Family time is the best

This weekend was kind of a blur.  I just spent about 4 minutes trying to think of what I did this weekend.  My parents drove through down on their way home and pretty much their visit is dominating my memory.  I'm sure something else happened over the weekend, but I just remember hanging out with them.

They arrived on Saturday and we met them at the Italian restaurant I used to work out when I was a kid.  It's delicious but it was a crazy dinner because we met my sister's family there too.  So, picture a nice Italian restaurant with four adults (my parents, my BIL, and me - my sister was working and my hubs was at the Ravens game) and a 5 years old, 3 year old, almost 2 year old, and a 1 year old.  It went surprisingly well!  No cups were spilled, no food was flung across the restaurant, and only one child cried the entire time.  Success.

Before my parents arrived on Saturday I went to the grocery store and coached golf.  I amazingly spent less than $100 at the grocery store!!!  Except on Friday we went to Costco and spent $145...so I'm not sure if that's really a success.  On Friday we also went to the playground and for a four mile run.  Normal stuff.

On Sunday I woke up and Evan and I ran to my sister's house.  We were promised pancakes for breakfast but then when we arrived (five miles later), they had changed their minds and there were no pancakes.  :-)  We had oatmeal instead.  It was kind of chilly out and I wore capris instead of shorts.

Ok, so it was a bad choice because it was like 65 degrees so 2 minutes into my run I was really hot.  I even put Evan in pants and long sleeves. 

I'm not sure why I was thinking it was so cold!  It ended up being a beautiful day.  Notice how Evan insisted on bringing his golf club and a ball to my sister's.  He actually held on to both of those the entire stroller ride.  We went up to the golf course to watch my nieces in their golf classes and Evan played golf in the grass the entire hour.  He really does love his golf.

He also loves his Mimi and Papa.  He work up Sunday morning and the first thing he said was "Mas (more)  Mimi Papa".  Yup, before he even opened is eyes.  And my dad bought him a new John Deere tractor for his birthday and he happily played with that all day too.  He loves his tractors.

We just hung out all day chatting, playing Jewelry Store (my mom got stuck playing that with the girls), cooking, and eating.  Good times.

I brought my camera to take pics of Evan with his grandparents but then I snapped those two pictures above and the camera battery died.  Nice.

Have a great Monday!!!  It's my last week of work - I'm gonna soak it all up!

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Favorite food to eat for breakfast?

Grocery shopping: love or hate?
  -- I LOVE grocery shopping.  If I had a plethora of money it'd become my hobby!

Random Tidbits

I have a lot of random things floating around in my head so thought I would share them all in bullet style.  Everyone loves a post filled with random thoughts right?

1) Yesterday was a beautiful run day.  I was thinking I would just do about 3 miles but it was so nice and I felt good running that I ended up doing my regular four miles.  Rarely do I set out with a lower mileage in mind and then switch to a higher mileage, so I must have really felt good.

2) Ivan and Evan met me at the bus stop yesterday.  I love when they do this.  It is the best feeling in the world when I get off the bus and see Evan and my hubs standing their waiting to walk me home.  And we actually had a family dinner together too.  All three of us, eating at the same time.  It can be so hard to juggle all of our schedules and get dinner ready and all sit down together, but we have done it twice this week.  A miracle!

3) After dinner the boys sat on the sofa and took their shirts off.

Evan was eating a yogurt bar (Yasso Sea Salt Caramel - yum!!!) and Ivan was eating his lunch that I had packed for today.  I thought I was getting ahead of the game by quickly putting the left-over dinner into a container for his lunch.  Nope, he decided he was still hungry and ended up eating all the left overs.  So, then I had to pack him another lunch.

4) Yes, I pack my husband's lunch.  People think this is funny but my mom packed my dad's lunch every day (and mine too) and I know lots of wives who pack their husbands' lunches.  I do it mainly to save money.  If I didn't pack his lunch than he'd just buy lunch and we'd be out all that money each week.  Much easier and cheaper to just put a quick breakfast and lunch together for him to eat.

5) This past weekend I got to babysit my nieces.  I took out the splash table and the babies loved it!!

They splashed for over an hour.  It was so cute!!  My other two nieces were there also, and they had just as much fun.  These two babies steal my heart.  They are exactly three months apart and complete opposites when it comes to their looks and their personalities.  My son is darker skinned, dark haired, and dark eyed and my niece is pale skinned, pale blond, and very light hazel eyes.  My son is quiet and reserved around people he doesn't know and my niece says hi and waves to every person on the street.  They are too cute.

