Santa

We took Warren to see Santa Claus last weekend.  He was all about it... until we actually got in line.  He even practiced telling Santa he wanted a choo choo train for Christmas.  But all was lost.  Warren wanted nothing to do with jolly old St. Nick. 

Sick

There's not much going on with the Burkholders this week.  We've all been sick (whomp, whomp).  Warren came down with the flu (or something flu-like) on Wednesday... then Mike... then me.  Today is the first time I've been out of bed in 2 days and I'm still not feeling all that great.  Day care seems to have become the bringer of chaos and destruction, as far as our immune systems go.  And yes, we did get flu shots back in October, so whatever this was don't count on your flu shot protecting you.

Warren's 2nd Birthday

We survived another year and Warren celebrated in style with 2 sets of grandparents.  We had a morning of opening presents (which Warren was very into this year).  Among some little odds and ends from mom & dad, Warren received a trike from Grandma & Grandpa Score and a sandbox from Grandma & Grandpa Burkholder!  He was very excited.  Then we had a little lunch with birthday cupcakes and took an afternoon safari to Warren's favorite place... the Zoo!

Idaho Wine Tasting

Both my parents and Mike's parents came for a visit earlier this month, so we decided to take them on a mini wine tour of our area.  It was a beautiful, warm sunny fall day and the scenery was fantastic!  We started our tour at the Williamson Orchards and sampled some great fall produce and some fantastic apple cider... and then we hit their wine bar.

The next stop was the Ste. Chapelle Winery (my favorite).  My mom even had a case of wine
shipped to her house.

Our final stop was the Koenig Winery and Distillery.  We sampled some great dessert wine, brandy, and vodka.

The adults could have kept on touring and tasting, but our little 2 year old companion was ready for some food and a nap, so we called it a day.

How many engineers does it take to lay a floor?

So we finally got around to installing our new floor on Saturday.  As many of you already know, my husband is a mechanical engineer.  Four of his coworkers/engineer buddies came over on Saturday to help install the floor.  This was a very funny situation to sit back and watch (not that I could do any better).  There were lots of calculations and debate over the best approach.  There was even a 3D computer drawing of the floor (nerds).  We had a good time and I sooooo appreciate the help and thank you everyone for pitching in!

Here are a few iPhone snap shots of the day.  Better before and after pics to follow.

our little helper

the finished hallway

W passed out after a hard day's worth of work

My 35th

I turned 35 earlier this month while we were on vacation.  I kicked of the celebration that morning by running from WI to MN and back via the Richard I. Bong memorial bridge.  Mike came with me for moral support... and to carry my water; he's a good husband!  It was a 4.5 mile run and the scenery was fantastic. The traffic noise however was a little more than I had bargained for.  All the years I lived in Superior, I had never crossed that bridge on foot, now I can cross it off my bucket list.

When Mike and I got back from our run, my adorable 7 year old twin nieces (Madeline & Lauren) had created a "surprise" party for me.  There were streamers and signs all over the house.  There was even a cake!

The whole family spent the afternoon adventuring at Spirit Mountain.  We rode the Timber Twister alpine coaster and the Timber Flyer zip line.  I thought the zip line was a bit more like a giant swing than a zip line, but if you've never been zip-lining before this is an easy introduction... a little less intimidating.

The celebration continued that evening when we all (Mike, Warren, me, Matt, Rena, Madeline, Lauren, Mom, Doug, Dad, Sally, Millie, Patty Jo) went out to dinner at a teppanyaki style restaurant.  It was fun, although Warren slept through most of dinner; he did wake up in time to eat my ice-cream.

It was a great day and I was happy to be able to spend it with family.



Morning Run Face




Surprise!

My Birthday Signs



the cousins playing together





Family Dinner





my kid can't stay awak in the car

 

The gang at dinner

W eating my icecream

Rocketfish Wireless Bluetooth Headphones

My husband gave me a pair of wireless headphones for my birthday and I love them!  They are so nice to wear while running.  It's great not to have a stupid wire bouncing around or pulling at you.  I picked this particular pair because I'm not a fan of ear buds or any type of head phone that goes into the ear.  I feel like they never fit right and they block out too much street noise (because I like to be able to hear cars and know what's going on around me while I'm running).  This pair sits on top of your ear and has a plastic piece that wraps around the back of your neck, without actually touching your neck, so they are comfortable.  I had no issue with them bouncing or falling out of place.  And I thought the sound quality was great.  Run right out and get yourself a pair!

Summer Vaca: Touring Duluth

While we were home visiting our family in Superior, we spent a perfect sunny summer day wandering Duluth.  We strolled the Lake Walk, Rose Garden, and Canal Park; just lovely.

Canal Park, Duluth MN

Canal Park Arial Lift Bridge, sail boats coming through

Leif Erikson Park & Rose Garden... W's "Bucket" Face

Leinenkugels :)

Lunch at Sir Benedict's Tavern on the lake

Superior Man Triathlon: Duluth, MN

While we were on vacation last month, Mike completed in the Superior Man 70.3 Triathlon.  He did awesome and finished with a time of 5:33.  Usually when Mike races, it's just Warren & me cheering him on.  This time we were back home with the family and took full advantage of having our own cheering section!  Here are some pictures of the event.

