Yesterday marked the kickoff of my Spring/Summer season of running events. I ran in the Inaugural Lansing (MI) Half Marathon. My dad told me about it a couple months ago but I didn't decide to actually run in it until a few days before because I was waiting to see what the weather was going to be like. A lot of good that did because it ended up being 45 degrees and very windy. Since I had committed to going to another event in Lansing the night before I decided to buck up and brave the cold. Other than the many cracks and potholes in the road the course was quite nice. It took us through the farmlands of Michigan State University, through a few neighborhoods, and through Potter Park. I anticipated the course being very flat but they managed to find the only hills in Lansing and put them all in. Running up those hills with wind gusts coming straight at me was tough but luckily I had on a brimmed hat so I put my head down and pushed forward. Some people were bold (crazy) enough to run in shorts and a tank top but I wasn't messing around. I had on warm leggings, three layers up top (short sleeve, long sleeve, and pull over), gloves, a hat, and ear warmers. All that kept me warm and at no time did I feel the need to shed any layers (except the gloves which I took off for a few miles but had to put back on towards the end when my fingers were going numb).
I finished in 2 hours 2 minutes and my dad, stepmom, and Carter were there to cheer me along during the course and Jimmy made it just in time to see me finish. I know I say I HATE to run in the cold but so far I've had my two best times in cold weather. Maybe the cold weather helps keep me hydrated since I'm not sweating as much as I would be in warm weather. I'll have to test that theory as the weather warms up. I would love to improve my time to 1 hour 50 minutes which is 6 minutes faster than my best time.
My next race is the Mini Marathon (half marathon) in two weeks. I'm running with Jimmy's cousin who will be running in his first half marathon. My job is to get him to finish in under 2 hours 10 minutes so I likely won't reach my personal time goal in this one. Two weeks after that I'm going to do the Geist Half Marathon. My friend who's done it before says it's a pretty challenging course but if the weather is warm I'm hopeful that I'll get a personal best. I should be in better running shape by then. The rest of my schedule looks like this:
May 26th: Lawrence Sprint Triathlon (I haven't decided on this one yet. I'm waiting for the weather to warm up to get back on my bike)
June 24th: iChallenge Indy Classic Duathlon (1 mi run, 17.5 mi bike, 4 mi run)
July 21st: Indy Sprint Triathlon (500 meter swim, 10 mi bike, 3 mi run)
August 4th: Eagle Creek Trail Run (15K)
That's all I've planned so far. There is the Indianapolis Marathon in October and the Monumental Marathon in November but it's usually too cold for my taste during that time of year. This is an ambitious schedule for me so wish me luck!
23 April 2012
The End of the Nap? Noooo!
Carter would not go to sleep at nap time today. I put him in his crib at 12:30 pm like usual and went downstairs to eat lunch. When I finished 30 minutes later I still heard him making noises so I went to check on him. "Hi" he says cheerfully as I open the door. Since he wasn't even close to being sleep I pulled him out and let him come into our bedroom. Not 5 minutes later he started what I like to call sleepy behavior. He started trying to open random drawers, spinning around in circles, and hitting me. That behavior landed him right back in his crib with my hope that he would close his eyes and succumb to nap time. 10 minutes later he was still standing up in his crib so I decided to give up because it was close to 2 pm and he hadn't eaten lunch yet. We went downstairs so he could eat lunch and after that I just knew the "itis" would kick in and he would be sleep in no time. No such luck. He was bright eyed and ready to play. That was the last trick in my book so I accepted the fact that he wouldn't be going to bed until bedtime. Luckily, he fell asleep just before 7:30 pm as I held him in the rocking chair. One lullaby and 2 minutes of rocking was all it took.
I hope today was an anomaly and will not be the status quo moving forward. I am not ready for the end of Carter's naps. That 1-2 hours (especially on days he is not in school) is sometimes the only break I get all day. Tomorrow will be a good tester because he's having a party at school. If that doesn't tire him out we may be in trouble. Houston...we have a problem.
I hope today was an anomaly and will not be the status quo moving forward. I am not ready for the end of Carter's naps. That 1-2 hours (especially on days he is not in school) is sometimes the only break I get all day. Tomorrow will be a good tester because he's having a party at school. If that doesn't tire him out we may be in trouble. Houston...we have a problem.
