Treadmills aren't just for adults anymore

This morning I biked for 45 minutes, and discovered a benefit of biking indoors: you sweat, a lot. It kind of felt like I was in a sauna. Isn't there a type of yoga that you do in a heated room? I never noticed how much I sweat when I'm outside, because the wind is cooling and drying me off. Hopefully I will be losing lots of water weight.

Little Miss Sunshine has discovered the treadmill: 'Nun, mommy. Nun, mommy.' (translation: run, mommy. run, mommy) So I stood behind her and she held onto the uprights and we 'ran'. Well, the treadmill was on, and it was going about as slow as you can go on it. But she had a great time! I tried telling her it was time to get off, and she didn't want to; she kept walking, and ended up keeping it up for about 15 minutes, which really surprised me. Now I know what to do when she's not able to run around and play outside. And she did go to sleep quicker tonight...

I rearranged our room (again), making space for my bike. I decided to leave it up all the time, so it'll be easier to just hop right on- no excuses to procrastinate. So I hauled more stuff out to the shipping container, and I think I've finally gotten all the extraneous stuff out of our room. Everything is accessible, and I think it looks nice: not too cluttered, yet functional.

I had planned on rearranging the storage container today, but it rained this afternoon when I was planning on tackling the job. Since I need to pull stuff out in order to rearrange it all, it was a no-go today. I did manage to locate the box that had my medical records from when I went to a reproductive specialist. My doctor wants to see the records, and while I do have a couple weeks till the appointment, I wanted to get that taken care of so I didn't forget about it.

I have made some good progress on my quilt, and hopefully I can finish it by tomorrow night. Then I can start on the fourth and last one. Yay! I can hardly wait to get these done and taken care of. After I finish some of my other projects, like my scrapbooks, I will do another quilt, but I think I'm going to find a pattern book and make sure I do everything right. These quilts aren't exactly neat and even and all lined up: I just kind of make things up as I go along, which is ok, but I've seen some designs that you need to be a lot more accurate when sewing them.

My own personal gym...

now consists of a treadmill, bike trainer, and assorted weights and resistance bands. Now I just need to get in the habit of using it all...

Sunday I found a treadmill for $50 on craigslist, so I spent yesterday morning driving to get it. It was about an hour and twenty minutes each way, but when combined with the $50, it was still way less than most treadmills go for. I would love to be able to spend $1000 on a treadmill, but our budget doesn't extend that far. It's a few years old, but not completely low tech, and I actually ended up only paying $40 for it: I had three twenties and no tens, and the girl selling the treadmill didn't have change, so she let me have it for $40- an even better deal!

On the way home, I stopped by the post office to pick up some packages that had come, and one of them was the indoor trainer for my bike that I bought on ebay.

In the process of manhandling the heavy treadmill into the house, I managed to drop it on my big toe and tear up my toenail. I didn't realize how bad, till I looked down and saw the toe of my shoe turning red from blood... never a good sign. Hopefully it'll be healed before the marathon, which is in less than two weeks.

Between the treadmill and the bike trainer I am now equipped to exercise even if the weather continues to be nasty like it has been lately. Definitely a good thing, since I haven't done much of anything the last two weeks, and I now have less than two weeks till the marathon. On the one hand, my shins have stopped hurting and my feet aren't bothering me, but on the other hand, I don't have the mileage in that I really should. At this point, I just need to make sure that I'm comfortable in what I'll be wearing, and make sure I don't try to do too much and aggravate my various problems right before the race.

This evening I set up the trainer and biked for twenty minutes. It does take a little getting used to, but I can change gears to make it harder or easier, so I think I'll be able to get a pretty good workout with it. It's not as interesting as being outside, so I guess I'll be watching a lot of movies while on the treadmill and bike, but at least I'll be getting my exercise.

I don't think I have anything planned for tomorrow, so I'll exercise, then go sort all our stuff in the storage container, so I can get that out of the way. Then I need to get back to my sewing. I've been neglecting it, and I really want to get those quilts taken care of.

Coping with separation

I've gotta stop reading books. I get too involved,and end up getting nothing done. I've done way too much reading this week, and have stayed up late almost every night, so now I'm tired from not getting enough sleep, and am more interested in my books than in doing things like going for walks or bike rides or sewing or organizing my stuff in storage (all things I needed to be doing this week). However, I hate not having a book to read before going to sleep at night. Of course, there's then the problem of stopping and shutting the book and going to sleep.

