Summer 2012: recap

Guess where I am on this lovely August summer Saturday?  Work.  Yes, that's right work.  I just glanced out my window (I mean work window) at Mt Rainier which is some consolation I guess.  Let's not forget my tummy is also packed with Specialties egg and cheese sandwich, fruit, BRIE (Like good ooey gooey Brie), and coffee. 

So, is this the recap of summer 2012?  Kind of.  I remember back in school teachers would assign papers with a page minimum and I always hated that.  Well, in general I hated writing papers but then to require it be FIVE WHOLE PAGES!  Geez!  I could pretty much get in and out stating what I needed to in one page. Heck, one paragraph.  Succinct.  Then I had to BS the other four pages and wonder why I got a C on the paper.  What's proof reading anyway? 

So yeah "What I did this summer" could be summed up thusly; work, layers, t-ball, walking, zoo, Chelan, Chicago, and love.  Save and print.  Mr. Claudon would be so proud.

You are probably thinking, "I thought you were working? What's up blogging while at work?"  Yeah you got me there.  I'm at work but choosing not to work.  Get it?  Need more?  OK.  So I'm a database developer in case you didn't know.  My team works on projects for several months in a play environment (Or in this case 6 months) and then during off-hours we release everything we have worked on to the live environment for others to enjoy.  Often we can release Friday evening but this is a biggie so we are releasing on a Saturday.  So I'm here at work at 7am to who knows when waiting for everything to release and be checked.  As Mom and Dad so often used to say to my sis and me, "No Comment."

Moving on...  Seattle has had mild summer weather.  Upper 70s would be considered a hot day here.  It took until mid-July to really get to these kind of temps.  There have been some days in the 80s and even a few days in the 90s (which I thankfully missed).  Truth?  I like upper 70s just fine so really no complaints from me.  Pretty much summer in Seattle is all about wearing/bringing plenty of layers.

Z-man is all about the sprinkler and slip and slide (Yep they still make them!).  Our yard is all shade by 4pm so it can be pretty chilly back there for slipping and sliding.  Poor guy.  Summers are for kids and to not have good hot days to run through the sprinkler sucks.  He doesn't care though.  True to a Seattle kid he's ready to take his shirt off once it is over 50 degrees. "Mom, I'm sweaty" which means he wants to take his shirt off.  Let's not even talk about his "Summer feet."   I'm pretty sure he could walk on glass without injury.

Our neighbor coached a T-ball team and Z was on the team!  He was a purple pirate dragon.  Get this, the kid bats lefty. My man!  He had a game once a week and the kids and parents had a blast.  The kids took turns playing in the dirt or chasing the ball as a pack for two whole innings.  It was adorable.  He's looking to be a slugger and is my child when he gets mad if he doesn't like his hit.

In the Spring Emily gave me a FitBit which is a fancy schmancy pedometer.  I aim for 10,000 steps per day.  Having a desk job means I was getting about 2000 - 3000 steps per day.  Now, I'm taking a couple 10-15 minute walks per work day and it is making such a difference.  Not only am I more fit but clearing my head really helps me be more productive at work.

My sister-in-law, Katherine, told me about MyFitnessPal app for my phone (and online).  I am pleased to report I have logged most or all of my food into this app for over 130 days in a row!  Wah-huh?  I've never done anything for that long in my life!  The app syncs with the FitBit which is super awesome!  I'm loving this routine and it is the easiest "Diet" I've ever been on.  Finally able to report my favorite pair of pre-prego jeans from 3.5 years ago finally fits!

Seattle's zoo, Woodlawn Park Zoo, has ZooTunes in the summer.  Super kid-friendly concerts that start at 6 and end by 9pm.  They are on the lawn and you bring a blanket and picnic.  Too fun and I always wish I could go to more shows.  This year we saw Ziggy Marley one night and then Steve Earle and Los Lobos another night.  FUN! 

Finally in August I took a week off of work.  We went to Lake Chelan for four days with my sister and her family, my dad and J-Mo, and my brother-in-law and sister-in-law.  It was in the upper 90s (Eastern Washington is a high desert) so the water felt amazing! 

The second half of my week off we flew into Chicago to celebrate my in-laws 40th wedding anniversary.  WOW!  40 years!  It was a really fun weekend and we saw almost everyone but sadly not nearly everyone.  There are MANY people on my hit list next visit.  Too many to name but you know who you are! We had pizza three times, Chicago hot dog, bags upon bags of Oke Doke cheese popcorn, Italian beef twice, and White Castle sliders once (once is really enough, oh boy!).  C even had a pizza puff which I snagged a bite.  Drool pizza puff.  So wrong yet so right.  I had to be rolled onto the airplane and am not even upset about it.  That's what Chicago does to you.

Now, we are back home and Z and C have been best buds for the whole week and then part of next week.  It is really awesome to see how close they are.  This morning as I tiptoed out of the house for work the boys were still asleep in bed and looked so cute and peaceful.  Did I mention Z comes into our bed several nights a week at about 3-4 in the morning.  Mostly he's a snuggler so it is ok but the nights he is a kicker can be rough.  So yeah I love my boys more than anything and can't wait to be with them.  SOON!

I hope you had a nice summer.  Tell me all about it!!!  Bring on the fall fun!