May and I got our hair cut on Friday to donate for the Beautiful Lengths program.

We got our hair cuts at Toni & Guy in the Chapel Hills Mall. Steve Chandler cut my hair, and Rob cut May’s hair.

Pantene Beautiful Lengths inspires women and men to donate their healthy hair to create wigs for women who have lost their hair due to cancer treatments

Check out all the pictures on our family website

Here’s what we donated – 10+ inches each…

And now the money shot…

I ran a tempo run on Sunday – those are killer workouts.  I got a 1/2 mile warm up and 3/4 mile cool down.

This morning I ran 8.25 miles!  The last mile and a half, it was all I could do to keep running.  My right shoulder was aching and it was very effortful to keep running.  But I did.  My longest run yet!

I feel okay now, just tired and my hips are sore.  My heel feels better than it usually does after a long run.  I did do all my prescribed stretching after my run today.  That definitely helped.

I’m still tweaking my playlist for running.  I need some more driving, hard rock songs to keep me going. 

Smooth Criminal – Alien Ant Farm
Know Your Enemy – Rage Against The Machine
Sabatoge – Beastie Boys
Going the Distance – Cake
Break Stuff – Limp Bizkit
Machine Head – Bush
Wake Me Up Inside – Evanescence
Hey Man, Nice Shot – Filter
One Step Closer – Linkin Park
March of the Pigs – Nine Inch Nails
Guerilla Radio – Rage Against The Machine
N.W.O – Ministry
Spybreak – Propellerheads
Killing In The Name – Rage Against The Machine
Save Yourself – Stabbing Westward
Sex Type Thing – Stone Temple Pilots
Wake Up – Rage Against The Machine

So, I got my gait analysis and it turns out that I have been running on my toes, instead of running where you land on your heel, roll down the foot to push off on your toes.

Now I’m not sure if I started doing that because my heel hurt or if I’ve been doing it all along.  I tend to think that I started because of the heel pain since I was always plagued by shin splints before, which happens with heel runners.

Anyhoo, she also found that my arch needs strengthening and I need to stretch my hamstrings and psoas muscles more.

Here’s my runs/walks for the past 2 weeks…

9/10 – took Elaine & Elizabeth to the zoo

9/12 – missed my long run – instead we hiked in Red Rock Canyon – Zander wanted to hike “in the mountains” before school started

9/14 – A really crappy long run, and my calibration was off again.  I definitely ran 3 miles, but the iPod said it was only 2.5.  So I walked another quarter mile to get the mileage in.  And we also went to the zoo that day – more unlogged mileage.

9/15 – We hiked a portion of Section 16 with the boys. 

9/16 – The JDRF walk.  Definitely a walk, no chance of running, this time includes some standing around when I thought I had paused the iPod workout, but I didn’t      It’s in two sections

9/19 – Jumping right back in with my longest run yet – 8 miles!  And I climbed that evening, too.  I paid the price, though.  I limped for most of the day.  Ow.

9/22 – Yesterday’s run – I was determined not to let the rain stop me.  It was cold and miserable, but I did it.  I climbed immediately after running, which I don’t think I like doing. My legs were shot and I was very tired.

So, I’m getting back on track for my running and I may skip my easy week, and run a regular workout schedule since it seems the week of 9/12 turned out to be an easy week because I was lazy.  Or I might stick to the schedule.  I’ll decide on Tuesday how far I feel like running.

I know some people wonder why I keep running with all the trouble I’ve been having.  My chiropractor definitely questions my motivation.  I wonder sometimes myself.  But I want to do it.  I like burning the calories.  I want to run a half marathon next spring.  I’d really like to run a full marathon before I turn 40.  So I take my cue from Dory and “Just keep running, just keep running…” 

I have been VERY VERY bad. I missed my long run one time so we could for a hike before Zander started school. I missed another run so I could do the JDRF walk. My eating has been horrible. Junk, junk, junk. It’s making me feel bad, which makes me eat worse.

So, to break the cycle, May and I did a modified fast on Wednesday of last week. Only fruits/veggies (no dips!) and liquids for one 24 hour period. I have to admit that I did end up having about 2 oz of cheese during the day to get some protein.

I also am getting back on my running schedule. I ran 8 miles on Tuesday and although missed my usual Thursday run, I ran 5 miles IN THE RAIN on Friday. Tomorrow I will run the tempo run I was supposed to run today. And next week is my easy week – all my runs are 3 or 4 miles.

