Happy 3rd Birthday

We met the cousins and grandparents at Golden Corral for some festival fun.

Suprise!

We didn't want daddy to miss out, since he was so far away.  So, since Malcolm wanted a marshmallow cake, this is how it went at home.

going back like cadillac seats

 I decided to invest in the best car seats I could find.  We went from the Graco Snugride and Cosco Alpha Omega to Britax Marathon 70s.  I figure Mac can last the summer rear facing again, since it's safer, and Aubrey can last rear facing till she's 40 pounds (at like 8 years old), and these will be all the car seat the kids will ever need.  We went to the fire station for the install.

 The old set up left much to be desired. 
So, the age old question is how many fire fighters does it take to install a car seat?  Forget light bulbs, they told me light bulbs are a fire hazard, so they don't use them, let alone change them.  They got a good chuckle from that one too.

It was so cold that we got a tour while we waited.  This was because these were the first seats they had installed since their training.  Since they were fancy shmancy brand new seats, they read the HUGE instructions booklet.  It took 1 hour for the first install.  It took 5 minutes for the second one.  One of the guys made the remark that these were cadillac car seats, hence the title of this post.  Meaning, they are super-swanky.  It's true.  And apparently, way easier to install than regular ones... that is, once you realize they are idiot-proof.  There was sheepishness all around.

 

  

 They are amazing.   Oh, The car seats too.

March Half Marathon

Right now it is so hard for me to think that in March I could run 13 miles.  Not just that I could, but that I did... in a race... and passed people... and talked and sang the whole time...  Serious fun.  Oh Virginia, how flat you were.  How I utilized the Y.  Here there are hills (WHAT?!) and there is heat (not so bad in the mornings) and there is a freaking huge stroller with two huge children that I push up those freaking hills (UGH!!!) not to mention that I have to unpack.  So... let's assume that I am out of running shape, shall we?
But the Shamrock was still so much fun.  Tamara and Russell were a blast to run with.  I felt bad that Tamara's leg was bothering her half the run, but we still ran it in an easy 2.5 hours.  Considering my first ever half was 2 hours 10 minutes, I would say not too shabby.  It was a blast.  So was the after bath.

Old Yard revisited

 Let me just say, life is one huge learning experience.  The years spent in this house were a great lesson.  We have learned what we want, and don't want, what we can do and can't do, and really that there aren't enough hours in the day with both of use working.  It would always happen that a million projects would get done in the summer, and then everything would sit 10 months until I could resume it.  It was enough for us to try to get the holidays set up and taken down. 
So, while we love our new place (more on that later), what we miss the most is our yard.  Our yard was our space.  It was for barbeques, and tricycles, and communing with nature inside the privacy of a fence.  Being in an apartment complex really rids a lot of privacy.  I even miss the two tone grass, as featured by a little girl who was not happy I put her on the dry grass.  We were putting a lot of effort into reseeding, and making that bermuda grow.  It was working nicely in parts, but because of our scorching summers, was a little patchy.  Another year would have fixed that problem.  Lesson learned: next time we sod.

 Oh little house.  We miss you.  We loved you.  We wish the "housing crisis" hadn't touched us and tainted our recollection of you, but you were a great first house.  We will remember you fondly.

 We will also remember tricycles fondly.  This may definitely be in Malcolm's birthday future.  While triking or biking around a complex parking lot is not my idea of safe fun, it is a doable past time.  Especially to get him trained up for cycling.

 Hugs and kisses!