The Annual Piligrimage

Summer appeared and so we made the annual pilgrimage to the motherland. Utah. As we boarded the plane I was counting blessings left and right. First, I wasn't driving. Hallelujah! The kids had their own bags full of whatever they wanted to entertain themselves and knew the drill. It's been a long time coming, but these kids have gained some independence and it's awesome!

 As we got on the plane I recognized a girl and her baby, it took me a while to figure out where I knew her from. Then I realized, I didn't know her. I read her blog. I already knew we had a lot in common and really wanted to introduce myself, but felt silly. I approached her toward the end of the flight. We chatted for a while and have emailed back and forth a little bit. She blogged about our meeting here. You have to dig, but it's there. And, it's me, even though my name is spelled wrong. Anyway, it was a little highlight for me and I hope our paths cross again sometime.

On to the trip: I love being in Utah for Pioneer Day on July 24. Great-Grandma Jackie, her sister and their families always set up shop super early for the parade in Ogden and harass all the participants. Grandma Bonnie was stocked with cases of silly string and plenty of treats for everyone. Such a fun way to start off the holiday.

 Once Kirt got to town he was ready to take the kids on a tour of his old college hangouts. We hadn't been to The Pie for far too many years. It was delicious. Don't let me forget that place. Always a solid choice.

 Then we took a walking tour of the University of Utah campus with Kirt acting as tour guide. We took the kids through the library and a few other buildings on campus. Things have changed a lot in the years since Kirt studied there. At one point, he painted an image for the kids telling them about walking around campus with snow on the ground and a hot chocolate in his hands and those kids were sold. Even Owen is ready to go to the U if it includes hot chocolate.

 We were so lucky to be able to be in Utah for the blessings of the 2 new babies on my side of the family. Abby and Libby (and I guess their husbands, too) waited to bless Maggie and Finn when we could be there and we were thrilled. It was such a special day in my mom's backyard with lots of family and delicious food. Grandma Leslie was in heaven with all her grandkids together.

 Next pic is my Dad, his wife Laura and my Grandma Arnold.

 We hit a few Raptors games while we were in town. Tickets were super cheap, the weather was incredible (minus a few raindrops one night) and we had plenty of room for the kids to run around. They stood down in front by the field and players constantly were walking back and forth giving the kids high-fives. The trip to Farr's for some chocolate peanut butter ice cream didn't hurt either.

 Owen caught a ball and later had it signed by all sorts of players and Oggie the mascot. Grandpa photobomb.

 When Finn and Maggie were born, I tried so hard to get up to Utah to spend some time with them by myself. I booked a few plane tickets and in the end, our lives in California were just too busy to get away. I sure wish I would have had that time by myself because once we were all there, Miss Tessa Jane could not get enough of these babies. I was constantly fighting with her to get my hands on them.

 Owen and Cal were more interested in the babies than I thought they would be. The didn't pass up too many opportunities to snuggle those little nuggets either.

 Night 2 of our baseball extravaganza. Girls photo (plus Finn!) I'm not so good at making plans and having a schedule when we're visiting. Everyone is so patient with me and when I throw out the all-call last minute text they pull it together and show up.

It looks like we're headed to the Beehive State for Thanksgiving in a few weeks. I'm looking forward to seeing those babies again and how much they've grown. I just wish we could have July weather when we're there. They're already getting snow and I'm not a fan of the cold and ice that come along with it!

Kauai 2013

My kids are back in school. Blogging has been on my to-do list nearly every day but still it falls to the bottom and a month later I'm finally getting around to it. Even Kirt has started to ask when I'm going to start back up. Please bless that I can make this a habit...
It's a good thing I have a great place to start.
Hawaii. Right before the kids got out of school for the summer, we pulled them out for an entire week for a big family vacay. We went with a bunch of other families and it was an epic hopefully-not-once-in-a-lifetime kind of trip. Our kids had grandparents from both sides come along. (I say the kids had them, but we enjoyed them every bit as much as the kids!) They even had Aunt Joni and Uncle Sean to play with in between their other friends. Yep, their friends. We managed to get two other families on board to come enjoy Kauai with us this time and let me tell you something. We nailed it. The company, the food, the weather, the activities - all perfection. Although, to be honest, we've always had a good time at this tropical destination. I think the trick next time will be to fill the entire resort with people we love.

 This post is what we bloggers like to call a 'photo-dump.' (I can call myself a blogger since only my grandmas read this and to them, I am a blogger!) I pretended to start organizing the pictures and figure out which ones to put in what order, but I'm just getting my groove back so here goes nothin'.

 Our go-to photo op spot. We always spend an hour here on our last day snapping pictures with heavy hearts. This trip we put off saying goodbye as long as possible and booked a red-eye flight back to the mainland. We were able to enjoy one last Hawaiian sunset, a few more minutes in the pool and a good-bye dinner at Duke's. Leslie says she'll never do the late flight again. I, on the other hand, loved it. Possibly had something to do with the fact that I had a kid by me that slept the entire flight home. She had Cal and they couldn't get themselves comfortable.

