James W. K. Hayman

Winter Wonderland....Florida style

2011-12-04T11:29:00.001-08:00

This morning we had brunch with Santa...Mira Bay style. James loved sitting in Santa's lap and eagerly told him that he wants a scooter for Christmas. Not an electric one, just a push one because he can go "super fast!" Works for us! And with that smile, how can you say no?
Then it was time to head outside for the Winter Wonderland. It was already 80 degrees, so they couldn't do much but that didn't stop the kids from having a blast!

Thanksgiving Break 2011

2011-11-28T15:56:00.000-08:00

was....

presenting my favorite Mira Bay girls with personalized, special-ordered Team Mango t-shirts. Mango... it's not a drink, it's a lifestyle.

a community yard sale where I got rid of tons of baby gear. Mama's going shopping!
celebrating a good friend's birthday with micro-brewed beers at Cold Storage Craft Brewery (awesome, low-key place with awesome brews!)

a wine tasting event at the clubhouse.

a beautiful sunny day by the pool.

a trip to the "doc in the box" for all three Haymans. Ear infection for the little man, walking pneumonia for me and upper respiratory infection for the hubby. yeah.... go BIG or go HOME!

time to finish reading all three books in the Hunger Games trilogy. Love, love, LOVE this series! I want more Katniss Everdeen!

finally time to catch up on some movies I've been wanting to see- The Change-Up: B rating, it was okay, LOL at times; Bad Teacher: C+ considering I fell asleep during the middle of it; Crazy, Stupid Love: A-... I really liked this one, loved the fight scene towards the end and love me some Ryan G. Yep, he's made the list.

serving a thanksgiving feast for 18 of our closest friends and their kids. Then having another 4 join us for dessert. The evening ended with only one broken wine glass (it's becoming a thanksgiving tradition at this point) and all the boys jumping in the pool!

Turkey Trot 5k: I still had too much chest congestion to run, but Uncle Tom stepped in and ran with James in the one mile fun run. Apparently there was some sort of melt down in the middle when James realized he wasn't going to win the race. Yep, we are still working on sportsmanship and not always "winning."

putting up Christmas lights (yes, I said Christmas, not holiday!) and decorating the Christmas tree.

having enough leftovers of desserts and wine for another gathering with friends and good food.

celebrating Tom's birthday and Michigan's big win with Veronica.

our yearly family photo shoot.

another sunny day by the pool, tan lines included.

too short.

Almost ready for Christmas....

A few months in review....

2011-11-01T16:14:00.000-07:00

Hello out there in Bloggy-Land! I realize I've been MIA for the past couple of months. I would normally blame my lack of postings on the following:

Learning a new job and struggling to get ahead of the power-curve with paperwork. I accepted a position as a EET Peer (teacher) Evaluator. Check out my prof bio here for my street creds.

Maintaining a busy social weekend calendar with the best friends and the best neighbors around. No, really. These women are amazing and their hard-working husbands deserve a shout-out too!

Managing the household events/chores/duties while Will finishes up his online coursework with University of Phoenix. It literally consumes almost every single waking minute aside from when he's actually at work. So, let's just say I will be very happy once all of his coursework is COMPLETE!

Yeah, I could say all of that, but I'm going to use the "F" word instead. Yep, I blame my lack of blog posting on Facebook, because let's just face it, Facebook is faster to upload photos and you get that instant gratification of posting exactly what you are thinking/doing and get feedback almost immediately. Instant gratification at it's finest. Or worse.... whatever your stance may be.

Anyway, here are some pictures that capture a glimpse of what's been keeping us busy over the past few months. Hope you enjoy......

The first day of school photo. A classic. Except James insisted on doing a "crazy" pose for the first one. Ham!
I finally got a nice smiling, handsome shot of my little sunshine (and his goofy grin). Man, when did he get so big and grown up looking? Sniff. Sniff.

Of course, with the start of school (well, pre-kindergarten) comes homework. When we can get James to sit still and focus, he actually does focus! I just had a conference with his teacher today. She stated that he is very, very booksmart and is ready for kindergarten. But his social skills sometimes get in the way of his listening and focusing.

Hmmmm... wonder where he gets that from?

All work and no play? No way!

I signed James up for soccer and he loves it! Of course, it involves his two favorite activities.... running and kicking things! He's actually pretty good at it and i love watching him practice! He's the kid on the team who doesn't stand back and wait for the play to happen, he runs forward and makes it happen. I LOVE that!

I mentioned earlier that we live amongst some of the best neighbors and best friends around. I feel truly blessed to have every single one of them in my family's life. These are just some of the precious kids that James is friends with. Here they are pre-trick or treating candy-coma.

Here's one of my latest fav pics. Mommy and Buzz Lightyear.

I love you little man.... to infinity and beyond!

All Aboard for the Birthday Boy!!!

2011-07-11T06:19:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, we celebrated James' 4th birthday. These pictures were taken by James' godfather, "Uncle Tom." It was such a bright, sunny, beautiful day and his pictures really captured all of the cutie pies at the party.

I really can't believe he is four years old already. Some days feel like four years in itself, other days feel like four minutes.... oh well, such is life, I guess.

As for James' party, we followed our normal summer-birthday tradition and had a pool party. Six families (10 children total) were invited and all six families (10 children) came! It was a great turnout and James had a wonderful time playing and swimming with his friends.

He loved seeing present after present come through the front door and he "tried" to act embarrassed while we were singing Happy Birthday, but I could tell he secretly loved the spotlight!

Dear James,

Another year of your precious little life has passed and with it, you have grown by inches and leaps and bounds. Everyone tells me how tall you are for your age and with your verbal expression (chatty), most people think you are older than you really are. But, you are quick to correct them.

At just four years old, you love the water. You can swim across the pool, dive into the deep end and pick up objects from the bottom. You are very interested in mommy and daddy's scuba gear and have expressed a great desire to go "scuuuva diving" with us. We can't wait!

Once I explained to you what "summer vacation" was and that school would start back up in the Fall, you replaced your daily "Is today a school day?" question with "Can we go to the big pool?" You would spend every waking minute up at the clubhouse (big pool) and I can't really blame you. It has a massive, very fun, very fast water slide and you always seem to have friends up there.

Of course, making friends is one thing that you do quickly and easily. You don't hesitate to introduce yourself to others and then ask, "Want to go play?" It almost always works, too.

Speaking of play, we are still a "train-loving" household. Some generous neighbors donated a huge Geo Track set for you to play with. This is in addition to your wooden train track set and your Thomas and Friends track. You are constantly rolling your trains through the house, or flying an airplane or a spaceship around. Monster trucks, fire trucks and everything in between are also highly popular with you. You are very active and talk pretty much nonstop (wonder where that comes from?) You love to talk about anything and everything in the world around you. I love your curiosity and your desire to learn about everything, but honestly, sometimes, I just want to finish a sentence of my own to another adult or finish cooking dinner (again, the little things in life!)

You are still obsessed with Abby and Misha (our dogs.) You smother Abby with attention (and stickers and bandaids, etc). Poor dog!

But, you are still and will always be our little sunshine. You love to laugh and act silly. You rarely show your serious side, unless you are deep in "play." You love going to school and "reading" anything you see. I'm constantly having to read signs or words out to you. Every night, we read our bedtime books and you love to "read" the parts that you have memorized. I hope your love of reading continues.

Speaking of hopes,

I hope you always keep your enthusiasm and love of Life. I hope you keep that charming personality and ability to "go with the flow." I hope you learn to slow down sometimes and walk to where you are going (instead of a full-0ut run!) I hope that you feel loved every second of every day (even when I'm putting you in Time Out for misbehaving!) I hope you have a wonderful year full of four-year-old insights and experiences!

Love,

Mommy

Summer Crush

2011-06-20T19:59:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'll admit it. I have developed a summer crush. What's worse, it's a crush on a small island (only about 5 square miles) with no white, sandy beaches and takes three air flights to get there. It is part rock and part tropical forest. It is located in the Netherland Antilles, off the coast of St. Martin. On some maps, it actually doesn't even exist. It is called Saba, The Unspoiled Queen ( I LOVE that name!)

I would have never known about this little gem of an island if it weren't for my bestie Veronica and her lovely aunt Chris, who is retired and living blissfully on the island. The locals are hard-working immigrants. Those who first developed the island suffered through harsh, hot, rocky conditions. Most of those on the island who we met during this visit gave up careers in cooperate America to run their business blissfully on this island in the sun.

The hubs and I spent an entire week there on vacation and because I don't want to forget a second of it, please forgive me if this turns into the LONGEST. POST. EVER.

Saturday- We left Tampa bright and early, flew to Miami, then to St. Martin and then finally boarded Winnair for Saba.

Sunday- We head to Sea Saba Dive Center for two morning dives. Unfortunately, since it was my first dives of the season and we had just flown the day prior, my ears did not want to cooperate and I was unable to clear my left ear. After hanging on the mooring line for several minutes, trying to get cleared, I waved off the hubs to join the rest of the divers and I went back onto the boat. I enjoyed the rest of their dive laying out and relishing in the gorgeous view of the island.

Luckily, my ears got their act together and I was able to join the rest of the divers during the second dive. It was along these lava fingers that extend outwards from the island, full of coral and sea life and I was in HEAVEN. It was so amazing to experience all of the noise and sea life. I truly felt several moments of PURE GRATITUDE that we were on this beautiful island experiencing such beautiful sights.

After the dive, we headed back to our adorable abode called Orchid Cottage at Juliana's Hotel on the island. The cottage and the view were so serene and relaxing. At night, the noise level of the tree frogs was intoxicating. I still miss it.

Monday- We enjoyed two more morning dives. Luckily, my ears got the memo that this was a dive vacation and I had zero problems clearing and descending. We traveled over to the Windward Side and dove along the lava fingers of Core Gut and David's Drop Off. They were relaxing, easy dives and I was able to completely get comfy under the deep beautiful blue waters of the Caribbean with my bestie dive buddy! During this dive, we dove over some mustard colored sand. The dive guide, Becca instructed us to dig our hands deep into the sand to feel the warmth of the active volcano forces bubbling up to the surface of the ocean. It felt spectacular to get a "warm up" at the end of a dive and "reach out and touch" an actual force of nature.

Monday evening, Veronica's Aunt Chris hosted a "Welcome to Saba" cocktail party in our honor. Her house is located at the top of Upper Hell's Gate, but it provides a beautiful view of the heavens. The food presentation was exquisite and tasted delicious. We really enjoyed the party and meeting some of Aunt Chris' friends, but we were diving early the next morning, so it wasn't a late night.

Tuesday-

Another beautiful day of diving... The dive plan was to approach the pinnacles at Third Encounter and follow the dive master to the famous Needle. However, the current was ripping, so our wise leader Oswaldo kept us around the pinnacles. That was okay with me, now I have yet another reason to return to Saba. Must dive the Needle!

I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening lounging poolside at Tropics and reading the latest novel published by my favorite Furman professor, the one and only Dr. Butler Brewton. Warning, read this ONLY if you are in need of a hot, steamy, controversial read. :)

The rest of the group enjoyed a nurse-shark-filled night dive. Now, I have yet another reason to return to Saba. Ideal Night Diving location

Wednesday-

We explored the beauty along Tent Reef Wall and I was amazed to see this massive wall of rock and coral extending from the depths of the ocean. Due to the kicking current, it turned into a drift dive, but that was just fine with our group. The sea life was tiny and colorful and abundant and fascinating. I truly felt blessed to "swim with the fishes" and observe such a rare beautiful sight.

Thursday- Our last day of diving. It was so bittersweet! The highlight of the first dive among the lava fingers was during the ascent along the mooring line. Dive Master Extraordinaire, Oswaldo, entertained me during my safety stop by "walking the tightrope." I felt the line shaking and looked down to see him with fins off, "walking" up the mooring line and doing a "tightrope" act, complete with a backflip. Show off! I showed my appreciation and enjoyment by applauding and bowing down to his efforts of entertainment. I was laughing so much that water kept leaking into my mask! It was this type of "fun-ness" surrounded by knowledge and professionalism that made Sea Saba Dive Center a favorite with us!

During our second dive, We were able to make it to the ever popular Diamond Rock and I was simply amazed at the beauty of this massive structure extending from the depths of the ocean. The coral/rock structure was covered in sea life and the sound of the live coral was deafening at points during the dive. It was a symphony of sounds and sights. All provided by Mother Nature herself!

Thursday evening was spent at the fabulous Shearwater Resort and Hotel overlooking the Windward Side of Saba. The hotel offers a breathtaking view, decorated in trendy, sexy decor and provides luxurious accommodations for it's guests. We enjoyed a wonderfully prepared dinner and drinks and desserts. But, we enjoyed the company of good friends (old and new) most of all in it's beautiful setting.

Friday- Our last day on the island. We chose to sleep in, lounge around the pool at Juliana's, then the girls hiked down to the Sulphur Mines. It was a short, twenty minute hike down the Windward Side. At the end, we planted ourselves on a bench along the cliff, downed some cold beers and shared some stories of family, fun and friendship. It was such a special time that I will never forget.

Friday night, we went for pizza at the local joint, Saba Treasures. Then, Tanya, Aunt Chris and I headed out with the locals for a late night of karaoke and dancing. Good times!

I forgot how absolutely wonderful it is to be on vacation with my husband and enjoy special moments together. I highly recommend it for all mommies and daddies!

(Disclaimer: James stayed happily at home with his favorite sitter, Miss Emily. I was truly grateful to have him safe at home and happy. If I had to spend a week away from my little sunshine, what better company than with my husband and our best friends!)

Spring Break 2011

2011-05-01T11:50:00.001-07:00

Spring Break 2011 was...

2 good books (A Place of Yes and The Glass Castle)
lots of swimming and sunning by the pool
Easter egg hunt and a visit with the Easter Bunny
a newfound appreciation for Slurpees (I mix 1/2 Blue raspberry and 1/2 coconut, I call it Blue Hawaiian and it is DE-LISH!)
lunch and a massage with a good friend
more swimming and sunning by the pool
a beach day at the Don Cesar
a trip to Dinosaur World (who doesn't want to go there on their spring break?)
a birthday dinner for a friend
babysitting a precious six-week old angel for a friend so she could take her hubby out for a birthday lunch/activity
attending a launch party for a friends "uber" cool online radio station! Check it out HERE!
going to the 4th annual blueberry festival at Keel and Curley's winery
tractor rides, face painting and bouncy houses at the blueberry festival!
more swimming and sunning by the pool!

Progress

2011-04-22T08:29:00.000-07:00

Prog-ress: (noun)

1. a movement toward a goal or to a further or higher stage:the progress of a student toward a degree.

2. developmental activity in science, technology, etc.,especially with reference to the commercial opportunities created thereby or to the promotion of the material well-being of the public through the goods, techniques, or facilities created.

3.advancement in general.

4.growth or development; continuous improvement: He showsprogress in his muscular coordination.

5.the development of an individual or society in a direction considered more beneficial than and superior to the previous level.

Yes, people, any way you look at it... we are making PROGRESS. And, it's exhausting...

Let me count the ways-

1. My brother, Elliott. (see beach/boat pictures from previous post)

He moved in with us on March 17 for a change of scenery and to make some lifestyle/life choice changes. I'm very proud to say that not only has he been able to follow "Hayman Household Rules" but he is working full time, making positive decisions and just being a great "kid" to have around. I call him my "kid" or "baby" brother, but the truth is that he towers over me. Oh well, I can still take him.... But, best of all, he is making PROGRESS with his life. :)

2. Will's degree.

Last summer, when my grad school courses really picked up and we realized that my fall course schedule was going to be even more demanding on the household, Will took time off from his online advanced degree to "pick up the slack" around the house so I could finish my degree. That set him back several months, but now, he is back full force in online coursework. Ugh.... I will be SO glad when we are both done with school and extra degrees and such! My graduation gift was a $35 watch from my favorite accessory store in South Tampa. His graduation present is going to be a boat. That's fair, right? :) Either way, this degree has been a goal of his for a LONG time now and he is making PROGRESS! It sucks right now as he is missing day trips and events with James and I, but I'm trying to keep the BIG PICTURE in sight. :)

3. A new position for me.

Last Thursday, I had an interview with a six-person panel to be a teacher evaluator for the district. The official term is Peer/Mentor Evaluator. It's a very controversial position because you spend your days observing and evaluating teachers in your field/grade level. Your evaluations correlate with their yearly evaluation score and for some teachers, their salary. Yes, it's high stakes people. But, I went through this observation/evaluation process this year and survived and I'm convinced that the process can be effective, informative and objective. As for the interview itself, I LOVED IT! Twenty whole minutes to myself with people asking me questions about teaching techniques and classroom theories and evaluation of techniques? Yes, please! I've always been a pretty good interviewee and even though I was sick to my stomach before the interview, once I got into the "hot seat" and into my zone, it was smooth sailing! Nothing is set in stone yet as I haven't accepted the position officially, but I do have the support and blessing of my principal, assistant principal and fellow teachers, which means the world to me. When I return to the classroom in 2-3 years (it's a temporary position), hopefully I will be a better, stronger teacher for participating in this experience. Yep, this Life Long Learner is hoping to make PROGRESS in the classroom! :)

4. James

I can't make a post without at least ONE comment about the progress of our Little Sunshine! A few weeks ago, while going for an evening swim before bedtime, James announced that he wanted to dive (instead of jumping off the side.) So, I coached him how to put his toes on the edge, bend his knees, tuck his head down and point his fingers. Sure enough, perfect dolphin dive off the side of the pool. Ever since then, he loves diving off the side (and does it very well!) Now, he will dive off the side and swim across to the other side. Or, a new favorite is to dive down to the bottom of the deep end and touch the drain. He also loves "racing" me across the pool. He can actually go pretty fast once he coordinates both his legs and his arms. Michael Phelps, watch out! I love seeing his PROGRESS in the water. His comfort level and ability continue to amaze me!

Conversations with James

2011-04-14T17:52:00.000-07:00

It is very hard (for me anyway) to believe that my baby is almost FOUR years old. I mean, seriously, when did I become the parent of a four year old? But, I digress...

