Devin Matthew's update-and I will be running that half after all :)



at dropoff



Devin started school this past Monday. He is still attending Challenger School, and this year he is going Monday, Wednesday and Friday. He was very much looking forward to going back to school after we went to his orientation last Friday. He saw that he will have one of his teachers from his 3 year old class as well as some of the same classmates that he had last school year. Miss Cierra is great and I am glad that she will be one of his teachers again. Devin has 20 kids in his class, 2 teachers and one aide. I love that they have 2 teachers so the ratio is only 10 to 1 and they break up into two groups depending on skill and speed of learning. Kids who need a little more time are not rushed and kids who are ready to move on are not bored and waiting around for the other kids to catch up. Devin is one of the younger kids in this class since he is in the 4 year old group and most of the kids turn 5 through the school year when his birthday is not until next summer, but he seems to excel and keep up very well.

He is a little bummed that he has less time to "play with friends" during the week, but welcomes the extra time at school. He did ask if he could go every day instead of three days but accepts that he will go full time when he starts kindergarten. Full weeks at his school is over a grand a month and that is just way too much for preschool regardless of how good that school is! Granted the full day is based on the fact that they have safe key as early as 7am and as late as 6 pm with activities after the school day for kids who have parents that both work. Since that is not our case, he goes MWF ams for now.

We went swimming today at a friends pool and he loved getting to play with another friend's boys who was older than him. He whined and complained at first since the other kid was shooting him with a water gun but then he got used to it and started to shoot him back. Last thing we need is a tattling wussy kid. He manned up and actually made a game out of it. He has gotten so good at swimming despite the fact we never go to the pool anymore. I hope to get to the pool a few more times before this season ends. The kids love it and it definitely wears them out well.

As for me, I am officially training for a half marathon. Never in a million years would I have thought I would do this. I still have my doubts as to why I am doing it. I was cleared by my plastic surgeon to start working out three weeks ago (tomorrow.) The first day I was allowed to run, I got on the treadmill and ran three miles. I then decided to see how quickly I could do a 5k (3.1 miles) two days later on that Friday. Monday I wanted to beat that time and did and by Wednesday (one week out) I was ready for a new challenge. I set out to run 3.5 miles and was not tired yet at that point so went for 4 and still wasn't tired so went for 5. I was most definitely tired then so I stopped. Friday and the next Monday I did 5 ks again and Wednesday I challenged myself with 6 miles under 60 minutes and accomplished that. I did the same thing again Friday and Monday with 5 ks (keeping around 28.5 min) in addition to weight training for a half hour afterwards. I figure that since I am pretty much halfway to a half marathon (in the first two weeks of trying), why not try to train for one officially? I am switching my long days to Friday so I have a little more rest time. 7 miles this week seems a little daunting on a treadmill, but I will be bringing Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha with me to keep me company. Without them, I am not sure I could do it. Someone really should invent a usb port to the TVs at the gym that can transmit movies from your ipod to play on the screen. I have some weight to lose so this running should help me do that. I honestly HATE running. There is nothing fun about it. Since having smaller boobs and a super competitive personality I am hanging in there with this new endeavour. I guess there is a sense of accomplishment I will feel eventually....

Riley Mae's update-It's been forever



we since added the side rail



Riley is officially in her big girl bed. She moved in there 10 days ago and has had zero issues to report. She does take a little longer to go down for bed and of course uses the stall tactics all kids do. ( I have to go potty, one more hug, where's b?, she forgot to put her baby to sleep and so on.) She was super excited to get her bed. She still fit in her crib, but since she is potty trained it was growing more and more difficult (and annoying) to have to get up out of bed to get her out of her crib to go potty. We never went through this issue with Devin since he was kicked out of the crib at 19 months to prepare for his sisters arrival shortly there after. I still have to update her drapes now that I got rid of the valance that matched her cribbing and her bedding is now white not beige but we are getting there!

She is growing more and more independent and is loving that we are able to understand most of the things she is saying. There are times still that I have no idea what she is talking about but for the most part I can figure it if she repeats herself if she talks to quickly the first time around in her lil squeaky voice. She will repeat anything now and is always trying to say new words that were difficult before. For example, yesterday on the way to school I was reviewing what a cable car was in San Francisco (for his show and tell) and Riley was trying her damn-dest to say San Francisco.

