Day 207 and 208

Day 207 - Daleway Spray Park and playground with church friends was the activity for the day.  Thanks to Karoline Simmons for taking these pics.  It was so hot out that I seriously thought about running through the sprinklers.  Last week for swim lessons.  John and I had our own together time tonight and enjoyed dinner out together while the kids stayed with Grami. This evening was one of those perfect summer evenings temperature wise, so we enjoyed our dinner outside on the patio of the restaurant.

Day 208 - Non-stop fun for the girls today.  We went down to Renton to Cindy, Nora and Katie's house. The girls enjoyed lunch and playtime then we took them to The Little Gym for a 3 hour Beach themed gymnastics camp.  Did they fall asleep during the hour drive back home?  Of course not!  After a brief 30 min rest at home we were back in the car on our way to meet Randa, Katelyn and Kyle at the Ranch Drive-in Bothell.  The kids enjoyed burgers and way too big dipped cones then we drove the 2 blocks over to the Bothell Library for a Recess Monkey Concert.  The girls love Recess Monkey and their concerts are great fun for the kids and active.  Kids are encouraged to get up, move around and dance.  By the end of the concert the kids were running around (literally) in the back of the crowd.  And this is why I love summer.  After getting the kids back home at 8:15, there was still plenty of sunlight for me to go out for a run.  My right calf and been bothering me the last two times I had run, so I had taken a few days off.  I went out to test my leg and all was well on my 4 mile run.  John stayed home and continued with his painting this evening.

Day 156

Still catching up on my posts, still about 2 weeks behind . . .

The Annual Gymnastics Spring Show was today.  The instructions from Teacher Renee were that their hair must be fancy with lots of hairspray, water, and gel.  I had fun french braiding the girls' hair and we even put on some make-up including purple eyeshadow.  Haley was worried that she couldn't "keep her eyes open gently" so she didn't want the eye shadow.  They would have had sparkly hair, but the nozzle was gummed up.  They both had a great performance.  It was so cute to watch and to see them smiling and doing their routines.  Their good friend Katelyn was performing too.

After the show, we took a beautiful ferry ride over to the cabin and met with our good friends who moved last summer.  The kids were so excited to see each other and they got in lots of hours of outside play in the knee high daisies.  My friend Dawn and I headed down to Port Angeles to pick up our half marathon race packets, then we enjoyed a big pasta dinner.  No turning back now!

Day 153, 154 and 155

Day 153
Girls - Swim/Jen - Run/John - Walk plus some trampoline time for the girls with the neighbors

Day 154
Last gymnastics of the session for the girls, a walk for john, purposely NO walking or running or activity of any kind for me.  It became evident last night that the tightness I've been feeling in my left calf over the last week was more than just tightness, but was the beginning of an injury.  If I can stay off my feet until the half marathon, hopefully, this won't be a factor.

Day 155
A break for all of us, cleaning house and getting ready for a jam packed weekend

Day 145, 146, 147 and 148

Day 145
End of the year MOPS Picnic today. We came as the party was winding down . . . 5 hours later we finally gave our hostess a break and went home.  The remaining 6 kids were playing so well, running all over the backyard, chasing each other, capturing bugs, climbing trees.  That's one thing you don't interrupt - kids playing well!  John probably went on a walk this day, still catching up on my posts, so can't remember now.

Day 146
Swim lessons for the girls, 3.5 mile run for mom, and probably a walk for Dad

Day 147
Gymnastics for the girls, speed workout for me.  Artwalk at Hanah's school for all of us.  Hannah loved showing off her artwork in her class and seeing her friends.  The italian sodas being served in the cafeteria were a big hit with the girls.

Day 148
Not much to speak of for togther time or exercise for most of us.  Hannah got to go to a Jump Planet party, so lots of exercise for her.  Haley got her own playdate during this time, but was just playing inside.  Mom and Dad were busy packing for the Memorial Day weekend.

Day 137, 138, 139, 140, and 141

Day 137
Swimming for the girls, a walk for John and mom's night out for me.

Day 138
Can't say that I can remember anything together or active for us. It was my last MOPS meeting for the year, so I probably relaxed when we got home.  Moms night out for me (yes, again) so John couldn't get in his workout.

Day 139
Swimming for the girls, 6 mile run for me. Today we picked up our 2nd CSA box of produce from Full Circle Farm.  I'm hoping this will lead to the injestion of more fruits and vegetables for all of us.  It doesn't hurt that they are organic, in season, and locally produced.  Hannah and I read an entire chapter book before bed since it was due the next day . . . Molly the Goldfish Fairy, if you must know.

