I hate this stocking.

What stocking, you ask? This one: 

Last year, around Thanksgiving I decided that I was going to knit Lily a stocking. That's what crafty moms do, right? I'm a knitter, I thought. I got this. I had the yarn, I found a pattern online, and started working on it. And then Christmas stuff got in the way, and it turns out it's hard to knit with a 4 month old around that only sleeps while sitting on your lap. So it never got finished. Yes, my daughter spent her first Christmas without a stocking. I'm a horrible mother. 

Then I forgot all about it until a couple of weeks ago. So I dug out the half finished stocking, the rest of the yarn, and the pattern. I've been diligently working on it in the evenings after Lily goes to bed. And now it's finally finished. Well, the main part. There was going to be a cuff with a different color, her name, and some stars or snowflakes as decoration. But it's too ugly to live. 

I have no idea what went wrong. I am NOT a bad knitter. I know how to follow a pattern. I've made sweaters, scarves, mittens, hats, cat toys, baby toys, blankets, and a bunch of other stuff I'm too angry to remember right now. The pattern was not written well, but I also wasn't paying attention enough to realize that it was not working. Ugh. I loathe this stocking. 

My plan is to use it as is this year so she at least has a stocking with presents in it, even if it looks like a moray eel. Then I will probably pull out the stitches so the yarn isn't a waste and make a pretty scarf from it or something. I don't know what I'll do about a stocking next year for Lily, but I have a strong feeling it may be purchased. 

The Day After

The day after Thanksgiving is my favorite day of the whole year. Well, the whole weekend really. I've done the crazy Black Friday shopping thing, but that's not it. After having a big family get together, it's nice to come back to just our little family. Usually this is the weekend we put up the Christmas tree, start thinking about gifts for everybody, and eat lots of leftovers. I like the overlap of the two holidays as well. While still thinking about how grateful we are for things, the excitement of Christmas is really starting to build. It feels festive, yet relaxed. I love it. 


I didn't realize how much I actually loved it until it's very existence was put in jeopardy. Originally, I was scheduled to work at the bakery on Friday, and Joe had a ton of school work to do on Saturday and Sunday. I was unexpectedly really upset. We don't have that many traditions yet, and I was crushed. It wasn't even like we could just push it back one day. The whole weekend was ruined. Ruined, I say! But then the clouds parted, and the sunshine returned. I didn't have to work after all, Joe was able to do some work, and we got to play! 


One of the things we really like to do is go to the Art Institute of Chicago's Annual Wreathing of the Lions. Last year it was bitterly cold. This year it was 60*F! There's music, and crowds, and the actual wreathing is rather anti-climactic, but it makes for a great photo op. And THEN if you have kids, you get to go inside the Ryan Education Center and make a wreath. Each year they have a different theme. I forget what last year's was, it was something like classical painting. Or something. This year it was the Chagall Windows. So lovely. And Lily actually helped this year! So fun. 


Here we are in front of the lion. The light is a little funny, it kind of looks like a light shining down on us from the heavens or something photo-shopped, but it was just the sun. 

We brought the umbrella stroller, but Lily couldn't really see what was happening so I carried her on my shoulders. There was a gospel choir singing Christmas carols on the steps behind us. She thought it was fantastic. She was bouncing and clapping, and when they stopped singing she shouted 'Yay!' and clapped her hands loudly. At one point she did that and the whole choir shouted 'Yay!' and clapped back at her. So then, encouraged by this response, Lily did it again. This time a significant portion of the crowd turned and did the same thing. We clearly have the cutest baby ever. 

And finally the crafting. Personally, my favorite part. Lily thought it was hilarious to look through the blue cellophane and she loved crinkling up the tissue paper. She was less of a fan of sticking it on the wreath, but we did it. 

If you look closely in all of these pictures, there is masking tape holding my glasses together. Classy, I know. Lily broke them last week. But I just picked up a new pair from Costco! Hooray for new glasses. I don't have a picture of the finished wreath because we hung it in our window and it is completely backlit and does not photograph well at all. But it doesn't really matter. It was the process that was important, not the end product, right? 

We actually did not end up putting up our Christmas tree because we all got sick Saturday evening pretty much through Monday morning. Family colds are miserable, but family stomach flu is my own personal circle of hell. But it's done now, and we survived. We will definitely be putting it up sometime this weekend though. This week I got a good chunk of present shopping done and I'm excited to start wrapping them and putting them under the tree. For me, that's half the fun. 

Now if only there were a little bit of snow to really make it feel like Christmastime...

Thanksgiving

What is it about Thanksgiving that inspires such procrastination in me? Maybe because I'm too busy doing things, baking things, buying things, seeing people, and then just sitting. But at least I got this post done in the right month this year. 

