again, i know better

BUT ... when stuck in the car for long periods of time with a screaming toddler. You do what you gotta do.

Were chocolate covered pretzels the snack of choice at that moment? No. They were all I had. She had already devoured the bunny crackers and other various snacks I had brought. All that remained was the snack I had packed for me ... but it went to much better use.

It made for one happy toddler.

xoxo, the blad pad

may day ... may day

A distress call indeed.

May 1st. And we had snow flakes falling. SNOW. And yes, this *is* Minnesota for all of those that like to point that out. But come on, let's all admit that seeing snow on May 1st isn't usual. It's just down right torture. Especially after that long, horrible winter we had. So much snow. So much cold. We are just aching for some down right decent weather in this house .... as I know most of our family and friends are too. I am not asking for much - just some dry weather that don't require winter jackets.

Please hear my distress call Mother Nature. Between the continued freeze in the north and the horrible heartache of storms in the south, we all need a break. And it seems to me that you have been quite busy yourself creating all this nastiness, so it would be a win-win situation. You get a break and we get a break. Deal?

On a side note .... every year we get this really adorable May Day basket that a kindergartner makes at a nearby elementary school (you know, the one we could SKIP to but we can't get in!). I have always felt it is really sweet thing for the school to bring them to our neighborhood even though we live on the wrong side of the tracks ... or should I say county line (boy am I grumpy today. I blame the weather). But it is truly a fun surprise to see the bright, beautiful basket hanging on the door .... So, to the kindergartner who made and delivered the flowers to our home, Happy May Day right back to you!

xoxo, the blad pad

mirror, mirror on the wall

easter awesomeness

What a great Easter ... it was a jam-packed day starting at 5am when we heard Bergen attempting to wake up Annika to "go look for eggs". After JUMPING (well, Lars did) out of bed to stop the egg hunt from happening before the sunrise, Bergen was ever so patient and waited almost 2 hours (!) until his little sisters woke up.

Then was church ... followed by brunch at the Kenfields (Lars' aunt and uncles) .... followed by a nap. Well, a nap for me. GP offered to take the Bigs for the afternoon so Lars and I could bring Ingrid home for a nap. Except Ingrid didn't nap so that meant only one of us could .... and Lars' Easter gift to me was allowing me to nap.

Here are a few pics from the 200 that we took on Easter .....

Okay, that was waaaay more then a few pics. I guess it is just representative of the many, many joys we had on Easter. So blessed!

xoxo, the blad pad

happy birthday to you

happy birthday to you...

happy birthday dear ingrid ...

i can't believe you're TWO!!!

my runner/my self

Well, I completed my second race of the season and it wasn't pretty. It was the first annual Goldy's 5k at the U of M. After completing the 7k and feeling sooo good during and after, I thought I had this one in the bag. And just when you think you have things figured out, life teaches you a few things, right?

This is what I learned: Start at the BACK of the line. Instead I ran with my super-star friend Cara who kicks butt at running ... and we started at the FRONT of the line. I believe our toes were touching the start line. When we started running I tried keeping pace for about .25 of a mile with the people around me before realizing that I was trying to keep up with hard core runners (you know, the ones that start at the front!) that I could not possibly keep pace with. So I took my pace down a notch (or two... or three... ) and then watched 1,500+ people pass me by. Ouch. It was a spirit killer to say the least.

And after starting too strong I was tired. I apparently missed every sign telling me how far I had run (really? Me not read directions/signs? Huh, go figure) so I had no idea how far I had gone ... or more importantly how far I had to go. Another spirit killer when already feeling tired and not sure how much longer I could keep running.

But as you can see I ended up running to the finish with a smile on my face. Or was that because I realized after running into the stadium that I was going to be on the big screen so I had better smile? Yeah, pretty sure it was because of the big screen. But I did finish in 31 minutes which is about what I had hoped to do (clock reads 10 minutes fast which is clocking the 10m run that started 10 minutes before the 5k).

Up next is a 10k at the end of the month. Less then two weeks away. I am really hitting the Hal Higdons half marathon training schedule so I *think* I will be fairly prepared for that one. Plus, my boys will be running!

Bergen will be running his FIRST EVER RACE with Lars the same day! Since I started running Bergen has been begging to run with me. Now that the snow is melted and we can run outside together we got him his own pair of running shoes! We took our first run and he ran (the entire time!) 1.8k. Lars and Bergen will be running a 2k in the same race I will be doing my 10k.

I am really wishing I could run the race with him. However, I will be well into my 6.2 miles before their race even starts. There will be plenty of other races for us to enjoy together (that is if he continues to stay interested in running!). Plus, it will be a great father/son activity.

xoxo, the blad pad

oh, my dutiful first born

"Hey Mom, can I play the Wii when I get home?

Oh wait, I have homework in my backpack.

Maybe I should do that first.

Yeah, I should do that first....

Hey Mom, after I do my homework can I play the Wii?"

To which I said "you bet". But even if I had told him he could play the Wii *before* homework he would have given me a look of concern. Of unease. No, homework would come first. He is so much like his Dad.

