13.1, Not Half Bad

I'm proud to report I have my first half marathon under my belt. I was a little unsure of my decision to sign up for the race, but now I'm glad did. I've decided that one of my new mantras, along with "Today is my day!", is "Today is the perfect day to become the person I want to be". If I want to be a runner, who says I can't be. I just have to run.

Two weeks ago, my mom invited the girls and I to take a trip to Omaha. Fun!

Just out of curiosity I looked into Omaha running club events. I was going to be in town for the Omaha Marathon, Half Marathon and 10k. Fate! At first I thought, maybe I should sign up for the 10k since I know I can do that, but then crazy took over and I thought "no! do the half!". So I signed up. Hey at the very least I'd get a shirt.

At first I thought I'd be all alone, but I was excited to find out my cousin Tom and his friend James were running the race.  They had been doing some intense training and James was a runner in college. I know I didn't stand a chance keeping up with them. But, it was reassuring that I would know someone there. Just in case I fell over dead half way through, someone would be there to identify the body. Which I'm pretty sure was the scenario my Mom and Grandma were expecting.

Race day. We were supposed to be at the start line at 6:30 am to get race instructions and whatnot. I arrived at 6:00 am because, that's what I do. I like to be early. Plus I wanted to park far away from any other cars and have time to get to the start line. Thanks Dad for making me the paranoid parker and early bird person I am today! And thanks to my Mom, who stayed home with the girls. None of this would have been possible without her help.

I met up with Tom and James briefly, before I decided it would be a good idea to visit the porta-potty and check my gear bag. Yes, gear bag. I didn't know runners had gear, but I guess they do. I mean we do.

I think I'm going to start calling my diaper bag a "gear" bag. Sounds more exciting don't you think? Now if only I could check it where ever I go. That thing can get heavy. But, I have to say it is a masterpiece of organization. It's the Organizing Utility Tote that has 5 pockets and 2 additional mesh pockets on the sides. Inside, I keep a Large Zipper Pouch with diapers, changing pad and wipes. It also holds the coordinating Thermal Lunch Tote with snacks, bottles and apple juice. Cute and functional. (And that's my Thirty-One plug.)

Whoa! Way off track there. Sorry. Anyway, back to the race.

It took about 3 1/2 minutes to get up to the start line  after the gun. I used that time wisely, making a new friend who paced me through the first 8 miles.

Glen, a music teacher from Texas, is a machine. He has 3 teenage daughters. One is named Clare Elisabeth. Crazy! He also has a wife at home, sick with the flu. I think he was running so fast to get home to her. Glen is running 50 marathons in 50 states. WOW! New inspiration for me perhaps? Maybe I'm getting a little ahead of myself, but you have to dream big right?

I kept up with Glen until just past the 8 mile mark. Then I told him to go on without me. I just couldn't keep up anymore. I'm not sure what my time was at 8 miles, but my 10k time was 1:07. An improvement from my last 10k which was 1:14.

I took about a 1 minute walk and decided I better get back to it and started to jog again. I wish I wouldn't have stopped running. My pace was suffering.

By mile 11, I was beat. Had to walk. Walked about .5 mile. As I saw that I was approaching mile 12 I knew it was time to get back to it. I wasn't going to finish this race walking! My knees were hurting at this point and I was starting to get the usual pain in my neck and shoulder. Just then, I saw someone holding a sign that said "Your feet hurt because you are kicking so much butt", then she turned it around and it said "Pain is weakness leaving the body". Eureka! She's speaking to me. I must have a lot of weakness to get rid of, I thought, because this HURTS!

When I reached the home stretch I spotted Tom and James sporting their awesome medals and walking my way. "RUN JACKIE, RUN!" they said. So I did. Ran hard all the way to the finish.  VICTORY!!!

My finish time was 2:33 (chip time), 2:36 (gun time). The very next person to finish was the person who won the full marathon in 2:34. Now that is CRAZY.  But, hey, at least I didn't get lapped.

