mmft

december 5th i lost my best friend. to see what happened look here.

we grew up a mile apart and went through grade school, high school, college, study abroad, and numerous vacations together. here is molly as i remember her. not because you'll know what i'm talking about, but because i don't want to forget. there's a great story behind most of these...

chip basket
nutella
tequila sunrise
buffy the vampire slayer
7th heaven
mia & george the cats
dopey
mickey
kiwi michael at chez waynes
stampede
yellow rose
cmt
two moons
new moon
nascar
elliot sadler
il faut que nous partons
kenny chesney
roller blading on the promenade des anglais
the mediterranean
the beach



friendship








she did what she wanted to do. never waiting for tomorrow.

i hope you found a beautiful beach with a never-ending sunset. love you molly and i'll miss you always.

carbs ahoy!

I have managed to recoup from the damage done in Illinois this past weekend (wedding reception with cake and open wine bar; thanksgiving dinner with noodles, mashed potatoes and pumpkin bread; fast food only options along the drive).

To counteract the food, I attempted running in the country. It sounds like a nice retreat, but this is hard-core country. The kind with coyotes, skunks, and hunters who have been known to shoot "stray" bullets. Makes for a stressful jog.

I took my protector Padre down the only road there is, but before long we came across two large stray-looking dogs staring us down. We quickly headed back and I turned down the "lane" next to Luke's parent's house, which runs between the now-empty corn fields. The image of the big black cat-looking animal I saw earlier that morning and the thought of the groom from the night before who had his combine windshield shot out while he was in the field started messing with my head and we turned back towards the house yet again.

I ended up settling for lunges, squats and jumping jacks in the garage.

When all was said and done I woke up this morning to two less pounds! It's a miracle!

Now the challenge for the next 24 hours is Mexican food and Margaritas, cheese and wine, crepes and nutella tonight with Erin. Yes ALL tonight. We're foodies, what can I say? She's only with me one night so we have to fit it all in!! Then wake up and do it all again with Thanksgiving at Aunt Brenda's. I'll be doing my best to run it all off this weekend! Thankfully this time without the scary wild animals and reckless hunters.

safe harbor

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

My brain and my heart constantly argue over what is best for me. I know they both have my best interests at heart (or in mind) but they can never seem to get along. I would love to think that I live up to this quote by Old Sam Clemens, but in reality I do enjoy being stable and somewhat predictable. I know.. Borrring!

So what will I do? I will keep firm grasp of my dreams and not give up. I will prepare myself for the perfect opportunity so that when it comes around I will be ready. Ready to sail away from my safe harbor.

get mad at it

From July 2007-July 2008 I lost about 30 pounds. Yay me! Since then however I have stalled out.

I'm great at maintaining weight. I've got that part down. I work out regularly, eat pretty decently, but indulge in a treat almost whenever I feel like it. Maintaining is fun and fairly easy. As long as I work out I can pretty much eat what I want - within reason - and stay around 170.

But the time has come to get mad at those last 20 pounds. If I can shoot for 1.5-2 pounds a week, I should be able to manage 10 pounds by the end of the year.

Here is my game plan:

Over the past couple weeks I have tried to eliminate or greatly reduce cheese (gasp!) from my diet. It's one of my favorite things and I sure eat a lot of it, so it's kinda a big deal. During the first week of swearing it off I even had a cheese dream. That's right, a whole dream dedicated to eating cheese. I've had one relapse while watching Top Chef and drinking a lovely glass (or two) of Pinot. But other than that, I've got this cheese thing nipped in the bud.

I'm kicking my workout up a notch. Running a little longer than usual. Running a little more often than usual. I need to lift more and hopefully start a class or two to mix things up.

I think this week I will drink more water and swear off.. chocolate! Let the choco-dreams commence!

Ethan fun facts at 3 1/2 years

Mostly because I don't want to forget... Here are some Ethan fun facts!

E's a really great eater. Here are some of his favorite foods:

• egg & cheese sandwich
• black olives (pronounced AH-libs)
• cookies (pronounced TOOK-ees)
• green beans
• whole raw carrot
• mac & cheese
• salmon (he says he doesn't like it, but almost always clears his plate!)

