A big milestone..

Who knew it would come so soon? Not me..

I honestly thought I would get a call by 8:30 saying "ok mommy, I am done playing at aunties please come pick me up".. No such luck..

My big girl was thrilled at the invitation from auntie Deanna on behalf of Grace and Lily to spend the night..

She has been asking to see the girls just about every day, I think the idea of a sleepover sounded too wonderful to be true.. She was itching to go.. She had her suitcase and her gear ready.. Even the few tears that she shed I think were for mommy and not because she wasn't ready.. She knew I wasn't and that if she reassured me, we'd both be ok..

Look at her, she is ready for the world.. I only hope the world is ready for her..

They say parents have to give their kids wings.. well most times my little one is the one who lifts me up.

Sweet Dreams Maya Bear..

Mama and Daddy

Supper Club

Tonight was the first ever supper club.. We hope ithis time to gather and share food will be an ongoing tradition.. Diana and Andre came to make potatoes au gratin and a hot spinach artichoke dip. Christine has been on a mission to bake and opted for homeade apple pie and some gingerbread cookies. Mom was helpful with everything from chopping onion to peeling apples for the pie.. It was a team effort. The main dish was a standing rib roast. We also made some homemade bruschetta and some tasty mushrooms Berkeley which compimented the beef nicely..The meal was worth the wait but the company really made it "amazing"..

Buzz,

Alex

Manic Monday

Remember that 80's song by the Bangles? I love it.. It was a bit of a Manic Monday for me.. I wasn't ready to get up and start the day but the alarm was sounding, Maya was tugging on me and my dream was over.. Thankfully the day turned out.. After some coffee and a yummy left over scone, I was ready to tackle my Monday..

I won't bore you with the gory details of my "work day" fill in the blanks as you will..

It was another frosty day.. The kind where even 2 layers, a scarf and a coat didn't keep the chill out..Remind me of this when I am baking in the summer and praying for cooler temperatures..

Anyhow.. Dinner tonight was a check on the list..Who doesn't love lists? No, I think its the New Year's resolution thing.. I am still thinking in terms of goals. So I am on a mini-mission. I am determined to use what I have on hand for dinner. I am sure eventually I will go crazy with menu planning. In reality, I am hoping to get into a better routine with dinner plans. I hate thinking of what to cook at 5:30! I am also trying to be practical and use what I have on hand before the food goes bad or I forget what I bought it for. I don't like to throw money away.. I saw a show where they put a price tag on every item the people threw out because it expired before they used it. It made a lasting impression.. Secondly, my frugality and financial goals are also keeping me alert to the fact that if I use what is on hand, I won't run out to the store for extra ingredients (or impulse buys)..I know you are laughing at me.. It's ok, but you know that deep down inside you have had these same boring and practical thoughts.. You Know...

After dinner it was time to walk it off.. The gym was calling me, even when I tried to ignore its call.. Martin faked exhaustion and volunteered to wash dishes.. Hey you don't have to tell me twice, my dish pan hands are thankful for a night off.. Missy loves going to the kids club so not only do I get a workout but she gets some "Kid Time." Oh yeah, back to those resolutions.. Who was it that said working out is the number 1 resolution? Yeah. Workout more. Its on the list..Check..

Last but not least.. I am always trying to be more organized.. Shh, don't tell Martin because he is always telling me and Missy to toss something out instead of finding its home.. but back to my madness.. I decided that I could cross two things off my list, you know multitasking.. I can skim my magazines while I walk on the treadmill. In case you haven't been to my house lately, you may not be aware of my crazy magazine collection.. I have every issue of O, a few years of Cooking Light, Better Homes and Gardens, Rachel Ray, Parenting, etc.. Martin has tried to toss them.. I keep restacking and moving piles.. But I finally saw the light. I love paper, I love magazines but I just can't keep them all. Not to mention there are new subscriptions I want to have! Hee hee.. So today I cut out a few recipes and a neat kitchen redo..The rest of the magaine was donated to my gym. Hey! That is 3 goals in one.. I exercised, organized, and made my hubby happy by disposing of one magazine.. Baby steps..

So if you are ever in need magazines stop by. You are welcome to take as many as you can.. I am ok with you cutting pictures, reading the articles or using them for kindling.. Hey I can be green too..

Buzz,

Alex

Snow!

No, it did not snow here. But that doesn't mean we can't have snow...Our neighbors brought home some snow from their day trip yesterday.. Maya was invited to come play on the truck and help melt the snow.

