My Blessing Bag

My dear friend Claire gave me a present last month....a Blessing Bag.  This plain bag is a home for me to write down the moments of my life when I am feeling particularly blessed.  The idea is that on New Years Day I will take my bag, empty the pieces of paper and remember all of those wonderful moments throughout the year.

In the past I have tried to keep a gratitude journal but if I missed a few days, I would get frustrated and then eventually give it up.  I love the idea of a bag to fill and I keep paper both down and upstairs for whenever a blessed moment comes over me :)  The bag is hanging in my closet and having it there is a good reminder at the end of the day to reflect upon the moments of my day that were special.  This was such a simple gift but one that means so much, thanks Claire.

Super Mom has Left the Building....

My Great Aunt....Super Mom dancing with the rest of the Super Mom's of the PTA!

A good friend was over for dinner the other night with her three children and shared with me her schedule for the next day.  I will share it with you now and wonder if your head will spin as much as mine did at the thought of accomplishing all of these things in one day.

Wake up at 5:30, start cleaning the first of three bathrooms (her husband gets the kids up and ready for the day on Thursday), strip the beds, get sheets into the washing machine, clean the second bathroom, switch the laundry, play with her one year old (other children are at school) while frosting her husband's birthday cake, put her daughter down for a nap, clean the 3rd bathroom, get the sheets back on the beds, straighten up her house, wake up her daughter, go to pick up her Kindergartner and his friend at school, host a lunch playdate with three children and another mother, drive the three kids to soccer practice, bring the children back to their houses, pick up her 2nd grader at school with his DI team, bring them back to her house for an emergency practice that she will have to lead, make a birthday dinner for her husband after the DI team leaves, bathe and put the kids to bed and then CRASH.

My Grandmother Noni, a wonderful and loving Super Mom

 Now you have to understand that my friend is Super Mom (if there is such a person).  She is always upbeat, rarely says "NO", has amazing patience with her kids and always has a clean house.  Well she says that this is not always the case but every time I am with her it appears to be so :)  I gave up on being Super Mom about a year ago.  That is not to say that I don't like to keep a neat house or plan fun things for my kids, I have just decided to slow our lives down.  I have learned that a frenzied mommy with too much going on is no fun for anyone in my house.

Scott's Grandmother, Super Mom to 4 girls

I remember the days when we were GO, GO, GO.  These days started back in High School (maybe before) and I always felt like if I didn't have somewhere to go or something to do...then there was something wrong with me.  I liked to be on the move, loved to have a full calendar and usually ended most nights EXHAUSTED.  My poor husband would look forward to weekends he could lounge around and there were so few on the calendar.  We were always on the go and from April to October, we were rarely home on weekends.  Instead we were traveling up and down the Northeast coast visiting anybody and everybody.

My Grandma Marie and my very own beautiful and Amazing Super Mom on her wedding day

This pattern did not stop after I had kids.  I filled our days with playgroups, classes, shopping excursions and trips to friends houses.  Our weekends were full as well and anytime that was spent at home felt like it dragged.

My Mother In-Law...A True Super Mom

Then I read Simplicity Parenting and all of this changed.  We dropped the majority of our activities, scheduled home days and home weekends and have slowed life down.  I no longer feel like my time at home is dragging, we have a happy and flexible routine and LOTS of downtime for the kids to play.  One of the huge benefits of slowing down is that my children no longer need to be constantly entertained.  Boredom is a gift that allows them to truly engage in their play and practice the dying art of childhood.  Slowing down the pace of our lives has been a great gift to everyone in my family.  Time at home is now something I crave and treasure instead of dread and avoid.

Slowing it Down

30 Day Yoga Challenge--Take 2

Back in January I started a 30 Day Yoga Challenge and made it to about day 15 when I pulled my back out.  This caused me to miss two days and then I was back in the game.  A few days later I got sick and then before I knew it...the challenge got lost in a sea of other things to do.  When I am good about doing my yoga and meditations, I am a different person.  I am calmer, happier and feel so much better about myself.  It is for these reasons that I am going to attempt the challenge again. 

I know, I know....why a challenge?  Why not focus on putting some yoga into my life a few days a week?  Well the truth of the matter is that I KNOW me and I do better when there is a challenge involved.  I am competitive by nature (thank my dad for that one) and so the idea of a challenge is always so appealing to me.  What I am really hoping is that by working toward completing this challenge, yoga will become habit and part of my weekly routine.  They say you have to do something over and over before it becomes habit and so that is why I am starting today!

