The Wiggles

Jack and I were playing on You Tube earlier and we found this video.

Maybe I spend too much time with The Wiggles.

Oh my goodness, I can't be stopped!

I make one lousy pilgrim hat and look what happens. Here's my Thanksgiving centerpiece that I made of completely found objects in the house. Look out world, here I come!!!!

Eva Begins Her Life of Crime

I got several emails on the back story of Eva in this photo so here you go:
Eva robbed a bank and the "pigs" got a hold of her, see. Doing her "time" of three minutes of time out has made her hard. She came off of her naughty mat with an Elmo tatoo. I hardly know her anymore.

Where is Martha Stewart When I Need Her?

Last week, I got a letter from Jack's teacher with stapled instructions on how to create a pilgrim's hat for their Thanksgiving celebration on Friday.

Immediately, my palms started to sweat. Isn't this a craft that the teachers usually do? Why are they making the parents do this?

Here's my problem. In addition to the MANY things that I have NO skill in whatsoever, I am a terrible artist. Seriously, when I draw, people comment on what a great artist Jack is.

Now I have to build a pilgrim hat from scratch? Immediately, I take off to Michael's where I'm SURE they have a pilgrim hat kit.

Guess what. Like all retailers these days, they have completely skipped over Thanksgiving and have all their Christmas decorations up. No pilgrims there. Oh, man, I have to do this myself.

So, here you go. My attempt at a project usually reserved for five year olds. Not bad, eh?

I CAN WHISTLE!

(this is also posted on the North Texas Kids website)

As part of a group called Mother Talk, I get to review books from time to time. Of all the books that they had available for review, The Daring Book for Girls by Andrea J. Buchanan and Miriam Peskowitz was the one that intrigued me the most.

Why? Well, those of you who know me know I am most definitely NOT a girly girl. I have short hair because I can't style it. I wear little to no make up because I don't know how to put it on without looking like a clown. I hate shoe shopping because my feet are gigantic and narrow so they never have any shoes to fit me. I am a terrible cook so Jon does all the cooking.

So, when I had my daughter a year ago, I was a bit terrified. What am I going to teach this poor child?

When I saw this book on the list, I immediately signed up. In reading it, it turns out that I am more of a girly girl than I realize (at least to the Daring Book for Girls authors). I know how to make friendship bracelets! I know how to play hopscotch! I can make a mean sit upon! I can play freeze tag! Maybe there is hope for my daughter after all!

I cannot wait to sit down with Eva when she gets a bit older and read this to her. What an interactive story time we'll have! I know she'll enjoy the story of the female pirates and the real-life princesses in addition to learning to make a clock run off lemons??! What fun!

One thing that I think is really a neat is that each of the sections is multi-faceted. For example, the section on weather not only has the definitions of cloud types but famous sayings about the weather and even poems about the weather. Most of the sections on sports not only have a how-to play but a history of the sport. I also enjoyed how they chose such interesting sports or "sports" as it were.

I have to say, I have had more fun reading this book. In addition to all the history lessons given, I learned all important karate moves. Each night Jack, Eva and I have a dance party before dinner. Our song of choice? The Kung Fu Hustle. So, now when we're "kung fu fighting, fast as lightning", I can look like a professional!

The best part for me, however, as the title of this blog states, is I can now whistle! I can't wait to try my new found skills on NYC cabs in a couple of weeks when I go. Thank you Daring Book for Girls!

Here we are, just in time for Christmas. I would highly recommend this book as a Christmas gift to girls of any age. I know I'll be sending it out for sure.

October

Well, here I am on Sunday, the first week of November. All I have to think about is where did October go?

October was such a busy month. Between weddings, Jack's soccer, parents in town, Eva's birthday, Eva's sudden illness (a mean bout with RSV, ugh), Halloween, and that dreaded kitchen remodel, I seriously feel like I completely missed the month. I feel like I've been on auto-pilot just moving from one event to the next.

When I was young(er) and single, I had plans 6 nights of the week. EVERY WEEK! Six nights, I would be out on the town or over a friend's house or staying out late and then would get up and go to work. Sleep? No problem. I'll just take a power snooze at 5p when I get home from work so I'll be ready for the next night's activities.

What happened to me? Eva gets sick and I average three hours sleep for seven days. It about kills me. I was so tired, I could not even blog about how tired I was.

