I just want to say I am so happy to have a school break, and I am not even in school! Colata just finished his last final, I don't have to get up every day to a power struggle with my six-year-old daughter about getting ready for school, and I am just excited to take a deep breath and RELAX!
We are going to be driving to Spokane for Christmas and we are looking forward to spending the holidays with family.
So just in case I don't get a chance to wish everyone a Merry Christmas closer to the actual day, then Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas and enjoy the season whever you may be.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Saturday, December 5, 2009
My new haircut
After much ado from my family... I have just had Jada take my picture while I am sitting in front of the computer so I can show them my haircut. It's cut angled at my chin and a little shorter in the back, kinda like a bob or something. Not to fancy. Anyway for all my curious fans out there, I hope you aren't too disappointed with my new look. (RME)
Gabe's Birthday....
Here are a few photos of Gabe's 2nd birthday. We have more but this is taking forever to upload! 
Gabe eating cake and enjoying his book from Grandma
He is super excited opening his presents
Raising a glass to gabe on his 2nd birthday.
Is that a choo choo train sweater? Yep, have you discoverd a theme yet?
And last but not least, several views of my choo choo train cake. It looks kinda like a semi-truck, but I did the best I could with what i had! At least Gabe thought it looked like a train and that's the person who's opinion mattered most!
Gabe eating cake and enjoying his book from Grandma
He is super excited opening his presents
I can't believe it, he gotta choo choo train from Grandma for his birthday
Raising a glass to gabe on his 2nd birthday.
Is that a choo choo train sweater? Yep, have you discoverd a theme yet?
And last but not least, several views of my choo choo train cake. It looks kinda like a semi-truck, but I did the best I could with what i had! At least Gabe thought it looked like a train and that's the person who's opinion mattered most!
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Baking Frenzy
Since I wasn't able to go to Spokane for Thanksgiving, I took the opportunity to bake somethings I have never baked before.
Pie Crust. Pumpkin Pie. Apple Cheescake. Pumpkin Cheesecake. Satin Rolls. Cinnamon Rolls. Corn Pudding. Prime Rib. Bread Pudding. I think that is everything I have made so far. Tomorrow I will try and make a Choo Choo Train cake for Gabriel's 2nd Birthday.
Except for a few baking mishaps, everything went pretty smooth (such as, you can't bake the rolls on the bottom rack while the corn pudding is baking. The bottoms burn and the tops don't get golden or that you can't really bake 3 pies in the oven all at once or that you shouldn't leave a pie anywhere a two year old might be able to stick his fingers into)
I have to say that my favorites were the cinnamon rolls and the bread pudding, but that's only because I have really been wanting bready comfort foods.
SO now that I have gained about 100 pounds this weekend from all my baking and from the parties we have had to attend, I think I am ready to put all the holiday foods away and eat some salad! Well, maybe until tomorrow....
Pie Crust. Pumpkin Pie. Apple Cheescake. Pumpkin Cheesecake. Satin Rolls. Cinnamon Rolls. Corn Pudding. Prime Rib. Bread Pudding. I think that is everything I have made so far. Tomorrow I will try and make a Choo Choo Train cake for Gabriel's 2nd Birthday.
Except for a few baking mishaps, everything went pretty smooth (such as, you can't bake the rolls on the bottom rack while the corn pudding is baking. The bottoms burn and the tops don't get golden or that you can't really bake 3 pies in the oven all at once or that you shouldn't leave a pie anywhere a two year old might be able to stick his fingers into)
I have to say that my favorites were the cinnamon rolls and the bread pudding, but that's only because I have really been wanting bready comfort foods.
SO now that I have gained about 100 pounds this weekend from all my baking and from the parties we have had to attend, I think I am ready to put all the holiday foods away and eat some salad! Well, maybe until tomorrow....
Friday, November 27, 2009
Giving Thanks
Thanksgiving was yesterday, and I didn't get the opportunity to say anything that I was grateful for... so here's a list of things I am most grateful for:
1. Colata
2. Jada and Gabe
3. My Spokane and Fiji Family
4. A mom who is willing to teach me to bake over the phone and a Dad who checks my blogs for updates!
5. Sisters who love me and care for me and make me laugh
6. Brothers who taught me that if I could survive them farting on my face, I could survive pretty much anything.
7. My Faith.
8. My trials. When I look around me, and compare my trials to others, I feel pretty blessed. I could be going through worse things, and I am so grateful I am not.
9. Disney movies such as Aladin, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid etc.
10. Good Books.
11. The Library, and the fact that it is only 2 blocks away.
12. My new haircut and the fact that I actually like it.
13. A nice long, good and hot bath, with the door locked and a good book.
14. Singing and music...
15. Glee
My list could keep going on, but I'm gonna stop here, because who wants to read how thankful I am for modern inventions such as toilet paper?
Anyway, hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and had a moment to think about all the little things they are grateful for too.
1. Colata
2. Jada and Gabe
3. My Spokane and Fiji Family
4. A mom who is willing to teach me to bake over the phone and a Dad who checks my blogs for updates!
5. Sisters who love me and care for me and make me laugh
6. Brothers who taught me that if I could survive them farting on my face, I could survive pretty much anything.
7. My Faith.
8. My trials. When I look around me, and compare my trials to others, I feel pretty blessed. I could be going through worse things, and I am so grateful I am not.
