Life with Stella and Roman

things to remember

2012-01-31T18:31:00.000-08:00

Roman is 14 months, almost 15.

Walks/runs like a pro. He looks so little to be walking!
He loves LOVES his shoes and socks and gets so excited to put them on each morning.
Still doesn't talk - we think his sister makes up for it. And he just may be the best charades player ever - he knows what he wants and can generally get his point across. He understands us very well, but just doesn't seem to be using any words. Once in a while a mamamamamama. Oh and his signature word "artz!" Sometimes it sounds like "orange", sometimes it sounds like "thats".
Although when he can't get his point across, he gets frustrated and might hit or bite or pull hair. boo! Working on that one, lots of little time-outs.
He is a clown and loves to be silly.
Loves to climb in and out of things, small boxes, chairs, etc.
He dances! Turns around in circles flapping his arms. Oh and he does kind of a shoulder shimmy thing.
He's a clever little guy - if you move something up out of his reach, he will likely drag something over and use it to climb up.

Stella, 3.75 years old.

Has invented a super hero alter-ego named Rainbow Girl. Rainbow Girl rescues people and has "rainbow power". And sparkles. She saves the day. I might actually have to make her an outfit. Today at the park:

S: "Hi"

Me: "Hello"

S: "I'm Rainbow Girl"

Me: "Oh, well, hello, Rainbow Girl"

S (pantomimes removing her mask): "It's actually me, Stella!"

Has started wearing all her hair bows at once. She does it herself, loves it and is so proud that I absolutely must let her go out like that. Independence is good.
Stella loves few things more than pretending to be a puppy. She will stay in character for hours.
She really wants a pet dinosaur.
Both kids spent a Thurs-Tues long weekend in SLC with their grandparents. Without us! Win-win-win.

Christmas Cookies 2012

2012-01-12T13:04:00.000-08:00

Here are the results of our fourth annual christmas cookie frost-off. Stephen's brother Jonathan and his family came over to help, and seeing as this was our fourth year, we sprung for some more advanced decorating tools. Bring on the tips!

Best Merry Christmas From Leningrad:

Best Goth Cookie:

Best Traditional Cookie:

Best Jimmy Buffett Cookie:

Best Cookie That Could Also Be A Tattoo:

The Salvadore Dali Award for Best Surrealist Cookie:

Best Protest Cookie (tie):

Best Undue Corporate Influence Cookie:

Best Minimalist Cookie (the star):

Best Texture and Most Gratuitous Use Of Frosting:

Best Stone Age Cookie and Best 3D Cookie:

Best Protest Cookie (tie) and Best Cookie Incorporating Multiple Cookies:

learning for me

2011-11-03T13:37:00.000-07:00

There's something I've been thinking about for a while, and I thought it would be good to get it down in writing.
This has been a year of potty training struggles. We tried just about everything, including probably the stuff you're not supposed to try. Stickers, charts, m&ms, presents, short-term rewards, long-term rewards, you name it. And it is just so frustrating when you can't really see why it isn't working. My lovely aunt pointed out to me in July that Stella just really wasn't there yet. She knew how the process should go, but there were a few key things missing - she still wasn't using the right names for #1 vs #2, and she couldn't tell you when she needed to go. So basically I spent months running around trying to anticipate urination. And can I just say -- I never want to type those two words together again. And with a baby to juggle it was just incredibly frustrating for all of us. So in the end I backed off and we all thought everything would click when she went to school.

We had moved her from where she was last year (which we LOVED) in favor of getting her a little closer to home and a spot secured for elementary school. The new school was really not a good fit - they wanted only 100% potty trained kids. I met with the teacher before school started and told her exactly where we were to make sure things were going to work out. We were both hopeful that the routine of school plus the social aspect would help things click. And they did, a bit. But it wasn't long before the teacher told Stella that she couldn't come back to school again until she had this all down. She actually expected me to keep her home until she was accident-free.
That didn't feel right to me and it finally came down to this:
1. Stella loves school and is highly motivated to attend.
2. If she could have avoided being kicked out (she had 3 strikes), she would have.
3. Ergo, she couldn't have avoided it at this point.

It made absolutely no sense to punish her for this, much less by depriving her of school. I am horrified by the whole situation. We were able to get her back in her school from last year, with her old friends and teacher, all of whom were excited to have her back and they are so great with her.

ANYWAY - did not mean to give a potty diatribe, the point is that this has been hard. And stressful on us - and her - and then guilt-inducing since I feel like our choices put that negative pressure on her. I mean, if we never switched schools, NONE of this would have come up in this manner. I felt like we were making our daughter into a worrier. Someone even remarked that she is a worrier. Suddenly I was nervous in a whole other way - that we were causing our child such angst that her self-perception would be warped, she would become a chronic worrier, never able to move forward in life past the worry.

So I was a guilt-ridden, stressed out parent when again my lovely aunt enlightened me. (And since then I should note that Stella has really caught on to the potty training. She just did it in her own time.)

Are you ready? Here's the wisdom:

Our children are who they are. Their personalities are there from day one, they emerge in different ways as they grow up. You don't make a child into a worrier - they are a worrier or they aren't. And really, it doesn't matter, because our job as parents is not to make sure they don't end up as worriers (or whatever), our job is to help them (whoever they turn out to be) make their way in this world.

I realize that doesn't solve the potty challenges, but it does help me deal with it better.

halloween

2011-11-02T18:29:00.000-07:00

Roman as Baby Elvis

Stella as Rapunzel

Ghosts we made out of grocery bags

Halloween seemed more like its own season this year. I got an early start and made both of their costumes, including Rapunzel's hair. It was a lot of fun. I especially loved the challenge of Roman's jumpsuit. It needed to be something he could move in. And I don't know how, but he just really had the personality to really pull it off this year! We also carved our first jack-o-lantern. Lots of fun.

best day ever

2011-10-10T11:25:00.000-07:00

How do you have the best day ever? Marry the love of your life and follow these steps.

Stay married for 10 years.
Drop your kids off at the mutual lovefest that is the grandparents' house. Add cousins.
Drive to the sea.
Stay in beautiful updated historic hotel on the sea. Sleep really well and wake up when you're ready.
Go to the spa in the hotel and have breakfast of champagne and fruit.
Relax
Get facial.
Relax some more. Enjoy a glass of champagne with the hubs.
Get couple's massage.
More champagne!
Steam bath.
Relax with some champagne.
Decide to leave spa after five hours. Walk out feeling thin and healthy and gorgeous.
Have late lunch at a greek place on the water.
Try to see some tourist sights. But don't try too hard. Bonus points if you don't actually go in anywhere.
Take nap.
Borrow hotel's bikes and go for a nice long ride along the seawall.
Stop for italian ice. Preferably passion fruit or mango.
Ride back into the wind - a little challenge is good for you.
Clean up, put on favorite little black dress and head to ArtWalk in the historic district. Look at artwork, talk to artists, drink the free wine and sangria.
Catch mardi gras beads from the party wagons. Souvenir shopping for the kids is done!
Eat a fancy late dinner and enjoy time with husband. Congratulate yourself for good decision making.

more to remember

2011-10-04T13:08:00.000-07:00

Stella, almost 3 1/2:

Every day she is excited to tell me "today is my birthday and my princess cousins are coming over!" If pressed she will admit to it being her pretend birthday. But it's a lot like the Mad Hatter nonetheless.
She absolutely knows which parent to ask for things. She bragged to me once that "Daddy is a yes-boy. He says YES I can have apple juice upstairs, YES I can watch tv, he says YES to everything." I heard him say no to her and she said, "But Daddy, you're a YES-boy!" Lucky for us her strategy is pretty transparent.
Stella made her own costume. My sister asked if she was a beekeeper. "No," she replied, "I'm a cucumber."

Roman, 10 months:

He sits on the floor and uses his legs to rotate in a perfect circle. It's very Homer Simpson-esque.
He's trying to communicate like Stella did, but in a totally different (monosyllabic) way. Bah! Phhshh!
He has 8 teeth and can stand up and clap his hands. He is so proud of himself and is about to take off walking.
He is just a funny happy baby.
He loves to bonk things with his head. Like your head. Or any part of my body. Sometimes it is soft and sweet, but more often it is hard and bonky. I have seen stars more than once, and now when he may just be coming in for a nuzzle I find myself reflexively dodging. Sorry, kid.
I hear horrible thuds all too often as he explores our often hard-surfaced little world.

The two of them are absolutely thrilled to see each other every morning. Enjoying that while it lasts!

summer recap

2011-09-27T19:34:00.000-07:00

We once again escaped the worst of the Texas heat this summer. I am so grateful to have a flexible schedule that allows us to do this sort of thing - Stella and Roman and I left town for a whole month. Only downside was that we missed Stephen terribly, but luckily he was able to join us for the last 10 days.

We went to Portland, Oregon and stayed with family there. My fab aunt & uncle basically let us take over their basement which was totally awesome. They have three boys between the ages of 9 and 16. Who would ever have thought that these boys would bond so much with a three year old and a baby? Stella just adores 'her boys' and had a ball. Roman learned all kinds of new things and got private coaching from the boys and my uncle. When we left town he was just getting stable sitting up on his own. When we came home he was cruising, crawling and pulling up like a pro.

We also tagged along to spend a few days in Sun River (near Bend). I just love Oregon, especially in the summers. Well, to be fair, that's the only time I go. But their summers are just marvelous. Everyone complains about the heat when it hits 80. Meanwhile Texas had one of the hottest summers on record - 110s and no relief in the evenings. It is such an amazing treat to go north and suddenly you can go outside again! I have lots of family in town and so it was a treat to catch up with aunts and uncles and cousins and create new bonds together - and help reinforce some old ones.

Then we went to Salt Lake. My brother and sister-in-law graciously offered us room in their basement. God I love basements. So wish we had them here! I read once that you can actually have a basement in Texas, it's just that so many people think you can't that no one builds them - thinking they won't sell.

We had a ball catching up with family and friends. My sister-in-law was off for the summer so we got lots of time with her and Kaia. I loved seeing my sister and finally meeting her boyfriend. Good times with cousins and kids of cousins, aunts uncles, etc. We saw a live, outdoor, sing-a-long production of The Sound Of Music at Sundance. It was a ball. It's one of Stella's favorites and she was excited to know the words and music.

We had quality time at the cabin in Wyoming. New additions include a real-life tipi. That place is kid heaven! Stella loved making smores and named them "hot cookies", which is pretty fun to say out loud. Jenny upped the ante by making them on dark chocolate-coated granola thins. Mmm.

We did the first ever (perhaps annual?) Mandala campout. My aunt and cousins Lydia, Emma and Will came with us, and my grandma came for the day. We just did an overnight, easy campout. All food was cooked on the fire, if at all. Will brought his homemade potato cannon which was pretty freaking impressive. Stella wanted to go on a bear hunt. I was a bit obsessed with having pillows there.

We came home and it was still hot. In fact, the whole state was on fire. I think we were right to leave! Hoping to make this an annual tradition. August in Texas is just unbearable. But we are glad to be home, and now working on establishing a "normal" routine after 4 weeks of travel.

roman giggles

2011-07-29T15:48:00.000-07:00

potty training sucks

2011-07-01T11:34:00.000-07:00

That is all.
Shall I elaborate? Really?
Ok, fine. People will tell you you should get a book. A book, ha! Maybe a book for the kid.

They say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results.

I say the definition of insanity is hanging out with an otherwise totally reasonable kid who may at any moment crap their pants.

confession time

2011-06-20T18:41:00.000-07:00

... ok about the running...
well, a few weeks ago I was getting faster, then for some reason it just stopped feeling good. my feet hurt after running, my knees hurt during, and it just didn't feel right. usually running makes me feel really good - during and afterward. sometimes really sore, but still in a good way. that runner's high thing is totally real. but this didn't feel good at all. so i've backed off on that for a while. time to be kind to my body.
so a different approach - stephen and i are doing a modified version of the diabetes diet i had to do while pregnant. i would like to drop a few pounds before i try running again, and when i do start back up i think i will ease into it a bit more.
my goal is still the same - a 12 minute mile by the end of the year. it just may not be a linear progression.
so on the eating part - i've simplified the nutritional calculus i had to do while pregnant, and we are doing:

6 meals a day - breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack
include some protein in each of these 6 meals
limit carbs to 30 in each meal, except lunch and dinner which can be 45
don't worry too much

i like this. it is simple. and hopefully not so restrictive as to be a something we are 'on' or 'off'. i don't believe in being 'on' a diet - by definition this means that one day you will be through with it. i don't think we should do anything that we cannot sustain in the long term. changing habits will take time, but i think we are on the right track.

open letter to new parents

2011-04-28T12:57:00.000-07:00

I had lunch the other day with someone who's sister had her first baby a few weeks ago and is struggling. Those first few months are like parenting boot camp. There's a lot of repetition, not much sleep, forced indoctrination... there are a lot of parallels. I found myself telling her things to pass on to her sister, and it got me thinking.

I really struggled with that time too, in fact I don't think I know anyone who didn't. So here is my totally unsolicited advice to new moms (and dads too):

Dear new parent,

Congratulations! Your baby is wonderful and amazing and beautiful. Now let's talk about you.

There is a good chance you haven't slept in a while. That sucks. You may be desperate for the solace of a long shower. You may be acting as a food source for someone else. Even if everything is rainbows and butterflies, you are making a massive adjustment to having to think about and anticipate the needs of another human being in a way that you probably never have before. There is a good chance you are wondering if you really thought this all the way through.

THIS IS NORMAL. It is a massive life change. It is worth it in the end (more on that later).

Repeat after me: Just because you love your child doesn't mean you automatically love being a parent. It's ok to not love being a parent. Let's be honest, being a parent kind of sucks. Being the boss of someone else somehow turned out to be not as thrilling as one's childhood dreams might suggest. You can love your kid to pieces but that doesn't make it any more fun when you are dealing with diapers, crying, (heaven forbid) colic, etc. on two hours of sleep wearing the same clothes for too many days in row.

