Daily's Frozen Pina Colada Part II

So, I've already written about how I love these single serving frozen beverages.  Sorry to be a bore, but sometimes you just need something old, familiar, comfortable, and something you know you're going to love.  I can't be creative all the time!  Plus, this has been sitting in my freezer for weeks, and it's been driving me crazy looking at it, but not drinking it!

It's the same way with books.  I love to read.  I generally read every night in bed.  I've tried to branch out and read different things, but I always end up going back to the same old things; cheesy romance.  It's not to say I don't enjoy other types of books, but the cheesy romance is the best for me.  I have major insomnia issues, by reading anything other than cheesy romance, I'm setting myself to be up all night long.  Mystery books scare me so I lie awake waiting for the boogie man to get me.  Drama books leave me wanting more and more and more, and I end up reading all night long. Comedy books get me all riled up so I can't relax, self help books get me wanting to implement every suggestion at that very minute.  Not reading at all makes it so all my personal thoughts and stress just floats around in my head all night long.  Cheesy romance is the only thing I have found that distracts me enough to relax, but doesn't intrigue me enough so that I can't stop thinking about it.  It's easy to read, and easy to put down.  They are all pretty predictable, so there isn't anything that gets my heart pumping, and that is exactly what I need at night.

Go to Amazon for the real Click to look inside!

With that said, I'm currently reading a book that isn't helping me sleep, but it's helping me a ton in other ways.  I heard about this book a few years ago on my favorite website (other than Facebook!) Fit Bottomed Mamas, (seriously, I go there for all my "being a healthy Mom advice").  They suggested this book, so I asked for it for Christmas for a few years, and finally got it this past Christmas!  And now that it's June, I'm finally reading it!  It's called "Run Like a Mother: How to Get Moving - and Not Lose your Family, Job, or Sanity" by Dimity McDowell and Sarah Bowen Shea.  It's freaking fantastic!  It's everything I need lately.  I've been a tad lazy.  Sure, I get out a few times a week and run still, but that's about it.  And, I use the fact that I run as an excuse to eat anything that I want.  This book has really helped me get my priorities back on track.  If I'm going to be a runner, I need to be a runner.  That means making it a priority, getting my butt out of bed in the mornings to get it done, eating properly before and after so I have the energy to get through the day and the ability to do it again the next morning.  Setting the right example for my kids - stop complaining about being sore and that it's too hot to run.  I love running, I need running, just go do it.  These women are marathon runners, and yet I've been complaining about a measly 3 mile run I need to do.  Sarah and Dimity are wonderful writers, sharing stories from their lives and experiences in a funny yet meaningful way.  Encouraging me to get out there and be the best I can be.  I want to know more about how they managed to train to run 26.2 miles - I cannot stop reading this book.  

I was motivated enough to take the kids and Jon to a park this morning.  I knew had a running trail that goes around it, but for one reason (ie. excuse) or another, I've never visited the trail.  I had them play while I ran.  I can't believe I never ran this trail before!  It's freaking perfect.  It's 1 km around (or 5 times around for your very own 5K! - I'll take 5 times around this course vs. 12 times at the high school track any day!)  It's shaded and clean.  Everyone on this path was friendly - giving encouraging nods towards one another, slower runners moving out of the way for faster ones, some people had a buddy, some people were solo.  The one thing I love about a race is all the encouragement that everyone gives one another, that alone can get my feet moving faster than normal.  Running this trail was like a participating in a mini race - everyone was that awesome.  I can't believe I never ran there before, but you can bet I'm going back!  This book plus this trail was just what I needed to get going again and start thinking about the 5K's I want to run in the fall.  I know I can run them, I could run and finish one tomorrow.  But this year, I want to race it.  I want to set a personal record (I'm not sure what that record is going to be yet, I'll figure it out when I start to push myself a little more).  

I'm not sure if a frozen beverage is the right way to kick off this running season, but as soon as it's done, I'm going to write up my training plan for the next few weeks.  And since I won't be sleeping until I finish this book, I'll have many quiet hours to think about the personal record I want to set.

Various Chicago Drinks

Here's what we are drinking:

Sarah:  Gallo White Zinfandel
Stephanie:  Stloi Squeeze
Amanda & Julie:  Buttery Nipples


Sarah says:

See, this is why I drink wine!  No crazy names.  I'm too old for that nonsense.  I love this wine!  A simple, basic, pink wine.  It's tasty and easy to drink.  This is the perfect, newbie wine drinker, type of wine.

