{ strike! }

We may have a new favorite activity.

Oh, yeah.

A new bowling alley recently opened in our area (in all fairness, it's an entertainment center, complete with lanes, two cinemas, game room, sports bar and restaurant) and, tired of being cooped up from the scorching summer, we went to give it a shot.

It was another first for Turtle.

At first, he just wanted to sit and watch, but soon he got more brave.

He was so excited to have his own (6lb) ball.

He insisted on carrying it himself.

We worked on technique.

It's all in the roll.

Strike!

Almost.

I haven't been bowling in ages, and this was such a nice change of pace. Turtle felt like such a big shot: he had a special ball, bumpers that came up just for him and he got to enjoy a lemonade on the couch while waiting for his turn.

Really. How do you beat that?

He lasted through two whole games, too, so you know he was loving it. And then, even though it was past nap time, he put down a bowl of mac & cheese at the restaurant.

Bowling makes you hungry.

It made a lasting impression. Turtle has asked to go back twice in the last week and a half. 

We definitely intend to do so.

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{ speaking of swimming... }

Turtle's taking lessons.

Our community is offering classes through a private company and we were quick to snap one up.

It's a private class - we thought the one-on-one would be good for him.

This is his look for class. The instructor advises goggles so little ones won't be constantly wiping water from their eyes.

 
He wanted orange. Of course.


They worked on paddling and kicking with the aid of some noodles.

Other skills include blowing bubbles,

blowing bubbles while paddling,

And floating on one's back like a starfish.

It's a process. Turtle places a lot of faith in our instructor, but he's cautious. Very, very cautious. He doesn't want to put his face in the water, which is posing a challenge, as it messes with his swimming form.


All in good time.


In the meantime, we've noticed progress. While on hiatus from class, he wants to swim "with himself" on the noodle. He is blowing bubbles voluntarily and he's dipping most of his face in on his own. He would prefer very much NOT to be dunked or go under, but he tolerates it fine.


When we resume, we will continue working on pushing off from the wall, and losing the noodle entirely for paddling and backstroking.


It's worth it, though.

The reward of a lollipop for a job well done is just what the doctor ordered.

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{ training tuesday: 7/26 edition }

In case you didn't get the memo. There's a heat wave sweeping the nation.

What does this mean? Temperatures are hovering between the ranges of Purgatory and Hell, while humidity assumes the consistency of day-old pea soup.

It's enough to make a person crawl into a chest freezer and wait for fall.

The reality is that we just have to ride it out.

And we're lucky. We have our power (mostly) and our air conditioning. 

Unfortunately, there's no way any human being can slog along in this weather and survive.

It's scary. Race day is fast approaching and it's not going to get easier. What's a competitor to do?

Swim.

It's really the only option.

Fortunately, we have a pool in our community, and it's never very crowded early in the morning. And since Turtle is currently enjoying swimming lessons, we are spending quite a bit of time in the deep end, so to speak.

How are you beating the heat?

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{ responsibility }

Over the past few weeks, Turtle has been doing what we affectionately call "testing us."

It's kind of awful.

We know, logically, that it's his age. And we know, rationally, that it's a phase. 

But, emotionally, it stings. 

And we were running pretty low on ideas.

We are really trying to work with the positive enforcement route. Keeping away from the negative. Focusing on the good. 

Turtle responds to that. 

To maintain consistency, and to work on some of our "challenge areas", I decided it was time for some kind of responsibility chart.

MacGyver was not entirely convinced. He felt Turtle was a little young to grasp the concept. My opinion was that the time was right to start teaching cause and effect, consequences and earning rewards.

I found this Circo responsibility chart in my favorite of favorite stores (Target) and we agreed we would give it a shot. Just to see if we noticed any improvement with certain behaviors.

It's a double-sided, magnetic board with a cord hanger. There is a nice variety of pre-printed magnet "responsibilities" (including, but not limited to "say please & thank you", "be nice", "help mom & dad", "pick up toys"), 4 or 5 blank magnets to create your own responsibility, 

themed magnets for daily achievements and coordinating magnets when you've reached your weekly goal. 

The extras can be stored on the back, while the front displays the weekly progress.

If Turtle does a good job (we're asking for about an 85% success rate right now), he gets to pick a prize.

I've been collecting little things in a shopping bag: puzzles, matchbox vehicles, Cars cars, sticker books, little things from the Dollar Spot or clearance bins at various stores. On Saturday evenings, we review Turtle's week, and if he's been a good boy, he gets to select one item from the bag.

We just finished Week 2 and he's been doing great. He's very excited to earn his surprises and the promise of a reward for better listening and picking up his toys without prompting.

As he gets older, we can all adjust what we hope from him and what rewards he will earn. It's basically a precursor to an allowance. 

And it's working great!

