swimmin'

Ellie started swim lessons yesterday. She is in the 4-5 year olds so she is definitely one of the youngest, since she won't be 4 until April. Also, at 4, the mommies and daddies don't go in the water.

She was SOEXCITED!!! all day yesterday. It wasn't until about 4:00 and she mentioned all the fun water slides that I realized that she thought we were going "fun swimming." I had to explain that we were going to learn how to swim so we could have lots of fun "fun swimming" this summer and she would be safe.

She was still excited. Whew.

So we get there and the instructor had all the kids sit on the side and then slide into the water and hang onto the side. I was a little nervous. Every time we have been swimming I have held her and such in the pool. She held on for about 4 minutes and then started to cry. She was scared! Chris leaned over to me and said "maybe she isn't ready for this?"

Hm. Maybe.

But the instructor handled it great. She carried Ellie around for a little while using her do demonstrate what the class needed to do. Then she set her on the step. Ellie liked that much better.

By the end of the class, she had blown bubbles and made a few trips up and down the pool with the instructors kicking her little feet. Also she jumped off the side to an instructor and went completely under. I thought for sure she would cry but nope. She was surprised but proud. Afterwards, I went up to the instuctor and asked if we needed to move down a class and she said Ellie did great and that she was right where she needed to be.

Ok then.

The pics aren't great cause the lighting is awful, but you get the general idea.

dear chris

Dear Chris,

Happy Birthday! I just wanted you to know how very much I love you and to thank you for all the wonderful things you do for me and Ellie. You are the best husband and the best daddy in the whole world.

Can you believe that we have officially been together for over half our lives now? It seems like just yesterday I was cheering for you on the basketball court or you were picking me up for prom.

Since those early years we have seen a lot of really really good times and a few really hard times. All of it has made us who we are and we are stronger for it. We are the best couple I know. Maybe it is because we have been together since the dawn of time. Or maybe it is because we are just made to be together. I don't really care why. I am just so glad you are mine.

You really are my very best friend and I can NOT imagine my life without you in it.

I love you. Enjoy your day!

Love,
Tia

PS. I promise to make you something better than minestrone soup for dinner tonight.

spam

Ugh. There has been some spam get through lately so for a little while, I need to review comments before they show up.

Please keep commenting though. I love comments!!

a lofty goal

I am not Catholic. I grew up Methodist. But for some reason, every year, I am drawn to give up something for Lent. I mean really, after what Jesus did for me, it is the least I can do, right?

This year I am doing something a little different and it is going to be a CHALLENGE. My goal is to run 100 miles in the Lenton season. That is like a 5k every single day. That is hard! Plus I have a lot of stuff going on so I am going to have to run on some little mini vacations and get up early and run in the dark. It is a lofty goal. But if I can do it, think how good I will feel on Easter morning!

I started running exactly a year ago and while I hate everysinglesecond of the run, I LOVE how I feel for hours afterwards. This past summer is the best I have felt and looked in years. I loved every minute of it. Then, I totally got out of the habit last November when it started to get cold and dark and the holidays were happening and so much was going on. I was so mad at myself. I had spent 9 months running 3-4 times a week and then I just stopped. Just like that. Stupid. 6 pounds have found their way back to my butt and tummy. Not cool. Not cool at all.

So I am back at it. I am up to 8.9 miles so far. Only 92ish more to go.

I can do it!

a horrible, gigantic, enormous mistake

For months and months I have been reading blogs about a certain store and how in love all these classy women are with this store. I thought to myself:

"Self, thank GOD there isn't one of those near here, cause I would go bankrupt."

Then I found out there was one near here. Damn. I had to go in, I had to. So, one night last month, I left early for my Mom's Night Out and ventured, for the very first time ever, into a..

da da daaaaaaaaaaaa

ANTHROPOLOGIE

OH. MY. GOD.

The minute I walked in, I felt like I was on vacation. For real. I wondered around in awe for awhile, touching some fabric here, admiring a dress there, flipped through a few books and looked at the gorgeous dishes. Thankfully, I didn't leave myself much time and left without buying anything. Afterwards I found out there is a whole room in the back that is clearance. A WHOLE ROOM. Must go back soon. My birthday is coming up. I might ask to spend the whole day there.

Here are a few of my favorites currently listed online..

Love love love this dress

and this one

and this one

all of which I think would love fabulous with these shoes.

I also fell in love with this scarf. Gorgeous.

And this cute little birdie necklace,

and this stylish hat! I just discovered that I can sort of pull off hats so I am always looking for cute ones.

