Monday, April 21, 2008
The Countdown Begins
Just a few more days until we leave for Texas. I think everyone's looking forward to vacation. And this vacation, as expected, kicks off a month or so of activity. We're going to the Omaha zoo in early May, and will be spending a week or so at the cabin/Lincoln mid to late May before the KC trip.
My scarcity lately is less due to business and more due to nice weather and loads of kids. We watched Carson for a day last week before a few impromptu babysitting. We had Addie and Matthew for an afternoon, then Carter for a few hours. All of which we love to do. Ella loves to play with her friends and Mia's started following the big kids around and enjoys some of the extra attention I get to give her when Big Missy has a playmate. One of the girls' new favorite activities is to go into Ella's room, shut the door and turn her songs up full blast. I have NO CLUE what they do in there, but they'll stay for upwards of fifteen to twenty minutes. Which gives me time to clean up from breakfast, fold some clothes or sit down, have a cup of coffee and read a magazine. No matter how you slice it I love having two kids. If Ella should happen to turn on her songs when Mia isn't in her room my speedy crawler spins on the spot and heads for her room. So cute.
Mom came up last Thursday for the night to take L to Backyardigans Live with me. Ella loved it. For the first 15 mintues or so she stood motionless, Austin in teh crook of one arm, the other stopped mid-motion on the way down. I thought she might stay that way the whole time, but eventually she moved, and started really getting into it, raising her shield, waving her wand and calling out when she saw the egg. (If you don't know the Tale of the Mighty Knights maybe you should go rent it).
The weekend was the most relaxing one we've had in quite some time. I ran both days with Heidi....a little over five on Saturday and 7 on Sunday. I've really enjoyed upping my milage, I've been wanting to for quite some time but jsut can't do it alone, I get bored and start feeling guilty about how long it takes, which leads to cutting runs short so I can get back. I'm quite grateful to have found some girlfriends to run with....it takes a bit of the edge off in so many ways. In fact, I've already run once this morning and am headed back out again this evening to log a few extra miles since I'll probably not get much in during vacay.
Mia has had her first sandbox experience as you'll see in the pictures, and just like her sister, the sand went straight in her mouth. Why do my children hate me?
My scarcity lately is less due to business and more due to nice weather and loads of kids. We watched Carson for a day last week before a few impromptu babysitting. We had Addie and Matthew for an afternoon, then Carter for a few hours. All of which we love to do. Ella loves to play with her friends and Mia's started following the big kids around and enjoys some of the extra attention I get to give her when Big Missy has a playmate. One of the girls' new favorite activities is to go into Ella's room, shut the door and turn her songs up full blast. I have NO CLUE what they do in there, but they'll stay for upwards of fifteen to twenty minutes. Which gives me time to clean up from breakfast, fold some clothes or sit down, have a cup of coffee and read a magazine. No matter how you slice it I love having two kids. If Ella should happen to turn on her songs when Mia isn't in her room my speedy crawler spins on the spot and heads for her room. So cute.
Mom came up last Thursday for the night to take L to Backyardigans Live with me. Ella loved it. For the first 15 mintues or so she stood motionless, Austin in teh crook of one arm, the other stopped mid-motion on the way down. I thought she might stay that way the whole time, but eventually she moved, and started really getting into it, raising her shield, waving her wand and calling out when she saw the egg. (If you don't know the Tale of the Mighty Knights maybe you should go rent it).
The weekend was the most relaxing one we've had in quite some time. I ran both days with Heidi....a little over five on Saturday and 7 on Sunday. I've really enjoyed upping my milage, I've been wanting to for quite some time but jsut can't do it alone, I get bored and start feeling guilty about how long it takes, which leads to cutting runs short so I can get back. I'm quite grateful to have found some girlfriends to run with....it takes a bit of the edge off in so many ways. In fact, I've already run once this morning and am headed back out again this evening to log a few extra miles since I'll probably not get much in during vacay.
