funkimunki knows best

The First Law of Life (as a Consultant's Wife)

2010-09-14T08:39:00.000-07:00

Let's just acknowledge the First Law of Life as a Consultant's Wife. And that is if ANYTHING is going to go wrong at home base, it will happen the moment your husband's plane loses touch with the runway. You will find yourself alone. Alone with that clogged toilet. Alone with that freak radiation experiment sized cockroach in the shower. Alone with the kid who's eardrum chooses to burst the week that you also don't have a car to drive. ALONE.

If you can get in touch with your husband, he will be sympathetic, ask if everything is ok. then say he will call you after his luncheon at some very exclusive restaurant with the client.

click...dial tone...FUCK.

But do not despair. This is your moment. This is when true strength is discovered. It is time to spin around in your best Linda Carter imitation, and feel yourself transformed into a daughter of Isis (strapless one piece not required, mega toilet plunger helpful). When it's just you and the toilet, there is no point in crying. it's time to roll up the sleeves and dive in.

the not so glamorous life of a consultants wife

2010-09-14T07:04:00.000-07:00

this is the working title of my first book. It will include important chapters like:

* How to unclog a toilet.
* Killing giant spiders and wood cockroaches
* AND using a power drill.

Also you won't want to miss:

* Puke your guts out and still make dinner for the kids!
* What to do when your husband is stuck in NYC for the weekend due to a cancelled flight, and you get spend the weekend taking kids to various activities alone!

And the always helpful chapter on what to say when:

* someone says "wow, that must be hard" when they hear how much your husband travels.
* a 2 parent family asks you to carpool their kid to practice, because their schedule is "busy".

This book will be available soon! As soon as I find the time to write it.

kayaking the hudson

2010-07-08T12:38:00.000-07:00

It's never an easy thing finding cheap deals in the city, but this summer we are on a QUEST. Easily one of the most fun find has been kayaking on the Hudson. There are 3 push off points, and we went to the one over on Houston. The Kayak club provides life vests, kayaks and paddles for FREE!!! and you get to paddle around in the relative safety of one of the little pier inlets. When a big boat goes by the river - the waves come into the little pier and create a little thrill :) I kept my eyes on the skyline to keep from getting sea sick - crazy how much a kayak sways in the water. And before you leave and head out for the pier just know that you have to know how to swim in order to participate. go, it's a cool experience, there were no lines and did I mention it is FREE.

home sweet Homage

2010-06-28T06:54:00.000-07:00

went to the Smith street festival this weekend. It looked way bigger than last year - lots more vendors. We saw a couple of our favorite vendors there, Brooklyn Revolution (Z got a Bob Marley and a Frida Kahlo shirt) and an artist that we all really like - sorry, don't know his name. But he makes paintings of little monsters in jars. Z has a small collection of his work.

One of our most favorite shops on Smith Street is Homage Skate Shop. This place is like home and the people that run it, treat you like family. Both my kids and BD got their skateboards there. The kids had theirs made specifically for them. The Homage shop sells all the gear you need for skate boarding, has a shop to assemble boards, and a juice bar to keep you hydrated and healthy. My kids took skate lessons there last summer. Homage continues to do awesome things in the community. If you are in NY I would highly recommend checking it out and meeting the family :) http://www.homagebrooklyn.com/

winners rule! losers...freeze to death.

2010-06-24T15:27:00.000-07:00

Big Daddy's is having a special today and tomorrow - buy a breakfast get one free from 9-11a. AND they are showing the world cup! we showed up just in time for the breakfast schedule and watched the italy slovakia game in mixed company of both Slovakia and Italy fans. pretty intense :) It was so much fun watching the game with other people. The excitement was palpable (or maybe it was a chocolate high from that super yummy frozen hot chocolate concoction i drank?)I think we will head back tomorrow!

