Christmas 2016

What another wonderful Christmas season! This year, you were a little more into the Christmas spirit and got the idea that Santa was coming. Every time anyone asked you what you told Santa you wanted, you said a lolly pop. Well that would have been good to know before you received a TON of gifts! All through the month, we set up the tree and went back and forth between the white lights (that I liked), and the colored lights (that you liked). It was the funniest thing because you would immediately change the color on the lights if they happened to be on the white light setting. We went and looked and light displays in Clairemont and on Garrison Street in Point Loma. We went on a Saturday night and although Garrison Street is pretty small, it is over the top decorated. One house was having a fundraiser and selling hot chocolate and baked goods, in addition to a DJ and dance floor. You immediately went right out there and started dancing. You're at a great age where the lights are fascinating and you take an interest to the holiday decor.

We baked plenty of cookies and made our first gingerbread house--all while eating half the candy as we were putting it on. Christmas Eve we set out the cookies and milk and when you woke up you were disappointed that Santa left a crumb on the plate! But then you remembered you got a scooter and all was well. You hopped right on and started riding it like you were a pro, it was the cutest thing! You also got a remote control Lightning McQueen car, an easel, a TON of Trolls dolls, animals, blankets, etc. art stuff, clothes, kitchen sets, Hunter boots (I'm so jealous, I don't even have any!!) and so many cool gifts. We literally had to reorganize the little storage we have in this house just to fit everything. It is insanity how much stuff you have gotten over the years! Opening gifts got old pretty quickly and you just wanted to play with a few things you liked. I'm sure that will change in a few years. We did the typical holiday visiting, eating, eating, and more eating and everything was fabulous as usual. We are so blessed to be a part of a big, loving, and fun family who really know how to make the most of any get together. I hope you get to grow up with lots of cousins just like we did because that is what I remember most when I think back to my childhood.

It is almost time to welcome a new year and it is always something I look forward to. Even though life really does stay the same, sometimes it is good to reflect and reevaluate your current situation and think of ways to improve areas of life or make necessary changes. Even if the thought is temporary I always like to embrace moments that make you stop and think. I'm looking forward to another year of more firsts for you and making more memories as our family grows. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, baby!

'Tis the Season

Since Thanksgiving, we have embraced Christmas as much as we can even putting up our tree 2 days after Turkey Day. So our tree is fake (sorry), but its so much easier and looks amazing! Ours has lights on it as well; white and colored. Well, of course I like the white lights because they are bright and clean looking, especially when you have an assortment of colored ornaments all over the tree. Well let me tell you, you and I have been playing a little game of what lights the tree will be on. I made the mistake of showing you the button where to turn the lights on and off and since then you have decided that you like the colored lights and there will be no other options for lighting. It took us a while to realize that you were the one who kept changing the lights and since then any time you see the white lights you rush over and change them, much to my disappointment. It is pretty hilarious, though. We've gone around to a few neighborhoods to look at the lights and it is so fun! There is one street in Point Loma we went to and one house was having a hot chocolate and sweets fundraiser and had a DJ and a dance floor! You immediately started breaking it down. You love to dance (or jump around all over the place) and it is so sweet. The rest of the houses were decorated with all sorts of Disney characters, Santa's and Frosty's. It was so fun and we will definitely be coming back every year. 

Your dad took you to get your picture taken with Santa and you have the biggest smile on your face! I couldn't believe it. That's two years in a row the Santa pictures have been a success. I have to admit, I loooove seeing pictures of kids screaming sitting on Santa's lap. I'm sure we will get one of those of you eventually. You have the next couple weeks off from school and I am so excited to have some much needed down time with you. I will be taking off a few days so we can do some fun activities like going ice skating! I think you will absolutely love that. Other than that I'm thinking plenty of baking and hot chocolate. I love the nights where we're snuggled up together just being our little family. It is so precious and goes by so quickly it is hard to stop and breathe to enjoy it. Somehow you're THREE years old and I just cannot wrap my mind around it. I love it when you tell me how much you love me and that I'm your best friend. You don't know how happy it makes me feel inside to be your mom. I love you, baby. 

