Fall is Finally Here!

This week has been amazing. Overnight temperatures in the 50s and daytime highs in the 70s. Our windows have been open all week. We've waited through so many hot days of summer. Now I am ready to enjoy and each and every day of fall.

Sisterly Love

When they aren't arguing like cats and dogs....my girls sure love each other.

I felt the need to document these happy moments. To remind myself that they really do get along.

Wordless Wednesday

Banned Book Week

When I was a freshman in high school our English class was given a list of books. We were each to select a book and do a report (of some type..I can't remember now) after we completed our reading. A classmate and I, along with several others, ended up selecting Catcher in the Rye. After we turned our selections in, and before the reading had begun, our teacher pulled my classmate and I into the hall. She lowered her voice and said that she wanted to make sure Catcher was really what we wanted to read. We looked at each other, confused. Our teacher knew our mothers who were both elementary school teachers across the street. She said she didn't know if the language and subject matter was really up our alley. In other words, she was worried that our parents would be upset that we were reading this book. I remember being incensed that this teacher was trying to tell me what book I could or could not read. I went home and told my parents what happened. They assured me I could read any book on the list provided. My classmate and I assured our teacher that we were ready for anything Salinger could dish out. In retrospect I see that seven years in a television newsroom was far more detrimental to my vocabulary than anything I read in ninth grade.

This week is Banned Book Week. It's a week to be reminded of our freedom to choose the books we want, even if the ideas contained within are unpopular or unorthadox. Please exercise this freedom this week. Celebrate it by picking up a book. ANY book. It doesn't matter what it's about, just read!

I just finished up a Hemingway novel that I would put right up there at the top of my book list. Jamie and ran across it at a quaint little used bookstore in Asheville. It took me a while to get through it. Surprisingly enough, being a mother of three kids has a tendency to wear a girl out and sometimes when reading time rolls around, I find those precious minutes are better spent asleep. Anyway, I finished it last night and am now searching for my next book. I think I'll pick up Harper Lee's classic. I noticed it was on the banned book list. I figure this is the perfect week to re-read it.

Coupon Queen

I have always thought myself to be pretty intelligent when it comes to coupons and savings. I found out earlier this week I am but an amateur. A mere poser in the game of economic transactions.

I was at CVS. I had a free $25 gift card that I had gotten with a prescription refill. I did my homework in their weekly ad, so I knew what I was there for. I used my coupons and my CVS Extra Care Card and purchased: (2) Jumbo Packs of Pampers, (1) Burts Bees Lip Balm, (1) pack paper plates, (1) bottle Dawn Dish Soap, and (1) pack of sponges. I paid 51 cents. The woman in the lane next to me put me to shame. I think they actually paid her to take merchandise. She had a two-inch three-ring binder FULL of her coupons. Made my little plastic coupon holder look like a Wiffle Ball bat in the Major Leagues. I guess I have a lot to learn before I can assume the throne of Coupon Queen.

Notes From the Road: Training Update #2

As my first month of training comes to a close, I am pretty pleased with my progress thus far. I've put in 60 miles for September and while that is not as many as my training plan calls for, it's enough for me. On Sunday my plan called for six miles. I did six miles and ran them each at an 8:53 pace. Not too bad.


My fundraising is also going well. I am so grateful for my friends and family who are helping support me as I run for Inheritance of Hope. You can follow my progress on my fundraising page. I'm glad the weather is finally cooling down. It makes the miles so much easier.

All(ie)'s Well That Ends Well

I'm moving a little slowly this rainy Monday morning. We were up late last night after Allie fell and took a bite out of her tongue. It was around 7:30 and she was trying to pull up on the bunk beds. Her hand missed and her head hit the bedrail, causing her to bite her tongue. It bled like crazy as mouth wounds typically do. It bled for over an hour during which we called the doctor and Anna. Jamie knew we needed to get ice and pressure on the wound, but as you can imagine...that did not go well. We finally got the bleeding to stop, only to have it start up again 15 minutes later. We settled on the "better safe than sorry" option and set off for Children's. Anna stayed with the older girls who blissfully slept through the whole affair.

Allie fell asleep on the way to the hospital but woke up right away. The ER is a brightly-colored place with a huge fish tank. I spent most of our waiting time standing in front of it with her as she pointed out all the fish. We saw the doctor who confirmed it was a nasty laceration. We were relieved to learn she had not bitten all the way through her tongue. We made it home, got her fed and in bed.

