Frenchie McKnitsalot's knitting resolutions

I am doing so well. 1 month into the new year, and my resolution to knit in a more challenging way is going quite well, so far. I still have one project that I started this year that I have yet to finish because it's gotten a bit boring, but the rest go on and off the needles quickly, mostly because I've been so challenged by the patterns that they are keeping my interest.

This is Little Honey for Mia. It is a really nice pattern for a top-down sweater, and while I was doing the neck and sleeve shaping, it really did keep my interest. But now, I'm just doing the sleeves and the endless stripes and knit stitch makes it a bit boring. Hopefully, the next time we pop in a complicated movie, it'll get finished. Once I finished the body, I tried it on Mia and it runs REALLY big, so that might be one of the reasons I am not motivated to finish up.

 A quick little distraction for me while I was in the middle of the body of the above Little Honey was this little turban headband. It was intended for my niece, Danielle, but this too, turned out huge so it is just on Mia's head. I made another, significantly smaller one, for Danielle. It is all ready to ship out as a little Valentine's day present!

 This is an infinity scarf that I finished up before the end of the year, not technically a 2014 project, but I've been wearing it almost every day that I can hardly let it go unmentioned. It's very loosely knit, and I just sort of winged the different stitches. It loops twice around, and is really handy to wear over a sweater during this very mild Las Vegas winter.

This is my Block of the Month blanket project. The idea is, you knit one block every month, and by the end of the year, you've got 12, enough for a blanket. I decided to try doing 2 per month, to double the size of the blanket. I've done 1, and am at 1/2 of the second block. It takes so little time, that I could honestly sit down and finish that second block tonight if I REALLY cared about staying on track for 2 blocks per month. Hmm... maybe I will.

Lastly, and most triumphantly, here is a triangular lace edged shawl that I am giving my grandmother for her 90th birthday. (The one we are taking the trip to France for?) It is really beautiful, and I hope she loves it. It took me less than a week, because, again, I was so captivated by the pattern that I couldn't put it down. It's a merino wool yarn, and it's hand-dyed, which is why the color is a bit varied. What you can't see in the pictures is that there's a bit of silver thread woven into the yarn, so it has a bit of a shimmer to it. Really beautiful.

So that's it! One month, 5 projects on needles, and only 2 remain to be finished! I'm doing well. Yesterday, I just casted on a scarf for my French uncle using the most scrumtious yarn I've ever bought. It's not far along enough to deserve any pictures. Any knitters out there? Friend me on Ravelry! My name is AttyAnais.

Daycare Woes

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that Mia's main daycare teacher was retiring. Well, she did, and she was replaced by a new teacher. This teacher is only there during "school hours", and leaves at 3:30, when the kids stop their scheduled portion of the day, and... just play? Who knows how much you can really schedule a group of 2 year olds, but that seems to be how it works and Mia knows her letters and numbers, so what more can we really ask for. Anyway, on her first day, I came down during "school hours" in order to meet her. She seemed nice, a bit overwhelmed, but nice.

I keep asking Mia whether she likes her new teacher. She hasn't acknowledged that she has a new teacher yet, and it's been about two weeks. She hasn't repeated her name, but, I'm giving it more time. So far, we haven't been getting the same kind of feedback from this teacher that we used to get from Miss S. She may still be adjusting - figuring out what she wants to do, etc. I'm trying to be patient, but I'm not quite sure when to draw the line.

We got notice a few weeks ago that our daycare was changing locations. They're moving a substantial distance from their current location, much further than you would expect for this kind of move. To be totally honest, the move makes my life easier. Right now, to pick Mia up, I have to take the long way home. With the new location, I take the short way home, while getting off at a different exit. But, for B, it's significantly less convenient, and he's really going to have to go out of his way to drop her off in the mornings - putting our morning ETD about 20 minutes earlier than it has been. I mean... not the end of the world, but overall kind of a pain.

Again... I'm trying not to make any quick judgments. The new location starts February 1st. I'm hoping that once the move is done, (and we get used to the new-ish routine) the new teacher will get into a groove in her new classroom. But, on Monday, I found out that Mia's best friend at school is switching day care centers because of the move. And that's a real bummer. If in a few weeks things don't seem to be getting better, I might start taking some tours.

Bullet Catch Up

2 weeks? Really? I'm never sure how that ends up happening. I swear that I've composed a couple of blog posts in my head since then, I guess they just never made it down in writing. Anyway, in the interest of getting me writing again, let's see what I can get down.

1) Pink Eyes and Ear Infections - they're at our house. On the same person. On Sunday, when Mia woke up from her feverish nap, I saw the gunk around her eyes and declared that she had pink eye. She looked at me, and asked: My eyes pink? Yes, child. Your eyes pink. I kept her home, got her to the pediatrician at 8:45 am, where she was also declared to have an ear infection. This is too many in a row, so the pediatrician is recommending an allergy test, which we will do next week. She's at home for a second day in a row, with B. Daily allergy medicine has got to be better than constant ear infections, right?