Thankful

In true fashion, I'm updating super late obviously. It's now November 29 and soon to be DECEMBER. What is happening?! Well November flew by also. It started with all the hype of the election and the HUGE upset when Donal Trump actually beat Hillary Clinton. Trump will be the new President. So that was pretty crazy. Then we had some amazing weather, like summer status, so like the native San Diegans we are, we went to the beach! In November! And had to leave because our umbrella kept blowing over and it was too hot without any shade. Yep, it's really Fall over here. Actually, the past few days have been rainy and cold! Like really cold. Boots, scarves, my favorite! That didn't stop us from going on our walks around the neighborhood, to Starbucks, the boardwalk, the bay, all the fun stuff. Thanksgiving was last week and was yummy, filling, and a great time to spend with family. I try to be thankful and count my blessings all the time but its nice to have a day dedicated to it. You helped me make an apple pie from scratch and loved rolling the dough! You've been a great little helper lately and I couldn't be happier!! Well here are a few pictures of the last month!

Bye Bye October

Well there you have it. October and Halloween are in the past. If I could stop time for, like, two years I think that would really benefit us all. You're growing faster than I could ever try and keep up with. It is so true, as the saying goes, that the days are long but the years are short. I really thought that in this three year timespan I would have had more of my shit together. But, here we are. Most days are filled with running around just trying to keep food in the fridge and the house somewhat presentable. There are days where I/we thrive and there are others where we struggle and I wish I could clone myself three times over just so one of us could take a nap. At the same time, it's the best ever and the life I always knew I wanted. Well, a version of that if we're being honest, haha. I've had some really tough days lately, struggling with the emotions and guilt of being a working mom and spending so much of my time away from you. Not that staying home with you would be any walk in the park compared to going to work, but I long for the days where I could wake up before you and sip a cup of coffee as I prepare your breakfast before dropping you off at school and you knowing I will be back to pick you up. We are so lucky for one, that your dad and I have opposite schedules, and two that we have an amazing family who is able to join us in taking care of you. But most days, as I'm sitting at my desk during a slow time of the day, I just wish so badly that our situation could be different. Working part time or not at all until you and your future sibling(s) are in school full time and then go back to work. It doesn't make it any easier that school schedules don't necessarily work so well with working parents. I mean, school starting at 9am and getting out at 3pm with a half-day in the middle of the week? I mean, come on. I think it would just be a lot less stress for all of us if I were able to accommodate the schedules and just be with you. I miss you so much by the end of the day I can barely stop myself from running out of work. I hope as you grow up with two working parents you are able to understand how much we love you and how important it is to work hard at what we do to be able to have the life we are living. 

Okay, in less emotional news we managed to have a pretty festive month given the downside that you've been sick for the past week. It started with a fever and now its extreme congestion. BUT, we made it to the pumpkin patch and took you on the big slide--which was AMAZING! It was so fun and you could not get enough. I love that you have no fear and are always up for an adventure. We also carved a pumpkin! We meaning your dad. You sat there and squished all the guts while I separated the pumpkin seeds. We made it into a G and it actually came out pretty good. On Halloween we went to Nani and Nanu's for the annual chili and candy in the driveway and it was fun as usual. You wore your Princess Anna dress from Frozen and I braided your hair. It couldn't have been cuter! If you were feeling better maybe, but it was so stinkin' cute. You loved handing out candy to all the kids and were very generous. We had to start handing you the candy so we didn't run out in 10 minutes. When it came time to trick-or-treat you walked up to the door but instead of saying 'trick-or-treat' you said, 'candy please!' and we were dying. At least you didn't try to walk inside anyone's house this year. Since you weren't feeling very well we left soon after to get snuggled in our bed and watch Hocus Pocus, or as you called it, 'Pocus Pocus.' Gotta love it. You ended up falling asleep only to wake up shortly after trying to cough up the nasty stuff you have inside. We figured you were going to vomit, so as your dad was getting you out of bed, you let it go all over him, the window curtain, wall, and floor. Poor baby. So we all got showered up again and spent the rest of the night cleaning it up and keeping an eye on you. We are hoping you feel better soon because it is so heartbreaking to see you this way. I guess it was bound to happen with preschool, the weather change, and all that but man it always seems to stick around forever. 

