Jon and Kate Plus 8- not so great

It all started as a pleasant evening. I was out with #2- we were on our way to see The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra perform Carmina Burana (it was absolutely AMAZING by the way…) when this man shouts across the street at me “Hey! You know who you look like?” “Who” (I take the bait) “Jon and Kate plus 8!”  Ew. Icky. I can’t believe he said that. I am trying very hard not to use strong words like hate. But this Kate woman really REALLY irritates me, I would like to say I hate her but truly I don’t even know her. And he better not be talking about my hair because besides the fact that we both have short blond hair my hair my hair is NOTHING like hers… in fact, when I was last at the “salon” my terribly cool and uber tattooed stylist Andie, and I made fun of Kate’s hair. So there.

And it’s not like this guy knew I was also the Mother of a large family because I only had one kid with me.

Ew.

I’ll tell you why I took the probably- intended- as -a- compliment- but- really -was- a-n insult so hard.

I don’t get a chance to watch much TV and when I do there’s nothing on. I tried watching Jon and Kate plus 8 once because I had several people make comments to me (when they’d learn I had 6 kids)- like “Oh you must watch Jon and Kate”. So I once tried watching it and I hated it (oops there’s that bad word again). I’m not a big fan of realty TV. I watched it briefly when it first began. Survivor, America’s Next Top Model, American Idol, but it became really boring really fast. It quickly went from being true “reality” to a bunch of people hamming for the cameras- and I don’t know much about it but it really almost feels somewhat scripted to me. 

Jon and Kate are in it for the money. At the risk of sounding harsh (and using more naughty words) they are pimping their kids and I find it really disturbing. There is no way that anyone can tell me that to have cameras following a family around everyday for what I think is several years now, can be in any way healthy. Would a 1 hour documentary on what it’s like to raise 8 kids be interesting?… perhaps. Would it interfere with the kids well being? maybe, temporarily.  But having your childhood broadcast to millions of viewers week after week for years- where the general public  gets to “share” your every moments, warts and all… it’s gotta be damaging.

 

And what kills me is this Kate woman, between trips for plastic surgery, hair do’s and trysts with her bodyguard (OK I read that one on the cover of a tabloid while standing in the grocery store) has written a book on parenting and has been doing a cross country tour promoting it to many, many people who show up to see her and buy the book. 

I. Don’t. Get. It..

So to the fella on Granville Street last night who called me “Jon and Kate Plus 8”- you can call me a lot of things buddy, but Kate ain’t one of them.

Lawn Karama

I took a different route on my run yesterday- I had to walk #3 to his soccer game so I decided to just continue on from there and check out a little pocket of my neighbourhood that I don’t often see- about 10 minutes in I pass by a house with a push mower out front with a note attached to it reading “Free, please take me and use me”- 

We have just “fixed” our sad looking lawn and have cut it only once with a weedwacker- in fact we went looking for a lawnmower but decided that we would have to wait until the next pay cheque to get one considering there was nothing less than $200- and here was one in excellent condition for FREE!

I am a frequent peruser of Craigslist- I have bought things and sold things on it and I have a huge problem with people selling there crap for more than it’s worth. It is my belief that anytime you use Craigslist it is to find a bargin or to be trying to get rid of something or pass it on to someonbe who needs it- and to do it quickly. The few times I have sold things they have gone in a couple of hours and it felt good to get rid of it.  I have also posted things for free with the same results- gone fast to someone who really wanted/nedded it.

 

So I was thinking there was some really great Karma going on with my pushmower find. Thank you to whoever lives on East 16th bettween Prince Edward and Sophia. I almost pushed it home but thought that might look weird (who cares, right?) so I “sprinted” home jumped in the van and worried that it would be gone when I got there- but it wasn’t.

Came home, mowed the lawn.

I should vary my route more often.

Peas Porridge Hot

Except there’s no peas in it.

I’ve been asked what a good pre-run meal is (OK 1 person asked me) and I have mostly been a toast and peanut butter type of gal BUT! I have discovered a Hot Cereal that is homemade and yummy- it is from The Eat-Clean Diet for Family and Kids by Tosca Reno.

http://www.toscareno.com  I should be able to link her page non? but I don’t know how.

I don’t know a lot about her and her Eat Clean Diet apart from flipping through some of her books but I gather it is about eating food that is well… clean, natural, devoid of crap… sounds good to me- but then there are the other 7 people in the house that I have to convince.

I found all these things at my local grocery and even though it’s pretty much summer here I don’t mind eating hot cereal any time of the year;

 

1/2 C Oatmeal

1/2 C Cream of Wheat Cereal

1/2 C Red River (or other multigrain hot cereal)

1/2 C Wheat Germ

1/2 C Oat Bran

1/2 Raisins

1/2 C Mixed dried Fruit, blueberries, cherries, cranberries

1/2 C Slivered Almonds

 

1.Mix all ingredients together in a large airtight container to keep for weeks.

 

2. To make breakfast use 1/2 C dried mixture and 1 cup water

3. Mix and heat on medium high until mixture thickens to a porridge-like consistency.

4. Serve in a bowl topped with skim milk.

5. Yum

Things That Make A Big Difference To My Life Yet I Forget To Do #2

Breathe.
Considering I spent many, many hours in a studio learning how to use my breath in the most effective way and then in turn have spent many, many many hours teaching other people “how to breathe” it’s a wonder that I can go days without really taking a big beautiful fill up my whole body type of breath.
Really my whole first year of university was spent learning how to breathe as a singer and learning how to breathe as an actor- and if I remind myself to do so, one gorgeous big inhale and exhale can give me the push I need to get through any bump and/or just take the edge off.
Breathe.