2) The Bachelor. I am frustrated with it. You guys know how much I love this stupid show. I never fail to get caught up in the fabricated drama. I always fall for the editing - this person is crazy, this person is nice, the lead is always fantastic. This time? No. I am not falling for it. Maybe it has something to do with his anti-gay comments, but I am totally turned off by Juan Pablo. He seems completely insincere and not at all into anyone. They are editing one of the girls to be "the mean one", but I think she's actually great. I will still watch, because... well, because. But I am NOT enjoying it.

3) Mia and I are officially headed to France for my Grandmother's 90th birthday. We leave March 21st, with one night in Chicago to break things up. Then, one week in France! It should be fun. Oh, and Mia's French lessons? I am failing at them. I keep coming up with excuses - there is always something to do on a Saturday morning that I can use, but I'll be sorry when we show up in France and I have to translate everything. I will be sorry.

January Birchbox

This is my third Birchbox! I continue to be incredibly excited when I see that my monthly box is in my mailbox, and I was particularly excited when I opened this one up. The packaging and presentation was adorable! I am not regretting this subscription one bit, and at $10, it is such a nice little treat.

What I got:

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser: I tried this one last night, and I followed the directions wrong. It says you are supposed to put the product onto a dry face, but I moistened mine first, assuming you used it like a regular facewash. Still, it took all my makeup off and my face didn't feel dry, so, I'll try it again (properly) for the next couple of weeks and see whether it makes any notable difference in my skin.

Under Armour Braided Headband (not pictured): This one is not pictured because Mia ran off with it as soon as I took it out of the box. It's cute, and it's really tight on my head, which I guess is a good thing? I have never been able to wear one of these stretchy headbands without it slipping off my ponytail, and this one is no exception. But, I think it will work just fine for washing my face. Not something I am likely to buy.

Omnipotent Duosity Hair Treatment: There was only enough sample for me to do this hair treatment once. I did it this morning, following my shampoo and I'll admit that I was initially really impressed. The package comes in two parts that you mix together, and once they get mixed, the product foams up. Once I saw the foam though, I was kind off... worried about putting that kind of chemical on my hair, but I did it anyway. It didn't feel like a conditioner, and after styling, my hair feels like it wasn't conditioned, but it is really shiny and strong. It does smell a bit chemically, though. As if I had just colored my hair. I won't buy this - I would have been much more interested in a deep conditioner or a dry shampoo.

Camille Beckman Monarch Body Butter: I didn't like this one. The lotion part may have been good, but the scent was so strong that I had to wash it off my hands!

Coastal Scents Revealed Palette: How adorable is this tiny little eyeshadow quad? I haven't used it, but I did sample a tiny bit on my finger and it felt good - like a nice quality shadow. The colors are really nice, exactly what would use. I don't wear eyeshadow during the week (usually just a bit of eyeliner that I smudge with a highlighter cream), but when the next time I do, this is what I'll reach for. Honestly, I probably won't buy this but I love that I got the sample. This sample size is really generous for someone who rarely wears shadow, and this will last me months!

Date Night and the Daycare Kid

This Saturday, B and I went out on a proper date. A full movie (We intended to see Saving Mr. Banks, but it was sold out and we ended up seeing Lone Survivor. It was a great movie, but decidedly not the sweet story about Mary Poppins that I set out to see) AND dinner. It was glorious, and we had a great time. We didn't worry about what Mia would eat, whether I had crayons in my purse or whether she would knock anything over on the table. It was great, but that's not exactly the point of my story.

Mia, at 2 and 1/2 is at a great age. Saturday morning, I told her that tonight, you are going to [B's coworker]'s house! She has four dogs! You are going to have so much fun. Mama and Papa are going to go, but we'll come back to get you later. She looked at me, processed what I said for just a second and replied: "1, 2, 3, 4 doggies!?" Great, the dogs will distract her enough for us to make a quick exit.

In the car, on our way to Coworker's house, I told her again. "Mia, you are going to [coworker]'s house. You are going to stay there and play with her and her doggies, and Mama and Papa will come get you later, OK?" She replies: "1, 2, 3, 4 doggies." Excellent.

Once we got there, Mia and I played with the dogs, B gave his coworker our little spiel. I reminded Mia to ask [coworker] if she needed to go potty. She looked at me and said: "You're going to work? But you'll come back and get me later." Yes, Mia. That explanation works for me! B and I left, no quick exits necessary. Mia excitedly told us to "Have fun! See you later! I play with the doggies!"

Mia and Popeye, doggie #4.

