A Herd of Gazelles

A lot of people think I'm crazy...and not just because I married Brian. ;-) No, many people think I'm crazy because I get up long before the crack of dawn to go running. It's the only time that works for me...I hate exercising in the evening when my energy is all depleted, and Brian leaves for work at 6:45 a.m. so I have to be done by then. Of course, in order to be safe, I have to have someone to run with me (and I prefer running with a friend, anyway). So, when my friend and running buddy, Jamie, moved in August I was worried. Anytime I tried to recruit a running buddy, I'd hear, "Oh, I'd love to, but there's no way I'm getting up at 5 a.m." I thought I might be out of luck, and have to start trying to jog with the double stroller in the middle of the day (oh, horror!). It seemed more likely I'd end up giving up altogether.

Luckily, I found Tanya, who was willing to give it a shot. Tanya hadn't done any running before, but told me she'd get up and run at 5 a.m. with me if I'd "train" her. I was game...I know exactly what it's like to start from ground zero. Not long afterward, Chelise joined us, and a soon Kimi jumped on board. I had to laugh. These were all people who had sworn up and down that 5 a.m. was just too early! But now we're out there, pounding the pavement twice a week at 5 a.m. I love it.

One morning as we ran down the path on the beach, a couple of bikers zipped by. As they passed us, one of them said, "Wow, look at this! It's a herd of gazelles!" Tanya was offended (I love it when Tanya gets offended...she's fiesty!). I think she only heard that we'd just been called a "herd" and so we explained that it was probably meant as a compliment. If only we ran as fast as gazelles! Anyway, thus our team name was born. We're proud of our "Gazelle Herd" status. Our first team goal was to run a 5K, which we did last Saturday in Long Beach. We killed two birds with one stone by promoting Proposition 8 while we ran:



Tanya and Kimi were both AWESOME...they weren't sure they were ready to pull off a 5K but they ran the whole thing. Way to go, girls!!

Oh, and just to make me laugh harder, our herd is growing...our friend Amber, who also swore she'd never get up that early to run, has joined us as well. Next up is a 10K!! Go HERD!!

The Slippery Slope

When it comes to the legalization of same-sex marriage, I'm convinced that this issue wouldn't stand a chance if the majority of voters were fully educated as to the implications of legalizing gay marriage for the average person. A week or so ago I brought up the issue with a friend of mine as we were out for our early morning walk. She said that she had very mixed feelings on the issue and couldn't feel certain that gay marriage was really that terrible. As she said it, "What's the problem, if two people love each other, with letting them make their relationship official?" I think my friend's question is representative of the majority of voters. Most people aren't bigots. Most people aren't homophobes. Most people, even those who are straight and don't approve of homosexuality, truly wish to be tolerant, to "live and let live". And honestly, if it was as simple as letting two people who love each other make their relationship official, I wouldn't be sure it was such a bad thing either.

The problem is, it's not that simple. The decision to legalize same-sex marriage is like a stone dropped in a pond...the effects ripple out and cannot be stopped. Those who oppose Proposition 8 would have us believe that it's an isolated issue, but it goes so far beyond that. I've seen a few websites recently where some of the implications are laid out very clearly, using examples of what's going on in Massachusetts and elsewhere since same-sex marriage was legalized there 4 years ago. I thought I'd post the links to those for your consideration:

http://www.massresistance.org/docs/marriage/effects_of_ssm.html

http://travelingsarac.blogspot.com/2008/10/freedom-of-religion-and-speech.html

Also, I loved this article by an openly gay talk show host who actually opposes same-sex marriage himself. He can say things, as a homosexual, that heterosexuals cannot say without being labeled as homophobic or bigoted.

With only one week until the polls open and this issue is decided, I find myself overwhelmed with the enormity of this decision. I hope and pray that Californians become educated with the real issues at stake and vote accordingly.

