Harmony Cove

Oh, the imagination!

2012-02-17T18:19:00.001-08:00

Today, Allie walked in the house after school all excited about what happened at school. A mom of one of Allie's classmates is a dentist. She came to school to explain what she does in her job and demonstrate how she does it. She sent all the kids home with new toothbrushes, toothpaste, flossers and even stickers. As soon as she could, Allie set up her OWN dentist office.

She is working on Bity Baby.

Notice the face mask and YES, she is wearing latex gloves!

I will quickly explain the set up. She laid out one of her quilts to be the area she worked in. She had several of her toys wait in the "waiting room". A toy bed became the patient chair. She used a doll shirt as the bib. The tools she used were neatly lined up beside her. She had the stickers for the good patients in a row. Her toy phone was in the office, she even took appointments while she worked. She asked me for gloves, OF COURSE I have a box of latex gloves (doesn't everyone?). Allie then dug through the toy doctor stuff to find the finishing touch, her face mask. This went on for about an hour. She is AWESOME, and accepts all insurance. :)

Happy Valentine's Day 2012

2012-02-17T17:56:00.001-08:00

Tuesday, LOVE was in the air. (It actually started on Monday, with Allie's class party.) I was able to attend both of the kids parties. They loved getting Mommy at their school.

Allie at her party.

Owen at his party.

After I picked the kids up from school and brought them home, Owen walked into the kitchen to see this.

As you can see, he was VERY excited. I heard phrases like, "I'm the LUCKIEST boy!", "I LOVE you, Mommy!", "I've been wanting this for a LONG time!". I had bought him this new wii game called "Skylanders". He's mentioned it several times and even committed his allowance for the last few weeks to go buy it himself. (He still had about 3 more weeks to save for it.) Allie didn't have anything waiting for her, because Daddy was having a dozen pink roses to be delivered at the house for her. Thankfully, the truck showed up within 15 minutes of getting home. She was so EXCITED! I had her go out on the porch to receive them from the driver. Then we placed them in the vase and found the perfect place to set them. (On her nightstand.)

She is a VERY special little lady.

It was such a wonderful Valentine's Day. We felt loved, more than words can say.

The honor, is His!

2012-02-09T17:57:00.000-08:00

Tonight at Tae Kwon Do, Master Tammy called some of the Lil Dragons to come up and accept stripes to their belts. They earn these stripes for completing various skills that need to be learned in order to progress to the next color belt. Well, guess who got his first stripe? Yep! Owen. He was so excited! I was excited for him! He's been trying really hard during class to get the skills.

Master Tammy putting on the yellow stripe.

Owen bowing to Master Tammy.

My heart did break a little when I saw Allie trying desperately to NOT cry, she didn't earn one. She kept it together until they were dismissed and they came to me. As soon as my arm touched her, she fell apart. We quickly got our shoes on and got in the car. Owen was beaming, but he was also concerned for his sister. The highlight of the whole evening was Owen looking at her and saying, "It's ok, Baby. I bet you get your first stripe next week."

I love my kids!

A work of "HEART"

2012-02-08T16:11:00.000-08:00

Making Valentine's is a lost art. I can remember when I was younger that we would make them in class for our moms and dads, but we bought the Carebear or My Little Pony ones to pass out to the class. My daughter is a pioneer. She LOVES art. So when we talked about Valentines for their classes, my son picked some Angry Bird ones (surprise) and Allie looked at me asking, "Can I make them?" Why not? It does take a little effort on my part and is considerably longer time wise, but she is as happy as a clam.

Allison the CLAM.

A few of her finished works.

Now she may not want to do this next year, but I'm loving it now.

Proud, Big Sister

2012-01-30T18:13:00.001-08:00

Last Monday was my sister's first day of class. She has been out of school for some time. She got her college degree. But has recently decided to make a change. She has gone back to school, CMA school. She is SO EXCITED! I'm so proud of her. It's not easy for anyone to look at life and think I can make a change. It's scary. It's nerve racking. It's crazy. But she's doing it. And doing it well, I might add. Above is the report she texted me of her grade to date. If I had a magnetic fridge, I would post it. So this blog will have to do. I'm SO PROUD of you, Jen!

Show me how you BURLESQUE!

2012-01-22T15:23:00.001-08:00

The girls

You know that movie that came out last year about Burlesque. The one with Cher and Christina. Yeah, I LOVED it too! Unfortunately, Burlesque in Wichita, KS is NOTHING like that movie. But it was entertaining! There were 5 couples who met for dinner last night at Bonefish (one of my faves). Then we drove to The Cotillion, to see the Midwest Burlesque Showcase. There were some good dancers, a few good singers, cool light show, funny guy at intermission and some great company. The show as a whole was worth the price of the ticket. Now I know that if I chose to see another Burlesque show, I'll drive to KC and see one.

When Owen's away...

2012-01-16T15:21:00.000-08:00

He's packed and ready to go!

Yep! Owen went to his first sleep over last night. I got several updates during the evening (Thanks, Julie) along with several cute pics. But I thought I would share what "the girls" did while he was gone.

First we went and ate dinner at Red Robin. Then we had an hour to visit the mall. So we prioritized what we wanted to to. First stop-Build A Bear. Allie picked out this little koala and 2 outfits. Then we stopped at Candyopolis on our way out and got some baby gummy bears and candy necklaces. We came home and took our bath (she had it all to herself). She chose a movie to watch while eating gummy bears, "Meet The Robinsons". As she sat and relaxed, I curled her hair in foam curlers. This was something I've thought about doing often but never had a chance to try it out. She loved it! I loved it! It brought back good memories of myself as a little girl.

Our nice set up.

Finished back

Finished front and Koala

I wrapped her head so the curlers would stay over night.

She was Shirley Temple this morning.

She was SO CUTE!!!

I will definitely be curling her hair again and often. And from what I hear, the sleep over was a HUGE success. Thanks again Prices for the invite!

Everybody was... KUNG FU FIGHTING!!!

2012-01-11T17:54:00.001-08:00

Don't mess with them! They know Kung Fu.

Not really, but close. Both kids are now taking Tae Kwon Do lessons. The are a part of this kids program called Lil Dragons. It is so cute. Allie takes it all very seriously. Owen is starting to get the hang of it. They go on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school. There are a bunch of kids and several instructors. The kids LOVE it!!!!

The back of Owen's uniform.

The back of Allie's uniform.

(She will put this on at least ONCE a day.)

My Lil Dragons in action.

Determined!

2012-01-08T08:34:00.000-08:00

The title of this post is the best word I can think of to describe my wonderful daughter. For some reason, maybe the unseasonably warm weather, she has it in her head that she NEEDS to learn to ride her bike. I have a system where the kids first learn to balance on the bike, then they can try to pedal. Allie hasn't mastered the balance technique, but after about 3 attempts at it she quickly asks, "Can I pedal NOW?" I tell her she can try, but learning to balance first will keep her from falling as often. I predicted that she will be riding it like a pro by the end of summer... I might have to change that time line to the BEGINNING of summer!

Back in the Groove

2012-01-06T18:00:00.000-08:00

Well, I've sort-of gotten off the habit of blogging regularly. Life has had a week to get back into the GROOVE, post Christmas Break. I am going to try really hard to make it a point to blog every few days. My one and only resolution was to try and start a journal for my "personal" thoughts. That unfortunately lasted only 2 days. Maybe I'll try a little harder at that too. :)

2011-year in review

2011-12-30T11:12:00.000-08:00

I have always been a rather "positive" person. Some have even described me as having an "infectious zeal". So when the end of a year comes, I like to look back at ALL of the blessings that I've had in a short period of time. This is my year in review. (no particular order)

2011

Ran my FIRST Marathon
Walked around Fenway (on the field)
Traveled to Kauai, HI
Learned to swim
Saw GLEE Live
Started attending CBS (studying the book of John)
Got new neighbors
Experienced a Northeaster Storm
Attempted snow boarding in Vermont
Went snorkeling

I could go on and on. I could also include several highlights that were for Jake (graduating Harvard), Owen (going across the monkey bars-unassisted) or Allie (starting Pre-K). But this was MY list, and 10 has always been a lucky number for me.

Christmas Break 2011

2011-12-30T10:58:00.000-08:00

Christmas break this year has been awesome!!! The weather was extraordinary. I wasn't able to post any blogs, because I was busy enjoying it all. But now that the break (and year) are almost over, I'll post a few pics to hit the highlights.

The snacks I made for our Christmas Play Group.

This year's photo with Santa.

Grandma and Papa Arnett brought presents!

Santa stuffed our stockings.

Allie getting her mani.

Allie getting her pedi.

My NEW running shoes.

Some of what I purged.

Showing Gramma Karen how to play.

Aunt Nikki and Uno MOO.

Enjoying the nice weather.

Chapel Hill Christmas Program

2011-12-22T11:39:00.001-08:00

Yesterday the Chapel Hill Preschool had their Christmas Program. It was so cute! Allie did a fabulous job. At the end each student went to the teacher to receive 2 presents. One was for them and one was for the parents. She got a tee shirt to wear for their first day back after Christmas Break. We got a picture that she made. It's precious.

Mrs. Patti loves these kids.

An angel, from our angel

Birthday Weekend (Allison)

2011-12-18T15:27:00.000-08:00

I've had some BIG weekends, but this one goes to the "top 5".

Friday was Allison's 5th birthday, so we made treats for her class party. Keeping with the Nutcracker theme we made soldiers for the boys and ballerinas for the girls.

Here are the final results.

At her school, when it's your birthday, you get to be the STAR. She took a bag of things that she liked and were special to her. Then everyone in the class got to ask her a question. It was very cute. She was also the lucky student to take Theodore (the class teddy bear) home for the weekend. You'll see him farther down.

Sitting in the STAR chair.

After school, we started making the 48 cupcakes that would feed everyone at her party on Saturday. She loves to help!

Wearing some empty glasses.

She thinks glasses make girls look BEAUTIFUL!!!

Early Saturday morning, Theodore and Allie are ready!

We set up the treats.

Lined up the Nutcrackers.

