Pinteresting!

So, I'd heard of Pinterest ... it would come up in conversation here and there and as I was on Facebook I could see that many people were "pinning" things, but I didn't really investigate further. I remember awhile back on Facebook, there was a trend, little "pin" quotes, like the "flair" from the movie "Office Space" and I thought it was something silly like that. 

A friend sent me an invite and suggested a try it out ... I was immediately hooked! It was SO much simpler than trying to bookmark webpages or save images/instructions to my hard-drive. It was like an electronic filing cabinet where I could organize EVERYTHING online that interested me ... and I could peek in to friend's filing cabinets (or pinboards) to see what was interesting to them.   Recipes, books, holiday crafts, quotes, humor ... it is addicting! A good  majority of the items you could probably find if you Googled them, but you wouldn't even THINK to search out some of the ideas you stumble upon.

There are a LOT of jokes about Pinterest (in fact, I created a board just for them!) and I know I have been wasting a lot of time there, but it's also jumpstarted me into trying new recipes. I created a "Pinned it, Tried it" board for those pins I've actually put to use.  I'm sure hubby would LOVE it if a tried out a few more of the cleaning and organizing ideas *Ü*.

Ping Pong Players

A few months ago, we took down the small basketball hoop in the basement (it had gotten pretty trashed). This opened the room up quite a bit ... enough for a ping pong table? During our dating days, Gray and I played quite a bit of ping pong. When moved into our first house, we bought a table and played almost daily. Lots of fond ping pong memories ... and I got to thinking it was time to make some more.

While I was still pondering the possibility, one of my boys challenged me to a ping pong game while at my parents house. I was surprised that all three of the older boys were worthy opponents! This increased my desire for a ping pong table, as I would have plenty of partners and I figured it would get used.

It took a bit of cleaning and rearranging to make room, but I did it ... and my birthday was coming up. Usually, I never have much to say when I'm asked what I want for my birthday. I'm spoiled, I have pretty much everything I want, much less need. But this year ... I wanted a ping pong table. I got a ping pong table. Happy birthday to me!

It has gotten a lot of use. With enough practice, maybe the boys can even beat Grandpa one day!

Pretty Piggies

It's a fairly new indulgence for me ... a pedicure. It started a few years ago, and it's not something I keep up constantly, but I love having a pretty paint job on my tootsies. I do like the pedicure itself, the soaking of the feet and the massage is relaxing (just stopping for an hour is nice) but mainly, I like the after effects. I always get the French tip painted on, and I certainly don't mind having smoother skin, removal of calluses, etc. Just looking down at my toes after a pedicure makes me smile ...

Stick Shift

Our trip to Bear Lake made Grayson realize the brakes on the 'burb needed repair. As we would get close to stopping, there would be a slight roar, like an airplane flying low overhead. As we live close to Airport#2, I'm not sure if I had really noticed the sound, or just thought it WAS an airplane each time the noise was noticeable. Anyway ... Grayson said we needed to get the car in, but this causes some difficultly, because we are definitely NOT a one-car family. I don't have a lot of errands to run, but I did have a few (mostly running kids) that needed to be done. My parents have two cars but generally can easily get by with one, so I called and asked if we could borrow their little blue truck, as we had before (when it was Grayson's truck that needed the brake repair, just a few months earlier). Gray drove the little blue truck that time, but this time it made more sense for me to use the loaner ... except that it is a stick shift.

Now ... driving in general isn't something I like to do. This isn't something new. Unlike most 16 year olds, I was in NO hurry to get my licence. I've always been intimidated by the road. Add any complication ... traffic, construction, weather, unfamiliar surroundings, darkness ... and my stress level would skyrocket. And a stick shift ... yes, that's another one! I am happy to say I was able to overcome my fear and drive the little blue truck with it's stick shift for my errands. It was like riding a bike ... it came back to me pretty easily (but an automatic is absolutely the way to go!).

