A Tough Mudder Weekend, Sensational Sunday and Unmotivated Monday All in One

I don’t even know where to begin. I finally have a moment to sit at my desk and my head is spinning. The past 3 days have been insane.

Let’s see … Friday I left bright and early for Lexington, KY. It was finally time to run a Tough Mudder with Ann and Megan, the winners of my Tough Mudder Madness contest. But first I got to spend the day with these amazing people.

From left to right that’s Jimmy, Tiger, me, Emmie, and Alan.

Emmie was our gracious host, acting as Lexington tour guide and letting us all crash at her house. She took us to the racetrack and a fabulous restaurant, but I’ll share that all on TheUnworldlyTravelers when I get a chance. If I go into too many details this post will be a novel. Plus I’m on the clock as Little Bean is napping.

Anyway, the next day the Tough Mudder team was ready. Well, as ready as you can be on a cold October day facing 12 miles and 21 obstacles.

I was REALLY cold but super excited to be doing my seventh Mudder.

The course was tough and the weather wasn’t helping but we gave it our all.

Not everyone was able to finish the course but I don’t want to focus on that. Everyone on this Mudder team did their absolute best. We all faced fears, took on the challenge and worked together as a team.

It was an AMAZING experience and I’m SO proud of everyone.

The next day (Sunday) I woke up bright and early for my 7 a.m. flight making it home in time to take this guy to his best friend’s birthday bowling party.

Then we went grocery shopping for the week.

The rest of Sunday we just chilled as a family. It was so nice to make dinner and eat with the family. The Husband left for tennis practice afterwards  and The 8-year-old and I fell asleep on the couch watching the Food Network.

That’s why I didn’t blog last night.

I was exhausted.

This morning I had to take the 2-year-old to the doctor for what we thought was a crazy allergic reaction but what may have been the first stage of another nasty stomach bug. The poor little guy has been camping out all morning with his water, animal crackers and Thomas on the iPad.

Me? Well I’m in my typical post-event funk. I feel like I have a million things to do and no time (or motivation) to do them. So I decided to cook something creative for lunch to cheer myself up.

That’s a kabocha squash chili I made this morning. I’m hoping to get the recipe up on GreenLiteBites sometimes in the next two days but with a doctor appointment tomorrow and speaking engagement, I’m not so sure.

Oh! and I lost my damn Fitbit! I don’t know how. The last time I saw it it was clipped to my bra and when I went to check my steps last night it was gone. It can be anywhere between Lexington and here so I really have no hope of finding it. I’m wondering if it fell off while sleeping in the plane all crunched over. Who knows.

OK, I’m going to run. Miraculously the 2-year-old is still sleeping so I’ll start prepping some kabocha chili photos now. Maybe I can squish that one in too! :)

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Big announcement Monday

Hey, y’all. I will be making a big announcement on Monday, so be sure to stop by. Feel free to guess what it is in the comments of this post, though I suspect you will come up with ideas far more thrilling than the truth. No fair guessing if you already know!

Oh, and I’m NOT announcing another book in case that’s what your first guess was. Sorry. I tend to blurt out news of my book deals without any forewarning.

"Smart, unflinchingly honest, and laugh-out-loud funny."– Lisa Genova, New York Times bestselling author of Still AliceComments are now closed on all PastaQueen entries. The blog is an archive only so I don't have to deal with spammers. For fresh discussions please visit my new blog JenFul.

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Scenes From Our Memorial Monday

What a great weekend! I disconnected a bit and just hung out with the family. Friday we did dinner. Saturday we froze at our pool’s opening party. Yesterday was the Memorial Day Murph at the gym. Today it was just me and the boys.

We started off in the kitchen, of course.

I have a new helper!

We made a batch of banana oatmeal cups, a family favorite.

This time we decided to have a little fun adding the batter to our doughnut pan.

They came out great!

After breakfast a little house dancing with props.

Little Bean hasn’t quite learned our Wipeout routine yet. :)

Once  The Husband woke up, I got ready for the first of my #RWRunStreak runs. I asked The 7-Year-Old to take a photo but he was too busy playing with Legos. Self portrait it is then!

