This past week has been full of big events at our house.
1. I attended my first Parent Teacher Conference. These are a little different than they used to be. Now, you are encouraged to bring your child with you. Since Cory wanted to attend also, we packed up the whole family and went. I sat down with Adam and the teacher to talk about his performance over the past 2 months. It went great. Every time the teacher mentioned how well Adam was doing, I looked over at him. He was just beaming. It was a proud parent moment. He is doing really well in school and loves it.
2. I took Adam and Sadie for their annual flu shot, and neither child cried. This was a big deal. Of course, it helps when they get the flu mist instead of the actual shot. It also helps when they get to pick out a Dum-Dum for being brave. :) I got my shot too, but I got the actual shot...not the mist. My arm was a little tender for a day or so, but I'm fine now. I got a Dum-Dum too.
3. Tyler finished off his last jar of formula and switched over to cow's milk. The transition went great. He is growing up! He has been a little stubborn about food lately. He has suddenly decided that he doesn't like baby food and insists on eating something else...yogurt, sandwiches, muffins, or anything else that doesn't look like baby food.
The next week will be another big one for us. Adam goes off track, we celebrate Tyler's first birthday, and we take his bottles away. Stay tuned!
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Monday, October 8, 2012
St. George Marathon: the good, the bad, and the aftermath
When I ran the St. George Marathon 2 years ago, I wasn't sure I would ever run another one. It was my first marathon, and my time was 5:24. It was hard. It was hot. It was painful. Yes, it was satisfying to finish and receive a medal for my efforts, but I didn't think I wanted to put body through that again. As time went on, though, I started to change my mind. Running a marathon is a lot like child-birth. You forget how painful it was, and you're willing to do it again. In my case, my attitude changed a few weeks later as I watched the New York City marathon on television. As I watched people cross the finish line, I told myself I would do it again...only next time I would do it better.
I began running again and signed up for my next marathon. A short time after signing up, I discovered I was pregnant with child #3. I was still determined to run another marathon, but I knew it wouldn't happen this time around. So, I contacted the marathon people and transferred my registration to the following year. I continued to run about half way through my pregnancy. After my little bundle arrived, I began training again.
In April 2012, I ran the North Shore Hawaii Marathon (4:42). In May, I ran the Ogden Marathon (4:24). Then in June, I ran the Utah Valley Marathon (4:43). For fun, I also ran the Layton Half Marathon (1:58) where I placed second in my division! Somewhere inbetween all this running, I signed up for the St. George Marathon again...very determined to smash my first time.
This past weekend I returned to the scene of the crime: St. George, Utah. Here I am with Cory before the race...
Several weeks ago, we made an agreement that the winner out of the two of us, would receive $1 for every second they beat the other person. Believing in my heart that Cory would win by at least 10 minutes, I made the deal to motivate him to do his best and get some money for his airplane fund. I figured it would also motivate me to do my best so he wouldn't beat me too badly.
When the starting gun went off, we jumped in line and started running. Cory took off like a little bunny rabbit, and I didn't think I would see him again until the finish line. The first few miles flew by. I even made a friend along the way and chatted for a few miles. Before I knew it, Veyo hill was in sight. Just before I started up the hill near mile 7, I heard someone calling to me. Imagine my surprise when I looked over my shoulder and saw Cory coming up behind me. When did I pass him???? We chatted for a minute, then I slowed down to conserve my energy up the hill and he took off like a bunny rabbit once again.
Three quarters of the way up Veyo hill, I could feel a little nausea coming on. So, I slowed to a walk, pulled out a chunk of Clif Bar to eat, washed it down with some water, and started jogging again. The nausea went away, but the next few miles were really hard. After 4 miles of incline, I was worn out. By mile 13, I felt like I was back on track, but the 4-hour-pace runner passed me. At that point, I knew I wouldn't finish under 4 hours, but I was still determined to do my best. At mile 16, a big crowd of supporters were cheering the runners on. It gave me quite a boost. My speed picked up, and I began to enjoy myself again. At mile 20, I got the surprise of my life. I looked ahead and saw....Cory. I knew he had to be hurting if I was about to pass him again. We chatted briefly, and this time it was me who took off like a bunny rabbit. A few minutes later, I felt guilty about leaving him, and I stopped to wait for him to see if he wanted to finish the race together. When he caught up to me, his answer was: Do your best.