It's nice to know, that despite the guilt I routinely feel at dropping her every single day, for 8 hours a day at daycare, she feels completely secure. When she was really little, I feared that she would get confused, that she would think her daycare teacher was her parent, that the daycare center was her house. But, that has never been the case. Yes, she loves her daycare teachers, and is probably completely comfortable at the nice, bright, noisy daycare that she has been going to for nearly two years, but she knows. She knows we are her parents, her family, and that we may go away sometimes, and has no anxiety about us leaving her in the care of others. Needless to say, she had a great time with B's coworker, and when we came back to pick her up at 9pm, she was wide away and showed us everything she had done, and everything she had played with while we were away.

Happy Retirement

When Mia came home from daycare last Friday evening, I found a little note in her backpack while clearing out her lunch bag. It was from the main teacher in Mia's classroom of 2 year olds - she wanted to let us know that she was retiring on January 10th.

I checked the calendar - January 10th was the end of the week. 7 days notice? At first, I got kind of mad. How can you only be giving me 7 days notice?? Then I realized, what exactly would I have done with more notice? Found a different daycare? Of course not. We love our daycare. We chose it because it was close to B's branch, but he has since been reassigned. It is certainly not the most conveniently located daycare relative to both our house and both of our work places. But, Mia has become so comfortable there since starting at 10 months old, that I have absolutely no intention of taking her out until she starts kindergarten. She has a best friend, she (and we) finally knows all the different teacher's names. We aren't moving. Whoever they are replacing Miss S. with, it'll be someone Mia is already familiar with, and I'm sure that person will show as much dedication and love in her new students.

But to Miss S, we will always be grateful. Mia is about 98% potty trained, thanks in great part to her. I can't imagine potty training a room of eight two year olds simultaneously, but she did it. We noticed a few months ago that Mia knows all of her letters - she'll identify letters as she spots them, while we're in the car, walking around, wherever. She knows them all -- and I'm certainly not the one who spent time teaching her that. I'd like to think that I would, if I didn't spend all of my time with Mia also juggling housework. If I didn't spend 8 hours a day away from her, 5 days a week. But, thankfully, we have a place that we can trust with her, a place where she is flourishing, comfortable and loved.

So to Miss S, and the other wonderful people who care for our kids while we can't: Thank you. And Happy Retirement.

Guilty Pleasure: New Shoes

Indulge me while I devote an entire blog post to my new pair of shoes.

Photo Credit, Sole Society

I have been coveting Sole Society for months. Months. I like about 90% of the shoes on the website, and I have had several pairs (and one bag) in my cart for as long as I can remember. They're not expensive, for shoes, but they are expensive for my current shoe budget of zero. I got my booties in the fall, and those are adorable and I love them, but when this pair popped up in my cart at $29 with free shipping and my Xmas shopping was complete with a bit left over in my Etsy bank account, I did it.

And let me tell you something about how much I love these shoes. They are really comfortable - a tiny bit tight in my toes (I'll probably order a 1/2 size up from my normal size when I order another Sole Society pair). I wore them for New Year's Eve at a sit/stand party, and the balls of my feet started only started getting tired after midnight. One hiccup, though: halfway through my evening, I noticed that the finish on the toe cap was slightly different. One is highly polished and the other is slightly duller, sort of like when you buy the display pair of shoes and one is slightly duller from being out in the light and the other is brand new because it was safely in the box? This kind of thing would normally bother me enough to return them, but I love these shoes so much that I don't care! To be fair, I did call the customer service, and they were perfectly willing to exchange them without any cost, but I just... didn't want to wait the mailing time to get a new pair. I figure that as I wear them, the finish will even out.

Anyway, I can't say enough about how much I love these shoes, how beautiful they are in person and what a nice quality the leather and materials are. Sole Society rocks.

PS: this is not sponsored or solicited - I just really like my shoes!

2014, officially.

On the Today show this morning, they said that today, the first Monday of 2014 is the most depressing day of the year. I was super bummed about this day coming - the first Monday without a mid-week holiday interruption in, what? 3 weeks? That sounds right.

But, this morning wasn't depressing. Right now, I am not unhappy about starting this new year. Usually, I start off the year  with the resolution to drop pounds. This is it! This is the year that I will be 30 lbs lighter! Well, not this year, folks. I am 12 pounds lighter this January than I was on January 1, 2013. While that is significantly less than my goal was, I'm not unhappy about it. So this year, that is NOT my resolution. In fact, I resolve not to go on a diet in 2014 at all. I'm not giving myself free reign here, just the freedom not to follow a meal plan, not to adhere to set list of foods, or certain calorie restrictions. I will exercise and eat mindfully. But that's it, folks. No diet 2014!

My main resolution for 2014 has to do with Knitting. I love knitting. I usually knit at least 1-2 hours every night, and it is almost always the reason I stay up later than I should. I've been seriously knitting for 3 years, since my pregnancy, but 2014 is the year that I become an accomplished knitter. I resolve to follow patterns, to learn new things with every pattern that I undertake. I resolve to finish that I start. I resolve to swatch. I resolve buy yarn only with a project in mind, and not to buy yarn simply because I like how squooshy it is. I will post all my projects on Ravelry. I resolve not to pick up some needles and yarn, and cast on with nothing in mind. I have too many cowls/scarves that are boring. I resolve to make a piece of adult size clothing that fits. I resolve to make at least one blanket. I resolve to participate in my local yarn shop's community, to make more connections with others who love this craft as much as I do. I resolve to knit from my extensive yarn stash! Knitting 2014!

