antarctica adventure

last thursday evening, i found an email in my in-box from finn's teacher asking parents to pack a bag of warm clothes for their child because the class was going to antarctica the next day.  it was my first time hearing about this and c explained they were doing some role playing.  i made sure to pull finn's ski clothes down from the storage and had them all set out for him.

i saw finn briefly before i left for work the next morning and let him know i had his winter clothes ready. he asked me if i made extra food because antarctica was far away and he would need more food in his lunchbox".  i smiled and let him know he wasn't *really* going to antarctica and that it was just for pretend.  he quickly dismissed it and said "but miss hawke didn't say it was PRETEND mom. we really are going!" he was adament, explaining they made passports and everything.  as nicely as i could, i reiterated they weren't really going but he didn't want to hear it.  i let c know he might want to have a conversation with him on the way to school.

when finn arrived home from school, i asked how his day was and he said "it was the worst day EVER!"  he explained that they didn't really go to antartica.  he said he was so upset he even cried. (oh goodness i thought - a drama queen).  i reminded him that both his dad and i tried to prepare him by telling him, but he didn't want to hear it. 

he then explained all the fun things they did - waiting in the jetway to get on the plane, sitting on a pretend plane but they had a REAL pilot pretending to fly to antarcica.  they encounteered a snow storm, saw lots of animals, and did some research while there.  i commented that his teachers must have worked very hard to set up this 'pretend trip to antartica' and that it sounded like lots of fun.  he agreed but said he was "still disappointed." he did give mrs. hawke a big hug at the end of the day which i was happy to hear.

our conversation ended with him showing me the stamp in his 'pretend' passport. i smiled and told him soon he will be getting a stamp in his 'real' passport. i have something special planned in april with the boys and with my mom and my sis, jen. it required grandma getting her first passport. at 60-something it's never too late!! we sent her all the paperwork in december and she filled out and sent off.

she has no idea where we are going.  it a complete surprise!  all i've told her is it won't be anywhere cold! *grin* i'm counting down the days now...

she

she's wonderful.
she's brave.
she's strong.
she's inspiring.
she's unique.
she's my friend.
she's celebrating a birthday today
she's robin.

love you birthday girl!

things i ♥ thursday

i ♥ cute kicks
chuck taylors or 'chucks' are one of my favorites
they are the quintessential, casual and timeless socal shoe
skip them for intense sports, but for everyday wear, they are great.
the boys have matching black chucks with velcro right now
but i think their next pair will be navy and maybe slip-ons.





















i ♥ rubios fish tacos
when i first moved to san diego and heard 'fish tacos', i thought YUCK!
but after hearing how amazing they are, i had to try one. 
i was so glad i did, because i've been hooked ever since.
i can't even describe them for those who've never had one.
if you visit southern california, you'll just have to try one.
you can't experience socal living unless you've had one.
if grits are the food of the south,
fish tacos are the food to southern california.

i ♥ my new sonicare toothbrush.
my dentist recommended it 6+ months ago and finally i broke down and got it.
it came with 2 handles and 2 heads so now c and i both have one.
it feels like i just had my teeth cleaned at the dentist's office every time i brush
it's the best! i'm kicking myself for not purchasing it earlier.

i ♥ jason mraz. 
everyone who knows me, is aware of this obsession, but seriously, he's amazing!!
i never tire listening to him and even after sampling lots of new artists recommend by friends
and enjoying them, i still come back to him.

like so many, i'm in love with this man's voice.
i've been listening to todd and heather's wedding cd they burned for me on my commute.
there is a mraz song i've never heard before - EVER!!  how can this be? 
i thought i knew ALL his stuff as i have every cd! 
the song is life is wonderful and it's all acoustical and off his mr a-z album.
love love love it!!!

working wonders

photographing children is not easy but i met a woman who actually made it look easy.
 this woman is mrs. jackie wonders and her name is fitting as she works wonders behind the lens! 
lucky me, she lives right here in san diego.

after finding her through a google search and looking at her online portfolio,
i fell in love with her work and gave her a call to schedule a time to shoot the family,
specifically finn and scout.

we had to reschedule quite a bit due to schedules, sicknesses and rain,
but
the shoot finally happened.

