Five-Year-Old Wisdom

Another Adam-ism for you. First - look, he's an angel!




Adam: Mommy? What if you dropped a grape or a berry on a bug. Would it die?

Me: What? Um... I don't know. I don't think so...

Adam: What if it was a not-strong bug?

My three cuties

Adam getting a medal at tournament

Mason and mom!

Races

There's one really good way to get back into the running swing of things that I know of. What's the secret? Signing up for races, of course.

Yesterday I decided to do four races this spring/summer. All 5Ks because I know I can do that. Being a slow runner, my goal is to run at least ONE of these races in 30 minutes or less.

5/18/08: Fargo 5K Fun Run

5/31/08: Bully Run 5K

7/4/08: Mandan 4th of July Road Race 5K

7/16/08: Tour da'Park 5K


And one more race this year. THE HALF. Can I do it?

Je regrette beaucoup

That's French for "I'm very sorry". Aren't I a fun blogger?? I'm a bit swamped right now with Broadway stuff, but I will update after the fat lady sings. I'm not sure who that would be, but if you come to Evening on Broadway, you could decide for yourself!

To tide you over.. some childhood wisdom:

--

Adam: God made the first person on the EARTH and it was Adam. Not me though.

--

(while getting ready for bed last night, Mason, 3 years old, wearing big-boy underwear for the first time - there is a black mark on Adam's sheets, it's been there since last year, won't wash out, Mason was sitting on the edge of Adam's bed)

DJ: Mason, what did you do?
Mason: I didn't do that! (pause) I don't think I did.
DJ: (looking at Mason's butt) I don't see anything.
Adam: I'll smell it.

--

Adam is so brave.

Race Day!

Well I did it - this morning I ran my first 5K! It was awesome, and I will definitely be racing again. I wasn't sure about it until today, but the race atmosphere is so great. My time was 35:31 which I think was respectable for my first race. It was SUPER cold outside, around 35 degrees. The marathoners all took off in shorts and tees, the 5K runners were mostly in long pants and long sleeves. I even had gloves on.




One small problem - I forgot to put the memory card back in the camera, so Dan had to take pictures and videos with his Treo. They won't be superb quality, but I will post them later when he gets back from hauling sheetrock.

OK, here they are:

Long-Awaited Update

Finally - vacation pics, birthday pics, a Tug pic, and back-to-school pics. Dan has pictures of DJ's first day of school because Bad Mama forgot the camera. Dan had his camera phone.

My friend for 11 years, Sherocious, her youngest son, and me.

Grandpa and kiddos looking at Seattle from the Space Needle.

Pictures from DJ's 7th birthday party:

Tug, anticipating dinner

Adam & Mason, on Adam's first day of preschool!

Mama didn't wear any eye makeup for fear of it running down the face.

In my backyard

OK, I know I wasn't going to update until after vacation, but I couldn't resist this. I was sitting on the couch this morning, I hadn't yet had any coffee. I looked up and saw four horses running through my backyard!



They left my yard and went next door. Nobody lives there right now so the grass is not mowed, and they got some breakfast. I called the Sheriff's office, they found the owner, and they're currently being herded back to their own place by a pickup truck and a doggie. The boys thought it was great, and the puppy REALLY wanted to herd them somewhere.

Not dead or anything

It's been a while since I updated, so I just wanted to shoot one out.

Tug is growing quickly, and has now finished Puppy Dynamics class. Yay for him! I can't say he is that much better-behaved than he was before class, but that takes time. I will just say it out loud: Rottweiler puppies are bastards. I see the other puppies at class (Labs, Poodles, Aussies, miniature Greyhounds & Schnauzers, etc.) and they are so sweet. Then you have Tug, and his Husky friend Skye and his German Shepherd friend Zack, and they are all little bastards who beat up on each other. Skye alpha-rolled him this week and I cheered her on. I almost made a doggie play-date with Shug, Skye's mommy. So she can kick his ass a little more. He deserves it.

