Freitas Family Follies

The Tree

noreply@blogger.com (Momma to LG) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:22:00 +0000

It is probably no secret that I don't love Christmas. I am not sure why. Maybe because I grew up with snow on Christmas. Yes, I live in California but I spent MOST Christmases in Michigan. Maybe it is because the holiday never seems to live up to expectations. I don't know but I am not a big fan. I am, however, a HUGE fan of the decorations!

Houses decorated with lights, trees in the window and all the little things people do to make their houses festive make me smile. I love decorating the house and the tree. I remember we had 2 trees at one point....one decorated with family ornaments and one with just white and gold decorations (I think). I hope to someday be able to do that.

We are not a family that puts the tree up right after Thanksgiving. We put up a real tree and I feel like it would be dead by the time December 25th rolled around. Our tree usually goes up 2 weeks before Christmas. This year we changed it up and put it up this past weekend.

We have a tree place right around the corner from our house so we headed there. The first thing we saw were these little tiny trees and I got so excited about the thought of LG having her own tree. I quickly got over that. We looked around and picked out a tree pretty quickly. 5 ft and nice and full. PERFECT! Then we got it home.

The tree is more like 7 ft. tall. It is HUGE. The thing is, this happens every year. I don't seem to have an eye for tree size. Last year our tree was really fat. This year it isn't so fat but it is TALL. Oh well, it takes up half our room but I actually love it.

This was the first year that LG helped decorate the tree. When I pulled out the lights, I was surprised to find that they were colored lights. I wondered who bought the colored lights, but it was of course me since I am the only one who buys these things. LG must have wanted colored lights last year because I am not a big fan of them. Oh well.

We managed to get the ornaments on without breaking any. I just had to make sure that LG didn't touch any of the "important" ones. I did have to move some around after noticing 3 on the same branch ;-) When we were all done LG wanted to put the "star" on the top. The problem? We don't have a star. For the past 10 or so years we have had a ribbon with curls that cascade down the tree. I love it. J hates it. I win :-)

LG wanted to put the angel. The angel is from my childhood and it hasn't been on our tree, ever. It took some time to convince me but the angel now adorns the top of our tree. I like her up there looking over us. I actually love our tree.

I sat in the dark this morning with just the lights of the tree on. Just sat and looked at the tree. Ornaments that J and I made back when we were little. Ornaments we have bought on some of our trips. Ornaments that have been on my tree since I was born. Ones that I have bought for Ashley. There is a story to many of them and I loved just thinking back.

Lil Chef

noreply@blogger.com (Momma to LG) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 04:09:00 +0000

I love the movie Ratatouille. Not only do I think that the whole concept is cute, but France is some where that I am dying to visit. LG also loves the movie and the two of us have watched it together on many of our plane trips.

LG also likes to cook. She got a play kitchen when she was 2 and there are still days when she will "cook" for a long time. She loves to help me measure ingredients and mix them up. I hope to foster a love of cooking in LG since I really enjoy cooking.

One thing that we have done for the past few years is decorate cookies together during the holidays. When she was 2 I attempted to do a gingerbread house with her but I couldn't build the damn thing. Architect I am not! When I saw that our country club was hosting a cooking class for kids and they were going to make gingerbread houses I was thrilled! The chef at the club actually spoke to LG a few months ago and she has been waiting for the day to come.

I stayed with her during the class to help her since the class was supposed to be for ages 6-12. The nice thing was that a few of her pool buddies were there with their parents so it worked out nicely.

When we got there, each child got their own chef jacket and hat. Of course, the jacket was adult size but after rolling it up quite a bit it was fine.
Everything was set out. A million types of candy, pre-cut gingerbread, bags of Royal Icing, the houses we were to build on.....EVERYTHING!LG and got started. We got the walls up and decided to do the roof. LG wanted to make her roof like Chef Tracy's so we collected all the Nilla Wafer's we could find. The icing was just perfect so everything stayed right were we put it. I was actually enjoying it!We had a blast decorating. It is pretty hard for me to just let LG do her thing, but I totally let her choose what we did. It was a big step for me ;-)
I really enjoyed our time together that day. It is so much easier to enjoy when you
know you don't have to clean up the mess at the end!

Those Damn Holiday Cards

noreply@blogger.com (Momma to LG) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 04:19:00 +0000

It is that time of year again. Time to find the right gifts, try to find time to fit everything into jam packed weekends and, of course, time to pick the perfect Christmas card. Out of those 3, I thinking picking out the card is the toughest.

Since LG was born, I have spent hours pouring over photos, trying to pick the best one for our card. The first few years, it was just LG on our card. It is rare that the 3 of us are in a photo together so it was easier to just find a photo of Ashley. I think LG is very photogenic but it still was a painstaking process for me to chose the right photo. Yes, I realize there are people with "real problems" in the world so zip it!