This was the first group of painters.

It's cupcake time!

Opening presents and the center of attention.

(Some of the 30 kids)

We even had a celebrity show up!

Saturday night, Jake and I went to his work Christmas Party. It was a lot of fun. They had it at this Cabaret Comedy House. Lots of singing, laughing and hanging out with friends.

Shawn, Erin, Jen and Chris

Megan and myself

Sunday was "girl" outing. Allie had invited 2 of her girlfriends (and their moms) to The Nutcracker. Unfortunately, Paige was sick. But we have plans for next year!

Allison and Theodore

Lunch at Red Robin

Allie, Theodore and Addie

These lovely ladies look READY!

Show Time

By Sunday evening we were very tired. The irony was as I was getting ready to post this blog, I walked past Allie playing with her new presents. I just had to take a pic.

YEP! She's playing with the box!!!

She's 5!!!!

2011-12-16T09:02:00.000-08:00

That's right! My "baby" is 5 years old today! She's so EXCITED! She will have a party at school today and can't wait to be the "STAR" of the class. I'll post pics later from the school party. But today is just the beginning of a fun-filled weekend. Stay tuned...

Sing Me Song, Piano Man

2011-12-12T10:51:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, my girlfriends and I kidnapped one of our friends. She's been under a lot of stress lately and sometimes a check out from reality is called for. It was a BLAST! We ate, shopped, talked, yoga, sang, slept, talked and shopped. I firmly believe that girlfriends are something everyone needs and should never take for granted. I can't wait to do it again!!!

I'm dreaming of a WHITE Christmas

2011-12-06T07:45:00.000-08:00

This year we decided to hire a professional Christmas Decor company to put lights on our house. It was a little pricey, but I think they did a FABULOUS job. The best part was they finished yesterday (Jake's birthday) and last night after I took these photos it started to snow. Christmas is definitely in the air.

View from the North.

View from the West.

Breakfast with Santa

2011-12-03T19:14:00.001-08:00

Allison has been taking tap and ballet since September. One of the recitals they do during the year is "Breakfast with Santa" at the YMCA. This morning we got up early to get her ready for the big show.

This is her putting on her OWN makeup.

Here she is in her costume.

She danced to "I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas".

SUPER CUTE!!!!

And of course, we got to see the "big man in red".

It was a cold rainy day, but Nennie and Papa George made it to the performance and pancakes. For those that couldn't make it, I can show you the recording I made. We definitely have a "Dancing Queen" on our hands.

Thanksgiving Weekend 2011

2011-11-27T17:43:00.001-08:00

This will be a packed post. We've done a lot this weekend. I'll start with Thursday (Thanksgiving Day).

We weren't celebrating it, all of our family was coming on Saturday to eat the BIG TURKEY meal. So the kids, Jake, Jen and myself went to the movies. We saw the BEST movie!!!

However, when we left the movie at 5ish we realized why people eat the big meals on this day. We were hungry and there wasn't any place OPEN!!!! So we settled for a frozen Totino's pizza and some mac n cheese. :)

Then on Friday, Jake and Owen went out to buy our first "fake" Christmas tree. Allie and I stayed home and started pulling the decorations out. When the boys brought home the tree, the kids and I began to assemble it. The funny thing was our tree came in 5 pieces, but the directions showed 4 pieces!!! It still looks amazing!!!

Tah-dah!

Helper #1

Helper #2

"Directions"

Allie then assembled the Nativity Scene.

A few hours later, I went to clean up the mess and found this.

The box the tree came in, or...

the new hangout!

The kids decorated their own tree downstairs.

What tree isn't complete with out action figures?

Saturday we had all of our family over to eat. I made a 23 pound turkey. YEAH! I said 23!!!! It came out perfectly.

The 3 generations of Arnetts, cutting the turkey.

Desserts!!!!

Just a few of the sides.

Valorie, Jen and myself

Dad, Jen and Mom

The "kid" bench.

After eating coma pose.

Victim #2.

Owen explaining "Angry Birds" to G.G.

It was a WONDERFUL weekend!

Chapel Hill Thanksgiving Feast

2011-11-25T12:36:00.001-08:00

There's our big girl.

Nick and Allie were sitting at the same table.

Her place mat she made.

On Monday, Allie's preschool had a Thanksgiving Feast. The kids were so excited to be able to have, what I would call a "Charlie Brown Thanksgiving". Each kid's plate had a few grapes, some apple slices, carrots, one piece of deli turkey meat, one cube of colby cheese, a slice of pumpkin pie and a cup of strawberry Jello. They sang us a few songs before the meal. The whole thing was VERY CUTE!

Tina Fey's Prayer for her daughter

2011-11-20T17:02:00.000-08:00

I'm not one for just cutting and pasting an entire post and then just reposting it as one of mine, but I read this the other day and it SO RINGS TRUE!!!!

This is from Tina Fey's book "Bossy Pants".

First, Lord: No tattoos. May neither Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches.

May she be Beautiful but not Damaged, for it’s the Damage that draws the creepy soccer coach’s eye, not the Beauty.

When the Crystal Meth is offered, May she remember the parents who cut her grapes in half And stick with Beer.

Guide her, protect her
When crossing the street, stepping onto boats, swimming in the ocean, swimming in pools, walking near pools, standing on the subway platform, crossing 86th Street, stepping off of boats, using mall restrooms, getting on and off escalators, driving on country roads while arguing, leaning on large windows, walking in parking lots, riding Ferris wheels, roller-coasters, log flumes, or anything called “Hell Drop,” “Tower of Torture,” or “The Death Spiral Rock ‘N Zero G Roll featuring Aerosmith,” and standing on any kind of balcony ever, anywhere, at any age.

Lead her away from Acting but not all the way to Finance. Something where she can make her own hours but still feel intellectually fulfilled and get outside sometimes And not have to wear high heels.

What would that be, Lord? Architecture? Midwifery? Golf course design? I’m asking You, because if I knew, I’d be doing it, Youdammit.

May she play the Drums to the fiery rhythm of her Own Heart with the sinewy strength of her Own Arms, so she need Not Lie With Drummers.

Grant her a Rough Patch from twelve to seventeen. Let her draw horses and be interested in Barbies for much too long, For childhood is short – a Tiger Flower blooming Magenta for one day – And adulthood is long and dry-humping in cars will wait.

O Lord, break the Internet forever, That she may be spared the misspelled invective of her peers And the online marketing campaign for Rape Hostel V: Girls Just Wanna Get Stabbed.

And when she one day turns on me and calls me a Bitch in front of Hollister, Give me the strength, Lord, to yank her directly into a cab in front of her friends, For I will not have that Shit. I will not have it.

And should she choose to be a Mother one day, be my eyes, Lord, that I may see her, lying on a blanket on the floor at 4:50 A.M., all-at-once exhausted, bored, and in love with the little creature whose poop is leaking up its back.

“My mother did this for me once,” she will realize as she cleans feces off her baby’s neck. “My mother did this for me.” And the delayed gratitude will wash over her as it does each generation and she will make a Mental Note to call me. And she will forget. But I’ll know, because I peeped it with Your God eyes.

Amen.

Laughter IS the BEST medicine

2011-11-17T19:58:00.000-08:00

Tim Hawkins. That's really all I need to say. This man made me laugh so hard, my cheeks were hurting. The best part was the evening started with good food (Bonefish) and great friends (Brothertons and Jittawaits), then finished with me laughing so much that I would sigh after each fit. Like Tim says, "If you can't laugh at yourself... laugh at others." :)

Family Photos

2011-11-16T18:17:00.000-08:00

I have been so busy with life, that posting has taken a backseat. Nothing has been crazy or stressful. Just busy. But even though I've been busy, I have been thankful. I have several friends posting daily the things they are thankful for. I love reading these.

Last night I was busy (surprise) making our Christmas cards on line. YES! I already have my Christmas cards made and my mailing list done. (I know, it's not even Thanksgiving!) It was so much fun looking at all the photos we had taken this past fall (2 different sessions). I won't ruin the surprise of which ones I selected, but these were some of the ones that made me smile and THANKFUL! Enjoy.

My Rock

My Baby

My Boy

My Family

(I love the looks on the kids' faces!)

WOW! Where did the time go?

2011-11-06T09:10:00.001-08:00

Boy, I am behind on the blog thing! I'll try my best to finish up October this post and then maybe start some REAL November posts tomorrow.

We got back from our trip to Kauai on October 30th. Owen didn't have school on October 31st, so we spent that morning carving pumpkins and decorating the house for our party.

The kids

Helping Daddy

The finished project

One of the carved pumpkins

A pumpkin that Papa George bought Owen.

(Angry Bird Pig)

The other carved pumpkin.

I was so busy having fun at our party, I didn't take too many pictures. I know other guests took pictures, but this is my blog so my pics will have to do.

My MAD Dragon Ninja and Kauai Boy

Angry Bird flying towards me.

My "out of character" costume

Sue Sylvester

Jen was the Bride of Frankenstein

Our friends the Bakers were our first guests to arrive.

The James are the family that moved across the street.

Natalie, Allie and Addie.

The Prechards from across the street.

Highlights of Kauai

2011-10-30T18:51:00.000-07:00

On our last day, we saw this.

I don't know where to START?

8 days and 7 nights in Kauai, HI
Jake and I, plus 4 other couples
NO KIDS! (Thanks, Jen!)
1 sunset cruise
20 dolphins swimming less than 10 feet away
7 waterfalls
"supple skin" :)
2 bottles of sunblock
my 1st snorkeling (with the Williams)
shrimp tacos
2 snowballs (1 was cherry, the other was cherry/watermelon)
1 ukulele and a bamboo harmonica
a bracelet made from shells
hot tub
2 flower leis
"painted abs" :)
drove a Jeep
a monk seal
beautiful rainbow
5 gorgeous ladies in bikinis
the perfect hat
memories to last forever

We had SO MUCH fun! I'm so blessed. Friends, food and fun. When can we go back?

SURVIVOR!

