Eighteen Months Old

Allyson Jae,

Today you are eighteen months old. A year and a half ago you changed my life (although I still have a really hard time admitting that.) Your hard-nosed, unemotional Mom is gone and replaced with this sappy, mushy-gushy person I don’t really recognize but am learning to accept.

What has happened in these last eighteen months? Let’s see. You were dubbed “Chicken Wing” in the hospital when you were hours old. Your dad gave you that name when you cried because he said you were “spicy.” But you were more than just spicy, Ally Jae. You were amazing. You were so little at 7 pounds – definitely the smallest little person your Dad or I had ever held. But you were full of life. The spicy-spice was just beginning.

The Chicken Wing name left and along came C-Dub, but that didn’t stick around very long either. Chickie became your name quickly and I think it’s one that’s going to stick around for a long time. EVERYONE calls you Chickie. Just wait until your Mom and Dad take a full page ad out in your high school yearbook announcing your nickname to all your classmates. Good times – ask your Grandparents about doing that one to your Mom.

You’ve passed a lot of milestones in the last eighteen months. You rolled over, you sat up, you pulled yourself up and now you’re running. “Walk!” is the new shout around our house. Especially because I still don’t understand how a person can fall down so much and just pick right up and keep going. If I fell down that much I’d be in some sort of institution. (The experts tell me this is normal, however. You falling – not me in an institution.)

You are learning new words every day. It shakes me to my core when you see a picture of Grandpa on the fridge and say “Paw-Paw.” You love stopping and looking at the pictures in the hallway. “Momma, Daddy, Ma-Maw” you exclaim as we walk on by. You now point at cats and say “meow-meow.” What happened to “keeee”? Kitty is gone and replaced is the animal sound. Amazing!

You made it successfully through your first round of teeth, multiple rounds of shots, a stomach flu (you have been one healthy kid cause you’ve been sick only once – nursing for a year must really do the trick!), a trip to the emergency room, two times on an airplane (where people raved about how good you were!) and numerous other firsts. You make it so FUN to watch you learn and experience new things. The look of pure joy on your face when you see the container of bubbles (Bubb-boools) makes me feel like I’m a kid again myself.

I’m so very proud to say I’m your mother. You’re beautiful, smart, funny and I can’t get enough of you. (Even when you’re spicy and you drive me a little nuts. I think it’s because you just have SO much darn energy!) You’re the best part of my day and the star of my dreams. I impatiently wait for the next eighteen months…

Love,

Mom

Twilight - The Review

I made it through Twilight in about three days. All accounts that it was a quick read are correct. I polished it off in three chunks over the course of three evenings and my house is still in one piece – although Chickie ran out of PJs last night and had to sleep in a onesie (bad Mommy).

I have to admit that I really wasn’t all that impressed. It’s a cute idea – but it’s one that has been done before. Lots. Kids from different sides of the track fall in love and are destined to be together (insert trials and tribulations of being together *here*.) There’s a lot of fluffiness and teen angst to go with a tiny bit of drama and suspense. I kept waiting for these two lovebirds to jump each other’s bones but all that remained was a sexual tension between the two. (I know – it’s supposed to be a teen read – no bone jumping allowed.)

I mean, check out this quote from the book…BLECK. You can talk about heroin but no between the sheets action? HAH!

It could be that my typical “pool-side” read (thanks Christina) involves murder and forensic science and not love and all its emotions. Aside from being a mom now, I’m really not that sappy of a person. I don’t believe in love at first sight or soul mates. I believe that two people find each other and make a conscious decision to be together and then have to work at it. This book has all the glory and none of the substance. I think I might be too much of a realist to have fallen into the Twilight world.

Maybe I’m just too hardened from bad break-ups and too deep into adult married life to remember those early “butterflies in the stomach” days of my teens. I can definitely see how the romantics of the world get sucked in. (Mel – this means you sister.) It’s easy to fall into the knight-in-white-shining-armor story. It’s the dream of so many little girls – but not this girl.

So, all in all I don’t regret reading the book. I enjoyed some of the vampire story. I’ve read a few other vampire novels and have enjoyed them (Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Elizabeth Kostova’s The Historian) but would have liked more of it in the novel. It seemed like the author started the story but didn’t delve into it enough to keep me interested. I needed much more meat in this novel to give it my thumbs up.

If I can find copies of the sequels to Twilight around without having to go buy them they might make my summer reading pile. I’ll let you know if I get through them.

