Swimming in this Sea of Life

A Poem

2012-02-08T15:14:00.001-07:00

I took a nap today
Hoping it'd all go away

But then I awoke
to the everlasting joke

Ha Ha, no one is laughing.

Swimming,
La Sirena

Fortune Cookie

2012-02-04T11:02:00.001-07:00

I keep a fortune cookie fortune I got this year on my calendar in the kitchen. It says "Planning is the prelude to successful action". Is it though? I've planned a lot in the past year and most of it never came to fruition, being that the universe had other plans for us. As I get older, I don't plan as much because I know things rarely go as planned. Plus, I don't want to set myself up for disappointment, which is my own personality really. I tried planning out house chores, but that never really happened. I'm back where I started in regards to just getting by; when it looks bad, I have to clean.

There are some things though that do go pretty well when planned, the weekly meals and grocery shopping. The laundry also is getting into a nice routine for the weekends so we're not bogged down with it during the week. As I get older too, it's hard for me to try new routines or do anything I don't feel like doing. I'm no longer interested in having to "endure" something I don't like or don't want to do. Maybe it's just smartening up to the fact that you can choose joy, choose your happiness.

Dan and I have been working out at night now. We tried the morning thing, but it just didn't happen. Too early to do that much exercise. I like to get up early, but not to run 3 miles. I like to take a hot shower, then make coffee, breakfast, Didi's lunch and then wake her up. It's funny how things just start to fall into place when you let them. The working out at night this week went well, I thought I would be up all night from the energy, but I wasn't. I actually slept amazingly well. An hour long workout, a hot shower and a hot tea makes for a relaxing night.

I've been dreaming up some fun posts for the blog. Since mostly friends and family read it, I'd love to do a "house" tour and feature one or two rooms a week. Some friends who live out of state or country have never seen my house. I can "bring them inside". Then I wanted to add some pages "About Me", "Numerology", and maybe a feature on "Psycards". I pull a Psycard every Sunday night and every month I do a spread that represents past, present, future. I could write about those. Would anyone out there be interested? Or maybe I'll just keep rolling along as usual.

Time to get lunch prepared on this snowy afternoon. We spent a lot of time outside this morning playing in the snow. Hoping Didi will take a good nap and this afternoon we can do a Valentine's art project.
Swimming in this Sea of Life,
La Sirena

Fill in the Blank Blizzard Friday

2012-02-03T09:32:00.000-07:00

As I am awaiting this meeting to begin, I'm going to procrastinate and fill in some blanks. What a crazy week, now ending in a blizzard today. Didi's center is closed and Dan is taking the day off to watch her so I can work. When you work from home, you don't get a snow day LOL. My old boss was in town to give my new boss the 90 day review, but it didn't happen due to a combination of other priorities. Let's just say new boss is on the way out, but of course there is a lot of bureaucracy and red tape involved. It has been really stressful, to the point where two of my coworkers have threatened to quit. So annoying as I hate drama. Thank god I work from home to keep my sanity.

Not a lot of inspiration today to write on the blog. Gotta get back to it.......

Swimming in this Sea of Life,

La Sirena

1. If money wasn't an issue, the first thing I'd cross off my life list is buy a new van.

2. Chicken on pizza is something I like that other people think is weird.

3. If my life were a movie right now, the title would be "Lost in Translation" .

4. Three things I am looking forward to this month are trip to Florida, Didi's 2nd Birthday and getting projects done at work that are due this month.

5. My favorite song to sing in the shower is nothing, I listen to NPR or meditation music.

6. If I found out that the production of Chocolove chocolate bars was ending this month, I'd go out and buy as much as I could tomorrow.

7. One thing I'll never grow tired of is riding my bike.

Case Of the Mondays

2012-01-30T08:52:00.002-07:00

So I've got a case of the Mondays. It's been a great morning despite the fact my alarm never went off so I didn't get up as early as I wanted to (a sign?). I have zero meetings today, nada, zip, zero! I can hardly believe it. It's nice to see my entire day free and clear and I can plan to do whatever I want, to work on whatever I want, to work without being disrupted. Aaahhhh, but! But, I am procrastinating getting on with the huge to-do list for work. There are a few projects I really would like to just clear up and get out of the way, especially since starting Wednesday I will have all day meetings for three days straight.

I will find the motivation if it kills me. If I can get through three things on my list, I will be off to a really good start. That and during my lunch hour I am going to run an errand to get out of the house. I will have my second cup of coffee and get to work and stop procrastinating. Some inspiration:

Swimming in this Sea of Life,
La Sirena

Sorry, I don't have the image source, I downloaded this a really really long time ago and have lost the source link......

Feedback

2012-01-29T15:50:00.001-07:00

Have you ever taken a survey? Of course you have. Was it because you were extremely satisfied with the product/service? or extremely dissatisfied? We all tend to answer surveys when we didn't have that great of an experience, or maybe the experience absolutely blew your mind!

As I work in a field that uses surveys a lot for the accounts I manage, I report back to them the customer's experience. I report this back in a positive way and try to spin it and provide tips on how to improve if it was not a good experience for the customer. Now, I believe in karma and I believe in having a positive attitude. For the past 12 months, we have not been having a very good experience with Didi's childcare center. I give the center props for being better than others as it is clean and pretty safe, but there are a few things that are pretty questionable. I've been providing consistent feedback to the center and they have improved - they've actually improved for the entire center (not just her classroom) being that I brought up a Peanut Safe zone, following state ratios, and not dropping my 1 year old off in the 6 year old's classroom or the lobby (unsafe!). It has been a steady and slow improvement, but it's annoying because I expected more, I expected better of them and not to have to try to manage them and remind them of state law (can you tell I work in this field yet?).

At any rate, I am not that type of parent to sit back and ignore it, I actually speak up and I have involved the regional director at times. I don't do it in a mean way, I always speak to the director or teacher in person. I explain the situation such as "I understand that the policy to change diapers is every 2 hours, Didi's diaper wasn't changed for 4 hours yesterday. If you could please watch this as she had a really bad diaper rash last night, that would be great. Especially since they are cloth diapers too". Nothing horrible like "hey idiot! my child cried all through dinner and wouldn't eat because her ass was on fire from you leaving a soaking wet diaper on her all f-ing day!!" See the difference?

LOL

So once a year they send out a parent survey. Last year when Didi started, they had already had the results in from the survey and they put up a sign out front "100% Satisfaction from all parents!!" Um, yah, NO ONE ever gets 100% on a survey, I'm pretty certain about that. This year I got to participate in the survey. I kind of spilled it all, I mean I listed almost everything we would like to see improved. I tried to balance it with some things that are great like the hours they are open, convenient location, activities for the kids. But unfortunately there was just too much. Dan and I are actually thinking of changing centers for Didi.

I felt bad for being so negative, but I did do it in a professional way and didn't call anyone names, you know, like Idiot! I expressed concerned to Dan that this might come back to us in karma, but how are things supposed to change and evolve? Feedback is essential or no one would ever know if something is wrong / right, safe / not safe, etc. Right? Ugh, it's just me over thinking it, but its my child! I have to stick up for Didi, and her safety and happiness are my first concern.

Still seeking the positive and seeing it everyday,
Swimming in this Sea of Life,
La Sirena

Fill in the Blank Friday

2012-01-27T09:33:00.000-07:00

It's that day of the week to fill in some blanks. Not much I really have to write about today. A typical Friday, trying to catch up on a few things for work and home. I would love to get a Didi update on here as she is going to be 2 soon! She is growing like a little weed. I was looking at her 1 year old pictures this week and she looks so different now. Her baby fat is almost completely gone, except her little tummy and little chin (that needs tons of kisses everyday of course!). She has now decided to pull the cushions off of the couch and use them as her own personal trampoline. Yelling "Didi jump! Didi jump!". I really need to get that on video.

This birthday will be quiet, just with family. A homemade lasagna and Hil's making Elmo cupcakes. Dan and I got Didi a little playset for indoors, it can be used outdoors too (slide, climbing wall, tunnel, etc). We got it used for a really good price, it is in awesome shape. We like to try to be green, try to upcycle and recycle. Dan loves this little thing so much he wants to give it to her early. I keep telling him we need to wait until her actual birthday! We're headed to Florida the weekend before her birthday because she can still fly free before 2 years old. It will be a lot of fun and hopefully warm and sunny down there.

Swimming in this Sea of Life,

La Sirena

1. My favorite place i've ever traveled to is this is such a tough question. I have so many favorites! Koblenz, Germany where the Rhine meets the Mosel river is one, absolutely beautiful.

2. India is somewhere I'd love to go someday.

3. I pass the time on a plane (or bus, or car ride or train) by trying to keep my daughter busy - coloring, movies, snacks, bribes .

4. My three must-haves when I travel are (if I'm flying alone) a book , I-Pod Shuffle and cocktail.

5. My favorite travel companion is (are) my daughter and husband.

6. The craziest thing that ever happened to me while traveling is flying back from DC to Denver, upon take off, a young man jumped out of his seat and started running to the cockpit. He was immediately apprehended by a marshall and handcuffed to the seat. One of the scariest moments in my life.

7. The most exotic food I've ever tried while traveling is hash brownies in Amsterdam.
8. If I could live anywhere else, I'd live in San Diego, CA or a wetter colder climate like Oregon or Maine. I know, two extremes, but both are fabulous to me. Trust me, I never thought I would like anywhere in Cali, but San Diego is amazing.

9. I have been to 32

states in the U.S.

Wish List

2012-01-22T16:47:00.002-07:00

Dan and I have been daydreaming about some things we would love to get. It all depends on when and if Dan gets a new job. It has been two years now that he has been looking and it really is getting annoying. I know the universe has had a reason for not allowing the stars to align and Dan get a new job, but we are SO ready for it. Where he works right now is not challenging him, the owners are withdrawn, and they've decreased everyone's hours in the office to only 30 per week. It's hurting us a little bit financially. We're getting by, but if he could work 40 hours a week with a normal pay rate, it would help so much.

It has been a blessing for him to be able to help in the morning with Didi and I think that is the only thing I worry about, Didi having to go in earlier to the center. But we'll adjust and adapt. I sometimes really like change, I like a new challenge. It's seemed pretty status quo now for about the past year in regards to our routine. Do you ever feel like that?

Oh my, what am I putting out there into the energy of the Universe?

Universe, if you're listening, we'd like to be able to do the following when you align the stars and Dan gets an offer:

New laptop for me - the wireless has been broken for 3 years and it has to be plugged into the cable to work. Which means the router has to stay in the basement, which in turn messes up using wireless around the house and the Roku has issues.
Rocker / Recliner - for the nursery. It would be a good investment as it would make Didi's sick time easier. She loves to sleep on someone when she is sick and we only have a glider in there, which makes it impossible for us to sleep. She'll sleep on the couch, but her music isn't in there and it is bright. It would be good if and when we have second baby also.
Upgrade our phones and service - our phones are about 5 years old and barely work anymore. The service is fine, but one of us would like to have internet access.
Fix DVD burner on Dan's Mac
Maybe change the childcare center for Didi - this is a work in progress and lends itself to being it's own blog post

Swimming in this Sea of Life,
La Sirena

Fill in the Blank Frazzled Friday

2012-01-20T15:47:00.002-07:00

So I missed FITBFriday last Friday since I was distracted by a conference and this Friday the game's host is enjoying her new baby, so no new blanks. I'll just fill in last week's, how's that?

What a weird week. I hate having this type of job that never ends, I never feel caught up or that I can sit back and really celebrate what I've accomplished. It's always there, looming and more and more work is piled on. I'm getting burnt out, I can tell because I don't care to make to-do lists anymore to remember everything that needs to be done, nor do I have the desire to really do it. It feels more like time wasting tasks to me. Ugh. How do I pull myself out of this hole? Especially since I have such great benefits and work from home, I really need to find some inspiration. I know half of it is this challengin week I am going through. Trying to find balance as a full time working mom is so hard.

I was out this past Monday to reconnect with Didi since I was gone for the conference trip. Coming back to work Tuesday I was behind on work since the past Thursday. Then a huge deadline loomed for this Friday (today) that I have not yet sent out all of the follow ups, since I was so far behind. Didi got sick Wednesday night and I was up with her til 4am, then slept two hours and was up again and Dan took over at that point. There was no way I was going to work Thursday. I had 7 meetings that day and had to reschedule or miss them all together. Dan had an interview Thursday so there was no way he could help out and he had to be fresh, so it was all me all night and all day. To say I was a zombie would be an understatment. I'm embarrassed to say that I turned on Elmo and slept for an hour on the couch while Didi watched.

Thursday night she slept much better, but she woke up with a 101 temp and I am not that type of parent to load her up with meds and send her to the center. Too much risk spreading the germs to the other kiddos (I've seen parent's do it and I understand their desperation). Dan again couldn't take time off Friday because he doesn't have the benefits I do, so Didi and I hung out. I was able to listen in and participate in a few meetings thanks to a sleepy baby and Sesame Street. It's just such a hard balance because I've missed so much work and then I have my boss hounding me for a few things and I tell her I'm sorry but it has to wait until next week because my daughter is sick. So my boss just does it herself and I question whether it was a nice gesture or she's just annoyed. It's not the end of the world if something isn't emailed or figured out in 24 hours. The corporate world is so annoying sometimes, it just doesn't fit with my lifestyle at time as I am not like that. I like to do my work and do it well, but I won't rush it just to beat out someone or try to impress someone.