She seems all right this morning. The tongue is swollen and looks just plain awful. I am sending a few popsicles with her to day care. I know they will give her extra TLC today. Hopefully it will heal quickly.

Fantastic Friday

After a long and exhausting week....the perfect Friday evening:

"Breakfast" for dinner.

A new movie with the girls for movie night.

Giggles upon giggles.

Watching the moon rise from the front porch.

Spotting the last few lightning bugs of summer.

Bedtime stories.

A snuggly baby up for her last feeding.

Comfy PJs.

Life is beyond good......

You Know You're A Mom When.....

You know you're a mom when your e-mail in-box has the following headings:

-Soccer Game Schedule
-re: Carnival Cake Walk (Sept. 23)
-re: Check out this link at PBSKids.org
-Amazon.com: Zhu Zhu Hamster Babies - Peanut‏
-re: Nursery Idea
-Raising Your One-year-old with Gerber
-A Few Reminders (from the ballet studio)
-Reminder - Use Your Coupon!

-YUM! Recipes from Super Chef Cat Cora & the Muppets!

Craft Idea!

This adorable creation was brought to me by a co-worker earlier in the week. She knew our office had been through a few rough weeks and thought we each needed a pick-me-up. It's just a hollowed out pumpkin filled with potting soil and the flowers. I don't really have a "Martha Stewart" bone in my body so I love it when people share cute crafts like this! What fun!

Parenting Stages

I got pregnant at the age of 22 and have been a mother since the age of 23. Parenting and pregnancies filled up my twenty-something years in the blink of an eye. But now I seem to be entering into an entirely new stage of parenting. Tonight I made brownies for tomorrow's PTO School Carnival. I sign permission slips and go to parent-teacher conferences. I answer questions about Justin Beiber and let the girls watch TV shows on my iPod. Allie keeps me firmly rooted in the land of diapers and sippy cups, but the relentless tug of her sisters reminds me how soon that all will be left behind.

There is some trepidation as we move into this strange new parenting land. Kindergarten was such an easy transition, but these steps into first grade and beyond are much more challenging. I know how to parent babies and toddlers. I have plenty of years of experience in that. I can potty-train and sing nursery rhymes. I can recite Goodnight Moon without looking at the pages and snap a onesie in the dark without my contacts in. But this world of peers, lunch money, achievement tests and rubrics has me uneasy and unsure.

I try to remind myself that the way I learned how to be a mother of babies and toddlers was to fly by the seat of my pants and figure it out as we went along. The great Lewis and Clark were kind of like that I think. They were skilled explorers, but not skilled in what the western territories laid out before them. I think I will follow their lead, get in my canoe and paddle for my life. I can only hope to keep my expedition members safe from dysentary and grizzlies along the way. And who knows what is out there before us. It's hard to say really and I'm sure we'll make some wrong turns along the way, but oh what a story we will have when we come to the other side!

Wordless Wednesday

Nobody's Perfect

In today's age of digital pictures, I have a tendency to only print the good photos. The ones where everyone is smiling and looking at the camera. The ones where the light is just right and no one's face is in the shadows. But then I think back to the "olden days" when you had to wait for photos to be developed. You never knew exactly what photos you would get. I think the digital age is causing us to lose some of the most interesting and telling memories that used to be captured on film. Now the photos considered messy and imperfect are usually deleted before they can ever be uploaded to our computers. But today's picture is in honor of the good 'ol days. Had it been taken 20 years ago, it would've been printed along with the rest of the roll. I think I may have to go ahead and print it. Because sometimes life is messy and imperfect.

A New Era

Today I left the house a few pounds lighter. For the first time since January, I left for work with only my children, my purse and my lunch tote. No bottles for Allie and (more importantly) no breast pump! It made the morning routine a breeze and consequently I actually remembered little things like deodorant and jewelry. It is a huge relief to not plan my entire day around pumping sessions.

In the early days of 2010, when I had just returned from maternity leave, I couldn't stand the thought of pumping for so long. Now it has come and gone in the blink of an eye. Allie is still breastfeeding in the morning and at night before bed, but she's on milk in sippy cups during the day. True to her adaptable nature, she had no trouble transitioning to a cup.

