The trade-offs in life that I'm talking about is when you get back from a run you have three choices: eat, shower, stretch. It seems like I generally do two out of the three but never all three. But more broadly than that it's like the choice between healthy food and junk food. You can choose healthy food but it takes a lot more time and effort. You can choose junk food but it's going to make you feel like crap. Another one that's related to Mom guilt: you can let your kid eat candy, but then you're going to have to pay when they go to the dentist to have their cavities fixed. Or you can have a daily struggle to start brushing their teeth when they're 6 months old. You can drink enough water to be hydrated, but then you have to go pee every hour. Or you can drink less, but then every cell in your body will suffer because you're dehydrated. We have these daily small choices that add up to have a big impact.
I was listening to a podcast this morning about Mom guilt. We're heading out for a racecation this week. As I was training this morning, I was thinking about what food to send for my kid. He is staying two nights at his grandma's house for the first time. The podcast said you can bend over backwards to map out every detail for your Mother-in-law or you can just drop them off and go, and let Grandma and Grandpa figure it out. It's not that I don't trust MIL, it's more like I just want everything to go smoothly and for them all to part ways with good memories, not stress.
I guess I'm just thinking about the whole concept of "having it all." Being a working mom, you do have trade-offs. You're going to let somebody else watch your child, spend time with your child, while you work. And when you are together, you're stressed about work. Not to mention housework like dishes, vacuuming, and laundry. But working more and having more money means you are less stressed financially, so you can buy higher quality food and then feel better.
Let me not forget, you can work on your phone while you're in the waiting room at the tire repair shop. You'll have your tire repaired, and you'll get work done, but you'll have carpal tunnel in your wrist from working on your phone.
Honestly, I didn't have much faith in the herbal remedy recommended to me by my doctor (estroven). But I started taking it anyway because I was desperate. I had been taking a variety of supplements to support mood and milk supply, but it was time to adjust them since I have weaned. This is the new list. I tried to document them so that it would be easier to remember when restocking my pill organizer.
AUVON Weekly Pill Organizer Arthritis Friendly, BPA Free Travel 7 Day Pill Box Case with Spring Open Design and Large Compartment to Hold Vitamins, Cod Liver Oil, Supplements and Medication
One A Day Women's Menopause Multivitamin with Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E and Zinc for Immune Health Support, Bone health, 50 Count
💛Vitamin D3 5000 IU
NatureWise Vitamin D3 5000iu (125 mcg) 1 Year Supply for Immune Support, Healthy Muscle Function, and Bone Health - Non-GMO, Gluten Free in Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, (Mini Softgel), 360 Count
I'm thanking the inventor of sweatpants today. It's interesting that sweatpants' history dates back to runners in the Olympics in the year 1920. Sweatpants became a staple of the American wardrobe during the global pandemic of 2020, a century later. I would love to see a historical photo montage of the evolution of running warm-ups. Instead, here is a historical montage of my sweatpants. These stoned sweats were bought in the aughts after Juicy Couture popularized the bejeweled velour tracksuit. I remember I wore them until they had massive holes everywhere.
Victoria's Secret Pink with Rhinestones on the Butt circa 2008
The new sweatpants I got from Target, as a Valentine's gift to myself this year, are of the brand Universal Thread. I bought them in 4 colors. The green ones say Kindness. The blue ones say Perfect As Is. The red ones say Love. The pink ones say, "it's a good day to have a good day."
Love
One sweatshirt I got this year was a different brand, Grayson/Thread, and it is pilling. It's not as heavyweight. Another sweatshirt I got is the brand Wild Fable, and it is holding up better after many washes. I love the message, too: keep dreaming. It is 80% cotton and 20% recycled polyester. I got a sweatshirt last year made of 55% Cotton, 45% Recycled Polyester. Women's Hooded Love Sweatshirt - A New day™. I love the coral logo but it's been hard to keep it clean because it's cream-colored. But the point is that it's been durable and I've worn it A LOT.
I do remember these pink sweats, which I wore last time I was running long distances. They were pretty thin and I probably mostly slept in them, and I definitely wore them until there were massive holes in them. This is my sister and it was probably the only time in my life where we could wear the same size.
Old Navy? Sweats circa 2010
I don't know why I feel the need to justify these purchases, maybe because they were expensive. But with sweats, I don't buy them often, and I wear them out until it's unsafe to wear them in public because the inner thigh gets holey. I was reading about all the clothing that was donated during the wildfires in Eaton Canyon and Malibu. There were SO many clothes, and because consumers buy clothes so often, the donated clothing was almost new. Unfortunately, what people who were displaced by the fires needed was more toiletries, cash, or food. Some of the donated clothing was probably sent for recycling. So it's interesting that stores like Target use recycled polyester in their new clothes.
Perfect As Is
I feel like I'm driving so hard right now. Like I'm using every possible minute in the day. The semester is wrapping up in some sense, or the home stretch will be a change of pace, but it's not over yet. The track suit was launched in 1939, which included matching pants and top. Adidas adopted the tracksuit in 1967, made from nylon instead of wool. RunDMC's 1986 music video really launched the Adidas tracksuit as a staple of the hip-hop scene.