Here is what you need to do next:

For the love of god, take a shower. Showers are to new parents what spa days are for normal people.
Go somewhere. It's a scary proposition for you, but young babies are actually really good at this. They are pretty much fine with wherever you want to take them. That carseat fits right in the shopping cart, the stroller works great at the park, and somehow just exposing little ones to fresh air, even if they don't actually do anything, tires them out. I don't know how this works but it does. Most importantly, get yourself out of the house where you can think about other things, and maybe even talk to other adults. It is good for you.
Join a parents' group. Find one through your hospital, church, neighborhood, HOA, whatever. Meetup.com. You want playgroups. I know it sounds silly as your baby does not yet really need to "play" with other babies, but you need to go to a playdate and talk to the other parents. They are your comrades and you need each other. Someone there needs to hear from you.
Pick up a copy of Operating Instructions by Anne Lamott. It is written in nice short chapters and will make you feel better.
Don't feel guilty if you need a break. A happy, rested, refreshed parent is a better parent. It's good for the whole family.
Has someone offered you some kind of help? Say it with me: "Yes, please!"

And here is the good news:

The miracle of 6 weeks. You won't believe this now, because right now you feel like whatever awful stage you are in will last for the rest of your life. But truly, everything will be different in six weeks. In the first 6 weeks, your baby is adjusting from a pre-programmed 2 hour cycle of eating, looking around and sleeping. They will take some time to adjust their cycles to our more common designations of "night" and "day". Ok this first part might take a lot longer, but really those first few weeks are the worst. It gets better and better. Even the much-dreaded colic is generally over in six weeks. Everything is a phase. EVERYTHING.
The miracle of 4 months. Let's be honest, in the beginning this is a very one-sided relationship. But something magical happens when that baby actually smiles back at you and starts to respond. It really just makes everything better. Those little grins say "you're awesome and the funniest person in the whole world" and suddenly you don't mind wiping someone else's butt quite so much.
It's ok to not be a baby person. This kind of goes with the whole phase thing. Some people are baby people - they would be happy to do nothing but sit and cuddle with a baby for hours on end. But not everyone feels that way and that's ok. Some of us love our babies but get very antsy sitting still. There are many more stages ahead and we don't all love all of them (hello, teenagers! I'm hearing things!). It's ok. Personally, I am not a huge baby person but I LOVE the toddler and preschool stage. It's different for everyone. The good news again is that everything is a phase.

You may have moments where you wonder about all those people with kids who encouraged you to have kids of your own. You went ahead and had a baby and are plunged into this nightmare abyss boot camp complete with bouts of panic and sometimes maybe you can't help but feel like you were tricked when they were saying things like "it's the best time of your life" and "this was the best thing we ever did". These people were not trying to trick you. They mean well. I've decided they were simply summarizing. This should give you hope - at some point in the not-too-distant future (ahem, 4 months), you will look back and the good will outweigh the difficult.

You will then come across some sweet couple and encourage them to have children. The cycle continues.

In the meantime, try to find moments to enjoy. They do go fast. And I promise you will feel much better after a shower.

my little buddha

2011-04-14T20:40:00.000-07:00

We're pretty sure Roman is the Buddha reincarnated. He has discovered the secrets of contentment and enlightenment. If only he could teach us!
He is the happiest baby. Quick to smile and easy to laugh. When Stella was little, she gave us a laugh but then it disappeared - we did whatever we could to try to get her to do it again. But Roman? Just look at him from across the room and he giggles. He is so happy and calm. Slept through the night starting at 4 weeks. If he keeps this up I am totally buying him a car one day.

cleaning house

2011-03-17T13:54:00.000-07:00

I took the kids on a spur-of-the moment trip to Florida to visit family. We had a great time and I will post some pictures soon. But one thing struck me, especially coming back home: every house we visited there was so clean. I mean spotless. And we did some drop-ins too, so it's not like they all knew we were coming. If you were to drop in on my house it could be scary. In fact even if I know you're coming it could be scary. I've had a dear friend politely not notice the petrified pb&j on the living room floor, and I've had a new acquaintance come in and say, "oh, are you moving?". I like to say that you know we're good friends when you can see my house messy and I don't want to cry.

I really REALLY like a beautiful house. It makes me very happy. But sadly right now it comes after lots of other things that also make me happy - playing with my kids, being on the go, making stuff. And these kids, they just come with so. much. stuff. And they seem to shed stuff wherever they go.

Before we had kids, we had a great system. We would invite people over on a regular basis, and that would spur us to keep things fairly pulled together. You really don't have to clean as much, since most adults don't go around touching things with sticky fingers.

But with kids - oh, the stuff. And the distractions. If I can get everyone dressed and fed and happy and active and fed again and cleaned and rested and stimulated and fed again and washed and put to bed, I think I'm doing ok. The kitchen gets cleaned, but things like dusting? ha.

I've got to find a way to figure this out. My dining room is the biggest challenge, since now with the two kiddos it doubles as my studio space. And of course it is the first thing you see when you come in the house. And I hate the chairs in there. I came home inspired and cleaned away the ghosts of cookie parties past. (Why must kids touch everything?) I secretly hoped to ruin the finish so I could justify replacing them. They are just a trilogy of bad: ugly, uncomfortable, unwieldily. They came with our big round table (which I do like) so I thought I would recover the fabric, which is an awful shade of vermillion (ick) with flecks of (gag) turquoise. But then factor in uncomfortable, and what is the point? My feet don't touch the floor when I sit in these chairs. I know I have short legs but this is ridiculous. I have to put a pillow behind my back like a little old lady. And there must be 27 of the damn things.

It's amazing what you can get used to when you look at something every day. But really, these must go.

Since it is just off the front entry, the dining room also functions as sort of a drop zone for coming and going. Roman's carseat, Stella's school stuff, whatever we had in our hands when we came in and had to quickly drop to help one of the kids. Sigh.

What we really need is studio space for me, and a better drop zone solution. But we like the rest of the house and are not in a hurry to move. So this might have to be my new project. Right after I finish sewing and painting.

And so I tell myself: None of those houses in Florida had kids living in them. Or art studios. And everyone who lives in this house - no matter its state - is healthy and happy.

But I am totally getting a housekeeper.

getting less slow

2011-03-05T18:24:00.001-08:00

last week, 16:40. Yeah!
this week, 16:02. YEAH!
i am approaching a speed at which i might be able to pass a walker. ha.

the boy who ate his nana

2011-02-23T19:55:00.000-08:00

progress

2011-02-21T20:39:00.000-08:00

So... an update on the 12 minute mile goal. My baseline run was completed in 18:54, but according to RunKeeper it was at an average pace of 18:12. I'm sure there is something sophisticated about how those two numbers can be different but I haven't got the energy to figure it out.

So that plus the fact that my GPS tends to go a little wonky on my block (where I usually run), I've got a backup method of just starting the stopwatch. The other day I took both kids for a walk in the double stroller and we went around the block (1/2 mile) - RunKeeper told me I had gone 2.75 miles in like 12 minutes and sent me a congratulatory email. Fail! Bad RunKeeper! I've used it on a marked trail and it worked perfectly. The good news is that it seems that when in goes wrong, it does so in a big way. I can see my minute-by-minute pace suddenly drop or rise to ridiculous levels. So we will be measuring in a more simple way - how long it takes to cover one mile. Preferably a known mile so I don't fake myself out.

Anyhow - I ran the same stretch last weekend with my sister-in-law in 18:17. Yay for intervals! Yay for having company on the run! Boo for waffles and blueberry sausage beforehand!

Then this past weekend I ran on a high school track. I had always assumed the innermost lane was the one that was exactly .25 miles around, but according to the GPS and RunKeeper I had a bit further to go to make it a mile. So I did, and finished that in 16:40. Yay for progress! And flatness! Anyone know how those tracks are usually calibrated? Is it the middle lane that is exactly .25 around? That would make sense.

Will be adding some Pilates to the mix, and I picked up a copy of Jillian Michaels' 30-day Shred. I've heard good things. On we go.

valentine's day

2011-02-14T20:53:00.000-08:00

There is a lot to dislike about Valentine's Day - overpriced flowers, limited menu at your favorite restaurant, crowds and a general air of panic. I used to love being at the grocery store on Valentine's Day right after work - just to watch the desperation as people try to find some way to adequately express their love via prepackaged edibles. The pressure!

I wish we could go back to how we did it when we were kids - a day to do nice things for your friends and share with the other kids in your class (community), and even find something nice to say about those kids who drive you crazy.

I'm a big believer in telling people what they mean to you, which does not necessarily have anything to do with romance. This day is for everyone.

I'm so grateful for my family. My sisters Becca, Judy, Sabrina and Amanda. They know me better than I know myself sometimes. My brother, my parents (all four). My gigantic extended family. 54 FIRST cousins. I haven't even tried to count the second cousins. Aunts and uncles. The best in-laws anyone could ask for. The extended family on Stephen's side, all of whom have welcomed me with open arms. Amazing nieces and nephews. Grandparents, great-aunts and uncles. I am so very lucky to have so many. Some families could field their own sports team - we could have a league.

I'm lucky to have good friends, old and new. College friends who thought me wild. Childhood friends who thought me quiet. Work friends. Now mom friends. Art friends and kindred souls. Friends who see the batsignal. Friends to travel the world with. Friends who can just pick up after forever. Long friendships that have grown a comfortable veneer. New friendships with the spark of possibilities. Every one means something to me, every one adds to me and makes me a better person.

My husband: my great romance, the love of my life. There is nobody like him.

My kids - I say enough about them already. But they are my delight. I laugh a lot more these days. I never thought I would be a mom but I am glad I am.

XOXO

more to remember

2011-02-10T14:24:00.000-08:00

Stella loves to role play. "You be Stella, I'm Momma" etc. I love how whenever she is being me, she puts the most serene smile on her face. I'm sure I don't really look like that but I like to think she is showing me that she feels the love. She also talks so sweetly, "aw, hi honey..."

This has to be my favorite role play exchange (I overheard):
   Stella: Daddy, I want a cupcake.
   Stephen: No, honey, cupcakes are for later.
   Stella: Wait - you're Stella and I'm Daddy.
   Stephen (playing along): Ok. Hi, Daddy.
   Stella (sweetly): Honey, do you want a cupcake?

She's getting clever! When she's playing Daddy she tries to pick Stephen up. "You're getting so big!"

I was starting to think she was not particularly imaginative. Her dolls were named baby doll, baby boy, and baby girl. And then we met Flowerpot! Flowerpot is by far her favorite. This week we met her imaginary friend Tito. (I like to think it's Tito Jackson or Tito Puente.) We do know he has no mommy and periodically stops by her friend Jackson's house. Stella and Jackson also have a puppy together (an old balloon on a string). They take very good care of it - when we were leaving Jackson's house I told her the puppy had to stay there, and she turned to Jackson and made sure he would feed it. I heard reports later that Jackson did indeed take excellent care of the puppy.

What else... I know there is so much I will forget! The other day I offered her strawberries and she told me she likes them when they are not cold. I said "I agree!" because I too am a connoisseur of room-temperature fruit and she said, "no, momma, you're not a gree. you're a momma."

snow week

2011-02-05T21:06:00.000-08:00

There are really only two seasons in Dallas - Christmas and Summer. We have very mild winters that sort of phase into some pretty spectacular thunderstorms and then before you know it, it is hot again.

So people get pretty excited about snow. Well, it snowed last week. And the whole city shut down. I mean schools and most businesses closed for FOUR DAYS. People from northern climes would look at this as a normal Tuesday, but there are no snow plows in this city, and they use sand instead of salt on the ice. Have you ever tried to melt ice with sand? Yeah, me neither.

OH MY GOD I HAD TO ACTUALLY STAY HOME FOR FOUR DAYS STRAIGHT. Whew. My tips for surviving a Texas snowstorm:

Gather the necessary provisions. Stella and I hit the fabric store Monday night and I am so glad we did. I surely would have gone mad without a few projects to work on. I've made 4 1/2 little girl outfits so far. Stella has a new passion for gluing things to other things. And using scissors. And now I have to find a new place to keep the scissors because I am afraid of her using them on her hair.
If you have someone you can potty train, go for it. You will regret it for a while, especially while chasing a very excited (but messy) two year old who just earned herself some candy. Yuck. You will especially regret it when your husband decides he works for the post office and braves the roads to work, leaving you to handle this on your own. But I will say that by day 3 we were starting to see some success. Fingers still crossed.
Don't bother complaining. Yeah, it's just a teeny bit of snow. But it's a lot of ice under that snow. Someplace with actual winters would have 1) plows, 2) salt trucks, and 3) drivers who can handle it. We just don't.
Hold out for the good snow. Our front walk looked like it had freshly fallen snow on it all week. But really it was ice, then a layer of snow, then another layer of ice. You could walk on it and not leave footprints. That is not the fun snow. That is nasty! Then Friday we got a good 5-6 inches of fluffy powder. Hooray! This is the fun part. We played in it Friday, and by Saturday morning it was wet enough to do some snowmen and Stella made a snow birthday cake. By Saturday afternoon it was almost all gone.
Don't go anywhere. There is just nothing worse than driving in bad weather, getting in an accident, and then wanting to kick yourself for driving in that weather in the first place. I've learned this one the hard way. Three times.
Improvise. It is just not worth buying a sled or snow boots for a once-a-year snow day. Stella made do with rain boots, and we just happened to have snow outfits for both kids. We got some excellent advice to use a laundry basket as a sled, but in the end went with a cookie sheet and some upholstery cording. Voila!

no resolutions, just goals

2011-02-04T12:56:00.000-08:00

So along with everyone else, I've been thinking a lot lately about new years' resolutions. I find that any time I get to step outside my normal routine I get a new perspective and all kinds of new ideas. That's one of the reasons I love travel so much. Even when I was working a 9-5 job I would get my best ideas while stuck in all-day meetings. I think this is why we all are inspired to make resolutions in January - we have the holiday season to take us out of our normal routines. And once you are out of your routine, you tend to re-examine it and hopefully consider ways you might want to improve your life.

Well last year was anything but routine! So I had a long time to think about this one, and I figured with a c-section and new baby in November, and then the holidays, 2011 was the time to really focus on my fitness goals. So I've had lots of time to recover from the surgery, Roman is doing great, and it is not incredibly hot outside. Now its just a matter of logistics, but my goal for this year is to run a 12-minute mile.

