2nd Grade Picnic

Oh my goodness! It was so much fun! Kids had the whole hour for recess and lunch. Some Moms brought junk food like Cheese puffs and fudge and Rita's. Kids just ate and ran around. Boys got so excited when I asked if they wanted to have their picture taken.
Wesley, Brandon, Elijah, Corey

 Girls were not so excited but they wanted a silly picture after the boring smiling one :)
Brooke, Katie, Valerie, Alexis, Olivia, Julia, Carly

 I forget the name of this game, but the first time I saw Brandon and Wesley doing it, I got dizzy only from watching them. They had to run to the middle of the bars (both from both ends) and jump over it - one to one side, another to another side. And it was VERY quick. Here, Kyra is versing Elijah.

It was a hot day (90F) but playground was in the shade so we were aaaaaalll good! Good times! :)

Lego Creations With No Instructions

Is not it awesome?????

Back Porch Project

Jimmy wanted to do that long time ago - last year if to be exact. We got bricks and we painted them white and then me and Kyra painted our names on them. When Mike came over this Memorial Day weekend, he helped us with it.
We finally got rid of Christmas tree! (yay, only 5 months after :)
Got side nice and even with dirt on the porch

 No dirt. Plastic is covered.

 Boys hammering stakes in.

 Measuring

 Stones on!

 Kyra was busy with looking at her foot that got a splinter (surprise, she even wanted a band aid on it)

 Okay, okay, Kyra was working too :)

 Almost there!

My Last Visit In Classrooms This Year

First I came to Brandon's room. Kids' writing was to write about anything. So, majority of them wrote about animals. A Pig that was sad because he was hungry (Trenton). Hippo the Hippy who friended the Lion (Brody), Monkey and bear in the forest (Olivia), Elephant who traveled around the world to try new food (William). Brandon and Brayden wrote connecting stories about a cow Moo Moo who met the tiger Stripes. They were starving in the desert, so they ate a cactus, a hare and then found a shelter.

After that kids talked about traditions and their favorite holidays. Brandon did tell about when there is a birthday in the house, another sibling gets a gift so that he/she does not feel left out. Glad it is stuck :)

Then I went to Kyra's room and helped getting the room ready for summer (aka cleaning everything). K-ers were talking about the words they would use to write to their Dads for Father's Day. It was fun too.
I will miss coming to their classes as often as I did. Hopefully I can still do it on Mondays next school year.

Daddy's Boy

Jimmy was the one chosing this present for Christmas. It turned out to be a good one - Brandon enjoys shooting BB his gun. I should have taken a pic of the target he made a crack in. Dad-son time :)

 Working it

Summer Water Fun

Kids LOVE playing hose. 

 Love this shot

Kyra's First Sleepover

Kyra got invited to Emma's house for a sleepover. Carly had Brooke over and Emma had Kyra. My goodness, Kyra was so excited that sleepover was all she was talking about :) 

She packed 4 bags with stuffed animals and off she went. What I did not know that my beautiful daughter wrote a note to Emma's Mom, who later sent me a picture of this note. I love me some her!!! 

What else could 6 and 7 (or 8) year old girls do? Yes! Eat a lot of junk and be in a hot tub!!! I am almost jealous :)

Left to right:

Emma, Kyra, Carly and Brooke

Kyra, of course, enjoyed her sleepover but when she got home, oh boy was she cranky! I hope it was just one time crankiness thing. Looks like she did have fun after all :) 

New Year In Almost Summer

So, worried that my New Year package form my parents would take longer to reach them, I sent it before Thanksgiving. In January we thought someone ate it long time ago. What surprise we had when my parents received it just the other day. I sent my Mom warm fluffy socks, which, obviously, will have to wait for colder weather, but, really???? 6 months??

What's Up With That?

