Friday's update

I'm actually posting a Friday's Update. I believe this is the first in months! How exciting. Not really though. I do have updates but sadly the pics I have are few and far between and bad quality at that. Let's not be a total Debbie downer though, right?  I have battled with my D40 Nikon for long enough. It's battery problems (that I haven't bothered sharing with you) have sent me to the moon and back and so today was the day I threw in the towel and ordered a new battery. This should be arriving by the middle of next week.  Alas, if this doesn't fix my camera problems I'll be visiting the moon again.

Said camera problems caused me to miss yet another super cute Monkey moment today and that's why I snapped. So instead, I'll do my best to describe it to you. Gramma Judy brought over stickers earlier this week for Eloise to play with. She's never had her little paws on stickers so this was great fun for her.  But little did I know, there was a surprise waiting for me with all of this sticker fun....Gramma and Eloise made mommy a card complete with tons of stickers that Eloise put on herself. I cried, of course. I'm a total sap.  So I wanted to get pics of this cute card and then today, Eloise and I used some of the leftover stickers and created a beautiful picture together that of course, I wanted to share. But then the camera refused to snap pics, even after charging the battery twice. Major sigh. Either way. I have the beautiful card Eloise and Gramma made me. I have the picture Eloise and I created today and when the camera is back in working order, I'll post pics of both.

In the meantime, this week Eloise, Gramma and I ventured into an all new activity - baking! And what did we bake?? Muffins! I've been looking for new activities for us to explore and so baking it was. I thought Eloise would get a kick out of baking, and I was right. She had a great time. We mixed the batter together, poured it into the muffin cups and the popped them into the oven. Only word of caution here...don't get your toddler too excited about things that go into the oven because they may want to then go ahead and put all of their weight into opening the 375 degree oven door and taking a full-blown peek for themselves. After my mom and I got our hearts back to a resting beat, we helped Eloise understand that the oven is off limits. Instead she watched her muffins grow via the glass door and the oven light. Here's the Monkey girl stirring away.

While the muffins were baking Eloise ran around saying "muffin, muffin, muffin" and so as soon as they were out of the oven, we dug right into our goodies. Sadly enough, they were totally disgusting. Lol.  So much for our baking adventure.  Anyway, I couldn't figure out what the problem was and so I reread the directions....yup, we did everything right. And then I stumbled upon the "Best if used by" date and....ummm..... it said May 2010.  And there you have it.  Thankfully I didn't poison either of us but it was a close call.  We'll be making pancakes with cookie cutters this weekend. And the pancake batter is fresh from the grocery store. Baking adventure #2. Or maybe pancakes fall into the "cooking" category. Details.

Happy weekend!

Eloise has one famous uncle!

Uncle Todd and Dog-Cousin Rylie won 1st place this weekend at the 2011 Hyperflight Skyhoundz Frisbee Championship!  Here is Cousin Chloe celebrating with her daddy and her doggie:)

 

The wait list

Eloise has officially been "wait listed." And the poor little girl doesn't even know it.  Preschool has proven to be more difficult to get into than college. Ahhhhh, the beginnings of Eloise having to really work hard and prove herself in this world.

Ok, preschool update for everyone - I got there today at 8:20am. I was even earlier than the advised 8:30am arrival time. When I got there, there were already 2 other families in line. And come to find out they got there at 7:30am and 7:45am respectively. Can you already see and feel the insanity of preschool registration unfolding here or what?  So I nestle myself right into my spot, coffee in hand and the 2nd chapter of "Water for Elephants" ready to go.  One good bit of news about all of this is the maintenance man was there and he let us into the side vestibule where we waited with some heat.

Eventually our line was led past the vesibule and into the preschool area where we continued to wait patiently.  I believe by now it was maybe 9am. The executive director came out and annouced to all of us, "The 2 year old classroom is already full. If any of you are waiting to register for the 2 year olds room, I can add you to the wait list but for now, I can't take your registration fee."  She walked around to each of us and jotted our names down and preference of days of the week. I literally put Eloise down as "first available." Now it feels like she's waiting for a table at a restaurant and doesn't mind if she gets stuck inside or outside, with the smokers or non-smokers. Terrible, I know.

