Friday Things

This blog post from Jen Hatmaker about limping across the finish line for the last days of school has been making the rounds and it cracks me up.  It seems like only yesterday I was bemoaning the endless amount of paperwork and beginning of school craziness.  Now it's end of year craziness!

Last day of Toddler Group - she wasn't into posing with her certificate this year...

Yep, there are so many signups, paperwork, teacher gifts, etc. etc.  But, oh, we got to experience our first elementary school concert last night.  

I was having trouble uploading to Youtube, so I took this screenshot - just imagine the dulcet tones of forty or so Kindergartners singing 'do, re, me, fa, so, la, ti, do'

Watching all the kindergartners file onto the stage with the big lights shining on them and singing their scales to warm up just about killed me dead.

Trying to do homework in this weather is about to kill me dead, too...

Seattle summers are incomparable.  Could be why it was just named the most popular city in America (link from Huffington Post).  The HuffPo article is also linked in this, 37 Things You Should Know Before Moving to Seattle.  I have yet to dig up a geoduck, but man, the library system here IS the bees knees.  I should get one of those librarian action figures...  

source

Speaking of books, here are 25 Signs You're Addicted to Books from Buzzfeed.  I think one of the reasons I love Seattle is that I totally agree with #7.

For the playlist, I'm going with another favorite DJ from my youth, who's still relevant today.  

Pair of Dice by Tiesto (released last year)

Happy weekend!

2013 Playlist
Ain't No Stoppin' by Ferry Corsten (featuring Ben Hague)

Come and Get It by Selena Gomez
Apollo by Hardwell featuring Amba Shepherd

This Head I Hold by Electric Guest

Castles in the Sky by Ian Van Dahl

Feel this Moment by Pitbull, featuring Christina Aguilera

Into Your Arms by the Lemonheads

Just Give me a Reason by Pink

I Love It by Icona Pop

Little Secrets Passion Pit

Sovereign Light Cafe by Keane, remixed by Afrojack

Clarity by Zedd

Years by Alesso

Something Good Can Work by Two Door Cinema Club
She Wolf by David Guetta, featuring Sia
Alive by Krewella
Illmerica by Wolfgang Garnter
Drowning by Armin van Buren
Give Me Your Hand by The Ready Set
Language by Porter Robinson
Cry for You by September
You Are My Diamond by Tiesto - featuring Kianna
Arguru - Deadmau5
We Are by Jus Jack & Oza, featuring Aeone

May 2013 In Pictures

1. She finally fits into my favorite hand-me-downs from her brother
2. Dining alfresco
3. Candle blowing, age 3
4. Little hikers
5. Sharks, sharks, sharks - can't get enough

6. Garbage salad
7. Shark books
8. Mommy books
9. Nope, he didn't choose Red Robin for his birthday dinner this year
10. Walrus viewing

11. Dueling lawn mowers
12. Pug fun
13. Rhodys blooming in the yard
14. Mother's Day card
15. Cook in the kitchen

16. First ball pit experience
17. Robin's egg
18. My little monkey
19. Back deck traffic
20. Muddy Adrenalines from my first trail run 

21. The budding naturalist
22. Their new favorite way of giving hugs
23. Brushing practice at the dentist
24. Typical weekday evening of Lego-ing
25. Under the weather

Books I Read In May

This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper

Ah, this was one of those heartbreaking, yet hilarious novels. It was like the movie Home for the Holidays - but, in this case the characters are part of a Jewish family that come home to sit Shiva after their father dies; which was a really interesting premise. There seemed to be a little 'Running With Scissors' vibe thrown in with the shock value and the insanity of Judd's family/friends. His crazy, funny, morose, heartbreaking journey of self-realization is compulsively readable.  And I just learned that Timothy Olyphant, one of my all time favorite actors (ever since I fell in lust with him back in '99 in Go! and Justified is one of the best shows on tv right now) will play Horry, the next door neighbor, and I think Jason Bateman will play Judd in the movie.  




Where'd You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple

One of the best books I've read in a long time. This is a scathingly hilarious satire of a woman dealing with overzealous PTA mothers, a husband gone AWOL working at Microsoft, the quirks of living in a city like Seattle (as a transplant to the Emerald city, I can relate), plus other things that come to light as the plot evolves and she has to face what is ultimately depression. It's semi-epistolary, told from her loyal teenage daughter's point of view while using letters, emails, texts, etc. to convey the story. It moves along a such a fast clip and there were some fantastic plot twists - definitely my favorite book of the year, so far.