Mia has had her first sandbox experience as you'll see in the pictures, and just like her sister, the sand went straight in her mouth. Why do my children hate me?
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Craziness!
I completed another race this morning. Brought home the gold trophy and everything. That's right, I was the first woman in the 30-or-so person field. :) Most importantly though I shaved nearly 70 seconds off my time since Thanksgiving. There was a young girl in the race whose father was a bit, shall we say, enthusiastic. She started out in the lead and it didn't take me long to figure out that her dad was drafting for her, pointing out bad spots on the course so as to elliviate the need for her to watch the road I suppose, and keeping a close eye on me and how far behind I was. I tell you, my heart ached for this poor girl. I only hope the drive to compete is hers and not her father's. I had had plans to run the 12 mile dam to dam race in Des Moines in June this year, but it was moved up to the last weekend in May and I already have plans that weekend (Girls weekend in KC....YEA!!!!) so will be missing that joy. Heidi and I are already trying to find a substitue half-marathon or like race. Maybe the Omaha Marathon in the fall. We'll have to see.
I am now making a solemn vow to never again leave my babies. And Chris is fully supporting this method. I left them with Chris last night to go to a local meeting, then again this morning so as to run the race and hang out afterwards for awards and door prizes. I had a great time doing all of it, and Chris and the girls got along fabulously....until I got back. And then the floodgates opened. It seems they are punishing me for being away, and have been cranky with me all day. We're hoping they are both finally asleep, but it's doubtful. Mia has gotten a new tooth and has at least one if not two more that look as if they will just pop out the front of her gums instead of bothering to drop down. The poor dear, it must hurt terrible bad.
We had planned to babysit a gaggle of kiddos tonight....the local Catholic Church Ball is tonight and we opted out, but it didn't work out, so we sent L to play with Addie a bit but mostly have hung out here tonight.
Chris and I are taking the big step into home improvement. Not do-it-yourself stuff, but the contracted kind, given that neither of u knows a darn thing about home improvements. We're expanding our master bedroom closet and hoping to redo the floors on the first floor. We are looking to put a laminate wood in our kitchen/great room as well as entry way, hall and master bed room. I HATE carpet. It's dirty and hard to clean. I don't mind sweeping three times a day, but the dust and dog hair that gets trapped in my carpet is gross to me. We're excited to get to the closet project....it's something we've been looking to for quite some time.
Hopefully the remainder of the weekend will be less teary and more joyful. Mom is coming up next week to go to the Backyardigans Live with me and Ella in Cedar Falls. I can't wait! I think Ella will love it. Then it's only a week away until our semi-annual trip to Texas! We're going to be able to get out a little earlier than usual and plan to travel a little farther on our first night than usual. We'll stop about two hours north of Sherman and stay at a hotel, then take our time in the morning, letting the girls swim and play until checkout time. Then Chris gets to fish and the girls and I get to play on the ranch. It looks like Chris is gonna take off fishing on our final day and enjoy the ranch with us. So much fun. Much gratitude to the Breeze family for always welcoming us. Ella is already asking about JD and squeaky. And she reminded me today that doodle-do had to leave and go to his home. So precious.
I am now making a solemn vow to never again leave my babies. And Chris is fully supporting this method. I left them with Chris last night to go to a local meeting, then again this morning so as to run the race and hang out afterwards for awards and door prizes. I had a great time doing all of it, and Chris and the girls got along fabulously....until I got back. And then the floodgates opened. It seems they are punishing me for being away, and have been cranky with me all day. We're hoping they are both finally asleep, but it's doubtful. Mia has gotten a new tooth and has at least one if not two more that look as if they will just pop out the front of her gums instead of bothering to drop down. The poor dear, it must hurt terrible bad.
We had planned to babysit a gaggle of kiddos tonight....the local Catholic Church Ball is tonight and we opted out, but it didn't work out, so we sent L to play with Addie a bit but mostly have hung out here tonight.
