First Day of School

Chemistry might not be so bad.  I can't believe I'm actually typing that, but it's true.  I had my first class on Tuesday night.  It's a late one, from 7:30pm-10:20pm.  My bedtime is supposed to be at 10:00pm, so a class that ends after that is just bad news.  It means that by the time I get home, get ready for bed, and unwind, it's practically midnight.  And then I have to get up again four and a half hours later.  And I do that twice since I have class twice a week.

It wasn't that miserable though.  Much less miserable than it could have been.  My friend recommended a set of professors (one for lab and one for lecture) and it turns out, they are great.  The lecture guy is from England and has an accent (and chemistry talk with a British accent is way more interesting than chemistry talk sans accent) and is so nice and excited about Chemistry it's funny.  He actually shook our hands as we came in and asked us our names and then stood by the door and shook our hands as we left.  And the lecture woman is funny and relaxed too.  So, it really could be much worse.  

Last night we got out of lab early so I got home around 8:30pm.  And guess what??  Evan was asleep and Ivan was washing the dishes for me.  It was the best thing ever.  I was happily surprised.  It made the rest of the evening so much more relaxed.  And let's be honest, relaxed evenings are not common in my household.

And in completely other news.  Look at this big boy who lives in my house.

He is growing up too fast.  He practically looks like an adult.  Maybe because we cut his hair.  I didn't want to but since it was always in his face and he was constantly rubbing his eyes because it tickled, I figured it was time.

Here he is before (don't mind me - I look tired 24/7).

And here he is after.

Look at how much older he looks! 

And can I complain that a haircut at Cartoon Cuts cost $16.99.  That's practically highway robbery if you ask me.  Really?? He had like 30 snips.  He's 11 months people!  My husband gets his hair cut for less than that and he requires a razor and they give him and neck and head massage at the end.  Yes, they gave me a certificate congratulating him on his first haircut and put some snippings in a baggie, so maybe it was worth it for the first time.  But next time?  No Cartoon Cuts here, we are just going to the regular barber shop where Ivan goes.

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Are you taking any classes this semester?  When was the last time you took Chemistry?

When was the last time that someone surprised you and did your chores for you?

Wanting what you don't have

I don't usually want too many things that I can't afford.  Of course there are times when I wish I could travel more or buy new clothes or things of that nature, but those are just fleeting thoughts, nothing that I ponder too much.  Hubs and I don't have a ton of money, but we have enough to make us happy and enough to feed, house, and cloth our family.  However, with the beautiful August weather we are having and the feel of fall in the air, it always makes me pine for a house.  Not an apartment, not a rental, but our own little house.

I don't usually mind our apartment.  It's the perfect size for us and I've never wanted to own a huge living space unless I had a huge family.  Plus, it's in a great neighborhood and is located close to where I catch the bus and where my hubs works and within walking distance to my sister's.  All great qualities that, most of the time, overshadow the fact that it's falling apart and is on the verge of becoming a trash dump (a dump for which I pay practically a quarter of my yearly income).

But on these nice days, I would love a deck with a fenced in yard for Evan and the dog. 

Source = google images

 How nice would it be to sit on that deck and enjoy the end of summer days???

When it's nice out, I make sure to pop Evan in the stroller and take Dolce on a nice, long walk.
 
We live in a beautiful neighborhood with bike paths through the woods and two lakes close by that you can walk around.  The neighborhoods are pretty to walk through and there are always runners and bikers and walkers out enjoying the weather.  However, for some reason, no matter how many walks I take, I still can't get enough fresh air.  I get back to my apartment and still want to be outside. We have a small balcony off our living room but it's not really conducive to sitting.  The mosquitoes are horrible because the trees are so close (practically on top of the balcony) and Evan can't really crawl around and play out there.  It's not as fun as BBQing on a deck and spending all day outside in the yard.

Source = google images

I mean, if I had an outdoor space like this one, I'd spend all summer out there!  So nice and relaxing and Evan and Dolce could play in the grass and have a grand ol' time. 

I'm assuming one day we'll be able to afford a nice, little house.  I'm not interested in a big house, just something small like this.  I love the bungalow-style house!

Source = google images

Maybe when we move out of this ridiculously expensive location know as the DC Metro area.  My good friend lives in Omaha and was selling her house for $64,000.  Umm, you can't even buy a parking spot for that much in the DC area, let alone a living space.  And she had an adorable little house, not a cardboard box.  I don't need a big house, just a small three bedroom, two bath with a yard.  In a family-friendly neighborhood.  I like the house below, but the fact that all the houses have bars on the windows in that picture make me think it's not so family-friendly.

Source = google images

I've been hesitant to buy something here because I've always felt like I didn't want to settle here (and because we can't afford anything).  But maybe after nursing school we'll move somewhere we'll want to stay and I'll make enough money to get a loan on a house (and the houses will be cheaper).  Not sure how that will work if I'm taking out more loan money for nursing school, but one can dream, right?

