Showered in Love

This weekend Scott and I were afforded the luxury of having Grandma Katie and Aunt Susan visit.

My heart is so full when Marcus is around our family. It's rare we are together, and when we are in the same place at the same time I love watching all the attention and affection that Marcus is showered in. 

Because of Grandma and Susan, Scott and I snuck away for a quick over-night getaway. 

It was clear Marcus was left in the best of hands.

A big thank you to Grandma and Susan for keeping the little man entertained, occupied, and happy while we enjoyed an adult, kid-free weekend.

A Fall Swap

Fall is my absolute favorite time of year. From the coveted pumpkin spice lattes, to the cozy scarfs and mittens, to the crisp bite in the air, to the leaves changing color... It's like Mother Nature has saved her very best gift and is finally handing it over to you. 

Speaking of fall and gifts, Alicia, Britney, and Jodi put together this sweet little exchange that combined two great things - fall fun and meeting new bloggers.

I was paired up with Jenn from I Wanna Feel That Fire.
It was great getting to know Jenn throughout the month by email, blogs, and Instagram.

When I opened Jenn's package I had an instant perma-smile plastered to my face.

Jenn picked out some of my favorites, and introduced me to some new can't-live-without items!

Butterfly greeting cards: Who is obsessed with butterflies? This girl. Who loves sending little notes to friends and family via snail mail? This girl!
Magnetic note pad: My life revolves around making lists, crossing list items off, and re-doing lists. The magnetic note pad is perfect for the constant list making.
Carmel apple candy: Say what?! I'll be sneaking this snack well after the little man is asleep. Momma isn't sharing.
Lip Smackers: IN GIRL SCOUTS FLAVOR! I've died and gone to Heaven.
Lip balm: I'm always looking for my chapstick. Always! I'm putting each one in a diaper bag/purse. I'll always have chapstick on hand.
Nail polish: This color is perfect for the fall (and winter) seasons! Time to get a pedicure scheduled.

Jenn, thank you so much for putting such thought into the Fall Swap!

Happy Marcus Monday!

With Halloween quickly approaching we had to try our hand as a couple different Civil Servants. 

Happy Monday!

I Finally Wore a Scarf!

How is this already the last weekend in October? Where the heck did this month go?! I'm pretty sure I blinked and missed this month. And, taking a look ahead at next month, every single weekend is already booked with fun plans. Just looking at our November calendar makes me tired.

Anywho... 

It's Friday and that can only mean one thing. Time to throw a few high-fives up.

1. The weather around these parts has FINALLY resembled that of fall. The temps cooled off so much that I was finally able to wear a scarf! It's supposed to warm up again this weekend (whomp whomp), but I'm hoping the warm-up is just an unseasonable fluke.

2. Grandma Kathy, in all her sewing wizardry, once again made our Halloween costumes. They arrived in the mail and are SO AWESOME! I cannot wait for their big reveal. Until then, here's a sneak peek at Marcus' costume. 

3. I've been recruiting running buddies to join me in a few different races (Amie, Allison, Mateya!). So far I have interest in the Kansas City Hospital Hill Half (Saturday, June 7), the Disney Land Half (Sunday, August 13), and the Disney World Goofy Challenge (January 2015). And, I'm sure there will be a few more miles sprinkled in there. Who's joining in the fun? 

4. We are thrilled that Grandma Katie and Aunt Susan are visiting us this weekend! Not only does Marcus get some quality time with his grandma and aunt, this also means I can get a grande pumpkin spice latte and lazily stroll around Target run to the grocery store without the little man. It is like a mini vacation! 

5. Because of our very welcome visitors, Scott and I are sneaking away to Hollywood, Saturday through Sunday. We're headed to the Hollywood Bowl to catch the Zac Brown Band. Scott is so pumped to see this band. I'm still undecided if I'm more excited about the band, or the fact that we're staying overnight, and we can sleep in until 7:00 if we want!

Have a great weekend!

Running Ramblings

This past Saturday Scott and I had a "his and hers" workout. I ran the Randy Simmons Memorial 5k, for a fallen LAPD SWAT officer, while Scott participated in a Crossfit Challenge, also for the fallen officer. It's been a long time since Scott and I have worked out side-by-side, and it was more fun than I remember. He cheered me on as I crossed the finish line while I cheered him on as he did an insane amount of burpees, pull-ups, and power snatches. We need more his and hers workouts.

(P.S. Scott's Crossfit team won the group challenge, and Scott individually placed 3rd overall. He won't toot his own horn, but I will. Way to go, babe!)

