Run Through the Grapevine

Yesterday I participated in a 5 mile trail run through the vineyards of a local winery. It was a typical fall day and crunching through the leaves and taking in that fresh, crisp air was one of those slap in the face reminders of why I love to run.

It also reminded me that I don't want a slap in the face reminder of why I love other parts of my life--especially people. So starting today I'm going to find a way to snap out of the take-it-for-granted routine and work on infusing a little bit of zip and gratitude into this life. You know, spice it up a little. (And let people know how much I love them in the process.)

Splurge of the day:

I was looking for some new kitchen lighting and found these instead. The last thing I need is another set of measuring cups, but I'm a sucker for anything red. And besides, I don't have rubber measuring cups!

Something Different

With my extra hour this morning and everyone still sleeping, here's what I am going to do:

1. Make some coffee.
2. Spend 15 minutes stretching with the lights still off.
3. Go down and collect the newspaper that I never read.
4. Light a candle at my kitchen island.
5. Sit down at my kitchen island, drink my coffee, and get as far along in that newspaper until my 45 minutes are up or until a certain little person wakes up.

Today's Splurge:

I'm going to steal a little bit of Pete and Ava's extra hour and make them these pancakes for breakfast.

Lost List

I found a list that I wrote over a year ago, four months after the birth of my daughter. I remember when I wrote it. She was sleeping nearby and it was one of those moments (the enduring kind that strengthen rather than fade) when the purpose I'd been searching for was so obvious and so simple, spelled out in little baby breaths.

In the journal entry that preceded the list, I had written the following:

One of my favorite times of day with her is in the early morning when
its still dark out and all you can hear are her little breaths and the
few cars who are passing by, getting an early start on the road. When
I pick her up she's so warm and cuddly and just snuggles right into
me. She smells so good and breathes so softly. I'm often late for work
because I extend one more minute into two, into three, into four...

She loves the Beatles and especially loves it when we sing their tunes
to her. She looks at me, then Pete, then me, then Pete and she's just
so delighted with all of the attention that she doesn't know what else
to do but squeal and giggle and kick her little feet.

She is, pure and simple, a treasure. She loves people, loves life, and
loves to laugh. Every day we are reminded of how simple and
adventurous life can be. I find myself paying attention to so much
more now...Ava has reminded me to listen to the birds, watch the sun
filter through the shades, and study the way water fills up a glass
and reflects the space around it.

The list was just a way to organize some of the things that had been floating around my mind for some time and that were rekindled by Ava's adventure and determination. I'm not sure it's a "life list" but they are things that I hope to accomplish or qualities I aspire to possess, some sooner rather than later. There isn't much that's exotic or worldly (maybe a little far reaching) but then it wouldn't be my "life list" it'd be my "wanna-be list."

And by the way, I think in the time it took me to color code this list, I could've knocked off at least a third of the items.

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We're trying out another coffee shop tomorrow. I'll let you know how it goes!

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My brother took the picture (above) on a ski outing in Oregon (where he lives). You'll see that visiting him is on my list of things.

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Splurge-ilicious:

I've noticed that grocery stores are having decent (not great) sales on baking supplies (spices mostly)--but every little cent counts. And did you know that the money that you save serves as a credit for the calories that you create (and consume!)? How's that for rationalization, which, in case you haven't noticed, is probably my #1 skill.

Break in those baking supplies with these little delights. I'm having a hard time thinking of a better way to fill up the cooler (and shorter) days than with these. Yum!

Sugar and Sleep and Everything Sheep

Three things happen when I am tired: I make bad decisions, I break things, and I bruise things.

Certain things in my life remain fairly constant: I eat the same thing for breakfast and lunch every day, my head hits the pillow the same time every night (may vary by 20 minutes depending how riveting House Hunters happens to be) and I swing my legs out of bed the same time every morning.

These constants keep me consistent and current.

But on October 30th, I went to bed way too late and woke up way too early. My 7 hours of steady sleep were replaced with four hours of choppy chants (like counting sheep, which didn't work). "Go to Sleep, Russell" (a book about a sheep who can't fall asleep) is Ava's current every-second-gotta-read-it book...and I couldn't get Russell and all the sheep he counted out of my head.

