Thursday, November 4, 2010
Aspirations of a 3 Year Old
Tonight while eating dinner, completely unsolicited, Lucy declared, "When I grow up I want to be a GREAT BIG BEAR (raised hands into claws and threw them high into the air as she finished with) that will lift super heavy rocks!" Not sure how to respond, we told her that was a great idea and opened up the conversation to the other kids and what they might want to be when they grow up. We have a future Shark Catcher, a Police Man, and a Part Time Veterinarian-lawyer-doctor-animal trainer, and mom the other half of the time. I am so proud! I have to admit I am not super thrilled about either of my sons future ambitions. What is it about sons and making a mom worry? Both of my boys want to swim with sharks... I would prefer a nice desk job far away from any danger. At least, my baby only wants to be a bear!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
I've been bragging about my kids' mad soccer skills on Facebook so I knew I had to offer some video proof before long. This is a few seconds of Nathan DOMINATING on the soccer field. I know, he's 5, but it is still a ton of fun to watch him go. It makes me want to run for the sheer joy of it, like I used to...up until my back, and my knee, and my hip all begin to ache at the thought of it. Elaina's equally awesome, I just don't have any footage yet. Its difficult to coach and film at the same time. Stay tuned...this video will end up on "Beyond the Glory: the Nathan Anderson Story" someday.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
The flu, Disney On Ice, & a Half Marathon
This week has been a busy one. Usually the course of things entails my kids catching some germ, a week of me cleaning it up, and then catching it; realizing only after they are all done being sick, how terrible they felt. This time, however, I was blessed to catch the flu first.
Monday was a holiday and we had a great time just relaxing at home enjoying a Star Wars Movie Marathon....then Tuesday morning came the flu. Elaina came into my room around 6:00A, complaining about her stomach. After helping her, I had to send her back to her room because my stomach was turning, too. Dan, the incredible husband that he is, stayed home and I spent the day in bed. By the end of the day, around 5:30p, I was feeling better (the one good thing about the flu is that unlike a cold we usually catch the 12-24 hour crud and then we are done). I came downstairs just in time to tag Dan and let him have his turn. I was hoping that the kids would be skipped or could quickly get on with it so they could be better in time for Disney On Ice the next day, and believe it or not, my prayer was answered. Lucy and Nathan spent the night on my lap,but luck was on our side and by morning everyone was feeling much better so.....
We made it to Disney on Ice. My parents gave all of the grand kids tickets to the show for Christmas. Our crew included Grandma Gibson, four moms, and fourteen 9& under cousins. It was alot of fun! Really, the kids had a blast! (Thanks Mom and Dad!We love you!) Dressed up in Disney costumes, we went to Metro Pizza for dinner and then off to the show in the uncanny, 3-day straight rainstorm, which, I have to mention, rarely happens here. (I don't even own an umbrella.) The only drawback to the evening was that I failed to plan for souvenirs. Those Disney people are geniuses when it comes to marketing!
Thursday was a good, normal day, and I turned my attention to the upcoming race. We were already down two sisters due to injury, Callie has a sprained ankle and Bec had already run the Ragnar, an earlier half marathon and was feeling ready for a change of pace- she is now biking like 15+ miles a day with Dave) Then, on Thursday Nat got sick with a sinus infection and it didn't look like she was going to make it.....Well anyone that knows me knows that one, I NEVER stress about anything, once I make a decision there is NO wavering, NO second guessing, and that I LOVE to run by myself... ....Oh wait that is only the woman I hope to be NOT the woman I happen to be currently ... Anyway, it looked like I was on my own, but at the last minute Nat decided to go with me and this morning, I ran my second half-marathon. I improved my time by 20 minutes from last year and ran the whole thing-- that was my goal.
