Tour de St. George

 This weekend we went to St. George for a little vacation. It was not exactly a "rest and relaxation" kind of vacation, since Honey Daddy and I spent one of our days there participating in the Tour de St. George.

Honey Daddy and I both love cycling, and we do several longer rides each season (we are talking 100 milers!). This year we decided to try out this spring season ride in St. George where is it warm.

My parents flew to St. George and met us there because they were riding too. We had a great time! The condo we stayed at was lovely. The babysitter we had watch the boys was fabulous! The swimming pool and hot tub were tons of fun. The weather was... WINDY!

It was nice and sunny the day of our ride, but we were facing winds of over 20 mph! In case you didn't know, that makes it awfully hard to ride. There were portions of the ride where I was going downhill and should have been going around 25 mph or more. Instead I was going 15 mph and I was pedaling to maintain that!

There were wind gusts so bad that I actually saw a cyclist get blown over right in front of me. There was one point in the ride where the wind had blown sand onto the road and it was 1 to 2 inches deep at the shallow parts. It was crazy! There was red sand blowing everywhere.

Can you believe that despite the wind, I still had a pretty good ride? The scenery was absolutely gorgeous, the cyclists were friendly and I managed to complete 70 miles. I was pretty proud of myself because I saw several cyclists giving up at one point and heading back to town. My parents even managed to finish 18 miles!

Honey Daddy is the one that really rocks the house though. He did 107 miles on a pretty hilly course. Not to mention all that wind! Isn't he awesome?

I love this photo! Of course I did not take this photo because I was riding too! There was an event photographer taking photos of the riders (I did some editing though). Would you believe that the photographer gave up and left before I got to the spot where he was set up? So there was no photo of me (or a lot of other riders). What a wimpy photographer!

Letter from an Angry Cycling Chick

Hooray! I finished my 70 mile bike ride Saturday in St. George, and boy was it windy! We are talking winds over 20 miles per hour. But in spite of the wind the ride went pretty well and I feel good today.

In honor of my bike ride, here is a letter I wrote a week or so ago after a cycling incident:
---------------------

Dear Trash-talking, truck-driving twit-
I was riding my bike down the road on my way home, minding my own business after having already gone 10 miles... Can I ask you why you feel the need to yell derogatory comments to me out your window?

At least I assume they were derogatory by the tone of your voice. My husband also assures me that he has never been the victim of any cat-calling or roadside yelling while riding his bike, so I will assume your comments were probably sexist as well.

Just FYI, I can't really hear you and I'm not interested in your opinions. You may not know this since you have probably never been on a bicycle going more than 5 miles per hour, but when I am cruising down the road at 20+ miles per hour there is a lot of wind noise. Add your noisy truck to that and I can't hear a word you are saying. So please don't yell at me, honk at me, or otherwise gesture in my direction unless you want to startle me and cause an accident.

So keep your voice, hands, arms, head and all other body parts inside your vehicle at all times. Kindly keep it in your pants, er... truck.

Sincerely
The Cycling Chick (who can ride circles around your fat, flat behind!)

A Photo A Day: Week 12

Day 78

March 19: It was a breezy, gusty day. Perfect for kite flying! I had a great time watching Jonah learn to fly a kite. I also had fun figuring out how to get a picture of Jonah and the kite at the same time. Turns out you have to lay down on the ground, but I think it was worth it!

Day 79

March 20: The return of the sun to our yard means the return of hours and hours spent playing in the sandbox. Hooray for Spring!

It also brings the start of cycling season. Saturday Honey Daddy and I made tracks of our own on a 55 mile bike ride in preparation for our rides this weekend (I'm doing 75 and HD is doing 100 miles!).

Day 80

March 21: We went for a Sunday afternoon walk down by Utah Lake and it was gorgeous! I had so many lovely pictures to choose from, but you just can't beat a sailboat, right?

Day 81

March 22: My crocuses are blooming! Hooray for Spring!

Day 82

March 23: Is it just me, or does it seem like St. Patrick's Day and Easter are really close together this year?  Good thing I am on the ball this year and have already started my Easter shopping. Have you?

Day 83

March 24: I met a couple of friends at the park and we had a picnic lunch. It was so lovely to let the kids play while I chatted with my friends. Hooray for Spring!

