5 Things

1. Spring blooms. I love 'em! The plum trees are exqusite this year. I pass by a small grove of them on my way to work and can't help but extoll their beauty every time. The azaleas, pear trees, dogwoods, and cherry trees are lovely, too. And so vivid! The colors are almost Seuss-like.
2. Pinterest. I've known about Pinterest for a while but finally took a minute to explore it. It's a neat concept, particularly if you are planning something (like a wedding or room re-do) or like collecting things. It's easy to use and appeals to my organizational sensibilities. Warning: You can lose a lot of time wandering around in there.
3. Cropped pants. I have a black pair but I want more. Definitely khaki, possibly red, maybe floral if I am feeling brave. Look what you can do at H&M's website.
4. The Pool. We belong to a community pool and it's time to renew our membership. I can't wait for it to open!
5. Running. I replaced my worn out (and muddy-beyond-cleaning) running shoes and have yet to try them out. I must get to the gym.

What have you been thinking about or pining (pinning?) for? 

Running for my life

Oh yeah... I also forgot to tell you about the zombie 5K I did at the beginning of the month. It was fun. It was challenging. It was messy. I felt like a tough chick after finishing that kick-butt course--a very orange, tough chick. Check out the photos, but do it soon. They're available only for a limited time. There are some more photos on Facebook if you are really, really interested. Look for orange-hued ones from Atlanta on March 3.


We had torrential thunderstorms the night before the race. (For those of you who are not aware, Georgia clay does not respond well to rain. Clay + Rain = Super Mess) Running on sand is tough. Running on wet clay is a total body workout. You're trying not to slip while avoiding zombies who are greedily grabbing for your life force (football flags) and trying not to lose your shoes in the tenacious clay that envelops your foot, sometimes up over your ankle. (I kept thinking of Mr. Rooney and the mud scene in Ferris Bueller.) To add to the challenge of it all, the clouds opened up for a 5 minute soaker rain just before our start time. It provided a nice slick surface-perfect for wiping out as you ran a curve. Not that I did that or anything... 


You'll get a slight idea of the clay situation in the photos but they really do not tell the complete story. When I got back to my parents' house afterward, my mom directed me to the water hose out back and brought out a washtub for my race clothes. I lost one pair of shoes, a towel, and a shirt to the clay. My skin was stained for 2 days following, even after several showers with scrub brushes.


In addition to zombies, there were obstacles throughout the course. Some of the more interesting ones were 

• a huge vat of water, topped with logs suspended right at water level that you had to go over or under, with zombies positioned in between
• swimming across a freezing cold creek - no zombies there, just freezing cold, nasty water that took your breath away and induced temporary hyperventilation
• sliding down clay mountain into a man-made pond (that was the finish line)

Don't let this post fool you-it was a good time. I partly wanted to do it for the adventure and partly to prove that I am not too old to do this sort of thing anymore. You could tent camp the night before or after the race... in the rain and mud. I am definitely too old for that crap.

In case you were wondering, I didn't cross the finish line alive. I was turned into a zombie somewhere around the half-way point. I lasted longer than I predicted and that's fine by me.

Would I do it again? Maybe. Maybe I'll try something else instead. Come on, world. Show me what you got!

Rowan Update

So, the first month as a 4 year old has been quite exciting. Rowan started swimming lessons at the Y earlier this month. He is doing so great! This week he swam about 5 yards all by himself. I almost stood up and clapped when I saw him, but held myself back. 


His current fascination is with ninjas. He mentions them a lot and claims to be a ninja as he wields a tube of bubbles. The bubble container is also his Jedi "lightsaver" (light saber). I can only assume he is learning this stuff at school since we haven't talked, read, or watched anything about ninjas or Star Wars at home... at least not that I know about.


Random Quotes
My dad was wearing running shoes one day for a change from his usual loafer/oxford/boot option.
R: G-Daddy, stomp your foot on the ground.
G-Daddy: What? Why?
R: So the lights in your shoes will come on.


R: Mommy was making cupcakes and I couldn't sleep. They smelled good and I can smell for a hundred miles. 


G-Ma: Rowan, do you want some goggles for swim lessons, like the boy in your class?
R: Aquaman doesn't need goggles, G-Ma.

Raleigh is 23-months!

Mommy fail. I completely forgot to write about Raleigh's 23-month updates. And Rowan's mirthday just passed, too. But that's for another time. Back to Raleigh.

• Likes: Singing, dancing, playing with Rowan, blackberries & yogurt, playing in sand, hair doo-dads, Curious George stories, art projects
• Dislikes: diaper changes, hair washing, veggie burgers
• Skills: She counted to 12 all by herself one night in the kitchen, totally unprompted. Genius! She can jump really well. We're still working on the potty. She's not too into it right now but loves her Minnie Mouse undies. 
• Communication: It's getting a lot easier to understand everything she says. There are still some things she has to repeat a few times before we finally get it.
• So big!: tops 2T/24mos; bottoms some 18mos some 2T/24mos; dresses 2T/24mos.; shoes 6-ish; diaper 4 (undies 2T/3T)
• In the works: I am going to introduce the sticker chart for the potty in another week or so. Her day care is moving to a new location next month and she will be in the 2-year-old room where they work on potty skills and other big kid stuff.

My baby is going to be 2 next month. This is such a fun time! I had forgotten how clever and funny 2-year-olds are. Of course there will be some trying times ahead for all of us, but I choose to focus on the fun. This era will be gone in a flash so I want to be sure to enjoy the ride, scary stuff and all.


Happiest birthday wishes to my sweet baby girl!

Hello again...

Wow! That hiatus was a tad longer than I planned. We've been busy and my computer's been out of commission. Here's a brief rundown of what I've neglected to share with you. 


* I turned 36. Jeremy and I had a swanky kid-free night on the town that included a ham tasting. Yes, you read that correctly. I have also affirmed that I really enjoy bourbon - just as it is. Mother's milk, I tells ya. I don't know how I feel about it yet, though. 


* My computer got new guts and a battery and is working like a champ. Thank you, Jeremy. In other tech news, I have a new toy: an iPad2. I'm using it right now as a matter of fact. I hope to be using it more. Again, thanks to my Geek-in-residence, JT for the hook up. 


* There was a lice outbreak at Rowan's school. Thankfully we were unaffected. But, we did keep Rowan home most of the week as a precaution. Bugs freak me out. (shudder) And, Jeremy's been sick this week. So far, the rest of us remain healthy. 


* I wear glasses now. If I can snap a decent photo, I will share my new look with you. 


There, now you're all caught up. You didn't really miss out on much. My latest idea is to take my iPad to work and blog during lunch. We have free wi-fi down in the cafeteria (not at our desks, which I find typical of government). I guess we'll see how that works. Bear with me as I work through the formatting/compatability issues. 


Happy St. Patrick's Day!