Lizzy's Big Day

Lizzy has been DYING to start preschool. DYING. Every time we have passed the school since Will stopped going several months ago, she's been screaming out, "there's my school!!!"

Needless to say, she was overjoyed when it was finally her turn to go. She's not shy and she loves making new friends. Mostly she's a show off ;). Her first day was v v fun and exciting. Her teacher is adorbs and Lizzy loves her stinkin' guts. Let's just hope her sassy mouth doesn't land her in the principal's office too many times :}.

She could not stop jumping!

She thought this was a super fab pose. She thought...

Lizzy and her buddy Kingston. He kept bossing her to stop jumping while I was trying to take a picture. She couldn't be bothered ;).

So, fabulous day, fabulous girl.

Peace out,

Heidi

The great swim (well, sort of)

This has to be the ugliest picture ever taken. I had to put it up here so you could all laugh with me.

The swim. Wow. I'm so glad I did it! If you ask me about it now, it was one of the funnest things I've ever done. If you'd asked me about it halfway through, I would have told you I was looking for a way out. Preferably the warmest one.

I was prepared for the distance. I could easily have gone further. I was woefully unprepared for the cold. Holy cow! We woke up the morning of the swim and I was horrified to find that the air temperature was only 50 degrees. I thought, "kill me now. I cannot do this, I have to have the sun shining on my back!" I got over the air temp. It was okay because adrenalin took over and my feelings of fear overtook the cold. The water temperature was something else. I'd been used to training (not often enough, apparently) in water that is about 68-70 degrees. The water at the start of the race was 66. I didn't know that or I may have attacked someone and taken their wetsuit. Alas, I had to be brave and I knew the only way I'd be happy with this race was if I swam it "naked" (sans wettie).

Well, I did. I was in the water for 2 hrs and 19 minutes. That is a LONG time to be in water you're not acclimatized to. Also, a long time for a 5K. I'm not quite sure what happened but my mile time increased by about 6 minutes per mile. What?! Whatevs. I'll get that under control before my next swim. Anyway, I started shivering about 1 minute in (yes, really) and was shivering so much that I had a hard time with my feed. Oops. Apparently my lips turned gray at one point and Steve started asking me my date of birth and full name etc., because he thought (rightly so) that I was getting hypothermic. About 2/3 of the way through the swim I stopped shivering and while that is sometimes a bad sign, I think I was okay because my skin color never did anything weird and in the pictures of me getting out of the water, my lip color is back. I am not a quitter but about halfway through I thought I might need to get out. Then I remembered the air temp and decided the only way to end the pain was to "just keep swimming". So I did. Lesson for me: train A LOT more in cold water before attempting the 10K next year. I'm such an idiot.

I'm happy to say that my stroke stayed pretty consistent throughout the swim. I had been trained in Total Immersion just a few months prior to the swim and it's made my stroke so much more efficient. Even though I was freezing to death, my arm entry and body roll were right on track ;).

Steve and his brother Matt were my paddlers and I'm very thankful for it. I still have a hard time sighting and they kept me on track and paddled for what I'm sure was a very boring two hours and nineteen minutes. Ugh. I'm glad Steve had some company otherwise he may have jumped overboard.

I'm so glad I did this swim and plan on doing many more. It was a great experience and I learned a LOT. The organizers and volunteers were fabbity fab. Maybe open water swimming is like childbirth-you forget how much pain you were in during the event and soon plan on doing it again ;).

Steve and Matt paddling away. The moistened bint in the water is me ;).

Nice form, Heidi!

Steve and Matt totally left me in the dust near the finish. I think they were embarrassed because some of the 10K racers were on my tail.

A Watery Tart.

I got major vertigo getting out. I've never had a problem before (it's an issue with swimmers) but I couldn't stand up on my own. Quite amusing.

So, so, so cold. Like an ice cube. Or a giant, tan icicle.

And the lovely hooded towel. My warmth and solace ;).

Peace out,

Heidi

10th Anniversary

Recently Steve and I celebrated our 10th anniversary. We're so old hat at this marriage thing now. We had an awesome midweek jaunt in Park City going to dinner at Zoom (the restaurant we went to on our first date), staying overnight at the Waldorf, and then just shopping and having fun the next day.

I have, it has to be said, the world's best husband. He has named himself "Captain Surpriso" because he loves surprising people. And he's really good at it. And really over the top. He planned the whole "staycation" (a really lame word that one of the valets used) and gave me a new ring AND, wait for it... A trip to Hawaii. What the what?! I'm so excited.

