The Hills Are Alive

As you may know, Jamie has been introducing the girls to the Star Wars movies. So I figured if he gets to expose them to geek movie history, then I better step up my game and get things going in the musical department.

Jamie had to work late on Friday so the girls and I settled down with The Sound of Music. It was MUCH longer than I remembered, but my girls didn't seem to notice or to mind. Anastasia looked at me like I had lost my mind as I sang along with each song. She still seems surprised that I know these things. I had to explain that when Anna and I were little one of our cousins was OBSESSED with The Sound of Music. We saw it no less than 25 times with her. She would even sing the Gretel part in "So Long, Farewell" while ascending the steps of my grandparents' home.

Plus....my grandmother actually saw the REAL Von Trapp family in person when they traveled the states. (I need to confirm the date/location of said meeting...)

Allie watched it as she typically does, flitting from room to room in search of books and toys. But when she heard "Edelweiss" she whipped her head around to me with a surprised look and declared, "A-dul-wise! Just like in my bed!" She was referring to the fact that I often sing the song as a lullaby when she goes down for a nap.

So the first major musical went well. I have so many more to show them....Oklahoma....Seven Brides for Seven Brothers....My Fair Lady....South Pacific....The King and I.....

Things They Will Never Remember

I was reading an article on the Huffington Post parenting section this morning and it couldn't have come at a more perfect time. It's about how sometimes as parents we do things for our kids even though we know they will have no memory of our doing those things. Things such as cleaning poop out of the bathtub....like I did yesterday. (I love sharing a good parenting anecdote on my blog...this was NOT one that I will be sharing. Just be grateful for that.....)

"Because it's the things you do for them that they will never remember, and therefore can not ever thank you for, that are some of the richest pieces of parenting."

This is so true that it makes me want to weep. And it also makes me think of all the things my parents did for my sister and I that we have no notion of at all.

Button Up

When you're a kid, marking the 100th day of Kindergarten is a pretty big deal. In fact, it warrants an entire day of celebration complete with snacks and a special project.

Ainsley was asked to bring in 100 somethings for this week's celebration. We discussed sea shells, Legos, etc. but then we settled on 100 buttons. But since we thought showing off 100 buttons in a baggie would be pretty boring, we decided to attach 100 buttons to an old t-shirt.

As of right now we have about 65 of them sewn onto the shirt. I had originally planned to use a glue gun, but that seemed like the easy way out. Plus I was worried about her losing buttons on the way to school. It's the 100th day of school...not the 98th. I could see the ensuing meltdown if buttons were left behind in a car seat or in the parking lot.

So Jamie and I have been tag-teaming and getting those buttons in place. We even bought some super-cool buttons with frogs (the class mascot) and some others with Ariel (her favorite princess). I'll be sure to post a picture of her wearing it later in the week. I must say, it is WAY cool!

Wax On, Wax Off

After church and lunch today, I went to run a few errands. The least of which was to buy clearance Christmas stickers for Anastasia's Valentine box (don't ask...). I had tried to get my eyebrows waxed last week but the 45 minute wait with a toddler in tow meant I shoved it to the back burner. So today I was sans kiddos and decided to wait. There were only two people in front of me so I sat down and leisurely read through several trashy magazines until they called my name.

The girl apologized profusely for my wait but I assured her that I never get to sit down and read magazines so I actually owed her instead of the other way around. I endured the lovely torture of having hot wax applied to my skin and then yanked off. My ears were bleeding afterwards too because the sweet girl talked non-stop the whole time. I'm kinda of one of those people who goes into a salon, wants my hair ripped off with minimal discussion, and then wants to be back on my way. She was sweet though and I tipped her well. As I left she handed me a "Frequent Waxers Club" card. "The 9th one if free," she chirped as I walked out the door. Little does she know I only ever have my eyebrows done twice a year (if I'm lucky) so it will take me four years to get that free wax.....

From the Mouths of Babes

"L was born before her parents got married so she got to be the flower girl at their wedding."

"Um, I don't think that's possible. Mom, is that even possible?"

"Oh look out the window, girls. A puppy!"

2012 Bookshelf: January Edition

The first month of 2012 is almost in the books so I thought what better to talk about than - books!

