Top 10 Reasons to Get Your Kids Running

Running is a wonderful sport for anyone...men, women, old, and young.  It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it sure does keep you healthy!  As adults, we all know that we should be getting exercise and eating healthy.  But we are also responsible for our children's health.  All too often in our busy lives, children become sedentary, addicted to all things electronic.  Wouldn't it be great if you could channel that addiction into a healthy sport?  Better yet, one that you can join them in?  Running is the perfect sport for busy families! Here are my top 10 reasons why you should get your kids running!

1. It's great exercise for them.  It gets their hearts pumping and their muscles moving.  It burns calories and fat efficiently.  Our society is incredibly obese, and children are increasingly overweight.  Excessive weight, as we have all heard, increases a number of health risks for our children, including diabetes. The risks do not stop in childhood, either.  Children who grow up in a sedentary lifestyle with an unhealthy diet have a very difficult time overcoming the habits and patterns they develop as kids.  So, overweight children become overweight adults.  Obesity in adults greatly increases their risk of cancer, stroke, and cardiovascular disease!  But running (and other forms of exercise) can help your child learn to live a healthy lifestyle that will last a lifetime!

2.  It can be done any time of day, so you can work around your schedule/homework/dinner, etc.  If it's dark out, have them use a headlamp...but make sure they are with an adult, of course! You can buy headlamps in the sporting goods sections of big box stores.  They're pretty cheap...usually around $12-$20. This is one of the headlamps I have and it is perfect for my daughter!  We also use them while hiking, camping, and going on expeditions in our closets, like I wrote about in this post.

3.  They can run all year long, in all kinds of weather...as long as they are prepared.  You should always dress as if it is 10 degrees warmer out than it really is.  So, if it is 60 degrees out, have your child wear something that would be appropriate for a 70 degree day.  I also highly recommend technical clothing.  It doesn't have to be expensive...you can buy it at Wal-Mart for pretty cheap.  I usually get Little Miss's running/athletic clothes there when they are on clearance for around $3.00 each piece (tops or bottoms).  Of course, you can also purchase name-brand technical clothing for kids at sporting goods stores or online.

4.  It is a lifelong sport.  They will be able to continue running throughout their whole lives.  Many sports can be played for quite a long time through young adulthood.  And nowadays, you can find some adult leagues here and there of sports you play.  But with running, you can just step outside and go...no need for teams, membership fees, facility usage fees, etc.  And the best part of it is that it still can be social...if you want it to be!  You can join running clubs or go running with a friend. 

5.  They don't need a lot of expensive equipment to join this sport. Really, all they need is a pair of good running shoes.  I do highly recommend that you take your child to a running store and invest in a good pair of shoes that fits them properly.  But you don't have to!  That's the beauty of it!  You can have your child run in whatever shoes you bought them for gym class.  My daughter sometimes runs around in her Converse kick-around shoes.  Is it the best shoe for her to run around in?  Probably not.  But, if the alternative is arguing with her endlessly to put on her running shoes and/or not running at all, I will take the physical activity with the Converse shoes anytime! 

Other than that, the only necessary cost would be an entrance fee to a race, if that is the ultimate goal.  Entrance fees for 5k races can run anywhere from $5 for a very small, local race, to $30 or so for the larger, more well-known races in your area. 

Naturally, as with any activity or hobby, you can go out and purchase the best gear for your child.  Being the cheap-o that I am, though, I prefer to go to the clearance racks while my kids are still growing!

6.  It teaches them to get to know and listen to their bodies.  They will learn what their bodies feel like and how they react to different terrain and weather conditions.  They will learn to assess what feels right/wrong with their bodies, which can help them prevent injuries in running, as well as in other sports.  They can learn what foods and fluids best fuel their bodies for physical activities.  They will learn when they can push their bodies to perform at a higher level, and when they need to slow it down.

7.  You can join them in this sport...it's great for bonding or one-on-one time with your child, which, in turn promotes a greater overall well-being for your child.  If you are a goal-oriented, type A person, you may wish to get your run in before going out with your child, though.  Some children do not like to just go out and run.  They may prefer to run a bit, walk a bit, stop and do cartwheels, skip for a few steps, twirl around and then bend down to pick up rocks to throw (not that I have ANY experience with this, mind you 😜).  So if you need to accomplish a set pace or distance, it may be better for you to go out and get most or all of it done, then come back and get your child to go along with you.  It definitely relieves the stress of the stop-and-go-and-twirl method!

8.  It teaches them discipline.  If they want to accomplish their goals, they have to work hard at it.  They can't just show up on race day and expect to finish or finish well.  They have to get out there several times a week (I recommend 4-5 times).  It doesn't have to be every single day, but it should be pretty regularly in order to get them in shape and ready to run their 5k!

9.  It teaches life lessons:  They probably won't win.  Most races have hundreds of people running them (primarily adults), so unless your child is the Bionic Child, they don't have much chance of winning.  But, they do have to try their hardest...in training, and on race day.  They have to learn to be competitive with themselves, not just other people.  I think this is an important skill to learn.  One of the things kids are famous for is trying to be first.  First in line, first to the car, first with assignments in class, etc.  They want to beat everybody.  But that's just not the way life is.  Nobody is first all the time...like, in the history of EVER.  So, for them to have to focus on competing primarily with their selves, they learn this valuable lesson.  They learn that they can't always be first, won't always compete against friends and classmates (sometimes it's strangers), and need to strive to be better than the last time they ran.

10. It gives children a huge sense of accomplishment to train for and complete a race:  It's great for their self-esteem!  They will set a goal for themselves and see it through to completion.  They will run 3 miles!!! Most adults cannot even run 3 miles!!!  So for a child to achieve that is quite a feat!  And if you pick the right race, there will be spectators cheering them on, excitement everywhere.  Plus they will enjoy the comradery they will see on the course.  Runners are famous for it.  We adults all want to see each other succeed, but we have even a little more energy and enthusiasm when we see children out there doing it!  .   

