Disclaimer: Please excuse my football ranting...this has been a long, disappointing season!
I need my own sports talk show. I don't care if it's radio, local late night or Bristol...I always have an opinion and it's usually based on what I think, not regurgitated analyst talk so it would be fun to watch/listen to as well :). If you know anyone looking to hire an awesome new sports reporter, give them my name. In the mean time I will simply share my humble opinions with you all !
Bill Polian did great things for the Colts organization for many many years and he deserves all the credit for his part in that. While I was not surprised by his firing yesterday, it was sad to see him go after 14 great years that started with drafting Peyton in 1998. But Bill was ready to retire; he had handed the day to day operations over to his son just this year and, in my opinion, Chris managed to make all the wrong decisions for a franchise that seemed to run itself most of the time. I know his job became increasingly complicated due to the lockout and Peyton's injury, but you don't go from a decade of 10+ win seasons to 2-14 overnight just because your franchise QB is unable to go.
An article Bob Kravitz wrote two months ago makes this announcement even more interesting because it leads us to believe that while Bill is/was well liked and well respected in the locker room and front office, Chris was quite the opposite. I didn't do the interview, I obviously don't know any professional football players personally and honestly I only agree with Kravitz about half the time, but this article actually made a lot if sense to me. Our recent decline in draft picks, the inexplicable choices made with personnel (specifically top-notch coordinators on both sides of the ball), the "good guys" we let go and the questionable ones we've kept. It all plays into Chris Polian's very poor decision making.
It is my opinion that Irsay and Bill Polian discussed these pitfalls during the season but especially after the Jacksonville game - and that Jim possibly offered to let Bill stay but was set on firing Chris. No father is going to agree to fire his son therefore it was "time" (according to Irsay) to make a move. If you watched, or even read any of the press conference/release it was clear that Irsay is grateful for Bill's contribution to Indy's "greatness" and continues to have a great deal of respect for him as a GM/Vice Chairman and as a person. However, if you were really paying attention, it was almost impossible to miss how little Chris Polian's name was mentioned. This was also apparent during the interview with Peyton and with the players who tweeted their reactions on Twitter. Peyton mentioned Chris' name as an afterthought once, but Irsay never uttered it during the press conference except to say he had been let go.
My question is why am I the only one who's paying attention here? I am admittedly a sports talk radio junkie, especially during football season. I read several articles from the so-called experts last night and today and I listened to all the shows this morning - including the local ones who should know this better then I do since they get paid to pay attention - never once did anyone bring this up! They were all "shocked" that Irsay would let a talent like Bill go at this crossroads for the franchise. I still don't think he wanted Bill to go - but Chris should have been expecting his pink slip after tanking this season, presumably unintentionally, for an otherwise proud franchise.
Honestly, the conspiracy theorist in me wonders if some of his decisions weren't made hoping Indy would under-perform, to say the least, so he could get the #1 draft pick and make his mark on this franchise the same way his dad did. But that is a debate for another day.
As a bonus for anyone who was patient enough to read my entire rant...my opinions going forward: Draft Luck (duh, I know) but sit him for 2 years behind arguably the best quarterback of this, and maybe any era (yes, I'm biased). Sign Manning's weapons (Reggie, Clark, Saturday as well as Freeney's partner in crime Mathis) to 2 year contracts - Irsay can make cap room to do this for a short time - and make the most of the Manning era, provided he passes his physical in March which appears will be the case.
Following those 2 years, Peyton turn 38 in the offseason (did I mention we share a March 24 birthday?!) and will likely prove infinitely smarter than Favre when it coming to knowing to retire. Plus, he will have a couple of twin toddlers at home to keep up with - a great added incentive to move forward! After that, unleash Luck with two solid years of mentoring by Manning and surround him with the guys you've drafted specifically for him, as Polian did for Manning, during Peyton's final two years. Green Bay appears to be 2/2 in grooming back up QB's for starting positions (though Flynn may be too valuable to be back with the Packers next year) - so I'm considering my opinions on Luck with that in mind. You know, Irsay did say his ideal candidate would be someone who'd never held the GM title before...maybe I should give him a call!
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Monday, December 12, 2011
A Trip Down Hospital Lane
In the past 8 days my memories from almost 4 years ago have come full circle. Last Monday I had to take Ava to our local community hospital to have an ultrasound of her kidneys done because she had recently gotten a UTI and they wanted to make sure she won't be prone to more in the future. Then this morning, Ava and I went to St. V Children's for a scheduled CT scan of her head to determine if anything can be done for the hearing loss in her right ear that she suffered after complications from meningitis in January 2008. The ultrasound of her kidneys came back completely clear and her CT scan was something that we had been putting off for a while just because we didn't want to stress her out with another test but decided that moving forward it would be best know what we're dealing with. (And for the record, we scheduled the CT scan almost a month ago, well before we knew she'd need an ultrasound. Like always, everything just happened at once!)
The tests themselves were nothing to be concerned about - non-invasive and quick outpatient procedures. The location of the tests, especially timed so close together, was the hardest part for me. The morning of each appointment we explained to Ava what would happen. Other than some general uncertainty about the whole things, Ava was ready to go. She did great during both tests - she was so proud of herself for being brave! She as even able to do the CT scan without sedation, which was truly awesome!!
