Today’s double digit work out (10 mile run, 1 mile cool-down) brought to you by pickle juice in a (clean) travel-sized shampoo bottle, Jesus, unexpected El Paso rain holding off until I got back to the car and support from viewers like you.
I’m coming for you, El Paso Half Marathon!
PS: Can we just take a moment and acknowledge the awesomeness that is being able to run outside eight days before Christmas? Thanks, West Texas desert. ?
Thanks to Flat Daddy for reminding me that on days when the Toddler doesn’t nap, when I’ve dropped a book on my toe and it is still throbbing hours later (I don’t *think* it’s broken), when I nearly forgot I had to bring cookies for the kindergarteners tomorrow, that it’s ok to feed said Toddler a mid-afternoon donut during the Wal-mart power shopping trip before school pick up.
PS: Said Toddler woofed the said donut down, then got wound up in post-cold-germ coughing fit, which resulted in donut barf in his car seat. ?Neat.
PSS: At least the cookies are baked and the car seat is washed for our upcoming trip now!
PSSS: “Come on bed time!” Clap, clap, clap-clap-clap!*
***
Deployment Log, Day 72:
1. I made the executive decision to take today as a “Mental/Emotional health day.” I spontaneously scheduled Malick for an extra day at “school”, because after his anti-napping Tuesday hoopla, Mama just needs a minute. (Wednesday is typically my run-around-do-all-the-appts day, and Monday is long-run day, tomorrow is a half-day of school for CHaris… so today there are no appts on the calendar. I’m pumped!)
2. Big plans for today: Target, packing, and folding gobs of laundry. I know. Be jealous.
3. My mama Cj had a great idea for my parenting mission: I got a whistle. Because I do not want to yell (anymore) at the children. For some reason, yelling is the only way they listen and it stresses me out. I get sucked down into the chaos, and I guess one of us needs to be a semi-steadfast, mature human being. (“Oh hey, Mama got loud. Maybe she really is serious about us getting our shoes on/getting off the table/not throat punching each other.”) Don’t judge me. I’m just getting creative here– and it makes me feel super empowered.
4. I think I need a striped black/white shirt to officially make me a referee.
5. I’m really bad at wrapping presents (God bless all of you who love it and are good at it. That’s not me). So if anyone asks, Charis “helped” me wrap all the things (She didn’t, but that’s my story and I’m sticking to it).
6. When video chatting with Brandon last week, Malick cleaned off my end table in my bedroom, stacked all of my stuff in a corner and then tucked a blanket around it. It’s official: He’s a raccoon.
7. Confession: I’ve never eaten at Whataburger.
8. Confession: I don’t love tamales. I really want to. But they are just “meh” for me. Kind of in the same category as grits, sweet tea and pedicures. I will keep trying them, hoping that someday I will be like “YES! GLORIOUS!” but for now, it’s just not my jam.
9. Prayer requests: That all flights go well on Saturday as we travel, and that I can have a fun, adventurous attitude (see also: not stressed by the chaos/logistics of mobilizing two Tiny humans and a dog via air travel). Oh, and of course for continued connection with the hubs and being intentional with self-care.
10. Parting thought: “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” ~James 4:8a
Momming Whistle Update: 38 hours in and it seems to be working. I (sparingly) tweet that bad boy and the kids immediately stop, look and listen(ish). Like, “Oh hey, our mother is speaking with a purpose.” It’s like a secret weapon as I wear it! ??
Although I feel like a bizarre version of a football referee, I’m digging it. To keep things fresh, I might just start using football vernacular…
*TWEET!!* “Personal foul! 3 minute time out!”
* TWEET!!* “False start. GET YOUR SHOES ON.”
* TWEET!!* “Offsides! Apologize to your brother/sister immediately.”
PS: And no, unlike actual football, the children are not allowed to challenge the play. The ruling on the field stands.
PSS: I got this epic lanyard for $1.08 yesterday. Remind me of my call and mission as a mother…
1. We made it to Grandma Lex and Grandpa Dietrich’s house in South Dakota! (Thanks Aunt Rita for meeting us at the airport too!)
2. Traveling went well, all things considered. I feel like we were a rather entertaining circus to a majority of passerbys. Next time, I’m charging admission. #ShowMeTheMoney
3. Malick is SUCH a runner. And fast at that. We went back and forth between him walking and wearing his leash or riding in the carseat with the magnificent car seat dolly. But seriously: HERDING CATS.
4. Thank God the TSA attendant in El Paso had a good sense of humor. Since I had both kids and the dog, (and we sadly didn’t get TSA PreCheck– Whomp, whomp) we had what felt like 12 bins of stuff to get through the line…
5. AND (obviously) Malick had to be out of the carseat and take off the leash backpack AND the dog had to be out of the kennel/travel bag. So when Malick got through security, the TSA attendant had to swab my hands… I’m holding the dog and Malick takes off. I shoot the gal an apologetic look, she laughs and said, “Ok. Go after him. Just come back.”
6. I was quite the sight coming back to the line: Malick failing angrily in one arm (talk about a very mad, heavy and drunk-like Octopus with a very hard head) and Justus the 12 lb dog in the other, shaking like a leaf because he had just been sprinted football style across the airport.
7. Ensuing text convo with my travel cheerleader, Lex:
Lex: “Why did they need to swab your hands? Do you look like a terrorist?”
Me: “Terrorist? No. Terrorized? Absolutely.”
#PunsOnTheRun
8. I sweated a lot today. But I did remember to wear deodorant this morning (barely). #Winning
9. Malick nailed me right in the eyeball en route from Dallas to Sioux Falls. We were playing peek-a-boo, and his finger found my eye so directly that it popped some blood vessels. I didn’t curse, but it sure hurt like a dirty word.
10. Highlight of today (Other than arriving safely in the care of the grandparents): As we were boarding the smaller plan from DFW to FSD, I knew I wouldn’t be able to roll the carseat dolly down the aisle. The flight attendant asked if she could help… and with the chaos of herding the children down the aisle and needing to carry carseat/dolly/dog high enough to not cold-cock every American Airlines passenger between first class to row 18, I realized I needed a new plan. So I asked if she would carry Justus (still, of course in his dog carrier).
She said she would leave him up front and I could come up and get him when I got settled. Deal.
Well… By the time everyone was strapped in and the aisle was clear, Justus had gotten promoted. He was literally in the cockpit, kennel top unzipped and sitting on the captain’s lap making new best friends with both Captain Edgar and his co-pilot. It was awesome. #NicelyDoneAmericanAirlines
11. Prayers: Praise for safe and (mostly) uneventful travel today, prayers for rest and to be fully present the next couple of weeks, in spite of the absence of my Beloved.
12. Parting thought:
“Praise him—he is your God, and you have seen with your own eyes the great and astounding things that he has done for you.” ~Deuteronomy 10:21
