Kaufman Kronicles

Snow Day

2012-02-13T19:45:00.003-06:00

Today it snowed so Alli and I stayed home. The roads were not so bad, but we both just needed a day "off".

Broccoli and puzzle lunch.

Waking from nap time.

Fun things we did today:
1) Learned to braid rope.
2) Paint and color.
3) Play on tablet computer.
4) Hip Hop dance exercise video.
5) Practice adding.
6) She didn’t want to go out and play in the snow!
7) Play with Barbie and her friends.
8) Put clothes away.
9) Make pop corn.
10) Make popsicles.

NEW SINK

2012-02-12T11:26:00.002-06:00

Old sink

out it comes

NO SINK!

Dry fit new sink

New sink with weights to help silicone caulk stick.

Done.

Yup, it works!

Sleepover

2012-02-05T23:07:00.002-06:00

Saturday I dropped Alli off to spend the balance of the weekend with Grandma and Grandpa in Kansas City. It was her first time staying there without Mama or Dada!

She was a bit apprehensive at first, but of course ended up having a great time.

While she was there, she played with the new magnetic 'princess paper dolls and put jewels (rhinestones and lace) on the gowns. She took a nap all by herself after Grandpa said she should….such a big girl. She went out for ice cream, made homemade pizza and even got to ride a horse!

Flipz Gymnastics

2012-02-02T21:58:00.001-06:00

Tonight Alli started gymnastics lessons at Flipz USA.

Alli and Danica

Blue Jeans

2012-01-29T10:59:00.002-06:00

I can't believe it's true, but Alli actually wanted to get some blue jeans.
She just loves them.

Alli Styled my Hair

2012-01-28T09:45:00.000-06:00

Car is FIXED

2012-01-27T10:51:00.002-06:00

Malcolm finally got his car back

Before

After

Looks darn good!!

In the White Hat

2012-01-21T15:51:00.000-06:00

Eating a Smoothie

2012-01-15T15:48:00.001-06:00

Sunday

2012-01-08T14:09:00.004-06:00

Malcolm came over today to spend time with his sister and to get a little cooking lesson from his mom.

It was sure nice to spend some time with him.

Addi's Birthday Party

2012-01-07T17:05:00.003-06:00

Alli’s friend Addi had her 5th birthday party at Flipz gymnastics.
It was so much fun.

WOW, check out the cake that Addi’s Grandma made for her!

New Year's Eve

2011-12-31T22:58:00.003-06:00

Last big eating splurge before the New Year diets begin.
Home made bread.
mmmmmm

Safe and healthy New Year's Eve entertainment.

The finished product.

Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T12:48:00.004-06:00

Friday afternoon Alli celebrated Christmas at her school. Santa made an appearance and handed out candy canes.

We spent Christmas weekend with Grandma and Grandpa in Kansas City.

Alli enjoyed decorating the Christmas tree.

The neighbor boy Arian stopped by to play. Alli just adores "baby Arian".

He might look a bit like his daddy!?!?

Oh so many presents.

"OMG - the Calico Cottage!! It's just what I wanted!!"

Grandma got some lovely gifts too.

Grandpa helps assemble the Calico Cottage.

We decorated ginger bread cookies.

Santa gave Alli a ballerina Build-A-Bear.

And her own tablet computer.

Cottage assembled and critters moved in.

Magic Tree

2011-12-21T21:32:00.001-06:00

Malcolm's Car

2011-12-16T11:48:00.002-06:00

Last night, on his way home, a women did not yield the right of way and this is the results.

Accident not his fault but, sadly, I think the car might be totaled.

To top it all off......the other car was uninsured!!

It's just so sad :(

Dinner at Which Wich

2011-12-13T20:00:00.003-06:00

Zoe now has a job at Which Wich downtown by campus.

When we arrived she was making sandwiches.

She was a bit embarrassed that I was taking photos.

She came out and gave her little sister a hug.

She can take orders too.

And make change.

She said she really likes her new job.

Winter Ballet Performance

2011-12-11T17:25:00.003-06:00

Waiting to start.

Doing a great job.

Oh so pointy!

Just realized Mommy had moved and is right there.

She was so brave and smiled.

I am so proud of my Beanie and how she did in her first ever public performance.

Just messing with new Camera

2011-12-11T12:33:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas to ME

2011-12-06T11:20:00.004-06:00

My Christmas present has arrived!!

I am now the proud owner of a Canon Rebel t3 camera. It's soooo cool.
Now I just have to find time to play with my new toy...umm...hobby.

