Week in Photos

October 22, 2014 ~ Girlmom ~ 1 Comment

It’s been awhile since I have had one of these blog posts, which means I am doing more things, AND there were even a few firsts this past week, winning!

First off, coffee! Since I don’t support big coffee chains anymore (insert snob emoji here) I will only drink local coffee when out and about. Luckily good, local coffee is not hard to find in this fine city. I met a friend I havn’t seen in awhile at The Swell, in Mission Beach. This friend is also the face behind SD Coffee Club. Having coffee with her is like eating with a food critic, the service will be red carpet and they will chat with you about shit you don’t know or really care about..but it’s good coffee.

I also tried a new restaurant, El Agave in Old Town. It was a last minute lunch and it was one of the best I have had in awhile. You must try the Mole enchiladas, the sopa cilantro and the sopes surtidos. It was a quiet lunch which means, perfect with two little ones.

*Side note.-I always check the restaurants website and Yelp to see if it’s kid friendly. Most of the time...unless it’s a five star dining establishment, they will be happy to accommodate kids, (assuming yours isn’t a little shit) especially at an earlier time. They just might not have a child’s menu.

Another first, we went downtown to the new waterfront park. Think new age play area for the kids meets fancy water feature splash pad but less impressive. Jeez, I don’t mean to be a downer but i think the space could have been a lot more impressive.

Clearly she didn’t mind.

This kid of mine must have hit a growth spurt because she has been sleeping 12 hours STRAIGHT at night. The first few nights I woke up around 4 and like a creeper went into her room to make sure she was breathing #paranoid. The other nights I just look at the video monitor to see if she moves.

Kaili has been taking gymnastics at our YMCA, she loves it!!

I took the kids to Fiesta Island for the first time…solo. The trip just reminded me how inconvenient it is to do this shit alone. That is all.

Next week I expect SO much more…oh who am I kidding?

Because

June 2, 2014 ~ Girlmom ~ 4 Comments

I think I have held up pretty well emotionally this time around, considering the last time. I don’t know if it’s because the contractions are coming back, if it’s because the delivery is around the corner or if it’s just the hormones but I am starting to come unglued. I am snapping at my kid for the littlest things and I wanted to grab on to the hubs leg and beg him not to go to work this week, like I did with my dad when I was little. All the while I am doing my best not to burst into tears.

It’s clear the meds aren’t working, I’m not even feeling the side effects anymore. I spent all of Sunday debating with myself if I should go to triage or just wait until Monday, ya know just to see if they go away. I am hoping they tell me to up my dosage, maybe that will buy me a week, at least. The doctors office is supposed to have an after hours nurse on call however I haven’t had any luck reaching anyone.

I’m also feeling some anxiety about the c-section. I wonder if they can sedate me before they wheel me into the OR…I am afraid I will have a racing pulse and look like a sweaty convict. I will talk to the doc about it but in the meantime can we all think good thoughts that nothing dramatic happens again.

Anyway, changing subjects…I have had two pillows on the floor next to Kaili’s bed since she was falling out of it nightly. It’s been awhile since that has happened so I asked her if I could take them away, she said yes. In true fashion I forgot to move them. Before heading to bed myself, I went into check on her and found her curled up on those pillows on the floor, she even had her blanket on her. I wish I had taken a picture because it was really cute. I can only assume she put herself there, why, I have no idea. Anyhow, those pillows are still on the ground.

Quick, get some stuff done, Peppa Pig is on! Peppa is the choice of cartoons around here and when she says “it’s a bit cold mummy” I wonder if she is going to pick up the British accent.

She is starting to push it in the attitude department. Her favorite thing to say to me is “stop it mommy!” That is her response to anything I say, “because” is her next favorite word. “Kaili, why are you climbing on the counters? “Because.” “Why are you eating chaptstck?” “Because…STOP it mommy!!”

A Week in Photos

May 13, 2014May 14, 2014 ~ Girlmom ~ 2 Comments

One of my New Years resolutions was to stop giving the big chain coffee retailers my business. Shop local, eat local, drink local. Eating and drinking isn’t hard, shopping is a tad more difficult. I do love coscto!
We sent to Kaili to school on a Friday giving me and Shane a chance to get coffee without the kid. When you give the gift of children, the next best gift is time away from children.

Some home improvements are in progress.

My Mother’s Day was nice and low key. We went to lunch at one of my favorite spots in La Jolla. I dined on ceviche and eyed all the martini’s coming out from the bar.

Dinner was from a bag.

Monday morning I had some time to myself and made an iced coffee for some outside reading.

My parents are getting a dog. They’ve been pet less for awhile now. We took Kaili to the animal shelter to meet the pup and make sure they liked each other. He is a sweet guy and they bring him home tomorrow.

Little California girl.

I thought this cartoon was spot on. I follow a lot of Paleo blogs and have made my share of recipes but lately i find myself getting irritated at them. You can’t call your Paleo dessert “easy cheesecake bars” when there isn’t any cheese in them. Pretty sure the cavemen weren’t whipping up soft and chewy double chocolate cookies or almond flour pancakes. Just sayin’…says the pregnant hormonal chick.

