Running Tips 4

Exercise 1

Exercise 2

Exercise 3

Exercise 4

Toe Curls--toss a wash cloth onto the floor. Use your toes to pull it toward you and bunch it up. This strengthens your foot muscles.

We did a 10-miler yesterday and lived to tell about it! Three more miles on top of that? No problem! Five more weeks to race day.

Expelled

Papa Runner & I saw the movie Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed tonight. It was a bit quirky but very good in the presentation of facts. Definitely worth seeing.

Heaven in the Eyes of Smartie

Smartie--Mommy, someday Jesus is going to come get us and take us to Heaven.
Me--That's right. What do you think Heaven will be like?
Smartie--There will be lots of yummy food there. Like popcorn! I'll get to eat popcorn all the time!
Me--Sounds yummy.
Smartie--And I'll get to play with stickers, and there will be a big tree house in the back yard, and it'll be SO COOL!
Me--That sounds like fun!
Smartie--And the best part is we won't have to pretend, because it's all REAL!

Oh, to have a child's faith!



And now, an update on the ear situation. We saw Dr. R today, and you'll never guess what we found out. Her tube is in place and completely fine! A month ago, it appeared (to me) to be protruding and sideways, but apparently this type of tube is flexible and can move a bit without causing any harm. I don't know why the Prompt Care doctor didn't realize it was still in place, and I wonder if she even really had an ear infection last week. So no surgery! YAY!

Running Tips 3

Exercise 1

Exercise 2

Exercise 3
While seated, lift your leg straight out and flex your ankle, pointing your toes back toward you. Hold for as long as you can, then switch legs. This strenghtens the muscles that stabilize your knee.

Six more weeks until race day!

Some interesting stats

Well, interesting to me, anyway.

I average around 35 visitors per day. Several stay for more than an hour. I've only been found through Google twice.

Some of the visitors to my blog include people from Middletown, NY; Mt Laurel, NJ; Greenville, SC; Dixon, IL; Gainsville, FL; Canton, MI; Hartford, CT; Towanda, PA; Rochester, MN; Washington, DC; Dehra Dun Uttaranchal, India; Dallas, TX; Sulpher, OK; Chicago, IL; Glenview, IL; Rantoul, IL; Hollywood, FL; Owosso, MI; Schaumberg, IL; and Zurich, Switzerland.

I know or suspect who a few of these are, but most of them I haven't the slightest idea who they could be. Some of them are one-time visitors, some visit several times a day. And yet I hardly ever get comments! So, take a moment to introduce yourself. I'd love to find out how you found my blog.

Running Tips 2

Exercise one

Exercise two:
While seated, rest one ankle on the other knee and "write" the alphabet with your foot. Repeat with other foot. This strengthens the calf which in turn stabilizes the ankle and knee.

First Potty Learning Attempt

Sweetie has been obsessed with pretending to go potty for the last two weeks. She tells me she has to go, which usually means she has just gone, and she sits on her potty chair for a few minutes before getting a clean diaper. After walking into the bathroom the other day and finding this:



I thought it might be time to make a training attempt. Sweetie spent Friday morning naked in the bathroom with her cup-cup, pretzels, a stack of books, and the potty chair. After three pees on the floor, I caught her starting to poop. I put her on the chair, and she did her business. Success, I thought. Then she stood up and saw what she had made. She completely freaked out, right away asking for her diaper. I don't intend to push her, so it's back to diapers for us.

Then tonight as we were getting ready for bath, she told me she had to go potty. She sat for 5 minutes and all attempts to get her into the tub were met with an emphatic no. And then...she made tinkles! We may get this done yet!