Lately, my little socialite/conversationalist has taken our conversations to new heights.

Yes, he has introduced that little, three letter word that every parent dreads- W-H-Y?

I don't know what I was thinking or WHY I thought we would skip this phase of Life, but it completely caught me unguarded. And overnight (it seemed) every sentence, utterance and conversation would be saturated with the word/question/demand "why?"

We read to him every night. Sure enough, after EVERY page of EVERY book, "Why mommy?" And most of the times, no matter how many times I answer him. He always comes back with "Why?"

Therefore, I have been forced to institute the go-to-ever-popular-mommy-phrase "Because I said so."

Scenario- Driving home from school

James: "Mommy, fish can't talk."

Me: "You are right James. Fish can't talk."

James: "Why?"

Me: "Because they live underwater."

James: "Why?"

Me: "Because that's where they live."

James: "Why?"

Me: "Because that's where their home is"

James: "Why?"

Me: "Because they have gills instead of lungs. They don't have vocal chords to produce sounds like we have because we are humans and they are fish."

James: "Why?"

Me: "Because I SAID SO!"

James: "Oh, Okay Mommy."

Boating with Friends

2011-04-14T17:39:00.000-07:00

I'm a firm believer that it's better to have friends with boats than having a boat of your own. Unfortunately, the hubs doesn't share this same philosophy, BUT he IS a saver. So, until our "boating" saving account holds enough for the boat of his dreams...

we rely on the kindness of our friends for our boating adventures.

Last Sunday, our friends invited us out on their boat for the afternoon. We gathered up the kids, snacks, drinks and plenty of sunscreen and headed out to a nearby island. I captured this picture of James as we were heading back into the neighborhood. He was completely enamored with the "boating scene" and loved every minute of it.
Here he is with his friend Steven, enjoyed some cool Capri Suns on the bow of the boat.
Once on the island, all of the adults got to relax in the sun/surf while the kids played in the sand. It was such a perfect, relaxing, fun day! And best of all, I got to share it with my "baby" brother who is staying with us for a few months. I'm looking forward to the summer and more boating trips!

Blue Or Blues Clues?

2011-02-23T16:26:00.000-08:00

So, after a really demanding week at school and having to worry about some serious family issues that will require me to make a really difficult trip home, I've been a little frazzled (maybe a lot) and a little depressed/down lately. I know that with most things, "this too shall pass" but until it passes, sometimes Life just sucks the wind right out of you.

Time to take a deep breath, accept the things I cannot change and wish for the wisdom to know the difference (or something like that). And oh yeah, take things one day at a time.
I came home today and was enjoying some quality family time with James. Well, by quality family time, I mean that James was finishing his dinner and watching cartoons while I was cooking dinner, unloading the dishwasher and putting away groceries (you know how it goes....)

One of his favorite cartoons is the old-school-childhood-favorite BLUES CLUES!

This evening's episode was titled, "I'm so happy!" Of course, during the show, the host was "interacting" with his audience about things that make him happy. In time, he asked the boys and girls what made THEM so happy. James loudly proclaimed to the TV, "Christmas lights and Christmas presents!"

Of course, this made me smile because at least once a week since Christmas, James asks me if it's Christmas yet. (Do you think he had a good Christmas or what?)

That got me to thinking... what makes ME so happy?

Well, it tends to change from week to week. But there are some constant things that make me happy.

I won't bore you with the details of my inner heart-happiness.

But, I ask.... what makes YOU happy?

January was...

2011-02-05T09:27:00.000-08:00

having to take Abby to the vet for emergency bladder surgery to remove three very large stones. Poor thing wore a cone for two weeks! No embarrassing photos were taken during the poor pooches recovery period, but we are glad to have a happy, healthy Abby back!
taking James to the annual Gasparilla Children's Parade. We had front row bleacher seats (thanks to a generous parent in my classroom) and he RACKED in the beads! About half way through the parade, we had to "de-bead" James so he could stand up straight. From then on, every time he got a single strand, he would take it off and add it to his stash. He had a great time and we enjoyed the fun, family memories!
partying with our friends during the Gasparilla Pirate Invasion. They have a very large, very nice boat and it's perfect for entertaining a bunch of pirates and wenches! We head out Saturday morning, follow in the invasion of pirates, partake in some adult beverages and let the beads fly! Seriously, there is so much bead-throwing from boat to boat, you never really run out of beads! It was a beautiful, sunny, warm Florida afternoon. Perfect for making memories (and loosing some brain cells in the process) with friends!
finally deciding where I want to send James to school for kindergarten. Yes, I know what you are thinking... he's ONLY 3 years old. But, next year starts the ever important VPK (voluntary pre-kindergarten) year and after that, Kindergarten! It shocks and amazes me to think that I will have a child in school within two years (seriously, where did the time go?) And I have been deep in thought for a while about where I want him to go. If he goes to school with me, I have the luxury of "watching" over him throughout the day and being a part of his school day. Then, there's the issue of what to do with him after school is over. His school day will be complete, but I usually have an hour or two of work to do. Let's just say that trying to get work done around James is like trying to do needlepoint with oven mitts on. Also, my school is a magnet school, which means that the students come from all over Tampa and the surrounding areas. It's not what you call a "neighborhood" school. There's also the fact that I might be considering job options elsewhere, just for a change of pace. But, that's a whole other blog conversation for another time. So, after much internal debate and after much discussion with other mommies, I've decided (I think, for now) that I want James to go to our neighborhood school. The parents who have children there now LOVE it. It's not the best of the best or the cream of the crop as far as elementary schools are concerned, but we don't live near any of those schools. The main reason why I want him at this school actually has nothing to do with academics. It's purely for social reasons. I want him to have a sense of "community." You see, we have no family here and James doesn't even know/remember his cousins. He doesn't have that built-in sense of family community. So, I want to build that with his school community. I want him to play with his friends on the weekends from the neighborhood and then see them during the day at school. He is such a social child (are you surprised?)

So, how did you (out there in bloggy land) pick your child's first school and was it a big decision? What factors were considered? Any regrets, tips or suggestions?

2010: A Year in Review

2010-12-26T09:35:00.000-08:00

January: We enjoyed settling into our new home!

February: I am fully in the swing of teaching full time, attending grad school on the weekends and trying to balance the duties of mommyhood and marriage.

March: James survives a nasty fall at preschool. However, one of his front teeth did not and we had to have it sealed off. Luckily, he wasn't too traumatized at the dentist's office.

April: We enjoyed our first Easter Mira Bay style!

May: The hubs and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary.

June: My first conference-level presentation to teachers, educators and principals at Eckerd College as an Untie-the-Right-Brain Arts Coach. It was a wonderfully positive experience and I hope to present again someday!

July: James celebrated his 3rd birthday with a pool party at the house!

August: We were able to spend some precious quality time with Will's mom (who underwent lung surgery to become 100% cancer free!) We are so thankful and blessed that she made it through this terrible disease.

September: I'm too swamped in my grad classes to have much of a life outside of work and school.

October: Still too swamped with work and homework to do much of anything else! But, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.... or is that a train?

November: We celebrated Thanksgiving with friends and our Florida family. I cooked my first turkey and it turned out delicious!

December: I graduated from the University of Tampa with a Master's degree in Education! So glad to have my free time back!

Wondering what the New Year will bring and wishing you and yours a Happy New Year!

Mira Bay Boat Parade

2010-12-19T08:01:00.000-08:00

Last night, we ventured up to the clubhouse to watch the 7th annual Mira Bay boat parade. Yesterday marked the one year anniversary since we moved into our home. So, we were still in the moving process last year at this time and missed the parade. Our "florida family" Tom and Veronica came over to enjoy the festivities. Uncle Tom and Aunt Veronica (as James calls them) are always a big hit with our little sunshine! Uncle Tom was learning how to work his new camera (early Christmas gift from Santa) and he found plenty of willing subjects to practice on.
The weather was perfect for outdoor-lighted-boat-viewing and the parade was short and enjoyable. We wish there were more boats in it, but maybe next year we will be able to help them out in that department. As for now, we enjoyed being land-side spectators!

Weekend Highs and Lows

2010-12-06T18:45:00.000-08:00

High: Attending my FINAL Saturday graduate class at the University of Tampa! During class, we "peer reviewed" each other's research papers and then I presented my paper to the professor. She gave it the "okay" and I was done! Whew! Now, only two more presentations this week and I am officially done with my Master's education courses! Woo Hoo!

Low: Realizing that my time with these wonderful women is coming to a close. We have been together in the same cohort since August of 2009. We have shared educational research, lesson plans, brain dances, video memoires, countless Dunkin Donut munchkins, creative ideas, laughs, jokes, stresses, bad attitudes, empathetic hugs, family secrets, breakups, tears and more Facebook conversations than you can shake a stick at! Yep, I'm going to miss these ladies!

High: On Saturday, the hubs and I attended my school's holiday party at a restaurant in Channelside. It was located right beside a popular bar that we used to frequently go to when we were dating. We decided to "live it up" for one night and go join the lively libations of yesteryear.

Low: Being at the above-mentioned location and realizing that sometimes, "you can never go back." It just wasn't the same. We sipped our one beer and headed home before 11:30. Yep, we are "that couple" now. That's okay, wouldn't change it.

Fall Photo Shoot!!!

2010-11-17T16:43:00.001-08:00

Once again, we had the privilege of being photographed by my talented friend, Susan Gentile. Her work is amazing and she does such a great job of capturing those candid moments between mom, dad and baby! I hope you enjoy the pics! You can check out more of her work by clicking on the link to the right!

Halloween Parade!

2010-11-16T19:44:00.000-08:00

So, one of the things I love about James' school being so close to mine is that I can sneak out during school hours (thanks to having a great team!) to attend special school events, such as the annual Carlton Academy Halloween Parade!

When I showed up, I found my little Batman showing off his muscles while doing some calisthenics. Just don't call him "The Situation!"

Of course, we HAD to get a picture taken with Mrs. Batman! Actually, Ms. Jihann was his first teacher at Carlton and I absolutely LOVE her! Apparently, so does James. Err.. ummm... is it just me, or does anyone else see him totally trying to grope Mrs. Batman???? Oh dear!

Here he is.. Waving to all of his adoring fans... Me! It was such a fun morning and I loved being able to do the "mommy thing" for once in a while during the school day! Such a treat!

Apparently, my son has a way with the ladies. He was surrounded all morning by fairies and princesses. Lucky guy!

An Apple a Day....

2010-11-16T18:33:00.000-08:00

....keeps mommy sane!
Okay, so I don't have many mommy-tricks-of-the-trade, but I have come across ONE that WORKS! Well, it works for my son, some of the time, so that makes it PRICELESS!
Basically, it (like all great inventions of our time) came out of pure necessity. You see, we have a bit of a commute from James' preschool to our home. It's about 30 minutes door to door. And, let's just say that after a day of playing hard in preschool, James is bit famished on the way home.
Usually, he screams, begs, whines, demands for a cheeseburger or a stop by the "cheeseburger store." (Healthy moms, please don't judge me.) In my efforts to curb those fast food cravings, I started packing healthy, high-interest snacks for the ride home. Not everything was a hit, but I have come across one cheap, easy-to-prepare, high-on-the-hit-list item..... APPLES!
Yep, you heard me. Apples. Not cut up, sliced and diced, but whole apples. Yes, I have to "open" the apple for James by taking a bite or two from the middle. But, then I pass it along and he does the rest.
Now, instead of a car ride home listening to screaming demands for cheeseburgers and chocolate milk, all I hear is "crunch, crunch, crunch" .... "munch, munch, munch." James loves manipulating the apple and trying to get the biggest bite after bite. He will literally eat one down to the core and seeds.
Yes, my friends, not only are apples handy for long car rides, but they are great snack/time savers while you are shopping or running errands. I carry an apple a day in my purse for those last minute errands too close to dinner time. Maybe you will think of doing the same.
So Moms.... what are your "go to" snack saves????

The Glazer Children's Museum

2010-11-16T18:20:00.000-08:00

(Note: This blog was almost titled "To Hell and Back...."
But, I digress....

This place is amazing! Their slogan is "It will grow your mind!" It features so many "Hands On/Please Touch Me" rooms that we lost count! The best news is that the first Tuesday of every month from 4-8 pm is FREE to Everyone! That sounds great, right? Amazing, right? Especially since it is located mere blocks from my school. So, a couple of Tuesdays ago ( I've tried to erase the exact date from memory), a coworker and I took our sons to the museum for everybody-gets-in-free-Tuesday!

James loved playing and splashing in the water/beach exhibit!
All of the rooms were high-interest, child-friendly exhibits and James literally ran with glee from room to room! He was in awe of all of the people and things to explore! I loved seeing him having fun and exploring the world around him! If I only knew that it would soon, bite me in the arse!

This "room" was a three-story, multi-level contraption of nets and platforms that represented the water cycle. It was HUGE! James was pretty intimidated at first and it took him a good five minutes to get used to going from platform to platform. After he gained confidence (didn't take long for my little daredevil), he explored from the bottom to the very top of the water cycle. I took pictures of him waaayyyy up at the top, but he was so far away and the lighting quality wasn't great, so those pics were not post-worthy. Sorry!

Another thing he loved was the rock wall. He mad it all the way up to the top!

Other favorite "rooms" were the Fire Station, complete with a simulator fire truck, a two-story fire house and a pole to slide down on ! As nerve-wracking as it was to chase him around a huge facility PACKED with hundreds upon hundreds of people, it was no comparison to the fun we had leaving.
Yes, two hours of fun at the museum was enough for mommy. But, clearly, it was not enough fun for James. I tried every "trick of the trade." I gave him the five minute warning. Then, a two minute warning. Then, a one minute warning. Then, I caved and gave him ten extra minutes. I would go one way, he would run to the other. I would block one pathway, he would dash to another. He ran through the maze of strollers, laughing because he knew I couldn't reach him. Then, he took off up the stairs and I had to literally plow OVER people to reach him and drag him back down the stairs. He tried an exit door. Then he tried another play room. My son is fast, if not determined. And, he was determined to stay in that museum all night long!
Finally, I was sweating, embarrased and exhausted. But, I picked James up with both hands and tried walking out. At this point, he knew he was fighting a loosing battle, but he was determined to win the war. He bucked his head. Kicked and screamed. Reared his head back some more. We finally made it out of the building, walking past the hundreds of families still in line waiting to get into "Free Family Fun Night" and I am carrying out a screaming, head-bucking banshee. Not only was he screaming and I was dripping with sweat, but as a last resort, he BIT ME on the shoulder. Never before has he bit another child, much less ME!
He was super over-stimulated and just could not calm himself down. It was a tantrum to beat all other tantrums. After five minutes of screaming in the car, he literally took a deep breath in and said, "Okay Mommy. I stop crying! I feel all better now!"
Wow. Just like that, I had my son back.
So moms, what was your worst, over-stimulated, tantrum-inducing experience?
No really, please share and let me know that I'm not the only one!
Please... please!

New Bloggin' Buddy!!!

2010-11-10T15:35:00.000-08:00

A good friend of mine (self-described Air Force wife, homeschooling mother of 5 and runner) has FINALLY joined the World Wide World of Blogging! Does that make sense? Not really, but my post school-day, pre-grad class brain is fried right now, so bear with me!

Anyway, she has decided to share her trials and tribulations of barefoot running with the rest of us! She is such a strong person who is DETERMINED to find a way to pursue her passion for running. After being plagued with injury after letdown after injury, she traded in her running shoes for the freedom of bare feet. Every time I hear about one of her runs, I literally dream of running down the streets of my own neighborhood with no shoes on! Maybe you will be inspired too! And now, without further ado.... MamaRunsBarefoot!

Better Late than Never

2010-10-28T17:13:00.000-07:00

Well, when it comes to my blogging lately....

Everything else is rolling along like clockwork. Grad school assignments, lesson planning, meetings, conferences, doggie groomer appointments, etc....

However, we carved our pumpkin almost two weeks ago, it is already rotting away on our front porch from the hot, humid, Florida weather and I STILL haven't posted the much anticipated (humor me, will ya?) pictures.

So, without further ado.... Here you go!

Mom and Son, busily working on their pumpkins!

Don't worry, I had the knife, he had the marker.

One more quick pose with our finished products!

And here are our pumpkins proudly displayed on the front porch. Can you tell which one is the actual carved-by-me pumpkin and which one is a store-bought plastic, pre-lit pumpkin?

Well, now you can. It's the one with rotten insides, caving in from the October humidity. Oh well, gotta love Florida!

Tomorrow, James' preschool is having a costume parade around the playground! Luckily, his school is located directly behind my school so I can walk over! Yes, pictures of my "Bat Man" will follow shortly!

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Nature vs. Nurture

2010-09-26T18:24:00.000-07:00

I, by nature, am not a gardener. I have no green thumb and have routinely killed most green things that have the unfortunate experience of inhabiting our home. However, I can nurture an entire classroom of 8 year olds and motivate their minds through the wonderful world of reading and writing. How does this relate to James, you may ask?

On Friday, I picked James up from preschool and he proudly showed off his latest class project, a green bean sprouting from a paper cup. The mature adult in us would think, "yeah, yeah... so what?" But, to the mind of a three year old, it's "This is the coolest thing ever! You start with something hard and tiny and then this green leafy thing grows up and up and up! Amazing!" Yep, those were pretty much James' thoughts verbatim. And, he was determined to take very good care of his plant! For example, he wisely rolled down the car window and held it out in the sun on the way home because "plants need sunlight, mommy." Then, I caught him trying to pour water out of his sippy cup into the plant cup because "plants need water, mommy." And if that's not enough to convince of you of my child's green thumb, he later informed me that "plants need seeds." Mind you, he was telling me this as he tearing apart the sprouted bean plant in search of seeds to put back into the dirt. So, he got the right concept, but his execution needs some work. Hmmm..... maybe he does take after me in the Nature department after all!

