best buddies

I can still hear the giggling, squealing, and pure joy of my precious boys as they rolled around and wrestled on the couch cushions. It's amazing watching them grow together. They love each other so much.

it's that time again!

That time when I come out of hibernation and tie sparkly white laces on a new pair of stiff shoes that need breaking in. It's that time when I download all the latest and greatest upbeat tunes onto the ipod. The time when I recruit anyone and everyone who will come with me. The time that I didn't realize I missed so much until now.

It's the time to run, for FUN. I wrote this last year, about how my little heart and legs just long to run. It's a favorite past time and something I am loving once again. I am excited for another go at a few half marathons, and maybe a relay and dirty dash here and there.

Every year in the spring, the minute I step outside a wave of nostalgia sweeps through me. I am completely brought back to high school and college days of running and it makes me so happy. I'm still a has-been, but I am loving (almost) every minute of it. I just don't know what my favorite part is. The fresh air, the endorphins, the accomplishment, my team, who knows. I love it all.

I am running the Moab half again with Jamie this year. The most recent excitement is that 5 friends and I just signed up to run a 70 mile relay in May. It's the red rock relay and I am psyched about it. We are going all out with car decorating and team uniform. It's going to be awesome. GO TEAM!

hallelujah

I smiled so big the entire time I watched this. One of my favorite songs, an amazing surprise, the reaction, her outstanding voice...

we can't ALL come and go by bubble!

A few months ago I saw something my friend Marisa posted about getting tickets to see Wicked. I have wanted to see it for years and I think I was one of the only people I knew who hadn't seen it. So, I just decided to invite myself along. I didn't want to be rude, but I had to go! I told her that I didn't care if I had to sit all alone, I was going to buy a ticket and come along. The friend she had bought the ticket for decided not to go so I scored it! February seemed like forever away at the time, but it came and we went! I love it more than I thought I would.

We woke up early and left at 5 in the morning for Albuquerque. It's always fun to be with Reese. She is entertaining and full of good stories. We stayed with her friend, actually her YW leader in Turkey. Trina was so cute and sweet, and I thought she was some teenager answering the door when we got there. She was so much fun and hung out with us for the day and even insisted on treating us to lunch.

After a day of shopping we got ready and headed off to the UNM campus. We parked and rode a bus that dropped us off right at the door. I am so glad we knew of that little secret. We were in and out of there in a flash! We found our seats and sat there like giddy teenagers at a Bieber concert. I had my favorite reds starbursts, my friend, and a show to watch. I couldn't have been happier. It was so hard not to talk to her during the play. I loved it so much. I loved the singing, the acting, the special effects, the hilarious lines and made up words, the intricate set and exquisite costumes, and the creative plot. It was perfect and every second was completely entertaining.

We got back to Trina's house late and stayed up talking for a few hours. We slept a short while and headed out early the next morning for home. I am so glad we went. Even though we felt totally hungover from lack of sleep and junk food overload, every minute of the trip was perfect. Reese was the perfect friend to go with. She appreciates music, talent, and the work that goes into a production like this. She was as excited as I was and that made it even more fun. I am going to start inviting myself along to things more often. So, if you have planned something fun and you don't want me to come, you better not tell me about it.

the silly things they do

I've been getting a little bit frustrated with Kaden, and with myself, lately because I feel like he just isn't listening to me. I don't think he intentionally ignores me, but he is in his own little world half the time. He is also in a phase where he thinks whatever he want, no matter what, he gets. It's so frustrating trying to explain things to him, getting him to share, and teaching him he can't eat sugar all day every day. It can be completely exhausting. Beckham is in a screeching, screaming, yelling phase. It's funny sometimes, but it also gets old and I am constantly telling him to stop screaming. He knows what he wants too, and thinks he should be entitled to whatever it is.

I was feeling a little tired and questioning my mothering abilities when I started to think about how funny and cute they are. I was thinking about the fun things we do, the wonderful moments when I actually do have Kaden's attention and he is being sweet and obedient. I went through some pictures and found a few that are just so funny to me. I smiled so big while I looked at these. Those boys are characters that's for sure. They drive me nuts sometimes, but the happiness and laughter they bring me makes up for it a million times over.

Kaden tells me I'm the best quite often, and this particular day he was pointing at me and I captured the picture. He's a big fan of mom. He is also always doing goofy things in front of the camera and if he does smile it's super cheesy, so I decided to help him out a bit. Even though he is getting tall (seriously, look how flippin' tall he is!) and skinny, he still has some squishy cheeks that I can't get enough of. And I also think it's a little weird that my face, and only my face, is blurred out in this picture...