 Shave ice is an obvious pit-stop. This is our favorite shop, but this time the Hansen's alerted us to another pretty great option just a short walk from our hotel. I still can't believe I didn't get myself one the whole trip. The kids never finish theirs so I just waited for my left overs, which were fine, but none of them ever got macadamia nut ice cream at the bottom and that's my staple.

The kids got to spend a special date night with their grandparents at a local favorite pizza joint. I was a little nervous because there were 7 of them going to a busy restaurant with notoriously SLOW service that it was going to be a rough night. When we got the report later, they had no wait for a table, the waitress got the kids Shirley Temple's to drink and they were served and on their way in record time. Thanks for taking care of them Pizzetta!

 We tried a few new things this trip. Kirt and Cal joined Anneli and Gay for surf lessons just down the beach from where we were staying.

 And all the boys (and Joni!) woke up before the sun rose to get in some deep sea fishing. They had an amazing day out on the water. All of our precautions paid off and nobody got a drop of sea sickness. Everybody (except Joni?) caught a fish and we had a delicious dinner that night of snapper-jack tuna.

 Although there are no pictures of dinner it was in-fact delicious. Anneli and Cheeta made lemon-garlic rice and a few other fixings to have with the fish. With limited seasonings in the hotel, we were grilling the tuna and wondering (out loud) how best to season it. Another lady that was grilling chicken came over and started pouring teriyaki sauce all over our tuna. Anneli kept telling her, "Okay...Thanks...I think that's good...Okay...Thanks..." I could tell she was getting fired up and was DONE with the random sauce and the lady's heavy hand. Once dinner was settling in our satisfied tummies, Anneli admitted that the teriyaki treated tuna was her favorite.

 These little princesses talked Grandma Cheeta (Kalia and Elliana's grandma) into some sparkly pressies at a local gift shop. Be-jeweled boxes that holds some of Tessa's favorite treasures.

 Tessa Jane took a particular interest in the camera this trip and I loved it. She caught some great memories from a unique perspective and I loved having someone to share that with. How often do I wish I would have had more pictures of something, but I'm too busy living it to remember to pull out the camera?

  On our maiden voyage to Costco we made a mistake in buying these sea-salted caramel chocolate covered macadamia nuts. Our mistake was discovered as soon as we bit into the first one. The mistake? We only bought 2 containers. Don't you worry, we righted that wrong just a few days later as we passed through Costco again. Our carry on luggage was packed full of these containers just to discover that they sell them right here at Costco California for $1 cheaper.

 Our favorite picture-taking pose for Grandma Jackie.

Our family (grandparents and Sean and Joni included) all headed out on an adventure to see these waterfalls and valleys in the middle of the island one day.
 Kirt loves to get in the car and seek out adventures. While I am all about going for a long Sunday drive when we're home, it pains me to leave the beach and the pool (and the comfort of my lounge chair) for a day in the car while in Hawaii.  Towards the end of our trip Kirt wanted to check out a canyon that was a little over an hour away. A canyon that I had seen several years ago when the rest of our crew went on a whale watching excursion. (I was too pregnant to make the voyage.) It was so great that Kirt had his dad and brother that were more than happy to head out on the canyon adventure with him. I took the chore of waiting on everyone at the pool with turkey sandwiches, treats and the occasional pina colada. I ended up making so many pina coladas that my blender started smoking. Whoops!

 We were quite the crew when we took over the pool. 23 people in all with 10 kids. Not your typical bunch of mormons when the adults outnumber the kids. Then again, maybe we're not your typical bunch of mormons! ;)

 You know this little miss was all about having her POG juice in a fancy glass.

 Kirt's favorite pose in front of his favorite church on his favorite island with his favorite people.

 I can feel the sun and the breeze just looking at this picture. Pretend like you haven't seen it when you get it on your Christmas card this winter.

 This was one of the only new restaurant that we tried out this trip. Gourmet pizza and hamburgers and it was delicious. Add it to the regulars.

 While the above-mentioned surf lessons were getting started, another surf instructor took some of us back to these beautiful orchid gardens and gave us a little bit of a history lesson on them.

Each family took charge of a meal for the big group. For our turn we packed up tinfoil dinners and all the fixings for s'mores and headed out to a beach where we could have a little fire. I have done more cooking at the beach this year than I have in my own kitchen. Posts coming soon on my new fascination with dutch oven cooking. After dark we broke out the glow sticks and watched the kids dance in the dark.
This trip was incredible. One I hope all of us remember forever. Or at least until we go again in 2 years. Right everybody? Who else is in?

Memories from Valentines Past

 Is 2 weeks post-Valentines too late to add some memories? (and clear up some questions?) As I was writing my last post I was struck with some past Valentines memories that I would hate to ever forget.

