Half Marathon: I Did It!!

Well, it's all over! I survived, and actually really loved it! I woke up Sunday morning feeling so nervous and super jittery. I was seriously shaking trying to get my breakfast down. I have no clue what was going on...I was just freaking out a little (as in on the verge of tears, not knowing if I was going to be able to do it freaking out). Once I got to Travis and Andrea's and we drove downtown, I was feeling better. There was definitely some anticipation waiting to get up to that start line. So many emotions all mixed in together. I was anxious, excited, doubtful, but also just proud of myself for even being there in the first place. To top it all off, this was a HUGE race. There were 20,000 people this year...and I only knew 2 other people on that course. I was kind of in awe of these people! Let me just say here that I had two real goals that I had set for myself for this half marathon: I wanted to finish the entire thing running, and I wanted to do it in 2 1/2 hours. So...my official time was 2:30:32 and I ran every single step of every freaking mile!!!!
My only big issue physically for the day was that my feet were already hurting even before I started running. Never good. My shoes were pretty much shot, but by the time I really realized this a couple of weeks ago, breaking in a new pair wasn't really an option. So, I chose to run in worn out shoes, knowing my feet were going to kill me. They did, but all in all, everything else felt really good. All of the aches and pains that I'd been icing and nursing all week seemed to just go away when I started running that morning.
I made a decision when I started that I was just going to keep it slow and stay between a 10 to 11 minute pace. I knew that I could run faster than that in the beginning and make up for some time, but of my two goals, the most important for me was to run the whole thing. I didn't want to start out too fast, and end up completely spent at the end. I had only run 10 miles before, and had no clue how I would feel past that point. I felt great the first half. Jon was with my family around mile 6 and I stopped to give Ava a quick hug and kiss...that definitely kept me going :) I was still doing fine up until mile 8 or 9, then had to make a quick pit stop on the curb to yank out one of the insoles that I had bought a few days before to try to remedy the shoe problem. It was all bunched up and driving me insane. I've never gotten a shoe off and on so fast in my life! I stayed under an 11 min mile until I hit mile 10. I was still feeling okay, I just really slowed down after that. I think I ran the last 3 miles in 36 minutes. Had I been a complete wuss, mile 11 is where I would have wanted to stop. I was so tired then, and everything from my waist down was just screaming at me. I kept looking at all these people at this point though who were walking, and I was thinking to myself, "really, you've gone this far, and you only have 2 freaking miles left...and you're going to walk NOW?" There was no way. Those last 2 miles felt like they took a lifetime to finish. When I finally saw the finish line, I almost cried. I managed to find enough energy to finish the last bit at what I at least consider a sprint! When I finished, all I wanted to do was take my damn shoes off! Had I thought about it, I would have stuck flip flops in my bag ;)
So, I am officially a half marathoner. I have the medal and T-shirt to prove it ;) I have to say that it was an absolutely amazing experience. I don't care how it sounds...I am damn proud of myself! It was hard and I never once thought about not following through. There were times when we were training that I questioned whether or not I would be able to finish the whole thing when the day came, but I knew that I was going to try. I don't know where this part of me has been hiding out, because I never would have thought in the past that this was something that I was capable of: physically or mentally.
The reality is that I probably would not have been able to do it without all of the support that I got from my friends and family. I have an awesome husband who constantly told me that I could do it, and made sure that I always had time to get all of my runs in. Plus, all of this would have never happened if I had not drunkenly agreed when Andrea asked me to do it in the first place...so thank you A! I also have an awesome sis who drives up to support me, even when she has other places to be! So...a big fat thank you to everyone who said I could do this, even when I wasn't so sure!!
You know what's crazy...I'm already talking about which one I want to do next ;)


Here are some pics that my sis took...I look like an absolute cheeseball, but whatever!



While we all know I'm not actually "too fast" my sis made me this sweet sign...totally a joke between us! Loved it!

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This is when I saw Ava and ran over to see her...which explains that doofus smile on my face.



Quick hug and kiss from the Monkey...she says they give me super powers to run fast :)



Waiting for me to finally finish!



All done, whew...still standing though :)

Half Marathon Training: Week 12

My last week of training is over!! All I really did was a couple of super short runs and alot of resting! I cannot believe that I am running this half-marathon tomorrow. I feel like it's pretty much all I've thought about for the last few months, and in the morning, it will all here and over before I know it. I'm a little nervous, b/c I've had some aches and pains that don't seem to want to go away, but mostly just excited. I never in a million years thought I'd be doing something like this, or that I had it in me....but here I am. I have no clue how I'm going to sleep tonight. It's like kid at Christmas anticipation, but waiting for miles instead of presents :) Wish me luck!

Meet Ellie...

