The Mighty Falcons

Today was a busy day.  Ashley and I woke up early and did an Asylum workout.  Asylum is one of Shaun T's video workouts--he is the guy that you see doing Insanity on those infomercials.  Asylum is different that Insanity--not as much cardio, but very tough.  For some reason, I was motivated as soon as I woke up and wanted to work out.  I think it has something to do with my ninth place age-group finish in a recent race, so I'm hoping to improve on that performance.  And I also think it's because I've had Bonnie Tyler's Holding on for a Hero song running through my head ever since I heard it on the radio the other day.

After our workout, we grabbed Bode and headed for his third swim lesson.  Bode was really excited for his lesson, but today wasn't his best day, at least in his eyes.  He started off with a review of what he knew--leg kicks, blowing bubbles, etc.

After the beginning, things got difficult.  The first two lessons were rather simple, but today, they were wanting him to step (swim) out of his comfort zone.  This included floating on his back without any support from the instructor.  The position is called the Starfish because his legs and arms are spread out and his head is back.

Bode is not very buoyant, or at least he has not figured out how to be.  Thus, when the teacher would let go of his head, he would sink.  He got some water up his nose a few times, and got a little scared.  However, he did try to do the Starfish three more times on his own, and for that, we are proud of him.  He then successfully kicked himself to the wall...(and yes, that is Mommy's butt).

After some hard swimming, they finished with some entertainment and fun.

On the car ride home, Bode said, "I didn't do the Starfish very well." (Actually he said, "very good," but we are grammatically correct on this blog).  We told him the standard, practice-makes-perfect encouragement (parental B.S.), so we'll see how he responds.

After swimming, we rushed home, showered up, and then headed out to lunch.  Bode loves Souper Salad, which is a salad and soup buffet that also has pizza, mac-n-cheese, and ice cream for dessert.  Bode was very concerned when we arrived, because the last time we went there, the ice cream machine was broken--talk about disappointment!  Fortunately, the machine was in working order and after we dined, we all enjoyed some ice cream.  We then headed up to the Air Force Academy for the Falcon's basketball game against San Diego St, who were ranked #22 heading into the game.  This was Bode's first college basketball game, and he was excited.

And before I go on, yes, it was a beautiful day--high in the 50's!  Bode was even more excited when we got inside and he saw there was popcorn.

Air Force Academy basketball is not, at least historically, competitive.  They had a couple strong years in 2003 and 2004, but recently, they have stunk.  They were picked to finish last in the Mountain West prior to the start of the season.  Surprisingly, USAFA is doing well, amassing a 13-6 record and riding a 4-game winning streak.  More folks than usual turned out for the game--maybe close to 6,000--so the place was rocking.  Here is a game photo (should I sell it to SI?)

Bode paid attention...for a little while.  After the first-half, he was ready to go.  Fortunately Ashley's phone has Angry Birds and Bad Piggies, so he was content.

The game was extremely exciting.  USAFA was up five at the half, went down three at the start of the second half, and then it was back and forth.  I was determined to get a movie of USAFA doing something good, but every time I filmed, they would screw up.  Finally, I was able to capture the following footage.  And the voice you hear saying, "They're gonna score" is me, trying to will the team to some points.

This three-pointer put them up by nine with about five minutes to go.  Unfortunately, SDSU whittled away at the lead, and with fifteen seconds left, USAFA was up by 1.  We drew a foul, and our guy made both free-throws.  Then, SDSU had the ball for one last chance, but they missed a three-pointer, got the rebound, tried another three, missed again, and then the buzzer sounded.  The crowd went wild, and many cadets stormed the court.  We remained in our seats and applauded conservatively :-)

We didn't do much the rest of the day.  I walked Harley, did some tax work, while Ashley did some real work.  Bode relaxed--he played real hard today.  Super Bowl tomorrow...we may watch...or not :-)

More Swimming and the Broadmoor

We had quite the weekend.  Saturday, Bode had his second swim lesson at Donna's Dolphins.  Here are some action photos.  I can't provide much commentary because I was not at the lesson.  Ashley said Bode did great.  He listened to all the instructions, did everything he was told, and was starting to look comfortable in the water.  She said it was very funny when Bode went down the slide (last picture).  He'd never gone down a slide into the water like this one, so at the bottom, he puts the breaks on and comes to a halt, not knowing he should have kept going into the pool.  Very cute.

The reason I did not go to the swim lesson is I ran a race Saturday morning.  Nothing major--four miles.  My goal time for a great race was 26:00, and I ran a 26:19, so I was very pleased (~6:35 per mile pace).  In Colorado Springs, this is good enough for EIGHTH PLACE in my age group.  Yes, 8th.  Usually, I was in the top three or four in local races in Dayton.  And it's not that I'm slower--the pace for this distance this early in the year was very good (for me).  Oh well...I guess I'll have to train harder :-)

Today was a day to eat.  We went to the Broadmoor for their famous Sunday brunch.  We ate a small dinner Saturday night, and Ashley and I both worked out early Sunday morning.  Come brunch, we were famished.  Even Bode knew not to eat so much for breakfast because we were heading to a major buffet.  We decided to wear our nice clothes, probably because we rarely have an occasion to do so.  Before we left and since the day was lovely, we decided to take some pictures.  First up is Bode and Mommy.

