That Was Fun: Lake Tahoe

It's a bit hard to truly describe the time we had in Tahoe. It was different from any trip we've ever taken because (most of) my extended family all stayed in one big house together. We went on VRBO and found a spot that had bedrooms, bathrooms, a pool table, a movie theater, pingpong, foosball, a hot tub, a little play structure... everything we could possibly need. A couple people were in charge of each meal to spread the work evenly. We had a 3-week baby and my grandparents- all the generations in one beautiful home. 

I think that while we were there, we were all overwhelmed by how totally blessed we are. It can be an easy thing to forget when we're all in our separate places, spread apart, and doing our own things with our own ups and downs... but when all is said and done: we're there for one another through it. I think families who go through tough times can feel closer later, and it seems to be the case with this family. When my brother went through his battle with cancer, almost all my memories have a bit of extended family in the mix- from both sides, being there to console, to do overnighters, to bring gifts and food. I think that stuff sticks, and makes family closer than ever for the long haul. I'm hoping/praying it carries through the next generations because family is seriously such a gift. 

I'm also glad I have a blog going to document stuff like this so I can't forget the best times. :) 

Ps. How fabulous is it that Sophie & her cousin Em both hit up the gap 40% off sale and got the same swimsuit? They couldn't get over the excitement. 

Hello Reality!

Last night I went to bed at 12:30am. Really? Yes. I was strangely wide awake, and setting myself up for a solid, drowsy morning of entertaining children. I was so sleepy this morning that I left the house for a little trip to the library without drinking my coffee. Whaaat? It's okay. I treated myself to a cup because I made it through the first day back from vacation. Wait, so you mean I have to make breakfast, lunch, AND dinner?

The day after vacation is always SUCH a doozy. I mean, reality is great and all, but vacation-- ahhh vacation. The total dismissal of all things responsible is entirely too ideal... I shouldn't say all things responsible. Obviously I had to make sure my children didn't hurt themselves or get lost on our trip, but I had my partner in crime by my side to tag-team the whole thing.  

We went to Tahoe. Tahoe is insanely gorgeous and I tried so hard to get a picture of the vast, mountainous beauty as we drove down toward the water, but all I got were 15 blurred photos that needed to be deleted. There's no photo that will quite capture the blueness against the sharp green inclines with gorgeously textured grey rocks... you'll just have to go there yourself one of these summers. I did, however, manage to take 500 photos of other things in four days, and I'll go through and share like any good blogger should, but not today. Today I will ramble and then I will nap. Two of my favorite pastimes. ;)

I'm curious if it's a pretty normal thing for people to hear "wow, you have your hands full," and "are they your kids or are you the babysitter/nanny?" or if it's just me. I think almost every time I go out, I hear one or the other sentence. I never know if I should be flattered that the big world thinks I am a nanny with my hands full and think it means "wow, she's handling things well," or (more likely) if it simply means I am making the management & mothering of my two children look far more difficult than it should. If it's the latter, I'm going to go ahead and blame the bulky wagon we take everywhere, and its terrible turning radius. It's incredibly photogenic and totally essential, but those wheels and weight are not made for the hills of this city.  

Today when we went out, Sophie decided to touch a plant that made her hands sting and she walked all the way home with her hands clapped together, moaning that her hands were so pokey! Why would someone plant a crazy poison plant like that is beyond me, especially because it wasn't particularly pretty, but the guy who handed my coffee over was totally right with the whole "hands full" line he gave me. We got home and I sat in a chair on top of Maggie's toes, and then went to put a toy away and rammed my shoulder into a shelf, so we're quite the scene today.

I'm feeling all of this means that we have come home from vacation a week too early. Tahhooooeeee, we miss youuuu!

Where's the cookie butter when you really need it?  Therapy in a jar, that's what I call it. 

In Pictures: July

Ahhh, summer in San Francisco. It has been an absolutely gorgeous year overall, but a lot of July has been covered in fluffy, white clouds. Good thing fog is gorgeous, because it's chilly. 

America's Cup has been a huge highlight to the month. We're becoming fanatical about getting to the water to watch sailing regularly, and we got to experience an amazing race with my sailor grandpa, who explained the ins and outs of racing, over burgers sans kids. Major highlight of July.  

I laughed a LOT, ate more cupcakes than I should, took far more pictures of my children than any normal person, and did more exercise than I have in probably ten years. So all in all, yes: July was a very good month and I cannot believe tomorrow will be August already.  

 "The days are long but the years are short..."

true that. 

xo. 

Pilates HURTS.

If you're reading this in the morning, sipping a hot cup of coffee and catching up on a few posts from the weekend, I envy you.   

It's Sunday evening and I'm about to go to bed after a beautiful weekend. I'm going to sleep and then I'm going to wake at a ridiculous (for me) hour of 6am to go to torture myself in a Pilates class.  

Pilates is my new thing, maybe you've heard. If you're my friend in real life, there's practically no way you haven't heard. I'm that friend that decides to make (relatively) healthy choices for a full week, and I must tell the world. The "relatively" comes into play today when I was offered Swedish pancakes, Thai food and donuts and didn't refuse anything.  The healthy is based on otherwise quality food decisions the remaining days of last week, two Pilates classes, and a 3-mile run. 

Back to Pilates. I went for the first and second time ever last week. I go in there and the people are so friendly, that lighting so soft and music so beautiful. Even the hardwood floor is perfect. I sit on my mat and begin stretching... oh, you want my legs to be at "tabletop?" No big deal, I've got this. I chase an almost-two-year old, so this is no sweat. Arms over the head? No worries, I lift babies all the time...

