SUPER SATURDAY FIRSTS

Saturday was filled with lots of excitement and firsts for the Peanut and for Vans. The minute the Peanut woke up on Saturday she asked me, "where's Daddy?" as I think she was concerned that Friday's reunion was just a mirage.

When she saw Vans for the first time on Friday after his "business trip," it was probably one of the most special moments I have ever witnessed. Both Vans and I surprised her at school. I walked into her classroom first, and like usual, she ran to give me a hug. Then I said, "there is someone at the door for you" and when she looked up Vans was coming through and the smile on her face was pure joy. She ran faster than I have ever seen her run before and she threw her complete body against him almost knocking him over for probably the world's biggest hug. Her eyes were teary and she just said "Daddy!" My eyes were teary, Van's eyes were teary and anyone watching could see it was just a special moment.

So when she woke up on Saturday she was just still unsure whether or not he was actually home. He was and we all had to rush to get ready because our first order of business on Saturday morning was for the Peanut's first ever haircut! She is going to be three next month and she has never had a haircut before. All of the swimming as of late had really destroyed the ends of her precious hair.

So after some research, I found a place that was about 25 minutes from the house and the whole family loaded into the car. She was actually quite excited about it but all that changed the moment we entered Lollicuts.

Check out the chairs! A pink Jeep!

The minute we entered, the Peanut started crying. She didn't want to choose a chair, she didn't want to wear the drape (as you can see above) and she did not want to sit still. After a lot of forcing and bribing (ahem, see the iphone in her hands?) she was content to just sit there miserably while Lynn, the hair lady, cut her hair.

Sometimes she would ask to hold my hand. 

Most of the time she asked to hold my hand. 

Lynn the hair lady was crazy fast though. She had the Peanut's hair cut/layered and blown dry within about 15 minutes. She was the fastest person I have ever seen do hair. 

Almost done!

Lynn even let the Peanut pick out a bow and did a fancy hair-do. The Peanut showed no interest and only wanted the free lollipop that comes at the end of the whole process. 

The end result was amazing. She only trimmed of 3 inches but she did it in such a way that left the Peanut's hair just bouncing with curls!

finished product from the back.

finished product from the front

Not long after arriving home from Lollicuts, the three of us had to head out to another "first" for the Peanut . . . 

Her first ever Super-Hero Birthday Party! Our friends Biceps and Sarcastic had a birthday party for their son who turned 3 and the theme was Super-Heroes! They even provided capes for the kids! It was awesome. 

The Peanut wearing a cape

and enjoying other kid's toys (of course). 

This party had it all. Biceps is an amazing party planner by nature and I think I might have to hire her some day! Check out what was there . . . 

A candy bar!

"Superstar-sandwiches" and "krypto-nuggets"

Super-heroes guarding the snacks

Super-hero cupcakes and Cake Pops!

The cake pops were a complete and total hit with the Peanut. At first, she knew she wanted one but wasn't quite sure what to do with it once she had it.

You mean I eat this?

Really!!??

Mmm, not so bad after I remove the star candies

Definitely enjoying this

Happy Parents

After the world's best super-hero party, the three of us had to race out for another first, this time for Vans. A few weeks ago, Vans threw out his back doing some yard work and was worried about his mountain bike races that were starting this coming Sunday.

So what is a wife to do? Schedule a massage for him with the world fantastic Lily of course! Vans is not generally a massage kind of guy but he needed help and I knew Lily could help. She worked her magic on him and he was able to race in Sunday's race. Stay tuned for scenes from a muddy Sunday! 

Overall Saturday was jam packed and the Peanut had a blast. Sunday was very much the same with us constantly on the move. This momma needs some quiet time. 

SCENES FROM FLORIDA PART 2

If you want to see Scenes from Florida Part one click here. Otherwise, keep reading for more "work" adventures from Van's on his "business trip" to Florida (I am getting more and more suspicious with every email from him).

Of course the Peanut and I asked Vans to please bring us back a souvenir from the good old Sunshine State!

I have a feeling he bought something here.

A one-stop shop if you will.

