Boston Strong!!!

My friend Cathy is the most generous person I know. The Boston tragedy struck too close to home for her and for us.

Matthew & I stayed in her Watertown home on Marathon Monday after he ran his first Boston Marathon. (We left the finish line area about 15 minutes prior to the explosions.)

I'll never forget hanging out in her kitchen on a day that was supposed to be full of celebration. And while we were very excited about Matthew's accomplishment, we stayed huddled around her television, watching the aftermath unfold.

Her house was a mere blocks away from the capture of the second bomber, and she and her family could see State Troopers and hear sirens & gunfire all day.

Thank God they are all safe.

Cathy makes some of the nicest jewelry I've ever seen. Here is her Boston Strong Marathon Memorial Pendant. You can get just the pendant, the pendant on a chain, or the pendant on a keychain. And 100% of the profits go to the One Fund Boston, Inc. Buy one for yourself and for the runner(s) in your life. Better hurry before they sell out. I can't wait to wear mine!

http://cathyscreationsjewelry.com/Boston-Strong-Marathon-Memorial-Pendant-bstnstrng.htm?categoryId=-1

Lunchtime

I love lazy Saturdays at home.

Testing

I think I've figured out one of the reasons I haven't been blogging.

Well, besides the fact that I have three young sons to take care of, a household to run, and races to train for. And lots of TV to watch.

See, I find it difficult to blog w/out posting pictures, and I haven't taken one picture on my camera since April 30. Why? Because I got my iPhone on May 1. I know there are ways of getting pictures from my phone to my computer, but by the time I do that (roughly every month or two), I've forgotten any blogging ideas I might have had earlier.

But I finally just realized that I can blog from my phone, which means I can post pictures from my phone.

Sadly, I'd much rather type from my laptop. Just don't know what to do with all my first world problems, y'all...

I need to update my side-bar information but BABY STEPS.

So for now, here are some recent pictures.

An ER visit in the middle of the night w/Benjamin, which was in the middle of a REALLY bad illness. What was it? A little bit of almost everything--pneumonia, possible flu, ear infection, upper respiratory, stomach bug. It left him weak and lifeless, emaciated and pretty much looking like death. He missed 11 days of school, and I am happy to say that he is BACK to his normal happy self.
He's doing well in preschool and has met several goals. We still struggle with communication; I think we always will. We have decided not to start him in kindergarten this fall (even though he turns five next month), as he needs another year in preschool.

Andrew is doing well in first grade. He is coming along fine in math and excelling in reading. His recent testing placed him 7th out of his 20 classmates in math, scoring in the 1st grade, eighth month (which was only two months ahead, so he's basically right in the middle, right on track, but not excelling). But I must brag about his reading. He was 1 out of 20, and he scored in the 4th grade, 2nd month. That's my boy!!!! He turns seven this month (HOW DID THAT HAPPEN) and is looking forward to his YMCA birthday party.

Oh, Thomas. Such a charmer. Such a cutie. Such a brat. I'm not kidding. I say that with all the love in my heart that a mom can have for her child. He goes to twice-a-week church preschool and loves Mickey Mouse and Winnie-the-Pooh.

 

Here I am just a week ago today in Disney World after running the Princess Half Marathon. It was my 7th half marathon! I went for the weekend w/girlfriends and despite a difficult race, had a wonderful time!

 

Okay, more later--I promise! 

A request from my husband

As you guys know, my husband is a runner.

Not like *I* am a runner.

He's a REAL runner.

He goes far. And really, really fast.

Here is a message he typed up about a relay race he's doing next month. Please consider donating even $10 or $20 to this cause.

Thanks, peeps. You're the best.

