parks and running

So when I loaded these pictures onto blogger from my iPhone the other day I apparently hit "publish" instead of "save draft"..... so no, I'm not being totally lazy and just posting pictures, I just didn't mean to post this blog yet! With that being said, these pictures are pretty self explanatory!!!

Fall, Fall, FALL!!!! I wrote last time about how I"m craving it, and this week the weather in Phoenix has been beautiful and almost "fall like" (at least for Phoenix). We've had several days of storms, wonderfully overcast sky and breezes, cool morning and nights and temperatures that have only been getting into the 90's.  It makes for some lovely park weather where we can enjoy a snack on a blanket and then let L run around to hit hearts content without worrying about heat stroke!

L2 is having a little love affair with apple slices these days!

Daddy and L enjoying our picnic lunch!

L2 enjoying some of the park equipment.... about 2 second after I took this picture a group of bigger kids came barreling through this tunnel and almost took my poor babe out!

The park was fun, but L2 was worn out by the end!!!

And one of the best parts of the weather cooling down, especially the mornings? We've been able to start running outside again! It literally impossible to run outside in Phoenix in the summer (unless you go at like 3 in the morning and it's still usually 90+ degrees!) and I hate how much I feel like I lose when I have to switch to just gym workouts. I mean, I keep running on the treadmill and add in lots of cycling and yoga and Pilate's..... but I don't really think anything beats an outside or is as good of a workout. Luckily I don't think I lost too much this summer. I was doing between 4.5-5 miles each time I went out at the end of last spring and I've done 3 miles everyday this week. I think that's pretty good considering: 1) it's still fairly hot outside 2) I haven't run outside on a track in almost 4 months 3) I feel like my two kids in the jogger stroller and significantly heavier then they were 4 months ago!

My goal is to get back up to 4.5-5 in the next two weeks and then keep pushing it further after that! Wish me luck!!!!

A Big 'Ole Post

This post shall be labeled simply "A Big Ole Long Post". It will jump around and have lots of pictures that I've been meaning to post. There is no real rhyme or rhythm to it.... it's simply what we have been up to lately, and since it appears I am on a "once a month" posting spree..... well, this is what we are left with!

My Boys

Ah, my boys. The exhaust me and make me laugh and I swear make my heart grow a little bigger each day. Sometimes it amazes me just how much I love them. The first few weeks after L2's surgery were hard.... harder then we expected. He was uncomfortable and hurting and just generally out of sorts. It was actually worse (at night) then we ever experienced with either of our boys as newborns He would go down, sleep for about an hour, wake up inconsolable, take half and hour at a minimum to go back down, and then be back up half an hour later. I felt like a zombie, all of our nerves were fried and at times it felt like we were at a breaking point. But finally, just when I wasn't sure we could take anymore, he started feeling better. And it seemed like the improvement went from 0-60 in just a few days. Now my littlest is back to his happy, playful (sleeping) self and we couldn't be happier.

Now that he is 10 months old and a little sturdier L is getting much more into playing with him and hugging him and helping him. Sometimes we have to remind him to be gentle, but for the most part L2 thinks he is hilarious and loves the attention.

L loves hugging him anytime L2 starts fussing on the ground.... and it always brings smiles!

My big boy.... we are planning a 3rd birthday in a few short weeks.... I really can't believe it!

Working on some standing.... 

Nap time with mommy.... 

And even more hugs!!!

My handsome little guy!

Playdates

We've been doing some more playdates lately, which works our well for both L and I. He loves his new little friend and I love his friends mama. It so nice to have another mama who's so close, with a boy the same age who I can get together with and vent and laugh and share things with!

Channeling a 70-year old Grandma

When I was pregnant with L2 I was incredibly restless and needed something to help occupy my time. So I learned how to crochet. And I actually really enjoy it, and it comes in quite handy as my new go to gift for friends having babies is a handmade blankie! 

I'm by no mean an expert and at this point I'm pretty limited to blankets, washclothes and beanies.... but I did just teach myself a new chevron stitch and I'm thinking I may be making some nice Afghan like the one below for the women in my family for Christmas.

I've also been mildly throwing around the idea with another friend who does crafty type things of setting up a booth at our local farmers market and trying to sell some of my stuff..... thoughts?

