The same day Little Man conquered the modified hurdle stretch, we agreed that he would bike, and I would run for a few miles. The biggest obstacle was that Little Man's bike had been winterized and was currently hanging upside down like a bat from the ceiling of Hubby's Man Cave.
Feeling brave, we slipped and slid over the ice covered snow, finally reaching Hubby's Man Cave filled to the brim with Man Toys. Little Man's excitement mounted as I punched the secret code numbers that would gain us precious access to Hubby's Man Cave and Little Man's bike. Surveying the scene, we discovered that Little Man's bike had in fact been hung upside down for winter storage...above Hubby's zero-turn lawnmower and his sparklingly spotless fishing boat.
Knowing Hubby all too well, Little Man and I understood the dangers of going near either of these prized possessions, in case we might leave a fingerprint, or worse yet, a scratch on either. Formulating a plan and feeling confident about that plan, Little Man supervised as I approached. It was simple. I would let down the front of the bike, reposition myself, unhook the back of the bike, and with Little Man's help, we would deliver it safely to the floor.
Stepping gingerly onto the seat of Hubby's lawnmower, I reached for the front tire of Little Man's bike. With my feet planted firmly on the lawnmower's glorious silver naugahide seat, I reached forward. I lifted the front end of Little Man's bike, untangling the spokes, and removed the wheel from its hook.
Then, faster than I could process, the screw holding the bike batlike for the winter reached for its freedom, and Little Man's bike came plummeting towards me. Losing my footing and for the first time in my life loving Hubby's beautiful, tall fishing boat, I reached out and desparately wedged my elbow into the point of its pretty little nose. A split second later, I realized that I had become a Little Man/Hubby sandwich with Hubby's zero-turn lawnmower serving as the bottom slice of bread, and Little Man's bike capping off the top.
Little Man stood there, mouth hanging open, eyes uncomprehending at first. He was the first to recover, and with his curious mind working overtime, Little Man asked,
Mom, is this a good time to say CRAP?
Uh Huh, I croaked.
Well then, OH CRAP!
A few pounds of bike and a good dose of ibuprofen later, Little Man and I started out on our next adventure.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Little Man, Hubby, and Princess
Little Man wants to do a triathlon. So when I told him that I was going to run outside today, he offered to run with me...We met in the middle, and Little Man settled for riding his bike while I ran.
Embracing the entire process of proper training, Little man and I started with a bit of stretching. Sitting side by side, Little Man executed the stretches as I demonstrated them. After a few really good warm-up stretches, we got to the gloriously challenging modified hurdle stretch. For this stretch, the stretcher (Little Man) sits down, extends one leg straight in front and tucks the other leg in to form the shape of a capital "L". Demonstrating this stretch for my favorite little man athlete, I explained that once the stretcher (Little Man) is in position, the goal is to reach for the big toe and then hold the stretch.
Little Man stretched and stretched, and his knee raised itself northward like a small mountain. But he still couldn't find his big toe. At that point I decided to again meet him in the middle. "Reach for your sock", I told him.
Again, Little Man stretched, and stretched, and his knee raised itself northward like a smaller foot hill-But still could not make contact with the topmost edge of his sock.
Combatting frustration with thought, Little Man took a brief time out. His eyes squinched up, and his brows knit together. Then, an idea struck him. Without another word, Little man assumed the position with his knee enormously bent, and his eyes focused on the prize. Reaching determinedly toward his sock, Little Man confidently grabbed the top, pulled it up to his knee, straightened his leg, and beamed all of his Little Man teeth brilliantly in my direction.
Embracing the entire process of proper training, Little man and I started with a bit of stretching. Sitting side by side, Little Man executed the stretches as I demonstrated them. After a few really good warm-up stretches, we got to the gloriously challenging modified hurdle stretch. For this stretch, the stretcher (Little Man) sits down, extends one leg straight in front and tucks the other leg in to form the shape of a capital "L". Demonstrating this stretch for my favorite little man athlete, I explained that once the stretcher (Little Man) is in position, the goal is to reach for the big toe and then hold the stretch.
Little Man stretched and stretched, and his knee raised itself northward like a small mountain. But he still couldn't find his big toe. At that point I decided to again meet him in the middle. "Reach for your sock", I told him.