The transition from business woman during the day to nursing mama to a sick baby at night is really tough. The guilt I feel is enormous because there's my baby, 101 temp, coughing and all I'm thinking about is the next day, missing my meetings and anticipating how tired I'm going to be. Then I spend a few hours holding her, nursing her, loving on her and thinking things through, remembering that my family comes first and it's easy just to forget about work. I want my transition to be instant, but it's not. I don't know how to explain it and I wish I could talk to other working moms about it. I try to a few times with women I work with, but it's really taboo. It is such a taboo subject talking to other full time working moms, we all want the others to perceive us as Supermoms; balancing work, home, and family with extreme ease. That's a crock of shite, let me tell ya.

Off to get some sunshine, blow the sickies off my baby.

Swimming in this Sea of Life,

La Sirena

1. The last thing I ate was whole wheat quesadilla with cheese and turkey, shared it with the wee one, who then shared it with the dog.

2. The last song I listened to was I have no clue, I usually listen to streaming radio on the Roku, chillout usually .

3. Using the letters in my name I can spell - Pass, I hate word/letter games .

4. If I had to dress in one color for the rest of my life I would pick maroon .

5. If you were to look in my bag right now you'd find wallet, bluetooth, personal cell, blackberry, check book, business cards, blackberry wire ear plug, chapstick, company key card, lotion, mirror, lip gloss, powder, Rescue Remedy, and gum.

6. When I finish filling in the blanks I'm going to take a walk with Didi and Jorge.

7. My all time favorite song to dance to is any song really, mostly danced too in the kitchen, I really like Black Eyed Peas to dance too.

The Day

2012-01-18T08:33:00.003-07:00

Have you ever had a day where you just want to cuddle back into bed, read, sleep, relax? Ok, who am I kidding? We all have those days. I hate when these days creep up on me at a time when I have a lot to get done. Like take today for instance. It is cloudy, gloomy, cold, and my bed is so warm and cozy and I just want a day to myself. What's really making this difficult to ignore is the pain on the right side of my neck and the body stiffness from sleeping weird. Excuses really. Excuses not to work or take care of the house.

Procrastination. I should get another coffee. I am jam packed on my meeting schedule today from 9-4, that makes it even worse trying to dig up some motivation.

This whole "non-striving" method is definitely working for me. It is such a weird concept, however it is really helping with my stress levels of trying to get everything done. On a day like today, I just take it in stride, I accomplish one task and then move to another with ease, even if I would rather be laying in bed LOL. At least I can be in my PJs all day and don't have to dress up, plus there is no commute and I got to enjoy breakfast with my family. Always a silver lining to an otherwise grey day.

Off to the kitchen to make another coffee, fill my water, and take the chicken out of the freezer.

Ok I'm back. I also grabbed some frittata I made the other day. Dan got up this morning and jumped on the treadmill. We were talking the other morning berating ourselves for having no energy in the morning to get up early and exercise. I generally exercise during the day, my lunch hour, because I can't fathom getting up at 5am. I used to be a morning person and then I had a kid. I do get 8 hours of sleep a night, maybe that's too much? Actually I know if I exercised more I would actually have more energy.

Can I tell you a secret? Sometimes I rationalize not working out hard now because we may be trying for a new baby. Why try to "get in shape" when I'll just be housing a baby and gaining a ton of weight. We only want two kids, so I always think in the back of my mind "don't try to get in shape now, wait until you're done having kids and then go all out". I don't have to wait to exercise until after I have a baby. If anything I really have to exercise before, during, and after baby. It's about being health and maintaining my health. Ugh. Why does the mind have to be such a powerful tool?

Swimming in this Sea of Life,
La Sirena

On the Flip Side

2012-01-12T17:34:00.004-07:00

So I arrived safely in San Diego, a little red eyed and frazzled. It has been a transition for me from dropping Didi off at the center today and driving to the airport a little teary eyed to flying and getting here. Two of my co-workers wanted to go walk around downtown before the party tonight, but I decided to stay back and enjoy the pool and hot tub. I am taking full advantage of a childless work trip.

On one side I am really missing Didi, her little kisses, soft hands, demands for Milkies Tea (steamers), and the eagle screeching to hear her own voice. But on the flip side, it was really nice not having to pack all of her stuff, the car seat, rent a car and find a a grocery store. We have really jam packed days and nights, so that will keep me busy and my mind off of missing Didi too much. At least there is Skype in the world now. I want to see what she does. What if she cries out and tries to get me through the screen?

Deep breathes for this mama. At least San Diego is absolutely gorgeous at 73 degrees and sunny. This place is so beautiful. Even though I am more partial to cold weather, I could definitely live here. Our hotel room is looking out onto the San Diego bay over Coronado Island and into the ocean. We have a night out on the town tonight and then a dinner cruise tomorrow night. Both days we sit at a booth and partake in the speakers and host roundtable discussions. Then Saturday night is the awards ceremony and dinner. Then Sunday morning, my flight leaves at 6:30am. Whoa.

Alright, I am off to get ready and then Skype my little sassy girl and hubby.
Swimming in this Sea of Life,
La Sirena

Fill in the Blank First Friday

2012-01-06T10:21:00.002-07:00

First Friday of the New Year. How's it going for you? How's your New Year starting out? Mine, pretty well other than the fact my to-do list is massive and I've had two days of all day meetings. I'm not letting it get to me. Taking it as it comes and non-striving. I was listening to my new Mindfulness CD from Jon Kabat-Zinn and he emphasizes that there is always such a need in our American society to Do Do Do Do, get stuff done, always be productive. It is just the American way, the American work ethic. We tend to always want to strive for more, for a better career, a better home, better things, better relationships. We don't just "be" and enjoy what we have in the moment, in front of us at this time. After all, we are human "beings" right?

Over the past couple of years, having Didi around, I would always strive to get things done. Make my lists like the one above, coordinate when I could do them, make plans to do it in a certain order and every time I did that nothing got done. Everything would never go as planned, it was always awry. I was feeling inadequate and not celebrating the little things I was actually accomplishing like raising my daughter, feeding her, bathing her, playing with her. Dan and I were cultivating the beginnings of our family, the traditions we will hold, and the base of love that is so vitally important. I've enjoyed and learned from every step of the way, however I was still feeling incapable since I wasn't super mom.

I started to observe that when I just let things flow naturally with no striving, it all fell into place as it should. Maybe the floors didn't get swept, but we enjoyed a much needed bike ride instead. Maybe I ended up doing all the dishes, prepping a dinner for the next day and folding laundry even though I didn't "plan" or strive to get it done that night. It made me seriously think about the pressures I am putting on myself, causing stress and the unreachable expectations for me, my family, and my friends at times. It's not that it has been that bad, I just feel more connected to the source of the universe and understand these past two years have been such a wonderful learning experience for me. Coordinating so many things at once is exactly what I wanted, but I am acquiring a completely different mindset in my approach.

Remember when I was writing about making lists of chores and coordinating them with Dan? We tried that in December, didn't work. Again, it was the striving to plan and coordinate. What works better is for us to keep a list of things we would like to accomplish and mark them off as we go along. Being mindful of the moment, the day. Yes, we still make plans for things, it's not like we are all free willy nilly, but the pressure is off. The practice of being in the moment is on.

Swimming in this Sea of Life,

La Sirena

Feel free to play along!

1. One of my favorite things to do when I have free time is read, blog, be outside, nap or watch a movie.

2. When I have free time I tend to really enjoy it instead of freaking out that something needs to get done.

3. If I had an entire day completely to myself I would get up late at 8 (i know, sad right?), walk to downtown and have breakfast at Luciles, walk home, read then nap, then shower, then got for a snowshoe adventure and find a beautiful view to sit and breathe. Then come home and make dinner, then watch a movie.

4. I would prefer to spend my free time (alone or with others...) Both really, I like my me time, but I also like to spend time with friends and family .

5. Most of my free time happens never. Ok, just kidding, probably during naps or lunch hours when working, time at night too.

6. The best thing about free time is the beautiful emptiness is holds.

7. The next time I have free time I should probably put away the Christmas decorations but instead, I'll probably have a cocktail and watch Sons of Anarchy.

Caribou Ranch

2011-12-30T11:06:00.005-07:00

My aunt and uncle invited us up to their friend's house outside of Nederland, CO to do some snow shoeing the day after Christmas. We love this open space area called Caribou Ranch. It is an easy path for hiking and also for snow shoeing. No dogs are allowed, so it is not crowded like most other hiking trails in and around Boulder County. It's a quick jaunt up Boulder canyon and through cute little Nederland to get there. I've know the history of the open space for a few years now. Producer James William Guerico owned 4000 acres and had a recording studio built. There were also houses and things scattered across the land for the musicians to enjoy. If you hike far enough, you can still see some remnants today.

My aunt's friends Carol Ann and Kathy bought one of the houses and a plot of land a few years back and have been restoring it. The land was parceled and sold from 1996 - 2001 privately and to the county of Boulder for open space. You can read more about it on Wiki here. We arrived at the house, got geared up and enjoyed a two mile romp around their 40 acres, no trail, only fresh powdery deep snow, the sun, the trees and great company.

When we got back, they took us for a tour of the house. It used to be the main party house for the musicians visiting and recording. They said originally it didn't have many windows and the guy that sold it to them stated it was because the people "living" there wanted a lot of privacy. There was a lot of drug use, partying, and impromptu shows that happened there. The house is really cool. They added a ton of windows and took out some walls. In one section there is little semi-circle theater where people can sit on the stairs in front of a fire and enjoy the music. They also took us to the "group shower" area which they have now converted to two amazingly beautiful bathrooms with steam shower and deep water jacuzzi.

As we sat around enjoying homemade tomato soup and hot chocolate they told stories of Elton John, who recorded around 4 albums there, notably "Caribou". There is a really nice website that has pictures, shares stories, and lists the artists that recorded here; a few to mention are Billy Joel, Phil Collins, Chicago, The Beach Boys, Stevie Nicks, Rod Stewart and many others. The link to the website is here. Carol Ann and Kathy also shared some funny stories about the apartment downstairs and what the preferred drug of choice during certain recording sessions. They learned all of this from the seller as he was one of the original owners and keepers of the ranch.

Pretty cool to be so close to that piece of history. I had no idea that it was so rich in detail and so close to home.

Swimming in this Sea of Life,
La Sirena

Fill in the Blank "Almost New Year's Eve" Friday

2011-12-30T08:44:00.000-07:00

Oh my, I see that I haven't been able to blog since the last FITBFriday. I've had a post that I really want to share since Monday, however since it's been a short and crazy week, I will be posting it today. Yes, two posts today!

Any special plans for New Year's Eve? My mom is flying in tomorrow for a few days and she will be taking care of Didi down at my Aunt's house so Dan and I have the night off. We've thought and thought about what we should do. With limited resources, we are trying to think of something. Probably a restaurant and maybe a movie? But who really wants to be sitting in a movie New Year's Eve? What I would love to do is buy a couple bottles of champagne and just walk around the city. It's something that I really miss doing with Dan. We used to walk so much. When we travel we always try to choose a place where we can walk or take public transportation. We used to walk to hours and go sight seeing or just talk and talk and talk. When we lived in Germany, it was nothing to us to just walk three miles to the pizza place, or two miles to the Easter Market. Now, we can barely get to the park and back because of Didi and the dog. Which is fine, they both love to "walk" but going one mile can now take an hour.

It would be dreamy to just drink champagne, walking around the city still covered in Christmas lights, eat dinner somewhere and get back home for the midnight celebration. We'll see what the night entails. As for today, I am getting out early from work and we are headed to IKEA. I have a couple of packages for friends I've been holding for our trip to IKEA to get a few gifties. We were supposed to go last Friday, but then a snowstorm kinda of ruined those plans.

Happy New Year my friends, may it be blessed with health, laughter, and happiness.

Swimming in this Sea of Life,

La Sirena

Play along here..........

1. New Years is a time to daydream about the upcoming year. Make fun plans for the future and reflect on what has been accomplished in the ending year.

2. One of my New Year's resolutions will be nothing. No pressure, no stress, just living my days mindfully and to the best of what that day holds .

3. A New Year's resolution I've made in the past was to buy high heels and wear them more. Yep, I bought them and they are really cute, but not really me. I've worn them 2 times .

4. The most time consuming resolution I ever made was a weight loss one in 2009, I accomplished it to about 90%, then ended up pregnant. But I think getting healthier and losing weight really helped my ability to get pregnant and stay healthy all throughout .

5. This year I will be spending New Year's Eve with Dan, alone. So weird to have a night off, I already miss Didi and she isn't even gone yet for her sleepover. Hopefully we'll enjoy a nice dinner and of course champagne.

6. If I could wish one thing for my new year it would be to prioritize my health as very important.

7. 2012 is going to be a year of mindfulness.

Fill in the Blank Eve of the Eve Friday

2011-12-23T17:13:00.000-07:00

Making it a quick FITBFriday today. I've got homemade chicken noodle soup to stir, food coloring to add to the homemade too sweet frosting and bacon to dip in dark chocolate. I've been on a sugar high all day from way too many sweets, plus we ate out at our favorite mexican food place and I can barely move. Good thing we only enjoy the holidays like this once a year!

I may not be back on here until after Christmas so everyone enjoy themselves. Take time out for a spiked eggnog and a kiss in front of the lit candles.
Swimming in this Sea of Life,
La Sirena

1. The best way to spread Christmas cheer is turn up the music and party down.

2. The thing I love most about Christmas is Hil's homemade mexican cheese log .

3. The holiday season is a time for reflection and renewal, plus enjoying yourself with Gluehwein .

4. My favorite thing to eat at the holidays is oh my, everything because I pretty much only enjoy it once a year .

5. I will be spending Christmas with my family.

6. Tis better to (give or receive?) just be together, it's not about giving or receiving, but if I had to choose I love to give and make little homemade gifts for friends and family .

