Reminiscing: A Grand Adventure

Did you know that I have been to the Grand Canyon, once? Yes, last Summer, I took my 3 kids and my niece, Kailey, to this national landmark, with my brother, Jared, and his family. This picture pretty much says it all: Emma and I were in awe of its greatness, Sasha couldn't have cared less about it, and Shelton absolutely hated it.

Honestly, I didn't really know what to expect with this little side trip on our journey from Colorado to California. My only experience with The Grand Canyon, previously, was via The Brady Bunch episode in which the family takes a family vacation there, riding donkeys down to the canyon, and experiencing all sorts of wilderness adventures. I think that is what I expected it to be like: very rustic and wild. I envisioned us driving up to a view spot, parking our car, and looking at the canyon for a few minutes. I had no idea that it would take us an hour to drive into the park, and then another hour to get through the park entrance line and then make it to the parking lot. I did not picture bumper-to-bumper traffic and an elaborate busing system to view the canyon from a dozen or more view points. I did not realize that after driving and waiting for so long, I would actually be tempted to stay on the bus instead of getting out to see what I came there to see. But by golly, it was HOT and we were hungry, tired, and thirsty by the time we waited through the bus line for 45 minutes. I usually don't like to make a scene in public places, but I actually told some people where to go when they unknowingly attempted to cut in front of us in the line (don't jump to conclusions, I mean, the end of the line!)

Jared was in charge of our trip, thankfully, and he told us which spots we would be getting off at. There we were, finally on an air-conditioned bus, all sitting together in the back, with what I thought was a decent view of the Grand Canyon. It was very difficult for me to round up the kids and get off to walk down an unknown trail, but I put on my "everything's OK" Mom face, and marched on with the kids in tow. It was beautiful, majestic, awe inspiring, amazingly great... everything one would expect. Unfortunately, I did not get to enjoy it because Shelton began his incessant whining the minute we got off the bus. Seriously, he would not stop. It was super annoying, even to me, and I'm his Mom that loves him unconditionally. Jared, Casey, and the kids tried not to let on, but they were bugged as well. Strangers (most without any children in tow, mind you) would stare at him irritatedly, and a few times it actually scored us a better spot next to the fence-line, as they scurried away from our large (but small) group. Jared and Casey's younger kids were fine as long as they were being carried by their exhausted parents, and the other kids just enjoyed the chance to run free and look over the canyon rim. I got to be buddies with Shelton (lucky me!) and was privileged to be within earshot of his canyon commentary, as I like to refer to it: "I HATE the Grand Canyon!", "I don't WANT to look at The Grand Canyon!", "I want to go to the CAR!!!" & my personal favorite, "The Grand Canyon is UGLY!"

Each time we finished looking at a view point, we would hurry to the bus stop, wait in line, and then cram our group onto the bus (never seated together, sometimes standing) and try to avoid the stares. At last, we made it to the top, the last stop, and realized that THIS was the only stop we should have taken at all! (My first instinct to stay on the bus was RIGHT ON!) It had a bathroom, gift shop, food and beverages for sale, and a fantastic view of The Grand Canyon. Instead of enjoying these luxuries, we opted to wait on the bus, despite it not being turned on and air-conditioned, to keep our highly coveted, good seats, all together. At this point, Shelton was not the only grouchy kid, and thanks to his behavior over the past few hours, the adult were just as bad. The only ones that seemed completely oblivious to our plight were Emma, Kailey, and Madison, who were in good spirits, and truly enjoying themselves. I'm so thankful for this, as it meant that our suffering was not in vain! Shelton continued with his canyon commentary while we waited to head back down on one last bus ride. With sweat dripping down my face onto my empty water bottle, I thought to myself, "It doesn't get much worse than this!"