On the homefront, we had a very relaxing and productive weekend. Can you really have both, you ask? Why, yes you can!

Friday night we hit up the clubhouse for sunset happy hour. We got a sitter for James and really enjoyed getting to have real conversation for the first time all week. It makes for a happy mommy and daddy!

Saturday was chore day. Grocery shopping, cleaning house, laundry. You know, the fun stuff! Then we got to enjoy the rest of the afternoon by the pool. Dinner was grilled shrimp and chicken, followed by more family pool and hot tub time. After we got James to bed, it was movie night complements of Netflix (best thing ever!)

Sunday was more laundry and then tackling our garage. We had TONS of stuff to clean out, but I think we are now able to definitely fit one vehicle in there and maybe two if we're lucky!

Before:

After:

While cleaning out said garage, I found two pictures that I had bought over two months ago with the intentions of hanging, and well... you see where they ended up. After much discussion and searching around the house, we decided that the back hallway could use some brightening up. Success!

My Week

2010-09-18T06:06:00.000-07:00

My Week was....
~A full week of teaching, which included mentoring my level 3 intern
~Monday: Grad class until 9 PM! The class is on Epistemology, so we have to complete all of these fascinating (not!) readings by Descartes, Stroud and Moore, who were basically a bunch of men with PLENTY of time on their hands to sit around a ponder/discuss/reflect/argue the essential questions like, "How do you prove that two human hands exist?" Seriously????
~ Tuesday: after teaching all day, I came home, made dinner, cleaned up the kitchen, started laundry and promptly fell asleep at 8:00 pm.
~ Wednesday: Grad class until 9 PM! (again!) This class is on Cross Cultural Diversity. Here, two white, male principals attempt to teach Diversity to a class of all white females. Anyone else see the irony here?
~ Thursday: Gym time after school, then home for dinner, playing with James, bath time, books and bedtime.
~ Friday: oh! Glorious friday! Here at last! Here at last! I came home from school with a migraine, so Will took over with James for a while (maybe a hour). After we got James to bed, we got to enjoy Movie date night compliments of Netflix. Bring on the True Blood extravaganza!
~ Saturday: School work in the morning, followed by a trip to Sweetbay for some groceries. Then, Will and I are heading over to some coworkers of his for a "housewarming" party/cookout. I'm looking forward to the downtime!
~ Sunday: A day of rest????? I hope so!

As I'm typing this, James is running in circles around the house "like a rocket!" This boy has SO much energy. He is literally running in a circle, while twirling around in circles. Last night, he insisted that we call him "puppy" as he was no longer "James." Then, he proceeded to try and lick our faces and only responded to us in barks. Yes, we think he's highly talented and gifted, too. (insert sarcastic laugh here)
Either way, I'm looking forward to my weekend with my "three" dogs and the hubs! Hope all of you out there are having a great weekend!

The irony

2010-09-05T16:15:00.000-07:00

So I'm sitting here, watching a Netflix movie on the couch with James (Fly Me to the Moon) and thinking of the irony of my Life.
Let me explain....
Last week, there was a certain event that I had planned for and looked forward to ALL summer long. It was to be FUN, relaxing, romantic, entertaining and inspiring. (I don't expect much, do I?)
And, it turned out to be the exact opposite. Oh well. Sometimes Life deals you a raw deal. I'll live, right?
Then, late Friday night, I throw together some plans with a fellow teacher/friend from grad school. Plans included meeting up with some people, boating out to a nearby island and partying for the day. Turns out... it was one of the best days the hubs and I have had in a while. Our favorite sitter was available for the entire day, I packed the cooler with drinks, water and Publix sandwiches. I applied a heavy dose of 50 sunblock, we donned our bathing suits and drove ten minutes to the boat ramp.
Our saturday included...
-waiting for an hour and a half for everyone else to show up at the boat lift (we chose to stay in the air conditioned car, open up a few drinks and enjoyed having conversation with no interruptions for juice, potty, trains, etc.)
-yummy pina coladas
-bright sunshine
-a boat ride
-fun picture-posing with drift wood along the beach
-cuddling in the warm Gulf water
-a walk around the island, complete with hand-holding and smooching
-lots and lots of laughs at stuff that I can't really remember right now
-a "private" acoustic guitar concert from our new friend Pablo featuring the ever-romantic music of Tenacious D
-roasted hot dogs on the fire
-making new friends
-a relaxing day filled with fun, friends and each other!

I hope everyone else is enjoying their impromptu Labor Day plans!

Summer Reflections....

2010-08-24T17:07:00.000-07:00

Since today was the first day of school, I guess I have to admit that my summer is officially O-V-E-R. See, I can't even say it! I guess it's because I feel I didn't have much of a summer. For the Hayman Household, Summer was....

* Too short (I think you got that hint already!)

*Five weeks of grad-school HE!! (I was SO stressed out and uptight, just glad hubs didn't divorce me!)

*Spending some quality time with Peggy, aka Nana (Will's mom)

*Family trips to the clubhouse pool

*Lazy weekends around the house in our PJ's

*Grilling poolside and watching James jump in the pool over and over again during dinner

*Spending quality time with Grandpa (my dad)

*Planning and savoring our ONE crappy dive trip of the season (after last summer's dive season, this one was just a let down. We just didn't have/make the time for diving and we both missed it dearly, but there's always next year!)

*Homemade Sushi Night (with the Sushezi, it's perfect sushi made easy!)

*Too short (oh wait, I think I mentioned that one already!)

But you get the jist!

Here are some quick pics to recap!

James totally inherited my sweet tooth! "Will run for cupcakes!"

(Are these the cheesiest, most innocent-looking smiles or what!?!)

Summer Reading

2010-07-24T05:05:00.000-07:00

"I knew you could! And you knew it, too-
That you'd come out on top after all you've been through.
And from here you'll go farther and see brand new sights.
You'll face brand new hills that rise to new heights.

I wish I could show you the stops that you'll visit,
But that isn't my choice to make for you, is it?
Instead, I can tell you some lessons and tales
That I've learned and relearned in my time on the rails."
I Knew You Could!
Written by Graig Dorfman

So that's the introduction to this very awesome, filled-with-adult-life-lessons new picture book that I picked up for James at the low, low cost of $4! (Thank you Wal-Mart!)
Of course, it's a huge hit with the train theme and all, but the sing-song, Dr. Seuss-style verses tell about overcoming life's obstacles, being a good friend, staying true to yourself and believing in yourself, which made it a huge hit with mommy and daddy!

James is enjoying his summer reading! Not quite sure what he's doing with his arm. We'll say he's waving me over to come read the book with him...

And now that I'm done with my summer grad classes (thank GOD!), I have found some time to do my summer reading (for pleasure!) I finished this book, Eat, Pray Love (maybe you've heard of it?) this week. I can't say it was the most engaging or powerful book I've ever read. The funny thing is, when I was reading about her stay in Italy, all I wanted to do was eat and eat and eat. When I was reading about her stay in India, I longed for a quiet space to sit and breathe and listen to my inner thoughts. (dare I say meditate?) And when I was reading about her stay in Bali, well.... I don't remember having much of a reaction at all.

What should I read next before my precious days of summer come to an end?????

A Letter to the Birthday Boy!

2010-07-12T19:17:00.000-07:00

This photo slideshow personalized with Smilebox

Dear James,

What an independent little man you have become! You approach Life with so much gusto and determination like I've never seen before. You are persistent in what you want and demanding when you don't get it quickly (heh-heh...wonder where that comes from!) You have no fear (wonder where that comes from!) when it comes to climbing, jumping, playing, running or heights. However, you do have a fear of eating anything green, which makes getting your daily number of veggies in quite challenging!

Your "little" personality wins over the heart of everyone you meet! You aren't afraid of new people and in fact, have "never met a stranger." For example, I have walked down the halls of your preschool and pass by staff workers who all wave and say "Hi James!" yet you are not in their class and I've never met them before! At other times, you will wave and repeatedly say hello to the homeless person standing by our car at red lights until they wave back (forcing me to hand over any spare change or snacks we have in the car!) I'm seeing a lesson on "stranger danger" is in our near future.

At age three, you love to run, kick, climb and jump! Your energy and endurance would rival a world athlete! You often tell me what a fast runner you are and you are very proud of this fact (who wouldn't be?) You still have a strong love of trains, but that also includes anything with wheels. You are expanding your horizons to include craft items such as crayons, markers, paint and my all-time favorite (not) - play doh!

Your love of classical music is still very apparent, as you still call the guitars on your shirts "violins" and you still prefer to listen and hum along to anything by Beethoven or Bach. Your latest favorite movie is the Disney classic, Fantasia. You actually will cheer during the upbeats and move your arms as if you're conducting the music. I love watching your expressions as they change from concern to excitement, based on the mood of the music.

I love our conversations. Lately, you've been talking a lot about the volcanoes near our house (TECO Energy smoke stacks) and about going on a rocket ship. You haven't figured out where to find a rocket ship yet, but you have informed me that I'm not invited to come with you (thanks a lot!)

You are still set in your bedtime routine. First, you take a nice, hot, bath...complete with plenty of splashing and toy-playing. Then it's off to the bedroom for pajamas and story time. Lately, you love to count anything and everything in the books we read. You love to point at the pictures and label what you see. And, you often ask for the name of something when you don't remember or don't know what it is, which is a good thing. After reading an ever-increasing number of books to/with you, you always, without fail, ask for a hug and a kiss, which I always, without fail give in generous amounts. I cherish and count each one of those hugs and kisses because I am all too aware that one day, you won't ask me anymore. And one day, I won't be around to give them.

Lastly, your daddy and I want you to know how much you are LOVED! We can't wait to see what the future has in store for you and what you will accomplish once you set your mind to it. We love you right up to the moon...... and back!

Love,

Mommy

Happy 4th of July!!!

2010-07-05T09:10:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July with friends and family! We spent the weekend grilling by the pool, going to pool parties, having pool parties, eating a lot and spending time with family and friends!
One of my new favorite resources for the classroom is Animoto . I was exposed to this dynamic website during one of my summer grad classes (which I'm LOVING actually!) and I wanted to play around with it. So, I made an image slideshow using one of my favorite subjects- James! When I return to the classroom in the fall, I can't wait to incorporate this technology to awaken and inspire my young readers!

One funny story that I have to share with you from this weekend...

During the pool party at Tom and Veronica's house (James' godparents, our good friends, and fellow SCUBA divers) Veronica brought a scuba tank/regulator set into the pool. She planned to let another girl practice breathing scuba (without descending) as her "introduction" into SCUBA. Certain diving agencies start Scuba certifying children as young as 8 years old. We have said that we want to wait until James is 12-14 years old before he gets certified. Well..... we might not be able to wait that long!

As soon as Veronica jumped into the pool with the tank and regulator, James ran up to me and demanded, "Mommy, I want to play that!" Then, he proceeded to jump back into the pool and try to stick the adult regulator into his mouth (because he noticed that this was what the adults were doing with it.) Most adults are very hesitant to stick this large regulator into their mouths and then stick their heads underwater. Not our son! He thought he was doing something very special! Although he didn't actually "dive" and he only breathed in about two breaths on the regulator, I can see that this is something he is definitely interested in! Future family SCUBA vacations, here we come!

The Boy Just Wants to Dance!

2010-06-24T09:30:00.000-07:00

So, I picked James up from school yesterday and noticed his "new do!" His teachers said that James wanted something done with his hair because all of the girls were getting their hair put in pony tails before going outside. Since he can't get a pony tail, (thank goodness!) he settled for the fashionable mohawk! Luckily, it wore off a bit before daddy got home!

Now, onto the dancing! Seeing as Will's mom is a former ballroom-dance instructor and Will was invited to (dragged to) several ballroom dancing competitions as a young child, I am hoping that James gets some of his daddy's moves! He already has a love of music, so now we just need to develop the movement/dance ability!
On Tuesday, James attended his first "dance class" provided at his preschool. After school, we went to the gym and he talked about dance class the entire drive there. It went something like this:
James: "Mommy, I pushed."
Me: "What? You pushed a friend at dance class. That's not nice, James. If you push your friends, you won't be able to go to dance class."
James: "Okay mommy. James no push friend."
Me: "Did you push because you were angry or because you were excited?"
James: "I was EXCITED!"
Me: "James, I understand that you were excited and having fun. But, you still cannot push your friends. Okay?"
James: "Okay mommy!"

Once inside the elevator, he happily showed me his "moves" that he learned in class. Then, when we got home, he asked me to put on music so we could dance. In case you weren't aware, "dancing" to a three year old mostly consists of leg-lifts, bouncing up and down and holding hands and walking in a circle (ring-around-the-rosie style.)
Of course, when daddy got home, James had to show him his dance moves and dance with daddy. I tried to snap some pictures of this, but they were all blurry and the dance session ended as soon as James spied me with the camera. Oh well!
Hopefully next week's dance class will spark some more moves!

Weekend Assignment

2010-06-18T05:43:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I totally stole this title from my friend's blog (please don't sue me!), but I like it and it fits! And, my brain is totally removed from all creative thoughts after a full week of academic reading and writing. So, there you go....
Let's do a quick recap of this week, the teaching school year ended for me last Friday. The "student" portion of my school year began on Monday with my 8-5:00 Monday thru Friday graduate class at the University of Tampa. Woo Hoo! Bring on the fun research-based readings and lengthy papers and group projects! Do I know how to ring in the summer or WHAT?
Okay, before you get beside yourself with jealousy, let me bring us back to my Weekend Assignment (hence the plagiarized title of this post.) I have been chosen to present a right-brain based lesson to an audience of teachers and administrators at Eckerd College. Yes, folks, I will be presenting at my first ever teaching conference. Luckily, I'm co-presenting with another teacher from my school (safety in numbers, right?)
And then, Monday brings a whole new round of week-long coursework. Good times, good times.
On the James' front, he is absolutely LOVING his new school- Carlton Academy Day School. He loves his new friends and his teachers (I hear about them all the time!) When I walk down the halls with him, all these other teachers (whom I don't know) all wave and say "Hey James!" like they've known him for years. Yep, my boy gets around! Yesterday when I picked him up after a long day, his teacher was sharing a story (Pirate Pete) with the class. Instead of her reading it to them, she was playing a tape recording of the story. James put a death grip on my pinkie finger and instructed me to "sit down and listen" to the rest of the story. There were three other parents who walked in after me and were also sequestered until the end of the story.
Apparently, these kids take reading seriously (and they just LOVE Pirate Pete!)

Summer Birthday Bash

2010-06-13T15:07:00.000-07:00

After I gave birth, I had the wonderful luck of joining a fantastic new mom's support group! Oh, how I looked forward to those weekly meetings for the socializing and how I truly NEEDED those weekly meetings for the advice and support that only a new mom can get from another new mom. But, I digress...
Fast-forward three years and here we all are! Who knew that we would ever survive those early years, much less have beautiful, active healthy children who survived?
Since our children were mostly born around June and July (two of the hottest months in Florida) and since we have had two full years of traipsing from one party to the next all summer long, we decided to get smart and have one big birthday bash for all the kids in our new mom's group. And, we decided to get extra smart by having it INDOORS in the air-conditioning.
Operation Summer Birthday Bash occurred at the south Tampa Gymboree on Sunday and it was a smashing success! Well, if you call 20 three year-olds running, jumping, rolling, falling, climbing, mosh-pitting, screaming, giggling, laughing and just having a grand ole' time.... then, yes, it was a huge success!
Here are some moments I managed to capture with my camera...

In this photo, the kids got to "hide" under the parachute and at the count of "five", they all came running out from under it. Oh my! This was so much fun, we had to re-enact it several times. James was always one of the first jetting out from under the parachute and he completed his exit with a throw-myself-on-the-nearest-mat-roll-around-stuntman-style-exit every time.

James getting into a tickle contest with daddy.

James started the mosh-pit with two of his roughest friends. It's a good thing these boys are sturdy! James was running and body-slamming up against them and they were loving it! When people say that boys are rough, please believe them!

One quick pose with mommy in the midst of all the tumbling and playing! Big smiles all around!

oh, I have to note that when James first saw my shirt, his immediate response was: "Mommy's got train tracks!" Does this boy ever think of anything else besides trains????

On a side note, his actual birthday isn't until July 9th. We are thinking of keeping things low-key (ie, cheap) and taking James on a trolley ride. A trolley ride to the ice cream shop and back should make for a pretty nice birthday celebration, right? He sees the bright yellow train (trolley) every day as we drive through downtown. It's only about $3 a ride and I'm thinking he will really enjoy it!

Any other cheap ideas for a three year olds birthday party?

May.....

2010-06-08T18:10:00.000-07:00

May was...

a wonderful visit to Key Largo with good friends and my wonderful hubby!
My first dive trip of the season in ideal diving conditions on two deep wrecks off the coast of Key Largo
an extra long visit from my mom and my uncle Joe
extra doses of grandma's kisses and hugs for James!
a heartbroken mommy when we had to take grandma to the airport and James started bawling his eyes out because he wasn't getting on the airplane with grandma
our 5th year wedding anniversary
fun weekend visits with good friends
lots of trips to the clubhouse pool and slides down the "big" slide
putting daddy on a flight to Ohio to stay with grandma while she recovered from surgery to remove her lung cancer
putting James in a new preschool that's conveniently located to mommy's school and the University of Tampa (mommy's grad school for the summer)
being so proud of James for acclimating so easily into his new school and fitting right in after the first day like he's been there for years
still missing daddy because his week-long trip got extended another week
the end of the school year (with all it's craziness, report cards, portfolios, etc)
gone too quickly.....

Operation Potty: Bust!

2010-06-01T18:15:00.000-07:00

Okay, so this past weekend was try # 2 for Potty Training with James. WShen my mom was here, he showed all the signs of being ready. Finally, I had a nice three day weekend with no plans or distractions, so I decided to "take the plunge."