Ellie the Elf came to live with us last week. Santa sent her to make sure Ava was being a good girl (as in I went to the store, bought the infamous "Elf on the Shelf", and have been using it to bribe the Monkey ever since!) Money well spent so far. So Ellie goes home to the North Pole each night and tells Santa how Ava was that day. Then she comes back and is in a different spot the next morning. Being the totally stellar parents that we are, Jon and I forgot to move her on the 2nd night, nice huh? We had to come up with a good story. I have to say that it's been fun coming up with places to put her, and Ava gets so excited when she finds her. She needed a little help on this one!

Half Marathon Training: Weeks 10 and 11

I'm pretty excited to type this, because it means that all of the hard part of training is officially over! The last two weeks have gone really well. I ran the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving, which was so much fun. That will definitely have to become a yearly tradition! All of my weekly runs were 5 miles, and I had my final long run today...10 miles. It was not to bad, the weather was just killer. It was cold and so windy. I felt like I was running so hard, but going absolutely nowhere! Even with that, it was actually easier than my 9 mile run a couple of weeks ago, and I didn't feel like I was going to die afterward. I was just freezing and wanted the hottest shower ever! So I have a pretty easy week ahead of me, then 13.1 miles and that's it!! I'm definitely a little nervous, but so excited now too :)

Weekend in Asheville (aka: Angie and Nick got Hitched!)

Oh, where to start?!? Last weekend, we spent an amazing few days in a gorgeous town with some of my favorite people ever. Oh, and my best friend got MARRIED!!!! We got into Asheville late Thursday afternoon, and headed out for pizza and beer (more of each than you can imagine!). Then the girls and guys headed off in separate directions. We kicked off our night with key lime pie martinis, complete with graham cracker rimmed glasses! From there we made friends with a pirate mannequin, got creative with an impromptu toilet paper veil and witnessed Angie get an "E for Effort" lap dance from some locals. It was such a fun night, and much thanks to Angie's sweet mom Debbie for making sure we all got home safe and sound!
Friday Jon and I wandered around Downtown for a bit and found a little Latin cafe called Chorizo. So, so good...and not too shabby when you are needing a good hangover cure! Then I met Angie and her sister, Lauren at the salon for a manicure, which was nice. My nails haven't seen that much attention in a while. After our mani/pedi's we headed to the rehearsal, which is when I saw the wedding site for the first time. I have to say that it took my breath away a little. It was so gorgeous, and you would never even know it was there. Let me just take this time to also say that this was the first time I became aware that I was going to have to walk what seemed like half a mile down a steep gravel hill with people watching while wearing heels. Thoughts of tripping, falling and rolling immediately entered my head! After a smooth rehearsal, we left for the rehearsal dinner. It was at this adorable little restaurant and the food was amazing. It was just such a sweet and funny evening complete with a sentimental slide show, heartfelt toasts and a little performance of Chuck Berry's "My Ding-a-Ling" by the Groom himself.
I'm going to try to describe Saturday without being too cheesy or sentimental, but that's going to be hard! The day started off with a brunch honoring Angie and was full of delicious food and treats. Angie, Lauren and I then went over to the salon to get our hair and make-up done. That in itself was so much fun, I want someone to come do it for me everyday! When we were all beautiful, we left to get dressed. When we walked into the bridal suite, Angie's dress was hanging up, and I started to get all choked up. There are no words to describe that dress. I remember when she first tried it on, it literally took everyone's breath away, and Angie said "I don't want to take it off". That was sooooo the dress!! It's funny to hear her talk about it because it's the complete opposite of what she pictured. She thought she'd end up with something simple and this dress is the most elaborate, "fancy" dress that you can picture. In the words of my 3 year old, "She looks like a Princess in it". Once we were all dressed we went out for a few pictures and headed down to the grove to wait for the wedding to start. Oh, I should mention that the weather was amazing...too good to be true!! Before we knew it we were making that long walk down the gravel path and all managed to make it down like pros :) We waited anxiously for Angie to walk down with her Dad, Donnie. At one point I looked over at Nick and his knees were moving back and forth a million miles a minute. He looked so anxious, but in the absolute best way possible. The second I saw Donnie's face, I had to hold back tears...which I apparently didn't do so well. I don't think I cried at my own wedding, but everything about that day got to me. Not only do I love Angie, but I adore her family and absolutely do not think that she could have married a better guy. She and Nick are the sweetest, funniest, most down to earth couple you will ever meet...and it made me so, so happy to be standing there, watching their wedding. Enough with the cheesiness...onto the party!! And what a party it was! I cannot remember having more fun at a wedding reception. There was great food, amazing cake (red velvet, carrot and pumpkin chocolate chip to be exact) and good music. All of this, along with wonderful friends and one huge dance party made for a seriously fun night that I will not soon forget.
Sunday morning Jon and I reluctantly got out of bed, packed our bags and checked out of our hotel. We made a not so quick stop at the Tupelo Honey Cafe for lunch which was so, so good. There is usually a pretty long wait, but it is so worth it! We didn't get to do most of the big tourist-y things (no Biltmore on this trip), but that just means that we have to go back soon!
Thank you Ang and Nick for including us in your amazing wedding weekend. We feel blessed to have been able to share it with you! Love you :)

Click on the top picture to take you to the album...enjoy!