Until then – I’ll stick to my “dead books” (as my husband likes to call them.)

~Becky

Twilight - the early stages

Okay - I'm 150 pages into Twilight. I've been meaning to get started on this book but had a stack lined up ahead of it and finally got to it. I think I'm too early to really give any sort of review. So far I know that I don't want to live in Washington state where it rains all the time or do I want to go back to high school. But I'll put some more pages behind me tonight and see where it takes me.


Until recently, I hadn't really given reading Twilight that much thought. Maybe it's because I don't have any pre-teen girls aound me to gush and gawk over it. Or maybe it's because I don't think Robert Pattinson is all that good looking. (He's SO not my type.) Lindsay just recently read this and blogged about it and I was a little surprised to see that we were both in fact some of the last holdouts.

So, off I go into the Twilight world. I've been told that once I start I won't be able to stop and that I'll need to read the second, and the third, and so on until I'm done with the series.

I'll let you know how it goes.

~Becky

Swim Lessons

We started swim lessons this week. Allyson's taking them at Oakmont High School in Roseville - the same place her Daddy took swim lessons almost 30 years ago. Cute, huh?

Day One I got in the pool with Allyson. Here she is in her cute Paul Frank swimsuit ready to get in the pool.

And then me holding her out of the pool for a picture. Steve decided not to get up and come over for the pic - so pardon the blurriness from the digital zoom.

She was happier than she looks on her first day. We were supposed to learn to blow bubbles in the water but Allyson is more interested in looking at the other kids and saying "Bub-boooles" when I blow them. We'll get there I guess.

Day Two was Steve's turn. This is them doing the bunny hop to get wet and used to the water.

Trying to get Ally to blow bubbles again. Steve was not successful either.

Here's where Chickie really got into it. Ask this little girl to kick her feet and she goes crazy!

What's this look? Very pensive. Like she's thinking "I'm SO over This is the way we kick our feet."

And then there's the thing that every kid loves - splashing.

We've got one more week of Guppy swim lessons. In July we'll go back and maybe move on to Turtle. Depends on whether she passes the Guppy requirements. Regardless we're just going to have fun with her and do it as a family.

~Becky

Have you ever?

A friend sent me this "bucket list." It sure isn't mine but I thought it'd be fun to go through and check off the things that I've done in my twenty-eight years. Here you go...

