Ahhgggg....technology!!!

OMG!! At first glance one believes computers to be one of the single greatest inventions ever. I mean, you can surf the web, write blogs and articles, store and enhance photos and yes even watch or record movies...seriously awesome! Until the unmentionable happens...for one reason or another this wonderful creation decides it's not going to take your excessive clicking and tapping anymore and refuses to start up! At this point, illusions of grandeur are gone and rather nasty words begin spewing from your mouth profusely! This is the OMG moment...when you realize...all your pictures, your writings, your virtual world has just crumbled and vanished into the black hole of technology...and you are left there wondering helplessly...why me?!?! Ahhh, yes technology...the blessing and the curse! So this horrific event happen not just once to Tony and I...but twice! First it was our desktop, followed right behind by our laptop. So, there I was crying and mourning the loss of all my precious photos and writings, whilst Tony scrambled to recover what he could. Regretfully, we weren't able to save our scorned laptop; however, we retrieved most of the desktop. For most people this would be a victory...not to me. I have just come to grasp that we will just have to inform Kailyn she has no photo documentation of her beloved doggy pool party or any events happening for a brief six month period in her life...but hey they're just pictures and words...right?!?! OMG!

Letting things go

Most people who know me would say that I am slightly obsessive about keeping my house clean. Cleaning our modest little home is something I have started to truly enjoy, and despite what people think can be rather therapeutic at times. I have to admit that my one pet peeve with cleaning is the mass amounts of dog hair that continually are shed throughout our home by our lab. Since I couldn't handle tumble weeds of hair rolling though our house, I adopted the habit of vacuuming and sweeping every night (thank God we have a small house). You honestly wouldn't believe how much one medium sized dog can shed...I truly would have thought he would be bald by now!
Now, since I have started working, I find it much harder to carry out my usual evening routine. There is no longer time to just fool around, every minute has to be carefully and thoughtfully used. With this new routine, I have had to let a few things go here and there. One such thing is that I started vacuuming every other night, or in last weeks case I actually waited three days...shocker! So on day three, Kailyn calls me into the bathroom and simply states, "Mom, you see that piece of dirt right there? You know, you should really vacuum our house. We don't want it to get dirty...yuck." As I sat there and looked at her staring up at me, her face showing the utmost concern I could do nothing better than agree with her. "I know I said, it's just been crazy lately." Her response was simple and sweet, "Yeah, I know...but I still love you." At least she loves me, our house may be drowning in pounds of dog hair, but she loves me...what more do I need!
So, amid all these wonderful changes, I am learning you have to just let some things go...and if they get really bad...at least I have a very honest, and loving five year old who will keep me on track!

running the good race

A 10k...6.2 miles. Does that distance seem long...or short to you? If you had asked me within the last 3 months I would probably have responded something like this, "oh, it's not that long...we run 10-12 miles on the weekends, 6 is nothing." Today I would definitely reply differently! My sister and I ran in the Broad Street Ramble today (awesome job Augusta Striders). It was a 10k on a relatively flat course. We started out very strong and finished in our best time yet. I have to insert here, that my sister has a separate blog and last week she wrote about training/running as sisters and how wonderful it is. She was and is so right! During the race today, she was my constant motivator. I know I wouldn't have finished in the time we did, if it wasn't for her...despite the fact that I wanted to punch her when she kept saying, "let's pick it up." Throughout the entire race, she motivated and truly pushed us on. So, thanks Sarah for being the voice that kept me going today...that and my wonderful family's cheering. It is amazing how much just seeing someone can be inspirational. Tony, Kailyn and Sarah's family were camped out on a curb to cheer us on and then again at the finish line. What a good group of cheerers we had! Not to leave the little kiddos out either, at the end of everything, they had a tot-trot...all the kids did great and despite having to wait a bit, had a good time, thanks to the cookies and gatorade:)
Regarding the question...today, 6.2 miles felt more like 12.2 miles...and despite the fact I felt like the race would never end, we did it...and we did it together! When I say together, I truly mean it...our times were exactly the same...down to the second! So, here's to third in our category...we so totally rock!

