A recap of recent times edition

Hello Tuesday!

Where did you come from and how did you get here so quickly? (again)

Being Tuesday it can mean only one thing.

Click here to join in

Regular readers would know that I am a regular participant of IBOT and have been for quite some time. In fact I am #teamIBOT member because I just love IBOT that much. I can't even remember how I first came across it but I am glad I did because when all else fails I always seem to come up with something to blog about on a Tuesday.

Though it is not just about the writing and getting a post out. IBOT is also all about reading and sharing some blogging love as well. Checking out the IBOT posts each week means I am pretty much guaranteed to read some of the best posts of the blogosphere all found in one easy location.

Total win-win I tell you.

But I digress, as much as I love all that is IBOT I hadn't meant to gush about it today. What I meant to do today was alert your attention to some of my recent posts. For whatever reason they seem to have slipped under most readers radars.

City to Surf 2013 Here I Come!

Fast forward to two weeks from today and I can guarantee that I will not be sitting in front of the computer as soon as I get up. Well as long as all goes to plan (touching wood and all that) Last night I entered in the local city to surf fun run. I am beyond excited! Read more

Things I Know About Machines and Being Mother of the Year

It feels like forever since I have shared some things that I know. So rather than tackle the washing or empty the dishwasher I decided the world would be a much better place if everyone knew some of the things that I do. Read more

Behind the Camera (aka Photos of Me)

It is with great pleasure, that for the first time, I am joining in with fellow #TeamIBOT member iSophie's  groovy new linky. This is the second month it has been running for however last month I didn't quite have my act last month so I couldn't participate. This month however I am on fire with having my act together.

Read more

Happy reading! For more great posts make sure you head on over and check out some other IBOTters

City to Surf 2013 Here I Come!

Fast forward to two weeks from today and I can guarantee that I will not be sitting in front of the computer as soon as I get up. Well as long as all goes to plan (touching wood and all that) Last night I entered in the local city to surf fun run. I am beyond excited!

image source

A few days ago a friend asked me if I was interested in doing the 4km section of the run. Which brought my attention to the fact race day was only two short weeks away. Which leaves little room for preparation. Mind you last minute always seems to be my style.

Last year I fleetingly thought about entering a few of the fun runs around town but decided I lacked enough running experience and knowledge (aka confidence) to run amongst others. To ease the guilt I felt at not entering I assured myself that I would make amends this year. 

With over twelve months of running under my belt by that time I was certain I would have the skills and fitness needed.

Hmmmm..... 

Now those twelve months have been and gone I am suddenly faced with the same dilemmas. The cooler weather is on the way and running season is about to start. Actually I think it probably has.

The other week as I trawled through my Instagram feed I was greeted with endless photos of proud runners completing the Mother's Day Classic. As happy as I was for my friends who completed the run, I was disappointed I had no photo to join in with. In fact for a little bit I got quite cross at myself.

There are a whole bunch of excuses as to why I wasn't there. The biggest of which was I couldn't be bothered. Yes I know a terrible thing to admit to, but at the end of the day that is what it all boils down to. It was easier to say oh the logistics are too hard, I won't bother. I haven't been running enough lately, it will all be too hard, I won't bother.

I am currently hanging my head in shame.

Sure my running hasn't been as consistent as what I thought it would have been. Especially in the last few months. It nearly petered out altogether, but it hasn't. And I won't let it. I refuse to. I want to be a runner. I want to say I ran in a race. I don't want to wait another year for that.

As I went to fill out the entry form for the city to surf I discovered that this year marks the 40th year the race has been run. If you entered the main race there was a hat, water bottle and even a medal up for grabs. I then found myself clicking on the 12km rather than 4km. Who wouldn't want a medal?

I am pumped. I am nervous. I am excited. I don't really want to wait the two weeks.

It just so happens I have some lovely new sneakers
and new lenses for my sunnies.

Last night I went for a run to see if I could at least last that distance. It is with great pride I say I did. Sure there was some walking involved but that's ok. It was certainly a lot more running than walking. In fact the ratio was quite surprising.

Overall I don't think my time was too bad, 1:41:32 if you were wondering.

 Not fast by any means and probably considered
slow by many, but I don't care

At least I know I can move for that distance. Even though it is only two weeks away I am sure that there is still time to improve somewhat.

My plan is to stick to 3-5km runs and just solidly build on that. I don't think I will run every day but I will do something every day. Be it riding, water running or swimming. I will just make sure I am extra active. Trying to ensure my body is a strong as possible without sending it into shock or shut down.

