Crazy Legs '11

2nd annual Crazy Legs race for me.  8K - I got new "real" running shoes and was given a training schedule that was to guarantee a great race.  I was training and actually felt really good.  I took over a minute off my mile time and even felt good on hills .... then, I got sick.  We won't go into all that again as you can view prior posts to here about that.  Long story short ... I should NOT have run this race!  I actually felt OK the first mile.  I did it in 9 minutes (which is a minute less than last year).  But, then I started up the hill.  Not just any hill, a reasonably steep hill with major winds in my face.  I slowed my pace as slow as I could, but it was just not going to happen.  I had to walk up the hill.  My legs felt like they were filled with mud and my right arm felt numb.  Once at the top I started up again but the hill did me in.  I walked and ran the remaining 4 miles and felt terrible the entire way.  The wind was totally brutal and even when it was at my back I had difficulty running.  But, I finished ... 59.19.  This is about 5 minutes longer than it took me last year so it's not great.  But, given that I probably walked nearly half the race I guess the over all time is not bad.  Next year I guess.

So, I finish this grooling race, chilled with my friend Kathy and her friend Kim and decided to skip all the after celebrations that I had such a blast at least year to go home and soak in my nice Jacuzzi tub.  This did not prove to be a great idea either as I had a couple visitors "relaxing" with me.

Easter '11

With me being sick for so long, Easter really snuck up on us!!  Luckily I had purchased the stuff to decorate eggs a while ago.  Acacia sat me down with the deep question of what is real and what is not a while ago too.  Now that she knows the truth about Christmas, Easter, Tooth Fairy, etc she wants to help.  So, she and Randy got up at 5a today and made Chris' Easter trail.  But, she is still a kid so she said she was going to go back to bed and hopefully the Easter Bunny would still make her a trail.  Sure enough, he did.

The kids went through their trails.  Chris screamed with excitement that Easter is now is favorite holiday ... ever.  I cooked all day.  I now understand how mom could spend all day in the kitchen to get these meals on the table.  Sure does not seem like one would have to spend hours in the kitchen to "heat up" a ham, make scalloped potatoes and a broccoli casserole.  Not to mess with this tradition .... I dirtied every pan and spent a solid 4 hours prepping for this meal. 

We all went to church.  Chris complained that he did not want to go.  I explained it was only for an hour and that he should remember what Jesus did for him on the cross.  Chris' reply to this was "well, that only took like 30 minutes!!"  I quickly stepped aside with the hopes of not being struck by the for sure lightning bolt that was going to come from the sky to strike Chris.  Seems he has not yet figured out what the sacrifice was that Jesus made for us. 

We hope you all had a lovely Easter, got some candy and were able to dwell a bit on what this day truly means.

Chris' Art Fair '11

Chris has really impressed Randy and I and so many of his teachers with his drawling ability.  So, when the school art fair came around he decided he wanted to display some of his work.  He LOVES to draw Pokemon characters. He has done so many he could not select which one to submit.  He and Randy put together a collage.  He also submitting a Calvin and Hobbs drawing.  Here he is with his work at the festival.

Karate Belt Graduation Cerimony '11

Every three months if the kids accomplish what they are supposed to they graduate to the next belt level. This time Chris went from double orange to green stripe and Acacia went from solid green to solid purple.

Acacia missed the real graduation as this happened in the middle of her time to be sick so the studio had her come to her very own make up graduation. I missed the make up graduation as it was my turn to be sick. But, she got the belt just the same!

Illness runs through the Learish household '11

Oh what a joy! Acacia got sick. She started complaining of a sore throat on Friday and on and off all week end. She made it through the school day Monday but then called to come home and not to soccer practice. Temp was 101.1. As she started to feel better she opted for lunch in a sunny spot of the house. She ended up being sick for 6 days. She returned to school Thursday.

Chris got sick Thursday night. Same thing. Fever, headache, cough .... The weird thing was that their fevers would go down and they would say they were feeling better and then 24 hours later it would start all over again. This past Sunday (a week plus since Acacia was first sick) Chris was fever free for about 18 hours. It was 70+ degrees out so I took the kids for a bike ride to get some ice cream. Chris was not able to finish his .... so I did. WRONG MOVE on my part. Later that evening, Chris CRASHED. Feel asleep at 4p. We woke him up at 10p to give him more meds and put him to bed. Sooooo, Monday AM (11 days from the Acacia's first symptoms and about 17 hours after ... I ate the ice cream - I died. Chis still had to stay home since he had a fever the night before and now I am dead. Chris was apparently on the mend and having nothing to eat all day he finally begged for pancakes. He said since I was sick, that he would make them on his own. And, he did!! He was VERY proud of himself!! Best tasting pancakes ever. There were even enough for Dad to have some for dinner that night.

Tuesday, both kids were back to school but no way was I even close to going to work. It's Friday now ... I am still sick. I have missed an entire week of work and if Saturday was a work day I would be missing that too. Sorry, no photos of me enjoying any meals. I was ecstatic to have taken a shower yesterday. It took me nearly an hour as I thought I was going to pass out every few minutes and had to sit down. Between the two kids and myself, we've been to the Dr's 3 different times and made 3 different emergency calls. Acacia's fever was over 104 one night and I panicked. A different called resulted in my dehydration. So, I am hoping that after I consume several bottles of Gatorade I will start to feel more like myself and be able to rejoin the living as my lovely children have.

Note to self ... no matter how tempting ... don't eat your kids ice cream.

FYI - Randy did not eat the ice cream.

Weird part of town '11

The Dells have so much stuff in them and we drive through there a lot. I have always wanted to take photos but it's always been so crowded with tourist. Today ... not so much. Here are a few photos of some of weird things in the Dells...

ummmm .... Italy ....

Trojan horse .... right??



well .... it's a federal building after the .... earthquake.



federal car .... after the earthquake



Our rental ... after the ... earthquake.



Me, sizing up the damages ...



I think it's totalled ... at least it's a rental.



perhaps if we just leave it, no one will really notice.