Day 140
Gymnastics for the girls, speed workout for me, walk for John.  We went together to Open House at Haley's preschool.  She was so excited to have us there and show us her classroom and art work.  On the way home we stopped at Costco to shop for our upcoming boat trip.  Fluffy gauzy ruffly colors beckoned me and the girls from across the warehouse . . petticoat skirts!  They were a bargain and a must have.  This has nothing to do with exercise I suppose, but it may spark some spontaneous dancing when they are worn.  In the morning I watched a neighbor's child so she could go on a run.  If I can help another mom get out there and exercise, I'm all over it.

Day 141
Only time (and the weather) will tell . . . I'm finally updating this, only 2+ weeks later.  I do recall that we got outside, I seem to recall biking around the neighborhood.  John left to go camping that evening, but I think he may have even walked down to the field with us before he left or did I go with the girls by myself?  I don't know, but what I do know is I was proud we did get outside that evening because it was threatening rain.

Day 131, 132, 133, and 134

Day 131
I think the girls got in playtime out on the street with the neighbor kids while Daddy was outside with them.  I can't say for sure, I was out shopping for thank you gifts.  It's all a blur, this week, the next two weeks.  Pretty much every "group" we belong to connected with church and preschool is ending in the next two weeks.  This means lots of meetings, thank yous to buy, write, and distribute and general details to keep up with.

Speaking of the shopping trip, I got suckered/trapped into listening to a live infomercial in Fred Meyer.  15 minutes of my prescious time - gone!  They tricked me and several others by annoucing over the loud speaker that free gifts were being given out to any adult who came to a certain part of the store.  I would have never fallen for this kind of thing, but it is the Founder's Day Sale this week so the store has super good deals.  It is completely plausible that that they would be giving away free gifts and the annoucer, which I assumed was the store manager, mentioned this was for Founders Day. I totally thought this was something the store was doing as a customer appreciation thing and I was smugly thinking how lucky I was to be one of a handful of people at the store at 9:45pm.  They are rewarding us, I thought.  Turns out it was the Euro Clean guy who was selling Mr Sticky lint removers!  Umm, Euro Clean man, how is it that you are claiming you have this break through new lint remover that no one else makes, yet I have the same lint remover in my home and I got it for free somewhere 20 some odd years ago?

Day 132
You won't have to hear me complain about wednesdays and trying to get in some family time on Pioneer Club nights.  We're done for the summer, so hopefully wednesdays can now be family exercise evenings.  The girls got in their swimming as usual today and I got in a 5 mile run.

Day 133
Girls and gymnastcs, a walk and speed workout for mom, a walk for Dad.  Playground time for Hannah.  Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

Day 134
It's Girl's Night in our home.  Daddy has a Guy's Movie Night.  The girls were crushed last week when we were supposed to have a Girl's Night and it fell through.  They told John he ruined Girl's Night. We were able to get some neighborhood biking and hide and seek done before he left 40 min.

Day 118, 119, and 120

Day 118
Ridiculously crazy day today with all the things we packed in, that I will spare you the details of listing here.  Among the many things were swim lessons for the girls and a run for me as well as Pioneer Clubs for all of us.

Day 119
Gymnastics for the girls.  A walk and speed workout for me.  Hannah tagged along for the speed workout.  She played on a playground next to the track, then when I got near her, she'd run with me for a tenth of a mile or so.  She claimed that she won all of our races.  Of course she decided when the "race" was over and I'd keep going around the track.  We had a beautiful spring evening, so the girls spent time outside with Daddy weeding and playing in the yard.  John decided to combine his walk with an errand to Lowes so he walked there and back.  He said it was kind of odd walking at a brisk pace, then stepping into the store where eveyrone was going at a much slower pace.  It's cool that is thinking outside the box for ways to his exercise in. 

Day 120
The speed workout yesterday just killed me, so I'm taking toady off.  It's rainy and drippy outside, so we won't get to have family time at the park like I was hoping.  John got out for his walk.  We used the time we had with the girls after dinner to get them to clean their rooms.  We had bought them a plasma car at Costco, but said they couldn't try it out until their rooms were clean.  I have never seen them be able to clear everything off the floor themselves.  It wasn't without complaining, but at least John and I didn't have to hand hold them.  We got to concentrate on cleaning the rest of the house.  We did put the car together and they tried it out in the garage.  The box claims it is good exercise, but they weren't on it long enough to count as exercise and I'm still not sure it would be great exercise unless you were on teh thing for at least 30 min.  They don't pedal it, the only real work they do is with their arms and probably their core muscles.  http://www.plasmacar.com/store/customer/index.php

Day 112, 113, 114, and 115

Day 112 - Gymnastics for the girls, a walk for John and a run for me (1st time I've run with a friend this training season).  All of our "activity" took place late afternoon/late evening so no time for something all together.

