Sunday, May 13, 2012

Ups and Downs of Mother’s Day (with video!)

I’m not going to lie, Mother’s Day started out crappy. I really wanted to run, and run I did. But, it was easily one of the WORST runs I’ve had in a long time. I am still not sure what happened. Over the course of seven miles I managed to:

  • Have a sore back
  • Have a sore foot
  • Be more tired than I should have been
  • Have to poop
  • Have Ken guard while I hid in the trees

The good news was that my actual injuries didn’t start hurting until mile six, and the pain was minimal. It was simply one of those runs where you are not  in the zone, everything hurts and it feels very, very long probably because you stop 14 times for various reasons. I came home and had a huge cup of coffee and a gigantic donut (screw post-run protein, it’s Mother’s Day), but my spirits were still kind of in the gutter.

We went to the baseball fields to watch Sam’s team lose.  I immensely enjoyed a HUGE screaming match between two grown men. The cops were even called and I’m not kidding. Why are kid’s athletics the scene of so much angst for parents?

Emma asked how my Mother’s Day was. I said, “Not so good so far, but it’s not your fault.” I was just trying to be honest.

Then it turned around when I came home and got this:

Lame video, but you get the picture. I have been wanting this fountain for several months. Few things make me happier than sitting with friends or family on our back deck, looking at the gorgeous Rocky Mountains, having a good meal, drinking a fine glass of wine and listening to the gentle sounds of a fountain. Even though it makes me have to continuously pee, I still love it.

I also got this and there is no reason to tell you how much it brightened my day:

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Yeah it’s okay if he brings down the house with his fart, but I get judged for mine.
Betty Sue is our Guinea pig, btw.

There was also Almond Roca and chocolate with sea salt, so this day was turning the eff around in a big way.

We went out for lunch and I was slightly disturbed at the ASLEEP (or drunk?) person driving beside us. In this picture, she is not at a stop light, she is driving about 50 mph. This cannot be safe.

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At the risk of sounding sappy and like I’m lying, our little family is perfection. I ate a wonderful pizza salad and drank a glass of wine.

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On our drive home from lunch, Emma pointed out what a tough day this must be for Sherry’s family, especially her children. Truer words were never spoken. My heart goes out to them with the enormous loss they feel everyday, but especially today.

My life is amazing. It’s all good. Seven mile run from hell is a distant memory.

Tonight I get to celebrate with my own mom. It’s hard to know how to thank a mom for 45 years of devotion, caring and worry on your behalf. If I am even kind of a decent mom, it is because of what she has taught me.

What’s the best part of your Mother’s Day?

Ever try a salad pizza? I was a salad pizza virgin until today, but I will be back for seconds.

Ever deal with uptight/rageful/tantruming parents at sporting events? I have to say that our team’s parents are pretty well behaved. This is probably the worse incident in several years.

Have you fallen asleep while driving? No, not even close. I actually have nightmares about this happening.

SUAR

32 comments:

  1. Well, not off to a good start but definitely great in the middle and I bet tonight will be equally great.

    I'd love to come and sit on your deck and drink a glass of wine with you while glazing at the fountain. Great gift!!

    Happy special day to you, Bethie!!

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  2. Fountain is an awesome gift, but I really like your son's poem a lot!!! Enjoy Mother's Day, and forget about today's run. It's like golf, you can't let a bad stroke get to you. It is what it is.

    My daughter is the best part of Mother's Day, b/c I didn't know if I could ever be a mama, and didn't know that being a mama was THAT awesome.

    That salad pizza looks awesome...I'll see if I can get my hubby to do it one of these days, don't think there's anything like that here.

    I've heard of screaming parents in the news but never witnessed any as my daughter isn't into sporting events. I have however heard my hubby swore during the NHL playoffs.

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  3. That poem killed me! My stomach hurt reading it. That is such a great Mother's Day gift!!

    The woman driving?!? .......stupid and scary.

    Sorry your run sucked....that means you get to drown your bad run self in Mother's Day celebration wine. Have a great time!

