Sunday morningish. OK, not really morning. More like noonish. I got up late. I woke up in a real "mama" mood and I made breakfast for everyone. Scrambled egg with cheese and Canadian bacon sandwich for husband, boiled eggs with lemon pepper for Miranda, boiled eggs for baby, and overeasy egg and Canadian bacon sandwich for me.
I have been denying myself of coffee all week. Only at home because I've had coffee at work some days. I haven't been denying myself on purpose. I have actually wanted coffee. The thing is that I forgot to buy creamer last time I went grocery shopping and I just like my vanilla coffee with vanilla creamer.
After a week without coffee I couldn't take it any longer. I made myself some coffee this morning and decided to take it con leche. I reasoned that I drink it like that at luncheons and events anyway. Which reminds me! I'm going to the Hispanic Chamber gala Saturday and I need to figure out what I should wear.
I have felt so out of touch with myself lately. I know that this is reality and this is just how it is now but I'm going through an adjustment period. By that I mean a period where I will need to get the routine of being a full time mom down and then figure out how I can incorporate my own life into it. How to fit in my own time and more importantly writing time into my day. I literally washed, folded, and put away clothes all weekend. Even now I have my last load in the dryer. Did I make time to write? No I did not. Did I make time for my microdermabrasion? No I did not. By the time I called to see if I could go in before they closed she was gone for the day.
One thing I did make time for is to sleep. The four of us have this chronic cough that I've had for 2 weeks and Seth has had even longer. He took the required antibiotics and finished them this past weekend but the cough is still there. We're starting to wonder if we have something more serious like bronchitis or walking pneumonia. The crazy part about it that we don't have any fever. Wouldn't we have fever if we were infectious? Weird.
Anywho, I was reading Alisa Valdes Rodriguez' blog a few weeks ago and she decided to move to MySpace in time for the release of her new young adult novel. I thought the idea was brilliant considering the audience she's trying to reach. I joined myspace close to a year ago maybe because it's the only way to communicate with my 17 year old niece, step-daughter and 25 year old nephew. Even our summer intern is on there religiously and if I want to contact her that's the way to do it.
The funny part of Alisa's post that she was moving was the reaction she received from everyone! It was hilarious! So many people are anti-myspace. I don't blame myspace for the kids who are plotting running away with cyber boyfriends and the like. I blame the parents. They are the ones that need to be all up in their kids' koolaid knowing what they are up to. Believe me, if my teenager had a myspace I would be a regular reader and subscriber to her blog. But we are all adults. What does it hurt to have a myspace sign on and to visit other myspace pages?
Now something to ponder. If you had the luxury of never working a 9 to 5 again for the rest of your life. Let's say, if you could write full time, what would you do? What would you enjoy or volunteer for that you don't usually have time for now? And I mean extra things, not counting the ministry, if you would be doing that. That's a given.
Here are my answers. Feel free to post your answers on my comments.
1. Volunteer at my daughter's school, either in the classroom or the library. (I swear I don't know how women go back to work when their kids start school! I would want to take time off instead!)
2. Volunteer with a literary group.
3. Go to more art exhibits and openings.
4. Go to more plays and film screenings.
5. Do arts and crafts!
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Friday, September 08, 2006
Languages
I'm completely bilingual. By that I mean that I literally learned English and Spanish at the same time. I mainly spoke Spanish to my parents and English to my older sisters. I always said I would do the same thing with my own children however it didn't quite work out that way. The main reason is that Rey doesn't really speak Spanish so I'm accustomed to speaking English to him all the time. I thought that if a Spanish speaking sitter took care of them and spoke to them in Spanish I would be fine. I was right to a certain extent.
It soon became apparent that Miranda understood every word that came out of her "Mana's" mouth but she chose to speak to her in English. The baby is only 2 & 4 months so he had barely started talking in the last year but he is English dominant, with a really good Spanish pronunciation. Turns out children relate to the language that the mother speaks. So although they understand Spanish perfectly, they prefer to speak English.
Now that the kids have started school and will be hearing only English I feel the need to speak Spanish to them. I don't want them to lose the base that they already built these years with the sitter. It is a lot harder than I ever imagined.
So I decided to make a game of it. I also took 3.5 years of Italian in college so I'm pretty good at a third language. The kids get a kick when I speak to them in Italian.
I told them that we are going to alternate the days that I speak the three languages. So Monday is English, Tuesday is Spanish, Wednesday is Italian and so on. Miranda loved the idea and Seth will go along with whatever his "sissy" says. In this way they will continue hearing Spanish and hopefully hearing me speak it more they will start to connect to the language. And they will also pick up a new language!
Tomorrow is Spanish again. It was really hard to stick to it this week so far but I figure that if I keep doing it, it will become a habit and the children will eventually become accustomed to the 3 languages too. I'll keep you updated on our progress.
It soon became apparent that Miranda understood every word that came out of her "Mana's" mouth but she chose to speak to her in English. The baby is only 2 & 4 months so he had barely started talking in the last year but he is English dominant, with a really good Spanish pronunciation. Turns out children relate to the language that the mother speaks. So although they understand Spanish perfectly, they prefer to speak English.
Now that the kids have started school and will be hearing only English I feel the need to speak Spanish to them. I don't want them to lose the base that they already built these years with the sitter. It is a lot harder than I ever imagined.
So I decided to make a game of it. I also took 3.5 years of Italian in college so I'm pretty good at a third language. The kids get a kick when I speak to them in Italian.