Thursday we leave for vacation to Seattle, so there will be a tremendous internet vacuum because I will not be online. However, we will take lots of pictures and blog 'em later. Saturday I'll be meeting up with Shelagh, my Canadian BFF!

Running update: I am back up to Week 7 of the Couch to 5K program. I was up to Week 7 before, but then I got a cold, then we got the dog, and I had to take a few weeks off. So I started up again at Week 3. I will end Week 6, then I'll take another week off for our vacation, then re-do two runs from Week 6 when we get back, before starting Week 7. Then upon finishing the program, I'll have plenty of time to get some more good runs in before the race on Sept. 15!

Tug - 8 weeks

OK, first - some 7 week pictures:

Classic rottie-butt shot

Having some crate time

And now, some 8-week shots I took today:

Practicing "sit"

Who could resist that FACE?!

OK, sorry - this is just a pretty picture of my much-needed liquid refreshment after dealing with three boys and a puppy ALL DAY. Can you blame me? See how my appletini matches my glass...

Puppy Pics!

Introducing Tug, the newest member of our family! Dan decided to do a "mama and doggie" photo session. We picked him up yesterday from Randi's Rotts. THANK you Randi!





I love the sequence of these two below - he got pretty comfortable on my lap!



He was such a good boy on the trip home from Minot! I couldn't let him cry in the carrier, so I held him most of the trip. We stopped every half hour or so, so he could run around in the grass and relieve himself. He didn't pee in the Jeep even once!

Just like children, everyone wants to know about elimination training and sleep, so here's that info:

Last night he did great in the crate by himself... from 10 until about 1:30. After that, neither he nor I slept at all, and I got up every 2 hours to take him out. It's so hard not to just pick him up and let him sleep cuddled up next to me, but we know you shouldn't let a puppy do something you wouldn't want a full-grown dog to do!

He is figuring out that when we go out to a certain spot in the backyard, he should go potty. So far, he has done it every time.

So that's my update. I'm sure we will have loads more pictures to come! It's just like having a new baby, except without the postpartum blues and... oops, too much information. You can probably guess the other stuff.

We're expecting!!!

Ha! No, not the way you might think. But we are adding a new member to our family this week, and it should be no surprise to anyone...





IT'S A BOY!

Below are a few pictures of our newest baby. These are 5-week photos. We haven't formally decided on a name yet, but when we get him home on Thursday, we'll take plenty of pictures, and post them along with his name.

Don't you just want to SQUEEZE him? HE'S SO FUZZY!

my body art

Well, I did it! Below are pictures of my tattoo. Best not to ask Dan what he thinks about it.

I had to get a shot of my pedicure, duh! (OPI's Man of La Mancha for those who must know)

I'm not sure why there's a black shadow - I tried this shot numerous times, it was always there.

Kitty says "You has a flavor?" (it's funny if you read this blog!)

tattoo you

Well, me anyway.

I made an appointment today to get a tattoo! I've off-and-on wanted one since college, and I finally decided to do it. I'm getting a small treble clef on the inside of my left ankle. In case you're non-musical and don't know what a treble clef is, it's this:



It will be only about 1.5" tall. I'm verra excited. I also have ideas for others I might get someday, but for now, I'm sticking with this to see how I like it. The mutilation will occur on Thursday 5/31 at 11 am. Think of me!

We joined the YMCA today. Yay!

horsie

Dan: Mason, what does a horsie say?

Mason: (long pause)... Honk.

Jedi knights

Here's my boys, doing what they do best:




Ah, it's a difficult job, saving the universe, but they make a mother so proud. *sniff* Darien is Obi-Wan (yeah, they finally got the name right), Adam is Anakin, and Mason is Luke Skywalker.

What Brady are YOU?

You Are Greg Brady

Outta sight! Suave and all American, you tend to be clean cut and upstanding. You're friendly with most people and a huge flirt (sometimes even with family members!).

What Brady Are You?

