Weddings Count as Marathons, Right?

Phew...Where do I start? The last three days have been a whirlwind of driving, eating, phone calls to Charley, dancing, photos, and all of the other wonderful things that go along with weddings. I guess I'll just start at the beginning...

Over a year ago, my long time friend Spenser asked me to be in his wedding. Spenser and I met our freshman year of college. He was roommates with one of my high school friends, and we all hung around together. Junior year, Spenser and I became roommates, along with one of our other college friends. Over the next several years, Spenser went from being my roommate to being my brother. He truly is one of my closest friends and always will be. Not long after we graduated from KU, Spenser met Nadia at work. I remember him talking about her...he was excited about her. He definitely had a crush. Now here we are, years later, and I had the opportunity to be in their wedding. When he asked me to be a groomsmaid (yes, that's a thing) I was so excited! As the wedding approached, I knew it was going to be a crazy weekend, with lots of driving, but I was happy to be a part of it. I decided to drive to Kansas, because it would just be easier, considering the amount of driving I'd be doing once I got to KC. Unfortunately, Charley couldn't come, because she had a dance recital so I arranged for her to stay at my mom's while I was out of town.

I stayed at my mom's house in Edina on Thursday night, because it cut about 45 minutes off of my 7 hour drive. I woke up early Friday morning, hugged Charley, and immediately noticed she was warm, but attributed it to the fact that she'd slept with a lot of blankets and just woken up. She cried a little bit when I left, but seemed alright going with her nana. The drive on Friday was pretty easy. There were some clouds and rain along the way, but overall it was a pretty easy drive straight down 35. I made it to Overland Park, KS where I was staying with my friend Kellie, around 12:30 and naturally I decided I wasn't satisfied with the shoes I'd brought with me for the wedding and had to stop into one of my favorite stores that we don't have in Minnesota. I found some shoes, searched frantically for something to wear in my hair (I was doing my own hair for the wedding and the weather was a concern...curly hair that's straightened...then gets wet? Not good...Ha!).  Anyway, I went from there to Kellie's house where I had a chance to relax for a couple of hours before the rehearsal at 6:00.

When I got to the wedding venue, I was impressed. From the outside, it just looked like a warehouse, but inside? It was beautiful. I saw Spenser and Nadia, and had a chance to chat for a minute before the rest of the bridal party and family showed up. I realldn't know what to expect from the families, because Spenser and Nadia come from very different cultures. But Spenser has a way of making people adore him, and Nadia is the same way, so I was hoping that the families would be comfortable. Well...as it turns out, Spenser and Nadia's families not only got along, but truly seemed to enjoy each other.  When Spenser's mom walked in and saw me, she immediately hollered, "My daughter!" and gave me a hug. Spenser's dad and grandparents came over to catch up, too and that was really fun. I haven't seen them in years, but when I lived in Kansas, they really were like extended family. "Where's Charley?" everybody asked, and I had to explain that she stayed in Minnesota so she could be in her dance recital. They were clearly disappointed. Spenser's dad said, "Awww, she's got to meet this side of her family at some point!" It was very sweet. Nadia's family was wonderful, too. I'd never met Nadia's mother, but she made a point to get to know me, which I appreciated. I really didn't know what to expect from the families, because Spenser and Nadia come from very different cultures. But Spenser has a way of making people adore him, and Nadia is the same way, so I was hoping that the families would be comfortable. Well...as it turns out, Spenser and Nadia's families not only got along, but truly seemed to enjoy each other. It made me so happy. After the rehearsal, we went to dinner at Bucca di Beppo and it was INCREDIBLE.  We were seated in the very back of the restaurant, which is in the basement of a building on the KC Plaza, which was kind of nice, because we could be as loud and obnoxious as we wanted, without feeling like we were bothering anybody. I think there were  five or six courses and the food was amazing. I left with a full stomach, grateful for the fact that the dress I was wearing on the wedding day was loose-fitting!

As I walked out of the restaurant (which had literally NO cell phone reception), I glanced at my phone and saw four missed calls and voicemails, along with a text from my mom that said, "Call me as soon as possible." Ummm...That was a bit frightening! I mean...My mom was watching Charley. So I called her back, and of course, she didn't pick up. "Crap," I thought to myself. "I left town, and something happened with Charley." My mom called back a few minutes later and explained that Charley'd had a fever for most of the day and she wanted to take her to the doctor on Saturday morning. I gave my mom Charley's medical information, and cursed the fact that I wasn't there when Charley was sick! But there was nothing I could do, so I drove back to Kellie's house and tried to get some sleep.