Namaste

My Blind Date

Back in January I had my first "blind date" in 15 years and I was so nervous about it.  It was not your typical blind date (my husband would not approve) but a blind date with a potential Mommy Friend.  Z has this friend at school that he had been begging to have over and despite my nerves and having never met her, I invited them.  Scott had met them at a birthday party and really hit it off.  He thought they would make really good friends for us and so what did I have to lose???

At the time I was reading this book called MWF seeks BFF in my online book club and it had me questioning my own friendships and the quality of some of my relationships.  I have my two best friends who I don't get to see nearly enough, my two sisters and sister in-law who I also don't get to see much of and I have a few close friends in town and from previous times of my life.  Besides that, there are the people I see for conveninece sake but I wonder if we would really be friends if it weren't so convenient.  I often feel like the close friends I have found are great for me but we have yet to find a family where we all click (best friends not included here).  The book was a fun read and full of research and though it didn't inspire me to go off and "date" 52 women this year, it did inspire me to treasure the great relationships I have.

Anyway...back to the playdate.  I was more nervous than I thought I would be, I mean I don't think I have ever set eyes on this woman.  She was super friendly in email and I kept telling myself that Scott said I would like her.  Well it turns out that I did!  We had a lot in common, laughed a lot and she told me how her husband had really liked Scott (I guess he is a bit quiet and reserved and she was impressed with how well they hit it off).  She even suggested that we all go and get breakfast together sometime.

The evening after the playdate, she emailed me and thanked me.  She said she had had a great time, that I was so easy to talk to and that we should get together on a weekend when both husbands were free.  I was so excited and emailed her back, telling her that this was a great idea.  And NEVER heard from her again!  Since then I have seen her in the school pick up line and we have waved and smiled but that is it!  It seems so strange to me and when I ask others what I should do, many say I should just let it go.  It wasn't meant to be.  What do you think???

TIME OUT!

This TIME OUT is not for the children but it is for me.  It is time to SLOW DOWN, get off this merry go round, take some things off my plate and focus on what is really important.  It is time to focus on my family and myself.

get off the Merry go Round

I learned something about myself this month, I learned that I go through a cycle each month that leaves me at the end exhausted.  At the beginning of the month I am full of energy and love to take on the world.  I agree to do WAY TOO MUCH and spend the rest of the month trying to accomplish it.  As the month wears on, my energy levels slow down and my mood sours (sound familiar??) and then by the months end I have crashed and burned.  It is then that I allow myself to cancel things, relax and renew. But after that brief time of renewal I am raring to go again and the cycle starts all over again.

I wish there were time for me to nap ;)

 My question for myself is, Would I crash and burn at the end of the month if I did not take on so much??  What if I paced myself and decided that one or two big projects for the month were plenty?  Would I then be able to make it through the month feeling good the whole way??  I think this is an experiment I need to take on.

Lucky for me the kids do not feel this cycle, well they may feel it through my mood but their schedule is pretty regular and is filled with LOTS of downtime and play.  We have many home mornings/afternoons where they create, play and enjoy their childhood.  Our outings are simple and stress free and other than having to get Z to school on time and two Kindermusik classes, there is little demand of our time.

So how does life get so crazy for me??  I am caring for two kids (pretty much on my own), creating fun and exciting learning experiences for them, trying to keep up with the housework, supporting a husband who works around the clock (and trying to see him in the wee hours of the night), blogging (2 blogs) and then working on any number of crazy projects.  For February alone I was taking a class in Sourdough and experimenting with all of that, had my 30 day yoga challenge, was taking a class in Peaceful Parenting, read 4 books, have been researching many different modes and aspects of education, have been trying to keep up with my PT, trying to limit our screen time (we are now down to 30 minutes a day for TV) and have been working on a very special project that I can't share right now.  That is a lot for one month!

Our Visual TV/Computer System :)  There are 1-3 stones in the jar and each stone represents one unit of time

 So March will be a time to spread things out, let things go and try to not take on toooo much. I am hoping that come the end of the month I will feel almost as much energy as I did in the beginning....I'll let you know :)

So Many New Things in 2012

So far 2012 has been a year of firsts for me.  It has been a month and a half of learning, experimenting and growth.  Here are 12 things I have done for the first time in 2012.....

