Once a week is better than nothing...

I've been struggling with fitting exercise back into my routine. I was supremely spoiled last year... with being able to workout at work, during the work day. It helped me train for and complete three 5ks last year, something I never would have though possible due to being extremely out of shape and with my hatred of running.

With this new job, my schedule is the same, but there's no working out at work (other than trips to the cafeteria for lunch and walks around the building on the way to meetings). I'm usually exhausted in the evening, and too tired in the morning. So I'm stuck with weekend workouts. Last weekend I had a great workout... 35 minutes on the elliptical, and almost all the arm and upper body weight machines. I'm on my way out the door right now for another workout. I think I'm going to treadmill it today and see how it goes.

I am happy to report that I did sign Alex up for one more parent-child swimming class, which is turning into a great workout for me. We did one of these classes when he was two. It was fun, but not much stayed with him. He's doing great, and I'm doing water aerobics with a 35 pound weight one night a week. So I guess techincally I'm getting two workouts in a week, but I need to do better. I need to stop hitting snooze in the morning. I know it will make me feel better in the long run and it will definitely boost my energy.

I'll keep you posted!

My T-Shirts are Famous!

Earlier this month I posted about a website called TeeCycle.org.
Another one of my shirts has been posted! Check both of them out here and here.

I can't say enough about this really cool site. Vintage, pre-loved t-shirts at great prices... for a great cause.

In fact, TeeCycle.org is a finalist for a pitch contest at SXSW that's sponsored by Pepsi. Check out the pitch here, and vote for Tim and TeeCycle!

Check them out if you have time, and help spread the word!

More Alex Funnies

"Dad/Mom you need to go to the naughty corner!"
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"Mom what's this?" - picks up bra off my floor.
"It's a bra. Mommies wear them."
"Look, sunglasses! Just like Wall-E!" - puts bra over face... just like the adorable little robot from "Wall-E"
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"Mom, how many bones do I have?"
The questions are getting bigger and more difficult to answer!
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"Mom I have to tell you one more thing."
"What's that?"
"I love you. If you're really nice to me I'll give you a treat."
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"Mom, did you remember to pack the wody bash?"
(I bought some kid-friendly body wash to take to the Y for after swimming lessons. Alex got his letters a little confused.)

Yet another parenting lesson learned

Once a week I have to go in to work early. And one week a month, it's twice that I have to go in early. Is it a pain, kind of. It means I have to get up extra early and miss my morning snuggle time with Alex. But I really love my new job, and this is the only drawback so far.

I have made a habit out of warning Alex that I won't be there in the morning. Mainly because Alex would get really mad and be difficult for Craig in the morning after finding out I wasn't there.

At first, this seemed to work okay. But lately, he's been waking up in the middle of the night when I have to go in early. Sunday-Monday he woke up 3 times... 3:00, 3:30, and 4:30 AM. The first time I rolled over from a dead sleep and saw a back-lit 3 year old hovering by my bedside. As soon as I opened my eyes, I heard "Hi Mommy." Scared the bejeezus out of me.

Craig dealt with him the first two times (God bless him! Seriously...) but the third time I went in there and told Alex this was enough. I said, "I love you, but you're a big boy. Daddy takes good care of you in the morning. There's nothing to cry about. I'll pick you up after school like always." He sniffed a really pathetic, "Okay." I rubbed his back for a minute then stumbled back to bed for a precious additional 30 minutes of sleep.

So I think there's a parenting lesson in this... don't underestimate the element of surprise!

Yarn update

Last spring when I was just getting going with crocheting, Alex asked me to make him a blanket. We picked out the yarn together (he insisted on orange, I insisted on something to mix with the orange), I started it, then got bored with it. I discovered the joy of smaller projects. Then I got knitting looms for Christmas and I have been making stuff for people left and right. Alex asked when I was going to make him something. So I started to feel guilty. A few weekends ago while we were at Craig's parents house, I picked the blankie back up, and got more than half of it done. So I've been working on it a little each night, and I'm happy to report it's finally done!
It's a very basic pattern. All single crochected with a giant hook. The border is also single crochet... I did three rows around each edge.

I am happy to report that Alex loves his new blankie. He's been sleeping with it at night, and dragging it around the house. I don't think it will replace his real blankie, but it's at least a loveable alternative. I'm working on crocheting right now, taking a bit of a break from loom knitting, and hoping to re-learn needle knitting this summer. I either need to get a good book to learn from or I need to sign up for a class. Either way, I really want to get knitting down.

Too Much Cuteness

Seriously, are these not the cutest pajamas you have ever seen?? And the cutest boy? I love fleece jammies! We thought it was funny that Alex has a lion that matches his PJs.

Old Friends Are The Best!

As a bonus to our weekend trip home, I got to see one of my best friends and her kids! Amy and I have known each other since grade-school basketball camp and College -for- Kids at Knox College. We were practically inseparable through high school, were bridesmaids in each others weddings. She the kind of friend who could write a book about you, but won't because she knows to much. We can go months without talking on the phone, pick right back up where we left off, and chat for hours! Thank goodness for email, so those marathon conversations only happen occassionally. (Funny that in high school we tried to dress alike, and now that we're grown up we still dress alike. Notice we both decided to wear grey sweaters.)

In a strange twist of fate, Amy lives about 4 blocks from Craig's brother and sister-in-law! So before we went to Payton's birthday party, Alex and I paid a visit to Amy, Brandon, Camille and Layton. It was great having this kids play and I hope they make good on their plan to come up here for a game at Miller Park this summer!

Don't the kids look just a little too comfortable bellied up to the bar? My excuse is every house in Milwaukee has a bar in the basement!

Wow... I took a week off from blogging!

I didn't blog for nearly a week and now I feel totally behind! We went to visit Craig's parents a couple of weekends ago. Our nephew Payton turned one, so there was a big birthday party for him. It was so great to see him, as well as proud parents Brian and Sarah, and the grandparents. We also saw Craig's grandpa, which was nice. He turned 86 last week and is still going strong!
I'm still working on upload pictures (I promise to send them!) but here are a couple from the weekend.

Grandma and Grandpa with their boys... Patyon and Alex. (Plus Maggie the dog.)

All of us post-party. It's hard taking a picture with wiggly kids!

Just In Time for Earth Month...

There's this super cool business in Milwaukee that I initially heard about on the radio, but then I ended up working with one of the founders of this company, who is a freelance writer here in Milwaukee.

It's called TeeCycle.org. They take super-cool, quirky used t-shirts and re-sell them. $1 from the sale of each t-shirt goes to the River Revitalization Foundation. I encourage everyone to check this site out! Not only are the shirts cool, you're recycling, and you're helping a great cause. Why buy faux vintage shirts, which seem to be all the rage right now, when you can get an actual vintage shirt with character?? At a great price???!!

This winter when I was doing a clothing purge, I donated a couple of shirts to Tee-Cycle. I live through the early 90s, when even if you were a size 4, you bought a large or extra-large shirt because everything was oversized. So I had some new, barely worn shirts that I felt were kinda quiry. The first of the shirts is up. Check it out my former shirt!

http://www.teecycle.org/Teecycle.org/Miller_High_Life.html

So there's my shout-out to TeeCycle.org! Cool stuff!