Walking My First Fat Ass!

After giving birth to Grace, I decided that I really need to get back in shape. Knowing it was unlikely to happen until spring, I set my goals for then. In January, I even signed up for a 5K. I figured that once spring arrived, in mid-March, I could start taking my girls for walks so that I could build up the distance so walking 3.2 miles would not be an issue. Based on the weather in the past, my plan seemed like a no-brainer and doable. Boy, was I wrong.

Grace sporting her shades and ready to go.

This spring has been very unusual. I'm happy that it didn't get hot early, like the past two springs; however, it has been unusually cold. We even had over a foot of snow on March 31. Mother Nature must have known of my plans and not liked them. She blocked me at every turn and training became virtually non-existent, only going on walks a couple of times from mid-March to now.

I also faced another hurdle a little over two weeks ago when we left for our vacation. I missed a step walking into the garage and broke my little toe as well as bruising or twisting my ankle. Oh, and did I mention I did this on my good leg? So, my toe and ankle have been in pain for the last 2 weeks. I wasn't sure if I would still be able to go on the 5K, but decided I should go for it. Then last night, I faced yet another "injury," this time my right shoulder. I pulled a muscle resulting in a lot of pain. My concern was being able to lift things, like the stroller and the baby's car seat, out of the car. My family solved that problem this morning by coming with me. I would walk while they would sit and watch.

Fat Ass 5K crowds

So, this morning I set off to achieve my first goal of walking a 5K at the Fat Ass 5K in downtown Springfield, IL. I figured with little training and some pain that finishing it was unlikely. I was okay with that though.  I modified my goal from finishing the event to at least completing one lap, 1.7 miles. Before the race, I met up with my friend, Coreen, so she and I could walk together as I pushed my girls in the double stroller.

I'm pushing the stroller as we complete the first lap
(#101 is Coreen)

The Fat Ass is a hoot! It raises funds for local charities, and people have fun with it. There were people walking and running dressed as Elvis, pigs, in tutus, and so much more. As Coreen and I walked, we ran across entertainment as well, such as bands, belly dancers, hip hop dancers, a German musician, clowns, and a roller derby team, all encouraging the participants. Additionally, there are stops along the route, the first being a beer stop. Keep in mind that the walk started at 10 a.m. Many of the participants stopped and had their first beer of the day by 10:20 a.m. We also got to eat some donut holes that were passed out to us, something my two-year-old enjoyed. There was a station for corn dogs, but I don't like them and Coreen wasn't interested so we passed on that. 

I was unable to complete the 5K, but I did go a bit farther than just one lap. I was feeling good and pushed myself a bit more. After a few more blocks, my body let me know it was done so we ended the race by heading back. In the end, I walked about 2 miles. Overall, the Fat Ass was great fun. I'm looking forward to next year's event. Maybe I'll wear a feather boa and a tiara to it. We'll see. Until then, I am signing up for my next 5K, the Color Blaze 5K, in early June. Looks like I have some training to do because my goal is to finish it!

Done! I walked at least 2 miles! 

Toddlers Are Exhausting

Playing hoops! She scored every time! ;)

Last night and this morning were rough times with our lovely toddler, Ginny. She woke up around 10:20 p.m. in sobs. I guess she must have had a bad dream. It took a while to calm her down. I did my best, but nothing I did worked. Why? Because the only person she wanted was Daddy. In some ways, that crushed my heart a bit, but it also made me smile knowing how much she loves and depends on her daddy. Eventually, she fell back to sleep as my husband watched over her until she was clearly unconscious.

This morning started with a bang from her as well. She woke up coughing and in tears around 7 a.m. Daddy got her up while I was taking care of the baby. By the time we were getting her dressed, Ginny was clearly unhappy. We tried several things to get her calm. Eventually she settled down. Thank goodness. I'm pretty sure the issue stems from teething her two-year molars. We ended up giving her some Tylenol™ plus some cough medicine (a honey elixir, not true medicine).  Soon after that, her mood seemed to improve.

Going down the slide for like the 100th time.

While all these issues were going on we found ourselves debating if we should do what we had planned for the day. Would Ginny be up for it or would she have problems all day? Ginny helped make the decision for us when she went to the door and kept saying, "car seat?" Her way of letting us know that she wanted to go for a drive. Deciding it was worth the risk, we loaded the girls up in the car and drove the hour up to Brookings, SD to go to the Children's Museum of South Dakota.

We arrived soon after it opened, around 10 a.m. Right away, we noticed a school bus and took a deep sigh, hoping that the school field trip that was taking place would not interrupt Ginny's fun.

Grace & I watching Ginny play.

