So I thought I looked cute but I guess after a 5k you are not suppose to

Here is a picture of my youngest son and I from the 5K. Don't ask me what I was doing. I do swear that I was not picking my nose. I only do that behind close doors. I was probably thinking about the pizza I was about to consume. Who knows. It does, however look like my son was on some sort of mission. Can you tell that he really thinks that he is driving that thing? Don't I look out of place with my casual wear on while everyone else looked like they belonged in the race? Crazy me -- I know!

We were getting ready to cross the finish line and have our time recorded. I think they should give special medals to those that complete races with kids. Enjoy!

Sometimes You have to Let Those Hand-me-downs Go

My youngest son has not had many new clothes in his 2 years of life. He generally wears all his older brother's clothes that have most likely made their way to another little boy's closet before they made their journey back to our house. We use it all - socks, t-shirts, play clothes, church clothes even underwear (only worn by my oldest son). It has not been often that I have been able to recycle shoes because my oldest was so hard on them by the time he was 12 months old. Yet, somehow we still have a few to choose from.

We are now at the point where we are having to buy shoes for him. As usual, I try to remember before I buy anything to look through our stash or as I call it in our house---the treasure chest.

I found a pair of NIKE shoes. They looked good, didn't smell bad and I remembered I had actually received them from a friend who has a son older than my oldest son. So, these were serious hand-me-down shoes. If memory serves me correct, they were worn very little by my son and worn very little by my friend's son, as well. So, I knew these shoes would last some time or at least until I was prepared to buy more. Shoes for little boys are expensive. We do not sport cartoon character shoes in my house, so shoes for my boys will always be expensive.

Call me a shoe snob and I will say thank you (only for my boys--me, I could careless).

I put his shoes on the morning after the big FIND. When I went to pick him up that afternoon, I saw pieces of rubber in his cubby. The soles of his shoes had come apart. Oh my gosh! I sent my baby to school in horrible shoes.

I had no idea what the rubber was at first. I asked his teacher "What is this?" She responds as if she is embarrassed for me "Well we saw some of the kids playing with the rubber parts of shoes and we had to search whose shoes had fallen apart. We saw your son was missing his soles and figure maybe you wanted to salvage what was left." Ummm, why would I want to salvage a run down shoe....is what I wanted to ask her but I didn't. When I noticed she was embarrassed for me I responded "Yeah, I bet I can have those up and going by tonight--we're in a recession." She seemed surprised. I was glad because I do not embarrass easily and do not take kindly to those trying to make me feel that way either.

Let me just take time to say that my baby looked like he had on socks with a NIKE check. The soles were completely gone, GONE. My husband claims that we should have been embarrassed. Whateva....

Needless to say, I did toss the shoes, but I had to replace them immediately because we were on our way to big brother's baseball game. What store was on the way?




I have never bought my kids shoes out of Payless. Me, yes. Them, no. There I am, again. Shoe Snob.

I found a pair that I actually liked. I was really impressed, but I let me tell you there is slim picking for little boys at Payless unless you are into cartoon characters for your sons. I am not but to each his own, just not mine. Do you know his shoes cost me $19.83? WTH?!?! This is Payless! Boys shoes cost too much anywhere you go. I saw the little girl's shoes going for $5, $6, and $7. Did I mention they took up the most of the wall.

This is why I keep my treasure chest around. My husband hates all those extra clothes junking up our attic but, I look up there and see dollar signs---MONEY SAVED!

You just have to know when to let them go!

I completed my first 5K!.....with 2yr old in tow

I have been trying to get out of my BLAH BLAH mood. In order to do so I have been trying to think of good things I have done and how this job does not define me, even if it and my co-workers have been apart of my life for the last 4 years. Mother's Day was the beginning of my positive thinking. I started thinking of all the things I have done and well, I simply forgot I completed my first 5K a week ago.

My job hosts a lot of events. We host a 5K every year. It raises money and awareness for one of our ongoing projects. It is not a project I work on directly but I decided I wanted to be involved this year. What better way to get involved than to enter the race itself.

