Happy Halloween!

Halloween is here. And I have approximately...hmm...nothing done in terms of decorations and prep work.

• There's only 2 (small) bags of candy in the house
• There's 1 pumpkin out on the front yard, whose paint has washed off during the snowstorm we got this past weekend
• The only "decoration" we have is a spider that we got from a playdate when they were doing crafts (I didn't even make it -- I've left by then, but they made one for Isabel)

BUT...

At least I have a semi-homemade costume for Isabel.

As I've probably mentioned, she's fascinated with princesses now. And she wanted to be a White Princess (switched from a Purple Princess. AFTER I made what I made. Tough kid, you're wearing it)

Using the Poncho pattern from Emma Hardy's "Making Clothes for Children" book as the base, and adding a hood that I altered from this tutorial that I found through Ucreate, I made a velvet princess cloak with fleece lining (because it's COLD out). I hemmed and hawed between the Emma Hardy pattern and the O&S red riding hood cape pattern, but eventually went with this one as the armholes slits on the O&S didn't jive with the mental picture I had in my mind.

To me, the cloak is probably the best part of the princess ensemble, as I love coats and outerwear in general, having grown up in a tropical country where I've had little chance of wearing anything heavier than a cotton cardigan.

It was a huge sigh of relief that it all worked out, as there was a lot of winging-it moments, and the fabric wasn't exactly cheap.

She was on the fence about it -- so I had about a week to convince her that yes, princesses wear cloaks when it's cold out. So, we've been reading Beauty and the Beast on repeat for the past week. Multiple times a night (her request)

We'll be going trick or treating tonight - will update with full costume later.

Just Cause We Are Awesome

;)

Thanks, Tsen!

By Jove!

I actually completed her costume.

Well, the main piece that I was envisioning.

The rest I've decided to use what we already have. 

Ballet Bag

It's been sooooooooo long since I've last sewed. And this year, I have lofty aspirations of making her Halloween costume. Yeeeah....maybe.

To ease me back into the game, I started on this little pretty that I wanted ever since I saw it on MADE a year ago. But I didn't have a use for it, so filed it away for future reference.

Now that Isabel's in tap and ballet classes.....it's the perfect excuse!

Of course, it still took me ages to finish the last 2% of it.

And the ribbons look like little elf ears when the bag is fully opened
(I was working with materials that I already have. I'm too lazy to drive to the store for just 1 item)

But, it's done.

Update

Or also known as "What Has My Poor Mother Been Up To..."

We went apple picking on one of the rare occasions where I plan to do something "special".

And now we are up to our ears in apples and the sight of an apple apparently makes my mother's stomach turn. So much for special.

And I have to admit this: Doing activities where the area is crawling crowded with young parents and their toddlers/babies puts me in a bad Scroogy mood. I want to waggle my finger at them and say in my best 'old woman voice' -  "JUST you wait...you think everything is fine and dandy now".

As I mentioned, some days are better than others. But I think it's a good idea for me to avoid those kind of activities for the time being *shrug*

But mostly, we do things that I typically do when I have my weekends kid-free.

That includes trollling around for junk unique items at thrift stores and yard sales. This past weekend, the haul seems to be mostly on books -- we bought about 45 books for a total of $18. Some are antique (I found an antique French version of Winne the Pooh! For 50 cents!), most are those trashy romance paperbacks (yes, I have an affinity towards them. I got to balance between Jane Austen and Penny Jordan)

She's painted furniture that I bought at above mentioned yard sales/ thrift stores

But most of all, she gets bullied by a 30 lb little person, who unfortunately has inherited the stubborn and opinionated streak that I have

Don't be fooled by her chubby, kissable, snuggable looks.

She's a force to be reckon with (and she also needs a haircut)

 

Sorry for crap pictures -- all are taken through the phone. My big showy camera decided to try diving and the lens broke. Need to drag myself to the shop and see if they can repair it.

Thought of the Day

Instead of striving for a predictable, safe lifestyle, seek to know Me in greater depth and breadth. I long to make your life a glorious adventure, but you must stop clinging to old ways. I am always doing something new with My beloved ones. Be on the lookout for all that I have prepared for you.

Sometimes it's a struggle to keep that in mind. But I'm trying to.

Izzy's First Ballet Class

September 10, 2011

Anniversary No More

This should technically be my SIXTH wedding anniversary.

I'm sitting here, tearing my hair out, making all the necessary changes and applications. Why?

Because as of September 20, 2011, I have joined the ranks of many, many Americans as well as the list of scorned wives such as Sandra Bullock and Jennifer Aniston. I got divorced.

