Half way there!

For those keeping up with my running and training for the half-marathon, you will be happy to know that I got off my butt tonight and ran on my treadmill!

I had tried to run a little on Saturday, but only had time to run a little over three before I had to shower and get ready for a birthday party. I was feeling pretty discouraged that that was as far as I had gotten when I need to be able to whip out 13.1 miles. I was totally wiped after that three and a quarter mile run.

At Winter Warriors on Tuesday, we ran just under four, but it was about ten degrees out, so it was a tough run (I thought anyways. Some of the crazies still run about fifteen miles in this weather) I needed a motivational boost.

So, tonight, I decided that I would hit up my treadmill after the kids had gone to bed. Oakley didn't fall asleep for quite some time, so I didn't get started until ten, but my goal had been to run at least four miles. At about two and three quarters, I decided I should up it to five miles since I was feeling pretty good. At about four miles, I decided I should up it to six and run basically half of the half-marathon. Then, about five miles, I decided, "Well, that's dumb. I should just run the extra half mile and then really have done half..." 

So I did! One hour and thirteen minutes (and fifty one seconds) it took me, but I burned 1069 calories, so I'd say it's worth it.

My pre-race goal is to be able to comfortably run ten miles, and let the adrenaline of the race make up the last three miles. If I make it to more than that, great, but that's my goal.

If you're wondering why I'm writing in this ridiculous colour, it's because it's the closest to the colour of my new light-weight running shoes :) Sometimes I need to get myself some bribes to keep going, and if you know me, I'm a total gear junkie, and you already know of my shoe weakness...

I hate Fondant.

I think I really, truly hate it. Which is unfortunate since I'm trying to get a cake decorating company off the ground for myself.


Fondant is fickle.


The first wedding cake I made, I had a two day notice of the wedding, and I had volunteered to make the couple's wedding cake thinking I had a few months to buy my supplies and practice and whatnot. They felt a week was long enough for an engagement (they're Bhutanese refugees, so maybe that's normal for them?) Anyways, my mom gave me money to go out and buy my supplies a day and a half before the wedding, and I just had a go at it. Leah, my sister-in-law who does cakes, gave me a lot of advice via e-mail and gave me recipes and answered my questions. This cake turned out fairly near perfection. I'm really not trying to brag, really. I think God was guiding my hands in that project and it came together pretty well.

I mean, come on! That's pretty good for a first try, right. 


My second wedding cake I was hired for, the bride wanted a LOT of colour and being so cocky and over confident of my skills in the cake arena, I agreed to do it for her. The lucky streak DID NOT last. I made, I think, three practice cakes for her wedding and each involved a lot of *choice* words and throwing of my large roller or whatever happened to be in my hand. At one point, it was fondant. In the end it turned out pretty well, not as well as I would have liked, but...

So, I haven't done much with Fondant since then... I usually end up throwing things. (for those of you wondering, don't worry: it's very late at night when I get to work on cakes, and the kids are asleep. I try not to have my own tantrums in front of them) I did Oliver's birthday cake this year with some Fondant accents, and I thought maybe Fondant and I were making some progress in our relationship. I didn't throw anything at all, and only had to redo one piece...

Each piece I cut fit just about perfectly, and I was super pleased with the results. My friend was at the party, and our kids' birthdays are three days apart, but we were doing our parties on separate weekends, so I asked her if she wanted me to make her son's cake. Big mistake on my part!
The idea seemed simple enough. She wanted a cake with Andy's bed (Andy as in Toy Story) and have the toys on and around the bed. I found some good ideas/samples on Google, and thought, "Oh, this won't take any time at all!"


It's currently 1:35 a.m.


I've been at this since about 9:30 when the cakes were done chilling.


What was the point of this? Oh yes! So, I made a sheet cake for the floor of Andy's room, and cut out individual floor boards and painted them by hand, which took forever, but it looks pretty good, and I am happy with the results. Although, again, Fondant is tricksy. It went pretty well for those, but come time to make the blanket for the bed, I tried for about 30-45 minutes (though it felt longer!) to roll out the stuff, cut it, and transfer it to the bed. I have now tried in every way I can think, but the biggest problems are:
1. It keeps stretching as I transfer it.
2. It keeps sticking to itself as I transfer it. 
3. I could swear it changes sizes between getting rolled and getting on the cake.


Very annoying. 


Well, this was mostly to vent while I cooled off from the last fiasco, but I should probably get back to it since the party is in 15 hours and I haven't slept yet. Not to mention, I only got four hours last night, so tonight is being especially rough. I will post pictures of this cake once I finish it, unless I throw it. :)

Three Things: Shoes.

