Monthly Archives: March 2012

March 31, 2012

fast food fri: SOUP

By Wind Inspired

This is going to be one of those Soup-to-Nuts kind of posts.

For my eldest daughter who reads this daily (usually to make sure I’m writing nice things about her and not posting embarrassing photos) and thinks some of her parents phrases are a little crazy, Soup-to-Nuts means:  the whole thing from beginning to end.  At some fancy meals, soup is often the first course and a dessert with nuts is sometimes the last.

So…. where do I begin? Let’s start with the NUTS.

By 8:15 am I had already packed lunches, cleaned the kitchen, threw in a load of wash and made Rice Krispie treats.

In true ADD form while I type a few lines here and there, I am also sorting the laundry, painting a coconut, answering emails, making the grocery list and putting together 2 boxes for the post office. And just so that you feel like you are here with me you can look at my chaos.

We plan to get out of the house today. Grace seems chipper. “My head hurts, but not as bad.” We head to the Dr at noon, and fingers are crossed, hoping that all the results show that we are on the upswing from a mere virus. Grace is excited to see the photos of her brain.

In other news:

The sun is finally out.

Our favorite restaurant that was damaged during hurricane Irene has a NOW OPEN sign out. I am sooooo looking forward to ribs, a mojito, good music and some mechanical bull riding.

I am going grocery shopping this afternoon. I am almost giddy about the fact that I will be out in public with the healthy people. I did my hair and put on lipstick. I almost don’t even care that it is Friday, before Spring Break, on a pay-day, at the commissary.

We have reached 10:00 am and I am about to seal this up. It is a “happy Easter, welcome back to my time zone, I miss you” package for a dear friend. I am hoping that Rice Krispie treats and pictures of the kids might convince her that she needs to come visit. SOON.

It is 11:53 am and we have gotten good news all around at the Dr’s office. The blood work has improved from earlier this week and the CT scan reports that “the cranial vault is unremarkable.” Grace was not happy to hear that particular description, since in her opinion, her brain is in fact, quite remarkable. Remarkable, unremarkable – either way, she is getting better and we are cleared to thoroughly enjoy Spring Break!

FINALLY, to the SOUP. It is Friday. And it is Lent. And it is 5:18 pm. The kids (all 4 of them) and I just finished grocery shopping. Since I am exhausted and still have many things to do to prepare for tomorrow (our Squadron’s Easter Egg Hunt and Brunch) I will be relying on FAST FOOD to feed this hungry crew. Our favorite Lenten meal is Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup. Simple. Basic. Comforting. The problem is, gluten is in almost all prepared soups and broths. While I don’t mind making my own, it takes some time and some days I just don’t have it. And other days we all want different soups and I don’t have enough freezer storage to stock a wide variety. Welcome Pacific Natural Foods.

These soups appeared in the commissary a few months ago. Alleluia! They answered our needs for gluten-free broths, tomato soup and lots of other tasty flavors. I love that I can pronounce every ingredient. The containers are easy to keep in the refrigerator. And, best of all – the are really delicious. I enjoyed the Butternut Squash through the fall and now I am on a Curried Red Lentil kick.

We give these two thumbs up.

There you have it. My crazy day start to finish and my fast, healthy shortcut to getting the kids fed.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend planned.

Me? I can’t wait to see all the adorable little ones hunting for eggs tomorrow morning. And I hope that no one notices that the jellybean jar is missing all of the orange ones. Maybe the factory had an orange malfunction. I am certain that no one would have had the gall to pick them out and keep them all for herself.

TGIF!

2 comments   |  tags: , | posted in EAT - recipes, restaurants and reviews

March 29, 2012

Test Kitchen

By Wind Inspired

I wish I had a test kitchen. One with the latest cookware, a perfectly calibrated oven, a group of tasters, and a clean-up crew.

In our current home I do my baking in my little galley kitchen, that, thanks to the arched wood ceiling I feel like a chef in a sailboat. I am about to show it to you. Please don’t be jealous.

In addition to the 70′s retro-feel,  the oven temperatures are questionable, only the top rack is reliable and it bakes hotter in the back than in the front. But, I have mouths to feed, so I make it work.

