StarBerry

OK

2008-09-09T22:02:00.000-07:00

So we've been back for a week now. I had such an amazing time there that I decided it's where I should be. I'm moving back! I hope to be there by spring. And I'm only saying I because I really don't have a clue how Maya's dad and I are going to do this. I'm sure she'll be with me but I'm at a lost on how we will make it work. {{{{{ deep breath }}}}} Hoping it all will fall into place.

So, the trip. I guess I should start from the beginning. My Mom picked us up from the airport and what do you know? It's raining. My pants are already soaked up to the knees. But I say f* it and ran to the hotdog stand next to the ferry. Got myself a pretty amazing vegi dog with neon green relish. Mmmm it was tasty. Ok, next we went to the fair. FUN! Except those few moments of lost children. But everybody was found shortly there after and back home we went. I am leaving out incredible details. Ummmm, got to spend some quality time with people so dear to me. And went to a beautiful wedding. I even caught the bouquet. WHAT?!?

Lots of love and out of this world connections.

I really wish I could go into every detail of each special moment but that would take me forever.

I was very inspired and have endless amounts of support up there. I can't wait to move.

Here in WA

2008-08-21T18:13:00.000-07:00

It is so lovely. And I am so happy to be here.
Maya's having a great time. More later!

Change

2008-08-07T22:20:00.001-07:00

Pirate Aye!

2008-07-30T21:30:00.001-07:00

Bubble Bath

2008-07-30T20:59:00.000-07:00

Maya gave her baby a name finally, Ruby. And christened her with a bubble bath.

Back on the Wagon

2008-07-30T20:55:00.000-07:00

oooOH so gourmet! Rose water pistachio cupcakes.

In my opinion the best turn out yet. I actually sifted the flour like they say to do and what do you know?

I had to..

2008-07-28T23:25:00.000-07:00

.. delete the caterpillar post. It was grossing me out. I did get rid of all of them though. Or should I say, I gave them a new home.. far away from my plants.

Sunflower Mandalas

2008-07-25T18:03:00.000-07:00

Aren't they beautiful? We have three and are still waiting for the third to open.

Today's pickings

2008-07-25T17:50:00.000-07:00

The strawberries don't grow any bigger then this and they are super soft and white inside. So I wonder if they need their own pot (they are in with the ficus) or if it's because it's their first year.

They are however very sweet and smell so good.

The beans are growing well. I haven't tasted them yet. I'm gonna let the next ones get a little bigger before I pick them.

Tomatoes are great. We pick one every other day from the bigger plant. As for the heirloom there is another growing, I picked this golden one a couple days ago. Soo good. But so few. What's up?

Googly Eyes

2008-07-13T11:37:00.000-07:00

Last weeks playgroup had a craft day where Maya and I made each other butterflies with googly eyes and sparkles. She picked off the eyes and made them her own.

Still got it

2008-07-13T11:08:00.000-07:00

When I was younger I used to make rice crispy treats all. the. time. I didn't measure anything and they came out delicious every time. Well, I just got my hands on some of Sweet and Sara vegan marshmallows from a newish vegan raw spot on Garnet. It's called Synergy. I don't think he has a website. Its a small store that sells organic clothing, natural products, and he has a fridge full of raw vegan peace pies and wraps. There's seating outside the store that's covered and has a lovely little waterfall.

Anyways, the marshmallows took a little longer to melt in the pot but holy cow! did those treats come out tastier then ever!

Ridiculously Good Looking

2008-07-06T18:26:00.000-07:00

Yes, I caught her admiring herself in her soup spoon.

RatDog

2008-07-06T18:02:00.000-07:00

It's been four or five years since I've seen these guys. I always had such a blast at their shows. They played a two day show at Humphrey's. Which was super intimate but full of jerks. I however managed to void all that the first night by standing in the first row. I danced my ass off the whole night. They were, in my opinion, flawless. I bought one ticket for the 1st and two for the 2nd. I brought another Mama with me the 2nd night. Danced all night in the first row again, but we had to put up with jerks and freaks. Which wasn't anything we couldn't handle it was just weird that we had to. We stayed out until about 2. We ended the night at Hoboken for pizza. That was yum. There were certainly a lot of events that night that I would rather not discuss with the public but we had fun!

Balcony Garden II Part II

2008-07-06T17:55:00.001-07:00

Balcony Garden II

2008-07-06T17:18:00.000-07:00

Wow. I gotta say I'm pretty impressed with how our garden is flourishing. We've got 3 or 4 squash growing so far on the plant, strawberries that I didn't think had a chance, beautiful growing sunflowers, a bean stalk with something other then a leaf growing on it, and of course the booming tomatoes. Maya and daddy brought in a lady bug a couple weeks ago and it flew right to the strawberries where it has been feasting on aphids since. Thank you lady. Seriously, there's only one!

