Engaged!

My little brother is engaged! I am very happy for him. I am also not so secretly hoping E and J will get to be flowergirls :). My future sis in law is pretty cool and I am really looking forward to us finally being in similar stages in life. My brother and I are close but with a 7.5 year difference, I still sometimes feel like Mom Jr. rather than a friend to him.

Pinterest

Have you heard of www.pinterst.com? It’s pretty cool. I am not addicted to it as some of my friends are but it’s still useful when doing research for project like a family photoshoot or a kitchen remodel. As I search the net I “pin” the ideas I like to specific boards I set up and can refer to them later. I can also see other people’s boards. Everything is visual and easily scanned. Right now I am gathering ideas for landscaping our backyard and pinning a ton. It’s also vain but gratifying when my ideas get repinned :) I am in no way affiliated with Pinterest but due to my line of work I do like to highlight “designs that delight.” What are some of yours?

Tiger Mother

I just finished reading the Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. I was looking for the controversy that this book has become known for and maybe I am odd but I didn’t find it here. Yes, the author’s methods are extreme but in a lot of places it seems like the examples had been exaggerated for effect. She also makes some good points about our current culture of coddling our children’s self esteem to the point of communicating to them that mediocrity is all we expect from them. The author was also big enough to admit that her approach was not the magic bullet she believed it to be at the outset. The book is well written and was worth the read. Next I am tackling The Blessing Of the Skinned Knee, and going from a “Chinese Mother’s approach” to a “Jewish Mother’s” one

Holiday Card

I love getting holiday cards this time of year but we have never done one ourselves. This year I have finally gotten my act together and order  a bunch. Now to collect addresses and actually get to the post office on time…

 

Photo Card

View the entire collection of cards.

Perfect moments

We are on our way home from our mini-break. It went pretty much the way any vacation with a three year old and a nine month old can be expected to go. It had tears (some of them mine) and tantrums (some of them mine) and juggling of naptime and bedtime schedules. And yet there moments so perfect that they made everything else worth it:

J trying ice cream for the first time,
E getting to ride on the bigger roller coasters,
Finding a really nice beach in Carmel, splashing in the waves and watching J eat sand :)
And just spending uninterrupted time with my little family, tantrums and all.

Perfection is measured in moments, not lifetimes.

Vacation

We are off to Monterey this Friday! Nothing fancy, just visit the aquarium and walk around. Everyone keeps telling me that we are going to come back more tired than when we left, what with two small kids and unfamiliar surroundings and routines. That’s all very true but I just need to get OUT and go away for a bit. *I* need the unfamiliar surroundings and routines. I am sure the girls will be fine for three days. Kids are resilient, after all.

Down in the dumps

It’s pouring. In June. In California! How the hell is this even real??? I am not one of those people who loves rain, or even likes it. I want my sunshine NOW! Rain really just brings out a gloomy side of me and I must admit that I have not really been a bag of rainbows to begin with lately. I need to find me a sun lamp or something if the real thing won’t cooperate. I also need to get out of the dark cube in the dark corner of the building and go hug on my baby girls. Why couldn’t I have been born in the 50s where I would have been expected to stay home. I know, I know, choices are good and having the right and ability to work is awesome. And the independence from DHs income in case of a “god forbid” is absolutely crucial but it’s days like today that I really do wish I lived a different life in a different time. I really do hope consulting works out and will be a nice compromise but on a gloomy day like today I have my doubts if I will ever even be able to escape the clutches of corporate America and hand in my resignation letter when the time comes.

To new opportunities!

Tomorrow is a farewell lunch for my mentor at work, the one that hired me and gave me a chance 6 years ago. It feels like the end of an era. And it is. For him, for the team and for me as well. There comes a time for everyone to move on. For him, it’s now. For me, it’s a month from now. I am making the leap and venturing into consulting land again. This time around I am going into it with my eyes wide open and my objectives clear. The goal here is to get my feet wet and tighten up my skill set but not overdo it while J is still home. And hopefully be in a position to really kick it into high gear when she is ready for pre-school. I love the variety of projects you get and people you meet when you do consulting, and I have to admit that the idea of making my own hours especially when the girls start school and need me to take them to various activities that are not always working parent friendly is very appealing to me. Now, to get all my ducks in a row in the next month, and not to lose my resolve… Here is hoping that I have the guts to turn in my two weeks notice come August. Wish me luck!

Today

Today I want to quit my job.
Today I want life to be easier.
Today I want to spend with my baby.
Today I wish that she would sleep.
Today I wish US joined the rest of the developed world and we had 1 year maternity leave.
Today I wish I had time to have breakfast.
Today I want to pick up my oldest from preschool early to enjoy the nice weather (but can’t).
Today I wish I didn’t snap at DH but I am too stressed to truly care.
Today I wish I had a sunnier outlook but sometimes you just have to trust that “the sun will come out tomorrow.”

Happy Father’s Day

Happy Father’s Day to all the wonderful dads out there! The girls and I got Daddy breakfast in bed and made cards for him. Later on we’ll be joining my parents for a helicopter show and wine festival (strange combo I must admit) in San Carlos. This promises to be a fun day.

E made the breakfast by herself (except for the actual frying stuff):