What I do have is a group of tasters! And they are honest. Painfully so.

In the last few days I have spent quite a few hours at the Doctor’s office with Grace who has a mystery headache virus. (How’s that for accurate medical terminology?) With a low white blood cell count and the fact that regardless of the medicine I give her, she has a headache that “feels like my head is going to explode” we are spending all other hours quietly at home, avoiding germs.

I had….

Hours to kill.

A bunch of brown bananas.

Some new bags of flour/meals that I wanted to try out.

   

One  child at home that needed some comfort food.

Three more children who always come home from school ravenous.

An ironman-training husband who needs constant, nutritious fueling.

Sounds like a day to make banana muffins.

My original, Pre-Gluten Free Banana Muffins were always a hit. Moist and chock-full of goodness. Once I went GF I tried many, many different recipes and none were fabulous. The kids would eat a few in anticipation, but then the rest would sit for days, growing stale and I would end up tossing the batch. I loved the ones made of coconut flour, but the kids were wishy-washy about them. See recipe here:  http://wind-inspired.com/2012/01/12/cavegirl-muffins/

Today I went back to basics. I used my old recipe, but did a Gluten Free version. Then I got fancy and did another batch that eliminated processed grains and vegetable oil.

Below you will find the Gluten Free on the left, Grain Free on the right.

The Gluten Free is lighter, rose better and has a cake-ier texture.

The Grain-Free is dense, very moist and sinks a bit in the center.

Surprise, surprise – the grain-free,  full of almond and flaxseed were the winners. The Gluten Free were met with almost as much praise. My crew plowed through 24 muffins in less than a day. I made more this afternoon. I am sharing all 3 recipes with you – take your pick, each has been fully approved by my kitchen staff.

NOTE:  Save your old bananas! When a banana turns brown, peel it, put it in a freezer bag, freeze until you are ready to bake or make smoothies.

_______________________________________________________

BANANA MUFFINS (Gluten-Full)

2 cups flour (white or whole wheat)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup oats

1/2 cup oil

2 eggs

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

dash salt

1/2 cup sour cream or plain  greek yogurt

5 ripe bananas

Additional options – chocolate chips, chopped nuts.

  • Combine all ingredients except bananas and nuts/chips.
  • Beat with an electric mixer until thick and smooth.
  • Add one banana at a time while mixing.
  • Pour into muffin tins.
  • Drop in additional items.
  • Bake at 350 until golden brown (@ 30 minutes)
  • Serve for breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert.
  • Makes 24 muffins.
  • Muffins freeze well.

_____________________________________________________

BANANA MUFFINS (Gluten-Free)

2 cups Gluten Free All Purpose Flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup Gluten Free Oats

1/2 cup oil

2 eggs

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp xanthan gum

dash salt

1/2 cup sour cream or plain  greek yogurt

5 ripe bananas

Additional options – chocolate chips, chopped nuts.

  • Combine all ingredients except bananas and nuts/chips.
  • Beat with an electric mixer until thick and smooth.
  • Add one banana at a time while mixing.
  • Pour into muffin tins.
  • Drop in additional items.
  • Bake at 350 until golden brown (@ 30 minutes)
  • Serve for breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert.
  • Makes 24 muffins.
  • Muffins freeze well.

_____________________________________________________

BANANA MUFFINS (Grain Free)

2 cups almond meal

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup flaxseed meal

1/4 cup coconut oil

3 eggs

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

dash salt

1/2 cup sour cream or plain  greek yogurt

5 ripe bananas

Additional options – chocolate chips, chopped nuts.

  • Combine all ingredients except bananas and nuts/chips.
  • Beat with an electric mixer until thick and smooth.
  • Add one banana at a time while mixing.
  • Pour into muffin tins.
  • Drop in additional items.
  • Bake at 350 until golden brown (@ 30 minutes)
  • Serve for breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert.
  • Makes 24 muffins.
  • Muffins freeze well.

______________________________________________________

As the rain pours outside, I am writing and sipping a cup of hot tea to the aroma of banana and chocolate goodness.

