Ooh, a fantastic giveaway!

Check out this cute little coat and the fabulous photographs this woman took. I will need to find someplace to wear a coat like this. I love it!!

I need to get some talent so I can giveaway cool stuff on my blog.

Check out the link: Grosgrain: The Conservatory Overcoat GIVEAWAY!!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Although, honestly, I am not a fan. I really don't have any positive things to say about Valentine's Day. This doesn't come from a bitter place; I left that place a long time ago. Kenny and I don't celebrate Valentine's Day and I don't miss it. It is actually a relief. We wait and try to celebrate the day we found each other at the end of the month. It is more personal to us and doesn't seem quite so contrived by Hallmark.

Why, you may ask, am I such a curmudgeon about a holiday all about love? Well... there are several reasons. Valentine's Day is often stressful for singles, people dating, married couples and parents. I think more people stress out about Valentine's Day than truly enjoy it.

When you are single, it is one of the worst days of the year. Everything around you for the days and weeks leading up to it serve as a reminder that you are ALONE. I remember many single Valentine's trying to get together with girlfriends to ease the pain. Even those times I was single by choice, perfectly content living my single life, Valentine's Day would come around and try to make me feel bad for not being in love.

When you are in a relationship it causes stress. In the early stages of dating, you never know what to get the other person. Are we in a card stage? If so, what kind of card? Funny? Mushy? Should I just give candy? What if he gets me something nice? What if he doesn't get me anything at all? Seriously... it is rarely a relaxing occasion. When a couple has been together for a while, it always seems like there are expectations. I know too many women who have high hopes for VD only to be disappointed year after year. Do we really want cards that are mass produced with predictable sentiment? It is a rare man (or woman, for that matter) that can write a love poem year after year for his/her true love.

And going out to dinner? Forget about it. Menus often are prix fixe and ridiculously expensive. You need a reservation almost everywhere. Everywhere else has long waits. Personally, I'd rather go on a random Tuesday than fight the crowds. This year, it falls on a Saturday. I can only imagine what a zoo it is going to be.

Now that I am a mom, I try to get into the spirit with the kids. However, it seems to be ALL about the candy. I rebel against that notion. My kids didn't get any candy from me. They got books. They did, on the other hand, get loads of candy from the valentine exchange at school. There is no escaping it. I just need to endure a few days of sugar highs and constant begging for the lollypops in their valentine bags.

Don't get me wrong. I love romance. The idea of Valentine's Day is nice. It has become something that is anything but romantic. While I dislike this made-up holiday*, I don't think any less of those who embrace it. More power to them. Some people truly enjoy today and for them, I am glad. I am not sad today. On the contrary, I am having a very nice day. I hope you are, too. *grin*


*I do know that there really was a St. Valentine. However, even historians disagree as to the real saint for which the holiday is honoring. Check out this article on History.com to read more: http://www.history.com/content/valentine/history-of-valentine-s-day

Unlikely friends

I saw this on another blog I read and thought it was really cute.

Finding inspiration...

Hope –the belief in a positive outcome in events and situations in our lives.

Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. ~Anne Lamott

New Chapter

This is a couple of weeks late.... I wanted to share some pictures of a momentous day in our little world. My baby started school. There's no going back now. The growing up thing is happening faster and faster and there is nothing I can do about it.

Amelia has been wanting to go to "Jackson's school" for some time now. It was always for "big kids." The director offered me a spot in October for her. I am pretty sure that she would have loved it just as much then. But I wasn't ready. Right before Christmas, she told me that she had a spot available in January. I knew that it would be now or not again until the summer. Amelia is nearly three (sniff sniff) and is really ready. I knew that I was just going to have to suck it up. I had been taking her to a mom's morning out in order to get Christmas shopping done and the hours of free time it gave me was great. I suppose I was finally ready to admit that my baby is becoming a big girl.

I was prepared for her to be enthusiastic about school. I don't think I was quite prepared for how enthusiastic she was. She had to be reminded to say good-bye to me and give me a hug and kiss. That is not just for the first day. Every day since, she has run off to her friends without a second thought about mom. I suppose it is good. She is confident. She is independent. The only thing that makes me feel better is that she is excited to see me when I pick her up after lunch. On her first day, I was fine. I didn't have any tears like I thought I might. I just had an empty feeling while driving away. When I went to pick her up on the second day, she was sitting at a table with other kids eating her lunch. At that moment, a wave of emotion hit me. She really was a big girl.

Here she is, ready to go. She is dropping off her lunch box before going out to the playground before school.

Out at the playground being forced to pose for that "1st Day of School" picture. Jackson wanted to get in on the action. Once I was done making her pose, she ran over to the "merry go round" that several of the kids were on.

I stuck around until they lined up and went into the classroom for circle time.

She didn't look quite sure at first, but seemed to find her place.

She had a great day that day and every day since. For two days a week she gets to be a big girl at school. The rest of the week she is still my baby ;-)

Happy New Year...

Here is an overview of 2008 with some pictures...

January (we didn't take any pictures in January....oops)

I embarked on a journey with three women that changed my life. My Stroller Strides buddies, Jen and Laura, made an announcement in class that they were going to run the Rock-n-Roll marathon in June. I had always thought about running a marathon someday and the opportunity was presenting itself to me in a perfect package: other moms running it for the first time. The next four months four of us (Jen, Laura, Lisa and myself) ran hundreds of miles together. That decision would change my life and how I see myself forever...