Bedroom renovation

For literally TWO years we have had sample paint strip on our bedroom wall. I have wanted to paint our bedroom since the day we moved in, but other projects have always popped up instead. I finally put my foot down, went out and bought the paint and we painted out bedroom a lovely shade of grey. I love it. I don't have a lot of after pictures because I am still throwing around the idea of moving some furniture and adding a "reading nook".

Fall

For the most part, I don't mind Phoenix's weather. But right around this time I get an almost physical craving for fall. I want rainy, cloudy days and leaves changing and comfy cozy sweaters and warm cider. 

This is what I dream of for fall:

This, unfortunately, is what passes for fall (and every other season) in Phoenix:

But I can't enjoy fall outside, at least I can make it fall inside! So it's time to pull out the comfy pajama pants (even if the AC is still running!) start making hot chocolate and light all the fall scented candles, get some candy corn bubble bath and lather on the sweet pumpkin lotion!

OK, truth by told, I know everyone is obsessed with the Pumpkin Spice Latte, but I'm actually a bigger fan of the salted Carmel mocha. And don't even get me started on the salted Carmel hot chocolate.... it's Christmas in a cup!

So that's it for our life update! I hope those of you who actually get "fall" weather are enjoying the change in season! And we will be posting more this month because not only do we have a third birthday in just a few weeks, we also have my ten year (!) high school reunion at the end of the month!

A long week

As a Mother, nothing in this world is harder than watching your child hurt.

I dread the days of middle school and bullies and bad test grades and breakups and losing the big game and friendship drama. I know it is part of life and it will make my children (and me) stronger for it, but sometimes I wish I could just keep them home forever. I wish I could protect them from scraped knees and playground fights and anything else in this life that may hurt them, physically, mentally, or emotionally.

This past week has been incredibly hard for me, and has truly tested my strength as a mommy, because my baby was hurting and I had to hold it together and be strong for him. On Tuesday we checked into Phoenix Children's Hospital so that L2 could undergo surgery. I don't want to go into to much detail, but it was nothing life threatening and once we get through this tough time of surgery and recovery he is going to be 100% fine.

With that said, it was a trying and hard time. We got there on Tuesday for what was scheduled as an hour surgery and a one night over night stay for observation. It ended up being an almost two hour surgery and four days in the hospital. On Tuesday I cried more than I would have liked. I'm lucky I have a husband like S to keep me strong and we are so lucky that we live in an area where we have a hospital like PCH and the doctors and nurses that work there.

Thankfully my mom came out to help us with L, I don't know what we would have done otherwise. S and I have spent the last week switching shifts at the hospital, trying to make sure we both got home to see L, sleeping in a horribly uncomfortable chair in a freezing hospital room, and struggling with seeing our youngest son in pain. It was hard, but as a family we stayed strong and toughed it out together. We are home now and while we still have probably a good week of recovery ahead of us we are looking forward to putting this time behind us.

I want to thank our family and friends that have been there for us for the past week. We are so lucky to have so many amazing and compassionate people in our lives and our babies are so lucky to have so many people who love them.

Hug your babies a little longer tonight!

California Trip 2012

While our friends were sweltering away in 110 degree heat in the Phoenix summer last week, we were here:

Do you need a minute to get over your jealousy? It's ok, I'll wait.

Anyway, last week we took of on our usual summer vacay to summer California to visit S's family and relax for a few days. And I have to say, it's probably one of my favorite California trips we've had recently. First of, it's been awhile since we've been. Our scheadules have been so busy this year that this is actually the first time we've gone since Christmas and I felt like we really needed this trip. Things have been a little stressful lately, and I've been feeling a little restless so a getaway was definelty in order.

And, let's be honest, I'm a bit of a homebody. I like being at home, and I thrive on routine, so while I love vacations by the end most of them I am ready to come home and get back into the swing of things. But I honestly could have stayed a few extra days this time. And a huge part of feeling this way is just how happy our boys are when we are at "Poppa's" house. I swear, S's dad could play with L from morning to night with no breaks. It wears me out just watching them, but he absolutely loves our boys and wants to spend as much time with them as possible. So not only is L in seventh heaven (and L2 also, although he's not really old enough to "play" in the same way yet) S and I tend to get lots of breaks and lots of time to do some things on our own. Seeing as how we have no family in Phoenix this is a huge luxury for us and one we utilize to the fullest while we are there. 

