Wednesday, December 26, 2012

A Letter to My Daughter

My little artist, dancer, visionary, the sweetest bit of sugar I've ever tasted, the brown-eyed lemon cake loving, spitting image of your daddy and aptly named for your calming spirit, little princess in my life.

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Merry Christmas!

By now you're probably settled in all warm and cozy, full from the day's feast if you had one.  Or maybe just simply full of blessings, thanking God for all you have been through--the good and the bad but still managed to make it to the end of the year.  A new beginning?  Maybe that's a bit much to think about right now.

Monday, December 17, 2012

38 Weeks and Working

Yep, you read that right.  I am 38 weeks today and facilitating not one, not two or three, but FOUR countdowns!

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

20 Days!

Yesterday I was so busy at work that I completely forgot to post my three week update.  Not that anyone is keeping track, but you know.  Anyway, here I am with twenty more days to go, just twenty more days!  I am so excited!

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Just a Quick Funny...

I kid you not, someone just asked me if I was pregnant!?@#$%&*?!!

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Four More Weeks!

Woohoo!  Praise God, we are finally in the last month.  And although this month will be extremely busy for our family, the birth of our son will be the best and most anticipated event of the year.  Through all the pain, I imagine when we finally get to see our son/brother, it will be the icing on our cake, the cherry on top, le creme, etc...you get the picture.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Five Weeks

Hey there everyone!  And by "everyone," I mean my readers.  And by "my readers," I mean my mom, my Tackling Tomfoolery girl, Malikka and my homey in Seattle (wassuuup!).

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

A Letter to My Son

For You:

My handsome, sensitive, strong and loving son.  When I first felt your kicks at thirteen weeks along, I knew then and there your name would be Ezekiel, Hebrew for "God's strength" or "strength of God."  Daddy and I had flip flopped between a number of names, including Essex, Ezekiel, and Percival.

6 More Weeks!

Actually, it is precisely six weeks minus one day but who's counting?  My hips ache and sleep has taken on a whole new meaning.  I am breathing like a cow on steroids and Isaac keeps asking why I sigh so much (sigh).  Because I am tired!  I am also growing a tiny human inside of me but big deal, right?  Happy cows do not come from California.  I am not a happy cow at the moment.  I am a hot and tired mess and cannot wait to see this little guy who is causing such a stir.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Mission Statement

I am in the nesting phase for sure now!  I mean, full on N-E-S-T-I-N-G.  First things first I am cleaning out my email inbox.  It's not so bad, the first email I am sorting through is only from January 9, 2012.

Thursday, November 1, 2012

How I'm Feeling: (Almost) 8 Month Check-In

I do not sit on public toilets.  Actually, I don't sit on any toilet seat really, unless it's my own--and even that gets wiped clean constantly.  I can't remember the last time I sat on a public toilet but I'd say I was pretty young.  And even then, I must have clogged the toilets with fist fulls of paper covers.  My mom taught us to squat at a young age.  I think back to when we were children living in Nigeria, West Africa and there were two options when using the toilet: squat or go in the "bush."

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

World's Greatest Cornbread

Last night I made a beef stew that was delicious on its own, but was heavenly with the addition of this cornbread.  If you like sweet buttery things, you will LOVE this cornbread.  If you hate sugar, butter, and cake, then delete this email now, do not read on!

Alternative Parenting: The Basics

I am slowly becoming the alternative mama I always knew I would be.  This is in part due to circumstance but is also attributed to my love of being different and going against the grain. I could insert a handful of pictures of what I looked like through my "alternative" phase in high school.  Oooh, ummm on second thought, I may or may not have burned those pictures.

Friday, October 26, 2012

It's Friday!

Not only is it Friday but the rain has let up and the sun is out, the air is clear and finally the otherwise inept girl at Starbucks, actually made my hot chocolate correctly! And I'm not being mean just honest.  This girl has an attitude like nobody's business.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Let The Countdown BEGIN!

Well, technically the countdown has already begun but I'm serious now!

The baby shower was so much fun.  It was a Chicago Bears themed shower and everything turned out perfect.  From the football shaped rice krispie treats to the Walter Payton documentary playing in the background, the tailgate themed menu, and the paper footballs hanging from the ceiling, it was perfect.

Friday, October 19, 2012

73 Days and Counting!

I was a supermodel (a pregnant supermodel) this last Sunday!

Friday, October 12, 2012

BOOM!

I can't believe I did not mention this when it first happened.  I think it's interesting and it took me a while to make the connection.