Needless to say, Halloween Wednesday was a very frustrating day. A few highlights:

• I went the wrong way (twice) to the library that my daughter and I go to every week.

• I took off one of her shoes to change her diaper (it was an outfit thing--one leg had snaps, the other did not) in our car that was parked in Home Depot and could not for the life of me find it when I was through. I was convinced that if I looked under the car long enough, it would appear. It didn't. At that moment, I became one of the 30 percent of people who believe in ghosts. There was just no other explanation. Pete found it that night in the rear storage area, which still does not discount my ghost theory (by the way).

• I miscalculated the same corner of a bench that has been in our bedroom for three years five times. And I have one enormous bruise made up of five large bruises to remind me.

• I continued to eat pumpkin cookies, even though orange was still pumping proud through my veins from the night before. Deciding I should have a little variety, I crammed about three Milky Ways down my throat in just as many minutes. I NEVER eat that bad and I rarely miss my lunch. But I wasn't about to put anything else in my mouth (or my blood) after that yucksugar overload.
  

• I was cleaning the shower while taking a shower and lifted the drain lid to clean it. The drain itself is about 1.5 inches in diameter (or exactly the width of the widest part of a Venus razor) and I know that because when I stood up, my elbow hit the shower caddy and jostled the Venus razor (which was resting on top of my shave gel) which proceeded to fall five feet to the ground (there might have been a ricochet, I'm not sure) in a perfect vertical line directly into the bottomless 1.5 inch diameter drain.

And those are just the highlights. And they don't include my behavior.

Bottom line: I don't know how people function on little sleep--but I do know that most don't come close to getting what they need.

Splurge-sation!

Now THIS is a splurge. My friend shared it with me and I have to share it with you. It is so soothing (and pretty!) I told him he could hang me on it.

Kor Treat

Happy Halloween.

When Ava was about 14 months old, I taught her the punch line to a joke. Sometimes she'd deliver it, sometimes not. Inspired by my request for performance, a friend taught her to say, "No treats, no tricks" which very sweetly sounded like, "noteat notick" out of her little mouth. Of course today, four months later, we've been working on, "Trick or Treat" in light of tonight's Halloween outing. For most of the morning, she just looked at me convinced I had it wrong and said, rolling the "r's" that she's begun to master, "notrrreeat notrrrrick"). Then this afternoon, before her nap, she picked up Cookie Monster and said to him, "Kor Treat" and grinned like she did for me in this picture, taken last Halloween (her first Halloween). She got it. And she even knows who to go to (I didn't teach her that).

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I've been feeling a little restless lately and I can't exactly pinpoint the source. I was thinking maybe it had to do with some domestic disorganization, but I'm slowly getting that in order and need to update my list a bit. After more than a year of non-stop working 8-10 hour days while Ava slept, caring for her exclusively while she was awake, and still managing to keep clean sheets on the beds (largely thanks to Pete) and sticking to our "one night of take out a week" commitment, work is finally beginning to feel a little manageable--so I don't think it's work overload. The marathon is over and I'm back to cross-training (which I love) and Hot Yoga (which I don't but could)--so I'm sure it's not boredom. I just don't know.

But I do know that when I get restless, it usually means a change is going to come. I'm no different than anyone else in how I feel about change--but I've lived through a number of them (many at once) and am here to say that it's usually better on the other side. I'll keep you posted.

Splurge-worthy Wednesday:

• I've yet to make it to the bookstore to check out this journal, Listography: Your Life in Lists that Jenny of LobotoMe posted on her blog. But I'll keep you posted. Can't wait to check it out and get us all listin'!

• A new liptint (with SPF 15) that I actually wear. It's from Aveda and it's called "Coco Plum".

Laws, Rules, and Royalty

My house is a mess (and my face is so dry)...but I had a great day.