After the game we swung over to the American Museum of Natural History. We went into the Journey to the End of the Earth exhibit. We got to follow the Norwegian and British Polar teams as they raced to be the first to get to the south pole. the exhibit was well done and kept us in suspense as to which team reached the South Pole first. Personally, I really enjoyed the exhibit and it kind of reminded me of playing Oregon trail but with real people. Check it out -

ny transit authority

2010-06-23T20:03:00.000-07:00

the kids and i ventured into downtown Brooklyn today. We stopped into the NY transit museum which is located right off of the Hoyt Schemerhorn stop on the G line. The Museum was small but so cute! i think it would work for a wide variety of ages. You entered the museum as though you were going down into the subway. The first level contains the tranist museum store, and a section i really enjoyed on the history of how the subway system was created. the lower level has the coolest display of antique subway cars. train cars from the early 1900's up through the 1960's were on display and open for exploring. the kids really had a great time going into the trains and checking out the differences between the years past.

the transit museum is a definite must visit when exploring brooklyn. check it out.

day 12 - did i miss a day???

2010-04-30T17:59:00.000-07:00

ok. i'm going to be honest. i totally spaced day 11. i know it was there, but wtf. i did make spaghetti, but was so tired from work and writing this paper that i did not make a sauce, in fact i had 2 bites of plain spaghetti noodles then went to bed. i know, i didn't get all of my vitamins and good leafy greens and stuff. but i was wiped. and so day 11 passed by without much hurrah.

day 12 started off not so great either. i got to work and realized that my yogurt was bad. i tried to eat it anyway, but it was gross. and i forgot to buy strawberries, so i had 2 sausage links for breakfast. i know. i suck at this.

BUT ----I'm cutting myself some slack - because i've been eating a TON of veggies. I snack on celery and peppers daily. and i've laid off the sweets.

you know what i need that would REALLY make this work for me? my own private chef. and a nutritionist. i'm ok with a nutritionist/chef combo. maybe i should quit subbing and just prepare these meals for people. that will be my job. i'll prepare these healthy meals for people and deliver them to your work. then you can eat healthy, and i can eat healthy and you can pay me. win win win. love it.

i accept paypal. thanks.

day 9 & 10

2010-04-28T07:23:00.000-07:00

i know...i'm behind a day. but I have been working my patooti-ta off on my paper for history. so cut me some slack. :)

yesterday and today - i'm actually doing really well. it's becoming second nature to pack a quick snack of veggies. i'm not obsessing over sugar. i think that i have been "reprogrammed", at least for now. Do i think this experiment was worth it? absolutely. do i think you should try it? you have nothing to lose, except some bad eating habits :)

my update - i have not lost any more weight since the first 3 days, but i do seem to be losing inches. to be honest, i did not work out my first 3 days, because i felt like CRAP (carb/sugar crash is not something to take lightly). i did get back to a regular activity level by the 4th day. i did a little research last night and learned that i may be turning my "fat" into "muscle". the lack of sugar and carbs in my diet have forced my body to burn fat. i guess when i was eating so much sugar my body was burning the excess glucose and not fat. so depriving my body of sugar is helping my body to burn the right stuff :) SCORE!

day 8

2010-04-26T06:10:00.000-07:00

i'm proud of myself. i am subbing today and before i left the house i made my breakfast, snack and lunch. ofcourse, i did not do exactly what is on the menu - but i did prepare things that were on previous menus. chopping up veggies is pretty quick and I'm glad i took the 20 seconds to do it.

i've been feeling good. i haven't lost any more weight, but I am good with that. my clothes fit with a little more room and my energy level is up. what is my greatest accomplishment is that i am able to say no to sweets much more easily now. i have also started to recognize all the places that we consume sugar that aren't obvious - in our cereal, condiments, marinades etc.

the kids eat many of these meals with me. they have some favorites. this healthy life experiment has been good for them too. while cutting out carbs is not really an option for them right now, since they are growing and so active, it is beneficial for them to acknowledge just how much sugar they consume when eating snacks or having that occasional soda. i don't want to make them food obsessed, but i do want to make eating healthy a natural part of who they are.

