Our Fam

Our Fam

Friday, January 27, 2012

Loving Playdates!

We had a fun day today! The moms group came over today with the kiddos for a playdate. This was great timing because we needed to switch things up in this place. The morning started with a 7am wake up which is always good. Dylan woke up sweet and smiley; he was ready for friends. Ava always wakes up smiley so we are set for a great day! :) Dylan helped me finish up the cleaning of the house so we'd be ready for the onslaught. :)

I put Ava down for a nap at 9:30am so she would get some sleep before playtime. The group began arriving at 10am with all the kiddos and yummy snacks. Perfect timing. It was so nice beginning a Friday with our friends. Five mommies came over with about two kids each. One mommy has three and one mommy is preggo with #2. All of us have a 2/3 year old as well as a baby under a year old. It was a busy, noisy and fun place to be. That is if you like that kind of thing.;) All of us mommies agreed that we needed this playdate not only for our kids, but for us too.

Dylan and his friend Camden come from the "hockey" families. So, Dylan was really excited to have a friend to practice with.



Ava's friend, Ethan, is about 2 weeks older. They were playing together, but I missed it. Shucks!



I was in the middle of taking pictures when I heard the howls of unrest. It was about 12:30pm, which is getting close to nap time, meaning the kids were getting tired. I meant to get more of the group. Oh well, maybe next time.

Our morning playdate really set the tone for the rest of our day. Both Ava and Dylan went down for a great nap at the same time! I got to read on the couch and relax. How wonderful is that?! They both woke up smiley so we hit up frozen yogurt for a late snack. Then the kiddos decided to play nicely together. HUGE!




I know you can't tell in this picture, but Ava is walking! She takes between 5-10 steps now before landing on her booty. Yay Ava!

So...all in all, today was a good one. I think that we need to schedule playdates every Friday. By the end of the week, us moms are tired and we need to work together. :) Thank you mommies for all the fun and happy kids!

Thursday, January 26, 2012

First step to sanity...the gym

The gym saved my sanity today! Let me give you a little history.

First off, this is a PMS week. You ladies know what I mean. Second, late on Tuesday I got a call from our property manager in VA. This is never good. Our dishwasher leaked and basically flooded half the kitchen including damage to the flooring, cabinets and carpet on the other side of the bar area. Now I'm dealing with our insurance company and getting the issue fixed. To top it off, Dylan has been up to his antics since last night around dinner time. I was praying that a bottle of wine would show up at my door, but it didn't. :( As I walked my screaming child back to bed I mentioned to Ran that a margarita would taste really good right about now. When I came back, it was waiting for me on the counter.
Nice! I really wanted to go to the gym last night, but I was so exhausted physically and emotionally that I gave into the alcohol instead.

This brings me to today. The little man woke up at 7am in a great mood. I let my guard down thinking that we were going to have a great morning before school. Then the switch flipped! We didn't get to school until 8:30am (30 min. later than normal) because there were issues. I did everything in my power not to lose it and was successful. Needless to say I NEEDED the gym!

I hopped on the elliptical and went full speed ahead!

In the first 15 min. of my workout I found myself spinning at an average of 9.5 mph with an occasional 10.0 thrown in at a resistance level 3. The lady next to me even took a couple glances my way. Maybe I looked as crazy as I felt. :) After 35 minutes of pure therapy I had gone almost 5 miles. I wish I ran that fast! I did a little lifting on my chest and back before having to call it quits. I wasn't ready to leave. I probably could've worked out another hour, but Ava wouldn't last that long in child watch so it was time to go.

I did feel better, but a few tears while chatting with my mom also helped. :) Time to kick this day in the booty! I did chat with the contractor repairing the kitchen and we're looking good.


