Easter Sunday. Rebirth and new beginnings.
A few things that I remember about Easter....I remember coloring Easter eggs with my mom. We always would get the cutest kit that we could and make the prettiest eggs ever. Then we'd head to both grandparents houses.....in our Easter best. I'm sure there was a stop at church in there, but that's not what I remember the most about Easter. I remember the pretty eggs and the pretty dresses and sometimes there would even be a nice little dusting of snow. My sweet grandma would color her very own Easter eggs to share with me and my cousins. I would make a special egg (or 2 or 6) for her and she would then give me one her hers. Bless her heart...she would save my eggs. She would put them away and pull them out the next hear to show me. Thank goodness we never broke any of those old eggs! But she kept all of my Easter eggs in a special place just so that they would not break. I'm not sure what happened inside the pretty shells, but they all sounded like there was a little rubber ball inside....the yolk I suppose. Wonder why we never thought to blow the egg guts out and THEN color the shell for Grandma? I also remember my Easter baskets. My mom used the same basket every year and it seemed HUGE! I saw that basket a few yeas ago and it didn't seem so big at all! Anyway, she would fill it full of the best candy from the best candy store in town.....Rosalind's Candy Castle....best chocolate...EVER! Once I found my huge Easter basket.....I loved looking at all of the tasty treats that Mom so carefully arranged in the grass.....never any peeps or jelly beans for me (thank you, Mom!), just sweet, creamy milk chocolate....and my favorite chocolate covered pretzels. Happy Easter, y'all! xoxox
Two weeks. Marathon Day. The last day that you will have to read about it, too. Sorry to go on and on about it, but it's pretty front and center in my brain for the immediate future. I got nine miles in this morning. Kay and I met while it was still dark out even! She had somewhere to be at 8:45 and I had something at 9:00. So we did it at 6am! We averaged a little more than a 14 minute mile. Not to bad if you ask me. I have to admit that there was a moment today (OK...a few moments) that I was seriously doubting myself. It was around mile 7...which turned out to be our fastest mile of the day...according to the gizmo on Kay's wrist. I wore my Karli's Kause shirt today, because that's what I'm wearing on "The Day", and Kay had all of her reminder bands on her arm. What pushed me through the doubt, was thinking about all of these children that we know.....fighting the FIGHT OF THEIR LIVES and the precious angels that have already earned their wings. Chemo, radiation, brain surgery, they worry about their blood counts and their hair falling out, to mention just a few of their worries. Their parents put on the bravest faces possible for their children and they all get through it the best that they can. How can I NOT get over myself and just walk???? So, that's what I did. These children...along with my boys....are my inspiration. So, bear with me for two more weeks....xoxox.
So...I have a couple of glasses of wine with dinner, and apparently it gives them permission to go nuts. Everyone that knows me, knows that I love my baths. With bubbles. As often as possible. I CANNOT go days and days without bathing. I can't even go one day without a bath or a shower...most days I have one of each. Anyway, Wyatt happens to be the ultimate skank in the family. As much as I scrubbed him when he was little.....he can go days without showering. He doesn't...because I threaten to scrub him...but he could if I'd let him! So, the King and Wyatt.....over my second glass of wine...challenged me to a "skank off".....could I go longer than Wyatt, without a bath or a shower. The deal is...we can wash one part of our body. I won't disclose what part Wyatt chose to wash, but I'm sure you can guess. So, I poured another glass of wine, so that I could think about it some more....and I had to respectfully decline the offer to be the Skank Master of the family. Wyatt is the winner of the Skank award...congratulations son!
Warning: This is not going to be my all time favorite post.
