An Overview of May 2011

I haven't been able to access our blog for over a week so I apologize for the delay in all of these posts.  Rather than do them all separately I am going to attempt to capture the last month in some snapshots and captions!  May proves to be a busy time of year so here goes...

We decided to take a mini-vacation as a family.  We drove down to Key Lime Cove and enjoyed the water park for two days.  None of us got much sleep but playing in the pools, going down the slides and eating yummy meals made it all worth it.

This happened about 10 minutes into our drive home!  Do you think they all had fun?  :)

We took our friend Nina to the zoo on a beautiful day where we saw many animals, ran off all of our energy and ended the trip with a train ride.

As a treat we headed to McDonalds for an ice cream cone and brought our neighbor Jaycee along.  Ice cream is always better when it's shared!!

Olivia, Norah and I went to the greatest petting zoo.  It was so clean, well organized and had a TON for the kids to do.  We had to get back to pick up Braden so we weren't able to do everything and have fun plans to go back this summer with Braden.  Both Olivia and Norah were able to ride a horse.

We went on a bouncy hayride...

And Olivia got to hold a kitten in the cat house!

Some days this is how my car looks... 

especially when the weather is gloomy and I'm exhausted. :)

Olivia and Braden have been practicing skateboarding down the driveway behind us with our neighbors skateboard.  Doesn't she look like an 80's boarder? Heehe.

Jillian graduated and I am embarrassed that I don't have ONE picture of the event. Steve's family all came and we enjoyed Braden's soccer game, manicures (Olivia's first), yummy meals, and a Brewer Game!  We are so proud of Jillian and all of her hard work.

Lincoln is getting so big. I cannot wait to see him in about a month.  Emily is good about sending pics and even sent a cute as a button video of him cooing.  It helps me feel like we are closer.  I know I am biased but I do think he is about as handsome as they come. :)  

We took care of our friend Annika for a day last week and to help us ignore the freezing temps we went to Kids in Motion to play.  The girls had a blast together.  Olivia talks about Annika all the time despite the fact that we only see her a few times a year.  Heather and I plan to change that this summer!!

Steve took Braden and Olivia to a Brewer Game for a daddy date.  Braden is LOVING hitting balls in our front yard.  Do we have a future ball player in our hands?

I don't know that I can say anything that will capture this picture better than ... I LOVE this girl!

This is Steve and I before we ran our half-marathon in Madison over memorial day weekend.  My mom (bless her heart) watched the kids for us and we are so very thankful.  We went down the night before to get a good nights sleep and also to pick up our race packets.

This is us AFTER finishing!!  We stuck together the whole time which was awesome.  I am so proud of us.  We ran in 2 hrs 3 min which was GREAT.  I felt good the whole time and was able to finish strong. I can honestly say that it was enjoyable.

We ran with our good friends Julie and Randy!  They did awesome as well finishing just ahead of us.  This all started after a casual conversation in January.  I am so proud of all four of us for sticking with it and for doing as well as we did!  Steve and I are planning on running the Summerfest Half Marathon in July if anyone wants to join us!!

So May is finished after today and I am really looking forward to summer.  Olivia is now done with school (I forgot my camera) so she is home with me full time and we can't wait for Braden to join us!!  

Friends on Jackson Park

We LOVE where we live!  We love Wauwatosa of course but even more... we love Jackson Park.  It's really becoming a home that we cherish ... and mostly because of the people that surround us.  As it's gotten nice out we've had many impromptu play-dates with neighbors.  Here you can see Dylan and Braden playing in the yard.  Take note of the two diggers (Steve and our neighbor Kris) in the background digging up a fence post - another story for another time!!  It's amusing though so I'll be sure to post about it before long.

The boys had a blast running around the yard, building a wall with rocks from the diggers and even found an earthworm.  What could be more fun than that?

Olivia and Rory didn't miss out on the action!  They are so cute together, I love it!  It's fun to watch their relationship change as they both get a little older.  