9. Disney movies such as Aladin, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid etc.
10. Good Books.
11. The Library, and the fact that it is only 2 blocks away.
12. My new haircut and the fact that I actually like it.
13. A nice long, good and hot bath, with the door locked and a good book.
14. Singing and music...
15. Glee
My list could keep going on, but I'm gonna stop here, because who wants to read how thankful I am for modern inventions such as toilet paper?
Anyway, hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and had a moment to think about all the little things they are grateful for too.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Good Books
Just read two fabulous books while I've had some down time this week. The first one is called the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Absolutely great read. Good story and characters. Funny, charming and with a little pinch of love thrown in. It is actually about the people of Guernsey Island after their German Occupation in WWII. I have always loved reading stories about survivors of WWII, but though it has some heart-wrenching moments, it is not a heavy book. Very easy read, as the chapters are broken down into letters, so you don't have to have lots of time to sit and read.
The other book that I read is called "the Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins. It's the first in a trilogy and I read it in half a day. I couldn't put it down. It is kinda post-apocalyptic set in the future type book. But I loved it. A little violent, as the characters are supposed to kill each other, but makes you think. I just read on the Internet that the second book in the trilogy was release Sept. 2009, so I placed the book on hold and am the 398 person out of 100 copies or something like that. Lets hope that everyone is a quick reader and sends the book back right after their done! I can't wait to read more.
The other book that I read is called "the Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins. It's the first in a trilogy and I read it in half a day. I couldn't put it down. It is kinda post-apocalyptic set in the future type book. But I loved it. A little violent, as the characters are supposed to kill each other, but makes you think. I just read on the Internet that the second book in the trilogy was release Sept. 2009, so I placed the book on hold and am the 398 person out of 100 copies or something like that. Lets hope that everyone is a quick reader and sends the book back right after their done! I can't wait to read more.
Sometimes bad things happen...
Well I made a promise to myself that I would not fall behind in keeping up my blog this time. About a month has passed since I last posted, but life has thrown me a few curve balls and this is the first time that I have been able to sit down and write about it.
Back in September, I found out I was pregnant. It was a suprise, but a nice one. I was a little nervous because I have been having some residual back pain ever since I gave birth to Gabe, and contemplating having another one was a little scary, because I didn't know how it would make me feel. I didn't want to become a criple who needed assistance all the time because my back could no longer support my body, or allow me to do the every day things moms need to do, such as pick up the baby, do laundry, or even mop the floor. But, when I found out I was pregnant, I was happy and excited Heavenly Father thought I could handle it, even though I might face all of the above. I just kept telling myself "Heavenly Father won't give me any trail I can't handle".
So I found an OB and set up a "10-week" appointment with her on November 6. Colata dropped me off and stayed in the car with Gabe so I could enjoy the appointment without having to chase Gabe or worry about him destroying everything he gets a hold of. I met with the nurse, and since it was my first appointment, we spent a lot of time getting down my history and all the rest. She asked me about my previous pregnancies, Jada, miscarriage, and then Gabe. After that, I went into another room to wait for my Doctor. The blood tech came in first and poked both of my arms to draw some blood for routine tests, but barely got enough for one. She requested I come back next week after really hydrating myself to get more blood. After she left, my doctor came in. She came in and did a complete physical (papsmear and all that) and then it was time for an ultrasound. It was the first time I had a "vaginal" ultrasound, so at first, I didn't realize that we were actually looking at my uterus already. The doctor had been quiet for what seemed to be a long time so I asked her, "is that the baby" and she said yes. I didn't see any flicker on the screen that would represent the baby's heartbeat so I asked her, "where's the baby located" just in case I wasn't looking at the right thing. The doctor responded saying "According to what I see on the ultrasound, you are not as far along as you think you are." I tried to hold down the panic and asked her "How far along does the ultrasound show" She responded by saying I was only "4-5 weeks". Tears began to leak down the side of my face because I knew this couldn't be possible. The doctor began to ask questions such as "have you had any spotting since your last period?" No. "are you sure your last period was on August 28th?" Yes. By this time, I am choking back sobs because I knew this was bad news. She then began to talk to me about the abnoralities and the lack of a heartbeat. She quickly told the blood tech to make sure the little blood I gave was tested for hormonal levels to see if my hCG level matched with the weeks pregnant the ultrasound showed. She then began to discuss possiblities about miscarriage, including taking a pill and starting contrations, waiting for a spontaneous miscarriage or having a Dilation and Cutterage (D&C). I couldn't wrap my head around it. I was in shock. I went to the bathroom and called Colata to pick me up, and tried to wipe the tears off my face so I could walk out of the the building without too many glances my way. I was in agony as I saw the sympathetic looks on the faces of the front desk receptionists who knew I just got bad news. I just wanted to run out. I didn't want these people feeling sorry for me or seeing my misery. They don't know me or care for me, and I didn't want to see that look on anyone's face that didn't know me.
Anyway, the following week was a period of waiting and more tests with the end result being that the baby was dead and I had three options, spontaneous miscarriage and pill to start miscarriage (which would result in basically going into labor and experiencing all the pain for the end result to be lots of blood and no baby) or have a D&C which they would knock me out with general anesthesia and hardly any pain other than cramping. I went with that option. We scheduled it for Monday November 16th, and as luck would have it, I started spotting Sunday morning on the 15th. I just kept praying that I wouldn't go into full-blown miscarriage mode so that I could still have the D&C. I prayed and got a blessing from Colata Sunday night that I might have the process slowed so that Monday the Doctor could do the D&C on me. The Lord was merciful. I had the D&C and have no memory at all of losing the baby and just feel like I am having a period with more cramping than normal.
