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About a year ago we planned to use this spring break to go to Japan and leave the kids with dear Nikki. However, plans changed. Instead, we took the whole family on another trip to Maryland's State Parks. This time it was Janes Island, on the very southern end of Maryland on the Delmarva Peninsula. During our last night there, Chuck and I decided this trip was a bunch of really high highs and really low lows. I said it was a trip of "the best of times, the worst of times." But even the lows weren't the worst. Instead, like the Simpsons have said, we'll call them the "blurst of times."
The Best of Times...The Blurst of Times
1. Friends offering their boats...Finding out the park doesn't rent parks until April
2. Awesome traffic to/fro (such a rarity for us DC-ites)...The noise of the boat tie-downs vibrating on the top of the car for three hours
3. The adorable, perfectly-sized, gas-log-fire-warmed cabin that was right on the water...Less sleep at night with boys who weren't too sure of the new place
4. Sun with relatively-warm weather on Tuesday...Snow (snow!) on Monday
5. Totally deserted park all to ourselves...no real services since park isn't quite open
6. Being resourceful and finding things to do inside when it's snowing (snowing!)...Ignoring kids while working on a puzzle
7. Ollie sleeping nearly the entire paddle back from the beach...Ollie crying nearly the entire paddle to the beach
8. The awesome pizza and staff at The Pizza Shoppe (they even gave the boys "play dough" while we waited for our food)...I got nothing. All the food we ate was good (even the Life cereal for breakfast)
9. Nobody was seriously hurt nor frozen after the spill into the water at kayak take-out...Yep, that's right: we all took a bit of a polar plunge
10. The memory card was salvageable after the spill into the brackish water of the Bay (see the pictures below)...The rest of the camera, not so much (notice no pictures after the kayak trip)
At the end of it all, we still had a great time. The boys enjoyed themselves, and we enjoyed the boys. It was just nice to get out of town.
Taking a walk along the river. The actual island is on the other side of the water.
From the bird watching tower.
Fun with snacks
Listening to music
Playing with capsule-turn-sponge
Displaying how Ollie uses headphones
Getting ready for the paddling!
The destination: a beach on the Chesapeake Bay side of the island
We kept laughing that Ollie looked like a Weekend-at-Bernie's fake person
But no, a real little guy was in there
See how close our cabin was to the water?
Next Maryland State Park: Susquehanna!
I just have the most imaginative post titles ever, right? Anyway, after many celebrations I think he's officially five. FIVE. Wednesday night I even started kindergarten paperwork. Nuts, I tell you, just nuts.
Among other things he got these boxing gloves with matching punching bag.
Keeping with Ollie's rainbow cupcakes of last year, I did this. It also worked since this dinner was on St. Patrick's Day.
This recorder was loved by many, including a certain grandpa and uncle and especially an Ollie. (start sarcasm font) This is not an annoying gift at all, Mom and Dad! (end sarcasm font)I really do like it, actually. And Ollie, clearly, loves it.
A goodbye picture before they head off to a (much) warmer clime. (Seriously...is it freezing where you are because DANG. I'm cold. And it's the end of March.)
Rhett playing with his gift from us. Have you seen this toy? It's so cool. Even Chuck and I can entertain ourselves with it.
And of course Ollie wants a piece of the action. I'm so afraid he's going to either (1) eat the instruments or (2) throw them somewhere we'll never find them again.
Finally, marked our height against the wall. The boy's agrowin'!
Kindergarten. I have to keep saying it. It still seems unreal.
01. It's over.
02. I set a PR: 2 hours and 5 minutes.
03. The biggest miracle of the day: no rain!
04. They didn't have nearly enough port-a-potties at the start.
05. Running fast (for me) is hard.
06. 30,000 runners on one course is a lot.
07. I want to make one of these.
08. I'm going to get a pedicure this morning. My feet need it.
09. Eating a homemade pop tart from Ted's after the race was a super good choice.
10. Training with these women was awesome. I'm so glad our Thursday night workouts are being continued.
I really don't care about this holiday and because it's so close to Rhett's birthday, I doubt I ever will. But any excuse to make new ties and I'm all over it.
