Summer is for Swimming!

My sweet Grayson - he is so many amazing and wonderful things, but fearless he is not. He has never been too pumped about learning to swim, although it is something I desperately want to encourage since I'm not the strongest swimmer myself. We did lessons last summer, and for the most part he spent the class clinging to me and ignoring the instructor. I knew I wanted to try again this summer, but I was a little hesitant.

Luckily for me, SafeSplash swim school reached out to see if Grayson might be interested in a few complimentary lessons. It was exactly the nudge I needed to get him back into the swing of things, so we decided to go for it. And man, am I glad we did it!

This summer was a completely different experience than the one we had last year at our neighborhood pool. I think being another year older obviously helped, because he went into things much more willingly than last year. Also, this year he's old enough to do the class alone instead of the "mommy and me" type situation, and I think that is essential for a mama's boy like Grayson.

The first lesson he was a bit hesitant, but by the end of the thirty minute class he was all smiles. Didn't hurt that he got a sucker at the end ;) The instructors were patient and calm, and super encouraging - all things that help my boy feel comfortable in a new setting. There were only a couple other kids in the class, and when it wasn't his turn to "swim", he sat on the step with one of the instructors, playing with toys, blowing bubbles, and getting comfortable just being in the water.

By his last class this past weekend, I was blown away by how comfortable he seemed to be. This is a boy who last year had to be peeled off of me, and now he is hopping right into the water. I was shocked that they got him to practice floating on his back, and he climbed right up onto a huge floaty with three other kids and kicked his way across the pool. He even jumped in several times (a very timid jump, but still) into the instructors arms and "swam" back over to the side.

The best part about the entire experience is the fact that he isn't near as nervous when we take him swimming. We went to the neighborhood pool yesterday, and he was comfortable in his floaties, he swam back and forth between me and the husband several times, and he had fun jumping off of my legs into the water, letting it splash around his mouth and nose. I know this may not sound huge to anyone else, but for Grayson this is a pretty big deal! 

We were totally happy with our experience with SafeSplash, and I fully intend on returning in the fall once our weekend schedule calms down a bit. I'm sure a lot of his progress has to do with maturity, but I also was super pleased with how the instructors were with him. I know I had a bad experience with swim lessons as a kid that resulted in a lifelong fear of water, so I'm always hesitant with this sort of thing. I'm happy to say they were nothing but kind and encouraging, and I couldn't have been more pleased with the experience!

Super-Exciting Weekend Plans

Happy weekend people! I'm so excited for this weekend because I don't have a single plan. Not one. The past few weekends have been so busy, so I can't wait to just relax and clean and do crafty stuff and laundry. But if I know my husband, and I think I know him well, he will most likely find some social activity to involve us in. He's such a little social butterfly...he just can't help himself.

I personally am excited to watch the opening ceremony of the Olympics tonight. I have a confession to make: I've never watched the Olympics. Summer or Winter. I've seen like two minutes of it and then gotten bored and switched the channel, but I've never been one of those people who are superpumped about it and watch them every day. Does that make me un-American? I certainly hope not.

Actually, one year I did watch the Olympics, but only the figure skating, and I thought it was uh-mazing. It was the year of Oksana Bauil and Nancy Kerrigan. I have no idea if either of them ever competed more than this one year (when did that whole knee thing happen anyway?), but in 1994 I was 10 years old and I thought they were the coolest ever. On the playground we always "played ice skating", and I was always Oksana, because I had blonde hair like her. I thought she was the coolest anyway, so that was fine by me. We would slide around on our tennis shoes and spin and jump and I'm pretty sure we looked like lunatics...but it was great fun. So yeah. That's the extent of my experience with the Olympics.

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I'm determined to pay more attention this summer. I actually have a friend who's husband is competing in wrestling, so I'll definitely need to be watching that. We'll see how it goes, I may even enjoy it.

So to all you Olympics-fanatics out there, I hope you have a wonderful two weeks or however long it lasts. Everyone else, have a super weekend. I plan on it.

Thoughts on Summer

I have a confession to make. I hate summer.

I know, I know. You probably don't understand, think I'm crazy, are somehow offended....I just can't help it.  I try. I give it my best effort. But I'm just not a fan. I hate being hot. Hate it. It makes me angry. I sweat easily, and I sweat like a man. Sexy, right? I also have a phobia about smelling bad, which makes the sweating thing even worse. I carry deodorant around in my purse, and am constantly checking to see if I smell okay. TMI? Oh well.

This problem is magnified because I live in one of the hottest places on the face of the earth. I have no idea if that's accurate, but it feels like it. Being over 100 degrees is no big thing. It's actually pretty much expected for the majority if the summer. As soon as I walk outside I feel like my skin is on fire and, oh yeah, I start sweating. Disgusting.

