December; from Craziness to Crazymas

The month of holiday craze, shopping, parties, lots of bad-for-ya (but delicious) food & drinks followed by a full-force-6-week-kick-my-butt-and-the-rest-of-my-bod program my trainer proposed during my 1st session of the year. Little did I know at about that (the kicking-my-butt part) at the beginning of December – I was blissfully unaware.

Speaking of “bliss”…its definition: getting carded at Trader Joe’s for buying a bottle of wine. Now, THAT is bliss, given that I was born in the year that ABBA’s Dancing Queen hit the top 10 on the Billboard charts.

Once again, I fell into the “Holiday Craze” trap and managed (despite my best intentions) to have to go out and shop for last-minute Christmas gifts. This year, EVERYTHING will be purchased online. As much as I love the mall, I want to avoid it at all cost come Christmas 2012.

Personally, my two best Christmas gifts were given to me a few weeks early: my awesomely amazing and rocking Hubster gave me a new laptop. Going into my office to sit down to check my email is impossible, given that the boys possess some sort of "Mommy-at-the computer-in-the-office-radar", causing them to come and find me before I can sit down.  In other words, a laptop solves many a practical issue around this house. In addition, I now have a device that is solely MINE. No sharing, no children, no alphabet movies allowed. Just Mommy stuff. I tell the kids that their movies don’t work on my laptop – I wonder how long that’ll fly with them…

That same night, Ryder fell asleep in my arms. He was restless, so I took him out of his crib and plopped down with my big lil’ buddy in the oh-so-comfortable glider. Within 30 seconds he was out. Could not remember the last time that that happened. It was heaven. I could have sat there the entire night.

David was out of town the first weekend of the month. It was the weekend of soccer practice followed by the celebration of “Sinterklaas” – a Dutch kids’ Holiday. My friend Stacey came along as I really wasn’t up for taking both kids by myself: large crowds, 2 toddlers going in opposite directions, both on sugar highs and impatient to get their presents – not my idea of fun. Kai was old enough to get it and seemed to enjoy it. “Seemed” as I unfortunately did not have the chance to really be with him as most of my time was consumed keeping Ryder from hurting himself in the midst of his tantrums. I was “that” mom; the one with the thrashing toddler, who screams bloody murder. Large masses of people, not being able to run free, not understanding why he is there and why he’s being stopped from running away: tantrum-fueling material. By far the worst tantrums I have ever had to see him go through.

So, here’s December in SoCal: I was absolutely ECSTATIC when we were graced with a couple of days of rain. Hallelujah! The rest of the month: warm enough to drive around in a tank top with the car windows rolled down …, or to play outside … and eat mud.

Something ain’t right with these temps.

We had a new house guest join us in preparation for Christmas: an elf. The boys named him “Tommy”. Tommy the Elf sits of a Shelf and was a wonderful phenomenon that fascinated the boys immensely. In the morning they would explore the house (most of the time holding Mommy’s hand), searching for Tommy who had chosen a new spot after returning from his nightly visit to the North Pole.

Tommy the Elf doesn’t talk, but he does listen and passes on any wishes to Santa. He’s quite the cool dude, that Tommy.

The days leading up to the big Holiday were filled with Holiday fun. David and I had a chance to once again go on our “Annual Christmas Date” as we attended the Christmas party at our friends’ Jackie & Greg.

This is the Christmas Party of Christmas Parties. Jackie’s eye for detail is amazing – with decorations in every nook and cranny of the house. I didn’t use their facilities, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she had Christmas toilet paper hanging in the bathroom.

David and I were not the only ones to have a party as Kai had his first Christmas performance at school. With big eyes, not sure what to make of all this and uncertain of his role in this performance, he stood in the midst of a gaggle of toddlers, singing and performing Christmas songs in front of a church full of parents (and screaming siblings - NO, not Ryder. I had been smart enough to hire a babysitter).