04 April 2012
Carter Update
I've been loving hanging out with my little man lately. The nice weather has allowed us to go outside and explore. Carter loves being outside. A lot of the time we just take a walk through the neighborhood. He likes to walk up our neighbors' driveways or sloped front yards and loves to climb the stairs leading to the front door. Sometimes I feel compelled to ring the doorbells so he can say hello. Of course, he always invites himself in if there is an answer. The boy is definitely not shy. He didn't get that from me.
There is also an open field and trail across from our house and he can stay out there for an hour picking flowers or throwing rocks. Not only is he not shy but he also doesn't have much fear. He will walk aimlessly into the woods that back up the trail trying to discover whatever is rustling in the trees. We also try to get to the park whenever we can. Thankfully it is a 5 minute walk so I turn on some Pandora tunes on my iPhone and we're there in a snap. Whenever I take him out of the stroller I say "I'm unleashing him" because he doesn't stop moving from the moment we get there to the moment I'm strapping him back into the stroller. First he wants to swing...but only for about 30 seconds; then he want to climb up the baby slide and then slide back down again; then he wants to drive the life size tractor; then he wants to climb up the hills; then he wants to go down the "big kid" slides (at least 6 times); and finally, he just likes to wander checking everything out. I like to take him late in the afternoon because by the time we get back home he's exhausted. Dinner time, bath time, and bed by 7:30 pm. Works like a charm.
Here he is frolicking:
He's also talking a lot more lately and doing more independently. I would estimate that he says 40-50 words, including most major body parts (nose, mouth, teeth, eye, toes), common food items (milk, juice, cheese), toileting (pee pee, boo boo, pot-pot), and many more. He will also try to imitate a lot of words I say. Independence should be his middle name because he wants to do everything by himself. He wants to brush his teeth, put on lotion, bathe himself (even though he only washes one arm, one ear, and one foot), and pick out his own clothes. I love his independence but sometimes it makes it difficult to get things done in a timely fashion.
He's loving school now. When I drop him off he gets excited, walks in, and goes directly to his class. He used to cry when I left but now he waves and say "bye-bye." When I pick him up he smiles, runs over to hug me, and then runs over to get his jacket. He also tells the other children and teachers "bye-bye." He used to cry as soon as he saw me, would run to get his jacket, and then head straight for the door without acknowledging anyone. I'm glad that phase is over. I'm thinking of changing schools beginning in July so hopefully we won't have to go through the "breaking in" stage all over again.
So I will finally admit that Carter is spoiled. In the last two weeks he went on a clothes/shoes shopping spree, got a new table/chairs, a Mickey Mouse sofa that converts to a bed, and his own lounge chair with footrest. Dang...he's living the life. The Mickey Mouse sofa is the first thing he's ever begged me to buy and I did just to quiet him down. We were in Babies R Us shopping for a gift for someone else and we passed by the sofa. All of a sudden Carter starts pointing and yelling "mouse...mouse," and he would stop. After trying to quiet him down (not very hard I admit) I caved in and said "fine; we'll get it." For the record, he did stop yelling after I put it in the cart.
Here is Carter with all his new goodies:
There is also an open field and trail across from our house and he can stay out there for an hour picking flowers or throwing rocks. Not only is he not shy but he also doesn't have much fear. He will walk aimlessly into the woods that back up the trail trying to discover whatever is rustling in the trees. We also try to get to the park whenever we can. Thankfully it is a 5 minute walk so I turn on some Pandora tunes on my iPhone and we're there in a snap. Whenever I take him out of the stroller I say "I'm unleashing him" because he doesn't stop moving from the moment we get there to the moment I'm strapping him back into the stroller. First he wants to swing...but only for about 30 seconds; then he want to climb up the baby slide and then slide back down again; then he wants to drive the life size tractor; then he wants to climb up the hills; then he wants to go down the "big kid" slides (at least 6 times); and finally, he just likes to wander checking everything out. I like to take him late in the afternoon because by the time we get back home he's exhausted. Dinner time, bath time, and bed by 7:30 pm. Works like a charm.
