Saturday, March 31, 2012

iPhone photo dump {week 11}

No doubt about it, we had a great week!

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Highlights:
  • The zoo, fo sho.
  • Adam and I took a half day on Friday and saw Hunger Games. Loved it! And the Five Guys burger we got before the movie was awesome, of course.
  • We put together some more of our IKEA desk. Lorelai put on a Home Depot apron and Superman belt and "helped" :)
  • We've been in desperate need of new kitchen table chairs for a while now. We've had four old chairs my mom passed down to us, so with 5 people sitting at the table, I was having to sit in our office chair. Then two of the chairs broke (sorry mom), so I jumped on some Target clearance chairs.With free shipping and 5% off with our Target card, I got four chairs for $35 each and they're nice looking and comfortable. Score!
Lowlights:
  • The boys' tennis lessons got rained out for the second week in a row.
  • I had laryngitis for 3 days, and I had quite a few meetings where I needed to speak. I sounded ridiculous, but oh well! It didn't hurt and I'm all better now.
I can't think of anything else that wasn't good about this week. I'll take it!

How was your week?

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Drawsome or Not Drawsome?

I just saw this week that the damn you auto correct and wrong number texts people have launched a new web site for Draw Something (iPhone game app) submissions. It's called Drawsome/Not Drawsome and it puts my measly stick figures to shame.

My stuff? Decidedly not drawsome:

Drawsome

But who cares that I'm no artist because I've literally cracked myself up several times. Love it! I just wish you could go back and look at all the other drawings you've done and guessed. I forget to screen cap some really hilarious drawings...

I'm alazycrazylife if you want to draw with me. But don't say you didn't have fair warning on my completely lame artistic abilities :)

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Zoo fun

This past Sunday, we made a last-minute decision to go to the NC Zoo. We had the most amazing day. Everything about it was perfect. Despite rain off and on the entire drive there, it cleared up right as we got there, the temperature was nice and mild, and there was hardly anyone else there. We got there shortly after it opened, and surprisingly, we had almost every exhibit to ourselves for the majority of the day.

(Warning: major photo overload ahead)

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Since Asheboro is about an hour and a half away from us, we don't make it out there as often as I'd like. For the past three(!) years, I've been saying we need to get back out to the zoo, but we just kept putting it off. It was always something—too hot, too cold, I was pregnant, Lorelai was too young...lame excuses.

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A couple of weeks ago, Adam and I had talked about going since the weather has been so nice lately, but since we thought it was going to be raining the whole weekend, we kind of just dismissed the thought. Then on Saturday evening, the weather forecast was looking good, so we packed up the diaper bag and some snacks and set the alarms for an early Sunday wake-up call.

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This was Lorelai's first zoo trip. Logan had been twice before, and Aidan had been several times (3 times with us and once with school). The boys saw some new stuff, but I think they also liked showing off some of their favorite things to Lorelai (well, Aidan did. Logan didn't remember much since the last time he went, he was 2). She was in awe of everything.

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Since she's just starting to talk more, we got her to say hi to all of the animals. We're even shamelessly exploiting her new ability to say "love you," so we had her saying "hi bear, love you" and "bye lion, love you" (sounds more like "yuh shoe" and is the stinkin' cutest thing to hear).

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Were super bummed that the polar bear exhibit was closed for renovations. But the seals put on a show for us, which kind of made up for it. They splashed, kissed and twirled around like they were trained.

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We were sad that the giraffes weren't out because it had been raining (they're kept in a different area when it's wet since they're prone to slipping and hurting themselves). Ever since my family and I did one of those drive-through safari things in Texas when I was younger and a giraffe ate out of our hands, I've always loved them.

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Thankfully, the aviary was very active. We saw some beautiful birds, and even got dive-bombed by a few.

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We also loved the flamingos. We had to be quiet because it was breeding season and they're apparently easily startled. They were making some interesting noises that Aidan was able to imitate really well, due to a hoarse voice. It was pretty impressive.

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Logan said his favorite thing would have been the rhinos, except we didn't see any, unfortunately. So instead, he said his favorite thing was the elephants because he loves the biggest animals.

Uploaded from the Photobucket iPhone App

Aidan said he loved everything and had trouble choosing a favorite, but Marlene the otter (the boys named her that from the Penguins of Madagascar show they love) was one of his favorites.

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Despite my severe hatred of snakes, I was able to snap a pic of this horrifying creature (and a few other interesting ones) before making a swift exit. And fortunately we didn't have any other run-ins with snakes on the zoo trails, which are apparently common now that the weather is getting warmer and they're coming out to sun themselves. Bullet dodged!

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We seriously had such and amazing day, I was pretty much giddy with joy. These are the kinds of memories I've been yearning to make with the kids that I feel like we've been missing out on. I'm glad we got up off our typically lazy butts and did something special, out of the ordinary. And I know the kids enjoyed this a heck of a lot more than our typical Sunday at the grocery store!

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PS: I swear Aidan had fun, despite the grump face he's making in half the pictures I took. He was dealing with either allergies or a cold, which apparently rendered him incapable of smiling as soon as I took the camera out. Weird ;)

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I agree with Aidan, it was so hard to choose a favorite thing. I loved the gorilla that puckered up his lips and drank from his pond of water, the chimps all snuggled up and grooming each other, the wrestling black bears, the momma baboon carrying her nursing baby on her belly, and the kissing seals. But most of all, I just loved watching the kids have fun and being able to take 47,536 pictures to remember it all.

I can't wait to go back!

Monday, March 26, 2012

Happy Monday

I've got laryngitis and a case of the Mondays after an awesome weekend, but Lorelai and Logan sure don't! Throwing the ball around with Logan was the funniest thing in the world this afternoon, my sweet girl was laughing like crazy. Logan just loves to make her laugh.



Excuse my voice and the awkward angle/cut off heads. It's hard to record when you're holding the flip out away from your body while trying to record someone on your lap, duh.

And while I'm sharing videos, here's a gem from our impromtu dance party last Thursday. Every time "I'm Sexy and I Know It" comes on, all of the kids bust out some smooth dance moves.  Oh, and they took their shirts off when the song came on, too. I only wish I had captured their dancing from the beginning. I missed the part where they were twirling them around in the air. Trust me, it was awesome. And slighly inappropriate. But mostly awesome.


Happy Monday!

Saturday, March 24, 2012

iPhone photo dump {week 10}

Wow, this week was super boring, aside from some gorgeous weather. Here's what it looked like in pics:

iPhone photo dump {week 10}
iPhone photo dump {week 10}

Highlights:
  • While we were folding laundry on Sunday, Lorelai put on a pair of Logan's underwear (all by herself). She wore them around all day refusing to take them off. Another unique fashion choice :)
  • The kids had more fun with the IKEA boxes. That was at least 30 minutes of solid entertainment for them while we were fixing dinner.
  • Lorelai wore a super cute outfit (the top was another hand-me-down, woohoo!)
  • Logan stopped fighting over the new night light and started to enjoy it instead. I have to say, it's really cool.
  • Adam and I started watching season 1 of the Walking Dead on netflix. (Shhh, don't spoil anything! We have to wait a long time for season 2, unfortunately.)
  • Sandals and pink toes! Finally!
  • Everyone complimented Logan on his new haircut at school.
  • Logan and Aidan have been obsessed with a book we got them about dragons. Logan very randomly shouted "PEARL OF WISDOM" as he throws the shower curtain open at the end of his shower. It's something from the book, and it was totally hilarious.
Lowlights:
  • The pollen. OMG. Since I park in the garage, this picture doesn't do the yellow haze that's floating around outside justice. Tire tracks through the pollen always amaze me.
  • It's been around 80+ degrees here this week and we discovered our upstairs AC is broken. 
  • The flowering bradford pear trees dropped all of their white leaves all over the yard, sidewalk and driveway. It looked pretty, like a blanket of snow, but tracked all into the house and made a mess. I actually had to vacuum multiple times this week. GASP! 
  • I work with a bunch of NC State fans, so apparently the coral striped shirt I wore on Friday (on a day when both UNC and State play in the NCAA tourney) looked red to them, so they gave me a hard time. Of course the teasing was all in good fun, but I probably should have just worn my UNC shirt. Duh :)
  • Lorelai got a scratch on her face at daycare, and then got bit. (And check out the double paci action she's going going on. Ha!)
That was our week, how was yours?

      Friday, March 23, 2012

      Holy crap, I actually won!

      Adam and I, along with a couple of friends, ran in another race last weekend, the 5k Shamrock Run for Hope (it's a Relay for Life event). It was in Pittsboro, and the course actually ran right past my in-laws' bed & breakfast. It was perfect, we just dropped the kids off with them and they hung out in the driveway until we ran past. The boys gave us high-fives, and Adam even stopped for a Lorelai hug. My mom came to cheer us on, too.

      Uploaded from the Photobucket iPhone App


      Just like each of the two other races I've done, the boys have asked me if I won. Of course, the answer I gave them was basically, no, but I did my best and I finished, and that's the most important thing. I got my best time yet (30:28), even despite some massive hills that kicked my butt.

      So imagine my surprise when later that afternoon, a co-worker who also did the race posted on my facebook wall that I'd won a prize! The results weren't published yet, so I didn't know exactly what prize I won or for what, but I imagined something along the lines of a Miss Congeniality award. Like a "most enthusiastic sprint to the finish" or something (man, I booked it at the end and look ridiculous in that pic of me crossing the finish).

      Once the results were published that evening, I looked up my time and discovered, to my utter shock, that I'd won first place in my age category!! Are you kidding me?! FIRST? Holy wow. Granted, it was a pretty small race with 112 people in the 5k and only 16 people in my age group, but still! I'm really proud of myself.

      Since it didn't even cross my mind to stay for the awards, I didn't know what my prize was until today. The boys were hoping for a gold trophy, but it ended up being a pretty silk scarf.


      Uploaded from the Photobucket iPhone App

      Adam finished not long after me, at 32:13. Not to shabby, considering he only ran a handful of times in preparation. But he got new shoes and downloaded the couch to 5K podcasts I've used, so hopefully once this pollen clears up, he can get back out there to finish the program. I think he'll keep taking Aidan out with him, so maybe the three of us can run in a 5k together later this year. We'll see...especially since I'm considering retiring from running and ending on a high note :) (Just kidding!)

      Thursday, March 22, 2012

      Goodwill finds

      I'm not an experienced thrifter by any means, but I've been checking out my local goodwill a lot more frequently these days primarily looking for clothes for the kids. I'm totally stoked about the stuff I found last week. Especially these boots. They're a size 10 though, so it'll be a while before Lorelai can wear them.


      goodwill finds

      I got two dresses, two shirts and a skirt for $2.35 each, a pair of jeans out of the infant bin for $1.19, the boots for $4.95 (sucks that all boots are the same price, even kid's boots), and a couple of cute non-breakable plates for Lorelai to use. Not bad for $21!

      This shirt she wore today is a 4T, so it's a dress now, and it'll last a while. Talk about getting my money's worth. Yeah, baby. I'm frugal like that.

      goodwill finds

      I haven't really had any luck with anything other than clothes yet (I'm keeping my eye out for any DIY projects), but it was definitely a rush, finding cute stuff for cheap! I'm already looking forward to the next time and checking out a new goodwill that apparently just opened near my work.

      Linking up with Harper's Happenings, whose posts on thrifting have really motivated me to stalk goodwill more often :)

      Wednesday, March 21, 2012

      Wise Words Wednesday: Imagination

      “Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will.” ~ George Bernard Shaw

      fun with ikea boxes

      I love how kids can take an ordinary box and turn it into the most exciting toy in the house. Aidan, Logan and Lorelai had a blast playing with some of the IKEA boxes after we emptied them. One box ended up being a bed, a canvas, a car, a fort...basically and endless source of fun if you're creative enough to think of it.

      I do have to point out, in the photos above, things started off all fun and games when Lorelai laid on the box like it was a bed. Then a minute later, Logan took over the box and Lorelai didn't like it one bit. She got feisty. And a minute after that, they made up and snuggled on the box together. It was pretty hilarious.

      A couple of boxes are now a fort in the boys' closet, where they're housing their Star Wars lego guys. We've still got a couple more boxes to unpack, and they can't wait :)

      box fort

      I truly hope they never lose that creativity and innovation, and just plain joy in the simplest things that many would take for granted. It's wonderful to watch their minds work.

      Tuesday, March 20, 2012

      {Just Write} I thought we were losing her

      It was a Saturday in early December 2009. We had just eaten lunch at Moe's and were going to take Aidan and Logan to my mom's house while we went to a friend's Christmas party. We walked out the door and were on our way to the car when I felt something and knew I needed to get to the bathroom immediately. I ran back in and sat on the potty and felt a gush of bright red blood. I was overcome with panic, because at 5 weeks pregnant, that's probably one of the most terrifying things that could happen.

      The bleeding wouldn't stop, so I stuffed a bunch of toilet paper in my underwear and literally ran through the restaurant outside to Adam and the kids, in tears. "I'm bleeding," I whispered to him, so the kids wouldn't hear. We didn't really know what to do, so we got in the car and started driving. I remember crossing my legs tightly like that would somehow do something. Adam kept asking me what to do, asking me if we should go to the hospital. I knew there wasn't anything they could do, but I got on the phone and had my on-call OB paged. We ended up in the parking lot of an urgent care that was close by, and I remember the OB telling me there was no point in going in. If I was miscarrying (it was like a knife through my heart when she actually said the word), there was nothing they could do this early on. She wanted me to go home and stay in bed for the rest of the weekend and made an appointment for me to come in on Monday.

      The kids were so confused and probably scared, they had no idea why mommy was hysterically crying in the car. Adam kept telling them it was going to be ok, I got sick, but I'd be better soon. As we were on our way home, I called my mom crying. I managed to choke out in one sentence that I was pregnant but I was bleeding and I was scared we were losing the baby. Not at all how I had intended to share the good news with her.

      The rest of the weekend I just laid in bed afraid to move, and cried and prayed and cried some more and prayed. Not sure I've ever prayed so hard for anything in my entire life. The bleeding tapered off by the next morning, but I had no idea if that was a good sign, or if the worst had already happened. I dreaded every time I had to go pee, fearing the sight of blood on the toilet paper.

      By Monday, I was emotionally spent. I called in sick to work and made it over to the doctor's office for my appointment, where I sat, all alone, assuming the worst. To pass the time, I checked my email. In a bizarre coincidence, I got an email that very morning from a high school friend announcing that she was pregnant and due within days of when I would be due. While I was so happy for her, I couldn't help but feel jealous that she was singing her good news from the rooftops while I was waiting to hear my fate. It just felt so unfair at the time.

      When the ultrasound tech called me back, she told me that at 5 weeks 5 days pregnant, the likelihood of seeing a heartbeat yet was slim, so I shouldn't get my hopes up. She prepped the wand while I held my breath, tears falling. It wasn't immediate, but I saw a smile come across her face as she showed me a sweet little heartbeat. I was overcome with relief. I was still pregnant, and there she was. My baby. My Lorelai.

      Lorelai at 17w 5d, when we found out she was a
      healthy girl (I can't find the 5w5d ultrasound)


      There was never any more blood (the doctor suspected a subchorionic hematoma, but there wasn't evidence of it on the ultrasound so it's still a mystery), but I still dreaded every time I wiped for the rest of my pregnancy, and it took a while before I could go to Moe's again without that terrible memory coming back to me. But it all worked out, and the rest is history. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise, because even though that incident caused a lot of anxiety during the rest of my pregnancy, I appreciated every day of it more than I might have otherwise. Nothing like being slapped in the face with the prospect of losing something to make you truly appreciate it.



      PS: In another coincidence, my high school friend and I both had our babies on the same day, just hours (and a couple states) apart.

      Linking up with Just Write.

      Monday, March 19, 2012

      iPhone photo dump {week 9}

      Here's another week in pictures (although it's really more like Sunday, Wednesday and a whole lot of Saturday in pictures):

      iPhone photo dump {week 9}
      iPhone photo dump {week 9}


      Highlights:
      • IKEA!
      • Aidan and I went to the dentist on Wednesday and our teeth look good (that's him getting a fluoride treatment). No cavities! Plus, I'm resolving to floss regularly now. This time I mean it.
      • Adam and I ran in the 5k Shamrock Run for Hope on Saturday (more on this later) and the kids got to hang with the grandparents and cheer us on while we ran.
      • Our hairdresser came over on Saturday (yes, she makes house calls) and gave the boys and Adam much needed hair cuts. Why did I not think to take any afters? I'm not sold on Aidan's hair (I say that every time) but Logan's mop top is gone! I kinda miss it...
      • Super duper St. Patty's day cuteness on the playground while the boys had their tennis lessons.
      • UNC advanced in the NCAA tournament.
      • This melt-my-heart moment between Aidan and Lorelai. It deserves its own photo.

      Aidan and Lorelai

      Lowlights:
      • It's official: I have pollen allergies. Major allergic eyes (one is overly dry and the other is overly watery) and difficulty breathing when I run. Hello claritin and eye drops.
      • The 4 hour round trip drive to IKEA, and I hate driving.
      • We have yet to find curtains I like for our living room, and I was so flustered at (yet another trip to) World Market, we left without using our 20% off coupon (although Lorelai was really attached to that tablecloth for some reason).
      • Adam and I were rendered brainless on Saturday (I blame the early morning 5k). He drove all the way to Chick-fil-a, placed the order and then realized he forgot his wallet. Then later I drove to CVS with the sole purpose of returning some items so I could use a coupon I forgot to use the first time...but I left the coupon at home. Luckily we live close to both so we could make a quick trip back home. Duh.
      •  I forgot my lunch and ended up having to make a pb&j at work. I was not in the mood for that.
      If a pb&j lunch ends up on my list of lowlights, I guess the week wasn't too shabby :) 

      PS: I feel weird doing these recaps on a Monday. Is it weird? I just can't seem to blog on Sundays though. Maybe I'll move them to Friday? Hmmm.

        Friday, March 16, 2012

        IKEA road trip

        Aidan was out of school today for a teacher workday, so Adam and I decided to take advantage of a forced day off work and take a road trip to IKEA. It's a solid 2 hours away, so this was actually our first trip out there (my second trip to an IKEA ever, and Adam's first). It worked out perfectly though, because we could never go with all three kids and still fit everything we needed in the van. This way, we were able to drop Logan and Lorelai off at daycare, fold the back seats down, and haul a crap ton of reasonably-priced (and heavy!) Swedish furniture back to our casa. And we even had a tasty meal of Swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes and lingonberry sauce while we were there!

        ikea road trip

        We've been in desperate need of a new desk for a while now, one that isn't so mismatched from the rest of the room (we have our desk in the kitchen area) and that will fit two people. For lack of any DIY abilities and reasonably-priced workable options at any local stores, we settled on pieces from the Vika system.

        We've also had our eye on the ubiquitous Expedit for the boys' room, so we bought a couple of those. We also ended up with a couple of sets of curtains, a new rug for under our kitchen table, and a few other odds and ends. Oh, and a fruit basket set for Lorelai, and this cute little nightlight guy for Aidan and Logan's room (unfortunately it's already being fought over because it's on Aidan's side of the room, not Logan's. Ugh.)


        It was very difficult to restrain myself and not buy every little awesome thing, but let's face it. We were only (yes, only!) there for 3 hours so it's not like I even saw every single awesome thing anyway! Seriously, I felt like I missed so SO much and I'm even more bummed that we're not close enough for a quick trip to pick up the chairs we thought about, or the cute glasses, or the faux potted plant, or the picture frames, the storage boxes, the couch (loving the karlstad), etc, ad nauseum.

        Wish us luck getting everything assembled...I'm excited!

        Thursday, March 15, 2012

        Kind words

        A couple of years ago, Logan's preschool teacher was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. I don't think she was older than 30 at the time, so it was quite a shock. She was out for a while undergoing chemo, and when she came back, she was cancer-free, but also bald. Let's be honest, it's not every day kids see females without hair, so there were some discussions about it.

        She was subbing in Lorelai's room the other day when I was dropping off, and Lorelai went right over to her to give her a hug. She started complimenting me on how sweet my kids are, and then she told me something I had never heard. Apparently, not long after she came back from sick leave, Logan shyly inched his way over to her, gave her a hug and said, "Ms. Kim, you're beautiful." It was completely unprompted, and she said he made her so happy.

        I could not be more proud of this little man and his big heart. Love him!

        Logan
        Logan, December 2009 and September 2010

        Wednesday, March 14, 2012

        Wise Words Wednesday: Enjoy the little things

        “Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” -Robert Brault

        little things

        Since Adam and I are such homebodies, I tend to worry that we're not doing enough to make lasting childhood memories for the kids. I look at our typical activities and fear that when they grow up, they won't have much that stands out as noteworthy. At minimum, I hope they'll have an overall impression of a happy childhood, but that's not really the same as making memories. In my (occasionally irrational) mind at least.

        Our weekends are typically pretty boring. Grocery shopping and running errands (which the boys generally hate), playing around the house. We don't get out much. They don't even really have many play dates with friends (which prompts a whole other neglectful mother guilt trip). I can't help but think, what is there worth remembering from any of that?

        What prompted these thoughts for me was the opportunity we had to take Aidan and Logan with us to the Carolina Hurricanes hockey game last month. Adam and I got tickets through my work, and when two free tickets became available, I jumped at the chance for the boys to go because I thought they would have a blast, and things like this are a rare occurrence for them. This was noteworthy, I thought. And they did have a great time.

        Hurricanes hockey game

        Hurricanes hockey game


        The Canes actually won (they haven't been all that great lately) and with every goal scored, the crowed jumped up and cheered, and I high-fived the boys. Every time we were prompted to chant, Logan screamed loudly and I chanted with him because I was so excited they were so into it. Turns out, Aidan knows a lot about hockey from a book he read, so I would sometimes lean over and ask him what was going on. Fun times, for sure.

        being silly at the Hurricanes hockey game


        Then we told them that Adam was taking them to Monster Jam in April, which they were super duper excited about. The tickets were more expensive than we thought they'd be, but because this was going to be one of those experiences, we pulled the trigger.

        As we were discussing when in April Monster Jam was, we got on the subject of April Fools day. Aidan and Logan both laughed and asked if I remembered when I fooled them with jello instead of juice in their cups.

        At that point, I stopped worrying so much about not having all these big events to build memories on. I realized that the little things count just as much, and we're already doing them to some extent. I think that's why I've been enjoying doing my weekly photo recaps. It's those little things that might go otherwise unnoticed that are worth remembering.

        Will they look back and remember goofing around with Lorelai in World Market, or the Easter egg treasure hunt, or the impromptu stop at Starbucks for hot chocolate, or the balloon animals they got at Moe's on kids night? Will it be just as notable a memory as Monster Jam, hockey games, or summer beach vacations? I hope so. I think so.

        world market and starbucks