Parent Steps

Friday & Saturday was a BIG deal for us.  Like, a really big deal.  Addison is nearing 18 months & we had never spent the night away from her.  We did this past Friday night. Sure we have individually; I do when I work overnight & Philip does when he is out of town, but never at the same time.  It's not that we don't trust anyone else to keep her…well, maybe just a little, but we weren't ready.  I am surprised by the dumbfounded looks & jaw dropping awe followed by "are you kidding me?" when we tell people we have never done it before. It's one of those BIG parent steps without a timeline. It's one of those things YOU have to be ready for (I am going to post something later on this week about tips for making your first night away easier).

view from our hotel room in New Bern, NC

Valentines Day 2013

First CrossFit Competition in Review

I participated in my first CrossFit "competition" this past Saturday.  It was a partner's competition composed of 3 WOD's in various divisions: Rx Women, Rx Men, Rx Co-ed, Scaled Men, Scaled Women, Scaled co-ed.  Renee & I were team "Girls Gone Rx" & competed in the Women's Rx division.  

WOD #1 was a 3 min AMRAP (as many reps as possible), ground to overhead.  The team choose their own weight & the movement(s) used to get the bar from the ground, overhead with arms fully locked out.  Points were awarded by reps multiplied by weight plus parters.  Renee & I power snatched our weight.  Our strategy was to go light, 65 lb & 55 lb, banging out as many reps as we could.

 WOD #2 was a 10 min AMRAP of box step ups with toes to bar. Partner 1 completes 2 20 inch box step ups while holding 75 lb in the front rack. Once the step ups are complete the bar is passed to partner 2. Partner 2 must hold the bar in the front rack while parter 1 completes 2 toes to bar. Once toes to bar are completed Partner 2 may begin box step ups, increasing reps by 2.

Renee rowing & me cheering her on

cheering Renee on while she rows

WOD #3 was a 5 MIN AMCAP (as many a calories as possible) rowing. Partner 1 rows for 2:30 then Partner 2 completes the remaining 2:30.

It was a great experience, especially for my first competition.  We did great…we Rx'd it & not many female competitors did so that made me proud in and of itself.  I learned that every rep truly counts.  We were literally within reps of teams that beat us.  I learned that our minds are powerful & dangerous. I learned that we are so much more capable then we believe ourselves to be. I already knew my workout partner was awesome & competing reminded me how awesome she is!

parenting lesson #2328

Parenting lesson #2328: silence is never a good thing. 

While I was cooking breakfast this morning Addison was sitting contently in the living room watching Elmo…or so I thought.  I noticed she got reallllllly quiet so I peaked over the bar to find her noshing on a k-cup. Oh my!

Here are a few pictures I found on the web that show just how mischievous toddlers can be:

Oh you know, just coloring the dog
{SOURCE}

Face painting with mommy's makeup
{SOURCE}

getting into the cabinets
{SOURCE}

what? it's art
{SOURCE}

needs no elaboration
{SOURCE}

I posted this on Facebook & I had so many funny responses; finding kids wound up in a wod of toilet paper, getting into the pantry only to be caught by trails of cheerios, eating parents cigarettes, eating dog bones….so so funny.

What have your "sneaky" toddlers done?

Addison Says

Here are a few new words in Addison's ever growing vocabulary: 

"Outside" as she points to the door. We have been loving the warmer weather & have been trying to take advantage of it. 

"Brock-ali" (broccoli). She says "brock" very throaty… it's hilarious.

"Boot". This girl loves her off white cable knit boots! 

"Eggplant." 

"Nuh-night" for when she is ready for bed.

"Book".

"Kiss". She loves to give kisses & asks for them frequently. 

I literally think she is saying something new everyday…it's hard to keep up!

{TIPS} How to Keep Your Resolutions

Well, we are a week into the new year.  So far I've been "ify" with my resolutions; specifically being organized...I am having a hard time keeping up. Here are a few tips to help you keep your new year's resolutions.

Don't waste your time worrying about the "what IF's" or "what it would/could be like".  Focus on the actions/behaviors it takes to get you there.  For example, I want to compete in a fitness competition.  I need to focus on my training & nutrition…the things that are going to take me there, not the competition itself. 

