Sunday, November 10, 2013

Life at My Daughter's Speed



It's been a quiet weekend.  I don't think I've had a quiet weekend.... possibly ever in recent memory.  And I LIKE IT.  I thought about entitling this post "Rocking It" or something similar, in homage to this weekend's cake, but the reality is that once I got past the crazy ups and down and business of work, doctor's visits, and other stuff, the weekend has been slow.  Much more classical music in your pjs than rock 'n' roll.

Guitar cake - this weekend's project

Today the little guy was sick (actually, we are all sick, but he was really sick), so my Sunday morning swim with the kids turned into a solo outing with my little girl.  I should spend more time with this kid - because of all of her amazing, stubborn, lovable, and infuriating characteristics, one of her biggest is that she cannot be rushed.  She will spend a full hour in the morning to eat a bowl of cereal.  Putting on her shoes takes a good three minutes (even with Velcro - OMG).  While this drives me and Jedi to pull our hair out and bite the back of our fists on a regular basis during busy school mornings, it is actually a perfect weekend training pace.

Buddy's hat

Did I say training?  Yes, I am in training to relax more.  Cool, huh?  I have taken up crocheting - a skill that my grandmother and mother taught me when I was young, and that I've totally neglected since because it involves sitting still for so long.  Another skill I let lapse around age ten.  But after five weeks of enforced sitting, it turns out that I like just chilling out with a cat in my lap.  If they wouldn't try to bat the yarn so much that would help, but life's not perfect.  I've logged some serious hours playing video games with the kids and reading this weekend.  It is great.  Now that we've cleared our baking schedule for the rest of the year, I fully intend to spend as much time as possible mimicking my daughter's pace - taking my time.

So anyway, today for our impromptu girls date we first headed to the gym for a swim workout for me and kid gym for her.  We got out of the car and she asked "Mommy, can you run with me?"  So we ran giggling all the way up the parking lot and into the gym.  She said, "Wow Mommy you're a good runner!!!"  After my time off (really, any time) hearing my best little running buddy say that was worth more than any sub-3:00 marathon ever.  (Which is good, because let's just be realistic....)

I stashed her in kid watch, and headed to the pool, where I knocked off 1350 meters in just under an hour.  I have a new toy - a waterproof case for my IPod Shuffle that clips to the back of my goggles.  I had a Best Buy gift card lying around from about 2011 and used it to grab this baby while I was laid up, in preparation for a lot more swimming.  Let me tell you - swimming with my tunes is a revolutionary experience.  Love love love.  Just don't try to sing underwater...


For those interested, that swim set reads:
Warm-up:  1x100 swim, 1x100 pull.  Annnd reading this I just realized I did this twice.  Make that a 1550 workout.  Score!
Drills: 8x50 single arm free, alternating right and left every 25.  30 second rest.
Main Set: 400 m.  I timed it and did it in just over 10 minutes.  Considering this is faster than both of my sprint times for the same distance, I am calling myself happy.
Cool down: 1x50 swim, 1x50 pull, 1x50 swim.

I spent some time in the sauna, which I had never used before and now wondered why the heck ever not? Oh right.  I never felt like I had time to. Grabbed the girl, and we headed off for some early Christmas craft shopping and lunch at her favorite burrito joint. She was ridiculously happy to have the entire side of the booth to herself, and spread her lunch over her whole side of the table.  A lesson in spreading yourself out and making yourself comfy.  When I finished my lunch before her (of course), she convinced me to go back and buy myself some ice cream.  Who am I to argue with my teacher for the day?

Ice cream, soda, chips - oh yeah!
She takes her time...

We did eventually come home to check on poor sick little dude, to relax on the couch (she took a nap), and to finish her hat. Can't be all work!  She and Daddy took a break to make us a chocolate pecan pie, which I'm hoping is the sole element of our dinner.

Still wearing her pumpkin hat from her Halloween costume.
Five year olds rock. A friend suggested I do more of these and make a book
"Baking and Tri-ing with Your Kids" - what do you think?

I'm still chugging away at Cast25K.  I chose swimming today over running because after my last "run" on Friday my foot was super sore.  Ditto after swimming, so I think I'm making the right choice.  Will lace up again tomorrow.  Or not.  I'll see how I feel.  

I've got time.....



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