I'm 37. I guess I have to accept it. I'll save my big nights out for my trip to JazzFest in April or my girl's weekend in NYC in December or the occasional time Jon and I get a sitter. And you know what? That's ok. Just please give me a little rest from time to time.

So, now we're in November. It's fall and the weather is fabulous. I've had two nights rest and feeling really good. Ready for November. Bring it on.

Happy Halloween!!!

Happy First Birthday, Baby Girl!!

Happy First Birthday, Baby Girl! It's been one year and I can hardly believe it. It seems like yesterday that you came out in the world your own special way. Mommy still has the scars to prove it!

I thought I would do a little post about all the things I love about you:

-Your smile takes my breath away.
-When I hear your little voice say, "hola!", my heart smiles.
-I love it when you sing along to music.
-I love the way, you light up a room with your sheer joy.
-I love your sheer determination to do anything. (THAT one I'm sure will come back to bite me later! For now, it's adorable!)
-I love the fact that there is no one better in your eyes than your father.
-I love that despite the fact that he can be difficult towards you, you still love your brother.
-I love rocking you to sleep.
-I love the fact that you will answer to us with your name, Eva, and your nickname given to you by your brother, Little Fuzz.
-I love the fact that I'm your Mom and I can't wait for all the adventures we'll get in together.

You have made our family so complete in such a short time, I can't imagine what life would have been without you in it.

A very happy first birthday, my little Eva Jane.

With love,
Mommy

C'est Fini!

Well, after what seemed like MONTHS of working, we're finally finshed the Great Kitchen Caper! I tell you, it was down to the wire. Had my parents not shown up, I don't think we would be finished for months! My folks came in on Monday night and did not stop working until Sunday morning. We had Eva's first birthday party on Saturday and I was putting a coat of paint on the cabinets Saturday morning. Meanwhile, my mother (the saint) was busy putting the finishing touches on the guest bath and my father, god love him, was entertaining my children and setting up for the party. All that's left are some minor touch ups. HOORAY!

Anyway, so, here you go. Start to finish.

Yes, the beautiful paper.

This was above the cabinets. We've taken the cabinets off but you can see the border above and the color of the cabinets.

Yeah!!! New colors!







Here's a shot of the heros of the week and as my father puts it "the only retirement home they can afford." Thank you guys so much!!!

Saturday Night Live - Andy Samberg as Kevin Federline

Just a few parenting tips from an expert.

The Great Kitchen Caper-Updated

Hooray! The cavalry arrived!! My parents came in last night for Eva's birthday party. God love my mother, she had seven projects she wanted to work on all ready to go by 7:15am.

I have to say, I am finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel for the kitchen. I cannot believe the difference. Should have it done by Friday in time for the birithday party and I'll post pics of the finished product.

Could this really be almost over?????!!!

BFF

Just got back from Philly to attend the wedding of one of my best friends, Alex. I had such a great weekend. It is so amazing to see so many folks that I have not seen in so long.

Most of these folks I knew in my high school/early college days in Virginia. Back when we used to go clubbing every weekend and have "dance offs." Back when we used to shoot movies until four AM most weekends (Go Leland Files!) Back when we used to travel to DC from time to time and sit on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial until dawn. Back when we used to walk on the beach and lay out covering ourselves in baby oil to get just the right tan (well SOME of us needed to tan!) Back when most of us worked at the movie theatre and some of us worked at the Cookie Company across the mall hallway. Back when we would sit at the banks of the Hague river and read and talk all afternoon. Back when we had a radio show at WODU on Friday nights. Back when we were young and carefree.

While we all do not hang out together that much anymore, it was so great to see how much we are all so different but yet still the same. Some are married, some not. Some have kids, some not. Some still in Virginia, some very far away. Some see each other more than others.

I can only hope that my kids can be as lucky as I to have found such amazing life-long friends.

The Great Kitchen Caper

So, Jon and I decided that we have had enough of our terrible wallpaper in our kitchen. By Jon and I, I mean just me, really. So, I've decided that we should remodel the kitchen.

As is the case with many, times they is a-tight for us. So, we thought, this might be a project we could manage ourselves. Everyone suggested that we just paint over the wallpaper. So, that's the plan. Please keep in mind, Jon and I have NEVER done anything of this magnitude. I've painted plenty of rooms but this is my first ever wallpaper experience.