Sharing For Life

February 19, 2014February 19, 2014 ~ Girlmom ~ 2 Comments

I spent most of the morning shelling pistachios for the kid, if you wondered what it’s like having a 2 year old. I should know by now that if I want to eat something, she will want it too. I have come to the realization that nothing will ever be just mine again. I can here Shane now, “I realized that the day we got married.” Shh, no one asked you.

I need to apologize to my mom for all those times I begged to order the bubble gum ice cream but ended up wanting your butter pecan cone. I now know the pain I put you through.

In preparation to get K ready for the queen bed, we took off the safety rail part of her bed. She fell out of bed twice the other night, so it’s working out well. The first night she did fine, the second night I heard a loud thud around midnight. The first thing I thought was “she fell out of her bed” but it wasn’t followed by crying so maybe not. A minute later, “MOM, MOMMY, MOM, MOM!!” I walked in to find her laying on the ground. “I fell, but I’m okay.” I told her she was brave as I layed her back down. An hour later, THUD, this time followed by crying. Dammit kid, get it together! This time I gathered some pillows and put them on the floor, obviously the pool noodle I put under her sheet doesn’t do a damn thing. She was quiet the rest of the night and the night after that. I don’t know how you teach a kid to not roll out of bed but I think that has to be a terrible way to wake up.

She has plenty of time to sort it out before she moves beds and I like to think that with all the room she will have with the queen, it shouldn’t be an issue, right?

We took K down to Coronado beach this weekend. The weather has been gorgeous and she has a new found hobby of building sand castles. Once your toes hit the soft sand of Coronado it makes you wonder why you ever go to any other beach, it’s that nice.

We wandered the streets of Coronado hitting up a tasting room, eating a decent lunch and stopping to pet all the dogs. By the end of the day K and I were wiped out. It felt like a summer day and to think Spring is only a month away.

A Little Of This, A Little Of That

December 31, 2013December 31, 2013 ~ Girlmom ~ 2 Comments

I have been making these salads since Shane’s birthday. Two a night, one in his size and one in her size. Mixed greens with arugula of course, strawberries or apples, goat cheese or gorgonzola and candied walnuts. It really doesn’t matter what you put in it because it’s always good but I have to share the dressing with you. I usually just whisk together a good balsamic and olive oil and call it done but I decided to add in a little jalapeño jelly and it blew my mind, it was that good, sweet, a tad spicy just delicious. Why have I never thought of doing this before? Jalapeño jelly, pepper jelly or even a berry jelly. Just try it.

On the pregnancy front, no news is good news? Things have been seemingly uneventful which is good I think. So uneventful that dare I say the morning sickness might be going away? Don’t jinx it.

Kaili was happy to go back to school and Shane and I spent the morning watching episode after episode of Breaking Bad, let’s hear if for holiday marathons.. The weather has been ridiculously nice. I assume winter will hit us sometime soon so K and I took advantage of the warm sunshine.

Gah, she is CUTE.

Hope you all have a rockin’ New Years eve. We might go a little crazy and watch a movie and I will be snug as a bug in bed before 10:00 so say hello to 2014 for me.

See you next year.

4 a.m.

November 20, 2013November 20, 2013 ~ Girlmom ~ Leave a comment

I have been dodging a cold for the past few months but for whatever reason it got ahold of me and hasn’t let go. It has taken all my energy to get through the days, let alone start them at 4 a.m.
Kaili came bouncing out of her room at that time this morning. I ushered her back to room countless times. I tried the silent approach, the reasoning approach and the firm approach. None of them worked and we were still at it at 5:30 when I finally gave in and let her come into my room and watch Little Bear. Big fat FAIL. Tell me I am not the only one dealing with this.

Oh and I taught Kaili to put on her own damn jacket. This trick has been working since the 90’s.

I have never said that before, I totally aged myself.

Halloween in Photos

November 1, 2013 ~ Girlmom ~ 2 Comments

Along with Kaili’s early rising she has also lost her taste for breakfast. Before heading to school I asked her if she wanted to eat something, “yes chocolate!” Damn kid, it’s 8 in the morning.

Our school had a Halloween party and I went to ~~watch~~ help. I walked in and caught K “playing” a game.

Her and her bestie had fun together playing the piano, dancing, playing and I led the kids in The Spooky Walk….It’s like I never left.

Kaili was highly intrigued with the story time/ puppet show set up. So much so, that she inserted herself into the show.

After a gourmet lunch of pizza, I dragged her home for a much needed nap.

We took Kaili out trick or treating with some friends and she outlasted us. She wasn’t quite sure what was happening in the beginning but she quickly caught on. All said and done I think she liked the free candy thing but every dog she came across was way more intriguing.

I vow to retire this outfit now.

