New Bed

Batman downstairs, Spider-Man upstairs.

We finally got Blaise's Restoration Hardware bunk bed set up in his new room and he loves it!

Now it's time to get the nursery in order.

Ouch

Mosquito bite.

A bump Blaise said he got from falling down at school turned out to be a bug bite. The next morning it was swollen shut–a great reminder that kids sometimes feel the need to make up answers even if it's not the truth.

Tools of the Trade–Swim Stick

Supplies and tools. 3/4" dowel or broomhandle, pen, tape measure, saw.

Left: Mine. Right: yours waiting to be cut.

Measure out 8".

Mark.

Cut.

Hold the stick out in front of you as you go through your stroke.

Make sure you come back to a streamlined position.

Repeat.

• The main purpose of this tool, if used properly, is to teach/maintain proper body position and increase shoulder and leg strength.

• I use it for freestyle and sometimes for kicking (more advanced) by holding it out in front of me like I would a kick board. If you want to strengthen your kick or have been lazy with your leg workouts give it a try–even the best swimmers in the world forget to give enough attention to their legs sometimes.

• Make sure to keep both hands on the stick when you push off the wall and stay as streamlined as possible. Resistance may be your friend when you're working out but it's definitely not when you're racing.

• If you have any questions–please ask!

Failure

Don't worry about failures, worry about the chances you miss when you don't even try.

–Jack Canfield

Swelling, Heartburn & insomnia–Oh Joy

These are just a few of the glorious symptoms I'm experiencing with my current pregnancy. Although this time around has been a lot easier than it was with my first child Blaise, I'm still suffering through my fair share of aches and pains.  As I write this blurb, my legs are so swollen it looks like I'm wearing flesh colored ankle weights, my heart burn is so bad that even ice cream doesn't sound yummy and I've been sleeping so terribly that when I'm awake my husband and son make me stand-in as the zombie for their post apocalyptic war games–my brain is fried.

Would I do it all over again? Absolutely! There's nothing like staring into your child's eyes for the very first time–suddenly those forty weeks of discomfort seem like a walk in the park when compared to the gift you receive for enduring them.