Then there was the cookie & fudge making that Kai and I did. Great fun. Dough needed to be made (and taste tested), cookies needed to be cut, re-cut and cut again. They needed to be baked and yet again go through rigorous quality control to ensure perfect results. Then they needed to be decorated:

Once cookies & fudge are ready, they ought to be wrapped

and then delivered to friends, family, teachers & coaches. Personally dropping them off with the neighbors was incredibly exciting for Kai. He was one proud little boy, spreading Christmas cheer the Kai-way.

I wouldn’t be the “Super Mommy” if we didn’t whip up a Holiday cupcake this month. So, Kai and I baked cupcakes.

Ate them. Shared them. Handed them out. I don’t remember what we did with them, but they were enjoyed.

And then…there are – what started out two years ago as “tickle lights” - “tinkle lights”. Tickle Lights have become Tinkle Lights, but no matter the name they are still excitement ensuing. Fascinated by it all and sometimes too excited to breathe in between exclaiming “Look Mommy, tinkle lights! More tinkle lights! And more, and more tinkle lights!!!”, Kai goes nuts around this time of year. But wait until you get to “the house in Tarzana”… At the bottom of the street where are friends live is a house that, at Christmas time, does not have a square foot in the front yard or on the roof, that is not decorated. Kai’s reaction (in awe): “That’s Crazy-mas!” Crazy-mas. I love it. We’re keeping that one.

Of course we met Santa this year. Once again, not a big success.

At least we had a chance to ride the train to the North Pole.

And Kai got to make his very first purchase: Popcorn.

Despite all the excitement and the busy-ness of the month, Ryder took the month to relax and calm down a bit. A week after the massive tantrum blow out, things eased down a bit. Maybe it was something he needed to get out of his system, I don’t know. If it was, I can see how you wouldn’t want to keep that sort of frustration in, but really, it was extreme.

In the midst of it all, Buster decided to break his nail at the nailbed. It had to all be removed, causing him to sport the lamp shade for a few days.

Keeping a stubborn and a too-smart-for-his-own-good dog from getting to his paw is difficult [strike trough] nearly impossible. Lamp shade or not, the dog manages to find a way to get to it. Nevertheless it healed, but still giving us a big scare (not knowing if it was “just” the nail, or a tumor) until the bandages came off 5 days after the procedure.

And then the day we counted down to (several times a day) had arrived. Well, first there was Christmas Eve. Santa’s bag with presents exploded right above our house. The result:

At the sound of Kai’s door opening at 7am, both David and I jumped out of bed to catch his reaction. Had it not been Christmas morning, we would have tried to bribe him with all that we possibly could to let us sleep for another 30 minutes. But Christmas morning it was – and it was wonderful:

Shortly thereafter, Ryder awoke:

The morning was spent opening gifts, having breakfast, opening more gifts and eating and drinking some more. Then there were gifts, and some more gifts. We could have EASILY saved some more of the gifts for their birthdays (yes, we actually did save some). Once the children were in a state of overwhelm, yet playing with Thomas and his possy – the obvious winners – David and I enjoyed having the day off without feeling guilty. What a delight! In the afternoon the four of us watched the Polar Express, while enjoying some yummy bites and snacks.

Christmas dinner was our non-American style. No turkey, no hams. I am still digesting all that, plus the stuffing and gravy from Thanksgiving. No, Christmas dinner at our house consists of a beautiful Filet Mignon in a Cognac Cream Sauce. On the side: Green Beans topped with Caramelized Onions and Roasted Almond Slivers. This obviously goes hand in hand with a beautiful bottle of red. For dessert: Home Made Vanilla Bean Crème Brulée and finally a decadent double Chocolate Martini as digestive. (If only I knew what awaited me on that 2nd day of 2012.)

And so, Christmas 2011 came to an end.

On to New Year’s Eve we went.

As per tradition, I spent the 30th baking Oliebollen: beignets with raisins, topped with powdered sugar – a Dutch tradition for New Year’s. Of course, I wouldn’t be “me” if I didn’t add some cupcakes to the evening. So, cupcakes were created:

Before our first neighbors arrived, David decided to rescue a cat from the tree across the street. It apparently had been stuck there for 3 days and it was screaming for help. Up he went (David), 25 feet up the tree, in the dark, to rescue a cat. Though terrified, the cat allowed him to pick it up and take it down. I swear that cat wasn’t half as terrified as I was, but that’s a different story. The poor thing was dehydrated and starving. We gave it food, water and left it to calm down and hopefully find its way home.

