Operation We Pee In the Potty

Evie is potty trained!  No kidding!!! My little 2 year old is wearing panties and we have NO DIAPERS in the house.  She goes through the night and has been nearly perfect for 2 days.  I simply am amazed!  But I am ultimately amazed at the incredible man I married.  Bob is seriously my hero.

I laugh at how unprepared we were a week and ago for embarking on the potty training journey.  We had a boatload of upcoming trips planned which of course was going to leave each of us flying solo with different kids.  Bob and I had been talking about taking the potty training challenge, but were super resistant because, for all intents and purposes, Evie just didn't seem ready.

We have been trying for the past 3 months to bribe her with ANYTHING to get her to sit on the potty.  Nope.....nada.....not happening.  She would cry or scream, have a massive attitude or throw something whenever the potty was mentioned.  No promises of M&Ms, fruit snacks, going to school or getting a puppy (no kidding) would persuade her.  So we truly wrestled with pushing her.

I went grocery shopping a week ago Monday and with great resistance put a huge box of Luvs diapers in my cart.  As I lugged the box in I just had this moment, "Man I am so done with these!"  I paid for them and brought them home.  When Bob saw them his look was one of sheer determination, "I think we should go hard on the potty training."  Im with ya bro, but with him leaving for 2 days and then me leaving for 4, I realistically told him that the bulk of the effort was gonna happen on his shift!

"Go for it."

So I did. I woke up Tuesday determined to get this ball rolling. No more diapers in the day and we sit on the potty every 15 minutes.  I also took away all her precious popscicles until she tried in the potty.  My strategy was horribly unsuccessful and at the end of day 1 she was frustrated, I was frustrated and we had pee everywhere but the potty.  Poor Evie.  So I put her in diapers that night and closed my eyes to the mantra of  "Live to fight another day!"

Day 2 I dropped Lily at school and mentioned to one of the mother's about our potty training escapade and she asked if I was following the 3 day method.  Whats that?  So she emailed me the ebook.  As my naked child ran around the backyard (thank heavens for AZ Winters) I devoured the book, internally scolding myself for not finding it sooner.  I called Bob and he read it too (after all, he was on his way home to begin his watch) But......this method was ALL IN.  Day training and night training.  Basically before you even start, you gather every diaper in the house and either throw them away or give them away.  Yikes I thought.....really?  I will admit....I couldn't do it.  What if we needed them?  I put the rest of the method to work and day 2 was less frustrating. By 6 pm we had 1 successful potty pee.  Maybe this 3 day method COULD work.

Bob got home late Wednesday night and we quickly exchanged information, where the extra undies were, and what to expect.  Bob calmly told me that he absolutely thought we should do night training and that he was going to give the diapers to our neighbors.  As Lily and I left them at the airport I said a little prayer, "Good luck honey."  I will admit....I had doubts.  Not about the determination of my husband but about the determination of our child.  She is stubborn.

Day 3, Day 4, Day 5.  I really don't know all that went down these 3 days.  What I do know is this.  My husband is the most patient, kind, and gracious man.  He stayed hunkered down in the house for most of this time teaching our Evie to potty.  He had to encourage her to not only pee, but poop in the potty (no easy task) and had some major regression to work through.  By day 5 I could tell he was still fighting the fight but had found a level of discouragement.  Its hard to be covered in body fluids for days on end.

Then Day 6 happened and my brilliant, creative, problem solving husband developed the Potty Fort.   Its a  storage closet, with a potty in it, and a chain to close the door.

Voila.......Evie is potty trained.  It clicked.  The potty fort did it and Evie went from diapered toddler to a little lady in undies.  She makes it through the night and does all her business where she should.

Lily and I arrived home on day 7 and I was completely impressed.  Evie grew up big time during this operation and she is now an accomplished toddler who uses the potty.

And we are DIAPER FREE!

Journey to IRONMAN: 9 Months

Another month has come and gone and I sit here 1 more step closer to my IRONMAN dream.  At the moment I am literally caught between two marathons so my focus has been completely on my feet and prepping for my personal goal of running the Phoenix Marathon in a sub 4 hour time frame.  I have never done that.  Actually up until about a year and a half ago I would have told you that a sub 4 hour marathon time frame was not within my reach.  When your personal PR at the time is 4:20 and you realize that you have to run a minimum of a minute per mile faster for 26 miles for that goal, the word "impossible" floats unchecked through your mind.  

Funny how things change.  I am now 6 days away from my "A" race and 100% confident that I will not only be able to go sub 4 but do it firmly.  I'm strong and I am going to say it here, "I CAN do it." But its more then that.  I have trained for it.  I have worked HARD for it.  It hasn't come free. 

 I have had to put my trust in my coach.  I have had to believe I can do things when much of me says, "ummmmmmm are you sure?"  I have had to learn to add track work and tempo work, learn the value of stretching, of fueling, and of sleeping.  I have had to learn about moving recovery and that 1 rest day is PLENTY for my level of fitness.  I have had to change my "I never run any distance over 6 miles the 2 weeks leading up to a marathon," to ;" I just did 6  miles yesterday and a 1/2 marathon distance today, 6 days from my race."  Repeated effort makes you stronger, not weaker.  Taper, yes, but taper right.  Its an education.....and I am trusting the process.

IRONMAN is a beautiful, challenging, life giving journey. It is a daily experience of getting up, pushing just a little bit harder, and discovering myself along the way.  Its about believing that my body was created and made to be GREAT and do great things and training my mind to be the catalyst for achieving them.  I am so glad I believed I could go on this journey!

Its the Little Things

A month ago we had the awesome opportunity to celebrate this little lady's birthday.  

It was an amazing afternoon complete with bounce house, pinata and lots of food.  I wasn't planning on dedicating an entire blog to it, but life is made up of a million simple moments and frankly I want to remember them.

I have said it over and over.  The days are long, but the years are short.  Its so true.  Evie is potty training (more on that later).  We are a few weeks away from being diaper free.  I just registered Lily for KINDERGARTEN.  She is starting to read.  I discovered gray hairs the other day and Bob is sporting several himself.  Life is moving forward.  So I want to soak in the little things.

I want to soak in all those things that make our years a magnificent lifetime.  I want to soak in the windblown hair of my two year old.....

I want to soak in the unabashed joy of a 5 year old living it all out at a birthday party.  No cares weighing, just full out abundant joy. Its the little things.

Life is a series of seemingly insignificant moments that all add up to an incredibly blessed and memorable legacy.  There are BIG defining moments .....like IRONMAN, but its truly the little things that fill the pages of our story.

Be sure to soak them all in.

Journey to IRONMAN: The Lost Dutchman Marathon

Its a big year for me and I am so excited for it.  I feel so strong, I feel ready.  IRONMAN is knocking and I am embracing the journey in stride.  I have a year's worth of training and racing on the calendar and it all got kicked off this past weekend with the Lost Dutchman Marathon.

Bob and I have run the 1/2 marathon distance of this event 2 times, but have never been in the space to tackle the full.  I was so excited to sign up for the LDM last year.  Of course back then I wasn't planning on racing the Phoenix Marathon 13 days later, but at this point who's counting.

After the leading of my coach I sat down to decide which races were my A races, the ones I was critically motivated by or connected to some kind of goal.  I decided that the Phoenix Marathon is the A Marathon for me this year and the event where I will go sub 4 hours on my time.  I have never gone sub 4.  Until this year I never even thought it would be possible, but.......this is my year.

I was coached to use the LDM as a training run......to not push, but practice.  Being that it was Valentines Day it was perfect to focus on running with my hubby, enjoying the view and just getting in some miles.  26.2 to be precise.

We were bussed out to the base of the Superstition Mountains and the fabulous Peralta Trailhead.  The LDM is a smaller race and it was so cool to have all of these runners huddled around little fires before the race.  We chatted and enjoyed the company.  I met a woman 40 marathons and 1 IRONMAN in.  This community is cool.

The race was incredibly challenging.  WOW.  Very hilly and the temps got hot.  I followed my race strategy and held back when I needed to.  I felt so good.  

As we got to the final 6 mile stretch I have never felt so strong.  My training is paying off and my smile could simply not be contained.  

Bob and I crossed the finish line at 4:01.  It was the first marathon that he and I have ever started and finished together.  The best part?  I had so much more to give.  Yes...I was tired and sore......I was supposed to be, but the Phoenix Marathon is in the bag if I just stick to my plan and rely on my training!

It is so satisfying to finish a big race.  It was especially satisfying to finish with my love and see my kids at the finish line.

Poor Evie played hard all morning and was absolutely pooped by the time we got home.  I get it....marathons are hard.

Bob and I went out for a date night that afternoon and wound up at the amazing Cadence Running Company taking turns in the Recover Pump Boots.  All I can say is AMAZING.  Its 2 days later and I am ready to run again........good thing the Coach has a tempo run on the books for tomorrow!

We came home tired, full from Red Robin and ready for bed. We couldn't help but check the results and I was completely caught off guard placing 5th in my age group for the marathon.  I LOVE running in smaller races :)  Happy to round out that leader board!

Here's to the next race!  The Phoenix.