Goals, games, and milkshakes

We had been wanting to catch a Braves game for a long time, and decided that April was the time to do it. Because a mid-afternoon game in Atlanta in July didn't sound like fun. However, I had set a goal to be able to run 10k by my birthday, and I was running out of time. While I just wanted to be able to run the distance, Dave suggested I find an actual 10k to run. So once we decided to go to Atlanta for the weekend, I found three 10Ks that were also that day. I narrowed it down to the one that seemed like the prettiest run and had a staggered start for the 5k and 10k (so we could alternate running and watching the girls). So on Saturday morning, Dave and I got to run along the Chattahoochee River. Even if it wasn't as flat as the website had claimed, it was still a beautiful day and a great run.

When I started running 8 weeks ago, my goal was to finish the 10k without walking. And then I started thinking I could run it in under an hour. Then I hurt my foot. Then I got better. Then I looked up my family's times when they ran a 10k together in 2009 (I was 36 weeks pregnant and having contractions every 4 minutes, so I didn't) and started pushing myself to be in their range (between 56:11 and 1:00:00; no, David, I'm not counting your time). Then Dave told me about the hills. And I was back to the "finish without walking" goal.

Dave on the left, me in a "Where's Waldo" pink and gray tank top on the right.

I finished. I didn't walk. I felt great (a little bored and frustrated at one point; I had wanted to update my playlist but I think Annabelle may have thrown away my shuffle's cord--boo!), and I loved seeing my girls clapping for me as I approached the finish line. I finished in 56:10, averaging 9:02/mile. I'm very happy with it.

There were a lot of dogs at the race, so Annabelle loved pointed them out and waving to them. There was one that she really seemed to like, and we just happened to be going out to our cars at the same time. They ended up being parked next to us, and as we were trying to get the girls loaded up in the van, we heard one of the owners call the dog over for water. Dave and I looked at each other, and he asked, "I'm sorry, but what's you're dog's name?" The owner looked up, "This is Annabelle!" We introduced our Annabelle, and explained that her nickname was Puppy. They seemed amused (or at least politely feigned amusement) and let us take a picture:

Two puppies named Annabelle

We headed back to the hotel, showered, Annabelle took a nap, and then we went to lunch at the Varsity. I didn't get my post-run chocolate milk, but a post-run chocolate shake is even better.

Then we went to the game. Mabes was totally excited and just took everything in.

We need to work on her hand-eye coordination.

Puppy's first corndog

Runnin' the bases

"For it's root, root root for the home team..."

We couldn't have asked for better weather--high 60s with a light breeze. There had been a huge storm the night before and that game had been cancelled, so we could have stayed for Saturday's double header. The girls were pretty tired by the time game 1 ended, so we hung out for a little bit, watching them get the field ready and see the players warm up (or stay warm, since they had just played). Mabes kept thanking us for such a great day, and was so happy that she got to see Chipper, Brian McCann, and Jason Heyward. The Braves won, Chipper hit a home run, and Mabes got to dance and cheer do the tomahawk chop. It was a great day.

It's....MAGIC!

Though I didn't have to get up terribly early Friday morning (I'd showered the night before, since it really makes no sense to shower right before heading out into the sticky Orlando heat) and was exhausted from the week, I woke up before 7 and just couldn't sleep. It felt like Christmas morning. Dave was showering, so I got up and got ready. By the time he was dressed, Mabes was still sleeping and we had to wake her up so she'd have time to eat before leaving. For all the sleep trouble this girl has given me, it is still painfully difficult for me to wake her up! But we went in, I opened the curtains, and we sang "Happy Birthday" to her. She sat up, looked momentarily confused, then grinned--"Oh, fank you!" We finished getting ready, met the rest of the family, and headed out.

As we reached Disney property, Mabes just kept looking around and exclaiming "It's da Magic Kingdom! Oh, it's so magical! Wook, magic trees!" Everyone's tickets had already been purchased, but since Mabes was taking advantage of the free-admission-on-your-birthday promotion, we had to go to Will Call to pick up her ticket. After a brief wait (apparently, some people didn't read the info online about printing up a ticket beforehand and bringing proof of birthdate and thought they could just say "birthday" and get in free), we made it to the front of the line, presented her "golden ticket" and birth certificate, and received her park admission as well as a button that said "Happy Birthday!" She loved this, as it meant that every park employee and many others wished her a happy birthday all day. She was convinced that everyone visiting the Magic Kingdom that day was there for her birthday party.