The evening consisted of waves of neighbors and friends coming over. Catching up with neighbors who had been out of town for a while, to meeting new people. The evening was filled with (surprise…) good food, delicious drinks and laughter.

Happy New Year!!

2011 had come to an end. 2012 had started. Here’s to a wonderfully happy, adventurous, healthy and fun New Year!

Summer 2011 - The Second Half (August)

And for a change, I start by writing about me: August was great. I started working out with my personal trainer and am loving it. Though there are sessions where he seriously kills me slowly and steadily, it feels awesome to be back in the gym. AND in my new, size 2 jeans. [insert big grin] The day that I went shopping for new Fall clothes and I tried on the size 4 jeans, they were too wide. Wahoo, Hallelujah, praise Xavier (my trainer).

To continue the whole “health” thing, I signed up for an organic veggie & fruit service: once a week I pick up a crate filled with fresh, organic (pesticide & fungicide free) seasonal fruits and veggies, grown by local farmers.

Thank you Jamie Oliver and your Food Revolution for inspiring me! It is exciting as a box may very well contain items that I otherwise would not buy at the store, thus pushing my experimental cooking boundaries. I’m loving it. We’ve discovered some awesome new dishes already :-)

On August 15, I wrote on my Facebook: “Laundry, cleaning, sorting, tidying, organizing, children, swimming lessons, cooking - Just another Monday.” That’s what the average August day looked like. And thus, as busy moms, we once in a while deserve a little down time. Mine came in the form of a wine and cheese evening with mommy friends. Everyone brought her favorite wine, paired with a cheese. The result? A fun-filled evening with lots of laughter.

Ah, and then there was “MWO 2011”, or in other words: “Mom’s Weekend Out 2011” – the annual tradition of our mommy group, established in 2009. In 2009 we rented a house in Palm Springs and had a wild time. In 2010 we spent a weekend in Santa Barbara and had a laid back time. This year we went to the Glen Ivy Hot Springs and had a soothing and relaxing time:

First things first: there are items that need to remain chilled in the hotel room’s fridge.

The rest of the weekend was filled with delicious foods, drinks, mud, and great company:

Enough about me. On to the children.

Kai discovered something new and fun: walking on Mommy’s back. He loved it. I loved it. Match made in Heaven.

One Sunday we had a Kai & Mommy morning. For the first time in both our lives we ventured out and explored LA’s public transportation…

Yes, we took the bus and the subway to Hollywood and Highland where we walked around, enjoyed ice cream and played in the fountain.

Fun, Fun, Fun!

Oh yeah, and this month marked the first time of Kai announcing that I was a “Rock Star Mommy”. AWESOME!

After 8 weeks of intense work play, the gymnastic classes came to an end.

And after 14 swim classes the day finally arrived that things clicked for Kai. All of a sudden he “got it” and the resistance had had up to that point vanished:

Out of nowhere he swam half way across the pool - by himself, face in the water, eyes open.

He LOVED it. From that moment on, all I heard was "I want to swim more, I want to swim more".

I could not be prouder of my boy. Needless to say, swim lessons ended on a great note this year and we are both looking forward to next year’s classes.

August also “celebrated” the day when I officially announced that I now officially had “two children who are capable of throwing tantrums”. It was one of those afternoons where temperatures forced you into the mall. So, we went. As most malls, this one had a fountain – a point of gravity for most children under the age of 5 and thus also for mine. Though Kai got it, Ryder didn’t quite accept the “don’t jump in the fountain” warning from me. Oh, the scene that followed… (Use your imagination – I’m sure you’ll do just fine)

At his 18 month check up this month, Ryder weighed in at 33lbs. 9 oz. and he measured 36” long. That was the max on the “baby” measuring table. At 18 months he had outgrown the pediatrician’s baby-measuring table. Bless his appetite.