Saturday morning went very well. James wore his "big boy undies" all morning and went to the potty when prompted. Then, before naptime, I put on a diaper so he doesn't wet the bed during his sleep. He took his usual 2 1/2 hour nap and when we awoke...

he REFUSED to put his undies back on. Flat out refused. He would not go try to use the potty (even when reminded about gummy treats and cookies!) and DEMANDED that I put a diaper back on him. And honestly, I just didn't have the "fight" in me to force the issue.

Skip forward to this week....
I took James to his new preschool (just for the summer, for convenience reasons) and he has pee'd on the potty several times every day since then. I'm convinced that PEER PRESSURE will potty train this boy, because it sure doesn't seem to be mommy!

Easter- Mira Bay Style

2010-04-11T19:42:00.000-07:00

What's the perfect recipe for a pre-Easter bash?

- 2 willing daddies

- 3 adorable toddlers, armed with empty baskets

- 1 egg casserole, 1 hashbrown casserole, 1 large bowl of fruit, 3 bottles of champagne for mimosas

- 1,000 eggs for a toddler egg hunt

- lots of Florida sunshine!

We walked to the clubhouse and waited patiently for the hunt to begin. We timed it just right and only had to wait about 1 minute for the hunt to begin. Good thing... the natives were getting restless!

Well, some of us rode in style...

James got right to work. Of course, he had daddy with him, pointing out which eggs to get.

Afterwards, James walked over and shared some of his eggs with Donovan. What a good friend!

My sweet boy took time for a quick pose with mommy!

Of course, we anxiously waited our turn for the Easter bunny to come over! James was literally bursting with excitement.

Thank you Easter Bunny!

Like Mother, Like Son

2010-03-25T17:57:00.000-07:00

I've always loved being "out and about." I like the hustle and bustle of going here, doing this and that, going there. Then, finally coming home at the end of a long, productive day. It seems that James is following in my fast-lane-footsteps.
Exhibit A: Today's schedule of events....
7:00 am- Out the door and on our way to school/preschool
5:15 pm- I pick up James after a full day of teaching and then working on grad school papers.
5:16 pm- I ask James if he wants to go to the gym or go home and walk the dogs. Emphatically, he announces, "the gym!"
5:30 pm- We arrive at the gym. James runs all the way from the car, into the elevator, through the door and into the Kid's Club.
6:30 pm- I finish my workout and try to convince James to leave the Kid's Club. He is having too much fun playing and jumping and building forts. It takes me almost 15 minutes to convince him that we need to get home soon.
7:20 pm- Arrive home. Walk the dogs around the neighborhood. I'm still trying to convince James that it's time to head inside the house and eat dinner. He refuses and tries to make a run for the nearby park. He starts crying and asking to go to the water and/or the park. I have to pick him up and carry him football-style into the house, kicking and screaming all the way. He wants to stay outside longer. Go figure.
8:30 pm- James is finally bathed, fed dinner and in bed. Whew! This boy is wearing me out!

Swinging at Sunset

2010-03-21T07:30:00.001-07:00

On Friday, James and I walked over to the park in our neighborhood for some "swinging at sunset". The park overlooks the lagoon and provides a beautiful view as the sun sets over the water. But, what caught James' eye were two little girls swinging in the next swings over. However, they were using the only two toddler swings and were able to swing very high, safely.
Key word here is SAFELY.

James: "Look mom! See how high they are going! Higher! Higher!"

Me: "Listen, you aren't used to this big boy swing. Hold on tight and don't let go. We can't go too high. It's not safe."

James: screaming "HIGHER!"

And then his little impatient temper gets the best of him......

Yep. This is a picture of James falling out of the swing as he's yelling at me to push him higher. I was just snapping away, not realizing that he had let go in his demands. Luckily, I'm raising quite the stunt man and he just jumped right up and brushed off his hands as if to say, "I meant to do that."

This concluded our sunset swing session and secured my entry into the mommy-of-the-year award- NOT!

Bruiser

2010-03-21T07:28:00.000-07:00

Earlier in the month, James had his first run-in with the pavement at his preschool. He was running (go figure!) and his little legs couldn't keep up with the rest of his body. So, down he went. Apparently, it was quite the bloody scene. Once the teachers cleaned him up (within minutes), he brushed off the injury and was ready to run again. But, since he fell on his mouth and there was already bruising on his gum line, it warranted a phone call to mommy and daddy. Will stepped up to the plate, erased his schedule for the rest of the day and rushed James off to the dentist to check his front teeth. We were worried about possibly loosing one or two....

After a very successful trip to the dentist (James was dancing and singing in the back room with the dental assistants), we found out that no serious damage was done to his jaw line or teeth. We were told to watch his front tooth for any discoloration or discomfort. Well, within two weeks, the tooth turned gray and James started to complain of an "owie" in his mouth and he didn't want to bite down on certain foods.

After another trip to the dentist and multiple xrays, we learned that the nerve was totally dead.The discomfort was probably caused by excess gases from the dead nerve tissue. (I'm not dentist and this is totally written in layman's terms from what I remember, so if it's incorrect, please forgive me.) So, the dentist recommended a procedure where they drill a small hole in the back of the tooth, fill it with a medication that kills all the tissue and cleans out the hole. Apparently, this is the most common procedure among toddlers!
A couple of weeks later, they seal off of the hole and re-whiten the front of the tooth. The sealant simply goes away when the permanent tooth pushes through (in a couple of years). Until then, our little sunshine still has his perfect smile, all teeth are in place and there is no pain or discomfort!

I was very pleased with the dentists and dental assistants and very proud of James!

We were able to take him out in public after a couple of weeks (after the swelling went down and his busted lip healed!)

Conversations with James

2010-03-14T09:37:00.000-07:00

Me: "James, it's time to change to your diaper."
James: "Poop, mom?"
Me: "No James, there is no poop. Remember you are supposed to tell mommy when you have a poopy diaper."
James: "Okay mommmy. No poop. Just gas?"
Me: (stiffling back a laugh) "Yes, James. There was just gas in the diaper."

(One evening before dinner)
Me: "James, what would you like for dinner?"
James: "No mommy. Play trains."
Me: "You can't play trains. It's time to eat. Are you hungry?"
James: "No."
Me: "Do you want chicken?"
James: "No."
Me: "Do you want pasta?"
James: "No"
Me: "Do you want cheeseburger?"
James: "No"
Me: "Are you just going to say No everytime I ask you something?"
James: (looking guiltily to the side) "Yes"
(His dad almost choked laughing at that one. And yes, that is usually how my conversations with James goes.)

(Looking at the pregnancy portraits hanging on his wall in his bedroom and successfully stalling before naptime)
James: "Mommy in picture and Daddy in picture. Where's James?"
Me: "Yes, that's mommy and daddy. Baby James is in mommy's tummy."
James: "Where's James?"
Me: "In mommy's tummy."
James: "Where's James?"
Me: "In mommy's tummy." (we repeat this same question/answer routine at least five more times)
After mulling it over in his two-year old brain..
James: "Baby's trapped."
Me: "Yes, the baby was trapped. But thanks to the doctor and an unplanned C-section, the baby got out just fine. He's okay now."
James: "Okay mommy."

Working for the Weekend

2010-03-14T07:38:00.000-07:00

That's pretty much how things have been lately. We get up early, everyone heads off to school/work/preschool, come home in the evening, walk the dogs, rush through dinner and bathtime, clean up from dinner, wind down for bedtime, finally get to go to bedtime, then wake up and do it all over again five times in a row. Sounds fascinating, huh?
Not so much, which is why we LOVE our WEEKENDS!
It gives us time to take leisurely walks to the park and around the neighborhood.....
Sometimes all that walking/running makes us very thirsty! I swear that James would run for two miles if I let him. He has so much energy and LOVES to run! I think that Mommy and Me 5k's are in our future!

At the end of a long walk, nothing is better than naptime! Well, for mommy anyway! James is all smiles for the camera now, but when I put down the camera and he realized that it "really" was naptime, the tears and drama came out! Life is so unfair as a two year old!

After a very nice three hour nap (mommy and daddy are blessed!), James woke up asking to "play trains". It is still his favorite pastime activity (besides running and jumping off furniture.)
While playing, we have to sing the songs from Chuggington and Dinosaur Trains. Sometimes the opening song from Little Einsteins will sneak in there, but who cares????

Still hamming it up for the camera! I don't know who taught him to say "cheese" for the camera, but I can't pull one out without him stopping what he's doing, flashing a grin and saying "CHEEEEEESE!" Then, of course, he demands to see his picture from the digital camera. Kids growing up today have SO many conveniences. Speaking of conveniences, James has gotten used to seeing whichever cartoon episode he feels like, whenever he feels like it thanks to our Tivo. During TV time, he demands to see whatever cartoon catches his fancy at that moment in time and will sometimes even request which episode he wants based on the title. Please don't comment on my willingness to cater to his every whim. I'm working on it...

We now have 6-to-1 shows saved for James verses Us. What's up with that?

One of James' favorite things to do when I'm making dinner is to "play drums." Yes, to a two year old, upside-down bowls and wooden spoons are drums. And yes, you'd be AMAZED how much noise they create! But, as long as he continues to hit the bowls and not the dogs with the wooden spoons, I consider it a success. Yes, it's the little things...

I hope everyone is enjoying your weekend and making as much noise as you can! Find your inner drum beat and bang away!

Never fear....

2010-02-01T19:26:00.000-08:00

We are STILL here! Sorry I've been quite the bad mommy blogger lately, but please blame it on a high-stressed teaching career, a husband working full time and taking online courses, me taking graduate courses at University of Tampa, decorating and getting settled into a much larger home that we were used to, oh, and, doing that parenting thing!
Our little sunshine keeps us super busy every morning and evening (the only precious time we get to spend with him!) and I just have not had the foresight to grab a camera and photograph every minute or the energy to write about our adventures at the end of the long days. But, I promise a post is in the making.
James suprises me each day with a new expression or saying he has picked up from school or a new vocabulary word he has learned! I didn't teach him "spooky" or "submarine."
Yes, our little sunshine is growing up so fast before our eyes.
I promise to post pics and "real" updates soon!

Moving Day- Guest Blogger Edition

2009-12-21T18:11:00.000-08:00

So, last Saturday was our moving day! We are slowly unpacking, arranging furniture and getting settled in. I love our neighborhood, love our community and love, love, love our house. It is totally more than I ever expected and honestly, I'm thrilled with this "down" market and the fact that we can afford this place. Well, more pictures and updates on the house will follow.

Without further ado.... I have a guest blogger (my best friend and James' godmother) who wanted to recount (vent) her adventures with James as we were moving on Saturday.

Here goes........

A Day with James-

To give you a little back ground, Tom and I are James’ Godparents. We adore the little guy and have watched him on numerous occasions, including several overnighters. With the exception of James teaching himself to unbuckle his car seat while I was driving, or locking me out of the house (fortunately I had a key) these experiences were a little exhausting but lots of fun. Then came Saturday December 19, 2009…

December 19, was moving day for the Hayman household and I volunteered to help. It was determined that my usefulness could be best maximized by taking James home with me. “Ahhh,” thought I, “the easy job.” It started well… I got a great big “Aunt Veronica” hug. We loaded my car with enough toys to keep a platoon of two year olds happy for a week (or so I thought) and his car seat was strapped in and made escape proof.

First stop…. the park. James loves the park by our house. It has many elaborate slide sets, swings and lots of kids to watch and play with. He especially enjoyed being swung while there was a pretty two year old girl on the swing next to his. (Wonder where he gets his love of the ladies from?) Then there was the “Run Away from Aunt Veronica” game. He was winning hands down until he fell and got an “owie” on his arm. Got to give him credit, he never stopped laughing let alone started to cry. The only way I knew he got injured was when I saw the scrape. Time to get lunch and get his “owie” cleaned up. This met with significant objection as James was not yet ready to leave the park, owie be damned. I’ve come to the conclusion that there is no objection like a two year olds objection. The owie had no power to cause tears but leaving the park brought him literally screaming to his knees.

Off to McDonalds drive thru for the kids meal with chicken nuggets, apple slices and milk. He wanted his milk immediately but his sippy cups were in the back. I didn’t want him to have an open milk carton in the back seat of my car so told him he could have his milk as soon as we got home. Have you ever driven five miles with a two year old screaming…. “I WANT MILK!” the entire way? It makes for a very long five miles.

Home at last! Now I have Uncle Tom to help and nap time is fast approaching. Things are looking up. It’s ok that he decides to use the caramel dip he got for his apples on his chicken nuggets! Don’t worry about the sugar in the caramel dip because most of it is on his shirt anyway. With a couple of minutes to clean the Owie and terrorize our cat and it’s time for nap, blessed nap. Pack and play is set up, James is deposited in it with his blanket and pillow. James is told to go night, night and I shut the door to his room. Uncle Tom and I lay down for a nap ourselves since we got up at 4:00 a.m. to run. Two minutes of quiet, then I hear it… A door opening that shouldn’t be. Kind of like something out of a Hitchcock movie. I creep out of bed and see the door of the guest room ajar. Behind the opening a little face peeps out and says… “Milk!”

Somehow, James figured out how to climb out of his Pack & Play. Why does this child turn into Houdini when I watch him? First the car seat now, now the pack and play! I put him back in the crib and admonish him to stay in there. He angelically says, “OK”. Two minutes later the door opens again. Uncle Tom suggests a diaper change, which I do (it was barely damp) and deposit him back in the bed. Two more minutes… the door opens again. I send in Uncle Tom who yells… “We’ve got a gusher going.” Big poop blow out. Uncle Tom got him over the toilet and his diaper off before handing him to me. I got him on his back on the bathroom rug (no time to lay down a towel) before I realized blow out residue was all over his butt and now ground into the throw rug. While I’m frantically trying to get a towel, James jumps up and steps squarely in the poop on the carpet. Carmel on his shirt and poop on his socks! I’m figuring Kalani will never let me watch him again but at that moment I was thinking “I can live with that.” Uncle Tom now abandons all thoughts of a nap retreats to the garage where he has a woodworking project he needs to finish for a Christmas present. (Sounded like an excuse to me.) I lay James down once more. This time, he not only escapes but locks the bedroom door which required Uncle Tom to come in from the garage to pick the lock. Finally, I lay down on the bed next to James’ pack and play as that is the only way he won’t try to escape. He falls asleep and dozes soundly for all of ONE HALF HOUR. I’m like, “Only HALF HOUR? He’s always slept 2 – 3 hours when I’ve watched him before.”

Nap time over and it’s time to run and I mean that literally. He loves sidewalks and would go a quarter mile out and quarter mile back (we repeated twice). He’s already faster than I am so I got quite the work out. Upon our return, he set up a litany cry of “I want Tom.” Unfortunately, saws and woodworking tools are not items you want two year olds hanging around. In desperation, I called Kalani who suggested I get his DVD going. Great idea except for one little problem, the DVD Kalani sent was “Brier Rabbit” and James wanted “Thomas the Train”. This caused a tantrum as Tom and I don’t keep any Thomas the Train videos in our house. He finally acquiesced to watch Brier Rabbit for about 10 minutes. During this time, I cleaned up the kitchen and got some snacks ready. In the mean time, Tom realized I locked the garage door (to keep James from sneaking out) and had to beat on the door to gain entrance. Turns out that locking that door only inconvenienced Tom because James promptly figured out how to unlock it once the DVD ceased to hold his attention. He was into the garage to “help” Uncle Tom almost before I heard the door open.

The next several hours are something of a blur. I have vague memories of things like: 1) James getting my tooth brush (long story about step stools could be inserted here) and almost putting it in his mouth before I caught him. 2) James “carrying” our cat across the room with his legs dangling and a look of desperation on his little feline face. 3) James trying to use our bed and couch as trampolines. 4) James trying to drink out of the cat’s drinking fountain. 5) Having to hunt down the phone that James had taken off the hook so we could again receive phone calls. 6) James going into meltdown because he was exhausted from having only ½ hour nap.

About 6:30 Kalani called to say they’d be by soon. I heaved an audible sigh of relief and had James packed and ready to go in five minutes. Kalani was a little worried I’d have him sitting street side when she pulled up.

Tom and I continue to adore our little guy but he really put us through our paces. Tom, who rarely drinks, said… “As soon as he leaves, I need a drink.” We’ll recover enough to babysit another day (in a year or two – lol – at least I think lol.). Seriously, we can’t wait to see him enjoying his first REAL Christmas and are very happy (usually) he’s in our life.

(James, if you’re reading this, the story about you walking through your own poop is so going to come up when you bring your first date home.)

Aunt Veronica

Christmas in Florida

2009-12-13T18:31:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday, we had our annual family photo session with our very talented friend, Susan Gentile. The weather cooperated BEAUTIFULLY and instead of sweating to death in 85 degree weather, we actually got to comfortably wear our sweaters! Yeah!

Even though James was FAR more interested in the playground looming in the distance, he cooperated just long enough for us to capture some quality family Kodak moments. If you want to see more of Susan's great work, click here to take a look at her absolutely adorable website. Hope you enjoy!

Make a Smilebox collage

Smiles for Santa

2009-12-13T17:39:00.001-08:00

Last Sunday, during a whirl-wind trip to the mall to visit an "old" college friend of mine, we happened to walk by the Santa Station and low-and-behold, there was NO line. After asking if they were already closed or if Santa was taking a break, I was assured that Santa was ready and available for a picture.

I was a little hesitant to go forward with the Santa photo considering the pure horror from last year, but I am a brave, brave woman- and a bit of a gambler! But, it seems that the stars were aligning for a bit of pure cuteness and holiday magic!

No, his jeans weren't too short for him, but I didn't have the time to adjust them before the photographer snapped the picture. Luckily, James was all smiles after an initial but brief moment of panic. I assured him that the man was very nice and might bring him toys, if he was a good boy. That's all it took for this little one to turn on the charm!

James even indulged Santa in some light conversation....

Santa: What would you like for Christmas?

James: I want TRAINS!

Santa: Okay then! (push over Santa! Good thing his Kidcraft Limited Edition Train table has already been delivered!) Since you've been such a good boy today, why don't you take this! (Santa proceeds to hand James a cute little coloring book.)