I think it's harder to find a happy medium with my Army Guy gone. I don't have a husband joining me in bed, so it's easy to lose track of time and get caught up in what I'm reading. One of my coping mechanisms, I guess. Lately I've been thinking about how I've been coping with him being gone. I haven't been doing too bad, but I think there's several reasons for that.

1. The six months we were separated when he was in training were a pretty rough time for me. I miscarried a few weeks after he left, and while he was able to come back for a week on emergency leave, he had to leave again way too soon. I was by myself, dealing with the physical and emotional issues that go along with a miscarriage and don't just disappear on their own. It sucked. So I figure there's not much that could be worse than that experience. True, this deployment is longer, but we do have R&R part way through, and we'll be heading to Hawaii for a couple weeks.

2. I have Little Miss Sunshine to keep me busy. She is such a sweetheart, and a true blessing in our lives.

3. The 'fuzzy brain' that accompanies my systemic yeast infection is actually a blessing right now. It keeps me from thinking as clearly as I would like, and it takes a bit of effort to focus on certain things, like a certain someone being gone. My mind tends to wander quite easily, unfortunately, which can be a real problem sometimes.

4. Living with my parents takes some of the daily stresses off of me- I don't have to deal with home maintenance. I can leave LMS at home with my mom if I need to (though I try to keep it to a minimum, and not abuse it), just having the option is a big relief. I don't have to cook dinner every single night. I really hate cooking every single night, and it's so nice not to have to right now.

5. We're able to chat or talk frequently. We're not able to talk every day, but it's still good to be in contact as frequently as we are. The webcam is a big help- we actually get to see each other, not just talk or IM. At least we're not in any other war, where it could be months or years before you hear from each other, and it was only by letter. We are really blessed to have the technology we have now.

6. Working on accomplishing goals and finishing projects is keeping my spare minutes busy, so I have less time to sit and think too much. Too much time on my hands is not a good thing.

The disadvantages of dogs

Normally I enjoy living out in the boonies: the fresh air, the neighbors that aren't 6 inches from our house, the dirt roads.... There are things I don't like though. Like the lack of leash laws, the stupid people who let their dogs run around unleashed and/or unfenced, the same stupid people who own 4 or 5 dogs....

The weather has been cold (40's) and windy the last couple days, totally out of character for the beginning of September. Today was cool (just right for a walk or bike ride) and not windy (finally!), so Little Miss Sunshine and I headed out on a four mile walk (2 out, 2 back). We've gone this route many times, without any problems; I know where the dogs live, and even if they bark, they're fenced, so it's not a problem. Just after I hit the mile and a half point, I heard a car behind me honking. I looked back to see why, and there were three dogs in the middle of the road. I kept walking and after 30 seconds looked back to see where they were. They were trotting down the road, following us, and they were catching up. So I pulled out my cell (first time I've had to use it while exercising) and called my mom to come pick us up. I can handle one dog, but I wasn't going to mess with three dogs at once- there's no telling what they will do. Before my mom reached us, the dogs had turned into a driveway at a house that has a couple of fenced in dogs. Good thing, too, since they would have caught up with us before mom reached us. Prayer works, let me tell you. Mom brought us home and we headed out in a different direction, because I really needed to get the mileage in.

So now I am in the process of researching local laws concerning pellet guns. As long as it's legal, I will be buying a pellet gun and carrying it with me. I carry pepper spray, but you have to be aware of the direction of the wind so you don't end up with it in your face, so I'm hesitant to actually use it (especially with how windy it can be here). If I'd been on my bike this whole thing wouldn't have been so bad: the bike trailer is much more enclosed and safer for LMS, and I can go a lot faster. On foot, with her in an open jogging stroller: not very protected at all.

Ever since I was a kid and the Great Dane that lived on the other side of the vacant lot next to us would come out and chase us anytime we walked, ran, or biked past, I've been suspicious of dogs. Not to say all are bad, I met a very sweet Great Dane when I worked at the vet clinic, but it made enough of an impression to scar me for life. You just don't know what they're going to do. I know people say 'oh, he's so sweet/gentle/good with kids/wouldn't hurt a flea', but what if that dog feels threatened, real or imagined? That sweet, gentle dog could do something not so sweet and gentle. And then there's the whole 'a dog should run free, it's cruel to leash or fence them in' thought process. Yeah right. It's downright negligent and irresponsible to not leash and/or fence (securely) a dog, and it could be criminal, as well, if the dog were to attack people or livestock. But for some reason, people feel that once they move out to the country, it's their right to let their dog roam free. I'd like to see how quickly they change their minds when a pack of dogs comes after them.