Okay, material things aside, Steve really is the best and I'm so glad I made the decision to marry him (after 4 years of dating) 10 years ago. We have the cutest stinkin' kids and they love him so much. As do I. I couldn't imagine life without him. We have so much fun together and he is so supportive of me in all my endeavors. I love you, beb ;).

Here we are on our balcony.

Vicky Pollard impersonations ;).

Steve's turn.

And now I'm in hysterics.

That's all I have to say about that.

Peace out,

Heidi

First Day of School, First Day of School!

How cute is he? Very, is the answer you're looking for. Will was SO excited to start kindy. He could hardly sleep the night before his first day. *I* could hardly sleep the night before. I was very sad for him to start (he's a big boy now, right?) but I didn't cry.

We got up early, popped him in the shower, had some breakfast and then waited and waited and waited until we could walk to the bus stop. The thing he loves most about kindergarten is the bus. He thinks it goes really fast and the fact that you "don't have to wear seat belts" is amazing to him.

Here's my little guy all ready for school. He thinks his back pack is the bee's knees ;).

He asked me to take a picture of his back pack.

This is Lizzy's idea of a cute pose. Will wanted a picture of them hugging and Lizzy flipped out and yelled, "NO, I do it like this!" and struck this pose. Honestly.

Another of her sassiness.

Waiting on the curb for the bus.

Will and me.

Will and Steve.

Will and the bus stop gang.

I had to sneak into the school and snap a few shots...

Here's the little guy walking out after his first day of school!

Will and a few of his classmates walking toward their moms. The parking lot is under construction so that's nice, isn't it ;).

The day went really well and I'm so proud of my little man. He's such a big boy now and after his first week he still LOVES kindergarten (except at the end when he has to sing, he says).

Peace out,

Heidi

Open Water Swimming

I'm a swimmer. I love it so much that until recently I've used it as very nearly my only form of exercise. Pool swimming, when you start to get in any sort of distance, becomes mind numbingly dull. Therefore, I have decided to venture into the sport of open water swimming. This is a whole new (and very scary) beast.

I've been fascinated with swimming the English Channel since 1999 when I took a ferry across it and thought, "you'd have to be mental to swim this". Someday I'd like to be that mental. Someday far away. For now I'll do small open water swims. My very first race is in a few weeks and it's in a local reservoir called Deer Creek. It's ridiculously beautiful. That is one of the draws of open water swimming. Instead of stupid tiles at the bottom of the pool, you get to look around at gorgeous scenery! Better, yes?

Anyway, last weekend there was a clinic that was held by the organizers of the Deer Creek Open Water Marathon Swim. I am SOOOO happy that I went. I had been having nightmares about this race. I'm not the kind of person who takes something on and doesn't finish so I knew that no matter how tough it got (even if I were on the brink of death), I would finish this race. Granted it's only a 5K, so this is not highly likely. Also, the temperature of the reservoirs has taken its sweet time rising this year since we had a very long spring. I'm a cold wimp. I'm also claustrophobic and a purist and hard core open water swimmers (I am not claiming to be a hard core open water swimmer but aspire to be one) DO NOT wear wet suits. I can't stand the way they feel and I thought I would die of shame if I had to wear one. Turns out, Deer Creek is going to be plenty warm. 72 (22) balmy degrees!! Huzzah! I was literally having dreams that people on my swimming chat site were making fun of me for wearing a wet suit.

SO, needless to say, the clinic was massively helpful. We did some drills, swam a bit, I tried out the cursed wetsuit and I calmed the heck down. Lovely.

Seriously. I mean, seriously.

Here we are getting ready to go. I'm in the blue cap, hidden by yellow cap speedo man.

Simulating a "race start". I'll always be at the back of the pack. Slow and steady wins the race, right? Blue cap. Notice how my head is down? Good form ;).

All the group at the clinic. Fun fun fun!

Hopefully this race will be grand adventure. I just found out that I'll be running a marathon relay about a month after this so... Um, go me?

Peace out!

Pauley Mac

What can I even say about this? Once in a lifetime experience, concert of a lifetime, epic event, legendary, bloody amazing!!! Paul McCartney was in the hizouse last night and I am telling you what, even at 105, the guy can rock! Amazing talent and an amazing entertainer!

My mom has been a Beatles fan since the dawn of time and actually had her bags packed, ready to go to Denver when she was in Junior High. Her horrific parents ;) wouldn't allow it so she had to wait 40 years for her next chance. She cried her fool eyes out when he came out on stage.

I can hardly blame her. This is Paul McCartney we're talking about here. Sir Paul. You know, the "cute one". The guy who has memorabilia in the British Museum. A fourth of the Fab Four. An actual Beatle. I was gobsmacked! I kept thinking, "this is crazy! I'm so lucky to be here!"