Obviously you shouldn't covet what you don't have, but it would be nice to own a house one day.  And then we could fix it up the way we wanted and wouldn't always have the cheapest fixtures (which is what people do when you rent - they put the absolute cheapest stuff in the house because they don't want to waste money on a rental).

Until then, I'll be glad that at least we have a great neighborhood and places to get outside (as many people don't even have that).  And we'll just spend afternoons at the park.

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What is your dream house?

What is something that you dream about buying one day?

So many things to say

It sure has been a while and boy do I have some things to tell you.  Don't get too excited, it's not anything really great, just random tidbits.  Last week Evan was sick so I didn't get to post.  I usually post on the bus into work (like now, it is 6:31am), but since I didn't take the bus, I didn't find the time.  Evan is very clingy when he's sick.

And adorable.  Isn't that the saddest/cutest face ever.  He was too sad to go in the stroller so I used the mei tai to walk the dog. And he fell asleep.

No worries though, he is much better now.  His fever went down and although he has a bit of a rash, he's back to his normal self.  And I'm back to work.

And back to school tomorrow.  But let's not think about that now.

This weekend was nice and relaxing.  It was the last week of my summer golf session.  I love the last week of sessions because everyone is so relaxed and happy.  Most of the girls will be back next session, which starts after Labor Day, so it't not a long goodbye.

The most exciting thing I did this weekend was join Costco.  I know, I may be late to the bandwagon, but I'm still not 100% sure we'll use it.  I will see.  We didn't do any shopping, just looked around a bit. Sunday morning was packed so we didn't feel like fighting the crowds.  I hope we love Costco though!

And I finally went on a run! That's a miracle.  I met my sister at 7:30am and we ran around three miles. I have a 5k coming up soon and I'd really like to do well. Plus my parents are here that weekend so they can watch Evan and I don't have to run with the jogger.  Normally I wouldn't mind except that the course is really narrow so I wasn't looking forward to maneuvering around people.

I also tried to get some cleaning done and Evan did his best to untidy everything I tidied, along with make a bigger mess than existed before.

Here he is is playing with the diaper liners.  I can tell you, that was really fun to roll back up!

On Saturday went over to our old neighbors' house for a BBQ.  It was a lot of fun.  They are hilarious and love Evan, so that is a good mix.  Plus, I got to drink one glass of wine.  I hadn't had a glass of wine in months.  Like 6 or so,  it was good.

I also went to the grocery store and spent way more money than I should have.  This seems to be the norm.  I think I need to re-do my budget and adjust the grocery section.  Groceries seems to be more expensive and now that I can't feed Evan just breast milk, I guess he is costing some money too.  $100 a week is just not going to cut it anymore.

On the way home from the grocery store the car in front of me had a bumper sticker that said "I survived the Bataan Memorial Death March."  First I thought he was a survivor of the actual Bataan Death March, but then realized it was the Memorial Death March which takes place in March is White Sands Missle Range, NM.   That is quite an accomplishment - as the Bataan Memorial Death March is serious business. 

 

That's pretty much my update - very random and sporadic.

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Would you ever do anything as serious as the Bataan Memorial Death March?

   - Yes, if I had a team and some time to train.  Alone?  No.

Any other Costco fans? Or other big box stores?

  - I like Costco the best because they treat their workers really well and are a great company...unlike some other big box stores that belong to bad companies.

Pool days, cooking, and hand soccer

Ahh, Monday again.  It happens every week and it's unavoidable.

This weekend went by way too fast, although every weekend feels like that.  These days the weeks seem to go by too fast too.  This is my last week of freedom before school starts.  Boo.  I can't even imagine adding class twice a week to my already busy schedule.  So sad.  The only good thing is that the two professors that I have were highly recommended.  And it's my last prerequisite! Too bad that means I have to get my application ready, write a bunch of essays, and take the TEAS (nursing entrance exam).  None of those are fun and they were all things I was supposed to do during the summer.  Whoops.  We shall see how it goes.

It is mid-August and we finally made it to the pool.

It only took us 2.5 months.  The pools close after Labor Day so we don't have many days left.  The water was freezing but Evan didn't care too much.  He had a blast splashing  and walking around. He doesn't look too thrilled in the photo above, but I promise he loved it.  My back got sore from bending over so much holding his hand.  It was fun though.

His swimming diaper is just about the cutest thing on the planet.

Can you get any cuter than whales?  We bought it from The Honest Company.  I accidentally threw it in the dryer though and now it looks really small.  So not sure if it will fit him again.

Sunday was filled with cooking again.  Of course.  And loads of laundry.  And many episodes of Army Wives.  And I'm proud to say that I got all of the clothes folded except the baby's.  And the towels/sheets.  That is practically a miracle because I folded the clothes from last week yesterday too.  I have a habit of washing clothes and then putting them in a "to be folded" pile and never touching them again.  Then Ivan complains because all of his clothes are a wrinkled mess. 

