Back in the game!

I ran a 5k this morning in North Austin to support a local foster care/adoption agency (www.familylinkkids.com)! Since it was an hour away and at 8 a.m., Jonathan and Jon stayed at home in bed and I headed out at 6:30 by myself. It was a mid-sized race with a lot of very energetic supporters. I actually recognized a guy from San Marcos there - he is one of the elite runners sponsored by our local running store, so I don't actually know him, but I recognized him from the group runs. I didn't stick around for the race results, but my guess is that he placed. My goal for the race was to finish it without walking and to enjoy myself! I haven't actually run 3 miles straight since sometime in early May because I am a complete pansy when it comes to running in the heat!! I took a few mini breaks to grab water at the water stations, and overall I was pleased with myself. Not my best, but not my worst 5k. I ran the first two miles at the same pace, and was looking forward to finishing the last mile a little faster, but as I rounded the turn that took us into mile 3, I saw a long, steady, ridiculous incline ahead of me. Pretty much the last mile was uphill...and I kind of bonked. Someone in a walker probably could have passed me at how slow I was jogging up that hill. In the back of my head, I told myself, "Just keep running, just keep running, just keep running" a la Dory in Finding Nemo. When I finished, I dumped a bottle of water over my head, and it was the most glorious feeling in the world!

Now I need to motivate myself to get up at 6 a.m. three times a week to run in my neighborhood and build my base back up for Fall half marathon training. I think I might be able to do it, since the past few months have been full of motivating myself to do things: do the dishes every night, help Jon pick up his toys before nap and before dinner ever day, generally keep my apartment in better shape, go to the gym four times a week, and eat more reasonable food. About six weeks ago after talking with a friend on the phone, I realized that I needed to quit talking about all of the stuff I wished I was better at, and just do it. Just take responsibility and do it. Since that mentality has helped me in other areas of my life, I think it should work with running too.

Mom/Grammie visit

My mom (known to Jon as Grammie) came in for a quick visit from Thursday through Saturday. We had a great, relaxing time, although I did not take ANY pictures!! Jonathan caught one of Jon playing in Grammie's 'floaty' while I was getting ready to go down to the river.

Note that our idea of 'childproofing' is covering things Jon shouldn't get into with various sheets!

We had a lot of fun at the river - Jon was much more adventurous, and wanted to go into the parts that are too deep for him. That's where Grammie's floaty came in very handy! She and Jon also played a game of 'up/down,' which Jon loves because he can say "up" and "down." We left when cloud cover and a bit of a breeze were making us chilly and turning Jon's bottom lip blue. Who knew that could happen when it was 100 degrees outside?

Thursday afternoon, we just chilled while Jon napped, and then Mom and I went to a friend's house for sangria and hang-out time with new friends. Thankfully my mom didn't mind hanging out with a bunch of 30 somethings who talked about their toddlers!

On Friday, we brought out the sewing machine for a bit of a tutorial and a project.

I sewed a bit when I was little - making doll clothes and helping my mom make stuff for me. The last project I attempted was quilted pillows in college, and I failed miserably. I begged my mother for a sewing machine a few years ago when I switched jobs and thought I would have more time on my hands. Hah! At Youth Villages, you never have time on your hands : ) Then when I became a stay-at-home-mom, I was too afraid of the machine to try it out on my own. But with my mom here to guide me, I successfully made the world's simplest seersucker romper for Jon. Seriously, it took a combined total of about 3 hours to make - world's most simple romper. My mom brought a pattern straight from the 70s that she had used for my sister, brother and me. Below is Jon modeling his new outfit.







He wore it with a simple white onesie to church today, and I thought he looked great : ) It is also nice and cool, and very easy to move around in. Maybe I'll try to be brave and make a couple more in different colors.

Thanks, Mom, for the fun visit and helping me overcome my fear of my sewing machine!