First photo taken.
(I said first, not good!)

First Real Ballet

2011-12-03T22:58:00.003-06:00

Today I took Beanie to see The Nutcracker ballet at Jesse.
She LOVED it!

Alli's Best Friend

2011-12-01T11:11:00.003-06:00

This is Alli's best friend, they are inseparable.
The puppy was a birthday gift to Alli from her friend Kendall.

Mommy bought the puppy the Christmas dress in the pet department at Target.
It was intended for a live puppy but works great on stuffed ones too!

Thanksgiving at G&Gs

2011-11-24T21:33:00.003-06:00

New "Angel" dress.
Sparkling grape juice.

Grandma's helper.
Can't wait to eat turkey.
So Thankful.
Coloring with a new friend.

Thanksgiving Lunch at Walnut Street Day School

2011-11-23T16:28:00.003-06:00

Zoe and Alli.

Family pic poorly lit.

Big turnout.

Zoe Marching Band Awards Banquet

2011-11-21T21:24:00.001-06:00

Zoe won an award :~)
.......while I was taking Beanie to go potty :~(

Today she is Purple

2011-11-17T11:13:00.002-06:00

Zoe's Cool Class

2011-11-16T18:23:00.004-06:00

Today was take a parent to school day for Zoe. I couldn’t join her for the whole day but I did manage to attend her last class of the day....Culinary Arts.

I didn’t have my camera so these photos taken with my phone are not the best quality. Sorry.

The kitchen is full industrial commercial grade equipment, very impressive and shiny.

Today the teacher was lecturing about vegetables. When she started discussing the advantages and disadvantages of canned beans, I had to pipe up and mention sodium content which was not on her overhead outline. She then told the kids how all canned vegetables are loaded with sodium and they should really watch that. I also pointed out that dried beans are much cheaper as well.
The kids all seem genuinely interested and one boy is obviously set on being a professional chef some day.

Most interesting moment: One of the overheads had a lot on it and the kids were moaning that it was a lot to write down. So the teacher says “If you don’t want to write it all down now, just take a picture of it with you phone and write it later!” Best was her tone as she said this….it was like “well duh”.

Cranberry Crawl 10K

2011-11-12T11:02:00.003-06:00

Local 10K to benefit the Food Bank of Central Missouri.

Cherie took this photo right after the start. That's me with my number in back.

She also took this one of me finishing in 52.41 minutes per the race results. That is an average pace of 8:30 per mile. The course was pretty hilly so I am satisfied with my time.

I placed 1st in my age group and got some Body Glide as my prize.

Party Pit

2011-11-09T11:16:00.002-06:00

Barbie and all her friends are always hanging out in the basement.
I have dubbed it The Party Pit!

Of couse, they all had to pose for the photo.

New Outfits

2011-11-08T11:14:00.001-06:00

New in our Garage

2011-11-05T12:58:00.002-05:00

NOPE...not a new car.

It's a climbing wall.

Before Ballet Lessons

2011-10-31T19:07:00.001-05:00

Halloween Party @ Walnut Street Day School

2011-10-31T17:03:00.003-05:00

Boo at the Zoo

2011-10-30T15:56:00.000-05:00

Alli really wanted to ride the train.
The tiger was really close up.

This Polar Bear does flips in the pool. Way fun!

Alli chose the pumpkin costume today.

Daddy went down the slide with her.

On the sky lift.

Save the Polar Bear.

She also got to ride a Camel!

Visiting Grandma & Grandpa

2011-10-29T20:36:00.000-05:00

Prevent 10K

2011-10-29T11:41:00.003-05:00

AND SHE WINS!!
(her age group)

Funny but true....especially considering I missed the start and had to play catch up.
Actually, I was the only 10k women in my age group so no matter what I ran I was going to win.
However I am not really sure what my time was!!

Due to an ill timed warm up run I was late starting and the race was not chipped; then I also neglected to reset my Garmin, but as best I can tell it was around 52 minutes / 8:20 pace.
Which I am totally happy with.

St. Louis Cardinals win the World Series

2011-10-28T23:39:00.002-05:00

I am happy to report that our St. Louis Cardinals won The World Series of baseball beating the Texas Rangers in a 7 game series that was really fun to watch.

I even stayed up WAY past my bed time last night and watched ALL of game 6, the "game of the century"!!

Happy 4th Birthday Kendall

2011-10-23T16:07:00.003-05:00

Kendall showing Allia where the cake and presents are.

Kendall is one of Alli’s best friends at school.

The party was at a place called The Little Gym.