The tests themselves were nothing to be concerned about - non-invasive and quick outpatient procedures. The location of the tests, especially timed so close together, was the hardest part for me. The morning of each appointment we explained to Ava what would happen. Other than some general uncertainty about the whole things, Ava was ready to go. She did great during both tests - she was so proud of herself for being brave! She as even able to do the CT scan without sedation, which was truly awesome!!
Our first appointment, at HRH, was a little surreal just because I hadn't been in that hospital at all since Ava was admitted (for what we initially thought was just dehydration) that January morning 4 years ago. We'd been to the campus for office visits but never had a reason to go around to the front where the hospital's main entrance is located. We sat in the same registration cubicle that we did that first morning, but that was where the similarities ended. We were taken back to a small room to do the ultrasound then released to head home. While that visit had a way of stirring up old feelings, it was nothing like what I experienced this morning!
Once again I found myself loading up the car with a nervous but very brave Ava, explaining some more along the way what was about to happen. Once I told her she would have to get some "sleepy medicine" (anesthesia) she immediately informed me she could do without. I told her we'd ask the nurse when we arrived. This conversation was very detailed however and took up most of our ride to the hospital - which means the emotions I felt just driving into the parking lot caught me completely by surprise!
While we had been back to the hospital twice since Ava's stay there four years ago (once for a hearing test and once to deliver a $6500 check to PMCH for the Healing Hands 5k fundraiser!) I knew this time was different because we were about to come face to face with one of the same machine that changed our life the first time. Just out of curiosity, I asked Ava as we pulled up to the building if she'd ever seen a hospital "this cool?" "It looks like the bubbles on the front are glittering from the sunshine!" she told me...obviously pretty cool! She was amazed; I thought I might cry. I realized that she had no memory of being there from any of our previous visits - for which I am very grateful - but it was all starting to come back to me pretty quickly.
We walked in, checked in at registration and were quickly met by the sedation nurse who was happy to let Ava try the scan without anesthesia! Walking through the halls felt eerily familiar. We got to our prep room where the nurse produced a "Barbie-sized" CT scan machine and walked Ava through exactly what would happen with Barbies and a Tinkerbell doll. Ava was ready to go so I had to be too...
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| CT scan machine |
During our two and a half week stay 4 years ago, Ava was having a test done nearly every other day it seemed (CT scan, MRIs, spinal tap, hearing tests and EEG's) and I was by her side for every single one. Upon entering the room with that giant machine, they got her all set up, Tinkerbell in hand, reminded her to lay very still and went to work. Suddenly the machine started up and I was reminded of her very first CT scan. (During portions of the scan, it sounds sort of like a small airplane is getting ready to take off. It's not as loud, but definitely a distinct sound and one that is not easily forgotten. Luckily I was busy singing Twinkle Twinkle and Rudolph or my memories could have gotten the best of me. But when she was finished she was *So Proud* of herself for doing so well - and she had one Proud, Happy and Relieved mama by her side once again :)
I was thrilled to walk out of there today knowing Ava had made a happy memory there. While I still get nervous when she asks questions about when she was sick (finding the right balance between the whole truth and how much truth I think she can handle right now) I am so happy that her two most recent visits to the hospital were quick, easy and relatively uneventful - well, aside from deciding what donut flavors to bring home from Dunkin Donuts today! Sending God all our praises and gratitude for keeping our family happy, healthy and thriving for so many years! PTL!!
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Stationery card
Birthday Bubbles Blue Birthday Invitation
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Friday, September 2, 2011
Megaphones In My Closet
Once upon a time on one December day there was a little girl patiently waiting her turn to talk to Santa Claus. The 4 year old had thought long and hard about what she would talk to Santa about this year. Finally, it was her turn. She walked up to the jolly old man, hopped up on his lap and started chatting away about what a good girl (and big sister) she'd been, how she just *had* to have and how she was excited to leave a special treat for Santa and his reindeer on Christmas Eve. The little blonde-haired girl was about to get down when Santa asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up. The little girl answered quickly,"A nurse!" Santa seemed pleased with her answer, bid her a "Merry Christmas" and was on to chat with the next child. As the little girl made her way back to her parents, they were excited to ask her about her new revelation. "We didn't know you wanted to be a nurse when you grew up! That's so exciting!" The little girl had another surprise in store. "Actually, I don't want to be a nurse; I really want to be a cheerleader when I grow up but I thought Santa would bring me more presents if I told him I wanted to be a nurse."
At this point, my parents probably wondered where on earth I learned to become so manipulative at my young age. I obviously can not personally vouch for the authenticity of this story (because I was four!), but given that it has been told over and over again by my parents one can surmise that it is embarrassingly accurate.
And so my cheerleading career began in third grade during Pee Wee football season and continued into my sophomore year of college. During this time, of course, I saw many different sides of cheerleading. The first four years were just for fun - no tryouts or competition to cheer for Pee Wee and Intramural leagues. Seventh grade brought our first try-outs, and from what I can remember, was my first experience with "unsportsmanlike conduct" (also known as middle school girl drama in general). I also cheered competitively during my junior high years (yes, there is such a thing - just flip on the cheerleading championships on ESPN next summer and you will see what I'm talking about. It's intense!)
Then came high school. I made the Varsity squad as a freshman. Suffice it to say I have some pretty terrible memories from cheering my freshman year of high school - but I also having some pretty amazing memories of support coming from the most unexpected places. My dad would call it a "character-building" time for me :) I learned a lot about who I was and what I stood for that year. And a lot about how much crap I could take before I hit rock bottom. I know there can be conflict on any team in any sport or activity, but for many of them you eventually have to come together as a team to work as a cohesive unit to be successful. Not so much with cheerleading. I just remember a lot of girl drama (think "Mean Girls") and no real reason to get past it.