This is my first time growing anything! So I'm out there everyday watching everything transform. I had to get rid of a couple things like the chard and cilantro. And replanted the butter lettuce and a couple tomato plants outside. We will see how they do. My neighbor in the same complex is growing tons of tomatoes, bell peppers, and eggplants. Not too sure if they are all organic like mine though! :)

Maya also loves to go out there to dance. It's her tomato and flower dance. It's probably what's keeping all of it alive. Thanks baby!

Sea World

2008-06-25T21:28:00.000-07:00

Yes, we did just about everything a tourist would. But that's what the kid wanted. I'm happy to know that the majority of the animals at Seaworld were born there. I think that's better. Isn't it?Not so cruel, right? Anyways it was amazing to see a dolphin do a twisty, flipping move. I mean how on earth do you train a dolphin to flip and twist so many times in the air? And what was even more amazing was how gentle the trainers were with the killer whales. I tell you that show almost put me in tears. If I remember right it was Mama "Shamu", big brother, and baby sister (3 years old). Maya got a kick out of that. The whale being as old as she is. And they were all born right there.

We did just about everything there. One of my favorites besides the shows was walking into the fresh water aquarium and seeing the purana's just like that. Not moving an inch. Waiting for something to .... well ... attack? Are they really waiting to eat? Crazy.

Oh, so busy.

2008-06-22T22:36:00.000-07:00

My Mom and Nephew ( he's 9) flew down from WA on Thursday for 5 days. We went to OB and Belmont park on Friday, the zoo on Saturday, and today we went to a friends birthday party.

I went on the roller coaster with my nephew on Friday at Belmont. I was hesitant at first because the last time I went on it it hurt! This time it was pretty fun. There was a little boy behind us that told us we were going to fall out and die and that angels will come down for us. Thanks. I was taking pictures (with Nephews camera) of us and caught a couple of that little boy crapping his pants. Maya went on the Merry-go-round and the boat ride. She had a good time.

The zoo was freakin HOTTTT. I thought we would be safe just riding the tour bus but none of the animals were out at that time. So we had to hike around in the blazing sun. Fun. My favorite animals were the gorillas this time. Baby gorillas are the cutest animals ever!

Today we went out to El Cajon for the party. It was pretty cool. The "balloon guy" was really good.

So tomorrow we are going to Sea World in the late afternoon to beat some of the heat. I'm sure the kids will have fun. And I really can't wait to go on that new coaster ride.

Some funny things I heard my nephew say:

I like when parties go on all night.

I want to blow up Barbie on the 4th of July.

And a conversation between him and Maya after she turned on a light:

Her: Light on and off, on and off, on and off, on and off.....

Him: Ok Maya we get it.

Her : What? We get toys?

Him: No, we get it.

Her: We get bit?

Him: No! We get the point!

Her: Ok, where is it?

Him: No!

Her: Oh, I got it!

Him: What?!?

Her: Here you go. Here's the point. Got it?

It's windy down here!

2008-06-15T23:38:00.001-07:00

Balcony Garden

2008-06-14T18:23:00.000-07:00

It's kinda getting crowded but I think the more green the better. On one side I have the tomatoes, squash, peas, sunflowers, rosemary, cilantro, and some others I totally forgot. I love surprises. Behind the tomatoes I have a killer aloe and the not so great rose bush (stems).

And on the other side more rosemary and tomatoes, strawberries, salvia, ficus, jasmine, plumeria, and a very used aloe. Of course there's the xmas tree (which I trimmed recently), and two types of flowers. Hibiscus and another I can never remember the name of but have them tattooed on the back of my legs. Those ones.

And I was thinking today that maybe a planter box around the perimeter wouldn't be a bad idea. There's not that much space and getting all that plastic out of there would be nice.

Roller Skating

2008-06-14T16:14:00.000-07:00

I LOVE IT. I got these skates back in 2000! They look brand new!

Daddy took Maya in the stroller to the park while I skated there. I skated around the bay a little, while they played. The skates are freakin heavy. But I guess it's a better work out. It's been like 4 years since I last went skating. My best friend and I used to skate around together. She's gone to London and left her skates with me. Ahhhh the good ol' days.

Bees... maybe they are wasps

2008-06-11T19:35:00.000-07:00

Earlier a friend and I were talking about how we haven't seen too many bees this year. Then Maya and I went to the PB library to play in the sanbox and swings. I noticed a large amount of bees flying around the sand so I decided to study them a bit. They were digging tunnels in the sand and going in and out of them. WTF? Why? I only had my camera phone and it was pretty sunny so I couldn't even see what the heck I was taking pics of.

Flowers from my babe and....

2008-06-01T22:46:00.000-07:00

..I've never seen these on my Ficus (spl chk) What are they?