They have all the gymnastics equipment you would find in a BIG gym.

And some other fun stuff for parties.

Group shot on the balance beam.

Finally time for cake!

The minute she opened the Barbie my daughter yelled "let me see!!"

Alli very carefully selected this pink pig to give to Kendall.

Admiring all the pretty gifts.

Tumbling at The Little Gym

2011-10-23T15:22:00.002-05:00

Action shots!!

Eating Bell Pepper

2011-10-22T11:51:00.001-05:00

New Hair Cut

2011-10-18T11:41:00.001-05:00

Ballet Class

2011-10-17T19:06:00.001-05:00

you can see her in the mirror on the right

Bike To Rocheport

2011-10-16T20:49:00.001-05:00

It was a georgious day for a bike ride with some good friends and Alli in the trailer.

Dan, Stina, Aaron, Uwe & Sarah.

Beanie had ice cream.

Off playing with her pig.

Thanks Uwe for taking so many photos.My legs were SHOT by the end of this 30 mile ride!

Ballet Beanie

2011-10-15T18:21:00.004-05:00

Climbing & Kissing

2011-10-15T18:03:00.001-05:00

Daddy took us out in the woods to show us his new deer stand. Allia climbed right up it.

She climbed up and down a few times.
I had to do a lot of talking to get her to put on those blue jeans!!

She also climbed this BIG deer stand.

LOOK HOW HIGH!! She was not scared at all. (I was a little.)

Made it down with no problems.

Daddy offered to saw me some Cedar.

Now that's a hunk...of wood.

Back at the house we enjoyed the nice weather.

Some pouting may have occurred.
Daddy didn't get the kiss he asked for....instead he got fish lips.

French Braid

2011-10-10T21:50:00.000-05:00

One of the teachers at Alli's school put her hair in a French Braid today.

I think it is so cute.

I sure wish I could do that to her hair. But sadly, I do not have enough fingers or hands to pull it off.She had to put on a special dress for her photo shoot.

Family Boating

2011-10-09T16:35:00.004-05:00

First boat outing for Bean.

She loved it and we had a GREAT time.
We don't have a speed boat...or a john boat with a motor...we have to work to move our boat.
She really wanted to paddle.
She did a great job.
I'd say our operation costs are cheaper.....but.....we have to feed him and he eats A LOT!!!!

Weekend Photos

2011-10-08T16:54:00.003-05:00

Fall is coming.

Ballet posing.
Alli took this photo!
Looking for bats.
Cutie.
New play dress.
Chillin' with Daddy.

4 Year Old Check Up

2011-10-04T14:14:00.002-05:00

Our pediatrician recently moved to a brand new office building. I just had to take photos of this beautiful new waiting room.

Alli listened carefully to the doctor and followed all her directions like a big girl. Mommy was very proud.

She was very happy to select not one, but two, princess stickers after the exam was over.

Stats:
Height 39 inches (45%)
Weight 38 pounds (45%)
BMI = 17.1
Blood pressure 90/58
Best of all........No shots today!!!

Allia Turns 4 (in photos)

2011-10-03T14:07:00.006-05:00

(Barbies are kissing)

Weekend photos

2011-09-25T18:09:00.000-05:00

Staycation Day

2011-09-21T16:53:00.001-05:00

Today James and I took the day off work and tried the new canoe out to make sure she was seaworthy.

We had a very nice paddle on Perche Creek.

Favorite Toy

2011-09-20T08:00:00.002-05:00

Today Bean got to take her favorite toy to school!

Zoe Pottery

2011-09-19T14:49:00.001-05:00

Look what Zoe has been doing at school!!

Our "New" Family Boat

2011-09-18T18:39:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, Daddy acquired this fine old aluminum canoe for practically nothing cause it had been abused and needed some TLC. (notice the dent?)

Today he spent most of the day gently fixing the old beast of a boat.

Don't try this unless you are a trained professional!

Beanie was happy to help out.

Once he cleaned it up, it looked really nice. Now, where is the lake?

Day in KC - Smithville Lake & Billy

2011-09-17T22:19:00.004-05:00

First thing Alli wanted when we got to Grandma and Grandpas house was some strawberries.

This morning I had a very pleasant run (10 miles @ 8:30 pace) at Smithville Lake while James met some friends to paddle.

This is the trial I ran on. It meanders along the edge of the lake and is adjacent to some very nice camping areas. Aside from some goose poop on the trail it was just picturesque.

After our training fun, we had to stop by and visit my brother Bill who lives very near there.

