After running a half marathon or full marathon you must rest. Don't run for the first week after the race, then take it easy. Work your way up.
I wish I had known this BEFORE I went out and wore myself out. I might have avoided that evil cold sore and now that evil sinus infection. No running for me tomorrow. Instead I'm sitting here with a headache, a stuffy nose, hoping for quick recovery.
Another lesson learned I suppose...
Friday, April 30, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
Let's talk about sex, baby...
So I read a blog post this morning from a mom who has received a letter from her school, informing her, that soon her daughter's 4th grade class will have sex education. She seemed a little freaked out over it, and asked her readers for comments.
First I skipped the comments altogether, and wrote about my experience with Toothless Fairy, who wanted to know all about sex about a year ago. She had heard about it, she wanted to know, what happens, how it happens, and she wanted answers now. I gladly obliged. She and I drove to the library, checked out some books, and at home we sat down and talked about it. Very easy and pain free. She giggled a little, but generally just listened carefully. End of story.
Then I decided to read the comments on the other blog post after all and was astonished to see just how many moms were not only a little concerned, but found the topic of sex education so scary, that one wrote she was in tears and called her mom.
I was puzzled after reading all the "Oh my god, this is totally freaking me out" comments. I'm not sure why sex education is such a huge issue. If treated like any other subject, the child will learn where she came from, that billions of humans do it, and have done it since the beginning of time, and that they will have to do it someday if they want to procreate. My guess is that no 8 year old or 10 year old will run out, grab the next best boy or girl and try it. Sex education is like knowing math, absolutely vital.
Children are not dumb. They understand risks. I certainly knew what I was doing when I had my first time with my boyfriend at the tender age of 16. Yes, we used condoms, and I quickly got on the pill. This may seem preposterous for some, but it beats the heck out of teen pregnancy. ;-)
Treating sex like it is something dirty, unnatural, and something that has to be kept a secret, will result in children who will go out and explore without telling their parents, and without the proper precautions. Of course they will. Heck, MTV is doing an entire series on "16 and pregnant". You've seen them do all kinds of silly things as little kids, when you told them, they were not supposed to open that drawer, or they were not allowed to do this or that. Curiosity is powerful.
And to the lovely mommy who wrote the blog post, I hope you don't mind that I made this a subject on here. I purposely did not mention your name or blog. :) All will be well... and yes, I do recommend that you be the one to educate your daughter beforehand.
First I skipped the comments altogether, and wrote about my experience with Toothless Fairy, who wanted to know all about sex about a year ago. She had heard about it, she wanted to know, what happens, how it happens, and she wanted answers now. I gladly obliged. She and I drove to the library, checked out some books, and at home we sat down and talked about it. Very easy and pain free. She giggled a little, but generally just listened carefully. End of story.
Then I decided to read the comments on the other blog post after all and was astonished to see just how many moms were not only a little concerned, but found the topic of sex education so scary, that one wrote she was in tears and called her mom.
I was puzzled after reading all the "Oh my god, this is totally freaking me out" comments. I'm not sure why sex education is such a huge issue. If treated like any other subject, the child will learn where she came from, that billions of humans do it, and have done it since the beginning of time, and that they will have to do it someday if they want to procreate. My guess is that no 8 year old or 10 year old will run out, grab the next best boy or girl and try it. Sex education is like knowing math, absolutely vital.
Children are not dumb. They understand risks. I certainly knew what I was doing when I had my first time with my boyfriend at the tender age of 16. Yes, we used condoms, and I quickly got on the pill. This may seem preposterous for some, but it beats the heck out of teen pregnancy. ;-)
Treating sex like it is something dirty, unnatural, and something that has to be kept a secret, will result in children who will go out and explore without telling their parents, and without the proper precautions. Of course they will. Heck, MTV is doing an entire series on "16 and pregnant". You've seen them do all kinds of silly things as little kids, when you told them, they were not supposed to open that drawer, or they were not allowed to do this or that. Curiosity is powerful.
