First Real Tree

For as long as I can remember we've always had a fake Christmas tree every year. The exact same one as a matter of fact. It's convenient, inexpensive and less of a mess if you decide to take this "artificial" route. However, this year I decided - since Mathias is older now and it's his second year celebrating the winter holiday - that he deserves would a real live pine tree.

The entire idea of picking out one special tree that stands out from the rest is actually kind of fun and Mathias loved every minute of it. The fresh Colorado air and scent of pine everywhere was exhilarating. What I'm really looking forward to is going downtown to Old Colorado City and shopping for Mathias' Christmas ornament. It's a quaint little shop that makes ornaments for you or sells vintage-style decorations. I love the rustic look and anything home-made. I hope this will become a tradition for Mathias to visit this shop and get a new ornament every year.

Our New President

Wow...Barrack Obama has just won 2008's election. History in the making...

http://edition.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/president/

Refrigerator Inspection

Aah, the beloved kitchen. So many delicious meals prepared in there...so many wonderful smells that arise from the stovetop or oven (lately - with my tired butt - it's been the microwave)...so many goodies to indulge in when our tastebuds start to taunt us. For Mathias...the kitchen is just another vast array of wonderment and gadgets. To him, the kitchen is his "other" playroom. Of course, the pertinent drawers and cabinets that are off limits are child-proofed so no worries there. However, it's the "safer", less likely nooks and crannies that seem to attract Mathias more and more. Allow me to exlain...

My son is usually right there next to me when I'm doing something in the kitchen so it isn't any surprise that whenever I open the fridge, Mathias is standing there waiting to explore and grab at anything his little hands can reach. Sometimes, he'll open the fruit/veggie drawers and throw his toys in there. For example, you might be looking for an apple or piece of celery and instead find an Elmo phone sitting next to the onions...and possibly a plastic bouncing ball or two (so that's where they went). Usually, however, he's twisting off the plastic caps from the gallons of milk we have that sit at the bottom of the fridge door. There have been several instances where I have looked throughout the house searching for those stupid plastic caps to cover up the milk. I kid you not...I actually found one of them floating in the guest bathroom toilet one afternoon. Disgusting! Since then, toilet seats are always down, bathroom doors are shut, milk jugs are placed on higher shelves in the fridge...unless we need that space for more food. Then down the milk goes alongside the fridge door and the vicious cycle starts again. One time, I found a spare toothbrush shoved inside the milk jug...seriously. Mickey's a sneaky lil' fellow. I honestly try hard to shut the door before he can see me ever having the fridge open, but when I'm in the middle of cooking, cleaning, on the phone, whatever...I tend to leave the fridge door open for a minute while I use whatever it is I'm using...then I'll place the item back inside the fridge and close it then. A wise woman would either a) close the damn door immediately or b) inspect the entire refrigerator including all contents inside. I do neither one. :) It's hilarious really...OK, maybe just to me.

I have as of late, made a conscientious effort to look around and make sure Mathias doesn't see me near the refrigerator so that I can quickly grab whatever it is I need to grab. I guarantee that - 90% of the time - Mathias has spotted me and tries to "run" to get to the fridge before I close it. The little booger actually did just that this afternoon when I was putting leftovers away. Except this time, I didn't have milk sitting at the bottom of the fridge door nor were there many things to grab from the drawers. So what did my little man decide to do with so little options? I guess he thought it would be cool to rearrange the bottles of salad dressing and sauce. He actually had to reach for these bottles since they all sit in the middle of the fridge door. Apparently, he didn't seem to like where they all sat - so he moved every single bottle, one by one, and placed them on the lowest shelf. Well, eventually, Mathias felt that the bottles had to be moved again so he started putting some in the veggie drawers and some back on the middle shelf. He was so methodical about the whole thing that I had to just stand back and watch............while our electric bill slowly goes up. *heheh*

Big Boy

OMG...when do children stop growing? Mathias will be 17 months old this Friday and he just won't stop amazing me with all his new shenangins. He gets more and more entertaining by the day. I looooove it.

A perfect example of his growth is the new table set he received from "Gamma" today when I got home from work. It's so cute! The set comes with two little chairs that Mathias can sit on and the table is just his height...it's the absolute perfect size for him. He looks like such a big boy when he sits at the table - kind of like he's in school! *Thanks, Mom, for the early Christmas present!*

No More Cast

Sighhhhhhhh...

Finally! Mathias' cast was taken off today at the medical center. Thank goodness. The doctor's assistant used this small electric saw to cut off the cast...it was actually kind of frightening. I can see why our son was screaming his guts out when we laid him down on the table. It's extremely hard to have to watch your son cry while you and a complete stranger are doing your best to hold him down flat on his back. Can I just say that Mathias is freakishly strong for his size? Seriously, I was literally fighting him to get his body to lay still as the assistant slowly sawed off the cast. I hope that I...that my son...never have to go through that painful ordeal again. Whew!