We boarded the ferry and Mabes saw the castle and was amazed. Following Sarah's research, we made a beeline for Dumbo, and on the way, ran into Sarah's doppleganger. It was seriously bizarre. I knew Sarah had run up ahead, but then I saw her outside the castle. Red hair, green shirt, black shorts, tennis shoes. Exactly the same outfit, same color red hair--if I hadn't noticed that she's a bit bigger than currently tiny Sarah, I probably would have asked her why she was pushing someone else's stroller. I pointed her out to my mom and even she was thrown off for a minute, "That IS Sarah, isn't it? Wait..."

Mabes and Dave rode Dumbo, which Mabes loved--big surprise, what's not to love about Dumbo? After the Dinosaur fiasco, she was a bit hesitant about the indoor rides, but soon learned that Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh, Small World, and even Snow White are fun. We of course rode the carousel, which she deemed the best carousel ever. We had time to squeeze in a quick trip on Pirates of the Caribbean before lunch, but the long line really made her nervous. She didn't like it when we suggested she pose with this cannon:

And the initial drop scared her a little, but after that, she was fine. She even decided it was pretty funny with all the pirates running around and singing. We booked it over to the castle, and since David and my mom weren't there yet, we stopped outside to say hello to the Fairy Godmother. She was the first character we had seen and Mabes was stunned. We waited in the short line and when it was her turn, Mabes bashfully approached her. Fairy Godmother crouched down so I could take a picture, and then Mabes was overcome with love and gave her a huge hug. Feet up in the air and all.

We went into the castle, got the group together, and then got in line for pictures with Cinderella. As soon as Mabes saw her, her eyes got huge and she just stood there in disbelief--"It's Cinderella! Here!" We took pictures, and she gave Cinderella the same feet-off-the-ground hug but I didn't get my camera out in time. Cinderella wished her a happy birthday, which of course made her day.

We went upstairs for lunch, and the combination of the heat outside, a/c inside, delicious food, and lots of cold drinks made it one of the best meals I've had in a very long time. After we were seated, Belle, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and Jasmine all came around to greet us and take pictures. Mabes, of course, hugged them all. When Jasmine told Mabes that was the best hug she'd received all day, Mabes took it as a challenge to do even better, and she hugged her even tighter. She was too awestruck to really say much beyond a "fank you" when they wished her happy birthday, and watching her simply take it all in got me choked up. She was in a state of complete bliss. When they brought out desserts, the kids each got an ice cream sundae and Mabes got a little cake with a candle. Our server brought swords and wands for everyone (even the big kids! Dave has always wanted a sword), and a birthday card for Mabes signed by all the princesses. It was the perfect lunch, and I'm so grateful for my dad for arranging it all.

After lunch, we did the Jungle Cruise and Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, and then headed back to the hotel for a break. Mabes and I got a quick nap, then we headed back for more fun. It had cooled off a lot, so that made the evening much more pleasant. We took Mabes to the Haunted House and yet again, she was unsure of the whole thing. She was a champ, though, and seemed to like the ride once it got started, and thankfully didn't freak out when the ride stopped for a few minutes in the graveyard at the end!

We did a few more rides, including the Indy Cars. Mabes and Dave love going to go-carts here, so Mabes was really excited about driving one of these. I opted out and instead enjoyed a delicious ice cream bar. We got to see the fireworks, and Mabes was convinced they were for her birthday. We didn't correct her. She got some souvenirs (a Sleeping Beauty crown and necklace and a princess placemat), we wandered around a bit more, and caught the light parade on our way out. Lots more waving for Mabes, and she even gave me an "I told you so" when she saw Flora, Fauna, and Merriwether. (Earlier, I had told her I didn't think we'd see them at Magic Kingdom--I was wrong!)

Mabes was right. It was a magical day. All other birthdays will pale in comparison, and I'm fine with that. Her 4th birthday will always be on a pedestal, and her joy and excitement exceeded my hopes. At the end of the day, as we watched the parade, me standing next to Dave, Mabes on his shoulders--it was one of those perfect moments you never want to end.

Sadly, the next morning, it was time to pack up and head home. It felt like the morning after Christmas, where you realize you've been looking forward to something for so long, it's over now, and back to life as usual. It was hard to say goodbye to everyone, especially knowing that I probably won't see them until next year after the baby is born. But we look forward to having a blast again the next time we're together!

And a whole lot more pictures from the whole week here.

Orlando!

Sunday was Animal Kingdom. We set off early amidst grumblings about the heat and humidity. I have to admit, it's worse than the Carolinas. But I was expecting that. I pretty much had the same attitude I had when I spent the summer in the Middle East ten (!) years ago: it's disgustingly hot so you just have to deal with it. It also helps that no one looks good in that heat/humidity, so you're in good company.