"You're in pretty good shape for the shape you are in" said Dr. Seuss. He's right, don't underestimate what you can do. You have to test yourself or you'll never know the shape you're in or where to start. That's been the case for me anyway.

Next race, the Screaming Pumpkin in Peoria. Same location as the 10k I did a couple of weeks ago. Still deciding on whether or not to do the 10k or the half.  Either way, this time I run in costume. Fun times!

 

So much to do, so little nap time

Here’s something I ‘m working on: naptime management. Usually twice a day, I get at least one magic hour of mommy time. Even if only one of the girls goes down, I can still claim victory, as corralling one little zombie is much easier than two.

After bottles are made, fits are over and quiet replaces sobbing, then, the panic sets in. Where to start! What project to tackle first? Should I nap? Watch last night’s Daily Show or stare mindlessly at a wall?

-Oh wait…I hear Elise. Nap time over. But, Clare is still asleep. Little victories.

Ok, I’m back.

Elise is entertaining herself looking out the front window. All is well.-

So, this is exactly why I get naptime anxiety. Because naptime is fleeting and you never know when mommy time will expire.   

I need a solution.

I think I’ve found it, or I’m going to try this strategy anyway.

Here it is: Relax. Make a list. My plan for naptime, is to sit, write, and think.  Prioritize. Do only what really needs done. Take inventory. Recognize how much I have to be thankful for.

This seems like a better idea than tearing through the house trying to get everything done in a short, unspecified time frame.

I usually don’t like no-no lists, but sometimes they are good reminders. Here is my naptime no-no list.

Naptime No-no’s:

1.     No starting household projects. I see all these blogs of mom’s who are redecorating their houses and making all kinds of DIY crafts during naptime. They are amazing. I wish I could be like them. But, I’m not. If I tried to do those things I would have my house in an un-livable condition with all the furniture out in the garage with one coat of primer and a half wallpapered wall in the kitchen. Meh, I’ll save the redecorating for later. It seems exhausting.

2.     No folding laundry. This is one those things that the girls actually like watching me do and I like to use it as a vocabulary building exercise. Example: “This is mommy’s shirt, it’s yellow and there are flowers on it”, “This is Clare’s shirt, it is small”, “These are daddy’s socks, there are two of them”, “I’m going to stack the towels up here”, “I’m going to put the basket up on the sofa”. You get the idea. And now you see what I mean about writing and being able to use my grown up words.

3.     No talking on the phone. This only recently occurred to me. The reasons are similar to those of the laundry folding exercise. It’s important for the girls to hear me using my words. Sometimes when I’m talking on the phone with friends or family I put it on speakerphone or make exaggerated faces or hand gestures while I’m talking to keep them entertained. It’s like story time for mommy and baby.

4.     No workout videos. This is the time to relax a little, remember?  Besides the babes love watching me, and Richard Simons (I have the Sweatin’ to the Oldies box set…great investment) sweat it out together. And even though their only 10 months old, I like to think I’m setting a good example of exercising with them. Save this activity for the waking hours.

5.     No Facebook. I have to work on this. It’s so easy to drain your time on Facebook. And is it me, or do people seem really negative lately? I don’t need that kind of negativity on my mind, not during the happy hour of naptime. On the flip side, I’ll end up looking at pictures of someone’s fabulous vacation and start feeling ho-hum about my day. No thanks. I’d rather live in the happy land of being oblivious to fact that others are lying on the beach or hiking the Rockies. I’ll look and be jealous later.

6.     No Pinterest! And this is pretty much the reason I have to even make a no-no list. Talk about wasting time. Though I do love it. I really, really love it. But, I don’t need to spend naptime building even more unrealistic expectations for myself. Unless I’m looking for a specific recipe or outfit idea, or what ever, stay away. Idea inspiration can wait.

7.     No online shopping. Instead, see #6 on the DO-IT list. Why spend money and add clutter to an already crazy situation. Plus online shopping can be a downer because it makes me want things I never knew existed, and definitely can’t afford.

Ok, that’s enough of the no-no’s. Now for the DO-IT list! There are some things that just cannot be done with babies clambering like zombies at my feet.