I know it sounds stupid but I am really proud of myself for sticking with breastfeeding for so long. Not that formula is evil, but I am glad never had to use an ounce of it. I'm proud for how much money that saved our family. It was an enormous amount of work on my part, but I am so glad I put forth the extra effort. That being said, I'm sure glad my pumping days are over! I'm actually considering burning a few of my nursing bras. I have two that are so old and worn that no one else could use them anyway. They're the ones I've slept in every night since Allie was born last September. I really want to burn them but my sister says the EPA frowns upon that sort of thing. I guess a formal retirement ceremony as they are hoisted into the trash can will have to do.

Party People

I love first birthday parties, I always have. There is just so much to celebrate. The way I see it, the party is less for the baby and more for the friends and family who helped you survive those first 12 months of parenting. We celebrated Allie's birthday on Saturday. It was a beautiful day and the perfect day for a party. As always, our family was over-booked so we had to squeeze in a soccer game before the party could begin. (Tough loss for the Tiger Lilies.) We had about 25 people at the house for the celebration. We grilled hamburgers and hot dogs and included all the fixings. We also had the perfect cake.

See? It really was perfect. Please don't ask me how much it cost. You don't want to know. Just know that Allie is my last baby and I sort of went all out (read: waaaaaaay overboard) for her party.

After everyone had eaten, Allie got to rip into her cake. She was very much into the destruction of her special confection. She had to be hosed off in the tub afterwards!

She got many wonderful gifts and has been enjoying them all weekend. She also got to enjoy some special time with her cousin Isabelle. It was the perfect party and everything I had hoped it would be.

At my first baby shower back in September 2003, I received some of the best parenting advice I have ever gotten. Each of the women there had written something on little handprints. They were collected and given to me at the end of the shower. My favorite one said, Children do not remember if the kitchen floor was spotless or if the house is clean. They will remember playing in the creek and flying kites. Well that's not an exact quote, but it's been seven years and I've had three kids so that's the best I can do. I called this advice to mind on Saturday. My kitchen floor was not mopped before the party. There was visible dirt. My three flower planters on the front porch were empty. I had so wanted to plant my mums before the party, but time got away from me. I forgot to show Allie's birthday slideshow that I had painstakingly worked on for 12 months, obsessing over each picture and selecting the perfect song. But in the end, none of that mattered. No one, not even me, will remember those things when I look back on Allie's party. I will remember the smell of buttercream frosting and the sunshine pouring through the kitchen windows. I will remember a house full of those who mean the most to me and the laughter that filled our home as we celebrated the beginning of Allie's next amazing year.

It's A Jungle In There

Jamie and I took the day off today because Scott, Ryann and Isabelle arrived from Florida. I did my training run early and then we ate lunch at home before springing Anastasia from school and heading to the zoo. It was SO much fun. All the girls had a blast and the weather was great. It was so nice to have a day off and a day with family that we rarely get to see. Tomorrow is Allie's party so we're trying to make sure all the kiddos get enough rest!

Notes From the Road: Training Update #1

I have an official marathon training plan hanging on my fridge and on the back of my office door. It's really more of a guideline for mileage and I've already had to deviate from said plan and it's only Week Two. My plan comes from Hal Higdon, who has written numerous marathon books/guides and has a great web resource for runners.

My previous marathons have been based on a training plan that worked for me and me alone. Squeezing in runs during the week is just plain tough. On Tuesday I grabbed three quick miles during my lunch break, just trying to fit it in where I can. I really have to work to get those miles Monday-Friday. My main focus is to stay fit, eat well and stick to those long runs on the weekend. Last Sunday my first "long run" was eight miles. I chose the Greenway and I wasn't disappointed. The leaves are starting to turn crunchy underfoot and there were plenty of folks out sharing in the beautiful day. I would go so far as to say it was an easy run. My IT band felt great and I stayed properly hydrated thanks to my fuel belt.

It's been fun to embark on yet another marathon journey. I always tell people that running the marathon is the easy part. It's the 18 weeks+ of training on the front end that is hard. Once you get to the race, it's all downhill to the finish.

My human pincushion

Allie had her 12 month check-up today. She had to have four shots (ouch!) which really sucked but the rest of the appointment went well. She is TINY. Her weight has dropped her into the 15th percentile and since she comes in at 18 pounds 14 ounces, she is too small for us to turn her car seat around. Double drat! She did grow an inch and a half in length (up to 28 1/2 inches) since her 9 month check-up. It's weird to have a baby so small as both her sisters hit 20 pounds by 7 months or so.