For dinner I made a Salsa Verde Chicken in the crockpot.  It was too easy.  Season the chicken with salt, oregano, garlic powder, and cumin and then throw it in the crockpot with a jar of green salsa for two hours.  I also made Quinoa and Spinach Patties for Evan's lunches.  They were a bit more time consuming, but stilly turned out good.  My photo isn't that great though because I took it with my iPad in my badly lit kitchen.

The recipe made a lot, so I froze a bunch.

That was pretty much my weekend.  This morning Evan woke up early (shocker since he had a bit of a fitfull night) so was playing soccer all morning while I got ready for work.

He just hits the ball and then chases it.  He kept getting it stuck under the stroller and then he'd bat it and it would hit the wall and comeback.  He thought it was amazing.  I'm glad he was entertained.

Can you see his rat-tail hanging down his back??  We are getting his hair cut soon, so that will be gone one of these days.

And now I'm on the bus heading to work and trying to keep my eyes open.  It figures that Evan would sleep great all weekend and then decide to sleep badly on Sunday night.

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Have you been to the pool this summer?

What new recipes have you tried recently?

Bed head

This is Evan's hairdo in the morning.

Do you see how crazy it is! He has a huge rat nest in the back.

This picture doesn't do it justice, but it's pretty adorable.  I love his hair and I'm gonna be so sad when we cut it.  It will have to be soon though because his hair is always in his eyes.  And that can't be comfortable.

This morning we had extra time so we played a little soccer before heading out the door.

If I roll him the ball, he rolls it back.  That's his idea of soccer.  He also kisses the ball before rolling it.  Like a good luck omen or something.  Very cute.

Last night we played jail.

He thought it was really funny.  When I put him in his room and close the gate he loves to throw things through the bars and then reach his arm through and pull them back.  Good thing he occupies himself so well!

And now time for a little nap on the bus!  I finally feel a little more rested today, which is GREAT.  I am so tired of feeling tired.

I am dreading the start of classes in two weeks - how will I survive????

Hello Fresh and some depressing news

Let's start with the depressing news.  It's not my depressing news and it's not even my business.  But I wanted to say something brief about it anyway.  One of my favorite bloggers is getting divorced.  I know that doesn't seem like a big deal, especially since I don't even know her, but I was taken by such surprise that I can't help but mention it.  The worst thing is, they seemed so happy.  The perfect couple.  It just reminded me that you have no idea what is going on in other people's lives.  Yeah, I only knew her through blogging and you can easily share only the best aspects of you life, so no one has any idea about the bad stuff.  However you can do that in real life too.  Do we really know what is going on in the lives of our friends and family? Who seems perfectly happy but really is walking around in a state of depression?  It's just another reminder to not covet the lives of others.  Even though our life may seem like a huge struggle at times, everyone struggles.  Even if they don't show it.  We have to trust that we are living the best life for ourselves.  And no one's life is perfect.

Ok, enough of the serious talk.

I now want to talk about something completely different.  A meal service.  A few weeks ago there was a Groupon for a meal delivery service calls Hello Fresh.  It was $35 for three meals a weeks for two people.  It sounded fun so I signed up.  And it turns out I love it!  My first meal box came on Wednesday and this is what it looked like.

It was left on my doorstep and had this bright green sticker on it.  When I opened it up I was excited to see the fun stuff inside.  On top were three beautiful recipe cards (so I could make the recipes on my own if I wanted).  The cards are large and very easy to read and follow.

Inside the "cooler" part of the box were all the ingredients divided by the meal.  Each meal had a bag and inside were the produce and spices needed to make each recipe.  Everything was labeled and already portioned out, for the most part.  There were some things, like onions, where they gave you the entire onion and you only needed to chop half of it.  Not a big deal though.

If you get the regular box, there are five meal options and you can pick three.  Usually it's three different types of protein, like fish, chicken, and steak.  They also have a vegetarian option, but they only have three meals for that each week so you don't get to choose.  The recipes always sound good, so it's probably not a big deal.  This week I got Oven-Fried Chicken, Pan-Seared Citrus Salmon, and Ginger Sesame Steak.  

Here is the salmon I cooked on Sunday night (I know I already showed this picture but I wanted to point it out again).

The thing I really like about this service is that you get complete meals.  I am not really great at fixing complete meals.  I tend to spend so much time on my main item that I don't have time/energy for side dishes.  So we'll have spaghettei or chicken curry with rice - but rarely do we have a protein, carb, and vegetable.  And with these meals, it's super easy.  They include the main item plus ingredients for side dishes.  And it's not too horrible to try and cook them all.  When I made the oven-fried chicken it came with  sauteed mushrooms and kale.  I NEVER would have ever made that (I hate mushrooms and kale), but I cooked it and ate it and it wasn't half bad.  The salmon came with a summer salad that included arugala, red onions, tomatoes, and green beans with a citrus dressing (which you made from fresh oranges and limes).  It was very delicous.  Even Ivan commented on the salmon and the dressing (he only ate the tomatoes).