6) Today I started a new workout called PiYo.  

My friend from years ago (like we were both born in Greece and then both lived in Japan and England at the same time) became a Beachbody Coach and I was somehow convinced to buy PiYo and join a challenge group.  PiYo is a combination of yoga and Pilates.  I'm not sure it's going to turn me into the muscle machines that they show on the covers of the DVDs, but we shall see.  I could use more stretching in my life so it can only help.  I felt like the workout I did today, Define:Lower Body, wasn't too hard but now that I am sitting on the bus my legs do feel a bit rubbery.  

Here's my two month schedule.

I taped it to my bathroom wall so that I would be reminded and motivated every night to wake up super early and get my workout in.  Yes, I have to do it before work...so at like 4:15am.  Let's hope I survive!!!

7) This morning when I pulled out Ivan's coke this is what I saw.

I felt like I should put it back so that we could share it, since we are soulmates obviously, but decided it was stupid and I wasn't giving into the Coke's advertising gimmick.  But, he better not decided to share with anyone at work!!

Ok, those are all my tangents.  Hope you have a great day.  I am a bit tired so need my bus nap!

Tell me two random thoughts about your day!!!

A Big Deal, More Vermont, Too Many Photos, and a Very Long Post

I am so glad today is today and not yesterday.  Yesterday was NOT a good day.  I'm not going to go into many details but I can tell you one thing.  At 8pm I was at the Apple Store at the mall because someone's iPhone dropped and needed to be replaced.  Not good.  We have a lot of other things we could have spent $200 on.  Oh well - the guy who helped me kept saying he was so surprised at how great of a mood I was in and how he doesn't normally deal with people who have such a good sense of humer about a broken iPhone.  So, at least there's that.

Today is a big deal for me. 

Today is the first day I'm not pumping at work since I returned to work after baby (December 2012).  I have been pumping for over a year and a half.  When I first returned to work I pumped four times (7:30am, 10:30am, 1:30pm, 4:30pm), then after Evan turned a year I went down to three times, then when he was 15 months I went down to two times, and then when he turned 18 months I went down to once.  Now, it's 0.  I'm still nursing him at night and stuff, but he's just not drinking any milk during the day with my sister so I just send it and she sends it back.  Or he takes the smallest sip and then refuses anymore, so she has to throw it out.  I feel like it's pointless to keep pumping for no reason.  So, today I decided I wouldn't pump anymore at work.  I have some milk in the freezer if need be, but won't be adding anymore.  I'm kind of sad and nervous about the whole thing, but in reality, it will be fine.  It does make me a bit nervous that he doesn't drink any milk all day, but hopefully it's not too big a deal.  And maybe he gets enough at night.
 

And now, back to Vermont (where I wish I could go back to rather than sitting on this bus)!

Although we had a busy weekend with lots of fun activities, we also spent a lot of time just playing.  Especially Evan.  He loved having a big outside area to play and being able to play in the driveway and ride his little tractor (on loan from Cousin Lucas) wherever he wanted.  At home he has to stay on the sidewalk, which to him, is very constrictive.  He wants to ride all over the street, of course.  Here, in Vermont, he can!!

Not sure why he's not smiling, but I promise he was having a great time!  And notice his outfit - his pajama pants and a sweatshirt that was supposed to be for this winter...since I forgot appropriate clothes for the cooler weather. 

Here he is zooming along.  And he'd turn that stirring wheel like there was no tomorrow, although it didn't have any affect on the direction of the tractor.

My parents have a really long driveway so Evan had a blast riding his tractor up the hill and then coasting back down.  Mishka (the dog) had a great time just sitting there.  She's 10 years old and is developing some hip problems so doesn't run around like she used to.  We love her to pieces though!

Up the hill my parents have a big field where they are taking care of some friend's cows.  They are Low Line Australian Angus Cattle.  Or something like that.  I'm not a cow expert or anything.

Evan loved going to look at the cows (and the neighbor's horses).  Cows attract a lot of flies though, so that was not fun.  We didn't get too close.  Plus, that is an electric fence, so we sure didn't want to risk getting a nice electric shock.

When we weren't outside playing around, we were inside playing around.  Evan had so much fun with my mom (Mimi) and Dad (Papa).  Mimi was so much more attentive than I am!