Brandon was not feeling well from his cold, so I gave him cough medicine. When I asked him to go get a drink for it, what do you think he brought?
4 cherry tomatoes to finish his medicine. Seriously! :)

Brandon Talking In His Sleep

He was not feeling well so he asked to sleep in my bed. I was awoken at night because, apparently, he was arguing with Kyra in his sleep and he sounded very annoyed:
- Kyra, I am trying to hear!!
So funny! :)

Gymnastics Show

I saw girls practicing their routine before and I have to say how much better Kyra performed at the actual show than at practice. So proud of her. She asked me to get her on the team, which, unfortunately, we would not be able to afford, I do not think but she did not get invited. They recommended her to repeat the same Swingers level next year.

All I have to say is - as long as she enjoys it, I really do not care if she qualifies for the team or not. It is healthy exercise and it is fun for her. Go Kyra! :)
I did take a picture of Kyra getting her trophy but with me switching between video and photo and flash settings, that is the only picture I got and it is horrible quality. Sigh.

Kyra Trouble

I am sort of worried about Kyra. She is getting to be pretty materialistic girl. I do not like it. In fact, I do not like it at all. She wants this toy and this toy and this toy and it is never enough. She wants to play those silly games in the store when you put 50c and try to win a stuffed toy. She just can't let it go if she does not win it. I am keeping an eye on it. I hope.. I really hope it is not in her genes..

Relax Affter Tri

When I got home, I took a shower and we had a conversation with the kids about us separating. Sigh. They just do not get it. Jimmy did a pretty good job explaining and letting them know that it is that Mommy and Daddy love them very much but we just do not love each other anymore, it happens with adults. And that is not their fault and that we will love them no matter what. When Jimmy finished, they immediately asked if they could watch Tom and Jerry. Another sigh. They are too young. Hopefully when all the arrangements are made, they will get used to it rather earlier than later.
How happens that we would be the 3rd couple of 12 kids class that Brandon has who are separating this year. I am not sure what it is about.

On a good note, I took the kids to Tucker B's birthday in Friendship center and kids had a blast swimming in a pool (especially Kyra going on and on and on the slide to dive in :)

For supper Jimmy and Kyra went to Hoss's and Brandon wanted to stay home with me - eat supper and watch a movie. He picked The Cars and we sat and watched it snuggling under the same blanket.

Awww. I love my boy to pieces! I love snuggling with him! :)

Mt. Gretna Get The Nerve Triathlon

5.30am, I was up. It was still dawn, but I was on and going! Breakfast at Country Meadows with lots of fruit and carbs. (Could not believe the readings I did - eat 100 calories 2 hours before the race. Are you kidding me? It would last me exactly ten minutes before I gotta eat again!)

Preparation was easy. Park the bike, get all the numbers on yourself and the bike, body marking with your number and your age (12 hours later I still have them even after a shower), find you bike parking spot, get all the stuff out and ready. Get into wetsuit just before National Anthem. Get ready!

500 yards swim, 16 miles bike, 5k run.

Brrr.. Step back.. find somebody who is doing it for the first time too. (I did :) it helped especially that I had to put my glasses away and walk to the lake without them.

There were 16 waves total, first Elite and then all the rest. Even had two 9 year old boy (who for some reason was DQ later and 11 year old girl who did it with her Dad! How awesome is that?? I was in wave 10. They all left 2 min apart. One wave in the lake, another one behind the yellow line. Wave leaves, another one comes in the lake. 1.5min to warm up and..

About 50 of us in a line started. I must say swimming threw me off. Completely. I thought I would ace it. I have always been a strong swimmer. I know technique. I am comfortable in water. But here. Even knowing that water would be cold (did not feel it after I went in), that people will be constantly bumping me.. I realized I was not prepared for it. It is not like I did not practice enough, it was that I could not find my pace. I could not overcome the fear of open water. Not being able to see the bottom. I was scared of this water.

What was worst, I could not put my face in the water. After I put it once and looked through my goggles, I could not do it again. I could not swim like I do with three strokes in the swimming pool. I felt like I was a puppy trying to do its first swim of the life. I swam THAT bad. I saw the difference between swimming pool and open water and just could not overcome my feeling that I do not even know how to name. And that was not even the worst part.

The scariest part was my wetsuit. Before it felt great, not too loose, not too tight. Just right. How bad can that be? Well, it got as soon as I got into the water. All of a sudden I felt I was literally being suffocated. No joke. I switched to the back but it was hard to swim because I was not aware of my surroundings. I switched back and forth for a while. Tried to un-Velcro and unzip in the water by myself and it was just not possible - people in the back, in front, on the left and on the right. If you stop, you risk being swam over.

I tried to think that I could make it, but at some point I realized that I just could not. I started freaking out because I felt like somebody was choking me, that how tight wetsuit felt on my throat.

I made practically suicidal attempt swimming across my wave, which went, surprisingly painlessly, to kayak with so called lifeguards. They seemed to be afraid to come to me, so I had to swim myself to them and hang on the boat.

I asked the girl to un Velcro it and unzip it. After the did the whole way, she asked if she should Velcro it ("NOOOOO!) so I went on with it unzipped, water rushing into me and blowing me up like a balloon. I still was not comfortable enough, kind of freaking out each time wave of water hit me but I made it to the shore. Phew!!

When I was getting dried and changed I could feel how dizzy and shaky I was. Swimming always does it to me. I got my home made Gatorade and couple of gel snacks out and it helped a little bit.

Biking went relatively easily. No shoulder pain (advice followed from Danielle's hubby Tim), wearing gloves with padding and switching gears depending on the condition of the road. There were total 4 hills that were not steep but looong. The very last one seemed absolutely endless. I had to get up from the bike on, I think, 3 to walk for a minute because I just could not pedal any more.

I did not have watch and there was no mile markings so it just seemed very long because I had no idea on where I was.

Run was ok. It was on a flat trail, in the shade, not hot, it was not difficult, but I was ready to be done. I power walked a LOT vs jogging. May be half.

As I was rereading what I wrote I realized it all sounded like awful and hard. Swimming was scary but overall it was not like I thought the whole event would be piece of cake :) It was hard but it was very doable. My cardio WAS ready. All my muscles worked even without proper stretching.

I was happy with my readiness level. I think partly because it is race situation and I was all pumped up from adrenaline.

Crazy thing that the guy who took 1st place is 15 yo boy. He beat even Elite athletes. There were two 90yo man and one 91 yo women (who beat me by a minute). And I watched disabled athlete with no legs perform. Those people are amaaaazing!

So here are my results:
My total time 2.15 (exactly like I told my Mom) :)
Since there was many different groups (Elite, Disable, Femail relay, Male relay, Mixed relay), I was compared only to Individual group.
My place was 139 out of 153 in my group of females.

So out of 479 people in my category:
- swim was 14.06 (I did 12 min in a pool) - 438th (even with wasting time for kayak, is pretty darn good)
- bike time 1h 13min (446th place)
- Run was 37.45 min (455th place).
Run was not the best BUT! I shaved even more time since October:
-Hershey half my speed was 12.57 min mile
-Hershey 10k my speed was 12.30 min mile
-Triathlon my speed was 12.11 min mile.
I love it! I love how I see the progress that my body slowly makes! I love, love, love it!

What can I say? I want to do it again and again and again.. Just may be with no wet suit on.  :)
No medals, shirts are not anything remarkable but excellent quality for workout :)

Big Day Is Coming

Okay here it goes. Last year after Hershey Half I was thinking on my next step. I am not sure when and where exactly an idea about triathlon got into my mind but at some point I found myself signing up for one. I thought I would have enough time to train. 

Yeah..I sort of did. I started in March, went running in the most miserable weather with cruel winds. I cross trained between running ans swimming. It all was good. I thought biking was the easiest part, how can biking "only" 16 miles can be hard?

I can not tell you how wrong I was! My cardio by then was in decent shape. I thought it was only a matter of muscle train. Ummm.. No. Going that far on a mountain bike and being timed? KILLER! I felt like I was pedaling forever and ever and just never coasting. 

A couple weeks before Hummelstown Gold's roof collapsed on a swim pool part, so no training there. One girl I met at the pool joined me this Tri Geek local community and I posted a question there if anybody knew where to rent a ROAD bike. Few people asked what height I was to see if their bikes would fit me. I ended up talking to one, named Danielle.