the joys of coming home

As previously stated, I started my new job this week and a whole new chapter of our life has just begun. Since this is my first week, and a training week, I was able to get off a little early. One particular day I got off and headed to pick up Kailyn. As I pulled in the driveway, i saw her running into the house. Excited to see her I honked and waved. Then as if I was the Ice Cream Truck or something more than wonderful, she looked up with extreme elation and smiled from ear to ear. She dropped her bag she was carrying and ran arms open to meet me in the driveway. I have to say, this may be one of the single most wonderful times in my life. I had never been greeted like this before! Immediately tears welled in my eyes and just as I thought, "man this is as good as it gets," she looked up with her arms around my neck and said, "I am so glad you are home. I really missed you today, mom." All I could manage to say was, "I missed you too baby."
When Tony got home shortly after, I told him about our joyful reunion and he simply said, "Now you know how good it feels to come home." He was all too right!

All about Keke...a little about us...a whole lot about our little family

So, I just thought I would let everyone know that I am mostly starting this blog for our sweet daughter Kailyn (a.k.a. Keke), however, you may randomly see postings about stuff Tony or I are doing. So if you see something about running half-marathons or building decks...don't worry we're not making Kailyn an extreme athlete or teaching her to be a master craftsman...just letting you know what we are up to!

bittersweet

As I sit here this evening, I feel as if I am perched atop a tall mountain...waiting to skydive into the depths below. As I previously stated...everything is changing right now, and despite all this goodness I find it a little saddening as well. Tomorrow I begin training for my new job and I am very anxious, to say the least. Having not worked for five years, leaves me feeling a bit worried about what lies in store...or maybe it's just the "not knowing." In addition to job anxiety, there is also the fact that I won't be there to pick Kailyn up from Kindergarten. I know she will be in the best hands...but they won't be my hands! Change is just a crazy thing and life is simply bittersweet. All these new endeavors do bring about a sense of sadness for what we might be losing, but on the other hand an excitement about what lies in store. I remember saying once before that I often wished things would just stay as they were and never change...but then I realized how very much I would miss. So here's to new beginnings and skydiving...geronimo!

The Beautiful Ballerinas

This was so sweet...and yes I totally cried!

Ballerina Girl

As most anyone who has been around Kailyn knows, she is not the most agile girl. She has her fair share of bumps and bruises inflicted of course from various run-ins with doors, beds, and pretty much anything. I have to admit here, it is all my fault. Kailyn was not merely born with this awful clumsiness…she inherited it from her mother. I am so sorry, my sweetest daughter! Yes, together Kailyn and I look quit battered and bruised some days! In fact, when I was in high school we had an island in our kitchen. This island was the bane of my existence and because of it, I spent most of my high school years with bruises on both of my hips. I usually ran into said island at least five times a week and it almost always resulted in a bruise of one sort or another. I am just a rather clumsy person…I have to admit. So back to Kailyn. She too has her clumsy moments…which are becoming more and more frequent. It no longer shocks me when Kailyn runs crying to me and says, “The door ran into me and now I have a boo-boo!” I merely reassure her that pieces of wood can’t walk or run into us on their own…we are simply a clumsy breed of gals and maybe some day we’ll learn how to walk. Despite this, when Kailyn heard two of her best girl friends were taking ballet, she insisted she learn too. Since the class was only about three weeks long and taught by a really sweet high school girl, I thought, “why not.” Deep down inside I was actually thinking, “Thank God!! Maybe this will teach her how to walk without running into stationary objects!” Now, the class has ended and I am not sure if it had any impact on Kailyn’s walking ability, but I know she had a wonderful time. I think in those three weeks, she even became a little more “girly.” She had her recital last weekend and it was the cutest mess of organized chaos I have ever seen! Who knows, maybe this is the beginning of a whole new love for Kailyn…we’ll just have to see.

I miss my favorite boy and girl!

The house is quiet…not just for the moment…but the entire morning! Tony said goodbye around 6:15 and Kailyn just bounded into Gigi’s car and off to school. What am I supposed to do now?! It’s such a strange and rather sad feeling to walk around the house…just me and our dog Cole. It hasn’t been this way…ever! I don’t think I very much like this new found quietness! I miss my favorite boy and girl! Having Tony start work again after a fun summer is always hard and tears are often present for at least the first week…but now my Kailyn girl is gone, too! Tears are definitely present! Just looking around the house in all its emptiness makes me sad and leaves me feeling a bit empty inside. But, despite all this saddening change, I have to admit I love it when they come home! Hearing about each of their days and knowing that “yes” they can survive without me, makes things a little easier.