Complete and utter attention is the best way to a child's heart!! 

Same with rocking cows.

He was a bit of a daredevil with this rocking cow - he'd rock so far back that I was afraid he'd tip over.  He never did though, thank goodness.  This cow is on loan from the neighbors.

Feeding the doggies treats was fun too.

Look at how well-behaved Mishka is!  My parents have another dog too, Kuma, who is the same breed but bigger.  He's a little more hyper, but still well-behaved.  Mishka is the angel dog though - I've never met a sweeter dog.

Our big activity for Saturday was our bike ride!!  This year we trekked our bikes all the way up to Vermont (I may have looked at the bikes a million times on the ride up because I was terrified that they were going to somehow fall off the car) so I was determined to ride them.  My parents live close to a rail-to-trail path and I was excited to ride our bikes on that (since you already saw the road - no way was I riding bikes on that road I went running on!).  My aunt and uncle just moved to Vermont and their new house is right off the same trail - so we decided to ride to their house.

My mom didn't have a bike, so she drove to my aunt's house, but the rest of us biked there.  It was SO FUN.  I loved it!.  Even if I had a Schwinn Jaguar Cruiser (6 speed bike) and Ivan had a very crappy Target mountain bike...and my Dad had a very nice Cannondale.  He went faster than any of us.  Evan was thrilled because he loves bike rides.  And he fell asleep.

His head bobbed around like a little bobble head because of the big helmet he wore (the helmet fit, it is just kind of heavy when he's sleeping)!  It was adorable.  And that water bottle spilled all over him so he was soaking wet.  He didn't seem to mind though.

The trail was nice and flat (my kind of bike ride) and beautiful.

Parts were shaded in the forest and others went through corn fields. 

The weather was perfect though - not too hot or cold.  And not windy, which is my worst weather condition.  I was in the front for a while - leading the boys along.

But on the way back the boys left me in the dust.

I think it was because my bike was for "cruising" and not for actually riding.  At least that's my excuse.  And bike riding uses different muscles than running does...and the few muscles that are the same were tired from my 6 and 4 mile run that morning and the day before.

When we got to my aunt's we hung out for a while (and Ivan mowed their lawn because that's the kind of thing he does) and got to take a tour.  It was beautiful!  I am so happy they moved to VT and we can now see them every time we go up to visit my parents.  We usually saw them anyway because they used to drive over from NH, but now it's even better.  And my aunt had Pretzal M&Ms - she knows the way to my heart!

After our bike ride we headed to Ivan's favorite Chinese buffet.  It's not really that great but it's all-you-can-eat for $5.25.  So, you can't beat that price - especially when you eat as much as Ivan.  We have to go at least once every time we go - sometimes we go two or three times.  He's addicted.

When we got home, Evan wanted to try out my bike.

He has a few years before he'll be ready!  I'm thinking of maybe getting him a balance bike for his bday?  Anyone ever buy one of those?  Thoughts?  Advice?

Ok - another long, long post!  I'll finish up our last day Vermont recap tomorrow.

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Who else was sad when they stopped pumping?  Anyone?

Chinese buffets - yay or nay??

Splashing in the Stream

This is going to be a long week.  On Wednesday, rather than working from home, I have some kind of Summer Success Immersion program for school.  What does that mean?  Not exactly sure except that we are going to be reviewing Anatomy & Physiology stuff and learning drug calculations.  Something about how these things will help us be successful during the first semester and beyond.  That means that I won't get my extra hour of sleep though.  Or a relaxing evening after work where I don't have to stress about a commute and arrive home at 7pm.  Of course, there was a time when I went to the office five days a week, so I shouldn't be such a baby about it.

This weekend was like all the others: it went too fast but it was filled with fun times. On Friday Evan and I made it back to the Nature Center.  It wasn't too hot out and I felt like a mini hike was in order.

We didn't get too far because he found this little stream and wanted to play in it the entire time.

I ignored all rational thought and let him get his pants and tennis shoes soaked.  I had made him wear pants to try and avoid ticks.  And Lyme disease, a huge fear of mine.  He really had a fun time and was throwing rocks in the water, digging in the dirt, etc.

He also enjoyed playing on the stumps.  

And, best of all?  He didn't pitch a fit when we had to leave.  