There is a lot of stuff going on for us in the next couple of weeks. It's probably not that much for most normal, capable people. But we all know I am neither normal nor capable. Here is the goings-on list:
- Run the Rock 'n' Roll Half-Marathon in D.C. tomorrow
- Help with the move of my in-laws to Arizona
- Celebrate Rhett's birthday five times (extended family dinner, preschool, babysitter, immediate family, babysitting group)
- Go on a mini-vacation to Janes Island State Park
All good things, but still...lots of things.
As if I don't have enough things running through my head, Natalie tells me that I should write a stats book on being a mom. I've been thinking about it ever since. Here's my latest entry:
Or, if Venn diagrams are more your thing:
This man most resembles:
A) a beatnik poet/musician
B) an English professor
C) a good dad of two cute little boys, one not pictured (this option for those of you with no imagination)
D) other: ___________________ (please fill in the blank)
Nearly four years ago, I wrote a post that I could have written now. Of course I'd have to substitute each "Rhett" with "Ollie," but otherwise I feel the same. These teen baby months are really hard for me. These little people want so many things, but don't know how to communicate it. Everyone gets frustrated. So here's the updated Ollie graph of how easy he is (which looks a lot like the Rhett graph from years ago):
But look at that uptick: I think the end is near! Ollie is just starting to turn that corner from ridiculously hard to ridiculously cute...and ridiculously gross. But I am ridiculously excited.
P.S. Speaking of maths...don't forget that Thursday is Pi Day. Because I'm overwhelmed with everything else going on, I'm opting for this super easy, but totally yummy, Oreo pie. Only two years until our totally awesome Pi Day Celebration!
P.P.S Don't you just love how the British call it "maths" and just not "math?" I do. Obviously.
In my old age, I've become a bit crotchety in my attitude towards snow. When it happens in Maryland, people rush the grocery stores (got your bread, milk, toilet paper everyone?), drivers have mini heart attacks, and homeowners in my neighborhood rarely shovel sidewalks (making running difficult for days or weeks after a storm). And since we don't have a mudroom or a garage, the mess gets tracked in the house immediately. Plus, we don't ski and the snow is heavy and just not pretty. Because of all of this, I prefer it stay far, far away from us.
However, this storm (named the "snowquester"---why oh why do they insist on giving snow storms ridiculous names?) and its timing caused a change of heart in me. It occurred mid-week before only a six-mile Saturday long run, which means little to minimal impact on my weekend long run. It got Chuck out of work on Wednesday, a day I'm home and can enjoy him. It was predicted far in advance, meaning I thought to bring home my laptop so I could work from home on Thursday if allowed. It came in March when it won't stay cold for too long, meaning it will all melt quickly. It came the day after I finished a book and had checked out a new one from the library, and on a day when we had a new Netflix just waiting for us. And because we knew about it, Chuck brought in enough wood for our last fire of the season (which turned out to be a hot one--I could enjoy the basement with NO socks). Well done, storm. Well done.
I should mention that this picture shows the snow level at its peak. That's right. This amount of snow got Chuck and me out of a day of work (yes, yes, some places got lots more). But for us a mere inch...if you round up.
And when it turned to rain in the afternoon, we resorted to indoor sledding.
About a month ago we got bunk beds. It was a bit sooner than we originally planned, but a friend needed the crib and we just knew Ollie was about to climb out anyway, so we did it.
The bed covered some of the wall decor in the room, something that started really bugging me last Friday night as we're about to put the boys to bed. What to do? Rearrange right then, of course! So we did. It ended up not being big changes, but enough to make it work. And since this picture was taken, the Scrabble names have been taken down. I'm heartbroken, but we have no real other place for them. I'll get over it.
So how are the boys doing with the bed? Rhett gets an A+. He stays in the bed once we put him down (something he wasn't doing so well before the crib) and he's happy up there. He makes his bed in the mornings and just loves being in it. Ollie, well, take a guess. He gets a C-. Because he's basically oppo-Rhett, I should have guessed that he wouldn't stay in a non-crib. And he doesn't. He gets out, throws around Rhett's socks, tosses his own clothes, and gets into the Vaseline and spreads it on whatever he can find. (Yes, we've since learned he's not to be trusted with Vaseline.) But otherwise, we're still working on the adjustment.
And now I can smile again when I walk in the room. Unless it's covered in Vaseline.
Totally-unrelated P.S. After introducing Rhett to Cake's version of "Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps," he has had a change of heart towards the song. Awesome.
...rearranged the boys' room (pictures Wednesday).
