This is my space for all the things that I love, things that are close and personal to me: motherhood, my babies, family, and special moments. Here are some posts that’ll give you a glimpse into my happy, lovely, yet sometimes awkward world:
Beach Bums and Mall Rats
What are you supposed to do when you’re on maternity leave with two kids and a newborn at your parents’ house in Florida in the middle of January? Go to the beach or the mall every day, of course! We’re officially beach bums and mall rats. It’s ridiculous. But it’s awesome!!!
We started last week off at my Happy Place, Anna Maria Island. Then, a few days later we went to the beach at Fort DeSoto Park. The beach was just as beautiful with white sand and calm, turquoise blue waters.
My parents go there all the time for the bike trails and the fishing areas. They brought their beach tent so we could lounge or nap (or eat burgers) as we pleased.
On the gloomy or not-so-hot days we chill at the mall just to get out of the house. I feel like a teenager again! Except instead of getting crazy around the mall with my girlfriends, I’m getting nauseous around carousel with my kiddos.
Even Alyssa is a baby mall mouse. No stroller for this little diva! She likes to be toted around in a wrap or sling. I’m new to this babywearing thing, but so far it’s working out great!
My mom is loves wearing her in the sling, too:
We’ve definitely earned our “mall rat” status. So far we’ve been to Brandon Mall, International Plaza, Ellenton Premium Outlets, and the newest one, the Mall at University Town Center in Sarasota.
The malls here are very nice, although I wish my bank account was fat enough so I could fully take advantage of all they have to offer! I swear, I’m not a shoppaholic. We just like to walk around and window shop…and eat.
And occasionally wear lampshades on our head. LOL
So that’s what we do the majority of the time here in Florida. Beaches and malls. Malls and beaches. Occasionally, we throw in a day where we exercise or golf, or learn a thing or two at the children’s museum, zoo, or aquarium…but mostly malls and beaches. Weeeeeeeeee! Love it!
Thanks for reading along. Don’t forget to check out what else we’re up to on Instagram:
In case you missed it:
The Return to My Happy Place
This is the best maternity leave ever. My mom designed this master plan where she flew to Chicago help me with the babies through the holidays, then we all flew to Florida so we could stay with my parents for the month of January. So while my friends and family in Chiberia are freezing in sub-zero temps, the kids and I are in Florida soaking in the sun.
Today was warm enough to go to the beach so we went to Anna Maria Island. I’ve posted about this place before because it’s my Happy Place. The first time we went there, I was newly married and pregnant with Arielle. The next time we went, Arielle and Zavier were with us. Now for the third time around, we were here with sweet baby Alyssa.
A&Z were hesitant about getting dirty, but quickly got over it when they discovered the seashells at their feet.
We ate lunch at Sandbar Restaurant, overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. The food there was delicious and the people there were friendly. Don’t my parents look like Alyssa’s mommy and daddy? The fellow patrons at the restaurant seemed to think so and they couldn’t believe that they were actually the grandparents.
After lunch, we spent the rest of the day playing on the beach. The kids loved it. It was a little too cold to go swimming, but they had a blast chasing the waves and playing in the sand. Little did they know that they traded white snow for white sand. Instead of building snowmen, they built sand castles.
It was a good day for seashell hunting, but I was too consumed with basking in the kids’ delight. Sorry for my unattractive feet and finger-toes. I just had to get this shot to remind myself that this is January and snow boots were not required here.
My parents were consumed with the baby. Alyssa was as happy as could be just beach bummin’ underneath the big umbrella.
We just relaxed and enjoyed the beautiful weather, the water, and the fresh air. It was a lovely day, proving once again that Anna Maria Island is still my happy place.
P.S. I took these photos with my handy-dandy iPhone.
That’s a Wrap
I couldn’t have picked a better time to go on maternity leave. I got to spend the holidays with my babies and create magical memories with them. So much of life and joy happened all at once. Now all of a sudden it’s 2015 (happy new year, by the way!) and I’m half-way through my maternity leave. Too fast! It’s going by too fast!
Before those wonderful holiday festivities get wrapped up and put away in a box labeled “2014” I wanted to take a moment to document all of my favorite moments.
We welcomed Figgy the elf into our home. Yes, I finally jumped on the Elf on the Shelf bandwagon and I’m glad I did. The kids had so much fun looking for their elf every morning to find out what he was up to. I’m looking forward to carrying on this tradition for our family, but I’m not sure how long this will last. Arielle is so observant and inquisitive that I’m not sure I can carry on the act before she figures it out.
My mom, Alyssa, and I crashed Arielle’s and Zavier’s class Christmas parties at school. It fascinates me to see them interact with their teachers and other children their age. Arielle showed me that she was a “super student” on the behavior chart and introduced me to some of her friends. Zavier had fun participating in the games, but overall he was pretty quiet.
Then there was my photo shoot of my three babies for Christmas cards that actually never got printed or sent out. Whoops! Arielle and Zavier just adore Alyssa – you can tell from the pictures.
Then came a flurry of family parties. We have a big families so food, presents, and holiday spirit were in abundance. For many, it was their first time meeting Alyssa – a gift from God for the entire family this Christmas. This was everyone’s reaction to seeing her in her pretty red dress:
Here’s a picture with all my cousins in chronological order – my sister and I are the eldest and I’m the only one with babies.