Have a warm, dry, delicious Thursday.

2 comments   |  tags: , , , , , | posted in EAT - recipes, restaurants and reviews

March 26, 2012

Milk and Cookies and Homework

By Wind Inspired

I like to consider myself a milk and cookies kind-of-mom. And I am, when we aren’t rushing off to soccer, or piano, or student government, or the grocery store, or…. you get the idea. So, some days I am a popcorn, or string cheese, or apple kind-of-mom, and then once in a while I have warm cookies ready just in time to hear about the day. Sweet fuel to take on the folder of homework.

Today I made Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies.

Yes, another ode to my love, Betty Crocker and her handy Gluten Free Bisquick, as well as a few other favorites of mine: Peanut Butter & Chocolate.

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

1 1/2 cup GF Bisquick

1/2 cup Brown Sugar

1/2 cup Sugar

1/2 cup Butter

2 Eggs

1 cup Peanut Butter

1 tsp Vanilla

1 cup chocolate chips or chocolate Kisses

  • Beat butter, sugars, vanilla, eggs and peanut butter
  • Add GF Bisquick
  • If using chocolate chips, stir them in now
  • Place on parchment covered cookie sheets
  • Bake at 350 for @ 15 minutes
  • If using kisses, place one kiss in the center of each cookie as they come out of the oven.
  • Makes about 30 cookies
  • Eat within a day or two, as they become crumbly.
  • This recipe halves easily – very good fraction practice for kitchen helpers.

I started off snapping a quick photo of the cookies to include in the blog, and then I noticed the really cute boy in the background. The one who is concentrating and counting and not even paying attention to the fact that I am taking his photo, so I kept shooting. Someday, when he stops telling me about his day, and doesn’t want my help with homework, I will still have these images of my Second Grader.

Measuring…..

Concentrating…. (he holds his head just like dad does)

Erasing….

He is doing math – he was taught to put one of the numbers in his head while he adds up the other number. He physically puts the number in his head with his hand. I caught him doing it.

More measuring….

Counting on his fingers….

When I asked him “What’s up with the eyes?” He told me he was looking in his brain for the answer.

YUM!

I am not sharing!

Taking these very unplanned and unposed shots reminded me to take more photos of the mundane.

2 comments   |  tags: , , , | posted in CAPTURE - photography, EAT - recipes, restaurants and reviews

March 25, 2012

A Beach Birthday

By Wind Inspired

Caitlyn and Victoria celebrated their birthdays on the beach, with friends.

As I unwind from the busy day, I am so thankful that we scheduled the event yesterday and NOT today. Why?

party location yesterday                                      party location today

 

When planning an outdoor party, weather is always a stressful factor. As a precaution, we had a tarp set up to protect the food. This was the scene:

We roped off our area from the general public – and added some colorful fun.

Party planning included the location, activities and the menu. The beauty of the beach is that the location itself provided the activities. As you can see – the kids kept themselves entertained.

 

 

 

When discussing the menu, the over-all theme was SIMPLE and lots of it. I wanted it to be easy with minimal trash/wrappers that could end up littering the beach. With over 50 guests and kids playing in the ocean, I knew that we needed to have a steady flow of food over the hours. The final decisions were all finger or toothpick foods. Hot Dogs – with all the toppings – to include chili, cheese and sauerkraut, chips, fruit, popsicles and cupcakes. The hit of the day – was the guacamole (recipe included below.)

 

 

 

One dessert was edible sea glass. I had never made candy before, and I could have benefitted from a candy thermometer, but I was pleased with the outcome. Served on brown sugar sand.

And there were cakes! Continuing with the no-utensil plans, we did cupcakes, arranged in beach-themed shapes, we had a surfboard for Victoria,

a palm tree for Cait and a fish.

 

 

While I love planning celebrations for my kids – I am breathing a sigh of relief. With the party and the flood in the apartment, it was quite a week.  A day of R&R today, and tomorrow on to Easter preparations.

As promised, a recipe.

