Kate Dugan

Plant-Powered Endurance

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Remembering Our Neighbor, Sid

February 6, 2016 by Kate Leave a Comment

New Yorkers are notorious for going years without meeting their neighbors. We are no exception, but two things happened recently that changed this a bit. 1) we got a puppy and 2) we had twins. And, boy, do people like to coo over both, which is awesome, because as you well know, puppies and babies are a lot of work so it’s nice to get a little extra attention when you have one (or three)… even if you have to point your mouth away from the attention giver because you haven’t brushed your teeth yet that morning. Yep… guilty.

Anyway, during this auspiciously social time in our lives, we met our neighbor, Sid Miller, a widower in his late 80s who lived across the hall from us. We always chatted and exchanged niceties in the hallway when we met. He loved talking to the babies.

When we started to sleep train the twins, some pro mamas suggested warning the neighbors in case the crying was excessive or loud. It was both. Gosh, I don’t miss those days. We wrote our 3 closest neighbors a little note from C+E explaining what was about to go down and enclosed a Starbucks gift card and some ear plugs in a small gift bag, which I left hanging on each of their doors.

I can’t remember exactly what it said, but my note went something like this…

Dear Mr. Miller,
We are writing to let you know that we are starting our sleep training next week. Our doctor advised that at 9 months of age we are quite capable of sleeping through the night… Enclosed are earplugs in case it gets loud and a Starbucks Gift card in case we interrupt your sleep and you need a little pick-me-up.
Callen & Elin

A few days later, we received an envelope under our door with a note inside. Here’s what it said:

Dear Callen & Elin,
I started my sleep training 4 days ago. The Dr. prescribed a Rx and melatonin. I will not take the Rx but I will try the Melatonin. Don’t tell your mother and father, but many weeks I go 2-3 nights without sleep.
My Dr. says that at 88 years of age I’m capable of sleeping all night.
I hope the transition goes smooth for your mother, father & dog. Please don’t worry about me because I never hear from the both of you because I have a hearing problem – a real problem.
I’m enclosing a dream catcher because it catches good dreaming. I’m returning the Starbucks Gift Card because having your mother, father, Callen and Elin is gift enough.
Sid Miller
P.S. Forget my writing.

Dream Catcher

Sid left this world a few months later. I was touched by his note and sad that we hadn’t gotten to know him better. I thought he might have enjoyed spending time with C+E.

I think of him every now and then. That’s how people stay with us, you know…. existing in the hearts and minds of the living is its own immortality.

I tucked Sid’s note away in one of the baby books. I recently got around to updating them and out fell his card and the gift card. I wasn’t sure what to do with the gift card, but it was inside a Chinese New Year envelope and the holiday is coming up. Somehow the timing seemed right to put it to use.

I have my doubts that Sid enjoyed a soy chai latte with a shot of espresso. He seemed far too practical for such indulgences, but I love them. And I guess I’m part of this story, too. I thought of him this morning as I enjoyed my coffee. I thought about how friendly he was and how he seemed to know lots of people in our building. I wondered about his life and his family. For a few minutes, Sid was immortal.

Dear Sid,
Thank you for taking the time to write to us. And for the lovely dream catcher. It is one of those unexpected gifts that we will cherish for a long time. May you rest in peace.
This one is for you.
– Your loud, messy neighbors in Apartment T

Filed Under: Twins Tagged With: Coffee, Twins

After Christmas: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

December 29, 2015 by Kate 6 Comments

Many people love the holiday season, but my favorite time of year comes after the hoopla of Christmas has passed.

Don’t get me wrong, I have some friends who are Christmas Lovers – they begin counting the weeks until Christmas starting in July, finish their holiday shopping by September, decorate in October, start playing Christmas music and carrying around Starbucks holiday cups in November, and begin their official daily countdown on December 1. But more than all of the prep, what I love most about Christmas is seeing my family, and I wouldn’t trade that for the world. I have to admit that every year, I feel a sense of relief once the Christmas craziness is over, probably because every year, despite my best efforts, here’s what happens:

  • I buy gifts that people pretend to like, but really, miss the mark. I know, it’s the thought that counts (and I do try!), but I’m über practical so I can’t see the sense in buying people things they don’t love.
  • Starting in 2014, I travel with young children (who puke in the car!!).
  • I eat far too many cookies. I can’t really blame anyone but myself for this one. I’ll just say I don’t do well when tempted by treats.  Check out this photo of half a pie I found in the trash room in my building. Apparently I’m not the only one #thestruggleisreal … though I have to wonder, did the leaver of the pie actually think a stranger would raid the trash room and eat the rest??
  • I end up pushing (and getting pushed) through crowds of tourists in midtown Manhattan. We took the kiddos to see the big tree and they LOVED it because they are obsessed with lights at the moment. It was so worth it, but we had to endure lots of shoving to make it happen.

IMG_4148 IMG_4158

My favorite time of year is after Christmas, specifically this week, which I always use to look back on the past year, look forward to the next, and get my household in order for what’s to come. I don’t do big New Year’s resolutions, but I do appreciate the idea of a fresh start. There is something exciting about a new year, unmarred and unknown. I like to look at it from this distance and wonder what might unfold.

To give you a sense of what I’m usually up to during this week, in past years, I’ve written a personal vision, set goals, completed photo projects, created vision boards, re-organized my apartment, refreshed my wardrobe, and more.

