Tag Archives: parenting

Reset Button

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Post Race Rest Day

When your life is filled with conversations like this:

IMG_2576-001Me to Kid:  Blow your nose
Kid: Why?
Mom:  Because snot’s running down your face?
Kid:  Can’t I just lick it instead?

And then there’s a lot of

“Where are my socks?”

“That deadline’s coming up quick!”

and “Professor, my Grandma died…again“

…sometimes I just need to push the reset button to get my head on straight.

So last week I realized I needed to do just that.  Last Wednesday after work, I randomly shoved the food I had set out to cook dinner back into the fridge and on a whim, we hit the quasi-open (come on it’s California, there’s never an open road) road and set out to push the reset button.

IMG_2906

IMG_2915It’s seriously hard living in SoCal.   A 10 minute drive and a quick hour on the beach and we found starfish, dolphins, got sand stuck in uncomfortable places and watched the sun set over Catalina Island and connected with each other again.  1 hour & 20 minute investment that paid off in dividends.

In the same way, Sunday’s race was just a way to reset my running batteries.  Lately I seem to have lost my running mojo – and the bum foot wasn’t exactly helping either.  With Boston under 3 months away, it was time to get my mojo back.

Instead of the sometimes *almost* fun stress of a race day, pressures and expectations, it was nice to just set out with friends both before and after and just run for the heck of it.  As I watched runners anxiously line up, I was thinking of ways to entertain myself along the course…like doing fad dance moves near the photographers, counting the compression socks, etc.

Photo Courtesy of Sarah Chan

Sarah Margot and myself:  Photo Courtesy of Sarah Chan

Don’t believe me on the fun factor?  Trust me when I say CLICK HERE – laughs will abound and you will see just how serious we were :)

Post-race, I’d say the reset button worked!

What’s your reset button?

Where’s your favorite place to go near your house for fun?

True Confession Thursday: Slacking Galore

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???  When did I run last ???
Shutout Strides

Shhh….don’t tell anyone.  I can’t remember the last time I ran.  I think it’s been almost a week.  No bikes, no strides, no swims, no cardio…nothing, nada, zilch.

Seriously, it’s been about 2 years since I couldn’t recall the last time I ran….and I can blame it all on the flu….and Chicago weather, but that just makes me look like a weenie so let’s stick with blaming it on the flu.

We got hit hard this year.  And since everyone’s still on the mend, and my running’s lacking…so since I have nothing running to discuss, let me just give you the flu in pictures.

NYE Masquerade Ball – jealous?

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We like to couch it….3 naps a day.

IMG_2763Why Mommy’s not running…anything but her nose at least. Why run when you have fun mirror mustaches?

IMG_2756Fever-shmever…it’s Justin Bieber!  Getting our Dance Party on….

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One of the worst parts of parenting is knowing there’s not much you can do to help your kids when they’re sick and/or in pain…so there was a lot of growth over the holiday as we spent about 10 days fighting fevers, flus, bugs and the winter blues in Chi-town.

What’s your best cold/flu fighting secret?
I don’t have a secret to fight it, but I find whine and wine work well to cope with it.

What’s your hidden talent?
I dare anyone to challenge me to Just Dance 3 – C&C Music Factory’s “Gonna Make You Sweat”.  Game – freaking – on.

The Mom Game

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Rest Day Monday
4 Miles Tuesday
Screaming Strides

On Sunday evening I noticed my IT band was tweaky.  And I mean really tweaky.  It didn’t hurt during my run.  It didn’t hurt right after.  But instead, at some point a few hours later it got really, really really angry.

My ITB was probably taking a cue from it’s rightful owner….me.  So I rested Monday and took it easy Tuesday (no pain then yay!)

And this is where Striding Mom gets a little more Mom, than Striding and a little more real than status quo.

Insert gratuitous post of children I love...

Insert gratuitous post of children I love…

So basically people – let me just cut to the chase - WHAT’S WITH THE JUDGMENT?

Over the past 4 or so days I’ve heard people say some of the harshest things about being a parent, a person, and a general human being.  The ones that irk me the most are the parenting ones though.

It’s funny because my kids talk about how “unfair” I am all of the time.

“What?  You won’t let me play Halo?  That’s harsh Mom, ____[insert name of friend] can!”

“Huh?  I can’t eat 3 desserts today?  That’s ridiculous!”

