Showing posts with label Feeling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Feeling. Show all posts
2 comments 29 April 2010

A friend suggested I blog this, so before I forget here we go

Around 6-8 months ago our little music man started singing, "Memeno". That was the only word and he would sing it to a tune that was completely unrecognizable. Each week I would try to remind myself to ask his preschool teachers because surely it was a song they sang in class. Each week would go by and I would forget to ask. Soon he started to vary the lyrics singing, "Memeno Cars". Cars, huh? Of course this was about the time that everything in his world began revolving around transportation - cars, trucks, trains, planes - you name it! It was also about the time we started letting him watch the Disney movie Cars as well. So who knew, really.

As the holidays approached I finally remembered to ask his pre-school teachers. We walked in like we did every day, dropped off his lunch box, hung up his coat, and then it happened. There I stood in front of all the teachers singing, "Memeno Cars" and they stared at me blankly and then began to laugh. They had absolutely no idea what I was singing. Embarrassed? A little, but really I was just more perplexed then anything. What was Memeno?!

We began to clue in that it had something to do with the Cars movie. But we've had the fortunate of listening to the soundtrack over and over again and there is not one song that sounds anything like "Memeno". And then he began asking for the Cars movie by saying, "I want to watch Memeno Cars". Watch?! He went from strolling around the house singing to now wanting to watch? Confused.

Christmas Day our friends Dave and Karolina joined us for a joyous holiday meal and not only did they get to hear the story of Memeno, but if memory serves me right they got to hear E sing it live and in-person. What I thought would be just a happy memory for our dear friends became a healthy obsession. Dave went home and spent hours (possibly slightly exaggerated) combing over the Cars Soundtrack finally settling on this one by Hank Williams. Nope, not it. I put Elliot on my lap and played song after song via You Tube from the soundtrack and each one he would agree with me when I would say, "Is this Memeno?". Drat!

But alas, as days and weeks went by he would begin asking for Memeno race (which we quickly figured out was the first race in the movie) and then we'd be in the car and he would ask to listen to Memeno Real Gone which happens to be the song that is played during Memeno race. And sadly today he mostly just asks for Real Gone. Memeno has almost left his little vocabulary. He's moved on to bigger words and other songs from the soundtrack, as seen here in his facebook debut of "Life is a Highway".

1 comments 03 February 2010

When times are tough we all look for ways to cut back. But as generations go by, it gets harder and harder to not 'purchase' our problems away. I can't just pick up a sewing machine and make myself a dress, for instance (but oh how I wish I could!). But as I discovered recently, I can dye my pants!

Recently my Auntie and I were in my Grandma's garage when she held up a big mason jar full of what looked like black water. In response to my concerned facial expression she said, "It's clothes dye". Of course! Of course! The same woman who canned peaches for the winter knows exactly how to keep her favorite pair of black pants looking sharp! I think she would cringe if she knew I just go out and by a new pair when mine were too faded to be acceptable any longer. No more!

Times are tough and even though my husband I are are fortunate to be bearing this financial storm pretty well, there is now excuse for throwing a away a perfectly good pair of black pants! After all, I was able to manage tie-dyeing a shirt as a teen, I am sure I can manage sprucing up a good pair of pants.Stay tuned!

2 comments 15 April 2009

I think Easter has just surpassed Thanksgiving as my favorite holiday (with my ultimate fav now being 4th of July, of course!). I have always loved Thanksgiving because it truly captured what is important in life - food & family (emphasis on the stuffing & pumpkin pie)! Easter was also a close second for the same reason, but now it has taken the lead by a stiff margin (I think that is sports slang). I love not feeling pressure to pick the perfect presents (pressure that is self inflicted). I love a reason to bake something special {this year Aunt Augusta's Sugar Cookies}. I love making baskets full of goodies that put giant smiles on kiddie's faces. I love spending time with family and friends (without the distraction of mounds of wrapping paper). I love spring - the air, the flowers, the green rolling hills. This year we celebrated Easter 4-times! Typically this would stress and tire me out - but not this year - I loved it! We had the best time and that is why I am going to torture you with the following photos:

with friends!

at home!


...with Dale's side of the family!


...with my side of the family!


I hope you found some special way to enjoy this holiday. I must pass along something funny that was said at one of my celebrations full of Catholics I might add - "Thank you Jesus for turning my water into a Margarita!"

0 comments 05 April 2009

4 comments 18 February 2009

Happy Birthday Mom!


My Mom was born Febuary 18th, 1944. Today she would have been 65 years old. This picture was taken when she was in college. It's been 11 years since she passed away and I still miss her very much!

2 comments 25 January 2009

Meal time is generally fun in our house, with some limits. Today I decided to let loose and look how much fun we had (though you can't seem me, just know that I had yogurt in my hair)!



Note: I am aware that 'Where's your fingers/hands?' is not gramatically correct, however when you start with 'Where's your nose, mouth, etc.' you are just on a roll and 'Where's your fingers' comes out. I had to caption it truthfully!

