TGIF

I could not be happier that it is Friday.

This means we are ONE day from Big J's first birthday. (this also means I have much to do to get ready)

It is now after 12:30pm, so I am officially on vacation, too. Detroit here we come (OK, maybe not until tomorrow, but I am still excited).

And my kiddos are feeling healthy again, so that is definitely a reason to shout hooray!

In celebration of the end of a long week, Big J's upcoming birthday, and a whole week of vacation, the kids & I met some friends for a late breakfast/ early lunch at La Mie.

O

M

G

I did not know such a place existed in the DSM. The location is tucked into an unobtrusive strip mall facing 42nd street, a block from the freeway. The decor is concrete floors and white walls - very bare and industrial-chic (which means it was a little cold & quite loud from all the hard surfaces).

But the Food! Indeed, it warrants a capital letter! But more of an 'A' than an 'F'. It's primarily a French-y bakery with an expanded menu. Lots of crusty breads, flaky croissants, and gorgeous, shiny tarts. They are open from 7am-9pm (I hear there is an interesting dinner menu), do a brunch on Sunday, and have a limited breakfast the rest of the week. This includes omelets, egg sandwiches, salads, and open face sandwiches. And the usual barista beverages, too. I had an 'omelet' (really just two eggs scrambled, cooked flat & folded), topped with creme fraiche, and accompanied by toast, applewood bacon and sauteed spinach - all for a whopping $5.50! The portions were just right, and the food was all of good quality, cooked well, and plated with care. It was so good I may drag Big Daddy there tomorrow morning. I'm sure this place is busy all the time - but 10 am on a Friday was exactly the right time to visit. There were only a few other patrons in there, and our food was delivered in about 5 minutes.

I can't wait to go back again......

Au Revoir!

ps- I didn't intend for this to be my Fab Friday post, but it is. Oh, it is.

Race Day

I was too nervous and excited to sleep much, and woke throughout the night, afraid I would sleep through my alarm (not that it's ever happened before but there's a first time for everything). I popped out of bed at 7 am, and began the job of waking up myself and the rest of the family. In the midst of the chaos I checked my email and was thrilled to discover that a last minute pledge met my total donation goal of $500! Big Sis was also the recipient of $80 in pledges. That got my adrenaline pumping, and I sailed through the rest of the morning.

We bundled up, and were in the car by 8 (a little behind my desired schedule, but still with plenty of time to spare). Big Daddy was a little skeptical of my claims regarding 20,000 people coming out for the Race. Once he saw the traffic, and especially the back up at the Capitol exit, he quickly conceded that I might be right about the number of people we were about to face. We parked and walked, and I was really overwhelmed by the sheer number of bodies out there. I jumped into the mass around the 13:00 mile mark, and tried to mentally prepare for the 3.1 miles I was about to face.

The race began, and we all watched the competitive runners surge forward. It was at least 5 minutes before my group approached the starting gate, and it was several more minutes before I could separate myself enough to actually run. I spent the next few minutes after that dodging walkers (seriously people, you were not going to hit a 13:00 mile at that strolling pace) before I could get a little space around me and settle into a rhythm. I had my special Race playlist on my iPod, and it was a good motivator to keep going (and people say the Spice Girls are worthless - Ha!). It was a beautiful cold, sunny day and the course wound around downtown. There were no mile markers, which for me was a bonus, as I think it might have been more disheartening than helpful. It was hard to be passed, but it was a mental boost to pass people. The most difficult bit was the last 1/2 mile - up the hill to the Capitol building. It wasn't Mt. Everest, but a slow and steady pace helped get me through it.

Almost to the finish line!

I achieved both my goals - to raise $500 in donations, and to run the whole race. I don't even know what my pace was, but we estimate it around 30:00 total. Not bad, considering I wasn't even running 2 months ago.

I am grateful to all of those who supported me through donations, training advice, and just by asking how things were going.

I am thankful for my sweet husband who supported my by watching the kids so I could run on my own and who woke up early on a Saturday to hang out in the 40 degree weather with 2 semi-cranky kids while I ran this Race.

I am honored that Big Sis and Big J were there, and that I can try to be a good example to them by being active and philanthropic at the same time. (I do love to multi-task!).

I am amazed to see so many people come out for the Race - whether they were runners or walkers, pushing strollers, racing a 5:00 mile, or rolling in their wheelchairs, for a few hours we were all united in a common goal - to support Komen for the Cure and to raise money to work towards stamping out breast cancer. Almost 5% of the population of the Des Moines metro area came out for this event. That's incredible!

I am motivated to keep going. My running may have to go indoors for a while, but I am hopeful that I can keep a consistent workout schedule and continue doing 5K's and more.

Big Sis before her race.

