2:13

This is Lori from Crazy Daisy.

I've hijacked Mrs. Troop's blog.

So you better read fast and leave a comment because I'm pretty sure she has forgotten that I have her password and she may just delete this once she gets home.

It's become obvious to me that she is only going to mention her recent 1/2 marathon in passing so I felt compelled to hack into her blog and let you know that she has been training very hard for it and she ran it in 2 hours and 13 minutes! Her goal was 2 hours and 10 minutes but there were apparently a ton of huge hills that they were not anticipating and I'm just sure she would have ran faster than her goal had there been no hils.

But 2 hours and 13 minutes totally rocks!

We are so proud of you!!!

Mr. Troop e-mailed my husband this post-1/2 marathon picture so I'm SO posting it.

You're my hero.

____________________________

Okay, so I just have to post one more pic because they were holding hands across the finish line.

I think I'm gonna cry.

How sweet is that!?!

(I promise I'm logging off your account now. I'm sure by now you are really wishing you had MY password.)

Posted by Lori from CrazyDaisy

Tired Tuesday

What day is it?

I think I forgot my name.

Or where I left one of the kids.

You know. . . the one with the big brown eyes.

Never mind.

Anyway, OH MY DEAR HEAVENS. . . how can it be that I haven't written one. single. thing. in three weeks?

I'm ashamed.

And embarrassed.

To be completely honest. . . I've been a bit overwhelmed. Wish I had done a better job of documenting the chaos. I've had some good material, for sure. There just hasn't been time.

To give you the quick run down:

The "Virus Epidemic of 2011" (in which all eight children and this mom got very sick) was followed shortly by the "Dual Snow Storm of 2011" (which gave us the majority of two weeks out of school). That was followed by the end of basketball season for two (Son #1 and Daughter #2), the Presidential Tea for Daughter (#5), various other school projects, reports, posters, etc. Followed by our "Getaway Weekend 2011" which wasn't very restful. To be completely honest.

Can anyone say "Spend a weekend without your children so you can drive 12 hours in 36 AND run a 1/2 marathon?"

Not.
Restful.

The kids sure had fun, though, without us! Ha! So grateful for my parents and our sweet sitter and her family who took them all in.

I guess there is some redemptive quality in the whole thing. We DID enjoy the time by ourselves (blessed QUIET) and meals out (YUM) and I am glad I didn't die.

It was a distinct possibility.

13.1 miles is a LONG way to run. (On a side note, if you regularly run FULL marathons, I don't want to hear about it, OK?)

Just don't tell the Coach that it about killed me. He barely broke a sweat. Let me just say he has some amazing qualities that are VERY difficult to live with. Bleck.

Anyway. . .

It is fortunate that the kids documented the snowstorm on my cell phone. That's a relief. Otherwise we might have forgotten. I do have pictures somewhere of the Presidential Tea. Preciousness. But only one picture of our 1/2 marathon adventures because we were . . . well. . . by ourselves. It's on the Coach's phone. But he has it with him.

So can we just start from scratch? Without feeling the need to go back and hash through the last month? Because I am seriously TIRED.

Let's just go on from here.

Maybe I can even pretend I didn't eat that amazingly delicious Red Robin Cheeseburger on Sunday afternoon.

Because I'm pretty sure if you weigh the calories burned running a half marathon and the Red Robin burger. . . the burger wins.

And that's about it. . .

Unless you want to hear about my blisters or sore hamstrings.

No?

Then we're all caught up, now.

Happy Tuesday!

Thankful Thursday

It IS Thursday, right?

I've lost track.

Because after TWO WEEKS of having multiple kids home (sometimes seven) sick, the days have all run together.

And right about the time that the kids were feeling better and could have started heading back to school?

A huge snowstorm hit.

Oh the irony.

Now, don't get me wrong - I LOVE snow days. Christmas Breaks, Spring Breaks, Fall Breaks, days OFF in general are lovely. For the snow days, the Coach is usually home. . . I cook, watch the kids play outside in the snow. . . watch movies and make HUGE batches of hot cocoa.

However. . .

After nursing all eight kids through what appears to have been the longest version of the flu known to man (Daughter #5 missed TWO FULL WEEKS of school). . .

I'm over it.

Before the storm even hit, we'd sucked every bit of FUN out of being all at home together for days on end.

Every. Bit. Of. Fun.

So now. . . on snowday #3, the Coach and I resorted to turning the children into slave labor. The house is clean, the laundry done, folded, and put away, the kitchen clean. . . they even vacuumed under the furniture and organized the toys.

And it's 1:00.

In the afternoon.

They've played outside some. But not for long when the temps are hovering near 0. Ugh. They've watched enough Netflix to kill every brain cell that they have left (and I won't pretend that that is very many). We've even exhausted all of the movies at Blockbuster that we don't either own, have on instant play Netflix, or aren't allowed in our house.

I refuse to cook or bake ONE. MORE. THING. Tomorrow's weigh in will be sad, indeed. Very sad.

But I will still choose to be thankful. There's still lots on my list, today.

1. Healthy kids. The virus seems to be vanquished. And let's just say the kids are back to normal (good and bad)!

2. Healthy Coach. He hasn't come down with it, yet. Thank you, Lord. And pass the IgG.

3. I'm hanging in there. Thought I was going down HARD, yesterday, but three doses of Sambucol later, I'm certain I'll survive.

4. Treadmill. I haven't used it, yesterday or today, but I will. When I feel better. And considering the 18 inches of snow outside, it's a good option to have.

5. Clean House. The Coach is an amazing motivator. Somehow when he says, "Get Busy!" they do. My "could you help me for a bit?" doesn't get much of a response. Ha!

6. My Mom's 4-wheel drive vehicle. Which has enabled the Coach to make his meetings in spite of the weather. And a trip to Walgreens is definitely in our future, today. Even if it's not big enough for everyone to go.

7. A refrigerator and freezer full of food. We could be stuck inside another week or two and have plenty to eat! (not that I'm suggesting that I WANT to be stuck inside another week or two)

8. Diet Dr. Pepper. I had been trying to stay away from it, but these last three weeks it's kept me moving when I didn't think I could.

9. The memories. Sometimes it's hard to get along when you are locked in the house with eight kids. Ok. It's impossible! But I know that the kids will remember this. They'll remember the snow, the flu, the lying on the floor watching movies. And they'll laugh. I hope. Even at the all-out mega-fights that have been raging.

10. Rescheduled hair appointment, chiropractor, dentist appointments, etc. It will be busy making up for the last few weeks, but we'll get it done.

11. Facebook, e-mail, blogs, and texting. It's completely possible to stay in touch with everyone without leaving your house. That's good and bad.

12. The most patient, loving, forgiving, kind, thoughtful, husband in the world. It's true. The kids have been crabby, I've been crabby, and as the kids have gotten better they've needed his loving but firm hand to scrape them off the ceiling and find something creative to do. I was out of creativity. He's stepped in and kept us all working hard and doing right. A big task.

SO. . . for now I'm going to assume that we will have school, tomorrow. In spite of the fact that the roads really aren't any different than they have been. Ha! A girl can HOPE, can't she??

The big boys are playing outside in the snow with cousins. . .

The girls are playing Rumikub with the Coach. . .

And I'm thinking this would be a great time to clean the kitchen fridge and freezer. Because they are GROSS!

Happy Thursday to you all, wherever you are. . . in the snowstorms of the Oklahoma plains or Chicago lakes. . . or in Florida where the temps are in the 60's. Just don't text me to tell me how beautiful your weather is, OK?

What are YOU thankful for, today?