GUACAMOLE

3 avocados

1 lime (just the juice)

10-20 sprigs of fresh cilantro

Garlic – fresh or powder

1 can black beans rinsed well and drained

1-2 cups corn

Grape or Roma tomatoes, diced

salt and pepper

  • Mash the avocados in the lime juice (leave 1 pit in the guacamole to prevent browning.)
  • Add cilantro, garlic, salt and pepper – mix and mash well.
  • Gently fold in the corn, beans and tomatoes.
  • Serve with tortilla chips or on top of a grilled chicken breast.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , , , | posted in CELEBRATE - life's special moments, EAT - recipes, restaurants and reviews

March 23, 2012

fast food fri: STRAWBERRY SOUP

By Wind Inspired

This recipe is so incredibly easy that I am almost embarrassed to post it. But everyone loves it, so I will admit that my sweet, elegant dish seen a number of times at brunch or ladies luncheons only has 3 ingredients and takes under 5 minutes.

But first – some updates. 40 hours into The Great March Flood and we are still drying out. The water in the building has been turned off to work on the pipes and won’t be back on until 6pm this evening. I have one small girl home with me today – a funky stomach with head and eye pain. (yes, the word Dengue did go through my mind – but no fever.) We have a big birthday beach party tomorrow. Thankfully not we didn’t plan one in the apartment – but I still have some major baking to do and fruit to wash. If you are paying attention, you’ve picked up on a few key words. If not, here they are in bold: no water, child with funky stomach and major baking to do.  It’s going to be a really fun day. Please note that all of the above are merely statements – NOT COMPLAINTS. You see, I gave up complaining for Lent. God is having some fun challenging me.

Instead I will give thanks. Earlier this week I had some gals over for coffee. I am so happy that I didn’t have to camouflage these large contraptions that now fill my home:

Let’s just say our  gathering was the calm before the storm. We enjoyed conversations, coffee and brunch. The menu included french toast, hash browns, a spicy egg casserole, fruit, chocolate cake and, you guessed it, Strawberry Soup.

Don’t blink or you might miss the entire recipe.

STRAWBERRY SOUP

1 cup half & half

1 cup strawberries (fresh or frozen – but defrosted)

1 Tbsp powdered sugar

  • Mix all ingredients in a blender for about 20 seconds.
  • Serve cold.
  • Recipe can be doubled, tripled, etc.
  • I haven’t tried it, but I imagine it would be just as delicious with blueberries, or maybe peaches
  • Note – using milk makes it kind of runny, cream turned out too much like a thick milkshake

ENJOY!

Please send dry thoughts our way – indoors and out!

I’m off to start the cupcake making.

Happy Friday.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , | posted in EAT - recipes, restaurants and reviews

March 22, 2012

Spilled Milk

By Wind Inspired

Last week, on two different nights I dreamt that I spilled milk on the carpet in our apartment. Not just a drip or two, but big glasses, or pitchers of it, and I couldn’t clean it all up and mold grew. They were really vivid images. Each morning I woke up and wondered what exactly my unconscious was fretting over? Or what deep message was being sent to me through my dreams.

It turns out, that maybe they weren’t messages, but foreshadowing of things to come.

Last night I felt myself being pulled from a deep sleep. I walked into my bathroom, hearing the rain beating on the roof, rushing down the gutters. And then, just a few more seconds of consciousness led me to the realization that I am not in my home back in Little Rock, but in our apartment. On the 5th floor. With no roof. No gutters. And the rain is really loud. And really close. Water was pouring into our apartment in the kitchen and the hall and the bedroom and the closet and the living room…..

The bleary-eyed dash to throw towels and buckets all over the place turned into a more alert awareness that the problem was much larger. A large water pipe burst upstairs, leaving 6 stories of our side of the building in some state of water damage. The hotel corridors had ankle-deep, standing water. The elevator shaft was a 60 foot waterfall.

No tears were shed over the wet carpets – we actually laughed a little. In our sheer exhaustion, with adrenaline running through our veins, out comes Harry, eager to help, ready for the elements with his umbrella hoisted over his head, arms filled with various containers to catch the streaming leaks. The most entertaining vessel of all – his Beyblade stadium.  Harrison may not want to spend a lot of time memorizing his spelling words, but he has street smarts. If I ever need to survive in the woods, that’s the kid I’m taking with me.