OK....so y'all know about Graden....my first 'bonus child'........he died in 2005 from a rare form of brain cancer. Too tragic and sad for words. Since then, there have been numerous other children IN MT. JULIET to be diagnosed with some type of cancer. Right now, I have 4 reminder bands, plus Graden's, that I will be wearing in the Marathon. If these sweet, innocent children can go through what they go through, then I can finish the 1/2 Marathon. Easy. But....this post isn't about me and the marathon. It's about OUR children in OUR community that keep getting the dreaded, evil diagnosis. Are the statistics the same in other communities? I certainly hope not. What do we do to get answers? Who do we call? What tests need to be done? WHO'S FAMILY IS NEXT??? How many children went through this before Graden, that we didn't hear about? How many others are fighting for their lives NOW, that we don't know about? To take the questions to yet another level....how many ADULTS in MT. JULIET are fighting or have fought the fight of their lives? I'm afraid that number is alarming too. I read CarePages and CaringBridge everyday. I know that there are lots and lots of children...and adults... that get cancer. But why so many here? I think these children deserve some answers....I just wish I knew where to find them....CANCER SUCKS.
.....and that's a good thing. I have a few miles to walk today. 6 to be exact, but I think Kay has plans for 8. Either way....it's nice to see the sun. We're 3 weeks away from the 1/2 marathon. Although I have been very, very determined to do it before my 40th birthday....I never actually allowed myself to think of it being this close. I've been confident that I can do it....just focused on training properly and .....well....just doing it. So, here we are....3 weeks out. I've registered and paid. My mom and dad are coming up and I've given them phone numbers to 2 local hotels. (Their choice, not mine.) I think it may finally be hitting me that I AM DOING THIS! You see....when I was a little girl....that's exactly what I was....a GIRL. Everything GIRLY...... that was me. Dirt...no way. Ball....no way. Snips and snails and puppy dog tails.....no way. Sugar and spice and everything nice.....that was (is) me. Fast forward 39+ years....and not much has changed. Since I have boys, though, I know a thing or two about the snails and puppy dog tails. I also know a thing or two about ball.....I know how many stitches are on a baseball (108 double stitches), I know the infield fly rule, and just enough to make the King nervous if I start yelling at the officials. Thanks to the boys.....I know about dirt now too. I still don't like it....but I know about it. So that puts me to today. THREE WEEKS away from walking 13.1 miles. I've never been an athlete....never wanted to be. But here I am. Although I am not competing with the entire field for the best time....I AM competing with myself.....stay tuned. xoxox
I know, I know....I've already posted once today. BUT....a huge pet peeve just inspired another post. I have to be at a meeting at 7:45 tonight, so to waste a few minutes, I was checking email and catching up on Facebook. As Wyatt was reading over my shoulder (another pet peeve), I could feel him breathing on my arm. It wasn't just usual light breaths...He was breathing hard....ON PURPOSE! Now, since this blog is usually rated G...I will mention that breathing hard is by no means a bad thing. BUT....while I'm checking email, and minding my own business...GET OUT OF MY BUBBLE!!! It doesn't mean that I love you any less....just stop breathing in my space! I love you Wyatt...very, very much. xoxox
How many times have you heard that? Not as many times as I have said it! For some reason, the older the boys get, the harder they are to wake up. Ben is already up and out the door to work and Wyatt still has a few minutes of snooze time left. Ben was easier than usual this morning....I hope the trend continues with Wyatt. We're pretty low on the grumpy scale this morning too. I don't like morning grumps. Why get up grumpy....when there are plenty of things just waiting to make you grumpy throughout the day? Wake up happy that you woke up....happy that you have another day....happy there there IS ANOTHER DAY!
OK...off the soapbox now. We're halfway through the week...so far so good. No big plans for the weekend either. Just 6 quick miles for me and the usual weekend things around the house. Wyatt started the last 9 weeks of 6th grade this week and Ben will start his 3rd quarter next week. Time flies when you're having fun, right? Spring basketball is about to start. I miss my basketball friends....can't wait to get them back! I need to pour another cup of coffee into my body and hope in the shower to start another day. Have a great day....look up and smile at the sunshine!! xoxox
