October 2010 photos

Carving our Halloween pumpkin!

Complete concentration. This is serious business.

Jon is getting interested.

Hmmm. Can I see what's in there?

Let's see...

Ah ha!! The pumpkin scooper!

Daddy's attempt at a family photo!

Lydia carving the face.

A visit to Baba and Dedo's house...all dressed up!

Hangin' with Uncle Bob.

 

 

Visiting Great Gram G.

Mom and dad went to a Halloween party.

There were some pretty good costumes!

Time to Trick-or-Treat!

Jonny the Spider

Jonny sure does love his big sister.

 Lydia the Unicorn Pegasus

Jonny was the keeper of the light.

 

Good Night!  (Mommy used to love sleeping surrounded by her stuffed animals too!)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!! The scent of Thanksgiving is wafting through the house. The bird goes in the oven at 11:00. The guests arrive at 2:00. Lydia and Jonny are busy coloring together. Pete is on his way to the store for Drano for a clogged drain. I think it's a perfect Thanksgiving. Let the feasting begin!

The Pink Apron

    

     Thanksgiving is a mere week away. I get super excited for the holidays. Thanksgiving weekend is the weekend I get the house all decorated, the tree goes up, the outside Christmas lights get turned on, and I go black Friday shopping, even the years I'm not out for anything specific. I just like the energy you feel during that shopping experience. I am going to try a couple of new turkey day recipes, healthier versions of some things I already make. Next week, we also cook our annual feast in the classroom. My students, and the faculty that join us, really enjoy the cooking and feasting experience. The pink William-Sonoma apron has been pressed and is hanging in my classroom, anxiously waiting for next week. 

     The holiday festivities are beginning. I plan on getting the outside lights hung this weekend. I promise I won't turn them on until the Friday following Thanksgiving. Although, driving home at night, you see plenty of them already on in our neighborhood. If the weather permits, we're going to do the walk-through of Lights on the Lake next week.

    Tonight we're going to Shades of Orange (children's art studio) for a playgroup activity.  I'm sure we'll be making some Thanksgiving craft. Lyds made her own bed this morning so she could go. She is actually pretty good at making her own bed. Lydia is changing her gymnastics class to Saturday morning. There is one time slot that doesn't have any kids enrolled. Apparently there is a teacher slotted for the class but no students. We did the class as a make-up last week and Lydia really liked the 1:1 time. She is still iffy about her new pre-k. Right now she is still not interested in going to kindergarten if they do centers like in pre-k. JP is getting better at walking and can go a bit further than he has been, but he's still a little shy about the whole thing. He still prefers to crawl to get places. If you do some planned walk time with him, he is all about clapping for himself. He sure is a funny little guy.

     I've been good at taking the week off to rest my leg and I do think it's helping. I'm excited to try a short run on Saturday...at the gym...just in case I need to elliptical instead. Sadly, the Michelle Obama arms and flat abs won't be gracing me anytime soon.  I haven't worked out at all this week. I seem to lack the motivation when I don't have the draw of some sort of cardio activity. Apparently, I am a cardio junkie. 

http://www.lightsonthelake.com/     

    

Hats off to Santa!

I tip my hat to Santa!

Flat abs and Michelle Obama arms

     The leg pain seems to be improving but it's not gone yet. I'm going to take this week off from even the elliptical and just focus on upper body and core strength training. Flat abs and Michelle Obama arms, here I come! If this week's leg rest doesn't seem to help, it will be time to have it checked by a doctor...at least that's what people are suggesting. All this, just as I was getting my running groove.

     I got myself back to Weight Watchers this Sunday. So far it's working...no candy for me. Lydia's Halloween candy bowl that heckles me every time I walk into the kitchen, is now falling on deaf ears.

     Lydia's attitude about her pre-k program has changed. I think the newness has worn off and she is not happy with the structured program. She is not a fan of the "centers" because she can't bring the toys anywhere she wants in the room anymore. When I told her it was getting her ready for kindergarten she replied, "Then I don't want to go to kindergarten!"

     The Veteran's Day Brunch was a nice time! Lyds had a blast trashing the house with her friends. (Of course the photos are on the computer at home, so I'll update this post with photos tonight.)

     It's the last full week before the big Turkey Day!! I'm hosting this year. I still have to figure out my menu...

     Ha! I found this link when I was googling a picture for the blog post....

How to Get Michelle Obama's Arms: The Workout Plan

 

 

Two Years Ago...

Two years ago we announced our pregnancy for #2

Two years ago Lydia was pretty excited that she was going to have a baby brother or sister

 

 

Two years ago, this is what it looked like outside on the day I announced our pregnancy.

      

       I think I'm done throwing up about the marathon. Now I have to get myself signed up for a few races in between now and then to work through my race anxiety issue. Nothing like a good challenge.  I do have an ache in my lower left calf so I'm taking it easy this week and icing and elliptical-ing my miles instead to see if there is improvement. The elliptical doesn't seem to bother it like running does. If it doesn't improve, I may need to get it checked out. I even took the long run off this weekend to give it a rest.

     I'm also going to start back at Weight Watchers, just to get me through the holidays.  I would really like to avoid eating my way through them. I think the weekly "public" weigh-ins at meetings will hold me accountable and make it easier to resist the holiday food that likes to taunt me during the season. Lydia's Halloween candy has not been a good friend to me lately. I pulled out my lifetime member card and sadly, I'll have to lose 4 pounds to get back to my "free meetings" status. For now I'll have to pay the big bucks for the meetings.  Perhaps this is the kick-start that I need to get back down to my lowest post-pregnancy (between the kids) weight. I will be happy to see the 130's again.