------------------------------
I have never asked for donations for any of the races I've run.  However, in one month I will be running the Blue Ridge Relay to raise awareness and support for Team Racing for Veterans (Team R4V).  Therefore, I am asking you to consider supporting this organization financially.  Here is the link to the donation page.

http://www.razoo.com/story/Matthew-Amick-Fundraising-For-The-R4v-Blue-Ridge-Relay-Team?fb_ref=fpeyvsszB&referral_code=share

What does this organization do?  Well, I'm glad you asked!  Team R4V creates life-changing opportunities for wounded veterans by promoting awareness, supporting rehabilitation, and empowering individuals to follow through on a path of healing with a sense of pride and accomplishment. They support disabled veterans or service members that live anywhere in the U.S, and not only provide them with adaptive sports equipment, but also pay for their coaching, entry fees, other necessary gear (bike helmet, gloves, etc.) and even CrossFit or gym memberships.  The veterans and service members do not have to be combat-wounded to receive assistance from Team R4V.  Their injuries must only be service-connected, which means they will even support those who were injured in training accidents.

Also, in order to receive Team R4V support, veterans and service members do not have to have a physical disability.  Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) are referred to as the "signature wounds" of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.  The numbers of veterans returning home with PTSD and TBI since 2001 are heartbreaking.  Over 300,000 military service members who have returned from Iraq or Afghanistan have experienced symptoms of PTSD or major depression (2008 RAND Report).  Because of this, Team R4V focuses on empowerment and helping veterans take back the power that trauma stripped from them and developing the confidence and strength to take control of their lives.  If you want to know more, here is a link to their website.

http://www.teamr4v.org/

Please consider donating!

Thanks!!

Matthew

Anyone need a vacation?

If anyone is looking to rent a beach condo in October, we have two separate weeks available at a wonderful oceanfront place in Myrtle Beach.

October 6-13 for $1500

October 20-27 for $1200
These prices are a 40% discount of what you'd get online.

Each week is in an oceanfront, 2-bedroom, 2-bath, fully equipped condo at the Marriott OceanWatch Grande Villas in Myrtle Beach.

Here is a link to the place:

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/myrow-marriotts-oceanwatch-villas-at-grande-dunes/

There are no taxes or fees.
Contact me if interested!

Five on Friday

There has been a lot going on in the Amick household, yet nothing all at the same time.
Matthew has been traveling a LOT lately. He has one three-day trip to DC next week, and then he's pretty much finished for the season.
To say I'm excited to have my husband back is the understatement of the year.

I'm following the lead of my blog AND real-life friend Aishlea (pronounced like Ashley) in doing a "5 on Friday" post. But the Grammar Nazi in my won't let me start a post (or a sentence) with a numeric symbol, so I have to spell it out. :)

So here are five things I want to share with you on this HOT, HUMID Friday. (Yes, I know you live in Texas or wherever, and it's 118 there. Doesn't matter to me. It's still hot when it's 95. So quit trying to one-up me, thankyouverymuch.)

1. Running update

Matthew & I ran the Riverbend 10K last Saturday. Last year, it was my first "longer-than-a-5K" race. I did it last year in about 1:12. (That's one hour, twelve minutes.) This year, I did it in about 1:07:30. That's quite an improvement! And, I gotta tell ya, the race felt amazing.
I am NOT worrying about speed right now. Especially in the summer. (Did I mention it's HOT AND HUMID?!?!?!?!???) I am only concerned right now with running. Putting one foot in front of the other. Running three times a week. I'm not currently training for a race. But I know that I will run at least 2-3 half marathons this winter, and a handful of 5Ks. But I don't want to lose my distance.
So right now, I am doing two short runs a week (six laps in my neighborhood, which is about 3.15 miles). Every-other-Saturday, I'm doing 10 laps in my neighborhood (5.25 miles), and the other Saturday, I'm doing a longer run at the Riverwalk (8.5 to 10 miles).
That's what I have on the schedule for tomorrow. It's supposed to be 70 degrees (with a 93% humidity) at 6 a.m.
Fun times.

2. My latest go-to quick meal

I literally threw this together last month, and now eat it at least twice a week.

One microwavable cup of Minute Rice (I like the brown & wild rice kind.)

