Posted on

Vail. Weekend. Snow.

We had a lovely time away from home. It was great to have such a nice break after a crazy-busy month and a half (or so). We never did get a good “adult” ski day in, but the kids both got days on the mountain and in the case of Tabby we can actually ski with her.

So for two days, Tabby went skiing all day on the big mountain. She also spent time on the bunny hill whenever Ben was there. She’s really a bit beyond it, but she still had fun. It’s a good time for her b/c she can get on and off the magic carpet on her own and the first day we were there, they had CONES! She took it as her personal mission to ski around them as well as she could and she did awesome. I’m not talking about generally around the cone, I mean RIGHT AROUND the cone. Less than a foot between her and the cone.

Ben shows signs of having pretty great ability and was always gung-ho to “go skiing!” But once he got there he was quite a bit more apathetic about the whole situation, telling us sometimes even that he didn’t want to ski. Since we schlepped him all the way over there, he didn’t really get a choice but to make a run or two and when he did it, he enjoyed it. His balance is good and he seems to have some ability to control his direction, moving the direction Matt pointed to. But he tires quickly and is really still so very little. He was just happy to get outside and play in the snow, really.

With very little snow, we never did get a real day on the mountain just adults. But we got lots of TV watching, game playing, reading, cooking and even some exploring done. It was so peaceful and relaxing. Unfortunately, we woke up on Saturday to find this:

Gorgeous snow coming down, just in time for us to drive home in it!!! GRRRRRRR

The drive home was not terrible, but longer than normal. 2.5 hours compared to 1.5. Compounding the annoyance were our kiddos. As good as they were our whole trip, they were that bad in the car. Whining, crying, screaming, throwing, fighting, grumping. By the time we got home, our nerves were shot. Lucky for us, we had a bottle of premix margaritas in the fridge that we’d barely touched. We did minimal work to get the house back in order (it’s still not nearly back in order) fed everyone dinner and finished off our margaritas. Not often the way we roll, but not bad either.

Posted on

The Cookbook Challenge

Since I like to cook, I collect recipes like mad … magazines, google reader, pinterest and of course COOKBOOKS. I adore cookbooks with their glossy pages of photos and yummy yummy words. I own tons. Maybe not the 100+ as the famed Heidi Swanson did (does?), but a LOT. And yet, I find myself rarely cracking them, mostly making recipes that we already know and love or something I found on the interwebs.

So. I’ve decided to issue myself a cookbook challenge! My plan is to choose one cookbook every month and cook EIGHT (or more if I’m feeling masochistic/optimistic) recipes from it, or about 2/week, that I’ve never made before and report the results. I am planning to use cookbooks I already have, with one exception (more about that below). I am excited to try new recipes, but also excited because this will hopefully help me winnow out cookbooks that aren’t up to scratch. At the end of the month if the recipes weren’t winners, they’re gone. I feel like two recipes a week is pretty doable and will leave room for old favorites, trying OTHER new things, and nights off!

I plan to make the recipes basically as written, but I will do small modifications for health, since we are health-conscious sort of folk. I will also not be likely to choose, say, a Paula Deen cookbook as that woman has an unholy love for butter (which I admire on one hand but eschew with the other) and all things densely caloric. I have chosen Pioneer Woman and that is probably nearly as bad.

As noted above, I am buying one cookbook to be part of this challenge, a Zone Diet cookbook. My gym is doing a nutrition challenge in January and I will be taking part in this for the betterment of my athletic prowess and waistline, so Zone is the order of the month. Anyhow, here are my cookbook choices for the year:

1. January – Zone Meals in Seconds
2. February – Biggest Loser Family Cookbook
3. March – Moosewood Simple Suppers
4. April – Thai Street Food; my step-mom-in-law got this for me for Christmas and I can hardly wait to crack it!
5. May – Jamie’s Dinners
6. June – Colorado Colore, one of the awesome Denver Junior League Cookbooks
7. July – Boy Gets Grill (Bobby Flay)
8. August – Apples for Jam
9. September – Time for Dinner
10. October – Pioneer Woman Cooks
11. November – Donna Hay’s Modern Classics (at least I think this is the choice – I forgot to write down which Donna Hay book I picked)
12. December – The Illustrated Quick Cook

I’d love it if anyone wants to join me!

Posted on

2012 Resolutions

Isn’t this poster cute? I saw it on Pinterest and I may just have to buy it. It made me think about New Years’ Resolutions. I like them and almost always make them, even if I usually forget about them and don’t really make a very big deal about them. They flip a switch in my mind …. something to work towards and I find them useful.