Big Sis did great, too. The Kids' Race was chaotic, but she crossed the 50 yard finish line like a champ!

Big J all bundled up for a cold morning outdoors!

Thanks again to everyone who pledged money to support us. Words can't express how grateful we are for your monetary vote of confidence and for all the support we received.

Oh, It's On!

Well, now I've gone and done it. I signed up to run the Des Moines Race for the Cure. I'm part of Team Baby Bootcamp, and I even pledged to raise money - which is a first for me. See the sidebar - it'll be up until October 25th.

I've been doing a little running as part of the BBC classes, and have ventured a jog or two on the Jordan Creek Trail, but 3.1 miles is a whole different animal. I've got the Couch-to-5K-Plan, which says you can do it in 2 months. I've started the plan before, and it does work (last time I built up to 2 miles before I had to quit), but let's see if I can go all the way this time. I'm also worried that it will take me longer to build up, as I am a very slow runner (more of a plodder if you will) and even slower when pushing an extra 40 lbs of baby + stroller.

So who wants to run the Race with me? Just you, me and 20,000 of our friends, neighbors and countrywomen (and -men) all for a great cause!

It's a Des Moines love-fest

That seems like a very un-us thing to say, but both Matt and I admitted to each other this week that we really like Des Moines. When we had to decide which school to finalize our acceptance to, I campaigned hard for Des Moines. I just had a really good feeling about coming here. I thought it would be good for the family (mid-Western values), and good for his academic career (DMU is a top-notch D.O. school). As soon as we arrived here, I knew we had made the right decision. I know part of that confirmation was the joy of no longer needing to commute 2 hours every day (we spent a ton on gas money), but there's a lot going for Des Moines. First, we love where we live. I could trade in apartment living in a heartbeat, but I did end up choosing a great city and a good location (pat on the back to me). I love that everything we really need is within a 5 mile drive - 2 malls, Target, Wal-Mart, Costco, church, pre-school. And even better, there's a great trail that runs behind the apartment (which takes us right to the corner grocery). Plus just up the hill & through a small development there's a great park and the library across the street.

The weather hasn't really bothered us either. Snow, ice, freezing temperatures? We're OK with that (granted, we didn't have a driveway or sidewalk to plow). And although today is quite humid, the past week has been beautiful. 80 degrees, relatively low humidity, lots of sunshine. I told Matt that this is the first year since grade school that I have been really excited for summer to start. We've been so busy, and there's so much yet to do. I'm looking forward to 4th of July, swim lessons, visiting the wading pools at the local parks, movies on the lawn at the West Des Moines city hall, possibly going to Minneapolis for a few days, and just getting outside to enjoy the sunshine and cool breeze.

I know that we'll be moving next summer to start rotations, and I'm already sad about that. I wish we could stay in Des Moines, but we're pretty sure it will be better for Matt's career if we explore programs outside Iowa. But the good thing is that we now know how great DM is, and we can always come back. I always envisioned heading back west when we were done with Residency, but now I'm not so sure. Oregon is grey & rainy much of the year, and is getting so expensive. Nevada is a little too desert-y for my taste. California? Well, if it weren't for the traffic, people, smog and outrageous housing prices, then maybe. Utah? Too much pressure to be the perfect Mormon (seriously, I think I would crack under the stress of it all). Arizona: too hot, dry, dusty, and I hate scorpions. Colorado is a contender, but I haven't been there in years. I realize there is much of the country I am omitting - and that it's very early to even be thinking about where to settle. But the point is, DM might be a contender on the list of possibilities. Wait and see folks, wait and see.

Family Picture of the Day: Accessorizing courtesy of Malaina. I don't think this is the last time this is going to happen.

Baby It's Hot Outside

Although it's only 70 outside, the humidity is at 96%. Ick. I tried turning off the AC and opening the windows for a bit, but that only lasted an hour or so. I hope the weather gets cooler ASAP.

We went to the State Fair on Sunday, and it was an eye-opener. I actually had fun, although it was also about 85 and 90% humidity. My hair didn't appreciate the weather, but my tummy enjoyed the Fair food. I restrained myself to just a gyro, and enjoyed every bite of it. It's a wonder I didn't get salmonella, but all was well. Peaches wanted to ride every ride she saw, but enjoyed the ferris wheel most. She also enjoyed her popcorn and cotton candy lunch. (yes, I'll be accepting my parent of the year award later this month).