Last year we had our first family photo shoot and I LOVED what Linda did. This year I had planned on having my friend Tracey do a photo shoot with us but then I decided that it wasn't necessary. Yes, I love having photos of the 3 of us but we don't look that different from last year and really everyone just wants to see LG. I didn't really like LG's school photos so I was happy to have Tracey photograph LG and as a bonus, my dad was here so I decided to have some Daddy, daughter, grand daughter shots taken. I haven't seen all of them just yet but the teasers that Tracey sent me are AMAZING.

I am thinking the biggest problem I will have this year is choosing to use one or more than one photo. Here are 3 shots for you to check out....

Happy Thanksgiving!

noreply@blogger.com (Momma to LG) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 15:56:00 +0000

I am over at Leapfrog today talking about how to teach your kids gratitude! Stop by and say hi.

Are You Prepared for the Next Big One?

noreply@blogger.com (Momma to LG) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:11:00 +0000

Living in California and having spent my summers dealing with tornado warnings in Michigan, you think that I would be a little bit prepared for a disaster should it happen. Yeah, um, not so much. Sure, we have a "disaster kit" that I bought at Target but beyond that I am not really prepared. I know that it is something that I should be doing but up until now it has been at the bottom of the list and just gotten pushed aside.

On Monday, I went to CityMama’s adorable apartment to hear from California Volunteers about Disaster Preparedness with Robyn. I was really amazed by all the info. that we got and realized that getting prepared in baby steps is the way to go. California Volunteers website as very detailed info on things to do but Robyn came up with a great list of simple things that Firefighter Erica discussed with us. I will admit that I just copied this list from Robyn's blog because I am being lazy and she said it all so well! Thankfully, I am a good friend and told her I was stealing her post ;-)

Create a Family Disaster Plan. Make sure it includes two meeting places, an out-of-state contact, and storing copies of important documents outside of your home (like in a safe deposit box). CalVolunteer’s website will also make a free downloadable customizable book for your kids. How cool is that?

Put shoe box under everyone’s bed with a pair of shoes, flashlight, and sweater. If there's an emergency in the middle of the night, everyone can get out of the house safely.

Practice with your kids how to escape from their bedroom if there was a fire. Our windows don't open well enough for us to be able to climb out so we need to practice with LG on how to get out. When seconds count, you don’t want your kids panicking that they don’t know what to do.

Know where your gas shut-off is and how to turn it off. One thing we learned is that people often turn off gas after a disaster even when it isn't necessary. If you smell gas or hear a leak in your home, turn off the gas. Otherwise, it’s OK to leave it on. You also should NEVER turn the gas back on....have PG&E do it because it can be very dangerous.

Properly secure your water heater. One, you don’t want hot water pouring everywhere. Two, it hooks up to your gas, so you don’t want a leak if it fell. But most important, the water in your water heater can be your best source of water if you can’t drink your tap water.

My biggest take-away came from the firefighter who was there to show us what we can do to keep our families safe. Erica said that in a large disaster (think Katrina, think the ’89 Quake, etc), that her #1 goal was to be able to stay at home and not have to go to a shelter. Of course, staying in your home isn’t always an option. But if you can stay home, would you want to? You must make sure that your home is supplied to allow for it. Going through the Disaster Supplies Checklist, I realized that we have a lot of this stuff already in our home but we’ve never organized it into one place.

And if you still feel like you'll never earn your Merit Badge for Disaster Preparedness, then how about a Disaster Kit for FREE?!? CalVolunteers is letting me giveaway TWELVE disaster kits to my lucky readers. Simply comment on this post before Monday, November 23rd with what change your family is going to make to be more prepared for a disaster. Winners will be chosen at random.

Photo credit: California Volunteers

Disclosure: I received a free lunch and two disaster kits during my morning at CityMama's house. I was not obligated to write a piece. The opinions expressed above are mine and mine alone....okay and Robyn's!

Find Me at LeapFrog Today

noreply@blogger.com (Momma to LG) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:51:00 +0000

Today I officially started my LeapFrog fun! I am very excited. You can check out my fir post here. I would love to see some comments and love over there. You can subscribe to that blog even! I will only be posting about once a week so it won't crowd your feed reader.

Thank you for all of your support! This week has been INSANE. I have subbed for 2 days, participated in a Disaster Preparedness event, written for LeapFrog and tomorrow am participating in a Planned Parenthood event. I have been waiting for the time I was crazy busy and now that it is here I am a bit overwhelmed. Just getting dinner cooked has been a task.

It really makes me think of all my friends who work full time and just how hard it is. I have always *thought* it was tough but now actually living it is a whole other ball game. I am truly loving it and know that while the adjustment will be tough, I will be soaring soon.