Real runners are laughing at this goal, and non-runners might be thinking that is fast. I can assure you it is not fast. Not even close. But it is faster than I have ever run! It is the benchmark I could never meet growing up - it was the bane of my existence in gym class. I had mild asthma but probably the real problem was that I didn't learn how to breathe right until I was in my 20s. I know that sounds ridiculous, but anytime I tried to run, I would inhale with EVERY SINGLE STEP and hyperventilate after about 100 yards. Finally Stephen helped me figure it out when we first started dating. I use the word "running", but it would probably be more accurate to say "jogging" - my mascot has always been the tortoise!

Since then I have trained for and completed two half marathons. I've done 5ks. All slowly. I know what it takes to do distance, and the mental game involved. But these days my pace really can't even be considered "jogging". We'll be nice and call it jogging or running because the movements are the same, but really it is just some kind of ambulation.

So I finally did my baseline run. 18 minutes and 12 seconds (disgraceful!). I guess I should be glad I can even complete a mile after about a whole year without running. But YIKES! I'm even slower than I thought! I mean people can walk faster than that. (Not me, of course - I checked.) I might be the slowest ambulator in the history of ever. But on the upside, nowhere to go but faster!

I've got the RunKeeperPro app on my phone to track my time, pace and distance. The best part - it gives coaching and cues through the headphones, so I don't even have to look at my phone. I have it set up to coach me through intervals - it will tell me when to run fast, slow, etc. I will also be configuring it to automatically post my runs to Facebook - all this is to help me stay accountable.

It may well take me all year to reach this goal, but I think it is a good one. Simple, portable, and quick. It is snowing outside at the moment, and there is a thick layer of ice underneath that has kept most of the city indoors since Monday night. I have a serious case of cabin fever, but even I know better than to try to run on ice. (I don't have a great track record of "not falling down" either. Something to consider for 2012.) But I'm ready for my next run - I will be doing intervals to get faster. Next run will be 2 minutes at my normal pace, followed by 15 seconds of sprinting. Rinse and repeat. As I improve, I will up the amount of time spent going fast. This should do the trick.

Wish me luck. Encouragement and good-natured taunts will be much appreciated!

stella names that tune

2011-02-03T13:02:00.000-08:00

Stella has a habit of renaming her favorite songs. Stephen had the bad luck to be in the car with her the other day and she wanted to hear "the shooby dooby song". He was totally stumped.
So for reference of anyone who may be on a long car ride with my daughter, here are some of her favorite songs and their real names:

The Princess Song:
"Gloria a Te, Cristo Gesu" by Andrea Bocelli. It does have a lot of fanfare.

The Shooby Dooby Song:
"Pennies From Heaven" by Louis Prima

Happy Birthday Baby song:
"Happy Birthday" by the Ting Tings. This one does make sense.

The Sunshine Song:
"Rhythm of Love" by Plain White Ts

The Sing Song:
not sure who sings it, but we all love this one!

The Stella Song:
"Want You Back" by the Jackson 5

The Aunt Becca Song:
"Seven" by Fever Ray. I think she thinks my sister sings this song.

The Hey Hey Hey Song:
"A-Punk" by Vampire Weekend

things i must try to remember

2011-01-19T20:15:00.000-08:00

Things are changing so quickly. And I am so very lucky these days. Roman is a good sleeper, just like his sister. Yes, we got two of those mythical sleeping babies. Must have done something right in a past life!

Anyway, things I want to try to remember in the future:

The way Stella says the word 'umbrella'. I really must get this on video before she learns the right way to say it. It sounds like if you tried to say the word, but instead of saying the "-brella" part you just stuck your tongue in and out of your mouth really quickly.
How excited she is to see her brother. Every. Freaking. Day. "Look at that BAY-BEE!" She thinks it is hilarious when he looks at her.
She wants to get in the car and go somewhere every day. It does not matter where.
She is a natural entertainer. There was always the dancing, now there are lots of bows and "thank you so much!". Today she was playing with the post of her brother's bed as if it was a microphone - she introduced everyone she knew with great flair, then moved on to things like "... and now, APPLEJUICE!!"
Roman is just an incredibly sweet baby, full of coos and smiles. Must get more video. When I tickle Stella in front of him he goes crazy.

There are of course some things I am trying to forget:

We had to catch Stella up on immunizations and now I think she may be scarred for life. Every day since about September she talks about going to the doctor and getting shots. She also was pretty freaked out when I was in the hospital with IVs and everything. She tried to tell the nurse "you no give owies my momma!"
She seems to have an innately consumerist view of the world. She asks the same two questions about almost everything - artwork, new clothes, the moon - "you make this, momma?" and "you bought it, momma?" Yes, honey, I bought the moon. You're welcome.
Roman's life remains sadly not quite as documented as his sister's. Sorry kid, but so far you are a lot like your sister in the baby department. Super cute, mellow temperament. If you want more coverage, you're going to have to start doing things. If it's any consolation, we do sort of enjoy you more than we did her, just because we are not as freaked out about being new parents.

halloween 2010

2010-12-30T11:55:00.000-08:00

Two things happen when you have a baby on November 5:
1. You still have a jack-o-lantern on Dec 30, and
2. It takes you this long to post anything about Halloween.

Stella was a cat. It was easy and she knows how to be a cat, so that worked well. Next year I'm sure she'll want to be a princess or a butterfly or a butterfly princess, so this year we went with the easy win.
Grandma Sugar was in town and we all went up to McKinney to trick-or-treat with our friends the Garlands.

My nephew Gabe was a pretty bad-ass cowboy:

And here's the kitty cat herself - meow!

We had a great time, and I'm thinking that next year maybe all four of us should be Elvis. We'll see.

christmas cookies 2010

2010-12-14T14:42:00.000-08:00

Our cookie decorate-off has become an annual tradition, since we did it last year and the year before that. I know we are not the first people in the world to frost sugar cookies, but it is a nice tradition I grew up with. We started doing it when I was very small - my mom was flat broke one year and literally could not afford to trim a christmas tree. So she baked cookies, decorated them, and used a needle and thread to hang them on the tree. We enjoyed it so much we kept doing it every year. As the season went on the lower hanging 'ornaments' would lose frosting and parts of their anatomy. Way fun for us kids.
I should note that such a tradition is only really possible in a desert climate - I would never dare try such a thing in Texas. But dry SLC winters + icing = cookies with some serious staying power.
Here's Stella rolling out the dough with Grandma Jenny:

And now on to the winners!

Best New Artists: Chris, Sarah and Jackson joined the fun this year. Jackson, Stella and Gabe practiced the traditional zen-like technique of frosting a cookie, licking it clean and starting over. Again and again and again.

Honorable Mention in the 3D category, this was the first cookie to add height. Also placed in Best Alternative Use of the Shape.

Best Tribute To A Novelty Folk Duo From New Zealand:

Best Tribute To A Childhood Classic ("his heart grew three sizes that day")

Best Wearing Your Heart On Your Sleeve:

Best 3D Cookie, also Honorable Mentions in the Death Star and Tarantino categories:

Best Death Star Cookie:

Tarantino Award for Best Gratuitous Violence Cookie:

Best Mod Cookie:

Best Traditional Cookie:

Best Beatles Tribute, with Honorable Mention for Alternative Use of the Shape:

I was impressed with the creativity of our crew, especially considering the relatively primitive tools we used (frosting, sprinkles, toothpicks). You'd think that since we are on the third year of this tradition we would at least go to the trouble of using pastry bags/tips... next year we will be upping our game for sure!
So, anyone want to come over for cookies?

Dear MJ, Stella loves the dancing santa you sent. cheers!

2010-12-14T12:59:00.000-08:00

How we are doing

2010-11-19T10:19:00.000-08:00

Roman is two weeks old today. Hooray! I must admit that while I am crazy about that little guy, the early weeks of a baby's life are not my favorite. (Are they anyone's favorite?) Two down!

We got him home and I guess some selective amnesia had set in. Stephen was like, "Didn't Stella just sleep through the night when we brought her home?" Um, no. They come programmed with these 2-4 hour cycles...

Luckily for us my mom is here to help. So grateful for this time with her! She has been amazing helping with Stella and life in general.

When we first got home, I was so excited because nursing was going so well. We really struggled with that when Stella was born. That kid had a teeny tiny mouth, it was like a cosmic joke. She never really got the hang of a good latch and nursing was agonizing. And my milk never really came in, so after about 3 weeks of wondering why she cried so much, we switched to a pump-and-supplement routine and continued it for the first year. So when Roman took to it so easily, I was so happy and relieved. It seemed like things would be so much more simple. We got home on a Monday and I should have knocked on some wood. Or eaten a sandwich.

So this may make me a weirdo, but I eat really well when I am pregnant. Something about that compressed stomach, heartburn, and constant cravings for fresh fruit means I eat a lot of teeny tiny meals, which is great for my metabolism. Add in a very regimented meal plan for the gestational diabetes (it is seriously like nutritional calculus), and I ended up 12 pounds lighter at the end of this pregnancy than I was when I started it. These habits are great for my longer-term goals, but sadly do not support breastfeeding. Apparently I do not eat nearly enough to sustain two people - by Thursday the milk was gone. GONE. Freaking GONE. I thought I was eating enough and am just absolutely shocked by how quickly it all fell apart. Luckily we dropped in on the pediatrician and got this figured out before we all went crazy. Started pumping and supplementing and my sweet baby boy is back to his very promising sleep habits, but those bottle-fed meals have spoiled him and he is now too lazy to nurse. So here we go again. On the bright side, this is a routine I know and am comfortable with. It worked for Stella, and hopefully will be much easier to do this time around without an office job. Plus, other people get to help feed him if they want, which means night shift does not have to automatically be me. I think I was just not meant to nurse a baby. Stephen pointed out that I am not physically meant to deliver a baby either, so we should just be happy with having two healthy kiddos. We're on to something there!

Roman is approaching his birth weight - he is at 8 lbs 8 oz and a strong little guy. He was holding his head up in the delivery room. He's got a sweet disposition so far, and we can't really complain about the nights - he is sleeping for 5-7 hours at a stretch each night. I am totally knocking on some wood for that one. And I'll probably eat a sandwich too, just in case.

So you know how when you get an epidural they have you sign that form acknowledging the possible downsides? Well, lucky me, I am one of the few who got them. I am leaking spinal fluid and it is causing horrible headaches (like someone is trying to pull my brain out through the back of my skull), numbness and itching. When we first got home I was trying to focus on getting up and around quickly (still very nervous about handling two kids on my own with a c-section recovery), but I hit a few walls. To say the least. So I am on bedrest in hopes that the spinal situation will resolve itself. (If it doesn't, we are in for a trip back to the hospital for something called a blood patch. With a name like that it just can't be good.)
I feel like Rapunzel - I am not allowed to go downstairs. Trying to take advantage of having my mom here and get some good rest, I really really really need this to resolve itself. Soon!

Overall things are good. I have a baby who sleeps (so far!), a daughter who loves being a big sister, an unbelievably wonderful husband, a good support network of family and friends, and my mom is here to take care of me until Monday. I am doing my best to be a good patient and come up with a plan for getting through the holidays. Things could be better, but then again they could also be worse. Focusing on the positive over here!

Meet Roman!

2010-11-17T20:18:00.000-08:00

Roman Augustino Mandala

Born 11/5/2010

8 lbs, 12 oz

has mom's hairline but otherwise looks a lot like his sister.

proud daddy!

Stella loves being a big sister - so far!

Love this pic of Stella and cousin Gabe meeting Roman. Stella is like "wait wait!" and Gabe is like "yikes!"

This was a scheduled c-section. The surgery took a bit longer this time and the epidural morphine took a lot longer to wear off, so we didn't name him until the next day. Probably a good thing we waited, since he was almost a Dmitri. Roman's middle name is in honor of Stephen's grandfather, and there were many happy tears when we shared that with his side of the family.

complications

2010-10-31T06:14:00.000-07:00

a lot has happened so i shall try to summarize.

this pregnancy has been brutal. i got better after the first trimester nausea, but never quite back to feeling like myself. spent most of the summer in a nasty funk.

lots of crying,

too tired to do anything,

spirals of self-doubt.

friends and family concerned.

not sure what to do.

talk to husband.

talk to dr.

culprit is revealed - gestational diabetes.

absolutely devastated, feel like complete failure.

don't want anyone to know.

feel guilty - convinced that it is my fault - too heavy, not enough workouts, etc....

and then... treatment starts. diet and exercise.

feel better immediately.

not crazy!

realize close friends have also had this.

feel a little better about it.

blood sugar checks 4 times a day. mostly good, but some stubborn overnight numbers.

...which correlates with freaky pregnancy hormones that peak at night.

start insulin. self-injections at bedtime.

numbers are great.

medical team says all this caused by hormones, not poor health habits.

this will go away.

feel a lot better about that.

weirdest pregnancy - miserable first 8 months, feel great at the end.

all this has robbed me of time to get excited.

have stayed mostly away from this blog and facebook -

did not want to document ambivalence, sadness, etc that i hoped would soon lift.

but here i am, alive and well, baby boy will be here friday.

nursery is ready, reinforcements are here.

stella is excited.

nervous about next six weeks or so.

planning for worst, hoping for best... what else can you do?!

i am good

i am happy

this child will be loved.

oh and i hope this one looks something like me :)

here we go!

oh boy!

2010-07-14T13:05:00.000-07:00

Well, he's a stubborn little bugger, but after 5 sonograms we finally got a definitive answer. My floating uterus made it tough to get good sonogram images (at one point they couldn't even find a baby) and he didn't help matters by keeping his knees together.

But it's a boy! Due Nov 12. I'm feeling pretty good, just kind of tired. And unfortunately in that middle stage where I don't look pregnant to anyone who doesn't know me. To the rest of the world I just look big. Not a great feeling!

So it looks like we need to change the name of this blog, oh and think of a name for a boy. Now accepting suggestions for both :)

New skills = new projects! yay!