By the way, the boys are letting their Dutch heritage shine through – happy me: they both became fascinated [strike through] obsessed with putting money in their piggy banks. We actually bought one of those clear plastic banks for Kai, the one with a “slide”: you put the money in, it zigzags down and each coin falls in the appropriately sized chute. I remember always wanting one of those when I was a kid, so when we found this one – in the shape of a jukebox – I just had to buy it for Kai. Ryder too, loves LOVES getting his hand on change. He’ll run to this room, do everything he can to pull his ceramic piggy bank off the shelf, put it on the ground, and put his money in. Very concentrated. Once the money is in, he claps in his hands and gets the biggest grin on his face. Yes, they’re half Dutch. Awesome.

And last but not least: there was the boys’1/2-year birthday bash. Given that their actual birthdays are in February and we have more friends than we can have inside, the kids’ party takes place in August, when everyone can be outside and there is plenty of room for everyone to run, jump, swing, play, eat and drink.

It was a fun day with tons of yummy foods and drinks,

,a great Lightning McQueen & Mater birthday cake with waaayyyy too much food coloring,

tons of kids running around on too much sugar, a bouncy castle

and a whole lot of fun.

And so, the 2nd half of summer comes to an end. It was a great month, with tons of excitement and fun – for all of us.

Ignorance Is Bliss

This morning was the morning: the ever-feared, absolutely dreaded, wish-I-could-escape morning: my 8:30am appointment with the dentist.  I fear those appointments.  All because I suffer from severe childhood trauma (at the dentist).  My mom always used to be afraid of the dentist, so I am sure some of that sentiment rubbed off on me.  In retrospect, I totally get why she was terrified of the guy:  I remember my first cavity all too well.  Well, not the cavity, but the experience of having it drilled and filled.  The drilling part is engraved in my memory: no anesthetic (they're not big on that in The Netherlands.  You have to ask for one.  At the dentist and even in the hospital when birthing a baby!!).  Anyways, it hurt like he*l!  And the kicker: he told me "10 more seconds".  Well, I was old enough to count to ten, and guess what...the sadist repeated that 6 times!!  6 x 10 seconds my friends!!  That's a friggin' minute of drilling and laying in that darn chair in excruciating pain.  See where my anxiety comes from? 

Back to the present.  A while back I had a cavity that had comfortably positioned itself between my 2 molars all the way in the back, nicely tucked in between them.  Yeah, nice.  Long story short: it was filled, but it kept bothering me.  So, this morning I was going in to have it all 'fixed'.  The filling was going to be taken out, and replaced.  

Traffic wasn't as bad as I suspected, so I was early.  No chance to quietly read through some of the mind-challenging and brain stimulating gossip magazines in the waiting room as they were ahead of schedule as well.  So before I knew it I was in the chair.

First we had to locate the problem and make sure that it was the previously filled cavity.  "I'm going to put some cold on your tooth.  You tell me when you feel it and when the sensation is gone, okay?"  she said.  She walks off and when she comes back, she's holding a stick that has steam coming off it.  Whaaaaat?!?!  Is that Liquid Nitrogen you're about to touch my teeth with??  I wish I hadn't seen that.  Well, pointing out where the problem was turned out to be an easy exercise.  Holy crap that hurt!!

Then I get my anesthetic.  Despite having had 2 children, birthed them at the hospital, had almost every test done available during my pregnancies, I am still terrified of needles.  The one thing I knew to do this morning was to keep my eyes closed when she pulled out the numbing drug.  They use big ole needles for that.  Can't deal with that early in the morning. Anesthetic starts working, but before I have a chance to tell my dentist to give me double shot (anesthetics never completely work on me in their 'normal' dose), the drill gets whipped out and there we go.  As I said, anesthetic didn't work fully.  Mommy gets second dose.  Within a minute, mommy gets third dose.  At that point, all I want to do is sleep.