Monday, October 8, 2012

It's Monday, FOR SURE!

You know, I really don't want to but I'm going to because it will make me feel better...

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

The Things I Hear at 7 Months...

The Abbreviated List:

Are you expecting another baby?
This is as bad as asking if I'm pregnant.  What, the half-waddle and protruding stomach weren't enough to convince you?

Are you still running?
Not so bad if you're asking a marathon runner but, come on!

Monday, October 1, 2012

My Mind vs. Reality

I think we all have a somewhat warped perception of ourselves.  For example, skinny girls who complain about being fat or people with beautiful skin complaining about one measly blemish while the rest of us have pimples and zits for days.  This was heavy on my mind and caused me to laugh out loud last night as I shuffled (not in a cute way) downstairs to go to bed.

Thursday, September 27, 2012

No, Seriously!

I thought it extremely important to share this bit of information for any women out there who are considering pregnancy (and of course to my daughter A LONG TIME FROM NOW).

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

It's A Good Day...

I am coming off of a four day weekend.  No, not that kind, unfortunately.  I got sick on Saturday and just returned to work today.  Colds are no fun but having a cold and being pregnant is pure, unadulterated torture.  I'm that natural, halfway Crunchy Mama who does not want to damage the gut flora of my unborn ball of cuteness.  So there I was, sprawled out on the couch watching back to back episodes of House Hunters and sipping tea.  It was horrible, too bad Golden Girls or The Jeffersons was nowhere to be found.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Brown Suga'

Good morning sunshine!
Rise and shine, this is your day
The day the Lord set aside for a lot of little magic
to come our way
You're an awesome little piece of what happiness should be
You're an awesome little reminder
That love can set us free
You are all that mommy and daddy ever hoped you be
and more...
Happy, HAPPY birthday my love
I can't wait to find what all your heart has in store.

Friday, September 7, 2012

Back In The Day When...

It's been a while since I have had the time and energy to sit and write.  Since my last post we have said goodbye to summer and hello to a new school year.  I cannot believe my daughter, my brown suga' is already in the first grade!  My handsome son is in the third and couldn't be more independent.  And here I am, round belly, puffy feet, keen sense of smell and anxiously awaiting the birth of our third child.  Life is good!

I don't have an exact date but I believe this was written in the early Fall of 2008, maybe 2009?  Here goes...

Friday, August 24, 2012

Yesterday...

Yesterday our family buried baby Nicholus.  It was a day of sadness but also a day to come to terms with the death of this little angel who was only with us for two short years, but made an impression on everyone he met.  This little angel made old relationships new again and restored in many of us the notion of unconditional love.

Friday, August 17, 2012

Baby Nick

Yesterday after writing my last post I received three calls back to back, followed by a text.  I wasn't in a position to answer my phone at the time but read the text immediately.

Thursday, August 16, 2012

I Know for Sure...

I know for sure that in all my 36 26 years I still haven't gotten this "try to look at it from another perspective" idea down.  I have an opinion (which is normal and healthy) but sometimes I wish I'd think things through a little more before I voice my opinion.

What I have learned in the last few years is to listen and be more attentive when people offer opposing viewpoints because more often than not, I learn something, remember something I'd long since forgotten, or I am just simply made aware.  I'm not saying my opinions are unwarranted or unnecessary but it pays to listen in the end.

I also know for sure that my granny panties are now too small for this five month pregnant frame and if I don't get replacements soon, there could be major trouble.  I'm talking blue oxygen-deprived legs, decreased circulation, the whole shebang!

How I'm feeling...

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Soccer Cleats or Ballet Slippers?

Well, today was the day!  The long-awaited, much anticipated day finally came and we could not be happier!  Grandma was with us and super excited, it was truly a family affair.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

I Feel Like Such A Cheese-Ball

To all of my faithful readers (mom and my homey in Seattle!!!) I just wanted to let you know how corny I am.  You know, I thought I could do better.  I expected more from myself.  I mean, after all I DO own an iPhone!  I was thinking about my next post, maybe a little motivational piece to encourage you all (mom and my homey in Seattle!!!) to comment on my posts.  This way we can get a dialogue going, we can lift each other's spirits when needed, and just basically swap good intelligent conversation.

