A little dose of sweet :)
Showing posts with label the pea. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the pea. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
The manual.
Somewhere all the perfect moms are hiding the Ultimate Manual to Mothering, while all the rest of us are left to piece together information from parenting books and websites, advice from our own moms, and natural instinct. As Olivia grows older I find myself relying more on the instinct and less on what I am "supposed" to do. Still, I am left with questions.
Although I see Olivia is bright and lively, sometimes there are doubts. I am sure I am not the only mom who wonders: Am I spoiling her too much? Do we not read enough books? Is she confused by hearing two languages back and forth all day? Does she have too much stuff? Which kid will she be in school?
I try to adhere to certain school of thought while raising Olivia, and cultivating the little person she is becoming. We let her be naked sometimes, sleep with us at night, and play in dirt while wearing her new tutu dress. When I notice other mothers not doing the same things, or being more rigid, I cannot imagine my Pea flourishing if I were like that. Then, it all comes back to me. What I do for her is right for us and perhaps for no one else.
Yup, there is dirt under her fingernails at the end of the day and she is happily aware of all the attention but I'll stick to it. It works.
Although I see Olivia is bright and lively, sometimes there are doubts. I am sure I am not the only mom who wonders: Am I spoiling her too much? Do we not read enough books? Is she confused by hearing two languages back and forth all day? Does she have too much stuff? Which kid will she be in school?
I try to adhere to certain school of thought while raising Olivia, and cultivating the little person she is becoming. We let her be naked sometimes, sleep with us at night, and play in dirt while wearing her new tutu dress. When I notice other mothers not doing the same things, or being more rigid, I cannot imagine my Pea flourishing if I were like that. Then, it all comes back to me. What I do for her is right for us and perhaps for no one else.
Yup, there is dirt under her fingernails at the end of the day and she is happily aware of all the attention but I'll stick to it. It works.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Thursday.
Saturday in Puerto Vallarta.
Monday back in San Diego, 19 week bump in my grandparent's bedroom with Pea.
This morning, 7:00am, our bed.
Monday back in San Diego, 19 week bump in my grandparent's bedroom with Pea.
This morning, 7:00am, our bed.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
The beginning of communication...
Me: Quieres mas lechita? (Want more milk?)
Olivia: Nods. (yes)
Me: Are you my baby?
Olivia: Nods. (yes)
Me: Do you want more lentils?
Olivia: Shakes head. (no)
Me: Do you want a piece of bread?
Olivia: Nods. (yes)
(At this point I am so excited we are communicating.)
Me: Are you a dinosaur?
Olivia: Nods. (yes)
Olivia: Nods. (yes)
Me: Are you my baby?
Olivia: Nods. (yes)
Me: Do you want more lentils?
Olivia: Shakes head. (no)
Me: Do you want a piece of bread?
Olivia: Nods. (yes)
(At this point I am so excited we are communicating.)
Me: Are you a dinosaur?
Olivia: Nods. (yes)
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Olivia Simone's hobbies- Age: Almost 14 months
-Destruction. Ripping out the pages of my Elle Hong Kong :( Somehow getting into my makeup bag, drawers of clothes, and so forth. If a stuffed animal has a small tear, forget it. She will rip the stuffing out of it before the poor thing knows what hit it. This aspect of her behavior reminds me very much of a puppy. This is one of her nicknames.
-Grooving. Olivia loves to dance. Any genre, any tune. A couple of days ago we were walking across the Target parking lot and some guys drove by bumping some serious rap. I look at my child and she is bobbing her head in a rhythmic nodding motion to the music. Oh my. Olivia will often walk into my sister's room when she is listening to Of Montreal or Arcade Fire and just stand in the middle of the room and dance. The love of dancing began in my belly.
-Screaming. Happy screams. A shriek when her daddy comes home, a yelp when she sees a kid her size, another one when she sees something she wants at a store. I do not know how to control this, but she is very expressive and uses her vocal chords to do so. I hate to admit it, but the excited screaming freaks out other kids her age and I feel bad for her. She is just trying to make friends. Any tips on this are very welcome.
-Streaking. This is a recent development. Her love for undressing was born one night when I let her run around naked in the living room as I got her bath ready. Luckily, this is usually done in the privacy of her own home. Hopefully it will be a while before Pea knows how to take off her diaper.
