Mommy Monday in Pics!

I've been missing my Mommy Monday posts and figured I would share what has been keeping me so busy besides work and running!    

Lucas danced his way into getting all of these leis. The kids got skills.

I've been trying to tell Scott that this is ABSOLUTELY normal...so you other moms could you please support me when I say..."If you have a sister...you can pretty much guarantee you are going to be dressing up!" 

Too cute...

Lucas doing "Downward Facing Dog"

Okay. So I am pretty sure Supernanny would say its not right to take pictures whilst the child is IN the naughty corner...but I couldn't help it.  He was so darn cute.  Notice the wet pants...he flooded my laundry room from holding down the water lever on the cooler.  Today he stuffed THREE kernels of CORN up ONE nostril!!!  AND YES..if I could of I WOULD HAVE taken a picture lol...but I was too busy popping them out of his nostril to grab the camera.

"Mommy- these are the bestestes cupcakes ever" (that was an intentional typo btw)

This is something I made for Brooke's Dance Birthday party...Sorry rocky..couldn't resist the cute pic of you two!

Making the mache part of Paper mache

This is when things were still 'kinda' neat

This is when we were done!!!! We'll paint and add faces and hair tomorrow.

Kids helping me with dinner

Planting and then watering the garden.

Celebrating the big 4!  Look how proud she is....

So there ya go...what I have been up to...with some running, hot yoga, playing and sleeping thrown in there.  Now that the party planning is done I am going to focus on filling in my running planners and posting my goals, what I am doing, yada yada...you know...all things running. 

Remember to put in for the KATHY FRESTON QUANTUM WELLNESS BOOK GIVEAWAY. 

Only 24 hours?and Book Giveaway

I haven't been here in a week and its so frustrating because I want to be.  I find myself waking up a bit earlier and going to sleep a bit later to try and fit it all in.  How does one fit in being a mommy, a wife, a teacher, training for a marathon, taking care of a house AND writing a blog??  It's hard. 

How do I fit it all in in 24 hours?? I don't know but I am sure going to try because I miss my blogging everyday.  I think I am going to have to put aside a set time each day...probably in the am...ugh...did I ever tell you I am NOT  a morning person?  My body fights every effort I make to train myself to be a morning person...my body is winning that fight.
So what's new:
*This Monday will be WEEK 3 of training for my 1st marathon.  I have been keeping up with all of my runs and I have been stretching after each run.  I get very tight after the long runs and do feel some pinching but I am staying on top of it and refuse to be stupid...meaning I will rest if my body asks for it.  

*  I PLACED 2ND in that "fake" Triathlon at my gym.  It was the final class for the Tri training I took.  I have to say it didn't feel so fake after...I was so tired and hurting.  The swim was incredibly difficult because the adrenaline caught up with me and messed up my breathing.  I was in 4th place with the swim...moved up to 3rd with bike and then pushed through at the very end and came in 2nd with the run.  There were 6 students. I was the only "chick"...and I use that term only because the instructor used it after I beat 4 of the guys and said..."You got chicked"!

*  My little girl turned 4 on mothers day.  What an awesome day it turned out to be.  The hub went above and beyond and showed that he is "in it to win it"...sorry I can't get Randy Jackson out of my head...BTW...who do you think is going to win idol? or do you not care???

*  QUANTUM WELLNESS GIVEAWAY-  some more info...
I promised I would share some more things about the book and why I thought it was so awesome.  It seems so many people think they can't do it or don't even want to do it..but I urge you to try it as a challenge...you may be pleasantly surprised.  

  *  I was able to find new foods and try new foods that I had never been interested in. 

  * It helped me wipe my slate clean ...literally.

  *  It helped me to see that if I can do this...I honestly can do ANYTHING and I DON'T need to
     eat 3 candy bars when I am stressed

  *  It allowed me to see that I do have the  power to pass on things that I KNOW are not going to make me feel good or make my body stronger...which is what I want for running.

  *  It took off 6 pounds that I didn't even know I had to lose.

  * IT MADE MY BELLY FLAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hope you'll take the challenge on...or try for the books and take it on when you feel like its a better time for you. 
Click here to enter the giveaway.

