Weekend Update

Here's the latest on the Pants-less Todd saga. After three blissful nights, I began to think my problems had been solved by a trusty Pull Up. Alas, my faith was shattered last Tuesday morning when I went to get my little "T" up for the day and was shocked and dismayed to find he had basically pulled his Pull Up so far up that he'd given himself a monstrous wedgie. The Pull Up was unable to contain what it should have and I spent the morning washing sheets. Thinking it was a fluke, I anxiously went to pick my little peanut up the next morning only to end up washing sheets again. And yes, I was dumb enough to put him in a Pull Up again on Wedneday night. And guess what I did on Thursday morning? You got it... washed sheets. After learning my lesson, I sat Captain Commando down on Thursday night and told him that he was absolutely too young to be wearing a thong. I then told him that if he wanted to mess with the bull, he was going to get the horns... as I proceeded to put his diaper on backwards, covered by a really sassy pair of his sister's underpants. The result? Let's just say I haven't washed the sheets since last Thursday!!

It's Monday and I need a recovery nap after a busy weekend! We welcomed some WONDERFUL cool weather to Florida this weekend and got to spend most of the weekend enjoying it outdoors. Saturday morning started out bright and early with my usual long run. I'm up to 20 miles and feeling a bit like The Little Engine. "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can..." make it to 26 miles. I'm pretty sure I will cry if next Saturday's temps go back to the hot, humid temps that I've become so accustomed to. A cool breeze is such a welcome training partner right now!

Saturday afternoon we headed down into Sarasota so Brian and Hayley could compete in a race. This was Hayley's first official race. She's been practicing for a race since the day she took her first step!! She competed with about 15 other three and four year olds and had a blast!

Ready to Race!
Every runner knows the importance of a good warm up!
Receiving her medal!


Brian then geared up for the big boy race! It was a cross country 5k and he took THIRD in his age group! Now I know where Hayley gets her speed (because it's certainly not from me!!!)

Speeding across the finish line

My competitors!

Aunt Etta, Uncle Lee, Nana, Papa, and even Chloe came to cheer them on!

A fun family outing

He Strikes Again

After a successful night on Monday night, I was hopeful that tight pajama pants were my solution to Captain Commando and that the Sunday night occurence would be an isolated event. I was wrong. As we went to check on Mr. Todd last night, we found this:
Those tight pajama pants must have given him a run for his money. Obviously he completely exhausted himself trying to get the pants off. He barely had any energy left to focus on getting his diaper off before collapsing into slumber.

Listen little boy. You may have won the battle, but mark my words, I WILL win this war!! We'll be giving Pull Ups a shot tonight.

ETA: In light of recent events (in case any Walmart workers view my blog) and for those uncomfortable with toddler nudity, I have censored the "evidence."

Captain Commando

We've got a problem. Last night after going to check on our sweet, sleeping son, we were horrified to find this:

Yes, I realize he LOOKS like an innocent, sleeping toddler. What you don't see is that he is NAKED from the waste down. And we DID NOT put him to bed that way. You may even notice that he's using his pants and diaper as a pillow! Luckily, the damage was minimal. After all, I've already been delivered a nice surprise one day after I'd put my son down for a nap with just a diaper on. I learned that lesson. However, I completely have underestimated his skill set (and shear determination) as I never imagined he'd be able to get his pajama bottoms AND diaper off. I know this could get ugly REAL quick, so I'm adamant about finding a solution. Tonight we'll be trying his extra tight pajama pants. If that doesn't work, I guess we'll have to resort back to one piece pajamas.

Oh, and I'd like to add that my daughter NEVER did anything like this. It definitely must be a boy thing!!!

My Other Lover

It's my anniversary. Not my wedding anniversary, no. This is the one year anniversary of the affair with my other lover. One year ago today, my downward spiral into absolute addiction began when I ran my first road race. Last year at this time I was feeling like pretty hot stuff for running 6.2 miles... certainly nothing to be ashamed of. But this year, I began my anniversary race AFTER running nine miles. And because of that preceeding sentence, I will no longer refer to this morning's event as a "race." Although, it technically was called Race 4 the Cure (and for a SUPER cause) today I liked to think of it as Just Keep Moving 4 the Cure. Obviously, I'm crazy, but more importantly, I'm marathon training. And over the course of my fifteen or so miles today, I had plenty of time to ponder (and justify) my relatively new affair. After all, marathon training is not for the faint of heart, or the sane for that matter. It's a HUGE committment. It's also a huge committment for my husband who spends his Saturday mornings slaving over a hot stove making scrambled eggs, baking muffins, and wiping two (always moving) little mouths. Yes, a supportive husband is a wonderful thing and luckily mine enables my addiction.

