Glamorous moments

Atticus has been having no trouble throwing tantrums lately. And a lot of trouble keeping his food down. He's grumpy and sick. And now Violet's sick too. Also, because I haven't put cabinet locks on the cabinets yet (as I've been busy painting and installing lights and cleaning up vomit), Violet is having the time of her life swiping stuff out of the cabinets and making a mess of the house. I should also mention that unpacking when you have a 2 1/2 year old and a 13 month old is not a short process. And that since we moved Atticus has responded to the turmoil by partially un-potty training himself. And that we have to speak in church on Sunday.

At least we have this pink bathroom. I bet you've never seen a bathroom this pink.

Home sweet home

We got the house. And we're very busy working on it. It's a fun big space with lots of potential. And lots of projects. I know you'll all love the "before" decor. Here are just a few shots to start with.

Black Ridge Escape Triathlon

Amidst all the chaos this summer I reached a personal goal and completed a sprint triathlon. It was a really great experience. I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that I wasn't too exhausted and the whole experience was a lot of fun. I wasn't super speedy, but I did pretty well, and I really enjoyed it. It was a 500m swim, 14 mile bike ride, followed by a 5K run. The whole thing, with transitions, took me about 1 hour and 45 minutes.

I'm really enjoying getting involved in more kinds of exercise and getting fit. I've got another 5K slated for the fall and before that I think I'll try out some different aerobics classes at the gym that's closest to our new house. I definitely benefit from variety and new training goals.

Here are some pictures from the triathlon:

Me in my wetsuit, ready to swim

A view of the reservoir we swam in, through the swim-bike transition area

Me at the finish line after the run

The patient kiddos and me

They were great spectators and even did the 5K with James and me. He pushed them in the stroller. A big thanks to James for supporting me through the the prep for the triathlon, the whole event, and for watching the kids during it. And, by the way, congrats James on your first 5K! Let me just say, he is getting fitter by the minute. He's lost nearly 40 pounds this year!

Violet is One!

It's true. My sweet baby is already one year old. She is lively, fun, and loving. And she's starting to do so many fun tricks--like walking and talking and waving and blowing kisses. She adores Atticus and is adventurous and independent. She also loves to be with her parents and mimic everything we do too. We're so glad we have her in our family.

Violet's birthday turned into a weekend of celebrations. We started the special day off with a hike and a picnic.

Then came the moment Atticus had been anxiously awaiting--present opening. He eagerly helped Violet get them all open and test them out.

We had a party for Violet at the park the following Monday. She was head of the table. She enjoyed the party, the food, the presents, and the park, but not so much the cake.

Here she is, eying the cake warily. Basically she didn't want to have anything to do with it. And when James tried to make her taste it, she screamed until we finally rescued her from her high chair.

I had to try again the next day. I figured if I did it when she wasn't too full, she might actually give it a shot. She did. And she loved it. I promise I won't force sweets upon her again. I just wanted her to like her birthday cake. ; )

Fantastic Summer

We've been participating in all kinds of fantastic activities and celebrations this summer, including: Grandpa Bradley's work picnic, Friday hikes, Grandpa Davies's 80th birthday party, swinging and playing outside, indoor skydiving, local outings and long drives, camping, and the Bradley Family Reunion at a water park.

Sometimes these kids drive me totally crazy. Trying to coax Atticus into getting dressed and eating some kind of nutritious food and to stop him from throwing tantrums over little things can be a challenge. And Violet can be a bit of a trouble-maker with getting into things, making messes, and whining when she doesn't get her way. Plus it's just totally exhausting to keep up with all the day-to-day things that are required of a grown-up and a parent of two young kids. But, there are moments in every day, and of course when I look at these photos of memories we are making together, that I try to breathe it all in and hope that this time in my life won't speed by too quickly. I am totally crazy about these kids and my sweet husband James.

House Hunt 2010 Update

About one year ago James started working from home, and it made our two bedroom condo feel a little cramped to use it for an office as well as home for a family of three. Then, a little over eleven months ago, sweet Violet Lonnie joined our family--make that a family of four. About seven months ago Violet and Atticus began requiring separate nap spaces, so as not to keep each other up during nap time. With one bedroom being used as an office, Violet got stuck with the bathroom as home to her playpen (and lately the closet because we're re-painting the shower in the bathroom). We have been feeling pretty crowded. So, three months ago we started looking for a house. Almost right away we found Plan A:

We love the home and put an offer on it as soon as we saw it. But we are only the secondary backup offer and it's a short-sale. And nothing seems to be happening to move that process along, despite our best efforts.

So, we kept looking. And we saw A LOT of homes. Really really A LOT. We've been at this for months. And we put offers on two others, Plan B, and Plan C. But Plan B was just too expensive and Plan C got snatched up four hours before our offer was received.

So, we kept looking. And we found Plan D:

It's a really great home and we are really excited about it. And--cross your fingers--it just may be ours. We've had a few wrinkles in the inspection to smooth out, and we have been able to successfully address most of them, and we hope to have the final few resolved by this weekend. We're set to close on August 17th. Unless Plan A comes through in the mean time. We'll keep you posted.

No news is good news

We're still a happy little foursome, and I can't think of any big news to let you all in on. Well, actually, Violet's getting her first teeth (four at once!) and her exceeding grumpiness today seems like big news. At least it felt that way after her intense complaining for three hours at church. Poor little girl. She's generally a very happy baby and tends to win over friends and strangers alike with her red-auburn hair and giant grin. She is a fast crawler and cruiser and a total daredevil. She wants to do everything Atticus does and play with whatever toys he is playing with. Violet also continues to be a very hearty eater of anything she considers to be "big kid food". If you hear a dinosaur growl, it's Violet coming around the corner.

Atticus is a busy and bright little two year-old. He loves to read stories and will read one after another by himself or with anybody who will read to him. He especially loves getting "ri-bary" books. He is good at helping out around the house and sometimes good at sharing his toys with other kids. He's great at using the potty but not at staying dry in between trips, so we end up putting him in diapers about half the time. He can throw a pretty mean tantrum but can also be a mature little conversationalist. He really struggles with the concept of holding still and/or being reverent during prayers and church. He's a bundle of fun-loving energy. And he's really good at Hide and Seek. Only he tells you where he's hiding while you're looking for him.

James is really enjoying his work with Sparta, Inc. as a Software Engineer and especially enjoys the flexibility that working from home affords him. He has been riding his bike (sometimes with the kids in the trailer behind) more often on the sunny days we've been having--you know, the ones before this last rainstorm.

I'm learning to swim and am cycling too, so I'll be a "triple-threat" with my new-found running hobby. We're looking for a house to buy, as we've grown out of this two-bedroom condo. We have been working hard to get our place fixed up to rent it out, to de-clutter it for our yard sale this weekend and eventual packing and moving, and to find a house. We found a home that is a short sale that we love but we're still waiting on the bank to review our offer. Keep your fingers crossed on that one.

In addition to all that, we've been swimming in the pool and going hiking and on walks and to the library and running errands and trying out new recipes and watching So You Think You Can DANCE Dance dance. And playing German board games online. And not sleeping enough.