I'll check in tomorrow! Good luck with the Giveaway!!!

I'm Giving Away Some QUANTUM WELLNESS!!!!!!

So if you have been reading my blog you have been hearing some news about a cleanse that I did and how I couldn't wait to tell you about it.  I've been holding off because there is a lot of info I wanted to share and I wanted to be able to explain with pics how it helped me, the hard parts, the end results...etc. etc.  I'm sure you all know that that takes some time ;). PLUS I also wanted to see how I felt the month after the cleanse.  I am going to break this into a few posts because I know how you all jump to the giveaway info and skip all of this IMPORTANT INFORMATION!!!   love reading paragraphs and paragraphs.

First things first.  Why a cleanse? 
The word 'cleanse' doesn't always get the best reaction from people.  My dad thought I was going to have to drink some wacky drink for a month with no food, my mom wondered out loud  isn't wondering supposed to be in your head?? "I wonder why you are always running around doing this crazy stuff crap, and someone I work with thought I was certainly losing my mind because I was considering not eating meat for 21 days.  "What no sausage in the morning...?!"

So Why? 
I was running, working out, taking care of myself all day and then I would eat my head off at night. Now, I wouldn't mind the eating because I do run and exercise...the problem was what I was eating. I can't tell you how much chocolate or sugary items I ate in one night.  Actually, I can...I could easily leave Target with a Snickers and Hershey Almond bar as a 'shopping snack', I would get tins of chocolate for presents and they would be gone the next day, if I ran out of chocolate in the house-I would eat baking chocolate, I've eaten 13 cherry cordials in ONE SITTING.  My husband could easily find 10 -12 Hershey Kiss wrappers under my pillow (yes, I did).  I was addicted to chocolate.  I was addicted to sugar.  Sugar loved me and I loved sugar.  No question about it. 

I also started drinking coffee a few years ago...needed a new habit ;) and over those two years went from a small, to a medium, to a large, to 2 larges.  Long story short here...I wasn't sleeping as well at night, I felt jittery and anxious more often than not, and I felt dependent on the caffeine.  I was addicted to caffeine.

I first heard about the cleanse through a friend and thought THERE IS NO WAY I COULD EVER DO THAT!  Honestly, when I told Scott about it, he looked at me like..."Annette, Seriously?  Where should I move for those 21 days?"  All I could do was laugh, my nervous-scared-laugh. 

I wanted a fresh start.  I loved how Kathy Freston promised that I may "break free from some of my lesser habits and cravings and the impulse for immediate gratification", I loved that it was "about choosing foods that don't tax the body and make it work so hard",  and I loved how she said "the beauty of it is that you can take what feels right from this program and leave the rest behind".  It is an opportunity to "reboot".  That is why I did the cleanse.  I wanted to clean my slate....and that it did!

So here's how I am going to do it.  I 'm going to first wet your palate by explaining what the cleanse consists of. 
Kathy suggests Eight Pillars of Wellness-
* meditation
* visualization
* fun activities
* conscious eating
* exercise
* self-work
* spiritual practice
* service
Her Quantum Wellness Book is a "Practical and spiritual guide to health and happiness".  It explains all of the above Eight Pillars. 

The Quantum Wellness Cleanse walks you through 21 days of practicing a life-style change.  It takes you by the hand and walks you through day-by-day  to help you understand what to do, what to expect, ways to eat and how to deal with the crap that comes up when you are indulging in all of those things that help you through your 'tough times'.  
Please don't fall on the ground and cry that you can't do this because if I could do it, you could do it.... Absolutely, no one was hurt in my 21 days....so you should be fine. 
During the cleanse you will refrain from the "Big Five" (I will leave my first reactions to this in parenthesis)
*caffeine (how on earth?...ouch)
*alcohol (gulp)
*gluten (seriously...I'm not sure you know how much crap Gluten is in... so double ouch)
*animal products (hmmm)
*sugar (seriously Kathy???WHY OH WHY???)
Okay...that wasn't too bad right?

I will be posting about this for a couple of days just so you can understand how I have changed from it.  I didn't want to go toooo much into it in one day because I know its a lot to read with our busy lives. 

So here's your favorite part. 