My resolutions for 2011 were:

 

  • work on our grocery budget, specifically by using what we ALREADY HAVE – I will give myself a C on this … I improved in some ways, but not nearly as much as I would have liked.
  • running goals: a 5K under 28, a 10K under an hour and a half marathon under 2:15, 800 miles overall – did great with this, meeting all my race/time goals, though my mileage was quite a bit less, I feel like I worked hard at it
  • improve my general strength and specifically core strength – goal accomplished, thanks to Boot Camp!
  • read 60+ books again, mix in more non-fiction – I kind of forgot about the non-fiction part, but I hit my 60 book goal easily and read some really great stuff

So for 2012 my resolutions are:

  • running: sub 2 hr half marathon, 800 miles for the year – many people run much more than this, but this seems reasonable given my schedule
  • organization: whip my forever-messy “office” into usable shape
  • stick to our enlarged grocery budget and be in the black on our overall budget – I added some more $$ into the grocery budget because we couldn’t seem to get close to sticking to it last year; I want to try harder to see if we can this go-around
  • complete my cookbook challenge – details to come tomorrow
  • have a REAL date with Matt once a month – we do great at getting out on our own, but too often we’re working on a project; I want to be able to relax and watch a movie and have a nice meal here and there
  • have more fun family outings on the weekends – more play, less work … with the kids too; even if it’s just going to the pool or the zoo

2011 was good to us – we are truly blessed and grateful. I look forward to the promise of 2012 and intend to work hard to make it another wonderful year.

Posted on

Welcome 2012

We are spending the first week of our new year as we usually do, relaxing in Vail. I absolutely love this tradition, especially since I have a tendency to absolutely KILL IT in the last few weeks of the year. This week is all about relaxation and fun. We ski when we feel like it. We make nice, but simple home-cooked meals. We wander around the town. We watch TV and movies and play games on our laptops. We read books. We PLAY. It’s wonderful and exactly what I need right about now.

The one bummer of this week is that our good friends who were planning to join us for the week had a death in the family and were not able to make it. We’re terribly sorry for their loss and we miss having their company as well. We’re hoping we can get together later in the year and spend some time with them.

We’ve been out skiing twice. Yesterday we took Tabby up on the big mountain and she skiied like crazy and had so much fun. She’s exceeded all my expectations of what a 4yo can do on skis and she’s really loving it which is so much more important. We took both of them to the bunny hill today and Tabby was in her element, going up the magic carpet and back down again with no help from anyone. Ben was not having as good a day and was tired and mostly wanted to hold hands on the way down. No biggie … we’ll probably try again on Friday.

I had a funny moment when I went to put on my ski boot yesterday. I stuck my foot in and felt what I thought to be a rock, so I turned my boot upside down to shake it out and out came a good bunch of dog food. I had a good laugh at that.  I can only figure my industrious little Ben dumped some in one day – the boots are stored in Matt’s shop … not really near the dog food but in the general vicinity. He’s quite the houdini.

Posted on

2011 Year in Review: Ben

My baby has really become a big boy this year. Yikes.

At 2.5 years old, Ben is a force to be reckoned with. He is a whirlwind of activity from dawn to dusk (naptime excluded). He loves nothing more than to be going, doing, talking, running, singing, eating, climbing, and oh did I mention, GOING? He’s a pretty good kid, but he’s 2.5 years old. And a boy. His biggest issues are listening and impulse control. Impulse control is better when he’s well-fed and well-rested, but dicey sometimes even then, he can’t quite help himself. He also seems to know he’s charming. And it’s quite hard to not laugh when he gives you his patented cheeky grin before he goes on a spree of defiance/mischief.

When he’s no making mischief, he’s a lover. He doesn’t want to start his day out without a bottle and a snuggle. He loves to tote his lovies from place to place. If he wants to watch TV, he wants to watch it right next to you. In the car, he wants to hold your hand. He wants to sing with you. He wants to dance with you. He is adorable.

Hearing him talk right now is pure joy. He constructs sentences very well when he’s in the mood. Matt and I and some others near him can understand him pretty well, but those outside his inner circle would be hardpressed to get any but the most articulate words. While his sentences can be very complex, they quickly degrade into a few grunts and demands when he is tired or frustrated. “Bad Mommy!” or “It not funny!” never fail to crack me up.

He enjoys our crazy schedule as much as anyone in the family, it seems. He is starting to ask where his friends are, where we’re going, or who’s coming over. It is fun to see him play with the kids, especially the older boys. Several of our friends have boys who are around Tabby’s age and Ben really loves them and looks up to them. We’re lucky that they are really good to include him and play with him and it’s nice to be able to see him keep up with them more or less.

At this point, his eating is pretty hit-or-miss. He will eat some of most of our family favorites, but he would subsist on fruit and milk if we would allow it. And if you ask him what he wants to eat, his answers are invariably toddler food: mac ‘n’ cheese, chicken fingers, noodles. But he is required to take no-thank-you bites same as his sister and sometimes he’ll surprise us and eat a ton of something he hadn’t shown interest in before.

