It's Going Be A Long Night

Well, tomorrow morning is when our precious Baby Boy is getting tubes in his ears. I know that it's a common procedure but I'm still so nervous. I've heard breastfed babies have a lower chance of getting ear infections and tubes but Baby Boy is an exception, I guess. Boohoo. So after midnight tonight, no nursing and fasting until after his procedure. He is a big night time nurser so I will be sleeping on the couch and The Lover will be on daddy duty tonight. I am sure they will do fine but I will be wide awake I'm sure. I have trouble sleeping anywhere but our bed.

I know I had something to snack on before dinner. I didn't take a pic and now I can't remember what it was? I know I had some homemade trail mix and something else. Anyhoo, I swear my brain will be back to normal once Baby Boy's procedure is over, I get my runs in again and I get out of the freaking house!

Dinner was super simple since we are running low on groceries.

Goulash! So easy, quick and cheap to make. To make goulash:

• 1 lb ground beef (bleck)
• 3/4 box of whole wheat rotini (I like Rotini)
• 1 can fire roasted garlic diced tomatoes

Brown and drain beef. Boil pasta according to package directions, drain. Add beef, pasta and undrained can of diced tomatoes. That's it! You can add anything to it veggie-wise. I diced two handfuls of fresh spinach and mixed it in at the very end. Yum. I had what is showm times two. For dessert, I had pumpkin chocolate chip bread and threw the rest away. I could live on it but it's just too much for Baby Boy and I to eat!

Now, to finish watching the Grammys, get Baby Boy settled for the night and hope for sleep. Wish us luck for tomorrow! Oh and I finally changed out of my PJs into fresh PJs lol!

Any advice on what we can expect after the tubes are placed?

Cabin Fever!

I'm still in my PJs. Is that sad? But, I've been busy! The Cleaning Quest continues. I've done laundry, scrubbed the stove, swept the kitchen . . . if I could just get past the main living areas and into the bedrooms, that would be fantastic. Though, by looking at the kitchen, it doesn't look like much was accomplished. It's like the boys trail behind me and undo what I just did.

So I talked myself out of going to the mall to spend my Victoria's Secret birthday coupon. I really, really wanted to go. Trust me! I just couldn't justify spending the money on something like perfume or body lotion. I would rather have a new purse or running shoes. And running shoes, I need! So long, coupon. Maybe next year?

My mid-morning snack was Pumpkin Yogurt.

I used the rest of the container. There is between 1/2 cup and 3/4 cup in that bowl of goodness. Add 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree, 2 teaspoons brown sugar and 1/4 cup pumpkin flaxsee granola. Nom-ilicious!

Lunch was alfredo spinach pizza:

After lunch treat was a half slice of Retta's Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread. Seriously to die for.

I got Baby Boy down for a nap and was feeling snackie so I had two handfuls of Tostito's Multigrain tortilla chips. YUM. Now, I need something to do because cabin fever is setting in. The Lover is napping on the couch and I refuse to take a nap. I will feel so lazy and like I wasted the day.

Do you ever stay in your PJs all day or do you get dressed, even if you're staying home all day?

French Toast Sunday

Good morning! The boys let us sleep in until 730 AM. Ahhh . . . I could so get used to this! Unfortunately, our coffee pot malfunctioned and instead of brewing a full pot, it got backed up along the way and grounds were in the half pot that was brewed. I don't know how that happens but it's frustrating! I also hate that the coffee gets wasted that way.

After getting some coffee in my system, we thought French toast sounded great for brekkie. I had put out some sausage to defrost but The Lover informed me it was actually ground beef. OOPS. And yuck! I wanted to make sausage for him. He survived though. For their French toast, I did it the regular way, using bread, eggs, milk, vanilla extract and cinnamon. For mine, I used sammie thins, two egg whites, vanilla almond milk and cinnamon.

I know, I know, I need some new plates. I just really love this one and I got it from Target for less than $1.00! I should have gotten the other designs but this one just popped at me. The sammie thin French toast and egg whites were perfect and chewy. I topped mine with about a tablespoon of pumpkin puree, 1 teaspoon of non-fat plain yogurt, a pinch of coconut and a small squirt of honey. Oh and don't forget the pumpkin pie spice and a small gala apple. Perfection!