3 miles and 30 minutes later I came home to a Lego-fest.

The rest of the morning was spent in the yard.

Lunch!

The boys went with hot dogs but I made My Certosa-Inspired Cabbage Salad with a half a head of cabbage that was aging in the fridge.

After lunch we all freshened up while The Toddler napped and then headed out to run some errands with a pit stop at the mall.

We came back with gas for the grill, sand for the box,

…and plants for my container garden.

Irish was unimpressed by it all.

For dinner I made a London broil on the grill with baked potatoes, a kale salad,

…corn on the cob, 

…and watermelon for dessert!

It was a great dinner but BOY did we make a mess.

We cleaned up and settled in for night.

Now I’m catching up on this whole ridiculous mermaid story because there’s nothing else on TV. I should just go to bed to avoid the mindless SNACKS! You know what, I’m going to do that. :)

I hope you had a great holiday weekend!

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Role model Monday: It’s how I do.

DANG the ATX be hot.

This parenthood thing—like this LIFE THING—can sometimes feel like a crapshoot.

Im sill working at forty three to try and FIND and LIVE my passions—how on *earth* do I expect the Tornado to find and *stick with* hers at age six.

Last year we tried soccer.

It went ok but not great.  Id estimate she spent more time doing that kid-thing where they move their arms FAST yet shuffle sloooowly with their feet so they think we parent-types believe they’re running (<——ANYONE?).

She loved being with her friends.  She loved the promise of SOCCER! FUN!  She disliked the raging heat that was INVARIABLY awaiting us at the fields.

I couldnt blame her either.

Not that Id ever have told HER—but Ren Man and I began to dread practices/games for that very reason…and we werent running around!

Mama so sweaty.

She stuck out the season & I told her she could be done with soccer.

*I* was done with soccer.  *I* was tired of dancing around, cheering for her, practically STANDING ON MY HEAD trying to get her to run (…and not merely flail her arms).

I let her know I appreciated the fact she’d never.once.whined. about going & that we could try something new.

Something indoors.

Schvitzing.

She insisted she wanted to play soccer.

I let the summer pass figuring after the heat of THAT she’d change her mind.

She insisted she wanted to play soccer.

I signed her up—but soccer didnt really fit into our schedule this fall.

She insisted she wanted to play soccer.

I told her coaches we’d wanted to join them but the day/time didnt fit for us & that we’d join them in the spring.

I went to the Tornado’s Meet the Teacher morning and was shown her journal.  Inside was printed in large (misspelled) letters:

I LOVE TO PLAY SOCER

And because I apparently need a round ball to come careening toward me and smack me in the cranium BIG SIGN—-I heeded her words, shifted everything around and we started back to soccer.

She was an entirely DIFFERENT Tornado at her first game.

Afterward I told her how proud I was of her.  I let her know I’d noticed how hard she’d worked as an individual and as a teammate.

She looked at me part-frustrated and part-confused and said:

That’s why I wanted to play soccer again, mama. That’s how I do, mama, that’s how I do.

Later we talked about changing attitudes when we dont love something & really working (as she had) to shift our perspectives.

She insisted I shoot this video of her changing her attitude around:

Thats pretty much it here on ROLE MODEL MONDAY.

Today Im not hers—-she’s mine.

Im off to tackle my adult version of ‘getting out and running in the sweltering heat when Id kinda rather do something else.”

AND IM GOING TO ROCK IT.

That’s how I do.

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Making Monday Marvelous

I decided to treat today like a traditional Sensational Sunday. After an event like FitBloggin’ I could easily find myself in funkville.

So once Little Guy got on the bus I made myself a fun breakfast and grabbed the camera..

Click here to see what I made, a Thai Inspired Basil and Melon Salad with Peanuts. It felt SO good to make my own meal and play around with fun flavors.

Then Little Bean and I had some fun deconstruction the arrangement.

It was a bit of "back to reality" in my messy house with a grumpy toddler.

But we forged ahead and started the laundry.

He’s not really as useful as his Big Brother, YET!

Late morning snack.

I had some yogurt topped with granola and honey.

I also had the BEST company!

When Little Bean went to nap I worked a bit (hey, someone has to plan FitBloggin’13!) and had lunch with The Husband.