Also, 2014 means a new season of the Bachelor. I resolve... to watch it as usual. Juan Pablo may very well be a disaster, but I am going to enjoy every minute of it! Who's watching?

Boxing Day wistful

is not a recognized Holiday in the US, which is a shame. While my office is actually stocked today, my guess is many other people's offices are not.

So, Christmas Eve and Christmas were absolutely lovely. I strategically planned to put Mia down for her nap at 3:30 (instead of 12:30) so that when she woke up, she'd have a full tank of gas. And, it worked out perfectly! She was her happy, friendly, and hilarious self until 10:30, when she finally went to bed! We went to some family friend's house for Xmas eve, and really had a great time. There were games, libations, and excellent Filipino food. Then, back to our little home to put Mia down and set up for Santa's visit. We forgot to leave him cookies, but thankfully, he dropped the presents off anyway!

Mia, at 2 and 1/2, really got into it this year. We left the Santa gifts unwrapped and around the tree, and she was in absolute awe as she made her way down the stairs. She immediately noticed the pink tricycle from Grandpa C, and before we could direct her to any of her other presents, she had to do a lap around the kitchen island. Then, so on with the rest of the gifts. She'd open something, exclaim: "For me? This mine? Thank you! You open it, Mama?". I'd have to gently coax her into opening another, ad assuring her that she'd be able to play with everything eventually. She got several books that she wanted to stop and read, art supplies she'd want to stop and color with... (Also, I put a few aside to bring back out in a few weeks. Let her enjoy her new toys little by little.) She was absolutely delighted with everything, less enthused about clothes, but put her new pair of Toms from her Godmother right on.

After about an hour of relaxing and playing with Mia's toys, we got dressed and headed out to the movies to see Frozen. I didn't have any expectations about the story, but it was absolutely terrific! Mia was captivated and I definitely recommend it to anyone (with or without kids!). We had a little Christmas lunch at the only restaurant open within walking distance of the movie theater and spent the rest of the afternoon with friends.

It really felt like Christmas. Mia was just so happy, and even though B and I were on our own with her that morning, it felt so special and happy. Our little happy family. Mia is such a sweet little girl, that we seriously could not have been luckier. I hope everyone else had a fantastic holiday!

I do my relaxing at work

As with every year, it feels like this pesky thing called WORK is getting in the way of my Christmas. I am here, everyday, all day, puttering around with little projects not requiring my immediate attention. I have one measely little report to turn in to court on Friday, and I'm slowly gathering the required documents to just stretch it out, while also wandering around the office asking people how many people they intend to bring to the holiday party.

While there isn't much shopping left to be done (though a little -- just stockings), when I get home at night, I race around the house with varies beads and wires and gift boxes and shipping envelopes. Stop for dinner, sit down for 15 minutes to play with Mia, then upstairs for her bath and bedtime. Once she's settled, I sit down and put together the gifts for daycare, wrapping and tagging each item. After spending some time trying to remember everyone's names, I just write "love, Mia" on every tag and hope they don't have more than 10 staff members. At least that was last night. Then, at 9:45, I pull out my knitting needles to finish up some co-worker gifts for 20 minutes, and then, 10:15 bed, because as it turns out, I am also getting a cold.

Tonight, I do the same (minus the beads and wires and gift boxes unless I get more Etsy orders today!) except putting together gifts for work. Every year, I organize Secret Santa (except this year, when a new girl totally stole it from me which I hate her for) in the hopes that people still stop buying individual gifts as well, but every year, a bunch of little gifts show up on my desk. So, individual gifts it is, but always of the handmade variety, which, while it may be easy on the bank account, is NOT easy on time.

All of this while my husband, sits in his usual spot and wonders why on earth I am so tired. B, can you at least tie some bows or something?

One item crossed off the Xmas to do

Mia may not be smiling, my hair may be in a ponytail, and people may not get it until after the 25th, but I think we still managed to look like a happy little family.

Birchbox: First Impressions

So, I think my turning 30 this year has made me much more aware of my quick descent into middle-age. I've always been somewhat mildly interested in make up, though in my adult life, my "daily beauty routine" never consisted of anything more than moisturizer and concealer. As I started working, I added on tinted moisturizer and blush. But that was it. Really.

But, since my pregnancy, I really started getting down on my appearance whenever I did a quick check in the mirror on bathroom breaks. Blame exhaustion from growing a person, and then exhaustion from raising a child, just yeah, blame exhaustion. That's really all it comes down to, isn't it? When you're tired, or stressed, or sick, you age?