The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

I think I need to read more middle grade fiction, because there's so much fantastic story telling to be found. This one was told so beautifully and simply from the viewpoint of Ivan the gorilla.  It was heartbreaking and, ultimately, heartwarming. I can't wait to share it with my kids when they get a bit older and are learning themselves about the central theme of this story: principles. "...a belief that helps you know what's right or wrong." p. 194



Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

I'm a sucker for historical fiction (as well as YA fiction) and I have visited a number of the cities in this novel set in what was Brittany in 1485, now Northwest France. The premise is awesome: basically, nuns that are assassins and the plot moves along swiftly. But there was too much predictability and I wasn't really blown away by it - a good, but not great read.




Shine, Shine, Shine by Lydia Netzer

When I first started reading this book, I was overwhelmed by it's over the top odd-ness (for lack of a better word). But then reading this love story about these two very strange, yet relatable, characters became almost hypnotic. I can't say it was a page turner, but it made me think and was written in a very original voice. I even found myself marking passages, especially the many regarding motherhood - a very central theme in this book: 

"She rose up from that bed a mother, and ready to fight for the rest of her days... when the woman becomes a mother, she can no longer participate in the slow rot. Because no one's going to rot the child. And anyone who tries will suffer the mother's consequences." p. 15-16 

"I am Mom, twenty-four/seven. It doesn't end because I am not physically with you and your child. I am always Mom. It's right here with me, inside me, this makes me Mom.... I just want a little break to try and be someone else, but I can't have it. It's impossible." p.241

It'd be a great book for a really serious book club that likes to explore themes and symbolism.

This Weeks Eats 6.2.13

A friend of mine told me that she was reading through the weekly menu and thought she really ought to try the tortilla pie or the baked taquitos (I concurred) and that her kids might actually eat them.  Now, I must admit - as I admitted to her, that my kids eat a very small fraction of what we make on ye olde weekly menus.  Eeegads!  I know.  My six year old has indeed tried the taquitos and a few of our other regular meals, but he still hasn't overcome that phase of being distrustful of food that he can't easily identify/things that are mixed together (What's that green thing in the soup? spinach What's that brown thing in the taquito? a black bean); and his three year old sister is firmly in the midst of this phase of suspicion.  Usually what they eat is a deconstructed version of what we're having: cheese quesadillas with black beans on the side when we have taquitos or Annies Mac and Cheese when we make fancy mac and cheese, etc. And, yes, sometimes they get a serving of 'I-give-up-just-have-some-chicken-nuggets-or-PBJ' while we eat our grown up dinner.  We do ask them to try everything that we eat; and I think that slowly, but surely, they're coming around.

If left to their own devices, they'd subsist on Jimmy John's alone.  I don't blame them, really.

• Monday - Pizza
• Tuesday - Gnocchi Soup with Sausage and Spinach
• Wednesday - Thai Turkey Meatballs
• Thursday - Fire Roasted Mac and Cheese with Feta (new recipe via Everyday Reading)
• Friday - Barbacoa Beef Burrito Bowls (we use this Skinny Taste recipe for the beef and load up bowls of brown rice with toppings Chipotle style)
• Saturday - Spagetti with Meat Sauce (trying Eat Live Run's version, probably with ground turkey)
• Sunday - Crockpot Cheesesteak Chicken Sandwiches and Marinated Tomato Salad (trying this new recipe from How Sweet It Is AND a new salad recipe I just pinned via the Pioneer Woman)

Linking up with Mommy Run Fast and Jill Conyers, as well as Rachel at In No Simple Language - be sure to check out all the great weekly menus!

Friday Things

Why is it that the week following a Monday holiday still feels just as long or LONGER than a normal week?  I had the kids yearly checkups yesterday and just the time spent in the waiting room/exam room felt like a lifetime.  My kids are, shall we say... energetic.  Sitting patiently is not their strong suit, especially when our doc is doing appointments out of the office without the fish tank.  No Dory!? No Nemo!?  They literally starting rolling around on the ground:

At least there were no shots to contend with during our visit.  Speaking of my punks, this week I came across this reassuring post on Gail Werner's website. It made me feel a lot less guilty over trying to scale down on all of the birthday hoopla with the kids.

Here's another awesome internet discovery this week: after I updated my Facebook profile with my new race pic, a friend commented on how I looked like a runner from the future (Oiselle, fashion forward, fo real) and asked what was I wearing on my arms.  When I went to grab the link from the website to share with her the greatness of Oiselle armwarmers, I discovered this:

Me sandwiched right between superfast teammates Kate Grace (winning the Grand Blue Mile) and Jen Bigham.  NBD.