Since the age of three, I've known I love shoes. When asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I answered that I wanted to work in a shoe store. Though, to be fair, I thought I'd then get the shoes for free. My dream at the time was to work at a store called Yellows in my hometown.
While I neither own or work in a shoe store now, I still love, love, love shoes. I thankfully married a man who supports my habit, and likes me in heels. Also luckily, I married a man almost a foot taller than me, so even if I wear 5.5" heels, we're good to go :) We often talk about what we would do if we won the lottery (and only buy tickets about once a year) but part of our dream is to open up our own shoe store and carry my favourite brands plus have a small section of shoes for men's large sizes (15+) since my Phil has a hard time finding shoes that fit him.
On to the point, I've been asked to pick out my favourite three shoes, and it was not an easy decision to make. I narrowed it down to heels, and maybe someday will go on to do separate blogs about running shoes, flats, wedges, etc... I have a lot of shoes, so there will be no shortage of what I could do.


1. Steve Madden Caryssa heels in red suede.

I also have these in a few other colours, but there's just something about the red heels. I highly recommend them to anyone who's comfortable in tall heels, as they're a little over 5". My favourite outfit to wear these with is a purple (about the colour of my wall) sheath dress by Halo that has a funky neckline and a red leather skinny belt. It really brings out the belt, and is kind of an unexpected colour combination.




2. Eva and Zoe glittery heels.

I just bought these in Denver last month, but for only $40, how could I resist? I'd been eyeing a very similar pair that was priced at $130, and just hadn't been able to justify it. Now I know why :) I haven't worn them out yet, but I feel they'll be more versatile than they seem at first. I also feel compliments abound. The glitter is multi-coloured at a closer look, so I think I'll be able to wear them with just about any colour dress or jeans/shirt combo and have them really pop!


3. Sam Edelman rhinestone and spike heels in ivory snakeskin.

To be sure, these are the least practical shoes I own. However, they could easily be used as a self-defense tool, which I like. This picture does not do them justice. These are also some of the most expensive shoes I own, so I'm not sure what role logic was playing the day I bought these, all I knew is that they were awesome. They look amazing with an LBD (Little Black Dress) or this ivory sheath dress with skinny black belt I have.


Maybe I'll do a blog about my three favourite dresses next....

Two months and counting...

So, I went to Winter Warriors last night. The first time in almost a month, and I'd been too lazy to run on my own in the meantime. Since the half-marathon I registered for is two months from today, I had vowed to myself that I'd do two laps no matter what loop we were doing that night.
I ran four miles! A small step considering I have to make it to 13.1 comfortably before March 5th, but still... I was pretty proud of myself. Made it in 45 minutes, which normally wouldn't be so great, but there was a lot of snow and ice out and it was around 20F. 
I felt a little bad for the guy I was using as my competition/pacer though. I always pick someone in a race or when running with others to try and beat, and I do not like being passed, so this guy who was relatively new to the group would inch up behind me and finally be able to pass me, and then my competitive side would just take over and I'd zoom out in front of him for another mile or so... It wasn't pretty and I should probably explain to him and it wasn't anything personal. 
My knees starting hurting after my run though, which is bad news. I had to have physical therapy last summer while training for the Spokane to Sandpoint race, but thought my problems had been taken care of since I now know that the problem is/was. (I'm a pronator) But I'm thinking/hoping that it was just because of the snow/ice/slush combo that made it hard on my knees. We'll see. I need to get down on my treadmill and see if that makes a difference.

*sigh*

So, today I'm starting Oakley on potty training again. 
We'd tried this summer, but he just wasn't getting it, and so we took a break. Until now.


I've tried to ease him into it a little by telling him the last few days that we're going to be starting and that they'll be no more diapers and he'll have to use the potty like a big boy.
It must have not sunk in because this morning he's screaming bloody murder about wearing undies and trying to sit on the toilet.
Awesome.


Prayers and suggestions are being accepted at this time.

Resolute.

In honour of having just registered for my first half marathon (13.1 miles), and it being so close to the New Year, I'm here to write up some goals of mine for the new year.


In no particular order:


1. Running a half marathon.
I started running last summer for the first time since middle school (track: hurdles, 100m dash, high jump) or whatever conditioning we would do in soccer, but that was all short distance stuff. A girl at the bootcamp I was going to needed another team member for a 12 girl relay team that was going to run 185 miles in just over a day. Crazy, right? I figured it would be a good way to make some possible friends since I don't get out much as a mom, and I was right.
The race was grueling and I don't think I had conditioned for it as much as I should have, but I've done 4 or 5 more races since, but all 10K and under, so this year, I'm kicking it up a notch. I'm registered for the Snake River Half Marathon on March 5th. 