Professional Writer? Why YES I Am!!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Momma to LG) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:12:00 +0000

For the past few years I have been blogging. It started off as a way to keep my out of state parents in the loop with our lives but it grew into much more than that. I had readers! 100 a day! I got comments! It was amazing and very affirming for all I was dealing with.

Then last November my husband demanded that I take a break because blogging was taking over my life. It was great to take a step back and not worry about having to write or to check if anyone had commented, etc. I watched my readership drop and while, at first, I panicked, in the end I didn't care. After that month long break, I never really seemed to get my blog mojo back. Sadly, I didn't really care.

The blog world is VERY saturated with writers. These days, everyone has a blog and it seems everyone only cares about making money (of course, there are exceptions). I was happy to step away from it. You see, I have made money being a writer but that isn't why I started writing. In fact, when I started this blog I didn't even know that I COULD make money from it!!!

Fast forward a year....

I have all but stopped writing. My family is on me, my friends are on me, I am on myself. I have lost my creative outlet but in some ways I haven't wanted to share because I have been dealing with the ups and downs of life and out of respect for everyone, I don't need to share. I realize now though that I miss this!

A few weeks ago, I went to an event with my friends at Leapfrog and reconnected with Jaeme who works for LF. We had talked briefly a year or so ago about potentially blogging for LF but I never really followed up. I casually inquired about writing again and she was very interested!

I am thrilled to be able to announce that I will be blogging professionally for Leapfrog!!!!! My hobby has turned into a new paid writing job and I couldn't be more excited! LF is a company that I LOVE. LG has nearly all of their toys and I believe in their commitment to helping children learn through technology. I have watched my own child learn all of her letters and their sounds from Leapfrog. They truly have amazing products.

I can't wait to start finding my passion again. I am still going to be subbing but I am hoping to turn this Leapfrog thing into more hours and more writing gigs. Life is changing but I am jumping on for the ride!!!!!!

This Bodes Well For Later in Life

noreply@blogger.com (Momma to LG) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:47:00 +0000

LG is as stubborn as I am. Her dad is VERY stubborn also so she gets it from both sides. I know, it is amazing that anything gets done around here with all of our "stubborness."

A month ago, my mom came to visit. I was determined to teach LG to ride her bike without training wheels. My mom was game although she pointed out that I didn't learn to ride until I was about 6. The kids across the street were about the same age but when I saw Andrew and Fiona riding, I knew Ash could do it. Call me competitive if you want. It isn't that I was competitive but when I see her best friends doing it, I know she can do it too. Thanks Fi for pushing us along!

LG did great. She got the hang of it right away and took off. Then she crashed. She had a bigger bike and she couldn't put both feet down at once which caused a problem. I got her to go one more time but once she crashed again, she was done. Like me, when she is done, she is DONE. The bike was put away for several weeks.

A few weeks back we offered to take her to the park to try again. NO WAY! She sobbed and totally refused. She wanted to ride her little bike but I said, "No." I knew she could do it so I wasn't letting her go back to training wheels. Finally I offered to let her have her small bike back if we could take the training wheels off. She agreed.

She has totally refused help in learning to ride without training wheels. The past week has been pushing herself along and pedaling a few times then putting her feet down. It has driven me mad but the determination she has shown has made me so proud. Today she asked to go to the park to ride her bike. I was thrilled!

We got to the park. I set her bike down. She got on and this is what happened....

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

No joke!!!! LG got on her bike, took off and never looked back. She rode for an hour around the blacktop. When Husband got home she took off to show him. I am so proud of her and she is so proud of herself! Sometimes I am afraid that she is as stubborn as Husband and I but I am now choosing to look at from the positive side. This bodes well for later in life. We already know she is a leader (read bossy) this just adds to it.

Sometimes You Get a Gift

noreply@blogger.com (Momma to LG) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:06:00 +0000

Those of you that have been reading my blog for a long period of time, know that I struggle with depression. Gripping, life halting depression that was magnified by becoming a mother. I have ups and downs which makes things worse because you never know what your gonna get. Lately I have been more down than up.

In the past two years, I have lost friends because of my depression. Friends that I have been close to for YEARS have bailed on me which has hurt me to no end. I admit...I am flaky. I am non-committal. I don't call you back. The list goes on and on. Thankfully, I do have some great friends that "get it." I am sure it is really tough to stand by and be supportive but they do and for that I love them.

The past year has been horrible, really, really bad. To sum it all up, I have wanted out. Out of my marriage, out of my life, OUT! I haven't wanted to hurt myself or anything serious like that but I just wanted to pack up my life and start over. Of course, I would take LG with me because she is my world. The rest of it, I wanted to leave behind.