A few times I semi-opened my eyes to get an idea of what they were doing, but the tools I saw going into my mouth seriously resembled a nutcracker and some of the tools that David and I have used when we were adding our master suite onto our house.  I don't want to know what went in, what came out, what they did.  I am much happier not knowing.  In this respect, ignorance is DEFINITELY bliss!!  All I knew was that I was numb up to my eye lid and I seriously wondered if I would ever get my straight face back.

Well, here I am.  Early afternoon: my cheek is still a bit numb, but the rest works fine again.  My face is straight again (talking was difficult earlier), but I still feel like a walking zombie.  My cheek is sore as I apparently bit on it a few times in the past few hours.  My tooth still feels sore, which is not surprising when I think back to the tools that it came in contact with and other than that, there's 1 thing I cannot get out of my mind: ice cream.  Ben & Jerry's New York Super Chunk Fudge... Why now?  Why?  Probably not a good idea to dive into that when you just had the nerves in your tooth exposed.  Crap!

I just want to indulge.  I think I deserved that!  Forget about the losing weight thing for a day!  I lost 2 lbs. last week, I am 1 lb. under my pre-pregnancy weight.  I feel like crap, I need comfort food.  As soon as the kids are awake from their nap, we're going on a little afternoon excursion...to the grocery store!!!

Overwhelm...

Personally, I would like to think that I've got it 'pretty okay together', but it's days like these that throw that conviction right out the window.  What happened to the 'old' me, who didn't get shaken up too easily, who was pretty resistant to a lot of things happening at the same time and who was able to turn her ever-so-fast-zapping brain off to avoid losing it?  I don't know if it was the 2 pregnancies, the fact that I am getting older, or the fact that things have 'just' changed, but that woman was far removed from the one who just made it to the end of the day here.

Maybe I have too much going on...  Really?  No, my life really isn't that crazy compared to others, is it?

Putting things on paper has always helped me, so here we go:

1. I started this crappy diet on Monday, which means no processed sugar or chocolate.  I remember now from previous times I have done this, but it makes for a irritable and snarky me.  I am hungry the entire day (no matter how much I eat).  This regimen doesn't sound like it is a good thing, does it?  Oh but wait, it's proven in the past to let the pounds fly off me.  I'm just not feeling any lighter (yet).  It'd better happen soon, or else I am gonna bake up a storm real fast.

2. I am working on turning the dead and barren space in front of my front door into a vegetable, herb and flower garden.  Mind you I am NOT a gardener.  I have a hard time keeping plants alive, so this is a REAL challenge!!!  To get an idea, here is the before.  Stay tuned for updates.



3. I have so many things in my mind that I want to blog about...Can't even think straight at the moment, but I think I would need a solid week to develop them all.

4. I love watching the Food Network.  A while back I came up with a great idea for a show.  Tried to get it pitched, but never was able to reach the right people given the fact that I lack an agent or a lawyer.  So, last night, it took me longer than the usual 2 minutes to fall asleep and guess what...I came up with another solid idea.  Then I started thinking about how to get it in front of the right people, so sleep didn't happen and then Ryder woke up at 2am...

5. And here's the big thing: potty training.... Kai is hot and cold with showing interest.  When chocolate is involved (wonder where he got that from), he'll tell me when he did a poopoo, but getting him to get anywhere near either his potty or our toilet, forget it.  I think if I would want him to tell me before he does a poopoo (or a peepee for that matter) it would involve bags of chocolate instead of the 1 piece.  If not, it ain't gonna happen. 
I am so sick of the diaper changes, though.  Every single one of them (except when he's asleep) is a battle.  The kid drinks so much (about 5-6 large sippy cups/day) that I have to change his diaper about an hour after he wakes up, in the middle of the night, and every hour-and-a-half-or-so in between.  I am done with that.  However, I have no clue whatsoever how to go about the training.  There are so many approaches out there, I don't know which one's best (for him and/or for me), it truly feels like I'd be shooting around in the dark.  Especially since I am not able to get much direction from him as to what he prefers (other than being in diapers until he's in college). 
The thought of tackling this one is overwhelming to say the least.  I want to make it fun for him, but because I feel like I am without a sense of direction, I'm afraid that my tension is going to translate into how I'll be handling this process.  Everyone always talks about whether "the child is ready".  What about mom?  Huh?  Maybe I'm the one who isn't ready yet.  Oh, I just don't know...