Marcus greeted me at the finish line of the 5k.
Don't those guys just look miserable after their challenge? HA!

After this last weekends run, and after the LBC 1/2 I ran a few weeks ago, a few things have come to my attention:

• I cannot, for the life of me, understand why women get all done up (full blown hair and make-up) for a running event. Am I the only female who POURS sweat after the first 50 feet of any run? I would look like a hot mess if I slapped makeup on before a run. 
• It was obvious a few people bathed in their perfume/body spray/cologne before their run. At one point I was almost gagging the fumes were so strong. When I'm running I want fresh air, not the latest fragrance from Estée Lauder. 
• Walkers, BEAT IT! I don't know how many walkers I practically ran over during the Long Beach 1/2. I appreciate walkers and their miles just as much as any running mile. But, for the love of pavement pounding, if you are a walker, PLEASE move your happy pace to the back of the chute. Or, better yet, line up in the slower waves.
• No matter how many times I tell myself I'm just going to go "nice and easy" for a 5k I always end up going to the hilt. Saturday I rolled in at 24:42. Not my greatest, but certainly not my worst.
• It doesn't matter how often you see wildlife during your runs nothing prepares you for a coyote. Nothing. (During the 5k a coyote jumped out of the bushes, roughly 10 feet ahead of me - EEK!)
• You can train for 13.1 miles, but any 5k that has the first two miles going solidly uphill is going to stink. That last downhill mile is pretty much a breeze, though. 

Just for the fun of it, some LBC race day photos I don't want to pay for, and running by the numbers (and because I need to keep this documented somewhere).

With 14,000 participants I was pleased with my overall placings.

I love this legend and all the information it provided for my run. I wish all races had a breakdown like this.

Mile 5 I was obviously feeling on top of the world. Mile 12 I clearly wanted to die.

Until the next race!

Speaking of next race... I'm dying to get back to KC in June to run the Hospital Hill Half Marathon. It's always the first Saturday in June. Who wants to run it with me?

19 Months Old!

Dear Marcus,
You are officially closer to being 2 than you are 1. It is so bittersweet to watch you grow. While I want you to forever remain my baby (and don't get me wrong, you will always be my baby) it is so much fun to watch you grow into the little boy you are becoming.

This past month you have made leaps and bounds towards little-boyhood. You are such a determined, feisty little man. It blows my mind how many times you will fall down, bruise a knee, obtain a scrape, bump your head, but you bounce up and just keep going. You are really good at that -- going. You go, and go, and go. While it is exhausting it is also so much fun. Your dad and I both love the fact that you  would prefer to be outside, getting dirty, taste testing rocks, swimming in the pool, or simply running laps around the neighborhood.

Here are your official stats:
Height - 34 3/4 inches (95th percentile)
Weight - 31 pounds (95th percentile)
Teeth - 17
Clothing size - 2T
Shoe size - 6
Diaper size - 5

At your doctor's appointment a few weeks ago the doctor was very pleased with your activity, and she was impressed with your strength. If only she knew how strong you really are. Some days it takes all my strength to get a diaper on you. Not only are you muscularly strong, you are strong willed. That combo can make for some interesting days.

Though you still love yourself some macaroni and cheese, you are starting to try other foods. I think you've surprised yourself at how much you like different things!

Recently your vocabulary has really expanded. I was worried for awhile you would never use words, but you're coming around. New words this month include:
ball, bye, ew, hey, hi, me, meow (this is a current favorite, and you say it all.the.time.), mine, my, ow, quack, uh oh, up.

Other highlights for month 19:

• You find tooting to be hilarious. You are all boy. 
• You have learned to blow on your food if you think it's hot. It is hilarious to watch, as you are not real great at blowing. 
• Brushing your teeth may or may not be the highlight of your morning, as well as the highlight of bath time.
• You have finally begun waving hi and bye. 
• As of late you have discovered you can use our bed frame to climb into our bed (which is quite high up). Once you are on the mattress you proceed to chuck all 1,865 pillows onto the floor. Making the bed can take awhile in the mornings. 
• There is a little skip to your run that is so freaking cute.
• You have a self-propelled 4-wheeler that you LOVE scooting around on. You could spend all day just puttsing around on that thing. 
• One of your favorite outdoor activities is being chased by mommy. This is usually when we need to go inside, but you have a different agenda. 
• Your "gentle" touch with Izzy and Drake can almost qualify as gentle. We are lucky our pets are so patient with you.
• We have started playing with sidewalk chalk. You find your clothes to be a fun canvas to draw on. It washes and I don't mind the mess. Draw on little man, draw on.
• Lately we have been having dance parties in the living room, and you love to shake your little tush around. I die every time. It might be the cutest thing I have ever seen. 
• Recently you have displayed strong interest in reading books. As a lover of reading I am so happy to see you pull out your books and plop down to "read" for a few minutes. Currently your favorite books are Little Blue Truck, Barnyard Dance, Fifteen Animals, and Bright Baby First 100 Words. You LOVE pointing at all the pictures in the First 100 Words book and "asking" me to say the name of each object. I happily oblige. 