Now that we are both home from his appointment, Mathias is trying to get used to the use of his other arm. I don't think he realizes the cast is off now considering he refuses to pick up anything with that hand. Poor baby. In the meantime I plan to give Mathias the longest, warmest, comforting bath he's ever had. Three weeks without being able to sit in the tub is just wrong...particularly since bathtime was his favorite part of the day. So off to the tub with his kazillion little toys! Thank you all for your prayers for a speedy recovery! :) Thank you MOM for all your help in watching your grandbaby when I was at work. I love you!

Pajamas and Popcorn

“Rain, rain, go away…”

This song would subconsciously play over and over in my head when I was stationed in Washington. Seattle weather was depressing and I swear it rained like nine months out of the year…and if it didn’t rain, it was always overcast. I hated it. Living four years in that kind of weather obviously made me yearn for Colorado sunshine even more.

Fast foward and here I am today in lovely Colorado and now it’s raining cats and dogs. Except this time, I welcome it. Our state is normally pretty dry and water conservation is mandatory so we pretty much look forward to rain every now and then. Our vegetation needs it. Plus all this wet weather makes me wanna crawl into bed and read a good book…or veg out in front of the TV. watching sappy chick-flicks. I could literally just stay in my pajama pants and tank all day long. What else am I gonna do? My house is immaculate from yesterday’s cleaning, the garbage has been taken out and picked up, already did two loads of laundry, Mathias is taking his first nap right now and I’m all out of things to do. We can’t go to the park and I’m attempting to save our money so can’t go shopping. I just feel so blaaaaah. It’s actually kind of nice. Oh, wait…*then it hits me*…I have to buy dog food, cat food, milk, and juice. Craaaaaaaaaap! I’m in such a lazy mood and my angel babies are telling me I have to actually go out in this icky weather?

I keep telling myself that days like this are going to be few and far between. As I mentioned before, I start work next week and today is already Friday. I’m not going to be able to have the little luxuries of just lounging around or playing with my son as often as I do now. So I was hoping to use my R&R on this quiet rainy day in full force. If I have to go to the store this morning then I figure I can at least relax watching movies and cooking up snacks when Mathias takes his second nap of the day (if he decides too, please God, let him decide too). *It dawns on me…* I have to be up and ready for our landscaping crew to come out and lay our sod down for our backyard this afternoon. Not only that, but this kind of weather has the dog leaving wet track marks all over the basement floor. He resides downstairs with full access to our backyard. So you can imagine all the muddy, dirty paw prints they’re leaving every time they go in and out of the house…which just means I’ll have to thoroughly clean the disgusting mess downstairs. Dammit! So I guess I’ll be doing that instead while Mathias naps this afternoon. Aah, well, so much for my movies, my snacks, staying in my pj's...so much for my rainy day...

Tanorexia

The following article explains this OCD with having darker skin tone. Good read for those that have an interest for the trivial, unimportant and just plain entertaining. ;)

http://ezinearticles.com/?Tanning-Too-Much&id=636710

OMG...I can't stoppppppp...

So here's some food for thought...if you tan, stop. It's that simple. It's unhealthy whether it be under the all natural sunlight or in a tanning booth aka slow-death bed. So then WTH is my deal?
You would think that being half Asian would prevent me from tanning because I should essentially have darker-complected skin. Ha! I would say my skin tone is more on the peachy side...not necessarily olive like my mother or yellow-toned like my sister. I was (cursed) blessed with pigment much like my father who has Scottish-Irish ancestry. I'm not fair-skinned by any means, but I'm certainly not tan either. I'm more or less in-between shades...slightly leaning towards the fairer side. To make matters worse, I have freckles. Not just a few here and there...OK, so maybe on my body it's minimal (thank gawd), but my face?? Fuggettabodit. Naturally, the more I tan, the more these "angel kisses" appear. Curses, I say! Curses! Luckily, I have been able to achieve quite a nice complexion over the summer and if I might say so myself - I am almost content with how dark I've gotten. Notice how I said almost? I'm still not quite satisfied with my color.

I feel like I can go darker...

In this lies the true nature of the beast. Tanorexia is an addicting disease. Really! How superficial and shallow does that sound? Pretty damn vain, I know...but I am not here to give off any false impressions of our family, our lifestyle and certainly not of myself. We're not perfect by any means and the fact that I'm an addicting person proves that. :) What you see is what you get..............except for the bronze glow that I emulate; that's all from sunbathing. *heheh*

So despite my never-ending need to go outside and "bake", I've decided that with fall season just around the corner and winter creeping up on us, I need to be done with my ridiculous obsession. Seriously...do I want to end up looking like the grandmother from Something About Mary (see photo above). *shudders*

Remembering 9/11

For shame...I write of all the good and exciting things that are going on this month that I failed to acknowledge what today was. The 7-year anniversary of Sept 11Th. May all the memories of those that passed during that sad day stay strong and my condolences to all their loved ones. God bless those that survived the tragedy and those that are still fighting for our right to be free. My head bows down quietly in remembrance to all that had to endure the trauma on that unforgettable day.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/september11/index.html

What's So Funny?