It's already been a busy cleaning morning. It's kind of creepy. I'm cleaning like I am nesting. Nesting is what pregnant ladies do and I am not. See? Creepy! But I will take the nesting-like cleaning frenzy because the house needs it!

Hopefully I will be able to get out and about today. I need to replensih our fresh fruits and veggies as well as maybe hit the mall. Victoria's Secret sent me a birthday coupon for $10 off any purchase and it expires today! Have a faboosh Sunday all!

Cleaning Counts, Right?

We were supposed to have family pictures taken today but had to reschedule due to the weather. Boo! We haven't had a professional picture taken since Big Boy was 3 months old. I'd say it's high time we have another! The siblings and I had some taken for Mother's Day in 2008, I think? I really would like one with The Lover, the boys and me. They make good gifts for the grandmothers too. They love that stuff - as do I!

Instead of working out today, I decided I would clean, clean, clean. I wish I could say I have a totally spotless house but I don't. I hate cleaning and although I do the laundry often, sometimes I will fold it and it will hang out on the dining room table for a week. Cleaning is one thing I let slide in the whole work/life balance thing. The dishes and laundry are done regularly but seriously, things like mopping, vacuuming . . . they are last on the list. Even when I was a stay-at-home mom, I sucked at cleaning! In the midst of mopping the floor and holding the abs tight, I got hungry so I made a Green Monster. Like how it's in a pint glass?

To balance out the sweetness of the vanilla almond milk, I added more spinach and ice. It was perfect! Once the kitchen was finished, I got an itch to bake something and have been wanting to try my hand at pumpkin bread. I love pumpkin! Instead of pumpkin bread, I made Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread. Holy yum!

I seriously love my bread loaf pan. I based it loosely on a receipe I found on Health.com. Their recipe supposed to be a "healthy" version but it didn't seem healthy at all. Half a cup of canola oil? Yeesh! So I did it Retta Style. To make this Retta's Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread, you need:

• 1 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 cups canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1/2 cup non-fat plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons vanilla almond milk
• 4 large egg whites
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1.25 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well well. When measuring flour, do not pack and level with a knife. Combine flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda in a separate bowl. Mix well. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture, stirring just until moist. Stir in chocolate chips.

Spoon batter into 2 loaf pans lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for an hour and 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean (from center). Cool about 10 minutes on wire rack, then remove from pans. Cool completely on rack.

I didn't have two loaf pans. I filled my loaf pan (I think 9x5?) and made 6 muffins. The muffins took about 30 minutes or so to bake and they were fantastic. A hit with both boys! And it smells so good in the house when baking. Mmmmmm . . .

Before resuming my cleaning, I had an early dinner. I know, I'm eating AGAIN.

My last half of a baguette! I toasted the baguette, smeared it with a wedge of Laughing Cow Swiss cheese, added tomatoes and two slices of deli turkey. YUM. Back to cleaning I go!

All Work & No Play Makes Retta Batty

It's Day 3 of being cooped up and I have to say, the beautiful snow is losing its charm very quickly. I say we are cooped up but really, we've gone to places that are probably within a 5 - 10 mile radius.

We all slept in until 800 AM. That was crazy in itself. Very nice though. My sleep pattern is all wonky. Anyhoo, both boys woke me up and I needed some coffee STAT. Don't you love the timed coffee makers? I still set mine even on weekends. The Lover decided he wanted to take us to breakfast. No complaints here! We went to a local place, Beverly's. I had the vegetarian omelet with hash beezys and 3 small pancakes.

The omelet was filled with broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, onions, bell peppers and cheese. It was wonderful! And too much food. I had 2/3 of the omelet, a few bites of the hash browns 1.5 pancakes. Baby Boy loved the pancakes and omelet. The Lover finished the rest of my plate. It was yummmmmy. Since I had such a heavy brekkie, I will probably make a Green Monster for a late lunch. I've been craving one. Crazy huh?

I'm totally feeling those pike crunches and other core moves from doing the Jillian Michaels DVDs the last two days. It's a good burn!