Recently, my SIL posted on her blog about her daughter's struggle with anxiety. I had talked with Courtney about some smaller issues we'd had with Cooper and Keaton in the recent past. But it wasn't until I read her blog, and continued on to some of the links and reading that I began to wonder about myself ... so much of the stuff really rang a bell with my issues.

While I've never really been comfortable behind the wheel of a car, I overcame much of my fear of driving for a time. I drove down to Snow College a few times, and commuted to BYU, although I have still never driven downtown Salt Lake. Now? I can't even IMAGINE being able to make those trips. As I've gotten older, had a hubby to rely on ... I've regressed. I'll drive right around home, on familiar streets, but it is still a struggle with any complications. My fear of freeways has won out completely ... I haven't driven on 1-15 in years now. And it's not even just being behind the wheel, but as a passenger as well. Our family trip to California was very hard on me (Grayson half-jokes he should just give me a double dose of Ambien to put me out during the drive) and when the family trip to Seattle came up ... I just couldn't do it, and I stayed home.

During the day to day, it's fairly easy to ignore the issue ... but then it rears it's ugly head. Callahan's basketball has been a bit of an problem, as it's forced me a bit out of my comfort zone (driving to Taylorsville and other new places in traffic/weather/darkness) ... driving to West High School was completely out of the question though, I had to find a ride with a team member. Getting Cooper downtown for his Jazz game (Uncle Clay took him) ... as I have to rely on others, put them out ... I feel worthless, it's easy for the depression to take over. It is a problem. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if there's anything I can really do about it ... I'm getting more than a bit concerned about the upcoming construction on Bangerter. I joke with Grayson that I'm a future shut-in ... but I'm not really joking ...

So ... I'm not really sure why I wrote up this post. Sometimes just writing things down, getting them out, can help a bit. It's just buried here, in the blog ... while I made it past the stick shift, I'm still stuck ...

Colton's Coach

Through the years, as we've had the boys in various sports, I've thought about trying my hand at coaching. For the younger kids, you really don't need to know that much about the sport, but soccer actually is something I have some experience in. I played it all through my elementary and middle school years, and even spent a summer in an adult league a couple years ago. I almost volunteered during Keaton's last soccer season, but the main thing standing in the way is scheduling conflicts. With FOUR boys in sports this Spring, I was sure there would be some scheduling conflicts. And I'd purposely signed up Colton and Cooper with friends, so that I could just send them if Callahan and Keaton's basketball games overlapped with scheduled soccer. Our mornings were crazy, with Callahan, Keaton and Cooper all having overlapping games somewhere between 9:00-12:00, but Colton's games were during the week or later in the afternoon on Saturday. So after the first couple games, when the coach asked for someone to take over the team, I thought this would be a good time to try it out.

It was a good experience. Often from the sidelines I know I've thought "Oh, the coach isn't giving the kids equal playing time" or "he should pull out our best kids and give the other team a chance to score" ... so now I got a chance to do just that. Trying to rotate the kids in and out? That was hard to keep track of, everything was hard to keep track of there in the middle of it all ("oh, you just scored a goal, good job!") Sometimes I do get frustrated with lack of communication (practice/games being canceled and not getting a call) and felt like I did well there ... maybe I'll offer to be TeamMom, get out the treat schedule and be in charge of reminder calls and such. While I've been slow to start texting, I can see that texts are a wonderful way for a coach to contact the team.

So, the final game was the final day of May, and I have to admit being a little glad it's done *Ü* It was fun, but I think I'm ready to return to the sidelines ... with camera in hand of course! Here's one more little soccer video, Callahan was behind the camera as I was on the field, only fair as I've filmed a TON of his games!

A Reader?

I have loved to read for as long as I can remember. I specifically recall the introduction to chapter books in the second grade. In third grade, the books read to us by the teacher became fast favorites. I loved one in particular ... "Sonny Elephant" ... I would check it out of the school library to read over and over again. When I moved on to middle school and high school, I would still have my younger brothers check it out for me so I could read it again. It was an older book (published in 1930 I think), so I couldn't just go pick it up at a bookstore. One day my mom attended a book sale at the elementary school, and there for sale, was the book ... she seemed to remember that one of the kids liked it, so she picked it up. I now have it in my personal library.

My love for reading was actually a bit of a problem. My mother would sometimes have to take my books and tell me to go outside and play! As I got a little older, I realized the only self-control I had was NOT picking up a book in the first place (once I started ... I had to finish!). As I entered my high school years, I wouldn't allow myself to read books not on a required reading list. I was SO happy when "Pride and Prejudice" was actually something I was supposed to read. It is another all time favorite book!

I still love reading. I have garnered a little more self-control as I've gotten older though. I CAN set a book aside when other things need doing ... and with work and then motherhood, there are always things that need doing (so it can take me a while to get through a book ... even the "Hunger Games" series!). But as a mother, I looked forward to sharing my love of reading with my children.

Unfortunately ... my kids did NOT seem to pick up my love of reading. Now being all BOYS ... I figured they probably wouldn't be interested in some of my favorite stories ... Baby Island, Anne of Green Gables, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Island of the Blue Dolphins, ahhh memories. But I had loved plenty of "boy" books too ... The Great Brain series, Henry Huggins, The Forgotten Door, Indian in the Cupboard, Summer of the Monkeys, the list goes on. While my nieces and nephews seemed to adore books and loved being read to, my kids ... did not. We did still read bedtime stories, and the boys had some favorites, but any book reading seemed to be because of MY suggestion, or for a school requirement.

I've really struggled trying to get the boys to read. The schools require it, and I keep hoping that maybe something will click. I've tried all sorts of books, I've tried reading with them, I've tried audiobooks. It's a constant battle (especially with Landon). I've read a lot of the books myself, to see what's out there, and so that I can discuss them with the kids (and quiz them a little, make sure they actually have been reading when they say they have been reading). I've actually gotten quite a bit of reading in just trying to find books I think might appeal... that, and keeping up with Callahan.

Callahan has always been really good at doing what he is supposed to do. So if his teacher requires 20 minutes of reading a night, he does 20 minutes of reading a night. In the past few months however, he has actually been getting into the books! It's been exciting to see. He really seemed to enjoy the "Percy Jackson" series (five books). The same author has started two new series and Callahan is excited about those ("The Lost Hero" in the photo at the top is one). Just to share a CUTE Callahan comment *Ü* ... while reading the Percy Jackson series he once said "I am a demi-god, my true father is ... Michael Jordan, the Basketball King". I found it funny!

So I do have hope ... but I'm buckling down on the kids again. Setting up reading charts to track the progress (hopefully NOT showing the dismal lack thereof!). With Landon, once again I'm going to try some audiobooks ... let him listen on his Ipod while following along with the written word. Callahan has just started "The Hunger Games" series, and I have ordered him "The Red Pyramid" and I hope he might try "The Ranger's Apprentice" series (I've read the first two books and quite liked them). Keaton is sticking with the "classics" such as "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" and "Captain Underpants". Cooper is diligent in reading the short stories he brings home from school every day. I try to have him read his books to Colton, rather than just to himself. I've also just initiated a new strategy, of having Landon read a chapter book to Cooper and Colton each night ... killing two birds with one stone; getting Landon to read more, and introducing Cooper to books that might be a little too hard for him on his own (they started "Sideways Stories from Wayside School" last night ... maybe the "Magic Treehouse" series next?)

Wish me luck ... what are your kids reading?

J&G's Gym

New Year's Resolution time, the majority of goals set probably are about fitness or losing weight. I'm spoiled ... in our basement we have a large unfinished room that has become J&G (Jen&Gray's) Gym. For cardio, there is a treadmill, an elliptical and a stationary bike. The wall I face as I workout has a plethora of pictures ... I love to look at all the memories (it's my happy place). To help keep me entertained and motivated, there is a nice speaker system and Ipod to blare music ... there is a TV, with both a DVD player and a Wii attached (the Wii streams Netflix ... and is there for WiiFit if I'm so inclined). I always need a little bit of a breeze, so there are fans on the bike and elliptical (which can be tilted toward the treadmill, although the treadmill has its own fan ... it's just a very NOISY fan). Those are my fuzzy slippers next to the elliptical, because yes ... I like to wear slippers instead of shoes when on the elliptical *Ü* (I'm not sure if they'd go for that at Gold's Gym).