Here he is frolicking:
He's also talking a lot more lately and doing more independently. I would estimate that he says 40-50 words, including most major body parts (nose, mouth, teeth, eye, toes), common food items (milk, juice, cheese), toileting (pee pee, boo boo, pot-pot), and many more. He will also try to imitate a lot of words I say. Independence should be his middle name because he wants to do everything by himself. He wants to brush his teeth, put on lotion, bathe himself (even though he only washes one arm, one ear, and one foot), and pick out his own clothes. I love his independence but sometimes it makes it difficult to get things done in a timely fashion.
He's loving school now. When I drop him off he gets excited, walks in, and goes directly to his class. He used to cry when I left but now he waves and say "bye-bye." When I pick him up he smiles, runs over to hug me, and then runs over to get his jacket. He also tells the other children and teachers "bye-bye." He used to cry as soon as he saw me, would run to get his jacket, and then head straight for the door without acknowledging anyone. I'm glad that phase is over. I'm thinking of changing schools beginning in July so hopefully we won't have to go through the "breaking in" stage all over again.
So I will finally admit that Carter is spoiled. In the last two weeks he went on a clothes/shoes shopping spree, got a new table/chairs, a Mickey Mouse sofa that converts to a bed, and his own lounge chair with footrest. Dang...he's living the life. The Mickey Mouse sofa is the first thing he's ever begged me to buy and I did just to quiet him down. We were in Babies R Us shopping for a gift for someone else and we passed by the sofa. All of a sudden Carter starts pointing and yelling "mouse...mouse," and he would stop. After trying to quiet him down (not very hard I admit) I caved in and said "fine; we'll get it." For the record, he did stop yelling after I put it in the cart.
Here is Carter with all his new goodies:
Nostalgia
I spent most of my day, yesterday and today, on college campuses. Yesterday I took my niece (16) and nephew (14) to visit Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI) and today I took them to visit Indiana University in Bloomington. Being in those musty dorms and seeing students passed out in the Student Union brought back some memories. It also reminded me of the fact that as of next month I will have been out of college for 12 years. 12 years? I can't believe it's been that long already. In a way, I didn't really feel that much older than the students I saw walking on campus. Maybe because I still look 20 (but who cares about that superficial stuff...me). Or maybe because I still feel there are great possibilities for what I can accomplish. I'll tell you one thing, I definitely felt reinvigorated just by being there. But on the other hand, I felt worlds away from the days of wearing sweats to class, eating cereal for dinner, pulling all nighters to finish a paper I had a month to write but started 12 hours before it was due, and most of all...not having any responsibility whatsoever (other than passing my classes of course). It's amazing how time flies. I feel like I've accomplished a lot in these last 12 years and while I sometimes feel nostalgic about my college days, I wouldn't want to go back and do them again.
How do you feel about your college experience?
13 March 2012
Got Help?
I have several female friends that have children and who are stay-at-home moms. The most frequent topic that comes up when we talk is that we sometimes feel trapped because we are always with our children. Not trapped in the sense that we regret having children but more so that we would love to be able to do things sometimes by ourselves, with friends or with our spouses. I have a friend who does not yet have children and she has commented several times that she thinks I do a good job of taking time for myself without feeling guilty about leaving Carter with someone else. Frankly, I take this as a compliment.
There was a time, especially when we first moved to Indiana where I felt very lonely because I didn't have any adult interaction. I was in a new place with no friends and Jimmy was working all the time and did not have the energy to give me the attention I needed. This all changed once we moved into our house. A priority on my agenda was to FIND HELP! I started utilizing nieces who weren't busy during the day, I interviewed and began using a babysitter on a regular (bi-weekly) basis, and on weekends we utilized Jimmy's sisters so that we could have some alone time. Oh yea...I also called on Carter's father (ha...ha) to take over when I needed a break. Having this support along with Carter recently starting school two half days a week has been invaluable and is what has kept me sane and relatively stress free. In fact, I find that I enjoy the time I spend with Carter that much more. Thankfully, Jimmy has always been encouraging me to seek out alone time and to GET HELP, especially since he is gone so much.
