When cold is now warm

Isn't it weird how your body adjusts to different temperatures?  This morning it is 40 degrees out and I feel like I could have worn my spring jacket instead of my winter coat.  It felt quite nice outside waiting for the bus.  But really, it's 40 and that is not actually a warm spring day.  However, after waiting for the bus in single digit weather all winter, 40 degrees seems quite warm.  It will be extra nice when it's light out in the morning, because ever since the time changed it's been dark.  And I have wait for the bus in front of an apartment complex that burned down so there are no lights and every morning I practically jump up and down as the bus comes because I'm afraid he won't see me standing on the corner in pitch black.  Let's just say I am ready for spring!

In anticipation of spring, I got a few hairs cut.

Wow, it feels amazing to have short hair again!!  I literally hadn't had my hair cut since last April.  My hair was long and blah, so I always wore it in a pony tail.  Ok, so the ponytail was partly due to my laziness but even when I felt less lazy there was no point in doing my hair because it was so blah.  I feel like a new person with my hair cut and normal looking again.  Now I have to actually blow dry it more often then putting it in a ponytail (remember, that was one of my 2014 commitments - look less frumpy and blow dry my hair when I get it cut).  Especially because it cost me $184 to get it cut.  Does that seem like highway robbery to you???  I was a bit shocked...I guess prices go up when you don't go for a year!  Last time I thought I paid $150 and that included tip.  Yikes!  No wonder I only go once a year!!

Yesterday was Father's Day in Honduras so we had a very small celebration.  Ivan got fried fish.  

I'm not sure what Evan's doing in this photo, but he refused to smile.  It kind of looks like he's making fish noises....

That's one of his favorite meals so it was his special treat.  There are not too many places that serve the entire fish (head, eyeballs, and tail) rather than a fillet, but we have found a place right down the street from us.  Since he never knew his dad and was sad growing up as a kid never celebrating Father's Day he is very into celebrating both the Honduran and American Father's Day.  Honduran Mother's Day is the same day as the American Mother's Day so I don't get an extra day to celebrate.  Oh well, one day is enough for me!

Also, I got this exciting new planner in the mail today.  Remember how a few days ago I boasted about how I can survive on only five hours of sleep??  Well, I can assure you, my memory is not happy with that arrangement.  I have forgotten so many things that I decided I need to write EVERYTHING down. So, I started with a beautiful Erin Condren planner that I have been eying for a while.  I was so excited to get it!!

It came in this beautiful box all wrapped up pretty.  It even smelled nice too because she had a candle scent sample in there that smelled refreshingly like a tropical beach.

And here is the beautiful planner!  Isn't it wonderful?  I got to customize the front and back with pictures and had a fun time picking out which photos I wanted on it.  On the inside it has a monthly calendar and a weekly calendar, so I can stay nice and organized.

I love the planner and hope it makes me write down everything so I don't keep missing deadlines or airplanes!

Here's to being more organized!

Also, here are a few photos from our hiking adventure last weekend - I am determined to turn Evan into an avid outdoorsman!!

Notice how we brought his shovel with us - it comes with us everywhere we go.  He did think it was really fun trying to pick up pine cones with his shovel and throw them into the woods.

He still has a huge love of trees and wanted to touch every tree we passed.  It made for an interesting hike through a forest.  He got pretty excited though and would just go up to each tree and touch it for a second or two.  Quite adorable.

 

If you look closely, you can see that he's standing on a tree stump.  He stood here for at least five minutes.  Apparently, it's even more fun to stand on a tree than it is to touch the tree.  He was very excited and stomped around on this truck.  Then he saw an airplane - another one of his loves.

Today is supposed to be 60 degrees so I am very excited to get a run in and maybe a few more outdoor activities this weekend. 

Happy Thursday!!!

Thursday is almost Friday, right?

I don't know why some weeks feel so much longer than others.  This week should feel short since I worked from home Monday, Wednesday, and tomorrow...but no, it feels long.  And I don't know why I can't get to bed before 11pm these days.  I do know actually.  Evan.  Yup, I am blaming it on my son.  Ever since we moved he has had serious problems falling asleep and even when I know he's exhausted, it still takes him at least 30 minutes before he's asleep.  And since I stay with him until he falls asleep, that means for at least 30 minutes I am with him and not doing night time chores.  I decided a long time ago that I didn't want to let him cry himself to sleep and I believe that he shouldn't ever have to fall asleep alone (if he doesn't want to).  So, I realize that this is a consequence of that decision and I'm not complaining about it, I am just saying that he used to fall asleep in five minutes and now he doesn't.  I don't know if it was the trauma of moving or the confusion of vacation or what, but I hope our bedtime routine shortens soon!  And that he starts going to bed a bit earlier...instead of 9pm.  I really need more than 5.5 hours of sleep a night.

Yesterday he was obsessed with these prongs - he sat in this chair and played with them for longer than you would expect!

Yesterday was super busy at work and then I had a coffee date with a good friend.  Remember one of my 2014 commitments was to be a better friend?  Well, I started by calling some friends I hadn't seen for ages and making plans with them.  My friend Heather was first on that list.  I hadn't seen her for almost 9 months or so.  She was one of my best friends in high school and there is no reason we should have gone so long without seeing each other.  Coffee was fun, although Evan made it a bit of a challenge, and it was nice catching up.