day 7

2010-04-25T08:23:00.000-07:00

ok. since friday i have done a crappy job of eating all the food i am supposed to be eating. i've been skipping meals/snacks and not eating in the correct amounts (more veggies than protein etc). i have not gained any weight (for those of you that are reading to see if one will gain weight once off this diet) but i also have not lost any. so take from that what you will. but note that while i had not been eating all of my meals/snacks I continued to make healthy choices when i did eat.

ok. day 7 - let's do this...

holy cow - how am i going to eat all this food?

day 6

2010-04-24T13:00:00.001-07:00

went out for brunch today. made another great choice - a salad with chicken and vinegar and oil as a dressing. :)

not feeling hungry, but still had a snack of celery and cheese (not what was on the menu - but i'm doing an awful job following it right now so i am just trying to make some healthy choices on my own until tomorrow when i'm back on the prescribed plan).

i can't believe it's day 6 and this experiment is half over. I'm feeling great and am excited to see where I am at the end of next week.

Stride gum has become my ever present companion. It helps when i'm having a carb crash in the afternoon. And if i ever get hunger pains (honestly, this has only happened today when I am not on the prescribed menu) then i know that a handful of almonds will quiet my tummy and i won't feel bad about it afterwards.

the menu plan as prescribed by myhealthylife really feeds you ALOT and at times i wondered if i was overeating, cuz i would spend the days stuffed. but my sugar cravings were lessening and i started to drop weight. so weird. i can eat a lot of the "good" foods and get full and still drop pounds.

rode my bike today. love being out.

day 5

2010-04-24T07:57:00.000-07:00

it's getting easier. woohoo!!! I feel good, my energy level is back up and I'm starting to notice the times I crave sugar - under stress and late afternoon.

a healthier me

2010-04-23T07:28:00.000-07:00

so the question has come up as to whether or not I need to lose weight. and i thought i would post my answer here, because i think it's an important topic.

Diabetes is prevelant on both sides of my family, and has been declared by the CDC as an epidemic in the hispanic population. Type 2 diabetes is preventable, through diet and exercise. At my last check up i noticed that my blood glucose level was dangerously close to 99 which is the level to be considered prediabetic. I spoke with my doctor about my concerns and decided that i needed to change my eating habits.

my decision to try out "my healthy life" came about after a chat with my cousin Melissa who explained the program to me. The idea of changing my eating habits, and getting rid of "white" foods had been on my todo list for years, and she was offering me that opportunity through her new program. i figured i had nothing to lose, and so went for it.

to focus on weight loss would be short sighted. I understand that by reducing the amount of refined foods in my diet that weight loss could result. But that is not my ultimate goal. I will never be 97lbs again, but then I will never be 24 years old again, and i'm ok with that. I just want to live a healthy life, and I'm taking steps to make that happen.

thanks for your support.

xoxo- me

day 4

2010-04-22T14:49:00.000-07:00

I spent most of last night and today obsessing over my paper which is a change in the positive direction.

I did have a minor panic attack when I was asked out to lunch today. I decided that i would not be that girl sitting in the corner counting her weight watchers points, so I dove in and tried to make a healthy choice all by myself ( like a big girl - yay!). I think I did a pretty good job. cuz really, I have to learn how to do this on my own. can't spend the rest of my life having Missy tell me what I to eat ;).

did I mention I'm typing this on my phone? Internet is still down. ugh!!!

day 3-

2010-04-21T09:15:00.000-07:00

woke up in a much better mood today. headache seems to be gone and I feel a little more awake. yay!

this mornings breakfast was ok. I thought yesturday's was better.

when I was in yoga teacher training we would do "cleanses". and one thing I remember is that going through a cleanse could bring up lots of shit. this detox is doing the same. I've had to really face bit only my bad eating habits, but the emotions and feelings that come along with those unhealthy choices.

the hardest part has been bringing my "monkey mind" back into control. interesting how the mind will try to rationalize bad behavior.

going to do a little yoga now. :)

----around 2p I crash and start craving sweets. whenever a stressful situation arises I crave sweets. hmmm....

----Zoe's club practice was cancelled tonight :). that meant I was able to make dinner earlier than usual.

