I ran with bananas, & it's going to be a while.

WHAT.

A.

WEEK.

END.

Full of love and happy things!

Friday was simple enough.  Just a usual day for work husband and I.

Several of my students brought us Valentine's Day candy and cards.  I think it's funny that most of them hyphenate my last name (I mean, you kind of have to if you didn't really plan out your letters on a piece of paper or card...it's a long name).

I got a care package full of hydration support!  #STAYHYDRATED, I always say!

After months (OCTOBER, Suz!  OCTOBER was the last time I got my hair did!  Layla checked!), I showed my hair and eyebrows some TLC.  I'm the worst at taking care of myself.  Maybe I'm just lazy.

Or both.

While I waited for my hair to turn to a nicer shade of blonde, I read through some interesting articles.

Saturday morning = long run fail.  I was seriously over-thinking my day, not necessarily trying to fin an excuse not to run, but also trying to figure out how to end it faster.  That's kind of dumb.

Another reason I had a difficult time getting the run done = it took me forever to get ready.  I was just in my own head and could NOT get a hold of myself.  I needed to get going, and just kept doing other things.  It was FRRRRREEEEZING outside, so I doubled up from head to toe, and for some reason, it took me forever to get dressed.  Put on my shoes.  Start my watch.  Get gum.  Go look at something on the internet.  Realize that we didn't have bananas.  Figure out a way to get bananas ("I'll get them when I'm done running!").  Talk to Harry about something (I honestly don't remember what -- that's how important it was).  Start my watch again.  Get sunglasses.  Start Jaybird headphones.  Talk to Harry about something else.

I think you get the idea.

At any rate, I picked up some bananas from the market about a third of a mile from our house, and ran home from there...carrying bananas.  I must have looked like I had stolen them, because I got some seriously curious looks from pedestrians.

I got showered up and had some breaky, then took off to pick up Harry and Sophs.  We pick her up from her mom about 11 miles away ------> perfect for a long run!  We hit up the Costco for some #LA2016 watching noms!

And some serious Valentine's Day eats.

WE WERE STOKED FOR MEB!

AND THE LADIES!  OH EM GEE!

After the low-key/sort of exciting afternoon, we head over to the Filament Theater for some prime entertainment.  One of the actors came out before the show started to invite children to snuggle up on the pillows and blankies there on the floor.  Sophs didn't want any part of it.  Other than that, she absolutely loved the musical, which really warmed Harry's heart.

And yes.  The theater is right across the street from Josi's.  So WE HAD TO GO!

Just yum.  I was a little simple

Behold:  My last sweets until next weekend.  That's right -- no more ice cream, no more froyo or candy.  No sweets during the week, and sparingly on the weekends.  Knowing this, I sort of went a little overboard.  Regardless, it's going to be a while, and it's definitely the right move for me right now.

In related news, my husband rocked Valentine's Day.

Does anyone else do this?

The snow started coming down around 11:00am (as per predicted, I was actually impressed with the weather app).  Harry and Sophs had to run an errand around the corner before taking off to drop her off.  I went outside to warm up the Jeep and found the unmistakable tracks of an eight year-old on Heelies.

All ready to go!

After dropping Sophs off, we had a couple more errands to run before going home and basically hibernating for the rest of the day.  I wanted these, but I quickly realized that it wouldn't have been a good idea to keep them in the house...with my new *no week sweets* and all...

It started to get a little scary --- kind of quickly...thank goodness for 4WD.:)

After getting home, the rest of our day consisted of a little lunch, audibly paired with Kanye's new album (GO CHECK IT OUT!  We listened to it all the way through while sitting in the kitchen.  Also, I ate more chocolate.).  After that, we moved to the couch for the rest of the afternoon.

Still dominating that bag of Chicago-style popcorn and watching "Sense 8".  We really did it up for Valentine's Day.<3

THANKS TO OUR GORGEOUS HOSTESS!
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Did you do anything fun for Valentine's Day, or were you low-key like us?


Have you restricted (yup, I'm okay with using that word) sweets to certain days?


Did you watch the Olympic Trials?  Did your fave runner get top three?
-My favorite runner and spirit animal Andrea Duke had to bail at mile 14, and she was more than happy to.  That's the strength of a runner who loves what she does and is honored with every step!:)

Complicated Feelings -------> I am a Stepmom

Hey, y'all, how are you?!  I thought I'd touch on something a little personal today.  It is Tuesday, for cryin' out loud.  And to be honest, it's something I've been dealing with ---- in a constructive and awesome way.  