It looks scary I know, but at least we are on the mend. My Amex card is smoking, but everything is getting fixed. I ordered some makeup from Sephora.com and used my gift cards. Always fun! My order of new undies from Maidenform.com showed up today. Of course I got them on sale. That's fun too! Dylan came home on edge, but I turned him and he went down for nap as my sweet boy. :)

Lastly, tomorrow my moms group comes over for a playdate which is always fun! I've decided that it is hug day tomorrow. Everyone is getting one when they come into my house. Not only do I need one, but every mom out there could use a hug. So...if you are one of those moms and reading this, get excited. ;)

The gym was the initial therapy, but a little shopping and good conversation always helps too. Now I have to do a little cleaning for the friends tomorrow. :) Adios amigos!

P.S. The man woke up right before posting. He may need some assistance in finding his happy place. :)

Friday, January 20, 2012

He's Baaack!

I have this theory that when it comes to 2 year olds, God has a crafty plan. Before my wonderful sweet funny little boy turned two, I thought that I could handle the "terrible twos" no problem.

2010
Sept. 2011

Nov. 2011
 I have now come to realize that there is no way to prepare for the madness until it happens to you. So what is God's crafty plan? He has created an ebb and flow type pattern with the emotions of the kiddo. The sweet cutey pie disappears for a period of time and in its place is this difficult, angry, super emotional child.



It happens out of nowhere! This kid stays around for an unpredictable period of time...could be weeks. About the time I can barely stand it any longer and my patience is shot, the sweet little boy comes back and stays for a little while. It is this back and forth routine that fills up the entire 2-year old year. It's exhausting!

So...my emotional Dylan has come back for a visit this week. We have had such a great time for the past month or so.




He has been easy for the most part. Of course there are the daily challenges that happen regardless, but overall, pretty easy. Then on Monday the switch happened. As I said...it comes out of nowhere!

It has only been a week, but I have to ask...when is my sweet boy coming back? I left him in his room screaming like a crazy animal for his nap this afternoon. We usually enjoy lying together on the bed reading a book while Ava is the destruct-or in his room. :) I miss that!

I don't know how long this emotional child will be staying, but until then I will pray every night for him to return. I will try and workout as much as possible to keep me sane and not turn to my favorite vice of frozen yogurt. I will concentrate on reading a good book at night and enjoying my crafty side in making bows. I will take advantage of every smile, laugh and cuddle he will give me and remind myself that this is a stage and it too will pass. :)

Thursday, January 19, 2012

For the Love of the Gym

Each time we've moved, one of the first places I seek out is a gym. I've always loved the gym! I joined my first gym when I was 14 years old...that was the age the gym began allowing "kids" to join.  Before joining as well as during the early years of my gym career, I danced for the studio, San Diego Dance Centre.  Now at 34, I realize it has been 10 years since I took a class, but it doesn't feel that long. I'm sure if I took a class now, I would look very rusty. :) I love the feeling after I work out. I love the sore muscles when I know that I challenged myself. How could I not also love the results? :)

Not quite me, but she has reddish hair. ;)
 In Hawaii, I met some workout friends while taking classes. Unfortunately for AZ, the class times don't quite work with Ava's morning nap schedule and let's face it, I'm exhausted at night. So, each time we move, Randy always hears the statement...I want to join a gym. In VA, we weren't married yet so I worked out the financials. In Hawaii, there wasn't one close by so I just went to the one on Pearl Harbor for free. It wasn't fancy, but did the job.


Here in AZ, Ran's work pays for our membership to the YMCA as long as we go 8 times a month.


We've been pretty lucky. So the question stands...where will my sweat fall in DC? I'm all ready to do home workouts, but let's face it, there is just something therapeutic about the gym. :)

Now that you understand my love of working out, my goals for a healthier me may make more sense. As I look at my baby pooch in the mirror, I remind myself that it will be gone soon. :)

This week has been a great week at making my workouts! My "weigh-in" day is Thursday. This is the day I can check my progress both on the scale and with the trusty measuring tape.
I chose Thursday because just in case I have a gorging type weekend, it doesn't ruin my check-in day. This gives me at least 3 workout days after the weekend just in case. ;) So how did I do?