I'm really wanting to read more this year but I stopped short of setting a goal of an exact number of books. I started off the year with my mom's latest book. It's the first in a series.

Let's just say that it is a darn good read. I know she's my mother, but apart from that....it's a great story! You should really read it. You can buy it at Amazon at all those other places that you typically buy books. You can get it for your e-reader, too!

After mom's book I read The Help. I know it's like three years old but I had just never gotten around to reading it. Plus, I wanted to read it before I saw the movie.


The book is long coming in at over 500 pages, but I polished it off in under a week. It was fascinating and well-written. In many places I felt like I was reading about my parents' childhood as they both were growing up in the years that this book takes place.

The third book I have picked up so far this year was the second book in my mom's Wolff Mountain series. You can't buy it yet, but she gave me one of her advance copies to read. I loved it and really think it's her best book yet.

Now I've moved on to the Hunger Games.

Kitchen Update

It's been several months since we finished the bulk of our home improvement projects. We've been dealing with residual projects ever since and only in the last week do I feel like we finally got things back to normal. Well...as normal as things can be in our house.

The kitchen is wonderful. It serves our needs so much better than the old one...plus it's just prettier to look at.

We still haven't finished painting, but we're getting there. Slowly but surely - one wall at a time.

It was a huge financial undertaking but I'm glad that we were forced to make the changes. It's made life a lot easier!

Don't Call Me Skinny

I'm 31 years old and I weigh 121 pounds. I tell you that not to make you feel any particular way about your own weight, but rather because apparently, my weight is everyone's business.

Over the last few weeks I've endured a conversation I've encountered many times since becoming a mother. "I can't believe you have three (or two or one) children and are so thin. I've had three (or two or four or none) and I still am overweight." Those words have been uttered to me 100+ times over the last eight years - everywhere from church to school to the ballet waiting room. They've happened with dear friends and with complete strangers.

No one in their right mind would approach someone (known or unknown) and say "Eat a salad you overweight slug." But it I have had someone say to me - after I refused a donut after lunch one day - "Eat one, you skinny b*tch."

I had always been the skinny girl. I never went through that awkward, overweight phase as a teen or preteen. I ate whatever I wanted and never gained an ounce. I was all knees and elbows. And don't think I was some amazing athlete either. I did ONE spring of track in high school. That's pretty much the extent of my physical activity as a teenager. When I got to college I was surrounded by girls who were smarter than I was. Prettier than I was, richer than I was. I desperately clung to my "skinny girl" title. I did some pretty terrible things to my body to hang on to that descriptor. Things that horrify me when I think of my daughters duplicating them.

Fortunately for me I fell in love with a man who loved me because I recited stupid phrases like, "Red sky at morning, sailors take warning. Red sky at night, sailors' delight." He loved me because I left dozens of post-it notes around to keep track of all my assignments and because I put up with his procrastination and his (sometimes) slovenliness. That love was enough to make me stop tormenting my body and relax. I figured out that if he didn't see my first trait as "skinny" maybe others wouldn't either.

And I know what you're thinking. Where does this skinny girl get off *complaining* about being skinny? I'm not complaining about being skinny. I'm complaining about being constantly bombarded with discussions about my weight. It makes me uncomfortable. It makes me angry and sad that my daughters are hearing other women say these things to me and to each other. The thing is, when someone meets me, what they see first is my outward appearance. They see a mother with three young kids in tow and immediately assume I've made a deal with the devil to shed the 50+ pounds I gained over three pregnancies. But what they can't see is that my weight doesn't define me. It's not who I am. I am not the skinny girl. I'm not the skinny mom.

I am a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister, and a friend. I am a child of God. I am a co-worker and a runner. I like to read and vote for democrats. I take too many pictures and mostly likely, annoy all of my Facebook friends by posting them. I sing to loud rap songs when I drive my stupid minivan without the kids in the backseat. I turn off the hallway lights at work every night and wonder why no one else seems to care about the environment. I hate losing to my husband at board games (or any game for that matter). I'm not an animal person. I have a quick temper. I still cry at the end of The Little Mermaid even though I've seen it 312 times. I want to go to Scotland. I want to ride the elevator to the top of the Eiffel Tower even though I really, really hate elevators.

