Hooked on a Feeling

So let me preface this post by saying I'm not a runner. I'm not any sort of athlete, come to think of it. I'm woefully uncoordinated and unathletic, and I have no desire to push myself physically (or mentally for that matter). I did not play sports in high school or in any organized capacity whatsoever. I did run a 5K in law school, but that was mainly because my friends and I though the dean was kinda cute and it was a "run with the dean" event. We did not train and by the time we finished the 5K, everyone was already packed up and at the bar at the post-race bar event. Come to think of it, that may have been another reason we ran the race--we loved the bar! So anyway, recently some friends of mine decided that we should start running. It started with the idea to run a 10-mile race in May, but that didn't work out for many reasons. The plan somehow morphed into running a half marathon this fall, the rationale being we could train all summer. I didn't plan on running the half marathon because I'm not a runner--have I mentioned that? But I thought this would be a good opportunity to give running another shot. So I started running a bit this summer--a few miles a couple days a week. And I have to say that even though I hate every stinking second that I'm doing it, I feel good afterward. Plus, some friends and I ran a race last weekend--2 of us did a 5K and the others did a 10K, and I have to admit, being timed and racing against others was such a rush. I did better than my target time, but I know I can run faster--I think I'm hooked. I have the running bug and am scoping out some races and even thinking of doing that half marathon. Or maybe this is just the endorphins talking.

I love Minesweeper!

So it seems like one of the big things for kids today is a little stuffed animal called a Webkinz. But it's not just a stuffed toy--it's a key to a whole online world. The premise is that you buy this thing and then play with it in a virtual world--you need to earn $ to buy food and furniture to keep the pet happy, and you do that by playing games and working jobs. You need to play with the pet and take it to the vet as necessary. H has been bugging me for one, so at last, I succumbed. She got the darn thing yesterday and promptly spent the next 2 hours online. She would have been on the computer longer, if I hadn't kicked her off. No, not because it was bedtime or because she needed to spend time doing something more productive. I kicked her off because one of the games on the site was like Minesweeper! Yes, that Minesweeper that used to come installed on all new PCs (along with Solitaire). I used to play those so much in law school that I developed fungal infections on my thumb. Nice. Anyway, the Minesweeper version for Webkinz is sweeping for skunks, and yesterday, you were able to earn bonus points on the game. So of course I altruistically offered to earn as many points (which translate to Webkinz $) for H by playing the game. It's harder than I remembered, and whereas in the original Minesweeper, you could clear whole swaths with one button, this game generally cleared one by one, which was maddeningly slow. I had to pry myself away from the computer. H decided it was a good game to learn math, though I think it's really more logic and problem solving, and I think it's a little out of her reach for now. T loves Webkinz too, but since he just got loaded with birthday junk, he'll have to wait a bit. Oh wait, H has been loaded with pre-birthday junk, so maybe it's only fair that I get him one soon. Have we already had the "Mommy = Chump" post?

Cheesy Summer Fun

And no, I'm not talking about fondue or Cheetos. I'm talking about the cheesetastic glory of The Singing Bee. What, you're surprised that I found another bad reality TV show to become a giant time-suck? I don't know what my favorite part was: the back-up dancers dressed like bees or the total unabashedness of contestants belting out lyrics off-key. I also love that they had Kiss's Rock & Roll All Nite on last night--and they guy knew it was "party every day" and not "part of every day." Anyway, the kids and I thoroughly enjoyed the spectacle and will be tuning in each week. At least I have Top Chef to balance out my reality TV.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Sometimes, H is the sweetest big sister. Last week, for T's 5th birthday, she drew him a beautiful card. Then at his birthday party, she bit him on his ear as he was blowing out the candles on his cake, causing him to cry not only at what was supposed to be the high point of the party, but also in front of his friends. She was annoyed at him for roughhousing with her in the pool, but I can't believe she stewed over it until she could get the perfect revenge! Last night, she sweetly read him stories for bed--it was so darn precious, I even took a picture of the two of them lying head-to-head in bed. Then today, he fell down a few stairs and really hurt himself. My babysitter told me H had a self-satisfied smirk on her face--she even told me it was kind of creepy the way H seemed pleased about T hurting himself. When I asked H about it tonight, she said she was smiling because she was happy T did not hurt himself worse than he did. Smart and evil--that's a dangerous combination.