After a fun time in nature we then headed out for a run.  The stroller is really starting to weigh a lot.  Or I am really weak.  I felt like it was so heavy and that I was really shuffling along.  Especially on the up-hills.  We stopped at mile 3 to play at the playground for an hour and then headed back home.  

Evan was pretty good sitting in the stroller but did start saying "All done" on the way back home...like he was all done in the stroller and please remove him.  It was cute but he was stuck in there until we got home.

Sunday was a busy, busy day.  We got up and went for another run.  This time we took a shorter route because we had made pancakes first and were on the late side.  Of course our run took us to a playground and we played for about 40 minutes before heading back home.  Again, super heavy stroller!  We survived though.  Then we showered and headed to Costco.  I have decided that Costco is really like Target.  Your go for one thing and come out $100 poorer. I love Costco though and they are a really great company (unlike Target), so at least that part makes me feel better.  There were a ton of samples and Evan and I enjoyed sampling sausage, salmon cakes, wantons, perogies, quesadillas, coffee (I sampled this alone), and Belvita cookies.  Evan really liked the salmon burgers so we bought those (he will probably change his mind and I'll have 20 salmon burgers to eat alone).  Along with a million other things even though we just wnet for coke, eggs, and chips.  Oh well, at least our fridge is stocked now.

There is no room for anything else!  Ivan keeps saying that we better enjoy it now because pretty soon we'll only be able to eat eggs, beans, and tortillas.  We had some cubed steak this weekend and Ivan was like...pretty soon we won't be able to afford meat so we better enjoy every last taste.  I said we could probably buy cubed steak every once in a while since it is only $2.55 a package.

Evan and I also made sure to put on our USA jerseys for the game on Sunday.

We were very excited.  Ivan invited our golf friend over to watch the game too so I made 7-layer dip (of course because Ivan LOVES this and asks for it as often as possible) and tacos.  Everything turned out and I even managed to do the laundry, fold the clothes, and clean the bathrooms.  Nothing short of a miracle.

Now it's back to work and off to sleep for a bit.  Hope you had a fabulous weekend too and didn't look this pathetically tired when you work up this morning (we are both looking pretty rough)!

Sleeping, Pools, and Eggs

On Tuesday night Evan fell asleep at 5:30pm and didn't wake up until 6am...and only because I woke him up.  Sounds amazing, right?  Well, not particularly because for some reason he didn't want to sleep alone.  So, I had to hold him from the second I got home.  This made it difficult to do much...like change out of my work clothes, eat dinner, get lunches ready for the next day.  I kept trying to wake him up thinking he'd eventually wake up and then never go back to sleep.  Nope, he would flutter his eyes open and then they would slowly close back up.  There was no waking him.  He has been sleeping horribly the last week or so - not napping, going to bed at 10pm, etc. - so maybe his body needed to catch up on some sleep.  I didn't successfully put him in the bed until 9:30pm.  I watched a lot of 19 Kids and Counting on the iPad on the sofa with little kiddie in my arms!

Yesterday I did something I haven't done in weeks.  I went for a run!!!  I was supposed to do a track workout with my friend but she texted me in the morning saying she wasn't feeling well.  Normally I would have just been lazy and hopped in the shower and started working but since I already had all my running clothes on I decided to just go.  Plus it was supposed to be over 90 degrees out so I figured a morning run was a good idea.  And it was.  It felt really awesome getting out there again.  My favorite thing about running in the heat and humidity is the scent of honeysuckle.  It seems even more potent than usual when it's extra hot and humid.  It reminds me of the summer I trained for the Marine Corps Marathon in memory of my Uncle - there was a lot of honeysuckle on my route and I loved breathing the scent in.

I did about four miles and when I got back I could feel my hamstring pain again.  You would think that after three weeks of no running my hamstring would get back in order.  Nope.  So I did some glute-strengthening exercises (I read that weak gluteus can lead to hamstring problems) that I saw on Runner's World and then I did half-pigeon pose to stretch out my glutes, hips, and hamstrings.  They were still sore all day but feel better this morning.  I also sat on a nice pack.  I hope all this helps.  I brought my running stuff with me today but I am uncertain whether I will venture out at lunch since it's supposed to be 97 degrees today.  I will be a ball of sweat and then will have to change into my work clothes again.  Not sure if I'm that brave.

After work  I picked Evan up and my sister mentioned that they were going to head to the pool...so we decided to join them.

My mom and Evan had a blast in the pool in Atlanta so I figured he would love it.  The minute he saw the pool he kept saying "Mimi agua" which I interpreted to mean that since he saw a pool he thought Mimi would be there, since Mimi was at the last pool.  Nope, no Mimi.  He had a blast walking around, playing with toys, and being swung around by Daddy.  I actually ended up playing with my nieces the entire time - throwing fish in the water and then making them find them.  They loved it, but sometimes other kids found them and picked them up which made it a bit challenging.

After the pool Evan took a bath and then headed straight to bed.  He hadn't napped all day and was exhausted.  Ivan went to bed too, so it was just me awake for the rest of the night.  I made eggs with cabbage for dinner the second night in a row. No wonder we go through 24 eggs in a week - that's all we eat.

And now it's another day!

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Have you made it to the pool yet?

Eggs -yes or no?

What was your workout for the day?

Traveling with a Toddler and a Stitch Fix necklace

Traveling with a toddler is not easy.  I can tell you that.  That must be why everyone always asks me what it's like and how I manage.  First, I am blessed, because Evan is super easy to travel with and pretty calm on the plane.  I traveled with him in January when we went to Houston and that was a bit challenging because it was supposed to be a four hour flight but it turned into a 5 hour flight and that was a long time for him to sit still in his seat.  Or my seat really, because he flies as a lap child still.  This past flight was fairly easy because Atlanta is only a one hour flight from Baltimore, so it wasn't too difficult to get there.

Taking every baggie out of the box is airplane friendly, but it sure helps me get dinner ready!

But there is SO MUCH STUFF.  Packing for children is not fun!  First, I packed the diaper bag with so many activities and toys and snacks that it weighed at least 20 pounds.  It was SO heavy.  Then I had a backpack that had some of my stuff in it and things that I didn't want to check.  We also had the car seat because if you want to go anywhere in a vehicle you need a car seat.  I know that legally you don't need to put children in car seats if you are taking public transportation (buses, taxis, shuttles, etc.), but taxis are just as likely to get into an accident as I am so why risk it?  So I always bring the 50lbs car seat.  I did by this nifty carrier for the car seat and love it.  It fits the seat perfectly and then I can carry it on my back.  I always check the car seat with my checked luggage and it doesn't count as an extra bag.  If I get desperate I can always throw a few things in with the car seat because they don't weigh that.

Evan can now climb onto the rocking chair by himself.  He loves sitting in his own seats now - but on planes he
still has to sit with me!

In the suitcases go normal stuff like clothes and shampoo, but then I have to remember all the stuff for keeping a toddler entertained at a hotel: blocks, animals, coloring books, books, trains, spatulas, measuring cups, bath toys, etc.  Plus enough diapers and wipes and special baby shampoo and soap.  And swim diapers.  These things get heavy...and take up an entire suitcase.  So, on top of the diaper bag, car seat, and backpack, I also have two suitcases.  And a child.  That is a LOT of stuff.  Usually my husband helps me check in but sometimes there is no one waiting on the other side so I have to somehow get all my stuff into a cab by myself.  This time I was meeting my mom at the airport so she helped me out. 

The airplane ride was a breeze this time because on the way there we flew at 2pm which was close to nap time.  I nursed Evan on the take-off (yes, he is 21 months and I am still nursing) and he immediately fell asleep and then slept for the entire flight.  On the way back the flight was delayed and didn't take off until 9:05pm and that was close to his bedtime, so again I nursed him at take-off and he fell right asleep.  Easy peasy.  The flight home was super crowded so there was a person in every seat.  This made it a bit tight since I had a lap child.  He may have gently kicked the person sitting next to me, but she didn't care. 

It makes nursing a bit interesting though - when someone is practically sitting on top of me.  I'm not a huge fan of nursing in public because I have to try and be a bit more modest (i.e. I can't take my entire shirt off, I have to wear something underneath so that my entire back and stomach aren't exposed, etc.).  Although I have read numerous stories about people having problems nursing in public, this has not been the case for me (thank goodness).  I have nursed Evan on all of his flights and I rarely use a cover (what's the point - Evan hates being covered and flings it off two seconds into a feeding) and no one has ever said anything.  Some people don't like to make eye contact with me - like they are a bit embarrassed or thing I am embarrassed), but that's about it.  I've nursed at the airport too, but usually in gates with only a few people.  I've never had to pump in an airport though, and I hear that that can be pretty rough (it's hard to find outlets in private areas). 

To keep Evan busy while waiting for the plane to board we usually try and find an empty gate and set up shop near the window.  Then Evan can run around, take out his ball, build some blocks, look at planes, make a lot of noise, and wear himself out.  Sometimes we walk up and down the hallways, but this can be hard because of my 20 pound diaper bag.  And Evan eventually wants to let go of my hand and go darting in and out of people and in front of airport carts.

So - that is a brief summary of my experience.  Nothing that I'm sure you couldn't figure out yourself.  I wrote a post of airplane tips with toddlers a while back that might be useful if you are flying too.  So far I have taken Evan on every work trip (a total of four) and am really lucky to have family members willing to meet me at my destination and hang out with Evan while I'm working (thanks Elizabeth, Aunt Pam, and Mom!!!).  That has made all the difference and has made work travel so much less stressful.  It is awesome getting to eat with Evan during lunch and show him off to my work colleagues - who are in love with him, of course.  Plus, I get to see family I normally wouldn't get to see - even bigger bonus!

After spending half a week with his Mimi, he was all set to Skype with her shortly after we returned home.
We usually Skype lying on the floor - so he was all set to go!

Aside from that - not much to report around here.  Oh, except I got my third Stitch Fix box yesterday and LOVED it.  I wanted to keep 4/5 things but really didn't want the 5th thing and it was more expensive to buy the five things than to buy the four things so I decided to just buy three things.  One included this necklace that I love!

I'll snap pictures of the other things too.  Plus the things from my second box, since I never showed you that.  I am really loving Stitch Fix!!!  If you click those links to sign up, I get $20 for referring you.  No pressure though - you can just go to the website yourself.  I just wanted to put it out there just in case you were interested and didn't mind using my referral number.





How is your week going?  Any tips for traveling with a toddler?

Any Stitch Fix lovers out there??

Special Titi Weekend

This weekend was such a great one.  Not that last weekend, a three day weekend, wasn't amazing too, but this one was jam-packed with fun activities.  I actually got out for a run on Friday night and it felt amazing.  We ended up going kinda late, like 6:45pm, which means we didn't get home until almost 9pm.  No, I didn't run for 3.5 hours.  I did 3 miles and then we played at a playground for over and hour and then we ran 1.5 miles home.  It was cool and crisp and the perfect running temp.  And Evan had a blast at the playground.  Pretty much all of our runs have a playground attached to the these days.

Saturday started off the same: golf.  It's fun waking up and spending the first four hours outside.  I love the outside and when it's nice I would be happy to spend the entire day out there.  Then I had a special day planned with my niece.  I have been looking forward to this all week.  We ended up not having a lot of time because I had to be back at the golf course for Mother/Daughter golf.  I wasn't playing (obviously, because I have no daughter), but I was helping run the event with the other coach.  So, my niece and and I headed over to Barnes and Noble for a special day at the bookstore.  It wasn't the most ideal place because Evan was with us and he doesn't sit and listen to a bunch of stories like we would have preferred.  However, it wasn't't too bad, he entertained himself with a chair for a while.  My niece and I picked out a short book for her to practice her reading and then we picked out a chapter book that we could read together.  I was really hoping for Little House on the Praire, but my niece is all about princesses and faires.  It was funny actually.  She would pick up every pink book in the store and wanted all the books about princesses and faires and it was even better if  the book was covered in sparkles and glitter.  Haha.  I wanted Anne of Green Gables or The Secret Garden, or Little House on the Praire.  Since I didn't want to buy a book that she wasn't going to read, we ended up with The Never Girls: In a Blink...which has faires in it.  And the book was pink and glittery, but she loved it.  Maybe God new what he was doing when he gave me a boy!  We read the first chapter while eating soup and a cookie.

On Sunday we headed to the zoo again.  This time with my other niece.

We had such a fun time.  It was funny because my sister had actually texted in the morning that my niece didn't want to go anymore (she was nervous going without her sister or parents), but I didn't get the text and showed up anyway.  We convinced her to come with us and she had a great time.  She didn't cry once!  And when she started to say she wanted to go back to the car and go home, we were walking back to the car anyway.

We pet the goats, which is my favorite thing.  Evan loves it too, but my niece was very hesitant.  She was fine until the goat turned suddenly, then she jumped a mile high and refused to pet them again.  As you can see in the picture (above), Evan was all about the goat food.