Chris and I are taking the big step into home improvement. Not do-it-yourself stuff, but the contracted kind, given that neither of u knows a darn thing about home improvements. We're expanding our master bedroom closet and hoping to redo the floors on the first floor. We are looking to put a laminate wood in our kitchen/great room as well as entry way, hall and master bed room. I HATE carpet. It's dirty and hard to clean. I don't mind sweeping three times a day, but the dust and dog hair that gets trapped in my carpet is gross to me. We're excited to get to the closet project....it's something we've been looking to for quite some time.
Hopefully the remainder of the weekend will be less teary and more joyful. Mom is coming up next week to go to the Backyardigans Live with me and Ella in Cedar Falls. I can't wait! I think Ella will love it. Then it's only a week away until our semi-annual trip to Texas! We're going to be able to get out a little earlier than usual and plan to travel a little farther on our first night than usual. We'll stop about two hours north of Sherman and stay at a hotel, then take our time in the morning, letting the girls swim and play until checkout time. Then Chris gets to fish and the girls and I get to play on the ranch. It looks like Chris is gonna take off fishing on our final day and enjoy the ranch with us. So much fun. Much gratitude to the Breeze family for always welcoming us. Ella is already asking about JD and squeaky. And she reminded me today that doodle-do had to leave and go to his home. So precious.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Funky Crawl
This is the old video of Mia's funky crawl. She has since evened out and looks like a normal baby....if not a very fast normal baby!
Seeing People we Love
Today is our first day without company since Wednesday....and we are missing them already. DeEtte was in town Wed-Fri. We took a day in Ft. Dodge Thursday....went to McDonalds, the mall, even made it to Target. The girls were great....enough to earn a top at the Target Deli for popcorn and Icees - Ella's favorite part about Target. Nick babysat Thursday night cause Mom and I went to a home sale party. Ella loves Nick...she'd probably prefer we make plans every night so Nick can come play. He does an awesome job. When DeEtte left Friday afternoon we played outside until Aunt Heather came just a few hours later. The girls had so much fun with her! It was a short visit, but we enjoyed having her here. She got to play at the park across the street...the park I am naming "windy-park." There's not a freaking tree in sight, and the wind could darn well blow you back into the street! We played sandbox for a while, until the little stink ate a handful of sand. Could someone PLEASE tell me why it is that my kid enjoys eating sand? We've had to implement strict rules against it, as in she took a full day's hiatus from her favorite tiny beach in all the world, for fear that she'll eat sand contaminated with some sort of animal waste. We're too close to the cornfields to not think there's random animals roaming our neighborhood. Mia took to Heather well, and is generally loosening her grip on mom. She's still famous for being a perfect angel while I'm gone, and bursting into what would seem to be tears of torture upon my return. What a drama queen.
Earlier in the week the girls and I took a day trip to owatonna to have lunch with and spend a few hours in the company of Leah and Emma. It's so good to see her, I love watching Emma grow and change, and I am very grateful that we're close enough to find a meeting place for such times. We had lunch at Cabella's, and the girls got stickers and plastic bait worms from the greeter....which alone made the trip worth it! They loved looking at the animals
Earlier in the week the girls and I took a day trip to owatonna to have lunch with and spend a few hours in the company of Leah and Emma. It's so good to see her, I love watching Emma grow and change, and I am very grateful that we're close enough to find a meeting place for such times. We had lunch at Cabella's, and the girls got stickers and plastic bait worms from the greeter....which alone made the trip worth it! They loved looking at the animals
and fish and played for quite a long time in the campng section, hiding in the tents, laying on the cots and otherwise navigating their way through lots of cool displays. We closed our visit with a trip to Caribou (heaven!). The children's corner is enough to keep me coming back! 
Today it's mostly back to the same old same old. We have what seem to be gale force wind, so despite the potential warm up we'll probably be going to indoor park this morning. Not much on the ticket until the weekend....but things take off after that. We plan on enjoying the quiet week.
Oh....and Rock Chalk, and Go Lady Vols!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)