Connor's First Day of Preschool!

Connor's first day of 2-Day Twos preschool was Monday the 24th and it went very very well! I didn't even cry until they actually took him out of my arms and he was crying "momma momma" as they headed into the school - so I think I did pretty well! They told me I could call the office any time to see how he was doing .... and I even kept myself from doing that! I just knew he was going to be fine! He had a blast at the conference and visiting his teachers last week, so I felt comfortable that he would adjust seamlessly!

Preschool bag



Breakfast of Champion Preschoolers - Eggos and Bananas!

Yeah, he knows he's cute!

Ready to go!

The school reported back that he slept about 90 minutes during naptime and ate only a little of his lunch (standard!) Tuesday, he brought home his first painting/ drawing for the fridge! My little man is such a big boy now!

Can you say: prodigy!? ;)

I can't wait to go and peek in on him while at school one day! I'm sure it's about the cutest thing ever!

The Hangover

I feel like I am still in the morning after 'hangover' from our trip. Not just me, but the entire family. It's hard for anyone to adjust to a three hour time change, but trying to adjust a 2-year-old, while keeping some degree of normalcy in our life is really tough. Not that I'm complaining about little Connor sleeping until 10 in the morning, but honestly we are going to be screwed when preschool starts next week! Our biggest issue is getting to bed at a decent time of night - the weather is just so nice and we have been doing so many fun things outside that it's impossible to get Connor in bed before 10 PM! (not to mention it stays light outside until 9 PM!)We have to be to school by 8:30 AM ... ahh! This means we need to leave the house by 8 AM - so the current sleep schedule is clearly not OK anymore!

Speaking of preschool, we had a parent/ student/ teacher conference yesterday at Chance School. We were able to meet Connor's teacher and student teacher, purchase his little school bag, and get our carpool drop-off and pick-up info! Connor's teacher is AMAZING ... she has been teaching 2 year olds for 35 years and shares many of the same ideas about parenting and teaching that Jamie and I have... including about discipline, religion, etc... and she even loves using Discovery Toys in her classroom! I am SO excited about our situation at this school... we were SO lucky to get in! Next Monday will be fun, exciting, scary and sad all at the same time ... expect to see some tears on the computer screen! ;)

Connor's little school bag for snacks and lunch!

Of course, as the shop-o-holic I am, I had to get him this super cute lunch box and book bag from PBK with his name on it! I have never seen such a small back pack! Love it!

Have you ever seen a backpack so small?? Too cute!

On a different note, we are still going through issues with my LR2 and we're contemplating trading for a different car at the same dealership. Fortunately for me, one of the other car brands they have is Porsche. Last night Jamie and I went to test-drive the Cayenne... and of course we loved it! I don't even want to talk about it too much because i don't want to get my hopes up... but I really hope we decide to order this car!! I love that it has automatic opening and closing of the tailgate, plus built-in garage door openers... two options that you would think my fully-loaded Land Rover would have, but doesn't, because it wasn't offered on the LR2. Jamie is really the one who loves Porsche - he's been having withdraws since we sold the Boxter when Connor was born ... plus he's forced to buzz around in a super-sweet hybrid right now because of all his commuting to Lexington .... so I think he would really like to have this car to drive on the weekends and evenings, in addition to me just loving it in general! Anyway, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Jamie decides we can't live without this car! ;)

So this isn't a brand-new one, but it's the closest I could find to the one we're looking to get!

AND, just to make my day even better, Jamie did the grocery shopping for me last night and brought home roses! I am so spoiled!!

OK - back to the laundry! Gotta get something done in the house today before heading out for Girls Night tonight!

Winding Down

It has been a fun and eventful 2 weeks here in Cali, but our trip is about to wrap up! I'm pretty bummed that the trip is over.... but I'm really looking forward to getting back home and back into our routine!

There are so many things we are looking forward to when we get home, including Connor starting preschool, our vacation to Ft. Myers for Labor Day, my friend Bethany's wedding, etc... Yippie!

