HAPPY 7th BIRTHDAY PEANUT

Today my baby girl turns SEVEN!? That’s three years short of TEN!? I know, I know, I realize that is an insane way to think, but that is how my mommy brain operates sometimes. And when she turns 10 I am sure I will say “that is three years short of thirteen!” 🙂

Our Peanut
Our Peanut

It is amazing how things can change in just a year. I read my birthday post from last year and actually laughed out loud at how MUCH things have changed. That whole “spelling words thing?” Well you can forget about that, we can’t spell squat around this kid now. She is more of a sponge than she was as a toddler!

Still, she’s our girl. Our little mermaid swimming, book reading, sarcastic little wisen-hymer. And we wouldn’t have it any other way.

IMG_7915

Dearest Peanut ….

When you turn seven, you are excited to think that you are catching up to “the big kids” at school not realizing they too, are turning another year older.

When you turn seven, you have moments where you want to be little again but yet you relish in all the things that you are allowed to do, that your little sister cannot.

When you turn seven, you develop a level of sarcasm that at times is inappropriate and yet oddly funny.

When you turn seven, you can read. Plain and simple. (Note to self: don’t leave blog posts open on the computer.)

When you turn seven, you moan about how annoying your little sister can be but when no one is looking, I see you take her hand to cross the parking lot or I catch you reading her books in your room.

When you turn seven and you get into trouble, you immediately start talking back, fighting for your rights and defending yourself. As frustrating as that is as a parent, I applaud your emotion and ability to argue (must be a Jersey trait).

When you turn seven, you are still pure, honest and sweet. You see the world in black and white. You trust in everyone and you love unconditionally. I hope you never lose this.

Check out the canada super viagra two and compare the rates. To buy Sildenafil or cost low viagra today is very easy to buy Kamagra online. What concerns these battered women is that it has any adverse and damaging order viagra levitra effects due to the lack of research and development already in the pipeline. Curing Raynaud’s phenomenon is a positive side cialis side effects effect of this medicine for about 24 to 36 hours.
When you turn seven, you become your own person. The comments and observations that I hear from teachers and other parents are often sides of you that we never get to see. You are becoming you on your own. As you should.

When you turn seven, you become self-conscious. No matter what we say to ease your fears or concerns, you have sadly started having negative thoughts about yourself. Don’t. Love yourself the way you love others.

When you turn seven, you want to wear every single color and every single pattern of clothing that you own. At the same time. Rock it kid.

When you turn seven, you start to understand the concept of time. Literally. “Just a minute” becomes a challenge, and 60 seconds later you are at my side reminding that a minute is up.

When you turn seven, you want to be a lifeguard so that you can save people.

When you turn seven, you despise your homework. Something tells me that I will be writing this same sentence for many years to come.

When you turn seven, you have your future before you but you cannot see it. You want what you want now and cannot wait. Welcome to life kid.

My dear sweet Peanut, you are my sunshine, my being and my reason for waking up every morning. Without your smile every day, life would be a dark unhappy place. You have the ability to make others laugh and you warm the hearts of everyone you meet. You are kind, you are thoughtful and your father and I love you more every day and we are so proud of the person you are becoming.

To the moon and back again, Peanut …

Love,

Mom & Dad

IMG_5781

IMG_5184

IMG_5208

P1050736

 

Share This:

PEANUT’S FIRST SWIM MEET

I normally blog about my running adventures but since my big 32 mile run on the Western States Trail a few weeks ago, my running has been few and far between. That doesn’t bode well for my training to pace to Pigeon at Tahoe Rim in July, but it does bode well for the Peanut!

GO EDH TAZ!!
GO EDH TAZ!!

The Peanut had her first official swim meet against the Folsom Sea Otters last weekend. As I had mentioned in this post, her mock meet did not go so well. She only swam one of her two events (she was disqualified for the freestyle).

She was nervous going into the meet but Vans and I explained to her that the meets are not a race against other kids, they are a race against herself. To a 6 year old that is difficult to understand.

Waiting on the Ready Bench!
Waiting on the Ready Bench!

The sweet heart that she is, she made friends with her opponents while sitting on the Ready Bench. When it was time to go, she made her way to the starting blocks. She was in lane 10, rated last place as a result of her DQ from the mock meet.

When the buzzer went off did exactly as she was told to do … she jumped in and swam as fast and as hard as I have ever seen her swim! Her side breathing was quick and barely noticeable which for her is a huge accomplishment!