1.  Successfully made yogurt in a cooler

2.  Started two Sourdough Starters....hoping the second one actually takes ;)

3.  Meditated and have been doing it on a regular basis

4.  Have done more yoga in 45 days than in my 34 years combined

5.  Made my first chicken stock

6.  Have started an amazing journey in Peaceful Parenting with my best friend Lauren

7.  Have created a monthly budget/spending plan and I am actually sticking to it!!  And we have a goal to be debt free by 2013

8.  Made my own laundry detergent out of soap nuts :)

9.  Have stuck to all of my resolutions (super proud of the not buying a book one) and have been working toward accomplishing my goals for 2012.

10.  Have started morning and evening routines for myself that are now an important part of my day

can you see the Cardinal??  This was taken while I was staring out the window during my morning routine ;)

11.  Drastically cut back on the sugar in my life and try to only consume healthier sweetners (raw honey, maple syrup)

12.  Taught my children to eat a rainbow and have them working hard to do so everyday!!

30 Day Yoga Challenge

 I LOVE Yoga!  I love the practice of it, I love the way I feel after it, I love how it calms and centers me....I just love it.  The problem for me is I am so sporatic when it comes to doing it.  Some weeks I do it 3-5 times and others I don't get to it at all.  It was my physical therapists request that I join a yoga studio.  I have tried a few studios out but between my husband's busy schedule, our need to save money and my need for quality family time on the weekends, it has not worked out for me.  But that is okay because I am just as content with home practice.

So with my few yoga DVDs at hand and my subscription to Gaiam TV through the Roku (love this!), I am ready to set out on a 30 day Yoga Challenge :)  I started Monday and plan to do yoga everyday for 30 days.  They say it takes 4-6 weeks to create a habit (especially a healthy habit) and that you should tell people about the challenge so that you are held accountable.  That is why I am writing this post and I am hoping that this challenges helps to make yoga a part of my daily life. 

I have also started a morning/evening routine thanks to Tsh over at Simple Mom.  For the past two weeks I have been pretty good about getting to them.  My morning routine involves playing an AM mix of soothing music, drinking 20 oz of water, 5 basic stretches, reading over our Family Purpose Statement and then sipping my coffee while visiting with nature (staring out the window for now but hopefully I will get outside when it warms up).  My ideal would be doing this routine alone but that never works out.  However my kids are more relaxed now in the morning and often times join me for the staring out the window part :)

In the evening my routine is a 30 minute clean up of the house, 20 minutes on the computer, a chat with my dear husband (if he is home), my nightly prep for bed, my PT exercises and then 15-20 minutes of reading.  I usually end up reading for longer so I need to start the routine earlier so I can get enough sleep :)

I now find that I look forward to both of these routines, especially the evening routine.  I am hoping to keep them up faithfully until they become a part of me.

I'd Like to Thank My Children....

I woke up, rolled over in bed and checked the bedside clock to see what dreadful hour it was.  I read 6:04 and at first this time did not register.  I was terribly confused, where was I? What day was it?   Could it really be 6:04 AM?  The last time I had looked at the clock it read 10:44pm, did I really sleep for 7 hours straight????

I DID and it felt great.  Most nights I am woken up at least 2 times, usually 3-5 times.  Between my husband crawling into bed, my own full bladder, Z waking up to tell me he is wet or the 2-3 wake ups per night from Lil'C.  I am in a season of my life where there is NO SLEEP....I have tried everything but nothing seems to matter.  We have humidifiers in every room, cut off liquid at 6pm, have sound machines going, have played with Lil' Cs naps and have let her cry bloody murder for over an hour (many times) where she has then woken Z up and we all suffer.

On the rare moments where nobody wakes up, I usually wake up in anticipation.  This night of seven hours straight was a rarity and it felt so good.  It is amazing how well your body can "adjust" to no sleep but I do need it.  I am hoping to make this my goal for February...go to bed earlier so that I can get in as much sleep as I can.

Mama Mia!

My favorite kind of gift is that which includes an experience.  Research has been done that the average "thing" brings a person joy for an average of 9 months but the joy of an experience can make memories which can last a lifetime.  Even though you might not have the instant gratification when giving or receiving an experience gift, the waiting and anticipation can be half the fun.