A good 12 hours later, a clean-up team has been in and out of the apartment all day – replacing and sucking and photographing and checking. They say the carpets will dry with no permanent damage. I still have moldy visions in my head. We shall see.

A forced “at home” day has allowed me to catch up on some of my reading. In between rearranging the de-humidifiers and fans, I have caught up on my favorite blogs, pages, and got through another chapter on the kindle.

What are you reading?  It’s my nosy question. I love to know what other people read. I adore suggestions. There are just so many words out there, that I hate to miss out on something informative, or thought-provoking, or delicious. I’m not judgemental – I like a fun, easy beach read just as much as a classic. Since I’m nosy, I’ll share the places that I frequent regularly.

NEVER SAW THIS COMING  http://www.afpc.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123294456 I have re-read this commentary 3 times since yesterday. While I don’t remember personally meeting General Stuart, he has had personal influences on almost all of my Air Force cohorts – to include my husband. This essay is a concise look at what’s important in life as he fights brain cancer. “Be a bouncer,” is my new goal.

COMMENTS ON THIS BLOG: http://wind-inspired.com/2012/03/21/parent-the-verb/ Yesterday’s entry brought about some really great responses. Keep ‘em coming! I am already envisioning a graduation gift filled with recipes and photos, and words of wisdom…. I have 4 years to throw it together.

THE PIONEER WOMAN  http://thepioneerwoman.com/ Seriously, Ree is the mother of all bloggers. I love her recipes, her photos and hearing about how marrying her husband has led her to a wacky, wonderful lifestyle that she would have never stepped into on her own. We are similar souls in opposite locations.

JENNY’S BOOK REVIEW http://www.jennysbookreview.com/ If you want ideas about quality books to share with your kids – from toddlers to teens, check out this site. I actually know Jenny. She is smart. I value her opinion. My only wish is that we could discuss reading and parenting and everything else in-person over a cup of tea rather than a million miles apart. Teachers and parents alike should stop by here as if you were visiting with your most fabulous, local librarian.

MY OWN SPACE http://www.sharonwheatley.com/  This broadway star / writer is incredibly funny even if she is telling the every day tales of buying a car, visiting the hospital or explaining the facts of life to her tween. I love my regular doses of Sharon’s wit. Beware, she keeps you coming back for more with ridiculously gripping cliff hangars.

WHEAT BELLY This one is on my kindle. After reading a number of articles related to William Davis’ philosophies, I am taking in this Dr.’s interpretation of his experiences with decades of patients combined with historical data on the rise of diabetes and heart disease in relation to our country’s increase in low-fat carbs . Get a feel for his work on this facebook page : https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Wheat-Belly/209766919069873

EIGHT THOUSAND POUNDS OVER THE SEA http://gorline.wordpress.com/  My friend Gretchen is blogging about her military life in Germany. Her words and photos bring back wonderful memories of my own family’s European explorations. Her home tours and views of daily life make me feel more like we still share the same small town in AR rather than the reality of the thousands of miles apart that we really are.

NOREEN’S FULBRIGHT EXPERIENCE http://norpatmatfulbright.blogspot.com/ A family friend is spending a year on a Fulbright teaching exchange in Scotland. Just like Gretchen’s blog, I love living vicariously through her travel adventures.

BLOOM  http://www.everythingbloom.com/ This is a beautiful website for photographers. Ideas, tutoring, and gorgeous artwork.

KARA’S PARTY IDEAS http://www.karaspartyideas.com/ This blog is eye candy. Beautiful, creative celebrations that pay attention to every. single. detail. Her site makes me want to come up with an excuse to party at least once a month.

GLUTEN FREE TRAVEL http://www.glutenfreetravelblog.typepad.com/ I love Karen’s no-nonsense, honest reviews of Gluten free products, resorts, restaurants as well as sharing interesting articles and books that pertain to Celiac disease and Gluten-free eating. When I want to look up a gluten-free friendly restaurant, anywhere, I pop onto http://glutenfreetravelsite.com/ Both sites are so, incredibly helpful.

