Jan 21,
This weekend Sofia and I made a flash trip to Sanibel Island, made possible by some cheap Allegiant tickets. It was our first Sofia-mami trip in a very long time, and our consolation prize for not being able to go skiing this year. It was definitely a quick turnaround, but totally worth it to be able to spend time together, touch the sand, and look at the beautiful ocean. We had a good time, and although we knew that Sofia was getting sick since Friday - inevitable with so many sick people around - she hung in there until it was time to come back home and get some rest.
Jan 16,
Our new book has arrived! Part 2 of Chicas Terremoto 2017 is ready to join the collection.
Jan 13,
Today one of my friends got married. The girls were not invited, but they were not shedding a tear over it because they got to spend the afternoon and evening with Isabel - The last time before she went back to school. Several of my work friends were there, current and ex-P&Gers, so it was nice to see all of them.
Jan 13,
This morning was absolutely freezing, but with all the snow on the ground I just couldn't stay at home knowing that the girls would have plenty of fun if we went sledding somewhere. So I took them to a nearby church that always allows neighborhood kids to sled. And although we were only there for about an hour, the girls had fun - and got tired - while I managed not to freeze just standing there.
Jan 11,
Tonight I took the girls to see Waitress at the Aronoff Center, but first we had dinner at Palominos for a full girls night out. We made plans kind of last minute since I won a lottery to buy tickets for only $40 each, regardless of where they were. So we had some pretty good seats. Of course I didn't realize that the play had some inappropriate language and content, which made me go from feeling like the best mom ever for taking them out, to feeling totally guilty and wondering if the people around us were totally judging me. But luckily the inappropriate parts were mostly over their head. Sofia liked it, and although Bella was a little bored, that was a better option than being scared for life.
Jan 7,
My sister and her family are finally back from their trip to India, and today we cut Rosca together to continue the tradition. Raj had a cold and stayed home, but we did Facetime with him for a few minutes. This year Sofia and Abuelito got the baby, so technically they are on the hook to make tamales on Feb 3rd. We may or may not hold them to it.
Dia de Reyes marks the end of the Christmas season for us, so in the evening we took down and put away all the Christmas decorations inside the house. It was too cold to take down the outdoor decorations, so they will have to wait until it warms up a bit.
Jan 6,
Today was Dia de Reyes, and although the girls are getting older we were not ready quite yet to let go of the tradition. So the Reyes Magos stopped by our house, and left some gifts for the two of them. Then, later in the morning, Sofia and I went out to try to get a rosca to cut with the family on Sunday. And we were successful!
We spent the rest of the afternoon running some errands, and made a stop by Yagoot at the girls' request. In the evening we were supposed to go to a friend's house for rosca, but we ended up having a hair mishap and stayed home.
Jan 5,
This week was a short one, but it certainly did not feel like it. We knew it would feel like a long, difficult week, because it is always hard to come back after a long break. And what made matters worse was the cold and dreadful weather. At least I got to work from home a couple of days, which was good since classes also got cancelled on Friday due to the freezing cold. Let's hope things look up next week, when we are a bit more used to the routine.
Jan 2,
Today was supposed to be the girls' first day back at school, but they ended up closing the schools due to extremely cold weather. It is a good thing I was planning to work from home anyway. I started to catch up on email - which was quite painful to say the least - while the girls pretty much entertained themselves all day. At least Sofia used the time wisely, and spent quite some time cleaning her room.
Jan 1,
Today was a mix of work and play. With it being the last day of break I really wanted to maximize the time, so I set my alarm at 7:30 but ended up waking up on my own at 7:15.
First I got up and ran on the treadmill as I had to start the year on the right note. Then, continuing with my goal to declutter the house, I cleaned the laundry room - the very last room on the first floor that I hadn’t yet cleaned during the break. After that Sofia and I got ready and went to the mall for probably the third time this winter break. I had an appointment to get a new battery for my phone and Sofia decided to tag along for some mami-fifi time, lunch out, and a quick stroll by the stores. And I of course appreciated the good company. Unfortunately the store ran out of batteries due to high demand - sigh - so I will need to go back one more time when they give me a call in the next few days. But we did accomplish the rest.
When we left the mall we also stopped by a couple of stores to buy things for the house, and went to buy food for the week. Back at home I spent the rest of the evening prepping food for the week, and getting mentally ready for back to school and work. It is not fun when a break ends, but it is always less painful when you are prepared.
Jan 1,
As I look back at 2017, I think it was a bit of a mixed bag. We didn’t have devastating lows, like when my mom was diagnosed with cancer, but we did have a few scares like when Sofia found a lump below her shoulder or we were in a car accident - just a few days before my birthday. We also didn’t have some of the career highs we would have hoped and worked for, and in fact faced another challenging year of empty promises at work, but Lionel and I are still gainfully employed. And although I still don't feel particularly comfortable in this neighborhood, which definitely has its challenges, I do have plenty of friends, from different circles, and plenty of other people in my support system. Glass half full. As for the girls, Sofia had a challenging end to 6th grade due to a teacher who seemed to be at the end of her rope. So she was ready to move on. But despite the nerves (ours and hers) she had a smooth transition into Walnut and got excellent grades during her first semester there - while also picking up a few new friends. She has grown so much in the last few months. Bella also had her challenges at school, first with a classmate that drove her crazy (and ended up being moved to another classroom where she continues to drive other people crazy), and then having a new teacher for 3 grade that she doesn’t like as much as the one who left. But she is still mostly easy going and doesn't let things bother her too much - thank God.
This year I didn’t manage to keep all my new year resolutions, but I did fairly well. Among others, I got rid of a lot of things, physical and emotional, that I no longer needed in my life. And I plan to continue the process as there is something to be said for simply “letting go”.
As we start 2018, my deepest hope is that we will continue to have health, safety, freedom, financial stability, and love in our lives. And that we will find the right opportunity - and the courage - to get a fresh start.
Dec 31,
New Year's Eve was a quiet affair for us this year. We went out for dinner to the girls favorite restaurant, but came back home right after that. I know many people were at parties, or hanging out with friends, but I was right where I wanted to be, with Lionel and the girls. Midnight was way too late for the kids, so at 11:00 pm we ate our 12 grapes and made our 12 wishes. Salud, dinero y amor was at the core, but we also had other interesting wishes for the year ahead - at least I very much did.
Dec 31,
This afternoon we invited my parents out for lunch to celebrate the new year. It was freezing, but I really wanted to do something with them and I know they don't like going out at night anymore. So lunch was the perfect choice. Unfortunately Lionel got sick and ended up staying behind, but the rest of us made it downtown. The restaurant was surprisingly very quiet - and so was the rest of downtown - but that was Ok with us. It is not like we wanted to be surrounded by crowds. After lunch we took a quick picture by Fountain Square - as fast as we could before we froze just standing there.