It did mean that I didn't get my run in though.  I was going to go between work and coffee but I ran out of time.  So that means I am going today and tomorrow and Sunday if I want to get my runs in.  I think I am doing 4 today, so nothing too scary I hope.  I am running with my coworker and I think I've just about convinced two other coworkers to join us in the future.  We'll see if that ever happens!

You might be wondering what that is.  That is my favorite Christmas cookie, the candy bar cookie.  My mom sent me home with a few extras after Christmas and that was my last one.  It's a sad day when you eat the last Christmas cookie.  A sad day indeed.  I had to document the yumminess of that cookie and give it the respect it deserves.  Cookie, you will be missed.

And since this post is full of random bits of information, I will continue down the random path.  Yesterday I made a Hello Fresh meal.  I hadn't ordered a box in a while and then I forgot to pause my orders after Christmas so they sent me a box, but they sent it to the wrong address so I cancelled, but it was too late so they refunded my money and the box was shipped to my old address (that is an prime example of a run-on sentence).  I wasn't sure I would get it , but I did.  It wasn't the best box of food this time around, but it was ok.  On Monday I made a spicy shrimp with rice and that was good; however on Saturday I made a beef stroganoff that had no taste whatsoever.  Yesterday I made chicken kabobs with creamy leek risotto.  The kabobs where really good, they were marinated in a honey-olive-oil-spices mixture that turned out to be really good.  The leek risotto was interesting and not entirely delicious.  However, somehow the leeks permeated everything so all my clothes and bags smell like that risotto.  Not pleasant.  Go away leek smell!

Ok, that is all and I am tired...so adios!

Hope you have a great Thursday!!

New for 2014

I think we are slowly coming out of the polar vortex.  It was 27 degrees out when I went running yesterday and only 25 degrees this morning while I waited for the bus.  It doesn't really bother me too much waiting for the bus in the cold, dark morning except for one thing.  My toes getting really cold.  That must be why people wear boots in colder climates, because it keeps their feet warm.  My little leather work shoes and old, thin socks are no defense against the bitter cold.

And yes, you read that right, I finally went for a run.  It was only three miles but it felt good and I didn't keel over from lack of physical fitness.  I just have to be able to add 10 miles to that and I'll be golden.  It was a bit chilly and although I never warmed up enough to sweat even one drop, I wasn't freezing the entire time.  My face was cold but other that that it wasn't too horrible.

And now to my new year commitments...

Looking back on my 2013 commitments, these are pretty much the same.  So, I didn't commit to them very well.  I will try and do better this time around!!!

I don't like to call them resolutions because most resolutions fail miserably.  Not that my commitments don't fail with time but I am hopeful.  My co-worker says that 2014 is going to be our year and I really want to believe that it will be.  Last year, although it had it's great moments, did not end well and I could use a more positive year in 2014.  There are a lot of things I'd like to commit to do better in 2014, so here they are (yes, I realize I am a bit late in these but I have been doing them since the beginning of January,  I just didn't get a chance to write about them.

 
1. Be a better friend. 
 

My bus friends - haven't seen them since this photo
was taken in May!!!

I have some really amazing friends and in 2013 I called in a lot of friend favors but I rarely was a good friend back.  Between adjusting to being a working mom, taking classes, coaching golf, etc., I was kind of overwhelmed and good intentions like phone calls and notes and letters and short visits just never happened.  I can't expect to have great friends if I am never a great friend myself.  This year I want to get more organized and keep in better touch, get more coffees, send more notes, etc.

2. Be a better housekeeper.  

Evan will always challenge this endeavor as he sees it as his mission to take out everything I put away!

 Last year I got a bit lazy with chores (for most of the reasons above), and the house was often a mess.  This year I would like to make little changes so that the place is more presentable.  For example, make the bed every day.  Ivan thinks it's stupid to make the bed when you are just going to sleep in it again, but I like looking at a made bed.  It makes the room look nicer.  I'd also like to find places for all the stuff that accumulates on the dining room table.  We'd like to eat family dinners there but we are always moving junk around.  And then I'd just like to be more on top of things like cleaning bathrooms, doing laundry, washing dishes, etc.

3. Be less frumpy.  
 

Not the frumpiest, but hair in ponytail, no make-up, and bad posture - changes could be made.

 I haven't completely fallen into the frumpy stage, but I am close.  My hair is always in a ponytail, I never have make-up on, and I wear the same sweatshirt and jeans every day of the weekend.  Something must be done!  I can't continue to let myself fall to the wayside.  So, a little self-improvement can't hurt.  First on the list is better posture.  I need to stand up straight, end of story.  I also need to start putting on some make-up every once in a while.  And blow-drying my hair (when I get it cut).  I can't look like I just rolled out of bed every day.

4. Do more things.

Camping - let's do more of this!

After Evan was born we slowed down a bit, activities got expensive and we were content to just hang out at home.  Nothing wrong with that at all, but now Evan is older and it's fun and easier to go places.  I'd like to go to church more, take Dolce to the dog park more, play more golf, do more fun activities like the aquarium and zoo.  Take Evan to the playground, on hikes, and for bike rides.  Get more camping in.  Things like that.  

Ok, those are most of my commitments for the year. I realize there are a lot and they are quite involved but if I succeed in just one area I will be a better person for it!

What commitments did you make for 2014??