James: (After inspecting the coloring book and observing that it is NOT a train, hands it back to Santa and says....) No, I don't want this. I want TRAINS!

Yeah, just like his mama, the kid knows what he wants!

Dude, Where's My November?

2009-12-01T18:26:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the lame-o title, but seriously.... where did the month of November go?

Above is some of the latest handy artwork from our little sunshine. I'm so thankful that James loves his daddy, but why does it have to make me feel like chopped liver? Can't he be thankful for BOTH mommy and daddy? geesh!

And, here is the latest picture taken of our little sunshine! At first, I wasn't too fond of this picture. I mean, where is my little baby? Who is this toddler-going-on-six-years-old for crying out loud? No, I didn't cry out loud, but I feel like it. I wasn't even going to buy this picture from his school, but my husband saw it and HAD to have it. He says it reminds him of a photo of himself when he was a little boy, same grin and everything. Okay, how could I resist?

As for our little sunshine, he continues to amaze and exhaust us all at the same time. He loves repeating new words and phrases that he hears from songs or from his bedtime books. He is so structured in his bedtime routine and LOVES picking out books for mommy and daddy to read to him. He is still in LOVE with everything trains! One new favorite cartoon that we found is Dinosaur Train. The creator must be a genius because he combined everything a little boy loves, dinosaurs and trains! Plus, its educational and science- y.

He is such an explosion of personality and full of life. He loves greeting people and plays so hard ALL DAY LONG. I can't wait to see what Santa has in store for him this year!

Marine Corps Marathon- Hoo Rah!!!!

2009-12-01T17:11:00.000-08:00

Sorry to hijack the blog with my running updates, but I couldn't resist this one.

Back in October, I ran the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington DC and had a great race. Well, great in the fact that, unlike last year, I made it to the Starting Line uninjured, I had a great time during the run and I finished uninjured. My overall time was just over five hours. My GPS recorded 11:32 minute miles. Remember, I am a DIE-HARD Galloway fan. So, I walked for one minute after every 3 or 4 minutes of running. I swear that this method is the ONLY way I am able to successfully train and complete my marathons. I wanted to break five hours, but that was a pretty lofty goal considering I didn't train with ANY speedwork. I'll save that for a future marathon...

Mile 1: 16:04 (lots of slow traffic to weave through when you start waaaayyyyy at the back like me!) It took us over twenty minutes after the race had started to reach the Starting Line.

Mile 2: 12:39

Mile 3: 11:22

Mile 4: 11:49

Mile 5: 11:26

Mile 6: 11:11

Mile 7: 12:20 (potty break)

Mile 8: 10:29 (see how fast I am without a full bladder!)

Mile 9: 11:03

Mile 10: 12:34 (another potty break, I broke the seal.)

Mile 11: 11:41

The marathon was very memorable because the crowd support was amazing, the weather was ideal, the course was very scenic and all the men in uniform at the hydration stops were some great eye-candy! I got to run past several national monuments, even the White House. At about mile 12, I looked to my left and gave a quick wave to the Obama's.

Mile 12: 11:22

Mile 13: 11:41

I started the marathon with my good friend, Veronica. She is such a strong woman and I wish I had her drive and determination. Her knees are in pretty bad shape, but she keeps pounding away on the pavement as much as she can tolerate. We got to about mile 11 and she let me know that she was hurting. I know how much pain she can tolerate, so I expected her to keep going strong. At about mile 14, I was rockin' out with a band playing along the course and I think she was fighting back tears of pain. It was a grunge rock band and I forget what song they were belting out at the time, but it totally made my mile 14. I was singing along with them and the drummer pointed me out (you know the scene, standing up with his two drum sticks pointing at me, yes , me!) But, then I looked over and saw the anguish in V's face. At mile 15, we decided that she would hang back and that I would keep running on schedule. We both knew that she had another runner waiting to pace her in a mile 20, so she only had a few more miles to run solo. I had already had to make THREE pee stops at this point, but I had been able to run and catch up with her without expending too much energy. (race day jitters?)

Mile 14: 10:44

Mile 15: 10:42

Mile 16: 11:09

Mile 17: 10: 39

I felt really strong and was just really enjoying the race, at this point. There is a saying about marathons, "if you feel good, don't worry. It'll pass." And, it's true. At about mile 18, as I was pretty much worn out. I felt like I was dragging along, but I just kept pushing one foot in front of the other. Your body is basically on auto-pilot at this point.

Mile 18: 10:41

Mile 19: 11:11

Mile 20: 12:03 (I'm really hating life right now. Wishing I was still running with my best friend. Wishing I was done already. Wishing I was anywhere else but still on this course!)

Mile 21: 11:25

Mile 22: 11:56 (At this mile, I run into the local Hash House Harriers hydration stop, ie BEER stop. I'm thinking, I'm already dehydrated and running slow, why not add some beer into the mix? So, I take a few second to stop, introduce myself as "Cocktail from Tampa" and partake in a shot of beer. Nothing wrong with some on-the-course carb-loading and I needed the morale boost.

Mile 23: 11:10

Mile 24: 10:23 (At this point, I'm fighting back tears. Your body can only hold up barriers against emotion for so long. After running for almost five hours, raw emotions come to the surface. Everything made me teary.... seeing military men running with the American Flag along the course, seeing the beautiful faces of the men and women in uniform who were cheering ME on along the way (don't they know that THEY are the heroes?), seeing the national monuments and thinking of our wonderful country, seeing all the babies and families along the course and wishing my family was there to cheer me on. Yes, at this point, it didn't take much to bring a tear to my eye.

Mile 25: 11:11 (I had to stop a walk just a bit here. My legs were getting really stiff and my left knee was just screaming at me. Nothing major, just your typical marathon pain.)

Mile 26.2: 11:04

Ahhhhhh.... the last two tenths of a mile were UPHILL. But, I didn't even care. I was prepared for it. Ready to tackle my Everest. Somehow, I mustered up the energy (barn door syndrome, I have it badly!) and sprinted my way in. I didn't care that I was blowing past injured walkers and slower runners, I had my eye on that Finish Line and no one was going to slow me down!

Best of all, I caught a glimpse of some fellow BRA (Brandon Running Association) peeps in the crowd at the Finish and I could hear them cheering me in.

I was so happy to finish STRONG. And, I was so happy to just FINISH! I felt honored to run that marathon in the presence of such greatness. By greatness, I mean all of the men and women who serve our country and who were also out there to support us runners. I also felt honored to run it for my dad (a fellow Marine), my brother (a fellow Marine), and my dear husband. (Okay, not a Marine, but still a damn fine military man who makes me so proud every day.)

I highly recommend the Marine Corps Marathon for those of you who are deciding what's on your 2010 race calendar!

Pumpkin Carving

2009-11-02T11:30:00.000-08:00

James was a HUGE help with carving the pumpkin this year. Well, not carving so much as cleaning out the guts! He didn't want to use his hands and kept saying "Sorry... sorry mom" each time his spoon flung pumpkin guts all over the patio. We had a great time and carved a pretty cool looking jack-o-lantern. Sadly, I didn't get any pics of our final product and the Florida heat didn't make for a very long life of a jack-o-lantern.

But, here are the pics during the making of....

Home Stretch!!!

2009-10-13T19:22:00.001-07:00

Less than TWO WEEKS to go before I run the Marine Corps Marathon.
So many thoughts are going through my head right now.....
I really, really, really do NOT want to train for another marathon in the heat of the summer!
I think that tackling a full-time teaching job and a two-year old and master's classes and marathon training may just be a tad too much on my plate!
I am SO blessed with a supportive husband who understands my need and desire to run!
I am SO thankful to be healthy and to have no running related injuries.
My ONLY goal for this marathon season was to complete my training injury-free and make it to the starting line. I'm happy to report that my long runs have been strong (albeit not my fastest pace) and I've actually enjoyed the running. Strangely Amazing, I know.
However, this training, like all good things, has not come without it's sacrifices. I won't bore you with the details of missed parties/outings/and events. I haven't returned phone calls and slacked off of friendships that I hope to restore. I've totally felt torn in two or three directions at times...
But, I guess that's the nature of the beast. I won't know what to do with my free time once the marathon is over.
Any ideas???

Weekend? What weekend?

2009-10-13T18:57:00.000-07:00

Last weekend went something like this for me.....

Attend Master's Creativity course at University of Tampa on Friday evening from 6 - 9:00pm. Join classmates for one much needed drink after class.

Attend Master's Creativity course at UT on Saturday from 8- 4:00 pm. Get home in time to take James to a local ice cream parlor for a mommy-and-me date. Then go to the park for some much needed swinging and sliding (close down the park!) Get home, get James all washed and in bed. Have "home date night" with husband. Have so much fun during "home date night" that we vow to do it again on Sunday!

Get up on Sunday morning and go for a run at the gym. Come home, get cleaned up and head back to UT for another Sunday afternoon class session.

Arrive home with headache and spend the rest of the evening vegging out on the couch. Muster up the energy for another "home date night" with hubby!

Go to sleep and rest up for the work week!

Daddy's Rough Morning...

2009-09-23T18:32:00.001-07:00

Lord knows, I've had my fair share of rough mornings with our little sunshine. But, I think that this one may be tops for a while...
James awakes at 4:30 in the A.M. to do what? Play with his trains! Wide awake, no laying back down, just wants to play with his trains...
Today was my planning day at work, so I left for work at 6:00. Will was still in bed, trying to get the last few minutes of sleep before his alarm went off, again.
Finally, he gets up, gives James some milk and turns on his favorite cartoon, Little Einsteins. This should allow him 30 minutes of uninterrupted shower/get dressed/comb hair time. A few minutes into his shower, James comes screaming into the bathroom. After a quick glance over (looking for blood or trauma) Will discovers that James has a massive poop blowout and it's leaking down the back of his pajamas. The kid has my sensitive skin and the poop was burning/causing a diaper rash. (Sorry for the TMI for those of you non-parent-peeps who read this blog!) So, Will rushes out of the shower, scoops up James and takes him into his room for a major clean up job! He gets James dressed and settles him back down. Once James is happily playing/watching his cartoon, Will has to get back into the shower to finish washing/rinsing. (yes, he jumped out of the shower mid-wash)
Once he finishes his shower and gets dressed, he notices that it's eerily quiet. Suspiciously quiet. Too quiet for an active toddler to be in the house. Startled once again, Will roams the house looking and calling for James. His eyes immediately search the back sliding glass door. Door closed? Check. Metal pin still in the top of the door? Check. (where the heck is this kid?) Bedroom? Nope. Bathroom? Nope. Couch? Nope.
Will walks further into the kitchen area and sees James sitting on the kitchen floor, covered in wet, sticky, tangerine juice with empty fruit containers scattered around him as evidence of the crime. (he has been up for almost 3 hours at this point. The kid was hungry!) I guess the Child Safety Lock we installed on the pantry door needs to be updated. So, it's back into the bedroom for another wipe down/clean up and new outfit for school.
Finally, the boys make it into school. Will walks James in, gets out his breakfast and gets James all set up. Starts looking around and notices that there is no teacher in the room. So, he flags down someone from the office and is informed that they are short on teachers today and he should just hang out with James for a few more minutes. (No lady, I'm going to leave my son unattended. Again. ) Finally, someone comes in to relieve Will so he can rush to work. Unfortunately, there was a line of people waiting at his desk when he arrived. Late. Nice.
Of course, he shared the trials and tribulations of his crazy morning with his boss and coworkers. Apparently, they all got a good laugh and even shared some of their horror late-to-work-my-kid-has-lost-their-ever-lovin'-mind stories!
Poor Daddy! Somehow, I don't think that the family portrait coffee mug and voice-recorded card we got him for his birthday are enough anymore.....

Breakin' Up is Hard to Do- Oooo....

2009-09-21T18:18:00.001-07:00

My very talented and beautiful friend has such a way with words. She is a strong runner who is currently suffering through a tendinitis injury and it's timing could not be worse! As I've posted before here, dealing with an injury after you've trained so hard can be very challenging/frustrating/humbling.
But, since she has such a way with words and such a neat-o perspective on Life, my friend shared this analogy between a runner and running here. For those of you who run, you may enjoy it. For those of you who don't, you certainly can relate to it!

Three Nights in a Row

2009-09-20T18:41:00.000-07:00

of James sleeping in his big boy bed! (what were your dirty minds thinking of??)
We started it on Friday night and he has done a great job of staying in his bed and sleeping through the night! No crying, no getting up and playing and no falling out (knock on wood!). I bought him a new "train" comforter set with matching sheets (too cute! It is the exact same color scheme as his room, but instead of an airplane theme, it's trains. He loves laying on his "train" pillow and covering up with his "train" blanket. It's all about the train love at our house!
Since we had a sitter today, he did get up during naptime today and start playing in his room. But, she went in and got him to fall asleep and he slept for over two hours! Woo Hoo! He is so proud of staying and sleeping in his "big boy" bed! I was so hesitant to make the transition from his crib because this boy LOVES his freedom. But, apparently, he also loves his beauty sleep! I just feel that it's one more step closer to him growing up.
Next week, he'll be asking to borrow the car keys. Sniff. Sniff.

So much to blog about....

2009-09-20T18:28:00.000-07:00

Yet, so little time.
I'll just give you the highlights-
Friday, James and I were invited to a pretty cool playdate at a local park. James has no fear when it comes to climbing or playing new equipment. Especially if he sees his friends doing something. He wants to be "one of the big kids" and follows right along. Even if it means giving mommy a heart-attack because he has climbed all the way to the top of the rope tower. I took some great pictures of James playing on the "big kid" equipment, but I can't seem to find my camera tonight. Sorry!
Saturday- I completed my second 20 miler of this training season. This marathon training season is sooo different than the last one. Last fall, I was plagued with injuries and illnesses. I don't know exactly what I'm doing differently, but I'm just really, really glad that my long runs have been strong and that I'm able to keep up my training. 34 days left until the Marine Corps Marathon. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!!!!
Sunday- Will and I joined our friends, Tom and Veronica for a fossil/shark tooth dive in Venice Beach. I didn't like getting up early two mornings in a row, but it was worth it. We haven't been diving in well over a month, so it was nice to get back in the water. The sky was clear, sunny and the water was calm and smooth. Perfect diving conditions! I just wish that our luck finding fossils had been better. Oh well, it was still a good day of diving!
I hope you all enjoyed your weekend!

Thankful Thursday

2009-09-10T17:35:00.001-07:00

Taking a lead from my friend "Bob" over at Discombobulated Running, I wanted to participate in the Thankful Thursday element of blogging! So here goes......
1. I am thankful for a wonderful husband/partner in life who is so helpful with our new mommy-working-full-time routine. Will has totally picked up any slack that I've missed (and with working long hours and training for a marathon, there has been PLENTY of slack people!)
2. I am thankful for my new housekeeper, Vanessa! She comes once a week and does the floors, vacuums, cleans bathrooms, windows, doors and dusts! I love, love, love coming home on Thursdays after work to a clean home!
3. I am thankful that James is doing so well in preschool and that he likes it there. His speech has really picked up over the past couple of weeks. He says a new word each day, so it's been impossible to keep track of his vocabulary. He is a total chatterbox now! Wonder where he gets that from?
4. I am thankful that I'm healthy enough to keep running and keep training for my Marine Corps Marathon. Yes, my legs are sore and my back hurts and there are the usual aches and pains that come with long distance running/training. But, (knock on wood) I'm not injured and not sick. There is so much talk about "when" not "if" you get the H1N1 virus and students at my school are already infected. The numbers are just scary. I just hope I make it through this year okay! So far, so good!

What are you thankful for peeps?

Settling in...

2009-09-03T16:41:00.000-07:00

We are beginning to settle in to our weekly routine with mommy being back at work full time. Oh, what a difference working FULL TIME verses PART TIME. Oh well, I knew it would be demanding. Overall, things are going very smoothly and over dinner tonight, Will and I were just talking about James is adapting so well to his new times and routines.
For starters, I am usually out of the house by the time James wakes up in the morning. I prepare/pack his lunch for the day. Then, it's up to daddy to wake him up, get him dressed, teeth brushed, hair combed, shoes on and out the door. James still eats his big bowl of hot oatmeal every morning, but at school, not home. On some mornings, I'm still home when James wakes up. He handles me leaving very well (almost too well!) He will wave good bye to me and cheerfully say "Bye!" And, he never forgets to give me a goodbye smooch! Will and I agree that he likes his morning time with Daddy. He LOVES riding in Daddy's truck to school. And, he doesn't let Will carry him into school, he climbs out of the truck on his own and walks himself all the way into school (unlike stopping halfway and asking Mommy to carry him in over the summer.)
I actually left school on time today (3:00) and got a great run in. (8 miles) I picked James up from daycare and Will was cooking dinner when we walked in the door. After a quick shower on my end (I was stinky from running!), we played "trains" for a little bit, ate a yummy dinner, followed by bath time, lots of reading books and cuddling and then sweet, sweet bed time by 7:30.
It may not be the best schedule for everyone, but it's working for us right now!
I hope everyone has enjoyed their week and is ready for Friday! I'm ready for this three day weekend! Woo Hooo!

Help a Mutha Out!

2009-09-01T17:57:00.000-07:00

Hello to all out there in Bloggy-land!
I have a favor. Please take a few minutes to check out my friend's blog. She is a WONDERFUL mommy to her children and her family is going through/has been through a really tough time right now in their lives. Her son's future and well-being is truly at stake here. She's asking for any prayers, well-wishes and good vibes that you could send her way.
Thanks for being the supportive online peeps I know that you are!
Hope your week is going well!

