Sharks, Candy, and Lots and Lots of Mud

I have the most awesome friends in the world.  Seriously.  I've been wanting to do a mud run for awhile now, but most of my friends here in Vegas are either A.) pregnant or B.) not into running.  Enter my amazing friend Shawna Haugh.  Shawna and I met in Korea and, although the military moved her and her family to Tucson while we were sent to Vegas, we've remained good friends.  Her husband in deployed, and she was looking for an excuse to escape the monotony of the single mom life in Tucson . . . and the Dirty Girl Mud Run was the perfect excuse for a trip to Vegas!  And, although the main reason for her trip was the race, it didn't mean I couldn't show her and her sweet kiddos some fun while they were in town.  First stop:  the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay!

Our last trip to the Shark Reef was a nightmare.  We not-so-fondly remember it as the 'Mandalay Bay Massacre.' (Reminisce about it here, if you dare.)  Jonathan thought I was crazy for attempting it again. But, Matty was older this time, we wouldn't be skipping a nap, and I wasn't going to sacrifice a chance at fun in fear of a break-down.  So, we packed the kiddos in the car and headed down to the Strip.

It was a completely different story this time.  Matty was absolutely amazing:  no tears, only loads of curiosity and giggles.

Showing Kailey some fish . . . 

Talking to the fish in his own Matty language.

My absolute favorite picture.  We were in a tunnel, surrounded on three sides by water and colorful fish.

Three excited kiddos.

Making himself comfy while watching the sting rays.

I've been wanting to see the Titanic artifact exhibit for MONTHS, but Jonathan always has excuse to not go (he has fully adopted the Las Vegan attitude of 'Locals don't go down to the Strip).  We bribed the kids with the promise of a trip to M&M World if they would let be patient and let us do this.  They happily agreed. :)

Unfortunately, you aren't allowed to take pictures inside the exhibit but, trust me, if you are ever in Vegas, this is a MUST see.  It contains artifacts recovered from the wreckage including an unopened bottle of 1898 champagne, dishes, clothing, an a real piece of Titanic's hull.  When you enter, you receive a "boarding pass" which outlines the name and details of a real Titanic passenger; before you exit, you are given the chance to find your passenger on the manifest and see whether you "lived" or "died."  Shawna and Kailey lived; Skylar, Matty, and myself all perished.

After a quick pit-stop for lunch, we kept our promise and headed to M&M World.  This place is 4 stories of all things M&M's.  We started at the very top and made our way down.  Out of everything, Matty was most impressed with the display of the M&M car, of course.  

Which one of the kids is most ready for a nap? ;)

M&M goodies in tow, we headed home.  Later that day, Matty was either extremely exhausted or imitating one of the hobos on the Strip.  Take your pick.

Finally, the day of the race arrived.  My sweet husband graciously agreed to watch the kiddos for the morning while Shawna and I made our way down to Impact Sand and Gravel.  That's right:  the race was being held in a quarry.  Even for someone who has spent considerable time running on gravel roads, this was  going to be a challenge.  Oh, and it was 40 degrees at 8:30, the start of our wave.  Hypothermia, here we come!

Before the race . . . 

. . . and after (yep, a complimentary Natty Lite at the finish line.)

 It was only a 5K, nothing distance-wise I don't do almost every day, but I'm proud to say Shawna and I completely every obstacle, even though we had the option each time to go around.  Not only did we wade on our belly through near-freezing water and trudge through thick, shoe-sucking mud, but several of the obstacles involved climbing walls, scaling fences, and spider-monkey-ing our way up a few way, WAY too tall nets.  Despite Shawna's claustrophobia and my fear of heights, we did it all, coaching and pushing each other the whole way.  It was definitely the most challenging thing I've ever done and, not to toot my own horn, I am so super proud of both of us.  Not to mention we did it all to raise money for the National Breast Cancer Foundation.  We did it for the ta-tas! :)

I'd been training in a brand-new pair of running shoes for a few weeks now, but I kept my old ones for this one last "retirement race."  I've put over a thousand miles on this puppies, and it was good way to send them out in style.  They were rinsed off and donated after the race. 

Today I woke up a little stiff and sore, a little congested from swimming/running in near-freezing temperatures, and not to mention with my knees covered in bruises from crawling through the rocks and mud . . . 

. . . but it was SO worth it!  Go Dirty Girl! 

Happy Be-lated Valentine's Day, A Family Addition, and Other Wright Happenings

I'm sorry for the leave of absence.  I took a short hiatus from blogging after finishing the 52-week challenge; blogging every Sunday for a whole year was exhausting!  However, I'm back now, and I can focus on my favorite subject:  my family. :)

Things have been hectic around here since the start of 2013.  Jonathan's work schedule has been insane, with very little time off and a lot of time away instead.  Most days, it's just been me, Matty, and Oskar, with occasional sanity breaks from sweet friends.  Here's a quick look at what we've been up to while Daddy's been away. . . 