2010-06-29T11:18:00.000-07:00

My fab friend Jenny started a once-a-month learn-to-quilt group in January. I'm always up for learning new skills so this was the perfect opportunity to ditch my crappy hand-me-down sewing machine. I had always had an old machine and could get by with it, but it was so frustrating to try to sew anything on it. Plus I never really learned the right way to sew anything, so I was pretty limited - not that I let that stop me! I still made Stella's first Halloween costume (Carmen Miranda), curtains, a bedskirt, a duvet cover, a stuffed kayak for my niece, and some other things over the years. I guess you could say that what I lacked in sewing technique I made up for with enthusiasm and a hot glue gun. :)

So I bought a new machine. And dang if it isn't a million times easier to use! Around the same time, I happened to meet a woman who taught sewing lessons. She focused on apparel - yay! Just what I needed. The lessons were so fantastic, everything from understanding fabrics to reading patterns to the little tricks that make things look professional. If she was still giving lessons I would absolutely post her info, but I believe she has moved on.

So this was in January/February... then the morning sickness happened and it was like I spent two months in a coma! I was worried I might forget everything I learned.

I was delighted to find out that this was not the case. Here are some of the things I have made so far:

Pink ruffled top with shorts (and also pants). Made from a pattern, this works well since Stella is dress-obsessed. The ruffles are a good compromise when I want her to wear shorts or pants, she still feels like she's in a dress.

This green dress was also from a pattern, but I changed some things up. It was fully lined with a petticoat, but for a summer dress I just lined the bodice. She wore this to a super fun block party in SLC - it was a surprise for my Grandma. Do I even have to say that we danced all night?

Ok so this is where I started to get a little bit more ambitious - I had a pair of PJ pants that I loved, but they had a tear that made them unwearable. I loved the striped linen-type fabric, so I decided to try to make a dress for Stella out of them. There was not enough fabric to work from a traditional pattern, so I put together an original design. This kind of project is so exciting for me - I mean there is creativity in sewing from a pattern too - finding it, modifying it, choosing the fabrics, colors, textures, etc. - but this is the kind of project that I really love. Sketching something out and then making it real - figuring out all the little engineering details - problem solving... Love the challenge, love the process. This is the kind of thing that gets me so energized! Anyway, here it is. I added a floral print in the same palette for the sash and bottom of the skirt, turned the stripes sideways for the bodice, and attempted my second zipper. The sleeve straps are made from what was the waistband of the pants - it had a pink lace trim that I just had to incorporate somehow. I love Project Runway and this dress was so much fun, just like some of their challenges where they take one thing and turn it into something new.

More to come! I made myself a dress yesterday, but I really need to get a haircut before I can do a photo...

Stella the fish

2010-06-29T11:09:00.000-07:00

It has been far too long since I posted an update about my sweet baby girl. She turned 2 in April and has such a fun personality.

She loves to dance, jump and play in the pool. We started swimming lessons this summer and she is doing great. She jumps to you from the side, blows bubbles and even goes underwater for short bits. I was thrilled last week in lessons when she actually swam - ok, "swam" - to the wall. The teacher had me stand about 5 feet from the wall, hold her hips and 1-2-3, launch her forward. She floundered more than she technically swam, but she made it and said "do again?" so I was thrilled! In the fall she'll be able to start classes without me - it will be good to build her water skills, especially for next summer when I will have two little tadpoles...

What else... she is singing, all the time, real songs and ones she makes up herself. She is addicted to pretty dresses and apple juice. She gets so excited if I wear a dress too, and notices when I do my hair. Sadly this does not reflect well on me!!!

I'm happy being home, life is good. Stephen loves his job, I stay busy with freelance projects and my own creative projects - more on that to come...

Round 2

2010-05-05T13:23:00.000-07:00

Another reason I can't seem to keep up with things... we are expecting a new baby in November and I am trying to come out of that first trimester haze. All I want to do is sleep!

All my body wants to do is throw up!

And then sleep.

I am down 21 pounds and feel like I don't know what day it is.

Vitamin B6 helps a lot. I know I said it with Stella too, but this time I mean it: I am so not doing this again!

For anyone (guys) who doesn't know what this is like, imagine being seasick. For 7+ weeks straight. And you have to just go on with your day. All this tiredness and not feeling good is really starting to get me down.

Today I had a sonogram, and I know it is such a cliche to say something like this, but it really did make me feel a little better knowing this is all happening for a good reason. I know things will get better soon, but I am having a hard time feeling it. There is definitely an optimist in me, but right now she is tired and weak!!! Send good vibes for me.

I thought I would have more time...

2010-05-01T13:27:00.000-07:00

I'm finding it harder to keep this blog updated now that I am staying home. When I do have a spare minute, I seem to spend it on freelance work (yay!) or, even better, hanging out with the hubby. Need to find a way to put this back in my schedule...

I did get rid of the dot template, that makes it at least a bit easier to read. baby steps!

rainy day fun with Wesley

2010-03-09T19:25:00.000-08:00

We just love our friend Wes.

This is what happens when you mix a rainy afternoon, Wesley, Stella and the "T-Pain" iPhone app that turns your phone into one of those auto-tune things. Wes created the song (yes that is him singing), this is the two of them dancing to it.

New dance moves

2010-03-04T13:41:00.000-08:00

Here is a short clip of Stella Rose learning some new dance moves the other night. We were at a restaurant where all the servers periodically get together and dance - she loved it.

And I know I'm biased and everything, but how many 23-month-olds can pick up new moves this quickly? :)

the orange theory

2010-01-24T14:27:00.000-08:00

We were talking with some friends of ours who are also parents, and an interesting subject came up. Turns out that in both their family and ours, the dads tend to want to spoil/indulge the kids more often, while the moms are more consistent with setting limits/boundaries/call it what you will. Stephen related this story, and how he sees it as a metaphor for parenting:

Stella Rose is a huge fruit fan. She will eat two whole oranges in one setting if you let her. We usually cut the oranges into wedges so they are easy for her to eat. We would cut them up, put all 6 or 8 pieces on a plate, and let her go crazy. But, we noticed, she would only take the easiest bites from each piece, then ask for more. So I started handing them to her one wedge at a time. Sure enough, she would eat every last bit of pulp on the piece, then ask for more and repeat the process.

His metaphor here was that if you give a child a great quantity of something (oranges or possessions or treats or whatever), they get so distracted by how many they have, and how much more they can get, that they don't even enjoy it. Whereas if they are given things on a smaller or slower scale, it really enhances the gift - allowing them to focus on it and really enjoy it. I agree.

ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

2010-01-18T12:38:00.000-08:00

So 2010 is looking like it might be my favorite year so far. Or maybe that is just in comparison to 2009. We were so happy in 2009 - loved having 8 months all together - but frankly, the year just did not look good on paper (death, unemployment, fires, etc.).

We are excited to start this year off with something we were missing for so much of last year - a clear direction! Stephen has accepted a partnership with a web development firm. Turns out he is a much better job searcher than I was.

My approach: Go on vacation. Do some freelance work. Apply for some jobs. Go back on vacation. Get really excited and sidetracked by freelance work. What's that? Time for vacation. Another freelance project? Great, I can do that while on vacation.

Stephen's approach: Get in gear. Apply for job. Get interview for that job. Before nailing that interview, get offered partnership in another small business.

Despite that fact that he totally put me to shame, I am thrilled. It is a great fit - he really wanted to be back in a small-business owner role, but the time and risk of a startup was not a good fit for us right now. He's joined a company that has been around for 10 years and is ready for his contributions. It is just perfect for him. We are both so excited about what is ahead!

So we are in a sense trading places. He was so amazing as a stay-home parent, I have a lot to live up to. I always wanted to have this kind of flexibility, but was very worried. I've been afraid that with my inability to stay still for very long, being a stay-home parent would make me a little crazy. But my freelance work will help. I love it and it loves me. I can manage my clients and workload without having to be in an office all day. And I think that my energy might actually make me a better stay-home parent, since I am very good at thinking up things to do, and am usually organized enough to make things happen. I will also continue to work on my artwork. New commissions are coming in and I am just very happy.

All three of us are very happy. Stella sings a little song, "hap-py hap-py hap-py." Right now, life is good. And the thing is, we've been happy - even last year, even during some incredibly difficult times. I am reminded that sometimes happiness is a decision. I am so lucky to have a wonderful husband and daughter to help me remember that.

drumroll, please...

2010-01-14T12:40:00.001-08:00

We had so much fun last year competitively decorating Christmas cookies that we decided to do it again. Results are in, and the winners are:

Best tribute to a Commodores song:

Best alternative use of a shape, bovine division:

Best alternative use of a shape, mug shot division:

Best alternative use of a shape, amphibian division:

Best alternative use of a shape, crafty division:

Best cookie that answers its own question:

Most vertical frosting height

Best traditional cookie:

Best maternal tribute:

Best (attempted) movie tie-in (transformers):

And finally, the Pablo Picasso expressionist award:

Congrats to the winners!

summer adventures, part II (cabin pics)

2009-11-08T18:51:00.001-08:00

Stella climbing the stairs inside the cabin.

A beautiful view with Grandma Jenny. Note the cattle drive in the background!

A walk through the aspen.

Sweet cousin time with Kaia. These two were crazy cute together. Kaia was a bit wary at first, but after a few days they would squeal with delight and run to each other.

My dad & Jenny have added a wood-fired hot tub to the list of cabin delights. They got their hands on a wine barrel and made it into a baby version. The girls were in heaven!

Could this be any cuter?

Grandpa & Grandma enjoy their handiwork.

The girls also got quality time with Craig & Sarah (my uncle & aunt) and my cousins Colin & Will.

Spectacular sunset with Grandpa Mike.

Can you believe it? I came back from a bike ride to find Stephen working as part of a fencing crew. Will kept Stella entertained and Stephen got to drive the tractor.

Summer adventures, part I

2009-11-07T20:09:00.000-08:00

I should really recap all this before we start to forget! Life is funny these days. We are doing well but looking forward to finding out what this next phase of life is going to be like. We had an awesome summer, lots of traveling (I think like 6 weeks total) - but we are looking forward to putting a bit more predictability in our lives.

In June and July we took a 3 week adventure to SLC-CA-SLC-WY-SLC.

My cousin Brian got married to sweet Allie. They threw a fantastic party and we enjoyed getting to know Allie and her family. They really made us want to move to CA. I know I am biased and all as her mother, but I think all would agree that Stella totally stole the show. We knew this kid liked to dance, but DANG! She was the first one out on the dance floor and DID NOT STOP all night. (14 months old and finally we're starting to see some of me in her, ha!)

People I didn't know would come up to me and say, "Oh, you're Stella's mom, right?" I was so proud. She danced her little booty off and we all had a great time. It was a fantastic wedding and we were so glad to be a part of it.

After the wedding we rented a couple of houses on the Russian River in northern CA. Had wine tasting and family bonding. Turns out that wine tasting is fairly kid-friendly what with having lots of new places to explore, as long as you don't mind getting the kiddo in and out of the car 7,000 times.

We also took a walk through the redwood forest. It was really cool and someone reminded us that it was where they shot the Ewok planet scenes from Star Wars.

Then we invaded the insanely charming town of Sebastopol (and now we want to move there too) for a mini-reunion with some fantastic friends that we hadn't seen for way too many years. It was so great to see Kim and Chris and Dean and Jacqueline and all the progeny. These four are all way ahead of us on the parenting thing, and we were so impressed with their ninja-like skills. Jacqueline in particular had the brilliant idea to get three rooms and a baby monitor - kids sleep on the outside rooms and party in the middle. I was in awe. We had a great time (but I think I get to add Jeffrey Katzenberg to my list of people I want to punch in the face).

Here's our crew, minus the moms, on the train at the world's best park ever:

Dean and sweet little Olin:

Next up was a few days in SLC. I went to my 15 year HS reunion. It was great to see old friends and make new connections. I must admit that I forgot what a cool bunch of people I went to school with. Thanks to the magic of Facebook, it will be much easier to stay in touch this time around.

Then we had the cabin trip. Oh, the cabin... my dad and Jenny built it (themselves, like with actual hammers) on 40 acres of beautiful Wyoming country. Borders a national forest near the Grand Tetons. Aspen grove behind the house. It is extremely well-engineered and very remote. You can drive there in the summer, can't get there at all in Fall and Spring, and in the winter you have to snowmobile or ski in. It is a blast.

Prior to this trip, our little city girl didn't walk on grass, just on sidewalks. Soon enough we had her running through the meadow of wildflowers.

(you know, this post is really long enough. cabin pics coming up next)

Stella rocks the mic

2009-10-06T18:24:00.000-07:00

announcing...

2009-09-10T10:06:00.000-07:00

(no, its not a baby)

The web site for J. Mandala Studios is now live!

www.jmandalastudios.com

Or for those who have trouble spelling our name (and when family has a hard time, you know its bad)...

weddingdresspaintings.com.

Check it out!

PS - you can also become a fan on facebook.

the right way to read a book

2009-07-29T17:13:00.000-07:00

Stella shows Stephen what for:

culebra!

2009-07-17T12:05:00.000-07:00

Ah, faithful readers, thanks for sticking with us during our summer blog-lapse. We've been traveling a lot but are now home. The wailing and gnashing of teeth may now conclude. We're back and ready to bring you more baby pics and random observations!

But first, we shall briefly summarize our trip sans baby to Culebra. It's a teeny tiny island in the Caribbean, just off the coast of Puerto Rico. It is heaven on earth. There is a teeny tiny town on the island, it has a name, but people just call it "town". There are no resorts. We stayed in a fantastic guest house on the water in town. "Fantastic" here means charming and colorful and air-conditioned. I've been trying to get Stephen here for years, but the prospect of going to the Caribbean without a resort was sort of daunting. (My friend Janet and I fell in love with this place a few years back).

Here's something we learned: if you have a great balcony, but no door to it, you can just build some stairs up to the window and call it a door. No one will mind! Just tell people to duck. This was the "door" to the (fantastic) balcony in our room.

Here is the outside of our guesthouse. It was right on the harbor, where the town is. Everything is walking distance in the town. There are just a few restaurants but they are tasty!