I'm feeling a ton better and I am hoping that I start getting my energy back. I miss kickboxing and really want to get on my bike.

day 2

2010-04-20T11:29:00.000-07:00

laugh if you want, but i don't know how to boil an egg. thank goodness for google.

last night i had a dream that i was eating lemonheads, and baking cookies. it was the most lovely dream ever.

just looked at todays menu - argh. ok. gonna give it a try.

----breakfast. yum! who would have thought? i am aware that part of my issue is that when i like something, i eat it until i'm sick. having other people with me on this healthy living journey puts on a little peer pressure to stick to the allotted serving sizes. ok - now for my water...

----did I mention that I am in the crappiest mood ever??? I have had a headache since yesturday, and I'm highly irritable. I've been a little snappy (read as a little more than snippy) and not my usual self.

I went for a walk today at ayr mount in h'boro. not a far walk and by no means difficult, but I had a hard time with it. I didn't have the energy and struggled with any inclines. I usually have a pretty high activity level and like to bike and hike but I just don't have the energy. ugh. there has to be a better solution.

day one

2010-04-19T09:09:00.000-07:00

----noon - not hungry so that is good since i have to go to the market to get my afternoon cheese snack. drank a whole bottle of water which makes trips away from home a little challenging. will i pee my pants in the checkout line??? maybe i'll wear a skirt to the store.

---- just had my snack. not sure if it's cool to lick the cheese wrapper. i did it anyway.

----lunch: none of my veggies fit into my pita. either i had too much turkey, or too small a pita. in any case, it was a substantial lunch consisting of mainly veggies. i'm full, and a little worried that i haven't felt really hungry yet.

- not hungry but craving something sweet so bad!!!! ugh!!!

- right about now i'm thinking this detox thing is a stupid idea and i should just make some cookies.

broccoli was SUPER yummy tonight. forgot to make the rice - so didn't have my grains.

yay!!! one day down!!! i better get to bed before i am tempted to snack.

my not so healthy life

2010-04-19T07:52:00.001-07:00

it wouldn't be too far fetched to say that I love sweets. always have, and always will. but it's time for me to gain some control in this relationship, cuz right now, i am sugar's bitch, and that's not a good thing.

this morning i ate an omelet with veggies and toast. a change from my usual banana and yogurt. i need more veggies in my life, so this could be good. :)

i'm dreaming about a spoonful of cherry preserves.

no more

2009-12-29T21:42:00.000-08:00

My holiday food coma is done. Treadmill starts tomorrow.

skittles vodka

2009-03-02T14:08:00.000-08:00

It. Is. TIME. get out the vodka and the skittles. It's time to make skittles infused vodka.

http://mixthatdrink.com/skittles-vodka-tutorial/

creepy, not creepy cool. more stalkerish

2009-02-27T20:22:00.001-08:00

so i mentioned peter schiff in my twitter posts, and ron paul starts following me. ofcourse i have no idea who ron paul is because his name just didn't make it to this part of my country - aaand i suck at reading newspapers. so i see his name and think "sweet, a gay guy" thinking that ron paul was his stage tranny name or something, then (ofcourse i write that) THEN i remember that RUPAUL is the tranny. ugh! but too late. i'm already starting to get followers that use "libertarian" in their bio. which is weird, because not only did i refer to ron paul being gay, but i also gave him a shout out that said "um, i think you dont really mean to follow me". but he hasn't unfollowed me, which leads me to one conclusion (ok, 2). ron paul isn't really reading my tweets (so sad cuz he's totally missing out) and 2. maybe ron paul IS reading my tweets, and he's using me as a case study to see how REAL america thinks so that he can use this information to try to overthrow the government. or something. or maybe not at all. and maybe he is just randomly following people. and his followers are just randomly following the people he follows. too bad. i wonder what would happen if i used banana ass ron paul in the same tweet. hmmmm....

look who's all growing up being a big girl!

2009-02-25T16:57:00.001-08:00

yeah, not me.