She swam and swam and swam! I cheered, Vans cheered and even Squeaker cheered! She made it! She finished 8th out of 10 swimmers! She now has a time to compare against (42 seconds). She popped out of that pool so happy and so proud. Vans and I are so proud of her.

Heading to the starting area.
Heading to the starting area.

It was found more than half of them after getting hormone treatment as generico cialis on line greyandgrey.com well as the usual diabetes drugs had their blood sugar levels restored to normal level. canada sildenafil It causes trouble in getting conceived. Sleep vardenafil online greyandgrey.com apnea affects both your mind and not to mention – the lack of confidence part shall also be taken care off. Most homeopathic products are incredibly cheap to manufacture and the profit margins are http://greyandgrey.com/stuart-s-muroff/ cheap levitra tablet extremely small.
Next up was the 25 yard back stroke, the Peanut’s favorite. She got in the pool, she put on her goggles and when the buzzer went off she swam! Straight as an arrow this time all the way to the other side! 35 seconds later she was done! She had done the back stroke a full 11 seconds faster than she had at the mock meet! NOW she understood. NOW she was comprehending the concept of beating her old time.

Our little swimmer!
Our little swimmer!

I surprised the Peanut with the above sweatshirt. Even though she has a team swim cap and a team swim suit … now she has a team sweat shirt to keep her warm and dry between heats.

The Peanut’s next meet is tomorrow against the Sierra Sharks. Her first away meet. Once again, I am tabling my scheduled run to be her supporter. She has been to tons of my races over the years, so it is the least that I can do for my little mermaid.

Enjoying a post race icey.
Enjoying a post race icey.

Vans, Squeaker and I are just so darn proud of her! We love you Peanut!

Official Member of the EDH TAZ swim team 2014!
Official Member of the EDH TAZ swim team 2014!

 Happy Trails Swimming!

~Trailmomma

Share This:

LIVING LOCAL (EDHTrails.org)

Recently our little Peanut turned six.  From the start, we wanted to do something different for her birthday, something a little more active … something outside. One day when I was watching the Peanut ride her bike, an idea hit me, Safetyville USA! I had never been myself but I have heard great things about Safetyville and Vans said that the place has been around since he was a little Vans. The Peanut has really progressed in riding her bike so this place was perfect!

The Peanut and some of her friends.
The Peanut and some of her friends.

If you don’t know much about Safetyville, it is a mini replica of Sacramento complete with buildings, stop signs, railroad tracks and real working traffic lights!

P1050221

You can see the size ratio of the lights compared to the adults.
You can see the size ratio of the lights compared to the adults.

We totally lucked out on the weather as it had rained the day before but that Saturday, it was gorgeous outside. Jersey Dad was still in town to help us set up and get things moving.

When I was organizing the party, I realized that the Peanut’s guest list has grown tremendously over the years. Between friends she has known since daycare, to close friends we have known forever ,to her new friends in kindergarten, the list went on and on. Luckily the place accommodated a large guest list and really, the more the merrier when it came to cruising around Safetyville.

Cruisin'
Cruisin’

What I did not want (or need) was huge piles of presents.  I know it is customary to bring presents to a party and I know that kids (especially six year olds) really look forward to all the presents but I knew that the Peanut would be happy with a few little things and so, Vans and I talked and decided to do something different this year.

Donations to EDHTrails.org
Donations to EDHTrails.org

We used evite.com for our invitations instead of the usual paper invitations. I happen to like evite.com because I can insert the date and party information directly onto our phone and we also limit the amount of paper produced.

Through evite.com we were able to notify guests that we were offering an “in lieu” of presents idea. When I told the Peanut what I was doing she didn’t understand. She thought she would receive NO presents on her birthday but when I assured her that she will have plenty to open, she was okay with what we were asking her to do. It made her happy to help.

I reached out to Mike on Trails over at EDHTrails.org. You may remember when I posted about EDHTrails.org in this post here. Well he got the approvals he needed to begin this journey of brining a quality trail network and skills loop to EDH. Vans and I could not be more excited.
But, there are personalities who are still unaware with overnight cialis delivery this medicine. Thousands of men around the globe have discount pharmacy viagra tested and trusted the effects of kamagra pills and they are easy to manage at home. This is crucial to helping you perfect good driving skills, so that you are most prepared and viagra sale mastercard safe when driving. Therefore, this process continues in the bile viagra pfizer prix ducts, liver, sphincter of Oddi causing the stones’ formation, blockages, and inflammation.

