Run, Mom, Run

Ava is skeptical:

Lauren is worried:

and AJ is surprised!:
But there's Mom! And she's running a race!

My first 5k run in preparation for the triathlon, less than one month from now!

Its About Time!

http://news.cnnbcvideo.com/?nid=m7gGloAdNfEOHinCVNYOtDExOTY4MTk1&referred_by=12147294-sq1tblx&p=moveon

Meet Sniffy!

Please meet our Sniffies. On the left is Lauren's Sniffy and on the right is Ava's Sniffy. Sniffy is a pal that is always around. Sniffy can be counted on to show up whenever things get a little too boring for a five and three year old. Sniffy is very entertaining. Sniffy can do a lot of tricks and can get away with a lot of things. Sniffy could be a girl (if index finger is elevated) or a boy (if middle finger is elevated). Sniffy can be a mommy (my Sniffy), a daddy (Alex's Sniffy), or a Baby Sniffy (Ava or Lauren's Sniffy). The other day we discovered AJ has a Sniffy too!! Sniffy is usually the reason the girls neglect their dinner plates. We have a no toys at the table policy, but how do you get rid of a Sniffy?

Trip to Costco

Back before Alex and I had kids, we shopped at Costco. We've bought a lot of stuff from Costco over the years including groceries, tires, computers, cameras, jewelry and watches, gas, clothes, books, patio furniture...the list really does go on and on. We used to enjoy going to Costco, spending a Saturday afternoon perusing the aisles for the "I've got to buy that now before its gone" item. We'd go at least once a week. But the truth is, with both of our offices located near a Costco, it was usually more like 4-5 times a week. Really. I still like to go to Costco, but I try to limit our trips there to once a month or maybe, if we can stretch our food, once every two months. This is because its a MAJOR PAIN IN THE REAR to go with three kids. These days, I also like to go without Alex. This is because its a MAJOR PAIN IN THE REAR to shop with a guy who forgets we can't shop ALL AFTERNOON like we used to at Costco. Those days are gone. GONE.
So today, after I picked up the girls from school and despite being under a tornado watch, we headed over to our inconveniently located Costco. The inconvenient location may also be why I don't like to go too much. Its in a construction zone right on a busy frontage road. On my way there, I passed a very conveniently located Sam's Club and considered going to check it out. I might switch my loyalties one of these days.
The rain was starting as I carted up the kids and ran for the entrance. Lauren and AJ in the seats and Ava in the basket. I knew it wouldn't last that way long. I always fill the cart to the rim and then some. Sure enough, by the end of the shopping trip, I had filled the cart completely up. I never know how I do this. The cart was filled with every item that we need and use (not one frivolous purchase) and somehow I was able to keep piling on more. It all fits in one cart when I get to the check out line, but somehow during the process of taking it apart to scan and pay, it turns into two full shopping carts. Those Coscto guys just aren't as good as I am at loading up a shopping cart.
And today they weren't very good at helping a poor girl out. Usually they offer to help me out to my car, but today, after I paid the guy just turned and walked away. I thought, "Well maybe the guy who checks off my receipt will find someone to help me." No! He just smiled at me, took my receipt and handed it back. Its as if he didn't notice my three kids (two of whom were crying) and two full shopping carts. So I devised a plan to have Ava push the lighter of the two for me while I pulled it behind me. That way I could push the heavier cart with AJ in it in front of me. Lauren was throwing a fit over something and Ava decided she didn't want to help me and it looked like it was going to rain any second and I still couldn't believe no on from Costco was coming to help me! I had to go all the way across the parking lot and I didn't think I was going to make it. I felt completely frustrated. I was almost about to cry (not really, well, maybe) when a nice stranger and his teen daughter came up and asked if I needed help. I wasn't even bashful about accepting their help. I was glad their car was parked close to mine, so they didn't have to go out of their way. The dad took the heavy cart and the girl took the other one so I could pick up Lauren and calm her down. Thank God for the kindness of strangers!! They even offered to help me load up the car, but once I get the kids buckled in, that's the easy part. I really don't know what I would have done with out their help.
Of course it doesn't end there. After arriving home I have to rush to unload all the defrosting groceries and get them put away. This can take just as long as the time spent at Costco. It usually forces me to re-organize the pantry and throw away all the unused food that I've been storing in the refrigerator. It also involves a lot of opening packages and the recycling of boxes. All told, this shopping trip took me 3 hours-from driving there to putting the last bulk package away. No kidding. And maybe that's the real reason I don't shop at Costco very much anymore.