Day 84

March 25: "Buzz Lightyear to Star Command! Come in, Star Command! I have crash landed on an unknown planet and am in need of assistance!"


Hosted by Cecily and Momma 
Hosted by Chris

Let's Go Fly a Kite

March is a great month! My flowers are starting to bloom, the lawn is greening up and the days are getting warmer. Of course March also come with some capricious weather. Sunny one minute, cold and rainy/snowy the next. I guess it makes life more interesting, right?

We have had quite a few windy days, so we have decided to make the best of it by flying kites. Jonah is in LOVE with kite flying. Day after day he kept asking to fly his kite, but we told him it was not windy enough or it was too wet and cold. We eventually had him watching the neighbor's flag so he would know when it was windy enough without asking. Finally last week we had the perfect day!

Of course at first Honey Daddy had to show Jonah how it was done.

Jonah was a great helper, always offering to help pick the kite back up when it swooped to the ground.

You gotta watch out though! That kite has a mind of it's own!

Run Jonah, run!

It took a while, but Jonah finally got the hang of it. He loved holding tight to the string and watching his kite soar through the sky.

As for me, I was having a great time figuring out how to get a picture of the Jonah AND the kite at the same time. Inevitably this means that I was laying on the ground half the time.... but I didn't mind because I loved the pictures I got! (I saved the BEST one for my picture of the day-- come back and see it Friday)

I especially loved this one of Honey Daddy laughing at me laying on the grass pointing my camera at the sky. Isn't he handsome?

A Photo A Day: Week 11

There is a story (and an entire post) about Day 70.

Day 71

March 12: This forklift has been parked down the street from our house FOREVER. So one day when I drove by I decided I should stop and take a picture. So here is the forklift from it's own rear view mirror.

Day 72

March 13: If you have boys, you will have tons of cars.

Day 73

March 14: Why is it that kids love to play with the box almost as much as they like to play with the toy that came in the box? See Jonah smiling in there?

Day 74

March 15: It was a bit of a crummy day, due to misunderstandings and mishaps. Then we had family night and went on a walk while the boys rode their bikes. We had a good time together and saved the day.

Day 75

March 16: Today I came up with a genius plan. It was a nice day, but I needed to do some ironing. But who says I have to iron inside? So I set up my laundry operation out on the back porch. It was lovely.

Day 76

March 17: Happy St. Patrick's Day! I actually remembered to dress us all in clothes that contained the color green. It has been pretty nice this week, so the boys have been playing outside a lot. Today I caught them trying to give each other rides in the wheelbarrow. Neither one could lift the other one up enough to get the wheelbarrow moving... so they just ended up dumping each other out. It was hilarious!

Day 77

March 18: Don't you just love the doctor's office? Neither do my kids. Luckily Eli's 2 year old well visit went pretty well. He only cried for a minute when he got his shot. Now we just get to deal with the post-shot grumpies for the rest of the night.




Hosted by Chris



Hosted by Cecily

The Day After the Party Pooper

So I have to tell you about the day after Eli's birthday. I know that was over a week ago, but it has taken that long for me to find the humor in this incident. I guess it's one of those things that make you say, "one day we will laugh about this!".

My mom was getting ready to leave after spending Eli's birthday with us. I had gotten the boys ready and was just getting out of the shower when Eli came to the bathroom telling me, "Potty! Potty!"

Eli has been interested in using the potty, but has never actually done anything while sitting there. He just makes a "ppssssss!" noise while smiling at me. Cute, but somewhat frustrating. So I didn't really thing his request was very urgent.

But as I started to get dressed, Eli started to try to pull his clothes off, all while saying, "potty!". So I decided to humor him and took off his pants and diaper and set him on the potty. Within 20 seconds, Jonah came in the bathroom saying, "Mommy, I need to go potty NOW!".

So what's a mom to do? I figured Eli didn't really need to go, so I took him off the potty and put Jonah on the potty.  You can see where this is headed, right? Actually it is worse than you think!

While I was helping Jonah with the TP, Eli wandered back in the bathroom. It was then that I noticed he had a little something on his tush. I immediately cried, "Oh no, Eli is starting to go potty!" So I took Jonah off the potty and put Eli on.

