My Mother's Day Wishlist

Please forgive my greed in this post- I'm truly a very appreciative and wonderful person who does not NEED any sort of gift, however when I wrote this I was feeling particularly snarky and greedy. :)
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As I'm sure you are all aware; shortly after Easter comes Mother's day. Now, this holiday didn't used to be a big deal to me- and then I became a mother and thought, hey, I DO deserve this (I really do). I love the thought of Mother's Day- laying around in my pjs while food things are served to me in bed and my house gets clean without  me lifting a finger... oh, and gifts. Right?

Well, this hasn't happened yet... but in the off chance my husband actually reads this blog- here's your hint. Heck, I'm going to make you a list of things I want for Mother's Day- I know this sounds greedy, but I knocked your socks off last Father's Day, and for the kiddo- I clean up your poop.

In no particular order:
1. House clean and organized. You know that honey-do list? I really want that honey-done. REALLY. If I got nothing at all for the next year but every item on that list completed I would be happy- at least until the house got messy again. Please please please build me that shelf, please?? Pinterest is dangerous for you and this list might grow  before you can complete it- so get to work. :)

2. This folding camping table: LINK I do plan on camping a lot this summer (warning) and I think this would be really handy. Not to mention tailgating! See, this serves the both of us... it really is a gift for you. You know, scratch that, maybe I should get this for Father's Day. See what I did there? Race you to it.

3. Funky Kids Art- Hey A, I'm calling you out on this! I love the scribbles and doodles you give me every day, and I really have no where to put them all since our awesome art board (pictured below, because I'm crafty like that) is overflowing- so lets think outside the box on this one. Maybe a little painted bowl for me to put my keys in? A mug? Make daddy help you with this- he needs to get his creative juices flowing, too.

4. This collage. I have never seen anything this amazing. Well, perhaps a clean house- but that is truly something of legend. THIS is attainable, this is awesome. I would also like to have a family photoshoot prior to getting this (which with you dear,  is like pulling teeth), so if you could do this for me I'd truly owe you- I'd go above and beyond for your holidays. You know that spot above the fireplace with the tiny framed print that doesn't fit that totally drives me bonkers- yeah, I'd put this there and you wouldn't have to hear me nag about it anymore. Also, I was looking at putting a collage of canvases up there and was about to drop $450 or so on the project so this truly saves you money- and sanity. I also read that you can move it around- so when I inevitably get NEW family photos we can put this one somewhere else, that, or when we move. Allison got one, and it is so cool- and you know I have to keep up with what Ali has! Oh, and to save you any trouble I've saved the photos I want used (if you refuse new pictures) under Photos> YOULOVEME

This is Allisons

From their website www.tradingphrases.com 

That's it- only four things... and, dear husband you only have to BUY one of those things, complete the honey-do list and help A with her project. I'm really not THAT demanding, you see. Also, you forgot our anniversary or I wouldn't be asking for so much... you really did this to yourself.

Love!
-S

School Daze

I can't even believe it, Amory has been in preschool for a full month now. It has been so amazing, and scary, and AMAZING- did I say amazing?

She loves it. Every day she does something new and comes home with a new piece of art or project. She doesn't fight getting up or brushing her teeth any more and I have a few hours without interruption in the middle of the day. I cannot wait until she has it 5 days a week- is that terrible of me?

Hip Parents in Hilton Head, SC

We did something strange- we went to Hilton Head, to the beach... without the kiddo. It was odd, it was strange, and it was WONDERFUL.

One of our "couple friends" (yeah, they are married, we are married, and we all get along- it is weird) had a trip planned out and mostly free; dad paid condo and gas to get there- the only thing to pay for was food and activities... and the couple going with them BACKED OUT. Uhmmm do we want to go? Yes, please. We pulled some strings and out our wallet and told them we'd join in. How could we not?

13 hour drive (leaving at 10pm) after dropping Amory off at the Granparents- where Aunt Traci would get her later, and several siesta's later we arrived. Hot, humid, and awesome! I don't think you could get 4 parents together more excited than we were the first few days... dropped somewhere gorgeous, no kids, we can do what we want, drink when and how much we want- and no one has to be "responsible." Yes!

We did a lot of really fun things- the beach (of course- jellyfish stings and all), Savannah where we got to see my awesome friend India, Tubing, Parasailing, Cards, Booze, Bikes, Swimming... it was awesome.

By the end of 7 days we were MORE than glad to come home and wrap our arms around the little lady, but it was such a nice relief, it really gave us the refresher we needed. Oh, and it was Shark Week- and I watched it for the first time ever!

I'll let the photos do the real talking. :) They are REALLY out of order- and I'm not messing with it. :)

 

Checking out Columbus

I've made it a goal this summer to really get excited about the state I live in- and what better time than the SUMMER. The winters here are miserable, and I want nothing more than to leave, so this year, I need something to look back on- something to go... oh yeah, there is at least one redeeming quality to suffer through this miserableness for!