Earlier in November, when it was still really nice out, Lily and I went leaf picking. We ran around in the parks picking up all different kinds of leaves and putting them into a paper bag. Then I promptly forgot about the bag underneath the stroller so the leaves all dried out and got crunchy. Read - pretty much useless for crafting. So I let Lily crunch those up and do whatever she wanted with them. I also gave her a brown colored pencil to draw with. Add in some mama-directed glue stick, and ta da! She's clearly a baby genius. 

The original impetus for collecting leaves was to press them and then make a leaf turkey. So on a much crappier weather day, we went out again and while Lily snoozed I scavanged what was left of the good leaves and found a couple of pinecones as well. After pressing for about a week, they were ready. And ta da! I'm clearly a genius as well. The colors are a bit muted in this picture, but the leaves are really beautiful reds, golds, and different shades of brown. 

And of course there was cake. On our trip to Springfield, IL in October, we found a dish towel with a recipe for 'Abraham Lincoln's Favorite White Cake.' How could I pass that up? So I decided to make it for Thanksgiving dinner, and I was determined to make it look like the picture on the dish towel as well. This is what I ended up with. 

There are so many problems with this cake, I'm not quite sure where to start. My first mistake was trying to follow a recipe, a historical one at that, on a dish towel without cross-checking it with anything. The cake part turned out fine. It's an almond cake and I made a filling out of candied pineapple and dried cherries. It was the icing that was a disaster. Boiled sugar icing is supposed to be light and fluffy. Mine ended up more like a glaze that hardened into a semi-sweet crust. I didn't have the ingredients or patience to try it a second time, so on I went. My second mistake was trying to make it look like a drawing on a dish towel. I made the bow out of fondant and edible markers. I didn't think about the cake being curved and domed, so that's why the tails look funny. The Lincoln silhouette cameo made out of fondant turned out pretty good. The picture doesn't show it well, but I actually sculpted the silhouette on the fondant. If you squint you can sort of see it. Some of the detail is lost because of the luster dust. I wish it was a little more penny colored, but I like it. And the toothpick adds a touch of class, no? It was just there to support the bow during transport, but I didn't get a picture before or after it was in.`All together, it tasted better than it looked. 

I also made mini pumpkin cheesecakes with gingersnap crust, whipped cream, and chocolate leaves. But after dropping a few, and sitting out for a while before serving, they did not photograph well. So you'll just have to imagine them. They tasted fabulous, though. 

All in all, it was a pretty great Thanksgiving. I'm grateful for family, good friends, and a job. And I'm grateful for the time to enjoy them all. Now onto Christmas!

Mama Envy

For the first time ever, I was the object of Mama Envy. Usually, I'm the mom struggling with a screaming, belligerent toddler, dropping/spilling things, looking totally overwhelmed. People ask me if I need help a lot. I am equal parts impressed by and jealous of the moms that manage to be so put together in public. And I'm even more envious of the idyllic mommy bloggers talking about just being 'present'. Just being present? I'm just trying to keep the stinkin' kid alive most of the time. 


But today, all that was different. Lily and I had lunch at the Morton Arboretum, one of the best places in the world. It's totally kid friendly, and there are always a ton of kids in the dining room in various stages of meltdown. Today, Lily sat in her high chair, crossed her little feet, and said "Hi!" to everyone that walked past. She happily munched on some goldfish in between bites of chicken and spinach tortellini soup. And when she was thirsty she calmly pointed to the milk carton with a straw and didn't try to grab it out of my hands while she neatly sipped some milk and didn't spill a drop. In short, she was acting the perfect child. 


There were two moms with five kids seemingly all under the age of three between the two of them sitting within earshot. The table was covered in baby food jars, food packets, sippy cups, various types of puffs, and cookies. And the kids didn't want to eat anything. Not a single one of them. Amidst the chaos, I hear one of the moms say to the other "That baby is eating spinach. None of my kids will eat spinach." It was all I could do to not ask Lily for a high-5 right then. (She totally would have done it, too.)


Don't get me wrong, we have our terrible days for sure where all Lily will eat is cheerios and applesauce. And I have nothing against baby food and puffs. The thing is, Joe and I are lazy. (We ended up co-sleeping for the same reason.) It takes a lot of planning and effort to pack up food for your baby every time you leave the house. I'm just not that with it. So from the very beginning, we've been giving Lily basically whatever we eat in a form that she can handle. And so far, so good. I know the day will come when she rebels and won't eat what I want her to. But until then, Lily, you keep lovin' that spinach. 


And for ONCE, I looked like the Zenned-out Earth Mother. 

