boo...2008 edition

bzzzzzzzzzzzz...

(note: concept & 99% of costume by Adrienne, wings by Lloyd.
pink bracelet was a June-added accessory)

hangers and plastic wrap...

listening to spooky stories at the Trinity Park Halloween celebration...

Junie was all over the playground...

having a blast with Rachel...

on the hunt for candy...

her very first trick-or-treat transaction. ever.

savoring the spoils of childhood...

gourd bonanza

helping Mom draw the design...

testing the texture and temperature with her tootsies...

climbing, summiting, jumping...

digging...

making progress...

jackpot!

staring deep into the jack-o'-lantern's soul...

the artist with her handiwork,
including the smaller pumpkin she painted earlier in the day...

boo... a year ago

Cutest rain cloud you'll ever see.

warning... boring stuff... seriously

Be careful what you wish for. Since June was born, we've used the Diaper Genie for our diaper disposal needs. It has some drawbacks; it requires expensive inserts that get hung up occasionally, and its design is a little less slick than the Diaper Champ. Oh, how I cursed the Diaper Genie, and how I lusted for the Champ. Well, when the last Genie insert ran out, we put the Diaper Champ into the game. Dear God that thing smells. It's barely better at controlling odors than a trash bag hung on a door handle. After three days of use, we're going back to the Diaper Genie. We'll use the Diaper Champ for a newborn, but once they reach a certain age and odoriferousness, it'll be put aside.

It takes a certain level of nerd to get excited about Consumer Reports, but I'm raising the bar; I'm ecstatic about their oatmeal reviews in the November 2008 issue. They rated steel cut oats best (takes a tad too long for me to prepare regularly), followed by old-fashioned (my daily standard), then quick, and Quaker Original Instant rounded out the top four. The flavored, instant varieties didn't score as well. Their conclusion:

The longest cooking oatmeals tasted best, and you can leave out salt and sugar to keep them especially healthful. If you're hooked on flavored instant oatmeal, consider Market Pantry from Target, the best-tasting flavored instant by a narrow margin and just 17 cents per serving. For a flavored instant that's especially low in sodium and high in fiber, consider Kashi.

On a strange note, today while I was running around the Al Beuhler Trail, I passed a female runner wearing socks, a leather Merrell Moc (or something similar) on her left foot, and a flip-flop on her right. She just smiled and acted as if nothing was amiss. Must be some sort of sophisticated training protocol... or maybe she's just nuts.

Combining my already established theme of today's post, running and mundane things I like, here are a few of my favorite running related items:

Jogging Stroller: BOB SUS Deluxe. At $350, it's not cheap, but if you do a lot of road or groomed-trail running, it's well worth it. And if you keep your eyes on Craig's List, I'm sure you can get a used one at a deep discount. It literally folds up in ten seconds and fits easily into a trunk. It's not especially bulky and has totally replaced our regular stroller. If you're running on bumpier trails most of the time, e.g., Duke Forest, the Baby Jogger Performance might be a better bet with its 20" wheels, but it's strictly a jogging stroller and requires removing the wheels to fit into most vehicles.

Running socks: If you like a thin sock, I swear by Wrightsox's Coolmesh Double-Layer variety. I've worn them for years, and I've had very few problems with blisters, and none stemming from the sock itself. No matter what your preference, I highly recommend avoiding cotton socks altogether; wool and synthetics are superior for wicking, drying, and blister prevention.

Trail shoes: I love my Montrail Streaks. They're lightweight, comfortable, and provide ample bruise protection from sharp rocks. The other day, I found some for $52 on Amazon.

Clothes: The performance shirts I've found at Target and TJ Maxx are as good as any. I don't, however, experiment with shorts. Brooks Revelation Pacers are comfortable, don't ride up, are well constructed, and are relatively cheap (about $25).

Where to buy shoes: Assuming you've already been properly fit for shoes, I highly recommend RoadRunnerSports.com. If you go through a lot of shoes, their VIP club is hard to beat. For $40 a year, you get 10% off (you can usually find a coupon for even more savings), free shipping, a free pair for every five pairs your family orders in a 12 month period, and most importantly to me, you can run in the shoes for up to 60 days and return them if you're not satisfied. I can't tell you how many times a shoe felt good in the store or on a short run but then caused problems at longer distances. They sell casual shoes as well, which also count towards your five pairs get one free offer.

If you're still awake, congratulations.

And finally, best of luck to my buddy Rob. He's competing this weekend in the Beach 2 Battleship iron distance triathlon in Wilmington, NC. Iron distance events are old hat for him, but he's been training especially hard for this one. I'm sure he'll have a great race.

pushin' on

86 today. a drill sergeant probably would have disallowed half of them... but that's okay. next tuesday is the finale.

camping... kinda

We had a week full of fun. Here's installment #1.