2. Time Management.
Like my sister-in-law, Joanna, and probably most mothers, this is something I struggle with. I spend a lot of time online, and need to take a look at my priorities. Somewhat along these lines, I'm also determined to try and keep my house cleaner this year (and build good habits that last) and stay on top of chores instead of letting them pile up during the day, or week, or whatever.


3. Eating healthier.
I graze a lot during the day, and while I'm certainly not overweight, I would sure like to lose those extra few pounds around my middle. Also, drinking more water.


4. Exercising regularly. 
I stopped going to bootcamp due to cost and that it didn't fit into my schedule very well, and need to start doing my own workouts at home. 


5. Finishing projects.
I have a horrible habit of starting these wonderful projects, but then getting bored halfway through and quitting. Or sometimes I just really don't have time for them. On the projects list: my dollhouse, my quilt, a painting I did for Phil, and my children's book.


6. Being a more patient/interactive mom.
Some days when I'm tired or the kids are driving me crazy, it's so easy to just pop in a movie and let them entertain themselves for a little bit. Which is fine some of the time, I think, but I'd like to work harder at doing stuff with my kids. And being patient. I have a bad temper, which only gets worse if i don't sleep enough. I'm going to work (and pray about) not using my "bad mommy voice" Not that I scream at my kids, but it's not the gentle, loving way I should be talking to them.


7. Reading my Bible/Praying more.
My walk with the Lord is pretty sad right now. I am a Christian, but apart from going to church/meeting on Sundays, there isn't much evidence of it. 


This list is getting pretty lofty, and it seems unlikely that I'll be able to fully accomplish everything on it, but there it is. I'm going to try. And I'm going to go off right now and work on some chores before Phil gets home (#2!) and then start making decorations for Oliver's birthday party and planning his cake. 

Home, Sweet Home!

Home at last! We got home yesterday, but I was restraining myself and put off getting out my laptop and getting online until this morning. So much catching up to do!


Okay, first of all, let me tell you that we thought the drive down would take about 15 hours. A long time sure, but we planned on doing most of the driving at night while the kids were asleep, and compared to having to buy four plane tickets (plus whatever extra fees they decide to throw at you) and renting a car when we got there (add extra fees since Phil and I are both under 25...) driving was much more affordable.


Well, everything was going according to plan, we left around 6:30 p.m. (Sunday, December 19) got snacks and gas and headed out. Enter Montana and it's blizzards. We couldn't go much faster than 45 mph, which slowed the trip down to about a 24 hour drive instead of 15. We got there safely though, and Phil's Grandma was just happy as could be to have all her great-grandchildren visiting her.


Tuesday, we went and got a few groceries early in the morning (I wish our Target was a Super Target!) and in the afternoon went to the Aquarium. It looked pretty small from the outside, but the inside was huge! Plus, they had a random tiger there, so that was cool. The boys had a blast there, and if I weren't so tired/lazy, I'd upload the pictures now and add them to the post, but that will just have to wait.


Wednesday we went out and did some Christmas shopping at the Colorado Mills mall near the grandparents' house. Although, we had to make quite a few stops there, so Phil thought of it as a second home) We found a super cute neon orange vinyl giraffe for Oakley that he loves (and was on clearance!), a book for Elliot, (Oliver had gotten a train that morning at the Target), I got some new bras (ones that fit! but that's a different story....), and a super cute pair of heels that were a ridiculously good price. Brian, my brother-in-law asked me how many pairs of heels I own.. I didn't know, so I'll have to count them soon.


Thursday we took the morning slow, and went to the zoo in the late morning. This was not really great planning on our part, since the kids were cranky and needing naps not long after we got there. Also, the batteries in my camera were dying. Not my favourite. This happened last year when we went to the Seattle zoo, so now two years in a row, I barely have any pictures of the kids at a zoo, but whatever. Also on Thursday, we got something fixed on our Jeep. We are so grateful that we bought the extended warrantee, since the part that would normally have cost over $1000 cost us only $100 including diagnostics and labour. Something about a control module or something? I don't know much about the car parts, and I doubt any of my readers do either, but in case you were wondering. That night, after the kids had gone to bed, Phil and I went out with his sister and brother, and got ice cream at ColdStone, shopped a bit at Barnes and Nobles (note: a rewards card for Borders will NOT work here, my mistake.) and then I got a pair shoes at DSW, and we shopped at Old Navy since they were staying open all night for the holidays. I'm not sure why, but since I got a bunch of stuff that was priced $10 or less, I was okay with it. :)