There is no way to be comfortable. No clothing option works for this weather. I could walk around naked and still be miserable. I would never do that, but even if I was brave enough it wouldn't help. My poor little dog can't walk in the heat for more than five minutes without collapsing on the sidewalk and forcing me to carry her back to the house. Maybe she's just lazy, but I blame the heat.

Also, buildings take it to an extreme and make sure it's negative five degrees inside to combat the heat. Which means my little summer dress that I'm forced to wear because of the ungodly heat outside equals extreme discomfort and shivering when indoors. And at work I'm forced to wear a cardigan AND wrap up in a blanket to stay comfortable. Misery.

And I'm not really a lake person. Or a river person. Or a camping person. And even if I was, I'd rather do those things in oh, maybe 90 degree weather? It's too hot to even swim. The water is like bath water.

Oh, and bathing suits. This didn't bother me until the last couple of years when I no longer have zero fat on my body. Now, it's pure torture. I sympathize with every woman who has ever tried on a bathing suit and then been forced to go in public. This is not good for my self esteem, people.

As you can see, I've reached the point in the summer when the weather makes me feel like a real b-word. So I've decided to make a list of the things I enjoy about summer to try and trick myself into being less cranky. Here goes:

I like the sunshine.
I like being able to take Addie out without putting on shoes.
I like wedges and sandals.
I like maxi dresses and other flowy things.
I like okra, and it only seems to be around this time of year.
I like the pretty flowers, trees and green grass.
I like not shivering when I walk outdoors (Texas is extreme, one or the other)
I like that I get off work at 1 pm on Fridays.
I like that it stays light outside later.
I like having the option of getting in a swimming pool.

And there you have it. I gave it my best shot. Gotta be honest though, not feeling too much more chipper. At least I tried.

Have a fabulous summer day everyone...hopefully you enjoy it MUCH more than I do! 

A Weekend Trip to the OK

Our weekend was a good one, full of friends and family and loooots of driving.

We got to spend a few hours on Friday afternoon with my dad, just chatting and looking at old photos. There were some hilarious ones of of my cousins as children (I'm much younger than all of my cousins on Dad's side, so by the time I was around they were all grown), my parents with bad 80s hair and clothing, and my grandparents hanging out at the dance hall my dad used to own before I came around and ruined all the fun ;) I wish I would have taken some of them so I could share the hilarity with you.

 Addie and Papaw Just Chillin'

I also took a few photos of his baby horses while we were there. My great picture taking expedition was hindered by an unreal amount of disgusting grasshoppers. I hate all bugs, but anything that jumps is at the top of my list. Crickets make me want to cry, and grasshoppers are almost as bad. They were sticking to our car, jumping everywhere, and there were just so many of them. I made Arsen take Addie and I took off running and screaming into the house when we got there so they wouldn't touch me. So needless to say, I took the photos that I did get from a safe distance on his porch.

We then went to my moms for the evening. She's recovering from her gallbladder surgery, so we really just sat around and talked for the most part. Her medicine made her a little drowsy, so we called it an early night. Nothing too exciting, but I'm so glad I got to see her!

Saturday morning we got up bright and early to head for Tulsa. We met up with my friends Nick and Alicia, who just had a baby on St. Patrick's Day and are now living in Indiana. Alicia and I were roommates our freshman year at UCO, and Nick lived on our hall, which is how they met. That year there were four of us girls (Alicia and I and our friends Amanda and Andrea) that were pretty much inseparable. We all met our first day at UCO, and I think coming to school as a freshman not knowing anyone you naturally form a close bond with those around you. I moved to California about two years later, so I unfortunately drifted away from them a bit. I still keep in touch with Alicia pretty frequently, but I hadn't seen any of them in about three years. It was so much fun to catch up and reminisce about our time in college together, and to meet precious little Lizzy! Miss those girls.

Saturday night was spent with my best friend Rachel and her sister Lyndsey. We had a yummy sushi dinner and then went to a nearby bar to have a few drinks. It's hilarious how well Arsen gets along with these girls that I've known almost my entire life...you would think he's known them just as long. In all honesty all they do is make fun of each other, but that's how Arsen shows his affection. But not to me, because I start taking it seriously and then it's not so fun ;)

After our four hour drive home on Sunday we were ready to relax. So that's exactly what we did. Picked up some In N Out, watched TV, and went to bed before 10 pm. For an old married couple that's just about the perfect evening.

Now we're preparing for my dad to come visit this weekend for Father's Day. He never comes to Texas, even though he's only 2 hours away, so I'm super excited! We're planning a cook out and Arsen's parents will probably be joining us, so it should be a pretty good time. I foresee lots of vodka shots and toasts to our future babies in our near future...

My Stellar Golf Game

Yay, I can blog again! No, the laptop cord hasn't come in yet, but the hubby was sweet enough to bring his work laptop home so I could use it. Isn't he just so thoughtful?