I told them that we are going to alternate the days that I speak the three languages. So Monday is English, Tuesday is Spanish, Wednesday is Italian and so on. Miranda loved the idea and Seth will go along with whatever his "sissy" says. In this way they will continue hearing Spanish and hopefully hearing me speak it more they will start to connect to the language. And they will also pick up a new language!
Tomorrow is Spanish again. It was really hard to stick to it this week so far but I figure that if I keep doing it, it will become a habit and the children will eventually become accustomed to the 3 languages too. I'll keep you updated on our progress.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Life These Days
Starbucks
I love the design of the new Starbucks that have counters. I like to sit at the counter and pretend I'm sitting at an old fashioned drugstore soda fountain. I love that there's a Starbucks on the corner of I-10 and Shepherd where I can stop on my way into work after dropping off Seth at school.
The Weather
Something amazing has happened and the temperature has dropped in Houston!!! YEAH!!! High today 85 degrees, low 68!!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE FALL! It's my favorite time of year! There's always something in the air that promises to be fun and exciting in the fall. It reminds me of the beginning of the school year and football games at Delmar Stadium!
Homework
Oh my! Today was the first day that Miranda brought home homework!!! YIKES! 20 min of reading and then a bunch of other stuff.
I'm Sick
I've had a cough for about a week and this morning I woke up with a sore throat and slowly but surely I started losing my voice throughout the day. I said I was going home early at 3:30 but I didn't leave until 4:30. Typical. I came home and took a 30 min nap only to discover Miranda had also fallen asleep watching cartoons. It was a battle waking her up for dinner, bath and now homework before I put her back to bed around 9:30 now, since she slept. They are in the tub right now and we'll do homework when they get out.
Flowers
I bought Rey flowers today just because he was such a sweetheart all weekend. He was surprised!
Austin
Tomorrow I drive to Austin for a sales call and I'm having lunch with my cousin afterwards. It will be a nice drive with the weather being so beautiful like it is. I want to stop at Rosemary's Vineyard on the way home to get a bottle of red wine.
Traveling
I was going to drive to Cleveland, TX next week but they had to reschedule. Week after next I'm in Miami for 3 days for an ad conference. I'm going to take advantage of the time to write.
I love the design of the new Starbucks that have counters. I like to sit at the counter and pretend I'm sitting at an old fashioned drugstore soda fountain. I love that there's a Starbucks on the corner of I-10 and Shepherd where I can stop on my way into work after dropping off Seth at school.
The Weather
Something amazing has happened and the temperature has dropped in Houston!!! YEAH!!! High today 85 degrees, low 68!!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE FALL! It's my favorite time of year! There's always something in the air that promises to be fun and exciting in the fall. It reminds me of the beginning of the school year and football games at Delmar Stadium!
Homework
Oh my! Today was the first day that Miranda brought home homework!!! YIKES! 20 min of reading and then a bunch of other stuff.
I'm Sick
I've had a cough for about a week and this morning I woke up with a sore throat and slowly but surely I started losing my voice throughout the day. I said I was going home early at 3:30 but I didn't leave until 4:30. Typical. I came home and took a 30 min nap only to discover Miranda had also fallen asleep watching cartoons. It was a battle waking her up for dinner, bath and now homework before I put her back to bed around 9:30 now, since she slept. They are in the tub right now and we'll do homework when they get out.
Flowers
I bought Rey flowers today just because he was such a sweetheart all weekend. He was surprised!
Austin
Tomorrow I drive to Austin for a sales call and I'm having lunch with my cousin afterwards. It will be a nice drive with the weather being so beautiful like it is. I want to stop at Rosemary's Vineyard on the way home to get a bottle of red wine.
Traveling
I was going to drive to Cleveland, TX next week but they had to reschedule. Week after next I'm in Miami for 3 days for an ad conference. I'm going to take advantage of the time to write.
Saturday, September 02, 2006
I'm a Real Mama Now
For some reason now that the kids are in school I feel like a real mom. I know that sounds crazy but I do! It's weird.
When the kids went to the sitter's I could take them to her asleep and in pajamas. in the morning. She would feed them all day and I didn't have to pack food for them. The only thing I would provide was milk. She would bathe them for me every day and on my meeting nights she would dress them too. Miranda always had these great hairstyles! On ballet days she would make these great buns for her, not just regular buns, but little braids that made up a bun and stuff like that. I was spoiled.
This past Thursday it was a meeting night so I picked up the kids and rushed home to feed them dinner, bathe and dress them to make it to our meeting by 7:30. It was tough!! I was exhausted when it was all done. Other mothers have told me it will get better as I get accustomed to this new crazy schedule.
Now I'm one of those mothers that's wondering, "When do I have time for me?" I will have to make time for myself!
When the kids went to the sitter's I could take them to her asleep and in pajamas. in the morning. She would feed them all day and I didn't have to pack food for them. The only thing I would provide was milk. She would bathe them for me every day and on my meeting nights she would dress them too. Miranda always had these great hairstyles! On ballet days she would make these great buns for her, not just regular buns, but little braids that made up a bun and stuff like that. I was spoiled.
This past Thursday it was a meeting night so I picked up the kids and rushed home to feed them dinner, bathe and dress them to make it to our meeting by 7:30. It was tough!! I was exhausted when it was all done. Other mothers have told me it will get better as I get accustomed to this new crazy schedule.
Now I'm one of those mothers that's wondering, "When do I have time for me?" I will have to make time for myself!
Friday, September 01, 2006
Running Crazy
My apologies to all those who have come by to visit and found that I haven't updated. I am so crazy busy now with the kids in school that I have little time for anything else. I will see you when I can! Miss you too!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)