And to the lovely mommy who wrote the blog post, I hope you don't mind that I made this a subject on here. I purposely did not mention your name or blog. :) All will be well... and yes, I do recommend that you be the one to educate your daughter beforehand.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Volcanoes, and gardens and things
Well, it's been quite a week. By now you've all heard it, a volcano on Iceland with a name way too long to even try to write or pronounce, has erupted for the second time in a month this week. Flights in most northern European countries are canceled, including Denmark, Great Britain, Northern France, Germany etc. And it makes you wonder really, why it happened just now. My parents flew to London this week to start their trip to the Philippines, where they will be spending the first six months of their retirement.
Needless to say, my parents are stuck in London, in a hotel in Heathrow, and while the airport keeps pushing their no fly times out by just a few hours each time, the message is clear to everyone. This could last a while. The upper level winds are not going to change until Thursday of next week. So chances are my parents will spend some more quality in Great Britain. Granted of course, Britain is not the worst place to get stuck. I'm assuming they're doing some sightseeing... or well, I hope they do. My mom called yesterday and left a message, telling she wanted to share her "sorrow" with a third person. ;-)
Yes, some people are much worse off... those for instance who had to be evacuated on Iceland because of the risk of flooding. Yes, flooding! This is a glacier volcano. The melted ice will likely flood an area that is usually home to at least 1500 people. Sadly, nobody reports about these people, because everyone is really only worried about the billions of dollars the airlines are going to lose because of this incident. It's the worst incident since 9/11, and dare I say, it's worse than then, because air traffic was shut down for only a few days then, whereas now they have absolutely no idea how long this might last. Fortunately of course nobody was killed. Definitely something to be grateful for.
Well, flights have become consistently more expensive recently, and one can only imagine what this incident will do to prices and to airlines. How many will announce their bankruptcy after this is over? We'll just have to wait and see, I suppose.
In the meantime life in these parts has been pleasant, as we've enjoyed some lovely spring weather in Oregon. Sunny skies and warm temperatures brought out the best in me and I spent hours weeding and planting vegetables, excited about eating the produce out of my own garden all summer long. Both kids have requested a spot of their own in the garden. Wish granted. Blue Eyed Boy will grow zucchini, and Toothless Fairy will grow herbs and pansies. May they appreciate the results of their gardening efforts. :)
We have even eaten our dinners outside, because it was so beautiful. I love Oregon, and am so grateful to be living here. There is just one thing missing right now. Ogre is in Phoenix for work and will now spend the weekend with his family there. We all really miss him. Life is not quite the same without him here. I miss finding him sitting near the fireplace early in the morning, reading his Week magazine. Heck, I'd even gladly hand over the remote again. :) It's not that I have not appreciated him before, but absence most certainly does make the heart grow fonder. I want him back, and I can't wait for Monday.
Have a nice weekend, everyone.
Needless to say, my parents are stuck in London, in a hotel in Heathrow, and while the airport keeps pushing their no fly times out by just a few hours each time, the message is clear to everyone. This could last a while. The upper level winds are not going to change until Thursday of next week. So chances are my parents will spend some more quality in Great Britain. Granted of course, Britain is not the worst place to get stuck. I'm assuming they're doing some sightseeing... or well, I hope they do. My mom called yesterday and left a message, telling she wanted to share her "sorrow" with a third person. ;-)
Yes, some people are much worse off... those for instance who had to be evacuated on Iceland because of the risk of flooding. Yes, flooding! This is a glacier volcano. The melted ice will likely flood an area that is usually home to at least 1500 people. Sadly, nobody reports about these people, because everyone is really only worried about the billions of dollars the airlines are going to lose because of this incident. It's the worst incident since 9/11, and dare I say, it's worse than then, because air traffic was shut down for only a few days then, whereas now they have absolutely no idea how long this might last. Fortunately of course nobody was killed. Definitely something to be grateful for.