5 comments 23 January 2009

The Story before The Story:

I was going to write a resolutions post, didn't get around to it. But a key component of that post was going to be about revisi
ting the past. I started down this trail as the year came to a close when I reunited with old family friends (more about that another time or we'll never get to the point of this post). These sorts of visits are difficult for me because I don't like to 'go there'. Inevitably my Mom will become a topic of conversation and it is still a topic I don't talk about very well. Anyway, I faced that fear and had a wonderful visit with dear old friends.

For similar reasons I generally dread going to storage because there are all these large pieces of furniture that I do not foresee ever fitting into our home, yet there they are collecting dust and I can't part with them so I just leave feeling conflicted and bummed. So when I innocently went into storage to find a particular photo of my Mom I wanted for our family room (I am working on a family photo display), I happened upon the past and I embraced it! I went rummaging through dusty boxes and came across all sorts of wonderful treasures that I didn't even remember were in there. Sadly the photo was not in the best quality and will not be able to be a part of our display, but here it is. I will find another one on my next trip!



The Story:


On my visit to storage I happened upon a box that had a stool in it that
my brother and I used to use as children. I forgot I saved this and was so excited by the timing because Elliot is just now starting to use a stool to reach the sink for brushing his teeth or to get up to his highchair. How wonderful that he can use the same stool I used!

Another box that I happened up had one of the most amazing finds of all...an entire box of typed-written short stories authored my Grandfather, Paul V. Sheehan (my Mom's Dad). Paul V. (as my Mom liked to call him) passed away when I was around 3 (I believe he was in his 60's). He was a Professor of Journalism at Fresno State from around the mid-1930 to early to mid-1960's. On the side he wrote, and wrote and apparently wrote
some more. My mom spoke of his short-stories, but somehow it got lost in my memory. It must have been a box that my Mom had in her storage shed that I just moved without really looking at because the writing on the box is hers. It feels like the first time I've ever seen these stories. I am going to see if I can find someone/someplace to scan them (page by page at home is not an option) to ensure they are preserved, but I cannot wait to read them in their glorious typewritten paper form! {Isn't the title of the one that was on top a little eerie?}

Some other noteworthy finds...my very first 'ATM' card known as a Versatel card, an authentic cassette tape, a grade school yearbook from when I was in Kindergarten, a box of paperbacks and one near the top was about MLK (strange considering it was days from his birthday as well as the Inauguration of Obama), a school assignment where I drew a pie chart of oil production in Asia (5th grade I think, I guess I was destined to be an excel super-user), an 'original' copy of 'I am a Bunny' one of my favorite books that I have convinced Elliot to love too (in a box with a ton more Richard Scarry books which might have been from when my Mom was a teacher, not sure).
And the final artifact that had me laughing and crying was a recipe that I wrote for my mom for Mother's Day when I was in the 3rd grade (I think):





3 comments 09 November 2008

Our little baby bear started walking today and it is CUTE! He has been walking holding on to furniture for quite some time, so I didn't expect to enjoy it so very much! I would imagine that by next week he will have abandoned the crawling altogether, sad and exhilarating at the same time. I have been in denial for quite some time that he is a "Toddler" but I guess there is no denying it anymore. I just had no idea that my baby would only be a "baby" for such a short time. Some dear friends were in town this weekend so they got to share this with us and it gave us something extra to toast over dinner.




3 comments 05 November 2008

We Voted!




















Elliot may have been born when W was president, but on his 16-month Birthday we voted (with him right at our side) and elected Obama our 44th President of the United States (I still get teary when I hear someone say that on the radio).

1 comments 04 November 2008














7 comments 30 October 2008

What I was up against:








What the Judges saw:












The Judges:











Sorry, no prize. But let us all remember
that the judges were not Food Industry Experts, nor were they Foodies or Pie Connoisseurs, so I don't feel that bad.

4 comments 18 January 2008

Hugs are great! There have been many days over the last 14 (yes, I said 14!) years that Dale has made me stop in my tracks to get (&give) a hug. All of a sudden the stressed, rushed feeling would melt away and everything would be peaceful and wonderful, if only for one magical moment. In the last few days Elliot has learned to hug and it feels SOOOOO good that I don't want to let him go! I bet this means he'll be ready to snuggle in no time! Give someone a good long hug today!

1 comments 16 January 2008

While I maternity leave I discovered this thing called the Internet. (yes, I am know I am an IT Manager!) BE (Before Elliot) I would spend my days discussing applications, networks, servers, websites and when I was not discussing them I would be writing about them, corresponding via e-mail about them, and so on. So when I would get home at night, the last thing I felt like doing was "surfing the web". Essentially, I never found "enjoyment" in the internet and would only "log-on" for banking, to check e-mail or to purchase something. AE (After Elliot) I starting logging on for enjoyment, reading blogs, the newspaper, finding art for our home, letting myself essentially wander from site to site aimlessly. As my maternity leave was nearing an end, I started getting sad about the internet world I had come to love and would now have to leave behind.