Try fitting all that on scale...I'm pretty sure the sum total of my parts adds up to a hell of a lot more than 121 pounds.

Wordless Wednesday

The People In Your Neighborhood

I've always liked that Mr. Rodgers song, "The People in Your Neighborhood." I thought of it yesterday at the park as my kids struck up conversations with the kids around them. My girls are so outgoing and fun. It takes me a long time to warm up to other moms and strike up random conversations. But after about 3 minutes on the playground my kids are fast friends with kids they just met.

They learn their names. Their siblings' names. How many pets they have and their mother's hometown (Chicago, in case you were wondering...). I just like that about kids in general. I think as we age we lose that friendliness. We spend too much time sizing the strangers up instead of jumping in there on the monkey bars and getting to know them and finding out what makes them tick.

My kids may never see the children from yesterday again, but that one-time connection was enough.

Puddle Jumper

This morning started out with some serious rain. But then Old Man Winter smiled upon us, parted the cloud and brought a warm breezy day to us. Allie woke up from her nap early so I packed her up and we headed over to feed the ducks. None were to be found but there were tons of seagulls (or eagles as Allie calls them) to feed!

And then....I let her play in the water.

I readily admit I never would've let her sisters do this. I guess it's a perk of being kid #3.

She was drenched and her shoes may never dry out. Ever.

But oh what fun she had!

Pantry Playtime

Allie loves to "hide" when someone comes over. In fact, each day when I come home from work....the babysitter looks at me forlornly and says "I've lost Allie." A hilarious game of me checking behind shower curtains and under beds ensues.

Recently....she took her hiding place up a notch to surprise her dad when he got home.

She can actually fold up entirely and close the pantry doors. What a ham!

Words of Love

It's not a sonnet, but it's just as sweet as any poetry the bard ever cranked out....

Words of love from my darling middle child.

Sunday School Lessons

I've really tried to become more involved at our church over the last year. I loved helping teach vacation bible school last summer and so when our children's director sent a plea for teachers via e-mail, I decided it was the push I needed.

The session started on January 8th, but that was my race day so when I told her I could do it but not start until the 15th, I actually thought she might turn me down. You know, the whole...well at least I'd get credit for offering. Ha! Like God would let me off so easily. Our children's director replied to my e-mail happily..."Oh, it's a five-week rotation and each teacher gets one week off, so we'll make your week off the 8th!" Well that settled it.

So last Sunday I began teaching. My lesson is in the HBO (Heavenly Box Office...) and we're talking about the calling of the 12 disciples.

We read several bible passages and then the kids watch a movie about Jesus calling the 12. I was really nervous about it. Anastasia's class was my first group and she said, "Mom, why are you nervous? We're just a bunch of second graders." Indeed!

I think it went okay. Anastasia seemed to understand the points I was trying to make in the lesson. We talked about how when Jesus called the 12 they left their lives and followed him. We talked about how that was really hard to leave everything they loved. We also talked about how even in 2012, we are called to follow Him. The kids chimed in with great ways we can be disciples in our everyday lives. Their enthusiasm and excitement has me really looking forward to this Sunday. I'll teach the same lesson to a different group of kids. I figure by the time my four weeks are up, I'll be an old pro!

You Gotta Know When to Hold 'Em

I had a pretty hefty parental bluff this week. Fortunately my middle child didn't call me on it and folded so fast she didn't know what hit her.

Ainsley had a bit of a meltdown before ballet. She was mad the she could no long watch TV since it was time to leave. I tried to get her to put on her coat and gather her ballet items. She refused and resorted to a full tantrum. So I did what every self-respecting exhausted mom who has been up since 1 a.m. would do. I took her sisters and I walked out of the house and locked the door behind me.

I didn't time it, but I'd say no less than 80 seconds later Ainsley unlocked the front door and climbed into the van. I hadn't no intention of even turning on the car, let alone pulling out of the driveway so I'm really glad she didn't call my bluff!