You can start kids at a pretty young age with running.  Many local races have 100 meter dashes for little ones, and even 7 and 8 year olds can train for and run a 5k!  In this day and age, there are many, many race options to choose from...pick a fun one!  Then sign them (and you!) up, and get out there pounding the pavement!  Make sure you take it slowly...you should plan on about 2 months of training before the day of the race!  And know that there is no harm in walking during the race!  Whatever gets your child from start to finish is the ultimate goal...even if it means doing a few twirls, jumping, or pretending to fly like a bird! 

Yours in running,

Marathon Momma

Are you a Marathon Momma?  Do you run marathons in between raising your little people to be decent humans? Or maybe you aren't a traditional runner, but a runner-after-kidser? Do you feel like every day is a marathon?  Yeah, me too!  Come join our community! Sign-up for our Email List!

Marathon Momma Superpower Raglan Shirt
by MarathonMomma

This Mother's Day, tell your Mom she's a Superhero because she's a Marathon Momma!

Pico Picasso

Have you had the opportunity to go to one of those painting studios where you can sip wine, have a snack, and bring out your inner-Picasso through a guided lesson?  Just recently, I was fortunate to be able to go for the first time, and let me tell you, it is amazing!  I know, I know, I'm a little behind the curve here.  But even if you have absolutely no talent whatsoever, the instructor takes you step-by-step through the painting and you produce something that is visually attractive.  Besides that, what could be more fun than a night out with friends, sipping wine, listening to music?  I love trying new things and places and it is a fabulous way to "flip the script," do something different and memorable. We took my friend there to celebrate her birthday. We had a blast! Here is my painting:

So since that evening, I have been inspired to paint once again.  I used to dabble a little in painting (back before having kids), but it was mostly folk art types of things for the craft business I had.  I painted snowmen, watermelons, pumpkins...that kind of stuff.  But I hadn't ever really painted much on a canvas.  And now, I'm obsessed!  LOL...not really, because how much time does a mom of 3 plus 4 fur babies really have to be obsessed with anything? Amiright?

But I have found a ton of ideas on Pinterest...here is my board if you'd like to see them.  I took a couple of the ideas and melded them together to come up with this:

I painted that one Friday evening when I was home by myself with the kiddles.  I put music on, gave each child something to paint, and we spent the evening relaxing together.  It was really something special.  Miracle Man painted the birdhouse he got for Christmas, and Chub-Chub painted on a small, flat canvas that had previously been painted on.  I gave my daughter a large canvas and she designed and painted this:

So this got me to thinking...why couldn't a child paint a nice painting with guided instruction, just like I experienced at the painting studio?  I know that some of the studios do offer family events on occasion, but I thought it would be a great idea to have Little Miss and her friends paint together on a sleepover.  Well, we had the sleeopover, but Little Miss didn't want to paint.  She wanted to just hang with her friends.  Of course, she is a tween now, so I get it.  I remember those days of girly talk and gossip!

Anyway, my next opportunity to try a guided lesson came yesterday when I was watching my friend's twin 4.5 year olds! I found an idea on Pinterest, saved it to my Paint Projects For Kids board, and gave it a go!  Since Easter is coming soon, we were painting Easter Bunnies.  Our inspiration came from here.

Here is how I managed to get two 4 year olds to paint kind of like that:

First, I covered the table with one of those plastic tablecloths from the dollar store that you use for parties.  Next, we put on smocks...I found two apron-style ones at the dollar store, too.  But I also use old shirts with my kids.

I have been saving up all of those little trays that microwaveable meals come in because they come in handy for painting and setting out materials for other projects.  So I took those out and I put a little bit of acrylic paint in a tray for each of the boys, set out a cup of water in an old cup designated for painting, and I walked them through the painting step-by-step. 

First, we painted the background and let it dry (I put my ceiling fan on to speed it up a bit).  While we were painting, I showed them how to hold the paintbrushes and load them with the right amount of paint. As we moved through the steps during the day, I used a new tray for each color so that the paint wouldn't mix into another color. I also used different paint brushes for the same reason. 

Once the background was dry, we painted the white part of the bunny heads and ears. Since the boys are so young and painting freehand is a bit more challenging for their tiny hands, I lightly drew an outline in pencil of the bunnies to give the boys a guide.  They did pretty well staying in the lines overall, but I did have to show them how to use strokes, rather than making circles with their brushes. I also took out my fan brush and showed them how to make the bunnies look furry by going all around the edges with it. 

Then, after the bunny heads were dry, we used spouncers to make the polka dots. We had to give those two coats each, which we did while the polka dots were still wet.  Once we finished spouncing with all of the different colors, we let the canvas dry again.  Later, we came back and added the pink noses and the insides of the ears.  Finally, we added the whiskers, eyes, and mouths with the black paint.  If we had had a little more time, I probably would've had the boys use black sharpies for those parts, but since our canvases still had wet paint on them in different parts and time was of the essence at this point, we just went for it with the black paint! 

The boys had a great time and I think they did a wonderful job!  And the best part was that they were so proud of their work! 

And here is my take on the bunny painting:

What do you think? Would you try to do something like this with your kids or grandkids? Post a comment or question below!

Feeling a little like Picasso,

Marathon Momma

Expedition

My boys seem to be growing so quickly!  In September, I had bought them new school clothes, all around a size 5 or 5/6.  But these past few weeks, I’ve noticed that either the clothes or shrinking drastically or my children are growing an inch per day!!  I like buying the kids new clothes, especially for the beginning of the school year. More than that, though, I like buying them used clothes!!