On Monday night we took June on her first camping trip... to our backyard. We were planning on taking her to a local wilderness area, but we got cold feet. It would have required a mile and a half hike to the campsite, and we had no idea how she'd react to sleeping in a tent; the idea of hiking with a screaming toddler for a mile and half in the middle of the night back to our car made our decision easy.

Here's Junie stabbing at the smoke with her skewer. If you squint your eyes you can see our happy little two-person tent in the background.

We're not ready for one of those monster 3000 square foot tents, but the three- or four-person variety probably would have worked better. We were quite cozy.

Here's June enjoying some grapes around the campfire. For dinner, we enjoyed grilled cheese sandwiches and canned baked beans prepared pseudo-outdoorsily: on a gas grill.

It was always such a thrill to play with glow sticks when I was little, so I picked up a few at Home Depot earlier in the afternoon. Like a lot of things, e.g., building forts, Matchbox cars, I purchased them for her, but they were every bit as entertaining for me. We played catch, spun 'em around, and threw 'em high in the air. Good, cheap fun.

Given that it was our own backyard, some of our activities were decidedly un-outdoorsy...

June loved the campfire, her headlamp, the glow sticks, and playing around in the dark. She wasn't too fond of the tent, especially having it zipped closed-- she just wouldn't have it. It took her awhile to get to sleep, and an hour or two later, Adrienne and I joined her in the tent. We slept rather comfortably until, at 2:30 am, June woke up and seemed totally wired-- perhaps weirded out to find her parents sleeping next to her. Our efforts to coax her back to sleep proved futile, so we headed in for the night. She immediately fell asleep in her crib. Overall, it was a fun night and good first step towards more outdoor adventures. With one or two more backyard test-runs, she'll be ready for the real thing.

rays of happiness

By no means do we intend to alienate our readers, but it must be known, we're a Tampa Bay Rays family through and through. Only the Detroit Tigers garner more of our devotion. For those that don't know, the Durham Bulls are the AAA farm team for the Rays. Junie's been watching Evan Longoria and B.J. Upton for her entire baseball watching life. About two months ago, June and I had lunch with one of the heroes of last night's game, David Price. We happened to be in Tyler's on a Saturday afternoon while they were recording the Durham Bulls weekly radio show, and David Price happened to be the guest. No, we didn't sit at the same table, but since we were just about the only ones sitting inside, I think it counts.

Here's Junie this morning with Wool E. Bull...

there's a baby in there

Junie pointing to her little brother or sister in "mommy's tummy" ...

pigskin review

Here's a picture as we arrived. It's hard to see in the background, but Duke was leading Miami 14 to 7. Junie loved seeing all the people.

Junie looking glamorous as ever. And not a bad crowd for a Duke football game.

June wasn't much impressed with the football game, so much of her time was spent traversing the bleachers. The Duke marching band's halftime performance, however, had her riveted.

The score went back and forth for awhile, with very little defense being played. We left near the end of the third quarter just as Miami went up 28 to 24. The momentum had clearly shifted, and by the time we got home, Miami had opened up a large lead. It wasn't Lambeau Field, but it was a great first game. By this time next year, June should be an expert on the zone blitz and the west coast offense.

push-up to vote

Update on my 100 push-up challenge: Because I completed 46 push-ups in my initial test, the program suggested I start at "Week 3" of the six week regimen. That means today's exhaustion test marked the end of my second week of training and "Week 4" of the program. Got that? Anyways, I completed 70 consecutive push-ups today. This program is tough, and I felt it was overly ambitious during my first week, but I'm beginning to think that 100 is possible when I perform my final exhaustion test on election day.

Speaking of elections, yesterday I voted. I'm not sure if early voting is being promoted or even available nationally, but here in North Carolina, it's received quite a push this year. I take my right to vote seriously, and I want voting to be easily accessible and straightforward (when I lived in Chicago, my district used the same "butterfly" ballots that caused some of the problems in Palm Beach County, and they truly were confusing).

Yesterday's voting experience was refreshingly straightforward - just a matter of filling in some circles like a ScanTron test - but it was a bit too accessible. When I began to show my driver's license, the election official emphatically refused to look at it. She said they would only look at it if there was a problem. I simply needed to give my name, address, and signature. Anybody could have voted for me. I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but I think a process like that just opens the door for one side or the other to point fingers if things don't go their way. And I'm very tired of fraud charges from both sides. It troubles me that getting a library card, a simple process by most measures, is a more stringent process than voting in our elections.

Back to brighter subjects, we're taking Junie to her first football game in a few minutes. Off to Wallace Wade Stadium we go to watch Duke vs. the Miami Hurricanes. Pictures to follow.

1st ever Watts Hospital-Hilllandale Neighborhood Association/National Pawn 5K!

Today my dear friend Abby and I ran in the 1st ever National Pawn 5K to benefit the Watts Hospital-Hillandale Neighborhood Association. WHH is adjacent to our neighborhood, so it was a quick trip to the starting line. And I don't have any fancy altitude data or graphics for you, nor do I have any harrowing tales of steep, rocky terrain. It was just a pleasant run through cute residential streets with lots of bungalows and distinctive Durham charm.