Friday, poor Oakley woke up sick and throwing up. We didn't do much but sit around reading (which was fine with me since I got a new book for Christmas) but Oakley slept most of the day, looking so pitiful, and waking up basically only to vomit. Gross. I stayed home with him while everyone else went out to go to the bookstore or something, I'm not entirely sure where they went, but I don't blame them for wanting to get out of the house. While they were out, Phil's grandparents found out I am Canadian. Luckily, this occurred right after I was looking through a book on New Brunswick they had, and grandma Dorothy was telling me about a trip they took to New Brunswick/Nova Scotia, and I was telling her I had family in Nova Scotia which she found odd until she found out I am Canadian and most of my family is on the east coast. Friday night was spent sleeping partially on the floor of the living room, which wasn't any better than the floor of the room I'd been sleeping on before until Oakley almost threw up on me from the couch. After I cleaned him and the floor off, I went to sleep on the the tiny love seat, which wasn't very comfortable either. Not much sleep on Christmas Eve.


Saturday, Christmas, wasn't very eventful. We opened most of our presents in the late morning, but Oakley was still not feeling great (but some better) and was asleep, and so was Elliot. We saved some of their presents until that night when our last traveler arrived and then did her presents and the remainder of the kids' stuff. I found a book (that I gave to Phil to give to me for Christmas) with the Starbucks' Cranberry Bliss Bar recipe.... We'll have to see how that works out. Phil, Oliver, and "Aunt Carrot" a.k.a. Phil's sister made dinosaur sugar cookies while I took a much needed nap, and by dinner, Oakley was almost back to his regular self. Oliver and Oakley finally got the hang of unwrapping presents this year, so it was fun to watch them tear into stuff with excitement.


Sunday, we hit up the day after Christmas sales. I love Denver's malls. I am so jealous! The Cherry Creek mall is awesome, and it's probably a good thing I don't live so close to it. I didn't get to explore it as much as I would have liked though, but I did get four new pairs of jeans at Macy's since they were having a denim sale, and all of my jeans fit very, very poorly (in a good way!) Plus, not only did I get jeans on sale, but I found jeans that FIT on sale. I have trouble finding a good length, and I have smallish thighs, so jeans are hard for me to find a lot of the time. But I got four pairs! I need to clean out my jean drawer now, but that's okay. We headed to REI afterwards and let the guys shop around while I hung out in the car (the kids had fallen asleep) with my book.
We got back to the house around two, I think, and since we'd planned on leaving around four, got right to packing. I'm proud to say that we got everything packed and in the car in under an hour. So far, the only thing that has been found that we forgot was a pair of p.j.s.
We headed out and stopped in Loveland, Co at a P.F. Changs for dinner. They said the wait was about 30-45 minutes, so we waited. About a half hour and our buzzer goes off. Hooray! We get to the table, and the waitress notices that there are five of us, not four, even though I told the hostess five. This table won't work for us, she says. It'll only about about ten more minutes for a table for five though, she says. Another half hour goes by, we're very hungry and just want to eat so we can get back on the road before we get too sleepy. We finally get a table, order as fast as anyone ever has, I think, eat, and head back out. The weather was considerably better on the way home, thank goodness, and we made it home in about 20 hours (including the two hour-ish stop at P.F. Changs, another hour at a Burger King for breakfast, and getting gas, etc...) 


We got home Monday around 1 p.m. and starting doing chores we hadn't had time to do before we left. We reorganized the entire playroom to have room for all the new stuff, plus we moved the train table in there, did laundry, dishes, a quick trip to the store for milk and other essentials....
It's good to be home. I've missed my bed, my shower, my laptop, my kitchen with it's regular food, and not having to constantly wonder if the kids will actually eat "that". Denver has things I will miss too, though. Having Phil's grandma, sister, brother, and uncle in the house with us was like having a bunch of nannies for my kids. I had to change very few diapers, and the kids were entertained pretty much the whole time, Elliot got spoiled by being able to be held most of the time, which I can't do when I'm at home alone with all the kids, and Phil's grandparents are fun too. His grandma is convinced that Oakley is some sort of genius because he can do jigsaw puzzles, and that Oliver is a genius because he is fully potty trained, LOL. 


I doubt anybody cared to have this much detail about our trip, but there it is.