We started off the morning riding a kids' dinosaur ride (like Dumbo) while waiting to use the Dinosaur fast passes. Mabes loved the little dinosaur ride and would have been happy to ride that all day, but soon we left for Dinosaur. Since it had a pregnancy advisory and I wasn't adamant about riding, I took Gemma and hung out in the air conditioned gift shop while everyone else got in line. While I was watching the pictures of people in the scariest part of the ride, I started getting nervous. What did I send Mabes to ride? Suddenly the details of the ride came back--the ride is funny, but a little scary. And I rode it when I was 20. I could see the part of the line just before the passengers boarded the cars and soon I saw the family. Everyone was happy, but Mabes was clutching Dave, quite unsure. A few minutes later, their picture popped up:

Where's Mabes, you ask? She buried her head in Gramma's lap. But she survived and I commended her for trying something new. Scarred by that, she was hesitant any time we went into a dark room before an attraction--she really didn't want to go into the "It's Tough to be a Bug" exhibit and didn't really watch that, either. But she loved the Safari, all the animal exhibits, and Kali River Rapids. As we were leaving, we ran into the parade. I don't think we really planned on watching it, but it was there, so my dad hoisted Mabes up on his shoulders so she could watch. Mabes was waving like it was her job. She was so excited to see the different characters, and as her face lit up each time, I finally got what everyone had said about how taking a 3/4-year-old to Disney was so fun because it's all real. She was completely starstruck when Mickey's float came by--I mean, it was Mickey Mouse himself!

(I like that something reflected on my dad's ear so it looks like he has an earring)

On Monday, Sarah's family and my mom went to Cocoa beach, Aunt Nancy, Mabes and I stayed at the resort, and everyone else (Dad, Dave, Jeff, Laura, Becca, and David) went to Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure. Dave was a little hesitant to go to US/IOA since he wasn't sure how rollercoasters would affect him in his advancing age (I discovered I couldn't do them any more at the ripe old age of 24), and after a rough week the week before, he was leaning towards just hanging out with me and Mabes at the pool. When I told my dad this, his response was "I am convinced Dave will have a great time at US/IOA, and I am therefore buying him a ticket. There’s nothing like being whipped around upside down a few times to dispel the troubles of a crappy week." As always, Dad was right. Dave had a lot of fun, and especially liked Dueling Dragons.

Mabes and I spent the morning at the pool with Nancy, and we had a great time splashing in the fountains and swimming around. Mabes' favorite game was to hang onto the back of Nancy's swimsuit and be pulled around the pool while waving to everyone. Two older ladies particularly enjoyed Mabes' Miss America wave. We went back to our room for lunch and a little quiet time, and then Nancy came over and read stories to Mabes. Mom, Sarah and family returned from the beach, so we joined them at another pool (which thankfully also had fountains) for the remainder of the afternoon. After Mabes was in bed, Dave encouraged me to go spend time with the fam, so I went down to my parents' suite and just hung out with them, Laura, Becca, and David. Sometimes just sitting around, talking and not talking, is the most fun.

Tuesday morning, the men headed out early for golf while we slept in a little (as much as you can with Mabes). When they returned, the kids went to Blizzard Beach while my parents, Nancy, and Jeff went to Epcot. The morning started off great when we realized we didn't have to pay for parking there. I wasn't sure how Mabes would do, since earlier this summer she was really afraid of the water, and after Sunday, she seemed to be afraid of most rides. But after riding down the first slide with Dave, she realized that waterslides are fun and quickly let her guard down. (Except at the Lazy River--for some reason, she hated that. Maybe she's just not the lazy type?) I wasn't going to attempt any of the crazy rides, so I was happy to stay with Mabes while Dave and David went down the bigger slides. When everyone else was ready to go, Dave decided he wanted to take Mabes down a few medium-sized slides, so everyone else took off in one van while we stayed a little. Mabes and Dave thoroughly enjoyed the slides, and it was a lot of fun to watch them. As we were leaving, Dave said that he loved waterparks and liked waterslides better than rollercoasters. Interesting--I never knew he felt so strongly! Guess you can still learn something new about someone after 10 years.

Even though it wasn't Mabes' birthday yet, Nancy and Jeff were leaving the next day so we decided to celebrate Mabes' and my dad's birthdays that night. I had ordered a Cinderella cake (I'm sure it's always been a dream of my dad's to have a Cinderella cake) and Dave and I picked up fried chicken and salad for the family. It was all delicious, and I particularly enjoyed the contrast of fried chicken with a nice green salad.