Kirt did not disappoint and kept the gift-giving streak alive. One of my surprises was a box of See's chocolates. As I opened it I was transported back to my childhood. My great-grandfather bought my great-grandmother a box of See's chocolates every Valentines Day for many many many years and once the chocolates were gone, she would add the box to her collection. By the time I was old enough to remember she had quite the array of heart-shaped boxes. They came in various sizes and colors, and I remember lots of ribbon and even a few plastic flowers adorning the top. Every Sunday evening we gathered at their home and the Sunday before Valentines Day was always an exciting one. Our grandparents would help our great-grandparents fill all of those old-chocolate boxes with tons of our favorite Valentines candies and we'd all wait impatiently in the living room while Grandpa Watkins called us up one by one to present us with our special gift.

The candy was obviously my favorite part as a little one, but as I got older, especially as a teenager I couldn't wait to see which box I was going to get this year. I knew they had a special history and represented a long-standing tradition of love between my dear grandparents. As a starry-eyed teenage girl, those boxes were the most romantic thing I could imagine. (As a full-grown married mother of 3, I actually still find it pretty romantic.)

Those boxes themselves were serious business for Grandpa. I think they might have even been 'checked-out' not unlike a library book. If we didn't have that box returned in the next week or two, we were called out and reminded to bring it back. Now, realizing how kids can be, I'm amazed that any of them made it back in one piece, let alone 30-something boxes making it back year after year. As I was cleaning a cabinet the other day I found my chocolate box from last year so I added this year's box to my own modest collection. Maybe someday I'll have a tradition of my own.

*****
Another favorite Valentines Day memory was when I was in high school. I'm sure I had been complaining that I didn't have a Valentine and what  a dreadful day it was going to be at school with balloons, teddy bears, flowers and chocolates crowding the halls and none of them belonging to me. Around 4th period an office aid delivered another vase flowers to my classroom only this time they had my name on them. The card revealed that they were from a secret admirer and I was straight-up dying. Rumors swirled about who they could be from and I was loving the attention. The mystery was not solved until I got home and my mom was giddy as a school girl when she saw the flowers. I instantly realized who my secret admirer was. My mama was looking out for me on a lonely Valentines Day and knew just how to stir the gossip pot and make me feel loved at the same time. Well done Leslie. Well done.

*****
And to clear up/clarify my mention of Cal's valentine this year: On the day before Valentines Day when I picked Cal up from school he mentioned that he needed to get "...some chocolate or flowers or something." I almost freaked out, but kept it as cool as I could and replied, "You don't have a girlfriend." He bristled at the comment. "No. I don't have a girlfriend. A girl came up to me and asked if I would be her Valentine so I guess that means I have to get her something for Valentines Day." I don't know if I should be shocked by the forwardness of these girls or proud of them for getting themselves a little pressie without having to have an actual boyfriend. Either way, I fed off Cal's vibe and pretended like it was no big deal. We had some fancy hot-chocolate-on-a-stick things that I was giving the kids teachers for Valentines Day so he put a few of those in a gift bag and was on his way. (Please bless that I can be as cool as my mom as these kids grow up! This growing up business is freaking me out!)

Valentines Day Memories

Does everyone have that pre-Valentines (pre-Christmas, pre-Anniversary) talk with your spouse? You know the one, where you say, "Are we getting each other anything? Should we keep it simple? Should we set a price range?" or even more dangerous, "Let's not get each other anything this year." But then you have to have a back-up plan in case they actually get you something? On our 2nd married Valentines Day as we were having that discussion, I decided to nix that dangerous scenario right in the bud. We were pregnant with our first little one, Kirt was still finishing his undergraduate degree and I knew we were in for some lean times financially but I still had a request. "No matter how poor we are I want us to swear that we will always get each other something for Valentines Day." (Pretty sure we had the same conversation about eating out on weekends - haven't cooked dinner on a Saturday night in 15 years!) Here's the thing: I like getting gifts. There I said it. It doesn't always have to be some grand gesture, but knowing that I was thought of is important to me and Kirt deserved to know that early on.

Fast forward to the very next Valentines Day. We had a sweet little 5 month old baby and he had come down with a terrible case of RSV and landed himself in the hospital. Valentines Day found us on our 3rd or 4th day in the joint. I recall being vaguely aware that it was Valentines Day and shedding a tear or two when the nurse dropped by with a card for us. (One of the local elementary schools had made Valentines for the kids stuck in the hospital. Next year can somebody remind me to do that?) But for the most part, it was another day of tests and suctioning and staring at the same 4 walls for hours on end. We weren't even allowed to walk the halls because we were too contagious.

Around 3 o'clock Kirt had finished his classes for the day and was finally there to breathe some life into our weary souls.  It brings tears to my eyes remembering seeing him in the doorway. The term 'sight for sore eyes' has never been more true. I was tired and bored and worried and sad. My boy showed up with a Valentines note and a bag of my favorite treats. We were poor and thanks to that hospital stay about to become even poor-er but Kirt reminded me of the pact that we had made the year before and did not disappoint. I'm sure I cried and apologized for not having something for him, but hopefully more than that I thanked him for remembering for both of us.