Ok, I feel better. Rant over for now.

Little Miss Sunshine's room is finished!

I finally got Little Miss Sunshine's room all finished, even the small details. I should clarify, though. Her room isn't really a room, it's more .... a cozy space.

Here's the before pictures, after I put the insulation in and started framing and drywalling. As you can see, it's an unused space under the eaves.

The first picture is looking to the left, from the doorway.

The second picture is looking to the right, from the doorway.

Here's the after pictures.

The first picture is looking to the left, from the doorway. This is her reading area, complete with comfy cushions.

The second picture is looking straight in from the doorway. The doll cradle is one my dad made me when I was little, which I have now passed to LMS.

The third picture is looking to the right, from the doorway. There's room for stuffed animals on the shelf, and in the hanging shelf in the very right hand side of the photo. I was going to make a trundle bed box to lift her bed off the floor a bit, but decided that it's fine as it is. I keep finding her half off the bed, so I think it's safer for her bed to be on the floor for now.

LMS is a big fan of Finding Nemo, hence the decals, the poster above her bed, and her quilt.

When we move into our own place and she has a normal sized room, I'll switch her bedding to pink or purple, something more girly than the blues that currently predominate. It works for now, though.

When I was painting and remodeling the room, I finished off a smaller space under the eaves for use as a toy room for LMS.

Here's a photo after I had put the insulation in.

Here's looking to the left from the doorway.

Here's looking to the right from the doorway.

And here is just outside her toy room (doorway is on the right), looking at the rest of her play area. Remember those shopping carts? My sisters and I had a couple of them, and they lasted forever (which includes the abuse my three younger brothers dished out). They did finally die, but I found one on ebay for LMS.

By finishing off two unfinished, unused (except for storage) areas attached to our room, I've been able to give LMS her own bedroom and playroom. It's nice for her to have her own space, and it's nice for me to have more room than I otherwise would. I have my closet space back, too, now that her crib is no longer in there.

I'm glad to finally have her room done. Now it's time to move on to other projects. Tomorrow my mom and I will be canning peaches, but we should be able to get it all done tomorrow.

I still need to get out and exercise, but I still have a phlegmy cough. I'm starting to think that maybe I do have bronchitis, after all. I was going to go for a bike ride first thing this morning, but it was 45 degrees! Add a stiff breeze, and it was quite cold, and it didn't warm up till close to noon. I'm going to have to get outside tomorrow, regardless of the temperature, though. I have to be ready for the marathon. I did buy an indoor trainer today; once that comes I can ride my bike inside, even if it's cold outside.

I am so tired...

We moved all our stuff from the storage unit to the container on my parents' property. My dad had to get my sister's car fixed before she heads back to college next week, my brother helped a family in our ward move, and my youngest brother went to an amusement park with a friend, leaving my mom and me to do all the moving.

We managed to fit everything into a 10X12 storage unit when we moved here, but it was packed so full we couldn't get to anything, so we ended up getting a second 10X12 unit so we could spread things out enough to be able to find whatever it was we were looking for. It was inevitable that we would need something, only to realize 'wait, it's somewhere in the storage unit'.

My mom and I managed to fit everything from one unit into the truck, trailer, and my car on the first trip. On the second trip we got everything from the other unit into the truck and trailer. Good thing we got rid of our awkward, heavy stuff like the washer and dryer, and good thing my brother helped me with the couches earlier in the week. By the time we were done, we were both very tired. We did have help unloading when we got home; dad helped after the first trip, and dad and my brother helped after the second trip. We got everything unloaded and into the container, and I realized I still had to haul down the boxes and bins of clothes and miscellaneous items from my upstairs bedroom. I didn't want to do it, but I also didn't want to climb over boxes and bins tonight and tomorrow. So I cleared out our room, then rearranged our room a bit.

I'm glad I finally got that all taken care of. It's been on my list of things to do for months, though I initially was going to buy a container, which is part of what took me so long. I kept waiting to find one in my price range, but it wasn't happening, so I finally decided to just rent one. Now all my things are here and I can run out and get something whenever I need it. I no longer have to store all sorts of stuff in our closet just to avoid a trip into town. I was able to clear a lot of stuff out, and it feels so much better in here now.