7. I'm dreaming of a white Christmas. (oh wait, too cliche? well, we've got it, snowed 12" yesterday. yes!)

Winter Solstice

2011-12-22T15:11:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite days of the year, Winter Solstice has arrived. Dan and I are lucky enough to be able to both have it off this year. We had plans to go snow shoeing however a big snowstorm came through last night and we have about 12" of snow. We did spend a little time shoveling and playing in the front yard. Important to soak in the nature on this very important day.

I'm making a chicken with celery, onions, carrots, and seasoning (thank you CrockPot for your lovely assistance). I will also cook up cream cheese and garlic mashed white sweet potatoes and roasted agave carrots. A day to celebrate the bounty of the fall and fill our bellies for the coming darker and leaner months. Ok, we'll most likely not experience a famine as in the older days during the winter months, but it's a great day to really celebrate the returning of the sun. New beginnings.

"The winter solstice may have been immensely important because communities were not certain of living through the winter, and had to be prepared during the previous nine months. Starvation was common in winter between January and April, also known as the famine months. In temperate climates, the midwinter festival was the last feast celebration, before deep winter began. Most cattle were slaughtered so they would not have to be fed during the winter, so it was almost the only time of year when a supply of fresh meat was available. The majority of wine and beer made during the year was finally fermented and ready for drinking at this time. The concentration of the observances were not always on the day commencing at midnight or at dawn, but the beginning of the pre-Romanized day, which falls on the previous eve.

Since the event is seen as the reversal of the Sun's ebbing presence in the sky, concepts of the birth or rebirth of sun gods have been common and, in cultures using winter solstitially based cyclic calendars, the year as reborn has been celebrated with regard to life-death-rebirth deities or new beginnings such as Hogmanay's redding, a New Year cleaning tradition. In Greek mythology, the gods and goddesses met on the winter and summer solstice, and Hades is permitted to enter Mount Olympus (his domain is the underworld so he of course does not get accepted any other time). Also reversal is yet another usual theme as in Saturnalia's slave and master reversals." Wikipedia

We all tend to slow down and reflect on our past year during this time. We celebrate the year coming to a close and dream big of what's to come. I've decided not to have any yearly resolutions or goals this new year. Being the perfectionist and the full time working mom with limited time that I am, I don't want to restrict myself into a particular goal to strive for. If I don't reach it, I would feel bad, plus I would put myself under too much pressure when I have other priorities that may be more important.

What is important is making little changes to our routine to incorporate more exercise, more meditation, and healthy foods. It's not a goal to start January 1st, it's life style routines to continuously improve. Dan and I may have different ways we will approach this, however as a couple we can gain so much together in support. It's exciting to feel a new year starting. What are your plans?

Swimming in this Sea of Life,
La Sirena

Food for Thought

2011-12-19T22:34:00.000-07:00

I've wanted to do this since we got the tree up, sit in the living room with only the tree lights on. This is the first night in a while that I've had a little more down time to just relax. Dan's been in New Hampshire since Saturday and being an only parent for a few days ads up the chores. I absolutely love and adore having Dan by side in this journey and to take on half of the work - ha! I have a lot of respect for single parents, especially my mom raising three girls all on her own. She had some wonderful help from my grandparents, but my mom really took on everything. I sometimes look down at my hands while putting the laundry in and I see hers. When I'm driving and I glance in the mirror, I see her eyes. I look more and more like her as I age and I have flashes of her as if she's my age and what it would be like to be her raising us. One day I'll tell her this and let her know how much I think about her journey as a mom.

Our parents have so much influence over us while we are young. They help guide us to make the right decisions, but ultimately they are in charge of so many more decisions that we possibly are not consciously aware of until we're adults ourselves. For example; food, what to eat, what to drink, what we put into our bodies. Growing up in the Midwest we had a typical Midwestern diet with a sprinkling of fast or restaurant food. We had a lot of home cooked yummy meals, however mostly based in casseroles with a soda on the side. Nowadays we have so much more science and information about foods and how they effect our bodies, I almost feel guilty having a coke on a Saturday or eating Goldfish crackers with Didi. Dan and I constantly look at labels, we don't buy anything with high fructose corn syrup and hydrolyzed anything. We're now completely off aluminum/tin/metal cans as well due to the high BPA content. There is one company that sells product in non-BPA cans, however they can be a bit pricey.

It's definitely about making little changes about informed decisions. I remember when Dan and I moved in together about 9 years ago, we would eat out 5 days a week! We started to realize how much we were spending and that's when the weekly grocery list started. We have learned and experimented so much since then and I believe we are healthier and have more energy because of it. We still go out about 3 times a month and we splurge on treats like fish crackers, chocolate, and alcohol. Only on holidays do we have something really horribly bad for us. I cook and I cook a lot. I rarely make complicated meals, but I do make sure we have fruits, vegetables, dairy, and grains everyday. We have meat a few times a week maybe on a sandwich, baked, or in the crock pot. Planning and cooking three meals a day gets kind of tiring to be honest, since I'm the one that plans the meals, makes the lists, shops, and then cooks everything. Dan will usually make breakfast on the weekend and we share the clean up duties. He occasionally will request a certain dish, usually a Mexican bean bowl, his favorite. I rarely if ever make Didi something different from what we're having. If I know our meal is a big salad, which Didi can't chew yet, I make her up some steamed veggies, toast and a yogurt. Or if I cook something really spicy I might make her a more bland version.

I really want us to cook and eat as a family. Sometimes Didi helps 'make' the meal. She'll 'wash' veggies or throw away things for me. So cute. I want to involve her and really teach her about eating seasonally. That's another thing I really had no idea about growing up. I never really had the concept of 'seasonal' foods, plus I didn't realize a lot of things like oranges grow on trees or peanuts grow in the ground. I remember in college I was with my friend Jackie and she had a bunch of fresh spinach. I was looking at it thinking "what the hell is that and why is she washing it?" Turns on she threw it into a huge steamer and it came out looking like spinach from a can, which I love by the way. I was absolutely amazed. Now that I think back on that I am shocked at myself. I've come a long way and I want Didi to start out right.

This past Saturday Aunt Pat and I went out to dinner with Didi and some of Pat's friends. We met at this place that was all decorated with Nascar and racing, so horrible if you ask me and so different from what I get in Boulder County. The menu was 7 pages long and pretty much was the same thing page after page after page. I thought, ok I'm gonna splurge and we got homemade chip with cheese dip and I had fries with what was supposed to be 'breaded' wings. It was so disgusting. The chips were tasty and I let Didi have a few. She really likes dip, so she was enjoying the cheese dip and I let her have her rice cracker with it. I usually bring Didi's meal, but this time I didn't have anything except rice crackers and a string cheese. The choices for kids are horrible. The waiter actually asked me if I wanted to get her a coke. Really? She's only almost 2. So I got her a cheeseburger and applesauce. She hasn't really eaten a lot of meat and this cheeseburger intrigued her. She ate about half of a kiddy size, mostly dipping it in her applesauce (so adorable).

The next day we both paid for the greasy, nasty dinner we had the night before. Let's just say I was gagging in the bathroom having to spray out her cloth diapers. She also broke out in hives for 24 hours and slept horrible. It had to be the food because it was so different from her normal diet. She didn't have a fever or anything, so I think that "food" upset her. It also upset my intestines as well, but I won't go into any details. When we eat out we try to eat fresh and not fried, frozen, and processed. We have a few favorite restaurants. Speaking of which, Dan and I are thinking of doing Indian food for New Year's Eve since my mom is in town and is babysitting Didi. Yum!

Where am I going with this post? My god, the tree lights must have energized me to keep typing since it's so cozy and relaxing. Plus my man is on his way home from the airport and I'm trying to stay up. Right then. I'm considering doing a 10 day juice fast in January. Ever done one? I'm still nursing and it's not recommended, but truly she's not nursing for the nutrients and it shouldn't hurt me or her getting some excellent mico-nutrients into our systems. I need to study up a little more on it as it can be quite pricey as well. I'm thinking of getting my Aunt to do it too since she loves detoxes and such. Anywho, I better jump off of here. Take care and live well my friends.

Swimming in this Sea of Life,
La Sirena

Fill in the Blank Friday

2011-12-16T12:34:00.001-07:00

It's that time again, filling in some blanks! What a week. So many projects at work and at home, including lots and lots of holiday cards to sign, seal, and deliver, plus packages to wrap up and one sick baby to nurse back to health. I swear, every year during this time my work decides to launch huge projects with extreme amounts of data, discussions, paperwork, addendums, meetings, and the like. It drives me batty because I just want to work my 8 hours, shut down and enjoy my evening, weekened, holiday time. But rather I am frazzled, annoyed, and strapped for time. If only we could launch and manage these projects after the New Year.

Well, complaining won't do me a lot of good, right? Other than send out bad karma and make everything worse, like a sick baby and a broken garage door LOL. Didi got a high temperature on Wednesday, slept pretty good that night, but then the temp stayed high all day Thursday and then slept horribly awful bad last night. I'm on about 3 hours of sleep right now. This morning the temp was gone and we made an executive decision to send her to the center. I'm going to pick her up a couple hours early though. During these stressful times I get so down on myself for not gliding through it, letting it be, and letting it go. Dan was laughing at me this morning because I was so out of it complaining about work, wanting to just focus on my sick daughter and then stressing about getting these things out in the mail. We worked as a team and he did all the mailing and I took care of Didi, which was nice. Yesterday was really nice too, even though she was sick, she cuddled with me all day and we just relaxed. But after a horrible night, I'm not so patient and understanding as a frazelled mama this morning.

Good news though, the new treadmill arrived and it works! We did a workout the other morning, short and sweet as we find our rhthym again. Exercise will really help with stress management and focus. I'm looking forward to building on it and getting healthier.

What are your plans for the weekend? Dan is heading to New Hampshire for his brother's wedding and I am staying home with Didi. We might partake in a girl's weekend with Aunt Pat, but we'll see how Didi is feeling. I really should ~~buy~~ bake some holiday cookies too, right?

Swimming in this Sea of Life,
La Sirena

1. My most favorite "little thing" is when Didi falls asleep on my chest for a nap.

2. I give anything to soak in a hot springs for a couple hours.

3. I can't believe how crazy I get only after a couple nights of horrible sleep. How will I ever get through another newborn phase?

4. The one thing I'd like to achieve today is completing my reports and communications for my corporate presentations next week so I don't have to worry about them or work on the weekend.

5. The last thing I want to do today is work.

6. If I were writing my own blank today, it would say: My plans for New Years Eve are..........

7. My favorite candle scent is definitely a fall scent like apple.

Parched

2011-12-12T14:02:00.001-07:00

I licked around 100 envelopes for work holiday cards today. Yuck. We didn't have one of those little doodads that you can use to wet the seal and glue. I had to get them in the mail today because there was no way I was going back into the office this week. I still have about 30 to go. At least the envelopes for our personal cards are a sticker. We should have those out by the end of the week, talk about procrastination. I can't believe how unbelievably long everything takes now after having a kid. We used to just take the picture, edit, print, sign, and seal all in the same weekend. Now it takes four weeks just to do all of that and find some time to get some stamps. Makes me appreciate time to a whole new degree.

I'm proud of myself this year though. Last year about this time I was in a real panic as to what to do about stockings, wrapping, baking and the such. I pretty much have all of the family's presents and stockings already in hand, just need to wrap and send out the boxes Friday. We also will be sending out the cards Friday as well. I'm going to hopefully accomplish some baking this weekend and wrap up some goodies for friends to ship out next week. Might not make it before Christmas, but that's fine.

I've been thinking about this word Christmas. Everyone is so afraid to say it nowadays. Happy Holidays is the replacement and in my mind it's a postive agreeable comparison. There are so many wonderful holidays and cultural events that happen around this time, I think "Holiday" sums it up well. My personal favorite is the winter solstice, more a pagan appreciation and so beautiful. The Christmas tree actually started out as a pagan tradition, bringing in a live plant into one's home to instill hope that the Earth would awaken once again to the spring. It brought a fresh feeling to an otherwise sleepy dark time. I haven't said Merry Christmas is so long, nor have I written it. I might if it's to a family member or a friend, but I just don't feel the connection to the "Christ" or Jesus's birth. I respect that it is based on this christian tradition however.

We do not believe in making the holiday all about presents and consumerism. For our kids, Dan and I will teach them all about the holidays that occur during this time, maybe celebrate each one in our own special way to recognize cultures and religions across the world. We want this time to teach our kids about creating, crafting, baking, coming together as a family to enjoy each other and to show our appreciation of one another. Yes, we will still have the fun time of visiting Santa, opening stockings on Christmas Eve and the like, but there will also be an emphasis on the winter solstice and it's beauty.

Swimming in this Sea of Life,
La Sirena

Fill in the Blank Full Moon Friday

2011-12-09T19:56:00.001-07:00

I can tell it's a full moon, all the crazies are out. It was so busy today! I had to drive into the office because I had one of my providers visiting in town. I also had my specialist in the office (she works remote as well) so that we could get all of the labels printed and the holiday cards signed (OMG there were 80 and we are still not done!). Then I was also balancing emails, voicemails, projects, and a stiff neck and headache. We took the providers out to lunch to one of my favorite restaurants, but the dish I had was nasty. There were nasties in the sausage and the sauce was weird. Oh well. Then on the drive home my blackberry buzzed with a crisis call about one of my providers in Indiana. Geesh! I picked up Didi and was participating in a conference call while changing a diaper. I definitely don't get paid enough for this. Since I had to work tonight and I have to get on another follow up call tomorrow, I might take Monday morning off as payback.

