ENOUGH!

That’s it! I’m done! Effective immediately there will be no more whining, no more complaining, no more fussing, griping, groaning, lamenting, nagging or protesting. Seriously, no more!

So what if I my house is not always spic and span clean and furnished like it’s ready for a home magazine photo shoot? Isn’t the important thing that we provide our daughter a nourishing environment that will allow her the opportunity to develop into the amazing human being she is becoming? With a toddler, two dogs and two cats our house nicely fits under the category “Child and Pet Friendly”. Some day we’ll invest in all the nice furnishings and accessories our little hearts desire, but right now we prefer furnishings built by Little Tykes and Fisher Price ~ it’s well built, sturdy and never out of style. I strongly recommend it.

So what if I don’t wear a size 8,… or 10, 12 or 14,…? This weight thing is not a new struggle, it’s been going on for as long as I can remember. Stressing about is clearly not helping being that I eat when I’m stressed and I stress when I eat. Hello? Anyone out there notice a trend? So right now I vow to stop, take a deep breath, relax and work on living a healthier lifestyle. I didn’t put on all of this weight overnight, and unless there’s some awesome magic drug being tested out there that will take care of this issue (and yes, call me immediately if there is; I’m totally against animal testing so I’ll gladly volunteer myself), then I will gradually work on losing it,… or work on losing it gradually ~ which one is it? Oh well, it’s one of the two.

So what if Scott and I have to give a babysitter ½ of our life savings in order to go out and enjoy some alone time and some uninterrupted adult conversation? It’s totally worth every penny of it. I’m pretty certain that it’s much cheaper than marriage counseling and in the end we’re investing in us (and our babysitter’s college fund, but that’s not the point).

So here’s what I’m doing instead: Say hello to my new Gratitude Journal.

This is nothing more than an altered composition book. My goal is to write, every single day, about things that I am grateful for and take the focus off the “negative” things we’re surrounded by. If you really stop and think about how very blessed we are, the question becomes: why in the world do we complain so much?

Well, today I say enough. As of today I am going to stop complaining and start really enjoying this wonderful life that I’ve been given. I am going to count and write my blessings every day. What do you say? Are you game?

Special Things

Today unexpectedly turned into "Special Things for Mommy" day.

First, for the first time ever, Isabella picked a beautiful "flower" specifically for her mommy. How seriously sweet is that? Needless to say, I was speechless.

Then, Scott surprises me by cooking a delicious grilled pork tenderloin dinner. Yummy!

Now that's what I call a good day!

Webster's says,...

exˈhausted adjective
1. drained of energy or effectiveness; extremely tired
2. depleted of energy, force, or strength
3. drained physically

This is exactly how I feel. I don't even know where to start. Don't get me wrong, I am very well aware that my absolute and total lack of energy right this minute is my own fault. But truth be told, I've had LOTS of fun in the process.

Thursday night
I had a totally fun class at my local scrapbook store followed by great conversation and coffee at Starbucks until about 11:00 pm. This, my friends, marks the beginning of my demise.

Friday night
As soon as Scott got home from work we went to our favorite Mexican restaurant for dinner (yes, that would be the one we go to EVERY Friday night) and then raced to Uncle Chris and Maria's place. Scott and I left to go to my friend Cora's surprise birthday party and Isabella got to spend some quality time with her cousins before they leave for Puerto Rico for the Summer. Another late night.

Saturday
Scott and I were going to the wedding of one of his financial analysts. I woke up , had a protein filled breakfast for energy and embarked on the most desperate journey to the mall to find an outfit for the evening. Well I tell you, the angels were all working with and around me since within an hour of my arrival to Macy's I had found not one, but two dresses, a beautiful pair of shoes, and accessories. The dresses were on sale and the shoes and the accessories were on clearance (BONUS!). And the best part is that I totally loved all of it. Seriously, how often does that happen? From the mall I ran to a nail salon to meet my friend Hannah by 1:00 pm to get pedicures and get caught up on girl stuff. Then I went home, got ready, made sure Isabella and the babysitter were taken care of, and hurried out of the house to get to the wedding 5 minutes before the scheduled affair began. From there we went to the reception, which was the most fun I have had in a long time. I laughed so much that my cheeks hurt and talked so much that my voice is hoarse. Facial pain and weak vocal cords, without a doubt signs of a very fun evening. Anyway, we got home after midnight. And can I tell you, it is unbelievably wonderful to have a babysitter that can drive herself home at the end of the evening. It's just awesome!