The doctor's handwriting (as always) is tough to make out but says something to the effect of "Almost walking. Playful and fun. Looks wonderful." That is followed by a completely illegible part that I've given up on. Suffice it to say, she's perfect although quite petite. He says that is sometimes the case with "busy babies" and we just need to be vigilant and make sure she stops playing long enough to eat. She impressed the stethoscope off him when she pointed to her nose when I asked her to locate it. I sort of puffed up like a proud mama peacock at that point. Ainsley covered her ears, which were occupied by my ear buds, during the four shot part of the visit. Her own flu shot is scheduled for tomorrow. Yikes.

Allie does have a slight infection in her right ear. We caught it right at the beginning and are starting on antibiotics and ear drops that are made of pure gold. I about stroked out right there in front of the Target pharmacy when the tech rang up my order. These things better work!

Wordless Wednesday

Ballerina Beauty

Ainsley is a month into her ballet classes and, to put it mildly, she adores it. She lives for Tuesdays. If the sun is the center of the universe, then Tuesday is the center of Ainsley's. Anna recently made my ballerina's year by sharing with her the ballet costume she wore at age 6 in her first recital. It's yellow with sequins and lots of fluffy tulle. She never wants to take it off.

Soccer Update

The fall soccer season is in full swing. Anastasia is in U8 now, which requires two nights of practice each week and a game on Saturday. It was raining cats and dogs on Saturday, but Anastasia and her teammates kicked butt! They won the game 7-2. Anastasia even scored a goal. I didn't get to see her play but I am SO proud of her!

Wish that I was on 'Ol Rocky Top

I was fortunate enough to get to go to the Vols game with Anna on Saturday. One of her friends had two extra tickets and was gracious enough to share them with us. Chris and his dad had tickets as well so we all rode together. We ate dinner on the Strip and even caught the end of the Vol Walk on the way to the stadium.
Our seats were amazing and on the end of the field where the players run out in the Power T.

We saw about six minutes of football (including two field goals by our boys in orange) before the storm blew in. When I say storm I mean....STORM. The lightning was unbelievable. We took shelter with 101,000+ other fans for a little over an hour before play resumed. The Vols ended up losing, but it was such a fun night. I hadn't been to a game in two years and I loved being back on campus for game day. There's really nothing like it.

12 months old

Allie's birthday was on Friday and I really planned to blog about it at some point over the weekend. But as things sometimes go, I was too busy. Friday night we had a small celebration since it was Allie's actual birthday. Anna, Chris and Sarah came over for pizza and cupcakes. We sang to Allie and let her open some gifts. She LOVED the cupcake. As in "ate the entire thing" loved it. She wasn't into opening her gifts, but she did enjoy playing with her new toys. It was a wonderful way to celebrate and a nice warm-up to her big party next weekend.

I still can't believe my baby is one. We made it through those early weeks of infancy when you don't think you'll ever be normal (or sleep normally) again. We made it through the transition to daycare and a surgery at 8 months. She was dragged to soccer games, ballet classes and theme parks. Through it all, she has rolled with the punches and remained our sweet Allie. Our red-headed trouble maker who hates to nap because she's afraid she'll miss something. It's been a year of discovery and a year of change. She completes our fab five in ways we never imagined. We cannot wait for our next 12 months with Allie.

Birthday Eve

It's Allie's birthday eve. Since her party isn't until next weekend, we're having a low-key celebration with a few of those closest to Allie tomorrow night. Her sisters are beside themselves with excitement. Ainsley has told anyone that will listen, "My Allie's birthday is on Friday!"

Here's what I looked like one year ago today on 9/9/09.

My co-workers took that picture right before I left the office on my maternity leave. I love that I'm wearing glasses because my contacts were too darn uncomfortable during my pregnancy. I'm also wearing the black shirt that I wore pretty much every day because it hid my belly well and was comfortable and stretchy. Allie was born about 24 hours after this photo was taken.

I wish I was getting to spend more of her birthday with her, even though I know it doesn't really matter. We'll celebrate all weekend and next weekend as well. She's moving from her baby stage far too quickly. As each day passes, she becomes more and more independent. Happy Birthday Eve Allie!

