Things are changing in the Mom2Triathlon house... Mom may be home more than usual once summer hits. Still a work on progress, but something exciting is coming... ;-)
Discipline has changed too. I like it; the kids do not. Coupons!!
In the past our evenings would sound like this..
Mom: Kid, it's time to do your homework.
Kid: Its soooooo haaaaaard. I caaaaan't dooooo it!!!! (that line can last at least 30 minutes)
Me: Do your homework or I'm taking away [tv, video games, iPhones, etc]!
Kid: I don't care!!! Whatever!
Mom: Fine, no games! And if you don't finish your homework you can go to your room!!!
Now....
Mom: It's time to do your homework. You have 1 hour. If you get it all done, 2 coupons for you! If its not done, no coupons. :(
Kid: Coupons?
Mom: yup, kid, new system. You need coupons to watch tv, play video games, or use a iPhone. No coupon, no games. Toys, books, and journals are free though! :)
Kid: I hate this!!
Mom: But it's working... [insert evil laugh]
FYI, coupons are also earned for school mornings, bedtimes, weekend chores, and Mom surprises. Mom Coupons get trips to McDonalds or Dunkin Donuts too. :D
I have been ready about FlyLady lately too. It's about creating habits to create a calm, less cluttered home. I'm still trying to figure how to mesh Flying with Tri'ing, so it's a work in progress. A positive work.
Tomorrow is supposed to be a bike and swim day, but I have to play it by ear. My Dad is in the hospital and its important I see him.
Have a great weekend!!!
Friday, March 22, 2013
Monday, March 18, 2013
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Ugh... Illness and Balance?
I've half written a bunch of posts over the last week or so, but none have felt ready to publish.
Munchkins had strep throat, fevers, and all the fun that having sick kids entails. Pretty much, we spent a week on the couch with Disney Junior playing 23/7. I ordered Dominos Pizza just to see another human when I reached a point of desperation. [The pizza was poor, but the custom-made mac & cheese pasta was super yummy!]
I had a job thing (more on that later) too. Job's been changing lately, and change is very stressful for me.
Today this picture popped up on my FB page and it really got me thinking.
Let go of the Shoulds, and just Be?
Like "I should clean the kitchen floor", "I should be doing laundry", "I should cook balanced family dinners", and "I shouldn't do anything that takes time away from my kids."
Just BE... who? I AM... a mom who takes her kids with her to the gym so after her workout they can go rock-climbing or swimming. I AM a mom who ignores the kitchen floor so I can play Super Mario Brothers with the kids. I AM the mom that provides clean clothes, but they may still be in laundry baskets at the moment. ;-) Hey, it's clean! As for cooking, my husband is the better balanced cook! Thank goodness he does most of the grocery shopping so there are always healthy options for snacks! I AM the mom who helps with homework while attempting to cook something. I AM the mom that misses out on 2 to 3 afternoons, dinners, and bedtimes with her family each week, so she can go to work at the hospital, taking care of YOUR family and friends. Which I do, with LOVE and COMPASSION, as if they were my own. Until midnight... and then I AM mom again, tucking in sheets and finding lost rabbits.
I Should get up in 7 hours and make a lovely well balanced breakfast that my kids would probably refuse to eat.
Or... I WILL make the Pillsbury cinnamon rolls with frosting that they LOVE, devour, inhale... Maybe they'll even leave one left for me. :-)
And once I've sent them off to school [on a sugar high], I'll Consider the kitchen floor. Consider the dishes. Consider the remaining laundry.
And I'll GO for a run! And GO on the bike! And GO for a swim!
I know who I AM, and I'll be even BETTER when I get back.
Munchkins had strep throat, fevers, and all the fun that having sick kids entails. Pretty much, we spent a week on the couch with Disney Junior playing 23/7. I ordered Dominos Pizza just to see another human when I reached a point of desperation. [The pizza was poor, but the custom-made mac & cheese pasta was super yummy!]
I had a job thing (more on that later) too. Job's been changing lately, and change is very stressful for me.
Today this picture popped up on my FB page and it really got me thinking.
Let go of the Shoulds, and just Be?
Like "I should clean the kitchen floor", "I should be doing laundry", "I should cook balanced family dinners", and "I shouldn't do anything that takes time away from my kids."
Just BE... who? I AM... a mom who takes her kids with her to the gym so after her workout they can go rock-climbing or swimming. I AM a mom who ignores the kitchen floor so I can play Super Mario Brothers with the kids. I AM the mom that provides clean clothes, but they may still be in laundry baskets at the moment. ;-) Hey, it's clean! As for cooking, my husband is the better balanced cook! Thank goodness he does most of the grocery shopping so there are always healthy options for snacks! I AM the mom who helps with homework while attempting to cook something. I AM the mom that misses out on 2 to 3 afternoons, dinners, and bedtimes with her family each week, so she can go to work at the hospital, taking care of YOUR family and friends. Which I do, with LOVE and COMPASSION, as if they were my own. Until midnight... and then I AM mom again, tucking in sheets and finding lost rabbits.
I Should get up in 7 hours and make a lovely well balanced breakfast that my kids would probably refuse to eat.
Or... I WILL make the Pillsbury cinnamon rolls with frosting that they LOVE, devour, inhale... Maybe they'll even leave one left for me. :-)
And once I've sent them off to school [on a sugar high], I'll Consider the kitchen floor. Consider the dishes. Consider the remaining laundry.
