December 12, 2010 - a little bit of pleasure and a little bit of pain

Right before the Children's Christmas Performance at church was set to begin, Jonathan fell and cut his lip deep enough that we decided that he needed to be seen by urgent care within a few hours. It didn't really bleed, but it was deep and we wondered if he might need a stitch or two. So, we left for the performance.

Lauren performed, but Jonathan decided not to. Lauren did a great job and said her lines well.

Once the performance was over, Jonathan and I went to Children's Mercy so that they could take a look at his lip and decide whether it needed any stitches. Jonathan had a wonderful time! First of all, there was no wait (which is amazing), then there were a bunch of nice people who were paying attention to him, and he had not only his mother's undivided attention, but her Angry Birds as well.

In the end, he did not need any stitches, just some tape. For which I was very grateful.

Joy Is. . . Watching the puppy enjoy her first snowfall.

December 12 saw our first snowfall of the season and the first snowfall of Sandy's life thus far. She enjoyed it far more than I thought that she would.

"Cousins," A Poem and Illustration by Lauren.

My Little Flower. . . Third Grade Play (The Nutcracker)

Lauren was in the third grade play this Tuesday evening. They did a version of The Nutcracker and she had a speaking part and was a Flower. The kids were adorable and the music was great. We were very proud of all of them.

After the play, we got some pictures of Lauren and her best friend. Remember holding hands with your best friend. Too bad we grow out of that. So very genuine and sweet.

Christmas Bokeh.

Clogs!

I cannot tell you how much I have wanted clogs since I was the age Lauren is now. I vividly remember our first Christmas in France (I was eight - Lauren is eight) really wanting clogs.

I am 41 and I have NEVER had a pair of clogs.

So, this year, I found the Christmas dress I knew Lauren would most want and, guess what, it had a pair of matching clogs. Financially, it was not necessarily the right decision for me at this particular time. But, she did need some shoes (she generally has two pair - a pair of tennis shoes and a pair of flip flops; she used to have a thing about the feel of all other shoes and refused to wear anything else, but has grown out of that). Anyway, they came and I gave them to her. She LOVES them (so do I).

So, while I still have never had a pair of clogs, my eight-year-old gets to live out my eight-year-old wish. And, that is even better.

Joy Is. . .Trimming the Tree with the Kittens.

Joy Is. . . Key Lime Pie

That is all.

Joy Is. . . Gingerbread Day with my boy.

Last Friday was Gingerbread Day for the Kindergarteners at our school.

The station I was at was a feltboard storytelling of the Gingerbread Man. We read it nine times. Nine times. It was boring after the second telling. Know what? I didn't care. I was there with my boy. See his face? He said, "the best part of Gingerbread Day was that you were there." Doesn't get better than that.

(that said, two things bugged me about our version of the story and both had to do with his not getting eaten by the fox at the end. 1) it isn't how the story goes and 2) they said that he learned his lesson because he almost was eaten, but I think that if he got away from the fox, he'd only think that he was even more cocky.)

Yes, you can run in the cold.

This is old. From November 25th. It was 21 degrees with a windchill of 12 and it was my first cold-weather run of the season. I seem to recall that I did five miles (with the dog).

Here's the thing: you have to wear a warm head covering, gloves, and cold-weather socks and the rest is less important. Sure, you should actually wear clothing, but you can get away with far less than you think. For this run, I broke out my wind jacket, long-sleeve shirt, and microfleece basepants. And, it was far too warm.

I went out the next day when it was 34 degrees. I kept the jacket, traded out the long-sleeve or a short-sleeve shirt and wore capris. Still too hot. Several days later, I went out again. 33 degrees. Long-sleeve shirt, no jacket, and capris. Perfect.

Here is the thing: you can do it. Cool/cold weather running can be fantastic running weather. There is something awesome about running outside when it is cold and clear, cold and cloudy, cold and snowy. Actually, cold and snowy can be downright peaceful. And, you get bad-ass points anytime you tell people that you ran outside when it is below freezing.

I often hear people question as to whether it is actually healthy to run when it is in the 20s and below. It is. Not only is it safe to run when it is in the teens, but it is safer to run outside in the teens than it is to run outside in the 80s. For real.

Just dress for the weather. If you walk out the door and feel fine, turn around, go inside, remove a layer of clothing, and go back out. You should be a bit chilly for the first mile, but then you'll feel great. The more you do it, the easier it gets.

That said, I don't like running in the cold AND dark. I can do cold. I can do dark. I cannot do cold and dark. I also dislike running in the cold and strong wind, but I do it anyway. I do, however, know people who love nothing better than running pre-dawn, in the cold and snow.

So, give it a try. Don't give up outdoor running this winter, but rather challenge yourself to get out there and do it regularly. Just remember: hat, gloves, warm socks.

Play along on this one, will ya? What breed is my dog?

This is Sandy. She is six months and probably almost as big as she is going to get. Currently, she is about 25 lbs. We got her at the pound and have no idea what breeds she might be. She was listed as a "Shepherd Mix," but, really who knows?

Because everyone asks us what breed she is and because everyone has an opinion, I have decided to spring for the DNA test (for kicks and giggles). So, place your friendly bets on this one.

