A race director who doesn't run

One of the main reasons that we made the giant move across country 3+ years ago was so that I didn't have to work. And this is an amazing thing - I realize that it's a treat that doesn't come cheap, and certainly is full of positive and negative moments.

     Now those of you who know me realize that I don't sit still very much. I also really suck at saying "no" to anyone. So, it didn't take me very long to get sucked into the world of community service and volunteering. And boy, is it easy to fill up any second you think might be available with work that doesn't actually result in a paycheck.

     Don't get me wrong - I love all the activities I'm involved in. But some of them have become rather all consuming lately. Like this race I'm now planning...

     Something you might want to know about me - I am not a runner. I have never liked running and the few times I've allowed friends to cajole me into trying it out have resulted in a lot of pain, shortness of breath, and a great deal of embarrassment. I can remember disliking running back in kindergarten. So it's not a new thing, and it's not a fitness thing either; even at my most fit and very dedicated gym rat days, I was into spin class and not into running.

     So I find it somewhat ironic that I have now found myself the Race Director for a youth race. It is being put on by our neighborhood pool club, and we've teamed up with the Land Trust of North Alabama (who own the cross country trails property directly adjacent to the pool property). It's going to be a trail run and a swim for kids 5 years and up.

Sounds very cool, right? But again, this is me - I know nothing about competing in a race. I've never run one, I've never even been to the finish line area of one larger than a 5K. So this is ALL new to me. And I'm learning A LOT. It's fun, and stressful, but thankfully so far everyone has been super helpful and friendly in giving me advice. So we're setting up registration, lining up sponsors, and even got a little bit of press this week. Check it out here at Our Valley Events: http://ourvalleyevents.com/huntsville-kids-races-2014/

     And I think that just maybe, I'm doing ok with all the planning and it will turn out to be an amazing success. Just maybe. Yes, I'm crossing my fingers, toes, and anything else I can cross. Wish me luck! Oh, and if you're free that day, why don't you come help? I'm positive I could use it.

What's this white stuff?

Man is it cold! When they start adding that funny little minus sign to the front of the temperature, I officially step out of my comfort zone. I love snow, but I don't think I could live in the Midwest where it gets so cold that it's a hazard to go outside at all. Craziness.

     As it is, we've had several days this year where's it's been cold enough to delay schools. Like today... Although today we have some of that fun white stuff coming down, which makes it feel both colder and more bearable at the same time.

     And it is fun to see how excited my girls get to see the snow. Yes, it has snowed before, but not in quite a while, and I don't think either can really remember seeing the snow before. So my toddler took the chance to run outside and stomp around in the dusting of snow we got. Too bad we didn't get more, but I am still holding out a chance we might get some tonight.

     Because seriously, it's supposed to get down into the single digits. With that kind of cold and a sky full of clouds, it's just mean to get no snow.

25 pounds of flour

Most families find that buying in bulk becomes a necessity. You don't want to go to the store every day, so you inevitably start buying some things in bulk. Well, I buy flour in bulk. The little 5lbs bags at the grocery store just don't last more than a little while, and when you add it all up, it gets expensive. So off to Costco we go.

     I buy my flour in 25lbs bags. Yes, my family thinks I'm crazy. When the extended family came for Thanksgiving back in 2012, they looked at me cross-eyed when I pulled out the giant bag. And true, it did take us a couple of months to go through it all, but it beat having it permanently on the grocery list. And now, we're going through it even faster!

     What do I make with all this flour? Sadly, I'm a homemade kinda gal. I never actually think of myself as a purist, but I did grow up with parents who liked to cook, and a father who taught me that store-bought pie crust was the ultimate cheat and never ever ever to be done. So I make my own pie crust. And I've started making my own cupcakes and cakes (instead of out of a box) since it really isn't as hard as I thought it would be. And we make homemade pizza all the time. 

     Really that's probably where most of the flour consumption lies. Each time we have pizza (which is probably once every 2 weeks or so) it takes about 5 cups of flour. But it's so much cheaper than getting delivery, and a lot easier to make than having to remember to buy a pizza crust at the store. And no, I don't make my own because of trying to eat better or healthier. If that happens, it's a happy accident. I do it out of convenience in a weird backwards sort of way.

     Very recently I've started making sourdough bread. I absolutely love sourdough bread, and it's just not a thing around here. Sure you can find it, but there'll be maybe one loaf in the bakery and it's pushing $4 a loaf. So now that I've figured out how to make my own, I'm saving money and eating a lot more delicious toast. Yum. And there goes more flour.

     Not to mention that last week I made chicken pot pie. And yes, the crust was from scratch - more flour! and the pie turned out really yummy and not too tough to make. So I think it'll become another "semi-regular" dish. 

And one more thing - for Christmas I got a pasta machine, so I'm going to try my hand at homemade pasta. Yum... let's hope it's as easy as everyone says it is.

And that is how a family of 3 eaters and a baby go through 25lbs of flour in not all that much time. Crazy, I know.

Happy is a hole

Today is a teaser of springtime. It is in the low 60s outside and blue sky that always makes me think of the lyrics to "Sweet Home Alabama." Just beautiful, and therefore we are all spending the day outdoors. It helps that D gets the day off, and is smoking a brisket out back. So we all traipse outdoors to be with him and soak up the sunshine while we can. Especially since it's supposed to drop into the 20s tomorrow.

     And the little E is in love with outside. Granted that might be because she can't remember getting to be outside before. But it's so much fun to watch her explore and discover the world. Like this hole in the patio.

     I'm not sure what it is about this hole in the patio, but she is fascinated. She spent several long minutes today exploring it, poking at it, and finally determining that it must be edible, because she tried to eat it. And not just once like she was testing it out, but she tried several times to eat it, or lick it, or at least slobber all over it.

     So for all of you, I hope that you find something today that entertains you and holds your attention as much as this hole did for my little E. Happy hole hunting!

Back in the saddle again

Well, as you've probably heard, I've started a new blog. Mostly because my schizophrenic self had problems focusing on this blog. It is kinda all over the place, so it made it tough to know what to write about. After all, my life is not all that interesting. What do we do most days? Play with play-doh, try to use the potty, change some baby diapers, run errands, pull hair out while working on nap time for both kids, figure out what to make for dinner, do dishes, make laundry, bed time, and then repeat! It's kinda repetitive, exhausting, and not all that much to write about amazing enough.

But, I feel bad for my first, oldest, neglected blog. So I will try. Probably not with the frequency of my potty blog, but I will work on posting here more than I have. Besides, there's got to be something in my life besides diapers, right? I sure hope so....