In general, Olivia is a hoot. A handful. I am in awe of her ability to make sense of situations and her quick problem solving. She will often imitate us and understands a lot of what we say. There are tantrums and toy throwing episodes but I know this is all a part of her growing and learning. Pea is a sweet, intelligent, and loving baby girl that hugs my legs and gives sloppy kisses. When her temperamental side comes out I just continue being patient and try to understand her and it quickly subsides. There is a very outgoing and independent new aspect to her personality that is developing and according to my mom she gets this from me :)
Whenever I think I could not love her more, I do.
-Grooving. Olivia loves to dance. Any genre, any tune. A couple of days ago we were walking across the Target parking lot and some guys drove by bumping some serious rap. I look at my child and she is bobbing her head in a rhythmic nodding motion to the music. Oh my. Olivia will often walk into my sister's room when she is listening to Of Montreal or Arcade Fire and just stand in the middle of the room and dance. The love of dancing began in my belly.
-Screaming. Happy screams. A shriek when her daddy comes home, a yelp when she sees a kid her size, another one when she sees something she wants at a store. I do not know how to control this, but she is very expressive and uses her vocal chords to do so. I hate to admit it, but the excited screaming freaks out other kids her age and I feel bad for her. She is just trying to make friends. Any tips on this are very welcome.
-Streaking. This is a recent development. Her love for undressing was born one night when I let her run around naked in the living room as I got her bath ready. Luckily, this is usually done in the privacy of her own home. Hopefully it will be a while before Pea knows how to take off her diaper.
In general, Olivia is a hoot. A handful. I am in awe of her ability to make sense of situations and her quick problem solving. She will often imitate us and understands a lot of what we say. There are tantrums and toy throwing episodes but I know this is all a part of her growing and learning. Pea is a sweet, intelligent, and loving baby girl that hugs my legs and gives sloppy kisses. When her temperamental side comes out I just continue being patient and try to understand her and it quickly subsides. There is a very outgoing and independent new aspect to her personality that is developing and according to my mom she gets this from me :)
Whenever I think I could not love her more, I do.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Chatterbox
Alarms are a thing of the past in our home. Every morning I wake up to the sounds of my chatty one-year old, recounting her dreams and demanding some breakfast. She continues chatting throughout our meal, as I wrestle her for a diaper change, and on our drives to wherever. Her tones change as she talks and I am fairly certain she has a lot to say. We get to my parent's house and she says hello to Winston the pug, squeals for her beloved grandpa's attention, and excitedly thanks us for the yummy berries she snacks on. Sometimes she almost forms another word to add to her small collection and I will patiently wait until I can really understand every sentences that comes out of that sweet little mouth of hers.
I suppose we need to add this book to her little library...
I suppose we need to add this book to her little library...
Friday, November 5, 2010
Bare
Motherhood has opened up the depths of my human instinct and directed me to going back to the basics. To parent as if I were living in a small village thousands of years ago without Pampers, Petunia Picklebottom, or Bugaboo. Sure, the baby gear is nice but my intuition makes me to want to keep my baby close to my skin, nursing her, and nurturing naturally and based on instinctual mothering not baby books.
Now that Olivia is growing that primal feeling remains and I find myself dreaming of a small farm where Todd can build our home. A chicken coop, clotheslines with cloth diapers drying in the wind, perhaps a cow or a pig, and of course an organic garden. I want my children to love and appreciate nature, to see and respect where their food comes from, and find joy in the essentials of life.
I've worked in the sales/fashion industry for a while and though I'm a style enthusiast at heart and can appreciate the finer (see: too expensive, not in my budget) things in life I want to shed some of those materialistic tendencies. At this point I'd happily trade in the heels for some gardening boots and my beloved Chanel foundation for rosy cheeks from being out in the sun all day, reading and making mudpies with my Pea.
image via: Google
Now that Olivia is growing that primal feeling remains and I find myself dreaming of a small farm where Todd can build our home. A chicken coop, clotheslines with cloth diapers drying in the wind, perhaps a cow or a pig, and of course an organic garden. I want my children to love and appreciate nature, to see and respect where their food comes from, and find joy in the essentials of life.