Just a cute clip of little man laughing at some corny joke on Blues Clues (a cute child's program). How does he know when a character is telling a joke or doing something funny? I don't actually think he does, but it's entertaining to him nevertheless...and me too! Plus you get to see all his teeth coming in when he laughs.

Open Your Eyes, Boy!

So I forgot to mention, among the many new things that Mathias is doing now, our son likes to close his eyes when he walks towards you. Seriously, he could bump into something, but it's cute nevertheless. Imagine seeing this little boy walk towards you from a distance...you begin to extend out your arms to him as he stumbles your way...then out of nowhere, the boy shuts his eyelids ever so tightly and smiles this incredibly wide and adorable smile from ear to ear. It's funny to watch and even funnier when you intentionally move out of the way as this boy comes to you blindly. He really needs to watch where he's going no matter how excited he gets, don't you think?

Growing Up

Just some recent higlights of our soon-to-be 15 month old. Yikes...15 months already? That just sounds so much older. *tear*

New things:

• 4 teeth growing on top, still just 2 on the bottom


• walking champion (he can speed walk now)


• climbing champion (when I say climb, I mean CLIMB...the little booger can climb his way out of the bathtub if I'd let him...scary)


• picking his nose (if it were some other kid - gross, but when he does it - freakin' adorable)


• (my least favorite) knows how to put on a hissy fit if he doesn't get his way...pouting is not cute

New words:

• cuh = clock or car
• bob = Spongebob (cartoon character)
• poo = poop (he lets me know sometimes when he's going)
• pppay = plane
• Gaah = "Gaama" or Grandma
• fah = fan
  

Just Peachy

I love summer and everything about it. Food is no exception, particularly fruits in season. Right now my obsession is eating as many fresh, tree-ripened peaches I can get my hands on. Delicious! They taste even better in this gawd-awful hot summer we've been having. My little guy couldn't agree more...he grabbed one right out of the refrigerator (I, of course, had to take it from him and cut up a smaller piece). Mathias was quite content with just plopping down on the kitchen floor - with fridge door wide open - to devour his share in the succulent sweetness of Colorado's finest peaches.

Around & Around We Go

Watching this clip might make you a little dizzy, but really, it's worth watching just to hear Mathias laugh. He's always so much fun...and believe me when I say, it was his idea to climb up on the office chair and lay down. He insisted on being spun around. :)

Mathias WALKS!

God bless moments like this! I am ecstatic beyond belief. My boy just took his very first steps on his own today! What can I say, my son's the shiznit. We were chilling in the kitchen just snacking on some turkey and then...bada-bing-bada-boom...the boy is mobile on two feet! I'm going nuts! Must have been the power-enriched turkey! :)

(Please excuse the mess of toys and my obnoxiously loud voice. I was his only cheerleader at the time.)

(Later on that night...)

Shy-Schmy

I think I've written at least three or four posts already on the highlights of Mathias' dancing. Seriously. As we all know by now, the kid likes to shake his body to any familiar beat...particularly morning cartoons. Yesterday morning, prior to us driving to Grandma's, it was the Mickey Mouse "Hot Dog" dance that led the way. Don't ask. I think it's safe to say though, that the tune has a pretty good beat.

So for those that have seen his first dance move...and second...and possibly the third or so...I now present Mathias' latest hip hoppin'! What's even funnier is watching the very last part of the clip when little man acts all shy and just stares at me. Puh-leeease. My son has never been camera-shy. Look who his mother is. :) Clearly, it was an attempt to appear modest and sweet for all of his viewers. He even sat down on cue - right when the music ended! Silly boy.

Getting So Big

My little baby isn't so little anymore...

Mathias is still a baby in terms of his age, but size-wise - the kid's a tree. I can't believe how big he's grown in just 13 months. His hair has always been long, even as a newborn, but now it's thicker than ever so I'm constantly trimming it. His waist is so long and his legs go for miles. It's amazing the physical changes a child goes through in such a short period of time. He's healthy, but because he's so tall for his age, his weight leans more toward the slimmer side. So for now I'm just trying to fatten him up in terms of more calories. So far so good. For the most part Mathias eats the same meals we do and I'm constantly experimenting with new foods to expand his palette. However, he is pretty active so it's hard to keep him from losing some of his baby fat (insert another sad face).