I can't help but wonder if his sisters will have his strong [home]work ethic. Maybe they will take after me ... who would have happily played the Wii before homework. Neither way is right or wrong. It is just how we operate.

But what I really want to know is where did this homework loving boy learn to flash the peace sign every time I take his picture now??

xoxo, the blad pad

i know better

then to bring the girls with when Bergen gets a hair cut. But we had the time and his hair was badly in need of a cut. Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do .... even against better judgement.

Ingrid picking hair off the floor ...

and then often trying to put it in her mouth (yuck!)

Ingrid going for the lollipops for the 100th time

Ingrid being told "no" for the 100th time

Ingrid checking out the coffee supplies

Having a water cooler chat with sister ...

with cup #7 after throwing away the first 6 no matter how quickly I tried to save them (grrrr)

And no, based on the pictures it doesn't seem so bad. But between takes I was running after one girl or the other, keeping hands away from hot irons, trying to keep bottles of shampoo on the shelf, making sure the water stayed in the water cooler or in a cup, picking up goldfish off the floor .... oy!

I always say "never again" but as 'they' say ... never say never.

xoxo ... the blad bad

good-bye comfort zone

and hellooooo Atlanta!

This past weekend I was given the opportunity to visit Lars' mom Peg in HOT-lanta with my sister-in-law Megan. When we planned the trip way back in January it seemed like the first weekend in April was impossibly far away ... but low and behold it came upon us ... and fast. So fast that most people didn't know I was going until I updated Facebook that I was there. Maybe that is because I don't plan that far into the future - I am less of a "what is going on in the next week/month and how can I prepare and plan for that?" but more of a "what is happening tomorrow and what needs to happen tonight before I fall on the sofa and don't get up again?" kind of a girl.

Or maybe I was living a bit in denial that I was going. Not because I didn't want to go (heaven knows I needed a weekend away ... especially a girls weekend in warm weather!), but that I had to get on an airplane. I strongly dislike flying. I start having nightmares and panic attacks at least a month before boarding a plane. I can't even think about the trip itself and the fun that I will have on said trip - my mind merely fixates on the fact I have to get on an airplane. It depresses me how much just the thought of flying deters me from wanting to travel. In fact, while flying back home I think I told Megan that I "am never, ever, ever going to fly anywhere ever, ever again". Now, deep down I know that isn't true. But I really wish I could get over the paralyzing anxiety. Flying puts me way out of my comfort zone.

As does being away from my kiddos. It didn't help that I was at the clinic with Ingrid the day before with a 105-degree temp. I have no clue what that was all about ... and neither did the Doc. But even with no major health crisis happening I was glad to be boarding the plane knowing that she was going to be home with her dad and that help was very close by....

I know how incredibly important being away from the kids is and I look forward to that time with great anticipation ... until the time actually comes. Then I freak out and worry like crazy and try to convince myself that I really don't need the time away and think I should just stay home (just a wee bit neurotic?!?). I have the most amazing ability to think of and fixate on worst case scenarios. If it were a game show, I would be the Ken Jennings of that show. Being away from the kids doesn't come easy for me ... a couple hours I can handle. But two days and a plane ride away? Definitely out of the comfort zone.

But, on to the actual fabulous trip itself. Which is what is was - fabulous. I got to do a lot of this ...

and this ....

and I even got to cross something off the bucket list (how cool is that?)! Lars and I are huge Top Chef fans and have always wanted to eat at a restaurant of one of the top chef contestants or judges (in fact, some day we hope to take a top chef tour in a city with a bunch of restaurants from the top chefs and just eat ourselves silly). Richard Blais, one of our all time favorites, recently won top chef all-stars and though he doesn't own Flip Burger Boutique, he is the creative director of the menu. I highly suggest eating there if you are ever in Atlanta ... especially the fried pickles and Nutella + Burnt Marshmallow milkshake. Yummmmy! Here is a pic of the booths in the restaurant. Get it ... Flip?? So cool!

It was a blockbuster kind of a trip - tons of action piled into a quick two days. We really enjoyed some nice, quality time together ... resting, shopping and eating.... went to the theater and saw an incredible play called Traveling Black .... and the weather couldn't have been more perfect.

Plus we got to have lunch with Dave Horn (who married Lars and me almost 11 years ago!) who was visiting Atlanta for work.

And after a very long 10 hour day of travel back home, I was greeted by a welcome home sign and a sweet message from my sweeties ....

All my stressing out was just that - stressing out. For nothing. The weekend couldn't have gone any better and I really, truly enjoyed myself (as did everyone else). "They" say it is good to get out of the comfort zone and as a person that struggles with it I have to agree. So much that I just might have to do it again. Soon. And I am not saying that next time I won't stress, because I know I will. But at least I will be a bit more comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Thank you Lars, Dan and Barbara for taking such good care of my babies. Thank you Megan for being such a great sister and enduring my constant (and I mean constant) asking of "is that normal?" while on all 4 of our flights. And thank you Peg so, so much for your wonderful hospitality and helping me take a trip that I didn't know how much I needed! I am so lucky!

xoxo, the blad pad