In spite of being exhausted, I didn't sleep well on Friday night. I was worried about Charley, and wondering if she'd be able to be in her dance recital on Saturday night. The recital was the whole reason Charley had stayed home, and she'd been working on her dances for months! When I woke up on Saturday, my mom said that Charley's fever was gone but she still wanted to take her to the doctor, and I agreed, particularly because Charley had gone through the same cycle a week prior. I went about my morning, getting myself together and practicing how I'd wear my hair. I called several times to check up on Charley, and when it was all said and done, it turned out that Charley had strep. She had NO symptoms other than a fever, and swollen tonsils (which the doctor discovered), but she never complained of a sore throat. It's a little bit scary, actually, because I'm beginning to think she's had strep for over a week, but didn't have any symptoms other than a fever (and even that wasn't present for most of the week). Ugh. With that said, she couldn't go to her recital and had to spend the day resting. I felt terrible, not being there while she was sick, but I knew she was in good hands and would be well taken care of, so I tried to turn my focus to the wedding.

I arrived at the venue, where I got ready with Spenser, and his best man, Marcus (who is hilarious, by the way). I took over the bridal suite with my make-up and hair supplies (okay that's an exaggeration, I don't have that much make-up) and had a chance to laugh and chat with the guys prior to picking up the other half of the bridal party at a beautiful hotel. The rest of the afternoon was spent riding around in a limo bus, taking pictures at various locations in Kansas City. Sometimes I forget how beautiful KC really is, but it's a great city and there are so many places to take pictures! By the time we got back to the venue to prepare for the ceremony, I was exhausted...and the real excitement hadn't even started! Marcus snuck me a Reese's from the candy bar that was set up for the guests, and that gave me a second wind...Ha! Before I knew it, I was standing in front of everybody, watching Spenser and Nadia say their vows. It was a wonderful ceremony and the reception was one of the best I've been to. The music was fantastic. From Brown-Eyed Girl and Build Me Up Buttercup, to Uptown Funk and Shoop, people were dancing and singing along all night. I spent time with some old friends, had some fun in the photo booth, and danced until my feet wouldn't let me dance anymore. There was so much love from both Spenser and Nadia's families, it was contagious. Everybody at that reception seemed genuinely happy. It was such a great experience, and I'm glad I got to be a part of it.

I woke up this morning, prepared for another 7 hour drive home to Minnesota. I talked to Charley briefly and she was so excited that I was coming home today. The drive was long, but easy and the weather was clear the whole way. I had a lot of time to think (which can be good or bad...Ha!) and it was kind of nice to have that time to myself. I've always got so many things going on and Charley is ALWAYS with me, so it's rare for me to have that alone time and even though I would've preferred to have been in a spa as opposed to my car, it was still nice. Charley gave me the biggest hug when I picked her up from my mom's house, and told me, "I had SO much fun!" Ha! Somehow I doubt spending hours in the doctor's office, and resting due to a fever was SO much fun. But I'm glad she's making lemonade out of lemons even at a young age. She's definitely my child in that sense! With that said, it's been a marathon of a weekend, and I'm ready for bed. Just one more week of school, and it's going to be a wild one so I've got to get mentally prepared. Have a great week, everyone!

Playing Catch-Up

Where have the last two weeks gone? Between the school, the gym, looking for a new place to live,  celebrating friends' upcoming weddings, and of course, Charley, I've been pretty busy. I didn't even realize that it's been two weeks since I blogged until I glanced at my page this morning. Let's see, where do I start?

Last weekend was great. Charley had swimming lessons Saturday morning, and we went straight to the gym from there. NBGC was having a little open house because the gym finally got approval to open, and we wanted to give gymnasts the chance to come check it out. I'd planned to go to a friend's bridal shower, but my babysitter backed out at the last minute, so I spent much of my day searching for a replacement sitter. Fortunately for me, Charley invited herself over to my boss' house, and my boss was happy to have her, so we worked out a plan for Charley to spend the evening at her house. We spent the afternoon shopping for a bridal shower gift, and Charley was disappointed when I would not purchase a teddy bear. Her reasoning? "We need to get a teddy bear for the baby!" she insisted. "Charley, there's no baby yet," I replied. "They are getting married. Then she will have a baby in her tummy. So the baby needs a teddy bear." It was pretty cute, but I didn't want to start any rumors at the shower!