Simply put: If it's not enjoyable, it's not sustainable. Reward yourself for getting all the laundry put away  & keeping the house picked up or put a dollar in a jar every time you go to the gym & treat yourself to a new pair of kicks. 

When you discuss your goals/resolutions with other people you can rally a huge support team around you.  If you are focusing on your nutrition, your friends/family might not tempt you with an invite to Five Guys, instead they may suggest meeting up at Whole Foods. 

The only way it's going to get done is by DOING IT! Stop waiting for tomorrow or  your trip to Ikea to get organized. You have to start somewhere. If organizing is one of your goals, start going through your closets & sorting your items. Set aside time everyday to help yourself accomplish your goals. 

If you set lofty goals/resolutions, reevaluate them & make sure they are attainable. Make milestones inside of goals. Example: I want to get organized.  That's a HUGE goal. Within that goal of being more organized I have made a list of specifics: which rooms, what type of organization for each room.  Knocking one off at a time gives a sense of satisfaction.

Put a plan in place.  What do you need to accomplish your goals? How are you going to accomplish them? Once you figure that out, find the necessary resources.

2013 isn't going to be a year of woulda/shoulda/couldas for this household.  We have our goals individually and as a family unit & we are going to get there!

New Years Resolutions

I've never been a resolution maker. I'm that rebel that says "I don't make New Year's Resolutions…I try to live with intention & purpose".  Ironic right?! I am the girl that makes lists just to check things off & I don't make resolutions.  Oddly enough I find myself getting super excited as I accomplish feats/tasks throughout the year. So really…I am a closet resolution maker.  Zig Ziggler said "What you get by achieving your goals isn't as important as what you become by achieving your goals".

That is definitely my mindset for 2013.

2013 will be:

more organized 

more of what makes me happy

more things with love

more positivity

more change

more creativity

less comparison

less worry

less people pleasing

less fear

less procrastination

Mostly just want to make myself proud. Whether it's feeling proud of getting more organized, accomplishing a lifting goal, taking a chance for our family…I just want to be proud.

2012 was a year filled with lots of love and laughter.  New friends, new environments.  Lots of growth & change.  I tried new things & cut things/people out of my life.  I had lots of proud moments.  We traveled & set new priorities for our family.  Bye bye 2012 you were fantastic. Hello 2013!

Jolly It Was

I can say with 100% confidence that this was my most favorite Christmas of all 28 Christmases I have celebrated.  I could hardly sleep Christmas Eve with all the excitement bottled up to watch Addison open her presents. As soon as I heard her sweet little voice say "mumma" Christmas morning I darted into her room, woke Philip up & came downstairs.

As we walked down the stairs she peeked around over the banister exclaiming "ooooh".  I put her down & let her walk over to the presents.  She walked by them, inspecting them one by one squealing with excitement.  While our coffee was brewing and she sipped on almond milk from her reindeer sippy cup she explored the packages.  She's a smart girl…she was immediately drawn to the larger ones.

There were a few presents open from the night before & she plopped herself on the living room carpet in front of them. One by one she very slowly opened: clothes, PJ's, DVD's, blocks, books, puzzles, faux groceries, kid WOD toys (kettlebell, barbell, box & medicine ball), plastic pots & pans, faux fruit, a shopping cart, a cozy coupe car, baby alive baby doll & umbrella stroller.

She tore the paper off strip by strip, stacking it on top of each other.  She'd instantly forget about the toys she'd previously opened & become focused on the toy in hand.  Philip couldn't open/assemble fast enough.  She kept walking over to the cozy coupe box & say "see, see". No sooner did Philip take it out the box she was sitting in it say "vroom vroom" & buzzing her lips together making car sounds.  She kissed the baby and said "aw" then tossed her to the ground, lol.  She LOVES her little stroller from Pottery Barn; I am pretty sure every accessible item got a ride, Elmo, Philip's cell phone, etc. 

She spent most of the day loading up her shopping cart & taking everything back out.  She'd walk up to you with a faux hotdog pretending to nibble on it & politely share with you.

It was a super relaxed day.  Mum & Dad came over at lunch time & we exchanged gifts.  We ate & laughed, played games & watched movies…my kind of day.

It was a very very memorable Christmas.