Well, flights have become consistently more expensive recently, and one can only imagine what this incident will do to prices and to airlines. How many will announce their bankruptcy after this is over? We'll just have to wait and see, I suppose.
In the meantime life in these parts has been pleasant, as we've enjoyed some lovely spring weather in Oregon. Sunny skies and warm temperatures brought out the best in me and I spent hours weeding and planting vegetables, excited about eating the produce out of my own garden all summer long. Both kids have requested a spot of their own in the garden. Wish granted. Blue Eyed Boy will grow zucchini, and Toothless Fairy will grow herbs and pansies. May they appreciate the results of their gardening efforts. :)
We have even eaten our dinners outside, because it was so beautiful. I love Oregon, and am so grateful to be living here. There is just one thing missing right now. Ogre is in Phoenix for work and will now spend the weekend with his family there. We all really miss him. Life is not quite the same without him here. I miss finding him sitting near the fireplace early in the morning, reading his Week magazine. Heck, I'd even gladly hand over the remote again. :) It's not that I have not appreciated him before, but absence most certainly does make the heart grow fonder. I want him back, and I can't wait for Monday.
Have a nice weekend, everyone.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
So I ran a half marathon...
And I would be jumping up and down and doing a happy dance.... but there is that, uhm, post race pain in my legs. It was awesome. The very first race I ever ran, and I made it in 2hours 37minutes (the clock says 2:42. That just means that I crossed the start line 5 minutes after the first people). Not a fast runner but a steady one.
My overall ranking of all women was 1071. (LOL)
In the group of Athenas (women over 150lbs) I rated in 31st.
I love my friends, and I'm so grateful for their support and friendship. And yes, I'm doing this again!!
My overall ranking of all women was 1071. (LOL)
In the group of Athenas (women over 150lbs) I rated in 31st.
Friday, April 9, 2010
So I'm old-fashioned...
This comes as a complete surprise to me. When I was 17 and people would ask me, what I was going to do with my life after school, I'd tell them I'd be a career woman. No really, I said it just like that. I said I'd make a great career, I'd live in a really cool condo, drive a fancy car and never get married. Leave the family and kid thing to someone else. I knew I was going to contribute to society by working my ass off and going on awesome vacations in the Caribbean.
Of course I held a positive pregnancy test in my hands at the tender age of 19. What was I to do? I had been on the pill and taken it regularly. But does a 19 year old really read the "fine print" on the instructions, stating that if you get sick and have to throw up, the pill just might not work for ya? Nope, I had no clue. All I knew was, that there were two lines instead of one... and that there was absolutely no way that I would have an abortion. Not because I'm against abortions, but because I just couldn't kill that little thing inside me that apparently must have really wanted to be my child.
It is almost 16 years later. My daughter will be 16 this summer. My two little ones are 9 and 7. (Happy Birthday, Blue Eyed Boy!) I am a stay at home mom, and I homeschool my children. I'm a freelance writer, but unless I start working really hard soon, I won't ever make a living with it. For the rest of my life I will likely depend on my husband to keep a roof over my head, to feed me, to clothe me. I guess one can only hope that we never fall out of love. ;-) Of course we just had our 10 year anniversary two days ago, and agreed that we'll definitely grow old together.
A couple of days someone posted on Facebook, asking if a certain amount of money was a good price for infant daycare. Lots of people responded with their opinions about what was reasonable for infant daycare. And all I could think was, what ever happened to the baby staying home with Mom? What about that very special bond between a mom and her baby, the breastfeeding, this making sure that your baby learns to trust you as a parent, rather than to have to grow up with someone during the day, and be back with you at night? This guy and his wife are young and ambitious, and I couldn't help wondering how they planned having a child. Does it fit in with our plans? Is it the next logical consequence after we date, get engaged, get married, pursue our careers? And can we make sure not to change our lives around too much for this new little human?