On Christmas Day, we celebrated with my husband’s side of the fam. It was chaos! There are 22 grandkids and counting…
We have so much family that our Christmas spills into the 26th where we spent time with my parents- and sisters-in-law and their kiddos. Their twin cousins also came along – one of them actually looks like Arielle’s twin!
Lastly, there’s all the presents! They get to open presents four different times and I get all giddy each time as if I’m the one opening them. My favorite is when we wake up on Christmas morning and they get to open the presents from Santa and us. Arielle got a vanity and make-up set from Santa and a Lalaloopsy easy-bake oven from us. Zavier got a new bike from Santa and a Ninja Turtle tent from us. They also got a ton of toys and clothes – most of which I put away and open throughout the rest of the year.
So that’s a wrap! All our Christmas festivities tied into one cluttered blog post and hodgepodge of picture collages. And totally late (what is it, January 5 now?) It all went so quickly and this is my way of freezing time and holding on to the memories.
Now that I got that out of my system, I can focus on 2015 and write about my maternity leave in Florida! Stay tuned, or keep up-to-date by following me here on Instagram!
Review: Knitted Reverie Baby Headbands
I received these products from Knitted Reverie for free in exchange for a product review on MommyA-Z.com. All opinions are my own.
I knew Alyssa was going to be spoiled even before she was born. At least, I intend on spoiling her with love and attention since she’s my last baby. It’s a bonus that my last baby ended up being a girl – that means I can go all out with all things pretty and girly. Yes, I’m talking about pretty bows, pearls, flowers, bling, and hearts. ***Squeals!***
I was thrilled when Heather from Knitted Reverie introduced me to her Etsy shop. She makes the cutest knitted baby headbands and I immediately knew these would be perfect for newborn photos. I just had a hard time picking one out because they were all so adorbs (click here to see what’s available at Knitted Reverie’s Etsy shop. You can even request custom headbands!)
Alyssa was teeny tiny when she was born, but the headbands fit perfectly. They even have a little stretch to them so I’m sure she can rock ’em for the next few months or so. They are soft to the touch and not itchy on her precious newborn skin, and they keep her head warm. My favorite part was the uniqueness of each piece – just as precious as my little one!
Are you ready for some serious cuteness?
Those were taken at the hospital while Alyssa and I were bonding. I just couldn’t help myself!
Here are some pictures from Alyssa’s newborn photo shoot this past weekend:
Photo credits: Ashley Gee Imagery
I think newborns look best naked with minimal accessories, so the headbands worked out beautifully. Stay tuned for more pics from Alyssa’s newborn photo sesh.
Many thanks to Heather for the opportunity for Alyssa to try out these wonderful creations. Please feel free to pin, share, and check out Knitted Reverie on Esty and show some love!
Swirly Trees and Happy Thoughts
I’ve always wanted to do one of those painting classes – the kind where you drink a bottle of wine with your friends while a teacher gives instructions on how to re-create a work of art. If I had a bucket list, this would be on it. I picture myself with an easel and a smock with a set of borrowed paint brushes. I would drink red wine and compliment my neighbors on their progress while thinking, “Mine is better!” letting my creativity pour itself all over the blank canvas. I would do a great job, proudly show my children and ask my husband to hang my masterpiece in my home office. This was all in my head. I just never got around to scheduling it because it’s too expensive or too far away or I couldn’t find the time, excuses, excuses, excuses…
And then it happened. In real life.
My boss’s friend opened up a shop nearby and she invited me to go to a “Paint ‘n Sip” workshop last Friday. Well, for me it was more like “Paint, no Sip” since I’m preggers. It was everything I envisioned and I had so much fun!
This was the inspiration art – a whimsical, colorful swirly tree:
This is the proverbial blank canvas:
First, she had us pencil in the tree placement and work on the background:
Then, it was time to get all swirly:
That’s me! Canvas, smock, borrowed paint brushes and all – just like I imagined.
The finished product:
Sherri and me:
I don’t know if it was because I wanted to do this for a long time, or if it was because this was my first night out in a long time without the kids or hubs, or because of all those swirly swirls – but I such a great time!
I would highly suggest this as a girls’ night out or a mother/daughter bonding activity. If you’re in the northwest Chicago-land area, you can look out for upcoming events at Fabric, Fiber, and Finds.
xoxo // gracielle.
Almost 3: Superhero in training and ready for life to begin
Zavier will be 3 soon and he’s growing so fast, but I don’t think anyone really notices. He’ has been living happily in the shadow of his big sis Arielle. She’s can strike up a good conversation, she sings, she dances, and she recites lines from movies! The only song that Zavier knows is “Eenny meeny miny mo” (but his version goes something like, “meemmy meeemy meeemmy mo!”), he still wears a diaper, and he replaces every other word with “poo poo” and then bursts out laughing.
He also thinks he is a super hero. Whether its Batman, Superman, Spiderman – it really doesn’t matter because he refers to them all as “EEE-man!”