Here are the top five things that made it great:

5. I broke a lot of rules with my daughter:

• We stayed in our pajamas too long
• Didn't clean the breakfast dishes till there were dinner dishes to join them
• Ate an afternoon snack (bananas and peanut butter) in front of the TV (Ellen)
• Slid down the slide with just our socks on
• Took out every tupperware lid we could find and chased each other around the house with them, shouting "boo"

4. I got in 8 hours of work for my consulting business because my daughter is such a great sleeper

3. I mailed three old fashioned letters to three great friends

2. I lit our two jack o' lantern's and then watched Ava's face light up brighter than either of them

And by far, the number one reason it was a great day:

1. When we were looking at pictures today, I pointed to me at my wedding and asked Ava, "Who's that?" Her reply, "Princess." Just like that, "Princess."

Sigh....

And here's are the top five reasons why my house is a mess:

1. I made three batches of punkin cookies for my husband's office and for our terrific neighbors and (as a friend wrote me once) "got fatter by the minute eating all the broken ones."

2. Didn't clean the breakfast dishes till there were dinner dishes to join them (reason it was a great day #5e)

3. Ava and I took out every tupperware lid we could find and chased each other around the house with them, shouting "boo" (reason it was a great day #5b)

4. I ate peanut butter and bananas in front of the TV with 18-month old Ava who's as tactile as she is mobile (translation: everything in our house had peanut butter and banana for a snack this afternoon) (reason it was a great day #5c)

4. When my daughter referred to my picture (therefore, me!) as a princess, I said to heck with the laundry, let's go slide with our socks on! (reason it was a great day #5d and #1)

In other words, it's a mess because it was a great day or because I'm a princess. (Isn't that the Law of Modus Tollens or something algebraic?)

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I have gotten some GREAT lists and splashes that I'll be posting in the morning (I really need to do something about the batter on my cupboards tonight)...Love them! Keep writing and then sending!

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Splurge worthy Tuesday:

• A friend sent me this fun splurge that she was trying out tonight: ordering pizza and eating it out of the box in bed while watching a movie with her hubby! On a Tuesday!

• Determined to get back to it again, I picked up a new knitting book and some yarn to make this adorable sweater for my darling.

Near-Screeching Halt

On Friday I told you a little bit about the Saturday morning coffee shop that we've been going to for more than three years now (and that I practically look forward to going back to the moment we leave). Well, this Saturday was no different except we were able to introduce Ava's grandparents (who were visiting from out of town) to many of our friends.

On Sunday afternoon we decided to go back again, which we don't typically do. On the door was a sign that read, "Closed"--and judging by the vacant countertops, overturned chairs, and end-of-the-month-and-I'm-outta-here-look, they didn't just mean for the day.

That's right. The "shebop" with no warning, no indication, no good-bye, no see ya later, (nothing!) closed shop. I drove over this morning just to make sure. "Closed." (Update: Found out they closed because they couldn't find help--not due to an emergency, thankfully).

I emailed a few of our friends (we don't have contact information for others) and they were hearing it from me for the first time. I've always been a bit sentimental, but now that Ava's involved (she practically took her first steps there) the weight feels a little heavier. I hate to sound so dramatic about it, but I'm bummed. Not to mention the fact that I just wrote about it on Friday!

Onto other topics that don't require caffeine to get you jittery:

I've posted my Christmas Gift List template. It works for me, but I'm always up for hearing about how others get organized (that doesn't just go for Christmas, either). If you like it, then you should know:

• The amount column will automatically total at the bottom (and you don't have to include the dollar sign ($)--it will do it for you).

• When you have completed a person on your list, type in DONE in the Status column and it will automatically shade red (was I excited when I discovered THAT feature!).
  

And for the Splurge of the Day:

Eight more classes of Hot Yoga!

I've completed my second class and I'm still pathetic, but I kind of enjoy it. I realize I will never (trust me, in my case, never applies) be able to put my feet anywhere but in front of me (and a good ways in front of me) but I am actually okay with that. I think I'm supposed to learn more than flexibility from this, so open mind, open palms, and open wallet: Hot Yoga, I'm yours.