Again, Little Man stretched, and stretched, and his knee raised itself northward like a smaller foot hill-But still could not make contact with the topmost edge of his sock.
Combatting frustration with thought, Little Man took a brief time out. His eyes squinched up, and his brows knit together. Then, an idea struck him. Without another word, Little man assumed the position with his knee enormously bent, and his eyes focused on the prize. Reaching determinedly toward his sock, Little Man confidently grabbed the top, pulled it up to his knee, straightened his leg, and beamed all of his Little Man teeth brilliantly in my direction.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Princess, Little Man, and Hubby
Princess and I were relaxing recently, discussing girlie-girl things. Soon enough, Princess wanted to know why she didn't get to stay home from school for Valentines Day. Before my brain could catch up to my mouth, I responded, "Because Valentines Day is a fabricated holiday created by Hallmark to sell cards." Before too much damage was done, my brain and my mouth did meet. Shifting gears, I said, "Because Valentines Day is a special day when you can celebrate with your friends. That's why you want to go to school that day."
Giving myself a mental pat on the back, I reminded myself that 7 year olds don't really care whether holidays are fabricated or not. They mostly want to play with their friends and have fun. This was one of those moments when as a parent, I could appreciate just how small and safe Princess' world really is.
Her next question, however, felt like a punch in the stomach. Innocently, she asked, "Mommy, why don't Grandma and Grandpa from Wisconsin come and visit us anymore. Can they come for Easter?"
At this point, I realized that I could either brush the ugly answers under the rug and preserve the delicate balance of her safe world, or I could force my innocent little Princess a bit further into the bigger, more dangerous world that I want so badly to protect her from.
I did take that step, pushing Princess a step closer to that dangerous world. Princess needs to learn about and understand such ugliness as she's ready, and in that safe environment where she can both learn and be safe. Being the resiliant little one that she is, our conversation moved on to prettier girlie-girl topics. Within minutes, Princess' world was small and safe again.
I, however, haven't bounced back so quickly. I know I did the right thing; I know Princess is safe; I resent the fact that the ugliness of life has to touch one so small and innocent. In writing about this now, I'm hoping that I can find some closure and be ready for the next time the "real world" touches my safe, happy children.
Giving myself a mental pat on the back, I reminded myself that 7 year olds don't really care whether holidays are fabricated or not. They mostly want to play with their friends and have fun. This was one of those moments when as a parent, I could appreciate just how small and safe Princess' world really is.
Her next question, however, felt like a punch in the stomach. Innocently, she asked, "Mommy, why don't Grandma and Grandpa from Wisconsin come and visit us anymore. Can they come for Easter?"
At this point, I realized that I could either brush the ugly answers under the rug and preserve the delicate balance of her safe world, or I could force my innocent little Princess a bit further into the bigger, more dangerous world that I want so badly to protect her from.
I did take that step, pushing Princess a step closer to that dangerous world. Princess needs to learn about and understand such ugliness as she's ready, and in that safe environment where she can both learn and be safe. Being the resiliant little one that she is, our conversation moved on to prettier girlie-girl topics. Within minutes, Princess' world was small and safe again.
I, however, haven't bounced back so quickly. I know I did the right thing; I know Princess is safe; I resent the fact that the ugliness of life has to touch one so small and innocent. In writing about this now, I'm hoping that I can find some closure and be ready for the next time the "real world" touches my safe, happy children.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Princess, Little Man, and Hubby
I've been following my second favorite dancer, who also happens to be a biomechanics guru, on Facebook for awhile now. The exhiliration, the sweat, the passion, and the talent of this young woman is incredible. But, alas, family trumps talent! My new favorite dancer is Princess.
Princess has been going to dance for a few weeks now, and it's fun to see her learning the dances that she and the other girls in her class will be performing in May. Little Man, Hubby, and I are very much looking forward to this monumental event.
