Ella's First Birthday Party!

Today we had Ella's 1st B-day shindig! It was quite a LONG day, starting with an attempt at an 11 mile run with Keith this morning. When I say attempt, I mean we ran about 9.8 miles, and then the 98% humidity forced us to stop and walk if we wanted to continue to live rather than drown in the surrounding saturated air. Yes, it was stupid. No, we shouldn't have even attempted the run. But next week will seem that much easier for having done it. That's what I tell myself anyway. So, anyway, left the house at 7:30 am, got home around 10:30 am. Had a shower, got all of the stuff together for the party and shlepped it over to the venue. Mom, Mel, Dad and Nanny (who's actual birthday is today as well! Happy Birthday Nanny!) all met me
there, and we all got the room together and decorated (Angela had to stay home because Ella decided she needed a nap at 11:20 am!). Angela and Ella turned up around 12:45pm, and the guests began arriving around 1 pm. The weather was miserable - huge thunderstorms rocked the area (thank god we didn't decide on a BBQ for the birthday bash!), so a few people travelling from far and wide (i.e. cousins Bonnie and Hy from NJ and Susan and Dave from Rockland County) got caught in traffic, but all made it in the end. It was a great time, really nice food (Moe's Mexican...MMMMMM!), and delightful cupcakes for dessert (see photos!), made by Angela (she put together the mix and did some of the baking), myself (some baking and applied the frosting) and Melissa (decorated each cupcake painstakingly!). DAMN they were good. After everyone left, the arduous task of clean-up duty fell to dad and myself...and then I had to cram everything into my car to transport home. Once that was complete, I had to then get everything out of the car and into the house. Finally, I had to get everything in the fridge which needed to be cold, and put together all of Ella's new toys so she could play with them ASAP, throw all of the garbage out, and make dinner. It is now 10:20pm, and I am wiped. Here are some lovely photos from the day, courtesy of Marty and Melissa. I really need a shower.

The aforementioned cupcake tower...

...and the cake!

Mel, Ella and Me

Dad, Mel...and Me.


Mel and Dan

The Spar Family

The weirdest my eyes have EVER looked.


Dan and Alexa

Mel, Cousin Bonnie, Mom and Auntie Hannah

Ella laughing (for a change) with Nanny!


Dan and Mom

The coolest frame EVER, courtesy of Mel and Dan

Me and m'little 'un making our weirdo grumpy faces.

Lauren, Me and Ella (I wonder what exactly she wanted from me...?)

YAY!

Bonus Photos: Ella's Class Photos, taken just last week. She is, as always, a smiling ray of sunshine on an otherwise cloudy day...just look at the huge ear-to-ear grin on her!!




I am sure, as more people send them, I will be posting any new or different photos of the party in the next few days. Until then......I am spent.

Happy 1st Birthday!!!

Ella is officially 1 year old today...and I am, for once, speechless.

"YAY, It's my birthday!!"

Standing up all by herself!

Almost There!!!

Friday is Ella's 1st Birthday, and I cannot believe that a year has passed already. It has gone SO fast, yet it seems so long ago that it was just Angela and I, able to come and go as we pleased...anyway, just had a couple of pics to post, so here ya go:

Ella with her first birthday card from Auntie Shelly.

"Where's my BIKE?!?"


Oh there it is!...courtesy, again, of Auntie Shelly.

Bonus Material: Footage of Ella cracking up at a door closing and opening.

Breezy Point

Today was a lovely (although very HOT!) day, so after a short 5 mile run this morning, myself, Angela, Ella and my sis Melissa went to Mel's boyfriend's family beach home in Breezy Point. We had a great time - we went on the beach, I went jetskiing for the first time, and then we ate homemade pizza cooked in a newly installed brick oven. Yes, I am serious. And DAMN was it good - better than anything from any pizzaria I have been to. It was outstanding! Ella had a piece, and she agrees. We then headed home, sandy and tired, but pleased that we had a great day at the beach! Here's a couple of pics:

Ella and Auntie Mel laughing it up.

Daniel (Mel's boyfriend) explaining the controls to yours truly.


And we're off...


...off into the distance...

...back, 30 mins later!

Bonus material: Ella laughing her brains out at Ainsley playing with paper!

Bellmore Striders Independence Day Run

Today being the 4th of July, I figured what better a day to run another race. So, I did this 4-mile race in Bellmore, despite the soreness of my right calf. I did pretty damn good, finishing in 32:52, which is a 8:13 mile. In fact, my first mile was the fastest mile I have ever run, clocking in at 7:22. I finished 6th in my age group. Pretty cool. Now I have to figure out what race I will do next...this is becoming somewhat of an obsession I think. I will attach a few photos, but none are very good - I guess I have become too fast for the camera to catch me, because Angela wasn't really able to get any good shots throughout the whole race...including the end! Ah well...everyone use your imagination a bit, ok?

There I am, just before the 1-mile mark...

Cropped, closer view.

Fading into the blurry distance...

32:52 from the start...je suis finis!

Nearly There...

It's now July 1st, which means we are in the month of Ella's 1 year birthday. It totally blows my mind that she is nearly an entire year old. Where does the time go?? Today I went for a short run with my friend Dave, and my gastrocnemius tendon hurts. For those who don't know where that is.....its just a fancy name for the achilles' tendon. But, yeah, it's sore. And I have a race in 3 days. That sucks...I will still run it, but hopefully I can walk after it's over. Only time will tell....but for now, here's some pictures from today!

Happily swinging away...

On a more serious note...

New family photo

Mommy and Ella slidin'

Shiny bars that jingle when you rattle them = fun!