Merry Christmas Eve

This holiday season I can't help but think what a wonderful life I have.

It's not perfect. But I have certainly had many opportunities this year.

I hope you did too.

I hope 2011 brings us all good fortune and new challenges.

 Merry Christmas to our service men and women. I pray daily for your continued safety and successful deployment.

While I was only inconvenienced by the rain,  with longer commutes and roadblocks many were not as lucky. To all Southern California residents suffering terrible results from the storm last week: my heart goes out to you and my prayers are with you while you put your homes and lives back together.

Holiday season..

I am thrilled that I finished my Christmas shopping early this year..

not only has it been raining since Thursday..

it's suppose to keep raining until Tuesday/Wednesday.

Have you seen the parking lots at the mall/target/toys r us?

No thanks!

We have successfully seen Santa (or unsuccessfully.. depends on how you look at it),

Wrapped all of our Christmas pictures..

except the few items that need to be put together on Christmas eve.

Lets just say it's going to be a late night for Alex. 

He is excited to put together Olivia's new toys. He's so sweet to her.

And me. He was with me at 9pm on Thanksgiving, in line at Toys R Us.

You'll find me supervising.. with a glass of wine. 

 This was the morning after we put a few presents under the tree. 

I love this. Is that terrible? I laugh every time I see it.

Would you believe me if I told you she was excited to see Santa?

Seriously, she was so excited. I love it.

Can't get enough

She's loud, funny, stubborn and sassy. 

Talking, dancing, giggling and asking questions all day long.

I love it and I cannot get enough of her. 

Feeling guilty.

I'm trying to decide between an 8:30am-5pm or a 6:30am-3pm work schedule. 

The first keeps me in a lot of traffic after work.

The second means I don't see Olivia before I leave in the morning but I get more time to relax and have fun with her at night. 

Have I mentioned that I've been feeling that crashing wave recently? 

Olivia & Jeffrey 15 November 2010 :)

Ten Things

Yesterday, my amazing daughter turned 18 months old. I remember Thanksgiving 2009 like it was a few months ago, pushing around my wide eyed 6 month old while shopping, eating and getting coffee. These days doing those 3 things are not quite as easy. Here's my ten things about us (for lack of a more creative title):

1. Never underestimate the power of a mommy and daughter coffee date. Complete with a tall Starbucks cup filled with water or milk to make my 18 month old feel like the most special toddler on the planet. I get a big smile and laughs when I hand her that coveted cup, then as we sit and drink our "coffee" my little sass talks and points away.

2. My kid loves raisins, music, guitars, telephones, pictures and dogs. Do not expect to get one by her without her noticing and expecting to see/listen/talk/eat.

3. She loves green beans and pesto (not together). Occasionally she will eat mac and cheese or peanut butter and jelly but she gobbles up green beans and pasta tossed in pesto! I get worried about her nutrition but when I really take note of the things she does eat I know I have nothing to worry about. Lucky for me she does not expect a diet of cheeseburgers, fried foods, chips or sweets and even luckier for me she does not prefer it.

4. Every time I start thinking I will never wake up on my own terms again my love bug gives me that special gift and sleeps til 7:15am giving me enough time to clean up, brush my teeth and make some coffee.
Note: These mornings are rare and take place 6 or more weeks apart and are usually guaranteed to land on a morning I have to wake up at 5am to get ready for work and be out of the house before she is up.

5. They really do grow up too fast. Especially when you have an independent, fearless and sassy little girl. Sigh

6. Her laughter is music to my ears.

7. We will never leave the park clean. She absolutely loves LOVES sand and we do not frequent a park with the sand substitute (It's like soft, non-wood bark?)

8. As I write this Olivia is singing and dancing along to Sesame Street.

9. She is shopper and if allowed to walk around a clothing store will take what she can off the rack and examine it (front & back). It's hysterical and I am setting my self up for failure very soon.
Did I say she loves shoes? She is a girl after my own heart and her current favorites are pink sparkly flats, black mary janes and her "Ugg" boots.