Next, Mommy took a picture of Daddy and "Hollywood."

Of course, Bode wanted to take a picture of Daddy and Mommy.  Evidently he needs to point the camera a little higher.

We drove to the Broadmoor in the Beamer, parked, and walked to the feast.  Hard to believe it is January in Colorado...

We had about ten minutes to spare, so we sat by the fountain.  In this first picture, I look a little stiff.

Mommy suggested we loosen up a bit, and nothing loosens us up like the Tickle Monster.

The food smelled great, and we were getting anxious to eat.  Fortunately, our name was called and we headed inside.

We had a great meal--eggs, sausage, bacon, salmon, gigantic shrimp, duck, roast beef, an assortment of fruits, pancakes, waffles, and a bunch of desserts.  I think we both made three trips--but we didn't really pile on the food like we could when we were younger :-)  Bode ate his fill, and really enjoyed the chocolate fountain.

Before going home, we decided to walk around the property to try to burn off some of those pounds.  A passerby was kind enough to take our picture.  I've no idea what Bode was doing...

We were lazy this afternoon.  Bode and I went up to the pool for about an hour, and now I'm really feeling the effects--I think I've mentioned how tired I am after we go swimming.  It's only 4:45, and I'm ready for bed :-)  Pleasant week to all.

Donna's Dolphin

Wow, first post of the New Year.  Who would have thought it would be 19 days into 2013 before we would do something blog-worthy.  Sadly, we've been lazy and boring people.  Plus, the weather has been horrible--the week school started, highs were in the 20's.  The highs!  Horrible.  Of course, we do live in the mountains, so I guess I should not act startled by these low temperatures.  On one Saturday, I did a running race.  Temp at the start-gun was a balmy 15 degrees.  I did NOT wear shorts, although there were some (fools) who did.  I have another race next Saturday, and I think the temps will be a bit warmer, which should translate to a faster time (yes, I'm saying it was too cold for me to run fast, and I'm standing by that story :-)

Today, Bode had a swim lesson.  We've been to the pool at the health club, and the little guy loves it.  However, he's not really swimming when we are in the pool.  He runs around, does the slide, and will even venture into water that is up to his shoulders, but if his feet can't touch, he's history.  We have some friends whose kids are actually swimming in the pool, diving under water, retrieving toys.  Therefore, we decided to enlist the aid of a professional swim organization in an effort to get Bode his swimmer badge.  The instruction is one-on-one, so there's no chance for him to get lost in the crowd.  Thirty minutes with a teacher and Bode solo in the pool.  I didn't think he would do well, as whenever I have tried to teach him to swim, he quickly loses interest and wants nothing of it.  Fortunately, this was not the case.  Here are some action photos.  First up is Bode being carried around the pool with Miss Mel, getting to know each other, and establishing trust.

Next, they did some fun things, like blowing bubbles in the pool.

Then, Miss Mel helped Bode practice putting the side of his head and then his face in the water.  It kinda looks like she is drowning him, but he was having tons of fun.

Next, they did the "starfish" position, or back-float.  I'm amazed Bode did this, because any time I ever tried to get him to do this, he would scream and freak out.  Evidently I'm not the best of swim instructors.  Hopefully my EE instruction is better.

Here is a short movie of Bode floating.  He looks like a log.

He also practiced floating on his tummy with his arms on two kick-boards, and he was even doing a mini-dive into the water, putting his arms above his head and lunging toward the wall.  At the end was a bit of play time in the big canoe.

Bode has a second lesson next Saturday.  I'm tempted to take him up to the pool and see if we can recreate some of what he did this first lesson, but I'm afraid I'll do more harm that good :-)  Ashley and I did a yoga class today.  It was great--and not only because the hot twenty-something in front of me was wearing black-stretch pants that, after numerous cycles through the washing machine, had become somewhat, ah, err, diaphanous.  Downward dog has never been more fun.  Happy MLK weekend to all.

Final Post of the Year

2012 has come to an end.  Well, almost.  It's 10 pm on December 30th, so I'm jumping the gun a bit.  Probably because I have sooo many New Year's Eve parties to attend (none).  We've had a lovely holiday, with lots of time off, lots of eating, and lots of laziness.  Just kidding on the last note--Ashley and I were very diligent and worked out every day.  Tomorrow will be a day of football and some house-keeping.  We should clean the place up, and maybe go to the store and buy something other than ham.  Bode has enjoyed being home, but I think he gets bored with just Mom and Dad around.  We've spent some time with friends, and he's always happy with kids his age.  Plus, today he asked if we could go back to Sean and Brenna's house.  Fortunately he has Harley to keep him company.

She just makes her sweet self comfortable on the good chair.  Harley had some visitors this morning.  I walked into the sun room and right in front of the window were some deer.  Harley spooked them away before I could get the camera, but I did manage to take this shot.  Note how attentive Harley is--if only the window wasn't there...

