When I Grow Up...

I've officially made it through my first week of half marathon training! Yay! I'm sticking with the same 4-run-per-week schedule that I've used before. It worked well for me in the past, so I'm hoping for more of the same this time. I'll admit that I haven't been the best about fitting in cross training in with my running, so my goal this time is to do better about that. I'd like to be more well-rounded in my fitness approach this time around.

But, enough about that--let's move on to what I really want to talk about this time!

Yesterday's training run was a 2.5 mile run. That's a distance that I'm totally capable of running, even on a bad day. So, I was pushing myself a little, to get some speed out of the workout. I was feeling really good on the run, when I passed this little old couple walking down the sidewalk, holding hands. I said "Coming up on your left," and they scooted to the side for me, and they smiled at me as a blasted past, so I said "Enjoy your evening!" What I really wanted to do was go back and tell them that I want to be them when I grow up. I want us to be the little old couple who still goes on walks together and holds hands, even when we're old and gray. Better yet, I want us to be the little old couple that still runs races together. If I manage to beat Hubby in these races, that's okay too! :-)

Seeing that couple really made me smile, and helped keep me motivated for the rest of the run. It's nice to see such a simple act of love and companionship, when it seems so easy now for people to fly off the handle into anger at the little things. Hubby and I both have great examples in our parents and grandparents, so I'm not exactly worried about the status of our relationship, but I still love to see other people being so simply happy.

So, thank you, random couple I passed on the sidewalk last night! You gave me a moment of peace on my run, and gave me something to look forward to for when Hubby and I grow up. I'm looking forward to every step with this man!

I love reading with Nana!

In case you were wondering, the Things are doing very well. They've had 2 great weekends in a row: my parents and sister visited last weekend, and then lots of activities this past weekend. While my parents were visiting, we all went to lunch at a local restaurant (Hubby and I don't take the kids out to eat by ourselves very often, since it's a little stressful). Since we had the extra hands, we were able to relax and enjoy ourselves more. The Things had a great time trying our food, and did really well. They also love the new water/sand table Nana and Grandad brought. These are two little waterbabies, so we've come home more than once over the past week to soaking wet babies! We haven't added sand to the mix yet, since we know they'll just end up eating it. That will have to be a fun new addition for later.

Just chattin'

July 20th was Moon Day (Hubby's family celebrates the Lunar landing as another holiday). For their first Moon Day, the babies got their very own swing set! They both loooooooooove to swing, so it's exciting for them to have one of their very own. Hubby and his dad set it up on Saturday, and we're all looking forward to lots and lots of fun on it!

Saturday was also the housewarming/engagement party of my sister-in-law and her fiancee. The Things were definitely a hit at the party! They were just the right mix of friendly and talkative, they explored everywhere without getting into too much trouble, and only committed minor acts of thievery. (Thing 2 was so taken with another guest's sunglasses that she attempted to, well, take them. We didn't let her.)

I'm so happy!

We encountered another fun aspect of live with twins this weekend: baby wrestling. Recently, Thing 1 has turned into a cuddler. He loves to come over and throw himself on your arm, or leg, or whatever part of you he can reach, and nuzzle you. Unfortunately, his nuzzling frequently involves him smashing his face into your nose--not too comfy, but it's so cute that I don't mind too much! He's also taken to cuddling Thing 2, but she doesn't like it as much. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that he basically tackles her, knocks her flat, and then lays on top of her... Either way, it usually ends with her crying, but she's learning to fight back. She has teeth, and he doesn't...let's leave it at that....

So many snuggles!

Anyway, we're all keeping busy over here, enjoying the nice weather and trying lots of new things. I'm constantly amazed at how busy every day feels, when we don't really do all that much! I know as the Things get bigger and bigger, we'll be able to enjoy even more with them, and I'm really looking forward to all of the firsts we have coming up! In the meantime, I'm relishing every little hug and kiss and snuggle I get. These really are some special kids!

Meet my new puppies!

Okay, that's misleading. There are no new puppies here. Just babies who seem to think they're puppies.

Now that the things are getting more mobile, I've been noticing how many similarities there are between babies and puppies. Sure, there's the obvious stuff: they sleep a lot, they poop and pee a lot, they drool a lot. But there's so much more!

What's that you got there, mom? Looks tasty...

