Will Race for...antibiotics

I love those months where everything is clicking.  Your training is on track.  The scale is moving in the right direction.  You feel strong, confident, inspired, on top of your game and on top of the world.  There might be a hiccup here or there, but for the most part you are just plain awesome.

That was not this month, oh no, that was not this month.  Here is a really scientific graph displaying the dramatic drop in my awesomeness:

As you can see, I hit an all time low this month.  Not a bit of awesome left.  Not only that, but I think I also hit an all time low for exercising.  So what was going on?  Why did this month just suck in the physical fitness department?  Let me break it down:
Week 1- Tapering
Week 2- Injured
Week 3- Injured + sick kids
Week 4- Less injured + sick me
And the month closes with the addition of ammoxicilin and cough syrup with codeine.

The good news is that in 24 hours I should be feeling like a new women... and actually sounding like a women again.  Other positives:
*All the resting was really good for my foot!  It feels great and once I can breath again I will try a slow jog.
*I am now extra motivated to get my flu shot!
*I got all caught up on Jerseylicious!

The best news of all is that tomorrow is a new month and a new beginning.  Both my foot and my respiratory system are on the mend.  I am feeling motivated to make goals and accomplish them.  I have a night of trick or treating (with two cute dinosaurs) ahead of me!  And (hopefully) I have nowhere to go but up, right?

I will leave you with a little Halloween humor (especially if you have ever had a baby).  Happy Halloween!

 How was your October?

What is on deck for November?

We should've named her Cha-ching

As most of you know, I am a stay at home mom to my two kids...and my three dogs (and I guess my cat too).  It is one of those unpredictable jobs and every morning brings something new and sometimes challenging.  Yesterday our household contained one sick mom, two sick kids, and one sick dog.  This meant that the sick mom and kids had to go to the doctor...for the dog.  Yes, we were all sick but the dog was the only one seeking medical attention, and I completely understand how ridiculous that sounds.  But when your little dog seems to be suffering and can't talk, you take your furry baby to the vet!

Every time I take one of the 4 legged kids in for a problem there is a sense of  dread (except if it is Bug).  What is wrong?  What will the vet say?  And this is awful, but in the back of my mind I am thinking, is the vet going to say we have to put her down?  This is not something I worry about with the kids because the Pediatrician is never going to suggest we euthanize them...but it is a real thought with a dog (and more so with each passing year).

Fortunately, the verdict at the vet's was only impacted/ infected anal glands.  They cleaned them out and gave her some meds (I sincerely apologize if anyone was eating while reading that).  Vet's visit to clean out anal glands-$115.  Not having to do it yourself-priceless.

Even though it was a $115 well spent, it did get me thinking about how much money we have pumped into this dog.  Let me introduce you to Gidget- the world's most expensive dog.

We nicknamed her "The Money Pit"

This dog is constantly trying to die and continually draining our bank account.   Here is a list of all of Gidget's near death experiences, vet procedures, and other expensive encounters:

• Pneumonia.  Almost died.
• Electrocution.  Only slightly charred.
• Chewed open a bottle of advil.  Got her stomach pumped.
• Opened a backpack, chewed through a bottle of my husband's thyroid medication.  Got her stomach pumped.
• Opened a backpack, ate medication.  Got her stomach pumped.  All these backpack incidents happened right before we were going out of town.  Both times they involved overnight vet stays.
• Knee surgery.
• Root canals (Yeah, you read that right, dogs can have root canals.  $800+ for 2 root canals)
• Pulled teeth
• Unsuccessful eye duct surgery
• Hormone medication

All of this comes to a grand total of $3,862.81 (Bug's mishaps come in only slightly less).  Ouch!  If our kids ever wonder why they don't have a college fund, I'll just have them read this.    

So why do we do it?  Why do we pump so much money into our dogs?  Because they are a part of the family!  Gidget might be a curmudgeonly little thing who seems to be the dog incarnation of Maxine:

I swear, they are twins!

But she is our grouchy girl.  When she snuggles in, gives us a lick, and wags her tail...well, it is all worth it.  Plus, Gidget and I have a very special bond: our intense hatred of Bug!!

What would you give for your pets?

