When I Grow Up

After careful consideration and weighing all of the options, I have finally decided what I want to be when I grow up. I was discussing it with a co-worker of mine the other morning and she has agreed to join me in my quest.  So what is it that I want to be?  Well if you haven't guessed from my past post what my favorite thing to do is, I really can't help you.  But if you haven't read them, I'll tell you, a food critic!!!  I want to travel the world to eat. Italy, France, China, Thailand, I want to go and eat and eat to my hearts content.  Appetizer, entree' dessert, what else is there? Why is that you say?? Because I like to eat, duh, doesn't everybody.

Oh wait, what am i going to do with these little people that I am taking care of??  They are very picky eaters, unlike me.  I guess Europe and Asia are out of the question for now.  I can't really take them with me, they have school and stuff. Actually, I wouldn't trade a moment with them for any amount of food or any kind of food, unless it is chocolate, no, not even chocolate.


Well, apparently I will just have to stick to South Louisiana for my critiquing.  But I promise you now that whenever and where ever I travel I will make sure to eat at many different places and write about it, if I remember, to write about it that is.  I will never forget to eat at different places. 


Go to go,  Bon Appetit ;)

The Secret Keeper

I wasn't supposed to tell anybody, but I had to tell somebody.  It was on a need to know basis, and I apparently I needed to know, but didn't want to know.

I hate when someone tells me something that I am not supposed to tell anybody.  You know when they tell you not to tell anybody, it makes you want to tell somebody that much more.  Its a secret for a reason. By definition a secret is something that is kept private or not revealed.  Sometimes secrets hurt. Sometimes secrets are to spare someones feelings. Sometimes secrets can change your life. Sometimes secrets are only temporary until there is more information, or everybody who needs to know, knows.  Then it is not a secret anymore.

Who made up secrets anyway and when did I become the secret keeper??

Losing My Mind

There are some days when I feel like I am literally losing my mind.  Well, at least I know I'm crazy.  I guess it is one of perks of being a mom.

I read a lot about a bunch of stuff and go to the extreme.  For example, one time I threw out all of the sheets in the house because I read that they are treated with a flame retardant substance that can interfere with small children's endocrine system (I warned you, I am crazy).  Anyway, I went out that day and bought all organic sheets for all of the beds in the house.  If you think that is funny, I have a dozen other stories of my crazy shenanigans.  I almost always go to he extreme but usually in time I balance out and my sanity comes back.

I should probably should be on medication, but I decided long ago not to touch that stuff.   I don't like the idea of a medication controlling my mind, I do a bad enough job by myself. 

My faith is what eventually gets me in balance, and lets me know that the insanity will not last forever.

These Small Hours

I love that song by Rob Thomas.  It is in one of my daughters favorite movies "Meet the Robinson's".  She has watched that movie about a dozen times in the past week. 

The song reminds me of when my kids were born.  I wasn't in labor for very long with either of them, but their arrival seemed to take forever.  No, I am not superwomen, God knows me well enough to know that I cannot tolerate pain so he blessed me with fast labors.  It was either that or I would pass out from the pain and miss the whole thing.  I have fainted over a broken toe,  I fainted once when I had blood work done.  I have a very low threshold for pain. But anyway, back to the point of this post.

Its the little moments that take our breath away.  The moment that they come into this world. The moment when we realize that our kids are turning into these little people.  When my two year old picks up the other phone when I am talking to someone and starts talking.  When my 7 year old won't stop talking, and I tell him to "shut up" because it is getting on my nerves. Then I fell horrible because I realize that I hurt his feelings.  Our lives are composed of these small moments, that moments that matter the most.  The moments that shape their character and ours. 

"our lives are made

in these small hours

these little wonders,

these twists & turns of fate

time falls away,

but these small hours,

these small hours still remain"

Just Like Riding a Bike

I went roller skating tonight for the first time in probably 20 years.  (Yeah, I'm getting old)  I was a bit nervous at first (ok, a lot nervous). I was afraid that I would fall and break something, I'm not as young as I used to be. I put on my skates, the wheels made me nervous, the people made me nervous.  I looked around thinking, "I can't do this."  Then I closed my eyes and took a deep breath and told myself "get your butt out there, stop being afraid of everything."  So I did and it was really just like riding a bike.  I didn't fall once, go me!!!  

Skating around in a circle, it was like being time warped back to the 80's,  the skating rink must have the largest selection of 80's music in existence.  I could fell the 80's nostalgia, from the Bee Gee's to Prince to Stevie B.  If its 80's music you can hear it there. It was like I was 10 again.

I used to be really good at roller skating.  I taught myself how to roller skate, actually I taught myself how to do a lot things.  I got to be a real pro, I could spin in circles, skate backwards, on one foot and do a few little tricks.  As I got older it became not so cool, so like a lot of other things, I just stopped doing it.

But tonight, I just had so much fun being a kid again. I will probably be sore in the morning, using muscles that I haven't used in years, but its all worth it. When we become adults we forgot about all the fun things that we did when we were little. We get to serious and become sticks in the mud (well that is what happened to me.) It's good to remember. Even better to keep having fun.  If you fall, you just get back up.

Eat, Pray, Love

When I first saw the billboard for this movie, I thought, "ok what kind of stupid movie is this going to be."  Then I read the synopsis and saw the previews.  Now I am anxious to see it. I may actually take myself to see this movie by myself,  maybe I will see if my sister wants to come with me. Of course now I want to read the book too.

Quick overview: "One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia" (I cheated, its written on the book)

It got me to thinking about how so many of us tend to lose ourselves, whether through our marriage, parenthood, or whatever else the case may be.  I know I am guilty, but never really realized it till recently.  No, I don't want to take a year off of my life to find myself.  But I think my writing has become really good therapy. 

