If this doesn’t inspire and give you chills, I don’t know what will:
We're The Superhumans
Talk about badass!
Friday, July 15, 2016
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
First Anniversary
Jillian Daugherty Mavriplis and her husband Ryan celebrated their first anniversary! Congrats to the couple - role models for many of us new to the Ds community.
First Anniversary
First Anniversary
Friday, July 8, 2016
Motherhood Around the World
The fourth year of my favorite blogger series is starting again! Motherhood Around the World composed by Joanna Goddard. I’m sure I’ve posted about this series before.
The fourth year starts off with Thailand. I find every single one so interesting! My cousin and his wife live in Spain [she is also Moroccan] so it was fun to see the traditions there.
Enjoy!
The fourth year starts off with Thailand. I find every single one so interesting! My cousin and his wife live in Spain [she is also Moroccan] so it was fun to see the traditions there.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, July 6, 2016
Lately
I guess less blogging is a good thing - life is fairly calm right now, just the way we like it.
Nora: just the usual... I’ve been worried about her learning to swim. We halted swim lessons right before Hannah was born. She has used a floaty vest and doesn’t want to get her head wet - afraid of water up her nose.
This past weekend we went to the Blue Ash Rec pool with some friends and I predicted what would happen [which did]: Nora would see her friend without floatation, diving and dunking under water which would influence her - and it did! Nora stripped her floaty vest [the water was under 2' deep] and began dunking under water and going down the kiddie slide by herself! :: fist pump :: So proud of her.
The sitter’s kids are also starting up lessons at the new swim facility down the road - all the kids had to go along and Nora now wants to start again. This is a good thing! After swim season, we’ll look into signing her up again.
Hannah: Signing just took off about two weeks ago! Hannah signs please, more, cracker, dog, sing, bath, sleepy. She tries to say “dog,” “this,” and “that.” Now that she has two front teeth [which we can never quite see under her lip], she’s trying new sounds. She’ll point and say “ths, ths” - good stuff!
We keep working on pulling to stand - it’s work. No crawling even though she gets on all fours. I’m being patient for now.
No update on eyes - follow up the first week of August - hoping these patches do the trick...
Nutrition - last week the sitter chose not to tube feed Hannah two times because she ate so well! We give her full freedom to make the call - she knows Hannah just as well as we do. I also talked to our Speech Therapist about the calories the Nutritionalist wants us to force into Hannah. She basically said stop tube feeding Hannah - ! We know her, how she eats. Hannah has no trouble eating. She may dip down a bit in weight or plateau, then will re-adjust herself and most likely gain weight. Our ST said she has another family who did just this and it played out well.
I’m a little nervous but Tim’s wanted to pull the trigger on this. If Hannah does drop drastically in weight, we can go back on as needed. The only hesitation is her fluid intake - at most she drinks 1c milk and 1c water a day. We still flush Pedialyte through her daily.
Once a kid is independent of their tube, the medical professionals wait at least 3-6 months before removing it to truly make sure they are independent.
Me: Starting up training for my fall half - the Queen Bee. My last larger race was the Heart 15K. I haven’t run past 6 miles since then. I should be okay - I really need to get a bit stricter on my food, sleep and strength training. I’ve slacked on my food a bit with summer indulgences. I need to get to bed earlier on Friday nights so I have a good Saturday long run.
I try to do a little yoga at least twice a week but need to incorporate more strength in my core and legs... I have a bunch of short workouts I just need to DO.
Tim and I also went to see Phish over a week ago with good friends - it was fun and strange to be gone for two nights from the girls! It takes me a few hours to shift my focus from the girls to myself. Two days gone was plenty - so ready to be home!
Nora: just the usual... I’ve been worried about her learning to swim. We halted swim lessons right before Hannah was born. She has used a floaty vest and doesn’t want to get her head wet - afraid of water up her nose.
This past weekend we went to the Blue Ash Rec pool with some friends and I predicted what would happen [which did]: Nora would see her friend without floatation, diving and dunking under water which would influence her - and it did! Nora stripped her floaty vest [the water was under 2' deep] and began dunking under water and going down the kiddie slide by herself! :: fist pump :: So proud of her.
The sitter’s kids are also starting up lessons at the new swim facility down the road - all the kids had to go along and Nora now wants to start again. This is a good thing! After swim season, we’ll look into signing her up again.