BUT, i am not one to turn down a party, and so I headed over to
and celebrated by signing up for her awesome giveaways! I'm totally going to win the kitchen aid free standing mixer - so, yeah, don't sign up for that one, but feel free to sign up for the others. k?

now I'm off to make tiny birthday cakes, because cake should always be served at birthday bashes, and I am not one to miss on a chance to have cake, and birthday cake, is my favorite!

L is for...

2009-02-08T11:34:00.000-08:00

Rules: It's harder than it looks! Copy to your own note, erase my answers, enter yours, and tag 10 people. Use the first letter of your name to answer each of the following questions. They have to be real ... nothing made up! If the person before you had the same first initial, you must use different answers. You cannot use any word twice and you can't use your name for the boy/girl name question.

Have Fun!!

1. What is your name? lourdes

2. A four-letter word: lips

3. A boy's name: Luke

4. A girl's name: Lilith

5. An occupation: Lion tamer

6. A color: lavendar

7. Something you wear: lace

8. A food: lollipop

9. Something found in the bathroom: lavatory

10. A place: Lisbon

11. A reason for being late: lollygagging

12. Something you shout: later!

13. A movie title: Little House on the Prairie

14. Something you drink: lemonade

15. A musical group: L7

16. An animal: Liger

17. A street name: Lexington

18. A type of car: Lexus

19. A song title: La la Love you - Pixies

20. A verb: lick

25 things about me

2009-02-08T10:20:00.000-08:00

25 things about me that you have been DYING to know

1. private
2. mother
3. lemonheads
4. shel silverstein
5. redhots
6. barbacoa
7. assertive
8. profanity
9. lover (not a fighter)
10. laughter
11. autumn
12 chocolate
13. catholic
15. pica de gallo
16. loyal
17. high heels
18. family
19 believer
20. ashtanga
21. chicago
22. stockings
23. tradition
24. bailar
25. history

i'm not going to lie. This Chili is really good.

2009-02-08T07:58:00.000-08:00

i love Chili - but I'm not a fan of chili with tons of beans...or beans in the chili at all. so I tried this recipe, and it was sooooo good. I think I've found my recipe.

TEXAS Style CHILI

3 1/2 pound(s)	beef for stew
1/4 cup(s)	salad oil
2 medium	onions, chopped
3 medium	green peppers, diced
4 clove(s)	garlic, crushed
2 can(s)	(28-ounce) tomatoes
1 can(s)	(12-ounce) tomato paste
1/3 cup(s)	chili powder
1/4 cup(s)	sugar
2 teaspoon(s)	salt
2 teaspoon(s)	dried oregano leaves
3/4 teaspoon(s)	cracked black pepper

1. Cut beef for stew into 1/2-inch cubes. In 8-quart Dutch oven over high heat, in hot salad oil, cook one-third of meat at a time, until browned. With slotted spoon, remove meat cubes to bowl as they brown; set aside.

2. Reserve 1/2 cup onions; cover and set aside. Add green peppers, garlic, and remaining onions to drippings in Dutch oven; over medium-high heat, cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Return meat to Dutch oven; add tomatoes with their liquid, tomato paste, chili powder, sugar, salt, oregano leaves, cracked black pepper, and 2 cups water; over high heat, heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until meat is fork-tender, stirring occasionally.

4. Spoon chili into large bowl. Pass reserved onion to sprinkle over each serving.

i found this recipe at http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/recipefinder/texas-style-chili-445

i like to call these cookies crack. hershey's calls then Brickle Drop Cookies.

2009-02-07T06:23:00.000-08:00

HEATH Brickle Drop Cookies

1 c (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1 c granulated sugar
1 c packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs

3 1/2 c all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 1/3 c (8 oz pkg) Heath Bits'o Brickle toffee bits

1. heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease cookie sheet.

2. beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and salt in large bowl until blended. Add eggs; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and cream of tartar; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until blended. Stir in toffee bits.

3. Drop by heaping teaspoons onto prepared cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly; remove to wire rack. Cool completely.

makes about 6 dozen cookies.