Company Picnic

A good friend of mine, Patti - who was also my direct supervisor when I worked at the office - texted me one day and asked if I would join her as her guest for her company picnic this year. Not only was I surprised considering I no longer worked for the company; I was also very touched to join the annual picnic with former coworkers. They welcomed me with open arms and "we miss you" hugs. :) I felt awkward at first, but Patti insisted that I was still considered a part of the "team" even though I was gone. Last year when I attended the picnic as an employee, Mathias was only 2 months old and I remember Jay and I proudly showing him off at that time. Now here I am, one year later, as my former boss's date! lol It was very nice to see old friends and familiar faces. *Thanks, Mama Ray, for inviting me!*

Me & My BFF Patti :)

A Day at Emo Sara's

After a long afternoon of shopping, eating and then hanging out at my sister's, it was finally time to go. Little man had a blast with his Emo(Aunt) Sara. She was being a total goofball - it must run in the family. When we got home, Mathias insisted on staying up a little later than usual so we goofed around for another half hour downstairs then eventually migrated upstairs into the guest room. I even tried pretending to be asleep so Mathias would get the same idea. Ha! Yeah, right. Eventually, he tuckered out though and was ready for bed as soon as the camera was off. I immediately followed his lead.

(You're Not Sleeping, Mommy!)

Chasing Mathias at Grandma's

Visiting my mother's home up in the mountains is always a treat for my son. Every room is a new place for him to explore and he absolutely loves it. However, there's this one room in Mom's house - we all refer to it as the "tea room" because of the Victorian-like furniture in there - that's completely off-limits for kiddies & pets. The room is filled with delicate figurines, crystal and other expensive collectibles that she acquired from all over the world during our travels growing up. I think the most attention-grabbing items in the room are her exotic flowers, particularly her Hawaiian orchids. The tea room, along with the rest of the house, stay pretty immaculate and are only messy when we arrive because of the toys and blankets we lay out everywhere. Mom always loves it when we visit, but she's also just as happy to see us go so she can get her house back in order from the "damages" my son makes. Sorry, Mom, about the toilet paper! Hehe...

(Exploring the Unknown & Bonking His Head Onto Glass)

(Discovers T.P.)

Reading Time!

Mathias loves his little book and even more so when I offer it to him. I used to read it to him when he was just a few months old in his nursery where I'd rock him to sleep. Now the little booger just has to hold the book himself and makes up his own story using his own sounds and words. I'm sure you've all heard this story before:

"Baa-baa, da-da-da-da-da, fah-fah. Raa-ra, Raa-ra? Da-da-da-da-da-da...buh, buh!"

It's personally one of my favorites and every once in awhile, Mathias will change it up for me. Sometimes, he'll speed right through the pages and finishes off the book by throwing it across the room. That's how you know it had a good ending.

Are We There Yet?

My sister, Sara, was off today so the two of us decided to take little Mickey out for a day at Grandma's. Since the outing was my idea, I offered to pick-up Sara from her house this morning and then we would leave from there to Mom's house in Divide, CO. First of all, Sara lives south from our town so it takes a good half hour to get there. Secondly, Mom's house is about a good hour or so west from my sister's. Total driving time to and from is about three hours. Add the fact that Mathias hadn't taken his first nap yet and it feels more like five hours. Let me just point out though that the entire day at Mom's was great. We all had a good time walking around the yard and enjoying the fresh mountain air. Mom proudly showed us her latest gardens and new concrete patios underneath the deck. We all enjoyed the most delicious Korean lunch as well as being silly with Mathias. That part of the visit was nice.

It was the long ride home that was...well, horrible. Mathias was fussy, sick of sitting in his car seat and just plain wanted to get out. Naturally, Sara and I did our best to comfort and entertain him the whole way to her house, but to no avail. It was brutal. I think I only saw Mathias act that way once when I was with Jay and he hadn't slept yet. Anyway, by the time I dropped off my sister, Mathias was in tears and screaming his lungs out. Poor little guy was just tired and wanted the comfort of his bed. I knew he'd eventually fall asleep and did my best to hurry home. I still had another 30 minutes of driving before we were at my house.

Just when I thought it couldn't get any worst...it did. Mathias was screaming and I was doing my best to give him his sippy cup while I drove. As I turned to face forward again, I spot a cop drive past me and then quickly do a U-turn only to turn on his lights and pull me over. WTH! Rolling my eyes and muttering some unpleasant obscenities, I pull my Jeep to the side of the road in front of a house. Fabulous, I thought. Now Mathias will never get to sleep. The officer walks toward my window and kindly tells me that I was going 10 over the speed limit. I give him my best smile and say, "I know." Then he looks behind me and sees that my son is crying hysterically and that I'm holding his juice in one hand. I quickly hand over my licence & documents and out of nowhere start to cry. ***I once tried bringing on the waterworks when I got pulled over for speeding many years ago. I of course failed miserably at my pathetic attempt to gain pity from the officer at that time. It also probably didn't help that the cop was a female who just didn't buy my crybaby act.*** So there I was, bawling (for real this time) about how I had just driven all the way from Divide and then had to drop off my sister out here in the boonies...my son is fussy and wants to go home and I still have quite a way to drive...and I was hot and tired and blah blah blah. The officer just looked at me and said he would be right back. During his walk back to his vehicle, Mathias was continuously crying bloody murder. I don't think it was even two minutes before the officer came walking back to me. He handed me back my stuff and calmly replied, "Ma'am, I apologize that you had such rough day, but please just watch your speed from here on, OK?" I thanked him and apologized under heavy sobbing. Surprisingly, I didn't get a ticket. Wiping my face and making sure Mathias was OK, I drove off *slowly* and was on my way. Little man even fell asleep as soon I drove off. I couldn't wait to get home. As I drove in complete silence for the rest of way, I began thinking to myself...I really should try and memorize that excuse I just used...crying infant excluded.