I should get a pin or something to commemorate this. Why, I'm practically a citizen now!

I got a bit slap-happy with photoshop...

Childish? Yes

Entertaining? Absolutely!! 

How am I doing? OK. =)

I'm still smiling. 

image from here

To anyone who has faced with what I have, a big hug to you, and I promise - things get better.

That's what people kept telling me. And I do find that it's true. So perhaps the next most popular line that people tell me will too: "You're young and pretty...you'll find another easily". So far, I don't hear any knocks on the door, but I haven't given up yet!

It's Good To Paint

It's been a long time since I last painted furniture. But I started acquiring furniture again this summer (aka yard sale mecca) and I have to say, it's been nice. 

Isabel was also bitten by the painting bug. She's fascinated by it and wants to paint EVERYTHING purple. Her room, her door, my table....

She chose that particular purple herself. "It's my favorite", as she so aptly puts it.

Love how she sticks out her tongue in concentration =)

 

We take our painting very seriously around here. 

Grandmother

My grandmother is not doing well. She's in the hospital right now. We can't be there with her, since we are half a world away, but I wish we could be.

The strongest memory I have of her was when she took my mom's place when we went to a Leon Lai concert -- I was almost 11, I believe, and my mother was admitted into the hospital. We had the tickets for awhile now and we were not to miss it. So my brother, grandmother and I were there in the front section, with the music blasting. I don't really know if my grandmother enjoyed it, but apparently my brother heard her humming one of his songs the next morning.  

I wished that I spent more time learning about her life. I wish I was able to jot down recipes of the things she cooks (she doesn't follow any instructions -- just a pinch of this, a handful of that). i wish that I had more pictures with her. I wish that I were able to spend more time with her. I wish that Isabel was able to spend more time with her.

But as most things in life, the regrets about what we didn't do always seem to be more apparent than the joy for the things that we did do.

We love you, Great-grandma.

We're Back

We've been missing in action for quite sometime now, and I do apologize for that (especially to anyone who had Izzy withdrawal) It's been....an eventful month. Besides struggling to keep up with a crummy new job, and trying to get one step ahead of those darn weeds, we've been preoccupied with a few other things.

Izzy is all signed up for ballet and tap class and has been "breaking in" her ballet slippers for about a week now. By the time her class rolls around, those shoes will be in tatters

I've attempted simple home improvement projects all.by.myself - I am woman, hear me ROAR! =0)

We've sheared our locks

(I did too, but since it's gotten some unfavorable comments *ahem*, I'm not going to post a picture --- it needs to grow about a 1/4 - 1/2" more anyway.

We braced ourselves for the hurricane

And were extremely fortunate to come out of it unscathed. Some areas around us were not so lucky

I've been attempting to organize. Gosh, I love organizing.

Sometimes it feels like I'm juggling more than I can handle

Other times, it feels like I'm sitting still...everything is prepared, and I am just waiting...Perhaps for the rest of my life to start? For things to start changing? For life to get better?  Time is a funny thing

Izzy has also done a lot of growing up. 

She's completely potty trained and out of diapers, her drawings have actual shapes in them rather than just scribbles, her thoughts are pretty insightful at times.

She's still a girly girl and her favorite color is still purple though.

We've spent a lot of time together at home for the past week since her daycare was closed due to Hurricane Irene. We try to take a walk in the evenings to go see the duckies that sometimes are found by the river near our house and today, she was saying "The weather is nice - it's not hot. It's good for a walk. We are having fun and having adventures."

She melts my heart.

Hope you've had a great month.

P/S: We love you, Great-Grandma! =)

Twenty Eight

Happy birthday to me

Happy birthday to me

Happy birthday to meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Happy birthday to me!!!!!!

Well then --- it was slightly weird singing "Happy Birthday" to myself as I cut my cake alone in the middle of the night, but I just pretended that all the well-wishers who communicated through emails, Facebook, text messages and phone calls were with me. Truly thank you to each and everyone who remembered and took the time out of their busy lives to send me a wish.

Today was mostly...work, work, work, reading on organic weeding, work, work, weeding, and more work. It's fun being me.

The one thing I looked forward to tackling when I came home was the weeding.

I'm obsessed.

The crab grass is challenging me and I intend to defeat it, bit by bit. There's just something so satisfying and calming about methodically pulling the weeds out one by one, manually. Not even using the weed puller (I actually felt cheated out of the sense of accomplishment when I used it - yes, I'm weird an overachiever like that)

And it was cute to see Isabel put on her gardening gloves and help me.