A few nights ago, Princess had just snuggled into her girlie-girl bed in her girlie-girl room awaiting hugs and kisses good night. The scene was set for yet another bedtime ritual. First, Princess climbs into the covers and declares that her blankets are cold, to which I reply, "Not for long, you'll snuggle in soon enough." Content with that, she looks to Hubby for a bear hug, a sloppy kiss, and a little playful ribbing. At this point, it's my turn. Often Princess will wait for Hubby to leave her girlie-girl haven, and we settle in for a short but entertaining girlie-girl chat.
This night was no different except for the fact that our girlie-girl chat started in whispered tones. I knew right away this must be special, as I wasn't even aware that Princess knew how to whisper... For this special occasion, Princess really needed a special hug to start off the conversation. As we were in the midst of our hug, Princess whispered,
Mom!
What is it Princess?
The girls at dance don't wear underpants under their leotards!
How do you know?
The girls say when you wear underpants, they show through the leotard!
Hmmm, I thought. She is seven years old; this does sound important; and besides, everyone else seems to be doing it...or not doing it in this case.
Princess, do you want to try it?
With her eyes open wide, and smile just as huge, my little princess bobbed her head eagerly. A quick kiss on the cheek, an extra hug or two, and Princess snuggled into her girlie-girl bed in her girlie-girl room and had some girlie-girl dancing dreams.
Sweet dreams Princess!
Princess has been going to dance for a few weeks now, and it's fun to see her learning the dances that she and the other girls in her class will be performing in May. Little Man, Hubby, and I are very much looking forward to this monumental event.
A few nights ago, Princess had just snuggled into her girlie-girl bed in her girlie-girl room awaiting hugs and kisses good night. The scene was set for yet another bedtime ritual. First, Princess climbs into the covers and declares that her blankets are cold, to which I reply, "Not for long, you'll snuggle in soon enough." Content with that, she looks to Hubby for a bear hug, a sloppy kiss, and a little playful ribbing. At this point, it's my turn. Often Princess will wait for Hubby to leave her girlie-girl haven, and we settle in for a short but entertaining girlie-girl chat.
This night was no different except for the fact that our girlie-girl chat started in whispered tones. I knew right away this must be special, as I wasn't even aware that Princess knew how to whisper... For this special occasion, Princess really needed a special hug to start off the conversation. As we were in the midst of our hug, Princess whispered,
Mom!
What is it Princess?
The girls at dance don't wear underpants under their leotards!
How do you know?
The girls say when you wear underpants, they show through the leotard!
Hmmm, I thought. She is seven years old; this does sound important; and besides, everyone else seems to be doing it...or not doing it in this case.
Princess, do you want to try it?
With her eyes open wide, and smile just as huge, my little princess bobbed her head eagerly. A quick kiss on the cheek, an extra hug or two, and Princess snuggled into her girlie-girl bed in her girlie-girl room and had some girlie-girl dancing dreams.
Sweet dreams Princess!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Meet Little Man, Princess, and Hubby
Today, I would like to reminisce.
When Little Man was about six years old he watched the timeless Christmas movie, Elf. It was fun seeing him as he took everything in. He laughed; he hooted; he didn't understand the inherent dangers of picking up gum off the street... Princess, on the other hand, understood nothing, but she laughed simply because her brother laughed.
As soon as the movie ended, Little Man said in his no-nonsense Little Man voice, "I wanna ride the escevator like Elf." Knowing he wasn't about to back down, my mind raced through the options for escevators in St. Cloud. The choices were very limited. In fact the only three escevators I could think of were Herbergers, JC Penney, and Scheels.
The next day, we bundled up, made sure Princess had her blankie and her stroller, and went in search the magical escevator. Starting at JC Penney, Little Man was keenly in search of the magical climbing machine that Elf had mastered so well. As we approached our destination, we saw the ominous "Please use the stairs" sign posted across the entrance of the escevator. When Little Man saw what he was looking for and realized that it wasn't moving, his expression changed from excitement, to confusion, to desperation.
This was a bad sign, especially as his little chin started to quiver and his eyes began to take on moisture. Quickly, we moved to Plan B. Scheels was our last hope because eventhough Herbergers did have an escevator, Little Man didn't have it in him to endure even one more sign directing escevator riders to use the stairs. Little Man knew about stairs. They held no majical attraction for him. He had already used them. In fact he once rode his tricycle down the stairs.
