So, after the race, we went to Colorado City Creamery for ice cream with my dad.  He and I worked on the plan for the boys closet this morning, and we wanted to go to Home Depot to get the supplies.

So, we get a bunch of stuff – and then Zander decides he needs to go potty.  So I take the ZBoys over while my dad get the wood cut for one of the shelves.  After Zander goes, Zevan decides he needs to go to.

So we go to the handicapped stall, and he stands on my feet.  then I go potty.  He says he wants to flush.  So I pick him up and let him reach over to flush and we see that it is an automatic flush.  I start to put him down and the keys fall in the toilet

And then the toilet automatically flushes.

I actually start to reach in, and then, whoosh, my keys are GONE.

Zevan immediately starts crying, “Now we can never go home…  how can we get home?”

Oh, it was heartbreaking. He was hysterical.

I was totally in shock.  We run out, I find a Home Depot employee, and she calls her manager.  I call Doug.  He’s not home.  Neither of us have seen the spare key in a while. 

So, while waiting for the manager, I go out to the van with Zevan and see if the spare happens to be in there (I’m pretty sure it isn’t).   thankfully, I forgot to lock it.

Zevan is happy that we are able to get in the van.  I call grandpa to see if he has a spare (it used to be his van).

nope.

Doug calls me back, and I tell him to just pick us up, and I’ll come home and we can both look for the spare.  he does.  It’s fine.

We get home and tear the house apart.  He keeps asking me if *I* have checked all *my* purses and coat pockets.  Yes, I have.  I haven’t needed the spare keys in a long time.

After an hour of looking, he mention that he used the keys about 6 weeks ago.   

” Did you check your car?” I ask

“Let me check my car again.”  he says simultaneously.

He found them.  On the floor of his car.

Normally this would piss me off to no end.  Today, I am just mildly annoyed and mostly relieved that we have a spare set.  He takes me to Home Depot to get my van.

First of all, I am quite sure this has only happened to me.

Second of all, I am glad to report that I did not lose my temper or my cool or my head the whole time.  Which is surprising to me.  A couple of months ago, I would have been SO pissed off at myself, annoyed that Zevan was hysterically crying and angry that Doug implied that I must have the keys when it turn out he did.

I’ve been off my depression meds for 2 weeks now.  So I’m keeping calm on my own.  Yay for me!

I so enjoyed the race today. 

I have never felt that way about a race before. I just really had fun and pushed myself just enough.

It was so cool to have Candy and Paige to race with. And the times that Matt and Mike waved and took photos was a great distraction and ego boost.

I started out with the girls, to warm up (since I don’t do that before a race), and as we each found our pace, we separated.

There were two bottlenecks I had to endure, and while some slowed down as they got close to the line, I sped up to ensure a better place in line.

Two times, on uphills, I cheerfully yelled,”Pick it up!  Pick it up!” – I’m sure I annoyed a few, but there were more who needed the encouragement and used it.

There was a small stretch in the single track where I was behind a woman carefully stepping, hardly running.  There was no room to pass, and she annoyed me.  I dogged the guy between us until we reached a clearing where I could pass, and I left them behind.

The final 1/4 mile to the creek was the worst part of the race – it seemed long, there was tricky footing, and we were watching the faster runners go up the creek.

The creek was as expected. I really took my time and watched my footing. No sprinting here, but I did run where the water level was relatively low. I even passed a few people. One guy took a header right into the creek, and got up. Turns out he was physically pushing himself past the woman in front of me and that’s when he fell. Hmmm – dude, meet Karma…

Just as I finished the creek portion, my iPod coach tells me, “You have reached 45 minutes.” So, I think, there’s no way I can beat my time from last year (48:25). I was kind of bummed.

This old-timer was in front of me after we got out of the creek, and I was having trouble catching up with him.  As we got onto the grass, I told myself, “No way am I going to let this guy beat me to the finish line.”  And I started sprinting. 

When I saw the clock was just over 47 minutes, I sprinted harder, wanting to get under last year’s time.

20/24     Maida C Scott             38    Colo Spgs        CO    0:47:27
26/31     Paige Figi                34    Colo Spgs        CO    0:50:22
24/24     Candice Jackson           36    Colo Springs     CO    0:55:46

3 guys between the ages of 60-64 were within 20 seconds of my finish time!!!  These dudes gave me a run for my money! I only hope I can be as fit at that age.

I did beat my time from last year!

When I finished, I grabbed some water and went back along the course to see if I could see Paige and/or Candy. As I was heading down, I saw Zander with Doug and called out to Zander. He ran to me. Doug looked surprised and asked me when I finished. I said, “like 2 minutes ago,” He’s so sweet. He wanted to bring the boys for my finish. But of course, Zevan stalled enough to miss it.

