Whew! We are 6 days into May and it has already been CRAZY FULL! Anyone else? Today I’m linking up with the fun Hodgepodge linkup, but scroll on down to the bottom to get a full half marathon recap from my race this past weekend!
Here are the questions to this week’s Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here on Wednesday (May 6) to add your link to the party. See you there!
1. What’s something you may do this month?
It is very much a “Maycember” to remember around here! We have playdates, birthday parties, drama rehearsals and performances, final expo presentations (for all four of my kids + my students), field day, my Mom’s birthday, Mother’s Day, my birthday, high school graduation (for Theo- not as a student, but as an administrator), our anniversary, farm day on the homestead, a bonfire for 100+ people…so I guess I may be doing A LOT…I probably MAY not be sleeping much or taking any naps. But that is what the summer is for. I honestly LOVE this time of year and how hyped everything is. It’s a lot of fun!
2. Hola! Hodgepodge Day lands just after Cinco de Mayo… how do you feel about Mexican food? What’s your favorite dish? Do you make it at home or is it a strictly dine out option?
I’m a big fan of Mexican food- the more authentic, the better! I pretty much always get the fajitas. Besides the very americanized tacos, I do not make much Mexican food at home.
3. When the children of today grow up what do you think they’ll say about this time period? What do you most hope they remember?
I think my children will have fond memories of this time- the time they spend playing outside, the memories that our family makes on hikes, the fact that we have resisted and plan to continue to resist the pull of personal cell phones and other devices.
I hope that they remember laughter and fun and being outside a lot. I hope that they remember that they grew up in a home that really cares about them and desires to keep them safe, while also training them to be out in the big ‘ol world.
I think that it’s very possible that by the time my children are grown, there will be more self-driving cars. Isn’t that wild? Ori is 3, so I wonder what his drivers license test will look like in 13 years.
4. What advice would you give a new mother?
Well, I know what advice to NOT give to a new mother- “it’s only gonna get worse from her” or “enjoy it now, because it just gets harder”. WHY do we say this to new/young Moms? I I know it can be true, but that’s like telling someone that they are fat and ugly. Just because it’s true, doesn’t mean that we should say it! It’s probably the most discouraging thing I’ve ever been told as a mother, and it’s the kind of comment that really sticks in my mind and comes back to me over and over when I’m having a hard day.
Instead, I am a big fan of encouraging a new Mom that she has what it takes, and she gets to set the tone for her mothering and parenting. I think that new Moms these days have SO MUCH NOISE, advice and options to choose from, and it can be so overwhelming. So I would want to equip a young Mom to trust her intuition, have a few trusted advisers- and not be afraid to do it the way that she feels confident and comfortable in.
5. What’s a phrase your mother often said to you? If you’re a mom do you say it to your own children?
A silly one that comes to mind is when I would complain about being hot at night when going to bed, she would say, “just lie still and you will feel a breeze”. It wasn’t until I was a full grown adult that I realized that she just made that up so that I would lie still and fall asleep hahahaha. But, I will admit that I’ve used that same phrase on my kids, too.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
On Sunday, I finally ran my half marathon! I had a lot of feelings about this race, as I had hoped to get a sub 2 hour half for the first time. I was training pretty hard and consistently and had my eyes on the prize….until I broke my elbow. Then, I didn’t run for an entire month and I wasn’t sure I was even going to be able to run at all! Thankfully, I did show up and run…and I had ZERO elbow pain! What a miracle! I didn’t hit my time goal at all, but I felt strong and I had a big smile on my face most of the entire race! I walked up some of the hills, but ran for most of the 13.1 miles. The Flying Pig is truly the BEST race around- it’s so fun, and the spectators are AMAZING!
4am- wake up!
4:15- picked up by my friend to drive the 1 hour to Cincy
5:30- arrive, park and find the baggage bus to drop off my bag.
6:00- get to our corral at the start line. It was PACKED. My elbow got bumped so many times and I was getting annoyed lol
6:45- our corral start time- right at sunrise! It was CHILLY- like 34 degrees, so I started out the run with a hat, gloves and thick sweatshirt. All of that was discarded along the course, never to be seen again haha. A race is the ONLY time that one can get away with throwing trash and random clothing items on the side of the road. There are actually crews that come along and pick all that up and donate it to local charities or thrift stores.
6:45-9:00ish- running that half! Despite the chilly start, the weather was PERFECTION.
FINISH LINE – so happy it’s done! I can’t believe I did it! With a finishing time of 2:20
But, wait! My day wasn’t over yet! I had known since early that morning that my dear friend was most likely in early labor, and I was on call to be her doula! I told her I would run as fast as I possibly could to get to her, and after a quick shower and lunch at home, I headed over to her house. After a few hours of slow labor, things picked up and her sweet baby was born later that evening! I stayed with her until 10:30pm or so, and then stumbled home to bed- EXHAUSTED. Honestly, I’m still trying to recover! What a day!!!!