MOUNTAIN LOVER

The Peanut is definitely my child. While I was working on Saturday, Vans and the Peanut decided to head back up to the snow in search of Van's missing wallet. No luck on the wallet but the Peanut had a blast in the snow once again.

AAAAHHH!

I LOVE TAHOE

It absolutely makes me smile when Vans email these photos while I am working. I love that she is so in love with the snow, the mountains and Lake Tahoe. Just like her mom and dad.

No wallet Dad. I was digging!

It is unfortunate that Vans could not find his wallet but what a great excuse to head to the snow again. Later this week the Peanut and family will be heading to Tahoe for a long weekend and we couldn't be more excited.

having a moment with nature

According to Vans it was cold but sunny which is more than I can say for Sacramento. Fog and cold was all I knew on Saturday. I never made it out for my usual run but I did today. I ran a new route trying to find a "loop" I can do on a regular basis. This loop wasn't too bad but I had wished it was a bit longer. I'll keep exploring.

The Peanut will keep sledding . . . even with out a sled.

HOME WITH THE PEANUT

Yesterday the Peanut and I stayed home. I was feeling quite under the weather and the Peanut, who commutes to preschool with me, was also feeling a little "off" it seemed. She probably could have gone to preschool but that means Vans would have had to go out of his way to drop her off and pick her up. So I kept her home with me. Lesson learned.

The day started off relatively easy enough. Some breakfast, some Curious George on the TV and a little bit of snuggling. The Peanut even let me entertain myself by giving her a new "look" for her hair . . .

(I totally copied this from another blogger)

After a little hair-styling session, we then decided to make a present for daddy! The Peanut is obsessed with dogs lately and lucky for me, I had an old Beagle calendar in my crafts box and so our hand cut-out flower project began . . .

Loving the glue-stick

Adding a message of love

The final product!

Hey, I am no kinder garden teacher and it was the best I could come up with. She loves having her hands traced and now apparently loves glue-sticks . . . which I have conveniently "lost" so as not to come home and find anything else glued together in our house.

She really enjoyed making this for Vans . . . and he deserved it. He'll probably kill me for posting the following photo but it only shows how great he is with her . . . he even played My Little Pony with her the night before . . .

so cute

She wouldn't let him do the hair though. Apparently she has caught onto the fact that pony tails and hair clips are not his specialty . . . helping out the garage and doing some real "man work" however IS his specialty.

Look at me mom wearing my "work boots"

Overall the day was a bit rough. I wasn't feeling well and the Peanut is going through a transition at school to a new classroom which has resulted in a little potty training regression. Four loads of laundry on my sick day home was not exactly what I had in mind. Again, lesson learned. Yet solo time at home with her is rare for me so it was still worth it.

pow!

WORKING TOO HARD

Or perhaps too much? Oy. The past two or three weeks or so I've worked my full-time "real" job along with at least two nights at either one of my other part-time/side jobs making for a very very tired Trailmomma. On my long commute to the office this morning, I did the math (which is not my strong point, yes I know) and I am roughly averaging 53 hours this week (working 6 days week). I know people who work more but how they manage that on a daily basis is crazy to me.

So it must come as no surprise that I missed my elliptical workout yesterday morning as well as this morning. Monday I made it to the elliptical and felt fantastic but then the extra hours started creeping in and well, sleep took precedence. I have to learn not to beat myself up about it. Yes exercising makes me feel better and helps me deal with the stress I have been dealing with lately but sometimes the body just calls for more sleep.

Beating myself up about missing a workout is nothing compared to the guilt I load on myself when I don't get to spend the evening with my Peanut. Last night Vans was in charge and he sent me the following photo to help me feel like I was at home. With them. Where I wanted to be.

I miss that smiling face when I am stuck at work. Yes I know, no one makes me work this much but unfortunately the economy isn't getting any better and we could use the extra money. Who doesn't? I've always had multiple jobs at various points in my life. I am a hard worker although lately I'll admit my work product is slacking because 1. I am tired, 2. My mind is elsewhere or 3. I miss my girl.

I have various New Years Resolutions that I won't go into. Generally that is something I like to keep to myself but I probably should add "focus on work when I am at work" and "don't work so much" to my list. Unfortunately those are semi contradicting at this point.

Regardless, tomorrow I have a 5 am date with my ellipitcal and weights . . . must.make it.happen.

2011

Happy New Year! We had a quiet New Years Eve in the Trailmomma household but I enjoyed that.

We started off the evening with chocolate and frosting. Lots of it.

CUPCAKES!!

(notice the frosting on her face)

The Peanut has this recent obsession lately with cupcakes. For the past two Christmases she has received toy cupcakes so I thought baking REAL cupcakes (albeit gluten free ones) might be fun for her. 

She had the most fun frosting and decorating them and of course eating them.

Ta-Da!

She really likes the color blue. 

After baking, frosting, eating and um, wiping face, hands, tables and floors we all snuggled in to watch Madagascar which always makes me and the Peanut laugh.

snuggle time

So we might not have gone wild and crazy on New Years Eve but we still had fun as a family. New Years Day was a whole different story. 

When we woke up it was pouring rain outside. Boo. So we loaded the car and headed to Tahoe to visit our friends the Princess and the Head Heart at their cabin because they had TONS of snow and always know how to have a good time. 

The snow was pretty deep. Cars were stuck on the road on our way in but once we arrived at the cabin we bundled up and the Peanut had her first real adventure in the snow. She's been in the snow before, but nothing like this.

The inner-tube sled was a huge hit

Weeeeee

Except you need to climb back out

& it was steep and deep

Some people took the easy route

pure joy

The Peanut had a great time playing in the freezing cold snow and wind. She lasted much longer than I thought she would. We're looking forward to more time in the snow with her.