But the drama is to be expected to some extent because we are in fact talking about high school girls. (I was one, so I feel totally comfortable making these accusations!) I think the part that bothers me the most - and the part that makes the real reason for this post so difficult - is what happened in college, especially after I "retired my poms" my sophomore year...
Stereotypes are a terrible thing. We've all done it; judged someone by a single detail of their life without knowing even how much that detail has impacted their personality or why they made the choices they did. And, in my opinion, the stereotype of a high school cheerleader is one of the worst. "Bring It On" is one of the worst offenders off the top of my head. I have never seen another entire movie made about the ridiculousness of a high school sport (girls or boys.) But the one that probably proves my point the best is "Varsity Blues." Seriously, Ali Larter, you could have done so much better! I say "high school cheerleader" and most people respond very "knowingly" with an "Oh!" or "I remember our high school cheerleaders" and all they are thinking of is sleazy girls in short skirts. It's one thing for me to have spent so much time defending myself against this stereotype. It's another for me to want to encourage or even allow someone to think of my daughter in that regard.
And therein lies my true conflict. Ava came home yesterday with her "Super Star of the Week" paper to fill out and display on their classroom bulletin board next week. We were filling out her paper and the last question is "when I grow up I want to ____." She quickly responds with "Be a chef! Oh, and a ballerina!" Then pauses for a second before adding, "And a cheerleader." I have no idea how she knows what a cheerleader is. When I asked her what a cheerleader does, she gave me a quizzical look. "They cheer for the people on the team." I imagine there would have been a "duh!" in there if she was a couple years older :) I can hope this is a fleeting phase, like when she wanted to be a superhero or the week she was adamant she could be a cat when she grew up. If I'm lucky we'll skirt past this before the girls ever has an opportunity to even sign up for cheerleading. And yes, we're pushing soccer and gymnastics at the moment - and anything else they have any interest in besides cheerleading. Am I wrong to try dissuading her out of the exact same thing I did for nearly 13 years? Maybe. But I also don't want to be dusting off the "megaphones" in my closet in a few years :)
At this point, my parents probably wondered where on earth I learned to become so manipulative at my young age. I obviously can not personally vouch for the authenticity of this story (because I was four!), but given that it has been told over and over again by my parents one can surmise that it is embarrassingly accurate.
And so my cheerleading career began in third grade during Pee Wee football season and continued into my sophomore year of college. During this time, of course, I saw many different sides of cheerleading. The first four years were just for fun - no tryouts or competition to cheer for Pee Wee and Intramural leagues. Seventh grade brought our first try-outs, and from what I can remember, was my first experience with "unsportsmanlike conduct" (also known as middle school girl drama in general). I also cheered competitively during my junior high years (yes, there is such a thing - just flip on the cheerleading championships on ESPN next summer and you will see what I'm talking about. It's intense!)
Then came high school. I made the Varsity squad as a freshman. Suffice it to say I have some pretty terrible memories from cheering my freshman year of high school - but I also having some pretty amazing memories of support coming from the most unexpected places. My dad would call it a "character-building" time for me :) I learned a lot about who I was and what I stood for that year. And a lot about how much crap I could take before I hit rock bottom. I know there can be conflict on any team in any sport or activity, but for many of them you eventually have to come together as a team to work as a cohesive unit to be successful. Not so much with cheerleading. I just remember a lot of girl drama (think "Mean Girls") and no real reason to get past it.
But the drama is to be expected to some extent because we are in fact talking about high school girls. (I was one, so I feel totally comfortable making these accusations!) I think the part that bothers me the most - and the part that makes the real reason for this post so difficult - is what happened in college, especially after I "retired my poms" my sophomore year...
Stereotypes are a terrible thing. We've all done it; judged someone by a single detail of their life without knowing even how much that detail has impacted their personality or why they made the choices they did. And, in my opinion, the stereotype of a high school cheerleader is one of the worst. "Bring It On" is one of the worst offenders off the top of my head. I have never seen another entire movie made about the ridiculousness of a high school sport (girls or boys.) But the one that probably proves my point the best is "Varsity Blues." Seriously, Ali Larter, you could have done so much better! I say "high school cheerleader" and most people respond very "knowingly" with an "Oh!" or "I remember our high school cheerleaders" and all they are thinking of is sleazy girls in short skirts. It's one thing for me to have spent so much time defending myself against this stereotype. It's another for me to want to encourage or even allow someone to think of my daughter in that regard.
And therein lies my true conflict. Ava came home yesterday with her "Super Star of the Week" paper to fill out and display on their classroom bulletin board next week. We were filling out her paper and the last question is "when I grow up I want to ____." She quickly responds with "Be a chef! Oh, and a ballerina!" Then pauses for a second before adding, "And a cheerleader." I have no idea how she knows what a cheerleader is. When I asked her what a cheerleader does, she gave me a quizzical look. "They cheer for the people on the team." I imagine there would have been a "duh!" in there if she was a couple years older :) I can hope this is a fleeting phase, like when she wanted to be a superhero or the week she was adamant she could be a cat when she grew up. If I'm lucky we'll skirt past this before the girls ever has an opportunity to even sign up for cheerleading. And yes, we're pushing soccer and gymnastics at the moment - and anything else they have any interest in besides cheerleading. Am I wrong to try dissuading her out of the exact same thing I did for nearly 13 years? Maybe. But I also don't want to be dusting off the "megaphones" in my closet in a few years :)
Friday, August 19, 2011
"Oh, So You Don't Really Work"
Those of you who know me well can probably see where this is going, but humor me and follow along with my little story about how a late-night cashier was nearly assaulted with the gallon of milk I was about to purchase.
