First day of school! First day of school!

Monday was Skyler's first day of Kindergarten! She's been so excited all summer to start. She really feels all grown up now. Going into a new school, a new class, new teacher, and all new kids I would have been a ball of anxiety...not her! She was excited to get in there and meet a bunch of new friends. God bless her!

I swear she's not throwing gang signs already. Does this look like a "k" for Kindergarten??!

She'll probably be the tallest in her class for a while :)

Welcome to your new school!

After school (her first day she only went for 90 minutes), we met up with all of our friends, who were also starting Kindergarten that day, for lunch. The boy to her left she's known since the day they were born and all but one of the others she's known since she was about one. Can you tell they're saying "KINDERGARTEN!"?

It was over 100 degrees and they had all been playing on the playground (and running through the sprinklers) at the restaurant, which explains the red faces.

She, and I, made it through her first week. We've already had talks about not teasing people about their names ("Why would anyone name their kid after a clown fish?" If you need more of an explanation let me know), being gracious when someone else succeeds ("I'm mad at them that they were chosen to be the teacher's helper. I wanted to be the teacher's helper."), and trying to pull inappropriate or "disgusting" jokes out of her ("Why did the lady kiss the toilet?" We don't know the answer and neither does she but this is a joke that someone told her at school.). I can't wait to see what the next 9 months bring us!

Training Update

I'm finally coming out of the fog that is the Olympics. I was totally sucked in and found it hard to do much of anything else, except train for my own personal Olympics.

My triathlon training is coming along well (that's me on the left, my friend Carrie on the right). Only 5 more weeks to go! AGHHH!! Things are really ramping up too. The times that I need to train each week have taken a significant increase over the past week. Riding my bike for 70-80 minutes at a time, swimming for 35-40 minutes, and running for 35-40 minutes. All of that twice a week. You'd think right about now, after 11 or 12 weeks of vigorous training that I would have lost some weight? Right? NOPE! Actually, I take that back. I've lost 1 pound. ONE POUND!

Yah, Yah, muscle weighs more than fat, I've heard it over and over. I'm not that strong, there's no way I have THAT much muscle. I need to start losing some weight in order for me to see a change and start getting motivated. People have told me that I look different but I really don't feel different. The only thing I've noticed change is the fact that my endurance has increased. When I first started I had a hard time doing anything but I've definitely seen a change in that. That's good I suppose.

Oh, and apparently this is what I look like when I swim. I'm in the background.

The Olympics are here!

The Olympics are here! As I’ve said before I am a HUGE fan of the Olympics. From as far back as I can remember I’ve been following along. I even won a car during one of the past Olympics!

At tonight’s Opening Ceremonies we will see the Parade of Athletes as over 10,000 athletes from around the world file into the stadium. Greece will lead the way with China coming in last. During the festivities watch out for 5 year old pianist Li Muzi who has been playing since she was 4!

The games start tomorrow morning and will run through August 24th. The event I’m most looking forward to? Swimming! This is who I’ll be watching:


Michael Phelps – At 23, Michael, a Baltimore native, won all 5 of his Olympic Trial races, broke 2 World Records during those trials and holds 4 World Records in the 5 events he’s participating in. Is he good? I’d say so! Can he be beat? Absolutely! It’s going to be some great swimming. (And he's not bad to look at either!) And watch their new suits too. Laser seams, absolutely streamlined.














Katie Hoff – Katie could be called the female version of Michael Phelps. She’s 19 and also from Maryland. At the Olympic Trials she won all 5 of her events breaking one World Record and 2 American Records!





Natalie Coughlin – I root for Natalie mostly because she’s from the Bay Area (where I live) but also because she’s darn good. She swims 100 meters (2 lengths of a normal pool) backstroke (not the fastest stroke) in under 1 minute! You go girl!

Dara Torres

– At 41 Dara is the oldest woman to qualify for an Olympic Swimming competition. This will be her 5th Olympic games! She won both of her events at Trials and set an American Record but she will be dropping one of her events in order to concentrate on her 50 freestyle (one lap of the pool, a race from one end to the other).

(by the way, swimmers from other countries might be fast but we don’t want them to win so why even talk about them.)

Go USA!

new hair cut

This is what happened when I was cleaning the guest room getting ready for an out of town friend. It was her first self-cut and hopefully her last. What was she thinking! She said she didn't want bangs. That's what we were growing them out for! UGH!!

Notice the longer bangs she cut for herself and then the ones that are right at the scalp. Oh yeah, that'll take a while to grow back.

Inspiration

We went to the fair back in June and I took some pictures but just never posted them. Then on two seperate blogs today I read about carnivals, fairs, and ferris wheels. I figured it was a nudge to post so here is my inspiration for today.

