Hello Out There...We're Still Here

Yep. We're still alive. I haven't posted in what seems like ages {October}. Yikes. I swore I would not abandon my blog when I had a kid, but it seems like that's exactly what I did. I'd love to tell you I'm going to blog at least once a week, but I don't want to make a promise that most likely, I won't be able to keep. But I'll try.

There have been lots and lots of things going on in our lives which have caused me to actually live rather than blog. So...here are some things that have been keeping out family busy:

• Work - Kevin's still traveling every other week, or thereabouts. I've been busy at school, teaching one of the best groups of kids I've ever had. Ever.
• Wedding - Not mine. My brother's. I recently spent a long weekend in Atlanta with my future SIL for her bachelorette party. It was wonderful to get to know her family and friends. This weekend, we are also throwing her a bridal shower tea at a local English teahouse, so we're busy prepping for that.
• Wanderings - We traveled to and will continue to travel to Cincinnati to celebrate birthdays {Aunt Jo's big 6-0 and our not-so-little nephew Eli's 5th!} and babies {Cousin Stacey's shower}.
• Work-Outs - I've gotten the workout bug back! Kevin bought me a treadmill and I'm running again. I even ran a 5K with one of my best times! I'm loving the convenience and the inability to make excuses. I've also been dabbling in Jillian Michaels' 30-Day Shred. I haven't consistently stuck with it, but I'm hanging in there. I'll be wedding ready in no time!
• Wee One - Ethan, of course. He's not so wee anymore. He's developing his own independent personality. His new favorite line is, "No, let me do that!" He's really into movies. Like, a lot. His favorites include Monster's Inc., Monster's University, Finding Nemo, and Madagascar. He loves books, puzzles, and legos, but still isn't a huge fan of eating. Go figure. 

We'll, I think that's all for now. I will try my best to post pictures of our upcoming events, as we have many in the next few months. For now, here's a picture of my little superhero.

Officially Summer

Yep. It's official. We're on summer break. 

Today was Ethan's first day at camp. He's moved into the 18-month room which means no more cribs for naps. My little big boy napped on a cot today for the very first time.

I got to have a little personal time while Ethan was having a ball at camp. I started my Couch-to-10K workout program with these brand new running shoes. I went home by myself. I can't tell you how long it's been since I've been home alone. I showered, made some salads for the week, organized some cabinets in the kitchen and ate lunch. I also got finish my first big-person book of the summer - Inferno, by Dan Brown. (FYI, this book wasn't as good as his others, but it was still a good read.)

After I picked Ethan up from camp - at the normal pick-up time, mind you - we went on a long walk and played outside a little bit.  We had a great dinner. Even Ethan got adventurous and tried some new foods on his plate! (By the way, I've decided to dedicate the summer to making new and different foods for Ethan to try to see if I can't get him to eat a larger variety of foods. I'll blog about this soon.)

A nice, warm bath, complete with play time and some stories capped off Ethan's night. He's now sound asleep and I'm sitting on the couch with absolutely no grading to do. Who knows...I might even start reading my next book!

Run, Kevin, Run!

Well, he did it! Kevin ran his first half-marathon...and I think he is addicted. He's decided that he's definitely running the Geist Half-Marathon next year, and he'd like to run the 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, too! 

Official Time: 2:01:48

A very special "Thank You" to my mom, who stayed home to watch Ethan!

Meanwhile, Kevin has inspired me to start running again. You may remember that in my post-baby life, I enjoyed running. You can read about my mini-marathon experience here. First, I had to dig out {and dust off} my running shoes. To get back in running shape, I've downloaded the Couch to 10K App on my iPhone. I'm such a goal-oriented, checklist-loving person, and this program seems like the perfect fit for me. My goal, as of now, is to run a 10K in November, however, I'd love to run the Geist Half-Marathon next year, too!

A Marathon Weekend

Last weekend, we took a trip to Cincinnati to visit family, and support Kevin's brother, Steve, as he ran his first marathon. Kevin ran with Steve for the last 10 miles, and pushed him to get to the end. Here are some pictures of the festivities.