He was kind enough to feed us lunch.

Back at Grandma and Grandpas, Allia played with the neighbor kids.

Of course we all ate Grandma’s amazing cooking and headed home long after bedtime.

Still Sick...but Better

2011-09-15T10:56:00.000-05:00

Sick Bean

2011-09-14T10:39:00.003-05:00

Last night after work I went to the gym and after my class, I came to collect my girl from the kids club and she was obviously not feeling so great.

In the car on the way home she was looking groggy so I knew for sure she was sick.

As soon as we got home she said she didn’t feel good and just wanted to lie on the couch with her blanky and watch her Barbie movie. I asked her if she felt like throwing up and she assured me she did not.

I put in her movie and got her the blanket and just as I handed it to her she threw up on the couch, her blanket, the carpet and her new blue princess dress. I quickly picked her up and raced to the bathroom leaving a trail of nastiness all along the way. In the bathroom we cleaned up the sobbing girl and then mommy set about cleaning up the vomit.

It was bad….it was everywhere….I wanted to cry too.

Daddy came home about then and helped soothe the girl while I finish my carpet scrubbing. It wasn’t long before the girl was fast asleep on the couch so we quietly put her to bed. Meanwhile, the dog was adding her efforts to the carpet cleaning project.

Around 10:00 the sick girl was crying and we went to check on her. She was so hot she was pink and she had wet the bed so we had to wake her, change her bed and clothes and coax her to take some Tylenol. She went right back to sleep and I checked her a few times during the night and her fever was much better.

This morning she was up at 5 and seemed better, but it wasn’t long before she was in my bed and dozing off to PBS cartoons.

Fall Ballet Begins

2011-09-12T20:29:00.005-05:00

Tonight was the first night for fall ballet lessons. We got there early and were ready to go. Alli spotted a girl from her summer class and was jumping up and down with joy. Then the teacher ushered them into the room and then this. As all the other girls lined up…..my Beanie headed to the wall and had a meltdown.

I was about to jump in when the teacher beat me to it. She evidently gave Bean the important job of holding her papers.

This coaxed her into joining the group but she was still looking concerned sitting right next to the teacher while facing away from the others.

It didn’t take her long to recover and she was up and dancing her best.
(click on photo to enlarge - she is 5 from the end.)

After class she was beaming with pride at how well she did in class.

I asked her what happened there at the beginning and she said all the kids were wrong. That she was expecting all the same girls that were there last summer. This makes total sense because every time before when she came back they were there. Now that she understands she is fine.

Epic Mud Run

2011-09-11T10:57:00.006-05:00

Last night Ultramax hosted the Epic Mud Run at Midway. Despite the fact that this weekend is Roots N Blues and the MS150, they had a great turn out. I did not run because I had done the half marathon in the morning, but my friend Cherie decided it would be fun to do and I went out to cheer her on and photograph the craziness for posterity.

A lot of the really muddy action happened back in the woods so I don’t have photos. But trust me, everyone, and I mean EVERYONE came back covered in mud from head to toe. There was even a section that required you to duck under some obstacles and thus get your whole head wet with muddy water.

There were so many participants that they left in waves. This is the start of wave #5. The race was chip timed.

This is Cherie’s husband Jason coming down the last slide. He looked like a pro!

This is Cherie on the same slide…..she did not glide with the greatest of ease. LOL

Random person with a really good splash.

Cherie going through the portable potty obstacle….she looks a bit hesitant doesn’t she?

Almost to the finish. She said her knees took a beating.

The proud muddy finishers.

Priceless!

Allia got a rejected peach drink and was pretty happy with it even if the can was a little muddy on the outside.

Roots N Blues Half Marathon

2011-09-10T10:00:00.004-05:00

I was more nervous than usual going into this race. Historically I have done bike races and I felt confident about my cycling skills so there was no reason to be nervous. All the other running races I have done, including 2 other half marathons, were more for fun than anything. I had never actually set a running goal for myself other than finish and have fun. So today, with a plan and a goal in mind, I drove downtown to see if I really could do what I set out to do.

The temperature was in the upper 60s, humid and overcast but I grabbed my sunglasses just in case.

The start was packed with people and I felt uncomfortable being up near the front but there was no way to move back. According to Andy’s blog there were 643 runners which is a lot of people to cram on to the road by Flatbranch Park.

Good for me…..I remember to punch my Garmin when I crossed over the timing mat.