In play he’s getting more and more into drawing. He also constantly talks about writing his name on his birthday which is funny to think about. Cars and trains are his big-deal interest right now – he can usually be found with one or more in his possession. He also likes to play pretend with his sissy and go go go on a trike or plasma car. He is really into books now and for his favorites he will sit still. Getting him into new ones are more of a challenge, but it can be done.

We are coming up on a lot of big changes this year. We’re working on potty training him in the next few weeks. Whether or not it will take this go-around, I don’t know, but I do know he’ll be potty trained within the next few months. This summer, we plan to put him in day-camp with Tabby and then in the fall, he will leave our sitter’s and start full-time preschool. I am sure he will make the adjustment just fine, but it will be a big adjustment nonetheless.

It’s a bit jarring to think of how much he will change in the coming year, but oh so fun to watch. He’s amazing and adorable and a large than life personality that I just love seeing grow and change. The thought of having a boy intimidated me a lot when I first found out, but I am so incredibly happy to have him as part of my life. He’s so unique and wonderful and a true joy to raise. I’m … we’re … so so lucky.

Posted on

2011 Year in Review: Tabby

Well I completely forgot to do Tabby’s 4.75 post, so I will make up for it by doing her year-in-review first. At this age, they change much more slowly than they do when they’re teeny tiny babies, but still, over the course of just a few months, let alone a year, you can see huge changes.

I started to write a lengthy post about all her accomplishments, but I thought she could better tell you what 2011 was like for Tabby, so I interviewed her.

What trips did we take this year?
Sand Dunes. Nashville. and … ummm …. camping … and uhh … New York!

Which one was your favorite?
Going to Uncle Jimmy’s [house in Grandby] … because I got to see butterflies there.

What have you learned this year that you’re really proud of?
I learned how to make “Santa Stuck in the Snow in the Chimney” and I learned the S-A-N-T-A song.

Who is your best friend?
JJ and Avery and Liam and Wes

What do you like to do with Mommy?
do crafts! and put up Christmas decorations, for Christmas

What do you like to do with Daddy?
Go to Home Depot, but just if its just me and just him.

What is your favorite kind of outfit to wear?
a dress and leggings

What is your favorite sport to do?
skiing!

What is your favorite toy?
my flashlight toy thing

What do you most like to play with?
my new scooter!

What is your favorite thing to watch on TV?
Franklin

What is your favorite food?
roe sushi, salmon bowls, and pancakes and waffles and avocados

If you suddenly found yourself “Home Alone” what would you do?
scream!! run out of the house

What are you excited for next year?
going to dance class … oh, and KINDERGARTEN!

She’s awesome. We’re hugely proud of her. We love hanging out with her. We couldn’t be more blessed.

Posted on

2011 Year in Review: Running

Another year of running! Hard to believe it’s gone by so fast! It was a wonderful year in the run. I hope 2012 can be just as good, maybe even better!! The photo on the right is definitely not the most flattering (lovely fish-eye effect) but it is a cool photo and comes from one of my favorite runs of the year – when Matt and I ran from our apartment, across the Brooklyn Bridge and back on our last day in NYC. It was very cool.

Miles Run: Daily Mile puts my running mileage at 648, this does not include the many miles run at bootcamp (2-3/week) or a handful of runs I didn’t log. But it’s pretty close! At an average of 54 miles/month, I’m very satisfied with this number, despite the fact that I had wanted to run 800. Maybe I’ll make that the goal for this year. I’d like to bump it up just a bit and slack off less on my long runs.
Races Run:
Platte River Half Marathon (13.1 miles, 2:18:12)
Title 9k (acutally 9.9k or 6.1 miles, 1:05:11 – 9 minutes faster than last year, despite heat from hell)
Colfax Half Marathon (13.1 miles, 2:12:34 – run without music on a freezing cold drizzly morning! best HM time yet)
Heart and Sole 10k (10K/6.2 miles, 1:07:35)
Park to Park 10 Miler (10 miles, 1:40:44)
Denver Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon (13.1 Miles, 2:22:23 –  6+ of those minutes were spent in a lovely port-a-potty in city park; clearly not my day)
CRMA Stone House 8 (8.34 miles, 1:32:32)
Turkey Trot (4 miles, 41:00)
Best (Running) Moment of 2011: finishing my first trail race, complete with 6 water crossings!! it even trumped my 2:12 finish at Colfax.
Worst (Running) Moment of 2011: a long moment, the minutes I wasted in the rock ‘n’ roll half
Strangest (Running) Moment of 2011: landing in the ER after a nice run gave me exercise-induced anaphyalxis
Favorite Race: I LOVED both the Platte River Half and the Stone House 8
Best Swag: Heart and Sole Half had the best swag again!! Love my green t and my super cute Head Sweats Hat
Best Running Gear: my new Ray Bans I got at the beginning of the year fit nice and secure on the noggin and are awesome
Favorite running tech: my Garmin watch is essential for outdoor runs; for indoor, I am enjoying the Kindle Fire more and more for streaming me my Netflix
Best Running Buddies: I logged a ton of great miles with my awesome hubby as well as with my girlfriends, K&J&L&H … they all kept me going through long miles; I also had lots of great gym time with my sister
Running Inspiration: Robyn, my coach at the gym, kicks my ass on a daily basis and makes me push myself harder and harder; I also love reading running blogs: Another Mother Runner, Racing with Babes, and Run Long Katie
Favorite Workout Tunes: Say Hey – I Love You (I always think of the kids dancing when this comes on) and Tik Tok (Ke$ha)
Goals/Plans for 2012: I’ve improved my speed and stamina on hills a lot, so I want to keep going that direction. I want to run Platte River Half and Colfax Half again, and maybe some other Halfs and (dare to dream) bring my time down under 2:00. Hitting 800 miles for the year would be great, but I also want to try some new routes, including trails and really have fun with it. Lastly, I want to get Tabby into running a bit. I think she’s at the point where she can handle a mile or two race and I know she’d enjoy it.

