swimmin' lessons

it's a woman's prerogative to change her mind isn't it?

apparently it's a woman's prerogative to change her emotions, too.

as usual kate was delighted to go to swimming lessons. she has friends there and she really likes her teacher. she beamed as she settled into the pool.

but, after sitting in the pool, bobbing in the water and climbing in & out of the water...she got a little cold.

she started shivering uncontrollably (those pics would have been too blurry to post), her lips turned blue (literally) and she started to cry...i asked her why she was crying. her squeaky reply, "i'm cccccoldd!"


she thawed out shortly after leaving the pool and perked up after some goldfish crackers...

are you serious?

i have no comment on this one. what can i say? this photo was taken while i was at work and the animals took over the zoo. this scene makes me wonder what else they do while i'm not around...wait..i don't want to know.

Time at the park

Summer days seem to go by so quickly...and they are so fun!

it's the little things...

the shoe diva has a new pair of shoes...

got them at REI*

the kids favorite store

climbing on bikes,
exploring tents,
trying on shoes,
pulling merchandise off the racks
embarrassing momma

back to the shoes...

had to carry the bag out of the store HERSELF..

she would hardly take them off...

can't wait to show them to the neighbor girls...

they are set out for grandma to see first thing in the morning...

went to bed dreaming of wearing them to breakfast...

Thanks Buddy...

Sam is a Daddy's boy...he thinks Runner Boy is right up there with his binky and his favorite stuffed animal. If he falls and gets a boo-boo, he runs down the list of what he needs to survive: "DAHDEEEE!, ge-ge (bink) and Skippy (favorite stuffed animal.) I have noted I am not part of the list. I am sad.

I'm actually doing everything possible to win him back...I even let him run around in his birthday suit after supper (he loves this.)

So, for one day this week, he wanted me and hung out with me...I was elated. At one point during that day he got a boo-boo and actually asked for "Mommy"...

Runner Boy asked him, "What I am Chopped Liver?"

Sam replied, "Yeah..."

My Momma's heart was reassured that he does love me...ahh.

Reality hit again today when he started to cry about something and wailed..."DAHDEE!"

Oh, well...guess I'm chopped liver.

Birthday weekend...part II

What else does one do on their birthday? How 'bout a triathlon?

Who wouldn't get up at 3:45 a.m. on their birthday, drive 50 miles, ride a bus to the venue, freeze in their little tank suit at the start and take off into a lake to swim a 1/2 mile?

See me? I'm 3rd on the left on the beach at the far side of the lake...

Now for the start...

It was my first open water swim...quite an experience on a windy day...

I noticed that it's really difficult to swim in a straight line in the middle of a choppy lake. So did everyone else...I knew one chick was off course when she swam across my path perpendicular to the swim finish...the swim "angels" got her herded back the right direction. Who wants to swim an extra 1/2 mile by going off course?

The swimming frenzy is followed by a run into the transition zone to slap on your helmet, socks, shoes, get a drink then head out on the bike...

...rolling hills, beautiful day, and brutal cross and head winds greeted us on the course...

...I had to use my mountain bike for the tri since I lent my road bike to the guys riding the Tour de France...hope they appreciate it...


...next comes the run...back into the transition zone

...ditch helmet, bike and the wind (okay maybe not the wind...)

...grab running hat, gatorade...

and try to convince legs to keep moving...repeat mantra in mind (borrowed from Finding Nemo)

"just keep running...just keep running...just keep running..."

Looking desperately for finish line...seeing mirages of Starbuck*s drink in the distance...

...finally...

The best part was seeing Runner Boy at the finish...he supported me from the day I signed up...encouraging...making time for me to train...and cheering me on throughout the course.

Thank you...I could not have done it without you and seeing you at the finish was wonderful.


What a wonderful experience...and fun birthday...I might be hooked.

birthday weekend...part I

This past weekend was my birthday...I love birthdays as long as they are celebrated, but the years are not counted.

Runner Boy decided to make this birthday special...and he was successful.

He invited friends and family for a barbecue on Friday night and it was fantastic. The group included very special people from my childhood, years past and today--it was a lovely evening.

Now what birthday is complete without a cake? It was a carrot cake and it was delicious. Now the benefit of a carrot cake is that it really encompasses the four food groups...veggies, carbs, dairy (cream cheese frosting) and protein (the walnuts). Ahhh...so good. I think I personally ate 25,000 of the 37,000 calories found in this beauty. (I was storing them for later in the weekend...more on that later.)

Kate was in her element--she had cousins and her friends to play with. When everyone was leaving she broke down into tears and wailed "No! no! no! I don't want them to leave..."

It was also Sam's first experience with a fudge bar...Kate's a pro at them and ate 2 in no time.

Sam on the other hand, was a bit troubled by the frozen aspect of the treat, but tried. The chocolate seemed like a good idea...

Then he offered a lick to the photographer...who politely declined...

So, he thought he'd give it another shot...

The love affair didn't last...he tried to use it as a shovel around the hosta 2 minutes later. yum.

July 4th Part II

We have a fun local 4th of July parade in our area. Every year local folks line the street for 2 hours of local bands, fire companies, floats, and veterans' groups.

Kate was looking forward to seeing Elmo and dreading seeing clowns.

Sam couldn't remember last year, so he was entranced by almost all of it. ...except the little boats armed with super-soakers...see below...