Swim Lessons

Skyler is just finishing up 2 weeks of swim lessons with 2 more weeks to go. She had them last year (private lessons, one on one, 3 times a week for 15 minutes each day) and she was doing really well. She loved her teacher and loved going to lessons. Then this year rolled around and she said she didn't want to go. Her reasoning, she didn't want to put her face in the water.

Well, she was going to go, whether she liked it or not, but where she went was another thing all together. Last year's school is totally hard core. I loved it because they are all about teaching water safety. They want your child to be able to survive if he or she falls in the pool. I don't know about you but I think this is pretty important!

Skyler, on the other hand, sees no importance in this at all. "I don't need to know how to swim. You can just take me around the pool or I'll stay in the shallow end." Uh, I don't think so sister! So, I started to change my way of thinking and started wondering if she needed to see other kids swimming to give her that peer pressure to do better. I also wondered about her not wanting to put her face in the water.

Here are my two compromises: goggles and group lessons! The minute she put those goggles on she could magically swim. It was incredible! She just wasn't liking opening her eyes under water but this has solved that.

And I think the group lessons are working too. There is a little girl in her class that's a pretty good swimmer so that pushes Skyler to try to keep up. Here she is chatting it up with a girl in her class. Such a social butterfly!

No problem! She can even do it with her eyes closed!

She's doing great and today she gets to jump off the diving board into 10 ft of water! Stay tuned to see if I jump in after her or let her teacher catch her...

shopping!

I very rarely buy things for myself and when I do it's not very expensive things but today was an exception. We have a new Anthropologie near by my house and I just had to check it out. In fact I told my husband, because he wouldn't come with me and made me go shopping by myself, that I would not be held accountable for the amount of money I spend. That kind of gave me the green light :)

We are going to a wedding this weekend. Actually my husband is in the wedding, I'm just going to hang out by myself. So, I should at least look good, right? I have a pair of white dress pants that I had planned on wearing but I wanted a new shirt to go with it. This is what I found:

It's so comfortable and looks really good with the white pants. Remember, it's 100 degrees out and the wedding is at a golf course. I think I'll wear a pair of black wedge shoes (even though the top is a dark navy blue or slate)...is that ok?

What about jewelry? I was thinking of wearing gold to dress it up. I saw these earings and necklace there but they were more than I wanted to spend:

I wonder if I could find something similar at Claire's or Target. What do you all think?

another baby gift

I had another baby shower to go to a few weeks ago and at the last minute decided to give this little onesie and matching burp cloth. The new baby's name was going to be Gavin. Didn't it turn out cute?!

Daddy Time

This past weekend my husband and 5 year old daughter decided to camp out in the backyard. They needed some good daddy/daughter time and this was just what they wanted to do!

They had music playing, daddy was BBQing, daughter was eating. They were having a blast!

Here's what was for dinner: grilled hamburgers and corn (and Smore's for dessert, of course!)

After dinner everyone changed into their jammies, zipped up the tent, got all cozy in their bed, and watched a movie (Harry Potter). Isn't that what everyone does when they camp?!

They can't wait to do it again!

New Necklace

I just received a new necklace that I am loving! It is an oval with a cross that says "Faith." Thanks Erin!!

Open Water

When we started this Triathlon training we agreed that it would be a good idea to try the lake swim at least once a month. Today was the day that we decided to do our first trial swim. I had been excited about it but secretly terrified as well. For one, I wasn't completely sure I could swim 400 yards without stopping or having something to hold onto. And two, I was terrified/paranoid/grossed out about the murky water and what lies beneath. In the end, only half of my fears came true.

When we arrived at the lake we found a lifeguard that told us that while they are on duty we are only allowed to swim within the bouys. There's a lane set up outside the swimming area that we can do laps in but when they aren't on duty we can swim wherever we want. Next time maybe we'll come back when they aren't on duty so we can swim further out into the lake but for now, we'll do the lane.

The water wasn't too cold and you could actually see the bottom while walking in. That quickly changed. It became dark and green. I have a crazy fear of unknown, dark water where I can't see the bottom or what's in it. That was one of my problems.

To put it simply, I did my swim, as fast as I was physically able, and immediately got out. The water scared me and I think it would have been better to not have my goggles on so I couldn't actually see anything. At one point during my swim I saw bubbles coming up from the bottom. I just prayed it was a plant and not an animal. Acutally, I don't want to know what it was! We ended up swimming about 560 yards in about 19 minutes (the swim for the Triathlon is 400 yards) so we were happy with our first attempt.

One yukky/murky/scary lake swims down, 3 to go!