February brought a new addition to our family . . . and NOT the kind that involves more diapers.  I have loved aquariums since I was little; my dad used to have one that was always filled with beautiful fish.  I used to love watching them swim and watching him, a gruff, burly man who never really had a soft spot for animals, put so much love and effort into making sure those fish had a clean, perfectly chemically balanced tank.  (I'm sure watching this process was how I learned my first swear words, too). ;)  Anyways, we move so often that I knew a large tank was logistically impractical, but that didn't mean we couldn't commit to something smaller.  So, one morning, Matty and I went to PetSmart and came home with this guy . . . 

The fish has already gone through many names, including "Hulk" and, Jonathan's favorite, "The Kracken," but "Nemo" seems to have stuck.  Yes, it's cliched, but Matthew is well aware of what a "Nemo" is, thanks to Daddy's obsession with the movie "Finding Nemo" (SHHH . . don't tell him I told you!)  If you ask Matthew to "show you Nemo," he will take you right to the tank.  Soo . . . I think "Nemo" might be it.  

Anyways, I set the tank up during naptime and then moved it into his room, which will be its permanent place.  It is his fish after all, even though I will be the one taking care of it.  Matty was beyond excited, of course.

Totally not staged.  He held his "Finding Nemo" book up to Nemo's tank; he wanted me to read it to them.  Too. Stinkin'. Cute.

Love at first sight. 

We have since upgraded to a larger tank because Nemo didn't seem to happy in the small one.  After further research, turns out that goldfish need something much larger than a bowl or 1-gallon tank (despite all the movies and tv shows which show you otherwise.)  So, in an effort to give the little guy the best chance of survival, we upgraded to a bigger tank and gave him more "hiding" places (which apparently goldfish love).  This tank also has a better filtration system, hopefully cutting down on the time I will have to spend cleaning it. :)

Matthew admiring Nemo's new digs.  I think Nemo likes it, too; two weeks later, and he's still a kicking it. :)

February also brings my least favorite holiday:  Valentine's Day.  Jonathan and I have never really celebrated it and, honestly, if it wasn't for all the pink and red hearts all over Wal-Mart, I'd probably forget about it.  BUT, little kids' Valentine's Day is pretty cute, so I decided to let MJ take part in this stupid holiday.  We picked out some "do-it-yourself" cards (Thomas the Tank Engine, of course) and went to work.  It was regular sweatshop in my house, with MJ cranking out six Valentine's Day cards in about a week.  All of them were MJ originals; he picked out the stickers, placed them on the cards, and added a little Crayola artistic flair to each (when he wasn't trying to add a Crayola artistic flair to his mouth).

One of his finished products.

I knew I wanted a Valentine's Day picture of him but, instead of buying him a shirt that he'd only wear once, I decided to do a low-key photo shoot in our backyard using something we (read: I) already had:  red lipstick.  One quick smack-a-roo on the cheek, and then I was free to snap away with my camera.  Here are just a few of the ones I loved . . . 

Snuggling with mom, watching airplanes fly over-head . . . 

"Did you see that airplane, Mom?"

Giggles.

More giggles.

"Yes, I know I'm not supposed to be climbing on the table.  But aren't I cute?" :)

The weather here in Vegas is starting to warm up.  Mid-February and already in the mid-sixties to almost 70.  I am taking full-advantage because I know it will probably only be another month before it becomes unbearably hot and forces Matty and I inside for most of the day in an attempt to avoid heat stroke.  Anyways, now that he's old enough to really enjoy the park, we've been taking a "park tour" of our area of town, trying out different ones and seeing which ones we like the best.  And I have to hand it to Las Vegas:  it has an excellent park system.  Today, we ventured just down the road to Lone Mountain Discovery Park, a nice little park at the base of Lone Mountain.  Can you believe my in-laws, who are in their 70's, climbed this the last time they visited?  I will climb it before we leave here.  Oh yes.  I will climb it.

Anyways, although the park in our neighborhood has a spectacular view of the Strip, I actually kind of prefer the view from this one.  Nothing like watching your son play with his truck while a mountain rises up out of the ground behind him.

Weird to think he's going to grow up thinking mountains are no big deal; mountains will be to him what cornfields are to me. :) 

All of this awesome playground equipment kept him interested for about fifteen minutes.  He went down the slide three or four times, climbed up and down the stairs . . . and then decided to play in the dirt with his truck.

He did enjoy the swings quite a bit, though. :)

Happy Be-Lated Valentine's Day, everyone, and Happy February!