The beach there is amazing, one of the best in the world, it has seriously turned us into beach snobs. I know it sounds silly, but that sand is as soft as powdered sugar. And pristine. Locals come over from PR and spend the day picnicking, but it never really gets crowded. This might seriously be the best beach I will ever visit. One end is calm and good for swimming, you can snorkel right from the beach, and the other end gets some pretty big waves for bodysurfing. Here's Stephen, right before getting totally trashed by that wave:

Our home away from home:

Another thing we learned - this time the hard way. If you think you might get seasick, and you have the choice between a 90 minute ferry ride and a 20 minute flight, spring for the flight! Even if it is scary! We flew back off the island in a propeller plane, here was the view out of my left window. The plane only fit like 6 people and the pilot was right in front of me. They ask you your weight when you make a reservation, and tell you exactly where to sit. You don't dare lie. What a thrill. I was afraid to even turn all the way around to talk to Stephen - in a plane that small you just don't want to be shifting around.

We also visited San Juan, but the focus of our trip was really the beach. We want to go back as often as possible. Next time I think we could bring Stella, and maybe a cousin or grandparent to help entertain her. Volunteers?

so helpful!

2009-06-01T19:37:00.000-07:00

Stella loves her cousin Gabe, she has been trying to teach him to clap and blow kisses. Pretty dang cute!

spaghetti girl

2009-05-26T15:34:00.000-07:00

one more reason I love Obama

2009-05-06T19:39:00.000-07:00

Last Monday I was laid off from my job, which I loved very much. It was a complete shock. Donations are down, and the organization had to take some pretty drastic measures.

I had the good fortune to work for a great organization with some truly amazing people. I will miss that and remain a committed supporter.

But I'm looking forward to what is next. I could use some new challenges, and while this is a horrible time to be laid off, there are a few silver linings.

Thank you, President Obama, for helping laid-off employees keep their health insurance! Part of the stimulus plan included a provision that allows laid-off employees to pay only 35% of the normal COBRA premiums for the first 9 months. This is the difference between $1467 and $507 per month to continue our health care coverage. For us, this means I can sleep at night. I don't know for sure (yet), but I suspect that $1497 is more than I will get in unemployment. I am sure that for many others, not having this 35% plan would mean going without coverage. Yikes. Especially when you consider that medical catastrophes are one of the leading causes of bankruptcy, losing your house, etc.

I've made a personal commitment to work out every day that I am between jobs. It will help me stay positive, manage stress, and give me something else to talk about. I'm considering documenting my fitness and weight loss efforts in a public forum. Helps with the accountability. Since finding time to work out was a challenge before, there are no more excuses!

I'm taking a bit of time for some vacations we had already planned, but really am anxious to get into a new position as quickly as possible. Would love to hear ideas if anyone has them!

birthday girl

2009-04-23T20:07:00.000-07:00

There is much to say. But so little time! Our rosebud turned one. Somehow she has bloomed from this:

To this:

She may still look like her daddy but she is learning to shake it like her momma.

my brilliant husband

2009-04-05T20:35:00.000-07:00

Back in the days before Stephen and I dated, I had a nice little apartment with a hot tub outside and a sunroom off the bedroom that I used as an art studio. I had all kinds of crazy projects going on back there. One of these projects was born of necessity - I had a favorite pair of shoes that were in need of replacement. Problem was, they were the perfect mix of heel, platform and bounciness - and of course I couldn't find anything else like them anywhere. I analyzed the slope of the last (and found out what a last was) and replicated it. All I needed was something strong and sort of bouncy - I figured that if I could get the last, insole and sole together I could just make it into some sort of sandal. I figured cork would be a perfect material, so I saved some wine corks and began to assemble them into the requisite shape. One could say I possibly had too much time on my hands. Stephen likes to joke that if he hadn't come along I would still be off somewhere, trying to make my own shoes. hee.

All this is background on just why it is that we have a large quantity of wine corks in our house. I'm always thinking I'm going to make something out of them. But, drumroll please... Stephen found a use for them before I did.

So it's springtime in Texas, which really is a pretty spectacular thing. For just a few short weeks, people in snowbound places feel envious of our weather. It's a sentiment that doesn't really return until October or so. We're really enjoying the courtyard we put in last fall,

and the fountain especially has been pretty entertaining for the bambina.

Stephen had the idea to throw some of her bath toys in there... good idea, but a little short-lived as she can't reach far enough in to fish them out, and there are just a few of them. But then... inspiration strikes. Ladies and gentlemen, may I please introduce you to what is sure to be a craze among the junior circuit: corks in the fountain.

All you need are a couple hundred corks and a fountain. She spent hours picking up the corks and putting them in the fountain. Then moving corks one by one on to the ledge, then into the fountain. I tell you the possibilities are endless! The great thing is they float, so once enough are in there, she can bat them around with her hands or even take some out. Cleanup is easy with a colander. This is our new favorite game. Go Stephen!

April 1st Free Zone

2009-04-01T11:16:00.001-07:00

I really don't like April Fool's Day. To be frank, I got tired of always being the sucker and never being able to successfully turn the tables on Jess. She is a master at fooling me (comes from her family). After several years of marriage she got me so bad that I used one of my few but extremely helpful "if you loved me" cards and declared our family a no April Fools zone. I realize that this all sounds a bit pathetic, but I have to protect my innocence from the truly evil and wicked Jessica.

She once told me that "a fool can be a good husband for a clever girl." You see what I have to love. Happy April Fool's Day!

spring break

2009-03-24T19:47:00.000-07:00

Since so many of her cousins were out of school last week for spring break, we decided it would be a good time for Stella to get some extended family time. She and Stephen left for Montgomery the previous Wednesday, and I came down for the weekend. They were having so much fun, they stayed the whole next week and I went down again for the weekend - but this time there was no way I was coming home without them!

They did all kinds of fun things, and Stella learned a lot about being heard in a crowd. She had a ball - I think it was kid heaven. Me, on the other hand - I worked late a lot. I don't like being home without them.

Whenever they leave town without me I think I'm going to get all these things done - this time I thought I would:

build Stephen a dream desk for his home office (and no, I've never built a desk before, I'm just pathologically optimistic)
paint a diamond pattern on the dining room walls
catch up with friends
clean the whole house
work out every day
get a pedicure

In reality, I:

uploaded my cd collection to my mac (takes forever!!)
completed the transition of what was formerly known as our guest room/tv room/home office into just a guest/tv room
did all the laundry
organized all kinds of random stuff (that I'm sure will only be noticed by me)
saw a couple of friends
got two bike rides in

I'm pretty darn thrilled with that. I also got some good time trying to figure out just what this mac can do. Stella is also very interested in it, she put this video together about her adventures:

more arboretum pics

2009-03-18T05:53:00.000-07:00

I realize that not everyone wants to plow through the bajillion photos on our Flickr page, so here are my favorites:

baby daddy

2009-03-11T21:38:00.001-07:00

Stephen, circa 1972:

Stella Rose, circa last weekend:

Somehow I don't think anyone is going to be asking for paternity tests anytime soon. :)

stella jonas?

2009-03-09T06:13:00.000-07:00

We had a great weekend. Picnic yesterday at the arboretum with the Thomhousers - weather was spectacular and it was so refreshing to just be outside for a few hours. I think that may be one of our new favorite places. We got a membership so now we can go hang out there any time we like. The place is so beautiful - we got lots of great pictures. You can see them on our Flickr site and on Becca & Chris' Flickr site too.

Stella's hair is getting pretty cute. It's starting to curl a bit at the ends - kind of flips out like a little baby hipster. Very curly when it is wet. We haven't cut it or anything, so it is of course longer on top than anywhere else. She and I had lunch with our friend JP on Saturday, and I think he hit the nail on the head when he pronounced it "boy band hair":

we've gone mac! and other updates after our hiatus

2009-03-04T19:13:00.000-08:00

Our home PC succumbed to a particularly nasty virus, providing just one more reason to get us into the Apple store. My new macbook is my first-ever personal computer, if you don't count my old 386 hand-me-down in college that was great for papers and solitaire but didn't even have a modem. And I don't count that. :)

Speaking of viruses, we have been hit hard lately. Yesterday was the worst with all three of us down for the count. OH MAN I was starting to panic. Stella had been so miserable Sunday night, she just whimpered in our arms until about midnight. Fever around 102. Couldn't sleep, just would lay on us as we rocked her. Jenny had the brilliant idea to put on some music to distract her. There was a CD of czech polkas in her stereo, so we put that on. She loved it. Picture this sad little girl who can't bear to even hold her head up, but then she hears that music and her little arm goes out waving like a conductor. Then around midnight, it was like someone flipped a switch - she was ready to play like her old self. Healing power of polka? Could be.

Anyway we took her to the doctor Monday, she's ok, just got some kind of bug with a sore throat. Then early Tuesday morning Stephen came down with some kind of intestinal flu. As I was telling my boss that I needed to be home, I heard this awful thud. He had passed out in the bathroom. So yeah, I needed to be home. I spent yesterday trying to keep the two of them away from each other and properly medicated, then I got a fever and felt very faint in the afternoon. Why do we live so far away from grandparents again? I really can't remember!

Stephen and Stella took an extended weekend at his parents' house a few weeks ago. Gotta love the sink baths.

Stella in the fresh country air.

We had a nice visit from my Dad & Jenny last weekend, unfortunately Stella was getting sicker and sicker and was not her usual self. I guess they will just have to come back for another visit. And unfortunately for them, we seem to have sent them home with the same bug that has us down.

Today Stella is doing much better, she seems to have her mojo back. She has also found her first hiding place. I heard her in the bathroom but could not find her, then I looked in here:

This evening Stella and I ran out to get something for dinner. We were finally up for eating but could not quite muster the will to cook. I got this picture of the flowering pear tree in our front yard. It is in bloom - the weather has been lovely lately and the plants are quite confused and think it is springtime. I love this tree - when in bloom it has the most lovely perfume that just floats in the air. So it's not all bad news around here.

2009-02-26T15:14:00.000-08:00

Stella spent 10 minutes last night trying to put on one of Stephen's (thankfully clean) socks. Not on her foot, of course. On her head. I don't know what she was trying to accomplish, but she would put it up on her head, almost like she wanted to play peek-a-boo with it, but then realizing her face wasn't covered, just kept trying. I helped her drape it across the top of her head, wondering if that was what she wanted. She paused for a moment, pulled it down and tried again. Tried draping it around her neck, same thing. All I can think of is that she wanted it to be bigger. It was the funniest thing I have seen in a long time.

Here we are at the Mardi Gras parade in Oak Cliff on Sunday. She had a good time but got tired. Later that night she had a fever of 102 - her first real fever. Monday we took her for her first sick doctor visit. She's fine now, just a little virus.

We had a great weekend with my sister Judy and her boyfriend Josh, who came for a visit from SLC. Judy narrowly avoided being named "aunt doody" (kids usually have a hard time with J sounds) when Stella produced a credible "juju". Yay for Juju! We had a great time with them, went to the park and swings and all kinds of stuff I would be able to show pictures of - except that we had left both our cameras at Nana's house. Juju took some good ones, I'm patiently waiting (HINT HINT) for her to email them to me.

Thoughts from a Househusband

2009-02-02T10:44:00.000-08:00

Today I have reached a point that I never thought existed. I am sitting here wishing my sleeping Stella was awake. Until today I have relished the freedom that her naps allow me. In the last couple of weeks she has become so much fun, I miss her while she's down.

baby's got some new skills

2009-01-28T07:36:00.000-08:00

Kiddo loves her some peekaboo - this was last week. Now she is actively hiding herself under blankets, teddy bears, whatever. It's pretty cute.

She can multitask. Now that she has learned to hold her bottle with her feet, that frees her arms up for all kinds of things.

And now this - I found this shopping cart toy at a garage sale two weeks ago and she went crazy for it right away. We were going to put it away until her birthday because she was not quite stable around it - would pull it over, not a good thing to pull up on because it moves, etc. Lucky for her we are lazy and it never made it to any form of storage beyond "by the wall in the living room". She would pull up on it, and if we were nearby, we would hold it still for her so she didn't fall down. Then yesterday I come home and she can do this:

burleygirl

2009-01-21T06:13:00.000-08:00

So one of my Christmas presents from Stephen was a bike trailer. He placed the order from REI and it was backordered, then they said they wouldn't be getting any more after all - must be a model change. They had a floor model, but it was missing a part. So we went in to the store to check out what else they had.
Have you ever been to REI in January? They have the best sale. All their sale stuff goes down another 50%. Turns out they sell the missing part to that floor model, so they gave it to us for free, and we got a $550 bike trailer for $179. SWEET! It also converts to a regular stroller, jogging stroller, and even a cross-country skiing trailer. I don't think we'll use the skiing thing, but it's nice to think that we could. Kiddo seems to like riding in it, but is not a fan of the helmet.

green garage sale

2009-01-21T06:02:00.000-08:00

Saturday morning Stella came with me to the lake to work out with my running buddies. I say 'work out' instead of 'run', since I was just up for a walk this time. I have misplaced my iPod, and while I know I can run without it, it is not as much fun. So I figured I will save my knees and burn almost as many calories with a brisk walk. Baby girl enjoyed the scenery and dogs. On the way home, we stopped at a garage sale, just to see what we could find. I LOVE garage sales - maybe it is the treasure hunter in me, maybe it is the haggler in me, who knows. It's a slice of pure entrepreneurism at its most basic level. And now I can love them for two more reasons: they are environmentally friendly and great for kids.
So I'm not just cheap, I'm reducing waste in our landfill. And if I find a toy or something for Stella, that means one less plastic thing has to be manufactured new.
Garage sale lovers, hide in shame no more! Be proud to shop in the most eco-friendly manner possible! No bags, no signs, no manufacturing! And don't forget to negotiate!

resolutions

2009-01-15T05:41:00.000-08:00

Inspired by our friend Joe, who not only makes a detailed list of goals each New Year, but actually accomplishes them, we are joining the ranks of the resolute.

We're hoping that by publicly posting them, we will be more likely to succeed.

