birthday girl

As mentioned in a few posts ago, the little girl turned 4 years old this month and we celebrated very quietly this year, with just immediate family. But it's not really a quiet celebration with my family- we are talking over 25 people. However, a beautiful, warm afternoon in the middle of July, food, a pool, sunscreen, a pinata, a delicious cake and the company of family was all we needed to celebrate this 4 year old. 

And she was just fine with it, it was the perfect pool party!

 

JULY catch up

It's July, which basically means we are half way through the year! Can you believe it?

This means my little girl turns 4 real soon, my hubby is turning another year older, summer is in full swing, lots of upcoming beach, pool and outdoor time and it's going to get hot up in here. Hello Summer!

It's been a few months since I've been here and not a lot of changes, but a lot going on. With pre-school ending at the beginning of June, that brought on the end of the first swim session and dance classes on Saturdays. 

It was the first time CJ has ever been in swim lessons, but because of her love for swimming pools and water, it was no problem for her adjusting to learning and actual instructions. Today she starts swim lessons again for 2 weeks straight, and we hope the consistency helps the learning curve. 

The dance recital took place last weekend and I had no idea how hectic of a day that would be. But at the end of the day it was all worth it! Seeing my little girl on stage pulling off dance moves that she has practiced over the last few weeks couldn't make me more proud. Her class was assigned "Circle of Life" from the Lion King movie, so their outfits were to die for. Nude, long sleeve leotard, nude tights, brown tutu, lion ears made on a headband and a tail to attach to the tutu. The proud mom in me yelled her name while on stage and she stopped in her tracks to look for me and waved at us. A typical 4 year old ballerina moment... and that was my typical (Lion) Mom Pride moment, I just had to. :)

We have been hustling and bustling at work, which is a good thing. Balance between life at home and life at work is not an easy task, but I'm managing. Six months from now will be the good life. I put a hold on my barre classes since I'm training for a half marathon this August, and although I miss it training is more important than pulsing and plies right now. Most running days are great once I get past that 1st mile, but this heat will not be helpful. I just need to suck it up and get it done. In line with my training schedule, my long runs are approaching fast- pray for me!

Lots of party/get together planning over the next two months, but who am I kidding? This will be never-ending! I am looking forward to a fun summer filled with lots of relaxing, BBQ's, beach, pool & sun time, running highs (and lows) and quality time with family and friends. 

Thanks for visiting, I promise I will be back soon and more often!

summer music

There are some real good bands touring this summer and I can't get enough of them. Hubby and bro-in-law got me into island mode by introducing me to Island 98.5- a hawaiian based radio station that I listen to through I Heart Radio. Every time we visit Hawaii, Hubs first thing to do when we pick up the rental car is to set the radio stations. We like to explore the islands, find beaches and drive up and down the beautiful coast while listening to local radio stations. It's surreal...too bad we don't have a Hawaii trip planned. 

For now, I've been daydreaming about a Hawaiian vacation while listening and seeing the following artists:

Katchafire started off this whirlwind "summer concert tour" for us. I haven't heard too many of their songs to be a huge fan, but the few I have heard are pretty catchy. Before heading to the show, we had a few drinks and apps at Burlap to meet up with everyone for lil brother's birthday. We ended up seeing a ton of people we knew at The Belly Up when we got there, so between both places, it was a night full of drinking and mingling. 

A few weeks later, we headed to Solana Beach's Fiesta Del Sol to meet up with friends, family and their kids. And even better- they were holding free concerts! This worked out perfect because yet another island music artist was performing- Anuhea. She is a female artist born in Maui and her music is so soothing and it is such pleasant island music to listen to. It was very nice seeing her live and the kids had a great time playing and dancing around.

The Green is an "up & coming" band from Hawaii and I can listen to their music over and over and not get sick of it. I think they are that good! Just like Katachfire, we saw them at the Belly Up and they killed it! My friend was there that night and since she isn't that into them as much as I am, she was talking to me the whole time and I tried my best to listen to them and chat with her simultaneously.

There may be a few more "Island Style" music shows that will be added to our list before summer is over, but what I'm really getting excited for is the JT/JayZ concert coming up at the end of July. Although I know that parking and traffic at the Rose Bowl are going to be hell, I've been looking forward to this show ever since we bought our tickets back in March (when the album came out). I don't want to let that keep me from having fun, because regardless I know it will be a siiiiick show.
I mean JT AND JayZ? Seriously!

our weekends

I love my weekends!

