Go-Go Mommy

Almost There

There are going to be some big changes at the Go-Go house. Call me superstitious, but I can't bring myself to talk about them until everything is complete and things are "set in stone." Or at least as "set" as they can be in these situations.

I can tell you this, we are very busy having many family adventures: visiting our families in Michigan, racking up lots of hotel points, and learning which hotels have the best pools and breakfast bars.

And while Sweet Pea is doing quite well joining in on these "hotel adventures" (for example, she's definitely ready for a toddler bed as she loves to crawl up into the big hotel beds and pull the covers up to her chin), she is slipping back to her usual tricks when it comes to getting "comfort" from mommy. In other words, the nursing pendulum seems to be on the backward swing. (Please let this end soon!)

As always...more to come soon!

Just Checking In

Yes, I'm still here (barely) "vacationing" in Michigan. Actually it's one of those "I'm visiting family" holidays where you try to squeeze everything in that you can to see your thousands of relatives and perhaps even a friend or two before you have to leave.

Well, I thought I did my part. I planned for almost a full 3 week visit to have a week and a half with each family (my own and my in-laws). As usual, fate stepped in and cut my visit short. Instead of having time to make those extra visits, I find myself booking an early trip back to California.

I'm sorry I have to miss big events like my mother-in-law's birthday celebration, my side of the family's big get together to celebrate Fathers Day a week late, and just giving Poppy and Sweet Pea the chance to see their "up north" cousins. I'm even sorry I have to miss the mundane - like today when I had to search for a Starbucks to connect to the internet.

But in a way I feel like this trip back to our home in California with my girls is really taking me back home. I feel like my new life in California which began nearly 8 years ago is the "perfect fit" and the place where my family belongs.

So even though this visit didn't turn out as expected, it did make me realize how much I appreciate my "new" home.

Happy travels everyone!

Photo Friday! 05.30.04 (Serenity now!)

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Time to Beg for Fitness Torture!

Okay, so I'm entering the Citymama Wii Fit contest and I only have 10 mintues to do so, so this is going to be brief - which is saying a lot coming from me!

Here goes:

Most of you know I had 5 months of bedrest with Sweet Pea (aka dear daughter #2). Well, fast forward 16 months and I'm still trying to lose the last 10, make that 15 lbs that supposedly comes off when your done breastfeeding. Well, I'm mostly done (darn that nighttime routine!) so while I'm still waiting for those last few pounds to come off I realized that they probably wont magically fall off and glom onto someone else (preferably the many 40ish in-shape actresses I see on tv) so I thought I would do an "assist" and actually sign up with Stroller Strides to work out.

Here's the funny part. I've never in my life been a runner so what the bleepity-bleep was I thinking? I took my "city-sidewalk-only" jogging stroller and tried to push Poppy (4years) and the aforementioned Sweet Pea along with the other moms as we made our circuit around the park.

"The embarassing part?"; you ask. That would be when Poppy started to unbuckle herself and get out of the "moving" (barely) vehicle and announce "Mommy, I want to go faster so I'm going to run too." And then she was off. Off like the wind. Off like the girl who is living somewhere inside me (again, 15 lbs lighter AND in shape) and left me in her dust - literally. In fact. she glommed onto one of the moms at the head of the pack and stayed with that mom until the end of the session (yes, she is very social).

Maybe she wanted to pretend that was her mom who was in shape and could actually run, yah think? Anywho, apparently I NEED A WII FIT!

Photo Friday! 05.23.04 (WMH Gardens)

Here are some photos I took at the Winchester Mystery House gardens a few weeks ago when Grandma and Papa were here. Hope you enjoy!

Life Lately

Sometimes life comes at you hard and fast. It definitely feels that way in my life right now. The girls are doing well, KB is working harder than ever, and I am getting back to work. Not that I haven't been working beyond my expectations as a SAHM, but now I am even busier after the girls go to bed with a new project that will move me into the "WAHM" and "mompreneur" categories.

It is exciting to be so close to having something that will enable me to exercise my professional muscle again; to put my "thinking cap" back on and get back to a sense of business acumen. I will share more on this later, but in the meantime, I'd like to share my latest life moments that make giving up the "crazy rat race" in the first place so worthwhile.

Today I saw:
-Sweet Pea so beautiful and innocent at 19 months. She has the cutest wispy hair that is too baby fine and sparse to take her for an actual haircut but is now so long in the back and at the sides that it's starting to curl in all directions. It looks sweetest head-on where it sometimes sticks straight out beyond her ears and catches the light making her look like a little mad scientist. Because of this trait, she has affectionately also become known as "Bibble" in our household.

-Poppy lovingly putting shoes and a dress-up bonnet on Sweet Pea and Sweet Pea sitting quietly like a little, live baby doll, watching her big sister with enormous hazel eyes behind lashes that just don't seem to end.

-Poppy sweetly (and sometimes a bit bossy) directing Sweet Pea on where to go and what to look at as we toured some new homes today.

-The two girls together as one "read" a book (Sweet Pea) while the other talked on a pretend telephone (Poppy) and set up a "sleepover" with a close friend. I can finally see that while Poppy's hair is a more striking color, Sweet Pea's is getting close to becoming a toned-down version of the same unique color.

-Poppy help her little sister up into and down from various chairs around our house when Sweet Pea would make noise that she needed help.

-Sweet Pea inspecting all of the flowers at the newly landscaped model homes. She had to go up to each and every bloom and touch them. I'm not sure what she likes more, the color, the variety, or the feel of them.

-Poppy putting on her ballet leotard and slippers and dancing with Sweet Pea who was dressed in a sparkly green Tinkerbell outfit. The image of the two of them twirling and curtseying will always live with me.

In sum, it's so clear that while my new "job" may give me an avenue to pursue some of my personal passions and interests, it's still all about being here for the little moments.

Latest Project: Happy Birthday, Mom!

Well, here is the "before" and "after" of my latest knitted project. It started out as a hot pad or trivet but ended up being too wide so I made it into a dishcloth. The matching hot pads will follow (hopefully by next year's birthday)!

Happy Mother's Day!

What I got:

- A "picnic" breakfast in the living room. (The best breakfast ever complete with bacon, omelette, pancakes, cranberry scone, brioche bread, and the most yummy fried onion and potato dish ever. YUM!)

- A cup of tea in a colorful mug from my new set of "HuesNBrews". Beautifully painted colors of celery green, sky blue, orange, pale orange, and pale green. I love it!

- A new MacBook complete with Microsoft Office for Mac for my new business venture. (This gift was totally unintentional since we already had a MacBook but I kind of killed it when it fell off the shelf where I keep it when I opened the cupboard door. As Sweet Pea says; "Uh oh!" - More on the business venture to come soon!)

- A trip to one of our favorite towns to run around the "town fountain" and enjoy lunch out. (Still no cooking today for mom, yeah!)

What I am getting:

- My favorite dinner - linguini and meatballs with a delicious salad and fresh bread.

What I need most:

- Nothing, just to leave the computer and get back to enjoying this wonderful holiday.

Happy Mother's Day everyone!