2011-10-21T11:35:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I have a dear friend who was diagnosed with breast cancer in August 2010. Unfortunately, I moved shortly after her news and missed being here for her during her surgeries, chemo, meds and doctor visits.

She isn't just an amazing woman. She's a wife, mother of 4 (under the age of 7), friend, PTO President (she still can't believe she signed up for that!), my swim partner and neighbor. Today I will add CANCER SURVIVOR to that honorable list. She had a series of tests that went on this week, to see if she is cancer free a year post op. SHE IS!!!! I almost choked and started crying when she sent me the text.

KRIS

I am so blessed to have you in my life.

Doggy Paddle... NO MORE!

2011-10-19T17:44:00.001-07:00

Yeah, I know. I make this look SO COOL!

But let me tell you, I CAN SWIM! That's right! I'm 36 and I just recently started taking swim lessons. I knew how not to drown, but I never learned the proper strokes. Thanks to my friend, Kris, I started taking lessons about 6 weeks ago. She had asked me if I had an interest in learning and I thought it might be fun to learn. Plus, I was able to include a great workout during the end of my marathon training.

Now people keep asking me, "Are you going to do a triathlon?" NO!!! But I will continue to swim 2-3 days a week. I like it. It's actually very relaxing. (It might come in handy next week in Kauai!) I guess that saying is wrong. You CAN teach an "old" dog new tricks. :)

Wheatland Warrior Dash

2011-10-14T16:44:00.001-07:00

Wheatland Elementary School had it's fall fundraiser today. They always have a jog-a-thon to raise money for various things to buy the school. Well, this year I was the chair person in charge of it. It was so in line with my interests, running and exercise. And since the president of PTO is a friend of mine, I thought I would tweak this year's jog-a-thon. I turned it into more of a "Warrior Dash". The kids had their lap of outside and lap in the gym where they ran. But while they were in the halls they had to perform challenges. They hopped, skipped, frog jumped, bear crawled, crab crawled, etc. from station to station. The parents I had volunteering, the staff that was helping and the students ALL told me it was a BLAST! I call that a success!!!!

Don't know this kid, but I like his style!

I know this one! ;)

Mrs. Unrein even got in on it with her class.

Owen and some kids crab crawling.

Some kids frog jumping.

Noah, FINALLY stopping for a snack.

Anna, very excited!

Some of Owen's class having their "pit stop" snack.

The rest of his class.

Gavin, Owen and Jake

"Hello, Dolly!"

2011-10-13T19:25:00.000-07:00

Famous posed picture

Tonight was Owen's second grade music program. He even had a speaking part. It was very entertaining! The wide variety of songs they sang. The kids who really got into their songs. The kids who forgot their lines. It was an excellent way to spend the evening. Allie was even dancing in her row to the songs. (I think she was mad she didn't get to go on stage.)

Walking to the Andover High School

My crew hanging out before, playing on the iPad.

Allie sitting with her "girls".

Owen and Jake

Noah and Owen

The fans who came to watch.

GOOD JOB, OWEN!

Chicago Marathon 2011

2011-10-12T19:25:00.000-07:00

Chicago Marathon 2011 (the uncensored review)

I apologize there won't be any pictures during this post. Not that I didn't take any! But I used a disposable camera and had to have the film developed and so I can't post them. :(

First, I would like to thank all of the people who were standing along the course cheering total strangers on. It was AWESOME! I want to take a brief moment to share with you some of the memorable posters/signs that I got to read as I ran all 26.2 miles.

"This is the WORST parade EVER!"
"Odoyle RULES!"
"Honey badger DOESN'T give a shit!"
"Don't stop now! Millions of people are watching!"
"The pain is temporary. Quitting is FOREVER!"
"Because 26.3 would be just CRAZY!"

Those were just a small sample of what I saw. There were bands and dj's playing music along the course as well. Several songs I caught myself singing to were...

"Run The World (Girls)"
"We Are The Champions"
some Lady Gaga song, I can't think of right now
some Elvis song, I can't think of right now either

Now for the highlights. (In some-what sequential order as they happened.)

The 40-something male partners at the warm up area. They were hilarious, from Florida and wanted to pay Jake $10 for his Mylar blanket he brought. Lucky for me, a woman gave me an extra trash bag she had so I could stay warm.
Jake smacking my butt for "good luck".
Running under a wide bridge seeing several male runners just stop and pee on the wall.
Seeing the Chicago Theater.
Having a runner come up to me and wish me well on my first marathon. I had made a running shirt that on the back said, "My First Marathon".
Stopping to take a potty break.
Seeing 2 men wearing nude leotards covered in clear, empty water bottles, go-go boots, white wigs and big sunglasses dancing and singing on a stage to some Lady Ga-Ga song. (the reason I can't remember the song, they were stealing the show)
Another runner came up to me and tell me good luck on my first marathon.
Ran past a guy running in Crocs and had a propeller on his hat with a shirt that said, "HI GUY". I took his pic and Jake gave him props on his style.
ELVIS! There was a guy on a stage singing and dressed like Elvis. I took his pick and Jake gave him a "high five". (the reason I can't remember the song... it was ELVIS!)
Realizing for Chicago being called the "windy city", it wasn't windy AT ALL!
Another runner came up to me and said, "Happy First Marathon!"
Jake thinking he is funny and running ahead of me for about 20 feet, with his butt showing above his shorts. (FUNNY?)
Seeing 2 runners ahead of me, one wearing a shirt that said "I'm the DAD" (a man in his late 50's) and the other said "I'm the SON"(a man in his 20's).
Jake picking me up an orange wedge and handing it to me to eat. Then taking my picture with "orange peel smile".
Stopping for Jake to take a potty break.
Jake telling me to watch up ahead on the left as he runs up to a group of girls by the road. He then tells them my name and says, "On the count of 3, say 'GO, CARRIE'. 1. 2. 3. (everyone yells) GO, CARRIE!"
Thinking of everyone I knew, who knew I was running this marathon and feeling very LOVED! (I have an AMAZING support group.)
Running through Chinatown. I saw 2 of those Chinese dragons (people in the big costume ones).
One more runner telling me, "You are doing great for your first marathon. You've obviously trained for this."
Seeing a group of 5 runners all wearing a shirt that said "Abuelo" all were in their 30's but one. He was in his 70's. And his shirt said below Abuelo, "Pushing Abuelo to 26.2". (FYI-they finished right before us. ALL of them.)
We walked through all the aid stations drinking water, but the last one. We wanted to finish strong and steady. By that point my legs were hurting a little when I would go from walking to running. So I figured, let's just run the rest of the way. This was after mile 24.
I was eating Gu Chomps at every mile from mile 4-21. Then from 21-24, I ate a half of a banana that they were giving at aid stations.
I crossed the finish line at 5:26:35. Jake crossed the finish line at 5:26:36. He wanted me to cross first.
Feeling AMAZING! No tears. Just a TON of relief to have actually finished it.
Walking back to the hotel and throwing up in the bathroom. (Remember those 4 half bananas I ate?)

If you ask me today, I would tell you I don't have any desire to run another marathon. I really love the idea of half marathons.

Weekend in Chicago

2011-10-10T18:42:00.000-07:00

A good friend sent me a video clip on Friday from a favorite classic movie of mine and Jake. It was from "Blues Brothers". It's the scene where they get in there car and HIT IT... to Chicago. Well, that's what Jake and I did this weekend. WE HIT IT! I took a bunch of pics so I'll just fill in the blanks with captions.

What we saw at the baggage claim.

View from the cab heading into Chicago.

We got to Chicago on Friday, so after checking in we went for a walk.

Where we decided (on Friday) we would start.

This was near where we wanted to start.

View of the city from the fountain.

We then walked along Lake Michigan.

Jake enjoying the view and his Dunkin' Donuts coffee.

We were feeling a little tired, so we went to the movies. We saw "Moneyball". It was a good. Then we walked down Michigan Ave. to the hotel, but we stopped and did a little shopping.

I discovered this wonderful chocolate place and made my own box.

We woke up Saturday and walked to the Expo. It was a little walk, but very scenic.

Soldier Field. "Da Bears"

Then we got to the Expo. A runner's heaven.

I'm a little excited.

The forecast was sunny and warm.

We met Ultra-runner, Scott Jurek.

A cool wall that went through the Expo.

There were names of all the runners in the red and blue boxes.

Look who I found?

The finish line as we were taking the shuttle back to the hotel.

A cool model of the city.

Where we ate our pre-race pasta dinner.

(My friend, Kim, suggested it.)

Sign outside the restaurant.

After dinner we thought we could walk back to Michigan Ave. to buy the kids some gifts. We ended up walking 4 miles. But it was a fun walk.

The window of the Apple store.

Sunday, we ran. (That's a whole different post!) Then we went to The Peninsula Hotel Spa for 60 minute Swedish massages. (I recommend this for ALL marathoners!) Walking as new humans, we met a friend of ours for dinner at Gino's East. It was good to see him and meet his family. His girls are so cute!

Sanjeev and Divya and their daughter.

After dinner, we walked to the hotel. I stopped at Niketown and picked up my commemorative jacket that I had personalized (for free). I was tired, but very happy. This weekend was amazing!

One Happy Girl

Landscaping

2011-10-05T06:23:00.001-07:00

While we were living in Cambridge, we loved the plants. This made us think about our home. The backyard was basically a huge grass field with a playground in the middle. So we have begun the transformation of our landscape. We have a BIG plan for the backyard, but it needs to be done in phases. Phase 1, plant some PLANTS! Yesterday that was done! Check out the pics.

before: well

after: well

(Can you see it?)

before: guest room

after: guest room

before

after

We added some garden around the edge.

More green around our tree.

Some gone, more added.

Looking good!

Let's fill our Saturday!

2011-10-01T19:12:00.000-07:00

This morning we went to the Greater Andover Days (GAD) parade. Owen's school was doing a "float" in the parade. It ended up being a bunch of kids, parents and a few faculty members WALKING the entire route in a cluster. The theme was 80's, "Our Future's So Bright". Several people were dressed in their neon and rolled jeans. My kids wore their Wheatland Warrior shirts. (Allie was excited to get Owen's old one from Kindergarten.)