Delusions of Grandeur

I've been feeling antsy about my work situation again. I still love working as a decorator at the bakery, but I'm starting to feel guilty about not doing something that "matters". I have a ridiculous amount of education, and I feel like I should be doing something with it. I know, I know, I had a perfect opportunity at the museum and I gave it away. 


This week I found out that Hobbitland is for sale. The business, not the building. It's this cool indoor play space that I've been to a couple of times because of a Living Social coupon my mom got a while back. It's owned by two women, one going back to school and the other starting a photography studio. And for about 24 hours Joe and I seriously considered buying it. The hours are good, Lily could be there with me, and I would feel like I was contributing something. I had all sorts of ideas for changes/improvements I could make. The teacher in me went nuts planning special themes, events, curriculum. 


And then I went to work for two days at the bakery. Things went fine, but I was definitely ready for a day off. And I really liked not having to think about anything work related when I was done. That's not possible if you own a business. And it occurred to me that just because the place is open from 9-2 doesn't mean those are the only hours you have to work. So, I came to my senses and admitted to myself (and Joe) that I'm not really ready to own a business yet. 


I definitely have dreams of starting a small cake shop someday. And that dream becomes a little more detailed each week as I learn more about cakes, decorating, and baking. Eventually I'll have the time to devote to starting something grand, but for now working for two days a week and playing for five is just fine by me. 

Back On Track

I'm trying a new approach to working out. My only goal is to do something, anything, for at least 30 minutes each day. Which, when you add it all up, is more minutes of exercise per week than when I was running long distances twice a week. So far, it seems to be going well. I didn't do anything on Wednesday, and that will likely be the case each week. I work every Wednesday, then have dinner at my parents, and by the time I get home it's pretty much time for bed. So I consider that my one day off. 


It has been really freeing to be able to just go for a run when I feel like it. I don't have to worry about going a certain distance or strategize about how to fit in a super long run. When it's nice and sunny I can just put on my shoes, strap the baby in the stroller and go. And when it's dark and dreary I can just stay inside and dance. 


Also, I checked out Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred from the library because a friend has been speaking highly of it. (Hi Becky V!) I'm going to see if doing it in the evening after Joe puts Lily to bed works or if I get too hyped up to sleep. I'll also try during the day to see if Lily is amused by it. She thought my push-ups and crunches today were hilarious. 


Hooray for new goals!

Happy Halloween!

Yay for Halloween! We had a ton of fun. Last week I made a Haunted House cake.   

I decided to make Funfetti cake just because I like it and I wanted to eat it. I bought the Wilton house pan a while back because I had a Michael's coupon and it ended up being like $3 or something ridiculous. I've been itching to use it, and the box had this cute little Halloween house on it, so I decided to try it out. The 'black' frosting is just dark chocolate frosting from a can with a little bit of black icing color added to it and the purple and orange are homemade buttercream. The white frosting was from a can as well. The shutters are supposed to be made from Fruit Stripe Gum, which I of course couldn't find anywhere so I ended up rolling out some white fondant and painting it with orange candy color. The grass is shredded cocoanut with a little bit of green food coloring. I wish I had made it just a little bit darker. The ghosts are what Wilton calls 'dimensional decorating'. Basically, that means you pipe shapes with a fat tip. And I bought the little candy pumpkins. It's hard to see in this picture, but the black around the door is actually individually piped dots resembling cobblestones, just like the sidewalk in front. And the shutter is obstructing the door handle. Also, there is a tiny 'wrought iron' fence all the way around the base behind the pumpkins. This cake was ridiculously easy to do. I would highly recommend this product to anyone interested in fun cakes at home.

And of course on Saturday I ran the Half Marathon. Here's my badass finisher's medal as proof:

On Monday, Lily had a doctor's appointment in the morning, so we went in costume. 

I went as Waldo again, with a different shirt thanks to Susan's lucky find at Goodwill. And Lily was Charlie Chaplin. We got her a toddler suit jacket at a thrift store, a tuxedo onesie on sale, and a bowler hat from Target. The way she wobbles around and falls down was super cute. We tried to put a little mustache on her, but she immediately smeared it all over her face and I was worried that she would end up looking like a baby Hitler. To my surprise, she tolerated the hat quite well. Every once in a while she would take it off in sort of a 'Ta-da!' fashion and then try to put it back on. Definite cuteness all around. 

Where's Waldo? At the finish line!

Today was the Monster Dash Half Marathon. I dressed up as Where's Waldo. Or Walda if you're particular about things like that. My watch said 2:27, the clock said 2:32, and I haven't gotten my chip time yet. A far cry from the 2:08 I ran in grad school, but still, I ran it nonetheless. AND I met several of my goals. (I like to make a set of tiered goals so I'm assured of at least some success.)


