So yesterday I bought a breadmaker. And last night made the first loaf of whole wheat oatmeal bread. I am about to go upstairs and figure out how to make zucchini bread in it, as this week's farm zucchini isn't going to eat itself. I'm hoping that I'll get really adept at this and be making all of our bread. I'm just not comfy with all of the preservatives and corn syrup in bread, and with having to pack a lunch, starting next week, we'll be going through a lot of it. Not to mention the grocery prices going through the roof.

Oh also, I am a slacker. Twice, maybe three times, I blew off Moon's training. Once I just forgot, twice I called to reschedule at the last second. At around 11 last night, I remembered I was to go at 8:30 today. With no childcare lined up. So this morning I did some scrambling, and didn't blow off the trainer a fourth time. Thank heaven for small miracles, I guess.

The realtor came in to take photos of the house today. And put up a sign. It's not official until the 1st, I don't think, but we're going back on the market for 60 days or so. Very short blast. One open house type thing, possibly not lowering the price. We'll see. The realtor said to my husband that the house looks great and a professional stager couldn't have made it look better. My dishpan hands thank you.

The upside is, we have a really clean house for the weekend. Oh and the boy is going for an overnight at my parents', so I will get a little downtime with the girl, not worrying about cleaning.

Second wiggly tooth disappeared overnight. Tonight we shall compose a note to the tooth fairy. I just hope he doesn't want to search for it upon exit.

This weekend, my husband and I started singing "rocky mountain high" to the kids. And while they are big fans of Johnny Cash and Kenny Rogers, they didn't know the John Denver. So I was going to dig through the $5 bins for a cd. All on my mind, for sure.

Today I left the big tv on when we went out. It was PBS for kids shows. I came down to turn it on, and it's John Denver. Spooky!

My niece sort of ruined the whole tooth fairy magic. Not severely, but apparently her tooth fairy gives $5. The silver dollar was less exciting. Not to mention, the boy was pretty sure that it was the silver dollar he already had. I had to find said silver dollar and tell him the tooth fairy wasn't a crook.

The vacation was fun. Aquarium, family, friends, plane ride, all good.

This week, the boy is doing karate camp. I am not entirely sure why, but he's having trouble leaving me. Or specifically, me leaving him. He has fun the entire time, even when I'm there, but any talk of leaving makes his lip quiver. I don't exactly tell him to suck it up, but I do leave. I hate these decisions where I worry I'm harming his future self.

I've been tagged.

The Nitty Gritty details:
It’s a random tag, and here are the rules!
1. Link to the person who ‘tagged’ you!
2. Post the rules on your blog!
3. List 6 random facts about yourself!
4. Tag 6 people at the end of your post!
5. Let each person know they have been tagged by commenting on their blog!
6. Let the tagger know the entry is posted on your blog!

1. Candy
2. Done.
3. I'm making dinner right now, we're having wax beans (which I know not much about), I smell like the dog who got into my gym bag, the blinds I bought for the new room are too wide, I forgot to get an erasable calendar at target today, where they're on sale, and I'm going to get back into triathlon training.
4. How about I do it here? Mary, Martha, Ang, Jessica, Blair, and Amy.
5. Let each person know they have been tagged by commenting on their blog!
6. Let the tagger know the entry is posted on your blog!

Since I"m going away, here's some entertainment:

The “Blog” of “Unnecessary” Quotation Marks
Cake Wrecks

At the gym today, free pomegranate peach passion white tea. Gross. Free is not always good and that makes me sad.

Wednesday we're going to Atlanta to visit the family. I haven't seen my sister or niece since May or June which isn't the longest we've gone, but it feels too long. We're staying at a vanilla chain suite hotel with pool and kitchenette and maid service and internet and cable. I couldn't be happier. Really, we could be staying in East Podunk and if it had those factors I'd be thrilled. I don't care if I ever see past the parking lot. Oh wait, except for a starbucks/ice cream/chocolate run. At some point, because my mom is going, I might eat a vegetable.

Oh, and I'm planning to bring running sneakers and a sportsbra. I will have no excuse. I should google earth the hotel and find a nice little running loop. Or an on site fitness center with treadmill or something. Or maybe just the aforementioned starbucks.

Oh! That (aforementioned) was our vocabulary word today. Thank you, They Might be Giants, and "can you find it".

I forgot to add a finished photo!

She slept in her own bed last night! Girly is growing up. It was (knock on wood) all pretty smooth and painless. Other than her waking up and not knowing where to find me.

Also, we ran a 5k last night. Fun. I'm kind of tired, though. Like long term tired. I'm going to do this triathlon on Sunday and then take some time "off". I still will exercise 5-6 times a week, but I'm definitely feeling burned out on it all. It's not the exercising, but the making the time to do it and be on such a schedule.

Today we had to put a new coat of paint on the floor. White over darkish green needed 3 coats, especially when fully cured. But I'm getting there.

She'll be using his bed, which is a semi-old spindle bed (no idea how old, really). Cream colored sheets, pale pink comforter. And this week, target has soft storage cubes on sale, so we'll get 4 or 6 of those. And *pink* underbed storage boxes, which really will make the difference for her.

This morning I did 3/4 mile swim, 6 mile bike, and 1.5 mile run, so I'm feeling much better about next weekend. Tuesday is a 5k race, and I did that course on friday, so it's all good. Pray it's not 12390 degrees that evening.

massipainted

massipainted
Originally uploaded by archimom

Here we go! Now just to put the stuff in it (um, and buy the bed and bedding and things) and convince her to sleep there! She's excited so I think it will be all good.