Asheville-Nick and Angie's Wedding

Half Marathon Training: Weeks 8 and 9

Whew...so these last two weeks have been a little crazy. I spent about 6 of the last 14 days out of town or on the road (Angie's amazing wedding in Asheville, then a turn around trip for the Aggie Bonfire Memorial), had part of my toenail cut out (stupid, nasty ingrown was killing me and it took what seemed like forever for it to feel good enough to run on), and I feel like I've just been playing catch-up. Needless to say, training has not been my #1 priority like it should have been, and a few runs were definitely missed. I did what I could though, and I will admit that I felt like I totally paid for these last 2 weeks today. I went out for my 1st run all the way around White Rock Lake (9 miles) and it was HARD. Most definitely the hardest run that I've had. My legs were killing me, I was tired, and just felt the effects of slacking off a bit. I felt that little bit of doubt creeping back up. I did it though, even though it took me what seemed like a lifetime. I think I have a few weeks of serious gym time ahead of me! The good thing is that I'm running the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving (8 miles) so that will give me an extra long run....feeling like I'm going to need that! Just 3 more weeks now, and I'm determined to make them count!

Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Chocolate Frosting

I have not baked anything in what feels like forever, and had a few bananas sitting on the counter getting all mushy and brown. Normally, I would have made my Grandma's Banana Bread, but I was in the mood to try something a little different! I thought cupcakes sounded so good, since I have a tiny bit of an obsession with them. I found several recipes for banana cupcakes, and honestly I chose these because I had all of the ingredients on-hand. They came out so good! Very dense, but definitely cupcake-y and not too muffin-like.

Banana Cupcakes
From: marthastewart.com

Ingredients:

Makes 12

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 4 ripe bananas)
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar*, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. Make a well in center of flour mixture. In well, mix together butter, mashed bananas, eggs, and vanilla. Stir to incorporate flour mixture (do not overmix)**. Dividing evenly, spoon batter into muffin cups.
3. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan; cool completely on a wire rack.

*I never have plain white sugar unless I'm buying ingredients to bake, so I used a combination of Sugar in the Raw (1/2 c) and Splenda (1/4 c) and it came out great. I've never baked with the raw sugar before, but I think I will again!

**The key to keeping them light is to stop mixing the second the dry ingredients become wet. Maybe about 30 seconds mixing with a spoon. Do not bust out your fancy-schmancy stand mixer for this recipe...do it all by hand!!



These cupcakes were paired with Honey-Cinnamon frosting, which sounds delicious, but was so not what I wanted at the time. I was trying to think of what would go good with banana, and peanut butter and chocolate came to mind. I found a few recipes, all a little different. Some used real peanut butter, some peanut butter chips. Some used chocolate chips and some melted bakers chocolate. One was true chocolate buttercream with peanut butter chips folded in. So, this is what I came up with, because I had all of this stuff in the house :) It tasted like I melted a Reeces Peanut Butter cup, whipped it back up and piped it on top of the cupcakes. I was pretty happy with myself!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients:

6 oz. semi-sweet Bakers Chocolate (6 squares)
1/2 c unsalted butter
1/2 smooth peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
up to 1 c powdered sugar

Directions:

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate and butter (heat on 30 second intervals then stir until melted. Do not over heat). While still hot, stir in peanut butter and vanilla until peanut butter is melted. Cool in refrigerator for at least 10 minutes.

Once cool, add powdered sugar in 1/3 c increments and beat on med-high until you reach desired consistency and thickness.

Frost cupcakes and Enjoy!!

Half Marathon Training : Week Seven

This week I had a weird realization. I always go into my shorter weekday runs thinking that they are going to be easy simply because it's a distance that I've run many times by this point. I go into my long weekend runs with less confidence wondering whether or not I will make it, how slow I will be, how hard it will be, etc. You know what happens? Those shorter runs are always the ones that KILL me and I love my long runs. HUH??? I think it's because I go into them with a completely different mindset, and prepare myself in different ways. I'm sure it has something to do with the fact that I do my weekday runs alone, in my neighborhood, and it gets boring. Plus, I have to fit them in to a crazy schedule (not just mine, but Jon's). On Saturdays I get up, drive to Travis and Andrea's and we head out to the lake. It's time each week that's set aside for that specific purpose...no fitting it in or rushing. Anyway...this week was a couple of 4.5 mile runs (one of which turned into 5 b/c I didn't check my schedule...whatever) and a 7 mile run on Saturday. The 7 mile took me 1 hour 16 minutes. Still a turtle, but a turtle who's feeling like that 13.1 that I'll be running in 5 weeks is not so scary after all :)

