The Giffords

5 + 1

2012-01-15T15:28:00.001-08:00

So my mom asked me the other day in her Mexican-Bostanian accent,

"Traaacy, you quit you blog?"

The answer is no, I didn't quit my blog, I just feel like I haven't been able to sit down for longer than 5 minutes for the last 3 months of Siege's life. He is one busy boy, which results in one tired momma. Anyway, I kept getting ideas of a million different things I wanted to write about and update everyone on, and the longer I put the blogging off, the more overwhelmed I became. I didn't want to write down 20 pages of information from the holidays and our lives the last few months so I decided to pick 5 pictures (yes, only 5 from my 500 I've taken in the last few months) to give a little glimpse into what life has been like lately.

1. Every time I turn my back on Siege he's climbing onto something new. You should have seen how proud he was of himself after he finally got to the plastic utensils. I guess that was better than the butcher knife he grabbed from the top rack of the dishwasher a few weeks ago. Needless to say, this kid has a new bruise everyday. We got him a plastic slide to play on that's in our backyard. He just loves climbing up and down the stairs and going down the slide everyday, almost as much as he loves climbing on the table.

2. This picture was taken on Christmas morning. My dad got him this pony. He wanted to be at our house bright and early to see the expression on his face when he got to see all his presents. Chris and I got him a toy motorcycle thingie that has a little motor. Siege ripped open the half wrapped gift and wanted to ride it right away. Of course, we didn't realize you had to charge it for 6 hours before riding it. Lesson learned. Anyway, after ripping that present away from him to go charge it, the tantrum erupted. He didn't care about his slide or pony after that. I think gifts will probably be a little more fun next year. I must say that Chris and I had the best Christmas holiday we've had... ever. We saw tons of Christmas lights, did the Chocolate factory, the Magical forest, Springs preserves, and just took it all in. Christmas is 1000 times better when you have a child. Plus Chris had pretty much the entire month of December off (I think he worked 3 days). We are already excited for next year. We did some after Christmas shopping. Chris plans on channeling Clark Griswold next year.

3. Each day I make sure we take some sort of adventure to get some of Siege's energy out. Child's play is one of the places we usually go. It's an indoor park and there are a lot of other toddlers there that Siege likes to interact with. He loves any and all slides so we do a lot of park adventures. I've been taking him to the day care at the gym lately, which has a play center for the kiddos, and we've been on lots of play dates. Just a few days ago I caught Siege playing Peek-a-boo with his friend Natalie. It's funny to see how even a 1 year old can socialize. He's very social. And he loves food. And he's hyper. I tell Chris all the time, he may look like you, but he definitely has his mom's personality. Either that, or I am just very toddler-like.

4. Siege's 1st haircut. It was going great until they put that body cover thing on him. They had to bring out the big guns and give him a lollipop. That worked until they sprayed him with the water. Then they just had to cut as fast as they could, which means they didn't get to cut off as much as I would've liked, which means we get to endure this wonderful experience again very soon. Add that on to the list of my favorite activities- that and the doctors office. For his last check up at the pediatrician's office he started screaming as soon as the doctor got out his stethoscope. He's getting shots tomorrow. I'll be in mourning.

5. I got a new crockpot a few weeks ago and have been going to town on it these last few days. Chris had been eating Chunky soup for lunch and dinner at work so I decided I better get cookin! Who knew it was so simple?? I'm not a cook, incase you were wondering. I'm a morning person- by the time dinner time comes around, I'm exhausted and never want to cook anything. Cooking everything in the morning has been great for me. In the last 4 days I've made Beef Stroganoff, Tortilla Soup, Chicken Taco Chili, and tonight it's Lasagna. Go me. All the recipes are very simple with very few ingredients and they're all Pinterest. If you've got any easy delicious ones you've made lately, throw them my way. I'd be happy to share any of the crockpot ones I've made.

5 + 1. Oh yeah, one more thing... Siege is getting cuter everyday. I love him so much and I'm very lucky to be his mom.

Never Again- now I remembered why I said that.

2011-12-05T10:49:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was the big day- and what a day it was. From 3pm until I was warm in my bed at 11:30pm it was crazy. We decided we needed to leave pretty early to get there (the race started at 5:30 PM), so we figured we'd leave the house at 3. After dropping off Siege, and picking up my good friend and fellow racer Lee Ann, we literally were running to the start line.

We had no time to drop off our bags, so we had to ditch everything that wasn't valuable and run with the rest. Which means we have come home, two pairs of gloves, 1 pair of sweat pants, and 2 beanies lighter. The strip was insane. When we got to Mandalay Bay, we saw exactly what 44,000 people in one group looked like.

After pushing our way through the mosh pit of bodies, we finally made it to our wave for take off (Corral 16). We took off about 20 minutes after the first wave started. It was so fun at the beginning. The bands were entertaining and there were spectators cheering on the sidelines pretty much the whole way. Chris had decided he wanted to stick with me for the whole race. It was awesome having him right by my side the whole time.

Around mile 2 I found my cheering section, Katie & Tricia. It was so fun to see them on the sidelines. I felt pretty good setting into my pace even though I was weaving through people for about 6 miles. For the entire length of the race there were massive amounts of people around. Anytime the road narrowed, everyone had to slow down to squish together. The way back was pretty tough. By mile 8 my legs and hip flexors were in pain, which is what normally happens to me during my runs. After I passed mile 10 I remember looking at my GPS watch every 2 minutes hoping that I had magically completed another mile only to realize my pace was getting slower and slower. Chris was right behind me. Every once in a while I'd ask him how he was doing. At first he said things like, "Great!" and "Good." Then he'd say things like, "How far have we gone now?" and "My legs are starting to feel it".

At mile 11 I started hoping to see a water station. Thinking I just needed a little more water to keep me going. At 11.6 the water station came and my stamina went. I looked at Chris and said, "What do you think about just walking for a little bit?" Chris had no objections, and welcomed the idea. During my 200 plus miles of training up to this point, I had never stopped to "walk a bit". I had run every step of every mile so I didn't know that when you stop to "walk a bit," you don't want to run anymore. As a matter of fact, you hurt so bad that you just want to lay down in the middle of the dirty street. Running the risk of being trampled by a crowd of thousands sounds more appealing than running again.

At first we start walking at a brisk pace, then we began to slow to a leisurely walk and by the end we were limping into the finish line. What was even worse than all of that was how cold I was. After 11.6 miles of running, we got pretty sweaty, so we had to walk a mile and a half in the freezing cold weather- soaking wet. Then after we crossed the finish line we had to walk about another mile to get inside a building. By this point, I'm shaking uncontrollably and my body is numb. After sitting down for 30 minutes I realize that our car is not going to magically pick us up and we decide to make the long trek back to the parking garage. Walking back through the Mandalay Bay Convention center was a nightmare. We were back to being smashed together like sardines. This race is not recommended for those who are claustrophobic. Finally by 10:45 we were home.

This morning I woke up feeling pretty disappointed that we just didn't run the whole thing. Now, 13 hours later, I'm sitting here shivering with a runny nose and a head that feels the size of a watermelon. Oh well, I guess that will be my goal for the next race I run... because I've learned my lesson, never say never.

Siege's 1st shiner

2011-11-03T15:52:00.000-07:00

Siege has officially gotten his first shiner. What crazy things has my little guy been up to that would cause such a traumatic event??

Well...

1. Siege climbs onto anything and everything, including but not limited to couches, chairs, slides, stairs, dishwashers and toys.

2. The doggy door is one of Siege's favorite sources of entertainment. Our doggy door is raised off the ground which makes crawling through it a little more challenging than you would imagine.

3. He purposely bonks his head on brick walls, people, & doors. Then he gets this giant grin on his face like he's the funniest person ever for thinking up this incredible new trick. I'm giving G-G-pa credit for showing him this one.

4. He now tries to climb into the bath tub on his own, but attempts this by sort of planking the edge of the tub and then teetering back and forth until he eventually falls face first into the tub.

... yet none of these wild toddler behaviors were the cause. His mother dropped him...on his face...on the tile. And...to make matters worse as Siege was screaming his, I'm turning bright red, not really breathing, kind of cry, I nonchalantly calmed him down as if it were no big deal. Then as I went to change his diaper I saw the damage that I had done. A giant blood pocket started to form below his eye. I called Chris before putting Siege in his car seat and driving him strait to the ER.

"He's got his first black eye!" said Chris excitedly as I stood by the changing table in horror...

There goes my chances at mother of the year.

Super Siege

2011-10-23T14:38:00.000-07:00

It seems like this past month has been huge for Siege in terms of development. He can clap his hands, which I've heard some babies do at like 9 months but Siege just started and now he loves to clap all the time. He also has started waving hello and shaking his head no. Of course he doesn't perform on command or else I would have had video of all this to share with you. He is too busy for pictures these days so all of his pictures end up looking like a big blur. I think that means I may have to resort to a real camera and not only depend on my iphone. He is loving the backyard and is finally walking sturdy enough to not fall over at each bump in the sidewalk- which minimizes my panic attacks by almost 50%. Siege has finally mastered "mama" and "dada" and he uses them when he wants our attention, but also when he wants Nadi's attention or grandma's attention, so we're giving him partial credit. For the past week he has been waking up between 6:45 & 7:00 which is sooooooo much better than the 5:15- 5:30 (pre-sun) wake up call I had been getting.

On my end, I'm still going strong with the running. I did 7 miles on Saturday and I've got 8 for the long run this week. Chris and I also got a living social deal for CrossFit. We've done it 3 times now, and each time we've been pathetically (can't even pick up Siege) sore afterward. My mom has committed to babysitting for us 3 times a week so Chris and I can work out together. Chris and I have never worked out together unless you count golf as working out, which was years ago, so spending this new time together has been really fun.

Halloween is coming up and we are definitely looking forward to some trick-or-treating and parties! Here's a little sneak peak of Super Siege!

Confessions of a lazy mother...

2011-10-13T21:00:00.000-07:00

Lately- I have been in a funk. I'm hoping I can write the funk right out of me. I haven't coupon'd in several weeks, my eating habits/choices have been horrendous, and I am feeling tired all the time (which is most likely linked to my Cheezit diet). My only redeeming quality that I can feel semi-proud of is that I've stuck to my running/training schedule. It's saving me right now.