When he’s not saving the world, he’s totally a momma’s boy. He clings to me like a little monkey and if I’m not in his direct line of sight, he wanders around the house saying, “Mommy! Wheh aah oooh? …Mommy! MOMMY?!?!” The other week when I was sick, Jeff told A&Z that I turned into a zombie and not to enter my room. It worked and I was able to rest all morning. But sometime around 2 in the afternoon, Zavier snuck in my room, climbed onto my bed and whacked me in the stomach with his sword. It hurt a little, but I don’t blame him.
Recently, he’s starting to figure out that there’s more to life than just being with mommy and hanging out at home with his sis. He looks on from the waiting room as she twirls in ballet every week and sees that she gets to do a special activity on her own:
He waits patiently by the gates at the gymnastics facility, in case someone opens it wide enough for him to sneak through and he can have a turn.
He knows that Arielle goes to preschool every day and does exciting things, while he stays at home. Finally, he found enough words to tell me just what he thought about that. He cornered me while I was on the pot and I had no choice but to sit and listen to what he had to say:
Zavier: Where E-yell go?
Me: Arielle is going to school.
Zavier: I wan go, too!
Me: School? You’re too little, honey. Next year you can go.
Zavier: Me, too! I wan go skoo. (starts crying)
Later this month, Zavier is turning 3 and I enrolled him in preschool for this upcoming fall. Arielle didn’t start until she was 4, but Zavier is already showing signs that he is under-stimulated here at home. I actually took him to the school for registration and he really thought it was his first day of school and threw a tantrum when it was time to go home.
He’s also starting soccer a few days after he turns 3. So I guess that officially makes me a Soccer Mom? With a mini-van. OMG what is happening to me?
OK – wait. This post is about Zavier, not me. LOL
I think Zavier is ready for his life to begin and expand his horizons beyond Mommy/Daddy/Arielle/Coconut.
I think Zavier is a go-getter. He is curious. He is ready for his adventures to begin. And 3 is going to be an awesome year for my little man!
But first…he has to stop wearing diapers. LOL
At what age did you start to see your kids’ adventures begin?
xoxo // gracielle.
I Married the “Just Because” Kinda Guy
Valentine’s Day was just a week ago and it came and went just like any other day. When Jeff and I started dating, I would expect big things on days like Valentine’s Day, my birthday, and our anniversary. If he forgot to get me a card or plan a nice dinner, I would throw a diva-certified hissy fit.
Hashtag, highmaintenence. Hashtag, notsomethingI’mproudof.
Over time, Jeff figured out that my language of love is “receiving gifts” and he got really good at filling up my love tank. (OK, that sounds really bad, but if you read Gary Chapman’s book, you’ll know what I mean). He’s does over-the-top gifts from a trip to Vegas on my 21st birthday, to a surprise momcave mini-makeover just this past Christmas:
He even surprised me with a luxurious weekend in the city for Father’s Day one year. He packed my clothes/makeup, all the baby gear, and even Coconut came along! So I’m spoiled even on holidays that aren’t about celebrating me.
Big things on big holidays! I don’t expect it anymore, especially now that we have kids and they get all our love, attention, and money. But when he continues to surprise me with these grand gestures, it takes my breath away that he would go to such lengths just to make me smile. I cry every time.
Going back to this past Valentine’s Day…there were no cards, no flowers, no chocolates. I was actually cool with it. No hissy fits, I promise! It was a quick, “Happy Valentine’s Day, okay-gotta-go-to-work! Loveyou.bye!” All my co-workers were buzzing about that day asking about Valentine’s Day plans. Jeff had to work that night, so I kinda shrugged it off when they asked me.
When I got home, he had surprised me with … a clean house. Some days, when he’s feeling up to it and the kids are behaving, he’ll clean up so that I can come home to a clean house after a hard day’s work. Sweet. (FYI, “acts of service” is my second language of love.) Then he mentioned that he got me a little something and I found it sitting in the middle of our living room wrapped in Christmas paper. He bought me a Keurig. I didn’t ask for it, but he just knows I love coffee. Thoughtful. Then he went off to work and that was that.
The next night, we didn’t have any plans so he asked his mom if she could watch the kids for a few hours. He took me to the city to eat at one of my favorite Spanish tapas restaurants. Without reservations it was a 2 hour wait, but we found a few seats at the bar and had our meal there. We split a half pitcher of sangria and tried small plates of goat cheese, dates wrapped in chorizo, and rioja-braised short ribs.
We watched the NBA All-Star 3 point contest and talked about…I don’t remember exactly. I just remember that was just easy. We were happy. There were no phones (hence no pictures) or kids. Just us. I do remember laughing really hard about something he said on the way back to the car – I was laughing so hard that I couldn’t see where I was going and I had to hold onto his arm so I wouldn’t slip on the freshly fallen snow.
A few days later, he came home from work with a fresh bouquet of tulips. For me? Yes, for me. Why? No reason, just because.
The Keurig, the dinner, the flowers…Those weren’t a “Valentine’s Day” show of affection, it was “just because.” Just because he loves me, everyday. In big ways through grand gestures and gifts, and in small ways like cleaning or being there for me and the kids and making us laugh.
I’m a lucky gal since I married the “just because” kind of guy that makes me feel loved like this everyday:
Hashtag, blessed. Hashtag, thankyousomuch. Hashtag, iloveyou.
xoxo // gracielle.
