my favorite time of year

northern michigan

this is about how a lot of the trees lining the roads look in my area. it is absolutely beautiful. fall is by far my favorite time of year and if it was this way all year long, you would have no complaints from yours truly. it's 53 degrees right now will a slight breeze and the trees are starting to change. it's also the first day of october! if i would have to do it over again, i would definitely get married in michigan in october. i don't think i've ever seen more wonderful sights!

also, the first day of october means it's breast cancer awareness month! i was watching the today show this morning, and found out about this: army of women

if you sign up, it will let you know when they are doing research studies in your area for breast cancer research. if you don't qualify for that specific research criteria, maybe you know someone who does! it will help find a cure!

lastly, thanks to my wonderful and gracious parents, we'll be coming out to california for thanksgiving! let me know if you'll be in town, because i'd love to see you! and maybe you can meet james!

running with stroller day three.

and yes, it was a successful one. but hard. very hard.

following (somewhat closely) the prescribed workout plan devised by my husband, today i was supposed to run 3 miles at a easy pace. and seeing as that today is the freshman football game and jv football game, i had to run it during the day with james because my hubby wouldn't be home until way late. so running stroller in hand(s) i set out around the block. i think the very first step was hard and people driving by must have thought i was dying or at least suffering from a hernia the way joey did when he ran out of health insurance. nonetheless, there are three good things to note from my run:

1. i finished it, running the whole way
2. it's the beginning of fall, so the changing leaves are a nice distraction
3. my son was quite the whole way

in fact, i don't think he moved at all the whole time i was out there. i even documented how he was the entire run:

also like this, after he saw me:

(also notice right hand. this is his desired way of being the entire day. he likes his right forefinger and thumb to be pinched. it's only not this way when he's either playing with a toy or sleeping)

so that was the run. yesterday, i tried running on the treadmill at mimi's house and that was succesful until mimi had to leave to pick up susie. after she left, james was no longer distracted at either a. wanted to climb up the basement stairs or b. get on the treadmill with me. both of which, are highly unacceptable to me. which, peaking of treadmills, reminds me- if any one knows of a treadmill not being used or goes to a garage sale and sees one or what to buy me a brand new one (haha) let me know. i am in the business of acquiring one since once fall is over, it will be hard to go out running with a under one year old with temperatures in the negative. so let me know. i'll pay you back if you get one. (unless of course, it's brand new, in which case, you're outta luck.)

well that's about all. i'm excited for the office premire tonight and desperately want micheal to get together with holly. we will see what happens! and to leave you with...
tupperware boy!

a false representation of motherhood

i would like to say that running after pregnancy does not look like this. the media would like to have you believe that after you have given birth getting back into shape would be this easy. what a lie. it's nothing like this at all!

it's like she's saying,
"Look at me! jogging! with a baby! it's so easy! and i look nice and cute when i'm jogging! with an already thin tummy and perky boobs! with a cute outfit! and my baby's happy! and this is no pain to me at all! hurray! birds are chirping!"

don't be fooled. ooooooh no. quite the opposite. in face today when i did the same thing this lovely women is doing i looked quite awful. instead picture a woman looking not nice and cute, sagging just about everywhere, wearing a t-shirt and shorts that just don't have any drool and/or snot on them, in a lot of pain. and going a lot slower, just above the pace of a walk. about to curl over in pain over the running stroller. that's me. a nice picture, isn't it?

except for that on my 2 mile run (which i did complete, thank you very much) my baby was exceptionally happy. in fact, he was drowsy and just about fell asleep on the run. how nice.

i wish getting in shape could be that easy for me. riding in a seat as the pounds come off....oh someday...

a double income family

woo hoo!

dave got the job! as of today, he is officially one of three p.e. teachers at gull lake middle school! he interviews this morning at 8 a.m., and by the end of the school day he became an employee of gull lake community schools! go hubby! i'm so proud of you! it's been such a long road coming to this, but God is so good and has blessed us so much!

so horray! that means that both dave and i are working in about our dreams jobs. it's completely unbelievable. i started school yesterday with the girls at my home and the past two days have thus far been amazing. here's a pictures of my students on the first day of school:
makayla

mariah

they are really sweet girls and so far our relationship has been going well, i do think they like me, and i think they are wonderful. they even wanted to come with me to dave's freshman football game yesterday! and for those of you interested, mainly my mom, here's a picture of my setup in the basement: (and i'm sorry but the pictures are really blurry because we don't have the best camera right now...)
my desk/whiteboard area

the girls books and desk area

and james play area

if we ever get a better camera, i'll put better pictures up.

well, that's the wonderful news of today! thanks for listening!

a mind's ramblings

so here is what's been on my mind today....

a. mcdonald's iced mochas. amazing! there are so many good things about this cold tasty drink. one, it's about 50% cheaper than Starbucks and in my opinion, just as good. two, since i have since boycotted Starbucks because they bought out my absolute most favorite coffee shop, diedrichs (back in california they had the most amazing shop right on the beach in laguna beach. it was my favorite place to go...) it's a good substitute for that. three, did i mention it's cheaper?

b. decision 2008. i love sarah palin. i had made the decision to not vote this year (even thought i have never voted yet, not even once, for any election) since there was not candidate that i even remotely liked since good ol' huck didn't win the ticket. but once mrs. palin entered, my mind has since changed. that mccain sure knew what he was doing to sway women voters. he changed my mind!

c. jeans. not only am i able to wear my prepregnancy ones, but i am also able to wear them now since it's cooler! woo hoo! i really do enjoy them, and i think the feeling of being able to zipper and button does add to the effect.

d. the weather. goes along with "c," in the fact that it's perfect jean weather. i mean the past two days here in michigan have been amazing. in the low seventies, bright blue skies and beautiful green earth due to the rain we got this past weekend. come on fall! i'm ready.

e. my napping son. the napping experiment '08 has been a complete success! 5 out of the past 5 naps have gone as follows: turn off the lights, put on the fan, put on "sweet baby james," nurse the mancub then set him in the crib. each time there is a little going to sleep noise (but no crying) and a subsequent nap for 30 mintues to 2 hours (like this morning, in which i watched the entirety of "baby mama" by myself). i'm so proud of my little man i cannot even explain. this will definitely come in handy for when i start school, which is tomorrow.

example of one napping position:

in case you can't tell, he's sitting up in the corner of his crib with his pillow over his legs. as he naps. i have no idea how he got there.

f. baby mama. love it. i haven't laughed so hard at a movie in a looong time. definitely in my top 10 list now. "i don't mean to sound dramatic when i say this but i'd rather shoot my face than eat this crap" -Angie Ostrowiski. probably one of my favorite lines from the movie. i've been waiting for this to come out on dvd and now that it has, i think ya'll should see it too, if you haven't!

and to end with for your viewing pleasure, more of the man in my life, james.
taking a rest...

getting into mischief

almost there...

got it!

swimming with daddy!

laughing with mommy!

and flirting with my girlfriend eva!



that's all! i can't believe he's seven months old now. closer to one year than birth. it is true, they grow up so fast!