So yesterday we attempted something we have never done as a couple. And it's something I really had no desire to try.

We went to the driving range.

The first (and only) time I ever attempted to actually hit a golf ball was on a date years ago. I wore jeans and wedges, because that's obviously the proper attire. Needless to say I didn't take it too seriously, and I don't think I ever made contact with the ball. So I thought I was terrible because of that experience.

But Arsen has been determined lately to learn to golf, and a friend of his actually gave him a set of clubs for free. He (the friend) is incredibly tall, so he recently got a custom made set and offered his old ones to Arsen. He called it a late wedding gift (our wedding was in September, but it was sweet nontheless).

So Arsen and I, his friend Mitch, my good friend Amelia and her manfriend David all met up at a driving range in a nearby town. I didn't have high hopes for myself, and actually planned to spend my time catching up on twitter and reading blogs. Plus, it is HOT in Texas already, so just sitting there was brutal.

David decided that I needed to attempt to at least hit the ball a few times, so he convinced me to give it a shot. And as reluctant as I was...it was SO much fun! Who knew? And I'm not bad! David even called me a natural! Everyone was very encouraging. Not sure if it was pity support, or if I was actually decent. Eh, I'll take it either way.

So in light of these recent events, I've decided to take up the game of golf along with Arsen. So naturally, I need some gear. Here's what I'm thinking:

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That should at least get me started. I need clubs too, but I didn't find any cute ones. So I guess I could just let Arsen pick those out. I'm so excited about my new hobby!

I have a feeling Arsen is going to regret getting me involved....



Our Summer So Far

Even though this summer has been crazy busy, it's been a lot of fun. Last weekend was 4th of July weekend, and we honestly didn't do anything too exciting, but it was SO nice to have three days with nothing we had to do.

On Friday night we went to the Rangers game. Now, I'm no great sports fan, but I must say it wasn't bad. Had a couple tasty beers and some really fattening food (pizza AND a funnel cake), and there was even a fireworks show after the game! I literally understood not one thing that happened...but I know Arsen had a great time.

The rest of the weekend was just a lot of working around the house, which was much needed.We had a little date night on Saturday at Blue Mesa. Really yummy, unique Mexican food. And no,Addie didn't come along. I just like to take a family photo every chance I get...

Arsen's sister Lena stopped by with her family to see the house on Sunday, and she also brought us a gorgeous set of dishes! A couple of nights later his brother Armen came by with his family...and brought Arsen a grill! Personally I was super excited about the dishes, but Arsen was definitely a little more into the grill.

The three day weekend seemed to make the work week harder than usual, but thankfully, it's the weekend again! Tonight Arsen decided to fire up the grill for the first time. I took on the task of chopping up the veggies and whatnot, and he did basically everything else.

It was pretty nice to spend a good part of the evening in the backyard....it was really the first time we've spent much time out there. I basically sat in a chair and had a drink while Arsen did all the work. And Addie played for approximately two minutes before she exhausted herself. She doesn't really care for the heat.

I must say the finished product was amazing. I honestly think it was the best steak I've ever had. We did learn that baked potatoes take ages to make on a grill, so we'll have to make some adjustments next time. But overall I would say it was a success!!

So I would say we've had a pretty successful summer so far. And Arsen just informed me that it is 9 weeks to the wedding, so the rest of the summer will basically consist of wedding planning. Like always, I've been a huge slacker and left a ton of stuff to the last minute. I don't think I could do it any other way!

It's Always Something

So I've learned that once you move into a house, you have zero down time. There is ALWAYS something that needs to be done. Not just the every day stuff like cleaning, laundry, all of that, but there are also a million little projects to complete. I'm currently in the middle of approximately 83 projects. Not really, but it feels like it.

The other night after a nice little walk, I decided to pull weeds in our front flower bed while Arsen went for a run. I've never really pulled weeds before, but I got some really cute gardening gloves the other day that I wanted to try out.

First of all, no one warned me that these gloves would get so dirty after one use. Also, no one informed me that pulling weeds is really hard. I was so sore the next day it felt like I had gone through a serious work out. But maybe I burned off my fast food dinner? There has to be an upside.

So here is the result of all of my hard work. I mean, my dad spent hours working on it and really getting out all of the big stuff that didn't need to be there, but I like to take credit.

I have no idea what this flower is, but I like it.

Addie spent the entire time I was outside laying by the front door crying because she was being left out of something. Obviously, since she's crazy, we can't let her outside without a leash. So when I got inside she decided it was time to play. This is how she tries to convince me.

After about 10 minutes of playing, she was over it.

What an exciting night, right? It's absolutely crazy, but I love it. Who knew I was meant to be domestic? I mean, I still don't love dusting or cleaning the bathroom, and I'm certainly no great cook, but I'm working on it. I even bought a magazine about cooking last week! I'm really growing up.