When Little Miss was younger, I bought most of her clothes brand-new.  But then another family started handing me bins and bins of clothes for her that had been used by their girls.  We had so many beautiful outfits for Little Miss.  She barely wore the same outfit twice.  And as she grew out of them, I stuffed them back into bins to save for our next child.

It was pretty helpful to have all of those bins of clothes when I found out I was pregnant again…with twin boys! 😉  But seriously, it actually was.  Because I needed a way to make some extra spending money and here I had bins and bins of adorable, sweet little baby girl and toddler clothes.  The best part, was that Little Miss rarely made a mess of her clothes, so all of these beautiful outfits were in excellent condition.  I was able to sell them at a children’s consignment sale and I made quite a bit of money, actually.  At just one of the sales, I made around $1,000!!!!  Who knew you could make that much money off of a bunch of old clothes?!?!

So after the boys were born, I was anticipating being able to sell all of their clothes to make some extra cash, too.  But, well, boys.  They’re gross, disgusting, messy little creatures that like to dive into ketchup and make mud pancakes! They blow their boogies on their sleeves, smear poop all over their pants, and bathe in ranch dressing.  YUCK, YUCK, double YUCK! Long story, short…I have not been able to sell much of anything from their wardrobe! 

When you have two messy, yucky,  but adorable, sweet boys, the last thing you really want to do is to waste a whole chunk of  money on brand new clothes they’ll only be able to wear ONCE!  But, just for shits and giggles, let’s say that some of those new clothes remain spotless (or spot-few) through several wearings and washings.  And then, let’s say that, what seems like all of a sudden, the boys look like a combination between the Jolly Green Giant and Frankenstein in said “new” clothes.  What’s a momma to do??

Shop the thrift stores!!!!  Garage sales, consignment sales, and Craigslist are other awesome ways to save on clothes! Lately, I’ve had some really great luck at thrift stores!  This one store right around the corner from me sells children’s clothes for 50 cents each piece!  I have found Gap, Children’s Place, abercrombie (for kids), and Ralph Lauren items in near-perfect condition lately!  I’m a lucky lady!

Another great way to get more clothes for next-to-nothing is to send your sons on an expedition, complete with headlamp, into the back of their closet. Because, oh crap!  I TOTALLY FORGOT that we had an entire bin filled with spot-free, name-brand, gorgeous, stylish clothes that are just their current size!!  Palm to forehead! 

You see, a little over a year ago, I had been extremely fortunate to be at the right place at the right time and had been given several garbage bags filled with all of these super-adorable, ultra-cool, totally CLEAN clothes! But only half of them were the right size at the time.  The other half, I diligently packed away in a bin to save for later.  J  Well, later is now!  And thank goodness we found them!  Holy moly there’s a ton!!!  Well, enough for two boys…for at least a little while…until they spill chocolate down the fronts of the tops, anyway!

I was totally smart to remember the bin and send the boys on that expedition, amiright?!  Yeah, well, truth:  I had NO clue they were there.  The boys just happened to decide they wanted to explore their closet for the first time ever and they stumbled upon this great treasure.  Chub-Chub was thrilled!  He’s such a clothes horse because he loves to dress like a “handsome guy”.  Lucky me!!!!  Now I don’t have to dump money down the trash!

Stylishly yours,

MM

Tastin' Broccoli: Parenting Tip for a Picky Eater

Parents of Picky Eaters Unite!
Do you have a picky eater?  Does he or she give you a difficult time during mealtime?  Would you like to try a new strategy to get them to try out new foods?  Maybe this parenting tip will help you like it has helped our family!  Keep reading to see how it helped us, then click on the link below for a free download of my Try New Foods chart!

My Picky Eater 
Miracle Man has had a difficult time with trying new foods pretty much since we started him on solid foods as a baby. He definitely has tExTuRe issues, and won't even put things up to his mouth that he thinks will feel or taste strange to him.  Over time, the foods he is willing to eat ebbs and flows.  Recently, though, he was not willing to eat much at all...even foods that he used to like a lot!  What was a momma to do??

Well, I sought out the help of the nutritionist at our pediatrician's office and she gave me a few tips, one of which is to put him on a multi-vitamin that includes magnesium in it because a lack of magnesium in the diet can actually lead to a lack of hunger.  (Hmmmm...weight loss tip for me?!?!?!) She also suggested that we talk with him about the colors and textures of the foods we are introducing to him.  And, like any parent of a picky eater can attest to, she recommended that we don't force him to eat anything.  She said we should not make a big deal out of what he eats.  So...that strategy may work for other children, but it is one I have used off and on over the years, and it never seems to work very well with Miracle Man.

The nutritionist gave me many other ideas, as well.  And, while I have implemented some of them, I haven't been able to implement all of her suggestions. I did recently come up with an idea that I thought I would give a try, though.  It sort of goes against some of her advice, in that it focuses more on what Miracle Man is willing to eat.  But it is actually working!  With our current successes, I thought I might share it with you in case anyone else is looking to try something new with their own picky eater. 

Try New Foods Chart

In my last post, I wrote about how I have just started a ticket system to encourage the kids to help out more around the house. Well, in conjunction with that ticket system, I created a "Try New Foods" chart! I created it in Microsoft Publisher, printed it out on colored cardstock, and then laminated it. Every time the kids try any new food, they get a smiley face on the chart.  Since it is laminated, I use a dry erase marker to draw on the smiley faces, complete with mohawks for Chub-Chub, and long hair with bows for Little Miss. In addition to the smiley face, I also give them a ticket toward the rewards system we just established. On Sundays, I erase the chart to start with a blank chart each week.   I wasn't sure exactly how motivating this would be, especially for Miracle Man, but it turns out that it works!!!  For Miracle Man, it does not work every time, or even every day, but he and the other two kiddles have been trying new foods a lot!

Since we started this chart, Miracle Man has tried raw broccoli, turkey hot dogs, salad (really just lettuce with ranch, but who cares!?), and raw red peppers, just to name a few.  He even had the raw broccoli twice!  This is such a major, major accomplishment for him!!  As for Little Miss and Chub-Chub, well, they are so motivated by the tickets that they are trying several new things each day even.  I do give them a smiley face and a ticket for each new item.  Originally, I was planning on introducing new foods just once per day and allowing only one ticket per day, but since the children have showed so much interest in being able to earn more tickets just by trying new things, I've decided that the important thing is that they are tasting new foods and exploring their taste buds willingly.  And that, to me, is worth as many tickets as they can earn!!

If you or anyone you know is dealing with a picky eater, you know the struggle.  It is real. And maybe some of the more traditional approaches will suffice for you.  But if they're not working, and you're at your wit's end, go ahead and give this chart/ticket thing a try!  What do you have to lose?  And you never know!  It may just work for you, too!  Feel free to share this article.  Click the link below for a free PDF download of my Try New Foods Chart! :)

Thanks for indulging me,
Marathon Momma

Want a free download of my Try New Foods Chart? Click Here!

Family Chore Chart

MeSs. C l u t t e r. DisorganizAtion. Such nasty words. And such a nasty way to live!  Yuck! Our house was recently feeling like this...chaotic to me!  The kids weren't picking up after themselves around the house, their bedrooms were atrocious, and this momma was doing her best to run (or limp) around like a crazy nut to just find some semblance of order--even just once in a while!  I suddenly realized that I had stopped expecting the kids to help around the house.  I had been so overwhelmed by just the day-to-day living, especially since my hip surgery, that I had forgotten to enforce our expectations. 

Immediately following my October surgery, the kids had pulled together to help me out.  But as time wore on, they became less and less inclined to help.  They became less cooperative, and downright lazy! I knew I needed to change things up, to flip the "script" that had been recently written. 

So, right after the New Year, I finally implemented a family chore chart that I had been working on for a looooooooooong time...like 1 1/2 years looooooong!  A couple of years ago, I had researched chore charts on Pinterest, finding many fabulous ideas.  But there wasn't one particular one that would work best for our family.  So, I just melded a bunch of ideas together to come up with our own system--one that I hope will work for us for a while! 

I knew I wanted the children to be responsible for themselves and their own rooms, but I also wanted them to contribute toward the family.  Because, well, family is a LOT of work, amiright? I also wanted an incentive system, or as educators and psychologists would call it, an extrinsic reward system.  I wanted to get my kids on board with regular chores and helping around the house, so I wanted to entice them with the promise of a reward for a job well-done.  But then as they become more accustomed to helping regularly again, my plan is to gradually reduce the rewards they receive.  I want them to learn that as a family, we all work together to run things, that each person is an important cog in our wheel.  Too, I want them to learn that we all have a responsibility toward each other to care for ourselves, our family unit, our home.  We are interdependent on one another.   

I decided to go with a "token economy" type of system, where the children receive a ticket for each time they complete a chore.  I also decided that I can use the tickets to encourage the kids to chip in even more often than just by doing their own chores.  So for every extra chore, they can earn one to five tickets, depending on the difficulty and length of time the chore takes.  I can also use the tickets as a positive reward for when they are super-thoughtful or kind to each other.  They are generally pretty good toward each other already, but every now and then one of them goes out of their way for another.  And by all means, I want to encourage that!  Of course, I always praise them verbally for their help and their kindness, too. 

On Sundays, which is our family day, we sit around the chore charts and have a family meeting. The children choose which chores they would like to do for the following week.  I have two categories of chores they have to choose from.  They pick a couple of chores they will have to be responsible for every day for the following week, and a couple of chores they only have to do once or twice during the week.  Little Miss is responsible for a bit more than the boys, due to her age being twice that of Miracle Man and Chub-Chub.  Other than that, my one rule is that they cannot choose the same chore they just had the week before.  That gives everyone a chance to try out each of the different chores, learn a new skill, and share in the responsibility of running the household.

Here is what our family wall with the chore charts looks like:

For the individual chore charts, I used shadow box picture frames for each child.  Inside the frame, I printed on cardstock the list of personal responsibilities for each child and I made areas where the chosen chores could go. I also printed the individual chores on cardstock, but I wanted a different color so that they would stand out against the background of the photo frames. Then, I laminated the personal responsibility pages, as well as the individual chores they can choose.  After the chores were laminated, I cut them up and attached a piece of Velcro to the back of each one.  Originally, I was thinking that I would open the shadow boxes up every week to change chores (primarily because I was concerned that Miracle Man would rip them all down if he had access to them). But, fast forward a year and a half, and I realized that idea wasn't going to work. It's too cumbersome to open them up each week.  And it was difficult enough to put the backings back on the frames in the first place!  So I ended up hot gluing Velcro pieces to the glass on the outside of the frames in order to have a place to put the chosen chores.  It seems to be working just fine and Miracle Man hasn't touched them (yet)!

To hold the individual chores and have them readily accessible each week, as well as to distinguish between daily and weekly chores, I made a simple table for each set of chores in Microsoft Word.  I then printed them on cardstock, laminated them, and hot glued Velcro to them.  I hang these up with a clip on the wall above the kids' chore charts.  So far, it seems to be working well!  Here is what they look like:

The boys' personal responsibilities are the same, but Little Miss has a couple additional responsibilities. 

Here are each of the boys' chore charts:

If you zoom in, you should be able to read the personal responsibilities pretty well.  When I originally created these charts, the boys were going to be able to earn a piece of candy for completing their chores.  However, several dental visits later and I do NOT want them to have any more candy than they already have!!  So I have substituted the tickets for the candy.  Luckily, the boys can't read all that well yet!!  Shhhhhh.....don't tell!!