Although it was not so cute finding out that she was having so much fun working that she peed herself.

I'm ending the day with a glass of wine in hand.

Yum...ice wine, a Christmas present from last year courtesy of my husband, ex-husband soon-to-be-ex husband (it's slightly awkward when referring to him to others)

Although, I made an oops...Wine enthusiasts, you'll probably going to cringe so consider this a warning to look away.....

Yea...I pushed the cork into the bottle itself by mistake. Can you tell that I'm an expert bottle opener? I wonder how long the wine is good for now....

Well then...it's past midnight (and way past my bedtime)

Have a good night.

Izzy Ballerina

The first thing Isabel said this morning when she woke up was "I want to wear my tutu, momma"

I made her a tutu for a costume parade that she had at her daycare a few weeks ago (the tutu was a spur of the moment thing, cost about $3 and about 5 minutes to make. She helped me put the petals in)

She's about as graceful as an elephant =)

Fulfilled!

I mentioned here that I wanted to run in a race/marathon.

I've never been athletic. Ever. I can't throw straight. (my arm is weirdly twisted when I hold it out straight) I can't jump. I don't like water.

I think as I grew older (as in like, 7) I became more self-conscious, and thus, began to doubt my abilities.

But I've always been in awe with people who have athletic grace and ability. Actually, I'm pretty much in awe of people who do things better than I do. I suppose it's one way for me to continuously push myself to be better. But I digress. So, I've always been in awe of athletic people. And I've always wanted to be able to be one of those people who run so effortlessly. Plus, I've been hearing the excuse "Oh, I'm going running" far too many times by then, which makes me feel like he thinks I'm the stupidest person alive. So I wanted to do something that says that at least ONE of us were really, truly running.

So I began going to the gym. I couldn't run for more than 2 minutes. It was pretty sad. But I persisted. I began taking classes - kickboxing, Zumba.

And I tried again at the treadmill after a few months. I could run for 15 minutes now, at 5.0 mph. I was thrilled!

To push even further, I coerced a bunch of colleagues and signed up for a 3.5 mile race.

I can't say I "trained". I never ran for more than 2.5 miles at a time, I hurt my neck/shoulder and was out of commission 3 weeks, which left me 2 weeks before the race. But I did my best

The results could have been better, but I'm pretty proud of myself . That I finished, and I ran as much as I could. (I did walk for probably about 1/2 mile. I had to breathe!)

And I'm going to keep going at it.

And I love how I'm one of those now who jogs/runs along the boardwalk at the beach near my house. =)

An Izzy Update

I haven't done this in awhile, and figured I probably should.

Izzy is now 2 years, 6 months and 19 days old. 

I have a 2 1/2 year old. How did that happen?

She's been potty training for awhile now - just some lacksidaisal approach, but now that she's moved into the potty training room at daycare, I've been trying to be more diligent about it.

To help things, she's got new underwear. Dora underwear, no less. Which she loves.

Although she pees in them, which I don't love.

***

She fights bedtime like there's no tomorrow. Why do kids do this? Then she'll wake up (late) all whiny because she's tired. 

***

She's talking. Really talking. We hold actual conversations. Her favorite comeback these days?

"You're not the teacher. I'm the teacher"

To which I reply, "No, I'm not the teacher. I'm Momma"

 

Other conversations:

Momma: I'm tired. I want to cuddle

Izzy: Daddy's not here. Izzy's here. I'm sorry, momma

*

Momma:  Do you want to wear these?

Izzy: NO

Momma: Which one do you want to wear? You pick

Izzy: Ummm.........hmmmmm.........................this one. It has hearts.....and pockets....and it fits just nice.

*

Something I taught her as we went into alternate weekends with her daddy:

Momma: When you miss Momma and you can't find Momma, where's Momma?

Izzy: In my heart.

***

She loves her babies, and will give them story time, circle time, potty time and take them out for walks.

I bought a stroller from a yard sale so she has an outside stroller that she'll use when we go for walks around the neighbourhood.

***

She's a pouter. Especially when she doesn't get what she wants.

She gets over it pretty quickly. Thank goodness. But there are times where she doesn't. And that's not so fun.

***

She loves music, and she dominates the radio in the car. We listen to stories, or nursery rhymes

***

She loves the playground. As do most kids, I suppose. When in the swings, she'll say "Push me, momma. I want to go up to the sky!" 

***

She is the love of my life, my purple sunshine and the biggest pain in my patootie.

And I love her. Very much, indeed