Recently, the babies have been really interested in people food. Sure, their own food is just fine, and they'll eat it when you give it to them. But, obviously, it can't compare to what mommy and daddy are eating, right? That has to be the best food, ever! Hubby and I usually eat breakfast in the living/dining room, with the babies playing around us. I used to eat on the floor with them, but I soon realized that's a bad idea. I'd end up with two puppies babies looking at me with a mix of longing and judgement, while Mischa waited on the sidelines, ready to step in on a moment's notice.

Things have gotten even worse, now that they're both pulling themselves to stand! I was eating breakfast on the couch the other morning, when both babies crawled over, stood right in front of me, and proceeded to engage in some of the most shameless begging I've ever seen. Thing 1 actually reached up and grabbed at my bowl, and would have pulled it out of my hands if I'd given him the chance! Apparently, Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cheerios are way more interesting than all the baby toys scattered around the room. Lesson learned.

Mmmmmmm....cereal!

We're getting close to letting the babies eat real food--Thing 2 has 6 (yes, 6) teeth already, and Thing 1 is working on his first (I think he's getting 2 at once, but we'll see). Thing 2 is already a good gnasher, so I'm excited to start letting her try more things. Given the teeth marks all over her crib, I'm thinking she'll be a natural with corn on the cob!

Even though they're both showing interest in food, there's still a lot of mess involved in feeding them. Mischa comes running as soon as she hears the sound of the highchair tray snapping into place--she sets up camp under the highchairs, and just waits for the fun to start. Inevitably, the babies drop (or throw) food overboard, and Mischa is right there, ready to clean up after them. Who needs a vacuum cleaner? I'll admit, we don't always completely wipe the Things down after they finish eating. Sometimes, we just plop them on the floor and let Mischa clean up for us. Dogs are so useful!

The 4th of July has come and gone, which means that I have officially finished the Runner's World Run Streak! Yay! I'm not gonna lie: I got kinda lazy at the end, and didn't write down each run as soon as it happened, so I don't remember each of the runs. I have distances and times for each one, and I figure that's all that matters. The important thing is that I proved to myself that I can do it! And now, I don't have to do it again. I actually got sick during the last week of the challenge, so the last few runs were a bit of a struggle. It's really hard to get out and go for a run when you're really congested--breathing is an important part of running! Anyway, here's the breakdown of my last 9 runs:

32.Thursday, June 26th: 3.1 miles, 28:24, average pace: 9:09/mile

33. Friday, June 27th: 1.14 miles, 10:40, average pace: 10:40/mile

34. Saturday, June 28th: 6 miles, 1:01:06, average pace: 10:11/mile Felt sluggish and almost called to be rescued, but managed to do the whole run--despite getting rained on and some wardrobe issues. Finished my run to an awesome rainbow in the sky!

35. Sunday, June 29th: 1.1 miles, 10:39, average pace: 9:40/mile

36. Monday, June 30th: 1.11 miles, 9:52, average pace: 8:53/mile

37. Tuesday, July 1st: 1.5 miles, 14:42, average pace: 9:47/mile

38. Wednesday, July 2nd: 1.6 miles, 17:00, average pace: 10:34/mile

39. Thursday, July 3rd: 1 mile, 8:40, average pace: 8:40/mile A nice shake-out run with the hubby after a long day in the car. Had to explain to him what a shake-out run was (he thought it meant something much grosser).

40. Friday, July 4th: 1.5 miles, 15:18, average pace: 10:09/mile An easy evening run with hubby on Madeline Island. Beautiful way to close the challenge!

After finishing the challenge, I celebrated by taking a week off from running! It was totally necessary for recuperation, and it was nice to not have to worry about finding time for a run for the rest of our vacation. I'm back in action now, though, and had an awesome run Tuesday, and a decent one last night. Training for my half starts next week--wahoo!

Since I mentioned vacation, I'll close with a few pictures of the Things from their first trip to Madeline Island. It also happened to be their longest car ride to date. It was a good and bad experience. Vacation while sick just stinks, and a 10 hour car ride with 2 babies and a dog who hates car rides doesn't make my list of favorites either, but we managed to have fun, too. The babies did a great job on the ferry ride (no sea sickness, yay!), and they loved exploring a new place. They also learned how to climb stairs, so that's a new, exciting thing we get to deal with!

Vacation fun!