My Adidas 2020
I get up early, go for my run, do my strength training, or vice versa. Then I go to work. If I have time to grab a shower, I do, get the kiddo ready for school, and walk to school. I am getting a lot of miles, which is good. I'm having trouble getting in all my nutrition, though. And hydration is the worst. I'm pretty much unable to keep up with this. I've had these blue sweatpants for a long time, but I can't wear them to work because the flared leg drags on the ground. But the waistband is super wide and stretchy and it has a real working drawstring.
Dec 2020 Pandemic Xmas
I joined Run Fit Mama in a 30-day program called Royal Core. It's kicking my butt in a good way. I asked my chiropractor if I should consider a breast reduction, and he told me to consider instead being mindful of my posture for 30 days, and then we'll talk about it.
I re-examined the vitamins I'm taking and took out all the ones that were there to support breastfeeding.
As of today, I've been taking the Menopause vitamins for a week. Unfortunately, it hasn't been an instant fix for all my symptoms. Besides sweatpants I'm living in jumpsuits. They're not as easy to use the restroom in, but they are extremely comfortable. All these things I can throw over running tights or bike shorts so that I can stay cozy all day at work, and throw in a workout midday if needed.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CGXVQKBT Muchpow Women's V Neck Sleeveless Jumpsuits Spaghetti Straps Harem Long Pants Overalls With Pockets (XX-Large)
$26.99 army green
$19.99 purple
I think I might be outgrowing my Latched Mama era, my Kindred Bravely era, as well as my LuLaRoe era. I don't need nursing bras anymore, but I'm not sure what my next era will be. Sports bras I guess?
Yep it's cycle day 20. Luteal misery. I fell on my run this morning and cut my knee and the palms of my hands. It got me thinking about my priorities. Should I have cut back the volume of today's run considering I'm a bit sick and on a difficult part of my cycle? Should I have done a shorter workout since my husband and I overslept? Was I rushing to get home and therefore not watching my footing? Was I pushing my pace too hard? Is it too soon after the marathon to be doing speed work again?
Mom
Wife
Teacher
Athlete / Coach
Dog Mom
Friend / Sister
Human Being
Woman
Artist / Gardener
The identities listed above define my priorities. Scheduling my time and doing the most important thing first is a struggle. Minute-by-minute, day-by-day, week-by-week, etc. I do count down the weeks of the semester. I count my parenthood duties as foremost in my mind. I cannot skip these. If my child is sick with a fever, I must drop everything else and take care of him until he is well again.
I guess my wife's duties are to my household and my husband. We took vows to care for each other in sickness and in health. As we strive to reach a more optimized state of health, these duties look like creating shopping lists and meal plans, cleaning kitchens and bathrooms, vacuuming and wiping down common areas, cooking and transporting food, restocking important household supplies, organizing items at the house so they can be inventoried and located, purging items that are no longer used. This is a long list. I also spend many hours per week just putting stuff away, sorting trash from treasures, and resetting areas to be useable again.
Next set of duties that I cannot skip, but also are not my top priority, are the things that I get paid for. Teaching duties, lesson planning, grading, sending emails, posting announcements, following up with absent students, etc. Writing quizzes, making copies, drawing on the board, communicating with colleagues in person and online, reading emails, and scheduling things. I put these things lower on the priority list when I need to, and then higher again when things at home are settled. I work ahead when I feel healthy and balanced, but I fall behind when other higher priorities become urgent.
My duties as an athlete/coach are sometimes higher and sometimes lower, but lately, they have been pretty high. I've let my health take a back seat to parenting and work for half a decade, and now I want to put it higher so that I don't skip workouts and backslide into more significant obesity than I currently am. I spend time creating content for YouTube to educate myself and my runClub. I program and track my workouts using spreadsheets and mileage trackers on Canva. I compare the data on my Samsung Health app to Strava Athlete Intelligence to keep myself motivated and moving forward. As Coach Bennett of the Nike Running app says, You're your best coach. Talk to yourself kindly as you would want your coach to talk to you.
I have a new identity as a dog mom again, which means that I have to fit dog walks into my life. I need to do some dog training and grooming, and remember to add her food to the shopping list, refill her water dish, talk nicely to her, and watch for her under my feet when I'm carrying something large so I don't step on her.
As a friend, this may look like hour-long phone calls to check in on the women in my life. Or it may look like sharing something funny or motivational on Instagram messages. It doesn't have to take up a lot of time when I'm busy, but it is a steady stream of back-and-forth to let those women know they are important, significant, loved, and cared for. It's similar to sisterhood. It's curating the village. This may be a separate post, but I'm leaning into paying for my village. I paid to join the run club. I paid to join the Sparkle Squad. But I get a lot out of it too.
How the "human being" tasks ended up so far down, I don't know. This is stuff like eating, sleeping and pooping. Stuff all humans do. Getting sick, getting well, breathing, digesting, the things we take for granted when it is going well. Maybe we should also put hydration in this category. Also shopping for stuff like supplements, vitamins, and tracking macros. I mean, this could also be a separate post. I've reconsidered the supplements I'm taking. After some bloodwork before my marathon, which I begrudgingly agreed to do, I briefly stopped taking all my supplements. But since then, I've started retaking most of the supplements I had paused.