My plan for the first mile was a 9:30 pace but I was in a huge crowd of runners so I felt that pressure to run with them. I keep looking down at my Garmin to see I was doing an 8 minute pace or faster. I tried to slow down but it felt so slow. People kept streaming past me like I was standing still and I was not running as slow as I should be. Surely all these people are not going to run this half in less than 2 hours. Is 2 hours really THAT slow?

By the second mile I was back on track with my pace at just under a 9 minute mile. By mile 3 we are on the Grindstone trail and I settle in to enjoy my run. Before you know it the first water stop is here at the 5.5 mile marker. I decide to quickly eat my goo and wash it down with a swig of water.

Then it was up the hill and on to the next long, level section I was looking forward to. As I ran in front of the Stony Creek Inn, I started to wonder if James would be on the course taking photos like we had planned. It looked like it could rain at any minute so he may have decided to stay home.

As I turned the corner onto Green Meadows, I saw a familiar face and there was my husband and my daughter smiling at me. I stopped and gave Beanie a kiss. I know she was excited to see me since we had been talking up this race for some time.

I was now reenergized and picked up my pace a bit. I was having a good race and feeling more confident that I would accomplish my goal of completing this half in less than 2 hours.

On the downhill on Forum I cut loose and passed about 25 people which felt great. I think only one or two ever passed me again. I kept thinking if I paced myself correctly I should be passing a lot of people at the end who had gone out too strong in the beginning.

Up Forum was the killer as expected. Looking at my data, I maintained my 9ish minute pace up the hill pretty well so no wonder it hurt.

Back on Stadium and down to the trial. At the trail head was the last water stop. I was feeling thirsty and thought it wise to drink but the kids manning the stop had NO full glasses. They literally handed you an empty cup and you had to stand there and fill it. Husband saw me stop and later criticized me for it. But I thought a quick drink at this point might be important.

Back in town they routed us south through campus; a last minute route change that was a bit unnerving. Also, my music was not on a song that I wanted so I was fiddling with my iPod too much. My pace started to fade and I was really starting to hurt. Feeling a bit aggravated at this point but I knew it was only one more mile so I finally tuned a song in and just ran it out. Glancing at my Garmin I could see I was around 8:55 for my average pace so I was pretty sure I was going to accomplish my goal.

(my sweet husband took all these photos)

As I rounded the last corner I gave Larry Sabulsky a high five and I was feeling elated. I saw Mike Tripp and gave him a big HELLO. Almost to the finish a suave young man dressed all in black cheered me on….it was Terry and I felt so happy I could bust. At the finish I was met by Stina, Cherie, Zoe, James and Beanie. It was sooooo nice to have them all there. I am such a lucky person to have such wonderful people in my life.

Final time was 1:56 minutes and my average pace was 8:56.

So…..next year…..shall we go 8:30 pace?

Purple Bean

2011-09-08T13:09:00.000-05:00

Happy Bean

2011-09-07T18:00:00.000-05:00

Allia's best friend at school, Kendall, gave her this plush toy today.
Of course she loves it.

New favorite dress.

Heart of America Marathon

2011-09-05T11:15:00.004-05:00

Today Terry and Stina (and many of my running friends) ran the Heart of America Marathon. This marathon is considered one of the more difficult ones thanks to a few whopping big hills. But it is also known for being well organized, friendly and having some beautiful scenery as it runs on the Katy trail down by the river.

This year the race took place under almost ideal weather conditions with the high only reaching about 70 degrees under clear skies. 212 runners finished the race.

I ran the last 5.5 miles with Stina in an effort to keep her motivated and distract her from the pain. I guess it worked, because after we rounded the corner onto Broadway and the finish was in site, she was on fire running at a sub 8 minute pace.

It was such a beautiful day and such a fun race, that I am actually entertaining the thought of doing it next year!

My New Fider

2011-09-04T07:32:00.003-05:00

Today I hung up my birthday present from Cherie. It goes perfectly with my kitchen. When she picked it out, she thought it was a bug, but upon further examination it is a spider. This, I think is really cool. (Thanks Cherie!)

Alli can’t pronounce the “sp” in spider….. so she says fider. She also says that when it is raining she can hear the “funder”. For some reason I think the word funder is the best.

Another favorite pronunciation of hers is when she says sweaty or pretty they sound the same. It always delights me when I walk out of the gym and she says “Mommy, you look so pretty” and I feel all flattered and then I realize she said sweaty.

Labor Day Weekend

2011-09-03T16:46:00.002-05:00

Today was hot so we broke out the pool.

$3 swim suit

Sissy

Tie Dye

2011-09-02T18:31:00.003-05:00

Today at Alli's school they tie dyed. This is the shirt that Alli made. I think it turned out really nice.

