A week

It's amazing how fast the weeks go by. My oh my what a week it's been. Lacey started her 1st day of her last year of pre-school. (tear) She only goes 3 days a week MWF, and it's only for 3 hours, but those 9 hours she is gone seem like a lifetime. She is getting better already at writing her name her letters actually look like "Lacey" and not La....whatever else she adds to it. She is also picking out some letters. I've worked on the alphabet with her but she really had no interest in what the letters looke like. All she cares about is soccer, riding her bike, and playing outside. On September 3rd she is going to her very first KU football game!! ROCK CHALK!!

Miles misses his sissy while she is gone. This week he learned the words "Lacey" sounds more like Acey, shoe which sounds like shoooo, and chicken and it sounds like Chickhen. For the very first time he went by himself without mommy, daddy, or Lacey to my parents house after school. It only lasted 2 hours before he wanted mommy, but it was nice. Since Miles is officially weaned our schedule has really changed. Our days before normally started at 8:30 or 9. Now they start at 6:30 or 7. Which is fine because Lacey has to be school at 7:40. It's better all around!! Get up earlier, nap earlier, go to bed earlier!!

I've been working out like crazy this week, not losing any weight but gaining strength and indurance. My runs are longer and faster, the workouts that started off hard are getting easier (I started P90X Plyometerics, and Jillian Michaels No More Trouble Zones). My best friend told me to stay off the scale. As a personal trainer she says it's not about the number it's about how you feel. She took my measurements and was amazed!! Her and I can actually share clothes!!

I've only been allowing myself maybe an hour a day on the computer, it's amazing how as first I thought it would be difficult to stay away, but by day 3 I was finding it hard to find time for the computer. Since I've been off the computer I picked up the book "The Help." After hearing people talk about it I figured I would buy it and read it. So far it's a really good book!!

Well my time on the computer is over, the laundry needs done, and the house needs straightened back up!! I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Taking a nice break

On Sunday I decided that while the kids were up I would stay away from the computer, keep off of all the fun stuff on the Smart phone and spend time being a mommy and a wife. I would only allow myself on the computer during nap time or bed time, and after my workout. My what a change it has made!! I am getting all my chores done 1st thing in the morning, getting a workout in, getting some time in with my best friend Neva, doing fun activities with the kids, spending more quality time with my hubby...I don't even find time to get on it when the kids go to bed. Now even when I get on the computer I wonder how it ever consumed so much time, and really don't have much to do on it.

So if I don't update as often, or take a month break everything is fine, I'm just enjoying the last year before Lacey's in Kindergarten, and enjoying the time I have as a stay at home mommy!!

Weaned

Miles is officially weaned. Our schedule has completely changed but we made it through it!! He is talking so much more.

Last week was crazy, my precious sweet little girl drew a 6 foot red alligator on her pink walls. Stuck gum in her hair not once but twice, and gave Miles a black eye with a hair brush.

However last night the same sweet precious girl after 3 years of calling herself "Wacey" officially says "Lacey". We've been working on the L's FOREVER. She is probably the proudest I have ever seen her. Brandon and I are so proud.

Monday starts Lacey's 1st day of her last year of preschool.

5 more weeks and we will be on our way to Maryland for a week!! YAHOO!!

People and the things they say

After much debate "we" I have decided to wean Miles. Brandon and I have always agreed that I would nurse for as long as I wanted. My initial nursing goal was 3 months, when we made it to 3 months, I decided 6 months, at 6 months it was 3 more months, at 9 months I figured hey why not just go to a year. At 12 months Brandon and I agreed that I it would be a day to day kinda deal....We often joked that Miles would be a senior in high school still nursing.








Day 1 was tough, I sat with him crying with him. Wishing I could make him understand that I'm not being a mean mommy. I asked some advice from the experts, my 2 good girl friends Julie who breastfed her son Jack for a over a year and Neva who breastfed her son Aven for over a year. They both assured me that it would get easier, and that they were there if I need to cry, or some more advice. Thanks Julie and Neva. You are both my lifesavers!! Miles screamed, thew the biggest tantrums I have ever seen (by him.) Lacey has been known to throw some pretty big tantrums. I tried to keep us busy. By the time Brandon got home Miles was ready for bed. Brandon rocked Miles to sleep and he slept all night until 8 this morning.


Day 1=Success





Day 2 we aren't done with day 2 however it's gone fairly well. I think I'm in more pain then Miles is....It's been a good day. He took a 30 minute nap, and is now asleep again. Whatever works. Luckily my mom came and took Lacey!!