Things have changed a little in the past 13 years: That sick little baby actually took a little something of his own to a Valentine at school today and I have had Kirt's gift done for weeks. And some things have stayed the same: We haven't gone a Valentines Day without a little something to let each other know that the other is loved an appreciated. (And I think that shopping bag that Kirt tried to sneak in behind his laptop case last night might mean that this year won't end our streak.) So glad I decided to ask for something I wanted all those years ago even though it seemed silly. It's made a difference and hopefully set a good example for those little ones that are watching us.

Happy Valentines Day!

A Day of Highs and Lows

Last Friday morning I got the kids off to school, got my 'chores' around the house done and was ready to take some time for myself. Inspired by our new favorite 'Thrift Store' tune on the radio, I headed MY thrift store. That one down on Ventura Blvd where all the cool kids take their clothes. It works out well because I'm just starting to figure out the trends as the hipsters are over them. I hadn't visited my favorite haunt for at least a year and I had some Christmas money to spend. I pulled up just moments before they opened and checked the meter. There was almost a full hour already paid for on that sucker. I took it as the good sign it was and headed in. Turned out to be possibly my most successful trip ever. (If you've seen me in the past 4 days I've probably told you all about it.) In 45 minutes I scored 3 pair of jeans, a shirt, a dress and a smoking pair of shoes for $90. I was on cloud nine, wondering why do I even shop at the mall when there are deals like this to be had for a fraction of the price? The shoes alone, which cost all of $7.50 got me at least $12 worth of compliments on Sunday at church.

After securing my purchases I hustled through the drizzly weather, jumped in the car and cranked the heater. That pesky little gas light came on, but less than 10 miles from home and we all know I've gotten at least 25 miles out of that baby with that little orange light on. Until Friday. Just 2 blocks from my favorite gas station I pull up to a stop light and the gas pedal loses power. Sputtering starts and I know I've outrun my luck.

Want to know a secret about me? I'm kind of good in an emergency. I don't want to jinx myself  and even though this wasn't a full-fledged-911-emergency, I wasn't ruffled in the least. I put that baby in park right in the middle of the street and flipped on the hazard lights. Cars are honking and pulling around me (probably a few flipping me the bird, I couldn't care less) and I was nowhere near even an elevated heart rate. I pull out my AAA card and start dialing just as some police officers pulled up next to me. I was surprised at my own candor as I rolled down my window, "Hey guys. I ran out of gas. I'm calling AAA. Thanks for stopping." They ended up pushing me off to the side of the road and suggested that I wait in a dry spot for my knight in shining armor (with a red gas container) to show up. I hung out under the roof of a nearby building all while texting possible babysitters for later that night. My hero showed up within 10 minutes, took my $10 for 2 gallons of gas and we were both on our way.

When Kirt called me at lunchtime (This all happened before noon.) you can bet that I told him all about my shopping excursion before I mentioned in passing that I also ran out of gas and had to be semi-rescued. I've been laughing about that morning ever since, and wondering where that calm came from. Was it because I was alone? Was it because I'm straight up unflappable? (ha!) Or was the high from that shopping trip just refusing any possible buzz kill? Whatever it was, it was a Friday to remember and I think I should keep that shopping tip in my back pocket the next time I'm having a bad day. Who's coming with me?

Cal-ito

We have a teenager on our hands in the Peterson household. I can't believe how quickly it went even though I feel like I knew from the beginning that time was not on my side. When I was pregnant with Cal I remember a friend asking if I was ready for a baby. I vividly remember my thought process: I was ready for a baby...but I was not ready to have a 10 year old in 10 years. When he turned 10 that conversation played repeatedly in my head. And now the dang kid went and turned 13 on me.

I also knew Cal was going to be an only child for a while. Even before Kirt decided to go to law school and we were presented with other biological delays, I knew that was the way our family was destined to be. I brought a tiny Cal to visit a friend with a new baby and she was already talking about when they wanted to have their next, how important the age difference should be, and the intricacies of sibling dynamics. I felt nothing of the sort. It's so interesting to look back now and recall that intuition. Not knowing what was going to happen, but knowing that it would happen how it was supposed to.

And now here we are, Cal is a great big brother to 2 much younger siblings. He is kind and patient when he needs to be, but can also awaken Owen's competitiveness and tease Tessa like any older brother should. Homeboy also knows how to work the manipulation with those two to get what he wants. I just pray that he uses those talents for good in the future!

This teenage business is interesting for a parent. It's intriguing, heart-breaking, inspiring and hilarious all at the same time. Of course, times are different than they were a few years ago. My parents knew all my friends because they had to call our house line and I had to have my conversations within cord-range of the phone on the wall. Now I have to snoop through his phone and needle him about every name and text I see. (Don't worry, he loves it.) I embarrass him to death when I pick him up from school and ask him incessant questions in front of his friends. (I take my duties as a mother very seriously and embarrassment is high on the list. Character building, you know?)