1) General race goal #1: Don't finish last. Check. 
2) General race goal #2: Don't finish last in my age group. Check. (Technically I do not know that this is true, but general observation suggests that it is.)
3) Monster Dash goal #1: Don't be the last Waldo to finish. Check. 
4) Monster Dash goal #2: Run the race with 12 minute mile splits. Check. 
5) Secret Monster Dash goal #1: Run the race in under 2:30. Check. (According to my watch, that I started when I crossed the start and the finish. I believe my chip time will vindicate me.)
6) Over-achiever Monster Dash Goal #2: Run the race with 11 minute mile splits. Close, but no cigar. I was pretty close though, so I don't feel too bad about it. 


I managed to keep to my original plan of only walking through the water stations. I felt pretty good all the way through mile 12. Then I took my last walking/water break and the last mile stretch was pretty rough. My bones were starting to hurt. My hip felt fine, but my ankles, shins and humorous bones felt like they were cracking up. After finishing, stretching, and popping an Aleve I felt much better. 


Joe is the best husband ever. Not only did he watch Lily all day while I ran and recovered, he also brought me a humongous burger after and made an amazing gourmet dinner. I really don't know what I would do without him. 


I had forgotten how much I enjoy running in a race. Running with people makes everything easier. And it's nice to have people cheering for you. I don't know if I'll do another half marathon again, the training runs get too long for a jogging stroller, but I'm definitely going to compete again. Shamrock Shuffle 2012, here I come!

Fitness Fail

So we went on this amazing trip last weekend. That means I skipped my long run. And we ate amazing food for four days straight. And I gained three pounds. Boo. And I still have ten pounds that I want to lose. Double boo. Saturday is the Monster Dash Half Marathon. I am still planning to 'run' it, but it will not be pretty. After the race, I'm going to take a week to do nothing/research new exercise-y things to do. Then it's down to business. These last ten pounds WILL be gone by Christmas if it kills me. Hopefully it won't. 

Road Trip!

This weekend was Fall Break for Joe so we decided to go on a road trip to Southern Illinois. Originally, we were planning on camping for at least one night. We both LOVE camping and are super excited to take Lily. However, the reality of it all set in the night before we left as we were packing up. Camping with two adults is pretty straightforward and not too complicated. Camping with a 15-month-old is a completely different story, and one that we were unprepared for. We decided it was going to be too much of a hassle to be fun and hopped on Hotwire instead and found fun, cheap hotels on the road. 

After a long day of driving on Saturday we went to Lambert's Cafe, a restaurant recommended by one of Joe's law school friends, Nathan. There was a 40 minute wait, but it was totally worth it. The food was AMAZING. And the wait was actually just what Lily needed. After being strapped in the carseat all day she really just wanted to run around for a while. In front of the restaurant is basically a playground and there are kids running all over the place. So Lily got to get a bit of exercise before sitting down to eat. And eat she did. She had fried okra, a throwed roll (they throw the rolls at you), chicken and dumplings, baked beans, BBQ ribs, and beets. It was ridiculous. You would have thought she was a small elephant by how much she ate. Then, on a full belly, even after all day in the car, she slept great that night. 

They had a hay bale with fall decorations on it that everyone was taking pictures of their kids on. So of course, we had to as well. Lily sat there shaking her head no for a long while so I eventually gave up and this was the best picture we could get. 

Sunday we went to the Belmont-Columbus Civil War Battle Site, and hiked in the Shawnee National Forest. Great fun was had by all. 

All day Monday and Tuesday morning we explored Springfield, IL. We visited the Capitol, Lincoln's Home, played with leaves in a park, ate at some delicious restaurants, and went to the Illinois State Museum. Oh my goodness, it was so cool. They have this Play Museum in the basement where kids can touch and climb on a bunch of stuff. Lily played for a whole hour. And the museum itself is really kid friendly. The natural history section, called Changes, is all about Illinois basically from the beginning of time. It's really hands on and has really good explanations, so it was fun for the whole family. 

Lily did great with the whole hotel thing. I was a little worried about being in a weird place and what that would do to her ability to sleep, but it was like she barely noticed. One afternoon we stopped back at the hotel and Lily got into the bag I had a roll of paper towels in and proceeded to cover the whole room with them. This picture does not do justice to the havoc she wrought. This little girl makes me laugh so much. 

This was a really great trip. And exactly what we needed after the past couple of weeks. I was a little worried that we would all be just too tired to have any fun, but that was not the case. We had a lot of fun just hanging out together as a family. It was really nice to just do what we wanted and not have to worry about other people, household chores, or school. It feels great to be home refreshed, centered, and ready to tackle whatever comes next!

