EIGHT {8}

Eight years ago today, I became a mother twice over.

Look at what my little bundles of pink and blue have grown into!!!

The birthday celebration started a little early because Daddy was going to be out of town on their actual birthday, so we did gifts on Thursday night.

Brooklyn had some pretty good surprised faces!! Opening Zoobles here... they are kinda the girl equivalent of Bakugan

Babysitting Mama game for the Wii

Blake following in his grandpa Hamilton's gift-guessing technique by holding it up to your forehead.... accompanied by weird faces and bizarre hand signs. It's a 2nd grade thing.

He's been begging for this! I was giddy for him to open it! And he approves!Blake educating me on Pokemon characters

Friday, I brought lunch to the kids at school (Burger King, their choice). I had no idea how fast and furious that all goes down!! They scarfed their food SO fast so they could get out to the playground! I think I was there for 30 minutes.... maybe?Saturday, on their birthday, I took Brooklyn, Blake and Gavin to the dollar theater to see Megamind. They got phone calls all day long from family members who love them! Blake isn't a phone talker and one time when I handed him the phone, he politely said to me, "No thanks!" Haha! I made him talk anyway. ;) I made spaghetti for dinner, then the kids and I had cake and ice cream afterward.

Brooklyn can be a little bossy towards Blake sometimes and boy can they fight like cats and dogs!!!! But they do really love each other and I'm so glad they were sent here together. ♥ ♥Feb 2003 - 8 days old

July 2003 - 5 months old

Feb 2005 - 2 yrs old

Feb 2005 - 2 yrs old

March 2007 - 4 yrs old

August 2008 - 5 yrs old

August 2010 - 7 yrs old

February 2011 - 8 yrs old

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BROOKLYN! ♪♫

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BLAKE! ♫♪

(cha cha cha! ooh la la! hiiii-yah! OOH cha!)

{8 yr stats}
Brooklyn
weight- 50 lbs 22nd%ile
height- 50 in 46th %ile

Blake
weight- 46 lbs 6th %ile
height- 48.75 in 23 %ile

13.1

I survived my very first half-marathon!!

I've always had this admiration for moms who stay in shape by running and manage to run in races every other month. I just didn't know how they had the time OR energy to do such a thing!! Now that's me. Getting up at 5:15am three days a week and putting in 3 miles, then doing a long run (8, 10, 13 miles) on Saturday. I really got to the point that I looked forward those Saturday runs. And 8 miles seemed like cake!

Back in November when I ran the Turkey Waddle 5K, my intentions were to bump it up a notch and do the 10K at London's Run. My running partner, Jennie, convinced me that I could do more than that and before I knew it, I was registering for a HALF MARATHON!!!! Seriously, a mere 6 months prior, I clearly recall having a phone conversation with a good friend in which I stated my lack of desire to ever do such a thing. Who gets enjoyment out of running for 2+ hours????!

I've surprised myself, for sure. If anyone told me I would ever do a half-marathon, I would've laughed in their faces!!! And I definitely could NOT have done it on my own. Thanks to a partner who was there by my side to encourage and push me when it was cold outside and I was sure I couldn't go another step.

Going into the race, I didn't really want to set any lofty time goals for myself, I just wanted to complete the thing still standing and RUN the entire way. For grins and giggles, I settled on hoping to finish under 2 hours and 30 minutes.

It was exhilarating and exhausting all at the same time. I ended up running by myself the entire way, just my beepy (metronome) keeping me going. I never felt like I just couldn't go any further (thanks to my Clif Shot Bloks), but I just didn't have it in me to push any harder, especially through those last 2 miles. I felt like I kept a good even pace. I was SO happy to see the finish line and even managed to keep my composure!! Such a good experience!

★ London's Run 2011 ★

Jennie Ricks, Mindi Larson, me before the race

The start line was INSANE!!! Look at all those people!!!
You can see me throwing up my I ♥ U hands.

The end is in sight! Comin' in the home stretch....

DONE!!!
Official time -- 2:23:05Sweet kids ~ my cheerleaders!!
Matt did the balloons.I love this guy. He's been so supportive and encouraging of my running! ♥Walkin' it off after the run, waiting for Mindi to finishWe DID it!!!!

Several people have asked me if I'll do it again..... At this point, I don't know. This was a HUGE accomplishment for me. It takes a lot out of you; tons of dedication and training. I'm still going to keep up the running and we'll see where I go from here. I don't even know how many miles I've put on my running shoes since October, but it feels so dang good! Wooooooo!

The HAPPS Around Here

Preston.

I have SO much to say about this kid!!

In true toddler fashion, running is his main mode of transportation. Love it!

He named our humidifier Windy. He was devastated when Windy had to start sleeping in Brooklyn's room (instead of his) out of necessity.

He is currently training for his career with the circus. Or to be a gymnast in the 2024 Olympics. At any rate, he loves performing this "trick" by standing on Matt's push-up bars.He's mastered the art of pushing the chairs from the kitchen table up to the countertops so that he may reach whatever his heart desires. This morning he was after the cough drops. Eek!He has been requesting to "Sit on potty." We've obliged a few times and have been surprised with the results- 2 pees, 1 poop. Oooooh boy. I'm so not ready for this!He puts himself in time out. And cries and cries. Then comes to me and says, "Sorry Mom." Then goes along his merry little way! (I still can't get over the fact that my toddler simply calls me "Mom.")He drags around his "blankie doggie" (two separate items) with him everywhere, the doggie being the one he got when he was hospitalized with RSV at 3 weeks old, the one I belovingly dubbed his "watchdog." They come OUT of the crib with him in the morning, must be IN the crib for naptime and nighttime. He thinks they need to be with him in the car, at the store, etc. Sometimes I oblige....
Gavin.

He's always been good at playing alone or keeping himself entertained for long periods of time. I think it's part of his coping mechanisms. He treasures quiet time to himself without older siblings telling him what to do or a younger one crashing his Legos. I capitalize on this, especially while Preston is down for a nap, taking quiet time to myself to eat lunch, Facebook, blog-stalk, read a book, etc. But yesterday, I realized that time is running short before Gav will be going off to kindergarten and I need to get back to utilizing that quiet time WITH him. I got out Guess Who and we played a few rounds before we had to pick up the twins from school.

He won this one!Then we made silly faces for the camera (flattering, I know)

Last week, the house that preschool was at is just down the street from us. So I hitched up the bike trailer and rode Gavin and Preston down there for drop-off and pick-up. Gavin thought that was so cool to be transported by bike! Sometimes I wish there was someone standing by with a camera to catch moments like that.

Blake.

Oh, sweet child of mine. We're having a few rough spots these days. Homework is a DAILY struggle. Tantrums up the ying-yang. It's not that he doesn't comprehend the work, he simply has a hard time focusing his attention for more than 30 seconds without being distracted. Something that honestly could take less than 30 minutes turns into a 2 hour battle and leaves both him and I upset with each other. Timed tests are a nightmare. He has to do x amount of subtraction problems in x amount of time and although he KNOWS these simple math facts and can rattle them off left and right, he hardly gets any finished under the time pressure. Consequently, his grades are slipping and this is SO hard for me to see because he is SUCH a smart kid!! With these issues combined with a few others, we're moving forward with having him officially evaluated for ADHD. I have the referral, I just need to call and set up an appointment.

But not all is gloom and doom with Blakey. :) He is still doing very well in karate. The routines that he has to do are getting more and more complicated, to the point that even *I* can't remember them once we get home! So in order to help him practice, I bring in a clipboard and write down each move with it's corresponding arm/leg so we can keep everything straight.
Brooklyn.

I don't think I ever mentioned that we added another dance class to her lineup, so that means we're at the studio twice a week now. Jazz on Monday, ballet on Friday. I'm getting to the point where I prefer just dropping her off rather than wrangle three {loud} boys in the small {crowded} waiting area for 45 minutes, but coming back home really only allows for 20 or so minutes before we have to turn around to go pick her up.She has a great imagination and writes the cutest little stories. I found one in her folder this week that made me remember a story I had written back when I was young (not sure what grade) about the same subject, riding horses. She told me a couple weeks back that she wants to take horse-riding lessons. I told her that there are SO many things that I want her to be able to do- dance, soccer, piano, swimming, base/softball, even horse-rising lessons, but we can't do everything at once.

The school just had auditions for the spring musical and she wanted to try out for a main part, but I kind of downplayed the whole thing, reminding her that there is only one female main character and suggested she just be part of the chorus this year. With all our other commitments (and having just registered for baseball), I don't want anything to conflict and we've been lucky thus far. I kinda felt like a bad mom for squashing her desires and I really DO wish we could participate in EVERYthing, but it's just not possible. I need my sanity!! I know both Brooklyn and Blake will be starting activity days & cub scouts after they turn 8 next week and I'm so excited that they will get to interact more with girls and boys from church, but that's just one. more. thing.

Me.

Half-marathon tomorrow. Is there even anything else???? I'm currently sporting an awesome black toenail, a characteristic I've heard has graced other long distance runners. How on Earth could I be so lucky????! Right now I'm trying to figure out exactly WHAT I'm going to carb-load on tonight for dinner. I've gotta pick up my race packet this afternoon, which will really make this all sink in. I need to lay out all my clothing and gear (making my mental list right now.... fuelbelt with 3 waters 1 gatorade, shot bloks, metronome, advil, chapstick....) so I'm ready to go first thing tomorrow morning. A little bit of anxiety is creeping in, but I'm mostly excited. Excited to put the months of training to a cause. Amazingly I've manage to stay completely healthy, through 3 sick kids breathing and coughing and sneezing on me. Until now. How convenient that two days before the race, I can feel it coming on. I've been downing oranges and mass amounts of water and just praying that it doesn't hit hard until I'm done. ::crossfing::

Matt.

Work is good. At least from this end of things!! ;) haha! Last weekend, Matt participated in the first half of Woodbadge, which is a Scout leadership training program. We survived the three days he was gone and I'm prepping myself for the same again in a week. He's been singing silly little songs that get stuck in my head all the live long day!

All in all, life is good. I don't have a lot to complain about. Brooklyn and Blake are getting baptized in two weeks, I can hardly believe it!! I'm really looking forward to getting away, just Matt and I (plus friends), for a couple of days without the kids at the end of next month. And taking our annual trip to the cabin at Spring Break! I need to work on being better about planning for meals instead of waiting until 5:00pm to open the fridge and pantry to see what I can throw together. My family deserves better than that. I really would like to get back into the habit of regularly attending the temple. As well as volunteering in the kids' classrooms. I think that's it for now! :)

A Mother's Hands

This picture is horrible, but I just wanted to document how pitiful my hands look!!! They crack and bleed and hurt SO bad during the winter time. It doesn't matter how much I slather them with lotion, I'm a mom which means hand washing X 1,000,000 during the day. Between diaper changes, my own bathroom use (tmi!), dishes, laundry, food prep, kid baths, washing my face and showering, my hands are constantly getting wet.

As I was sitting here, all of a sudden, this picture became something symbolic to me. I may not have the prettiest, well-manicured hands, but that is not important to me. What I see is the hard work that goes into being a mother; that's my job every day, 24/7/365. And I wouldn't trade it for the world. ♥

"—there is no hand like Mother’s. Nor does its tender care diminish through the years." Thomas S. Monson, August 1990

Brooklyn gets a little BLING

She's been counting down the months - weeks - days until she could get her ears pierced!!!

Matt & I had agreed that when she turned 8, she could get them done. These next few weekends are pretty much gonna be nutso so we decided to do it now! We had a little Mommy/Brooklyn girls night and our first stop was the jewelry store! Earlier in the day when I asked if she was excited, she told me she was [this] much nervous but _T H I S_ much excited!!! I could see the uncertainty in her eyes as the girl was getting everything ready, but she grabbed my hand and was such a brave little girl!! No crying! After she got them done and we left the store, she was skipping and twirling and SO giddy! I loved it! Any chance she got to look in the mirror, she did. :) We finished off the night with dinner at Paradise Bakery and then did a little shopping.

My baby girl is growing up!

Gavin's bday party

Since Gavin was turning the BIG 5 this year, we decided that it was time to have a real birthday party with some little friends. :) So we had 6 CrAzY boys + the birthday boy running amok at our house for 90 minutes.

I wanted to have Star Wars music playing in the background but when I went to sync my iPod, it said it was corrupted. WTHeck??! I was so bummed. :( Dumb computer viruses.

We played a few little games like "Keep the Balloon in the Air with Your Lightsaber"

and "Pin the Blast on the Star Wars Thingies" (remember my lack of proper Star Wars terminology??) and "Toss the Water Bombs into the Opposite team's Basket" which pretty much turned into a water balloon fight. ;)Since those kept their attention for about 2 minutes, we moved right on to the BOUNCE HOUSE!!!! And that was it. They went nuts, jumping and rolling and dog piling on each other for the next 30 minutes! Thanks to Derek & Kristin for letting us borrow their bouncer and saving the day!

Everyone came inside for cupcakes and ice cream.......then gifts. I thought it was hilarious that all the boys were huddled together so close to see what Gavin got. I could barely see what was going on in there! LOL!Treyson McLeod, Spencer Palmer, Joshua Thornes, Brayden Wilson, Gavin, Carson Carrasco, Alec Painter

Goody bags consisted of Star Wars stickers, Star Wars party blower, red green & blue glow sticks, Pop Rocks, Blow Pop sucker, 2 Star Wars silly bands, dipped pretzel rod "lightsabers," and the little inflatable lightsabers that we used for our first game. Birthday parties aren't my forte, but I managed to keep this one simple and low-key enough.

At least I know Gavin had a great time and that's all that matters! :)

Start your Engines!!!

Blake was invited to participate in our ward Pinewood Derby even though, he technically won't be a Boy Scout until he turns 8 in a few more weeks. From the moment he got his little block of wood, he wanted to work on that thing every. single. day.

Matt involved Blake in every step, from beginning to end. They searched online for a good design and settled on a Star Wars speeder (I think that's what it's called, excuse my lack of Star Wars knowledge). They got to work- Blake did the sanding, Matt did the cutting and drilling. I wish I had thought to get my camera out and document the work, but I didn't. There were a couple nights that Blake stayed up past bedtime to work on the car. It was cute going out to the garage, seeing them work side-by-side, Blake wearing one of his Daddy's t-shirts that was huge on his skinny little body. ♥

Last night they took the speeder to be weighed in and today was the big day!!

Watching with DaddyHis car is in lane 2 here -->

Blake's car ended up doing pretty well, taking 4th place overall!! Pretty good for his career debut! Matt says they can't trash everyone the first year! ;) haha!

Way to go Blake!!!!