It is funny how good voluntarily making yourself run 13.1 miles can make you feel but it does. I am really pleased with myself. My intention is not to brag, but it has been a long time since I have felt able to say that. I ran the whole thing by myself-- well with 2200 other people- but I mean at my own pace, pushing myself when I started to waver, and without relying on someone else to pull me through. I do have to admit that knowing Natalie was running with me-- well like 10 minutes in front of me, with a sinus infection I might add- she really is incredible- did help to keep me motivated. I also have to mention that I couldn't have even done it without the support of my wonderful husband. He watched the kids and encouraged me to go when I wasn't sure what to do. I am so grateful for you Dan!
You might be noticing the lack of pictures on this post. You wouldn't believe it! I, of course, didn't take pictures of the flu and forgot my camera for Disney on Ice, but you would never believe that I remembered my camera for the race and on my drive over to the race I put my camera down in the cup holder which just happened to be holding a cup full of water. I didn't even know what I had done until we got to the Dixie Center and went to grab it for a pre-race picture. I am cursed when it comes to photography!
Well this post is probably long enough, I plan on updating for the last few months, too, but have to run and help Elaina, she is using her Easy Bake oven and has "been waiting forever"!!!
Monday was a holiday and we had a great time just relaxing at home enjoying a Star Wars Movie Marathon....then Tuesday morning came the flu. Elaina came into my room around 6:00A, complaining about her stomach. After helping her, I had to send her back to her room because my stomach was turning, too. Dan, the incredible husband that he is, stayed home and I spent the day in bed. By the end of the day, around 5:30p, I was feeling better (the one good thing about the flu is that unlike a cold we usually catch the 12-24 hour crud and then we are done). I came downstairs just in time to tag Dan and let him have his turn. I was hoping that the kids would be skipped or could quickly get on with it so they could be better in time for Disney On Ice the next day, and believe it or not, my prayer was answered. Lucy and Nathan spent the night on my lap,but luck was on our side and by morning everyone was feeling much better so.....
We made it to Disney on Ice. My parents gave all of the grand kids tickets to the show for Christmas. Our crew included Grandma Gibson, four moms, and fourteen 9& under cousins. It was alot of fun! Really, the kids had a blast! (Thanks Mom and Dad!We love you!) Dressed up in Disney costumes, we went to Metro Pizza for dinner and then off to the show in the uncanny, 3-day straight rainstorm, which, I have to mention, rarely happens here. (I don't even own an umbrella.) The only drawback to the evening was that I failed to plan for souvenirs. Those Disney people are geniuses when it comes to marketing!
Thursday was a good, normal day, and I turned my attention to the upcoming race. We were already down two sisters due to injury, Callie has a sprained ankle and Bec had already run the Ragnar, an earlier half marathon and was feeling ready for a change of pace- she is now biking like 15+ miles a day with Dave) Then, on Thursday Nat got sick with a sinus infection and it didn't look like she was going to make it.....Well anyone that knows me knows that one, I NEVER stress about anything, once I make a decision there is NO wavering, NO second guessing, and that I LOVE to run by myself... ....Oh wait that is only the woman I hope to be NOT the woman I happen to be currently ... Anyway, it looked like I was on my own, but at the last minute Nat decided to go with me and this morning, I ran my second half-marathon. I improved my time by 20 minutes from last year and ran the whole thing-- that was my goal.
It is funny how good voluntarily making yourself run 13.1 miles can make you feel but it does. I am really pleased with myself. My intention is not to brag, but it has been a long time since I have felt able to say that. I ran the whole thing by myself-- well with 2200 other people- but I mean at my own pace, pushing myself when I started to waver, and without relying on someone else to pull me through. I do have to admit that knowing Natalie was running with me-- well like 10 minutes in front of me, with a sinus infection I might add- she really is incredible- did help to keep me motivated. I also have to mention that I couldn't have even done it without the support of my wonderful husband. He watched the kids and encouraged me to go when I wasn't sure what to do. I am so grateful for you Dan!
You might be noticing the lack of pictures on this post. You wouldn't believe it! I, of course, didn't take pictures of the flu and forgot my camera for Disney on Ice, but you would never believe that I remembered my camera for the race and on my drive over to the race I put my camera down in the cup holder which just happened to be holding a cup full of water. I didn't even know what I had done until we got to the Dixie Center and went to grab it for a pre-race picture. I am cursed when it comes to photography!