I have many more pictures, but I'm being lazy tonight so I'm only showing the ones from my cell phone! So in no particular order here are some highlights from our trip!

The Petting Zoo

If you are every in the Moorepark area of California,and you have kiddos, you need to check out Underwood Family Farms. I have no idea why S has never taken me to this place before, it was awesome! And I don't just say that because it was a cool place to take the kids, I really enjoyed it to! It was a small park, farm, petting zoo. It cost about $5 a person to get in, but it wasn't crowded at all and it was small enough that we could walk around and enjoy everything without getting tired or L getting cranky.  It had everything from pony rides to chickens to goats to a HUGE pig to wooden trains to play in. There was also a small market area with jams and veggies and honey, and you could also pay to go out into the fields and pick your own fruits or vegetables. It was honestly really, really cool. And L freaking loved it. He spent forever playing on the big train and saying hi to all the animals and then me and him took a train ride around the whole farm. It is definelty on my list of places to go back to.

The Park

There is this awesome park near S's house, one he grew up going to, and we spent a lovely afternoon with the boys there. Not only was the weather a beautiful 78 degrees (going down the slide without the risk of third degree burns? Amazing!) there was a creek running though it filled with ducks for the kids to feed. L thought it was pretty much the coolest thing ever!

Jammin' with Poppa

S's Dad play guitar and L was very into "playing" with him. I'm not sure who had more fun.... Poppa getting to share something he loves so much with L, or L getting to play with a new kind of musical instrument. It was probably one of the cutest things ever. What do you think, does L look like he might be the next Jack Johnson?

Front Lawn Morning Skype Sessions

S's little brother happened to be in town at the same time as us, but we had just missed his sister who had been there the week before. We had a skype session with the whole family so she could see the boys playing with Poppa, Grandma, and Uncle and because we were trying to soak in as much of the gorgeous weather as possible we pulled a blanket into the front yard and skyped outside!



Swimming

Poppa has a pool and we were excited to show off how far L has come with his swimming skills. And L loves swimming, but he was a little put off by pool water that is actually chilly as opposed to pool water that feels like bath water! It took his Uncle and Poppa getting in with him, but eventually he braved the cold and had a blast! 

Skateboarding

We found a longboard/carveboard (I don't know, I thought it was just a skateboard but S has informed me I'm wrong!) in the garage. At first L would only ride on it on his tummy but eventually all the guys got him to stand up and balance while they pushed him. How cool does he look, and also, how big does he look? Like, he looks like a kids here, not a toddler. Makes me proud and sad and the time!



Parents Night Out

We got several alone moments this trip, including naps (SOOOO NEEDED!), lunch dates, and shopping, but probably one of our best nights was getting an actual "grownups" night out with some old friends. We got dressed up (and by that I mean I wore my tight jeans and heels!) went to sushi and then went to a local bar where we laughed and talked and played shuffle board and had a night completely worry free. It was amazing and I'm so thankful that I have such great in-laws that not only take such good care of our boys but also are so willing to give us some time off when we visit!



So that was our trip. It was great, we were all sad to leave (Poor L spent pretty much the whole car ride home asking where Poppa was and crying that he wanted to go back to Poppa's house. Heartbreaking!) and now we are trying to fall back into our normal routines here!

**For some reason Spell Check is down on blogger...... I'm ashamed to admit I rely heavily on spell check. If this post is riddled with errors, I apoligize.

Lazy Summer

Ah, summer. Although I can't claim to be on "summer vacation", since I stay home with the boys year round, there is something about this time of year that still feels like a vacation to me. I tend to be a bit of a slave to my routine, and I get a bit out of sorts when I don't stick to it. I hate missing my gym time, I literally feel super guilty if I miss even one day.... or if I skimp and don't do a full cardio and strenth routine! Also, thanks to Pinterest, I've gotten myself on an awesome cleaning scheadule that is really working for me. In fact, I like it so much I may do seperate post about it later! (How's that for a prelude to my next post? Are you on the edge of your seat! My Cleaning Scheadule! How will you ever stand the wait?!?!?) Anyway, I also get ansy when I get behind on a day of cleaning because with two kids, a husband, two dogs and a cat it's pretty easy for the cleanliness in our house to go to hell!