Here are a couple of pics from our trip... but I'll will post a link to my flickr album in the next week or so!

Also, I have been reading a few fellow blogger posts about the use of Latisse to stimulate lash and possibly brow growth! My mother-in-law was nice enough to purchase me a tiny bottle and I've been using it for about 2 weeks now. I apply 1-2 drops to a little eyeliner brush (that I never used anyway) just before bed! I'll keep you updated as to any results. I have NEVER had a great set of lashes ... and I'm constantly over-plucking my brows since I stopped getting them waxed ... sooooo.... I'm crossing my fingers for a miracle here.

AND - before I end up with a TON of comments about it .... I KNOW there can be side-effects and it's a chance I'm willing to take! If a possible side-effect was blindness, I would not take that risk. However, slight redness or skin irritation, etc... is not enough to scare me from trying. I've noticed possibly a bit of redness JUST along the lash line.... but I'm also at the beach and in the sun a lot right now, so it will be interesting to see if anything changes when I get home.

Speaking of being in the sun.... I have suffered from what is called Polymorphic Light Disorder (PMLD) since I was a young teen. I've been researching prevention and solutions to this annoying sun rash for years and finally made some, what I feel like are, breakthroughs! Check back tonight or tomorrow for findings if you are the 1 out of 10 people who suffer from this!!

Inspiration at the Beach

I skipped my weekly fitness post on Monday since we are already in California, which was what I was working toward. Anyway, we have now been here a week and I'm happy to report that, with the help and support of my sister who has a running background, I have walked/ jogged along the beach five of the last seven days! Woo hoo! I already feel myself getting stronger and able to run longer distances (which isn't really saying much) so I plan on running every day for the remainder of my vacation in Cali! My goal is to be able to run 2 miles easily when I get back home. Of course, here, I get to run outside and by the beach... at home it's really too hot to run outside, so I'll be hitting the gym... but 2 miles just the same.

It dawned on me a couple of days ago the lifestyle differences among stay-at-home moms (and others) who live in southern California and those who live, well, pretty much everywhere else! This area is filled with flat-stomached mommies, fit and toned retirees, and young six-packed co-eds. So what's the deal? Whether it's walking a dog, walking your kid, or walking to walk... people here are really on the move. Is it the gorgeous weather and proximity of the beach? Me think YES! Here is an example of the difference in our day here and at home:

While we're at home: we wake up, drive to the gym, I work-out inside while Connor plays in the playroom, we drive home, get ready, drive to the pool, drive home, put Connor down for a nap....

While we're here: we wake up, walk to the beach and walk/ run for about an hour, walk back home and back out to the beach with Connor, walk back home, put Connor down for a nap...

Notice the difference?

It's so cool living within walking distance of everything you need... especially when it creates and more active and healthy lifestyle! I have no doubt that if I lived in a place like Huntington Beach (which is where we are right now) I could be as fit (and tanned) as I wanted with almost no additional effort!

Why? It's just so easy! It's not like there aren't bad foods and bars here; coffee and donut shops, fast food, and margaritas. But, people around here seem to have a bit more of a grip on their bodies and how to live how they want to live. No excuses ... not the "mommy" excuse, not the "I work at a desk" excuse, etc... No, not everyone is thin and fit... but the ratio is much different here than in many areas of the country ... especially the south and midwest.

Why? I truly believe it's just easier when you live in a more moderate climate! A lot of my excuses for not working out just don't even exist in this climate: snow, cold, humidity, allergens, rain, super-hot, etc... it just doesn't happen here!

So..... what to do...

Shall we all pack up and move to Sunny C.A.?

Probably not.

But, what you can learn from this lifestyle is to not to be over-looked!

We Have A Winner!

The winner of my Hoopnotica Giveaway is ....

Martha from Goleta, CA!!
Congrats to Martha!

She will be receiving her Travel Hoop and Intro DVD soon!

Thanks so much to all who entered!