This brings me to my friends. To all of you...and you know who you are...I know I've told you this before but...GET HELP...if you feel you need it and if you can afford it. Life is too short for you to feel stressed out and you deserve some YOU TIME.
There was a time, especially when we first moved to Indiana where I felt very lonely because I didn't have any adult interaction. I was in a new place with no friends and Jimmy was working all the time and did not have the energy to give me the attention I needed. This all changed once we moved into our house. A priority on my agenda was to FIND HELP! I started utilizing nieces who weren't busy during the day, I interviewed and began using a babysitter on a regular (bi-weekly) basis, and on weekends we utilized Jimmy's sisters so that we could have some alone time. Oh yea...I also called on Carter's father (ha...ha) to take over when I needed a break. Having this support along with Carter recently starting school two half days a week has been invaluable and is what has kept me sane and relatively stress free. In fact, I find that I enjoy the time I spend with Carter that much more. Thankfully, Jimmy has always been encouraging me to seek out alone time and to GET HELP, especially since he is gone so much.
This brings me to my friends. To all of you...and you know who you are...I know I've told you this before but...GET HELP...if you feel you need it and if you can afford it. Life is too short for you to feel stressed out and you deserve some YOU TIME.
A Day In My Life...
I really hate when Jimmy is out of town for long stretches because it throws my whole schedule off. I have a hard time sleeping when he's gone so I end up staying awake late, sometimes as late as 2 a.m. Unfortunately, no matter what time I go to bed, my wake up time stays constant based on Carter's wake up time which is usually between 7:30-8 a.m. Even though I'm tired, the good thing about staying up that late is that I get a lot of things done. Yesterday was was of those days and just to give you an example this is what it looked like:
9 am - Wake up (factoring in daylight savings it was really 8 am)
9:30 am - Breakfast (eggs and soy sausage)
10 am - Playtime with Carter (alphabet, throwing/kicking ball, reading, coloring, singing/dancing, and playing instruments) (Somewhere in there I also managed to do a load of laundry)
12:30 pm - Snack
1 pm - Carter's nap time (During nap time I made some phone calls, drafted a confidentiality agreement for a client, paid bills, and responded to emails)
2:30 pm - Lunch (Turkey, Cheese, and Strawberries)
3 pm - Put in another load of laundry
3:30 pm - More playtime
4 pm - Walked the dog
4:30 pm - Watched tv while folding laundry
5:30 pm - Prepared dinner for Carter (Rice with broccoli)
6 pm - Carter ate dinner while I had a 15 minute conference call with client
6:30 pm - Get dressed for gym
6:45 pm - Leave for gym (Carter goes to Kids Zone at gym while I workout)
8 pm - Arrive home from gym
8:15 pm - Bath time for Carter
8:30 pm - Relax with Carter while watching tv
9 pm - Lay Carter down to bed
9: 15 pm - Eat dinner (Spinach Salad, Rice, and Broccoli)
10 pm - Carter wakes up crying (I rocked him back to sleep and lied him back in his crib, however, he woke back up immediately and the only way he would lay down was if I staying in the room with him)
11 pm - I fall asleep in Carter's rocking chair waiting for him to go to sleep
11:30 pm - I wake up and head back downstairs to clean the kitchen
12:15 am - Get ready for bed
12: 30 am - Call Jimmy to say good night (He's in CA so it was still early there)
1 am - Fall asleep
3 am - Carter wakes up crying ( I bring him to sleep with me and spend the rest of the night with him kicking me in the face)
7:30 am - Alarm goes off (Today is Carter's school day and he needs to be there by 9 am)
8:15 am - After hitting the snooze button several times, I finally get up and leave Carter sleeping while I get dressed.
8:30 am - Carter wakes up and we get him ready for school
8:50 am - Leave for school (Carter has strawberries and milk in the car)
8:59 am - Drop Carter off at school
And then my day begins all over again. Whoa...I'm exhausted even typing this. At least I did get a 60 minute hot stone massage this morning which felt great. I needed it after a day like yesterday.
