Dana Burland

Woo! First race of 2023 in the books. Today I competed in my local YMCA's indoor triathlon for January. This race is 1 in a series of 3. I'll compete in another at the end of Feb, and again at the end of March. My race went great! This event was time-based. 15 min swim, 5 min transition, 15 min bike, 5 min transition, 15 min run. Participants got points based on their distances in each discipline which equated to an overall score. I came in with no expectations since I have no comparables to an indoor/15-min tri, but did want to push it (per usual). Swim At the start of the swim the woman in the lane next to me was pacing slightly faster than I was comfortable with, and my competitive drive kicked in. I backed off slightly, correctly assuming I had more endurance from years of competitive swimming than she did, and ended up passing her and keeping a super strong pace. In 15 minutes I swam 42 lengths (1:26 /100 meters), which was good for 1st in my heat and 2nd overall women. Bi...

The sun (!!!) is shining, the snow is glistening and an open late-January weekend lays ahead of us. We're in a nice groove, I'm in a happy mood and not interested in rhyming anymore but do have to tell you a few things: 1. A&C on SKIs! This past weekend was our annual family ski trip up north. B and I split skiing one day each with my dad and brother while the other parent hangs back with my mom and the boys. We planned for C to ski, but newly 3-year-old A was adamant he ski too. I'm so glad we listened to him because he did AMAZING! It was an explosion of joy to see those boys on the bunny hill. The cherry on top was hearing A mid slope yell "I'm doing it! I'm doing it!" Ugh, off to cry again... see you next week. 2. This cream blush I'm sure there are other good options but I first picked up ULTA's Too Cheeky (color Mood) and am such a fan. It stays on longer than powder blush and the color is A+. 3. Translation station Oy, with the rhyming. ...

There’s the 70% of parenting–asking for the 357th time where they put their other boot, fetching the wrong snack which will cause An Issue; there’s the 25% of joy, love, fun; and then there are those moments that get you… …when you have to deliver the Ultimate Threat of separation for a brother’s sleepover that won’t simmer down, and the three year old pleads: but Coco is my best friend! …when both young boys are skiing down the bunny hill at the ski hill you learned to ski at and they yell out mid slope: I’m doing it! I’m doing it! …when the kindergarten teacher recognizes your son’s love of doing magic tricks and lets him bring in his magic hat and rabbit to do a small show for the class. Ooof. Gut punch. Emotional tears in eyes while smiling face emoji. These are the sweet-like-a-cavity moments. The I’m-not-worthy moments. The maybe-we’re-doing-something-right moments. I enjoy these moments so much when I’m welled up with love. I’m also starting to turn them over, crack th...

“How old are you, A?” A studies his left hand, splays his fingers widely, then slowly and studiously curls his pinky down to his palm. The thumb secures it down like the seal on an envelope. And with a big smile, he’ll show you: 3. 3 little fingers confident, strong and sure in the air. 3 years of spunk, silliness, determination, independence and self assuredness. A truly brings the party. He LOVES to be silly, he desperately wants to be in on all and any of the action. And he loves his family. At three I’m constantly impressed at what he knows, what he’s picked up, his observance at all around him, his “street smarts”. This past October when we were at a high school football game he asked me “what this is, Mama? Halloween?” I said, “No, not yet, in a few weeks”, and determined he reiterated: “Then WHAT THIS IS!? Fall?” I still laugh picturing him gesture around, foreign to the event of an all-town high school football game and trying to make sense of it. Recently his baby g...

This year I was hit with the trifecta: Hanukkah, A’s birthday and Christmas–all at once. Odds of mom survival this year: LOW. Very low. I’ll be back up right just in time for a mom magic Valentine’s Day. Here are some special things I’m putting together for the family this year which will all add up to an A+ holiday/birthday/holiday smash up week: Adult Family Secret Santa Assigned after Thanksgiving. Parents + adult siblings participate. $40 cap. It makes for a creative, fun and surprising Christmas morning! Holiday Card Every year a funny but true photo capturing a moment of what life is normally like in this house full of boys! Old neighbors holiday party It’s become tradition to get together with our old neighbors/family friends for a holiday party just before all the true madness begins. Bless Mr. Paul who kept the mom’s wine glasses full throughout this event! A Hanukkah Classroom Visitor Growing up my mom and mother-in-law both visited their kid’s elementary scho...

This year was my first doing the Troy Turkey Trot. That is such a nice race. It's close to where we stay while in town, well organized, easy parking, good music, good mood and good weather. I'll be back again for sure. I've been on my workout routine, but it's not running specific. I certainly had enough of a base to tackle this 5K, but my goal wasn't to PR, it was to run strong and steady, to have fun and challenge myself. And I did! Mile 1 felt really strong, and same with mile 2. I needed to pull back a bit on the last mile to not over do it, but still had enough in the tank for a super strong finish.  My overall time was 27:07. If I hadn't accidentally entered the race as a Male I would have placed 12 in my age group. If I had ran 8 seconds faster I would have been under 27.  Oh well! I enjoyed the route, the crowd, and gained another year of being immensely grateful for my body & health which allows me to do silly Turkey Trots and more.

Do you need a between-end-of-summer-and-holiday-season reason to get together with buddies? If so, I highly suggest a soup party. This is not my idea. This is the brilliant idea of my good friends Jill & Dave. They've been throwing an annual soup party in Eastern Pennsylvania for a few years now, and I finally got my act together to put together a West Michigan version. The premise: invite several families over, ask them to make whatever soup they'd like (preferably with a little group communication so you don't have 15 chicken noodle soups), and prepare to feast. Our entries this year were: Tinola (a chicken, ginger, broth Filipino soup) Mexican corn chowder Chili French onion soup Wild rice soup We had 3 other families over, making for 9 total adults and 8 kids.  I put together a basic salad and a big bowl of rolls. We had wine flowing and my brother made a signature cocktail--hot chocolate with peppermint vodka.  It was a blast. Everyone was re...