Virtual Run sans Virtues

So remember the Catholic Exchange 5k run I had signed up for? 

 The hostest with the mostest, Cari, writes about her run here, and explains the kind of weather day we were having up her in New England.  It was a dreary weary un-cheery type of day, and I immediately felt compelled towards sloth (the first of many seven deadly sins I had to contend with that day).  I wanted to stay in bed and eat waffles and bacon and not exercise at all.  And I did just that in the morning.  After a big breakfast, Phil went to the gym while I was envious (sin number 2) that he was getting his workout over while I was sipping coffee in my pajamas and researching couches online.  To make myself feel better, I decided I would get the run done later, and I would do it super fast so I could take a picture of my time when I was done and send it to Cari (pride).   

Once Phil returned home and showered, we went to a furniture store about an hour away and after discovering we couldn't get the sectional we had picked out and researched because I had measured wrong (wrath) we settled on a nice couch and loveseat instead.  Meanwhile the kids ran around the store and had to try out all the furniture and make us look like bad parents.  To help corral them all, we took them to the area where they had a tv and treats for free, and they stored up on candy and ice cream and cookies and then emerged with a sugar high that obviously turned them into little angels for the whole time we were trying to seal the deal.

On the way home from the store, I realized it was 1:00 and we needed some real food, even though I wasn't that hungry.   We pulled through Burger King where I ate a whopper and sweet potato fries and the free ice cream they gave us because the chicken nuggets took so long  (gluttony).  Then I thought, I'm really going to kill this run to make up for all my bad eating (pride, part deux).

And so two hours after eating (not enough time for Burger King fare to digest, in case you were wondering) I was on the treadmill at the gym ready to do this thang.  I set the treadmill to a 7:52 minute mile and started sprinting.  About a half mile in, my I've-had-5-kids-body started to wimp out on me and I needed to go to the bathroom.  Bad.  I made it to .95 of the first mile and had to pause to run off to the bathroom.  The old lady next to me gave me that knowing smile.  By the time I booked it back to my treadmill, the treadmill had reset itself and my super fast almost mile was erased (wrath again).

I restarted at the same super-fast pace (pride) and took off again until I talked myself into slowing down to a walk at what would be the end of mile 2.  As soon as I saw 1.05 (added to the .95 from before made 2) on my distance, I sloooooowed way down to a walk for the next 6/10 of a mile, and then I ran the rest of the time until I got to the 3.1 marker, started walking and tried to take a picture of it for proof and I got this:

By the time I got another picture taken, it was a little over the 3.1 point:

But close enough.

I continued to walk for the rest of the hour thinking about how exercise should be a source of virtues for me (patience, diligence, humility) and that's exactly what God taught me as all of my sinful ways kept messing up my plans for race day.  If I had just focused on completing the race I had agreed to run, and been thankful to God that I was healthy enough to do it,  and not worried about anything else, I'm sure I would have had a much better race.  

That's BK grease, not sweat.  I don't sweat, I glisten.

Oh well, at least there's another one coming up for me to complete with a lot more grace (and for a really good cause!): 

Join me, won't you?

Read about the other runners too!

7 Quick Takes Friday

1) 

I think God knows how busy we are.  It seems every time I bring this guy in for a well-baby check:

He ends up falling ill right before.  (Falling ill...who am I, Emily Bronte?)

It's so good for my schedule not to have to make two separate appointments.  Although, I do think our pediatrician is starting to get a little concerned that she never gets to see him being normal, happy self.

As for his 14 month stats:

28 pounds

32.5 inches

(apparently he's in the 98th percentile for both height and weight....to which I said "There's no way that 2% of the fourteen month olds out there are bigger than him.")

2)

Here is Eamon's soccer team:

As soon as the coach met Eamon, he pronounced his name correctly, knew how to spell it, and said "I love a good Irish name".  I asked him if he was Irish, and he said "100%" to which I squealed "ME TOO!!!!!"  

We Irish are a proud people :)

Turns out that his grandparents are from the same county in Ireland (Donegal) as my Dad and my maternal grandparents.  Which means that I am second generation Irish and he is merely third generation Irish.  

So I win.

Hey, I told you we're a wee bit proud ;)

3)

Shall we continue with the soccer pictures?  I heard a yes!

 Andrew's 8th birthday is next week (gosh, it seems Phil and I need to get a little more creative in our Christmas gift-giving.  You do the pregnancy math.)

Dinner request: "Eggs and biscuits and sausage and bacon.  What?  I like Sunday breakfast."

Cake request: "I want make your own ice cream sundaes instead.  With chocolate and coffee ice cream and tons of toppings."

4)

It's a small world when your kids are involved in every sport imaginable.  Do you see Maggie's only female teammate?  Her mom and I used to bring these baby girls to Mommy and Me and became quite good friends.  Than I started working more and doing less mommy and me things and we sort of lost touch.  Now we are reunited on the soccer sidelines!

Which leads me to the following PSA:

Kids....they make good chick magnets for their mothers.

5)

I am giving away a super awesome shirt!  Enter Here.  I know not every mom of many kids is a runner, and not every runner is a mom of many, but for those crazy Mother Runners out there - take a chance to win!

6) 

What do you think of the new tv shows?  Revolution is a little slow-moving and violent for me, Ben and Kate was cute, and The Mindy Project was funny but cuckoo.  I think we are getting too old to enjoy tv when so many of the jokes have to do with inappropriate immoral situations.  Old fuddy duddies we are.  How about you?