Kathy Freston agreed to give BOTH books- Quantum Wellness and The Quantum Wellness Cleanse to one lucky winner!!!!

and here's why I'm JEALOUS!!!!

SHE SIGNED THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The "must" rules (1 entry each)

1. Follow this blog cause its so darn good!

2. Write WHY you would want the books and how you think it would help you most. 

The Teachers pet-extra credit rules (1 entry each)

3.  Post this giveaway on your blog! 

4.  Like this blog on facebook (cause it took me two hours to figure out how to do it...!)

5.  Like Kathy Freston on Facebook and tell her (Running) In the Right Direction sent ya!

Giveaway ends JUNE 4TH!!!!!!!!

Jumpin and a Skippin, Giveaways, Reviews...etc!

Okay so I'm literally jumping and skipping around the house tonight.  Tomorrow morning I have my "fake but not so fake" first Tri!!  It is the last class in the 9 week program and I am super pumped!  Not sure how I am going to fall asleep?!  I'm hoping to place at least 2nd or 3rd...lol...there are only 10 in the class but heck I think I have a chance even though the guys have arms that are longer than half my body (talking swim here-I feel like their one stroke is my 3!)...I think I can pull through with the run...I checked out there times on the down-low lol. 

Honestly, I am just so excited that I'm able to participate!! Its such an awesome feeling to be back in the game.  Still haven't figured out the bathing suit/bra thing...meaning do I not wear one or do I wear one and be sopping wet?  Any Tri folks out there with good advice let me know...I do know that I tried the tri shirts and they didn't really give my girls the support I need. ;)

Random pieces of info (because my mind is jumpin and skippin too!)
Here are some of the races I will be doing in the summer series...

Race 1 6/13June 13. Heckscher - 5 Miles. Very flat.

Race 2 6/20June 20. Sunken Meadow - 10k. Very hilly. Cross country course. Some of the route on the boardwalk.  (This run is killer and I may have to avoid it due to the fact that I don't want to aggravate the ol' pubic bone with crazy hills. )

Race 3 6/27June 27. Caumsett - 5k. Please get there early. Carpooling recommended.
Race 4 7/11July 11. Hempstead Lake - 4k (2.49 miles). Flat, many turns. Get there early!!
Race 5 7/18 July 18. Belmont Lake - 5k. Mostly flat.
Race 6 7/25 July 25. Robert Moses - 5k.
Race 7 8/1 August 1. Bethpage - 5k. Paths through the golf course.
GET THERE EARLY! PLEASE CARPOOL.
Race 8 8/8 August 8. Jones Beach - 5 Miles. Start and Finish in Parking field #5 by Zachs Bay.

An AWESOME giveaway is coming up and a super REVIEW!!!   Giveaway will hopefully be posted by the weekend, still working on the post. Review on awesome RYDER  Tri sunglasses will be done after Sundays run!  Check back.

Wish me luck!  I'll check in tomorrow!

Who's Cheering You On?

The loudest and most meaningful cheer that you will ever hear comes from within yourself .

-A. Johnson

(p.s...I googled it and it seems I may be the first to think of this one...if I'm wrong let me know...if I am correct -get me a copyright lawyer!!lol)

I did my first long run after not running for 6 weeks.  It was difficult and reminded me of how much mental strength running calls for.  As I hit the trail part of my run, I started telling my runner friends some of my thoughts...ha ha!  Now, these thoughts can be uplifting, crazy, spontaneous, awkward, unusual or funny.  Running kind of unleashes the thoughts....bystanders beware!  In all seriousness though, many of the thoughts and ideas are things that I just wouldn't be able to think of in a day because there is so much clutter, so much going on.  Running frees me of my clutter and helps me to think more clearly, it gives me more focus, it allows me to tap into the part of myself that I love the most. 

The quote above is what I said to myself when I heard my friends giving me 'inspirational words' to keep moving and not to quit.  I loved them for doing it but I knew the most important words were going to come from myself.   I needed my cheer to be louder.  I couldn't believe how 6 weeks could dull my cheer for myself as much as it did.  It takes practice over a consistent period of time doing the things that make you your best AND being able to acknowledge and accept having to get rid of those things that don't.  That is what I feel makes your own cheer louder and this is my blog so tough if you don't agree.  Many things can muffle it, some things mute it totally.  The question is what will you allow and how will you get your cheer back?