Hannah: Signing just took off about two weeks ago! Hannah signs please, more, cracker, dog, sing, bath, sleepy. She tries to say “dog,” “this,” and “that.” Now that she has two front teeth [which we can never quite see under her lip], she’s trying new sounds. She’ll point and say “ths, ths” - good stuff!
We keep working on pulling to stand - it’s work. No crawling even though she gets on all fours. I’m being patient for now.
No update on eyes - follow up the first week of August - hoping these patches do the trick...
Nutrition - last week the sitter chose not to tube feed Hannah two times because she ate so well! We give her full freedom to make the call - she knows Hannah just as well as we do. I also talked to our Speech Therapist about the calories the Nutritionalist wants us to force into Hannah. She basically said stop tube feeding Hannah - ! We know her, how she eats. Hannah has no trouble eating. She may dip down a bit in weight or plateau, then will re-adjust herself and most likely gain weight. Our ST said she has another family who did just this and it played out well.
I’m a little nervous but Tim’s wanted to pull the trigger on this. If Hannah does drop drastically in weight, we can go back on as needed. The only hesitation is her fluid intake - at most she drinks 1c milk and 1c water a day. We still flush Pedialyte through her daily.
Once a kid is independent of their tube, the medical professionals wait at least 3-6 months before removing it to truly make sure they are independent.
Me: Starting up training for my fall half - the Queen Bee. My last larger race was the Heart 15K. I haven’t run past 6 miles since then. I should be okay - I really need to get a bit stricter on my food, sleep and strength training. I’ve slacked on my food a bit with summer indulgences. I need to get to bed earlier on Friday nights so I have a good Saturday long run.
I try to do a little yoga at least twice a week but need to incorporate more strength in my core and legs... I have a bunch of short workouts I just need to DO.
Tim and I also went to see Phish over a week ago with good friends - it was fun and strange to be gone for two nights from the girls! It takes me a few hours to shift my focus from the girls to myself. Two days gone was plenty - so ready to be home!
 |
| The regular Phish Crew! |
 |
| Post storm - rained on us 2/3 of the show! |
 |
| Our camping neighbors - ! Turns out they were older than us! |
Monday, June 13, 2016
Quality of Life
Not sure if everyone saw the “viral” story about the Mother whose baby was diagnosed with Ds and the letter she sent to her OB who suggested abortion...
Mom's Letter to OB
I had read this on a different website and made the mistake of reading comments made on the story... it was a punch in my gut. People were making mean, hurtful comments about special needs people draining resources, the parents will outlive their child, people commenting how they watched their parents lived sad lives, depleted from caring for their special needs siblings... It ruined my mood for the end of my week.
I thought, “AM I being blind to what Hannah’s future will be? ARE my expectations too high?”
I also saw an OB’s response to this letter:
Ds Ethics
I do agree - expecting parents should always be presented with all the facts that come with Ds; slower development, therapies, possible medical complications. However, to say and assume that the baby and parents will have a low quality of life feels like a subjective statement and not necessarily true.
Those with Ds are NOT always sick. They live to the average age of 60. The divorce rate for parents with a child with Ds is lower than the national average. 96% of siblings felt great affection and pride for their sibling with Ds.
Then a third open letter came out from a woman and fellow Ds Mom whom I admire:
Rebuttal to the TIME OB article
I was shocked at this: “13 percent of doctors admitted to emphasizing the negative aspects of Down syndrome so parents would elect for termination.” Wow.
A new baby shifts any family’s life. I think Tim and I can confidently say we don’t feel our quality of life is “low.” I think most of the families we know in the Ds community would agree.
Hopefully more medical professionals can truly be unbiased, be up-to-date on their Ds facts and show a bit of compassion despite any family’s beliefs and background.
Mom's Letter to OB
I had read this on a different website and made the mistake of reading comments made on the story... it was a punch in my gut. People were making mean, hurtful comments about special needs people draining resources, the parents will outlive their child, people commenting how they watched their parents lived sad lives, depleted from caring for their special needs siblings... It ruined my mood for the end of my week.
I thought, “AM I being blind to what Hannah’s future will be? ARE my expectations too high?”
