Christmas Traditions

I decided it was probably time for another blog... since I'm so faithful at it... just.kidding.

Ok, so I'm stealing this blog form Karen since it was a fabulous idea, but I'm also answering her question at the same time of what MY traditions are... and what's more, it IS Christmas, so how can you not go into traditions!?

Ok...

Traditions... in no particular order...and not including the ones I can't think of, which I will add when I can...

• Decorating the tree... and house (which honestly consists of a few random snowmen and the stockings above the fireplace)... the day BEFORE Thanksgiving.  I know... very early, but it has to be because the day after is taken by shopping!... which, side note, I did not blog about this year because, well.... I'm lazy!  I really should though....
• Making frosted sugar cookies with my mom and Zoe.
• Christmas Eve at my house.. .which now has the new tradition of the gift exchange game... VERY fun and entertaining, and so much easier than drawing names and trying to figure out what to get.
• New pajamas Christmas Eve, to be worn when opening presents Christmas morning... just starting this one this year... and thanks to Grandma for already buying the pajamas.  Zoe and Hayden have matching pj's with their new cousins Taegon and Devon.
• Christmas morning breakfast... LOVE this one.  We actually started this years ago when we would visit some family friends every Christmas morning.  It consists of biscuits and gravy, fried potatoes, fruit... and maybe bacon.  Delish!
• Gift exchanges with Jonathan's family... which is chaotic and never the same, so I'm counting it a tradition that every year it's something different... Last year we drew names, this year we were told who we got.. .and who got us.  Weird....
• Ornament exchange with my 3 besties.... Kim, Leslie, and Tiffany.  We have been doing this for at least 5 years and we always go to Oreganos. 
• Zoo lights!  Although we haven't made plans to go this year, I'm just assuming we will...

Ones I want to add...

• Nutcracker
• Teddy Bear Tea at the Ritz Carlton (although I could add it this year it's $35/person which somewhat saddens me.. .because for Zoe and me to go, I could just as well buy a new pair of shoes!)

My New Favorite Salad...

.... is Couscous Salad.  Wow.. just yum!  Thanks to my friend Jessicca.

Not a Couscous fan?  Try this ...

1 box couscous, cooked as directed
1 cucumber, sliced and seeded
1 read bell pepper, chopped
1 small can sliced olives
1 can chick peas
1/4 or 1/2 red onion chopped (depending on how much you like onions...)
1 container crumbled feta cheese
olive oil and basalmic vinegar
salt to taste

I love to make this and then eat a little every day at lunch.... AND even Jonathan likes it.

#33 Disneyland... AGAIN

My mom surprised Zoe and I with an all expenses paid trip to Disneyland in October this year!  Woo hoo!  We went over Fall Break... just my mom, Zoe, and me.  It was fabulous!

Top 10:

10. Being with just Mom and Zoe.
9.  The Fall decorations... seriously amazing!
8.  Listening to Zoe ask how much longer ever 10 min... no joke... on the drive there. 
7.  Meeting George... the biggest sheep I've ever seen.  PS... Did you know Disneyland had a petting zoo?
6.  The vanilla iced coffees.
5.  Trying to figure out with Zoe where her name was on Jack's list... at the Haunted Mansion... all 6 times we rode it.
4.  Listening to Zoe giggle on all the fast rides.
3.  Pizza and salad at Pizza Port... every day.
2.  It's Disneyland.  Nuff said.  AND 5 days of it.
1.  Having my child spit on another child, then having the parents harrass me and threaten to spit on Zoe.  And hearing my mom call him a jerk. Just awesome.



One of Zoe's favorites... Matterhorn!





This is George.





At the parade (getting wet) at CA...
no idea why she wanted her blanket that way...





Another favorite... Thunder Mountain Railroad



Diva



And, yes, another favorite... Splash Mountain. 
Do you see a theme?  Sorta matches her personality.





Pobably getting ready to spit....



I mean, seriously, is this kid cute, or what??



#94... Run in a 5K... Nope, make it a 10K

In an earlier post, I noted how my dad somehow conned me into running with him... running in a half marathon no less.  So, we thought to get ready for it we could run in the Phoenix 10K... along with my friends Leslie, Bre, Rhonda, Sarah, and Kristen.  Two weeks before the run, my dad pulled a muscle and couldn't run... how sad!  He still isn't able to, but we are hoping he'll make it for the half in January.