Here are some pictures of Maya, Julio and Victoria playing in the cold stuff..

Burr!

Alex

A wet winter weekend...

I don't even know where to start. This weekend was a big bowl of randomness, memories and rain..

Friday night at the quilt shop was the perfect way to start the weekend. It's always good to go to class and catch up while we play with fabric. We had been in dire need of our quilting group and finally we are back into the groove. We started the "spool quilt." As soon as I put a spool together I will share.. In the meantime you can check out Julie's post and her sample spool here. In the words of Miss Julie, quilting makes me happy!

Saturday, our little family loaded up the car with everything we could and headed north to Bakersfield. The road was calling.

The plan was to enjoy the long weekend and celebrate Betty's 35th. Maya was just thrilled at the prospect of spending 3 days with her cousins and bouncing in the jumper. Little did she know she would end up with a black eye/cheek after crashing into her cousin, Jacob. It was heartwrenching to see her in pain and even harder to see the bruise swelling.. But she's 6 and she was eventually asking for another round in the jumper!

Missy has always been a great car baby. She naps, she watches the passing cars, calls out slug bugs and sings her tunes. We still believe in real car trips. We don't believe in TV's in the car. We read, chat and connect. MAG watches the road and plans his route.

The party didn't start until dinner time and before we knew it the dark blanket of stars was all we could see.. I survived a late night that night in the cold. We spent the night commisterating about our lives, husbands, our pets. Missy fell asleep in my arms with a big blanket. As we talked, the bonfire roared and the music soothed us..

On Sunday the winds and rain started. It was destined to be a day indoors. Having not gotten a good nights sleep, we all took little naps throughout the day. We decided we needed something soothing and hot to warm us up on the inside. What could we make with 4 lbs of shrimp? Shrimp SOUP! It wasn't the first thing that came to mind but once we said the word "SOUP" a big smile spread across everyone's face and we all knew it would be the right thing on that cold day.. Betty and I started chopping, washing veggies and sautaing garlic and onions and next thing we knew we had a huge pot of soup simmering on the stove.. It hit the spot..

As soon as we woke up today we knew we'd better get on the road as soon as possible. The rain did not let up and the wind was whipping.. We were on the road by 9:30 and 5 hours later we pulled into our garage.. My hubby the super driver kept us safe and got us home in one piece.. It was a long haul and thankfully we are finally home resting and settling back into our dry house..

Home Sweet Home,

Alex

2010, the new decade..

Remember how excited we were for 2000? The y2k thing, computer people scrambled for back ups, the skeptics packed water and extra canned goods in their house/basement/garage. We could finally play Prince's "Party like its 1999" and mean it...Now here we are at 2010.. Yikes!

As we start of the New Decade and year I want to jot share how grateful I am for the great people in my life. I am blessed to have more than I ever dreamed possible.

I am grateful for so much in my life even as I struggle to make peace with the fact that no matter what we do life is short. It seems to go into fast forward after high school and now I can't help but try to slow down the clock. I turn around and see Missy growing up so fast..the memories of her as a small infant fading into the dark places in my mind.. Instead of my baby, I see facial expressions of a future rebellious teenager. I hear her sing songs with emotion beyond her years.. I want to freeze the frame and drink in her scent, capture her dimples and stroke her hair..She is a precious and precocious little person.. How lucky am I to be her mom? I prefer to say "blessed"..

I am so blessed with a great family..I am closer to my brother than most siblings I know.. Arthur is now an uncle. He is still athletic and funny. He makes me think about things from a different perspective and we can almost agree to disagree..My mom and I are on the phone daily and constantly.. We grew up together and can share books and music. She is a fabulous 50 and I love her..My cousins are more than that title. I can call them for random thoughts, favors or just to catch up..They love Missy too and that makes my heart swell with joy..

My hubby, well as I have always said "he is perfect and wonderful for me." I believe that with every bone in my body.. He is everything a great husband and dad should be. I am thankful that he puts up with me and loves me inspite of all my shortcomings.

Last but not least, I have some amazing and dear friends. There are only a few but thankfully they are all I have needed..Friends that have been in my life for years and whom I know I can count on for a laugh, a shoulder to cry on, a ear to hear my rambling, or to read my little blog.. You know who you are..

I can't wait for the next decade worth of stories and memories..

Namaste,
Alex