Summer Sanders - Easy Choices for a Better Life.

New York keeps getting better and better

Camping makes me smile and want s'more.

Last summer we tested the waters with camping by setting up our tent in our backyard. Yes, we are CRAZY. (obviously that is a joke.) We pride ourselves on being fairly realistic parents and that is why we started out with a way out…our own house. And you know what, at 2 am when my then 2 year old couldn't fall asleep, I gave up, walked inside and fell asleep in my warm cozy bed.But, we have a dream…and that dream is to show our kids the most gorgeous and adventurous parts of our country through our state and national parks. I gotta be honest with you…I want them to love camping as much as I did. Every year, the day school got out I would, literally, run home from the bus stop to hop in the car and drive to Yosemite with my dad, brother and two of our friends. It was my favorite vacation of my childhood. We stayed in pre-built tents on cots….not hard-core camping by any stretch but after a week of hiking, biking, kumbiah and no showers, I was hooked.So, this past weekend we decided to give it a try. There was actually not as much planning to our night of camping as I had imagined we would need. We didn't make a reservation but called ahead to see if there were spots available. We went to Strawberry Bay at Strawberry Reservoir. We packed up an ice chest with sausages and hotdogs, some pasta salad and as much fruit and veggies as I could fit…oh yeah, and some cold beverages. I used my mental check-list and it worked this time but I have a dream of actually writing it down so I don't get stuck down the road. Let me sum up our one night in our little campsite with our pop-up camper. It was AWESOME! The kids loved every second of it. I believe they would describe it as magical. The whole idea of it amazes them. And, I have to confess, we barely camped. We pulled up to spot #14 at 5:30pm, we ate dinner, roasted s'mores and went to bed. But in-between those 3 things, we were all smiles and soaking up every second of our adventure….and the two youngest in our group slept until 8:30am. (normal "up time" is 7am) We cleaned up, flew our kites and headed back to Park City to celebrate a friends birthday….still smelling of camp fire. That could be my favorite smell. I am going to boldly claim that we are hooked….so, maybe next time we will go crazy and head out for a whole two days! Bring on Yellowstone and Yosemite!

A magical day in sports.

Today is one of those days in sport I will remember for awhile to come. It started out with the finish to The Open Championship where Darren Clarke's story tugged at even the toughest man's heart strings. Tears were flowing as he was smiling and joking about leaving his final putt short…just by a touch. At 42, never winning a Major….and to finally take one, that is performing under pressure.And then, onto the Women's World Cup final. AMAZING! Soccer was the sport I always wanted to play but it never fit in with my swimming schedule. Therefore, during the game, I was constantly annoying people with my questions…Does a corner kick often result in a goal? Why was that offsides?…and on and on.We had a pack of people over to cheer on the good ole RED, WHITE and BLUE. Such a great excuse to have a party…and what a show Japan and the USA served up! I attempted to dress up like Abby Wambach. The only wig I had was jet black and extremely pouffy! But, I felt the part and would oooo and ahhh over every miss and scream my head off when the USA scored. Someone said to me after, "That pressure was just too much at the end. So unfair for those girls." I responded with, "That is the kind of pressure that every athlete LIVES for! The only bummer is they wish it turned out differently." What a thrill. What a joy to witness and celebrate with our friends. I remember where I was when the US Women won the World Cup in 1999. I was in the airport waiting for my flight which was magically delayed. I remember where I was when Mary Lou won nailed her vault to win the all-around in the '84 games. Today, I watched an amazing group of golfers and an amazing group of women soccer players spark the dream of a generation of young athletes. I watched little boys and little girls (2 being my own) become inspired by the gracious, passionate and full of heart play on the field/course today. What a privilege to cheer them on! Congrats to all and good luck to the next set of champions!

EAT MORE SALMON

Run my own race.