With Cory's green light, I took off and finished the race in 4:16, my best yet. About 10 minutes later, he crossed the finish line.
Now, it's two days post marathon. My body is sore, but I'll be back to normal in another day or two. The question is: Where do I go from here? Will I run another marathon? The answer: most definitely. You may wonder why I put myself through this. I have a hard time putting it into words, but here is why...
#1. Because I can. Running marathons has taught me that I can do hard things. It brings me a lot of satisfaction to accomplish something I never pictured myself doing.
#2. To inspire my kids to lead an active life. Too many kids today are overweight and not active. By setting a good example, I hope my kids will want to be active too.
#3. I enjoy it. Crazy as it sounds, it's true.
I began running again and signed up for my next marathon. A short time after signing up, I discovered I was pregnant with child #3. I was still determined to run another marathon, but I knew it wouldn't happen this time around. So, I contacted the marathon people and transferred my registration to the following year. I continued to run about half way through my pregnancy. After my little bundle arrived, I began training again.
In April 2012, I ran the North Shore Hawaii Marathon (4:42). In May, I ran the Ogden Marathon (4:24). Then in June, I ran the Utah Valley Marathon (4:43). For fun, I also ran the Layton Half Marathon (1:58) where I placed second in my division! Somewhere inbetween all this running, I signed up for the St. George Marathon again...very determined to smash my first time.
This past weekend I returned to the scene of the crime: St. George, Utah. Here I am with Cory before the race...
Several weeks ago, we made an agreement that the winner out of the two of us, would receive $1 for every second they beat the other person. Believing in my heart that Cory would win by at least 10 minutes, I made the deal to motivate him to do his best and get some money for his airplane fund. I figured it would also motivate me to do my best so he wouldn't beat me too badly.
When the starting gun went off, we jumped in line and started running. Cory took off like a little bunny rabbit, and I didn't think I would see him again until the finish line. The first few miles flew by. I even made a friend along the way and chatted for a few miles. Before I knew it, Veyo hill was in sight. Just before I started up the hill near mile 7, I heard someone calling to me. Imagine my surprise when I looked over my shoulder and saw Cory coming up behind me. When did I pass him???? We chatted for a minute, then I slowed down to conserve my energy up the hill and he took off like a bunny rabbit once again.
Three quarters of the way up Veyo hill, I could feel a little nausea coming on. So, I slowed to a walk, pulled out a chunk of Clif Bar to eat, washed it down with some water, and started jogging again. The nausea went away, but the next few miles were really hard. After 4 miles of incline, I was worn out. By mile 13, I felt like I was back on track, but the 4-hour-pace runner passed me. At that point, I knew I wouldn't finish under 4 hours, but I was still determined to do my best. At mile 16, a big crowd of supporters were cheering the runners on. It gave me quite a boost. My speed picked up, and I began to enjoy myself again. At mile 20, I got the surprise of my life. I looked ahead and saw....Cory. I knew he had to be hurting if I was about to pass him again. We chatted briefly, and this time it was me who took off like a bunny rabbit. A few minutes later, I felt guilty about leaving him, and I stopped to wait for him to see if he wanted to finish the race together. When he caught up to me, his answer was: Do your best.
With Cory's green light, I took off and finished the race in 4:16, my best yet. About 10 minutes later, he crossed the finish line.
Now, it's two days post marathon. My body is sore, but I'll be back to normal in another day or two. The question is: Where do I go from here? Will I run another marathon? The answer: most definitely. You may wonder why I put myself through this. I have a hard time putting it into words, but here is why...
