Key points that I loved: the emotion behind Payton and the fact that you told a mom you don’t do cocaine. I loved the candidness, the comfort, the post martini Shannon! Greatness. Let’s do this again.

Love, love, love this week’s talk. Yes, I vote for cocktails, too, before talking!

Payton is so precious…….and I’ve witnessed your love for her for years. I can’t imagine one of my kids going away to college. On Carter’s 9th birthday, Sass’s mom asked me if I realized my raising him at home was 1/2 over. I almost lost it! I had not thought of it like that…….and it was devastating. She said that someone had told her the same when one of her kids turned 9. Motherhood is hard.

Ugh……I’m going to give the Couch to 5K another go. I was super athletic growing up……but never could run long distance. I’m going to try again, though!

1. Your emotional / Martini-ed description of Peyton going to college in a few years. One, because I work in a college and see parents like this each year. And two, because my two girls are 4 and 2, and I can’t even imagine my life with them “away”.

2. The “I don’t do cocaine, I have a cold” made me almost choke on my afternoon soda. Nice.

Good luck with the weight loss goal this week, I know you can do it.

@EdCabellon

I’m right there with ya on the running. It’s a love-hate relationship! Right now, we’re in the hate stage.
Umm…where is Andy while you’re recording these videos? My husband would mess with me so bad…make me laugh or whatever….and I’d never get one done.

Running sucks balls at first, I did couch potato to 5k and never dreamt that I would be running a 5k in 6 weeks. And I did, and in 26 minutes!!!
I am now trying to do a half. Want to do it with me? In Dallas? April 15th or something. Come on, you know you want to….

Talking about Peyton gave me a lump in my throat.

1.) Running DOES suck. When I first started running, I used to tell Kami that when she admitted to having a bad run, that was actually MORE helpful than being like “wheeee, yea running!” because it made me feel like I could keep going despite the bad days. It is so much easier when you work up a certain comfort level and go some distance without struggling. Keep in mind that I ran a mile ONE time in 9th grade and then not again until 2008, the year I ran the half-marathon. It’s been quite a journey to get here but I think everybody can.

2.) I often wish my kids were more typical because it would just be so much easier. I said to Andy recently “I honestly don’t know the right way to go: break him down so he’ll be forced to do what we want or just let him be himself and not keep forcing him into it.” (This was in reference to having issues w/Blake at dinnertime.) My kids are so strong-willed and comfortable with how they are, it wouldn’t really matter what I did. I’ve just had to learn to accept that and that includes the nerd factor. (Also, my fam wasn’t exactly sure what to do with me, Nerd Girl, in a house of former hippies. I know how it feels for people to want you to be something you’re not.)

3.) Oh, so sweet. I totally see how you feel like you have to cram it all into a short time frame. I think there are lots of times that parents have issues with various stages and the challenge is to separate your feelings from what’s best for them. Some parents don’t do that very well and it’s not good for the kids. So, yeah, we’ll cry as they grow up and help them pack their bags at the same time. (Gawd, I’ll miss her!)