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  4. Have to say you've got some pretty cool kids there. Like the poem.

    Remember, a bad run is still better than a bad case of the runs. So you've got that going for you .... which is good.

    Happy Mother's Day. If you can get the fountain to run with a steady stream of wine you may never need to leave the deck again.

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  5. Love the poem - and your video is awesome. You have a very nice voice! Happy Mother's Day1

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  6. Loved your video.
    Best part of my day was a 90K ride.
    Salad pizza looks awesome! I would totally chow down on that.

    Yes, I've fallen asleep driving. I used to have a shift work job. Scared the crap out myself a couple times. The final touch was coming home one morning, and I stopped to watch them putting together a balloon. I fell asleep, and woke up about 11. Linda was nearly hysterical when I got home. This was before cell phones. Shortly after that I changed jobs. Sleep patterns are still messed up many years later. Don't let Sam or Emma do a shift work job.

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  7. I had to go into work this morning for a few hours to see 2 newborns, but really, is that so bad? These women got to celebrate Mother's Day with a new baby! Then I went for a fabulous 20 mile bike ride today..by myself! It was perfect today, 70 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. And I didn't get yelled at by one motorist today. Ok, so it wasn't a run, but I'll take it. This afternoon I spent with my parents and my sister and her family. Truly, the perfect Mother's Day. So glad I get to celebrate it, as a mom and a daughter!

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  8. The best part for me, aside from receiving home made gifts, including one wrapped in a paper towel found in a forest preserve (reuse, Mom!) was my first and longest solo run since January. Out of PT now and clear to run, I had a great run. Sorry yours wasn't so great! Tomorrow is another day!

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  9. I love the poem from your son! That's awesome! The salad pizza looks good - never tried one before but I need to! Yummy!

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  10. I love your son's poem! The salad pizza looks amazing! Going to have to try one! Yummy!

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  11. I don't have kids, but sometimes I go to kids' tee ball games and scream at random parents just for fun.

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  12. well, glad your day turned out so good in the long run;)!!! Your kids sound incredibly sensitive and in-tune! love it. That poem was great!

    Yes! Just made a killer taco salad pizza w/ homemade whole wheat dough the other night! it was OFF the chain!

    Yes, have fallen asleep while driving!! Thank GOD the guy in the next lane honked and woke me up. It was the last night i was crazy in my 20's going clubbing all night alone. Whew! (so stupid!!!)

    wish you had a video of the screaming match! i woulda loved to see that too!

    Get yourself some depends and enjoy that fountain, Girl!!

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  13. Omg haha, love that poem, I'd frame it and keep it forever (I'm sure it'll be fun to look back on 20 years from now).

    I am an avid runner and a Master's Student in Nutrition- I also have a fitness/nutrition blog and am inviting mothers to comment on the “Healthy Moms, Healthy Kids” post in honor of Mother’s day! I’d love to hear what lessons your mother or other special lady in your life taught you about health and happiness!


    If you're interested in seeing the post or just look around the blog, head on over here: http://luckythirteenone.blogspot.com/

    As always, thanks for what you do- you’re awesome at it! Happy Mother's day!

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  14. Love pizza salad but it always makes me feel guilty. Combining all the food in meal onto one plate makes me feel like a culinary failure. But it's so good!

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  15. I looks like you had a pretty awesome Mother's Day :)

    Love Sam's poem... and LOVE Emma's sensitivity. You have good kids, SUAR. And you are a great mom.

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  16. surprise video moment...I really thought you looked like you would have a deep voice...the bada$$ kind of voice letting people know you fart and are proud of it...but Oh, you sound so sweet. ;-)

    HAHAHA!

    I had an up and down kind of day too but all in all it ended really well...just like any holiday some times there is too much expectations involved and the hype..whatever...It really should just be a day the kids will TRY TO BE BETTER and not argue and a DAY that mom MAY get her way ...ha!

