Giving up soda and getting help from Liam

  I can't actually remember drinking a Coke or Pepsi until I was 21 years old.  I didn't grow-up with soda at home. As a personal trainer, I make money by telling people to eat healthy. I demand my clients surrender sweet drinks.  I run. Being a soda drinker is both hypocritical and out of character for me.
 
   It first started with a few late night (it was BYU, so non- caffeinated) drinks from the vending machine while living in the dorms. Then it was a few gas station sodas here and there on my way home from working at the gym.
      Before I knew it, I was buying soda in bulk when I went to the grocery store. Soda even had it's own spot in my fridge. I was shelling out hard earned cash for cavities.
     Then 8 weeks ago it all changed .. . .    when Liam spontaneously went on a crusade to stop his mother from drinking pop.
        I was reaching for a Diet Dr. Pepper in line when Liam, in probably the same loud voice he would scream at a kidnapper, started yelling "No! Mom, No! Don't do it!"  The entire store was staring.  Embarrassed, I smiled and quietly tried to reason with Liam. "Moms and Dads are allowed to drink soda whenever they want . . . it's fine. . ." He wasn't buying it.
Apparently neither was I.
         Two months later, I feel healthier, happier and more in control of what goes into my body.  Soda is not welcome in my home, my car, my family's nutrition.
   Kicking an unhealthy habit is liberating. I have realized that bad habits are constraining, expensive, and never as fun as they seemed at the time.
           Thanks Liam!

The gold medal goes to. . . . Liam!

Liam now has a gold medal. It was a prize from his first ever, 1k, race. It officially ushered him into our competitive society. It's a  harsh world where unfortunately people are labeled, graded, and judged as faster, slower, better, or worse.  Even at age 3.  Despite this realization, I'll admit, I did get a little teary eyed watching him surge through the crowds of disoriented kids, all by himself. 
Our little champion. "Fast as Lightening McQueen" (self declared :)  )

 Liams friend Abe was there too, right along side him for the start.
This is a picture at NASA's 'Rocket Garden' we visited this week. (What else do you do with outdated rocket science, right?)

This is a picture of the hysteria that ensues when I briefly leave the room-  Elsie is chewing on a screw driver, blue ink marking her face and clothes. Smiling. Liam laughing uncontrollably. Typical.

 I love plants. I love digging in the dirt, transplanting and re-transplanting, trial and error, the element of surprise.   Liam and I went around snipping flowers from our yard and putting them in random pots. It was a very spring-y thing to do on a sunny day.
         These peonies were growing in a shady, clay-ridden spot our lawn.   They've now been rescued.

Babies suck on everything and naturally seem to always get sick.  Elsie has been under the weather but as is still as sweet as always.

Home improvement Project

Liam and Brady went to Home Depot this week and made this planter box, now inhabited by his strawberry plant. Liam loved the thrill of using a "real hammer and real goggles."

     We recently spent some time replacing the flooring in our house. It was pretty old, discolored and grungy We fixed the subfloor,underlayment and put on the new tiles and it makes a world of difference in our house. We love it.

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The new flooring:

The old flooring: This is why it was so bumpy...

I haven't been blogging too much lately but we have been staying very busy. A few things we've been up to:

• Liam started pre-school and has been doing great at drawing and writing letters
• Gardening- the house we live in has lots of neglected plants sprouting up everywhere and not doing their jobs.  They are happy to be rescued.
• Working - Personal training and teaching a cycling class
• Replacing our kitchen flooring (i'll do a before and after post later) and almost cutting my finger off
• Brady studying for his pre-dissertation comprehensive exams
• Making new friends
• Eating homemade ice cream 
• Hosting a BYU Madness Party including a borrowed projector and 20 of our BYU alum friends- Love that Jimmer!

Happy Food

Good times and tasty food seem to always go hand in hand.

      I made a dessert a few weeks ago that made me nostalgic.  I received a Russian cookbook from my sister in-law Janell for Christmas and couldn't resist spending a slow Saturday morning in the kitchen.While Napoleon torts are obviously not Russian in origin,  Russians have made them their own and eat them to celebrate.  Mmmm crusty, creamy, custardy goodness.

Liam's tats

Somehow Liam thoroughly tattooed himself with a "Merry Christmas" stamp literally behind my back while I was doing dishes.  His response, "Dad's GOTTA see this!" 

It reminds us of the time he was at home depot and saw a man with cut off sleeves and tattoos and yelled "Look! A real pirate!" ( Loud enough for the guy to hear. :) )

Dancing Kids