I decided I was going to take my children with me. We would would do it together. I have been trying to hard to promote good health through exercise and good eating. This may not a happen all the time but you know you are doing your job when the family goes out for pizza and your 7 year says "we really shouldn't eat this but, if we take a napkin and soak up some the grease off the top of the pizza then maybe it won' be so bad." Let's just say, I proudly soaked up the grease off my pizza. He actually listens to me. (I'm gushing thinking about it, now.)

My 7 year old and his dad went to see Wolverine---Originals, so I only had one kid in tow. I brought his little buggy. This is what it looks like. We use it everyday to go running jogging walking and jogging around the neighborhood.

Here is a picture I took of him one day, when he fell asleep in it.

Anyway, I just wanted you to know what I was working with. It rolls fine. The front has a compartment in which we used to hold his sipee cup and his most important essentials---Spider man and Indian Jones action figures. So, we took it.

Upon arriving we encountered at least 25 stairs on the way in, the unorganized registration table, 3 temper tantrums and a lost Indian Jones. The race started at 7pm and I was already tired. Oh, yeah and I forgot to change into my walking shoes. I thought I would be okay so I went ahead.

These are the shoes I was wearing and do not recommend anyone wear for a 3.1 mile walk on concrete streets.



I repeat....DO NOT WEAR WHILE WALKING 5K. They are cute however and perfect for those Saturday morning soccer games.

Once the horn blew I was not ready, but I coaxed my child into his imaginary car and off we went, walking slowly because I had the wrong pants, too. Blue jean Capri's. Dumb, dumb, dumb, me.

We walked the first 1K fast. There were at people at every corner waving and this amused my son. He waved right back with Spider man in one hand and Indiana Jones in the other. We walked along side other walkers, one mother with a 3 year old, a middle aged couple and one old guy who ended up passing us but somehow at the end I saw him behind us. I don't know how that happened.

Somewhere around 3K my left foot was saying "Go home!" It was aching! Yet, I trudged on like there was nothing wrong with me because that's how I roll--no stress, no mess. And I did look cute, even though, silently my feet moaned during a slow death.

Right before the 4K the mom beside me pulled some snacks for her son and of course mine caught a glimpse of that banana and knew it was time for him to munch on something as well. If only I had something for him to munch on. DAMN! Our bag with all of our necessities were in my truck. I simply told him "We'll get something in a minute" and started to sing the ABC's to distract him. He was okay. Needless to say, I made my achy foot and whiny child speed past my new, now "ex" walking buddy and her child. I couldn't have those kinds of distractions when I was almost done with the last stretched. I did not want to be quitter.

As we were nearing the finish line my son was silently mumbling about Monkeys jumping in the bed and bumping their heads, we could see the party up ahead. There was a small crown there cheering which I should have been appreciated but didn't. My son on the other hand was ecstatic. He cheered and clapped his hands right along with them as if he knew what all the excitement was about. So we finished the race in 53 minutes and 8 seconds, 93rd place for women and 197 out of a total of 203 participants and no temper tantrums.

Suddenly my foot was okay and the after party took over me and my son. It was outside in the park where the ran began and ended. We ate free pizza and drank all the Gatorade we wanted. I was so relaxed that I let him figure out the spout to the cooler and get his own and EVEN let him drink out a cup.....without a lid. This is something I do not do but hey, I just walked 3.1 miles and my left foot ached most of the way all while pushing my son in his buggy. Gatorade was all over his shirt. A dog nearby noticed him at the Gatorade cooler and decided to come and get a sip. Of course my son figured this out and a friendship was born. He'd release some Gatorade, the dog would get something to drink and my son got to hold his tail.

There was a band there and my son enjoyed it along with the pizza and Gatorade. We stayed until the mosquitoes became unbearable. So, there is my accomplishment. It is no big deal that I walked a 5K but it is a big deal that I was cute, I had on the wrong shoes, I had my 2 year whom I did not have snacks for and I had on the most uncomfortable pants.

I can do anything, anything I tell you! I am ready to conquer the world!