6. And last but not least, I have been given 2 awards by 2 beautiful bloggers: from TV at TV's Take I received the Blogger Buddy Award.  Thank you so much my blogger buddy!!  Another Thanks goes out to Sofia at Sofia's World for awarding me the Versatile Blogger Award. Thank you both for your recognition and appreciation.

Following the rules, I now have to share 7 things about myself:
* My favorite cocktail is a Lychee Martini (recipe on Recipe Page)
* My favorite food would have to be the Indonesian rice table my mom used to make when I was a kid (no, we're not Indonesian, but nevertheless, she made a killer-rice table)
* I have no clue as to how to fold a fitted sheet.
* I'm getting seriously addicted to blogging.
* My favorite sweet (quick) indulgence is Ghirardelli milk chocolate squares, filled with caramel.
* My favorite ice cream is Ben & Jerry's New York Super Fudge Chunk
* Whenever I have a chance to sleep in, I always am wide awake and ready to start the day around 7am.  Ugh, I hate when that happens.

Looking at these things, it is blatantly obvious that the whole 'no sugar' thing is killin' me.  4 out of 7 are food related....it's my subconscious, I swear!!

Now, let me pass on these awards to some new and old blogger friends:

Family and Life in Las Vegas
Mother's Hideaway
Donuts to Crumpets
Big Teeth & Clouds

Mommy Monologues
Mommycrat

Diapers and Wine
Mommy Merritt
Random Ramblings of a SAHM
Mommycrat

Well, that's it for today.  I am off to kick my feet up and eat chocolate drink water and gnaw on a carrot.  Oh joy.

Mommy's 2-hours of heaven

My husband and I have a deal.  Well, we have more deals, but this one is the one I want to write about today: every week I take a 2-hour block that is for me.  For me as in ME.  No husband, no kids, I get to do what I want relax and take a break.  David had been gone for 3 days for work, so what better time to take my Mommy Break than the morning after his return?  (It was great timing for me, not so sure if it was for him...)

At 11am I had a massage that went anywhere from making me almost fall asleep to kicking my butt as I had a wee more tension in my back than I had expected.  How naive of me.  That was 1 hour, which left 1 more hour and I was definitely going to use it to my advantage.

I had brought a book and decided to go to Starbucks to just sit in the sun, sip my Frappuccino and read a book.  In the back of my mind there was that little annoying voice that reminded me of the fact that it was Sunday noon and that the weather was perfect for being out, which probably meant that I wasn't going to be the only one at Starbucks.  I hate that voice.  It manages to often ruin ideas or plans I have.  For all I care, it can take a hike, bother someone else, or just simply shut up.  I went anyways, I wasn't going to let it dissuade me.

I must have been in a happy and good place, because: parking karma!!!  A spot, right in front of my favorite addiction house.  (Side Note: I DO NOT LIKE coffee, except in the form of a Caramel Frappuccino or Tiramisu.)  Mommy parks the car and indeed notices that the whole outdoor seating area is packed.  That sure wasn't gonna keep me from enjoying my hour, even if that meant sitting on the ground in the sun.  I was going to get my drink, sit outside and read.  No one was gonna keep me from doing that.

So, I get my Decaf Caramel Frappuccino with extra caramel and whipped cream (hey, the one time I get one of these, I do it RIGHT!!), walk outside and shebang!!!  Karma hits me again.  Good karma that is.  A family gets up, opening up a table and chairs for me to spend the rest of my Mommy Break.

Besides reading, coming up with a great idea for this week's date night with my hubby, finding out about the book I want to bring on my Mom's Weekend Out in August and deciding that I am going to transform the little grassy area outside our front door into a vegetable / herb garden, I got to enjoy my Frappuccino.