The independence is a struggle for me. He went to the mall for the first time with friends a few weeks ago and I was a nervous wreck. We spent the entire ride there going over rules and possible situations and mom-sayings like 'remember who you are and what you stand for'. The fact that one of the mom's was staying at the mall (but out of sight range) and that they were only staying for an hour and a half should have brought some solace, but I could just feel my baby growing up before my eyes. There's plenty of voice cracking going on and we're making our first orthodontist appointment soon. I'll tell you another thing, sharing your iTunes account with a 13 year old is an experience in itself!

Another sign of this kid growing up is the lack of pictures. I poured over my pics to find the only ones of him were usually forced and with someone else. The other problem I had was anything more than 3 months old looked like an old picture. I thought babies grew quickly, but he is really changing and growing into a handsome guy. But before we all decide that he's all grown up and mature, let's remember his first basketball game this spring. The one where he showed up with a poster for Owen to hold. It read, "Cal-Sanity." I love having a teenager, especially since I get to have this one. He's pretty awesome.

O-Dawg

You know those first few days of school? The ones where there are hundreds of papers coming home to be filled out and returned immediately?  I spent several hours the first few evenings when school started trying to get everything completed and returned to the right place in a timely fashion. More than once I put Cal's name when I was filling out Owen's paperwork and signed my name where Kirt's was supposed to go, but with a little white out we got everything squared away and sent back. Except this...

(Can you read that? It says: Your child is very special. Please use this form to share any important information, special goals or medical concerns about your child.)

I suddenly came down with a case of writer's block. Owen doesn't have any medical concerns or special education needs but I felt terrible Mom guilt just leaving it blank. I spent a few days trying to figure out what I should write. Everything I came up with seemed cliche or lame. The one thing I kept wanting to tell his new teacher was that it might take a bit for him to figure out what was expected but he would do his best to make her proud. That's one of Owen's sweetest traits. Especially in school, he has always wanted to exceed his teacher's expectations and do whatever is asked of him. But it seemed so generic to actually write that when she was just getting to know all of these kids. It doesn't really stand out as the kind of information she was asking for even though she would find out soon enough that it was exactly the kind of information she was looking for.

I was waiting outside the gate at the end of the 6th day of school as Owen's class filed out to wait for their parents. The string of kids coming out of the door ended but Owen was not among them. A few seconds later I saw his teacher come out with her arm around a student and I knew something was wrong. I couldn't see that it was Owen but I knew it was him. I cut my way to the front of the crowd so I could be the first parent in the gate once the bell rang. As I finally caught a glimpse of him he had tears streaming down his cheeks and his shoulders were heaving. When his teacher saw me she looked almost as broken-hearted as Owen. She explained that the class had been unfocused all day and in the end-of-the-day-craziness they hit a new level. She turned nearly everyone's cards to yellow (her discipline system - a yellow card is a warning) and Owen was among that group.

As she was explaining what happened she tried to reiterate to Owen that it wasn't a big deal and that tomorrow he would be 'green' again and start fresh. It was of little comfort to that poor little boy who just wanted to make his teacher proud. That afternoon I realized that I didn't need to fill that paper out and send it back. She was very aware of Owen's 'important information' and he was very aware of her expectations.

























This little monkey has got an imagination and personality like nobody I've ever met. Last night I asked him to go get dessert orders for our family after Sunday dinner. He requested a tray and a towel to complete the task. With a tray balanced on his right hand and a dish towel draped over his left arm he was nothing less than a professional waiter getting the job done.

Earlier in the day he said the word 'hideous', we laughed and Grandma Peterson asked him what 'hideous' meant. Without missing a beat he responded, "My mom's shirt is HIDEOUS!" The whole family erupted in laughter agreeing with him. Nobody was a fan of the vintage BYU shirt I was sporting.

Just this morning as we were headed out the door for school he started with a little cough and looked a little out of it. We agreed to go to school since I was helping in his class for the first little bit then when I left he could come home with me. I completed my morning responsibilities and Owen and I took off for home. As we got home I plopped down on the couch to check my email. Owen shot me a disapproving look and said, "So, this is what you do all day?"

He's got a quick wit, an unparallelled imagination, a fiery temper and a sweet, forgiving heart. Now if he'd just show his momma the same respect his teacher gets we'd be in business.  I guess you can't win them all.

Baby Girl

 My little sidekick has been in Kindergarten for nearly 2 months. Some days she goes in just fine, but even this morning she took a few minutes letting go of my hand to head into class. She's such a fun one to have around and I miss her even more than she misses me. She's the one that likes to chat at the grocery store like another adult. "So, what do we need today? Should we get extra milk? Daddy really likes these cookies." She likes to be in on the details of my day and literally walks around in my shoes all afternoon. (I've given her a few pair so she'll quit making a disaster of my closet!)

