Max the Dog, Mariah's Personal Torture Victim

So I figured I needed to put a picture with Max the Dog on here, too. Not only is he seriously the BEST running partner I could imagine, as he never says a word, runs at my pace (whatever that may be for the day), is ALWAYS ready and thrilled to go, looks scary so he provides protection in the dark and on lonesome roads and trails, lives in my house (otherwise Katie would be right there as the best partner), and can run up to 20 miles (I am sure longer too, but that is so far the longest) without ever getting winded; but he also provides free babysitting as he is Mariah's best friend. Who else would let her pull, poke, prod, wrestle, hit, tackle, attack, tease, torture etc without any consequences for hours on end!?!?!?! That Max is really a good dog. Last night I went down stairs to spy on Max and Mariah. The two of them often head downstairs to play (unbothered by the adults) while Ben and I eat dinner. So as I snuck downstairs to see what was going on without the watchful eye of Mommy, I watched Mariah pick up her tent and put the door whole over Max, thus locking him in the tent, and HYSTERICALLY laugh while he attempted to get out. When she spotted me a few moments later, she said, "Uh oh, where did Max go?" in her most innocent of voices. But I know the truth Mariah, I ALWAYS know the truth...

how to build a house

Sexy Dad

So I have been reading my friends' and family's blogs and they all talk about the wonderful husbands they have. So here is my tribute to my man. So Ben not only took the initiative to purchase his own company when he anticipated the slow-down of the real estate market, but he also constantly strives to do more around the house, more for Mariah, and more for me. He is SUCH a hard worker all day long, running a business single-handedly from our basement office. After he runs the office all day, doing the jobs of business owner, realtor, office manager, secretary, accountant, water-deliverer, and all other hats required for this business to stay afloat, he generously encourages me to go off to a movie with the girls (my mom and sis) while he puts Mariah to bed. By the time I get home a couple of hours later after a nice and relaxing time, I open the door to find my entire house cleaned from top to bottom. Literally. Not only does he put all of Mariah's messes of the day away and vacuum the whole upstairs and clean both upstairs bathrooms, he also somehow squeezes in vacuuming the whole basement and cleaning that bathroom as well. And he acts like it is no big thing. The longer we are married (it was 6 years in December), the more I realize that I am the lucky one in this marriage. He is SUCH an amazing Dad too. As is proven by the post about his relationship with M. So as I sit here typing away and listening to Ben play the guitar and sing with Mariah, I really am truly greatful for my amazing (and sexy) man!

Daddy's Girl

So I will just be honest. Regardless of how adament I was to not buy (or let anyone else for that matter) Mariah any shirts, jammies, sweaters, bibs, blankets, etc. with the phrase "Daddy's Girl" in any way insinuated in the wording, she has nonetheless turned out to be just that: A Daddy's Girl through and through. Not only was she born with his blonde hair and blue eyes, but she immediately calls for "Ben" when she gets hurt, needs food, needs bedtime, storytime, bathtime, and most all other "times" if Daddy is around to be asked. But hey I am not complaining; this means all of those other things I am off duty for! But thankfully she has her mommy's personality (to say the least). This child cannot sit still for 30 seconds, and is the most daring little thing I have ever known. If we are at a new park or play place and a slide looks too scary for me, I simply let Mariah go first, and if she survives I am confident I will too! Maybe I shouldn't admit that, but hey I am all about honesty. She can scale a mountain or fence or anything else that may be in her way faster than most adults. She swims like a fish, with her face in the water and arms paddling and legs kicking to get herself to the side of the pool WITHOUT human help (needing only the help of her life jacket.) Trampolines are one of her absolute favorite toys, and I am still amazed at how high she jumps all by herself. Her Aunt Katie said it best when she lovingly said Mariah is a SPAZ. True, just like her mom. She is either laughing or crying, sometimes both at once, and she keeps me always on the move. I look forward to the near future when she will replace my dog Max as my running partner. I am sure she will kicking my butt at any triathlons or marathons I do before she is baptised. What more can I say; this little girl rocks!