Here are the tickets that I am using.  I covered an old recipe box with a pretty paper using Mod Podge to make it look nicer!  Even though you can't really see it in the picture, it looks adorable!  You'll just have to take my word for it!

 



On Sundays, when we are having our family meeting in front of the chore charts, we discuss what went well the past week, and where we need to improve.  We are also discussing ways we can make this system work better for us.  Then we choose jobs, each child getting to pick one chore at a time.  Afterward, the children can choose to trade their tickets in (or not) for prizes from my special prize box. 

Secret Alert:  (It's filled with junk I already had laying around the house)!  Mum's the word!  I do need to add some more things to the box that the boys would like to earn, but for now, it works just as it is!  When the children are trading in their tickets for prizes, we discuss how much each prize is worth.  For example, a pencil, an eraser, or a small sticker sheet is worth only one ticket, but the larger items might be worth 15 or 20!  Little Miss has decided to save her tickets to earn some of the bigger prizes, while the boys want to use up all of their tickets at once!  Oh, and bonus:  The basket I am using is something I already had around the house, too, so that's another win!!

 

 

Just look at all that CRAP!!  Literally, it is just crap! But to the kids, it is so ultra-cool!  Chub-Chub has such a difficult time choosing!!  LOL  I hope that keeps them motivated!!

Well, there you have it!  My new family chore system. It may not be perfect, but it is working right now!  I'm sure I will have to continue to tweak it over time, and as the kids get older, but I'm loving it at the moment, and so are they!

Hopefully yours,

Marathon Momma

P.S. Don't forget to subscribe to my blog so that you don't miss a post!  Feel free to share it with your friends if you think there is someone you know that would appreciate it! 

P.P.S. Feel free to ask me any questions you may have in the comments section.

Geocaching Inside My House

My kids and I love to go geocaching and letterboxing.  It is a wonderful family activity that gets us outside and exploring new places and things.  The thrill of the hunt and the excitement of locating the treasures keeps us coming back for more.  Not surprisingly, Little Miss loves geocaching and letterboxing the most out of all of my kiddles.  Naturally, she is at the perfect age for hiking trips deep into the woods.  And at her age, she understands the process the best.  It can be difficult taking the boys on one of these expeditions, though.  Chub-Chub loves to find treasures and is quite the willing participant, but he is still a toddler and, as such, can be challenging to reign in on long nature walks.  Miracle Man is an entirely different story.  He gets too hot or too cold...and cranky very easily.  He tires sooner than his siblings, and he gets easily distracted.  As for me, chasing after two toddlers while trying to keep up with Little Miss is painful and exhausting for me at the moment. Long story short, we don't go letterboxing or geocaching nearly as often as we would like to.  In fact, as the boys have gotten older (and less easily confined to their stroller), we have gone on fewer and fewer of these types of hunts (and none for this year).  I am sure that, with time, it will get easier and we will be able to geocache and letterbox all over the place once again.

Lucky for me, I recently discovered that each day I do my own treasure hunting of sorts.  When I vacuum.  Of course there is the usual dirt, dust, cat hair, dog hair, etc.  But each time I vacuum, I am always surprised at what is lurking in the nooks and crannies of my house a mere day after the last time I plugged it in and began a search.  So while I cannot go on geocaching outings as often as I would like,  I take comfort in knowing that each day, there will be a new cache to find right inside my own home with my favorite machine, the vacuum.

Here is a list of the top 10 most interesting items found in today's vacuum cache:

10.  Cheerios...yes, AGAIN! Today's location:  the couch.  Because everyone knows that you simply cannot watch the Smurf movie without cheerios, mommy.

9.  A tiny leaf...I'm not quite sure how that got into the living room.  Are we growing a tree inside our house?  Am I that oblivious to the sheer number of living things in our home that I did not notice an entire tree growing in here??  Alas! It's gone now, anyway!

8.  A black olive...so glad it was in the kitchen where it belonged at least!

7.   Kitty litter...always, always, always.  Today, though, it wasn't just scattered pieces kicked off paws from jumping out of the litter box.  Nooooooo, today, there was a whole pile of litter next to the litter box (obviously in an attempt to cover up a stinky floor tile).

6.   Dried up playdough.  Of course.

5.  A paperclip...ummmm, do we even USE those in the house?  I can't remember the last time I took out a paperclip.

4.  An earring backing...we should own stock in the company that makes these things!

3.  A feather.  Nope, we do NOT, nor will we EVER own any kind of bird!  NEVER!!!  Did the cat bring it in the house, then?  And, if so, where IS the rest of what used to be attached to said feather????  YIKES!

2.  A turquoise, high heeled Barbie shoe...I guess her prince won't be able to see if the shoe fits her now!

1.   A cheese stick wrapper.  On.the.floor.  (Oh no you didn't!)  Now, I KNOW that none of my children would ever throw their wrapper right on the floor.  There must be some logical  explanation for this.  Like:  Chub-Chub's arm broke off and was swallowed up by the dog just as he was about to put the wrapper in the garbage maybe? Or perhaps Miracle Man tripped over a giant elephant with pink polka dots on his way to throw it out, and that caused him to miss the garbage can completely? No, these stories could not be true you say? Then what the ever-loving-heck caused the cheese stick wrapper to end up on the freaking floor for crying-out-loud? A child carelessly dropped it?  Nahhhhh!  That's too far-fetched for sure!

Well, there you have it.  My cache for the day!  I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!


Yours in geocaching,
Marathon Momma

The Bus Stops Here

I was driving by a bus stop today and started thinking to myself...I could park my car in the parking lot........get on the bus........and go somewhere....Forever. I could leave behind this life that, at the moment (a very long moment), I feel like I merely........exist.........in.