Happy Friday! Supposed to be fantastic weather this weekend. I've got pizza dough rising right now, and beer chillin' in the fridge. Tomorrow I plan on getting some sun... and a haircut. Unfortunately I have to spend most of Sunday on a bus, but it's all good.

Easter Food Coma

I ate so much yesterday, I actually didn't need to eat today!

Well, that's not completely true. I did eat today, but not much. I made my first Easter ham yesterday for my inlaws, and I think it went very well. Everyone left full, so I guess that's what matters most.

Today I completed the first of my 5K training runs! That was an accomplishment. I think I should maybe not do the runs on the day after strength training though, because now my legs feel like jelly. If I were to squat down to the floor right now, I would be unable to get back up.

All the kids are sick. Having three sick kids is a horrible thing, but you know what? They think Motrin fixes everything! Dan gave them all Motrin before bed (I was at chorus), and they are all sleeping right now, believe it or not.

Jen - 1; Hill - 0

We live on a hill. Tonight, for the first time this year, I had Dan take my 2005 Trek 820 down and air up the tires, and I took it for a spin.

Last year, I had major trouble with one hill, and minor trouble with another. I would ride up the hills, saying "I'm going to make it to the white mailbox this time!" and then "I'm going to make it to the second pine tree past the white mailbox this time!" etc. I never did make it up the major-trouble hill, however.

Well! Tonight I whipped its butt. I shifted gears with mad skillz and made it up that nasty hill without having to get off the bike and walk it, admitting defeat, quickly hopping back on as soon as humanly possible, to avoid looking like an out-of-shape fool.

party people in da house!

I was gonna put "hizzouse" in the title but I thought that might be just too much for some of my blog readers. It's OK - I'm over it now.

This weekend was my nephew Trevor's 1st birthday party. I didn't bring my camera because I am a bad, BAD auntie. But Darika did (clearly, the better auntie), and she emailed me a few of the pictures she took. Enjoy!

Me and Darika

Darien being a goofball

Adam and me!

birthday "observed"

Well, Wednesday was my uneventful birthday. How old am I? Let's just say I'm more mid-thirties than early-thirties now. Well whatever. I'm like wine - I just get better with age.

Since Wednesday really isn't A Good Day To Party, my party is tonight. Mom & Dad are taking us out to Meriwether's. We have my cousin Christine coming over to babysit, and the boys are thrilled. I told them Wednesday, and every hour or so since then, they ask, "Is Christine here yet?" I think secretly she must let them do whatever they want. Those were the best babysitters when I was growing up! I feel silly asking an old married lady to babysit though, so if any of you have any daughters, nieces, etc. that you would be willing to rent out for a couple hours now and then, let me know.

Obi-Wan was a mobster

My two older boys love playing Lego Star Wars on the XBOX. It's funny and nostalgic to hear them talking about Han Solo, Princess Leia, C3PO, R2D2, and my favorite...




wait for it.




Ben Kibbioni. Sounds Italian! "Yo Ben-ay!" He fights with his Light-saver.

Knit-fest

I've completed and started some knitting projects recently, and it's time to show off my work!

First is my Pomotamus sock. I used Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Seaside. So far I have only one done. The lace pattern is pretty complicated, but eventually I will do the other one.




Next is the Big Sack Sweater from Stitch 'n Bitch. I used the yarn called for, which is discontinued. Not to worry, I found it on eBay! It's Rowanspun Chunky. The color is actually olive green with tweedy flecks of different colors in it. I'm not thrilled with it - it's a little big, and I didn't sew the underarms right. But who looks at underarms anyway? It's also a little itchy, which means I have to wear a long-sleeve shirt underneath. Oh well, it's a very warm sweater and I still like it.



And below is my current project. From the Spring 2007 issue of Interweave Knits, this is the Bonsai Tunic. I'm knitting it in the suggested yarn, Berroco Bonsai in the same color. First is the picture from the magazine, and below that is my progress so far. I have about 1.5" done.



I'm disappointed that you can't make out the exquisite stitch detail in most of these photos. I think it's time for me to experiment with my camera a little bit.