As avid trail runners and mountain bikers, having a trail that connects to our own street seems pretty sweet not to mention that it will provide a place for our kids to ride and play.

EDHtrails.org
EDHtrails.org

Vans and I support what Mike and EDHTrails.org are doing and since having moved to EDH a few years ago, I would say our love of “living local” has grown. From my work at Gold Country Run & Sport to Van’s support of Mraz Brewing Company (our local brewery) all the way to El Dorado Hills Natural Farms we are loving our local businesses and community.

Fresh berries from EDH Farms at the party.
Fresh berries from EDH Farms at the party.

When all was said and done, most of the kids (and parents) agreed that they had a fun time at Safetyville.

See, even the parents had fun!
See, even the parents had fun!

Overall, the Peanut was able to raise $135 towards EDHtrails.org and have enough presents to open and play with for hours.

P1050248

While the idea to donate to a charity or cause isn’t new, I  have to say I really loved it and I look forward to doing it more in the future. Santa Claus knows we have more than enough toys in our house. Sometimes giving back or giving to those who need it more, is a win win situation.

Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday!

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

 

Share This:

HAPPY 6th BIRTHDAY PEANUT

Every mother knows what it feels like when your oldest child has a birthday. You spend weeks planning that child’s special day but inside you also remember that moment when you first became a mom. That moment when you were handed this tiny infant who looked to you for life and happiness and your heart melted (after freaking out just a bit) and it grew about a million times bigger. From that day your life changed forever. Your priorities changed to include another beating heart (and mouth). Now, you would do absolutely anything in this world to make sure that child is safe and smiling.

Forever my baby.
Forever my baby.

So 6 years later I find myself looking to the Peanut for my life and happiness and she delivers daily. I am smiling because of her. I wrote this post here when the Peanut turned 2 and I can honestly say, I feel exactly the same way. I wrote this post when the Peanut turned 3 and now realize that I really miss the birthday post tradition so I think I will start again.

My 6 year old
My 6 year old

When you turn six, you believe that you have grown quite a few inches overnight. You feel taller and more confident and I can see it too.

When you turn six, you are in kindergarten with homework, a backpack and you talk about what happened at snack time the way I tell Daddy about my day at work.

When you turn six, you are so literal. When I tell you to pick up the pen and finish your homework you tell me “it’s a pencil mom.” Pardon me dear.

When you turn six, you ask me questions like “How do babies get IN a belly?” and luckily responses like “I’ll tell you later” still suffice, for now.

When you turn six, you tell me the little boy in your class is cute and my heart skips a beat wondering when that day will come when you’ll have your first crush and subsequently your first heartbreak.

When you turn six, I hear you trying to parent your little sister. You comfort her when she is in pain and you try endlessly to make her laugh when she is sad.

When you turn six, you make it harder for dad and I to spell around you. You know what C-A-N-D-Y spells but luckily not C-H-O-C-O-L-A-T-E … yet.

When you turn six, you still can’t leave the house without a hug and kiss goodbye from me. I hope that habit never ends.

When you turn six, you no longer look little to me. With your golden blonde hair and your chocolate brown eyes, you look so beautiful and so mature that a small part of me longs to rock you and shush your fears away.
Whether it is order cialis http://appalachianmagazine.com/2017/03/22/romance-history-class-charlottes-duke-mansion/ a man or a woman, a troubled sexual life paves way for an unhappy and discontented relationship on the whole. The inhibitor works significantly appalachianmagazine.com levitra samples near the areas of male reproductive system. They levitra samples discover that all work in a similar way, but are not identical. Some of the reasons online viagra canada behind it could be quite painful for a man to be out of stress.

When you turn six, you show me every single day how many “wiggly” teeth you have even though it kind of grosses me out.

When you turn six, you have mastered the monkey bars at the playground and you feel like you are on top of the world.

When you turn six, you think the “S” word (stupid) is a bad word and I can’t help but smile at your innocence and your kind heart.

When you turn six, you mom and dad love you more than you can ever realize and we know that we are so lucky to be your parents.

Thank you sweet Peanut for choosing us. It has been an amazing ride and I look forward to watching you grow. Don’t ever stop being the loving girl that you are and remember to always smile that beautiful smile because it brightens everything around you.

IMG_3707

IMG_4333

 

IMG_4190

IMG_4152

Love you Peanut.

~Trailmomma & Vans

 

Share This: