Cold day at the park

Give me a margarita!

I don't know if this is too private to talk about but I am going to write anyway and then decide if I should post. I have been feeling strange for a few weeks and I have been pretty sure I was pregnant. Alex and I have been talking about another baby but this wasn't the timing we were expecting at all. There is so much to consider. So many pros and cons to weigh into the decision. I was already in love with the idea of a new baby though, so today when my period came (4 days late) I was disappointed and relieved at the same time. Poof went all of my day dreams of Ara having a little sibling on her 4th birthday. Of watching another perfect little tiny baby tummy rise and fall as they sleep. Poof went all of the worry about money and timing and labor and sleepless nights. No more wondering if I can do it all again. Everything is back to normal and yet I feel a sense of loss all the same. In a lot of ways this is better. I can go on giving Ara my undivided attention and it's less strain financially and this is a decision we want to make when we are ready. We've already done the whole "surprise you're pregnant" thing so it would be nice to plan ahead and be 100% sure we are ready. The time will come, or it won't but either way I already so much to be thankful for. Alex and Ara are my family and they are all I need. And to think.. I could have had that margarita on Thanksgiving after all!

Hello December!

It's December!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, every where but here!

So, it is still a tad warm for December but it's lovely weather and I will take it! I just finished giving a flute lesson.. outside! I know I know, how could I take my instrument outside? Am I crazy? Yes, and happy. Also, Ara was asleep the whole time and she is STILL asleep so it was a win win situation. I love how I am rambling about the weather in my blog...

Anyway...

Ara and I made Christmas cookies last night. She was so cute! We made sugar cookies with icing and sprinkles and listened to the Harry Connick Jr. Christmas DVD A just got for me. We also decorated a wreath and felt very Christmas-y!

A and I finally got a new bed! That is the big big news this week (for me anyway). It's lovely and big and comfy and I even got to choose the color of the new sheets (red!). We have owed ourselves this for a long time and it is our Christmas present to each other. I love it. Sleep is such a wonderful thing when you have it and it's restful.

I have flute club Christmas gigs coming up. Well I do IF I can find some way to get to them anyway. I love playing at the botanical gardens every year. They light up the walkways with luminaries and string lights on the trees. People stroll through the garden listening to various ensembles and drinking hot cider. It puts the added little sparkly on my Christmas mood every year. They also have a butterfly exhibit there I want to take Ara to, maybe next week.

This weekend will be another kids concert with the TSO. A and I are excited to take Ara to see the woodwind quintet. I just love taking her to special events that are just for her. I feel like I drag her around doing mundane chores and errends all the time so when we get to do something as a family that we know she will enjoy and learn from it's a special treat!

Ara's art (it's a car!)

Sand angel

Merry day!

Yesterday we took Ara to Target and I taught her about christmas tree smelling! We are officially in holid

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Two cuties

HP

Megan and I saw this for the first time last night as a preview to Twilight. I am so excited to see the movie! Twilight was a lot of fun, I really enjoyed it! I'll write more later... too sleepy.

Good and Bad Dreams

"The bugs can GET me!"

Ara woke up in the middle of the night and was scared of big ladybugs in her bed....

Last week sometime A, Ara, and I were waiting for a bus in the parking lot of the nearby shopping center. We were going to dinner so it was starting to get dark and the actual bus stop had a bunch of kind of scary people so we were sitting on the cement ledge of a lamp post. I happen to look at the ground and I see a big roach just shuffling along near my foot. I jumped up taking Ara with me. A looked down, saw the roach, and squished it with his shoe.. like it was nothing (and it is nothing to rational people). Ara, of course wanted to know what had happened and I told her it was a big lady bug and it wasn't scary. Clearly I wasn't fooling anyone, least of all her because now she is having bad dreams about terrifying giant lady bugs. She has my lips, my love of art, my interest in nature, and... my irrational fears.

So.. I suck.



Thanksgiving week

A has all of next week off of work and I have been planning elaborate family outings, dreaming of getting everything done around the house, and thinking of a nice Thanksgiving with just our family. I am thrilled that the holiday's are finally here. I get a chill every time I pass the Christmas tree lot on the corner. I am already evaluating all the corners of my tiny living room for Christmas tree worthiness. I want to teach Ara more Christmas songs, and paint ceramic ornaments! I am gushing.. but that is how much I love Christmas~

I have so much to be thankful for especially my little family; Ara and A are my life and cup runneth over with love for them both.

Just a Complaining Rant about Yukky Stuff

I'm going crazy. Pee rules my life.

The two may seem unrelated but believe me they are.

Warning: This is a potty training rant, if that grosses you out... don't have kids (or read this)!

Ara keeps tearing her diapers apart while she is in bed and the result is a giant mess of yukky diaper bits and (like this morning) pee soaked sheets, blankets, stuffed animals, and pillows.

Soooo... after bath/showers and breakfast I loaded up the stroller with the soiled bedding and Ara and I walked to the laundromat (and it's 87f today WTH). On the walk home I was feeling like my patience meter was completely depleted. Ara is 3 it's her job to do this to me but I feel like she can't even hear my voice, while I, on the other hand can hear nothing but her whining and demands. When we got home she proceeded to waste all the foam soap in the bathroom (one of her hobbies) and generally make me nuts while I made her bed and tried to get her ready to take her nap. Now I am sitting here and tallying up the total time I spent today cleaning up a pee mess. An hour cleaning up pee covered girl. 3 hours walking to and waiting for the laundromat and another 30 minutes at home re-making a bed and re-sweeping a floor. And now it's nap time (although mostly she is just sitting in there not sleeping) but the whole cycle will begin anew. When I get her up.. there will be a diaper mess on the floor and bedding that needs to be cleaned. I wonder how far off it will be until she can use the toilet at night instead of diapers.