A Good Reminder

Be Kind; Everyone You Meet is Fighting a Hard Battle

This is a good lesson for all of us to learn and to remember each and every day. I learned it the hard way a few years ago. Someone in my everyday life who often vexed me and who I found difficult to work with most days was fighting a battle unbeknownst to most of us around them. Their spouse was dying of cancer and had been for quite some time. When the spouse died right around Christmas, many of us were floored and had NO idea that the illness had been going on for more than a decade. It really hit me that all of us have our battles. Some of us fight them out on the open, while others choose to battle in private. Sometimes the battle is with a health issue or perhaps a financial one. Either way, you just need to assume that those around you are fighting. It may not affect them in any great way....or it might.

This week I learned the lesson again. A parent who has often hosted my girls at their home for sleepovers had a double mastectomy last Friday. It blew my mind. She had seemed great when I saw her at the choir concert just before the holidays. No trace of worry, distress, or illness was present. When in reality, it must have been weighing heavily on her mind. I felt foolish for not touching base with her more and for allowing Facebook to be my source of news for all those within my circle. I sent her a card and a little pick-me-up but those things cannot replace the words and actions I should have taken sooner.

So be kind.....for all of those you come into contact with each day....the clerk at the grocery store....the idiot who cut you off in traffic....and yes, even those who outwardly seem to have it all...each one has a battle waging. And each one needs your support or at the very least...your smile.

Wordless Wednesday

In a Galaxy Far, Far Away

This week Jamie introduced the girls to the Star Wars saga. Both of the older girls rode the Star Tours ride with Jamie at Hollywood Studios while we were in Florida and I think they realized they were missing out on cinematic history. They had Monday off so he allowed the to stay up Sunday night and watch Episode I on DVD (excuse me...on BlueRay....). I had said he should start with Episode IV, but I was overruled. And this being his area of expertise, I deferred to his judgement.

Apparently....they loved it. I now hear things like "force field" and "lower your weapon" being tossed around the house. They are clamoring to see the next installment. Jamie wanted to do one giant marathon and show them all the movies back to back. But I said that the anticipation would build character. Maybe I'll join them for Episodes IV-VI....you know, when the movies get good.....

Broadway in Knoxville

Last May I traveled to Nashville with some friends to see the 25th Anniversary production of Les Miserables. It was a great reminder of not only how much I love Les Mis, but also how much I enjoy live theater. Late last fall we learned Les Mis was coming to our Scruffy Little City. Mom asked Anna and I if we wanted tickets for Christmas. Anna said yes, I declined, having just seen it in May.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago. I got Les Mis regret....badly. So I did what every self-respecting Broadway lover would do....I bought myself a ticket. I went online and saw that they plenty of "limited view" seats left for the Thursday matinee. After convincing my mom to pick up my children from school (I mean...it's her fault I love the show so much, right?) I bought a ticket on the THIRD row.

Limited view typically means that the scenery will obscure part of your view. But I had seen Mama Mia with a limited view seat and had no issues at all. When I arrived on Thursday the couple next to me had spoken to an usher and went to find non-limited view seats. So I moved over two spaces and had an even better view. Did I mention I was on the THIRD row?

It was pretty much the best thing since sliced bread to see it so close. I could see every facial expression and every bit of movement. I resisted the urge to belt out the songs. I'm pretty sure the woman next to me wouldn't have appreciated that. I can't wait until my girls are a little bit older and I can expose them to great shows like Les Mis!

Fundraising Finale

For months and months I harassed my family and friends via e-mail, Twitter, Facebook, and even this blog. I begged, cajoled, pleaded, and annoyed them as I raised money for Inheritance of Hope. As I have written about here many times, it is an organization that continues to ouch my life in so many ways.

Last Sunday I ran 26.2 miles through Walt Disney World. I wore an Inheritance of Hope shirt like a running billboard for the group. At mile 5 a man came along beside me and said, "Hey. Each mile I am stopping to pray for someone." My first thought was, "Seriously? It's only mile 5, do I really look so bad that someone needs to pray for me?" But then it dawned on me that this was an opportunity to spread the word about IOH. So I told him that while I appreciated his prayers IOH needed them much more. I explained how they helped families and I could tell he was impressed with the organization. He gave me a brief nod and said, "This mile's for IOH!" (Before running off ahead of me into the pre-dawn darkness.)

Here's a picture Lisa from IOH snapped of me in the Magic Kingdom.