One 6.4-oz packet of tuna (I like the Starkist albacore white tuna in water. You have to use the packet, not a can, b/c of the added moisture. I tried it with a can of tuna, and it was dry.)

several splashes of lemon juice

half a cucumber, diced

several cherry tomatoes, halved

3. Father's Day

Here I am with my goofy brothers and our dad outside of Texas Roadhouse on Father's Day. My stepmother took the picture. We had such a nice time together!!

4. Summer colds suck

We might be smiling, but only for the camera.
Benjamin has had a cold for about a week and a half. So, you say? What's the big deal?
Well, the big deal is that any time Benjamin gets a cold, we have to do twice-a-day Pulmicort breathing treatments (in the nebulizer) so the cold doesn't spread to his chest. He is prone to frequent pneumonia, and we obviously want to avoid it at all costs. So after lunch and before bed each day, we have a little sit-down on the couch in my bedroom, turn on the Baby Signing Time, and, kicking-and-screaming, do a breathing treatment. We had to do these for months all winter (whether there was a cold or not, just for prevention), and I have loved not having to do them in the spring.
But now it's summer. So it's especially annoying!

5. Beach memories

This is a picture I took in the mid-to-late 90s from the balcony of our (rented) beach house. We went to the Outer Banks, North Carolina, every summer from 1990 until 2004. Our first four years, we stayed in a three-bedroom, one-bathroom cottage, a block from the beach. We had no air. And 13 people. Best. Memories. Ever.
But by the time this picture was taken, we had graduated to one of the nicer cottages right on the beach with the big balcony and (usually) a hot tub. HOURS of fun were spent on the sandy shores of the Atlantic Ocean with my siblings and cousins.
Good times.

That's all for now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.
Stay cool.
It's hot and humid.

Cathy is ah-mazing

Many of you know Cathy of Cathy's Creations.
I consider her one of my dearest friends.

She is from Boston.
She has a husband and two sons.
She has a regular job.
But she also runs an Internet jewelry company. You may remember her best as the maker of the infamous Poop Bracelet. (You can read more about that here.)

Well, Cathy's heart is for children. Children who need help. She is one of THE most generous people I have ever met in my life.

Yep. I've met her.

Twice.

I even stayed at her house.

Here we are last month, on a Segway tour in Boston. (That's me in the front, Cathy in the sexy pink helmet, and Funny Jenn behind us. She's my favorite Canadian, just ahead of Anne of Green Gables.)

There are many bracelets that are made for a specific cause. If Down syndrome awareness is something that is near and dear to your heart, you might want to purchase the Benjamin Down Syndrome Awareness Bracelet. For each bracelet purchased, $5 will be donated toward the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS).

I am here to tell you that if you need a beautiful bracelet or some earrings, you need to head over to Cathy's Creations and find yourself something. Then find something for your mom, your sister, and your great-aunt Ruthie. Then send me something. Because believe it or not, my poop bracelet doesn't go with every outfit.



Well, It Was Fun Trying...

Want to run with your iPhone?

I just finished typing this to a friend as a comment on Facebook (Hi, Selena!!), and wanted to share it over here on the ol' bloggy blog.

As most of you know, I just got an iPhone. But before that, I ran with an iPod Touch that I got for my birthday last year.

I've seen people at races (and even my good friend Diana) running with iPhone covers where there is a bulky plastic cover that covers the face of the phone, making it difficult to use while you're running.

But this armband ROCKS.

It's called a Tuneband and it's about $20 on Amazon. It comes in different colors & also comes with a screen protector for the front and the back of your iPhone.

I had one with my iPod Touch, and I got one for my iPhone. If you have a case, you'll most likely have to take it out of the case before you use this. While it might fit over your case (if you have a slimmer case), you probably won't have proper access to your buttons. But because the strap slips in and out apart from the cover (through slits in the bacK), I got a red one and I just use the Tuneband AS my iPhone cover. I couldn't recommend it more.