Lastly, I want to remember our mornings and our evenings... For the past few weeks we have started each day by snuggling. While you drink your cup of milk we bundle up in a blanket and we take our sweet time waking up together. At the end of each night you snuggle into me, drinking your cup of milk, letting the drowsiness wrap you up while I hold on tight. I know these moments won't last forever, so for now I will soak them up while you let me.

You are amazing, beautiful, and loved more than you will ever know.

I love you to the moon and back. Twice.

Love,
Mommy

The Perfect Pumpkin

Our weekend was a busy one. But, not too busy that we didn't make time to head to the pumpkin patch. We apparently weren't the only family with the pumpkin patch on our agenda, as the place was packed. That's not to say we weren't able to spot and pluck the perfect pumpkins.

This year's trip was a little more eventful for Marcus. He was able to get right into the patch and get dirty find his own pumpkin.

If it wasn't too heavy, Marcus was pushing over every possible pumpkin. He found it hilarious to watch the pumpkins roll. We could have spent all day simply rolling pumpkins around.

There may have been a few incidents of taste testing.

We couldn't go to the pumpkin patch without attempting to recreate a few photos...
The pile o' pumpkins:

Apparently this year's trip into the pile wasn't as much fun.

The family photo:

We were able to coax a smile out of Marcus this year.

We also took part in a few activities the farm had to offer. Scott suggested we skip the wagon ride, but that was pure nonsense. If there was one thing we couldn't miss it was the wagon ride!

Per the norm, Marcus maintained his "serious" face the duration of the ride.

Though the little man had a long day leading up to the pumpkin patch trip, he was a trooper.

I'm already looking forward to next year's trip, which will be on weekday when it's a lot less busy!

Happy Marcus Monday!

For your literary pleasure...

Stomp your feet! Clap your hands! Everybody ready for a barnyard dance!

Bow to the horse.

Bow to the cow.

Twirl with the pig if you know how.

Bounce with the bunny.

Strut with the duck.

Spin with the chicken now - CLUCK CLUCK CLUCK!

With a BAA and a MOO and a COCKADOODLEDOO

everybody promenade two by two!

Prance with the horses,

skitter with the mice.

Swing with your partner once or twice.

Stand with the donkey.

Slide with the sheep.

Scramble with the little chicks - 

CHEEP CHEEP CHEEP!

With a NEIGH and a MOO

and a COCKADOODLEDOO

another little promenade 

two by two!

Trot with the turkey.

Leap with the frog.

Take another spin with the barnyard dog.

Turn with the cow in a patch of clover.

All take a bow,

and the dance is over.

With an OINK and a MOO and a 

QUACK QUACK QUACK,

the dance is done,

but we'll be back!

~Barnyard Dance! Sandra Boynton

Happy Monday!

It's Not Just Me!

Another week in the books, and for that I'm thankful. This last week, and this coming weekend are action packed with excitement.

So, let's get to some high-fiving.

1. After admitting my race-day snafu (After having no urge or inclination to use the bathroom I may have peed my pants... Whoops.), I was so glad to hear from other runners that I wasn't alone.

Top: Cross country runner, and fellow Half Marathon-er.
Bottom: Distance runner and college cross country coach.

It's not just me!! Phew.

2. I don't know what I was/am thinking, but I had this conversation with my friend regarding a full marathon, and what my time would be according to my current training...

3:49?! A solid SUB-4? Whaaaat? That seems so do-able.

3. Because #2 lit a fire I didn't even know existed I've already begun recruiting other people I think might be as crazy as me. So far I have Amie on board, with an inquiry out to Allison. Though the dates/races haven't been figured out, I'm beside myself with excitement. Let's see how far this idea goes. Anyone else want to join in the madness?

4. My post yesterday opened up some great emails and conversations between a few ladies and me regarding "titles" for moms who stay at home. While I wish there wasn't a need for a label, there is. And, while I wish the topic wasn't so touchy, it is. However, there were a few great titles that were sent my way.

So much better than SHAM or full-time mom. Right?!

The next time someone asks what I do I'll have an answer ready to go.

5. Saturday we're running a 5k for a fallen LAPD officer. After a nice little 5k we're FINALLY headed to a pumpkin patch! Here's a shot from last year's festive fun.

Marcus is so little! I can't wait to do a little side-by-side comparison with the pic I fully intend to recreate tomorrow. :)

Have a great weekend!

Please, Don't Call Me That...

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Seven years ago I was fresh faced college graduate, degree in hand, thinking I was going to spend the rest of my life living gloriously in the professional world. Working was where it was at. Working was the thing to do. By God, if I wasn't out in the workforce then I wasn't doing much of anything!

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Never would I have dreamed that I would one day end up 1,700 miles from home, and keeping myself busy at home *GASP*. At the ripe old age of 23 my brain could not FATHOM wasting such time.

Now, here I am with an almost 19-month old, and I'm at home with him. All day. Every day.

Are there days I wish I was still working? Absolutely. Are there days I miss the career I started post-college? For sure. I loved that job, I loved my co-workers (shout out to my Shawnee Parks and Rec family), and I loved that paycheck. 

But now? Now all my efforts that were once put forth to help other people, and other people's kids... Well, I am able to focus all of that time and energy to my little man. 

When people ask what it is I do often I've found myself saying, "I'm just a mom." Down-playing my job. In all actuality, it is the most important, most demanding, most stressful, and most rewarding job I've ever had.

Some would call me a stay-at-home-mom. And, to be totally honest, I despise that term. Let me explain...

Too often the verbiage, "stay at home" is portrayed negatively. Staying home seems to implicate days are filled with endless hours of free-time, lazy afternoons spent channel surfing and eating bon bons, and naps galore. It's quite the opposite. 

My days are jam packed. I have to plan out breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. Then I have to prep said meals (with a toddler hanging on my leg), make said meals (with a toddler hanging on my leg), and figure out how I'm going to get my little man to eat said meals without a full-blown melt-down. Meal times can be daunting, and exhausting. Let's not even venture into the world of running necessary errands (ie. grocery shopping, post office trips, Target trips) with a toddler.

Aside from meals, days are spent teaching right from wrong, left from right, circles from squares, blue from red, and on and on. There are also play dates that need to be arranged, and toddler classes that need to be attended - interaction and stimulation with others is vital and necessary for both my main squeeze and me.

Each day when I wake up I put on several different hats and become the jack of all trades.

I'm a nutritionist.

I'm a chef.

I'm an educator.

I'm a moderator.

I'm a translator.
I'm a psychologist.

I'm an organizer.
I'm a janitor.

I'm a story-teller.
I'm an arts and craftser.
I'm a sing songser.

I'm a bruise-kisser-make-it-all-betterer.

I'm a dishwasher.

I'm a rules-setter.

I'm an enforcer.

I'm a to-do list maker and checker-offer.

I'm a nature explorer.

I'm a swim teacher.

I'm a lifeguard.

I'm a chauffeur.

I'm a building-blocks-builder.

I'm a master toy-truck-driver.

I'm a walk-around-the-block-6,329-timeser.

I'm a clothing and hair stylist.

I'm an exercise therapist (get outside and run, little one!).

I'm a bath giver.

I'm an affection showerer. 

That's just Monday.

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According to this site, if a full-time mom was to be paid, her annual salary would be $112,962.

My job is vital. And, I know every working-mother feels the same about her position. I'm not here to argue working versus staying at home. We're all trying to survive and make our lives work the best way we know how. At the end of the day we are all just doing what we think is best for our kids.

One last thing. I have a small favor to ask...
 Please, do not call me a stay-at-home-mom, or a SHAM. What I do is so much more. If a label needs to be placed, then please, call me a full-time mom.


Post-publish edit: After chatting with some moms who work full-time it has been brought to my attention that working moms aren't huge fans of the terminology "full-time mom." This carries the implication that working mothers are only part-time moms. Not the case. In order to settle the terminology dispute, a good friend of mine (thanks Andrea!) suggested I go with the term "Domestic Engineer." I like it. I'm using it.

The "P" Word

Potty training is knocking on our door. And, I'm beside myself with the idea of it.

The "missed aims," accidental wet pants, and countless trips to the bathroom aren't what have me concerned. It's the terminology of it all that I'm having a tough time with. 

Some words I just can't say... Stop by Mice in the Kitchen, where today I'm guest posting on the "P" word. I need your help on this one. Seriously. 

One more thing before you head over to Mice in the Kitchen...
Today is the last day to enter to win the ThinkEco2 wine rack! Enter using the Rafflecopter below.

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