Funny Friday

About 2 weeks ago, Katie and I were having fun watching some funny cat You Tube videos.  We found Maru - a cat from Japan who had a handful of very funny videos posted.  So here's one about Maru and some boxes...maybe it was just us, but Katie and I were loving it.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday wishes to send out to my dad today!  Hope you have a fun day!!  I'll try calling later!

A Confession....

So I have to confess that I haven't been working out like I should.  I know, I know.  When you read the title of this post, you thought it was going to be juicy.  Well, sorry to let you down there.

I have hopes of doing a 10k race in...let's see....25 days.  Oh shit, 25 days....I thought it was a bit more.  I haven't officially signed up for it because I'm a chicken.  It will be the longest running race I've done, and I want to do it, I really do.  I just don't want to train for it....or anything really. 

It really sucks because I feel SO good after working out.  I feel like I could do anything.  My mood is better, my patience is better and I'm just an all around better mom and wife.  However, when it comes time to get ready to work out - I am the QUEEN of excuses and finding other things that need to get done.  I'll blame it on anything - it's too cold, it's too hot, it's raining, I have to watch the kids, I don't feel good, etc. 

So after a good 2-3 months of doing little to nothing, I'm back.  I'm going to go register for that 10k.  I ran 2 miles on Sunday while Will was at a soccer skills clinic, I worked out yesterday, and I just got done running 3 miles on the treadmill.  I would like to run 3-4 times a week....2-3 miles a time, with one weekend run being 4-6 miles.  If I can do that for the next 25 days, I should be good to go.  Then it's just a matter of maintaining that effort throughout the summer since I'll only have 3-5 weeks between races this summer/fall.  The "big one" (actually there's 2) being the YWCA triathlon in August and the Twin Cities 10-miler in October.  (If we get picked out of the lottery, that is.)  Funny....that race is so big you have to win the lottery to get to be in it.  How SICK is that?

Ok - for now I will plan on getting up at 6:15 tomorrow to run my 3 miles. 

Unless it's raining.....

Happy Birthday John!

Happy Birthday today to my husband John! Since I've posted a lot of pictures from his 20's...here's one from his 30's, a great picture of him and his family. 

I should try to commandeer a few pictures of when he was Will's age and get them on here.  He was pretty gosh darn cute. 

The kids have quite the event planned, as they have been preparing for John's birthday for a good 3 1/2 weeks.  The presents are wrapped, the crafts are made, the cake is ready, and the supper is planned.  Festivities will begin after soccer practice tonight, which appears will be held in the rain. 

Friday Funny

Preschool pictures

We got Will's preschool pictures back yesterday.  I love them - but of course, I'm quite biased.  Will says he does not like taking pictures at school because "they're not very fun."  Typical boy.  We had more pictures taken last week as part of a fundraiser for a group I'm part of and I think Will sat for 3-4 of them, and then he announced that he was done and walked away.  Katie, however, continued for 10 more minutes, posing for shot after shot.

I'm bound and determined that I am going to get the taxes done TODAY.  I have about an hour left on them and that should do it.  It's taken a few extra hours this time because of my babysitting income.  I have to fill out a Gain/Loss from Business form and it's taken me more time to determine all the deductions I can take because the business is run from my home.  Therefor I can take a % of certain monthly bills and deduct if for business expense as well as food and other direct expenses that get used for the little one.  I'm just finishing up prorating and deducting the mortgage interest/property taxes.  (And yes, I did check with the IRS on this...I spent 45 minutes with them on Monday to make sure I was figuring things correctly.  The guy I talked to actually gave me some good tips.)  So since we are getting $ back, I want to get that filed ASAP.

Let's see - I did make some headway on my to-do list.  I got Katie's dance recital tickets picked up, then realized that I hope I wasn't supposed to have a ticket for her.  As of right now - Will is coming along. 

I'm scheduled to pick up uniforms for Will's soccer team this weekend, and attend a coaching training session.  We have a "youth coach" (he's 14) assigned to us, but I just got an e-mail saying that he hasn't completed his background check or his concussion training yet so if he doesn't by Saturday, he won't be allowed to coach....and someone will have to fill in.  (The e-mail implied that "someone" would be me.)  The only thing I know about soccer is that if you kick the ball in the net, I think it's a point. 

I also did something extra that wasn't even on my to-do list!  I got summer activities lined up for Katie and Will all summer.  I talked with them about a few options for things they could do over the summer and came up with a list of ones that "work" for us date-wise.  (Don't overlap, etc.) 

Will is going to do swimming lessons, karate, Vacation Bible School, dinosaur camp, and sports camp. 