So, what are the negatives?  The price.  I got my week on Groupon, but a regular week for two people costs $59.  It's not too pricey when you think you get three meals for two people (and they are good portions, the chicken breasts were large enough for both of us, and Ivan eats a lot), but it's a lot to pay.  I tend to spend about $120 a week at the grocery store and even if three of my meals are already paid for, it's still hard to make it out of there for much less.  If I used half of my grocery budget on Hello Fresh, I would only have $60 left for regular stuff.  Plus, there aren't usually left-overs from the Hello Fresh meals and that means I have to figure something else out for lunches.  Not the end of the world, but not the cheapest route.

The good thing is you can pause your shipments and not get them every week. I think I might still get them every once in a while, because they are good and make mealtimes more interesting.  It's a fun way to find new recipes and try new things...and the meals are healthy and quick. 

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Do you ever buy anything from Groupon?

Would you ever do a meal service?



P.S. I wasn't paid to do this review, it's just my own experience.

Frozen yogurt, bike rides, and brunch

This weekend was so much fun.  It started with a trip to Target Friday evening.  I try my best not to go to Target because even if I only have to buy one thing there, I end up spending $100.  It's impossible to just get what you need.  Literally, impossible.  We were just going in there to buy a mini-grill and charcoal and we left with bags and bags of stuff.  To the music of $150.  Yikes!  But, I have to say, we got some exciting stuff.

We then decided to meet my sister and her family for dinner.  We went to the village center (kind of like a strip mall I guess) and all got different things and then ate at the tables outside.  I was going to get sushi but decided on Subway at the last minute.  Ivan had Chinese - of course.  It was a fun time.

On Saturday I had golf in the morning and then we were going to grill at the lake.  Except the weather was a bit cloudy and Ivan wanted to play golf.  I wasn't really in the mood to grill either, so I let him off the hook.  Evan was a bit sick so I felt like it was better to just hang out at home anyway.

But Sunday - that was the fun day.

I was planning on going to church in the morning because Ivan was going to ride his bike to work (and then I'd have to car for church).  However, Ivan over slept and was running late so he took the car instead.  Evan slept until 8:45am anyway, so we wouldn't have made it to 9am church even if we had the car!  I think he slept so late because he was sick, but at least when he woke up his nose was running a lot less than before.

When Ivan got home he wanted to go to brunch at Mimi's Cafe.  He's really in to brunch these days.  We used to go to brunch with some friends but they moved to Florida, so we need to find new brunch pals.  Except that Ivan has soccer on Sundays again so it might not work out very well anymore.  Since we didn't get to grill on Saturday, Ivan promised that we'd do something together on Sunday.

We decided to go on a family bike ride!  I cannot explain how excited I was about this!
 

In Target on Friday we had come across a Schwinn bike trailer on super clearance for only $47.00.  It was so cheap that we couldn't pass it up.  So we put it in our cart, found an infant bike helmet, and were already planning our great family bike outings.  I wasn't sure if we'd actually get out there for a while, but I was wrong.  Ivan wanted to just bike around the neighborhood, but I am not one to do anything "easy".  I must do everything to the extreme.  So I convinced him it would be a good idea to bike to frozen yogurt.  It was probably a 6-mile round-trip ride - and a bit hilly at parts.  My thighs were definitely protesting and I wasn't pulling a baby and trailer like Ivan was.  However, take a look at the bike I was forced to ride.

I got this picture from google, it is not my actual bike.

It's a Schwinn Jaguar - a beach cruiser, to be exact.  Definitely not something meant to go up hills and on paths.  It's meant for the boardwalk and beach living.  My sister had originally bought it to take to Outer Banks, but then never did so she gave it to my husband and me.  I owned a mountain bike but when we had to "pick" bikes, no way was Ivan riding the cruiser!

So we put dragged the bikes and the trailer down three flights of stairs, put Evan in his little helmet (cutest thing on the planet), and made our way to frozen yogurt.

 Then we relaxed and ate our yogurt before getting back on our bikes and heading home.

Pink lemonade with coconut and blueberries (the blueberries were mainly for Evan)

Ivan got vanilla with strawberries and coconut

We made sure to put some toys in there for Evan, so he didn't get bored.

So much fun!  Evan didn't complain once - not about having to wear a helmet or being in the trailer.  I think he liked having the wind in his face and bouncing along!

After we got home, Ivan walked the dog and Evan and I went to the grocery store.  Then I made dinner and Ivan gave Evan a bath.  I made one of our Hello Fresh meals.  It was so yummy.  I'll do a post about Hello Fresh soon - I love it!  This was citrus salmon with summer salad.  The little plate is Evan's. He usually loves salmon but was too tired to eat this time.  So he threw most of it on the floor for Dolce.

After Evan's bath, he was determined to avoid getting a diaper put on.  He tooled around in his towel looking like a super hero.  It was too cute!

