"Quiet Time" lasts all day yesterday

Yesterday I told Kaleia to go up for her daily "quiet time". (Daily from 1-2 pm) I told her she could come down when she finished cleaning her room even if it was before the clock said two zero zero. She watches the clock for this magic number that says her quiet time is over. She informed she was not going to clean her room she was going to play. I said that was fine but she couldn't come down until she was done cleaning. Girl refused to clean all day and just played in her room. It felt like I just had 1 kid again. Finally at 6 she came down and told me she made her room a big mess and needed help. When I went up there it really was a big mess and we cleaned it up together. Today I did the same thing thinking she would be up there for awhile, however, she went up there and came down in 10 minutes annoucing her room was clean and she could come out...and it really was clean. I had 2 kids again today.

Shout Out To Bri

I just discovered my friend's jewelry line! They are so gorgeous and each piece made me think of her. (I haven't seen her in person in years) Anyway, check it out...
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6107063

Sad Day

Went to the Dr. yesterday...backing up...Tried running yesterday since the marathon and around mile 2 my knees just buckled and I had to hobble back home. Decided to go to the Dr. because my knees were really hurting with each step and I figured maybe I really tore something for it to still be hurting 3 weeks after the fact. Was told by the Dr. that I should not run at all anymore and should switch to biking. BIKING?! I really enjoy running. When it is sunny out I love to go for a run. Not anymore I have some long word wrong with my knees and have been told that running is the worst thing I could do. If I don't run then it should allviate most/any pain. I am still adjusting to this. I don't really like to bike...Can't picture myself really power-walking either. Had a P.E. teacher, Mrs. Deanna, that was a big power walker. She would walk behind us during the mile run and we had to finish before she did to get credit. I just have memories of her arms going really fast with each step....

Have you ever heard of someone not able to make pudding?

Okay, so I am trying to kick my late night ice cream binge habit. You know, the kids are asleep and so you turn on the tivo to watch all the shows you couldn't when they were awake and indulge in a bowl of chocolate sweet-goodness. So I have switched this week to fat-free sugar-free pudding. I buy the instant kind so it is ready within minutes of the craving. Anyway, I make my nightly batch with Lei and 30 min. later go to the fridge and it is still liquid. So I think I must have used too small and tall of a bowl so it is taking longer to set. So I switch it to a pie pan so it is evenly spread out. Wait a few go back and it is still liquid. At this point I am puzzled and call my mother-in-law and ask her if she has ever heard of pudding not setting. She says no...did you check the box are you sure it is instant and not cook and serve? I check the box and yes it is cook and serve. Feeling dumb at this point I pour it in a sauce pan and turn on the stove. We have an electric stove so I have a second before it is hot so I take a few toys upstairs come down and at this point the pudding is burnt to the bottom of the pan and smoke is bellowing up. I've had it, I dump the pudding down the sink, soak the pan, and vow to always check the box of each pudding I buy! Or perhaps I should just switch back to ice cream!

Not that bad...

So we have been without hot water now for over 24 hours. This morning I thought, "okay I can do this...I can take a cold shower..." But, it was too cold! It was like frozen creek water no joke. So I thought okay I feel dirty I really am going to have to shower some how. So I started boiling water on the stove. 4 pots going full blast. As soon as one boiled I took it upstairs dumped it in the tub and came back down for more. This took about 30 min. I think and I lost count how many trips up and down. Then when the tub was 1/2 full I brought two back up pots and put them on the bathroom floor to rinse with. So I was able to take a warm bath and just dumped the two pots on my head at the end to rinse the shampoo out. And I have to say it wasn't that bad.

The many faces of Lei

I couldn't leave out handsome boy!

Ode to Jordan

I have to say that I have the best husband I could EVER have! I am so happy to be married to him and to share my life with him. I don't want to get mushy (you all know I hate to get personal) but I thought I'd share...life with Jordan is BLISS!

I DID IT!!!

(pictures are at the bottom of the post)
The 1/2 marathon was not bad at all I actually had fun. I was worried because I had slacked off on my training. The time flew by and I finished at 2:43:34. That is about 12 1/2 min. a mile. I know slow, but for those who know me 12 min. miles are my favorite pace because I don't get winded. My asthma is my excuse; no worries of an attack or wheezing at that easy going pace! I had to stop to use the porta potty once and prayed I wouldn't have to use it again. I have found the energy drink vitalite/life? is good and does keep you from cramping. I didn't try any of the food samples I brought my own powerbar, that I started nibbling on around mile 8. I ran almost all of it. Had to walk a little bit mile 10ish because my knee was killing me and it still hurts a bit today. The stairs in our house are my nemesis. I thought I would be the only one with a cell phone but everyone had one. I called Jord at mile 12 to come down from the hotel so he wouldn't have to stand in the crowd for hours on end not knowing when I would be finished. I LOVED our hotel the view was amazing and it looked over the start/finish lines. I ate breakfast watching the 5K start, I am not sure when the marathon began, but at mile 2 coming the opposite direction was the marathons mile 10 and the leader passed averaging 4 min. miles as announced by the announcer. There were bands set up around the track but I was not impressed by any of them and I am officially tired of any beach boy song! So all in all I think I will run another one! The weather was perfect a little foggy at the start (I crossed the start line at 8:11) but the sun was fully shining at 8:40 and not cold at all.

Funny story: About mile 9 there were two guys having a smoke break on the edge of the course who were running the marathon. When we went to dinner at 7 p.m. there were two older ladies just crossing the finish line who walked the marathon, pretty sure the marathon began before 7 a.m.

We got to hang out with Sondra and Jason and had a blast per usual. The boys got to do 2 rounds of golf so they really enjoyed themselves, that day it was near 80 and had no fog in the morning...their tee off time was 6:30 am. Us girls shopped went to lunch and got pedicures that day. Jord and I got to eat at our fav restaurants. Crab cooker in Newport Beach, Wahoos in Costa Mesa, El Matador in Costa Mesa (thought of you MJ), and Duke's in Huntington Beach

The kids did fine. Never really missed us. Lei did a little one of the nights. She woke up at midnight and didn't know where she was. Both slept thru the night and didn't fuss. THANKS to my mom for watching them all weekend.

For official race information go to runsurfcity.com

This is the view from our hotel window


This is me seconds after crossing the finish line. My headband says WILL RUN FOR FOOD


This is me back up at the hotel right after the race you can see the race still going on in the background


Sondra and me right before we left