Yes, we had matching t-shirts made (and yes, I know how cool we are).
Team Burkholder
seventy point freaking three
TRI to Keep Up!

Summer Vaca

We've been on vacation since last week.  We are living it up back home in Wisconsin with our family.  Mike competed in the Superior Man triathlon on Sunday, August 26th, and finished with his best time ever (5hrs 33mins).  We had some special "Team Burkholder" t-shirts made just for the occasion.  It was a great day and the weather was beautiful.  I'll post some pics when we get home.

Urine: Search and Destroy!

Perhaps you have a dog that isn't quite housebroken or a potty training toddler.  Or maybe, like my mother, you have a 15 year old cat who decided to urinate on your brand new $2500 rug!  What ever the case may be, one thing is sure, urine stinks!  And particularly cat urine... it's a special punch-you-in-the-nose kind of stink.

So how the heck do you get the smell out?  And how the heck do you find the urine spot when you weren't even there to witness the infraction?  The answer: black light.  Turn off all the lights, close the blinds, pull the drapes and turn on a black light.  Unless you have a professional light, you will probably have to get on your hands and knees and shine the light close to the floor, but it will be obvious when you find the spot!  And perhaps (like me) you will find several spots that you were blissfully unaware of.  Resist the urge to punch your pet in the snout. 

Now that you have found the urine spots, you will have to work on eliminating the oder.  I am a firm believer in using more natural remedies rather than buying weird chemical cleaners with ingredients I can't pronounce from a store.  This is what I do:
Saturate the spot in white vinegar (I have a spray bottle filled with vinegar for easy application)
Let the vinegar soak in for a minute or two
Blot (do not rub) the vinegar with a towel (stand on top of the towel)
Cover the spot with baking soda and rub it into the slightly damp spot until it balls up and get crumby
Sprinkle a little more baking soda over the spot to cover it completely and let it dry
Vacuum up the baking soda and wallah!

If after this process you still have an oder, try mixing 1/4 cup of hydrogen peroxide (color test first) with 1tsp of liquid dish soap.  Work this solution into the carpet with a scrub brush.  Blot up and use a little water to dilute the cleanser and blot again until you feel you have gotten the soap out of the carpet.

Good luck and I hope this helps!

The Rookie

Do you ever feel like a first time mom who doesn't know what the hell she's doing?  Yep, me too.  Two years into motherhood and I still feel that way.  Just this past weekend Warren morphed into a terrible two year old.  He now has tantrums over anything and everything.  His favorite words are "mine" and "no"; and not just an average "no", a loud, drawn out, emphatic "nnnooooohhhh".

On Saturday we ran into Babies R Us and they had one of those little kiddie rides in the front door (You can see where this is going right?) and Warren was gazing up at it with a twinkle in his eye.  He had never been on one before and I was excited to see his reaction, so I put him on it.  Rookie mistake!  When it was time to get off he had a fit; a loud shrieking, kicking and hitting fit.  I somehow didn't see this one coming.  My husband laughed at me.  I forgot that we can no longer do anything fun without him totally flipping out when it's time to go.  I hate this! 

This morning he had a nuclear meltdown because I didn't let him take his snack trap into daycare with him.  Oh, and last night when I picked him up from daycare he totally assed-out about getting into his car seat.  I had to wrestle him into the seat and practically pin him down to get him buckled in while he screamed "no, no, NOOOOHHHHH!".  Yep, I'm that mom.  The one you walk by in the parking lot with your silent judgement secretly critiquing and making mental notes of everything I'm doing wrong and how I could have avoided the situation.  Little help here?  Can any of you seasoned professional moms out there share your wisdom with the rest of us?

The Haps

In case you were wondering (and let's face it, you weren't),  here's what I'm obsessed with lately:

Hudson Jeans
Sweet Jesus!  I tried a pair of these babies on last week and I'm SOLD... only I'm not quite sold on the price tag and couldn't bring myself to drop the $200 before dropping another 10lbs.  We'll see how that goes.

Panda Express lunches
Weird, I know.  I'm oddly obsessed with this place for lunch.  I usually order a 2 entree plate like this: steamed mixed veggie side, string bean chicken & kung pao chicken (470 calories and low-ish carb)

Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer
I always have a tube of this on me.  My favorite shade is peony, but occasionally I'll wear strawberry.  I have about 7 tubes; one in every purse and one in my desk drawer at work.

Garnier Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector Beauty Balm
Everyday.  Love!

Neutrogena Body Clear Body Wash, Pink Grapefruit
Ok, so when I'm running outside in the summer heat I sweat like a beast... which could lead to nasty bacne, yuck!  When I get home from a run I jump in the shower and suds myself up with this stuff.  It smells like heaven and nips the bacne in the bud.

The Vampire Diaries
I recently started watching this teeny-bopper TV series via netflix and now I'm totally hooked. The new season starts October 11th.  Can't wait!