My aunt made this towel - it is so big and fluffy.  So much nicer than regular baby towels.

He was going so fast that the pictures kept coming out blurry!  But he did stop to play with the laundry basket - one of his favorite things.  He loves to put thing in there and then take them out.

 
I still wasn't in bed before 11pm though.  Boo.

But it was such a great day, I can't complain too much!

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Did you do anything fun this weekend?

What time do you go to bed?

No sleep, caffeine, less sleep, more caffeine....

That is a cycle and it sure is hard to beat.  This week has been especially hard on the sleep cycle.  It started on Sunday when I was up WAY too late getting ready for the week.  I "get ready" for the week so that I'm not up so late during the week packing lunches, etc.  It kind of defeats the purpose if I stay up late on Sunday and then never get a chance to catch up.  Then I'm tired all week, even when I don't have a bunch of things to do.

After being awake until almost midnight on Sunday (this is tragic, since I get up at 4:30am on Mondays) and getting woken up at least four times by Evan, I was TIRED Monday morning.  So I broke my caffeine-free habit and made regular coffee.  Big mistake.  Caffeine is a downhill spiral, in my opinion, especially when you are breastfeeding.  And you hardly ever drink caffeine.

He sleeps so well from 4am-8am...not sure what happens between 8pm and 4am.

Come Monday night, I was wide awake so stayed up late again.  Evan didn't sleep well either.  Tuesday morning?  Another cup of coffee.  And the cycle goes on.  Yup, except I didn't relate Evan not sleeping to the coffee until yesterday.  I'm not 100% sure it's the reason he's not sleeping, but I know it probably played a small role.  He's also teething and today his nose starting running - so those two things make it much harder for him to sleep too.

Sometimes Evan just has to go to jail...except he thinks it's fun,
so it's a good thing I don't use it as a punishment!

It is hard to get my work done if I'm exhausted though, and I have a lot of work these days so I need to be as awake as possible.  However, caffeine doesn't seem to be the best solution - since it really just makes me tired the rest of the week too.  I guess I'll try to catch up on sleep this weekend and then try and start the week out better.  Haha - not sure how possible that is, but it's worth a try.

And can I just tell you this embarrassing story that happened at work??  My boss was walking around introducing his former mentor who was visiting the DC area.  He comes into my office to introduce her and I stand up, shake her hand, and she says...wow, you've got a lot going on in here...while looking at my desk.  I thought she was commenting on how messy my desk was, until I followed her gaze and realized she was looking at my breast pump!  Yikes!  I usually just leave it on my desk because the cord is hanging onto its last string and if I move it, it may not work again.  Plus, no one ever really comes to our offices so it's rare to get a visitor.  I was so embarrassed though.  I couldn't tell if my boss was annoyed at me for having my pump sitting out for the entire world to see, but he didn't say anything.  I didn't really need him to though, I put it out of view two seconds after they left.  I don't think breastfeeding is anything to be ashamed of, but I definitely don't feel like it's super professional to have my pump and its parts sitting all over my desk.  We all wear underwear but I sure don't want to go into my co-worker's office and see a pair of her underwear on her desk!  Ok - so my pump isn't quite that bad, but I had to work really hard at keeping my face from going completely red and keeping my composure!

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Any decaf coffee drinkers out there??

What's the most embarrassing thing that's happened to you this week??

I never thought I'd...Thursday

Have you ever done something you never thought you'd do?  Yeah, me too.

I never thought I'd be so addicted to television shows!  I hardly ever watched TV before.  Like never.  I went years without television, in college, in the Peace Corps.  And now, I still don't watch much TV, but I sure do enjoy television shows on Amazon.

It only took me years to figure out that I got free movies and shows with my Amazon Prime account.  I've had Amazon Prime for three or four years and I thought it was only good for free shipping.  I had no clue that I could stream movies and TV.  And then two things happened: 1) My co-worker told me about streaming shows and movies for free on Amazon Prime, and 2) I got an iPad mini for my birthday.

And it has been all down hill since then.

The first show I started watching was Parenthood.

 

I would watch it while folding clothes and stuffing diapers.  I downloaded the Amazon Prime app and could watch TV on my iPad, in my room, without fighting my husband for the remote.  A miracle!!

I think I watched the first three seasons of Parenthood in a few weeks.  It's hard stopping when the next show is just a click away.  No waiting until the next week, or even the next hour.  One show ends and you can just start watching the next.  And Parenthood was sooooo good.  I had no idea.  Unfortunately, only the first three seasons were free, so I had to stop watching it (I am hoping when Season 5 starts this fall they will make season 4 free on Amazon Prime).

So after Parenthood I needed another show to watch.  There are slim pickings on Amazon Prime and a lot of the shows I'm not familiar with, but I read some reviews and started watching Doc Martin, a British show that is aired on PBS. 

