child free

This school year, I have 9 hours a week that are child-free.

That's 9 hours to do whatever I want.
Things like laundry, cleaning bathrooms, move stuff around in the garage (high hopes of getting a car in there), grocery shop, and doctors appointments.

Exciting things.
I know you are jealous.

I am trying to do a few things that are ME time.
But, it's hard to do that when I've had a little person with me all the time in what seems like forever.

It may take some time to get used to this...

hipstamatic love

I have grown to love the Hipstamatic App on my iPhone. It's pretty sad the amount of pictures I have taken with this app since I downloaded it.....I just love the quirkiness of each and every photo.

cousins....

her swimming buddy

i love my sister....

happy drinks

our happy place

my sweet boy

look and see

If you look close enough you will see a girl who once screamed as the sand touched her toes, when the waves crashed, or when the water got on her feet.

If you look close enough, you will see a girl who once sat in a tent the ENTIRE day while we were at the beach and held her blanket so tight because of her true fear of the beach.

If you look close enough, you will see that same girl on a boogie board, covered with sand and truly LOVING the beach.

Life is good.

drip, drip, drip

Finally.

We got some rain.

I swear I heard my grass singing as I walked out the door last night.....

Not going to complain, but rain, can you please hold off over the weekend so we can go to the fabulous beach I rediscovered this week?

today.

Today, we spent more time in the bathroom than anywhere else in the house.

Today, you put on big girl panties and looked at me with excitement and confusion.

Today, you had more accidents than successes, but we kept on going.

Today, we did the potty dance.

Tomorrow, we do it all again.

looking back

Disney World | Bay Lake Tower | June 2011

1. As long as there is a pool at the hotel, my kids don't need anything else.

2. Tanner and Kara are like Oil and Vinegar one minute and Peanut Butter and Jelly the next.

3. Fireworks two nights in a row without having to stand among sweaty and cranky people.

4. Spending the afternoon with Tanner playing pool games with all the other kids.

5.  Not having to rush anywhere to get to anything. Just waking up, having breakfast and heading to the pool until lunch. And then heading right back down.

6. It is possible to go to Disney World and not head to a park. (I already knew this, but it was nice to have it confirmed.)

7. Next time, bring a couple water toys.

8. I overpacked. For everyone.

9. Even though I had great intentions on reading the stack of magazines I brought, it was much better to go down the slide, play in the pool and lose to Bingo than reading about how I can improve my Running or Self.

10. That even though it's a bit out of focus and we look a bit cheesy, we got a family picture. (There is two, but I forgot to take my sunglasses off...)

why i run.

One of the things I've been doing instead of blogging is running.

Let me just start by saying I am not a fast runner. I may not even look like the typical runner. I run because it's good for me and I can do it anywhere. And because I've just gotten hooked.

I keep track of my pace and my time with my Garmin, but when it comes to getting a PR (Personal Record) in a race, if it happens, it happens. And the truth is, I don't enter a ton of races.

To me, it's not about getting a medal or racing against other runners.

I like to just put on my iPod, lace up my sneakers and head out the door. I'm racing against myself. Pushing myself to not give up and go back home.

Because somedays, I would rather sleep in.

Living in Florida, it's just cooler at 5 or 6 in the morning. So I roll out of bed, and go. I run before having a cup of coffee. Before the kids get up. Before normal people wake up.

And not matter what, the feeling I get when I finish a run, whether it's 2 miles or 20, is something that I can't get from an extra hour of sleep.

And that's why I run.