Emotionally, I am doing okay. It was better to know ahead of time that I was going to lose the baby. My first miscarriage was much hard physically and emotionally because I had to go through it all, alone in a hotel away from anyone that loved me.
So all things considered, this was a much easier experience. Not one I ever want to go through again, but grateful I didn't have anything worse to face. Jada was disappointed not to have a new sibling coming to the family, but she seems to be fine with it all. The nice thing is that really, I am the only one that had to suffer much because when your pregnant, it's not really real to anyone else, until they can physically see and feel all the signs of a baby in your belly.
Well, I gotta go. My husband needs the computer and my son is crying for me.
Back in September, I found out I was pregnant. It was a suprise, but a nice one. I was a little nervous because I have been having some residual back pain ever since I gave birth to Gabe, and contemplating having another one was a little scary, because I didn't know how it would make me feel. I didn't want to become a criple who needed assistance all the time because my back could no longer support my body, or allow me to do the every day things moms need to do, such as pick up the baby, do laundry, or even mop the floor. But, when I found out I was pregnant, I was happy and excited Heavenly Father thought I could handle it, even though I might face all of the above. I just kept telling myself "Heavenly Father won't give me any trail I can't handle".
So I found an OB and set up a "10-week" appointment with her on November 6. Colata dropped me off and stayed in the car with Gabe so I could enjoy the appointment without having to chase Gabe or worry about him destroying everything he gets a hold of. I met with the nurse, and since it was my first appointment, we spent a lot of time getting down my history and all the rest. She asked me about my previous pregnancies, Jada, miscarriage, and then Gabe. After that, I went into another room to wait for my Doctor. The blood tech came in first and poked both of my arms to draw some blood for routine tests, but barely got enough for one. She requested I come back next week after really hydrating myself to get more blood. After she left, my doctor came in. She came in and did a complete physical (papsmear and all that) and then it was time for an ultrasound. It was the first time I had a "vaginal" ultrasound, so at first, I didn't realize that we were actually looking at my uterus already. The doctor had been quiet for what seemed to be a long time so I asked her, "is that the baby" and she said yes. I didn't see any flicker on the screen that would represent the baby's heartbeat so I asked her, "where's the baby located" just in case I wasn't looking at the right thing. The doctor responded saying "According to what I see on the ultrasound, you are not as far along as you think you are." I tried to hold down the panic and asked her "How far along does the ultrasound show" She responded by saying I was only "4-5 weeks". Tears began to leak down the side of my face because I knew this couldn't be possible. The doctor began to ask questions such as "have you had any spotting since your last period?" No. "are you sure your last period was on August 28th?" Yes. By this time, I am choking back sobs because I knew this was bad news. She then began to talk to me about the abnoralities and the lack of a heartbeat. She quickly told the blood tech to make sure the little blood I gave was tested for hormonal levels to see if my hCG level matched with the weeks pregnant the ultrasound showed. She then began to discuss possiblities about miscarriage, including taking a pill and starting contrations, waiting for a spontaneous miscarriage or having a Dilation and Cutterage (D&C). I couldn't wrap my head around it. I was in shock. I went to the bathroom and called Colata to pick me up, and tried to wipe the tears off my face so I could walk out of the the building without too many glances my way. I was in agony as I saw the sympathetic looks on the faces of the front desk receptionists who knew I just got bad news. I just wanted to run out. I didn't want these people feeling sorry for me or seeing my misery. They don't know me or care for me, and I didn't want to see that look on anyone's face that didn't know me.
Anyway, the following week was a period of waiting and more tests with the end result being that the baby was dead and I had three options, spontaneous miscarriage and pill to start miscarriage (which would result in basically going into labor and experiencing all the pain for the end result to be lots of blood and no baby) or have a D&C which they would knock me out with general anesthesia and hardly any pain other than cramping. I went with that option. We scheduled it for Monday November 16th, and as luck would have it, I started spotting Sunday morning on the 15th. I just kept praying that I wouldn't go into full-blown miscarriage mode so that I could still have the D&C. I prayed and got a blessing from Colata Sunday night that I might have the process slowed so that Monday the Doctor could do the D&C on me. The Lord was merciful. I had the D&C and have no memory at all of losing the baby and just feel like I am having a period with more cramping than normal.
Emotionally, I am doing okay. It was better to know ahead of time that I was going to lose the baby. My first miscarriage was much hard physically and emotionally because I had to go through it all, alone in a hotel away from anyone that loved me.
So all things considered, this was a much easier experience. Not one I ever want to go through again, but grateful I didn't have anything worse to face. Jada was disappointed not to have a new sibling coming to the family, but she seems to be fine with it all. The nice thing is that really, I am the only one that had to suffer much because when your pregnant, it's not really real to anyone else, until they can physically see and feel all the signs of a baby in your belly.
Well, I gotta go. My husband needs the computer and my son is crying for me.