About a year ago, I received a gift. Two girlfriends from my past came back into my life. Honestly, more than 2 have come back but these 2 have really saved me. These women are hands down my lifesavers. The best part? When they were in my life previously, I would have never said we were "friends." We were never close back then, but now is so different.

They pick me up when I am down. They listen when I need them to and offer suggestions when I ask for them. If I am not online for a whole day, I have voice mails asking if I am OK. They love me unconditionally through my mood swings, my highs and lows. Best of all they make me laugh and laugh at/with me when I feel like I am going crazy. I think I do all the same for them too! I am VERY grateful for them and I want them to know how much of a gift they are.

The thing I will leave you with is: If you have a friend that struggles with depression, it isn't about you. They aren't flaky on purpose and they don't mean to hurt you. The best thing you can do is support them, hold their hand when they just need to cry (which happens a lot), hug them and let them know you are there. Try and understand even though it is so tough. Dooce does a great job of writing about depression and her word express so much of what I feel. I would urge you to read her to help you better understand.

SAHM vs. WAHM....Why Do We Care????

noreply@blogger.com (Momma to LG) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 03:29:00 +0000

I just got done watching Dr. Phil because my friend Jamie was on the panel. The topic was Work At Home vs. Stay At Home Moms and basically which is better. Jamie is a working mom who owns an AMAZING business....go check it out. OK, on to the post....

Why the $%^& do we care if someone works or not???? I am a SAHM because we worked very hard to allow me to do so and I am NOT a big fan of it. I miss working so much BUT I am very thankful that I have been given this time with LG.

I don't believe that LG is any better off because I have been home, I honestly don't. I see her friends that are full time day care kids and they are no different than her. Has she been able to do somethings that full time day care kids haven't? I don't know but I would guess not. We go to the zoo during the week but I would bet that the other kids have been to the zoo too, etc.

My friends that chose to work are just as good at being moms as I am. In fact, I might argue that they are better! Absence makes the heart grow fonder right? Do I think their job is tougher? No I don't but I also don't think that I have it any worse. Some of my friends that work are able to have someone to help clean their house but THAT MAKES SENSE TO ME!!!!! Do I wish I could have someone help clean my house? Hell yeah because it is very difficult to get everything done while taking care of and entertaining LG!

My point in all this? Why do we have to argue about it? If you are so passionate one way or the other, shut up and do your job (whatever that may be) and let everyone else do theirs!!!!

How Did This Happen?

noreply@blogger.com (Momma to LG) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:53:00 +0000

LG is growing up. She is no longer my chubby lil baby that would get in my bed at 6:30 a.m. and go back to sleep with me until well past 8 a.m. Nope, now she is up at 6 for the day and plays school in her room or read quietly until we get up around 6:45p.m. She has her own opinions, Lord does she have opinions!!!! She is still the sunshine in my day even when I want to sell her on eBay because she is being so naughty.

It seems that 4 years old thrive on peer pressure so when LG's friend Taylor got a haircut recently, LG wanted one too. I was more than excited because I haven't cut her hair in over 2 years and it was time. It has seen 2 summers of living in pool, sun and whatever else.

We headed to the cutest place in Palo Alto. If it is your kids first time I would recommend it for sure. I probably won't go back because it is pricey ($23) and I have heard of some other places that are less expensive and just as good. The girl was great and we decided to take about 2 inches off and put some layers in her hair to help with her curls. You'll see in the photo that it ended up being more than 2 inches and at first I wanted to cry BUT she loves it and now I do too. She looks so much older but I guess I have to face that she is no longer my chubby baby!

LG has gone from this chubby, lil bit of sunshine:
To a gorgeous little girl:

What's For Dinner?

noreply@blogger.com (Momma to LG) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 02:32:00 +0000

I love to cook. In my next life, I would love to be either a lawyer or a chef....I know, odd combo. My kitchen is not the best to cook in because of counter space, so I often don't want to cook because I get so frustrated. I have a set of standard recipes that I make because they are easy and I know that Husband and LG will eat them. Nothing is worse than spending time cooking only to have everyone turn up their noses.

Writing has also been making me frustrated because I just don't want to do it. I think it is because I used to write about the fun things LG and I did, but now that she is older we have more of a boring life...haha! In order to spice up dinner and my blog I am going to start "What's For Dinner?" I hope to, once or twice a week, write about new recipes I have tried whether good or bad.

This week I have ushered in fall by bring out the crockpot. That dang pot is something I HAD to have when we got married but over the years I have only used it a handful of times. Many friends swear by the crockpot and seem to have great recipes. My problem is that Husband isn't a "stew or casserole" person so that cuts out a lot of yummy recipes.

