Since my half marathon, training has continued. I am not getting to run as much as I normally do because the kids are home with me and well, that really puts a crimp in my running style. I get in two runs a week, maybe 3 if I get off my ass on a Sunday. Once the kids get back into their schedules, I’ll be able to rack up some mileage again.

Our summer has been indeed splendid. My birthday was fantastic. I turned 39… thirty-nine! I have never felt better about myself that I do the day I turned 39. I did so much this last year for me and my health. I accomplished goals that I never thought would ever be possible. My kids are amazing, smart, funny, pains in the ass, gorgeous creatures. There is no better compliment in the world when people tell you what a fantastic job you are doing raising your kids. Who doesn’t love hearing how great you doing at your job? It makes my heart esplode.

We had friends visit from Colorado and it was the best week. We did everything you could.Maine.Beach.Boston.Lobster. We laughed hysterically and had good wine & conversation.

This is what life is all about. Enjoying each day to the fullest. Embracing the family, the friends, the friends that are your family. Laughing til you cry. At the end of the day, finding that one little thing that made you smile and lock it away in your memory box.

It’s Monday. It’s a new week, almost a new month. Enjoy !!

It’s hard to believe that all this time as passed and in my humble opinion – we are better now than we were on the day we got hitched.  Way back in 1996.

In these years since we became Mr & Mrs, we left Tucson.  We loved life in Chicago.  LOVED CHICAGO.    What better way to start off your married life together, than to move to a city where neither of you know anyone.  You have no family.   All you have is each other and a city to explore.   Those were 2 fantastic years.   Then we embarked on yet another adventure and moved to Massachusetts.   Had our baby boy.  If that doesn’t seal the bond of marriage… I don’t know what will.     Life handed us obstacles and hurdled them the best we knew how.     In 2004 .. married not even a decade we were blessed with our princess and this was to complete our family.    She certainly adds a certain something to the crew,  we would not be the same without her.   Life handed us MORE obstacles and they only brought us closer.

Over the years we have set goals individually and supported each other to reach them.  We have made (i hope) lifelong friendships and without friends, you’ve got nothin’.

Yes, not every day is sunshine & lollipops.  We laugh, a lot.  We try to find humor every day, otherwise – we’ll go crazy.

Thank you Mr Knitpho for asking me to marry you.

It’s been fun.

We had a great winter break with the M’s while they were off school.  We had time with friends … and adventures to IKEA.      The Olympics have kept our family glued to the TV even more than usual.    These athletes are amazing and inspiring.      I like to watch the M’s watch the events and the backstories of the athletes.  They see where hard work can take a person and how it pays off.    You can tell them that is does over and over, but seeing it.. seeing it, is believing it.

Along with watching the Olympics, I’ve been (somewhat) knitting away on my mitten mogul event that I hoped to medal 4x’s.   So far, only one medal and I haven’t complete two full sets of knucks.      They are *so* easy,   but the motivation just isn’t there.   My friend asked me…   “it’s hard to keep you attention on one thing isn’t it… “   I never really gave it much thought, but when she pointed out specifics.. holy crap was it an eye opener.    So, I will power through and hopefully will have a family of knucks by Sunday.

In the meantime this knitter is off to the gym to get the mileage in that I missed out on last week.

Happy Monday!!

How did it go by so fast?
WHY does it go by so fast?

Your 5 today.

We had the most fantastic day celebrating you and you turning this magical number.

This year, you have learned so many things.. you have said some of the funniest things I have ever heard in my lifetime. You’ve been places, you’ve seen things, you’ve made this world a better place. Well, my world anyway. I love to watch you watch the space around you. You take everything in. You take the time to enjoy. You take the time to appreciate every little thing. Your thankful, your grateful, your lovable and kind. Your learning to so many things, sometimes it gets to be just too much and you might to start to breakdown, nothing a little quiet reading time won’t cure. You do love to read… and we are so impressed with you!