Getting to almost 18 months of breastfeeding hasn't been easy. It's had it's ups and downs. The midnight run to Wal-Mart to buy a can of formula, and a new bottle, the clogged milk ducts, the pumping for hours, worrying about my supply, being the only one able to feed Miles, but every single day has been worth it!! It helped me lose tons of weight, helped keep my little man healthy, kept my menstual cycle away for 16 months...I was period free for 25 months!!


Now on to the crazy things people say. It starts when you are pregnant, they tell you how huge you are, how tiny you are, that they wouldn't do this, but do that instead. When they are born it's like you are asking for unsolicited advice. Strangers stop you in the store to tell you how to parent, what to feed your kids, what sippy cup to use, to rearface your baby in the carseat until they are teenagers. I am their parent I will decide what I think is best for them. Whether you agree with it or not. The last time I checked my kids didn't come with an instruction manual. (Iwishtheydid)

I don't make it known a lot that I still breastfed. If someone asks I'll tell them. When they ask how old Miles is and I told them 17 months, they say "you really breastfed for that long? That's a long time. Way longer then I would have done it." I say "yes I know how long I've nursed him, I gave birth to him 1 year, 5 months, and 10 days ago. 524 days ago, if you want that in hour, minutes, and seconds I can give that to you as well." Oky well I never really said that, but that's what I was thinking.I've had women look at me like their appalled, one mom joked that I was going to be like the mom from the movie "Grown Ups" where my son is 4 and still breastfeeding. One mom asked if I wanted award for breastfeeding the longest. I looked at her and said nope I got it already...he is a healthy, active, happy 17 month old.

I know that breastfeeding isn't for everyone. I don't try to push it on people, if they want to formula feed go right ahead. You are your child's parent not me!! You may not agree with my parenting skills or lack there of, and I may not agree with yours...however we are mommy's, or parents....can we just respect one another???

St. Louis

We had a wonderful vacation to St. Louis. It was short but sweet. We left on Lacey's birthday giving us an extra day to spend in St. Louis. I'm so glad we decided to leave a day early!! We got to experience more and weren't rushed.

We stayed at Drury Inn and Suites in Arnold which is just about 15 minutes South of the Arch. Staying outside of St. Louis we got a GREAT rate for a room. The hotel was amazing. They had an indoor/outdoor pool. Half was inside and half was outside. You could swim from inside to outside. It was pretty cool!! The rooms have fridges and microwaves, great for storing the milk and lunch meat. They offer a free breakfast and what they call Kickback. Kickback starts at 5:30 and they have hot dogs, chicken fingers, hot wings, salad, fruit, veggies, mac and cheese, baked potatoes, and nachos. They also have a soda fountain, and during Kickback the adults are given 3 free adult beverages. So we saved tons of money by not going out for dinner or breakfast.

The first day we woke early had a great breakfast, and headed to the Arch. Before we left for the Arch Brandon decided that the kids and I needed hats and sunglasses. We could see a Wal-Mart but couldn't find the entrance to Wal-Mart. So we drove around for probably 30 minutes trying to find the entrance. Finally I punched it in my phone and we found it. Before leaving KS. I did my research. I called the Arch and asked when the best time is to get to there. The lady said before 10am. In doing my research I saw that our hotel offered coupons to the Arch. Buy 1 adult tram ticket get a child free!! Miles was already free because he wasn't 3 and with this coupon we got Lacey's ticket free too!! We got there a little before 10 bought our tickets and went and stood in line to go through security. I'm glad we got there before 10 it was already hot and muggy but had we waited until later in the day it would've been worse. Plus the line was short when we got there, when we left the line was so long!

We got through security, it felt like it took forever. Probably having 1 kid that had to go potty and the other who wanted to get out of the stroller and play probably had something to do with it. It honestly only took about 15 to 20 minutes. We got in went potty and got in line to go up the Arch. This was my 4th time up the Arch. I love it! Being up so high being able to see for miles, it's such a thrill!! Brandon has Vertigo, heights and him don't mesh at all, but he was a trooper!! The kids and I spent probably 10 minutes looking out the windows. Lacey pointing out EVERYTHING she could see. Brandon and I were both surprised that the Arch wasn't swaying AT ALL!

We walked around the Museum at the base of the Arch. I was very impressed with how interested Lacey was. She looked at everything, wanted to know what everything was. Wanted to know how it was used, what it was used for.