Through the store and across the mall, to Scheels we went. As soon as we crossed the threshold, the glorious escevator was the only thing Little Man saw. And it was moving upward to mysterious, uncharted regions. In truth, it was the fudge shop, which is just as alluring to a 6 year old.
Little Man rushed to the base of the escevator, gaged his timing, and stepped-with one foot on the tread-the other dragging behind-Just like Elf! Of course, I realized. Little Man didn't just want to ride the escevator, he needed to experience it Elf style!
We rode that escalator for a good half hour. Princess, who was still hanging out in the stroller with her blankie, and I rode a few times, but soon we became spectators.
To this day that movie affects our daily lives. Little Man and Princess learned valuable lessons about what color snow to avoid, what candies and gums to steer clear of, and how to ride an escevator "Elf Style".
Just this morning, Little Man encountered one of those rotating doors. Still influenced by Elf, he was bound and determined to take a few spins around.
Training update:
Since I last reported, I have been keeping to the training schedule. Today was another speed day.
O M G was that F U N! I'm officially hooked on speed work!
Today's training session was a tempo run consisting of:
10 min warmup @ 6.0 mph
5 min tempo @ 6.5 mph
4 min tempo @ 7.0 mph
3 min tempo @ 7.5 mph
2 min tempo @ 8.0 mph
1 min tempo @ 8.5 mph
5 min cool down @ 6.0 mph
I honestly have not had that much fun in a long, long time!
When Little Man was about six years old he watched the timeless Christmas movie, Elf. It was fun seeing him as he took everything in. He laughed; he hooted; he didn't understand the inherent dangers of picking up gum off the street... Princess, on the other hand, understood nothing, but she laughed simply because her brother laughed.
As soon as the movie ended, Little Man said in his no-nonsense Little Man voice, "I wanna ride the escevator like Elf." Knowing he wasn't about to back down, my mind raced through the options for escevators in St. Cloud. The choices were very limited. In fact the only three escevators I could think of were Herbergers, JC Penney, and Scheels.
The next day, we bundled up, made sure Princess had her blankie and her stroller, and went in search the magical escevator. Starting at JC Penney, Little Man was keenly in search of the magical climbing machine that Elf had mastered so well. As we approached our destination, we saw the ominous "Please use the stairs" sign posted across the entrance of the escevator. When Little Man saw what he was looking for and realized that it wasn't moving, his expression changed from excitement, to confusion, to desperation.
This was a bad sign, especially as his little chin started to quiver and his eyes began to take on moisture. Quickly, we moved to Plan B. Scheels was our last hope because eventhough Herbergers did have an escevator, Little Man didn't have it in him to endure even one more sign directing escevator riders to use the stairs. Little Man knew about stairs. They held no majical attraction for him. He had already used them. In fact he once rode his tricycle down the stairs.
Through the store and across the mall, to Scheels we went. As soon as we crossed the threshold, the glorious escevator was the only thing Little Man saw. And it was moving upward to mysterious, uncharted regions. In truth, it was the fudge shop, which is just as alluring to a 6 year old.
Little Man rushed to the base of the escevator, gaged his timing, and stepped-with one foot on the tread-the other dragging behind-Just like Elf! Of course, I realized. Little Man didn't just want to ride the escevator, he needed to experience it Elf style!
We rode that escalator for a good half hour. Princess, who was still hanging out in the stroller with her blankie, and I rode a few times, but soon we became spectators.
To this day that movie affects our daily lives. Little Man and Princess learned valuable lessons about what color snow to avoid, what candies and gums to steer clear of, and how to ride an escevator "Elf Style".
Just this morning, Little Man encountered one of those rotating doors. Still influenced by Elf, he was bound and determined to take a few spins around.
Training update:
Since I last reported, I have been keeping to the training schedule. Today was another speed day.
O M G was that F U N! I'm officially hooked on speed work!
Today's training session was a tempo run consisting of:
10 min warmup @ 6.0 mph
5 min tempo @ 6.5 mph
4 min tempo @ 7.0 mph
3 min tempo @ 7.5 mph
2 min tempo @ 8.0 mph
1 min tempo @ 8.5 mph
5 min cool down @ 6.0 mph
I honestly have not had that much fun in a long, long time!
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