Versatile Blogger

My fellow Coloradoan and awesome blogger, Terzah, tagged me with the Versatile Blogger.  I loved her post because I was able to learn more about Terzah and I found some new, great blogs to read.  An opportunity to post this comes at a perfect time because I am hurt and I am sick.  Basically, this is saving me from writing about icing my foot and blowing my nose.
 
There are a few basic rules with this award:
1. You have to thank the giver, and provide a link to that person's post. Thanks Terzah!!  I do love reading your blog!  If you don't read it, you should!  Once I can run again we will have to run together.  And when I say we will need to run together, I mean we will start together and I will eat your dust the rest of the run!  Hopefully, one day we will be at the same race!
2. Share 7 random facts about yourself.
3. Award 15 other newly discovered blogs the same award.


Random Facts about me:

1. I lived in Heidelberg, Germany my sophomore year in college and I managed to leave the country without being able to sprechen sie deutsch.  I can only say a few things like : "Ihr schwule hund trachts lederhosen."  Which means, "Your gay dog wears leather pants."  This is not a useful phrase and I am not exactly sure why I know how to say this.  I could also say "Oh meine eier," which roughly translates into "oh my testicles."  Again, why I know this is beyond me...especially because I have no occasion to say this due to my total and complete lack of testicles.  I can say a few, more boring (but more useful) things as well.  I do not excel in foreign languages and, if fact, I am so bad that my German teacher (Frau Luft) even asked if I was dyslexic...which I am not...at least not with English.   It was an incredible experience though, and it changed me in so many ways.   Below is a video showing highlights of Heidelberg.  It also has a really cheesy version of "Ich Hab Mein Hertz in Heidelberg Verloren."


2. Crazy odds.  Both my father and father in law had polio and both of my children had the same due date.  I think the odds are pretty high for both of those things.

3.    When I was in college I went to Costa Rica for a month.  I did research on bullet ants and wrote a paper called, "Role of pheromones on recruitment habits of Parapanara clavata."  This is basically a fancy way of saying I squirted honey on a tree and counted freaking huge ants.  You can read the whole paper in Scientific American...just kidding, I squirted honey on a tree and counted ants, so if anything it would probably end up in Preschooler American.

This is a bullet ant and yes they are that big!

4.  My first job out of college was a director of Science Camp.  Worst. Job. Ever.  My second job was in a blood bank.  I learned all kinds of things about blood.  We would sometimes use taxis and FedEx to send blood to hospitals.  Birth Control makes your plasma green.  Eating a high fat meal before giving blood will result in fatty plasma.  Don't worry, we didn't give that to patients.  It was sold to a Swiss company that used it in high end cosmetics and shampoo.  Are you finished puking?  Ok, I'll go on.  I also had Kevin give blood when we started dating.  To help out society and give back to the greater good?  Yeah, totally...and I wanted to find out if he had any diseases.  Once his results were up on the computer I continued dating him.  I'm just kidding, but I did learn he passes out when he gives blood and he is Rh - (as am I).  This was helpful in my pregnancies because it spared me from getting a Rhogam shot.

5.  My childhood self would be very disappointed that I am not married to Jake Ryan and driving a convertible Rabbit.  My adult self is very happy about both...although I still have a big time crush on Jake!  It's okay because Kevin still has a crush on Winnie Cooper. 

6.  I'm married to my first boyfriend...and no we were not high school sweethearts or even college sweethearts.  I was a late bloomer in the romance department.

7.  The TV character I most resemble is Velma, from Scooby-Doo (isn't that every girl's dream...hmmm maybe this relates to my late blooming romance problem).  I have been her for Halloween on more than one occasion.  I am going to have to try to find a picture of that.

Here are my 15 blog picks broken down by category.  I am going to leave off the ones that Terzah just picked, but I love a lot of those too!! 

The non-running blog:
Real life, one day at a time- This is my friend Melissa's blog.  She does a lot of crafts and recipes and she is amazingly talented and creative.  You have to check out some of the stuff she has done.