What I have realized is that is it really easy to lose yourself, most of the time you don't even know it or realize it.  But to find yourself again, now that's the challenge.

Eat, Pray, Love comes out in theatres on August 13, 2010, I will anxiously wait its arrival.

Don't Take My Picture

As you can see, I hate having my picture taken.  Anyone attempting to take my picture must get my signed consent and approval of the picture before it can be taken, posted or archived.  Just kidding, but sometimes I would like to have a disclaimer like that before being photographed.

I am probably the most unphotogentical person I know. Yes, I know that unphotogentical is not a real word.  I think I try to hard and the picture just come out well, funny.  Either my eyes are closed, or I am making some sort of weird face.  It's a pain.

But after watching a few cycles of ANTM (America's Next Top Model)  I have now learned the tricks of the trade.  I practice in the mirror now for hours before being photographed.  I practice in many different lights in order to get my perfect angle. I close my eyes right before the picture is taken and open them really wide to give me that fresh look, and I always smile with my eyes.  Oh, and never forget to elongate your neck and accentuate your assets,  Thanks Tyra!!

I hope everyone knows that the last paragraph is complete sarcasm, no really it is, I don't really do that ;)

Anything But Ordinary

I would describe myself a bit like Sandra Bullock's character in Miss Congeniality, mostly before the transformation.  You know the part where she is walking out after her makeover and trips in her high heel shoes, that's me. 

Once when I was in college I totally missed about three steps while going down the stairs.  I landed on my knees. (big bruise) It was in between classes so the hallways were full. I remember hearing a guy behind me saying "Oh no she didn't"  as I fell, in what felt like slow motion, to my knees.  I jumped up and ran to the restroom, I was laughing so hard I was crying.  Yeah, it hurt, but even more it was really funny. I've had dozens of trips and falls throughout my life.  In fact sometimes I will find a bruise on my leg and completely forget how it got there.

I am clumsy by design. I am not dainty or elegant.  I am not graceful or beautiful.  I don't wear high heels and I rarely dress to impress.  I dance to the beat of my own drum. I am ordinary, actually I am anything but ordinary.  I'm extraordinary, and I will take my tennis shoes over high heels any day.

My Latest Addiction

My 7 year old's Nintendo DS,  I didn't realize that they could be so much fun.  He was playing Super Mario Bros.  He asked me if I wanted to play.  I usually am not that big into video games, but there is something about Mario that just takes me back to my childhood. Only now the special effects are so much better, the quality is better, the game is so much better.  I think that he likes the fact that I like playing his games with him, but not so much when I don't let him have a turn.   I need to get me one of the these, no I don't I would probably play it all the time and nothing would get done.  Well I've gotta go for now, its my turn ;)

Just Plain Lazy

Image via Wikipedia

The past week and a half I have been really lazy.  For the last 4 months I have faithfully exercising at least 5 times a week and lost 9 pounds, still have another 7-10 to go.  But here lately it takes all I have to get motivated.   I also haven't been eating very good either. Dessert is my weakness. So what is behind all of this laziness? The excuses are endless, of course they are just a bunch of excuses.  Work, kids, tired, take your pick. Oh and I can forget the "oh, I will just start back up tomorrow."

So what is a mommy to do?  I am going to pick my lazy butt up and go for a walk, right now. So till I write again,  See ya later!!!

A Hop, Skip and a Jump

I love the fact that my mom is from this little island off the coast of Honduras, named Guanaja.  I fantasized about this place when I was little.  I was seven months old the first time that I went, but it wasn't till I was 9 years old that I went again to spend the summer with my Gram. 

I remember being told that its a hop, skip and a jump away from the water,  I used to imagine in my head what it would be like.  When I got there it literally was a hop, skip and a jump away.  My grandmothers house was on one of the cays and her home was against the water, you look out the window and there is was.  The island has 4 waterfalls and multiple beaches.  It is the most beautiful place that I have ever seen.   My mom moved to the states after she married my dad.

My grandmother (dad's mom) literally thought that she swung from trees and wore a grass skirt. Which is really funny since my dad is half Honduran himself (his dad's side).  It is a culture that I am most proud of, and I hope one day my kids will understand the importance of knowing who they are and where they come from and be proud of it also.

Are We There Yet????

A fourteen hour car ride with a yelling 2 year old can get the best of you.  Well that was my Monday.  We took a little mini-vacation to Florida, me and the baby, and left the boys to do their thing.  The car ride back was worst than miserable.  Everybody was tired and cranky, well ok, maybe it was just me.  

The part that stinks it when you get older you can't ask that annoying question, "are we there yet?"  because you know you are not, you know where you are and how much longer it will be.  You know that there is nothing you can do to speed things up and you just want to scream like a 2 year old.  I'm sure that my 2 year old got sick of hearing, "we are almost home, not much longer."  I probably told her that a dozen times the last few hours of the ride.  After a while she fell asleep and some of the ride was a little peaceful. I just seemed like I couldn't get home fast enough.  Although the journey was long and at times was almost more than I could bear, I was so grateful that I got so spend so much time with my baby. That alone made the whole trip worth it.

Happy Birthday to ME :(

Today is my birthday, honestly, I hate my birthdays.  I don't know why, just do.  I get really depressed for really no reason.  So what will today bring?  Will this year be different?  I've been on this earth 33 years and I feel that this past year that I have changed the most.  I decided to stop dreaming and start doing.  My dream, aside from being the best mom in the whole world;  to be a successful published author.  I know things don't happen over night and I am really an impatient person,  so I have to learn to keep getting up, even if I keep falling down.

So what will this year bring? The possibilities are endless, I just got to have faith!!!