You had a fantastic birthday weekend. A little family gathering … and then a funfilled day at the circus. It was a total surprise, and your eyes lit up and you were so excited. I wish I could have froze time and just stayed right there with you in that precious moment. Pure and total joy. Nothing like it, ever.

Happy Birthday Mia Alexis… you rock my world.

Love, Mommy.

(it took me a LONG time, but I finally finished (minus a zipper) my CPH. I love my wool cardi)

October is turning out to be one of my favorite months. Not as favorite as July, but it’s a very close second. As much as I am not a fan of the cooler temps …

October means cornstalks,pumpkins,mums…candy corn.
October means my parents are coming to Massachusetts
October means our baby girl turns 5.
October means the Patriots play the Broncos.
October means RHINEBECK.
October means Halloween

I hope you enjoy this fall month as much as I plan too.. Happy October!

Dear Miles,

11 years ago I became a mom for the first time. We didn’t know if we were having a boy or a girl. All we had was a name. (only a boy name that we loved, the girl name, thank GOD we didnt have a girl first) After I delivered all natural to this 9lb 2oz beast of a boy, I fell madly truly deeply in love. The heavens opened and life and love poured into my soul.

I stare into your crystal blue eyes (if only for seconds) at least once a day and soak you in. I try to convey (as hard as some days might be) to you how amazing you are. Without embarassing you. You are a gentle soul, an amazing big brother, a super grandson, a smart student, a fantastic reader and a good friend. You still love legos, (those damn legos) Star Wars, drawing and find a new love for sports. Your coming up on some hard years ahead, i hope together we can kick some ass and I pray for smooth sailing. (It’s Mia who’s planning on giving me a run for my money)

Happy Birthday Bubby.

Thank you for coming into our lives, and being a party of our perfect little family of 4.

Love,

Mom

Today, I thank God for sending Miles our way..

As you may or may not have heard, when I went to Colorado for summer vacation, it was not only to bask in the cool mountain air and visit with parents. I had my 20th high school reunion. 20 years, where did that time go? Wasn’t it just yesterday I was getting perms, wearing all black, dying to get a new pair of Guess jeans? I loved my Vans, and I loved me some 80′s hair metal. Flash Forward 20 years and I’m back. The get togethers started earlier in the week, and it was so great to start catching up with classmates earlier on, before the main festivities began. I was friends with most of these people since elementary school, and it was good to see them and meet their kids and catch up on their lives. Even though we have Facebook these days, it doesn’t even put a dent on having a nice sit down conversation with someone.
It’s time for the big Friday night shindig .. and I will admit, I was nervous, I walked into that room and I thought to myself. “self, you have come a long way since DHS, lets have some fun” I wasn’t there to hash up old grudges,which there were some… I take pics, I hate getting my pic taken – I look like a dork.. all the time! ..and I didn’t talk to people that I didn’t talk to in HS, what would be the point? Really? I went to enjoy the company of old friends and meet their spouses and hear about their kids. I drank some good beer. I was told I hadn’t changed at all, but really.. I have. In highschool, I was insecure.. awkward.. and heartbroken. Please tell me, I”VE CHANGED! Now, I think of myself as secure with who I am, still awkward but I accept it and madly in love. I have 2 gorgeous kids and have been successful in my life, love and marriage. I have traveled. I have lived in big cities. I have made some fantastic friends on my journey from there to here. I realized that even though you were an idiot in HS, and you might still be an idiot today, you don’t effect my life one way or the other, so hey.. be an idiot.. if that works for you.. GREAT. I also realized that high school maybe wasn’t as tragic as I had it made up in my head. It wasn’t the best time in my life, but it certainly molded me in the person I am today. So for that DHS.. I thank you! Thanks to the bullys, your words hurt then, but guess who didn’t show to the reunion? Cowards! The weekend was over before we knew it, my stomach was sore from laughing, my face hurt from smiling and if you have a reunion coming up, I highly suggest you go and take it all with a grain of salt. These are memories you cannot buy… anywhere!

