Love a contest?

I love reading other people's blogs.  It gives an opportunity to literally be a fly on the wall in someone else's lives.  Or in other cases, its a chance to see crafts, outfit ideas, or home design options that I may not have thought of on my own.

But what I really love about reading other people's blogs are the opportunities to win items from their sponsors.  My blog hasn't grown big enough yet to attract sponsors or host my own contests.  But what I can do is share links to other blogs that are running contests.

Today, there is a great giveaway contest over at Let the Tide Pull Your Dreams Ashore.  They are giving away a Southern Tide Polo (color of your choice) as well as an opportunity to win a vacation getaway to Charlestown.

So why not pop on over and check it out!

Me & You

Ordinary, no

Really don't think so

Not a love this true

Common destiny

We were meant to be

Me and you

Like a perfect scene

From a movie screen

We're a dream come true

Suited perfectly

For eternity

Me and you

Everyday, I need you even more

And the nighttime too

There's no way I could ever let you go

Even if I wanted to

Everyday I live

Try my best to give

All I have to you

Thank the stars above

That we share this love

Me and you

Everyday, I need you even more

And the nighttime too

There's no way I could ever let you go

Even if I wanted to

Ordinary, no

Really don't think so

Just a precious few

Ever make it last

Get as lucky as

Me and you

These are the lyrics to my wedding song, Me and You by Kenny Chesney.  I danced to it with my husband for the first time 14 years ago tonight.  

We had a wonderful wedding, great food, good music, wonderful friends and family and a beautiful ceremony in the church my parents were married in and that I attended every week growing up.

Things went wrong that day. As my parents and I were leaving the hotel where all our out of town guests were staying the night before the wedding, we spotted a large contingent of my groom's family.  In that group were 8 people that my mother in law insisted weren't coming after we had failed to receive RSVP's weeks ago.  Apparently, she never actually called to check and now, we were going to be an entire table short.  The flowers, which my brother paid for as our wedding gift, while beautiful, weren't done the way I had ordered them.  I had ordered very small bouquets for myself and the wedding party.  That is not what showed up at the house an hour before the ceremony.  

See how big that thing was!?  But there wasn't anything I could do at that point and no way I was going to upset my brother and start complaining.  I would like to claim that I have a natural tendency to let things go, but that would be a lie.  What helped me keep the flowers in perspective and not go batshit crazy (a la bridezilla), was the fact that I had a dose of reality the Thursday before the wedding.  My aunt was lying in a hospital bed, that she wouldn't be leaving.  My mother, uncle, and I visited with her on the Thursday before my wedding and I knew as I left that she wouldn't survive through my honeymoon.  I was in fact seeing her for the final time that day.  THAT is what kept the bridezilla like attitude out of my wedding.  So, we squeezed the extra family members in and I appreciated that I had a brother who was willing to buy all the beautiful flowers.

My marriage has followed the same path as my wedding.  Overall, it has been a grand, wonderful time.  But it has had its unexpected issues crop up here and there.  But I think those moments have provided my husband and I the chances to really see each other, and fall in love all over again.  When we were told our second child was severely disabled following our second sonogram, and we cried together.  When she was born, whisked away by the NICU team, and then returned to us, a healthy, happy baby, we cried together.  When my husband was told by phone call on the eve of Thanksgiving that his company was sold and he didn't have a job, we shook hands and agreed we would be okay.  When I got sick.  Really sick.  I needed help to shower, and go to the bathroom, and puke.  And I lost so much weight I looked like I had AIDS.  And then I went on steroids and gained it all back, plus more.  When he made me feel beautiful through it all.  When our son was diagnosed with HSP and we took turns staying up with him and spooning liquid codeine into his mouth to control the pain, and it wasn't enough.  And now, as our parents age, and we slowly lose his mother to Alzheimer's and deal with his father's unwillingness to acknowledge his wife's decline.  These are the big hurdles we jump over and continue on.

There are little issues to.  Anyone who is married knows this.  Anyone living with another person knows this!  My husband can't quite seem to find the hamper, even though it is right on his side of the bed.  I am quite sure that I intend to remove the pile of long blond hair that piles up in the shower drain that he hates, but, you know what they say about the best of intentions.  These have the makings of becoming mountains someone is willing to die on, but we chose not to do it.  I have learned that a successful marriage isn't about compromise, its about letting things go.  Its about not sweating the small stuff.  When I find myself murmuring to myself about the clothes decorating the floor around the hamper, I choose to focus on the fact that I haven't had to clean the snow off my car for 14 years.  It can be hard to do, letting things go; focusing on the good things our spouse does instead.  And some days it is harder than others.  But it has been worth it.  