February

My kids are getting bigger. I don't have babies any more. I just love how much they are growing to love each other. Unfortunately, there are almost as many moments where they are fighting as there are funloving ones. In the end, they are each the other's favorite person.

March

My BABY turned two. Where has the time gone? We didn't have a party this year, but we took her to an indoor playground and out to dinner. She had a good day. I don't think we'll be able to avoid a party this year. She's been talking about it since September.

I also ran my second race ever. Our little training group ran the Resolution Run 15K. It was the furthest that three of us had ever run.

April

We went with my friend and running partner Jen and her husband to her sister's house in Canyon Lake, CA. We waterskiied, swam and had a wonderful weekend with new friends. The kids are all the same age and it worked out perfectly. Jen and Greg have similar parenting styles and we all get along great.

May

My life was focused a lot on running. The marathon was coming up and we did our longest runs in May.

June

The big day arrived on the first. Months of training had led up to that day. It was a day of relief, excitement, happiness and even a little disappointment. I ran 26.2 mile in 4:54. I had hoped for a 4:30 finish, but when all is said and done I FINISHED A MARATHON.

A week after the marathon, Kenny underwent surgery to fix his hip. He had a hip resurfacing procedure, which was a major surgery. They shaved of the outside of the top of his femur and put a metal cap there. Six months after the surgery, he is good as new. For the first time since we've been married, he doesn't limp, especially after exercise. He is able to play basketball and volleyball without pain.

July
We had a fun month. We spent the 4th up in Dana Point.

My friend, Heather, had her baby girl Devon. She is a sweet-dispositioned baby and will be a nice complement to her active big sister. Jackson and Amelia just love her!

At the end of the month we went on a family vacation with Kenny's parents and sister to Big Bear. It was beautiful and there was a lot of fun stuff for the kids. One of the highlights was a pirate cruise on the lake.

The house we stayed in had a great deck with a beautiful view of the lake. It was very relaxing at sunset.


August

The kids continued swimming lessons at Bubbles Swim School. It was amazing to see how much improvement they had. Amelia is almost 100% water safe (she still has to be reminded sometimes of her rolling over skills etc.). Jackson is a confident swimmer and loves it.

I ran my first half marathon (ironic that it was after my first full marathon). My friend and running partner Laura ran it as well. We ran the first half together and then I started fading during the second half. It was a hot day and the race was hard, but I am very glad I did it.
September
Jackson turned five. He is growing up to be such a great kid. He had a pirate party down at Spanish Landing park on the bay. There was a buried treasure full of prizes for all the kids to share. The weather was perfect, so after treasure hunting the kids went swimming. Who needs a bouncy house when you have the beach?


October

The kids had a fun Halloween. They were probably both in the most common costume for their age groups. They didn't care. They had a great time playing the part. They both dress up in their costumes still on a regular basis.

Even Mommy and Daddy got into the spirit! Jackson's best friend Greyson was a pirate too!

November

Kenny and I went to Moab, Utah for a mountain biking weekend. Jackson and Amelia stayed with Uncle Jason and Aunt Kristi and had fun playing with their cousin, Serena. It was a lot of fun and the scenery was unbelieveably breathtaking. I definitely got bitten by the mountain biking bug. It is difficult for us both to do it, as I am not confident enough to ride alone. We need to wait until we have someone to watch the kids.

December

This was the best year in terms of Christmas spirit for the kids. It was PRIME Santa year. Amelia completely understands the concept and Jackson doesn't doubt at all. They both squealed at all the Christmas lights as we drove around our neighborhood. Simple white lights on a house would elicit oohs and ahs from these kids. It was really fun.

We flew to Portland for Christmas. There was record snow on the ground. During our direct flight from San Diego they closed the Portland airport. They diverted us to the tiny Yakima airport for several hours. If you look at these pictures, you'll notice that Amelia is wearing my sweatshirt. I had her coat packed in the suitcase and never thought that we would be out on a snowy runway. It was an adventure.

The kids loved their first real taste of snow. Every day, Daddy had them out frolicking in the winter wonderland.

It was a great Christmas and a great year. I hope the next year is even better. Happy 2009!

A notice to Southen California drivers out there...

PLEASE learn how to drive in the rain. If you can't do it, STAY HOME.


*drive a little slower than normal (some of you speed demons are a menace) BUT please don't drive like an eighty year old woman. It is not like there is slick ice on the road. A normal speed where you are in complete control will suffice. Keep several car lengths between you and the car ahead of you.

*put your freakin' headlights on. OMG...it is pouring down rain and someone with a GREY car doesn't think it is prudent for other drivers to see him? This is an easy one, folks.

*Give yourself plenty of time to change lanes, exit the freeway etc. There is really no need to cut over two or three lanes when there is standing water. I can't believe how many people cut me off this week!

Living in Southern California is funny when any sort of weather hits. You would have thought we had a blizzard. Many of my friends didn't leave the house (which might be a good thing...less people on the roads). The people that did leave the house seemed freaked out. I suppose it is tough getting used to driving in driving rain when it only rains a few times a year (and even then it seems to rain overnight and clear up during the day). I can't even imagine how NUTS the roads were like in Las Vegas this week. If people can't hack driving in the rain, I am sure snow blew their minds!