Where's the love?

2008-05-31T20:16:00.000-07:00

Apparently it's in the cake I made.

Maya and I went to the park and a child had left their slice of cake lying by the swings. Boy was she eyeballing that thing! I told her we would make our own cake at home. It's a gluten free chocolate cake from the VCTOTW cupcake recipe. It turned out pretty good. More brownie like which pleased me even more. I put hazelnut extract in it instead of almond to give it a bit more of a nutty kick. I have never decorated a cake so I thought I would play around a bit. I also happened to have blue food coloring which was the color of the frosting on the slice at the park.

Maya's quite pleased. The heart in the center was her idea.

Rosemary

2008-05-30T21:51:00.000-07:00

MMMM I can't even begin to tell you how in love with rosemary I am. I think it all started in '97. I had dreads then and wore the essential oil in them. Everything I put my head on smelt like it. MMMM And then I started cooking with it. Eating it on potatoes. Thanks to the Mission. MMMM Then I found this rosemary bread they sell at peoples. MMMM And then I started growing some. And then Jen brought a big ol' bundle from her garden to playgroup. I have it in my car, bathroom, closet, and bedroom. MMMMMMMMM And now I have it infused in olive oil. And CAN'T wait to try it. MMMM

Thanks so much!

2008-05-29T21:40:00.000-07:00

It's certainly nice to know that I have such a great community of supporting Mothers out there.

It's been hard and still is but there's nothing one can do about the past except learn and SLOWLY move on. Though pretty painful I'm pulling through and looking towards a bright NEW future. So thanks again for all your comments and I do miss bragging... er umm... blogging about Maya. So I'm sure there will be more post to follow soon enough!

You May Have Noticed

2008-05-19T21:31:00.000-07:00

I took the pics on the side of Iz and Maya off.

It's very sad but for the best. We are splitting up. Actually it's a done deal. We are split up.

I love that he is Maya's father but it hurts too much too even look at pictures of him.

So you might not read too much here for a little while.

I am feeling all kinds of emotions and will need tons of support.

So just a little hi or you can do it would be great! Thanks.

Foot Bath

2008-05-16T21:01:00.000-07:00

Maya's really into the Max and Ruby books she got for her birthday and in one, Ruby gives Max a foot soak. Well, she's been hounding me to give her a foot bath and she's been taking the bowl from her kitchen sink and pretending to give us all foot baths. I ordered some pedicure stuff for me and told her it would be here Monday but she kept asking all day if we were going to do it. So I gave in and gave her a mini foot bath. I just used bubbles and massaged her feet a little. And then put some salve on them after. She really enjoyed it. And yes, that is a salad bowl. I guess I should get a little tub.

Ice Skating Part 2

2008-05-08T19:33:00.000-07:00

So today I decided I would let Maya bring up ice skating to see if she really wanted to go or if it was already forgotten. Around 1 she asked if we were going ice skating tomorrow. I told her we would have to go today if she wanted to go. She was totally stoked. I told her that there would be a teacher there to show her how to skate and to hold her hand. She's not too comfortable around people she doesn't know so that was the only thing I was really concerned about. Once we got there we put her skates on (rentals are included with the session) and went right to the ice. There wasn't really an "Ok Maya this is it..." The coach just said hi and off they went.

She did so good! I was so proud of her. It was one on one with the coach because it was her first time and the coach taught her how to stand and walk on the ice. I couldn't hear anything but Maya was smiling the whole time and shaking her head yes and no. I could see a little fear in her eyes but the coach was so good with her. So for now we are just going to play it by ear. When she says she wants to go we will drop in on a session instead of signing up for the whole 48! It is a fantastic deal but we'll see.

Ice Skating

2008-05-07T22:46:00.001-07:00

Today we went to the UTC mall to go ice skating. Well, Maya's really into ice skating and ballet and Daddy came up with the idea to go to the rink to show her what it was all about. I thought it was a great idea. But Daddy wasn't ice skating. Oh no. He wanted me to, which I have only been a few times in my life! So I got out there and I managed to make it around the rink a few times. Maya decided she was ready to try so we got her skates on. She was hesitant at first but got out there. Holding on to the side wall of course. She didn't want to leave. We explained to her that we would talk to a coach to see if they could teach her a little. And sure enough. We might drop in on a session tomorrow. I didn't want to take her out on the ice because I didn't want to fall on her!

Anyways, she was pretty upset that we were leaving and on the way to the car she spotted a choo choo train that made it all better.

I gotta say, I'm pretty excited to go back. I really like the idea of ice skating and if she likes it, it will give ma a chance to practice!