Ordinary, no

Really don't think so

Just a precious few

Ever make it last

Get as lucky as

Me and you

 

What I Wore Wednesday

French Connection Dress (Macy's clearance rack, 2011)

Mila Paoli sandals ( look exactly like Jack's, don't they?)

I have hardly gotten out of shorts and t-shirts this summer.  I don't mind heat, but I hate humidity.  If I'm not running, and I'm sweating, guaranteed crankiness.  So dressing this summer has consisted of a lot of baby powder and non-binding clothing.  I have been following a blog called  The Pleated Poppy and the author started the idea of what I wore Wednesday to motivate herself to get out of sweat pants every day.  I've been inspired to try, but darn, it has been HUMID people!

Today however, I had a meeting with our financial advisor.  I admit, I considered going there in running clothes and then hitting the Back Cove trail for a run.  But then I remembered we would also be meeting some of the other members of the team and thought showing up looking like a bum may not inspire them to work magic with my money.  So I went with this.

I actually wanted to wear pink today.  Today was wear pink day to help show support for families dealing with FA.  What is FA you ask?  Fanconi Anemia is a genetic form of anemia that leads to bone marrow failure.  Wearing pink today would show families that lost children to FA, that have children in the hospital for transplants and families that hold their breath every year hoping their child's biopsy returns with good results that we are aware of FA and keeping them in our thoughts and prayers.  

I didn't wear pink today.  Not because I didn't want to.  I have one pink, short sleeved shirt.  And not only was it in the hamper, it was underneath two wet wash clothes, so there was no way I could wear it today.  

But maybe I could do something better.  Something that would show all those families out there that are dealing with their child's FA diagnosis, that just because I didn't wear pink, that I wasn't not thinking of them today.  Maybe I could help spread the word.  Maybe someone who stumbled across my blog would be inspired to raise money for research.  Maybe someone would do what I did, and register with the Natiional Bone Marrow Registry, and be an available donor when a FA family gets the news that their child is at the point that they need a bone marrow transplant.

Small Changes

I've shared the fact that I gained 60 pounds while on steroids, and that I have lost 40 pounds of that weight.  I still have 20 to go to get back to my ideal weight.  I've actually had 20 to go for more than a year now, so it isn't looking good.  


The first 40 came off rather easily once I was off the steroids.  The timing was great as all the kids were in school and I could walk them to the bus stop, see them off, and then head right out on the roads for a run.  Actually, run would not be the right word.  At best I was on the roads jogging, but, I think "jalking" would be more descriptive.  60 extra pounds puts a lot of stress on hips, knees and ankles and caused me to have a unique running form.  As I shed the weight, the pain in those areas decreased and I was able to go a bit faster and a lot farther.  Before I knew it, I was 40 pounds lighter and feeling a lot better about myself.


And then, in terms of my weight loss efforts, I went off the tracks.  I was still getting some runs in during the week, but they were cut back to around 3 miles, with slightly longer ones on the weekends.  But time became tight and finding a chunk of it to dedicate to exercise became harder and harder.  I know the naysayers will cluck their tongues and think that I was just making excuses.  They wouldn't be wrong.


I have 3 very active kids and a husband who travels a lot for work.  As he is often gone, it falls on me to get the kids where they need to be each evening.  That means that I am often in my van from 2:30 to 7/8pm, Monday through Friday.  When we get home, it is all me getting dinner on the table, dishes cleared, homework, showers, reading logs and putting everyone to bed.  Before I pick everyone up to get to activities, it is all on me to pick up the house, do the laundry, have dinner ready to go and make any and all phone calls to insurance companies, doctor offices and run any errands that need to be done.  I also volunteer in one child's classroom each year and serve as an administrator for the lacrosse team.  In addition, I have started working as a substitute teacher in the school district a few times a week.  Lastly, when my husband is away, all of his weekly chores become my responsibility as well.  That means mowing the lawn, taking care of recycling and trash, moving wood, etc.