Thank you again to ALL of you who made donations. With your help, my miles last weekend had meaning and you contributed for than $800 to IOH. They are putting that money to work with legacy retreats throughout 2012, including one at Disney in late February. I look forward to being a part of this organization and helping spread the word about the amazing work they are doing.

More Disney Magic

Here are some more pictures from our day at Magic Kingdom.

Our First Adventure of 2012: Part 5

On Monday we jumped out of bed (well...some of us crawled...) and headed for the Magic Kingdom. It opened at 9 a.m. and we arrived just in time to see the characters ride in on the train and see the fireworks to open the park.

I'm sort of a Disney know-it-all. Or at least I try to be. When we go, my object is to do all of our favorite things and stand in line as little as possible. So that means when the park opened and everyone else was running back to get on the rides, we made a sharp right and went to see the princesses. We were second in line.

We got see Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and Belle. The girls got their autograph books signed and Allie stood there in awe.

The meet and greet for Mickey is now on Main Street as well. There was a bit of a line but NOTHING like it would be later so we waited to see him.

Minnie happened to be with him as well. It was so much fun seeing Mickey one more time. Allie showed him her Figaro and he really doted on her. It was pretty cute. After that we managed to meet Mary Poppins AND Snow White! Allie has really taken to Snow White lately so I'm thrilled we were able to meet her as well.

We made our way down Main Street and then we got to see Rapunzel! While Allie and I waited in line for that, Jamie and the older girls went around the corner to meet Alice in Wonderland and the White Rabbit. In all our years of Disneying, we've never met the White Rabbit so that was pretty cool! We rode the tea cups THREE times in a row with no line and then moved on to Fantasyland where we rode all our favorites. We had lunch at Pinocchio's Village Haus as we always do and even scored the table overlooking the It's a Small World Ride. After lunch we rode lots more rides and met more characters.

We were able to see Tinker Belle, Vidia, Ariel and Eric from the Little Mermaid, Peter Pan and many others. We rode Jungle Cruise, Aladdin's Magic Carpets, and climbed through the Swiss Family Robinson Tree House.

We did some shopping and let Allie get a haircut at the Barbershop on Main Street. She loved it!

We ate dinner with a view at Cosmic Ray's in Tomorrowland (another one of our favorite spots). Notice the castle RIGHT behind our table. It's such a perfect place to eat.

After dinner we did a few more rides, including another go on the Tea Cups and the Carousel. We stayed for the fireworks too! It was a looooooooooong day but the perfect way to wrap up our Disney trip. I'll post more pictures in the days to come. I think I took a total of 800+ in just four days!!

Our First Adventure of 2012: Part 4

Once the marathon was out of the way we could get back down to the business of enjoying our trip. Allie and I took a much-needed nap while Jamie and the girls swam and played on our hotel's playground. After everyone had rested and showered we went off the Clipboard of Fun (shocking, I know!) and did something we planned at the spur of the moment! We took a bus to Magic Kingdom and then hopped a boat to the Wilderness Lodge.

This is one of the things I love about Disney...no ticket required...just hop on the boat and enjoy the ride....

The lodge was AMAZING!!! We walked around for a while and explored the grounds. There was so much to take in!

The Whispering Canyon Cafe was booked (again...this was spur of the moment...so I hadn't planned for a reservation) but we were put on stand-by and got a table. I'm so glad we did because it was one of the best meals (food and atmosphere) that we've ever had at Disney. The food was fantastic and there were all sorts of fun things...like a horsey riding parade for the kids.

They LOVED it!

After our wonderful dinner we took a boat ride (by moonlight!) back over to the Magic Kingdom and boarded a bus for the hotel. Such a fun night of exploring! I'm glad we went off-script for that one. ; )

Our First Adventure of 2012: Pt. 3/Marathon Edition

Sunday morning my alarm went off at 3:15 a.m. All my race stuff had been laid out the night before so I was able to get dressed and out the door by 3:30. Disney had tons of buses standing by at our hotel so I didn't have to wait to board one. We arrived at Epcot before 4 a.m. Which is good....because it means you aren't going to be late....but it's bad because you have SO much time to kill. I stood in the merchandise tent for a while to stay out of morning chill. I had forgotten my gloves but I grabbed a pair of socks that worked just as well.

