A walk and not a run.

I often wonder what to title each entry and I sit here for a couple minutes like it is a big decision...funny. Andi and I decided that a brisk walk was in order today and it was a nice change but it will be back to pounding the pavement monday. It was interesting though at the end of our runs we go up two decent hills and hill are just a beast of their own no matter if you walk it or run it you are wooped at the end. That is how dakota and I started our day as daddy slept a little longer. Randy has been working from home a couple days a week, it is so nice for all of us. Once we got home our friend jet came over and we were off to the park for some good fun. It really was nice andi and mia, aubrei, matt and maya and jenn, kai and dax were all they and I dare say a good time was had by all with some but few interventions. Here is the great thing dakota and everyone played at the structure but also didn't. Andi brough some games and there was a soccer ball and tree climbing. It was just a really awesome morning.

The rest of the day was pretty mellow. Dakota and I are all packed for our road trip up north early tomorrow morning. It is going to be a great time and I am excited. Randy has a friend coming over tomorrow to help him work in the truck, they are going to watch the usc game and hang out so while I think he is going to miss us terrible he is going to be okay.

Mexico Food!

That is what dakota calls mexican food and that is what we had for our wednesday night meal at my parents and it has to be one of my favorites. So we are a funny family. I say this because I spotted another tomato horn worm and I have this weird attraction to them and apparently it is rubbing off.... here is me taking a photo of my dad taking a photo of the silly destructive interesting thing

and of course I had to get one too. Is this going to become an ongoing wednesday night thing? Well I wouldn't be surprised.

And if the tomato horn worm wasn't enough dakota found and slug that she had to befriend and wanted to take it inside but I informed her that would so not be okay with gaggi (did I mention that is what dakota calls my mom) so we took some pictures instead and now she can always remember her slimy friend.

the pumpkin is from last season believe it or not!

So we are not religious but we have gotten in the habit of holding hands at dinner and saying nice things, things we are thankful for and last night dakota said that she was thankful for the dessert she was going to have after dinner it was a hoot, she is so my daughter! She did manage to throw in that she loves her family too but it was an after thought to the dessert.
Earlier in the day Dakota started dance class up the street it was great to just walk up there. I don't have any pictures because they only let the parents stay the first week of each month. And while that bothers me to some degree, I want to be able to watch whenever I want to, I do realize that I am a distraction for her and since it is just literally a 5 minute run or a 10 minute walk I can come home and get some things done and that is nice to do. She liked the class and they are going to do a little holiday thing which I know dakota will dig.
Swimming on the other hand I have come to the conclusion that I lost my head last week and have not a clue where it was. Dakota as a human being is so much more important to me than anything else and I really wasn't putting her first and I hate it when I lose sight of what is important to me. So we went today and I told her that I wanted her to try to really move and keep moving but when I saw her getting cold I had her get out and that was it. I mean I tried to encourage her to move but quickly realized she was in a cold place and was done. So we have two more weeks and I am still going to take her but when she is done she is done and I am going to let her be that gauge.

A Great Day!

still waking up!

So my dad and I drove down to ucla today to see his surgeon. My dad has this spot on his chin that is not healing and this is back from his surgery in january and now there is a "pocket" that developed. So off he and I went to see his surgeon and get his opinion about the infection. But the great news is when he looked in my dads mouth he was floored by the shrinkage of the tumor, he couldn't even see it. YYYYYYaaaaaaayyyyy. We knew that dads body responded well to the last course of treatment but to have his surgeon really look in there and say wow was just really really awesome. As for the chin infection we are going to see if this loose tooth was causing it (they pulled the tooth today) and if not dad has to have another small surgery, open up that area replace the metal plate there realign the bone and that should end that road bump. It was just really great.

sad girl, bad mom!