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  17. My day started off with a crappy run too. I had put way too much expectation on it. I have never tried salad pizza, but that looks amazing!! I am terrified of falling asleep while driving! In January my 7 yr old and I drove to CO to ski. On the way back, we skied all day and then I drove back. I was stuffing my face with Starbucks Doubleshot and lots of candy and crunchy snacks to make sure I wouldn't fall asleep.

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  18. I'm glad your day improved! I know the kind of run you describe, I've had them too. They can be really terrible. Luckily things can only get better when you have a run like that.

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  19. Never had a salad pizza - it's just not acceptable pizza in this part of the country - ya' know where everyone claims that Hoffa is buried in their backyard! Best part of Mother's Day: Watching everyone I invited (especially the Mom's) sit around - eat, drink, talk, relax and enjoy family - knowing I made it all possible.

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  20. If you put 18 kids on a field with bats and balls, they would figure things out all by themselves. Everybody would end up playing where they fit in, and they would have fun........and then we throw a few parents in and screw it all up. It is unfortunate that these things happen...and worse for the kids to see it.

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  21. Sorry it was a rough start, but so pleased that your totally awesome family made it all turn around. Many prayers for those who no longer have their mothers with them to celebrate.

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  22. Happy Mother's Day! It is nice to have epiphanies about how great your own life has turned out :)

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  23. What a great Mother's Day (except for the run)! I love fountains, too, and you have a couple of sweet kids. We celebrated Mother's Day on Saturday by previewing the rough cut of a video honoring my mom who passed away 7 years ago, running a 10K to raise money for people battling breast cancer, then spending the afternoon with our daughter, son-in-law and grandson and going to a concert in the evening. The day did not start well for me either (lost my ticket for a post-race pancake breakfast, then we got a speeding ticket on the way to the race), but all in all it was a good day. Mother's Day itself was quiet but nice.

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  24. What a great gift, I love listening to the sounds of a fountain. That salad pizza looks really good. Looks like your mother's day turned out pretty awesome.

    Yes, I have seen parents become overly involved in a sporting event, that is supposed to be fun and a learning experience for them.

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  25. Sounds iike you had a better mothers day than me, at least you got to go for a run! :)

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  26. No knockdown fights or screaming matches between parents ever happened at my sporting events growing up...at least that I can recall. A lot of annoying, passive aggressive, behind the back gossiping between parents though, that's for sure.

    I think the issue is that parents are too invested in their kids lives and personally feel all of their children's failures and successes as if they are their own. If parents did things for themselves, had their own hobbies, own sports, something to be involved with and competitive with that doesn't involve their children it might tone down the crazy fights that happen at little league and such.

    But, I'm not a parent so maybe I am way out of line saying that. Whatever.

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  27. speaking of a-hole parents...
    this is from my blog about the Eugene Marathon:

    At six miles, I see the worst thing I've ever seen in a race. Dad and his son (9 or 10 yrs old), running together in Vibrams, the son's feet slapping the asphalt hard while they run at 8 min pace, and the son is wheezing, groaning, near tears, and literally staggering. I hear Dad yell, "DON'T MAKE ME SLOW DOWN."

    Vile. Just vile. There's a kid who's quitting the sport tomorrow, although any activity with dear old Dad is bound to be horrible.

    (more at www.thetrackhack.blogspot.com)

    Mean people suck.

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  28. When I was a softball umpire, I had to throw out the coaches of two teams. It was awful, but really it was necessary. I was in high school and the girls playing were 12U. Its easy to get hyped up over games. At least they actually care enough to be involved... even if they do go overboard.

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  29. We got to witness an actual fistfight between two dads at my son's club basketball game last weekend. The one dads kid had been thrown out for cussing at the ref, and his parents were mad at the ref, (of course), so a dad from our team made some comment about how he should be thrown out and the other dad launched himself at him and started throwing punches. I can't believe no one got it on vid. Anyway, we've had our kid's in competitive sports for 12 years now and it seems to be getting worse.
    Glad your mothers day improved!!

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