I said I was done, that I had seen enough.. no more reunions for me. But now that I’m home, have had time to reflect … Im looking forward to number 30. My son will be 21 then, he’ll get to go have beers with his mom!! Nevermind. Im in no rush to the 30year!

This year, my 38th year of life.. I have to say was quite rewarding and I don’t have one day that I can remember anyway, that I’d like to take back and do it all over again. I’m sure there are plenty, but they must not rate that high on the remember scale.

The 2008-2009 year has given me a husband marathoner turned triathlete, when I close my eyes and see Mr Knitpho running into the lake for his first ever open water swim, I get a little choked up with amazing pride. A son who is maturing a little (a teeny tiny bit) bit each day and when I least expect my heart explodes with just how proud he makes us and what an amazing boy we’re molding. The daughter who started preschool and is more than ready for Kindergarten in the fall, who makes me crazy because it’s like walking around with a tinier version of myself but then again, it’s not all that bad. She has big things ahead of her, I can see it.

Outside my little family of 4, I have created a new family of insane friends. I have lived here for 10 years and have been craving friendships like this since I left Tucson. I thrive on friendships, I always have. But I just took my time and found just what I was looking for. These women inspire me everyday as a woman, a mom, a wife, a friend and most recently an Auntie. These ladies make me laugh to the point of tears and we can rally when needed. Not forgetting my long distance friends, my best friends who are not close to me, who know more about me than anyone ever should, who have been with me since before I could drink (legally). Damn, what is better than having and overflow of love in friendships like this.. lucky lucky me.

So, as my 38th birthday nears.. I’ll keep on keepin’ on. Set new goals, strive to be better at anything and everything. Soak up as much as love as I can from my kids who fill my heart & soul … be amazed by my husband who is conquering goals right and left and laugh my ass off at least once a week, usually a Wednesday

Happy weekend, Happy 4th of July, AND Happy 5th of July.

Saturday.. a “quick” run and then watching it rain like a bitch all day long. I mean RAIN… sheets,buckets,downpour kind of rain. Then me & my peeps were off to a party at my friend Erins house, good food, good beer, good friends – and the husband stayed behind with the kiddies .. what more could a girl ask for? Girl time, it’s what ever mom needs to make it through …. life.

Today.. I went to lunch with a dear friend to celebrate our birthdays and have girl talk. We go to lunch at a local yummy Italian restaurant and WTF.. no lunch menu on Sundays? $20 for a hunk of lasagna? $12 for Bruschetta… we sat down, and stared at the dinner prices and dinner menu for a 1p lunch.. we were so rebellious, we got up and left. I’m so sure, we’re all about good food and lovely atmosphere, but serving dinner only on a Sunday VIA? Your STOOOOPID!
So, we found another yummy restaurant and had LUNCH at LUNCHTIME and then of course hit Starbucks.

Mr Knitpho got a great ride in and avoided the rain and I watched a bunch of gross but funny boys practically kill each other. Hula hooped,jumped rope, colored with sidewalk chalk and laughed til I cried with my Mia.

As Sunday comes to end, and True Blood is about to come on, the wine is about to be poured and the kids will be put to bed.

I am thankful for a fantastic family, amazing friends and a great first weekend of summer.

Today my little chicks and I went to the library to see what we could find. I love the library. I love borrowing these books and wonder a bit who might have read them before me and what they thought of the book. Especially Miles & Mia, and I ask them if they think the kids before them enjoy them they way they are? They roll their eyes at me.

I didn’t plan on getting any books today, since I still have to finish Dead as a Doornail .. but then I found these and leaped for them before anyone else could get them. MINE!

I’m Perfect, You’re Doomed and my little red book

Neither of these are ‘deep reads’ but what they will allow me is some downtime reading and quite funny indeed. So, what’s on your summer reading list ??? I’d love to hear all about it, and if you’ve read either of these… please let me know what you thought!

HAPPY SUMMER READING!