1. Seen the Eiffel Tower - X - The summer after my senior year in high school I backpacked through Europe for a month. Seeing the Eiffel Tower was one of the best parts of the trip. I'd love to go back and take Steve and Allyson.
2. Seen Windsor Castle - Didn't make it to England on my trip but I will someday. This one would stay on my Bucket List.
3. Seen the Green of Ireland - Ditto from above.
4. Been on a cruise - Never done this one either. We were scheduled to go on a cruise last summer but at the last minute found out we couldn't bring a 5 month old. We got passports and everything because we were going to Canada. I was SO peeved!
5. Gone on a blind date - um...no...and thank God I will never.
6. Skipped school - X - In high school I was pretty "Goody Twoshoes" and only missed a few classes but college was another story. In hindsight, that's most definitely the reason it took me seven years to get a degree. Ooh well...there's always the Master's program to make up for it. :-)
7. Watched someone die - don't look forward to ever doing this one. Isn't a Bucket List full of things you want to do?
8. Been to Canada - X - Expo '86 - I was there!
9. Been to Mexico - never done this one. I have a great fear of Montezuma's Revenge. Give me Hawaii any day - at least then I know I can drink the water.
10. Been to Florida - X - Orlando for a Pop Warner National Cheer Competition. Hey - maybe someday I can go as a "Cheer Mom!"
11. Been to New York City - closest I've been is D.C. I'll get there someday. And I'll need to add "see a Broadway show" to this list.
12. Been on a plane - X - Seriously? This is on the list? Is this list from 1972?
13. Been lost - X - I used to love getting lost in Arizona. I'd drive and drive and then try to figure out how to get home. Must be why I know my way around Phoenix than I ever did San Jose. Plus, I only drove in San Jose for a year before I moved to Phoenix for three. That's what I get for being so young when I graduated high school.
14. Been on the opposite side of the country - X - Only a couple times though. I'd love to take Steve and Allyson to D.C. someday.
15. Gone deep sea fishing - this one'd be gone off my list. Absolutely NO desire to go deep sea fishing. Random!
16. Been to Vegas - X - only a couple times though. I'm not a huge fan of Vegas. I don't gamble and this girl can shop close to home. Not like I'll be buying Chanel or Ferragamo any time soon...
17. Been to the Indianapolis 500 - nope, but I'd like to get my hunny there one day. He'd love to go...and I might just have to go with him - and bring my earplugs and a book.
18. Climbed a lighthouse - X - One off the coast of California somewhere, and I was really little. My Mom's the lighthouse fanatic in the family.
19. Swam in the ocean - X - Maybe I take this one for granted because I've lived in California all my life, but this one would never be on any Bucket List of mine.
20. Cried yourself to sleep - X - who hasn't done this?
21. Seen the Cherry Blossoms in Washington , D.C. - I guess going in July doesn't count. Isn't this a Fall thing?
22. Played cops and robbers - X - I'm sure I've done this at some point in my life. Up until a few years ago I could have maybe seen myself doing this in real life. Oh to have a badge and a gun...
23. Flown a plane - X - This might be cheating but my Dad let me "fly" the plane when I went up with him in high school. Melissa almost got sick on that ride - I don't think she'll ever go up in one of those little prop planes again!
24. Owned a boat - Nope...been in quite a few but never owned one.
25. Watched grandchildren grow - someday FAR in the future. I'm enjoying still being a grandchild! :-)
26. Recently colored with crayons - X - Allyson and I colored the other day. I LOVED it when she pointed to what I drew and said "Fowfer." (That's kiddo-speak for flower.)
27. Been to the Kentucky Derby - My Dad recently introduced me to the Mint Julep however. And I must say YUM-MO!
28. Been to Alaska - Damn cruise line and their dumb "minimum age rules"...
29. Been to a rodeo - um....no.
30. Sang Karaoke - X - Not very often. I have friends that sing much better than I so I defer to them.
31. Paid for a meal with coins only - X - But only exact change and as much silver as humanly possible. That coinage really weighs the purse down. Use it or suffer the consequences.
32. Done something you told yourself you wouldn't - X - "Don't eat that cheeseburger...okay...maybe just this one last time..."
33. Made prank phone calls - X - I'm sure I did this as a kid, but we got one at 12:45 AM the other night that scared the bejesus out of me so I swear I will NEVER do that to anyone again.
34. Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose - X -and that freakin' hurts!
35. Caught a snowflake on your tongue - Haven't been in snow nearly enough to say that I've done this.
36. Danced in the rain - X - Especially that warm summer rain.
37. Written a letter to Santa Claus - X - Of course. I was a big Santa Claus girl. Can't wait for Christmas this year cause Allyson might actually have a clue what's going on.
38. Been kissed under the mistletoe - X - this one's always nice.
39. Watched the sunrise with someone - X - Makes me think of our honeymoon on Maui. Freezing our arses off at the top of Haleakala. Then we took the bike ride down the volcano - now that was fun. I'd recommend that to everyone.
40. Seen the green flash at sunset - I have no idea what this is.
41. Seen a shooting star - X - and made a few wishes in the process...
42. Blown bubbles - X - Ally and I did this yesterday. She LOVES her bub-bles.
43. Gone ice-skating - X - This might be fun to do again one day with Ally.
44. Gone to the movies - X - this one's dumb...
45. Owned a convertible - X - Not your standard "slip your top off" car, but to have my Jeep again...loved it! Ally and I will someday cruise around town with the top down.
46. Rode a Motorcycle - X - Steve and I will own a Harley someday. We ride his parents' right now. There is something so sexy about my husband on a Harley - makes me drool just thinking about it. Vroom vroom...
47. Bungee Jumped - not on my list.
48. Caught a frog - random!?!
49. Eaten Anchovies and especially on Pizza - X - no big deal. Just a little salty.
50. Been to Hawaii - X - Obviously, as mentioned above. DOn't know when we're going back, but I hope we can get there soon!
51. Been to Africa - no real desire to go to Africa. Maybe South Africa. There are lots of places I'd go before this one.
52. Been in all 50 states - Nope...only 14. 8 countries though.
53. Been on TV - X - Most recently was the day after I had Allyson. Check out the story here.
54. Ever steal any traffic sign or part thereof - X - um....yes. It was for the Senior float. I'm not proud of it but we had an awfully good time doing it.
55. Ever been in a car accident - X - Unfortunately yes, but they have all been pretty tame. Not like the car-totaling that my brother and my husband have been involved in.
56. Skydived - I'd totally do this someday.
57. Been kissed in the rain - X - Who thought up this Bucket List?