I actually started plotting out my escape as I was driving further down the road. I could get on one bus, take it somewhere, anywhere. Then, transfer to another one, and make my way down to Tennessee to visit my brother, whom I have not seen in 3 years. From there, I would go down even further south, like Florida, perhaps...where it's warmer and the cold and damp wouldn't hurt my body so much. Of course, it is damp there, though. Or maybe I could head over to California. I would love to go back to San Diego sometime! I could travel. Alone. Without anybody. I've done it before. I could do it again. I don't need anything.  There are soooooo many places I could go! And there would be so much freedom! And...quiet. Ahhh, yes! Quiet.

But I've never been a quitter. One of my favorite songs has always been Simon and Garfunkel's, "The Boxer." There's a line in it that says, "In the clearing stands a boxer, and a fighter by his trade. And he carries a reminder of every club that laid him down or cut him till he cried out, in his anger and his shame, 'I am leaving, I am leaving,' but the fighter still remains." I had wanted that to be my yearbook quote when I was a senior in high school, because that was, and is me. Even despite it all, and despite any complaining, I always stick it out, push through it, and fight for what I believe is right. Unfortunately, that quote that was so near and dear to me was too long to fit in the eensy weensy space below my photograph in the yearbook, so I couldn't use it.  I ended up choosing another line from a different song, by the way...this time by the Beatles. "Here comes the sun."

Life has never been easy for me. I grew up in a broken home, emotionally abused, physically abused, neglected. I overcame obstacles that were insurmountable. I went to college, graduated with honors; then went on to graduate school and got my Masters...with a 3.9 GPA. I made something of myself. I followed all the rules. I did everything I was supposed to. And I never, ever quit. I always took a difficult situation as a challenge...and overcame it. But I never, no never quit. So I will not quit now. But damn, it sure sounds easier!  And where did all this goody-two-shoeing get me in the end? I've got this horrible illness that nobody understands, some people don't believe, and it is debilitating. I can't work. I can't use my degree that I worked so hard for (and am still paying on). I don't get to enjoy the career I longed for and loved. I don't get to really and truly live life and enjoy it. I feel like I've been robbed of the life and future I worked so hard to earn. And I feel like my children are being robbed of the mother they deserve.

Maybe instead of being a rule-follower, from now on I should be a rule-breaker? Hmmm....thinking...thinking...

Wondering if I really could rebel,
Marathon Momma

P.S. Just in case I do end up a "missing person," please don't tell 'em where I am! ;)
P.P.S. It is also true that I wouldn't make it very far in my travels with this crappy body that I have now.

Top 10 Reasons Why My Kids' Bedtime is AWESOME!

Now, don't get me wrong.  I love my children dearly .  I love to spend time with them, cuddle with them, read with them, and sing with them.  I love playing with them, being silly with them, and taking care of them.  But there is nothing, no  nothing , as exciting as when the clock turns to the bedtime hour!  In fact, all throughout the bedtime routine, I      hold.my.breath     in anticipation for when my sweet kiddles will lay their heads down and fall fast asleep (because that is EXACTLY what happens!   EVERY.     SINGLE.     TIME.  Ha !   Yeah  Right ! )  While I do enjoy their love and companionship, I am all too happy for the day to be over and bedtime to begin.  Here are the reasons why I think bedtime is...AWESOME:
   
10.  A sleeping child is one who cannot find a box of cereal and pour it all over the floor.  During those precious 10-11 hours, there will be NO Cheerios s.m.u.s.h.e.d. into the carpet, no Kix rolling around on top of the furniture.  There will not be any  empty bags carelessly thrown next to the giant pile of what used  to be a brand  new  box  of many future breakfasts.  And there certainly will not  be a trail of cereal left from the kitchen, through the living room, and all the way up to the front door.  It just can't  happen while they slumber!

  9.  Their sweet, angelic  faces look so relaxed and innocent.  They show absolutely no  resemblance to the screeching, screaming banshees that ran around temper-tantruming, refusing to have their diapers changed, their teeth brushed, and their pajamas put on...only moments  beforehand.  Seeing those precious visages completely unencumbered by s.t.r.e.s.s., angst, or she-devil expressions makes my heart melt  again and reminds me of how much I love them.  It also reminds me that they really  are  members of the human species.

8.  Somehow, in the quietude of children fast asleep, there are no arguments, shouts, or cries for, "Mooooommmmmmmmeeeeeeeee! He's looking at meeeeeeee!"  or  "Mommmmmmmaaaaaaaaaa!  Get him ooooouuuuut of my rooooooooommmmm!"  It's nothing short of a miracle.

7.  A child who is dreaming, cannot possibly talk back, whine, or  complain  about ANYTHING.  Which means that I will not hear about how terrible I am for forgetting to NOT  cut the peanut butter and jelly sandwich (despite the fact that all other sandwiches require cutting).  Nor will I hear any teeny pipsqueak voice whining because I asked them to clean their room...for the bazillionth time...in the span of 20 minutes.  And I certainly won't have to endure screams of, "Me no LIKE that!"  upon being served a meal that was specifically requested by that child.

6.  Anyone who has children (especially young children) can agree that when they are asleep, one might finally get a chance to THINK, since all of the c.o.m.m.o.t.i.o.n has finally died down.  Now, that doesn't necessarily mean that you will, or that your brain has the capacity to actually  process  anything any more.  Merely, it means that should you choose to attempt  to think about something, you would finally have the peace and quiet to be able to do so.  (If you are not ready to collapse in a heap of exhaustion, that is.)  Good luck with that.  Still, the peace and quiet is definitely something to look forward to! 

5.  The dogs and cats can rest without  being on hyper-alert.  No tails are being yanked, no ears being pulled, and nobody  is climbing on top of them.  Which also means, that I  do not have to repeatedly remind the children, "Be gentle.  Don't pull the doggie's tail!  Doggie doesn't like when you climb on him!  Do you hear him growling?  That means he does not want you to poke him with that fork!" Nope, with the kiddles fast asleep, our beloved pets are safe from the torture of our three kiddles.  And I, for one, am relieved for them.