Friday, October 30, 2009
My bucket list (so far)
1. Learn to play the piano.
2. Learn to cook amazingly good food.
3. Write something memorable.
4. Go back to school, but just take classes for fun!
5. Learn to sew.
6. Travel to Ireland and England.
7. Make a cd
8. Go to a live General Conference session.
9. Write a story that is in the Ensign Magazine.
10. Compose a song.
That's all I can think of for now. I'll add more as I think of them!
2. Learn to cook amazingly good food.
3. Write something memorable.
4. Go back to school, but just take classes for fun!
5. Learn to sew.
6. Travel to Ireland and England.
7. Make a cd
8. Go to a live General Conference session.
9. Write a story that is in the Ensign Magazine.
10. Compose a song.
That's all I can think of for now. I'll add more as I think of them!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Pirates and a lost tooth...
Saturday we had a ward Halloween party and my kids got to wear their Halloween costumes. They were so excited, and I must say that I think that they were the cutest little pirates on the earth. Here are some pictures of them:
And in other exciting news, Jada lost her first tooth. Here's a picture of her new smile.
And in other exciting news, Jada lost her first tooth. Here's a picture of her new smile.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Fellowships...
During the second year of a Master's program, many of the students apply for fellowships. It is a rigorous process of applying, interviewing, and waiting for outcomes. My husband is so diligent and has sent out applications to about 20 hospitals so far, and has about 10 more applications pending. He is nervous about the interviews he has because he doesn't come across as well over the phone as he does in person. He is so charismatic in person that people can't help but like him, but that doesn't translate over the phone so well, as I think some might have a hard time with his accent etc.
He had an interview this past Thursday, and was so disappointed with himself after the interview that he was feeling really low. I felt just awful for him, because I know how bad he wants this. But hopefully he can use this last interview as a "practice run" and improve his interview skills over the phone for the following ones. So if any of you remember us in your prayers, please pray for Colata as he goes throught this extreme process.
He had an interview this past Thursday, and was so disappointed with himself after the interview that he was feeling really low. I felt just awful for him, because I know how bad he wants this. But hopefully he can use this last interview as a "practice run" and improve his interview skills over the phone for the following ones. So if any of you remember us in your prayers, please pray for Colata as he goes throught this extreme process.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Fall Harvest Festival Cake Walk Winner
Well, I didn't really win, but I felt like I did. I made a cool "eye" cake for Jada's school carnival, and it was one of the first one's chosen. Jada and I were both excited to see that it was picked, but Jada mentioned that she was dissappointed that she didn't have the opportunity to win it now. I was happy it had such a good reception with the kids, I thought some people might find it a bit to early for the full-on gruesomness of Halloween, but I guess all of October anything and everything ghoulish and gross goes. Hopefully the cake didn't taste gross though.
I totally forgot to take a picture of it before I turned it over to the cake-walk commity, so if I make it again before the month is up, I will take a picture of that one to impress you all with my mad cake decorationg skills.
I had a sleep over with my Miamaid class on Friday. We focused on the Book of Mormon, and though we didn't read alot of it, we had some really good conversations about the chapters we did read. And I made some awesome chocolate and cinnamon chip pancakes in the morning with some brownsugar honey sausage. It was delicious! Everyone loved it. Though I am not a great cook, I do feel good every once in a while to know I am not a terrible cook!
This week I am looking forward to my BFF Britany to come visit me in my humble home. We gotta find a place to Karaoke around here, and let loose for a night. Anyone know of a good place in the Seattle area?
Posted up a links list on the side of my blog, I'll add more as I remember my favorite links.
I totally forgot to take a picture of it before I turned it over to the cake-walk commity, so if I make it again before the month is up, I will take a picture of that one to impress you all with my mad cake decorationg skills.
I had a sleep over with my Miamaid class on Friday. We focused on the Book of Mormon, and though we didn't read alot of it, we had some really good conversations about the chapters we did read. And I made some awesome chocolate and cinnamon chip pancakes in the morning with some brownsugar honey sausage. It was delicious! Everyone loved it. Though I am not a great cook, I do feel good every once in a while to know I am not a terrible cook!
This week I am looking forward to my BFF Britany to come visit me in my humble home. We gotta find a place to Karaoke around here, and let loose for a night. Anyone know of a good place in the Seattle area?
Posted up a links list on the side of my blog, I'll add more as I remember my favorite links.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Book List
So I am trying to wrack my brain about all the books I read so far in 2009. I am struggling to remember quite a few. Also, just to let you know, the books by Jeanine Frost and Charlaine Harris are "Urban Fantasy" and involve vampires and other supernatural things AND they have quite a few scenes that I must skip...they also has questionable language. Just warning you, I don't want any of you to pick up a book that would have your eyes burning just because it is on my list.
If you have any questions regarding my opinion on the book or any good book suggestions let me know. I have a few books that I am wait-listed for at the library. Hopefully those will be good too.
Happy reading!
If you have any questions regarding my opinion on the book or any good book suggestions let me know. I have a few books that I am wait-listed for at the library. Hopefully those will be good too.
Happy reading!
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Student of the week!
This week has been a busy one. But first things first. My daughter, Jada, got student of the week. She was so proud because she was the first one chosen for her grade for the year. It was during the school assembly, so she was recognized in front of the whole school. When she sat back down with her class, one of her classmates was crying and when she asked him what's wrong he said "I hate you, I wanted to get that award", he then stuck out his tongue at her. Luckily, she thought this episode with her friend was rather funny, and so her feelings weren't hurt.