Favorite sayings (he's full of stories and talks up a storm):

• donkey-kick!
• yeehaw!
• woohoo!
• ya got that guys?
• hey mom, look what I can do!
• puppy, how many times do i have to tell you? quit it!

Favorite songs (I refuse to play kiddie music in the car):

• Big Green Tractor - Jason Aldean
• You Belong to Me - Taylor Swift
• Single Ladies (put a ring on it) - Beyonce

Favorite movies:

• Shrek 1&2
• Wizard of Oz (saw it for the first time last night, froze, and didn't move/talk for an hour)

New tricks:

• somersaults
• opening the garage door
• saying the Pledge of Allegiance
  

crazy horse

It's official. Ethan will not be the first kid to graduate high school in pull-ups. He has now pooped in the potty two days in a row!!

It's still not easy, mind you. After much frustration of cleaning poopy underwear for a few months, I started reading online tips and tricks on how to get a stubborn kid to poop in the potty. I realized I was about six months late - we had already messed up. Apparently you are supposed to get your boy to master the poo before allowing them to stand up and pee. "Only girls sit down on the potty!!" was the response every time I tried to get him to sit down. If he never sits down, how in the world will he ever poop??

So here's the trick that did it: Story time on the potty! We wait for the tell-tale "duster" (as Grandpa Stoffle would've called it) and then off we go to the potty for an engaging story about a loud mouse and a parade and half of a froggy book. And then... plop!! Very exciting in our world! Ethan will even tell you how long it takes to go potty: "a book and a half!"

He's got a chart and three more stickers get him whatever toy he wants. What is that special toy, you ask? Well he wants a "crazy horse", but he'll admit that he's never seen one in a store or even in real life. So a few more poos and we'll be on a mission to find something resembling a crazy horse. Yee-haw little cowboy, yee-haw.

that was good, i'll have another!

The much anticipated Redneck Luau III has already come and gone. Here are a few of the highlights...




This guy was pretty friendly.

Mom with her new tattoos and Martin in his old overalls with some strategically placed duct tape!

My brother Terry playing all the lastest hillbilly hits...

This is the toughest I've ever seen Cousin Jack look. I think it's a good look for him. Ethan kept saying "Jack is Dangerous"! Ethan adores Jack; he wouldn't let him out of his sight the entire night. I think it's cute how they unintentionally dressed alike.

Me and my little redneck:

the smart kids

We recently had our annual "Meet at McDonalds Playland Reunion" with the Gwilliams (Becky, Chad, Cole, Emily, Addy), the Mabreys (Mitch, Julie, Trig, and Gwen) and the Kilgos (Katie, Kale, Lizzie, and Callie). Here's a shot of all our kiddos. I'm pretty sure they'll rule the world someday. But for now, it's an accomplishment to get them to sit still for a picture.
Callie, Cole, Addy, Emily, Gwen, Ethan, Lizzie, and Trig! We created quite a brood!

Becky also informed me that she actually reads this thing, so I'll work harder on posting. Becky and gang live in Utah, so it was great to be able to see them all!

how to keep a 3-year-old entertained at a baseball game

Step 1: find the nearest carousel and ride it a few times.

Step 2: slides will keep you busy for a while. Bonus for rain on the slide making it a water slide.





Step 3: take pictures by giant letters (E is the only letter he recognizes).




Step 4: ICE CREAM!

Step 5: play with tiny hat "borrowed" from ice cream place.



Step 6: maybe watch those guys down there throw a ball?? nahh...



...play with tiny hat again...



baseball was fun daddy - can we do it again? (p.s. happy fathers day!)

my first 5k!

On my 31st birthday I decided to register for my first 5k! The Hospital Hill Run: "the Grandfather of all Kansas City Road Races." I tried not to think too much about it. I had been running more outside with Padre lately, but we would only go for a couple of miles. I was counting on adrenaline pulling me through to the end of the 3.1 miles.

So early one Saturday morning I got up earlier than usual and put on my trusty running shoes. I met my friend Jr. and his wife Kim and off we went to the races! Here is a shot of us before the race:
See how happy and unware we look? (it was his first race too)

Here's a couple of cool shots of the group starting the race:


And 35 minutes and 49 seconds later here I am crossing the finish line!