She has grown in height too this summer. Since her 2 year well check she has grown a good 2 inches in 5 months. Now along with that she may have gained a few ounces as well. Haha, she is still a string bean and probably will be until puberty and I am totally fine with that. There are a few things I bought for her for this summer to wear that she will never get into because 24 month bottoms are just too big for her. She is still in 12-18 mo or 18-24 mo depending on the store for bottoms. Tops she is regular size for the most part unless its one that is a swing top or similar. Here is to hoping she gains a little weight for this winter so she can fill out her clothes.

I believe she will be doing gymnastics when we get back from Florida. We leave the first week in to the 6 week session and then she would miss the second week too and I have to find out what the policy is with joining late or missing classes (if we sign up now.) She is very agile and has some serious strength so I think she would do well with this. I was thinking ballet as well, but I think at this age she would do better with something that was a little more lax.



Those 2 year old molars still have not popped through. They have been gumballs sitting on her jaw bone but under the gum for weeks now. She wakes up now and then out of dead sleeps because they hurt her. Poor kid. I have no idea what is taking them SO fricking long to cut through, but let me tell you this stinks. She has three up now and the fourth is coming up. Hopefully they will pop through before we get on a 5 hour plane ride next Thursday without Daddy. There always is Motrin and orajel I guess :)



why does time fly by so quickly?

Riley is really just a little kid now and no longer my baby girl. She is talking like a normal little kid now, has been potty trained since the first week of April so over 4 months now, she runs around like a crazy kid with Devin. They ride scooters together out front, she attempts to ride his bike now and the list goes on. She has an opinion about everything...good, bad or indifferent- it is still a voiced opinion. It is crazy how it just happens so quickly. I miss my little baby girlie...thankfully Riley does still love to snuggle with me. Devin never really was one to snuggle. He likes to sit next to you but not cuddle like Riley does.

I know everyone always says to cherish while they are small because it goes so quickly. I knew this would happen, but I just cannot believe my "baby" is no longer a toddler. She is a little girl. She's dexterous, athletic, agile, kind, outgoing, sassy and a doll baby. I knew I always wanted a girl to raise and she really is such a great little kid. She is funny and a blast to be around. She has her faults and definitely has a mouth on her when she gets mad...but all in all she is such a great kid.

Y'all must be thinking what about your first born son? I do love him too. It's a different love though. Yes, it is still love for my child...but he is a different kid all together and what we do is different. How we spend our time alone is different. He is very smart, very creative, artistic has great creative thinking skills and not to mention athletic. He has been able to hit a baseball by self pitching for about a year now. He can juggle a soccer ball, shoot hoops like no other and nail a golf ball with his iron or driver (yes he has real metal clubs.) He also can swim now. I know all this is taught and only comes with practice and dedication but natural athleticism is not. He has great coordination and patience when it comes to sports. He is like me and does not like mediocrity. Who wants to be "OK" at something? Not me, not him. He practices and practices until he does it well. Whether it is hitting the golf ball square or getting under the baseball....he concentrates and focuses on the task at hand. I cannot wait until summer breaks and fall starts rolling in in another 6 weeks so we can spend more time outside. Quote goes, "Anything worth doing, is worth doing well," right?

When Devin goes back to school in two weeks, Riley will be registered for something....not sure yet. Maybe gymnastics or ballet? My Gym and Gymboree are too expensive and the community center offers some great classes. I just hope they work out timing wise for us while Devin is at school. I am thinking Devin will also be signed up for soccer this fall too? Las Vegas also has tee ball and the season is Oct 8th through Dec something...I have to talk to a few of my mommy friends to see what they are doing with their kids and see if we can get them on the same team.

Other than that...just relaxing on this Sunday. It is about 105 again today and sunny....I have ZERO motivation to go outside other than going to our pool for a swim. Frank is golfing and I (should) go to the gym. I have gone 4 times this week and will do the same this coming week so today would be my 5th day. My shins still really hurt from running on the treadmill. The rest of me feels OK so maybe I can take today as a rest day and maybe swimming in the pool will help them to calm down? Pool will be good because I could use some sun on my skin....wishing my feet were in the sand as well. sigh.