My new goal is to come up with my own Bucket List. What would I add to my own list? Another something I can get to in my spare time...

Later,

~Becky

What WAH means to me...

Growing up I never imagined I'd be a mom. It was never really one of those things I always hoped and dreamed to be. I wanted a good job and maybe a husband - just maybe.

Then I met and married Steve and things changed. Having a family started to creep into my head slowly and then one day I woke up and realized that my decision was made. I wanted to be a mom.

But I wanted to work too. I could never see myself as a stay-at-home mom. I'm too career oriented. I don't love kids all that much and I have WAY too much of my own mother in me. But even she will say "it's different when they're your own." She stayed home with my brother and I for six years and then went back to work because we drove her nuts. Okay - maybe not nuts, but she would say that she craved adult conversation and even her brilliant (ya - I said brilliant) kiddos just weren't cutting it.

I knew that this would be the case with me. So, when Steve and I got pregnant I knew that I'd never be a stay at home. Not because of the money but because I knew I'd be a much happier wife, mother, person if I could leave and go into work each day. Some may call me selfish or even wrong for desiring to leave my child but I say that it is 2009, women have been working out of the home successfully for 50 years.

With all that said, once that little thing started growing inside me all those motherly instincts started to wash over me. Damn hormones. Anyways...five days a week, eight to ten hours away and all that time spent in daycare crept up. Even more so since when I came back from maternity leave I was starting in a new managerial role and knew that I would get busier and busier.

So I had to come up with a better solution. And working from home was it. I knew I wouldn't be able to WAH every day. I had six (now nine) new employees to manage and needed to be in the office for that. But I felt I could swing one day a week to be at home with my little peanut and still be a good manager/employee at the same time.

Here we are over a year later. I'm still working with my employees to understand that I am just as reachable at home as if I were in the office - IM, email, phone, etc. But I feel good about it. Most of the time I get so much more accomplished. Like clearing out that darn email box and using nap time to focus on the more difficult stuff. WAH on Fridays helps alleviate the Mommy Guilt (man that stuff is bad) a little bit and helps me maintain my sanity (I can only sing Itsy Bitsy Spider so many times - God bless daycare providers.) I'm blessed to have a boss that was willing to work with me and allow me such flexibility.

So...here's a little glimpse into one of my WAH Fridays (plus I really needed to put some new pics of Allyson up.)

I've discovered that I can get the kiddo to smile by asking her to show me her teeth. Hey - I'll take the cheesy grin.



A couple shots of Ally in the backyard. It's been a gorgeous day in sunny Sacramento.



Yeah, she's doing what you think she's doing...

And my backyard "office." Laptop, Blackberry and Diet Coke. Gotta love WAH Fridays!

~Becky

Girlfriends...

I’ve never really been a girl’s girl. I had one really good childhood friend. She lived next door and made it pretty convenient to be her friend. We were inseparable for about the first 10 years of our lives. It got tough the further along we got in school because I was a grade ahead of her. After that I’ve just flitted through life with a few girl friends here and there. But very few that have actually stuck.

High school was okay. I met my best friend in high school but we’re closer now than we were then. I had one friend that I would have thought would have been a “lifer” but we had a falling out a few (wow, actually about seven) years ago and haven’t spoken since. That disaster makes me sad to think back upon – but life’s what happens…

Until I got to my twenties. Yeah – my twenties. And even then I bounced back and forth between life in the Bay Area and life away at school in Arizona until I finally settled up here in Sacramento. There were some rough roads along that path and I’ve been lucky enough to have some friends that have weathered the drama that was “the other Becky.”

But I realized the other day that it’s not really about the number of friends you have or how long you’ve known them. It’s about realizing that you have those people in your life that you may not talk to every day but that you know would drop everything if you needed them too. It’s knowing that there are some people that come into your life and make such an impression that they stick around. You may not see them every day (or even once a month) but when you think “I wonder what she’s doing today” you can pick up the phone (or send a text or a facebook message - God love the 21st century) and pick up right where you left off.


So – I send an electronic HUG to all my girls. From my best friend and partner in crime to the girlies I see yearly and all those in between - I love you and I thank goodness I can call you a real friend.

Enough sappy sap from me. (I’ll blame the sappiness on motherhood.)

~Becky