FOOD ON MY DOG http://foodonmydog.com/ Okay – this one is really ridiculous, and there isn’t really any reading, but it makes me laugh. I love this dog’s face. He just couldn’t be bothered that there is a slice of pizza, or a taco perfectly balanced on his head.

HUGS AND COOKIES http://cookiesxo.blogspot.com/ Decadent, over-the-top baking. Danielle is a mom and a teacher and still makes time to get in the kitchen daily to create something gooey. I especially enjoy her Gluten Free Fridays. In addition to the desserts that look as if they have come out of a high-end bakery, she shares some amazing GF meal recipes.

Well, there you have it. The carpets are still spongy, but the kids are home from school and I am being called upon to combine a refrigerator’s leftovers and create something edible for dinner.

Spring break in on the horizon, which means some serious time in a beach chair. Care to share what you’re reading?

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , | posted in ABOUT - life, motherhood, marriage

March 21, 2012

PARENT, the verb

By Wind Inspired

On the birth day of my first child I was handed an 8 lb, red-faced bundle with tiny little feet.

I made her, and grew her, and loved her.

I was a parent. A noun.

Just last week I looked up at my daughter of 14 years as we decided upon which shoes she wanted for her birthday. Shoes in a size nine.

Somewhere between day 1 and day 5114 I was charged with the task of nurturing, disciplining and guiding.

My job was to parent. A verb.

The job description was to help her go from that helpless baby with wide open eyes, the ones that never wanted to close, not even to sleep, not ever…. into an independent adult. I was given 18 years to do it.

Just as my baby didn’t come with a manual, there is no checklist for the life lessons I need to impart before I run out of time.

With 4 years to go, I’ve decided to create such a list.

Some lessons are huge and abstract. Responsibility. Service. Honesty.

Others are practical and specific. Change a tire. Scramble an egg. Iron.

I remember the many freshmen in college that I helped in the laundry room. They didn’t have an idea of where to begin. I can proudly say that if Cait had to take over laundry duties, she could handle it. Stain treating. Soaking. Washer settings. Dryer lint trap. Check that one off, she’s got it.

I have just 4 years before sending her off to college, or cooking school, or the navy – or wherever she goes when she leaves our nest. That’s only 1461 days.

Give it to me. What were the best lessons you learned? What do you wish someone had taught you before you ventured out on your own? Help me create my parenting lesson plans.

Return in a few weeks for “the list,” created by my wise friends and family.

2 comments   |  tags: , , , | posted in ABOUT - life, motherhood, marriage

March 21, 2012

Birthday Girls

By Wind Inspired

Caitlyn and Victora share a few things.

Their due date: March 20th – each missed it by less than 2 hours - Tori late at night on the 19th and Cait just past 1 am on the 21st.

Obviously, they share the same parents.

Currently they share a room. But NOT the same tidying habits.

They share the same adjectives: smart, athletic, outgoing …..

Yet these two girls, whom we love beyond belief, could not be more different.

I like to mark each of my children’s birthdays with a photo shoot of their choosing.

Enjoy each of their bubbling personalities!

 

 

 

  

  

 

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!!

1 comment   |  tags: , , , , , | posted in CAPTURE - photography

March 19, 2012

San Juan Ironman 70.3

By Wind Inspired

San Juan Ironman 70.3.

A 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike ride, and a 13.1 mile run.

Yesterday the kidlets and I watched my husband complete this feat.

Here is the basic timeline of our day (from the spectator perspective.)

4:20 am. Alarm sounds.

5:00 am. 4 kids and 2 adults hit the road. With tri gear, lots of snacks, 2 cameras, books, sunscreen and multiple phones.  It was still really dark out.

5:05 am. Prayers said that we will be able to sneak into the parking garage at the host hotel, rather than some random parking garage miles from the action.

5:15 am. Prayers answered. Good parking spot.

5:23 am. First of numerous bathroom stops.