I guess I would put "woman" in here in a general way to say self-care. Beyond friendships. Stuff like pampering. Spa time. Being alone. Thinking your own thoughts. Blogging like I'm doing now. Doing something I enjoy. The other day I heard a podcast about Disney stuff and they mentioned that Bath and Body Works was doing a line of Disney Princess fragrances. I had to go to the mall and smell it for myself. I'm not sure why this resonates with me in the category of women, but I guess princesses are women and women are taught to be conscious of smelling good, not sweaty, and having soft skin, not rough. So this type of self-care is associated with femininity. It also falls under the Wife category since it involves keeping the lotions and soaps stocked. It is Woman, though, because this dry skin due to perimenopause is something else. And I'm hoping the lotions help with that.
Artist is the last, lowest, and least of my identities. But it's still there! This may be visual with crafting, or it may be kinesthetic with roller disco and dance. I had vowed that when I finished the marathon season, I would do something else in the off-season and get back into dance or rollerskating. And then I went ahead and signed up for another marathon! Yes, I'm doing the LA Marathon 2026. But I still have a lot of semester left to finish, and most of the summer will pass by before training starts again in earnest. Naughty Girl Fitness is $14.44 a month, and it's app-based.
I'm still paying for my Fit4Mom instructor membership, which is $9.99 per month, not even covered by the amount I get paid for coaching the RunClub. After talking with my husband over the long weekend, we may have concluded that I might not continue coaching the RunClub. I might get more out of the season if I commit fully to LARR. The good discount with Fit4Mom is that you do not have to pay for the monthly membership as an instructor and you can still attend classes. I think I was paying $69 per month for Fit4Mom, and at one time, I was paying hundreds of dollars for a monthly membership and Body Well.
People say good things about Orange Theory Fitness, and 24 Hour Fitness, but for now I've got my Planet Fitness Membership. It's $25 per month for the Black Card membership, which includes massage chairs, hydromassage, tanning and Total Body Enhancement, which I have yet to try but I might do it soon. It's vibration combined with red light therapy. Again, this could be a topic of a future blog post. What I'm looking forward to most is the end of the semester and our trip to Nebraska. What I'm not looking forward to is the Rose Bowl Half because it seems so out of place in the season, finishing up all the work of grading and submitting grades, and the weather going hotter and hotter as we approach summer.
Maybe I could add to Artist also Gardener. And this is the lowest priority. At the moment completely dead. But it is generally in spring where I revive our garden. Albert has shown some interest in planting stuff for spring. It will be difficult to justify since we're traveling to Nebraska early in June, but maybe if I'm clear with my husband about care instructions, the garden won't be completely dead when we get back. And I really need to work on getting stuff OUT of our house. It's so overstuffed right now it's stressing me out.
I have been searching for the perfect sports bra that doesn't chafe on long runs. I noticed some hotspots after the holiday half marathon. I generally don't feel it while running but in the shower it burns and then it takes about a week to heal. I knew that my SheFit bras were great for HIIT workouts. They do start to rub on runs longer than 2-3 miles. I thought my Enell bras would suit a half marathon, but they chafed where it clasps in the front. I have the Freya bras, which I will continue to test. But it was time to try Crowned Athletic. Do I really need to start collecting a new line of sportswear? No. But have I been doing a lot of research into which of their bras are supportive? Yes. And have I been waiting for one of their collections that isn't too low-cut? Yes. And have I been checking weekly to snag it when I have the funds available, and the collection isn't sold out yet? Yes.
I purchased the Changed Fate skort, bra, and headband directly from Crowned Athletic. I loved it immediately. The skort has big pockets. One feature that sold me was that people said online that they could run without underwear. It might save me some briefs-area chafe if I don't wear briefs. The shorts under the skirt have huge pockets on the sides of each thigh, and the skirt covers it so it doesn't look like you have a massive bulge on the sides of your legs. There's also a pocket in the back for your phone and ID.
I did wear this set out on two long runs. A 15-miler at a faster pace and a 16-miler at a slower pace. I did get some minor chafing in my armpits, which may have been from the hydration vest, the arm sleeves, the sports bra itself, or the shrug I was wearing to stay warm. Finding the best starting time for a long run has been challenging. If I start at 4:45am, it's super dark and cold, but I'm home before it starts to get above 60 degrees. And it's easier to run in the cold. If I start at 7am, it gets too hot by the end of the run, but I don't have to carry any lights.
I think Changed Fate looks cute with the LARR tank top. I ordered a lime green top with my name on it for race day. I also think the calf sleeves are a nice touch. They offer mild compression without too much pressure. The argyle-print gives me something Merida might wear. I guess they're both from Scotland. It's good for visibility, which is great when I'm running alone. But it did seem a bit loud when I was running with a group that was not running on the roads. The irony of the name LA Road Runners when they only train on trails has not escaped me. I have the Green Mermaid Headsweats Running Visor from Sparkle Athletic that I got used. In some light it looks black and the Changed Fate print can look dark when you're not shimmering in the light. I guess I just prefer more vibrant (lighter) colors. But some people say that the darker color is an advantage because it doesn't show gross sweat patterns. I like the concept of Mama Bear.
That's been one of the challenges of marathon training, finding a way to carry the quantity of carbohydrates you need to fuel these long runs. If you don't practice what you plan to eat on race day, you risk eating something that causes GI distress. These are some of the things that I have had good luck with so far. I also have used Clif Bloks (not pictured here). The thought with having the Crowned Athletic skort is that it might be possible to NOT wear a hydration vest. If I could carry enough food with me, considering that there would be several Gu electrolyte stops along the race course, I could run without a heavy vest or bulky belt.