It's nice to know someone cares

I usually wear my hair down, but occasionally if I'm having a bad hair day or just need my hair out of my face, I twist it up and put it in a clip. A few days ago when I did this, Cole looked at me and said, "I don't like your hair like that. Can you take that black thing out of your hair?" I laughed and thought it was just a funny, random thing. A day or so later I pulled my hair up again, and once again, Cole informed me that he doesn't like it that way. I find it hilarious that my 3-year-old has a preference for how I wear my hair!

It gets better though...just now I'm sitting at the computer, my hair is in a ponytail, and I'm wearing workout clothes and glasses (I usually wear contacts). Cole said, "Mama, did you go running?" I said, "No, I just went walking today." He said, "Can you wear pretty clothes? I want you to take off that shirt and put on a pretty shirt. I don't like your hair up. Can you take that black thing off your hair? Can you take off your glasses?" I'm cracking up. Who knew he noticed? Who would've guessed he cared?

Guess I'd better go get cleaned up!

6 Quirks

OK, so I'm responding to Karene's tag below, but I'm too lazy to post the rules or to follow any of them except for the one about actually posting the 6 quirks/random things about myself. I'm a little bit nervous about exposing to a small degree the extent of my weirdness (they measure weirdness on a completely different scale in my family), but here goes:

1- I am the bongiest Bong Hong. It's kind of hard to explain, but Bong Hong is kind of like my child-self alter ego. Bong Hong doesn't have to follow the rules of grammar or other societal norms. Don't worry, Bong Hong completely harmless.

2 - The best way to know if I am happy (bongy) is if I am singing whatever song happens to be in my head, while taking unrestrained free license in modifying the lyrics. That may not sound like much, so I really have to provide an example to illustrate how weird it can get. This example is the chorus from my version of "Hero" by Enrique Iglesias:

I will be your toothbrush baby.
I can take away the plaque, oh yeah.
Get me from your toothbrush holder,
I - can - take -- bad breath away.

Most of my songs aren't that creative, usually consisting of a few substitutions of Bong Hong or Cute Head (Karene) in the place of the original names.

3 - I have actually annoyed myself with my repetitive singing of annoying songs; in fact, it happens on a regular basis and I have to tell Karene to plug in the iPod to save me from myself.

4 - Sometimes Bong Hong takes the form of a wild crouching lionesque-froglike creature that hops and chomps while stalking Karene, Cole, or Weston around the house. The creature's mission is to tickle it's prey with gentle chomping on the ribcage.

5 - I am a reformed Nintendo addict. In middle school and much of high school, I was almost always playing Nintendo (Original NES and Super NES). If I wasn't playing Nintendo, I was almost certainly eagerly awaiting next month's issue of Nintendo Power. Some games that I have won with no cheats: Ninja Gaiden, Zelda II, Bionic Commando, and Final Fantasy II. Some games that I deem to be impossible to win: Friday the 13th, the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (though I once got to the technodrome), and of course, Ghosts and Goblins. Sure, I was stunted socially, but don't mess with my hand-eye coordination skills.

6 - Do you really need more? Do you really want more? Are you really still reading this? Well, then, you shall get what you deserve. Behold the leaking iris!

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10.7

That's how many miles I (and my running buddy, Chelise) ran today!!! We're gradually working up to the 13 miles we'll be doing in the half marathon in January, but it felt like a big milestone to break into the double digits. Maybe it's shameless of me to brag like this, but I tell you what, when I was gasping through "the mile" in high school I never would have guessed...it feels GOOD!!!

A Rare Sight

That trip to Disneyland yesterday must have really done him in. What am I going to do with my rare moment of peace? Balance the budget. Yep, I'm officially lame. Problem is, this so rarely happens that I'm not prepared! I don't know what to do with myself.

Picture Tag

I was a little concerned when I got this tag because of the randomness of it...the rules are to post the 6th picture from the 6th folder in your computer. Like Amber, our folders aren't that simple either. We've got them organized by year, so I chose 2006, then the 6th picture in the 6th folder. Luckily the picture it fell on was pretty cute.

Cole would have been about 1 year old in this one. Was he ever that small??