I lost 1.5 lbs, almost an inch in the waist and 1/2 inch in the hips. I take more measurements than that, but you get the jist. In total, since I got serious about 3 weeks ago, I've lost 5 lbs, almost 2 inches in the waist, an inch in the hips and almost an inch in the booty. I'm getting there! Just wait, when I do get to DC, I should be at my fighting weight. ;)

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

We're leaving Phoenix...

It is for sure...our time in Phoenix is coming to an end. Now all my military friends are asking, "Did Randy get orders?" Well, the official orders, or contract for my civilian friends, are not in hand; however I can say we're off. Let me share how it all happened in less than a week. Yes...it happened quickly!

Randy had been at annual meeting in Laughlin for the first part of last week. When he got back to the office on Thursday, there was a message waiting from his detailer, the lady who places everyone in their next jobs. She said that an officer was coming in to his job in June and they needed to find Randy a new job that begins around the same time. What? That's less than 6 months away! We're supposed to get a year, but the Navy does what they want when they want.

Randy began looking at an older list of job opportunities (from Nov.)...it was the only one online. There was a job on Oahu...filled. A job in San Diego...filled. A job in Norfolk looked open and I was ready to go back to VA and live in our great house. I even called our property manager there to tell her to have the tenants hold off on signing a renewal on the lease. About 3 hours later, when the detailer called back, we found out that Norfolk was also full. Then came the options...

-Okinawa, Japan....ummmm NO!
-Great Lakes area near Chicago
-Millington, TN (outside Memphis)
-Cocoa Beach, FL
-Kitsap, WA
-Washington DC

Can you guess what we chose?


WASHINGTON DC!
We are returning to the East Coast! When Ran and I were living in Virginia Beach, we always said it would be fun to live in DC. We love the idea of using the Metro to get around. Now that we have kids, I love the idea of going to the zoo


and a variety of museums



for FREE. Now some museums will be more interesting than others ;), but we also have great spaces to walk and run around. I also get to visit DC Cupcakes in Georgetown.

Yummy!

The next step to this madness is waiting for orders so that we can start planning the actual move. His detailer said we can move out there in 60 days because the position is open, but Ran's current command wants there to be a turnover with the new guy. So we'll probably leave in mid July. He'll be working right by Arlington Cemetery and near the Pentagon.  We've been looking at rental homes in Northern Virginia that are close to the Metro. I'm loving the size of these homes! We'll end up hiring a real estate agent to help us out. We did the same thing here in Phx.

I'm going to miss all my great friends here, Dylan's fantastic school, and of course the proximity to our families. I'm excited to conquer a new city and meet new friends. So far I haven't had an issue with that. ;) So this summer will begin our new adventure in DC. Is DC ready for our crazy family? ;)

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Changes are brewing...

It is a new year and we all talk about changes for the new year. Well, it is happening over at the Krekeler house!

Randy and I have been talking about where our next move is going to be and hoping that we would be able to leave Phoenix before summer. I absolutely love our friends here and love Dylan's school, but last summer kicked my butt! Phoenix set a record for the number of days over 110...ridiculous! Since we knew we were going to move in the next year anyway, I really wanted to get out of here before the heat sets in. So...this morning Randy got some info of our future here. The Navy has already placed someone in Randy's job beginning in June so depending on when in June, we could move by July. Where we're going to go hasn't been determined yet. We have a couple of places brewing, but I'm not ready to blast that info yet. :) Depending on the options and our desires we could move as early as May. Now...keep in mind, this is the Navy so nothing is set in stone until orders have been written. :)

A main focus of mine this next year is to get my pre-baby body back! I'm not talking before Ava, I'm talking before kiddos. :) I've been using the app, My Fitness Pal and have lost 3.5 pounds in just over a week!

It's so easy to use on my iPad. I've committed to logging my food choices and working out 4 days a week. It's working! I even went to frozen yogurt twice this week with my mom and still lost weight. I'm so excited! Another great site that helps with logging food is Spark People.


I've used this site for about 5 years and love it. When I was looking for apps to assist my weight loss, I did a blind app search and found myfitnesspal, but sparkpeople is a great one too!

The last change that is brewing in our house...my little Ava is about to walk! She is 10 months and still as petite as ever, but is determined to keep up with her big brother! She keeps letting go while standing as well as pushing herself up off the floor without assistance.


She's now reaching for objects so the walking is coming soon. It's exciting and scary at the same time!

So it looks like 2012 is going to be exciting! A new home, a skinny healthy mom and two kids running all over the house. Sounds fun to me!

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Running on Little Sleep

This morning I got a nice wake-up scream from Ava at 6am. Up until she got sick last week, she would sleep through the night with a wake-up time of about 7:30 or later. Absolutely wonderful right?! Well, a little sickness bug got into our house and messed up our beautiful sleep schedule. It took a week to get Ava sleeping through the night again and now she gives the "Mommy come get me NOW!" scream when it is still dark outside. Ouch! Winter in AZ means the sun doesn't rise until almost 7:30am so 6am feels even earlier! I did wait until 6:30am just to see if she might decide to fall back asleep. No luck.

I think Dylan has this sensor in him that tells him when someone is up in the front room. I'm giving Ava her bottle while sitting in my favorite glider  in the dark, and my little guy comes down the hallway wearing his Lightning McQueen slippers looking for a little company.
Dylan wouldn't let me take a picture of him wearing them. I'll get it eventually. :)

We are officially up!

Now my tiredness this morning isn't all because the early morning wake up call. Randy and I were catching up on our favorite Showtime show OnDemand. This weekend is free Showtime weekend so we have to take advantage since we don't get the channel regularly. What show might you ask...Californication.

Now if you haven't seen this series, let me run you through a checklist to see if this show is for you. :)
* Does cursing and/or inappropriate language bother you?
* Do sexual innuendos and/or graphic scenes make you uncomfortable?
* Does watching a character with a complete lack of moral compass bother you?
If you answered "yes" to any of these questions then I recommend you NEVER watch this show. Sometimes my jaw drops at what this show can get away with, but all things considered...we think it is funny. It takes a lot for me to get offended from a tv show.

Now, that being said...Randy and I stayed up until after midnight finishing up the season. He leaves for a work trip on Sunday afternoon so we needed to get a lot of watching in. By about 12:45am, we finally shut the lights off for sleepy time. Then, about 30 minutes later I hear these little footsteps enter my room. Dylan wants to sleep in our bed. It is very rare that we say yes because no one sleeps well when we're all in the same bed. So after spending 20 minutes in his bed, I finally get back to my bed to finally sleep at almost 1:30am. Does the 6am scream sound early now? That's how I felt. Guess who is still in bed after 8am? The hubs owes me tomorrow morning!!!! (He got up before posting this)

Even though it started early, the beauty of this morning is that everyone is getting along! Woohoo! Dylan has so much love for his sis that many times it comes out a bit aggressive. He wants to wrestle which includes rolling on top of her, putting her in a headlock and sometimes insisting she sniffs the carpet. She's a pretty good sport for a little while then the shrieking begins.
This is an older picture, but a good example of what happens all day long. 

:)

So this morning, Dylan is sharing so nicely and being gentle which makes for such a nice morning. This is why I'm able to jump on my blog for a little bit. :) After an enjoyable cup of coffee, I'm actually not feeling as tired as I should for only 4 1/2 hours of sleep. Maybe I'm just used to it. :)

On the plan today:
* Either a workout at the gym or a run outside.
* Continue to us my new favorite app, My Fitness Pal, to help me keep track of my food.
* A shower! :)
* Playtime with kiddos...maybe we'll head to the park.