The Poor Man's Cinnamon Roll

In the Burkholder house, we have a fast and easy cheat for when we would really love to have a cinnamon roll for breakfast (or dinner for that matter), but wouldn't love to eat all those calories or spend the time baking. Here it is, our Burkholder "Poor Man's Cinnamon Roll":

Toast a slice of bread (we use Kirkland whole wheat 80 calories per slice)
Spread some butter
Sprinkle some cinnamon & sugar
Top with whipped cream cheese frosting (we use Betty Crocker, 2 TBS = 100 calories... & you don't need 2TBS!)

It comes out hot and gooey and satisfies the craving without derailing all your hard work (training) and good behavior (nutrition). 

*Tip: if you have a toaster oven use that instead of the toaster, then you get a nice baked goods smell too

Sunday Funday

It was a pretty action packed Sunday for the Burkholder family.  We got up early, ate breakfast, got ready and headed to the zoo.  We've learned that it's important to hit the zoo first thing in the morning while the animals are active, before it gets too hot.  Zoo Boise opens at 9:00 AM during the summer months and we were there at 9:15.  It was our most exciting zoo excursion thus far.

We were really hoping to catch the lions in action, since Warren seems to be going through a lion phase... or maybe it's just because he can actually pronounce that word... not quite sure.  Anyway we wandered back towards the lions but only made it as far as the giraffes, who were very close to the fence, so we snapped a few pics.  Then they started running around and Warren got really excited.  So we stayed and watched the giraffes frolic for awhile before heading to the lions' den.

When we got to the lion enclosure, the male was laying on top of a rock... not very exciting but at least he was out and visible and not inside his cave.  As we stood admiring him, Warren shouting "lion" and making roar sounds, the lion got up and meandered over to the glass directly in front of us.  Warren got a little nervous and started climbing my leg.  The lion was very close.  So close he was fogging up the glass in front of us.  It was pretty cool.  Mike snapped a few pics.  Warren apparently only likes lions from far away... can't say a blame you pal.

Post lion excitement, we decided to pay the tigers a visit.  Warren called the tigers lions; I hope they weren't too offended.  We tried to explain the difference and get him to say tiger.  No such luck, it's all lions to him.

After our zoo fun, it was time for some training.  Mike had an hour and 15 minute training run on
his agenda, so I decided I would go for a run as well. Even though I can't run with Mike (he's too fast and I can't keep up), we like to leave and return around the same time.  I took a dirt trail along the river in hopes of a breeze and some shade trees.  It was a bit cooler and shady, but with 100 degree temps, it's still hot no matter how you slice it.  I did 3.25 miles out and 3.25 miles back.  Mike did 8 miles with Warren in the jogging stroller.

I was so hot and sweaty when I got home that I suggested we check out our local community pool, so we did.  We hit the pool in Ivywild Park, and it was great.  They have two separate pools, one for the little guys and one for big kids.  The big kid pool has three water slides.  Even the kiddie pool had two cute little water slides.  Warren had a blast; it was perfect Sunday afternoon.

Table Manners

Here is Warren enjoying some chow mein on Saturday night.  He liked it so much he gave up on the fork and just started shoveling it in by the fist full. 

Yonanas

This week I'm loving our new Yonanas machine. We picked it up last Sunday at Bed Bath & Beyond (20% off coupon). 
I've been having a blast all week making up new flavor combinations, and Warren loves it. Yay for healthy desserts!

Tantrum Tuesday

Warren and his "Stop, Drop & Roll" tantrum.  Enjoy!

Hand Foot & Mouth

Warren got sick last Sunday (when he vomited all over me and the kitchen floor, yuck).  We assumed it was just some sort of stomach bug, but when Thursday rolled around and he was still running a fever, I took him to his doctor.  She said it was hand foot and mouth disease.  Warren does in fact have sores all over his lips, tongue, gums & throat, but nothing on his hands or feet.  It's not pretty and it's painful; he hasn't been able to eat.  Mike started feeling pretty crappy on Friday, so he went to the doctor on Saturday who confirmed that Mike also has hand foot and mouth disease.  I am still symptom free, but seriously considered checking into a hotel to escape from the Burkholder house of illness.  Both my guys stayed home today... Warren seems to be on the mend now, hopefully he's taking care of Mike.

Toilets and Floors and DIY, oh my!

It was a very productive weekend for the Burkholder crew!  We decided to get busy on a few DIY projects around the house.

We replaced our 30 year old, low efficiency toilets yesterday with these two lovely ladies.

Here's a little before and after for you:

We picked out some new flooring, which I'm so excited about!  We decided to go with a handscraped engineered hardwood (love).  I feel like we got a good price (lower than the price on the website).  All 25 boxes are in stock and ready to be picked up.  Now we just need some friends who are willing to help us install.  I really wish my extremely talented contractor brother lived closer!

Sorry for the poor photo quality, my Nikon battery was dead and had to use the old cell phone.  (And yes, I know there is sticker on the front of the toilet. )

And the most exciting DIY project from over the weekend:

Warren made his first pee pee in the potty!

Sorry for he embarrassing shot buddy; you're just so darn cute, I can't help myself!

Next up on the DIY project list: paint kitchen cabinets.  That's a big fat time consuming project, so I've been putting it off.  I need to get on it... would like to have it done before new floors go down.