I also saw an OB’s response to this letter:
Ds Ethics
I do agree - expecting parents should always be presented with all the facts that come with Ds; slower development, therapies, possible medical complications. However, to say and assume that the baby and parents will have a low quality of life feels like a subjective statement and not necessarily true.
Those with Ds are NOT always sick. They live to the average age of 60. The divorce rate for parents with a child with Ds is lower than the national average. 96% of siblings felt great affection and pride for their sibling with Ds.
Then a third open letter came out from a woman and fellow Ds Mom whom I admire:
Rebuttal to the TIME OB article
I was shocked at this: “13 percent of doctors admitted to emphasizing the negative aspects of Down syndrome so parents would elect for termination.” Wow.
A new baby shifts any family’s life. I think Tim and I can confidently say we don’t feel our quality of life is “low.” I think most of the families we know in the Ds community would agree.
Hopefully more medical professionals can truly be unbiased, be up-to-date on their Ds facts and show a bit of compassion despite any family’s beliefs and background.
Memorial Day Weekend and Beyond
Trying to keep up!
Memorial Day weekend [Thursday] Tim and I went to Indy for a My Morning Jacket show [my favorite band since their debut back in 1998].
It was Tim and my first night out since my office holiday party on Dec. 11th - !! I couldn’t believe it. I even checked our calendar - yup. Whoops.
It was a perfect night, loved being able to sit on a restaurant patio with a beer and just sit.
My parents wonderfully spent the night at our house. Katherine stopped by to visit and did some amazing face swaps with her phone and sent them to us. I was crying laughing so hard - especially the Nora/Dad one!
This past weekend was [too] jammed:
Saturday:
8am oil change
9-11am Champion siding consult
2:15 left to drop off girls at Krons so we could make a
4:30 wedding. Left the wedding at
7pm to take advantage of IKEA with no children in tow! Left IKEA close to
9pm and got a nightcap in downtown Milford
Sunday:
8am groceries. Tim left to get girls around
9:15 while I ran. He got home with girls at
11:30am Then off to a friend’s birthday party at
1:30 Was tons of fun seeing people, albeit hot. Left party at
4:30 and had to wake the girls up in the car.
Whew! Looking forward to an empty Father’s Day weekend!
Memorial Day weekend [Thursday] Tim and I went to Indy for a My Morning Jacket show [my favorite band since their debut back in 1998].
It was Tim and my first night out since my office holiday party on Dec. 11th - !! I couldn’t believe it. I even checked our calendar - yup. Whoops.
It was a perfect night, loved being able to sit on a restaurant patio with a beer and just sit.
 |
| Stayed across from The Colts stadium - HUGE! |
 |
| At a state park in downtown Indy - they provided lawn seats! |
My parents wonderfully spent the night at our house. Katherine stopped by to visit and did some amazing face swaps with her phone and sent them to us. I was crying laughing so hard - especially the Nora/Dad one!
 |
| BWAAHAHAHAA! |
This past weekend was [too] jammed:
Saturday:
8am oil change
9-11am Champion siding consult
2:15 left to drop off girls at Krons so we could make a
4:30 wedding. Left the wedding at
7pm to take advantage of IKEA with no children in tow! Left IKEA close to
9pm and got a nightcap in downtown Milford
Sunday:
8am groceries. Tim left to get girls around
9:15 while I ran. He got home with girls at
11:30am Then off to a friend’s birthday party at
1:30 Was tons of fun seeing people, albeit hot. Left party at
4:30 and had to wake the girls up in the car.
 |
| Hannah and her Bud, Stu. |
 |
| 5pm catnap on Mama! |
Whew! Looking forward to an empty Father’s Day weekend!
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
Ds Parents: Online Community + Support
I’ve come to the personal realization that part of why individuals with Ds have more acceptance and inclusion is due to social media. Truly. By families showing their typical lives and what life is like with a child who has Ds, the general public is realizing their preconceived notions of Ds are pretty wrong.
I still frequent the Babycenter message boards to find newly diagnosed Ds pregnancies or births. A lot of us Ds Moms tell our stories and show photos - reassure terrified parents that life will be normal.
I had an online chat with another Mom about painting life too “flourishy.” Our lives are a joy with our children, but we admittedly have more hurdles and very hard days, too. Personally, I probably over-compensate the Ds joys to convince prenatal diagnoses to continue their journey and not terminate simply because of an extra chromosome.
