Counting Down

Nearly to single digits in the Christmas countdown, and the boys' behavior reflects it - which is not to say that they're being extra good because it's almost time for Santa to come, but that they're being extra crazy!

Actually, they aren't quite as hyped up as they were last year. They're excited, for sure, and occasionally a little nutty, but all in all, it's not quite as insane as I remember it being last year at this time. Of course that could have something to do with the fact that last year at this time I was waddling around hugely pregnant and full of crazy hormones that probably made me waaaayyyyy more sensitive to the insanity.

I still can't believe that Carmine is almost 1. I'm sort of in denial about it, and will remain that way until after the holidays. He's certainly acting his age, though, and is walking everywhere now. When we were leaving the gym today, I put him down and let him walk a little, and he was so excited. The only problem is that he just kind of wanders around wherever he feels like going, so after a few minutes of watching him toddle around, I scooped him up and carried him outside. It's so fun to see him walking, though - I let him do it whenever I can.

He's been doing totally fine at the gym again, too, which is a really good thing. I was still managing to get my workouts in, but for a few weeks, the only way I could get there was if I got him to sleep first, which was usually pretty easy, but didn't always work out, so it's good that he now seems perfectly happy to be dropped off, and plays and has a great time.

Gabe has been doing fabulously at school, and got a good report card. He's above grade level in spelling, reading, and math, and is at grade level for everything else. There are still some behavioral things that they're working on, but that's just going to be an ongoing process, and he's been doing much better in that area, too, so we're very proud of him.

And Dante is super excited for his 5th birthday party, which is right around the corner. Since the party will be at the Y, in the gymnasium, I told him he could invite his whole class, so we did. Invitations were sent out early this week, and now I have to start planning his guitar cake, and I have to sit down with him and have him pick out songs that he wants to put on the CDs we're going to make as party favors. He's having a rock star themed party, so I figured that instead of giving everyone a goody bag with a bunch of crap in it, we'd just give everyone a CD with Dante's favorite rock songs on it. I think he'll have fun making the CDs, and hopefully his friends will enjoy listening to them. I can't wait to see what songs he chooses to put on it!

We were listening to Christmas music in the car the other day, and he said to me - very seriously - "I used to think it was "Heart the Herald Angels Sing," but now I know it's "Harp the Herald Angels Sing." And a few days later, he told us that he "likes to kiss girls who are already married, because it gets them more married." That's not exactly what it gets them, but we'll discuss that with him at a later date.

Finished up my Christmas shopping yesterday afternoon, and now have to get going on wrapping and baking. I keep thinking I have tons of time left, but I really don't. The last two weeks before the holiday always seem to just disappear into thin air.

Keeping up with PT, and it's going really well. I am completely convinced that the cold laser therapy is working wonders. And I think wearing the arch support insoles is helping, as is the reduced mileage. So, if I continue with the low mileage and the PT and then get my custom orthotics, too, things should get even better. Podiatrist appt. is the week after Christmas, and then it will probably take a couple of weeks before the orthotics are ready, but it won't be long now....

It's tough to keep from ramping up my mileage, especially now that I am feeling so good, and not feeling any pain, but I know that I need to be careful if I don't want to undo all the progress we've made so far. I found myself thinking evil thoughts about signing up for a half-marathon at the end of February, but I talked myself out of it. Yes, I could probably do it, but I also would probably end up right back where I started with this whole injury debacle, and why on earth would I want to go back there?

I'm just trying to be thankful that I can do any running at all, and I savor each and every moment of my two or three short runs a week, and I daydream about going for a long run by the ocean on a cool spring morning.

Comments

[Taryn]

Were you thinking about Hyannis? Is there a March-April one? Good to hear the PT steps are healing you!