Day 113 - Nothing I can even remotely conjure up as activity today.  I was off to a conference for the evening and John took the girls out for a date night to Jamba Juice.

Day 114 - Sickness has come to visit me again.  As soon as I got back from my conference this afternoon, all 4 of us took a nap until early evening.  This rarely rarely happens, but I think we all needed it. 

Day 115 - OK cold germs, can I please have my life back? I'm sick of being sick on the weekend and not being able to get in my long run or do anything else productive.  We did all get out on the boat this afternoon.  I went to sleep immediately once we were underway.  Washing the boat with Daddy is the only thing close to activity for the girls today. Then they got another trip to Jamba Juice with me - too tired to make dinner and Jamba Juice had a 2 for 1 coupon this weekend.

Day 101, 102, 103, 104, and 105

Finally - I'm caught up on all my posts!

Day 101
I was still sick, so no long run for me.  Since I was feeling better in the eveing, we went on a breif night walk 15 min.

Day 102
The girls started swim classes, they've had a break from swimming classes since last august. The classes include 30 min of instruction and then another 15 min of free play.  They were so tired when they got home, this is going to be a great way for them to get some exercise.  Dad went on a walk, mom was still recovering.

Day 103
A walk for Dad and then we followed the girls while they biked around the the neighborhood.

Day 104
Swim class - finally some activity for a wednesday.  At long last, I'm feeling better and I got in my long run so still hanging in there with the training schedule.  A beautiful sunny spring day on the Burke Gilman trail.

Day 105
Gymnastics for the girls, a walk in Edmonds for mom (Haley in stroller), and Dad got in his loop walk too.

Day 97, 98, and 99 - Getting closer . . .

Day 97
Church night. 4 mile run for mom.

Day 98
Gymnastics for the girls, track workout for mom, Dad got the short end of the stick the girls were asleep when he got home and I had to rush out for a meeting. He had been hoping to go out for a walk.

Day 99
First official friend sleepover for Hannah and Katelyn. We took the girls bike riding to the field. Hannah and Katelyn kept switching bikes and kept insisting the bike they didn’t have was the one that worked better or was faster. We kept telling them how tired they would be and how easy it was going to be for them to fall asleep, hoping these subliminal messages would take effect, not so much. Dad got in his walking loop. Felt so good to have all of us back out there together and was fun to have someone else join us and benefit as well. 45 min.

Day 82, 83, and 84

Day 82
30 day shred workout 1.  We all did it as a family at 9pm, yes, I know we're nuts!  The kids went to sleep immediately after that.

Day 83
A usual wednesday.  Our time together was making microwave caramel popcorn in the church kitchen - yum!  We had made it with our Pioneer Club kids and had extra ingredients.  Thanks to my friend Michelle Walter for this great recipe.  I got in a 3.5 mile run.

Caramel Popcorn


4 qt popped corn (1/2 cup unpopped)
1 c. brown sugar
1 stick butter
¼ c. Karo corn syrup
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp baking soda
1 tbsp vanilla (optional, but I always use it)

 Mix butter, sugar, Karo syrup and salt in glass container. Place in microwave for 1 minute. Remove and stir. Return to microwave and boil for 2 minutes. (Be careful not to boil over sides.) Remove and add ¼ tsp soda. Stir until foamy. Add vanilla. Pour caramel mixture over 4 quarts of popped corn in a large heavy duty paper grocery sack.  Fold top of bag closed, shake well and place in microwave for 1 minute. Shake the bag again. Heat 1 minute. Repeat 2 more times. Pour into large bowl or spread onto a cookie sheet. Let cool five minutes and eat.


Day 84
The kids had gymnastics then helped Daddy wash the car.  30 day shred workout 2 for John and I at 9:45 pm, yes, I know this is even worse than monday!  It was a killer workout, definitely an efficient 20 min. 

Day 21

Active time and together time for 3 of us, just not active time and together time altogether. Gymnastics for the girls. A 3 mile run for mom (with the youngest in the jogger). Dad worked late and then got to watch the kids, so no active time for him unless going in and out on engine rooms count. Mom and Dad each got some reading time with the girls.

Day 14

Hot tubbing tonight for family time. 30 min. The girls and I actually had very active days, the hubby, not so much. I did a challenging run up the big hill in Edmonds and the girls had gymnastics. Lots of sore muscles tonight, so the hot tub was perfect.

Day 7

Everyone exercised, just not exactly all together. The girls each had a gymnastics class. The baby of the family fell asleep in the late afternoon, so no active family outing was going to happen. Mom and Dad managed a 10 min pilates video during halftime of the College Football National Championship Game. Then there was some jumping up and down on the couch and on the parents during the Bama win over Texas. Roll Tide!