PS - I am really happy with the board we purchased. It's nicely made, brightly colored, and the magnets are strong. It's a great size (about 10x12) and is easy for little fingers to manage.

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{ taking a travel break }

Normally, we do a travel-themed post on Thursday, but.... I promised you some bedroom pictures.

I like to change bedding twice a year. We have a lovely set for winter (pale sage green and brown) and a fabulous set for summer.

Unfortunately, the summer set is about 10 years old. It's worn and starting to show. Which makes me sad.

I don't stay daunted for long.


We were browsing through Target (Shocking, I know. I should really be paying rent there) and I took a little detour through bedding. 


Poor MacGyver.


We found a great set that we both liked. I think I might have preferred it in yellow, but the turquoise is really pretty, too.

The existing, espresso-colored pillows we had worked great. But the addition of some color really packed a punch.

In almost four years of living here, I had never done anything with the wall above the bed.


However, I saw this great idea on, you guessed it, Pinterest, and decided to give it a try.


First, I collected frames. Some, we had at home. Others, I got at Walmart for $3 and $5, and Hobby Lobby at 50% off.

I didn't care about the colors. I removed all the backings and mats and glass.

And then I headed out to the garage with my trusty can of white spray paint.

I went to work.

I applied several coats, taking my time to avoid drips and clumping. The frames dried overnight.


And then I started hanging.

I am adding a few more to fill in some of the bigger spaces, as I find more frames on sale.

But we are absolutely in love with the result. It was the perfect finishing touch and the frame idea was great for a statement piece on an otherwise empty wall.

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{ when the going gets tough, the tough renovate }

Everyone has different ways of responding to stress.

Some people work out. Some people eat. Some people drink. Some people go to the mall and engage in some retail therapy.

Me? I do something semi-drastic to my hair.

And then I look for a sledgehammer and a nail gun.

It's just the way I am.

MacGyver has learned to live with it. He's not particularly interested in design or decor (short of how much money is being spent, because he's a fun burglar), and so if he just stands clear, well... no one gets hurt.

It's nice when MacGyver is out of town, because I'm not subjected to the constant "Why do you need to do this? Everything is fine. The house doesn't need any work." 

I'm not going to take the full blame for this latest round of craziness on my part. There's a new kid in town. Pinterest. If you haven't checked it out, please do so. At once. It's quite magical.

And, for people like me, quite dangerous.

It's giving me... IDEAS.

Which isn't a bad thing. At least, I don't think so.

MacGyver may disagree.


I started small. The kitchen window treatments. Our kitchen gets a lot of light and we had these almost-to-the-floor, white sailcloth drapes that I liked, but they weren't working. We had to keep opening and closing them to block the morning sun, which was leading to all manner of wrinkles and annoyingness.


Yes. That's a word.


It looked like this.

After much pondering (and glaring), I came to a conclusion. It was time to install a second rod and put in some cafe curtains (rod, valances and cafe panels courtesy of my favorite store, Target).

The difference is night and day. It's a cleaner, simpler look. We still get lots of light, without being blinded by the 7am sun. And because the light is more filtered, the main room of the house seems to be staying much cooler. 


It's nice when I can pass off my projects as economical.


After that, it was on to the attached living room.


This space has been a pain in my keister. We have a sectional couch and a large armchair. A wall of windows and a media niche (I have plans for the media niche, oh, yes, I do.)


First, I started moving some furniture around. Everything had been very square to the walls, and that needed to stop. I think it's much more open and welcoming now with the couch angled and the Ikea exepedit unit beneath the windows.

This is how it appears when you walk in. 

The pillows used to be a mishmash of red, rust and orange. It was time for a change. Again, Target to the rescue.

I was able to pick up three new pillows in complimentary patterns and different shapes and sizes. It was a good move. 


And hey, check this out.


I was purging (which I define as throwing away everything I come across that hasn't been used in the past 30 minutes) and came across this lowercase letter "e" that wasn't being used.

It was too cool to chuck, and I thought I could put it to use.


I found a frame at Michael's on clearance for $7.99. I put aside the mat and backing and spray painted it a brushed nickel color. Then I hung the frame and the "e" together.


Like so.

Such a simple thing, and yet it did so much.


There's really nothing a little Krylon can't fix.


But that's not all! Our master bedroom needed a little facelift, too. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow, along with a DIY tutorial for a very fun wall treatment. I think you're going to love it.

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{ training tuesday: 7/18 edition }

I don't have much today.

I was home with Turtle last week, and he's really not the best for long stroller rides while Mommy puts in miles. I tried to make up for it with serious 30 Day Shredding, which has made me feeling extremely toned. Amazing what some planks can do.

So we continue. 

I haven't started the "official" countdown yet. I think we will start that in August. Then it will be really, really real.

Check in. Let me know how you're all doing. What races do you have planned? Are you kicking arse? 