“Mom, you’re so lame.  You won’t let me play darts over my brothers head with steak knives.  I bet ____’s Mom would let them.”

You know what I tell them?  Different families, different rules.  And we carry on.  Why can’t we parents apply this rule to one another?

Oh, but on some level I get it.  I’ve raised my eyebrow at other parents and scorned their choices at times.  I’ve wondered why they weren’t using the Striding Mom Guide to Parenting that so clearly works…well, at least 50% of the time.  I mean, I was guilty just the other night.  But the fact of the matter is.

You. Never. Know.

IMG_2012Until you’ve walked [or run] a few miles in someone else’s shoes you just don’t know what their reality is like.

Truth be told, we’re dealing with some “stuff” with one of my boys.  It’s behavioral stuff, it involves diagnosing things and it’s so very hard.  Let me tell you, my son’s behavior is not because I’m not giving him enough attention, boundaries, praise, discipline, etc.  It’s because there is something different about him.  I’m not sure what yet, but we’re slowly finding out.

And yes, I’m embarrassed sometimes by the choices he makes, but I can’t show you that, because it will hurt his heart like you wouldn’t believe.  So I push that aside and support him.

And I have bad days too.  And I get frustrated with him too – more than I should.  And that breaks my heart as well.  He’s learning.  I’m learning.  We’re all learning.

So next time, before you offer your unsolicited advice about anything to anyone (because trust you me, this goes so far beyond parenting), let’s be sure to remember some wise words from Dr. Seuss…

il_fullxfull.227756940

Have you had your mellow harshed this week?

Any wise lessons you’ve learned from walking in someone else’s shoes?

True Confession Thursday: Did I Say That?

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30 minutes on the bike
30 minutes coaching soccer practice
Slightly Swollen Strides

It’s Thursday kids!  You know what time it is?

Nope, not Tool Time.  It’s time for me to get real.  Usually these are outrageously real and light hearted.  So if that’s what you’re looking for – here:

We’ve had quite a few noticeable earthquakes lately.  The kids have probably felt 3-4 in the last week so I was explaining what causes earthquakes:  plates, building pressure, the Earth’s need to release, yada yada yada.  The first analogy that popped into my head was farting.  Fabulous.  So now my kids think earthquakes are the planet’s way of letting a gassy lunch go.

Now for the real stuff.  And by real…I mean REAL.

I was cruising on Facebook and learning about really important things like Rebecca Black’s new song is releasing and stumbled across this gem of a quote.

Don’t worry, I’m just pretend yelling in the picture. When I really yell my veins stick out just a little more.

Mother trucker.

I’m not going to lie, it stopped me dead in my tracks.  Sadly this was the second time I had seen it.  The first time I read it, I went to a super fabulous place called de-nial.  But this time there was no ignoring it.

I felt sucker punched.

I have spent a significant amount of time lately reacting to my kids instead of responding.  The do, I react.  They don’t do, I react.  Sometimes I find myself saying things and wondering when I’ve turned into my mother (love you Mom! you’re the best) who I’ve become.

Some kids get foot and mouth disease, I’m feeling a major case of foot in mouth disease.

My goal lately has been to just take a deep breath before I say anything.

This is so much harder than a 5am 20-miler.  I’m not even kidding.

My voice, my winces, my reactions are creating my children’s inner voices.  Oh sure, sometimes it’s funny.   Strawberry literally had the entire neighborhood pool in hysterics when he kept dropping the toys he was carrying and declared, “Oh my gosh, I’m a total hot mess”.  But watching his teeth clench when he’s upset and I know he’s being too hard on himself is like looking in a flipping mirror.

I’m thinking a lot about the voices in my kid’s head (and I’m hoping there’s only one in each respective little cabeza of theirs) and what they hear now and will hear in the future.  I hope it’s forgiving, gracious, loving, and kind – not only to others, but to themselves as well.  I want their inner voices to be confident, merciful and joyful.

The challenge is that I have to get my “voice” there first.  I need to stop reacting, start responding and make sure the voices in my head are giving a true read on what’s actually going on.  It’s time to stop playing the worry, people pleasing, and internal berating on repeat.

All of this begs the question:  Why don’t kids come with a manual?  It’d be so much easier eh?

Do you need to change your inner voice?
If you have kids, what do you want their inner voices to be like?