He sang so many amazing songs but my faves were probably "Blackbird", "Yesterday", and a ukelele version of "Something". Seriously fabbity fab! "Live and Let Die" was a pyrotechnic paradise and he ended with "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" which was lovely. And fun (especially since we saw several people in Sergeant Pepper regalia).

Steve and I before the concert (Steve is in the midst of canceling his AmEx because he lost it at dinner).

My mom and dad.

Paul.

Paul. Again.

All in all it was a dream come true. Especially for my mom who got to sing (along) with Paul in real life. How much fun is that? I ask you.

I hope everyone gets to have an experience like this with someone you believe is legendary. It makes for some pretty great memories.

By the way, the pictures were taken with my iPhone. I was afraid they would take away my camera. They're not great. Luckily my mom did bring her camera.

Peace out,

Heidi

Surgery

Needless to say this was one scary day for me. And Will. The surgery was a simple adenoidectomy (with a few other things thrown in). I'd coached moms through this 100 times and I knew it was not a big deal. However, this time it was MY baby getting poked and cut and made to fall asleep with crazy gasses that I do not fully understand.

Will and I went to the Avenues Surgery Center the day before and checked the place out. The nurse gave us a little tour and loaded Will up with stickers and a coloring book as well as cookies (way to go nurse!). We both felt much more calm after this little visit. Will knew what to expect so nothing was a surprise to him. Still, I was having a bit of a nervy spaz.

We checked in and filled out the necessary paper work and waited for them to call us back. Cute little Will didn't complain once about being hungry or thirsty and he was allowed no breakfast. Not even water :(.

Steve and Will in the waiting room. How cute are they?

When they called us back, the same nurse who had given us the tour on the previous day was in charge and that put us both right at ease. She was so great with Will. He had his blood pressure taken and was again stocked up with stickers, crayons and a coloring book. Happy day. We then went into another waiting room where he changed into a hospital gown and some crazy socks (he thought he looked dashing) and had a little exam by a resident.

Cute Doodle in his gown and socks.

We had to hang out for a bit after that in order for the surgeon to finish his previous surgery. Will just watched TV or played games on our phones. He was so good. About 30 minutes before the surgery the nurse came in to give him Versed. Lovely, hilarious Versed. This is a fast acting medication that calms the kids down to the point of bliss so they don't have a nervy b when they're taken away from their parents to go into the OR. Will was out of control funny. The room must have looked like a 3D movie to him because he kept stretching out his hand to touch things that were across the room. He was stoned out of his mind. We couldn't understand a word he was saying.

Here's Will with the Versed in full force.

Notice his expression hasn't changed. At all.

He really had no idea what was going on.

The anesthesiologist wheeled him back in a wagon and Steve and I went to yet another waiting room. I listened to an audio book and knitted while Steve watched a few episodes of Modern Family and laughed himself sick. Oddly enough, we were both quite calm. Talking to the surgeon and anesthesiologist beforehand helped to calm my fears. They are both really capable men.

In what seemed like very little time, Dr. Finlayson (Will's surgeon) came out and told us everything went swimmingly and that as soon as the anesthesia wore off enough, we would be allowed to go see him. He took his sweet time waking up but we expected that as I have the same reaction to anesthesia.

He was one ANGRY little man when we went in to see him. He had forgotten about the wagon ride to the OR (he was really looking forward to this) and started crying and hitting me (not allowed at any other time) and calling us "LIARS!!!" It was so sad and yet hilarious.

Here he is drinking his "slushee" after surgery.

One of the post op nurses heard his tirade about the wagon and offered to pull him out to the car in it. The staff at the Surgery Center were really so great. All of the nurses, the receptionists and his doctors were wonderful, skilled and kind people.

Here's the little man getting his way. Only acceptable after such a tantrum because of the fact that he was coming off anesthesia and wasn't in his right mind ;).

And away he goes down the hall.

I was dreading the coming nights, believing that he would be in pain and would't be able to sleep. Hmmm, just the opposite. He was riding his bike later in the evening. He remained angry for the rest of the day (as we were warned that he may) but by the next day he was his happy self and wanted to play with friends. Only Tylenol has been required for pain and the only thing he hasn't been able to do is swim. What a relief! I'm so happy we decided to have the surgery done. He breathes soooo much better now and sounds so much more clear. Hooray!!! We have his post op check on Thursday and then we're in the clear for all activities! I'm so proud of Will for being such a brave boy. He was a tough guy through the whole thing and hardly complained a bit.