And fitness isn't just about cardio, so we have a full set of weights, a leg press, a calf machine as well as a full bench system. Add a ball, kettlebells and resistance bands ... as I mentioned, I'm pretty dang spoiled with this set up! Personally, I really like the treadmill (I know many really prefer running outdoors), but I have NO excuses not to work out with all this just a few steps away.

It's always nice and cool in the gym (sometimes a little TOO cool in the Winter months, but that is just a motivator to get moving). I like to lock the door when on the treadmill, but there is a little window into the room that the kids can safely poke their head in if they need me. Whereas sometimes it can be hard to get away for a solid hour, I can almost always slip away for 20 minutes here and there. In fact, the little ones sometimes get a bit spooked by "the basement" and don't want to be down there alone ... it doesn't matter if I'm in the same room, as long as I'm on the same level ... so the two little boys will say "Mom, I want to go downstairs, will you go exercise?"

... both Gray and I DO have a membership at Gold's too ... because alas, as wonderful as this gym is, we can't play racquetball in it.

Making Movies

In 2004, I found some software that helped me take our home videos and photographs and make them into short little movies set to music. We had a link from the computer to the television, so the kids could watch the movies over and over, and they did. Ultimately, there were equipment issues, (the computer crashed) and while the movies weren't lost, they did disappear for a bit, as did my movie making software.

Fast forward five years ... I repurchased my Muvee software (several different new versions available, from basic (less expensive) to advanced (more expensive) ... I bought the mid-priced one) and I started taking more video and making movies again. I've posted several here and I'm sure now that I'm really back in business I'll be posting even more. Callahan LOVES my Muvees of his basketball games ... it is a great way to capture them (I edit out all the misses and just show all the great shots).

I started uploading them to YouTube, as a bit of a backup, and so that they could be easily accessed and shared. As I pulled out the old muvees from years back, the boys gathered around the computer and watched them all, laughing and pointing and it was wonderful to see.

Muvee had a little contest on their site, calling for sports videos. I submitted the one I made of Colton's Summer Soccer and won first prize, which was a $20 Itunes GC and the latest Muvee software. I do get stuck in my ways though, I can see me still using the old software out of habit. As I looked over the muvees from four years ago, I can see the changes in the software that give me more options (captions, focusing on parts of the photos) ... it's just hard for me to try NEW things, even if they are better *Ü* Grayson did get me a new computer last year ... and I've already filled it up. I need more space for all my music, pictures and video!

Being in a Muvee Making Mood, I went ahead and took the video and pictures from Cooper's Fall soccer season. I had put off making the movie, thinking I'd get a little more footage, then I'd forget to charge my camera, then Cooper broke his arm and missed the last game ... so here is the belated Kicking it with Cooper Muvee production (below) ... and a list of ALL the Muvees to date (and there's a link to the page in the column to the right as well). I'll try to keep it updated as I keep making muvees! *Ü*

Volleyball

For the past couple spring and fall seasons, Thursday nights at the church have been volleyball night. It's a little bit social, a little bit cardio (a very little bit ... church volleyball rarely works up a sweat) but it's just FUN. It's for all the women in the stake area, and usually there are about 15 women who show up. It's all very low key and casual, not competitive at all. There are a couple gals with "skills" ... I'm just mediocre. I don't really remember playing much in young womens or school, but as long as there is volleyball at the church on Thursday nights, I'll clear my schedule if I can. I almost lost my wedding ring once (I had taken it off to play, placed it in my purse and then forgotten to put it back on and walked home ... the ring fell out in the church building ... but luckily it was returned to me, whew! I'm careful to leave it home now!) At one point, a pair of missionaries joined us each week ... they were pretty good and it was funny to see them playing in their suits!

We just finished up the fall season with regionals. Yes, the First Ward went on to region ... why did our ward go to region? Is it because we are SO good? No ... it's because we actually have six+ women who come each week, and we are the only ward that could actually put together a team. We went to region last year ... and both years we've gotten thoroughly trounced.

I know the church puts together a softball team ... I'm NOT into softball. I don't think the women get together to play basketball (I WATCH basketball, I don't play) ... I WISH there was enough interest for some soccer games, I love soccer! I guess I'll have to wait for spring volleyball again.

Candy Corn

MUST ... STOP ... EATING ... CaNDy CoRn!

The comedian Lewis Black says the worst thing about Halloween is ... Candy Corn ... I have to agree, but not for the same reason (he doesn't like it ... I can't stop eating it). I have a large glass pumpkin filled with candy corn and I love to just grab a handful and nibble on it. If I take just the broken ones, have some of the empty calories leaked out? Please say that is so! I love candy corn on sugar cookies (decorated as jack-o-lanterns) ... and I make darling turkey sugar cookies with them for Thanksgiving, so the temptation lasts beyond Halloween all the way through November.

Just in case you haven't heard Lewis Black's views on candy corn ... here's a little clip ... enjoy :) I'm going to go eat me some candy corn while I watch ...

9th Grade

A little trivia about the photo below ... Landon is super tan from a recent return from scout camp and several trips to local pools (the pink wristband is from Cowabunga Bay, which he went to with friends on Tuesday) ... notice the big, braces-free smile ... and look to the left, to see the "Grayson" ghost in the window ... a repeat of a similar photo from last year ...

While the Columbia Kids went back to school a couple weeks ago, back to school for Landon was a little later (yesterday). Continuing with the Blackham tradition, I caught Landon and had him hold up NINE fingers, to create a picture portrait of which grade he would be entering into ... here's a flash from the past ...

He's gotten big, hasn't he?

What will I do for 11th and 12th grade ...

He won't have enough fingers!

So Landon is still going to Elkridge Middle School ... this was actually in question as there was a boundary change, and our neighborhood/elementary school now flows into a different middle school. Rather than shifting schools his final year, we applied and were approved for a permit to still attend. However, now there is no bus, so getting to and from school is much more of a hassle, and several friends did not get permits turned in and were forced to change schools.

So here's hoping for a good year. There is Science, Geography, Algebra, Language Arts, Technology, Spanish, PE and Seminary. Landon is really good about getting up and ready on his own, which as a mom, I appreciate SO much. He's also pretty good about doing homework and such ... sometimes I wish he would ask for a little help (Mom was an editor for a publication a little bit back ... maybe she should read through your essay?)

Some miscellaneous memories from MY ninth grade year ... the high school was doing "Annie" as their school play, and they needed some younger kids for the orphans (I was almost too tall!). We had practice everyday after school (this really helped ease the transition to high school as I had made many friends there during the musical rehearsals). I was on the track team, running the 200, 400 and 800 relay. I took type, and got a B- (my lowest grade EVER) the very first quarter that grades counted cumulatively. I wrote a song for the Reflections contest and went to District with it. I also performed it at 9th grade promotion. My friends and I would sometimes bring cold cereal and milk for our lunch (we thought we were SO funny). I wonder what memories will be made for Landon?

Floral Foibles

I love fresh flowers ... they just don't last very long. So I often take pictures of them to preserve their beauty. Often I set the timer on the camera and jump into the frame too, my floral photo shoots.

Funny flower foibles ... while I love a big bouquet, I would be just as happy with a single bloom ... while I adore roses, daisies make me smile too ... of course I enjoy the arrangement that costs over $50 ... but if the price tag is $5, I feel free to bask in their beauty with less guilt ... and, I don't always wait for my man ... sometimes I just buy flowers for myself.

Musical Memories

Musical theater was a big part of my teenage life. While I never dreamed of performing on Broadway, I was very involved in local theaters and of course ... the high school musicals. One of my co-stars (Will Swenson), at Hale Theater and high school, did go on to star on Broadway. He, and Audra McDonald (Disney's "Annie" remake ... the Grey's Anatomy spin-off "Private Practice" as well as many New York shows) came to Utah for a fund-raising run at the Orem Hale Center Theater. When another friend from high school (thanks Lynnette!) contacted me about going to see the show, we bought tickets and went. I hadn't heard of the show before, it's a musical version of "The Rainmaker". It was very good, fun to see Will again and have a girl's night out too.

After the show with Will and Audra

When you perform in a show, you do become attached to the music, so Annie, Gypsy, Oklahoma, 42nd Street, will always have a special place in my heart. Then there are the classics ... Sound of Music, Fiddler on the Roof ... I've always loved Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Pirates of Penzance. I've never seen "Starlight Express" but adore the song "Only He" ... and if I had to name any music that has captured me most, it would have to be "Les Miserables" and "Joseph" (I've seen well over a dozen different productions of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat"). My "Broadway" playlist on my Ipod has music from all these, plus Rent, Mamma Mia, Big River, 1776, Phantom of the Opera, Little Shop of Horrors, Man of LaMancha, Bye Bye Birdie, Hairspray... Gotta love musicals!

Stepping Up

I'm a pedometer person. For the past few years I've worn a pedometer and recorded my daily steps. I set a new personal best, just topping a high from about a year ago. 10,000 steps is about five miles, so throughout my day, I got in just over 20 miles. I actually wear two pedometers (I wrote a little about them in my Gadgets post). My Omron (shown in the picture above) shows me my total steps, as well as my aerobic steps (steps taken continuously for 10 minutes or more). My new Fitbit gives me a daily chronological graph which is fun to follow - the image below was my day ... Got up and did 20 minutes on the elliptical (first spike) then got the kids of to school. Then some short bursts of steps (laundry, walking the little one to a neighbor's for a play date) then another 20 minutes on the elliptical. Then the walk to school (twenty minutes each way, with a small break in between as the kids enjoy the playground before we head back home). Make some lunch, get in another 20 minutes on the elliptical. Play with the kids, mow the lawn, a couple quick 10 minute elliptical sessions. #3 has a baseball game ... there's not a lot of parking, I always have to walk a quarter mile just to get from my car to the field (as I'm a walker ... I don't really mind). Then rather than just sitting and watching the game, I walk and watch. From the edge of left field to the edge of right field, back and forth ... the games last about 90 minutes ... I usually get in five miles. I was pretty much done for the day, got the kids to bed and was ready to head there myself when hubby got called away on an errand ... so, I went down and did 20 more minutes on the elliptical (just to go ahead and break my personal best record). Hubby gave my poor tootsies a foot rub ... thank you Gray!

Our "WONDERFUL" Walk

Let me start by saying I LOVE our neighborhood. Great neighbors, parks, library, sports and shopping all right close by...BUT... the elementary school ... there have been some frustrations, just ONE being getting the kids to and from school. The bus boundary is 1.5 miles. We live 1.35 miles away ... so NO bus. Now, if you know me at all, you know I'm a proponent of walking. I'm a pretty fast walker too, and it takes ME a good 20 minutes to make it to the school. The first half, through the neighborhood, is just fine. In fact, the kids wouldn't ever have to leave the sidewalk, but THEN ... you hit 7800 South ... the street couldn't get much busier ... across from a SuperWalmart and the huge Jordan Landing shopping complex, adjacent to Bangerter Highway (which we have to cross to get to the school), and now, there is constant construction too ... I do not LET my kids walk to school. Riding their bikes ... I have to say that scares me even more than walking! I have been lucky enough to arrange for a carpool, so I only have to drive one way, but with one child in kindergarten, I have an additional pickup every day. I do try to walk with my little ones safely in the stroller when weather permits. Here's just a glimpse of our "wonderful" walk ...