9 am - Wake up (factoring in daylight savings it was really 8 am)
9:30 am - Breakfast (eggs and soy sausage)
10 am - Playtime with Carter (alphabet, throwing/kicking ball, reading, coloring, singing/dancing, and playing instruments) (Somewhere in there I also managed to do a load of laundry)
12:30 pm - Snack
1 pm - Carter's nap time (During nap time I made some phone calls, drafted a confidentiality agreement for a client, paid bills, and responded to emails)
2:30 pm - Lunch (Turkey, Cheese, and Strawberries)
3 pm - Put in another load of laundry
3:30 pm - More playtime
4 pm - Walked the dog
4:30 pm - Watched tv while folding laundry
5:30 pm - Prepared dinner for Carter (Rice with broccoli)
6 pm - Carter ate dinner while I had a 15 minute conference call with client
6:30 pm - Get dressed for gym
6:45 pm - Leave for gym (Carter goes to Kids Zone at gym while I workout)
8 pm - Arrive home from gym
8:15 pm - Bath time for Carter
8:30 pm - Relax with Carter while watching tv
9 pm - Lay Carter down to bed
9: 15 pm - Eat dinner (Spinach Salad, Rice, and Broccoli)
10 pm - Carter wakes up crying (I rocked him back to sleep and lied him back in his crib, however, he woke back up immediately and the only way he would lay down was if I staying in the room with him)
11 pm - I fall asleep in Carter's rocking chair waiting for him to go to sleep
11:30 pm - I wake up and head back downstairs to clean the kitchen
12:15 am - Get ready for bed
12: 30 am - Call Jimmy to say good night (He's in CA so it was still early there)
1 am - Fall asleep
3 am - Carter wakes up crying ( I bring him to sleep with me and spend the rest of the night with him kicking me in the face)
7:30 am - Alarm goes off (Today is Carter's school day and he needs to be there by 9 am)
8:15 am - After hitting the snooze button several times, I finally get up and leave Carter sleeping while I get dressed.
8:30 am - Carter wakes up and we get him ready for school
8:50 am - Leave for school (Carter has strawberries and milk in the car)
8:59 am - Drop Carter off at school
And then my day begins all over again. Whoa...I'm exhausted even typing this. At least I did get a 60 minute hot stone massage this morning which felt great. I needed it after a day like yesterday.
07 March 2012
It Feels Good To Be Back Home
Why am I writing this post at 1:47 a.m.? Probably because I'm still on west coast time. Carter and I just got back home last night from being in California for 9 days. While it was an awesome trip and we got to reconnect with friends and family, I am totally exhausted. But more on that later. Let me tell you about the trip.
We started off in Sacramento where we spent 3 days with Nneka, my close friend from college, and her family. She has a little girl named Madison who was born just 2 weeks after Carter. When we made arrangements for the trip, Nneka and I thought it would be so great to get the kids together because they haven't seen each other for a year. Let's just say we got more than we bargained for. Carter and Madison seemed to have a very strange relationship. One minute they were hugging and giggling together and then the next they were wrestling (yes...apparently 1 1/2 year olds can wrestle...who knew). Madison would slap Carter, Madison would get put in time out in the corner, Carter would go and join her in timeout in a gesture of solidarity, Madison would be released from timeout, Carter would push Madison, Carter would be put in time out in the playpen, Madison would try to break him out, Carter would be released from time out, and then the cycle would start all over again. It was so exhausting. The only sure fire solution we found was to put on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse which is the only tv show that stops both of them in their tracks. The weirdest part is that through it all, I really think they bonded. It's like they're the same child, except that Madison is a girl and is a little more emotional than Carter. Here are some pics:
There were some happy moment too when we took them to a kids' play area:
On Day 4, Nneka graciously drove us to San Francisco where we met up with Jimmy. Although Jimmy was working most of the time, it was great to see him. Meanwhile, Carter and I spent our time wandering around the shops near Union Square and playing at the Children's Creative Museum, which was a lot of fun until Carter decided that his purpose in life is to take away toys from every other child there. One boy was not having it and they had a tug-of-war until the other child's mother stepped in. I was just going to let them fight it out. Sooner or later Carter is going to mess with the wrong kid and then maybe he'll learn that being the bully when you're the smallest kid in the room is not in his best interest. We also got the chance to have dinner with Candice, a friend from both college and law school. Candice doesn't have any children yet so of course she thought everything Carter did was soooooo cute. I, on the other hand, did not think it was cute when Carter started throwing crayons and tried to intrude on the conversation of the people in the booth next to us (they didn't look interested in engaging in baby talk). Nonetheless, a man sitting across from us thought Carter was so cute he insisted on taking a photo of us. Here it is:
The boy knows how to pose for a picture. I think just before this he was throwing a mini-tantrum.
