Monday Funday

Oh, you don't want to eat the peanut butter and jelly sandwich I just made after you whined for 10 minutes about how you wanted one?

No, you can't watch the Penguin movie because we're going to read and work on the alphab...ok, but only once.

Well, ya! If you jump off the dresser onto the ground... it's going to hurt.

We're not going to Grandma and Papa's house, we're going to the gym so Mommy can feel a little bit better about having a cupcake when she's done.

Oh look, you colored on your bed.

I know you want Daddy. Mommy wants Daddy too.

WE'VE BEEN INVADED...

...and all I've heard for the past two hours is, "EEw unfinidy and beeyond!"

...and there WILL be camping

We have been booked for the last 3 weeks. The huz hasn't had school OR work, so we took advantage in a major way. A few of our days were spent at Cleveland National Park, and this little gem proved to be quite a hit. The little man really thought it was stinkin' cool that he got to run around and play in the dirt, sans any form of bathing. It was actually very close to being a perfect get-away...hence, ALL the pictures. The days prior were filled with tantrums and dirty laundry, so not really any cool photo-ops there!
Home sweet home.

I'm not quite sure why we decided that taking pictures of us jumping around the rocks was cool, but we have like 20 of them!
I know, it's like a magazine cover, right?! My rock hoppin' skills are pretty sweet.













Studs

The Air Up There

Oh, I know what you're thinking, friends..."What avid-looking hikers they are!"

Well, it was Mt. Whitney: Take Two, this past Monday. We went earlier in the year, however, I had to make the "tough decision" not to continue to the very top after discovering the dreaded 99 switchbacks were covered in snow, leaving only a perilous ascent over an even snowier chute. It just broke my heart...

Not really, but you can't really say you hiked Mt. W unless you make it to the top, ya? So, while most of the world was asleep at 3:30 am, I was trying to figure out how to get out of hiking 21 miles and join them. It didn't work, so off we went like lemmings.

Much to my surprise, and despite the husband and I both gimping up the mountain like wounded gazelle, the hike was AWESOME.



I don't think sleeping on a rock has ever felt so great!




So cool to do this with him. I loved every step, and can't wait to do it again...after I've forgotten how frickin' hard it was!

Hometown Glory

I googled myself tonight and found that I am virtually non-existent on the web.

My husband, on the other hand, still hails from his old high school days...

You're still a stud, babe!

Remembering...

Drama Queen

Camp Pendleton Heartbreak Ridge Half Marathon.

The name is actually quite scary for a non-runner like myself. I don't really know what the heck I was thinking when I decided that running should be on my to-do list. Nevertheless, I found myself in the car at 6am on Saturday morning driving to what would surely be my best estimation of hell. It did not help to arrive at a parking lot full of skinny, Nike-clad, Camelbak-wearing people who were already doing warm-up laps to the registration table. I'm pretty sure they could smell fear. I was instantly regretting my apparel choice of spandex and tank top when I saw all of the 6 paks walking around.

Despite my extreme anxiety, it was really great to be there with my dad and mohawk-sportin' husband. All of the commotion and pre-race activity was super exhilarating, and I think I actually started feeling confident. The race began and I was ready!

What an AWESOME course! Green back country, perfect overcast weather, and beautiful scenery were almost enough to take my mind off of ALL. THE. HILLS. In all truthfulness, my training regime for this race was not consistent or adequate in any way, and to top it all off, I hurt my knee a few weeks ago and ended up not running until the actual race. It was incredibly intimidating to be passed up so effortlessly by so many runners, but I got over it pretty quick and focused on my own race.

I was really shocked because I felt great for the first ten miles and actually thought I was going to finish under 2:30...then, mile 11 came. I ended up having to limp my way through the last 3 miles, and it was in no way graceful. I probably looked like the biggest idiot when I trekked up the hills sideways, which is why, I'm assuming, the nice military personnel on the sidelines offered me a ride to the finish line.

The last quarter of a mile came up and I could see the end. My dad, who had already finished (with a GREAT time), saw my pathetic gimp, and informed me I had about 7 minutes to hobble to the finish line...so, I decided to attempt some form of running. It hurt bad, and I think I started crying. A passerby called me a "drama queen". Ouch.

Then, a perfectly sweet girl saw me and probably decided my poor self needed a shoulder-to-lean-on-kind-of-finish, so she proceeded to put her arm under mine and guide me to the finish line. People were cheering me on. She kept telling me how "brave" I was. My husband was smirking at my awkwardness. I think I started crying more because of how embarrassed I was. Drama Queen, indeed.

Anyways, I finished with a not-so-fantastic time, a bum knee, and a good dose of humility, but am proud of the first 10 miles I pumped out! The husband did FANTASTIC...1:49. Can't wait to do it again next year.

I'm hoping for a new nickname next time around though...maybe "Sparky" or just "Queen".

A hunting we will go!

We live in family student housing. I think it's awesome. So awesome, in fact, that I am willing to overlook the tacky teal carpeting that befalls our entire apartment and clashes with everything... EVERYTHING!

There are a lot of spiffy details that make this place so cool to occupy: cheap rent in the otherwise expensive LJ, neighbors that have kids AND are still in school, the walking distance to school, etc. However, one of the little gems of this place actually became our family activity tonight-scavenging the laundry rooms.

Yup.

All the laundry rooms have what are lovingly known as "free tables". The name is kind of self-explanatory...people leave their stuff and other people can take it...for free! Very thrift store-esque. A lot of it is rubbish, but we have come away with a few sweet finds. Tonight, for example, the little one increased his toy collection by 1 Ninja Turtle, 1 dolphin, and 1 truck. He is in love, and I am in love because it means that Walmart won't get my $15.99 for a Lightning McQueen figurine.

The husband, on the other hand, doesn't feel my love so much when he comes back from the free table with white loafers that are 3 sizes too big, which he assures me will be his "slip on shoes for before basketball". I guess I should be grateful he's not coming home with a rabbit and cage though...?

Oh, the little joys of being poor!

Tra la la la la...

Have you ever had one of those moments when you decide that you are going to work towards developing a talent that you don't really have? Perhaps it comes after an even longer moment of self-pity when you decide you have no "real" talents at all? Well, I had one of those moments today, and it was glorious...at least, initially it was.

I have been on an Adele kick recently, (ACTUALLY, if you would like to hear my one claim to music snobbery...I was into her before she became famous...really!) and it has been oh, so good! Last night, I was Youtubing the crap out of her songs and came across quite a few covers, which were brilliant! And I thought to myself, "Self, you could totally do this! You could cover a song!" After about 5 minutes of staring blankly at my ceiling, imagining how epic my feat was going to be, I remembered that I can't really play the piano.

Bumski.

So, ladies and gentleman, that is where we are at currently. I have busted out my Yamaha keyboard and googled some sheet music for "Someone Like You". The basics from my 6months of piano lessons in 2nd grade are slowly coming back to me... "Every Good Boy Does Fine", "FACE", "If You Give a Mouse a...." wait. It has been rough, to say the least, nevertheless, I am determined to learn this song!

One week it's a painting business, the next: songstress! We should all be so lucky that I don't blog about all my misguided aspirations for talent and accomplishment. I made homemade salsa this morning...which you'll be happy to know, is delicious, but not blog-worthy!

Here we go!