Hit the Ground Running

Today we changed the calendar again. April it says. When I hear April, I think yellow. Sunshine. Spring. Green grass. Blue skies. Everything I've been waiting to hear and see and feel for 5 months, now. It also reminds me that our calendar is going to start filling up, fast. Anyone who knows me well enough, knows I only "enjoy" winter from the day after Thanksgiving to December 31. After that, I need Spring, baby. However, I do enjoy the slow pace that winter brings with it. There are more excuses to stay inside and just be. At this point in the game though, I've got my Nike's laced up, and I'm ready to spring into April. Get it? Spring? Okay, whatever. I'm not a pro in the jokes department. I'm aware.

My little man and I on our windy run!

Anyways, this weekend gave us a taste of what's to come. Besides the few hours on Saturday in between running my first 5K and celebrating a friend's nuptials, I really didn't see much of my house until Sunday afternoon. In other words, we won't be inviting anyone over for dinner anytime in the near future. It may or may not look like we've been robbed by the amount of crap not in its appropriate place. Sorry if you were expecting an invite. ;)

The beautiful Tasha Stewart and I at her reception.

In all seriousness, Dan did a fabulous job on the home front, and even managed to stain our kitchen table that was actually on the outs before I fell in love with the new color. Usually I can't leave him alone for very long or he gets antsy and takes it upon himself to start a home project that he hasn't discussed with me. I'll let this one slide because it really is super pretty.

The weather was amazing this weekend, minus the wind. I could do without it. My allergies are really starting to act up, and if I had a dime for every time I've sneezed this weekend, I could probably afford to take our whole family on a tropical vacation. I digress.

Friday night I took Jaedyn and a friend to Northwestern to hear the group Baladino sing. They are a music group from Israel that is touring the Midwest right now. They did a workshop at our school Monday, and she fell in love with their sound. It was actually incredibly amazing music. They are super talented, and it felt good to introduce my child to something culturally different than she was used to. After the concert, they were signing autographs, and I had to smile at how excited they were to get one. I can remember going to different concerts with our church as a kid, and always feeling on top of the world if we ever got autographs or if we were REALLY lucky, a chance to meet them after the show. In fact, I still have old CDs from groups I never hear about anymore. I don't even know if they still sing, but I love that it's a memory that I get to share with my kids.

Baladino

Autographs!

Jada and I messing around before (maybe during) the concert.

Saturday was 5K day. I was so nervous to be running an "official" 5k. Timing chips. Official running tags. Roads blocked off. Warm up on the field before hand. Serious business. The whole way to Sioux Falls, my stomach was in knots. I'm really not even sure why. I'm running a lot farther than 3.1 miles more than 3 times a week. It wasn't going to be hard. I knew I could finish without stopping. It was just the idea that it was like a race. I get discouraged when people pass me because I am terrified I'll be the last one. It's definitely a mental thing. It apparently made me so nervous that I stopped 3 times to use the rest room. I'm a lost cause. Oh yes,  and I also ordered a YOUTH large instead of an adult large for my t-shirt. It's a good thing Tina was on her game when she picked up my packet, or I think I would have felt a little uncomfortable running in something my daughter would wear. :)

Tina and I pre 5K

All in all, it was a lot of fun. I PR'd with a time of 32:40, which I know is probably a lot slower than most people run 3 miles in, but I'm so proud of the improvement in my time since I started running. I'm looking forward to adding more mileage this year!

Sunday was beautiful and.......you guessed it- WINDY. We still managed a walk but mostly did a whole lot of nothing. Exactly the way I wanted the last day of my weekend to go. The next few weeks on our calendar look a lot like birthday parties, meetings, Easter celebrations, summer sign ups, church duties, SHOPPING TRIP, race training, etc. etc. etc. I'm ready for the shift in weather, and with it we will hit the ground running.

Today, winter is calling the shots. I'm probably going to be lucky if I get in a run outside, and there was a  60 degree shift in windchill from yesterday morning until I went to bed. I kid you not. My phone said 55 degrees at 6:30 am and "feels like 0" at 11:30 last night. I e-mailed Dan yesterday, and my message simply said:

Don't rule out Florida, yet.

He replied:

It's not off the table.

So, don't be surprised if you hear we're moving. Every day I say those words, they become less and less of a joke.

On another note, I'd been wearing flip flops and capris to will Spring into action, and when that didn't work, I decided to wear my snowflake leggings. We're going to try reverse psychology.

Dan's makeshift beach on the projector with wave sound effects so I would stop crying about the snow.

My cute little Cat in the Hat!

Happy Tuesday! Don't blow away. :)