After 2 days in San Fran, Carter and I headed to LA to complete our west coast tour and Jimmy headed back to the midwest. From the time we got to LA to the time we left, we were going nonstop. To his credit, Carter was right there with me and didn't complain too much. We got the chance to see my godfather Happy Howard and his wife Laura, who were more interested in Carter than me (something I have to get used to...It's not about you anymore Tara). Then we headed to Chan Dara (the best Thai food ever) with my mom. The next morning I met up with my former mentee, Christiane, who, at 15, is blossoming into a beautiful young woman. We had breakfast at Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles and it was delicious. Christiane had grits for the first time and I am glad I could introduce something so wonderful to her life. From there, I checked in on one of my clients, and then Carter and I enjoyed lunch with all my old co-workers from Leal & Trejo. It was awesome to see everyone and we shared lots of laughs and good food. After that (still the same day) I went to get my hair done. I didn't realize how much I miss hair stylists in LA who know how to press some hair. My hair was straighter than it ever was with a relaxer. We ended the night with a home-cooked meal and then crashed by 9:30 p.m.
The next couple of days were spent seeing as many people as we possibly could. We had a quick visit with my friend Liz, we went to Downtown Disney with my cousin J'ne, we had a playdate with my friend Jamaul and his 2 kids in Pasadena, and we had lunch with my old co-worker Surisa in Eagle Rock. I also managed to get some Pinkberry, Sprinkles, and yummy ahi tuna tacos. That's LA speak for $5 frozen yogurt, $3.50 cupcakes that I waited 20 minutes in line to get, and good Mexican food. By the end of our last night, we were so exhausted that Carter was sleep by 7:30 p.m and I was dreading our 9 a.m. departure time the next morning. I sucked it up, packed our bags, and got a few hours of sleep before my alarm went off at 5 a.m.
The plane ride home was not so good. One thing you should know about Carter is that when he's tired, he is one cranky boy. He hits, he whines, and he likes to run around like a chicken with his head cut off. So this manifested on the plane with him throwing his books on the ground, refusing to sit on my lap during take off, refusing to keep his seatbelt on when sitting in his own seat, grabbing glasses from the lady's face who was sitting next to us, trying to grab the phone of the man sitting next to us, and just general tantruming. Upon our arrival in Indy, one man who was sitting in the back of the plane with us, looks at me and says "I bet you're glad to be home." I couldn't say anything but "yes, I am."
So while we had a great time in California, it was a long trip, and I am so glad to be back home, sleeping in my own bed. Also, I don't plan on making a trip to the west coast alone with Carter until he's a little bit older and can control his tantrums better. I forgot how long that trip is (at least 6 hours with a layover). Until next time LA: the weather was beautiful but I don't miss the traffic or how many people inhabit the city. After living in Indiana for a year, it seemed so crowded and I could instantly feel myself tense up as I was driving about town. Maybe I'm a midwestern girl after all.
