A swimmer in da house!

No, I'm not talking about Jason or the Pipinator....I'm talking about Rowan!! Each week I see such progression from him and today he took 5 strokes before coming up for a breath! Last week he floated on his back for 10 seconds straight! Today he and his instructor (Gramma Sandy) practiced taking 5 strokes and then treading water for 5 seconds. She is fantastic as an instructor even if she told me to back away from the deck. It's hard not being right there cheering him on or giving him pointers. Her philosophy on water safety matches exactly what Jason and I want for Rowan and Morgan. They need to learn how to survive in the water without necessarily being the next Michel Phelps or Janet Evans (although that wouldn't hurt)!
So proud of you Rowan - keep it up!

Puppy Bowl 2012 starting lineup

Based on the poll results, clearly no one cares about whose playing in the Superbowl. I agree with these results therefore I am doing a preview for Puppy bowl VIII. Jason and I watch this wonderful event every year and it really is fascinating. From the kiss cam to the kitty cheerleaders, puppy bowl is an event not to be missed. New this year will be the bird tweeting all the action from the sidelines and a piggy pep squad who will "ham" it up for the spectators.

Pictured above is Calvin who is in the staring lineup and my pick to be one of the 3 MVP's. Calvin is pure Dachshund and if he's anything like Bart all pups might want to stay away from him. I'm thinking he's an alpha male with the heart of a killer. Good luck Calvin!!

Puppy Bowl 2012: Feb. 5th on Discovery Channel at 3pm
Check it out!
http://animal.discovery.com/tv/puppy-bowl/

Weekends have never meant so much

Jason is back in town for the weekend! The kids and I are thrilled and we had a great day of fun! Rowan was excited to try out his new snowsuit from Gramma and Pap and Jason was more excited to break out his old toboggan! After lunch Jason showed Morgan some new dance moves. The girl loves to dance and shake her Jlo booty! Pippa is still camera shy about her bad haircut - It can only get better Pips:) Jason is really liking his new job at Central command in Tampa and keeps bragging about how warm and beautiful it is there. If I don't blog for awhile you know where you can find us. Looking forward to spending 11 days there over spring break!

On a side note, our thoughts and prayers are with the Paterno family tonight.

Who calls this a blowout?

We took Pippa today to get a mani, pedi and blowout and this is how she came home. A blowout to me (besides last nights New England - Denver game) is a haircut that blows out the curls/frizz and adds volume. Petsmart said they would do an "Airedale" blowout which would have been great. Instead they mistakenly took her for a Schnauzer:( I want our Airedale back (insert tears here)!!!!

We'll miss you Daddy!

We love you and we'll see you soon! Good thing we got the iphones...facetime will be great, especially for Pippa!
GTL in Tampa!!

The ladies of the house

That, of course, would be me, Morgan, and the Pippanator! This is Pippa's "too shy to say hi" expression. Pippa has been getting a lot of attention on her walks as of late. People just can't seem to figure out what breed of dog she is. She has really long legs and prances like a deer too.  I think  people just aren't used to seeing an Airedale.

Morgan is walking into 2012! She started taking steps the week of Christmas and hasn't looked back since! She gets real proud of herself when she gets more than 10-15 steps in at a time. Tonight she was even able to balance her purse and doll while walking around. Girl has got some talent!

I signed up to do a triathlon in late April. After suffering some running injuries this summer I started to think of alternatives that would help my aging body. Swimteam, as well as, biking with my triathlete friend Adrienne helped make my decision. This year will be a good year to do it too - I'm not working and I'll definitely need an escape from my single mom duties! That's where my neighbor Jen and Adrienne's husband come in in terms of babysitting the kids. I've been training regularly since early December but still have a way to go. I'm excited and look forward to growing from this experience. It won't be easy but with some discipline, a good work ethic, and lots of sweat I CAN do this!

Welcome 2012!

We spent New Year's Eve with our friends Alan, Meryiah, and their daughter Maizy. We enjoyed a few cocktails, some great food, and let the kids run wild to get their energy out! I always feel like NYE is overrated so this was a perfect way for us to spend the holiday.

Jason and I always start discussing our resolutions for the new year a few weeks early. His are mostly the same this year - to embrace awkward moments, take long walks on short piers (while in Fla), and watch more and more bad reality TV shows. Mine are a bit more challenging. I want to be the best me that I can be while really trying to focus on enjoying the present. 

2012 will be tough as Jason prepares for a deployment in the next week or so. We'll be separated quite a bit which I know will be harder on him not seeing the kids and his fabulous wife everyday. I plan on being more patient and taking each day minute at a time! A positive attitude will be key, as well as, relying on friends, neighbors, and family to help us out. Chocolate and spa weekend getaways will be helpful too! Anyone want to join me? Best wishes to all for a HAPPY and HEALTHY 2012!!