And finally, this very long post leads me to:

Today
We woke up late (thank you Isabella!), went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast, came home, got ready and left for a Pool Party. An entire day of eating, talking, swimming, you name it. We just got home about an hour ago. Since Isabella was so entertained, she neglected to take her afternoon nap today. Needless to say when we got home at around 7:00, she flew up the stairs and all but put herself to sleep.

And honestly, the scary thing is that it's only Sunday. We still have Memorial Day Monday when we're supposed to have a cook-out with our neighbors.

Now can you understand my exhaustion? And if I feel this way, can you imagine how my poor Scott must feel being the introvert that he is and having SO much people contact these last few days? And can you believe with all these activities I have not taken one single picture and instead decided to enjoy the moments and not worry about getting the perfect shot?

So, sorry about the long post. Sorry about the whining. Sorry about the lack of pictures. I feel much better now and think I am going to join my husband downstairs. Maybe we'll watch a movie, or better yet, maybe I will just pass out on the couch until he wakes me up and tells me it's time to go to bed.

Until next time,...

Our Zoo Adventure

Tuesdays are our designated weekly play dates with Josh days. This week since there was such nice weather in the forecast, Cora and I decided to take the kids to the zoo.

Honestly, buying a zoo membership was one of the best things we've done, totally worth every penny for as many times as Scott, Isabella and I have been to visit it.

Anyway, one of Isabella and Josh's favorite moment today was watching the ducks and the flamingos.

We also got to see silly monkeys swinging around, giraffes eating their lunch, polar bears taking a dip to cool off and the elephants just hanging out.


One of my favorite parts of the day was the sea lion show. We got to sit in the shade, have a snack and relax, for a little while anyway.


Then we had lunch and the kids played in the playground for a while.

With so much to see and do, and all of the excitement surrounding us, do you want to take a wild guess at Isabella and Josh's highlight of the day?

Yes, splashing in puddles, any and every single one of them at the zoo (and truth be told, there were many). Oh and by the way, the sneakers that Isabella is wearing are, or rather were, brand spanking new.

Needless to say by the time we got home, we were both exhausted. She is currently taking her much needed afternoon nap and me, well I'm seriously considering taking one myself as soon as I'm done with this post.

See ya!

It's official!

We're going to Florida in June. Scott bought our airline tickets and reserved a rental car for our trip and truth be told, I can't wait. I love that I get to see Hector and Yaira and the kids. And I especially love that Isabella gets to know and play with her cousins whom we haven't seen since last July when they came up for her first birthday party.

I foresee lots of pool time, a couple trips to the beach, a trip to the zoo, some shopping, some much needed R&R, and spending lots of quality time with family. Yeah!

Memories of a Wonderful Day

I had the best Mother's Day ever yesterday. We started the day by enjoying a wonderful service at church regarding stress (and boy did I need it). Isabella got to play with her little friend Josh, whom she absolutely loves. Aren't they adorable together?



Then we had an amazing lunch at PF Chang's. I LOVE everything about that place ~ the service, the environment, the food ~ but I have yet to figure out how to go there and NOT eat like it's gonna be the very last meal I'll ever have the pleasure of enjoying. Needless to say I left there with the worst food coma! So what's the best course of action to take after such tragedy? Why a 3 hour nap, of course. All three of us came home and ran to our respective beds for some much needed rest.



After our mid-day siestas (which we should see about making mandatory in the US, strictly for health reasons), we got up and enjoyed the wonderful weather outside while watching Isabella play in her new alligator pool. Afterwards, Scott grilled some chicken and made some mashed potatoes and corn for dinner. YUM!




This morning I woke up and I was still on yesterday's high. It was going to be a great day indeed, just like yesterday, and why not? But of course, all good things must come to an end. First, Isabella decided to spill her water all over herself. While I turned my back to go get some paper towel to clean up the mess, she proceeded to pick up my full cup and spill it was well. I'm not entirely sure why I got so upset, I mean she's not even two ~ the reality is that as some people say "I ain't seen nothin' yet" and honestly, I know this. So anyway, I clean up the mess and go about my day with my cranky child.