Last night around 9pm I headed out for a little "me" time... also known as grocery shopping alone without six little hands attempting to fill our cart with their ever-changing desires. I was thrilled to discover there was still an actual cashier working a checkout lane when I went to check out just before 10pm. (Generally, at our grocery at this hour I have to use the self-checkout which is ridiculously hard to manage with a week's worth of groceries in my cart!) I generally enjoy conversing with this store's clerks and cashiers and I assumed this one would be no different. The cashier (who I estimate is in his mid-20's) starts what I thought could be a friendly conversation until he proved me wrong.
Cashier Guy: "Wow, it's a late night for you, huh? You always out this late?"
Me, laughing: "Yeah, it's so much easier than bringing along 3 kids!"
CG: "What time do you have to get up in the morning?"
Me: "Whenever the kids do until school starts next week - around 7am I guess."
CG: "Do you stay home with them?"
Me: "Yep!" (wait for it...)
CG: "Oh, so you don't really work then. At least you don't have to get up for a real job or anything."
True Story...it was all I could do to not grab a gallon of milk and hit him upside the head with it. Thankfully it's rare to find someone with so little regard for my "real" job or for SAHM's in general. So I responded with an enthusiastic, "No, I just work all day, every day" and decided to move on hoping this guy wasn't as unintelligent, let's say, as he seemed.
CG: "So you'll probably just go straight to bed when you get home, right?"
Seriously, this guy was definitely in his 20's so I'm not sure why he's so hung up on 10pm being such a "late night."
Me: "Actually we recorded the preseason game that's on tonight; I'm hoping to watch some of it before bed."
CG: "Which game?"
Me: "I don't know, maybe the Pats-Bucs game." I had no idea what was recording but I knew that game was being played last night.
CG: "Oh, the Patriots are up 31-7!" Starting to get doubt his intelligence again...
Me: "I just told you I was recording it, why would you tell me the score?!"
CG: "Sorry, I'm a huge Patriots fan."
And there you go, my doubts regarding his intelligence are confirmed. I roll my eyes at him and give a sarcastic little chuckle. He's already insulted me so he should have seen that one coming. The girl (also likely in her 20's) bagging my groceries is surprised, "I didn't know you were a Pats fan!"
CG: "Born and raised a Pats fan! But I don't tell many people that around here." For good reason, I'm sure!
Me: "I was born and raised a Bengals fan, but it wasn't exactly hard for me to switch over when I moved here." We all share a laugh...sincere apologies to my brother and dad and friends back home who have remained devoted to the Orange and Black.
I explained, "In my defense though, the 80's were a great time to be a Cincinnati sports fan! The Bengals went to Super Bowls in '82 and '89 and the Reds won the World Series in '90."
Ms. Grocery Bagger: "I was a 49er's fan by birth, a Colts fan by choice."
CG: "Ouch, the 49er's! They've never won anything!"
At this point I am speechless! I don't even know where to start...even a casual football fan should be alarmed by his ignorance! Joe Montana, Steve Young, Jerry Rice...where does he think they played? Does the word "dynasty" mean anything to him?!
I decided to stay with the basics, "Well, both times the Bengals played in a Super Bowl they got beat by the 49er's." Not to mention the other 3 Super Bowl's they played in during their prime - winning all 3 of those as well!
Ms. GB: "I thought they used to be good."
Me: "They used to be *really* good!"
CG: "Wow, you know more about football than I do!"
That is a gross understatement, my friend.
Last night around 9pm I headed out for a little "me" time... also known as grocery shopping alone without six little hands attempting to fill our cart with their ever-changing desires. I was thrilled to discover there was still an actual cashier working a checkout lane when I went to check out just before 10pm. (Generally, at our grocery at this hour I have to use the self-checkout which is ridiculously hard to manage with a week's worth of groceries in my cart!) I generally enjoy conversing with this store's clerks and cashiers and I assumed this one would be no different. The cashier (who I estimate is in his mid-20's) starts what I thought could be a friendly conversation until he proved me wrong.
Cashier Guy: "Wow, it's a late night for you, huh? You always out this late?"
Me, laughing: "Yeah, it's so much easier than bringing along 3 kids!"
CG: "What time do you have to get up in the morning?"
Me: "Whenever the kids do until school starts next week - around 7am I guess."
CG: "Do you stay home with them?"
Me: "Yep!" (wait for it...)
CG: "Oh, so you don't really work then. At least you don't have to get up for a real job or anything."
True Story...it was all I could do to not grab a gallon of milk and hit him upside the head with it. Thankfully it's rare to find someone with so little regard for my "real" job or for SAHM's in general. So I responded with an enthusiastic, "No, I just work all day, every day" and decided to move on hoping this guy wasn't as unintelligent, let's say, as he seemed.
CG: "So you'll probably just go straight to bed when you get home, right?"
Seriously, this guy was definitely in his 20's so I'm not sure why he's so hung up on 10pm being such a "late night."
Me: "Actually we recorded the preseason game that's on tonight; I'm hoping to watch some of it before bed."
CG: "Which game?"
Me: "I don't know, maybe the Pats-Bucs game." I had no idea what was recording but I knew that game was being played last night.
CG: "Oh, the Patriots are up 31-7!" Starting to get doubt his intelligence again...
Me: "I just told you I was recording it, why would you tell me the score?!"
CG: "Sorry, I'm a huge Patriots fan."
And there you go, my doubts regarding his intelligence are confirmed. I roll my eyes at him and give a sarcastic little chuckle. He's already insulted me so he should have seen that one coming. The girl (also likely in her 20's) bagging my groceries is surprised, "I didn't know you were a Pats fan!"
CG: "Born and raised a Pats fan! But I don't tell many people that around here." For good reason, I'm sure!
Me: "I was born and raised a Bengals fan, but it wasn't exactly hard for me to switch over when I moved here." We all share a laugh...sincere apologies to my brother and dad and friends back home who have remained devoted to the Orange and Black.
I explained, "In my defense though, the 80's were a great time to be a Cincinnati sports fan! The Bengals went to Super Bowls in '82 and '89 and the Reds won the World Series in '90."
Ms. Grocery Bagger: "I was a 49er's fan by birth, a Colts fan by choice."
CG: "Ouch, the 49er's! They've never won anything!"
At this point I am speechless! I don't even know where to start...even a casual football fan should be alarmed by his ignorance! Joe Montana, Steve Young, Jerry Rice...where does he think they played? Does the word "dynasty" mean anything to him?!
I decided to stay with the basics, "Well, both times the Bengals played in a Super Bowl they got beat by the 49er's." Not to mention the other 3 Super Bowl's they played in during their prime - winning all 3 of those as well!
Ms. GB: "I thought they used to be good."
Me: "They used to be *really* good!"
CG: "Wow, you know more about football than I do!"
That is a gross understatement, my friend.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
30 Rocks!
To say we have been busy the last 2 months is an understatement! Shortly after my last post, our family traveled with my parents, brother and sister-in-law to Orlando for the kids' first Disney experience! That is obviously a post for another day, but it was, of course, a magical week! June was packed with play dates and days at the park (I love summer!) and even a weekend reminder of what it's like to be an adult, not just a parent! July was met with a flurry of baby showers (4!), what may actually be the very last "Hanover wedding" we have the pleasure of attending and one amazing and very special girls night out - 30's edition - and we still have a few days of the month left!
As I reflect on these events and those immediately preceding them, I came to one simple conclusion: 30 Rocks! (Yes, I love Tina Fey too... who doesn't?!) I will admit 29 was a hard year for me, as evidenced by the ramblings in previous blog posts, but by the time my 30th birthday rolled around I was ready to fearlessly jump into a new decade. One the eve of my big 3-0, I had dinner with some wonderful girls and tried sushi for the first time. Yum! When I got home, Nick and I decided to stay up until midnight to celebrate the first minutes of my milestone birthday. We were trying to come up with something "crazy" (as crazy as two parents with three sleeping kids upstairs can be!) to do at midnight, so Nick jokingly suggested we do shots...he was shocked when I told him to find 2 glasses because I wasn't going to do this alone!
Yes, a shot at midnight started it off well only 4 months ago and 30 has already been a milestone year for me as I continue to seek out "firsts" that I never truly considered before. Here's a quick recap of how we've been celebrating a new, amazing decade!
As I reflect on these events and those immediately preceding them, I came to one simple conclusion: 30 Rocks! (Yes, I love Tina Fey too... who doesn't?!) I will admit 29 was a hard year for me, as evidenced by the ramblings in previous blog posts, but by the time my 30th birthday rolled around I was ready to fearlessly jump into a new decade. One the eve of my big 3-0, I had dinner with some wonderful girls and tried sushi for the first time. Yum! When I got home, Nick and I decided to stay up until midnight to celebrate the first minutes of my milestone birthday. We were trying to come up with something "crazy" (as crazy as two parents with three sleeping kids upstairs can be!) to do at midnight, so Nick jokingly suggested we do shots...he was shocked when I told him to find 2 glasses because I wasn't going to do this alone!
Yes, a shot at midnight started it off well only 4 months ago and 30 has already been a milestone year for me as I continue to seek out "firsts" that I never truly considered before. Here's a quick recap of how we've been celebrating a new, amazing decade!
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| In honor of my birthday (ok, we're both March babies so it was for Nick's too!) we took our first cruise together,,, and I got to kiss/hug/dance with an adorable dolphin! |
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| My first sushi experience - The Flaming Scotty Roll! |
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Our trip to Hilton head, just days after turning 30 :) |
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My first half-marathon! What an amazing feeling!  and a wonderful weekend of kid-free quality time!  (and two adorable nieces) on Nick's side, but there's something extra special about my baby brother expecting his first child, a son due in October!  Also, July 4 marked the first anniversary of my first competitive run, a 5K (3.1 mile) in Lawrenceburg. To celebrate, I ran the Firecracker 6 mile downtown honoring and benefiting deployed Hoosiers. I plan to run an event every year on the 4th to commemorate my new love of running :) My advice to my not-yet or just-turned 30 friends reading this...if I can love being 30 as much as I do while caring for 3 kids and rockin' my mini-van, you can absolutely do the same! |
Sunday, June 12, 2011
5x7 Folded Card
Dad Collage Navy Father's Day 5x7 folded card
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Thursday, June 9, 2011
5x7 Folded Card
Sweet Ties Father's Day 5x7 folded card
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Sunday, May 8, 2011
Mommy Marathon: Every Mile Is A Victory
Well, I did it! I completed my first half-marathon yesterday!! I finished the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini Marathon in Indianapolis, the nation's largest half-marathon, with a time of 2:33:42 according to the official results. And my title, which I borrowed from a shirt I saw at the Expo, is absolutely true. Every single mile of the 13.1 was a victory for me. Actually, towards the end, every single step was a small victory!
In case you missed my recap of the weeks leading up to the race, feel free to read this first: Mommy Marathon: In Training.
Race Day was finally here! Traffic was a mess and some of the roads closed much earlier than originally posted, so getting to my starting corral was a challenge but I made it with plenty of time to spare. Standing around for 20 minutes is not how I usually start my runs, so I was getting a little antsy. I had my phone with me since it had all my music on it, but while I waited I was checking Facebook to keep me entertained. I was surprised to see so many friends had already left me "good luck" messages and words of encouragement! Just what I needed to calm my nerves. Finally, my group made it to the starting line about 18 minutes after the official gun-shot start. I'll admit that I got a little emotional as I crossed the starting line in a "wow, I'm really doing this!" kind of way, but I also place some of the blame on mother nature for her not-so-impeccable timing.
The first two miles were much harder than I expected. My body always has to push through the first mile before it settles into a rhythm, but yesterday it took a little longer. I can only assume that 20 minutes of standing around before I got to get started coupled with the initial spacing out of all the runners in my corral contributed to taking a bit longer for me to settle in. I purposely tried to slow my pace from the beginning to give my self a better chance of actually running the whole thing (or at least most of it) so I was pleased to see that after the first 3 miles I had settled in at about 10 minutes/mile. Miles 3-6 were great! I slowed only at the two water stations I stopped at during that time and kept my pace consistent. I also discovered that I can not drink Gatorade while running - it's way to sweet and after the first sip I spit it back out! Luckily the next table was full of water cups, so I helped myself and continued on my way.
Since most of my runs had been about 6 miles or less, I had never encountered the need to use the restroom during a run. Though I had not had a lot to drink since the start of the race, I apparently had quite a bit of water in the morning and wasn't going to make it another 6 or 7 miles to the finish. At every mile marker there were drink stations and porto-lets and usually long lines to use the restroom. Luckily, I heard a couple of runners behind me talking before the race about the restrooms at the track. Actual bathrooms with several stalls that are clean and with a sink to wash your hands were located just before the 10K marker. Excellent!
Miles 7, 8 and part of 9 went around the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway - which I imagined would be awesome. And it was certainly a great experience, but running around that track was brutal because I felt a little bit like a hamster on his wheel wondering when on earth the wheel would stop. To this point the scenery was constantly changing as we ran through the streets of downtown. But the track felt never-ending. Just before I completed mile 8 I hit a wall, both mentally and physically. My brain and my body knew the furthest I had ever run was 8 miles and it was going to take everything I had I push through at that point. I took a few short 10-20 second breaks, walking to regain my momentum, but I was still looking for a bigger push. A few minutes later I would receive my motivation from the most unexpected source! All around the track were cheerleading squads from several of the local high schools in addition to a few IU cheerleaders scattered throughout the course. Actually, the entire course was filled with onlookers and fans cheering for their friends and family members participating, as well as for strangers as we passed by.
The first few squads I saw on the track were a fun little reminder of how far I had come since my own cheerleading days some 15 years ago. Then suddenly, somewhere around mile 9 the most unexpected motivators were standing right in front of me. The cheerleaders from MY ALMA MATER were cheering us on! Seriously, what are the chances? I grew up 2 hours from Indy - this was the most unexpected and wonderful surprise of my day (okay, Dallas Clark and Peyton Manning on the track cheering me on would have been more wonderful and unexpected, but this was pretty awesome!!) So in case anyone reading this knows an ECHS cheerleader, you can tell them the crazy lady high-fiving them in the pink shirt was me :)
Just before I was reunited with my past, I had crossed a pace point at the Yard of Bricks, approximately the 8.5 mile marker. As I watched some of the coverage last night, I learned that many people stopped on the track to "kiss the bricks" as the Indy 500 and Brickyard 400 winners do every year. I must have been concentrating really hard on pushing through because I never even saw the bricks! At this check point I was averaging 10:11/mile (with a bathroom break!) and feeling pretty good, but I knew the hardest part was still to come. Mile 9 was a little rough but mile10 was great as I settled back into a rhythm. I made it about halfway through mile 11 when I realized my body was having trouble keeping up with my brain. My head was telling me I was on the home stretch, just 2.5 more miles! My right knee, however, was throwing the white flag. I had to walk the second half of mile 11 before I felt comfortable trying to run on it again. My leg muscles, on the other hand, starting cramping up after a couple minutes of walking so I started with a slow jog and sped up a little from there. My legs were happy to be running again and my knee was happy to be going a little slower. I was able to jog miles 12 and 13. Adrenaline even gave me an extra push at the end to finish strong!
And much to my surprise, I was not exhausted at the end - I was exhilarated! It was one of the coolest things I have ever experienced in my life, the sense of accomplishment was overwhelming! I had never considered myself a runner, even in high school and college when I had to run for cheerleading - I did it because I had to, not because I wanted to. Even still I am in awe of my most dedicated running friends who finished 13.1 in about 2 hours - 30 minutes faster than me - wondering where they get their speed and endurance! In the end, my overall pace was 11:44/mile obviously slowing down a lot after the Yard of Bricks. But one thing is for certain: with better planning and more consistent training, I should easily be able to beat my time next year! Who's with me?!?
In case you missed my recap of the weeks leading up to the race, feel free to read this first: Mommy Marathon: In Training.
Race Day was finally here! Traffic was a mess and some of the roads closed much earlier than originally posted, so getting to my starting corral was a challenge but I made it with plenty of time to spare. Standing around for 20 minutes is not how I usually start my runs, so I was getting a little antsy. I had my phone with me since it had all my music on it, but while I waited I was checking Facebook to keep me entertained. I was surprised to see so many friends had already left me "good luck" messages and words of encouragement! Just what I needed to calm my nerves. Finally, my group made it to the starting line about 18 minutes after the official gun-shot start. I'll admit that I got a little emotional as I crossed the starting line in a "wow, I'm really doing this!" kind of way, but I also place some of the blame on mother nature for her not-so-impeccable timing.
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| At the Starting Line - with 35,000 other people! |
The first two miles were much harder than I expected. My body always has to push through the first mile before it settles into a rhythm, but yesterday it took a little longer. I can only assume that 20 minutes of standing around before I got to get started coupled with the initial spacing out of all the runners in my corral contributed to taking a bit longer for me to settle in. I purposely tried to slow my pace from the beginning to give my self a better chance of actually running the whole thing (or at least most of it) so I was pleased to see that after the first 3 miles I had settled in at about 10 minutes/mile. Miles 3-6 were great! I slowed only at the two water stations I stopped at during that time and kept my pace consistent. I also discovered that I can not drink Gatorade while running - it's way to sweet and after the first sip I spit it back out! Luckily the next table was full of water cups, so I helped myself and continued on my way.
Since most of my runs had been about 6 miles or less, I had never encountered the need to use the restroom during a run. Though I had not had a lot to drink since the start of the race, I apparently had quite a bit of water in the morning and wasn't going to make it another 6 or 7 miles to the finish. At every mile marker there were drink stations and porto-lets and usually long lines to use the restroom. Luckily, I heard a couple of runners behind me talking before the race about the restrooms at the track. Actual bathrooms with several stalls that are clean and with a sink to wash your hands were located just before the 10K marker. Excellent!
 |
| Running on the Speedway! |
Miles 7, 8 and part of 9 went around the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway - which I imagined would be awesome. And it was certainly a great experience, but running around that track was brutal because I felt a little bit like a hamster on his wheel wondering when on earth the wheel would stop. To this point the scenery was constantly changing as we ran through the streets of downtown. But the track felt never-ending. Just before I completed mile 8 I hit a wall, both mentally and physically. My brain and my body knew the furthest I had ever run was 8 miles and it was going to take everything I had I push through at that point. I took a few short 10-20 second breaks, walking to regain my momentum, but I was still looking for a bigger push. A few minutes later I would receive my motivation from the most unexpected source! All around the track were cheerleading squads from several of the local high schools in addition to a few IU cheerleaders scattered throughout the course. Actually, the entire course was filled with onlookers and fans cheering for their friends and family members participating, as well as for strangers as we passed by.
The first few squads I saw on the track were a fun little reminder of how far I had come since my own cheerleading days some 15 years ago. Then suddenly, somewhere around mile 9 the most unexpected motivators were standing right in front of me. The cheerleaders from MY ALMA MATER were cheering us on! Seriously, what are the chances? I grew up 2 hours from Indy - this was the most unexpected and wonderful surprise of my day (okay, Dallas Clark and Peyton Manning on the track cheering me on would have been more wonderful and unexpected, but this was pretty awesome!!) So in case anyone reading this knows an ECHS cheerleader, you can tell them the crazy lady high-fiving them in the pink shirt was me :)
Just before I was reunited with my past, I had crossed a pace point at the Yard of Bricks, approximately the 8.5 mile marker. As I watched some of the coverage last night, I learned that many people stopped on the track to "kiss the bricks" as the Indy 500 and Brickyard 400 winners do every year. I must have been concentrating really hard on pushing through because I never even saw the bricks! At this check point I was averaging 10:11/mile (with a bathroom break!) and feeling pretty good, but I knew the hardest part was still to come. Mile 9 was a little rough but mile10 was great as I settled back into a rhythm. I made it about halfway through mile 11 when I realized my body was having trouble keeping up with my brain. My head was telling me I was on the home stretch, just 2.5 more miles! My right knee, however, was throwing the white flag. I had to walk the second half of mile 11 before I felt comfortable trying to run on it again. My leg muscles, on the other hand, starting cramping up after a couple minutes of walking so I started with a slow jog and sped up a little from there. My legs were happy to be running again and my knee was happy to be going a little slower. I was able to jog miles 12 and 13. Adrenaline even gave me an extra push at the end to finish strong!
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| My awesome (and much faster!) race buddy |
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| Frozen vegetables tied on with scarves...a lovely Saturday night! Yes, I'm trying to make it so my knees will want to bend again in the near future. |
Mommy Marathon: In Training
My first half-marathon experience was full of ups and downs - and in writer's terms that means the post recapping my experiences was much too long for one entry! Here I detail some of that rollercoaster ride right up to the night before the race.
I started training in January with a 15 week program that was to prepare me for the newest adventure of my "30 crisis." :) I did great for the first 5 or 6 weeks - then we left for our cruise. Everyone knows vacations can be brutal to any workout regimen if you aren't dedicated to staying the course. I had every intention of working out three times during our five-day cruise; I managed one day for about 45 minutes on the elliptical. Then I took another two weeks off after our return because I was so exhausted from the traveling and catching up when we got home. I got back to my regular workout schedule (6 days a week) for one week before the kids and I left for a week in South Carolina with my parents. I worked out once or twice that week and when we returned from that vacation the Mini was a month away! And I was way behind in my training. I had completed the first 8 weeks of P90X in its entirety, which was excellent for building my endurance, but all of my runs to this point had been only 3-4 miles.
So I said a temporary "good-bye" to Tony Horton and tried to find time for longer runs. As any mom knows, however, finding the time was key. I generally did P90 in the basement after the kids were in bed, so time of day was not an issue. However, finding time after Nick got home, we ate dinner, did baths and got everyone in bed for even a 30 minute run in the last bit of daylight was hard enough - and I needed to at least double that amount of time to start getting my muscles used to longer runs. I was so proud of myself for being able to maintain my 5K pace for my 10K (6.2 mi) runs - just under 9 minutes/mile! But leading up the to the race, my longest run had been 8 miles so I was understandably nervous to find out what 13.1 would feel like!
Nevertheless, the night before the race I was excited and nervous. I had gone over to the 500 Expo earlier that day with my good friend Carrie to pick up our race packets so we were prepared for the next morning. My parents surprised me in the afternoon by coming up to spend the night so they could be at the race with me the next day! (A & C had a soccer game in the morning, so Nick was taking all the kids to their game and would not be able to come downtown with me - Thanks Mom and Dad for an awesome surprise!) Everyone had a carb-filled dinner to prepare for the big race and the big soccer game! I was about to head to bed just before 11pm when Nick called down from upstairs... "D just thew up!"
What?! I had no idea he was even feeling bad. He was playing and giggling with my parents while we got the girls ready for bed. How is this happening? So an hour later, after a bath for D, cleaning up puke, changing and washing his sheets and calming him down (this was his first experience with vomiting), everyone was finally ready for bed - though now I was a lot more worried about my baby and very tired from all the "excitement." When the alarm went off at 5:30am, however, I was ready to go. I can only thank adrenaline for the energy I had during the next 8 hours, because it certainly didn't have anything to do with how much sleep I got the night before. On this Mother's Day weekend, I guess it's fitting that my first half-marathon experience had "mom" written all over it!
Want to find out how I did? Keep reading: Mommy Marathon: Every Mile Is A Victory!
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| Training for 13.1 = new shoes! |
I started training in January with a 15 week program that was to prepare me for the newest adventure of my "30 crisis." :) I did great for the first 5 or 6 weeks - then we left for our cruise. Everyone knows vacations can be brutal to any workout regimen if you aren't dedicated to staying the course. I had every intention of working out three times during our five-day cruise; I managed one day for about 45 minutes on the elliptical. Then I took another two weeks off after our return because I was so exhausted from the traveling and catching up when we got home. I got back to my regular workout schedule (6 days a week) for one week before the kids and I left for a week in South Carolina with my parents. I worked out once or twice that week and when we returned from that vacation the Mini was a month away! And I was way behind in my training. I had completed the first 8 weeks of P90X in its entirety, which was excellent for building my endurance, but all of my runs to this point had been only 3-4 miles.
So I said a temporary "good-bye" to Tony Horton and tried to find time for longer runs. As any mom knows, however, finding the time was key. I generally did P90 in the basement after the kids were in bed, so time of day was not an issue. However, finding time after Nick got home, we ate dinner, did baths and got everyone in bed for even a 30 minute run in the last bit of daylight was hard enough - and I needed to at least double that amount of time to start getting my muscles used to longer runs. I was so proud of myself for being able to maintain my 5K pace for my 10K (6.2 mi) runs - just under 9 minutes/mile! But leading up the to the race, my longest run had been 8 miles so I was understandably nervous to find out what 13.1 would feel like!
Nevertheless, the night before the race I was excited and nervous. I had gone over to the 500 Expo earlier that day with my good friend Carrie to pick up our race packets so we were prepared for the next morning. My parents surprised me in the afternoon by coming up to spend the night so they could be at the race with me the next day! (A & C had a soccer game in the morning, so Nick was taking all the kids to their game and would not be able to come downtown with me - Thanks Mom and Dad for an awesome surprise!) Everyone had a carb-filled dinner to prepare for the big race and the big soccer game! I was about to head to bed just before 11pm when Nick called down from upstairs... "D just thew up!"
What?! I had no idea he was even feeling bad. He was playing and giggling with my parents while we got the girls ready for bed. How is this happening? So an hour later, after a bath for D, cleaning up puke, changing and washing his sheets and calming him down (this was his first experience with vomiting), everyone was finally ready for bed - though now I was a lot more worried about my baby and very tired from all the "excitement." When the alarm went off at 5:30am, however, I was ready to go. I can only thank adrenaline for the energy I had during the next 8 hours, because it certainly didn't have anything to do with how much sleep I got the night before. On this Mother's Day weekend, I guess it's fitting that my first half-marathon experience had "mom" written all over it!
Want to find out how I did? Keep reading: Mommy Marathon: Every Mile Is A Victory!
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