We also had a dinner reunion with some friends from Fiji. They all were couple missionaries in the Suva, Fiji Temple. It was so great to catch up with them and talk about the love we have for Fiji . One of the wives said, " I think we all agree that Fiji is the place that we have loved to serve the Lord the most" (Most of them have served several missions.) When I asked her, "Why?" Her response was that it had everything to do with the people. So loving, and willing to serve, and kind and generous. I am in total agreement, and am lucky that I got to marry one of these loving, kind, generous, people.
We also were responsible for making a Fijian feast for the opening Institute activity at UW. It took a lot of time and many people's combined cooking efforts, but the feast was a hit, and we were even given the compliment that it was one of the best dinners that they ever had.
All the other things that kept me busy aren't very exciting, so I'll skip the narrative on it. I am just happy that I have a couple of days to rest!
We also had a dinner reunion with some friends from Fiji. They all were couple missionaries in the Suva, Fiji Temple. It was so great to catch up with them and talk about the love we have for Fiji . One of the wives said, " I think we all agree that Fiji is the place that we have loved to serve the Lord the most" (Most of them have served several missions.) When I asked her, "Why?" Her response was that it had everything to do with the people. So loving, and willing to serve, and kind and generous. I am in total agreement, and am lucky that I got to marry one of these loving, kind, generous, people.
We also were responsible for making a Fijian feast for the opening Institute activity at UW. It took a lot of time and many people's combined cooking efforts, but the feast was a hit, and we were even given the compliment that it was one of the best dinners that they ever had.
All the other things that kept me busy aren't very exciting, so I'll skip the narrative on it. I am just happy that I have a couple of days to rest!
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Mommy/daughter date
Jada wanted to go to the mall to day and have lunch, so after a few errands, Colata and Gabe dropped us off at Northgate Mall and we ate a late lunch at Azteca. (I had chicken mole, it wasn't as good as the time I had it at this family owned mexican restaraunt).
Anyway, after that we walked along and saw a store called "Lids" and Colata has been talking about wanting a LA Dodgers all white baseball cap so I went in there and bought it for him.
Then we were walking along and talking about Jada getting her ears pierced, and at first she didn't want to because she was afraid it was going to hurt. In the middle of all this I was accosted by an Israeli who was selling a hand buffing set with "minerals from the red sea". I am a sucker and ended up buying it. But, I thought because Jada loves to do manicures and pedicures it was something we could do together frequently (thus going along with today's theme of mommies and daughters). We finally made it to Claire's, and after walking around, Jada finally decided she would try to get her ears pierced. This only happened because she kept asking me to buy some freaky looking stuffed animal, and I kept refusing, and when she wouldn't stop, I said "The only thing I'll get for you in this store is your ear's pierced" She must have stewed on it a bit, but I was totally thinking she would not do it, when she started asking me "what does it feel like?" and so I would give her ear a little pinch, she then replied "That doesn't hurt very much" so then I said it would probably hurt more than that but not it wouldn't hurt for a long time, just a second.
She looked at the earrings and found some she liked, then she said she wanted to get them pierced. I didn't want to hesitate and make her change her mind, so we started the process, I signed papers and Jada was watching the assistant manager very closely as she was sterilizing the counter surface and pulling out the earring guns. She asked lots of questions such as "What does that do? and Why are you doing that?" When the asst. manager took the alcohol swab to her ear, her shoulders went up and she got really tight. I just said, "relax, it's just the swab cleaning your ear" Then the asst. manager took forever trying to get the pen dots on her ear to be symmetrical. Finally it was time for the piercing. The first one went through and Jada's eyes got really big and she said "That hurts a lot!" But she didn't cry, when the second one went in she was more tense because she knew what was going to happen and I think it hurt a little more for her because of that, but she never cried. She got to pick out two sets of earrings to wear when her 8 weeks is up, and she is really excited about it.
I just love my daughter, and she is so beautiful and fun and I am so happy when I get to spend some time with her just like this. Here are some photos of our day and the last one is a video.
Anyway, after that we walked along and saw a store called "Lids" and Colata has been talking about wanting a LA Dodgers all white baseball cap so I went in there and bought it for him.
Then we were walking along and talking about Jada getting her ears pierced, and at first she didn't want to because she was afraid it was going to hurt. In the middle of all this I was accosted by an Israeli who was selling a hand buffing set with "minerals from the red sea". I am a sucker and ended up buying it. But, I thought because Jada loves to do manicures and pedicures it was something we could do together frequently (thus going along with today's theme of mommies and daughters). We finally made it to Claire's, and after walking around, Jada finally decided she would try to get her ears pierced. This only happened because she kept asking me to buy some freaky looking stuffed animal, and I kept refusing, and when she wouldn't stop, I said "The only thing I'll get for you in this store is your ear's pierced" She must have stewed on it a bit, but I was totally thinking she would not do it, when she started asking me "what does it feel like?" and so I would give her ear a little pinch, she then replied "That doesn't hurt very much" so then I said it would probably hurt more than that but not it wouldn't hurt for a long time, just a second.
She looked at the earrings and found some she liked, then she said she wanted to get them pierced. I didn't want to hesitate and make her change her mind, so we started the process, I signed papers and Jada was watching the assistant manager very closely as she was sterilizing the counter surface and pulling out the earring guns. She asked lots of questions such as "What does that do? and Why are you doing that?" When the asst. manager took the alcohol swab to her ear, her shoulders went up and she got really tight. I just said, "relax, it's just the swab cleaning your ear" Then the asst. manager took forever trying to get the pen dots on her ear to be symmetrical. Finally it was time for the piercing. The first one went through and Jada's eyes got really big and she said "That hurts a lot!" But she didn't cry, when the second one went in she was more tense because she knew what was going to happen and I think it hurt a little more for her because of that, but she never cried. She got to pick out two sets of earrings to wear when her 8 weeks is up, and she is really excited about it.
I just love my daughter, and she is so beautiful and fun and I am so happy when I get to spend some time with her just like this. Here are some photos of our day and the last one is a video.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
A bully and some books
I am a member at the YMCA and use there facilities mainly to exercise and other times to swim with Jada and the family in the pool. I decided to join the Y because of the babysitting included in the membership cost, so I can exercise at my convenience and not have to worry about my exercise routine being dependent upon my husband's availability.
Within the past couple weeks, when I have picked Gabe up after exercising, the teacher's have mentioned that Gabe is taking other children's toys and not following the rules (i.e. climbing up the slide, instead of going down.) At first, I found it rather annoying, because he is a 21 month old boy and they don't know how to share and they need to be reminded often about rules of proper use of toys etc. Then I was a little concerned after a visit when they mentioned that my son laid on top of another child to get a toy they had, and how he was laughing because he thought his behaviour was funny, not naughty, when the teacher got after him. And finally, this morning, I was interrupted during my workout because Gabe was taking toys from kids, and when the teacher removed him from the situation and used a "stern" voice to tell him not to take the other child's toy, he took a swing at her. Then on top of that, he through himself down and had a tantrum, only they were concerned because he kept trying to bang his head on the floor.
I am a little flabbergasted and don't know quite how to correct the situation because normally if he starts to behave like that I am right there and intercede before anything really happens of that nature, but he has been more prone to tantrums etc, but I know that is just a part of his developmental stage at this age. Anyone have any advice or suggestions for me?
I finished reading the Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman. I started on the second novel, The Subtle Knife but haven't finished it. I thought The Golden Compass was a good book. It has strong themes that teach against the idea of religious authority etc, which makes sense, because if I remember correctly Mr. Pullman wrote these novels as his atheistic/agnostic version of C.S. Lewis' books The Chronicles of Narnia. The funny thing is, is that from reading Mr. Pullman's first book, even though it is strongly felt that he has no respect for religious organizations, the book strongly suggests a Higher Power of some sort, though by reading just a few chapters of Mr. Pullman's second book in the trilogy, it appears that one of the character's has taken it upon himself to find God and kill him. I find that thought very disturbing, and haven't been able to pick up the second book for a few days. Don't know if I'll finish it. I haven't decided yet.
I've been reading a lot of children's books lately too, as Jada's homework assignments is to get in 10 mins of reading everyday, whether it is me reading to her or vice versa. We read a book called "A mama for Owen". It was very sweet and is a true story. It takes about 5 minutes to read, and is about a hippo from Africa. Go to your local library and check it out when you get a chance.
And one last thing, I just wanna say how expensive it is to have to pay the dentist when you have no insurance! Yikes, I think I'll have to become the dentist's indentured servant for 5 years just to pay off the bill.
Within the past couple weeks, when I have picked Gabe up after exercising, the teacher's have mentioned that Gabe is taking other children's toys and not following the rules (i.e. climbing up the slide, instead of going down.) At first, I found it rather annoying, because he is a 21 month old boy and they don't know how to share and they need to be reminded often about rules of proper use of toys etc. Then I was a little concerned after a visit when they mentioned that my son laid on top of another child to get a toy they had, and how he was laughing because he thought his behaviour was funny, not naughty, when the teacher got after him. And finally, this morning, I was interrupted during my workout because Gabe was taking toys from kids, and when the teacher removed him from the situation and used a "stern" voice to tell him not to take the other child's toy, he took a swing at her. Then on top of that, he through himself down and had a tantrum, only they were concerned because he kept trying to bang his head on the floor.
I am a little flabbergasted and don't know quite how to correct the situation because normally if he starts to behave like that I am right there and intercede before anything really happens of that nature, but he has been more prone to tantrums etc, but I know that is just a part of his developmental stage at this age. Anyone have any advice or suggestions for me?
I finished reading the Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman. I started on the second novel, The Subtle Knife but haven't finished it. I thought The Golden Compass was a good book. It has strong themes that teach against the idea of religious authority etc, which makes sense, because if I remember correctly Mr. Pullman wrote these novels as his atheistic/agnostic version of C.S. Lewis' books The Chronicles of Narnia. The funny thing is, is that from reading Mr. Pullman's first book, even though it is strongly felt that he has no respect for religious organizations, the book strongly suggests a Higher Power of some sort, though by reading just a few chapters of Mr. Pullman's second book in the trilogy, it appears that one of the character's has taken it upon himself to find God and kill him. I find that thought very disturbing, and haven't been able to pick up the second book for a few days. Don't know if I'll finish it. I haven't decided yet.
I've been reading a lot of children's books lately too, as Jada's homework assignments is to get in 10 mins of reading everyday, whether it is me reading to her or vice versa. We read a book called "A mama for Owen". It was very sweet and is a true story. It takes about 5 minutes to read, and is about a hippo from Africa. Go to your local library and check it out when you get a chance.