After the kiddos were all done eating the adults were looking for a few extra minutes to finish dinner so we popped on Dora for the girls.  They were exhausted from a day spent entirely outside and they became zombies for a little bit which did indeed give us time to finish.

We feel so lucky to live by such wonderful neighbors.  It's just awesome that summer is still widely in front of us with more impromptu play dates and grill outs sure to come.

Little Stinker!

Last week I was cooking and all of a sudden I realized that I hadn't heard from Norah in a while.  I walked into the front hallway and saw a diaper bag partially emptied.  Now let me tell you that with Braden when I couldn't hear him he was most likely reading books somewhere.  Olivia would have been  pulling clothes out of her drawers but Norah... if you can't hear Norah you know you're in trouble.

After seeing the diaper bag I walked into the living room to see Norah sitting on Magnus's bed with a bag full of dum-dums.  The funny part about this is that a few minutes before she had brought me one in the kitchen. I wondered where she found it. I told her no and threw it away.  That little stinker decided to go get another and instead of brining it to mommy to unwrap she would figure it out herself.  Ha!  If you look closely you will see a few unwrapped lying on the carpet. I think she tried a few (they were sticky) on her way to Magnus's bed and didn't like them. :)

As I walked towards her she tried to quickly get her hand in the bag for another sucker.  Again - too smart for her own good.  She is hilarious and definitely keeps me on my toes.  What a little stinker. 

MAD Science

As part of the Milwaukee Tour Club Olivia and I went to a Mad Science session.  It was a blast.  The kids sat on the rug and watched the "MAD" scientist do a bunch of experiments. It was mostly a show but there was some interaction and at the end they got to make cotton candy.  That of course was her favorite part.  

I love getting one-on-one kid time.  It's hard to get but is so worth the effort.  Watching her sit with other children and show a very shy side was heart warming.  I am reminded that the crazy, wild Olivia that I see at home and at times overwhelms me is special because she saves it for a place that she feels most at ease and safe.  She shows her mommy her potential but it takes time for her to warm up in new situations. 

I love you Olivia!!!!!!!!

We DID It!

All I can say is WOW!  The Lake Geneva Course was rocking and rolling and when I say rolling I mean hill upon hill upon hill.  Besides the first 500 yards it was literally either going up a hill or going down.  I'm not a huge fan of hills so this race took a lot of mental work on my part.  

Steve - was amazing.  He stuck by me the whole time when he could have been far ahead.  I love him.  Julie ran with us for most of the race and pulled ahead at the end - She did awesome!  Randy was a rockstar and finished quite a bit before the rest of us so he was able to grace us with this picture from the finish! 

Thanks honey for sticking by me and thanks Julie and Randy for a really fun morning!! We did it!!!!!

Norah Update...

I figured it was time for a Norah update...

HEALTH - Norah had this crazy high fever last week.  It was 104.3 for two straight days, then 103.6 the third day.  The fourth day she was down to 99.  She had NO other symptoms - it was crazy.  She is all better although we still have no idea what the fever was trying to tell us!

EARS - Norah had tubes put in about two months ago.  Those of you who know our history know that this is just part of being a Dupee kid! :)  Norah decided she wanted to throw a curve ball our way however so we didn't get too relaxed about the whole situation. Not long ago she got another ear infection - not supposed to happen with the tubes!  We used drops and things appeared to get better until I started seeing dried blood come out of her ear.  This continued happening and so I made an appt. with the ENT.  To make a long story short - Norah's tube is blocked with dried blood and isn't getting better despite the drops that we are again putting into her ears.  We go back Monday to see if they can vaccum extract/clean out the tube.  Keep your fingers crossed because if that doesn't happen they have to surgically remove it.  UGH.  Apparently her body thinks that the tube is a foreign object and is working hard to get it out.