I thought I would keep a daily journal of our remodel.

We've taken next week off and have been preparing for two weeks with colors, etc.

Day 1-Saturday, September 29
Yesterday, I spent the afternoon spakling the cracks we have in the wall. Easy enough. This morning, I was following the directions on how to sand things when off comes a HUGE chunk of wallpaper. On the phone with my remodeling expert Mother, she tells me that I will probably just have to remove the paper. Ugh. There goes my timeline.

Off I go to the Depot. I buy Dif and various tools for wallpaper removal. At 8:30 am, I begin to remove the paper.

9:00pm. Only two walls done. My god, this is hard. I should not be surprised at how badly the walls were underneath or what cockamamie job the previous owners did at wallpapering, given their talents in other rooms we've already remodeled. There was layer after layer of god only knows what. None of it liked coming off the wall, that's for sure. We are having to remove the paper with our fingernails. Pulling each layer off in one inch strips. But, there has to be a better way. I say, Jon, "wouldn't a steamer be more helpful?" He says, "yes, that's what the professionals have and I think they rent them from the Depot." Why didn't you tell me this 10 hours ago??? Back to the Depot. Jon and I work with the steamer (yea!) until 10:20pm



Day 2-Sunday, September 30

8:00am. Jon starts to work with the steamer. His sister, thankfully, takes Jack away for several hours so we only have Eva--and Eva likes to nap. Wahoo, we're getting Lots done today!

12pm-Jack's home. Time for Mommy to stop working. We still only have three walls done. Ugh. Jon is working HARD!

2p-Nap time. Will this ever end??

8p-FINALLY finished wallpaper removal. Oh, man, you should see how badly the walls are damaged. Call Mother (again) and she tells me to go to HGTV.com to find out how to fix it. They are very encouraging with a step by step guide. They have rated my problem/solution as a level 2 out of four on the easy fix it scale. I'm about a level 1-A but two is not so far out of reach.

Day 3-October 1

Off I go to the Depot (again) for more supplies. I'm armed with my printout from HGTV. Jon's off to Miami (conveniently, I say), so I"m flying solo for two days. Fortunately for me, Jack is off to school this morning so I just have Eva. Who likes to nap.

While at the Depot, I realize that I have no idea what I'm doing. They say to get drywall compound. All I see is joint compound. Is that the same? They don't have any tools that look like what I'm seeing. I flag down a friendly Depot employee who then asks another employee to help me. While I'm waiting, a friendly painter is nearby. He sees the look of terror on my face and offers to help me. He says to save money, I should roll a coat of flat paint over my holes so that the drywall will stick. Great. Another step and another day lost. Good news, I know how to roll out paint. Tomorrow, is the big drywall day.

Day 4-October 2

My week is quickly slipping by. Am I even going to be close to finishing this project? By the way, I have determined that I HATE DRYWALL! Why is this a level 2? I would hate to see what a level 3 would be! Thankfully, Jack's in school and Eva likes to nap because I swear, this is just WAITING for their little handprints to come in and smear around. Jack has been very good thus far in staying away. We're on day 4 and I'm not sure how much longer he'll stay away. So, here I sit, 5:30p. My wall is drying and it is looking very scary. My sister insists that all will be taken care of with a little sanding. A lot of sanding, I think. Honsestly, I'm beginning to worry that after all this work I'll have to pay someone to come in and do it. It's like when those mom's go through 17 hours of labor and have to have a c-section. That's my kitchen. My 17 hour labor/c-section project. Actually, having had a c, I think I felt better after that than I do right now with this f*%$$%$ kitchen.

Day 5-October 3

Ok, I must admit. I took today off from that kitchen. Thankfully, Jon came home last night and only one of us could sand at a time. I decided to change out the kids clothes from summer to fall. All day long I hear Jon in the kitchen grunting and sanding. Ugh. It's 2:37p and I have inspected his work. I have to say, my sister might be right. The walls actually don't look THAT bad. I really don't want to get too excited. I'm afraid of what will happen when we put the primer on in a few minutes.

Put the primer on. Only created one one-inch hole in the wall. Beyond that, it's great!

We have to put the project on hold to go to a wedding tomorrow in Philly. Hopefully, nothing will fall apart while we're gone.