#1. Because I can. Running marathons has taught me that I can do hard things. It brings me a lot of satisfaction to accomplish something I never pictured myself doing.
#2. To inspire my kids to lead an active life. Too many kids today are overweight and not active. By setting a good example, I hope my kids will want to be active too.
#3. I enjoy it. Crazy as it sounds, it's true.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Sprocket's birthday party
Do I get extra brownie points in heaven for helping my little boy celebrate his stuffed puppy's birthday? Last Thursday was the big event at our house. Five years ago, my co-workers threw me a going away party as I quit my job to stay home with my new baby. As part of a baby gift, they gave us a stuffed puppy. That puppy has become part of our family. He goes to church with us. He goes on vacation with us. He goes grocery shopping with us. I don't think there's anything we do without that dog present. So, it was only appropriate that we celebrate his special day.
No birthday celebration is complete without a cake. So, as silly as it may seem, we made a cake for this stuffed dog. Cupcakes, actually, with sprinkles and chocolate frosting. To make matters even sillier, we sang happy birthday to it as Adam blew out the candle. Then, we all headed to the bowling to finish the celebration.
A very silly day, indeed. However, one thing I'm learning as a parent is that if it is important to them (the kids), it's important to me. I'm sure Sprocket's birthday celebration will be an annual event from here on out.
No birthday celebration is complete without a cake. So, as silly as it may seem, we made a cake for this stuffed dog. Cupcakes, actually, with sprinkles and chocolate frosting. To make matters even sillier, we sang happy birthday to it as Adam blew out the candle. Then, we all headed to the bowling to finish the celebration.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Upcycled jeans: Quiet Art Book
In my last post, I blogged about making a quiet art book for Adam to take to church. I decided to give the project another try and make one for Sadie using a pair of old jeans. I loved it so much, I remade the one for Adam using jeans. (I have 2 big boxes of old jeans in my basement waiting for me to make a quilt or other project.) Here's how I did it...
1. Cut all the pockets and belt loops off the jeans. Then iron the jeans and cut the pieces for the outside of the art book. I cut:
2. Using a half yard of fabric, I cut the pieces for the inside of the art book. I cut:
3. I proceeded to follow the tutorial on http://www.u-createcrafts.com/search/label/toys-quiet%20books with a few exceptions. I did not use interfacing. The jeans I used gave enough stability that interfacing wasn't necessary. Plus, it made the project faster. I used 1/4 inch seams for everything instead of 1/2 inch seams. In my previous attempt, I found the 1/2 inch seams to be too tight for everything to fit inside nicely. Then, instead of the elastic/button closure, I tried two other methods. With Sadie's I sewed a ribbon in to tie it shut, and with Adam's I sewed some velcro to a piece of the jean. Last, but not least, I did not use the chalkboard fabric. My kids always make such a mess when they use chalk, and since I made these primarily for church, I eliminated the chalk portion to keep everything and everyone clean.
4. I used my hot glue gun to attach pockets, belt loops, and other embellishments. Then, I filled the book with paper, coloring books, crayons, and pencils.
Ta-da!
1. Cut all the pockets and belt loops off the jeans. Then iron the jeans and cut the pieces for the outside of the art book. I cut:
- 3 pieces measuring 6 1/2 x 9
- 1 piece measuring 3 1/2 x 9
2. Using a half yard of fabric, I cut the pieces for the inside of the art book. I cut:
- 3 pieces measuring 6 1/2 x 9 (main pieces)
- 1 piece measuring 3 1/2 x 9 (crayon flap)
- 2 pieces measuring 3 1/4 x 9 (crayon pocket)
- 2 pieces measuring 8 x 6 1/2 (notebook pocket)
- 2 pieces measuring 5 1/2 x 6 1/2 (pencil pocket)
3. I proceeded to follow the tutorial on http://www.u-createcrafts.com/search/label/toys-quiet%20books with a few exceptions. I did not use interfacing. The jeans I used gave enough stability that interfacing wasn't necessary. Plus, it made the project faster. I used 1/4 inch seams for everything instead of 1/2 inch seams. In my previous attempt, I found the 1/2 inch seams to be too tight for everything to fit inside nicely. Then, instead of the elastic/button closure, I tried two other methods. With Sadie's I sewed a ribbon in to tie it shut, and with Adam's I sewed some velcro to a piece of the jean. Last, but not least, I did not use the chalkboard fabric. My kids always make such a mess when they use chalk, and since I made these primarily for church, I eliminated the chalk portion to keep everything and everyone clean.