You just don’t LISTEN!!

Ah… that would be me talking to… ME! Guess who just walked the last 2 K’s of an 8 K run… ME!!

 

So, clearly 5 K is all my knees can take at this point. It is where they gave out last week on my 10 K and it is where they gave out today on my 8 K- And I thought I was being sensible with my 8 K. Clearly not sensible enough. So I am here now to swear to you that I will NOT run more than 5 K  on any one day for the next 2 weeks at which time I will reassess the situation. Really. I promise. No mater how “good” I am feeling. For 2 weeks. That would bring me to June 19th. Nothing over  5 K.

Pinkie swear.

Let’s get real

Shortly after Friday’s not-so-good-due to knee-IT Band-problems -run I had to take a bit of a reality check. My plan to “take it easy with every other  day 6K’s and doing another 10K the next Friday was perhaps not the best plan because as much as I want that to be an easy week, for me, a 42 year old Mother of 6 who just ran her first Marathon a month ago, that is not exactly “easy”. Can I do it? Yes. Breeze through it… hmmm… maybe not. I need to focus on fixing this IT problem and along with strengthening (been doing that!) stretching (been doing that too!) rest is what is just as important but it’s just so hard to do.

Funny that. Slacking off, somehow is easy but “actively” resting forcing myself NOT to run when I really really want to run is so hard. I suppose I have built a kind of dependence on my running. I relied on it to clear my mind, boost the endorphins and just get away from the madness that is my life as a stay home Mum, nothing else quite does it for me, even though I enjoy the swimming or some time in the gym it is not the same as getting out there and pounding the pavement.

 

Yesterday I ran. It had been 5 days since my last run, I had resisted offers from the neighbourhood running Mums to head out with them on a couple of occasions (hard to do because it’s so much fun!) and I had forced myself to rest, but yesterday was a long day. It was hot I had extra kids with me (2 I babysit) the ol’man wasn’t home for dinner, the kids had done a LOT of bickering, the bills seemed to all show up on one day and by “bedtime” I was cranky. I decided I needed to run. It was 9 pm, I wasn’t even sure if I had any gas in my tank to get very far but I just put on my shorts, tank top and shoes and headed out WITHOUT my beloved Garmin. I didn’t want to know how fast or how far or how long I ran- I just wanted to run until it felt “right”. 

It was amazing I came home sweaty and refreshed, the crankiness “magically” gone. My knees? Not a problem. At the risk of sounding like the total flake I am… THIS is why I run

Things That Make a Big Difference To My Life Yet I “Forget” to Do Them

Exercise/Running  USED to be up there but  (and it is what prompted my pondering on the topic and making a list of these things that I “forget” because obviously the running has been mighty powerful for me and spilled over in ALL areas of my life

Music- Listening to and Making  Sometimes all it takes is listening to the right song to turn my day around. Similarly if I actually open my mouth to let a few notes escape I can be totally shocked by the sound that comes out. Somehow I can forget a huge segment of my life- I’m a trained opera singer for goodness sake- how weird is that?! I remember some Mum at the kids school being totally freaked out after I sang at some event and I told her it even freaks me out sometimes it’s like some spooky superpower.

Reading– I go on jags. I read like nuts then slack off, but every time I’m on one of my jags I vow that I’m not going to get off as I literally have a pile of “to reads” that I’m itching to read- I think perhaps after certain books you need time to digest non? So I shouldn’t rush it- but there’s nothing like having a book that “you just can’t put down”

Going to the Ocean- I live on the West coast and can go weeks without catching a glimpse let alone a whiff- but when I get there I always am able to breathe a little deeper than usual.

Seeing Friends– I so often get so wrapped up in all my tasks, goals, and just life in general that I forget how fantastic, therapeutic and helpful a good visit can be…

 

To be continued…

I don’t knee-d this!!

My knees are not so good. OK, so the title sound a tad dramatic but I just really knee-ed to use the knee/need thing… (lol- I seriously crack myself up!)

Anyhoo-  I was stoked for a 10K  run today and the first half felt great but at 5.55k my knee (left one) just gave up on me- walked a bit tried to run and by that time my right one decided to join the pain party. I ended up walking much of the second half trying to formulate a solid plan of action on how I should rehabilitate and trying to talk myself down from the panic that inevitably creeps into my psyche at moments like these (“You blew out your knees running the marathon and will never run again!”  Yadda yadda…) Really, I know what I should be doing but just have not been organized/disciplined/had enough time to get it together. I need to be doing my strengthening exercises which I have not done at all, I need to be stretching waaaaay more,  (I’ve been doing a very half assed version of my stretching “routine”) I need to get some help and advice on strengthening my entire pelvic region and then I have to make a race commitment which I know is a sure fire way to get my butt focused and in gear.

So there ya go- The Plan (I’m all about the plan) 1/ Strength train every other day   2/Stretch and use roller EVERYDAY  3/Make an appointment to work on pelvic muscles  4/ pick a race for the Fall and register for it.  5/ I really would like to get 4 runs a week in. The past couple of weeks I have had 2 shorts/easy runs and tried long runs on Fridays. Fitting one more run would help I think.

 

My short runs have been quite fun. A couple of Moms from the neighbourhood are just getting back to running after time off and asked me to join them which is really, really enjoyable- a run and a chat. We’re going out slow with walk breaks which suits me fine. Maybe 2 of those sessions as well as 2 on my own at a slightly faster pace and minus the walk breaks would feel like a decent week- I guess really “knee-d ” to listen to my knees at this point.