Birthday Musings

Turning 31 got my brain juices flowing . . . In my high school years and 20s, I was so insecure and unhappy with the way I looked and felt. I would go on these crazy yo-yo diets and exercise for a month or less and just quit. Then I would go back to the yo-yo diets . . .it was vicious cycle. Every time I heard someone say her 30s were so much happier and confidence-filled, I always rolled my eyes and thought "WHATEVER." But it is SO true. Something about turning 30 and having my epiphany . . . Was it finding the right person to support you through it all? Was it becoming parents with that someone? I don't know but it freaking worked and I love it!

So post workout, I had a craving for my baguette that I had in the freezer. I toasted it and smeared it with a wedge of Laughing Cow Swiss - so good!

The Lover came home with Big Boy - yep, still bouncing off the walls. I made a Mexican inspired meal.

I browned some ground beef (which I don't love), drained it and mixed it with a taco seasoning packet. Using a WW wrap, I layed spinach, 1/4 cup of the ground beef, 2 tablespoons cottage cheese, red kidney beans and chickpeas. I tried to roll it up but it was too large and in charge. I still forced the bad boy into the George Forman grill though! Baby Boy and I enjoyed it immensely! For dessert, we shared 4 mint Oreos.

Here are some more birthday snow pics for you! It's been snowing all day!

Being cooped up in the house has made The Lover batty too. He went to hang with the neighbors. Thank goodness! He was practically climbing the walls and was driving me loco!

Tra La La

Oopsie! I realized I didn't make an afternoon post. Honestly, it's been pretty much dullsville around here. About an hour after breakfast, we met the In-Laws for my official Birthday Breakfast. It was kind of weird because I did feel a little hungry even after my breakfast cookie. I ordered a breakfast sammie on ciabatta bread. LOVE that bread.

The home fries were kind of chewy and gross. I had a few bites of those. Not like their usual home fries at all. I also cut the sammie in half and ate that. I felt bad for just leaving the other half but oh well. We then ran to Target for a few household essentials and I was also excitede to try my new Jillian Michaels' "Banish Fat Boost Metabolism" DVD!

Baby Boy was so very ready for a nap so I had to get him down. Big Boy went to Nana's. He was kind of loco and bouncing off the walls today so we were thinking "SEE YA!" Isn't that awful? The guilt didn't last too long haha. Again, I noticed I was grazing out of boredom. I hate when I do that. I tend to do that when we are cooped up at home and I know I am bummed about not being able to run. I've ran twice this week - at total of 5 miles. Even though it's a taper week, still gets me down. I had 1/3 of a pumpkin spice cappucino, a handful of Tostito's multigrain tortilla chips . . . and the other half of the apple that was left over from breakfast.

Finally, we had to get out for a bit so we ran to Academy to check on running shoe prices. Mine are definitely overdue for retirement. You are supposed to change running shoes every 300 - 500 miles and I've had mine for almost a year. Yet, I decided to wait lol. I actually felt hunger so Baby Boy and I shared my pumpkin yogurt that I had made yesterday.

So delish! It contained:

• 1/2 cup non-fat plain yogurt
• almost 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• about 1/2 cup pumpkin flaxsee granola

YUM. Then Jillian and I had a hot date. Verdict: I really love this DVD however, there are a few of the plyometric moves I couldn't do because of my left knee: 180 jumps, cross country skiing and the high knees. I did the best I could on the cross country and high knees but those 180s are too much. I love all her DVDs and if it weren't for those, I would be going batty right today!

How do you stay active (and sane!) when at home because of yucky weather?

We have the power!

Morning! Anyone used to watch He-Man? I'm probably dating myself with that one. It was a good cartoon! You know you loved it! Good news: We still have power. Whew. I was pretty worried I would wake up to NADA. It's snowing steadily now. Here are some lovely pics from our front yard.

Work closed for today so I get to stay home with the family. And it's my birthday! RAISE THE ROOF. I didn't have any special plans but it is definitely nice that I get to spend my b-dizzle with them. And maybe my second nephew will FINALLY decide to arrive today? Remember my Exciting News? That was from January 12th. I guess he's too cozy and doesn't want to make his debut.

For my birthday breakfast, I decided to try the infamous Breakfast Cookie.