I came in 619th place out of 1156 finishers. (305th out of 722 females) Not too shabby for my first run!

And here's our lovely after picture. I was totally energized and felt like I could run another couple of miles. Jr. on the other hand didn't agree (i love this look on his face)...

My next race will be the O'fallen Fall Fest 5k with Molly in October. Maybe someday I'll work my way up to a half marathon...

early preschool

Ethan started early preschool last Tuesday. For three mornings he cried as soon as we walked into the room, started grabbing his stuff and trying to go to his old room. By Friday, he puffed up and got all red around the eyes, but managed not to shed tears. Just walked away holding his blanket and teddy. However when I pick him up each day he is in a great mood. They have a different playground for "big kids" with big tricycles, so he's a happy kid out there.

This week is going much better. I still don't think he's thrilled about it, but I believe one might call this the acceptance phase. My little guy is getting so big...

chivalry is not dead

Jenne writes:

Did Miss Ellen tell you about Ethan kicking Danielle for Maddie yesterday?

I turn to Ethan after reading this. "Ethan, did you kick Danielle yesterday?"

"Yes," he replies.

"Why?"

"She kicked Maddie. Maddie was crying. I had to save her."

Of course I had to give the spiel about using your words instead of kicking or hitting, but inside I was proud of my little hero.

tales from the potty

[Ethan is sitting on the potty.]

Daddy: Stay up there stay up there stay up there!! NOOOOoo!!

Ethan: POOOPPEEEEE!!!

Daddy: Awww yuck!

Ethan: Does Diego poop?

Daddy: Yeah he poops.

Ethan: Diego POOPS?!?

----

A toilet by any other name...

The other day while we were shopping at Lowe's, Ethan decides he has to go potty. We're in the back, so we start hurrying towards the front. On the way, we pass the display toilet. Before I realize what's happening, Ethan has dropped all that he was carrying beside the display toilet and started pulling down his pants! We both shout "No Not That Potty!!" He's proudly announces, "A Big Potty for Big Boys!"

how can it be? ethan will be 3!

here's E's birthday invite! mom's cheap so she uses photoshop, but i think the end result is just as good as storebought invites, if not better...

Incredible Kid Day

According to day care, tomorrow is Incredible Kid Day. We had the assignment of writing a letter to Ethan telling him why he is so special. Here's what we came up with:

Dear Ethan,

You are a very special little boy for lots and lots of reasons.

You make mommy and daddy happy every single day.

You are very polite and say nice things like “thanks for cooking mommy and daddy” and “how was your work today?”

You take good care of Puppy by playing with him and feeding him.

You give the best hugs and kisses and we are so proud of you and love you very much!

Mommy & Daddy

What a difference a year can make.

I know all too well what a difference a year can make... or a day, hour, or second for that matter. Here is a comparison of pictures of me and my little man from Summer 2007 to Summer 2008. It is a difference of about 30 pounds with me - 10 or so with him. I'm pretty much the same this year, but hopefully next summer I'll be able to say I'm another 20 pounds or so less.

nine and counting

nine years ago today we met at charlie's in south padre island. it was mardi gras. young mc was performing 'bust a move'. we danced to 'mambo #5'. the odds were against us to ever reconnect back in real life. 'the odds' didn't know we were meant to be together.

we have been through the biggest highs and tremendous lows and have lived to tell about it. through the worst of it, i always knew that we were still meant to be together. it all happened for a reason. to make us stronger. to make us try harder. to make us appreciate what we have. now i wouldn't change a thing.

no one's perfect, but we're perfect for each other. here's to the next nine, baby!

Grandma, Granddad, and Boat Show

Grandma and Granddad came to visit this weekend. Ethan gets so excited when they come for a visit. Of course they came bearing gifts - a remote control racecar and a piggy bank with a weekend full of "oh, is there some change in my pocket? you better check." to fill up the piggy bank. We will have to make a trip to the bank next weekend to put it in his savings!

We decided at the last minute to go to the boat show. Ethan has the same sparkle in his eye as mommy does when he sees a boat. I can't wait for E to be a little bigger and mommy and daddy to have a little more money so we can buy a boat and spend every weekend in the summer out on the water. That's my plan anyway.