It breaks my heart to see that pinch of anxiousness in her eyes as I have to say good-bye for a few hours every day. I check in with her teacher often to make sure things are going well. A few weeks ago she told me, "Tessa is so helpful. Whenever I need a mess cleaned up or a bookshelf re-organized Tessa is my go-to student." I couldn't help but smile thinking that we'd been doing the same thing that day, just in different places. As I tucked her in bed that night and talked to her about school she reminded me, "Tomorrow I think I'm going to organize the treat box, it's a little messy."

The other day I caught her teacher for a minute (again) to make sure (again) that she does okay the rest of the day and doesn't seem sad or anxious. Her words brought a little tear to my eye, "Tessa is like the little mom of our class. She comforts kids who are sad, encourages students that are a little slow and is always so willing to help."

Kirt laughed when I called and told him about my conversation with Mrs. C. "Sounds like she's your mini-me." I'll tell you what, I could learn a thing or two from that little Tessa Jane. She's learning at a far younger age than I how to spot a need and find a way to help. You should also know that she can shoot a dirty look like nobody's business if the need arises! (My nick name wasn't Kady-Becca-Snotbox for nothin'!) It is so fun to see some similarities (and slightly frustrating as well) and to have such a perfect little partner in crime always at my side.

 She's definitely has me beat in the style department. I didn't stand a chance.

This nearly 30 year-old picture still blows my mind. When my brother sent it to me, my initial thought was, "Where did Tessa get that shirt?"

So Cal Ragnar 2012 - Ragnizzle Fo' Shizzle

Del Sol Ragnar, 4 weeks later 1/2 Marathon, and 4 weeks after that was So Cal Ragnar. Possibly THE most blogged about Ragnar ever! All much funnier and more timely than my own, Laura, Leigh, Kelly, Gay and Libby Lou have already told their stories about that weekend. The only regret from the whole race would be not putting us all in the same van together. We even threw a few strangers into the mix at the last minute due to some injuries and things could not have turned out better. I was likely the most annoying person on the team, which works out well for me because nobody got on my nerves and nobody dared yell at me for driving them crazy.

Although a race from Huntington Beach to San Diego would lead you to believe that the course is coastal, to get the 200 miles that this race requires it winds inland quite a bit and the further we got from the ocean the higher the temperature rose. Kirt was the first runner in our van with somewhere around 9 miles for his first leg and temps over 100 degrees. I should have clued in when it took him a while longer than expected to come in, but I was still sure I'd be fine with under 4 miles to run. I was wrong. Topping out at 104 degrees and a route that was completely uphill, I let myself walk a little when I started getting chills at 1.6 miles. I tried not to take too many walking breaks hoping that when my team passed they wouldn't see me falling apart. It was fairly miserable and I could not have been more elated when I spotted the exchange. As I approached another runner (walking) in front of me I urged her to jog to our finish line. I pointed out the finish and begged her to run with me. Feeling like I'm helping someone else always helps me keep going.

I was shocked when I got to the exchange and realized I had beat my team there! They made it within a minute or two and laughed at me as I made a fool of myself in my delirious state. Libby has some video of the moment that I would like to see, but would likely destroy upon viewing.

(Before the hallucinations began we were all smiles. Getting lots of use from the playground bull-horn we brought along and pumping the jams at every exchange. Check out homeboy's sunburn behind me. Ouch.)

Once our van finished our legs we were off to find something to eat. Just thinking of this dinner cracks me up. Gay just HAD to have a steak (what else is new?) and Applebee's was our next stop. Tony got some garlic chicken something-or-other but couldn't finish it. When he asked for a box I stopped the train right there. In no uncertain terms Tony was told that there was not going to be any type of smelly leftovers hanging out in the van with us. We were smelling things up just fine on our own. Tony and I had made acquaintance 12 hours earlier and he had let me boss him around all day. His leftover situation was no exception and we left with zero doggy bags. (As the manager took this picture he reminded us to say "CHILI'S"!)

We set out for our middle of the night runs about 1:00 am and life was good. The cooler temps and heightened senses always provide an awesome experience. I ended my run at an elementary school in the middle of a neighborhood about 2:30 am and once again beat my team to the exchange. There were tons of people but it was eerily quiet. Instinctively, I start yelling for my team and about 35 people "shh'd" me. I had missed the police officer responding to a disturbance call by about 30 seconds, I still owe those neighbors an apology.

Once those legs were done we found our way to a field for some camping (in a world where camping only lasts 4 hours.) We woke to thick fog and eery quiet. By now, lots of runners are walking with a little limp, there's a line outside the first-aid tent and a look of dread in most faces. There's only one leg left to run but it takes a little effort to get geared up for it.

 I can always spot Libby's head sticking out of a sleeping bag. I felt terrible waking everyone up that morning. Nobody wanted to get up at all, let alone to run some more!

