NI HAO CHINA!

Okay, so we finally have the date and its March 3rd! Its exciting that we have a target date...but scarey that its only four weeks away!!! YIKES! This means (for those of you who get to stay here in the USA) that our container that will bring all of the stuff we are taking to CHINA basically needs to go out in the next week or the next two weeks at the latest. I'm surprised that I am so calm about the whole thing. Either I am in a really good place mentally at the moment or I am in too much pain to freak out - which I'll get to later in my post.

Never mind. Might as well change subject here. My body is rebelling against this crazy idea I had to train for a half marathon. I think it thought I was kidding and would quit after a week or so. Well its been two weeks now and so far so good. I'm completing my runs at night after the kiddos go down for bed (no worries, I'm running on the treadmill for now -not leaving them alone here of course). But my mind is starting to try and talk myself out of this. Why am I doing this? I'm not really going to run a half marathon, at least not here because I'll be out of the country. Do they have half marathons in China? I keep hurting myself, like tripping over the bed and bruising the top of my good foot; my knee is locking up, especially at night; I dropped a razor on top of my toe and have a huge cut;and the bottom of my bad foot is split. Also my forearms are hurting which I know is related to the runs, but I have no idea why. I've also discovered a muscle on the side of my leg that I never knew I had. Its not looking good people.

Still it feels good to mark the run off my running chart and there is accomplishment there. I remember trying to run with my friend Kristen in college and I couldn't even make it around the block. I ran a total of 7 miles this week, which mentally makes me think I've surpassed my 10K I ran in October (even though I realize that I ran the 6 miles in one day not over a week). Oh well whatever works.

Thinking about...

I feel weird just writing with no pic for "show and tell". But I've been thinking about all the stuff that needs to get done before China and decided that I still can't go there (in my mind I mean, not China). So, I'm thinking about this week and this week only. I've injured my back somehow -probably from carrying both kids around all week - C was missing her daddy more than usually and needed some extra love. And my knee keeps locking up. I am accepting Miq's challenge with her to train for a half marathon - countdown 20 weeks -and I don't know if this funky body is going to go along with it. I decided that I was going to start the actual running again tomorrow, which is why my injuries are so prevelant today I'm sure. Its supposed to snow 12 inches tonight and thinking about the cold does not get me pumped either. Oh well, its a mental game I guess and I'm determined to do it. Maybe my DH will get snowed in, won't be able to go to work, and can watch the kids all day while I run!

Those special moments

Oh those special moments we have as parents! I love to watch these sisters together and see how much they really love each other! Even though they know how to press one another's buttons (and mine sometimes) they show unconditional love. It makes me miss my own sisters terribly!

My baby is a big girl

My baby is growing up right before my eyes it seems like. Today Big Girl C graduated to the big girl Sunday School at Church. She was a little hesitant at first (there are no toys in the big class) but she did great and I had a hard time trying to get her out of the classroom when church was over. Auntie Jess came with us for the big day and that made everything even more exciting!

To NAP..... to sleep for a short time; or a brief period of sleep. This is all I wanted to do today and I thought, 'My husband is home, I will be able to take a nap.' But as you can see, my children suddenly get the urge to "sleep" too. Why this doesn't happen, the urge for them to sleep I mean, when I want them to lay down in their own beds? I don't know.I also thought I could spend some quality time with my husband today. My kind of quality time- talking, not his- me watching him play X-box. I have to say that they have only come out with crazier things for me to compete with lately. My DH now wears a headset while he plays a live game with other strangers. Strangers who call themselves "Poopsniff" and "stinkeenutz". Boys are so sick, I mean please, do you have no shame? Anyway, this headset connects him to all the other players and throughout the day I keep asking him, 'what?', and then realize he is talking to these strangers, not me. Only after several shoutings of "watch my back" and "I need more ammo" did I finally get it.

New Year's Day

We had such a great New Year's Day because we did nothing at all. My DH and I just hung out and the kids played with us and each other all day. Here are some shots of them doing their favorite thing.... Reading!

Santa Claus is coming to Town

We finally got around to taking the girls to see Santa on Christmas Eve. Good thing Santa knows what you want even if you don't tell him! C was excited and was practicing what she was going to tell him during our 45 minute wait. K started crying hysterically and finally settled to sit there, but with the most serious stare she could muster. Typical for her. My DH and I were jumping up and down, hooping and hollering behind the photographer, but she was paralyzed.