The Perfect Weekend

I LOVE the weekends. Sometimes they're crammed with so many activities that I feel like we need a couple days to recuperate after the weekend (which is supposed to be a time of rest, right?). Sometimes they're lazy and we spend most of our time hanging out on the couch. Sometimes they're highly productive and the garage gets cleaned, projects get done, etc. Sometimes the combination of a happy child, well-rested mother, and beautiful weather make for a perfect weekend. That was how this one went.

On Saturday morning I made breakfast burritos after Knute took Rudy out for exercise, and then we headed to Anthropologie (I had a gift card that's been burning a hole in my pocket since Christmas). It's my favorite store. Knute and Ellie stayed outside and watched the ducks while I took my sweet time. On our way home they dropped me off at Tomatina to have lunch with Shawn. She was in town from San Diego for a couple days. I love Shawn and I love Tomatina.

On Saturday night we headed to El Charro for a 30th Birthday Party and left Ellie with her first babysitter (that wasn't family). She didn't even cry when we left which I was relieved about, but it secretly made me a little sad. I called about once every hour, but I was OK. I was in the company of good friends and I was still able to enjoy my Margaritas.

Ellie slept in until about 7:30 on Sunday. She's been doing that lately and I love her for it. We had a leisurely morning drinking coffee, reading the paper, and eating toast. We headed to the Oakland Zoo in the afternoon with the Schroeders. I think Ellie is more entertained with her own dog then the zoo animals, but it was still a nice time. On the way home we stopped at In-N-Out for an early dinner. I had been craving fast food for weeks and today I had to succumb to my craving. It was totally worth it.
When we got home I spent time in my garden (see...I told you I was serious) planting seeds, tomato plants, and then watering them. Mark really likes to stress the importance of watering. That's all I have to do...just WATER everything! I don't think he realizes that this is what I've struggled with in the past.
Later I went on a run with Ellie and Rudy (well...sort of a run/walk).

Now it's Sunday evening and I just got finished reading my exhausted 10-month-old "Goodnight Moon" and putting her to bed. No, I can't believe she's 10 months old. It sounds so much older then nine.

I'm contemplating ending my Sunday night with a warm bath before snuggling into bed with my favorite person.

It was my version of the perfect weekend. I know they can't all be like this, so I will try my best to treasure these memories.

My 10-Month Old!

See Paris Run!

I ran a 10K on Sunday. Yes, I really ran the WHOLE thing. The weather in Santa Cruz was beautiful. The company was entertaining. My adrenaline was pumping. So...I just kept running! I was unstoppable. Sure, my pace was a bit slow, but I didn't care. There will be a next time. Everything about the day was PERFECT. Thank you Melissa, Amy, and Celeste! Maybe I'm being a bit dramatic, but I seriously couldn't have done it without them. Wow...I sound like I'm collecting some medal, which is definitely not the case. In the end, my body never ceases to amaze me. *Knute thought this last line sounded egotistical. What I meant was, the things my body can do ceases to amaze me (example: give birth). OK. I'll stop now.

Little Happenings

I've been a little uninspired lately. Not really sure why, but I guess I've had a bit of a "Blogger's Block" if you will.

Anyways, here are the little happenings going on in our life:

*My good friend, Jen, visited from Denver last week. She was actually in Sonoma for a work trip and then stayed a couple extra days here. We enjoyed doing what we do best, which usually involves bumming around. She would wake up at about 10:30 each morning and tell me how GREAT she had slept. I was a little bitter.

*We had a nice Easter Sunday with the Bucklew family that involved attending Mass, lunch at our house, and an Easter egg hunt (one for Ellie and one for the big kids). I realize that I'm getting a bit too old for an egg hunt, but I just can't resist those Reese's Peanut Butter eggs. Nothing can make me run so fast. Which brings me to...

*Knute and I have been in a bit of a health kick lately. Knute much more so then me. He's been doing some muscle confusion program. PX90 something. Maybe. It lasts for 90 days and each session is about 60-90 minutes. We work up a sweat in the comfort of our own living room. I join in every so often. I'm trying not to be such an all or nothing type thinker. I like the Yoga and ab exercises. Which also brings me to...

*I'm running a 10k this Sunday in Santa Cruz. I haven't trained for it like I should have. Actually, not really at all. Sometimes when I take Rudy and Ellie for a walk I turn it into a part run, but it doesn't usually last very long. I'm pretty nervous about Sunday to say the least.

*I'm sort of starting a new hobby. About a week ago my Father-In-Law,Mark, showed up at our front door with a packet titled "The Garden Helper." I really wasn't sure what to think of this at first, but now I've kind of embraced it. He told me that he wants to help me grow a garden. I didn't know if I should laugh or cry. I thought that maybe it would be some fleeting idea of his, but last night he showed up with a truck full of gardening soil (I think that's what it was). He said that he would be back tonight to build a fence around the gardening boxes (to keep out Rudy) and rototiller (sp?) the soil. I can't even tell you what a rototiller looks like or what it does. In a couple weeks we are going to plant tomatoes, onions (or whatever my heart desires) and it is MY responsibility to keep them alive. It's kind of a lot of pressure, but I'm actually really looking forward to it. I hope to show up at your front door soon bearing baskets of squash! Please let me in.

*There are two words to describe Ellie these days: BUSY and HAPPY. She learned how to crawl a few weeks ago and has been non-stop ever since. She likes to follow Rudy around the house, climb stairs, play in the trash, and make a mess of just about anything. This, in turn, makes me very busy. Nine months has definitely been my favorite age so far.