Now, you have to understand that there is a science to drinking a Caramel Frappuccino with whipped cream and extra caramel.  You don't just drink it through the straw!  No people, no!!  There is a science to it.  It requires 100% attention (I put the book down for that) and commitment.  But it tastes so darn good, that it's all worth it.  Never mind what people around me think.  That'll be something along the lines of "what the heck is she doing?  She goes about drinking that like a kid!" Answer: "Enjoying my drink and yes I am!  So what?!?!"

Here it goes: before taking the lid off,you take 2 sips through the straw to make sure the drink doesn't spill.  Then you take the lid off.  You pull the straw out and ... this is the best part...: you use the straw to 'spoon' the whipped cream covered in caramel sauce into your mouth.  It is such a delicacy, it should almost be illegal.  By the time your whipped cream and caramel from the top are either consumed or are covering your face, you return the straw into the drink.  Now, you don't just drink the rest of your drink through the straw!  No, there is more to it.  The picture here doesn't show any extra caramel, but when you order it with extra caramel, they cover the sides of the cup with this delicious substance before pouring the drink in.  With the straw you scrape the caramel off the side before sucking the coffee in.  That way, with every sip of coffee you experience a little caramel explosion in your mouth.  Did I say DELICIOUS??  You continue to do this until your drink is (sadly) finished.  At that point you resist buying a 2nd one and move on to water to clear out all the bad crap and insurmountable amounts of sugar you just put in your body.

There you have it.  The science of drinking the Caramel Frappuccino with extra caramel and whipped cream.  With a book in the sun, after a massage...it doesn't get any better than that. 

I returned home completely relaxed, calm and soothed.  It was beautiful and it promised to be a nice and 'centered' afternoon.

Then I opened the front door...

...and was welcomed by the sound of a screaming toddler.  He wasn't quite in agreement with Daddy about the whole 'nap-thing'.

He's asleep now.  Ah, the magic of a calm and centered Mommy...

I should do this more often than once a week.  Seriously.

Mommyhood Memos

I have so much to do today, so I don't have time to write about how I arranged for a morning outing to this huge wading pool, getting my goddaughter to come along to look after Ryder, so I could take Kai swimming and then for Kai to not want to have ANYthing to do with the water.  What the heck?!?!?!  You've GOTta be kiddin' me!!!!  Sigh....kids.

So, on that note, I am participating once again in the Mommyhood Memo's from Adriel:

You know your life has changed when...
...you're in adult company and excuse yourself to "go pee-pee". 
[sigh]

Orange, Orange, Orange, Did Someone Say "ORANGE"?

Several weeks ago, I could care less about the World Cup Soccer.  I came across a few people (and ads) expressing their enthusiasm for it, but it didn't compare to the craziness one would experience in, oh, let's see...

!!!HOLLAND!!!

Seriously, if you think that this country (the US) goes crazy over the baseball, basketball or football...think again!!  (I say this lovingly)  Real craziness is my home country when it comes to soccer.  Once 'we' (afterall, it's a team effort right?) made it to the quarter finals, the orange fever got to me as well.  I have been gone out of The Netherlands since 1999, but as I mentioned in a previous post, you can take the girl out of The Netherlands, but when it comes to soccer, you can't take The Netherlands out of the girl.

As I just said, WE have made it to the finals.  I mean, if the Dutch team was sent home after their 2nd match, it would have certainly been 'they', but now that we're talking World Cup Finals, I mean, hello!!!!  WE made it to the finals!!!
For those of you unaware of what the term "orange fever" means, let me explain with the help of some pics I pulled off the glorious and generous internet:

Just to give you an idea.  We take soccer very seriously as you can see!

Even though I cannot say this for sure, but I have a sense that many neighborhoods will look somewhat like this:

And while all this craziness is going on at home, awaiting the big game on Sunday, I am back in LA, mad at myself that I didn't buy any red-white-blue or orange flags, decorations or whatever to show my support (and pride).  So, what's a girl to do?  Right, I went to Target this morning and purchased the things I needed to show my support for as much as I can at this late moment.  The result:

(The dots are red, white & blue by the way).

So, as you can see: I am ready for Holland to win.  Bring it on!!