coming together....