10. I love this girl. I could not imagine a world without her in it.

SHUTTERFLY

I LOVE their photo cards.

They make the kind of cards everyone finds themselves getting in the mail that make you wish you had spent more time on your own cards.

When I sent out Olivia's 1st birthday party invitations - I got a lot of positive feedback!

"Love the paper!"

"Love the matte instead of gloss!"

I still have 5-6 invitations stuck in Olivia's scrapbook. One for keeps and a few to use at a later date.

 My friends thought they were expensive. (I let them believe it.. Oops)

Shutterfly has so many great promotions - that it's easy to justify buying their products.

Examples: Right now they have Free Shipping on orders over $30 and $10 off a $30 purchase (Bonus:: They let you use them at the same time!)

 I hope Olivia looks back at those invitations along with the pictures and is reminded how much I love her.

I use Shutterfly because I'm creating memories. 

Find their Christmas cards HERE!

Looking to create something to last the whole year Find IT.

If you are having trouble figuring out what amazing card to use.. you're not alone. I can't decide either. Happy Holidays!

They are having a great give away for bloggers - 50 free cards! Here

Emerson

"To laugh often, and much: to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a redeemed social condition, or a job well done; to know even one other life has breathed because you lived; this is to have succeeded."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

I came across this and it really affected me. It's hard to measure success in your twenties, in a world filled with beauty and horror, it put a few things in perspective. 

Happy Halloween!

 Despite this picture she was not a fan of pumpkins. She was more interested in throwing hers than anything else. And she definitely was not interested in the insides. I can hardly blame her, we both let the cleaning out of the pumpkin to Dada.

After the first two houses Minnie Mouse (sans ears) knew what she was doing! She trick or teated Grandpa's house last and happily put all his candy in her pumpkin :)

Nothing Cuter.

Look at these two. Olivia's new friend Brandon :)

They are talked to each other alot (in their own baby language).

NOV 2nd!

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Did everyone see that the SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS won the series last night!?!

Super stoked about that. 2002 is now just a faded memory..

It's ELECTION day!

I hope everyone gets out and votes!

We have the freedom to vote without fear of persecution - cherish it.

Of course I hope you vote for lower taxes (20% of my wages go to taxes - how are families suppose to make it?) and CHANGE (OUT with career politicians) in Washington, D.C.

"Less than 1 vote per precinct was the difference that put Carter in the White House" -- Heard this on NPR yesterday.

YOUR VOTE MATTERS

17 MONTHS!

 We are enjoying every minute with her! Time is flying too fast.

The COLLEGE life.

We missed our Olivia so much last weekend. 

Homecoming never disappoints. I wish I could see all of these people more often! 

Looking forward to next year!

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Best school ever. ARIZONA

We love this team! 5-1!! Find them here. CATS!!

 Yes, Alex has a thirty pack. We are headed to a tailgate and we can't show up empty handed!

Balance.

I find parents who project their parenting styles on to others very irritating. Browsing a baby board I came across a working mother struggling with her weekend shifts because she was not able to spend time with her husband and kids. A father of two responded to her saying that her kids would one day resent her for working and that he did not understand how women go to work so they could buy themselves "lavish" unnecessary items.

Ignorance. Sexist. A few other words come to mind.

Every family makes their decision based on what is best for them (working mom, stay at home dad, ect) and struggles to find balance monthly, weekly, daily.

I never have enough time. I do laundry less than I want. I clean less than I want. I do my hair less than I want. I happily trade in ME time for Mickey Mouse Clubhouse & Cheerios. So if you see me at Albertson's or Target and I look less than put together give me a break because not only am I a FULL TIME MOM, I also work full time. So despite my trending messy ponytail on my days off - today (at least) I feel a little balanced.

DUCKS!