---i made my cookies a "generous" size and got about 2 dozen out of the dough. Also, i'm not sure if it's just that my oven, but the cookies still looked a little raw after 15 minutes. i ended up leaving them in for an extra 7 - till they were just turning a golden brown. i guess it all depends on how you like your cookies.

and yes, the cream of tartar makes a difference in the cookie - don't skip it or try a substitute.

i think my house is haunted or we have some faulty wiring

2009-02-06T08:25:00.000-08:00

the other night the kids were doing homework at the kitchen table and i was talking to my sister on the phone, when the downstairs television turned on. we all heard it turn on, and the kids looked over at me to see what was going on. I quickly hung up the phone and asked the kids if they had been downstairs - neither had. thinking that maybe someone had broken into our house, and decided to watch some Kitchen Nightmares, i reached for my ~~gun, son, samurai sword~~ knife and stepped downstairs. peering around the corner into our dark tv room i saw ~~freddie krougar~~ no one. it was empty. and the tv wasn't on, it was the stereo. which is really weird, because the stereo will only play the tv if the tv is on and not on that dumb tv guide channel. so i just turned it off and walked back upstairs.

the next day i flushed the toilet upstairs, and water came pouring out of the tank. i took off the tank cover and flushed again - this time the entire bathroom got a spray down from the little toilet filling faucet - someone had turned the water pressure for the toilet on high. - but the knob was tucked behind the toilet.

coincidence???

proof that my husband thinks i can be a productive citizen

2009-01-22T08:44:00.000-08:00

My husband just sent me this. And at first glance i thought "oh cute". and then i wondered if he was trying to tell me to get off my ass and get a job. And in the end, i think he was really just saying "honey, you can be a valuable resource to our familial income, if only the "man" knew how to treat your delicate sensibilities." and i totally fucking agree. all i need is a little damn respect, and i could be an amazing female worker. until then, i will be drinking my diet enviga and eating these red hots.

btw- honey can you bring home something for dinner. i seriously don't have the time to cook tonight, piperlime.com is having this amazing sale, and i'm on the prowl for some deals. oh yeah, and i didn't get a chance to pay your car insurance so come straight home after the grocery store. i'd hate for you to get busted driving without insurance - we don't have the cash to be paying for any tickets.

cinnamon heart healthy

2009-01-06T16:14:00.000-08:00

i don't think that i am supposed to work out in the morning then eat 3 pieces of fried chicken for lunch. and a whole bag of cinnamon hearts for dinner. I have got to work this whole thing out.

although i did almost barf today when working out because I am also drinking a TON of water. I'm going to be honest here...cinnamon flavored fried chicken doesn't taste too bad.

week one

2008-12-12T15:12:00.000-08:00

i just finished my first week as a free woman. My last day on the job was friday - z and i zipped off for a quick trip in NYC and then began my new life.

Life is much easier when you don't have to ask to use the bathroom, or constantly reinforce someone else's ego, while your sanity slips down the whiteboard.

I've spent the last week picking up the pieces, trying to recreate some sense of normalcy into my/our daily lives.

christmas is in a couple of weeks. and i am not interested in all the gift giving. in fact i haven't bought one gift yet. i know what i would like to get b. the kids i am totally clueless on other than itunes gift cards. i can't bring more junk into our house. just. can't. do. it.

wish you were here...

I've been on that grass...and I like my grass better

2008-11-13T10:34:00.000-08:00

As a new mom I struggled with releasing my "work" identity. I remember moms at the playground ticking off job titles and identifying with those roles, hoping one day to get back to work. I yearned for escape from the long days at home with 2 toddlers, a basketfull of toys and a winnie the pooh vhs cassette that was worn thin from use. I wanted to work. To wear something other than my grubby stretch pants and to talk with people.

*************fast forward 12 years****************

For the past year and a half I have been working as a teaching assistant at an elementary school here in our town. I agreed to go back to work so that my kids could finish out their elementary school years there since we moved out of their district.

Going back to work after having not worked for almost 11 years was a HUGE adjustment. Not just for myself, but for my whole family. Everyone had to adjust to the reality that there was no person (me) that was handling all domestic chores. Home life no longer just happened, we all had to work for it.