Back From the Abyss

Whew!  We are back from the abyss...of fun!  We had such a wonderful time in southern California, and although I am happy to be back home, I am so glad we were able to get away.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

A Trip Down Memory Lane

Here is something I wrote back in December of 2008 (my best guess).  Back then, almost four years ago, I was simply writing on my MySpace page and then eventually moved over to a now defunct little blog.  Well, going through my files I unearthed this little number and it made me smile.  I'll eventually post them all here so I can have them in one location.  Enjoy!

Monday, July 16, 2012

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

This Blog is Private...

This blog is private, but not really. Actually, private is my other way of saying that only a handful of people read this blog and that those who do, already know what I am about to actually document in this post.

Friday, June 29, 2012

A Personal Post

Father's day just passed a couple weeks ago and reading through posts on Facebook and Twitter, I ran across many people taking a stand for absentee fathers.  Posting things like, "Happy Fathers Day to ALL fathers, even absentee fathers..." blah, blah, blah.  Well, I didn't respond to those posts then because everyone is entitled to their own opinion and when it comes to a touchy subject that is based solely on personal experience, it's just not something I feel is appropriate to discuss via social network.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Juicy Finds

Have you clicked through my "Blogs I Devour" section to the right?  If you have time please do, you will not be disappointed!

Everyday I spend an incredible amount of time window shopping.  And sometimes, just sometimes I find something that I absolutely believe I cannot live without.  Like, this or these or even this entire collection.  See what I mean?  Anyhow, here is a brief list of things I'd either like to purchase or make myself.  Go ahead and look, be inspired!

PS. Isaac and kids, if you're reading (I know you're not but if you are) I would not be upset if you purchased this entire list for me for Christmas--complete with the beach rental getaway.  Thanks in advance!

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Swinging Ponies

A little bit ago I wrote a post about the Things I Love.  Clearly, I was on some corny, sentimental, "my life is great and I'm running through a field of daisies" type high.  Just for proper balance and for the sake of keeping it real I decided I'd share with you a few things that really, really irritate me.

1. Bicyclists who ride their bikes (full speed) on city sidewalks-FAIL. You know, the sidewalks where pedestrians walk because they don't feel like getting hit by cars? In college I was run over by one of these cyclists. I won't go into excruciating detail but let's just say I learned the value in using more than just a couple bobby pins to secure my (fake) ponytail. There's nothing more humbling than having to search for your hair on a busy college roadway after being plowed down by a neurotic bicycle freak. No, I'm not bitter at all.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Yesterday Was Hard!

If you could have snapped a picture of me last night after finally putting my kids to bed, I would have looked something like this.

Yesterday I had an internal meltdown, I think I combusted just a little on the inside if that's possible.  My children took me to the edge of insanity and it seemed like forever before I was reeled back in by my poor and unsuspecting husband.  Luckily he was home before I could take my aggression out on the GIANT chocolate bar with roasted almonds and sea salt lurking in the pantry.  He must have seen the fire raging wildly in my eyes, the salted crumbs around my mouth leftover from attacking the last few tortilla chips I could find.  Either way, he rescued me from a downward spiral that could have ended in a really bad tummy ache and regret.

Friday, June 1, 2012

Finally, More Space!

The month of June will mark the beginning as well as the end of a lot of great things.  First, school is finally out as of June 13th, YAY!  My daughter is officially finished with kindergarten and will be attending school with her big brother next school year.  My son is saying farewell to the 2nd grade and will be moving on with the big dogs to third grade.  Nice.  PLUS, we finally (after lamenting at the smallish size of homes in our current location) found a three bedroom, two bathroom, 1900 sq. foot home with get this...a ROOF TOP DECK!  Yes, paaaaaartaaaaay!  The only drawback is that instead of driving every morning three and a half minutes to get to school, we'll be driving (in traffic) a torturous 11 or so miles.  Small sacrifice if you ask me compared to what we are getting.

Also, June 2nd is flag football playoffs and we are over the moon excited!  My husband coaches my son's team, The Headbangerz, and of course I am team mom.  I am amazed and so proud of all the effort my husband puts into this team.  And it pays off, our team is 4 and 2 and will hopefully clench the championship this year.

And one last feel-good thing for the day...

My daughter, who takes art classes at the Crocker Museum, received a great compliment from her pottery teacher.  She said to my husband, "Your daughter is a real artist."  Then she mentioned something about focus and attention to detail, but honestly my husband's heart was so swelled up with pride, that things are a little foggy from there.  Basically, my daughter is a genius.  LOL (kinda just kidding but not really).