It's funny how you can be lonely in a crowd of 20,000+ people. But I sure was. I made some small talk but pretty much everyone else was in a group. But then....in an instance I can only describe as one of those "God things" I bumped into another Inheritance of Hope runner. There were less than 10 of us this year so the fact that I found her in a sea of 20,000 runners is nothing short of miraculous. We talked about how we got involved with IOH and then we talked about the race. It was her first marathon so I hope I was able to offer some encouragement. We parted at the corrals and went our separate ways.

My finish time in Knoxville last March was good enough to secure me a spot in the B Corral this year. That basically means that my group got to start second and means 5 less minutes of standing around. We got underway in a shower of fireworks just after 5:40 a.m. The first few miles are pretty uneventful. It's dark, it's crowded, and it's a little cold. I wore my socks on my hands for the first three miles. We arrived at Epcot to cheering crowds and lots of cowbells. But the fanfare is short-lived as by mile 4 you are back out on the highway trudging toward the Magic Kingdom. We had marching bands and a few DJs playing the same songs (Rocky...Black-Eyed Peas, etc) they always play during races. A beautiful sunrise greeted us as we wound our way through the parking lot. The ticket and transportation center is always packed with screaming supporters so that is a boost! I took my first Gu packet around mile 9 and then we hit Main Street USA. This really is the best part of the course. Cheering fans, the castle up ahead and music blaring. You make a right into Tomorrowland where I stopped for a lovely warm indoor pit stop. It cost me about two minutes, but it was well worth it.

After I ran through the castle I spotted the Inheritance of Hope folks so I paused for a quick picture and then made my way over into Frontierland and out of the park. The half-way point of the race is just past the big Disney golf course and then we made a right on an access road. This part of the course is less-than-scenic...and SMELLY! Ha! But there were lots of fun character interactions and plenty of food and water. Despite eating my normal pre-race meal, I found myself getting hungry as I ran. I tried to chug more Powerade to compensate for my hunger. Animal Kingdom comes just after mile 16 and there were some fun animals out for us to look at. The sun was well up by then and my arms were finally starting to thaw out.

Around mile 18, I sort of fell apart. My IT band that has flared up in the past really began hurting me and mentally I was spent. I was bored and lonely and just wanted to see Jamie and the girls. I had to really start peppering my running with walking breaks. The pain sucked but since I knew what the problem was I stopped frequently to rub the muscle and rest it. The Osceola Parkway was as it has always been.....long and boring. After a rather nasty incline, they had speakers blaring "Sweet Caroline." That helped my sagging spirits. It was right at mile 22. The next two miles take you through Hollywood Studios and along the Boardwalk which is a really fun section. I finally dragged myself past the last water stop and to the mile 25 marker thinking, "Don't stop...run the last 1.2 miles." Yeah well that didn't last at all. I sort of limped around the World Showcase until I got to the EPCOT ball. Then I knew I was close and after passing that lovely gospel choir I turned on the jets to the finish. I even remembered to high-five the characters as I passed. When I finished I was actually wheezing which has never happened before and was a little scary. I got my mylar blanket and my medal and made my way to the post-race food and water quickly. My wheezing calmed down and I was able to find Jamie and the girls at our pre-determined meeting spot.

We had our family picture made with Chip and Dale and then headed back to the hotel.

This was my fifth marathon and by far the most difficult. It was a mental battle like none other. I'm proud of my finish time (4:14:14 if you're keeping track...) and another marathon completion, but I had to really earn those miles at the end. I'm glad I did it, but I'm also really glad this one is in the books.

Our First Adventure of 2012: Part 2

Since we were staying at a Disney resort, we were able to take advantage of Extra Magic Hours at Hollywood Studios on Saturday morning. That meant we were up and at 'em pretty early. We ate breakfast in the room and then hopped a bus to the park. It was GREAT to be there before the crowds really hit. We (and by we I mean..those non-chickens on the trip) were able to ride Tower of Terror and the Aerosmith Roller Coaster with practically no wait. It also meant we got to see some great characters.

The girls also saw Stitch and Piglet before we headed over to Mickey Mouse. We sort of always sneak in the back way at the Animator's Studio attraction. There was literally NO ONE in line. Not a soul. So not only did we get to see Mickey without a wait....he really lingered with us since there was no one in line behind us either!