We started off in Sacramento where we spent 3 days with Nneka, my close friend from college, and her family. She has a little girl named Madison who was born just 2 weeks after Carter. When we made arrangements for the trip, Nneka and I thought it would be so great to get the kids together because they haven't seen each other for a year. Let's just say we got more than we bargained for. Carter and Madison seemed to have a very strange relationship. One minute they were hugging and giggling together and then the next they were wrestling (yes...apparently 1 1/2 year olds can wrestle...who knew). Madison would slap Carter, Madison would get put in time out in the corner, Carter would go and join her in timeout in a gesture of solidarity, Madison would be released from timeout, Carter would push Madison, Carter would be put in time out in the playpen, Madison would try to break him out, Carter would be released from time out, and then the cycle would start all over again. It was so exhausting. The only sure fire solution we found was to put on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse which is the only tv show that stops both of them in their tracks. The weirdest part is that through it all, I really think they bonded. It's like they're the same child, except that Madison is a girl and is a little more emotional than Carter. Here are some pics:
There were some happy moment too when we took them to a kids' play area:
On Day 4, Nneka graciously drove us to San Francisco where we met up with Jimmy. Although Jimmy was working most of the time, it was great to see him. Meanwhile, Carter and I spent our time wandering around the shops near Union Square and playing at the Children's Creative Museum, which was a lot of fun until Carter decided that his purpose in life is to take away toys from every other child there. One boy was not having it and they had a tug-of-war until the other child's mother stepped in. I was just going to let them fight it out. Sooner or later Carter is going to mess with the wrong kid and then maybe he'll learn that being the bully when you're the smallest kid in the room is not in his best interest. We also got the chance to have dinner with Candice, a friend from both college and law school. Candice doesn't have any children yet so of course she thought everything Carter did was soooooo cute. I, on the other hand, did not think it was cute when Carter started throwing crayons and tried to intrude on the conversation of the people in the booth next to us (they didn't look interested in engaging in baby talk). Nonetheless, a man sitting across from us thought Carter was so cute he insisted on taking a photo of us. Here it is:
The boy knows how to pose for a picture. I think just before this he was throwing a mini-tantrum.
After 2 days in San Fran, Carter and I headed to LA to complete our west coast tour and Jimmy headed back to the midwest. From the time we got to LA to the time we left, we were going nonstop. To his credit, Carter was right there with me and didn't complain too much. We got the chance to see my godfather Happy Howard and his wife Laura, who were more interested in Carter than me (something I have to get used to...It's not about you anymore Tara). Then we headed to Chan Dara (the best Thai food ever) with my mom. The next morning I met up with my former mentee, Christiane, who, at 15, is blossoming into a beautiful young woman. We had breakfast at Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles and it was delicious. Christiane had grits for the first time and I am glad I could introduce something so wonderful to her life. From there, I checked in on one of my clients, and then Carter and I enjoyed lunch with all my old co-workers from Leal & Trejo. It was awesome to see everyone and we shared lots of laughs and good food. After that (still the same day) I went to get my hair done. I didn't realize how much I miss hair stylists in LA who know how to press some hair. My hair was straighter than it ever was with a relaxer. We ended the night with a home-cooked meal and then crashed by 9:30 p.m.
The next couple of days were spent seeing as many people as we possibly could. We had a quick visit with my friend Liz, we went to Downtown Disney with my cousin J'ne, we had a playdate with my friend Jamaul and his 2 kids in Pasadena, and we had lunch with my old co-worker Surisa in Eagle Rock. I also managed to get some Pinkberry, Sprinkles, and yummy ahi tuna tacos. That's LA speak for $5 frozen yogurt, $3.50 cupcakes that I waited 20 minutes in line to get, and good Mexican food. By the end of our last night, we were so exhausted that Carter was sleep by 7:30 p.m and I was dreading our 9 a.m. departure time the next morning. I sucked it up, packed our bags, and got a few hours of sleep before my alarm went off at 5 a.m.
The plane ride home was not so good. One thing you should know about Carter is that when he's tired, he is one cranky boy. He hits, he whines, and he likes to run around like a chicken with his head cut off. So this manifested on the plane with him throwing his books on the ground, refusing to sit on my lap during take off, refusing to keep his seatbelt on when sitting in his own seat, grabbing glasses from the lady's face who was sitting next to us, trying to grab the phone of the man sitting next to us, and just general tantruming. Upon our arrival in Indy, one man who was sitting in the back of the plane with us, looks at me and says "I bet you're glad to be home." I couldn't say anything but "yes, I am."
So while we had a great time in California, it was a long trip, and I am so glad to be back home, sleeping in my own bed. Also, I don't plan on making a trip to the west coast alone with Carter until he's a little bit older and can control his tantrums better. I forgot how long that trip is (at least 6 hours with a layover). Until next time LA: the weather was beautiful but I don't miss the traffic or how many people inhabit the city. After living in Indiana for a year, it seemed so crowded and I could instantly feel myself tense up as I was driving about town. Maybe I'm a midwestern girl after all.
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