Awesome Ladies:
Let's Move it Mamma's- Marissa was the very first person who didn't know me to follow my blog.  She has a great motivational blog with recipes and ideas for raising healthy kids.  She is also training for her first half- the Houston Marathon.
Life in the Twin Lane- Kim is hilarious.  Do yourself a favor and read the post about her hair color debacle.  It does not disappoint.
Get up and Go- Sarah has fun posts and a nice retro style!
Run with Jill- I just started reading Jill's blog and she is also a Colorado lady.  She has been so awesome to help me out and give me lots of advice about my foot problem!
Changing from Fat to Fit- Christie is great and she is training for her first half marathon also.  She is running it this Sunday!  Go wish her luck!

The Fellas: I read some blogs written by guys too!  I highly recommend all three!
Big Daddy Diesel
Half Tri-ing
Steve in a Speedo?! Gross

New to my list:  I just started reading these blogs and I have been enjoying them!
Jenn's Adventures
In the between
Running in Real Life
The Mommy Miles
Living the Dream
(Mis)Adventures of the Johnson Jocks

Bonus:  The ones everyone already loves.
Miss Zippy
The Studly Runner
Runninghood
Okay, there they are...and don't count them because I went over my limit.  Check out Terzah's list too if you are looking for good blogs!!  Thanks Terzah, this was fun.  And to everyone on the list, consider yourself tagged if you would like to play along too!!

Does this husband make me look fat??

A reason I love my husband.  He brings me this:

A reason I hate my husband.  He brings me this:

He is evil and wonderful all rolled into one.  I think I'll keep him anyway.  

But this does bring up an important question: can a spouse bring us down in the health/zipping up our pants department?  

I was thinking about this when I stumbled across an article that came out today.  It was talking about the ways men and women are effected by marriage and divorce.  It seems to be that both events cause weight gain, however, women gain more weight when they get married and men gain more weight when they get divorced.  Additionally, women are more likely to be obese if they have lived with a man for over 5 years.  Apparently, cohabitation can be risky to the waistline, more so for women than men.

Do I buy this?  Do I really think marriage can effect your weight?  Yes, yes I do.  Why?  Well this is me 6 years after I got married:

To be fair, I was 9 months pregnant with our second kid.  Yeah, I think I gained roughly the amount of weight you should gain with triplets...plus 10 pounds.

Along these line, the article did site pregnancy along with the stress of running a household as two reasons women gain weight while married...and I totally agree with those two reasons.  But I don't think that is the whole story, at least not in our house.  While I can't speak for all the married ladies, I can say an issue at the Schmidt's is this:

I brought broccoli into our marriage and he brought Doritos.  It isn't that he loves junk food and I don't.  No, I love it too!  That is why I don't buy it!  When I lived on my own I subscribed to the theory of "you can't eat it if you don't have it."  My food supply was very produce and whole grain oriented.   My husband, however, subscribes to the "you can't eat it if you don't have it, so make sure you have it" theory.  And to make matters worse, he is one of "those guys" who can eat whatever he wants without ever gaining weight.  I am not one of "those guys."  Even working out diligently, I am not one of "those guys."   And there is the problem....a problem I think might be more common than not.


When temptation is around every corner and in every cupboard, sometimes it is tough to keep your calories in check.  Although this article suggested if I ditch my husband I'd lose some weight, there's not a chance I'm doing that!  Marriage (although it can make you chunky) has a lot of positives including, but not limited to, improving longevity and happiness.  Also, I kinda like him.


I really don't think that marriage is not fat sentence.  Just like genes can influence weight, so can environments...and you don't have to be a victim of either.  My husband bringing junk food into the house is not going to change...I have tried really hard for 8 1/2 years.  I even had him read this to the kids just hoping it would seep into his subconscious:

It didn't work.  Although I am faced with more temptations living with him, ultimately I am in charge of what I eat.  But Kevin, next time you get ice cream, I am begging you, get Rocky Road because I hate Rocky Road. 

Mean things I make women do for my own entertainment

 The first and third Thursday of each month are always great for me because I go to MOPS.  I have already expressed my love for MOPS, so I won't go into that again, but I will repeat that I really do love this group of ladies!