I got the genius idea to use Post-It notes to show visually all the training runs I have left until the full marathon. I wanted my husband to see which weekends would be a long run and which would be a taper. Unfortunately, the Rose Bowl Half has been postponed due to the fires. Our coach said that we can go ahead and run the program for training week 19 twice. It's incredible how unsettling it was to have a week with this disruption. I couldn't run outside due to poor air quality from the Palisades and Eaton fires, which were completely massive. I did two training runs on a treadmill: one at CSUN SRC and one at Planet Fitness. The road runners still suggest that we shouldn't run outside, but I did anyway this morning. It's that time in the semester when I have to plan and set those intentions into motion and then go on cruise control for the rest of the semester. Plan the work and work the plan.
Fueling Plan for a run that starts at 7am
7:00am - Gu 23 g 7:30am - 3 Clif bloks 24 g 8:00am - Gu 22 g 8:30am - Fruit Strips 24 g 9:00am - Gu 23 g 9:30am - Fruit Strips 24 g 10:00 am - 3 Clif bloks 24 g 10:30am - 2 fruit snacks 20 g 11:00am - Stroopwaffle 26 g 11:30am - Clif bar 48 g Noon - Rx bar 23 g
The goal is to get 50-60 grams of carbohydrates per hour while running.
According to Jeff Galloway, there is something you should do within 30 minutes. Reloading immediately with 100-150 calories is advised for a 5k or 10k. If you reload immediately, it will prevent that feeling of hunger later in the day. For a half marathon, 300 calories. For a marathon, 600 calories. Try to find something that provides 80:20 ratio of carbs-to-protein. You should be drinking 8 x 8oz glasses of water after the race. At least 6 is important. Soaking your legs and feet in water that is 20 degrees cooler than the air temperature for 15 minutes is very beneficial. Taking ibuprofen is extremely effective with runners. If you have the right run/walk/run, you can avoid the aches and pains.
Our coach for the LARR suggested baby food as a source of carbs while running. I tried that on a 10 mile walk and it was comical how much I was farting. I have no idea what they put in this brand of baby food, which I bought at the grocery store because it was on sale. Never again (for me at least).
I did a cost comparison of some of the things I do enjoy taking on runs. Because running-specific snacks can be overpriced, I wanted to see if there was a significant difference in terms of calories only. I'm not talking about electrolytes or caffeine. Some running-specific snacks have electrolytes and/or caffeine added. I've been taking SaltStick Electrolyte Fast Chews since the disaster of cramping badly at the Santa Monica Classic. During the race, I knew that I was taking in only carbs by eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but I didn't realize that I should be taking in a lot more electrolytes than I was. Now I take two SaltStick tabs per 30 minutes. I alternate taking salt tabs and carbs, so that I'm doing something every 15 minutes. My intervals are 2 minute walk, 1 minute run. Turns out that 1 minute is long enough to eat something. And then I have 5 intervals until the next time to do something, chewable. And each time I chew, I also drink water, so that helps me stay hydrated without having to think too much about it.
You can get your caffeine by chewing RunGum (fast forward to 1 hour 30 minutes in the Rise and Run Podcast episode 157). I've never taken RunGum, but maybe I need to "add to cart." It really is two months until the full marathon. I am considering bundling the Gu that I have already bought into Ziploc bags for each of the training runs that remain, so I can be sure I have enough to get me through to the finish line. I may need to order one more pair of running shoes, but I haven't done the calculation on that. I'm considering getting a pair of Ariel GTS 24's but I'm not sure if I should go a half or full size up to prevent losing a toenail. Maybe I should visit Fleet Feet Encino since I'm already going to have to pay full price, since the stock of Ariel 23's are pretty much gone everywhere.
Oct 2023 white purple coral ghost 14 = 178 miles (these are gone)
March 2024 black Ariel 23 = 250 miles (don't run in these anymore)
June 2024 grey green Ariel 20 = 194 miles (don't run in these anymore)
I don't have much to say except I'm sick right now. I got caught up grading my CHEM 101L, but I'm still far behind on CHEM 422L. I have 3.5 weeks until my sister arrives, so I'm praying I feel better soon to get back on the ball and rock out the rest of the grades.
I saw this cute graphic on #chemtwitter, and it made me think of my run club.
Fit4Mom encourages all these things: sun exposure, exercise, meditation, self-care, celebrating small-wins, eating well-balanced meals, giving compliements, volunteering and giving back and laughing out loud. No wonder it's so addictive.
In an updated graphic from this blog post I can see that run club has brought my weight down a bit, but hopefully it will keep trending that way.
Mashup Mom Meal Plans (Nov 2020 - Jul 2021) + Body Well
Coaching Run Club has got me thinking about diet and what meal plans have been effective for us in the past. Also, one of my students analyzed the vitamins I've been taking and it was weird to see it broken down into its constituents and made me re-think whether I need to be taking that or not.
It would be interesting to write about relaxin. I feel like there must be so few studies of lactating women who engage in extended breastfeeding and what effects there may be on hormone levels, and how that impacts weight gain or loss. It would be interesting to write about zyrtec and benadryl. One thing I noticed this past week is that going for a run the Sunday after taking benadryl on Saturday night as a sleep aid, I had an easier time breathing. It's possible that I have some seasonal allergies that are really aggrevated right now after all this rain, we're definitely having LOTS of spring flowers.