The hard days are more in my own head/my own emotions. I cringe when people whine about petty things. It stings when people say “We had a DNA scare,” “Thank God he/she was ‘healthy’ and ‘normal.’” I slip away when parents start talking about milestones. I nearly smacked a fellow Ds Mom when she whined about her daughter walking by age two. I looked her in the eye and said “Well, I’d be happy if Hannah was crawling at two.” I think she realized what she was complaining about and replied, “It’s all relative, isn’t it?” Yes, it is.
I follow so many parents’ blogs. I bookmark their posts for future reference and reassurance. Kelle Hampton was one of the first Moms I followed after Hannah’s diagnosis. She wrote a book about her daughter’s birth diagnosis and the year after.
Bloom
She posted this a short while back that made me smile and know I’m doing it right and a lot of people have my back:
I still frequent the Babycenter message boards to find newly diagnosed Ds pregnancies or births. A lot of us Ds Moms tell our stories and show photos - reassure terrified parents that life will be normal.
 |
| THIS is appreciative. THIS is what I want everyone to understand. |
I had an online chat with another Mom about painting life too “flourishy.” Our lives are a joy with our children, but we admittedly have more hurdles and very hard days, too. Personally, I probably over-compensate the Ds joys to convince prenatal diagnoses to continue their journey and not terminate simply because of an extra chromosome.
The hard days are more in my own head/my own emotions. I cringe when people whine about petty things. It stings when people say “We had a DNA scare,” “Thank God he/she was ‘healthy’ and ‘normal.’” I slip away when parents start talking about milestones. I nearly smacked a fellow Ds Mom when she whined about her daughter walking by age two. I looked her in the eye and said “Well, I’d be happy if Hannah was crawling at two.” I think she realized what she was complaining about and replied, “It’s all relative, isn’t it?” Yes, it is.
I follow so many parents’ blogs. I bookmark their posts for future reference and reassurance. Kelle Hampton was one of the first Moms I followed after Hannah’s diagnosis. She wrote a book about her daughter’s birth diagnosis and the year after.
Bloom
She posted this a short while back that made me smile and know I’m doing it right and a lot of people have my back:
Catch Up
What? Over three weeks since my last post? I guess that’s a good thing - nothing majorly throwing off our groove lately!
-------
Hannah’s eye patch has been going well... although I’m not noticing a difference : ( We have a follow up the first week of August...
We’ve seen some progress with Hannah’s gross motor skills. We’re working on sitting on a “bench” and having her pull to stand while holding our fingers. She loves it. She’s also straightening her legs while on her belly so she’s an inverted-V shape. All this is great, we just need her to to not lock her legs... : P
She’s also pulling to kneel everywhere which is great too...
-------
We regularly get an annual pass to the Cincy Nature Center - it’s just down the road and a wonderful huge park. Hannah cannot walk and strollers are not easy or allowed in certain places... We never did baby wearing so we decided to get a hiking carrier! They roll pretty pricey, so I went on eBay and found one that was “reasonable.” We’ve already used it at the Nature Center and at Parky’s Farm at Winton Woods - we love it and so does Hannah!
-------
Well - it happened. Dance is done. About two weekends ago, Nora said she was “too tired” to attend dance [and a retirement home performance only 45 minutes after class!]. So Tim laid out that if she didn’t attend that day, she was done. She knew. The day was a little tense. At some point when I was out, Nora turned to Tim, “I’m sorry. I didn't really like dance. When I went to Adalyn’ class the first time, I did have fun and thought it would be fun, but now I just don't want to do it.” Wow - to apologize and articulate her feeling and reasons? Nora knows. She gets it all. All the time.
But photo day happened prior to that; where I miraculously got her hair in a minuscule bun. We now have an expensive Halloween costume that will be worn until it is threadbare. I was also the only parent who was not purchasing photos that day. Good ol’ Stine - I ain’t payin’ for that hype!
We’re taking the summer off from activities. Plenty of studies show that unscripted play [and the great outdoors] are so important. I’m not rushing for another activity. Nora said she wants to try Tae Kwon Do, which I’m all for... We’re just going to wait out a bit to see if she really does want to try.