Crafting

Previously I've written about Lily starting to color. And I think I mentioned that she likes to finger paint, too. Her new favorite 'art' is to draw on what is essentially a Magna-Doodle but is called something else because it's produced by B. Toys. She loves to climb into her camp chair (a new skill!), and scribble away. Sometimes she concentrates really hard and puts her face like one inch away from the surface. She doesn't really get the animal shaped 'stamps' yet, but she likes to kiss them and then throw them on the floor.  

As Lily colors and paints, I've come to a dilemma: what to do with the stuff she makes. Part of me wants to be the mom who makes beautiful scrap books of all the important stuff she does so she can see it later. Part of me is a clutter-phobe that can't stand to have mail from yesterday sitting around. Part of me knows that these are not great works of art and she will make a million of them. And part of me thinks but she made this, how can I possibly ever part with it? 

I've come up with a couple of solutions. First of all, there's this blog. I've taken pictures of most things and written about it here so there is at least a record of The First Coloring and The First Painting. And on my phone there are pictures of the second, third, and fourth... 

The second answer is to create something from it. Like this thank you card we sent to our friends Jill and Jim in Duluth. After Lily was done finger painting, I took a picture of it, printed it on photo paper, traced a seahorse, cut it out, and glued it to some card stock. And tada! Instant art. I see many paint-photo cards in our future. 

Another example of this is our Halloween decorations. Lily painted with purple paint the other night while I did the dishes. Then today, after it dried, I cut out bat shapes from the paper and hung them in the window. The crinkly-ness from the paint adds to the bat-ness. 

I tried to have her paint a real pumpkin, but that was a disaster. So we have a fake light up pumpkin instead. Here's a picture of our full fall display. Amazing, I know.  

And finally, I also created a 'gallery' in our living room. We have this huge empty wall that we can't put anything on because we can't put any holes in the wall with nails. So last year I ordered these stick on removable and reusable frames so we could at least put something up there. They've been sitting in the to-do pile since then because I've been to lazy to print out pictures to put in them. I decided to finally put them to use and stick some of Lily's art in there. I have eight frames total, and when they fill up I will start taking things out and replacing them. It will be like an ever changing permanent display. 

It seems silly to be putting so much thought and effort into this art thing, but it feels like this is the first big test of our parenting values. It's hard to find the balance between valuing what your child has done and making too big of a deal out of it. I mean, sure, I think this stuff is cute, but it's clearly not anything special in the grand scheme of things. At the same time I want to celebrate the fact that she's doing it and encourage her to keep doing it. I also realize that absolutely none of this matters now because she won't remember it; I see it more as practice for the future. I don't want her to be one of those kids that thinks everything they do is special and give her a false sense of superiority. At the same time I don't want to 'squelch her spirit' (a quote from Parenthood, one of the best shows on TV) and make her feel like I don't appreciate her work. I'm not exactly sure what I'm trying to say here. So I'll end with a quote from Oscar Wilde: A work of art is the unique result of a unique temperament. I have a feeling with Lily and my 'unique temperaments' we will be making great works of art together for a long while. 

The Longest Week Ever

This has been the longest week ever. Seriously. Joe has been busy, Lily has been sick, and I have been tired/impatient/frustrated/fill-in-your-favorite-negative-emotion-here. 


Joe has been super busy. This year he was invited to join one of the journals at school (kind of a big deal in the law school world). This week he had his first kind of big assignment due for it. So he has been working until midnight just about every night since last Wednesday. I saw him sometimes for breakfast and sometimes for dinner, but not usually both. It sounds like it has been a fun project to work on, but I sure have missed him. And not just for his baby-sleep-inducing skills. We have a lot of fun together and I have missed chatting about whatever and laughing at our ridiculous daughter. 


Lily has been sick. As I posted on facebook, Lily has been on the BRAT diet all week. I was starting to get worried about her being dehydrated so we even made a trip to the doctor. As of yesterday, things are looking up. But for the previous five days, oh man was she a wreck. Unless she was a) asleep, b) eating a popsicle, or c) in the bathtub, she was i) crying, ii) screaming, iii) hitting and throwing things at me, or iv) all of the above. For five days. Poor little critter. She seemed to rally when other people were around so we spent a good deal of time visiting grandparents.