Ginny loved the place from the moment her feet hit the floor in the museum. There was so much for her to see and do. She got to play with gears, blocks, musical instruments, and stuffed pumpkins. She was able to throw balls, which she LOVES to do, into hoops as well as down a slide and into water. The only issue with the water was trying to pull her away from it after she got pretty wet. Ginny was able to explore a play farm, go grocery shopping in a play store, and crawl into a tepee. Sitting still was not an option today. She was on the go and didn't stop until it was time to leave.

Checking out the nursing pig.

Going to the children's museum has to be one of the high points of this trip so far. I really enjoyed watching the joy on Ginny's face as she explored everything. The only down side we had was dealing with that field trip group of 7th graders. A lot of them tended to be rude and unaware that there were little ones in their path. I found that a bit frustrating, but Ginny didn't really seem to notice.

We left the museum after nearly two hours of energetic fun. My DH and I looked at each other and decided that experience was exhausting! Keeping up with a two-year-old is tiring on a good day, but in a place like a children's museum it takes a bit more energy than normal to keep up with one.

From the museum, we stopped at a KFC for lunch. They had a buffet which was perfect for Ginny. Knowing what she will eat on a given day is like playing a game of roulette, really hard to predict. After lunch we headed back to Chris's aunt's house. Now, Ginny is taking a much needed nap. Just before I left her room I told her I loved her. I heard her little voice, with the paci in her mouth, say "I love you." My heart soared!

A happy face after fun at the museum while eating some mac & cheese.

While a toddler can be exhausting, they sure can make you smile! What a wonderful day it has been.

Sioux Falls Adventures

The Corn Palace

Doing touristy and cheesy things can be great fun. Of course, it is more fun when temperatures are at least in the high 50s. Yesterday we didn't have that luck. A cold front moved in and the high was in the mid-40s. Brrr! Of course, we did not pack for that type of weather. Our girls were in good shape since I packed warmer stuff for them; however, I did not pack warmer stuff for me. In fact, the only shoes I brought were sandals. I love my sandals and live in them from March to November most years.

Anyhow, we left the farm after breakfast and headed toward Sioux Falls, SD. We went a bit out of the way so that I could see the Corn Palace. Talk about cheesy and touristy. There isn't much to it beyond what you see on the outside. The Palace is used as a concert venue. Inside of it, they do have pictures of the palace over the years. The earliest photo I saw was from 1902. It only took us about 10-15 minutes to wonder about then we got back on the road. 

We then drove east to Sioux Falls. We stopped at IHOP for lunch. Anytime I eat at IHOP or Perkins or even Village Inn, I have to order breakfast. From there we went to my DH's Aunt Elaine & Uncle Duane's house. We will be staying here for the next few days. It was nice getting here so soon after lunch because it meant that our toddler, Ginny, got a much needed nap. Ginny does not nap in the car and never has, not even when she was a baby. I guess there is too much to see that she doesn't want to miss.

This morning, after getting the girls up and ready (who knew what a project that could be!!), we headed into downtown Sioux Falls to go to the Washington Pavilion. The Pavilion has a CineDome, performing arts center, visual arts area, and a science center. We hoped the science center would be entertaining for Ginny. We didn't think the baby, Grace, would care either way. Right now, there is an exhibit at the Pavilion called Seuss Falls: Discovering the Art and Science of Dr. Seuss. We went through the art exhibit for that first then made our way over to the science center.

My DH & Ginny in the tube experiencing high winds.

While many of the interactive exhibits were made for children at least 4 and older, Ginny had a good time. In the science center she seemed to really enjoy an exhibit that blew balls up in the air. Ginny loves balls! She also enjoyed getting into a contraption with DH where they got to experience the winds of a tornado. We also found a play area for kids 7 and younger. She enjoyed playing with the toys in that room. At the end of our morning at the Pavilion, Ginny even had an opportunity to pet a turtle! She was bold as usual and didn't need to be encouraged more than once. The poor turtle got a bit frightened though as Ginny tried to pet it's head first. She eventually learned that she needed to pet the shell.

Mommy & Ginny playing with a game where you can "make" a Truffula tree.

Petting the turtle

Ginny's legs turned into spaghetti and the tears started flowing once she realized we were leaving. She was having fun and didn't want to leave. My husband ended up carrying her to the car as she started to wail her displeasure. Luckily, she calmed down once she was outside and then in the car.

Now, we hope that Ginny takes another nap because we will be going to visit with another family member this evening. I'm not sure the nap will happen. I hear her in the other room talking to herself. One can only hope and dream!

Tomorrow we plan to go up to Brookings, SD to the Brookings Childrens' Museum. They even have a special exhibit for toddlers. I can only imagine how tough it will be to get Ginny to leave then. :)