A bunch of updates all squished into one!

We've had a busy few months around here, and I feel like I haven't really had a second to stop and take it all in! We've had birthdays, birthdays and more birthdays!! We've been remodeling bathrooms, taking some short trips and, trying to remember to breathe every once in a while. Life's good!
Liam turned one at the end of January (cue minor heart attack!) and is just becoming the funniest little guy :) He laughs at everything, including himself. He's starting to really try to talk and says the normal "Mama, Dada, uh-oh, hello, bu-bye" etc. He just started saying "aya" for Ava and putting a few words together like "bu-bye dada". He's still the most laid back kid that I've ever been around, but has such a fun personality. Everyday I see more and more of Jon in him. He really is Jon's little mini-me! Big news too...he FINALLY started walking!! He took his first step a little over a week ago while we were in Houston and now he's taking more and more everyday. He's trying to push himself up to stand from the floor and go from there too, and has managed to do it a few times. So, go Buggy!! 'Bout time little dude.
Ava turned 4 at the beginning of February and while I was hoping she would magically wake up and be done with the terrible 3's (because whoever came up with the terrible 2's clearly never met my daughter), but 4 had been just as challenging so far. She does have some redeeming qualities though, so I'll work with what we've got for now. According to her sweet, wonderful teachers at school, she is polite, helpful and always on her very best behavior. I am convinced that I'm sending a different child to school than the one that I bring home. At least she saves the drama for me...and I'm so thankful that she knows to leave it at home. Right now that kid's social calendar is harder to plan around than any of ours. She's playing soccer, taking ballet and swim lessons and is already pretty much booked up for the summer. I mean, seriously. But, she's happy and active and that's a good thing. She's been asking for a while to go out running with me, so I talked to her Pediatrician about it and he said go for it. So, we bought her 1st pair of running shoes and we've been running around the neighborhood together. I'm running a 5k in a couple of weeks and they have a kids fun run that she's going to do! She's so excited and it makes me so proud that this is something she seems to really like right now. I hope she enjoys the whole race experience so I can continue to encourage her :)
Jon and I both turned the big 3-0 and had a joint "60th" Birthday party last month to celebrate. It was so much fun and so many of our friends and family came. I have to say that I was pretty excited to finally be in my thirties. I was so over being 20-something and feel like and official grown-up now for some reason. Of course I still do completely immature things like buy $10 sunglasses because I can't take care of nice ones, and buy music by girls with $ymbol$ in their names because I like to listen to it when I run....you know, to make me feel young and all ;)
Speaking of running, I ran my SECOND half marathon a couple of weeks ago! I was having some problems with my hip, which looks like it might be IT band issues, and really followed a pretty pathetic training schedule...but even with all of that I managed to take a full 12 minutes off of my time from the 1st one in just 3 months! With the exception of my hip, I also recovered so much faster. I took a couple of weeks off and I'm going to try a short run tomorrow and see how I feel. I am surprised at how much I've missed running lately. Never thought i'd say that ;) It will be nice to run just because I want to for a little while, and not because I'm training for anything. After the half I did something ridiculous (blame it on Andrea again!) and entered the lotto to run the New York Marathon in November. Not sure what I was thinking. I've had it in the back of my head that I'd like to run ONE full marathon, and if I'm going to do it, I need to do it this year. We find out in a little over a week if we got in...so we'll see! I'd say wish me luck...but I'm not sure how much I want ;)
So, that's our story for now!

Phil can SUCK IT....

Because I don't think I can handle six more weeks of winter. I do not live in Texas and endure summers that feel like I've been summoned to the fiery depths of Hell to have to put of with the winter that we've had. Ice, snow...more ice and snow...below freezing temperatures. Um, no freaking thank you. I live here and deal with many, many days of hundred degree plus weather so that I can enjoy nice, mild 60 degree days December through February, and maybe break out the heavy coat once or twice. I am SO OVER THIS. I need sunshine STAT.

That Pesky Zaquito...

...rhymes with taquito.

Ava and I had an interesting little convo on the car ride home from school today.
She noticed me scratching my arm, and it went a little something like this:

Monkey: Mom, do you have an itchy bite?
Me: Yes baby, something bit me.
Monkey: Was it a zaquito?
Me: a WHAT?
Monkey: a zaquito
Me: (holding back tears of laughter) I'm sorry, but I'm going to need you to say that again.
Monkey: (in a most dramatic voice, with hand gestures) MOM, did a zaquito bite your arm?
Me: Are you asking if I have a MOSQUITO bite?
Monkey: (laughing her little booty off) Oh yeah, that's what I was trying to say...where did I get zaquito from?
Me: If only I knew...
Monkey: Well, whatever it was, you should put some spray on it.
Me: Thanks Captain Obvious.
Monkey: HUH?

Unfortunately, I don't think it was a moquito, or even a mysterious little zaquito...I'm pretty sure I have a little spidey bite. GAG.

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?

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 :)

What Makes You Happy?

This question was posted the other day in a forum. While it seems like one of the easiest questions to answer, I always hate "Why" questions when they apply to me personally b/c they are hard for me to answer. I think I realized today that it's because I usually have more than one answer, and can't give a single concrete reason. Like Jon asking me a bazillion times "Why do you love me?" My answer for the last 7 years has been...."I just do." And that's it...I just do, but for a ton of little reasons, not just one big one. I'm digressing....so I attempted to answer this and surprised myself when I came up w/ a bunch of little things in just a minute or two. I looked at my list and thought....well those things would make most people happy....and I'm lucky! I've always been a big "It's the little things that count" kind of person, and now I know why: There's a lot more room in your life for a bunch of good little things, than a few big ones!! W/ that said...here's my list of what makes me happy:

My daughter and husband

My dogs

Naps

Reading

Cooking

Travelling

Italian food and red wine, or mexican food and a margarita

The beach

Fall and Spring

Talking to my long distance friends, who I miss like crazy (Tiff and Ang....love you)

Having friends over for dinner (2 or 20!)

Music...especially live.

Doing new things (especially ones that I didn't know if I'd be brave enough to do)

Driving anywhere that's got a good view.

Visiting College Station...especially in the Fall.

Holidays w/ family and food.

Decorating for said holidays!

All the kiddos in our family, especially when they are all together.

My house, b/c no matter how messy it is, or how many things need to be fixed....it's HOME!!

My Sister

I know I could come up w/ so many more things, but the list would be a mile long.

Having too many good things to count is a good thing itself :)