Wordless Wednesday

All of the Halloween-y Goodness

This year was so much fun! I always say that, but the older Ava gets, the better it is! She was such a pro at trick-or treating this year. She didn't ask me to go to the door with her once. We went with Aidan again, and they would walk up, ring the bell and wait for their candy. We had to remind them to only ring once a few times, and make sure everyone said thank you...but the were great! Wednesday we took the kids up to the school/Church for trunk-or-treating and Ava got to see some of her friends. Thursday was trick-or-treating through the classrooms and a party at school, and then Boo Bash Friday night. Aidan came to that too and they danced their little tushies off all night. It was so cute. Then we hung out at the park for a neighborhood Halloween party with Jon's family before heading out to get waaay to much candy on Saturday night. Needless to say, I got my money's worth out of their costumes :) Ava has already asked how many days until it's Halloween again, and has her costumes picked out for the next 15 years. Seriously...she informed me that she wanted to be a cowgirl when she was 18 after rattling off a huge list of other costumes. Spider Girl, a bunny, a princess and some sort of fruit were in there too. At least she plans ahead, right?

Half Marathon Training: Weeks 5 and 6

Well, this means I'm halfway there. Six weeks down, six more to go! Week five was great, probably the best so far. I was better about my strength training (as in I had a few days where I could barely move...but it was good!), and had a 6 mile run that weekend. I was turtle slow, as usual (I think it took me right at an hour and 5 minutes), but it was one of those really good runs that makes up for crappy ones! My Ipod died about 2 miles in, but even that didn't really mess with me as much as I had anticipated when I turned it on and saw that dreaded low battery signal. Week six was pretty easy, just a couple of 4.5 mile runs during the week (one of which got cut short when I got caught up in a serious rainstorm....I'm talking soaked and whacked in the head with acorns), and 5k over the weekend. The best part was that I managed to fit in several yoga classes over the past two weeks, which was a big goal...I was really missing that. I think my muscles were too. So, mark your calendars people...because six weeks from today I'm going to need all the good luck vibes I can get :)

Hello Sleep!

I'm sure I'm posting this waaaaay to far in advance, thus completely jinxing myself...but I think Liam may have FINALLY become a good sleeper. Granted, my definition of good sleeper is probably so much different than most other people's. We were so spoiled with Ava, who slept through the night at 6 weeks, and was sleeping 12 hour stretches by 3 months. Liam, not so much. It took him a while to find a pattern, and he went through phases of sleeping great, then being up several times a night every couple of months or so. For the past few months he's only woken up once, but still wanted (not needed) a bottle. He'd take it in his crib and put himself back to sleep, so it's not like we were up for hours at a time at night. Had he been my first kid, I would have labeled him as a pretty darn good sleeper, but his sister had to go and ruin it for him. Still, I've been ready for an uninterrupted night of sleep for quite some time (a little selfish, yes....but much needed). We decided no more bottle at 3 am, and after 2 nights of a little fussing and overall "what the hell guys", he's over it and has slept from 8pm to anywhere between 6 and 8 am. This I can deal with. If he wakes up in the middle of the night tonight...I'm deleting this post!

Sticky Thought Thursday

Half Marathon Training: Week 4

This week started off with a run in the Hill Country. We were at the lake for the long weekend, and I decided to get up early before we left on Monday and run so that I could have a little change of scenery. Oh.My.Goodness. Up, Up, Up...flat for a second...Up some more...maybe downhill for just a bit...then repeat. It was definitely a change. I thought the hills in my 'hood were bad. It was good for me though! I did another treadmill run because of a crazy week, and have to admit that while I have been good about getting all of my runs in (as long as I've been healthy), I've really slacked off on strength training the last few weeks. I think I just got out of the habit while I was sick off and on, and was out of the gym. No more though, I am going to make myself really focus on it next week. Saturday my sister and I ran the Race for the Cure and had such a good time. I have to say that I was pretty proud of myself because I took a good 3 minutes off of my normal 5K time! It was definitely the atmosphere, and I ran it at about 28:45. Tiff did so great and finished in around 36 minutes. She never stopped and doesn't really run. She had gotten up to running 2 miles over the last few weeks, and I was so proud of her! It was for such a great cause, and I loved being a part of it. I raised a little over $200...so a big, huge THANK YOU to all of my friends and family that donated money. It is much appreciated!! Oh, and we saw Crazy Tracy from The Biggest Loser in the bathroom at Northpark before the race. She had definitely lost a ton of weight, but was yelling at her friends to "go, go, go". She was all decked out in her purple Biggest Loser gear. I wanted to ask her where her pink was ;)

Wordless Wednesday

A couple of people I know do what they call "Wordless Wednesday" on their blogs. They basically post a fun picture, minus any captions or story, just for pure entertainment and admiration! I think it's such a cute idea, and asked if I could borrow the idea (because stealing is wrong, people!). It's a perfect opportunity for me to pop in a cute picture every once in a while without having to come up with any witty dialogue to go along with it. You can just use your imagination and make up your own if you're feeling creative! Hope you enjoy the first installment.