BUT, she won't wear it. In fact, we had to beg and bribe to get it on her for the one second it took me to take this photo. Then she pulled right off again.

Thursday Night Post Ride

2011-09-01T20:19:00.005-05:00

On Thursday nights I love to do my group time trial bike ride. It is always a good fast ride (20 mph) and after the ride, we usually hang out and have a little social time.

Me in my new jersey that my sweet husband got me for my birthday.

Some nights we get a pretty good crowd.

Rolling out the sore spots with a beer can.

Bob showing us how to drink your water after you drop the bottle and bust the bottom open.

Uwe always brings snacks.

The Pork Steak Chips were just WRONG!

Required Equipment ?

2011-08-31T14:53:00.005-05:00

Today, the new laptop for college arrived!

He was only slightly more excited when he got his car.

Happy Birthday Judith

2011-08-29T20:54:00.006-05:00

Today was my birthday so I took the day off work. Just because.

I took my time getting Beanie ready for school. Not being in a rush was fabulous.

After I dropped off the girl, I took the dog for a nice run on the MKT trail. Much to my surprise, Bindi acted civilized and never jumped on or chased the many people and dogs that were out enjoying the nice weather. We usually run pre-dawn so my wacky mutt is not used to sharing the road.

My coworkers threw me a party even though I was not there. They had chocolate cake and chocolate ice cream without me. It’s OK. I need to step away from the cake.

After a leisurely shower and puttering around the house doing anything I wanted I decided to head out and do a little shopping while I was unencumbered.

I made the mistake of walking into the Dick’s Sporting Goods store just to look around. $40 later I left thinking “only $40….That’s not bad for me!!” But really, I don’t think I can go in that store and come out empty handed. I think I have a Dick’s problem!

I went to many other stores that will not be named here because I have a husband that likes to gently harass me every time I spend money. What he doesn’t know won’t hurt me.

At five o’clock sharp I picked up my smallest offspring and showed her the new swim suit I found on clearance for only $3. She loved it too.

Back home, the husband arrived early and surprised me with a dinner offering of all my favorites. There was a nice bottle of chilled white wine, my favorite cheese Port Salut, artisan French bread, olive bar and some fancy hard sausage. I ate myself silly. I really need to step away from the wine, bread, cheese, olives and meat!

As Allia would say.....It was a SUPER, SUPER, SUPER, SUPER, SUPER, SUPER good Birthday.

Silly Daddy

2011-08-28T15:21:00.001-05:00

Donuts

2011-08-27T10:07:00.003-05:00

My friend Uwe (oo-va) works at Schnucks. Today, on the way home from the gym, Allia and I stopped by the store to say "Hi" and Uwe insisted on treating Allia to her first donut.

He let her pick it out all by herself. Of course it had to have sprinkles and a side of milk.

It was a lot of donut for such a little girl.

So she started eating just the best part....the top.

Big Excitement in This Little Town

2011-08-24T21:43:00.000-05:00

One of my running friends named Joe has recently become a big celebrity. He has his own TV show called Truck Stop Missouri.

This is Joe B. as we usually call him.

This is the cast of the show.

It’s sort of a reality show about his truck stop on highway 70 just outside of town. But if you know the real people you know it’s not ALL that real.
But it is loads of fun.
Check it out sometime if you get a chance. It’s on The Travel Channel.

More on the show here: http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Truck_Stop_Missouri

he's even in the LA Times paper...here's the link
http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-truck-stop-missouri-triathlon-20110830,0,6639850.story?track=rss

First Day Of College

2011-08-22T16:36:00.001-05:00

Today Malcolm started classes at MU!!
It's really hard to believe that this little guy....

is now a high school graduate embarking on his college degree.

I am so proud of him.

Weekend Photos

2011-08-21T15:00:00.002-05:00

Eating an apple that she did not want cut up.

Drinking MY ice water.

My Girls

2011-08-15T18:33:00.001-05:00

Zoe gave Bean her Cabbage Patch Kids.
They used to be mine a long, LONG, time ago.
She named then Strawberry and Blueberry.

Zoe Bathroom Project

2011-08-14T23:47:00.000-05:00

Zoe decided to paint her bathroom pink. I helped her buy the paint, but she did the labor.

This photo shows the real color better.

Very bright and cheery!

Just an Ordinary Weekend

2011-08-07T20:42:00.002-05:00

Friday night we did the grocery shopping like we usually do. Allia wanted to buy some vanilla ice cream so we did.