May Faire

2008-05-04T15:06:00.000-07:00

We had a lot of fun. Maya had a hard time at first but she overcame that towards the end and wanted to do everything! When we first got there she wanted to dance around the May pole but only the grades were doing it then. She wanted to play all the games but they weren't open yet. She wanted her face painted but she wanted me to do it. After we ate we watched a puppet show and then she played her favorite game, the butterfly toss. Someone throws a tissue paper butterfly in the air and you have to catch it with a net. She caught 2/3! I'm for sure getting a little net for her so we can play this at home. She finally was ready to get her face painted and of course she got a butterfly done. There was a booth where you could make your own flower crown or pick up a pre made one. Maya picked hers out of the ones already made.

It was pretty hot there and we both got a little burn on our arms. And on my face. I kinda look like a tomato right now. But we had fun.

Conversations

2008-05-02T19:17:00.001-07:00

Today on the way to and from People's we drove through Mission Beach. On the way home Maya says: "Lets go to the blue park."

Me: "Which one is the blue park?"

Maya: "The one with all the toys for me to play with."

Me: "The one with dolphins?"

Maya: "No, the blue one."

Me: "What else does it have?"

Maya: "The blue park behind the roller coaster."

Me: " Oh, OK."

Maya: "Yeah, just turn around and go back to the roller coaster and the park is there."

We have never been to the park near the roller coaster for one. And secondly, she's telling me to turn the car around!

Earlier I was downstairs and she was upstairs on the bed and she yells for me. So I go up there.

Me: "What is it?"

Maya: " I picked lots of boogers."

Me: "Well, where are they?"

Maya: "I hid them under the pillow so you can't see them."

Oh sweet child of mine!

Not So Espresso

2008-04-30T22:26:00.000-07:00

I think it was because I didn't use real espresso powder. They were supposed to be cappuccino with espresso cream center. They had not one hint of espresso taste. They turned out great anyways. But I know now that I need the real stuff.

I also made banana muffins and fancied them up with a white chocolate chip. Just in case the kiddies saw us devouring our cupcakes.

La Jolla

2008-04-28T21:23:00.000-07:00

Today Maya and I went to Lean and Green to eat. Yum. Most of the stuff I can make at home but it's nice not to. Plus my house gets soooo darn hot. I don't like to be there during the afternoon if it's 80+ freakin degree's in April!

After lunch we cruised around the block and went down to the beach. There was so much parking and hardly any people there. Maybe because it's Monday. We saw lots of seals, squirrels, beetles, and lots of boats hanging of the side of a building! I don't know how long that's been there but I've never seen it before.

Anyways, back to the seals. I've heard that seals have a bark but I've never actually heard it until today. There was this one that sounded exactly like a dog. He or she was barking at another for space or something. There were lots of little pups too. We got to see them follow mama into the water. And they haul booty! I was trying to film one but every time I started [S]he stopped.

We had fun but Maya isn't really much of a beach person. She likes to go to the beach but not near the water. We got home and she said in her little dissapointed voice "Aw, Mommy, we forgot the beach toys." I told her we would go back to the beach tomorrow. I need to even out the tan on my back anyways!

Finito

2008-04-26T11:39:00.000-07:00

The blossom fairies are done. I struggled a bit with the heads though. I couldn't find a technique that worked for me until the last two. They all have a piece of string attached to a safety pin on top of their heads to hang from Lady Spring at the May Faire. Phew! I Don't have a flier but it's May 3 at the Waldorf School of San Diego. And they are starting this year off with a May pole dance that starts at 11am.

Caffeine Overload

2008-04-25T16:43:00.000-07:00

Today I decided to get an extra shot of espresso in my latte and boy am I regretting it! I didn't understand what was wrong with me at first. I felt like I was doing something wrong but I wasn't doing anything different. I cut down my caffeine intake considerably in the past couple months and now can't handle what I was so custom to. (Notice all the c words in that sentence?) I'm still buzzing. I'm drinking a ton of water and decided to keep myself busy by cleaning out my closet. I'm done with that and now I'm looking at my room downstairs but can't bring myself to tackle it.

I think I'll move upstairs. I'm so jittery! Yuk.

Hairclips

2008-04-25T11:22:00.000-07:00

I just finished the last hair clip I was working on. The cupcake is for Maya, the rose is for me, and the bird is a birthday gift for Maya's friend.

Supplies

2008-04-24T21:04:00.000-07:00

Today we went to Joann's to get a few things. Maya's been watching me make the blossom fairies and wants one. The one's I'm making for the May Faire are about 3 inches and I want to make her's about twice that. So I needed to find cotton jersey for the head. While I was looking I stumbled upon the eco friendly fabric section. Which I didn't even know existed. There were, at the most, 10 different fabrics. Man, I was so excited and my search stopped there. There was a mix of bamboo and organic cotton. I got a little of both. One in brown and the other in an olive-y color. I wanted to get the pretty teal and pink but don't have a use for it right now. And they both had a little stretch to them and that's not something I usually work with. If I'm on my sewing machine I'm mainly piecing together blocks for quilting or pillow cases. But at least I know now that I have that option. Yay. Those 40% off coupons will for sure come in handy now.