Speaking of love, I love this annual girls weekend!  I'm so happy to be here right now.  These ladies I've known since 4th grade!  It's the best, I don't have to wear any make up around them.  They don't care about what I wear.  I don't have to worry about saying something stupid, because they love me anyway.  I can totally just be myself.  We talk and talk and talk, and laugh a ton.  I really look forward to it all.  Along with all of that, it gives me a break from my kiddos.  I love them dearly, but every Mom needs a break.  I think it's important to get away from all the crazy kid stuff to spend some adult time with other women who totally relate to me.  It's refreshing.  Know what else is refreshing, this yummy wine!! 

Overall rating:  Thumbs up.

I wrote that part above in Chicago - the rest below is written after getting home.

When most people hear that I'm going to Chicago for a girls weekend, I'm sure they assume we do a lot of shopping and going to bars.  If you want to continue to think that - don't read any further.  This blog will be highly disappointing to you.  We was probably the lamest Chicago trip ever - yet it was perfect.  We've done Chicago 4 maybe 5 times ( I can't remember how many, I'm getting old ), which means, we've done the shopping, we've done the tourist stuff, we've done the bars, we've done the pizza and the hot dogs, we've even stayed in a crazy expensive hotel just to get the experience once.  This weekend was about relaxing and getting away from the ho-hum of life.

(Pre) Chocolate Covered Yum

We met up Friday evening at Julie's apartment.  Her husband made us dinner, while we watched Limitless (ie. ogled Bradley Cooper for a few hours).  Then we made the drinks above and watched Bridesmaids (ie. laughed and laughed).  Then we went to sleep.  Yup, crazy Friday night in Chicago.  Saturday, we literally sat around for 5 hours, then went and walked around Pier One for a little bit, before ending up in a movie theater and watched the 5-year Engagement (because no girls weekend is complete with out a good romantic comedy).  Yup, 3 movies in less than 24 hours.  We finally went downtown Saturday night to go to Geja's for fondue.  This was quite challenging for me because our reservation was for 10:00 pm, which is way past my bedtime, and after the crazy day we had, I was exhausted!  But, for chocolate covered stuff, I managed to stay away.  Seriously, is there anything more delicious than chocolate covered fruit, pound cake, and rice krispie treats?!   It was amazing.  I also drank a Passion-tini.  I wish I would have paid more attention to what was in this, because it was also amazing!  Again, totally worth staying up past my bedtime.  Then we went back to Stephanie's and went to bed.  The next morning, we had breakfast and it was time to go home.  Don't worry ladies, I have every intention of writing another blog about the amazing food that was home cooked for us!

I had a brief moment of non-laziness, I used Julie's apartment fitness center Saturday morning to do some running.  I wasn't comfortable running on the streets of an unfamiliar area, so instead opted to use the treadmill.  This was my first treadmill experience, and I wasn't really looking forward to it.  I always had the impression running on a treadmill would feel like being a hamster in a ball.  Um, I was wrong, I really liked it!  I wouldn't say I'm going to go get myself a treadmill now, but I won't be as judgmental if people tell me they use them.  I REALLY liked knowing the pace I was going at, and having that pace regulated for me.  I think half the reason I get tired sooner on some runs is because I'm going way too fast. Maybe I should get a Garmin (hint hint, my birthday is in a month in case anyone needs some ideas!).  I usually run a half hour, tops.  But, the regulated speed, plus the fact that I didn't have to hurry home for the kids, meant I could go a little longer.  So, I was jamming away listening to Matt Maher's "Christ is Risen" (yup, I run to Christian music.  I challenge you to find sometime more uplifting when you find yourself in need of a push.... thought so), and I looked down and noticed I had been running for an hour!  A whole hour!  I never ran that long in my life, I felt awesome.  (My legs the next day didn't feel so awesome, but at that moment, it was great!)  Another reason I liked using the treadmill, there was a mirror right next to me.  Looking over and watching myself kind of forced me to stand up a little straighter and go a little faster, who wants to watch themselves looking all sad and lame.  Here's the moral of the story, don't be afraid to try new things.  I'm so glad I ran on that treadmill, I now know that I am capable of so much more.

