Wednesday, November 23, 2011

#4 and #30 all wrapped up into one!

I realize that it has only been two days (1 ½ really) since I’ve met my niece Nora, but I’ve come to a conclusion.

I’m not the “favorite” type. 

This probably sounds ridiculous, but I’m embracing this revelation and running with it. 

I do not know what to do with kids.  More specifically, I do not know what to do with babies and toddlers…basically the non-talkers.  I don’t know what they like, I don’t know what they want, and I’m not silly enough to make my not-knowing okay.

Mr. is.  He is GREAT with kids.  It is one of the things I love most about him, and one of the reasons why us having kids isn’t such a scary proposition.  He’ll be an amazing dad, and I’ll learn the mom thing as I go along.

So, I’m taking another stab at #30 on my list and I’m going to let it go. 

I was talking with Colleen last night and she had mentioned something that stuck out to me.  “Kids sense  tension”.  And it’s true…and I’m tense around kids because I have no clue what I’m doing.  So…by letting it go, I’m hoping that #4 will just naturally happen someday without my even trying.

PLUS, I got the first high-five and there has been loads of clapping going on, so I think I’ll just count #4 complete.  I may not be THE favorite, but at least she likes me!

If nothing else I’ve still got #10…and when I go to Florida hopefully Nora will be talking and then I’m SURE we’ll hit it off.  Because I’m pretty positive that “cool Aunt Shana” is like a fine wine…I get better with age (both mine AND yours).

Monday, November 21, 2011

Driving and Surprises!

Today Mr. and I drove out to Arizona to celebrate our first Thanksgiving together Stateside with his family.  It was a pretty eventful drive, and although we had a HUGE surprise when we arrived (Mr.’s brother Josh, sister-in-law Colleen, and our niece Eleanor were here from Florida…our first time meeting Nora!) I don’t want to overlook the amazing things we saw on our 6-hour road trip. 

So before I go to bed and forget, and instead of ranting about how I’m going to spend the next 4 days working on #4 on my list, here is a quick recap of our drive.

-          Saw Beyonce! (The chicken, not the singer.)

-          Saw a two-story, metal brachiosaurus guarding a sketchy looking gas station

-          Decided to skip eating at a restaurant in the shape of a U.F.O.

-          Drove past a cactus wearing a red baseball cap (totally normal, no?)

-          Saw two beached motorboats along the back-roads we took, both of which were miles from any kind of home, car, or person.  (My guess is that these boats are Arizona’s way of being prepared for flash floods…?  If so, brilliant idea Arizonians!)

-          Debated whether or not the clouds looked more like a lamb or a chupacabra.  (I vote chupacabra.) 

So all and all, a great day!  More to come about my progress on #4…wish me luck!

Sunday, November 20, 2011

#21 Date Night!

Friday night Mr. and I had a date night!  We rarely have a just-the-two-of-us night, so I decided to work on #21 on my list and wear my pretty dress for the month! 

It was freezing so I spent most of the evening in a coat and scarf.

We went to a matinee movie (Breaking Dawn, don’t judge)…not quite as fancy as the late night actual date time movies, but a lot cheaper.  I probably looked ridiculous in my dress, heels, and pea coat showing up to a 4 o’clock movie, but oh well!  Sometimes you just need to channel your inner Audrey Hepburn.

And to complete the date night, Acapulco for dinner!  Again, not a very fancy restaurant, but there is significance in the place for us so it was pretty special to be back there again.  Plus, GIANT margaritas…you can’t go wrong!

You can't go wrong with a margarita the size of your head!

Friday, November 18, 2011

Gary has arrived!

Gary = our car…a.k.a. Mr.’s old, beat-up ’99 Ford Explorer.

I was excited to see him at first, because he was our one and only car for the entire 3 ½ years we were in Spain, not to mention our entire relationship in California pre-Spain.  He has taken us from Arizona to Las Vegas, all up and down Southern Spain to Northern Portugal…he’s like a part of the family.

That being said, I NEVER want to drive Gary again.  I have been officially spoiled by our new Toyota Prius (still name-less…any suggestions???)

 Here is a short list of the things I have NOT missed about Gary being our main mode of transportation.

-          You cannot exit the vehicle from the back passenger door…at least not until someone from the outside opens it because it no longer opens from the inside.

-          You cannot open the back glass window, because it may very well fall off and shatter if you do.

-          The center console leather is peeling so badly that I’ve scrapped my arm numerous times just reaching for something in the passenger seat.

-          The radio does not work…must be something to do with the missing antennae…

-          The paint is fading…it actually has gone from black to gray, old-man-Gary!

-          It cost $70 to fill up ¾ of the tank, and most of that gas was used up by the time we drove from San Diego back to Escondido.  For less than HALF that you can fill up the Prius entirely, and then drive 550+ miles before filling up again.