And of course Maya thinks we are always shopping for her (I guess we are) so she wanted to take something home she could work on. I found cute little picture holders she could paint. And when they were finished she asked me to take a picture of her with them. She's so proud.

Work Space

2008-04-23T22:47:00.000-07:00

So I'm in the middle of a few projects and this is what it looks like when I'm working. I'm working on some blossom fairies for the school's May Faire, hair clips, and neddle felting. I have a couple crochet projects going but I work on those in the lazy boy. Maya will sometimes sit at the table with her stuff while I work. Right now she has all her birthday cards and stickers out. And yes, that is a glass of Asahi. Yum.

4-21-05

2008-04-22T22:16:00.001-07:00

4/21/06

4/21/07

My baby's three!

Maya's Birthday Weekend

2008-04-22T21:30:00.000-07:00

My Mom flew in from Wa and we rented the same condo on the bay as we did last year for Maya's birthday. It turned out pretty good. We invited a few of Maya's good friends and Israel's posse. His close friends have been to every party of hers. They were in charge of the bbq which of course got off to a late start which made the cake and presents kinda late and some guest had to leave before we did that. But it was good. I didn't get too many pics but our friend films her birthday every year so we'll have that. We made yummy gluten free cupcakes that turned out great ( I thought). And a raspberry chocolate cream cake that turned out alright. I didn't get pics of it though which I'm kicking myself for because every time I asked Maya what she wanted for her birthday she told me a cow candle. I found one on e bay. It was cute. My SIL found this cardboard cottage I set up for the kids to paint. It entertained them for hours! I highly recommend it for a party or craft day! I used Melissa and Doug washable paints which surprisingly washed off the cement (thank god!) pretty easily.

Maya had a great time. She was really into it this year. The pics of her are before and after the party. If you look closer at the tu tu picture you'll notice a piece of velcro sushi hanging from it.

Car Wash

2008-04-14T23:05:00.000-07:00

Maya helped me wash the car today. I've had that car for a little over a year and this is my first time washing it. It's been washed before just not by me. And I really thought I had black rims. So,

"whoever" washed my car before never touched the rims. I'm pretty sure I stained the driveway.

New Hide Out

2008-04-14T23:01:00.000-07:00

Maya found a new house in our closet. Doesn't that look cozy? We eventually moved a basket so she could have more room.

Yummy

2008-04-14T22:47:00.000-07:00

They're just blueberry muffins but they are good. I guess it's because I haven't been eating too many sweets, or what not, due to a horrible skin reaction I had to something. But now that I'm healing I'm in the mood. We usually have a small playdate at my house on Tuesdays and I try to have some kind of snack. In addition to all the fruit you could possibly eat! They did turn out a little crispier on top than I would have liked because the recipe said to bake for 50 minutes to an hour! Yeah right! They took about 30. I'm glad I checked.

Flight of the Conchords

2008-04-11T22:25:00.000-07:00

Funny? Yes.

Embarrassing? Yes.

Annoying? Yes.

Does it make me want to sing everything that comes out of my mouth?

Yes.

Future Farmer of America

2008-04-11T20:59:00.000-07:00

We went to City Farmer's Nursery today to pick up some pots and soil to re-pot my rosemary plants and last year's Christmas tree (that will hopefully make it to future Christmas'). Oh, and I re-potted my jasmine in the old Christmas tree pot (I don't know what type of tree it is). Maya had fun shoveling new soil into our other plants and the rosemary already looks happier. We also planted a tree for Earth day that Kate Quinn Organics sent to us. They sent it with an order I placed. I thought that was pretty cool.

Encinitas

2008-04-11T20:45:00.000-07:00

The other day Maya and I went to Encinitas to check out what the Magical Child had to offer. Her birthday is coming up and I found a couple things that she is really going to like. Afterwords we went to my new favorite park. I'm sure it gets packed in the summer because it's practically right on the beach. As we made our way back up the path to our car a squirrel stopped to say hi. He was really into us for some reason. Every time someone came by he ran into the bush and back to us when they were out of site. It was pretty bazaar. We must have smelt really good.

Spring Collection and Accessories

2008-04-09T22:13:00.000-07:00

I made Maya a couple of flower children for our Spring collection. I didn't use wool felt which made a huge difference. But I plan on making a couple more when I do get wool. She really likes them. She couldn't wait to show Daddy. I needle felted the Spring maiden last year and have another in the works.

I finally finished a necklace for my Mom I started last year! I don't know why it took me so long. I think she bought the flower in Hawaii and we bought the pearls at a really cute bead store In WA.