So here we go:

Limit sweets to once a week. For Stephen, this means one day a week, for me, one sweet a week. Devil's in the details. Don't even ask him about bringing the Jewish interpretation of the Sabbath into the mix.
No fast food, unless we are on a road trip.
No sodas. (This one is easy for me, I've been off soda for years)

We are also charting our weight every day. So far we both like it a lot. I made graphs for each of us, with the pounds (to the tenth of a pound) on one axis, and the day on the other. It's posted right above our scale, so every morning we hop on and plot our progress. It's actually kind of fun. Sometimes you need to see that you went down two tenths of a pound, and the recording adds a bit of accountability. Of course for my graph, only the last digit of my weight is displayed. A girl's gotta have some secrets...

Another weight loss competition is starting up at work, and I think I will do it again. I love the competitive aspect, it really makes it a lot of fun. But then I find myself taking it little too seriously, so hopefully the fact that I am still breastfeeding will help me temper that (no skipping meals, gotta eat enough for both of us). It's starting to be light out longer, I am anxious to get on my bike!

Another goal of mine is to sell ten paintings this year. I started doing wedding dress paintings a few years back, they look like this:

It looks better in person. This is the bride's dress, along with the dresses of her bridal party. It's done in watercolor and ink, and the names and wedding date are along the hemline. I can also do just the bride, bride and her mom's dress, etc. Pretty much any variation on the theme.

These make great wedding or anniversary gifts. I sell these matted and framed, starting at around $100 (depending on size and number of dresses - the one pictured here would be $200). I can work from a photo, ad, or detailed description.

If you know anyone who might like one, send them my way!

Happy new year!

how could I forget...

2009-01-13T19:48:00.000-08:00

This entry from our Christmas Eve cookie party, which definitely wins the Tarantino award for the evening. Note the innocent look on Mrs. Gingerbread.

our smokin' hot new year

2009-01-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

My mom generously offered to babysit Stella overnight so we could do a practice run of being away from her when we are on vacation. Now that we are parents we need a good reason to stay up late on purpose. So we opted to get a room at the Hotel Adolphus, the place where we had our wedding reception. We got dressed up for dinner, Stephen was looking sharp and I put on my favorite magical evening gown. This dress is amazing. It made me feel gorgeous when I first bought it, when I was pregnant, and now 35 lbs smaller. I seriously feel like Daisy Buchanan in it. It is so delicate, almost like wearing a spiderweb with beading.

Anyway, we are about to step out the door, when Stephen's phone rings. It's one of our tenants. Our duplex is on fire. Happy freaking new year! Ours was smokin'!

It was a five alarm fire started by a heater unit that we had hired a company to work on earlier that day. Stephen called them in the afternoon after smelling smoke and asked them to come back and take a look, but perhaps with party on the brain, who knows, they chalked it up to dust burning off the coils, declined to come back and said not to worry about it. Then the sun went down, the heater kicked in to high gear, and the whole place went up in flames. Our charming 1920s duplex, that Stephen had just remodeled, was apparently built to burn. The fire started above the downstairs bathroom and quickly spread to the second floor bathroom and the entire attic. The good news is that no one was hurt, and big-time snaps to the Dallas Fire Department for containing the fire as quickly as they did. It could have easily burned the whole block of charming 1920s duplexes.

It is completely uninhabitable, you can see pictures on our Flickr site. Oh how I wish that it was snow in the pictures.

One of our tenants has renters insurance, she's going to be fine. The other one, not so much. We put her up in a hotel and got her some clothes, shoes, etc. and are helping her move her stuff into a new apartment.

If you are reading this and you are a renter, let me just step up onto my soapbox for a moment. Ahem. GET THE DAMN INSURANCE. It's only a few bucks a month and if your place accidentally burns down or floods you will have a place to live and possessions. Otherwise you are totally screwed. Our insured tenant immediately got $5,000 to cover living expenses for the next month, she is comfortably set up in a hotel and shopping for new stuff. Her insurance is paying for her possessions to be moved, catalogued, cleaned and stored until she moves into a new place. Stuff that is damaged will be replaced. She's going to be fine. Our uninsured tenant, on the other hand, would not have had a place to sleep if we hadn't put her up in a hotel. She would have only her cat, her pajamas and her wet slippers while things got figured out. Now that things are figured out, she has found a new place to live but literally has to go pick through the remains of her charred and wet apartment, where the ceiling continues to fall and the fireplace tilts dangerously, and get what she can salvage. She will have to clean it herself and just deal with the loss. So if you are renting, ask yourself, how nice is my landlord? Probably not as nice as us. GET THE DAMN INSURANCE, because even if your landlord is nice, he will not be reimbursed for the niceness.

birthday

2009-01-08T05:57:00.001-08:00

Too much has happened in the past three weeks. Perhaps you thought we had grown bored and complacent, or overly consumed with arguments about fancy ornaments. The fact remains that the second half of December remains sorely unblogged. Here goes. Bear with me, there is a lot to cover.

We took a cursory pre-holiday break for my birthday. My mom, in town to greet her new grandson, made me the most delicious fancy cake with not uno, dos, or tres, but cuatro leches. Yum. At first I wondered why La Duni (one of my favorite places) would post the recipe to their signature dessert online. But then I read the recipe and realized that it is a low-risk strategy for them as few people would dare attempt it. Brava for my mom, aka Grandma Sugar, who was up for the challenge. It was amazing and we all had fun with the kitchen blowtorch. Stephen gave me a much-needed and still unplanned vacation for my birthday. This will be fun to put together. Any suggestions? I'm thinking someplace warm with beaches.

christmas time

2009-01-08T04:18:00.000-08:00

What with the baking queen in town and all, I did not attempt my usual holiday baking. (First christmas with a kid, and I played that card for all it was worth.) With a nod to reality, I planned on falling off the no-sweets wagon for the period between my birthday and new years. I'm sorry, but if your mom comes to your house and plays with your baby and bakes you cookies, it is seriously bad karma not to eat at least one cookie.

Stella and her healthy fear of The Man.

Speaking of cookies, we had a cookie party on Christmas Eve. One of the best things about spending our first Christmas at home was coming up with new traditions. This one was a keeper. Let's see... my mom made all the cookies and icing, and my sister's in-laws brought dinner... I'd have to say it was the best party ever that doesn't involve grinding your own sausage. I'm thinking a potluck cookie decorating party will have to be expanded on in the future. I especially loved the part where everyone but me cooked. We kept things pretty small and low key this year on account of my new nephew Gabriel. Here are some of our favorites:

Best booty-loving cookie: Best self-portrait cookie (Stephen):

Best traditional cookie:

Best alternate use of the shape:
Best minimalist cookie (this one narrowly beat out my mom's classic one-shake-of-red-sprinkles):

and honorable mention because it's christmas in the Federation, too:

Christmas morning it was just the three of us, I made cinnamon rolls from scratch and we chillaxed. Opened stockings and got on Skype. All three of us got spoiled. Here's Stephen's new grill, complete with baby back ribs, ha.

In the afternoon my parents, Becca, Chris and baby Gabe came over. We opened presents and finished up dinner, which I had been planning ever since Becca announced her due date and I realized we would get to be home. Somehow the planets aligned, and even though getting to dinner took much longer than we thought, everything turned out perfectly. I don't know how. And now I shall bore you with the menu, what can I say I am very proud. We did a prime rib with port sauce (snaps to Jenny for the recipe!), savory sweet and regular potatoes, green beans, rolls from scratch, and a spinach-blue cheese and pecan salad. In the evening we invited the rest of the family over for dessert. One of these days I will get it into my head that when people have a big dinner (like xmas and thanksgiving) they just don't really eat much dessert. I still have pie in the fridge, it will just have to be thrown out due to age and sugar avoidance. We had a good time, it was a truly bizarre experience to not have to rush off to another celebration. Oh and I got called out (gotta love family) for what I thought was a good response to an unusual gift. ("Oh! I don't have anything like THIS!")

Overall, it was a great holiday. Loved the combo of not cooking, cooking and not having to go anywhere. Can't wait to try out my new bike trailer - I think Stella will like cycling.

new nephew

2008-12-18T04:25:00.000-08:00

I just realized I haven't even posted anything about my new nephew, Gabe. Good thing he can't read yet! Gabe is almost two weeks old, and my sister Becca and her husband Chris are doing really well. Gabe decided to come early and fast, which was a bit disappointing as he made his debut the one weekend we were away in Florida. Definitely good for Becca though, as the whole production only took about 6 hours. Everyone's fine and this is one cute baby. My mom is here to help out, so we are enjoying that too. Details and cute pictures here. Welcome to the world, baby boy!

ornament debacle - my side

2008-12-14T21:17:00.000-08:00

THREE years ago (and she's still not over it-see post below), while shopping several weeks before Christmas, Jess and I decided to step into Barneys, just to ogle at the expensive, extremely overpriced merchandise. While there, we checked out their Christmas section. The designer ornaments were ridiculously expensive, ranging from $40-$500 or so. They were, however, very cool, as they were chandelier themed. Very glam, Jessica loves glam. I jokingly said to her, because they were very expensive, "would you like these ornaments for Christmas?", and she, knowing I was joking, said no. End of story, part 1.

Two days before Christmas, I'm shopping alone. Barneys has Christmas merchandise dramatically marked down. I had already bought everything and reached my budget, but knowing these were greatly reduced, I thought she would like them for future use. Fast forward to Christmas morning: she is very upset and overreacts. Granted, I had not considered the fact that we did not have a Christmas tree for the fifth year in a row. But, we are never in town for Christmas and it seems like a waste of money. My big mistake was having them wrapped and give as a gift! If I had just come home and put them on the counter and said "got cool ornaments for cheap" we would not be reliving this agument today. Here is a sample of the ornaments in question.

If loving her is wrong, I don't want to be right.

Happy Holidays--Stephen

our tannenbaum

2008-12-14T20:46:00.000-08:00

After only seven years of marriage, we got our first Christmas tree.

We bribed our friend Truck, I mean Wes, with dinner and Stella time. What a good sport.

Here they are setting up the tree. Yes, there was a wrench involved.

We got a real tree, it even came with a real slug living on a branch and real needles that are oh-so-festively decorating the floor. I love it. It smells like Christmas in our house. While a real tree may be a bit more of a hassle, it's not like this is a way of life - it's once a year. Stella seems to have figured out that needles are not so tasty, and the ornaments are out of her reach, for now anyway. I'm sure that by the time Christmas gets here, she will be three feet tall.

She's fascinated by the lights:the finished scene:
So at long last, I get to use the truly fabulous chandelier ornaments Stephen bought me a few years ago. This puts the cherry on top of a many-layered argument. On the one hand, they are fabulous and I love them. On the other hand, I HATE giving and receiving ornaments as gifts. (No offense to anyone who may have previously given me any ornaments. Ha.) It's just that you get them on Christmas, and then you can't use them for a whole freaking year. Plus if you are a design snob like me, you really like to pick this kind of thing out yourself. Plus, when he first found the chandelier ornaments and asked me if I liked them, I said no. He asked if I wanted them, and I said no. Then he gave them to me, after vetoing a Christmas tree for oh, the fifth year in a row (we've always gone out of town for the holiday). The cruelty was completely lost on him, and he did not understand why I was upset. I have since explained to him why I was upset, using graphs and charts where necessary.

Let's just say they look pretty on the tree and we can all be happy now. :) It's a festivus miracle!

Stella in the sunshine state

2008-12-11T05:45:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we flew to Florida so that Stella could meet some of the Italian side of her family. She met her great-aunt Mary Jane, her great-grandma Crazy Jean (as we like to call her) and her great-uncle John.

Kiddo was funny on the plane, blowing raspberries as everyone exited.

We dipped her toes in the ocean - she loved all the new sensations and watching the birds. Water was cold and surprising for her.

We were spoiled rotten this trip - early Christmas and my birthday.

Mary Jane's house was done up so beautifully for the holiday - we all got into the spirit.

I love this picture because it shows just how crazy about each other these two were. Stella loves necklaces and Crazy Jean had lots for her to play with. I need to figure out how to turn off the flash but still keep the shutter speed up. I hate using the flash when there is such warm lighting.

We were treated to Uncle John's absolutely delicious food, it was all so yummy. And Aunt Mary Jane is the most gracious hostess - we were so comfortable during our stay. We came home with all kinds of treasures - and practically a new wardrobe for baby girl. It was a GREAT trip.

Next we will hopefully see a few Floridians in Dallas - we can't wait!

smoke-free dallas

2008-12-11T05:33:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I attended a Dallas City Council meeting to help support a proposed city-wide smoking ban - expanding it to include bars. The place I work (American Heart Association) has worked hard for this ordinance and many like it across the country. It was a fascinating experience. Those of us in support wore red t-shirts and packed the chambers. The opposing side wore yellow and seemed to be primarily made up of people who own or work in bars. Their concern was that they would lose business to the suburbs. It's an argument that was made when Dallas banned smoking in restaurants, and it didn't hold up then, and it doesn't now. I know many feel this is a personal freedom issue, but this is one instance where public health should prevail. No one is telling smokers they can't smoke, they just have to go outside. There were several people there concerned about losing their bar jobs, stating that this was the only job they could get. Bottom line: no one should have to choose between their health and their paycheck.

At one point the mayor asked that any citizen who wanted to go on the record was welcome to come forward and give their name and a short statement. I jumped up, remembering all the studies showing that when you ban public smoking, the incidence of heart attacks drops in the community. I implored the council to do the right thing - today they had an opportunity not many of us get, to make a real difference and save real lives in Dallas.

They did the right thing and it passed. Come April (when it goes into effect), this non-smoker will gladly organize a celebratory happy hour and not come home smelling like an ashtray.

so nine people and a dog walk into a bar...

2008-12-02T19:33:00.000-08:00

We spent Thanksgiving with Stephen's family. His sister hosted, she is such a good sport, and we did it co-op style. Everyone brought something and everything was delicious. I made rolls and pies.