Except for the hour I set aside each day to take my dog Stella Thunderpaws for a walk, the time I have to focus on exercise needs to be either very early in the morning or very late in the evening.  Being completely honest with myself, I'm just not motivated enough to do it then.  I have a hard enough time getting up at 5:30 am each day.  The thought of getting up at 4 am to exercise -- well no, I can't even form a coherent thought after even HEARING 4 am!  I have less of a problem with working out in the evening.  Getting on my dreadmill at 9 pm is not unusual for me.  Its not the exercise piece that prevents me from doing it on a regular basis at that time.  Rather, its the fact that I am then so awake that I can't even contemplate climbing into bed until it is well after midnight.  4 to 5 hours of sleep on a regular basis makes me very, very cranky!


When I sit back and think about it, I simply don't want it that badly.  That's right folks.  I am OWNING my extra 20 pounds and muffin top!  I know exactly what I need to do, both in terms of diet and exercise, to rid myself of it, but I am simply choosing not to make it a priority at this time.  **GASP**  


I have decided that I can do some smaller things that will hopefully help me fit comfortably in my clothes.  I may not lose 20, but 5 would be good, and I can probably do that with some minor tweaking.  


First, my dog is finally old enough that instead of walking her entire route, we can include some jogging.  That should not only help increase my heart rate, it will allow us to complete the 5 miles in about an hour, rather than 1 and 1/4 hours.  I have decided to dedicate that 15 minutes to using my husband's kettle bells.  As soon as we get back, I will crate the dog for this 15 minutes and go directly to the basement and get to work!  


Second, I have committed myself to the 300 Ab and Core Workout Challenge.  I have done it twice so far  -- well, the first half of it, that stuff is HARD and my abs are SOFT!  But my plan is to be able to get the first half down over the next two weeks and then start adding one step each week.  By the fall, I should be able to do the entire workout, in the suggested 15 minutes.


Third, I have set a goal to be able to do 20 real push ups.  No butt in the air.  No head bobbing.  20 real push ups.  


The fourth change is perhaps the most important.  Now that I have hit 40 and have the metabolism to prove it, I need to make dietary changes.  Gone are the days that I could right my dietary wrongs on the dreadmill.  I have removed sugar from my coffee.  I usually drink 2 or 3 cups a day and usually put 2 teaspoons of sugar in each cup.  That's almost 200 calories a day -- that's 2 miles of running!  When I think of it that way, it was easy to forgo the sugar.  I also need to watch my carb intake.  Not just because of my weight, but also because of my family history of diabetes.  But, there is no way I can completely cut them out of my life.  Because I love them.  LOVE. THEM.  I can cut back.  No, I will cut back.  The easiest way to do this (for me) is to replace my breakfast toast with eggs.  I like eggs almost as much as toast.  If I had someone to make them for me, I would love them more than toast.  


For both health reasons and vanity I would love to shed the extra weight.  Right now though, it isn't my top priority.  I've put my kids, my husband, my house, and sleep ahead of losing the 20 pounds.  But I think I may have found a way to lose 5 pounds and still keep my priorities the same.  So, I may never look like this again;

I am okay with that.

Trip to the "Motherland"

Nowhere does preppy meets redneck better than LL Bean!

We did our annual trek there to buy the kids their backpacks and lunch boxes for the upcoming school year.  Actually, I lie.  We do an annual trek at this time of year to prep for school, but the last two years, we haven't bought backpacks or lunch boxes.  The quality of Bean's packs is so good that we get two the three years out of them.  My oldest son's bag is still in great shape, but is simply too small for him to use any longer now that he has to not only cart actual books back and forth, but also gym clothes and other sporting gear.  So he needed the big, bad boy bag this time.

I love Bean's.  I love their products.  I love the atmosphere they create on their campus.  For those that haven't been, LL Bean has its flagship store in Freeport, Maine.  In it, are all their clothing and shoes for men, women and children.  An addition was put on a few years ago attaching the hunting and fishing merchandise area to the store.  The two areas are connected by a long hallway that is home to a huge fish tank.

The tank has an observation bubble built into the bottom.  It is designed for kids to be able to crawl down and into to see all the fish up close.  I however, did what a lot of adults do and crawled down as well and took a picture from inside.  One fish thought the flash was quite interesting.

Last winter, I had to take my youngest son up to get a new pair of boots.  He somehow managed to run so fast through the woods, that he impaled a stick right through the front of his boot and between his two toes.  Knowing that LL Bean stands by their guarantee and would replace the boots, we headed up and he crawled into the bubble.  No matter how often we go, he is still amazed by it.