-------
Also - preschool year one is a wrap! What a blur! Nora loved school so much. She’s excited to be in the 4’s class next year. Which is strange... I feel like Nora should be heading to Kindergarten next year... based on her behavior and cleverness, she just seems older. Plus she will turn five [!] earlier than her classmates.
-------
Finally, had a hard morning this past Monday. Nora received a gash on her palm Sunday. It wasn’t a huge deal to her. Monday she woke up thinking it was still the weekend - ruh roh. I broke the news that we were headed to the sitter’s which threw her into turmoil. (I’ve learned you have prepare kids for what’s to come - surprises are not good.) So this evolved into a truly emotional meltdown for her.
Nora was sobbing real tears, incredibly sad, she did not want to leave. Sobbing for someone to stay home with her. She gutted me... working Mom tears were bubbling up. It’s impossible to explain to a four-year-old that some Mommies work outside the home so I can pay for medical bills, so I can help pay for Daddy’s eventual new car, so we can replace our dilapidated house siding...
I remained calm and sympathetic the entire morning. Able to get her in the car, had to physical wrestle her into Alison’s house. I sat with Nora for a long time. Eventually realizing a lot of her worry was about the cut on her hand. She didn’t want the sitter or any other children touching it or fixing it. I reassured her she was in charge of her boo-boo; no one would touch it until she said it was okay. This seemed to alleviate some worry, but I still had a hard time leaving her - half an hour after I should have left.
And of course when Tim picked her up, she’d had a great typical day : ) I’m thankful for Nora’s adaptable personality!
-------
Hannah’s eye patch has been going well... although I’m not noticing a difference : ( We have a follow up the first week of August...
We’ve seen some progress with Hannah’s gross motor skills. We’re working on sitting on a “bench” and having her pull to stand while holding our fingers. She loves it. She’s also straightening her legs while on her belly so she’s an inverted-V shape. All this is great, we just need her to to not lock her legs... : P
She’s also pulling to kneel everywhere which is great too...
-------
We regularly get an annual pass to the Cincy Nature Center - it’s just down the road and a wonderful huge park. Hannah cannot walk and strollers are not easy or allowed in certain places... We never did baby wearing so we decided to get a hiking carrier! They roll pretty pricey, so I went on eBay and found one that was “reasonable.” We’ve already used it at the Nature Center and at Parky’s Farm at Winton Woods - we love it and so does Hannah!
 |
| The 37-lb test went well! |
-------
Well - it happened. Dance is done. About two weekends ago, Nora said she was “too tired” to attend dance [and a retirement home performance only 45 minutes after class!]. So Tim laid out that if she didn’t attend that day, she was done. She knew. The day was a little tense. At some point when I was out, Nora turned to Tim, “I’m sorry. I didn't really like dance. When I went to Adalyn’ class the first time, I did have fun and thought it would be fun, but now I just don't want to do it.” Wow - to apologize and articulate her feeling and reasons? Nora knows. She gets it all. All the time.
But photo day happened prior to that; where I miraculously got her hair in a minuscule bun. We now have an expensive Halloween costume that will be worn until it is threadbare. I was also the only parent who was not purchasing photos that day. Good ol’ Stine - I ain’t payin’ for that hype!
We’re taking the summer off from activities. Plenty of studies show that unscripted play [and the great outdoors] are so important. I’m not rushing for another activity. Nora said she wants to try Tae Kwon Do, which I’m all for... We’re just going to wait out a bit to see if she really does want to try.
-------
Also - preschool year one is a wrap! What a blur! Nora loved school so much. She’s excited to be in the 4’s class next year. Which is strange... I feel like Nora should be heading to Kindergarten next year... based on her behavior and cleverness, she just seems older. Plus she will turn five [!] earlier than her classmates.
 |
| First Day - Sept 8, 2015 |
 |
| Last Day - May 10, 2016 |
-------
Finally, had a hard morning this past Monday. Nora received a gash on her palm Sunday. It wasn’t a huge deal to her. Monday she woke up thinking it was still the weekend - ruh roh. I broke the news that we were headed to the sitter’s which threw her into turmoil. (I’ve learned you have prepare kids for what’s to come - surprises are not good.) So this evolved into a truly emotional meltdown for her.