 The sun came out just enough to brighten our spirits and we were off for our 3rd and final legs of the race. Kirt took off on his leg and it took us a bit to get on the road and we made a few wrong turns once we did. I started to get nervous that we weren't going to make it to the exchange on time and once again denied Tony's modest request - a flush toilet. I told him we didn't have time and the porta-potties at the next exchange wouldn't be that 'used' and he would be fine. (Poor kid, I wonder why I haven't heard much from him since the race?) We made it just in time for Kirt to hand off to me and I had a 7.5 mile run through La Jolla that would end at Mission Bay. I kept pace with another runner for almost the entire route. Every once in a while I would catch up with him at a light or something but if he could see me he'd run too fast for me. I figured out if I just stayed far enough back he would lay off the speed a little and let me pace with him. Too proud to let a girl beat him, but he helped me get through the distance. I almost thought my leg was ending early when I saw Mission Bay, but I was tortured with another mile and a half around the bay. Finishing that leg was euphoric. It was finally time to relax and cheer on my team. That's when the party elevated a few levels. We had the tunes cranked loud, everyone picked a theme song and we brought a fiesta with us wherever we went. Other teams showed visible disappointment when our runner would come in and it was time for us to go.

Finally, the finish line where we got to meet up with the rest of our team and run in together. Once again, Ragnar proved to be a favorite experience that I'll talk about as long as people will listen.

Ragnar was summed up by this realization, "So, the only part of Ragnar that is NOT fun is when YOU'RE running!" Exactly.

My first Half Marathon

This spring was a crazy one for me. 4 weeks after Del Sol Ragnar I was all ready to run my first half marathon. I wasn't sure what to expect from a half marathon to begin with and on top of that I had decided to do one that was mostly mountain trails instead of pavement. I had always thought that if I did a half marathon I would want to finish under 2 hours, knowing that goal was attainable if I trained hard and treated my body right, but also knew it would challenge me. That 2 hour goal is probably what made me the most nervous about the race. I didn't want to be disappointed in myself after training and running 13.1 miles.
I did a lot of hill training to get ready for the trail. I found a nasty hill a few miles from home and would go there 1-2 times a week and sprint up and down that thing as many times as I could. 2 weeks before the race, Kirt took me to some of his favorite trails and we did 10 really tough miles together in pretty good time and I was feeling pretty confident. The week before the race we headed out to the trails again for my final long run and it started to rain on the drive there. By the time we reached the beginning of our trail the wind had picked up and the rain was coming down in sheets, sideways. We had to turn around and come home without getting my last big run in. My confidence took a nose dive, but the race was happening ready or not.
Game day arrived. Still not knowing what to expect, I was up early ready to go. Once we got to the start line it was a party. We're in the middle of a neighborhood at 7:00 am with a DJ set up in a driveway bumping the jams and before I knew it, we were off! I took the first 3 miles pretty slow to get warmed up and just as I was feeling good the trail started. What I didn't realize was that the trail was narrow and allowed for a single-file line of runners so the order was set. Every once in a while something would open up and you could sprint ahead of a few runners, but for the most part the pace was set by the runner in front of you. It was nice and comfortable and I wasn't keeping track of time since there was not much I could do about it. I knew the last and biggest hill would be nearing the end of the trail and things would open up after that.
Getting to the top of that hill was tough. Just as I thought I was nearing the top, the trail would switch and take you up a different side. We rounded corner after corner to find hill after hill. But when we finally reached the top, the reward was sweet. Huge downhills for the next several miles. As the trail opened up I looked at my time and I was 8 minutes behind pace for the time I wanted. The sub 2 hour goal was history. So I re-focused, set a new goal to come in under 2 hours and 5 minutes and took off. I took advantage of the downhill and let my body relax and go with it. Before I knew it I was nearing the finish and feeling pretty good. As I rounded the corner for the finish I was definitely feeling the mileage but it was almost over! I gave it everything I had and as I cleared the last corner I heard Kirt start yelling for me. I sprinted to the finish in 2:01 finishing my last 5 miles in under 40 minutes - by far my fastest time ever. I couldn't have pretended to be disappointed if I wanted to, mission accomplished.

Gay talked us into doing this crazy race and the week before homegirl came down with West Nile Virus or something and was not feeling it. She showed up ready to go, but told us to go up ahead and not worry about sticking with her. At mile 5 I dropped my chap stick and glanced back to see where it landed and I hear Gay yelling "I got your number KP!" Made me laugh for a few miles back then, made me laugh as I typed it just now. She's going to tell you she's not competitive but I know she's looking to redeem herself!

A Week of Running

A few weeks ago, I jotted down some notes about things I'd like to get caught up on, or remember on the blog. Several of them include races that Kirt and I have participated in the last year or so. So, just like ripping a band-aid off I'm going to try and knock them out this week. To get warmed up (lame workout joke) I'm posting an essay that I wrote (& Gay edited) earlier this year and submitted to for possible inclusion in a running magazine:

I remember the specific dinner very clearly. Probably because I have never been so focused on a carrot cake before. My choices were that or the lame conversation taking place, so for me it was an easy pick.

