Started Training for the 10K Marathon on May 29

On March 1st I decided that I wanted to challenge my self physically, so I've decided to run the 10K marathon in Ottawa on May 29th. I've been running regularly since the beginning of March, but I haven't been following a training program. I have found many programs online and I just can't seem to decided which one suits me. They all seem to have a couple common guidelines:

1) Include a variety of different speeds and distances to ensure that your muscles build the strength they need for a long distance run. Running hills or stairs can also help build those muscles. 

2) Both rest and nutrition is important. 

One thing I decided to do at the start of my training program was to share my goal (10k in May) with all of my friends and family using Facebook and in person. Also, I found a terrific application called "Runkeeper" for the iPhone that helps track my pace, distance, calories, inclines, etc and it automatically posts my results to Facebook and Twitter. And, by doing this, my circle of friends have been instrumental in helping to keep me motivated and positive. It's been wonderful!  

You can see my training log here.

If anyone knows of a good training program for the 10k marathon, please send me a link. I'd really appreciate it!

A Weekend at the Cottage

This past weekend we packed up the family and headed for the Jette Cottage in Magog (Eastman), Quebec. We couldn't have asked for a better weekend--the weather was beautiful--about -10 degrees and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

We left the city on Friday night at 6:45 and arrived at the cottage around 10:00. My wonderful father made sure the cottage was ready for us and welcomed us on our arrival. The kids very quickly got ready for bed and fell fast asleep.

In the morning I made eggs and bacon and the kids watched a little bit of the "Charlie and Lola" Saturday morning cartoons.

After breakfast Cole, Amelie and Chloe went sledding and Preston tried out his snowboard. I nick-named Cole "Crasher Cole" because of the way he launches himself off the sled when it hits the snow pile at the end of the path.

Afterward we explored the hills and trees around the cottage. Amelie, Chloe and Preston took turns making believe they needed to be saved...by quick snow-sand or falling from a cliff. It was very exciting!

For lunch we kept it simple...pizza, apples and tangerines.

After lunch we played Junior Monopoly and the kids played their Nintendo DS together. In the afternoon we headed back outside for a couple of hours to snowshoe on the lake and build snow-forts. It was unbelievably beautiful day.

Dad arrived for dinner on Saturday night. We enjoyed a spaghetti dinner and then watched the first 10 minutes of the movie "Juno" before my dad made it clear the movie wasn't really working for him. (For the record--I love that movie!) Once it was decided that Juno wasn't working out...we tried watching Gladiator. I think we were all just a little too tired from our busy day because 20 minutes later we were all heading to bed. 

Early the next morning we had to leave for home in Ottawa to begin our standard Sunday marathon of gymnastics for Cole, Amelie and Chloe's ballet, and Salsa dancing for Scott and I.

On the Importance of Listening to your Kids

Being a child isn't as easy as it seems. The majority of their time is spent playing with their friends and siblings, learning in school and listening to their parents. But once in a while - life can seem overwhelming and exhausting to these little people.

Today, one of my daughter's couldn't get out of bed. Although she was suffering from a mild cold, this wasn't the reason why she refused to get out of bed. Physically, she was quite capable. But, emotionally, she was defeated.

I'm not sure why she was feeling that way. It could have been a result of our very active Sunday. Cole had gymnastics lessons and Amelie and Chloe had Ballet. We played different games together and listened to music. At 5:00, the girls came with Scott and I to our Salsa lessons. They had a great time playing Trouble/Frustration with another little girl who was there.  All in all, it felt like a really fun day for all of us. But, it didn't end on a good note.

Last night before bed, something changed. Chloe threw a bit of a tantrum. This doesn't happen very often, so when it does I know somethings up. I managed to calm her down by truly listening to her and giving her some space. She talked about the difficulty that she's having with the "separation" and that she misses her father and me all the time. She also talked about school being too long and difficult and that she wanted more time to do things that she likes--rather then school work. And, she talked about the pain that she has in her neck and her back (a misalignment that we confirmed at CHEO before Christmas). After listening to her and calming her down, I snuggled with her until she fell asleep to make sure she got a full nights rest. But, in the morning she claimed that she didn't get a wink of sleep and that she couldn't possibly go to school. So, I decided to keep her home.

I think one of the most important things a parent can do is to truly listen to their child. And, if possible, do something that will demonstrate to your child that you've heard them...and that they can have some control/responsibility over their life. By keeping Chloe home this morning, I hope that she realizes that her emotions are real and worth feeling. And, she'll understand that she can take some time for herself when she needs it.