The first recipe I made, I knew could be hit or miss. I had a feeling that LG wouldn't like it and I wasn't sure that Husband would either. LG doesn't tend to like "creamy stuff" other than ice cream. Husband also isn't a big fan. I was taking a big risk.

Good news is that LG actually ate it after I took off as much sauce as possible. Husband also said he liked it. I, however, didn't love it. I felt like something was missing which is funny for me since I am known for liking bland food. It needed more salt and I would probably add some wine in the beginning. I would make it again though because everyone actually ate it!

I have to say that I LOVE the site All Recipes because of the comments from people who have made the dish and what they did to change it or make it better.

Chicken Stroganoff

INGREDIENTS

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
1/8 cup margarine
1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup

DIRECTIONS

Put chicken, margarine and dressing mix in slow cooker; mix together and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.
Add cream cheese and soup, mix together and cook on high for another 1/2 hour or until heated through and warm.

Workin It Out

noreply@blogger.com (Momma to LG) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 01:57:00 +0000

I have been back to work for a few weeks now, sort of. I was ready to start subbing about 3 weeks ago. I have actually only subbed 2 days since then but I am ok with that. I am not sure Husband is but that is ok. Since purring LG into school 3 full days a week I have become a MUCH better housewife.

I am sorry but I could no longer be at home with LG having tea parties and playing Littlest Pep Shop. It was a slow death for me and it wasn't much better for her. Now that she is in school she LOVES it! It really it better for her. She gets tons of interaction and gets to do all the things she loves. Even better is that her kindergarten will be full day so she will be ready for it.

We all are so much happier! Yes, we need some extra income so I am hoping to get more work soon. I also know that it is the beginning of the year so people aren't taking time off. Days will come soon and so until then I am enjoying my time. I have needed this for so long. To be able to just sit and read a book for an hour on my own is amazing. It is revitalizing me.

It is no secret that I was at the end of my rope with being a SAHM. I missed using my brain. I have missed being part of the team. I missed the interaction and of course, I missed the money. It is amazing to be able to go to my "full price" hair girl and get great hair instead of having to go to the "cheap guy" and hating it.

Am I being a little selfish right now? YES I AM! I have a lot of "me" time to catch up on and I don't for one minute regret taking this stand. It is making me a better mom and a better wife.

Hamsters For Everyone!!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Momma to LG) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 03:31:00 +0000

I get free stuff sent to me all the time to review. Some may think I am lucky, but trust me not all is worth it, but when Mom Select asked if I wanted to take part in a pet party, I had to check it out. I went onto the Zhu Zhu Pets website and about died. I knew that LG would have a blast and the fact that we could invite up to 10 of her friends...I was sold.

"Zhu Zhu Pets are the world’s first innovative, realistic, interactive, plush, and artificially intelligent hamsters that talk and move around in their own playsets. Zhu Zhu Pets include two modes: nurturing mode where the hamsters coo and purr, and adventure mode where the hamsters explore their habitat with intelligent audio and mechanical responses to various habitat stimuli. Over a dozen add-ons can be purchased to build an ever-evolving hamsterworld for your hamsters to play in and explore."

Now, I am VERY lucky because the awesome women at Mom Select sent me the ENTIRE set-up. LG and I spent the morning setting up the giant hamster city. It was actually pretty easy to do! The whole thing took up about a 6 foot area of my front room. We also got 11 hamsters which LG couldn't wait to open.
LG's friends arrived and each got to choose their hamster. Cool thing is that they all do the same things, they are just different colors. After that I pretty much just let the kids have at it. As with everything, some loved it and some weren't very interested...including my daughter! Overall though I would say it was a hit!Would I buy this on my own? Probably not, because it would cost @ $100 when all was said and done and I know LG wouldn't be that into it. It is currently residing in the Roger's household because Andrew loved it so much and I wanted it to get some use! I might buy a few pieces if I thought LG would be into them but really, without the whole set it isn't as fun.

Hope I Never Have A Real Emergency

noreply@blogger.com (Momma to LG) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 14:48:00 +0000

Have you ever had to dial 911? Before yesterday, I had never dialed those 3 little digits and for that, I was happy. As I was driving to the airport yesterday an accident happened right in front of me on 280 N at Magdalena. It was pretty bad, bad enough to make me think I should call 911.

I dialed the number and it started ringing immediately. Then I was put on hold. Yep, "all operators are busy." I was shocked. What if someone was trying to kill me? Please hold!

I reported the accident after being on hold nearly 5 min. Yes, if someone was trying to kill me I would probably be dead! Now let me say, instantly, I "got it." There are not enough operators to get to all the calls. There are not enough operators because there is not enough money to pay said operators, etc., etc., etc.

