Finally!

I just got the email that I've been waiting for all winter! Tennis lessons start back up next Saturday! I haven't played once since the first weekend of October so this has been a long time comin'! I managed to acquire 4 new tennis skirts and a new racquet over the break. Oh, and I better go buy some new tennis shoes some time in the next week! I'm really excited!

On the homefront, Coleman and Cooper are nearly constantly at war lately. They will be playing happily one minute and the next minute Coleman will be screaming and running from Cooper (who is usually holding something dangerous, like a plastic bat) or they will be exchanging slaps on the arm. It's truly exhausting! Although, I have to say I'm slightly amused with the fact that Cooper is more of bully than Coleman, who is twice his size...

I've been doing a lot of vacation planning lately. Which also means I've been doing a lot of penny-pinching. I'm hoping to go and visit my good friend Amber over Memorial Day weekend in Fresno. I just need to find a plane ticket at a decent price. Our big trip is this summer, though. We are headed back East for about a month this July. We are going to start out in Charlotte for a couple of days, then to West Virginia, then to the beach for a few days with Seth and Charya, then to S. Carolina, and finally to Orlando for a visit with Mickey. Should be jam-packed and lots of fun. There is a lot to do before then to make sure it all goes smoothly. Plane tickets to buy, condos to rent, hotel reservations to make, finding the best prices on amusement park tickets, etc,etc. That being said, I have to say I love the planning stages and Coleman loves to sit on my lap and look at the Disney website. He reminds me so much of the thrill I would get when I went to Disney World as a child. It's one of the things I love the best about being a parent- being able to share in these kind of experiences with my own kids. And everyone loves a vacation, right?

Happy Valentine's Day!

Will and I celebrated last night. We actually got a real babysitter and went out for sushi. It was so good! I got a sushi roll called the Rainbow Roll. It was sushi filled with crab and avocado and then topped with 5 different types of sashimi (raw fish). Really fresh sashimi just melts in your mouth! And after dinner, we walked over to a chocolate shop around the corner. Will got his favorite, the chocolate-covered cheesecake on a stick and I got a generous piece of English toffee and a Macadamia Bear (macadamia nuts with caramel covered in chocolate.) You have never seen anyone enjoy chocolate more than I did last night! Especially since it's the first bit of sugar I've had in a long while! I think I took 20 minutes to eat those 2 pieces. I just had to treat myself. Although, a couple hours later I hit a wall like you wouldn't believe! I'm really not sure if the chocolate was worth the repercussions! Next time I'll go with the sugar-free chocolates. Maybe.

This morning, Coleman woke up to a card and a peanut butter heart from his mommy and daddy. And for lunch, I made him a heart shaped turkey sandwich and served it with some fresh strawberries. He's really excited for school today because they are having a Valentines party. He handmade all his Valentines and signed each one. He is really getting good at his signature!

This is a picture of Coleman this morning with one of the Valentines that he made. (The smile is not natural. It's what you get when you point a camera at him and tell him to smile. Too cute.) The Valentines are construction paper hearts with a Valentines pencil stuck through them. You can't see it real well but he colored little faces on the front and signed his name on the back. He was so proud.

I thought Saturday's were for sleeping in.

Man! Cooper was all over me last night! Every time I woke up his bum was in my face or his head was on my chest or his feet were on my head. You get the picture. So, it's Saturday morning and I'm up by 7:30 am! I should be sleeping right now. Oh well, so goes a day in the life of a mother...

In other news, this diet that the doctor put me on is no joke! I thought it would be more of a struggle to cut the sugar out but I've only had a couple sugar cravings and I've been able to get through them without buckling. And I've lost 4 lbs in the past week and a half! I knew there would be an upside to all this!

Update.

I found out what my official diagnosis is. Neurally Mediated Hypotension. The link will tell you more about it. It's nothing life-threatening. Just generally annoying. I have to say, though, I feel much better since I started paying particular attention to my salt and water intake. No more major lightheadedness. And my heart palpitations seem to be lessening. I'm still sad about the running thing but I haven't given up all hope that I'll be able to train again. Just not right now, I guess. So, I'll continue to exercise, just reign it in a little. I'm so glad the Australian Open has been on TV because it's got me excited about tennis season. I have no doubt that I'll be okay to play by spring. Can't wait to try out my new racquet!

In other news, I've made another birthday cake. This one was for my neighbor Jenn's little girl, Madi, who's turning 3. Her party was tonight. She just loved it. Her jaw dropped when she saw it. That's why I make them! This one was very girly and I just *love* to make the girly cakes. Happy Birthday, Madi!