Apparently after a group "shopping trip," Vans and his traveling co-workers were treated to a day at the races complete with lunch.  

Lunch with a bunch of the Red Hat Ladies no less!

No, Vans did not wear a red hat (that I am aware of at least). He also had no clue who the Red Hat Ladies were until I told him. Apparently they are quite popular in Florida as he's seen them more than once. Something tells me Vans will have a new "hat" to add to his hat collection when he gets home.

Because going to a race track to gamble (with your out of state work peers) sounds like a good idea . . . .

Don't worry, Vans kept the tradition alive and lost all that he gambled on. I told him to choose the horse by its name and not its stats! I mean, you have to go with names like Absolute Bullet Proof and PaintTheTownRed (no spaces on purpose) when you gamble and forget what the odds say right? Hmm, maybe that is why we also lose at gambling.

Don't worry, Vans kept himself occupied otherwise . . . and probably nice and cool too.

post race shower for the horses

Tonight is my last night solo with the Peanut before Vans comes home on Friday. We both miss him but I think we both are really enjoying our mommy and daughter time together. I gave her a treat on the drive home yesterday which she really inhaled enjoyed.

Yes it was chilly yesterday!

I don't dress her like a mummy regularly.

After we got home, she let me jump on the elliptical again for 30 minutes or so while she entertained herself with her Dora the Explorer big wheel.

are you done yet mom?

Thirty-minutes is about all the Peanut can stand with me on the elliptical and both of us stuck in the garage. It's also all I can take as well because the Dora the Explorer Big Wheel also plays musical tunes (that can drive you insane if played repeatedly).

Tonight will be a Peanut night. No elliptical. No garage. I have no idea what is in store for us yet because it is pouring like mad outside right now. Something tells me hot chocolate might in the mix though.

SCENES FROM FLORIDA

Vans sent me a bunch of photos from his "business trip" in Florida last night. He tells me he's too "busy" all day to respond to emails or texts that I might send but some how from the following photos, I am not so sure I believe him.

Wow Honey, your "office" is mighty sandy today no?

Um, the "office" cafeteria maybe?

Hydrating with "juice" right?

Hmm, your coworkers look like they might have spent the day at the office. You in your t-shirt look well . . . very beachy.

The view from your office window RIGHT?!

He's working hard and apparently squeezing in some fun times. Good for him. Two more sleeps until he's home though. That is how we explain "days" to the Peanut. When she is excited for her swim class I have to tell her "three more sleeps until you can swim again" and it seems to work. Telling her she has to wait until Sunday or whatever doesn't quite compute to a 2.5 year old.

Sleeping through the night also does not seem to compute to this particular 2.5 year old either. We had various wake ups last night. Once at 2:30 and then again at 3:30. I finally "gave up" and this is what I slept between last night . . .

Jack the cat on one side

Peanut on the other

Vans might have very well lost his spot in the bed or else he better invest in a King size for us! Once she settled down she slept well . . . minus the many "sleep conversations" she had last night. I can't complain, apparently I was a "talker" in my sleep as a kid . . . Vans doesn't complain now but maybe he's just pleading the 5th.

MAKING IT WORK

Like I posted yesterday, Vans is out of town on business for the entire week. The Peanut and I have been having a great time but we do miss him. Now as many of you know, the Peanut does not sleep, practically ever. The kid can subsist on the littlest of sleep it seems. We try for an 8 pm bedtime only to have her fall asleep at 10:30 pm. I can be asleep by 9 pm most nights. I'd rather wake early and go to bed early. The Peanut is a lot like Vans in that she likes to go to bed late yet still wake early (unlike Vans).

So I knew with Vans gone this week, any form of exercise for me would be hard to come by especially since it has been raining so much. Walks/runs with the Peanut in the BOB stroller are great but only when a park can be a our destination, otherwise, it can get quite ugly. Last night I had an idea. We have an elliptical in our garage and Van's car is gone for the week . . . hmmm, what fun games can I come up with to allow myself at least 30 minutes (better than nothing) on the elliptical and have the Peanut be entertained? Well, I didn't have to come up with much, the Peanut was entertaining me more than I was entertaining her!