Today, at our MOPS meeting, we had a nutritionist come talk to us about the importance of feeding your kids fruits and vegetables, small portions, less preservatives etc. and what a big impact diet can have on behavior. It made me realize what a horrible planner I am when it comes to meals. I mean, Siege can down a can of spaghetti O's like nobody's business. The speaker had some really good ideas of how to spice up kids' lunches with variety. My favorite idea was her "Go to drawer". She says she has a drawer in her fridge and a basket in her pantry that her kids are allowed in when they say, "Mom, I'm hungry!" The drawers are loaded with fruits, veggies, nuts, deli meat, hummus, homemade cereal bars, etc. Anyway, obviously Siege doesn't say, "Mom, I'm hungry," but I was thinking I need a drawer like that for me- where everything else (dove chocolate, tortilla chips, Milano cookies, ) is off limits.

She also talked about how the serving size for toddlers is a Tablespoon! That's right, I said a Tablespoon. Siege ate about 1 cup of Mac n Cheese today. And, in my head I would justify it by saying, he'll just be hungry later if I don't keep feeding him.

Until the speaker said, "...And if you're feeding your child large portions because you're afraid they'll be hungry later- you must realize, they're supposed to be hungry later. Their stomachs are the same size as their fist."

It's scary to think I'm passing on my lazy eating habits to innocent Siege. He's not even demanding the pizza and french fries yet, but I'm passing them right on over because I don't plan healthy meals ahead, especially for lunches. Poor kid. And I don't even have the "I've got a newborn that doesn't let me sleep" excuse or the "I've got 2+ kids and no time to prepare" excuse. I've just got one- that still takes 2 naps daily. Plenty of time indeed.

Well, this debbie downer is turning her frown upside down. Good eating starts tomorrow! Well, maybe Monday...

Happy Birthday to Siege

2011-10-03T13:07:00.000-07:00

It's official... our baby is one. I can't help but feel a sense of accomplishment that we made it through the first year. It has been filled with ups and downs and my knowledge of babies and motherhood has grown tremendously.

The Downs (in no particular order)...

1. Diarrhea baby:

Self explanatory.

2. the NICU:

Siege spent 15 days in the NICU right after he was born because he came so early. Just thinking about it makes me sad. I do not know what it's like to take a baby home after delivery. I'm praying I'll get to experience this with my next baby. Even though I adored the NICU nurses, the NICU made me feel like the most helpless parent.

3. Sleepless nights:

Siege didn't sleep through the night until about 7 months. This made for one very tired mommy. He still will cry every once in a while but nothing like the first few months. That was rough!

4. Worry, worry, worry over every little thing:

I think I went to the Pediatrician every time Siege had a sniffle, which made for about 7 useless copays. Each time I went I got the same response, "Wait it out."

5. Nursing:

I know that some mothers love this more than anything and everything. I am not one of those mothers. It was demanding, painful at times, and it always seemed like it would take forever. Don't worry La Leche League, I'm still going to nurse my 2nd child because it's best for the baby. Just saying.

The up, up, UP's:

1. Experiencing a love I cannot put into words.

2. Development:

Nothing is cooler than watching Siege change or learn something new. I will never forget the first time Siege laughed. Chris and I were in the kitchen and I made some silly face and Siege laughed like he'd been laughing in his head all along but just finally figured out how to make the noise. Chris and I both looked like kids on Christmas.

3. Play dates:

I've mentioned this before in previous posts, but I have made some truly great friends this year.

4. Food:

Siege loves it and I love watching him eat it. I'm so lucky I don't have a picky eater.

5. Growing closer to my hubs:

We now cherish the time we get to spend together. Date nights can be few and far between so going out to dinner, just the two of us (something we used to do all the time), is a treasure. Plus any two people that can make as cute of a baby as ours were clearly just meant to be together.

6. Grandma & Grandpa/ Aunts & Uncles:

I love watching Siege interact with his grandparents and aunts/uncles. He's lucky enough to have 3 grandpas, 2 grandmas, 3 aunts, and 4 uncles. All of who live in Las Vegas and love him dearly. It is such a blessing for Siege to grow up with so much love.

7. Walking:

Everyone says mobility can be a nightmare and how hard it is once the baby's on the move. I agree that it can be challenging, but I like this stage so much more than I thought I would. He's so curious and happy.

8. Momma's boy:

I love that Siege is such a momma's boy. This might not be on Chris's list of ups, but it's definitely on mine. I love being the one he needs comfort from after he bonks his head or gets scared.

9. Babble:

There's nothing cuter than Da-da-da-da-da-fa-fa-la-la-la-nay-nay. Well I'm sure actual talking might be cuter, but he hasn't done that yet, so I'm enjoying all of his babble.

10. Runner baby:

I started running with Siege in the jogger stroller at about 4 or 5 months and he's always loved it. Just when he'd start to get crankier than I could handle I would go out for a jog and it would fix everything. He must have been antsy for me to lose the baby weight too. Now we're training for a 1/2 marathon together. He just did 40 minutes in the stroller without a peep.

11. Siege and his sister:

And by his sister- I mean Nadia of course. They play tug-o-war and share toys so well. It's very entertaining to watch.

12. Happy Siege:

He really is a good baby. Siege has been to Chicago, San Diego, and Laguna Beach and was great on all 3 trips. Lucky me!

Happy Birthday to my Happy little Siege.

Hints of fall in LV

2011-09-14T09:17:00.000-07:00

There's something about the rain, that gets me in a writing mood. Last night we turned our AC off, and... it's still off! I love being able to open up with windows and let the fresh air in. Fall is my favorite time of year. I know I'm probably jumping the gun with all this "fall" talk, considering 95 degrees is still in the forecast for later this week but I just can't help myself. Fall means Thanksgiving is right around the corner, which means cranberry sauce, stuffing, corn casserole, grandma's homemade rolls, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie, and turkey of course! Chris's grandparents have hosted Thanksgiving in Cottonwood, AZ for the past 3 or 4 years. We stay in these 10 X 10 cabins, hike, play games, do smores around the campfire, and have a great time visiting. This year we've already RSVP'd and I can't wait! I'm sure the experience will be completely different considering I'll be chasing Siege around everywhere. The kid has no fear and I'm sure by Thanksgiving I'll be running to keep up with him.

Siege is in the get-into-everything-make-a-big-mess-for-mom-to-clean-up-over-and-over-again phase. He has to examine every little thing he comes across and he wants to do it himself without mommy's help. Which means I'm in constant fear of the disaster that lies ahead. Just yesterday while I was out shopping, Chris sent me this pic of Siege on his latest exploration...

We finally got him a few good pairs of shoes so he can walk outside, which gives me even more anxiety every time he passes a curb or step. He doesn't want to be held anymore. He's just about 25 pounds so I'm ok with that for the most part. The tantrums have begun. At first I thought they were the cutest things ever. He'd tap his hands on the pantry door after I closed it and whined that his potato chips were no longer available to play with, but then forget 20 seconds later what he ever wanted. Now the "whines" have turned into loud screams and the "taps" have turned into loud bangs and the kicking has started. I DO NOT like the tantrum phase. Hopefully I come up with some ways to minimize this cranky behavior.

Siege is officially a dominant walker now. It really makes him look like a big boy.

Birthday party plans are in full swing. One of my friends, the birthday party planner queen, has gotten me all excited about it. Pinterest is loaded with ideas of games and decorations. I think I'm really going to enjoy throwing birthday parties for my kiddos. We're bringing in an elephant for Siege's 1st birthday party. Kidding- but Chris already thinks I'm getting a little too carried away. It should be a good time.

I haven't missed a day of 1/2 marathon training yet. We are in week 3 and are going to run 5 on Saturday. Not anything too unbearable so far, but pretty soon 5 will be my short runs. Siege has been doing great in the stroller. We did 3.5 together on Monday and he seemed to hang in there just fine. We were supposed to go this morning... I had my watch on, my shoe laces tied and I open up the garage to some pretty good rainfall. Hopefully I'll be able to go this afternoon.

Chris has started on another handy-man project in his spare time- shelves in our garage. It seems like these days we can never have enough storage space. Between fantasy football, his garage project, and all the running he's been doing to train for this half (wink wink) he's staying pretty busy.

My sis-in-law had her beautiful baby on Sept. 6th. Exactly 11 months younger than Siege. I have a feeling they're going to be great playmates and they just might look alike too. I think the baby is definitely a Gifford!

Baby Zoa

9 lbs 6 oz (BIG BOY!)

Never Say Never

2011-08-29T19:59:00.000-07:00

Lately, when people ask me what I've been up to- I draw a blank. Does this happen to anybody else? I guess now that I stay at home the days just seem to evaporate and I find myself having to really think hard about what we've done all week. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm busy. It's just different busy- not very memorable busy. That's one of the reasons I really like having the blog. Now, whenever people ask me what my life's been like lately I just try to remember about my last post.

On a side note, I just want to brag about my friends and family real quick. First of all, as many of you know, I live on the same street with some of my family and we've recently made a commitment, with some other amazing women, to get together as a group monthly. The guys are even getting together monthly and I'm really excited about it! I know some families can't even sit in the same room with each other and I'm so grateful that we know how to have a good time together. We've got some pretty outlandish activities I'm looking forward to and one of them just might include the phrase...Vegas Stripper University. Stay tuned for some future posts on that!

I have also met some incredible stay-at- home moms this past year that I've become really close with. We usually get together at least once a week and each week I get so excited about the play dates! Siege loves it too of course, but sometimes I think- Geez, I'd want to be a part of this play group even if I didn't have a kid! We also have some fantastic girls' nights out. The last time we went out together I didn't get home until 12:30 AM! Most people call me Grandma (I could go to bed at 8:30 every night), so when I got home past midnight I felt like I was sneaking in from curfew! It's crazy to think I probably would have never met these women if I didn't have Siege and now they've become some of my best friends. There's reason number 3524651654 that Siege has enriched my life.

So, what have I been up to lately? Well- I decided a few days ago that I was going to do another 1/2 marathon. It's December 4th (14 weeks away) and the course is the entire Las Vegas Strip. I've talked a few people into doing it with me, including my husband! I think I blogged about my last 1/2 marathon way back when, it didn't go quite as planned. I mean who plans to puke their guts out at mile 12? And after the race I repeatedly vowed to NEVER do another. "Never say never," my mom would always say. This time, I'm hoping it will go puke-free. No guarantees though. I started my training on Sunday with a 3 mile run. Pushing my little chunker up the hill isn't the easiest, but we made it! After I finished on Sunday I thought- Really? 10 more miles?? But you gotta start somewhere.

I've also started couponing. I took a couponing class about a week ago and I've decided I want to be on TV. Joking, but I do really want to save some skrillah if I can.