Wednesday morning brought more golf for the men and more pool time for us. I had brought inflatable swim rings for the cousins, and it was hilarious to see the three of them swimming around the pool together. We had lunch, we had rest time (Mabes actually napped!), and then my parents offered to watch the grandkids so the big kids could go out to dinner. Dave and I don't get to go out much without Mabes, so it was nice to take them up on the offer. Savoring steak and time with my siblings made it even better. When we got back, our friend Nyea from Dave's MBA program met us at the hotel. We hadn't seen her since graduation, so it was great to introduce her to Mabes and catch up.

On Thursday, we went to Sea World. I have to admit, I had low expectations. I mean, it's a glorified aquarium, right? Not that aquariums (aquaria?) aren't fun--but sandwiched in with theme parks? I was wrong, though, and between the rollercoasters that made my mom want to swear, the shows, the exhibits, and the kiddie area, we spent a lot more time there than I had expected. Mabes was fascinated by all the sea creatures we saw (though once again was a bit nervous at first--Dinosaur must have scarred her because she started freaking out in that first dark hall we went in. I assured her it was okay, but it took a lot of time with the penguins to realize that none of them would jump out and breathe fire at her).

In the kids' area, she got to ride her first rollercoaster, which she absolutely loved, and the sea carousel, which is always a winner. Oh, and more waving. Mabes also loved Shamu and the dolphin show. We got to pet some stingrays, and then Dave insisted on seeing the manatees. For some reason, Dave identifies with sea cows. Again, plenty to learn about someone after 10 years. Mabes loved them, though, and was particularly amused when she noticed that they were eating lettuce--"Silly sea cows...salad is KID FOOD!" We had noticed as we went into the building that it was starting to sprinkle, and by the time we came out, it was a full-fledged downpour. At least my family got to experience the crazy rain I had been telling them about. We hovered under an overhang for probably 30 minutes waiting for the rain to ease up. The torrential rain and inches of water on the ground weren't my main concern, it was the very close and loud lightning that was scaring Mabes. It let up a bit and we made our way to the cars, went back to the hotel and changed, then had brinner at IHOP (my dad was tempted to try Waffle House, but upon seeing it, started to understand Gaffigan's jokes and decided IHOP would be a better choice).


And Friday was Magic Kingdom. That bad boy gets a post of its own. More on that later.

Springtime for Mabes in Colorado

Again, we were prepared for cold weather, rain, and warm weather, but this surprised us:

Mabes was delighted, though. So the kids bundled up and headed outside to play while Sarah shoveled the driveway.

"Uhhh...little help, guys?"

Mabes tries to help Aunt Sarah...


...while Moom plays.

Mabes discovers that sledding is much more fun.

When we talked to Dave on Saturday night, Mabes told him all about the snow and sledding. He had gone to Columbia (SC) that day to go to the temple and play golf with a friend. It was 83 there--a slight weather difference.


Sunday was much warmer, so much that it seemed like the kids were just playing in sand rather than snow.

...until Mabes tried to walk in the snow barefoot; she quickly realized that just because the air was warm, didn't mean the snow was, too.

So they put on their boots and played on the swingset.

And this one's for Becca:

Travel tips

1. If a friend offers to watch your kid the day before a trip, take her up on that offer.
As my parents can attest, I don't like to put people out. So when Tanji called and offered to watch Mabes so I could pack, my first thought was, "oh, that's not necessary, we'll be fine. I'll save the offer for when it's really needed." But then I started thinking about how nice it could be, and how much more fun Mabes would have playing with Tanji's kids than running errands with me, so I took her up on the offer. I was actually able to pack early and get all my laundry and errands done. It was so nice to leave for a trip and not have a knot in my stomach from being rushed. I'm very appreciative when a friend watches Mabes when I have a dentist or doctor's appointment, so when someone volunteers to watch Mabes for something unnecessary? It was huge, and made for a fantastic start to the trip.

2. Get your kid pumped up.
On Tuesday morning, Dave woke up Mabes just before 7 so we could get her dressed and rush out to the car. She yelled something about chicken (must have been having a dream), and generally doesn't like to be woken up. But then suddenly realizing what day it was, she threw her arms in the air and said "today we're going to get on the airplane to go see Ainsleigh and Dono!" She happily got dressed quickly and hurried out to the car. Very un-Mabes-like.