Well this post is probably long enough, I plan on updating for the last few months, too, but have to run and help Elaina, she is using her Easy Bake oven and has "been waiting forever"!!!
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
6 months later and not much has changed....
I still don't take pictures and each day I regret not having a better record of my kids, but I am not a photographer. Since our family photographer's (Grandpa Jim)last visit was in August, these are the most recent pictures of our family and what we have been up to:
Tommy, Nathan, and cousin 1st day of Kindergarten
Elaina and Lucy first day of 1st grade
Mom and Lucy at ward party
Nathan and Lucy being Nathan and Lucy
Really, the more I think about it the past six months have been quite full, we have have survived and enjoyed a new car, tonsils and adenoids surgery, birthdays, camping trips, family outings, youth conference, girls camp, shots, dentist appointments, a trip or two to Utah, summer fun and summer heat- thanks to our pool, air conditioning, and large pine trees, a few colds and strep throats, substitute teaching, Ragnar Relay Training (Dan not me), 1st days of Preschool, Kindergarten, and 1st Grade, and most recently a PTA fundraiser. I still would refer you to my sisters blogs or facebook for cute write ups and pictures of my little ones.
Now for the changes, I am hoping to start blogging a little more frequently- I often read others blogs, I just don't write anything, so I am going to write maybe once a quarter instead of every six months- for sure the next time our photographer (Grandpa) comes to town.
I realized today that I do not have an infant for the first time in six years, and will hopefully be free from changing diapers as soon as I teach Lucy how to open doors. This left me with a little longing for those not so distant days as I realized that we will probably not be entering into that time of our life again unless it is unexpected. I finally grasped a tiny bit of the feeling of old ladies when they say "enjoy them while they are young." Now I am not yet willing to accept that I am old or am I saying my kids aren't still young to enjoy them, but I am just finally separated enough from that phase in my life that I can see how you might miss it, and I, of course, wish I had understood it then. Oh well, nothing like the present to start trying harder to enjoy it now.
The best thing about blogging is that every time I sit down and write something I always feel so grateful by the time I am done.....
Tommy, Nathan, and cousin 1st day of Kindergarten
Elaina and Lucy first day of 1st grade
Mom and Lucy at ward party
Nathan and Lucy being Nathan and Lucy
Really, the more I think about it the past six months have been quite full, we have have survived and enjoyed a new car, tonsils and adenoids surgery, birthdays, camping trips, family outings, youth conference, girls camp, shots, dentist appointments, a trip or two to Utah, summer fun and summer heat- thanks to our pool, air conditioning, and large pine trees, a few colds and strep throats, substitute teaching, Ragnar Relay Training (Dan not me), 1st days of Preschool, Kindergarten, and 1st Grade, and most recently a PTA fundraiser. I still would refer you to my sisters blogs or facebook for cute write ups and pictures of my little ones.
Now for the changes, I am hoping to start blogging a little more frequently- I often read others blogs, I just don't write anything, so I am going to write maybe once a quarter instead of every six months- for sure the next time our photographer (Grandpa) comes to town.
I realized today that I do not have an infant for the first time in six years, and will hopefully be free from changing diapers as soon as I teach Lucy how to open doors. This left me with a little longing for those not so distant days as I realized that we will probably not be entering into that time of our life again unless it is unexpected. I finally grasped a tiny bit of the feeling of old ladies when they say "enjoy them while they are young." Now I am not yet willing to accept that I am old or am I saying my kids aren't still young to enjoy them, but I am just finally separated enough from that phase in my life that I can see how you might miss it, and I, of course, wish I had understood it then. Oh well, nothing like the present to start trying harder to enjoy it now.
The best thing about blogging is that every time I sit down and write something I always feel so grateful by the time I am done.....
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
Savor the Teaching Moments....
