Monday, January 31, 2011

Moms Can Have Firsts, Too

On Sunday morning the alarm went off early. I put my feet on the floor and attempted to decipher if I should wear short or long sleeves in the 20-something degree air.

I was preparing for a first - my first 5K race.

Hubby suited up with me. "Don't run ahead of me!" I begged him. He promised to stay beside me, no matter how embarrasingly slow.

He saw me gathering my headphones and reminded me that headphones are against race rules. I told him he would have to sing to me, then.

We made our way to the caves, stretched (like I knew what I was doing) and took our place with the masses.

At the start, the mass began to stretch forward into a cave snake. We found our stride. I wanted to impress my husband on our first time to ever jog together, side by side. Not sure that 12-minute miles impress him, but who's timing?

He may as well have been strolling down a beach. He was the picture of ease, talking on and on, apparently see this as an opportunity to catch up with his wife who'd just returned from a business trip. I told him several times that I would not be talking back. But still he was effortless, a verbal stream of consciousness:

"What should we have for dinner tonight?"

"I'm hungry! Let's go somewhere for breakfast right after this!"

"Did I tell you about when we appraised these caves...?"

"Did I tell you about Kindermusik the other night...?"

"So I was talking to (so-and-so) and he said..."

Eventually I asked him to provide some motivation if he was going to chat the race away. Literally, he talked the.whole.time. He responded with his best effort: "Don't fade on me now!"

Um... or not.

And then, 37 minutes after I started, I finished. I crossed the finish line running, next to my man, hopefully making him proud. But also, making myself proud.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Night-Before Needs

The night before a business trip there are so many things we need to do to get through today and prepare for tomorrow.

I need to make a list.

One Hawklet needs a bath. The other needs a shower. They remind us they both need their own thing occasionally, even though most of the time they just need to be together.

I need to start packing, need to gather clothes, need to think about what must be accomplished - and what I'll need to wear doing it - for the next four days.

I need to decipher if I've forgotten anything... if the team is set... if we're all set up for success.

I need to tell Hubby about the things to remember and appointments to keep in my absence. (He needs me to stop reminding him to not forget.)

We need to figure out what everyone will take to school for show-and-tell that starts with a "D."

Simultaneously little wet Hawklets wrapped in towels need pjs and stories.

They need to brush teeth and understand what will be different about their routine for the next few days.

I need to put down the iPhone and laptop and focus on gathering us all up into the cushiony chair that rocks to read and talk for a bit.

I need a mommy time-out with my boys.

Because I want to stay here forever.

Saturday, January 8, 2011

New Year, New Radomosity

You know you're not starting things off right when you have to commence with an apology, but... um, sorry. I left you with one post in the whole month of December. And it was about the horrific effects of drunk driving.

So happy holidays and everything!

Anywho, we're already a week into the new year. And I'm doing that thing where I drop the kids off and realize 20 minutes later that I'm still listening to their CD in the car, "Hokey Pokey" and all. And at home, Hubby walks out of the room and 20 minutes later I'm still watching the football. So I'm apparently starting my year in the clouds.

We really had such an amazing break over the holidays. I can not express in words how much I love that time of year. And, oh, the little people questions that came along with it this time around, including:

"Does God have powers?"
"Did Santa start out as a baby?"
"Are angels' eyes closed in heaven?"
"Does Santa have birthdays?"
"Do you have a baby in your belly?" (Um, no... damn you, holiday cookies!)

Today I allowed Graham one last Christmas cookie before throwing all of that hard work in the trash. And a couple hours later he apologized to me: "Mom, I just wanted to say I'm sorry I ate the cookie that I made for you."

In the meantime, we decided it would be a good idea to knock a wall out of the side of our house to expand our kitchen starting, oh, the day after Christmas, and the dust is starting to get to all of us. So Mimi and I took the boys to see Tangled today at the theater. We were 10 minutes late because my beloved 4-year-old had to take time to change his clothes, putting on his "movie theater outfit" before we left the house.

After the show, Reid told me his favorite part was "when they cut off her hair," simultaneously solidifying the fact that if Reid had been a girl, no Barbie in his possession would have been safe from the scissors.

So there you (basically) have it - our 2011 to date. So as I attempt to pull myself back up on to the blogging wagon, please accept my apologies, as well as my wishes for a very happy new year -- from our (dusty and disheveled) hawks nest to yours.

Oh, and in case you're wondering, a "movie theater outfit" is a gray track suit. But of course it is!