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{ my slippery slope }

No good ever comes from a post that starts with "I have a confession..."

But I do.

This past week has not been full of shining moments for me as a mother.

In fact, when Turtle shut himself in his room yesterday during some form of fit, I had visions of grabbing my purse, bolting out of the house, and buying tickets to three consecutive showings of The Deathly Hallows Part 2. While leaving my phone in the car. (Please note: MacGyver was in the house. He would not have been left in the sole care of the pugs. They would just probably be responsible for meals).

It was a slow build. We returned home from an amazing and peaceful vacation at Nana and Papa Bear's house. MacGyver threw himself back into work. And then he developed some form of man-cold. And then he left to go stay with his father for a few days to help him out as he recovered from hernia surgery. And then he came home, still suffering from the same man-cold. 

And all the while, Turtle kept up a running monologue "Mommy do you see this train Mommy do you like this train Mommy play trains with me Mommy I love when you play trains Mommy do you want to hold this train No Mommy you can't hold this train Mommy let's play blocks Mommy what about stickers MommyIlikethesedinosaursMommyMommyMommyyyyyyyyyy!"

He never comes up for air.

It's exhausting.

Add to that a few eating strikes, some fits, and three pugs who all decided to behave at the diva-i-est level of high maintenance, and I was nearing the brink. 

Fast.

There's only so many deep breaths I can take. Only a limited number of count-to-tens. Only so many times that I can remind myself that Turtle is just a three year old. That he's just asserting himself. That he's just having age-appropriate responses to things he likes and doesn't like. And on and on and on.

We try not to yell. We try not to raise our voices. It's just something we don't feel is productive. Turtle's hearing is fine. We shouldn't have to holler or scold in order to get our points across.

Hearing and listening, though. Those are two different things.

I'm not proud of myself. It was one of those moments where I had to go to the bathroom and Oscar was scratching to go out and Bentley was pawing at the refrigerator door and I was asking Turtle to just sit at the table while I got him whatever it was he was asking for and he was totally ignoring me because three-year-olds aren't the most patient people either and I just needed everyone to stop. There was most likely a lot of whining going on.

So I yelled.

I regretted it immediately.

I was wrong.

I was tired and cranky and doing the best I could and I reacted badly.

Fortunately (or unfortunately), Turtle didn't seem phased. He kind of looked at me like I had grown another head, and then went right back to asking for cheese. He's not one to be deterred.

On some level, that kind of ground my gears a little. 

And it also became a slippery slope for me. Because over the next few days, as I struggled with insomnia and keeping the house running, I caught my voice raising again and again. My patience was running on empty and I was inexcusably snappish and intolerant.

The more it happened, the more angry I became with myself, too. 

I wasn't helping the situation. We were all just reacting to each other and we all pretty much needed a huge attitude overhaul.

MacGyver and I managed to get a babysitter and go out to dinner in the middle of the last week. We had a small, personal victory to celebrate, and it was a nice break. No dinner to cook, no pots and dishes to clean. We went somewhere new and took our time.

It was enough.

I had the recharge I needed to get me to the weekend, where I would have a little bit of backup. I'm able, again, to take my deep breaths and remind myself that Turtle is just a three-year-old, doing three-year-old things.

Parenting is a learning curve. None of us get it right all the time. It would be so much easier (on our hearts, on our egos, on our self-esteem) on us if we did. The parent-child relationship is fluid, always flowing and changing. The one constant is love. 


I apologized to Turtle for being impatient. For yelling. I don't know if he understood or not. He keeps his cards close to his vest, that one. I'm pretty sure he's not holding it against me, even if I am. We're lucky. We have a little boy who's bright and inquisitive and vivacious. He's interested in every little thing that's going on. He adores us and wants to be involved with us. And while it can be draining, we really are blessed. In the moment, weighed down by pressure to finish errands and mop the floor and fold the laundry and get a meal on the table, it's surprising how easily I can forget to be grateful for that.


This week was a reminder for me.


One I intend to keep at the forefront of my conscious.


Upward and onward. This week? This week will be better. I will be better. 


And Turtle? Well. He's pretty awesome, even if, like Olivia, he does wear me out. I love him anyway.

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{ going on a trip: photography }

When Turtle was born, one of the must-haves on our list was a good camera.

Strike that. One of the must-haves on MY list was a good camera.

We had a dinky point-and-shoot that was nearing the end of its life. It had been purchased on the merits that it was a) red and b) so itty bitty it could fit in a small clutch or MacGyver's pocket.

The color red does not a high-quality camera make. Make a note.

MacGyver and I both had our concerns about purchasing a DSLR. I was worried about the size. It's a pretty bulky thing to be hauling around to dinner or on a trip. MacGyver's reaction was more along the lines of "You want to spend HOW MUCH? On a camera?"

