Bummer.

Running has been going great. It's become a part of my regular routine, I finished a marathon (still can't believe it,) and I had gotten back into regular running again after it now that it's been about a month. However, I've had this nagging pain in my right calf in a super weird place that I just couldn't figure out.

It hurt after Big Sur, but come on. Everything hurt after Big Sur. I took a week of rest, got a massage, and then we went to LA to Disneyland. It was a 6 hour drive down, and I did most of the stop-and-go driving, putting additional stress on an already-fatigued muscle. After that, I spent 2 straight days on my feet, walking 21 miles one day and 19 miles the next day (according to my FitBit.) It hurt a lot after that, but I figured with normal rest and getting back into an easy running routine, it would be fine.

I did an 8-mile run on Mother's Day and that's all she wrote. I was hosed, my leg was shot, and I made the decision to take a rest. I took 7 days off, and then attempted a 2 mile run... that hurt HORRIBLY bad. I finally gave in and decided to see my doctor and physical therapist.

The diagnosis, after a whole lot of poking and prodding, is a slightly torn soleus muscle at the inside of my right leg at the top of the muscle, where it connects to the bone.

It's an odd place for an injury, but apparently not uncommon among runners. I need to stay off my feet and even limit walking for 2-3 weeks (a lot harder than it sounds with 2 little ones running around.) Then, I can resume regular activity if it doesn't hurt anymore. They estimated a total healing time of 4-6 weeks. I hope with proper rest, ice, massage, stretching, etc, I can get it healed up and get back on the road again soon. I really miss running. I've been trying to get in the pool but that takes a lot more motivation and planning than just walking out the door. 

I know it's relatively minor in the grand scheme of things, so I'm trying to get past it and move on. I figure if it's the only injury I suffered from finishing a marathon, I'm doing pretty darn good! 

Getting electromagnetic therapy and ice on my leg yesterday. It hurt so good!! 

Recently...

I just cleaned off my phone, so here are some of the more ridiculous things we've been up to lately.

Phone? Check. Bracelet she made herself? Check. Something weird sticking
out of her diaper?? Definite check.

Diaper superheroes!

Pancake breakfast date with Mommy.

Caroline wanted something out of the top shelf...so she made this herself.
I'm really glad I found it before she tried to get on it.

Got a few runs in post-race...in my swag! 

Bling bling baby!

Take two kids to the park...

oh my gerd...

She likes to "read" to herself. Heaven forbid anyone actually
help her.

Baby's first haircut! I wasn't really planning on it, but
her split ends were sticking up everywhere and driving me
crazy! It really does look SO much better...

She was SO good!

Chick-fil-A playtime post-haircut. Sooo pretty.

um. OOPS. Thanks, Caroline.

We had a major heat wave last week...of course the kids had a bounce-house
birthday party during it, and it didn't bother them AT ALL but wow! It was SO HOT!

So hot :)

This hot at 7pm!!! OUCH!

We spent a lot of time at the pool.

She looks so big here :)

So...this super friendly cat, which Jack has named "Pikachu" (from
Pokemon), hangs out around our house sometimes. She (he?) is SUPER
sweet and the kids love her!

Finally...this happened last night. Caroline got into my makeup and
made herself "SO PRETTY, MOMMY!!! SOOOOOO PRETTY!" Sigh.

I'm sure more craziness is in our future!! These kids keep me on my toes....

Where does the time go??

No, but seriously though. I have no idea where the time flies! It's like one minute I wake up and it's New Years, and the next BAM! I wake up and it's already April and she's turning 2, and then BAM! I wake up and we're already back from Disney and now we're planning our summer trip home and Jack's graduation from preschool is right around the corner and it's already H-O-T HOT HOT outside...and I know soon BAM! I will wake up and be back from Georgia and Jack will have his first day of kindergarten! I've heard the phrase once that with kids this age, "the days are long but the years are short." That is so very, very true. Some days drag on in an eternity of mediating the kids' fights and surviving the day-to-day struggles of an almost-5-year-old and a 2-year-old. But then somehow, at the same time, I blink and a whole month has gone by and I haven't even noticed it passed. 

The kids are growing by the day. They keep us constantly entertained and always on our toes. Jack is a walking question machine - everything has to have an explanation or an answer, and not just a perfunctory one. This age is fun but exhausting because I really can't answer "how do car engines use gas to move?" when I'm trying to navigate rush hour traffic, or "why is my blood blue inside my veins but red outside my body?" while I'm trying to check out and wrangle two kids in the line at Target. I do love his curiosity though and I try to remember his questions to show him on the computer when I get home.

Jack is still super emotional and has moments that stun us all where he really wears his heart on his sleeve - especially when he's tired. But he is doing phenomenally well in school, and learning new things every day. His teachers have nothing but positive things to say about his imminent move up to kindergarten, so we are all looking forward to it (hesitantly.) 

Caroline is a crazy mess of stubborn 2-year-old energy and love. She's cuddly and lovable and she screams "HIIII!!!!!" and "BYYYEEEE!" and "SEE YOU LATER!!!" to everyone we meet. (Literally EVERY.ONE.) She's also very curious but in a much more tactile way - everything goes in her mouth. She climbs on everything to see what's at the top. She runs everywhere, she wears her shoes on the wrong feet, and she's addicted to sunglasses. She still hides binkys all over the place and even got in trouble for keeping one in her pocket at school and pulling it out during circle time (no binkys allowed at school!) She's so much fun, and she ADORES her big brother Jack and will do anything he does. If Jack says something is yucky, she won't eat it. If Jack tells her something is fun, she's right behind him trying it out. I love watching the two of them together. 

Her language expands every day. I wish I could copy her way of saying words with this super strange distorted southern accent: "more swing!" comes out like "moooaaaaar swwwang" and it's so funny. "Hand" is "HAAAIN!" We laugh daily at the way she says things...sometimes things only J, J or I can understand. 

So life is exhausting. It's exhilarating and it's crazy and it's adorable. Every day is a new adventure and we ALL collapse in bed absolutely spent at the end of every day. But we LOVE it and we wouldn't trade it for the world. I can't wait to share these kiddos with all their family this summer. It's going to be a blast!

Disneyland!

We had an AMAZING family vacation weekend at Disneyland! It was a whirlwind for sure:

Saturday: leave Cupertino @ 9am, hit the road to LA. Arrive in Anaheim around 4:30pm. Hit the hotel pool. Go to Joe's Crab Shack (Jack's request) for dinner. Bed by 9pm.

Sunday: up at 6:15am to get breakfast and to Disneyland when the gates opened at 8am. Play & ride until 3pm. Head back to hotel on shuttle for a nap from 4pm-6pm. Have dinner, go back to Magic Kingdom by 6:30 for the parade, fireworks, and lots of late night riding in the dark. Back to the hotel and in bed by 12:20am.

Monday: Wake up around 8:30am. Have breakfast. Pack up car & drive to Disneyland. Head to California Adventure by 10:30am. Ride rides, eat, walk, watch shows until park closed at 8pm. Get in car, kids fall immediately asleep. Drive to halfway point home, about 3.5 hours in the car, Kettleman City CA. Arrive in hotel room by 12 midnight and asleep by 1am. 

Tuesday: Wake up at 8am, hit road back to Cupertino so that Justin can make it to work by noon. Get home around 11:30am. 

WHEW!!! I'm tired just writing all of that out! It was a crazy busy time, and while we had SO much fun, it means I am way too tired to write about it all right now. I'll do that tomorrow; instead, here's a photo dump from our camera and phones of pictures in random order. Enjoy these as a teaser :)