This break was nice--sort of a mini-retirement for me, as I did not shave for almost ten days.  Bode didn't like the scratchiness, and commented on my whiskers.  He even wanted this picture.

I'm not sure if we have any real resolutions.  I turn 40 in 2013, so I know I don't have many fast running years left.  Thus, I'm going to give it my all for one last year of personal bests.  I'm sure this will last to maybe February.  Of course, I do hope to run the USAF Marathon in September, but I'll see how the winter goes.  Have a Merry New Year and we'll see you in 2013!

Truck Town USA

Bode likes trucks.  I mean, he really likes them.  I decided to get them all out of the garage for a group photograph.  Below are the big trucks.  There are plenty of smaller-sized one that were deemed unworthy of this picture.

I asked Bode which one he likes best.  "All of them."  Just a statement--no real favorite, all of them have the place of honor in his heart (although we did get him the bull-dozer Santa forgot, so he might favor that one for a few days).  We've been lazy this break--lots of eating and sleeping.  It's going to be hard getting back into the swing of things.  Fortunately, we still have five (FIVE!) stay home days.  Ahh, gotta love Christmas break.  Pleasant day to all.

Dinner with the Rankins

We headed up to Denver for a Christmas dinner with Dave, Kathy, Teddy, and Charlie.  Kathy's mother, Marci, and her friend Gary, were there as well.  We had a lovely time.  The kids were playing with all their Christmas loot, while we nibbled on snacks as the turkey baked to perfection.  We ate too much (a theme this Christmas) and enjoyed all the delicacies one would expect at Christmas dinner.  Afterwards, time to open more presents.  Ashley and I agreed having multiple gift openings made Christmas seem longer.  However, we worry Bode will think he gets gifts every time we go somewhere.  Sadly, Bode continued his poor manners after opening his gift from Aunt Kathy and Uncle Dave.  We (Ashley and I) always appreciate clothes for the little dude.  Him, not so much.  It was almost a repeat, with him saying, "Do you have any other presents for me?"  Ungrateful little sh*t :-)  Oh well--maybe we should let him buy his own clothes.  Then, he'll start to realize the importance of nice fitting pants.  Ok, enough blasting Bode--he is only five.  Here are some action photos.  Below is a shot of Bode "helping" Charlie play with his new truck.

Next we have Teddy tearing into a Wii game.  I think this was when he opened Donkey Kong Country Returns.  He really seemed to like it.

Finally, here is a nice shot of the Rankin cousins and Bode playing with a dinosaur/truck thingy.  Lots of entertainment.

That about puts a wrap on Christmas 2012.  We loved spending time with family and appreciate how close we are to so many relatives.  Bode thoroughly enjoys playing with his cousins, and is always sad when we leave.  However, we promise to visit often and invite everyone to come see us in return.

One final note:  As many of you know, I provide a Christmas gift list to aid in you picking something out for me.  I don't expect anything, and I am very appreciative for everything you give me.  However, I must point out one of the nice things about the list and email is you can keep track of who is getting what, thereby preventing duplicative gifts.  Sadly, I received not one, not two, but THREE copies of Halo 4.  Like I said, I appreciate the effort...:-)  Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Christmas in Colorado

The forecasters were correct--we had a White Christmas!  Granted, it was about an inch, but white none-the-less.  We woke up to an excited Bode running into our room telling us, "Santa Came!"  The proof was the missing cookies, cookies which we had left specifically for Santa.  Evidently the jolly old man wasn't famished--probably too many cookies at the neighbors'--but he did eat most of what we left.

Bode dragged us to the living room--sure enough, there were more presents there than when he had gone to bed.  This, combined with the missing cookies, was concrete evidence of Santa being in our house.  Unfortunately, we hadn't set the security cameras, so we didn't get any footage.  Before proceeding to open gifts, Bode posed for a picture.

He dove head first into his gifts, tearing at the paper with reckless abandon.  Well, perhaps he was a bit more civilized, but you get the idea.  Here are some action shots.

Here is a movie.  After watching it, I realize Bode has a lot to learn about opening gifts.  His speed isn't quite up to snuff.

Here is picture of Bode in the middle of all his presents.  Why do all little kids think the big gifts are the best?

Here is another movie.  I'm including it because it documents Mommy and Daddy's (and Santa's) big Christmas error.  Bode had asked for a crane and all this other stuff.  At some point, he started asking for a bull-dozer.  We both thought we'd gotten the bull-dozer or that someone else had gotten it.  Thus, at the end of this video, you can hear Bode say, "Where's that bull-dozer?"  I think tomorrow we will go and get him one :-(

Fortunately, Bode wasn't distraught about the missing bull-dozer, and he proceeded to enjoy himself.  Mommy spent a good part of the morning putting together the combined Police Station / Fire House.  Lots of fun.

It must have smelled good to Harley.  We had a lovely Christmas opening presents.  Later in the day, we headed up to Denver for dinner with the Rankins.  Stay tuned!