6:00 am. We set up along the banks of the start and take in the sights.

the Caribe Hilton as the sun comes up

6:34 am. The Cool Ranch Doritos make an appearance.

6:40 am. Supply check.

Posters ready!

Swim cap ready! (note smiley face to help us spot him in the swim.)

6:50 am. Time to start heading toward the start. Final hugs.

To the swim area.

tall green head to the right of the Wave 11 sign

7:35 am. Husband begins the swim.

Once the swimmers make their way around the lagoon…

They pass under this bridge.

The kids watch the swimmers.

8:00 am. Spotted! Just coming out the other side of the bridge.

8:08 am. Caitlyn catches a glimpse of him during the swim-to-bike run. Yes, transitions aren’t usually this far apart – but the athletes had a good 1/4 to 1/2 mile run – barefoot in the street to get to their bikes.

8:20 am. The pedaling begins, sporting his TX jersey.

8:30 am. Snack time round II.

9:00 am. Time for Mass. Conveniently, every week we attend the Caribe Hilton’s English service. The timing worked out great. There’s not much to see during a 56 mile bike ride, so a few prayers sent out to the roads were perfectly fitting.

10:00 am. Time in the nature sanctuary. Alright, so we are veering off the Ironman details, but 3 hours is quite a lot of time to kill, so we spent some time in this beautiful location at the hotel.

  

10:30 am. Support crew refuel: chocolate for the kids, Starbucks for Mom.

10:35 am. Taking in the transition are, kids look hot and less-than-excited.

10: 36 am. Shade found. Sunscreen applied. Waiting to see our runner.

To lighten the mood let’s talk t-shirts. My favorites of the day: TRI SHERPA (I could use that one) or IRONMATE (I could do that one too) and the kids’ favorite: SWIM like there’s a shark behind you, RIDE like you stole the bike, RUN like you can see the finish line.

11:20 am. Runner spotted. The TX Jersey is easy to see from a distance.

11:21 am. He seems positive and feeling good.

11:30 am. We hydrated and headed to a new viewing spot. Before we spotted our athlete again, he had a scenic run.

The run headed uphill, just along the coast.

The run went by both Forts, you can see El Morro in the distance.

Just beside El Morrow

Through a tricky portion of the city of the on cobblestones.

An out-and-back along the fort’s wall

12:15 pm. We are set up and ready to cheer.

At this point, if you can hear the background soundtrack of “I’m tired, I’m thirsty, I’m hot,” just ignore it, I did.

12:30 Mile 6-ish we see him!

12:40 We see him again at mile 7 as he heads out to do the run loop again.

The kids are on their last wait stretch. Grace and Harry each find some shade.

1:30 pm. Here he comes into the final stretch. Can you hear the mathematics clicking away in his head?

Cruelly, there is an uphill bridge to the finish. (note – fellow Diva 1/2 marathon runners, does this look familiar? No boa, tiara or champagne on this one.)

1:36 pm. Heading into the finish!

So – if you aren’t already impressed enough by the amazing athletes that take on this challenge, I can’t fail to remind that this is his first endurance event since October’s surprising Diabetes diagnosis. So proud of this guy who has tackled the challenges of this disease, yet never missed a beat in his Ironman training.

9 weeks until Ironman Texas!

_______________________________________________________

Now, I know you would love a blog entry from the athlete’s point of view. He is a man of few words and even less writing. So let me see if I can paraphrase his words and thoughts:

  • I am pleased with the swim. My goal was 40 minutes. I expected to do 45 minutes. I was really surprised with 37:23. I hated the transition run from swim to bike.
  • I went out too hard on the bike at first, otherwise good.
  • The run was hot. I didn’t like all the cobblestones. I hated the out-and-back along the fort’s wall. The heat was just radiating off of it and there needed to be an aid station out there.
  • Happy with the overall outcome.

So proud of Dad!

