Excitement!

I have some exciting things to share and some underwhelming things too, but I'll try to put an exciting spin on them...
1. New "Followers"! Welcome! I am excited you are here, although I need to find a new name for "Followers" it makes me feel like a cult leader, and I, sir, am no cult leader.  What about Sports Fans?  Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

2. Brooks ID! YAY! Awhile back I mentioned that I applied to become a member of the Brooks ID Team and that I love Brooks products (especially my running shoes)... well, yesterday I found out that I am now a Brooks ID Team member! YAY! I LOVE Brooks! Mr. Darcy brought me down a little saying it was just a really good marketing ploy, which it is in a way. But, I was buying all these great Brooks products already so the discount is the bomb. And I'm super excited about the products that I ordered and that will be arriving in about 3 weeks. (Sorry, Mr. Darcy, but be assured I put back 5 items that were in my shopping cart before hiting "purchase." In the interest of economizing.) So I am thrilled and you'll see me on race days in my Brooks attire - oh and I can't wait to get my uniform in the mail!

3. 4 miles!  Ok, so this is something that is a little underwhelming, but the chirporactor told me he doesn't want me to run until Saturday at the earliest.  I couldn't go to track practice last night, and I had to walk 4 miles today.  I'm allowed to do my brick on Saturday (20 mile bike and 5 mile run), provided that I am not in pain and that if I am in pain on the run that I will stop and walk the entire rest of the distance.  After that, as long as I feel good then I can run, but if I have nerve pain I need to go back for an adjustment, etc.
 
But I walked my 4 miles and I at least got my HR into level 2 (thank goodness because the beeping of my watch was making me a little crazy - I know I can turn it off but I actually like the beeping when my HR is in the upper levels...).  55:33 to do 4 miles.  I really wanted to run a couple of times in there, but I told myself that the fact that I was having nerve pain in my shin and a little on my left sciatica was good enough reason to walk because today is not my A race and I want to be physically healthy for St. Anthony's!
 
4. Road Rash for Toddlers!  I got a call yesterday that Angelfish had decided to go head first down the slide at school, which is not unusual despite our imploring our little adventure girl not to do such things because she might get hurt.  Well, this time around Angelfish did not put her arms out in front of her to try to stop herself and she did a face plant hitting the ground and all that mulch.  Yesterday when I picked her up, it was kind of pink but not too bad looking... this morning, the scabs fully formed and her forehead looks like she has road rash.  As Mr. Darcy said, "She's your child, you know."
 
5. Foam Roller!  My Triggerpoint foam roller appeared in delivery on Tuesday evening, but I didn't open it until today.  Pain never felt so good.  Triggerpoint really needs to give me a sponsorship.  I cry and make crazy noises while using their products, but the pain is worth how I feel afterwards.  Looser muscles.  Even Dr. P. told me I needed to make sure I stretch really good every day (I need to get better on that one, and I've already started) and maybe get a foam roller.   You all said the same thing... and while I am not fond of the pain, the relaxed muscles are worth agony to use it... not to mention the leg set I have. 
 
6. Easter!  I still have to finish the Easter Bunny's shopping list, but I have "The Princess and the Frog," 2 Easter themed books, 2 small chocolate bunnies, and some jelly beans to put in plastic eggs.  What I need are just a couple more plastic eggs, and 2 small coloring books, and something girlie and fun for the baskets.  I also have to get the food for Easter ... I'm making a strawberry orange tart that I can't wait to try and of course ham, buttermilk mashed potatoes and green beans, not to mention Polish kielbaska to go with the Easter bread and eggs. 
 
We're going to an Easter egg hunt in the neighborhood too, so that'll be fun.  Plus we get to boil and decorate the eggs!  I may hardboil them Friday afternoon or after the girls are in bed so we'll be all set to decorate them the next day.
 
7. Kisses!  Not the chocolate kind.  Mr. Darcy and I discovered that Ladybug has kissed a boy on the cheeck and Angelfish may have kissed Holland on the mouth.  My word, these girls!  We explained that we do not kiss boys on the mouth, only on the cheek.  And then Mr. Darcy explained that you can only kiss a boy on the mouth when you are married to him, and that in order to get married you have to graduate from: elementary school, middle school, high school, college, graduate school, medical school, and doctoral school, and only after you have brought the boy home to Daddy and Daddy says that he is okay to marry.  Oh, and the boy has to be nice and treat you like a princess.  The girls thought Daddy was funny and told him that Mommy said they could get married after they graduate from college.
 
8. Beautiful weather!  We're having the type of weather that makes you want to get outdoors and just have fun being out there.  Blue skies, barely a cloud in the sky, weather in the mid to upper 70's, just a slight breeze.  It makes the big window I have in my office somewhat of a torture device since I'm sitting working INDOORS.  But it was great for my walk this morning.  It supposedly will hold out for the weekend too, so my brick on Saturday will be a good one.
 
9. Housecleaning!  Amazingly, it is time for the cleaning people to come again today and the house was not a complete wreck.  The girls are super excited about the Darcy Seniors coming to visit for part of Easter weekend (they are spending Easter Day nearby at our sister-in-law's parents' house).  They were so excited that when it came to me telling them that they needed to clean up their playroom, they actually did it.  All I said was "it needs to be clean for Grammie and PaPa to come" and poof, they were picking up toys left and right.  They even straightened their bedrooms and put all their shoes in their closet and helped fold some of their clothes and even put them away.  Ladybug even got upset that Mr. Darcy was going to help hang up some of her dresses, as that was her job.  Of course, the reward of a treat (a small piece of chocolate) helped too.  But now we know how to motivate 3 1/2 year olds!
 
10.  Life!  I am one day shy of being on B12 and thyroid medicine for 2 weeks and while I still have an occasional time frame where I get agitated easily once in awhile, the depression issues have lifted and gone and I can tell when I'm getting agitated and can control it now.  So, I'm thinking there are real miracles in modern medicine when you have a doctor that listens.  And Life is looking and feeling a bit more rosy again.  YAY!
 
I hope you all are having some excitement (in a good way) in your lives right about now.  Tomorrow is a swim, either at Lucky's Lake or 2,000 m in the pool.  I think I'm probably going to have to opt for the pool - I would rather do the open water swim - but I have work and the girls are going to be tough to get out of the house in the morning because they always are when they know that very day a set of grandparents will be arriving.  And while they get excited about a visit from my parents, they get extra excited about a visit from their Grammie and PaPa because those two are the Queen and King of "How to Spoil Your Grandchildren." You'll get no complaints here... sure it sometimes makes it hard for a day or two after they leave, but they have such a bond with them (and it's not just based on presents or getting to wear Grammie's lipstick) it's worth it!