Nice shirts!

Owen started holding a sign, but ended up passing out candy.

After the parade (luckily we were at the beginning) we went and found daddy and Allie to watch the rest of the parade.

My crew

After lunch, I took Owen to this new place called Jumpy Jump Land for a birthday party. His friend Jaxon was turning 8. It was a blast! He got to play with a bunch of his buddies.

Owen and Xander

Sara and Paige

Owen, Jake and Sorn

Birthday Boy, Jaxon

(I love his shirt!)

Busy, but GOOD!

2011-10-01T19:04:00.001-07:00

This has been a very busy week! We haven't done anything out of our regular routine, but we've been getting ready for our BUSY weekend. Friday was the first day of our weekend. I have been working on getting the fall fundraiser for Owen's school ready to start. It's been an experience! But at 3:10 on Friday afternoon I was hosting the pep assembly in front of the ENTIRE student/faculty body of Wheatland Elementary. I made sure I was dressed for it!

I had arranged for the PE teacher to have "Eye Of The Tiger" playing on the speaker as the kids came into the gym. The principal, Mr. Armbrister, introduced me and I took over. I felt great about it. My dear friend, Kris, decided to video record the whole thing! I can't wait to see that!!!

Then Friday evening, I got to go to dinner with my girlfriend, Julie. It was so nice! Afterwards, we met Angela at the Holiday Galleria. I so meant to have our picture taken together. But I did manage to get a pic of this vendor wearing custom made pants. They were made from Italian upholstery! AWESOME!

Training-week 27

2011-09-25T16:00:00.001-07:00

14 Yassos! I did it! It was way better than the last time I ran 12 Yassos. However, reality is starting to kick-in. As I was running on the treadmill, my mind started playing games with me. I started hearing an unfamiliar voice.

"You are running 26.2 miles in 2 weeks!"

"Who, in their right mind, runs 26.2 miles?"

"You've never ran that far before!"

"You're going to DIE!"

Yep, good old Doubt, Anxiety and Nervous all decided to join me on my last real training run. All of the sudden, it seems so sudden. I start wondering if I've trained right. I can't cram any more serious training in before October 9th. Am I really ready?

Then reach for another gummy bear (I eat on after each Yasso) and I realize I only have 4 more in the bag. Before I started today, I thought if I could just get 12 GOOD Yassos in, I would be happy. HOLY COW! I was going to get all 14 Yassos that I had planned. I won't lie, my legs started getting tired at 12, but that's what this training is for. So my legs learn, and I don't give up, to run on tired legs. The last 2 were tough, but not impossible. And as soon as I was done, I took my picture and my legs felt AWESOME!!! I had done it! And I didn't die!

No one can predict exactly what's going to happen on the fateful Sunday in Chicago. But I've done all I can think of and have no regrets. This will be my last training post. My next running post will be post marathon. If you happen to think about it on October 9th, send me your positive thoughts. I'll take all that I can get!

Race for the cure

2011-09-24T10:29:00.001-07:00

This morning, the kids and I got up early and drove to Town East Mall for the "Race for the cure" Komen 5K. We were part of a team that was started for my friend Kris Jittawait. Before I show the pictures from the event, I want to thank my family and friends that sponsored me. Our team was one of the top 2 individual/teams in raising money!!! Now for the pics!!

It's early, but she's READY!

Owen and Noah, Kris's son.

Kris and myself, Allie took this pic.

Don't we look TALL!!!

We saw our friends the Farleys.

I walked/ran the non competitive 5K, pulling this!

I finished it in 1:30:35. :)

The weather was perfect! We even saw hot air balloons.

Even Storm Troopers fight this battle!

The Pink Ladies

During the Survivor Parade, Kris's family watches proudly as she walks by.

They had all the survivors stand on the bleachers for a group photo, they had a group sing an amazing song and then let several doves go at the end. Just as we watched them fly above us, we all thought the same thing. "Please, don't poo on us!" But just as the final dove flew over the survivors, you can only guess what happened. Luckily, NO ONE got hit!

The only victim of the poo.

League of Room Moms

2011-09-23T09:20:00.000-07:00

Yep! There are 6 of us. 6 moms from the second grade. We are each different. We each bring something special to our group. We've known each other since Kindergarten (our kid's Kindergarten class, that is). And now we are the moms who get to make second grade a FUN and EXCITING year. We get to plan ALL THE PARTIES!!!!

This morning we met at Panera, to discuss the up coming Halloween/Fall Party. We talked about that for about 10 minutes... we were there for over an hour. It was so enjoyable to sit, drink and chat about life. We each have our own story, but second grade ties us together. I can tell you from this meeting, it is going to be a GREAT year.

Dancing Queen

2011-09-20T12:16:00.001-07:00

This past month, Allison has been taking dance lessons (tap and ballet) from the North YMCA Dance Academy. To say she loves it, is an understatement. I've been able to take a few pics. She'll be doing this all school year, ending with a big dance recital in May. I'm so proud of my tiny dancer!

First day

Learning to shuffle

Ballet at the bar

Arabesque

She's READY!!!

Build-My-Own Bear

2011-09-18T16:55:00.000-07:00

Today, the kids and I went to Michael's and checked out all the goodies. Allie, my little arts and crafts guru, fell in love with this bear kit. So I bought it and knew we would have a fun little project to do today, just the 2 of us.

It even came with a birth certificate.

She impressed me with how willing and eager she was to learn and do much of it herself. There were a few things that mommy had to do, but in the end she was the one who built the bear. The pictures below show the entertaining process.

She's learning to sew.

She had to try on the tiara.

Stuffing it with fluff.

Very focused.

A finished bear.

Now to dress the princess.

The finishing touch.

I did it!

Training-week 26

2011-09-18T14:52:00.000-07:00

Well, now that I'm on the down-hill part of this training schedule I'm not doing anything too fabulous. I ran 6 miles, outside and it felt good. I kept a steady pace, nothing too fast or slow for about an hour. I have 2 more training weeks before my marathon debut. I'll be running, hopefully, 14 Yassos next Sunday and then a 7 mile run the following Sunday. I can't believe I'm almost done with this training program.

Training-week 25

2011-09-14T10:14:00.000-07:00

Well, this wasn't the easiest 7 mile run... but it was my FASTEST!!! I had originally planned to run outside before the day started. But mother nature had other plans. It was RAINING! So I drove to the YMCA and jumped on the treadmill. I think mentally, this was hard because I was all ready to run outside. But I was so happy with my finished time. 1:02 (for 7 miles-this is the fastest I've ever run) I'm still nervous about October 9th, but I know if I'm smart, I will do it and meet my goals.

Here comes the...

2011-09-11T14:06:00.000-07:00

NO! Not the bride. My favorite part of a wedding... CUTE KIDS!!!

I didn't know any when I got married, so we didn't have any. But this past weekend, my step-sister was the lucky one to have both my adorable kids in her wedding.

A flower girl and ring bearer

Look at how cute they are!

Allie got her hair done (first time curled)

(View of the back)

The three flower girls

Allie and Owen directing traffic

Allie taking her job seriously

The entire wedding party

(That's a LOT of kids!)

The NEW Charlie's Angels

Allie doing a wonderful job!

Owen, and the other ring bearers, picking up the flower petals.

Cheer With Me!

2011-09-07T18:41:00.000-07:00

These are pictures from Allie's cheer leading clinic. As you can see, she loved it. However, she was very frustrated with somersaults and cartwheels. Looks like we have some practicing to do!

She's R.E.A.D.Y.

Cartwheels

Pom-pom routine

YEAH!

Pyramid

(Could they be any cuter?)

Go, Team, GO!

2011-09-06T14:17:00.001-07:00

Last night before bedtime, Allie decided it was time to practice some of her cheerleading moves. She started Cheer Clinic today. I will post those pics another time. But enjoy the clips of her enthusiasm!

GO, TEAM!

What's that spell?

Training-week 24

2011-09-04T15:03:00.000-07:00

Well, I did my last 20 mile run (before the actual marathon). It was both amazing and difficult at the same time. I got company for my 5:30 am start. Our friend, Kevin, is visiting for the weekend and agreed to run with me for a while. And my girlfriend, Julie, came over to meet us. Julie was great! She actually ran farther than she has run outside with me in a LONG WHILE. Then she decided to turn back and start her busy day. Kevin ran the entire first loop with me. That's 10 miles!!! It was the farthest he has EVER ran. I was so proud of him. He's been toying with the idea of training for a half marathon. Well, I can honestly say, HE IS READY!

The last loop of 10 miles was a solo run. The sun was starting to come out and make it a little warmer and the wind was CRAZY. After reaching mile 16 my left knee started to hurt so I had to "speed walk" off and on for the rest of the 20. But I finished it! Chicago... Here I Come!

A fly on the wall

2011-09-02T11:17:00.000-07:00

Well, both of my kids have been in school for at least a full week. So far, so good.

I'm very proud of both of them. I'm still working on filling my "FREE" time, but I'm getting there. There is still a part of me that wishes I could be a fly on the wall in their classrooms.

Lucky for me, one of Allie's teachers does a class blog instead of newsletters. I LOVE IT!!!! For those of you that are interested in seeing what she is learning (and catching a glimpse of her now and then in photos) check out the blog.

sweetchildishdays.blogspot.com

Nose Ring?

2011-08-30T07:52:00.000-07:00

That's Love-Love

2011-08-29T18:57:00.001-07:00

Tennis Star...

Well, I wouldn't go that far. However, over the past 4 weeks, he has been getting better.

Yep! Owen has been taking tennis lessons and likes them, so we will continue through the month of September (and then who knows?). He takes them at the Riverside Tennis Club. I was a little hesitant about it because it was a bit of a drive for us to get there. But the instructor is AMAZING!!! They always have at least one other tennis helper to lower the ratio. The skills are basic, but they really know how to get them to learn the moves. As in most cases, it is quite entertaining to watch my son in a learning environment. The following pictures are from 3 of the 4 sessions.

Water Break

I'm assuming he's learning the back hand?

Pose for the camera!

