Longest Weekend Ever: Rant

Disclaimer: I love my kids. 

I really try to love my kids and show them every day with my actions and words.  Sadly, I fail a lot and they annoy the hell out of me and I start whining about how much they whine and yell at them about how much they fight and beg them to just BE QUIET for 2 minutes and let me drink my god damned coffee already.  GAH!  I know that I never want to get a divorce because being the primary care giver for 3 small children is mentally and physically exhausting.  I don't know how stay-at-home mom's do it.  I think I would have to drink copious amounts of alcohol. 

I can clearly see that what I'm doing is not working, but I can't stop myself.  I know that I should just leave the dishes and sit down and play with them.  I tell myself it will only take a minute and I just do the chores and get it over with, meanwhile the attention whores are beating each other senseless in the next room so that I will come in and yell at them. 

I have been trying to take a step back and calm myself down before reacting, it is a mental practice.  And it takes a lot of practice.  After about the 2nd or 3rd time I yell, I will stop down and take the offending party in the other room to be angry or cry.  Then I come back and sit with them, give hugs and wipe their tears.  Tonight I did not do so well, there was more yelling than hugging until bedtime and more tears than usual.  I know that I am tired too, which does not help. 

And now I'm just going to rant.  Why does everyone have to have an opinion?  Why can't you just sit in the same chair you sit in every day?  Why do I have to stand here sweating while you attempt to buckle your seat belt but I am not allowed to help but I also can't walk away?  Why do you have to take everything away from your sisters?  And then why do you have to gleefully run away while they cry?  Why does the waffle have to be cut at a perfect angle?  Why can't the jelly touch the peanut butter?  Why does that stuffed cat smell so bad?  Why can't you walk up the stairs - you are capable!  Why can't I just sit here and watch?  Do I have to get up?

Why?  Because they are kids and I'm the Mommy.  I need to suck it up and have a beer and chill the fuck out already.  They are wonderful, healthy, generally happy kids and I appreciate their little personalities and pre-schooler demands.  Take a deep breath and RELAX.  10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1-0...

First Trip to the Movies

Saturday morning Auntie Jenna and I took the kids to the movies.  Jack and Miss Maddy have never been to a real movie, I thought at 2.75 years old they would probably be good.  Or maybe not, I also suspected it might be a disaster which is why I didn't go alone.  We saw Kung Fu Panda 2, 20 minutes shorter than Cars 2, and we would not have seen that last 20 minutes of Cars 2.  Gwen was awesome as always, but to be fair anytime the TV is on she will zone out at watch it, its just her nature.  Maddy was OK for about an hour before she started getting out of her seat.  After 40 minutes Jack had finished his candy and saw no reason to stay, he told me he wanted to go home.  They pretty much do the same thing at home when we watch a movie, except I don't spend $40.

There were no melt downs, so I should be happy with the outcome.  I ended up taking Jack and Maddy down to the front row so they would only annoy me and each other.  Lesson learned though, taking 1 or 2 kids to a movie is a better idea.  With 3 there is no way we are making it to the end.

The movie was cute, definitely rentable. 

Monday workout: Ripped in 30

I intended to get up early this morning to workout, or take the kids to the gym at 8, neither happened. So I did Ripped in 30 #1 during nap time, then danced with G for about 20 minutes.

Know that "Oh Shit" Feeling?

I had it today, major "Oh Shit!"  I took the kids outside this morning, determined to spend time outdoors and wear them out before it got too hot.  We started off with breakfast, then drug out all the Play Dough stuff, then turned on the hose and let them fill up buckets and spray each other.  After Play Dough Jack was bored and wandered into the house.  I was about to turn on the TV for him, cause then I knew he would mostly stay put, when he closed the door.  He closed the door and locked it.  I realized it pretty quick, he was still standing there with Mickey in hand looking at me through the glass. 

I knew the front door was locked.  I knew the garage door was locked - dead bolted.  I was pretty sure every window downstairs was locked.  So I tried convincing Jack to unlock the door.  I very calmly asked him "unlock" the door, but he just swung off the handle.  I finally asked him to turn the "KEY" and he knew what I meant.  That's when I figured out he had managed to deadbolt the door too.  FUUUCK!  He could not turn the top lock, so I got him to drag a chair over so he would have better leverage.  I am starting to panic now imagining him falling off the chair and cracking open his skull while I watch.  I am also pretty sure the 5 Mexicans building a patio next door can hear me getting more shrill (and I'm not being racist, they really are Mexican and barely speak English).  (What IS racist is that I wondered if they knew how to jimmy a lock).

Jack still can't turn the lock.  I know Tina doesn't have a key anymore, she had our old key and I never gave her a new one.  I was pretty sure the Selfish Mommy had a key, but didn't know if she had returned from her day out on the lake yesterday.  Maybe J Sr has one hidden in the garage, but he's in Taiwan so F me.  I am seriously considering dialing 911 at this point.  One last try.  The front door is locked, but it is easier to turn.  I know Gwen can turn that lock.  I ask Jack to go to the front and turn the big key.  Maddy and Gwen follow me to the front door, both chattering on about Jack locking us out and what is he doing in there, and is he touching my stuff, and how will we get in?, and we miss Daddy - all very helpful. 

Luckily, Jack quickly opens the door and gets an attack style hug from Mommy.  The girls march right back to the backyard after I attempt a lesson in unlocking doors for future reference.  Gwen can't work the top lock at all without a lot of effort, so I don't know how Jack managed it. 

So, Monday I will be making some extra copies of our key to be left with our neighbors.  I will also be much more careful about that Jack.  I swear he can be the sweetest little guy in the world - cuddly, giving kisses to his sister, helping clean up.  And then he turns into a devious master mind hell bent on terror.  "Pow-Pow!" says Jack. 

Sunday: Long Run

Went to the gym this afternoon to run on the treadmill.  Did about 7 miles in 65 minutes.  I say "about" because I selected a treadmill that stops after 62 minutes, and I was so pissed at it I didn't write down my total.  Wasn't too boring, I fiddled with the incline to simulate some up and down hill action.  I also listed to a Doug Loves Movies podcast, while watching Lord of the Rings on TV.

Satuday Run: Treadmill

Dragged the kids to the gym this morning so I could run on the treadmill. Neither G nor J were happy to go and begged me to make it fast. I did 35 minutes on 6% incline, avg pace 10 min miles. I was scheduled for a long run, but will do it tomorrow when the babysitter is here.

Friday Run

4.2 miles
37:59
9:02/mile avg

9:16/9:10/9:02/9:08/(6:48)

Goal was to run a 9:12 "maintenance pace" (according to my marathon training plan, oops really 9:21).  I ran around the gravel trail in my neighborhood which was a nice change from the normal loop.  I made it out by 8:15am and it wasn't terribly hot.  Felt good and enjoyed listening to music.

Recovery meal is Muscle Milk (contains no milk) - having protein to heal the muscles!