Talia's Imagination and Other Information

The Christmas season is here and I finally unpacked my very last "moving in box". I put the finishing pieces on my tree and lit my evergreen candle (I really miss the smell of a real tree). I made shortbread cookies last night with Candice. Tristan helped a little but mostly just tried to maintain control of the cup that Candice was letting him drink water out of. He is a strong old bugger. I have two things to address in this post first is to mention that it is really hard to have traditions once you move away from home and your whole family leaves. Continuing that feel good family feel when it is just little ones (who barely know what is going on) makes the holidays almost a sad time. I did my best to find the present everyone wanted but I think this year for me I have been fighting to not long for silly things like the ugly sweater contest or dumb old Christmas caroling. Please don't get me wrong I have much to be grateful for. I am grateful for my mother-in law for helping me continue my families tradition of matching pajamas for Christmas Eve (and Day). I am even more grateful that my children are happy and healthy. It is so fun to answer Talia's favorite question (no not "Do you want to see my new room?") "What do you want for Christmas?"; although I must say she keeps telling me that I want toys even though I keep answering that I want socks. I am grateful for family in general, I just miss some of the things that Christmas will be lacking this year...

On a totally different note: As we were decorating the tree this year Talia made a new friend out of my tree garland. I would like to introduce you to her cat. In fact she has now taken this cat somewhere that I can't find and now my tree is only half garland and half not. Personally I think it gives it some character. Below is Talia taking her cat for a walk.

Reading is Radical

You know I don't think people use that word enough anymore. Maybe it is for good reason but I think I am going to let it back into my vocabulary. Laugh if you must but it was the best word I could come up with that started with an "R" that fully describe my love of reading. I am doing my best to pass it on to my children. You can see from the pictures that so far so good. Tristan reads his books every day (he likes the cat one right now and threw up all over it today because he was so excited to read it plus he was knawing on it). Talia's favorite is her "Children's Treasury of Nursery Rhymes" that she got from her Aunt Courtney for her first birthday. We (she and I) have it memorized.

I also realized this past week as I was downsizing from my 10 boxes of school stuff that I haven't read a book in a long time. I still am trying to finish Good Capitalism and Bad Capitalism ( that one I "stole" from Brett Dobson (a fellow educator and an excellent one at that) and I need to get on it. We moved the day after Halloween and I haven't had a second to breathe let alone read. So I have decided to do a shout out and ask for any recommendations of useful, brainless, and\or must reads that you have. I love anything that is well written and have made a goal to read non-fiction more often because there are finally some more writers who have learned to write. Let me know so that my next library visit is fruitful. I normally go up and down the aisles trying to find something that sparks my attention but with Talia and Tristan that type of maneuver isn't going to fly. I await your replies.

P.S. Moving is Crappy

Much Ado About Nothing

We got Cable today and I had to share my joy and sorrow for the moment. I watched Remington Steele and was so jazzed I did a little jig. Tristan however was so excited to be alive and it quickly reminded me that just because I now have access to 300 channels and a wide variety of music channels does not mean that I need to increase my television watching time. Still I had to express my glee for that Remington Steele. Now all I have to find is when MacGyver is on and I will be set.

The Woman known as Sasha Fierce

So I have decided after reading about Beyonce's new name that I want a new name for my alter ego. Just so we are all on the same page an alter ego (Latin, "the other I") is a second self, a second personality or persona within a person. A person with an alter ego is said to lead a double life. Now I read the article and was laughing the whole but as I was running today (Candice and I normally spend Saturday's running together but she had a sign to make-so please blame this thought process on her) I started to think about what the name should be.

I must first determine what my "ego" is all about. I mean there are so many questions to answer to truly define what my alter ego is. Does anyone have any suggestions? I would love to be able to name this other person, so far I have come up with Beatrice Fierce but that just isn't creative enough. I think I should keep the Fierce part but maybe not. If only my alter ego was writing this post she would surely be able to think of something great.

Our Trip to Santa Barbara

Last week Jacob had a business meeting in Santa Barbara and he took us along for the adventure. Talia and I enjoyed an awesome (yet overly priced) meal at the hotel restaurant, we visited the beach and watched Alladin. Tristan was asleep for the meal and Alladin but he and I spent some quality time together watching the dolphins as they swam by the hotel.

Talia certainly has an extreme fondness for "computers" (see third picture) and she and Tristan both enjoyed the change of scenery. The bathtub spout shot out a stream of water in the center of the tub and it was surrounded by tiles that formed a sun. Talia was of course in the bathtub forever.

The Goddess??

Jacob sent this link to me and I thought it might be interesting to see what everyone thought their own daughter(s) might rank according to the report. I am pretty sure Talia would not have made it past the night with the heads of sacrificed animals, still one can never tell with her.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081007/ap_on_re_as/as_nepal_living_goddess

Check it out and report. I will tally a list and keep the results so that we can crown a goddess....

I love PBS

After being home so many mornings and relying on PBS I feel as though I need to do a shout out. I discussed this topic at a Sunday dinner with my Aunt Dayna and felt that the topic needed more airing out. Whenever there is nothing on TV there is always PBS. I don't have cable; I mean really with the Internet who needs it (Okay sometimes it would be nice but I would much rather have the $50 than too many channels) but I have watched some seriously great programs as of late and am a more informed person because of it. First was the National Geographic special: Stress: Portrait of a Killer. This brain scientist\professor from Stanford has completed a 30 year study on a family of gorillas and has determined that stress can actually cause a person\gorilla brain to die. Long story short the monkeys (I realize that monkeys and gorillas are not the same thing but I can't remember which that he studied) ended up losing 40 or so monkeys who ate tuberculosis tainted meat and the monkeys that ended up dying were the ones who were arrogant troublemaker males (i.e. ones who didn't play well with others -didn't handle stress well). I am really not giving this guys research justice just try and catch the program and simplify your life if you want to live long and prosper.

On a totally other spectrum is this new show called Sid the Science Kid. He walks around with this microphone and researches his questions. He even applauds himself. I think I love the show best because the kid reminds me off Talia.

My point in this lengthy entry is that I appreciate all those people who support it; I watch but have never actually pledged money. I have decided that I need to start. Now all I have to do is wait until that Suze Ormond thing comes on again so I can pledge and get that cool women finance thing for Aunt Dayna.

Up Too Late...Another excuse for not updating

I love my Tristan but sometimes he keeps us up just a bit too late. I usually wake him up for his last feeding around 11:00pm and he falls asleep around 12:00am. Well this night he didn't feel like sleeping he felt like telling mom and dad to jump off a cliff. Luckily it was a weekend night so Jacob was up to keep me company. Still once he went to bed (around 1:30) I got to sleep until 7:00am. Totally worth it.

Back in the Saddle Again

You know I thought I would be super good at doing this once a week but it was not to be. Hopefully I won't be silent for as long as I was this time ever again. I think my mind was dead and couldn't compute with a computer. I mean after spending so much time on computers at school one would assume that I would have no problem; sometimes I think Talia and Tristan didn't feel like blogging and so we all found other things to occupy our time. To play catch up though....

Talia had her third birthday and man was it exciting. That little girl was on top of the world and shooting off to the moon. My mom made this amazing Mystery Machine cake (see my parents blog for all the pictures) and Talia was shaking she was so excited. We had family over to Jacob's parents' house and ate delicious Plumberry's pizza (our favorite). It so loaded with cheese Talia can actually get full off of a couple of pieces. Usually she likes to eat the cheese off and then asks for another piece but we make her eat the rest of it. For some reason she enjoys eating it flat against her face instead of the "regular" way and it ends up all over her but eaten. Since it was her birthday we indulged her and let her have just the cheese. Man are we nice or what? She recieved a ton of fabulous gifts: her top 3 have been her Mystery Man (I wish there was some way for me to write it out so you can hear how she says it, it starts out low and she says it really fast), her packpack (in plain English Back pack-she put that one on immediately and wanted to go to school), and her "thingy". Now before you become confused that is a feather boa that Aunt Amy got her.

The Many Sides of Talia

Side One: Talia the lovely girl
Side Two: Talia the ballerina almost in flight (on her way from the coffee table to the couch)
Side Three: Talia the Scooby Doo addict (she is watching it while trying to placate me and take a picture- she logs about 15 hours a week if she can talk me into it)
Side Four: Talia the bad listener (she was supposed to be smiling by the tree but instead chooses to sit on my lap and talk about being stuck in the computer)
Side Five: Talia at rest

Tristan Sits Around

So, I never thought I would have a baby who hangs out on the couch at 6 weeeks. I mean good gracious I can sit him down and read a magazine and he will lean on the couch and contemplate life for a good 5 minutes. It really becomes fun when he starts laughing and chattering to me. If he does choose to cry his sister comes and gives him her "soft blanket" which entails her placing the blanket over his entire body. I really think she believes that this will stop his crying and allow here to hear her Scooby Doo "abominable snowman" movie better. It is especially funny when she shooshes him and he doesn't comply and she looks at me like I have brought some insane creature into the house. But the most amazing thing that has happened this week is Tristan is eating every four hours. Now for most people that would mean absolutely nothing, for me and Tristan it means a lifetime of happiness. We really needed some happiness after the Olympics ending...thank goodness for "Up to the Minutes" it always gets us through.

Panero 1 and 2

Our first post ever....
Ahh Friday my favorite day because it means for two days I will have continually interaction with an adult for more than an evening. This is my first official week as a stay at home mom and I must say that I am a bit out of sorts. People call and I really have nothing to relate or discuss aside from what I caught on the "UP to the Minute" news at 3:34 am. Tristan and I do love that program and really who wouldn't.

Here are my accomplishments this week: Cooking Chicken Cordon Bleu and figuring out that Talia was pretending to be "John" not " Leon" from Peter Pan. I mean you would think that her running around in her slippers that my brainiac mind would be able to put it together but alas I seem to have left my mind in my now empty classroom. Still the duck slippers that Talia ran around in and the "We Can Fly" song was worth it.

Tristan is a month old and is enjoying doing push-ups. The biggest problem is dodging his head when he tries to headbut me... more next time.