1. What makes you feel your best?  Being organized, running, laughing, and spending 'quality' time with my family. I hate feeling rushed and cluttered.  I feel the running is always first because it allows me to clear my head so I have the patience and ability to spend the 'quality' time with them.  Otherwise, I am running around like a chicken without a head.
2. What tests your 'cheer' or confidence in your self?  New things, scary things...getting back into running, speaking up to someone that I'm afraid to confront, raising my kids and being confident with how I am doing it because you don't get a rewind button...I could go on and on.  These things are  why I keep forcing myself into those types of situations.  I feel if you don't, you won't know your potential....it would make Annette a dull girl...and I'm not to fond of dull. ;) 
3. What things get in the way of what you truly want or muffles your cheer? Okay for me...not enough sleep, not being organized, not getting enough sleep (can you tell I'm tired?), being around people that aren't positive for me, not eating my best.

What about you??

I'm Back, I'm Excited and I'm Sharing!

Jeez, what a week can do to a girl.  I have so much to say, so much to write about that I can barely put it all in a coherent paragraph...therefore, I shall bullet! 

*  I started running again.  I got the okay from my doctor and was a bit nervous to start.  Love the "Tip of the Week"  I found in my Runner's World Log...

     Don't let a recently recovered injury keep you running tentatively.  If a doctor has given you the go-ahead, what's holding you back is probably mental.  Avoid injury anxiety through relaxtion and focus.  Zero in on small details, such as your pace or form, to distract your mind from negative thoughts about the old injury. 

So,  'I am running (yes, that was said in the Forrest Gump voice in my head).  I'm not going to lie.  It was difficult...lots of mental strength to get through at times.  We'll talk more about the quote that came into my head when running yesterday! It's copyright'able'...well my friends said so...we'll see what you think tomorrow!

*  HUGE and Exciting news...that I will be sharing with you this week so make sure to check back.  Here are some hints:  CLEANSE, KATHY FRESTON, GIVEAWAY and I'M JEALOUS (you'll understand why later!)

*  You have to appreciate the 'tailspins' you come across in life-if you don't, you won't learn from them.  Boy did I allow myself to spin a bit this past week...but glad I did.  Wouldn't be where I am now.  Allow yourself the freedom to not have all the answers...it will come...eventually!

*Thanks for all the responses on my last post.  I felt honored that you all shared things about yourself.  Writing about things big or small always seem to help so I am glad you joined me and were able to get something from what I went through.  It was such a difficult post to write and some even asked..."Why share it?"....I shared to get it out, to not have it as a secret anymore, to be free from it. 

* My two winners from the GU giveaway...email me your addresses!!!!! The GU is calling your name!!

* I will keeping a log on here along with my posts because MARATHON TRAINING HAS BEGUN!!!!!!

That's all for now folks. I have to run because my son is trying to hit his sister over the head with a pooper scooper!  You can't make this stuff up!

Naked in Front of the Crowd

And I feel like I'm naked in front of the crowd
Cause these words are my diary, screaming out loud
And I know that you'll use them, however you want to

These lyrics stand out to me so much when listening to the song Breathe by Anna Nalick.  I love it because it touches on how I feel about blogging.  Blogging is very therapeutic for me and in the past it is something I would have never been able to do.  I used to always keep things inside, never really speak about what was bothering me or how I felt.  This at one point in my life made me so different from who I truly was, it made me physically ill and I became emotionally numb..
...
About seven years ago, my hub and I tried to get pregnant.  It took us at least 9 months to realize things weren't happening as easily as we had hoped they would.  I never thought I would have a problem getting pregnant and here I was sitting in my gyno office explaining what had been happening the past 9 months, my medical history, our family history.  That was the first step of what would become a very long path for us.  A path that I didn't share with many people at the time.  I was surrounded by girls trying to get pregnant or that were pregnant.  It was the age.  You were supposed to keep it a surprise until 3 months, until it was safe.  That was what you were supposed to do.  But what do you do when you are trying for another nine months after that and nothing??  You become obsessed!