Finally, during lunch Isabella thought it'd be fun to spill her milk. I looked at her in disbelief and I'm sure she was able to instantly and accurately read the expression on my face since her comment to me was: "Oops, no do that, mommy". At that time I left the room for a while for a few reasons: (1) I really needed a minute to myself so that I could practice my breathing exercises (2) I didn't want her to see me laughing and interpret it as it's OK to spill your milk, or anything else for that matter, all over the floor, and finally (3) I thought if I gave it enough time the dogs would take care of the clean up (which they were delighted to do).

I am pleased to report that things eventually got better and the night ended wonderfully with me taking a scrapbooking class with Marci. And seriously, you just can't beat that.

And what about tomorrow? Well, one thing's for sure, Isabella will be using sippy cups ALL DAY LONG.

Woo Hoo!!!

I'm sorry, did I say that out loud? Well then,... let me say it again: Woo Hoo!!! I just got done making all of Isabella's 2nd birthday party invitations and they look AWESOME if I may say so myself. They were a pain to make and took me forever, but I am thrilled to be done and quite pleased with how they turned out.

And yes, I know her birthday isn't until July, but things start to get really busy for us right about now and I wanted to be proactive for a change (and actually, it feels great).

Bottom line, right now I get the satisfaction to checking off one more thing on my To-Do list. Yes, only 524 more to go.

I think I can, I think I can,...

Happy Mother's Day to all you amazing mommas out there!

First Visit to Chuck E. Cheese's

My dear friend Cora and I had agreed to get together today with the kids and for some unknown reason, we chose Chuck E. Cheese's. To be totally honest I was a bit apprehensive about the whole thing. The times I've been there in the past with my niece and nephew the place was always an absolute madhouse. And that's just the loud music and the mess of kids. Don't even get me started on the mean and crazy parents/adults shoving little ones out of their way so that they can play the games.

But I gotta tell you, it was quite the pleasant experience and as expected, Isabella loved every bit of it. Maybe it was because we went at 10:30am on a Thursday and for the longest time, we were the only ones there. I think the fact that it was relatively quiet and the kids had full access to the games made it oh so bearable. They were able to go down the slide as often as they wanted, play games for as long as they wanted and wander around. It was great. And to top it off the entire way home all she talked about was her little friend Josh, going down the slide, the balls she threw and the juice and pizza she enjoyed for lunch.

Side note ~ I'm no game expert, but I'm 99% sure this is not exactly how the game is supposed to be played,... or is it?



There is no doubt in my mind that we will be going back again soon (well,... as long as it's on a weekday morning during the school year).

They're having a GIRL!!!!

Or so their doctor thinks. When asked today when he would be able to give them a definite answer on their baby's gender, the doctor expertly replied "When you deliver". Now if that's not a prime example of some hard-earned money, I just don't know what is.

My cousin Jessica and her awesome husband Kenneth are having a baby girl and I can't wait. After seeing how they interacted with Isabella during last year's trip to Puerto Rico, there is no doubt in my mind that they will make AWESOME parents. Congratulations guys!

Now that we kind of know the baby's sex, I get to indulge in some yummy scrapbook supplies to make them a little something or two. I guess now I have to hurry up and finish Isabella's birthday invitations so that I can working on new baby's projects. Ooh, I see lots of pinks and lavenders, what do you think?

An Artist in the Making

Isabella loves playing with the art table her Nana and Papa got her for Christmas. In these pictures, I can certainly see the makings of an artist. Give her crayons, markers, pencils, pens or chalk - she will not hesitate to draw a picture. Give her Play-Doh and she'll make a priceless sculpture. Just for the record, I'm not just saying this because she is my daughter, who doesn't love Play-Doh that looks like scrambled eggs?

Her art table is located next to my scrapbook area so the two of us are able to make "art" together. Now seriously, how cool is that?

By the way, sorry about the huge mess on my desk, but I'm currently working on a BIG project: Isabella's birthday party invitations. They are going to be AWESOME!

WOW

I'm not exactly known to be speechless very often, but this certainly did it. Marci gave me the disk with the pictures from last weekend's photo shoot and all I can say is WOW! They are absolutely stunning. I love them! She did such a fantastic job with all of us ~ she kept us at ease, made us laugh and the end result is a direct reflection of that since she was able to capture us just as we are. I can't wait to do this again in the future and document Isabella's growth and our family's changes. Thanks Marci ~ You Rock! Here's a sample of her amazing work: