been awhile

Wow, not really writing on here much as of late. Life just seems to be speeding by, between school, running, tee ball, and now Awana, which starts tonight. Tonight's the kickoff and the parents are expected to "dress athletically" and play kickball in this blasted heat w/ the kids. i will prob'ly sweat so much it will look like i pee'd myself, but then they will serve us drinks and hotdogs and we can sign the kids up. Evan has only been in Awana once, in Puggles, so this is really exciting for me to see him learning about Jesus and having fun, meeting new friends and memorizing Scripture!! i think he will really love it. he is such an extrovert and loves going places and doing new things. he was just reminiscing about summer Bible camp today and was cracking me up.

School has been going really well. i sat down on Sunday night and planned for the whole week, which was a 1st for me:). it still only took a little over an hr and got all 5 days planned (well 4 really, bc one whole day reads ZOOOOO all the way across:). Mom brought me a new lesson planner book to the boys' pool party, so that makes it so much easier and feels WAY more organized, which i love. Evan is doing so well in school and i've also been trying to include Miles more by putting the insects or zoo animals or blocks on the table so he can sit there and tinker while we do school and overhear lots of good stuff:) i'm not pushing him, as he will just be turning three TOMORROW *insert small freak out session!!!* i cannot believe my "baby" will be that old tomorrow. makes me sad and proud all at the same time. Anywho, he likes to come and go as we do school, and now that E has decided the front formal dining room is where we need to be (same place we did it all summer), Miles is in the next room over in the playroom playing and coming back and forth. so it's been nice. we've been breezing thru it in like 1 and 1/2 hrs each day, so that's been doable and nice.

Evan's really loving his new chalkboard he got from his b'day:) loves to
use the chalk too. So much easier for school!

Miles loves to write on it too, but he has a much shorter
attn span than E.

Evan, hard at work :)

As for training, i've been doing alot of my runs on the tready at home bc M had a cold and fever one day last week. I usually put on a movie for the boys or turn on starfall on the computer, and then check on them every few minutes. they do really well. I do miss the social aspects of the gym though. I've still been doing my long runs outside on Sunday evenings, and this past Sunday i did my 1st 5 miler. Well, take that back, i think i've done one other 5 miler, but the odometer on our car was off so i thought it was 4.5 when i did it;) so, yeah. but it went really well. felt pretty darn good. funny how after mile 3.5 my legs seemed robotically in their groove like i had pushed a button and they were just going! felt pretty weird and cool. at around mile 4.2 i started to get some rumbling in the jungle, even though i hadn't eaten since lunchtime (it was about 7:30 by this time. well, i did have a banana 1 hr before my run) and then got chills after that. after i got home i felt so nauseous and funk. it was rough. ate dinner but went to bed fairly early. I have still been really worn out lately w/ all the running, but 2 nights in a row got to bed before 9pm!!! go me! I've really been trying to listen to my body more and not stay up like an idiot. i never really get anything done at night anyways besides friddle my life away on FB and look at everyone's ridiculous posts:) ha. so yeah, i've been sticking to my running plan perfectly, well besides some of the "stretch/strengthen" type things. but the running part i've really been consistent w/ to the tee. I went to the gym this morning after school and did a really great 1/2 hour interval workout w/ alot of abs, tri's, bi's a few shoulders and jump squats/ rope. sooo, then did my 2 miler after that and thought i was gonna die. my HR was alot higher than normal (i think. haven't really been wearing my HR monitor bc it's too annoying). i felt like i was sucking wind pretty bad and stopped for like 30 sec after 1 mile to get a drink and mess w/ my ipod and essentially gather my thoughts. Busted out the next mile pretty good and my breathing kinda calmed down. i think part of it is i really hate the gym treadies. no shock absorption so it feels like you're running on revolving concrete. ugh. and, it was HOT as a mother in there, w/ everyone else on the machines and expelling their hot air. the old guy w/ the funky breath next to me didn't help either, but God bless him he got off at nearly my mile mark. WHEW!!! so yeah, whatever. it is going pretty good. i've been pround of myself. Mom told me again she is praying for me concerning that, which really encourages me alot. i feel like ppl have my back and are rooting for me. I have still been doing alot of imagining as i run. that sounds lame, but i imagine myself actually running the race, the crowd, ppl cheering me on, seeing the 12 mile marker and running for the finish line and seeing my finishing time!!!! sometimes i picture myself crying and holding up my arms as i finish, but then smirk to myself, like who am i kidding? i'll probl'y hafta do all that's in me not to just pass out cold as i cross the line! ha. so, that really spurs me on. heard the quote this week that i'd been trying to remember, the one that really hit me hard , like wow, i hafta do this!!! "the difference between a dream and a goal is a deadline." so, i'm turning my dream into a goal. and, it feels wonderful:)

well, i should go. seems my house is in constant state of disarray these days since the homeschooling and/or running have started. i am literally exhausted all the time. I think my bod has been going thru alot of changes from lazy blob to fit person again, so it's been worn out. i'm starting to see my waist again, which is always a plus:) seems running is the only way i have one! I have been trying to get up before the kids do, again, but E is one of those early birds, which irritates me, bc he somehow manages to get up right before i do. Monday i actually beat him to waking up by about 35 minutes and got so much accomplished. asked R later, SO, did you notice you can see our bedroom again? it was so cluttered w/ clothes and junk on the floor...ugh. HATE for my bedroom to be like that. i've really tried to maintain the whole "romance" of it w/ keeping it nice and tidy, but it has just been more chaotic around here. i disappoint myself, but, i'm also so tired that sometimes i just don't care. Luckily, i have a husband who never complains. Gosh, i love him.

Well, M is outgrowing naps i'm afraid. I knew this dreaded dastardly day would come but it makes me  wanna run for the hills!!! i so long for quiet and peace and order, and that never seems to be the case when both boys are awake. i think i'm going to seperate them more, doing different activities. they just get so hyper and in alot more trouble when they are together. more fighting, yelling, hitting. not all the time, but still. i don't do chaos.

well, bye for now. Short