Chipotle Grilled Chicken w/ Avocado Sandwich

I stole this recipe trying to find more inventive ways in cooking chicken. Our family loves chicken & fish simply because they taste great and it's a healthier alternative to red meat. I usually like beef if it's made Korean-style...or the occasional hamburger. Otherwise, chicken is where it's at. To prevent the ho-hum of the usual chicken fajitas, baked chicken or chicken stew, etc....I bring you a delicious alternative using - you guessed it - chicken. *Thx to the website for sharing!*

INGREDIENTS

3 Tbps olive oil

1 Tbsp lime juice

1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder (less or more depending on how much heat you want)

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2 breast halves)

4 small slices of Monterey Jack cheese

4 sets of hamburger buns

1 avocado, peeled, seeded and sliced

Iceberg or lettuce of preferenceMayonnaise

METHOD

1 In a shallow bowl, stir together the olive oil, lime juice, and chipotle chile powder.

2 Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of wax paper. Use a meat pounder to pound the breasts to an even thickness of about 1/2 inch. Cut off excess fat. If you are starting with 2 half-pound chicken breast halves, cut each one in half so that you have 4 pieces (to better fit the buns). Place the chicken breasts in the marinade, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap. Let marinate for at least 15 minutes, preferably an hour.

3 Heat your grill on high heat if you are using a gas grill, or prepare coals for direct heat if you are using charcoal. You can also use a cast-iron grill pan on your stove if you do not have a grill. Grill the chicken pieces a couple minutes on each side, until cooked through. Once you have cooked the chicken pieces on one side and flipped them, add a slice of cheese to the chicken. Cover the grill for half a minute to melt the cheese. Toast the buns on the grill as well.

4 Assemble the sandwiches - bun bottom, chicken with melted cheese, avocado and lettuce, mayonnaise on the top bun.

Serves 4.

To Be A Cat

Aah...to live the life of a feline. Must be nice to soak in warm rays whenever you feel like and sleep all day. Your meals are always readily available. Your head and neck massaged while you sleep. When you stretch, your soft belly is rubbed ever so gently and your back gets scratched every time you walk by. The action of the week is possibly getting chased for a brief moment by one of your brother dogs, but really - they're not as small and swift as you are - so it's merely a rush to get away unscathed each time. Silly canines...just big needy animals that constantly hover their masters every chance they get. It's soooo much nicer to just lay around and do absolutely nothing...except maybe bathe yourself while more afternoon sunlight pour in through the windows.

4th of July

The absence of my father at this year's Fourth of July sucked, but we still managed to pull off a nice little shindig at our house with the rest of our friends and fam. Normally, my dad is the one to setup this patriotic function every year. He goes all out with decorations, food and fireworks each and every time. So you can imagine the emptiness everyone felt when we all celebrated this year. Despite his current assignment overseas, we all knew that Dad wanted to see us have a good time. If you know our family...you'll know that the females are notorious for having a good time...anywhere we are! :) My mom even stayed for awhile which was awesome. Little Mathias also had fun on the patio riding his buggy, but then eventually got fussy towards bedtime and wanted to chill indoors with Mama. Other than that, I think this year's 4th was pretty chill.

Blue Hippo Leads the Way

Mathias can walk with the assistance of a couch or table or anything wide enough for him to grab onto as a railing. Currently, he's using one of the presents he received from my cousin as the latest walking tool. It actually allows him to take his own strides without the restriction of a walker. Made by Fisher-Price and in the shape of a cute blue hippo, the handles can actually lower down into a seat for him to ride on when he's older. However, I will say that if he's in a hurry or trying to get away from you as quickly as possible, he'll scoot down and start crawling. The kid's smart...he knows that if he needs to get somewhere fast, he'll resort to crawling over attempted walking any day.