3 Toddlers (16 mo, 17 mo & 21 mo). 

Understandably concerned about little hands, faces & feet tumbling into the pond!

PUMPKINS!

 We ventured out to Valley Center's Bates Nut Farm to pick out some pumpkins with some good friends.

 Couldn't pass up the opportunity to go on a hay ride!

 Dylan finding Olivia the perfect pumpkin (sassy pants threw it.. of course!)

 Searching for a BIG pumpkin that she can lift.

 We ended up finding even bigger pumpkins.

A few things that have happened.

Last beach day for the season 

(September 26th!) 

It was hot. Nineties. 

You probably can't tell but she is COVERED in sand from head to toe.

Family.

Sneak peek.

Photography courtesy of Kristen Glaze.

Find her here. KGlaze.

Thursdays.

Two of my good friends recently found out they are pregnant. Expected due dates: May 19th & May 20th! Olivia was born on May 13th (one week early) - thinking about all the birthday party conflicts in the future ;) is it wrong that I put my foot down since Olivia was born first? KIDDING! Besides we do have friends with a daughter born the same day as Olivia (one year earlier) so I guess if they end up back on the west coast she would have first dibs.

16 months old has been so much fun. New favorite word is SAMMIE. Favorite new way to eat with a bowl & a spoon. Favorite shoes are black mary janes. Mickey & Minnie Mouse are still her favorites.

I hope October found everyone well! I know we are super busy and great! I feel as if this month is going to fly by (well truth.. every month seems to be flying by!) This week I have been so sleep deprived (early 5am wake up by guess who!) that last night I crawled into my bed at 8pm. Yes. Heavenly. Let's play catch up??

Last week we celebrated Jeffrey's 1st birthday. Olivia and Jeffrey are so cute together, slowly learning how to play with each other and share (including a few tears by both).

I made a pact with myself not to do my hair this whole weekend (see me.. see my messy bun!) It is seriously hard in a town full of beautiful women to leave the house this way. Maybe I won't leave? Ha. Must go to Target. (You can all probably tell by this insane post that I am sleep deprived).

I just found an amazing looking recipe for Oatmeal Almond Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies. I'm doubling the recipe so I can try my hand a freezing cookie dough (sounds easy enough - anything to make meals during the week simplier I say!). Recipe & link (how to for freezing below. Loving her blog.

Stolen from www.goodlifeeats.com

Ingredients:

1 3/4 stick (14 tablespoons) unsalted butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup almond butter
1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup ground almonds
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal (not quick cook)
8 ounces semi-sweet or dark chocolate chunks or chips

Directions:

Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Beat butter until creamy.

Add sugars beating until fluffy, approximately 3 minutes. Scrap the bowl as necessary.

Beat in almond butter until incorporated. Beat in vanilla and then eggs, one at a time.

Gently stir in the dry ingredients (I switched to the paddle on my kitchen aid mixer).

Add ground almonds and oatmeal and stir until just incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chunks.

Roll cookies into 2 Tbs sized balls. Place on baking sheets and bake cookies for 10-12 minutes.

Edges should be slightly browned and the cookies puffed. Cool on sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a cookie cooling rack.

Double & FREEZE

 

25 YOUNG!

 Dinner @ Public House was delicious and well worth the wait!

 New camera - still getting the flash under control so we are a little squinty!

 Love these two!

 Ronnie & Kacy!

Friday, the 17th wee headed out for drinks and dinner with some friends to celebrate 25! It was exactly what I needed and pretty mellow :) Love spending time with all of them.

Love my Shann!

Shann & Vince were vacationing in San Diego and made the trip up to Temecula last Wednesday to see us. I definitely do not get to see her enough so this dinner date was long over do! Miss you Shann!

Letting Go.

Loves of my life.

So the past few weekends I have felt like I have so much to get done that I am spending my time with Olivia running errands instead of actually spending time with her. I decided sometime in the last week that something had to change.