I just looked the word "skrillah" up in the urban dictionary for spelling purposes. Incase you're wondering variations of the word skrillah include skriller, skrill-dizzle and skahrill. Strait from Urban dictionary-

"If I don't get my skrillah by midnight, y'all gonna get capped!!"

Anyway, couponing...it doesn't seem too hard, or I should say, it seems like it's getting easier everyday. By the way, I'm collecting coupons now, so if you get the Sunday paper (I think it comes in your junk mail too) and don't use your Smart Source, Red Plum, or P & G, I would love to come dig it out of your trash can.

Last week was pretty miserable for Siegers... and me. Let's just say lots of Pedialite was involved, my washing machine was tested to its true limits, and I could smell the surprise I was walking into from across the house. He had a lot of rice that week. Glad we made it through that!

On Saturday, we had Siege's 1st year photo shoot. I had to get them done a little early in time for his birthday invitation. I haven't seen all the photos yet but my photographer (who also happens to be my lovely neighbor) Lisa Deering, sent me a sneak peak and I love it!

I can't believe my baby is going to be 1!

Nap Time Activities

2011-08-21T14:11:00.000-07:00

Siege has been on a pretty consistent schedule for a few months now, which makes taking care of him so much easier. However, I started to fall into the "If Siege takes a nap, why shouldn't I?" pattern. Two naps a day for an adult, I've decided, just isn't the most efficient thing I could have been doing with my time, one of course, but two is a little much.

So my latest phone app, Pinterest (If you don't have it, get it), has inspired me in several ways. I'm sure all you bloggers already know all about it, but I just thought I'd publicly share my infinite love for this smart invention. Pinterest is a digital idea board that lets you pin different images/websites that you want to save for the future. For example, I've pinned sewing tutorials, fashion, recipes, etc. in hopes of one day creating these beautiful masterpieces. It also helps to organize your ideas into different categories. This is a little piece of my holiday pin board. Who knows if I will ever make these crafty things, but I sure like the idea of it being a possibility.

And, I have actually completed my first Pinterest-inspired project. I did a patchwork quilt. The sewing tutorial I pulled was so easy, even I could figure it out and I wasn't even entirely sure how to use my sewing machine before this project! Just call me Martha Stewart.

My latest nap time activity though, has been reading The Help. I cannot wait to see the movie now! I loved reading bits and pieces aloud to Chris. It was just hilarious! Anyone have any other really good book recommendations? I will read pretty much any genre as long as it's a can't wait to pick it up again and read sort of a book. You know, amazing.

I will leave you with a short video clip of Sieger eating my Taco Soup. It was a little spicy for all of us!

The Bling.

2011-08-12T21:24:00.000-07:00

Over the last few weeks I have started to realize that my baby just isn't a baby anymore. I know a lot of women say "it happens too fast" and "time slow down," but I honestly didn't really feel like that until this last week or so as I was rocking my ginormous baby in my arms. I looked down and noticed that I couldn't see any of me anymore. It was all Siege... long, chunky Siege. He's in the 90th percentile now and he can WALK. And when I hold him I see that my little baby is rapidly turning into a toddler. Chris and I have been married for 5 years now and I swear the first 4 years of our marriage didn't go this fast. But when you can see time in little human form- it's a little scary.

Which brings me to my next topic- our five year anniversary. That's right, 5 years this month, and we've been together 9 years (over 1/3 of my life). Everyday I count my blessings that I have been lucky enough to find such a wonderful man. We are a perfect match in every way. He compliments my high strung- erratic behavior with a calmness that soothes my soul. And I put a little pep in his step. For our five year anniversary I got a new wedding ring. When Chris and I got engaged 5 years ago, I was 20 and he was 21. I was working at a bridal shop and Chris was going to school. We knew we were going to have to save our pennies if we were going to get married as young a we did. My ring was beautiful, but Chris always said one day I'd wake up and there'd be a big rock that replaced mine. Of course, I didn't care- it suited me well. But when he started hinting at a new ring a few months back I got a little excited. We started going into ring shops just to look around. All the salesman would greet us with the same line,

"You two engaged, Congratulations!"

And then Chris would inform them,

"No, we're already married and it's our five year anniversary so we're looking for an upgrade." One guy said in reply,

"Man, you're smart. Give her the 5 year trial period first and then give her the real bling. I know an awful lot of men who probably wished they would've done that."

He's the guy that ended up selling us our ring. I guess I'm glad I made it through the trial run.

Anyway, Chris sure makes me one happy woman... and not just because he picked out this beautiful ring for me. The morning of our anniversary I woke up from a deep sleep to see Chris kneeling down on the floor next to my side of the bed. He had this frustrated look on his face. After I wiped the drool off my pillow, I asked him what the heck he was doing. He informed me that for the past 1/2 hour he was trying to get my old ring off my finger and the new ring on without me waking up, but as he put it, "You're finger is just too fat." So even though I didn't wake up with my new big rock on my finger, it was still a good try.

Guilty

2011-07-29T08:46:00.000-07:00

Last year at this time I was beginning to prep for year two in the classroom. Once August hits, it's pretty much time to get your butt in gear in the teaching world. I was reviewing my lessons for the first semester, getting my club meeting dates together for NJHS and preparing for the teachers to return for the first teacher-in-service day of the school year... Oh, how life changes.

Today I found myself changing poopy diapers, slicing up bananas and tending to my attention starved child. At least, that's what he insinuated as he cried for 30 minutes while I did the bills. It's hard to believe that just one year ago I was tending to the needs of hundreds of students at Brinley and now I have one little guy to chase around. My major concerns in life have shifted from data analysis, progress tracking, and school climate to changing Siege's diaper without getting poo smear on the floor.

Some days I just feel antsy and unaccomplished. And then I feel guilty for feeling antsy and unaccomplished because I am blessed enough to be able to watch my precious boy grow and change each day. I have to admit, I sure do laugh and smile a lot more now. Just this morning I watched as Siege shared his breakfast with Nadia. Siege had the biggest smile on his face as Nadi came to chomp down all the banana bits that didn't make it into Siege's mouth. He sure loves his puppy. Life is just a lot simpler now. Most days I love it- I really do, but just today (and I feel guilty even typing it) I'm wondering what life would be like if I went back to work.

I'm pretty sure it would suck though... LOL

Last Month's Adventures in Gifford-Land included...

2011-07-18T16:14:00.000-07:00

1. San Diego Trip

I love San Diego. The weather is beautiful, and I could spend everyday of my life walking the boardwalk of Mission beach just people watching while listening to the sound of the ocean. Siege, on the other hand, didn't share the same enthusiasm for the boardwalk as I. We stuck him in the baby seat of the beach cruiser we rented while on Mission Beach.

Usually we'd rent these bikes all day and cruise around, find places to eat, and stop to lay on the beach for a while, but since we had Siege we figured we better just rent for two hours. Well after about 5 minutes the wailing started. People stared and gave us the, "I can't believe you're torturing your poor baby, who clearly hates that baby seat, and is maybe even motion sick from all that crazy riding," look. So, we ended up having to stop every five minutes to calm him down, which meant we really didn't get too far in that two hour time period. After pit stop number 4, I was starting to get annoyed and Chris was starting to worry about our kid's fun-ness level, so we decided to just keep riding. Who cares if he was screaming bloody murder, but then I got those stares again, so I started singing the Itsy-Bitsy-Spider nursery rhyme. It calmed him down instantly. The only problem was, every time I stopped, he would start wailing again. So in order to keep him from sobbing, I had to sing nursery rhymes the ENTIRE time. My voice was hoarse by the end of our ride, and I still got some interesting stares.

He also was not the biggest fan of the beach. He would nose dive in the sand, and sand just doesn't taste as delicious as sweet potato I guess. I think next year at this time the beach will be a little more fun. He's still just a wee bit too little. Besides those two unfortunate situations the trip was awesome. We went to the Long Beach aquarium with our good friends, Pete & Jen and their little girl Tehya. We also did the San Diego Zoo and had a blast there.

It has been a fun month of travel. It made me realize how important traveling is to me. It's something I want to incorporate into our lives at least annually. The memories are priceless, even if they involve voice-hoarsness from Itsy-Bitsy-Spider.

2. 4th of July Block Party

This year my Sister-in-Law and brother had the brilliant idea of throwing a block party on our street for the 4th of July. In the past the 4th has never been that cool of a holiday to me. Believe me, I'm very patriotic and love the USA and all, but we just never did anything that great on the 4th. I'm so excited about our new block party tradition on our cul-de-sac.

They invited a ton of people and everyone brought food and fireworks. The kids seriously lit fireworks for a good two hours, before they were all gone. It was also a great way to get to know the neighbors. And...Siege pretty much slept through the whole thing! It was awesome.

3. Krista & Pat's visit

Chris has a cousin that lives in Wyoming with the cutest two little girls. Krista stays at home with her girls and used to be a teacher, she's a fellow blogger and has a super sweet hubby. Needless to say, we have a lot in common. So, when she told the fam she'd be coming to Vegas I was so excited. We did a ton while she was here that included the Springs Preserve, the Dolphin Habitat, Ethel Em Chocolate Factory, and lots of family/baby time! I'm still exhausted from the week! I'm exhausted and I don't have two kids and didn't make the 14 hour drive here and didn't have to live out of a suitcase for a week, so I can't imagine how they're feeling. But, she handled her two little girls so well. She has a 22 month old and a 2 month old. Chris and I talk about when to have baby number two all the time and I have always been the one to say let's wait or I'm not ready (which I'm still not), but watching Krista with her two little girls made me think I could do it. This is definitely not a pregnancy announcement or a soon to be pregnancy announcement or anything, but she has given me a little more hope and encouragement. Anyway, we had a blast just chatting about our little ones and our amazing hubbys. It was a good time. This is a picture of little Leah playing in Siege's walker. She is such a smarty!

4. Jamie's Baby Shower

My sister-in-law Jamie, is due September 4th with my very first nephew! I'm excited for Siege to have a little cousin to play with at all the family gatherings. Here I thought, our kids would babysit all their cousins, but it sure will be fun to have another little baby around. After weeks of planning, I'm pretty excited with how it turned out. We had a delicious taco bar, thanks to my amazing mother who pretty much catered the event, and a few entertaining games. They got tons of stuff and it seemed to get them pretty excited for the arrival of their little one. I should have got more pictures of stuff happening, and maybe the happy couple, but I was too busy!