I convinced him with a well-placed argument on how a good camera would allow us to skip a lot of pro picture sessions. Sadly for him, that was with the understanding that he would learn how to use the camera (as far as composition) and we now have pro sessions mostly so that Turtle has pictures of him with me.

While I admit it's not ideal for every situation (I do need to get a P&S for the half marathon in October, because there is NO way I can be cruising along with a Canon Rebel xti dangling from my neck), it's been wonderful for travel.

I like to consider myself a hobbyist in this field. I really love taking pictures. I love when they work out better than expected. I do not love editing, but I do it. I love new equipment and lenses. I love getting the chance to practice on new subjects.

I love the memories we bring home, more than any state shot glass or landmark t-shirt.

Sometimes, it's hard. If we're rushing and Turtle doesn't want to cooperate. If it's crowded or busy. It would be nice, sometimes, to have an hour to really choose and set up shots I want. I think that will get easier as time goes on. For now, we make it work, as best we can.

I am also hoping to be able to enlarge and frame some of my favorite vacation shots, both portraits and landmarks. It's so comforting to be surrounded with fondly remembered moments.

I would have loved a chance to shoot Times Square at night. And I can't wait to head out west in a year or two to see a hot air balloon festival. We have a great nature-themed trip coming up, too and that's definitely going to be a challenge. Seeing as how I love the Great Outdoors so much. I'm excited.

What camera do you use when you're traveling? What are your favorite things to capture in digital images? Is there something you're absolutely craving to shoot?

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{ fourth of july, the luau part }

Every so often, our part of the neighborhood arranges for a block party. 

It's a lot of fun and a great way to hang out with neighbors we might not ordinarily get to see.

We do it as a potluck, where everyone contributes a little something. It turns out great.

Several of the guys got together to supply the meat. The original plan was to roast a whole pig. Fortunately (or unfortunately), the butcher talked them down. Apparently, whole pigs have a lot of waste (head, feet... that kind of thing) and we really had no use for any of that.

Anyway, they picked up some pork roasts and legs. The meats were smoked and served with all kinds of yummy sauces. Yay.

The theme of this shindig was...

MacGyver was excited to dress for the occasion.

We made a huge batch of sangria in a very lovely orange cooler. Home Depot really has it all.

Decorating was easy. Just some bright garlands...

And everyone got to grab some props. We had leis, American flags and glow bracelets.

I made some of the desserts. The cake was chocolate with a buttercream and toasted coconut filling. There were also key lime cupcakes (which were GONE in about four minutes) and pineapple upside down cupcakes.

Turtle had such a good time playing with all his friends (notice how flushed he is from running around). However, he had to take a mac and cheese break. You know. For energy.

The sun set.

Some guests lingered, enjoying the light of the tiki torches, good music and conversation.

The kids played with sparklers.

It was a great party.

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{ training tuesday: fear }

Race day is still about 3 months away. 

And I'm scared.

I don't do well with surprises. The unknown.

I like to have a clear idea of what lies ahead. What I'm up against.

It's part of my Type A, control freak nature, I guess.

One of my running mates suggested I enter a few 5Ks to get an idea of how it will be. And while I understand her rationale, I think it would be worse for me. It's not going to be the same at all. Not in time of day or distance or the people running. In my head, that won't work and will only serve to psych me out.

Another one of my faults is that I tend to overanalyze things. Go figure.

FDR's timeless "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself" is so true in this case. I admit it. I'm afraid of my fear.

And failing.

But I guess I can't fail if I don't try.

I am going to finish this race if Pluto has to drag me over the finish line, himself. I am going to be an anxious, nervous, shaking wreck in the weeks, days and hours prior. And probably all through the first mile or two.

Because that's how I roll.

How was your first big race experience? How did you mentally prepare? Did it end up being better or worse than you thought? Help me get over my fears!

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{ 4th of July in review, part the first }

Yes. I know. 

Fourth of July was LAST week.

But that doesn't mean the memory of the celebration can't go on, does it?

We had such a jam-packed long-weekend of fun. It took pretty much a week to recover from the mayhem.

Let's start on Friday, July 1.

MacGyver and I headed out to dinner with Turtle and then made our way back to claim our campsite for fireworks. We have a fabulous venue for holiday events and we managed to secure the perfect place to spread our blanket and camp chairs.

Turtle nommed on an ice cream cone while we waited.

Quick mommy and son shot by the lake.

And at 9:30, it was time for the fireworks!

So pretty. 

The next day, we were up bright and early. 

We had sandcastles to build, 

the surf to watch, 

and waves to outrun.

Exhausting!

But we weren't finished! 

Our dear friends invited us to a celebration with their family.

There was a parade.

The boys had a wonderful time snacking and watching the festivities.

Love this picture, even if we're not wearing our red, white and blue!

Stay tuned for the rundown of our block party luau on Wednesday! 

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