So, if you tag yourself sporting Oiselle duds with #FlyStle on Twitter, it will show up on the homepage and in the #FlyStyle gallery.  I didn't realize that they were also tagging specific clothing items and that pics come up while shopping said items.  SO COOL. 

You can shop the look!

Here's something that also made me smile, and nearly die laughing, this week - juuust in case you haven't seen it already:

Since I've been branching out with some trail running, maybe I should broaden my horizons even further with some Prancercise?  Or prance when I'm having a crappy run, to shift my focus.  Sometimes I think of Phoebe and try to channel her running...

In fact, I was having a crappy run just this morning!  I wanted to get 7 in, but barely mustered 5, when just the other day a 5 mile interval workout seemed like a walk in the park.  Anyhow, I ran past two lady runners and did the usual smile and nod to the brethren when one looked like she knew me and gave a really enthusiastic hello!  Aaaah, that's always fun.  But, for the life of me I couldn't place the face as I went through the rolodex of faces in my head: school, preschool, Y, Soccer, old workplace, Eastside running...?  Was it you??  Sorry if I didn't stop - I was afraid I'd never start again if I did!

For the playlist, I'm adding a new song from an old favorite deejay; one that I danced to live, well over a decade ago...

Ain't No Stoppin' by Ferry Corsten (featuring Ben Hague)

Happy weekend!

2013 Playlist

Come and Get It by Selena Gomez
Apollo by Hardwell featuring Amba Shepherd

This Head I Hold by Electric Guest

Castles in the Sky by Ian Van Dahl

Feel this Moment by Pitbull, featuring Christina Aguilera

Into Your Arms by the Lemonheads

Just Give me a Reason by Pink

I Love It by Icona Pop

Little Secrets Passion Pit

Sovereign Light Cafe by Keane, remixed by Afrojack

Clarity by Zedd

Years by Alesso

Something Good Can Work by Two Door Cinema Club
She Wolf by David Guetta, featuring Sia
Alive by Krewella
Illmerica by Wolfgang Garnter
Drowning by Armin van Buren
Give Me Your Hand by The Ready Set
Language by Porter Robinson
Cry for You by September
You Are My Diamond by Tiesto - featuring Kianna
Arguru - Deadmau5
We Are by Jus Jack & Oza, featuring Aeone

Soaring Eagle 5 Mile Trail Run Race Recap

My first trail run was a smashing success!  That is to say, I did not do a major faceplant or break a leg - WIN.  There were definitely some close calls, but this was a great race/course to try out this whole trail running bizness.

One of the many great things about this race is that it started rather late compared to most road races.  I'm guessing this is because there's no need for closures, etc.  So I was able to sleep past 7am, and was so glad to get that rest.  I chose the shortest (5 mile) distance, which started at 9:45.  There were also 26.2, 50K and 10 mile options, which also seems to be common with many trail races, and the two longest distances started about an hour earlier.

After downing my breakfast (oatmeal nuked with a frozen banana and a dollop of maple almond butter - this stuff is crazy good), I gave the kids about 20 hugs and kisses goodbye and headed out the door.  The trailhead is situated amongst the many (beautiful) residential areas on the Sammamish Plateau.  Since the parking lot is small, most participants had to park on the main road leading up to the trail.  This was not a problem at all, as I was obviously one of the last to arrive (with my late start time), and it was no more than a quarter of a mile or so walk to the start.  Walking along, I noticed that almost every single car had an oval sticker: 13.1, 26.2, definitely lots of 70.3's, and 50Ks.  I was starting to wonder if I was going to come in DEAD LAST.  

Picking up my bib was easy and there was a big tarp set out for people to put their bags on; I wasn't sure if there would be somewhere for gear and was pleasantly surprised by this little setup of mutual runner trust.

gear check!

There were about six port-a-pottys and the line moved fast.  I listened to the 10 mile pre-race announcements, used the facilities one last time and before I knew it, they were doing the 5 mile pre-race announcements and raffle (pretty cool that they did a raffle for each race distance).  I loved that things were small enough that we could all gather 'round and easily hear the race director talk about the course through his bullhorn.  It's pretty cool how they set up the spray paint on the ground and flags so that you know where you're going, when to turn, that you're on the correct path, etc.  All the course markings are on the side of the trail that you'll turn next - flags on the right side of the trail before a right hand turn and vice versa.  I quickly learned that the less I had to think, the better.