In (semi)unrelated news, I want a Rumba! Actually if I am dreaming I will take a new car and a washing machine as well!

A has work related classes this week and he will be getting home early which makes me feel like I have re-enforcements coming to save me from the adorable, sweet, smart three year old that knows her mama so well she can make her crazyyyyy! Perspective. I need some! And ice cream. And a neck massage.

Ok I'm done whining for now :D

Ara @ the park with wall-e

Paper bag coloring book @ dagwood cafe

Wall-e

Big Thank You

A chance to say 'thank you' to service men and woman in the military. You don't have to support the politics involved to say thank you to those who are serving. Go write a quick note and it will be displayed on Thanksgiving, ensuring that everyone will have a quick message of appreciation on this holiday!

BIG THANK YOU PROJECT

Today has been long and it's only 5 pm now. This morning I needed to get out of the house so I called my Mom and we ate Japanese food and went to the park. I enjoyed sitting in the damp sand with Ara. Digging my toes in and making a tunnel under a sand mountain made me feel like a kid again. I enjoyed focusing on nothing more than the way sand falls from my hand. We stayed for what felt like a long time then as we were preparing to leave A called to say his Mom's car had broken down. So we rushed over there to save her. It felt better to be on the non-stranded side of that scenario for once. My Dad just picked Ara up to spend the evening while we go to rehearsal. She has been enjoying her time over there but it is taking it's toll on her sleep schedule. But that is what a rehearsal week is like, good but tiring. She is doing well with the potty training. I am still scared to take her places without the diaper though. She tends to get busy and have an accident pretty much anytime we aren't home. I know it will come, so far she has been setting the pace herself. I am proud of her!

Toilet Seat Necklace

The thoughts that bounce around an impulsive three year old's head are so incomprehensible! This morning Ara decided to push this toilet seat over her head and it got stuck. She panicked and flailed at me when ever I tried to get close to her. She kept pulling and pulling and hurting her little ears. She was working herself into quite a respectable hysteria when I decided I would have to intervene even if she didn't want me to. I had to pin her down on the couch (to stop her from kicking me). I tried different angles but in the end I had to resort to yanking it off of her poor little head. No lasting damage and HOPEFULLY she will think twice about putting toilet seats over her head in the future, but I doubt it. Even after yesterday's fall I have still had to put her in time out for jumping on the couch today.. twice.

Head Bonks

Is it contagious?
Concussions and head injuries are not contagious, although the risk-taking behavior that leads to them can be.

One little monkey (Ara) jumping on the bed (couch), she fell off and bonked her head.
Her Mama called the doctor and the doctor said, "no more Aras' jumping on the bed".

I had to look up concussion symptoms today after Ara hit her head on the tile and had an instant bump poking out of her soft curls. She was fine but it was a pretty bad "bonk" and I was worried. The quote is from the site I looked up for concussions I just thought it was a funny question.

YayDay

Today is a monumental day! Ara has decided she is potty trained! Yay!

My head hurts so I will write more tomorrow. Happy park pictures from today :)

Saturday and a Rant

Today was my favorite day of the week. My day of teaching where I get to leave the house alone for a few hours AND I get to play flute. Unfortunately I had a few set backs on this particular Saturday.. missed my bus, was an hour late, forgot my flute, last minute cancel from a student. Ah well.. next Saturday will be better... maybe...

I did want to talk a little about my voting experience. I have to admit that I really had no intention to vote in this election. I had planned to go on living in political ignorance and I planned to be perfectly happy about that. There were a few things that prodded me to care.. I have responsible and enthusiastic friends, several You Tube videos, TONS of facebook pressure, and my own conscience (finally.. I knew that thing would show up one day). As the day approached I began to wonder what I should do about Ara while I voted. I googled it and came accross a few articles that promoted taking children with you to the polls. I liked the idea of introducing Ara to the concept of voting and I liked the idea of being a good role model (for once). My Mom agreed to go with and keep her busy so it was decided and executed and all was well! I do have to take a moment to complain about the smoking. I know.. I complain about smoke fairly often but I just don't understand how it is that I had to gulp down clouds of smoke while waiting in line to vote. This issue has been making me crazy lately. Since I am now dependant on the charity of my friends and family and the wonder that is public transportation I have been smoked on quite a lot. I stoped asking my Mom for rides after she lit up in the car with my daughter in the back seat. I was outraged. Flashbacks of a second hand smoke filled childhood flashed before my eyes and I vowed to ride the bus so that I could keep Ara's life smoke free. My Sister has smoked in the car as well. The bus? Well of course, no one can smoke while ON the bus but it is impossible to breath clean air while waiting anywhere near a bus stop. It makes me angry. When I was in high school I wrote a manifesto outlining a plan to force all smokers to wear a bubble that would contain their air pollution. The could smoke and smoke and smoke but all of the pollution would be in their bubble. I planned to designate dumping stations outside of city limits where the bubble-head smokers could go to 'dump' thier smoke. I modeled the whole manifesto after something I had read... I can't remember what it was though.. something about babies that was awful but intended to shock and make a point. My daughter should have the right to breath non-tobacco air and when she is queen of America it shall be so....

Where was I?

Oh right.. voting. So I went, I voted, I got a sticker, and I felt pretty good about myself.

I tried to explain voting to Ara by telling her that this was a special way that I got to tell people what I thought was important. I asked her what was important to her and she said 'hippos, water, penguins' so there you have it. Enviroment issues and saving habitas for animals are close to Ara's heart!

Climb

Bus stop