Run that ye may Obtain

Went to FAC after Bre’s gymnastics class for a nice run on the treadmill.  I prefer to run outside 99.9% of the time, but the overnight 12″+ of snowfall and -5 degree low made the treadmill look quite enticing actually.  And I must admit, it was nice to run in shorts and a tank top because ‘cmon when was the last time I got to do that?…oh wait, just a couple of days ago I raced outside in shorts and a tank top.  Crazy Colorado weather changes.

Did an easy 8 with 7X30 second strides mixed into my run.  Felt GREAT!

After much demonstration and urging by my ART therapist, Richey as well as my husband, Aaron, I have finally gotten into the habit of doing a nice dynamic cool down routine after almost every run.  Its easier to do at FAC since they have this big stretching room with mats and a bar to hold on to while I do my hurdle trail leg moves and leg swings.  And I can leave the kids in child care the extra 10 minutes and get the routine done quickly.  At home it takes more discipline to get the routine in because it seems that whenever I walk in the door from a run I suddenly have three needy kids with urgent requests.  I must say though, dynamic stretching is FABULOUS for recovery and is WELL WORTH the extra investment of time. Here is a video of my friend Sara Vaughn doing the Cannonball Cool down.  GOOD STUFF.  Only problem is that watching this video is making me miss summertime in Boulder.

Had a nice run on the East Boulder creek path with the cows this morning.  I considered playing “the ground is lava and you have to step on the stepping stones to survive.”  You know, that awesome game we used to play with the couch cushions when we were kids?  I still play it with my kids sometimes.  But this would have been even MORE awesome.  I easily could have covered at least a mile of terrain using only cow pie stepping stones.  It would have been a record, I’m sure.  Surely there is a very mediocre, very beatable record in the Guinness book for this exact thing.

Well, not today….maybe another time.  Today I decided to receive a warm welcome back home by Aaron and the kids rather than being banished due to the stink.

Speaking of the kids, here’s what they were up to this morning….that trampoline was the best Christmas present ever!!  Thanks, Santa!!!

My morning started off with the fresh smell of puke wafting under my door.  Upon discovering that Breanne had spewed a puke bomb from the top bunk at some point last night, I went to work scrubbing it up while pleading with Bre to please tell me immediately after such events occur in the future.  It took me a good 40 minutes to get every last drop of crusted regurgitated pizza and as I was doing so, Abe came in to declare that he hated school and never wanted to go again.  OKAY, where did that come?  So now I’m scrubbing puke off the floor while putting all my mental effort into dissuading Abe from his newfound decision.  Apparently he would much rather stay home and play with the girls all day than get dressed, walk to school, and be taught fun and interesting things with all the other 6 year olds in our neighborhood.  Hey, I don’t blame him; some days I’d rather play all day and have no responsibilities too.  In the middle of our discussion the girls interrupted to notify me that they needed baths so I filled the tub while continuing my in-depth discussion with Abe.

With the girls now playing peacefully in the tub, I went back to work scrubbing puke shrapnel off the sides of the furniture and bunk bed. Haven’t I learned in my 6+ years as a Mother that quiet kids are almost assuredly making trouble?  As I went to check on the girls in the tub I saw water creeping out the door and a large pool of bath water little Ali had been so innocently dumbing from the tub.  I was about to snap when I realized Aaron would be back from his run in 5 minutes just in time for me to walk Abe (who was now begrudgingly dressing himself) to school.  I hurried and got my running clothes and shoes on while Aaron walked in the door to the scene of four towels on the bathroom floor, a screaming, naked two year old in time out in her puke smelling room, and a sick four year old still relaxing in the tub.  I cannot tell you how happy I was to leave and walk Abe the peaceful half mile to school.  Abe had finally worked through his mental block and was back on board with going to school (thank goodness).  I was happy to be out in the fresh, albeit windy, air for my morning run.  Upon my return Aaron had cleaned up the girls and they were dressed and ready to leave for Ali’s 9:15 a.m. parent-tot gymnastics class.  I showered, dressed, heated up a slice of left-over pizza from last night, and while driving to gymnastics, ended up giving my pizza to Ali who was apparently starving.  After gymnastics we had a girls “brunch” at the Danish Pastry Shop right next door to the Little Gym.  Veggie quiche and a strawberry rhubarb tart capped the morning off perfectly.