I'm sure you've been keeping tabs, we've done a lot in the STATE, but we haven't really done a lot right here in Columbus. You know, where we wouldn't have to drive very far to and is a lot more accessible? Well, we have. Check it.

We have a really cool farmers market (well, everywhere around here has them- no kidding, every day of the week you can find one) in Worthington on Saturdays. They have a lot of produce as well as "green" products, and it is dog friendly- I love dog friendly places.

They have the best dog parks I've seen. Sure, I'm sure there are better ones out there, but ones that Zo and I have been to- Ohio takes the cake. The one we've been going to recently even has "dog showers" to rinse your dog off afterwards- and that scores points in my book. My dog is a sponge.

A Whole Foods. Yes, this deserves its own  post- no, I cannot afford to buy all of my groceries there. While I love stores like this and would love to give them everything, I cannot- they do, however, have awesome kids events, tastings, fabulous organic food and awesome (affordable) restaurants! We especially love the kid events. We've made gingerbread houses, helped plant their garden, and a few crafts. They have a whole kid play area so we often get lunch and let her socialize. Awesome!

Columbus has a super-awesome, world-famous zoo. It really is one of the most awesome things- I remember being FLOORED when I first moved here, if you want to see and read and experience everything you would need to spend several DAYS there. It is massive, and informative, and amazing. This year they introduced dinosaurs- robotic, awesome, dinosaurs. Amory is totally over the moon. They also do Boo at the Zoo, Wildlights, and other really fun events- but those are in the winter/fall. 

I really debated posting this one... boating. Ohio is NOT known for its lakes or rivers. They are dirty, they are slow moving, and they are gross. I'm not even kidding- especially coming from Idaho where the rivers are pristine and clear (you can see all the way to the bottom, even). However, I've always ALWAYS loved being on the water- it is in my blood. This summer we started kayaking locally, and while it is kind of gross and I collect the garbage in my kayak to throw away in the end... it is also fun. It is especially fun after it rains and the rivers are full and fast! Amory is enamoured (totally my daughter) and begs me to go out kayaking all the time! We've had some really awesome adventures on the river, we even found an abandoned kayak this last week and had to deal with local police and fire departments about a stranded boater!

I only mentioned here the free (for us, we have a zoo membership) things here- I have a list of things that are less free, but awesome still. I didn't even mention the fountains, outdoor movie nights, parks, museums, campus.... this place is swimming with favorites, these are just some of the things I've done more than once. 

I'm trying to live with the mentality "Life is what you make it," and if that is the case, I'm going to make mine awesome- no matter the poopy hands we sometimes get dealt.

Sky Zone Columbus Review

Okay so you know I've been on this journey to get fit and healthy, yeah? Well, the good news is that since April I've lost a little over 20lbs. I still have a long way to go... but I'm thrilled with my progress.

As mentioned in my previous post about healthy I've been doing a lot of things to kick off my weight loss- and a big part of what I have been doing is Skyrobics class! Skyrobics is not something I'm sure most of you are very familiar with- I sure wasn't even 6 months ago. A local indoor trampoline park (yes, you read that right) Sky zone has fitness classes several days a week (also just free jump, dodgeball, camps and even toddler time)! My friend and I tried one out back in April and have been hooked ever since.

Sky zone has wall to wall trampolines (even on the walls), a foam  pit and a dodgeball court. Typically on weeknights the classes are held on the dodgeball court, it is a little more intimate- but still covered in trampolines. Weekend classes are usually larger and therefore held in the main court, I've never counted but I would guess there are probably 60+ trampolines all linked together in this area.

Now, we've pulled a lot of friends, family, etc. in to these classes with us- they are just too fun! No one really knows what to expect, and they go in thinking they are going to be jumping on a trampoline for an hour- wrong, so wrong. Skyrobics starts out with a "warm up" which is about 15 minutes of jumping in different ways, then a bit of stretching and then stations. Oh boy, stations- they kick your butt! You'll do everything from pushups and squats to "donkey kicks" and frog jumps. Yeah- arms, legs, abs, butt... it all gets worked. When you are FINALLY done with the stations the instructor usually will do a little cool down- Stephanie, our favorite, tends to do group ab workouts at this time, then, after stretching (and an hour has passed) you are done. It is wonderfully set to your own skill level, you can go as hard or as easy as you'd like!

Every instructor is different, and every class is a little different. They offer classes Tuesday and Thursdays (morning and night) and Saturday and Sunday mornings. My friends and I have tried every instructor and I can tell you that you'll get something different with each one, and they are all wonderful.

Now, this may sound to you like something only "girls" would do- well, that is what my husband thought, at least. Nope- I've probably been to 25+ classes now and I've only had one class with no guys. It is a great workout for everyone- any body shape, sex, or ability.

The first class is $4 plus tax and every one after that is $8. You can also do what we did and get an unlimited pass for the month for $40- go to as many classes as you'd like within the month- which can be a really good deal if you are going a few times a week like we did.

