Anxious

My first marathon is in less than two weeks, and the pre-marathon jitters have finally caught up to me.   I am so anxious, I keep getting knots in my stomach whenever I think of the marathon.  (I should stop thinking about it....if only it were that easy!)

I know I can do it.  I ran 20 miles a little over a week ago.   If I can run 20, I can do 26.2.   I'm not worried about the finish time, I'm only concerned with crossing the finish line under my own power.   I think I can, I think I can, I think I can! 

Sad

I'm so sad about the deaths and injuries from the Boston Marathon bombing.   It's especially heartbreaking that one of the victims was an 8 year old boy trying to give his father a hug as he finished the race.   Just a week earlier, I had Luke and Matthew at the finish line of the Go St. Louis Marathon waiting for Kris and the relay team to finish.   Luke was excited to give Kris a hug and congratulate him on "going fast."   The boys have been there at the finish of many runs, at least 2 Air Force half-marathons, and the Flying Pig half-marathon.     It's such a happy place to be, and now this happens.    I'm definitely glad now that the boys won't be at the Flying Pig Marathon finish line when Kris and I cross it in three weeks. 

Vintage Luke

Wow!  Hard to believe Luke is going to be 4 in a little over a month!    Harder for me to believe that today Matthew is wearing the shirt Luke is wearing in the last photo.   How are my boys so old already!    Also difficult to decide on just a few photos when I easily have thousands to choose from.   :)

WWKMD?

What would Kate Middleton do?   Or probably more accurately:  what would Kate Middletown wear?   Or probably even more accurately:  what would Duchess Catherine wear?    That's what I find myself asking sometimes when I am deciding whether to purchase an outfit.    If Kate would wear it, I'm in.   If she wouldn't, I probably will pass, unless I really love it.    It's nice to have a style icon.   Especially one who is almost exactly my age, height, hairstyle, build (OK, I wish, but still) and likes.   If only the jaunty little hats were fashionable in the U.S.  

Prayers

I think perhaps God looks forward to Luke's prayers.  It's like a comedy routine.   He will pray for anything and everything he can think of. 

For example, one night before bed he said, "Dear God, thank you for one, thank you for two, thank you for three, thank you for four...."  I quickly cut him off, but had to laugh.   Precocious?  Or a sneaky little way to delay bedtime just a little bit longer?!   

He also loves to be the center of attention, so when he is given the opportunity to pray at a larger family meal, he really lets loose.     Meanwhile, Matthew (as our hungry child) is usually twisting and turning his little arms in an attempt to break free from the prayer hold so he can take a bite of his food.   Lately though, he's been chiming in with his own "Amen" at the end.    I think he's just excited to be eating...after Luke has thanked God for trees, and chairs, and cups, and eyeballs....

Namaste!

Yesterday I successfully attempted a bound side angle at my yoga class!

I remember first seeing the pose in an Athleta catalogue.  I didn't think it looked too difficult, so I tried to replicate it.  Within .005 seconds, I said to Kris, "Oh yeah, that's never gonna happen."   What looks so effortless is quite a contortion of the body.   Until yesterday.   Woo hoo!  (Not me....although, she does kind of look like me).

Dance Party

We've been trying to limit the amount of TV the boys watch.  We used to always have the TV on, even if just to provide background noise.   When I left my former job, I placed the radio I had had in my office in the kitchen and started turning the radio on when I was cleaning.   Now that I'm cooking also, I turn the radio on when I arrive home and we listen to the radio all through dinner, and even sometimes until the kids go to bed.   So now the boys are being exposed to music more than TV, and even better, it's good music....classic rock.  :)  

Whenever a song I really liked would come on, I would pick up one of the boys and dance (mom dancing...awesome when you're a toddler, mortifying when you're a teenager).   The boys have become so accustomed to these impromptu dance sessions, they're even taking the initiative themselves when they find a song that "moves" them.

Last night, Matthew was mid-meal when a Steve Miller Band song came on.  He climbed down from his chair, squealed "dess" and ran into the kitchen, where he started to do his gallop dance in circles in the kitchen.   Then he held up both hands, smiled at me and said, "dess, mommy!"  ("Dess" is "dance" not to be confused with "dis" which he says to mean "this").  

Naturally, when Luke saw me swing Matthew up to dance, he also ran into the kitchen and started busting a move. 

The only unfortunate thing about kitchen dance parties is that the dance move of choice for both boys is to be swung around in circles by their hands.   Kris and I get dizzy WAY before they do.