long weekend fun.

This past weekend was filled with family, friends, fun and forgetfulness.

To start, I used to pride myself on my memory. I could remember the tiniest detail, I never forgot a face or a name that went along with that face. My sister and I used to compare ourselves to swiss cheese- we were able to fill in the holes of each other's memories. Then I had kids and became a stay at home mom and my memory disappeared along with a few other things about my former self. Now I am the swiss cheese, except my brain has all the holes.

Friday kicked everything off. We decided it would be fun to meet some friends up at a local carnival. Logan is not crazy about rides. Who am I kidding? He won't even ride the merry-go-round at the zoo. But he loves a good train ride so I figured he'd be happy riding the train all evening. Which he did, twice and then totally surprised us by wanting to go on an airplane ride that went up in the air. As soon as he figured out he was no longer on the ground, he started to cry a little bit. The look on his face was priceless. He got off, and then he said he wanted to try the dragons...which also soar in the air. Did I mention Logan is afraid of heights? He got on and held on for dear life, but actually cracked some smiles during the ride. He's so funny- he takes so long to become accustomed to new and different surroundings. Not a big fan of change, that boy.

My husband is trying to get used to a new part of me this summer- the part that likes to have a drink or two. I am not a big drinker- I never have been. Matt definitely has always taken the cake in that category. When I was younger, I would order a glass of wine and let half of it go to waste...it took me a long time to actually appreciate a good drink. No longer. These days, I can't get enough of cold, refreshing, boozy goodness. So when I received my June issue of Everyday Food in the mail and in it was a recipe for a Watermelon Margarita, I got REALLY excited. And couldn't wait to get to the store for the ingredients. What better time to make margaritas from scratch than on the hottest weekend thus far this year? That and the fact it reminded me of a recipe I made last summer for tequila soaked watermelon wedges. MMMM.

I was definitely up to the challenge. Sugar syrup? Check. Pureed, strained watermelon? Check. Salted rim? No check. Not a fan of salt on my margarita. I poured the finished product into a pitcher and went to fill my glass with ice. I couldn't wait to take a taste...except when I got the ice cube tray out of the freezer, it was completely empty. We have a rule in our house- the last person to finish the ice refills the trays. And my husband is ice-aholic in our house. I was annoyed, to say the least. So I scooped up Meyer, clicked him into his carseat and drove the 1/2 mile to the nearest gas station for a bag of ice so I could enjoy my tall glass of fruity delight. One glass was all I needed and my annoyance magically melted away. ;)

recipe: watermelon margaritas
source: everyday food, june 2010

In a small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water and 3 strips wide orange zest to a boil over high. Reduce to a simmer and cook until sugar dissolves, 3 minutes. Let syrup cool. In a blender, puree 12 ounces watermelon cubes (about 2 cups) until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on solids, into a pitcher. You should have about 1 cup juice. Stir in syrup, 1/4 cup fresh lime juice and 3/4 cup tequila. Fill salt-rimmed glasses with ice, then pour margarita mixture over top. Garnish with lime wedges.

Sunday was a ME day. I got about 7 hours of blissful time with no kids. I love my kids and my husband, but I need a break every now and then and I think it's finally sinking in for my husband- if mommy is happy, everyone is happy!

The day started early with a 9 mile run which means there is exactly 2 weeks till my half-marathon! 12 weeks of training is almost complete and culminates next weekend with a 10 mile run and taper time. I finished 9 miles in 1 hour, 30 minutes exactly...10 minute pace. At this rate, I will be able to make a personal record in the half distance, but it's not quite at my goal- at or under 2 hours. So I have 2 weeks to work on speed!

Then it was off to the city to catch Sex and the City 2 with my little sister and one of my girlfriends. It was supposed to be a big group of us, but due to the holiday weekend, most everyone had plans already. I wasn't expecting much out of the movie...to be honest, as soon as I saw the fabulous foursome on camels in the previews, my expectations plummeted. But it was better than I expected and although most of the movie was like a dream fantasy, I could relate to one little part when Charlotte and Miranda were discussing the difficulties of motherhood and drinking to all the women who raise children without help. Hallelujah! I laughed out loud. After a yummy Thai lunch, it was back to reality for me. I was so proud of Matt though- he took the boys to a pool party while I was gone and they all came back in one piece! :)