And one last thing, I just wanna say how expensive it is to have to pay the dentist when you have no insurance! Yikes, I think I'll have to become the dentist's indentured servant for 5 years just to pay off the bill.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
This summer...
Some of you may know that Colata was away for the summer doing an internship at Southwest Washington Medical Center in Vancouver, Wa. He has now returned, but I must say that it was one of the hardest experiences of my life playing the role of a single parent of two kids. I always knew it was a hard situation to be in, but until you experience it first hand, I don't think you ever truly know how difficult it really IS.
The summer started off with a near-drowning of Gabe in the pool/pond in our backyard. Luckily, Jada is really tuned in with the Holy Ghost and jumped into the pool to save him. That was the biggest and scariest mishap of the summer, and it almost broke me, but luckily nothing so big and terrifying happened for the rest of the summer.
Jada kept cool and busy by being on the Shoreline Gator's swim team. It was so exciting to see her swim and even win some of her heats. I enjoyed participating as a spectator and learning a wee bit more about a sport I had no idea about before. During the school year she'll be continuing swim lessons, and who knows, maybe she'll end up being the girl version of Michael Phelps (the eight Olympic gold medals, not the illegal drug mishap).
Gabe discovered and watched for the first time the movie Cars and a couple of weeks ago we introduced Finding Nemo. So instead of watching Cars twice a day, I get a daily dose of Nemo and Cars. At least there's a little variety. He cracks me up every time he watches Cars now, because he knows the movie so well that he mimics the facial expressions (since he can't really repeat lines as he's not speaking so clearly yet) I especially love the scene where mack is trying to keep himself awake and does a lot of shaking and rolling of his eyes to keep himself awake. Now picture GABE doing just that. Hilarious.
Colata is back home now, and he is busy working on letters and essays for applications to Fellowships at different hospitals all over the USA. School starts at the end of September, so he is focusing all his time on the Fellowship stuff. Hopefully all the effort will work well in his favor.
I have got to give a huge Thank you to Southwest Washington Medical Center in Vancouver. Colata learned so much from all the administrators there and he has come back with renewed confidence in his abilities and a knowledge that this definitely is the profession for him.
Here are some pics of some of our summer adventures.... Enjoy!
Gabe just got a very short haircut on Friday.....
On your mark, Get set...... BEEEEP!
Jada after she just swam her first heat.
Jada's first dance recital. She did so well.
Gabe enjoying Priest Lake.
The summer started off with a near-drowning of Gabe in the pool/pond in our backyard. Luckily, Jada is really tuned in with the Holy Ghost and jumped into the pool to save him. That was the biggest and scariest mishap of the summer, and it almost broke me, but luckily nothing so big and terrifying happened for the rest of the summer.
Jada kept cool and busy by being on the Shoreline Gator's swim team. It was so exciting to see her swim and even win some of her heats. I enjoyed participating as a spectator and learning a wee bit more about a sport I had no idea about before. During the school year she'll be continuing swim lessons, and who knows, maybe she'll end up being the girl version of Michael Phelps (the eight Olympic gold medals, not the illegal drug mishap).
Gabe discovered and watched for the first time the movie Cars and a couple of weeks ago we introduced Finding Nemo. So instead of watching Cars twice a day, I get a daily dose of Nemo and Cars. At least there's a little variety. He cracks me up every time he watches Cars now, because he knows the movie so well that he mimics the facial expressions (since he can't really repeat lines as he's not speaking so clearly yet) I especially love the scene where mack is trying to keep himself awake and does a lot of shaking and rolling of his eyes to keep himself awake. Now picture GABE doing just that. Hilarious.
Colata is back home now, and he is busy working on letters and essays for applications to Fellowships at different hospitals all over the USA. School starts at the end of September, so he is focusing all his time on the Fellowship stuff. Hopefully all the effort will work well in his favor.
I have got to give a huge Thank you to Southwest Washington Medical Center in Vancouver. Colata learned so much from all the administrators there and he has come back with renewed confidence in his abilities and a knowledge that this definitely is the profession for him.
Here are some pics of some of our summer adventures.... Enjoy!
Gabe just got a very short haircut on Friday.....
On your mark, Get set...... BEEEEP! Jada after she just swam her first heat.
Jada's first dance recital. She did so well.
Gabe enjoying Priest Lake.Friday, September 11, 2009
New blogsite, new start...
So maybe most of you have noticed that I have not been the best blogger. I rarely update, and frankly, I bored myself with my own entries. But I hope all of that is behind me and that I will have more to contribute to put a little smile on the faces of my family and friends who might actually come to my site every once-in-a-while.
One of the main reasons for the new blogsite is because I can't remember the address and password to login to the old one. Believe me I tried, but apparently it's been so long since I've viewed the darn thing that it no longer even recognizes my email address. And, apparently (someone correct me if I'm wrong) I have to have a gmail account now to have a blog. So, I also have a new email address. Don't worry, I am still keeping my old one, but for any of you who are interested, the new one is loganimocek@gmail.com
I am looking forward to taking a nap this afternoon, if Gabe crashes before Jada gets home because I didn't get the quality beauty sleep I prefer last night. Colata had a horrible toothache last night and was just miserable, and I felt so bad because there was NOTHING I could do to make the pain go away. Usually with kids, there is something you can do, at least in the way of comfort and hugs and loves to help ease the pain and misery of a sick child, but a spouse is sometimes much harder to "make better". The only thing I ended up doing was to sleep in the kids room when Gabe woke up in the middle of night, instead of crowding my bed with a child who might possible kick you in the face as he tosses and turns to find a good sleeping position.