We did have some misadventures on the drive down - Colin & Megan's van broke down as they tried to leave Dallas at noon on Tuesday. And no rental cars available on account of the holiday. It truly was one thing after another - if National Lampoon ever makes a Thanksgiving Adventure, they should give us a call. Really. Anything that could possibly go wrong did. It's normally a 3 hour drive. It took us 2 hours just to leave Dallas. We piled in our two cars with four adults, three infants, two children and a dog. Plus gear. We had to go the opposite direction in rush hour traffic to pick up Colin at the car dealership. There was an accident, and I almost called him to tell him to just start walking south - it was that bad. We didn't get there until midnight. Lesson learned: don't try to cheer anybody up by pointing out that things can't really be that bad since no one has thrown up. It only makes the universe want someone to throw up.

I am proud to say that I found a good crew to do the Turkey Trot 5k with. Stephen, Stella, and our nephews Max, Zach, Aidan & Jack, and our niece Isabelle all got up early to do what I hope can be a tradition on that side of the family. My goal was to run the whole thing, and Max agreed to do it with me. When we started running, all the other boys ran with us too. It was fun, weaving through the crowd of walkers. But it left Stephen with the stroller and Isabelle, who is pretty little for the distance. So I sent some of the boys back to check on them, and sure enough, Isabelle was getting tired. So after about two miles or so, I circled back to walk with them. Isabelle did great, we stopped to rest and I gave her a brief shoulder ride, but she did it. They had a pancake breakfast after, which all the kids enjoyed. One of them said they had never eaten breakfast outside before. It was fun, and their parents enjoyed a few hours of kid-free holiday preparation. I think we wore them out!

Here's our crew:

Stella's still smiling at the end:

Stephen, Max, Jack and Isabelle at the finish. Max ran the whole thing. This is what I got when I told them to smile. I would say they are in serious need of some pancakes here.
Stella LOVED playing with her cousins all weekend.

We had a great time visiting family. Black Friday just isn't the same without my mom around - she is serious about it. We slept in instead. Stella is unofficially crawling. More of a scoot, but she is definitely mobile.

I WON!!!

2008-11-19T05:31:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it, as of last week I was pretty sure I was not going to make it, the gap between the leader and I moved from .11% to .4%. But then I did some algebra and figured I might as well take the shot. In the end I was at 7.92% lost, and second place was something like 7.86%. So it was very close. I did not actually sabotage anyone. Ok, I did do the secret-admirer-has-sent-you-your-favorite-candy-bar thing, and walk through the office with a plate of hot cookies. But that was all in good fun. And the cookies were way more tempting for me, I had to live with them. Seems like I've been baking cookies all week - that has been hard to resist. So anyway, over the weekend I thought I should at least play this thing out down to the wire. So no salt for me on Monday, worked out Tuesday morning and got in the sauna, started thinking crazy thoughts like "would I weigh less if I got a haircut?" and actually (literally) weighed my clothing options Tuesday morning. High noon was the finale.

I've actually lost more than 7.92% of my body weight, since I started before the competition. I shall not post my actual percentage for fear that someone might do the algebra and figure out either my present or starting weight. :) But I am down 35 pounds total. And now, up $700. YEAH!

liquid diet

2008-11-15T10:03:00.000-08:00

Despite the constant drooling, chewing motions, age (7 months) and size, this kid is just not interested in food. At all. We've tried bananas, apples, applesauce, even a lemon just to see what she would do. Reaction was the same as the avocado. Oh well. We'll just give it some time. Maybe she needs some teeth first. No rush.

bigger and smaller

2008-11-11T06:11:00.000-08:00

I am sorry to report that we have fallen completely off the pushup wagon. It was fun while it lasted. I did notice that carrying Stella got a lot easier. We'll have to restart sometime. I really like the program, we just had to repeat that second week and never did, so we just need to start from the beginning.

Stella is coming on like gangbusters - I think she's going to crawl any day now. She sits up by herself, and is getting really good at the whole reaching for things. We are going to have to rethink some things in our house... She loves her books and hates her car seat. She is way too big for her infant car seat, we need to order the big one now that will take her through the toddler years. She's too heavy to carry around in it anyway. Oh! And I was thrilled to discover that she can now ride in a shopping cart without her car seat. It's crazy funny. She reaches for something in the store, and does the full body lunge, but then doesn't yet know how to get herself upright again. She just looks up at you, sideways.

I am down 31 pounds total and am in second place for the competition at work. There is $750 at stake, and there is 0.11% between first place and me. Needless to say, that person's "secret admirer" is going to bring them a candy bar today... there is just a week to go.

it must be boy season

2008-11-11T05:54:00.000-08:00

Last week we got a special election day bonus - two new nephews! Stephen's cousin Colin and his wife Megan welcomed Patrick and Liam to the world. Megan gets the bragging rights of having voted while in labor. That's dedication. They came in at a very respectable size - each was over 6 lbs. They are so cute and very sweet. I think Stella wants one for herself. She looks like an amazon next to them.

Next month we will get another one - my sister is due with a boy Christmas Eve. And then we have another cousin having a boy in April. And my uncle and aunt welcomed a boy a few weeks ago, my 53rd first cousin. Holy smokes.

Proud to be an American

2008-11-05T21:10:00.000-08:00

Although I didn't vote for President-elect Obama, I am as proud today to be an American as I was when President Bush was elected. It's simple to me, the man in the oval office does not make this country great, it is the people that embrace the simple, but often uncommon princles of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. Niether party has a monopoly on the truth of these principles, simply different paths.

I was listening to NPR this morning and a leader in Africa was offering his congratulations to the American people for the peaceful election of Obama. I actually chuckled with joy upon hearing this. In this country people do not die in the streets because their guy didn't win. People may sob a bit, they may be a bit frightened of the change, some may even wear black in protest, but we still live free.

So good luck to President elect Obama, and thank God the Dems don't have a super majority!

I like to think it was my car sticker that put him over the top

2008-11-05T21:04:00.001-08:00

Even though Stephen cancelled out my vote (as usual, at least this year he didn't actively try to steal it), I am thrilled beyond measure that Obama won. I may look back on this one day with embarassment at my overt jubilation, but for today, I want to document this. A new day is dawning. I am proud of our country today.
It is the exact opposite of four years ago - when I just lay on our bed and sobbed. I was so heartbroken, but today my faith is restored. I think good things are coming.
There may be some policy points on which the candidate and I disagreed, but I trust this man to be a thoughtful, intellectual, open-minded and reasonable president. Someone cool in a crisis, who listens to all sides and seeks out opposing points of view. I don't want to elect someone to have a beer with. I want a leader, and I think we got the right guy.
My cousin Linsey was in Grant Park last night in Chicago. It must have felt like the center of the world. I am so jealous - Stephen and I both would have loved to have been there. What an amazing moment in time. I feel like celebrating!

introducing Stella Miranda!

2008-11-02T19:59:00.001-08:00

Her first Halloween. I'm sure she'll hate me for this one day. But she was a good sport, and her Carmen Miranda costume turned out reasonably well. The fruit was surprisingly hard to balance.

heathen no more!

2008-11-02T19:08:00.001-08:00

Last weekend we had a christening for Stella Rose, and a party at our place afterward. It was so much fun, and we are extraordinarily lucky to be surrounded by such amazing friends and family.

We carried on an italian tradition of sausage making to mark special occasions. It was our first time leading such an endeavor. Luckily Joe and Rose were on hand to lend their grinder and advice. So Friday night a small group of us gathered to turn 35 pounds of pork shoulder into yummy italian sausage that we served at the party the next day. My dad also led a family tradition of marking special occasions with homemade ice cream - we had Stellaberry (aka strawberry) and cookies & cream. yum. I broke my no sugar rule and it was SO worth it.

I think about 60 people were there in all, and luckily our former jungle of a backyard is now a lovely courtyard perfectly suited for this kind of thing. Lucky for us the weather cooperated - it was beautiful blue skies and cool breezes.

My brother in law Chris came through with a cornhole set. Cornhole rules. Mostly because it sounds vaguely dirty, but is really a combination of horseshoes and bean bag toss. Only with corn. And holes. We played it in the front yard and converted many to the cornhole cause. Here's a few of our nephews and neice playing - one of the few times the kids actually got to play.

Here's a few shots of the patio:
Stephen's Uncle Billy adds his special magic to any photo he can.

Yes, the giant Buddha head in the courtyard did lead to a few questions... what can I say, we love the Buddha in our house.

A shot of the courtyard through the back french doors. Muchas gracias to Jenny who took it upon herself to dress up the fence with a coat of stain - she can come visit anytime! Also many thanks to my mom, who, let's just say, made this photo possible.

Here's a shot of the front yard. Stephen did a great job. His pointing finger is really tired! (kidding, hon...)

Stella's godparents are my brother Paul and his wife Amanda. We were so happy to have them in Texas for a visit. Stella learned a lot from her cousin (and our godchild) Kaia over the weekend. Does that make them godcousins? Godsisters?

Sunday morning we took Stella and Kaia to the Dallas Arboretum for a photo shoot with Lindsay Baronoskie. She did an amazing job. See more on our Flickr site.

I just wish we had taken pictures during the party and baptism. We forgot to bring the camera to the church, and afterward we got caught up talking to everyone. A few people got shots at the church - If you have some, please send them to me! Stella wore the sweetest family gown - hand made by her Nana using lace made by HER Nana back in Ireland. We were afraid to let her stay in it for the party, so my mom bought her the sweetest party dress:

maybe not avocados...

2008-10-29T20:36:00.000-07:00

Stella got her first taste of real food. She was truly horrified.

we've got a dancer on our hands

2008-10-21T10:59:00.000-07:00

Stella in her jumper is a new source of entertainment for us. It so funny to watch her go. I don't know quite why it is so funny but it really is.

So here's a quick clip. Of course I am so proud, notice how she really gets going right when the music picks up... she may not look like me yet, but I think she might have my rhythm...

comments

2008-10-15T19:55:00.000-07:00

FYI, we changed the settings, so you no longer have to sign in to leave a comment. Woo hoo!

baby loves polka

2008-10-13T20:26:00.000-07:00

We went to dinner the other night at the Bavarian Grill, one of our favorite spots for German food. They always have live music, Stella Rose was absolutely fascinated. The new thing for her now is her jumper. She loves it and I swear she dances if you put music on. I put on a Czech polka for her, she loved it. Here's a bit of video - she gets a little distracted by the camera in the beginning.
Bernice, this one's for you...

seven and ten years

2008-10-13T18:08:00.000-07:00

Today is our dual anniversary. After we were married, we realized that we had (completely unintentionally) gotten married exactly three years after our first date. Since there was no first date ceremony (no starting gun was fired, no one yelled "go!") and we had been friends before dating, we had to retrospectively decide which was our first date. We agreed it had been the night Stephen had ordered in seafood. The occasion was made memorable by the fact that he had bounced a check to pay for it, so it stood out in his mind.

So one day in the first year of our marriage, we came across an old checkbook of his. We were laughing at the fact that he used to pay like $100 in rent (having six roommates), and we came across that check that had bounced. The date was October 13, the same day we picked for our wedding.

So in honor of our anniversary, here are seven things, big and small, that I love about Stephen:

1. His cooking. He makes the best Italian food you ever had. I had to marry him before he would let me in on his spaghetti sauce recipe.

2. His sense of humor. He can crack me up like no one else. And luckily, he is not afraid to laugh at himself too, or let me laugh at him (vs. with him) on occasion.

"We won't be able to get online in Prague, everything will be in Czech!"

And he's always a nice about it when he laughs at (vs. with) me.

Me: "The batteries on my car clicker must have gone out because it wouldn't work. I didn't know what to do - I left my list in the store. Luckily I had my cell phone, so I called the store and explained that I was outside but unable to leave my car since I can't leave it unlocked, so could they please bring my list outside to me?"
Stephen: "?!"

3. His smooth moves. He is so good at surprises that you would never expect. On one of our earliest dates, he pretended not to know where to go, making me sweat over what place to pick for my birthday dinner. He pretended to drive to a random restaurant, but when we entered it was "Hello Mr. Mandala, let me show you to your table..." In college we called him Sneak Attack Steve because he would come out of nowhere and kiss me, regardless of who I was dating at the time. He really knows how to make a person feel like the center of the world. He is so good at surprises and romantic gestures, that there is one unintended downside. Whenever there is a change of plans, there is a small part of me that thinks "ooh! maybe this is a surprise!" But then again, how many people get to feel that in their day?

4. He is so generous. Seriously, this is a man who loves to give gifts. I sometimes have to talk him out of giving extravagant gifts to people. If we could, he would take everyone in our family to Italy or Hawaii. Or both. He really thinks about the gifts he gives. He commissioned a painting for me on the one year anniversary of our first date. Had the restaurant hang it on the wall and everything. He pays attention all year long, gathering ideas, then spoils me rotten at Christmas. When Stella was born, he surprised me in the recovery room with a pink sapphire and diamond ring. For Stella, he said, when she's grown up. You wear it for her until then. Kiddo can have it when she gets her PhD. But he's not only generous with gifts, he also has a generosity of spirit that is truly uncommon. He knows what it is and what it takes to have relationships with people, even when it is difficult. He is welcoming to our guests and always willing to help people.

5. He is an amazing father. Have you seen our baby? She adores him. Laughs out loud when he comes in the room. I love him more every time I see our daughter look at him with such joy.

6. He's got his own style. In Italy last fall, we came across a store that was full of orange sweaters. It was like he had found the mothership. I love that he is not afraid of color. When we first got together he had probably 45 blue plaid shirts. He's come a long way...

7. He makes me so very happy. He indulges my crazy ideas, even when they are half-baked and half-finished. He's a good sport. He's incredibly insightful about people. He built an incredible business and I know there will be much more ahead. He has good instincts, good ideas and good intentions. I am so proud to be his wife.

please insert your own caption

2008-10-06T19:54:00.001-07:00

It's their trick.
He's very proud of it.
No, he's never dropped her.

fall again

2008-10-06T19:35:00.000-07:00

So the weather is cooling off nicely, it is actually lovely to be outside. The patio is coming along really well, the next step is to finalize the fountain. So far so good and the timing couldn't be better.

We fell off the wagon, push-up wise, last week, so we are going to have to repeat week 2. Time is completely different these days. Luckily the bambina goes to sleep around 8 or 8:30, so in theory, we have the rest of the evening to ourselves. Too bad we are so exhausted!