I've worked in the sales/fashion industry for a while and though I'm a style enthusiast at heart and can appreciate the finer (see: too expensive, not in my budget) things in life I want to shed some of those materialistic tendencies. At this point I'd happily trade in the heels for some gardening boots and my beloved Chanel foundation for rosy cheeks from being out in the sun all day, reading and making mudpies with my Pea.
image via: Google
Saturday, October 30, 2010
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
I hope everyone has a safe and super fun Halloween weekend! (And HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my lovely cousin Maritza who is leaving India and en route to another exotic country during her Semester at Sea!)
Olivia Witch
Olivia Witch
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
"Ed-yoo-kay-shun"- Say Anything #2
What are your plans for educating Olivia? You are always a wealth of well-researched information and I was wondering what your views were on the subject. I am becoming more and more disenchanted with our public school system and am researching alternatives. Que piensas?
-This is an awesome question and my answer is lengthy. There are many aspects to the education debate and many things to consider. My strongest point as far as education for children is that parents/guardians need to take ownership and full responsibility for their kid's education. We cannot just drop our kid off at school every morning and hope for the best.
My dad was a HUGE intellectual influence for my sister and me and continues to be. My parents made the finacial sacrifice of putting us both in private schools with the best curriculum available in San Diego. Our entire K-12 school life was not private though, we also went to a public elementary school for a couple of years and finished high school at a public school, as well. We were lucky to live in an area with decent public education but in retrospect neither one of these institutions compared to the private school approach to teaching kids.
Ideally, I would love to homeschool Olivia. When done correctly, homeschooling is extremely enriching and empowering for children. This is not for everyone because it does require a lot of discipline, structure, time, and commitment. However, I have mom friends who homeschool and their kids are so social and ahead of most kids their age academically. Homeschooling groups make fun field trips to the zoo, museums, parks, etc. etc. Homeschooling is not what it's reputation dictates. The reason I like the homeschooling idea is that parents take complete control of their child's learning while also having the freedom to partake in fun social activities with other homeschooled kids outside the home.
At this point, I do not see homeschooling in our future. It does not seem like the best fit for us for several reasons. Todd likes the idea of Olivia having a typical schooling experience, and at this moment I am not a stay at home mom. Sadly, public schools in California are suffering greatly. Large classrooms of kids lead to crowd control and over-worked teachers. The curriculum and expectation for each grade level seems to falter year after year according to the research I have done. Children who struggle continue to be pushed to the next grade and kids who are "gifted" are often forced to ride the wave of their classmates who are behind.
To answer the question, our plan for education is to enroll Olivia in a charter/private school in our city. There are several excellent schools in San Diego with faculty that is there because they WANT to be and can be fired if they are not 100% committed to their kids. The curriculum is strong and academic excellence is paramount. The classrooms are significantly smaller so teachers can actually work with their students independently and help build on their personal strengths. I can remember this from my own experiences growing up. I felt my teachers knew me and pushed my talents and encouraged me to try harder in the subjects I was not A+ in.
One more thing: Language. I speak Spanish to Olivia and Todd speaks English. I also teach her words in French. For some reason the U.S. does not foster the opportunity for kids to learn other languages. All my cousins who were educated in Mexico were taught English and their homework was always way more advanced than mine. In most developed countries, if not all, kids are learning another language in elementary school! I don't get it?
No matter if your kids go to private or public school, it is absolutely essential to add to whatever goes on while they're at school. My dad would give us history lessons, encourage literature, and explain math problems. At that time, I thought it was so annoying but now I am eternally grateful.
If any of you have any more information to add or correct, especially if you are working in the public school system, please chime in. We're all ears!
-This is an awesome question and my answer is lengthy. There are many aspects to the education debate and many things to consider. My strongest point as far as education for children is that parents/guardians need to take ownership and full responsibility for their kid's education. We cannot just drop our kid off at school every morning and hope for the best.
My dad was a HUGE intellectual influence for my sister and me and continues to be. My parents made the finacial sacrifice of putting us both in private schools with the best curriculum available in San Diego. Our entire K-12 school life was not private though, we also went to a public elementary school for a couple of years and finished high school at a public school, as well. We were lucky to live in an area with decent public education but in retrospect neither one of these institutions compared to the private school approach to teaching kids.