First it was an after school snack while watching Kipper . . . not my program of choice for exercising but hey, it worked.

(terrible photos to come, sorry)

Sitting on a box having a snack

When Kipper was over she starting looking around at what was in the garage. I purposely brought in her big wheel so she could go to town in the empty space where Vans's car normally sits (ignore the still messy garage please):

beep beep backing up!

wham! banging into anything she can

She eventually got bored with the big wheel and decided to go on a hunt . . .

for flies!

She hunted throughout the garage 'attacking' flies like there were hundreds of them. I hope she can do the same with the mosquitoes this summer!

Then she transformed herself into a bee (because um, no body swats at bees?) and began "hunting for honey" (I couldn't break her heart and tell her bees made honey vs hunting for it). She was buzzing all around the garage pretending to be a bee while I was trying my best to capture it on my phone while ellipticaling (?).

buzz buzz

hunting for honey

buzzzz

Overall, I managed 30 minutes on the elliptical. She even joined in the last few minutes to help me with intervals yelling "faster! slower! faster! slower!" which was actually quite effective for me.

I am happy I managed to get in some form of exercise because I have been thinking a lot about running and being able to train again post Trailbaby. I am not going to rush into it but approach it much the same way I did with the Peanut in 2008. I ended up running the California International Marathon (CIM) when she was almost 8 months old. I actually PR'd that race without even trying. My goal was to finish and to finish happy and healthy and not sacrifice my body, my milk or any time with my new baby. It totally worked and that is what I am going for again this year with Trailbaby.

Yesterday I officially signed for CIM 2011. December 4, 2011 to be exact and I can hardly wait. Trailbaby will be a bit younger, maybe 6 or 7 months but my goals will remain the same. I am happy to have something to look forward to and I know Van's is excited because that means he gets to plan a breakfast of mimosas for all our friends who come out and cheer me on at mile 23!

I've been searching for my old training program that I followed post Peanut in 2008 hoping I can follow that again this year as it really seemed to work well for me and for Vans. Of course it'll be a bit tougher now that we'll have two to look after but I know Vans will support me any way he can. I missed CIM this past year since I was too pregnant and I was not a happy camper. Happy Wife = Happy Life!

ON OUR OWN

Vans left for Florida at 5:30 am Sunday morning. I can't give him a hard time about it as it is a business trip to St. Pete and I've seen his daily schedule . . . jam packed with all sorts of business-like aka boring stuff. Granted, he IS staying in a very nice Hilton with a room all to himself complete with a flat screen tv. He is also resigned to spend his days in 85 degree weather complete with sunshine while we're fighting to stay afloat in the monsoon that is here in northern California.

Van's hotel

the view from his room

I know I should let him enjoy his time and that really it is being spent in meetings and one on one interviews with his office peers but still . . . when I wake up and receive this photo . . .

and this one . . .

Sharing with me that it is 85 degrees while the Peanut and I are wearing sweatshirts and soaked shoes, is not nice. I kid. He's enjoying the weather and more importantly, he DESERVES some time alone. Nights with out a waking/crying Peanut. He has earned it. Unfortunately Vans does not enjoy being alone. Ever. He much prefers the company of people especially when traveling. Man, how we differ on that one sometimes! Give me a week in a Florida Hilton with 85 degree temps and the air so humid my hair might actually curl on its own? That's heaven my friends.

However, this is also heaven for me . . . time with the Peanut. Just us girls.

frozen yogurt with COOKIES

dipping them in the yogurt is yummy

it also means mom can't share my yogurt if cookie crumbles are in there

(smart kid huh?)

We've survived our first night solo. The Peanut realized this morning that Vans was not around to do his morning routine with her (brush teeth, tie shoes, go potty etc) but I do think she enjoys being mommy's helper.

Tonight she wants to get her hair cut because I told her the place gives out lollipops . . . I hope I am not wrong otherwise I might lose my happy little helper.