Two things have been particularly difficult during this week: eating and sleep. Lily is used to eating whatever Joe and I are eating, just cut up smaller or with a teeny less spice in it. So it was killing her to see us eating regular food and her having to force down another banana or some more applesauce. When it's just me I've been trying not to eat other things in front of her so she doesn't feel so bad, and if I never see another banana again that would be ok with me. Sleeping has been an issue because we can't give her a bottle of milk at bedtime. Instead, I have to lie down with her and she nurses until she falls asleep. Then I very carefully try to creep out of bed without waking her up. This works fifty percent of the time. This means that I haven't been able to keep up with the nightly household chores like I usually do adding to my general state of unease. 


I have been tired/impatient/frustrated/fill-in-your-favorite-negative-emotion-here. Last week I only worked on Wednesday so I've had Lily full-time for most of the week. And I mean 24-7 full-time. It's been really draining to not have a moment alone. I am a true introvert in the sense that I draw my energy from and am refreshed by spending time alone. I like people, I like socializing, but what I need to feel relaxed and calm is some time alone. Usually to clean. I have really come to cherish the two hours after Joe takes over in the evenings and my couple of days at work each week. 


I feel like I haven't had a chance to collect my thoughts and that forces me to think as I lie in bed and that keeps me up and that makes me tired and then I can't exercise the next day because I'm too tired and then I'm more anxious and I still can't clean anything. This is the downward spiral I end up in. Not good. 


But it's almost done. At this moment I'm thankful for family nearby, doctors on call, and Mott's 100% Juice No Sugar Added Ice Pops. I'm looking forward to work tomorrow and camping for the first time with Lily this weekend. Lily is feeling better, I went for a run this morning, we decorated for Halloween, and in a few hours Joe will be home again. 

4 Weeks To Go!

There are only four weeks left until the Monster Dash Half Marathon. And things are starting to get scary. For some reason I'm starting to really psyche myself out. I'm afraid of the cold. I'm afraid of the distance. I'm afraid of getting stuck out someplace with the stroller. 

All of these things are ridiculous. It is not cold. It's PERFECT running weather.  The distances are doable. I have run a half marathon before, I'm doing the miles each week, my body is not going to spontaneously stop working. Getting stuck with the stroller is a reasonable fear, but I don't have to go run the super long ones with Lily. 

I really don't know why I'm freaking out so much. But it's not good. I missed my long run this weekend because of other things that were going on, but that's no excuse not to run today. Sometimes I feel like if I'm not doing eight miles, then it's not even worth it. That's so dumb! A short four mile run is better than no run at all. 

I just need to remember that I never regret going out for a run. I think I may have found the sweet spot interval that will get me through the half marathon. If I run 1.5 miles and then walk for 2 minutes I can go forever. Seriously, it feels great. And that roughly coincides with the water stations along the course, so that's great. 

I've also been experimenting with adding some Gatorade in along with water. I've read that if you're an average person, you only need water for the first hour of exercise but that after that you should add in something with some electrolytes. The problem is I'm allergic to Splenda and just about everything out there has Splenda in it. I can tolerate it in small amounts, so I'm trying to build up a tolerance. I would just drink some apple juice or something, but I absolutely cannot run while holding anything. I've tried several different kinds of water waist bands and backpacks and it just does not work for me so I'll need to rely on whatever is available on the course, which will mostly likely be Gatorade. So far so good. 

As for losing weight, I've been stuck at 161 for three weeks in a row. Part of the problem has been having Joe around for essentially four day weekends. That's two more days each week of eating lots of food than I'm used to. Now that school's back in session that should be less of a problem. The other problem is that as the weather gets colder all I want to eat is warm cheesy food. If I'm REALLY good for the next four weeks and throw in a couple of extra workouts in the evenings, I should be able to still reach my goal of being under 150 by the race. So, here's to running more, eating less cheese, lifting more, and not being afraid!  

That's my girl!

Have you seen this commercial? It cracks me up every time. "That's my son!" I love it so much. It's pretty out of character because I hate talking animal/baby commercials as a rule, and this commercial has a talking baby animal. But still, it gets me every time.  


In the last couple of weeks it feels like Lily has learned some new huge skill every day. She is walking, nay running, everywhere. She still falls down sometimes, but it doesn't stop her at all. She's also really getting into pretend play. She 'talks' on her cell phone, points the remote at the TV (sometimes actually changing the channel), and LOVES to 'cook'. Her favorite thing to do is mix something up in a bowl with her hand or a spoon, taste it, and then offer some to whoever else is around. It's sooooooo cute. She is also a total ham. A manipulative little one, at that. She has mastered the fake cry, the pitiful sniffle and cough, and the super innocent puppy dog look. I spend a lot of time laughing at and with her. She is such a happy little girl. She loves to play footsie. She's also crazy smart (really, how could she not be???). She's doing really great at matching colors and thinks it's great fun to pat her head and point at her toes when you ask her to. When we read together she knows all the flaps to pull, soft things to touch, and makes a 'moo' sound whenever she sees a cow (or a pig, to be honest, but that's still pretty good).