Next weekend I will think about 9km run but will wait and see how my body is feeling. I don't want to over do it or anything crazy like that. The most important thing is that I run the whole race, time is irrelevant.

The super best part about all of this is that the race goes right past my back yard so Mr Awesome and the girls will be able to stand on the balcony and cheer me on. We are at about the halfway mark so I imagine by then I will need a bit of an extra boost. They will then be able to hightail it to the finishing line to cheer for me when I get there.

Have I mentioned my excitement?

Are you a runner?

Do you have any hot tips for me?

Things I Know About Machines and Being Mother of the Year

 It feels like forever since I have shared some things that I know. So rather than tackle the washing or empty the dishwasher I decided the world would be a much better place if everyone knew some of the things that I do.

The first thing I know is that I should have made a coffee before I started. I know that I am going to jump and make one hang on a tick...

...sorry if I kept you waiting longer than expected I decided to empty AND restack the dishwasher while my lovely little machine made my coffee. Go me right?

I know I feel better about sitting here in front of the computer knowing that my dishes are on their way to being clean. I am still not ready to let Mr Awesome know that I am secretly in love with the machine I swore black and blue I didn't want in my house. I certainly don't know what I was thinking, denying us all the pleasure that comes with a dishwasher for all those years.

I know that the coffee machine I won last week

along with the beautiful Viva La Body soap, made fantastic Mother's Day presents.

The fact that we don't actually buy Mother's (or Father's) Day presents made winning all the booty even more special. I know that the $5 in tickets I invested, an hour before the raffle was drawn no less, was one of the best investments I have made for a very long time.

I know that when I started this post I had many things that I knew. I guess getting up for coffee, cleaning the kitchen and being interrupted by Miss Three to fast forward through the ads on the taped show she is watching every five minutes is somewhat distracting. (Yep Mother of the Year right here)

I know that Miss Three just constantly melts my heart. When I was in the kitchen she came and asked for a drink. Which as I was standing right next to the water cooler with a cup in reach I was able to do instantly. As I handed her the cup of cold water her little hand rubbed my leg as she told me that I was a good mum. 

Awe bless I thought. 

Followed by crap on the stick!! I must make her wait so long for things sometimes the excitement of getting what she asked for right away was too much to hold in. Sometimes when she asks for a drink and I am at the computer, or other wise preoccupied, but probably at the computer, it may take a couple of requests before I jump up. (Yep told you Mother. Of. The. Year)

I know that it frustrates me no end that Miss Three is unable to get her own drinks of cold water. Despite our best intentions. We have a twenty litre cooler that sits on the bench so the kids can get their own drinks without constantly opening the fridge. Good thinking right?

Apart from the fact that Miss Three is unable to operate the spout on the nozzle. Which is actually good in that she doesn't just go and play with it as she did our old one, but terrible in that now I have to get her a drink all the time. (Totally a first world problem that only a true MOTY would bitch about)

I know that this post has probably gone on for long enough. That and I really should go and see to some of my wifely/motherly duties. I know that the weekend gets off to a much better start when the house does not appear to be the wreckage of disaster zone.

I know that the #BlogEveryDayInMay challenge that I started over at Making Time To Make It Matter was a great idea at the start of the month. I only wish I didn't have to play catch up in the middle of the month 

What do you know? 

Head here and share along

Behind the Camera (aka Photos of Me)

It is with great pleasure, that for the first time, I am joining in with fellow #TeamIBOT member iSophie's  groovy new linky.

This is the second month it has been running for however last month I didn't quite have my act last month so I couldn't participate. This month however I am on fire with having my act together.

Kinda, sorta, at least I have something right?

Though I am wondering if this was really what Sophie had in mind?

Probably not, but I am a bit fond of shadow photos. I am wondering if perhaps it could make for a good coffee table book? Shadows of Me. Or maybe Me and My Shadow. Obviously still all very much a work in progress but then what isn't?

Back to the post at hand though. Photos of me, rather than just of my shadow on some nice rocks.

Yours truly with the ever lovely Samuel
Someone has commented that I look as if all my Christmas'
had come at once. HELLO!! That is Samuel Johnston I am
standing next to darn straight it was beyond awesome!!

Regular readers will recall that back in April I got the opportunity to catch up with Samuel Johnson as he swung by on his unicycle. In case you are not a regular reader and have not heard of him before his sister has been diagnosed with terminal breast cancer and this is his way of sending her off with a bang.

Not only that if all goes to plan Sam will also have raised a million bucks for cancer research and goodness knows how much awareness for the cause. If detected earlier Connie (Sam's sister) would more than likely have received a different diagnosis. Be breast aware and don't fall into a booby trap.

