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Showing posts from March, 2012

Forget the Money

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Ever get paid and forget that is was pay day? Me either. Until I got this great new job.   I work a 14 hour shift on my feet each day. My hourly income works out to about half of minimum wage. I deal in snot and poo. But. Small hands learn to place puzzle pieces as I watch. Bright eyes light up as new words are formed. Sleepy faces press on my shoulder. Chubby toes take tenuous steps as I hover. Bouncy curls learn to share. Pensive ones open up. Laughter every day. Discovery. Today I forgot that I get paid for what I do.  I am not a saint, nor do I want to work for free.  No, I chose a career that fits well with our family, just as everyone does.  Though, I feel as if I am one of the "lucky ones."   I am made for my job. I am made better by it. I learn from it. I pray the same for you. What would you do for a living if you could do what you really want?

Vacation and the Aftermath

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I love to write.  Though, when my immensely blessed life takes over, writing takes a back seat.  I want to update the blog - but there is to much.  Let me sum up. I am an in-home daycare provider.  I haven't had a brand new baby to care for in a couple of years - so this last week was a refresher course!  He is such a happy baby...cooing and laughing...oh how I love that new baby smell.  And don't worry, I'm okay with sending him home at the end of the day.  My baby days are over.  God has me right where he needs me! Our 4yo and my newest little love! In the same week that our newest little buddy started care, we went on a mini-vacation to see my sister and brother in law in Kansas City!  It was so fun to see my sister...I miss her so much.  We used to live in the same apartment building, many moons ago.  Then, I got married and she moved to be closer to her then boyfriend.  And then she got married...  Growing up is hard. We ate out more in 4 days than we did in

Beautiful Day

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source I have a sunburn that I'm pretty proud of. Today was one of those early spring - too hot already - Nebraska days that I got to spend outdoors 90% of. Started off the day by finishing up an epic 10 hour night's sleep.  That's right - I went to bed at 10pm and slept until the kids woke us up at 8am.  I got up at 5:20am to turn off my teen's alarm that was attempting to wake the whole neighborhood while he was in Des Moines...but other than that TEN HOURS of sleep! My run today was 8 miles and I was shooting for an 11min mile average to be on track for "Operation 2:20 Half."  The weather was partly sunny and 60 degrees, but WINDY.  I had great music, a great Run-Forrest-Run kind of attitude, and managed an 11:03 average.  I'm still walking for 1min or less each mile to try to avoid the usual Big Injury of every racing season - so I think I'm pretty set for my goal race in May.  I plan to only walk the aid stations during the race.  I keep

Happy Birthday

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Today is our oldest daughters 10th birthday! I love you like crazy, ya little shit. My girly-girl loves art, meat, nail polish, ring leading and general orneriness.  She wanted her Daddy's famous blueberry pancakes and bacon with a side of sausage for her b-day dinner.  We topped it off with Red Velvet Cupcakes.  I don't even think I had to yell at her today...she was gone most of it. Happy Birthday, Alahnnah.  Mommy and Daddy love you!

Long (GREAT) Weekend

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Don't know where to start with this weekend, dear people.  After a rough week, I felt I was ready for some serious relaxation.  But, as anyone knows, weekends can be busier than the weekdays! I find that an adjustment in my attitude is all it takes to turn "Crazy Busy" in to "Needed Relaxation."  I started out Saturday morning with a beautiful 7 mile run.  I ran about 25sec/mi slower than I would have liked..but the sun was out, the robins were darting around, a saw some baby squirrels. And I had over an hour of PEACE and QUIET. Since it's all about attitude, I didn't so much mind rushing through my shower and primping to get to the Hair Salon for the very best stylist in the whole wide world to do this to my hair!! Woops, that's Carter.  I mean - THIS! Yeah - that's me.  :)  I love Amanda Tapping as Samantha Carter on Stargate SG-1.  I pretty much take a new picture of her in each time I get my hair cut.  Yep - I'm that gee

Biscuits and Boys

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Happy Friday!  I had a good little swim at class last night, and then went back for another mile this morning.   I didn't want to.  Murphy had a hold of  me. I got up after a night of tossing and turning.  I seriously had to use the restroom FIVE times in the night.  ??? The 4:40 alarm was just way to early - then I realized that I had laid out my swim suit, but no clothes.  Went in and found some in the dark.  Then I got out to the car and poured my hot coffee in my lap.  I didn't realize we needed fuel in the car last night, so I had to stop and get that.   Murphy is a punk.  I win.                              And I came home to a left over home made biscuit which just begged me to fry and egg and top it with cheese.  Oh lordy - recovery food at it's best!  Of the things that I've learned to make myself, biscuits and cinnamon rolls are probably one of my greatest triumphs. I do see a theme to my workouts this week.  If I waited for conditions to b

Training Healing and Enduring

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What an absolutely gorgeous looking Spring day it is.  All this sunshine makes me want to chuck the school plan for the day and do something less boring...you know...something fun...something not here! I can't even focus properly on the computer task items I'm supposed to be doing.  I have a tab open for my 8th graders school work to correct, one for this blog, one for the bank website, and another to order next years curriculum (yes, I order early to save big!). Continuous effort  - not strength or intelligence -  is the key to unlocking our potential. What I'd REALLY like to be doing is flying down the road on my bike - but I think we have a few weeks before that will happen on a regular basis.  While it looks  very inviting outdoors, it's still only 32 degrees out there.  Brr... This week, I have come to the reality of my next race being a scant 60 days or so away.  I have a couple of fun runs in there, but my Half in May is one that I would love a big fa

Advice from Overweight Doctors

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Today's post is inspired by Amanda over at RunToTheFinish.   Recently, she was advised to limit her running based on her physician's claims that it messes with hormones and causes a litany of health issues.  The limit proposed was less than 25 miles per week.  For someone training for a marathon, this limit seems very low.   Part two of this advice came in today's post, where Amanda told us that the doctor that gave this advice is quite overweight, has trouble standing and difficulty breathing. Here's the discussion question that came from this: "Would you have trouble taking advice from an overweight doctor/nurse?" For me, it sort of depends on what kind of advice.  If they are advising me to take a course of antibiotics for an ear infection - okay.  They have been trained in the application of prescription drugs and know which ones are best for a specific ailment.  Their weight has no bearing on their intelligence. But what about nutrition advice?  

Dental Bad Swimming Good

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I am super crazy about our kids.  But if I hear the voices of the two older ones again today, I'm going to run screaming down the street and in to traffic. Dental Implant - Fun Maybe I'm a little irritable.  My mouth hurts because I had the post portion of a dental implant installed yesterday.  And I had a tooth on the other side removed.  It was way cracked and super fussy, so good riddance.  However, the fact remains that I am missing a molar on the upper right, and healing over a screw that was installed on the lower left. I have had an amazingly small amount of pain since the procedure yesterday morning.  But tonight my swim class started, so I think I just over did a little.  And I'm sorta hungry - my diet the last 36 hours has been like a 1 year old who sleeps 15 hours a day, while I'm still a 36 year old who runs her butt off 15 hours a day. I'm pretty excited about my class.  I signed up for it at the YMCA for the bargain price of  $30.  Turn