And I thought I would give hairclips a go. Maya loves doing her hair, or at least accessorizing it. I'm not that good at free hand embroidering but these were super simple and fun to make. Check out Urbanhousewife's hairclip collection here. Fabulous! And I just now learned how to do that cool linky thing.

It's Still Christmas in Maya's Mind

2008-04-06T21:58:00.003-07:00

Today she said to me, and it's not the first since December, that Santa Claus was here and that she needed to decorate her tree. So she strung the "lights", which I might add, she's pretty good at grouping colors and shapes, put the star on top, and asked to help her tie the "lights" on. The End

Wild Parrots

2008-04-06T21:32:00.000-07:00

Just a few days ago we had another fun bird sighting at Peoples. This time there was a tree full of the wild parrots that fly all over OB. I've seen a flock of them in my neighbors tree in PB months ago. I kept hearing this horrible noise that wouldn't end and looked out to see a bunch of parrots on the wires and trees. I still think it's cool to see them because it's something you expect to see at the zoo or pet store. Anyways, I got my camera out just in time to snap one and a few flying away. Go ahead, click on the pictures.

Matching

2008-04-04T22:42:00.000-07:00

Lately with Maya everything has to match. If she's wearing blue she has to play or hold her blue toys. Her socks and hair ties have to match too. She always ask if I have matching shoes for her outfit. A woman gave her a Dora sticker at the store and today she told me that she needed a Dora shirt, purse and shoes to go with it. Earlier she said she wanted zoo shoes to go with her new zoo shirt. The other day she had to wear her star necklace because it matched her star dress. In this picture the butterfly necklace, eyes, and bucket match her butterfly wings. Did I somehow create this?

Catch up

2008-04-04T22:03:00.000-07:00

Well, my niece from Washington came down for a week. Though it was fun I feel like I didn't get anything done. And I'm not quite sure what all needed to be done but I feel like I played for a week instead of....ummmm.....cleaning? Paying bills? Is that all I do?

Let's see. My niece is 15 and soo easy going. Anything we did was fine with her. She was happy just to be in the sun. It snowed up there just before she came!

So I took her to the zoo, Old Town, the mall, OB, PB, and MB. She did a little shopping but only bought things that went towards a cause. Mostly endangered species and wildlife. That sort of thing. She also mentioned to me that she didn't like to watch movies with animal scenes. Also, she took her name off of Victoria's Secret's mailing list because the models were modeling with real fur rugs. She even called them to see if the rugs were real or not. She definitely shocked me. I told her that most everything in our house (except maybe some shoes) was cruelty free and not tested on animals. She thought that was really cool.

When she first got here she asked if the fruit was real. Funny. I made breakfast and dinner every night for us but showed her our favorite restaurants for lunch. She wanted real Mexican food but only ever orders rice and beans. I took her out for sushi and she only had rice and terriaki sauce. I ordered her a miso soup to try but she said it tasted like fish and gave it to Maya. I tried. I'm glad she ate all the food I cooked.

I only posted a couple pics from the Zoo that I took. I didn't get very many.

AP Rocks

2008-03-27T21:45:00.000-07:00

I love love love all you ladies in the playgroup! We had such a fabulous time today at the park. We really miss going every week. It's not very often that we are surrounded with such bright and loving kids and of course the awesome Mothers raising them! Thank you thank you thank you!

Nope, not pregnant

2008-03-27T21:14:00.000-07:00

Where do I even begin with this one?

Ok, it all started AFTER I had Maya, almost instantly. And to this day people (mainly old women and mothers) assume that I am pregnant with my second child. I have never been asked

(ok maybe once) just assumed. So you would think that might bother me. It did at first. I thought oh no I must look fat. But I'm not. I'm not even the least bit over weight. I actually might be a little under weight for my height. I don't know. Sometimes I feel like saying yes to strangers but what's the point? It always shocks me too. It reminds me to stand or sit up straight. That's the first thought that comes to mind now when someone asks me when my baby's due. Damn scoliosis. It actually might get better if I had someone asking me all day. Because once a day isn't really helping. Rest assured I will be wearing the Yes, I'm pregnant shirt when I am blessed with another child.

Yes, I do have a little jelly roll.

Yes, I do have bad posture.

Yes, I do exercise.

Yes, I eat healthy.

Yes, I do want another child.

No, I'm not pregnant.

And finally Easter

2008-03-25T22:45:00.000-07:00

Maya, the entire time we were up there, wanted it to be Easter. And when Easter morning came she didn't want it to be. She pulled through though and had a great time. We had an egg hunt which she wanted to do all day and we had an amazing bbq. I love visiting my in laws. Sooo much good food.

Dress up time

2008-03-25T22:33:00.000-07:00

While up at Nana's house Maya got to wear a different princess/ ballerina dress just about every day. And wanted to wear ALL of her hair ties.

