Sunday, April 28, 2013

13.1 Miles to reflect on how shallow I am

I did my first half marathon on Sunday on my old college campus in 2 hours 7 minutes and 34 seconds of rain. My uncle talked me into signing up and Matt encouraged me and made me believe I could actually do it....I complained and said I was burning my running shoes in the middle of campus when I finished. My uncle and Matt are veterans of the long distance race and said just you wait, you'll finish and catch the running bug. I told them if by running bug you mean sit on my couch and drink while you run, done. I ate those words. I'm ready to sign up for another race where I stick to my training better and run faster. I'm officially insane. I teared up during the race and finally felt the elusive running high.....it did not happen on the hills that felt like Mt. Everest, I still hated running then.

I also learned how shallow I was. I never thought I could be a runner since I didn't look the part....little did I know they come in all shapes & sizes. I saw this woman that was the epitome of the runner I envisioned. She had the outfit, toned tan arms, perfectly highlighted beach wave hair and she didn't even jiggle when she ran. I thought, ok, keep up with Malibu Barbie & you got this. Turns out I blew by her at mile 6 & used a gentleman twice my age as a pacer.

I may not have the workout capris or tan..more of a super red I'm dying face....but I'm a runner dang it & now I have the medal to prove it.

Thank you Uncle T for talking me into it and coming to Toledo to run with me. Thank you Matt for helping me believe in myself. And thank you aunt Susie for being our cheerleader even though it was freezing.

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Please send coffee, movies & a psychiatrist stat

103.3...the highest fever Zach has ever had. Daycare called me and I thought she misspoke, but no, little guy was sick. I immediately panicked and called my mom at work like any good almost 30 year old would....in my defense she is a nurse & I knew I was probably overreacting. Apparently the world does not stop when your baby has such a high fever. You just go see your doctor and everyone is so calm...except for me of course. I was sure he got the Ebola virus or Polio from daycare. Yes, I do realize I need psychiatric help or else I'm going to be that mom who still makes her kid hold her hand when he's 20.

Moving on from my mental issues....Zach just has a virus that has been going around. The good thing is no weird fluids from either end thank you Jesus. He will just have 103-104 fever for a few days & we treat it with Tylenol and Motrin. Just typing 103-104 made me stop & stare at Zach since I was sure he was going to have a seizure...a sure sign to make a therapy appointment ASAP.

I've learned a few things in 24 hours of sickness. We do not have enough Disney movies. After Tylenol Zach is just blah & crabby & if I watch the same Bob the Builder video one more time I'm going to start heckling them....can they fix it? No because you're a talking cement mixer that gets into as much trouble as that little bastard Curious George.

I've also learned Motrin makes Zach hyper, but he will crash hard for a short time. It's an endless 4 hour cycle of events. I just wish we didn't have to start the cycle at 4am. Between being at the hospital last weekend with my sister & Zach being up all hours I've had more coffee in a week than the rest of the war combined. I'm sure that will work out well for me at the half marathon I'm supposed to run this weekend.

Send coffee, Disney movies, and a psychiatrist stat. You'll find me by listening to the woman alternating yelling at cartoons and calling the center for disease control.



Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Road Trip


I have been MIA due to an impromptu road trip this weekend.  I took a last minute trip with my mom to Atlanta to see my sister.  I would like to say it's because me and my mom are awesomely spontaneous and decided we needed warmer weather and cocktails, but we're not that cool and I have way too many control issues to travel last minute.  How would I plan all my outfits, travel time, activities, etc if I travel last minute?  It would be insanity.

My sister found out she needed gallbladder removed late Thursday night, so away we went to nurse her back to health/stare at her creepily for hours in the hospital.  They were concerned about gallstones that may have traveled to other parts of her body, so she had to stay the night at the hospital and was super thrilled about that.  There were no stones elsewhere and she is doing well.  The worst pain we saw her in was not from the surgery, it was from the air/gas in her body from the surgery.....if you've had surgery like that you're like oh yeah, if not you think I'm crazy.  I promise they are not lying when they tell you to walk around and expel gas anyway possible.  Listen to them and get those trucker burps out asap.

The fam...from the right- my gallbladder-less sister, mom, younger brother, older brother & myself in Mexico last December.  The most recent picture I have actually uploaded of me, my mom, and sister all together.

Matt took my last minute departure in stride and I've decided he is better at the whole staying home thing.  They went shopping, played outside, played with play doh that Matt made....He is pretty much Matt Stewart, Martha Stewart has nothing on him.  He did send me a text I will print and keep forever.  He was just gone 2 weeks for work and texted me 'I don't know how you did this for 2 weeks'.  He has a self admitted, new appreciation for me and how hectic it is around here with the dogs and a toddler.  It's nice to be missed, but he screwed himself by doing such a good job and I'm currently in the works of planning a girls weekend on a beach with lots of drinks.

Crazy loving the home made play doh...clearly missing me lots

The next girls weekend will be minus one gallbladder, but plus lots of drinks, sun, and sand.  Matt better start planning his crafts now to keep the crazy toddler busy.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Puppy Love

Zach has decided that he now likes puppy Maggie. He chases he around laughing and yelling puppy. He also kept trying to kiss her and help her chase her tail. I was really impressed when he fed her a chicken nugget and then a crayon and then a banana....puppy's sure to barf soon from all the love. I think Maggie liked it better when Zach ran away from her.



Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Boston

I was going to do a running post today, but I think I'll leave it at this....our thoughts and prayers go out to all of those in Boston. We are signed up for a half marathon in less than 2 weeks and we are indeed still running it. We'll run it and be thankful we can when some will never run again.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Stripper in training

Zach is practicing his moves to become the next Magic Mike, or stripper for those not well versed in romantic comedies/Channing Tatum obsessed. He constantly tries to take his shirt off and has discovered how to undo his diaper.

We assumed playing with his diaper tabs was him just exploring, but a few events make us wonder...

I was giving him a bath and as soon as I got him partly dry he ran out into the living room naked, peed on the carpet, and laughed hysterically. The puppy is now housebroken, but apparently Zach is not.

We picked Zach up from daycare and he was wearing different pants. Turns out his other pants were soaked through since at some point during the morning he managed to unsnap his diaper and pull it down into his pants.

We're oh so proud.

Monday, April 8, 2013

Thank God for my husband

Sometimes I'm hard on my husband...shocking, I know. I give him a hard time for not taking out the garbage or never cooking even though he claims to love it. He asked how he could help last month and I told him cleaning the bathroom would be a great help....he asked me how....that day I really gave him a hard time. I mean I've seen the man clean a bathroom, did he just forget since I always do it?

Anyway...

I take it all back. Matt was gone for 2 weeks on a business trip and I'm sorry I ever gave him a hard time about anything. He is the most helpful husband & wonderful father around, it just took him leaving for me to remember that.

The debate people have on who works harder/haves it tougher stay at home or working mothers is a joke. Clearly single and military parents are saints. You people deserve credit for making it through the day everyday. You are way stronger than this lowly housewife.

In summary, my husband is the bees knees and I will remember the longest 2 weeks of my life when I want to strangle him when he asks how to clean out the fridge.



Friday, April 5, 2013

Tis the Season

Tis the season....not baseball season....greenhouse season!

This will be my 5th full time season at the greenhouse.  I have said it before and I will say it again, I love this job.  As much as I love this job it's bittersweet to know this will be my last season.  We are responsible for up to 24,000 tomato and vegetable trays, each tray has anywhere from 200-338 cells/seeds.....that is a heck of a lot of vegetable plants.  While it would not be impossible to be a successful greenhouse owner and have a family, it would be very very difficult.  Just this week the daycare called and I had to pick up my son early.  Matt was out of town, my mom and other family members were working, and Zach was sick so I had to go.  If this call came in May when it's warm and I'm the only one there to care for plants there is a chance I could kill off a greenhouse.  There would be far too many instances where I would pick my family over the farm and I would not be able to keep the quality of plants we do now.  It was a tough decision, but I know it was the right decision. 

Working hard for the money
To celebrate my upcoming retirement from the greenhouse business here are some of the most important lessons I've learned:
  1. Close your mouth when you work on something over your head.
  2. Always unplug something before you work on it, you will get shocked.
  3. It is ok to swear on the farm, but not in front of customers or at employees.  It is encouraged to swear at machinery that isn't working correctly or when you hurt yourself (both events happen daily, sometimes simultaneously).
  4. Fake it til you make it....always give it a shot before you ask for help...unless you're working with electricity (I was clearly shocked more than once).
  5. Write everything down...dates, details, lists, houses that are more likely to shock you, etc.
  6. Don't listen to the haters.  Everyone thought I was crazy for quitting my job to farm.  I have 2 college degrees I was putting on hold to follow my dreams and my heart down on the farm.  People talked, but I was the happiest I have ever been so it didn't bother me.  Be happy with yourself and be able to make fun of yourself...just be you.
Zach helping me figure out numbers last year
My 'lil mater' last year...he is huge now & I miss my short hair

I have learned so much more, but those are some universal rules anyone can apply.  You laugh now at the one about closing your mouth when working on something overhead, but I promise one mouthful of rust or metal shavings and you will never forget again.  He doesn't read this, but thank you to the best boss ever for teaching me about more than greenhouses.  I learned more about life and myself than I learned about tomatoes.  Thank you for taking a chance on me and I hope I made you proud.  I'm sorry I can't be the one to carry on the legacy....I'll write this in a card and give it to the boss man before the season is over.  



So, you probably still don't know what I do at the farm except shock myself.  That many plants are harder to grow than you may think but I wouldn't trade any of the blood, sweat, and even tears (lots and lots of tears during the pregnancy season) for the world.  I am also looking for a new life plan and open to suggestions :)



Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Man vs Machine

We are not technologically advanced here. We don't have cable or wi fi or an iPad. I have a Nook and finally downloaded some apps for Zach and now I understand why the toddler app market is such a money maker....thank the lord for the cow game so I can shower and actually clean something without 'help'.

Zach is shockingly good at working my iPhone. If its sitting in arms reach he takes it and can open it up an get into everything. This includes checking texts and calling people I recently found out.

The time came where Zach met a machine that bested him. Over Easter weekend I was at my moms house with the little man. I heard a cry from the kids/toy room and started heading that way. My sister stopped me and said she would check it out. It wasn't a hurt scream, just an I'm annoyed cry. Turns out Zach pushed a plastic tub if barbies over to the entertainment center to use as a step so he could put his hand in the VCR....and his hand got stuck. Mother of the year right here who let her toddler stick his hand in a VCR. He was panicked enough I don't think he'll make that mistake again. VCR-1 , Zach-0