I have heard this advice and strategy my entire life. And, frankly, in every aspect of life. But, I didn't take this advice during my half-marathon last weekend and I am aiming to do better next time.I am no running expert by any means but I do know this much about any distance race, if you go out to fast, it will bite you in the end. I have a tendency to do this. What can I say, I get caught up in the moment. It is hard not to. The only time I didn't go out in front during my swimming career, I won the gold medal. Hmmm…that is actually the first time I have put that together.My most recent race is a far cry from the Olympic Games but it fills my competitive needs. I woke up at 3am to arrive at American Fork High School in time to catch the buses up the canyon to the start. It was dark, cold and 1700 ft higher than where we were finishing. My girlfriend who is training for the Chicago Marathon with me also ran a partial downhill half the same morning. She, being the track athlete, gave me some sound downhill running advice the night before. She said, "Don't fight it. Keep your body loose running down and go with it." I thought about this with every step. It was about 3 miles in when I realized I might have "gone with it" a bit too much. I checked my watch and saw that I was running a 5:30 pace! Hmmm…I was a bit concerned but didn't slow down. Until I got to the flats.At mile 7-ish, the steady downhill turned into a tiny uphill and mostly flat course. My quads were screaming and all I was thinking about was the fact that I had 6 more miles! I kept trying to concentrate on my form rather than the pain. But, I my aching legs kept grabbing my attention. The good news is, only a few people passed me. One, who did, looked so smooth and effortless, I actually said to him, "Now that is the way I should have run it." Classic.I wasn't alone. A lot of us were in pain and just surviving. I managed to continue with a 7:15 pace but I walked through every water station and a few moments at the end. I needed to catch my breath. All the way in Colorado, my friend had made the same mistake. Why do we do this to ourselves….we know better. I was super happy with my time but I know I can do it better. I want to run the last half mile with gust and zeal. I want to excel through the finish line….can that happen? I know how to do it. Go easy the first few miles and then gradually build. When you go too fast, especially the first part of your race, it will bite in the end BIG TIME. Can I do it, YES I CAN….will I do it, I'll keep you posted.

Proud mom is an understatment.

I remember watching my nephew swim in his first meet. I remember tears rolling down my cheeks because I was so proud of his effort. Cute little Ryder's effort in the big giant swimming pool. Last Thursday, I experienced that moment, not as an aunt, but as a mom and to say I was proud was an understatement.I will be honest with you, I want to give my kids every opportunity to love the sport of swimming. I don't care if they move on to the big league's, I just want them to learn about themselves through this amazing sport. Learn about teamwork, racing, being humble winners and kind losers. I want them to fall in love with the joy of winning a ribbon…such an easy way to build confidence!!We joined "swim team" because the kids wanted to. Or shall I say, Skye wanted to and therefore Spider wanted to…he wants to do everything his older sister does (sounds like me with my brother!). They don't necessarily love swim "practice". To them it is a half hour of not going down the slide. But, I tell them, if they don't do the "practice" part, they can't do the "meet" part. The meet part won out. So, they put in 2 weeks worth of work and earned a spot in the 25 freestyle. The meet started at 5pm but we got there at 4:30 to warm-up with the team. The warm-up came and went and my two little ones were nervous and excited about hanging with the big kids. It was pretty funny for me also…I had no idea what I was supposed to do or how the meets worked in our area. I was told to take them down to the other end of the pool and they would assign them a lane at the last minute.Skye clung to me a bit. She was all decked out in her "Silver Mountain Swim Team" swim cap and had saved her Speedo for this big race. Now she just needed a little more information to ease her mind. We waited for the second heat so I could show her exactly how it would go down. "See the starter over there? And you will start in the water and swim to the other end. Do you see daddy at the other end? You wait for the BEEP and then you go…freestyle to the other end!" She was scared, so I told her she didn't have to do it. But then she started to smirk…so I said, "Let's do it! Give me FIVE!" And that was it. She plopped in the water, never taking her eyes off the starter and away she went. Little Skye in the big pool going for it with all her might! Tears were flowing down my cheeks, Spider and I were cheering and when she reached the end in 53.83 seconds, she immediately asked her dad, "Can I do that again?!" (And later she did…the 25 backstroke and a last minute entry in the 25 fly! )Spider was up next. He got in without wetting his hair and looked back at me with both hands on the wall. His big concern was the loudness of the BEEP, not the race. He didn't want the BEEP to be too loud. I simply told him to have fun. The BEEP sounded and he didn't move, so I said, "Go Spider." And away he went. He forgot was he was supposed to do at first, dog paddling with his head up. His legs were going a mile a minute and then in went his head. Bless his heart, is all I kept thinking. This 3 year old kiddo is trying so hard to keep up with his sister…giving it his all. Amazing. He touched the wall in 1minute and 19 seconds. Everyone was cheering. He got out of the water and was beaming! He was so excited about his green ribbon that they had handed him. He turned to me with the widest smile and said, "Did I win?" I said, "You sure did buddy!" The whole way home, you could feel the pride in the car. Skye and Spider were proud of the themselves and Mommy and daddy were so proud of their effort. The next morning they each woke up asking if there was a swim meet that day. When I heard that, mommy gave a little smirk! I've got some racers on my hands!