I'm good at that, taking time for my precious private time at night and weekends.

All day I thought about Fill in the Blank Friday and when I would find the time to do it. After I just finished a few things for work, I figured I would give it a go!

Have anything fun planned this weekend? I do! We are celebrating Hil's birthday and then seeing the light parade downtown. Then I think we will finish up our holiday shopping. I ordered most presents off of Amazon because I hate going out to shop. Then it is wrapping extravaganza and shipping by next weekend. If I make it through this month, it will be a miracle. What was that little pill women used to take in the 50's and 60's to get through the day? Oh right, Valium, yep I could use one of those with a dirty martini. Ha!

I had so much fun the other night. Dan and I watched Elf while we made gift tag cards. We cut and stamped and colored and embossed. It was awesome to do something crafty together. Ok I admit, Dan didn't so much, but he did help a little. Our holiday cards are almost ready to be printed and sent out. This year the card is a real depiction of what 2011 did to us. Seriously, it has been a really full year and we are wiped out!

Have a great weekend everyone.
Swimming in this Sea of Life,
La Sirena

1. Love is a drug, better than Valium.

2. Being in love feels like comfort, strength, courage, patience, presence, existence .

3. My favorite quote about love is "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return" Moulin Rouge .

4. The most important thing in a relationship is laughter and communication .

5. A "deal breaker" for me in a relationship is someone unwilling to accept my weirdness.

6. The way I show love in my relationships is the support and motivation I provide to my man in any way possible.

7. I love Bapa (Didi's name for Dan).

Fill in the Blank Freezing Friday

2011-12-02T08:33:00.001-07:00

It's only 10 degrees here this Friday morning. Freezing and covered in snow, just the way I like it. Well, unless I have to drive. Yesterday during the snowy morning I was supposed to drive into the office. Ugh, the only day that I had to go in, but a few of us remote folks asked to have the meeting rescheduled and they did. Much to our excitement, we were then berrated and made fun of by the folks that work in the office. I am sure there were plenty of discussions of how we can't seem to make the effort. I felt it yesterday big time. Why the hell do I let that crap get to me? It's so petty and immature. I just want to do my job and sorry if I don't want to drive in 5" of snow 30 miles in one lane that's open on the highway. No thanks.

Anywho, what a week of ups and downs. Our treadmill is apparently being replaced so they are shipping a new one in a few weeks. So annoying. Then the van had to go in for brake noise and apparently the calipars rusted out and destroyed all the brakes that we just got last summer. Awesome. Plus the coolant system exploded and that had to be replaced. This week cost us $2300, plus Jorge's accident Thanksgiving week was $500. Awesome. One step forward getting my little bonus and treating myself with a broken treadmill and two steps backwards having to pay $2800 for issues.

But it's all a part of lfe, accidents happen and car maintenance is essential. I have lots of "I just wish......" thoughts going on right now. I confess, I hate being middle class working our asses off, living paycheck to paycheck. I'm definitely in need of an attitude adjustment. It's the added pressure of the holidays too though. I want to buy little gifts for friends and family and make it really special, but then our debt and the most recent expenditures are always lingering in the back of my mind.

On the bright side! I have many many fun crafty projects I can't wait to dig into. What better way to save money than to make homemade gifts for people. It creates love that goes into each gift. Plus this weekend we are doing more decorating. Dan put up most of the outdoor lights last weekend and we have one more outdoor tree to do this weekend. Then we will do some indoor decorations. I think we will get our tree the weekend of 12/10 - which also happens to be Hil's birthday! We are planning to go to the Lights Parade downtown Longmont.

Fill in some blanks with me!

Swimming in this Sea of Life,

La Sirena

1. The holiday season is a time to share traditions with my daughter, express gratitude and love to family and friends, and reflect as our part of the Earth prepares for a rest.

2. Snow makes me love the winter, except driving in it - no thanks .

3. The best comfort food to eat when it's cold out is homemade macaroni and cheese. I have a recipe for a very grown up taste including onion and melted butter. I call it my "French" version.

4. Winter is the best time for rest and reflection .

5. I can hardly wait for planning the Christmas Day meal and seeing Didi's reaction to all of the decorations/lights.

6. When it comes to holiday gifts I prefer to make them because it is very personal and not about materialism.

7. If I were to rate my excitement about the holiday season on a scale from 1-10, I would say I am at about a 5, but add Gluehwein and I'm at about a 7.

Swing of Things

2011-11-29T15:23:00.001-07:00

Getting back into the swing of things, the reality of life as a full time working mom this week. Didn't take long for the tight hunched shoulders and headaches to creep back in. Although the headache might be from lack of coffee this afternoon. I've been thinking a lot about my schedule and creating boundaries and I am coming to terms that it takes time and won't change overnight, which I would like. I'm keeping my blackberry in the basement on my desk now. I am only bringing it with me when I go into the office or I have an errand to run during work time. I really don't have to be on call at night and I have only gotten two phone calls and a handful of emergency emails in the past two years. Therefore, boundary number one is up. Plus it will help eliminate some stress at night - out of sight out of mind.

I've scheduled in lunches for myself on my calendar and it has worked out really well. It reminds me to take them and I go do something upstairs, like prepare lunch or put in laundry or watch a funny sitcom to clear the mind. So far so good. Dan and I wrote down a list of essential chores and categorized them into weekly, monthly, bi-monthly. We then "assigned" ourselves to them. He would like them to be written on our white board calendar in the kitchen, so he knows when they need to be done. I guess that would help me as well.

I'm the type of person that likes to get the work done first, then play. That applies to my day, my week, and my month. For example, I like to tackle projects head on and am most productive in the morning. So in the afternoon I can prepare for the next day or procrastinate like I am doing now......During the week I like to get all of the laundry done on Monday and Tuesdays plus the errands, so by Thursday thru Saturday, we can play and lounge. And so on and so on. That being said, I really should get our chores written in on the calendar for the start of December.

Wow, reading through this, what has my life come to? Really? Chores and headaches? When did I become such a domestic? What happen to travel, foreign languages and champagne at midnight?

Right, we bought a house and had a kid..............then again, it's all good living in the moment.
Swimming in this Sea of Life,
La Sirena

Fill in the Blank Black Friday

2011-11-25T06:42:00.001-07:00

I'm up early on Black Friday, not to shop, but because I left my damn alarm on and it went off at 6am. Oh well, time for some delicious coffee and an internet stroll. I'm working on my blog, so please excuse the construction that will be going on in the next few weeks. I am not a technologically savy person and all I want to to do is change up the look and to get that picture centered. Geesh!

It was a great week off with Didi, still a few days to go and I am already anxious about going back to work. I'll never be able to be a stay at home mom, but maybe if Dan gets a better job I can cut my hours down and work a little more part time. A girl can dream right? We have some much needed chores that need to get done and an oil change on booth vehicles this weekend. Since most of my week was filled with tending to Jorge's wounds and getting his meds down, I didn't get to trim the roses back or rake the yard. I do have one fun thing planned for Saturday. I get to go out with my friend Sara who is in town, since she moved to Austin a few months back. Yes!

Tonight Longmont has their downtown Christmas tree lighting, that would be fun to pop over and enjoy. But we'll see, being that it is right at Didi's bedtime. So Dan spent two hours the other night putting together the treadmill. It had some shipping damage, but it mostly appeared to be cosmetic. Sadly, it was not and fried the motor :( Ugh. That thing was so heavy and awkward to haul to the basement and then put together and I am not looking forward to hauling it back into the garage. The motor is all bent and the belt is falling off. We're not sure what they are going to do, maybe we have to ship this one back and they ship us a new one. Or we haul this to the curb for trash and they ship us a new one. Or maybe we'll just get our money back and call it good. So annoying, we spent almost $1000 on this thing and it f-ing doesn't work. There goes my fit and exercise plans for the time being. Maybe it's a sign I shouldn't exercise during the holidays? Ha! No seriously, I have stress I need to pound out on that treadmill and I am really looking forward to it.

Off to start the day. Are you going Black Friday shopping? Not me, the closest I'll get is to the auto place to get my van's oil changed. Enjoy the day, whatever you are doing!

Swimming in this Sea of Life,
La Sirena

1. Waking up at the break of dawn to go shopping is my idea of absolute torture, I hate shopping as it is, I'm not getting up at the crack of dawn to do it.

2. If I were to go shopping today I would be on the hunt for a new laptop.

3. The best thing I ate yesterday was jalapeno squash casserole and a slice of pecan pie.

4. Something I've been learning lately is that exercise and having fun really does help with stress.

5. I cannot start my day without a cuddle from Didi.

6. My nighttime attire consists of new red flannel PJs Dan bought me, so soft and comfy for lounging.

7. I am looking forward to getting the yard work done, meeting up with Sara, and a long long bike ride with my family.

Thanks Giving

2011-11-24T13:27:00.001-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving - we'll sit around with friends or family or both today and share our thanks and blessings we have in our lives. I really like this holiday in our family. It's a stretch of four days off from the daily grind, relaxed mornings of park play, bike rides, cuddles, and laughs. We plan and pack for our afternoon outing to Aunt Pat's and the tree lighting downtown tomorrow.

For the past few years, I have written letters to family or friends of even businesses, letting them know how thankful I am for them. Last year, I sent a letter to Didi's pediatrician and one to my surgeon. They had touched me deeply in 2010 and I wanted to let them know. The hand written letter is going out of style and the intimacy of sharing thoughts on pen and paper seems to be a thing of the past. I miss it and I try to keep the tradition alive. I think I'll write more in hand in 2012, just because.

This year for Thanksgiving I sent out my letters, but just to family and one to my dentist. I love my dentist, I learn something new every time I visit them. Didi will start going next year. I had a few others in mind, but just didn't get to writing them. Hopefully, I can pass this tradition onto my children.

Today I was thinking about writing how thankful I am, but to me, I am thankful everyday for my family, my friends, my daughter and husband, my dog and so on. I say a little mantra of thanks every day, but it's not every day I give thanks for the non-traditional items in my life, that make my life so much easier, better, more fun, etc. So here goes, my ode to them!

I am thankful for coffee, light roast with coconut or all natural creamer and shot of hazelnut to wake me up twice a day.
I am thankful for my amazing organic latex mattress.
I am thankful I can work for a company that lets me work from home and also provides me with 50% off childcare.
I am thankful for my bike and bike trailer.
I am thankful for such a wonderful, perfect size of a home for us, with a yard.
I am thankful I live in Colorado and can drive only 30 minutes to be in the mountains for a beautiful hike.
I am thankful I live only a mile from Efrains Restaurant - even though we haven't been since September!
I am thankful for my Toyota Previa van.
I am thankful for sexy nursing bras that lift and help gravity.
I am thankful for the I-Pod Touch, letting me stay in touch without having to open my laptop.
I am thankful for texting on my phone.
I am thankful for Skype, which allows far away friends and family a glimpse into our lives.
I am thankful for Elmo and the gang when I need to get dinner made.
I am thankful for Buddhism, teaching me to take a breath and live in the moment.

Just a few things I am currently thankful for that help make my days and shape my life. I am most thankful for this precious life and everything in it. Swimming in this Sea of Life,
La Sirena

Party Foul

2011-11-21T19:51:00.001-07:00

You know when you go to a party and drink a bunch, then while opening the next bottle of wine, it slips out of your hands and breaks all over the kitchen floor? Yep, Party Foul. While parenting, there are also episodes of Parenting Fouls. Two happened yesterday. After coming home from the grocery, we let Jorge in the the backyard to blow off some steam. He was running crazy all over the yard and after he was tired, ended up on the backdoor step to come in and have his dinner. I was in the backyard encouraging him to run some more out of pure entertainment for my own self because he is cute when he gets all crazy and determined.

Then it happened.

He ran around the back of the shed and screamed. I have never heard a dog scream like that. He can limping out and I imagined the worst; hit the fence and broke his leg, shoved his face into the shed and his eyes were torn out. Nope, it was kind of worse. He impaled himself on the wire tomato stakes that had fallen down onto their side. OMG. He limped over to me, frightened and snapped at my hands. I comforted him and then saw the blood. Dan ran outside and we carried him in and called his vet. They advised us to take him to the Vet Emergency, which was thankfully less than a mile from our home. All three of us rushed him in there. What a lovely and nice place, but filled with the tortured screams of cats and dogs. No joke, that place was hopping. There were two emergency emergencies, something with a cat that was not going to remit control to anyone and then a greyhound with a broken leg. I knew it would be a long night.

I told Dan to take Didi home and have dinner and relax and I would stay with Jorge. He got emitted to a room and we sat there. The nurse came in and did an exam - two puncture wounds, but we didn't know how deep. We were going to have to wait until the cat and the dog were sedated and out of surgery before Jorge. He wasn't considered emergency because his wounds were not yet life threatening. We sat in the room and he cuddled with me, blood was all over me and he was terrified. He sat shaking the whole time. Finally we were seen and I asked Dan to come back with Didi so we could switch places. Jorge had his xrays done and was scheduled for surgey.