My other enabler? The IronMommies. You learn a lot about people on a three hour plus run. I've been running with these girls for over a year now and our friendships have just gotten stronger and we enjoy each other's company that much more. We've found an interesting trend in our group though. We have ladies of all skill levels and running goals. There are only about eight of us though who are marathon training. Many of the girls think we are crazy. Based on the common denominator, the crazy factor comes from the fact that pretty much all of the eight of us have more than one child. Sure, there could be several reasons why parents of (currently) only children don't marathon train, but I've got my own theory based on my reasons for marathon training. As a Mom of two demanding, highly energetic, and demanding little ones, training forces me to carve much needed time out for myself. It forces me to stay in tune with my body and be incredibly conscious of what I put into my body. If I don't eat the right foods during the week, or if I eat the wrong foods, my Saturday morning will NOT be fun. And if I end up having one of those insanely busy, hectic weeks, I can take comfort in knowing that I will have several hours on Saturday to complete a thought, even if it's the first one I've completed all week. I'll also have several hours to just worry about myself... to think about what I need and how I feel and what I want out of life. It's kind of like a mental vacation before being thrown back into the realities of life. I'm sure I've made this sound like I'm much deeper in thought then I really usually am, so let me provide some better insight. A typical long run for me right now usually goes like this:

First 3 Miles - "Did I seriously roll out of bed at 3:45am to do this??? I must be nuts to think I'm ever going to run 26.2 miles."

Mile 4 - (This is where my running buzz kicks in) "I love running. I love running in Florida where I can run by the water and there are no hills and I can see pelicans when it's not so stinkin' dark out! Ew, watchout for the roadkill."

Miles 5-7 - "Which marathon am I going to sign up for next? I'll be all marathon trained up come January so I may as well sign up for Gasparilla in March. Maybe I could try to get into the Marine Corp Marathon next year? Gotta figure out where I'm going to put my 26.2 tattoo (sorry Mom and Dad). Woohoo! This is SOOOO much fun!! I love running!"

Miles 7-10 - "How on earth am I going to run another 16.2 miles? This is absolutely impossible. Forget crying when I cross the finishline, I'm going to cry right now."

Miles 10-13 - "I think I might be dying. Keep running. I wonder if drinking my whole bottle of gel would make me sick? Keep running." (This is usually where I begin fantasizing about water... in all forms... bottled water, swimming pools, showers, ice...)

Miles 13-13.5 - "Ohhh, that gel really helped me out. I'll have no problems from here on out."

Miles 13.5-14.75 - "Boy, that gel sure didn't stick with me very long. I'm pretty sure I'm going to die before I get to 15 miles. I can't feel my toes anymore. Oh goodie, here comes the sunrise. If I don't get done with this before the sun comes completely out I will no doubt die of heat exhaustion. Why do I live in Florida??" And then I always think about the scene from National Lampoon's Vacation where Chevy Chase is lost in the desert. And I feel bad for him because I can SO relate.

Miles 14.75-15 - "Woohoo! I'm almost there. I think I could run another two miles if I really had to. Don't want to push myself though and end up injured. I'd better stop at 15. Now I've got my license to pig out at dinner tonight!! I LOVE running. Now, back to that tattoo."

And then me and my wild and crazy friends hobble back to our cars like a group of ninety year olds and talk big about how we're going to do wild and crazy things with our day like bathe in BioFreeze, nap, and take Epsom salt baths. You know, we like to live on the edge.

I know it looks like I hate all but about three miles of the run. It's the feeling that I have after a run like this that keeps me addicted. There is no greater feeling of accomplishment then to know I've already run 15 miles while most of the world is still laying in bed. It's like one big endorphin dump that lasts all weekend long for me and the longer I run and the further I run, the better I seem to feel. Running is definitely my drug of choice and I spend more time then I should thinking about getting my next "fix." It hurts to walk right now, but I'm already looking forward to next Saturday morning.