And then I ventured to the home section where I found these little measuring cups,

this awesome cookie jar,

this little butter dish, my favorite thing I found today, and

these little salt and pepper shakers. I have a little collection of salt and pepper shakers and think these would fit nicely. Yep. Like them a lot. And that little butter dish above... Did I mention my birthday was coming up? Just sayin'...


Yep. I have a new favorite store.

this and that

Lately we have been sledding (with friends this time!)

making snow mountains!

visiting Dave and Busters (where $20.00 worth of games and tickets got us 2 beautiful princess bracelets, tattoos and a sucker!)

eating heart pancakes!

and getting haircuts! By our little friend. Note to self, when 3 year olds are being very quiet, check on them IMMEDIATELY! Luckily, it is not terribly noticeable, but I have a feeling that growing it out is going to be not so fun...

another wintry day at the zoo

It warmed up to a balmy 28 degrees so Ellie and I bundled up and headed to the zoo for our annual "wintry day at the zoo."

It really is neat. We were like 2 of 18 people there. And the animals really cooperate. We saw: the lions fight, the wolf sisters (who never come out!), a baby tree kangaroo, the polar bear swimming, and a gorilla eat his own poo. We also spent about an hour in the dark watching the sharks swim. We just sat and talked and watched. I will always remember that. It was one of "those moments." There is this huge ugly fish that is in with the sharks and every time he would surface to where we could see him, Ellie would scream and giggle. She is terrified of that ugly fish. She wants the sharks to eat it. "Someone should tell the sharks that he would make a good lunch mommy."

The lions. I think she was feeling frisky, cause she kept trying to seduce him and he wanted NONE of it.

Ellie demonstrating how cold it was.

Pretty birds

Ellie on a rock. What is it with kids and rocks? or ledges? or fences?

A little fire. We have been having these lately and they are nice!


A good day indeed.

superbowl

Yeah. We're Colts fans, so whatever.

We did have fun at the Palladino's though. Just the fam. It was nice.

what i've been reading

I have been reading so many good books lately. A little bit of everything. I thought I would do a little run down of them.

One Second After by William Fortchen: Scariest book I have ever read. FOR REAL. It is about a small town in S. Carolina and what happens after a EMP (electromagnetic pulse) goes off above the atmosphere. Basically, everything shuts down. EVERYTHING. Cars, electricity,heat, water, etc...Basically, anything run by a computer just fails to work. It focuses on one man with 2 daughters and what he has to do to make sure they survive. It details how quickly neighbors turn on each other and how quickly society falls apart. Did I mentioned it scared the shit out of me? I even started a small stockpile of food in my basement. Seriously. That scary.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy: Very good. Another apocolyptic novel. Set in the near future but not nearly as scary. Written in a very odd fashon. No quotes, you never learn names. Weird. Very sad though.

The Genghis Series by Conn Iggulden. Historical fiction about the rise of Genghis Kahn. Fantastic books! The mongols are an amazing people. Most of the book is pretty accurate and at the end of each, the author discusses what is real and what he created. My husband even read these and he is not much of a reader. I have also started the Caesar series by the same author.

Dear John by Nicholas Sparks: Very easy read. I thought this was my next book club pick, but I was wrong. Oops. Oh well, still very good, if a bit (ok, A LOT) predictable. I read this after both apocolyptic books so it was a much needed break. I did fall in love a little with John.

Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldan: This is a WONDERFUL series that I have been reading for 10 years. I love them so much that I savor them. There is one more after this one. I don't want them to end. Prepare yourself though. They are all LONG books. The series is about a woman who mistakenly goes back in time to 1700's Scotland and meets Jamie Fraser. I would leave my husband for Jamie Fraser (don't worry, he knows this). She is a nurse and he is a highlander. SO. VERY. GOOD. The first book in the series is Outlander.

Others I would recommend:

The Help by Kathryn Stockett.
The Red Tent by Anita Diamont.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. My favorite of all time.
Enders Game by Orson Scott Card.
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
The Maximum Ride series by James Patterson
The Long Walk by Stephen King
The Ramona Quimby books by Beverly Cleary
Clan of the Cave Bear by Jan M. Auel
Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'dell.

There are lots more, but I have to stop somewhere!

What are you reading?

dentist day

I love my dentist, cause he is family, but I HATE going to the dentist. I had 40 hours of unmedicated labor that ended in a c-section and I would almost rather do that again than get a cleaning. Ok, not really, but you get what I mean.

Ellie, however, seems not bothered by it at all. She did great! No cavaties! Yea!


Michelle is our hygenist and she is fantastic! Super gentle. Chris and I, well, mostly me, will ONLY go to Michelle.

Oh. And I have a cavity, to be filled on Wednesday. Yuck.