4. I used my hot glue gun to attach pockets, belt loops, and other embellishments. Then, I filled the book with paper, coloring books, crayons, and pencils.
Ta-da!
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Good enough for a 5-year-old
I recently saw a project on Pinterest that I really wanted to try. The only problem is that it required sewing. My sewing skills are not the greatest. In fact, they are close to being non-existant. I decided I would give it a try, however. So, I dusted off my sewing machine and set to work making a quiet art book for Adam to take to church.
The instructions can be found at: http://www.u-createcrafts.com/2011/07/quiet-art-packet-tutorial-you-asked.html. Here is my finished product:
Impressed? Well, don't look too closely. It is good enough for a 5-year-old, but I didn't want to embarrass myself by taking a close-up. :) I'm thinking about making one for Miss Sadie, though, before I put the sewing machine away. Maybe I would do a better job the second try.
Looks like it will be a few weeks before Adam will be able to try out his art book. I have a head cold and don't want to fight the kids at Stake Conference today, and next Sunday we don't have regular meetings due to the Brigham City Temple dedication.
The instructions can be found at: http://www.u-createcrafts.com/2011/07/quiet-art-packet-tutorial-you-asked.html. Here is my finished product:
Impressed? Well, don't look too closely. It is good enough for a 5-year-old, but I didn't want to embarrass myself by taking a close-up. :) I'm thinking about making one for Miss Sadie, though, before I put the sewing machine away. Maybe I would do a better job the second try.
Looks like it will be a few weeks before Adam will be able to try out his art book. I have a head cold and don't want to fight the kids at Stake Conference today, and next Sunday we don't have regular meetings due to the Brigham City Temple dedication.
Saturday, September 8, 2012
My Life is Full of "P" Words
I know I haven't posted any updates in the past week. Life has just been busy. Let's just say I have been consumed with peaches, potty training, pull-ups, panties, and lots of other "P" words.
Let's start with Peaches. All the peaches from my yard have now been harvested. I have a few left in my fridge for eating fresh, but all the others have been canned or given to neighbors. That's right...I gave a few dozen away. You see, my neighbors have an awesome apple tree, and since Miss Sadie picked all my baby apples earlier in the season, my neighbors agreed to trade my peaches for their apples. Now that my peaches are taken care of, I will be ready to tackle the apples when they arrive. My kids love dehydrated apples.
Now on to potty training... For weeks now, I have tried to get Sadie to sit on the potty every morning if she woke up dry. She was willing to sit so long as I read to her or shared a snack, but she wasn't consistently having success even if I offered her a reward. That all changed this week. (Side note: Is it bad to give your kids Tootsie Rolls at 7:00 a.m.?)
When potty training Adam, I tried everything I could think of: treats, money, the promise of his own Nintendo, etc. One thing that finally worked was potty marbles. I took 6 flat marbles from the craft store, modge podged scrapbook paper to the back, and attached a magnet. The marbles were stuck on the fridge, and he could earn one every time he went potty. (He also got a penny or a small treat.) After earning all 6 marbles, he got a trip to the bowling alley. He seemed to like that, so I decided to try it with Sadie. One morning after a successful trip to the potty, I gave her a potty marble and explained how it would work. She was excited, and since then she has been telling me every morning when she is ready to go potty without being prompted. Now we just need to work on staying dry the rest of the day. :) In the meantime, she has earned all 6 potty marbles and is ready for a trip to the bowling alley. We have to wait until Cory gets home, though. There is NO WAY I will tackle a bowling alley on my own with three small kids. That is a disaster waiting to happen.