We are back

2008-03-25T22:10:00.001-07:00

We just spent a week up north at the in laws. It was great. I enjoy going. And Maya likes it more and more each time.

On our way up we always stop at Pismo Beach. It's lovely there. And there's a park for Maya. Our trip is about 6 hours and Pismo is at the 4 1/2 hour mark. We always leave around 2 or 3 in the morning so Maya can sleep most of the way and wake up at the park.

Stupid time change!

2008-03-09T22:45:00.000-07:00

Maya didn't fall asleep until 10pm!!!!!

She's Crafty

2008-03-08T20:08:00.000-08:00

Just a few of the crafts I've finished recently. The butterflies are rings for the Waldorf's May Faire. I made the one in the middle for Maya. Of course she's gotta have one now! Very cute for Easter. All the patterns came from the book Feltcraft by Petra Berger. It has all sorts of patterns for felt dolls and toys.

Say Good Night

2008-03-08T19:57:00.000-08:00

Tonight around 7 I went downstairs to finish some laundry while Maya stayed upstairs. The entire time she was screaming "You coming up!?!" And then all of a sudden it got quiet. I thought ok, she's probably reading her book. But it stayed quiet so I ran upstairs. She was passed out on the couch slumped over the Say Good Night book. Did she actually fall asleep reading this book? Or did she scream herself to sleep? Which ever it was it only took about 7 minutes before she was out!

Daddy's tilla

2008-03-05T19:59:00.000-08:00

This morning Maya woke up a little earlier then she has been. Probably around 6:30. She stayed in bed, woke up Daddy, and they played together for a little bit and then she got up to do her thing. She's pretty awesome. She'll go out to the living room and read her books for a little while and then come get me. She always ask "Mommy, do you got any yogurt? " Or oatmeal or whatever she's hungry for. So while I prepared her breakfast she prepared Daddy's. She found a cotton nursing pad and put it on her stove. I asked her what it was and she said it was Daddy's tilla (tortilla). I gave her a few more to stash in her refrigerator. I'm sure she'll find many great ways to use them.

Wall of Art

2008-03-05T19:37:00.000-08:00

Maya pulled her water colors out to paint again. Something she hasn't done since December. While she does her share of painting, she always ask me to paint. And she'll tell me what to paint. So this time she wanted me to paint a pineapple, orange juice, and a dinosaur. She helped finish the dinosaur which I think came out quite lovely. We posted them on the wall with a computer print of her that we found stashed. I'm hoping to reach the end of the wall but we need to get more water colors. We are down to brown. The water colors are really incredible. They are all natural, made with plants and vegetables. I'm pretty amazed with the quality. The brand is Fabio. German I think.

Simple Delights

2008-03-05T19:21:00.000-08:00

After attempting more cupcakes (they didn't turn out) I went down the easy path. Apple crunch is so basic. I had a ton of soft apples that I didn't want to throw away and very little oatmeal so I used a hemp seed crunch cereal. I'm pretty much the only one eating it for some reason. To me it taste very close to apple pie. I bet if I threw some ice cream in with it I would have takers. But (at least for Maya's sake) it's too cold for ice cream. Cupcakes....yummy warm cupcakes. I thought because last batch came out so great that I would get all fancy and try green tea cupcakes. They came out green alright and tasted like green tea too...but I think the batter was too thick. So I'm just going to keep it basic and maybe go fancy with the frosting. We'll see next week.

Fine day

2008-02-28T16:44:00.000-08:00

Today we went to the park to meet up with our playgroup which we don't get to do very often because we have school on Thursdays. Well today there was a field trip to the botanical garden's (I think) so there was only one other Mom there. (It was nice to see you Luci!) And she had been there for awhile and left shortly after we arrived. Maya and I stayed for a couple hours. She found an older friend to play with. She plays more with older kids because they run all over the place and they tell her what to do. Which is fine to a point. I had to step in a couple times for safety reasons. The other girl's mother was concerned that she was being too bossy but I told her that she was just being the leader and Maya really likes to play with older kids. So she was fine and they were having fun.

Oh, Maya and I ran to the car for a minute and as I was there I saw what I thought was another woman step out of her car, so I looked because I thought it might be someone from the playgroup, Well, I was waaaaaay wrong! It was a man in a wig, getting dressed as a hooker! I kid you not! This guy was in a corset, fishnets, and hooker boots. Whoa! At the park! We went back to the playground before I got to see which way he went but his car was still there when we left. I thought seeing an actual hooker (at the beach parking lot, getting paid by her customer) was shocking!

Anyways, after the park we went to People's co-op and as we were leaving a cashier told us there was a humming bird's nest in one of the tree's in the parking lot with 2 babies in it. So we went to check it out and of course I didn't have my camera. I had my camera phone but the pictures came out kinda crappy. The branch was no thicker then a broom stick and the nest with the babies inside was smaller then a tennis ball. So cute. I just hope they are safe because they are in the middle of the parking lot!