One of my jobs at the MOPS meeting is to do announcements.  I think I got this job because I have a big mouth and, although it is the number one fear of most people, I have no problems with public speaking.  The only people I couldn't speak in front of would be these guys:

I will never be the keynote speaker at a clown convention because that is MY number one fear.  I almost had a panic attack just Googling clowns.  

My other job at MOPS is to do a game or ice breaker.  Since I don't actually have to participate, I try to find something very embarrassing to make the other moms do.  Why?  Because it is really funny for me to watch them.  Mean?  Yes, but so far I haven't been fired from my job so I am going to keep doing it.

Since Halloween is a few weeks away and I was coming up with the game while watching Project Runway, I decided to give the ladies supplies to make a Halloween costume.  This is what those wacky moms came up with:

I love that the moms in my group are such good sports.  I love that they can be silly and not take themselves too seriously.  Being a mom is such a hard job and it is great that twice a month we can get together for fellowship and fun.  So moms of FBC MOPS, I salute you and thanks for the laughs today!!

Seeking Professional Help

I am biting the bullet, forking over my co-pay, and seeking the advice of a trained professional (for my foot, not my head).  It has been over a week and my foot is still in pain.  It is not so bad that I can't walk on it, but it is unbearable to run on it, which, in my opinion, is diminishing my quality of life.  While I feel some of my symptoms resemble PF, somethings don't fit.  I think at this point the wise thing would be to switch my self diagnosis with a real one.  Hopefully this will put me on the road to recovery and then put me back on the road (or treadmill).

Fortunately, my time off from running has not been time off from exercise.  I have been weight training, cycling, swimming, and yesterday I conquered the giant, scary stair machine at the gym.  I have heard a lot of people say they are afraid that they will fall off the treadmill.  That I don't fear anymore, but falling off the giant, scary stair machine...yeah I am really worried about that.  I have a long history with stairs...and gravity.  But man is that a good workout!  Although I am glad this injury has made me diversify, I do miss running and it has only been a week.  I am having empathy on a whole new level for those who have been dealing with long term injuries.

In my quest to diversify I have been slowly warming to trying an exercise I have avoided like the plague.  Over the past several months (especially the past week) the idea of yoga has been entering my mind.  I have heard over and over again, "you know, you really should do yoga."  Ugh!  I know I should probably do it, but I am a yoga-phobic.  I am so afraid I am going to walk into class and be asked to do this:

I mean, is touching your toes even possible??  I am obviously not flexible, I don't stretch, and I think it would serve me well to add yoga to my repertoire.  I need to just take the plunge and go to a class.  But I swear if I walk in and see this:

I don't care how bad my foot hurts, I will run for my life!!

Anyone else afraid of equipment at the gym??

What do you think, yea or nay on the yoga?  Someone please say it is awful and I shouldn't do it!

What athletes can learn from purebreds

My husband and I were watching TV the other night and we landed on a program about dogs (yeah, it looks like I am talking about dogs again...no humping pictures this time, I swear!).  I thought it was a really interesting show because it was talking about genetic variation in dogs.  Dogs, in general, have incredible genetic variation (thanks to a large number of tandem repeats..gee can you tell I was a Bio major), but purebred dogs have such limited genetic variation that they are susceptible to disease.  Each breed has been bred for a certain job or trait, but with that trait often comes a congenital defect.  Labs were bred for retrieving/ hunting but often suffer from hip dysplasia.  Border Collies were bred to herd but the can suffer from epilepsy.  Miniature Pinscher were bred to be annoying but often suffer from the inability to be house broken.  See, all purebreds have both genetic gifts and pitfalls that come from lack of variety.

Watching that show just so happened to coincide with the onset of my foot injury.  As I watched it, I couldn't help but draw some parallels between lack of genetic variation in the purebred world and lack of cross training in my world.  I realized I had been focusing way too much on running.  I wasn't taking the proper breaks, I wasn't riding my bike or swimming very much, I had stopped weight training.  Basically, I was losing my athletic variation.  Could this be part of the reason I got injured?

Temporarily losing the ability to run has made me realize two important things.  1) Focusing too much on one discipline might increase your likelihood of injury.  2) Don't put all your exercise eggs in one basket because if that basket breaks what are you going to do?