Let's start with Peaches. All the peaches from my yard have now been harvested. I have a few left in my fridge for eating fresh, but all the others have been canned or given to neighbors. That's right...I gave a few dozen away. You see, my neighbors have an awesome apple tree, and since Miss Sadie picked all my baby apples earlier in the season, my neighbors agreed to trade my peaches for their apples. Now that my peaches are taken care of, I will be ready to tackle the apples when they arrive. My kids love dehydrated apples.
Now on to potty training... For weeks now, I have tried to get Sadie to sit on the potty every morning if she woke up dry. She was willing to sit so long as I read to her or shared a snack, but she wasn't consistently having success even if I offered her a reward. That all changed this week. (Side note: Is it bad to give your kids Tootsie Rolls at 7:00 a.m.?)
When potty training Adam, I tried everything I could think of: treats, money, the promise of his own Nintendo, etc. One thing that finally worked was potty marbles. I took 6 flat marbles from the craft store, modge podged scrapbook paper to the back, and attached a magnet. The marbles were stuck on the fridge, and he could earn one every time he went potty. (He also got a penny or a small treat.) After earning all 6 marbles, he got a trip to the bowling alley. He seemed to like that, so I decided to try it with Sadie. One morning after a successful trip to the potty, I gave her a potty marble and explained how it would work. She was excited, and since then she has been telling me every morning when she is ready to go potty without being prompted. Now we just need to work on staying dry the rest of the day. :) In the meantime, she has earned all 6 potty marbles and is ready for a trip to the bowling alley. We have to wait until Cory gets home, though. There is NO WAY I will tackle a bowling alley on my own with three small kids. That is a disaster waiting to happen.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
FHE Makeover
Family Home Evenings at our house typically consists of an opening prayer, a 30-second abbreviated scripture story, and a game of Mickey Mouse UNO. Since I have three small children, that's all their attention spans will allow. That's fine, but week after week of the same scripture story with the same pictures gets a little dull for me. I've been feeling for awhile that I needed to do something different. Here's what I did...
1. I made a flannel board by covering an old white board I had kicking around the house with blue flannel (on sale at JoAnn's) and my glue gun. A little red-neck, maybe, but it turned out just fine.
2. I printed out a few flannel board stories, complete with pictures, from http://chocolateonmycranium.blogspot.com/2007/11/flannel-board-stories.html. The stories came with colored pictures, which I printed on cardstock. After cutting out the pictures, I laminated them and attached sticky back velcro (the hook side) to the back of the pictures.
The kids were watching with great interest this morning as I finished up the project. They are excited for something new. Now the trick will be getting little Tyler to leave the pictures on the board while I tell the story. Between these new flannel board stories and an old set of Book of Mormon illustrated scripture books I just got from Mom and Dad, I should be in business for awhile. :)
1. I made a flannel board by covering an old white board I had kicking around the house with blue flannel (on sale at JoAnn's) and my glue gun. A little red-neck, maybe, but it turned out just fine.
2. I printed out a few flannel board stories, complete with pictures, from http://chocolateonmycranium.blogspot.com/2007/11/flannel-board-stories.html. The stories came with colored pictures, which I printed on cardstock. After cutting out the pictures, I laminated them and attached sticky back velcro (the hook side) to the back of the pictures.
The kids were watching with great interest this morning as I finished up the project. They are excited for something new. Now the trick will be getting little Tyler to leave the pictures on the board while I tell the story. Between these new flannel board stories and an old set of Book of Mormon illustrated scripture books I just got from Mom and Dad, I should be in business for awhile. :)
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