Pre-Marathon Dinner

(Look at all those carbs!)

Run, Steve, Ruuuuunnnn!

We are very proud of Steve's accomplishment. Next up, a half-marathon for Kevin???

Babes on the Move

I'm talking about the little ones...but us moms look pretty good, too! These are some of the wonderful ladies that I work with, and our adorable new additions. Did I mention my school is a baby factory this year? Don't drink the water unless...well...you know! 

Last weekend, we participated in the Great North Run, which is a fundraiser for the Washington Township Schools Foundation. We walked a 1K and chatted, too. It was lots of fun. I'm hoping that I'll be ready to run the 5K next year!
 

This Apple Pie...

...almost caused me to have a nervous breakdown. ...needed a second batch of homemade crust, since the first was as tough as cement. ...took six attempts to roll out the bottom crust, and three to roll out the top crust. ...stressed me out enough to make me take a run. ...BETTER TASTE DARN GOOD!!!

BIG Weekend!

Kevin and I had a FABULOUS weekend! Three big things happened for us. On Friday, we decided to go look at new washers and dryers. Ours are a little old, and since they are on the second floor (which we LOVE), when the washer runs, it makes the whole second level shake. It is very reminiscent of living in California, with constant aftershocks! We ended up buying a pair of Samsungs. They are front loaders, and the washer has a hand wash setting for me, while the dryer has the steam setting for Kevin. I love shopping for these big items with Kevin, because we have very similar tastes, and it is always easy to find stuff that we both like. They are being delivered today!

On Saturday, we ran our first 5K since last June, and both did very well. Kevin ran it in 27:14, which equalled 8:45 miles! I squashed my last time by 2.5 minutes, and ran it in 34:41, which means I ran 11:09 miles. That's fabulous, seeing as how my last one, I was running at 12:35 miles, or something like that! Also on Saturday, I got to spend some girl time with my friend Brandi. We hit the outlet mall, got some great deals, and burned tons of calories walking from store to store.

Finally, and this is the BIGGEST one of all...we booked our plane tickets to...(DRUM ROLL, PLEASE............)

We are SUPER thrilled about that! We are going August 2nd-8th (we really get back on the 9th, though). It's perfect because I'm still out of school, so no time off is needed, plus we got married in August, so it will be like a 1st anniversary vacation. This weekend has been such a positive one for us, and we have many other fun filled ones in our future. Keep checking back for more of our adventures!

Gym Dilemma

I promised myself that this post would be brief, because it is an attempt to stall my going to the gym to run. It's not that I don't like to run, it's just that running after you've been educating young kids is almost like working out AFTER you've just run a marathon. So, here is the dilemma:

Gym right after work, or gym after a break?

Usually I go home right after work to let Tobi out, take a break, eat dinner, and then go to the gym. To be honest, the going to the gym part sometimes doesn't happen, because I have more time to talk myself out of it. I tell myself I really just need a break to decompress from the stress of school, but should that not be the reason I go to the gym??? If I go to the gym after work (after letting Tobi out, of course), I convince myself that I am a horrible pet owner because my poor dog is at home by himself again, while I am "selfishly" working out. Another cop out? I think so! What are your strategies to get you to the gym in the evenings??? Help!!!

Tobi's Snow Day

I remembered to take my camera with me when I let Tobi out. Here he is sniffing around the backyard, getting familiar with the snow. My favorite is the one with him running towards me, because it looks like he's smiling. He is one adorable dog!!

The Quest for Asics

Kevin and I have recently started running again. We were doing really well up until the wedding, and then we just stopped going to the gym. To kick start this new fitness wave, Kevin got new running shoes. I decided that I needed/wanted new ones, too, since I currently dislike mine. We went to DSW, and after 30 minutes, we walked out with new Asics for Kevin. We could not, however, find the style of Asics shoes that I like. So began my online quest to find my Asics. As of yet, I've struck out three times. Here is how this shoe saga has gone in the last 24 hours: Attempt #1: Found Asics at Zappos.com. Ordered them. Had to call and cancel order after realizing they were the wrong style.