It turned out to be hilarious and so much fun.  I loved it.  There were  five seasons of Doc Martin but each season only had about 8 or so episodes.  So it didn't take too long to get through all of those.  

Then I randomly added a bunch of shows to my watch list and so my next show was Dance Academy, an Australian show.
 

I had never heard of it, but who doesn't like a good dance drama.  It was a little cheesy, but I actually really liked it.  It was like the movie Center Stage, but put into a TV series.  Plus each episode was only 30 minutes so it was easy to get through them.  There were only two seasons of that, so it was over quickly.

I have now decided to take on Army Wives.

I had heard of it, but never seen a single episode.  But it is SOOO good.  And sad.  I cry at least once every show.  As a military brat growing up, I am very familiar with military life on a base.  The show seems familiar to me - all the hierarchies, protocols, salutes, uniforms.  It is like relieving my childhood, but from my mom's perspective.  Makes me miss that close-knit military family and life on a military base.  Although the base (or Post, since it is Army) is in South Carolina and I lived at Air Force bases overseas, so it is different.  Still good and addicting though.

And Army Wives has seven seasons, so I have a ways to go before I have to move on.  If I can survive the drama and sadness.  I may not have enough tears!

I can tell you, watching TV shows on my iPad while doing laundry or washing dishes makes those chores go so much faster.  It's a win-win.  But seriously - I never thought I'd be watching so much television!

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What shows do you really like?

Ever seen any of the shows above?  Any Army Wives fans????

New shoes, pepper socks, baby sandals

These are my old running shoes:

Please excuse my pepper socks.  I would like to say those are the socks I wear when all my professional socks are dirty, but I won't pretend. I am wearing socks with frogs on them today.  

Anyway, those were my super old running shoes. I bought them two years ago and ran the Marine Corps Marathon in them. I wore them through pregnancy.  I wore them after pregnancy. I wore them on my first run as a mother.  And I wore them out.  And by that I mean they have too many miles on them and they must be retired (good thing my husband doesn't feel that way about me because I am pretty exhausted right now...and I would sure hate to be retired!).

Since I am so frugal, I kept putting it off.  There was always something else that I needed to buy. However, the last few times I've run I've had a serious pain in my buttock (that's a funny word, but in my head I said it with a Forest Gump accent so it sounded cooler).  After diagnosing myself, I decided that I had periformis syndrome (I took anatomy last year, I am practically a doctor) so I am trying to follow these guidelines from Runner's World.  Although I don't think mine case is that serious, I decided I needed a little rest.  I am trying to do some serious stretching to open my hips and stretch my muscles in hopes that my symptoms will go away.  However, I knew that I really couldn't return to running until I got some new shoes because bad shoes are a common cause of running injuries.  

So last week I dragged myself to my favorite running store and picked up these beauties:

They are Saucony Hurricanes.  I have been running in the Asics GT series since I started training for my first marathon back in 2003.  I went to Phildippides in Atlanta (this will always be my favorite running store ever) and they made me run around the store and put on a bunch of shoes and I walked out in ASICS GT-somethings (I can't remember the number - it was 10 years ago).  And I never looked back.  Every time I need a new pair of shoes I just pop in to the running store and buy the latest version.  No questions asked.  So what was different this time? First, my painful periformis muscle; and second, I wanted to make sure my foot/gait hadn't changed after pregnancy.  The guy made me stand on some fancy machine and then brought out the Asics GT-2170 and Saucony Hurricane 15. I tried both on but for some reason my gut was telling to go with the Saucony Hurricanes. So I did.

I wish I could tell you how amazing it is to run in them, but I can't.  Why?  Because I haven't found the time to run in them yet.  Actually, I ran to my sister's house the other night to babysit her kids but that was a short mile.  Not much to judge shoes on.  

I will get out soon though.  My husband said we could do a family run tomorrow but I'm not holding my breath because he hates running and is 95% likely to change his mind.  It would be fun though!  As soon as I get more than four hours of sleep I will go.  I have a half marathon to train for!

Speaking of, my good Peace Corps friends invited me to run the Philly Half Marathon in November with them.  We used to run half marathons each fall together and it would be SO fun to do it again...except it is $115.  Plus hotel.  Yeah, a bit out of my budget, but I am tempted. We shall see!

And don't worry, I bought Evan a new pair of shoes too:

They didn't have running shoes in his size at the consignment store though so he got sandals instead. I'm not sure if he'll ever wear them because I never put shoes on him, but I figured that now that he is pulling up he might need shoes on occasion.

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When was the last time you bought new shoes?

What are you favorite type of shoe to buy?

      I love buying running shoes but hate shoe shopping for anything else.  The worst type of shoe for me to buy is new work shoes.  It takes me days to find the right kind and then I end up returning them for something else.