One word of warning.  Your patience as a parent and a human being can be tested while trying to get in to the viewing bubble.  I have raised my kids to wait their turn, not to cut in line and not to take too long as to hold up everyone else.  Visiting the fish tank is evidence that 99% of other parents are not only not teaching their children these lessons, they are unaware of how to behave politely as well.  If your kids wait patiently, they will have countless families cut in front of them.  The fish tank brings out Lord of the Flies behavior and your children will need to adjust or wind up like Piggy.  Okay, that may be extreme, but you get the idea!

In addition to the main store, LL Bean has added a home store and bike/ski shop.  In the center of all of the building is a green area and parking.  During the summer months, they close this parking area down on weekends and hold special events.  This weekend we were fortunate enough to visit while they were hosting the Maine Rock Gym's portable rock climbing wall and bungee trampoline.  My kids loved climbing the rock wall and bouncing on the trampoline.

 Getting on their harnesses and listening to directions.

This kid is a monkey.  I find him in trees, on top of playground equipment and on my walls.

 

See what I mean?

She is less of a risk taker - but still had a great time on the bungee trampoline.

He heard ice cream and decided not to climb or bounce!

We had a bit of time to kill while waiting for the backpacks to be monogrammed and the kids decided to have some fun.  We got lucky and it was late enough in the day that there weren't a lot of tourists trying to take pictures, so we didn't feel guilty about taking these.

After picking up our bags, which came out great by the way, we stopped by the locked moose display in the camping area.  (You can also view it from outside the front of the store now.)  In 2006, Adella Jones found the locked moose on her property. While their bodies were decomposed, the antlers were in great shape.  During mating season of 2005, the two moose, fighting over a female, charged each other and their antlers became entangled.  They were unable to get loose and died attached to each other.  For the full story, check out this report from The Sun Journal.  

We have a few more weeks of summer left, but will have to head back up to LL Bean to finish up some shopping.  Most likely, we will wait until September 15th & 16th and combine our shopping trip with the Fall in the Village Art Festival.  After getting what we need for school, my daughter and I can check out all the various artists while the boys pick up what they need for hunting season.  Fun.

My First "Try It" Tuesday

I love Pinterest.  Sometimes.  One thing I don't love is finding a beautiful coat, or an interesting top and then finding out it is no longer available.  There should be a time limit on all clothing and merchandise pins.  Once an item is discontinued or sold out, those pins should disappear.  

But I digress.

I have been finding recipes that look delicious.  I keep pinning helpful hints that if they worked would make life easier, and crafts with a finished product that doesn't appear too "crafty".  

I have made a decision to actually try some of the recipes, crafts and hints that I have pinned before I pin anything else.  Just as putting goals to paper increase our likelihood to take action to make them a reality, I thought that going public with my plan would make it more likely that I would follow through.

Today I am reporting on a hint I saw a while back and pinned to my board Tips .  It is for homemade soap scum "killa".  It involves mixing equal parts hot vinegar and blue Dawn dish detergent.  I microwaved 1 cup of vinegar for 2 minutes and poured it into a spray bottle that contained a cup of blue Dawn dish detergent.  The original hint makes a point of telling us that it must be the blue Dawn!  I shook the spray bottle to mix the two ingredients and then went to town spraying it all over the showers in my home.  The blog I traced this hint back to said to leave it overnight, but I worried a bit about the blue foam staining the grout.  So after about an hour, I went in and used the flexible shower head to spray down all the walls and the inside of the tub.  

I was extremely happy with the results.  I ran my hands along the tiles and found no traces of any soap scum and thankfully, the grout was not affected at all by the blue coloring.  I was also pleased to not have to worry about breathing in fumes.  This is definitely a hint that will become a regular part of my weekly cleaning routine!  

The Next Running Goal

September 30th, 2012 is the date for the Maine Marathon and Half Marathon.  I am signing up for the half this year.  I intended to do the full, but with my husband's work schedule and my kids' activities, there is no way I can get in the mileage each week.  The half is doable and if necessary, I can get my miles in at night on the dreadmill.  I usually follow Hal Higdon's training schedule for all my races.  I like how easy it is to print out his schedules and cross them off as I do it each day.  I still may use his plan, but the one above looks like it may work too.

But first, I have my Warrior Dash to do!