While driving to my moms tonight, the boys started their usual brotherly kindness:
Background noise- Pogi blowing zirbits
Thomas(Yelling): "Stop Spitting on me!"
Mom (patiently): "Tommy please use your manners, ask him to please stop spitting on you."
Zirbits continue
Tommy (Still yelling): "Nathan, Please STOP SPITTING ON ME!"
The spray continues
Mom (still patiently): "Nathan do we use our mouths for spitting?"
Nathan(very confidently): "Mom, I am not using my mouth for spitting, I am using my mouth for tooting"
Spraying commences
My original plan was to remind him we use our mouths for kind words not spitting, but completely caught off guard by his reasoning it goes like this-
Mom: "Nathan we do not use our mouths for tooting, we use our bottoms."
Nathan: "OK"
Spraying stops.
About a half hour later. We are at my moms and Nathan with a grin...uses his bottom for you guessed it....as he puts it...tooting on his brother.
I know I am a Pro. I am raising little gentlemen.
Background noise- Pogi blowing zirbits
Thomas(Yelling): "Stop Spitting on me!"
Mom (patiently): "Tommy please use your manners, ask him to please stop spitting on you."
Zirbits continue
Tommy (Still yelling): "Nathan, Please STOP SPITTING ON ME!"
The spray continues
Mom (still patiently): "Nathan do we use our mouths for spitting?"
Nathan(very confidently): "Mom, I am not using my mouth for spitting, I am using my mouth for tooting"
Spraying commences
My original plan was to remind him we use our mouths for kind words not spitting, but completely caught off guard by his reasoning it goes like this-
Mom: "Nathan we do not use our mouths for tooting, we use our bottoms."
Nathan: "OK"
Spraying stops.
About a half hour later. We are at my moms and Nathan with a grin...uses his bottom for you guessed it....as he puts it...tooting on his brother.
I know I am a Pro. I am raising little gentlemen.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Thanksgiving, Christmas, January, and Others
Where to begin? I really need to do this more often. The last few months have been a whirlwind. Some exciting news. I found my camera so here are some random pictures:
Labor Day Campout
Elaina's 1st day of Kindergarten
September Swimming
Thanksgiving was really nice this year. We got together with my mom's side of the family. It was so fun to see all, well most, of my cousins with their families. We had planned to have Thanksgiving outside, one of the perks of living in Vegas is Thanksgiving weather, but due to rain (go figure) we reserved the church building and I think it ended up working out really well. Dan's parents were able to join us and thanks to Jim I took some pictures, although I didn't get pictures of everybody. We were about 80+ in all. Warning: I am a terrible photographer, but I would rather have bad pictures than none at all. I know that it is not difficult for the majority of the human race to hold the camera still, but perhaps, as you will see, I am not human after all.
Christmas went by so fast. We stayed in Henderson for the before Christmas festivities and only had only a few hiccups with the seasonal flu and my ever present procrastination. The day after Christmas we took a vacation to Utah to be with Dan's family. It was COLD and FUN. I do not normally use those words in the same sentence unless I am saying the cold is NOT fun, but I was pleasantly surprised. Dan's parents are more than accommodating and work hard to help us feel welcome and entertained. We are spoiled, lucky, and extremely grateful. While there we went skiing, ice skating, sledding, running, bowling, played games- Rockband and Speed Scrabble (my new favorite), and just took it easy. Dan and I spent some much desired one on one time, and we got to visit with some friends and family. The time always seems to fly by so much faster than we would like so next time we hope to catch up with a few more friends. I still did not have my camera so it is again thanks to Jim, Dan's dad, that I have any photos.
Tommy's fifth birthday was the next order of business. He is such a fun and happy little guy, I mean big boy. It is hard for me to believe that he is five years old. When I think about it I get teary. It really caught me by surprise. While in the thick of the toddler years time just seemed to drag on forever and now that we are finishing up with them completely, it seems like a dream and I don't feel ready to wakeup. Tommy loves Transformers and infomercials. He is always telling me about the latest craze. Recently, he wanted me to buy the bendaroos and when I told him I didn't have the money, he said, "Just use your credit card, MOM!" Everything is just so simple when you put it that way.