Overall, it was the best Chicago weekend ever!  Mostly relaxing, just time spent with 4 friends that I don't get enough time to see anymore.  It's always good to come home, but the reality really set in when I was taking a shower and my 5 year old barged in because he had to go potty.  Happy Mother's Day to me.

What to do you do when you get time away?

Red Bicyclette Pinot Noir

Description on the bottle:  Inspired by the charming lifestyle of Southern France, Red Bicyclette offers the chance to slow down and enjoy life with friends and family.  Our California Pinot Noir is influenced by Old World passion and simplicity, reflecting character and balance in a refreshing, approachable style.

Enticing aromas of red cherry and spice, with notes of bright red fruit and vanilla.  Pairs well with a variety of poultry and seafood dishes, from grilled chicken to seared tuna.

Sarah says:

While I loved the idea of slowing down and enjoying life - I did not enjoy this wine.  As previously discussed here and here, I'm not really a fan of red wine.  I'm hoping that with time and more wine drinking it will grow on me, but no luck so far.  I do not like this wine.  I'm seriously taking the smallest sips ever, and while it's ok just sitting in my mouth, I have to force myself to swallow. Once I do, I close one eye, get goosebumps, and my whole body does a little shudder.  It's not good.  Where is all that delicious fruit and vanilla taste?!  All I get is yuck, yuck, and more yuck.  Seriously, the size of sips I'm taking are ridiculous.  It's like when I'm forcing my kids to eat something like squash, and I tell them they have to take 2 bites to be excused, and they take bites so small that I don't count them and make them try again.  My sips are that small, and I'm still shuddering from the horrible taste.  Almost makes me feel bad for my kids when I force them to eat something.  Almost.  The real unfortunate part here is, I'm so frugal and refuse to waste, that I will probably force myself to drink more of this awful drink.  Maybe I'll get lucky and Jon will drink some.  This is another reason why I love those little bottles so much, I don't end up with a big bottle of gross.

Overall rating:  Thumbs down.

Speaking of bikes, I took Liam on a bike ride today.  Actually two bike rides.  Poor kid.  He got a new bike last week, but I won't let him ride it unless I'm basically attached to his side (5 year old boy, new bike, lives on a main road - just sounds terrifying to me).  When he was 3 (and probably the first few months of 4) he struggled to get the whole pedaling thing, so I could just walk next to him and keep up, but eventually he got it and I had to run (I really should just get a bike of my own!).  So, here it is, his 5th birthday, he gets a new big kid bike, and for a whole week he's begging us to take him on a bike ride.  Jon (I love the man dearly, but he's not a runner) couldn't take him out, and I was still on "no running" orders from the sprained ankle doctor.  I let him ride up and down the driveway a few times, but it was too stressful for me, I needed to drink something stronger than wine to keep me from loosing my mind there!  (Seriously, I so need to move off this road!)

5K at the Detroit Zoo 2011

So, I finally got the green light to run!  Thank you Lord!  I started running a few years ago to loose weight and to be healthy.  Turns out, I love it (which is a bit weird for me, because I grew up being the "girl that couldn't run" during gym class because of asthma).  I learned that I need running to help me stay sane as a mommy.  It's my me time.  It's the only 40 min a day that I get totally to myself.  I get to pick the music I want to listen to.  I get to run at the pace that I pick, no one pushing me to go faster, no one slowing me down.  I think my thoughts, no worries about when was the last time anyone went potty, no mentally preparing dinner, thinking about who I need to email, no planning doctor appoints, work meetings, church events, baby sitters.  I don't have to worry about if my decision is going to impact someone else, how I will explain it to them, predicting their reaction and a alternate response.  No thinking about money, or numbers, or the future.  It's just me.  I won't give that up time for anything, not my career, not my husband, not my kids.  I'm a better person after I've cleared my stress with a run.  

I feel bad, over the past month, I've been increasingly impatient with the kids.  I've even blamed them, saying they are going through a phase and being more out of control than normal.  The reality hit me today, after 3 runs, they are basically acting the same, and I'm so much better with them.  I really do need those runs to keep me sane.  I really was truly loosing it.  It was one whole month that I went without any running.  Doesn't sound like a lot, especially when you consider that I take off Nov-Feb because I don't like running in the cold.  But forced not running and voluntary not running are different.  We've had some pretty awesome weather days over the past month that I would have loved to go out running in.