Disney - Take 2

We just returned from another Disney weekend! We headed out on Friday afternoon and arrived in Orlando just in time for a Downtown Disney dinner at Hayley's favorite restaurant, T-Rex. This time we sat in the ice cave and Hayley was VERY concerned about the dinosaur that was right behind us. We finally were able to reassure her that the dinosaur was an herbivore and wanted nothing to do with her pizza. She was okay with him after that. After all, she already has to share food with Todd. She's not about to have to divvy it up between her, Todd, AND a dinosaur!!

The Boys
The Girls

Saturday morning we headed off to tour Animal Kingdom where we sweated until we just couldn't sweat anymore. We headed back for some quiet time at the hotel followed by an hour in the pool before I had to head back to Animal Kingdom to participate in the Expedition Everest Challenge. My partner and I were able to complete the 5k run and the obstacle course before the monsoon began. It absolutely POURED on us for the remainder of the scavenger hunt which was kind of a bummer.

Sunday morning we ventured back to Blizzard Beach waterpark which Todd and Hayley both LOVE. Hayley got to try out some of the more adventurous rides this trip and of course Todd just enjoyed looking at all the ladies like usual. We arrived back home Sunday afternoon and collapsed from a whirlwind weekend.

Thank You God

Have I mentioned how much we LOVE Hayley's preschool? They say the Pledge of Allegiance each morning, although Hayley hasn't quite gotten that down by herself. Of course in just two days, she has committed the snack time prayer to memory!! Here she is reciting it!

Labor Day Weekend

According to the pictorial representation on my camera from the weekend, it doesn't look like we got out of our PJs the entire Labor Day weekend. I can assure you that we did though, and despite some lazy mornings, we were sure to get workouts in for the entire family. After we all rolled out of bed of course!

Todd and Hayley practiced baseball.

Then Todd and Daddy did an upper body workout in the pool. I thought it was only appropriate that the song "Good Girls Go Bad" was on while Todd was "pumping" himself up! (And yes, seeing is believing... Todd wears a Speedo in our swimming pool. He doesn't want tan lines!)

After swimming, Todd and Daddy found a new form of entertainment. Only two guys could be this amused by depantsing.



And now, due to the torment Todd suffered at the hands of Daddy, he has been forced to underake the Urkel look.

School is in SESSION!

And so, Miss Hayley made her return to school today. THREE YEAR OLD preschool to be exact! Yep, it was happy times for all this morning as we prepared to head out! Hayley was singing "it's back to school," Mommy was singing "it's back to school," and even little Toddy was dragging his sister to the car singing "the BOSS is going back to school!"

And luckily for me, things went MUCH better this first day of school then they did compared to last year's first day of school. Now I don't want to count my chickens and all, but I'm pretty confident I'm not going to get one of these pictures again this year!


My Baby Girl


Heading off to her class... clearly, she doesn't feel the need to hold my hand!

Telling me to "weave" - nothing new

All Aboard

We survived!! Yes, I managed to survive two solo plane flights with my two little angels and I didn't even need to resort to the parachute I had packed in my carry on! I'd say it was a successful trip! Both of our flights were rather eventful, which actually provided loads of entertainment for my two thrill seekers. Clearly they get their love of "danger" from their father. On the flight to Colorado, we hit some major turbulence coming into DIA. And by major, I mean major. I literally had to squeeze Todd for fear that he'd fly out of my arms. And while the rest of the plane was "ohhing" and I was clinging to my son with white knuckles and praying, my little angels were giggling with glee and yelling "weeeee!" Who knew flying could be so much fun? Luckily, my time in Denver was much more relaxing. I went on several long runs and developed a new appreciation for Florida's flat, sea-level terrain. Funny how I never seemed to notice Colorado's hills until I became a runner! We kept the kids busy with outings to several parks, Tiny Town, and The White Fence Farm. We had such a fun time and mostly just enjoyed spending time with Mimi, Grandpa, G-Grams, and family!


Goofing Around



Miss Hollywood Goes to Tiny Town


I hope this isn't an omen


Todd was all to eager to lock up his sister!


Love the mountain air!


A Tiny Town train ride with Grandpa!


A trip to White Fence Farm!


Stopping to smell the roses.