Saturday morning I went biking with the Crack of Dawn group. We rode the big tree loop for a total of 25 miles. Next I rushed to the gym and did my BodyPump (one hour weight lifting) class.

At lunch time, Allia and I finished off the ice cream! Yea it didn’t even last 24 hours. This is why we can’t be trusted with junk food in the house.

Saturday evening James went to see Harry Potter. I am not a fan. I stayed home and read my new Runner’s World magazine; the whole thing.

Of course there was cooking and cleaning and chores to be done as well. Ended up washing Allia’s sheets……..oops I didn’t get up and help her go potty in middle of the night.

Sunday morning I did my long run, 12 miles. I was happy to see that I maintained my 9 minute/mile pace for the whole run. Towards the end I was getting soggy legs, but I also forgot my gel so I ran almost 2 hours with no nutrition. Overall the run made my day. I am training for a half marathon and I am really excited to be hitting my goals.

Sunday afternoon we filled the puddle pool on the deck and all three of us climbed in.

It was a good weekend.

Favorite Night Gum

2011-08-05T10:36:00.005-05:00

BIG NEWS:
Allia has gone all week long without wearing a diaper to bed.
She has had ZERO accidents.
We are all so proud of her and glad to finally be done with diapers.
~~~
She was actually a bit indignant with us on Monday evening when we proposed the idea of no diaper all night and acted concerned that she may not be dry come morning. Just in case, I moved all her stuffed toys out of her bed. She insisted she is a big girl and would do just fine.
She was right!

Visiting Taylor (and Julia)

2011-08-03T20:34:00.002-05:00

Watching TV.

These two girls LOVE to eat!

Say Goodbye

2011-08-03T07:49:00.005-05:00

Spread the word.........any raccoon that messes around our house is going to regret it!

Furniture

2011-08-01T21:44:00.002-05:00

Daddy made some quick, simple furniture for Barbie and her friends.

6th Warmest July on Record

2011-08-01T17:07:00.000-05:00

July 2011 is the 6th warmest on record in Columbia since records began in the late 1800s with an average monthly temperature of 82.2 degrees which is 4.8 degrees above normal. We had 20 days with high temperatures of 90 or above and 25 nights at 70 or above. The normal lows in July range from 65-67 degrees while the normal highs range from 87-89. We were above those numbers most of the month. Our average low temperature came in at 72.5 and average high at 92.0.

Doll House Update

2011-07-31T13:13:00.002-05:00

Mostly finished, we moved the Barbie doll house into Beanie's room today.
We are now moving on to making furniture.

Rock Bridge State Park and Devil's Icebox Cave

2011-07-30T18:43:00.004-05:00

We had a slight break in the heat (only got up to something like 90 degrees) so we got out and made the best of it.

Our Little Ballerina

2011-07-23T12:25:00.003-05:00

Dancearts of Columbia, where Allia is taking her ballet lessons, had their early registration for fall classes today. I got there early to assure we got the class we wanted. Allia is now enrolled in the fall semester for dance class every Monday after school from the beginning of September until Thanksgiving. I sure hope she continues to love it as much as she did this summer.

A few weeks ago she saw some pink satin toe shoes and gasped with awe and exclaimed "aren't they beautiful Mommy?"

Puppy to Go

2011-07-22T12:16:00.003-05:00

Our trip to the craft store netted nothing for the doll house, but we did find this adorable little pink pocket pooch. Her new favorite stuffed toy.

Doll House update

2011-07-17T12:20:00.002-05:00

This weekend, I spray painted the roof gray to look like shingles.....

and painted the interior some nice girly colors.

Next I plan to stencil paint some decorations inside.

Race For Recovery (Joplin fund raiser)

2011-07-16T14:33:00.002-05:00

Today I ran a 6 mile fund raiser with all the proceeds going to help the Joplin tornado victims. It was a very well organized race put on by a local church and one of my running mentors, Mike Tripp. He is also known as the Beadmaster at our Tuesday and Thursday morning runs.

Even at the 7:30 am start, it was already another stifling hot and humid day here in Mid Missouri.

Mile one I warmed up at a 9 minute pace. Mile two I dropped my pace to an 8.5 minute mile and still felt pretty good. My intention was to keep this pace the balance of the race, but by mile three I was starting to suffer a little and slowed my pace just a tad. By mile four my heart rate was up over 170 so I had to back it off to a 9 minute mile pace which I held through mile 5 even though it was a struggle. I knew the heat was getting me at this point because normally, I can run at a 9 minute pace without exploding. My last mile was at 8:42 with a max HR of 183 which is very high for me so I certainly gave it my all. I was relieved to finish and upon stopping felt very queasy for a few seconds. I walked around a bit and quickly felt much better. I was not real happy with my time, but given the heat, it was about the best I could do.