So many things are changing now. Tony’s back at work, Kailyn seems to have grown up in the blink of an eye and starting school, and I’m getting ready to start a new job in a week. All these changes are new and, even though I don’t want to admit it, they are wonderful. I used to wish I could just freeze time and keep Kailyn little forever, but I am realizing everyday that if that ever happened I would miss out on so much! Watching her grow has, and is the single most amazing thing to me! Seeing her change from a precious baby to a fully independent five year old has been astounding. And though I will miss our long lazy days together, I can’t help but look forward to all the new and wonderful memories that lie in store for our little family.

Kailyn's first day of school!

“Mom, will we have lunch? What are we going to do? Will we just play all day? Where am I going to sit? Will it be like my old school?” As I lay with Kailyn in her bed trying in vain to put her to sleep, these questions and many more kept streaming from her mouth. I’m not sure I have ever seen her like this! She could not fall asleep, anxious for the new beginning that lay before her! “Kailyn” I said, “I am not sure what tomorrow will be like, but I know you will have a great time.” It took over an hour to finally get her to fall asleep. In five years, I am not sure it has EVER taken her that long to go to bed. I knew she was excited, but I had no idea she would be so worried about her first day of school! Actually, her book bag had been packed for almost two weeks in anticipation.

Her first day ended up going wonderfully. Tony took the day off, for moral support…thanks Hon! She woke up happy and excited to start a new part of her life and as we headed to school she was all smiles and goofiness. They had an assembly that morning and announced the rather small class of only ten children. We were able to go with her to her room for a few minutes and she seemed ready for us to leave and get on with the day. She is truly an independent girl! That afternoon, we went to pick her up and she looked totally and completely exhausted! She was so cute walking to the carpool line in her little uniform with book bag in tow…our big girl. We went out for a little post school snack of chips and cheese dip at our local Mexican restaurant. There Kailyn proceeded to tell us as much as she could remember of her day, which was…we ate and played. At least she remembered the important stuff! We asked her if she wanted to go back tomorrow and she enthusiastically nodded yes. Despite the fact that I will miss her dearly, I am so very glad she had a good first day and seems to be liking school…let’s just hope the novelty of it doesn’t wear off too soon!!

girl time

Since I knew that my long fun days with Kailyn would soon be coming to an end, we have tried to do a few fun things together to sort of celebrate the end of summer and the beginning of a new time in our lives. One morning, I asked Kailyn what she would like to do and she said she really wanted to paint her nails. I thought this would be great, so I set up a “spa” area and gave Kailyn a pedicure and manicure. She loved this and really loved picking her color out from our limited selection. The best part was when I was done and her nails were dry she turned to me and said, “Now it’s your turn, Mom.” So, I sat there and let her give me a pedicure and manicure! It was so cute, she proceeded to file my nails and do exactly what I did! She picked out several colors and did a fairly good job…if the color hadn’t been a bit much for me I really would have left it! It was just a fun morning and one I will always remember with extreme happiness!

Five Guys...my favorite burger and fries

As previously mentioned, we spent a week in Athens while Tony went through some training for work. During this week, we stayed at a hotel that we just a few minute walk from downtown Athens. On the second night there we decided to walk downtown and try one of the little restaurants there. Little did we know that we would stumble upon our new favorite place to eat. We walked around a bit and stopped at a modest looking eatery. Despite its simple looks, we came to find out that this little “burger shack” is not merely an Athens original, but all over the country! We ordered our burgers and fries and proceeded to eat. Delicious! I have never seen Kailyn eat a hamburger so fast! She didn’t even touch her fries till her hamburger was done…a Kailyn first! As we headed home, we left wishing we had a Five Guys Burgers and Fries to eat at back home in Augusta. I was telling my mom of this scrumptious place to eat when my sister Rosie chimed in, “You know we have one of those here.” I was astounded and elated! Later that night I was telling Tony about it and Kailyn overheard me and said, “We have a Five Guys?!” I told her we did and beaming she stated, “We can eat there on my birthday!” So, that’s what we did. We ate there on her birthday, we ate there on our special family night before daddy started school and yes, we are going to eat there on our special family night the weekend before Kailyn starts school! I think it is an understatement to say it is our new favorite place to eat. It’s still so funny to me how much Kailyn likes to eat there and how the last time we went she noticed that they sell shirts! Needless to say she is dying to get one, especially since it has a 5 on the back and she is now a big five year old!