3. Choose your breakfast wisely.
If you're faced with a to-go breakfast choice of a Chex bar or Fiber One bar, you might think the Fiber One bar would be the healthier, more filling choice. But if you haven't had one in a while, choosing one on the day of travel is not the best idea. That, combined with all the carbonation they give you, make for very bloated and uncomfortable traveling. (Dave pointed out that they don't give it to you unless you ask. But hey, if American Airlines charges for snacks but gives you the whole can during beverage service, you bet I'm going to get my complimentary Diet Dr. Peppers!)

4. Take advantage of fun things at the airport...but be aware of the time.
We may have been a little late boarding the second flight because Mabes was having so much fun riding the train between terminals at the Dallas airport. But we were in a later boarding group and we totally made it, so it was fine.


5. Despite your best efforts, there are always things you could have packed.
See post below. Also, before we left, I checked weather reports and was prepared for warm weather, cold weather, and thunderstorms. I wasn't prepared for this:



We landed in Denver just a few minutes after my Mom, so she was waiting for us at the gate. Mabes was very excited to see her and squeeze her, and then we were off to get our bags and see the cousins. Since then, they've just been running around, playing to exhaustion. My Mom posted some pictures of swimming, and here are a couple of others:

Heading outside for a backyard camping trip:


Proving that jumping on a trampoline is made exponentially better with fluffy skirts:



And these are the other pictures I wasn't able to post the other day. Another Easter dress pic:

From Mabes & Co

And a skirt I made for Mabes with my new sewing machine, courtesy of Dave's grandma. Mabes picked out the fabric herself and loves her new twirly skirt. Thanks, Granny!

From Mabes & Co

Field trip to the Backcountry

As part of our New Year's Resolution to "be more fabulous," we decided that we needed to be better about getting out and seeing stuff. There's a lot more history here than where I grew up (don't get me wrong, Mission San Jose is cool, but that's about the extent of pre-WWII history in the area), and I love it. Well, the idea of it, at least--I'm embarrassed to admit we haven't ventured out much. Inspired by my friend Alisa, we were talking about doing something fun this morning and Dave came across a website for "Historic Brattonsville." Since it's only about 45 minutes away, we packed a lunch and left around 11:30. Brattonsville is an American Revolution living history site in South Carolina. This area of Carolina Backcountry was settled by the Scotch-Irish Brattons in the 1760s. When they first settled, they would have built something like this "Backwoods Cabin":

Mabes was intrigued to see a real log cabin, just like she builds with her logs, and she liked that it was just her size. I don't think she'd want to spend the night, though.
McConnell House (above) is a historic house that was moved to Brattonsville to give a good idea of what Bratton House would have looked like when it was initially built. It was a common style of home built during the late 18th century, and would have cost about $100. There is a single room downstairs and one upstairs. Here a woman demonstrates how they might have cooked:

Mabes was excited to see a spinning wheel, but had to be convinced that this wasn't Maleficent's. Behind me is the bed, so the entire downstairs is the kitchen, spinning wheel, and bed. Most families had between 5 and 7 children.

Though Bratton House originally looked like McConnell house, William Bratton added on to make a tavern after the Revolutionary War, and his son added a room to make a school for girls (he had 7 daughters, and apparently there was already a school for his 7 sons).

The Homestead (above) was built between 1823 and 1826, and reflected the family's wealth and status. They had a large plantation with 139 slaves, and the home has a separate "Assembly," or dining hall:
The kitchen was a small brick building that was separate from the main house and the dining hall. In talking to these women, though, we learned that you would never actually see a white woman working in this kitchen. The kitchen was staffed by slaves who spent the entire day cooking. The head chef was one of the highest ranking slaves, and was very skilled at cooking and coordinating food for large groups of people. She had to make sure that meals were served warm--even though it had to be carried 100 feet to another building.

Mabes and I pose in the kitchen

According to one of the docents, 25% of The Patriot was filmed in Brattonsville, and the Homestead was used in several scenes. Here, Dave and Mabes try to recreate the famous Heath Ledger/Mel Gibson "I'm not a child!"/"You're MY child!" scene. Looks just like the movie, huh?

This field was the site of the Battle of Huck's Defeat, a significant battle during the Revolutionary War. Note the fine monuments:


We took tons of pictures and Dave and I learned a lot. Mabes was content to chase chickens and "baa" at sheep:






We're planning to go back in the summer--when everything is green--and catch a Revolutionary War re-enactment. Mabes was delighted that we finished off our Southern history day with a trip to the Q Shack for barbeque and hush puppies; it was a great day.