Running

I've been meaning to write this post for awhile so I am finally getting the chance.

I'm excited to talk about running!  As in me and running are now friends.  I've always wanted to run but just never had the motivation to stick to it.  I even started working on it last summer while we were living with my parents.  I would get up EARLY and run before work and was aiming for three times a week.  I was doing good until we moved and then the time changed and then I stopped.

But one of the perks of my new job is that we have a gym downstairs in the lobby so I've gotten back into working out.  Right now I work out 4 to 5 days a week and I take two days off.  Depending on what my schedule is determines what day I take off.

My company encourages "wellness" so that's been a motivating factor.  Right now they are hosting classes where we can work out to the "Insanity" DVDs.  I have been doing this for two days a week and then doing weights and running on the other 3 days.  I usually try to do a long run on Sundays when I have more time.

How I run:

1.  I don't usually stretch to warmup because my body usually hurts worse later.  I did learn that I need to "jumpstart" my nervous system before I run so I'll do some jumping jacks or something just to wake my body up.

2.  I always, always walk for five minutes as a warm up which usually equates to 1/4 of a mile in distance.  I read an article once from the Cooper Clinic and this method was recommended.  It's always stuck with me plus it eases my brain into "get ready because you're about to run" mode.

3.  When I actually start running after my warmup, the voice in my head goes like this:  "Legs tight, shins hurt, did I eat enough, do I need to pee, why am I doing this, this really hurts, this sucks, this song is too slow."

4.  If you've ever experienced this when you've tried to run, keep going!

5.  After my body gets conditioned to what I'm making it do, I feel like Rocky sometimes.  I find a groove as I run in pace with a song and then I start wanting to do fist pumps as I run, like Rocky did.  This is when it feels great to run.  Although I don't know if this is the runner's high or not.

6.  When I decide to slow it down and end my run, I always walk for another five minutes as a cool down.  After I'm done I stretch.

7.  Then I eat!

What I've learned about running:

1.  Running shorts with the built-in undies are the way to go.  Trust me, you don't want to be messing with a wedgie while you're running.

2.  Music is a must have.

3.  Before I run I eat a snack about an hour before I go out.  Usually a banana.  When I used to run early in the morning I didn't eat anything and was fine.

4.  Rest days are essential.

5.  Sleep is essential.  I can tell when I haven't had enough sleep because my body just doesn't want to go.

5.  I started out with the Couch to 5k philosophy.  I would run for a little while and then stop and walk when I needed to.  I just made sure that when I stopped to walk it was no more than 30 seconds or a minute.

6.  It's been 3 months of consistent running (1 to 2 days) a week.  I can now run 30 minutes without stopping.  Don't really know how fast I'm going but I'll take it.  Doing the Insanity DVDs two days a week has really helped my endurance so when I do run I feel conditioned for it.

Below are the running shoes my mom got me.  Yes, they are super bright.  She said it's because I would go run in the dark when I lived at her house so she wanted to make sure I was seen.  LOL

I ran my first 5k in April with my dad!  I was so nervous but I didn't stop once!

Pirates and Chores

On the days that Korey and Hunter are together all day they try to make something fun.  On this day in particular they made pirate hats.

One afternoon I was in the grocery store with Hunter and we happened upon the toy aisle although I didn't realize it.  Hunter started yelling out for a yellow toy and when I finally saw what he wanted it was a $6 toy.  Now this is not that much money but it wasn't on my "list", I was in a different store so everything was backwards, and the store was crowded.  I was ready to go and did not feel like spending the money on this toy.  So I tried to compromise with Hunter by letting him get a $1 Hot Wheels car.  Well he was still complaining about the yellow toy after we walked away so I made the hard decision not to let him have any toy "just because."  I told him we would go home and talk to his daddy about it because it was time the boy started earning his toys.

So Korey drew up a chore chart for Hunter.  Sorry it's sideways but the chores are laundry (I hand him the wet clothes and he puts them in the dryer), coffee (he gets it out of the freezer), trash, behavior in general, and dinner time (not asking to get down before we are done).  These are all things that we already had him helping with around the house so we told him that he could get stickers whenever we saw him doing these chores and then he could get his yellow toy.  He was excited! He understands that when you go the store and get something you have to "pay for it." So we told him that when he got enough stickers he could use them to pay for his yellow toy.

And...Hunter earned enough stickers to go and get the yellow toy!  Although we didn't have a set numb he had to get but we waited until Daddy got back from Africa so we could all go together.

Smart kid that he is picked out the multipack of Hot Wheels so he could have many cars to play with.

We laughed at how he picked out the pack with the camper van and the truck carrying the boat.

He lined them up on the windowsill so he could play.

We've started a new chore chart.  Don't know what his prize will be for this second round but we like this method.  The other night we finished dinner without commotion and Hunter wanted a sticker but I told him no because he had been rude to me before dinner.  Well, he immediately apologized when he realized he wasn't getting the sticker (which we still didn't give him).  This boy has attitude some days so we have to keep that in check!

Driveway Time

The Wednesday before Thanksgiving I got to come home early from work so I got started on my pie baking.  I made 5 pies plus a batch of lasagna soup!

It was so nice to have the afternoon free that Hunter and I took advantage of the daylight and went outside in the driveway to play.

Be still my heart!

So cute!

He wanted to ride his scooter so he pulled it out and rode around for a few minutes.

When did he get to be so big?

Halloween 2012

This guy loves firetrucks and ambulances and things that go "woo woo woo."  When I found the fireman costume on sale at the consignment store I knew that it would be perfect for Hunter.  Plus, it was low maintenance.  Toss on the coat and pants.  Done.