I love grocery shopping (No, I am not kidding. I love looking at all the different foods, brands, and prices) blame it on my type A, controlling personality. But I was starting to dread it - my toddler in tow, who loves balloons (why does every grocery store have a million helium balloons?!) - it could not be done quickly. I decided to give it up and pass the duty to Alex. (With lists.. detailed list).

Since then my weekends are completely transformed. Yes, there are still things I don't get done but I get to enjoy a trip to the park instead of to Ralphs, Henry's & Target before nap time. And no, I have not quit the grocery store completely but it's much easier to run in and grab a few things then have to shop 4 stores so we have everything on hand to eat that week.

Being a mom (working or staying at home) is challenging. Like everyone else I am just trying to find ways to make my life less .. chaotic (if possible) one small

Week in review

Love these two bugs!

YES! She has to go down the slide by herself. Sigh.

Love getting pictures like this while I'm at work.

 

A few things I've learned about micro-managing my weekend time:
1. It does not work. Olivia is apparently unaware of all the things Mama has to get done (in 2 days). Other than playtime she is not prepared for any long trips to the mall or store UNLESS she is allowed to walk up and down the aisle and shop for herself. Sassy and Independent. (Another Sigh)
2. There is not enough time to manage. Seriously. Between napping consistently and making sure we are eating meals at a consistent time..

Chaos. Ok.. we're not that extreme. I am just type A and used to being able to schedule my days and I am learning that my schedule revolves around the cutest little bug I've ever seen. And I would not have it any other way.

Besides wouldn't we all rather be at the park than at the grocery store anyway? Exactly. That feeling just does not work come meal time.

A quick moment.

I often wonder how other career moms of young children get through their days. Like myself, I assume they are busy. Caught up in emails, workplace chatter, meetings and seemingly endless projects.. sometimes my days go by rather quickly and I don't really have a moment to think
about what I am missing at home.

Those are days I don't mind being a working mom.

But some days I find myself staring at my child's face on my computer screen and a crushing wave comes down on me when I think of all the time I am missing with her. My eyes get wet and I blink several times to hold back the splashes. I find myself praying that no one will come looking for me in my office at that moment. I can't help but think about what it will be like when I have that second baby I'm longing for. This time around I won't be able to take a year off work. When I think about the trade=off I know working pales in comparison to what I would be asking my children to give up in return. The life Olivia's father and I are working hard to provide for her is well worth those heartbroken moments at my desk.

Eventually Olivia (and her future sibling) will be in school and so busy that she will hardly notice that she only sees me a few hours a day during the week. Selfishly I think that might be worse for me.

Saturday morning

It was so beautiful out Saturday morning that we made sure to get out of the house in case it warmed up later. (Lucky us it was in the 70's all day) We wondered over to the duck pond, then Starbucks and a little shopping. -- Can't forget the popsicles in the afternoon!

Much to Olivia's delight we were surrounded by ducks.

I just cannot believe how much she has grown. She'll always be my cuddle bug!

Sassy girl must have her own "Starbucks coffee" aka ice water. As if we didn't get enough of the ducks she chased the birds while we had coffee.

We are big fans of popsicles in the afternoon :)

TUCSON bound!

In OCTOBER for Arizona Homecoming 2010! We are booked and really looking forward to it. I can't wait to see everyone (even though I am sure it will still be so hot!) BEAR DOWN

Splash Park

I am convinced that every housing development should have a splash park. Paying the HOA fees anyway.. another plus when they are private they are guaranteed to be nice (& clean). Alex was such a good Dad and scheduled 2 play dates for Olivia this last week. And luckily I was able to tag along to Friday's @ Heritage Lake's splash park. A little bit of a drive from Temecula but completely worth it! Olivia had a blast with her new friends. Lots of splashing, giggling and running into each other (and of course with 3 toddlers & a 9 month old a few tears). Olivia was asleep in the car before I shut her door, a 1/2 hr drive home and she still slept 2 1/2 hours when we got home!