Climbing Mt. Fireplace

Almost 13 months old and Mathias has managed to climb on just about anything his body will allow him to reach...including myself (I must be his favorite jungle gym). Recently, the lower mantle of our fireplace seems to be the hot spot (no pun intended) for our mini-climber. I remember just a few months ago when he would try to pull himself up on the lower ledge, but could never quite reach the top. It was hilarious because I would just watch him and say, "Sorry, honey, but you're not allowed up there so nice try." Now the little guy is able to just stand up and hoist himself over. I scold him everytime he tries to get up there, but this time - I allowed him to climb. I watched Mathias lift his long legs over the mantle and then back down again. He did this at least four or five times until the excitement wore off. Then he'd lower himself down and stood facing me. I knew exactly what he was thinking. I was the mother of all mountains and now he was ready to try and climb me. That's when I saw him crawling my way... Aah!

Raw Pasta Sauce

Not having had anything to eat yet due to my job as nightly entertainer for two dogs and a baby, I finally felt hungry. Rummaging through my pantry; I realize that I desperately need to go grocery shopping this weekend. I could just reheat the BBQ leftovers in the fridge that I made the other night, however, I just wasn't feeling that particular meal again. I also didn't make dinner tonight because Jay went straight to his weekly softball game and Mathias just ended up eating turkey with pureed carrots before heading to bed. So basically, I was left with minimal meal options.

The house was quiet and I was still hungry. Standing alone in front of a partially empty cupboard - except for the large quantities of canned veggies, baby food, cereal, pasta, dog biscuits & Jay's ginormous tubs of protein powder - I was pretty much SOL. Then my eyes darted back to the small bag of pasta. Aah, pasta. My diet permits me to eat too many carbs, especially at night, but man do I love 'em. Noticing the bag was slightly small and most of the pasta already gone, I tell myself that a little bit of carbs isn't so bad. Plus, I'm notorious for whipping something tasty out of nothing. Jay and I did that all the time when we lived in an apartment. One learns to improvise and make best out of what they have.

With pasta in hand, I decide to make a simple sauce. It was soooo good. This will be a once-a-week dinner for sure. I just chopped up tomatoes, basil and garlic (better with a food processor, I'm sure) then added salt, pepper, a dash of sugar and a splash of olive oil...alright, I also added a pinch of red pepper flakes for some heat. Top it all off with a sprinkle of Parmesan and voila. Perfect summer meal with a hearty green salad. I was so content with the meal that I took a picture of it. Simple, yet light and delicious.

Now I'm craving something sweet...

Teething Bites

Yes, pun intended. Our little booger has another tooth poking through. I was able to get a quick photo of it during his little crying session since the original post on his first tooth lacked pictures. It's the best I could do...I felt too bad!

Usually, Mathias gets a little fussy before bedtime, but tonight was awful! I even tried giving him a bath right before I placed him in bed so he could calm down a bit, but to no avail. He must really not like the feeling of his second tooth coming in because normally Mathias looooves bath time. Not tonight! I think it was the combination of teething, sleepiness from a long day out, and the shots he received yesterday from his 12 month check-up. My baby was sore and restless. Poor little guy. I did my best to give him a wee bit of baby Tylenol, his teething toy and lots of TLC. It must have worked because eventually, Mathias was sound asleep in his crib.

My Son Is A Screamer

Our boy has this loud-pitched scream that is sometimes really annoying. I look at him and go, "Why? Why must you insist on shouting this piercing cry?" Then, as if he understands me, he laughs this fake little laugh that comes from the depths of his belly like an old man chuckling...then, he screams again. You can only imagine the startling looks I get from strangers when we're sitting in a restaurant. "Hi, there! Yes, that's my kid you just heard. Please, continue eating. " I almost have to bite my lip from trying not to laugh every time he does it in a public setting, but then realize that any attempt in hushing my child is pretty futile. Normally, folks are pretty polite and understanding - they know that kids will do these things from time to time. I usually get a few who'll laugh at the free entertainment they get while dining. Thank goodness for those people!

(Mathias' fascination with beads in our guest bedroom.)

"Datt-in"

What does datt-in mean? Apparently to our son, it means everything. He calls almost any object datt-in...which can sometimes be confused with "duk-uh"= doggy. Oh, and "maa-ma" quickly got replaced with "naa-na", which could either mean night-night (something I say whenever it's time for his nap) or mama. I'm thinking it's a little of both because Mathias tends to hold up his arms to me whenever he says it...something he does either when he's tired or just wants me to hold him. Who knows...just when I think I get it, he changes it up. Still trying to learn the ever-growing vocabulary from this little person.

(The video clip shows Mathias briefly using his new word in reference to a clock in our office...........and then slightly bonking his head. He takes after his Mom.)

My Little Burrito

Something about babies and soft blankets - they love the touch and feel of gentle fabric or soft material. At first I thought it was just our son. Then I've talked to other mothers who also recall their little ones obsessing over cushy blankets. My kid happens to like the soft mink-like material ones (I'm really not sure what kind of material these are made up of, but I'll look at the tags next time I remember). We actually have several of these kinds that are only used for Mathias' crib. The latest and greatest that Mathias likes wrapping himself up in is currently the blanket that sits over our couch. It's actually a chenille throw that my sister bought us for Christmas. Anyway, the origin and definition pertains nothing to the feel & texture that the throw has for our little man. If he can roll around in it and rub his soft face all over it, then really...that's all that matters.