We all went home while he was in surgery and waited for the call. I put Didi to bed and then Dan and I sat having a glass of wine, waiting. We got the call around 8:30pm. Jorge was out of surgery and waking up. His wounds were not as deep as they had expected, it had not punctured his body cavity, but the wire stakes had separate his fur from the second layer of skin and formed two pockets. He was able to come home that night and I think it was because they were so full. While I was waiting to pick him up in the lobby, a black lab came in who was urinating blood, a mut came in who had bone cancer, and then a cat with a blood clot. It was horrible. I felt like I was on one of those ER shows, but for animals. The families with the sadness in their eyes, all sharing stories and comforting one another.

I looked to the bench where we sat when we first came in and Jorge's dried blood was still on the seat. Remnants of what had happened earlier that evening, my mommy strength melted at that moment and my heart hurt. I cried a little for the sadness I felt for little Jorge and the guilt I felt for making him run more, forgetting those tomato stakes were next to the shed.

When I got home, I could see the sadness and guilt in Dan's eyes as well. He looked exhausted. We didn't talk that much last night, just silently supported one another as we tended to Jorge's wounds with hot compresses and got up two times in the night to give him pain pills and antibiotics. When we settled in for the night, I asked Dan how Didi did at dinner, what she ate, drank, etc. He talked a little about it and I asked him if he washed her hands since we were in the emergency vet clinic for a long time that night - she was climbing all around and thoroughly enjoying the dog beds on the floor.

His jaw dropped and he said "oh shit, no". I took a deep breath and said, "it's ok sweety, we both had Parenting Fouls tonight". Then we laughed. Like my mom always says - accidents happen.

Swimming in this Sea of Life,
La Sirena

Just Rambling

2011-11-19T09:45:00.001-07:00

Ahh, my Staycation has begun. Last night Dan bought me some fruity champagne to enjoy while we watched one of my favorite types of movies. Most of my friends and family may not know this about me, but I am obsessed with movies, stories, and books about exploring the south/north poles and climbing mountains such as Everest or K2. We watched Vertical Limit last night, it was kind of cheesy, but I loved it. I have read a few books about Shackleton's Adventures to the south pole, he is the one that started my interest in these types of stories. I especially love true stories. There are so many wonderful non-fiction books out there for me to read and I can barely wait. I think my obsession is with understanding why these climbers and adventurers want to put themselves at risk and in danger. Why would anyone want to climb through a living glacier up a rock front wall with oxygen strapped on their back at 24,000 FT? I have no clue, but I find it so interesting. Plus the feeling of isolation and the drive to live in dangerous situations is so intriguing to me.

One of my goals in life is to visit a base camp on one of these amazing mountains and meet these climbers and see their drive. Weird right? I know, I should probably stick with a more reachable goal, but for now I can dream and immerse myself in their stories.

Onto the weekend plans. Dan is participating in a mock trial today. He does a lot of testing for this marketing place in Denver so he gets to do cool things like taste test new beers, try out new bikes, wear weird socks and in this case, he was chosen to sit in on a fake trial as a juror. I had no idea this happens, but apparently they will put on a full day trial to try to predict the outcome. So interesting. He is gone all day so Didi and I are hanging out. Where is Didi you might ask? Well, she is obsessed with Sesame Street so I am letting her watch "Follow that Bird". I am not opposed to some movies and TV sometimes, especially Sesame Street which is so awesome for her to sing and dance and learn. I grew up with it and it's still the same!

I am opposed to endless TV and videos and we monitor everything that her little eyes may take in. At her center, they have no TV and Movies, which is so nice because they are engaged all day with music, art, movement, play time, nap, snack, letters, numbers, colors, you get the idea. After the movie is over today, I am bundling her up and we are going outside to trim the roses down to a manageable level. Some of the rose bushes are 6 feet high, no joke, and they are breaking under the snow when it falls.

There are many other things I would love to do with her this week. I like to do things such as house and yard chores with her because it shows her the reality of life and plus she has fun helping. I think it's important to have kids help because it gives them a sense of ownership and pride in themselves, home, and meals. We will also be baking a casserole and pie for Thanksgiving day and then making a dip. She loves to stir things and empty out containers, so it should be fun. We are also going to take a nice hike or maybe snow shoe with Aunt Pat.

Wishing all a lovely weekend,
Swimming in this Sea of Life,
La Sirena

Fill in the Blank Friday

2011-11-18T09:58:00.001-07:00

Lovely Friday, here it is again. A time to reflect on the week and fill in some blanks. This week was considerably better than the past ones I have been experiencing, albeit just as busy though. My specialist is back from maternity leave so she is taking over some much need tasks to get done. Big sigh of relief on my part. I hate dealing with the nit picky daily tasks and she's good at it. I want to be able to focus on the bigger projects and analysis.

Starting at 3pm today I have a whole week off. I am so excited, but also scared about the work that will be backed up once again on the Monday when I get back. I will be checking in on a project that has to be completed by 11/30, but it is one I enjoy. I've been thinking a lot about my schedule lately and my friend Adrienne sent me a lovely email about how she plans her day because she works from home too. I also read my friend Sara's post about how she is taking lunches and getting out of the house sometimes because she works from home. I think we're starting to see this shift in companies being much more flexible with employees and working from home. Or at least mine is, but there is a total shift in work culture and dynamics that goes a long with it. Some of which, I never believed would effect me and it has.

Establishing a good routine has always been in my nature, however with a child my routine has been blown out the window and her routine takes precedence. I'm a perfectionist when it comes to most things, especially being the perfect mom, wife, employee, boss, etc. Merging all of these aspects in my life has been challenging. I am constantly thinking about it and planning and organizing, but it never feels consistent. If I have a routine and say ok, let's do this and then say Didi is sick and it doesn't go as planned I have learned to be very flexible and say "oh well". Problem is, I may not pick that routine back up the next day when everything is good to go. I'll just revise it and make different plans. Hard to explain, but sometimes I fear if I am too strict with things, I could get more stressed out. See what I mean? A catch 22.

A lot of things I just let go because I don't feel like having the motivation to deal with it or it feels like just one more thing to add to my plate. Case in point: exercise. The other day as I was reaching down to get something I felt stiff and my hips cracked, it was the first time ever I thought to myself that I am "feeling" my age. Gaaah! What the hell? I am only 33. The only exercise I have been doing is walking a lot and riding my bike to commute to Didi's school. But with the start of winter, cold, and lack of sunlight, those are slowly fading away.

I got a teeny tiny bonus this year so I decided instead of it going to our bills I would treat myself. Ok, not fiscally responsible, but it's a bonus, so I wouldn't have had the money anyway. I bought us a treadmill. I did a lot of research and got a pretty nice one. I love running on a treadmill. So sad, but right before I got pregnant with Didi in May 2009, I was running 6 miles three days a week at the gym. Now I run to the park and my back feels like it's going to give out. Since then I have run three times. Once I got deathly ill, once my knee gave out and I fell and then once it was perfect and awesome and I felt great. So I thought it would be motivating to finally have a treadmill of my own. I'll keep ya posted.

More to come on the new routine. Hope y'all have a nice Friday.
Swimming in this Sea of Life,
La Sirena

1. A nervous habit I have is biting my nails. I used to not, but after having Didi I really could bite the tips off my fingers from nervousness. So horrible.

2. Something that makes me sad is the state of our politics. It is in shambles and it is so hard to trust and believe in our own government. Our country is driven by a select few, who have no interest in the majority and it is obvious. I wish I lived in a country where they actually valued their population by supporting them with free education and healthcare.

3. Today I am thankful for getting a whole week off with my daughter starting at 3pm today!

4. My favorite room in my house is my den. It has a large comfy couch, a fireplace, book shelves, music, TV, and a rocking chair. Very relaxing .

5. I can't stand people that jump to conclusions and assumptions without gathering more knowledge.

6. If I had an extra $100 to spend on whatever I wanted today I would buy a bottle of champagne, eat dinner out at Efrains, then use the other $50 to buy friends and family a little Thanksgiving gift to send in the mail.

7. The last person I hung out with was oh my, this is sad. I haven't hung out with someone other than Dan for so long, I don't even know. Umm, let me see, oh right it was 11/5 and I went to my employee's house to visit with her and her new baby. A coworker of mine was also there, so we sat, ate pizza, cuddled a tiny baby and chatted.

Fill in the Blank Freitag

2011-11-11T08:42:00.001-07:00

Ah Friday, so much to do and so little time to do it in. Mostly the work is dragging me down lately, it's really starting to feel like "work" if you know what I mean. Blah. Anyway, there is also a lot of housework and yardwork that has been neglected these past few weeks. I just can't quite find a rhythm to my cleaning. I thought working from home would make everything easier, when in fact it has maken it a bit more complex. I feel obligated now to work all of the time, no separation unless I force myself and of course when Didi is around I don't work, but I do check my Crackberry. When I'm working during the day and I get up to make tea or lunch or use the restroom I see dishes that need to be done or a floor that needs to be swept or laundry that could be washed. Then I get crazy and start to do all of those things and I forget about work for an hour or so, which then forces me to work at night when Didi goes to bed. Aaahh!!

It's all melding together and I have to get more control over all of this. January marks my one year anniversary working from home and I am really disappointed in myself. I haven't found that balance, I've tried to do too much and got nothing done (yes, this can happen), and I've melded my professional life with my private life by having it always in my face. This has caused a lot of stress, a lot of house neglect (sorry kitchen, I apologize now) and a lot of creativity in my private life pushed to the side for the sake of the work project. It's causing an extreme imbalance in my universe and I am getting more and more frustrated trying to make it all work. There needs to be some guidelines made and better routines established. I think 2012 will be a good year to bringing back into balance. I have some numerology updates I will be sharing soon as this time before the new year for me is always about reflection and new plans for the coming year.

A lovely fall Friday to everyone and fun weekend to look forward to.

Fill in the Blanks and Play along here!

1. My favorite new blog of the moment is SouleMama.

2. Something I am thankful for is my whole week off at Thanksgiving to spend with Didi (baking, yardwork, children's museums, hot milk with agave and tons of cuddles!) .

3. Something that made me laugh this week was when Didi was going through her flashcards she pulled out the monkey card and said "Papa". It was awesome and such a thing a toddler would do. I can't wait for more of those moments as she learns more words .

4. An item that is currently on my wish list is comfy rocker recliner for Didi's room .

5. I am excited about spending the day in Boulder on Saturday (Pearl Street Mall, mimosas at Conner O'Neils, lunch out, a hike, and our favorite all natural grocery store).

6. If I were a color I would be Purple.

7. My favorite way to spend a chilly fall day is by enjoying Baileys in my coffee with Dan, baking something with Didi and being crafty sewing something.

Confessions

2011-11-09T12:32:00.002-07:00

If I was on a dance floor, I would pull a Madonna and confess the following:

I'm tired of cloth diapers.....ok, maybe just the poopy ones
I have a celebrity crush on Gordon Ramsey
I'm sad that my daughter is almost done nursing
I'm scared to travel without Didi in January to a conference (what if the plane goes down and she doesn't have a mother anymore?! ok, most likely won't happen, but I worry anyway)
I had a 1/4 cup of Guinness this morning after pouring the bottle into the Crock Pot for Beer Beef Stew (you should never waste Guinness! even at 8am!)
I sometimes get jealous of Stay-At-Home or Part-Time-Working Moms
2011 has been an extremely challenging year for me......changes to come in 2012

So that's about it for today. Must be the full moon that I am so easily sharing my confessions...........or the Guinness. Ha!

Swimming in this Sea of Life,
La Sirena

Top Ten Signs You Might Be Losing It... | workingmother.com

2011-11-08T13:33:00.000-07:00

Ok, I HAD to share this, made me laugh out loud!

Top Ten Signs You Might Be Losing It... | workingmother.com

Fill in the Blank Friday

2011-11-04T07:26:00.001-06:00

What?! Friday again?! I can't believe how fast this week has flown by. I had to go into the office three days this week since I had a new boss start and it was torture. I didn't get anything done at home. When I have to commute to the office, it throws everything off. I haven't checked personal email in a week, I didn't get to post Halloween pictures, I haven't been able to do any laundry. On the bright side, I did get to catch up a teeny tiny bit at work and we did awesome planning our dinners this week. We hadn't planned a weekly dinner menu since May, because we usually had the CSA pick up on a Tuesday and didn't know what we would be getting. So I pretty much was creative during the summer with meals. Now that it's fall and there is no CSA, I like to have a bit more structure to the meal planning and grocery shopping.

Happy Friday everyone! Fill in your blanks! Play along here...........

1. My favorite thing about this week was/is we planned out five days of meals and accomplished it.

2. Colder weather makes me super happy because I love snow and cold, being all cozy inside and the crisp cold air in my lungs while outside .

3. Three things that make me terribly happy as of late are Didi and her ability to talk more and more, Dan and his never ending ambition, and finally full nights of sleep (we've been experiencing another teething stage for about three weeks now, which means lots of crying and waking in the night - thank god for Hylands Teething Tablets) .

4. If I could only wear one kind of shoe for the rest of my life, I'd choose flip flops .

5. My personality type is I know my personality type of the Myers-Briggs, but it's in the basement and I don't want to fetch it. Let's just say I am introverted and sometimes border on Type A, oh that and I'm a Virgo if that tells ya anything.

6. I have a serious problem resisting letting Didi watch Elmo or Baby Einstein videos on the I-Pod. I only let her when I need to get something done, like take dinner out of the oven and she needs to be distracted. I also let her when I have to trim her nails, don't need to trim off an end of a finger or tiny toe when she's struggling to not let me. Thank you Elmo for being such a good entertainer.