My little goat


No Hayley, we can't take this goat home instead.


Fun with the family!



Between all the planes, trains and automobiles, Todd mastered the "All Aboard" call!

The time has come

For sixteen months, I have dreaded this day. The day that I would finally have to break down and give my little boy his first haircut. Considering the relentless prenatal indigestion that sprouted lucious locks on my newborn, this day has been long overdue. But Todd had the surfer look going and he wore it quite well. I also had plenty of reassurance from my fellow female types NOT to cut his hair. Because Todd? He has very much paralleled the biblical story of Samson. Just like Samson, Todd's great weakness is beautiful women. (And those beautiful women seem to swoon over his curls.) And again, like Samson, Todd has shown great strength in battling a fierce opponent (Hayley). So you can understand my completely rational fear that cutting my little Samson's hair would result in a lifetime of noogies, swirleys, and wedgies by playground bullies. But as the "where are your daughters" and "what sweet little girls you have" comments increased, I began to think that perhaps, the time had come. And then last night Todd began acting out his hair by wearing a bracelet and necklace through the house and Brian laid down the law. The barbershop had a 5pm opening!
Todd was pretty suspicious from the second he sat in the car.
Then this strange women started running her fingers through his hair. And not in a good way. No, this strange women had a look of intent on her face.
And then, the cutting began. And my heart completely broke.
But finally, it was over. And the result was just perfect. Todd still had a bit of his "edge" left...
... and most importantly, he still had his CURLS!!

Space... the final frontier!

At least for my little summer camper. Hayley wrapped up her third and final week of summer camp on Friday. She enjoyed a week learning about Native Americans, a week learning about the beach and all its inhabitants, with a space education rounding out her summer curriculum. She had so much fun each week and I swear her vocabulary developed by leaps and bounds. She really doesn't miss a thing and frequently catches Brian and I off guard with the stuff she comes up with. Below are some of her recent funnies.

Brian (tucking Hayley into bed): "Did you have fun at space camp today, Hayley?"
Hayley: "No Daddy. It's SUMMER camp and this was space WEEK, not space camp!"
Brian: "Oh, well EXCUSE ME!!!"

Hayley (as I sang along with Lady Gaga's Pokerface while in the car): "No Mommy, don't poke me in the face!"

We're spending the upcoming week preparing for a trip to Colorado! We're looking forward to the cooler weather for sure!

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

We're still here! My lack of blogging has been due in part to summer unfun and what can best be described as the plague. For SIX weeks I was down and out. Luckily for me, it wasn't anything that countless hours of hacking frustration and two rounds of antibiotics couldn't handle. Brian had the plague too! Because you know, misery loves company. As for the kids, they coughed for a week and had some runny noses, nothing along the lines of the plague that I so miserably suffered from! And at least I learned something... I now know what pleurisy is. I also know that I don't ever want it again.

Sunday we took the kids to their first major league baseball game! The stadium was LOTS of fun. I'm pretty sure we didn't see more than five pitches. But really, who goes to a baseball game to watch baseball? We spent most of the time convincing Hayley that it was a baseball game, not a golf game anyways!

Getting ready to head to the Rays Game!



Hayley LOVED the mascot

Todd? Not so much

Ready for the 1st pitch

Beach Body

Now that summer is officially here, Todd has been working hard to get his beach body ready.

He's getting rid of all the junk food in the house.
Researching and developing a sound supplement routine.
And making sure he gets all his beauty sleep.
After all... good genes certainly help, but a physique like this takes lots of hard work!!

ISR - Round 3

So apparently, the third time is a charm. At least when it comes to Hayley and swim lessons. Swimming has finally "clicked" for Hayley and her screams of defiance have now been replaced by screams of insistence. Insisting she wants to swim here, she wants to swim there, and she wants to swim... NOW! I think Hayley's instructor and I have both come to accept that Hayley's technique is not going to be textbook. Because Hayley HAS to do things her way... and her way is not a backfloat, but merely a floating head. BUT, Hayley can now swim. And she LOVES the water. I'll take it.


Luckily, Little Todd seems to think floating is an alright thing. He's taken to ISR lessons much more happily then his sister did. Phewy!! I was worried! While Hayley is done with lessons for the summer, Todd still has a few more weeks before he'll be ready to take Michael Phelps on.