 

4.   When all of my children are actually  asleep, it is not necessary for me to repeat my mantra, "Poopy is not playdough.  Poopy is not playdough.  Poopy is not playdough.  Poopy is not playdough!"  Because sleeping kids...truly    sleeping    kids...do not  take their diapers off.  They do not  play with their poop.  They do not s m e a r it all  over  their cribs.  They do not use it as body paint.  And they do not stuff  it inside of toys!  Nor do sleeping children walk up to me with a handful of number two and report, "Pooooppppeeeeeee, Momma!"   "Yes, dear.  I can see that."            It's a fact.  Sleeping  children do not play with their poop.

3.  Snack time.  Every once in a while, I get myself a special treat or snack food that I do  not  intend to share.  Bedtime is the perfect time to indulge in my sweet or savory treat.........without  the jealous eyes or drooling mouths of my loves desperately begging for some from me.  At this point in the day, I don't have to sneak off into another room in hopes of...not  getting  caught .  I can sit right in the living room, on my comfy, cozy couch and savor each bite (or sip).  I don't have to worry that the c.r.i.n.k.l.e of the package will send the greedy vultures out on a desperate  hunt, in search of that telltale sound of junk food. It's all mine ! Mine! Mine!  None for you!   Ha.Ha.Ha.

2.  There is no "Super Why," "Cars," or "Chuck" playing on repeat.repeat.repeat.repeat.repeat on the TV.  Being able to watch a grown-up  television show by myself, without interruption is Amazing!  I won't hear, "Momma, drink please." or "Momma, eeeeaaaat-eeeeaaat!" There is no, "But IIIIIIIIII don't waaaaannnnnnnnaaaaa waaaaatch thaaaaaat!"        And Bonus:  I also don't have to listen to silly, but catchy  kids songs that I won't be able to get.out.of.my.head for 2 hours! Yippeee! 

 1.  And here's my number one reason why bedtime is so AWESOME:  Bedtime means that sometime soon, in the wee hours of the middle of the night, one (or all) of my kiddles will come in for their midnight snuggles.  Because they need  me  and they love  me .  And that is a precious gift.  Even if I don't wake up when they come in, I know they are there.  (Reason number one is that I am constantly being awoken by a firm kick in the head or an elbow jab in my leg.)  But, too (and two), I can feel  their presence and I feel their warmth.  And the best part is that I will wake up next to my little loves, knowing  that I am the center of their universe...if only for a moment.

Well, there you have it, my latest Top 10!  What's your favorite part of your kids' bedtime?  Feel free to leave a comment below!

Wishing it were bedtime now,

Marathon Momma

Stickers for Dinner

It was a regular old evening here in our house tonight.  The kids were running around screaming and demanding snacks while I was making" dinner". Then Miracle Man came up to me, holding a big brown nugget of poop, at which point Chub-Chub saw the poop and decided he needed to use the potty...as in RIGHT NOW! In between the stirring of the would-be dinner of microwaved eggs, the potty assisting, butt wiping, diaper changing, and washing hands eight times, the phone was ringing. And of course it was a call I had to take. 

When the phone call was finished, the boys' bowels were empty, the diapers were back on, and the hands were cleaned of any fecal matter (eeeewwwww...gross!!), we finally sat down to eat.  Chub-Chub began gobbling up his portion right away, hungry and happy to be eating.  Little Miss decided she didn't want to.even.try.the.gross.eggs.  (To which I politely  responded that she will eat them now or go to bed hungry).  And Miracle Man nibbled one bite, lost complete interest, and began throwing the eggs on the floor.  Yeah, I'd say pretty much a typical evening.

Sitting next to Miracle Man, I attempted the usual spoon-feeding, which of course didn't work.  He was having absolutely no part in eating those eggs, refusing to even open his mouth.  I tried something new, though.  I said to all three kids (of course it was mostly directed at Little Miss and Miracle Man---although I knew he wouldn't "get it", so essentially it was a challenge to Little Miss), "Whoever eats their eggs first gets a prize!"

Well, Little Miss embraced the challenge and practically sucked the eggs up like a vacuum! (That's my favorite appliance, remember?)  As soon as her last morsel was devoured, she immediately requested her prize and I sent her to the prize drawer.  She returned to her seat with a page of stickers...something that instantly  caught the attention of Miracle Man, who looooovvveeesssss stickers!  And then it hit me...that epiphany that I needed right at that moment: 

"Miracle Man, would you like a sticker?"
"Yeah."
"Okay, if you eat your eggs, you can have a sticker!"
"Yeah."

I spooned the eggs into his mouth.  And the little stinker ATE them!!! I had to keep promising the sticker for each bite, but I was able to feed him quite a bit of what was on his plate!  It was a huge breakthrough!

It may be only a temporary solution.  But it may not be.  Either way, I will take it!  And if it does work over the long-haul, we will be stocking up on stickers!!!

Relieved at the moment,

Marathon Momma

Paperwork and Other Things

If you don't want to read my wallowing in self-pity, then skip over this post.  Because the reality is that today is a bad day.  Actually, if I am being honest, it has been a difficult several months.  I am constantly overwhelmed and exhausted.  There never seems to be much of a break from the stress.  Being a mom of a child with special needs is far more tiring than I would have ever expected.  It is all-encompassing, from the physical to the mental to the emotional.  And that doesn't even take into account my other two lovely cherubs.  And, unfortunately, I am not super human.  I do not have the time, strength, and energy all  the  time  to do  everything that needs to be done for Miracle Man, immediately when it is required.  I try to do my best each day and tackle several different tasks beyond the daily cooking, cleaning, caring for the children.  But I am only human.  And there are only so many hours in a day.  And I only have so much strength and energy.