Posted on

I’ve Been Bugged!

A few weeks before Christmas, I bought myself a present. It’s not something I often do, but I’ve had my eye on this for a while now. See my favorite heart rate monitor watch broke and months later it’s still not fixed. I won’t bore you with the incompetence of Polar and the expensive screwdrivers I need to fix my watch, and my many calls to customer service but sufficed to say, it was going to cost me a lot of $$ to fix my heart rate monitor not to mention inconvenience and so I decided to get one of these. This is a Body Media Fit Armband. You may have seen something similar (the Bodybugg) on Biggest Loser. This works the same way: you wear it on your arm most of the time and it uses skin resistance and other data to monitor your calorie output. This one also monitors sleep.

Being that I love data and all of the wonderful things it can reveal to me, this thing is awesome for me. I have found out a lot of things I never knew and confirmed some that I suspected. For instance, even without a “workout” I almost always burn upwards of 2200 calories. I attribute it to my good muscle tone combined with my inability to sit still (even at the office I am always getting up and walking around so I don’t get twitchy and lose focus). So it makes sense that when I try to stick to a 1200 calorie diet like has been recommended to me by various programs, I’m STARVING. That’s a 1000 calorie deficit.

I also need to stop pretending that I’m getting 7.5 hours of sleep. It’s way closer to 6.5 or 6. Combining the time that it takes me to actually GET to sleep and the minutes I shave off in the morning hitting the snooze (it feels like sleep but it’s not REALLY sleep), I am really not getting nearly the amount of sleep I thought I was. A bit depressing and overall not really likely to change (I still need more hours in the day!) but still interesting.

I have had virtually no problems with the device – everything has been super smooth and easy to use. The piece of velcro did come off one side of the armband, but a little super glue fixed that right up. The only thing I wish I’d done differently would be to purchase the model that has bluetooth so I could get instant display on my phone. At some point in time I might give this one to Matt (he’s expressed interest in having one – and the BT isn’t something he’d probably be interested in) and buy myself the other, but for now there’s no need. It’s a great device.

Posted on

Christmas Wrapped Up

Christmas has come and gone in a flash. I remember when I was a kid and it was all joy and excitement and anticipation and fun. It’s still all those things, but now there’s a hefty dose of exhaustion and work in there too. We spent Christmas Eve running all over the place with this and that left to done. Santa assembled two bikes … or tried to. Ben’s darling balance bike went together in about 10 seconds, but Tabby’s big girl bike didn’t go together AT ALL. The fork was bent so badly we couldn’t get the front wheel on, so we had to call Amazon for a return. Luckily, Santa had picked up a scooter on sale in prep for Tabby’s birthday, so that went under the tree instead. Yay. We had a lovely rest of Christmas Eve, drinking margaritas, eating excellent Mexican food (as is tradition) and cooking food for Christmas Dinner.

Christmas Day came about as early as normal – the kids were up by 7 AM. They both were overjoyed to see their Santa gifts. The bed for Tabby’s beloved doll was a huge hit, as was the tent Santa constructed for Ben (I’ll have to post specifically about this later – meant to before Christmas but time got away from me!). They also loved the bike and scooter. Loads of other presents from us and my parents. Ben loved his new Buzz and Woody figures and Tabby really loved her spinny toothbrush my mom got her (go figure).

After present opening, we went to my grandma’s house to meet up with the extended family for brunch and a few more presents. Then back to my parents’ house for naps (unfortunately only the kids) and dinner prep. The extended family then showed up for a lovely Christmas Dinner and more wonderful time spent together. It was a lovely Christmas and everyone was very spoiled and well fed and blessed. Hope your Christmas was equally wonderful.