Half Marathon Training: Weeks 2 and 3

Quick, condensed update because I'm a little late doing this! Week 2 was just a repeat of week one. My 4 mile run that weekend was pretty pathetic because my foot was bothering me (turns out I have a pulled tendon...lots of icing and stretching, but no biggie) and I was about 8 hours away from puking my brains out. Week 3 was a bust because it took me so long to get over that stupid stomach bug. I didn't run again until Thursday and didn't even finish my 3.5 miles for that day. It was so hot and humid, and I just still wasn't feeling 100%. My 5 mile run this past Saturday was actually pretty nice though. The weather was great, I was finally feeling like myself and my foot didn't really bother me. I was so worried about finishing those 5 miles going into it because the 2 weeks leading up to it were just so bad...but I did it, and it felt really good!! 3 weeks down, 9 more to go :)

My Inner Child is All Kinds of Giddy!

Can I just say that I am a little too excited about "Where The Wild Thing Are"! Tiff and I are taking Ava to see it next weekend, and I'm looking forward way more than my 3 year old. Pathetic, maybe...but I do not care! The previews make me all goose-bumpy and bring out the kid in me :) On top of that, I've been listening to the soundtrack, which is seriously wonderful. It makes me want to sing and jump around in some fuzzy monster pajamas...do those even come in my size?

Sticky Thought Thursday

Finally back to normal...mostly.

After feeling like I was knocking on death's door (which looks a lot like my toilet bowl, if you are wondering), Pukefest 2009 has officially come to an end in our household. Saturday, Liam came down with whatever nasty stomach bug has been going around. We were hoping it was something else when we talked to the nurse, because it seemed to come and go within a few hours. Turned out that was not the case. By that night, Ava and I both had it and Jon had a house full of sickies to take care of. Then he got sick Sunday night, and while the kiddos were a little better...I was still feeling like death. Jon and Ava seemed to get over it pretty quickly, and it took Liam about 48 hours. Me, three freaking days! I swear these things try to kill me. Poor Ava basically had to fend for herself on Monday. She was a serious trooper. I guess it was inevitable that we were going to pick this up somewhere, since everyone we know has had it. Plus, we passed it along, which completely sucks. Now I plan to spend the next few days disinfecting and de-germing everything in my house. I should buy stock in Lysol and Clorox wipes.

Noodle Nose

...and cheeks, hands, eyes, hair. You get the picture! Liam is so over his bottle, and it's a pretty big struggle to get him to take enough formula each day. He wants his big boy food, and he wants it now! Last night I made Chicken Parmesan and thought I'd see how he did with some chopped up spaghetti. He was in heaven. He made a huge mess, of course, and I'm still finding noodles in places that I thought I'd cleaned...but he loved it! He shoveled handful after handful into his little mouth, and about half made it in. I think he was thankful for a little variety :)



That's one dirty, happy baby!

Race For the Cure

My sister and I are running the Susan G. Komen Race For the Cure 5K on October 17th! I'm so excited because this will be my first road race and it's for a wonderful cause. Plus, I get to do it with Tiff :) If you are interested in donating, sponsoring or participating, please visit their web page at: www.komen-dallas.org

Sticky Thought Thursday

I don't remember where I came across this, but you can go to wigflip.com/superstickies and make your own sticky notes. I thought it was perfect since I always have a few random thoughts floating through my head that don't really warrant their own post. So, if I can remember each week, Thursdays will be my "Sticky Thought" days. Feel free to post your own random thought, vent or rant!

Half Marathon Training Week One: CHECK

So, I've officially started training for the half-marathon I'm running on December 13th. No more "training to train" or skipping workouts when I'm really not feeling all that into it. Although, I've been pretty good about to sticking to all of my scheduled runs the past few weeks to get myself into the habit. This week was not really anything new...a couple of 3 mile runs and a 4 mile run over the weekend. It took me almost 43 minutes to run those 4 miles. Not horrible, but I'm coming to terms with the fact that I'm just slow. The only real change was that Jon was out of town all week, which meant treadmill runs during the week (blah). Oh, and I came down with some nasty, funky head/chest cold or sinus infection thing. I was cracked out on all kinds of over the counter stuff all week because that's all I could really do. I'm just glad that I didn't wuss out and skip any runs or workouts, even though I felt like total crap. It's funny to think back to right after I had Liam and I would run (if you could even call it that) on the treadmill, thinking how awesome I was doing, but the thought of running outside scared the bejeebus out of me. Now I despise that stupid treadmill. It's boring, and makes 3 miles seem like they take all freakin' morning. Crazy how that's changed in a matter of months! So, even diseased and left to fend for myself (clearly, I survived!), my first week was a success. Now to start all over tomorrow :) One week down, eleven more to go.

