Meet my two best friends...May & Tag

With 3 kids and a hubby, our household generates quite a bit of laundry. It's fair to assume that Grant will need to have at least one outfit change per day - due to food spillage, diaper leaks or just plain dirt. Jack & Olivia each go through 1 outfit per day. Add 1 pair of jammies per child per day (they usually can't get more than one night without smelling of something gross), "after work attire" for Steve, which ends up crumpled on the floor. I go through at least one shirt (I can usually get a couple of days out of my pants), plus workout clothes. Then add sheets, towels, dish towels, wash cloths, etc., and you've got a truckload of laundry!

We have a laundry chute, which in theory, is a great idea. We all drop our clothes from upstairs into this cabinet, which drops down into an enclosed cupboard in the laundry room. Out of sight...out of mind, right? That is, until I open the cupboard and can't see the top of the clothes. Then it's time to throw in a load.

I've tried different methods of staying on top of the laundry: once a week, all-day laundry sessions (I hated Tuesdays), one-load-a-day (the folded laundry seemed to stay on the laundry room counter all week), loads between my favorite TV shows. I haven't yet discovered the fool-proof way to keep it under control, but I'm convinced there is one.

I don't know how women did it in the old days...wash boards, buckets, lye soap, bloody knuckles...no thank you. I'm a fair-weather housewife...I like my conveniences. It's nice to put in a load before I go to the gym, then change it when I get home. Plus, it doesn't ruin my nails!

Back to School

Well, it's official - summer's over. While the weather may still be warm, school has started and I have a few hours to myself (almost...) each day.

Olivia is in Mrs. Owen's 3rd grade class. She's a wonderfully strict, no-nonsense teacher, exactly what my social butterfly daughter needs. I have high hopes for Olivia's academic and personal development this year. There are lessons she needs to learn that I can't teach, and I'm not talking algebra here.

Jack began his 2nd and final year at Little Lamb Preschool. He's in Ms. Kathy's class again this year, and is slowly emerging from his shy shell. He doesn't say much at school, or play with other kids too much. But he did coyly admit to the fact that he has a girlfriend this year...Peyton, the same one who sat on his imaginary friend Megan last year! Seems he's forgiven her for that thoughtless act!

Now, for at least 3 hours, 3 days a week, I am down to just one child at home. Sometimes I can't wait for the day when Grant is also in school, and I actually have some time to myself. But then, I realize that I have the rest of my life to have time to myself, but just a few short years with little ones around me. And so, I'll savor every moment of carpooling, diapers, homework and laundry...

Our family disaster plan

Jack had his 4-year physical last week. While we were there, Dr. Klint asked me if our family had a disaster plan in place. Jack, who was quietly sitting on the exam table, spoke up and said "Do you mean for Grant?". Both Dr. Klint and I looked at Jack, wondering what he meant. He then spoke up and said "Because at our house, Grant is the one making disasters!" How true that is....

Call me crazy...

I just signed up for the San Jose Rock-n-Roll 1/2 marathon. It happened in a moment of weakness, and now that I've paid for both the race and the 10-week training, I'm wondering what in the world I was thinking! After running about 3.5 miles last week, I was done...now add 10 miles to that! That's a long time to put one foot in front of the other.

But I will be able to add that to my "Life List" as something I never thought I could do and did. That will feel good. Plus, maybe it will help me get rid of the soft roll around my mid-section...

Bye, Bye Baby

Well, the "baby" stage of our family is nearly over. As of last week, my boobs officially belong to me again. It's a bittersweet feeling to know that Grant is done nursing, and I won't have the chance to do that again in this lifetime. I have so enjoyed that bonding time with each of my kids, and yet at the same time, it's nice to not have to worry about leaking, saggy nursing bras and easy-access tops. I can wear dresses again. I can wear a bra that actually places my boobs where they belong. But I will miss the sweet, milk-squirting-everywhere smiles Grant gave me.

Steve always reminds me that no matter how many babies we have, there will always be one who is last. He also reminded me yesterday that out of the past 8 years, we've had a child in diapers for 6 1/2. So I guess three is a good place to stop.

Now I can look forward to new adventures as my kids get older, and will savor the baby stages that didn't seem to last quite long enough...

I Tri because I can

I recently completed the Danskin Triathlon, in San Dimas, California. It was the second time I participated in this race, and it once again was an amazing experience.

I went through the 10-week training program through ClubSport, had a fancy new road bike and felt pretty darn good going into the race. My goal was to finish in under 2 hours (my previous time was 2hr 8min), which was pretty doable.

About 100 yards into the swim, I got kicked in the face and my goggles came off. I had to tread water for a moment, trying to get them back on my eyes, and catch my breath. I had a tough time establishing a good breathing pattern, but still managed to finish the swim in 16 minutes. I ran up the hill, stripped off my wetsuit and hopped on my bike!

The bike ride was great, I definitely felt the difference between my heavy hybrid bike and my lightweight, sleek road bike. I shaved 8 minutes off the bike ride!

The run started off okay, but I had to pee about 1 mile in. I had been so shaken up by the face kick in the swim that I was unable to relax enough to pee in the lake...gross, I know, but much more efficient than finding a porta-potty! Even with the potty break, I still shaved about a minute off my run, and finished the whole race in 1hr 58min! I'm already plotting what I can do differently next year...I figure I've got at least another 10 minutes to shave off!

It was quite humbling to see the many disabled women competing in this particular race, which raises awareness for breast cancer. There were breast cancer survivors, even a few women missing an arm, or a leg. It made me appreciate my health and strength so much. It's something that is often taken for granted, I just assume I'll always be healthy. Hopefully I will. But I also know enough to not be naive. So for now, I'll tri because I can. And I'll do it for all those who can't.

Not-so-invisible Invisible Friends

I love Jack. He has an imaginary friend right now, her name is Megan. I'm not sure where she came from, or how long she'll be with us, but for now, we're enjoying this extra family member. Sometimes she eats with us, sometimes she rides along in the car. Sometimes she does her own thing, or is off visiting some other family.
A couple of weeks before school was out, I picked Jack up from preschool and he was visibly upset. His shoulders were hunched forward, he had a scowl on his face and didn't say "Great!" when I asked how his day was. When I asked him why he was sad, his response was "Peyton sat on Megan". Turns out, Megan had gone to school with Jack that day (I wasn't aware that she'd been in the car with us that morning, but that's the trouble with invisible friends...you don't know when they're around!) and was sitting next to Jack at snack time. Peyton wanted to sit next to Jack, but he said Megan was sitting there, so she had to find another chair. Peyton disagreed, saying "Megan's not there, that's Mr. Nobody" and proceeded to plop right down in the chair, on top of Megan!
I reminded Jack that not everyone could see Megan, so we need to be patient with those "non-believers". He'll get over it, and I'll make sure I don't sit in an empty chair without double-checking with Jack to verify that it's really empty!