And I finally got a workout in this week- all that lifting and carrying definitely qualifies as a workout, and I'm pretty sure my arms will be stiff and sore tomorrow. I've had a week of recovery, and next week I need to buckle down and start exercising again- no more slacking off for me.

Midnight Sun

Today I was surfing the web and checked Stephenie Meyer's site to see if there was any new info on it. Sadly, there was: someone had posted part of her draft of Midnight Sun online. She's understandably quite upset about it, and won't be finishing it anytime in the near future; she'll be working on other projects instead. She posted a link so you can read the draft that was posted online, but it's not complete. What she's written is good, and I'd really like to be able to read the rest, too bad that won't be anytime soon. Why would you do something like that? What is the point of spoilers and sneaking stuff out early and not respecting the rights of the author? It's very rude and insensitive (and illegal), and now everyone has to suffer because of someone's actions. :(

Our things have been in storage for 9 months now, during which time my Army Guy left, Little Miss Sunshine and I moved from the in-laws' to my parents', and LMS moved out of her crib. Consequently, hubby's clothes, LMS's crib, bedding and outgrown clothing, and miscellaneous items have been haphazardly chucked into the storage unit. In the interest of neatness and appeasing my inner OCD, I pulled the various boxes, bins, and bags of clothes out and hauled them home and upstairs so I could sort and consolidate. Tomorrow we'll be moving everything else over here, which will give me the chance to reorganize everything. I can set aside the boxes of books so they're easy to find when I'm ready to index them, I can have my boxes of craft stuff close to the front, just in case I need something out of them, and the bins of clothes can also be close to the front for easy accessibility. I'm not kidding about the OCD, either. I knew everything was going to be in storage for a year and a half, so when I packed (which I had to do, so I could make sure it was done right) I made a list of what went into each box, so I can find things as I need them: baby items, bathroom items, a particular book, etc, can all be found by consulting my list. I guess I could call it efficiency rather than OCD, but it's still OCD.

This afternoon LMS and I played on the trampoline for awhile. We just rolled around in circles, chasing each other, but she thought it was the greatest fun. She laughed and giggled the whole time! It reminded me that I need to make sure I'm taking the time to play with her, and not just have her playing next to me while I do something else.

A very thorough physical

I had my physical today. They are very thorough at this clinic. I've never had half this stuff checked by a doctor. Today they checked:

1. weight and body fat
2. resting blood pressure
3. blood pressure while one hand is in a bucket of ice water
4. blood pressure while trying to count backwards from 999, by 9s
5. blood pressure while playing a video game (Ms. PacMan)
6. lung capacity
7. EKG
8. strength tests for arms and legs (lifting weights)
9. bone scan
10. chest x-ray
11. vision and hearing

This is in addition to the bloodwork (they took 6 0r 7 tubes) and the metabolic thing I did a couple weeks ago. I go back in a month (soonest I could get in) to go over everything and see what we're going to do about my PCOS. Not as soon as I hoped, it's not leaving much room to get on some meds and lose some weight before I see my Army Guy in November, but hopefully we can at least make some progress.

I didn't work on my quilt today, though I did get a lot of the little things done for Little Miss Sunshine's room that I've been putting off. Once I build her bookcase and get her books moved in, it'll be done! I'll post pictures once I get that accomplished.

Little Miss Sunshine

Remember these books? When I was in first grade, my teacher gave each student one of these books, based on their personality. I got the Little Miss Sunshine book. Somehow in the 20-odd years since, it got lost, so I haven't read it in a while, but I do remember that it was a cute book. I believe they're making a come-back, along with so many other things from our childhood (Strawberry Shortcake, Cabbage Patch Kids, etc), and are being reprinted or have become collectors' items. Anyway, I decided I was tired of calling my daughter 'DD': I want something a bit more descriptive. While she does have her moments (she is a toddler, after all), for the most part she is a happy, good natured little kiddo with the best smile ever. So, hereafter, in the annals of this blog she will be known as 'Little Miss Sunshine' or 'LMS' when I'm feeling lazy.

DH will now be referred to as 'Army Guy'- not very creative, I know. It's taken me this long to come up with a nickname for DD and I think that used all my creative juices. I'm still trying to come up with something creative for me, but am drawing a blank. Someday...

Deja vu

Today DD woke up at 6:30, but I told her to go back to sleep and she slept till 9! Unheard of for her, though I'm not complaining. It did give us a late start though, since I didn't wake up till around 8:30. Normally I'm up around 7, but I guess my body's trying to catch up on all the sleep I missed last week.