No big deal, right? Jonah was done anyway... or so I thought! He starts in with "I still need to go some more!" At this point I am in a panic. So I call for my mom to come take Jonah downstairs (he won't go down by himself) so he can finish going potty and I can take care of Eli.

I thought the disaster was averted. WRONG!
I just about lost it when I looked down the hallway...

What neither my mom or I knew was that Eli had already pooped in the hallway. That wouldn't be SO bad, but then my mom inadvertently stepped on it with her shoe when she came to get Jonah.... and tracked the mess down the hallway, through my kitchen and down the stairs.

I will admit it... I freaked out. There may have been some yelling, screaming and general hysteria. It wasn't my mom's fault, it wasn't really Eli's fault.... and I like to think that I was doing the best I could.

We got the mess cleaned up and then went out for lunch to give everyone a break. I was disappointed that Eli probably WOULD have used the potty, but instead everything got all messed up.

Oh well! I suppose it will work out eventually. After all, later in the day (before his bath and with his face covered in cake and chocolate ice cream) he did get back on the potty.

Day 70

So I guess that's progress, even if all he did was tell me "ppsssssssss!" and smile.

(psst.. here is my week in photos).





Hosted by Cecily

Blogging Over Spilt Milk

Did you know that blogging makes me a better mom?

No really! Blogging changes the way that I look at the everyday happenings my life. In a way, it helps me to be a bit more objective about things and "look for the story" and find the humor in all those little incidents and accidents.

For example, you know those little mishaps that sometimes make you frustrated or upset? Like this:

When my son spilled his entire cup of milk all over the floor and made this HUGE splash, did I get upset about it? Not at all!

I instantly thought about the cliche of "crying over spilt milk" and I knew I needed to take a picture so I could blog about it. After all, it is a pretty impressive milk puddle, don't you think? So blogging made this instance less of a catastrophe and more of a funny little episode.

See! Blogging really does make me a less angry = happier = better mom!

p.s. Don't forget to enter my Wanchai Ferry giveaway to get some good Chinese food and a $25 Target Gift Card!

Wanchai Ferry Review and Giveaway (Prize Pack with $25 Target Gift Card)

Ever get tired of trying to figure out "What's for dinner?". I know I do! How about Orange Chicken, Sweet and Spicy Shrimp, Sweet and Sour Chicken, or Shrimp Lo Mein? Sounds yummy, doesn't it?

You don't have to go out to eat or order in to get these yummy dinners. All you have to do is get Wanchai Ferry!

Wanchai Ferry provided me the “Perfect Night In” prize pack that includes a coupon valid for a free package of any of the Wanchai Ferry frozen entrees, a small set of Asian-inspired rice bowls, chopsticks, bamboo placemats, flavored fortune cookies, and a $25 Target gift card through MyBlogSpark.
Also, look for a possible Target coupon online.

I was so excited to get the prize pack! We don't go out to eat Chinese very often because it is not my husband's favorite, but I LOVE it! So we headed off to Super Target to get our dinner. 


We decided to try the Orange Chicken. It was SO easy and very tasty.  The meal kit comes with everything you need - rice, vegetables, chicken and orange sauce.  Since I was serving my husband, myself and my two small kids, I added a little extra cooked chicken, but there was still plenty of orange sauce to go around.  The orange sauce really had nice flavor to it that we all enjoyed.  The vegetables were great too- there were broccoli florets, julienne carrots and baby corn. 

My husband even said that he enjoyed the meal- which is really a compliment coming from someone who doesn't particularly care for Chinese food! Right now there is a $1.50 off coupon available making it an even better deal. Also, you can find meal tips to enhance your Wanchai Ferry frozen entrée like I did.

Thanks to Wanchai Ferry and MyBlogSpark one Honey Mommy reader will win a "Perfect Night In" Prize pack (including everything I mentioned above)! Open to U.S residents only.

For first (and required) entry, tell me which variety of Wanchai Ferry meals you would like to try, or what your idea of a perfect meal for a "night in" is!

Extra Entries (leave a comment for each):
* Add my button to your blog

* Promote this giveaway in the social networking method of your choice (twitter, facebook, blog, etc.).