Just Slap a Bumper Sticker on Me

Because I have officially entered "Soccer Mom" territory. Lord help us all! If you're waiting for me to cave and bust out with a minivan to go with that sticker, don't hold your breath ;) After 2 rain outs, and a couple of interesting practices (3 year old girls who pretty much all know each other running around for an hour, use your imagination), Ava had her first real game this morning. Her team is called the Rockettes, and her friend Marcy's dad is coaching. Alot of the girls on the team are from school or ballet, but she has met a few new friends too. There are only 2 teams of 3 year olds, so they are playing four, and even some five year olds this season. The team they played this morning was older, faster and most definitely more coordinated. What they did not have going for them were rockin' pink and white tie-dyed shin guards...thank you very much! Needless to say, the Rockettes got their cute little booties handed to them. Luckily, they have absolutely no clue! They had fun, and sweet Lily even scored a goal. I have to say that Ava does seem to get the basic concept of the game, but she is way too nice. We have to work on that! She seems to really enjoy it though, and it holds her attention for more than five minutes. That's always a plus :)

I'm sorry, WHAT?

That was my response when my daughter, who is obsessed with all things pink and princess...twirly and girly, informed me a while back that her new name was...are you ready for it: SPACESHIP ROCKS! Huh? I kind of blew it off at first, because she does have a slightly over-active imagination. She has not one, but at least two full time imaginary friends that we are aware of. Then, of course, those friends have friends, siblings, and so forth. You get the picture. While I was surprised at the name itself (I mean "Princess Fancy Pants" I wouldn't even bat an eye at), I was even more surprised at how adamant she is that I use it. I'll ask her to do some simple little thing and her response will be "But Mommy, my name is not Ava." I have found that there is no sense in arguing, because as soon as I ask "Spaceship Rocks, can you pick up your room"...voila, you can see her floor! Who knows how long it will last. I'm sure it's just another passing phase, and at least it's an amusing one. I think Jon and I are the only people that are required to call her this, and it's at random intervals. This officially confirms my theory that all kids have multiple personalities from birth, well into their teens :)

Kind of like Shampoo, but without the "P"

We went to Sea World with the madre this past weekend and when Ava asked for the millionth time what the whale's name was, that's what I came up with to help her remember. Maybe not the most creative thing in the world, but it seemed to do the trick. Ava absolutely loved it, and Liam was even more intrigued than I thought he'd be. It was fun to watch them. Ava even went on her first roller coaster, and put one hand up in the air...the little dare devil ;) I think it was worth the arm and leg you have to pay to get in!






The sea lions were so precious...loved them!


Obligatory "we were here" family pics. All hot and sweaty and my camera was about to die...nice one!

Because we are total suckers, we agreed to a $15 face paint job. Justifiable because she was on her very best behavior that day, and because I'm pretty sure we're the only business the poor kid who did it had all day!






We also got to hang out with Angie and her sweet family. She's getting married in November and we got to celebrate a couple of wedding showers with her. That wedding is definitely at the top of the list of things I'm looking forward to. Can't wait to see you guys in Asheville :)

Rain, Rain, Go Away....No, Seriously!

I am SO OVER all of the rain, drizzle, gray clouds, and overall gloominess. I love a good storm and we needed some rain, but enough is enough already. I have a stir crazy kid, I think we're all getting cabin fever. Ava has decided that if it keeps raining, we are going to have to build an ark. Even my dogs have gotten the memo and haven't left the back patio in a while...fine by me because I'm not exactly a huge fan of cleaning up their muddy paw prints. The silver lining here is that I *think* all of this nasty weather may finally cool things off a bit. I'm officially ready for summer to be over. I'm ready for a break from the heat, plus I love fall!! I'm looking forward to running in the cooler weather. Speaking of, running in the rain and mud and puddles has been a bit of a mess. I used to think those people who were out running when it was pouring down rain were C.R.A.Z.Y. Then, all of a sudden that was me. I have to say that except for one slightly disastrous run last weekend with Andrea, where we had to turn back because of all the mud, running in the rain was actually kind of enjoyable. Did I just say that? My shoes, however would not agree. They have suffered from all of it, and this is what they look like after a week or so of sloshing through puddles.



I'm scared to wash them, because I love them and don't want to ruin them. At this point, it would be like throwing my wedding dress in the washer. They will just have to stay dirty, I suppose.

Dig in....the Dancing Queen!

Ava started her first REAL dance class last week, and while there are always things that she does that make me proud, excited and all goose-bumpy, this is currently topping the list. If you know me at all, you can practically feel all of that oozing off of your screen this very minute at the thought of my daughter in ballet shoes! She is absolutely loving it as much as I am. She has always been a big fan of our little dance parties and getting her groove on in the back seat, so it will be interesting to see how she does in a more structured environment. No tu-tu's or pink leotards (can you imagine how that conversation went?). She has to wear a black leotard and pink tights, just like the big girls! One reason I just adore her teacher, Ms. Janie, is because she is all about teaching them how to be proper little ballerinas. That means being on your very best behavior and remembering your manners at all times, in the studio as well as at home. She is the sweetest, tiniest woman, but commands all of their respect and attention because they are simply in awe of her. She is, after all, a REAL ballerina! THANK YOU MS. JANIE!! I'll take all the help I can get in the manners department. Of course, when it's combined with arabesques, grand jetés, and pliés...well then it's all good in the eyes of most 3 year olds! Ava does all of those at least a thousand times a day; the grand jetés over a pillow for the full effect! It's adorable and hilarious, because they are so eager to learn but completely uncoordinated still at this age. Who knows how long she'll want to do it, but you know I'll encourage it as long as she wants to go :)

Walking up to class...shoes in hand!!