CLICK HERE to get a 'sneak peek' to some of the photos she posted on her blog. i love all the bright colors!  i can hardly wait to see all the others she took.  i especially love this one of the boys.

my lazy and lovely weekend

you don't really understand human nature unless you know why a child on a merry-go-round will wave at his parents every time around - and why his parents will always wave back.
~ william d. tammeus

on friday night, c asked me what was on my agenda for the weekend.
for once in i don't know how long, i said absolutely nothing!

really? he responded.  yep, i said wih a BIG smile.
i told him all i wanted was to was spend time with the family,
specifically my little guys since it had been awhile since we had mommy/son time.

so finn, scoutie and i spent the weekend building forts, watching movies, visiting the library,
bike riding, playing at the park, and the highlight - going to belmont park.

we were there last week for a photo shoot (pictures to come in a few weeks)

and the boys were sorely disappointed the rides were all closed for maintenance.

i promised to take them back and i did. here are the highlights of our day:

and yes, when they waved at me on the carousel, i waved back...every time.

and this is how we ended the day, 

watching the sun melt into the ocean.

(mom, this is why i have a hard time leaving san diego)

friday funny

so i get to work last friday and not long after i settled in my little cube,
i get a text from my sister jen. 
it read: apparently hobos love tacos too
this image accompanied the text

i had to laugh outloud because jen has a story about homeless people
almost every other day. this and the fact that she actually stopped and took a photo.

i've suggested she write a book about her encounters with the homeless
this and/or her experiences while taking public transportation.
those are funny too and often have a homeless person in them.
but i'll save that for another post.

seriously, with the right folks behind her, she could sell her stories.
they are THAT funny and she's tells them with such flair too.
she keeps tina and i entertained with her stories.

thx for the funnies sis.

things i ♥ thursday

i've seen different variations of this and thought it would be fun to do.
so here is my first 'things i love thursday' list:

i ♥ old navy for their kids clothes.
they are simple, durable, affordable and cute.
90% of the boys' clothes are from here.
love baby/kids gap too but only shop their sales.
bang for the buck, old navy can't be beat!

i ♥  edamame
it's fun to eat and packed full of protein.
i munch on it at work ALOT - probably too much.
the boys and snack on it before dinner.
scoutie calls it edamommy.















 i ♥ hoodies
they are cozy and comfy
perfect for lounging in, bike rides and running errands in.
they are a wardrobe staple for coastal living
i wear them on summer evenings outside to keep the chill off.
c recently shrunk my favorite one.  very frustrating.
this is why he's not allowed to do laundry


i ♥ romantic films
casablanca
the notebook
pearl harbor
gone with the wind
ghost
legends of the fall
sleepless in seattle
when harry met sally
once

it doesn't matter if couples falls passionately in love
or if their love is unrequited.
if their is depth to the characters, i love a good love story.
the painted veil is one of my more recent favorites.
it's beautiful in so many ways.

conversation

true conversation is an interpenetration of two worlds, a genuine intercourse of souls...
- thomas moore

over the past six months, my relationship with scout has changed dramatically - in a wonderful way.  now that he is mastering his verbal skills, we have real conversations.  he engages me now which prompts more questions from me, and in return more responses from him.  sure, it's simple dialogue, but it's opened up a whole new world between us and it's lots of fun.

our best conversations are in the afternoon when i pick him up from preschool.  it's just the two of us and we greet each other with a BIG hug. his first words are usually "i missed you mommy" and i let him know that i missed him too.  usually he starts telling me what he has done during the day, who has had a timeout, if i forgot his water bottle (happens often unfortunately), what his teacher 'miss rosie' has said, and exactly what his artwork is - something i need help with.

with these conversations, scoutie and i are experiencing a new form of intimacy we've never had before and it's thrilling! to my first time mommy friends with little ones who aren't yet talking, you have something very special to look forward to. *smile*

valentine's day 2010

my day did not start off with sleeping in or breakfast in bed.
that would have been nice, but i've had that before and can hopefully have that again some time.

instead, i was up at dawn to run the san dieguito half marathon with my long-time friends jeff and marti.
it's the only half in san diego i hadn't run, so i signed up months ago so i could check it off my list.
(couldn't convince c to run it with me though) *grin*.

my goal was to finish around 2:15, however after the mile 3 hill,
i knew that i wasn't physically going to be able to keep the pace for another 10 miles to accomplish that.
 i've never been a good hill runner, and having been sick for the last 2+ weeks
(i'm taking my last pill of penicillan tonight), i just lacked the strength and stamina.

with some coaxing, i convinced jeff to run ahead, and i ran most of the race alone.
the course was scenic and took us through the heart of beautiful rancho santa fe,
but the hills were grueling and there were lots of them.