This was our first Halloween to actually let Hunter dress up and participate.  His first year he was only a few months old so we put him in a costume for about five minutes just to take pictures.  Inside.  Last year he participated in a church fall festival but he wasn't dressed up.  And by participated I mean he ran around the gym and we chased him.

This year was the year.  We dressed him up and took him door to door to trick or treat.  He doesn't even eat candy (yes, I know).  But we did use it as an opportunity to meet our neighbors.

Thus, cuteness abounded before dark.

Hunter was joined by his cousin Levi.  He didn't last very long but he was so cute in his costume.

 Here's my sister and her husband.  And Levi the Giraffe.

 I love a man in uniform!

 Fireman Hunter patrolling the sidewalks...for stray candy.

 And Hunter and his daddy off to see more neighbors.

Triple Trouble

Korey has a cousin that was coming into town a couple of weeks ago and his mom wanted us to come down for a mini family reunion.  We packed up the car and headed south the weekend before Thanksgiving.  And of course Dallas traffic put us an hour and a half behind schedule due to two wrecks.  Sigh.

We ended up arriving at 10:30pm at night and Hunter and his cousin Brandon quickly reunited and started playing.  We didn't go to bed until 1am!

On Saturday we we were reunited with Korey's cousin.  They have a 2 year old also so we spent the weekend with 3 two year olds.  And it was seriously so much fun seeing them together.  (I'm just realizing in the middle of typing all of this that I don't have all of the pictures downloaded.  Guess I'll do another post later!)

We went to a pumpkin patch and Hunter climbed up on the pumpkins.  It was the last weekend before Halloween so it was very crowded.

Here are the three cousins!  Andrew, Hunter, and Brandon.  Nana bought them each a Halloween shirt so we dressed them up in them for our Saturday adventures.

This was at the pumpkin patch.  The three of us moms were crouched down behind the sign holding our kids up.

On Saturday night we put all 3 of them in the bathtub together and they were so cute.  We, of course, aren't posting those photos.

Here are the three cousins!  Becca, Korey and his brother Kevin and their kiddos.  We had so much fun hanging out with them.  I wish they lived closer.

Here are the ladies from our weekend.  Bekah, Corey, me, and Korey's mom "Nana."

Galveston 2012

At the end of August we set off on our first real family vacation.  We decided to spend a few days in Galveston because we wanted an easy and affordable trip considering the huge purchase that's coming our way.

First, let me say that Korey and I have always been anti-DVD player in the car kind of people.  We just don't believe in constantly making our child consume TV at every chance he gets.  But roadtrips?  A whole different ballgame.  So we loaded up a DVD player, toys, snacks and Hunter kicked off his shoes as soon as we left.

Our first stop was in League City to see where Korey's paternal grandparents were buried.  Korey's grandfather was an architect which is how he inherited his drawing skills along with his drawing desk.

Since Hunter didn't nap at all during the car trip despite two doses of milk, we tried to get him to lay down once we go to the hotel.  Fail!

Hunter was not bored at all in our room.  As you can see below he loved playing with the A/C.  He would constantly turn it on and off despite us telling him numerous times to stop!

Underneath the night stand was one of those pouf seat things so I put it in front of the bed and that became Hunter's way of jumping on the bed.  He easily entertained himself in the room.

I guess he had to yell while he jumped, too.

Haha just noticed the TV caption "Party City."  I think that's fitting for this picture.

Poor Monkey was tired after all that.

That night we went and walked on the beach.  This was Hunter's first time to see the ocean.  Pleasure Pier is in the background.  I have no idea why we're both looking in different directions.

We got our feet wet.  Poor thing wanted to go swimming so we kept telling him tomorrow he could go.

I picked up a seashell to show him but he didn't stay interested too long.

The next morning Hunter woke up and literally said, "Hi Mommy, go swimming ocean."  It made me laugh!  But unfortunately it was raining so we took the ferry to Bolivar.

Korey and I both grew up taking vacations in Galveston and feeding the seagulls off the back of the ferry so it was a precious moment to see my son doing the same thing.  Some nice kids gave him some bread slices to feed the seagulls so in between bites for himself he threw chunks to the birds.

Once we got to Bolivar we headed to a neighborhood where Korey's other grandfather used to live.  He has many good memories of staying there with his family.  Sadly, the cabin isn't there anymore.  I did see this on one of the streets so I just had to take a picture.

After lunch we threw caution to the wind and decided to let Hunter swim instead of napping.  Day 2 of no nap!

We got him dressed in this flotation shirt that made him look like he was wearing football pads.

He was happy playing in the sand.  When we walked him out to the water he was scared so he ended up sitting in my lap and we let the waves splash on us.

A boy's dream - miles of "dirt" to play in.

Then we chased the birds and while we tried to "catch" them Hunter would say, "Hold chicken."  Gotta love that.

After dinner that night we took him to LaKing's or rather we took me so I could indulge in all of their goodies.

Hunter raced boats and horses while Korey and I ate ice cream.

I took this picture of Murdoch's to show the original pilings in the back where this location used to stand.

Not a happy car rider.  I think he wanted to go back to the beach.

And yet another horse he got to ride outside of a Mexican restaurant.

Our last day on the beach.

I finally snagged someone to take a family photo of us.  I have a better one but I guess it didn't upload.

Then we walked around the beach some more....

and we found a HUGE rainbow!

It was gorgeous!  I was pointing it out to everyone that walked by.  I thought it was a great finale to our vacation.

This final picture is a quick one I took at LaKing's.  It's the candy maker feeding salt water taffy into the machine which cut it, wrapped it and dropped it into a basket.  If you stood and watched he would toss you a piece.  I loved this place!