I peaked at 6...

 

When people ask me, "If you could be any age, what would it be..." I always say 6. Most people will want to be older so they have more "perks" - ie. more money, better job, more vacation time. But not me. I always say that I peaked at 6.
6 was the age that I could ride a two wheeler, stay up just a little bit later, stay outside during the summer until it was too dark to see my hand in front of my face, and still be amazed by learning new things because everything was still new. I'm not saying that the rest of my childhood was jaded - I played plenty. But it was new at 6. It was exciting at 6. Its what I love about my son right now. He's learning everything. I can amaze him with baking (chemistry) and I can perform magic with a simple understanding of physics (like making Cartesian divers out of dish soap bottles and soy sauce packets). I can also do some mind control on him by threatening his bad behavior with "Santa can see you right now" or "Its a shame the Easter Bunny is just going to hop right by."
So why am I so nostalgic for 6 again?
For the mere reason that I have been in more pain, illness, and injury in my 20s than I have ever been in my WHOLE life. The 20s are supposed to be your prime. You finally have that adult mature strength and can do and accomplish anything. HAHAHAHAHA
I got my first ear infection at 20. A double ear infection at 21. Shin splints at 23 (and they haven't gone away yet). Tendinitis at 26. GRAY HAIR at 25. Acne at 22 - seriously... Anemia at 20. Allergies at 22. Allergic reactions left and right. HEARTBURN!!! I have thrown up more in my twenties than my whole life combined (and I drink hardly ever so don't even think that) and I have been sick more consistently now than ever before. I remember getting a yearly cold. Now I think I have a cold every month. Granted, I have a toddler - aka. human incubator for germs. But, if this is my 20s, what are my 30s and beyond going to be like?
I had a TDap shot this past Thursday at my physical. I didn't think anything of it. Back when I was 6 and invincible, shots were no big deal to me. They didn't even make me flinch. I thought I was still invincible on Thursday. My sister warned me about how awful she felt when she got it. I laughed it off. I shouldn't have laughed it off. The day after the shot felt like the day after I had my son by c-section. I was, and still am, miserable. I couldn't sleep enough. I got a cold. I ached. I still can't touch the injection spot on my arm. I am no longer invincible...
Like I said, I peaked at 6. I just need to figure out a way to get back there.... The quote at the beginning of this is my motivation.

What was your best age?

Definitely Injured... and other ramblings

 

ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL...

 

Its official... I am injured. I had my yearly physical today and it was confirmed as extreme tendinitis. I am not allowed to run or do anything that impacts my foot too severely for about a month and I have stretches and exercises I have to do. This all depresses me. I just want to run! I feel good when I run. I feel strong and speedy (despite the fact that I'm not). I get jealous of people who get to run when I don't. Grrrr.... I guess this is payback for childhood. I never got hurt when I was a kid. Everyone of my siblings broke something by the time they were in high school. I just dislocated my shoulder a few times, dropped a weight on my foot (nothing broke), and had various strains and sprains but nothing major. I was lucky... Well its all catching up with me now :(

 

But in the spirit of staying positive to promote healing, I will think positively. Currently, I have realized just how amazingly smart my son is. He loves playing in his room. I think its because my husband and I don't let him play in there at all. Because we had to transition him to a bed, we've tried to establish that his room is for sleeping and sleeping only as to discourage any monkey business after the lights are off and the doors are closed. Well, as all 2 year olds, he has hit the stage of meltdowns. When he melts down and I just can't take it, I say "uh-oh" and whisk him to his room. The first 2 or 3 weeks of this he would just pass out from being exhausted. That is until he realized that he can get out of bed and turn the lights on. Now, I am CONVINCED that he has a meltdown just to go to his room. Like I said, tiny genius.

 

Easter is coming and I really can't wait. I like Easter. Its probably my second most favorite celebratory time of year (behind Thanksgiving and before Christmas). It means new, and hope, and fresh starts. It means possibilities and redemption. My family had a small Easter tradition. We had baskets and we had Mass on Easter Sunday but that was about it. My dad would buy my mom, sisters, and me corsages to wear to church. It wasn't until I started dating my husband that I experienced a different kind of Easter.

 

He is Ukrainian (mom's side) and Southern (dad's side). His Ukrainian family really does up Easter and I LOVE IT!!! They do blessing of the baskets on Saturday at his Grandparent's church. Its the whole nine yards - incense, gentle "chanting" (not really chanting but its in Ukrainian so it sounds like it), candles, and PASKA (which I love baking - its his Baba's recipe)!!! Then its the whole family, afterward, hanging out and eating pizza because cooking is work and you don't work at Easter. Its AWESOME!!! I love being with his family. I love watching my son interact with his family. To me, this time is just so less stressful than Christmas or Thanksgiving. This time is just effortless.

 

AND since he is 2.5, we've been playing up the Easter bunny aspect of things. He loves the Easter bunny more than Santa. We recently watched Rise of the Guardians and it was awesome! I highly recommend it for any kid (or adult who needs to be reminded of believing). But now I can't wait for an Easter egg hunt ON TOP of hanging out with family.

 

Essentially, I have a lot to look forward to, despite my current injury... :)

 

What are you looking forward to?

 

Kathy

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder...?

Hello again!
I haven't posted in a while because frankly, I've been depressed. About 2.5 weeks ago I went on a stellar 4 mile run. Well, I thought it was stellar. Boy was I wrong!!!
After I got back and I was stretching, I noticed a nagging irk in my left ankle. I won't call it a pain because it didn't hurt but it wasn't comfortable. I can only describe it as that feeling of when your eye is twitching and it won't go away. It doesn't hurt you or significantly impede you but after a while its just annoying. So I decided to take a day or two off and just focus on walking my dog and paying attention to it that way. Well this irk wasn't going away and it was really really prominent when I would walk up and especially down stairs.
After some researching and getting over denial of being injured, I self-diagnosed with tendinitis (don't worry, I have a physical on Thursday so I should get this confirmed by a professional). BUMMER. I rested for another week and did a run on March 10th thinking that I was good. I walked and ran for 30 minutes. MISTAKE. Lots of discomfort, lots of nagging irksome annoyance, and stiffness beyond belief. I had to sideline myself which made me even more bummed out because I had my first 5 mile race this past Saturday. My husband and I had been signed up for it for 5 weeks and I was so excited. I knew I was going to knock it out. All of my siblings were going to run in it as well.
Well I guess the good Lord had better plans.
The weather was awful (snow and sleet), my ankle, though it feels better, still isn't up to snuff, and the night before the race, my wonderful boy decided that it was as good time as any to have his first bout ever with a stomach virus and projectile vomit. Hence, I was up all night...
Its been a rough couple of weeks. I am so proud of my husband (who turns 27 today!!!) and how he ran despite the weather. He beat his goal of 5 miles in 45 minutes and did it in 43 instead. I'm so proud of my sister who hasn't run since Thanksgiving and her race time for the adjoining 2 miler that was being held as well. But I'm still SO bummed that I couldn't do it. Talk about coming down from a runner's high.
But today is a new day and its a new week. I think, provided my doctor OKs it, I'm going to start back up tomorrow, taking it slow and doing intervals between running and walking. I have a couch to 10k training plan I'm going to start and by the time that's done, I should be ready to start my half marathon training for October. I will run that half even if I have to be carried off on a stretcher at the finish...

What's been your worst injury and how did you get over the disappointment?