Happy Birthday, Kyra!

It's hard to believe three years have gone by since we welcomed our baby girl into our hearts and home! She makes me smile (and want to pull my hair out a lot of times, too!)

The big party is tomorrow, but she is in full birthday glory today!

If You've Gotta Work Out Anyway . . .

Make your workout count! Eric Harr, fitness pro and author of Goal Digger Fitness, will donate $5 to the humanitarian organization CARE for every hour you exercise and log here.

How cool is that? Now get out there and MOVE!

October Play List

Brrr! It's getting darn chilly for my morning runs! Time to get some more good tunes. I may add another list as I am training for the Fall 50 and I have quite a bit to do to be in shape to do it. Here's what is on the list for October:

Check Yes Juliet - We The Kings (yes, I brought it over from last month but it's just a great song to run to!)
Your Grace is Enough - Chris Tomlin
Unbreakable - Fireflight
Something To Say - Matthew West
Gotta Be Somebody - Nickelback
Viva la Vida - Coldplay
Runaway - Bon Jovi
All American Girl - Carrie Underwood
Feels Like Tonight - Daughtry
Sin Wagon - Dixie Chicks
We Go Together - Grease Soundtrack
I'm Gonna Catch You - Laurie Berkner
Stay Strong - Newsboys
Definition of Me - Steven Curtis Chapman
Tell Him - Vonda Shepard

We're Back!

WARNING: This is going to be a photo-heavy entry!

What can I say to describe the last week? Our journey started on the 19th as we drove to Milwaukee to spend the night before taking off early the next morning. We had my birthday dinner at The Cheesecake Factory and then promptly headed to the hotel to go to sleep. We woke up Saturday morning at an unuasually early hour and made it to the airport only to find there were "maintenance issues." So, instead of going by plane, we were put on a bus to O'Hare. Actually, it took just about the same amount of time as it would to fly and the bus was comfortable.

The kids were extremely well-behaved on the flight down to Mexico. The drive to the resort was eye-opening. There is such a huge contrast between the luxury resorts and the villages that surround them. I did my best to point this out to Ian and Kyra.




The resort itself couldn not have been more perfect for us. They had an "Explorer's Club" that we could check the kids into. Each day, they had a schedule of activities and Ian would choose what he wanted to do and we would check him in and out. We did have the kids in there for lunch and dinner so Rich and I could have a quiet dinner each night. By the end of the first day, Kyra was counting to ten in Spanish (Ian can get even higher). We have nothing but good things to say about the kids club. Kyra and Ian both enjoyed their time and their teachers. The pictures above are a couple of the various kids' activities. One night they had a "show" and another night, they took part in the Mexican fiesta. Kyra and Ian were "co-winners" in the "Viva Mexico" contest. When you had the sombrero on your head, you had to shout "Viva Mexico!". Ian was the most entusiastic and Kyra was just a ham!








Aside from the kids' activities, there was no shortage of things to do at the resort. Each day we started with a huge breakfast and then headed down to the beach/pool. We spent LOTS of time in the pool! Kyra was a little hesitant the first few days, but by the end of the week, she was "swimming" like a pro and jumping into the deep end (provided we were there to catch her). They both also enjoyed the ocean trampoline (which made Mommy seasick).




When the kids were busy with the kids club, we got to play too. Rich participated in Beach Olympics. Here he is after a game where they had to pass flour over their heads in a line. We also played quite a bit of beach and tequilla volleyball (and yes, the latter does involve beverage).






I would also be remiss if I didn't mention the food and drink available! It was actually overwhelming and we often didn't know what to choose (although I would have been just as happy munching on fresh guacamole and chips). Even my pickiest eater found new things to try! Ian discovered he loved pollenta and he found that everything (including bacon) tastes better with Nutella! In the evening, we went to several "adult" only restaurants including Asian, French and Italian. I discovered it is far too easy to drink a bottle of Merlot by one's lonesome when said bottle is left at the table (but oh was it good!). Kyra, in true princess fashion, has an affinity for being served by room service. In fact, I am surprised that she did not demand a fruit plate and tres leches cake (Miss M, I may need a recipe sometime)before nap time today! The kids also discovered rather quickly that the bars were not for adults only! Their favorite drink? "Happy Kids", of course!







On Wednesday, Ian got to go on an excursion with us to the Mayan ruins at Tulum. The view was absolutely spectacular! It was one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen! The boys also found a "virtual" geocache.




And here is the Mexican equivalant of the squirrel - the iguana. The first time one of these scurried across my path, I was a little freaked out. But then I soon realized they were EVERYWHERE and, much to Kyra's delight, they were really fun to chase! But you could sneak up on them (and with the help of an ultra zoom) get some decent shots of them!

In addition to everything else, Ian was able to go snailing, snorkeling and kayaking for the first time. He is extremely excited about snorkeling and even wants to keep practicing and is interested in looking into scuba lessons. I think we may have opened a(n expensive) can of worms here!

We got back late last night and the kids were exhausted though extremely good travelers. We're all a little sad to have left our slice of paradise, but at the same time, theer's no place like home! I look forward to catching nup with everyone soon!

Another benefit of weight loss

Clothing takes up way less space in a suitcase (and you can bring more!)

Note to Self

1 Kyra + 1 Chocolate Cream Filled Cupcake = WHAT WAS I THINKING???!!!

Hopefully when she is done with her nap, she will have come down from her sugar buzz!

It will drive you MAD!

Last night, Ian wanted to play Mad Math. He got this game as a gift either for Christmas or his birthday but only played it a couple of times. Now, I guess it is a favorite in his new classroom at school, thus, the inspiration to play it at home.

It's a very simple game really but I can see how it's a great game for elementary math because there's LOTS of repetition. Anyhow, in a game that lasted a little longer than we had anticipated, there was a lot of laughter and quite a bit of silliness.

If you're looking for a fun, educational game, our family recommends this one!