Surprises All Around

September is kind of a big month in our house. Between pretty much Scott's entire family celebrating birthdays in the month, along with Scott and my birthday, September is full of fun.

Last weekend Scott had a secret "date night" planned. All I knew was to wear something other than my normal attire (read: running clothes), to be ready to go by 3PM, and that a baby-sitter was all lined up.

Dressed up and no idea where we were going.

In the car - destination unknown - Scott hands me an envelope. I open it to find a flight itinerary... To Omaha! Scott says to me, "We're going on a trip, and dropping Marcus off with your parents in Omaha." That's all he would tell me.

Our date night travels took us to The Grove, in LA. One of my favorite spots in the whole city. (We used to live within walking distance from The Grove and spent lots of time {and money} there. One of our favorite spots was The Cheesecake Factory. Is it bad if I admit we used to walk to the Cheesecake Factory, get a cheesecake to go, and then immediately turn around and head back home??)

Into the Cheesecake Factory we went. Scott saying we were "just going to grab a drink," and then headed to our dinner reservations. As I walked into the bar area I spotted all of our friends. Scott, the sneaky devil, planned an early surprise party! To all my sweet friends, thank you so much for joining me to celebrate a new decade!

At The Grove!
I wish I would have thought to get a group shot of everyone before the fun ended.

As for this trip... So far I haven't gotten too much more information. What I do know: we're leaving soon, I'm supposed to pack for awhile (can someone please tell me what "awhile" means in terms of outfits and shoes?!), we are traveling to somewhere in the US, and we may have access to do laundry... This little bit of information is killing me, KILLING ME!

And, though we celebrated my birthday a bit early don't think I let Scott's big day slide by. Per request I made him a fancy schmancy treat to bring to work, he had his favorite meal of all time, and I managed to hook him up with tickets to see the Zac Brown Band. I've only been hearing for three years how awesome this band would be to see in concert. I totally agree. With a little recruiting from Scott's parents to come and watch Marcus we're making it into a date weekend. Wins all around!

Image source

Due to the super secret mystery trip (oh my gosh, seriously, the suspense!!!) I'm not sure I'll how often I'll be checking into the blogiverse (apologizing now). But, once I find out where we're going I'll be shouting it from the roof tops!

To My Main Man

Scott,

I can't imagine life without you. You are my rock, my support, my guidance, my everything. Some days I wonder what I did to deserve such a determined, loyal, patient, understanding, and loving husband. 

I pray that our son grows up to be just like his daddy. The world needs more people like you. 

I hope all your birthday wishes come true today. 

Happy Birthday, Babe!

I love you!

Happy Marcus Monday!

Marcus has never really cared for sprinklers.

Until now...

Happy Monday!

I Stirred the Pot

If this week didn't just fly by, right?! So many times a "short" week really feels so long. Thank goodness this one didn't pan out that way. Woohoo!

Though Abby is taking today off to go celebrating her upcoming 'nups and excusing herself from High Five for Friday, I most certainly am not! Too much good stuff this week.

1. I want to thank EVERY SINGLE person who commented on yesterday's post. This little blogging community has introduced me to some amazing women, and whom I can gladly call my friends (though most of us have never actually met in real life). I clearly stirred the "mommy" pot. It's nice to know that even though I mostly blog about being a mom that does not make me boring, or make my blog less read-worthy. My little man is a part of me, an extension of my heart, and *I* think that makes for some very interesting posts.

2.  Yesterday I spotted this on our calendar. While I'm totally clueless I'm excited nonetheless.

Scott, should I be looking for a baby-sitter?!!

3. After posting about trying to get in a good run on a busy schedule I made my first attempt at rising and shining before the sun came up. Wednesday I woke at 4:30 and was out the door running by 4:35. I didn't want to give my brain or body a chance to realize what I was doing. I didn't love being up that early, but I didn't hate it...

That pace - YIKES! Clearly my body had no idea what I was trying to do to it so early in the day.

4. Brainstorming for Halloween ideas for Marcus is in full swing. It's a little more difficult this year than last (click here to see some pretty freaking awesome pictures of last year's costumes). What ever we decide, Grandma D better be ready to get her super sewing skills ready to go. As long as she is able and willing, Marcus will have costumes made rather than purchased.

