Stylin'

Dante wearing his oh-so-fashionable-all-the-toddlers-are-wearing-them headband -

And Gabe wearing his "Where are my gloves? I need my gloves! I can't find my gloves! Can I wear my gloves?" gloves - which, of course, are really MY gloves.

As we were leaving the gym today, the boys – as they always do – wanted to peek in the window that looks into the pool. So we were standing there, and I saw Splashy doing laps. And as he came to the end of the lane, he did his flip turn and up went the huge geyser of water, and Dante pointed and yelled “splash!” So, clearly, it’s not just me who thinks this guy is a little enthusiastic with his flip turns.

I swam 1700 meters today. I didn’t feel like doing drills, but I forced myself to do them. Overall it was an ok swim. In addition to the drills, I did a bunch of 50s and100s, a couple 200s, and a 400. When I did the 400s the other day, they felt awesome, but today I felt like I was barely going to make it.

I haven’t run this week, and it’s not due to laziness. My knee was a bit sore after Saturday’s run, and I think it’s the beginning of some runner’s knee issues, so I’m trying to take it easy and hoping that it settles down and doesn’t become a real problem.

I’m still racing on Sunday, but if it’s sore after that, I’m going to take a week or two off. It’s a very dull ache, and hurts the most after I’ve been sitting or kneeling. You’d be surprised how much time you spend kneeling on the floor when you have two small children. And every time I get up after kneeling, it feels stiff and achy – classic symptoms of runner’s knee, from what I’ve heard.

So I’ll run the 5K Sunday, see how things feel, and take it from there.

It was pouring rain today, so the boys and I stayed in this afternoon. We did a super cool turkey craft (handprints to make the feathers, footprints to make the body), played trucks, and read a bunch of books. A pretty fun afternoon, I think.

They both had a great time at music class yesterday, and we went to the park yesterday afternoon and played ball in the tennis courts. We were only able to stay for about 15 minutes, though, after which Gabe told me he had to pee. So we piled in the car and headed back home so he could use the bathroom. And since I didn’t want them to miss out on all their outdoor time for the day, we then headed out and they pushed their ride-on trucks up and down the driveway for half an hour.

I really blew it at dinner last night. One of the things we were eating was mashed potatoes, and Dante was doing a really good job picking his up with his fork. But for some reason he decided he was going to grab some with his hands instead, and I didn’t make a big deal out of it – I just told him “no, use your fork, Dante.”

So what did he do? He sat there looking at me with a gleam in his eyes and a smirk on his face, his hand poised just above the mashed potatoes – he was just waiting to see what would happen if he smashed his hand into those potatoes and shoved them in his mouth. And there was just something about that unbelievably mischievous look on his face and the way he was just sitting absolutely still, just waiting and waiting and waiting.....  I just burst out laughing. I couldn’t stop myself. I tried to walk away from the table so he couldn’t see me, but there was no point – he heard me, and he knew full well that he had gotten to me. In fact, he looked at Scott and giggled. We are in for some serious trouble with this kid.

He put on quite a show at the consignment shop the other day, too. We went to the one that they both love going to, because it has a big play area in the center of the store. As we walked into the store, Gabe went running over to a pile of stuff that someone must have just dropped off, and he was all excited, shouting “Hey, look at all these toys! Hey, look at this!”  Only problem is that he was actually pointing to a carseat. I think he was so excited at the prospect of playing with the toys that he couldn’t even see what it was he was looking at.

So they played while I looked for a winter coat for Gabe. I didn’t buy one, because all the winter coats they had were priced at $40. I’ll happily pay $40 for a winter coat that’s NEW, but I’m not going to shell out that kind of money for a used one! So I guess I’ll be hitting Old Navy for that – heck, if they can get something on sale, I might even pay less for something brand-new!

Anyway, when it came time to leave, Dante was, shall we say, not terribly cooperative. He really is the embodiment of the phrase “dragged him out kicking and screaming.” It’s a little embarrassing, but I also actually find it kind of funny that he gets THAT worked up over things.

This morning he was mad about something, and he threw a book. So I told him no throwing, and I also told him if he’s mad, he should go and hit the pillows on the couch. Then I went over and hit the pillows with him, and then Gabe joined in, and all three of us were sitting there beating up on the couch and laughing.

And guess what? Nobody was angry anymore : )

Comments

[Shawn]

I saw "Splashy" in the locker room when I was leaving. Too Funny.