About Me

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I am a Mom of two young lads, a fitness fanatic and wife to a die-hard Packers/Brewers fan. I worked in corporate america for 12 years. Now I am on a new adventure - raising my sons and working part-time in the fitness industry as a Personal Trainer and Group Exercise Instructor. I hope you stop by and read my updates- family, fitness, or life related!

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Braden: 3 years + 10 months

So in my last post, I talked about how I tell everyone that Liam is "almost" two, and with Braden I say "almost" four. Four seems like a big jump from three to me for some reason. I think it's because at four it seems as though you get to do some of the "big" stuff like sports, preschool, and play with older kids and be able to keep up with them now.

Braden eludes the word "active". He is always asking to play baseball, basketball, golf, volleyball, badmitton, soccer and every sport he sets his eyes on. He could literally run all day long and not be tired until we tell him to lay down for bedtime. It's funny because as I type this, I realize the same is probably true for both Joe and I - so I can't wonder where he gets this from! :)

Braden has had a great summer so far. He has had four mornings at camp (organized activities at a park for 3-5 year olds), he has had a few summer days at Preschool with his school friends, he has played Tball and Soccer, he has really improved in swimming, he has put some miles on his bike and the list goes on. He cranks the baseball in his throw and he can hit an overhand pitch.

I really enjoy taking Braden places because he gets so excited and once we arrive he is just eager to explore and do whatever. In a group setting, he blends right in and plays with the other kids and I barely hear a peep from him. He loves to be around people. He always wants someone to play with or to be around people. He can be shy at times but really needs that social interaction. He is so curious and asks very in-depth questions these days. He keeps me on my toes mentally and I suspect that he will continue to do so from here on out.



Serious T-baller
Already wanting to "spike" his own hair!
Yep, this one likes water too!
Loving the rollercoaster at the MOA

I think he grew a little, don't you?

Monday, July 29, 2013

Liam: 1 year + 11 months

As crazy as it sounds, I am now telling people (when they ask) that Liam is almost two! It is much easier to say "two" than it is to say "one-and-eleven-months" obviously, but it has me really thinking about his upcoming birthday that's just now just a couple weeks away. It is hard to believe that two years has passed us by. I remember just like it was yesterday that I was 9 months pregnant and very hot and sitting in the pool wondering when he/she would arrive (at that time we weren't even sure if it was a boy or girl).

Now, a little less than two years later Liam is a crazy man- running, jumping and doing whatever his big brother does. He is fearless and adventurous. He doesn't always listen and likes to test me, but he is also silly and sweet. He is sensitive and caring. He is pretty hilarious. This month he took his first roller coaster ride and loved it. I sat next to him and I am not sure who giggled more, Liam or Mom. He also started to do all the dangerous things at the park that an almost two year old should NOT be doing, such as hanging from the monkey bars or trying to climb very STEEP things. So, yes I have had quite a few panic attacks this summer. He also saw his first movie in the theater and of course only sat still for about 20 minutes before he started playing with the bouncy seats and running around.

Liam wants to ride his brother's bike already- climbs right on and starts to pedal without a helmet- yikes. He also jumps right into the pool, so right now he doesn't go in the pool area without a life jacket on! I am busy running constantly between these two guys. Liam keeps me on my toes more than I ever thought possible. As I type this, he is next to me doing jumping jacks and saying "Watch Me Mom." His vocabulary has picked up a ton lately- saying 4-5 words in a row. His favorites are "Help me Mommy or Daddy" or "More pancakes please Mommy or Daddy" and of course my favorite, "It's breakfast time Braden!" He is very vocal and excited about life. He is also not a fan of loud noises - for fireworks we had to watch in the house as he was freaking out with the pops and bangs!

This summer has been a joy to watch Liam learn and grow and transition into a very active and busy toddler!

Mr. Dangerous at the park

He definitely loves water!

 Shopping at Target is not his finest moment let's just say!
 First rollercoaster ride at the MOA!
Building his first pizza!

Monday, July 15, 2013

4th of July Fun!






We have been having a lot of summer fun lately, hence why I am posting this about 10 days late! So, for the 4th of July we had a fabulous weekend. The weather was obviously gorgeous! We both had some time off work and had four days of straight family time. We started the festivities with a date night- happy hour and a dinner on a nice summer night. Then on the 4th, we headed to my Dad's for some time on the lake. The boys enjoyed being a part of the boat parade and playing on the beach, along with fishing off the dock. We came home just in time to see the fireworks which in our neighborhood are better than probably going to them at a park! Friday we hit the pool. Saturday we went to see Monsters University- Liam's first movie. He did ok- once he started to get stir crazy he ended up jumping up on Joe's lap and then fell asleep for an hour! Phew. Then on Sunday we had a nice breakfast down in Afton at a cute cafe, walked along the river and checked out the boats and then let the boys run around the water fountains close to home. What a fun (and a little tiring) weekend! Hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July with your family and friends!

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Chicago x2

So I had my second annual ladies trip to Chicago last weekend. I spent three nights there, one in a hotel (with Heidi & Shancey) right behind Navy Pier and two nights in a condo (w/ Maggie) right behind the Sears tower. I had a wonderful weekend filled with relaxation, fun and exploring the Windy City all over again. Three days went super fast, but I filled it with all of my favorite things!

The highlights of my weekend include: good conversations w/ wonderful friends, walking along Michigan Avenue, awesome dinners, wine tasting, a workout by the water, Zumba in the park, a 90 minute heavenly massage, seeing a friend who just had a baby, taking the L (officially: Elevated train) on my own and doing a little exploring, relaxing on a rooftop pool, dancing, getting dressed up and ready to hit the town & a little shopping.

It was so fun to have some time with my ladies to catch up and enjoy each other's company for the weekend with no distractions. I sometimes forget what it's like to make decisions for myself- what I want to eat, where I want to go, etc... so it was really nice to have some "me" time and not have to worry about getting anyone else fed and ready for the day. It was also nice to have three consecutive days off work. June was an extremely busy month for me. I think I taught like 25 classes in 30 days. I was ready to end the month with a little mental (and physical, ha) break! I came home refreshed and ready to tackle everyday life w/ the boys and planning and executing workouts again!

Sounds like Joe and the boys stayed busy and got a little dose of what it's like when Mom is gone, he he. He did a great job while I was gone and the boys were in good hands. Here are some pics to share!


 Heidi and I along the Chicago river (night before the Stanley Cup parade)
 View from a morning run
 Wine tasting w/ wonderful friends- Heidi & Maggie
 Maggie & I (post Zumba workout in Millenium Park)
 Rooftop patio view from the condo we stayed in
Ladies Hitting the Town (Kristen, Maggie, Me)