(Zoa is the baby's name)

5. Siegers has gotten EVEN cuter

Seriously. He is getting more and more cute and fun as each day passes. He has learned to pull himself up and climb on everything. He is starting to let go and stand on his own and has even taken a few steps (thanks to all his practicing with his Uncle GG). People keep telling me to put off walking as long as possible, but Uncle GG has it in for me I guess. Every time he comes over his goal is to get Siege to talk a little farther. And, while I know this is gonna be big trouble for me, I can't help but think of how cute it is! Check facebook for the video. Anyway, life in Gifford-Land has been pretty good lately. Chris and I will be celebrating our 5 year anniversary soon! I can't believe it's already been almost 5 years.

Chee-kah-Go (as my mom would say)

2011-07-06T07:31:00.000-07:00

I've been home almost a full week now and I am finally starting to feel back to normal. The trips were amazing, but they really took it out of me. Traveling with a baby is no easy task. Don't get me wrong, Siege was really great those two weeks, but babies are just demanding. When they want to eat they want to eat 10 minutes ago and it doesn't matter if you're riding the subway or in the Van Gogh room at the Art institute or that it's 4AM and you just got home at midnight. My bubba likes to eat and when he's full he's happy, but when he's hungry he turns into Baby Evil. Good thing I packed lots of food.

I guess I'll start with Chicago. My mom told me she was going a few months back and I sort of invited myself on the trip. "Well, I stay at home now, and Chris is working that whole week..." So, when she asked if I wanted to go, I jumped at the opportunity. I had never been to Chicago and I wasn't expecting it to be as awesome as it was. The city is so old and beautiful. And just amidst all the skyscraper flows the Chicago River. I have decided that taking the architectural tour down that river was one of my favorite things. While you're listening to the tour guide talk about all the beautiful buildings you get an aroma of chocolate from the chocolate factory that operates close to the river. Just wonderful.

The Willis, formely known as the Sears, Tower was another highlight. It has these glass decks you can stand on and see strait down to the street. Very freaky. I also learned that when it gets windy the top of the tower can move up to 18 inches. Thank God it was a wind-free day. I was dizzy just looking out into the city, I can't imagine moving.

There's nothing like Chicago Deep Dish Pizza. It's so good! I've been dreaming about it ever since we got home. It's more of like a pie crust, but layered with deliciousness. I had two massive slices.

Going to Wrigley Field was one of the first things we did.

It was so fun to watch the game with a Chicago hotdog in hand (Seriously, the food was just what I was hoping for, however my waste line doesn't feel the same way about it). Plus, the Cubs were playing the Yankees and they won! And I can't forget to mention Uncle Wally. Yes, I carried Uncle Wally's ashes into the ball game so that Dennis' family could spread them onto Wrigley Field. This was also a little freaky. But, it was the man's dying wish. Glad my diaper bag could be of service. Oh, and a man's ashes looks an awful lot like baby formula. I'm pretty sure we dumped the right ziplock bag.

We went to the Shedd Aquarium, which I think was my favorite of all the places on our city pass. The Jellies Exhibit was so neat. The Field museum was a close second. Our last day there was spent at Six Flags. I hadn't been since high school and I'd forgoten how much I love roller coasters. I had a blast that day, while my mom got some quality grandma time in.

A big Thank you goes out to Aunt Kathy for letting us stay at her house for the duration of the week. She has this amazing Great Dane that loved Siegers. He was about as big as a pony. Her home was beautiful, lots of trees.

I guess I will save San Diego for another post, since my Sieger's is up from his nap. While we were away he said 2 words, "No" and "Mama" (not really sure I can count them officially) and got 3 more teeth! He's 9 months today.

The Killer B's

2011-06-13T12:53:00.001-07:00

On Saturday, my friend Krista went to the REI tent sale and found these snazzy baby carriers for hiking.

She called and asked if we wanted one too, so I guess we're getting into hiking. Chris and I have gone a few times, but the last time we went was about a year ago. With this new carrier we're going to try to hit the trails once a month. The way the carrier is designed, it distributes the weight in your hips more than on your back. Well, that's what the guys said anyway, it's not like I wore it. Anyway, after the hike we did Sunday, I've realized that I am out of shape. I did that exact trail when I was pregnant, yes pregnant, and I don't remember it being that hard. That's when Chris said, "It looks like you're no longer that triathlete you used to be." Ha! Well, he's right. But, I'm sure it will get easier the more we go. We didn't exactly take it easy for our first hike of the summer. I think it was about 6 miles. And of course we had to take Nadi Girl.

Besides the dry heaving the last mile, she did good. Like I said, it was a long trail.

Krista and I have known each other since freshmen year at the good ol' Las Vegas High School. We played volleyball together, student council, hung out with the same friends, and we even worked at Star Nursery together, don't worry we didn't wear twin outfits to school or anything.

It's just easier to be outgoing when you've got a friend that will do it all with ya. We got married within a year of each other and our hubby's both played Wildcat football. So, when she told me she was pregnant with Brett, I felt my biological clock tickin. I remember thinking, "Wow, I guess it's time." Chris and I got pregnant 3 months later. And as if that wasn't close enough, Siege came 6 weeks early. He must have sensed his playmate from the womb. I have to say it's awesome having a friend with a baby the same age as your own. Chris calls them the "Killer B's" for Brett & Brady, even though Siege is never called Brady. That kid might just have an identity crisis. Anyway, they sure are cute when they play together.

On the move...

2011-06-05T15:17:00.000-07:00

It's nap time... woohoo!

So last weekend Chris and I saw our first movie in the theater in 8 months. And even though it was Thor, it was worth it. My mom took Siege over night so we could go to Lake Las Vegas for a little Stay-cation. It was wonderful. You should go. That place needs some more business and it really is beautiful out there, very family friendly. I did feel a little guilty every time we passed a baby, which seemed to be every three minutes, but it was a well needed break from mommy-duty.

My little guy is officially mobile, and although it takes him a few to get what he wants, he gets a little faster each day. It's time to baby proof the house. He pulled the pancake griddle down from the island the other day. It landed right on his walker tray and he didn't even shed a tear, lucky boy. I, on the other hand, almost had a heart attack. He's also fallen off a couch onto the wood floor and bonked his noggin a couple times. I'm just trying to toughen the kid up a little. That's what I tell Chris anyway. After the latest bonk, I told Chris, "He only cried for a minute, no permanent damage." To which he responded, "We'll see what kind of damage was done after he takes his SAT's." Poor little guy. Being the son of a Gifford boy, comes with some serious pressure. He's a tank though. He might just be our little heavyweight. 20 pounds already!

Sieger update

2011-05-25T15:56:00.000-07:00

I know everyone loves a newborn baby, but I am loving each day with Siege more and more the older he gets. These days, at almost 8 months old, he is doing the cutest things! He's recently discovered his voice, and apparently he really likes it, because he screams and babbles all day long. He also can make farting noises with his tongue. He especially likes to do this while he's eating to ensure I'm covered with peas and sweet potato by the end of his meal.

He is cruising around in his walker like a champ! He can navigate that thing under tables, on the carpet, down the hall, and in the bathroom. He loves to pull out momma's cabinet drawers and throw the dish towels onto the floor. Nadi takes cover every time I put him in his walker. She's been ambushed a few times.

My favorite thing about this stage is how interested he is in me (typical woman right?). I can get him to crack a smile and laugh all the time. Siege reaches for me to pick him up now. I love that I can comfort him immediately with a hug and a kiss.

Toys, Toys, Toys. The boy is in constant need of stimulation. Anything he can find he picks up. He loves the TV remote. And although he's not crawling he seems to get where he wants by rolling around. I'm not sure he's going to be much of a crawler. He is standing up with the support of the couch or he'll hold on to my leg, not pulling himself up yet though.

As of Sunday, he is officially swaddle free. Chris thought he would use that thing until he was 7 years old. His naps have been great ever since. He takes two 1-2 hour naps each day. Siege can also put his binkie in his mouth now which is awesome! During the night, I'll throw a few in the crib and he'll find one if his falls out and go right back to sleep.

Lately he's been spending a lot of time in grandma's pool. He doesn't seem to hate it too bad. I'm sure as the weather gets a little warmer he'll enjoy it more.

We've got a few trips planned for the summer. Siege and I leave for Chicago in about 3 weeks. This will be Siege's first trip. Hopefully he's not too terrible! Unfortunately, Chris has to work so we are going to miss daddy big time! Luckily I will be traveling with family so I'm sure I'll have lots of help. We'll be gone for 1 week. Then, at the end of June all of us are headed to San Diego with some friends for another week.

I am really appreciating all the time I get to spend with my Sieger Bear. It is such a blessing to be able to watch him grow and change each day.

Here she is...

2011-05-24T16:08:00.001-07:00

Over the past few months we've been wrestling with the idea of getting a new car. We went from crossover, to sport utility, to mini-van, and finally settled with the Lincoln MKX. I love her. She rides so smooth, has some nifty upgrades that we've never had... like power locks (seriously I was living in the stone age), navigation, panoramic sunroof, heated/cooled seats, and a sweet trunk that pops up on its own. Now instead of dreading my trips to the grocery store, I can't wait to run my next errand. Who knows how long that will last, but I'm becoming much more efficient in the mean time.

Today, while Chris was off, we decided we were going to run a few errands and right after Chris took the picture above, she wouldn't start. I have the worst car luck. The first day I got my mazda in high school, I was about to go show off my new wheels when I ran over a nail and got a flat. Today we take this picture and the battery was dead. Anyway, despite spending a few hours at the dealership getting a new battery, all is well. Having the sport utility sure makes traveling a lot easier with the little one. I like being higher up off the ground and there's more room for all the mommy-junk I lug around everywhere.

Tracy Gifford M.A.

2011-05-17T16:01:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday I had my commencement ceremony.

I never walked for my bachelors degree, so I thought this time I should, and I'm glad I did. Over the past two years I put in 300 plus hours in administration, wrote a thesis, and learned a ton about school leadership. I have to say my experience with Touro University was amazing.

I remember signing up with Touro at a new teacher conference in August. I wasn't sure what I wanted to get my masters degree in, but I knew I needed it. Your pay jumps up quickly with a masters degree (or at least it did before the massive budget crisis, who knows what will happen now). The funny thing about this district is that you can get your masters in basket weaving if you'd like and you will still get the same pay increase. So, when I decided to get my degree in Administration I got a lot of different reactions from my colleagues.

"You're going to the dark side huh?"

"People that go into administration early either don't like kids or aren't good at teaching."

"So... you want more money."

The sad part is, I've thought all these things in my head about previous administrators before too. And while, I just don't know if I will ever become a principal, who knows what my future holds, I do know that I've become a much better teacher because of the program. The program forced me out of the comfort zone of my classroom and made me see the much bigger picture, the school.

The first week of class we had to pick a school supervisor to monitor our hours and meet with us periodically. The first meeting with my principal, she made me NJHS advisor. I felt completely overwhelmed. It was my first year, I was still figuring out what I was going to teach the next day, and now I had to re-establish a club that I didn't really know anything about. I was in Student Council, so I ran with what I knew. In my first year we did a canned food drive, spent time with some folks at a retirement facility, sold holiday grams, threw together a talent show, put on a guitar hero contest, went to an NJHS conference and I met some amazing kids in the process.

I also got really good at collaborating with the other 7th grade history teacher. We worked great together. We came up with new lessons that included raps, virtually field trips, brought in guest speakers, came up with a layered curriculum, and so much more.

That year I won, "New Teacher of the Year," and I really don't think I would have done any of it without Touro pushing me to break out of my comfort zone. It was sort of like, you just don't know what potential you have until someone forces you to do it. It's when someone delegates you a task and you're not sure if you can handle it, but they tell you that you have to and you just do. It's very empowering. Not too mention, I met 11 great people along the way that were in my program. I was even caught talking smack about one of my professors in the bathroom by the professor!! So embarrassing!

Looking back now, as a stay at home mom, some might say it was a waste of time and money, but getting my masters degree really enriched my life.

Plus, I think I might be getting a pretty sweet graduation gift. Stay tuned!!

...and look how happy Siege is with his grandpa!

The Day I Became a Momma

2011-05-08T12:14:00.001-07:00

It's my first mother's day and today I can't help but think of that special day my little Siege came into the world. He sure has changed everything and made our lives so much fuller. It was probably the best day of my life thus far. Although it was 7 months ago sometimes I feel like it was just yesterday and other times it seems like it's been ages. Today, I thought I'd give a little synopsis of that day, excluding most of the gory details of course.

On October 5th, 2010, a day I thought would be like every other, I woke up thinking I had lost all control of my bodily functions. I thought for sure I had wet the bed. As I ran to the toilet totally embarrassed, I realized that I was still going... and going... and going. I remember yelling from the toilet, "Chris....uh.... I think my water broke."

Then, I cried. It was too early. Siege wasn't due until November 19th, for another 6 weeks. The more I freaked out, the more Chris realized I needed my mother. He had me call her and it was probably the only thing that made me breath a little easier. Mothers just have a way to know what you need. That's why we get a special day like today.

I called the doctors office who told me to go to labor and delivery. Would this really be it? Next, I called my boss. I had never taken a sick day and I only had one sub my entire teaching career due to meetings I had to attend at the school, so the thought of not going into work freaked me out even more. I had NOTHING for a sub. I was ready to sing and dance like I always did that day. Subs don't put on a show, they pass out worksheets or play videos. To think I would be starting my maternity leave that day made me pretty nervous.

On the way to the hospital, I remember my mom looking so excited, like it was Christmas. I felt like I was going to puke. When she saw that I was ghostly white she said in her Mexi-Bostanian accent, "Tracy, don't worry the baby can survive."

That was NOT what I wanted to hear. The baby can survive? I accredit that comment to a mix up in translation. Which had happened over and over growing up in my household. But this was not a time for an error with words. I wanted to hear that the baby would be fine and I would go home that night with a healthy little baby OR that I would head back off to work after the doctors said it was nothing and carry out my pregnancy. However, neither of those things happened.

When we reached the hospital at 6:30AM it was empty. That's when I knew I would love Centennial Hills. The first nurse checked to see if my water had in fact broken and it wasn't just a slow leak (as if I was a busted water heater). When she told me it had, I asked her what that meant. Was I going have this baby today? She said, "Maybe." Then I asked if I could go to work. She said, "You're here until you have that baby wether that's today or three weeks from now."

That was definitely not what I wanted to hear. After all, my bridal shower was on Saturday!

I got settled in a room where I couldn't leave the bed, not even to use the rest room. They wanted to keep me from contracting as long as possible. When my doctor showed up he could see that I was upset. He made me laugh and comforted me by talking about his premature daughter that was born at 28 weeks. She was in high school now, a beautiful cheerleader.

He decided to not give me steroids to prevent labor and to just let my body go into labor naturally. He said that 50% of women go into labor within 24 hours of having their water break. If I didn't, he would induce me in 2 days to prevent an infection.

My entire family came to see me that night (Chris was still at work. He went in after my mother picked me up and drove me to the hospital). We had a party in that labor and delivery room. I think there was about 15 of us in there. Just as my family was about to leave my nurse came in to warn me I was contracting. It must have been too much laughing. She continually asked me if I was in pain, which I wasn't at all.

Chris got to the hospital around 11PM that night and slept like a baby as I tried to clear my head. By 3AM I was dilated to a 3 and the baby was on his way! By 6AM I was still only at a 3 and my contractions were super irregular. The nurse told me they would start pitocin and the contractions would start getting a lot more intense. At this point my pain was still pretty minimal, but when she offered the epidural I said, "Let's do it!"

I can honestly say, I hardly experienced any pain during labor. I guess you could say that was the single benefit from having my water break early. I remember getting the shakes and a little itchy all over my body, but no real pain, until the pushing when my epidural started to wear off a bit.

By 12:30 PM I was ready to go. The nurse told me to hold that baby in until the doctor could be there. He was 8 minutes away, the longest 8 minutes of my life. When the doc got there we pushed one cute little alien baby out. Prior to delivery Chris had said he had no interest in cutting the umbilical cord, but that quickly changed when the doctor put the scissors in his hands.

The feeling I got next is indescribable. I became a mom in that moment. I loved that little gooey baby more than anything in the whole world. Thinking about it puts the biggest smile on my face.

While the next few weeks were spent in the NICU, Siege was a healthy boy. His lungs were fully developed and he was pretty huge for being 6 weeks early (5 lbs, 9 oz). The doctor called my uterus "Lurch".

Everyday I love my bubba more and more. And although I complain sometimes about the duties that come with motherhood, every sleepless night, dirty diaper, all the spews, & cranky days, are worth every smile I get from my little Siegers. Motherhood is incredible.

The Snooty West Sider.

2011-05-02T15:36:00.000-07:00

For this post, I decided to do a tribute to the neighborhood. I love it here. My entire life I grew up on the east side, and no offense east-siders, you did me well all those years, but I had no idea what I was missing out on. The stores are new, there are more than just two available restaurants to choose from, and my favorite reason of all, I don't just walk strait out on to a busy street from my door stop.

Each morning (and I've been pretty good lately) I start the day off with a jog. There are lots of walking trails

and even a really pretty park with lots of trees on my 2 mile loop.

We also have two resort style pools and a toddler pool in our community that are right around the corner.

I just love it. Not to mention, my neighbors are pretty frickin cool. Geez, maybe I should become a sales agent for our development.

And check out this stud muffin.

My New Hobby

2011-04-29T20:17:00.000-07:00

I stuck to my guns and made dinner tonight. Besides almost amputating my finger "Gourmet Meals for the Family" went off without a hitch. I took a photo of the recipes if you're interested. They are pretty simple to make with few ingredients. Chris sure didn't complain, but I can't really remember the last time I cooked a full meal for him so he's not too hard to please. Maybe once a week I could learn to cook something new. Although my ulterior motive for this new hobby might just be to get Chris to watch Siege for a few hours while I cook stress free.

All by Myself

2011-04-25T20:18:00.001-07:00

I think that I sat down to blog about 3 times but got preoccupied with something else each time, so here I am... 5 days later.

I had every intention of returning to the classroom after Siege was born, when I was pregnant that is. I planned to take 12 weeks off and then get back to work, but after Siege was born and I held that tiny body in my arms, I just couldn't.

However, before I had a child, I remembered thinking that a stay-at-home mom gig wouldn't be too bad. I could do all the things I never had time for. Learn how to sew, go to the gym everyday, learn to cook, have dinner on the table each night, etc, etc. But for the first 6 months I was lucky if I could get a shower in each day. Now things are finally getting easier. Siege at 6 months is bliss.

So, I bought a sewing pattern (which I haven't had too much progress on yet), checked out the kids club at the gym (still haven't used it), and I even went to a cooking class.

I check out the groupons on my iphone each day. It's become my second favorite app, next to Facebook. Chris gets golf offers on there all the time, but I had never purchased one. A few weeks back they had a groupon for a cooking class. You could choose from a calendar of about 50 different kinds. I immediately solicited some friends to see if they'd want to try it out. No one wanted to. Just as I was ready to forget about it, I thought oh, I'll just get it and try it out. After all, it's on my "house wife" bucket list.

Last Thursday I remember thinking this could be the biggest waste of time and money. I probably shouldn't have done it. I was really wishing that a friend or two would have taken me up on the offer to join me. So I got in my car and moseyed on over to "Creative Cooking School" all by my lonesome.

As soon as I got there I knew it would be awesome. We all got our aprons on, sat at our food tables, and mingled while we waited for the class to start. I met some really cool people in that 3 hour class, and it made me think, doing things by yourself is kind of cool. It forced me to talk to other ladies, get out of my comfort zone, and I genuinely enjoyed myself.

The name of the class I took was "Budget Gourmet Meals for the Family." I was a little intimidated by the "Gourmet" part, because my bag of cooking tricks is pretty slim to none. I told the chefs when I got there, that I was a BEGINNER, in every sense of the word. The chefs told the class their motto,

"You don't cook, you don't eat."

I immediately volunteered for a job. We all cooked together. Some of us chopped, while others stirred and glazed. We made two main course dishes and a dessert...

- Lemon and Thyme Roasted Chicken with Whole Grain Mustard Spatzel and Glazed Carrots

- Shrimp Scampi with Sauteed Grape Tomatoes and Rice Pilaf

- Strawberries with Sabayon

The food was delicious of course, but what was even more fabulous was getting to hear the quick cooking tips from the Chefs. I learned the proper, easy way, to chop up an onion, chop garlic, chop carrots, what a pinch of salt actually is, how to cut up a whole chicken properly, how to juice a lemon, how to hold a knife the right way, and that adding butter makes everything more delicious. I completely forgot to take pictures of the food while I was their, so when I make the meals for Chris, I'll be sure to post my final product. I think I will start with the Shrimp Scampi and I am setting a goal to make it Friday! There, I've said it on the blog, therefore it shall be done.

The Little Things...

2011-04-20T20:02:00.000-07:00

A few little things that have put a smile on my face lately...