We also took the little zoo train which she loved.  Evan loved it too, he just doesn't like to smile on command.  We saw the giraffes, rhinosourus, elephants, chimpanzees, monkeys, cows, polar bears, and many other things.  We never have time to see everything, but we still had a busy day.  And both kids refused to sit in the stroller, so Ivan and I pushed around bags and drinks.

At the end of the day both kiddos were exhausted.  My niece fell asleep with her new polar bear in her lap.  It was adorable.

Then I got home, made a batch of chicken soup for Ivan and pumpkin soup for Evan and boiled some black beans to freeze.  That is my new thing.  I cook a bag of dried beans in the crockpot for five hours, separate the beans from the liquid when they are finished, freeze the beans and make Sopa de Frijoles with the bean water.  So quick and easy and now I don't have to buy any canned beans.

This is what Evan does while I'm cooking.

And between all these fun activities I even managed to do all the laundry and fold the clothes and even put them away.  Amazing.

How was your weekend???

Crazy-Busy-Weekend with an Extension

Let's just say I got the weekend off on the right foot by going on a 4.5 mile run on Friday evening.  Pretty amazing, right.  Especially since this is what it looked like on Friday morning.

Pouring!!!  Evan was enjoying the little spray that came in the screen.  And how do you like my flowers?  I hope I don't kill them - I am not so great with growing things.

After the rain, the sun came out and it was perfect weather so Evan and I went for a run.  I ran 3 miles and then we stopped at a playground for an hour and then I ran the 1.5 miles home.  It felt great and Evan had a blast at the playground.  We went to our favorite tot-lot again - it's nice and small, Evan can use all the equipment without me following him around, and no one is ever there.  Win-win.

Saturday started with golf again.  Like usual.  It was a bit chilly out in the morning, but we survived.  Luckily I borrowed my husband's pants so I wasn't too cold.  I also took the car and had grand plans of heading to the grocery store and the mall before going home...but that failed.  Around 11:30am I looked up from golf and there was Ivan jogging up the golf course with Evan in the stroller.  Yup, he couldn't handle being stuck at the house with no transportation so he ran the 4+ miles up to the golf course.  So - no grocery store or mall by myself.

Instead, Evan and I headed to the nearby Wine in the Woods.  The woman I coach golf with happened to have two complimentary tickets and it was hard to say no to a free afternoon event.  So, we headed out there for a "relaxing" afternoon.  I had been years ago when I was in the my early 20s and remember it being a fun, relaxing time.  I think I am just getting old.  I saw waaaaaaaay too many bellies (even when I was "youthful" I didn't find belly shirts attractive) and thongs and heard lots of language that I'd prefer to avoid.  And people were just plain rude and drunk (obviously!).  People would stay at the tasting table trying every wine there.  We'd be like third in line and it would still take 20 minutes to get a taste because the people in front of us would stand there forever tasting every wine they could before moving on.  So annoying.  And yes, I took Evan (pretty inappropriate to take a toddler to a wine festival but it was outside and I wasn't planning on drinking much - and Ivan was golfing so I had no choice), so it was a full-time job making sure he didn't get trampled on by festival goers.  Once we finally had our fill of wine (5 sips for me), we put a blanket down and bought some yummy Greek food and relaxed a bit.  It was much nicer this way - we sat on a blanket and ate while Evan played around. 

Here he is, enjoying the festival!

Then I went grocery shopping - with Evan.  This time I only spent $130 so I felt like that was a bargain.  I still don't want to up my budget above $100 but I think I am going to have to.  I'm not sure I can make $100 work anymore.  It's been months since I've been able to keep it that low.

Sunday was a super fun day.  I headed out for a six mile run/walk with some TNT girls.  They are on the plan of walking up hills, running the rest.   It was a very relaxing way to go and it was really fun catching up with them.  Evan was an angel and didn't make any protest peeps for being in the stroller for so long.  I love starting my days out with a good run.

Then we headed to the mall to exchange my shoes.  Ivan bought me new TOMS for Mother's Day but he bought the exact same pair I had (because he said he at least knew I liked those ones). 

My old pair - they now have a hole in the toe.

 He suggested we go to the mall and see if there was another pair I'd like instead.  I was trying to decide between two pairs:

Multi TOMS Love Canvas Women's Classics

Mixed Woven Women's Ballet Flats

 I ended up with the ballet flats.  The LOVE ones were a lot brighter when I put them on and I liked the sutley of the flats.  They were super comfy as well.  I love them!