To donate or find out more information about Sam's adventure check out loveyoursister.org 

Me with the One Mob Dancers. 

Still on the Love Your Sister topic, I caught up with the One Mob Dancers who performed for Connie and Sam when they were in town.

I know that I have already post this photo (and the one above for that matter) but just quietly, for me it really was all a pretty big deal. After all it was *swoon* Samuel Johnson. 

Not only that but actually asking these guys if I could have my photo taken with them took a whole heap of courage on my part. There is no doubt that I had my big girl pants on that day. Which by the way felt rather awesome and I was inspired to do all manner of things. Which I may or may not have actually done...

One thing I did do recently was run away to the bush for the weekend. It was just the escape from the drudges of reality that I needed. It turns out it was also the perfect opportunity for others to take a few snaps of my.

Patiently waiting for Miss 3 to adjust her socks

Photo credits for this one go to Miss 12

Me! In all my glory so to speak. This is what two days of camping does for me

And a close up.

A walking we will go.
Though the path doesn't really look very bush like does it now?

Smiling for the camera.

Apparently this was the only photo Mr Awesome could find to post to
Facebook on Mother's Day wishing me a happy day.
Could I look less impressed with the world?

Literally behind the camera.

Hot and sweaty after a run.
Didn't want you to think I was only about glamour shots

So there you have it, a whole bunch of photos of me stepping out from behind the camera. In many ways it feels really lovely to have a bunch of photos of me. Generally speaking I often struggle to appreciate my appearance in photos. Which is strange because looking in the mirror I love what I see much more often than not.

There is still plenty of time for you to set the self timer on your camera or ask the kids or heck even ask a stranger in a park and join on in over at iSophie

Proceed With Caution

Warning: The following post is a result of my need to dump the contents of my brain. Well at least some of it. It may or may not read with much sense. Read on at your on risk.

image from here

I am at that point, which I come to often I must say, where all else must come to a grinding halt and I must write. I can not hold it in any longer. It feels like forever since I made the time to just blindly write. Just purge all thoughts and words that are cluttering my brain. Which is never good for my brain or body. Writing is a lot like running. I need to do both. Often. Running and writing though not at the same time cause running writing is something entirely different.

I wonder if my girls will ever get the thrill of learning running writing? Or will it become obsolete an unused. The demise of english and writing as I once knew it makes me cringe. I wonder how Shakespeare would feel about it?

There was a time when I would read him all the time. Shakespeare that is. That is what school is about. Well it was when I went. Saying that makes me feel old. Really old.

I struggle some days with this whole age thing. How old one is, as opposed to how old they actually feel/look, combined with the appropriate levels of experience for said age. I am sure that by this age my life was meant to have equated to more, yet at the same time that is not to say I am unhappy with my lot.

Actually I struggle with lots of things most days.

Today I struggled to take the child to school and stop at the shops to get supplies for dinner. I cancelled a library play date, that wasn't really a play date so much as me looking after a friend's child while she had a job interview. Nothing that can't be done here really. Which is what is now happening.

It is that time of month, (you're welcome, I know you a pleased to know that, sleep easy tonight now won't you?), the last thing I feel like doing is siting on the library floor playing with two three year olds. Much better they come here and amuse themselves whilst I lay on the couch feeling sorry for myself and the curses of womanhood.

Which reminds me, I really should check in with Miss 12 about the whole period thing... I certainly struggle to think that I have a daughter tinkering on the precipice of entering the passage way all that is womanly. Surely that is still years away isn't? It certainly feels like it should be years away.

On the upside I think I have just about finished a post to young girls of the world regarding the subject. Or at least in my head I have had some good ideas about said post. Sadly my ideas don'e always come to fruition. I can think of at least a dozen instances where I have promised a post that never eventuated. Sigh. One day.

Sometimes my list of post possibilities is so long I get overwhelmed and don't know where to start. So I end up with a garbled jumbled mess like this. Though experience has taught me that some days I just need to get this nonsensical stuff out so there is room for my brain to organise what is left.

Generally though by the time I have sorted it all out, the time for writing has come to an end. I am sent crashing back to the reality of being a mother with the cries of children in need of whatever it is they don't have.

For now though I have at least sorted through a few of the jumbled thoughts that are currently plaguing my internal air waves so I guess I should tend to some of the many other neglected areas of my life. You know like the dishes or the mopping or something equally exciting. Though not the washing. Today is a washing free day on account of me dedicating the start of the week to it.

Oh the joys.