I don't even know what the point of this post was. 1) I feel sick. 2) I have no sick days. 3) I can't tell if my symptoms are from PMS or if I have a cold. 4) this cold medicine only works for 2 hours but my lab is 3 hours long. The theme of RunClub this week is nutrition so I've been rethinking my past successes and what made them successful.
I don't always get a chance to write when the spark of inspiration strikes. More often I get a moment of clarity and then my 3-year old starts screaming for something and my insight vanishes like a drop of water on the Arizona asphalt. But for now, I wanted to write about the bittersweet return to school. Academia as a career gives me a break every summer and winter. So I do get to step back from my job duties and into my stay at home mom (SAHM) fantasy.
This morning we went to the grocery store to fill the fridge with healthy stuff after it was clear that Hurricane Hilary was no longer a threat. We bought a few things to continue cooking our way through my Disneyland favorites cookbook. It's been such a wonderful summer project.
I got halfway through the things I wanted to sew and then my sewing machine locked up. I haven't been able to fix it myself so I just packed it up and promised myself I would come back to it later. Albert has enough clothes and I can hand sew the rest of the name tags in to his pants and t-shirts. I kind of like doing it by hand anyway. It feels more intentional.
This week we have faculty meetings. I spent the morning doing laundry, dishes, meal planning and doing stuff related to post hurricane. I dumped out all the standing water to prevent mosquitoes. I put the patio umbrellas back up. I re-hung the shade on our garden window.
Saturday night, when I realized we had to cancel our Disneyland plans, I was so sad, I cried myself to sleep. It wasn't just the trip though. It was the stress of the transition from summer to fall. Letting go of all the summer expectations and milestones and to-dos that didn't get done. We had an amazing summer, to be sure. But now it's over.
I listened to "The Retrievals" podcast and relived some of our IVF journey. I looked back at photos from the day we decided to do it, to the week we actually started treatment, to the months between retrieval and transfer, to the early middle and late months of pregnancy. We got rid of the leftover medical supplies this past weekend and it was so freeing. I made my husband help because I needed a witness and I felt like it shouldn't be just my burden. He was there for all the injections, so he should help with disposal of the leftovers. I needed a witness to help observe that the process of disposal was labyrinthine and impersonal and confusing. But for me it was a reminder that we needed help making our son, that he wasn't the direct product of lovemaking, but instead we required a ton of interventions. It was a lot to process actually.
We got a power hub for our Sactional on the 1-year anniversary of buying it. Got a wireless phone charger. Got two more Kitchenaid attachments: Citrus Juicer and Masticating Juicer. Made spinach and kale and apple juice at home. It was yummy and fun. Got a Sous Vide and the accessories. I loved the chicken and I am planning to try it with pork ribs tonight. We love and use our kitchen gadgets so much.
I titled this post Hungry Heart because it perfectly describes the angst I'm feeling right now. I want time and space away from my family but at the same time I crave intimacy with them. I guess that is why they call it "quality time" and why "absence makes the heart grow fonder." I think you can yearn for an idealistic memory of a place, person or experience. Sometimes, as we found at Disneyland, the real thing is crowded, uncomfortable, and stressful. I think that's how parenthood can be too. I feel touched out quite a bit and am somewhat able to tune out the whining, screaming, biting, hitting, throwing and kicking but not all of it. I don't think my kid has any behavioral problem, it's just typical 3-year old "big feelings" or when he is "overtired." But I know I'll miss him when I go back to work because he can be incredibly sweet too.
So we ended up on a whirlwind week-long trip kind of by accident. My mother-in-law first came up with the idea to take us to Legoland. Then I wanted to go to Disneyland during the holiday season. We made those theme park reservations October 20th. We made all our hotel reservations on Oct 21st. Then my brother-in-law decided to join us the following weekend so we extended our vacation. So it was like 3 x 2 night trips but all in a row.
I'm writing this as we wait to check in to our 3rd hotel. What I am grateful for is that we had 1 day without driving between each driving day. And if we do this again, we agree that it would be more relaxing to stay 5 nights at the same hotel. Also it was a smart idea to have a day in between the theme parks to relax, rather than having 3 days in the park continuously.
When we left home around 9am on Monday morning, I believed we had everything except a soft structured baby carrier. It was on my packing list but I forgot to put it in the car. We drove to South Coast Plaza shopping mall, which was a great place to eat and use the facilities. Parking was free and the mall was decorated so wonderfully for the Christmas holidays. Albert rode the carousel 🎠 with his grandparents, who joined us at the mall. Then we drove caravan style down to Legoland. We arrived just in time to check in at 4pm.
Legoland has a lot of streamlined procedures for check in and check out. They text you a hyperlink, you fill out a form, then when you arrive you scan a code from your phone and an attendant gives you your room keys. Of course they also take your card for incidentals, parking, resort fee, etc. We had a dinner reservation for 4:30pm so we just took our purses and a diaper change kit and a toddler busy bag. We scoped out the layout of the hotel, took a quick peek in our rooms and then reconvened for dinner. The menu wasn't extensive. The prices were steep. But there were TVs and a pit of legos and a play area and the waitstaff was friendly and they brought the kid's food right away, which was great.
After dinner we went out to our vehicles to get the bags. Unfortunately the valets wouldn't let us use the carts so we had to load everything on the stroller and/or carry it. We got it in one trip.