Ideally, I would love to homeschool Olivia. When done correctly, homeschooling is extremely enriching and empowering for children. This is not for everyone because it does require a lot of discipline, structure, time, and commitment. However, I have mom friends who homeschool and their kids are so social and ahead of most kids their age academically. Homeschooling groups make fun field trips to the zoo, museums, parks, etc. etc. Homeschooling is not what it's reputation dictates. The reason I like the homeschooling idea is that parents take complete control of their child's learning while also having the freedom to partake in fun social activities with other homeschooled kids outside the home.
At this point, I do not see homeschooling in our future. It does not seem like the best fit for us for several reasons. Todd likes the idea of Olivia having a typical schooling experience, and at this moment I am not a stay at home mom. Sadly, public schools in California are suffering greatly. Large classrooms of kids lead to crowd control and over-worked teachers. The curriculum and expectation for each grade level seems to falter year after year according to the research I have done. Children who struggle continue to be pushed to the next grade and kids who are "gifted" are often forced to ride the wave of their classmates who are behind.
To answer the question, our plan for education is to enroll Olivia in a charter/private school in our city. There are several excellent schools in San Diego with faculty that is there because they WANT to be and can be fired if they are not 100% committed to their kids. The curriculum is strong and academic excellence is paramount. The classrooms are significantly smaller so teachers can actually work with their students independently and help build on their personal strengths. I can remember this from my own experiences growing up. I felt my teachers knew me and pushed my talents and encouraged me to try harder in the subjects I was not A+ in.
One more thing: Language. I speak Spanish to Olivia and Todd speaks English. I also teach her words in French. For some reason the U.S. does not foster the opportunity for kids to learn other languages. All my cousins who were educated in Mexico were taught English and their homework was always way more advanced than mine. In most developed countries, if not all, kids are learning another language in elementary school! I don't get it?
No matter if your kids go to private or public school, it is absolutely essential to add to whatever goes on while they're at school. My dad would give us history lessons, encourage literature, and explain math problems. At that time, I thought it was so annoying but now I am eternally grateful.
If any of you have any more information to add or correct, especially if you are working in the public school system, please chime in. We're all ears!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Monday, September 6, 2010
The diva.
Yesterday was a challenging Sunday. It all began Saturday night. Olivia refused to sleep after Todd fed her dinner, a bottle, and all the usual bedtime routine steps. When I tried to rock her to sleep, I could tell she was tired but fighting it. Finally, nearly two hours after we began trying to get her down she finally passed out. In our bed, of course. Then, yesterday she just fought us in little ways throughout the day.
Screaming if we put her in the car seat, standing up in her highchair though she was strapped in, throwing insane tantrums if we took something away, and full-blown sobbing if we said the word "no" to her. I understand this is not usual behavior for a 10-month old infant but I assure you that my sweet daughter's antics yesterday were that of a bratty toddler.
She refused a nap and after three hours of trying *everything* Todd and I decided to put her in her crib with a paci and some toys and let her settle down herself. As you know, I condone peaceful parenting and we have never let Olivia cry it out. I gave this experiment a 5 minute max and left the room. I sat and watched the clock. I could hear her crying but it was not an urgent or scared cry. It was a meek and tired cry, and four minutes in she started to settle down. Six minutes later she was peacefully sleeping without a single tear on her face.
I felt like I was failing the fundamentals of our parenting style, but at the same time she was not hysterical and cleary exhausted. I think it is a mix of several things. She is frustrated she cannot communicate, and she is starting to realize her actions get a reaction from us. She is still a happy and loving child, but if she gets upset or does not like something she loses her cool really quick. I am going to start consistently signing with her and hopefully she picks up on it. I am hopeful this will allow her to tell us what she wants. She is a smart kid, and that can be challenging for her and for us.
By bedtime, my head hurt from her sporadic crying and screaming. Todd and I were both kind of in shock by her behavior. I gave her a nice, warm bath and she threw a fit when it was time to come out. She also got super pissed when I put her pajamas on. I was humming her to sleep and then she decided she still wanted to play. Finally, after 10:00pm, she finally was able to sleep. In our bed, using all of our pillows.