     Pete has been working out like a madman. I think he’s in better shape now than when I met him. He’s been getting his autumn fishing in and has had a few good catches. People ask if he brings the fish home and the answer to that question is, he doesn’t. He is a catch and release only kind of guy. Lydia likes to fish with him and tells me that I should go too. I tell her that I don’t like to touch squiggly things. She told me that daddy will do that.

    Lydia likes her new pre-k program. It is much more structured than her previous program. So far her favorite thing has been the peanut butter and jelly snack on tortillas. That was a BIG hit yesterday.

     JP has finally decided to give walking a try. He still seems a little nervous about the whole thing and doesn't quite have the balance thing down, but he has been standing for a bit on his own and attempts a few steps. We keep practicing and when we forget to clap after his attempts he makes sure to remind us by clapping for himself.

     We had some friends over for dinner on Sunday and they have a little one year old girl, just a week younger than Jonny. I think he fell in love with her. Lydia seemed lost and didn’t quite know what to do with herself since, for once, Jonny had a playmate and she didn’t. Veteran’s Day is this Thursday and we’re having some mama friends and kids over for a brunch play date. This time Lyds will have more playmates than JP, which I'm sure will make her happy.

Sleigh Bells Ringing

     The non-race half marathon training plan is going well. I'm on week three. My neighborhood friend, Emily has been running my long runs with me, so that helps pass the time for the longer runs. So far my longest run to date (and I mean ever, not just since starting this plan) is ten miles. It was a great run. It was followed by a busted eight-miler the following week, but I guess all runs can't be great.  And as you can see from my previous post, I registered myself for a marathon next fall. Yikes.

     Halloween was fantastic! It was cold, but Lyds had a blast. Jonny sat in his spider costume in the stroller. He was the "light keeper" and held tight to the Coleman lantern we brought with us. The annual Esce Halloween Party was, as always, an event to remember. I think this year had the best costumes yet!

    We had a full schedule of Halloween activities and are now happily enjoying a quiet week. Lydia is changing pre-k programs. Her current program just had a 30% rate increase, which is just insane. Luckily, there was one 4-year old wrap around spot in the Universal Pre-K program at another near-by center, only giving us only a $7 increase. I felt badly for switching Lyds like that mid-year, but she surprised me and is excited about a "new school." I'm taking her for a visit later today. 

     The holidays are just around the corner. I hear Christmas music already. They always start it November 1st, but end it December 26th, which annoys me. To me the holidays aren't over until the New Year. Come on folks, get with the program. It's bad enough they start it just a bit too early. Who makes these music rules anyway? I think they should be rewritten...or at least a letter to the radio station telling them they have it all wrong...and mom wants a Christmas list BEFORE Thanksgiving. She's nuts too.

The Inaugural Empire State Marathon and Half Marathon

Yup. There it is. I did it. I signed up for a  full marathon. Totally out of my comfort zone. I have a year to prepare...but first I must throw up....

The last time I stepped out of my comfort zone was in May 2000, when I participated in my first Boston 3-Day (60 miles) Walk for Breast Cancer. My cousin was supposed to walk with me but then couldn't. I had to decide if I wanted to do it alone. At the time I was someone who wouldn't go to the movies alone, let alone drive to Boston and spend three days with strangers walking for breast cancer.  I did it...for the very same reason I am running this marathon. To do something that scares the bejesus out of me. It's been ten years. It's time to step it up again. Doing that Boston walk made the list of "The best things I have done in my life." I imagine running this marathon will make that list too.

Syracuse, NY.—Nov.1^st, 2010— Achieve Fitness Events, LLC announced the inaugural Empire State Marathon and Half Marathon.  The Event will happen Sunday October 16^th, 2011 and will include the New York State Health and Wellness Expo on Friday and Saturday, October 14^th and 15^th.

Brian Collins, Founder and Managing Partner of Achieve Fitness, LLC is the Event Director of the Empire State Marathon. 

 “Being a native of Syracuse, NY and being in the running ‘business” at every level for the last 12 years, I have always known there was an  opportunity to create a premier Marathon and Half Marathon in Syracuse, NY.  This Race will provide a wonderful opportunity to showcase the best aspects of Central NY to all the visitors who will choose our Race during our peak autumn season.  Our running community here is without peer and I know we will impress.”  Brian Collins, President of Achieve Fitness, LLC and 1^st Marathon.

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The  course will begin from the Carousel Mall in Syracuse NY and head towards Liverpool west on Lakeshore Parkway, for a counterclockwise loop around Onondaga Lake through Onondaga Lake Park.  One loop around the Lake to the finish line.  For the Marathon route, runners will make two loops around the lake and finish in the same area.

An additional element of this Race will be a four-person relay, designed to share the race experience with co-workers, family or friends, yet at smaller distances.  A relay team consists of four people, with each person running one segment of the entire marathon course, 26.2 Miles.  Each relay runner will run roughly 6 to 7 miles per leg.  (Registration for the Relay will open December 1st.)

Here's another article.  

 http://blog.syracuse.com/cny/2010/11/syracuse_hosts_empire_state_marathon_oct_16_around_onondaga_lake.html