But with summer here I am a lot more likely to throw caution to the wind (Ok, that's a little dramatic since we're taking about the gym and cleaning....) and skip our scheadule all together. I'm more likely to say the gym can wait and the kitchen will still be dirty later and laundrey can wait to be put away. And it's not usually even for some big event that we go of scheadule. There is something about summer that just calls for a lazy movie day, or an impromtu trip to Daddy's office for lunch, or an afternoon full of games and books and fort making.

So what have we been up to on these lazy summer days?

Well, there has been lot's of playing hide-and-seek.... a new favorite game of L's!

(He loves the game, but he hasn't totally gotten the concept of being "hidden". Two of his favorite places? under a blanket in the middle of the floor, giggeling while we "look" for him, or with his head stuck under the couch coushins.... booty up in the air!)

And with Phoenix days that are hitting 110 most days, we have been taking a lot more afternoon naps with fans blowing and the air conditioning blasting!



We've been doing early dinners and new restraunts just to have a cold beer and an appetizer. L2 hangs out in his high chair, a little miffed that everyone else is eating but him, and L just loves being someplace new and fun.... even if it a hole in the wall taco restraunt!



I am once again trying out my green thumb by re-planting my front pots (for the third time). Fingers crossed that this time they live! And by that I mean: Fingers crossed that I don't forget to water them and they die.....



And of course: The Pool. Again, days here are easily 110 most days so our weekend consist almost entirely of lounging by the pool. Luckily both of the boys are total water babies! L is a master at swimming all around the pool with his kick board and is getting really good at blowing bubbles and jumping of the step to swim to us. And L2? Well, at this point, he is a really really good splasher... and he loves it!



Fathers Day 2012

I hope all the Daddy's out there had an amazing Father's Day yesterday!

I've noticed a trend with me.... whether it be a holiday, or an anniversary, or a birthday, or an event.... my posts will always be a day late. If not more. The truth is I'm not always the most punctual person in life, and it appears I never will be in my blogs either. The days just get away from me, but I do always make an attempt to play catch-up!

Anyway, back to Father's Day. This month has been a bit crazy for us, so Shaun requested no gifts and just a day of relaxing. Of course I couldn't comply completely, but we did try to honor his wishes! Our day started with a super yummy breakfast that I have to say; I am pretty darn proud of. I made us a frittata with potatoes, eggs, cheese, sausage and onions and it was delicious, and also crescent rolls made with cinnamon and sugar and butter.

I barely got a picture of the end of the frittata and I got no pictures of the crescent yummy rolls! Like I said, everything turned out really, really yummy! Like so yummy, my stomach is kind of growling right now. The only downside with making a super yummy breakfast, especially with two little ones in the house, is that you have to get up super early to get everything together!

And, of course, to make an extra special Father's Day breakfast we had to have mimosas!

And even though S wanted no gifts, the boys and I got him a cute little coffee travel mug and the decorated it for him. L told me what colors to use and I colored in most of the background and then gave him free reign and he "colored" the rest of it. I'm not going to lie, it took all my willpower to give up the crayons. I really wanted to finish what I started..... with everything neat and in the lines! I know, totally OCD.

(I believe this is L2's "Really, you guys get frittatas and cinnamon roles and I get prunes? Jerks." Face)

The handsome Daddy!

And L's "No more pictures..... breakfast. Please. Now." Face.

And to continue with our relaxing day, we spent the rest of our time at the pool. I love my water babies and how much they love the water!



L was mad because L2 wouldn't stop splashing!

Swimming Babies!

And, of course, I can't let a Father's Day go by without giving a shout out to my own Daddy! I love this man. I love that he taught me to drive, bumping along in his old stick shift truck in the middle of a dirt lot. I love that he's always encouraged me to go after what I want. I love that he coached my soccer teams when I was a kid. I love that I get my innate need to argue with customer service representatives (and win) from him. (blockbuster...... I'm looking at you!) I love the Gramps he is to my kids and the friend he is to my husband. Good Dad's make all the difference in a kids life, and I'm lucky not only to have one but to be married to one!