my runner/my self

Well, I completed my second race of the season and it wasn't pretty. It was the first annual Goldy's 5k at the U of M. After completing the 7k and feeling sooo good during and after, I thought I had this one in the bag. And just when you think you have things figured out, life teaches you a few things, right?

This is what I learned: Start at the BACK of the line. Instead I ran with my super-star friend Cara who kicks butt at running ... and we started at the FRONT of the line. I believe our toes were touching the start line. When we started running I tried keeping pace for about .25 of a mile with the people around me before realizing that I was trying to keep up with hard core runners (you know, the ones that start at the front!) that I could not possibly keep pace with. So I took my pace down a notch (or two... or three... ) and then watched 1,500+ people pass me by. Ouch. It was a spirit killer to say the least.

And after starting too strong I was tired. I apparently missed every sign telling me how far I had run (really? Me not read directions/signs? Huh, go figure) so I had no idea how far I had gone ... or more importantly how far I had to go. Another spirit killer when already feeling tired and not sure how much longer I could keep running.

But as you can see I ended up running to the finish with a smile on my face. Or was that because I realized after running into the stadium that I was going to be on the big screen so I had better smile? Yeah, pretty sure it was because of the big screen. But I did finish in 31 minutes which is about what I had hoped to do (clock reads 10 minutes fast which is clocking the 10m run that started 10 minutes before the 5k).

Up next is a 10k at the end of the month. Less then two weeks away. I am really hitting the Hal Higdons half marathon training schedule so I *think* I will be fairly prepared for that one. Plus, my boys will be running!

Bergen will be running his FIRST EVER RACE with Lars the same day! Since I started running Bergen has been begging to run with me. Now that the snow is melted and we can run outside together we got him his own pair of running shoes! We took our first run and he ran (the entire time!) 1.8k. Lars and Bergen will be running a 2k in the same race I will be doing my 10k.

I am really wishing I could run the race with him. However, I will be well into my 6.2 miles before their race even starts. There will be plenty of other races for us to enjoy together (that is if he continues to stay interested in running!). Plus, it will be a great father/son activity.

xoxo, the blad pad

oh, my dutiful first born

"Hey Mom, can I play the Wii when I get home?

Oh wait, I have homework in my backpack.

Maybe I should do that first.

Yeah, I should do that first....

Hey Mom, after I do my homework can I play the Wii?"

To which I said "you bet". But even if I had told him he could play the Wii *before* homework he would have given me a look of concern. Of unease. No, homework would come first. He is so much like his Dad.

I can't help but wonder if his sisters will have his strong [home]work ethic. Maybe they will take after me ... who would have happily played the Wii before homework. Neither way is right or wrong. It is just how we operate.

But what I really want to know is where did this homework loving boy learn to flash the peace sign every time I take his picture now??

xoxo, the blad pad

i know better

then to bring the girls with when Bergen gets a hair cut. But we had the time and his hair was badly in need of a cut. Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do .... even against better judgement.

Ingrid picking hair off the floor ...

and then often trying to put it in her mouth (yuck!)

Ingrid going for the lollipops for the 100th time

Ingrid being told "no" for the 100th time

Ingrid checking out the coffee supplies

Having a water cooler chat with sister ...

with cup #7 after throwing away the first 6 no matter how quickly I tried to save them (grrrr)

And no, based on the pictures it doesn't seem so bad. But between takes I was running after one girl or the other, keeping hands away from hot irons, trying to keep bottles of shampoo on the shelf, making sure the water stayed in the water cooler or in a cup, picking up goldfish off the floor .... oy!

I always say "never again" but as 'they' say ... never say never.

xoxo ... the blad bad

good-bye comfort zone

and hellooooo Atlanta!

This past weekend I was given the opportunity to visit Lars' mom Peg in HOT-lanta with my sister-in-law Megan. When we planned the trip way back in January it seemed like the first weekend in April was impossibly far away ... but low and behold it came upon us ... and fast. So fast that most people didn't know I was going until I updated Facebook that I was there. Maybe that is because I don't plan that far into the future - I am less of a "what is going on in the next week/month and how can I prepare and plan for that?" but more of a "what is happening tomorrow and what needs to happen tonight before I fall on the sofa and don't get up again?" kind of a girl.

Or maybe I was living a bit in denial that I was going. Not because I didn't want to go (heaven knows I needed a weekend away ... especially a girls weekend in warm weather!), but that I had to get on an airplane. I strongly dislike flying. I start having nightmares and panic attacks at least a month before boarding a plane. I can't even think about the trip itself and the fun that I will have on said trip - my mind merely fixates on the fact I have to get on an airplane. It depresses me how much just the thought of flying deters me from wanting to travel. In fact, while flying back home I think I told Megan that I "am never, ever, ever going to fly anywhere ever, ever again". Now, deep down I know that isn't true. But I really wish I could get over the paralyzing anxiety. Flying puts me way out of my comfort zone.