Combine this class with a healthy diet (which I'll talk about in another blog) and you can start shedding the lbs like me!

For more info on classes, please click HERE, you can also find the Columbus Ohio facebook group for Sky Zone HERE.

Below are some photos from skyrobics (please forgive all the SWEAT). 

Amory at Three

Likes:

• Picnics
• The Pool
• Pizza (PEPPERoni and cheese)
• Sleepovers
• TV shows (especially the Wild Kratts, Oso, and Cyberchase this week)
• Movies (especially Monsters Inc and the Wild Thornberrys)
• Zooey and Fat Cat
• Bubbles
• Donuts
• Jumping!
• The rain- especially when it creates puddles
• Mickey Mouse Pancakes *with strawberries
• Mega Blocks and Castles
• Princesses
• Books and Stories
• relatives coming to visit
• the zoo and science center (COSI)

Dislikes

• Naptime
• Being told "no" 
• Cleaning her room
• Pickles
• Bugs
• Getting her hair brushed
• Wearing clothing

What she learned this year

• Going to potty (2 years 3 months)
• Putting her own shoes on
• to sing her abc's (ABCDEFG...falksdjfl)
• counting to 20 
• left and right
• what each color on the stoplight means
• how to cross a street (the walking man and holding hands)
• How to unbuckle herself in the car
• How to get anything she wants from her daddy
• how to plant things in the garden and help them grow
• how to operate the iphone almost as good as mommy
• how to put away the silverware unloading the dishes
• somersaults 
• how to draw a circle
• her shapes (heart, star, oval, circle, square, rectangle, diamond)
• her colors
• how to ride a bike (tricycle)
• how to skateboard (mostly)
• how to use an xbox controller

Interesting Notes

Amory has developed quite the personality. Everyone that meets her is convinced she needs to go to Hollywood or Broadway- she is a huge philanthropist and loves to make people laugh at her antics, sometimes to her mother's chagrin. If you ask her to tell a story you will be transported to a world of wonder with giraffes, dragons, princesses, hippos and many tragic happenings. She spends many of her days in the office with her mother at the family company, where everyone treats her like a princess and she gets absolutely everything she desires. She has started to have a few "tantrums" where she will flip about something insipid (more water! nooooo too much water... I need a big cup! I want chocolate milk...), these are pretty obnoxious, and she has had to spend many 3 minute increments in her room for time-out. She loves to help me cook or bake in the kitchen- and thinks we should be making pancakes or cake every day. She really enjoys coloring- whether it is on paper or somewhere less fortunate. Zak and I feel SO blessed to have her in our lives- she is the image of perfection... gorgeous and spirited- with a brain to boot! There are days that are hard "I don't love you mommy, I don't need you." Yet, there are days that are amazing and full of wonder. I love seeing the world through her eyes and introducing her to new experiences. 

Here's to another year... and another, and another. 

Goodbye Not-So-Terrible-Twos

I don't know why they are called the "terrible twos," I think 2 was my favorite year so far in Amory's life. Finally she is potty trained, able to feed and clothe herself, speaking eloquently, and is able to communicate what she needs and wants- it has been wonderful! Yes, there are occasional tantrums, but not to the extent I was dreading. I think, from all that I've heard, it should really be called the terrible threes.

Mothers keep coming up to me (mine included) and saying things like... "oh, if you think that's bad, just wait until she's three," or "your daughter is so well behaved, she must not have hit the dreaded threes yet!" Oh my goodness, what am I in for now!?

Amory turned three on Sunday- we celebrated with breakfast, the toy store and then a huge party with all of her family and a few friends (many friends were out of town for an extended Fourth of July weekend, boo!). Amory was the center of attention and loving every second of it, she is, if nothing else, a ham.

A little parrot, she will now repeat nearly everything you say- whether it is good or bad. A few weeks ago she was just waking up and I was laying next to her talking to her about the events of the day, she pats my cheek and says "that would be lovely dear." My heart melts- where does she come up with these things?

Her favorite foods definitely involve a LOT of calories- pizza, cake, meatballs, steak... chicken nuggets. She rarely turns up her nose at food and even requests "brussel touts" and fish some nights- she isn't a big fan of peas or beans, however. Food is a great bribe for her on days I really don't feel like fighting- bad parenting, maybe.

Amory's best friend is Gabe- they say they are "married" and they like to pack lunches for each-other, buy things for the other and plan events. This week if Amory does all of her chores her chosen reward is a "picnic with gabe, with meatballs" Yep- the way to her heart is food, there's no denying it.

At two years old her favorite things include going on trips, the park, picnics, movies (especially going to the movies and getting popcorn), jumping in puddles, swimming, and relatives visiting or having "sleepovers" at the relatives. Really easy to please- as long as you get out of the house, the poor thing takes after me and gets stir crazy easily.

This is very poorly written between projects at work- I didn't even read over it for spelling accuracy- I've been so busy and burnt out lately! Hopefully it isn't an awful update- I hope to write more/better at a later date.