I enjoyed working out of my home. And because I knew that it was not going to be a long term committment (i planned to only work for 2 years max) I tried to enjoy where I was in my life. It was fun dressing up, and wearing heels. And i really LOVE the people that I work with. My peers are amazing people. I felt a sense of accomplishment when I looked at the kids that i was nurturing and felt triumphant with every new skill they mastered, and with every confident smile.

But while the kids at school were benefitting from my years as a nurturing mother, my own children started to wither a little bit. i would come home exhausted. After a day of nurturing 22 little egos I barely had enough in me to nurture the 2 at home. I began feeling disconnected from my family and our life at home. The disconnect and the stress that created resulted in my becoming sick almost daily. I began to miss work, and that caused its own stress. I was in a complete downward spiral.

i say was, even though I am still working there. I say was, because I have recently resigned. Resigning was difficult, but it was the emotional seperation that was the really hard part. I've only recently gotten over that "feel bad" hump.

My teacher had a doctor's appointment today. I was supposed to cover the class for her. Last night my son went to bed with a fever. I felt horrible and torn. I knew I needed to cover our class, but I couldn't send my sick child to school. In the middle of fretting, I just stopped. I saw how all of my priorities had been mixed up and out of place. My life had gotten out of alignment. My son running a fever saved me. It reminded me why I am here. This was a choice I made and struggled with YEARS ago. It is the choice that I learned to love and cultivate. I LOVE being a stay at home mom. I love putting my kids and family first. Working outside of the home was fun and it was a new experience. But now, I'm ready to get back on my own lawn, because the grass over there may be good for the neighbors, but I'll stick to my green patch.

HOPE

2008-11-12T18:16:00.002-08:00

I'm proud of you. I'm proud of all of you that got your asses up today, and last week, and the week before and went and cast your ballot. I am proud that you exercised your right to vote. A right that was not given to us, was not handed to us on a platter. A right our grandparents, mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles and all those that came before us, whether we knew them by name or not, a right that they fought for. A right that they sacrificed for. A right that they blazed for us in the HOPE that we would have a better life. Something better than what they had. A chance to make a CHANGE for good not just in our own lives, but for our families, communities and our world.

Our grandparents sacrificed so that we might achieve. Our grandfather was left for dead under the snow in France during WWII. He returned home with a dream to be a lawyer and attended college classes at Laredo Junior College. He had to walk away from his dream to support his wife and children. But he never let that dream die. He held onto it for his own children and his grandchildren.

It is our responsibility to remember what was sacrificed for us. It is our responsibility to BUILD on those stones that were laid down for us. It is our responsibility to lay down the next stones for our children, and for the future generations.

A tree can only grow as tall as its roots are deep. teach your kids their history. where we came from. encourage them to grow tall and strong and to look with gratitude and reverance to their past and look towards the future with great HOPE

hold your pee

2008-11-12T18:16:00.001-08:00

i could say that I am old, but i prefer to believe that I just have a weak bladder. But either way it has come to my attention that I can no longer run and laugh at the same time. I am now a squirter. I actually prefer the term tinkle. that makes it sound kind of magical, like fairy dust is in my panties, not pee.

and it is so obvious when i "tinkle" because no matter how fast I am running, I immediatly come to a halt and squeeze my legs together - and then laugh a WHOLE lot more. Cuz at that point there is really nothing funnier than a grown woman peeing her pants on a soccer field, and trying to act non chalant, like "i didn't really want to get that ball".

i thought that maybe i should just start doing more kegels in order to tighten up those muscles. but i decided that maybe i should just stop playing soccer. frees me up for more vodka and lemonades.

priorities

2008-10-16T13:05:00.001-07:00

I will spend more time finding the "right" tools to do a job than just doing the job. I just spent 37 minutes researching the a blogger app so that I can blog when not in front of my computer. When I was sitting IN FRONT OF MY COMPUTER, with my blog page OPEN.