How I wish they were longer so that I can fit in all my errands, my workouts, my chores and spend more time with my family and friends. We do what we can to make the most of it, so I was so happy when Barre added a 7am class on Saturdays. What a great way to make use of dead time! Not only am I getting my work out done, but I come home energized and start making big breakfast- one of the things we can never do on the weekdays as a family. Bacon, eggs, fried rice, toast or croissants, and of course coffee... morning coffee on the weekends are the BEST! For a while, hubs was making trips down the street to grab donut holes and old fashion donuts at the best donut shop ever. Coming home to sweet and sugary deliciousness after a rigorous work out wasn't ideal; I had to put a stop to that dangerous weekend tradition.

Fortunately we haven't been too busy with much, so our weekends have consisted of last minute, short trips to random local places. We checked out another part of Balboa Park and I wasn't in the mood to lug my camera around, so no great shots. Originally I wanted to spend some time in one of the museums, being that it was February and most, if not all, museums were 1/2 off admissions (museum month). But I was dragging myself around the Park as it was, I didn't want to pay admission and have to leave after 15 minutes. Those early morning barre classes have been catching up to me by mid-day.

Balboa Park, by the rose garden

rock climbing

Another weekend was spent in the East Village. This was the 3rd year going to Padres Fan Fest and although it wasn't that great of a turn out, it was a good time. We hung out on the field, something that can rarely be done and I chased the little girl around to try and tire her out. We waited in line to get a cheesy Hello Kitty painted on her face that I probably could've painted better. And we strolled through the park a bit before having dinner at Basic Kitchen- my favorite!

this location would be nice season ticket seats

Our first weekend in March was ruled by Disneyland. We drove out on a Friday afternoon and stayed until 10 and went home. Early the following day, we were the first to arrive at the Disney store which gave Camille the opportunity to turn and unlock the big Disney lock with the big Disney key. Did you know about this little event that they hold? My sis had done this a few times and I didn't realize what big deal this is. After Camille turned the key to unlock the store with a nice applause to follow, it sent a little girl in a tantrum wanting to unlock it. Sorry, sweetie! THEN on Sunday morning, we headed back up to Disneyland to spend the first half of the day there. I'll save that weekend for another post, but we were certainly Disneyed out.

on the tram heading towards Disneyland

the key to unlock the Disney store

Hazel and I ran a 5K race in Solana Beach that was pretty fun. The gunshot start was a little wild & chaotic- overly excited dogs, people stumbling and tripping on leashes, etc... And since it was a race to support the Helen Woodward Animal Center, Cloie got to run with me. Last weekend we ran another 5K and did pretty well. It was a fairly easy course but going forward I now have a new PR to beat. Sweet! That race has given me the run bug and I'm seriously considering a half marathon in a short six weeks. Future blog posts about those two 5Ks coming up.

With birthdays galore coming up I know for certain there will be a lot to talk about in the next few weeks. And there you have it, my weekends. Summarized in a few short paragraphs.
And guess what? It's Friday...the weekend is here!!!

5Ks

Another year, another list of races to run.

To be quite honest, I had not run at all since Thanksgiving Day at the 10k Run for the Hungry. And since then, I've only been committed to barre classes. Barre, my one and only source of exercise, got me through my first 5k of 2013.

Hazel & I ran the Puppy Love 5K race that supports the Helen Woodward Center for orphaned animals. The race took place in Solana Beach along the 101 and we were allowed to have our furry friends run with us. The sponsorship this race received was incredible- people must really love animals! And the race was pretty cool, although it was a little weird to do the same loop within a loop. The last part of the course was a gradual uphill, which didn't help my time. And speaking of which, when I crossed the finish line I noticed it was my worst time yet. I was considering all the factors (aka, excuses lol!)... running with Cloie, the repeating loop, the cold & frigid morning weather, the uphill finish--- only to find out later that the course was not measured accurately. I felt something was off and it was definitely longer than a 5k, so I'll take that into consideration. I was really beginning to question my endurance, wtf?! :)

More recently, the San Diego Half Marathon/5K took place and it was an awesome race. For this race, I rolled deep and rallied up my peeps. There were six of us and it was a lot of fun seeing everyone run in, one after the other. Makes me so proud, even Glen who ran it practically drunk. He had quite a few beers the night before at a friend's 40th birthday party and with the time changing forward, he still managed to cross the finish line before the five of us. Geeeez!

my drunk man & I

As I mentioned, this race was awesome for many reasons- mainly because I got my PR and ran it under 30 minutes, when I was only focusing on finishing it just at half an hour. This just sets the bar now for my future 5K runs and actually inspires me to run a half marathon that is coming up very, very soon. I haven't signed up (committed to) it yet, but I am so close to hitting the register button. A separate post will let you know soon! Anyways, the race was from point A to point B (Hillcrest to Downtown) and I love when races are set up that way, there were no hills, a medal at the finish line, a scenic run and it was extremely well organized. Probably the most organized race I've participated in. From signing up to crossing the finish line, they had everything coordinated to a tee! I would surely run this race next year, however I'm hopeful that I can step it up and run the half marathon!