The recipe called for whey protein and I don't have that. I jazzed it up to my tastes. To make my version, mix together in a bowl:

• 1/3 cup dry oats
• 1 tablsepoon crunchy peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder

Mix until crumbly. Then add:

• 2 tablespoons milk of choice. I went with vanilla almond milk

Mix thoroughly. Then add your choice of add-ins. I went with some chocolate chips and a dollop of pumpkin puree. Smoosh it down and stick in fridge overnight. That's all! I had my cookie with half an apple sprinkled with cinnamon on the side. I was a bit worried how the pumpkin and chocolate would taste but it was great! The crunchy PB was perfect. No need to heat it up but I bet that would be yummy as well.

So The Lover just told me he wanted to take me out to a birthday breakfast. I wish he told me that BEFORE I had brekkie. Sigh. Oh well. I will go and enjoy some coffee. Have a wonderful day!

I surrender!

Evening, all. So far, so good on the weather. We still have power and the freezing rain has stopped much earlier than predicted. I don't mind the coming snow at all. Snow is so pretty! The chilly weather called for some hot cocoa. Hmmm . . . I could have sworn I took the pic but I can't find it. Oh well. After Baby Boy got up from his nap, we had a pre-work out dance session.

After our fun warm up, I did a brutal sesh of Jillian's "No More Trouble Zones". I think I need to do strength more often. I've been doing it twice a week - if that. There is a move called The Surrender. I should have taken photos - oops. It's killer. You hold your arms straight above your head while holding 3 lbs weights in each hand. Doesn't sound like much but after going down on one knee, then the other, then back up to a standing position while not dropping your arms - OUCH. Post workout snack was half an apple sprinkled with cinnamon:

Dinner was pretty darn good and so easy!

I had some leftover brown rice (that was cooked in veggie broth of course!) that needed to be eaten. Red kidney beans, chickpeas and diced tomatoes added some flair. I also have been dying to try some chicken sausage. The Lover thinks it's gross haha. Anyhoo, I picked up roasted garlic flavor. The combo was terrific. Dessert will be some mint Oreos. To keep myself from eating too many - which I have a habit of doing - I stuck the package in the freezer. We'll see if it works or not!

What tactics do you use to keep yourself from going crazy on sweets?

Holy Green Monster, Batman!

Happy Thursday, all! The good thing about today is that it's Thursday! The bad thing about today is we are going to be hammered with some freezing rain, sleet and snow will be moving in tonight. Yikes! We are good to on the homefront, however. Propane, food, diapers, dog food . . . if we lose power, we're sticking the perishable food outside. Heck, we could probably put it in the garage and it would be fine.

I overslept a tiny bit . . . I think I accidentally turned my phone off? I woke up at 615 AM and hit the floor running. Luckily I made lunch last night. The boys were in good moods (this is a great streak!) so that saves some time as well.

I went with the Green Monster again this morning. It is so simple, filling and nutritious. You can't go wrong!

I had to use an ugly portable cup for Green Monster Version 3.0, I did something a tad different. At the grocery store last night, I picked up some vanilla Almond milk. I've been dying to try almond milk and it's only 90 calories per cup. To make this version, I used:

• 2 cup fresh spinach
• 1 banana
• 1.25 cup almond milk
• ice

Put in blender in the order listed and liquefy. I really enjoyed the almond milk but the vanilla flavor might be a little too sweet for me. With regular milk, the banana is sweet enough. Big Boy loves the vanilla rice milk so bonus!

Looks like we are shutting down at noon today because of the yuck weather heading our way. If I disappear for a few days, it's because we have no power. I am worried about getting my mileage in but that should be the least of my worries. Wish us luck!

Nighty Night!

This is going to be a quick one! I am so ready for bed, it's not even funny. I had a few random snacks once we got back from the grocery store: handful of plain Goldfish, half of a brew.

The brew sounded good but it didn't taste good. For dinner, I wanted to go for somewhat light.

I made a tofu and cottage cheese wrap. It was pretty good but I think I'll go with less cottage cheese next time. To make the wrap, I used:

• whole wheat wrap
• hummus
• cottage cheese
• 2 pieces of fried tofu
• baby spinach

Spread hummus, layer spinach, cottage cheese and diced tofu onto wrap. Tuck ends and wrap tightly. I pressed it in a heated George Forman grill. No need for non-stick spray. Pretty good but definitely less cottage cheese next time!

I also enjoyed 4 (yes, 4!) mint Oreos after wrestling with the boys while giving them a bath. So yummy. I'm not sure why splashing is so darn fun for them! I think I will have a cup of sleepytime tea before bed. So pooped! Have a wonderful night!