7. My favorite color to wear is black and purple.

Up

2011-10-29T07:54:00.000-06:00

I'm feeling better and on the up and up today. Nothing like a little early Christmas music, baking cookies and a pumpkin pie, plus cuddles from three cuties to set your priorities straight. I baked a non dairy pumpkin pie last night to freeze and save. I had made it last year since I was avoiding dairy, but it is so delicious made with coconut milk, I still use the recipe.

I'm up earlier than everyone else today and it's so nice to be able to get a few things done. I used to be a morning person and I am slowly returning to it, but with a kid it's sometimes hard not to want to get that extra hour of sleep if she's still sleeping. However on the flip side I love to get up early, finish dishes, pack lunches, make coffee and get ready for the day. I'm going to start incorporating exercise in there as well soon.

Off to start the weekend! Baking pumpkin butterscotch cookies today and taking long walks to the park to play. What are you doing?

Swimming in this Sea of Life,
La Sirena

Fill in the Blank Friday

2011-10-28T09:07:00.003-06:00

Friday again, I didn't even realize it was Friday until I asked Dan this morning while changing Didi. It has been a horrible and disappointing week. I am trying to wrap my brain around it and find a way to move on. Without providing too much detail (which I usually have a problem with), my motivation for my job has decreased ten fold. It's not even worth writing about because it will sound petty. Just taking some time to reorganize and collect my thoughts.

Feel free to play along with Fill in the Blank Friday.

1. When I was a kid I wanted to be a lawyer when I grew up.

2. As an adult, my dream job would be mama and something I enjoy doing, like being crafty, sewing, baking, blogging. .

3. W hen I was younger I wanted to be just like Madonna .

4. The childhood Halloween costume that I remember most was when I was a half girl half boy in fourth grade. My mom made me the costume and it was so fun!

5. My favorite childhood toy was Barbie and her mansion.

6. The time I got into the biggest amount of trouble when I was a kid was when I was six and ran away from home to a friends house down the alley.

7. I get daily inspiration from my husband, friends, and bloggers.

Swimming in this Sea of Life,
La Sirena

Fill in the Blank Friday

2011-10-21T08:58:00.000-06:00

Fall is so beautiful and for such a short period of time. When the leaves start turning here, we only have about four weeks to really enjoy it. The colors are so amazing as the sun creeps lower in the sky and creates a jewelry box effect on the trees and deep green grass. It always makes me feel so good, breathing in the crisp cooler air and smelling the Earth as she readies herself for a winter sleep.

This weekend we will hopefully visit a pumpkin patch and hold our Pumpkin Carving Party with the family. I'm looking forward to seeing Didi's reaction to the pumpkin innards and candles lighting up the creations. I would also like to get the yard weed whacked, mowed and fertilized with the rest of our GreenerGreenGrass mix we have left over. Then next weekend I need to pull out the garden to til and fertilize for next year. The marigold seeds need to be pulled and dried, which reminds me of my grandma. After hers dried, she would save them in a coffee tin and I will be doing the same.

Swimming in this Sea of Life,

La Sirena

Now time for some Fill in the Blank Friday Fun!

1. Nothing says fall like freshly baked pumpkin and squashes for pies and soups.

2. My favorite autumnal tradition is carving pumpkins with my family and friends .

3. My favorite fall treat is freshly baked pumpkin goods like pie, squares, cookies and of course mulled wine.

4. Fall makes me think of get togethers and traditions because it always feel so cozy and gets my creative juices flowing. What traditions will I keep for my family?

5. Autumn free form word association, go! beautiful colors, earlier sunsets, crisp air, pumpkins, coffee, warm cozy beds.

6. My go-to outfit in the fall is definitely loungy - fleece pants, big warm socks, long sleeve shirt. If I have to leave the house, it would be my favorite jeans, sweater and a nice scarf.

7. My favorite fall holiday is (Halloween or Thanksgiving) absolutely Thanksgiving. I love the idea of getting together around yummy home cooked food, counting our blessings and being thankful for each other and our lives. Creating new traditions for this holiday and teaching my daughter what it means.

Zen Moment

2011-10-20T16:08:00.001-06:00

After today and this week, I am in dire need of a Zen Moment.

I look at this picture and it reminds me that everything in life is much more simpler than we make it.

Finding that Zen Moment today.
Swimming in this Sea of Life,
La Sirena

Strep

2011-10-19T15:58:00.000-06:00

I didn't think adults could get strep throat.........and then I did. Blah, I thought it was just a sore throat from the weather changing, but then the high fever, body chills, and giant white patches on my tonsils drove me to the doctor within 24 hours. I wanted to make sure I cut my contagious time in half. They did a rapid strep test and the results were in, I picked up my antibiotics within 30 minutes.

I missed most of work Monday, all day Tuesday and I thought I would be up and running today, but I missed a little to rest and take a nap. Funny thing is when I took the antibitics yesterday, the pain relievers, and then took a nap, I awoke feeling worse. It was horrible last night, I couldn't get to sleep, the pain just wouldn't cease no matter what. Thankfully today after another round of meds I am feeling better.

I'm just waiting for Dan and Didi to get it, hopefully it will pass them by. Or maybe I got it first because I've got to be better and through it to nurse them back to health this coming weekend. Our pumpkin carving party with the family is this weekend, I am so hopeful we will still get to do it!

I'm pretty much loving this song right now:

Swimming in this Sea of Life, healing one day at a time,
La Sirena

Juice

2011-10-16T13:29:00.004-06:00

Friday after work I picked up Didi and three of the classrooms were celebrating a sister and brother's birthday. They are exactly one year and one day a part, yah, you do the math. Talk about a quick pregnancy right after another. This family has five kids, all within 8 years. Bing bang done. Once I spoke with the mom when Didi started at this center and she said she was 27, then laughed hysterically about being done having kids. I was like "um yah, really? are you sure?".

Anyway, back to the party. As I was walking in, Didi's new teacher Sara said "she's really enjoying this juice!". I saw Didi's little red stained lips smiling up at me and I said out loud in front of everyone "she probably is, since she's never had juice before". At that moment a look of panic come from another teacher to me and she said they were sorry for giving it to her and that I should be on the lookout for a major poopy diaper. I laughed it off and said it was ok because it's only a one time thing (assuming they get the message of never giving Didi juice again, ha!).

I looked around and the kids were having fun eating their candy topped cupcakes and sucking down their Kool-Aid juice boxes. Ugh, nasty, really? The kids are only in age ranges of 1-3. Dan and I are striving to create better eating habits for Didi than we were taught when we were little. I believe it's achievable even when there will always be influences. I guess I expected more from the childcare center since these kids are so young. Ok, it's only a one time thing, but I would prefer that to be when she's 4 or 5 to have a handful of candy corn and nasty high fructose corn syrup juice as a "one time" thing. That's understandable. Her last center would not allow any unhealthy drinks/foods like Kool-Aid or candy. They would only allow milk, whole grains, fruits, and freshly made cupcakes out of good ingredients. Yummy? Of course! Healthy twist? yes!

When I mentioned Didi had never had juice yet I felt a piercing stare from my left side, burning the side of my head. It was the birthday kids' mom. Geesh. I smiled and said "how fun to have almost the same birthday for both kids!". She just glared and never even smiled back. She looked away and started talking to another mom. My god, is this where it all starts? The anger and jealousy for making decisions for our kids and then having other parents so violently react to it? I feel bad for her. We all make the best decisions for ourselves and our families in life. If she wants to serve her kids Kool-Aid and candies at 2 and 3 years old, fine. I wouldn't make that decision for Didi, but that's the other mom's choice. Live with it.

This center just doesn't float my boat. It's times like these I question their decisions. There have been so many issues, that I can't even recap. I know Didi is loved and taken care of, safe and has fun, but I expect more. I expect it to go one step further in maybe advising the parents if they want to have a party to consider the ages of the children and to choose healthy options. I personally know this childcare center is a part of a giant national healthy eating campaign that is changing what is served in childcare centers and schools across our nation in partnership with the White House. This is just one more disappoint where I don't see this particular location jumping on board. Ugh. I have other choices to send Didi to, but there are challenges with that. I guess it's just up to me to voice my expectations because they are pretty good at implementing what I request for Didi. A parent just doesn't know what will come up until it does.

Swimming in this Sea of Life,
La Sirena

Conferencing

2011-10-15T20:49:00.001-06:00

Here's just a brief overview and some things I learned over the past four weeks of attending work conferences with a toddler and family member in tow............

San Diego - beautiful, perfect weather, warm water, soft sand beaches, typical California atmosphere, amazing fish tacos.

Traveling with a child under 2 years old for me is essential. I'm still nursing Didi a couple times a day and didn't want to abruptly stop, so I chose to bring her along. These were her third and fourth work events for 2011. I'm lucky that I have great family members willing to tag along to watch her during the time I am working. As Didi ages and weans, work trips will probably be faster and easier without her, but in the meantime, I don't mind pushing my sanity to the limit once in a while to have my baby with me.

When I travel for work, I like to add on a day or two for fun. In San Diego, there were four things I wanted to do; visit the beach and put my feet in the Pacific Ocean, eat fresh seafood, visit the world famous zoo, and rent a bike to ride along the boardwalk. My Aunt Pat came with me to watch Didi.

We ended up one night night at the ocean's doorstep eating fresh clam chowder and crab stuffed broiled mushrooms. It was divine, we even got to people watch on the boardwalk and see the surfers take on some crazy waves.

The day after the conference we visited the world famous San Diego zoo. I would say this is not really a place for toddlers. It is too busy, too big, and too hilly for them to enjoy. The majority of the animals were hiding or asleep and the displays were situated above the heads of toddlers for them to really enjoy. This would be a great place for school age kids, especially since it took 6 hours to go through. They do have a really little kids area, where they could pet some goats, which was nice.

On the last day in San Diego, right outside of our hotel on the beach of the bay they rented bikes. They also rented surreys! So funny, that reminds me of this song we used to play in high school orchestra called Surrey with the Fringe on Top (I hated playing that song). We had an absolute blast riding this thing around! We rode to Sea World and then on the way back we stopped at a park and played. It was so much fun, I really want one of these at my house. Then I could ride friends and family around and head of to our favorite restaurant Efrains for margaritas. Too bad they cost like $5,000.

I flew back home on a Monday and then Didi and I jet-setted the next weekend on a Sunday to Las Vegas. I will be heading back to San Diego in January and I am thinking of going it alone, dependent on where Didi is at in the weaning stages.

Las Vegas - busy, crowded, loud, smokey, expensive, no place for a child, but a lot of fun for an adult.

My mom met me in Las Vegas from a Sunday to a Thursday. This conference was my last one for the year and the longest. We were lucky to be staying at the Bellagio.............or so I thought.

Vegas is just not a good place for kids. Didi coughed the entire time and I swear it was because of the smoke. It is SO busy and SO loud. I wanted to make sure my Mom experienced it though and had a good time. There is so much to see and do, but it's much more fun for an adult, especially one that is not responsible for a curious toddler.

I had some spare time during the day at this conference, so we walked around and looked at the casinos and had lunch at less expensive restaurants. Staying at the Bellagio really limits a person on food selection and prices. It is SO expensive and only offered up highend restaurants. It was a really nice hotel though, the room was fabulous and the bathroom was amazing. That's the funny thing about work trips, I always get to stay in amazing hotels or places I would not be able to afford otherwise.

Didi loved the light show on Freemont Street and the water show at the Bellagio. My mom had a great time caring for her and walking around Vegas. It was just too busy to let Didi stroll around and by the last night she was stir crazy and I am sure a little whacked out from traveling so much. Her routine was completely gone and the last night (the longest and most intense conference day) she would not go to bed. The night before I had only slept 4 hours because she was up thrashing around and wanting to nurse and my sweet mom was breathing loud from it being so dry there. I was at my wits end by the last night, I had a small breakdown and Didi and I cried together. It felt good and then she went to sleep and so did I, passed out until morning - phew. Mom played it cool though and rocked on through it, which was nice to have someone not breaking down, like an anchor to know it would be alright.

The next day we flew home and relaxed. It was nice to get home, it's taken Didi about a week to get back into the swing of things, but she did great! I love traveling with her, she is probably going to get the traveling bug now (like her mama and papa).

Things I learned about traveling with a toddler for work:

It is essential to have things on the plane to keep her occupied. I brought along snacks and water, Crayola Color Wonder set, Didi's 'babies', books, traveling Etch-a-Sketch, and my Aunt's I-Pad came in really handy. It's also ok if she takes a few strolls up and down the aisle, but not during turbulence (note to self).
It is essential to bring toys for hotel room: blow up ball and boat, dolls, books, and of course she will play with everything else but her toys like the night stand, remote, toilet paper, and millions of pillows.
Accept help from anyone willing to carry something, be it the taxi driver, bell hop, family, stranger.......ok maybe not the stranger, but sometimes they are helpful in a public environment.
Throw all ideas of keeping the "routine" out the window. Even though I try to have my caregivers keep the lunch, snacks, nap, bedtimes all about the same, it never happens. It's too tough because little cute kids are manipulators and you will melt and give in at any moment they say no or cry - especially amongst family members.
Remember to pack red-eye relieving eye drops and ingest as much coffee as possible at several times during the day.
Remember ear plugs, but really, who's sleeping when baby is in the hotel bed with you.
Remember to laugh because it's only for a few short days (or weeks in this instance).
It's ok to share a bottle of wine a night with your aunt or mom.
Throw out your idea of feeding your child well during travel. Nope, doesn't happen, even if you visit a grocery store to purchase yogurt and multi-grain bread. Family and you will most likely default to the cinnamon role, chocolate milk, and free oyster crackers.
A breakdown will happen, anticipate and accept it (could be mama, could be baby, or could be both - at the same time)
An Ergo baby carrier is amazing and essential to get through the airport efficiently.
It's ok to admit you brought your child to a conference, because if you make that choice, own it mama!