All too often kids don't know how to listen to their heart and express themselves. And, as a result of not dealing with their emotions they end up acting-out or misbehaving. When Chloe opens up with me, and tells me what's in her heart, I'm so thankful that she can communicate it to me--rather then keep it inside. And, if I help her resolve those feelings she'll start to see that most things can be tackled straight on. And, in the long run, I hope that these conversations will give her the tools she needs to understand and trust herself...and to shape her own life.

When you are six years old, I'm sure that sometimes it feels like you can't make a difference in your own life. I see it as one of my jobs to make them realize that THEY are the key to their own happiness. So, they need to listen to themselves and try to understand what will make them happy.

And, if I hear any of my kids say they are bored...one...more...time...I'm going to scream! :) Maybe this revelation can be another 2010 resolution.

Sunday Morning Snowshoeing

For Christmas I bought Scott snowshoes. So, of course, I needed to get some as well to keep him company on his snowshoeing excursions :). I purchased them yesterday afternoon at the SportChek in the St. Laurent Mall.

I have a pair of Tubbs Xplore which is perfect for exercise walking for the newbie snowshoer. Both the Frontier and the Xplore are great economical snowshoes for those of us who are just starting out with the sport.

The Xplore gives me enough traction for moderately packed and gently rolling terrain. It's not great for more advanced, hillier terrain - but that's okay for what I intend to do. It has carbon steel crampons (teeth below the foot) to give me traction for the moderate hills that Scott leads us to :). The binding is pretty easy to use but doesn't have a lot of support - so it's not great for really hilly terrain. And it has a fully rotating or pivoting shoe that sheds snow off the back rather then flicking it up onto the back of your legs while you walk.  

Scott has a pair of Tubbs Frontier which is a slightly more advanced snowshoe then my Xplore. I wanted to get him a more sturdy snowshoe that will allow him to go into the more hilly terrain that his Geocaching hobbie demands. He'll be doing those excursions without me...I think. The two big differences that I've noticed between the Frontier and the Xplore are the binding and the crampons. The binding for the Frontier has what they call ControlWings™ which make them easier to put on your boot then the Xplore. And the crampons on the Frontier has an alignment on the heel that gives you more stability on hillier terrain. It basically lines your boot up with the heel on the snowshoe so that if you do end up on an off-kilter slope, your feet will stay stabilized on the snowshoe.

We started trail blazing...or bushwhacking, through the snow behind our house near the river. I wasn't that keen on the "whacking" part of the walk...and quickly made that point clear with Scott. We turned around and followed a friendlier trail. The weather was just fine at -13 degrees and a slight breeze.

On our walk I fell twice, I think because we were on a hillier terrain than what my snowshoes were made for. But Scott had no trouble at all...so I think the Frontier will work well for him.

Close to the end of our outdoor walk we came upon what looked exactly like Charlie Brown's Christmas tree. I had to take a picture of it. Doesn't it look the same? Just sitting out there in the middle of the snow...all by itself decorated with a few little ornaments. Cute.

Tell me about your holiday activities!

Decorating the Christmas Tree

Yesterday afternoon we put on the Christmas music, broke out the egg-nog and nutmeg and decorated our Christmas tree. Our four kids, their best friend next door, my Dad and stepmother, and Scott and I worked together to trim our tree, hang the stockings and position the nativity scene.

It was both a fun and overwhelming experience. My living room really isn't very big. And, have you noticed how much smaller your house feels when an 8 foot real Christmas tree occupies the corner and all the furniture has been shifted around? Now imagine four adults standing among five excited children, with smiles from ear to ear, swarming around the tree until every last ornament is placed. And in the background, to make things just a little bit more nostalgic, we played the Chipmunks Christmas Album. It was an absolute frenzy for about 15 minutes...and then it was quite again as they scampered off to play hide and seek with one another. It was a Christmas tsunami that left my living room looking both disastrous and beautiful. Once we put away the empty ornament boxes and swept up the pine needles that had been knocked off the tree, I couldn't believe how warm and festive my home felt from corner to corner.

I'm not a fan of winter, but it's really nice to have such a wonderful holiday to look forward to right when the weather turns cold and days become so short.

My Health Journal
Tonight I had half a steak, steamed green beans, potatoes for dinner (+ a raspberry turnover for dessert :$). After dinner I helped my girls with their homework, watched a little bit of "The Flintstones" with them and then put them to bed. After working for about 1 hour on a communication brief I completed a weight routine focused on my hamstrings, quadriceps and calves. I also completed a series of sit ups to work my abdomen.