Kaden likes to wear my stuff. He was so funny when he put that hat on and it pushed his ears down. He reminded me of Fivel. Then he put a little red bow on it.

I love the giant hat, cozy pants, and little car covered in sticky notes.

Beckham is so funny in his crib. He actually likes to be in there and half the time I don't even know how long he napped for because I usually hear him playing and making sounds in his room. I never really know when he wakes up. He always says, "nigh nigh" when I lie him down and I love that. For a long time, his crib was in the room with the computer. If I was on he would go to the end of his crib, pull the bumper down and peek out at me with the biggest smile and say, "HI!". I loved it and he looked like he was in jail. He still peeks out of his crib since he can't pull up yet, and I think he's got two little perma-bruises on his forehead from the slats.

Sometimes when I don't get him out he gets upset.

The boys love to brush their teeth. It's so fun to watch them in there together brushing.

"This is how it's done."

Beckham loves to be naked and gets positively giddy when I take his clothes off.

Kaden is a little muscle man. I really can't believe how strong, agile, and defined he is. I don't think he looks like a little boy. He really is like a miniature man.

I was laughing at him making chicken wings...or trying to flex his muscles. Again, in his cozy pants.

I guess Becks also likes to model headwear. We were packing for a trip and he insisted on wearing the helmet.

Then he found a scarf and thought that would be even better. He was so funny with his scarf hat waving hangars around and squealing.

He also loves the phone, or anything that looks like one. He holds it up to his ear and says, "hi low!" over and over.

And sometimes, or most of the time, by mid-afternoon my living room looks like this. Pretty impressive. But, despite the never-ending messes, tantrums, and frustrations, these little people forgive me when I blow it, and make me smile and laugh day in and day out. It's totally worth it.

it's a process

getting Beckham to move. It took him forever to be motivated to move anywhere. Once he mastered his walker he discovered that there are things to explore everywhere, cupboards to be opened, toys to be found, and mischief to be made. He's mastering his little army crawl and when he sees something he wants, that look of determination on his face is priceless. He's getting stronger and faster and is so much happier now that he is on the go.

He thinks about it for a minute and gears up, eventually getting to his feet.

He discovers baby einstein playing and gets completely sucked in. There was no tearing him away.

He is making progress but sure has a long way to go. I wonder how my back is going to feel when he is two and I am still lugging him around...

at home, inside, because it's freezing out there

It was a frigid 19 degrees below zero when I took Kaden to school this morning. To me, after it gets down to 0 degrees it all feels the same. It was so cold I felt like my joints were freezing in my body and I drove with only my finger tips touching the wheel. We all shivered in the car making our "cold noises". It was beautiful though. The cold air formed little crystals on everything. The sun was shining and everything sparkled. Kaden had fun watching his breath come out like "smoke". I got to work just as my car was starting to feel warm.

I had a short work day and after Becks and I picked Kaden up from school we went home and hibernated. The boys wanted warm baths. I love watching them play in the tub together. Poor Beckham gets pushed up under the faucet and bobs against it as Kaden creates a tide pool.

We read storied and took naps. I cuddled up next to Kaden in his bed. I think I want to move into his room. It's the brightest and sunniest and I feel so happy in there.

Kaden painted his wooden train we bought the other day. He loves to paint and he was so excited about this little project. I remember how fun it was to do things like this when I was little. Even though it makes a huge mess, it's worth it to me because he is being creative, having fun, and I get to enjoy it almost as much as he does.

We cleaned up and moved into the living room. We made a mess in there. Kaden built tracks and more tracks. That boy builds tracks and plays with trains all day every day. He never gets bored of it. I sat on the floor and let Beckham climb all over me and smother me with his slobbery kisses. He says "I love you" unprompted and I can't get enough of that. I took so many pictures of them just sitting around looking adorable, and I admired what cute profiles they both have.

Sometimes when you are chubby your shirt doesn't like to stay down. All the time, when you are Beckham, your shirt doesn't like to stay down. I turned on a baby einstein and Beckham was in a trance for a solid 30 minutes. He is already a couch potato.

Kaden is obsessed with his "cozy" pants. He refuses to wear normal pants when we are at home. He will wear jeans or corduroy to school or town, but the second we get home he races to his room and puts on his cozy pants. He asked for them for his birthday and has about 5 pair now that he pretty much lives in. He's a silly boy.

Then Kaden made the giant tower of pillows where he played king of the mountain all evening. It only fell over onto Beckham a few times.

Despite the cold and having to be couped up inside it was a perfect day. I love days like this when we can just play and enjoy each other. I didn't accomplish a thing on my to-do list and I feel so great about that because I would have missed out on the special day that ended up happening instead.