SPEECH - She is talking soooo much.  Norah repeats many of the words we say and when I sing twinkle, twinkle - she sings along.  I have a feeling that any moment of quiet that I can grasp now I should because before too long she and Olivia will be dominating the floor at our house NON-stop!  She has also decided that screaming is one way to get what she wants.  I think the screaming comes from frustration which I know is natural.  She knows what she wants but doesn't know how to ask for it and therefore exercises her lungs and drives the rest of us nuts!  This little pumpkin of mine is becoming high-maintenance.  I guess it's about time. :)

CHIROPRACTOR - Norah and I are seeing a chiropractor. I feel like she has been sick and gone through so much in her short little life.  I teeter on the fence of traditional medicine vs. natural approaches and have always been interested in the things Nikki shares with me (she works for a chiropractor in Minneapolis).  It's been great so far and I don't know if it was coincidence or not but she got rid of her cold/runny nose and is (knock on wood) sleeping somewhat better at night.  Shit - I shouldn't have said that. I wonder how many times I'll be up tonight! :)

Okay - that was lengthy but she has had a lot going on!!

Running

I started running in junior high school because a friend asked if I wanted to go out for track with her.  I said sure.  I believe it was in 10th grade.  I had always been fast - I loved racing the boys in elementary school - but I didn't go into track with high hopes.  I probably joined more to get a new pair of shoes and meet boys! :)

I quickly fell in love with the feeling you get when you are racing along side someone and are able to pull ahead at the last minute.  I ran all through high-school and college but have had a hard time maintaing consistency since then.  I've done some 5k's, a few 10k's and even one 10 mile race when I was studying abroad in Australia.  Most of those were however were PRE-kids.

I was in awe as my sister-in-law ran a marathon last summer and when my friend Kristin called at the end of last year and asked if I wanted to run a half I jumped at the opportunity.  I'm not pregnant...not nursing... and finally felt like I could devote some time to myself without feelings of guilt.  The best part is that Steve also jumped on board and although we aren't able to run together we are helping each other make it a priority.

The half-marathon is Memorial Day weekend in Madison.  This Sunday we are exactly three weeks out!!!  Eeeek!  Training has been great. I started most of it on the treadmill but have recently moved outside.  I have realized that although I jumped at the opportunity I continue to surprise myself. I don't think I REALLY thought I could do it.  Each time the milage goes up I wonder if I can finish but so far so good.

This weekend, our training takes us to Lake Geneva for a 10k that Steve and I are running with Julie and Randy.  I am super excited to run with Julie who was a best buddy of mine from track. :)  It'll be fun to run together again.

I am not striving for a particular time or trying to beat anyone or anything in particular.... My biggest goal is to finish as strong as I am able.  I am as proud of myself for sticking with the training as I think I will be for finishing the race.  It feels good to be running again.

Priorities

Today was a busy day... as they all are... but today was a GREAT day!  

We've been outside a lot lately which is why I am so behind inside on laundry, cleaning, blogging, filing, etc.  It stresses me out but I am trying to convince myself that the time outside with my family is MORE important and far more beneficial.

Today I picked up Braden and Olivia from school early because we had to go to the ENT doctor.  We headed there around 11, had the appointment (more on that later probably) and then had a special lunch at Alterra.  We sat outside in the sunshine, at a table for four, each of us enjoying our food, the warmth and each other's company.

I had full intentions of taking Braden back to school but by the time we were done it was almost 1pm and today was early release.  It didn't make much sense for me to take him back so... I asked him if he'd like to come home for the afternoon.  He grinned and excitedly said, "Yes."

After the girls went down for naps, he and I spent the afternoon playing Star Wars outside on the front step.  Playing Star Wars is about my least favorite thing to do so on occasion I will try to steer him to something else or tell him I am busy but today was his special day.  I left the unfolded laundry on the couch (which is still sitting there and driving me a little bit bonkers), and did what HE wanted to do.  It was not exactly "fun" but it was important.  He felt special.  He felt loved. He knew that he had his mommy all to himself.

I don't support skipping school but I am SO glad that I kept him home this afternoon.  I needed it - he needed it and our day continued to be just as wonderful.  Sometimes slowing down and reminding myself of what is REALLY important rather than what SEEMS important is the key to finding happiness in our day.