My First Twenty Miler

2009-08-30T07:19:00.001-07:00

(of this training season, anyway)
Yes, I had the big 20 miler on my training schedule. But, after having a super stressful week with long work hours, little sleep and little to no running, I was not counting on getting all twenty miles in. I was afraid that my cardio would get the best of me or that my IT band pain in one or both knees would rear it's ugly head and force me to cut my run short. I expressed all of these concerns in a frantic, needing-to-vent phone call to my friend Veronica. She assured me that my previous months of training have been strong, I worked hard to build a good base and one or two weeks of low mileage wouldn't totally upset a weekend long run. I had my doubts, but performed all of my pre-long-run rituals anyway (light pasta dinner, lots of hydrating on Friday, early to bed with heating pad on hamstrings.)
I set my alarm for 3:00 am to have time for my PowerBar breakfast, two drink servings of Emergen-C and loaded in the car for the 35 minute drive out to Fishhawk. I met up with Veronica and we started our run in the wee dark hours of the morning, donned with headlamps and reflective vests. The first 9-10 miles went along pretty well. Veronica and I chatted about everything, as we normally do on these runs. I think that's what makes them so therapeutic! We kept our pace nice and SLOW, as suggested by "the coaching manual" due to the heat, humidity and the fact that we were running twenty miles. If we had anything left towards the end, that's when I vowed to pick up the pace.
Another runner, Sunita, met us at mile 9 for her first 10 miler. She's been working to build up her mileage and likes the Galloway (run/walk) method as much as we do (smart woman!) When Sunita joined us, she continued the conversation chatter and enlightened us on many topics to keep us distracted. After about 10 miles or so, my conversations skills drastically reduce so it was nice to have someone along to keep it going and distract us from our misery!
At mile 18, Veronica was NOT feeling well and made the wise decision to take more walk breaks and run for shorter periods of time. My legs were hurting, feeling stiff, but that's expected. At this point, I was feeling pretty strong and had no knee/it band pain. I wanted to keep running and finish as strong as I was feeling. By this time, the sun was out and it was HOT! All the more reason to get this run over with as soon as possible! So, for the last two miles, I picked up the running pace (negative splits), walked less and was able to run/sprint it in. Sunita was such a trooper! Instead of doing her planned 10 miler, she hung with me for the last two miles and turned her run into an 11 miler! Veronica came in shortly after us, chugged the bottle of Gatorade I had waiting for her and stated, "I had twenty miles on my plate and I planned to finish it!" Stubborn much? :)
It was a good morning for me! After the run, I joined the rest of the running group at Panera for a yummy breakfast sandwich and coffee (I was starving!). The rest of the day involved spending some family time with my two favorite guys. Then, James and I went over to a friend's house for some more playtime and fun. That evening, Will and I grilled out steaks, opened a nice bottle of red and wound down with the movie, The Soloist. All in all, a productive, wonderful way to spend my Saturday!
How was yours?

Bear With Me, Folks...

2009-08-23T17:31:00.000-07:00

I'm going to apologize now for being a bad blogger and not having any cute pictures of James to post or any cute stories from our week together. My husband has been out of town for various business trips and I'm starting full-time teaching in the classroom this school year and James' preschool has been closed for a couple of days last week due to Staff Training and I'm still training for this da#m marathon! Needless to say, I've had LOTS on my plate over the past couple of weeks.
Hopefully, once we get back into the swing of things and resume a somewhat normal schedule, I'll be able to post as usual! Good news, James has been wonderful over the past couple of weeks. He's had long days at daycare, been shuffled from babysitter to gym daycare, stayed with friends and has just "gone with the flow" each and every time! My training runs are getting longer and longer. So far, no major injuries to report! Since it is so stinking hot and humid here as soon as the sun comes up, I start my long runs at 4:30 in the morning. When I'm running alone, it really stinks to start out and run for two hours in the dark, but it beats running in 90 degree heat with 100% humidity. Oh well.
I still continue to use the Galloway method (run/walk) during my runs. Some people out there in bloggy land feel that this is "cheating." They feel that running is an endurance sport and that walking is not. I propose that they ask any woman who has completed the Breast Cancer 3 day walk about their endurance. While it's true that walking doesn't require as much endurance as running, there is still value in running (or walking) great distances and taking a few walk breaks throughout to work/stretch different muscles and promote muscles recovery verses muscle damage. For instance, if you are running a marathon (or half) and have to walk part of it or get injured and have to walk towards the end, is this called "cheating?" Absolutely NOT! As an injury-prone "runner", I find the Galloway method very helpful in injury prevention. And, I'm a strong believer in "Plan your Work and Work your Plan." Or, "Plan your Run and Run your Plan." Okay, I'm off my soap box.
I hope all of you out there in bloggy land have a wonderful week. I wish I could come up with some witty and clever comments about recent events and ongoings in my life, but I don't have it in me right now. I'm all about Back to School Welcome Letters, Behavior Logs and lesson plans...

One Little Monkey......

2009-08-13T17:15:00.000-07:00

(you guessed it) Jumping on the Bed!

Since Will has been gone all week (business trip), it's been just James and I in the evenings. Tonight, instead of our usual books before bedtime routine, I let him indulge in some pre-bedtime jumping on mommy and daddy's bed. (bad mommy, I know!) But, it was so much fun, I had to grab the camera and try to capture some Kodak moments.This has been such a busy week for us. First, James started back to preschool full-time on Monday. I was worried about how he would adjust to staying there all day, eating lunch and napping there, since he wasn't there full-time this summer. Don't know why I was worried! He didn't seem to miss a beat. He went down easily for naps (and stayed down!) and was totally happy when I dropped him off and picked him up. I'm so glad to have a child who just "goes with the flow" and doesn't have separation issues. Makes for a very happy mommy!

This was all good news for me, because I am going back to teaching full-time this year. This past week, I've been moving back into my classroom, unpacking boxes upon boxes of personal teaching resources and classroom library books. I am really, really, really excited about teaching again. I truly enjoyed my time at home with James, but he is ready for school (preschool, that is) and so am I!

On to more bedtime jumping.....

Pillow-fight!

As you can see, James loved his new bedtime routine. And, it wasn't too hard to settle him back down before bedtime (thank goodness!)
I hope you all are having a great week and getting ready for the weekend!

Jump Around, Jump Around....

2009-08-03T19:38:00.000-07:00

One thing my little boy LOVES to do is JUMP! He loves to jump onto things, he loves to jump over things and he loves to jump off of things. Oh, the wonderful world of jumping!

The other day, I walked into his room to see this scene......

He continued this jumping off the bed routine for well over ten minutes. He was absolutely worn out afterwards! If you turn the sound up, you can hear him asking ME if I'm "okay" after HE jumps off the bed. His scruffy little voice is so cute! He was also doing a 1, 2, 3 countdown before every jump, but got a little camera shy when I walked in.

Weekend Highs and Lows

2009-07-26T17:31:00.000-07:00

Low: Waking up at 4:00 am on Saturday morning to eat and get hydrated before my long run, scheduled to start at 5:15 am.
High: Completing all 14 miles of my run. I drove out to Brandon to meet up with the rest of the Brandon Runners. My usual running partner was out of town for the weekend and almost all of the other runners are faster than me, so I started out into the dark morning with just my Ipod for company. I won't go into specifics as to the road we run on, but it has a continuous sidewalk with a two-lane road on one side and industrial, marshy, conservation-lots on the other side. Very dark. Very desolate and Very eerie. I didn't see anyone or anything (except loud cars zooming past) for the first 2 miles. Then, some street lights were out for about another mile. More eeriness. Finally, at about mile 3, you start to see stores, gas stations and fast food chains (civilization!). Yes my friends, it takes some strong mental fortitude to start out a 14 mile run in those conditions!
Luckily, at mile 4.5, I picked up another runner from the group. She just started running with the group and it was a pleasure running/chatting with her! She kept me company from mile 4.5 until about mile 9, and the rest was up to me.
I finished pretty strong, but I did walk a bit more towards the end. The heat and humidity were starting to get to me (it was pushing 8 am at this point). But, I finished and my legs weren't that sore at all. The Marine Corps Marathon Training continues!

Low: Missing my post-run Saturday nap because we had won tickets to see Thomas and Friends at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center.
High: Taking James to see the Thomas and Friends performance!
I knew he would be super excited because he is all about the trains recently! He was so wide-eyed throughout the entire performance and clapped for everything! He was clearly focused on the trains only, though. At some points during the performance when it was just the characters on stage, he kept turning to me and turning his little palms up asking, "Trains? Where trains?" "Trains coming?" "In a minute?" Too cute!
He sat in his seat for most of the time (with both hands behind his head, laid back style!)
We lasted the entire 1 1/2 hour performance, something I didn't expect from him at all!
But, once again, he never ceases to amaze us!

Crazy, Busy Week

2009-07-24T05:49:00.000-07:00

This week has been full of teacher training workshops and running (for me). Trying to balance finding child care for James (he's not enrolled full-time at JCC during the summer) while I am attending my professional development trainings has been crazy! And expensive.
I'm really looking forward to teaching again. But, there have been some major curriculum changes/advancements since I've been gone and I'll be in a new grade level. So, basically, I feel like a newbie teacher all over again. It's okay though, I love a good challenge, but I have a LOT of work ahead of me.
Anyway, I've still been running, running, running this week. Earlier in the week, my runs were pretty short (about 3 miles) and I was just not feeling motivated at all. Luckily, I stepped it up to complete my MLR (Medium Long Run) on Thursday. I ran eight miles at a pretty decent pace (for me.) Due to the 90 degree temps outside and high humidity, I ran it inside the gym, on my treadmill. My legs felt strong and I ending it running much faster than when I started. I have 14 miles on my plate for Saturday morning. So, think of me at 5 am when you roll over to find another comfy spot on your pillow!
Speaking of Saturday, Will and I are taking James to his first live performance show at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center! It's the Thomas and Friends performance. James is all about the train-love lately and he likes watching the Thomas cartoon. We wanted to take him, but I wasn't too keen on spending that much money for tickets (they start at $33.50) when I wasn't sure his attention span would last the entire 1 hour and 30 minutes of the program. Then, my friend Michelle told me about a contest from Tampa Bay Parenting Magazine to win tickets to the show. Well, I entered and lo- and- behold, We Won!
So, we are so excited to take James to see his beloved trains (we also got invited to go to a Meet and Greet with the cast!) And, if he gets too antsy and we need to leave early, we won't feel bad for spending all that money!
Happy Friday Everyone!

Happy 2nd Birthday!!!

2009-07-15T18:55:00.001-07:00

Our little sunshine turned Two Years Old last week!
We celebrated on the night of his birthday by having a nice family dinner. Then, James opened his presents from Mommy and Daddy. He really got into the "opening of the presents" and loved his birthday gifts- more trains!
On Sunday, we had some friends over for a pool party/cook out to continue his birthday celebrations. James' friends are the same ones that he has been playing with since he was three months old and I joined a New Mom's Group (desperate for support and comradeship.) It's been wonderful to see the boys (and Fiona) grow up into happy, healthy, rambunctious toddlers!
At two years old, James:
~can and will climb onto just about anything. He will not hesitate to stand up in his high chair and scale down the side if you don't get him out as soon as he's done eating. He is not a patient child. He has YET to climb out of his crib, though.
~favorite mealtime is breakfast and favorite meal is Oatmeal. Yogurt is a close second. Followed by pasta.
~vocabulary is really developing nicely! Except for a few weeks of lispy "s's", resulting in some colorful "I see it!" or "I sit" expressions, we can pretty much tell exactly what he's saying. He's using full sentences for some things and surprises me with a new word each day. He will ask for his specific cartoon (Thank you Tivo!) and is now repeating the last word or two of EVERYTHING we say!
~asks us to kiss his "Ow-wees!" every time he gets a bump, bruise or scrape. It's okay though, I don't mind. I love how a mommy or daddy kiss automatically makes all the pain go away. One day, our kisses won't be enough to protect him from danger, but I'm holding onto every memory of the ones that do now!
~still loves the water and loves to swim! Lately, he enjoys having us push him to the bottom of the shallow end so he can retrieve whatever rock, car or toy that he has purposefully sunk. He gets so proud for getting it himself!
~ has a personality that lights up a room! I call him my "Future Walmart Greeter" because he loves to wave to people and say "Hey!" until they look at him and acknowledge him. He doesn't mind if it takes 2 or 3 or 5 "Hey's". Then, he smiles from ear to ear and will tilt his head to one side as if to say, "Aren't I cute?" I have no idea where he learned this from! This child truly does not know a stranger. For now, it's really cute, but one day, I will have to educate him on Stranger Danger.
~has taught his daddy and I the wonders and the joys of Parenthood. As successful adults, we thought we knew a lot about our World. But, then James came along and opened our eyes to so much more.
Thank you, James, for filling our days with sunshine and filling our hearts with love. Yes, you drive us to exhaustion and exasperation whenever you get the chance, but we love you all the way to the moon and back for it! Happy Birthday Sunshine!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Happy 4th of July!!!

2009-07-08T18:14:00.000-07:00

Once again, Will and I loaded up all of our scuba diving gear and headed down to Key Largo for the weekend of July the 4th. Unlike, last year, we made arrangements for James to stay home and it was just the two of us. The trip was oh-so-nice! Great diving conditions and being "child-free" for the weekend made for a very happy and well-rested mommy and daddy. Of course, we missed our little sunshine, but we were so giddy to be back in the water again! During our dives, we saw tons of colorful fish and beautiful coral. Will was our main photographer during the trip, but I happened to capture this beautifully illuminated coral about 30 feet below the water. As nervous as I was to initally get scuba certified, I've become totally hooked on this underwater world. It truly is a "whole other world" and I feel honored to be able to spend a few hours inside of it during our dives.

We were fortunate enough to dive The Duane on Saturday, July 4th. This is a picture of me, posing about 90 foot below the surface. We were on the front deck, waiting for our friends to circle/swim around. Pretty cool!

On this dive, we saw several LARGE barracuda watching our every move. Surprisingly, there were several other fish swimming around the wreck, but it was the barracuda that kept our attention. Others on the dive saw a large goliath grouper, but we missed it. Oh well, there's always next time!

So, I said that we made arrangements for James to stay at home this trip. We flew my mom down to watch him for the weekend. I love knowing that James was happy, safe and in loving hands. He loved being spoiled rotten by his Grandma! She took pictures to document their weekend. Here was a quick trip to our local "Redneck Riveria". Mom cut the beach trip short due to the large crowds (holiday weekend, what do you expect?), dirty water and sketchy people. I tried to warn her that we don't call it the Redneck Riveria for nothing!

Yes, you see James wearing his trusty "Puppy." He really doesn't mind wearing it all and it gave mom the comfort in knowing that he wouldn't be able to outrun her. I warned her about his fondness of running away towards the street (good thing I'm working on my speedwork) and his love of running away and hiding from you! Yep, she brought Puppy along on all of their outings!

Here he is "hamming" it up for the camera! He obviously had a wonderful weekend with Grandma! Grandma had a wonderful (yet tiring!) weekend! Mommy and Daddy had a wonderful weekend together. Good times all around!

Hijacked.

2009-07-02T10:37:00.000-07:00

I'm hijacking the blog for a few minutes to indulge in a non-James-related topic- Running!

I was very disappointed last March when I made The Decision not to run the Gasparilla Marathon, after months of training and completing several long runs. It wasn't much of a decision considering I couldn't even run a mile 3 days prior due to the pain associated with my it bands, but it was hard nonetheless. So, after taking lots of time off (the only thing to heal my type of injury) and working with a personal trainer to beef up my strength training, I'm back in the game.
A few months ago, I signed up to run the Marine Corps Marathon in late October. After that, I will run the Ragnar Relay across the state of Florida (again) and then maybe I'll throw in the Gasparilla Marathon a couple of months later.
I've been slowing increasing my mileage each week. I run almost every day, taking 2-3 days a week off for rest or strength training. Last week I completed my first 8 miler and it felt great. I could have run longer, but I don't want to do too much, too fast and risk another injury.
Today, I completed another long run. Nine miles. Unfortunately, due to all of the rain we've been getting, I was restricted to running on the treadmill at the gym, but it wasn't that bad. A loaded Ipod of energetic beats and some determination will take you a long way. Again, I felt energized the entire run and very strong. I'm hoping this keeps up. Last season, while I was training, I was constantly plagued by illness (thanks to a little one who loves to use mommy as a tissue!).
You may have noticed a new widget on the right side of the page. It's a running log of my miles, now that I've started my "formal" training for the marathon. There are several miles from the past month that I didn't log because I wasn't keeping track consistently. But, oh well.
So, not that this is becoming a running/mommy blog, but you may be reading more about how I'm struggling to balance running and running a household/husband/child at the same time.
Either way, Running is my Mental Therapy and I am addicted. So, like most addicts, I will make the time.
Now, I need to get off this and start packing for our dive weekend to Key Largo! Woo Hoo!

Solo Flight

2009-07-02T10:31:00.001-07:00

Ever since our flight to Gatlinburg last month, James has taken more of an interest in airplanes. Whenever one flies overhead (very often since we live so close to base) or whenever we drive onto base, he gets very excited and proceeds to tell me all about these airplanes (not that I understand much of what he is saying, but I'm sure it's all correct!)

So, I picked up this little diddy at a consignment shop and it's been his new fav toy.

However, he doesn't allow the little passengers or their luggage to be on the flight. When I tried to show him that they fit perfectly inside and even have little stubs to fit on, he exclaims "NO!" and deboards them from the plane. However, the pilot remains in command of the airplane at all times. Sorry Little People, you're Hawaiian vacation will just have to wait until James gives you your boarding passes.

So, do you think we have a little fighter pilot in our midst? Oh geez, let's hope not!

Weekend Highs and Lows

2009-06-29T18:46:00.000-07:00

High: Friday night I cooked (baked, then grilled) ribs for the first time. We actually grilled them over at our neighbor's house (Mark and Amy) and had a great time. We used a recipe from My Recipes.com and they were dee-lish!
Low: Getting up at 4:30 am Saturday morning to go run eight miles.
High: I had a really strong run. I could have/should have run longer according to my training plan, but my weekly mileage isn't high enough yet. And, I really don't want to do too much too soon and risk another IT band injury.

High: Spending a lazy saturday afternoon around the house with Will and James. The two boys were watching cartoons on the couch and James was "holding" his daddy hostage. It was such a sweet moment that, of course, Mommy had to go and ruin by snapping a picture.