I then went back out on the course to find Cherie and misjudged where she might be and missed her completely. I probably ran about 2 more miles hoping to spot her.

I was pleasantly surprised to find out I got second in my age group. The girl that beat me had a time of 51:33 (8:35 pace) and my time was 52:46 (8:47 pace).

I’m pretty excited about my silver metal.

What is that kid doing?

2011-07-15T18:10:00.001-05:00

She is feeling the cold air from the vent of course!
(We are in the midst of a terrible heat wave.)

Two Thumbs UP !!

2011-07-13T12:44:00.004-05:00

The Bean is HOOKED on this movie.
It has Barbie, dancing, a whole rainbow of princesses, AND lots of sparkles!!
How could you not love this movie if you are a 4 year old princess?

SUNDAY

2011-07-10T18:17:00.002-05:00

Sunday morning started with a long run which was already miserably hot and sticky at 7 am. The forecasted high for the day was to be over 100 degrees. I vowed to spend the rest of the day inside.

Back home James slapped a new coat of pant on the Barbie house.

After naps, Zoe called and wanted to go to the mall to get her ears pierced. I was feeling sympathetic (in a way) since she wrecked and totaled her car last Monday. The accident was not really that bad, the car was just really worth that little!

So, I agreed to take her to Clair’s for her first piercing that she would actually remember…..last time she got her ears pierced she was just a few months old.

Beanie, new purchase in hand, leaving the mall after carefully selecting a new hair bow from Clair’s.

We also found this hot number today….it’s a bright pink Barbie refrigerator that came with an assortment of play food as well.

SATURDAY

2011-07-09T20:56:00.000-05:00

My busy Saturday started at 4:45 a.m. when I woke up and prepared for a group bike ride. The ride started at 6 a.m. which was fine with me since we are having a heat wave here in the Midwest. The 23 mile ride was awesome, the route was hilly and my legs got a great workout.

Next I was off to the gym to do my usual BodyPump class but today was special because they were launching a new release. There was a great turn out and it was super fun. However, my legs were a bit angry by the time this workout was over.

At the gym we met our friends Brenda & Ed and they gave Alli a wonderful gift of their home made Barbie doll house and their (now grown up) daughters Barbie doll collection. Alli was very excited to receive such a lovely gift. We packed it in the SUV and drove home filled with excitement.

Next we had planned on going to the pool, but Allia declared she was too tired and wanted to take a nap. I fed her a snack and hoped she would perk up but she was just a grumpy mess. I called Julia to see if we could reschedule the swim date and she said no problem lets go AFTER naps.

Next, my little girl went all by herself and climbed in her bed and took her nap. I was left standing in the kitchen wondering if I was actually still awake!
When she woke up around 1:30 we got dressed and happily joined Julia and Taylor at the pool for some fun in the sun.

After swimming it was home for dinner and then we started talking about how much fun it is going to be to “remodel” the doll house. I needed to run to Target anyway so Allia joined me and picked out this bathroom vanity for the doll house.

Special Dinner

2011-07-07T18:38:00.002-05:00

After she reminded us repeatedly we finally remembered to get Bean some fish sticks for dinner.

Happy Independence Day

2011-07-04T22:30:00.004-05:00

Dressed and ready to PARTY!

At Patricks BBQ the girls had a picnic style dinner.

Stray flower inserted on head.

It's not TOO loud!

Watching "Fire in The Sky" downtown Columbia MO.

Fireworks over Jesse.

Watch it Disappear

2011-07-03T09:26:00.001-05:00

Breakfast today: 3 scrambled eggs.

A Morning at the Park

2011-07-02T09:14:00.001-05:00

Allia loves to climb and is very good at it.

PLAY THIS VIDEO CLIP!

2011-07-02T09:01:00.002-05:00

She is now pumping her legs and swinging without a push!!

Growing up so Fast

2011-06-30T12:50:00.003-05:00

This morning, Allia wanted two pony tails.
I think she looks so cute with them.
She was feeling pretty and asked that I take her photo.
After I uploaded this photo I was a little choked up realizing how big my baby girl is now.

Canada

2011-06-26T13:19:00.002-05:00

Today James returned home from his great canoe trip in Canada.

At School

2011-06-24T08:58:00.002-05:00