But I do have bragging rights, because Lloyd has never run in a race sponsored by the local pawn shop (National Pawn will buy your gold and wants you to know that gold is high right now. It is also a short trip from our house and across the street from Hog Heaven Bar-B-Q, a preferred stop of ours for excellent chopped pork sandwiches. But don't try going on a Sunday--they're closed for family and worship).

Also, of course, Lloyd has never run a race pregnant. I'm about 24 weeks along now. So that goes some distance in explaining why I was burning up the asphalt at the blistering pace of about 13-and-a-half minute miles. I'm a big fan of my maternity running skort. I think it's fantastic that such a thing exists.

Here we are lining up at the start. That short person next to June is Henry, Abby and Lance's son, who turns 2 in mid-November. June and Henry are very fond of one another.

Here we go....I expected an air horn at least, but it was just a man with a loud voice who counted down from 3 and shouted GO!

The dads and kids entertained themselves playing around a fountain near the starting line. It was, after all, less than 40 minutes from starting line to finish.


Home made sign.Isn't it grand?

Here come the mommies! We were pretty much at the back of the pack, but that didn't dampen our spirits one bit. In fact, except for the very start and the police officers and volunteers cheering us on and pointing the way, we were by ourselves the whole way. There were only maybe 100 runners total.

Reuniting!

I stopped for a photo op....

...and scooped Junie up to cross the finish line with me. The announcer even announced the bun and me as we finished. I don't really know my time, though, because either the clock malfunctioned or they turned it off after 33 minutes (surely they wouldn't do that?).

Henry was so happy see his momma.

That's it! We're off for barbecue lunch in a little while, because ever since mentioning Hog Heaven I can't really focus on anything else. Mmmmm, lunch. Oh how I love lunch.

June is 2!

She is not 6, as she tried to tell me for a few days.

For her party last Wednesday (actual birthday was Tuesday, October 7th) we kept things very simple this year, with just 4 of her best friends and their parents (who happen to be our friends--what luck!). On the menu for the kids: finger jello, grapes, turkey sausage wheels, and chocolate cupcakes.
All of her guests were punctual and in fine spirits. Thanks to them, Junie had a spastic and wonderful time at her party. At one point she was hopping up and down and pulling the hem of her dress up to her neck. A short while later she and Rachel (who is 6 months older and therefore worthy of non-stop emulation) were jumping around and bopping themselves on the head with balloons. Such hilarity! Now that's how to enjoy your own party.

The hula hoops were June's birthday gift from her friend Henry. What a hit!

Mellowing out with her bouquet of balloons after the guests had all gone home. Decompressing you might call it.

June makes a prediction

Because we have decided to wait until the baby is actually out of my body to know his or her gender, it's become quite a sport to make a guess.

(We're at least hoping for the big declaration at the appropriate moment this time. Due to a confluence of factors the first time around, neither the doctors nor the nurses attending June's birth knew we didn't know yet, so no one made any announcement. In the haze of it all, I spent the first 5 or so minutes of June's life believing we had just had a boy. But believe me, at that moment it made no difference at all; I was just so happy to hear those lusty, healthy cries.)

So far, the boys have it. There are lots of superstitious, old-wivesy explanations, but mostly it's because I'm showing later and less so far and also because I was so very much sicker and for so very much longer this time.

June and I talk about the baby all the time, and mostly we do a little script. It's very rote. I ask her what's in my tummy, she says "bigger...bigger...come out...baby" or a variation on that. Then I ask her what she's going to be once the baby is here and she says "big sister" and we talk about mommy, daddy and Junie holding the baby.

Just for kicks, I parted with the script a couple of nights ago and asked June whether the baby will be a boy or a girl. Girl, she predicted. Encouraged by her alacrity, I pressed further and asked her what we should name her. No hesitation: "Stickers". Since then, she has gone back and forth on whether the baby will be a boy or a girl, but either way the baby will be named Stickers. So hopefully June's prediction will be correct, the baby will be a boy or a girl.

Hey, speaking of names....in Charlottesville two weeks ago Lloyd, June and I went to their children's museum. June enjoyed it, but it is much smaller and pretty much in every way inferior to our own Museum of Life and Science, which is pretty much down the street from our house. We came away feeling pretty smug about our museum situation. (Also, this museum was full of frightening uber-mommies who had loud conversations about what midwife they used and how there were far too few midwives in the area, and talked loudly about their political positions and how unenlightened others people who don't agree with them are. There was also some aggressive public breastfeeding. I'm very much pro-breastfeeding, and pro-public breastfeeding, but something about this display felt like a challenge. Really....it quite scared me.)

Anyways, of course there were lots of little kids running around and lots of moms calling out after them. No kidding, there was a little boy there named Dasher. Seriously. Come on, Dasher? And Dasher had an identical twin brother, too, named.....Duncan. What did you think I was going to say? Prancer?

hoopin'