So I started on my hair experiments, which have been pretty successful. As an update to that, I've noticed dryness creeping back into the picture since I am not conditioning as often (damned if you do, damned if you don't, amirite?) so I'm on the hunt for a deep conditioner, if anyone has any recommendations.

With a hair routine now set, and with results that have really made me feel good about myself, I decided to start spicing things up with my skincare, too. I started reading The Small Things Blog a little while ago, and have been trying a few things out. I've added eyeliner, and even lipstick! I also want to do a bit better in taking care of my face, eyes, etc. So, when I started hearing about those monthly beauty box subscriptions, I decided to jump on the bandwagon. I think there are a few out there, but I decided on Birchbox because of the price ($10/month) and its general popularity. I got my first one a few weeks ago, and I was pretty underwhelmed until I started using the products. With Birchbox, you get 4 samples of products based on your member profile, every month of varying sizes. You get one additional non-beauty item, like teas, chocolates, things like that. I've found the sample sizes of the beauty products to be pretty decent. I've been using some of them daily and still have product left to take me through the end of the week, at least! So, here are my thoughts on what I got in my box in November.

I got:

DDF Amplifying Elixir: This stuff is nice, I feel like my skin has gotten some nice hydration. I don't think I'll be buying this product full size, since it costs $70, but I will consider adding in a serum if I can find one that is more affordable but still not greasy, like this one.

Ayres Body Butter in Midnight Tango: As far as body lotions go, it's nice and thick but the smell is not at all my style. It's musky and strong - kind of like patchouli. Maybe in another scent?

Supergoop CC Cream: This stuff was the best. I absolutely loved it, and it was leaps and bounds better than the BB cream I was using. I've been using BB creams for about a year now, but whatever the difference is that elevates a BB to a CC is significant. I ordered the full size yesterday and just squeezed out the last dollop from the sample, so I hope it gets here fast!

Fatty Sunday Pretzels: A tiny bite - tasted good, so a nice little treat, I guess?

and a dark blue nail polish, a brand I had never heard of. It is a pretty shade, but I haven't had any time to do my nails. Maybe Saturday!

So, all in all, I'm pretty thrilled with my decision to subscribe to Birchbox. I'm super excited to get my December box, which should be on its way to me any day now! I'll take pictures of my next one to include in my review.

Holiday Hurdle

In addition to the aforementioned sickness, whose lingering effects are evident from the bottle of pepto bismol safely tucked in my desk drawer just in cases, this was THE week I've been dreading for several weeks. My mind has looked at every event and related it back to this week. I remember hearing about the Sound of Music live on NBC being on December 5th, and my stomach tying itself in knots thinking of it as my deadline to submit some documents to our outside counsel. Everything related back to this week, December 9th, 10th, and 11th. I realize I'm being cryptic on what was going on, but I assure you that it is only to do with work, and completely beside the point.

Things did suck, for those three days, culminating in less suck on the 11th, where I managed to play my own role very well. I was proud of myself and felt very well prepared for the 11th (date of hearing), so going into the morning, I wasn't too anxiety ridden. Anyway, things weren't as fine as they could have been (we didn't win anything) but now I've got time to do work on everything, and know exactly what needs to be done. So, all in all, R.E.L.I.E.F. December 12th, and I (and the Company) am alive and well.

So relieved, that I am finally finally allowing myself to think about the holidays! I already decorated our house (in an effort to distract myself from the fact that everyone was away from their desks during Thanksgiving week when hello! there is so much to be done, why are you all away when all I want to do is call you a gillion times a day!) So, now, with very little on my calendar between now and January, I am officially in Christmas mode. Unfortunately, it also means I only have 2 weekends left to do ALL THE CHRISTMAS THINGS!

As soon as I got home last night, I wrangled my two unwilling family members into some nice clothes, set the camera on automatic timer and took our Christmas photo. It may not be the nicest quality, and we may all look a bit haggard, but I'm sure I'll manage to find a decent enough photo. It may not go on Pinterest, but it will do just fine. I have been working on Mia's annual calendar (our yearly gift to all sets of Grandparents) throughout the year, so hopefully just a few finishing touches will do the trick.

This Saturday, B and I are hosting our second annual holiday get together with two sets of couple friends. I briefly considered having a bigger, real, Christmas party to solidify some of our newer 'friends', but in the end, a dinner party was all my brain could muster at the beginning of the month when invitations needed to be issued. B is making the dinner, and I will make homemade ceasar salad, and a bundt cake. I did the majority of our Christmas shopping online just a few minutes ago and decimated my Etsy bank account, but it's all on its way to the happy recipients (and one to my own house for B).

We still have to visit Santa, see the holiday flowers at the Bellagio conservatory, wrap and put together daycare gifts, co-worker gifts, and friend gifts. This is a to-do list I will happily check off!