Shortly after, I called my favorite SJPD Officer (actually he is the youngest man to ever be promoted to lieutenant(correct me if I am wrong N)...but I digress) to ask if there is a better number to call. I have heard about a "non emergency number" before. I guess 911 is still the best number to call, you will just have to hold.

I decided that if there is an accident, I will call 911. If I am about to be killed though, I am just going to call Ofcr. D and hope he can save me. KIDDING!!!!

Reclaiming Me

noreply@blogger.com (Momma to LG) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 04:06:00 +0000

Tomorrow, I head back to work. I have not been this excited about something in a LONG time! Over the past 4 years I have lost myself. I don't even really know exactly who I am anymore. I am a wife and a mother, of course, but outside of that I am a wandering fool.

I used to be an awesome teacher. I used to be a confident woman who knew exactly what she wanted. I used to be an amazing writer. I was a runner and a great friend. Those things have all changed. Deep down I am still that person but it is time I reclaim her.

There are things I KNOW about myself. I am confident in many ways. I love to dance and am pretty damn good at it. I love to speak in front of huge audiences. I am caring, almost to a fault, about others. I am strong-willed and determined. If I set my eyes on something I go for it 100%.

My first step in reclaiming me is going back to work. I will be subbing part time while waiting for something that I am in love with or until something better comes along. It is perfect for me....I can be back in the classroom with none of the prep work! I can't wait. I am excited to wear "work clothes" again. Of course, I am nervous but I know I am a good teacher and I know that I can do this!

What No One Tells You About Being a Parent

noreply@blogger.com (Momma to LG) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 03:16:00 +0000

No one tells you had hard being a parent is. This past week has been one of HUGE changes in our house. I will tell you more about that soon but for now, I have come up with some more things people don't tell you about being a parent, please feel free to add your own!

Some nights, you will sit down and cry after putting your child to bed because you feel like you failed that day.
Some days you actually think that you should have thought twice about becoming a parent.
Sleep will NEVER be the same!!!!
Poop will consume the majority of your thoughts for years. Did they go? Is it the right consistency? Are they constipated?
You will spend hours cleaning the house and your kid will destroy it in 30 seconds flat
Your child will turn up their nose after you spend an hour cooking their "favorite meal" which is no longer their favorite today
You will miss out on events you wish to attend because your daughter just can't pull it together to get out of time out for more than 20 min. here and there.

It has been that sort of weekend around here. Thankfully, I just have to look at this photo and realize that deep down she is an angel. Her job is to test me. It doesn't make it any less difficult but I know that one day she will thank me.

Field Trip Time!

noreply@blogger.com (Momma to LG) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 04:25:00 +0000

LG was off of school this week so we have taken a few field trips to pass the time. It has been a lot of fun for the two of us. There are a lot of changes coming up so I was thrilled to have this time together.

Our first trip was to the Children's Discovery Museum. LG has been begging to go for a few months because there was a Curious George exhibit happening. I am always weary of going there because we always end up sick but now was the time. With most kids back in school, I figure now was as good a time as any.

We met Aminah there and the girls had a blast! The best part was it was fairly empty so Sarah and I also had a good time because it was relaxing. The girls are at a perfect age to be able to take part in all the activities and actually enjoy them.The art room was a HUGE hit! The girls played with clay and loved it. LG has never played with clay other that playdoh so it was all new for her. She didn't really make anything but it was fun none the less.We also made corn husk dolls. I have always seen this center before but LG hasn't really had the attention span for it until now. I still had to make the doll but she pretended to help. Face paint was all done by LG on herself!The George exhibit was a HUGE hit. George is the first show that Ashley watched. She was in love with him. We own a million books of his and still love him a lot. She was thrilled to play with the different parts of the exhibit. I think her favorite was pretending to be an architect.
I would say that our field trip was a hit! I won't go into details about the meltdown we had when it was time to go. We will just leave it at that ;-)

New Car for Me!!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Momma to LG) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 15:54:00 +0000

Is it possible to be in love with a car? I think so because I am in love with mine!

I have been driving Husband's Explorer for the past 4 years. When LG was born I was driving a Jetta and I loved her. The Husband got a new car for work and we decided to sell the Jetta since the Explorer had more room. I have loved having all the extra space but as the years went by I was getting worried.

"Beast" as I referred to it was a work horse. 13 years old, 187,000 miles, speakers that only all worked on certain days, paint starting to fade and still kicking. He wasn't very well taken care of for a long time so the fact that he was still running was amazing. Each time though something went wrong, it was getting more and more expensive to keep him going. He wasn't worth very much money so I figured that the next time something big happened we would decide to sell him. Then Cash for Clunkers happened.

