Still here…

SIX years ago, I abandoned my blog and traded it for the constant immersion of information provided by social media.  Between Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat, I had no time for words, just images.  This January, I took my yearly social media sabbatical and for some reason, I haven’t felt like going back.  The social media negativity was sometimes overwhelming and I have felt a lightness these last few weeks that I have avoided it.

Why, then, am I reverting to my original platform for public exposition?

 

LARA and LENA.

 

Hi, Lara.  I see you there, reading my blog, AGAIN.  Sneaking a glimpse at your mom’s words from when you were tiny.  When I would post on this blog, your Dad and I would talk about how interesting it would be when you would be old enough to read my blog posts and get a little insight into your childhood.  I really can’t believe that that time is here.  To say, “time flies” may seem cliché, but it really did go by in the blink of an eye.  So much has changed.  So much has been experienced.  So much more to come! 

I think it’s only fair to continue to post a bit, here and there, and record some of the beauty of our days together.  Lena deserves to have some of her stories recorded.  Lara would benefit from some current posts.  I’m sure she’s tired of reading the same posts over and over again.

I hope that I can be as consistent with this as I was with my Snapchat stories and Instagram posts.  All those posts needed was a filter and hashtag, then they were ready.  This takes a lot more, which I hope encourages me to write and really think through my words.

So, here is where I am now.  Been married for 13 years to my best friend and the most understanding/patient/forgiving person I have ever encountered.  How he puts up with all my nonsense, I will never understand.  I am a mother to Lara Estela, 11 years old and as intelligent and beautiful as I could ever have imagined.  She is gifted in all areas and has even stumbled onto adolescent angst a little early.  Congratulations to us! 🙂  I am also mother to Lena Amalia, 1 year 9 months of soft, sweet, toddler deliciousness.  Her favorite words are MINE, NO and MORE.  I do whatever she says for fear that she may bite me during one of her chi-chi snacks.  I love them.

 

 

Day 8…

While all you “normal” people are enjoying the early Spring and fawning over the supposed beautiful SoCal weather, I am wishing and hoping for clouds and rain.  I sleep SO much better during the day when there is NO sun out.  The sun seeps through my curtains.  EVERYONE stomps by my house on sunny days.  The pets are all extra rambunctious.  All of that means I can hardly sleep.  Sun, Sun, GO AWAY.

 

The only sun I like is one drawn by Lara.  I found this half-finished drawing in the living room this morning.  🙂     

 

 

Day 7…

 

 

My new favorite button is A.  I LOVE my new Wii!  I spent 3 hours reacquainting myself with Mario and, honestly, I’ve still got it.  It’s like I’m back in apartment #5 (Stephen’s words, not mine).  And, Lara spent 30 minutes with Just Dance Kids yesterday.  All in all, a great purchase.  🙂

Day 6…

 

Breakfast for dinner!  It was Minimum Day Monday (Which I HATE.  A half day EVERY Monday?  Come on, PUSD!) so Susie & I took advantage and took our girls to see Lady and the Tramp at the El Capitan.  Isn’t that movie wonderful?  Brother and I would watch it almost daily.  It was a little different from what I remembered, a lot sadder.  The rat was SO spooky!  Jim Dear and Darling were very annoying! 

After the movie, we stopped by the Disney Soda Fountain & Studio Store.  And, I ordered waffles.  🙂

Day 5…

 

 

 

 

Day 5 was Sunday, February 6th.  At 10:am, I was at Starbucks, my home away from home.  I was with Stephen and Lara, my favorite people ever.  We had 45 minutes until the start of church and we were enjoying each other’s company.  Lara was reading to us.  That is, by far, one of the coolest things I have experienced as a Mother.  Having Lara read to me is up there with breastfeeding and Lara’s first word.  It’s AMAZING.  I make a huge deal about it and ask her every few pages, “Lara, how does it feel to read?”.  I want her to cry from joy, of course.  Instead, she shrugs her shoulders and says, “Mom, you already asked me.  It feels good”.  It DOES feel good!  ❤

Day 4…

 

 

 

A stranger!  That’s hard!  I’m shy so, it had to be a stranger who had no idea I was taking their picture.  It would have been really cool if I would have actually asked permission or met someone or interacted.  I couldn’t do it.  😦  Plus, my job has made it kind of hard for me to interact with people in person.  I usually hide behind a telephone line.  This stranger is making crepes.  My favorite!  Also, I don’t know what that grey bar is all about it.  I downloaded it wrong.  Sorry.

Monday Morning

One of my biggest character flaws that lead me into trouble on a daily basis is being unable to accept defeat.  Now, before you put a plaque up for me and name me MVP for never giving up, let me explain.  It’s in no way heroic.  It’s more of a hard-headed, stubborn quality, where I am being handed a piece of paper saying, “You Lost”, and I’m quick to respond, “No, I didn’t!  I’m a winner!”. 

 

My doctor tells me I need to lose weight?  No, I don’t.  I’m in the best shape of my life!

I got a C on a test?  Considering I didn’t study, that’s practically an A+!

 

 

I guess you could say I lie to myself because I truly believe it when I say these things.  I’m constantly kidding myself.

Never was this trait more apparent than this morning.  After waking up 20 minutes before it was time to walk out of the door, I decided to do the following things:

 

Take a shower (including shaving my legs).  Serve myself some oatmeal.  Pack up the laptop and all its attachments so that I can hang out at Starbucks after I drop Lara off at school.  Put make-up on, so that I can go back to Lara’s school at lunch and volunteer without looking a mess.  Change purses (from last night’s small, cross-body to a HUGE H&M carry-all).

 

All of this while also getting Lara ready for school.

Does this make sense!?  And, when I managed to walk out of the door ON TIME after doing ALL of these things, I gave myself such a pat on the back.  You should have just SEEN my self-satisfied smirk as I walked to the car.  Lara could hardly look at me from the beaming.  Because, who else can do ALL of that in 20 minutes?!

I bet you all can sense where this is going.  As I was about to pull out of the driveway, I reached into my purse for lip balm.  My purse was inundated in milky oatmeal.  I failed to properly secure the Tupperware lid.  Because, I was going at lightening speed all morning.  So, now I have to dump everything out of my purse FAST because my Dell, Kindle and Blackberry are in there.  Along with my wallet, make up, planner, ETC.  All of this happening in my NEW CAR.  I moved fast and went into the trunk, pulling out some old dresses on their way to the Salvation Army.  I created a drying station on the floor of the car (mind the leather seats!) while I used Wet Wipes to clean up.  I ran into the house and swapped the milky purse for a new purse.  As we drove to school, I cleaned the items, handed them to Lara and she placed them very neatly in my purse.  She was THE BEST helper.  She talked me off of the ledge with reassuring words, “Don’t worry, Mom.  It’s not your fault.  It wasn’t a mistake, it was an accident.  Nothing is ruined.  The new car still smells good”.  

 

And, she’s right.  Nothing was ruined, except for the H&M purse and the oatmeal (which I dramatically tossed in the trash when we got to school).  She was 10 minutes late to school.  And, when I arrived to my car, there was no mess and all of my items were salvaged.  I gave myself a HUGE pat on the back because no one can deal with emergencies like I can.    🙂

Day 3…

And, this is why an Iphone looks more and more appealing each day.  I couldn’t just upload this pic RIGHT when I took it.  My Blackberry Worpdress App has some kind of bug that no one has been able to resolve.  So, I had to get to a desktop to show off Lara’s hands.  Here she is, practicing her numbers, up until 100.  The goal is for them to be able to write them and count out loud.  Oh, Kindergarten, aren’t you cute?  🙂

Day 2…

 

Day #2 is WORDS.  The 1st thing I thought of was to write something down and show all of you what beautiful penmanship I have.  I was trying to think of something poignant to say when I looked over at my Starbucks cup.  It was filled with an Iced Soy Chai Latte at the beginning of the night.  Around 2am, it was a cup of ice water.  Around 4am, it was Diet Coke.  And, every time I pick it up to take a sip, I look at my misspelled name.  Why would anyone add an extra N to my name?  Diannnnnnna.  Is that how I said it?  Do I enunciate the N too much?  Is it because English is my 2nd language?  Something to ponder.

 

Day 1…

 

And, Stephen has found a way to get me out of my non-blogging funk.  He showed me this photo challenge that was going around Instagram and I’m SO sold.  Sure, I don’t have Instagram.  Or, an Iphone (YET.  I’m thinking I’m going to convert some time this year).  I’m still going to use the good OLD Blackberry (and, the point & shoot) to participate.  And, YES, I realize I’m late on the 1st post.  I forgot, okay!  So here is #1: my view for the last 10 hours:

 

I know it doesn’t look very appealing, but it’s actually not TOO bad.  That’s what’s in front.  Behind me, are my Friends who have me laughing up a storm all night.  Partly from jokes, partly from exhaustion.  Everything seems so much funnier at 3am. 

I apologize in advance if my photos are blurry/boring/etc.  🙂

 

DP