Help Me Choose: Rivet & Sway Glasses
Hi there! I need your help choosing my next pair of specs. The glasses I currently wear are as old as my first-born child. Okay, they’re only 4 years old, but that made it sound really old, didn’t it? Hehehe. I’m indecisive and cheap, which makes it hard for me to actually pick a pair that I’m willing to spend money on.
Last weekend, the internet gods kept showing me these Rivet & Sway ads for me to try on glasses at home for free. Their website has a nicely curated set of stylish, feminine glasses, so it was pretty easy to pick out which ones I wanted to try on without being overwhelmed. Two days later, I had 5 pairs of glasses in a pretty little box at my doorstep. Kinda cool, right? It sure does beat having to go out in the nasty weather with A&Z to try on glasses at the store.
I have several disclaimers that you must read before continuing:
- I’m not affiliated with Rivet & Sway, I’m just trying their nifty program and all opinions are my own. I need your opinions, too!
- WARNING: Multiple selfies ahead! I heard that #selfie was the word of the year in 2013, and yes – I got the memo that it is now 2014. However, I just couldn’t get around to do this exercise without all the obnoxious selfies. Please, forgive me.
- I suggest you play this song while you review the choices below. Yes, I was thinking about #StarbucksDrakeHands while I was taking these photos. (That’s not a good thing.)
- Don’t let that pimple above my right eyebrow sway your opinion in any way.
Now that I got that off my chest, here are the choices:
#1: Ticker Tape:
#2 Cherry Blossom:
#3: High Five
#4: Spitfire
#5: 5th Avenue
And if you’re a side-by-side comparison kind of person, here are the choices one more time:
I’m going for glasses that make a statement, but don’t overwhelm my face. I’m going for smart and feminine, but not like I’m trying too hard to look like a hipster. Easy-peasy, right? NOT. I have my top faves in mind, but I won’t share which ones just yet.
Leave a comment with the number the glasses you think I should get! Thanks so much for weighing in!
xoxo // gracielle.
{Through the Lens Thursday} Reflection
This week’s Through the Lens Thursday prompt was “reflection.” This was such a fun project because it sounds simple, but there are so many dimensions to shooting a photo when reflection is involved. I decided to just snap photos around the house and “reflect” on my home.
We had another bout of insane below-freezing temperatures, so I worked from home on Monday. It’s funny now that I think about it – I rarely get a chance to be in my home when the sun is out. I’m either at work or out running errands. The light that pours through our windows during the daytime is incredible so I took this as an opportunity to take on the photography challenge!
First, I had to get at a good angle where I wasn’t in the shot. No selfies here, folks! Also, I had to adjust my lens to focus on the subject inside the mirror, when the camera wanted to auto-focus on the mirror itself. I’m obsessed with my fixed lens, but for this exercise I just used the standard 18-55mm lens.
Looking at my home through the lens of my camera and through the reflection of a mirror made me see my house from a different perspective. It wasn’t just about what needs to get cleaned next or did I let the dog out or did I leave clothes in the washer. It gave me a chance to step back from the everyday madness and reflect on what my home really means to me.
This mirror looks into our family room and the BIGGEST COUCH IN THE WORLD. This photo only captured about a fourth of the entire thing. It’s an awesome couch, you can get lost in it. The running joke is, “How many Filipinos can you fit on that couch?”
I see countless hours of watching TV and snuggling under blankets and pillows piled high on these cold winter days. I see A&Z, as tiny as they are, doing sprints back and forth on the couch and us yelling at them to stop running and jumping on the couch. But it looks like a ton of fun, and I wonder why I don’t run across the couch a few times myself and crash face first into the pillows. I see Jeff sleeping along the other side of the couch after a long overnight shift. Actually, he was sleeping on the other side while I snapped this photo (LOL). Looking at this reflection makes me think of words like BRIGHT. COZY. HOME.
This mirror looks into our dining room that opens up into our living room. When I see this reflection, I see intimate family gatherings around the dining table. I see laughter shared over a meal, some dessert, and conversations that linger on through the late hours. I hear music playing from the piano, and perhaps someone singing on the microphone that’s hooked up to the ridiculously loud and unsightly speakers that Jeff set up in our formal living room.
So this photography exercise on “reflection” inspired me to reflect on how my house has become a home in just a year and a half. This is where real life and love happens. There are even a few smudgy mirrors and some clutter, but hey – it’s real.
What have you reflected on recently?
Thanks for following along on this edition of “Through the Lens Thursday” where every week Alison from Wishing Writing and Greta from Gfunkified give the participants an assignment to take photos based on a prompt. My goal on participating in this photo project is to challenge myself to take more photos, sharpen my photography skills, and hopefully capture some breathtaking photographs along the way! You can follow my progress on this exciting project on my Pinterest board here.
xoxo // gracielle.
That one time I forgot to wear pants to work…
It was not just a bad dream, it really happened: I forgot to wear pants to work. I have a lot on my plate right now and sometimes, something’s gotta give. In this case, I guess it was the pants.