I spoke too soon the other day about my shins. They didn't bother me during the race, but they have since started hurting- a delayed reaction, I guess. I had noticed this to a lesser extent after the triathlons I did, but it's a bit worse this time around. I had wanted to do a long walk on Saturday, but I may not be able to- even walking is painful. I'm just glad I was able to finish the race before they started giving me problems.

After we got up and moving we ran some errands and had an episode of deja vu. DD saw another little girl with pink sandals like hers and started pointing and getting upset, and I had to tell her that no, they weren't her sandals; her sandals were at home. It's very interesting to see the connections she's making between things.

All in all, I didn't get much accomplished today. It was just one of those days where I lazed around. Part of it's the cold I've got (I'm still not feeling great), part of it is reluctance to start anything new, and part is forgetfulness. I forgot till this evening that there is some things I could be doing on DD's room, and I could be doing some sewing. Just not feeling really motivated right now.

We did get the container moved- we used a couple pickup trucks to drag one end around 90 degrees, putting it closer to where dad wanted it. I won't be able to move things till Friday though, since I've got my physical tomorrow and I'm not supposed to do anything strenuous before hand. So I will work on DD's room and do some sewing. I will be productive! (if I say it enough times, maybe it will happen....)

A grumpy day

Yesterday we drove home, and today I feel like I can walk normally again. I was feeling pretty stiff and sore the last couple days, but that's gone now. Laundry and unpacking today, as well as quiet playing time with DD. She enjoys visiting with cousins, but has a hard time having to share all the time. Part of that is trying to hold onto the toy, since the rule is that if you put it down, it's the other kid's turn to play with it. So she'll hang onto a toy as long as possible rather than let go and lose her turn. The other kids do it too, which is reassuring- at least it's not just my kiddo. It's also quite funny to watch the lengths they'll go to (laying on toys and so on) to maintain possession.

Today my shipping container was delivered, so now we need to haul everything from the storage units in town back here. I was planning on doing that tomorrow, but we'll have to see if that happens. Apparently my dad doesn't like where the container is, and wants it moved. Never mind the fact that he didn't say where he did want it, or the fact that this thing is very heavy, even when empty. So I'm a bit ticked because we have to figure out some way to move it before I can get all our stuff moved, which has to be done by Saturday night. We could call the company that delivered it, but they'd charge me another $200, which I won't pay since it's not my fault dad doesn't like where it is. (can you tell I'm a bit upset about the whole thing?)

I didn't go for a bike ride like I wanted because the container was supposed to be delivered before noon, but didn't make it here till after 1:30. So I wasted a lot of time waiting for it to show up. Adding insult to injury, my hayfever is acting up. I haven't had problems with it for a really long time, but after tramping around in the back field where the container now is, and my nose is all stuffed up, my throat is itchy and scratchy, and my head is hurting. Grrr.

Though on a good note, I don't think I have bronchitis. The phlegmy cough is doing much better, and my lungs are almost feeling normal.

I am awesome!

I did it! I finished my second half marathon! I did it just under my goal of 2 hours 30 minutes, beating my previous P.R. by 30 minutes! Yes, it was a fast course: the first half was all down hill, making for some fast split times. I even managed an eight minute mile, which I haven't done since high school. I was shooting for an 11 minute/mile pace, but the first half of the race was under 10 minutes/mile. This allowed me to slow to just under a 12 minute/mile pace the second half. The faster times in the first half counter-balanced the slower times in the second half, and it all worked out. I ran it by myself, without a running buddy to help me through it, which was not quite as fun, but empowering. Knowing I can do it and talk myself through it was good. It was also a nice scenic course: we came down a winding canyon into a small farming community, and there was a nice breeze coming off the small river that paralleled the road down the canyon. Once in town, even with my sinus congestion I could smell the silage and cows, which brings back memories of the year in college when I worked at a dairy, milking cows (which I really enjoyed).

Some things I learned (ok, the first three I already knew):
1. Shot blox are great
2. Body glide is our friend
3. Adequate rest is very important. I haven't slept well all week because of my cold (I keep waking up because I can't breathe), and I was really feeling the lack of sleep the second half of the race.

4. More than two port-a-potties per aid station are necessary- I would have finished 5 minutes sooner if there hadn't been a massive line for the port-a-potties at the first aid station. I really, really had to go, otherwise I would not have waited around that long.