For Christmas there were lots of "Experience Gifts" going around.  My mom gave Lil' C money towards her Kindermusik class, we gave my niece and nephew a year membership to the local Children's museum (we also gave Z and Lil' C a renewal), my sister got us a gift certificate to our favorite local restaurant and S gave me family passes to our local amusement park.

My dad loves to give his girls experience gifts.  Each year he usually surprises us with some super fun family outing.  We saw Lion King the musical in Boston one year, have been to a few Red Sox Games and this year we went to see Mama Mia!!!  Unfortunately my baby sister K couldn't go because she was traveling for work but our second mama J stepped right into take her place.  Dad treated us to dinner before at a very nice restaurant before the show and then we walked over to the theater.  I had never seen this show, not even the movie, so my expectations were not high.  I knew of the storyline and couldn't imagine a traveling production of this show could be that great.  But I was ready for a fun night at the theater with the people I love.

The show was OUTSTANDING.  I have since seen the movie and the show that I saw was far superior.  I laughed so hard, cried (being at the theater always makes me miss Kiki) and was HAVING THE TIME OF YOUR MY LIFE;).  It was so much fun and J and I were dancing out of the theater.  She said she wanted to sing and swing from the banisters (and even had her foot over ;)). What a great evening.

The next morning I pulled up the few ABBA songs I had and listened all morning long.  I danced around the house, sang at the top of my lungs and Lil' C found this hilarious.  The music drove Z NUTS but I told him that If I could live through a month and a half of the Chipmunks Christmas and that he could endure one morning of Waterloo ;)

Thanks Dad for a wonderful gift, it means so much that you are always so thoughtful and creative!  Love you.

Oh and Happy 1/2 Birthday Mama!  I love you :)

Plans for 2012

Okay so now that I have reflected...it is time to think ahead to 2012.  I am always pretty ambitious when it comes to goal setting and resolutions and then beat myself up hard when I don't accomplish them all.  So I plan to keep it simple and a bit general.

I am happy to say that after a year my family notebook is still going strong (modified for my life) and I have made two additions to my weekly to do list starting this week.  The first is the addition of a weekly project following Tsh's book, One Bite at A Time, which I bought at the end of December.  The book cost $5 for my kindle and I plan to tackle one project a week.  The second addition was a new goal setting section to my weekly to do list and I like to call it "CHEWS".  C stands for Children, H stands for Home, E stands for Eat, W stands for Workout and S stands for self. The plan is to set a goal each week in each of these categories...some goals will over lap and others will take weeks to accomplish but I thought it would be a nice way to keep my self on track with my goals for the year.

These 10 overarching goals for the year all center around health.   I want to be healthy emotionally, physically, financially and spiritually.   Here they are:

1.  I will work hard to curb spending, stay on budget and build back up our nest egg

2.  I will work to have more patience with everyone in my life and finally finish reading 123 Magic and implement it 

3.  I will not buy another book for at least 6 months....I will use the library, kindle prime library and work to read the dozens of kindle and hard copy books I own that I have not yet read. 

4.  I will do my PT exercises regularly and work in more regular yoga/cardio

5.  I will tackle the basement (the last area of the house to be decluttered) and work to keep the rest of the house in order

6.  I will make sure that the people in my life know how much they mean to me and tell them I love them as much as I can

7.  I will try to take the kids on at least 1 adventure a month and I will try to go on at least one date night per month

8.  I will start my plan for the school I hope to open some day

9.  I will return to our whole foods eating regime and try a sugar detox

10.  I will try to be content and happy with what I have, love myself, look for the good in things, not beat myself up and work on making sure that I spend time on my own happiness.  Because as they say....if Mama ain't happy...nobody is!

Happy New Year!

When Mommy's Sick....

-The Laundry Piles Up
-The dishes don't get done
-The kids watch WAY TOO MUCH TV
-Z misses way to much school (although he was sick too)
-Lil C runs the house and goes into the pantry for snacks whenever she wants
-Toys are scattered through out the house
-There are crumbs EVERYWHERE
-Z takes over the camera and takes A LOT of pictures (the pictures in this post ;)).

and Mommy is too sick to care :)

 I have been sick for a week....I am slowly feeling better but this cold has been AWFUL.  I am so looking forward to feeling better. 