Upper left: Marcus is really into trains. A conductor might be cute.
Upper right: A fish! My kid is SUCH a fish. This would be perfect.
Lower left: A tribute to Marcus' daddy's former job.
Lower right: I am not even kidding when I say my kid is obsessed with the dump truck. Every Tuesday we head outside to watch the dump truck in action. The kid is mesmerized. 

5. Scott's birthday is next week Tuesday, and I am dying to give him his gift! I'm terrible with keeping things a secret, and it's taken so much effort to not tell him what his gift is.

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6. Because, this one can't be left out. Let's all give a warm welcome for the Pumpkin Spice Latte! Even if it's 110 degrees, you can bet your right arm I marched to the nearest Starbucks yesterday and ordered myself a delicious PSL.

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Have a great weekend!

Apparently I'm Boring

In the short time I've been blogging and in the short time I've been a parent I've found the two often share some similarities:

• A happy healthy baby requires love, attention, and care.
• The same goes for a blog.
• A baby has demands that you must tend to in order to keep the little one happy.
• The same applies for a blog.
• As a baby grows, changes and develops so must the parent, adapting to the babies ever changing needs.
• This is also true for a blog.
• Every parent has an opinion on how a child should be raised.
• Yep, you guessed it, this goes for bloggers and blogging.

A couple of days ago I was reading a blog post written by blogger "Jane"that left my feathers a bit ruffled. "Jane" posted what makes blogs bad, or what makes one lose interest in a blog. There were several points made, and I agreed with most of them. However, one point left me shaking my head. According to "Jane" (who does not have children at this time), too many baby pictures is a turn off.

"Jane" goes on to say that being a mom should not be the most interesting thing about you.
Well, apparently I am pretty boring.

I have to disagree with that particular point. Perhaps it is because "Jane" (who usually has me laughing at her stories, agreeing with her philosophies on life, and seems very sweet) does not have children, and has yet to experience how different life is and how priorities shift once a little enters the world.

I agree parents, especially moms, should have several things that make them unique. But, it is astonishing how interesting the most simple life tasks become when a baby enters the picture (a smile, a laugh, a step, a word, the list goes on and on).

"Jane's" post did mention that some blogs change their format drastically once a child is in the picture. Fashion or food blogs suddenly become baby blogs. I get that not everyone is on the baby train, (except it seems all my favorite blog buddies have recently gulped down a birth control-free kool-aid). But a blog is like every other aspect of life, it changes, it evolves, it morphs to fit the life the blogger is currently living.

To any of my readers who think I post too many Marcus posts...
TOUGH. :)

Bear Sighting

California is known to have bears. In fact, often the "news" (I use that term loosely, the news out here is laughable, at best) will have coverage of bears pilfering though peoples garbages or taking a dip in a residential pool.

Image source

It wasn't until this weekend that we spotted a bear. Except this bear wasn't outside. It was IN our house.

That nasty, snarly bear was me.

Last week I had gotten a total of two runs in. TWO. Most weeks I only take one day off from running. Due to Scott's incredibly demanding work schedule last week, a trip back to KC for the weekend for him, and me dealing with a toddler most days on my own, running had taken a backseat. Recipe for disaster right there I tell ya'.

By the time I picked Scott up from the airport on Sunday I was a hot, frazzled mess. Marcus and I had had it with each other, and I felt off.

Monday morning rolled around and I was still fairly snappy. Scott offered to take Marcus to the park, giving me some time to go for a nice, long run.

As soon as I took the first few strides I immediately began to feel better. My pace wasn't the greatest, but that was to be expected with a five day hiatus. My legs kept moving, kept wanting to go, and so I obliged. It was hot and humid, but I felt as if I could run forever.

After 55 minutes of pavement pounding the grizzly bear was gone. No where to be seen. I was back to feeling like me, and feeling a million times better.

When I got home Scott and Marcus were still out and about. I was so thankful Scott understood. He knew I needed to get out and get those miles in.

I'm so thankful he gets me, and loves me, even if I can be a real bear.

Now it's time for a little Q&A. How do you get in your workouts when you're strapped for time? Marcus can only do 30 minutes in the stroller, and right now my shortest runs are 55-60 minutes... I'm not sure how to fit in my runs when Scott has long days and my child has no patience. HELP!

Change the World

There is no clock to punch, and hours last longer than 9:00 - 5:00. Being a full-time mommy is a 'round the clock job. Some days it's exhausting, but seeing his smile and hearing his laugh all day is priceless.