Gradually rolling around from one end of the room to the next...

Little Man Turns One!

Oh, what a joyous day Saturday was! Mathias Patrick turned one! Many of our friends and fam stopped by to celebrate this special occasion with us. I am forever grateful for all of those near and dear to us who were able to share in our little man's first birthday. My only regret was the absence of the coolest Grandpa ever. "Dad, we miss you! Please be safe in your job overseas."

The day was somewhat chaotic to say the least, however, what function in our household isn't? :) The morning began with cleaning the house, bathing Mathias before his first nap, prepping of food, setting up decorations and then getting ready ourselves. A smooth preparation thanks to the help of my mom, sister, aunt and Jay's mom & sister.

All together we pulled off quite an eventful day filled with wholesome BBQ, goodies, sweets, balloons, gifts and even a pinata. Yes, a pinata in the shape of Mathias' favorite cartoon character, Diego, the Animal Rescuer. This was the American theme of the party and everything (even his cake) was Diego inspired. I would have to say, though, that the most anticipated part of the entire day was the traditional Tol celebration that my mother helped me plan for since the moment Mathias was born (see the Tol Celebration blog in April). I am so thankful that my son actually sat in place during that whole time without any fussing or crying. He was such a good boy! Surprisingly, the over stimulation of so many new faces and the constant flashing of cameras actually kept him entertained and well-behaved. *Thank you, Lord! Whew!* It wasn't until Mathias had to participate in the Toljabee event that the excitement finally began. Little man's future was "predicted" by the marker he grabbed first. Then the second thing he picked up was another related item. The "future" was made clear. "If the child chooses a book, pencil, or related items - the child will become a successful scholar." Go, Mathias! (OK, so secretly, I was rooting for the kid to grab the money.)


PS - Also, a very special birthday wish goes to his cousins Annabelle & Lilia...twin girls that share the same birthday as our little man. We look forward to many more birthdays to come...

I Found My New Niche

Landscaping. Yep, my new (2nd) love is working on my garden. When Jason and I bought our home last summer - right before Mathias was born - we had hired a landscaper to come out and create a xeriscape foundation for us.

According to Wikipedia's definition:

"Xeriscaping refers to landscaping in ways that do not require supplemental irrigation. It is promoted in areas that do not have easily accessible supplies of fresh water, and is catching on in other areas as climate patterns shift."

This type of landscaping is very popular and cost-efficent in Colorado. Wanting to use less water and focusing on having a bigger lawn in our backyard; Jay and I went along with the xeriscape idea for the front. Landscaping stones were used in place of grass and mulch was added in the center of our yard as well in front of the porch. However, the guys that landscaped our front yard didn't do such an appealing job. At least not to my standards. I wanted some more greenery and lush plants. The yard looked too industrial and naked. So I recruited the help of my sister and together we added some nice colorful perennials that would eventually bloom into good-size bushes and flowers. My favorite of all the plants are the lavender bushes. They smell intoxicating and, once fully grown, will be a sweet addition to our yard.

Sneaking Into the Bathroom

Mommy: OK, Mathias. Stay out out of the bathroom!
Mathias: Aaaaah! Da-da-da-da!

So Mickey's nursery is right next to the guest bath. He knows this. He knows this very well. The little booger tries to crawl to the bathroom every chance he gets simply because he knows bath time (his favorite part of the day) is affiliated with this room. So yesterday - like every day - I lift Mathias up from his crib after napping and lay him on the floor to change his diaper. This, in itself, can be a challenging feat. The bigger Mathias gets, the tougher he is to hold still. We are constantly fighting each other just to get a clean diaper on. He struggles with me almost all the time because all the little man wants to do is roll over and crawl away on another exploration. All I want to do is get his doggone diaper on. It can be frustrating sometimes.

Anyway - after the regularly scheduled wrestling match, Mommy vs. Son, was over - I decided to let Mathias crawl away again...into the "unknown". Little did he know I was following him all the way.

Dance It Up!

My son...the dancer...the booty-shaker...the hip gyrator. :) He has shaken his little hips back & forth ever since he was a tiny little fellow. Now he's back at it again, except this time...he almost looks like he's going to hurt himself. Mathias is really, really trying to bring sexy back. *heheh*

Sweet Nani

Jay's lovely grandmother, "Nani", is one of the sweetest people I know. She lives in Massachusetts where Jay's hometown is and I've only been able to visit with her once. We email each other as much as possible, but I'd love to make a trip out there again just to see her and the rest of Jay's fam.

Just recently, Nani had mailed us a huge box from the east coast that was addressed to the soon-to-be birthday boy himself - Mathias! My mom and I had come home from shopping when I received the package on my doorstep. Inside were several blue boxes of the cutest 24 month-old clothes I have ever seen. I know she truly cares about her great-grandson because she has given him more clothes and hats than anyone I know (besides my mother) since he was a newborn. Anyway, here are a few outfits that our lucky little boy will be sporting this summer.