I know.  Why on earth would I not write about running on a running blog.  Like, that doesn't ever happen.

Fact:  I have never wanted to have a child.  I don't know what it is; I just never had maternal need or want in me.  I remember wanting to get my tubes tied at 20 years old (which I never did, and that was because it was kind of costly for a 20 year-old, ha).  I didn't plan on having kids when I was previously married.  And really, I do have bouts where I wonder "what if...", but I work with 500 kids every day, and I'm perfectly fine with having them between the hours of 8:00am and 3:00pm.:)  I'm not at all curious about the physical, mental, and emotional effects of having a baby.

Before you get aggravated with me:  This doesn't mean that I don't like babies or children.  I work, bond with, take care of, and teach 500 kids every work day.  Each and every single one of them has a different personality, with different variables.  I absolutely love my job, no matter how much of a train wreck my day can be.

Backpedal:  Harry and I had been friends for several years before we started dating/I moved up to Chicago/we got married and lived happily ever after. As Facebook friends, I saw Sophia pop up in my newsfeed every once in a while, with Daddy-Daughter hot chocolate or a random family photo.

I remember commenting on a picture, showing a few friends that were around me at the time, and pretty much losing my mind over how adorable she was.  Never ever was there a clue that we would one day be in each others' World.

Yes.  Mandatory to post that picture.

So while I've never been a fan of having a baby, I knew that when Harry and I began our relationship that living vicariously through him and Sophia's Mom would be a great adventure!  

One thing that I've had a really tough time with is that title "Stepmom".  I really like to think of mine and Sophs' relationship more of a BFF status, but that's just me resisting *stepmotherly* instincts, I believe.  I don't think it was until I asked what Sophs calls me around other people that I realized that she sees me as way more than a buddy.  She was instantly taken with me, but it was probably because the first time we met, we made Nutella-stuffed chocolate chip cookies.  Ambitious?  Yes.  We rocked those cookies so hard.  And she has been my little buddy ever since.

Nonetheless, she's fun.  She's trained, but still in human-training.  She's smart, nay, intelligent, but is still learning...every.single.day.  She lives in a very awesome World, no matter the challenges the adults in her life have to face.  We enable each other --------> A LOT.  Also?  We take cute pictures together.

And about that enabling thing.  She makes it okay to buy cool things, for no real reason.

I get to live through her eyes as a child, and that's one of my favorite parts.

She makes it cool to be weird.

One word:  FROYO

Sophs has her moments, but they don't last too long.

One of my favorite things about the Munchkin = SHE LOVES EVERYONE.  It's like she knows no stranger, but in a good, not scary way.

  

She helps me embrace traditions, especially when Harry might not see the point.

More food.  We like it.

She clearly trusts me with every inch of her being.

She likes to do fun errands with me, like picking up my wedding dress.  She thought it was a blast.:)

SHE LOVES CRAFTS AND PROJECTS!

When she FaceTimes me....hilarious.

She runs with Harry and I.  Though she's VERY active (she's a Black Belt in Karate!), we love instilling the love of being active and running with her.

It doesn't matter where we are, if I put my hand behind me to slightly reach out for hers, she'll run up and grab it.  That's kind of sweet.<3

She loves to cook and bake with us.

ALL OF THE SHENANIGANS.

We work as a team to drive Harry bananas.

And one of the best things ever ------ no matter how much of a difficult time she's going through, no matter how much is going on, no matter the weather or her level of hyper, she will always opt for sweet and chill.  The moments of peace and comfort that I capture mean the world to me.

My favorite picture of her (that I've taken, anyway) ---------->



While I never saw a child in my future home, I'm thankful for the situation with which God blessed me.  I pretty much won the Stepkid lottery, that I'm completely and utterly aware of.  Mine and Harry's relationship would not be the same without her.  And no matter how much I resist this, what I have is a wonderful little family, just the three of us.  It's complicated.  It's sweet.  It's weird, awesome, awkward at times, and really cool.:)

/personalstuffs
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Enough about me ------ HOW ARE YOU?!  Thumbs up or down on life right now?


Do you have any fun Valentine's Day plans?


RANDOM:  Are you a morning or afternoon workout kind of person?
-I'd totally rather get it done and over with, so I'm a big time morning person!