The day started with my clock being set on day light savings time so I was 40 min. behind... luckily the girls came back for me.  :)  We made it on time... with time to spare to hit the porta potties... thank goodness.  As I mentioned before, I am a SLOW runner... and I proved it by being the last of our group to cross the finish line.  But, I did run the whole way so I figured I did pretty well.  However, that last mile was somewhat challenging, which makes me wonder how in the WORLD I'm supposed to run over twice that much in 2 months.

Anyway, we celebrated with a HUGE breakfast at Saddle Ranch, complete with mimosas and bloody mary's... Yum!

101 in 1001

Jonathan and Zoe were at the finish line waiting for me... sadly we missed each other at first... but here are some pictures from their adventure...

Jonathan's perspective....

Zoe's perspective via the bike trailer....and the back seat of the truck....

Happy Birthday to Zoe!!

My baby turned 5... which is impossible to believe, but it's true.  She is outrageous and full of life...unmatchable!

Top 10 things to remember!:

1. She likes to wrestle with her shirt off.. .and show her "guns".
2. She wears tutus to sword fight in.
3. Wearing dressup dresses to the store is normal.
4. She asked when we were having naked day at school.... hahahah!
5. She does NOT like to be told what to wear.
6. If I forget to clip her toenails, she tells me I forgot to take care of her body.
7. She calls little dolls, lego people, etc... humans... which sounds normal, but not coming out of a 4/5 year old's mouth.
8. Her rapunzel wig is a mandatory fashion accessory now.
9. Some sort of bling is always an accessory for dressing.
10. She climbs and touches EVERYTHING!!

Before....

 

10 days old...

Today!! (Disney trip... blog to come....)

Runner or Shuffler?

I cannot in any way classify myself as a "runner"... especially since I don't even really run.  I shuffle.  Imagine an elderly person in pink fuzzy slippers with a walker "racing" for the best spot at the bingo table... they could probably out "run" me....

In in any case, I'm still dragging my behind out of bed at 5 in the morning 2 or 3 days a week to run, plus doing a "long" run on the weekends.  My dad sends me a running schedule made by marathon pros or something, which he sticks to like glue.... I use it more as a guideline.  I actually made it 4 miles... with a couple walk breaks... the other morning.  My knee hurt the next morning and so did my hip flexers.  He made it 6.  Hmmm....  Let's hope I make it up to 6 at least before November 7... it's our first actual race that we are entering.  The Phoenix 10K.

My dad also sent me a super cool website that lets you create running routes... then I use the "snipping tool" on our computer and just save them... Here's the site: http://www.usatf.org/routes/

... and here are a few of my runs..(I know this must be extremely exciting...):

2.5 miles

3.0 miles

 3.2 miles - did it this morning actually

4.2 miles (did this the first time last Friday)

5.1 miles... I have yet to do this... next Saturday is the plan.

I have learned to plan longer runs with bathrooms along the route.  Ha ha!

It's On Like Donkey Kong

My dad says to me the other day that I should run a half marathon with him.... which not only sounds wrong coming from my 60 something year old dad, but slightly insane.  I tell him I'll think about it... and in the mean time he says something like.. oh, I wasn't serious.  I don't see how you'll be able to do it.  What?  Then, in an email he restates his concern.... "I really don't see how you'll be able to do this...."  What.ever Old Man!  It's On Like Donkey Kong!

So, guess what..??  I'm now running in a half marathon.  For some, this is normal... running that is.  For others, like me, it's painful and highly unenjoyable.  However, I've been able to drag my a** out of bed at 5 in the morning about 3 days a week for the past 2 weeks and have gone running...  I am happy to say that I can actually run 2 miles with relative ease. Now I just need to tack on about 11 more to that and I'm good to go.  This weekend I'm supposed to run almost 4, so we'll see how that goes.  I should wear some sort of tracker just in case I pass out.

I've discovered a slight hiccup in my 5:15 am running... Dude, I gotta go in the morning... and if I don't, you know... go... then I have to go in the middle of the run or cut it short.  All I can say is, thank goodness Village Inns are open at 5:30 in the morning, and let in people only to use their restroom.

My aunt and uncle from Texas - my dad's younger brother - are now coming in for the race.  They are actual runners... unlike me, who actually shuffles instead of runs.  Family affair.  Should be rather interesting.