This year, I have a week off from work (yes!!!), but so does our nanny (gah!), so I’m on full-time mom duty, which is super hard. It’s easy to forget this when you’re a working mama. Taking care of two toddlers is no joke!

This week, I have grand plans to dive head first into my list of projects. Between nap times and the time after C+E’s bedtime and before mine, if I focus, I should be able to get my organization on and wipe out 80% of this list. Bolded items are priority items.

It helps that this week is a recovery week for IM training and that Michael will be traveling at least one night. I am substantially more productive when he’s not home luring me into takeout and Netflix!

Here’s what’s up (by area):

Kitchen

  1. Organize the Tupperware (honestly, this should be a weekly task)
  2. Clean out coat closet
  3. Clean out kitchen pantry
  4. Reorganize “junk drawer”

Living Room

  1. Set up charging station

Master Bedroom

  1. Sift through drawers / closet and purge unused items
  2. Hang calendar & new framed art

Nursery

  1. Clean out C+E’s drawers, donating clothes that don’t fit / are out of season
  2.  Sell / Donate old gear / toys
  3. Set up new toys

Self / Family

  1. Write Thank You notes
  2. Take advantage of after Christmas sales to buy triathlon gear for training (in progress)
  3. Use gift certificates (in progress)
  4. Go through photos from 2015 to reflect on the year
  5. Consider 2016 and create a vision for the year

Do you have extra time away from work this week? How are you spending it? What are your end of year traditions?

I hope you enjoy the rest of the week!

Filed Under: Motherhood Tagged With: Family, Holidays, Twins

Meeting the Perfect Strangers

May 26, 2015 by Kate Leave a Comment

To say I felt conflicted about procreating was putting it lightly. I spent most of my twenties putting off thinking about it. Based on my limited experience with friends who had kids and subsequently disappeared into suburban routine filled with soccer games, mom jeans, and minivans, raising kids seemed unappealing at best. Around the age of 28 something changed, not logically because I can say with certainty that my head was still not so sure about this kid thing, but biologically, my body said ‘tick tock’.

Fast forward two years and babies (plural) was what we got. When you spend the better part of a year looking forward to the arrival of your little bundles of joy, they are without a doubt the most interesting people you have met that year, potentially the most interesting people you have met this lifetime. Mother Nature mixes up some sort of hormonal cocktail that guarantees that. Thank goodness.

Our little people were perfect. The boy arrived 4 minutes ahead of his sister. I will never forget the moment my doctor handed me his bloody, screaming body and announced that the baby was a boy. My heart was so full. Momentarily, I forgot that there was another baby to push into the world. She followed quickly behind and I was equally excited to meet her and hold her smaller, less hairy, but still very bloody body. The days that followed were a sleep-deprived blur.

Within weeks these fragile beings were developing distinct personalities. We compared them endlessly, which is the one thing you really aren’t supposed to do, of course. They weren’t that interesting in the beginning to anyone but us, but fast-forward to age one and personalities are in full bloom.

With a machine gun laugh and a tiger’s ferocious growl, tenacious is an understatement when referring to our little Birdie. If she were a part of speech, she would without a doubt be a verb. She is always moving, changing and climbing. She mimics adults around her and coos warmly when she receives attention. Her big, twinkling eyes are accentuated by model-like brows, and the smirk on her face gives you the distinct feeling that perhaps she knows something you don’t.

Ticklish from his little toes to his tiny nose, Cal’s laugh is contagious. Even his very busy sister can’t help but join in when he gets going. Sometimes he throws his head back and collapses in laughter. He is thoughtful and thorough in his explorations of all objects, studying them until he understands precisely what they do and how. Another favorite pastime is snuggling with Charlotte the cat – using her as a pillow, really – as she basks in the sun. And he gives the best bear hugs!

This year has certainly been a challenging one. Despite my initial ambivalence, I wouldn’t change a thing about it (except maybe more sleep). These two babies are truly a blessing. Seeing the world through their eyes is a treat.

Stay tuned for a sneak peak into a day in our life.

Filed Under: Motherhood Tagged With: Family, Newborn, Parenting, Twins

Rethinking Your Kids as Your World

May 13, 2015 by Kate 1 Comment

“A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.”

-Tenneva Jordan

If you were paying any mind to social media over the weekend, you know that people love their mamas and were eager to share their feelings through countless posts, tweets & grams on Mother’s Day. As a new mom, I enjoy seeing the mama love and I was following closely to see what my friends had to say about their mothers.

I began to feel a little uneasy as the day progressed. Eventually I realized it was the photos that many of my mom-friends posted of them with their children with captions like, ‘My World’, ‘My Everything’, or “This is what I live for.” Of course, these are lovely things to say on the surface. Occasionally, I have been tempted to fall into this way of speaking to express the love that never knew I could have for others, but do, as a mother of twins. But I always stop myself.

…

Read More »

Filed Under: Motherhood Tagged With: Exercise, Parenting

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About Me

Kate Dugan

I help moms balance training and a vegan lifestyle with motherhood (& real life).

I am a recreational distance runner, ironman triathlete, mother of 3-year-old twins, and a vegan. As an adult, I developed a passion for endurance sports and healthy plant-based eating, both of which have dramatically improved my health and well-being. My blog is where I share my journey & what I’ve learned!

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I am not a licensed medical professional. All views expressed on this website are based on my own personal research and experiences. Please consult your doctor with any medical issues, or before beginning a training program.

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