..then suddenly it's "one leg tabletop, the other extended flex one, point the other, hips down- (or up?), back curved, elbows in, head straight all at once, now hold it, now pulse five... four... three..." what am I doing here again? It's 6:45 and I could be in warm, fluffy white blankets with that cup of coffee in my perfect orange mug, straight chillin' and I am WHERE? Moving my muscles to insane positions and thinking harder than anyone really should have to think at 6:45am... and I can't be the girl who collapses on my mat because then what will these people I will never see again in my life think of me? I must survive, I must get through this. 

So I do this now. I'm a Pilates girl. And at 11pm on Sunday night- eve of another class- I am thinking about WHY I signed myself to a month of this torture. And I think to myself that probably no one else in the class seems to be having trouble because they've never had children. Gone went that that theory when I realized the instructor with the perfect abs has a 1-year-old. Ahh, excuses be gone. 

Thus far, I've lived to tell about it. I mean, yes it's torture but it's such a tiny percentage of my week.  The instructor says "and you.are.done!" in her perfect, morning peaceful voice, and I say "I've made it. I've really made it" in my head.

THIS is what keeps me going back: I leave my Pilates class and walk into the quiet streets enveloped in peaceful San Francisco morning fog, feeling calmer. Feeling proud of my accomplishment, and excited to tell my husband the crazy moves they tried on us this time... walk home to the chaos... having twisted and stretched and strengthened every bit of my core in a safe setting, and it actually feels good. I feel ready for anything if I conquered that crazy mountain.  

I love how we get to start each week fresh. I love that this week I'm starting with a kind of torturous discipline. Sometimes I think that as a mom, what I need is that extra 30 or 45 minutes of sleep, even if it's followed by abrupt & charming & noisy chaos.

In reality, I am far more rested when I've begun my week with discipline... even if it's the kind that hurts (I mean that quite literally... I mean, I had no idea these muscles could even BE sore).  

Adventure: Muir Woods & Lookout

Some days just call for adventure.  

Adventure just calls for the "real" camera. 

The real camera just calls for a long photo blog post.  Get ready.

Mill Valley is like 15 minutes from the San Francisco city limit, and Muir Woods is RIGHT there. I grew up around here and hand no clue that woods like these were so accessible!! Yesterday, we wanted a little family adventure without having to battle our sweet little toddler's resistance to long drives (this is where having no car during the weeks works against us.. for Maggie, it's kind of the stroller or bust!). For some reason, my husband- who did NOT grow up around here, but knows his geography- suggested it because of its proximity to the city, and off we went!  

We grabbed lunch before leaving, ate it on picnic benches before getting inside, and then started our little hike! It's an incredibly manageable hike with two little ones. Perhaps it's because our lifestyle is to walk a LOT, but the kids walked themselves most of the way to the end! The massive trees, creeks, bridges, and general gorgeousness were perfect for my girls. S and Brian went a bit off-road hiking on a high trail, while M slept in her little Maclaren stroller (which, by the way, is totally fine for the easy trails).  

Stinson Beach was totally nearby too, but pretty packed considering it was the BEST weather, so we just drove up to Muir Woods lookout and enjoyed the insane views of the ocean, city, and mountains! All in a little days' adventure. I'd go again in a heartbeat. 

It's funny, because before we left, I sprawled lazily out on my bed and said "ehhhh, let's just rest at home todayy (with a bit of whine), and when we got home from our adventure, I felt more rested and grateful than I've felt in ages. Sometimes you just need to get OUT of the house/neighborhood/norm, and get a little extra dose of nature and family time to be invigorated! :)

Reality

I used to write aimlessly on a blog about things like the ineffectiveness of sending husbands to grocery stores and the recap of American Idol based on wardrobes (hey, it was like 2008 and still in its prime). I got a comment from a random stranger one day, got creeped out, and bam! Shut that blog down to private. 

My how times have changed. Now there are seminars on getting strangers to start reading our blogs.

I still adore the randomness of the grassroots blogs. I enjoy just getting behind-the-scenes looks at real life... but it's harder these days to put it out there. I mean, blogs are really legit these days. Pretty pictures, lovely DIYS, and perfect grammar. I adore beauty in design and photos and creative things, and lovely words, BUT I also love reality. The challenge is that if you write unfiltered, messy stuff and in a perfectly candid way, chances are, you'll start getting unsolicited critiques and negative comments. Transparency is a tricky thing. 

I'm trying to find the balance between fancy and reality, and so I feel like it's time for less fancy and more real...

SO, here's my reality this week: 

• I spent about 25 hours matching socks recently (not literally). Socks from the past 8 years of marriage that were singles. Matching socks is the worst!
• The remaining single socks were in a small bin that Maggie tossed over the staircase. I left them there for a full day because- well- out of sight, out of mind. 
• I'm a chronic indoor plant purchaser and they chronically die. With all the love I've given them, they still die.
• I haven't had a haircut in more than six months. I know.
• Most days I put gel in the front of Maggie's hair to keep it out of her eyes because her hair is so wispy and barrettes don't stand a chance without the gel. Every time I apply it, I feel like one of those pageant moms. Please tell me I'm not alone on this one.
• My fireplace mantle is chronically full of things I want out of reach of my children, as opposed to any display of loveliness. 
• I freak out a little bit when I see bugs, even if they're outside. This isn't ideal for my very real goal to get hardcore-domestic and plant flowers in the backyard (like how "hardcore," "domestic," and "flowers ended up in the same sentence?), but it's the truth. 
• I crave burritos and tacos at least once per day (if you're like me, that sentence made you re-think your lunch plans, riiiight?)

So, there you have it. 

xo, 

Kate