Just before she went in. What a cheeseball.



Circle time before class. Then Ms. Janie closed the door and they got down to business.

Baja Chicken Tacos with Cilantro Lime Sour Cream

aka: Crack in a Tortilla! When I lived in College Station, there was this restaurant called La Bodega that had the BEST chicken tacos. I was beyond obsessed with them. Not only did they have the best tacos, but the most amazing sauce. I'm 100% sure that it was laced with some sort of illegal substance because I would drown my taco in that stuff, have it dripping onto my hands, and actually lick it off my fingers so that I didn't miss out on any. Yep...I did this in public, with absolutely no shame. As I moved away and my visits back became few and far between (insert sad face) I realized that I was going to have to figure out how to get my crack taco fix without driving 3 hours to get the real thing. So, here's my version at re-creating my all time favorite taco. It's by no means the original, but pretty damn good!

Recipe disclaimer: I am not a "measurer", so most measurements are purely guesstimates. But, this isn't baking, or rocket science...so you'll be fine!

Marinade for Chicken:

Zest and juice of 1 lime (then throw the lime in for good measure!)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 oz tequila
1 oz triple sec (If you don't have triple sec, use a little orange juice, orange zest, orange extract, whatever you've got on hand. You're just going for a hint of orange. I just choose to get mine in the form of liquor...yes, I know it all cooks off, not the point!)
2-3 tbsp chopped cilantro
salt and pepper
1 tbsp red pepper flakes
If you have any type of Mexican seasoning, throw a little of that in. I have a good Mexi-Cali blend...or just plain old Cumin is great in this.

Dump it all in a bag w/ 3-4 chicken breasts and marinate for at least 30 min. If you have frozen chicken breasts, just let them thaw in the marinade.


Cilantro Lime Sour Cream (aka, crack sauce):

8 oz sour cream (I use light, but fat free is completely worthless...blah)
zest and juice of one lime
1-2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

If you love cilantro, add more. I am not a cilantro person (apparently this is a genetically inherited trait, or so I've been told at least a dozen times!). I'm always picking it off of things, and never understood why someone would ruin a perfectly good BBQ pizza, or salad by putting it on there. However, the combo of cilantro and lime is so good, and refreshing.

Mix this all together, then let it get it's groove on in the fridge for a while. The longer it hangs out, the better it's going to be. Try to resist eating it by the spoonful. I usually cannot.

Pico de Gallo:

4-6 Roma tomatoes - finely chopped
1/4 onion - finely chopped (If you feel like branching out a bit, try a red onion. I always get a big thumbs up on that one!)
1 small jalapeno - chopped so small I can barely see it! I take the seeds and ribs out b/c I'm a wuss
zest and juice of one lime
2-4 tbsp finely chopped cilantro (again, depending on how much you love it)
salt and pepper to taste

Same w/ the sour cream, the longer it sits, the better it tastes!


When you are all set, grill and slice the chicken. Serve in grilled white corn tortillas and top with:

Shredded red cabbage (even if you are not a cabbage fan, just trust me and try it. If you hate it, you can curse me while you pick it all off!)
Monterrey Jack Cheese
Pico and Sour Cream

Serve with black beans and rice! Oh, and you'll want to have a bag of tortilla chips on hand for the leftover pico!



Makes me happy every time I eat it...hope I can pass a little of that along :)

Bug Catchin'...

...That's what I seem to be doing a lot of these days. "Brother Bug" as Ava calls Liam, is on the move! He hasn't completely mastered crawling, since he likes to go backwards rather than forwards, but he is officially mobile. His favorite thing is to work his way under my bed when I'm not looking...something new to explore, I suppose. Too bad I can't teach him to dust while he's under there. He couldn't care less about sitting up most days. He can do it, but I think he has figured out that it gets him absolutely nowhere. Oh, and we are now the proud owners of two very sharp teeth! Real food, here we come :) Here are a few recent pics:





I think these were all taken maybe within a week or so, and it just amazes me still how different they can look on any given day!

"YOUR HARD WORK IS ABOUT TO PAY OFF"

Or at least it is according to my Panda Express fortune cookie from last night! Reading that completely made me smile 1) because I needed some new motivation and 2) because I always get the WORST fortune cookies. I've never gotten one worth holding onto in my entire life. They are usually beyond cheesy. I'm not only keeping this one, but putting it somewhere that I'll see it every day!
There are some days when telling myself that in just 3 short months I'm actually going to be able to run 13.1 miles doesn't really cut it. Most days the "I think I can, I think I can" mentality gets me through, but others, even the best of pep talks doesn't do the trick.
So far, my biggest accomplishment was my 4 mile run on Friday. It was officially the farthest I've run since I was in College. It was HARD, but at the end I didn't have that feeling of dread like I've had in the past...like there's absolutely no freaking way that I can ever go any farther than that. This time I thought, "Well, just triple that, add another mile, and I'm good". Then I flipped out a little.
The thought of not being able to do it is just flat out stupid. I would not have said that I would do it if I did not KNOW that somewhere inside myself I am capable of doing this. I just need a little extra kick in the rear every once in a while, and now I'll have it right on front of me...in all caps!