1. We got a new TV. Chris got a TV actually, I should say, because I could care less about the new TV. I thought our "old" one was fine (65 inches or something I think). The word "old" is in quotation marks because Chris considers 5 years old, "old" in the world of TV's. We initially thought, maybe we'll put it on Craig's List, and then I thought, you know, we should give it to my dad. He still watches TV on a 32" and he might want a big screen. I didn't think he'd ever had one before. When he came over the house and we offered it to him, he was in shock. His exact words were, "Tracy, this TV is gonna CHANGE MY LIFE!" He has glaucoma and pretty much no vision in his right eye and apparently he couldn't see the words on his TV that well. Today, we went to set up the TV and you would have thought he won the lottery. Since the set up at 4PM he has even called us to let us know, "His life will never be the same." Like I said, I didn't think we needed a new TV, and I even held Chris off from getting it for months because it was unnecessary, but seeing my dad's reaction made me think we should have gotten that TV months ago.

2. Sitting out in the backyard on these great weather days is the best! We got an umbrella so I can just sit outside and watch Siege swing or hold him in my arms. I love that we have our backyard done this spring. We've never had a yard before.

3. My little bubbas is getting so big. Today he reached for my water bottle and tried to hold it up to his mouth. It was the cutest thing ever! Anyone know when I can start giving him water? He acted like he really wanted some water. He's only had his milk, peas (which he loves), green beans (which he hates), rice cereal, barley, and oatmeal. Feeding Siege makes me smile.

4. I was so nervous to be a new mom, because I had never been around babies before mine really. I'm the youngest and had never even changed a diaper. Whenever I'd hold other babies they'd cry and I'd have no clue what to do with them. Everyone told me not to worry, that maternal instinct would kick in, and sure enough it did. It was as if I knew exactly what to do with that baby the moment he came out. I felt like the first few months Siege was glued to me, like nursing made it my sole responsibility to provide for him. I would be the one up all night. I would get Siege when he was fussy. I would change his diaper all the time, because I was more efficient at it. However, when Chris saw that I was going bananas he knew it was time to step it up. So, the joke is, maternal instinct kicks in right away, and paternal instinct... more like 4 months. Lately, Chris has been amazing with Siege. He is the best daddy and husband. He insists that I get time to myself when I need it. He takes night duty every night that he's off and best of all, he just knows what Siege needs. It's awesome.

5. I got a desk for my empty room! I consider it my mother's day gift... you know, for all the blogging I've been doing! :)

Life is good.

Tools are to Men, as Shopping is to Women.

2011-04-17T16:27:00.000-07:00

Who knew I married, Chris- The Tool Man- Gifford? I sure didn't at the time. I mean when we were in high school he was known as "Pretty Boy Gifford" who would never get his hands dirty. I married the studier, not the builder. When I thought about our future together I always envisioned us hiring people for the "manly" jobs around the house. And I'm not exaggerating. Three years ago we were driving to meet some friends for golf when Chris drove over the median and blew out his tire. I almost had a panic attack when he told me his dad was out of town. Papa Gifford is the handy man. We called Papa Giff when our water heater broke, when our shower faucet leaked and when we replaced our dishwasher. Well, somewhere along the line Chris must've been spying on all his dad's tricks. Because, Chris built this just a few months ago and I LOVE it.

Now all of a sudden, Home Depot is his favorite store. He is on a first name basis with some of the staff and he can't wait to buy his next tool. Which brings me to my next thought, tools bring men together. Tools are to men, as shopping is to women. I can feel the adrenaline build in the garage as the guys talk about their latest projects. Now whenever I say I want to buy something, Chris' first response is, "No, I'll just build it."

And I have to admit, I really like being married to a handy man.

So, if this whole pharmacy thing doesn't end up panning out, at least we'll have a back up plan.

Nadi Girl Talk

2011-04-15T18:53:00.000-07:00

Whenever people come to my house they are greeted, whether they want to be or not, by our big girl Nadi. During my pregnancy my family would always say things like,

“This dog just doesn’t know what’s comin,” or “Nadia- Your days of being the center of attention are coming to end pretty soon!”

Well if my dog could’ve talked she would have said, “Oh, believe me, I’m not letting anyone steal my spotlight!”

Don’t get me wrong, Nadi is great with Siege, she just will not let us leave her out of anything… EVER. And I know my husband loves Siege more than anything, but let’s just say Nadi is his first-born. So despite my attempts to push her aside, or ignore the little princess she continues to remind me that she is more than the family dog, she is Nadia-Spoiled-Girl-Gifford.

This is NOT posed. She seriously just laid next to Siege like that.

Mommy OCD

2011-04-13T17:09:00.000-07:00

I was talking to a friend the other day about her baby girl. She was waiting for her little one to hold her bottle on her own. She picked her up from daycare one day and they said she'd been holding it all by herself for weeks! My friend thought, "That little devil! She's been duping us all along!"

So when I got home that night I kept wondering what Siege has been duping me with. I mean let's be real, I'm at his beck and call all day long! He lets out one little peep and I still jump to see what has gone terribly wrong.

And I just did it again, I hear Siege stir, I look over and the sun was in his face. So... mommy to the rescue! I immediately get off my can, shut the shades, and stick the Binky back in his mouth. I have a disease. Will I ever get over that? The thought of "cry it out" makes me want to take a Xanax, but I think I may go insane if I keep this "mommy OCD" behavior up. Any suggestions?

But that whole entire post was to brag about my little bubba's new trick... which makes everything worth it! Check out this big boy!

The Gifford Blog Returns

2011-04-12T19:53:00.000-07:00

So.... being a new mom is a lot more time consuming than I imagined. I know that sounds ridiculous, but for some reason I thought having a child would be sort of like getting another dog.

I. Was. Wrong.

It has been the most amazing experience of my life, but it also has been the most challenging. Time just seems to evaporate into thin air. Hence, the lack of blog updates for the last 6 months. These days my favorite things include... stroller walks,

watching my little guy gobble up rice cereal (actually barley is his favorite),

pushing the swing in the backyard, play dates with other stay at home moms, spending time with my super studdly hubby,

and now... blogging. I think that I'm going to start incorporating the blog back into my routine. I figure it would give me some time to relax a bit and wind down.

I have to admit that each day I really count my blessings. Watching my husband study for the past 9 years has finally paid off. We are enjoying every minute of our study-free lives. Speaking of study-free, I graduate with my masters May 15! Even though I will not be returning to the classroom any time soon, I am thrilled to be finished with my degree in administration. I really did learn a lot and met some pretty great people along the way. I'm not sure what the future will hold for me, as far as a career goes, but I'm glad that we're leaving some options open.

Another thing that I love... our new grill! Chris and I have never owned a grill and now that we have one, I just don't know how we ever lived without it. Chris has grilled every night he's been off since we got it. Meat just tastes so much better grilled than it does in the oven, AND no dishes! I know that was kind of random.

So blogger world, I am back.

And who couldn't love those two?

Florida Trip

2010-08-05T17:31:00.000-07:00

For the past week we've been in Florida! Earlier this year we set up a a plan with 3 other couples to go to Orlando and visit Harry Potter Land (Universal Studios) and Disney World. Besides the ridiculously humid temperature and the nasty Florida tap water the trip was a blast. We started our journey in Harry Potter Land which was extremely crowded but just like the movie set. Here I enjoyed my first taste of Butter Beer... delicious! The shops were really cool. They sold Bertie Botts every flavor Jelly Beans (we tasted them and some are truly disgusting), chocolate frogs and pretty much everything from the books. Of course, being 6 months pregnant, I couldn't ride many of the rides but I enjoyed watching the shows and hanging out with everyone.

I also got the iphone 4 which is the BEST! I went from 250 text messages a month to the world of 3G and I love it! If anyone has any good app recommendations let me know! We also went to Daytona Beach which was beautiful.

The water was perfect and not even one Sting Ray attack! We headed over to Disney World after where I got to enjoy the beautiful Animal Kingdom, which was my favorite amusement park.

It was so cool to see the animals close up. We saw gorillas, giraffes, a baby elephant and mommy, tons of gators, and much more. Epcot was pretty fun and different. Lots of futuristic simulations that I could participate in.

Finally the Magic Kingdom, which is just like Disney Land... super fun! Our resort was gorgeous. I loved just hanging by the pool and relaxing. Now that the trip is over it's time to get back to work! I've got lots to do in my classroom before school starts! I can't believe how fast the summer went. I have a feeling the rest of this pregnancy is going to fly by!

It's a boy! And...we're renting our Condo!

2010-07-15T11:48:00.001-07:00

As of Tuesday, Chris is officially working as a pharmacist! Woo hoo! We also found out that little baby Gifford is a boy! I thought that Chris was going to cry tears of joy at the doctors office. We are thrilled! My belly is finally starting to come in and people are beginning to notice that I'm pregnant. Lately, I have been working out at the gym a lot. Since Chris started working, I've been a little bored, so I've been doing lots of Zumba! I love it! Hopefully this baby will just pop right out on delivery. We are also renting our Condo so I thought I'd count on the blogger world for some help.

$800.00/ Condo for rent! East Sahara & Sloan

958 Square feet

2 bedroom

2 bathroom

Includes Washer/Dryer & all appliances

Gated Community with Security Guard day & night

Community Pool

Pets OK (dogs must be less than 50 pounds & maximum of 2 animals)

No smoking

See pictures and email or call Tracy

traceface04@yahoo.com

(702) 274-2806

Summa Time!

2010-06-11T09:02:00.000-07:00

I think I will put the year 2010 down in the record books of one of the best years of my life (cheezy I know, but really)! Since school got out (wahooo!) the summer is flying by! Chris graduated from pharmacy school! The ceremony was pretty awesome and we all felt so proud to see all of his hard work pay off on that day. He is taking the boards in 2 weeks and has officially gone into hibernation for some serious studying. After he passes he will be working for a CVS here in Las Vegas. We're not exactly sure which one yet, but we're hoping it's on the Northwest side of town because...we bought a house!!! We signed our contract last week and are in love with the place, or at least we will be when they build it. Below you will find pictures of the model home. We decided to buy a new house, because we will be living on the same street as my brother and his wife (Grayson and Amy), Chris' brother and sister-in-law (Eddy & Kristin), and our good friend Travis. Our own little cul-de-sac! The house it scheduled to be ready by the end of September so hopefully everything will be ready by the time the baby arrives. Buying a house is a pretty stressful situation filled with high and lows!

I've also gotten to the half-way point for my masters program and have earned 16 credits towards my administration degree. I'm so glad I decided to bite the bullet and get that over with. It hasn't been too difficult and I've gotten some great information along the way.