Since I just barely tagged a bunch of people (and none of you have done it yet!) I'll just tag anyone who thinks this looks like fun.

Halloween--California Style

We've had our annual passes to Disneyland and California Adventure for quite some time now, but haven't really taken many pictures. We went today and decided to take the camera since the theme parks are all decked out for Halloween. Our kids were amazingly well-behaved. I think this is the least painful Disneyland trip we've had to date! Hooray!!

Here's a sampling of our adventures:





Cole was thrilled by the abundance of candy corn at California Adventure.




Cole and Weston were both fans of the waterfall (and Cole is becoming a master of the "say cheese for the camera" operation).

Weston, the three-toothed wonder. :) He does have more than three teeth, but only three front bottom teeth. We keep wondering where the fourth one is, but it's bound to pop in sometime.

I'm IT

I've been tagged by Tanya...

The rules are:
* Link to the person who tagged you
* Post the rules on your blog
* Write six random things/unspectacular quirks about yourself
* Tag six people at the end of your post
* Let each person you have tagged know by leaving a comment on their blog
* Let the tagger know when your entry is posted

I've been putting off responding to this tag for a couple of reasons...first because I have a hard time thinking of six "unspectacular" things about myself. C'mon. Everything about me is spectacular, isn't it? Secondly, because this tag is going around pretty quickly so I'm not sure who I'll tag. We'll see if I come up with anyone by the end of my post. That being said, here goes...

1. According to my husband, I love to fill out forms. I was highly amused by this bit of information, which was passed on to me by the wife of a family Brian home teaches. She said that Brian told them that I absolutely love paperwork. But I must admit there's some truth to this. It's not as if, given an hour of time to myself, I'd say, "Where are some forms for me to fill out?" However, I really do get some strange satisfaction out of filling in the little blanks on a sheet of paper and seeing it all neat and complete. I like being a new patient at a doctor's office, for example. :)

2. My sleep habits have changed dramatically over the course of my life. Until I became a mother, anyone you asked would have told you hands down that I was a night owl. I loved staying up late and sleeping late. Now, Brian and I joke that we're old folks because we're usually in bed by 9 or 9:30 p.m. (yep, I'm living it up tonight) and up by 4:30 or 5 a.m. It used to be very difficult, but I've adjusted. I've found that I'm much happier to see my kids in the morning when they're not the ones waking me up. It's not unusual on a Saturday morning for me to randomly wake up at 4:45, check the clock, and go back to sleep. I think my body's just gotten used to it.

3. I can't stand long fingernails. If my fingernails get long enough to have dirt under them, they immediately get clipped. I think long fingernails are pretty, but I don't have the patience or the time to keep on top of the filing and polishing and cleaning. I do admire people who can keep their fingernails looking nice, but I'm just not one of them.

4. I am very proud to have recently coined a new word. I'm going to be lobbying to have it included in the next edition of Webster's Dictionary...I'll keep you all posted on the progress as it evolves.

5. Even though I've been an avid, even a voracious reader my entire life, I had hardly read any "classic" literature before I met Brian (much to my dad's dismay, who tried and tried to get me to read more substantial books as a teenager). I credit Brian with the evolution of my love for Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, the Brontes, and many others. I actually used to have serious disdain for Austen movies...the first time I watched Sense and Sensibility I mocked it the whole way through. Now I own most of the Jane Austen movie adaptations and can't understand how I didn't appreciate her before.

6. I was running out of ideas so I asked Brian what one of my quirks was...he immediately answered, "Leaving doors and drawers open." So, that's what I get for asking him, now I have to tell on myself. It drives Brian crazy that he always finds drawers and cupboard doors left open in the rooms I've been in. This is something I do without being at all conscious of it...so I can't explain it. I would deny that I do it at all but I've seen the evidence, so he's got me.

7. I'm a bit of a rebel. If someone tells me to do something a certain way, I'm likely to do it just a little bit different. :-D

I tag Janae, Angie, Tamarie, Jamie, Brooke, Lisa, Anissa and Brian. (Whew! I did it!)