Sookie Stackhouse + Winter Storm = Perfect Combination

Well, Baby Boy will definitely get tubes in his ears first thing on Monday morning. My poor baby. It's an outpatient procedure but a mama never wants any of her babies to go through pain or discomfort. They told me no nursing for at least six hours before the procedure but how do you turn down a baby that is hungry? It will be an interesting 24 hours, I'm sure.

Before rushing out of work today, I had an apple around 945 AM and then around 1100 AM, I had pumpkin overnight oats.

If you love pumpkin and oatmeal, you must try this combination! To make pumpkin overnight oats, you will need:

• 1/2 cup dry slow cooking oats
• 1/2 non-fat plain yogurt
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup (depends on how "pumpkin-y" you like it) pumpkin puree

Mix all ingredients together. Put lid on - or not- store in fridge overnight. For this version, I added a splash of milk and topped my oats with 6 chopped almonds and about 3 teaspoons shredded coconut. Doesn't it look yummo? It is! And so easy!

While at the doc's office, we discovered Baby Boy had a toxic blowout. What was funny was that we couldn't smell it. Dang antibiotics! It makes Sneaky Toxic Diapers. The nurse said it was fine if we changed him in the exam room. However, we didn't have a bag to put the diaper in. Being such innovative parents, we did this.

We stuck the rolled up diaper into a latex glove and wrapped it up nice and tight! We had a super late lunch. Since we were out and about, we stopped at Taco Bueno. Not very healthy but you do what you have to do. I had about 3/4 of this plate -  also, no guac and no sour cream for me.

There was also a mad dash to the grocery store for a few essentials. The meterologists are again stressing that it is going to be a major winter storm for us so we preferred to be prepared in case there were power outages. If we do lose power, I'm excited to dig into this:

I've read every book in the Sookie Stackhouse series and am IN LOVE. I've only watched season one of True Blood and while I enjoy the show, the books are WAY better. There is a new Sookie book coming out in May or April of this year! I'm squealing with excitement!

Any Sookie Stackhouse fans out there? Do you prefer the books or True Blood?

"Tube"ular Wednesday

Morning and Happy Hump Day! I must say I am in a fantastic mood. Why? Because I may have found someone to join our company relay team. We are running in the OKC Memorial Marathon and our company has two teams so far. We are having trouble finding runners for the 12k leg on both teams. So maybe one down and one to go? Yay! I'm still keeping an eye out for another 12k leg runner so any Okies out there, if you're interested, let me know! If you are not sure why this marathon is so important to so many Oklahomans, please read about it here.

I apologize for the lack of post last night. It got a little crazy. We headed over to Nana and Papa's house for a little visit. Before leaving, Nana hooked us up with brownies!

For dinner, I made BBQ chicken pizza. I used a variation of Meghann's recipe.

I prepared the dough according to Jiffy's package directions. Then, I added:

• light layer of Head Country BBQ sauce
• sprinkle of shredded cheese
• cooked chicken simmered in vegetable broth (I'm an addict!)
• broccoli
• cauliflower
• another light layer of shredded cheese

It was very yummy! I am not a huge fan of BBQ but the light layer was perfect. I also love thin pizza crusts - so crispy. Not shabby for my first try at BBQ pizza. Then for dessert, I had one of those delicious brownies. Okay, okay, I had two. :0) I was so full. My tummy actually hurt. I was more than ready to go to bed.

For brekkie, I had another date with the Green Monster. I am officially hooked.

To make the Green Monster:

• 2 cups fresh (forgot to mention that yesterday) spinach
• 1.25 cups your choice of milk (I used cow's 1%)
• 1 banana
• ice

I am going to buy some flax this weekend to add to the party. First, add the spinach, then banana, milk and ice last. Liquefy in the blender and you're ready to rock. It is really delicious and so good for you.

There are some pressing things I need to do and then The Lover and I are taking Baby Boy to visit the otolaryngologist to see if he needs tubes in his little ears. Boohoo.

Any advice for us on what to expect? We have absolutely no experience in the tubes department.

