Catching up with January

Month 1 of 2012 and it seems like I'm already apologizing for the lack of activity on our blog in the new year...We've had a lot going on and it's time to catch everybody up on the comings and goings of our clan.

This particular post is going to be a mix and match of pics and stories, so apologies if it bounces around some.

Landon has been growing by leaps and bounds both developmentally and physically. He's getting very good at riding his bike (with training wheels), cruising around on his scooter, and he's REALLY into playing games with Michaela and I. His favorite game is Candyland, we're working on Connect Four, and he loves card games like "Go Fish", "Slap Jack", "Old Maid", and "Memory". I think the next one we're going to introduce him to is "Sorry", that was always one of my favorites. He's also way into the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles these days and in the picture here you can see him pretending to be Raphael...I know Kung Fu!

At school, they had a "Winter Gala" again this year, and unlike last year, Landon managed to stay in front with his classmates the whole time and was actually one of the few kids that sang all the songs and danced all the dances...it was great to see how he's changing as he gets older...and it was funny to see the younger kids do exactly what he did last year. Speaking of school, they recently told us that they're looking to move him up to the next classroom (Pre-K or 4-5 years) in the next few weeks or so which will be very exciting for him....we can't believe that this time next year we'll be looking for his first Elementary school!

In other Landon-related news, he had his first ever soccer practice yesterday. Yes it's official, our weekends (and our money) are officially spoken for, for the next 10-12 years or so.... I am pleased to say that he did fantastic! We drilled into his head all week long that he needed to be a good listener and do exactly what his coach said. We were a little worried because 3 of Landon's best buddies (Anthony, Jack, and Lucas) were all going to be on the team as well and when they all get together, shenanigans typically ensue. All the boys did great and it was really fun to see them run around for an hour plus...I spent most of that time laughing at the boys as they did their best not to use their hands, as well as when Jack decided he needed a break and laid down right in the middle of the field!

As for other news, Michaela and I are still in training for our upcoming races, but we've both been bitten by the injury bug...both of us are having some knee problems which frustrate the heck out of us....we're doing our best to rehab them as well as trying to manage the pain enough to run, but it definitely makes us long for healthier days...

We did end up running with 200 or so other runners on a training run up in Cool, CA on Saturday morning and it was pretty nice...I wanted to post a picture or two so you guys could really get a feel for where we run and why we do it...the views are spectacular! As you can see though, the trails are sometimes dangerous and one bad step will send you tumbling down fairly steep terrain. The real fun is running through creeks of icy mountain water that go up to your knees, avoiding low tree branches, and constantly checking your legs for Lyme disease-carrying ticks!

That's pretty much it for January...we're now focusing on what February will bring...it looks like I'll be traveling to New York and New Jersey for a week or so, and I'm sure we'll have a few other things randomly pop up along the way....all in all, 2012 has started off just fine and we're looking forward to seeing what comes next....

Cheers Everybody!