Miles to Go

On the advice of a friend who is an experienced runner, I went to Salt Lake Running--  a store that specializes in all things running.  This friend said that if I want to run a half marathon at the end of March (which I do) I MUST have proper shoes.  And not only were my $30 shoes from Khol's not adequate, but they were thoroughly worn out. 

So I walked through the doors to Salt Lake Running and told them I needed new shoes.

They had me run on a treadmill and they video-ed my feet to see what kind of of shoes would be best.  Then I tried on several pairs until I found the shoes that spoke to me.

These are they.
Clark told me they were weird looking.  And they kind of are, but they feel great.  Here's hoping for 7 pain free miles tomorrow morning.

Status update on Operation: Get in Shape Girl--- 36 pounds down.  Quite a few more to go.  These weird looking shoes are going to take me there!

The Moral of the Story

We have 1:00 church, which I know most people do not like, but I quite do.  We had a leisurely morning getting ready, but at about 12:20 I looked around at every single room of the house and felt my blood start to boil.  Every room was in complete disarray.  The children had played all day and night on Saturday and Sunday is a day to be lazy to rest.

I lost it.  I threw a mommy temper tantrum.  I am assume you know what that is, but just in case-- A mommy temper tantrum is when you get really mad at your children for not doing something that you have never properly taught them to do.  This morning my temper tantrum went something like this:

"I am getting so sick of you people leaving your junk everywhere!  No one except Dad and I make any effort keep this house clean!  You see a mess and you just leave it because you assume that surely Dad or I will pick it up for you!  Did you ever wonder how things get picked up if you don't do it?  WELL NOT ANYMORE!!!  This is a NO FRIENDS week and ALL we are going to do this week is learn to take care of our house!  We're just going to clean for 6 days straight!  So help me, you WILL learn to pick up after yourselves!!!"

You get the idea.

Don't you wish you had me for a mom?

I know, I horrify myself.

But anyway, here's the real kicker.  Five minutes after my tantrum I get a call from a good friend in my ward.  She has nine children-- 3 of them are married and on their own and 6 are still at home.  This friend called to ask about my cleaning and jobs system with my children.   Because her children were telling her that the Fox children don't have to do Saturday chores, because they do their chores during the week.  I'm so flattered that she would ask my advice--
HA HA HA!  If she only knew!  She should know.

So I told her.  "Listen, dear friend.  I am not the one to talk to.  I just went off on my poor innocent offspring on a Sabbath morning 40 minutes before church-- and a Fast Sunday no less.  Actually, they are not entirely innocent, but it really was neither the time nor the place.  We do have a very simple system of daily cleaning jobs that only rotates quarterly, but I am under-utilizing my children and I still do far to much of the household work.  And there are parts of my house that I'm sure would qualify as "squalor".   I should be calling you for advice on how to implement effective Saturday chores!"

The moral of this story is never look at your neighbor and think, "Man, she's got it all figured out."

She doesn't.

And NEVER believe your children when they tell how wonderful so-and-so's mother is because she does this or that.

She doesn't.

Quirky

Over the past 36 hours I have come down with a very unpleasant head cold.  The good news is that I don't have any plans for this evening, so I can rest and prepare a plan of attack for recapturing the house tomorrow after the natives destroy it this evening while I rest.
But I am having trouble thinking clearly.  I've taken several pictures of my people and their activities and such lately, and I had planned to organize them into some clever post.  But with my current inability to focus--thanks in part to my sinuses and in part to the amounts of drugs I have coursing through my veins-- clever is out the window.  Let's go for quirky.
This seems a good place to start.

Poor Elinor met with a great misfortune before starting her school work yesterday.  Tragic.

And look!  The wound is still fresh.  I don't know how she doesn't look to be in more pain?  She must be in shock.
And, no, Elinor, getting your arm chopped off will not get you out of doing your practicing!

We have had a very dry winter, but earlier this week we had our first snow.  It's February and we've just now had our first snow.  As you can see from the picture, it didn't stick around long--just long enough to build a snowman.  Which snowman had a very fulfilling, albeit brief existence. 

This is my girls' death-trap of a bunk bed.  They have developed an intricate system of canopies and hammocks to create separate sleeping spaces.  I'm convinced that some morning I will go in to find one of them strangled in their creation, but Abe assures me they are safe.  Perhaps their snug and secure arrangements remind them of their peaceful time inutero, but I suspect it has more to do with nobody putting their legs in anybody else's sleeping space.

And AH-HA!  Exhibit A!
Faith's foot is lopped over the top of her hammock, encroaching on Elinor's space!

Occasionally my people will present some sort of problem to me for me to exert brain power to solve.  Sometimes they really do need my help, but more often than not, they are perfectly capable of figuring  out a way to solve their problem.  I have been known to respond, "Make it work."
I congratulate my little ladies on making their sleeping arrangements work for them.

George is a heavy drinker.
I am limiting his liquids in hopes of encouraging him to eat his food.  But George is not so easily swayed.  I prop open his mouth (against his wishes) and put some food in his mouth.  In this case it was a bite of grilled cheese sandwich.  He doesn't try to resist or spit out his food, rather he just lets it sit there in his mouth for about 5 minutes, looking at me like I've just poisoned him.  Eventually the saliva breaks it down and he'll swallow it. 
George, there is an easier, more time efficient method to eating. 

Abe kindly offered to prepare some food for the family this evening and I gratefully accepted as I don't feel up to meal prep.  What were his plans?  Fortunately, we'll never know because Elinor reminded me in the nick of time that I'd already made dinner and it was in the fridge ready to go in the oven.  Whoo!  That was a close one-- Abe's not really known for his culinary skills. 

And I'm obviously not known for my clear thinking when on decongestant medicine.

Seven Things

1.  Yesterday the new MP3 player arrived in the mail.  This was to replace the one from Barbara that I murdered when I accidentally sent it through the washer.  The timing was good because for the last few days the man-child couldn't find his other MP3 player (the one from Grandpa).  As I folded laundry this evening, I found the missing one.  It is now non-functional as well.  He left it in his pajama pants and it took a swim through the washer and dryer.  BUT THIS TIME IT WAS NOT MY FAULT! 

2.  I ran 5 1/2 miles this morning.  It took me one hour and ten minutes, which I realize is not a time I should brag about, but I ran 5 1/2 miles this morning!!!!  I'll just leave it at that. 

3.  I used to visit teach a marvelous older sister named Lucy Perry.  Her husband just passed away at the age of 90 and she called to ask if Bethany would play violin to accompany the family singing Teach Me to Walk in the Light.  Today was the funeral and Bethany played very well, although she was much more nervous than usual. 

4.  Her husband's health was ailing the whole time I visited her, so I didn't get to know him very well.  It was wonderful to listen to his children talk about their father and the good, kind, faithful man he was.  I especially liked their description of how their father did not complain.  Even at the end of his life, when he was in a great deal of discomfort, if someone asked him how he was he would reply, "I can't complain."  I was reminded that there is nothing that can't be made worse by complaining about it.

5.  I have a sock basket full of freshly folded socks.  There are 31 pairs of socks.  It is a little disheartening to realize that is only about a 3 days supply.  That's not complaining is it?  The girls--tired of laundry diving into the pack n' play of clean laundry--were celebrating a fully stocked sock basket.  It's all about low expectations.

6.  I am so excited for the Olympics in London this summer.  The Olympics and English accents.  Can life get any better?

7.   It is February.  Normally, I would say, "Boo! Hiss! I hate February!".  But I am going to try to make peace with February.  After all, I do have a Regency Romance Ball to prepare for!