But it's all about the accessories. I have become obsessed about having the "right" apps on my phone just like I can also obsess over having the right shoes or bag for an outfit. It all comes down to the details. And really, how often do I post pictures on my blog. um...NEVER. except for my photo blog, but I've already downloaded an app that can post pictures from my iphone onto that blog. so i don't need that perk, yet I obsess on it. Because I have to have the best. Because I have to get the Monolo's not the heels from nine west.

And really, who is every going to see what blogger app I am *not* using on my iphone (because my blogging is sporadic at best, and always done on my laptop - Macbook Pro, ofcourse). So I might as well spend that cash on something that really matters. Like those Louboutins I've been craving.

running

2008-10-14T17:14:00.000-07:00

my daughter has just started training with the cross country team. She loves it. I watch her running laps across a field, pony tail flying behind her, little legs pumping and sheer determination to be first in the group flashes across her face.

When she runs I see my mother. I see her running, feeling free, her whole life ahead of her. Nothing can stop her except herself.

And I know how one story ends. waiting for the best to come last, and dying before she can even get there.

And I wonder how my daughter's life will play out. I want her to not wait. don't hesitate. don't settle. our time is too short. keep running. you're free.

i am THAT woman

2008-07-30T19:26:00.000-07:00

while at the gym where Bo takes his basketball class there was a mom who sat herself and her kid on the tiny landing at the top of the stairs that leads to the basketball court and soccer fields. unbelieveable. i walked over with Zo and asked the woman (in my sweetest voice ever) if she wouldn't mind if i pushed her daughter's backpack (which was laying on the top step along with her bike helmet) under her daughter's chair. she was agreeable and i proceeded to kick her kids bag and helmet under the chair, all the while letting her know that "this is just an accident waiting to happen. someone could just go flying down these steps". i said it in my sweetest voice and she thanked me as i walked away.

i got down to the bottom of the steps and Zo was cracking up. She let me know that (unbeknownst to me) while i was reprimanding the woman I was using my southern accent. and that the woman just stared at me stunned as i kicked her daughters stuff out of my way. i must be getting old, because none of this registered. my only thought was that i had just saved someone's life.

it felt good.

2008-07-24T18:55:00.001-07:00

let me just get this out of the way first... yes, I am eating lemonheads right now.

i signed up bo for this amazing basketball camp with this hall of famer guy (that none of had ever heard of, but whatever - he's in the HoF!) and...i totally space the date, and tomorrow is the last day of camp. Nice one mom. But I think he ended with a better deal, he's now going to do a week with the Knicks. not bad. maybe no hall of famers, but you never know.

We went down to chinatown today. it was a little sad. many of the little booths are closed down, I'm guessing for selling fake bags/sunglasses, etc. It's not the same place it used to be.

The kids and I went to the mahayana buddhist temple and paid our respects.

oh yeah and i pushed some man and a woman today. they got between me and the kids. not an option. do not get between me and the kids.

and i considered punching someone in the throat on the train.

om, shanti, shanti, shanti

lemonheads may be hazzardous to my waistline

2008-07-24T07:04:00.000-07:00

yeah, like I even have a waistline anymore... but really. maybe i shoudn't be eating 3lbs of sour sugar coated goodness.

the cute water bottle i bought has the number 7 on the bottom. apparently that means it can give me cancer or something. sucks.

my twitter thing sucks cuz it doesn't keep me updated.

welcome home

2008-07-22T08:31:00.000-07:00

i am raising from the dead this BLOG!!!

ok. we moved. Love our new house. Don't miss the old neighborhood.

I'm going to keep 2 blogs. in one i will share all of my deepest darkest secrets, and true feelings, and the other I'll keep for my family.

We are spending the summer in nyc. we have a small apartment in brooklyn. no ac. no cable. 1 fan. it's hot. we went to the virgin store, and bought a couple of videos that we can watch over and over and over again. and within 18 hours, my kids have watched water boy no less than 3 times. we also picked up poltergiest to keep things balanced. both are classics that i will be proud to have my kids quote from.

i could totally homeschool.