Sweet Success

2008-02-26T20:53:00.001-08:00

I did it! The third time's a charm. I'm sure the first two failures had something to do with the mini muffin pan I used.

So these are the Cookies 'n cream cupcakes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. This book is a must if you are as crazy for cupcakes as I am. I'm thinking a batch a week will do just fine. Plus, I get to share them with friends and watch their eyeballs roll back into their heads. A sure sign of success.

D-lish

2008-02-23T22:52:00.000-08:00

Yummy yummy yummy. What do you get when you put a little brown rice and herbs together with a kitchen ballerina, roasted veggies, the king cook (pronounced by Maya), and a sprinkle of cheese?

Why the yummiest brown rice pizza ever, of course!

It was suppose to be vegan but I don't like vegan cheese nor am I vegan so I added a little bit of raw cheddar cheese. It came out delicious and I had fun making it. VLV baby! Sort of....

I also made the Sunflower Lentil Pie from VLV yesterday which came out pretty tasty but not so pretty. It looked like mud in a dish.

I wasn't that impressed with the recipes at first but now that I'm actually making some the others are looking more tasty.

Question. Why doesn't my computer know the word vegan?

Bountiful

2008-02-22T21:07:00.000-08:00

Maya and I were just about to start painting her socks with puffy paint (skid proof) when I noticed how pretty my fruit table was today. So I took a picture of it.

I remember puffy painting when I was in grade school. I wore a BFF sweatshirt all through fourth grade. I also remember distant relatives sending me puffy paint sweatshirts when I was fourteen! 14!! One said Merry Christmas on it or something. Wow.
Another had my name written across it. I was fourteen.

Stickers

2008-02-22T21:01:00.001-08:00

As long as they don't end up on my desk, I'm cool.

Friday Dance

2008-02-22T14:37:00.001-08:00

So we started a dance class on Friday mornings and Maya is one of those that won't participate much in the class but will soak everything in and do it later.

The class is dance, music and yoga all in one. Really good for her age I think because there's no pressure to perform. We were in our circle today and we all had egg shakers and we were singing Hickety Pickety My Black Hen. The teacher would raise her hand up and we would sing high pitched and she would lower it and we would sing low pitched.

Well after a few hours of running around after class we came home and the first thing Maya did was sit down and "sing high and sing low" with the hand movements and everything. Then she brought out her drum and was tapping on it singing "te- te- te- te- ta" just like the teacher did in class. Right with the beat. And now she's actually singing the Hickety Pickety song.

I'm just so amazed with how much she remembers. I wasn't sure if she liked the class at first but now I can see she's just learning in class and performing at home. Cute stuff. She won't let me video her or take pics though. :( I'll have to sneak them some time I guess.

Bubble Girl

2008-02-19T20:49:00.000-08:00

Today after lunch Maya and I shared a sugar cookie that was covered in chocolate. Before she was even done with hers it had melted all over her hands. She got a little upset but I told her to just lick it off. She insisted that she take a bubble bath. Which is fine with me because it's just one less thing I will have to do tomorrow. Anyways, I got a few cute pics of her in the tub. She kept saying she was bubble girl with bubble hands and bubble feet.

Much better

2008-02-19T20:40:00.000-08:00

Well at least these crispy treats came out tasty! Recipe from Vive le Vegan. I was pretty surprised. I didn't think the ingredients would mix well but they did. Rice puffs, almond butter, hemp seed nuts, cranberries, and carob chips. YUMMY!

My cupcakes suck!

2008-02-18T23:02:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I didn't let them bake long enough. Gosh darn it! It was my very first attempt and they came out tasting a little like raw batter. But the recipe book rocks! Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. And I don't know how to add those cool little links to take you right there so you will have to look it up yourself! I am totally determined to be the best cupcake baker ever so I'm gonna try again tomorrow.

Lots of help

2008-02-18T22:28:00.000-08:00

The only reason my house stays clean is because Maya always wants to lend a hand. Even though she's just playing it really allows me to get things done. She's not too big on the whole cleaning up her toys gig, but if it's later in the evening she'll help. And when I'm cooking ( or at least trying) she'll find something to do near by, like have a beach party ( as seen in this photo).

Sweet Love

2008-02-18T22:15:00.000-08:00

Maya had a Valentine party for her "friends". Each heart had a treat on it.

I'm Back

2008-02-18T15:08:00.000-08:00

Ok, I'm gonna give it another go. I don't why I gave up so soon anyways. I just thought it was going to take up a lot of my time but it's something I can do when I have the time so....here I go!

Can someone please tell me how to post a video?!? The upload video thing is not working for me!