The rest of the weekend was spent having quality family time around the house. All last weekend, Will and I were gone on a dive trip and we'll be gone all next weekend. I don't want James to get a complex or anything, but mommy and daddy are enjoying our dive trips! Saturday night, Will and I attended a wine tasting at our friend's house. Overall, some good couple time and some good family time make for a great weekend!

Blogs of Note

2009-06-28T05:24:00.000-07:00

Good Sunday Morning Fellow Bloggers,
I've recently stumbled across/heard about two blogs that are totally blog-worthy and I wanted to share them with you!
The first one is my friend Beth's blog. Her nickname in our running group is B.O.B. and she is one of my favorite peoples! I won't go into the specifics as to how she earned her nickname, like all good nicknames, it's tied to an embarrassing story, so that's one for her to share! If you are a new, aspiring runner, then her blog is totally worth your time. It's funny, quirky, helpful and REAL!
The next blog is about a running mommy named Heather. I can't get enough of this woman and her quest to fit in a full-time job, two young kids (still bf the youngest), being a wife and training for a marathon. Fellow moms, if you are having a hard time balancing everything you WANT to do in the day with what you HAVE to do in the day AND get some sleep in, then this is one blog you will connect with.
Happy Blogging!

Lunch at Evo's!

2009-06-24T10:17:00.000-07:00

To reward myself for a good, hard run this morning (six miles of hill work at a decent pace) and to reward James for his excellent and patient behavior at the gym daycare, we decided to treat ourselves to lunch at Evo's! I love this place! It's relatively cheap and very kid-friendly. I don't have to feel guilty (too much) for indulging in fries (since it's "healthy" fast food!) And, James LOVES their Garlic Gravity ketchup as much as I do! So, it's a win-win.

Unfortunately, James spotted the large case of cookies right at the front counter and kept asking for "cookie? cookie? cookie?" I told him a firm "No" and explained that we were there to eat Lunch, not Cookies. Then, as I braced myself for his all-out throw-down-on-the-floor scream-like-a-banshee-tantrum, he just looked at me square in the face and said, "Pleeeeaaaaassseee?"

Fellow Supermoms, How could I resist?

So, after a scrumptious, healthy lunch of hormone-free chicken strips and air fries, I relented and gave him his coveted chocolate chip cookie. (reaching for my 1/3 of the cookie!)

(all smiles and covered in chocolate!)

(passed out in a cookie-induced coma!)

Survival Swim Lessons- Complete!!!

2009-06-19T17:30:00.000-07:00

I am proud to say that our son has successfully completed the Infant Swimming Resource course! I tried to scan his little certificate and post it here, but the scanner isn't cooperating tonight. So, you get real, live (at the time) video of one of his survival skills lessons. At the end of the course, once your child can successfully do the swim-float-swim sequence unassisted, then they conduct three survival lessons, where your child has to be fully dressed. One day is in summer clothes, the next in pajamas and the third day in winter clothes. The child must wear socks, shoes and a regular diaper, since this is what most children are wearing when/if they ever accidentally fall into a pool.

During this lesson, you will see the instructor flipping him upside down, having him "fall" into the water and just dropping him into the middle of the pool. All of these scenarios are designed to instill the swim/float/swim instinct in a potentially life-threatening situation.

Today, James completed his lesson wearing full winter clothes (including a hooded sweatshirt). Shame on me for not getting it video-taped because he did WONDERFUL! The fact that he was carrying an extra 6-8 lbs of wet clothing did not hamper his swimming skills. It was great to see him succeed and become such a competent little swimmer! From the swim skills he shows during his lessons and watching him dive under the water in our pool at home, I think we have a future little scuba diver in our midst! Daddy is so proud!

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

2009-06-15T11:19:00.001-07:00

Last week, James and I flew to Gatlinburg TN to spend the week with my family for our summer vacation. Will couldn't come because of work commitments, but I survived the plane ride with a two-year old nonetheless. In some of the pictures, you may see a friendly-looking backpack/harness that looks like a puppy. Yes, I broke down and bought a harness/leash for my child. Before you judge me, just know that I have a very fast, active little boy who loves to run and jump, but hates the stroller. We were flying solo and would be going to theme parks and downtown Gatlinburg and I thought that this was the best time for a leash. As it turns out, I used it a LOT and James affectionately asks for "puppy" when it is time to head out the door. Yes, my friends, "puppy" was a life saver! We visited the Gatlinburg Aquarium. It is by far, the best aquarium we've been to so far! It's not super huge, but the views of the tanks and the exhibits are really well-designed. They have a large, interactive area for kids. It's pretty interested for us "big kids" too. If you ever get a chance to go, I highly recommend this aquarium! Part of the aquarium takes you on a moving walkway through a glass-tunneled view of the large shark tank. The dome-shaped ceiling is painted to look like the sky, so above the fish and sparkling water, it looks like you are outside. Very cool!

Here I am with my baby brother, Elliott. Yes, I am the runt of the family.

Here is my mom, my brothers and me.

Here are James, Mason and Christian (his cousins). The boys had a great time playing together! It was a wild, loud house when all three boys were playing!

James and I even had a special visit from an old friend of mine (Hunt) from Greenville. We've known each other for about 13 years (we did the math) and he is now a professor of history at Western Carolina University. It was such a treat to catch up with a good friend and laugh about some old times together.

Here is James and his new buddy, Austin. Austin's parents own the Condo and Motel that my mom works at and they are wonderful people. They are like a second family to my mom and even let us stay at this huge house for free! The house was very roomy, a great space for all the kids there and was only 1/4 a mile from downtown Gatlinburg- great location! Their son, Austin, immediately took to James and they were best buds during the week.

Here we are on a carousel in Dollywood! James had several firsts this week (first Mc Donald's cheeseburger and fries, first trip to an amusement park, first train ride and first ride on a carousel.)

One of the last things we did was ride the Dollywood Steam Engine. It's 15 minutes of loud, whistle-blowing, steam-filled, soot-covered fun! James was a tired pup at the end of the day, but he was awe-struck by this train. Just mesmerized the whole ride! Apparently, most kids all asleep with all of the rocking, but he just stared and stared....

With a few eye rubs in between.

One pretty cool section of Dollywood is full of classic cars. One of James' favorite rides (one of the few he was tall enough to ride) was a track with these models of classic cars that you could drive around in. The pictures were pretty fuzzy and far away, not blog worthy. But, here is James and Austin "at the drive in."

This was James' first official amusement park ride- The Flying Ducks. Not too scary and he fit the height requirement (yeah!)

Overall, our week flew by and it was wonderful seeing James play and getting to know his cousins. The kids kept busy playing and swimming and the grown ups were busy relaxing and resting up for the next outing/activity. My mom really hooked us up with a free place to stay all week, free tickets to Dollywood and the Aquarium. I love freebies!

It was good family time and good vacation time!

Building Blocks and Bedtime

2009-05-29T08:37:00.000-07:00

We have fallen into our evening routine of dinner, play, bath time, a little more play, then books and finally bedtime. Will (daddy) usually gets home sometime after dinner (James eats before Will and I do). This evening, he didn't make it home until after bath time. I was just getting ready to head into James' room for some books before bedtime, but then daddy walked into the door. Once James' sees him, it's goodbye mommy and hello daddy! He immediately grabbed Will's hand and led him over to the play rug. He asked him to "Sit down" so he could bring over his blocks. Then, James noticed that daddy had forgotten to take his shoes off. James never forgets our cardinal rule of no outside shoes inside the house, but daddy often forgets! So, James helped with the shoe removal. See below-

James took Will's shoes and put them into the closet for him. Then took out his slippers and proceeded to put them on daddy's feet. Yes, Will has him trained very well. You could call this child labor, but James takes his "job" very seriously and actually looks forward to "helping daddy with his shoes" every evening.

Once the dirty outside shoes are safely put away and daddy has on his slippers, the tower building can begin.....

James is very good at taking turns (sometimes)............

And he always applauds the efforts of his daddy when building towers. Apparently, he is very proud of his daddy's building skills!

Finally, after two towers have been built and demolished, it's time for bedtime books with mommy. His new fav book is Bedtime Stories with Elmo. Oh Elmo. Elmo, Elmo, Elmo......

Just For Mom

2009-05-20T14:43:00.000-07:00

Okay, so my mom commented (complained) that my recent blog posts have been too wordy and less picture-y. It's just very hard when your "subject" won't stay still for two seconds, but here's the latest. Sorry for the super-close, blurry ones. Enjoy!

Happy Anniversary!

2009-05-14T18:44:00.000-07:00

Today, Will and I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary.

We celebrated by going out to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. We go there every year, not because we love their food so much, but because our wedding cake was their Banana Cream Pie cheesecake. So, we go there for dinner and for our "wedding cake." It's always fresh, very yummy and it brings back such romantic memories of when we started our lives together. Plus, we think it's pretty cool that we can have it every year for our anniversary (unless the restaurant chain goes out of business, but I don't think it's likely).

This is what was left of our "wedding cake" dessert. So yummy!

And, we don't go overboard for gifts during Christmas, but we do like to shower each other with gifts during birthdays and anniversaries. I think Oprah said it best- "Don't have big weddings. Have big anniversaries and celebrate the fact that you are still together!"

After leading me in the "wrong direction" and teasing me with my gift, Will presented me with a beautifully written card and my gift this morning. Traditionally, linen and silk are the gifts for the 4th anniversary. The modern trend is electronic devices. So, in keeping with the "theme", Will got me a TomTom GPS unit for my car. I got him his much-longed-for water fountain/feature for the back patio. (it has to be plugged in for the water pump to work, so it's electric, right?)

Anyway, the best part of our anniversary was remembering how much we love each other and sharing that love with our son. I love how he expects a kiss every time he sees us kissing. Will can't give me one kiss without James smacking his lips as if to say- "My turn! My turn!" Of course, he never goes without getting a kiss from Mommy and Daddy!

Our lives are so full right now. Yes, full of good stuff and then the bad, not-s0-fun stuff, too. But, that's life. You have to take the good with the bad. But, having a good partner makes all the difference in the world.

Happy Anniversary, Hon!

Happy 22 Months Old!!!

2009-05-13T19:06:00.000-07:00

My, how time is flying by! James' latest birth-month just snuck up on me!
This past weekend, we were at Ginnie Springs, tubing and camping with friends. Well, by camping, I mean staying at a motel near by the park. I'm NOT ready for a tent and a two year old! We had such a nice, relaxing, fun weekend at the springs.
On Saturday, he turned 22 months old. He amazes me every day by learning/saying a new word. His vocabulary has expanded to two-word expressions now. I love to hear him announce "I'm running" or "I'm jumping". His expressions are just so cute (Oh-No!) and (Nice!). I've ruined him with the free cookies at Publix. As soon as we pull into the parking lot, he yells out "Cookies!!" Sometimes I get full sentences out of him, "I want cookies!" or " I want outside!" After a conference with his teachers, I proudly learned that he is one of the best jumpers in his class. His legs may be short, but they are STRONG!
He is getting better at being gentle with his friends, but he likes to throw toys/objects, which doesn't always end well.
I love how he announces whatever he is drinking. For example, he will hold up his cup and announce "MILK" or "JUICE" whenever it is appropriate. Too cute.
His swim lessons are going wonderfully. As promised, I videotaped last Friday's lesson, but I can't find the USB port to connect the camera to the computer, so it can't be downloaded just yet. I have plans for a trip to Best Buy very soon. However, his instructor says that he is making great progress and really WANTS to be a swimmer. I can see how hard he kicks and really follows her directions. As soon as his ten minutes are up, he lays beside the pool for a good 15 minutes to rest and catch his breath.
We are just so proud of him and the little sunshine that he has become. Oh yes, there are the days/times that he drives me to drinking and pushes my limits! It makes for very hard mornings when we are trying to get out of the house in a timely manner. He is very head strong (gets it from both sides!) and very independent. But, we wouldn't have it any other way.
Overall, he is such a sweet, fun, cool, precious little boy and we love sharing our lives with him.
Happy 22 Month Birthday Little Man!

Is This the Face of a Bully?

2009-05-06T19:19:00.001-07:00

Yes, my friends, apparently this is the face of a bully. I picked James up from school today and got a disturbing report of his daily behavior. His teacher did not say the word "bully" but his actions have it written all over them. It seems that this "angel" child of mine has been playing very rough with his friends, pushing them down (not out of anger, but because it's funny), laying on top of them (pushing his weight around) and taking toys from them. Some of it may be typical "boy" behavior, but he does play very rough and we are working on being "gentle." No, this is not good at all.

What's more disturbing is that I've seen this behavior at home as well. For example, James will come up to me and push me with both hands. When I give him the "What are you thinking?!??" look, he immediately gives me a hug as if to make it all better. Well, a hug that follows a push does not make it all better!

Fellow super moms out there (especially those with little boys) how do I nip this behavior in the bud???

On a side note, James is progressing wonderfully with his swimming lessons! The first couple of lessons were very difficult (for him and for me) but he is getting more comfortable with the instructor and making great gains in his air control and swim form. Another mom who was there with her two older children could not believe how well he was swimming already, at such a young age. Even though each lesson is only 10 minutes, he is working/swimming/kicking the entire time and it totally wears him out! Of course, after a little rest, he is back to his normal, rough-housing self! On Friday, I get to videotape his lesson. I'll be sure to post it for those of you who are skeptical and interested.

Also, I have to mention that my mother is completely AGAINST this type of swim instruction. She was mortified that I didn't immediatly pull him out of the water the first time he started crying and she can't believe that I continue taking him. I assured her that this isn't causing major future trauma (I hope) and that in the end, he will be a capable, confident swimmer (priceless). The lessons have not affected his desire to go swimming in our pool (or any other pool) but they have given him a healthy respect for the water. But, I just had to note my mother's hesitations.......

Weekend Shenannigans

2009-05-03T18:08:00.000-07:00

It's Sunday night and I'm tired.
So, this post will be short and sweet...
After a couple months hiatus, I rejoined the Brandon Runners for an early Saturday morning run. I've really missed getting up early and running with the group. Okay, maybe I just missed the breakfast afterwards. I ran 5.5 miles and it felt great. Well, it felt great up until mile 5, then my left knee (it band) started acting up again. So, I'm just going to take it easy and not pack on too much mileage, too fast.
Saturday afternoon, I got really adventurous and loaded up James and Misha and Abby and headed to a nearby trendy children's boutique for a family portrait. It's been years since the girls (our dogs) have been in a family photo, so I wanted them to be a part of this years' Mother's Day portrait. Despite all of the things that could have potentially gone wrong in a children's clothing boutique with two small dogs and a two year old, the event went very well! Actually, the dogs did better during the photo shoot than James did! But, boy was I sweating! Trying to round up both dogs, get James to look at the camera and smile at the same time is WORK! You can see the pictures by clicking on this link.
I think they turned out okay, but I still love the work that my friend Susan does!
On Sunday, Will and I were invited to a co worker's house for grilling and poolside drinks. They have a son who is a few months older than James, so the boys had fun playing together. It was a nice afternoon away, but we are just wiped out and tomorrow begins the work week.
James continues with his swim lessons tomorrow. I'm not looking forward to going back after he's had a few days off, although I could tell he was practicing his "swimming" at our friends' pool today. And, if anything, the lessons have given him a healthy respect for the water. Priceless!
Okay, so the post wasn't too short and maybe not that sweet.
But, it was a weekend filled with sweet moments with my son and my husband so there you go!

Have a great week out there!

First Day of Swimming Lessons

2009-04-27T17:34:00.000-07:00

So, today was our first day of swimming lessons. James had no clue, but I have been anticipating this event for several days now. We arrive at the dive shop where the pool is located and meet the instructor in the parking lot. She is a bubbly, cute woman and James immediately smiled and waved at her. She asked him for a high-five and then he proceeded to give her "knuckles". Yes, our boy is that cool. The instructor then commented that that would probably be the last time he would be so friendly with her. I started to worry then.

I had heard that many children cry throughout the lesson and even the Parent Resource Guide that I received in the mail prepared me for the level of anxiety that accompanies most of the swim lessons.

Since each lesson is only 10 minutes long (albeit the LONGEST ten minutes ever), I thought that maybe the first day would be an easy one. Not so much......

James went right to the instructor in the water, then the work began. Today, they worked on finding the side of the pool (a brightly colored pole easily accessible for small children). The side of the pool means AIR and an exit point, so this is an important lesson. James went under several times, but he always came up grabbing for the pole and was kicking/reaching/swimming towards it. As much as I prepared myself, it was very hard to see him struggling and crying and going under (all under the watchful supervision of the instructor, but still.)

She was commenting on his performance, checking his vitals (temperature, bloating, burping, fatigue, etc) and giving him swim cues all at the same time. She noted how active he was and how his energy level was very high (tell me something I don't know!). He used good swimming form and immediately rolled onto his back for a floating position. Although I was on pins and needles, she said he had an excellent first lesson. After his ten minute lesson, he was completely exhausted. I let him lay by the side of the pool for about 15 minutes. He needed it to catch his breath and just regroup. Poor thing.

During James' lesson (see, I told you it was a long ten minutes!) I met another mom whose little girl was in a lesson after James. Her little girl was one month younger than James. The mom explained that three weeks ago, the little girl had fallen into their pool. When she found her, she was blue and non responsive. The mom commented that she's just lucky she knew CPR.

My eyes welled up with tears and all I could think of was the importance of these swim lessons.

I shared this story not to scare you, but just as a precaution because children do die of drowning every day. And it is something 100% preventable.

Sorry for the buzz kill.