Holiday Happenings

Our neighboring town is celebrating it's 150th Anniversary. In 1958 they celebrated "Hay Days" with a parade and parties to commemorate their Centennial. Hay Days was the precursor of the current 4th of July Parade and was a four day event. This year they decided to celebrate 50 years since the first Hay Days but instead of a four day event they did it in 4 hours on the 3rd with Children's Carnival Games, a Family Picnic, Hay Rides, Train Rides, an Old Fashioned Bathing Suit Show, and more.

Skyler tried her hand at a fishing game, a "Knock 'Em Down" game, and the good ole sledgehammer!

Then bright and early the next day, on the 4th, we left the house, having already set our chairs out the night before for our annual Parade. The hardest part about the morning of the parade is waiting for the parade to actually start!

Here's what our little town's main street looks like, waiting for the parade to start:

Then the parade itself. I've been going to this parade for 17 years now and it never gets old. It's very small town, a little hokey, but VERY American. Here are some highlights...

Top Left: The Lawnmower Brigade. It just wouldn't be a parade without them! They are out there doing drills, running around being very silly, with their lawnmowers. Very fun!

Top Right: Pearl Harbor Survivors. Really all the service men and women that are in the parade get me emotional. Every year there is at least one in the parade that has just returned from Iraq or somewhere else just as scary. It's so awesome to see them home and safe. The Pearl Harbor Survivors are just precious though. Look how happy they are to be honored in such a way.

Bottom Left: The Blue Star Moms. I'm sure you all have a chapter in your town. These are moms that have children deployed. They walk in the parade carrying pictures of their children. They are so proud but understandably sad at the same time. Look at the woman in the back carrying a picture of 3 of her kids, all in fatigues. It's so inspirational!

Bottom Right: The Clackers. I'm not even sure if this is what they're really called but it's what we've always called them. They're some sort of gun club or rifle club or something. Everyone there looks like they just stepped out of the wild west. These guys signal the end of the parade every year. You can hear them coming a mile away. They walk for a minute, then stop, the guy in the front blows his whistle, and then they shoot off their rifles (or whatever they're called), either one by one or all at once. If you click on the picture you can see EVERYONE covering their ears. It is the loudest thing I've ever heard. And when you hear them coming, anyone with babies or dogs high-tails it outta there because it's a doozie. It wouldn't be the parade without them though.

We ended the day with Smores and fireworks from our backyard. It was a good couple of days and we're pooped. Off to bed for us all! Happy 4th!

Handmade with love...

A friend of mine had a baby boy in March and I'm JUST getting around to giving her something handmade. I gave her the traditional boring baby gift for her shower, something she registered for, I'm sure, although I can't really remember. But, I've been wanting to give her something that I made. So I made him this little onesie that I thought he could wear on Friday if he wants to. If he doesn't wear it on Friday I'm sure he could wear it to a Presidential Rally or to a taping of American Gladiators but I'm hoping he just wears it on Friday :)

Then this afternoon I went over to a friend's house for a "cocktail playgroup" (my favorite kind!) and we decided to break out her jewelry making stash. Here's what I made:

A bracelet and 2 pairs of earings (the other pair of earings aren't pictured here. They were coming out all blurry and I didn't want to fight with the camera). I love them and can't wait to wear them!

The Olympics are coming!

I'm so excited that the Olympics are almost here! I don't know what it is about them but I can't get enough. I watch just about every event or tape them if they're on at odd hours. I find myself crying when they even play the Olympic song on a commercial!

I taped the Olympic Trials for Gymnastics, Diving, and Swimming partly so that I could see them and follow along with how the athletes are doing but also to try and get my 5 year old in the spirit. She really has no interest until they're on and she sees how excited I get. Then she really enjoys it. After all, we just saw Michael Phelps and Katie Hoff both break the world record for the 400 IM Swim. How can you not get excited about that!?

I guess you know where you'll find me on the night of August 8th :) I'll be sitting in my family room watching the opening ceremony...crying.

Cutest Wristlet ever!

A few weeks ago I entered a blogging contest for a handmade Wristlet from Boutique NutMeg Designs and won! I received it a week or so ago and have been SO busy that I forgot to show it to you. Look how adorable it is! And the detailed stitching along the edges of the fabric are SO cute!

Best of all, look at the inside!

Thanks so much Meg! Be sure to check out her Etsy store here. Happy Shopping!

good things

Taking my 5 year old to her first pedicure (she said "I feel like a new person!")

Fitting in my 24 minute swim for the week

Wrapping up raffle prizes and gifts for a luncheon this Saturday with friends, 2 bottles of wine, and chocolate cake

Life is good!

cutie

I just love this little guy (a friend of mine's son)

I don't know what it is about him but he just melts my heart!

training update

Well, I'm a week and a half into my triathlon training and it's not as bad as I thought it was going to be! Some people have asked for me to keep them updated on how it's going so here goes...