Monday, May 21, 2012

Pushing Through Bushes

I was cleaning out my phone yesterday, ridding it of all its chaos, when I stumbled upon a short video of my daughter singing a song she'd made up just minutes before.  I love the song, but my favorite verse goes something like this, "Going through days is hard, hard, hard.  I'm pushing through bushes to get to the rainbow."  Have you ever had to push through bushes to get to your rainbow?  Such insight from my five year old princess!  

On another note, we are in the throws of planning an impromptu family vacation.  Actually, the truth is we were all scheduled and reserved to spend an entire week in Seattle and for reasons I cannot elaborate on right now, we had to cancel.  Phooey!  But not so phooey at the same time...oh you'll get it soon enough.  Anyway, we're thinking of attempting an extended road trip.  My mom did it with my sister and I when we were little and it's the one (out of several) road trip that I happily recall.  And understandably so, I mean, what parent wouldn't want to spend countless hours of drive-time listening to your children argue over every minute thing?  Hmmm... 

So far I found a GREAT deal at Knott's Berry Farm for the kids and we'll throw in some fancy things for the adults and a few cool things like dinner at Medieval Times and Venice Beach for my very cool teenage niece who'll be joining us as we trek the uncharted land of, well...California.  And a road trip would not be a road trip without hitting up some of the famous eateries of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.  I'm excited--mostly because of the food we'll be consuming but all the other stuff is great too if you're into that sort of thing.  It's all good!  

And lastly, here is something that popped in my head last week as I was pulling out of my driveway, headed God knows where, rolling my window down because the dirt was just too thick to see through:

I like not having enough time to have my car washed and detailed.  My dirty car is an homage to the amount of time and energy I put into being a mother and making a modest home into a house that is fit for a king!

And that, is a good thing!  (In my Martha Stewart voice)



  



Thursday, April 26, 2012

Things I love...

It seems that when I am not blogging/writing, I have loads of ideas and things I want to talk about.  But, when I start up a blog, I have nothing...zilch, nada.  Oh well.  And so it goes, here is something to hopefully get me started blogging/writing once again.

There are things I really, really love and I thought I'd share them with you.  But, let's keep it real.  No one really even reads my blog and as I have mentioned before (I think), this blog is mainly a time capsule of sorts.  So that many years from now my kids and I can look back and see exactly what mommy was thinking on oh, let's say April 26, 2012?

Things I Love:

1.  My mom's sweet buttery cornbread recipe!  I mean, this stuff is delicious and dangerous at the same time.  It must be cooked in a cast iron skillet and I promise to share the recipe with you soon.  I need to remember to take a good picture of it BEFORE I eat it!  On a side note, I just pilfered-stole-swiped-"borrowed" my mom's 30+ year old cast iron skillet.  Hi mom!

2.  Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and other natural, non-toxic ingredients that I can use to clean my home instead of commercially made cleaners.  I will not go into mind boggling detail here, because you can read about that over at one of my favorite blogs, Like A Mustard Seed.  She is amazing, she is Christian, and she is one smart lady!

3.  Eating popcorn and making up silly words and songs with my kids.  We made a song titled "My Butt Cheeks Smell Like Baby Wipes."  Singing this song makes us laugh every single time!  My husband even has the guitar and drums figured out.  If you were wondering, I'm on lead vocals.  And if that made you wonder more, no, I cannot sing.

4.  Figuring out fattening delicious things to cook and eat at grandma's house on Friday nights.  This is designated grandma time and rarely gets canceled or rescheduled.  I don't know how much longer I will have with my mom (wait, don't worry she's healthy) or anyone for that matter, so spending Friday evenings with her is our little time that is set aside, simply.  No frills, no fuss, no muss.  These also happen to be the nights my son is allowed to play the Wii with no time restriction, my daughter can watch The Muppets as many times as she likes, and baths are optional.  Don't hate.

In the five minutes it took me to write this post, I had fun!  So, what are the things you love and look forward to doing?

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Back At It...Kind Of

Yes, I am still here.  I honestly have not been in the proper mood to blog.  Not only have I been busy with work and family stuff, but this busyness has really put a damper on my extracurricular activities, like baking and blogging.  But I am back, and with a vengeance!  Well, sort of kind of with a vengeance.  What I'm trying to say is, I am going to be blogging a bit more than usual and very soon, so stay tuned.  And don't worry, I know I am talking to all of one person who is subscribed to my blog (don't know if she actually reads it though).  But since this is a work in progress and was only meant to serve as an archive of the goings-on in my life, I am okay with my one subscriber.