Happy Veterans Day and Birthday to my very good friend Sey :)

more photos from Z:

Little House in the Suburbs....

This year has been an unusual fall.  The second week of October we had temperatures in the 80's and people were water skiing on Columbus Day weekend.  A few weeks later we were hit with a very large snowstorm where local areas got hit with up to 2 feet of snow and this week once again it is warming up and we will be close to 70 degrees!   Throughout this season I have been feeling a lot like a chipmunk preparing for the cold dark winter, even better Ma Ingalls :)  Yes I know that I have so many conveniences that Ma Ingalls (and the Chipmunk for that matter) don't have.  I can run to the supermarket for food, shop online for winter outerwear, turn on the heat with the push of a button and have a much better built home......but despite all this I still have the nesting instinct that the fall brings on.

This fall I have spent many hours canning and dehydrating the beautiful tastes of summer.  I made big vats of homemade tomato and carrot soups to freeze for those cold winter days.  And S and I have been working hard to prepare our home for the cold and critters that are to come.

The pellet stove was a large investment for our family this winter but I am happy to say that we have yet to turn on the heat in our home!  It works very well at heating the entire house, some rooms are much toastier than others (we call them the Island Rooms), and we are so glad that we made this investment.  We were paying about $800 a month in oil during the winter months last year and this year we hope to pay much less.

I have so much respect for the women of yesterday who had to work morning, noon and night to prepare their homes for the harsh winters.  The little I have done has been very hard work and I can't imagine working in the kinds of conditions they had.  I lost a lot of what I had prepared when our generator broke.  I couldn't bring all of the stuff in our freezer so I lost some purees, soups, rolls, muffins and my homemade applesauce.  This was heart breaking for me, all that hard work wasted.  Yet I can go to the store to buy more...those women did not have that option...they were simply amazing.

S and J's Oktoberfest!

This past weekend S and I were not only fortunate enough to have a date night (first in months) but we also enjoyed our own version of Oktoberfest.  For the last few weeks we collected 4 seasonal beers.  It was 5 but once we found out that Pumpkinhead was a malt beverage (no wonder it always tasted like soda to me), it got booted from the competition. 

So the competitors we had were:  Sam Adam's Octoberfest, Blue Moon's Harvest Pumpkin Ale, UFO Pumpkin and Wolaver's Organic Pumpkin Ale.

Last week I covered the labels in white paper, covered the caps and peeled off the upper labels.  Before we began I removed the caps and numbered the bottles.  I was really happy that I had this week to forget my labeling....I totally forgot which was which :)

So on a rating scale of 1-5 (5 being the best), we rated the smell, initial taste and the after taste.  My winners are shown below in order.  S had Wolaver's and Blue Moon tied for first but the rest of his order was the same.   I was so bummed that my favorite of the four came in last!!!  I guess I only like the UFO for it's Jack-o-Lantern label :(  S was really bummed that Octoberfest was so blah...we thought we really loved it.

The winner had a delicious pumpkin spice smell, had a delicious initial taste and the only issue was a bit of a bitter after taste.  Over all though it was delicious, Good Job Otter Creek in VT!  Massachusetts your two beers finished last and I am very disappointed ;)  Colorado you did very well with your Harvest Moon. 

My Winner!!

This was super fun way to spend the afternoon (or at least 30 minutes of it) and we plan to do it again with winter brews.  What were the kids doing??  Well watching Curious George of course ;)

Back to School!

This summer my friend M and I are taking a graduate class together. One night a week we grab dinner, enjoy a nice relaxing drive to class and sit down for our 4 hour class. It is so nice to get away for awhile and have adult conversation around a topic I am passionate about (I actually like doing the homework). I have to admit that this class is making me miss my time in the classroom (well just a little bit).

We are taking a Science and Technology class and the credits are being used towards our teacher recertification. I am a big science geek (for those of you who don't know I have a degree in Zoology) and so this class is right up my alley. I sometimes feel like Monica Geller in the Friends episode entitled "The One with the Cooking Class". In this episode, Chef Monica took a beginning cooking class to feel good about herself after she received a bad review in the paper. In my class the majority of the students have never taught before and most hate science, so this is my opportunity to "shine" :)

I love being a SAHM but I feel it is also important to keep current in my field and have some time to enhance the other parts of myself. I would love to find some sort of part time teaching opportunity....I would LOVE to teach a college course. I know, I know.....have the baby and see how long it takes for things to settle down before you go and talk about taking on something new :).