Update--Let me just say, when you say, you hope things don't fall apart, you really should just watch what you say. Jon noticed a little mold on the wall in our pantry on Wednesday evening. He then put his hand through the wall. Apparently, we have a leak in our washing machine that has had water flooding in our walls for sometime now. According to the handyman who had to come today to help us, it takes a LONG time to mold insulation. Ours was barely recoginzable. Ugh. So, we have to fix this, before we can finish our project. I really love being a home owner!

Sunday Scribblings-Powerful

Today's Sunday Scribblings is on the word powerful. When do you/have you felt powerful and what does that mean.

For me, I had to think long and hard. I have not felt powerful since my kids were born. It's an amazing thing, becoming a mother for the first time. That feeling of powerful and powerless hit you at the exact same moment. Your thoughts range from, "I can shape this child" to "how am I going to shape this child?" all within five minutes of each other.

To say when was the last time I felt really powerful that I can do anything had to be when I took a trip before I got married in 2001. I toured the world for nine weeks prior to moving to Dallas.

All that planning. Where do I want to go from here? I just took a world map and thought, where have I always wanted to go? The world was at my disposal.

The trip started with a wedding in India with my dearest Joseph Legaspi. JoJo and I decided to take three weeks to tour India. We ended in Bombay. From there, I went to Singapore and then Australia for a couple of weeks. Then, off to Korea and Japan.

Touring all those places by myself is such a scary undertaking. It makes you really force yourself to be the bravest and strongest person you can. In short, your most powerful you.

Why does The Office make me pee in my pants?

I swear, that show gets better and better. I'm wondering when it will hit its pinnacle! I hope none too soon.

My favorite line from last night was said by the Steve Carrell character, Michael Scott, "I'm not superstitious, but I'm a little bit stitious."

They must have had that stowed away for YEARS until they could use it.

Classic The Office. If you don't watch, you should.

She Speaks!

She speaks!!! Today, I came home from picking up Jack at school and Eva said her first "real" word! For a while, she would babble at us, ma ma ma and da da da. She could even make a sound that sounds alot like "Jack."

Today, I walked in the door, Eva was sitting in her high chair, she looked dead at me, smiled and said clear as day, "hola!"

Gotta love Texas.

Quiet Reading Corner

This weekend, when I was off at a friend's wedding, I had the chance to finish What Mothers Do Especially When It Looks Like Nothing by Naomi Stadlen.

In reading this, I was thrown back to a couple of years ago when Jack was small. I would be at home and wonder, what did I do all day? I'm sure that I did something but when Jon came home, all I could mutter would be things like, "Totally exhausted. Here's son. Must sleep." God love Jon, he would ask with genuine interest in helping me cope better, "what made this day so exhausting?" I had no way to tell him why I was so tired.

I wish back then, someone had given me this book. This book was the voice that I did not have three years ago when dealing with my newborn son.

Told through interviews with mothers in London, Naomi Stadlen shows us exactly WHAT we do during the day. I swear, she must have heard me speaking to my friends at some point because so many of the quotes sounded just as if I had said them.

She makes many points in the book but one that really struck me is the uncertainty that so many mothers have about raising their children and the fact that so many books have conflicting information in them. Of course, we put so much pressure on ourselves to be the best parent we can. So, to whom do we turn for advice? We turn to books. This can be the most frustrating course of action.

What Mothers Do is a calming force in the sea of parenting books. It shows us how we are terrific parents and that we are not alone. It does not try to give us advice on whether or not we should let our babies cry but rather shows us that no matter whether or not we let our babies cry, each tiny decision we make on behalf of our children during the day is definitely not nothing.

Possum Watch-Day 2

Still no sign of the little bugger. Am thinking that the corn might need to be off the cobb. Will try tonight.

Possum Watch-Day 1

Tip-toed out this morning to see if I had any animals. Corn was off the trap and only one side was closed. Must have set the trap wrong. DARN! My adventure continues...

Fight at School

Jack comes home today and tells me about a scuffle he had with another student, James. Now, I have met James and think he is probably the most mild-mannered child on the planet and can only assume that Jack was somehow at fault.

So, I probe Jack further. Jack, why did James hit you?

"Mommy, because I called him Chad" What? "Yes, James wants to be called James and not Chad but I kept calling him Chad over and over." "He asked me to stop, I said, no, Chad, I will keep calling you Chad." This goes on for a while. I ask more questions and am just perplexed by the situation.