Charleston trip with the kiddos

A few years back, my sisters and I decided to take Sarah’s three boys and Kailyn to the beach for the day. It was a great day. We had so much fun, running along the beach, swimming a bit and playing in the sand. We were reminiscing about this the other day and decided, why not try and recreate our fun day. So, being the spontaneous girls that we are, we decided to just go ahead and head to Charleston. We decided to leave around 8am, pack a picnic lunch, stay at the beach all day and get some dinner before we headed home. For the most part we accomplished all that we set out to do and had a blast doing it! We pulled into Charleston around 11 and headed straight to the beach….after a bit of driving around and getting lost…we found it. We wanted to go to the same place we had gone before, which was a county park. It was great because it had access to showers, restrooms and even a life guard. We set up our little area and immediately started playing. We had so much fun playing in the water, making sand castles, taking mud bathes (thanks Tina and Sarah), looking for seashells, and laying out. It really was the perfect day. The one difference in this time and last time was that the kids were older and didn’t require hardly any maintenance…which was nice for us to be able to lay out and just catch up…as sisters. There were so many wonderfully hilarious memories we made that day…and if a picture is worth a thousand words…then, I love the one of Tina and Sarah covered in mud! I am sure people thought we were crazy, covering ourselves and our kids in muddy sand and letting them run around screaming…but hey, we’ll never see them again, and what’s wrong with being a little crazy!

After our draining day at the beach, we head to a seafood restaurant to engorge ourselves in beachy food! Let me tell you…I have never seen four children eat so much!!! It was such a fun day, followed by a fun dinner! And, despite the monsoon that hit us on the way home, it was all a completely awesome experience and I can’t wait till next year!

Athens Vaca

This summer, Tony’s school sent him to Athens for some AP training. He found out he was going to be gone a week and since our family hates to be separated, we decided to go along and make a sort of vacation out of it. It was a fun week filled with swimming, eating out, playing video games, watching movies and just spending time as a family. The funniest thing about the whole trip was when Kailyn and I met Tony at the UGA campus bookstore (which if you know anything about us, you know that this was very hard for Tony to take a course at his college rival). We arrived about five minutes before Tony and proceeded to look around. All of a sudden I hear Kailyn mumbling, “Georgia, YUCK!” I quickly shushed her, especially since we were in the heart of bulldog territory and were there to get something for her Papa. “But mom, we don’t like Georgia! We like Georgia Tech, remember!” I reassured her that I knew that, and we were just getting something for her grandfather. Her simple response was, “Why does Papa like Georgia…ugh. I like Georgia Tech! Oh, a dog.” For a moment she forgot about the team rivalry and focused on the little dog she had found. When Tony found us, I told him what his daughter had said and beaming he responded with, “That’s my girl.” All in all it was such a great time to just be together as a family despite the fact Tony had to be in class…and despite the fact we were in bulldog country.

Swim lessons

Last summer my sister and brother in-law moved back to Augusta and into their new home. Since they have a pool, Kailyn and I planned on spending quite a bit of time there. After only one time of having to use her floaties, Kailyn decided that she was big enough to swim without the bother of floaties. So, in early June, my sister started teaching swim lessons and Kailyn was proud to be part of her class. It was crazy, just after one lesson Kailyn could jump off the diving board and make it to the ladder! Needless to say she LOVED swim lessons with Aunt Sarah and by the end of the time she was a little fish. She even was swimming in the deep end and diving to get things off the bottom as well! She is quite literally our water baby. She loves doing crazy jumps off the diving board, swimming in circles, diving and even has tried a bit of free style swimming! Of course Tony and I love that she can swim and are both so proud of all her progress!!!

Happy Summer!!!

