Two and a Half Year Check-up

We took Tyler to the pediatrician today for his two and a half year check-up.  Right away he gave the nurse a really hard time about standing on the big boy scale.  She had to bribe him with stickers so he would do it.  Very typical of Tyler at this age.  We finally got his weight and height.....37 1/2 inches and 32.4 pounds, placing him in the 90th percentile for both.  Then the doctor came in and Tyler was much more cooperative.  The doctor said his language skills were excellent and that he is very intelligent.  We talked about starting preschool next year to develop school-readiness skills, as he will probably be starting kindergarten at age 4.  YIKES!  Then we talked about how Tyler will use the big potty at Trina's but that he only uses the little potty seat at home.  He said that Tyler knows exactly what he is doing and he is just manipulating the situation.  So he advised we lose the little potty, cold turkey.  Tyler came home and cried and cried when we put him on the toilet but then we said we would give him chocolate and very quickly he went potty and collected his bribe!  The doctor also said Tyler may fight naps at home (from this point on) but to give him quiet time everyday, which is what we do.  I guess all this means our boy is growing up!

Mother's Day 2011 at St. Louis Zoo

My Mother's Day celebration kicked off on Saturday when Mike told me he was too excited to wait to give me his gift (this is how every gift-giving occasion goes around here)!  So after Tyler's nap, Mike and Tyler gave me their cards and gifts.  I got a CD of all my favorite songs and a gorgeous pair of diamond earrings!!!  After that, we went to the park for a while. Then Mike decided he would give me a break from cooking so he cooked out burgers and dogs on the grill while Tyler and I just played outside. 

Mike was trying to surprise me with my Mother's Day plans this year but about half-way through the week he told me he planned a trip for us to go to St. Louis Zoo.  I have been wanting to take Tyler there since he was a baby but wanted to wait for him to get a little older.  And last year we went to Miller Park Zoo here in Bloomington on Mother's Day so the idea was perfect!  We discussed the plans and decided that we would make it a one day trip due to our dog situation.  Sunday morning we left at 6:00 am to head to St. Louis.  It took about two and a half hours to get there and Tyler was good the whole time.  He played with one of his Thomas sound books for the first half of the trip and then slept the second half.  We got there right when they opened at 9:00 am so we were able to park on the street at no charge.  And the zoo itself was completely free!!  Can't beat that!  We also knew we would be right across the street from Forest Park so we just packed a picnic lunch of sandwiches and snacks and took a little break to enjoy the perfect weather.

We were very impressed with the amount of large animals.  We loved the elephants and giraffes in particular but we were also impressed by the monkey house and some of the smaller displays.  We really wanted to go see the penguins and the shark attraction but by the time we got to those exhibits, the lines were too long and we were needing to get back home to Spice.  I told Mike that just means we need to plan another trip back soon! 

About to go inside

Tyler's Mom Rocks!

Tyler's Dad Rocks too (he just doesn't have a shirt to prove it)

Tyler's favorite animal by far

Mommy's favorite animal by far

Watching the giraffes

I have been wanting to take Tyler to a Build-a-Bear Workshop since the day he was born!  I worked at the BABW in Orland Park during the summers when I was in college and it was definitely the most fun job I ever had.  I loved the way we made the experience special for each kid.  I knew we needed to wait until Tyler was a little older to understand what was going on and not get scared of the stuffing machine.  When we walked past a BABW at the zoo and Mike suggested we finally do it, I jumped all over it!  I was probably more excited than he was.  And the girl that helped make his giraffe did a wonderful job making it special!

He chose a giraffe--with my help 

Helping to stuff it.  Once he heard the machine he got scared though.

Picking out his heart

Warming it up

Giving it a good luck kiss

Giving "Joey" some sugars

Anxiously waiting to take his new friend home 

He said "I love this giraffe"  :)

After the long drive back home I decided there was no way we could make dinner.  So we called ahead at Outback and got in right away for dinner.  We started off with my favorite cheese fries.  Then I had my favorite salad dressing and my favorite steak sandwich for my meal.  Afterwards, we went to Dairy Queen and the three of us split a banana split.  I couldn't have dreamed up a more perfect way to spend my weekend with the boys.  I definitely felt appreciated!