Celebrating Olympic Day!

Today is Olympic Day. A day to celebrate everything the Olympic Games stand for and most importantly a great opportunity to show a child the power of sport. It is a day to be inspired and inspire others.For me, it is also a day to remember the first time I was inspired by the Olympics. I was 11 years old and had just taken some time off of swimming because I thought there were more exciting ways to spend my time. My dad was a huge Olympic fan and had planned a family vacation to the 1984 LA Games. There were so many reasons not to go…."the traffic will be insane", "all the hotels are full" and "tickets are impossible to find". My dad, the native LA guy, wasn't concerned for a second about all of the warnings. He knew he would find a way.And he did…and so began my dream. We found tickets to every event we wanted to attend. My '84 Olympic experience began with the Opening Ceremonies…and that was just the beginning. It took to me about 2 seconds to catch the Olympic Fever. From that point, we went to boxing matches, wrestling matches, volleyball games, track and field and, of course, swimming! I waited outside the venue for everyone's autograph…from Pernell Whitaker to Mary T Meagher! I had everyone sign a little American Flag and saved it until my dad's house burnt down 3 years ago.On our way home from LA, I called my best friend and told her I was going to start swimming again. I was truly inspired and motivated. From that moment on, when I imagined my dream Olympic moment, it had memories of the LA Games written all over it. I would imagine Mary Lou nailing her final vault to win the all-around gold medal or Tracy Caulkins watching the American Flag being raised with tears in her eyes. I would replace their moment with my face. Today is a celebration of "the dream"! A celebration of kids everywhere believing they can do anything they want to, as long as they put their mind to it.

Summertime swim fest.

Summertime growing up in Northern California meant hanging at the pool. Everyday, all day! And, you know what? That is my life now. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings, the kids and I hop into the car at 9:55am to their "swim team" practice from 10:15-10:45. A half-hour with at least one potty break and several smiles and waves to mom! It is a half-hour full of giggles with their friends, kicking like crazy and falling over on their kick boards. Today, I videoed both Skye and Spider swimming their versions of backstroke. Skye was giggling the entire time and Spider had the biggest smile on his face.I love summertime. I love the fact that kids get to, well, be kids! They get to play until their little bodies run out of play-energy. I am not alone at the pool. I see several mom's that arrive early for lessons or swim team and "set up camp" with the plan to stay poolside all day. It is, by far, the greatest activity for kids! They stay cool, burn energy and learn a life skill! Oh, yeah, and if you are lucky enough to have a slide at your pool…well then there are plenty of Whoo Hoo's also!If you are like me and spending tons of time at an outdoor pool, or even a lake or ocean. Keep these sun and swim safety tips in mind…1. Peak hours of UV exposure are from 11-2! 2. Always wear sunscreen and reapply at least every 2 hours.3. Always keep your eyes on your kids..be your famiily's CEO (Constant Eyes On)4. Know the tides and what the diff colored flags mean at the beach!5. Never turn your back on the ocean! Even parents!6. Put your toddlers in the same swimsuit color every time you go swimming. That way if, god forbid, they go missing you will not waste time thinking what color suit they were wearing.7. Take your kids out for breaks and recognize when they have had enough.8. Drink plenty of water…easier said than done…but force it down your kiddos.9. There is some cool sun protective clothing out there….use it if needed!10. Make sure your kids know the rules at the pool. Reinforce them often!11. Kids learning to swim should keep their hands to themselves. "Helping" someone might actually be holding them under.12. HAVE FUN!!!!

If only I could be in 2 places at once!

Tonight is a huge night for my 5 year old little girl. She has been working for this moment since October. I will never forget her first day of dance...a little shy, all smiles and sporting the cutest mismatched dance outfit an non-dance mommy could put together. When I signed Skye up for "Intro to ballet/tap II" I was told to mark down a very important date, June 13th! It immediately went on my calendar with a mild concern. See, whenever anything is written on my calendar that far in advance, work has a tendency to get in the way. And sure enough it has. For 8 months Skye has gone from school to Dance Tech where she has snacked on her school lunch while giggly putting on her tights, tutu and ballet slippers. We have, together, mastered the art of the perfect arrangement of her tights in the toe region. (Why they put the seam at the end of the toe, I will never know)She has learned her positions, perfected her leap and made great friends with her fellow ballet beauties. Tonight at approximately 6:25pm my daughter will take the "big stage" for her first ever recital. She will have her beautiful costume on with the band aids carefully stick to her sides where it rubs. She will have her hair back in a super tight and slightly high ponytail, just the way she likes it. Her hair piece and bracelets that go with her costume will be secure. And, I am sure daddy will get those tights in the exact spot on her toes to make her happy. I will be in Orlando gearing up for my big event. I am thrilled to be a part of this event but as a mom, I am sad...words cannot describe how I wish I could be in 2 places at once. But the fact is, I will miss this one. I told her I would not be there to see her during our special time together yesterday and the funny thing is, she didn't seem to mind one bit...guess it's just mommy. I realize am not the only parent missing their child's recital and I realize there will be many more that I will attend. A friend said something interesting to me the other day. He said, "They only remember when you are there." Funny thing is, I remember when I am not. From 2,000 miles away, I will hop on the phone with my husband, get the details and beam with pride. And, if I am lucky, she will re-enact her BIG moment just for me on the BIG stage right in our living room.

Teamwork parenting is key to our family.

Soon after my son was born, I had this overwhelming desire to get back to work. I think part of it stemmed from the love of my job and part of it stemmed from wanting and needing to contribute financially to my family. Regardless, the desire was there and I dove in head first.My husband, Erik, and I discussed my decision at length and he could tell right away that there was no stopping me. He was in his last few years of ski racing and had his sights set on standing atop the podium, winning his first World Cup. He had given up all of his contracts to ski on the best skis possible which I felt was beyond admirable. I took it as a time for me to step up and pay some bills. My first job back was with the NFL Players Association. Spider was about 4 months old and Skye was a few days shy of 2. Life was hectic at that stage but I remember loving every second of my time with them. They came with me to Washington DC and my dad came along to help. (It really does take a village) That trip was just the beginning, Spider and Skye logged so many miles with me that Spring and Summer, they earned a few free tickets on Delta. We shot a commercial for the 2008 Olympics, we went to Omaha for the US Olympic Swimming Trials. On each trip I somehow convinced a family member to join me and we soaked up our time together.In Dec, Erik decided to retire from ski racing. He was 36 and it had been his career since the age of 16. Twenty years on the US Ski Team, 3 Olympic Games and countless World Championships. Going from a full time professional athlete to a full time daddy was a bit of an adjustment. We worked through a ton over the next 2 years to where we are at today. Lots of conversation about teamwork in parenting and I am proud to say it has paid off big time.Both my husband and I are working parents. One person's career is not more important than the other and we stopped keeping score long ago….that NEVER gets you anywhere. We broke it down to it's simplest form….We want to raise happy, healthy, loving and respectful kids. The key word being, WE! Therefore we both step up big time when the other person is gone or in major work mode.I am still traveling quite a bit (averaging about 3 days every 2 weeks) and get to take the kids every now and then. But when I don't, I know that I have my other half at home who is thrilled to be their rock. There was a time when I would give my husband my schedule and he was less than enthusiastic but now, he gets it and rises to the challenge. Although I miss my family big time, I don't apologize anymore for being gone, it is a part of our system. One thing we try to do consistently is thank each other for all they do…because we both know, first hand, how much effort it takes. Teamwork parenting has made our marriage so much stronger, words cannot describe it properly. Right now I am in Bentonville, AR while my kids are at home with their daddy. I told them last night that I was going to be gone for a couple of days and they said, "Who will be watching us?" I said, "Daddy!" Their faces lit up!

The sun is shining, finally, time to get outside.

I know I am not alone when I say that I am tired of hearing myself complain about the weather. Let's clear this up. Unless you spent the winter in Palm Desert and a few other locations, you didn't really have a Spring and the Spring you did have was way too cold and way too soggy. Last week, my son woke up to see giant snow flakes falling onto our snow covered backyard and immediately screamed with excitement. He said, "First it was Spring then it was Summer and now it is Winter and I get to ski with daddy!" I laughed out loud but inside I was longing for our deserved warm weather. There you have it. Nuff said. Let's move on.I live in Park City, UT. Yes, a California girl in Utah. I love living here and raising my kids here but I have to say that in my perfect world, our winter would start Dec 1st and end Feb 28th. That would be amazing. I live for the summer and I love wearing flip flops and that doesn't mix when their is snow on the ground 7 months out of the year. But let's focus on the positive. The sun is finally shining and I am so very happy to take my workouts outside. I am plenty caught up on daytime programming with my late morning treadmill workouts and my legs have had their fair share of "out of the saddle" spinning segments. My heart and lungs are ready for some exploration and some fresh air. With the change of the season, it is a great time to change up your workout. Mix things up a bit by taking your normal routine outside. You don't always need weights. In fact, your own body weight works even better sometimes. Do you have a playground nearby? Perfect place to challenge yourself. Use the end of a slide for dips targeting your shoulders and triceps. Monkey bars? Awesome place to get in a few pull-ups and chances are they are short enough for you to cheat a bit. If there is a grassy soccer field close by then you have got it made. Now you can mix in some intervals of 3-5 minutes of jogging to get your heart pumping. Lunge across the field while taking in the fresh smell of flowers and the sounds of chirping birds.(takes your mind off of the burn) And, hey, while you are at it, drop down and give yourself 20…push-ups that is! Finally, the icing on the cake, abs. Cycle through sets of 30-50 changing up your position each time around the park. Make sure to fly through these series of exercises at least 3 times. You will burn the calories and sweat it out while feeling like a 10 year old! And if you have a 10 year old, bring them along…they always know the REALLY fun stuff on the playground.

NBA Finals 2011 Bring it!

I was just talking about it last night with a friend, the fact that we were so lucky to have been a part of the "Jordan Era NBA". It was so fun to watch him take over a game. It was an absolute thrill to cheer for him. But the game is still amazing and full of incredible talent....the big names in these Finals Dirk, Kidd, Lebron and Wade....and then, of course, there will always be some new heroes the ones that come off the bench to make the last second shot, like Steve Kerr... and that is what makes these sporting moments unforgettable. Game 1, bring it on!

Another lesson I learned from my kids.

Our daily lives are busy. Our schedules are overloaded. We are hurrying to school, from school, to activities and in the middle, trying to work. In the grand scheme of things, it is 18 solid hours of running around. But when you break it down, there are so many little moments to cherish within the big picture. My daughter reminded me of this very fact a few weeks ago.This is how it went down. I came in from a morning full of meetings and errands to relieve my babysitter and take the kids to gymnastics. I ran in and immediately began happily yelling for Skye to get on her leotard. She came running from her room proudly holding some papers she had colored. I looked at it for a few seconds, gave her a big hug and then rushed her to get ready for gymnastics.We were out of the house about 3 minutes later…rushing rushing rushing. The rest of the night was a lot of the same. "Hurry get in the car." "Hurry buckle your belts." "Everyone wash your hands." "Everyone sit down for dinner." "Finish your food!" "Hurry, upstairs for bed."I put the kids to bed and as I was cleaning up around the house, I came upon the picture book that Skye was so very proud to give me. I flipped through the pages of beautiful flowers with sunshine all around and fun shapes with different colors. And then I turned it over and she had written the most special words in the world. The very words I would LOVE to hear a million times a day as they would never get old. "I LOVE MOMMY! I LOVE MOMMY! I LOVE MOMMY!"I immediately went back into the kids' room and Skye was laying there with her eyes wide open. I walked over to her, leaned down and said I was sorry I didn't take the time to read the back of her book and that I LOVED it more than anything. Right then and there, my daughter reminded me to take a few extra seconds to notice the little things. A few extra seconds could lead to the greatest words in the world.

Choose You! Exercise, Health and everything else.