Anyways.... I finally got one run under me and felt pretty good about it, so I decided I was up for taking Liam on a bike ride.  So we went out before church.  Let's just say that was the most annoying run/ride ever.  First, we had Mary with us, and our stroller isn't made for jogging, so her and I were bouncing all over the place (actually, she probably thought it was great fun, but I was annoyed).  Then we discovered a dead squirrel in the road.  Normally, I would pick up the pace and look the other way while running by this type of scenery, but Liam, being a 5 year old boy, wanted to stop and investigate.  I try my hardest not to influence him with my reactions on things (like screaming at spiders or being afraid of the dark), I want him to make his own opinions, so as squirmy as I was, we stopped and checked out the dead squirrel for a while.  No, stop freaking out, I didn't let him touch it, he just looked at it from every possible angle.  Then, about a 1/2 mile out, Liam's pedal fell off, (Thanks Grandpa, you are from here on out banned from putting together new bikes), and it continued to fall off every 30 feet or so the whole way home.  I couldn't convince Liam to just walk the bike, and I couldn't get the pedal tight enough to stay on without the help of a tool.  My legs are strong, but my arms are weak!  So, all that was pretty much horrible for me.  

So, after church, Daddy fixed the pedal, and we went out again without the baby sister.  Just me and Liam.  Now, had it been up to me, I probably would have gone running alone.  All that stuff above still holds true, and yet, somehow, this run/ride with Liam turned into one of my most favorite runs ever.  And here's why.

Liam insisted that we go the same route as this morning, because he wanted to check on the dead squirrel again (I had to explain why the dead squirrel was now facing a different direction, and looked a little more dead - not a fun conversation), but other than that, it was great.  When we got past our first 1/2 mile, Liam wanted to turn a different way than our normal route.  I warned him that that way would take longer to get home, but he was up for it.  So, we're going along, at a nice comfortable pace.  Liam looks at me, and here is the conversation that follows:

Liam: "Mommy?"

Me: "Whats up?"

Liam: "Ka-Chow"

Me: "Huh?"

Liam - gone, he takes off and is going as fast as he can.  He legs are spinning faster than I've ever seen them go.  Just like that, he didn't even look back!  He had it all mentally prepared.  Little stinker.  By the time I realize that he just Lightening McQueen'ed me, he's getting smaller and smaller, and I have to book it to catch up.  I LOVED the unexpected variety of this run.  As much as I love running alone, it's easy to fall into a rut of the same easy speed, and forget about pushing myself.  I love that it was my 5 year old that pushed me out of that comfort zone.  I love that I'm (hopefully) teaching him to maintain a healthy lifestyle.  I loved listening to him laugh hysterically for the next 2 minutes while I caught up to him.  I loved the "What?" squeak that he made when I eventually flew by him, and I loved race game that we played the next mile home, sometimes with him winning, sometimes with me winning.  It was such fun, for both of us.  And I'm pretty sure it's something that he's going to remember for a little while (I'm pretty much basing that on the smile that lingered the rest of the afternoon).  After a month of having a moody mom, and a week of having a new bike that he wasn't allowed to ride, he deserved that ride.

I can't wait for my next "me time" run, but I can't even express how much more I'm looking forward to the next "me and Liam time" run/ride.  My kids pretty much spend every moment awake together (except for the 3 hours they are in preschool).  As they get older, it's obvious they each identify with one parent more than the other (Liam is a total Momma's boy, he loves me like crazy.  Mary on the other hand loves her Daddy... another blog, another day), I'm beginning to think it's more and more important for them to spend time apart from each other with just one parent, or possibly both.  I've pondered with this idea over the years, and even done a few things here and there, but it's never stuck.  Liam clearly enjoyed our time today, it wasn't just the bike ride, to him it was me and him, JUST me and him; no little sister; no big, mean, Daddy; just Mommy (ie, the favorite) and the first kid.  I'm thinking more of that wouldn't be such a bad thing. 

What do you think?  Is it important for kids to spend time with their favorite parent alone?  Or am I just being silly because I like spending time with him because he's more affectionate towards me than Mary is?  My thought is, encourage that bond so that as he gets older he's more likely to come to me with troubles.  

Agh, I don't want to think about him getting older!  He just went from a 12 inch bike to an 18 inch bike!  I don't want him to get older than that.  Time for some more of that yucky wine!