Click here to find it on Amazon. Feel free to read the (mostly) glowing reviews. I disagree with the complaints that some reviewers give it. My only complaint is that if I wear it too tightly on my bare arm (as opposed to over a long-sleeved shirt in the winter) it sometimes chafes my arm. But wearing it looser (and sometimes applying some Body Glide) helps alleviate that.

Here is a picture of the one I got:

Ask me any questions you may have in the comments or hit me up on Facebook or Twitter. (I'm @MommyAngela3 in case you didn't know.)

Off to put my chillins to bed so I can clean my kitchen, dust my house, and continue to get stuff arranged for our neighborhood's annual yard sale on Saturday. We've never participated, and I'm nervous. (I hate haggling...) But it should prove to be an experience & maybe we'll make a little cash.

Bye!

P.S. WAIT! I almost forgot to add that the Tuneband (who obviously hasn't asked me to say any of these nice things; I just love it) is also perfect even for non-runners. I find as a stay-at-home mom that a lot of my time is spent doing tasks like cleaning, laundry, vacuuming, etc. that are rather mundane. I kid you not when I say that I wear my phone around the house almost all day, taking it off only to shower and at times when I have to charge it. It's not always ON, but it often is. I love to listen to audiobooks, podcasts, Pandora, etc. The great thing about this is that the iPhone earphones (at least the ones that came with my phone, the 4s) have a microphone on the wire of the right side. So I can talk hands-free while wearing my iPhone. LOVE. IT. Best $20 I ever spent.

Weekend Wrap-Up

Yep. I think that pretty much sums it up.

What I'm Reading

Once upon a time I used to read.

Then I had kids.

But THEN I got a DVR, a laptop with wireless internet, and an iPhone.

I get up three mornings a week and run, and the other four mornings, I am up relatively early with my kids.

But I do love a good book.

Or two.

Or four.

These days I like books in all kinds of different genres. Lately I like memoirs and adolescent literature.

And Grisham.

Always Grisham.

Currently, I'm listening to The Litigators on audiobook while I clean, run, and water my rose bushes.

And at night before bed, I read a few pages each out of these books:

The first is My Life as a Furry Red Monster: What Being Elmo Has Taught Me About Life, Love, and Laughing Out Loud by Kevin Clash.

I would assume everyone knows who Elmo, and they can hear his voice in their heads. But did you know that this is the man behind that voice?

And this book is his story. It's inspiring and refreshing. A friend of mine just told me that there is a documentary about him on Netflix; I'll be checking that out soon!

The second book is Divergent by Veronica Roth. I read and loved the Hunger Games trilogy. I've read Matched and have its sequel, Crossed, on its way to me from my local library. Divergent is another adolescent, dystopian novel that is quick to read (for most) and intriguing. So far I am really enjoying it!

The third is The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible by A. J. Jacobs. The title is literally what he did. For my religious peeps, this is not a book written from a Christian perspective. Jacobs is a self-pronounced athiest (or agnostic; I can't recall which), and though I'm not finished with the book, I'm almost certain he did not convert to Christianity at the end of his quest. But the journey is humorous and very interesting. I read his first book, The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Strongest Person in the World. In this book, Jacobs chronicles the daunting task he conquered: reading through the entire Encyclopaedia Brittanica. And I look forward to reading his newest book, Drop Dead Healthy: One Man's Humble Quest for Bodily Perfection.

What have you been reading lately?

I love May!!

Last May I did a weight-loss challenge and lost 12 pounds.

This May I am doing a weight-loss challenge (hoping to lose 10), but something even more important than that has happened already.

And it's only May 2.

I got my iPhone.

Yes, it set me back a pretty penny. But I've been saving, and will continue to pay for it out of any discretionary money I get. (Which pretty much means birthday and Christmas cash.)

Lemme tell ya, it's worth it.

I am in love.

Speaking of love....

These are the things I have been loving lately.

Frank & Nancy

My house

The view from the end of my driveway

I could eat on those soft cheeks.

Look who's being adventurous at snack time?

Someone please tell him to stop growing up.

He only has 17 more days of kindergarten.

What are you loving lately?