Sunday, January 30, 2011

January, When you go...take these with you...

Winter Storm - Photo Courtesy of NOAA.

January you have been a bit cruel to me... so with only one day left, I'd like to say good riddance and please be sure to take the following with you on your way out!

First...
My injured foot...Early last week after running 5 miles on the treadmill, my foot hurt... like really hurt... it hurt to walk. So I took some alieve and went to bed. The next morning I felt great, wore my high heals to work and had NO pain at all, in fact I had almost forgotten about the injury until later that night when I put on my running shoes to go for another run...OUCH! So I took the rest of the week off, felt great, no pain. I got up Saturday morning to run 10 miles with Anne and Lisa. I had an alternative plan in case I started hurting again, but I ran the entire 10 miles and felt great... until I got out of the car at home and I could barely walk. Then Brian made me stick my whole foot in a bucket of ice water for 20 minutes with a promise it would help...and here I sit on Sunday with an extremely sore foot, barely able to walk, and not to mention possible nerve damage from the freezing cold water (ok, that last part is a bit of an exaggeration...). The worst part is I am 7 weeks out from the half marathon and feeling panicked...so January, PLEASE take this with you when you go.

Secondly... take the rashes, and hives, and the molluscum contageosum that have appeared on my boys skin. The rashes and hives are from a virus and make him quite itchy. I am sure the m.c. is from wrestling, and it won't be the last of the wrestlers curse we see, but you did not have to see the disappointment in my son when the Dr. said he couldn't wrestle. He got so mouthy and rude to me because he didn't know how else to express his own disappointment. Then he cried in the car on the way home (just a little when he didn't think mom was looking). Even the promise of wrestling with dad couldn't cheer him.

Thirdly, and the worst of them all... take the sorrow and questions about the death of my student...it is just too much to bare. All I can think about is what her parents are going through, I can not even imagine the pain the loss of a child brings. I keep having dreams about my own children getting lost, kidnapped, murdered... and that is a terrible feeling to wake up to, but at least mine are still safely sleeping in their beds.

January, I hope that the next time we meet, it is on better circumstances...

Riding a Bike


Another milestone had just been set in our home...Maddox learned to ride his bike! It all started on a sunny afternoon. The kids and I had just returned from a long day at work and the sun was shining, so we decided to take advantage of the above freezing temps and get some natural Vitamin D. After taking batting practice and playing catch, Maddox turned to his scooter, doing jumps and tricks up and down the driveway. He had such great balance I didn't see why he shouldn't be able to ride his bike (besides just being stubborn!). When I told him this he got that nervous excited look accompanied with a giggle, and said he would give it a try. Low and behold he was off by himself. He was so proud of this new skill, that he immediately wanted to go on a long bike ride with dad. He took it rather hard and didn't quite understand why he wasn't ready, he still couldn't start by himself.

Just yesterday he attempted day two of the riding lessons, this time with dad while I was out for my run. I came home to the boys circling the street and Maddox riding...no tearing up the street, complete with skidding and starting by himself.

I'd say he is ready for our first family bike ride!

Learned: The power of your mind is much stronger than we believe. Maddox has been coordinated and strong enough to ride with out training wheels for at least a year, but had it in his head that he couldn't do it, but as soon as his mind set changed, he couldn't be held back.

Wicked Appetite


I really hate to rate Evanovich so low, but I just didn't enjoy this book as much as I have her other books. It almost showed how formulaic her writing is... instead of Lula you have Glo, instead of Stephanie you have Lizzy, and instead of Morelli you have Diesel. Yes, Diesel is the Plum character from the between the numbers series, for which this book is a spin off. Then throw in some animals, psycho characters, and over the top problems and voila! a new book. I could almost picture Evanovich sitting down to write this book with a set of dice one with random characters, the other with outlandish events, then just cut and paste the results of the dice into a premade storyline. Sorry Janet, you are still one of my favorites... and I'll still pick up your next novel...probably.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Garden Spells & Matched

On my 4 days of uninterrupted "me" time at New Years, I indulged in a wonderful read...
When the wild, free spirited sister returns home, the Waverley's are forced to confront their abandoned relationship and examine who they truly are. Garden Spells was a beautiful story of finding your way home, embracing your unique gifts, and being proud of your heritage... wrapped with garden magic. I loved this enchanting story of two sisters who find their strength in each other and what it means to be family...to be a Waverly.



Said to be the next great series to follow The Hunger Games, I of course had to read it. Set in a Utopian society where everything is perfect; meals and nutrients perfectly configured for each citizen, placement in the perfect job, provided the perfect amount of leisure to work ratio, matched with the perfect mate- the one you are most likely live happily with and have the strongest healthiest children, one girl discovers the glaring reality that the carefully constructed world around her is anything but perfect... In her efforts to break free and make her own choices, will she find herself once again a pawn in the statistical game of society.

As I read I really liked the book, though I didn't feel hooked and completely captivated by the story until the very end.... as the pages got fewer and fewer, the story got more intense, now that it is over (or just beginning)... I am left in the limbo of this fictional world awaiting the next in the series.....

This book really made me consider the censorship that occurs around us, the choices and freedoms that we have and don't have... and the power we unknowingly give to "society" because we assume they have our best interest in mind.

Batter Up !for a Game of Snow Ball

This morning we were greeted with a new layer of snow, and the boys decided to go play ball...It was quite entertaining hearing the bursts of laughter every time a snowball sprayed their faces with each hit.


But in everything "boy" the play escalated too far and someone ended up with a face full of snow...


After he recovered they lured me outside with the promise of a snow angle photograph, but instead bombarded me with snow balls!

Learned: Its the small things that make me smile... watching Maddox and Brian play baseball in the snow is a gem of joy.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Madison Turns 12


Madison (and Ranger) celebrated their birthdays in typical family filled fashion. Every family member (except one uncle) made it to the celebration, making for one full house. My brother Nathan and his wife came over to surprise Madison for her birthday.

It is quite evident to me this year that I no longer have a little girl, but a young lady...nothing drove that deeper than the fact that she got (and wanted) only clothes and shoes for her birthday...no more toys...

Madison continues to amaze me with her kindness, maturity, and talent. She loves and excels at school, plays the flute, soccer, and basketball exceptionally well. She is one of the happiest people I know, and has such great character and strong charisma that I don't know a single person she has met that thinks ill of her. I am so proud to have a daughter that is such a blessing to me and all those around her. I know that God has amazing plans for her life, it excites and stirs my spirit as I watch and wait for it to fully unfold. I pray that I will have the strength and wisdom to guide her and be the support she needs me to be.

Learned: Being a mother to Madison is one of the greatest jobs I will ever have.

Merry Christmas 2010

This Christmas has been the most enjoyable one I have had in a long time. It started with a fabulous get together with my friends Ari and Anne and our families.
We enjoyed delicious appetizers, beverages (Anne's Champagne Punch), and a limousine tour of the Christmas lights around town. All the kids were so impressed with the limo, drinking cola and seeing the lights.

Brian and I enjoyed our first Christmas morning with just the kids and no where to be until after noon. For me this was the best gift of the year, relaxing in pjs and getting to stay home and let the kids play with their loot. I have never had a Christmas where I got to do that...making this extra special.

The theme of gifts in our house this year seemed to be winter activities. Brian, who got skis for his birthday, received all his skiing accessories; Madison got skis and boots; Maddox got snow shoes; the kids both got sleds; and I got a new ski/snow outfit. So of course we used a few days of the break to go enjoy the new gear. We took the kids to Sunlight for a fantastic day of skiing... Madison has become quite the skier, and Maddox is on his way to becoming the next Super G gold medalist (I knew those tree trunk legs would serve their purpose). We also headed up to the Mesa for an afternoon of snowshoeing and sledding. We were fortunate that both days were beautiful.




I also got an amazing gift from Carrie an Rob... a signed picture from Peyton!!! (ok, it isn't like he actually sat down and wrote the message himself and signed it...but I can pretend....right?) It was pretty funny when I was opening it, the room of family stopped and watched me, there were cameras flashing, and unknown to me, Rob was filming my reaction... In summary I seem to have given them all the reaction they hoped for!


It is an annual tradition for Carrie and Rob to take Madison to the cabin between Christmas and New Years, and this year they took Maddox too. I was invited, but the lure of 3 1/2 days completely to myself was just too great! Instead I braved the snowy roads loaded up on books as well as supplies to pain my room.
(Last year I bought a new bed spread, but it totally clashed with my dark blue walls, ever since I have been waiting patiently to steal away some time and paint.) I must say that these three days have been a pure slice of heaven! I got the room painted and put back together in one day..

I still need to find some decorative pieces to adorn the walls and windows...I finished one book and started another, I got all the laundry done, managed to get in a long run on the tread mill, uploaded pictures to flikr, blogged, and watched a few movies. Brian had to work the New Years holiday, but was home early every day. We got to spend some much needed time together. We went to the movies (saw The Fighter... loved it) and went to sushi with Jim and Allison. I have truly enjoyed these days to myself, but am glad to be seeing my kiddos later today.

Learned: I am just a few short hours away from returning to the real world of work; it has been pure bliss enjoying this holiday with my friends, family, self. I am so thankful to have received these gifts of time.