Who Knew?

Last month I joined a gym, and so far it's been a great success. I actually enjoy spending time there, and the kids seem to like it too. (In addition to the "Kid's Club," they have spent lots of time in the pool, kicking around balls on an indoor soccer field, and being jealous of all the 5+ year olds that get to rock climb. When Ada sees the two story rock climbing room, she says, "My turn, my turn!!")

A couple weeks ago I got an evaluation for new members, and got a pretty clean bill of health. After a bunch of tests, my "real age" was determined to be 32! I resisted the idea that I should exert much more energy on working out, but this guy convinced me that the only path to a better bootie is lifting weights. I almost kicked him when he said twin toddlers don't count.

As it turns out, they have weight training classes, and I've gone five times. The first time, I was hobbling around afterward like I should be knitting in a rocking chair. Apparently this is proof that I'm not as strong as I thought. But I'm killing it now! Who knew I had it in me?

Time For Pretend

Ada and Logan have started showing an interest in pretend play, so we spent Grandma C's xmas gift on some new pots and pans! They are super cute, and the kids seem to love cooking their soup, and drinking their coffee. It's fun to watch!

Guess What?

I'm going to be an aunt! My brother and sis are expecting a boy in mid-June. Here's the evidence. Congratulations you two, I'm so excited for you!!

Ada and Logan will be wonderful mentors and role models, as long as Atticus needs advice on peanut butter and pillow pets.

Aerialist Photoshoot

A few days ago I was invited to assist with an interesting photo shoot of aerial gymnasts. Now THIS is a pretty crazy hobby. Haven't you seen Cirque du Soleil and thought how much fun it would be to do? Well apparently, you can.

My friend Ron - salsa dancer extraordinaire - is starting a business selling calendars with dance themes, here is the work he's done so far. I was there to help him with the studio lighting, so all my shots are taken in the practice area, but I kind of like that, you can see the behind-the-scenes gear. It was an interesting shoot, and motivating to watch a friend who is also starting out!

Poop To Power

The inventiveness of the human race amazes me.

I try not to assign a lot of homework, but this project is just so awesome, take a look, and vote for poo (and creativity). It won't take long, and think of how useful the elephants will feel!

And The Winner Is...

Well, 2010 was an interesting year for books. Either I was completely engrossed in what I was reading, or it was total crap and I suffered for no good reason. I read the same number as last year, 21 books -- a far cry from my goal of 52.

But I didn't shy away from long books this year. Out of curiosity I totaled it up, and I read 9,200 pages this year, an average of 440 per book! I was pretty evenly divided on fiction versus non-fiction, the only category that I neglected was classics, so I'll have to be more conscious of that. I did try a couple biographies this year, and found them both pretty tedious, go figure.

The best book I read in 2010 was Sh*t My Dad Says, by Justin Halpern. It's short and sweet, and crass and funnier than any book I can remember. I adored it!

Here's the rest:

1) Sh*t My Dad Says - Halpern
2) Super Freakonomics - Levitt
3) The Book of Vice - Sagal
4) The Seige - White
5) Under the Dome - Stephen King
6) What the Dog Saw - Gladwell
7) The Help - Stockett
8) At Home: A Short History of Private Life - Bryson
9) The Confession - Grisham
10) Presumed Innocent - Turow
11) Free: The Future of a Radical Price - Anderson
12) Dark Tide - Gross
13) Gold Coast - DeMille
14) Alice in Wonderland - Carroll
15) The Year of the Flood - Atwood
16) The Girl with Glass Feet - Shaw
17) The Fleet Street Murders - Finch

and maybe don't bother so much with

18) Lust for Life, Biographical Novel of Vincent Van Gogh - Stone
19) de Kooning - Stevens
20) Adobe Lightroom 3 - Kelby
21) Understanding Exposure - Peterson