Miracle Man has been going through a lot of medical testing.  Too much to blog about individually.  I just don't have the time to go back and write up quirky or sentimental posts about each of his experiences over the past few months.  So I have decided that I am not going to try.  This time in our lives is just too crazy busy.

In addition to all of the medical testing (still hoping for the answers that are difficult to come by), we just recently made the transition from Early Intervention to Preschool Special Education.  I have to say that I am in shock at how involved it is to transition, and how many stacks of paperwork have to be completed.  And, although he began in his new preschool program yesterday, there is STILL more paperwork to fill out.  There is so much, I actually have to ration it out over the course of this coming week just to accomplish it.  And I am the only person who can do it.  But what if I don't want to fill out ANOTHER social history????  This is the third one in less than a month.  And social histories are about a gazillion pages long...and they are not fill-in-the-blanks or multiple choice questions, people.  They are essays.  Pages and pages of essays. To tell everyone in the entire universe EVERYTHING there is to know about my sweet little guy.  All of his medical history.  All of the goals we wish to accomplish.  All of our concerns about him (that one is an enormous list).  All of his likes/dislikes/relationships/reactions to stimuli/waking times/sleep times/eye blinking times.  Okay, so that last one is a bit of an exaggeration.  But, really, that is how it feels.  And to have to write it all over and over is "over" whelming.  Naturally, I do it.  And I complete it carefully and thoroughly.  But I wonder why they can't just make it easier on parents of special needs kids. Parents who are already physically, mentally, and emotionally drained.  Parents who are strapped for time, but still want the best for their child.  You know, like why isn't there just one universal social history form that gets copied and passed around to each school and agency????  I don't know.  Maybe I am just too intelligent for the system?  Haha.

Mountains of paperwork.  Always.  That's the stage we are in.  As if the transition paperwork weren't enough, we recently received a provisional qualification of disability from the state.  Which means...guess what?!?!  More paperwork.  Yup.  I could swim in a sea of paperwork and tasks right now.  Just for Miracle Man.  It is fabulous that we received this letter of qualification.  Truly it is.  It will help us access many different programs that are intended to make our lives somewhat easier.  But there's the whole "red tape" thing that gets in the way a bit.  Calling programs, filling out applications, researching the resources.  It.is.all.too.much.  I need a secretary.  Heck, I need two secretaries!  And it really is no joke.  I am actually holding off on looking into all of those programs until the preschool transition is completed and the last bit of paperwork is handed in and off  my desk!

And then there is the emotional toll of transitioning to preschool.  Spending a year, or two years, or more working with therapists who come into your home to help and love your child is wonderful.  It is a connection that you make that feels like family.  The therapists help you and your child with their whole  being .  And you come to rely on their expertise in making decisions for your child.  But more importantly, you begin to rely on their friendship and the sense that you are "in this together".  And then, 2 years later, your child transitions to preschool, and BAM!  No more.  The connections, the extended "family" you have made together are severed.  Maybe not so drastically or completely (gotta love Facebook for that).  But still.  It will not be the same.  It is unnerving.  It is sad.  It is hard.

Aside from Miracle Man's Mount Everest of paperwork, I have just enrolled Chub-Chub in a nursery school program for two days a week.  This means even more  paperwork.  Having Chub-Chub attend nursery school will be so great for him.  He will get to play with other children.  He will learn.  He will experience new things and new people.  And he will be at Miracle Man's school, too!  They are in separate programs and classrooms, but they will get to see each other on the playground, which is something I am very pleased about.  Yesterday, I was told that Chub-Chub went right over to Miracle Man and gave him a hug and rubbed his head.  So sweet!   Of course, we are currently going through a very rough bout of separation anxiety on Chub-Chub's part.  And yesterday's drop-off at nursery school was no walk in the park.  It was more like a frantic sprint in a dark alley with a gang of thugs following closely behind.  But, Chub-Chub being in school will help me out.  I will eventually get a much-needed break from my lovely kiddles, once everyone settles in and I have crossed all t's and dotted all i's.  And maybe I will even find some "me" time.  For now, though, it's a transition.  And more...paperwork.

Then there is me.  Somehow I fit into this equation, too, right?!  And right now I am going through some very difficult decisions and transitions.  My health has taken a turn for the worse.  I struggle daily with the pain and the fatigue of fibro, but lately, because of where my pain is and the intensity of it, my doc believes that my scleroderma may be progressing.  She also gave me the results of my most recent pulmonary function test and there is decreased functioning in my lungs.  She is tweaking my meds and therapies and we are hoping for the best.  But she is also keeping me out of work longer.  For at least a year.  And I am struggling with coming to grips with that.  I don't know when or if I will be able to go back to work.  I miss it terribly.  I miss the students.  I miss having my own group of sweet children to educate and nurture.  I miss studying fun topics with the kids, and going into more depth because they are fascinated by what we are learning about.  I miss being silly and having fun with the children.  I miss my colleagues.  I miss being part of the building; the camaraderie, the support.  And now I have also been told that my job has been moved to a different building.  Which means that I will most likely never again work with the people I knew and cared about.  And I will have to clean out my classroom.  It feels final.  Even if it isn't.  It feels  that way.  All of the hard work and effort I put into my education and my classroom has to continue to be put on hold.  And that is very sad.  And scary.

I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  And I can sort of see it up ahead in the distance.  But the tunnel is dark. And long.  And I am crawling through it.  One knee at a time.  Right now, I am feeling very emotional and fragile.  And I am relying on anybody and everybody who offers kind words or actions of support.  It is what feeds my soul and helps me keep going, even if just for another minute.  Respectfully, I am not looking for any advice on how to handle any of this, no matter how well-intentioned it is.  I can and will  figure it all out.  I just needed to vent...and I did warn you ahead of time.  I am having a low point and it is a bad day. :(

Sorry to be a downer,

Marathon Momma