Running Red Momma

So, I couldn't think of a more clever title, but I'll get back to that. You know what I learned after being in a sunshine state of bliss for seven days? Well, I must add that I did not have my kids. Marriage is a lot easier without children. Marriage is a lot easier with maids. You know, on second thought, I need to make a list. Marriage is a lot easier : without kids with maids without cooking without snow without laundry without cars with sunsets with oodles of leisure time with enough sleep with enough money (or just ignoring the bills for a week) with lush beauty surrounding you with naps with holding hands each day with laughter I know we have made it through ten years of life. We have seen each other through children, unemployment (twice), medical scares, sickness, post-partum, life-doubts, fear, anger, bad days or months, family-problems, funerals and more body-fluid incidents than I care to describe. So, these seven days of idyllic calm were so simple and joyf...

A while back, I mentioned I decided to be insane and get up early and run .  Well, I did it :)  All of those early mornings have paid off.  I am running the Salt Lake Half-Marathon to celebrate a wonderful mother-in-law.  She has had such courage during her Chemo and surgeries.  I would put a picture of her here, but I don't think she would like that.  Instead, please celebrate her remission by donating to the Huntsman Cancer Institute .  For some of you, this is a repeat plea, but thanks anywhoo. 

I think there are two kinds of swearing.  There are really offensive words or tasteless words, which I avoid.  Or, there are the power words one can find in the bible.   I used to give myself full permission to use power words--don't look if offended easily--which are hell and damn.  However, I'm rethinking my position.  Yesterday, I kept it cool when IJ pushed a stick in the spinning bottom of a vacuum, stuck a stick in his sisters face to tell her he was going to "kill her",  got mud all over his new suitcase,  and peed in the garage. Yes,  I was fine.  However, it was the demonstration of his new found racquet ball which put me in the power play.  He threw the ball so it landed right in my rising rolls. If the videos in heaven got it fully, I would admit to letting a shriek, followed by heaving the ball across the kitchen with a power dammit/forceful removal of one child.  I felt awful. He cried while I apologized.  It just doesn't feel good.  Maybe I will leav...

I was in the store with my youngest, when I heard a loud intake of breath with a squeak. A woman bounded over and yelled, "Oh my gosh, it's Suri! Are you her Nanny? Are you married to Tom Cruise? Is this Suri?" She was so exuberant that it took her a while to understand I had no connection to famous people. Actually, I wondered if she were a little "sloshed". However, she had already taken a picture of my daughter as we had stood there. Should this worry me? But, more importantly, does she look like Suri? I'm not sure these are the best examples. Feel free to suggest better ones.

After watching one of those movies where no one stands up for the weak, I promised myself that I knew enough to not be part of the herd.  I promised myself I would be courageous for my beliefs and to look out for others.  The other morning a woman at my local rec center said we better hurry or, "We are going to have a black president."  I was stunned for a moment.  I whispered my promise in my head, but I wasn't sure what to do without just having a lecture.  Yes, I am sadly oriented that way.  I looked at her, with some arched-eyebrow and asked, "Why?"  She told me she wasn't ready for one yet.  "Hmmm, " I said.  That was it!??? I didn't defend the defenseless, I didn't put her in her place like I see in the movies.  I was stumped and that is all I said.  As I sat in my car, a dozen other helpful comments came to my head.  (That's too bad.  Or, I voted for him.)  Those all would have been good starts.  Why is it so much harder in real ...

After my fun a-ha, I wanted to have fun more often.  With all of the kids off school, we went skating with the family today.  I used my razor and sailed around the rink.  The music was pumping old tunes like Ghost Busters and such.   I had that great moment again where I found myself in a zone floating to music and wearing a big smile.  It reminded me of all those joyful moments of roller skating when I was a little girl.  I would just happily hum to myself and practice my turns in people's driveways.  Today I sang really loudly and grinned.  I would keep pushing my legs harder and harder to see how fast I could go.   I've been reading that women sometimes have a hard time remembering who they were before marriage, careers and kids.   I found that bookish girl with glasses today.  

Some of you know my special son...which he is, of course. About two weeks ago, he asked me how horses go to the bathroom. I should have stopped right there. No need to post photos. I guess in some twisted world I appreciated his sincere desire to "keep it real" like the horses out there. So, imagine my horror last night when I saw dark, brown chunks of something by his door. My first thought, was much like Better Off Dead , "please God don't let be a booger." Except, I feared much worse. I solved it like any other stupid mom. I smelled it. It was chocolate. I realized it was a chewed-up version of my much coveted, secretly-stashed Lindt chocolate balls. As if poo weren't enough in my life!