Some of my observations from the fair:
1. Des Moines isn't as white as I thought. I saw a few African American families walking around, and was pleasantly surprised. I don't think I saw any Asians, but I've seen some at the mall. Don't take any of that the wrong way - I'm glad to see a little diversity here.
2. The fair definitely brings out the lowest common denominator of humanity. I feel grateful that I know how to match my clothes and that I have the decency to force my child and husband to wear a shirt in public.
3. The ugly shoe reigns supreme here. Seriously, they may be comfortable, but I have seen some of the ugliest footwear EVER since I've been here. Ladies of Iowa, here's a tip for you - Nordstrom has a great online shoe department. Try it out, you won't be sorry.
4. The pork chop on a stick was the most popular fair food (not that I tried one, but everyone else did). It's been a while since I've been to a fair of any sort, but this was a bit unexpected. These chops were huge, grilled, and speared on a massive piece of wood. Nothing like meat on a stick to bring out the caveman in you.

Otherwise, we haven't left the house for more than a few hours all week. I did go grocery shopping and was both massively disappointed and frustrated. Seriously, who puts the bread crumbs with the bread? And do they not make Panko in the mid-West?? I may have to turn to Super Target for my food shopping needs. At least I can find what I want there.

Part of the joy of not leaving the house is acclimating to the new apartment. I'm getting to know our neighbor quite well - or at least what she likes to do at 4:30 in the morning. It's not every night, but seriously, YOU'RE WAKING ME UP WITH ALL THE SCREAMING. I always thought rule #1 of apartment living was to 'keep the noise level down'... but how do you tell someone you've never formally met that she needs to buy a muzzle?

I was also dumbstruck to discover that we can't have a live Christmas tree here. Wha? I've never lived in an apartment that didn't allow a real tree. Why don't they tell me I can't have houseplants either? I will have to decide if I will be subversive and risk getting us kicked out or if I'll will rustle up a fake tree from somewhere. Not really - I'm too much of a chicken to the fight the Man. Maybe I can find a really good Pine Potpourri.

In the DSM

So I'm back - after several weeks gone, several thousand miles travelled, and multiple temper tantrums (only one of which was mine). We're in the DSM, wallowing in a pig-mess of an apartment, and cranking the AC to epic proportions. Sweet Husband has been here for two weeks and didn't unpack a single box, so I get to spend the next week trying to organize this place while working from home and wrangling a 3 yo. Good Times.

It's not too bad thus far. The apartment is small, but the kitchen is huge. At least we can spread out there even if we don't have space anywhere else. Des Moines is... humid. That's the best I can say thus far. I haven't seen much & probably won't for another week or so. I have to conserve my energy for cleaning this mess, organizing and restocking the house. It is astonishing how much food you have to buy when you move cross-country. I may as well walk into the grocery and tell them to add one of everything to my cart.

Other than that, things are OK. The house fell through, so that's not great. We're fortunate that we can afford to pay the mortgage for a few months and not feel the pinch too badly - but that's not going to last forever. It's certainly been a learning experience. Hopefully the Salem market will remain strong, and we can move the house in the next few months. Wish us luck.

I'll post more DSM observations as I can. I'll be working from home now, so I'll be able to update more frequently.

Des Moines Ho

Much has happened in the last few weeks. I went to the DSM to look for a place to live, and was successful. I'm back in the office for a few weeks, and trying to prep for my 10 day trip in August. I've been to the doctors a few more times - and finally feel a tiny bit vindicated by the fact that they found my thyroid is going a little nuts. (I kept trying to tell them I wasn't "depressed"). I'm on thyroid meds and am actually feeling better already - more energy, sleeping more soundly.

The house closes on August 3rd, so we are frantically trying to clean up, throw out and pack away. The truck gets picked up next Saturday, so we have 7 days to get it all done. Do-able, right? M will take off a week from Monday, and I leave on Aug. 1 for my trip. Back on the 10th, then off to the DSM for good.

I'm excited about the move, but a little freaked about money. I'll work full-time through the end of August, then downshift to PT. We're trying to finalize health insurance, as that's critical right now. Cutting my salary in half also scares me. I think it's do-able, but I'm not one to have a lot of restraint when it comes to things I want (from food to shopping), and living within a strict budget is not something I am going to acquiesce to without a little kicking and screaming.

Some observations on Des Moines:
1. What's with the shared-wall (aka zero lot line) houses? I saw some nice, new developments that had shared walls, and I don't get it. Why wouldn't you want a stand alone house? Is the insulation better? Utility bills lower? I can't see myself paying $300K+ for a house that potentially allows me to hear ever word & footfall from my neighbors. Pass.

2. Fashion is about a year behind. Although Oregon isn't a fashion mecca, there's a lot of hipness to be found here. There - not so much. It was a bit like going back to Louisiana - lots of Abercrombie, American Eagle, blonde hair, and Skechers. I did see 2 trying-too-hard Urban Cougars. One could have been a grandma, but was rockin' a belly shirt and pierced navel. The other was wearing a full surf get up - boardshorts & Roxy t - in IOWA. Someone, please save them from themselves.