7)

Here's a picture of my oldest four at somebody's birthday party which was incredible planned out and fun. I even met a mom of SIXTEEN there.  16 kids and she was still sane (and hilarious).

TGIF - everybody put on your froot loop necklaces!

  Have a superb weekend everyone!!

My Meatball

Eamon was given the nickname "Meatball" from his Uncle when he was a chubby round baby boy.  That meatball grew up and became a skinny little kid who turned the big 0-6 yesterday!

Let's get this party started!!!!

Birthday Dinner Request: Meatloaf

A watch from Gammy and Grandpa. 

Grandpa had to make new holes in the wristband because my little boy's wrists are so teeny.

Me: Eamon, do you feel older now?

Eamon: A little bit.  I know I'm definitely bigger though.  Andrew said so.

Me: Eamon, what do you want to be when you grow up, now that you're six?

Eamon: Maybe a teacher that teaches about God, or a priest, or an artist, or a fireman because I like to help people.

Here comes the cake...

He sees the exact cake he requested, and pure joy ensues:

Chocolate cake with coffee cinnamon frosting:

Licking the frosting off of Stump Smash:

How old are you now, Eamon?

(Apparently the baby is ten)

Opening the family gifts:

He opened this and said, "Whoa a dollar??!!"

Then realized it was more, and couldn't contain his excitement!!! 

We don't normally give a cash gift, but he really wants one of these and they aren't available to buy until October.

Other favorite gift of the evening? 

The inexpensive pack of Pokemon cards I picked up on a Target trip. 

And just one more time for kicks:

After all the celebrating and before he went up to bed he said "You are the bestest bestest bestest Mommy in the whole world, and I love you so much, and this was my bestest birthday ever!"

Eamon, I hope you always stay so sweet and easy to please. 

 I love you, Meatball.

Wordless Wednesday: The Birthday Boy

Giveaway!!

Do you or someone you know want to win this shirt?

Front:

Back:

I have one too, so we could be twinsies!! 

The shirt (designed by moi) is long-sleeved and size Large.

Just enter the giveaway below and good luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

7 Quick Takes Friday

1) Is my baby having a gender-identity crisis?

First it was the princess wand:

Then the purple sippy cup:

And yesterday, he came walking into the kitchen with this purse.  I kid you not, he even knew how to carry it on his arm:

It is so funny to me to see my son playing with girly toys. 

None of my other boys did because we didn't have any girl toys in the house yet. 

 Now Alexander has his choice in all sorts of toys and while he usually tends towards balls and trucks, his fashionista side does like the purty things in life.

2) 

This reduced carb diet has us eating things like this:

Chicken & Veggie Stirfry

and me acting like a crazy woman while my body adjusts. 

Apparently low carb diets can cause depression.

I'm eating only a reduced carb diet - full of fruits, veggies, and yogurt - and I hope I start feeling normal soon!

3)

Can somebody teach my kids how to use playground equipment properly?

4)

I get these stupid things twice a year at the change of seasons and/or when I'm run-down. 

One time my doctor gave me a prescription for Valtrex (a prescription for the other herpes) to take on the day a coldsore started.  I made Phil go to the pharamacy to get it filled because I would have died from embarrassment. Anyway, that prescription has expired and now I need to go to my new doctor and go through that whole ugly process again.

5) Eamon's 6th birthday meal and cake request:

"Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and if I have to have a birthday vegetable, I'll choose corn.  For my cake I'll have chocolate cake and coffee (?!) frosting and chocolate chips with a Skylander on top".  Should be a busy Wednesday!!

6)

Maggie, explaining why she was crying: It's because Andrew threw the ball and it hit me on my front private!

and later....

Maggie: Daddy is so funny because sometimes when we go up the stairs he smacks me on the back private. 

(Oh my gosh, I hope she isn't saying things like this to her teachers. 
And who taught her "front and back private"? 
Those are the worst names ever!)


7)
 I'll leave you with a blond moment from yours truly:

Group of teachers and I discussing personality types and the famous people who we are "matched" with:

Teacher: Colleen, you have the same personality traits as Hitler and Plato.

Me: Wait, what do you mean?  I have the same personality trait as a lump of clay?

Teacher: Not playdough...Plato.



Have a great weekend everybody!!!

Low-Carb Stuffed Peppers

We are eating less carbs as a rule around here, thanks to being inspired by this little lady and this book (which is on sale!), and we are trying lots of recipes to make sure those meals are still tasty.  We definitely have a keeper with these Stuffed Red Peppers.  And they're easy peasy to make.  Win win.

Ingredients:

3 red bell peppers, halved

1 lb. ground turkey (we use 93% lean)

1 onion, diced

1 cup fresh spinach, chopped

1/2 of 5 oz. container reduced-fat blue cheese crumbles

1 tsp red pepper flakes

2 cloves minced garlic

1 TBS chili powder

1 egg

Topping: Salsa or Tomato Sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Place red pepper "shells" in a baking pan.

Into a bowl, throw all other ingredients except for the topping. 

Mix together with hands, and stuff mixture into peppers.

Top with salsa or sauce:

Cover and cook for about an hour. 

Peppers should be soft and turkey cooked through.

Enjoy!

(Disclaimer: He didn't eat this veggie-filled dinner, but he is cute)