In the late afternoon, Charley went to my boss' house, while I went to the shower. "We just had the best time," Charley said later, describing her evening. I had a great time, too. The bridal shower was for one of my oldest friends, and there were so many of my favorite people there. There's a core group from high school that I still keep in contact with, and when we get together, I laugh harder than I laugh with anybody else. We all told stories about my friend, told long-standing inside jokes, and celebrated the fact that my friend found a man that is absolutely perfect for her. I was sad to leave, but I had quite a drive ahead of me so I had to call it a night a little bit earlier than I would've liked.

Sunday was Mother's Day, so Charley and I went down to brunch with my mom and step-dad, which was nice. Charley was very sweet, consistently saying how much she loves me and how, in her words, I'm, "So sweet and thoughtful!" I just love that girl to pieces. When we got home, I spent most of the afternoon cleaning. My landlord had mentioned wanting to show the town house, so I wanted to make sure it looked as nice as possible. The school week flew by for me. The gym officially opened on Monday, so I started coaching again on Monday night. It was so much fun to see the girls and get back into the swing of things. Tuesday, Charley had dance class. The girls in her class are so cute and watching them get ready for their recital is actually a lot of fun. On Wednesday, Charley and I went to look at a possible home in a nearby suburb. It was awful. Basically, the unit was in a four-plex, and three of the units were occupied by the landlord, his brother, and his mother. Ummm....that could make for an awkward living situation! Plus, they didn't do a very good job of preparing the unit to show. It clearly hadn't been cleaned since the last tenant moved out. As soon as the landlord's mother mentioned, "It's a nice, quiet place and we're all in bed by 9 o'clock," I knew it was time for us to go. Yikes! I forgot how much I hate house hunting... Ha!

Thursday, we went back to the gym in the evening. Charley came with me this time, and kept herself busy while I worked. She did pretty well for the first hour and a half or so, but she definitely became less tolerant after that! I can't say I blame her, though. We were there for a long time. Charley slept like a rock on Thursday night, though! Friday, we went to her friend Aurora's house in the evening. Aurora's mom needed a little bit of kid-free time, so Charley and I hung out with the kids for awhile, while she took a break. She hadn't been gone for 5 minutes before the kids got into her red lipstick. Later in the evening, Aurora's brother disappeared for less than a minute, and returned...missing his diaper. "Where's your diaper?" I asked, perplexed. "In my room," he stated, matter-of-factly. Then, he turned around, revealing the fact that he had pooped...and left a trail on the floor. Eeew! It was such a boy thing to do. "Why did you take off your diaper?" I asked. "I don't know," he said, "I'm a big boy."Ha! I got him cleaned up as well as the little bit of a mess he'd made, and laughed to myself. I can teach kids all day long, but it was very clear to me at that point that I was a way better babysitter when I was a teenager....

On Saturday, Charley's friend Aurora and her family actually came out to our house for a visit. They came up in the morning and we walked to the park. We were there for about 20 minutes before it started to rain. Figures. I'd straightened my hair, and when curly hair is straightened...then gets wet? It's not a pretty sight! So, we raced home as quickly as we could. Charley and her friends played upstairs, while their mom and I chatted downstairs for awhile and caught up, which we've needed to do for quite some time. We heard lots of running, stomping, and the occasional argument, but the kids had a really fun time. After that, we all went to a "Secret Target," which is basically a thrift store that carries primarily unused Target clothing. It was a good find, in terms of a store, but three kids in a store was definitely a challenge. By the time we parted ways, I think we were all exhausted. We left the store, and went directly to my dads' house, where we visited for awhile. By the time we got home, Charley and I were both hungry and tired. We went to bed early and slept late. Amazing! We've spent most of today lounging around the house. Charley threw her first big tantrum in awhile, and what was it about? Nail polish. My little diva is obsessed with having her nails painted. I touched up one of her nails, but she accidentally wiped off some of the polish, which was devastating to her. I let her  she calm herself down, then she got over it, and I helped her fix her polish...again. Ha! I never would've thought MY child would be such a girlie-girl. We were supposed to go somewhere early this afternoon, but we can't seem to get ourselves put together and out of the house. It's just a typical Sunday. Ha! Anyway, with that, I'm going to get back to amusing Charley. Have a great week!

Peace. Harmony. And Dead Birds...