When I got home from class this week, I came home to an empty house. Z was staying at my mom's because S was at a Red Sox game and I debated going up there to stay with him. Exhaustion came over my body and I knew the 35 minute drive would be difficult. I called my mom's house and got the chance to speak to Z, he was so sweet. He told me what he was reading, that he loved me and kissed the phone. I hung up the phone and cried. What am I going to do when I need to be away for him for a few days when I go to have the baby???? Oh I guess that is a post for another day :)

Vacation Time

Well we have waited all summer and now vacation is finally here! Z and I will be away for 2 weeks, home for a week and then back away for one more week :) I can't wait. S will be joining us on weekends and for one of those weeks. It should be so much fun (hopefully the weather cooperates).

Z and I have plans to swim, play trucks in the sand, build castles, go mini golfing, go in the boats, read books, play bocce and just have FUN! We will spend lots of time with my niece G (hopefully she will master walking), my sister, my parents and my grandmother. There are so many board games to play, puzzles to put together, marshmallows to roast, stars to count and of course trips to the General Store for penny candy (it costs 5 cents now). I can't wait!!!!!!

I d0 have a few blog posts that will be coming out over the next few weeks so check back here and there if you want. Happy August everyone!!!

A Great Day

Today we checked out my parent's local children's museum and had so much fun! It was clean and full of stations for imaginative play. Z had a blast driving the pirate ship, sliding down the slides, driving the fire truck, fixing the race car and playing in the pizza shop. My dad surprised Z and came to see him play (the museum was right near his work) and Z was so excited to see him. He grabbed his hand and led him around the museum like he owned the place. I was so happy that my dad could share in this fun experience :)

We Made It....

Well as you know, S is away for the week and so I have been staying with my parents. I know what you are thinking...I am 31 years old now and should be able to stay home alone :) Yes I do agree with you on that but I like being with people! I tried living on my own in Grad School and let's just say it was the biggest waste of $6,000! I had to pay up front because I was a poor grad student and I think I may of slept in the apartment 25 times all year! Yes I am a wuss! I hate being alone :)

Well last night, Z and I went home. I had a meeting at 3:30, had to make dinner for a friend who had a baby and we had Kindermusik early this morning. It only made sense to sleep at our own house. The night started off great. We had dinner together, watched some George and both got into our jammies. I read Z his 5 books, gave him his water and tucked him into bed at 7:30. He talked for a bit (very usual) and then started to scream. I ignored it for a bit and then at about 8:40, I went to get him. I brought him downstairs and he started calling "Daddy? Daddy?" and looking around for S. I felt so bad for the little guy and told him that Daddy was away. I offered to let him call him but he cried out and threw the phone. I calmed him down and took a wiff of him. It was a good thing that I gotten him because he had pooped :)

I changed him, let him watch the end of the Baby Borrowers (such a weird show) and then tried to put him to bed for the second time. This time we read two books, got him his water and kissed him goodnight. He immediately started screaming. I got myself ready for bed (yes it was only 9:15pm) and sat at his door while he sobbed "Momma". My heart broke, I went and got him and let him sleep in my bed. He was draped across me and it took me quite awhile to console him and then when I thought he was drifting off...I went to make the move to put him on S's side. This backfired and he started to sob again. I calmed him once again and waited for him to fall asleep. At that point, I pondered moving him to S's side or putting him back in his room. His room has the room darkening shades and that was my only chance of sleeping until 7am....but I might wake him. I decided to chance it and almost had it but I laid him down into a wet spot of the bed (where he had been sobbing). He woke up and started to cry. I massaged his chest and prayed that he would go back down....thankfully he did. I crawled into bed at 10:15, so tired from the nights events :)

This morning, he woke up at 8am!! I was so thankful for the extra sleep (I have a race tonight). During breakfast I asked if he wanted to sleep at his grandparents tonight.....he said "YES!". So we are back here for two more nights. Yes I am a wimp but here I have help and Z is distracted so he doesn't notice that S is missing. If S ever comes to me and asks to take a job with more travel...my answer will be no...I don't care how much money it is for. He works long hours now, commutes a lot but at least he is home every night to sleep :) I am thankful for that!!!