5 comments   |  tags: , , , | posted in EXPLORE - world travels, RUN - training and racing

March 18, 2012

Just one thing

By Wind Inspired

It is always a little strange when the day outside looks like this:

Yet inside, it smells like this:

March 17th is coming to an end and it has been a long, busy day. My feet are up, I am lounging in my PJs and the smell of corned beef and cabbage still hangs in the air. Even a year into island living and I still get mixed up as to what season it is, but I rely on the smells of roasting turkey or Christmas cookies to remind me of the month.

This month is March madness – and I’m not talking basketball. (Although – what a bunch of interesting games this weekend!) Why madness? We are just coming off of Harry’s birthday. Two of the girls have birthdays this week. The month ends in the midst of a Spring break trip. The kids all have field trips this month. Prince Charming is racing tomorrow. State competition for the Mathletes. Squadron Egg Hunt. Plus, this Easter Mommy is keeping her eye out for some wonderful treats to fill the baskets of my little chicks.

A dear friend, another American here, gave me a good rule to follow to help my days in Puerto Rico run smoothly and basically improve my sanity. It is the One Thing Rule. One thing a day. Go to the mall. Go to the doctor. Go out to lunch. Go see a movie. Pick up groceries. Just never do them all in one day. With only one goal, then the 3 hour delay in the Doctor’s office won’t grate on your nerves so much. The 30 minutes it takes to find a parking spot, or the 2 hour wait to be seated at a restaurant aren’t as aggravating if you don’t have a to-do list that is being edged out by “island time.” For the most part, I have been sticking to it and as a result I am far more relaxed in response to local culture.

But, I have to admit, in the last 3 days, I have broken all the rules. What else can I say, but March madness?

On Thursday I went to the PX and Commissary on pay-day. Clearly insane, I did it with 4 kids in tow. And I did it after going to Sam’s Club, and Walgreens and Marshalls. Then for good measure, I followed it up with a sleep-over. (And just in case you don’t know why I avoid the commissary on the 1st and 15th: http://wind-inspired.com/2011/09/07/commissary-chaos/ )

On Friday the kids had a day off from school. Sleep in and lounge about? No way, we organized a family friendly field trip. Some of the local Middle School kids went to the squadron to see the C-130s and KC-135s.

I’m not sure what the kids enjoyed more: getting inside the planes, watching a C-130 take off, or eating pizza and cupcakes after we were done.

Then, today, while the rest of America wore green, and drank beer at a parade, my to-do list had way more than 1 thing on it.

1) Plan the Birthday dinner menus for this week: Beef Stroganoff  on Monday for Victoria, Tacos on Wednesday for Cait.

2) Wash, dry and sort 3 loads of wash.

3) Make and deliver pots of gold. My smallest Leprechaun made his way around the hotel giving out luck. Delivery included a funny and surprisingly good Irish jig performance.

 

4) Bubble Gum Blowing Lessons. More on this in the future, as it was funny and frustrating and I took a ton of photos. Just know that the big sisters tried to teach Harry with the utmost patience.

5) Pick up noodles. The swimming, not eating kind.We need them for next weekend’s birthday beach bash. The local Walgreens had them on sale. I dragged a few assistants and a shopping cart filled with 25 noodles 1/2 mile along the sidewalk. We passed tourists, runners, taxis, folks in restaurants…. I am sure that I’m now known as the crazy noodle lady.

6) Wash 68 pots, platters and plates. Sorry I didn’t take a photo but my “drying” stack was quite an architectural feat.

7) Find a Corned Beef. 3 stores later – found, cooked and eaten.

8) Make shopping list for upcoming Birthday Beach Bash. Still to get: hot dogs, buns, cake mixes, popsicles, fruit, drinks and a kick ball.

9) Birthday girls photo shoot.  I will save them for a separate blog, but the were fantastic – filled with swings and bubbles and hula hoops, and beach balls. Here is just a sneak peek:

10) Wrap presents for girls. Done. Well, the ones that I could find. Must look for the rest of my well-hidden gifts.

We needed to get  those things done today because we have a big job tomorrow.

Just ONE THING. One important thing.

Our signs are made. Our shirts are ready.

The 5 of us will cheer on Prince Charming as he rocks the streets of San Juan in the 1/2 Ironman.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , | posted in ABOUT - life, motherhood, marriage

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