Update

Time to update you all on our happenings this past month. Morgan is on a swim team. She attends practice everyday and she has made great progress. I hope this is the week she finds the courage to let go of her teachers and swim.

A couple of weekends ago, we visited with my friend Lacy and her husband Dave and their daughter Penelope. They took us to Dave's parent's house to ride horses. The girls had a blast. Then we drove to the mountains and camped over night. It was a fun experience until we tried to go hiking the next day. Both girls were exhausted and ready to go home. We will have to take them camping more often to toughen them up.

The other day, Morgan decided to do a project on her own. Greg was outside working in the yard and I was putting Taylor down for a nap. Morgan saw a video on how to make a princess using a sock and paper. She grabbed one of Greg's socks, a water bottle, paper, tape, scissors, tin foil and markers. The picture shows the result of her creative efforts. She was so proud of what she did that we could not be angry at her for climbing up on the counter to get the scissors. Greg thinks it looks like a character from "The Nightmare Before Christmas".

I hope everyone is having a fun summer. We look forward to seeing family and friends next month.

Ouch!

On Saturday, Morgan and Taylor were running around the house pushing each other, and Morgan pushed Taylor into the metal frame of the bed. The pictures do not do it justice. On Saturday, her cheek was swollen and blue. Sunday, she woke up with a little bit of black under her eye. Monday, it was even more black and blue and swollen. Today, it looks even worse. The pics were taken on Saturday and Sunday, before the beautiful blue, purple and green colors began to develop. She is fine and acts like nothing happened. I, on the other hand, am totally embarrassed to take her out in public. I feel like I should wear a huge sign that says, "I love my child, I did not beat her". I have a feeling this is just the first of many bruises, cuts and possibly broken bones for my little daredevil.

Birthday Girl

Tomorrow morning around 5:00am, marks my 32nd year on this earth. I usually am a little thrilled when it is my birthday because I can eat cake and open gifts. Who doesn't like cake and presents? This year though, I feel nothing. Tomorrow is just another busy day to me. There's swim class and play dates, a YW's activity and then a soccer game. I don't even think my kids know it is my birthday. I am not disappointed though. There is really nothing glamorous about turning 32. The carefree childhood days have long gone. My teenage years seem like they were in a different lifetime (maybe it's the 90's hairstyle). College and the 20's just flew by and now I am in the 30's. I remember being a young girl and thinking, when I am a Mom in my 30's, then I will be a grownup. Am I a grownup now? Secretly, I sometimes want to be a rock star with a bad attitude and lots of tattoos. Other days, I think it would be fun to join a motorcycle gang and travel across the country, wearing leather chaps and sporting lots of tattoos. Every once in a while I dream of playing on the U.S. Women's Soccer team and traveling around the world. Then I hear a child crying in the background and I am brought back to reality. Oh yeah, I have a husband and kids and something called responsibility. To those around me and especially to my kids, I appear to be an adult. Between you and me though, I am secretly a still a daydreaming kid at heart.

No more vomit, please!

For the past four weeks, someone in our family has been sick. First Greg had a cold with the cough that lasts for weeks after the initial cold is gone. Then I had vertigo. Yeah I know, weird. I felt like I had been on one too many carnival rides for two consecutive days. After the dizziness subsided, Taylor came down with the stomach flu and has been spewing for 5 days. A friend told me her nephew had the stomach flu for 2 weeks! I guess we can consider ourselves lucky.

I am looking forward to having a normal, boring and uneventful week. No coughing, no snotty noses or sore throats, no headaches or disabling dizziness, no waking up at all hours of the night, and absolutely no vomiting on mom, couches, beds and floors.

I will happily endure fights over stuffed animals, whining and complaining about eating vegetables, meltdowns before going to bed, arguments over who says the prayer, tantrums about who gets the pink plate, and listening to "I had it first!".

I will gratefully and humbly accept loving hugs, wet and sometimes sticky kisses, snuggling during story time, scribbles and stick figure pictures, ticklish toes, soft cheeks, tiny pink fingernails, singing concerts in the shower, excitement about peeing in the potty, and hearing the words, "I love you mommy!".

yummy lipstick!

Greg made blackberry milkshakes for the girls last night. As you can tell from the pictures, they really, really loved them. Morgan said that she and Taylor have lipstick on. I only wish lipstick tasted that good.

Morgan has one more day of school before the summer break. What to do this summer? Hopefully I can get Morgan and Taylor into swim lessons or tumbling classes. They need some kind of activity to burn off all that energy. I just picked up a flyer for AYSO soccer registration. I fondly remember the day my dad took me to register for soccer when I was 5 or 6 years old. Now AYSO accepts kids as young as 4. I cannot wait for Morgan to start playing soccer. What would I do if she didn't like it? That's not possible, she will love it because I said so. Actually, if she really does not like playing soccer, we will just find something else for her to do. She has lots of energy and a spunky personality. I am sure there is a future for her in something. Just as long as it is soccer.

Whiskey Row Marathon

I did it! I completed the 1/2 marathon in 2 hours and 15 minutes, 15 minutes under what I anticipated finishing. I had a great experience. My college roommate, Lacy Mayberry, ran the race with me. We stayed in Prescott Friday night and ran the race Saturday morning at 7:00. It was a little bit chilly when we started running, but after the first mile we were warmed up. The weather was perfect for running, sunny and cool. The scenery was beautiful and the town of Prescott quaint. We found out the night before that the first 6.5 miles were uphill. Brutal! The second half of the race was obviously much better. Surprisingly I felt great after the race. My knee started hurting Saturday evening, but by Sunday the pain had been replaced by soreness in my legs. Today I feel fine. I had so much fun with the whole experience that I have decided to run a full marathon sometime later this year. I know that I said I would never run a marathon, but after finishing the race I feel like I can do it. I am so lucky to have a supportive husband. I could not have done this without Greg's encouragement and love. I also have to thank Morgan and Taylor for encouraging me with their mantra, "I think I can, I think I can!". Now I know that I really can.

Obsessed

So the 1/2 marathon has completely taken over my life. (Ok, not really). I feel like it is taking over my life. Running is all I think about and as the big day looms closer (3 days), I am getting nervous. I was sick last week and the maximum distance I have run is 10 miles. I hope I can bust out a 13 miler on Saturday. My biggest concern is fueling my body enough for the race. I want to eat enough, but not too much. I cannot wait until this is all over.

Last weekend I met my Mom and sisters in Las Vegas for a girl's only weekend. We had a blast. We saw "Mama Mia" at Mandalay Bay and it rocked! Thanks Mom! I have the best Mom and sisters ever.

Last week Morgan went to a Princess Birthday Party. She wore a beautiful purple dress, but the moment she got to the party she changed into a different one because it was too itchy. That's our little princess.

Hopefully after this race I will be more consistent with this blog. I just have to keep chanting, "I think I can" over and over again so that I keep my spirits high. Wish me luck!