But, we all remember how tired we were making so many sweets (and dealing with a few failures). So, we’ve decided to only make four things.

Of course, my mom is already calling me suggesting more and more to bake. What happened to only making four things, mother?! She’s apparently having a hard time deciding on what to bake.

So, if you were receiving a basket of sweets, which four items below would you want in it? See the photo below the poll for a reference picture. And let me know if you have some favorite item that we did not include on the list!

[poll id="6"]

All the sweets we made last year, some items not included in the poll

And, one more poll, that Steven sort of inspired me to add at the last minute.

[poll id="7"]

Have I asked this before? Probably. Well, my perfect summer day is a day on the river, eating food, swimming and napping – a day like today! We’re at my parent’s cabin on the Mississippi River this weekend for my birthday, and we had great warm weather today!

The newest issue of Runner’s World came right before we left last night and I enjoyed reading it on the tube (I can’t ride it yet because of my wrist).

When we got here last night I opened up the door to the bedroom we stay in and my sister and her boyfriend were sitting in the bed in the dark, waiting to surprise us! I didn’t know they were coming. I screamed when I saw her (because it’s creepy when someone is sitting on the bed and you don’t expect ANYONE to be there). I am happy we got to see them.

Steven, me, Christina and Will at the beach.

Steven made me Tori’s special vegan cupcakes for my birthday. So good! I heard my grandma made me a vegan cake too. I am on my way over there now to find out… nom nom nom.

I hope everyone else is having a great summer day! August 1st is always a bit depressing for me – I feel like it is the beginning of the end of summer, probably just because it is the day after my birthday.

Data is missing an arm!

I am not sure why, but the text really made me laugh. I am still laughing about it today.

Sometimes you just need a good laugh to distract you from the things in life that are stressing you out. I get caught up in the little annoying things and forget that they are just little annoying things. Things that upset me but don’t really matter in the long run.

I am lucky to have someone in my life with such a fun sense of humor (meaning Steven, and well, Data too?).

There was a huge ramp at the end of it.

My brother Nick got some major air going down it.

I went down a few times.

It was a lot of fun.

Until I landed on my wrist. I can’t move it too much right now.

As long as I can run I don’t care. I may have to see a doctor though.

It’s really hard to type with my left hand only.

Editor’s Note: Check out the awesome splint & sling that Steven and my Grandma made me! And here’s a video of my sister’s boyfriend going down the slide.

Does this define your mom? It defines my mom to a T. Even though we are all grown now, she is still running around, helping everyone out, before she does what she wants to do. She thinks about everyone else’s well-being before her own. It’s amazing that our mothers (and fathers!) are so selfless. I’ll have to call my mother today and thank her for that.

Seeing her act this way has taught me to be considerate of other people’s thoughts, feelings and agenda. People need to feel special, and they feel special when you give them attention and show interest in their interests. Our parents are probably the people who are most able to make us feel special, because we almost always feel like they are focused on us (except for when the grandchildren are around). I mean, who else will drive 250 miles to watch you run your first half marathon, take home your broken down car and look the other way when you eat enough food all weekend for everyone who ran the race?

Bye bye Kimbot II!!!

I am lucky to have such great parents!

Okay, I lied, there are actual TWO things I am focusing on this Mother’s Day. The other thing is what a goober my mother is, how much she likes to have fun, and how she makes me feel like it is okay to be silly and enjoy life! Life is much more fun if you are able to laugh at something each day (hence the tagline – the most wasted of all days is one without laughter).

My mom and I do this hilarious (we think) thing when we sign our emails to one another. I am not sure who started it. Probably her (see -  I learned to be goofy from her!). It started off with simple closings like “hugs and kisses, mom” but then that turned into (see some examples below):

Her:

• Love and ciao, your mama (after an email about Italy)
• Love your lumpy mom
• love love love love you, mom
• always loving you, your funny bunny mommy.
• love, your laughing all the way to the book club, mommy. (tonight at 6:30)
• Love, Your “Oh Shit, can’t commit” mother (that sound like a cheer) (ha, ha)
• Love your robust mamma.
• P.S. I hate my life! love Mom (from an email with the subject “my f-ing paper”)
• p.s. I don’t hate my life, love mom (from the next email with the subject “sorry”)
• Love, your soon to be licensed to read, literary mama
• take care, love, your Kristi Yamagochi mama (Dad and I went ice skating today)
• Love forever and always your magnum P.I. Mommy
• love forever and always, Your Greastest Fan, Mom
• YO, YO, YO, your mama from the hood. ROCK ON Love MOM, Uncle Rocky and Aunt Adrian, keepin’ it real, in Evansdale!
• love ya always your food loving momma.
• Love Mountain Woman Momma (guess what crazy crazy (!!!!!!) movie of yours we watched over spring break at the cabin.)
• love and hugs from your small hometown greek village momma mia (singing and dancing the night away)
• love your Laura Ingalls Wilder country Mama Mia.
• Love you your country bench buildin’ mama mia.
• Love your Czechoslovakian Mamma
• Love forever and always, your sound of music momma
• love, your livin’ large momma
• Love your, skip to my loo my darling, mother
• Love your,Mother on the run, just got home time to unload the van
• Love you, not for long, bumpty bumpty mommy
• Love your gotta walk mother

Me:

• Love, Your Data’s in my spot so I have to sit in the middle of the couch daughter
• Love, Your “It’s time for mother to make the commitment” daughter
• Love, Your “Oh Shit, can I afford that car payment” daughter
• Love your slow-running but sticking with it daughter (I ran 6 miles today and Steven and I both got new shoes)
• Love Kimbo, your trying to quit swearing so damn much daughter
• Love, your Rocky offspring sore chest and quads daughter
• Love, Your coughing congested snot faced daughter
• Love you! Your Wall-E Robotic Mute Daughter
• Love, Your “I’m keeping it a secret” daughter
• Love, Your “you can do it!” daughter
• Love,Your numb faced daughter
• Love, Your “who the hell designed that website?” daughter
• Love, Your “not ashamed to pose” daughter
• Your “I hate that running makes me have the shits” daughter

Wow, mine are pretty lame compared to hers! Believe it or not, all of these closings realted to the content of the email in some way…

And with that, I am ending this scatter-brained post to enjoy my day!

I think giving up those things would take some getting used to. But maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad goal for 2009?

I know I would like to:

• Spend more time with family and friends, preferably in person, or on the phone/email/letters
• Start playing the violin again
• Play board games/learn to play cards
• Read more books
• Spend more time running or pick up a new sport