overheard

This kids were looking through a Where's Waldo book the other day in the car and from the backseat I heard, "Jules, that one looks like he's got to use the bathroom!"

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Outside Josh was carrying around the mini basketball goal and trying to place it wherever he wanted it and Julianna sarcastically told him, "Wow, Josh! You're strong!" He answered, "Yeah and did you know I can carry two hippos?"

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Going across the Gateway Y bridge Julianna said, "I sure would enjoy kayaking down the Salem River!"

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"Jules, what is that?"
"It's lip gloss."
"What's that?"
"It makes your lips sparkly. I always carry it with me."
"So people don't think you're a boy?"

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"Julianna, is there any way you can change what number it is right here on this clock?"
"Yeah, but that doesn't change the time. I mean it changes the clock but not the real time."
"Well, what button is it? I really need to know."

(We have a no TV until noon rule during the summer.)

it takes a village

Jonathan was going out of town with his dad for the weekend so we made plans ahead of time for the kids to go to Mamaw's to spend the night Friday night. This was so I could get up before the sun Saturday morning for marathon training and nor have to wake them up to take them somewhere.

Wait. Let me back up a minute. In April when we went to Raleigh for the last marathon the kids stayed with Jonathan's mom (their choice) instead of coming to watch the race. Julianna had an active day followed by tons to eat for dinner and that night started feeling sick and threw up. She was fine the whole next day so she must have just eaten too much.

Then we went to the mountains for my niece's blessing three weeks ago and for some unknown reason we were woken up shortly after ten to the sound of Julianna trying to get out of the tent and then puking.

All this is to say that she had since had some anxiety about spending the night anywhere besides her own bed. She did not want to go anywhere this weekend but we talked about it many times with her assuring her that she would be ok... that it wasn't the fact that she was sleeping elsewhere that made her sick and that even if she did get sick it wouldn't be the end of the world. We told her how much it was helping us out to have her spend the night and that otherwise she'd have to get up at 5 am to go stay with someone while I ran.

Anyway, Friday came. She got sick. After many back and forths, I went to pick her up. We came home. I skipped my training run Saturday morning and I honestly do think she had some kind of minor stomach bug this time in addition to the worry of getting sick away from home.

Still. I was depressed. I missed my run and Jonathan was still out of town so I didn't know when I was going to do it.

Julianna was acting a bit better Saturday night at church. I figured I could just drop the kids off at mom and dad's before church on Sunday morning. They weren't happy about having to go to church twice but until they are old enough to stay by themselves I'm afraid they don't have much choice.

I sucked up my pity party. I planned my 14 mile route. I dropped the kids off at my parent's house right before they left for church.  I was not feeling it this morning but it was one I was just going to have to get done.

It was hard.  I walked a lot. My audio book wasn't holding-my-attention good. My stomach felt weak. My sister drove past me at one point, parked, ran 3.5 miles with me, went back home to feed the baby. I finished the last 6 miles running and walking whenever I felt like it. It wasn't pretty but y'all, I did it.

They say it takes a village to raise a child. I say it takes a village to get Courtney to run a marathon. I'm so thankful for my mother-in-law, mom, dad, sister, kids, and training group. Couldn't do it alone.

that was the best Panera sandwich I've ever had

Today I am sitting in an airplane seat but not going anywhere. No, I'm not stuck on a runway waiting for other planes to takeoff and no, I'm not waiting for the weather to clear. It's a pretty interesting story, really.

My mom texted my sister and I after she got home from church one night. Someone had given her a flyer advertising the need for test subjects for an airline seat test. The study required 6.5 hours of sitting in an airplane seat and evaluating the comfort every fifteen minutes. They provide complimentary lunch and pay each test subject $200.

Wait. What? $200? We signed up immediately.

My parents kept the kids and we went to sit. Sit we did. And we sat some more. Hurt my bottom, but not enough to refuse the $30/hour.

We mostly just read and surfed the internet. I tried not too spend my $200 by shopping online. After all, we're having car trouble so it's looking like I may need that $200 to go towards a partial car payment. Ugh. Yes, that's life. Easy come easy go, right?

Have you done anything fun to make money lately?

apps i'm loving

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DuoLingo
I was using this app earlier this school year to brush up on my Spanish a bit and then when Julianna went to Spanish camp this summer she was motivated enough afterward to download the app herself. I love it because it helps you learn the simple words with such a wide variety of activities that it doesn't get boring. Julianna loves it because she's challenged by the different levels and the collecting points game aspect of it.

