Spring Fling

Our Saturdays, lately, seem to start early, be super busy all morning, and we all tap out by early afternoon. Today we started with James's art class (next week will be his very last one). He had colored a beautiful purple tree and painted over it today with watercolor. I'm such a proud mama of my little artist! He's been a total 3-year old about the class, demanding a new piece of paper every 5 minutes and refusing to get his picture taken.The boys got a big box the other day of Easter goodies from Grammy and Grampy in Texas full of peeps, puzzles, books, jellybeans, and obnoxious toys that cheep and talk. Needless to say the kids are thrilled, and while I can deal with talking toys (yay selective hearing!) Jason is not so much! I have a video I took of Riley talking to his peeps that I'll put up soon--but here are the pictures. The photos don't even do the experience justice--the first bite each kid took of marshmallowy-sugary goodness sent them into sugar shock and they started barking and squealing and bouncing off the walls. Here they are all blue-sticky-sweet:Sugar coma!!

Our community center had it's "Spring Fling" this morning. It's beautiful and warm outside so we took a little walk down there.

They had it really organized and structured, which unfortunately means a long line, but the kids enjoyed running around trees and playing with rocks while we waited.They each "made" treat bags to hunt eggs with. We put their names on them and they got to put egg and flower stickers all over. James was sooo proud of his!I don't have a picture of it, but they also had face-painting (James doesn't like any paint getting on his face--ha!) and a little craft table set up where they handed out dixie cups with potting soil in them and the kids got to decorate their cups with more stickers. They gave them zinnia seeds and watered them and the boys got to take them home to grow some flowers.

They had a small Easter egg hunt set up in one of the rooms--James accidentally took too many eggs!

The coolest thing they had was the live chicks! James was hesitant to get close or pet them, but Riley was thrilled! As soon as we got him out of the stroller he ran up and started petting them and cheeping at them (and poking them in the eyes). Once Riley got up there, James followed behind and gave them a pat. James wanted to carry it around and I think all three of us wanted to take them home! (Jason being the voice of reason, here)

Finally, the best part--the whole walk to the community center James was announcing that he was going to the "Easter Bunny Hunt". He changed it after some cajoling to the "Easter Bunny Egg Hunt". As with most holidays, he was super excited to see the Easter Bunny---in theory. When we actually met the big bunny, he didn't want to go near it! Riley the fearless sat right down with no fussing (I swear, this kid isn't afraid of anything!). With some help from Jason, we did manage to get a pretty cute picture of all of them, though!

Out of the mouths of babes

Today, as I'm cooking dinner the boys were watching the Nick Jr channel and Wonder Pets comes on. James: I don't like Wonder Pets! I don't like Wonder Pets! Me: I can't do anything about it, my hands are full, you just have to watch it for a few minutes. [click, silence] James: That's better. Me: Did you just turn off the tv? [James walks into the kitchen, puts one hand on his hip] James: (with attitude) I DON'T like wonder pets. Me: [laughing] OK. I didn't know you had such disdain for Wonder Pets. Later, Jason comes home from work. James is sitting on the kitchen stool. James: Daddy, I have a stain for wonder pets! This kid cracks me up. :)

April Showers

It's been raining and gross out all day, but so warm (50s!). I hate how the warmest days are wasted on bad weather. Luckily we didn't have all the tornado warnings that my friends and family in Tennessee had, though! I guess mother nature decided we've had enough after winter. Good thing, too!! Yesterday the boys and I drove out to Syracuse to pick Jason up from the airport. He drove his car down to my folks' house so we won't have to haul it on the moving truck, and flew back from there.

Riley pooped out as soon as we hit the interstate. James stayed up for Toy Story on the dvd player. [Have I mentioned how much I loooove the portable dvd player?]Also--the black spot on his nose is where he scratched at it during the bouts of runny noses this past week :(

The boys were thrilled to see their daddy again and we took him out to Olive Garden for lunch. He had a 4-day weekend, so he got to stay home during this rainy day and we spent it packing boxes. The house is looking so naked! I can't wait to just be in our new home in Georgia, sitting in our backyard, everything unpacked and pictures up on the walls, just enjoying ourselves!

Even in the monotony of packing, there's never a dull moment around here! We were packing boxes upstairs and the boys were in the playroom. James was setting up his train tracks and did a really big, intricate layout of them. Just as he was finishing up, Riley (godzilla) stomps over and starts breaking them apart. James, being a little obsessive compulsive starts freaking out on him and yelling at his dad and me to "make baby stop!" Riley finds something else to play with and James sets them up. A little while later, he's almost finished fixing the tracks when Riley starts toward him again. All of a sudden we here from across the hall, "DON'T eefer FINK about it!" We about fell over laughing!

After a week/end of being sick and Jason being gone, diet and exercise has gone by the wayside. So, this next week, it's on! I will be lazy no more! Less junk food, more running.

Today's Recipe: Minestrone Soup

1 small onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 stalks celery, sliced thinly

1 can red kidney beans, drained

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup baby spinach, chopped coarsely

3 tbs vegetable base

2 1/2 cups water

1 tbs italian seasoning

1/2 tsp herbs de provence

1/2-1 cup medium shell pasta

kosher salt and black pepper to taste

simmer 30 minutes (add the pasta in the last 15 minutes and the spinach in the last 5 minutes).