Katie is going to do swimming lessons, theater camp, Luthercrest church camp, sports camp, and maybe a gymnastics camp.  Oh, and I have a teacher in the works to give her piano lessons in June and July. 

It may sound like a lot - but most of these camps are only 3-4 days long.  And there are even a few dates where their camps overlap each other so that Katie and Will are both busy on the same day, and they get to do the "sports camp" together.  I also have it worked out so that I will only have the "little one" Monday-Wednesday during the summer, so that leaves two days a week for Katie, Will and I to do some things that just for us, like go to bigger parks, go to the zoo, the museum, the fair, go swimming, etc.  Things that I just don't feel comfortable take 3 kids to - one of which is only 2.

Ok - I'm off to tackle the taxes....after some coffee. 

Friday Funny

In honor of the holiday weekend....(and leave it to those Lutherans to be funny)

I actually decided that we are not going to go to church on Sunday.  There are groups of people who belong to churches and only go on Easter and Christmas.  Then there's me - I go many other times during the year, and specifically NOT on Easter and Christmas. :)  It's way too crowded and hard to find my regular seat.  Kind of like the gym after New Year's.  There's all these people there that don't know what they're doing.   So we'll have a relaxing morning at home with our Easter Bunny stuff, finding hidden eggs, eating candy and eventually breakfast.  There may be a run involved or some bike riding.  

Will singing

Katie found her hidden birthday present a little early.  She let Will have a turn listening to some music that we put on it for her.  Here's Will singing Maroon 5's Moves Like Jagger.....not that you'll be able to tell......

On two wheels!

Katie has mastered the fine art of riding on two wheels.  This is probably something that we could have done last summer, but time just got away from us, and I think John and I were both dreading the "falls" that would come with learning to ride a bike.  Well, two practice sessions later and she's pretty much got it down and we haven't had one fall....yet.  I'm sure it will come, but probably when she's steady enough to take some risks.  The seat is still pretty low because it seems to help with her center of gravity yet.

I'm working on getting a video of bike riding up....as well as Will singing "Moves Like Jagger" by Maroon 5.  (Yeah, that one's pretty good...)

I made some headway on my to-do list from last week.  It's taken me a few days on computer work til 9:30, but I'm getting there. 



- Start/Finish state/federal return - I have our taxes started....not finished, but I hope to have them done this week. - Pay all March bills - pretty much done....only ones left are ones I actually have to write checks for - how annoying! :)
- Get monthly #'s done for non-profit - DONE
- Finish monthly report for non-profit - ALMOST DONE
- Finish correspondence for Area job for non-profit - NOT EVEN CLOSE, BUT WORKING ON IT
- Finish said "training" for Area job for non-profit - NOT DONE
- Complete 45 minute concussion training online for Will's soccer team - DONE
- Since there's no coach and I signed up to be "manager" for said team....I now have to do all coaching duties as well. This includes contacting all parents to introduce myself and remind them about practice. -DONE
- Pick up team uniforms and get names put on the back for whole team - APRIL 14
- Create a "treat schedule" as well as a "phone tree" for team - NOT DONE
- Find Katie pink ballet flats for recital and pictures in May - WRONG SIZE DELIVERED....HAVE TO RE-ORDER
- Call dance coach about pictures - NOT DONE
- Pick up dance recital tickets at rec center - NOT DONE
- Register for Easter party at Nature Center - DONE
- Troubleshoot whole computer problem and research the availability of a new motherboard. - NOT DONE
- Mail in 2,200 Kemps milk caps for Katie's school - NOT DONE
- Mail in 2,000 Kwik Trip caps for Katie's school - NOT DONE
- Mail package of assorted baby stuff to pregnant friend - NOT DONE....however, I'm glad I waited because now I have even more to send. :)

Only 5 done....geez, it felt like more.

Not funny!

I think the weather man was playing an April Fool's Day joke on us.  81 degrees and sunny, my ass. We'll be lucky to hit 50 and it looks very cloudy.  Yesterday was supposed to be 70, but again - we never made it past 50.  Just to spite the powers that be, we had a little fire outside with marshmallows (because we had planned it being warm).

Today I promised Katie that I would go to the park with her to watch her ride her bike.  John and her went yesterday and he was able to get her up on two wheels confidently.  Now she can go the whole length of the sidewalk in front of our house.  The only times I get nervous are when it comes time to stop.  She has to practice getting started as well, but she's come a long way in only 2 practice sessions.  I should really get a movie on here of her riding - it's quite exciting. :)

The kids are on spring break all week so hopefully it'll warm up a bit and we can hit the park.  We have plans to go to the library, and the nature center is having a cool rock hunt on Friday.