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LoseIt
Similar to MyFitnessPal, LoseIt is a food diary and exercise tracker. I love it because you can scan the bar codes on food packaging and it puts the nutrition stats right in. Also, like many of the other nutrition apps you can use either the app or the website interchangeably and you can see a great visual on the website called a "MyPlate Report" which shows how the foods you're eating stack up against the recommended food group suggestions from the FDA.

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ShoeTracker with RunKeeper
I use this app to track the mileage on my running shoes. There's no way I could keep up with it on my own since I'm going through new shoes every 3 months or so now.  It's simple to use and easy to connect. You just link it and forget about it. Plus, I like that it tells you how much you're spending on shoes per mile run.

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She Reads Truth
Coming soon is the SheReadsTruth app for Android.  They just released their iOS app and I'm eagerly awaiting the launch of the next version. SRT is an online community of Bible-studying women and the app will be a place to easily carry their Bible reading plans in your pocket. Nice!

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What are some of your favorite apps?

blueberry baked oatmeal [from Mom Body Revolution]

I posted a pic of this scrumptious deliciousness on Instagram (@aisforbeautiful) this morning and several people asked for the recipe. It's just easier to post here so if you're interested, you can make it.  It really is wonderful and I've made it for a few years now. It's filling and low calorie and a great way to use up ripe bananas. Plus, it's quick and convenient to make ahead and eat before work.  Give it a try!

Blueberry Baked Oatmeal

6 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

3 TBS Chia seeds

1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, divided (I usually omit these)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup honey
1 cup unsweetened almond milk (I use Almond Breeze)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp. coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2-3 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced (I use 2)
1 cup blueberries fresh or frozen, divided (I used fresh)

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375F.

2. Lightly grease a 8×11.5 baking dish. In a medium bowl, mix the oats, half of the nuts, baking powder, cinnamon, Chia seed and salt. Stir to combine. Reserve 1/4 c. of dry ingredients and set aside. Then add in the liquid ingredients: honey, milk, egg, coconut oil, and vanilla. Mix well.

3. Spread the sliced bananas in a single layer over the bottom of the baking dish. Top with half of the berries. Pour the oatmeal mixture over the fruit in an even layer.

4. Top with 1/4 c. dry, reserved oatmeal mixture. Sprinkle the remaining nuts and berries over the top. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the top is browned and the oats have set. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Additional Info: 1 serving is about 200 calories- give or take.
[recipe from: Mom Body Revloution]


I typically bake this on Sunday afternoons, cover it with foil and heat and eat for breakfast all week.  YUM!

stories

I was complaining about other drivers one day in the car and Josh just told me, "Stop worrying about other people's probability, Mom. Let them go to jail!"

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A different day all of us were in the car and Julianna had a headache so Jonathan and I suggested to Josh that we talk quietly so not to disturb her. He simply said, "OK dad I won't talk at all."  Too good to be true we thought... we'll see how long it lasts.

Sure enough, after about three or four minutes Julianna started singing to herself.  Josh looked over at her and said, "Sshhhhh! Jules has a headache!"

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Josh told me one day recently, "Mama that time I got into your tummy I had some security cameras so I could see what was happening. All I remember is that when I was a baby and stuck in your tummy did you go in the ocean?"

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We went to the main library for a kid activity about science journals. The kids were supposed to walk around and make some observations about the objects that were laid out on the tables. Then they were to write and draw them in their journals.

Julianna didn't want to participate, but she walked around and watched. Eventually she pointed out the paintings on the wall to Josh and when we came home and showed Jonathan the partially completed science journal I had to explain that there would have been more written inside except that our children were too busy making observations over the exposed breasts in the paintings on the walls. Sheesh!


 

by the numbers

283 minutes until my husband gets off work
606 miles run so far in 2014
31 miles run so far in July
1 bee sting that Julianna got this week
7 Oreos I ate for breakfast
11.5 months age of baby Jane (Shush! Of course, I can still call her Baby Jane!)

126 days until my redemption marathon
2 cups of coffee required to wake up this morning
200 approximate number of tomatoes on the vines in our yard
6 approximate number that will be ripe this weekend