I'll give you the info I have:

"Shepherd Mix"

25 lbs at six months

Paws are white

Intelligent

Willful

Good jumper (can jump without assistance of a chair from the floor to the top of the table)

Not in love with water

Territorial

Loves to play

Hates being left alone

Very much bonded to me (one person as opposed to everyone in this family)

If you have questions or need more pictures let me know. Pick up to three breeds. Winner gets the privilege of being right.

Joy Is. . . Another Beautiful Fall Day (also, when Daddy comes home early)

This fall has just largely been lovely around here. Anyway, I've been busy. I needed to get my second Biochemistry exam done (I'm behind in the class and trying to catch back up). Rather than go for my long run on Friday, I decided to stay at work, put in some last minute studying, and take my exam.

So, I did.

And, then I went to Hobby Lobby to get some more pictures and posters framed.

And, then I came home. I let the dog out and welcomed the kids. Eric had come home at lunch to let the dog out and rake some leaves. We had a note that said, "let the kids know that they can play in the leaf pile, but they cannot move it." So, when the kids came home, I passed the message on to them and they were out the door in a flash. Not a few minutes had gone by and Eric was home. I love when he gets home from work early.

And, so we played outside and enjoyed the last few days of fall we will get. Winter will be here soon. Most of the trees have lost their leaves and the color is starting to fade. Only a little bit longer and it will be cold and grey. So, we will enjoy what we have in the last few days that we have.

Can you see the boy in this picture?

How about here?

Joy Is. . . Community

It is nearing the end of November. It should be freezing here by now, but today, as I type, it is 71 degrees. 71 degrees!! In Kansas. At the end of November. I have the kitchen door open and I am hearing the voices of my children play with some of the neighborhood kiddos in our backyard.

Yesterday was equally lovely. A bit cold in the morning, but warmed up in a way that felt like a gift from God.

Eric and I started our day going to the Bar Mitzvah of my mentor and his wife's youngest child. Though I have known them for almost as long as we have lived in Kansas, our relationship has been largely confined to the office. I was honored to have been invited and pleased to go.

After the Bar Mitzvah, we came home and ran a few errands and then just relaxed outdoors while the kids played. First the next door neighbors came over, then came the neighbors across the street. They played so well together and the weather was so delicious that Eric suggested that maybe we have a 'smores night.

And, that is how we found ourselves sitting around the smoker filled with a wood fire out on our back deck last night making 'smores with our neighbors.

The combination of the weather, the beautiful fall coloring, and community made me so grateful for the life that I have.

B is for Beets. . . or I must love running.

Recently, I read an article about how certain weird foods/drinks are good for runners. I've been feeling pretty run down lately, so, for some very strange reason, I got the beet juice stuck in my head. Here's the thing: I think beets are revolting. Not just an "I don't really care for them." I think they are disgusting.

I know many people love them. I think that you either love them or you hate them. There is no "ehhh" about beets. I've tried them all different ways in response to everyone who ever said, "oh, but you HAVE to try them this way. They are delicious." Nope. Gross each and every time.

But, tell me it'll make me a faster runner and I'll be all over that. I'm already planning on drinking pickle juice (but, that's easy because I happen to crave dill pickles frequently - no, not pregnant) and I regularly drink coconut water (super-yum for me).

Anyway, Jonathan has been begging me to make juice with him, so I used this opportunity to do so. We made some carrot, apple, orange juice for the family. He had a great time wiggling his bottom and singing, "I'm a chef!" as he flung various pieces of fruit or vegetable into the juicer.

Then, when he was done, I went to work on the beet juice. Straight beet juice, but I'd had some of the other juice. No matter what you think about the taste of beets, you have to admit that they are rather pretty in their cut form.

And, then, after juicing, I drank about a cup. Honestly, while it was bad, it wasn't as bad as eating beets. Much sweeter than I can remember. I can see how they make sugar from these veggies.

Darned if I didn't perk up after drinking this. I did have more energy. And, I really don't think it was placebo as I sort of expected the benefits to be cumulative rather than immediate or short-term.

So, while it didn't taste yum, it did have a more positive immediate effect than even a Redbull.

What is good one day, must be good every day, right?

So, the next day, I did it again. Only this time, in the absence of the other juice and on an empty stomach.

I was, um, projectile vomiting within 15 minutes. And, what didn't come back up, was observed later in some, um, beeturia (sounds so much better than saying, "my pee was beet juice colored"). Turns out, both of those aren't uncommon. And, the beeturia often happens in people who are undiagnosed anemic. And, I've been super-tired and I've flirted with low iron levels in the past (whenever I donate blood, my iron levels are literally as low as they possibly for donation). Also, I read that people tend to not puke if they sip it (oh, so hard to do with a substance one does not like) and if it is mixed with other juices.

So, today, I decided to start again. Only this time, I included the carrot, apple, and orange. And, I drank it a tad slower. One cup over 15 minutes. So far, so good. And, I do feel less tired.

Rebecca's Beet Energizer:

1 beet including greens

1 apple

1 orange

3 carrots

Juice. Toss your left over fibers in the compost bin.

Should make two cups.

Drink slowly.