We went to our first kid birthday party as parents Saturday. Our godchild welcomed her third birthday, monkey style. We had fun. My friend Rose actually made a cake in the three-dimensional shape of a monkey head - I am in awe.

Sunday we went to the Cottonwood Arts Festival, it is one of our favorites. I like it because it is juried, so you don't have booths selling water filtration devices and stuff like that. It's in a park, lots of shade and they have the best kids activities. I always want to do them myself. I mean they had pottery wheels and everything!

Lucky for us Stella really digs her ride, she enjoys looking at the people, trees, dogs and kids.

I'm becoming such a cliche... of course I make it down about one aisle of the festival and I'm already thinking about how I really should enter this festival next year... I'd have to find the time, which might not be too hard since I paint very quickly, but I would probably have to switch mediums. Oil paints are highly toxic and I wouldn't feel very good about getting them out with a baby in the house. Maybe acrylics? I've never used them before, I just love oils, love the smell and feel and translucency of them, but may be worth exploring. If I could only set a deadline for myself I might actually do something this year... I'm encouraged by the fact that my work (when I do any) does tend to sell well. So nothing but my own self holding me back... and that whole time management thing. As much as I would enjoy doing something like that, I have been really struggling with this new sensation of always having too much to do. This shouldn't be a surprise, I have almost always done too much. When I was a teenager my stepmom gave me a book called "Meditations for Women Who Do Too Much" - I guess I started early. I think of all these projects to start, then all the things I would like to do with and for my daughter, then more and more and more until I find myself in the store with Stella sleeping in the carseat at 9 pm and I'm like, seriously, how important is it really that I finish making this mirror for the nursery? So important that I should drag my daughter all around town when she clearly needs to be in bed? And then I take a step back, but slowly things pop up again. I need the energy of new ideas. It's what keeps me going. Just have to figure out a way to not let it wear me down.

My current projects are that mirror (and I think I finally found the right thing to do to finish it), a duvet cover and bedskirt that I am making, and Stella's Halloween costume (which I am so excited for, not telling yet). Trying to do just one at a time. Duvet is halfway done so I will wrap that up before I start on her costume... we may all three of us dress up as the same thing this year - how would that be for the xmas card?

New baby pics

2008-09-30T19:38:00.000-07:00

Took these in the nursery... more on our Flickr site. Kiddo is officially rolling over and scooting around like crazy. Also starting to love dancing. We dance with her and she goes crazy. Also loves it when we repeat whatever sound she just made, it makes her giggle.

sugar free me, week 6

2008-09-30T19:11:00.000-07:00

I'm down 9 pounds and am really starting to see a difference. Hit a bit of a plateau, I think due to my strength training. I've been through this before where the numbers go up or stay the same temporarily as I get stronger, then really start to go down. But still... I like to see downward trends! But my clothes are loose and I can see a difference in my face, and I feel fantastic. The sugar stuff is not really a temptation anymore. I think my taste buds have recalibrated or something, because my afternoon yogurt tastes insanely sweet to me now.

Anyway, I am excited to report that I have started running again, which I love. Two friends from work invited me on their Wednesday and Saturday runs, and it's the perfect motivation to get out there. Weather is lovely for it. Ran 30 minutes Saturday, getting stronger in all the right places.

We've also been keeping up with the hundred pushups training. It's actually pretty easy to do, and takes surprisingly little time. I'm now up to where I can do 20 consecutive pushups. Girl style, of course. I'm not going to report Stephen's progress, he can do that himself if he likes, but needless to say, he is rocking and rolling - does old-school pushups and beats me every time.

Felicia, this one's for you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5LJxSHNArM

stuff i like: movie edition

2008-09-22T20:33:00.000-07:00

Burn After Reading. I have loved those Coen brothers ever since my dad took me to see Barton Fink at Trolley Square... long ago. I liked this, thought Brad Pitt was sort of brilliant. Actually his hairstyle was especially brilliant. Skunky and perfectly, if misguidedly, coiffed, that hair (along with Silvio's from the Sopranos) deserves a Best Supporting Actor nod.

I love movies that can surprise you. There is a certain scene that I definitely did not see coming, I won't say which one, but if you have seen the movie you know what I am talking about. How do you classify a movie like this??? I don't think you can, which earns some points in my book. Also I have to mention that I found myself questioning the George Clooney/Frances MacDormand romance - somehow I have bought into all the programming from other movies that tells me that a guy like George should be paired with some young hottie. And actually, those two are probably around the same age, and in real life you wouldn't question the match at all. Interesting...

jungle no more

2008-09-22T20:24:00.001-07:00

We have a small back yard that has, despite the best efforts of my parents, run wild. Like weeds growing up and through the furniture wild. Our living room has french doors that open out to it, and it is fenced in and the garage is on the other side of it. So it's not exactly in our way - we have been able to let nature run free back there without paying too much attention.

Up until now. We have started to transform it into a patio, with a few flowerbeds and a bench. The patio part is in now, just being finished. I'll post some pictures soon. We'll add plants in containers and maybe a palm tree when it's done. We're very excited about the whole thing.

And perhaps you thought I was being dramatic in my earlier post about how you wouldn't dare sit on the grass here in Texas for fear of creatures... when they deforested our back yard, they found and killed NINE snakes. NINE snakes, people.

Ike and Ayn

2008-09-22T20:11:00.000-07:00

So the hurricane came and went. Stephen's family was without power for a full week. Eleven of them came up to Dallas, and the upside (for us) was that we got to spend some time with them. Stella got lots of Nana time, which she loved. Of course for them, the upside was that their houses were still standing and pretty much undamaged. They had no power or water after the storm, and communications were very spotty, so we were extremely relieved to see their faces.

Stella is changing so quickly - she is now able to reach and grab things, and consequently objects are now fascinating. We have hit the toy time, people. And as much as I would like to emulate the Ayn Rand School for Tots, she really enjoys them. Shreiks with delight and everything, it is quite a sight.

Did my first training set of the hundred pushups thing, my max was 11. On we go.

pushups

2008-09-21T19:49:00.000-07:00

Did my initial assessment, I can do a whole 9 girl-style pushups. I was actually surprised as I sort of expected to only be able to do one or so. I'm starting the training program tomorrow. Yay Felicia for joining in the fun - I'm sure she will put me to shame. Sort of like her boyfriend and Trivial Pursuit. Hee.

sugar free me, week 4 - gonna win all the money

2008-09-18T19:42:00.000-07:00

I'm down almost 8 pounds. The pool at work is up to around $800. I really want to win!

I saw an interesting site the other day, it's a training program that promises to leave you capable of doing 100 push-ups. Check it out: http://hundredpushups.com/

Stephen has agreed to do it with me - I am stunned. I think I had him at "it takes no money or equipment and very little time". He's got to be a bit cautious, as I am the woman who convinced him to run a half marathon with me a few years ago. (Still can't believe we did that!)

So, in the spirit of me recruiting people to do stuff like this, who's in? (Do I even have to say that I will be doing girl-style push-ups?)

If you're up for it, let me know. I will be posting my progress here. The training plan is simple and takes very little time. Think of the toned arms you could have! Also a motivator for me is that my little bambina is 15.5 pounds and growing... my upper body strength really needs to catch up.

(PS - I love that my brother wasn't quite sure if there was sarcasm in my last post.)

new business idea

2008-09-14T18:34:00.000-07:00

We were at NorthPark today, and saw that a new location of Noka is opening there soon. This is a place that sells chocolate at ridiculous prices (2 tiny pieces for $17.50!). Their hook is exclusivity and high quality, that sort of thing. Also there is in Dallas a location of Sprinkles, which sells gourmet cupcakes for like $4 each.
So in this grand tradition, I think we should open up a shop that sells luxury lollipops. Artisan, hand crafted, organic, exotic flavored lollipops. High-end modernist packaging. Flavors like balsamic vinegar strawberry, mint basil, tequila lime jicama, and something to do with white or green tea. I'm thinking we can sell them for like $8 each. And I have the perfect name: Suckers.

heartwalk & ike

2008-09-14T18:25:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we participated in HeartWalk, a fundraising and fitness event benefiting the American Heart Association. It's an annual event for us and Stella's first time out. She did great. We thought she would just sleep in her stroller, but she was fascinated by all the people, and especially seemed interested in dogs. Luckily we had just the right outfit for her - her Nana bought her this pink velour tracksuit before she was even born.

We thought the event might be cancelled with the hurricane weather, but we went down anyway. It was on, and we enjoyed the 3 mile walk. Here's how humid it was - started to drizzle just a bit:

We were lucky to not really be affected by Ike, and so far our friends & family in the Houston area are safe. Many are without power and water though, looks like it will be quite a while until things get back to normal down there. Think good thoughts for them.

slc baby tour 2008

2008-09-10T19:52:00.001-07:00

We took a long weekend to visit my family in Salt Lake. Stella was considerably more animated on this flight, she was squealing with delight and I think we made people nervous that they would be stuck next to us on the plane. Luckily we got our own row, and no crying... yeah!!!

We had an ice cream social Friday night, which is a family tradition on my dad's side. One that I need to keep going here, if only I could meet some people who like to make ice cream. The concept is simple: everyone brings a different flavor of homemade ice cream. There was peach, mint oreo, pina colada, super dark chocolate, and vanilla. Yum, it was definitely worth the sugar indulgence. Now that I think about it, maybe I should help educate some of my friends on the joys of making ice cream...

Stella got to meet her Great-Grandma Bernice, along with many of my aunts, uncles and cousins. My cousin Emma even got her to giggle again. So cute! So fleeting!

Stella Rose with Great-Grandma Bernice:
Four generation shot (that's my dad in the middle):

September in SLC is absolutely amazing. The weather is perfect - sunny and blue skies, temps in about the 80s with a cool breeze everywhere, gets a bit chilly at night. Lawns are green and lush, softer than carpet and cool and refreshing on your bare feet (in TX you would not dare for fear of creatures). If the whole year could be like that we would have to move. Everything is green and blooming, gardens full of good things.

Here's Grandma Jenny introducing Stella to her first home-grown tomato:

Saturday we went with Paul, Amanda, Kaia, Chris, my dad and Jenny for a hike. Paul suggested we head toward Snowbird as Oktoberfest was going on. So hiking turned into bier, bratwurst, polka music and a stroll in the mountains. Here's bambina with Grandma Jenny on the bus:

Kaia and Stella get in the Oktoberfest spirit. I'm not naming names, but just maybe someone knocked Stella's noggin...

Stephen and the bambina on a stroll:

My brother and niece, who conked out in her carrier:

Stella also succumbed to the hypnotic rhythm of our stroll. The flap is up so she doesn't get sun in her face as the altitude is high there. This picture cracks me up.

Sunday we had a baby shower for my sister Becca at my mom's house. We didn't take enough pictures, but we had a ball. (How can it not be a ball when a game of cornhole is involved?) The shower was fun, we had a contest where couples had to dance with an egg balanced between their foreheads. Stella got to meet her Great-Grandma Holtshouser, more aunts, uncles, cousins and friends, along with some much needed time with Grandma Sugar.
Here is Stella with Great-Grandma H:
She has one more great-grandmother still to meet. We are so lucky to have such a big family. More pictures are on our Flickr site.

stuff I like: dvd edition

2008-09-10T19:43:00.000-07:00

How have I missed this show for so long? Just watched season 1 on dvd. Much as I am not into most reality shows, this show rocks. At least the first season anyway. Usually these kinds of shows just go straight to the histrionics, which to me is so boring. Reality tv: you had me at Survivor I (although I kept wanting to see some actual survival skills), you lost me at Road Rules, the Real World #672, and Road Rules vs Real World, etc.

But along comes Project Runway, and I absolutely love it. There is of course the personal drama element that seems to be a requisite of the genre, but what I really like about it is seeing the creative process. Yes, it is abbreviated, but I love watching them get the challenges, then imagining what I would do with it, and how it all turns out. So interesting to see the different interpretations. Am I just an art student craving an assignment or what?

I'm totally inspired to try sewing something, even though my training is limited to 7th grade home economics and the stuffed kayak I made for my neice.

Thoughts from a Househusband 3

2008-09-03T20:42:00.000-07:00

Top 5 things that make staying home the best
1. Time with my daughter
2. Time without my daughter (nap time)
3. When we go out, women are very interested in me again (Stella’s a chick magnet)
4. Seeing Stella grow and change everyday
5. Diaper changes. They are not stinky yet and it makes her very happy—smiles and giggles throughout.

5 not-so-great things about being a stay at home dad
1. High-pitched baby talk –I would really like to read the newspaper to her in a normal tone.
2. I miss adult speak.
3. People generally frown on bringing babies into bars
4. Bottle feeding every two hours—you could set your freaking watch by her
5. Convincing mall security that I am actually there for the play date

DiddleDee

2008-08-29T20:08:00.000-07:00

We've finally convinced Stephen's mother to offer some of her fantastic handmade baby things for sale. She makes the sweetest things - we have been lucky to have some of her darling headbands. Seems like every time we see her, she looks at Stella's outfit, disappears for a while, and emerges with the cutest accessories to match her ensemble. Lord knows this baby has to be coordinated!!

She also makes THE BEST baby blankets - big enough to swaddle a little one (so they stay swaddled, and you know how fanatic I am about that), and in different weights for different seasons. We would not have gotten through summer without her sweet lightweight blankets - Stella loves to play with (and on) them, they block the sun and are easy to wash.

If you need a baby gift, check out her shop at www.diddledee.etsy.com. (It's named after this sweet little Irish song she sings to her grandchildren.) She takes custom orders and has much more than is listed currently (bibs, burp cloths, buntings, etc.).

Stella is definitely benefitting from her talented Nana.

sugar-free me, week one

2008-08-28T21:44:00.001-07:00

I'm down 3 pounds since last week. Still sane and everything.
There is a weight loss pool going on at work, I think I will join it and harness the power of my competitive side. Everyone puts $50 in and winner takes the cash. Hopefully breastfeeding mothers aren't disqualified. On the one hand, it burns extra calories, but on the other, you aren't allowed to diet and have a hard time finding time to work out. Maybe that all evens out?