The canal ... I haven't heard of any kids falling into the canal, but this would be a constant stress for me if my kids were walking every day. It's completely open, easy access. In fact, taking the dirt canal road does nip some distance off the walk. But we take the longer, smoother path on the sidewalk through the neighborhood.

After the canal, you get to pass the horses. In addition to the LOVERLY smell, the fence has been broken down like this for a couple of years ... the inner fence is an electric fence ... I can just imagine the kids daring each other to try touching it ...Then there is this nice stretch of sidewalk. It bumps us silly .... can you say shaken baby syndrome? But I don't know how they will ever repair it, because if they tore it out to replace it, there would be absolutely NO place for pedestrians during construction. This is right before one of the several streets and driveways we must cross going down 7800... there has never been a crossing guard posted anywhere along the way (probably because so few kids end up walking ... like I said, I don't LET my kids walk).

The recent (and seemingly never ending) construction has pushed traffic RIGHT NEXT to the sidewalk. If I reached my arm out, I would touch the cars and trucks passing by. I don't know which is more terrifying, having the cars rush by coming from behind, or seeing them come head on! We get to experience both, on the way to and then from school. Often traffic is so backed up that the cars are pretty much at a standstill, but at other times, when traffic is flowing, the cars rush by so quickly the wind almost knocks us over. The sidewalk is decent size, but when you come across a group of people, or a lady with a double stroller (that would be me) there just isn't enough sidewalk to share, so you often end up stuck or struggling to pass without stepping out into the street.Right at the intersection of 7800 South and Bangerter Highway, we are hit by another scent ... sewer ... (suddenly the horse smell doesn't seem so bad). We always try to get by this grate as quickly as possible, holding our noses and our breath.

And then, there's the overpass. Always good to get a little INCLINE in your walk. Up, up, up, up, watch out for the graffiti, litter, broken glass and pigeon poop ... the wind on the walkway can also almost knock you over as well. Then down, down, down the overpass (hanging on to the stroller so we don't go too fast and can't make the turns) and ... we're at the school. Collect the kindergartner and ... back we go ... I can feel the additional 40+ pounds of an extra child as we go up, up, up the incline ...

Now, just so you don't think I'm an utterly negative person, there are some good points as well. Once you are back in the neighborhood, the walk is very pleasant. I LOVE our winding neighborhood. I DO stop and smell the flowers (literally!). The hanging basket (above) makes me smile every time I walk by it.

I also ADORE the spring blossoms on this path ... with the pink petals falling, they look so pretty blanketing the ground. A close up of the blossoms below ... I love when the smell just hits you as you walk by ...

And of course, I have the CUTEST kids! They happily talk and point things out as we walk. "There's a bird, that flower is yellow, I saw a bug" ... they love to see NUMBERS and call them out (and as there are addresses on the houses and mailboxes ... this is pretty easy to do). Of course they have to have their "treat" bag filled with goodies to munch on, and a blanket if it gets cold, and sunglasses if the day is too bright. Another funny thing they do is reach out and run their fingers along the fences. I have to keep them just the right distance, so that they can touch, but so I don't end up smashing them!

Home again home again jiggitty jig ... almost three miles on the pedometer ...until tomorrow ...

Gadgets Galore

It wasn't long after Grayson purchased the Nook E-Reader, that Apple announced the Ipad ... Gray pretty much immediately felt extreme dissatisfaction with his Nook. I wondered how long Grayson would be able to withstand the pull of the Ipad ... not long! I had joked that he and the boys could get it for ME for Mother's Day, but he couldn't wait even that long. It does look pretty snazzy, not that I've played with it much. Gray is using it for work, and the boys love taking turns on it.


Now I DO have me a new gadget though. It's called the Fitbit and it's basically a fancy electronic pedometer. It tracks your steps and activity level and syncs with your computer, showing all the data in handy graphs. It is a sleep tracker as well. I actually haven't given up my Omron, but am wearing both *Ü* I ordered this back in February, but they haven't been able to keep the supply up to the demand, so it was several months before I actually got it.