On the positive side, we realized we shipped our California license plates in our household goods shipment instead of with the car.  We won’t get this shipment until 1) we find a job and 2) we find a house which could be months from now.  So Spanish-license-plate-Gary can just chill in the front driveway until then! 
Maybe I “accidentally” shipped the plates that way on purpose…I’ll never tell!

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Thanksgiving 1-1

This last Sunday I was lucky enough to be able to host Thanksgiving for my girls!  Generally this isn’t my holiday to host, but since Mr. and I are currently living with my parents (did I not mention that before?) and said parents are on a cruise for a couple of weeks, I figured I’d take advantage of being a temporary homeowner. 

I’d like to take this moment to say I realize that it is now Wednesday, and this post is a bit late.  However, I came to the conclusion that

1.        I’m no longer 21 and

2.       It takes me a good couple of days to recover from being 1 of 3 girls to finish 7+ bottles of wine

That being said, Thanksgiving was FANTASTIC!  I can’t even begin to explain how great it felt to be back, but alas I will try. 

After three holidays being away from my girls, being able to be back and HOST (given I didn’t have MY decorations, MY home, and therefore MY way in exactly how the house looked) was THE thing I was most thankful for!  My girls didn’t judge about the little messes here and there, didn’t say a word about the tiny-tiny oven my Mom has that I’m almost positive was put in when the house was built in the 60’s, and not a single complaint about having to figure out how and use the small gas oven in the motor-home in order to complete our meal.  We made it work, and it came together perfectly.

I suppose this should also be the time to explain who “my girls” are, since I tend to mention them A LOT.  These are my girls:

Thanksgiving holdout!  My hair never looks as cute when I am the hold-out-er. 
Something for me to remember...

Laura, Carolyn, and Katie (who is normally not silver, or a phone) who I just happened to meet and fall in love with years ago when I started working at a furniture store.  I am lucky enough to have many friends that I cherish, a lot of whom I’ve known for 20+ years, but these girls are “my girls” and I couldn’t live without them.  I can’t explain why, but they are somehow my long-lost-sisters and I’m incredibly grateful that after being gone for so long, they still take me in as if it was yesterday we were hosting random luau birthday parties and 80’s themed roller skating bashes!

Enough with the sap.  I’ll leave you with the best explanation as to why these are my girls, and why I am so thankful that this was Mr. and my Thanksgiving 1-1 of 3.
Because sometimes, in the midst of cooking and cleaning, you need to do some impromptu yoga.
And who best to do that with than your girls?

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Who knew Chi's were such multi-taskers?

I’ve done it.  I’ve finally done it! 

Last night Mr. and I went to dinner at my cousin’s house.  (I brought cheesecake, so I’m counting #17 on my list partially complete.)

I’d been thinking earlier that day about how I hadn’t written anything lately, and how I haven’t completed much on my list other than the pretty dresses.  And then it hit me…I had 4 hours until we had to leave.  Mr. was helping Dad B. with some toilet-sealing-issue that I had no interest in, so I was off the hook and completely free to do as I please. 

If you haven’t read, I’m really in to Pinterest.  I’ve been looking at all the amazing hair pins and it has been motivating me to tackle #24 (learn to do something with myhair other than straighten it every day).  This was it, my chance! 

…and I was feeling miraculously patient and willing to do it!

3 hours, about a zillion hair-tutorial-blogs read, and a few “ARGH” emails to one of my girls later and I’d done it!  I’d curled my own hair!

I’m pretty sure I should get some kind of medal, or trophy, or a cookie.  None of which I got. 

Here it is!!!
CURLS!  And I did it all by myself!


So yeah, not perfect…and not exactly what I was going for since I wanted more of a beachy-wave type curl, but it’s NOT straight so I was thrilled!  (Plus, this morning when I woke up it was TOTALLY the beachy-wave type curl I was going for…bonus!)

Special thanks to this girl whose hair tutorial video finally made sense to me, and thanks to Laura for sending me the link!  Oh, and extra special thanks to my hot-pink Chi! 

Now to tackle more do’s since I’m such a pro!

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

A dress...that's it.

I have been up to a lot lately, but nothing noteworthy for my blog.  So instead of going on and on about nothing, I’ll keep this short.

I wore ONE more dress…totaling TWO for October.  I know, I said I needed to wear three to catch up, but I’m counting myself caught up anyhow and I’m starting November on a clean slate.

Learning to be easier on myself one day at a time.  #30 on my list is pretty much complete.

The only picture I have in said dress #2.  There's a better one out there somewhere, but I'm still waiting for it to be emailed to me and I didn't want to postpone this amazing post.  I don't know why I am posing next to a small old man, and I don't know what Mike is doing.  Stay classy San Diego.