Kate bounced down to the parade route...anticipating seeing her cousins and the floats...

Sam got a flag from Boy Scouts who hand them out along the route...

...these got Sam's attention immediately...

it didn't take Kate long to realize that the people in the parade threw candy off the floats...tootsie rolls, smarties, bubble gum...she soon become very focused...

it's not a parade in the frozen tundra without a harley davidson or 20...

...then the sheriff came into town...so I had to make Kate stop beating kids up to get more tootsie rolls and smarties...

I can't help getting misty-eyed when the veterans come along...thank you all for your service and sacrifice...

these guys are crazy in their micro-bugs...

...here is 1 band that I could play in...you don't have to be musical and can go undercover...PERFECT!

yes, these ladies are for real...they hold their try-outs in the late winter if you're interested...they are called the "Dancing Grannies"...

Sam found the boats with the super soakers very disturbing...he's not a fan of the squirt gun on steriods...

you know you love this float...did your parents have one of these campers? where you ever stuck behind one while driving through the mountains? do you own one?

and finally, the re-enactment soldiers...Runner Boy loved them!


this is how we started our 4th of July celebration...local flavor...honoring those who sacrificed for our FREEDOM...spending time with our family...enjoying the lovely weather...God Bless America!

July 4th Part I

A fun day was had by all...parades, flags, bands, veterans, family, friends, neighbors, grilling out, playing with cousins, water games...

Sam loved it and was enthralled by everything...last year he was just too little to soak it all in.


Of course it's all fun & games until somebody gets hurt.

How did he do it you ask? With a bulldozer, of course. Witnesses on the scene say he was pushing a bulldozer down the sidewalk when the blade got stuck on a crack. Well, things in motion tend to stay in motion...so do little boys. He flew over the dozer and landed on his rather large head. (Who knew you should wear a helmet while driving a toy bulldozer?)

Momma immediately wanted to call one of these...especially when I heard him cry...

So much for starting his modeling career this week...if he could string together a full sentence, the whole ordeal would make a good story in the sandbox...

We did call in a little help...

...and it wasn't long until he cheered up and went back to driving the big equipment and enjoying his holiday!

In case you were wondering...

I'm not fond of having my photo taken, so I rarely post a pic with me in it.

Kate has learned how to draw people. So the other day she came running up to me and said, "Look Mama, I drew a picture of you! ...that's you!"

So now you know what I look like at the end of the day...

dirt delivery...

Once the brush was gone, it was time for the dirt delivery. The kids were thrilled when they woke up yesterday to find a big, big pile of dirt on the driveway.

Daddy immediately started distributing it around the yard and grading around the foundation...but Kate & Sam had other plans...

How about a slide?

There's nothing like your own hill in the driveway. Perfect.

Kate quickly crowned herself "Queen of the Hill." She reigned over her kingdom with glee...trying to get her servant, Sam, to follow orders.


Sam immediately felt the need to move dirt like Daddy. He got out his truck and tried to go to work. But he began experiencing mechanical problems...

He spent a great deal of time working on the wheel and fine tuning the mechanics of his machine. A man can't have his truck breaking down in the middle of a job.

He got it all under control then when to work haulin' dirt for Daddy.

clearing brush, moving dirt, grading...all in a day's work for this 23-month-old...tomorrow...we play!

diagnosis

In case anyone is wondering if Sam has a "condition" that causes his pants to fall down...the answer is yes.

The medical diagnosis is called "Primary Abuttosis" and it was identified at birth (he weighed less than 5 lbs.).

It is an autosomal dominant condition found on the "Y" chromosome (that's the one from the Dad--not the Mom.) There are varying levels of gene expression with this disorder.

Now to breakdown the diagnosis to English..."Primary A-butt-osis"

Primary: Meaning a condition he was born with. Not something he got as a result of another condition...

A: Meaning "without"

-butt-: Meaning "butt" (pretty straightforward.)

-osis: Meaning "a condition of"

Putting it all together:

It is a condition of being born without a butt. Thus, his pants fall down.

Sam seems to have a pretty significant case of primary abuttosis, but it will make him less susceptible to having his butt chewed, worn or worked off by other people in life.

Let's all try to look at the bright side.

(He did ask for suspenders for his birthday...)

home improvement...

There's been a flurry of activity around our home lately as we attempt to finish projects. We've had concrete removed, new concrete poured and old landscaping removed. We concluded the best way to get rid of all the brush was to rent a dumpster and pack it full.

While it may look like we are breaking all the child labor laws in the state, the kids actually wanted to help (they still think helping is fun). They got out their snow shovels (yup, they shovel, too) and jumped into help.

Sam appeared to be oblivious to an impending problem...

Even from a distance, I had a sinking feeling he didn't know he was saggin'. Maybe we were working his butt off...but he volunteered...it wasn't forced....

By the time he realized his dilemma...it was too late...he tried to catch them on the way down...but...he wasn't willing to drop the stick in time...

I mean, ask yourself, if you were 2-years-old would you try to maintain your modesty or hold on to your stick?

Sam kept the stick.

Uh, oh. Pants fall and go boom...but the stick is still in hand. Phew...wouldn't want to lose the stick...where would a guy find another stick? ...they are scarce you know.

Please note. Kate is able to completely ignore this wardrobe malfunction and stay focused on the task at hand...fill the dumpster.

...the dumpster was filled...the dumpster was picked up...

in our next installment...the dirt is delivered...