Diaries of a (Half) Marathoner

It actually started on July 4th of last year. I ran in the Park to Park 5-miler and was instantly addicted to racing. I met a girl named Kristi who told me about this great half-marathon in Champaign that takes place in April each year. She described running onto the football field and seeing yourself on the big screen. She described a spirit of camaraderie and a sense of pride among all the runners. Lastly, she encouraged me to do it and got me thinking, "I can run 13.1 miles if I start training right now." So the rest of the last year and through the winter I told myself "I WILL run in this half-marathon." I'm going to include my 12 week training log not because I think anyone cares but more as a diary for me to remember this crazy journey!

Week 1 (January 31-February 6): First week of training started with a blizzard that snowed me in. Only ran 4.25 miles that first week.

Week 2 (February 7-February 13): Second week of training got a sore throat but motivated not to let it stop me. Ran according to training program for 13.25 miles.

Week 3 (February 14-February 20): Found out I actually had a sinus infection. Still too stubborn to back off from training. Ran 13.5 miles. Also completed first outdoor run.

Week 4 (February 21-February 27): Not getting better so had to back off from all running and strength training. Missed 4 workout days and only ran 5 miles the whole week.

Week 5 (February 28-March 6): Back in the program, ran accordingly. First race of the year at the Miller Park Zoo Stampede. Ran 15 miles that week.

Week 6 (March 7-March 13): Missed one run day because I was too busy. Participated in St. Patrick's Day 5k and had a great race. Logged 13 miles.

Week 7 (March 14-March 20): Longest run for me yet at 7 miles which resulted in shin splints. Couldn't run for the rest of the week and missed 3 run days. Only ran 7.5 miles.

Week 8 (March 21-March 27): Had to ease back into the program after shin splints so didn't do a long run but back on track with mileage--16.5 this week.

Week 9 (March 28-April 3): Another illness, this time bladder infection. Felt like giving up but too determined to let myself. Total mileage at 17 this week.

Week 10 (April 4-April 10): Bad training week--too tired to run one day and then long run got cut short by stomach cramps and dehydration from drastic heat. Almost threw in the towel again. Total mileage 15.5 this week.

Week 11 (April 11-April 17): Final stretch and had to break in new running shoes. Got bad blisters but kept up the mileage for 18.5 this week.

Week 12 (April 18-April 24): Most intense week of training but feeling great! In the mindset that I can do this. Total mileage--21 miles.

Race week: Mileage tapered down to 8.5. Was a ball of nerves all week, leading up to race day.

April 30, 2011--Race Day: Didn't sleep much the night before. Woke up somewhere in the 4 am hour and felt ready to go. Got to U of I campus right before 6 am. Got this video message from Mike......

Almost made me cry. Now I'm pumped to race. I was going to run for Tyler. He knew I could do it, Mike knew I could do. Now I knew I could do it too. From 6:00 to about 7:20 I hung out in Assembly Hall to stay warm and stretch. It was very chilly in the morning (only about 45 degrees) but the forecast was calling for sunnier skies and warmer temperatures. At the very last minute, I did a quick change from pants to shorts, kissed Mike goodbye and good luck and headed to the starting line.

The race started 5 minutes late but once I crossed the starting line, I was set for the long haul. I prepared myself mentally for 2 and a half hours of running--told myself it was going to be like watching a good movie. I was so overwhelmed with the people around me and just adrenaline I didn't really take in much at the start. I just ran. Then I started looking around at the buildings on campus and the houses in neighborhoods and the signs people made to keep us moving. It made the run so much fun.

Some miles were harder than others, especially miles 7 through 9 when we ran through a park. I drew from several motivators. I kept thinking of Tyler and his video wishing me luck. I thought of my Dad who has been in a nursing home the last year. He went to U of I and I know he would have loved to be in the stands cheering me on. Then I thought of all my patients at the nursing home who can't walk and decided I would run for them. I used mantas too..."Just keep running" and "Pain in temporary, pride is forever."

The last 3 miles were tough. I was tired and it was getting hotter. I was running out of steam but luckily they gave us Gatorade and energy gel. Finally, I was back on campus and could see Memorial Stadium. I dug deeper and put on the charge, racing on the field for the finish at the 50-yard line.

