Triathalon here I come...!

Brendan and I are training for a triathalon this summer! I have wanted to do one since I was in college, but never actually considered it since life was full of school, getting married, having kids, etc. And then a few months ago Brendan told me that he wanted to do one. So I have been training the last few weeks with him (well, "with him" in spirit...it's practically impossible to actually work out together) and have discovered a few things along the way:

#1 I can run! I did track for one season in high school and was a sprinter. If I ran longer than 100 meters, I (silently) complained. I have always hated running long distance, and questioned how in the world my sister could run a marathon (twice!). The secret, for me, is running by myself. I am accountable to myself, and to a triathalon training book. I have no one pushing me, which usually makes me wimp out and just stop running. So, as a result, I have run up to 4 miles the last few Sundays, and last night I went out running after a full day of being with the kids, and ended up running almost non-stop for an hour. Pretty cool.

#2 I love working out "by the book". When the book says to do something, I do it. I decided to see how well I can do an actual triathalon if I do the training for it. It would be too easy to skip a day (or many days) here and there, or do a shorter workout, and then blame a wimpy triathalon race on that fact. If I am going to invest any time, energy, and money into this then I had better give it my all. I am definitely feeling optimistic right now, but I know life will come back with a vengeance and then I may feel differently.

What makes me feel better...?

"Take some time for yourself" is something people like to say to young moms, or moms of young kids. But how to do that is the question. And, I'd like to counter it with another question: is it always necessary? Case in point: I'm sitting here with a lot of things to get done around me. The kitchen needs straightening after lunch, the laundry needs changing, the kitchen floor needs washing (the chore I do on Thursdays), dinner needs starting, etc. I have 45 minutes till the first kid will wake up, and all I feel like doing is going outside to enjoy the sun and read a book. It sounds just wonderful. However, if I do that, I know from experience that I will come in and feel worse than when I went out (however much I enjoyed the time outside) because nothing that I was supposed to do got done. The house will be messy when the kids get up, I'll fret about what to make for dinner, etc. And so, I ask again: is taking time for oneself always the best way to cheer up? What about just sucking it up and doing the stuff we're supposed to, serving our family and in the process serving the Lord by loving our neighbor. I always feel better (albeit a bit more tired perhaps, but that is nothing new) by doing what I have set aside for myself each day. And, with that end in mind, I need to leave this computer and go wash the dishes!

Sharing a Room- Pros and Cons

We have had Gene and Lucy in the same room since before Janie was born, and right now I am very frustrated with it. It's another one of those things I grew up thinking was great- sure, have all your kids share rooms...they'll learn how to share their stuff and their space...I did it for my younger years at least (we had three girls in one room for a while)...it will be good for them. What they don't tell you is how extremely frustrating it is when they are young and both in there together! They wake each other up in the morning, taking turns being the first to wake, and the result is at least one less-than-100% kid for the rest of the day (at least until nap time). We have a fan in the room to make some white noise, but it doesn't seem to matter. Am I just wanting too much? Kids have a much better chance of having a good day if they get enough sleep, but also if they are allowed to wake up on their own. Just think how you feel in the morning hearing the alarm go off, and how much different it is to wake up slowly and listen to the birds (just starting to come back to Michigan...though the first one we've heard is a crow...) I want the same for my kids, but I guess it just isn't feasible right now. Or, as a friend of mine does with her kids, I could train them to stay in bed absolutely quietly until I come to get them...I wonder if I could...?