Allie loved every minute of it! After that we sat on the front row of the Playhouse Disney Show, met Jake from Jake and the Neverland Pirates, as well as Mike and Sulley from Monsters, Inc. We rode Toy Story Mania, saw the Little Mermaid show, and met Buzz and Woody. We ate a nice picnic lunch and then it was time for the girls' favorite activity....the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground.

They ran around forever. Up next we took them on the Backlot Tour which they loved....and I loved because it put Allie to sleep! While she napped Jamie and the girls did the Star Wars ride and I took them to the Muppets Show. We caught the awesome Pixar Parade at 3, rode the Great Movie ride, and then sat on the FRONT ROW of the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular. That's always been one of my favorites! Despite being booked up, we managed to walk in and get a table at the SciFi Drive In. It's a fun restaurant where you get to eat in a car and watch old movies.

It was a hit with everyone! Right after dinner we caught the nightly lighting of the Christmas lights. It was SO neat!

We spent over 10 hours at the park but it was such a great day. Everyone had a nice time and all the Lamars (big and little) were on their super-best behavior. Another great Disney day in the books!

Wordless Wednesday

Our First Adventure of 2012

We are very fortunate to have started out the new year with an awesome vacation. As I have mentioned (endlessly, in fact...) we traveled to Orlando so I could participate in the Disney Marathon weekend once again. I'll have to break it out into a few blogs over the next few days just to get it all in.

We left last Thursday (the 5th) after school and drove well south of Atlanta before we stopped for the night. We have a nice, inexpensive hotel we've stayed at several times on our treks to Florida. We spent the night there and were back on the interstate by 8 a.m. which meant we arrived in the Sunshine State about an hour later.

And the Sunshine State lived up to its wonderful name. It welcomed us with blue skies and warm temperatures. We drove straight to the Wide World of Sports. Allie fell asleep about 4 minutes before we arrived so she and Jamie stayed in the car while the older girls and I ventured into the fray to pick up my race stuff. It was mass chaos, but organized chaos so we got my number, shirt, and other stuff in about an hour.

Our hotel was a stone's throw away so we went to check in and get settled in our room. We gave the girls their surprise (Dinner at Chef Mickey's!) before suiting up and heading to the pool.

That's right....we got to swim...in January. It was wonderful! After some time in the water we all showered and got dressed up for our night at Chef Mickey's. We rode the monorail over to the Contemporary Resort for our meal.

It was SO much fun! We got to see Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, and Pluto. Allie was in heaven. It was hard to get a picture of her looking at the camera....because all she wanted to do was look at the characters.

The older girls had gotten autograph books upon our arrival so they started filling them up as the characters came around. The food was pretty good too. I did some serious carbo-loading at the dessert bar! Yummy!

After dinner it was back to our hotel for the night. Chef Mickey's was the perfect way to kick off our Disney trip!

A New Running Goal

In 2010 I ran just over 450 miles. I worked hard and was able to top that in 2011 by running 696.5 miles. That .5 really bothers me. I'm one of those Type-A folks who always has to have her milage come out even. I have no idea how that little half-mile slipped though but I'm not going to let it happen again.

I was pleased with my almost 700 miles of running in 2011. I'd like to see it inch closer to 1,000. I have several running friends and one of them posted on Facebook that she'd run well over 1,500 miles in 2011....and she was injured for part of that. Seeing her number bummed me out and made me feel like a failure. But then I remembered...."Comparison is the thief of joy." Not sure who said it but it sounds VERY wise and is something I need to remember in all areas of life, especially in my running.

So this year, my only running goal is to keep running. I'm planning to do two marathons and hopefully a few other races. It's a huge part of my life and of who I am so I look forward to the miles I will run in the months to come.

See Ya Real Soon!

That's a picture of Allie from May 2010. It was her first trip to Walt Disney World in Orlando. She wasn't obsessed with Mickey yet, but you can tell from the picture she sure liked him. Over the last 18 months or so, her love for Mickey has turned into a borderline obsession. Soon she'll be getting to see The Mouse again and I can't wait to see her face when she does!