Now that the fun is over, for now, we will focus on laying low and getting you better so we can prepare for the next round of holiday excitement...Thanksgiving! Which will be here in no time.

In Other News

Besides all the action with you, love, there are quite a few things going on in the world today. Crazy things. In the past couple of years, there have been several instances of police officers shooting and sometimes killing unarmed people, many of them African Americans. This has caused major uproar all across the US. With social media being so prevalent and available, almost everything these days is caught on camera. Because of this, there is no getting away with anything. These videos are shown on the news and instantly go viral all across the web. There have been resulting riots and attacks on the police force in many areas. Most recently, it happened in El Cajon. It is scary because tensions are high and communities are divided. It's like we are going back in time and reliving the days of racism. I hate to watch the news because there is almost always talk of just how bad things are out there. It is sad but true, unfortunately.

We are also in an election year which is causing even more uproar and divide. The candidates are Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump. Yes, Donald Trump. I know, I haven't been able to grasp the concept either. Hilary has been in her fair share of hot water for deleting over 30,000 emails and some questionable decisions in the past when she served as Secretary. Donald, well, he's a business man and a loose cannon. He rarely says the right thing and can often be pretty condescending but here we are and he's a candidate for President. The main issues revolving around this election are creating jobs and boosting the economy, closing the gap on the current racial divide, and tax cuts/increases. Hilary wants to focus on the middle class by taxing the rich and Trump wants to cut taxes across the board because the thinks this will allow bigger business to create more jobs. It's a typical election where both parties say what you want to hear and make umpteen promises of how they'll do it, but as we know, that changes the minute they are in office. I can honestly say I'm really torn because I don't like either candidate. I think a lot of people are in the same boat, that is if they're not diehard fans of either which is a possibility too.

In other, lighter news, it is Fashion Week in Paris. It was in New York a few weeks ago, and looks like so much fun. I would love to be able to sit in on some of these fashion shows and get the full experience. Kim Kardashian was robbed at gunpoint the other night in her Paris apartment which is pretty scary. She was by herself, but the men got away with millions of dollars in jewelry. And Brangelina--Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have made headlines for their recent divorce. No one saw it coming. I mean, since Brad left Jennifer Aniston--how on Earth he did that I don't know--to be with Angelina and then they adopted and had all these kids, nothing ever seemed to be out of the ordinary. Then one day her filing for divorce is all over the news. Clearly not news, I know, but it beats hearing how many people died or whatever other horrible things are happening in the world.

Hmm, what else. Oh, I went to KAABOO--a music festival-- here in Del Mar with Nanu, Auntie Dre, and some friends. It was last month but oh wow was it fun. Music festivals are a big thing right now. It is convenient because you can see so many artists at one venue. Most of the time they are 2-3 days long and even last two weekends. Coachella is a big one and that takes place in Indio, sort of near Palm Springs. That is really popular among the younger crowd, but hello desert. Sand. It can get pretty dirty I hear. Then there's the I Heart Radio festival in Las Vegas and that has to be a blast, because hello, Vegas. There is a country one in the desert too and that is Stagecoach and another in Vegas called Route 91. Then you have KAABOO at the Fairgrounds. It is nice because there are real bathrooms, good food places, and generally it was fairly convenient. We saw Jimmy Buffet, Fall Out Boy, Rebelution, Cypress Hill, Flo Rida, Aerosmith, Chainsmokers, Jack Johnson and more. It was so fun and I can't wait to go again next year.

We've had something going on every weekend for what seems like forever but they've all been fun! We went to a wedding for Alfie and Chelsea in Carlsbad at a little historical center in the woods. It was so cute and really whimsical and even had a churro bar...um yeah, genius. The only downside was my nude six inch heels walking down the dirt road. The next weekend we celebrated Dad's birthday with a little bowling night with friends. I bowled a 167!! I know, crazy right. It was my highest score of all time. We had such a blast and definitely plan on bowling more. You forget how much fun it is! Can't wait to see what you think the first time we take you.

And lastly and most exciting...baby Emery is here! She arrived on Sunday October 9 at 9:45am. You can imagine how excited we are to have a new baby in the family. I took you to see her the other night and you begged to hold her, so I helped and you couldn't have been more cute and proud. I can't wait for the day you get to do that with a brother or sister. My heart my actually explode!