Meeting Santa Claus

Do you remember the butterflies you would get as a child; excited with anticipation for Christmas morning, barely being able to sleep the night before, convincing yourself the noises you'd hear in the house was Santa & his reindeer landing? I'd sneak out to "use the bathroom" & peek around the corner hoping to catch a glimpse of Santa in action or at least see what he left behind. As I got older & didn't believe in Santa anymore I'd play along for my younger siblings & loved every moment of it because it allowed the belief in Santa to linger a little bit longer.  I still get those same butterflies when I think about Christmas morning.  Addison has most definitely rekindled a child-like excitement surrounding the holidays, especially this year.  Clearly she doesn't associate Santa with the presents under the tree or all the pretty decorations she is constantly being told not to touch but she most definitely knows who Santa Claus is.  When you ask her what he says she says "ho ho ho" & anytime she sees a depication of Santa she says his name (or Elmo) in a high pitched voice, lol.

I don't really ever recall my parents bringing me to see Santa in the mall, although I know they did because they have pictures.  I am not sure if it just wasn't that memorable or if I had a bad experience and blocked it out of my mind, lol. I was super excited to take her to see Santa in the mall today.  I was a little nervous because I wasn't sure if she'd have stranger anxiety & be frightened or if she would delight in his rosy cheeks & fluffy red suit.  She watched as Arden (my friends 5 month old little girl), cheerfully sat on his lap for her picture. Addison pointed & said "Arden" & "Santa" & "ho ho ho" & even clapped her hands.  A few times she let out a very expressive "oooooh" when the LED Snoopy would move along side of us or the jingle of bell being rung to get Arden's attention would peak Addison's interest.  As we approached, she gave Santa a shy wave & held onto my arm with a death grip.  As I lowered her into his lap she clinged to my arm but I broke away.  She sat without crying but had a "um hey…who is this creepy man" face the entire time.  She kept her hands held in the air, 1 finger pointed (almost as if she was saying no) with her mouth slightly open in a half smile. If Santa would touch her hands to bring them to her side, she'd peer at him out of the corner of her eye like "get your hands off me".  Emilee & I laughed.  Most of the pictures looked like this.  Not one real smile or look of comfort.  It will do.

December 2012: 15 months

December 2011: 3 months

{Day of Silence}

Remembering Sandy Hook Elementary

Friday I kept my TV off most of the day.  It was almost like turning it off would make it a horrible nightmare & not a reality.  My heart is completely broken for the innocence that was stolen. When I heard the headline "authorities respond to a mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School", I instantly felt sick to my stomach. I grabbed Addison, snuggled with her & started praying for the families who lost children, the children & teachers that will have this forever imbedded in their memories & the community that was robbed of the joy of this holiday season. It's unfathomable. There are really no words; no comfort to offer. My friend Emilee posted this picture on her Facebook page that her friend Amanda Cutler took.  It's incredibly moving & speaks volumes of the tragedy.

Amanda Cutler of Pumpkin Pie Photography

We live in such an unstable world. There is so much hurt & pain. It goes deeper then we can ever imagine.  Please make it a point to continue to pray for the grieving families, the surviving school staff & students, the town of Newton, CT.  Pray for the people with mental illnesses, those with hurts so deep that they could actually do something so terrible.  Pray for our nation.  Make a point to smile at people, don't tear people down.  Reach out to those in need and PLEASE don't go about your daily life like NOTHING HAPPENED. Headline after headline last week was a shooting here, a shooting there, children missing…this should wreck your soul.

what you'd hear me say

If you spent a day at my house you would hear me say (multiple times throughout the day)...

Addison, get out of the bathroom.

Please take that out of your mouth

We don't play in cabinets

how did you get outside?

Seriously, I just folded that 

No, Addison. Don't touch that

Gross, we don't play in the garbage.

where did you find my lipstick

She is into E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G! We had another MAC fiasco yesterday only this time she wasn't pouring my foundation everywhere. This time she dug her little fingers into my favorite eye shadow & crumbled it everywhere. {le sigh}. She also got a hold of my favorite Chanel lipstick but thankfully I caught her with it before she could smear it everywhere. So here are things I am learning: don't turn your back, EVER, lol. No but seriously...she is sneaky & fast! I love this little girl.