Let's be clear, Beast more than qualified. In most situations he qualified for the full $4500 which is $3000 more than we could ever get on our own. The wheels started turning. We had to decide what to get because we really couldn't afford to take on another car payment with me not working. After lots of hours researching I decided on the Jetta Sportwagen. Working with my dad (yes, I am spoiled and totally admit it) we figured out how to make it work.

Friday was the day we turned Beast in. When it came right down to it, I was quite sad. We brought LG home from the hospital in Beast. He was with us through Husband and my break up in college and was there when we got back together. He probably helped bring us back together after we popped the tire in Chico. He has taken us on many adventures to Tahoe, Santa Barbara, LA and all over the Bay Area. He was very well loved.

Now though, there is a new love in my life, Bluebell. She is beautiful and she smells amazing. She has power everything. She has an ipod hookup and Bluetooth so I can be handfree. All of her speakers work and she gets amazing gas mileage. Did I mention she smells good???? I am in love.

Through My Daughter's Eyes

noreply@blogger.com (Momma to LG) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:16:00 +0000

LG and I returned from a trip to Michigan last week. For those who don't know, Michigan is where I was born. I consider it home, which is sort of weird since I haven't lived there since I was 3. I did spend every summer there growing up and most of my family is still there which is why, for me, it is home.

I wasn't nervous about flying with LG at all as she is such a pro now. I think she has now been on about 30 airplanes in her 4 years. She knows exactly what to do at security and is a big help. It makes life so much easier than when I used to fly with her as a baby.The reason for this trip was simple. I was going to play in The Yeager Memorial. My grandfather died in 1990 and since then there has been a golf tournament in his honor. My grandpa was an amazing man. You can read a little more about him here. Sadly the Milford paper isn't great with keeping things on line because lots of amazing things have been written about him that I would have loved to share.

I set off to play 36 holes of golf (that is 2 rounds!) and Ashley set off for a day with cousin Lisa. You can guess who was more excited. I played one of the best rounds in my life in the morning, which was really exciting!!! The afternoon was more about hanging out with my dad and some old friends. It was a great day. Enough about me....
Ashley asked for one thing in Michigan, to go fishing. Cousin Lisa took Ash fishing and she caught 2 fish!!!! Ashley was estatic! I am so proud of her. I don't have a photo of the event just yet but as soon as I do, I will post it. She can't wait to fish again and I am trying to figure out where to take her around here. Thankfully one of my friends from high school is a big fisherman and he is helping me figure stuff out.

While we were there Milford Memories was happening. Milford is a bit like Mayberry....very small village (not even a town) but thousands of people come in for this event. It was the first time I was there for it and it is fun! Ashley enjoyed the kids area the most and she is getting really good at hula hooping!
We also got to experience Milford's new Mexican restaurant. I will admit that it was not the type of Mexican I am used to. Someone told me it was "authentic Mexican," um, ok sure. Whatever, the margarita's were good.
LG had a great time with Papa, Grandma Judy and her aunts and uncles. Cousin Lisa is still the fav and she talks about her all the time. I would love to go back and spend a week on a lake sometime with LG. It would be how I spent every summer growing up and I can't think of a better thing to do with my daughter!

We Have A Reader!

noreply@blogger.com (Momma to LG) — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 17:24:00 +0000

I haven't been working with LG on reading. Mainly this is because I don't believe in pushing your kid to do academics before they are ready. I was a teacher and I have seen how pushing can cause kids to shut down. A week or so ago, I bought a word family book and LG was doing great sounding out the words. I thought I would get her some basic reading books to try out. She is really into it!

I think the key is that I don't push her. I do it when she wants to do it. She is very proud of herself and we are just as proud. I am hoping that she will have a lifelong love of reading like I do! Here is a video for you....

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Mrs. Freitas!

noreply@blogger.com (Momma to LG) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:10:00 +0000

I miss being Mrs. Freitas. I am mom, mommy, mama, Lia, and Li. My mom calls me sis. I have had a million names I have answered to but the one I miss most is "Mrs. Freitas." At the golf club, I am called Mrs. Freitas by some of the staff and that feels really weird to me because it makes me feel old. What I miss are the 8 year olds I used to teach calling out for me.

It has been 4 years since I have been in the classroom. I have missed it almost as long. I loved being a teacher, although I probably bitched about it a lot. My teaching partners were the best EVER and I miss them. Of course, there are days when I can't imagine working full time but other days it is ALL I can think of. Which is why I am looking to finally go back.

Some of you that have known me for a long time know that all I ever really wanted to be was a mom. I wanted to stay home because my mom never got to do so and it was very important to me to be able to do so. The first year was great! Since then though, it has been really hard for me. My life has become all about taking care of others. I take care of LG all day. I take care of our house and my husband also. I have not, however, been taking care of ME. I have been miserable for a really long time.