We're using a training schedule from an online website for beginning triathletes which is proving to be very manageable. Granted it's based on "back of the pack" times which probably means we're all going to come in dead last but that's ok. Here is how my first week looked:

Monday: Swim for 12 minutes, Bike for 24 minutes.
The bike was no problem. I still don't have a bike yet so I was in the gym for this portion. Easy! I watched The View, listened to my IPod every once in a while. It was a breeze! I even hopped on the treadmill and ran for 1/2 mile just to stretch out and loosen up after the bike ride. I was feeling good. Then, later in the day I went for the swim at my friend's pool and discovered something I never knew about myself. I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SWIM! I never took swim lessons but I thought "how hard can it be? I've seen Skyler at swim lessons. It's easy. Breath. Use your arms. Kick. Simple!" WRONG! I now see the reason they put the swim first. Because it's the hardest!

Tuesday: off

Wednesday: Swim for 20 minutes.
More of the same. This time I didn't even try to put my face in the water. I just tried to swim, anyway I could, for 20 minutes. I used a kickboard part of the time, fins part of the time, and the rest of the time I just struggled. It's going to be a long 4 months of this way of swimming! I hope something clicks.

Thursday: Run for 12 minutes.
I got on the treadmill at the gym and ran, and ran, and ran. I did it! Twelve minutes of running without stopping. I didn't think it could be done but I did it and felt fine.

Friday: Bike for 40 minutes.
This time the bike was a little more painful. I still watched TV, listened to my IPod, and tried to relax but my butt was hurting about 3 minutes into it! Why don't they make these seats more comfortable? Then I realize. They probably make them for MEN not WOMEN! Oh well, I power through. Then after the bike I hop on the treadmill again for another 1/2 mile run to loosen up.

Saturday: off

Sunday: Run for 20 minutes.
I had just gotten back from Vegas and I was exhausted! My plan ws to go to the gym and do my run while Steve was putting Skyler down for bed but it just didn't happen. I promised to make up for it the next week.

Monday: Swim for 13 minutes. Bike for 26 minutes.
For me, I felt like run training is more important right now than the bike so today I opted to skip the bike and do the run from yesterday instead. I headed for the gym at 6pm. Not a parking space in sight! So, I left and went to the local middle school to run the track, in 90 degree heat! Even though I was supposed to run for 20 minutes, I was meeting a friend to swim at 7pm and only had time for about 14 minutes so that's what I did. Then drove over to the pool and struggled through the swim.

After my run on Monday, I noticed that I was coughing a LOT! Like I couldn't even finish a sentence without coughing. The next day I was still coughing. My boss thought I was sick. I told her "No. It's just because I ran." She's an ex-nurse and suggested I might have Exercise-Induced Asthma. What? I've never heard of such a thing! Long story short, I now have an inhaler to use before or after I run to see if it makes a difference. I'll keep you posted!

Oh, there are now 11 of us doing this triathlon! The fever is spreading and it's great! Stay tuned...

girl's weekend

I just got back from a girl's weekend to Vegas! What a blast! There were 4 of us that went and it was relaxing, tiring, and funny all rolled into one. I can't wait to do it again!

AND, we flew our new favorite airline...Virgin America! It is so cool. You feel like a rock star because it's just so different from any other airline. The lights inside the cabin are purple and blue creating a "nightclub feel" to the plane. Every seat has a tv where you can listen to music, play video games, watch music videos, TV, or movies. You can even shop from your seat, you just swipe your credit card right on the TV screen! We can't wait to fly them again!

nature

Isn't nature and wildlife amazing? At my father-in-law's house, right outside one of the doors, in a little potted tree, a momma hummingbird made her nest. Have you ever seen a hummingbird sitting still, not flying a million miles a minute? Me neither!

Shortly after making her nest in this little tree, my father-in-law started a remodel on the bathroom that is inside this door. So, in came the workers, walking past her nest hundreds of times a day, using the tile saw within feet of her new little home, and she stayed. Some wild animals, I would guess, would just abandon their eggs. "It's too much work to be so worried about these people coming within inches of my nest. It's stressing me out. I'm leaving!" Who knows why she didn't leave. Motherly love I suppose.

The babies have hatched now, three from what we can tell. She still flies back and forth hundreds of times each day, out to search for food, back to feed them. And anytime she's sitting on the nest and someone walks by, she flies away and kind of hovers as if to say "I don't know who you are or why you're here but stay away from my babies." Nature is amazing!