The layout of the rooms was amazing. There was a kids room with bunk beds and a trundle. The kids room had a TV and a wall-mounted LEGO building scaffold. Then there was a huge bathroom. It was big enough for a wheelchair I would think. There was a stepstool for the potty/sink. The toilet had a kids potty seat incorporated. The shower had a tub and rainfall shower head that could be raised or lowered and the wand was detachable. The bathroom was great. The master bedroom had a wizard theme. I loved all the options for nightlights. I didn't love how there was no couch and we had to eat on the bed to watch TV but I guess they expected us to dine at the restaurant.
The outdoor area had a movie screen, a playground and a pool. We did end up using all those things by the end of our visit. However if it had rained the whole time, we would not have had that benefit. The character meet and greet was right outside on the patio of the restaurant. We got a kick out of that.
We went to bed early and it was hard to sleep that first night. There was no good spot in the room to use as a diaper changing station. Eventually I found it was easier to sleep on the pull-out trundle bed. The kids room had a starry night ceiling that you could turn on. Adorable. We got two little prizes. If you do a scavenger hunt in the hotel, you get a code to unlock the safe and there are some lego packs in there.
Breakfast is included. It was amazing. Oatmeal, biscuits, gravy, fruit, pancakes, waffles, bagels, lots of stuff. Omlette, white rice, fried rice, orange chicken, cereal and milk... I can't even remember everything. There were chocolate chips and sprinkles, sliced cheese, sausage and veggie patties, bacon, juice bar. It was completely awesome. We got early-entry into the park. With breakfast at 7AM we had a lot of time to burn before we could get in but the opening ceremony was very cute.
The Legoland park itself is huge. We did 9 rides in 4 hours with Albert taking a 1 hour nap around 11am. We only got about halfway through the park. There were so many things we skipped. I don't know if we would go back but they did offer us passes to return. The food was good. We got meat at the Knight's Smokehouse BBQ. I think Albert's favorite rides were Cargo Ace and Lost Kingdom Adventure because we rode those twice. There were pretty much NO LINES which was incredible! He also really liked the Bionicle blaster and the Police and Fire Academy which weren't rides per se but more interactive. I think he would do the Academy again in a heartbeat. I also liked that area. Speaking as someone who had a LOT of Lego sets growing up, it was really fun to be immersed in the themes. We avoided the BIG gift shop instead opting for a pick-a-brick near the Deep Sea Adventure.
I couldn't figure out how to manage the photos on the app so we didn't get any formal photos taken but I think we took a good amount ourselves. We left the park at 1:30pm and bid adieu to Albert's grandparents at 2pm. We got a hand stamp to get back into the park just in case, but we didn't end up going back. We also got return tickets (4) for a future visit. Maybe we will use them? At least now we have a good idea of what the park offers.
What we did then was genius. We visited the resort pool. There were floating LEGO bricks for Albert to play with. He had to wear a life jacket. The water was super warm, like a bath. The pool had a zero entry and depth of 1.5 feet so Albert could walk in and out and all around. We stayed there for nearly 2 hours. There were 8 lifeguards for the 3 of us. I imagine in warmer months the poolside restaurant is open but it was closed for our visit. We could almost see the outdoor movie from the pool. If we had stayed 30 minutes longer, we could've watched the sunset. Overall super happy we used the pool. There were restrooms and free towels and you could reserve a cabana for $175.
We ordered takeout from the restaurant and picked it up. Eating in our room while watching Beat Bobby Flay was good. Much more relaxing than trying to entertain and contain our 2 year old. We had a view of Legoland Drive from our room and kiddo enjoyed lining his cars up on the windowsill. The in-room climate control worked great. The mini fridge was a bit loud but I was glad we had it because we ordered too much food, as usual, so it was perfect to store leftovers. The only thing lacking was wireless internet. It was good in some areas of the hotel but not in our room, which meant the Roku player didn't work. Hence Bobby Flay. But there were tons of channels for kids, news channels, and sports channels.
We have been going to bed so early this trip, it's been wonderful. We got a good night's sleep and went to breakfast at 7am again. They emphasize that you need a reservation for all meals, which we had, but I certainly saw lots of people walk up without a reservation and they got seated and served. After breakfast, Mike and Albert went to the playground while I went to pack up the room. That was a great division of labor because it gave me the quiet time I needed to pack up and organize. It gave Albert the time he needed to run, jump and climb. Checkout was easy and automatic. We dropped our keys off in the lobby. All our luggage was rolled out to the car in our stroller, so that worked out. Kiddo fell asleep pretty much right away. I think we were on the road at 9:30am. We drove to our old standby, the Anaheim Gardenwalk. Parked for 3+ hours for $6. We love parking there because there is a restroom near the security station.
We walked Downtown Disney. We got corn dogs for lunch. We walked back to the car and drove to our hotel, arrived at checkin. Got our room. Made a takeout order for CPK and got our food. Booking dog-friendly hotels in the past was a priority. Now it is a risk. We have found that using a lavender spray helps prevent the fleas from bothering us. Oilogic Slumber & Sleep Essential Oil Linen Spray gave us free samples which are great for travel-sized bottles. I would totally buy a larger one to refill the small bottles.
Our LQ room was good except the tub was crushed and when you stood too close to the drain, it felt like the floor was crumbling beneath you. It was terrifying. But other than that, the room was a good fit for our needs. We plugged in our Roku and enjoyed a bit of TV and showers before bed. Next morning was our park day so we woke up at 6am, packed up the stroller and rolled out. We were lined up in plenty of time for rope drop. We got our Golden Hour and then our grey stuff and coffee at the Red Rose Tavern. We did a ride and then had an early lunch overlooking the rivers of America. It turned out to be a great spot because we could watch the boats and trains go by. Since we ate early, we pretty much had the patio to ourselves. Also Albert had a wide choice of dips, French fries, chicken nuggets, and mac n cheese, and 2% milk. Pretty much all his favorite things. So we put him in the stroller and walked through Galaxy's Edge, and he fell asleep immediately. We didn't see Grogu but we definitely looked for him.
We parked in my favorite nap spot by Big Thunder Mtn RR. Albert slept for a full 2 hours. After the nap we used our Genie+ LL to skip the line and enjoy the holiday overlay of It's A Small World. Mike got us pretzels and we found a spot to watch the Christmas Fantasy parade. After that we got dinner at Bengal BBQ and the three of us were so exhausted that we ate in silence. So we realized it was time to head out. Luckily on our way to the exit, we caught the Main Street USA tree lighting ceremony. It was so cute.
At our hotel, we did showers and finished our dinner and watched a bit of TV. We were in bed shortly after 7pm. I was awakened by the fireworks at 9:30pm but it was okay. I enjoyed watching them from our room.
Next day, we tried having all of us down at continental breakfast. It was messy, loud, but at least we got a free meal. We had the room nearly all packed up before breakfast. After eating, we got the luggage cart and loaded it up. We left a tip in the room for the housekeeping staff. I was astounded at the amount of garbage we amassed during our 2-night stay. We left our car at the hotel and went for another walk through downtown Disney. It's safe and there are restrooms.
When we got back to our car, Albert was ready for his nap. We had a nice drive to the next hotel and he slept for 2 hours again. We arrived at 1pm but checkin wasn't until 4pm so we chilled in the parking lot. That's when I started writing this. Luckily they let us use the restroom in the lobby. And they let us know we could go into our room at 2pm.
Our 3rd room was very homey. It was a Residence Inn. There was a kitchenette, fireplace, bed, couch, desk, dining table. The cupboards and drawers were stocked with dishsoap, dishtowels, silverware, potato peeler, can opener, bowls, coffee mugs, etc. It was nice after a couple days of not having real mugs for our morning coffee. It was nice to have a full-size fridge. The bathroom had a large countertop and vanity area that was split from the toilet and shower.
We went to the grocery store and bought $70 worth of food and had a quite nice dinner and early bedtime. Continental breakfast was included and there were eggs, sausage and cereal, toast, coffee, juice. It was nice but nothing fancy. I had the idea to burn a log in our fireplace, which I felt was a great way to enjoy the room. Late morning Mike got the idea to do some Christmas shopping. It was ironic to be buying gifts for other people on his birthday.
This year our Christmas theme turned out to be the year of socks. I bought Woven Pear socks for my family and Mike went to the $1 spot at Target and did the same. Turns out all of us kept it simple this year with cash and gift cards, which was nice. The gifts were small and portable.
Mike’s birthday was great. There were streamers and balloons saying 50th. The plates were metallic and we almost burned the house down by microwaving one. We got dinner catering from El Pollo Loco. It was all so wonderful.
We bundled up and walked down to the boat parade. Since I didn't have a backpack style baby carrier, we took Albert down to the dock in the BOB stroller. As soon as he was floating, he fell asleep. The boats were festive and it was nice to catch up with our nephews. The moment I had to relax on the dock after Albert fell asleep and the parade started was just about as peaceful as I could ever dream up. It was like a Monet or Renoir painting.
The following morning was very relaxing. We packed up from 6-8am. We grabbed continental breakfast and checked out. We rendezvous-ed with Albert's California grandparents for a nice walk through the back bay. Then we met up with Uncle Dave for lunch at Fashion Island. We had an uneventful drive home and made it with 10 minutes to spare for the Zoom call with Albert's Nebraska grandparents. I'm finishing up this blog post at work. I would have loved to embed photos throughout but short video clips will have to do.
11/2 - Wondering Wednesday - What to do while kiddo is sleeping in? When to send them back to daycare after a few sick days? How long will they continue to fit in the stroller? Mombrain is working overtime this morning!
I did a COVID test yesterday. It was negative, so at least we know it's not that. He has one molar left (top right) that has yet to erupt but he hasn't been asking for Tylenol so I didn't think it was that. He asked me to read him a book about being sad. It was powerful because he doesn't talk yet and maybe that was his way to communicate. His dad took the day off to stay with him because daycare drop-off was such a struggle that I gave up. I dropped LO at DH's office after trying and failing to convince LO to put on his mask FOR AN HOUR. DH has never done drop-off, not even once. So if he takes kiddo back over there, this will be a first.
I found the weight limits on our BOB Revolution CE 2011. There's a default position up to 40 lbs. Position 2 is for Child 41 to 70 pounds. So we have a ways to go. Our kid is light (28 lbs) but tall so his head hits the awning. I guess that's why I thought he might be getting too big. I have a folding wagon with a removable canopy, which allows for much taller kiddos. A snack tray in the wagon would be nice. I also would love if it had the push bar handle instead of a pull handle.
11/7 - November is moving faster than October. October moved faster than September. I barely remember August at this point. I'm so grateful.
We finally have a return to menstruation. It's been 32 months of breastfeeding, which has saved our family $424 in feminine hygiene products. So we celebrated by getting Sprinkles strawberry cupcakes which were delicious and look like boobs.
Also I am celebrating that I AM NOT CRAZY. I was having hormonal rebalancing that made me sad and IT WAS REAL and it will get better.
I bought ~$100 of stuff at the SCV KIDS Online in Valencia in September. I bought ~$100 of stuff at LA KIDS Online in Burbank in October. One of the things I bought was a lot of fake succulents. I stuck them into my vertical garden because my real succulents weren't looking too hot. I think it looks absolutely great. I'm happy we are going to see Thomas the train this weekend to celebrate Veteran's day and spend the day with Albert's grandparents. We are also planning to sell some stuff at LA KIDS San Fernando Valley in Woodland Hills in December. If I can secure a consignor number tomorrow at 10am. Not that I'm trying to make a ton of money, but it would be nice to clean out the garage of stuff that we aren't really using. Some things are just a "miss" in terms of what Albert likes.
11/15 - Oh the money I've spent on vitamins! I seriously wish it would be covered by insurance or just shipped to you (government issued). Right now I'm taking postnatal, vit D, vit B12, Calcium-Magnesium, and lecithin. It's $1.20 per day. It adds up. From kiddo's DOB until now, that would add up to $1,171.20. I had it in my imagination that we could take a nice vacation for the price of these vitamins, and yes, it's true. That's not including the prenatal vitamin, vit B6 and digestive aids I was taking during pregnancy. Like, it feels sad to spend our hard-earned money on this. Like, earning money at all feels sad. I feel sad every time I leave my kiddo behind while I go to work. I feel sad that a mother's work isn't really recognized in our society. I feel sad that there aren't a lot of postnatal visits for the birthing parent. I feel like pelvic floor PT and talk-therapy should be compulsory. And complimentary. I probably feel sad because I'm going through weaning blues. There are symptoms associated with weaning like dizziness that nobody warns you about. I got a whole book on weaning and it's not even mentioned. I feel sad that my non-teaching days are treated like "days off" but they're not really days off, I still have a ton of student work to grade. I'll be over here crying in my tea buried under a mountain of ungraded papers.
TLDR: My kiddo is home sick today.
11/17 - Another day, another daycare battle. I do my best to comply with the mask policy, but now there are signs posted saying the kid cannot enter the classroom OR THE HALLWAY unless they are wearing a mask. Masks are optional in the atrium where sign-in happens. I am so sick of battling my kid to put his mask on.
We had just gotten into a good groove where I take him into the classroom, he washes his hands, we say goodbye and he puts his mask on WILLINGLY. Prior to last week, we would have a battle in the hallway because he couldn't go into his classroom without a mask. Now he can't go into the hallway so we have to battle in the atrium. I ended up carrying him out to the car to "start over" and I had him put his mask on outside before we went into the atrium because it was just so embarrassing to have a screaming kid in the big open indoor area.
I think one of the most unsettling things about the pandemic was the changes in policy. Like when we get used to one thing, then the policy changes, we just have to adjust and it sucks. And it seems arbitrary, we don't always get to know the "why." The kids don't wear masks while sleeping or eating, which they do right there in the classroom. Honestly I don't even know what this battle is about. I just know that if I'm not willing to do it, we'll get kicked out of this daycare and it is well-priced and conveniently located.
I hate that I'm the one consistently doing dropoff and I'm the one fighting this battle and it feels personal that they changed their policy, like it's just to keep us from struggling in the narrow hallway, which was awkward. I find it so challenging to negotiate with Marchling. There's no incentive that I can think of, he's not persuaded by stuffies wearing masks, friends and family members wearing masks, he's not interested in food or toy rewards. All he wants is cuddles and that's not helpful when I'm trying to drop off and get out of there. Lingering definitely made the problem worse.
I honestly don't know how the other parents bargain with their 2-year and 3-year olds. How do they ALL behave so well and we're the only ones who can't seem to get with the program? Sigh... parent-teacher conference is Dec 2nd (two weeks from now) so maybe that will shed some light on these issues we're having. I'm exhausted.
I tried discussing masking in the car. I think I need to start talking about it more and just start him wearing it sooner. What ultimately worked was to reward him with a surprise car.
Mike does pick up and he says half the kids are running around indoors without masks in the afternoon. I just hate that drop off is already so traumatic. Like, who cries at pick up? nobody. Who cries at drop off? many of them. Then to make the mask a thing that happens when we say goodbye to mommy... I just hate it.
Yeah, I had hoped it would prevent the spread of colds, but kiddo has been sick twice this semester so it's not like it's completely preventing the spread of diseases. It almost seems like a test that I'm failing, but that's probably just my insecurity as a FTM. We don't do punishment like time outs and such. My kiddo is generally happy and agreeable and so sweet. This mask thing is like WHY is this the hill we need to die on?
11/21 - Kiddo loves sour cream dip. I asked him last night what he wanted for dinner and he said "dip" and did a hand gesture like dipping a chip. It was so cute. At daycare dropoff this morning, it sounded like he said "love you" and did an open arms gesture. Kind of like blowing a big kiss. We're still speech delayed and the only word we hear regularly is "car" so it's always a milestone when we hear other sounds.