Giveaway ends March 31 @ midnight MST. Winner will be chosen at random, using random.org and contacted by e-mail and has 48 hrs to respond before a new winner is chosen.

Disclosure: I received a Wanchai “Perfect Night In” prize pack as part of this review and giveaway. However, this post is my honest opinion about the product and no other compensation was given.

A Photo A Day: Week 10

Day 64

March 5: We woke up to about 6 inches of very wet snow and it was still snowing! So we did what Jonah has been wanting to do all winter. We made a HUGE snowman. I completely underestimated how heavy the middle ball was and almost could not get it up on the first one by myself!

Day 65

March 6: Something about graffiti just calls for me to take a picture. Here is a tag on a "parked" train that I saw and had to come back and take a picture.

Day 66

March 7: Can you believe that all 8 inches of snow we got on Friday have completely melted? I think that made my tulip sprouts (and me!) happy.

Day 67

March 8: The snowman saga continues... every day Jonah would make me go put the eyes and nose back on the snowman. I knew this wouldn't last, since he was the only snow left in the neighborhood! Sure enough on Monday his head fell off. So Jonah made the best of it... he said, "We'll just make this ball the head!"

Day 68

March 9: Here is the cake that I made for Eli's 2nd birthday. I hope you are impressed because I sure am! It was my first attempt at fondant and the first time I made a cake shaped like a number! I LOVE the way it turned out... oh, and Eli liked it too.

Day 69

March 10: I have tons of pictures from Eli's birthday, but this one is my favorite. Oh how I love this little guy! I can't believe he is already two!

I know there should be a Day 70 photo today... but I took my best picture AFTER I had already uploaded these. So now you are going to have to wait for it!





Hosted by Cecily and Lolli




Hosted by Chris

My Boy, My Joy- Happy Birthday Two You!

My baby is a big boy now

I can't believe you're two!

Wasn't it only moments ago

I first set eyes on you?

Such a sweet and happy boy,

 so calm and cheerful too!

You made it seem less challenging

to be a mom of two.

Your dimpled smile and big blue eyes

won me over from the start.

And as you grew so did the place

 you hold forever in my heart.

The time has flown by quickly,

now there's so much you can do!

You run and jump and dance and play-

now you're singing and talking too!

You are not afraid of anything, 

My daredevil boy!

I love the way you make each day

your own to enjoy.

Happy Birthday Eli!

May the next year bring you joy!

As you grow, I hope you know

You will always be my boy.

SafetyTat Giveaway Winner!

Random.org has spoken and the winners of the SafetyTat giveaway are comments  #4 and #10. That means that the winners are S Club Mama and sweetone624!

I have contacted the winners and they have 48 hours to get back to me before I choose a new winner. Thanks to all that entered and stay tuned for my Wanchai Ferry giveaway.

A Photo A Day: Week 9

Day 57

 

February 26: The boys wanted to go DO something. So we had lunch with Daddy and then went to play at the "train store".

Day 58

  

February 27: Honey Daddy and I participated in a 20 mile bike ride at our local bike shop that was held in support of Haiti. The temperatures were in the upper 40s, so it was a pretty nice ride. I thought this picture was pretty cool because we are both in it. :o)

Day 59

  

February 28: On Sunday afternoons Jonah and I tend to play a lot of games together. He almost always loses at Kerplunk because he doesn't understand that the point is NOT to have the marbles fall down... but then again I guess in his eyes he is always the winner, right?

Day 60

  

March 1: I drive past this old machine in front of a house nearby on a regular basis. I don't know what it is, but I think it looks pretty cool.

Day 61

  

March 2: Tuesday night means I am working in the children's section at the library again. Why is it that I feel conspicuous taking pictures of a book display that I set up, at a library I work in, after all the patrons have gone home?

Day 62

  

March 3: What a great afternoon! My husband came home from work and sent me out on a bike ride. I got in 15 miles and it felt great. When I got home I found my husband grilling all the chicken I bought on sale that morning so we can put it in the freezer. Yum!

Day 63

 

March 4: I took the boys to the park this morning. They had a great time just being outside! I love this picture because it shows Eli on the brink of  running at this teetering bridge. This little guy is not afraid of anything!






Hosted by Cecily and Kelli