Neighbors!

Sometimes days pass so quickly, they seem to blend together. The last week or so has been that way. Charley and I have been keeping ourselves busy, running errands, playing with friends, and enjoying the beautiful weather. I haven't been coaching for the last couple of weeks, because the new gym is still in progress (although it looks GREAT and I can't wait to get started). Even though I miss coaching, it has been nice to have a few weeks to slow down a little bit. I've actually had a chance to reconnect with the world, and it's been wonderful.

Last week, one of my girlfriends texted me, saying, "We're going to the park! Want to meet us there?" It was a beautiful night, and I was thrilled for the invitation. So, Charley and I scarfed down our dinners and walked to the park. When Charley saw her friends, who happen to be named Charlie and Henry, she was excited. She was a bit on the crabby side, though, and decided she didn't want to share the ball she'd brought with us or do anything her friends wanted to do. At least for the first 15 minutes or so, she was just being a stinker. After awhile, though, the kids started playing hide-and-seek, and suddenly Charley came around. Thank goodness! My friend and I took the kids down to explore some cattails that had grown in the field next to the park. As we walked along, we noticed a dead bird. Now, Charley, being the girlie-girl that she is, looked at the bird somewhat interested, squealed  "Eeew!" and walked away. Now the boys? They were a totally different story. They stared at it for awhile, Charlie asked his mom a few questions about the bird, and we walked back toward the playground.

They look peaceful, right? Ha!

For a couple of minutes, my friend and I stood on the basketball court where we could see Charley and Charlie (that's not confusing at ALL...Ha!) playing tag on the playground, and Henry walking around by the cattails. My friend and I watched as he slowly got closer and closer to the area where we'd seen the dead bird. My friend started walking toward him slowly, when suddenly he crouched down, and she started running, knowing he'd picked it up. She let out a shriek, when she reached her two-year-old, who was holding a dead bird by the neck. It was so gross, but totally one of those moments where you can't help but laugh.  My poor friend raced her toddler to the bathroom to wash his hands thoroughly, before we went back out to play. I think she was traumatized, but her kiddo didn't seem to notice that there was any real issue. He went back to play, as though nothing had even happened. One of the funniest things about the night is the fact that I took a bunch of pictures. The kids looked happy and content amidst the cattails. You'd never know that 10 minutes prior, Charley was whining and refusing to play with the boys, and 10 minutes later we were all in the bathroom scrubbing dead bird off of Henry's hands. Oh well, at least I captured the moment!

On Saturday, my mom offered to take Charley overnight. I jumped at the opportunity, because the last time I had a full night off was several months ago. I got Charley all packed up, early Saturday morning, got some work done for the gym, and ran out the door so I could be at my mom's around 12:30. I had made it all the way to Minneapolis before I realized I'd left my wallet at home. Who does that?! In all fairness, I'd put my wallet in another bag the day before, because I had to run somewhere and didn't want to leave it behind. But of course, I forgot to put it back in my purse. Nice. Fortunately my step-dad spotted me a $20. Ha! Anyway, I dropped Charley off, and headed out to a friend's house. When I got there, I found two of my best girlfriends sitting on the patio, listening to music, and enjoying the weather. We sat outside for hours, chatting, laughing, and catching up. It was the PERFECT afternoon. Seriously. Perfect. On my drive home, I smiled to myself, happy that I'd taken advantage of the day. Now, Saturday night, I was kind of boring. I'd spent the whole day in the sun with my girlfriends, so by the time I headed home, I was pretty wiped out. Lots of people would go out drinking on a kid-free night. But not me. What did I do? I went to Dairy Queen and got a Peanut Buster Parfait, because Charley wasn't home and I could eat peanuts. Ha! That's kind of pathetic, I know, but hey...it was a treat! And just what I needed. I crashed fairly early Saturday night, and it felt amazing.

On Sunday, I went down to pick up Charley, and ended up going to brunch with my mom and step-dad. After brunch, we went shoe shopping, so Charley could get some new shoes. She was immediately drawn to the flashiest, most bedazzled shoes she could find. Of course she had a fit when we told her she couldn't put the shoes on until we got to the car. But she got over it, and by the time we headed home, she was in a great mood. We had a wonderful rest of the day!

I love that run!

Today, I began my countdown to the end of the school year. It's creeping up quickly! I have a feeling this month is going to fly by. With that, Charley and I went to the park tonight and I need to get her in bed. Have a great week!