We recently went to the doctor to check the sex of the baby. I was only 16 weeks and the doctor wasn't sure if he was seeing a little "unit" or the umbilical cord. Towards the end he said he thought this baby Gifford was a boy, but he was only 60% sure. We go in again June 24th for my big ultrasound. Hopefully we will find out for sure then. I'm starting to get pretty excited for the new addition to our family and I think I have begun to feel the baby move. I just can't get over how faint the movements feel considering the baby is supposed to be the size of an open hand at this point. I am still in the "fat" stage- and you mothers out there know what I'm talking about. This is the stage where I just look fat and don't look pregnant yet. It's an in-between stage and I don't like it! However whenever I talk to mothers about just feeling "fat" they tell me I haven't experienced anything yet!

Well now that summer's here (and it's really here- 105 degrees already in LV) I'll try to keep updating more frequently!

Graduation Day

New house

Floor Plan

The Model

Our Lot!

I'm back!

2010-05-01T09:25:00.000-07:00

I know what you're thinking. Where has Tracy gone? Well let's just say these last couple of months have been pretty full! March was a very exciting time for me. First, I was given the "New Middle School Teacher of the Year" award. This school year has been a blast and it's gone by quickly. My principal nominated me and then a group of people from the district determined the winners. I was pretty excited! So what do I get??? No, no not a $10,000.00 bonus. I actually got my photo put up in the school district building and a plaque. It was nice to be noticed for all the hard work I've put in this year.

I also found out that I was pregnant! Chris and I are thrilled and the baby is due November 19th! We're still not quite sure how Nadi Spoiled Girl Gifford will handle the new arrival but I'm sure she'll manage. Below you will find a video clip of the ultrasound at 12 weeks.

Well, needless to say I've been exhausted the last couple of months and I am just now starting to feel a little more lively. I haven't been too sick at all, just a little nausea here and there.

1 more month of school and I'm on a much needed summer break!!

Hiking at Red Rock

2010-02-20T21:15:00.000-08:00

This morning Chris, Nadi, and I all went hiking at Red Rock. It's a shame we don't take full advantage of all the incredible things Vegas has to offer. I think the last time I went hiking at Red Rock, I was 7 years old, so we decided to just drive on over and do a quick hike. Nadi was a pro. She loves the outdoors and I love having a dog that I can take anywhere. Here are a couple pictures of our adventure.

1/2 marathon and more

2010-01-16T21:51:00.000-08:00

Needless to say, since school has started back up, my time for stress free blogging & relaxation has drastically decreased. The last 2 weeks of school have gone by so fast. It's nice to be done with the first semester. I feel like that's a pretty big milestone for a first year teacher. I had to do a quick presentation on staff development day on Friday. It was pretty exciting. My task was to re-invigorate some veteran teachers who were feeling a little stressed out. For about 5 minutes I talked about my personal appreciation for Clark County School District teachers and what they've done for my life. That part was pretty easy. I've had so many teachers that have motivated & inspired me over the years. I know that I wouldn't be the person I am today without these teachers. Then I discussed what seems like the lack of appreciation that we sometimes get from our students and how we encounter numerous behavior problems daily. For the past week I had been creating a video on the students at Brinley and how they feel about their teachers. They all had something appreciative to say on camera and the teachers loved the video. The presentation was a hit! Go me!

In other news...I completed my first 1/2 marathon! I hate to say it, but it may be my only 1/2 marathon. Yes, it went that good. 13.1 miles of strait running is just so hard. Not to mention the numerous hills that we had to face on the course. Even though I had been training, I still managed to throw up everything in my stomach by mile 12. It was pretty humiliating to have a guy have to stop & ask me if I needed 1st aide. However, it's done. I finished. Go me again! And while I've decided that Marathons just might not be for me, I do plan to compete in some triathlons this season. I have to admit, it feels great to be on a bike!

Back to School

2010-01-03T20:30:00.000-08:00

Well the last 2 weeks have gone by in a flash! I have been ridiculously lazy. I'm actually ready for a routine again. When everyone else is at work, it just doesn't seem like a vacation. For the most part, the highlights of my day have been going to the dog park. I think I watched a total of 20 episodes of family matters and golden girls.

This year for the holidays Chris' side of the family all went to see the Lion King...which I loved!

If you haven't seen it- you should. I also saw Sherlock Homes (I'd give that movie an A+), Avatar 3D(A++), It's Complicated (A), The Hangover (B), Inglorious Bastards (A-), and Julie Julia (C-). And this is exactly why I need to go back to WORK!

School Days

2009-12-13T19:59:00.001-08:00

My goal this school year has been to not take any sick days. My students have even said, "Mrs. Gifford, all of my teachers have been absent this year except you." To which I respond, "That's right...I'll be here EVERYDAY of your life!!!!!"

Well, last week, the learning strategist at my school asked if I could request a sub for Tuesday of this week and sit in on special education meetings all day. I quickly jumped at the opportunity because I can use all of those hours for my admin class. Unfortunately this breaks my promise to my students of being in class everyday, so I decided to use my technology skills to put together a video. Brinley Middle School Students have been notoriously bad for substitutes. I used to be a sub, so I know the horror that can come from the little angels. I decided my students needed some real incentives for good behavior. Watch and see.

Thanksgiving

2009-12-06T19:26:00.001-08:00

For Thanksgiving the last couple of years we have gone to visit Chris' grandparents in Cottonwood, AZ. This year was even more special because Ruth & Hall were celebrating their 50 year anniversary. 50 years...holy crap! Well, we had a great time. All of Chris' family, aunt, uncles, and cousins were there to celebrate. We had a lot of fun outdoors which included hiking, the Thanksgiving dinner itself, and a 5/10K. We already can't wait for next year.

In other news, Amy and I completed our first ever 10 mile run! We finished in 1 hr 38 minutes and I'm still a little sore. I'm not quite sure how I'm supposed to run 3 more miles after that, but I guess I'll just work up to it. My mom was kind enough to supply us with water the whole time and take some great photos! Well, the countdown for Christmas break starts now! 10 more work days...woohoo!

Is it Really already November 17th?

2009-11-17T18:58:00.000-08:00

I know, I know... I have been a major blog slacker within the last month. I've just been so busy doing that I haven't had time to sit down and write about it. See the list below for all of the fascinating events of this month!

1. I completed another tri. It was on October 17th and I did ok. I took 5th place in my age group, but it was a good way to end the season.

2. Last Saturday I ran a 10K. I took first place in my age group at this race. So what if there were only two people between the ages of 20-24 that ran... I still got an award. Amy and I are going to try to run a 1/2 marathon by March 27th. Running is just an easy was to stay in shape when you don't have a lot of time.

3. Chris turned 24...what an oldie. He also got a job offer at CVS pharmacy. He plans on working there upon graduation.

4. I was appointed National Honor Society advisor at Brinley Middle School. For my masters program in admin, I'm required to get a total of 300 hours in administrative duties, my principal thought it would be a good way for me to complete a lot of them. I'm a little stressed out because being a club advisor requires a TON of resources and TIME...time that I don't really have. I'm going to give it my best shot.

5. Poor Nadi girl got spayed. She had a cone around her head for about a week. Luckily, she's healed up fine and is back to her normal self. I can't believe she's already 7 months. They grow so fast.

That's all for now. 9 days until Thanksgiving!!!

Halloween fun

2009-11-01T20:46:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween from Homer & Marge Simpson

Nadi Graduates!

2009-10-01T19:17:00.000-07:00

I have been an extremely lazy blogger these days. I keep looking at other blogs thinking that I should write out a new post, but I just haven't had the time and frankly when I do get time I just want to lay on the couch and veg. That is what the 7th grade will do to you. 7th grade is filled with ups and downs. Some days I'll come home so physically exhausted and I’ll think that it’s too much work, and the next day I'll come home thinking I'm making a difference. The best thing about teaching middle school is that you get to catch them before it's too late. When I taught high school seniors, I felt like I was sending them out into the real world whether they were ready or not. I really think my time at Brinley thus far has been well spent. I feel like I'm lighting a fire under their butts and making an impression on their lives before it's too late.

Anyway, last week for my admin maters project I had to create a power point for the “staff of my school” for a professional development day. I decided that teachers at Brinley fill out too much paper work. We look at test scores and data analysis all of the time, and sometimes it’s hard to remember why we do it all. We forget that the kids are our first priority. Below you’ll find a video of my students and their opinions of great teachers. They're actually pretty entertaining.

In other news, Nadia graduated from her training class. Being a teacher, I know how important school is, so her next training class starts October 31^st. We’re enrolling her in agility training. I think she’ll be pretty good at it and it’ll keep her on her toes. I snuck my camera in to post a few clips of her in action.

I also cut my hair within the last week…. it’s pretty drastic. I’ve heard it all from my

students. When you’re 12 years old you just don’t have a filter yet. Some of their comments included, “WHAT DID YOU DO?” and “HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO GROW BACK??” or “You just had such pretty hair BEFORE.” “You look kind of like my mom.” Well, I’m finally getting used to it, and it’s been pretty functional for my training. My next tri is on October 17^th. It’s going to be pretty tough…I’ll be sure to let you know how it goes.

Lake Las Vegas

2009-09-12T12:28:00.000-07:00

What a day. At 5:30 AM the tri club moseyed on over to Lake Las Vegas for our very first triathlon as a group. I was surprised by how exciting the atmosphere is on race day. Everyone is a little nervous and excited. After setting up our transition area we went to check out the first heat of swimmers. We watched as one swimmer finished his mile swim faster than I can do my 1/2 mile, but we were also comforted by the couple of back and side strokers we saw.

The guys got to take off first. Grayson and Greg looked neck and neck, but the ladies started before we could really get a good idea of where they were. As soon as the bullhorn sounded we were off! And when I say we, I really mean Kristin was off... far ahead in the distance. She finished her swim 2-3 minutes before our entire heat.

About 10 minutes later....

I finally exited the water. When I got to the transition area, I panicked a little when I saw that my entire groups' bikes were GONE and I realized that I was the last one. The biking portion of the race was pretty similar to the course we had been training on. I did get a little smile on my face every time I passed a guy on my bike.

When I got back from the ride, I hurried on over to the transition area. The run is usually where I can gain some time on everyone. I frantically threw on my shoes, buckled my number, and I was off. About two second later I hear Eddy yelling, "HELMET.... YOU'RE STILL WEARING YOUR HELMET!!" Whoopsie.

The run was TOUGH. We trained on flat asphalt. This was an unpaved, hilly, brutal 3 mile run.