Not running has pushed me to get back to some of the other exercises I have been ignoring.  Thankfully, I do enjoy cycling and swimming, which has made the whole not running thing bearable.  I was bummed I wouldn't be able to run for awhile, but not devastated because I knew I could still be working out.  It has also gotten me back into weight training, which is something I don't love and have been ignoring.  As much as it is not my favorite thing, I know it is a necessary thing.

Variety is good and I am going to use this time off from running to diversify my athletic life.  I will leave you with this picture of a little genetic diversity that my mom grew in her backyard.  You know, some genetic variations are good...and some aren't. 

She grew this thing 4 years ago and I still crack up every time I see it.  I never claimed to be very mature...or classy.

The bane of my existence

I am going to start this off by saying that I am a "dog person."  I love dogs.  I really, really do and I think I might have given the wrong impression of my feelings when I suggested that I hoped a raccoon was eating one of my dogs.  I don't hope raccoons eat all dogs and I don't hate all dog....but I do hate one dog and unfortunately she just so happens to be my dog, Bug Schmidt (and yes I know what that sounds like).  In fact I would gladly trade Bug for any of the following dogs:

Old Yeller, even after he got rabies.

Cujo

Sam

And of course Marley

Marley, you have nothing on my dog!  I openly wept like a little girl for the 5 chapters you were dying.  You might have been feisty and destructive, but at least you were loveable.  You were not this:

*Disclaimer-I may have doctored this photo

Here are the top (but not the only) reasons I HATE Bug:

* She steals food from my kids...often from their mouths.  Our other two dogs will take food also, but food that is dropped on the ground or on their plates....like proper dogs!  Bug will literally jump up and snatch it from their little hands right before it makes it to their little mouths. 

*She has turrets.  I bet you didn't know a dog could have turrets, and I didn't either until I met Bug.  Little dogs are known for their yap, but this dog goes beyond yap.  She really has uncontrollable vocalization...this is especially unfortunate because her bark is so ear piercingly sharp that your ears actually start to bleed. 

*She humps my cat.  Yes, SHE.  One of the reasons we got all girl dogs was to avoid the whole humping thing.  It is especially uncomfortable when the kids ask me what Bug is doing.  Inter-species lesbianism is not a topic I want to delve into with a 2 and 4 year old.  I usually just say that Bug wants a piggy back ride.

Please don't alert PETA.  I know I should have been helping my poor cat and not taking a picture.  But come on, who was going to believe me without the evidence. 

*She has bathroom issues...and she does it out of spite...I swear.

*She unzips diaper bags and knocks over trash cans.  This, as you can imagine, makes a huge mess.

* She bites.

* She runs away and I have spent the better part of a morning chasing that dumb animal all over the neighborhood...once in my pajamas...without a bra (and Amanda @Runninghood- there is no way I would want to join the fictitious bra-less running movement!).

So why would I chase her??  If I hate her so much, why wouldn't I just let her go (and believe me, I've thought about it).  She is so naughty, but I chase her because of this guy:

For some reason he loves this dog, and I love him.  I know he would be devastated if something happened to his beloved dog.  So she is here to stay (and fortunately mini pins live like 20 years!  Yippee!!!).

In closing I would like to remind you:

Does anyone else have a naughty dog? 

Plantar fasciitis, stress fractures, and other things I'm currently googling

Sunday was my second half marathon!!  Which brings me to an important question: do two halves equal a whole?  Can I put a 26.2 sticker on my car?  I think the answer might be no.  Those 26.2 miles probably have to be consecutive and not separated by 5 months.  I guess I will just have to run a whole marathon at some point...in the distant future. 

So, can you tell how it went by my title??  Actually the race was great and I didn't really comprehend that I was in serious pain until the next day.  I'm currently working on a DIY diagnosis (I know doctors love when people do this) and if I am still hobbling in a couple days I will seek professional help.  But needles to say I will be taking a hiatus from running, which was not a club I was looking to join.

The foot is the one downer in an otherwise great race!  Here are a few of the highlights for the 2011 Denver Rock n Roll Marathon:

* Pre-race Loot:  I find race expos to be a bit of a hassle...but sometimes you get a bunch of free stuff.  Check out my haul!

I got so many bars that I almost don't need to go shopping for Halloween candy!  But then I would be known as the lady who gives Trick or Treaters mini sports bars...which is almost as bad as the people who give toothbrushes, raisins, and pennies.

*Pre-race Good Deed:

This is a picture of my race buddy, Audrey, pushing a homeless man (up a hill).  His power wheel chair died and we pushed him to the library so he could recharge it.  As you can see from the picture, the dude was not small and his wheelchair was not light.  Also, you can see that I was just taking pictures and making her do all the work.  Just kidding, I eventually starting helping.  Audrey is a PT and works with patients in power wheelchairs so she was actually the perfect person to ask.

*Pre-race Popsicles-  Audrey and I are a little neurotic about getting to races on time..which coincidentally makes us perfect race buddies.  We don't want to be stressed about finding a spot or being late.  So we showed up 2 1/2 hours before we started the race.  What we lacked in stress we made up for in frost bite!  It was cold!!!  I even considered hanging in a porta potty to stay warm.  Would I show up later next time?  No, but I would wear fuzzy slippers...and maybe a snuggie. 

We might have been cold but at least we weren't wearing shorts like that random guy behind us.  I wore my last Pepperdine sweatshirt as my throw away.  I'd had that thing since my Junior year of High School.

*Hanging with the tail vehicle- When I signed up for the race I had big dreams and put my finish time as 2 hours (spoiler alert-that didn't happen!).  I was assigned corral 6.  Audrey had never done a half before so she overestimated and put 3 hours (spoiler alert- she was under!!).  She was assigned corral 16.  We found out that I could move back with her and so I did.  Corral 16 was the end of the race and we literally lined up directly next to the tail vehicle!  Even though we started last, I am so glad I moved back so we could start together.

*Great Signs- My first half marathon was the Colfax Marathon.  I don't really remember that many people out with signs.  The weather was really bad that day...and it was on East Colfax so I guess not that many people wanted to hang out with the bums and prostitutes.  But this race had some great signs!  Here are a few that I saw and some that Audrey saw:

• "Worst parade ever"
• "Chuck Norris never ran a marathon"
• "Keep going!!  Keep going!! (That's what she said)"- I half expected to see my brother holding that one.
• "I don't even know you but I am so proud of you"- That was Audrey's favorite
• "Where are you guys going??"
• "That's not sweat, your fat cells are crying"
• "But this seemed like a good idea six months ago"
• "Don't stop-people are watching!"
• "Bike for rent-$50 a mile"
• "Lauren, will you marry me?"- Everyone thought that was cute but I would be so ticked if I was Lauren.  Really guy?  She has been training for this for months and you are totally screwing up her pace!  Hmmm, I am thinking I might not be the most romantic person in the world.
• My favorite signs were the ones that my best friend and her husband Nathan were holding that said, "GO KATIE!!"  We ran right by their house and I knew they would be out to cheer me on.  Knowing I would see them kept me going for 12.5 miles and those signs got me to the finish line with a smile on my face.  There is nothing better in this world than a friend who will sit out in the cold to see you for a few seconds (okay at this point it was probably several seconds).

*A downhill finish with seconds to spare- I knew going into the race that I was not going to make my original goal.  It wasn't going to happen but that is okay because I am pretty sure they are going to have more half marathons.  At some point I will break 2 hours, but I knew it wasn't going to be this race.  I also knew if I tried I would bonk or puke or pass out or my heart would explode.  None of those options sounded good so my revised goal was not to be slower than last time (2:06:16).  As I turned the corner to the downhill finish I glance at my watch-2:05.  My only thought was SPRINT!!!!  I crossed the finish line with an official time of 2:06:13. So basically in 5 months I improved my time by 3 whole seconds.  Hmm, maybe it is time to rethink my training.

*Friends make everything better!  I loved doing this race with Audrey!  It was great to see her come through the gates with her medal!

After the race we went to Susan's house for a post race brunch!  Nothing refuels you after a race like mimosas, waffles, and leftover wedding cake!  Loved it!

Overall, it was a great race.  I am really starting to enjoy the 13.1 distance and I will totally do another one in the future.  As for the present...it is looking like R.I.C.E., swimming, and hobbling.  Good times!

My Fall Baking Spree

I usually don't share recipes on my blog because I am a horrendous cook.  No really, I am not very good at it and I don't enjoy it.  Standing in front of a stove stirring a big pot of...whatever it is people cook, does not fill me with joy.  But baking!  Oh I view baking as a whole other entity.  I love to bake, I always have, and I believe I always will.

There is something about this time of year that really gets me in the baking mood.  Is it the crisp weather?  The vestigial impulse to store food (on my hips) for the winter?  Who knows, but when the temperature dips I turn on the oven, gather my little chefs, and start baking. 

Here are two thing that I made this week.  Neither one is low calorie so enjoy sparingly!

Homemade Granola Bars

My sister found this recipe and made it with my kids.  Since then it has become a family favorite.  Here is a link to the original recipe: here.  I used more peanut butter and only used half the suggested amount of butter.  I also use a whole egg and not just the egg white.  A few pictures of Emmy and me making them. 

Yeah, she is only wearing an apron.  Life has been interesting since she learned to take her clothes off.  Something you fight and some you don't.

A few of the ingredients you will need

Who needs a Kitchen Aid when you have a 2 year old!  I had her rub my feet when she was done with the cooking.

And I have no picture of the finished product!!  But they are really good.  They are even picky eater approved!

Snowy Day Cinnamon Rolls

Kevin's mom has Pavlov-ed me into wanting cinnamon rolls every time it snows.  She used to bring us cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate when it would snow (she did this for Kevin and his sister growing up).  Now I make them and I have Pavlov-ed my kids to want them when it snows.  So this morning when we woke up and saw this out our window:

Okay, it wasn't actually this bad.  It was a light dusting that has now turned to rain.....but in my Southern Californian opinion, any snow is a blizzard.

Mason asked for cinnamon rolls.  The recipe is easy.  Get a box of Biscuit and follow the instructions for biscuits.  Then roll them out:

 Next, spread copious amounts of butter on the dough....then double that amount....and then add some more.  Channel your inner Paula Deen.

 

Repeat the last step with the sugar and cinnamon.

Roll and cut:

Cook and enjoy!

I think I will continue the baking spree with a brownie recipe that Terzah sent me and these recipes from Marissa at Let's Move it Mammas.  They are all more healthy than the ones I posted and they look delicious!!  I am glad this is my last day of tapering.  As much as I enjoy baking, I am looking forward to getting back to burning calories instead of baking them!

Good News/Bad News

Good News- I've been getting carded a lot lately and this makes anyone in their 30's feel good.  Bad News- I think it is because I am breaking out like a 14 year old boy.  Getting zits and getting wrinkles should be mutually exclusive events.

Good News- It looks like I will be taking a trip to Alaska in the next year or two.  I have always wanted to go (in summer!) and it looks like that will be happening!  Bad News- I will be visiting Alaska because my best friend was just offered a job there.  I am so very sad she will be leaving.  If anyone knows of a Denver area hospital in need of a Neonatologist, email me stat so I can keep her here!!!

Hoping to see something like this when I go...but from far away.  I am not wanting to put "mauled by a bear" on my resume.

Good News- I am going to pick up my race stuff today for the Denver Rock n Roll Marathon!  Bad News- The weather forecast is currently showing a rain/ snow mix for Sunday morning.  My last 1/2 marathon was May 15th and there was an identical forecast for that day.  What kind of luck do I have?!  Only in Denver will you have a forecast of snow for a mid May and an early October race.

Good News- Kevin has to put both kids to bed tonight because I will be at the Race Expo!  Bad News- Um, none.  This is just good news...well I guess good news for me!

Good News- I have survived two months of potty training.  Bad news- It has been two months and we are still "potty training" and not "potty trained."  Large reward for anyone who can get my daughter to poop on the potty.   

Good News- The Halloween costumes came in the mail today!!!  Bad news- Emerson's is a little big.

Besides obsessively checking the weather, I am enjoying getting ready to race on Sunday!  It will be my friend Audrey's first half marathon and I am really excited for her.  Good luck to everyone racing this weekend!