She seemed so down to earth and ready to help. She lives off Nyes rd in Hrbg, so a few days ago I went to check out her bike. She did Iron Man last year. This weekend is Olympic triathlon. Boy! I was in the right place! She and her hubby cycle a lot. They fit the seat for me, switched the pedals, giving me general advice and she even rode with me down the street to see how I liked it. They spent at least an hour helping me with that and we never met before. I was amazed! 

The closer the date was the more excited I was getting. I even saw a dream about me swimming 7.6 minutes and then arguing with some kind of judge that it was not me, I could not do it so fast :) funny! 

I got all the stuff ready, I got some snacks for on the way, by Lisa's advice I made my own Gatorade - mixed half cocoa water with half orange juice (best drink in this circumstances), drank pleeeenty of fluids few days in a advance, got some carbs a night before and I was ready to go! 

Cub Bear

Last night boys had their annual picnic to promote them from Wolves to Bears. (Never mind that Brandon is already Brandon-Bear for me :)

I charged my camera batteries but I forgot to insert it in the camera. Bummer! So I did not take a single picture! Boy had a blast - we all had good supper with hot dogs, hamburgers and desserts, then played kickball and did water balloon fight and of course, playing on the playground.
I am glad Brandon wants to do it again next year. I like his involvement into Scouts. I always like that the whole family is involved. So, congratulations! :)

Flowers From Special Boy

This is the awkwardest shot I have ever taken! Not sure why it turned out like that but those are the pretty flowers my lil' man picked for me at the bus stop. I love him so very much! 

Mansion Or Not?

Kyra:
- Mommy, do Adelyn and Cayden live in a mansion?
Me:
- No.
Brandon:
- Kyra, they do not. They do not have a piano.
Me:
- What about piano?
Brandon with lots of patience in his voice:
- Mom, every mansion has to have a piano and theirs does not. So it is NOT a mansion!

Ummmm. Yeah... I guess there is SOME kind of logic involved :)

Big Pitcher and Catcher

Brandon is one of the guys on the team who can pitch. (William and Avery as well). So, last game they all picthed, I was surprised - it did not take very long for the game to be over.
I am happy with this picture but just shocked HOW grown up he looks!

Field Trip

Brandon's class went to Hershey Story Museum for a field trip with playing in Shank park afterwards. I did not realize that kids would be making chocolate in their chocolate laboratory - how cool is that??? Here is what Brandon made:

Tulip Close up

I love the picture of a tulip I took. Water drops makes it unreally beautiful and I would say fragile...

Brandon's 8th Well Visit

He is GROWING! I must say there is not much left from a little boy. He is starting to look like a big boy. Amazing how they change!
Brandon is 50.75" high and he weighs 54lbs. 4 oz.
While we were waiting for Dr. Bartlett, we drew this picture :) (knowing Brandon's obsession with the name Bob which immediately gives him giggles :)

When Dr. Bartlett came in and looked at the picture with the explanation the whole Bob thing, he said Brandon needed to change his middle name for Oscar (then he will be Bob - Brandon Oscar Bibb) LOL.

It is very possible, that next year Brandon will ask me to leave the room while he is being physically checked. He looked little bit embarrassed and was covering his chest the whole time. Dr. checked his knees after we said they sometimes lock and said we would need to keep an eye on them.

Brandon answered many questions and what was cute, while he was answering, he would glance at me to make sure that he was answering right :) I love him so much!

All is good. Till next year!

Mother's Day

Kyra slept with me that night and the first thing she asked me when she awoke up was - "Would you like to open your presents now???" Oh I would love to.. But it was only 6.45 and I came from work close to 1am.
When I got up, both kids gave me Bath and Body works smelly stuff as I call it :) Honeysuckle smell :)
Then they both gave me something they had made at school:
Love the heart on the top right

 I am beauuuuutiful :)

 I guess it is me :)

When I asked if I only make him happy if I do not bug him, he replied: "No.. Also when you do puzzles with me and build Legos". :) Thank goodness!