At the risk of sounding judgmental, why have a child, when you're unwilling to change your life for it? This is when I realized it. This is when I understood, that I must be hopelessly old-fashioned. I do think that it's the mother's job to stay home with the child. Why? Because nature gave us a womb and boobs.
I am not anti-career for women. To each their own. But the unwillingness to take even a short break for this new human being, blows me away. Part of me wants to say, "Let me take care of your child. I will be a wonderful surrogate mommy." Of course that would really mess with our lives, and I would no longer be able to give my own children the kind of attention they deserve.
So, in the end all I can do, is to give all that I have to give, knowing that someday I will be able to to look back and say I have done my best to raise these children to be the best big people they can be.
(And now, before anyone raises their torches and pitch forks, I am aware of circumstances that don't allow a mother to stay home with a child. I know that many women want to go back to work, partly because they just are not cut out to be a mom and housewife, partly because the business world will turn without them and they will struggle to catch up with the rest if they take even a one year break. Things are more complicated for women who choose to have both a family and a career. This is simply my own statement, a realization that I am indeed an old-fashioned happy stay at home mom, and that I would not have it any other way.)
Of course I held a positive pregnancy test in my hands at the tender age of 19. What was I to do? I had been on the pill and taken it regularly. But does a 19 year old really read the "fine print" on the instructions, stating that if you get sick and have to throw up, the pill just might not work for ya? Nope, I had no clue. All I knew was, that there were two lines instead of one... and that there was absolutely no way that I would have an abortion. Not because I'm against abortions, but because I just couldn't kill that little thing inside me that apparently must have really wanted to be my child.
It is almost 16 years later. My daughter will be 16 this summer. My two little ones are 9 and 7. (Happy Birthday, Blue Eyed Boy!) I am a stay at home mom, and I homeschool my children. I'm a freelance writer, but unless I start working really hard soon, I won't ever make a living with it. For the rest of my life I will likely depend on my husband to keep a roof over my head, to feed me, to clothe me. I guess one can only hope that we never fall out of love. ;-) Of course we just had our 10 year anniversary two days ago, and agreed that we'll definitely grow old together.
A couple of days someone posted on Facebook, asking if a certain amount of money was a good price for infant daycare. Lots of people responded with their opinions about what was reasonable for infant daycare. And all I could think was, what ever happened to the baby staying home with Mom? What about that very special bond between a mom and her baby, the breastfeeding, this making sure that your baby learns to trust you as a parent, rather than to have to grow up with someone during the day, and be back with you at night? This guy and his wife are young and ambitious, and I couldn't help wondering how they planned having a child. Does it fit in with our plans? Is it the next logical consequence after we date, get engaged, get married, pursue our careers? And can we make sure not to change our lives around too much for this new little human?
At the risk of sounding judgmental, why have a child, when you're unwilling to change your life for it? This is when I realized it. This is when I understood, that I must be hopelessly old-fashioned. I do think that it's the mother's job to stay home with the child. Why? Because nature gave us a womb and boobs.
I am not anti-career for women. To each their own. But the unwillingness to take even a short break for this new human being, blows me away. Part of me wants to say, "Let me take care of your child. I will be a wonderful surrogate mommy." Of course that would really mess with our lives, and I would no longer be able to give my own children the kind of attention they deserve.
So, in the end all I can do, is to give all that I have to give, knowing that someday I will be able to to look back and say I have done my best to raise these children to be the best big people they can be.
(And now, before anyone raises their torches and pitch forks, I am aware of circumstances that don't allow a mother to stay home with a child. I know that many women want to go back to work, partly because they just are not cut out to be a mom and housewife, partly because the business world will turn without them and they will struggle to catch up with the rest if they take even a one year break. Things are more complicated for women who choose to have both a family and a career. This is simply my own statement, a realization that I am indeed an old-fashioned happy stay at home mom, and that I would not have it any other way.)
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