On the days I don’t run, I do try and eat a good breakfast (bacon, toast, eggs, fruit) when I get up. But, on my running days, I don’t know how to make that happen. dunno I cannot eat before running or it will make me ill. So, I get up at 7:00 and Doug and I get Zander ready for school. Zander has to be at school at 8 AM. Then I take Zevan to my dad’s house, to drop him off and visit with my parents a bit. By the time I get to the park, it’s sometime between 8:20 – 8:50 AM. It takes me an hour to run 5 miles, and hour and a half for 8 miles. By the time I get home and showered, it’s time to pick up Zander from school at 10:50 AM. So, it’s lunch time and I’ve completely missed breakfast. I do try very hard to remember to drink some chocolate milk when I get home after the run. And maybe a piece of fruit. But my tummy is not ready to accept any real food immediately after a run either.

Today was Zander’s first day in the Primary Elementary Montessori class at Buena Vista Elementary. It’s a day every mom looks at with a mix of pride and sadness.

It never really hit me until last night. I mean, sure I bought the school supplies, we went to the open house and met his teacher, Miss Catherine… but it did not sink in until last night.

Doug asked him before bed what he wanted for breakfast. Boiled eggs and Toaster Streudel. So, Doug boiled the eggs that night.

I stayed out with late with my girlfriends at Village Inn. When I got home, it was nearly eleven! I finished up Zander’s paperwork for school (emergency contacts, etc), put them in a Mickey Mouse folder, and placed the folder in his Justice League backpack.

Then, I picked out some clothes for use as his back-up / spare clothes at school. I neatly labeled each sock, then his underwear, pants and 2 shirts (one long sleeve, one short sleeve) with “Z. Scott”. I tried to pick clothes that he would recognize as his, but would not miss as part of his everyday rotation. I lovingly packed them along with a pull up (just in case), spare ba-ba (blankie) and a Downey dryer sheet, into the requisite gallon Ziploc bag, also marked “Z. Scott.” And placed it inside his backpack as well. Along with a ba-ba for school use.

I picked out some socks, underwear and jeans for him to wear in the morning. I figured that he could pick the shirt when he woke up. I picked out my clothes for the next day, too. I took a shower and did my usual evening routine.

Then I climbed into bed with Zander and snuggled up to him to sleep.

Sometime during the night, Zevan woke up calling for me, and I pulled him into Zander’s bed, too.

I woke up a little before 7 AM and started my morning routine. I pulled back the curtains in Zander’s room so he would wake up more easily. “Good morning!” I said to him cheerfully. “First day of school!” He just stared back at me. I continued my morning routine and a few minutes later, he was greeting each of us with a happy “Good Morning, Mom!” “Good Morning, Dad!”

“Zevan, are you awake yet?”
“No, I’m still sleeping.”
“But it’s good morning time.”

Doug started his breakfast. I got Zevan up and on the potty with some protest “I’m still sleepy…” He joined Zander for breakfast. After the usual over-energetic breakfast antics, Zander came up to get dressed. He picked out his red Superman t-shirt.

Socks, shoes, backpack, and we were out the door. “I need my backpack, too!” chimed Zevan. So we brought it. Doug videotaped Zander briefly in the car.

We arrived at school just as the morning bell was ringing. We all piled out of the car and headed towards his classroom. Doug recorded Zander walking up to the classroom. I took his hand, and immediately felt knots in my stomach and tears in my eyes. I took several deep breaths as we walked to keep from actually crying.

We got there the same time as Emmett and Johanna. I walked in to sign Zander in, and he was eagerly entering the doorway.

Doug and I had to remind him to say good-bye to us. We came in and met the teacher’s aides. One of whom I had met before! Another Filipina! Miss Lulu. And also Miss Marge. Zander took off his shoes, put them in the cubby and ran over to Miss Catherine and gave her a big hello and a hug. He took his place in the circle of children. I waved to his teacher.

She asked Zander, ” Do you want to say good-bye to your mom?”

“I already did!”

And that was it. Zevan didn’t want to leave the classroom, so I was occupied with distracting him so we could go home. I held him close and cried, just a little, as we walked back to the car. Doug gave me a little reassuring hug.

“That seemed so natural. I don’t even feel weepy,” he said.

“I do.”

We took Doug to his car and then Zevan and I went to my parents house. I didn’t even know my mom was home, but I was glad she had off today. She made me breakfast

I didn’t want to go home. I would have been too distracted to do anything anyway. Zevan and I hung out there until it was time to pick Zander up. I cuddled him a lot, danced with him to Radio Disney and even played trains with him. It was good.

We went to pick Zander up and saw Johanna and Charlie. Zander and Emmett were playing in the sandbox. We just watched him for a while. When I put Zevan down, he ran over to the fence and Zander saw him. “Zevan!” “Zander!” It was a cute exchange. I came in to sign him out and Miss Marge and Miss Lulu told me that Zander had a very good morning. “He is very sociable,” she said. She gave me some drawings that Zander did. Zander said that he painted something, too. But it wasn’t dry yet.