Cracker song

Riley was singing to his saltines yesterday at snack time. I just barely caught him on camera, but its was so cute, I just had to!

By the way, when I say "whoaaa" and he giggles, its because he just let off some gas. Boys will be boys!

Weekend fun

After a week of being sick, the boys and I are finally perked up and back in business! We've had an especially busy weekend so far: Starting with James's art class at the YMCA. He missed last Saturday since it was a sick day, so he was excited about this week. Having brother there must have been too distracting because after 15 minutes he decided he was done. Better luck next week? Then we went to Just Kidn Salon for their very first "real" haircut. They did really well, but got restless by the end of it. Riley was, of course, my wiggler and tried to escape the car. Luckily the girls worked really fast.

James requested the pink barbie jeep and told the hairstylist all about his Grandaddy's jeep. It was a pretty cool seat--the pedals even made the wheels spin and engine revving noises.

Riley looked like he was going to fall asleep when she was combing his hair. He is so his Daddy's son.

After: my beautiful boys and their new 'dos

We went for lunch afterward. The kids were much more interested in the batman toys than the food. Can't blame them.

We met up with my friend Jenn and her kids at the playground after lunch and let the kids wear themselves out for an hour or so. They had so much fun! By the time we had to leave, they tried to put up a fight but were just too worn out.

Ah, busy day and it's still early afternoon. I think I may be more worn out than the kids. Naptime, anyone?

We always snuggle with rainboots on

This morning was a nightmare. I felt like crap, both kids wet the bed, then while I was taking the dogs outside to pee, Riley found one of Jason's carving knives that was left out where it shouldn't have been, and nicked his finger. He didn't cry or act like it bothered him at all, but I was freaking out when he came up behind me with blood all over his hands! The only thing he fussed about was me trying to put a bandaid on him or elevating it applying pressure with a washcloth. I'm just so thankful that it was only a small nick and not something worse! But whew! Talk about an adrenaline rush! Who needs coffee when you can wake up to a large dose of anxiety and terror? Jason missed all this, luckily, because he was being a darling husband and changing the oil in my car. He made it up to me later by doing the dishes (I hate doing dishes) and bringing me a soy latte from Starbucks. After the initial suckiness that was my morning, the day went pretty smoothly. We spent most of the day snuggled up on the couch, with snotty noses and fevers.

But I did manage to get a short 3 mile run in during naptime (excuse the awful hair-no-makeup-gross-ness). Btw, this is my awesome rain/windbreaker I got on sale online. Even in 20-ish degrees it keeps me warm when I'm running! Take caution though--neighborhood dogs do not like joggers in fuschia jackets.

When the initial nausea wore off, I finally decided to eat something around 4:30 this afternoon. In retrospect, coconut lime curry probably wasn't the best thing to refuel with during a bout of "flu-like symptoms". . . but it tastes so good!

We did get some packing done, though. These are just a few of the 40-something boxes we have lining our office/foyer/bedroom/playroom/kitchen/closet. . .

Maybe we took the packing a little too far?

Sick Day

Sure enough, this bug has moved on from the boys to me. I lysol-ed everything--toys, doorknobs, lightswitches before naptime and cozied up for a nap myself, but no luck. Woke up from naptime with a sore throat and a burning nose. I've spent the first half of the weekend tending to my two sickies with tylenol, eucalyptus essential oils, vick's vapor rub and bad television with a perpetual snot stain smeared on my shirt/pants/jacket. James even skipped his art class this morning in lieu of cuddling on the couch with daddy and a sippy cup of juice. You know its bad when he doesn't feel like doing his "arts and craps"! Riley has had an upset tummy all day and we've been through two or three outfits and loads of laundry. Just when I got the pile down to something manageable, it doubles or triples!

I did manage to get a nice long run in this morning though! An entire hour of running about 5.5-6 miles (didn't measure exactly since I took a lot of sidewalks and trails, but I tried to keep up a 10 minute mile pace consistently). It was 14 degrees when I started and warmed up to about 20, plus the wind was pretty awful. But it was just beautiful! And refreshing! I took in all the trees and sunlight and sights. My legs are super sore, but a good sore. In every run there's always a point whether it's 5 minutes into a run or 40, that I want to quit. It's inevitable. I start thinking, I could just run back to the house real quick and call it a day. Today it was about 35-40 minutes in. I had been through all the scenic pretty areas and knew that the rest of the run would just be "filler" neighborhoods and subdivisions or repeats of what I'd done already. I was bored and tired. That push, mentally and physically, to get out of my slump is like a rush of adrenaline. Once I throw all the negative thoughts away and just go, I feel invincible!

It is definitely easier to push out of it when I'm running outside rather than on a track or treadmill though. Structure, especially while I'm running, really turns me off. I guess it's just going outside of my comfort zone. Its easier to think negatively when I know exactly how much time or laps or distance I have to go rather than just running free.

I'm planning a short run tomorrow morning, like 2-3 miles and some strength training, so I'm hoping this cold will hold out at least til tomorrow afternoon? Then it's soup, vitamins, green juicing, tv and some snuggling with the boys to recover.