i often forget about the terrain we have here in san diego - mostly because i live and train right
here at the beach where it's flat. whew!! somehow i managed to finish just under 2.5 hours.
my girlfriend marti finished a minute before me and jeff finished just under 2 hours. *cheer*
we were all exhausted but so glad we spent our v-day morning doing something we enjoy!
we celebrated with high fives and big stinky, sweaty hugs. *grin*

i came home to an empty and delicious smelling house. 
c had baked cinnamin muffins for breakfast and left a note saying  he was at the beach
with the boys and would be back for lunch. it was sunny and 73 degrees - a perfect beach day!

i was starving and inhaled two muffins and drank lots of water before settling into the hottest bath
i could possibly draw. the boys came charging into the home not more than 10 minutes into my soak,
so that was the end of that. it was nice while it lasted.

we all enjoyed lunch and exchanged our very simple valentine's day cards/gifts.
scoutie went down for a nap afterwards, christopher took a tennis lesson at the hilton,
and finn and i rested on the couch and watched a movie.
later i snuck off to get a pedicure as my toes desperately needed some love and dark polish.
remember the bruised toe?  well it's still bruised.

oh and i must share the v-day rockets that we (I) made for finn's kindergarten class.
i got the idea here and they turned out absolutely adorable.

i spent 3 hours on them from start to finish and honestly,
it was a bit too much!  finn tried to help but he was a little young for this project.
he did become an expert at putting the hershey kiss tips on. 

in the future, i will be sure to select a v-day craft/card that is more age appropriate
so the BOYS can do the majority of the work. a lesson learned.

here they are - all 25 of them (22 kids and 3 teachers):

the rocket to his special girl

i hope your valentine's day was spent doing something you love 

and/or being with the ones you love. 

birthday girl

if music be the food of love, play on.
-shakespeare
 
today is my lovely sister leslie's birthday and i am sending her my love, a song in my heart and a BIG hug. if we lived closer, we'd be celebrating together i'm sure.  i might have even tried to bake these cute 'music note' cupcakes for her - with the promise that she'd sing for me. *smile*

leslie has been always been the 'singer' in the family - the one who could carry a tune at age 2 and was singing solos in church before she was in kindergarten.  i'll never forget the first time i accompanied her on the piano outside of church. she was in kindergarten and participating in the school's talent show.  she had two songs selected and i accompanied her on the piano.  i was so nervous with legs trembling behind the piano and  there was leslie - up on stage smiling and singing her heart out.  she's always been a performer and i've enjoyed watching her over the years.  

years later, a similar scenario repeated itself.  leslie and i auditioned for the musical guys and dolls at a local community college here in san diego.  we both love singing and dancing but unlike leslie, i don't enjoy performing solo. i almost got sick before i went on stage - i was so nervous. somehow i survived it and then leslie followed.  she walked up on the stage with such confidence and did fabulous. she sang her heart out and even added some simple gestures to emphasize her 'look at me i'm sandra dee' number from grease. 

from where i was sitting, i could see the faces of the director and her assistant director, and could tell they LOVED her.  i knew she was in. somehow i made the final cut too but i can assure you my voice had little to do with it. we had the time of our lives together for a few months - rehearsing, singing and dancing. we made memories that will last a lifetime.

leslie, i know you are going through a difficult time right now, so you must keep a song in your heart and  remember you are so loved. you deserve every happiness!

happy birthday sweet sis.
love, ang

never the same

some people come into our lives and quickly go. some stay for a while, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same.

-flavia weedn

i've been missing an old friend lately and after we talked recently, i just can't get her out of my head. we keep trying to skype but because of the time change (she's on the east coast), and a million other things that come up, we just haven't been able to connect.  she recently sent me this picture of her little guy, keith that i had to share.  he reminds me SO much of his mommy. i see his little face and smile. one, because he's so stinkin' cute and two, because he makes me think of my friend, jen.

i met jen when i was pregnant with finn. she was dating a great guy that had gone to architecture school with c and he introduced her to us.  she and i hit it off instantly. she was outgoing, funny, super positive and would try most anything (except for meat) which meant, she braved the 60 something degree pacific ocean with me. we spent almost every weekend at the beach together with our boys which means most of my memories with her take place in the sand and surf.  not only is she fun, she is also one of the kindest people i know - good to the core.

when finn arrived, she was right there to help out.  though she's several years younger, she seemed to know everything already.  she was just a natural with babies and kids and pitched right in. when we moved into our little 'fixer upper' home, she would offer to take finn for a few hours on the weekends so c and i could get a little work done on the house to make it livable. even as a first time mom, i had such trust and confidence in her. she is that kind of person.

here she is with finn at 2 months.