After the Arch we decided to head to get some lunch. We went to a cute little Cafe on the river. Called the River Front Cafe. The kids were more interested in feeding the birds and fish then they were with actually eating! It was fun watching them have a good time.

Following the Arch was The Magic House. A great Childrens Museum. With tons of stuff to do and look at. I found a coupon online for buy 1 adult get 1 child free that our hotel was offering. The kids had an amazing time. They had an Alice Wonderland Exhibit that Lacey LOVED!! It's probably one of her favorite movies. She got to have tea with Alice and the Mad Hatter, which totally made her day!! She also got to sit in the Oval Office and act as president. Around 4 Miles was starting to wear out. We headed back to the hotel and both kids were out before we hit the highway.

We went back to Wal-Mart that night and got stuff for lunches. We woke up packed up some lunch and headed to the St. Louis Zoo. Like the other places I had done my research and knew that we wanted Safari passes. The Zoo is free, but to do things inside the zoo you had to pay. They have a 3D movie, a carousel, a Sea Lion Show, a train, a Children's Zoo and a Motion Simulator. All which would've cost us $63, but with the Safari pass we only paid $30. We got to the zoo shortly after 9 bought our Safari Pass and headed into the zoo.

I was very impressed with the zoo. There was so much to do and see. So many animals. If you could think of it, they had it. Around 4 we decided it was time to head back to the hotel. We had dinner at CiCi's pizza...Brandon and Lacey's favorite place.

The next day we packed our bags loaded the car and went to Anheuser Busch Brewery. Brandon was worried the kids wouldn't enjoy it as much as we would, but they did very well!! After Anheuser Busch we headed back West. It was a short but sweet vacation. The kids did well, and now we kinda know what to expect in September when we go to Maryland for a week!!

St. Louis

We have planned a family vacation. We are going to St. Louis on the 17th!! Growing up we went to St. Louis numerous times and I loved it!! I can't wait to show my kids such a fun city!! We are planning a trip to the Arch, the Magic House (which is an awesome children's museum), The St. Louis Zoo, hopefully we can fit in Grant's Farm and the Anheuser Busch Factory.

At first we were just going to drive down 18th and drive back on the 20th. So we could spend Lacey's birthday at home with family. After discussing it more we decided that one day in STL just wouldn't be enough. We got a great deal on a hotel room through Priceline.

I am so excited for a family vacation!! I'm calling it our "Trial run" before our Maryland Vacation!!

5k

2 weeks ago I was talking to my girlfriend about the 10k Freedom Run that started out on as a Marathon years ago (which my dad holds the record for), that turned into a half marathon, that turned into a 10k. It used to start over the Milford Lake Dam, but now starts on Washington street between 5th and 6th streets. Well during our conversation she informed me that they are doing a 5k.

3.1 miles. I've been running for awhile, but never 3.1 miles. I talked to my hubby about it, who was more worried about my knee then I was. I called my mom and asked if I decided to run it if she would be able to watch the kids. Of course she said yes.

With my knee pain I've been trying different methods to make it feel better. After talking to my dad and a few friends a new pair of running shoes was in order. So I went to Manhattan Running Company. They put me in a new pair of shoes that are AMAZING!! My knee pain however didn't go away. The guy that helped me at MRC said that I probably Iliotibial Band Syndrome. It only hurts when you run and the only way to fix it is by running.....I'll keep running!!

On July 2nd I decided I was running the 5k race. So I registered. There was no going back now!! I woke up early on the 4th did a lot of stretching and headed to the park. I was anxious, and excited. Praying to God that my knee pain would hold off so I could run. My mom, dad, older sister, my best friend Neva, Brandon and the kids were there. Brandon actually took a day off of work on a holiday!! 7 o'clock came and the race started!

My knee felt good until about mile marker 2. I walked 2 blocks knowing that I can make it this far I only have 1.1 mile left. Adrenaline kicked in. By the time I hit 5th Street I knew that I could run it because I had done it before!! The 3 blocks to the park I had ran it many times. I kicked it into gear, my knee hurt but the finish line was right there. I ran 3.1 miles in 30:11. My average mile was 9:44. I finished a 5k, I DID IT!! I can't wait for more 5k races!!

My new treasured moment was when my dad came up after the race, the look on his face was priceless. The look of a proud dad. Luckily my husband was there to capture the moment in a picture.