As does being away from my kiddos. It didn't help that I was at the clinic with Ingrid the day before with a 105-degree temp. I have no clue what that was all about ... and neither did the Doc. But even with no major health crisis happening I was glad to be boarding the plane knowing that she was going to be home with her dad and that help was very close by....

I know how incredibly important being away from the kids is and I look forward to that time with great anticipation ... until the time actually comes. Then I freak out and worry like crazy and try to convince myself that I really don't need the time away and think I should just stay home (just a wee bit neurotic?!?). I have the most amazing ability to think of and fixate on worst case scenarios. If it were a game show, I would be the Ken Jennings of that show. Being away from the kids doesn't come easy for me ... a couple hours I can handle. But two days and a plane ride away? Definitely out of the comfort zone.

But, on to the actual fabulous trip itself. Which is what is was - fabulous. I got to do a lot of this ...

and this ....

and I even got to cross something off the bucket list (how cool is that?)! Lars and I are huge Top Chef fans and have always wanted to eat at a restaurant of one of the top chef contestants or judges (in fact, some day we hope to take a top chef tour in a city with a bunch of restaurants from the top chefs and just eat ourselves silly). Richard Blais, one of our all time favorites, recently won top chef all-stars and though he doesn't own Flip Burger Boutique, he is the creative director of the menu. I highly suggest eating there if you are ever in Atlanta ... especially the fried pickles and Nutella + Burnt Marshmallow milkshake. Yummmmy! Here is a pic of the booths in the restaurant. Get it ... Flip?? So cool!

It was a blockbuster kind of a trip - tons of action piled into a quick two days. We really enjoyed some nice, quality time together ... resting, shopping and eating.... went to the theater and saw an incredible play called Traveling Black .... and the weather couldn't have been more perfect.

Plus we got to have lunch with Dave Horn (who married Lars and me almost 11 years ago!) who was visiting Atlanta for work.

And after a very long 10 hour day of travel back home, I was greeted by a welcome home sign and a sweet message from my sweeties ....

All my stressing out was just that - stressing out. For nothing. The weekend couldn't have gone any better and I really, truly enjoyed myself (as did everyone else). "They" say it is good to get out of the comfort zone and as a person that struggles with it I have to agree. So much that I just might have to do it again. Soon. And I am not saying that next time I won't stress, because I know I will. But at least I will be a bit more comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Thank you Lars, Dan and Barbara for taking such good care of my babies. Thank you Megan for being such a great sister and enduring my constant (and I mean constant) asking of "is that normal?" while on all 4 of our flights. And thank you Peg so, so much for your wonderful hospitality and helping me take a trip that I didn't know how much I needed! I am so lucky!

xoxo, the blad pad

ingrid leafblad's house of curl

I gave Ingrid her first hair cut tonight ... an inch off the bottom to give her more of a 'bob' cut. Actually I probably didn't even cut off enough for an inch, but being that I have zero hair cutting skills I thought I'd better play it safe.

It, however, got me reminiscing about when her siblings had their first hair cuts and I couldn't help but notice the vast differences between parenting a first ... or a second ... or a third child ....

Take the first hair cut for example:

Child #1: was taken to a *real* barber. In fact, the one that cut Lars' hair all growing up. It was a big to-do and so exciting. Every second was documented. Heck, we probably took him out for ice cream afterwards.

Child #2: quite a bit less pomp and circumstance. To our defense, she really didn't have much hair at the time so it didn't seem necessary to pay someone to cut her hair. Nonetheless, her first hair cut was thought out and planned for. Had both parents there to document and experience the first hair cut. It was a family event ... and photos were taken.

Child #3: I made a rash decision after bath tonight that it might look kind of cute to cut her hair in the back. Only AFTER cutting did I realize that not one single picture was taken to document this first hair cut. And NO, it wasn't a *huge* hair cut by any means, but cutting those first locks of hair is a big deal. A milestone. And I felt, and feel, horrible. Not so much about the hair cutting itself, but more about the vast differences of being child number three compared to child number one (perhaps a blog post in the future?!) .... At least I remembered to keep a few locks to put into her baby book. *sigh*

So, back to her hair cut.... I started to panic a bit while cutting her hair wondering if I was going to be cutting the curl out. (Like I said, it was a rash decision and not well thought out.) I continue to be shocked and amazed that we have a child with curly hair. I wondered if her curls were merely the curly hair that babies can have that eventually straighten out as they age ... or it gets cut out. But based on the amount of curl she has I am banking she will continue to have curly hair no matter how many hair cuts I give her ... right??

And my other panic tonight about Ingrid's hair is her "bald spot". Remember how we had to give up the pacifier because she was developing a bald spot due to wrapping her hair around the pacifier and YANKING it out? Well, her hair is still noticeably thinner on top and I can still see the hair follicles of where hair should be growing, but isn't.

Not a pure bald spot, but definitely thin hair. She was pulling her hair out for just a few months so I can't imagine that would have caused permanent hair damage, but I am no expert. However if you are reading this and are in fact an expert, I'd love to hear you say, "don't worry about it. Her hair will grow back".

But only if you really mean it.

xoxo, the blad pad