I have stuck it out because it was a commitment made to myself and my family but I feel like it is really time to do what is right for me. If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. I am hoping to head back, of course, right as education is suffering HUGE budget cuts. The good thing is that I don't have to go back so if I don't find something I will be ok. The bad thing is that I am not lucky enough to be able to afford a nanny or full-time day care without a job so if I find something later it may be more difficult to find somewhere for LG to be. I figure I will cross that bridge when I get to it.

Until I find something, keep us in your thoughts. The is a really tough step for me. Even though I am excited and looking forward to being Mrs. Freitas again, I am a bit fearful.

R.I.P Michael Jackson

noreply@blogger.com (Momma to LG) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 16:30:00 +0000

WOW, as I wrote this today, it came out differently than I planned. I thought I was going to be a bit more harsh on him but as I wrote, it all came out in a very different way. I am keeping it true to my thoughts though and not changing it.

I wasn't actually planning to write about Michael Jackson's death. It isn't because I don't care but more because EVERYONE is writing about it and I am a little tired of hearing about it.

I respect everyone's feelings about the King of Pop. He was amazing. He was a HUGE icon for my generation. He was a bizarre. He made some very poor errors in judgement during his life. He died too soon. The list could go on and on.

As a mother, my opinion of Michael was a bit jaded after the whole molestation case. It isn't that I believe he did or didn't do it but at that point I realized how sad he was. He was HUGE and LOVED by people around the world but it wasn't enough. I cannot respect that he slept with children in his bed or gave them wine, etc., but what I can take away from it is that he was man who loved children because they have unconditional love and he didn't have enough of that.

I am sure that many people around him loved him conditionally. That makes me terribly sad. I know he had family who did love him no matter what but I am not sure that it was enough. I will admit, in some ways I am thankful that he may be at peace now. I hope he is at peace. I hope that today he can look down on his memorial service and see the billions of people that worshiped him. I hope he can put all the pain he felt in his life aside and realize that he was loved. I hope he can scoop it all up and keep it with him and finally feel peace.

Fourth of July

noreply@blogger.com (Momma to LG) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 03:41:00 +0000

The 4th of July has always been my favorite holiday. I think it is because I spent every 4th at our cabin in Michigan with my grandparents. We would swim in the lake and play with fireworks, especially sparklers. It is a time in my life that I look back on very fondly. Although I haven't been to that cabin in 20+ years, I remember everything about it like it was yesterday. I was missing that cabin so much yesterday.

I was also missing my grandma's town. It isn't even actually a "town" it is a village. It is only 2.5 square miles and 6,300 people. There is a parade every year on the 4th that everyone goes to. I miss that small town! I wouldn't want to live there but visiting is nice.

In the past we have spent the 4th with friends but this year we had no plans. NONE! We ended up mostly hanging out around the house, visiting Vovo and playing with Uncle NY and Eric. After naps we headed up to the club and hit balls together which was fun. We all came back and Uncle and Eric came over for dinner. It was small but nice.

Also for the first time in 4 years we went to fireworks at home. Last year we were in LA for Nick and Amy's wedding (Happy Anniversary!!) and the year before we were in Maui. Before then, LG would be asleep WAY before firework time. I was so excited to take LG this year.

We went to Cupertino and snuggled on a blanket. Eric and Uncle NY came with us which was super fun. It was really cold though!! I loved snuggling with LG and listening to her oooh and aahhh. She was so excited. It really is amazing to experience things through her eyes.

Sitting there in that big field, reminded me of all the years we would go to Morgan Hill to watch fireworks. It made me smile to think that we are starting to make our own traditions. They might not be the same as my trips to the lake in Michigan but they are still fun!

Strawberry Picking

noreply@blogger.com (Momma to LG) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 04:16:00 +0000

We headed to the coast today to go berry picking. Last year, LG and I missed out on strawberry picking so I really wanted to do it this year. There used to be a ranch close to us that had berry picking but this year they closed before we could get there. The closest place to go was Pescadero which is about an hour away on the coast.

It was a long drive to get there but thankfully, I put the DVD player in the car so that LG didn't drive me nuts on the drive over.I was also a bit concerned that it was going to be cold over the hill because of the marine layer taunting us on the drive over but it was BEAUTIFUL!!!Swanton Berry Farm is great! The berries grow on mounds of dirt so they are about knee high which is great for us old people. haha!

It was also right at hand level for the girls. LG and Aminah went to town. Sarah and I put in some work too!

We were done after about an hour so it was just the perfect amount of time for the girls. We hauled the loot back to find out how much we had picked. OK, we made the girls haul the loot.We ended up with 18 lbs of strawberries. LG and I had 10 lbs. so now I am trying to figure out what to make with them! Stay tuned....