When the bus driver (FINALLY) came back, and people began to board the bus, I felt a huge wave of relief sweep over me. Soon we would be in our cars, air-conditioning BLASTING, movies, i-Pods, and Nintendo DSs on, snacks and water in hand, and on our way out of this national park. Kind of funny, but incredibly annoying at the time, was that the second Shelton knew we were on our way back to the car, he smiled, and said cheerfully, "Hey! The Grand Canyon ISN'T ugly!" & "I like The Grand Canyon, now!" There were even older couples that admired our cute, darling children, and it all seemed very picturesque and storybook-like. I was semi-dehydrated, so this may have been a hallucination of some sort, but it is what I remember, so I'll go with it. Getting the heck out of the Grand Canyon National Park had never felt so good, but like I said, I had never been there before, so I don't have much to compare it to; however, I seem to remember the Brady Bunch being pretty anxious to get out of there, too! Jared, Casey and I were so relieved at our little adventure being over, that we didn't even mind paying ridiculous prices for food at the McDonald's placed strategically on the way back to the I-40. No, there was no Dollar Menu at THAT McD's. I vowed to never return again, unless of course, my husband was with me, and we were empty-nesters that could secretly laugh at the young parents that brought their kids to a national landmark of such "GRAND" proportions.

Just Dance fun!

Sasha and her friend Reese had a great time playing Just Dance tonight.



I baby-sat for my good friend, Julie, tonight. Her four kids were here, having a blast while Julie and her husband, Shane, enjoyed seeing "The Vow", a romantic movie we have both wanted to see for several weeks. I, too, got to see this movie with my husband, Shane, last night, to be exact. Julie and I cleverly thought of swapping baby-sitting so that we could both go out on hot dates with our husbands, and cut some of the expenses by not having to hire a sitter. Fun!

Wrestling With Shelton

A year ago, Shelton asked if he could participate in Kid Wrestling at Centauri High School. The State Championed team does this as a fundraiser each year for kids ages 2-11, and it is a BIG DEAL here in the San Luis Valley. Very big deal. I couldn't fit it in my schedule last year, and he has asked about it at random times throughout the year, so I knew I had to make it work. I will admit, I was nervous about having him join at age 6, as there are many boys and girls that have done it since toddler hood. I was also nervous about him being a heavier kid, because they wrestle kids their same weight, not age. In addition to those worries, what if he couldn't handle the competitive aspects of it? This is an intense sport. To top it off, most boys train with their Dads close by, and Shane's schedule doesn't work with practice times. All fears aside, I signed him up this week, and he had his first match today, after only 3 practices.

I will admit, when he put that wrestling singlet on, I couldn't believe how cute he looked. It is very tight, and his buff little body is just adorable. He didn't want to take off his uniform at night, and he insists on wearing it to each practice, instead of a t-shirt and shorts. He loved the practices. I got to watch him, and he did very well. He easily follows instructions and catches on to the technique quickly. He loved wrestling his friends, but all of them are smaller than him, and were easy to pin. When we weighed-in, I knew that my 58 lbs. boy had no idea what was in store for him.

At the meet, we found out his schedule for the day. There were 5 boys in his weight class for Division 3 (See! He missed out on division 1 & 2). As his first match neared, Shane and I realized that the (giant) Sanford Indian boy that was lurking nearby would be his first opponent. My heart stopped for a minute. Are you kidding me? True, they were similar in size and weight (obviously) BUT this kid is over a year older, and 2 grades ahead of Shelton. "Oh, crap", I thought to myself. Actually, I thought the other word, but this blog is sensored. I began to contemplate forfeiting the match. I've heard the stories of kids that quit Wrestling after the first match because it is so scary and rough. What if he actually got hurt? My sweet, little boy! But, I am a very good actor. I told Shelton that he should do his best, and that he should look at this as a chance to practice his moves.

As he stepped onto the mat, he looked extremely nervous, and unsure. The other kid did, too, until he saw Shelton, then, a look of relief swept over his face, and I knew that he knew he would easily beat my son. He did. It was over in less than 10 seconds. The kid pinned him, and Shelton just laid there on his back. When he sat down beside me, he said, "I thought I was going to wrestle kids my age". How profound. At this point, I had to explain to him that he is big for his age, and that the boys he would wrestle that day were small for their age. They were also more experienced, so this was going to be hard. Here it was, the moment when he would cry, pout, and quit. But he didn't. He just shook his head and asked to play on my iPhone. He told Shane he would try harder next time.

Shelton, wrestling beastly kid #3

He lost the next 2 matches, but he did try harder, and it took 30-60 seconds for the other beastly kids to pin him. Each time, after he was beat, he smiled and shook his opponents hand, and calmly walked back to his seat next to me, his chubby cheeks shaking slightly with each step. When I pointed out his 4th and final opponent, he excitedly said, "I can take him down!" This kid was also on our team, so Shane broke the ice as he spoke to the kids Dad and said, "No matter what, a Centauri Falcon will win this one, so that's all that matters." Cute, Shane. I was (internally) freaking out.

That match went surprisingly well! Shelton didn't win, but he didn't get pinned, and they must have been evenly matched, as they went back-and-forth for several minutes. The other kid had more experience, and scored a lot more points while wrestling, something that Shelton seemed oblivious of. In his mind, he took that kid down, and he didn't get pinned, so he won! Shane and I realized that we have a lot to learn, and we will try to have him better prepared for the next meet. Shelton didn't cry, wasn't overly emotional, and didn't get hurt too badly, so I think this is a sport that he is well-suited for. I do want to help him slim down, as he is a little chunk. (May be I should bring him to Zumba with me). I'm kidding, but really, I need to be more helpful to my boy so that he can excel in this sport. He was given a participation medal, and he left the meet in extremely good spirits. What a guy!

Shelton, after the meet, with a weird expression on his face. Too cute!

Creative Explorations

Emma was invited to an exclusive, one-day workshop for gifted kids in the San Luis Valley, called Creative Explorations. She was given the option of choosing two of three special classes: Theatre Improv, Art, & Science. She had a difficult time deciding, but finally went with Theatre Improv and Science. As I dropped her off in the Theatre, she had already made two friends, and was trying on fancy hats that would be used as props. She has always been able to do that: make friends in new environments. Since a young age, she has also found learning in school to be fun, enjoyable, and kept it a top priority in life. She has been looking forward to this day for weeks!

When I picked her up, she and some other students performed a play for the parents. It was comical, and very fun. Emma shines on stage! Then, the Workshop Director asked two students to explain what went on in the Art and Science classes. Emma was the student that got to tell about the Science projects they did. She learned some engineering basics, and got to build and test small scale bridges. They found that using a triangular base was the best for supporting weight. She was the only girl that chose the Science Workshop! (She loves Science and Math in school). I was so grateful for this workshop, and that she was invited.



Shopping...

Me: [To Maurices Sales personnel] Do you have any of these jeggings in a size Small?

Ha! I am a Small. Not an X-L. They were out of jeggings, so I got some jeans in a size 5/6, but the size 3/4 are almost fastenable.

I recently heard the expression "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels". I believe it. I have discovered that junky, processed, fattening foods are not as important to me as previously thought. I have kept my caloric intake down, eaten mostly raw, natural foods, and for the most part, kept refined sugar out of my diet. It works. Couple that with regular exercise, and here comes skinny!!! I've lost 5 more pounds, and my body fat percentage went down almost 2%. As I near my ultimate goal, and see that it is actually attainable, I am ecstatic. I can do this. I can make a lifestyle change and stick to it. I feel more confident in trying other things that have been hard for me, and seemed impossible. For instance, getting out of debt, growing a garden, landscaping my yard, keeping my house clean for more than 2 days in a row, teaching hip-hop dance, and getting on a budget. I think I can do these things because I have already done something that felt impossible. (I have tears in my eyes: I'm such a nerd).

Another phrase I like: "My daily routine: get up, be amazing, go back to bed".

Yup!

Shelton's Birthdays

I was looking at pictures from last Summer, and I stumbled upon these ones from Shelton's 6th birthday party. I forgot my good camera so we only got a few with my cell phone. He had a Lightnng McQueen party at Devil's Kitchen, and we were lucky to have it just days before the mosquito invasion of the Summer. The irrigation water was just getting to the point in which we would not be able to hang out at Devil's Kitchen any longer, so we had everyone park by the gate, and drove them to the fire pit on a 4-wheeler with an attached trailor. This went over extremely well with all the little boys. We had hot dogs, s'mores, and two cakes to choose from, as it was my birthday, too. (Shelton was born 1 day before my 29th birthday).



Putting on an awesomely amazing birthday party for him has ben a challenge for me over the years. First of all, I am better at girl stuff. Emma's parties are first-rate and over-the-top. Always. Sasha's have been just what she wants, so I count them as successful, even though I would like them to be a little bit more incredible. Shelton's parties have had to beat the odds every year.

1- Just days after the horrible "passing-out after falling out of a hgh chair and hitting his head on tile floor" incident in California. We were just thankful he was alive that year. Low-key birthday.
2- I planned a big, double birthday party with his cousin, Rye, who was born 1 day before him, but he was running a high fever, and ended  having 2 ear infections. Super low-key party with ibuprofen as his "treat". He didn't like the rice-crispy treats I made. I don't blame him, they were made with fruity pebbles and were hard as a rock.
3- Pretty good party. Lots of family and friends at our house for a Lightning McQueen Cars party. He had a great time, but I didn't do any games and my party favors were kinda lame.
4- Weak. My Mom was there for Emma's baptism, and we had a small family party with just Grandpa Shelton, Jim & Mary-Ann, and his frind Tyson. I made cupcakes, and the frosting was gross. I couldn't afford very many gifts, but he got a Lighning McQueen bike.
5- I tried pretty hard on this one. We did another double-birthday party with Rye, and had a Lightning McQueen Cars party theme. (Do you sense a pattern here?) The cake was awesome, and we served hot dogs to friends and family. I made a big, Lightning McQueen car out of a cardboard box, and the boys put it on and raced around Jack Dempsey Park. I gave out cans of Mountain Dew as a party favor, and we pretended it was their fuel. The downer was the insane amount of mosquitos. This is fairly normal for June, but the town hadn't sprayed the mosquito pesticide around in several days, so they were particularly awful. The truck did come by and spray towards the end of the party, so it smelled horrible while we ate cake.

My plans for his 7th birthday party are in the works, and I can assure you that the theme will not have anything to do with Lighning McQueen. There will be an amazing cake, awesome party favors, and his best friends and cousins will celebrate with him.

The Butt Chicks

Yes, you read that correctly. The Butt Chicks. That was the name my fitness team came up with for our participation in a fitness challenge and weight loss competition with Kim's Fitness for Women. We formed our team on December 26, 2012, and weighed-in at 590 lbs.

For six weeks, we did nothing but diet, exercise, and train for the big day. Three of us signed-up for Personal Training with Kim, and tracked our progress in push-ups, sit-ups, and other exercises in Kim's fit test. I joined "My Fitness Pal" and counted every calorie that entered my body. I cried when I found out how fattening and caloric my favorite homemade Pralines are. (Seriously, I did cry, but I was watching The Help and was quite emotional that day). I did around 50 push-ups a day on my own time, and felt I could help my team out in that area on the big day.

The week of the competition and weigh-in, Kim had us do a particularly challenging Circuit Training routine. As I left, Ifelt more sore and run-down than I had in several months. I actually pulled a muscle in my butt. Ouch. So, later that week, as my teammates and I were wallowing in self-pity over our sore behinds, we decided that we would call ourselves "The Butt Chicks", as we were very sore in that area, we had done far too many butt kicks in circuit training that week, and because we were planning on kicking butt in the competition. I thought it was pretty clever.

To make a long story short, we didn't win either aspect of the competition. But did we "win" after all? Our group lost over 30 lbs., and we looked and felt a great deal better. Our fit test scores improved dramatically.I went in to the competition thinking I would do 32 push-ups, and ended up cranking out 42! I doubled my sit-up amount, and did 5 more sprint laps than last Summer when we tested that last. Most importantly, I had a great time with my girls.

Out for a GNO with most of The Butt Chicks.

Dinner at Chilli's (I had the Guiltless Salmon) & a movie.

Melissa Howsmon, Julie McGinnis & Moi!