2012, The Year in Review: My Identity Crisis
Since my injury last spring effectively ruined my summer identity as a wannabe triathlete, I spent the year considering some alternate identities to hold me over until I’m back on the race circuit.
I tried for “fashionista.” Unfortunately, the summer’s cute dresses and skinny cropped pants looked a little funny with the clunky running shoes I keep my custom orthotics in, so that idea never really got off the ground.
I flirted briefly with being “SuperMom,” but again, the foot injury interfered with my ability to chase the child around the park and backyard for hours, which seems to be the kiddo’s idea of what SuperMom should be doing. (I will stubbornly cling to my identity of “Pretty Good Mom,” however; I think the hours spent doing craft projects and teaching him to love veggies has earned me that much.)
So finally, after much deliberation, I settled on being “Suzy Homemaker,” at least until I’m back to my former triathlete-ish self.
Here is the substantiating evidence to support my self-ordained title:
See how my garden grows? Lots of healthy organic veggies!
Just a bit of this summer’s homegrown produce.
Homemade jam…Made from berries the kiddo and I picked together.
I’m sporting just one of around 8 sweaters I managed to knit over the year.
The downside to the massive amount of time spent knitting while I waited for my foot to heal…was a horrible case of wrist tendonitis, which put me on the knitting DL for a while. Who knew you could get injured sitting on the couch recovering from injury?
Fortunately, the foot is mostly healed, and the rest of the body is gradually remembering what it’s like to run 6 or 7 miles at a time. Swimming is going, well, swimmingly, and cycling…Okay, pending better weather and a saddle that doesn’t leave bruises where bruises shouldn’t be, this WILL be the year I establish a good relationship with my bike!
I’m not a New Year’s Resolution type of gal, so I won’t set any hard and fast goals for the upcoming year. Still, I have high hopes for finishing an Olympic distance tri, improving my 10K time, and getting some quality open-water swims in. On the parenting side, I’m hoping that consistent discipline paired with lots of love and affection will help us navigate us through this current rough patch of defiance and into calmer waters by the time kindergarten starts in the fall. And if he just grows out of it on his own, well, I have every intention of taking all the credit as a self-proclaimed “Pretty Good Mom.”
Here’s what WordPress had to say about my blog over the past year, if you’re interested:
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
The new Boeing 787 Dreamliner can carry about 250 passengers. This blog was viewed about 1,400 times in 2012. If it were a Dreamliner, it would take about 6 trips to carry that many people.
Mommy Wants a Timeout 
Wow the garden looks wonderful! I have no luck with gardens…or house plants…and OMG 8 sweaters…I have one I have been working on for 3 years, hope I still like it when it is done!! Good luck on the training!
Nice picture!
I’m pretty sure an organic vegetable patch, homemade jam from pick-your-own berries and amazing knitting abilities, all with an injury you got from training for impressive athletic aspirations, certainly qualifies you for the badge of Super Mom!
Thanks for the kind words…However, I’m sure the authorities would take my badge away if they knew that a few days ago, I bought my son an educational toy with the sole thought that “this will keep him busy for a while so I can knit in peace!”