How is everyone else doing with Christmas preparations and personal health and fitness?

Grade One Evaluations and Parent Teacher Interviews

Last week I received my girls school evaluations and tomorrow I'll be going to the school to meet with their teacher to discuss the results. For today's blog I would like to give my opinion on the subject of school grades, parenting and children.

I have to admit, when I reviewed the results for each of my children I was surprised. I have 6 year-old twin girls who are in the same grade one class. I spend about 15-30 minutes a day with each of them reviewing their homework, spelling words, reading and math. I have a very good idea about how my children are doing in each subject area in school. But, when I reviewed their evaluations I have to admit, I was confused.

Before I continue I need explain that I don't believe that parents should be pressuring young children to aim for straight As. Around this time of year you do hear parents talking about how important it is to them that their child achieve perfection. I don't agree with this approach. I believe learning is important, but getting the highest mark isn't the goal. I strongly believe that children should have as much time as possible playing with each other, moving around physically and discovering the world around them. Yes - school is important, but having a balanced life between school and play is essential for the healthy development of children (in my opinion).

Okay-back to my daughters' evaluations and my confusion over the results. On paper, one of my daughters was achieving higher results than the other in every single topic. What surprised me about this is that I know with absolute certainty that my daughter who was achieving lower results is actually working at a much higher level in some topics then the other daughter. How could their evaluations be so "off"? After contemplating this for a few days it occurred to me that the "results" on paper must be influenced by other factors. And then, in a moment of clarity, I realized that my daughter's behaviour must have influenced the results. My daughter (who received lower results) absolutely likes to set her own rules, is a social butterfly, and has a tendency to do what she wants. I can imagine that when compared to her sister most teachers would find her more difficult to manage. She isn't a tyrant by any means but she does have a streak of stubborness. And I can imagine that her sister is like an angle in class.  As a result, I'm almost certain that her behaviour probably influenced the teacher to give her a lower grade in a subject that she excels at.  

So, what will happen at the parent teacher interview tomorrow? I can tell you that for my kids the focus won't be on their grades. I won't argue about whether my daughter's grades were accurate or not. I won't discuss how I think her evaluations weren't purely based on skill level. My discussion with the teacher will focus on my daughters' overall personalities, attitudes and classroom behaviour. I believe that evaluations provide us with insights that go beyond the "grade"and I suggest parents use them to both gain a general gist of their skill level as well as understand how their children are doing emotionally and behaviourally.

I'd love to hear your perspectives on this topic. Please feel free to leave comments.

Junk Drawer Confessions

How many of you out there have a junk drawer that keeps collecting more and more junk until one day you can't even open it to throw more junk in? And, how many of you carry the stress of being discovered...wondering if one day one of your guests will stumble upon your crazy junk drawer. The fear you have...knowing that every day that junk drawer exists, is another day that your reputation for being such a well put together and organized individual is put at risk.

Do you ask yourself almost on a daily basis...What will it take to get me motivated to empty out this ridiculous drawer and get organized? Oh - I know you have one. Everyone's got a deep dark secret...drawer. You know it.

Okay...this blog post was inspired by a Twitter friend (@mlanger) who recently cleaned out her junk drawer and shared ever last detail of it in her blog post. I can relate completely.

Last week, while cooking one of my healthy recipes, I had such a hard time finding the right spices. Why? Because my spice drawer was scary scary place to visit. Anyway, I'm very proud to say that I took the time to clean out that spice drawer that day and it felt good. Sometimes I just open those drawers to look at how beautifully organized they are--finally. It's a very small thing...but also very rewarding.
Here are some pictures of newly organized spice drawers :).

Unfortunately, the spice drawers aren't the only drawer in my house. And, if you were to inspect every drawer in my house...you'd find that 75% of them probably could use a major re haul.

With four kids running around the house, I find it impossible to keep my drawers organized. Can you moms out there relate to this---or am I completely alone? I'm constantly picking up toys, folding clothes and trying desperately to keep the house looking clean and organized. One of my most employed techniques is what I call the "grab and stash".  This is the practice of grabbing any object that shouldn't be in sight...and stashing it inside any drawer that's within reach. The unfortunate side effect of this technique is the guilt associated with knowing that although your house may appear pretty organized...deep down inside you're a mess.

I'd love to hear your Junk Drawer confessions. Am I alone here?