Transformer Cake
Birthday Breakfast
In January, I ran my first half-marathon. I was hog-tied by my pride and gently persuaded by my Gibson sisters. We started training just before Thanksgiving and I thought I was going to die. Now that I am all done, I have decided this kind of venture is similar to pregnancy and childbirth. The training just bites. It takes forever, and it is painful. However, after the rush of the race and some recovery, you find yourself thinking, "Hey that wasn't so bad, I'd like to do that again." While your husband is thinking,"Really???? Do you know what you are like while you are training?"
In all seriousness, it was well worth it. I couldn't have asked for better training partners and it was a perfect first race experience for me. Even though it desecrated any slight desire or aspiration of mine to run a marathon. 13.1 miles is far enough for me. I have been thinking a triathalon might be fun....well, if I could swim, had a bike and had three great partners to train with...What do you think ladies???
Labor Day Campout
Elaina's 1st day of Kindergarten
September Swimming
Thanksgiving was really nice this year. We got together with my mom's side of the family. It was so fun to see all, well most, of my cousins with their families. We had planned to have Thanksgiving outside, one of the perks of living in Vegas is Thanksgiving weather, but due to rain (go figure) we reserved the church building and I think it ended up working out really well. Dan's parents were able to join us and thanks to Jim I took some pictures, although I didn't get pictures of everybody. We were about 80+ in all. Warning: I am a terrible photographer, but I would rather have bad pictures than none at all. I know that it is not difficult for the majority of the human race to hold the camera still, but perhaps, as you will see, I am not human after all.
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| Make a Smilebox slideshow |
Christmas went by so fast. We stayed in Henderson for the before Christmas festivities and only had only a few hiccups with the seasonal flu and my ever present procrastination. The day after Christmas we took a vacation to Utah to be with Dan's family. It was COLD and FUN. I do not normally use those words in the same sentence unless I am saying the cold is NOT fun, but I was pleasantly surprised. Dan's parents are more than accommodating and work hard to help us feel welcome and entertained. We are spoiled, lucky, and extremely grateful. While there we went skiing, ice skating, sledding, running, bowling, played games- Rockband and Speed Scrabble (my new favorite), and just took it easy. Dan and I spent some much desired one on one time, and we got to visit with some friends and family. The time always seems to fly by so much faster than we would like so next time we hope to catch up with a few more friends. I still did not have my camera so it is again thanks to Jim, Dan's dad, that I have any photos.
 |
|
| Make a Smilebox slideshow |
Tommy's fifth birthday was the next order of business. He is such a fun and happy little guy, I mean big boy. It is hard for me to believe that he is five years old. When I think about it I get teary. It really caught me by surprise. While in the thick of the toddler years time just seemed to drag on forever and now that we are finishing up with them completely, it seems like a dream and I don't feel ready to wakeup. Tommy loves Transformers and infomercials. He is always telling me about the latest craze. Recently, he wanted me to buy the bendaroos and when I told him I didn't have the money, he said, "Just use your credit card, MOM!" Everything is just so simple when you put it that way.
Transformer Cake
Birthday Breakfast
In January, I ran my first half-marathon. I was hog-tied by my pride and gently persuaded by my Gibson sisters. We started training just before Thanksgiving and I thought I was going to die. Now that I am all done, I have decided this kind of venture is similar to pregnancy and childbirth. The training just bites. It takes forever, and it is painful. However, after the rush of the race and some recovery, you find yourself thinking, "Hey that wasn't so bad, I'd like to do that again." While your husband is thinking,"Really???? Do you know what you are like while you are training?"
In all seriousness, it was well worth it. I couldn't have asked for better training partners and it was a perfect first race experience for me. Even though it desecrated any slight desire or aspiration of mine to run a marathon. 13.1 miles is far enough for me. I have been thinking a triathalon might be fun....well, if I could swim, had a bike and had three great partners to train with...What do you think ladies???
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