Giddy Up

August 8, 2013 ~ Girlmom ~ 1 Comment

Last weekend Shane, Wags and I hit the races in Del Mar. As usual we had a blast and lost money. We placed bets on Big Wags to win the second race.

We lost that bet. But before we left I wanted to put some money on a beauty named I Know You Know, not a favorite to win but not exactly a long shot either.

Good thing I did because I won back the money I had spent throughout the day…I call that a win!

Did I tell you that I pulled Kaili out of speech? Not for forever but at least for a few months. Her language is coming along nicely and the whole process of getting her to the hospital, parking and all that nonsense turned into a 2 hour ordeal for a 20 minute session. She is getting more out of being in school then in a room with a speech instructor. So we will check back in a few months to see how she is progressing.

Instead of speech I took Kaili to Balboa Park to check out the Fleet Science center. They have resident free Tuesdays the first Tuesday of each month and they have an age-appropriate room for kids 5 and under. Holy hell, the place was a mad house, pretty sure all of San Diego was there. But she didn’t seem to mind and had as much fun as she could with other kids grabbing toys out of her hands and pushing her little body out of their way. Brats, their parents weren’t any better. This reminded me that I will never take Kaili to Chuckee Cheese’s…on purpose.

After we finally made our way out of the sardine packed building we stopped for a snack on the grass.

It was a nice relaxing 4 minutes until she was ready to go again.

I have been teaching Kaili how to help me out in the kitchen. She’s not soux chef material quite yet but soon enough people….soon enough.

The Moms Getaway

July 31, 2013July 31, 2013 ~ Girlmom ~ 1 Comment

Halfway through July I decided I needed ~~to runaway~~ take a few days away, you know before summer ended. I knew who also deserved a break, my friend Michelle, super mom of 3 kiddos. She agreed and that’s when we planned on Palm Springs. We had just been there with the men, we knew where we could stay but we weren’t sure if 107 degree weather was what we wanted. After a few weeks of hemming and hawing we decided that PS would be our best option.

We met at the Hyatt downtown Friday afternoon, quickly caught up then headed out for dinner. We hopped around to a few different places enjoying small bites at each. We were dining on the patio at one of the spots and the misters were on keeping patrons cool, or should I say wet is a better word?

I told her it looked like she backed her ass up into a fountain. We slyly made our way bathroom to “air dry” her lady lumps.

That didn’t work so well. Maybe the hairdryer would be a better choice? (Please excuse the toilet shot)

Problem solved. We then hit a modern bistro called Lulu’s. They had happy hour all night in the bar area. Good food, good drinks, good prices.

We ended the night watching people make fools of themselves singing Karaoke, pure enjoyment.

The next morning we went and saved a couple spots at the pool before ~~eating~~ drinking breakfast. Pinnochio’s has good food, bad coffee and cheap bottomless mimosas.

We found ourselves tasting olive oils and vinegars soon after at Olive A’Sudden.

We sat in the room chatting until finally dragging ourselves out into the heat. We spent the evening in the pool until the sun went down and we decided it was probably a good time to get dinner. We met a nice San Diegan couple at the pool and they joined us for a just OK Thai dinner.

We decided to dance the night away at a popular gay dance club, it was the perfect ending to a much needed girls getaway.

Shane took Kaili to SeaWorld that Friday and wore her out.

Happy K…

Not so happy K…

They had a great weekend and apparently she was a perfect angel for him. (mmmhmm) He even did her hair, I was impressed.

What A Weekend!

July 23, 2013 ~ Girlmom ~ 2 Comments

I had the best weekend, ab fab! Kristi came out late Friday night to celebrate her birthday with yours truly. She brought along her brother in-law or in her words , “a play date for Shane.”

Saturday morning we hit the bay for some paddle boarding. The weather wasn’t the greatest but it turned out to be just fine meaning it didn’t rain, and we weren’t shivering. The only concern I had once we were on our boards was that we were surrounded and I really mean surrounded by jelly fish. Big ones, small ones, gazillions of them. I really didn’t want to go swimming with them, at all! Luckily mission accomplished, we stayed dry.

We followed up the SUP morning with cake and champagne. I made a coconut cake for the birthday girl but I I half-assed it using a Trader Joe’s vanilla cake mix and doctoring it up. The frosting was coconut cream cheese, there really isn’t anything better.

I apologize for any regurgitated pictures. If you are following me on Instagram you have seen some of these. I try not to do this very often but this weekend was so busy that you’re just going to have to deal and accept my apology 🙂

After K’s nap we took the trolley downtown to grab lunch and people watch the crazies at Comic Con. Next year or one year soon we will get tickets and really check the whole thing out. (AKA meet True Blood stars) I could have stayed down there all day and night…next time.

We ate lunch at Hodad’s because A). we haven’t been to the downtown location yet. B). anything remotely close to the convention center was packed and C.) it’s Hodad’s, if you haven’t gone you should.

After lunch we headed to a little tasting room and enjoyed the scenery and some wine. Kaili was such a trooper , happily went along with everything we did, and none of the costumes scared her…bonus!