***Thanks, Nani, Grandpa Mario, Sarah, Brian & Lexi for everything...Mathias is truly blessed to have such caring relatives.***

Mathias' First Tooth!

Hooray! My son the soon-to-be one year old (I love saying that) has finally blessed us with the presence of his very first little tooth...it's just poking out almost jagged like at the bottom left of his mouth. The neighbor tooth right next to it will surely protrude any day now also. I can just see it trying to break through (ouch). All I can say is...hooray! Alright, so I said that twice...and dang it, I'll say it again. HOORAY! It's so nice to finally see the reward after all the hoopla, crying and fussing that teething brings. I thought my son would never have teeth! I almost began to imagine that my son would be the only kid in school without any teeth yet. Dramatic? Yes...but anyone who knows me knows that I've been waiting for an eternity for those little white chompers to come out. All his cousins & fellow baby friends have sprouted teeth - some more than four or five already! I've been told not to rush things and let his growing come naturally, but I'm prone to being quite impatient. "Where are my son's teeth? Why is my son - as big as he is - the only one who has a toothless gummy grin?" Alas, the presence of what almost looks like a tiny piece of rice stuck in his mouth, (yes, we eat a lot of rice and nooooo, it's not a piece of rice) was welcomed to the delight of his mommy, daddy, grandma and niece. Everyone thinks this itty-bitty tooth is the most amazing thing right now. The long-awaited arrival just makes it that much more endearing. I love mommyhood!!!

Long Hair vs.Short

***First and foremost, I want to apologize for the lapse in updating our blog. Life has been pretty busy for us all since the last post...that and I (Lisa) broke our digital camera right around Mother's Day. Oopsy! Now that I think about it...this is the second camera I've broken that was still fairly new. What can I say...I'm a klutz. Coincidentally, both times the camera broke, alcohol was involved. Double-oopsy! Fortunately, I just purchased a nice new Kodak EasyShare camera today so all is well again in the world of blogging. Here's to going on camera #3!***

Now, on to my current dilemma I face this week - should I proceed with getting Mathias his first professional haircut or do I let him grow it out until he's older? Mathias is going to be one this Saturday and has already received three haircuts at home when he was younger (I know what you all are thinking...how much friggin hair can a baby have?).

The first "haircut" was done by me when Mathias was only one month old. Yes, one month. I had to...the poor little guy had such long hair that it kept tickling his ears so he would constantly pull at it and then make himself cry. It was awful to watch everytime he did it. Mind you - I was a new mommy. Plus we all know how newborns at that age clench their little fingers so tightly around anything they can grasp. In this case, for my son, it was his own hair. Not only that, but the long hair around his neck and ears created a slight rash from the heat and irritation. I figured I was doing my kid a favor by keeping him cool in the hot summer weather that we had to endure (we didn't have air conditioning yet at that time). I finally decided at that point that I would take Daddy's hair trimmer & scissors and start a wackin'. It wasn't pretty...the hairstyle that is. Mathias was fine - he slept the whole time I was trimming away. The final look? Pretty darn cute from the front and pretty darn BAD from the side view. What can I say, it's hard trying to cut a newborn's hair. They're so fragile to begin with and I didn't want to hurt or disturb the little guy while he slept. My gentleness and lack of haircutting skills really gave my kid the buzzed/high & tight/jarhead/crewcut look I was sooooo not going for, but hey...he was still pretty darn CUTE! My sister referred to him as "The Monk". hahaha

At the green age of just 9 months, the second haircut was done by my lovely mother. Urgh - I was so upset! LOL She had the audacity to take it upon herself to go ahead and "trim" the front part of my son's hair. I came home from work one day and saw what appeared to be very short bangs on my kid's head. Not cool. My mother's reason for cutting his hair, "Iz touching his eyes!" I know, Mommmmm, but really, did you have to trim it yourself? From the front, my son had the bowl haircut that was only popular in the 60's. From the side, it looked like my kid had a mullet! I was devasted (and a wee-bit dramatic, can you tell?). Aah, well, my mom's intentions were good so I tried not to show that I was upset. Instead, I was optimistic and just decided he needed a proper haircut. Two women already jacked up since birth so now it was time to fix it!

 

Now here we are, two months later. Mathias is going to be one in just a few days and now his hair is longer than ever. I know my mom and I love the long haired look on little boys. There's something carefree about boys with longer hair. I just don't want anyone to mistake my son for a girl. There's something cute about a boy with getting his hair cut too. The shorter hair gives them the clean-cut look which is also endearing...but it also makes them look older. So currently my dilemma is this: should I let my son grow out his hair or do we need to take a trip to the barber? Any suggestions are welcome!