While he keeps telling me that he kept calling him Chad over and over, I was thinking why Chad? Does he even know a Chad? Is Chad on his soccer team? His yoga class?

Finally, I asked Jack if he called him Chad after another kid in school.

Jack looked at me and said, "No, Mommy. Chad like the country!!!"

How stupid of me not to think of that first. I guess I had better spring for that world map. I swear, sometimes, he's too smart for a three-year old. I think I'm in for it.

There's a Monster in My Hamper

Yesterday, I came home from work VERY happy and content. As I pulled in the driveway, Jack came bursting out of the house saying, "Mommy! There's a monster in your hamper!!" To Jack, a monster could be a cockroach (which by the way, he likes to call by their proper spanish name "cucaracha"--on a side note, is that what that song is about??? But I digress...).

I put down my stuff and say to Jack, ok, I'll take care of the "monster." I look in my three-foot tall hamper only to have a pair of beady eyes looking back. A possum had invaded my laundry hamper.

I immediately grab Jack out of the laundry room and shaking, call our handy man, Dub. Dub says, he can come get him tomorrow, if I would like, and get rid of him. If he's escaped, he'll set a trap for him.

Escaped??!!! Into my laundry room??!!! I must get the hamper out of my laundry room.

In the middle of the night outside of my window I hear, tink--tink--tink--crash. My beady-eyed friend escaped.

Dub came this morning to set a trap. He then tells me that once we have him again, all Jon has to do is put the trap in the car, drive it to the lake and let him go.

Sure, I said, but Jon is in London.

Wait. You can't mean that I HAVE TO PUT IT IN MY CAR AND TAKE IT TO THE LAKE???!!!
You know, this is why we live in town so that we don't have critters coming into our homes. Guess living this close to the park has its drawbacks.

Dub assures me that once I open the trap, the animal (whatever kind I have caught) will then run the other way. Yeah right. That's REALLY comforting.

Time to get my big-girl panties on.... (to be continued)

Sunday Scribblings-Writing

This week the Sunday Scribblings is on writing. What do you think of when you think of writing?

Me? I think of my dad and my grandmother.

I think of all those years in school when I was a terrible writer (read: I do not care about school, why are you making me go?) Not only did I have tough teachers at school, I had a tough teacher at home, my ninja grammarian-former-english-and-latin- teaching father.

I can't recall the number of reports that I gave to my dad to proof only to have them completely re-written in red ink. Even to this day, my father is my #1 choice for grammar questions. He proofs nearly all my work (except for this website-ha ha) Now, instead of red ink, he can use word's red font. Things have not changed all that much.

Daddy came by his grammar snobbery honestly. He got it from the second-most wonderful woman to have ever walked on this planet, his mother (of course, mine being the most wonderful).

We called her Bama. She had the sharpest wit and could reduce you to tears of laughter from any one of her many hilarious life stories. But, Bama could shame anyone on grammar. She was the absolute authority. Just to be sure we knew what we were saying, she used to give us pop-quizzes. Phone conversations would begin like this, "Binky, tell me why you use the word 'lie' instead of 'lay' when you are going to lie down?" Uh, Bama, I was just calling to ask you to my choral recital but since you asked....

I am thankful to them both for making me love writing as much as I do now. They made me and still make me want to be a better writer.

So, the pop-quizzes live on in my house. My poor husband and children. Additionally, I find myself using many of her sayings. "Hey Mom! I'm done with dinner!" "Done with dinner? What are you, a turkey? Honey, it's finished."

Somewhere far away, I'm sure that she's smiling.

Little Big Man

Here's Jack in his school uniform. Sniff, sniff....

Eva's Eyebrows

Someone told me the other day that Eva had perfect eyebrows. They then asked me where I had them "done." I have to say, I just stood there in shock.

Here's my question. Is there a market to wax or pluck eyebrows of 10-month olds? What kind of mother would sign up for those?

Oh, yes, mam, I have an at home treatment. I put scalding wax on Eva's face and then rip the hairs from her skin twice per month. She cries a little but don't you just love the results?

I'm Published!

This is so exciting for me. I had my first article published in our newspaper, North Texas Kids. It is, oddly enough, on Mothers who blog. We distribute 50,000 newspapers in the Dallas area.

Anyway, take a peek here and let me know what you think!