Go Team!

all things Disney

With two weeks left on our Disneyland annual passes, we were scrambling to find the perfect time to visit The Happiest Place on Earth. On Friday we decided to pack up and spend the 2nd half of the day there and catch the fireworks show. After having our passes for a year, it's kind of funny how we did a few different things this time.

- Contrary to a previous post, we parked in the structure and took the tram into Downtown Disney.

- We stood in line (less than 25 minutes) for the Jungle Cruise.

- We all rode the Go Gadget Roller Coaster in Toon Town a few times.

- We walked through Tarzan’s Tree House.

- We ate a candied apple from Pooh’s Corner Bakery, which wasn’t that great and also disappointing because they don’t cut it for you. L

- We got a closer view of the fireworks show, which meant fighting the crowds. But it was worth it.

And after a long day at the park, we headed home. Yes, at 10:30pm and I took the wheel. That was tough, next time we crash at sister’s place!

I rolled out of bed Saturday morning and went to barre class. I don’t know how I did it after that tiring drive home, but I did! And I don’t know what came over us, but we were determined to get to the Fashion Valley Disney Store to find some highly coveted Sofia the First items. While waiting in line for the store to open, I suddenly felt like we were in a Princess line at Disneyland. Since we were first to arrive, Camille got to turn the giant lock to open the Disney store. It was ultimately the coolest thing for her to do. If you ever get a chance to do that while your kid is still “a kid”, you must! They give an exclusive Disney key to keep as a souvenir, but the entire experience itself is unforgettable and will be with them forever.

kids were envious of Camille, lucky girl!

 We weren’t quite finished being Disney losers, as we headed back up to Anaheim early Sunday morning. I was surprised to find us in the park 15 minutes after they opened. That has never happened all year (again) being pass holders and I wish we had been more on top of it. I guess being pass holders come with a much less urgency to get to the park. It was awesome though… characters were everyone at the front of Main Street for photo ops. We waited 5 minutes, I repeat 5 MINUTES(!), at Pixie Hollow, 10 minutes in the Princess line and a host of other attractions were easy to get on throughout the morning since we got there early. We treated ourselves to Mickey Mouse-shaped beignets and mint juleps- again, never have done that all year. LOL! It was so much fun, and how sad is it that this was our last day until the fall?

I’ve had enough Disney for a while, and this post is proof of what fanatics we were this weekend. It’s okay for Camille to be a fanatic, but us? Well- we do it ALL for her, so we get a pass. J While I’m certain we will get the Disney blues in a few weeks I think we will be okay staying local and visiting the animals at the zoo, hitting the beach this summer and keeping busy at my sister’s pools.

Disney overload!

music

A part of me misses the "twinkle twinkle little star" days.

The days when my sub one-year old Camille would hold up her chubby hands and close and open her fists whenever she would hear that song. Then she got into the Veggie Tales easy-sing-along CD that my bestie got her. A few of those personalized songs called her name out and left her a little bewildered. That stayed in the player for a good 6 months. I'll always miss those early days, but as far as her interests in music these days, things have changed. 

Sadly, she fell victim to Justin Beiber's "Baby" song (and the darn video, too), but I have to admit- she was so stinkin' cute singing it. And knowing the lyrics and how to sing it at the ripe age of 18 months was pretty impressive. Our bad.

Then came the Disney Princess CD that ruled all of our road trips. Long or short, she wanted the hear that CD and she wanted it started from the very beginning--- every time! It was played so much that songs would constantly be playing in my head as I worked throughout the day. It's still a hit in the car and also when we pop movies in the DVD to watch. All little girls need their princess moments for a solid 5-6 years, right?

Now at the age of three and a half years young, I have my daughter requesting music in the car or when we are in the living room having the occasional dance party.

"Mommy, can we listen to Bruno Mars, #1? And after that, Oppa Gangnam Style. And after that my princess CD. Okay?...Okay?...Okay?"

(if she only knew the meaning of her favorite song by Mr. Mars)

(he's creepy, I'm glad this phase didn't last too long)

Hang on, one more...

Here is the scenario at home: 

Camille shouts excitedly, "It's my song!"

She runs into the living room in front of the TV and happily dances and jumps up and down to Flo Rida's "I Cry" video. Mmmmm kay.

This three year old absorbs more than we think. The conversations we have, the activities at pre-school, the music we play (apparently), the names of all the Disney characters, recognizes places we go. But for her to know these current pop songs and want to sing a long? I don't think we/I play the radio that much?!

No matter how hard we try, we just can't escape it. And as usual, I know this is just a phase but I can't get over how a three year old makes music requests that her parents don't even know. I'd like to remain cool parents, ya know. ;-)