The picture above is of my mom's dog ;)

OK Soda

I am staying at my parent's this week while S is away on business. It has been like a trip down memory lane for me. I have been exploring old photo albums, yearbooks and notes and letters from the past. All this reminiscing made me remember my favorite snack in High School. I loved to come home and eat SunChips (any flavor but French Onion was a fav) and drink OK Soda. Does anyone remember this stuff?? I LOVED it!

My friends and I would drink it all the time and we loved to call the fun hotline "1-800-I FEEL OK". I guess our area was a test market that that the soda only lasted for a little over a year. All good things seem to end too early...."The Brady Bunch" only lasted 4 seasons, the musical group, "The Jets" (I loved "I've Got A Crush On You"), Rainbow Brite (I wonder where my green sprite is?) and of course the Snorks (I loved Snorkland).

What a Weekend!

It always amazes me how fast the weekends go by! This past weekend was jam packed with FOOD, GIFTS, BOOZE and FUN :) We started off our weekend early with S taking the day off on Friday. I woke up to find my birthday present nicely wrapped waiting by the bedroom door. I ran to get it and brought it back in bed with me. I was so excited (I am still such a kid). It was a new video camera because ours broke 6 months ago. I squealed with delight, gave S a kiss and ran downstairs to charge the battery. Our plan was to spend the day at the amusement park and I wanted to bring the camera with us. After all, I have 6 months of footage to make up for!

When we got to the park, Z did not know what to make of it. Where were we? What was this strange place? Our first ride was the carousel, we thought we would ease him into amusement park culture. Well the music was so loud that he started his day in tears. He kept crying "off...go way". We all sat together on one of those benches on the carousel and went round and round. I am so glad we did not try to put him up on one of the horses because this ride really flew! I thought they all went really slow....oh well!

The rides did not get much better from there.....he did not want anything to do with kiddie land (can't say that I blame him, you have to ride without your parents) and sort of liked the antique cars. The train ended up being the big hit of the day. My mom took Z for the rest of the day and S and I did the "real" rides! Man, I must be getting old. I was complaining of nausea and back pain after each jolting ride. I remember going on these rides a few years back and then jumping back in line to go on again and again. Those days are over!! S and I hit about 6 rides and then went to have a late lunch in one of the air conditioned restaurants. I think our favorite ride of the day was the sky ride (you know those peaceful chair lift like rides :). We are a couple of senior citizens I tell you!

After the park we brought home a lobster dinner to share with my parents . An early celebration for my mom and I. It was great! Saturday was another fun party day...this time with my whole family. We got take-out at my sister's house, she made a delicious cake and then there was Guitar Hero :)

Sunday was the big surprise party for my dad. I haven't written about it because I was afraid he would read my blog. My sisters, mom and I planned a huge party for him to celebrate his year of being DG of Rotary. The boys took dad golfing for the day and we had 5 hours to put the whole party together. My one sister cooked, my mom and I cleaned, set up tents and furniture and my other sister decorated. It was really challenging to do all of this work with a 22 month old and a 10 month old to care for. Some how we managed to do it all and I got out of the shower just as the first guests were arriving. We had 50 people come to our Island Party and dad was completely surprised! It was so worth all of the hard work to see his face light up in disbelief. What a great time ;)

So that was our weekend. S got up bright and early for a business trip so I only got about 2 hours of sleep. I am so exhausted! I plan to go to bed super early and hope that I wake up tomorrow with a little less back pain (I lifted so much yesterday) and a little less tired ;)

I hope you all had a nice weekend!

Summer Running

Well I am 10 weeks out from my 1/2 marathon and this last week I came into a bit of a running slump. I was tired, overwhelmed with life and running took a bit of a back seat. To get out of this slump, I have set a new and crazy summer goal! By the end of summer......I hope to run to each of the 5 towns surrounding my town and back to my house :)

Now some of these towns are not too difficult to get to. In fact, I have already run to one of them and it was only 3.5 miles round trip :) The furthest town is about 10 miles round trip and that run will be very hilly....I am saving that one for last!

I know this seems like a very silly goal but I find that I like to run with purpose. I hope to knock off town number two this weekend. That's the one thing I really want for my birthday today...a nice long run followed by a nice long shower (maybe I'll get to shave :)).

Enjoy the weekend and Happy Birthday Mom (yes we share the same birthday, my maternal grandfather shared it too!).