"So have you guys ever heard of Ragnar? It's this 2 day race with everyone taking turns running while the rest follow in a van. When it's not your turn, you just sleep on the ground or wherever until it's your turn to run again. Doesn't that sound fun?!!"

Which is when I delved even deeper into my cake. Until I was specifically called out.

“Kady, don’t you think it sounds like fun?”

My response was something like, ”You have got to be kidding me. People just run for hours and hours, do their business in porta-potties, pack into a van of sweaty nastiness and miss out on sleep…to run? No thanks.” Turns out I was the only one at the table unwilling to even think about it.

Several years (and lbs) later I read somewhere that running was the most efficient way to burn calories and I bit the bullet. I would begrudgingly run my 2-3 miles a few times a week just to get some cardio in. But there was this one run...where everything changed. A few months into my routine I met up with a friend and completed my first 5 mile run. I broke those mental barriers that had been telling me that I hated running and that I could never last more than those 2-3 miles. I did it. I RAN 5 MILES. And for the first time, I felt it...I finally realized that “runner’s high” that I had heard so much about, that runner's high that catapulted me to the next level of wanting to lengthen my strides, quicken my pace, and push my limits.

Fast-forward to another dinner where Ragnar found it's way into the conversation. And instead of looking for carrot cake to bury my face in, my ears perked up like an excited puppy...I was intrigued, I was ready. While I once found the idea of Ragnar repulsive, I sensed the beauty as Ragnar would bring a team dynamic to an otherwise individual sport. And as life often allows, irony wiggled it's way right into our race- I, who had stuck my nose up at the thought a couple years earlier, would be pioneering this effort, while most of the excited ones were stuck at home with newborns.

And thus was born SoCal Ragnar 2011, where that high I discovered only mere months earlier after that memorable 5 mile run, was present for 2 days. To be cheered on by teammates and strangers alike, while being able to do the same for others was incredible. The energy that surrounds Ragnar is unmatched.

Which is why within a few weeks of finishing our first Ragnar, I had no choice but to captain a team for Napa 2011 and Del Sol 2012! I’m finally getting ready to run SoCal again. This time I’ll be joined by some of my favorite girls from that dinner so many years ago and holding my breath until 2013 when the whole crew will finally be able to do it together. And I'm sure all the while I'll be singing Ragnar's praises to whoever will listen....... "So have you guys ever heard of Ragnar? It's this 2 day race with everyone taking turns running while the rest follow in a van. When it's not your turn, you just sleep on the ground or wherever until it's your turn to run again. Doesn't that sound fun?!!"

A Few Random Thoughts

First and Foremost:

 These darling kids celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary yesterday. I know! Believe me, nobody is more shocked than we are. The longer we're married the more conversations start with, "Can you believe our parents let us get married!?" (I mean, I was barely eligible to go to jail.) I couldn't have written the story better myself, these life adventures have always been more exciting with this guy by my side. And how about that picture? I think it's what people refer to as "vintage". You know, when you get married before anyone has even heard of 'digital photography'. I think the fact that I took a picture of the picture with my iphone and emailed it to myself may have added to the vintage effect. (Take that technology!)

And because the title led you to believe there would be some random thoughts...

Tessa came home from school the other day very tired and very hungry and in her weakened, emotional state the following conversation took place:

Tess "Why do you put so much stuff in my lunchbox?"

Me "I put in all the things you like so that you'll eat at least a little something at lunchtime."

Tess "No! You just want my backpack to be heavy... and dangerous!"

Owen on the other end of the spectrum:

"Mom, tomorrow can you send me TWO sandwiches? I am just LOVING those triangles!"

Who knew cutting the sandwich a different way would create such passion?

Yesterday afternoon I found myself in a particularly bad mood. Lately I've been all sorts of introspective about my emotional well being. I wondered if I was in a bad mood because it was our anniversary and Kirt was stuck late at work or if I was upset about Cal being kind of lazy about his homework or any other multitude of first-world-problems. I couldn't put my finger on it for a few hours and suddenly it was clear. I changed out of my skinny jeans and into my yoga pants and suddenly life had a brand new cheery outlook. Note to self.

And finally, today marks the end of the 4th week that all my kids are in school and the FIRST day that I am completely unaccountable to anyone for anything (until 2:25). I don't have a single appointment, meeting or responsibility. If you'll excuse me I'm sure I can find something meaningful to occupy myself. You might be able to find me at the mall, or asleep. I haven't decided yet.

Update: I got to the school, picked up the kids and then saw a huge crowd of kids over by the lunch tables. "Hmm, wonder what's going on over there? - Oh crap! I was supposed to be here 30 minutes ago to help with Ice Cream Friday!" That's what I get for bragging about 'no responsibilities'.