Water Boy

2009-04-25T05:31:00.000-07:00

No, not the slow-minded Adam Sandler version, but my very own "water boy" nonetheless.
It seems that James is OBSESSED with playing in the water lately, more specifically, our pool.
Every afternoon, when we come home from preschool, he runs to back door yelling, "Water, water, water!" This only means one thing, "I want to go swimming!"
Once we are all changed and into our suits, it's outside play by the pool until dinnertime.
He loves hanging out on the steps, jumping into the water from the sides and putting things into the filter. Oh, the fabulous filter! He LOVES watching toys drift (get sucked) into the filter, then he'll pull the lid off and retrieve the object, only to repeat the whole scenario again and again. He likes me to be in the water with him, but he doesn't want me to hold him. He thinks he can just "go" and swim on his own. Not so much....
After researching a couple of different swim schools in our area, I decided to enroll James in swim lessons with Infant Swimming Resource. They have an excellent drowning prevention rate and I really agree with their whole swim philosophy with children.
James will go to swim class every day for 10 minutes. It will be just him and the instructor in the water. By the end of 4-6 weeks of instruction, he will be able to hold his breath underwater, open his eyes underwater, swim in a forward motion and float on his back to catch his breath.
It really is amazing what these little water babies can do! Once you click on their site, there is a very compelling video of a child falling into the pool with full clothes on (as this is the most common scenario when pool accidents occur)
I was taught to swim at a very young age and loved swimming in our pool as a child. With us living in Florida and having a pool only 10 feet from our back door, I see it as a necessity for James.
I am so excited about his lessons and can't wait for him to be a little swimmer!

After Twilight

2009-04-25T05:18:00.000-07:00

Last night, after watching the movie Twilight, Will and I had the following conversation.

Will: So, what happens next? How does it end?

Me: I don't know. I've only read the first two books and I have the other two waiting for me on my nightstand.

Will: What happens to Bella in the second book?

Me: Well, Edward abandons her, but it's for her own good. She becomes good friends with Jacob and goes on this thrill-seeking mission. Then, Jacob becomes a werewolf and that's not good for Edward.

Will: But, Edward's family are the good ones. They don't kill humans.

Me: It doesn't matter, enemies are enemies. You spend most of book two mad at Edward because he isn't there with Bella, but then he comes back and everything is better. Oh, Bella still wants to become a vampire really badly, but Edward won't let her.

Will: What then? That's it? Go get reading!

End of conversation.

Weekend Highs and Lows

2009-04-19T17:13:00.000-07:00

High: Friday night, Will put James to bed early and we grilled out. Thanks to my friend Amy, I have a new recipe for grilled shrimp that is just de-lish! It was nice to sit by our pool and wind down our week together.
Low: I didn't get up super early on Saturday (like normal) and get in a long run with the Brandon Runners. However, I did make it to the gym to get a couple of quick miles in before my BodyPump class. As long as my legs were sore afterwards, I count it a good workout!

High: On Saturday evening, some girlfriends and I headed out for a Girls Night at 717 South(one of my favorite, trendy places to eat in SoHo.) The atmosphere is super cool and the food is wonderful!

Low: Ummm...... can't think of one..

High: On Sunday, I scored free tickets to the Performing Arts Center to see Faust. A couple of girlfriends wanted to join me, so it was another "ladies day out" event. Of course, we had to meet for lunch before the show, so that was even more good yumminess! After some good food and great conversation, we headed over the theater and found our seats. I immediately became lost in the music and was in awe of the performers. I think everyone truly enjoyed themselves!
Low: Ummm..... can't think of one....

High: Saturday afternoon, I took James out to the beach so Will could get some quiet time for studying. The late afternoon sun was bright, but not sweltering and the sand was soft! James had a great time jumping in the small waves and driving his truck all up and down the beach. It was such a nice, relaxing way to spend the afternoon and the drive wasn't bad at all (about 6 minutes) We went to the beach on base instead of driving over to St. Pete.
Low: Not having Will there to enjoy the sunshine with us.

James heading out to sea

r> Off-roadin'

Evidence of Me at the Beach

James' First Easter Hunt

2009-04-14T15:13:00.001-07:00

On Saturday, we were invited to a large egg hunt hosted by some members of the local Presbyterian church. This was their 10th annual hunt and they knew what they were doing! There was tons of food being prepared (burgers and hotdogs) and there were three different hunting locations to accommodate the various ages of children there. After the hunt, the Easter story was explained to all of the children. James lasted for about 2.5 minutes during the story, but we'll work on that!
Considering it was his first egg hunt, he did fantastic! We just showed him what to look for and where to put his eggs. He handled the rest! It was so cute watching him hunt and look around for the eggs! Even after the hunt was over, he was still on the lookout!
It was such a nice day and a nice event, but also bittersweet. The more holidays that pass by, the more I miss having our family around to share these memories with. Of course, taking tons of pictures and posting them here does help a little, but it doesn't compare to the real thing. For years, I was totally content it being "just the two of us" but then James came along and now, all of a sudden, I want my family and Will's family closer to us. Am I crazy or what?
Anyway, enjoy the rest of the pics!

I can't look at the camera mom! Too busy looking for eggs!

If I pose real quick, will you let me focus????

Daddy and James counting his eggs!

Which came first? The chicken or the egg?

James loves having his friend John around. He actually grabbed John's hand! So sweet! Either that, or he wanted to get closer to his basket!

Happy 21 Months Old!

2009-04-10T10:51:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, James turned the ripe old age of 21 months. I really can't believe he's almost two already! Where has this year gone?
Anyway, we celebrated the day by going for an early workout at the gym, meeting with some friends for a playdate, followed by a brief naptime, then outside for some R & R by the pool. Sadly, R & R does not exist when you are 21 months old, so I got to "swim" him around the pool and catch him over and over and over as he jumped off the side. Yes, I am researching swim instructors as I type.
There are just a few updates this month.....
James has been ruined by the Publix bakery. In an effort to appease him during one shopping trip, I took him to get a free cookie from the bakery. Well, now, EVERY time we go into the store, guess what he's demanding? Yep, a cookie. I also made the mistake of putting him into the cool car grocery cart with the steering wheel, once.
Now, even when I only need to run in and grab two items, guess which cart I have to put him in. Nice.
His vocabulary is slowly increasing. He can now say- Milk, Cookie (thanks Publix!), Cracker, Outside, Abby (all dogs are Abby), Truck, Ball, Einstein (or, a version of it, for his fav cartoon), and maybe some others, but I can't remember at this point. Whenever I prompt him to say something, he just points at me and shakes his head Yes, as if to say, "Yes, what you said mommy!" Why does he need to talk when I do all the talking for him? Right?
His favorite expression is still, "oh coooooolll!"
Here are some recent pics that I was able to snap recently-

Are we there yet?

shootin' some hoops with mom!

It's Official...

2009-04-01T17:52:00.000-07:00

Yep, I have officially registered for the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C.
The race (26.2 miles) isn't until late October and I don't have to start training until May, but I am SO excited about this new venture! I was really disappointed when I was unable to run the Gasparilla marathon due to IT band issues in both knees. I'm proud to say that the injury is completely healed now (it just needed time). I learned a humbling and valuable lesson about cross-training and not being a weekend-warrior (someone who doesn't run much during the week and then runs LONG on the weekend.) However, it will be challenging to fit a full-time teaching job (not just a day job!), being mommy to the best little sunshine around and finding time to train. But, I know it can be done.
One thing about me- I LOVE setting goals and new challenges. I truly am not happy unless I'm working towards some long-term goal. And, working towards a goal that makes me feel strong, healthy and lookin' okay in a bikini isn't too bad!
I am fortunate enough to have found great friends who also are great athletes/runners who keep me motivated and inspired to achieve these goals. My goals would truly not be attainable without them.
So, it would only seem fitting that I want to share my experiences with others. This is where my friend, Stacy, comes in.
Stacy and I "met" in the world of mom-bloggers. I came across her mom-blog and immediately became drawn to her Working Mom blog. Then, I realized that we actually went to the same college and graduated the same year! It wasn't until 10 years later, marriage and kids that we really connected and found that we share the same passions- running/healthy living/personal fitness. Anyway, I shared my enthusiasm for marathons with her and now THIS has happened! I can't wait to finally meet her in October!
I love being a good influence on people (although it may seem crazy to most of the world's population, ie my Mother!)

Time Off

2009-03-30T10:34:00.000-07:00

Due to federal budget cuts, I was forced (along with the other tutors at my school) to take 4 weeks of non-paid vacation because there was not enough money in the budget to keep paying us. Yeah.

So, with all this extra time on my hands lately, I've managed to get a few things done.

So far, I've-

-interviewed with the new principal at my old school, Rampello Downtown Partnership. She offered me my dream teaching position for next school year (3rd grade, Reading) and I graciously accepted. So, next year, it will be back to the full-time workforce for me!

-decided to run the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC next October. My training will begin again in about a month. I've already purchased my plane ticket and set up accommodations for the trip.

-cleaned out three cabinets in my kitchen to make room for counter top stuff.

-making plans to clean out the cabinet under the kitchen sink (not looking forward to that one!)

-had a yard sale and sold a couple of items on Craigslist.

-attended a wine tasting at the local ABC store and had a blast.

-countless number of trips to the gym/park/playground/aquarium.

-bought a Sony HD flat-panel 48-inch TV for my birthday. Then, I got to buy the new tv stand and the Tivo HD to go with it.

- had a weekend get-away at the Tradewinds Beach Resort with my hubby for my birthday.

- finalized plans for a weekend camping trip to Ginnie Springs in May.

That's all I can remember off the top of my head, but the last two weeks have flown by. I wonder what else I'll get done during the next two weeks??????

Here is James on Sunday at the park.

Taking off and being the little climber that he is!

Ah, my peoples, you have come for me!

All of that running and climbing sure does work up an appetite!

How could you not love that face?

The Latest....

2009-03-18T10:03:00.001-07:00

So, it seems that my little sunshine comes up with something new each week to entertain/amaze/exasperate me. Here's the latest....

Yesterday, as we were leaving for school/work, James really, really, really wanted my Kakui (sp?) Nut necklace that Wana brought me from Hawaii. Well, the one I had on matched my outfit and really pulled it together, so he wasn't getting that one. But, I also have another, shorter Kakui Nut necklace. So, in a effort to coax James into the car so we could get out of the house in a somewhat timely fashion, I grabbed the extra necklace and put it around his neck. He was SO THRILLED! He was still wearing it when we got to school, so I just went with it (he was wearing a hawaiian-looking shirt, so it totally matched the outfit!) When I picked him up from preschool, his teachers said that he proudly wore his necklace the entire day! They had to take it off during naptime, but he wanted it right back when he saw it later that day.

Too cute.

And today, I kept him home from preschool due to some pretty bad allergy symptoms (the pollen count here in FL is RIDICULOUS!) He eyed some old Gasparilla beads on our bookshelf and once again, demanded his necklace.

What? You lookin' at me?

Don't you know that real men wear beads with their big bellies?

Weekend Highs and Lows

2009-03-16T10:53:00.000-07:00

High: On Friday, we got a visit from Will's sister, Samantha. She was on spring break and decided to spend the week in Florida with her boyfriend's family. They stopped by our house on their way back up to Ohio (burrrr.) She attends college at Bolling Green and has finally settled on a major, we think. It was a special visit because she finally got to meet James! And, we haven't seen Samantha in a couple of years, so it was nice to spend some quality time with her and catch up. Friday night, we had some friends/neighbors over for a cookout/Welcome Samantha/Happy Birthday Dad dinner! It was a hectic/full house (hence, no pictures) but everyone had a great time!

Low: On Saturday, dad flew back to North Carolina. His two weeks here just flew by and we would have loved for him to stay longer. But, he was needed back home, so it was time to go. I know James is going to miss having his grandpa around. Hopefully he will plan another visit soon!

High: Also on Saturday, we got a phone call from Will's boss (Colonel B.) informing us that we needed to celebrate because Will got a promotion! As of now, all we know is that Will gets a new title and there is reason to celebrate, but we aren't too sure of much more. Hopefully, more money will soon follow! Either way, I'm just so darn thankful for the jobs (Will with the government and me with the school district) that we both have. Our jobs have never been ones that earned the "big bucks", but they are secure and stable. Right now, in this new economy, that's PRICELESS.

Low: Sadly, we did not win the HGTV's Dream Home Giveaway. To add insult to injury, the winner was chosen from Lakeland, Florida (not too far from Tampa.)

Silver lining: We probably wouldn't have been able to afford the property taxes. Although, as Will pointed out, it would have been fun to try!

Happy (belated) 20 Month Birthday!!!

2009-03-11T17:20:00.001-07:00

At 20 months of age, our little sunshine is all playful and all boy! His vocabulary is slowing increasing every day and his echoing of our words is getting more and more clear. He still would rather point and cry or fuss to get what he wants, but we are still encouraging him to "use your words." He has had a really tough time with teething lately. (still) But, I think the molars have finally all broken through.

His favorite place to play is outside. But, he has found his new/latest love-

Thomas the Train.

Actually, any train will do. I made the mistake of buying the motorized ones for his first set. Let's just say that we are keeping Duracell well financed due to their C batteries.

His favorite meal of the day is breakfast (loves his old-fashioned oatmeal). But, he is a hearty eater during the other meals, too.

He is very familiar with the Time Out Spot. Some days, too familiar.

Our bedtime routine now involves the reading of 4-5 specific books-

Five Little Monkeys

On the Day you were Born

Does a Kangaroo have a Mother, too?

Good Night Moon

Guess How Much I love You

He is such a sweet, fun, curious, independent little person. I love watching him learn something new or adapting to the challenges around him. Although, his independent spirit has led to quite a few power struggles with me. Sadly, he wins most of them. But, I choose to pick my battles.

My friend Amy and I took our kids to the Aquarium for some outdoor/water play the other day. Here are the pics:

Fun with Grandpa

2009-03-11T17:11:00.001-07:00

We all have enjoyed my dad's visit (we always do). But it has been an extra special visit because James has finally gotten to know and understand who "grandpa" is.

From the very beginning, he went straight to him and loves following him around the house. He always remembers to give his grandpa a good-bye kiss when we leave for school each morning.

He loves having grandpa read books to him.

He loves helping grandpa work on his computer.

And he loves doing the stretching exercises and practicing Tai Chi with his grandpa.

I love the fact that they are becoming best buddies, but it only makes it more sad that dad lives so far away.

Sniff. Sniff.

76 Years in the Making....

2009-03-08T18:05:00.000-07:00

My dad is in town visiting for a couple of weeks. For his birthday, we decided it would be lots of fun to snorkel with the manatees in Crystal River. The water is a constant 72 degrees (burrr!) but the adventure was worth it!
We came up on a calf (baby manatee) and she wanted to play, play, play! She loved the attention from everyone and was NOT camera shy. I used our new underwater housing unit and my own Stylus 770 digital camera to capture all of these photos. I titled this post "76 Years in the Making" because this was the first time my dad has ever put on a wetsuit. After all of his years swimming and surfing in the ocean, he's never worn one. So, today was a day of firsts! Dad felt right at home in the water and absolutely LOVED swimming with the manatee. You'll see him in several photos "posing" with the baby.

Enjoy!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

The Decision.

2009-02-26T11:16:00.000-08:00

To run or not to run....

That is the question these days.

I made a pact with myself that by today (two days before the race) I would either be running with no pain, or fore go the race.

Well, I went out for a 5 miler this morning. By mile 1.5, my knees were hurting so bad, that I was forced to powerwalk the rest of my "run."

After weeks of taking it easy (no runs), foam rolling, stretching and ultrasound treatments, my it band has healed itself enough for walking, but not for running.

My powerwalking pace isn't much slower than my run/walk pace. But, I've been training to run this marathon, not walk it. Totally different leg muscles would be used/needed that I haven't prepared them for. But, I do have lots and lots of miles logged in my training book.

So, could I complete the marathon at this point? Yes.

Would I be risking several other running/walking related injuries and a longer recovery time for my it bands? Definitely.

Is it worth being injured for several weeks (or months) and have to hobble around while chasing a very active toddler? No.

Is my running partner, Veronica, a wonderful friend who fully supports my decision not to race and is looking out for my best interest/health? YES!

Silver Lining: I haven't registered yet. So instead of spending the $100+ on the race registration, I'll use it to go shopping at the Race Expo.

Since I won't be inflicting more injury to my legs, I'll be able to participate in some upcoming, shorter races.

Thanks for every one's support and ideas/suggestions for injured it bands. But, in the end, it's like everyone said, they are painful when injured and take a LONG time to heal.

Oh well, there's always next year.....

Babes and Balloons

2009-02-20T10:02:00.000-08:00

Today, we threw a Baby Shower for two moms in our Mom's Group. This is the second child for both moms, so not only are they OVER being preggers, but they have to constantly chase around a toddler, too. I'm thinking that waiting a little bit longer before starting on Hayman #2 isn't such a bad idea after all.....

The cake and presents were a bit hit, as always, but everyone loved the balloons! They were a bit hit with the three-and-younger crowd!

Real men ride zebras..... with pink and yellow balloons!

James, hard at work, wearing his newly crafted sun visor.

Weekend Highs and Lows

2009-02-16T17:22:00.000-08:00

High: Going out Friday night with our friends Amy and Mark to celebrate her birthday.We went to these really trendy restaurant/bars along Howard Ave in SoHo and just enjoyed being a part of adult society for a while.

Low: The hangover that followed.

High: Getting two very cute, romantic cards and flowers from my hubby on VD.

Low: Telling him that I didn't get him anything.

High: Running the Sarasota 1/2 marathon sunday morning.

The sky was overcast and the weather was mild. The view running across the bridge and by the water was just breathtaking (either the view or running 13 miles!)

Low: Having MORE knee pain (it band issues) and having to walk after mile 9.

The reality hit me that I might not be able to complete the Gasparilla marathon in two weeks. My IT band issues are not getting better. I have two weeks of taper (runs with less mileage). But, after discussing my problems with a trainer at the gym and my Primary Care Physician (his background is in Sports Medicine), I'm going to refrain from anymore running and focus on healing/stretching/strengthening/icing my it band.

Cross your fingers that it works!

Here is a classical James moment from earlier today. I gave him a cookie after dinner and instead of drinking from his sippy cup, he decided to follow Abby's lead for a sip of water. Yes, I'm so proud....

"Slurp, slurp. Boy, this is some good water."

"So, come here often?"