The Mystery of the Marathon

I've always thought the legend of the very first "Marathon" made for a great story. Pheidippides was the Greek who, according to the legend, ran 26 miles to Sparta and announced victory in the battle of Marathon and then proceeded to drop dead. My favorite Pheidippides association came during my first marathon. We were running around mile 18 or so when I spotted a handmade sign along the course. It was one of many to encourage runners and stood next to ones like, "Run faster. I hear banjos." This sign said, "Why couldn't Pheidippides have died at mile 20?" I've also seen one wishing the legendary Greek had been equipped with a cell phone.

Today on one of my favorite blogs, Pheidippides writes his very own account of that first marathon. It is priceless and gave me quite a good laugh. Enjoy it here.

Wordless Wednesday

Let the Celebration Begin!

Allie received her very first birthday present today. It came from my sister-in-law's mother-in-law. She sent a very sweet note and an adorable bib that suits Allie's personality perfectly! She is currently wearing it as she chows down on her dinner. I can't believe this week is actually here. I was just going to the doctor for my 39 week appointment yesterday....and now she's getting birthday presents in the mail. We're ordering a cake and wrapping gifts. Where have the last 361 days gone?

Memorable Mile

The girls ran their first-ever road race this morning. KTC held its first Hal Canfield Memorial Mile on Cherokee Blvd. so I thought it would be a good race for the girls. We did a practice run yesterday and through my calculations I figured we'd finish today's race in about 19 minutes. We did it in under 12! 11:32 and 11:34 to be exact. Anastasia was SO worried about finishing last. I guess that wasn't really going to be an issue with those times!

They finished third and fourth in the 14 and under age division. I was so proud of them. It was a blast to share something I love so much with two people I love so much. Jamie and Allie were there at the finish to cheer us on. It was a great morning!

Her Blood Runs Orange

We've had a great weekend. Lots of family time, lots of running, lots of cleaning and purging around the house, all in all - a great few days.

I must say though, the highlight of the weekend came at church this morning. We were almost done with communion. There was an older woman (think mid-80's) two pews in front of me. She turned around and whispered (a little too loudly) to no one in particular, "Is that Coach Dooley?" It was, in fact, Coach Dooley and his family, heading up the steps to the altar to receive Holy Communion. The woman's whisper spread up and down the pews as more and more of my fellow congregants recognized our new head coach. It was pretty humorous. Something tells me attendance on Sunday may go up a bit, especially after a Big Orange win. ; )

Artistic Interpretation

Ainsley is studying the letter "m." Here's the collage she brought home last week. I love the placement of milk above the word mother. Classic!

Big Orange Country

This afternoon, more than 100,000 fans will fill Neyland Stadium as the Vols kick off another season. With two UT grads living under one roof, our blood certainly runs orange. Allie is more than ready!

Poor Pluto

Anastasia had to join me at my office for a bit after school today. In the effort of protecting the sanity of my co-workers as well as my own, I offered her my iPod once she got settled. I've loaded lots of kid shows on the iPod so it is always at the ready to fend off boredom at a moment's notice.

She was watching one of her favorite PBS Kids shows. They were obviously discussing the solar system and mentioned that Pluto was not a planet. She paused the show, popped out one of the ear buds and said, "Mom, why did they say Pluto is not a planet?" I told her that a few years back some scientists decided it didn't meet the criteria to be a planet. She replied, "Well *I* believe in Pluto." I explained that it wasn't a matter of the planet existing or not, no one disputes that, but rather a matter of classification. "Well, I'm still going to call it a planet." Sounds good to me. But I pity the science teacher that tries to contradict her.

Running With a Purpose

Up until this point, my running has been a pretty selfish pursuit. I've run for no one else but myself. I've run to better my times and better my overall health. But now, I'm joining Team IOH to raise money for Inheritance of Hope. My training has begun in earnest, although I would argue that I'm always in training.

I would appreciate any help or support you can offer as I try to reach my goal. Remember you are not supporting me as a runner, but supporting this organization and all they do for families who are dealing with the terminal illness of a parent. Raising money for IOH as I prepare for the Goofy Races gives me new purpose and new drive to continue running. It's going to be a long four months ahead, but I look forward to the challenge.

For more information, you can log on to my Fundraising Page. Feel free to share it with anyone who might be able to contribute!

Wordless Wednesday