Sunday night I headed to my sister's to babysit while she worked and her husband went to a meeting.  I love babysitting those crazy girls and we had a blast.  We played at the playground, made Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup and Chili (I usually do my cooking on Sunday and thought it would be fun to have the girls help me out), ate dinner, and watched some TV.  It was a fun evening.

Then Evan got sick.

So, we spent Monday (yesterday) at home recovering.  He took a 5 hour nap!!!  And then was a lot better.

That's my recap!

Mother's Day Weekend

{I didn't take any pictures this weekend for some reason so I'm interspersing adorable pics of Evan through the months for Mother's Day - since he made me a mother}

He was so little here!

I have a bit of a dilemma - my bus friend now moves over for me to sit next to him in the mornings.  I'd much prefer to sit alone in the mornings because it's my time to blog and sleep.  However, I feel rude walking past him when he has clearly already moved seats so I can sit down.  Then I don't get my very important nap though...and I can feel the difference as I try to get my work done.  It's painful and makes me want regular coffee instead of the decaf I fixed.  Ugg.

This weekend was great though, so I can't really complain.  On Friday I met up with two of my friends from the community college where I took nursing pre-reqs.  We went to Panera and chatted about nursing and all things that go with it.  It was so fun.  One girl is already in the nursing program, I start in the Fall, and the guy is starting next spring/fall.  It was so nice catching up. 

Before his first haircut!

Saturday was golf in the morning and then normal grocery shopping in the afternoon.  The golf girls were pleasantly calm today (at least my group).  It was a nice change from the running around that they normally do.  Kids can be crazy, especially with golf clubs!  Evan was taking a long nap so I was able to sneak out and grocery shop in peace.  Evan isn't too horrible at the store yet, but it's still more peaceful to go alone.  It's also more expensive.  Somehow I only had about ten things on my list but still managed to spent $150.  And I didn't even buy anything fun - definitely not going to be making any candy purchases or baking brownies or cake this week!  The grocery store is a money suck - I need a budget diet!

And then Sunday - Mother's Day!  Hubs went into work in the morning and Evan and I slept in until 8am.  Quite glorious.  Well, I was up at 7am, but cuddled with Evan until 8am.  Nothing like a Mother's Day cuddle.  Then I wore up and opened my present from the boys: a new pair of TOMS!  Yay!!!

Look at that face - and that hair !!

Then we got up and made blueberry muffins, bacon, and eggs (for Evan and Ivan) and oatmeal and coffee (for me).  We watch a little of The Voice and relaxed and then showered.  We had plans to go pick up my nun-friend and take her for lunch.  She's not a mother and her mother passed away years ago (my nun-friend is 85!), and so I thought it would be nice to take her out again.  So, we drove into the city and picked her up and headed to Panera.  I love going there with her because it's relaxed, we can chat for however long we want, and Evan can move around a little more than at a regular restaurant.  I ended up ordering something off their "hidden" menu - Steak Lettuce Wraps.  It was pretty good and not nearly as greasy as some of their other food.  Did you know Panera had a secret menu?  It's on their website but not listed on their in-store menu.  You have to ask for it at the register and know what you want.  Pretty sneaky, huh.

After we came home Evan took a nap (he has really been into 3-4 hour naps these days) and I got a meal in the crock pot, the dishes done, and dinner cooked (the crock pot was for Monday).  My plan was to get all of dinner ready so I could go for a run with Evan when he woke up.  Total fail.  He woke up at 6:30pm but then was super clingy until after 7pm. He wouldn't let me put him down or change his diaper and he just wanted to hide his face in my neck.  By the time he was ready to go in the stroller it was too late to get a run in with playground time, so we just ate dinner.  Oh well, should have gone in the morning.

Evan's first race!

We ended the day with a Skype to my mom.  Evan loves Skyping with Mimi and the minute you mention it he runs to find his bird (my mom made two stuffed birds, one for her and one for him and they play with them on Skype) and comes and sits in my lap.  It's adorable.  He was a bit wild yesterday and was throwing golf balls, climbing on everything, and throwing a few fits, but it was still a nice chat.  Then off to bed he went and I followed shortly.

Evan with his Mimi!

 Now I just have to get through another week at work and being away from this kiddo - which is hard when he's adorable and cuddly and a little easier when I spend all night dodging golf balls!