The Slacker Runner...

The Slacker Bunny I wrote about yesterday moonlights as a Slacker Mommy who also does a few shifts a week as a Slacker Runner.

When I make reference to myself as a Slacker, please understand that I really am NOT a slacker... I just like to conserve my energies ;-) And sometimes I do slack :P

Back to the running...

Yesterday was supposed to contain a 10-mile run. With the wisdom of my PT backing the decision, that was turned into a 6-mile run. At the request of my cranky hip, the run didn't happen.

This hip is sooooooo annoying.

There are a few runners who read this blog who have had or who currently have hip stress fractures. This is not what I have, thankfully. I don't know what is going on with this hip o' mine. Maybe it is a stress fracture... but I really don't think so. Well, I hope not.

The pain started back in 2000 when my oldest child was 4 months old. I began having these weird stabbing pains. It would feel like someone shot me in the butt... with a gun with a real bullet. My whole leg would buckle underneath me and then the pain would be gone. So weird. And it wouldn't happen again for a couple of months.

The shot-in-the-butt, leg-buckling thing started to happen more frequently by the spring of 2001. My body was afraid to walk, so it started to limp. I decided, in my infinite wisdom, to start training again. "That'll teach it!" was my thinking... or something like that. I started rowing again and running and weight-training.

Then I got pregnant again. Which was a good thing :)

I ran until I was 5 months pregnant... November 2001. I remember that last run so well because it was the last time I would run for over 8 years. After Baby X was born, I struggled with hip pain almost constantly. I will say that not only did it super suck to live with chronic pain, but a limp is so not sexy.

Finally in 2007, I found THE physical therapist. Enter Nina at SOLPT. She beat that scar tissue into submission and got me full range of motion and regular-looking and -feeling walking. Seriously, I think she is a miracle worker. I remember one time I said something like "... well, I know you've seen worse..." She looked me dead in the eye and said, "Ummmm, actually... you were pretty bad." So I could walk without a limp and wear shoes instead of slippers and we started talking about running again... which thrilled and scared me at the same time.

Then I got pregnant again. Which was a good thing :)

We were able to keep things from regressing during the pregnancy, but any progress was minimal. I was able to maintain that stasis for a good bit of time. Then at the end of last summer (2010), I ran after one of my kids as he headed for certain peril. Did you see that? I RAN. I was so surprised. I could run!

And that began my running renaissance... which led to this blog.

So when my hip starts to feel tweaky or cranky, I really need to listen to it. I don't want to sit out this fun game called "LIFE" for another second. Eight years is way too long.

The Slacker Bunny...

Today is Easter. I know it really is one of the holiest of all days for those who are of a Christian faith. I work to educate my children about which faiths celebrate what and what each faith holds in holy regard. While we are not a church-going family, both my husband and I are spiritual people who endeavor to "do right" in this world on all levels. We do our best to impart this philosophy onto our children.

(Miss C has on 2 dresses... she picked one out, put it on, got mad, refused to take it off, demanded a new one put on over the first one... she is so two)

Right here and now, I have to confess... it's about the chocolate for my kids. Jelly beans come in second place. Peeps don't even enter into the equation. And Jesus... well, let's just say I definitely need to do some more work teaching "what is the meaning of Easter."

Still feeling jet-lagged after our great trip to France (at least it makes for a good excuse... and I'll use it as long as I can), I didn't have it all together regarding Easter preparations for my kids. No cute outfits... no fancy chocolate bunnies... no real baby bunnies or chicks or lambs... not even any plain white, hard-boiled eggs (I did buy the egg dye pack, however, so the intention was there). And, as you will be able to see in the videos, my jet-lag has been so powerful as to render me incapable of tidying up the house :P

If you would like to spend 2 minutes joining in on our egg hunt and see what the downstairs of our messy house looks like, watch this first video...

Then the kids took the show upstairs... so if you want to see what that looks like, in all it's glory, including our indoor bridge (!), watch this second, slightly longer video...

For once, I am not surprised that everyone is melting down and screaming and cranky already... and it's only noon. 

I did let them eat chocolate before breakfast

and during breakfast

and after breakfast.

Next year, we will be exploring the more spiritual side of the holiday.

Vecchio Venerdì... pictures from an Easter past

Easter 2005

Q-Man had just been born, Baby X was just shy of 3 years old and Big G was 5 and a half.

I wish I had a copy of the video my stepdad took...

Baby X was all over the place, finding eggs like a mad woman...

well, she found 2 or 3.

But her excitement was such a joy to watch!

And she would very carefully place each of her eggs in the basket and then take it out to re-examine it, promptly drop it on the concrete path (whereupon it would break), say "ut-oh" and pick it up gingerly and put it back very carefully into the basket.

Most others have disappeared in a blur, but I will remember this Easter forever.