Runner's Commandments - Part 2

As promised, here is the second part of the commandments:

27. Be modest after a race, especially if you have reason to brag.
28. If you say, “Let’s run this race together,” then you must stay with that person no matter how slow.
29. Think twice before agreeing to run with someone during a race.
30. There is nothing boring about running. There are, however, boring people who run.
31. Look at hills as opportunities to pass people.
32. Distance running is like cod liver oil. At first it makes you feel awful, then it makes you feel better.
33. Never throw away the instructions to your running watch.
34. Don’t try to outrun dogs.
35. Don’t trust runners who show up at races claiming to be tired, out of shape, or not feeling well.
36. Don’t wait for perfect weather. If you do, you won’t run very often.
37. When tempted to stop being a runner, make a list of the reasons you started.
38. Never run alongside very old or very young racers. They get all of the applause.
39. Without goals, training has no purpose.
40. During training runs, let the slowest runner in the group set the pace.
41. The first year in a new age group offers the best opportunity for trophies.
42. Go for broke, but be prepared to be broken.
43. Spend more time running on the roads than sitting on the couch.
44. Make progress in your training, but progress at your own rate.
45. “Winning” means different things to different people.
46. Unless you make your living as a runner, don’t take running too seriously.
47. Runners who never fail are runners who never try anything great.
48. Never tell a runner that he or she doesn’t look good in tights.
49. Never confuse the Ben-Gay tube with the toothpaste tube.
50. Never apologize for doing the best you can.
51. Preventing running injuries is easier than curing them.
52. Running is simple. Don’t make it complicated.
53. Running is always enjoyable. Sometimes, though, the joy doesn’t come until the end of the run.

 

#36 and #53 - definitely my favorites of the Commandments. I bitch and moan sometimes before a run but I know afterwards, it always feels wonderful.
 
My 2.25 miler was an early one today. For some reason, I left my hair down and I swear that made me sweat even worse. I am silly! Before the run, I had a yummy snack:
 

• 1/2 cup non-fat plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup pumpkin flaxseed granola
• 1 sliced banana 

Always a perfect combination! Lunch was a mish-mash of leftovers:

It contained:

• garlic cous cous
• parsnips, celery, potato medley from Sunday night
• red kidney beans and chickpeas for protein

Cous cous = BOMB! Do people still say that? After hastily scarfing down lunch, I was off to a meeting. Nice post meeting treat:

Mocha cappucino with whip cream and cinnamon sprinkled on top. As you can see, the whip cream did a disappearing act into my mouth! Yum. I had half of the capp. It was pretty sweet. I'm ready for that capp to kick in!

Green Monster Morning!

Top of the morning to you! I feel great today. It's amazing what a good night's rest will do to you. I feel bad for The Lover since he slept on the couch but it was best that both of us sleep well.

I wanted to try something new and yummy for breakfast instead of my usual oatmeal. I have been wanting to try the Green Monster. I've read a lot about it and it sounded like a wonderful way to sneak some additional nutrients into your day. Verdict? FABOOSH. I will be drinking this more often!

Isn't it pretty? To make the Green Monster, I followed Angela's basic recipe:

• 2 cups spinach
• 1 banana
• 1.25 cup milk (cow, almond, rice, etc)
• ice

The recipe called for flax but I didn't have any so I skipped that. The spinach went in first, then the banana. I gave it a quick spin on "liquify" mode in the blender. The milk was next - I went with 1% cow's milk. Then ice was last. Another quick spin and perfect. I had enough for 2 glasses and Big Boy even drank some. He liked it. Very filling but not tummy busting.

Somehow I skipped one week ahead on my training plan. This is a taper week for me. So yesterday, instead of 4 miles, I should have ran 5. I'll be running 2.25 miles today since I only ran 2.75 yesterday. Tomorrow will be another 5. The meterologists are prediciting this huge winter storm (ice, snow, sleet) for us Okies tomorrow so we will see how this plays out. The last storm was terrible. They keep saying it will be another bad one. Boo!

Dinosaurs, Transformers & Monster Jam - OH MY!

Are there other mamas of boys out there that get testosterone-d out like I do? I'm telling you, it is non-stop dude fest around here. I trip on Monster Jam trucks, sit on Transformer jets (that always give my buns a good jab) and answer non-stop questions about dinosaurs. Luckily, Nana gave Big Boy this book:

We've been learning about herbivores and carnivores. ROAR. Now we are watching Transformers for the thousandth time. I think he knows every word to the movie. While watching Transformers, I grazed on probably 3 handfuls of the Grail Mix (granola/trail mix). It's finally gone. I noticed I have been grazing a bit so I need to get that in check.