 














she now lives on the east coast with the same great guy (now her hubby). he transferred there for a job promotion about 3 years ago and she followed.  i remember being so sad when it was time to say goodbye and i always hoped they might move back.  with both sets of parents close by, and now a child, i realize it's unlikely, but i am hoping they might make it for a visit this summer. *wink*

jen, you are missed sweet girl and i am better person for knowing you.

hugs to you and your boys!!
angela

supergirls

i've been meaning to record that two of my very 'special girls' have accomplished some exciting goals:

my dear lifelong friend robin sent me an image of her name on an offfice door - HER office door.  i got goosebumps when i saw it - wow!  after years of teaching high school, she decided to make a career change.  family counseling is her passion so she went back to school and is now a Certified Marriage and Family Therapist.  i'm SO proud of her and excited for her. if i can get the image, i'll upload to this post. i want to remember this day.  what an accomplishment!  did i mention she is more or less a single mom with a young son? she is the epitome of a super girl/woman!

**********************************

christi mac started her career as well.  after graduating from paul mitchell's and moving north, she joined the luxurious bello spa near her home in eugene, oregon.  and after a lenthy conversation last week, i learned she is very happy here - loves the girls she works with as well as the owners. i am pretty sure they are equally as happy to have christi a part of their team.  i sure wish i lived closer to christi and yes, this salon.  i might have just made an occasional visit for some pampering and to get my christi fix. heck, she might have been able to get me a little discount too. *wink*

congratulations to my SUPER girls - so proud of ya.
mwaaah!!

thank you

i can no other answer make, but, thanks, thanks, and ever thanks.
~william shakespeare

i've been horribly sick all week and after finally seeing a doctor, i was diagnosed with strep. *yikes*
up until now, i have never had this horrible bacteria and well, i hope to never get it again.
it's been no fun at all. the little guys came down with it a few weeks ago,
but we caught it early and it wasn't bad. i thought i was out of the clear, but i wasn't that lucky.
so here i am, i'm spending the weekend curled up on the couch - resting, catching up on reading and watching a few movies.

because of superbowl sunday, my book club girls decided to meet this morning.
instead of meeting at a cafe, cathi was hosting us all in her new home.
since she has 2 girls, ages 6 and 4, the boys were going to tagalong (extremely rare).

before i could tell the boys we weren't going, my girlfriend charlotte asked if she could pick up the boys
and take them with her to book club. she had talked to the hostess and been given the go.
are you kidding i thought?! of course i said, that would be WONDERFUL.

so at 10:15ish this morning. i had a diaper bag packed for scoutie, a robot lunchbox full of snacks and the boys ready to go off with the girls. c helped get the booster and carseat in char's car and the girls took them for 3.5 hours. i'm wondering now why i didn't just offer one of our cars - would have been so much easier.  i'm sick and not clear-headed - that's my excuse.

anyway, the boys had a wonderful time and i was in heaven for a few hours.
c bought me a starbucks rooibos and i sat my bootie on the couch and rested - in a very quiet home.

there are no other words i can say to these wonderful ladies but thank you, thank you, thank you.
i just love 'em!

lia, finn, scout and maya

finn's robot party

after much anticipation, party day finally arrived!
about 16 kindergarten and neighborhood pals of finn's gathered in our backyard
this past sunday to celebrate his numero seis (6)!

here are some photo highlights:


baked and decorated by dad



Adorable water bottle wraps designed by
by jessica of pen n paper flowers

finn's classmate and first crush: elizabeth lancaster

birthday guests
top row: julia, sean, kylie, buzzy, jordan, hunter and keenan
bottow row: jakob, drew, daniel, sophia, elizabeth, finn, ben, audrey and mia



a robot lunchbox from christi
he squealed' when he opened it



cutesy homemade card from neighbors mia and kylie

gracias to senoritas jen, tina, mandi and maddy for all their help with set up and keeping the kiddos entertained. i owe a *special* thanks to jen for scooping up a grumpy scout early into the party and putting him down for a nap. we were all able to enjoy the afternoon without a whining toddler.

scout wasn't upset that he missed the festivities.
the only comment he made when he woke was asking for a cupcake.
of course, we had one saved just for him.*grin*