I finally decided to go to a specialist and we started taking drugs like Clomid and going through procedures that are not so...shall we say...fun.  (months later)I finally became pregnant with the use of injections and Clomid.  I really can not explain to you how much work all of it was.  Appointments before work, appointments after work, pee on this, pee on that, prick this, count that...etc. etc. It took a toll on both of us. But who cared! I was PREGNANT.  I became very nauseous which I couldn't share with too many people because you don't tell until you are out of the woods.  We continuously had to monitor everything and were so happy to see the little bean growing week after week.  After a couple of weeks we shared with my parents and close family that we were pregnant.  I will always remember making my first scrapbook page for the baby. I used it to announce the pregnancy to my parents.
(tears)
I remember being in the kitchen cabinet store feeling so swollen so early.  I remember going to a conference and being so happy to tell the girls at my table that I was pregnant (I didn't know them and knew it was safe to share!)I remember going in and wondering if we were going to hear the heartbeat. 

It took a bit, but sure enough we did hear the heartbeat. The doctor kept checking and said something about the heart rate only being 110 this was at 10 weeks.  Only?   This put me on alert but not too much because we were so happy to hear our baby's heart.  We had heard another time after that and were elated just the same.
Two weeks later we were in for another sono when the nurse technician went to get the doctor.  I immediately felt my stomach drop.  I immediately felt myself enter a place I never felt before.  I immediately felt alone and distant.  Everything I heard from then on, I felt was being heard from someone else. I felt like I was watching this all happen to me. 
"No heartbeat, no blood flow, we are very sorry"


what?


This was when I shut down. I just was going through the motions.  I had to go for a DNC at 13 weeks pregnant. It was the day before school started.  The week AFTER I was going to make my announcement.  I remember waking up groggy, barely coherent and asking "How is my baby?" and everyone just looking at me not knowing what to say.
I feel in my heart that she was a girl and I haven't forgotten.  I will never forget. She was a part of me.

I went home, slept and the next day I went to work like nothing ever happened.  This is what I did and this is what made me sick.  I held so much in, so much hurt, so much anxiety of trying again.  I literally made myself physically ill and had to stay home from work for a month.  I didn't know how to speak about it.  I didn't know how to deal with the fact that not only did I have a miscarriage, I also had to deal with the "unexplained infertility". 

***
I made it through with a lot of work and support.  I found an excellent doctor that specialized in being a wonderful person and in infertility.  I had to go through IVF and that is how I have my two beautiful children.  It takes A LOT for me to say all that and I do it because I learned that that is what makes you most at peace.  Speak the truth, live the truth and if someone doesn't like it, doesn't agree that's okay it doesn't change a thing for me.  I don't wish that on anyone but I don't regret it because I learned sooo much from it.  I am so much more compassionate, I am more able to put myself in others shoes, I learned about myself and what works for me and what doesn't.  It changed my way of thinking.
So blogging to me
helps me feel exactly like this song says...

And I feel like I'm naked in front of the crowd
Cause these words are my diary, screaming out loud
And I know that you'll use them, however you want to

Along with all my talk about running (and not running for that matter) I do hope that my words will sometimes make you laugh, think, wonder, or become more informed
Or they can just help you fill some time doing what you love...blog reading!
No matter what, thanks for letting me share and thanks for following!

What event/thing has changed you or your way of thinking?
What gets you through a tough day?
Why do you blog?

Ps.  check out the winners in the previous post!!
PSs...last week was National Inferitlity Awareness Week...Check out this  post at MoreCheeseand video my SIL posted on her blog. 

And the Winner Is!!!

Brooke announces the winner!

Okay so I promise this was legit!   I didn't coax Brooke into choosing Amanda
 because I love her blog and/or that she did say I was "too cute" ...those are just bonuses!!
 Congrats Amanda@runninghood!!
I also wanted to add Dina to the winnings...a little inspiration in the form of GU could never hurt anyone! Keep running!
Amanda and Dina please contact me at mrsjohnson15@yahoo.com with your info!
(I just noticed...I use a lot of exclamation marks!!!!I'm really excited!lol)