2014 is off to a bad start for us. My husband’s grandmother passed away on the morning of New Year’s Eve. He had to go to the Philippines to be with his family and attend the funeral, so I’m single-mom’ing it for two weeks. We had the polar vortex, snow, freezing rain, ice storm – you name it. It’s literally like hell froze over here in the mid-west. Then, I got a phone call at the elementary school that a Arielle got into their pre-K program. This was actually good news since she was on the waiting list for 6 months, but that meant that I had to make big decisions and add more stuff to my plate.
Oh, and all this while working full-time. I might as well have been blind-folded with one hand tied behind my back to make things interesting.
To sum up, this past week has been – as a dog scratching its butt on a piece of sandpaper would say – RUFF!
So back to the pants thing. On Thursday, I planned on wearing a chevron print tunic and leggings. In my opinion, leggings are legitimate pants as long as the shirt is long enough to cover your booty. I was all set with a cute pair of black booties and leg warmers to keep my ankles nice and toasty. As I was heading out the door I spotted a very visible hole in the leggings and quickly swapped them out for a pair of black tights without thinking twice.
Everything was fine – I actually made it into work and the kids were taken care of. Based on my day-by-day, hour-by-hour approach to this single mom thing, I was surviving. Until I got up from my desk to retrieve a document from the printer and ran into a co-worker… As I was talking to him, I felt oddly exposed. I thought to myself, “Susmariyosep! (that’s Filipino for ‘Jesus, Mary, Joseph!’) Why do I feel like I forgot something today? It feels rather….breezy…down there.” I maintained eye contact through the entire conversation and resisted the urge to look down and draw attention to my – ahem! – situation.
I ran straight to the bathroom and confirmed my greatest fear: I forgot to wear pants. The shirt I was wearing was not long enough to pass as a dress that would be appropriate to wear with just the tights. I mean, it barely covered my lady parts. The good thing is that I remembered to wear the leg warmers as to not freeze my precious ankles. I simply just did not wear pants to work that day.
Leg warmers, yes. Pants, no.
Tights, my friends, are NOT pants. They are typically classified as an undergarment (i.e., underwear or bra). They are flimsier than leggings and sometimes see-through. My leggings were pretty think so it was barely noticeable. But you know that panty-hose part where the support structure texture begins towards the upper thigh? I hope you ladies know what I’m talking about…Well, that awkwardness was exposed because my tunic wasn’t long enough. No bueno.
I spent the better part of the next half hour tucked away in my cube in a crazed fit of hysterical laughter and crying at the same time. I was in the midst of a bona-fide mommy meltdown. Then I tried going into the company store to buy a pair of pants or even a skirt to cover it up. Thank goodness I work in retail, right?! But I did not find any pants that struck my fancy and I decided this:
No pants are better than ugly pants.
My lovely female co-workers assured me that it didn’t look too bad. However, one co-worker stopped me in the hallway to chit-chat and when I mentioned that I forgot to wear pants, she admitted that she was wondering why my dress was so short.
Despite how it looked, I felt exposed. It threw me off for the rest of the day knowing that I forgot something as important and basic as wearing pants. Kinda like a bad dream where you wake up and cannot shake that yucky feeling, except this wasn’t a bad dream and it actually happened to me.
One day, I know, I will be able to look back at this day and laugh. Hahah –
Nope. Too soon.
Have you ever left the house and forgot to put on anything important like your pants? One side of your face without make-up? (Yes, I did that too one time!) The wrong shoes or mis-matched shoes? (Yes, I’ve done that plenty of times!!)
xoxo // gracielle
To Pre-K, or Not to Pre-K? That is the question.
I got a call from the local elementary school and found out that a spot opened up for Arielle in their pre-K program where she has been on the waiting list for 6 months now. I felt like I won the lottery and all sorts of joy filled in my heart at this wonderful opportunity to prepare Arielle for kindergarten when she starts this fall. And then they dropped the bomb on me – the $250 bomb that would drop every month. Ugh.
When we found out that the pre-K program was full last fall and looked for other programs, it ridiculously expensive – $1200 for 2 hours 3 days a week at the park district. Uhh…no thanks! So since our first option was full and our other options were too expensive, we decided to teach her as much as we could at home to set her up for success by the time Sept 2014 came around.
She’s already well socialized from going to Sunday school and having a ton of cousins her age to play nicely with. She even takes dance classes and can follow instructions well. So I wasn’t as concerned about the socialization.
I was more concerned on preparing her for the things she really needed to know by the time she entered kindergarten like her alphabet and numbers. We went all out on setting up an at-home preschool environment – we bought her school supplies and got her excited about the “back-to-school” season. I did research and started Pinterest boards on home preschooling activities. I bought workbooks and craft supplies. We had lesson plans to get her to write her alphabet and practice everyday with the nanny that we had at the time. I was even thinking about starting a new blog series on it and calling it “Arielle’s Academy.”
Truth is, she would get bored easily here at home. Uninspired, easily frustrated. I’ll even admit that I lacked discipline to be consistent in the lesson plans and pin-worthy crafts and activities.
I was thrilled when I found out there was an opening for her at this pre-K program at her future elementary school. I thought it was free, not $250 a month. It actually ends up being only about $12.50 a day, but this was just not an additional expense I had budgeted for in 2014 and they needed to know by tomorrow.
I was second guessing whether we should spend the money on pre-K now, or just let her start her education as a kindergartener this fall. My mom told me not to worry about pre-K and that she will learn eventually. She’s already bright, observant, articulate, and curious – signs of a potentially great little scholar. She’ll catch up quickly. According to my mom, I didn’t go to preschool or pre-K. My early childhood education program was called Sesame Street and I turned out it just fine!
But something tells me that kids these days are expected to just know just about everything short of calculus by the time they get into kindergarten. One kindergarten teacher on a local mom’s support group on FB mentioned that all the kids that walk through her classroom doors already know how to read. Other moms said that they can tell which kids would succeed in life because they could point out which ones attended preschool and which ones stayed at home with their parents. I read this article on the WSJ that mentioned:
“Those who go to preschool will go on to university, will have a graduate education, and their income level will radically improve.”
Sheesh! I guess $250 a month is a small price to pay for a guarantee that my child will go on to grad school and have a stellar income level. No brainer!
My husband and I are on board and will enroll her first thing tomorrow. We agreed that she is under-stimulated here at home and that pre-K would be a fun, new adventure for her! Plus it’ll be at the same elementary school where she will start next fall. I told Arielle that she will be starting school soon and she was thrilled! I guess I wasn’t mentally prepared to have my daughter start school mid-January, but I will have to get over it quickly.
Cheers to 2014 and new adventures!
Did your child go to preschool or pre-K? Do you think they did better in kinder as a result?
xoxo // gracielle.
Holidays 2013 Part 2: Inay’s Life Celebrated and a Twinning New Years Eve
Yay! I made it to Part 2! This is my attempt to catch up on all the holiday festivities. I started with the Sandiego Christmas Eve and now I’m skipping ahead to New Year’s Eve with the Tamanio Family. This is one NYE that I will always remember…
This is the 2nd year where the Tamanios celebrated NYE at my house. We party hard up in herr – dranks, photo booth, loud music and a dance floor in the basement complete with disco lights and a balloon drop, and the biggest sleep-over party of the year. It’s a big production, but nothing beats dancing the night away and passing out in your own bed to kick off the new year!
But wait. Something happened on the morning of NYE 2013 that I’ll never forget. My husband received a phone call with the news that his beloved grandmother Inay passed away in the Philippines. Oh no.
It broke my heart to see my husband so grief-stricken. I’m terribly awkward among those who are grieving. My heart gets so heavy that I cannot find the words that could possibly be of any comfort and I end up saying the wrong things.
I vaguely remember meeting her when she came to visit the States, and I couldn’t really communicate with her because I don’t speak Tagalog. But I do know this – she lived for 95 amazing years. She had 8 children, 23 grandchildren, and 17 great-grandchildren including A&Z. Of all her 23 grandchildren, Jeffrey was the favorite. (But shh! Don’t tell the other 22 grandkids! LOL) I know that she was the matriarch that produced such a happy, loving, and supportive family and she will be greatly missed.
So that’s how our NYE began. I anticipated that the night was going to sad and emotional for everyone. Instead, it turned out to be a celebration of her life. We said a prayer and found comfort knowing that she is now resting with the Lord and reunited with her husband. We rang in the new year with her watching over us and continued on with the festivities. There was still a bittersweet undertone to the party, but we celebrated nonetheless.
I set up a photo booth along with my 2014 New Year’s props (I’ll post more on that later). This year’s theme was “twinning” and Arielle was my twin for the evening. Here’s a butt load of photos from my shoot. I had a hard time picking my favorites, so I narrowed it down to the ones that make me smile:
Cheers to 2014! Rest in peace, Inay. You will be missed.
xoxo // gracielle.
{Ask Away Friday} Questions with @JoyInTheMidstOf
Hello December! It’s the month of crazy holiday shopping, pictures with Santa, happiness and joy!
For those of you who aren’t familiar with #AskAwayFriday it’s an amazing way to meet new bloggers, make friends and ask some questions to get to know them better! 10 questions are exchanged and answered on your partners blog, you can get as creative as you want and even get into our purses!
As always, tried and true we have the partners in crime, the ladies who created #AskAwayFriday…the wonderful Penny from The Real Housewife of Caroline County and Amber from Bold Fab Mom!!
Our co-hosts for the month of December are here as well! All new ladies who have been wonderful additions to the #AskAwayFriday week after week! Show them some love by stopping by their blogs!
This week I’m so excited to be exchanging questions with Stevie from Joy in the Midst Of… I met her through SITS, a supportive blogging community, when I was new to socializing with other bloggers. I was nominated for a Liebster Award, which is similar to #AskAwayFriday, but instead you have to ask 11 new bloggers to participate in a Q&A. That forced me to step outside of my comfort zone and actually connect with other bloggers – one the people I nominated was Stevie.
I was immediately drawn to her blog because her of her writing. Sometimes I stop and read a sentence again to soak up how beautifully she can put words together. She talks about real life stuff – sometimes happy and silly, but sometimes emotional and painful. The first post I read was Baby Sister, I was Unprepared and I’ve been hooked ever since.
Here are the 10 questions that Stevie asked me this week:
I think you already know this, but you seriously have the cutest kids ever. What is one lesson or value you are hoping to instill in them?
I hope to instill the Filipino culture in them. I’m a first-generation Filipino-American and I can already see how much of the Filipino culture is lost between my parents and my sister and me. The language, for one, is already lost with me. So I hope to carry on whatever values and traditions that I still have such as the food, emphasis on family and God, to be humble, hospitable, and kind …
As I’ve already confessed, I have total babies on the brain. Tell me a favorite memory from one of your pregnancies?
Besides guilt-free ice cream binges? My favorite pregnancy moment was when Jeff and I went to Anna Maria Island with my parents and sis when I was about 6 months preggo with Arielle. My bump was just starting to show. It was the perfect day and we had just had lunch and the most amazing scoop of vanilla ice cream I’ve ever had (I’m usually a chocolate kinda girl). Then, we all ran up and down the beach looking for seashells. It’s probably not just my favorite memory from one of my pregnancies, but one of my favorite memories of all time. We were all happy, and it’s the last time I remember the care-free feeling of being my parents’ kid before I became a mother to my own kids.
Speaking of motherhood, what is your most embarrassing “Mom” moment?
It was an unseasonably warm winter day and I was in the thick of Christmas shopping last year. I found a ton of really great presents for my nieces and nephews at Michael’s. They were crafty gifts in large awkward boxes and I was having a hard time carrying them while pushing the double-decker stroller through the tight and cluttered aisles. It was hot and Zavier started to have a melt-down so I tried taking off his jacket, but by then he was in full tantrum mode. Then Arielle stared crying, too.
I remember standing in a long line with boxes underneath the stroller, piled on top of the stroller, while holding a basket with more boxes in one hand and pushing the stroller with the other hand. I was doing mental gymnastics trying to count the kids to make sure I didn’t miss anyone, while the kids were screaming and crying. I just avoided eye contact with all the other shoppers, but I could feel them glaring at me. I was hot and sweaty. By the time I got to the cashier, I just muttered, “Make this quick, we gotta get out of here.”
And then I realized that I forgot. my. wallet. at. home. I was so embarrassed and flustered and hot. Did I mention it was hot? I just apologized left everything right there on the counter and ran out of that store as fast as I could with my double decker stroller and screaming children.
Many of your readers and blogging buddies have commented on your fabulous sense of style. And I know that you love lipstick! Let’s talk beauty products, drug store or department store? Any favorite brands?
I mostly wear MAC cosmetics and recently started wearing Urban Decay eye shadows. I’m usually a thrifty shopper, but drug store products tend to stink and lipsticks that have that lipstick-y taste make want to barf-ola. Plus, I have sensitive skin so I tend to stick to brands/products that I know won’t mess me up so I tend to splurge a little when it comes to cosmetics.
As a working mom, I imagine the weekends are special times with the family. What does your Saturday morning routine look like?
I like making pancakes for A&Z on Saturday mornings. Sometimes we add chocolate chip or blueberry happy faces. I don’t know if they like it because I make stellar pancakes or if they just like the syrup. I try to attend #SITSSharefest if we don’t have anywhere to be; otherwise, we’re rushing to get ready for a birthday party, ballet class, or other events throughout the day.
I love reading the stories about your marriage and relationship with Jeff. How would you describe your marriage personality?
I would describe it as “coo coo in the poo poo.” That was a phrase that Jeff used to say a lot when I first met him. It means It’s all good! Chillin’. No worries.
Speaking of marriage, and Jeff, what’s something that Jeff does that cracks you up or drives you nuts?
He’s a goof ball, so he always cracks me up. But anytime I ask him to help me with something, all of a sudden he has to poop. Can you change Zavier’s diaper? He has to go poop. Can you take out the garbage? After he’s done pooping. Can go you see why the kids are screaming? No, he’s currently pooping. I think you get the pattern.
He also seems to always have leisure time, unlike me where I feel like I’m constantly working or cleaning or doing something. For example, he has time to work out at home. Good for him, but the unequal time distribution drives me nuts.
So the other day, I was blogging while the kids were hanging out with me in the office and Jeff was watching TV in the family room. I told Arielle that we should all go to the family room and spend time with Daddy and she replied, “OK! What are we going to do? Work out or go poo?”
I nearly died. The kid speaks the truth, y’all!
We are basically the same age. I remember watching cartoons as a kid, and when I see the kids shows today, they just don’t seem as cool. What was your favorite cartoon as a kid?
Tiny Toon Adventures! I think I was supposed to say Smurfs, Care Bears, Rainbow Brite, or Shera – but honestly, I don’t remember watching those. I remember watching Tiny Toons like it was just yesterday. Maybe it was just yesterday because I think A&Z watch that show too now.
I loved the story of Coconut and I love his little sweaters. Are you like me and do you spoil him a little? What’s one dog mom thing you do that’s a little ridiculous?
Before I had A&Z, I really treated Coconut like he was my real baby. I took him to the park on his birthday. Not a dog park, but a children’s park. I traveled with him everywhere. Fact: Coconut has been on more plane rides than Zavier. He has in his own carrying case that was also a car seat. It was a little ridiculous, but I’ve calmed down a lot since I had real babies.