RELIEF

Last night I treated myself. I haven't run since Saturday where I ran 3.5 miles followed by assembling some new patio furniture and then by 8pm I could barely walk my back was so sore. From running? From assembling four chairs and two ottomans? Who knows. I do know however, that I needed a massage.

I quickly emailed my massage therapist Lily. She had massaged me through my ultra training/running days last year. Lily is Coach Nikon's wife (and now ultra-runner in crime) and a miracle worker.

Coach Nikon had told me a while back that Lily had one of these . . .

Yup, that's a massage table with holes! One for the baby belly and two for . . . well, you know. I've had pregnancy massages before and most fancy spa places have the table with the belly hole . . . NOT the other two. Let me just tell ya, those other two holes . . . VERY VERY important and very very comfortable.
After an hour in Lily's care I felt amazing. I slept amazing (first time in a long time) and for the first time in a very long time, I can finally stand on my right leg without any pain shooting through my hip/back area. Success!

I think I may need to schedule a Lily massage maybe one more or two more times before Trailbaby gets here (ahem, Vans are you reading this? . . . Happy Wife = Happy Life). Lily is not only amazingly sweet and nice, she is a master at her craft, affordable and has helped tons of people get through injuries, post race soreness and of course pregnancy induced aches and pains.

If you can, contact her. Schedule a massage and be prepared to have one of the best massages ever!

You can click the logo on my side bar to open up Lily's contact page where you can call and/or email her for a massage. Do it. You won't be disappointed!

SIDE LINED

After the Peanut's swim lesson I went out to the garage to tackle the elliptical. No go. The back was not having it. Grrrr. I realized this morning that I feel my best in the morning (when I have had a good night of sleep) so perhaps, I should start trying to workout in the morning.

I used to do this but then sleeping went downhill. I need to refocus. Walk/running is definitely better than elliptical so maybe I'll just wake up and venture outside in the morning darkness as opposed to the evening darkness . . . same thing right?

The Peanut however, got her swim on last night. She continues to amaze me and Vans. She's turning 3 at the end of April. Just two months ago, she was shy and timid around water and absolutely under no circumstance did she want to get her face wet. Bathing was even hard for us. Water in the face caused a lot of screaming. Last summer she refused to go in the pool unless someone was holding her or she could stand in water that was about knee high . . .

Check out last night's video . . . oh how times have changed in just a few short weeks! She's the one jumping off the little ledge.

GO PEANUT!!!

A LITTLE BIT OF SOMETHING

Last night was Monday night (duh). Mondays are tough. Mondays are even tougher when you're 6.5 months pregnant, commute an hour each way to work with a toddler and you are training said toddler to be potty trained (read: 11:30 am potty visits, 4 am potty visits oy).

The last thing I wanted to do when I got home was go for a run. I looked longingly at the elliptical but when I saw that there was some hint of daylight left I decided to go for a walk/run through the neighborhood. My back and hip has been killing me lately so this was mostly a walk up the hills and run the flats when I felt like it kind of night. I was some what deflated that I wasn't moving or running as well as I would have liked. I only managed about 2.5 miles total. It was dark and Vans had a soccer game and I owed the Peanut a few rounds of Candyland.

told ya it was DARK out there

Tonight I think I am going to hit the elliptical after the Peanut's swim lesson. I need a break from the jarring that running seems to be giving me lately. As boring at the elliptical is, at least it is something in the form of activity. Just like last night's measly 2.5 (hilly) miles was something resembling movement.

I don't have to work this weekend which is nice. We are prepping the house for a friendly gathering aka BBQ (um, in the rain?). Last weekend I worked however but it involved quite a bit of moving around. My usual Saturday location is the Fleet Feet Roseville store but they have recently under gone a major renovation/expansion (if you haven't seen it yet, it's gorgeous! go now!). However, they had just lacquered the floors the night before I showed up which made it a bit too toxic for this pregnant lady. Instead, I worked over at Fleet Feet Fair-Oaks location with some familiar faces that I had not worked with in a while. It was a fun day.

The Peanut and Vans had a fun day as well which included a visit the park and a small father/daughter photo session.

what a sweet face!

yes, she gets away with murder sometimes

love her