Because of this project, I worry I'm not ready for the triathlon next weekend, August 3. For instance, I didn't exercise at.all. today. I'm getting up to run in the morning, a course of a 5k I'm doing Tuesday, though, so if I do that I'll feel better, more prepared. And we're going away this weekend, and I hope I can get in an open water swim one of those days.

ceilclouds
Originally uploaded by archimom

Is this not the cutest thing? I am turning my former office into the little miss's room. Yesterday I outlined the clouds and although it wasn't the highest priority, I filled them in today. It was my reward for my 230923 trips to the garage attic with books and boxes of photos in frames and stuff. Over the weekend, I moved my desk and things down into the guest room, where I sit right now. It's a nice room, the only issue I have is that it's not all that close to the kitchen/kids/etc. But because of that, it's really quiet and toy free.

I'm going to paint the room "filtered sunlight", which is a really pale yellow/cream, and her bedding will be pale pink, with cream and brown. I'm trying to decide if I'm going to get the bed in white, or in black-brown. Huge decisions.

She is so excited, and wants to keep going into "her room". She drags me by the hand in there, even though it's mostly empty and still somewhat dusty.

Oh so ya, the boy is really into Davy Crockett right now, of all strange things. So if a new Davy Crockett movie is in the works in 6 months, know I prophesied it. It happened with Indiana Jones, it could happen again.

This is the post where I share every dirty detail of the triathlon with you. Skip post if you don't care.

I had an 8:30 start, with a 7:30 athlete meeting. So I planned to get there for 7. You had to park a little ways away and I only live 3 miles away, 2 of which can be done on a paved rail trail. So I packed up my backpack, ate a powerbar, and hit the road at 6:45. I found my spot, got marked (they write in permanent marker on your arms and legs) and got all set up. By 7 I was ready and excited, and had met up with my team. My coach was supposed to be participating but was having a bad medication reaction, so we "got" her for the day. Another gal in the group who was sick during training and didn't feel ready, hung out too for moral support. At 7:30 or shortly thereafter, I saw my husband and kids arrive and was thrilled that it was all coming together.

The young men started at 8, and every 5 minutes they sent out a swim wave. I was in the last wave (because I weigh more than 150 lb, I am considered an Athena Athlete), and wore a white cap. We all got in the water up to our thighs, and then they blew the whistle. It took me a few hundred yards to get away from the others (particularly one guy who I think was trying to "draft" off me), but then I found my groove. Suddenly I was among swimmers again, and realized I had caught the tail end of the wave ahead of me. By the time I got out, I was one of the first of my wave out, and had passed people from three of the waves before. It was a bit strange, because there is no real relativity when you know others started the race 1/2 an hour ahead of you. I had a great swim though, and it turns out I finished 108/444 for the swim. Go me! ;o)

Ran up and got the shorts, shoes, singlet, helmet on. Grabbed the bike and ran to the mounting point. I had sort of a slow transition (2:30) but not bad for a first timer. Headed out, had some water, tried to settle down. I was all adrenaline and racing, and knew that there was the biggest hill of the course about 4/10 of a mile in. The good thing about that hill is that you're totally warmed up by the time you're up it. Drank tons of water on the bike and was able to take it a little easy, analyze the swim, the bike, prep mentally for the run. Found a guy to kind of stick with (his number was 69, giggle, which makes a good icebreaker). Passed some people, got passed by many. I was 402/444 for the ride. I did about the same pace I'd been doing practicing (13 mi in 56 min), so that felt good.

The day was warming up at this point. Dying to get off my helmet, grabbed a bit more water, changed shoes, headed out. My legs felt like jelly for the first 1/2 mile or so. Stopped to walk for a hundred yards or so, and realized that it didn't feel any better, so just plugged along. Many, many neighbors out with hoses, makeshift water stops and moral support. Felt wonderful. At the turnaround was the real water stop, so I grabbed a cup and got a pretty decent stomach cramp. I walked for probably 1/4 mile then, but then felt okay and trotted on back. Not my fastest 5k, for sure (42 min) but still, after the others, it was just the end to a fun day. Total finish: 396/444. Which keeps confusing me, as by alphabetical listing, I was number 398.

Then, the big boy wanted me to swim in the lake, and of course nothing sounded better. That victory swim with the kiddos was the most fun, refreshing swim ever. Then we all had free burgers by the lake. Altogether fun.

August 3, look for me on another course!

I guess Sundays are our good family days. This morning we got up and went out to breakfast at a beach cafe. Sat outside, had our napkins blown around, strolled out to the surf (chilly even today). Then on the way home, big boy asked to go to the Dinosaur Park, so we had to turn around in another park - a little island in the river. We got out and did a little stroll on the island, then went back to the dinosaur park, then finally home again. Just those few hours of time together is a definite recharge.

Yup, it's done. I did it! I finished, I am alive to tell the tale, and I wasn't last!

Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow!

I'm going to pick up my number this afternoon. Must plan, plan, plan and obsess accordingly.

Maybe the book I'm reading isn't a comedy. Does one categorize books as comedy? Anyway, I started a new book last night, and it just made me crack up in a few places. The style just brings me right back to being 12, attitudes and that sort of thing. So a few times I was actually giggling in bed. My husband thought I was crazy.

Then it sort of turned sad, the events have to do with missing kids in a small town, but the style is still just so dead on. I want to read the reviews of it on goodreads, but I'm sure it will have spoilers, and I guess when I finish it, I'll know what it's "supposed" to be. For now, I'm just enjoying it as it comes.

T-minus 4 days until triathlon day. I did a spin class (too hot to bike outdoors today) this afternoon, I'll do an open water swim tonight, the bike course in the morning, a jog on thursday, open water swim thursday night, and then that's it. Four more workouts. :|