Last Firsts

Okay, I know that's a bit melodramatic, but now that the Things have made it through their first year of life, we don't have as many firsts to celebrate anymore! That doesn't mean that we're not having a totally awesome time--of course we are! It just means that I'm a little sad that not every day is its own special first now.

I know, we'll still have plenty of firsts as these kids grow up. Our first plane trip. Our first day of school. Our first lost teeth. They'll be flower girl and ring bearer for the first time this summer at their Aunt Maddie's wedding! All of this is great, and I just need to remember to look for and celebrate the new firsts as they happen.

So, speaking of firsts, Valentine's Day was a big deal this year! Thing 1, my big boy, got his first haircut!!

See? Totally necessary!

We'd been avoiding the inevitable for a while now, but we just couldn't put it off any longer. His sweet curls were getting just plain unruly, and his hair was in his eyes most of the time. It looks like he may have inherited my curly hair, which means he has to deal with the tangles too. Thing 2 has stick straight, fine hair right now, that doesn't seem to tangle at all.... They both get some epic bed-head, though!

Anyway, we all took a trip to our local Kidsnips, and Thing 1 tried his best to get his ear snipped off. There was so much going on, that he kept looking around the room. His stylist had to chase him around a little bit, but she did a great job! He looks like such a big man, now!

We're going to wait a while on getting Thing 2's first haircut. Since she doesn't have the same tangle issue, we're going to let her hair grow a while longer. Her bangs have decided they want to start way at the back of her head, so we're hoping letting her hair grow more will talk them out of that... We'll see...

Happy Valentine's Day!

But, Thing 2 did have her own first on Valentine's Day! Valentine's Day, 2015 is the day that Thing 2 learned to give kisses! Best. Thing. Ever! She actually gave her first two kisses to her brother, but the rest have been all for mommy and daddy (okay, and her favorite stuffed animals)! It's so sweet! We can ask her for a kiss, and she'll lean over and go "Bwah!" We've been getting hugs from both kids for a while now, but I've been looking forward to the kisses. Let's just say: it was worth the wait!

All-in-all, I think our second Valentine's Day together was a sweet, snuggly success! The Things were extra affectionate with each other, and I couldn't get enough of it! Not too shabby!

Bam!

Oh, and in case anyone cares (but, what can compare with all that cuteness?), I'm at 57.52 miles so far this year. I know, that's a little behind where I'd like to be, but we've had weather and other stuff to consider this winter. I know I'll be able to get back on track once spring (finally) rolls around. In fact, last weekend, I ran 5 miles! That's the farthest I've run since my surgery! Not to mention, I also ran negative splits! I'll definitely take that as a win! (I should mention, I felt like I was really struggling during the run, and couldn't figure out why it was feeling so hard. Guess that explains it!) Only 442.48 miles left to go this year. I know I'll get there. All my runs may not be as fast or as satisfying as that run was, but I'll just keep plugging away. It doesn't matter how fast I get there, just that I make the journey!

Save the Ducky!

My kids love bath time. They run to the bathroom when they hear the water running, and they love to splash and float in the tub. Thing 2 in particular is inconsolable when bath time is over. I've started letting her take a bath toy with her when we leave the bath, otherwise she cries...a lot.

A couple of weeks ago, Hubby and I thought it would be a good idea to try a bubble bath. I remember loving bubble baths as a kid, and the Things love regular baths, so they'd totally have fun! Right? Not so much. As soon as their feet touched the bubbles, it was like someone was trying to kill them. There was panicked screaming and crying on their part, and confused laughter on our part. What's so scary about fluffy bubbles? Apparently, a lot.

A memory of happier bath times

Amidst the terror, Thing 1 picked up one of the rubber duckies from the tub, and attempted to stick it down my shirt. In my mind, he was saying "It's probably too late for me, but at least save the ducky!"

After a little while (and a lot of tears) I was able to convince Thing 1 that maybe bubbles weren't all bad. Maybe. At least, I got him clean!

I think it's safe to say that it'll be a while before we try bubbles again. We're back to boring, bubble-free baths, and the Things are back to their splashing, happy-bathing selves. And the ducky? I'm happy to say, he survived the incident unscathed.

Snow Days!

Last weekend, we got hit with a monster snow storm. My parents were visiting for the weekend, and got snowed in with us (obviously, they were really disappointed to spend a whole extra day with the grandbabies). We got a ludicrous amount of snow dumped on us in a 24 hour period, and all had fun playing in the snow on Sunday (and then Hubby and my dad had less fun shoveling on Monday).

Everyone got in on the fun!

The Things are maybe coming around to the idea of snow. Our first attempt, last month, involved Thing 2 crying hysterically the instant her hands touched the snow. You could just hear her thoughts: "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! What is this stuff!?!?! It's wet and COLD!!! Why are they torturing me like this?" This time, we doubled up on the mittens and tried to show them that it was fun to wander around in a blizzard. We pulled them in their sleds, let them walk around (and fall down) on their own a bit, watched Mischa romp in the snow, and then hurried back inside to warm up again. I think we did a pretty good job! We didn't stay out too long, but I think they got a good taste of winter.

At the Botanic Garden

Mom and I also made it out to the Chicago Botanic Garden with the Things on Saturday, before the storm hit, and I know they had fun there! We let them loose to run around outside and explore. Even though there weren't any blooming plants to see, they loved walking on the paths. The only complaints we got were when we tried to pack them up to go home. It's a really good thing there were two of us there--it's hard to keep up with both of them!

The snow storm has put a dent in my plans to run outside, so I've been back at the track this week, but I'm making the best of it. I actually had a great run last night--I got my runner's high during the run, and was able to just run and enjoy myself. I probably looked a little funny, running around with a goofy grin on my face, but it was just one of those runs where everything just clicks. It was nice to have a reminder of why I like running so much!

Goal progress: Last month, I managed to run a total of 26.51 miles (less than I'd like, but not too bad, considering I spent the first half of the month recovering from my surgery). I'm not worried about being behind, since I'm sure I'll make it up once the weather improves. I'm starting out right on track this month, getting in 6 miles so far. Hopefully, the snow will melt soon, and I'll be able to keep it up! I'm at 32.51 miles for the year so far...only 467.49 more to go!