The good news is he was suppose to be sitting for instructions.

Allie-our sideline "ball girl". :)

Training-week 23

2011-08-28T18:36:00.001-07:00

Well, it wasn't pretty. But I managed to get 12 Yassos done today. I thought I was going to die after 7 of them. So I stopped the treadmill and walked to the drinking fountain to refill my water bottle. Then I walked back to the DREADED ED, and finished, not strong, but FINISHED the remaining 5 Yassos. It took me 48 minutes to run the first set and 33 minutes to run the second set. I ended up running about 8.5 miles. As I said in the beginning it wasn't pretty, not all runs will be. But I did it!

All Star Sports...WHAT AN ADVENTURE!

2011-08-27T10:51:00.000-07:00

Owen's school had a fundraiser night at All Star Sports last night. We haven't been there before, so this made for a perfect opportunity to check it out. At 6:00, we walked up and bought our bracelets. Our first stop was over by the "kiddie" rides. The first was this little bug ride. It reminded me of a small "dumbo" ride.

Allie on the pink bug.

Owen on the blue bug.

Then we walked over to another kiddie ride. This one was a train ride that went around in a circle and up a little hill. Needless to say, one kid loved it and the other HATED it!

Take a guess?

After that fiasco, we decided to slow things down and attempt putt-putt golf. We have never tried before, so this was entertaining. We made it through about 11 holes, before Allie announced she had to pee. So the game ended and we went into the arcade to search for the restrooms. I'm pretty sure we don't have ANY natural talent in the golf area.

As we left the arcade, Owen noticed the bumper boats. Allie didn't want to have anything to do with them. I thought with the heat it would be a perfect way to cool off. But Owen ended up being the only one to get wet. He LOVED them.

Shortly after this picture was taken, we had to call it a night. All in all, it was fun. But next time we will go when it is cooler outside.

Pre-K Begins...

2011-08-25T15:18:00.000-07:00

Traditional "first day of school" photo

That's right folks! Yesterday was Allie's first day of Pre-K. She was so EXCITED! She wore her backpack almost all morning. (Her school started at 1:00.) It was so cute, about every 20 minutes she would ask, "Are we going to school YET?" Below are the pictures I took from her first day.

"WATCH OUT, World!"

Can you see my backpack?

I was born READY!

She got to eat her lunch (McDonald's) on the "special red plate".

Daddy was off work in time to take her too!!!

Once we got there, we got to watch her learn the morning routine.

1. Give her teachers her homework folder.

2. Hang up her backpack on her hook and go wash her hands.

Her day must have gone smoothly. I didn't receive any phone calls. At pickup, we got our famous "Arnett-Williams" picture.

Today was her second day. She asked to eat her breakfast on the "special" dish. (I let her.) Then when we were going to drop off I asked her if I was to just drive up and let her out. She got this sad face and said, "Mommy, I want you to come in with me." So I parked the car, held her hand and repeated the same process as yesterday. My heart was singing the whole way. SHE STILL NEEDS HER MOMMY!!!!

Day 2 photo

Pre-K Open House

2011-08-22T18:36:00.000-07:00

Today was Allie's Pre-K Open House/Meet the Teacher. She was SO EXCITED!

Here she is outside Chapel Hill.

She got her name tag on. Too bad they misspelled it on EVERYTHING!

She practiced sitting on her spot for circle time.

They gave her a checklist of things to do in the classroom.

She diligently checked each item off.

It was a pleasant experience. We met 2 of her teachers and found where the bathrooms are. She seemed ready for Wednesday's first day of school. As we were driving out of the school parking lot, I asked her if she remembered her number (they are assigned numbers for cubbies, hooks, etc.). She said, "My number is 2. (She was right.) I know where everything is. You can just drop me off on Wednesday." WHAT!?!? I think a little bit of my heart broke when she said that. So I asked her if it would be alright to walk her in and take a few "first day of school" pictures. After a pregnant pause, she said that would be ok. I guess you can say she's ready!

Training-week 22

2011-08-21T13:25:00.000-07:00

I am 7 weeks away from my marathon! I still can't believe I'm still going strong. The run this week was only 6 miles. EASY PEASY! Once upon a time, I would have died at the thought of running more than a couple of miles on the treadmill. Now, I see it as my "life line". I routinely run 5K on the treadmill. And after running 20 miles on a treadmill, 6 miles is NOTHING! I'm even getting faster at it. I finished these 6 in about 55 minutes.

Second Grade

2011-08-18T07:06:00.001-07:00

That's right world. My "little" boy is starting second grade today. This means we have to start our day with a special breakfast on the "special red" plate.

Daddy was home to make and BIG breakfast!

After we eat, we take our "annual" picture in front of the fireplace.

He is getting SO BIG!

Allie wants to be in the pic. :)

Then we load up the car and head to school.

Someone looks EXCITED!

We park the car, with all the other mommies and daddies, and walk in. The timing was perfect! Owen ran into some of his kindergarten buddies!

Owen and Logan

(Logan isn't in his class this year, but they still chatted it up.)

My 3 Stooges

(Owen, Jake and Noah)

Owen had to go through the morning routine.

This was putting his name under sack lunch.

One last hug and he went to his seat, next to Jake.

Allie wasn't all that happy about leaving.

Then we ran into our friends, the Williams.

Allie looks up to Paige. (I got to give Paige a "good luck" hug!)

Now we wait until 3:35 for pick up and to find out how his day went.

Angry Birds!

2011-08-17T18:21:00.000-07:00

Owen has several of the stuffed "Angry Birds" birds. Every night I hear him set up some scene and play it out in his bed. He decided he wanted to take his play to the next level and make his FIRST movie. Maybe he'll be the next Jim Henson?

Training-week 21

2011-08-14T10:28:00.001-07:00

Well, I did it again. I ran 20 miles. This time I was outside. I ran a 10 mile loop, then stopped at my house for a refill on my water bottle and ran the 10 mile loop again.

The first loop was easy. I felt GREAT! I had started at 6:30, so the weather was perfect. The second loop I took a little longer to run. (But not much!) I had agreed to try "peach tea" Gu Chomps. I really needed to find something that would help my muscles repair themselves since I was running so far. I can honestly say, they weren't BAD. I had eaten one every 4 miles, until I reached mile 12. Then I ate one every 2 miles until I finished. I ate the remaining 2 on my cool down walk home. I know I should have eaten the entire package during the first loop and had a second pack on the last loop, but I was just trying them out. My stomach felt good.

The last 2.5 miles were the toughest. The wind was at my back. But there was this little voice inside my head saying, "if you get it in gear, you might finish at 4 hours". I finished at 4:02:22. I was thrilled!!! When I walked into the garage, I found a big water bottle full of ice cold water and this sign.

I feel AMAZING! I feel BLESSED! I love my life.

Teacher Draft-2011

2011-08-13T19:32:00.000-07:00

I have come to realize that there is an event that takes place every fall that gets people excited, eager and nervous all at once. No, I'm not talking about the NFL draft. I'm talking about the Teacher Draft. The letters that are sent from the schools to families all over America informing them of their student's teacher assignment.

This fall was my first! I hadn't heard anything, good or bad, about any of the 3 second grade teachers. What my concern/focus was who would be IN my son's class. The texts began at 11:45 this morning. Some of the moms got their mail before we did. But you can bet, I was at the mailbox as soon as the little white truck pulled away from my curb.

The envelope wasn't even sealed. But there it was. I opened it up and pulled out the single sheet of paper that said.

To the parents/guardians of : Owen Arnett

Your child's classroom teacher will be: Mrs. Unrein

This was a pleasant surprise. She was the computer lab instructor when Owen was in Kindergarten. But due to need, she became a second grade teacher. Plus, she lives just down the street from us.

So I sent my text out informing others of who we got. Then we had to wait on our 2 best friends from Kindergarten. Noah's mom quickly replied back to me that he got her too. AWESOME!!! We didn't hear from Jake's mom until almost bedtime. Would we be lucky two times in a row? YES!!!! Both of his buddies are going to be in his class next year. This was very fortunate for us. There were 3 different teachers. Another mom I know got a different teacher and has mixed feelings about some of the students that will be in the same class as her child.

I'm sure it will all work out for everyone in the long run. But it sure was exciting.

Birthday Boy!

2011-08-10T19:46:00.000-07:00

7 years old

August 9th was Owen's birthday. We had been busy over the weekend with family visiting, so on his actual day we just went to his favorite restaurant for dinner. Red Robin... YUM!

Then we got ready for his final BLOWOUT! He wanted a Mario Brothers Party with his friends. So we had one tonight. Now if you were to look on line or at party stores, you can find the usual things for a party with this theme. Napkins, plates, goodie bags... I got that covered. But my son saw some cakes on line that people made with the Mario theme. So not to break his heart, I planned out how I could make something similar. Lucky for me, my little sister is a professional baker. This is how it went down.

4 different colors of frosting.

(We don't like fondant!)

I used Air Head candy for the decorations.

My sister applied the frosting, I supervised!

Allie was picking up tips from the expert.

One cake was 2 layers of chocolate and the other was 2 layers of vanilla. You can see the finished product below.

The party started wonderfully. Our friends showed up and everyone played, played and played. We got them to stop and eat some pizza. Then there was more playing. I was able to herd them back to the table to sing "Happy Birthday" and eat some cake. Next they played a little more. Finally, we gathered them all up to open presents before people left. Let's just say they all KNOW my son and he made out like a LEGO ROCK STAR!

Boys eating pizza

Girls eating pizza

THE MARIO CAKE

Boys eating cake

Girls eating cake

It was an "awesome party" according to my son. Which translates to a success for Mommy. :)

Training-week 20

2011-08-09T10:08:00.000-07:00

Today was just a 7 mile run. But it was the perfect run. I knew the treadmill stops at 60 minutes, so my goal was to beat my previous record of 6.31 miles before it shut off and I would have to restart it. I hit 6.51!!! I felt GREAT!!! Who knows? Maybe someday, I'll be able to get all 7 miles done in 60 minutes!!!!

Birthday Weekend (Owen)

2011-08-08T14:16:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was PARTY-PALOSA! We celebrated on both days with family for Owen's upcoming birthday. On Saturday morning I asked the kids to go get dressed for the first party. This is what they picked!

Lady Gaga should be taking notes. :)

Our guests for this party were Grandma and Papa Arnett, Nennie and Papa George. It was small, but fun!

The cupcakes the kids helped me make.

Present from Nennie and Papa George.

From Grandma and Papa Arnett

On Sunday we had a slight bigger gathering. The guest list was Gramma Karen, Uncle Keith, Nana, RJ, GG, Great Uncle Dennis and Nennie.

Owen got 2 RC helicopters.

One from Daddy and one from Gramma Karen's Crew.

More cupcakes.

Legos from GG.

Legos from Nana and RJ.

We haven't had the friend party yet. But I can already say, this has been a great birthday.

Car Wash

2011-08-03T18:50:00.001-07:00

When it gets hot, the Arnetts go to the car wash. That's right! It's a family event to wash Daddy's car. Here are some fun pics of our post-dinner outing.

Daddy demonstrating the technique.

Allie going solo.

Owen going solo.

Owen taking the camera.

My happy kids.

High Dive

2011-08-02T18:56:00.000-07:00

Tonight we were at the Crestview Country Club for the Paige/Nick Birthday Party. Owen had gone off the low diving board at a WAC party last week, but I missed it. So at this party when he started going off the low dive I was there. I took a few pics. Then his friends moved on to the high dive. The first time he got all the way up, but only half way down the board before he turned around and went back down the ladder. However, the next time he got up there the life guard informed him he could only go one way... into the water. So he inched his way to the end of the board and jumped in. Another mom was in the water below encouraging him to jump and to make sure he was okay after he surfaced. I was so proud of him. He even did it one more time.

low dive

high dive

Training-week 19

2011-08-01T20:34:00.001-07:00

Well, I have to admit it. I'm LOVING the treadmill. I guess having that hellish run outside in the Kansas heat will make one re-think the pros to running inside on the treadmill. I ran 10 Yassos and felt fabulous!! There are only 10 weeks of training left until my FIRST marathon. If you can't tell, I'm a little anxious about it.

Warrior Dash-2011

2011-07-31T18:45:00.000-07:00

That's right folks! I competed in yet another Warrior Dash. This time my friend, Julie was my partner and our other friend, Kevin. IT WAS FUN!!!!

We started the fun-filled weekend on Friday. Julie and I loaded up my car and drove to KC. Dinner was at Minsky's (of course) and desert at Green Apple. I took a "scenic" drive to get us to the hotel. We checked in, changed into our suits and hit the hot tub.

The next morning we got up, got dressed and got PUMPED!

Julie's READY!

I'm READY!

Our pre-dash picture.

The dash was not what we were expecting. The course was muddy, hilly and rocky. If you ask me, the trail should have been one of the obstacles. The 3 of us stuck together and encouraged each other. We enjoyed the conversations, challenges and YES, weather. It was rather chilly when we were wet. Each of us finished the course with NO injuries and huge smiles on our faces. The clean up area wasn't as effective as one would think, but we didn't care. It was SO MUCH FUN!

Our post-dash picture.

The whole team.

Training-week 18 (20 MILES)

2011-07-24T12:34:00.000-07:00

You read that right! I DID IT!! I reached 20 miles! I feel AMAZING!!! I even had to do it on a treadmill. I will take you through the run step-by-step (figure of speech).

I got to the gym after 9:00 am. I was giving myself approximately 4.5 hours to complete this task. I knew that the treadmills at the YMCA stop at 60 minutes. So I decided I would run 4 legs of 5 minutes each. In between each leg, I would walk to the drinking fountain and refill my water bottle. Then get back on the treadmill for the next leg.

LEG 1:

These first 5 miles just sort-of tacked along. I didn't run at my max, but I wanted to make sure I would have enough "gas" to get me through the full 20 miles. I finished the leg and took my picture.

I walked over to the water fountain and filled my water bottle up. I ate a few pretzels and walked around for a few minutes. That's when I looked up and saw her. MY SISTER! She had come to join me. I got back on my friend, TREAD, and Jen got on the one next to me. I started my leg number 2 and she started walking.

LEG 2:

These next 5 miles flew by. Jen was chatting with me periodically and I was getting encouraging texts from both my husband and Julie. Talk about feeling the love! Next thing I know, I finished my leg and took my picture.

I walked over to the drinking fountain and refilled my water, ate some pretzels, a few gummy bears. I was feeling wonderful, got back on the treadmill and started my next leg.

LEG 3:

These next 5 miles had a series of milestones for me. (Those of you who know me, know I'm a cheerleader to those around me. Well, while I was running this section, I started hearing the "cheerleader" in my head.)

I had reached my previous longest distance on the treadmill.
I ran 13.1 miles 10 minutes faster than the last time I ran it.
I was keeping a rather constant speed the entire time, so far.

I finished the leg and took my picture.

Still feeling pretty good, I walked over to the drinking fountain and stretched a little. My left knee was feeling a little tight. I also thought I might be getting a blister on my left big toe. I was way ahead of my 4.5 hour projected time, so I "got back on the horse" and finished this bad boy.

LEG 4:

This was a little harder to motivate myself to do this one. I started running and realized I only had to run 2 miles to reach my longest run EVER! Right around that same mark, Jen finished walking for 2 solid HOURS! I was so proud of her. She completed over 5 miles. It was her day of from work, and she chose to spend a big chunk of it with me... SWEATY! I finished the leg strong. I felt AMAZING! I turned to her and through my arms in the air. I didn't care WHO saw me. I DID IT! 20 miles, basically staying in one place. So I took my last few pics.

I walked over to the water fountain and filled up one last time. Met Jen at the stretching area and worked out some stiff joints. She had walked so much, that her shoe's sole split on the bottom. This was my FIRST 20 miler. I'm sure it won't be my last, but I will never forget it.

Thanks to my support team. Jen, Jake, Owen, Allison, Julie, Patsy, Angela, Amy, Megan and anyone else who knew I was doing this and had faith that I COULD do this.

Training-week 17

2011-07-19T15:24:00.000-07:00

I may have found a new love of the treadmill. After my "failed" run outside a couple of weeks ago, I'm very gun-shy to run out in this CRAZY Kansas heat! So today my long run was just 7 miles, my personal challenge became to see how far I could run before the treadmill shut down. (It stops after an hour.) I totally surprised myself. I got 6.31 miles done in 60:00! So of course that means I had to run .69 after I re-started the machine. But I felt GREAT!!!

My next long run is this Sunday... 20!!! (again)

I'm thinking of trying it on the treadmill... why not?

Hangin' Tough

2011-07-17T14:36:00.000-07:00

WHAT AN AWESOME SHOW!!!

I know that some people might find it silly, lame, waste-of-money... you get the idea. But these guys really know how to entertain! I bought our tickets (Jake agreed to go with me) while we were still in Boston. I had them stuck on the fridge for over 4 months! This was a weekend trip long over due and much appreciated.

I'll basically hit the highlights (not in any order).

We got SO MUCH sleep.
No kids for 48 hours!
We ate at Minsky's for 2 of our meals. (calzone one meal, chicken tostada pizza the other)
Bought furniture at Nebraska Furniture Mart for the basement's "game room".
Put make up on (second time in over a year)
I was 5 FEET from Nick Carter and AJ McLean.
Jake quote, "QUICK! Go touch a Back Street Boy!"
There were NO Men's restrooms. Jake had to use the "family restroom".
I saw lots of women in NEON outfits.
There were 2 guys dressed as boy band members. (hat side-ways and overalls with only one strap fastened)
TONS OF WOMEN! All shapes and sizes.
They played one of our favorite songs as an intro to the NKOTB. (Drop Kick Murphy's)
Matthew Morrison was one of the opening acts! (My GLEE experience is complete!)
I was deaf for about 2 hours after the show.
We were up to almost MIDNIGHT!!! (we don't even do that on NYE)

Needless to say, I loved every minute. I didn't take any pictures, but I LIVED every minute. We really enjoyed our weekend. (Thank you, Jen.) Our next big "sans kids" trip... Kauai, HI!!!

The move is COMPLETE!

2011-07-14T13:02:00.001-07:00

Yes. You read the title correctly. As of 2:37 pm, I have finished unpacking. I am very pleased with myself. When it comes to doing a project, I don't stop until it is completely done. It has taken a little over 48 hours to empty 4 large totes, 24 boxes (extra large, large, medium and small ranges) and to get Jennie all of her belongings that we borrowed. I still have a few areas to organize and go through (from my purge). But I can now sit and say... we are home.

Big Bike

2011-07-14T12:54:00.000-07:00

Daddy was off today, so we went and bought Owen a "big boy" bike. As you can see, he was VERY EXCITED! I think he was a little apprehensive about riding it. I told him it would be just like riding his little bike, but that he could probably go farther, faster with a bigger bike. As soon as we got home, we pulled the bike out of the car and Owen ran and got his helmet. He got on... and off he went. He rode around for about 15 minutes. As he pulled into the drive way on one of his loops, he says, "Mommy. You were RIGHT!" These 4 little words will ring in my mind for years to come. The smile on his face, will forever be etched in my brain. He is one HAPPY boy!

Our NEW favorite spot!

2011-07-09T18:55:00.000-07:00

We have discovered a GEM! It's this wonderful place called Peachwave. WE LOVE IT! It is becoming a special treat for us. We eat dinner and then head to our new favorite spot for desert. I'm sure most of you know of this place, but I love everything about it.

You pick what flavor of frozen yogurt you want, how much of it and what toppings to add. They even have cool colored spoons. I predict we will be found here quite a bit with these "hot" days.

Allie showing her selection off.

Owen bragging about how good HIS is.

She's just taking a break to soak up the "goodness".

He enjoys EVERY last drop.

(I will post about dad's 60th party as soon as the pictures are ready.)

Happy 4th of July

2011-07-04T20:29:00.001-07:00

Happy 4th of July! We are celebrating it with our neighbors. Last year they invited us over to celebrate (Jake was already in Boston). Unfortunately last year, we had to call it an early night (Owen got sick). But NOT this year! I took a ton of pics, so enjoy the ones that made the cut.

Ready to PARTY!

2 dudes with some food

Joe and Kris Jittawait

Our host Neil, last year we had an issue with the punks going out.

This year he got out the blow torch!

Owen shooting a Roman Candle.

Allie shooting a Roman Candle.

Owen knows where to sit at a party!

The back of our host's truck!

The smaller ones were on a table and 3 other neighbors brought their stock too!

Owen and daddy enjoying the show.

Kids chasing the parachute.

Kids watching fireworks.

The crew before it got dark, and some other families showed up.

The "magic school bus" on FIRE!

Sparklers!

The kids and I before we called it a night.

HAPPY 4th OF JULY

The WALL and the REBOUND (Training week 15 & 16)

2011-07-03T19:55:00.000-07:00

I was suppose to run 20 miles today. It was going to be my long run for week 15. Last Wednesday we had just gotten home and I was itchin' to go run. Jake offered to run my 20 with me (a few days early). We left at 5:30 am. It was humid. VERY HUMID! But we ran along. Until I got to about mile 13. Something happened to me that hadn't happened before. My legs were sore (that happens) and able to continue running. But my stomach suddenly felt nauseous. I was getting light headed and starting to get a headache. It was almost like running with a hang-over. I slowed down and drank some water. It didn't help that much. I thought that if I walked a little it would pass. As soon as I started running again, BAM! I was feeling worse. I told Jake I couldn't go any farther. So at around mile 15, I sat in someones backyard and waited for him to run home and get the car to pick me up. YEP! I died. I hit the WALL! Jake showed up about 20 minutes later. I was feeling really good. I had stretched while I was waiting. I sort-of wished I had been able to finish the 20, but I have plenty of time to reach that goal. I wouldn't want to injure myself.

Now to talk about the rebound. Yeah, you read the title right. Week 15 & 16. I have been running my long runs a few days early because of our move, so I was thinking a little off today. I checked my schedule (not the date) and saw I was to run 8 Yassos. So I went to the YMCA and started my yasso runs. I wasn't expecting to get them all done. Especially after the rude awakening last week. (I ran 17 in Cambridge!!! Why not 20 in Wichita???) But I surprised myself. I did all 8 in less than an hour and felt fabulous. I think I could have ran a few more. But that is on the schedule in a few weeks. ;)

Home, SWEET Home!

2011-07-02T05:39:00.000-07:00

Where do I begin?

I LOVE being home!

Family
Friends
Space, our house is SO BIG!
2 cars
getting back into a routine
play dates
conversations, it may seem silly-but I didn't have any "girl" chats in Boston
BACKYARD
neighborhood pool
knowing exactly where places were AND how long it would take to get there
neighbors, they talk to us, know us, care about us
going through all the junk we've had stuffed in places and GETTING RID OF IT!
making plans to improve our house
talking about plans for vacations
getting birthday invitations (We have at least 5 parties to attend before school starts!)
my BED, I don't remember it being so comfortable
my dog, Nick

I could go on for a while, but I'll just end it with..

Home, SWEET Home!

The Journey is HALF the fun!

2011-07-01T19:26:00.001-07:00

We left Cambridge, MA on Saturday (June 25th) at 4:30 am. The kids woke up ready to go, so we loaded up the car and started our long 1600+ mile drive HOME! Above is the view that we had driving through western Massachusetts. It was beautiful. We drove until about 5:00 pm, with the usual bathroom/fuel stops. We stayed at a hotel (that had a pool/hot tub) in Cleveland, OH.

My tired kids. We did manage to swim a little after dinner.

night 1

We woke up around 7:00 and started driving the next leg. Our stop for the night was St. Charles on the west side of St. Louis, MO. Yep, that place had a pool too.

A rest stop in the town of Effingham.

Jake's joke, "I'd like to have an Effingham sandwich!"

My kids reading a book in bed.

night 2

We ate here at lunch time.

Who can eat 50???

We stayed in Kansas City at Great Wolf Lodge on Monday night. We got there around 2:00, checked in and hit the water park. Minsky's for dinner with the Birdsells. It was so nice to know we were back in Kansas. Jake woke up early and was READY to finish this trip. So we loaded up one last time and drove to Topeka.

We visited GG in Topeka.

Then we drove on to Salina for lunch and visited Grandma and Papa.

Grandma modeling her Boston jacket.

We made it in to Wichita in time for dinner. The kids picked Red Robin. It was a long trip, but we were blessed with good weather, minimal traffic, nice beds, good food, great kids and fun conversations. A perfect way to end this past "Year in Boston". We will NEVER forget this.

Now that the dust has settled...

2011-07-01T05:43:00.000-07:00

I need to review over our last few days in Cambridge. The weather was wonderful, so every day after school (Owen's last day was June 23) we would hang out on the playground with our friends.

Allie, Ava and Nora

Owen, Jonas, AJ and Jaylin

Christina and Jeremy

The Fortners

The crew playing a math game.

(Jaylin, Owen, Zoe, Allison, James, AJ and Jaden)

The Beans and us went to Chuck E. Cheese one day after school. I had over 50 tokens from a previous visit to get rid of, Michelle had bought some and I ended up buying about $5 more. The kids had FUN!

The girls on a ride.

The boys playing air hockey.

My kids and their "vampire teeth".

On his last day of school, the first grade teachers had an ice cream social. I got there in time to take a few pictures.

Owen and his sunday.

Brandon, Owen and Sik Fung.

(They all had identical sundays.)

Mrs. Headley and Owen

She was an amazing teacher!

Our last night in Cambridge was Friday, June 24th. We spent the day playing with the Beans. First the kids went to their place, so I could clean the apartment in peace. Then I picked up all the kids and we played at our EMPTY & CLEAN apartment. At dinner time, we walked to Harvard Square and ate at the IHOP. The kids had so much fun with their buds.

Last dinner in Cambridge.

Training-week 14 (last run in Cambridge)

2011-06-25T17:43:00.000-07:00

I ran my last run in Cambridge the other day. It was my Sunday run, but since I am currently driving home, I had to run it early. I ran 8 miles at a 11 minute pace. I ran around Fresh Pond 3 times. It was awesome! I soaked up every moment of it. I am really going to miss the running environment here.

A brief hijacking

2011-06-23T07:46:00.000-07:00

Please allow me a few moments to give you a view of Boston from another point of view. This is Jake, Carrie's husband, writing my first and likely last blog. I mean really, I'm not the blogging type. What follows is my reflection on our time in Boston and a brief list of the places and experiences I saw as defining our time here.

Here they are, in no particular order, my favorite things about Boston...

Children's Hospital of Boston

This was the reason we came here. Reportedly the best pediatric hospital in the nation. The place to go if you want to become an expert in anything pediatric. It didn't disappoint. CHB and I formed a true love/hate relationship. It soaked up my time, made me sleep deprived, made me want to tear my hair out. It also gave me a set of skills, knowledge, and confidence I simply couldn't have obtained anywhere else. It was an experience I'm glad I had and one I'm glad is over.

Red Sox Nation

I thought I'd go to a game at Fenway, see what the fuss was about. I ended up going to 5 over the year, buying 2 hats, a jacket, a shirt, nearly wearing out my first hat, dragging anyone who visited by Fenway as an excuse to go myself. Owen loves Big Papi. Pedroia is my favorite. Allie likes the Monster. No city loves a team more than Boston loves theirs and now I see why. Go Sox, Yankees suck.

Snow

I kind of enjoyed it, kind of...

Michael's Deli

The food in Boston is incredible. Best food of any city I've spent considerable time in. Michael's stands out even here. Michael is a grumpy guy. He doesn't take checks or cards. He doesn't split sandwiches. He's been known to throw people out for texting in line. He also gives Owen free cookies and asks how I'm doing every time I come in. He makes the best tuna melt around and serves it with an old school pickle wrapped up in butcher paper. If you're in town, stop by, you'll be glad you did.

Running Culture

You'll see guys like this running here. You'll see beginners running here. You'll see lots and lots of people running here. Up and down the Charles. At Harvard Stadium. Around Fresh Pond. I may miss this part the most.

Carrie

When we started this adventure, I told my wife I wanted to move our family out of our big new house, cut my pay to 1/4 what it was, and work twice the hours so I could better understand how to take care of other people's kids in the operating room. Can you believe she said OK? There's only one Carrie and I'm lucky to have found her. Always optimistic. Better organized than anyone you know. She made this possible and made it fun. Then she started training for a marathon, in her spare time.

I'm leaving out so much. There's no mention of the Museum of Fine Arts, the freaks in Harvard Square, chowder, Bruins, I could go on and on. I'll stop here, thanks for allowing the interruption, the next post will have cute pictures of the kids, I promise.

Now you see it...

2011-06-21T15:37:00.000-07:00

Angle 1 (before)

Angle 2 (before)

Angle 3 (before)

Now you DON'T! That's right! The movers came today. I was quite impressed with how everything of importance didn't even fill the living room. It took the 2 men less than 45 minutes to load it, fill out paper work and chit-chat. Boy, does our apartment look BIG!

Angle 1 (after)

Angle 2 (after)

We will be "camping" in our apartment until Saturday morning. Owen still has school until Thursday. Jake works until Friday. So Saturday morning, we are getting up and hitting the road.

There's NO PLACE like home!

"Best Father's Day, EVER!"

2011-06-19T13:42:00.000-07:00

The title was the text I received from Jake at the end of our afternoon. To tell you the truth, it was a pretty great day! We ended up not doing anything extra cool (like we were planning). I did my run, we ate lunch in Coolidge Corner and then that is when it got exciting!

As we were leaving Panera, we decided to go buy some water balloons and find a spray park. We were walking down the street (that was deserted because of being blocked off for a running race earlier) and suddenly heard music. Allie looked at me and said, "It's A PARADE!" And she was right. That's where we stopped and enjoyed a Brookline Parade (candy too!).

My crew

Owen liked these guys!

They played "Amazing Grace". It was AMAZING!!!

This was a drum club.

YEAH, that was loud!!

Allie loved their boots!

Ironically, I saw one of these the other night!

The band that wrapped up the parade.

By now, the kids were very ready for some water fun. We drove to Dana Park (by Owen's school) and let the kids have fun!

Daddy filling up some water balloons.

Daddy's little girl.

Daddy's little man.

It hasn't been lavish, but it has been a wonderful day.

Training-week 13

2011-06-19T06:59:00.001-07:00

Today I ran my last run on the treadmill at BSC (Boston Sports Club). I had to run 6 Yassos. I wanted to get them done quick, so we could start our "family Fun-day Sunday" Father's Day! The run was great! I felt good. I think I could do 8 and still feel pretty solid. I'm scheduled to get up to 14 before the marathon. We will see how that goes. :)

Harvard Graduation

2011-06-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

Last night ALMOST DIDN'T HAPPEN! Allow me to explain.

We got this in the mail about 3 weeks ago.

Jake's graduation invitation.

I had already bought a dress and I even scheduled to have my makeup done at Sephora.

After my makeup session.

Allie went with me, so I bought her some makeup at Claire's for little girls. Which she applied HERSELF!

She's beautiful!

I had arranged for the Beans to watch the kids for the evening. They were expecting us at around 5:30. So I bathed the kids and dressed them in p.j.'s to make the night easier. However, I received a phone call during this time from Jake at the hospital. He was STUCK! (Not to mention a little mad.) They were having him start a case and finish it. It was 5:00! I wasn't going to let this ruin our evening. I took called the residency to inform them that we wouldn't be attending. Loaded the kids in the car and took them to the Beans. My thought was that regardless of WHERE, Jake and I were going to go out to celebrate after he got off work.

I am standing in the Beans living room when me phone rings. It's Jake! He is getting out. His plan is for me to go by the apartment and get his clothes then swing by the hospital to pick him up. GREAT! Did I mention I wasn't dressed? I kissed the kids, thanked the Beans (John loaned us a tie, Jake didn't have one here) and drove home as fast as I could. I ran into the apartment NASCAR style! I striped, threw on my dress, grabbed his stuff and my shoes/band aids. I was back in the car heading his way at 6:01!

Traffic was typical Boston for a Friday night. I picked him up at 6:20. He changed his clothes in the car while giving me driving directions to the Harvard Club. (Did I mention it was DOWNTOWN???) Over the past 10 months my driving skills have "improved". I will spare most of the crazy details, but highlight that I pulled a 3-point turn in the middle of a street in front of a bus because I missed our street (it had a different name than what iPhone map said) and we parked at 6:45!!! I was putting my shoes on in the elevator up to the club, but we made it!

We MADE IT!

The 3 fellows that have been together all year.

Jake, Tony and Kevin

Even my water glass is classy!

The view from the club on the 38th floor.

You can see out in all directions.

Boston is so beautiful.

The "good guy" who showed me the views.

The power point presentation.

Jake being congratulated.

He received an awesome writing pen from Tiffany's.

This guy was one of Jake's oral exam directors several years ago.

Notice the tie is gone, we are heading home. LATE NIGHT!

Author Readings

2011-06-17T07:54:00.001-07:00

Today the first graders held an "Author Reading" for parents. As part of their writing curriculum, the students had to write an original story, illustrate, edit, publish and read aloud for reviews. It was so cute. Allie and I started at Owen's station.

Owen and his book.

Owen reading his book.

The dedication page. He is so sweet!

The cover of his book.

Then we went around the room listening and writing reviews on several other first graders stories. There are some very talented writers here! I got a pic of our two buddies reading their stories.

A.J. reading his story.

Jonas reading his story.

Farewell Play Date

2011-06-16T17:40:00.000-07:00

Tonight we hosted a play date with our favorite families in Cambridge. The Beans and the Fortners. It was so much FUN!!! We even had a bonus friend. Last night Owen met a boy in the courtyard named Emochay. He and his dad are visiting his aunt, who as luck would have it, will be moving into OUR APARTMENT in July!!! I gave his aunt a tour of the place. They are so nice. It's a shame we are just now meeting them.

Back to the play date. The kids had so much fun. I was only able to catch a few good shots of the kids. I promise to post some more tomorrow.

Allie pre-play date.

Owen and Emochay

(He told us it means "a king is born". Those are some high standards!)

John talking to the kids about eating on the wall carefully.

The "trio" launching a stomp rocket with their butt!

Lance rescuing a rocket from the roof.

Allie's sidewalk art.

Yellow sun, blue sky, white clouds, green grass and a rainbow!

These are a few of my favorite things-Boston #4

2011-06-15T07:17:00.000-07:00

Where do I begin? I've been waiting to do this post so I can include all of the amazing things I want to share (that I haven't shared already). But he will be finishing his year of first grade next Thursday.

I LOVE his school, class, friends, teachers, EVERYTHING! This can be a hard thing, being a former teacher, I have my opinions. But this school opened my eyes and I've realized that an education is what you make of it.

First, there are 22 students in his class. Only a third of them are boys. He has a homeroom teacher, Mrs. Headley, who teaches reading, writing and language arts. There is also Mrs. Myler, who teaches math, science and social studies. Mrs. DC is the para in the room to help with the students who need some one-on-one help and she takes the students from class to the special classes (gym, music, art, computer, library). The attention each child receives is incredible.

Then there is the curriculum. Every month they send home a packet of what standards and benchmarks are going to be taught and what topics will be covered in the lessons. I was most impressed with December's packet.

Then to incorporate the cultures in the school they spent 6 weeks learning Spanish. This lesson ended on May 5th with a big Fiesta. They kids had so much fun, Allie even got to be there for it.

Owen taking on the pinata.

The class waiting there turn.

(Allie in the green dress)

Then for the science fair. Instead of having each student do a project. The class as a whole spent 4 weeks during science time learning about the skeletal system.

They might be future doctors?

The class interactive Bone Board.

The class even spent a month doing an author study of Robert Munsch. I personally love several of his books (I'll Love You, Forever). They read all of his books, played a "family feud" style game about the books, wrote letters to the author. Robert even wrote back to the class answering their questions and included a story he wrote with some of the students as characters in it. YEP, Owen was one of them! (I have a copy of the story to save.)

I'm not sure what next year will bring, but I am confident that my son is ready for second grade. I just hope they are ready for him!!!

Training-week 12

2011-06-12T14:18:00.001-07:00

Happy Anniversary

2011-06-11T07:00:00.001-07:00

June 10, 2000... Jake and I were married. It's been 11 years since that day. A lot has happened in that short time. All of it, blessings. Take last night for example.

A friend of mine, Michele Hartman (she lives here in Boston), wanted to go out to dinner with me before we move away. We had originally planned on June 3. But "life" got in the way. So we casually rescheduled for the following Friday. When I went to mark the calendar, I realized that it was our anniversary. I told Jake about the plans and he encouraged me to go ahead and go out with her. I didn't really like that. So I told Michele about the conflict of interest. She quickly told me I HAD to go out with my husband on our anniversary and that she would come over to watch the kids. I ran the idea past Jake and quickly made reservations for dinner at this restaurant that I have been wanting to try since before I moved here. Michele brought her daughter, Ayana, over with her and we left for the date.

Allie took a picture of me before we left.

The Omni Parker House. You really should look this place up if you want to eat somewhere with TONS of character and is very nice. The service and food was awesome. My company was perfect. It was the BEST dinner date EVER! I ordered a cup of clam chowder (I seem to do this everywhere I go), a Caesar salad (no anchovies) and crab stuffed shrimp. YUMMY!!!

This is what Jake ordered!

He's been dying to try and eat a New England Lobster. Well, tonight he did it! I was very proud (and entertained) of him.

Notice the handsome "bib".

My favorite quote from the night... Jake says, "Yep, I might have eaten a little bit of lobster poop." This had me rolling!

And then it was time for dessert. The REAL reason we came here. The Omni Parker House is the birth place of the Boston Cream Pie. You know I had to order one! It was HEAVEN!!!

See for yourself. It even had real whipped cream.

Now here is where I think that this is a blessing. I really wanted to eat at this restaurant before I moved here and there never seemed to be the right time. 2 weeks before moving back to Kansas, it becomes the right time. That right time just happened to be on my 11th anniversary. It was PERFECT! I am so blessed!!!

Sibling Love

2011-06-09T17:18:00.000-07:00

The above photo is one from the first day my little sister came home from the hospital. Little did I know then what it really means to be a sibling. As the years rolled by, our relationship grew. I can't imagine what my life would be like without her. I love her.

Tonight, I was walking down the dark hall towards the kids room. I could hear the giggling. I began to smile. Then I heard Allie say, "Owen, you're my BEST FRIEND!" I had to pause. My heart literally jumped.

I can't predict what sort-of relationship they will have when they are older, but I'm pretty sure they will always be there for each other. There is just something about "sibling love".

GLEE-tastic!!!

2011-06-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

Last night was... AWESOME!!!!

As most of you know, I got tickets to GLEE, Live Tour. As an added bonus, my girlfriend Julie from Wichita was able to be my date! It was so much fun. First we met and headed to this cool little Italian restaurant in North End, Giacomo's. The food was really good.

Such a cool place.

Of course, after dinner we walked to Mike's Pastry for dessert! We got it to go and ate it at this little park. It was beautiful out.

Julie had Chocolate Chip Cheesecake.

I had German Chocolate Cake.

Then we walked to TD Garden. Our seats were really high (like 4 rows from the back wall). But the location was perfect. We could see both stages and didn't miss a thing.

The main stage.

You know I was really into the show, I didn't take ANY pictures of it! I loved it so much, I have now made a play list of the songs that they sang.

Best picture of us.

Of course, we got a souvenir shirt. Julie sent me a pic of her in hers. So I took one of me. Yep, we both wore our shirts the very next day. :)

Julie's shirt

My shirt

It was so much fun. I'm going to miss Boston, but we have made the MOST of this year. We are back in Kansas in 3 weeks!