Mrs. Cab Driver

Where have I been you ask? I've been driving a cab! That's right, somewhere between having kid number two and number three I unwittingly signed up for a new job: Taxi Cab Driver. I heard this sometimes happens to stay at home moms that drive mini vans. I tried hard, very, very hard, for it to not happen to me. But yesterday, as I scrambled from one destination to the other, I saw that it has. I'm a rookie, to be sure, since my kids are not yet in real school and they have not joined any soccer teams. But nonetheless, my minivan has been converted to one sticky, messy, crumb filled taxi cab. Thank goodness its not yellow.
Here is the morning I had yesterday:
7:45 AM Leave to drop Lauren off at speech therapy school. All kids in tow.
8:20 AM Return home to brush Ava's hair and finish buttoning her dress up. Collect necessary backpacks and bags for the rest of the morning. Try to get Ava to eat more breakfast.
8:40 AM Leave to take Ava to school.
9:10 AM From school, take AJ to S.S. Noah drop in daycare center.
9:15 AM Go to gym for workout (Triathlon training is taking up a lot of my time)
10:30 AM This part doesn't involve my car...Finish workout and head to shower. Realize I forgot my towel in all the scrambling to leave the house in the morning. Grrrrr....rookie mistake. I HAVE to take a shower because there is no time to go home until 1PM and I can't be sweaty and stinky all day. I decide to dry myself with my gym shirt. Which is wet from sweat anyway, but the wicking action actually works to dry me off!
10:45AM Go pick up AJ as SS Noah. Of course they are slow to check him out. Head across town to pick up Lauren
11:05 AM Pick up Lauren from school. Consider doing my makeup in the pick up line, but there is no time, since I'm a few minutes late.
11:10 AM Head back across town to have my car serviced, but decide to pick up lunch for AJ and Lauren along the way.
11:30 AM FINALLY find a McDonalds on the way to the Toyota dealership and get in drive- through line.
11:45 AM Arrive at Toyota. Finally, I get to relax inside the dealership. I feed my kids Happy Meals and baby food while I starve (not really) because I don't want to eat Mickey D's after a big workout. I'll have lunch at 1:30 when I'm back at home.
12:15 PM Car is done! Now I have 45 minutes to kill before picking up Ava from school. What to do? Not enough time to go home, no errands to run (although later I realized I should have gone to buy diapers since AJ only has one more left. Rookie mistake) I decide to drive to our brand new mega strip mall and check out the sporting goods store for some running shoes. While we're there Lauren poops in her pants. Great.
12:45 PM Leave for school, with poop in pants since I didn't have any wipes with me (another rookie mistake)
1PM Arrive at school. Pick up Ava and shamelessly ask another parent for wipes in the two year old room. Change Lauren.
1:15 PM Arrive back at home. Whew! Its over. I have a few hours for cleaning up the house, eating lunch, AJ's nap and making myself presentable (though not really sure to whom) before I have to drive the taxi to swim lessons.
4:30 PM Leave for swim lessons
6 PM Arrive home to get dinner on the table.
So that's my typical day lately. Seems I'm just running all over. But its okay, I like to be busy. Of course I'm exhausted by the time the kids are all in bed and that's why I haven't blogged for a very long time. I'll try to work it in somewhere. Maybe I'll learn to type with one hand and affix my laptop to my dash so I can blog on the go. Just kidding.....

A.J.'s First Haircut

A few weeks ago, I took AJ for his first haircut. I did it in anticipation of the one year photo session that one day I hope to do--I still have to take him for his six month and nine month pictures--and also so that he would look his most handsome on his big birthday. Plus, we were having trouble keeping all that hair to lay down and not look so crazy. He was a great sport and enjoyed driving his car. He didn't even seem to notice the nice lady cutting off all his beautiful lockes.

QOTD: From the Spine of a Magazine

"Life comes in clusters, clusters of solitude, then a cluster when there is hardly time to breathe." -May Sarton

Isn't that the truth? A month ago, heck, a WEEK ago, I was so overwhelmed with things to do I seriously thought I was going to have an anxiety attack. And now here I am this morning: the girls back at school, Alex back at work, and AJ napping peacefully. I have nothing to do. I'm bored. I can breathe again.

On that note, here are some cute pictures that make me smile and one that flat out makes me laugh every time I look at it.