Nora was sobbing real tears, incredibly sad, she did not want to leave. Sobbing for someone to stay home with her. She gutted me... working Mom tears were bubbling up. It’s impossible to explain to a four-year-old that some Mommies work outside the home so I can pay for medical bills, so I can help pay for Daddy’s eventual new car, so we can replace our dilapidated house siding...
I remained calm and sympathetic the entire morning. Able to get her in the car, had to physical wrestle her into Alison’s house. I sat with Nora for a long time. Eventually realizing a lot of her worry was about the cut on her hand. She didn’t want the sitter or any other children touching it or fixing it. I reassured her she was in charge of her boo-boo; no one would touch it until she said it was okay. This seemed to alleviate some worry, but I still had a hard time leaving her - half an hour after I should have left.
And of course when Tim picked her up, she’d had a great typical day : ) I’m thankful for Nora’s adaptable personality!
Sunday, May 1, 2016
Race Season
It’s that time of year - early May is race season!
Flying Pig, Nashville Rock ‘n’ Roll, and numerous more.
I didn’t even run a Half until after Nora was born. I think I’ve only run three though it feels like more!
A friend of mine commented on how proud she was of me finding time to balance myself and clear my head - it’s true - that’s what running is for me - it’s my “thing.” My outlet.
Before [and after] Nora was born, my weekday runs were immediately after work. Nora was too young to eat dinner with us, so it was easy. I think I did this up until I became pregnant with Hannah and Nora was two and a half, older and eating dinner with us.
Once I got the clear to run after Hannah - hmm. Two kids to feed and get to bed meant no more after-work running. And I have zero energy once they get in bed to run. In the winter of 2015, I was able to squeeze in three miles at lunchtime at work. The Cincinnati Squash Academy is below us with locker rooms we can use. Now and then a workmate ran with me.
However, work increased and guilt came to play being away for that hour [I know it sounds ridiculous, but that’s how hard my office works].
So almost a year ago I bit the bullet and decided 2X a week to get up at 5am and get in a few miles before the rest of the house woke. Luckily I’m a morning person and it really does jumpstart my day. As they say, the hardest part is simply getting out of bed. My determination is strong enough to get me up. I can honestly say I don’t feel more tired after running at 5am.
So back to this weekend - I ran the Pig 10K. This is the 2nd year where I’ve “just” done the Heart 15K [March], Pig 10K[May], Hudy 14K [Sept], and the Queen Bee Half [Oct]. It’s a very comfortable running schedule.
Loads of friends posted their race photos today and I find myself envious of running 13.1! Even though nearly every friend had a really hard time!
We’ll see if I decide to do two halves in 2017. For some strange reason in my head, I don’t want to until Hannah learns to walk; we have most our time with her on weekends, those mornings can be used to work with her learning motor skills. I’m crazy, right?
Anyway, I think I’ve found my new running schedule and it works. I’m grateful for a supportive husband and I try to work around my family.
I told Tim, I want a bumper sticker that says “I’d rather be running.” : )
Flying Pig, Nashville Rock ‘n’ Roll, and numerous more.
I didn’t even run a Half until after Nora was born. I think I’ve only run three though it feels like more!
A friend of mine commented on how proud she was of me finding time to balance myself and clear my head - it’s true - that’s what running is for me - it’s my “thing.” My outlet.
Before [and after] Nora was born, my weekday runs were immediately after work. Nora was too young to eat dinner with us, so it was easy. I think I did this up until I became pregnant with Hannah and Nora was two and a half, older and eating dinner with us.
Once I got the clear to run after Hannah - hmm. Two kids to feed and get to bed meant no more after-work running. And I have zero energy once they get in bed to run. In the winter of 2015, I was able to squeeze in three miles at lunchtime at work. The Cincinnati Squash Academy is below us with locker rooms we can use. Now and then a workmate ran with me.
However, work increased and guilt came to play being away for that hour [I know it sounds ridiculous, but that’s how hard my office works].
So almost a year ago I bit the bullet and decided 2X a week to get up at 5am and get in a few miles before the rest of the house woke. Luckily I’m a morning person and it really does jumpstart my day. As they say, the hardest part is simply getting out of bed. My determination is strong enough to get me up. I can honestly say I don’t feel more tired after running at 5am.