Swimming in this Sea of Life as a proud full-time working, jet-setting, toddler-towing Mama,
La Sirena

Fill in the Blank Friday

2011-10-14T15:16:00.001-06:00

Oh my am I brain dead! It has been a very full and very busy Friday. I almost completely forgot about filling in the blanks. Some of my blanks throughout today have been filled with naughty explitives, good thing I work from home.

I am very much looking forward to the weekend. The other day, hubby told me I work too much. Ok, it might seem that way since I've been traveling a lot and then working evenings and some weekends to catch up. I am just about there. He said I look at the my blackberry too much, which I do carry it with me (but I think I am supposed to, even though I have only been called once in an emergency). I just casually check it once in a while, never really answer anything, mostly delete crap I don't need.

I see his point though. I need a better cut off, 4pm done with work, blackberry stays in office. I have a great team, so if I'm not reachable, someone else will be. Plus I can hear it ring if need be. I left it in the office last night and felt a little less stressed. I need this weekend to relax, unwind and enjoy this beautiful fall weather we are having!

Anywho, on to Fill in the Blank Friday!

1. The most selfless thing I've ever done was have and take care of a child.

2. When it comes to working out I wish I did more. I just haven't found the right time or rhythm. I am working on it though, change is in the air and I feel like something will happen in regards to my health arena.

3. A woman should always take time for themselves and relax.

4. I wish I could get a massage and then I'd notice the pain and tension in my neck and shoulders would be gone.

5. A best friend is someone that loves you unconditionally.

6. I can't get enough of sleep.

7. This weekend I am putting up Halloween decorations, going to Costco, visiting a pumpkin patch with the family, and attending a good friend's daughter's first birthday (let's how many of these things I can actually accomplish).

To all a lovely weekend!
Swimming in this Sea of Life,
La Sirena

Fill in the Blank Friday

2011-10-07T09:12:00.001-06:00

Back to the daily grind, at least it's a Friday! I just got back from Vegas last night from a conference. I was so tired I went to sleep at 9 and my alarm never went off this morning, so I slept til 7. Aahhh!!! I needed to be in the office by 8, which is impossible to do when my mornings are full of toddler cuddles, making lunches and enjoying my coffee. I just let it go and said oh well, the day will unfold as it should :)

1. Something popular that I can't stand/just don't "get" is the whole Twitter craze, just another social media tool that I would have to keep up with.

2. Something unpopular that I secretly love is eating at a breakfast buffet, yah it's unhealthy and I get to like once a year, but where else can you get everything you love about breakfast in one place?

3. When I've had a bad day I look at Didi and remember whatever "it" was really wasn't that bad at all.

4. I'd prefer sandals to high heels any day.

5. Something that makes me nervous is flying with a toddler and not knowing how she may be on the plane.

6. Something worth fighting for is keeping republicans from controling our lives as women and destroying the middle class.

7. When people think of me, I hope they think "I miss her, I would love to get together and talk the night away with a bottle of wine".

Happy Friday all!
Swimming in this Sea of Life,
La Sirena

Fill in the Blank Friday

2011-09-30T09:12:00.000-06:00

Awww Friday, finally sweet Friday. Usually my Fridays are pretty chill and relaxed, dreaming about the weekend. Not this Friday though. I am catching up on work and house stuff after being away at a conference. I'm also furiously trying to get the laundry done and the errands run in order to pack for my trip this Sunday to my second and final conference of the year. My next one is January in San Diego again. Thank god because I need a few months off of traveling and San Diego is like heaven on Earth. The beaches are beautiful and the fish tacos are to die for!

Fill in the Blank Friday.....play along here.

1. My current obsession is finding entertaining videos for the IPod, toys, and distractions for flying with a toddler.

2. Being home make me happy.

3. My greatest strength is to juggle and balance full time work with my family time.

4. Forgetting to breathe and take time to exercise is my greatest weakness.

5. My life is chaotic at the moment, but this too shall pass.

6. In high school I was bored.

7. When I'm super tired I get cranky and go to sleep as soon and as fast as possible.

What are you dreaming about this weekend? Have you ever traveled for work or flown with a toddler? I would love to hear about it!

Swimming in this Sea of Life,
La Sirena

33

2011-09-19T11:04:00.000-06:00

I'm taking today and tomorrow off for my birthday. I have time to use and things to do, so I wanted to have a nice time break before I jet off on my San Diego adventure on Thursday. Plus I really am in dire need to clean my home. I'm keeping Didi in the daycare these two days in order to clean and pack. I probably should say I am doing something grand and wonderful like going to a spa and getting a pedicure, but alas, I am not. I am cleaning and packing - which in my virgo mind is somewhat equivalent.

During my two days off I also decided that it would be best to go in for my annual physical. I really like my doctor. I've seen her maybe only once or twice a year for around 6 years now. As I was talking to her today, she asked the normal questions, but got really hung up on the question "are you eating dairy?" She asked maybe four times and I was like "yes, geesh yes, why? my lord, you've asked a million times". You know the answer, women + calcium = better bones or something to that effect. I told her about me going off dairy for Didi and how much healthier I actually felt. I explained now I don't have a ton of dairy, maybe just cheese and an occasional yogurt, but I feel tired and sluggish. She said "well, after 30 you start to develop sensitivities to things and you probably have a mild dairy allergy". Alrighty then, good to know.

Then we got into the discussion about exercise, she asked if I was getting any more from the last time I saw her. She read aloud from the computer that I stated in May 2010 that I was walking three times a week for 30 minutes, plus some light weights. Ok, let's see, Didi was three months old at that time, I was lucky just to get out of the house plus lift her from the floor to the couch to the changing table. I considered that my "weights". I told the doctor however, that now I bike about 30-40 miles a week, all with a 40 pound tow in the back filled with toddler, bags, locks, and sometimes a dog or a blanket if it's cold as well. She typed it in, probably for next year's discussion.

The doctor started to ramble on about gaining weight since last year. Yes, I've gained because I nurse a lot less now, I added dairy back in, have a full time job, a house to maintain, plus my sanity is kept in check in the evenings with a glass of wine.

She said "you know, you're BMI is 33, you're now obese".

I sat thinking, ok, obese BMI 33. I asked her "how is BMI calculated?".

She said "well, it's your height, plus your weight"

I said "it doesn't take into account my muscle mass though?"

She said "no, well, it does but I don't have a pool to dip you in today nor do I have the muscle calibration clamps".

I answered "isn't the BMI a generalization then?"

Doctor, "ok, yes I guess if you take Arnold Schwarzenegger, he would technically have a high BMI if we didn't measure his muscle mass.......(pause, thinking, thinking)............ True, I mean you're getting good exercise, but you really need to eat better and get 5-6 hours of exercise every week. Then you won't be obese"

Wow, really? I am overweight, but I don't consider myself obese. I mean, can an obese person ride 13 miles at 7,000 feet above sea level, pulling a baby, cooler, groceries and a blanket? Or hike for three hours in the mountains over rocks, through a stream, all while backpacking a 23 pound toddler? I may be out of shape, but telling people they are obese without considering the whole picture is horrible and entirely wrong. She told me to eat better and had only asked me three questions about my food and drink ingestion, apparently my answers warranted that I am an overeater of bad food. Plus, how many parents do you know that exercise 5-6 hours per week or even have the time for that?! Let's see, I guess I could get up at 5am if I was super duper triple motivated.

All coming from an overweight older lady, who looks like she is not getting enough sleep. Poor thing, I should have been asking her those questions. But alas, she's a great doctor and honestly told me, she has to have this "talk" with everyone.

One question doctor's really should ask is "are you happy?" because I strongly believe that has a lot of effect on how healthy a person is.

And I am happy.

And I am also turning 33. Tomorrow. Matches my BMI index, how fitting, right?

Swimming in this Sea of Life,
La Sirena

Fill in the Blank Friday

2011-09-16T10:06:00.001-06:00

Ahh, Friday. Not a lot of plans this weekend, just relaxing, riding our bikes, packing for my trip to San Diego next week for a conference and errands. We'll see what the universe holds........

1. You should always take time to relax.

2. A smile, laugh, hug, and cuddle from my daughter make(s) the world a happier place to be.

3. I can hardly wait for pumpkin season because homemade pumpkin pie is AMAZING .

4. Everyday is my favorite day of the week, but I'm partial to Friday at times.

5. Something totally dumb and ridiculous that I love is working in my pajamas everyday.

6. If I could, I would move to Pagosa Springs so that I could go to the hot springs everyday.

7. I rather like having two coffees in the morning, but I feel guilty when I do.

If you'd like to play along, click here!
Swimming in this Sea of Life,
La Sirena

Hoof and Mouth

2011-09-13T09:14:00.001-06:00

Didi has hand, foot, mouth disease. Not to be confused with the Hoof and Mouth disease that animals get - although it seems eerily similar. What she has is highly contagious and spreads rampantly through child care centers and schools in summer and fall. A little girl in her class had it and I was REALLY hoping Didi wouldn't get it. However, since she got her Hep A vaccination last Tuesday, shots always decrease immunity and that is the day that the little girl went home with hand, foot, mouth. The stars aligned and boom - baby has it! All last week and weekend she had hives and a fever, I thought it was teething or a vaccine reaction. Nope, just pre-symptomatic of blisters that would soon appear in her mouth, feet, and hands. Plus she has a rash as well.

Surprisingly, she has been sleeping ok and eating ok and not that fussy. This disease can take on varying degrees and so far, she doesn't have it that bad. The "blisters" look more like tiny bug bites, they aren't seeping pus or anything (Adrienne, did I spell that right? you know what word I mean).

Of course this always happens when I have HUGE meetings and all day events at work. But I'm logging off and playing with my baby. I am just grateful it didn't happen next week when I have to fly to San Diego with her and my aunt for a conference.

"To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts" Thoreau

Swimming in this Sea of Life, spending a little more time with my little blistery Pea Pod,
La Sirena

Never Ceases

2011-09-12T11:18:00.001-06:00

Boulder County never ceases to amaze and amuse me. We went to our town's Oktober Fest this weekend. Being that I love Germany, the language, culture, food music I couldn't wait to surround myself with an afternoon filled with all of these things. We arrived to the park and there was a fenced in area with about 10 clothes/jewelry/cable guy vendors, 5 food vendors, one beer tent, a giant stage, and a wee tiny stage with a canopy over it. There was a band playing covers from the 80's as we walked around. We scoured the vendors all ranging from the typical crap jewelry, sunglasses, sign up for cable, blah blah blah. There was even a Guatemalan flute player trying to play over the 80's dudes and sell his CDs. Really? So where the heck are the German influence vendors? What about German flags, Bavarian hats, steins, Lederhosen, maps, anything German?!

Wow, sad. We walked by the kids rides and some drunk guy with an empty beer can strapped around his neck with beads tried to get us to have Didi play a game - really man? She's 1.5 and no she can't swing a mallet to ring the bell to "win" another crappy toy. He yelled at us as we walked away saying "it's for the city orchestra!" Ok, then I felt a tinge of guilt, but still dude she's 1.5.

It was time for a beer. Of course the local brewery Oskar Blues was running the beer tent, the only essence of a German beer was Paulaner and thank god because it is my absolute favorite!! We sat down to enjoy it on the hay stack that was provided for seating, Didi danced and ate her fish crackers and pears. As soon as the 80's band was finished they announced that the Austrian Connection was up next. Yes! Finally German (albeit Austrian) music!! We waited and watched the giant stage. Waited some more and then all of a sudden we hear an accordian flare up and the German drinking song "Roll out the Barrel". Yay! We flipped around to notice they were on the tiny make shift stage behind us. The tuba blared and the guy sang with all his heart, the crowd clapped and laughed.

Not even 30 minutes later a guitar solo strums up and two ladies start singing country behind us on the giant stage. Wow, really? That was rude. The Austrian Connection stopped playing and started putting away their things with a sad face. The country crooners were NOT letting anything stop them, not even German music at an Oktober Fest!!

At that point Dan and I thought we needed a bratwurst to really round out the afternoon. As we approached the one and only bratwurst stand, guess what? They were sold out of the Veggie Patties and Veggie Sausages. Damn, I really wanted to go all vegetarian today to celebrate the number one meat eating country in the world. Boulder County, what'd you expect?

Well, happy Oktober Fest to all you German loving peeps out there! Schoene Woche noch.
Schwimmen in deisem Meer des Lebens,
Die Meerjungfrau

Fill in the Blank Friday

2011-09-09T10:00:00.003-06:00

Fill in the Blank Friday, my only post so far for this week. Carving out time to write a real post soon. Happy Birthday yesterday to one of my best friends Neta! I miss you XOX.

1. Somewhere someone is sitting at a coffee shop, reading a book, relaxing.

2. Didi is/are my muse.

3. It would suck if coffee and tea was/were no more because, I would never get going in the morning, or the afternoon for that matter.

4. The weekend starts at 3:30 is/are my favorite thing about today.

5. Life is kind of like riding a bike. You learn how and as you're going along it can be easy and fun and effortless, but then you eventually come to the hill. Do you walk up it or try to ride up it?

6. If I could have anything I wanted I would want to be at a hot springs just for one day to detox and relax.

7. A funny thing happened the other day... when I took my employee out for lunch and all she ordered was a piece of carrot cake. She deserves it, she's having a baby next week and is enjoying herself!