And another exhausting weekend

**Update: I wrote this on the bus but then didn't get to publish until this morning - so this was from yesterday**

Geez, sometimes I think the weekends are more tiring than the week. I try to get so much stuff done that by the time Monday morning arrives I am yawning like a maniac.  This weekend was no different.  I am trying to be extra organized since I only have a month before classes start up again and I signed up for Chemistry.  Unlike Human Growth and Development, which I took last semester, Chemistry is no joke.  And it meets twice a week from 7:30pm-10:20pm. Yikes. And I probably have to study and write a billion lab reports. Sooooooooo not fun.  In anticipation of having less time to do things during the week, I am trying to get on a schedule of preparing as much as possible on the weekends.

Food is really the frontrunner when I talk about preparation. The more food I can prepare on the weekend, the less time it takes for me to get dinner on the table during the week. And that is vital.  And now I have Evan's food to worry about. Yes, he eats normal food and often just eats what we are eating for dinner, but he needs lunches and I like to have some food in the freezer for when I eat trail mix for dinner (yes, it happens to the best of us). Last week before our camping trip I made tomato sauce with puréed spinach, sweet potato, and molasses.  It actually tasted good, but I primarily made it for Evan so he could have some different options. I also made meatballs to go with it.  I froze half the sauce into ice cube trays and put the meatballs into freezer bags.  It has been great being able to make different meal combinations with that. I've made polenta topped with sauce, meatballs with sauce and ricotta cheese, etc. This past weekend I made lentil burgers with mint yogurt. They were quite tasty.  Again, I froze three burgers and divided the others into Evan's lunch bowls so that they are prepared for the week.  And if we are talking about taking care of people, I also made a chicken and carrot stew for Ivan to eat all week.  And I divided it up into plastic containers so his lunch was already prepared for the week too. He is as much work as the baby sometimes.

In the middle of my cooking extravaganza I got the vacuuming urge and vacuumed the entire house and straightened Evan's room up. I also did a ton of laundry. We had a GIANT bag of 12-24 month clothes that someone had given us and it needed to be washed and sorted through.  Some of the clothes are pretty worn or stained, so I will get rid of them, but I figured I'd wash it all so I could see the condition.  I didn't get to sorting yet.  That will be another night.

Luckily Dolce kept Evan occupied during all this.

Evan is trying to bribe Dolce to be his best friend by giving him toys.

So far Dolce hasn't given in.  Thank goodness because I don't want another expensive abdominal surgery!

I also dug out my Hot Sling and stuck Evan in there (using the hip position) to vacuum.  It worked out quite well. It was the first time I'd used the sling and I was pretty pleased.  

So, last night after all that cooking and cleaning, I was tired.  It was late by the time I got Evan into the bath and into bed.  I tried to give him a quick bath but we always have so much fun during bath time that we still played a bit.

He thinks he can just climb on in there! Actually, he likes to play with the knobs the most.  He stands up in the tub to play with them if I don't catch him quickly enough.

I also finally looked up what his little bruised tush was. I had always wondered because it looked like he had somehow fallen because the top of his tush was always a little black/bluish.  Turns out it's a Mongolian spot. Kind of like a birth mark. Interesting, but at least not a bruise.  His isn't really that noticeable, when I googled it some images came up that were FAR more extreme than his little bluish spots.  However, at least I know what it is now.

All that to say that I am tired today.  I actually drank regular coffee this morning instead of decaf.  I haven't done that in almost two years (I've had caffeine on a few occasions, just not a regular coffee in the morning at work)!   I am going to try and get a bit of shut-eye on the bus before I get home.  I don't think I can stay awake to read my book, even if it is very good.

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How was your weekend? 

Do you plan you meals out each week or just make something spur of the moment?

Snail Mail Collective

I'm not sure how I happened along Chelsea's blog, Lost in Travels, but it's fun reading her stories about teaching abroad in South Korea.  Last month she and Melyssa from The Nector Collective started a series called The Snail Mail Collective - a way to meet new friends from around the world.  Those who want to participate sign up and get paired with another person.  After a few weeks of getting to know your partner through email and blogs, you send her a package that has to do with where you live.  I was partnered up with Beka from Sunshine to the Square Inch.

I love the name of her blog - it's so cheery and bright.  I really enjoyed reading her blog posts and seeing the adorable pictures of the S. Korean kiddos that she taught.  She recently returned home and got married (so exciting) and is getting ready to start her new life.  After reading about her wedding here and here, I am definitely going to have to bake these amazing cookies she raves about (she actually served them instead of wedding cake, so they must be good)!

I was super excited to get a little note from Beka for the Snail Mail Collective.  Every day I check the mail and all I see is junk mail, bills, more junk mail, and if I'm lucky...a magazine (unless it's a birthday or holiday - then I get a card from my mom).  So, I was thrilled when I opened the mailbox and there was a special note in there - just for me...with my name on it.  Good times people.

The lovely picture is of the Keeper of the Plains.  I had seen a picture of that on Beka's blog so was intrigued.  I googled it to find out more - you can read more about the Keeper of the Plains here.  I had so much fun learning about Beka, shopping for her little piece of Maryland, and getting a nice card from her.  I had so much fun I signed up for the August Snail Mail Collective!  This month's theme is "Under the Sea" - I am not really sure what I'm going to put in my package but I better start thinking of it soon!

