Wow, I'm THAT mom...

My angel - at least 98% of the time, she is.

I had a revelation today. It came while Harper was on the floor throwing a tantrum, not an unusual sight around here these days since she's almost two. What was unusual about it was that were were in public...Target to be exact, in the toddler section. Which is a good place to be because it is full of other understanding parents of toddlers. Until she kept carrying on that way throughout the whole store. There was no consoling, no talking through it this time...she had it in for me and there was nothing I could do about it. She wasn't hungry, she wasn't tired, she just wanted me to hold her...and my body just can't bear to hold her +/- 30 lbs along with this full term baby any longer, especially while pushing a cart through the store. I thought kids liked to ride in carts? I, personally, would love someone to push me around the store...it would save me from bumping my giant belly against the cart handle. So I, and everyone else around me, had to endure a wailing 'mama...mama' for the duration of our trip.

The funniest part (at least to me in my ninth month of pregnancy humor) was that in the laundry detergent aisle, there was a young couple looking newly pregnant for the first time starring at us in horror. I can't say for sure what they were thinking, but I'm sure a couple years ago I would have thought something like - 'wow, if my kid ever acted like that I would never have another one!' and possibly even 'my kid will never act that way'. And if the latter is the case, I would say to them 'you guys are so in for it just because you thought that"...at least based on my experience today.

And if I hadn't had enough torture I decided to try another store. This time I thought I could outsmart the nearly two year old, and I got the cart with the race car on the front. It was a HUGE hit and we got through the grocery store in record time. Harper was so cute in the car, smiling and waving to everyone she saw and saying hi. Until we got to the parking lot and it was like prying chewing gum off the bottom of a table. It took me a full five minutes to get her out of the car/cart combo, while she was screaming at the top of her lungs "NOOOOOO!".

Mmm, yeah, I'm that mom. Harper 2, Mom 0.

BUT - here are some cute pictures to keep reminding me of what a great little girl I have...

Kettle Corn, Root Beer Floats and Apple Pie

You can't get more American that this...Harper had a great 4th of July weekend with all her new found tasty treats! I did feel like a completely negligent mother, however she did eat a bowl full of broccoli when we got home, so it all cancels out, right? We spent the holiday weekend in our usual spot in Seward, AK for the 83rd running of Mt. Marathon. It was awesome (as usual) and Dan had one of the most fun races he has ever had. Harper and I were the cow bell ringing support crew, cheering him on from the sidelines. I was glad not to be running this year, although I'd be lying if I said I didn't have one little feeling of wanting to be running down the homestretch (my favorite part of the race). All of our friends did great - with many of them setting personal records! The weather was drizzly and the mountain was wet the day before the race, but the morning of the 4th the skies were even a bit sunny as the clouds lifted to give all the spectators a great look at the top of the mountain. Shortly after the races ended the drizzle came back and by the next morning it was an all out downpour. But we did have a spectacular sunset once we got back to Anchorage last night! Now all we need to do is figure out how to get Harper off her sugar high and go to bed...!

Go Dan, go!

Picking all the dandelions in the area before the race

Race start

Harper knows where to find the goods...Grandpa will be proud!

Harper loves the swings nearby the hotel