Since G & G were here, Valentine's plans got changed from me making a fancy 'surf & turf' dinner to Luke whipping up a batch of his famous chili. However we were able to escape for a little bit and go see my brother play with the Shanks (a great cover band) at Ameristar. Four raspberry martinis and 7&7s later, we called it a night.

BTW, check out my brother's CD from the 80s. He is signed after all these years!

Ethan fun facts at 2 1/2 years

E makes us laugh on a daily basis. Here are a few of the highlights...

- While washing his face this morning: "I'm a crusty boy!"

- At the grocery store, sitting in his racecar cart next to the wine aisle: "U got U wine momma? Don't forget U wine!"

- After tooting in his carseat while buckling in: "I toot all the time at school." Except he can't say the "C" sound, so it came out "stool."

- I get almost daily reports on who pushed/bit/hit whom at school. Usually it's Chloe, Rhys, or Andrew. He uses first and last names for most of his friends.

- Maddie is his girlfriend. They go on dates to the park, Fun Run, and Taco Bell. They also had a Dora movie night around Halloween.

- Ethan can sign his colors, count to 14, and sing the whole alphabet song. His other favorite songs are BINGO, Jingle Bells (still), and Where is Thumbkin.

- E loves to wear camouflage, baseball caps, and sweatpants. He's really big into picking out his own outfits right now. Favorite toys are tools and trucks.

I love my little guy. It just gets better and better. I wish I had started this way sooner, but better late the never?

From the Lost Files

I recovered this from the depths of my computer. I started typing this in a Word doc a couple years ago. It's the beginning of Ethan's Story...

May 5th, 2006

I went into the hospital at 7:30am to be induced. They hooked me right up to the pitocin and the contractions started within a couple of hours. I got an epidural a few hours later as the contractions started to get stronger. Once the epidural was in, it was all smiles and waiting.

After eleven hours in labor, the nurse told me it was time to push! Pushing went better than I expected – I was actually enjoying it! The doctor wasn’t there yet, but the nurse said I’d be pushing for a while anyway. Then she started to see your head – she said you were bald! I couldn’t believe that my baby would be bald. The nurse asked your daddy and grandma Connie if they wanted to see your head. Grandma jumped at the chance and the next push she got a weird look on her face. The nurse quickly told me to quit pushing. I wasn’t sure what was happening – I thought maybe you were coming out too soon and I had to quit and wait for the doctor. It turned out that you were breech!

Without much time to think, I was quickly whisked into the operating room where you were going to be delivered by C-Section. The stronger dose of epidural had made me start to shake and I couldn’t stop. I was also a little scared to be in the operating room. Daddy was there by my side holding my hand the whole time. The process took only minutes and out you came and I could hear your cry. That was the best sound in the whole world. I was frustrated that I couldn’t see you right away, but Dad was able to peak around the curtain and see you come out. After the nurses dried you off, Dad brought you around and I saw your perfect little face for the first time. You were nestled in your blanket like a little burrito and you were the most perfect thing I have ever seen.

You had to go get your first bath, weighed, and measured, and I had to recuperate from the epidural. I couldn’t stop shaking from the medicine and the adrenaline. Finally about 40 minutes later, the nurses brought you in to me and like magic I stopped trembling. Wow! I notice you have my eyes right away! Aren’t you just a miracle!

Among the many things I love about you: your cute little feet, your perfect little lips, your long dark hair, your big dark blue eyes. I think you have my eyes and your daddy’s mouth, chin, and cheeks. I think I have even spotted a dimple!

Week of June 5th

We’re starting to see smiles out of you! Could be because you are now sleeping 4-5 hours at a time. That makes mommy and daddy really happy!

July 5th

Two months old today! You weigh 12 lbs and are 24 inches long. You sleep 8-9 hours through the night. Aren’t we lucky?

August 5th

Three months old! Today was your first photo shoot. You hammed it up to the camera, smiling like you were a professional baby model. Your pictures are gorgeous. Everyone says you should be a model and I agree!

Week of August 7th

Your very first belly laugh! You like to be tickled on your tummy and laugh when your head pops out the top of your shirt as you’re getting your clothes changed.

August 19th

16 lbs. You rolled over from tummy to back for the first time! You get frustrated while laying on your tummy, but laughed once you figured out how to roll onto your back.