So we're wait listed. Everyone keeps asking me where we are on the list. I have to say, I'm not sure. The executive director coming out and announcing that the "2 year old class was already full" happened rather quickly. I was reading and didn't catch exactly what she said at first so I didn't know if she said "full, except one spot" because one family in front of us stayed in line and didn't get on the wait list and the other family got out of line and did put their name on the list. Agh! It all happened so quickly! It's a blur!  Ok, just kidding. But sadly though, I didn't hear if it was already full before our line congregated or after. So basically what I'm getting at is I don't know if we're number 2 on that list or further down. I tried to look (envision peeking over the podium at a hostesses list) and from what I could tell, we were maybe 4th but again, I don't know if other ages were full and on this list also or what. Ok, basically I know nothing. And it was all happening in pretty short order so I didn't think it was appropriate for me to ask. I've got Sue on the case (Cam's mom) to see if she can find out when she picks him up from school today. 

Plan B?? I don't have one but I'll tell you, mothers in line were already on top that. They were all discussing what preschool they were heading to next. Apparently St. Martin's preschool registration opens to the public this Thurs. But I'm not going. I wanted to see if Eloise could get into this one school and give myself the opportunity to go through this process one time. I'm not going to hurry up and literally be wait listed again.  And word on the street (Ok, this is all coming from Sue:) is that a second 2 year old classroom may be opened for the fall and if that's the case, obviously Eloise would get in.  I'm in a "let's just wait and see" mode. Thankfully I don't have to stress about getting her into school so therefore I won't. The real stress will come when she needs to get into kindergarten, which in Charlotte is truly a racket. This preschool thing is just a good warm up for me.

Long overdue update

First off, I'm so sorry for my sh*tty blogging skills as of late. And I guess I'm also sorry for swearing. This is a blog about a child 99% of the time, right? But what else can I say?? I'm no good as of late.  I thought about it too. Why am I not blogging? Am I running out of topics to cover? Am I bored? Or rather am I too busy? Here's the truth. The Monkey isn't surpassing milestones every second like when she was younger. And it's winter time and we don't venture out as much. And when we do, it's enough that I have us both bundled up appropriately and out the door. Sometimes that means the camera doesn't make the trip.  I know, I know. That's crap. And I hate excuses so I'll leave it at that.

So what has been going on with our Monkey?? She talks ALL day. Nonstop really.  And it's amazing how clearly she pronouces words. She's definitely in the parrot stage. Every single thing you say will come out of her mouth in short order. All adult language has been banished from the household. I even said gosh the other day and it sounded weird coming out of her mouth. Next time I guess I'll "oh my goodness."  Anyway, for any of you around the Monkey-girl, just know, everything you say, she will say. It may or may not sound right but she will try. And she also enjoys Chinese Water Torture with her language skills, like Mickey Mouse for example. We're in a the midst of a "pull your hair out" Mickey Mouse obsession around here ("pull your hair out" because Mike and I have both had ENOUGH of Mickey) and once she gets on her kick she will literally run around here and repeat Mickey Mouse 300 times. It's truly torture. Possibly more torturous than actually sitting and watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, which is a disaster of a show. But alas, she loves it and has a particular fondness for Mickey right now. And really, what can I say? He taught her how to perfectly say the word "hotdog", which when asked what she would like for breakfast, lunch or dinner, your first response 100% of the time is "hotdog." Of course.

Whatelse is going on?  I am heading over to a preschool tomorrow morning to enroll Eloise in the fall session.  I've been "schooled" on the ins and outs of preschool in this neck of the woods and therefore I feel like I'm now preparing myself for battle. Tomorrow at 9:30am a "first come, first serve" registration will begin at this particular school, the same school all of the neighborhood kids go to. I'm still on the fence about sending Eloise to preschool to begin with and so I'm only going to this one school and going through the process to get a feel for everything. If she gets in, great. If not, we have the baby whisperer.  I'm aware of the fact that there is a really slim chance we'll get in but I feel like putting myself through what sounds like a pretty crazy process will help me learn the ropes for the future. 

Here's what I've learned.  Tomorrow will be an "open to the public" registration. That means all of the church members and current students will have already had first dibs to enroll their kids before I even step foot in the building. I think that makes perfect sense and is completely fair.  Whatever leftover spots remain after that point will be on a "first come, first serve" basis for us, "the public," tomorrow morning. I've been told to arrive at 8:30am and wait outside like I'm at the DMV.  Literally. I'll be the one bundled up reading a book and sipping coffee. And I've actually tried to con some friends into walking over to keep me company but I don't think that's going to fly.  Tomorrow at 8:30am it is expected to be 32 degrees. The line forms outside.

After I get Eloise registered - to the tune of a nonrefundable $85, which is supposedly a screaming deal for preschool registration fees, - I will be alerted by the month of May whether or not she is enrolled or if her name will instead be added to a wait list. If she ends up on a wait list, I'll be told what number she is on the list (and then I guess this is when I start hoping kids move away or drop out of school?? sounds terribly morbid.). I have no idea how many spots will be available to be filled for tomorrow. Maybe the executive director will give me the scoop if I butter her up a little.

Here comes the buttering up part. My friend Sue, whose son Cameron attends this school, has been giving me the inside track on everything I need to do. She's nearly employed at the place having substituted there for a year and may actually become a full-time employee come this fall.  She's the one who told me to get there at 8:30am - 60 minutes pre-registration. And she also told me to quiet literally say the following during registration "Cam will be devastated if his girlfriend Eloise isn't in his class next year."  Devastated. A 2 year old. I love it.  If guilt gets Eloise into preschool, I'll let you all know. Then to make matters more dramatic, I followed up that suggestion with the idea that we get the kids together tonight for a little "executive director card making session."  What have we got to loose??  Oh, and I've also thought about bring doughnuts and coffee to the preschool employees. I think that's going a little far but it did cross my mind. And no, Cam did not come over tonight. No cards were made.

Anyway, like I said, if she gets in, she gets in. I'm throwing $85 at a chance that my daughter will likely not get into preschool but to me it's worth the effort to see how this all works and quite possibly get her in. I do love the socialization of it all. I like that I can choose the days she goes. But if we wait another year and she goes at 3, that's fine too. And if I didn't say tomorrow doesn't a pinch feel like I'm fighting for the last available Cabbage Patch Doll at Wal-Mart, I meant to. Moms going all cut-throat for a chance to get their kids into preschool. I do expect some pushing and shoving at the door. Game on. Stay tuned on Operation Preschool.

For pictures, I don't have many. We spend so much of our time indoors right now and I'm still using "auto" on the camera, which means the flash is used all the time. And pics with flash just stink. So I'll spare you but either way, I did want to share a few. Here is the Monkey in her paint smock. It's actually my cooking apron but it now doubles as a paint smock and if I tuck it and tie it just right, I have to say....it fits our little artist perfectly. (painting is probably her most favorite thing to do each day.)

And here are 2 pics of the Monkey goofing around with Mommy and the camera. She's hamming it up and being very cute.

Last, these pics are bad quality but I'll post them anyway. What better to do with an annoying obsession than to feed right into it? Here is a sick Monkey who got a new Mickey Mouse t-shirt from her mommy to cheer her up.

Sick tactics

The Monkey seems to have developed a runny nose. Of course the timing was impeccable. Literally as her friends are arriving  at the house for a playdate yesterday afternoon she starts sneezing and snot non-stop starts draining from her nose. Eeek. "Sorry, moms of playdate pals. I truly didn't know she was coming down with something."

Thankfully though - now 21 hours into this latest sickness, we only have a runny nose on the symptoms list. And the runny part is clear so that's good news.  Her congestion woke her up several times last night because she couldn't suck her thumb with a plugged nose. Nothing a good tug at a bubble asperator won't cure. Unfortunately for me and Mike, we had to do this at 10:30pm, 12:30am, 1:30am and 2:30am.

Anyway, today is a new day and yes, the nose keeps running. She's also napping a little more. Based on lastnight's restless sleep, that makes sense. But here's the best part of it all. The Baby Whisperer is here right now. I had a morning meeting and came home around 12pm.  While I was heating up my lunch, I was hanging out with the Monkey and BW in the living room.  Out of nowhere, Eloise - with her constant nose drain - stops what she is doing, then sneezes and then gets down on all fours, puts her face to the ground and rubs her nose back and forth on the rug to get the snot off of her face.  WHAT??  I kid you not.  She doesn't use her sleeve. She doesn't come to either one of us to help her. And she doesn't just leave it be, which her more typical sneeze/snot drain reaction. Nope. Head down, go to all fours, face on the rug where she leaves a thick gooey pile of snot. Where in the ever beloved world did she get that as an idea???  And what do the BW and I do in the sheer shock and awe of it all?? We laugh. How can you not??