And I'll GO for a run! And GO on the bike! And GO for a swim!
I know who I AM, and I'll be even BETTER when I get back.
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Last Summer Registration, Done!
I lieu of a July 5k I signed up for a second June Obstacle run. Lets be honest, who really wants to run 3 miles in the Chicago July heat?!?! Not this mama.
My official race schedule is now April 27, May 11, June 1, June 29, and August 24/25. I do have September and October picked out, but I can't register this early. Plus, my pocketbook needs a break! These things get expensive!
And, unlike my February race, there's no backing out. The first two I'm doing with my brother-in-law, and the other three with my sister. And my son... can't forget his first triathlon is this August too!
It's a Family Thing!
My official race schedule is now April 27, May 11, June 1, June 29, and August 24/25. I do have September and October picked out, but I can't register this early. Plus, my pocketbook needs a break! These things get expensive!
And, unlike my February race, there's no backing out. The first two I'm doing with my brother-in-law, and the other three with my sister. And my son... can't forget his first triathlon is this August too!
It's a Family Thing!
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Fundraiser Race for Children's Hospital
I'm "Racing to Wrigley" on May 11! Fundraising supports the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital (formerly Children's Memorial), where my littlest munchkin was a hematology patient his first year of life. I'm so thankful for the doctors and nurses who supported us that year. If you'd like to make a donation the link is
http://www.race-cubs.com/racetowrigley2013/katsma. Thank you!
I am so thankful for the doctors and nurses that cared for KD when he was struggling with a rare (albeit) survivable diagnosis. KD was a patient for most of his first year of life. I am forever blessed with his health.
http://www.race-cubs.com/racetowrigley2013/katsma. Thank you!
I am so thankful for the doctors and nurses that cared for KD when he was struggling with a rare (albeit) survivable diagnosis. KD was a patient for most of his first year of life. I am forever blessed with his health.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Insomniac Mom
I need to learn how to sleep. The years of night feedings/wakings have turned me into an insomniac.
Obviously, 8 miles of biking followed by 400 meters swimming followed by an 8 hours work day followed by a huge glass of wine isn't enough to wear me out. I'm still wide awake.
[In case you're curious, I got up at 7:45 am with the kids, did mom/wife/gym stuff, worked 3-11:30 pm, and its now 12:40 am. And I'll be up at 7:45 am to make breakfast, lunches, and get 3 kids off to school.] Just thinking about it should exhaust me!
I can't run right now, thanks to stress fractures in my right foot, so tomorrow will be swimming, and possibly a little biking. Today's swim was cut short by a snowstorm, so tomorrow I've got at least 1200 meters to do. :) I can't wait!
Obviously, 8 miles of biking followed by 400 meters swimming followed by an 8 hours work day followed by a huge glass of wine isn't enough to wear me out. I'm still wide awake.
[In case you're curious, I got up at 7:45 am with the kids, did mom/wife/gym stuff, worked 3-11:30 pm, and its now 12:40 am. And I'll be up at 7:45 am to make breakfast, lunches, and get 3 kids off to school.] Just thinking about it should exhaust me!
I can't run right now, thanks to stress fractures in my right foot, so tomorrow will be swimming, and possibly a little biking. Today's swim was cut short by a snowstorm, so tomorrow I've got at least 1200 meters to do. :) I can't wait!
Monday, February 25, 2013
I'm an official member!
I joined the Super Gym today, for real! After two weeks of free passes (Thank you, Emily!), I signed on the dotted line. I would have joined earlier, but I had to make sure the littlest munchkin was going to get into the Early Childhood preschool first. EC is free (public school) and he'll get speech therapy too! If he hadn't qualified I'd be paying for both privately, and a gym membership would have had to wait. So it was a good day. :-)
Double bonus, the "signup fee" I'd been quoted two weeks ago was waived due to a "end of the month" special. :-) Yay!!!
It's funny when I think of how much my perspective has changed. When we joined the Old Gym in 2006, I was leery of the cost. It was cheap per month, but had high joining fees. I figured we had to stay 2 years to make it worth it. We stayed until they closed their door a few months ago. I even got a personal trainer 2.5 years ago!
Six years later, I'm joining a place that costs 7 times as much per month, and not blinking. Six years ago I didn't exercise, I was younger, and didn't value my health as much. Now I work out 6 times a week because, aside from racing, I want to be healthy, and sharing that with my kids is very important. Super Gym has so many opportunities for the kids to be active and learn a healthy lifestyle.
Exercise is a family thing now. :-)
Double bonus, the "signup fee" I'd been quoted two weeks ago was waived due to a "end of the month" special. :-) Yay!!!
It's funny when I think of how much my perspective has changed. When we joined the Old Gym in 2006, I was leery of the cost. It was cheap per month, but had high joining fees. I figured we had to stay 2 years to make it worth it. We stayed until they closed their door a few months ago. I even got a personal trainer 2.5 years ago!
Six years later, I'm joining a place that costs 7 times as much per month, and not blinking. Six years ago I didn't exercise, I was younger, and didn't value my health as much. Now I work out 6 times a week because, aside from racing, I want to be healthy, and sharing that with my kids is very important. Super Gym has so many opportunities for the kids to be active and learn a healthy lifestyle.
Exercise is a family thing now. :-)
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