In April last year, I wrote a blog about how my dad surprised me. I mean, SUPER CRAZY SURPRISED me. After 45 years of dedicating his life and his lungs to smoking, he quit cold turkey. We still don't know exactly what made the switch flip but we aren't complaining one bit. And I could not be more impressed.I always believed that my dad could do it. He is a no bullshit kind of guy so if he decided he was going to do something, he would do it. The problem was that he didn't decide to do it and that fact frustrated me beyond belief. I gave him a hard time about his smoking for a solid 20 years. It wasn't until about 8 years ago that I gave up trying. It was a combo of not wanting to waste my breath and not wanting to think about it anymore….it was a bit heartbreaking to tell you the truth.But now, it is time to celebrate. My dad has been a non-smoker for a whole year! A WHOLE YEAR! I don't hear his cough anymore….used to be able to track him down instantly by following the sound of his cough. He gets a physical every year without being reminded and just started working out with a trainer. He looks amazing….just turned 70! And, damn it, he took his health into his own hands! He Chose Him!Choose You is a campaign by the American Cancer Society for the month of May. We all need to take our health seriously and get ourselves checked out. My dad's story should inspire people to take 30 seconds, call your doctor and get yourself a physical! Why wait another year. We can tell you to do it 1,000 times but at some point we will get frustrated and give up! Do it for yourself.I speak from experience beyond my dad. My husband is a healthy 38 year old, 3-time Olympian. I believe he is healthy he believes he is healthy but let's be honest, we all get older. I like to believe we get better with age, like fine wine, but even fine wine has it's prime and is much better when it is given a little TLC. My husband is incapable of making appointments for his health. He admits this, with a chuckle, and doesn't know why. He can make appointments to play golf, for business meetings, to coach Skye's soccer team but he can't make an appointment to get his teeth cleaned. Busy, busy, busy.Flossing, stretching, making Dr. appointments….all things we should do and they all take less than 5 minutes. Let's be honest, are we really THAT busy. Put it in your calendar and please, Choose You. Make you and your loved ones happy and stay healthy by staying on top of your health, just like my dad!

The best Mother's Day EVER!

It really was a magical 24 hours. Which was so very different from my first 4 Mother's Days. I know I haven't been at the mom game long but I can tell you that this year was special...it was different and I can tell you the reason why. This year everyone was happy...especially mommy! Happy mommy equals a happy family, right?!My husband asked me on Thursday what I wanted to do for Mother's Day and I actually, for the first time, told him EXACTLY what I wanted to do. I didn't hint at something hoping he would fill in the blanks, I didn't say "oh, nothing" thinking he would have something up his sleeve. (because they generally don't...love um, but they don't) He said, "What do you want to do?" And I responded with this...1. I want to go for a run.2. I don't want to make or be in charge of a single meal.3. I would like a yummy breakfast made by you (my husband).4. I don't want to wash a single dish.5. I would like a foot rub...nothing crazy...maybe 10 minutes of pure heaven.6. I would like to go out to dinner without the kids.I am telling you the truth when I say, he got every single one of the things on my Mommy's Day to do list. It was awesome. He listened to me and really genuinely pampered me for a day. And the kids caught onto it. He prepped them with the facts how the day was very special. All day long I was getting extra hugs and kisses from everyone...and he even helped them make me cards...a HUGE bonus! The husband got some extra credit points. And we remember that sh*#! All day, he would ask me if I needed anything, if there were any changes to what I wanted and all I could say was, "This day is perfect!" I love being a mom everyday but yesterday was amazingly special. I soaked up every single second. My husband really got into it...and really got it! He listened to me...the greatest gift of all! And of course, the 10,000 kiddo hugs and kisses I got didn't hurt one bit! I hope everyone else had a magical day being loved or giving love!

Captivated by the news.

As a mom of 2 little ones with busy schedules, I rarely get a chance to sit down and watch the news...and by rarely I mean never. But last week, because I was traveling for work, I had a chance to watch the morning news and was captivated by some incredible and historic stories. First of all, I knew that the location of where I was headed for work had just been hit hard by storms...but I had no idea that I was landing in one of the epicenters. Just 4 days before I arrived at The Embassy Suites in Bentonville, AR they had videotaped a tornado from the cameras on the roof of the building. YIKES! I have been in earthquakes, blizzard and hurricanes...but I had never seen a tornado and the idea of it freaked me out. What I learned the next morning was that the tornadoes that worried me had touched down a few states away and with a vengeance. I was glued to the "Today Show" emotionally drawn to both big stories of the morning...for very different reasons. My heart went out to all of the people in Tuscaloosa and the surrounding areas and I was incredibly intrigued and drawn into everything surrounding "The Royal Wedding".I had lived in Tuscaloosa for a month before the 1996 Olympic Games. At that time, I had just gotten into running and ran throughout the entire state...or so it seemed. The town was awesome...great food, friendly people and an amazing University swim pool. It was in Tuscaloosa where I first learned what "sweet tea" was all about. As I watched the news and saw the devastation from the tornadoes, all those wonderful memories came back to me once again. Please help the people of Alabama any way you can.Changing gears, the coverage of the "Royal Wedding" absolutely sucked me in. I was watching the TV, mouth open, just waiting for a hook! I didn't get up for the actual LIVE wedding but I did set my DVR and watched it first thing in the morning. I was so consumed by it that I actually had a tear in my eye as I said to my husband, "Princess Di would have been so proud of her son."....as if I really knew her. But, I think that is part of the reason why people loved her so much, you felt like you could be her friend. She seemed very real. I finally stopped checking in on the Royal Couple yesterday realizing I needed to give them their privacy and myself a reality check. :)And then there was last night. Erik and I had gone to a movie, "Source Code" and when we stepped out and turned on our phones I was a bit freaked out. Twitter was all abuzz with "BREAKING NEWS" from President Obama. If you have seen "Source Code" then you know why my freak out was way more than a normal freak out. I learned, through Twitter, that US military had killed Osama bin Laden. And when we got home, we turned on CNN. Huge day in history that I have yet to wrap my feelings around. All I can say is that I had a true and honest moment of really thinking of and feeling for everyone affected by 9/11 and a huge sense of gratitude for our Armed Forces! Over the past few days, I was reminded of the power of our media. We witnessed huge stories that will find their place in history. On April 27th Alabama was hit by some of the most severe tornadoes in history. We will all remember where we were and what we were doing when we watched Prince William and Kate Middleton walk down the aisle and I will remember the moment of coming out of the movie to learn that Osama had finally been killed. April 29 and May 1st...what were you doing?

Our family vacation in a nut shell.

When my husband and I travel with kids, we take a collective deep breath and know there is a 50% chance we will wonder why we did it and a 50% chance we will be off-the-charts proud of our BIG kids. Our trip started off with a very early morning…a 4am departure for the airport…the reason for the aforementioned "deep breath". In my "perfect trip" mom head, I hoped we could quietly transfer our sweetly sleeping kids to their car seats and they would continue their slumber to the airport. Fat Chance. They were fabulous on the first flight until walking off the plane in LA. Spider wanted to walk off by himself but at the same time, wasn't walking. (4am wake up coming back to haunt us.) So, we had to carry him kicking and screaming off the jetway. Besides these few little understandable meltdowns, the flight to Mexico was fine and dandy. We met my family in LA, waited 3 hours for our connection and once in Mexico had a cold beverage in hand about 15 minutes later. And now that I have a chance to reflect, our kids were awesome, they were just tired!We were at Club Med in Ixtapa. I have been going to Club Med's since I was 11 years old. It was an easy vacation for my dad to take us, 2 tween-age kids. This was the first time I had brought my own kids and it was amazing! The kids club had everything…trapeze, kiddie pool, toys, games, theater shows, sports, trapeze, trampoline, tight-rope walking…and more. Only problem, my kids kicked and screamed about going. The other problem, our nights were way too late to be getting up early for the kids club activities. It took us about 3 days to recognize we needed a change of schedule.We arrived Thursday and after my dad's big 70th birthday celebration on Saturday night, we re-evaluated our game plan. Instead of 7:30 dinner, we tried to start a bit earlier and then went straight to bed instead of watching the nightly show. Life was still full of 3 year old behavior but we felt like better parents.In the end, our kids soaked up every second of the ocean. They thought it was absolutely magical, exciting and at times a bit scary. They both went to the kids club and did the trapeze which I thought was amazing and even participated in the Kids Club show…Spider was supposed to be a dancing dog but instead was the sad doggie sitting on the side! :)The kids had so much fun with their cousins and Erik and I had a great time with my family. The memories we created is what makes me smile as I write this….watching my dad teach Spider to fly a kite…watching my nephew Ryder kill it on his Skim Board..watching my niece, Scout get caught on the trapeze… and competing in the kayak race with Skye and Erik! All these memories are priceless. When you are knee deep in it, you don't appreciate it as much. But now that we are home, we can't wait for the next family vacation. Neither can Spider, he proclaims at least once every day that "He is moving to Mexico"…I guess that settles it, we have to go back!

May is Bike Month....get on it!

After Easter brunch, we decided to start a tradition. We went on a family bike ride and walk. It was fun right from the very beginning…literally, as soon as the words came out of my husband's mouth, everything smiled like they were a kid. Riding a bike still brings us back to those days…hair blowing in the breeze, freedom, a fun game, the original joy ride.My favorite game on my bike when I was little was taxi. My cousin and I would do this at her house in Pleasanton, CA. My dad would pack our bikes for the 2 1/2 hour drive from Roseville, CA even if we were just going for the weekend. Biking the neighborhood was our thing. We would laminate our routes and pretend we were actually picking people up and dropping them off…getting paid, of course. It sounds slightly silly now but I remember doing this for hours! Biking, to me, means freedom. And when I lived in LA it meant convenience.... I could get from my apartment to the supermarket in about 4.3 minutes. Try getting your mail in LA in 4.3 minutes….doesn't happen. My bike has been my companion for a long time. In college, it was my ticket to food. Every single night, no matter how hard practice was, I would pedal faster than anyone to get to dinner. Sometimes I would bike home with my friends and we would sing as we pedaled and sometimes we were so tired and focused that there was pure night silence. Either way, it was awesome.Now, I love seeing my kids cruise our street. I love watching them explore and push themselves both physically and mentally. And, even now, there is almost no better way to bring the joy back into my day than a quick ride around the block. A joy ride that is equal to a deep breath. Enjoy.

How cool is your speak?

There was a time when I was cool. Or so I thought. But I have to say I am not completely, "down with" the cool lingo these days so I have a tendency to nervously make up my own. It started about a year ago when I responded to someone's crazy story, IN EMAIL, by saying, "That's whacked." I was quickly corrected by the cool police and told I should have replied, "That's whack." My mistake. And so, I took that as a sign to not attempt to be cool…in other words, be myself....finding my own little happy medium between cool and downright strange.I like to think I came from the generation of the REALLY cool lingo…I mean, like, you totally have to remember Valley Girl talk. I remember having the stickers to remind me of all the cool phrases….maybe even a pair of jeans with the phrase on the back pocket. For Sure. Gag me with a spoon. Come on, you know what I am talking about. I don't remember using this speak all that much but it gave me a little confidence to know that I had the correct phrases in my back pocket, literally.Every now and then I will throw, "Rad" into the conversational mix and most kids look at me like I just farted…both disgusted and confused. Instead, I now say words incorrectly almost on purpose…Oh Snack, instead of Oh Snap is one of my favorite examples. Life is a whole lot cooler when you keep people guessing and wondering, "Did she just say the right?" Hells yeah I did!

Airplanes, kids and spring break travel.

Flying with kids is no easy feat. My kids have been flying since they were each 4 months old. Most of our trips together, I am outnumbered….2 kids to 1 mommy. It is never easy but I can give you all a few tips to make it more manageable and sometimes even enjoyable.Pack light….but pack what you need. It is not easy when you have a baby and toddler. That is probably the most difficult stage of mommy travel. One child actually needs you (can't get around without you) and the other one wants you and lets you it. Babies require tons of stuff, always carry-on enough diapers in case your flight is delayed overnight. Same goes for snacks and formula (if you aren't breastfeeding.) Pack an extra change of clothes for babies and toddlers that are still in diapers or just newly potty trained. It is amazing how a kid suddenly has to use the bathroom when we are jamming down the runway or just about to land. And, they don't really need toys, just some activity books, crayons and story books.If you know your kiddo is going to push, kick or mess with the person in front of them, offer them a drink before they even sit down. I do this for the person in front of my son. I try to stay on top of him but he is just a bit more rambunctious. When I offer them a drink, they are immediately more understanding.Don't be afraid to bribe with a little candy. I always bring Starbursts with me when we travel.(they are the perfect candy as they take awhile to eat but are not as messy as a lollipop) I only use them if the kids are having a rough time staying in their seats or boarding the plane. "When you sit down in your seat and get buckled you will get a Starburst."Load up your computer with their favorite movies and/or TV shows. My kids are just now able to keep their headphones on long enough to watch a movie. I have the special double jack connector so they can both watch the same movie. It works out really well, they are occupied, having fun and I can even read a book! AMAZING!A drink for take off and landing. Some kids have a harder time with this than others. I still carry a sippy cup so that my son can suck on it during landing. It is a great way to pop their ears. If they are older, gum is a great trick as well.If people offer to help, TAKE THEM UP ON IT! Don't try to be the hero. If they offer to carry something, hand them the car seat! It makes a big difference in the end. They wouldn't offer if they didn't want to help. Speaking of car seats….as much as they are a pain in the ass, I just stopped putting my son in a one on flights. I waited until he REALLY understood he couldn't get up from his seat whenever he wanted to. There is too much freedom for a kid who can't sit still to be sitting in a regular seat. When they are sitting in their car seat, they know they can't get out. He graduated to a big boy seat when he was 3! That was a fun day!We are heading out for our Spring Break next week! You never know, you might be the lucky one getting a free drink in front of Spider! Have fun, good luck and travel safe!