I had some leftover pork roast with potatoes and carrots that I made the night before FitBloggin.

Ahhh babies. You clean. They Mess.

It’s a viscous cycle.

Watermelon and Email Snack Break!

Big Brother home from school!

Lawn Mower Races.

Fun afternoon treat!

Little Bean’s Favorite chore!

Loving the Fall weather!

Dinner was a quick Fish Stick plate with peas, broccoli and cauliflower.

That picture CRACKS ME Up! Ryan loves doing fake poses anymore and this was the only one I had all 3 looking at me.

Bath post haircuts.

This will probably be the last bath shot I share. Someone’s getting too old but they were just so cute!

Stories and bed..

Now I’m watching The Revolution (not sold yet) and contemplating going to the gym early tomorrow. I really want to go to bed but sleep sounds so good right now. I’m going to try to get this up asap so I’m well rested. 5:30AM comes awfully fast!

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A Sensational Sunday in Seattle and Marvelous Monday at Home

Yesterday morning I packed my bags and checked out of the hotel.

I had a full day to spend in Seattle. My flight was not scheduled until 11 PM PT

I didn’t really have a plan besides wandering around the city. So I headed down to Pike Place Market where I window shopped and people watched.

I found the bubblegum wall everyone talks about.

Click here to see a few more photos of the gum on Poop Butterflies. Posting them all here seemed like overkill but I wanted to share them.

As I wondered around I was amazed how hilly and staircase filled the city is.

There was also a lot of totem style wood statues.

Very cool.

I made my way towards Smith Tower.

I was planning on going to Columbia Towers like Tanne suggested but their observation deck is closed on the weekend. :(

It was the Concierge that told about Smith.

The view was awesome!

I love finding old or interesting buildings from above that you tend to take for granted when on the ground.

I also spied the needle. I really wanted to go.

For lunch I was craving something… something.. well, FRIED.

I had so much good food this weekend. Thai, Sushi, Italian. It was time for a good old fashion fish and chips style meal.

I had it at the Crab Pot and enjoyed a lunch alone reading a comic book I picked up for Little Guy.

I decided the fries just weren’t worth it but the cole slaw? Devine!

Next I made my way over to the Underground Tour.

It was AWESOME! One of the best walking tours I’ve ever taken.

The coolest thing? The old "Sky Lights"

This is what they look like from the top.

After the tour I made my way back to the Market…

… on my way to the Space Needle.

The view was amazing!

I could stay up there all day but I also bought a ticket for the Chihuly Garden and Glass Exhibit.

Honestly, I could have stayed there all day too! Each piece put a smile on my face.

As I walked back to the market I caught a few fun things.

I love fun advertising!

I made my way back to Market just in time to share dinner with Lacey, Amelia and Kath.

I stuck with soup and salad but Kath tempted me with amazing chocolate caramels.

After dinner I raced to the airport and flew home overnight arriving at 9 AM ET. It was a long… LONG.. night but it felt great to get home and see the boys.

I made a quick breakfast with my budding photographer….

Click here to see the recipe.

Then I slept.. and slept and SLEPT! I planned a head and arranged for a baby-sitter.

Pretty smart, huh? :)

The Husband has Tennis on Monday’s so it was just The Kids and I for dinner. I whipped up some Whole Wheat Pasta with Rainbow Chard and White Beans with the veggies from the farm. They picked up our share while I was away.

After dinner? Berries…

a walk…

and.. ICE CREAM!

I stuck with my favorite Banana Soft Serve combo over a tons of berries and adding just a few sprinkles for fun. :)

Phew. The last 48 hours have a been whirlwind! I don’t think I could have jammed one more thing in. Not one. And I’m so happy I had an extra day in the city. Just so you know, all the pictures above were taken in order and on foot. I didn’t take one cab, bus or train all day except to get to the airport. It was a totally foot powered day. :)

Now I must go to bed. Tomorrow I have lots of potential FitBloggin’ sponsors to get back too. My house is a mess, of course, and there’s a few things I learned at the conference that I want to put into practice on the sites.

I guess you can say it’s back to my crazy reality. :)

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