On my first day back at work I realized that I needed non-work related things to occupy my time while I pump! Now I have 3-15 minute breaks each day where I get to "check-in" with the rest of the world! And unlike at home, my 15-minutes of internet usage will not get interrupted by a baby, a pug, or a husband - it is real me time! I guess on some level it has helped with my transition back to work, by not completely disrupting the world I was living in at home. I feel like I really began investing in my personal life (home, family&friends, hobbies) and figured that going back to work would disrupt that - thankfully I was wrong!


What I Ate Yesterday:


*Cereal - I have started putting Joe's O's in my cereal mix, they are just like Cheerios but saltier which works great in my mix but has stopped my hubby from buying them for himself because they are not so good solo!
*Soy Mocha
*Persian Food - overall the food was great, but I didn't like what I ordered (a Persian stew) which is more of a reflection on my tastes than their food. If you are ever in the neighborhood you must try the Mast-o-Moosir which is a yogurt spread that is DELICIOUS!
*A chocolate truffle
*Some tasty 'pineapple pastry packaged treat' straight from El Salvador - yum!
*Leftover Chili Con Carne & bread



Great recipe we tried this week: Chicken & Peppers

This is one of the first times that I didn't measure everything precisely (I was in a hurry) and it turned out GREAT! I left the Thyme and Marjoram out of the marinade (prob. would have been better, but still great without it). The vinegariness of this meal was amazing! Make sure to add plenty of red pepper flakes! We used toasted wheat bread (good wheat bread, nothing flimsy), toasted it in the toaster oven adding sliced mozzarella instead of fontina so it got all melty too. I doubled the recipe so we had plenty of leftovers (tastes good rolled into a HF tortilla too :)) We served it with a simple side salad of mixed greens, tomato, cucumber and a quick dressing of olive oil, red wine vinegar, and garlic.

2 comments 23 December 2007

I lost 2 pounds! Well, one of them was gained the week before...but that puts me at a total of 5 pounds. Not enough for a new wardrobe, but on my way! I am off to get a couple of last minute gifts and some grocery items for some Christmas baking I have yet to do. I'll be damned if I am going to get through this Christmas season without baking something! For certain I am going to be whipping up a Apple Spice Cake for Christmas Day with the in-laws...but I also want to try my luck at Grandma's Cookies all by myself...we'll see.

Elliot slept in his crib ALL NIGHT last night, brings tears to my eyes (he even took his morning nap there today). It took about 1/2 hour of crying (screaming really) and then he was out. He awoke at 11:00 to eat again but went right back to sleep without the pacifier! He awoke again at 2 for what I thought was a snack, but really he had just taken an enormous crap and was likely quite uncomfortable. After a quick change and a bit of a snack he was out until 6:45! Dad reported that I was actually snoring last night and that he hasn't seen me sleep so soundly in a long while. I know, if you do the math I was still up every few hours, but lately Elliot and I have been falling asleep while he eats (while in our bed) and it has been prolonging feeding and making for not so restful nights (sleeping upright is not exactly good sleep). So that fact that I got 3 and 4 hours of sleep, on my side/stomach was quite refreshing. I feel like a new woman! Though I must admit I felt a little sad that he didn't "need" me.

Thomas was not quite sure what to do with himself last night. Everytime I got up to go tend to the baby he would follow close behind and I could tell he was still 1/2 asleep because he would just sort of sit and stare in the low light not quite sure if he should stay or go back to his bed (eventually he chose his bed). What a sweet pug!

Well, off to fight the crowds (Mr. Graham is shopping with Daddy this morning - too cute!).

0 comments 21 December 2007

Please send all your positive vibes to sweet Vivian. Stay strong little girl!






3 comments 17 December 2007

Elliot and his BFF Vivi...



"I love you Vivi friend"

3 comments 14 December 2007

This makes me so happy!






What I Ate Today:

~Cereal
~Soy Mocha
~Dbl Tall 1/2 Caff 2-pump Soy Mocha
~Yummy Spinach Salad from Specialties
~Chickenless Nuggets, BBQ Sauce, HF Tortillas with LF Celtic White Cheddar
~A long week glass of red wine
~One carefully measure portion of Chocolate Chip Snackimals


3 comments 18 October 2007

One of our weekly adventures is Music Class. Elliot and I go every Thursday morning and we sing silly songs, play instruments and we dance like camels. We all know that music in and of itself is good for children (brain development, etc., etc.). I realized that it is also great for our babies to see us Moms and Dads being silly and having fun too! I am often stuck in this way of thinking about what is good for Elliot and forget sometimes that what is good for Mommy is also good for Elliot. So we danced around like camels and I experienced extra joy in this special time with him (only 2 1/2 months until I go back to work) and as I danced around him he reflected that joy back at me with a huge gummy grin!

Here is a picture from class...Elliot would be the one without the Mommy or Daddy :) We'll try for an action shot next time (dancing like camels, playing instruments).