My job doesn't bring me home a paycheck, but the rewards of my job are greater than any salary.

Our home isn't filled with expensive things, but our lives are richer than we could have ever imagined possible.

One day I thought I was going to go places and do big things. I wanted to change the world.
I think I have a pretty good start...

Dream BIG little man.
You were born to move mountains.

Happy Marcus Monday!

Apologies to my InstaGram followers (@desireemacke) for the repeat posts. :)

With the crazy heat and humidity the past couple weeks we have been spending an ample amount of time in our complex pool.

Look at my little ladies man!

Our backyard "pool" has seen lots of love, too.

Marcus FINALLY appreciates the fun of the "sprinkler" setting on our hose.

 And serious Proud Momma moment right here...
(Please disregard the fact that my child isn't in a "swim" diaper. I couldn't get him stripped down and into an appropriate diaper before he dove in.)

Happy Labor Day!

High-5 for Friday!

HALLELUJAH for Friday! I'm not sure about you, but this week has been r-o-u-g-h. Between Scott putting in 1.8 million hours at work, and Marcus trying to get back into a sleep schedule, this week couldn't come to an end fast enough.

Because it's Friday that means we're high-fiving with Abby at Is This How Parenting Works? !

1. The past two mornings Marcus has "slept in" until 6:30. While I wouldn't mind another 30 minutes of sleep, it's better than 5:30, so I'll take it. 

2. Pretty sure the little man has added a few more words to his very tiny vocabulary. We're hearing "hey!" and "Colt" (our neighbor's name is Colt), and I think he's trying to make the "vroom vroom" sound when he plays with his trucks. Keep the words coming, Little Man. Keep them coming.

3. Even though Scott is going to be gone for most of the weekend I FULLY expect him to come back home loaded with the best BBQ sauce to ever grace this planet.  

Head HERE to order this gloriousness in a bottle. I PROMISE you will not be disappointed. 

4. Baby gym classes are paying off. Not only does Marcus expend some SERIOUS energy, which leaves him to taking TWO HOUR NAPS (praise the Lord), I've also made some new friends. 

Girls night out with one of my new friends (hi, Kylie)!
What better way to hang out than with some baseball. We had awesome seats, amazing views of the city, and it was all FREE!

5. With the long weekend I thought I'd share a favorite recipe that would be GREAT for any Labor Day party. It's one of my favorites, and it makes a TON.

Salad
1 box small or medium shell pasta
1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
3 cups red grapes, slided
4 stalks celery, chopped (or 1 medium cucumber, chopped)
1/4 cup white onion chopped

Dressing
1 1/2 cup fat free plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup milk
3 Tbsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Mix salad ingredients in a large bowl.
In a separate blow mix dressing ingredients and add dressing to salad. Mix well.

Tip: The salad tastes better if it it left in the refrigerator for a few hours, or overnight.

Have a great holiday weekend!

Salad inspiration: Danielle Walsh

Almost 30...

In a few short weeks my 20's slip away from me forever. It's kind of surreal. Thinking back to when I was 16, 30 sounded so... OLD.

Jessica Misener put together this little number showcasing how you know you're at the end of your 20's. And, I answered "yes" to almost every single sign. Crap. How many of these make you nod, "yes," too?

30 Signs You’re Almost 30

It’s 11 p.m. and you want to go out NOW???

Jessica MisenerBuzzFeed Staff

1. You get carded, and your first instinct is, “AWESOME.”

(It's kind of like Christmas when I'm asked for my I.D. I get all giddy and stupid about it. Turning to anyone within 50 feet of me, "See? Look! I don't look as old as I am!")

Source: tvrecappersanonymous.wordpress.com

2. Instead of drunken party photos, your Facebook friends are all about the baby pics.

(This is so my Facebook account. Just scroll back, say, 7 years and you'll see how drastically my posts have changed. And, that's not a bad thing.)

Source: facebook.com

3. …and marathon times.
(Ok, you won't see marathon times, buy you WILL see HALF marathon times. BAHA!)

Source: running.about.com

4. You get super excited when you go to a concert and there are SEATS.

(Oh my gosh, YES! If you seriously think I'm going to stand for more than 30 straight minutes, you are out of your gourd.)

Source: bricartsmedia.org

5. You start a story with “when I was in college” and realize that was 10 years ago.

(After downloading the TimeHop app this is true now more than ever. Some of the pictures that pop up, I think, "that can't seriously be that long ago!")

Source: gifreactionsarchive.tumblr.com

6. When you watch teen movies/TV shows, you find yourself siding more with the parents than the kids.

(Ok, for me, this one doesn't apply, yet...)

Source: thiswastv.com

7. You’ve gone to a bar and left because it was too loud.

(Ha. Yes.)

Source: battleofmysticfalls.tumblr.com

8. You have 10,000 business cards from old jobs that you have no idea what to do with.

(Actually, those were kind of fun to run through the paper shredder.)

Source: tiffinbox.org

9. You’ve become a sunscreen nazi.

… to make up for years of neglect.

(Pretty much drink the SPF 30 these days.)

Source: racketmag.com

10. You find cool celebs who are in their early thirties and think, There’s still hope.

(But how do I get my hands on the personal trainers and person chefs, and make-up artists, and hair stylists, and clothing stylists??)

Image by Getty

Image by Getty

11. You’re getting increasingly scared to check your credit score.

(This one actually isn't me. Hallelujah!)

Source: giphy.com

12. You’re seriously thinking about getting a dog. No, having a baby. No, definitely getting a dog.

(Check mark next to both of these. I'm such an adult.)

Source: favim.com

13. You’d rather pay a little more for a “nice, clean” hotel room than cram into a hostel with 12 of your friends.

(Amen.)

Source: 48hourvisit.com

14. Everything cool is being marketed to people younger than you now.

(I was thisclose to buying a shirt when I realized it was 'too young' for me. GASP!!)

Source: meghanav3.tumblr.com

15. You’ve definitely lost the enzyme that lets you digest Taco Bell.

(I don't go to Taco Bell... Obviously for good reason.)

Source: walmart.com

16. There’s an increasing number of musical artists you haven’t even heard of.

(Truth.)

Source: pitchfork.com

17. Every night you’re like:

(Every night, and most weekends.)

Source: everytimeicomeinthekitchen.tumblr.com

18. You’ve experienced the dreaded TWO-DAY hangover:

(Worst. Experience. Ever.)

Source: littleanimalgifs.tumblr.com

19. You realize your parents were your age (or younger!) when they had you, and you start cutting them some major slack.

(My parents rock. Too bad my 16-year old self didn't realize it.)

…and you view them more and more as friends.

Source: certice007.blog.cz

20. Running hurts your knees. The elliptical hurts your knees. Everything hurts.

(It's more my ankles and back...)

Source: whatwemeanwhenwetalkabout.tumblr.com

21. Teen slang makes you viscerally angry.

(Yep. Please use the English language, correctly.) 

Source: celebsgotnews.com

22. You start buying shoes based on “comfort.”

(Obviously.)

Source: simon.com

23. An 11-year-old has to show you how to do something on your smartphone.

(So far, so good on this. But I'm sure my kid will be showing me up on the phone any day now.)

Source: re-apictureofmatheutheassman.tumblr.com

24. Weekend nights: Instead of having two drinks at four different bars, you have two drinks at one bar then go home.

(If I make it through two drinks it's a Christmas miracle.)

Source: selinlinlin.tumblr.com

25. You voluntarily buy the “fiber” cereal.

(Nope... Not yet.)

Source: blissholistichealth.com

26. You get really excited about lame stuff, like low interest rates.

(Low interest rates, gas dropping below $3.90, milk being on sale, you know, fun stuff.)

Source: cmyk-giffed.tumblr.com

27. You wonder, seriously, how you ever pulled an all-nighter.

(All-nighters will never happen, again. Ever. Two-day hangovers are not my idea of fun.)

Source: unemployedandunwed.tumblr.com

28. You’ve uttered the phrase, “I’m too old for music festivals.”

(Ha! Yes, that stuff is for the birds. If there's not a seat I can comfortably sit in you can probably count me out.)

Source: guestofaguest.com

29. You’ve graduated from Ikea to West Elm.

(I'd settle for West Elm, or Restoration Hardware...)

…or you at least WANT to.

Source: decor8blog.com

30. You have been to a party where at least two of your friends brought their babies.

(I AM that friend who brings their baby to the party.)

Even though I answered 29 of these with a big fat yes, and even though my 20's had some seriously fun moments and memories, I can honestly say I'm really looking forward to what 30 (and on) has in store.