...ran twelve miles (well, maybe that was "I" and not "we").
...went to Target and bought some needed and wanted things.
...went to the library and played with this awesome sand table. (Do you think we can make one?)
...napped.
...went on a bowling triple date (I got a 103!) and losers bought us McDonald's ice cream cones. (Have I mentioned that I like them?)
...had the missionaries for dinner (they tasted good). Jokes. We ate chili, corn bread, lime chips, and banana cream pie.
...baked these cookies. They're the only chocolate chip cookies I don't ruin.
When it is the weekend again?
Does anyone else quantify how their body feels? Every time Chuck or I gets sick, we always talk about it in term of percentages ("I'm at 30% today." Or, "I'm much better--probably at 90%!") Even Rhett adds to our discussions about his quantifiable health. We've taught him to do it using fingers, as percentages are a bit over his head. A perfectly healthy body is 10 fingers, so when he's sick we might hear things like, "I'm only seven fingers today, Mom." I love it.
Do your kids have songs they hate? Rhett does. I have a playlist on my iPod with 100+ songs that play randomly, but there is one that makes his blood boil: Doris Day's "Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps." He's not even five, so he can't quite express what drives him nuts about this song, but Chuck and I love torturing him about it. We even threatened to put it on a continuous loop for time outs.
I mailed our taxes yesterday. Yep, that's right: mailed. I feel like I'm the only person I know who does this. But I'm okay with it. We got the federal withholdings just about perfect, but the state withholdings still need tweaking.
Chuck's parents are moving in about two weeks. The day the truck is being loaded is the day I run my half marathon, so we'll need some help watching the boys. Do you think it's okay if I send an email to friends soliciting help, but make it clear I will not babysit in return? Because my talents lie elsewhere, do you think it would be weird if I offer to pay them in Excel lessons, math tutoring, or even handmade wares?
Picture it: You and your spouse go on an 18-month mission to...Mars! Could you do it? Just you and your spouse in a tiny space capsule for 18 months?
I'm sure me having the worst cold I've ever had has absolutely nothing to do with my running 11 miles on Saturday...when already feeling a bit sick...in the cold...in the wet...over mud and ice. Nope nothing. Not related at all.
For fun: I love how Ollie loves wearing all of our shoes. And because his little feet fit at the bottom of the shoes, he's probably more stable in these shoes than I!
How to find yourself on Google maps (Street View): A Quick Tutorial.
1. Take a walk with your family.
2. See the Google car drive by and freak out about how awesome it is.
3. Remember where you were for future reference.
4. Check the internet a couple of times a month until they post it. Be patient; it may take nine months (ours did). Voila! There you are!
Easy, no?
P.S. It's pretty hard to miss this, although I don't think ours was self-driving like this one. Nor was ours in such a beautiful location. I want to go there.
And really, not a blessing either (Natalie), but it's still the coolest thing to happen to me all week. Well, all workweek. Okay, maybe just all of Tuesday. And come to think of it, I did finish our taxes Tuesday night, so maybe it's the coolest thing to happen to me in the 9 o'clock hour of Tuesday morning. Anyway...
Check this out! We're Google famous! We're immortalized! And to think we were just heading out for a nice spring walk. Who knew this walk would change nothing everything?!
You know how sometimes, things just work out perfectly? I've had a couple of these happen to me recently and I dubbed them my "life's little victories."
First, a couple of weeks ago, I was looking for plane tickets for a family reunion this summer. We could fly into Vegas or Salt Lake, but when I found tickets for $140 ROUND-TRIP to Vegas, uh, guess which city we chose? I mean, seriously. We even splurged and bought Ollie a ticket even though he'll only be 22 months old. Victory!
Second, did you happen to notice my hair when we went to the aquarium? No? Go take a look; I'll wait. Okay. That sock bun? Perfection. On my first try. Victory!
Finally, hand apple pies. I made these for Valentine's Day because I didn't want to do an entire doubled-crusted pie. They were awesome. Because they're small, the crust-to-filling ratio is larger, which is a good thing for me because I LOVE my crust. And gooder still, I didn't use all my crust so I got to eat some with cinnamon and sugar on it. And the goodest news? They freeze so you can eat more later. You know, when you really need them. Like, say, after a crazy-tiring Saturday when the kids are asleep. Yeah, they taste really good then. Victory!