Dinner was scrumptuous. Artichokes simmered in vegetable broth, roasted garlic cous cous (times 2) and 2 oz pork chop. I'm still not loving my re-entry to the world of meat. This could be a huge sign for me.

Seriously, this vegetable broth is amazing!

There was no yoga session tonight. I am so pooped. The Lover's allergies have gone haywire so I did not get a good night's rest last night. I'm hoping for a much better night tonight!

For you vegetarians out there, were you undecided for awhile? What made you finally decide on going fully vegetarian?

Runner's Commandments - Part 1

The list is quite lengthy so I will share part of it this afternoon and the rest tomorrow. I just love reading these every so often. It's a nice little booster when you are feeling discouraged about running.

1. Don’t be a whiner. Nobody likes a whiner, not even other whiners.
2. Walking out the door is often the toughest part of a run.
3. Don’t make running your life. Make it part of your life.
4. During group training runs, don’t let anyone run alone.
5. Keep promises, especially ones made to yourself.
6. When doing group runs, start on time no matter who’s missing.
7. The faster you are the less you should talk about your times.
8. Keep a quarter in your pocket. One day you’ll need to call for a ride.
9. Don’t compare yourself to other runners.
10. All runners are equal, some are just faster than others.
11. Keep in mind that the later in the day it gets, the more likely it is that you won’t run.
12. For a change of pace, get driven out and then run back.
13. If it was easy, everybody would be a runner.
14. When standing in starting lines, remind yourself how fortunate you are to be there.
15. Getting out of shape is much easier than getting into shape.
16. A bad day of running still beats a good day at work.
17. Talk like a runner. “Singlets” are worn on warm days. “Tank tops” are worn to the beach.
18. Don’t talk about your running injuries. People don’t want to hear about your sore knee or black toe.
19. Don’t always run alone.
20. Don’t always run with people.
21. Approach running as if the quality of your life depended on it.
22. No matter how slow you run it is still faster than someone sitting on a couch.
23. Keep in mind that the harder you run during training, the luckier you’ll get during racing.
24. Races aren’t just for those who can run fast.
25. There are no shortcuts to running excellence.
26. The best runs sometimes come on days when you didn’t feel like running.

 

Aren't these so true? I especially love #2 and #26. So having having said that, I was totally not feeling my scheduled 4 miler today! I went ahead and had my pre-run snack of carrots and Sabra hummus:
 

 
Donna and I left a bit late but we left, so that's good! I got in 2.75 miles in a pretty decent pace - 12:00-ish. We were short on time today so I will get 1.25 miles in tomorrow. I was apprehensive about my left knee after Saturday's long run. It was so stiff and even though I stretched and iced it, it continued to be stiff yesterday. Once I started today, it was fine. That made me so happy.
 
I was more than ready for lunch when we got back to the office.
 

 
All together:
 

Lunch reminded me of Spring. It was almost like a picnic - only at my desk. I am so ready for winter to be over! My yummy lunch was an apple and cheese (wedge of Laughing Cow Swiss) sammie, cold leftover veggies from last night (parsnips, potatoes, celery) and a tangerine.
 
I think I will be getting a session of yoga in after work. Gotta stretch the muscles to keep them in good shape!

Monday Already?

YAWN!! It seems like I just closed my eyes and it was already time to wake up. The snooze button was my friend. Even though I overslept by 30 minutes, I still managed to get to work on time. I'm not even sure how that happened but it was a Monday Miracle! Luckily, the boys were both in fairly good moods and cooperative. My coffee times three was definitely a must this morning. My warm oatmeal was also calling my name once I got settled in at work:

My oatmeal contained:

• a little more than 1/2 cup oatmeal (prepared with 1 cup of water)
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 5 chopped almonds
• 2 heaping teaspoons of shredded coconut
• generous sprinkling of cinnamon
• sliced banana

It hit the spot. I may shut my office door and do 20 push-ups to perk myself up. I do that from time to time and it works! There is a 4 mile run on the agenda today. A good sweat session get the blood pumping for sure!

If you are dragging at work, what do you do to wake yourself up?