Normally when we train, I can see exactly where Amy is. This time I couldn't see her until about mile 1, and when I did see her she was about 100 yards ahead of me. When we got to mile 2, I had gained a little ground, but my energy was all but depleted. At last, as we're rounding the final corner, I get within 10 yards of her. I can hear the crown screaming, and the announcer yells into the mike, "It's a race to the final finish. Here comes Amy Gearin and Tracy Gifford is right behind her. Tracy is sprinting to the finish line, but will it be enough?"

Well, it wasn't enough. Amy ended up beating me by one hundredth of a second. Maybe I'll get her next time.

Kristin ended up taking 5th place overall and 1st place in her age group. She's a beast, and I'm glad she got us all into tri training. Amy and I both took 2nd place in our age group. The boys did well, but the competition was just a hair stiffer. All in all, it was a great experience. Chris, Nadi, and Eddy cheered everyone on the whole time. It will be something I'll never forget, and I have a sweet little medal and plaque to prove it!

Mrs. Gifford's 1st day of School

2009-08-24T20:58:00.000-07:00

Wow! The last couple of weeks have been crazy for me. I finally got the keys to my classroom about 3 weeks ago, so I had Chris and Grayson help me with the heavy lifting, and my mom and Jamie with some decorating to get the final product! My room has been a hit at Brinley Middle School, and all of our hard work has actually paid off! What would I do without my family? See the video below for a virtual tour. Since the new teachers got to go back early, I have been waiting for my students to show up since August 12th. Well, today they did, and I must admit.... I really like them for the most part. Who knows? Middle school might just be right where I belong. They were a little squeamish and I could do with a little less giggling, but I would say that the first day was a success. I also signed up for my master's program last week. It's an 18 month program in administration through Touro University. Hopefully I'll be able to handle changing the world through 7th graders, maintaining the world's smartest dog, and getting my master's degree. This is definitely going to be a busy year.

Unfortunately, because of all the work I've been doing, this has left me a lot less time for training. I really have to make an effort to get my tri training in. It's 3 weeks away, so I can't let up now!

Chris has officially started his final year of pharmacy. He's been interning at Walgreen's the past few weeks and I love not having to watch him study 24/7. Now I get to watch him strategize for his fantasy football team 24/7. I don't know what he's going to do when he finishes school!

In other news, Nadi has continually wowed everyone at obedience school. She's a star! This last week she was running through tunnels and jumping hurdles. The trainers say she's one of the smartest puppies they know. You should see Chris beaming at class. We're not supposed to bring anything to class except her leash and treats, so no videos. I'll try to sneak one in on the last week.

That's all for now! I'll keep you posted.

Before Picture:

Lake Mead

2009-08-04T13:48:00.000-07:00

As the triathlon gets closer, we've been stepping up our training a bit. Last Saturday we did a "Mock Tri" at Lake Las Vegas. We swam in the lake (which is a lot harder than swimming in a pool, by the way), we did a 13 mile bike ride and a 3.7 mile run. It's refreshing to know that we can all actually finish the course. However, we all would like to improve our times before the actual race on September 12th. Next Saturday we're going to do the same race to see if we've improved.

While Kristin, Amy, Grayson, and I were doing the tri, Chris, Eddy, and Jamie were on babysitting duty with Nadi. Poor Nadi, she hasn't had the best of luck these last couple of days. After the triathlon, she puked up a bunch of sea shells, rocks, and dirt. Then today, she got in the way of our running workout and Chris accidently stepped on her....hard! She's been limping around all day. Hopefully we don't have to take her to the vet. We're keeping an eye on her.

In other news, Nadi has started obedience school at Petsmart. She's been enrolled in the intermediate class, because she knows all of her basic tricks already. The dogs in the class are a lot older than her and Nadi doesn't exactly have the longest attention span. There's a german shepherd in the class that can jump through a hula hoop when it's about 4 feet in the air, and catch a ball on his way down. It's pretty impressive, and here I thought little Nadi's "speak" trick was so cool.

I start working on August 12th, just about a week away. I'm starting to get a few lessons together, but I'm just having too much fun this summer! Last summer, I was bored by August. My last day at Applebees is on Friday. Everyday I come home from that job I'm always grateful that I went to college. It's pretty tough work and I'm not at all impressed by how much people tip. I waited on a table the other day that had a $90.00 bill and they tipped me $5.00!! I secretly wanted to go back to the table and explain how they should calculate a tip. I guess it's the teacher in me. I'll try to get Nadi on camera doing some sweet tricks this next week.

She's growing fast! She weighs a whole 24 pounds now!

Weekend with the Grandmas

2009-07-21T09:32:00.000-07:00

I love San Diego. I love how you don't have to get up at 5:00 AM to do something active. I love how 85 degrees is scorching to the locals.

Chris and I had the opportunity to take a quick weekend trip to Cali with 3 other couples. We went Kayaking, which was pretty fun (except for the motion sickness part), we went to see a Padre's game, and rented beach cruisers and rode our bikes up and down Mission and Pacific beach. It was so dang fun that I forgot all about taking pictures...whoops! I can't wait for our next vacation!

While Chris and I were having fun in SD, Nadi stayed the weekend with her grandmas. She got to spend lots of time with Toby and Tink and she loves my mom's pool. When we finally brought her back home she was a little bored with just Chris and me, but she did seem excited to see us!

In other news, I officially have a job with CCSD!! 7th grade...here I come! I also got a new road bike (see picture below)! I still have to get a couple accessories for it, but I'm way faster and it's very pretty. Our tri training is still ongoing and I think I'm picking up some speed!

Below are a few pictures of Nadi on her weekend get-a-way.

Triathlon Training

2009-07-07T07:50:00.001-07:00

While Nadi has been busy training to be a good dog with some snazzy tricks, I decided I needed to do some training of my own. These last couple of weeks, my sister-in-laws and I, have been training for a Triathlon. I'm actually really excited about it. We are doing a 64 mile bike ride in August and our Tri is in September. Lately, we've been doing a lot of bike riding (we joined a bike club) and we just started swimming. A couple of Saturday's ago, Kristin (my sister-in-law, pictured above) and I decided to do the Boulder City loop bike ride. This ride is about 35 miles and it's pretty intense. The ride connects with US-93. I've become very familiar with this highway, and there's a couple of things I can tell you about it. The pavement is hot and rocky, and if you're going 20 miles an hour and try to get on the sidewalk you could end up looking like road kill. Below are pictures of the injuries from my first bike wreck. That's right....war wounds.

The rest of our summer has been flying by. Chris has been doing a lot of golfing lately and we attended a really fun wedding last week. I'm also expected to sign my official contract with the School District in 3 weeks. Hopefully all goes well!

Nadi's still doing fantastic with all of her tricks. She's really starting to grow fast! For the 4th of July we took her to a pretty big party, where she got lots of socialization!! Grandma had to rock her to sleep to get her to calm down.

Hope you enjoy Nadi's latest video!

Adventures with Nadia

2009-06-24T16:43:00.001-07:00

I can't believe it's already the end of June! The summer is slipping away quickly. Applebee's has been good to me. I actually really like working as a server, but I never knew how hard they worked!! I have a new found appreciation for waitresses and I'm already a bigger tipper! However, it's not exactly my dream career. I love teaching, and I'm already starting to miss it. I am still in limbo, waiting to sign a contract from the Clark County School District for a job at Brinley Middle School. If I get that job I will be teaching 7th grade U.S and Nevada history. I'm a little nervous about teaching 11 and 12 year olds. I really enjoy high school kids, but I'm sure it will be fine. Volleyball has started back up, which means that Chris has officially become the stay at home Dad. I'm not sure how much he likes it. Watching Nadia is a full time job. She goes everywhere with us, and she's getting more and more energy! We keep thinking... when is nap time again? A lot of time I come home to find them both fast asleep together. Above is a picture of Nadi crashing hard at Grandma's house after a full day of playing in the yard. She did get her second set of shots this week and she's almost 10 pounds! If you have a pet, Lied Animal Shelter is the place for shots! They're a lot cheaper than the vet if you don't mind waiting, and they spay and neuter for $60.00.

http://www.liedanimalshelter.org/

Hope you enjoy the most recent video of Nadia's play dates.

Practice Makes Perfect

2009-06-17T17:36:00.001-07:00

This week Chris has been doing a lot of training with Nadia and she's doing pretty well. Potty training is going a little better. We hung bells next to the door that we ring every time Nadi goes outside to potty. Now, Nadi rings the bells if we don't let her out. It's a pretty cute trick and very convenient! She did a lot of socializing this week. We went to a graduation party and I think Nadia stole the show with all her cute tricks. She also met Charlie, Toby, and Tink (puppy playmates). She's still a little too small to play with Charlie and Toby, but I'm sure she'll be their size in no time. She has gotten a lot more lively since we got her and chewing is her new favorite thing. The picture to the right is of Nadia licking her peanut butter Popsicle. She loves it! She's also gained 2 pounds since we got her. Hope you enjoy the video below of Nadia's latest training session.

Busy Week!

2009-06-13T13:34:00.000-07:00

Lots of things have happened since we picked our little Nadi up last Saturday. First, Chris finished up his first rotation in year 3 (the FINAL year!) of pharmacy school. Now he has a break for 8 weeks. He doesn't return to school until August 18th, which means he'll have plenty of time to train the new pup. Below you'll see a couple clips of Nadia's new tricks. She can now sit, down, stay, come, shake, and she's learning speak and roll over. She still has a pretty short attention span, so we think she's doing well. She had her first bath this week, and I'm not sure how she feels about the water. Chris has also started walking her. If we could only get this potty training thing down!! Nadia has also visited grandma's house and loves the backyard!

I've started a new job working as a server at Applebee's. I've been training this week and I think I'm really going to like it. Nothing like a few extra bucks for the summer!

Welcome

2009-06-08T22:04:00.000-07:00

Alright...

I have officially decided to join the blogger world. Chris and I usually have nothing that special going on, however we just got a brand new puppy! We have been complete nerds over this dog and have done lots of research on our new golden retriever, so I have decided to do some blogging on her training. I'm going to try to post an update every week. Hopefully this will keep me committed to training! School is out, which means summer is here and I have some extra time on my hands to make cute videos of my new pup. Her name is Nadia by the way, and we just got her on Saturday. She is 7 weeks old and we're pretty proud of her progress thus far. She hasn't had too many accidents inside the house and we just can't get enough of her! On Sunday she met her cousins Burton and Annie and another puppy Tonka. I'm sure that she'll have lots of play dates, because we have a lot of friends with dogs. See the video below for a quick glimpse of Nadi's progress.

Training Nadia

2009-06-08T21:49:00.000-07:00