 Now Kyra's cover:

 I love both of them to pieces too!

 That is the first one she came up with - that I make her pb sandwiches for lunch :)

 "Taker her to school by car". Love that I drive a convertable and wind blows my hair all over :) This, though, must not be her idea - she does not like to be driven to school but she loves to take a bus.

 Yes, I do take them to Conewago playground

 I do clean her dishes :) so many reasons to love me :)

 My Love.

Wish we had time to go to Hershey Gardens as we used to do every Mother's Day before I started in Melting Pot. Hopefully from now on, we will again :)

NYC Again - 2

So it is the time of tulips.. Right? As I was walking down the 5th Ave, I was smelling them. There were a LOT of them. Yellow, red, any you want. The things was.. Neither of them smelled like tulips. I was getting frustrated. Those are my FAV flowers and I could not even smell them! I was not sure what was going on until I got to Central park, away from the cars and... That is where they smelled like tulips. I loved it :) I guess it was all polution that prevented the flowers to smell the proper way :)

Here are tulips at the NYC Public Library.

When I got to Rockefeller center, I was looking at it for a while. It is pretty. It is magnificent. This is, obviously, not mine but Google's picture. This one was taken in winter and when I was there, they were working on restaurant set ups. I just wanted to post this picture related to the something I am going to write below.

So, I was standing, watching, minding my own business and then I turned around.. And saw a store that had the name LEGO on it. I blinked, trying to make sure I saw the right thing. I was here in January. How possible did not I see the store then??? I have nooooooo clue! Anyhow, I ran there like a maniac. Probably like Brandon would have if he was there :)
So, they recreated Rockefeller Center. LOVE Batman on the top of the building!

Close up. In the middle you can see Darth Vader and Princess Leia. So funny! You can see the different flags, even fountains around Prometheus statue.

By LEGO: "Creativity and imagination shall be the stability of thy times". Amen

Here, I found the most amazing thing - you can take one of 2 sizes containers and collect any Lego pieces you want from those shelves. I thought I gotta bring some for Brandon. I filled it with as many pieces I could and I thought he probably did not have and picked a small set for Kyra.

This parody of a painting (I wish I knew which one) is made out of Legos.

2766 pieces. 14+ but something tells me Brandon would be quite capable to build it on his own.

Vehicles are not my fav but I would totally build that one!

Of course, Lego does not exist without Star Wars

Love all those little pieces those huge figures are made from 

This is absolutely mind blowing - Lego sign. Nothing special? Well, it IS special. It is made out of Lego mini figures heads. WOW!

Central Park's cherry blossom. I can only imagine how even nicer a picture would have looked if it was sunny

 Love this shot. Contrast of pink and green

 Oh, yeah. Can't forget Alice in Wonderland!

 I still need to figure out with Brandon what kind of birds those are

 Like the shot too - how skyscrapers look out of willow tree

 I know. The tree does break symmetry of this picture but may be that is why I like it :)

Like the view

I took this shot specifically with the tree on the right. Like!

Columbus Circle. In the center of the circle, the monument dedicated to Christopher Columbus. It is 70foot tall and it is a marble statue of Columbus and around it bronze reliefs of his ships: the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria.Time Warner Center buildings are behind.

Unbelievable what this man had to endure!

At Columbus circle fountains

What a funny sculpture! This Hare On Bell sculpture is one of many Barry Flanagan's hare works. So original!

In the end of my trip I SOOOOO wanted to get eclairs! I saw them in a cafe in the morning and thought I could pass them, which I did but I just could not get them out of my mind. Eclairs and avocado sandwich for dinner... Rush for the train... Home...
This picture - I gave Brandon a challenge of building something only out of the pieces I got him. It is hard to believe that I paid only $7.99 for this amount of Legos. Best deal ever! That was what he came up with :)

I also got them a book about ESB and 3D ruler, which Brandon used for math because, conveniently enough, they were covering measuring in math. I also got them chocolate (blue wrapper) and a small Lego set for Kyra which she built on her own.

I wish I could take trips like this like... once a season or so... one day.. so many impressions..LOVE NYC!