Sick part two millionth

I hate writing about when we've all gotten sick. I wish I could just gloss over it when it happens, but when all three of us are sick, it is just so debilitating that I'd just let the silence go on until something new and exciting happened. And maybe that's what I should do instead, but I really don't like it when it starts creeping up on one week of no posts.

Anyway. Enough blathering.

We're sick! Weird, I know. On Saturday, Mia and I went to an indoor play gym, which was tons of fun but it turns out, infested with rotavirus, or norovirus, or whatever virus it is that makes all family members gag at the sight of food or dashing to the bathroom every forty minutes. We'll go back to the play gym, hopefully by the time we go back, we'll be immune to that place's virus lord. It feels like a stomach bug hits us every time we get exposed to some new child-dominated place. Once when daycare started, another time when Mia started hanging out i the 2 year old room, and now, the indoor play gym. Yuck.

This week though. The worst week for me to get sick. While B and Mia malaised at home, I had to be at work for some meetings. Excuse me rotavirus, I am booked until Thursday, didn't you get the memo? So, here I am on Tuesday, still feeling ill while my family has returned to their own respective places, quite perky from their day of rest.

One more full night's sleep and I'm sure I'll be right back to normal, though by then, I'll be able to take a sick day.

Teaching a 2 year old a second language

I'm bilingual. While my fluency in French may be rusty, it's there. Up until high school, I went to French language schools, read in French, spoke French to my friends, everything in French. In High School, I spoke French for an hour a day, because there was a little program in my high school for French kids. There were three of us, and one teacher, and we did correspondence courses, culminating in a French high-school equivalency exam at the end of my Junior year. The program was intended for those who were planning on going back to the "mother country" at the end of their parents stints abroad. While none of the people in my class actually went back to France, we could have.

My Dad's family is all in France. The younger folk speak English with a lovely and thick French accent. The older generation? Not a lick. I mean, my grandmother gets confused when B answers the phone and they can't even make basic small talk with one another. My grandmother turns 90 in March, and Mia and I are flying there for the party to meet up with the rest of my family. That's 4 months away. I'd like Mia to have at least a basic understanding of French by then, or my dual citizenship might be revoked.

So, I've been casually looking for tips on how to do this, but most are short articles listing various methods. (Bilingual toys, Dora/Diego, almost everything is Spanish) How about someone real? So, while I'm doing it in real time, I'll try a few things out, and share them here. Realistically, I know that me speaking French to her 100% of the time would be the best and quickest way for her to learn, but I don't think it's realistic for me. B doesn't speak French, and how exhausting would it be to have to translate? Very.

Instead, a few months ago, I had decided to start French Saturdays - the only day Mia and I are consistently on our own while B is at work. But, truthfully, I've been really bad at it. Saturday mornings, I usually plop Mia down in front of a movie while I do some housework. At first, I would switch the movie from English to French and she didn't seem to have any objections to it, and reply to her multiple requests for cheese in French, but then I kind of... forgot about it. So, here I am, creating some accountability for myself. FRENCH SATURDAYS.

I'll write about how it's going, whether I manage to find anything else to help, some french speaking toddlers who will just teach my kid for me, perhaps? Probably not. 

Family seeking three row automobile

Full disclosure: I was invited to attend the Las Vegas Motortrend Auto Show by some Toyota reps, the opinions on the vehicles are 100% my own. Truth be told, we were already planning on going, so the email was just a bonus!

So, cars. They remain on my brain. Last year, we thought we were going to trade in my car for a bigger, mommy-type car. And then we weren't, because we wised up and realized that having two car payments sucks (and still does) so let's wait. And waiting we are, but I am determined not to make an emotional decision this time around.

The earliest we could possibly be looking at trading my car in is March 2014. If we wait a few months longer, we're in better shape still. A few more payments towards my car means a bigger trade in value, etc. So, we're aiming for the summer of 2014 unless something comes up to derail us (or to speed up the need...). Either way, I'm doing my homework and test driving three row cars until I am fully decided.

What better place to go to get an idea of what is on the short list but the Las Vegas Motortrend Auto Show? This was actually our second time going, because, well, we thought we were buying a car last year, too! But, the last time we went, we concentrated on two row cars, and I've 100% ruled that out. 3 rows, or just stick with the same darn car.

Mia in the front seat of the 2013 Highlander. Pretty nice-looking dash!

We went through two of the cars pretty thoroughly. I didn't get a good look at the Sienna, mostly because I'm not that interested in having a minivan, and it was occupado for a lot of the time we were there. First, the 2013 Highlander, which seems like the logical choice. Decent gas mileage, three rows, nice looking. The seats were easy to maneuver, and it was low enough to the ground that getting out didn't require a step ladder. The driver's seat was comfy, the passenger seat was comfy. But, there wasn't much cargo room with the third row out. While that isn't a deal breaker, it was a bit of a downside. There was limited access to the 2014 Highlander since it isn't out yet, but we're told that it's expected to have additional trunk and leg room in that 3rd row, so we'll take a look at it when it does come out at the dealerships.