We hung out a bit in the playground and then Zander said he was ready to go. So we did.

My friend Elaine, who I’ve known since 3rd grade, is visiting Colorado with her daughter this week.  I picked them up from the airport on Friday morning. 

Elizabeth and Zander are now best friends.    Elaine said that Elizabeth told her “I am in love with Zander”    At the time, we were discussing whether it would be okay for them to bathe together.  After she said that  Elaine told her that she would definitely not be taking a bath with Zander LOL!   

Elizabeth and Elaine are headed up to Summit County today with another friend.  Originally they were going to stay there until they fly back on Friday, but plans have changed and they will be back on Wednesday night, hang out on Thursday, and I will take them to the airport on Friday morning.

Zevan has been a bit jealous that Zander and Elizabeth have been playing together and he’s been excluded.  Poor little guy.

But it’s been manageable until today.  I still can’t say for sure what happened. 

They kids were playing in the backyard, in the sandbox.  I was upstairs, and all of a sudden heard Doug yelling, then ran down to find him carrying both crying boys inside.  Zander was in BIG trouble and Zevan’s mouth was full of sand.  Doug was furious. 

Zander was banished to his room while I tried to rinse Zevan of all the sand and calm him down.

I asked what happened and Doug said, “Zander was holding him down and putting sand in his face.”

What would you think? 

In my mind, I had a picture of Zevan face down in the sandbox with Zander sitting on him.  UGH.   

Anyway, it took some rinsing out and drinking of water for Zevan to be cleared of sand.  Once he seemed calm, I put him down to play with Elizabeth (and Elaine) so I could go talk to Zander.

For the most part, Zander had been crying loudly and hysterically while I was tending to Zevan.  By the time I got to the room to talk to him, he was laying in his bed, holding his baba (blankie) and sucking his thumb.

I asked him what happened.

“Zevan started it.”  I’m not sure exactly what happened, but the gist of it seemed to be that Zander and Elizabeth were working on something in the sandbox and Zevan ruined it and was throwing sand at Zander.  So Zander retaliated.

Zevan has a VERY short temper AND has been doing things like this a lot lately.  But of course, Zander’s retaliation was not the right response.

Deep breath. 

So, I explained to him that no matter what Zevan does, even if its wrong, he can’t do what he did to him.  That Zevan is his little brother that loves him very much, and relies on Zander to protect him, not attack him.  I have been trying hard to drill Zander to come to me when Zevan does something like this, but I also know how frustrating it can be.  I told Zander that what he did really hurt and scared Zevan.  And that it was very dangerous and that Zevan could have had to have gone to the hospital.  And I told him that he must never do anything like that to Zevan or anyone else.

He had to apologize to Zevan.  And then to Elizabeth for scaring her with his behavior.  Hugs and kisses after apologies, as well.

Tonight I asked Doug what he saw.  Weirdly, when I explained what I thought he meant, he got all defensive.  Whatever.     Anyway, Doug said that Zevan was on his back, Zander had a hand on Zevan’s leg, so Zevan was unable to get up while Zander put sand in his face.   

Last week, I saw Zander and Zevan gang up on Diego.  Zander was pulling Diego’s shirt, and when I called out to him, he said, “He was messing with my brother!”  While Zander pulled Diego, Zevan came after him with his little fists.  At this point, I intervened.  Lindsey and I had been watching the exchange until then.

I hate to think about what would happen without any supervision.  It all seems very Lord of the Flies to me.

I sometimes worry that my boys will be bullies.  I mean, I want them to be assertive and confident, without being so aggressive.  It’s a hard balance.  I need to look into the martial arts thing sooner.   He definitely needs an outlet for this aggression. 

At the same time, Zander is very sensitive and can be very polite and helpful when he wants to be.  I just need to figure out a way to keep him motivated to want to be.

This weekend, he and Elizabeth were wishing on a star.  I asked Zander what his wish was.  “I wished for a flower for you, Mom.”

Zevan has his own issues.  He had been hitting EVERYONE.  And spending a lot of time in time-out as a result. 

I’ve gotten to where I let him “use his (superhero) powers” so he doesn’t hit.  He basically sticks out both fists and “shoots” energy out of his fists, complete with sound effects.  Which is kind of cute – well, if you know Zevan, pretty much everything he does is cute  – but it still is disconcerting.  But I’d rather have him shoot energy beams than hit someone.  His fuse seems much shorter than Zander’s ever was, even at this age.

This parenting thing is hard.

New pictures are finally up on their sites!

Zander’s site
Zevan’s site

I’m thinking of combining their sites…