Lord have mercy.

"This is what I look like...

....when Daddy does my hair."

(which I have to say, was TOO freaking cute to discover when I got home from running today!)

Snow day(s)

We've had some crazy weather around CLT the last few days. Snow started on Sunday night late and  continued to come down all day Monday. I think in total, at our house we had about 4-5 inches. Monday was the prettiest of the days because the snow was falling, the temps stayed around 29 or 30 so nothing melted or became ice. Then Tuesday arrived and the entire city was under a serious sheet of ice. Driving has been crazy and basically the entire town is in lock-down. Schools are closed again tomorrow for the 3rd day in a row. Cabin fever doesn't begin to describe some of the messages I'm reading from parents stuck at home with their school-aged kids.

Eloise and I went out and enjoyed the snow on Monday. We were out there for maybe 30 minutes and then we came in and had some "hot chocolate" - which she is now getting quite good at pronouncing. I gave her some in her sippy cup. She loved it.  Then we snugged in for a day of toys, books, painting, coloring and the like.  Oh and throw in a little "Mickey Mouse" - also something she is very good at pronouncing and likely because she says it nearly 4,000 times per day. Sigh. Lol.

Here are some pics of Eloise (and later Mimi who makes an appearance) playing in the snow.

Eloise counts to 10

The Monkey has been practicing her numbers and I'm pleased to report, she can now count to 10. I'm so proud of her!  I tried my best to get this on video. It's nearly impossible to do, so keep in mind the audio is the only important part here.  If you can visualize, I was holding the camera while she stood right beside me looking at it.  I would say a number, she would tell me what was next. But as we all know, she gets VERY distracted when I have the video camera around so this "count to 10" performance was the best I could get. She's usually faster at rattling off the numbers but she was so interested in seeing what the camera was doing that she gets a pinch A.D.D.  Also, I apologize for first showing you her cars (again, just pay attention to the audio) and then all of sudden, you're stuck looking at a close up of my fingers.  I was doing all I could to get the little girl to wrap things up. Enjoy! Monkey counts to 10.

What have we been up to?

We've been keeping pretty busy as of late. This week we had some fun playdates and caught up with good friends. We ventured out to Discovery Place where Mommy had to tuck away her fear of snakes to encounter (i.e. deal with) 2 back-to-back situations where we quite litereally fell upon them coiled around Discovery Place employees necks (lord, help me). My only saving grace is that although Eloise seems somewhat fearless in basically every setting, in both snake instances, as soon as the DP employees walked over and asked Eloise if she wanted to touch the horrid, slithering creatures (I mean beautiful specimens that we all love and appreciate), she'd back away.  Thank god. And then we were saved by a 5 year old boy who thought the snake was "cool" so we could make a major run for it. Ahhhhhhhhh!

We also spent some fun time this week with Gramma Judy and her dog, Lady. Eloise can't decide who she loves more but I will say, I think "Ooody" is the winner:)  She's having a tough time saying Gramma, but getting quite good at Judy. So cute.

For pictures today, we have a few. First, I must show our great new matching hats courtesy of Grandma Sara. Yay! Thanks! I've already received compliments on mine while running today. We need to help Eloise keep hers on her head longer than 30 seconds in order for us to be matchy matchy in public. But for now, we at least have a pic.

Next we have a few of Eloise having fun with her new shopping cart and food. We had a playdate this week where she couldn't get enough of the shopping cart and food (and since I'm personally dying to get her a kitchen combi but am holding back because where would we put another big toy around here?? too much.).
So I thought, well....we can just get the cart and the food and we'll get the kitchen when she's older. Maybe next Christmas. But in the meantime, she can have tons of fun zooming around here with her cart and playing grocery store with the food. Well, once again as witnessed by the ball pit, Eloise is no longer into the shopping cart since she now has one if her own. She was willing to go to war for the cart at her friends house this week, but here? Nope. Come already! Throw a mom a bone!  But the food, now that's fun for her.  So here we are, she's laid all of her food out on the train table and she's decided to flip the shopping cart over or better yet, let's try to get in it??!!  We'll get there. It's a work in progress:)

Updates, updates, updates....