Running has been a big part of my life this year. First, there is the New Year's Resolution to do the Montgomery County Road Runners Championship Series. So far I've only done the one race, but the rest are still on my radar. The next is not until Memorial Day (others are/were Sunday races), but I'm ready! Actually I'm not because that race is always really humid and goes steeply uphill for the last half mile. Lame.
Second, I'm training for the Rock 'n' Roll National Half-Marathon on March 16th. I found a few other women who are also running and we been doing our long runs together. It's amazing how easy nine miles are when you're just chatting the whole time. Yes, we've had some lip-freezing runs, but they're always enjoyable. Ten miles tomorrow? Bring it.
In conjunction with the half-marathon training, we've also added a nighttime interval track workout. Uh, hello!? This has been awesome. In a small way it's because I get to use my Garmin in a new way, but in a much larger way it's because I enjoy these women.
Third, because we all seem to enjoy each other so much, we thought, "Why not make a weekend out of it?!" So that's what we did. We're going to do the Ragnar Trail Race in West Virginia in early June. Awesome, right? Right. Any good ideas on our team name and/or costumes? Chuck's idea was to be the "Church Ladies." I'm thinking running with a wig would be painfully itchy, but also pretty dang funny.
Other than our night workouts, I've been logging all my miles in the mornings, which is new. The boys just kept fighting in the stroller and every quarter mile I'd have to stop and break up fights. (The best is when Ollie just puts his arm in front of Rhett's face. He doesn't touch him, just puts it there. Sometimes I can convince Rhett to laugh, but most of the time he just gets mad.) So I've been getting up and out before 6:00 a.m. and have really enjoyed this. Let's just hope it warms up a bit soon. Come on groundhog!
And because all posts are better with pictures, here's a shot of me finishing last year's half-marathon in St. Michaels. Oh, I miss sunglasses.
In my attempt to diversify my dinners, how about you share one of your family's favorite go-to weekday evening meals with me? Just a link and I'll be happy.
Quid pro quo: We love this broccoli lemon pasta. It's yummy and has the vegetable built right in. We all eat it happily.
P.S. I have no idea if I used "quid pro quo" correctly. But I liked it.
Rhett Rhett Rhett. When will you grow out of tantrums? I'm really embarrassed that you still have them with the frequency and intensity you do. I only admit to what's in this post because it's just too funny to not share. Please imagine Rhett screaming these, because that's exactly how they're delivered.
While on a walk after a rainstorm. Please imagine his whole body collapsing and arms flailing. It was a dramatic moment...
I HATE this. I HATE worms. I HATE hiking in the rain. I HATE today.
While mad at the punishment I enacted, thinking Chuck would dole differently...
I want Dad. I want Dad. I don't just want Dad, I need Dad. I want and need Dad.
While complaining about having to eat a vitamin...
I HATE that vitamins are even real!
P.S. Any recommendations (other than an iPhone or the one on your regular camera) for a video camera? I'm not sure we won't just use the one on our camera, but thought I'd do some product research first.
P.P.S. This is yet another failed attempt to keep Ollie busy. But a success at keeping Rhett busy.
It's rare when we can talk about just Ollie, instead of "THAT Ollie," said with a big sigh. We all love this boy. He's funny and adventurous and sweet all in one 18-month body. But is he also stubborn and tricky and defiant. Seriously, my boys could not be more different...except that they're both adorable. Rhett used to do whatever we wanted (with small exceptions). Ollie seems to never do what we want (with small exceptions). But it always ends up a surprise.
Take Sunday. He was allowed to be in nursery for the first time, but were we able to take him? Noooooo. Thanks Ollie for the rotavirus that decimated our family last week.
He has started talking. Of course I worry whether he has "enough" words, although I couldn't quantify "enough" for you. But he can say ball, balloon, purple, turtle, mama, dada, Rhett, dog, no, flower, milk, water, etc. No one else would recognize these words but us, but that's okay, right? He takes off his pants all the time, something we had to nearly bribe Rhett to do at age three!
He sleeps well unless he's sick newly-transitioned to a bunk bed. But most of the time he does great. He loves Rhett except when he doesn't and is still learning how to softly pet the dog. All of my attempts to have this child sit quietly and self-entertain have proved futile. And believe me, I've tried a LOT. But he's a funny, funny boy and we are so happy to have him with us. It's just a good thing he's so freakin' cute.