I saw Paige first, and encouraged her for the last bit – she gave me the look – so I went farther along to see if I could see Candy. I did. Right after she got out of the creek. She looked a bit in shock after the water, and I told her she was in the home stretch. I jogged along side her to the finish, Paige joined us and as we got closer, she started booking. So cool!

Totally fun!

Hmmm, maybe I’ve been uber gung ho about the routines and organization lately.

(For those who don’t know – Zander refers to his loveys, which are assorted pillowcases, as baba.  Obviously he was never attached to a bottle as baby, but he loves his blankies)

Yesterday, Zander says, “The baba on the chair is my daytime baba.  The baba on my bed is my nighttime baba”

I can see the smoke from our balcony.  Here’s a couple of pictures I just took a few minutes ago:

http://picasaweb.google.com/maida.scott/InclineFire

There is a wildfire in Manitou, right next to the Incline.  May, Candy and I did the Incline this morning.  Candy and I were at the top around 10 AM, and got back down at 10:55 AM.  It started at 11:30 AM.  We just missed it.  Crazy.

One thing I find totally suspicious is that there was a group of people when I got there, and some of them were SMOKING!!!    All I remember is that these two girls were in a little dark Honda-like car that had a Cuban flag hanging on the rear view mirror. I always check those out since so many Filipinos have the Filipino flag. They were with a guy in a beat up van with a broken window on the drivers side who also had a Cuban flag on his rear view mirror.

Candy beat her first time up the Incline by 10 minutes!!! I finished right around 49 minutes, which was actually 2 minutes slower than my best time. But I was okay with that.

I’m going to be so bummed if the Incline isn’t hikeable after this

So, I am finally getting it – I am a mom of boys who go to preschool and can occupy themselves while I work at home.

As I got Zevan ready this morning, I looked at him, sitting in the Thinking Chair in his school clothes. I said wistfully, “You are really a boy, aren’t you? You are not a baby at all.”

Wow.

Zevan has been great going to school all week. No tears, just “Bye Mom!” I’m so happy about that.

After I dropped them off, I went for a long run in GOG – 8 miles. My first one over 5 miles since the Ascent. I started early and ran back to meet with May. She ran with me for the last 6 miles.

Today I had to take the ZBoys with me to my physical therapy appt. Normally I would dread that. But I still have the portable DVD player that I borrowed from May, so we took that, along with a School House Rock DVD. They were great. Not disruptive at all. I even stuck around to talk with Mary about making a Massage Menu poster for her, and it was okay. I’m telling you, 6 months ago, it would have been IMPOSSIBLE.

We planned to go to Chuck E Cheese for a little birthday celebration for Elijah. We got there just before 3 PM. We had tokens, played games, but we didn’t see anyone else. Then I saw on my phone I had a message from Candy. At that very moment, I realized that I was at the wrong Chuck E Cheese. In the past year, they built a new one near Tinseltown that I completely forgot about. One that is MUCH closer to our house, and now I am WAY across town.

I called Candy and confirmed I was at the wrong one. Of course, Shanyn doesn’t have a cell phone, so I can’t call her to tell her about the mix up.

I round the boys up and explain what happened. They totally took it in stride. They finished up their snack and game, and we got back in the car for a long drive. I popped in an audio book, and they were happy to hear the next book.

Zander is increasingly logical, and responsible and so so sweet when he wants to be.

Today Zevan was very good – only one little mini tantrum. I know there are more tantrums to come, but today was just really good.

Zevan has always be so cute and cuddly and sweet.  Now Zevan is being physically aggressive and unresponsive to my disciplining methods.

He deliberately does all this stuff that he knows he should not do, and he just grins at me like it’s funny.  I actually have to tell him, “Do not smile at me like it’s funny.  It’s not funny to <fill in offense here>.  I need you to listen to me.

He won’t stay in time out. 

If I try and keep him in time out he says, “Bad Mom!” and hits me and kicks me and scratches me. 

His first instinct is to hit when he doesn’t get his way. 

If I threaten to take stuff away, he says, “I don’t want it.” 

He is so stubborn with a mean streak.  This has been going on for 3 weeks now and I’m getting nervous. 

Zander did this, too, but he never directed it at hurting me with the intensity that Zevan does.

Doug says, “What did we have to do with Zander?  Don’t we just have to wait it out?”

*sigh* “Yes, but I lost my will to parent him while I waited it out.  I don’t want to do that again.”

Today is apparently my venting day.   

Surely that means I have some smooth sailing and blue skies ahead, right???