Yeah…SUMMER!! As with every summer, we are exstatic to see this one come…although, I must admit I am a little sad. This is the last summer before Kailyn starts school! I can’t believe in a mere few months our baby starts school!!! Ahhh….well, we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it! However, for now we are going to enjoy our lazy days filled with family time, swimming and laying out at my sister’s pool! So, here’s to a great summer…WE LOVE THE SUN!!!

No more preschool...yeah

So, Kailyn finished going to her pre-school…or Ms. Solde’s as we call it. She is very excited that she is big enough to go to school and can’t wait for her first day! And though this is a wonderful new chapter of our lives, I have to admit I will miss her old school and her simply wonderful teacher. I asked her the other day if she would miss it and she just responded, “No, I am a big kid now. I will never go to a little school again.” As I sat back, a bit astounded, I looked at her and realized…she’s right! She isn’t our darling little girl anymore…she really is a big kid! What a bitter-sweet moment!

Daddy's hair

So, you know those moments that happen and you wish you could just freeze them or take a picture, but you have no camera! The moments that one day when your little daughter grown up you’ll smile and say, “I remember when…” Those simple and sweet little moments that make up our everyday lives. One of these such moments happened in Church a while back and I hope to always remember it. As I said, we were in Church and since Kaliyn’s legs apparently don’t ever work Tony was holding her. She had both her little arms wrapped around his neck and her cheek pressed to his. As if this wasn’t cute enough, she gently put her hand on his head and rubbed it back and forth. She then looked at him gave him a little kiss and preceded hugging him and rubbing his head. I thought it was so cute! Since then she will often just be talking to Tony and start rubbing his head. Intrigued, I asked her one day if she liked daddy’s hair. She simply replied, “Yes, I love it.” I think the fact of the matter is that she loves everything about Tony and I find that simply wonderful!

i have a surprise for you...

So, if you haven’t figured this out yet, we have the sweetest daughter! I know everyone probably thinks that…but we really do! Last night, Kailyn and I were eating dinner, just the two of us because Tony teaches class three nights a week. She came bounding into the kitchen and settled quickly in her seat. As she started eating, I asked her if she liked it and she said, “Yes!” Then she got up came over and gave me a big hug and kiss on the cheek and said, “This is so yummy, thank you mommy!” Now I’ve been cooking dinner for roughly four years and never gotten that reaction…ever! (I’m not counting the first year we were married because we mostly ate at my parents and out…I know it’s hard to believe but I didn’t really know how to cook…haha!)

Earlier this month she did something similar. I told her we were going to do something she really liked and she smiled happily and said, “I have a surprise for you.” She then proceeded to give me a big hug and kiss followed by, “You’re the best mommy ever!” Like I said, I am sure most people think there child is the sweetest, but these random “I love yous” and “you’re the best mommy ever” paired with big hugs and kisses make me believe she really is the sweetest!

Princesses, Ponies, Pet shop…Star Wars, Indiana Jones!

As Kailyn and I sat on the couch playing Lego Indiana Jones yesterday I started thinking of all the phases she has gone through and how different each could be. We’ve gone from flowers and butterflies to dirt and animals, from princesses and ponies to Star Wars and Indiana Jones and a bit of Littlest Pet Shop scattered in there. Sometimes she almost seems girly, but then she usually busts out some Kung Fu moves or pretends to be Indiana Jones and the girlyness vanishes. At the least, she is very diverse in her likings…a little of everything. One moment she is prancing about the house dancing in her ballerina tutu and the next she is swinging from her bed post pretending to be Indiana Jones in the Temple of Doom…in her tutu. She loves to have tea parties and also loves to practice her intense Kung Fu moves. She likes to believe she has not only mastered all the names of her ponies and pet shops, but the art of Kung Fu and the light saber too. I have to admit it makes me rather happy that she is so diversified. When she started forging her way into princesses and ponies I was a little worried, as I previously stated…it was uncharted territory, but as we entered the Star Wars and Indy phase I felt a little more comfortable…I knew all about these guys! So here we are now, smack dab in the middle of her newest phase, Indiana Jones. She loves to play the Lego Indy game and daddy actually let her watch one! As I have stated almost every time I write, she is ever-changing. And as she grows she opens up so much for Tony and I; we are continually amused and taken aback by her creativeness and enthusiasm!