We also looked a the Sequoia. Now... I am not sure what it was about that car, but I was so into it. It looked big, like, from the outside, but when I was sitting in it, it just felt good. Like, it felt like I had lost 20 pounds when I was sitting in the driver's seat, and I did all the fiddling with this one that I did with the Highlander, and it all just seemed to click better. This car and I were one. I even sat my butt down in the third row, and you know what? It was comfortable. Like, I could sit in this back row for hours and I would be fine, comfortable. Like a minivan, but sexy.

This is us in that luxurious 3rd row - see how my legs don't touch the second row? Yeah, me too. More leg room in this 3rd row than in my current car's 2nd row.

Alright, so back to reality though. With the Sequoia, you can't have your cake and eat it too. While I was gushing about the car, my husband, ever the environmentalist, steered me towards the gas mileage card. 17 mpg, highway. That is probably pretty good, compared to most full-size SUVs, but considering my car current gets 45 mpg (Honda Insight) - that's a tough pill to swallow. We'll have to check the pros and cons on that one, whether we'll have enough family in town to justify a full size SUV, whether we'll make more children, whether we want to pay the price for the comfort.

Having never driven either car, both are on the list. B likes the reasonableness and absolute convenience of the Highlander, while I am being a bit cheeky and leaning in the Sequoia direction. The latter might be a better option for a different family - you know, one with older children, with many activities and many THINGS to go with those activities.

After visiting the rest of the show, we also have on the list the expanded Hyundai Santa Fe, the Honda Pilot, and the Nissan Pathfinder.

2 Week Update - with pictures!

It's been two weeks. I'm not sure how that happened, but there it went anyway. We've done a lot in the past two weeks, and not much of it was done in front of a computer, so that could be part of the reason.

Two weekends ago, we took a nice trip to L.A! More specifically, we were in Santa Monica. We left early Saturday morning, to get in around lunchtime on Saturday, and took an unfortunate 7 hours to get home, but LA to Vegas traffic is no joke, especially during a holiday week. It was really fun, though. We checked out Shop House, the new Asian restaurant by the Chipotle folks. My opinion: definitely delicious, but, like Chipotle, will take a few visits to figure out the right combination. We spent an evening at the Santa Monica Pier. The girls rode the ferris wheel - the boys were too chicken. The boys played some games and won a couple of the very small stuffed animals. One went to Mia, the other, to their own baby (a yorkiepoo).

I took Monday off, so it was a quick 1 and a half day work week for me (our office closed at 1pm on Wednesday), and then, a nice few days away. I spent Wednesday afternoon at the grocery store, Wednesday night prepping, and Thursday morning cooking pumpkin pie, scalloped potatoes, and mini hotdogs. We spent thanksgiving with Brian's co-worker and her family and had a lovely time.

A kids table! It was excellent - not having to fuss over whether she was eating or not! And she did! Eat!

 The rest of the weekend, I obsessively made earrings for the Etsy Shop. I decided to try my hand at some earrings, and once I got started, I just couldn't stop. Twice my budget later, and I've made about 25. I know what I'm giving the daycare ladies!

Promptly the day after thanksgiving, I went through the Christmas boxes and everything was up by Saturday night! Including our newest addition, Pippin the Elf on the Shelf.

Lastly, and sorry to end on sad note, but we said goodbye to our Chloe last Friday. If you'll remember, I had posted a while ago about Chloe being on her last leg. Well, almost a year and a half later, and it was true. She started having some blood in her urine and wincing when her abdomen was touched. And most alarmingly for our little glutton, she stopped eating. So, it was time.

Goodbye, Chloe. We miss you, but as we explained to Mia, you went away to rest.

On adding a second to the mix

It's the eternal question. Once you get married, everyone asks themselves, when do we have a kid? You think of a million things. Finances, living situation, job situation, whether you have the time, the energy, the stability. When B and I first got married, we started trying 4 months later, and got pregnant immediately. We didn't think about it much, we threw caution to the wind and decided that there was never a good time to have a baby, so now was as good a time as any. Never, not a single moment of my life, have I ever regretted it. Not for a single moment do I wish we had postponed our decision, even while my closest friends have yet to do any baby making of their own.

Now that Mia is 2 1/2, my body is starting to physically feel ready to become pregnant again. Not that I'm back in tip top shape or anything, but I feel normal. Normal at my new, pudgy size, and comfortable. I'm healthy, I'm physically well, flexible, strong. I've been keeping up with a yoga DVD 2-3 times a week. Nothing complicated, nothing terribly challenging, but my body is feeling good. 

The rest of me is starting to come around to the idea of adding this mythical second child into the mix. B and I are ready to love someone else, to take care of someone else. We're probably not ready for the lack of sleep, constant attention, and general high maintenanceness of a baby, but honestly, nobody every is. What we are ready for, though, is for that mythical non-existing second child to grow into a toddler, a child, a generally awesome member of the family. And that's what you're really getting, isn't it? Once you're out of the baby phase, the cute, cuddly, exhausting baby phase, you're getting an energetic, wonderful child. 