I can compare the accuracy of both my pedometers when I'm walking/jogging outside with Grayson's Garmin. Now this fun toy uses GPS to display your distance, speed, etc. I'm actually an "indoor exerciser" and love my elliptical and treadmill, but this makes outdoor activities more interesting.

And below ... are my lovely wireless headphones. I have two different kinds (and three different Ipod shuffles). The Arriva ( below) is great, you can hardly even tell I'm wearing it. It's very portable (you can shove it into your pocket or purse, it bends). The Monster is a little more bulky and does make me look a bit like a cyborg, but on cooler days, the headphones actually keep my ears warm. It's nice that when I stop using it for a bit, I can just loop it around my neck before popping it up on my ears again.
Grayson has always been a gadget guy ... but it's really rubbed off on me, I'm a gadget girl!

Historical Highlights

I watch DVDs as I exercise, and I've been going through a LOT of movies and television programs. One show I decided to try was the HBO miniseries "John Adams". The program was fine, I didn't love it, but I did feel I learned a little that I hadn't been aware of before ( now I realize that with most Hollywood productions, there is some poetic licence taken with historical facts). Anyway ... viewing this movie brought up some of MY memories ...

• When I was a junior in high school. I toured local elementary and Jr. High schools with a traveling educational presentation about our American history. It was with a teacher from our school, five guys ... and me. We sang some of the songs from the musical "1776" and the teacher gave a little lecture. I played the part of both Abagail Adams and Martha Jefferson. I had to go look up the music and listen to it again. Those songs are now on my Ipod.
• When I was in elementary school, I was in a performing group called "Carousel Kids". I remembered a song we sang called "Are You For Independence" ... which chronicled the 13 colonies saying "yes". I Googled and actually found it on an album called "American Pie" ... were a couple other songs ("There was a Man" and "The Inventors Song") which I learned and loved in that group too. They are now on my Ipod as well.
• My oldest did a report for his American history class last fall, and I helped him (a little!). It was on Richard Lee. As I watched the "John Adams" series, I was able to pick out this character from history based on the information learned in that report.
• Many years ago I read the historical novel "Those Who Love" by Irving Stone, which also documents the love story between John and Abagail Adams. Watching the HBO series got me a little in the mood to dig up this book and give it a re-read. We'll see if I get around to it, I don't read as much as I used to.

So, while I enjoyed the mini-series and felt I learned a little about American history, I came away from it with a few historical highlights from my own past too.

What a Racquet ...

Back in college, I took a racquetball class and really enjoyed it. When I was first married, I went and played with a neighbor each week. Last year, I bit the bullet and joined Gold's Gym ... just for the racquetball. It's been great though. Gray and I played 52 times last year. It's a fun Friday night date ... when the movies and restaurants are packed, the gym is pretty empty. Besides playing with me, Gray seems to have no lack of willing partners to play with, and our racquets have really gotten a workout. Gray has gone through two racquets, and mine just broke as well. So it was time for a new racquet (or two) ... is there really a difference between the $300 one (on SALE for $120) and a $20 one? Gray and I stood in front of the racquet display for quite a while, not knowing what to get. We decided to wait for one of the $25 off coupons that come in the Sports Authority ads most Sundays. I researched reviews and prices and finally decided on a nice racquet for Gray. Rather than make a trip into the store, I was just going to take advantage of the no tax and free shipping offered on the website for my purchase ... but then, I hit the list of online exclusions ...

um ..... that is pretty much EVERYTHING ... the racquet I wanted was E-Force, yup, that's excluded. Well, the second choice was Ektelon ... oh, that's excluded too ... let's see ... Head ... they had some of the cheaper ones ... nope, excluded .... Oh well ... I took a chance and went into the store and apparently while there still are SOME exclusions, it's not nearly as many, and I was able to pick up the racquet I wanted, with the $25 off (still ... $100 for a racquet!). Gray and I went to play and he even let ME use his brand new racquet. It was nice, very lightweight, I'm happy that he's happy with it. Unfortunately ... I don't know that I played any better *Ü*