If you'd like to join in, follow this link!

Swimming in this Sea of Life, happy it's Friday,
La Sirena

Fill in the Blank Friday

2011-09-02T08:19:00.002-06:00

I would like to try something new, maybe make it a weekly post. Fill in the Blank Friday was started by Lauren at The Little Things We Do. I thought it sounded fun and am playing along. If you'd like to fill along, follow this link! Or if you don't have a blog, email me your fill ins at avecvous at comcastdotnet.

1. One thing that is completely superfluous, but that I could never give up is eating out at my favorite restaurant Efrains. We go once a month and LOVE it!

2. Sitting alone in a room with my boss makes me feel awkward.

3. I can't imagine life without, my family .

4. A margarita is my favorite snack.

5. Lately I've been making lists in my head of everything I have to get done, but procrastinating just enough not to accomplish anything.

6. If at first you don't succeed move on to the next task.

7. Fall is arriving slowly, but surely .

Swimming in this Sea of Life,
La Sirena

Didi is 1.5 Today!!

2011-08-17T13:32:00.009-06:00

***WARNING: this is a sappy mom post gushing about her beautiful, precious, loving, smart, little girl. It may induce a gag reflex or excessive eye rolling, which of course if you experience these symptoms easily when reading something so lovingly cheesy, feel free to pass***

My little girl Didi Love turned 1.5 today! It would be a fun tradition to have a half birthday party for her, as her birthday is in the winter and her half birthday could be a fun summer excursion. The above picture was taken about five days after she was born on the first day home. I can hardly believe how much a baby changes in only 1.5 years. If we went through that much change as an adult we'd probably be seeking out some counseling to handle it all.

Here she is in the picture above at 6 months old, she was trying her first taste of "solid food". Oh where do I even begin?! Let's start with food, my favorite. I'm still nursing Didi, she is down to 2 or 3 times a day mostly morning and evenings. We have created such an amazing and loving bond through breastfeeding, it was so important to me because I work full time and wanted that special connection for when she was with me. I remember that day when we took the picture above, her trying her first solids. It actually made me a little bit sad. I had exclusively breastfed her for six months and was her only source of food for that amount of time. That is some heavy responsibility, yet it worked and was great. We had our fair share of problems that warranted the use of nipple shields, engorgement, pain, and the like, but we got through it.

She didn't take to solids much until around 8 months old, then started to want a little more. We never urged her, we silently waited for the signs and offered up all types of foods. She was even starting to drink out of a cup, a little water here and there. At 10 months she started to eat more solids such as noodles, rice, peas, etc. Now at 1.5 she can sometimes out eat me at a meal! Her favorite foods right now are breads, crackers with jelly, hummus, or peanut butter, cheese, yogurt, potatoes (all kinds), green beans, peas, corn, ALL FRUIT!, rice, cous cous, orzo, and enjoys an occasional organic bologna or chicken. Alright, really I could go on and on, she is a really good eater and likes trying new things even if she is hesitant at first. Our philosophy is to not make her eat what she doesn't want to (at this time, I'm sure when she's seven, she'll have to eat all of her peas!). We also believe in not forcing her to eat more, when she's done, she knows she is done. That is what is so lovely about a baby, they actually know when to stop as opposed to adults who will just keep eating or drinking from the pure pleasure of it ignoring the signs of being full (i.e. me with wine and chocolate LOL) On top of nursing, she also has all organic whole milk, occasionally coconut milk, and water, always water. We're not giving her juice until 2 yrs old.

The picture above is Didi at her 1 yr old birthday party at her old childcare center. The changes! Didi is such a great communicator. She has been signing since about 7 months old. She knows a large selection of words such as Please, More, Milk, Drink, Eat, Thank You, All Done, Kisses, Bird, and Diaper. I see a transition going on in her little mind everyday, not sure if she should sign a word or practice saying the word. I encourage her to use her sign and say the word. More and more we are hearing words, such as "Da don" for "All Done", "Bapa" for Papa, Mama, "Bu" for Jorge (we call him bud a lot at home), "mouh" for more. Her first distinguishable word was "Ball", she loves that word! I'm also trying to use some basic German words with her, it takes a lot of effort to remember to do that because I need to be thinking in it initially. I want to make sure she knows that there are several language out there. Her teacher Ms. Alma uses a lot of Spanish with her as well.

Didi started walking around 14 months, now she is trying to run more and more. She looks silly, but is getting faster and faster. She is also taking more chances now such as jumping off the couch into my arms or climbing over the side. She has been climbing for a few months now, which prompted us to quickly get rid of a few tables, candle holders, and pictures frames. She ventures out a little more into the yard and climbs around on the chairs on the porch. She loves stairs, but is very cautious. She looks like she is thinking hard about plans when faced with a precarious position on the stairs or couch. So cute.

There are so many little things I love about Didi. She does this thing with her fist and bops it on her lips to make a cute noise. Her eye brows raise up and down so fast when she gets something new and is curious. Her little baby fat rolls are disappearing and it makes me so sad. I make sure to kiss and cuddle her double chin everyday. She's looking more like a toddler now. I love that she signs her needs to me, such as "Eat", or "Diaper". She's more into blowing kisses and giving hugs now. She is so loving, but very cautious about just giving out hugs to anyone. It took about three months for her to cuddle her sock monkey that rides along with her in the bike trailer every time.

I love that she is extremely flexible when it comes to her schedule. She can go off scheduled and go to bed one night at 10pm if we are out late and jump back into things fine. She can miss her nap and still be happy and cheery the rest of the day. She loves people and feeds off of the energy, the opposite of her more introverted mama. We'll go to parties and she practically has to go up and talk to each person. Didi is quite the little person and her personality is showing more and more each day. As she reaches particular milestones, our parenting changes as well. It has too or we would never keep up. For example, an infant will just lay there and gurgle and look around, but a 1.5 year old will get up, run and then pull down the basket of fruit from the counter and eat a peach if we're not looking!

Didi loves shoes. I am scared. She will actually point out other people's shoes and examine them. She has one pair of sandals she always wears out and then a pair of slippers she always wears at home (thank you Aunty A and Aunty Neta!). They look like Dutch wooden shoes, if you can't tell in the picture above. She is always searching out her shoes or her slippers and asking to have them put on. Please pray for us that this is only a phase, because me and shoe shopping do not mix!

She also loves her ball pit that we got for her birthday. She loves music, when I put it on, she will dance and dance and dance. She loves cuddling her lovies, but only to a certain point and them throws them to the side to get something she can figure out such as the ring stacker or her magnets. Dan and I were just talking and need to look for more challenging toys, maybe some blocks she can stack or something. She is showing signs that some of her current toys may be a bit boring and she needs more of a challenge. She loves to ride in the bike trailer, but not so much in the car. She's not much into books yet, but does find them interesting. We put on videos for her every once in a while, but she shows almost no interest in watching them. She likes her sand box, but LOVES to splash around in water. She's an Aquarius after all.

Didi loves her "Bapa", she knows when he is supposed to come home at night and keeps watching the door (along with Jorge). When she hears the door and Jorge goes crazy barking, she'll run over and Dan barely gets his helmet off before he sweeps her into his arms and they cuddle and hug. That makes my heart sing. Dan has so much patience with her and guides her on how to do things and shows her new things. He showed her the moon the other day and now when she sees it, she points and says "ball". So cute, I just melt. He is so attentive and dives right into everything............well almost everything. Surprisingly he does well with the diapers, even spraying off poop into the toilet. He doesn't mind it, when I'm the opposite I just about threw in the towel the other day and wanted to use disposables full time. We cloth diaper and it has been really awesome and I love it, but the giant, stinky, gross poops make me gag when I have to spray it into the toilet. There is one thing Dan really doesn't get into and that is planning and preparing out her food. He never makes her lunch, unless I guide him through it. So funny.

What really surprises me about Dan is that he can get so sappy with Didi. Just the other day I caught him calling her "My pretty little precious princess", wow, really? I never thought in a million years I would hear something like that coming from him, but that's what happens when a daddy is completely smitten for his little girl. I love Dan so much, I could make a thousand more babies with him...........ok, not really, maybe just a couple more. He is also extremely loving and patient with me as well, especially when I get stressed from carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders and trying to be everything all at once. He reminds me to just take a break, put it into perspective and laugh. He always makes me laugh and that is so important!

So there you have it, my little girl is 1.5 years old! I hope you all didn't pass out from my gushing and enjoyed a little insight into our baby and family's progress.
Swimming in this Sea of Life,
La Sirena

Sneaky

2011-08-16T09:22:00.002-06:00

So this morning I had all intentions to write an update on Project Budget, ok maybe I still might but I'm not feeling it. Blah Money!

On to better things, such as me being sneaky today. I told my boss I have to get something fixed on my van so I could drive into Boulder and have lunch with Dan. I probably didn't have to go to all that trouble, but I will most likely be gone at least 1.5 hours, maybe 2 hrs since I want to stop at a bike shop in town as well . Better to just tell a little white lie since I didn't plan the time off in advance. I finished a giant project last night, so in effect I am owed the time LOL.

Actually yesterday I was gone for about 1.5 hours in the morning because I rode Didi to the center on the bike. I just take my lunch early, which is always fine. It is so enjoyable riding to the center in the morning, the warm sun but cooler breeze, all of the birds are out. I saw a hawk, blue heron, and a vulture yesterday. It was awesome. We got stopped at the train tracks and Didi was fascinated by the horn and size of the machine. It was great to get the heart pumping with a 10 mile bike ride in the morning. We tried a new trail on Sunday, it is called the LoBo trail which will eventually connect Longmont with Boulder. Right now it stops in Niwot, which is almost half way there. We into town and played at a park with Didi, it was about 8.5 miles roundtrip.

When I got back home yesterday I felt great and invigorated to get some work done. I am currently making plans for all of the travel coming up for work. I talked my boss into letting me take Didi to San Diego in September. I booked us into the hotel for an extra day so we can go to the zoo, I've heard it is fabulous. My aunt is coming with me as a traveling nanny because Dan doesn't have many more days off he can take. She is going to watch Didi while I attend the conference. I have another conference two weeks later the first week of October. It's in Las Vegas and I would really like to bring Didi, but my aunt can't go, my mom is working and too far away, and Dan has no days off. We'll see what I can work out, maybe I can use the child care centers.

There are a few more trips, one maybe at the end of October and maybe November, but we'll see. I'm sure I'll be totally wiped out by then, especially since my one employee will be out on maternity leave for 8 weeks. It is going to be very very very busy until the end of the year. I am going to need a lot of exercise, deep breathing and dose of meditation to get through it all. That and maybe a shot of tequila every once in a while. Ha! It's exciting and I am up for the challenge.

Swimming in this Sea of Life,
La Sirena

Naptime

2011-08-13T14:22:00.002-06:00

Didi is napping and I have taken the time to bake some cookies and have a cup of coffee. I have so many great things to post about, just haven't had the time. Updates I want to share in the near future: Didi will be 1.5 this week!, Project Budget Update, and a post about Hil's wedding to share with friends across the country and across the pond.

Need to run some errands today to Vitamin Cottage to get coconut creamer, King Soopers to get groceries, and to the liquor store to get yummy wine. We tried to run some errands this morning, but were distracted by a parade downtown and then forgot the friggin' coupons. I hate coupons. I hate trying to remember them, to bring them with me everywhere, to seek them out, to cut them and coordinate them. Dan loves coupons, he would date them if he could. The amount of time and money I spend in gas running around to the different stores, then ultimately forgetting them each time, having to go back home then back to the store, the savings it would have provided is gone. Oh well, if it keeps the husband busy, happy, and thinking we're saving money then that's fine. I'll humor it.

I wish there was just one or two stores to choose from to purchase things. There are too many choices these days, too much consumerism. I usually only go to one spot, unless there is a better deal that Dan found, then he'll go to the other store. I like to keep it simple. I have almost the same grocery list every week, but am able to make something different each time out of the same things. Plus we stick to things we like and what does well for our family. More and more I am becoming a minimalist. It appeals to me. Keeping it simple makes life less complex. Too many choices, then it gets all crazy and we start to think we're entitled to everything, something different.

Do you think we have too many choices? How does your family run errands? Use coupons?

I want to bring Didi up in a world that appreciates what we have at this moment, at this time and not to always wish for something else, something bigger, better, grander and prettier. We do the best with what we have, we can be creative and flexible. My friend Adrienne and her boyfriend got rid of their car. I would love to do that, or at least get rid of one of our cars. It would force us to improvise, to slow down, to be creative. Dan and I work well together anyway, I know we could make it work. However with a child, it's harder when two people work and the possibility of an emergency or bad weather happening squashes the dream of only having one car.

I'm dabbling with the idea of just keeping our two cars, but making a huge effort of avoiding one (or both!) at all costs. We could force ourselves to slow down and make decisions based on if we could take the bikes. Our bikes are the world to us, we do use them a lot for fun, errands, and I tote Didi back and forth from the center some days. What if we got into the mindset of using them all of the time? I could take Didi TO the center AND back. Or I could start slow and do one way everyday of the week, not just two days of the week. It would take a lot of effort, but it would be worth it to save money, increase health and be outside enjoying nature. I didn't ride in July because it was SO hot. I did start riding in August, in the morning because it is a lot cooler now. It would take more planning for biking everyday, especially coordinating around work.

Gotta run! Cookies need to come out of the oven. They are so delicious and somewhat healthy - Organic Dark Chocolate Chip Oatmeal. Yum! To all a lovely weekend.
Swimming in this Sea of Life,
La Sirena