And she finally colored with me! I've been working on it all week. On Tuesday we made great progress and she happily sat in her high chair coloring while I made lunch for the two of us. I had drawn a heart and written her name in it and she scribbled all over the rest of the page. Then she held it up with pride for me to take, but I was holding a hot pot so she had to wait for a second. That second was apparently too long, and she then proceeded to rip the paper up into little tiny pieces. It was like some sort of performance art where the artist creates a work only to destroy it in front of an audience. Clearly, she's a genius. Tonight we had more success. 

I started by writing her name on the paper. Then she wanted to take each crayon out of the bag one by one. She would look closely at it, get it all set in her right hand, make a few marks, and then hand it to me or toss it on the floor. Then she'd dig out another one from the bag. If I wasn't holding a crayon she would give me one, so I started coloring different size polka dots and she drew all the lines. When she had had enough she grabbed the paper and ran over to Joe to give it to him. My heart melted a bit. Okay a lot. 


When did she turn into this small, creative, energetic, fun-loving kid? She still has moments of definite babyhood where all she wants to do nurse or be snuggled or smear food in her hair. But everyday there's some new spark. It's fascinating. It's also got me extremely paranoid. What if I'm not doing this right? She's such a sponge now, if I screw up it'll stick with her forever. I sort of feel like playing and reading and being with her is all she needs and she lets me know when she's ready to try something new. But I really don't know, I'm just sort of making this up as I go along. It's working for now. And each day as Lily shows off some new talent, I'll be the first one to say "That's my girl!"

Park Etiquette

Ok parents, I need some help here. Lily is walking up a storm and is LOVING running around the parks near our apartment. She climbs up the ramps and stairs, goes down the slides, jumps on the bridges, and really likes to swing. She still topples down now and again, but always gets back up and keeps on trucking. I let her dig in the sand, pick up wood chips, crawl around in the grass, and generally get dirty. That's what the park is for. 


Lily gets SUPER excited when she sees other kids at the park. Especially when they are about her age. She likes to run over to them with her hands outstretched and starts waving hello while squealing. Slightly intimidating yes, but it comes from a good place. And in her defense, most of the other 14 month olds are doing the same thing. I usually manage to catch her before she knocks any of the other kids down. After I get her to stop running, I usually let her go and more calmly say hello to the other toddler. I stay nearby to make sure no hitting or pushing happens. But almost with out exception, the other mom rushes over, picks up her toddler and goes to play in another part of the park. 


Does this seem weird to anyone else? I remember going to parks when I was a kid and playing with whoever was around whether you knew them or not. That's what the park is for. Getting to interact with other kids. Learning how to deal with other people in the same place. Sharing equipment, taking turns, and having fun with other kids. 


I've tried going to other parks in the area, and the same thing always happens. Am I doing something wrong? Am I the weird mom at the park? Is it just that we're in the city and people are being super over protective? I'm surprised at how stressed out by this I am. I start having anxious, downward spiraling thoughts about Lily growing up to be the weird, anti-social kid because no one would play with her in the park when she was 1 year old. What do I do? I want Lily to be a happy, well-adjusted kid. And she always looks so sad when the other babies go away. 

The End of Summer

The end of summer is here. Cool lake breezes and cool nights are making for good sleeping weather. We've harvested more tomatoes than we know what to do with. And things are starting to ramp up for the beginning of school. 


Thankfully we've had a couple of weeks of good old fashioned summer laziness. After Joe finished his first round of interviews our schedules suddenly opened up. I have still been working three days a week at the bakery, and Joe has been using that time to work on his journal assignments. But other than that it's been like one big long weekend. We've done a lot of sleeping in, cooking together, and doing whatever we feel like. We've gone on lots of walks, played in lots of parks, and worked in the garden. We've also watched some movies, gone shopping, and cooked some more. We haven't really been visiting other people a whole lot. It's been really nice to just hang out together as a family.  


Here are some pictures of our recent adventures: 


Making marinara sauce from our garden harvest. We froze two bags worth!

At the Fox Valley Folk Festival sitting in her big girl chair. 

In the Children's Garden at Morton Arboretum. I think Lily would like to live in this little house. 

Walking down the path with dad at the Arb. NBD.

Sunday afternoon nap after church and lunch at New Star. 

