ten

ella chose not to nap yesterday...instead she serenaded us from her bedroom with the abc song. over, and over, and over. (and over.) she even was clapping for herself after each round. i was standing in the bathroom at one point and i then heard her making up lyrics to other ridiculous songs. my personal favorite was, "you can climb the TOWER, but you can't get the peanut BUTTER!!!" i laughed my ass off and went to tell butch. where does she come up with this stuff? maybe this is a three year old's metaphor for life? when i went in to get her after 2 hours of singing, she said, "hello mommy, i pooped. change me please." (oh crap. literally.) i said, "what in the world were you singing!?" she got all embarrassed and said, "just some fings i made up." (ok then.) i will say this though, if i want to get any childs' attention easily (whether it be my own, or kids in my class), i just have to sing something silly. i took notes from mary poppins and that sitter knew how to get shit done. i turn goofy stuff into a song and belt it out with an english accent and waalaa...it's much better than screaming to get them to look my way. so, i guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree and i shouldn't be that surprised about my own 3 year old making up proverbial peanut butter songs. (well done, ella.)

today i laid pint sized poppins (and her sister) down at naptime and knowing butch was still in the weeds from events the night before...decided that i was going to go for a run. (a long one.) before i left, i stated, "i'm going for a run." butch replied, "i'm not." (alright.) my goal was to run 10 miles, but i didn't really map it out. i've never run more than 7 at one time, but i've talked to people and they always say, "if you can run 3 you can run 5, if you can run 5 you can run 7, if you can run 7 you can run 10...etc." i am always skeptical, but if you told me a year ago that i could run even 3 miles with out puking or passing out...i wouldn't have believed you either. (at all.) so with everyone laid down to rest at home, i laced up my sneakers to head outside...into the beautiful fall weather i may add. (epic weather.) so i kinda had a food hangover from the night before, imbibing in treats such as beer and cheese soup (good.), chili (yum.) and a plethora or dips and desserts. (yes.) i felt like hell on the first mile and thought that i may throw up. (no.) i choked down vomit and plunged through and wouldn't you know it, miles 2-4 were pretty breezy.

at about mile 4, a friend of mine (and a gaggle of guys) happened to drive by. he was honking his horn, yelling stuff out the window...and videotaping me on his phone. i was not amused, but what the hell could i do? they thought this was highly hilarious, however i was pissed they were messing with my peace. thankfully they drove on. (dipshits.) shortly after mile four, i started to lose some steam and thought maybe my goal to do 10 today was just a little out of reach. (i kept going.) it was at mile 6 that i had the sudden urge to simultaneously shit my pants and puke down my sports bra. i fought the urge successfully, but i will say sometime around mile 7 i saw jesus and we had words. i asked him for the pain to stop. instead, both of my short stocky legs suddenly felt like they were filled with cement and i had sweat coming out of places i didn't know could sweat. i stopped and looked for a song on my ipod to help me through. if jesus couldn't help me, maybe katy perry could? when i turned the bend from mile 7 to mile 8, i got a second wind and kinda felt like forest gump...the cement curse lifted, as did the need to lose my lunch. around mile 9, i really didn't think i could go any further...i kept telling myself that it was just 10 more minutes, just one more mile, but physically i felt like a train wreck. i did, however, smell the finish line and at this point i realized it was mostly mental.

when i got home and realized that i just ran 10 miles (without anyone chasing me)...i felt pretty fantastic. i'm quite certain i blacked out somewhere along the way, but i had made it. (and at least i didn't pass out or shit my own shorts.) i've stated before that motherhood can make you feel at times like you have a couple screws loose. for me, running balances that out. it's something that i can do for myself, against myself, by myself. i've come to really love it. butch thinks i'm absolutely absurd for wanting to run at all, let alone long distances like i did today. i know this because when i got home i said, "i just ran 10 miles" and he said, "what the hell is wrong with you!? i just called a bunch of people looking for you and was about to send out a search and rescue!" he was serious. (come outta the weeds, warren.) so after 2 loads of laundry, cleaning the house, making breakfast & lunch, running 10 miles, and having a pot of soup already on the stove for supper, i'm kinda feeling like suzy homemaker...on steroids. endorphins have been flowing since i've stopped and i feel like i tightened a few of those screws that were in danger of coming loose. (although, i am quite sore and will probably feel like hell tomorrow.) i will say that i'm ready to tackle another week, but i will not forget that i may be able to climb the tower, but i can't get the peanut butter. proverbs brought to you by a three year old...that somehow after a 10 mile run suddenly makes perfect sense.