...are coming later today. I promise. I'm going running right now and will come back full of adventures and shenanigans to share. Happy Saturday!

I'm taking the next step

I'm taking the next step in running. I can't believe I'm actually blogging about this because personally, I'm still a little fuzzy on what this "next step" is but I feel by jotting this down, you will hold me accountable for whatever comes next in my running world. Actually, by jotting this down, I will hold myself accountable for my next running steps.  And maybe by the end of this post, I'll be able to solidify what "next" really is!

Here's some background. About a month ago, I started meeting up with some area runners for weekly long runs. By way of a recently created Facebook group and a local blog I discovered, I've found some runners who run the same pace I do, and have similar love and "use" of the sport that I have. (by "use" I mean, we are a pinch beyond just running for pleasure. we race as well.) So to be expected, they've quickly become a group I rely on to inspire me and help me work and train harder.

Our weekly runs are on either Saturday or Sunday morning and we crank out some miles while chatting and comparing running "notes" on what race is coming up, what training regimen we are following, what gear to have/use, etc. For one, it's awesome having the company. It's truly amazing what a group run will do for your mileage. Before you know it, you've run 13 miles when it only felt like a typical 5 mile run.  For another, this group of people has got me actually "training" for upcoming races vs. just running and showing up. Huh, how did that happen?

I personally feel like I do a lot with running, both in weekly mileage and getting out there for races but where I fall short is in truly training and setting goals. I don't know if it's my age or the amount of years I've been running but I've kind of fallen behind the "just running and staying fit, along with entering a race here or there is enough" kind of attitude. It's become my MO.  And I don't think there is anything wrong with that but for me, it's become my comfort zone.  It's easy for me to put on mileage. I enjoy running. It's what I do.  So getting out there 5 or 6 times a week is just like, whatever.  And as far as races go, I have Eloise to thank for that. She inspired me to try something new - the baby jogger division - which has been really fun.  It had been years since I was out on the racing circuit and thanks to that 18-month old little Monkey, I'm now back out there again. So anyway, my conclusion is, beyond these two said items, that about covers it for me and my running world.

But now, I'm taking the next step.  I'm going to set unrealistic, high reaching goals for myself. I'm going to up my anty as far as training goes. And I'm going to step out of my comfort zone and see what this nearly 36 year old body has left to offer the Charlotte running community.  Wow - what a statement! Don't get too jazzed.  Believe me, there are some mega fast runners around here so I'm not taking Charlotte by storm. Rather, I'll just try and take myself by storm. I've always been my own worst enemy. I'm sure I've referred to that on here before. I psych myself out. And psyching yourself out makes for very poor race days.  And then that leads to less motivation to train. Which leads to more lack luster races and you can see where I'm going here.  And although I truly LOVE running with Eloise, by running with my new group of buddies, I've discovered that I'm kind of hiding behind the jogging stroller. It was an excellent tool to get me back out there racing again, but now I'm using it as my crutch each and every race because with it, I run my own race, my own time, in my own division with what, maybe 4 other people, all because I have the stroller. And of course with the stroller, I'm slower than the rest. But that's OK, right?  I'm pushing a stroller!  That's my automatic, built-in excuse. And with that, I have no idea what kind of race I could run without it.  How fast could I be??

Well, last night I met up with my buddies again. The two of them are gearing up for a mega fast 5K on February 12 called the Cupid's Cup. It's here in Charlotte and from what I gather, it's supposed to be a relatively flat course and thus, a fast one. The two of them recently ran 20:05 and 20:09 5Ks (6:27 per mile splits) respectively and are in major training mode to break 20 minutes. They have 6 weeks to go and have literally mapped out each week's training schedule with speed workouts, long runs, rest days and the like. I have to say, from an outsider looking in, it's quite impressive.

Somehow, thanks to our common love of running, I'm kind of along for the ride with these two. They have the goal. They have the training schedule and luckily, they must like me because I get invited to run with them. So yesterday I got a FB message from them both saying they were doing a speed workout last night at 6pm. Would I care to join?  Of course I would!