So back to this weekend - I ran the Pig 10K. This is the 2nd year where I’ve “just” done the Heart 15K [March], Pig 10K[May], Hudy 14K [Sept], and the Queen Bee Half [Oct]. It’s a very comfortable running schedule.
Loads of friends posted their race photos today and I find myself envious of running 13.1! Even though nearly every friend had a really hard time!
 |
| Still get a medal for the Pig 10K! |
We’ll see if I decide to do two halves in 2017. For some strange reason in my head, I don’t want to until Hannah learns to walk; we have most our time with her on weekends, those mornings can be used to work with her learning motor skills. I’m crazy, right?
Anyway, I think I’ve found my new running schedule and it works. I’m grateful for a supportive husband and I try to work around my family.
I told Tim, I want a bumper sticker that says “I’d rather be running.” : )
Painting!
I think the last painting we did was Nora’s pink wall which became a disaster? THE Pink Wall
Our house was built in 1980. I think updates on *just* the first floor were made within the past five years. They put most of their focus on the first floor. New [cheap] carpet, older IKEA cabinets [which are still great], and the huge amount of this PEAR paint color.
Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t dislike the pear, but it’s a bit much for our entire living and dining room. Plus it’s a touch dated. Trends now are for WHITE - light and bright. How can you go wrong?
You’ll remember our kitchen was a chocolate brown - very early 2000s. Chocolate Kitchen I’m still so happy with the results.
We bought more paint with primer included. Prepped/taped on Saturday night. Sunday came and knowing Nora, she’d want to be involved. We tried to give her her own paint brush, but the globs of paint dripping from her brush threw Tim into stress after only 1o minutes. I stepped in and tried to direct her [with more patience]. Tim threw in the towel super fast and took the girls to his Mom & Dad’s so Christine was alone in the house to paint two coats in the dining room on her own!! It was such a nice day even Ailo stayed out - it was a bit surreal.
After learning from my Dad to lay it on thick [despite what professionals say], I was done with two coats in around two hours. It makes a huge difference already and our next step is to replace the weak lighting fixture... I originally thought I wanted a drum light, but have been seeing rattan/Bohemian fixtures like this one that we may turn to: Boho Fixture
We also painted over the chocolate brown wall that you see as soon as you enter. Today we hit Home Emporium in Springdale [Best. Store. Ever.] We found a large mirror for $60 to bounce some light from the front door - I’d like to flank the mirror with some smaller art pieces.
And eventually Tim and I agreed we’ll paint the living room a cool light grey for a calmer effect. It’s a two-story job, so we may end up hiring someone...
Our house was built in 1980. I think updates on *just* the first floor were made within the past five years. They put most of their focus on the first floor. New [cheap] carpet, older IKEA cabinets [which are still great], and the huge amount of this PEAR paint color.
Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t dislike the pear, but it’s a bit much for our entire living and dining room. Plus it’s a touch dated. Trends now are for WHITE - light and bright. How can you go wrong?
You’ll remember our kitchen was a chocolate brown - very early 2000s. Chocolate Kitchen I’m still so happy with the results.
We bought more paint with primer included. Prepped/taped on Saturday night. Sunday came and knowing Nora, she’d want to be involved. We tried to give her her own paint brush, but the globs of paint dripping from her brush threw Tim into stress after only 1o minutes. I stepped in and tried to direct her [with more patience]. Tim threw in the towel super fast and took the girls to his Mom & Dad’s so Christine was alone in the house to paint two coats in the dining room on her own!! It was such a nice day even Ailo stayed out - it was a bit surreal.
After learning from my Dad to lay it on thick [despite what professionals say], I was done with two coats in around two hours. It makes a huge difference already and our next step is to replace the weak lighting fixture... I originally thought I wanted a drum light, but have been seeing rattan/Bohemian fixtures like this one that we may turn to: Boho Fixture
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| Dining Room before |
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| Dining Room after |
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| You can see how bold the pear is above - it feels more intense at night! |
We also painted over the chocolate brown wall that you see as soon as you enter. Today we hit Home Emporium in Springdale [Best. Store. Ever.] We found a large mirror for $60 to bounce some light from the front door - I’d like to flank the mirror with some smaller art pieces.
And eventually Tim and I agreed we’ll paint the living room a cool light grey for a calmer effect. It’s a two-story job, so we may end up hiring someone...
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