The first mile was on a fire road that would have been pretty easy to cruise along, except for the fact that it's been pretty rainy lately and there were some big sections of shoe sucking mud that were hard to navigate.  At least there was a nice big and dry downhill portion before we hit the single track trail that comprised most of the 5 mile course.  Once on the trail, I just kept my head down and followed a few women that seemed about my pace.  I'm sure I was making lots of huffing and puffing sounds and, at one point, the person in front of me said to go ahead and pass.  I told her it was all I could do to move forward without falling on my face.  Although, after another half mile or so, I was kind of getting into the swing of things and told her I was gonna go for it and went ahead and eked past her on a spot that wasn't too narrow.  I seriously felt like I was FLYING, leaping over tree roots, side stepping rocks, going over all the undulating ground.  In reality, I was doing ten minute miles, tops.  I think this probably has something to do with being so close to all of the trees and my brain's perception that I was passing them all so quickly, when normally I don't perceive myself passing anything but the occasional runner during a road race.  It made the time go by pretty quickly, all that concentrating on my feet and the trail.  Although, I must admit, it also started to make me feel a little queasy.  All of the ups, downs, and hairpin turns were giving me a slight case of motion sickness.  After awhile I just started thinking about concentrating on my breathing and footsteps while inhaling that beautiful, sweet trail air.  I did have my headphones in, but I didn't put on my music; I just wanted to hear my splits from my GPS app and not broadcast them throughout the woods.  

Before I knew it, the loop on the trail was over and we were on the fire road going back the way we came - which meant having to go back up that nice downhill from the beginning.  That's where I really slowed down, because I still haven't come to terms with the negative talk that goes on in my head during hills.  It was about 100 ft of elevation over .5 miles - not terrible, but my legs were feeling like rubber after the new crazy workout they'd just been through.  Other than slowing to a brisk walk a few times along that hill, I was really happy with how I did for my first experience running on trails: five miles in 54:15 and smack dab in the middle of the pack for the race as a whole and for my age group (not dead last). 

I've run an Evergreen Trail Run event before, and love that they are small and have a homespun feel.  I ran the Lake Sammamish Half last year and, even though it's their larger race with about two thousand folks, they still had big bowls of chips, bananas, Oreos, candy and other fun goodies.  The same was true for Soaring Eagle.  I love having easy access to post race food, and so much of it!  I chowed down on a Costco muffin half (yes, they had a bowl full of them cut in half), grabbed some Muscle Milk and Food Should Taste Good samples for the road.  

Major bonus?  Nuun is a sponsor for Evergreen Trail races. 

big fat Nuun cooler!

To top it all off, they have an amazing photographer who (quickly) uploaded gorgeous pictures at such great prices.  

I'm so, so happy with this picture.  It costs $5 for a lower resolution file to download for use on your computer, social media, etc. and $15 for the highest resolution one with unlimited use (one that you can print).  I went with the $15 because it was still less than half the price of most other race photos and because one day, when I'm old and crotchety, I may just want to line the walls with photos of my youth...




  

This Weeks Eats 5.26.13

This weekend has been absolute perfection and it's not even over yet: I get to sleep in tomorrow!  Ahhh!  I had a great time on my trail run on Saturday (I'll recap soon) followed by a solo sushi lunch, shopping, a nap on my couch and my favorite thing of every week - Saturday night dinner without the kids.  Yes, it's a bit of a pain to eat late after they go to bed, but SO worth feeling like we have a date night every week.  And today we had a lovely hike around one of our favorite kid friendly parks.

OK, food - last week's tortilla pie was a success and we'll definitely make it again, maybe experiment with ground turkey.  The Indian cashew chicken had great flavor, but the sauce was a little on the pasty side; we might try it again and add a touch of whipping cream or half and half.

Since it's Memorial Day, we're switching up the usual Monday pizza and doing some grilling...

• Monday - hot dogs on the grill and trying this Lemony Roasted Potato Salad from Bev Cooks
• Tuesday - Pizza!
• Wednesday - Greek Turkey Meatball Salad
• Thursday - Baked Chicken Taquitos
• Friday - Angel Hair with Pomodoro Sauce (Saute garlic and onion with olive oil in a large pan, once they're softened add a 28oz can of whole san marzano tomatoes and mash with a potato masher, season w/kosher salt, pepper and crushed red pepper, cook about 15 minutes/until it thickens.)
• Saturday - Spinach and Blue Cheese Meatloaf and baked sweet potatoes
• Sunday - Chipotle Chicken Chowder

Linking up with Mommy Run Fast and Jill Conyers, as well as Rachel at In No Simple Language - be sure to check out all the great weekly menus!