My official chip time was 2:19:37, a full 10 minutes faster than my initial goal. Once I crossed and my legs stopped they almost couldn't go again. I got my medal and felt more filled with pride at that moment than I did walking across the stage with my Master's degree.

It was an incredible physical and mental challenge and somehow I did it. I got so much support from everyone but Mike especially. He sacrificed time off work for my long runs, watched Tyler for extra hours and put up with my emotional ups and downs. I couldn't have done it without him and his support and I truly felt like he deserved a gold medal for putting up with me!

I only had one complaint about the race--I couldn't find Mike afterwards and had to borrow people's cell phones to call him and find where he was. After a mix up, we finally met outside the stadium at which point I didn't want to go back in for pictures or food.

Before the race

At the finish (I am in front of the tent on the right)

Somewhere on the big screen

So proud to be a finisher!

After the race, my day was filled with all my favorite things....for starters Chipotle for lunch, then shopping for a new outfit, and finally a long night at Buffalo Wild Wings for my favorite wing sauce and Mike's favorite UFC fighters! It was an amazing day that I will not soon forget!

Happy Easter 2011!

We were talking about the Easter Bunny coming all week so when Tyler woke up on Easter Sunday and found eggs in his room, he was estatic. He did a much better job this year of actually searching for the eggs and found all 22 of them (with a little help at times)! He did stop after finding just about every egg to open it and see if it was filled with jelly beans or a couple pennies. And of course, he had a breakfast of jelly beans by the time the hunt was over!

"Does this one have jelly beans?"

Putting his change in his piggy bank

Checking out the Easter basket

Excited the Easter Bunny brought Thomas Trains, along with a puzzle, a book and a bike!

Mommy teaching Tyler how to ride

Then we went to Morris to have Easter Lunch at Grandma and Grandpa Ellsworth's. Tyler's Great Grandma Burnett and Great Uncle Terry and Great Aunt Michelle were also there. We at a delicious lunch then went outside so Tyler could get some practice riding his bike. His legs are still a bit too short to reach the peddles but he liked riding it Fred Flintstone style nonetheless!

Riding his bike

Great Uncle Terry

Great Aunt Michelle

Coloring Easter Eggs 2011

But first a trip down memory lane.....
Coloring Easter eggs for Tyler's first Easter (2009)

Mommy and Tyler in our "art shirts", ready to color Easter eggs (2010)

And now this year....

What a big boy he has become!

We decided to let Tyler help us with the real eggs this year. He apparently colored eggs at Trina's (the babysitter) and didn't dye her whole table blue so we thought "What the heck!". It was really cool because we talked about coloring eggs all week and once it was finally time to do it he was so excited! He might have been a little too excited because right off the bat, he dunked his egg (and his hand) right into the blue dye. Luckily, we didn't dye anything else in the kitchen. He was so much more involved this year. Such a difference a year makes....

Coloring his egg with a white crayon

Tyler and Daddy hard at work

Checking out his blue fingers

Lots of multi-colored eggs!

Gamma Phi Circus

Last weekend, we took Tyler to see the Gamma Phi Circus at Illinois State. Mike and I both went when we were in college and thought it would be something Tyler would like. Before we headed over to Redbird Arena, we took Tyler to Avanti's on campus. He gobbled down a whole entire kid's plate of tortellini, fruit and their famous bread.
The circus was really cool, especially when you consider that most of the performers are Illinois State students. It wasn't a circus with animals--mostly tumbling and acrobats. It was a little on the long side but Tyler sat through it pretty well, especially after we got him a bucket of popcorn. In fact, when we asked him what was his favorite part of the circus, he said "Eating popcorn!". Here are lots of pictures from the circus.....
Getting ready to go in

Anxious for the show to start

Watching with Mommy

Cool glass wall and trampolines

Ropes

Rings

Trapeze

Mike called these things the "Hampster Wheels"

Tight rope walker (he was blind-folded)

Tight rope unicycle rider

This guy was amazing. He did all kinds of things on that star shaped box but we liked when he brought out "Scooby" and balanced him on his feet

10-person bike

Unicyclers

The finale!