I remember we compared notes on what it felt like to turn 30. Now that you are into your thirties how is it different than being in your twenties?
Being in my twenties was so transitional. Finishing college to starting my career. Moving out of my parents’ house to buying my own house. Clubbin’ with my girls to having a family nights with my hubs and two babies. It was all exciting, but I didn’t know anything! I just fumbled my way through it with the help from my family and friends.
I feel like all that transition dust is starting to settle in my 30s. I’m sure I’ll continue to evolve and learn new things; however, I want to take things I’ve learned along the way and refine them and get really good at the things that matter.
Thanks so much for swapping questions with me, Stevie! For those of you who have also participated in #AskAwayFriday, don’t forget to link up below!! Or, get to know some other bloggers who participated this week!
[inlinkz_linkup id=352991]
xoxo // gracielle.
Light ’em up
I can officially say that the halls have been decked at this house! This will be our second Christmas in our home and already I’m getting a sense of the traditions that will be a part of A&Z’s childhood memories. Last weekend we put up the outdoor lights and this weekend we decorated indoors and put up our tree.
It’s funny how the holidays puts life into perspective. As we were getting our Christmas tree, it suddenly hit me that I have my own family with one girl and one boy and I drive a freaking minivan and today there was a Christmas tree strapped to the top of it. Surreal. These are the types of things you see in the happy family Christmas movies.
We don’t actually don’t have that many decorations just yet, so we concentrated on the living room. It looks like the Christmas spirit threw up on just that one part of the house. Here’s how it turned out:
I went with traditional green, red, and gold to decorate the tree. Oh, and sparkles. Lots of pretty sparkles! It was looking kind of bare with just the ornaments, so I added huge bows throughout the tree to give it some umph:
We rearranged the furniture so that we could display the Christmas tree from our living room window. Last year it was tucked in the corner next to the piano. I’m still trying to get used to it since our couch now blocks the opening that leads to the dining room. I think it makes the living room feel a bit cozier. I plan on hanging ornaments behind the couch to further separate the living room from the dining room and make a statement instead of an awkward hole behind the couch.
We don’t have a fireplace in our home so we hung our stockings above the piano. I’ll just have to teach Arielle to sing “hang the stockings above the piano” instead of “fireplace” in all the Christmas songs. Jeff said I couldn’t hang the stockings directly on the mirror, so I improvised by hanging them on the pre-lit garland that I bought last year on clearance. I still have to sew on ornaments with our initials on them so that Santa knows which stockings belongs to whom:
I just love how everything sparkles and glimmers from the Christmas lights and decor. But at the end of the day, we light ’em up to see our kids’ faces light up. We make memories. We create joy and excitement. We bring the magic of Christmas to life. Because nothing fills my heart more than seeing this look on their face:
Have you started decorating your home yet? What are some ways you make the holidays special for your kids?
Thanks for stopping by. I hope this post gave you the warm and fuzzies like it did for me. 🙂
xoxo // gracielle.
{App Review} Bitstrip: Comic strips starring me!
I noticed that my Facebook started to look like the Sunday Funnies section of the good ol’ newspaper as comic strips started appearing on my news feed. I took a closer look and noticed that they were comic strips of my friends who were using the new Bitstrip app. It allows create comic strips starring you and your Facebook friends. How clever!
First, you start off by creating your own avatar (just like your own Mii from Nintendo Wii). I had so much fun creating myself and to my surprise they had my “Don’t you know I will cut you?!” face readily available:
Then, you can choose a comic template and if you are feeling witty, you can add your own dialogue bubbles. I just created a few about my favorite things: coffee, cheeseburgers, Forrest Gump, and…umm….world domination. Ha!
I love that it’s easy to use and share with friends. Even though some of the templates aren’t relevant for a status update, I still get a chuckle or two browsing along the way. My only tiny gripe is that I don’t think the servers can handle the popularity of the app, so sometimes the images don’t load right away. Or, worse – this morning the app was down completely. And one small request to the Bitstrip gods: can I make avatars of my kiddos and have comic strips starring my family? That would be great, thanks!
Have you tried Bitstrip? I’d love to see – let’s connect on Facebook (click here).
xoxo // gracielle.
PS I was not compensated in any way to do this post. I just really got a kick out of using the app so wanted to write about it! All opinions are my own. Boo yeah.
Fall Fun at Randy’s Vegetable Farm Stand
It doesn’t feel like autumn until our annual visit to a pumpkin patch! We usually hit up Goebbert’s Farm to take pictures and frolic through a field of pumpkins, but last year, they closed off everything and implemented an entrance fee just to walk through the grounds. hashtagLAME. So this year we went to Randy’s Vegetable Farm Stand to get our fall festivities fix.
Randy’s was was much smaller than Goebbert’s and there were no farm animals or haunted houses; however, it was free and a lot less crowded. Did I mention it was free? There were still plenty of photo opps, a small carnival for the kiddos, and goodies like apple cider donuts, popcorn, pumpkin cookies, and hot apple cider. Honestly, the A&Z couldn’t tell the difference and they had an awesome time!
I’ll be thinking about that delicious apple cider donut until next year. Nom nom. What are your favorite fall festivities and traditions?
xo // gracielle.