Dakota had swimming today and I think we are going in the wrong direction and I am torn what to do about it. She gets cold about five minutes into class and then shuts down and wants to get out. So my dilemma is I want her to understand that a) this is a class we paid for and she can't just quit b) she can't shut down because if she would listen to me or her teacher and start moving around and having fun she would warm up but she won't listen to that logic. But then the other part of me wants to be compassionate and say well if you don't like it we don't have to do it (which we wont if this continues, we won't sign up for the next round). I also think I don't want her to start feeling negatively about water because of this because right now she loves the water. So I am torn on what will be best for her what lessons are the most important in the situation. And my first reaction to that thought is being compassionate. So she got out and we hung out until the end of class. But I told her thursday she has to give it a try and listen to me and her teacher, right when she gets in she needs to start moving and kicking, we shall see how that talk internalized for her.
After dinner tonight me dakota and randy got into the jacuzzi and there was some very interesting humming bird action going on over our heads. I think there were three and it seemed to me that two of them had "possession"of this bush we have in our back yard. But the third one kept coming to drink and then it would get chased away. This went on the whole time we were in the jacuzzi and then because I am blog crazy I dried off and went back out to see if they were still up to there games and to see if i could get any photos.....

keeping watch for the intruder

can you see all three?

sharing is caring!

No camera what is a girl to do!

So I was thinking I wouldn't blog today as my camera is still kaput. But we had a good day and I want to remember it. Marie was over today and Dakota and I had a conversation last night about how we treat our guests... we share all of our toys, we offer them food and/or drink first, overall we are kind and gracious to friends that come over. And dakota did great aside from a couple moments of losing it she let Marie choose which car seat she wanted (that is always a hot debate), she would offer her food first and then tonight when I was putting her to bed she said 'was I nice to marie' and I said yes you did a great job today and then I got a huge hug. I was really proud of her that is a really hard lesson and I know this is just the beginning but I realize this is something that is important to me for her to learn.
We went to the park today with marie and we met andi and mia there and also aubrei and maya. I think overall the girls all played really well together. Before anyone arrived I noticed some type of hawk or falcon or some bird of prey. The park we went to was right smack dab in the middle of a neighborhood so it was really interesting to see and the crows were not happy to see him/her there and this one crow just sat above all fluffed out and cawing at it. I think it may have been an american kestrel but really I know nothing about birds but this is what it looked like.
I tell you what over the last month (all times when I have not had my camera) we have seen some really interesting things. About three weeks ago we saw a decent sized preying mantis in a defensive posture and it hissed at dakota. I included that site because after seeing it I wanted to know more because I didn't know they hissed and this particular one was light brown/tan and I thought they were all green. That website was awesome. Then about two weeks ago while running down at the beach we spotted a legless lizard. At first I ran past it thinking it was just a worm but a few steps after I stopped and rethought what I had just seen so we go back and sure enough it is not a worm at all and I thought it was a snake but in my looking I found the above sight and that is what it looked like and it burrowed into the sand really easily. It is fun to keep your eyes open I am learning there are lots of new things to see.
So I had a great run this morning. Andi and I pushed the pace and it felt good. We do two hills, good hills at the end of the run and even those felt good in that I love and hate running up hill way.
So no photos but still blogging....Well here is a blast from the past just because I can't help myself

barley two!

always running!

and just so beautiful!

Weekend Fun

Here it is sunday again and another weekend of fun. I did some more canning this weekend with my mom and judith. We did one batch of dill pickles, two strawberries and two plum. I think I am most excited about the plum.


We used the plums with the yellow flesh and oh my goodness it is so good, just soft and buttery, sweet and gentle ahhhh yummy. We are going to take next weekend off we (mom, dad, derek, tisha?, dakota and i) are heading up North for my cousin kevin's wedding. But in a couple weeks we still have several batches of apricot to do, tomato sauce and hmmm maybe that is it. My dad did the photo taking as I forgot my camera. Dakota took a nap for a bit of it and once she woke up she was having a hard time leaving my side but when I asked her if she wanted to help me cut the plums she was ready to jump in and help.

Today was Randy's best friend Randy and randy's fiance lacy's birthday get together. Wow that was a handful. We got to play in the pool and then while there my carmera went kuput. Not a good weekend for my camera. Which I must say I have not been so devoted to since dakota's first months. You can see something going wrong in the pictures and then... while a pretty interesting "photo" not what I was going after.

Dakota is so comfortable in the water especially with that floatie thing but she will not dunk and has no interest in doing it any time soon. But I am thrilled that she loves the water.