DO -IT during naptime:

1.    NAP! When you and if you can.

2.    Sit outside with a cup of coffee. Cheaper than therapy.

3.    Write. Whether it’s journaling or blogging. It helps me get my thoughts organized and reminds me that I went to school for a reason. Plus I better keep in practice of thinking. Someday the girls are going to need my help with homework.

4.    Mop the floors. It’s hard to keep the girls away from the cleaning solution filled waters while they’re awake. I save vacuuming for the waking hours though because they like the entertainment.  The vacuum is one of my best dancing partners. She really lets my dance moves shine, never steals the spotlight.

5.    Clean bathrooms. I’m not talking deep clean; I save that for when I have an extra adult on hand. Just wiping things down and a quick scrub of the toilet. I can’t do it while they are awake because once I have the cleaning gloves on, I can’t pick them up.

6.    Dig stuff out of the attic or the garage. Sometimes I like to go shopping through stuff that I have stored. You never know what you can find. It’s like a trip to Goodwill or Hobby Lobby for free. Can’t do this while the girls are awake because I can’t hear what’s going on while I’m digging.

Well this naptime has ended; time to go back to mommy land. I’ll have to remember to keep my naptime guidelines in mind for the next episode of “Clare and Elise take a nap”.

Again, Dr. Seuss said it best when he said, “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened”.  And that’s how I feel about naptime.

Run Mommy, Run!

“If you never did, you should. These things are fun and fun is good!”

-Dr. Seuss

I always said I want to be one of those people. You know, those people you see out running everyday. “That’s dedication,” I always thought to myself. I want to be like them! So earlier this summer I started jogging. Actually, I’m not even sure if we can call it jogging. I was S-L-O-W. But, everyone has to start somewhere.

So I started. At first it was pretty easy. Especially when my Mom was here visiting. She would stay at home with Clare and Elise while I would go out in an effort to break a sweat. And sweat I did. Holy moly was it hot. I picked a great summer to start jogging. I was also able to get out when Tim’s schedule allowed. Now, I love my girls, but part of my motivation to go the “extra mile” (I shot for 4-5 miles a day) is that I get that much more time to myself. 

When all else fails (unfortunately my Mom doesn’t want to move in with us, and the schedule for a first year intern is brutal) I stick the girls in my Cadillac of a stroller (the City Mini GT Double Stroller) plug in the earphones and off we go. Usually the girls fall asleep.  If not, at least they get some fresh air and a change of scenery.

The best part is, even if there’s a little fussing I can keep going. Because 1.) They are fine, strapped in, diapers checked and with full bellies and 2.) I have my music going so it doesn’t bother me (typically crying gives me a heartache, like actual physical felling of heartache, didn’t even know that was possible till I became a mother).

Now, now, don’t worry. I am a very safe stroller driver. I don’t turn my music up so loud that I can’t hear traffic, or the babies. It’s more like background music. I also find this to be a good exercise in teaching the girls a little patience. Most of my day is all about them, so I think it’s good to start now practicing activities that may not be all that interesting for them, but fun for mommy. Cause when mommy is happy she’s more like to keep everyone else happy too! A win-win.

A couple of weeks ago Tim and I were invited to a gumbo porch party. Hosted by some new friends of ours. Somehow, the topic of running came up and before I knew it I had pretty much volunteered to be a part of a two-man team in a half marathon relay.

Could I do it? I wasn’t really sure. The very next morning I was in my running gear ready to train on the 6.55 mile course in a historic cemetery. Which was somewhat fitting because I felt a little like death after indulging to much gumbo and wine. We walked almost half of the course that morning. But, I was still proud of myself for making the effort. Plus Erin and Tatiana are so much fun to hang out with!

One-week later: race day. The good thing about short notice is there is no time to back-out or freak-out. And luckily the ladies I was running with are amazingly supportive, so there was no pressure. I thought if I have to walk, no big deal. If I finish last, it’s okay, at least I even attempted.

My race partner Tatiana ran the first leg. I really had no idea when to expect her to finish, but surprisingly I was not that nervous waiting. About 45 minutes into the race the MC was telling all the second leg runners to get to the start line. What? 45 minutes? Why so soon? Well apparently, that’s not that soon. And the runners started coming in. Tatiana was full steam ahead before I was even stretched out. I really did plan on stretching out. Everyone else was doing it and it looked like a good idea. But I also didn’t want to give anyone the impression that I was a serious runner. Ha.

So here comes Tatiana at 1:06, and we high five, then I’m off.  Right off the bat, I’m feeling good! I was surprised. Usually, I have a hard time with the first mile and don’t really catch my stride until about 2 miles in to my jog. I had planned on walking when I needed to, the course has some pretty steep hills. I powered through them, afraid that if I started to walk I would not pick my pace up again. So I ran, and ran and ran. 

I was having fun! People were cheering at different points in the course and fellow runners and I were exchanging high fives and thumbs up. About 2 ½ miles in I got caught up with a pack of about 3 other runners. One lady was about my age. She looked like one of those people I mentioned at the beginning of this story. One of those “dedicated” people. She had a graceful stride, bouncing ponytail and a GREAT running outfit. I want to be like her! Follow her, I thought. Another of the pack was a man in his late 20’s or early 30’s. Very fit and he seemed to know what he was doing. I thought, okay, if I can keep up with these two I might actually do pretty well. The last person in the pack was my inspiration. He might have been 75 or so. He was a machine. Umm, okay, if he can do this (although he has probably been training and running races for years), I can do this too. No excuses now.

I kept with the pack for probably a half-mile. Then I started to fall behind. Oh, okay. They’ve been training. No big deal. I’ll do better next time.

And then! I caught a burst of energy. Maybe it was the Gatorade handed off by one of the very sweet volunteers? I don’t know. But whatever it was, it felt great. I picked up my pace. Alas, I caught back up with my pack. By mile 4, I was back in the game. I could see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I started to think about my time. Granted I don’t really have a competitive bone in my body, but what the heck. I should give it 100%.

I PASSED my pack! Couldn’t believe it. I owe some of that speed to the down hill grade that were in miles 5 and 6, but nevertheless I was on fire.

Long story short, I finished my leg in about 1 hour and 14 minutes. I can’t wait to do it again. I’ve got the running bug now. My sister Jamie and I are planning on running a half marathon in November.

It turns out Dr. Seuss was correct again when he wrote: “If you never did, you should. These things are fun and fun is good!”.

September Open House

You’re Invited!

Thirty-One Fall

Open House

When: Saturday, September 15

9am to 11am

Where: The Fahey’s House

(contact me for directions)

Let’s celebrate a new season! Come see the new products and prints for fall. Enjoy some coffee, cider and doughnuts. Visit with neighbors and friends. There will be door prizes too! Hope you can make it.

Sincerely,

Jackie Fahey

ph: (217) 714-0331   email: fahey.jackie@gmail.com

shop online: www.mythirtyone.com/faheyjackie

Momma’s Got a Brand New Bag

In an effort to try new and exciting things, I have become an Independent Consultant with Thirty-One Gifts. One year ago, I had no idea Thirty-One existed. A year ago, I was miserably pregnant and not able to see past my enormous belly and swollen feet. But time marches on, and two beautiful babies and 11 months later, here I am ready to dive into my business.

My first introduction to Thirty-One came in the form of a Large Utility Tote. A gift from one of my best friends and favorite photographer Lauren Jaeger, I fell in love. With a bag. I know, it’s crazy, but it’s true. It is perfect for just about everything. It slides in the backseat on the floor in the car, perfect for road trips with the babies. It hangs perfectly from the handles of my Snap-and-Go stroller (another of my favorite things, more on that later). It’s great for trips to Cost-Co and Sam’s (yes we belong to both, we’re wholesale junkies). I use it for transporting food for parties and potlucks. It’s a perfect toy chest and laundry basket. And to top it off, it’s pretty, and it boasts our name proudly “Fahey” in a lovey font. What can I say; I’m a sucker for personalization.

I was so in love with my tote, I went in search of another. So, I typed in www.thirtyone.com. Nope, that wasn’t getting me where I wanted to be, that took me to some page about the Netherlands.  Interesting I’m sure, but no time for that, I needed another tote. So finally I found it. www.thirtyonegifts.com! YES! Here it is! I looked through the catalog and was ready to place an order when…gasp!...I was told to contact my consultant to place and order. What?!? I don’t have a consultant. What do I do?

Well, then I heard opportunity knocking. Or maybe it was my husband knocking on the door letting me know it was time to feed one of the girls, who were eight weeks old at the time. Either way…there was knocking. I thought, “this is for me, I should be a consultant”.

The website directed me to a lovely woman from Texas. Her first email to me was signed “Blessings in Multiples”. It was meant to be. She too has twin girls. I didn’t have a lot of time to focus on building my business then, the girls were barely sleeping for more than 2 or 3 hours at a time at that point. So Shannon and I spent several hours on the phone trying to sort out how to get through the next few months caring for and nursing twins. She was my angel (along with so many friends and family, especially my Mom, who helped us get through the first 16 weeks).

Now Clare and Elise are ten months old. I can’t believe how fast time flies by! It has been the craziest and best ten months of my life. Gosh I love those girls. They could melt a heart of stone. It’s true.

But anyway…back to the bags! You see why it’s hard for me to focus? I’m ready to spread the gift of Thirty-One. The products are awesome. The company is great.

I want to help you find the perfect gift for someone special.  Or, for yourself.  This is what I like to call “no hassle shopping”. I can provide as much or as little help as you like. Some of my clients just give me an idea of the occasion and their budget and have me take it from there. If you are like me, you love to shop and want to do all the picking out yourself. Either way, I know you’ll be happy with your purchase.

If you are looking for an opportunity, and waiting for the knock, I can help with that too. I am building a team of women who are fun loving and want to embark on a new adventure.

To see the catalog or learn more about Thirty-One, visit my website at www.mythirtyone.com/faheyjackie.

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog. By reading this you will be subject to my mindless ramblings and for the most part, crazy thoughts on mommy-hood and all the fun that comes along with.  

I’m a stay-at-home mother of twin girls born in November of 2011 and wife of a first year resident. This combination alone makes for a lot of craziness. In an effort to keep things really interesting I like to throw some extra curricular activities in the mix. This blog is one those. 

I really do think that just about all you need to know in life you can learn by reading Dr. Seuss. Okay, well maybe not everything. But, I do love his writing and the older I get the more I realize how simple and true his messages are.  I used to always start my day by waking up and saying, “Today is MY day!” a Dr. Seuss inspired mantra.  My college roommate Holly can attest to this fact. For some reason or another I stopped doing this. It’s time to start again.  Saying this before I get out of bed helps me to remember that today is what I make of it and I should be thankful for everyday. In my blog, you will see a lot of Seuss inspired posts. Not very original I know, but I like what I like and what I like is inspirational and motivational quotes. I have no shame in my cheesiness.

This is my tool for organizing my thoughts and goals. I am hoping that by putting my thoughts into words, I will hold myself accountable to push myself to be my best self. Make sense? No, probably not.  Ah well.  At least if I keep doing this I won’t forget how to write, or use my grown up words. I spend most my day talking to babies.

I like reading people’s blogs with ideas and tips and day -to -day rants. I find them interesting and helpful and sometimes humorous.  That’s why I’m posting all this stuff for you to read…just in case you might find some of my thoughts helpful, interesting. Or maybe my craziness can give you a good laugh. It’s more likely you’ll be laughing at how bad my spelling and grammar is. I’m still catching up on sleep from when the babies were newborns, so I can’t always think straight. That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it. Oh, and I promise to keep the rants to a minimum. This blog is intended to be the land of positivity.

Enjoy! And leave comments please, especially if you can relate. Crazy loves company!