The other day, I bought a wetsuit for the triathlon. It was on clearance. Apparently, people don't want one with grey accents. I on the other hand would look silly in any wetsuit, so it didn't matter what it looked like.
On the way home, we stopped by a beach (we wanted to let the kids play at a park but a beach works too). So I donned the wetsuit and gave it a try in the lake.
My first swim was horrible.
The water was cold (although the wetsuit really did help with that) and it felt like I couldn't breath. It felt like the wetsuit was making it harder for me to breath. For each breath, I had to push against the suit.
To make it worse, I tried to lay on my back to catch my breath and the wetsuit wouldn't let me easily bend to keep my head out of the water. It was like it was trying to drown me.
After talking to one of my brothers, I have concluded that it actually was trying to kill me. I can't blame it. It seems it would rather float in a lake on a dead body than spend most of the rest of its time in storage (only to occasionally be taken out for a race or a rare open water training session).
After I managed to get to shore (and spent a while huffing and puffing), I tried again. The second time it went a little better. I think the suit has decided to wait until race time, when I'm in the middle of a lake, to try again. I suspect that I'll be safe for a while.
Now if I could just get over my fear of deep water...
mwz
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
af2
Last week we discovered that we have an arena football team near us. It is in the af2 league which is basically the minor league of the main arena football league.
On a whim we found out that they were playing that Friday and we just decided to go.
I was a little leery about taking the kids. They are pretty young. But they had a great time. There was a lot of music for them to dance to and cheerleaders to watch and scoring to cheer for.
Frances even seemed somewhat interested when I tried to explain what they were trying to do on the field. I don't think she completely understood but she did figure out that they were playing some form of catch. The next day, she found a plush football and asked me to play catch "like the guys".
I almost caught a T-shirt twice. Both times I got a hand on it but couldn't pull it in. It didn't help that each time, I had a child in one arm.
But that was made up for when a girl about Frances' age came across the aisle and gave Frances the shirt that she had. (We think it was a "first X number of people get a shirt" promotion.) We really don't know why this girl wanted to give it to Frances. (We also think that she might have wanted to give it to someone else further down but her mom wouldn't let her go any further.)
The kids got a little tired for the second half (game-time was only a little before their normal bed-times). They weren't acting badly but it was obvious that it wasn't as much fun as it was at the beginning of the game.
When it was down to the last play of the game, I explained that if they scored, they would win but if we stopped them, we would win. She said in a tired little voice, "Then we can leave?" I told her yes.
The whole thing was a lot of fun. I would recommend it. And the kids slept great that night.
mwz
On a whim we found out that they were playing that Friday and we just decided to go.
I was a little leery about taking the kids. They are pretty young. But they had a great time. There was a lot of music for them to dance to and cheerleaders to watch and scoring to cheer for.
Frances even seemed somewhat interested when I tried to explain what they were trying to do on the field. I don't think she completely understood but she did figure out that they were playing some form of catch. The next day, she found a plush football and asked me to play catch "like the guys".
I almost caught a T-shirt twice. Both times I got a hand on it but couldn't pull it in. It didn't help that each time, I had a child in one arm.
But that was made up for when a girl about Frances' age came across the aisle and gave Frances the shirt that she had. (We think it was a "first X number of people get a shirt" promotion.) We really don't know why this girl wanted to give it to Frances. (We also think that she might have wanted to give it to someone else further down but her mom wouldn't let her go any further.)
The kids got a little tired for the second half (game-time was only a little before their normal bed-times). They weren't acting badly but it was obvious that it wasn't as much fun as it was at the beginning of the game.
When it was down to the last play of the game, I explained that if they scored, they would win but if we stopped them, we would win. She said in a tired little voice, "Then we can leave?" I told her yes.
The whole thing was a lot of fun. I would recommend it. And the kids slept great that night.
mwz
Frances Loves to Run
Frances really seems to like to run.