Looking at these pictures, Lily looks like such a big girl now! She insists on walking everywhere and prefers to hold Joe's hand while doing so. She's also a great eater. We do have days where she only wants crackers and cheese, but other days she chows down on moussaka, pasta carbonara, pork chop suey and baklava. And we've had marginal success with a variety of sippy cups, but she can drink like a champ out of a solo coffee cup lid. So no, our baby is not gulping down a cup of coffee, it's just the only thing she'll drink milk out of other than a bottle. And I never thought I'd be a sucker for this, but the pitter-patter of little feet followed by an unexpected knee-height hug and "wow!" is the cutest thing ever. 

This week things start to get busy again. Joe has a few call-back interviews and I have a couple of cakes to bake. Friends and family are coming to town and classes will be starting soon. I'm looking forward to a little bit of hustle and bustle but am extremely grateful for the last couple of weeks. 

8 Weeks left

I ended up at 159 this week. Woo hoo! It's been a long time since I've been under 160. Let's keep this going. I ran twice this week. One was 3.5 miles, the other 5 miles. I'm averaging about 11 min/mile with the jogging stroller, so hopefully I'll be a little quicker than that without it. I'm going to try to work in more runs without the stroller so I get used to it. 


I think I may have to give up my hope of running the whole thing without walking. After these last two 5 milers my hips were feeling a bit creaky. It's so frustrating because my heart and lungs can go forever, but my hips and legs just can't. During this run I tried something different. I ran for a mile and then walked for a minute before running the rest of the next mile. I ended up finishing a full 4 minutes faster than when I ran it in two larger chunks. My hips felt great but my heart and lungs weren't loving it. Clearly the answer is I need to do more interval work. I looked at the race map and they have water stations about every 1.5 miles, so I think the plan is going to be run in between stations and walk for a minute or so through them. Which realistically is probably what would have happened anyway since I am incapable of drinking water and running at the same time. So, now I just need to do more intervals. Boo. 


And I haven't managed to start doing any strength work. I'm worried about my arms being sore and shaky the next day (not good for cake decorating). Also, the only time I have to do anything like that is in the evening when Joe is putting Lily to bed and that is my designated do the dishes, straighten up the house, and then play on the internet time. Ugh. I just need to get motivated one night and do it. I keep telling myself that I'm looking for a good routine to do, but really that's just procrastination. I don't need to read/watch someone else's plan for pushups, abs, and squats. 


(After reading this you might think that I would get all motivated and do something after I finish writing this. Unlikely.)

Don't be a square!

For those of you planning a wedding in the near future, let me offer up one piece of advice: do not choose a square wedding cake. I know what you're thinking:

"It's so different and fun!" 

"I just want something simple." 

"It's so elegant and chic!"

It's not any of those things. And let me tell you why. 

1) It's not different. In 1965 if you had a square wedding cake that may have been a novelty, it no longer is. The bakery where I work makes a ton of these each week. It's nearly as ubiquitous as the round cake. 

2) It's not natural. Icing is composed of sugar, butter, and cream. None of which are things that naturally have corners. So why would mixing them all together allow for the creation of perfect corners? It doesn't. 

3) It takes a long time. In order to get those perfect corners, we have to ice the cake, put it in the fridge for an hour or so, take it out of the fridge, smooth the cake, put it back in the fridge for another hour, take it out again and finish decorating it. By this time your cake decorator hates you and is behind on their work thus ensuring that any decoration you have requested will be done hastily. 

4) It is rarely simple or elegant. Square cakes show off every single imperfection. So even if your decorator is awesome, there will still be flaws evident. And that's not including any damage incurred during transportation. The cakes you see in magazines are fake. They're made with royal icing and styrofoam. This is what allows them to look so perfect and smooth. Also, if you're putting a ton of decorations on it anyway (read: NOT simple or elegant) you lose the squareness of it anyway. 

So whether you're looking for something traditional: 

Or something more modern:

Spare your cake decorator the frustration, and yourself the likely disappointment and don't be a square!

(Now imagine this cake with fresh bright orange, red and gold gerber daisies on it. So cute, right!)

Photos Galore!

Here are some pictures from Lily's birthday party. I made a strawberry cake with cream cheese frosting. It was also like 90*F and ten thousand percent humidity. And raining. So the cake itself ended up pretty sad looking. But I like the chunky chocolate butterflies. They're just perfect for a little kid cake. 

And here are some pictures from forever ago for some perspective. This was taken on the day we moved out of our house in Tucson, exactly one year ago. Lily is 6 weeks old. 

Here she is about 4 months old. 

And 5 months. 

This might be one of my favorite pictures ever. She's about 9 months old here. 

She's still on the small end for her age, but it's nothing compared to how tiny she was when she was first born. Even until just a couple of months ago she was pretty scrawny. Now that she eats enough food to feed a small cow she's finally getting some chub. So there are some pictures. Finally.