That part, I do feel ready for. I do. But the part that requires a larger car, a second daycare payment, and dividing my attention away from my very real, very clingy two year old? That, I am not ready for. The former two reasons, practical considerations... it's just money. It can be worked out, with time, it will be just fine. But the latter, 3rd reason? This part is what I still struggle with.

Of course, I know what the benefits are of having a sibling. A playmate for life, another family member, someone to team up with against your parents, someone to share Christmas morning with, and everything else that comes along with that. But I am so scared that adding another kid would take away so much of what Mia gets now. Undivided attention, no competition for lap space, time, patience, praise, everything. I feel so guilty for taking some of that away from her. She won't understand, and I'm terrified of how she'll react. In reality, and in my heart, I know she'll be fine. She's a sweet, sweet girl, who tucks her dolls in and shows empathy. She may have a wicked temper, but she always wants everyone to be happy.

In reality, it's not her I'm worried about, it's me. A big part of me wants to give all my time, attention, love to her and only her. But another, equally large part of me wants another sweet, loving, sassy, happy human being to join our happy little family. Someone for all three of us to love. 

The Philippines

I've felt the need to post something, anything about what's going on in the Philippines, but whenever I start something, it always ends up sounding trite. But, 5 days later, it seems like too much time has passed without me acknowledging what happened. For the first time in my life, a place that actually means something to me, personally, is affected by one of these natural disasters. It has always been so easy to hear about devastation without personally relating to it, without letting myself realize how stressful, difficult and devastating these situations can be. Again, I'm already feeling like I'm sounding trite...

Obviously, we're all aware that entire provinces are suffering because of the Typhoon. Tacloban, the biggest city from my Mom's home province is completely devastated. The majority of my family lives in Manila now, but a few of my Mom's first cousins are still living in Eastern Samar. We were completely out of touch with these cousins for the first few days of the storm, and while I was thinking of them the whole time, I didn't feel like I could say anything aloud (or in writing) until we heard from them.

Finally, two days ago, we got a facebook message. They're alright, but obviously they have no power or any other means of communication. They had managed to borrow someone's laptop for a couple of minutes, just long enough to notify their friends and family that they were alive. Yesterday, after some effort, they've been moved out Tacloban, where conditions are just getting worse and worse for everyone left behind.

What do we do to help? I have no idea. What I've been hearing is that money, donations, etc aren't really a problem. It's mobilization, organization, and actual boots on the ground help that is lacking. Tacloban is difficult to get into and out of, there are no resources, potable water is scarce, etc. If I find out about any real ways to help, I'll post again. But in the meantime, let's all remember that the images we are seeing are pictures of real people, with real families, and real lives. Not just pictures scrolling by on the TV...

Adult Friendships

An adult friendship is a complicated thing. Adult friendships don't start organically, the way they do when you are thrown into a dorm room, or a high school classroom. I'm not talking about the friendships that started there, and that we may have maintained through adulthood.

The other type, the type people that you meet as an adult, as a parent, as a co-worker. I've written about this before, how it's so weird and awkward to make friends with someone as an adult. When I wrote about it initially, I was still pretty new to Vegas, pretty new to parenting. But now, three years as a Las Vegas resident, and two and a half years as a parent, things are a bit different. Friendships have developed (slowly), but inherently, they are not the same kind of friendships. We've gotten to know and have spent some time with parents from Mia's daycare. We've spent some time with B's co-worker's and are spending Thanksgiving with some of them. I've gone to some knitting circles. I don't have room in my life for much more than that, casual friends, going out to dinner friends, holiday friends. [When communicating with these people, I always run my messages past B: "Am I coming on too strong with this invitation?" B always reminds me that we are NOT DATING. My thoughts, aren't we?] My head is full - full from the demands of having a family and a job. Unless you are related to me, or giving me a paycheck, I have very little time left to give to you every day. 

As a 30 year old woman, and probably more pointedly, mother, I've come to accept that the era of "hanging out with friends" just for the hell of it and without any planed activity has come to an end. You know how in high school, or in college, you'd just go over to someone's house, and sit around talking for hours and hours? Of course you could do that when you had little more than studying to worry about. I've accepted that doing this, sitting around and just talking, plus the shared idiotic experiences you have with these people, is how you really become friends.

Maybe some people can still make these types of friendships into adulthood/parenthood, but I think it's over for me. And I'm OK with that. My everyday life is full. I feel fulfilled. I have a lovely daughter, I have a husband who is still my favorite person to hang out with. I have hobbies that I dream about, that keep my hands happily occupied. But on Saturday afternoons, when Mia and I are home on our own because B is at work, I get pangs of loneliness. Doesn't anyone want to come over and just hang out with me?