Asics 1140s...WRONG

Attempt #2: Found Asics GT-2120s (correct style) at Dave's Pro Shop. Ordered them. Had to call and change order after realizing I had ordered a mens size 9, not womens.

Asics 2120s....MENS

Attempt #3: Rick, at Dave's Pro Shop, changed order to GT-2140s (correct style, just two versions newer...they did not have Womens 2120s). Ordered them. Got a call a few hours later that my size was no longer in stock...computer error.

Asics 2140s...OUT OF STOCK

Attempt #4: E-mailed Rick at Dave's Pro Shop, changed order to GT-2150s (newest version of the shoe). Awaiting reply.

Asics 2150s....PLEASE????

The good news is that Rick, my new BFF, has waved any changes in price because of the huge hassle I've been having, so I get the most updated shoes for the cost of the old ones! Let's keep our fingers crossed that this 4th time works out!

My Mini Experience

It's the day after the mini, and I am feeling both accomplished and sore. First of all, I'm just happy that I finished it, and didn't die. My training was falling by the wayside with all the other things I have on my plate this year, so my confidence was definitely fading. I ended up running about 8.5 miles of it (nonconsecutive, of course), and walked the rest intermittently. Pretty good for my first try, seeing as how the farthest I'd run during training was 6 miles. I did learn some things along the way, thanks to the other 34,999 runners and the numerous people holding signs along the way.

1. I learned from a sign that someone was holding up, that running 13.1 miles burns 1272 calories. Not bad for a days work.
2. For the last 3 miles, you are in an EXTREME amount of discomfort. I'm talking chapped hands, shooting pains in muscles, etc.
3. Thank goodness for port-o-potties!! I definitely got out of my corral before I crossed the starting line to use one...stupid nerves!
4. Make sure to look down as you run. You never know what you'll step on. One guy took a spill around mile 1.5 because he didn't see the crack in the road in front of him.
5. Gatorade puts a bad taste in your mouth. It also causes a sticky surface to run on for 50 feet after the Gatorade distribution tables.
6. You know "that guy" who buys a t-shirt at a concert, and then wears it at the concert where he bought it? Well, the same rule applies to the mini (and all other runs). Don't be that guy who wears the marathon shirt to the marathon in which you are running!
7. The Motor Speedway's track is REALLY long.
8. Thank goodness for all of the entertainment along the way. It was so nice to hear people motivating you and to watch and listen to all the acts, which helped take your mind off of the pain.
9. Old people are fast! I know there were many who kicked my butt!
10. ANYONE can do the mini...and I mean ANYONE!!

I finished with a time of 2 hours, 57 minutes, and 51 seconds. Not bad for a first timer. I will most definitely be running this again next year, and I will beat my time, even if only by seconds. This has made me realize how capable I am of accomplishing my goals.

Mini Countdown

One month until I kick the Indy mini-marathon's butt, or until it kicks my butt. The latter seems more likely at this point. In the last 6 months, I have worn out one pair of brand new running shoes and moved on to my second pair, nursed a knee injury, and have battled a month of colds, culminating in my current sinus infection. May I just say that it is very difficult to run when you can't even breath! I still haven't run more than 6 miles in one workout, but that gives me all the more motivation to push myself this month. There are however, some positive things that have come out of this. First, I have definitely toned up, most notably, my abs! (YAY!) I've begun to eat a much more healthy diet. Yesterday, my trainer asked me which food I would eat if I had the worst day ever, and I actually said Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches and popcorn. He was shocked I didn't say pizza or something fatty like that, but that's not even in my regular diet anymore! This whole healthy eating thing combined with the running is also helping me stay in shape for the upcoming nuptials. Now, I may be walking a lot more of the 13.2 miles than I had originally wanted to, but I will finish it, and not have to be picked up by the "loser bus" (my worst nightmare!). Once I'm done, I'll have a goal for next year's mini...to beat this year's time!