Lately, she wants either Ariel or I to run with her (race back and forth on the sidewalk in front of our house). On occasions that we are to tired from our own workouts, she asks for something to run with.
As strange as it sounds, if we give her something like keys or coins, she is happy to run with it down to the lot line and back. When she returns, she asks from something else to run with.
Hopefully this will continue on as she grows up. It would be more fun for me if she turns out to be athletic.
mwz
Lately, she wants either Ariel or I to run with her (race back and forth on the sidewalk in front of our house). On occasions that we are to tired from our own workouts, she asks for something to run with.
As strange as it sounds, if we give her something like keys or coins, she is happy to run with it down to the lot line and back. When she returns, she asks from something else to run with.
Hopefully this will continue on as she grows up. It would be more fun for me if she turns out to be athletic.
mwz
Johann Loves the Outdoors
As the title suggests, Johann really loves going outside. If you put on his shoes, he will run over to the door and wait (and if he waits to long he may start doing a frustrated wimper).
Once I told him that we needed to put on his shoes because we were going to go outside. He imediately plopped down on the floor and presented his feet. That would have been great, if I had his shoes on hand.
To be fair, Frances also loves going outside but I don't recall her being as into it at Johann's age.
Once outside, Johann will carry around a ball or push his little lawn mower (which is incredibly adorable, especially when I'm out mowing) or drag around a toy garden hoe.
He is very good about not going into the street. The sidewalk is the boundary, so that gives us a little time to get there if a child decides to make a break for a passing car. Johann will push our little, push hippo onto the sidewalk from the driveway and then turning it to simply go down the sidewalk (although today he started pushing the limits which means we have to be even more aware of him).
mwz
Once I told him that we needed to put on his shoes because we were going to go outside. He imediately plopped down on the floor and presented his feet. That would have been great, if I had his shoes on hand.
To be fair, Frances also loves going outside but I don't recall her being as into it at Johann's age.
Once outside, Johann will carry around a ball or push his little lawn mower (which is incredibly adorable, especially when I'm out mowing) or drag around a toy garden hoe.
He is very good about not going into the street. The sidewalk is the boundary, so that gives us a little time to get there if a child decides to make a break for a passing car. Johann will push our little, push hippo onto the sidewalk from the driveway and then turning it to simply go down the sidewalk (although today he started pushing the limits which means we have to be even more aware of him).
mwz
Vacation to Georgia
A while ago now, we took a vacation to Georgia. My niece was getting married and we parlayed that into a driving vacation.
The wedding was nice and it was good to see everyone.
We spent some time in Atlanta. It wasn't as terrible as everyone seems to think. While there, we went to Benihana. The food was decent but quite expensive. It turns out that paying $10 for a kid's meal for your 2 year old isn't really worth the price.
We saw a lot of children's museums. We have a membership that allows us to go to other children's museums for free. That was a lot of fun. Frances seemed to like them a lot. Johann was happy to play in the sand-equivalent at each place (sometimes it was sand, in Atlanta it was recycled rubber and one other place had pebbles).
It was a good trip but it was good to get home.
mwz
The wedding was nice and it was good to see everyone.
We spent some time in Atlanta. It wasn't as terrible as everyone seems to think. While there, we went to Benihana. The food was decent but quite expensive. It turns out that paying $10 for a kid's meal for your 2 year old isn't really worth the price.
We saw a lot of children's museums. We have a membership that allows us to go to other children's museums for free. That was a lot of fun. Frances seemed to like them a lot. Johann was happy to play in the sand-equivalent at each place (sometimes it was sand, in Atlanta it was recycled rubber and one other place had pebbles).
It was a good trip but it was good to get home.
mwz
New Posts
I have been neglecting to post for awhile now. So I have decided to just make a flurry of posts (unless I get distracted).
They probably won't be that interesting but at least they will put on record.
Sorry.
mwz
They probably won't be that interesting but at least they will put on record.
Sorry.
mwz
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