I sent Colata off to the dentist this morning and hope that when he returns, he will only be suffering from a numb mouth full of Novocaine and not a mouth full of sensitive teeth.
I also decided this will be the venue I use to discuss the books I am reading and to keep track of the books that I have read recently. I read so much that when I try to recall a title of author of a book, many times I get frustrated because I can't remember them all.
This last weekend (the first one of my husband returned from his internship) I took advantage of a two-parent household and spent the whole evening and the wee hours after midnight reading a book in one sitting. It was Chalice by Robin Mckinley. Most of her fiction is for Young Adults (YA) and is in the fantasy realm. I thought the concept and story had alot of potential and the characters made me want to keep reading, but it at times seemed a little convoluted and at times when you craved more attention to detail, I found that it lacked some depth. But overall it was a quick read, and it ended with the possibility for a sequel, though I haven't googled to see if that is something Robin Mckinley is pursuing. Anyway, the main character, Mirasol is a beekeeper who lives in a cottage in the woods. She has just become the demesne's Chalice, who, though not really explained exactly what role the "Chalice" plays, it is described that she is technically the second in command to the master and that her role is largely symbolic in meetings of politics, but also that she is revered for her abilities and ties to the earth and in protecting the delicate balance of the earth and the humans who live in her demesne. I love how the bees, a seemingly ordinary thing, take on this extraordinary position in the story and weave the theme of nature being so closely tied to the humans around them. I wanted to learn more about the priests of fire and other elements, but felt that was superficially dealt with, and was a little upset with the "cope-out" ending with the Master priest of fire being becoming wholly human again and getting his happy ending with Mirasol. It felt like to me that the ending was so quick and sudden that it left me a bit flabbergasted that Ms. Mckinley would end the book like that. Let me tell ya that I was a little disgruntled that I stayed up til 2am only to be disappointed and baffled by the poorly written ending. I thought the ending was a nice draft, but that's just it, it felt like a first draft... not that final draft.
Currently I just started the series "The Golden Compass: His Dark Materials". I will write more when I have actually finished the first book.
One of the main reasons for the new blogsite is because I can't remember the address and password to login to the old one. Believe me I tried, but apparently it's been so long since I've viewed the darn thing that it no longer even recognizes my email address. And, apparently (someone correct me if I'm wrong) I have to have a gmail account now to have a blog. So, I also have a new email address. Don't worry, I am still keeping my old one, but for any of you who are interested, the new one is loganimocek@gmail.com
I am looking forward to taking a nap this afternoon, if Gabe crashes before Jada gets home because I didn't get the quality beauty sleep I prefer last night. Colata had a horrible toothache last night and was just miserable, and I felt so bad because there was NOTHING I could do to make the pain go away. Usually with kids, there is something you can do, at least in the way of comfort and hugs and loves to help ease the pain and misery of a sick child, but a spouse is sometimes much harder to "make better". The only thing I ended up doing was to sleep in the kids room when Gabe woke up in the middle of night, instead of crowding my bed with a child who might possible kick you in the face as he tosses and turns to find a good sleeping position.
I sent Colata off to the dentist this morning and hope that when he returns, he will only be suffering from a numb mouth full of Novocaine and not a mouth full of sensitive teeth.
I also decided this will be the venue I use to discuss the books I am reading and to keep track of the books that I have read recently. I read so much that when I try to recall a title of author of a book, many times I get frustrated because I can't remember them all.
This last weekend (the first one of my husband returned from his internship) I took advantage of a two-parent household and spent the whole evening and the wee hours after midnight reading a book in one sitting. It was Chalice by Robin Mckinley. Most of her fiction is for Young Adults (YA) and is in the fantasy realm. I thought the concept and story had alot of potential and the characters made me want to keep reading, but it at times seemed a little convoluted and at times when you craved more attention to detail, I found that it lacked some depth. But overall it was a quick read, and it ended with the possibility for a sequel, though I haven't googled to see if that is something Robin Mckinley is pursuing. Anyway, the main character, Mirasol is a beekeeper who lives in a cottage in the woods. She has just become the demesne's Chalice, who, though not really explained exactly what role the "Chalice" plays, it is described that she is technically the second in command to the master and that her role is largely symbolic in meetings of politics, but also that she is revered for her abilities and ties to the earth and in protecting the delicate balance of the earth and the humans who live in her demesne. I love how the bees, a seemingly ordinary thing, take on this extraordinary position in the story and weave the theme of nature being so closely tied to the humans around them. I wanted to learn more about the priests of fire and other elements, but felt that was superficially dealt with, and was a little upset with the "cope-out" ending with the Master priest of fire being becoming wholly human again and getting his happy ending with Mirasol. It felt like to me that the ending was so quick and sudden that it left me a bit flabbergasted that Ms. Mckinley would end the book like that. Let me tell ya that I was a little disgruntled that I stayed up til 2am only to be disappointed and baffled by the poorly written ending. I thought the ending was a nice draft, but that's just it, it felt like a first draft... not that final draft.
Currently I just started the series "The Golden Compass: His Dark Materials". I will write more when I have actually finished the first book.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)