Has anyone seen the Remote?

I was going back over and looking at old posts yesterday (noting the long span between many of them!) and remembered that I started this thing when Ava was just turning ONE!! She was still a BABY! Then realized that in less than 5 months, that will be LIAM. Cue me freaking out, and holding back a few tears. How do I slow this the heck down?
Ava was just a little munchkin, and before I know it, my little dude really will be a little DUDE. The baby phase goes by so fast, and I love it so much. I love all of it really, but if you've ever heard the term "Baby Rabies", well that's me in a nutshell. I love everything about them. Except for the being knocked up part, and I'm not ashamed to admit that. Don't get me wrong, I love the IDEA of it, and there are a few months in there that are okay, enjoyable even. The rest, not so much. If someone would just give me one every few years, I'd be good! Even now, when I have no intention of having another for a little while (No, I'm NOT DONE!!) the thought of not having a baby in the house makes me want to cry.
Although, I absolutely love the stage he'll be heading into pretty soon as well. That early toddler stage where they're into anything and everything, but everything is so new and fresh...and it's all a big adventure. It's like they KNOW you can't keep up with them! But watching them figure it all out it so worth it, and so much fun. I remember Ava being there, and it was never a dull moment! I treasured every single second of it. It's times like this when I'm even more thankful that I have a husband who works his ass off so that I don't have to miss any of it. I have all of these memories of her, and get to have them of Liam too...I didn't miss a single thing and even on days when they drive me batty it is SO WORTH IT.
I'm even managing to see the good in the terrible 3's. Just FYI, whoever coined the term "terrible 2's" was an idiot. There are days where I want to put her on the curb w/ a sign that says "3 going on 30. Free to a good Home". But watching the little person she's become over the last 3 years has me truly amazed most days. She is SO smart...and not in that "smart because she's my kid" kind of way. I think she's going to know more than I do before she's in High School...then what? Plus I SEE so much of myself in her (good and bad!). It's different when they are babies because they are just developing their little personalities, and it's mostly about who they look more like on any given day. Now I look at her and literally see myself. It's so crazy, and amazing, and scary...all at once. If my grandmother were to read this, she would simply say to me "Retribution Veronica, retribution". Oh, but I love that child , both of them, more than I can describe in any amount of words. There simply are no words. I think that Jon is going to have the same reaction to Liam in a few years. I just have this feeling that he is going to be an exact little replica of his daddy! He's going to look at him one day and just go "Holy crap".

There's no real point to all of this, other than the fact that I'm still amazed at how fast it all flies by. Even with all the warnings everyone gave me about how "fast it was going to fly by"!

...And I'm still looking for my DAMN Pause Button.

Watch Out Colicchio

Because Ava might be coming after your job in a few years! Maybe that's a little ambitious, but I definitely thing she has inherited my love for cooking! She's always asking to help out in the kitchen, but last night she said that she wanted to cook dinner! She has a great little Sesame Street cookbook that her Aunt April gave her a couple of years ago, and I told her she could pick any recipe out of it and make it. She picked "Abby Cadabby" Bowtie Pasta, and after we made some alterations to the recipe, she embarked upon her first (semi) solo cooking experience. I chopped the veggies, measured out the olive oil and seasoning, and boiled the pasta...but the rest she pretty much did on her own. I was so proud of her, not just because she actually did it, but because it was GOOD!

Here's our version of what will forever be known as Abby Cadabby Pasta in our house: (the original is carrots, sliced ham and parsley...not all that appealing, and I'm thankful she let me take a few liberties!)

7 oz Farfalle (bowtie) pasta
1 small zucchini thinly sliced
1 carrot thinly sliced or 10-12 baby carrots
Large handful of cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp butter (we used smart balance)
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese...or that's about what it looked like while I was watching her shake it in :)
salt and pepper to taste

While pasta is boiling:

Add olive oil to large skillet (on med heat) then add carrots and saute for 3-4 min. Add zucchini and seasoning, saute for 2-3 more min. Add tomatoes and turn skillet to low. I like my veggies al dente, but if you're a soggy veggie fan, up the cooking time and/or temp a bit.
Drain pasta and add to skillet (reserve just a little pasta water and add to skillet as well). Add butter, Parmesan, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly.

Quick, healthy, and easy enough that a 3 year old can do it!!







The finished product!! Don't think we'd win Top Chef with it or anything, but not too shabby if you ask me.