Let me preface all of this by saying the last time I did a speed workout was quite literally 18 years ago.  Lol. It makes me laugh thinking about it.  But hey, game on. Let's do a speed workout!  As far as running goes, in order to prepare yourself for a race, and more importantly, in order to run a race faster than the previous one, you need to add speed to your training.  And, I know this. But do I do it? No. (speed workouts are basically intervals of predetermined time or distance in order to condition your body to run faster. the more you do it, the faster you become. easy peasy. Lol. except, I don't do it. sorry for "running 101.")

Can you imagine me sprinting up the street with Eloise in tow (or better yet, around a track pushing a stroller? hilarious!) lets say for example 3 minutes on, 2 minutes off. Then 3 minutes on. Then 2 minutes off.  You get the jist. Anyway, a baby jogger and speed workouts might not be a good match. But, regardless, to be a fast runner, they are important.

Alas, last night arrives and yes, I find myself doing a speed workout adjacent to the Light Rail line in Uptown Charlotte at 6pm with 2 running buddies, all of us geared up with flashing lights and florescent colored shirts with reflective striping. Safety first, remember.  The workout went well. Yes, I can hang with these guys. I was even faster for a couple of them.  When we got back to our cars they continued talking about their sub-20 goal, reviewing their watches for our workout results, and then off we go. We say our goodbyes and head to our cars.  Meanwhile, I'm thinking to myself, "you are totally goal squating here. They are the ones who are reaching higher than they've ever reached. They are the ones doing all of the homework to find out how they can accomplish this awesome time. They set up the days/times we meet. I'm just totally 100% along for the ride."

Hence my "next step" blog post. I'm not goal squating any longer. I'm going to do it too. I'm going to set that goal of sub-20 for the Cupid's Cup. (I've already signed up!) And I'm going to set other running goals for 2011. I'm not going to hide behind the jogging stroller any more (well, actually I would like to run a 10K with Eloise but that would be placed into the "goal" category because I think it'll be a stretch for both of us.).  I'm going to add speed workouts to my weekly regimen. I'm going to do my homework, offer up training ideas to my friends, I'm going to continue feeding off of my newly found running comraderie and therefore become a better runner.  Hey, what do I have to loose?? 

Oh, and most importantly, I'm going to stop being my own worst enemy. When I show up at the starting line, I'm going to be confident and strong. I'm going to do my best for that single day and that single race, whatever it may be.  I'm not going to psych myself out and I'm not going to leave the race feeling like I had more. I'm not going to think about the other runners. I'm going to run  my own race at my own pace and push myself to be better.

There. I said it. I'm taking the next step. Deep breath in and then out.

2011 Running Goals:

1) Sub 20:00 5K
2) Complete a 10K with Eloise
3) Sub 45:00 10K - without Eloise
4) 1:34 for a 1/2 marathon

Zeee-bas

On a whim, we took Eloise back to the Riverbanks Zoo on Sunday afternoon. I wanted Mike to see what a cool zoo it was and also, I knew Eloise would love it going back. Which she did. We had a good time and I'll admit, I went in camera-free. Sometimes I think it's a little much to document every single step of this little girl's waking life. It felt like a good opportunity to just experience a really fun day together as a family. Sans camera. And we did. Now, of course, Mike had his iPhone on him at all times so I need not disappoint in regards to pics taken this day. These aren't great quality but you can see Eloise checking out the fish, the turtles and the crocodiles. This section of the zoo, along with the "zeee-bas" ("zebras" as I'm sure you figured) were her favorite parts of the day.  The monkeys were all snoozing by the time we got there, which was post lunch for them so I can understand. We saw 3 but not nearly the "zoo" of swinging and screaming monkeys we witnessed our last trip. Therefore, they didn't rank high on the list with our monkey-obsessed Eloise. Oh, and now the Riverbanks Zoo has upped its "thumb rating" as Mike agreed, it's a great place for kids. 6 thumbs up from the Vail household!

Chloe

A quick update to show how quickly cousin Chloe is growing. Could she be any cuter??? I need to get a nibble of those cheeks ASAP! She will be 9 months Jan 13.