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Fall is Here?!

Gigi bear!! Can you believe it is finally Fall and already October? I sure cannot, I'll tell you that much. And by the weather we've had the past couple of weeks it doesn't feel like it either. BUT good news, the mornings and evenings have been substantially cooler so I see a light at the end of the tunnel. Time to dress you in matching boots and scarves, my favorite!

School has been going well for you so far, I think you are finally adjusting to being on more of a schedule even though you are enrolled in a pretty short program. You've had reading assignments in your little Bible for the past few weeks and you have loved reading new stories every night. You also have a new library of songs you sing which is, of course, adorable. Last week your homework was to memorize the Pledge of Allegiance by the end of the week. I picked you up on Friday and you were so excited to show me your special soccer ball toy you received because you recited the whole thing, all by yourself. Can you say #proudmommy!! Your little hand over your heart, OMG. Next week is picture week and I'm wondering if you're going to take after me and have one with tears streaming down your face. I hope not. Your teacher also goes over the letters and basic words in Spanish which is really cool. Even if they are just basic words I'm hoping you catch on and develop a knack for picking it up. I try to practice with you at home also.

Other than that, you're still rough and tough and have more energy than we could have ever imagined. You would run all day and night in Auntie Charline's backyard if we let you. But the good thing is you always sleep like a rock after a day like that. Oh and you still love to walk around in my high heels. You are so my child. :)

Happy 3rd Birthday Giuliana!

Well I'm sure you can imagine that I am a wreck over here. Just trying to figure out how it is possible I now have a 3 year-old daughter. I'll say that every year but it is like...whoa. We have been celebrating the last few days and have had so much fun. We started off at Nani and Nanu's for the usual poolside Labor Day activities. You got your Dory cake you've been talking about and spent four straight hours in the pool. You love to jump in when no one is looking (not funny) and you especially love jumping off the top edge which is pretty cool to watch. I'm so glad you have no fear but at the same time it does give me a slight heart attack. The sha-cuzzi is one of your favorite places to splash around and we only made you say it 9,000 times :) it is just too cute!!

The next day we went up to the Disneyland area and checked into our hotel right across the street from the park. We walked through Downtown Disney and then bought a cheap ticket into Disneyland. It was really busy because it was the holiday but we managed to get on quite a few rides considering we were only there for a few hours. We went on Pirate's of the Caribbean, It's a Small World, Dumbo, Autopia, and your very first roller coaster in Toon Town! It was pretty fast and actually a real roller coaster. You loved it and wanted to do it again and again. We saw glimpses of the parade and fireworks so that was also really fun to see. You're finally at a point where you can understand and appreciate all of the fun and characters. You were asleep before we made it out of the park.

The next morning we went to breakfast at your favorite, IHOP, and then walked over to California Adventure. This is a much smaller park so it is easier to get around and make it to most of the attractions. However, I didn't realize that most of the rides have a 40 inch height requirement and you are about 39 inches tall right now. So in about a month you can ride the majority of the rides. You wanted to go on the Cars ride and the big roller coaster but weren't tall enough. We still got to do everything in A Bug's Land and all of the other Cars Land rides. It looks exactly like it does in the movie, really incredible how they bring all of these themes to life. Our favorite though, was the Toy Story ride where we got to shoot at targets and score points. It may have been more fun for your dad and I. We went on twice because it we had to compete. And you know it, I won both times. Overall you lasted really well over both days but it is tough to do it all. I'm glad we were able to stay overnight. We definitely plan to do more trips up there and can't wait for more fun times.

Today is your birthday and another big milestone, your first day of preschool. I can't believe the day has come my love. You are growing up so fast and I want time to just pump the brakes a bit. I can't handle it! We walked you up to the playground where the rest of your class was and you just ran on in and didn't look back. We were able to get a kiss before we went and hid behind the gates to watch. Don't judge me, we weren't the only ones. We watched you walk with the rest of your class into the classroom and went on our way. I may have shed a few tears but I know this is going to be such a great experience for you. We picked you up a few hours later and you said you had so much fun. They even made you a birthday crown and sang to you. So cute! I just can't believe what a week its been celebrating you my baby love. I love you so much babe, happy 3rd birthday!!