If you want to participate, you can sign up here!  It's a lot of fun and a great way to meet new people - especially people who love to travel!

Cape cod, new Orleans, Camping, and Teeth

Wow, that is a lot going on in a title.  But I guess that is what happens when you don’t blog for a month.  Life just got in the way – and that is fine.  We had a bunch of travel and trips and I am still recovering.  I won’t bore you with a ton of details, but I will inundate you with a ton of photos. 

First up: Cape Cod.

My cousin and her husband rented a house in Cape Cod for two weeks and our side of the family met up there for a long weekend to hang out. 

It was GREAT.  We don’t all get together very much because we live so far apart (i.e. my cousin and her husband live in Singapore) and I love family reunions – so I was the first to sign up for a reunion trip to Cape Cod.  Luckily others signed up to – so we had a nice bunch of us.  Not everyone was able to make it, but it was good to see those who could. 

Our trip included beach:

hanging out:

amazing meals (my cousin’s husband is a chef):

adventures to see lighthouses:

and cousin time (I don’t have any pictures of my cousin’s son Lucas but he was there too):

 

Next: New Orleans.

Every year I have a big work conference that I have to go to and this year it was in New Orleans.  My lovely sister agreed to meet me in NOLA and watch Evan while I worked. 

I was VERY thankful because I am not quite ready to leave Evan behind (will I ever be???).  Unfortunately, this conference requires a lot of work and time, so I didn’t get to hang out with Evan and Elizabeth too much, but I think they had fun exploring the city together (and hanging out with my co-workers in the evenings). 

Eating beignets – my favorite thing to do in NOLA.  Don’t worry – Evan didn’t get to eat any.  We brought oatmeal along for him.

 

Evan sleeping on Elizabeth.  She makes a good bed!  He wasn’t sleeping very well (travel, time change, new people, and hotel crib all make traveling with kiddos difficult), so he spent a lot of time cuddled with his Aunt Elizabeth.

Work trips make me realize how difficult it is to be a working (outside of the home) mother.  Aside from the regular difficulties, I had to find a place to pump at the convention center.  And there was no place.  Someone actually suggested the bathroom – which was being used by hundreds of people, was filthy dirty, and didn’t have an outlet near a stall (umm, no, I don’t want to pump by the sink).  So I ended up having to walk across the street to a Marriott and pump in their bathroom.  It was much nicer and had an outlet close enough to the handicap stall that I could stretch my pumping cord – but I still had to sit on the floor.  Not really fun.  And especially not fun since I had to do it twice a day the entire time I was there.

My pumping station in the bathroom…fun times.

 

After: Camping.

I got back from NOLA on a Tuesday and that Friday Evan, Ivan, and I all left for our first family camping trip.  We were going with some golf friends (Ernie and Lola) and I had been looking forward to it for ages.  My goal for 2013 was to go camping, so mission completed.

Our camping trip was more like lujo camping – a step under RV camping.  We had a campsite with a gravely area to pitch the tent:

(and we had a huge 10-person tent with three “rooms”):

a fire pit to cook our food:

and electricity.  And our cars were two feet away (and a grocery store was ten minutes away).  So, we weren’t roughing it by any means, but it was still a lot of fun. 

I went hiking with Evan and Lola (excuse my hiking “look”, it’s not so amazing):

while Ivan went fishing with Ernie (sadly no fish were caught):

and we played lots of Yahtzee and hung out in front of the tent:

Very relaxing and fun.  The only negative was that it was a tad bit difficult with Evan because he likes to be crawling around and mobile these days but if we set him down he ate all the gravel.  We put a tarp out for him to play on but of course all he wanted to do was crawl to the end and eat the gravel.  It also rained Saturday afternoon/evening and Sunday morning.  Here we are trying to cook pancakes and bacon in the rain:

It was still a great time.  And some of us were exhausted by the time we got home!

 

And last: Teeth

During all the adventures, poor Evan was finally getting his first tooth!  Not the best photo but if you look really, really closely and put on your reading glasses you might be able to see a smidgen of a bottom tooth in that mouth of his (and that is oatmeal on his tongue).

Yup, he waited until he was almost 11 months old to break his first little tooth.  And it wasn’t too fun.  There were a few long nights in New Orleans and a few long nights since (he broke his first tooth in NOLA but his second one is still trying to break free), but it hasn’t been too horrible.  The worst part is that he doesn’t really want to nurse anymore so we are struggling to continue for a little while longer.  I’m not sure if it just hurts his gums to nurse or if he’s getting tired of it, but he always tries to push me away.  He eventually does nurse but a few times I've had to give him a bottle and then pump.  We’ll see how long this “phase” lasts and if it ends up being permanent.

So that’s what’s been going on with me the past few months! 

What’s new with you????