After sleigh riding and building snow people we headed indoors and changed by a nice warm fire and got busy socializing and doing crafts with friends.

Unfortunately soon it was time to head home. It was snowing pretty hard and we knew the roads would be rough until we hit levels where it was raining instead of snowing. Someone didn't want to leave though . . . 

Cheese!

We were barely on the freeway when I turned around and saw this . . . .

out like a light

She slept the entire way home she was so worn out. When we got home she ate more than I have seen her eat in a long time. I should say the same went for me. Something about playing in the cold snow just builds that appetite. 

This was one of the best New Years Days in a very long time. I had a wonderful day with my family and promise to look up and not down to make 2011 a much better year for my family.

Happy New Year!

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

When you work 6 days a week with two 14+ hour days mid-week, accomplishing things can be tough. Don't forget having and tending to a family to the mix on top of all that. Which is why having today off from work (all jobs) means the world to me.

I woke up ready to go. First item, have coffee (easy enough), second item get the Peanut up and ready with breakfast. Third item? GO FOR A RUN!! I was going to run through some other areas of the neighborhood today but something took me to my old route (the local high school).

Now as most of you know, I am from New Jersey. Which means I grew up waking up extra early to shovel the driveway and defrost the car before leaving for school/work. Since living in California I admit I have become a bit acclimated to the temperatures and find 50 degrees quite chilly at times. Well now we live in El Dorado Hills which is only 30 miles up the hill but for some reason, it just seems COLDER here in the mornings.

38 degrees

And for my Canadian friends . . .

So not cold to them, I know.

I am used to running in 30 degree temps but not lately and not since moving up here. It was a little chilly out at first and I had to be careful not to step on this ...

That is ice or as the Canadians would probably say "frost" but it was every where and quite slippery. Just ask the guy cycling who tried to do a fancy trick at the stop light and landed on his bum (he was fine, just a bruised ego).

The sun was out and the air was crisp. I had a good run and then immediately came home and took down all the Christmas decorations in my sweaty state. Minus the tree as I need Van's help for that one. After that I conquered all the toilets, mirrors, sinks and tubs/showers in the house. Go me.

The Peanut also helped me accomplish another item that has been sitting around the house all week . . .

Santa brought her a toy tool box for Xmas

She likes to work two handed

Very focused

Final product.

A cabinet for our shoes, hats and gloves!

Now we're off to have a Trailmomma adventure and maybe head up the hill to see some pretty sights.

Happy New Year everyone!

TRIAL RUNS

Vans has the week off from work. Lucky guy. He should be home working on house projects but it seems every day there has been some sort of 'obstacle' preventing him from getting too far. One bonus is that the plumbers arrived on Tuesday and installed some sink fixtures we've been needing forever. One downer is the shower fixture wasn't the correct model and therefore I will not be showering in my new shower until after the New Year. Maybe that is a sign that 2011 will bring good things or at the very least, a nicer shower.

Earlier this week the Peanut spent the morning at a daycare up in EDH vs her normal one down in Sacramento. Vans is thinking about moving her . . . I am against it 100% but was willing to let her explore and visit with the new center for 3 or 4 hours.

Despite screaming her bloody head off when Vans dropped her off (and stayed 30 minutes with her and the other kids) she apparently had an "okay" time. She told me she had fun but that she didn't want to return.

This daycare is smaller, closer and cheaper than the one she attends now. I love the one she attends now because they have a better facility and I can commute with the Peanut on a daily basis ensuring some quality time with her and use of the carpool lane on highway 50. Yes, I am using my child as a passenger for commuting purposes but we do laugh and sing on occasion. Promise.

The decision hasn't been finalized but I we need to figure out some future details for sure. I want to be clear, isn't that I do not like this new daycare .  .  . I just prefer the old one instead.

She had to sit near the teacher at all times

working with chalk

getting spoiled by Daddy

after being picked up

Who knows what decisions we'll make in the future. Right now my only future decision is that I must go for a run tomorrow. Maybe I'll go the same route I've been recently or maybe I'll branch out . . . regardless, I am hitting the streets tomorrow and hopefully a few more times this weekend!



PATIENCE WHERE ARE YOU

Single Track Junkie wrote a good post about patience and how so many of us lack this in our lives. She is lacking the patience to heal fully and not be running as fast as she used to. Understandable. I'd be upset and feel the same way if I was in her shoes. Pigeon wrote a post about not running as much as she'd like due to a busy work schedule and an exhausted body. Patience is what is she is trying to practice knowing full well her time to run will come.

I too am lacking patience these days or maybe I am just tired of being patient while Vans continues to have a difficult time with our recent move and new home. I have never seen someone so miserable, depressed and angry when they should be happy, excited and embracing the new home we have to decorate and grow in.

I support any decision he makes, as the wife that is my job. However I hate to see him this way day in and day out. Questioning our move on a daily basis but other than pack up and sell the place, I don't know what else I can do make him realize that he needs to be patient AND open minded. But that isn't his style. Never was.

I truly hope 2011 brings him some happiness and comfort but some how I don't think it will. He's a worrier, always has been and always will be.

I was always a positive person. The glass was always half full to me, never half empty. I like to think that is what attracted Vans to me (or maybe it was my NJ background ha) but sadly I can tell my outlook on things has changed. Try as I might to not let it, sometimes I think things just rub off unintentionally.

I just hope it doesn't rub off on this beautiful girl. She is the one constant in our lives that can make us smile at any given moment.

I think my New Years Resolution is going to be find that elusive patience once again and work on keeping my glass half full. Always.