5. I'm going to get longer spandex shorts to wear under my skirt- I really don't like short shorts, and the shorts that came with the skirt are just short enough to bug me.

The damage:
1. Only two blisters- one large, one small. I'll wrap my toes for the marathon.
2. Sore ankles and fatigued feet- stability shoes do not have quite the cushioning I need, despite the addition of gel insoles, but I need the stability. I'll wear my shoes more and try to get more used to them, and look for more cushioned insoles.
3. Shins and arches not too sore (yay! these were the big worries).
4. Various sore muscles up and down my legs. I think they're from the downhill running and the unaccustomed mileage- I really have not trained enough, in the interest of not aggravating my shin splints, which would make it impossible to complete any races.
5. Running with a phlegmy cough is not a great thing. I'm a little worried that I might have bronchitis now. I'll see how my lungs are feeling tomorrow. Luckily I have a physical on Thursday, so if I'm still coughing then I can get some meds.

It was a good race, though I didn't like the second half (flat, with very few hills, so actually not that bad) nearly as much as I liked the first half (nice downhill, not too steep, but enough to make for some easy running). I would love a half marathon that was completely downhill. That would be awesome! The marathon will be tough, just on the fact that it's 26 miles, but if I can keep a good pace during the first (downhill) half it should allow for the slowing that will occur on the second (flat) half and still keep a decent time. If I can keep my pace up, my goal will be to finish in 5 hours. I'll need to make more of an effort to get more mileage in, but that's going to be what I work for. I will also be working on getting better and getting enough sleep.

One of my sisters came with me to watch DD while I ran. After the race, she told me some of the things DD had done/said. Toddlers are great! Apparently she saw another little girl wearing a pair of pink sandals. DD has a pair just like them, though she wasn't wearing them at the time. In any case, she was very confused, and kept pointing at the girl and the shoes, obviously thinking that the girl had taken her shoes! My sister had a time trying to convince her that they weren't hers.

Leaving on a road trip in a few minutes...

Yesterday we finally got the oil changed in the car, ran some other errands, came home and put a few more finishing touches on DD's room (still not done yet, though), and packed for our trip.

This morning we will be embarking on our road trip to get to the town where I will run a half marathon this weekend. It's supposed to be a fast course, but given the cold symptoms (sore throat, congestion, cough) that I still have, we'll see how it goes. It's on the same course as the marathon I'll be running next month, so at least I'll get to see how the course is.

An incredibly busy and productive day

I love that I'm getting things accomplished, but I really haven't had a chance to catch my breath today. I woke up and finished painting the closet and DD's room. The paint dried pretty quick, so after cleaning up spilled paint from the closet floor I put the pad and carpet into DD's room. Then I put up the lights, but realized I didn't have bulbs for them, so added them to my shopping list. Then I put DD's bed, rug, doll cradle, and chair in. DD immediately went in and laid on her bed, quite excited about the whole thing. I then hung her Nemo picture on the wall and put the Nemo decals on the slanted ceiling over her bed. Last, but not least, I put the baby gate in the doorway. It's the swing type, so almost like a door, and will keep her in when necessary. There's still a few smaller things I need to do, but other than building the bookcase I'm pretty much done. YAY!!!!

While DD took a nap, I went into town to get a few things from storage and give them notice. Next week I'll be hauling everything back here to put in the shipping container I'm renting. I also went to the grocery store to get a few things, including light bulbs. On the way home I stopped by my in-laws to drop off some things and pick up some other things, then went home and prepared a handout (that ended up being 15 pages long) showing different exercises and stretches for the Beehive's activity tonight. Then we ate dinner quick, I got DD cleaned up and dressed (Yes, she spent most of the day in her pjs, but she didn't mind. Usually she'll start taking them off when she's ready to get dressed. Plus, a pajama day every once in a while isn't a bad thing, especially if you're still sick, which we both are.), and then we went to church for the activity. I talked to the girls for a few minutes about what I had prepared, then we went across the street to the park and DD played on the slides and swings and had a great time.

We're now home and DD is in bed in her room, and I'm relaxing for a few minutes. After I'm done here, I need to check my calendar to see what's on the schedule for tomorrow, put laundry away, and, if I'm feeling really motivated, start putting things on the new shelves in the closet.

Whew! This is why I like going on road trips. I get at least two days (one day each way) where I don't have to do anything more strenuous than reach back to give a snack or water bottle to DD.