Body Count

Don't worry, no graphic pictures this time, just an update for those of you who are wondering. Brian has been valiantly working on exterminating the black widows in our shed and I think the body count is up over 15. Plus a few egg sacs that promised even more black widow fun if we hadn't discovered them in time. Sheesh! Who knew we were harboring an army of cold blooded killers in our backyard?

Interfaith Fast

We recently heard about the following and would like to encourage any of you who can to participate in this important fast.


There will be an interfaith fast on Sunday, October 12th. People from all over the United States and from all faiths will be joining together to fast for the "building block of society," the Family. Religious fasting involves both prayer and fasting(abstaining from food and drink for a period of time).

Whatever your professed faith may be, your faith and fasting can bring forth the powers of heaven. On Sunday, October 12th, and please pray for a positive outcome for California Proposition 8, that hearts may be softened, that understanding and wisdom will prevail, and that marriage will continue to be defined as between a man and a woman to protect families. (And Prop 2 in Florida, as well as all the other states which are putting this matter before their voters)

Isaiah 58:6,8-9

Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward. Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am.


[You can read more about fasting here on wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fasting ]"

Termination of DDO Support

We regret to inform you that due to insufficient funding, the Daily Diaper Output (DDO) service that has previously been featured on this blog has now been discontinued.

With unprecedented diaper production on Weston's part, the effort associated with monitoring, recording, and archiving the data has simply become cost-prohibitive. As proof of this point, let me cite Weston's DDO over the last 2 days: 4 wets and 6 poopies - unprecedented and overwhelming! To maintain accurate and timely reports under conditions such as these would be difficult, even if additional funding could be procured. Almost all of our time is exhausted in simply changing the diapers.

Not surprisingly, the substantial effort of documenting the erratic and diverse DDO for Sunshine has also been seriously underfunded, and thus, those charts have also been cancelled.

We call for your patience and forbearance at this time - the last thing we need is a revolt. We have also provided a recourse for those who simply cannot operate without this critical DDO information: we can continue to supply limited DDO reports on an individual basis. Simply mail your request (and a $10 service fee for each day of each producer's DDO information) to our home address. Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery of your charts. Again, thank you for your patience and understanding in this difficult time.

Food, Glorious Food...

I'm making this post mostly for the benefit of a few friends who have told me that if I didn't make a post soon, removing the black widow picture from the top of the blog, they wouldn't be coming back to visit our page. So, here you go!

I've been having a ball lately experimenting with different recipes and types of food. Many of you know that my latest passion is Indian food. My absolute favorite cookbook at the moment is Quick and Easy Indian Cooking by Madhur Jaffrey (this was a gift last year on my birthday from my brother Brent--many thanks!). Tonight I tried a recipe called Lamb Stewed in Coconut Milk. You may already know that almost always, Indian food tastes much better than it looks. But I took a picture anyway. If only you could smell it...I love the smell of Indian spices filling up my house!!


It was the first time ever I'd cooked using lamb, and the dish was fantastic. I honestly don't feel like I'm bragging on myself when I say this...the recipes are amazing and pretty much anyone could put together a great meal if they follow the directions. Thanks to my friend Jamie for the long term loan of her pressure cooker, this meal was cooked, meat, potatoes, carrots and all in about 20 minutes. And I don't know if it's the pressure cooker that does it, but the meat was amazingly tender.

I'm also enjoying playing around with desserts. Brian chose this one, called Carmel Pecan Pumpkin Pie.
It is pretty much a hybrid of pecan pie and pumpkin pie, and we loved it. I think I'll make it for our Olsen family Thanksgiving celebration this year.

Yoga Fever

Cole has decided to follow in his mother's footsteps and become a master Yogi. He has to share Mom's yoga mat so it gets a little bit crowded, but he's learning very quickly.

*Karene insists that I add a disclaimer here: She says she is not actually a master Yogi. Just so you know.