Screaming if we put her in the car seat, standing up in her highchair though she was strapped in, throwing insane tantrums if we took something away, and full-blown sobbing if we said the word "no" to her. I understand this is not usual behavior for a 10-month old infant but I assure you that my sweet daughter's antics yesterday were that of a bratty toddler.
She refused a nap and after three hours of trying *everything* Todd and I decided to put her in her crib with a paci and some toys and let her settle down herself. As you know, I condone peaceful parenting and we have never let Olivia cry it out. I gave this experiment a 5 minute max and left the room. I sat and watched the clock. I could hear her crying but it was not an urgent or scared cry. It was a meek and tired cry, and four minutes in she started to settle down. Six minutes later she was peacefully sleeping without a single tear on her face.
I felt like I was failing the fundamentals of our parenting style, but at the same time she was not hysterical and cleary exhausted. I think it is a mix of several things. She is frustrated she cannot communicate, and she is starting to realize her actions get a reaction from us. She is still a happy and loving child, but if she gets upset or does not like something she loses her cool really quick. I am going to start consistently signing with her and hopefully she picks up on it. I am hopeful this will allow her to tell us what she wants. She is a smart kid, and that can be challenging for her and for us.
By bedtime, my head hurt from her sporadic crying and screaming. Todd and I were both kind of in shock by her behavior. I gave her a nice, warm bath and she threw a fit when it was time to come out. She also got super pissed when I put her pajamas on. I was humming her to sleep and then she decided she still wanted to play. Finally, after 10:00pm, she finally was able to sleep. In our bed, using all of our pillows.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Sunday, August 29, 2010
A day in the life.
Maybe she was hiding from the awful mess she made (I still hadn't unpacked our suitcases from the trip!). Perhaps she was hiding from Todd. Or, she just needed some alone time?
Saturday, August 28, 2010
The holidays are upon us.
August is almost over. Then comes September.
I am a total holiday dork. When October rolls around and the leaves start to crunch under my feet I get really excited. Crisp weather and the smells of the approaching winter make my heart warm and my spirit happy. Perhaps this is because my parents are awesome and made the season certainly jolly for my sister and me. Now that Olivia is here in our life I can only imagine that time of year to be even more joyous and fun. This will be her second holiday round, but the first occured when she was but a wee little bundle of newborn puke and baby squeaks. Now she will be a spunky and hyper little monster and an entire YEAR old.
If I could take my pick on how to spend this Christmas this is what I would choose: A log cabin in the mountains with lots of snow and a fireplace. A log cabin big enough for my parents, sister, and the three of us. We would wake up Christmas morning and look out the window to find everything covered in a cozy blanket of white snow. Then, we would sip hot chocolate with too many mini marshmallows and watch the Pea rip off eco-friendly wrapping paper off her new toys. I have never had a white Christmas and San Diego is not going to bring me one of those any time soon.
Now, answer me this: Are your kids going to be visited by Santa Claus? If so, what is your Santa story? If not, what will you be doing for them and why?
I am a total holiday dork. When October rolls around and the leaves start to crunch under my feet I get really excited. Crisp weather and the smells of the approaching winter make my heart warm and my spirit happy. Perhaps this is because my parents are awesome and made the season certainly jolly for my sister and me. Now that Olivia is here in our life I can only imagine that time of year to be even more joyous and fun. This will be her second holiday round, but the first occured when she was but a wee little bundle of newborn puke and baby squeaks. Now she will be a spunky and hyper little monster and an entire YEAR old.
If I could take my pick on how to spend this Christmas this is what I would choose: A log cabin in the mountains with lots of snow and a fireplace. A log cabin big enough for my parents, sister, and the three of us. We would wake up Christmas morning and look out the window to find everything covered in a cozy blanket of white snow. Then, we would sip hot chocolate with too many mini marshmallows and watch the Pea rip off eco-friendly wrapping paper off her new toys. I have never had a white Christmas and San Diego is not going to bring me one of those any time soon.
Now, answer me this: Are your kids going to be visited by Santa Claus? If so, what is your Santa story? If not, what will you be doing for them and why?
Friday, August 27, 2010
TEN month old!
Happy 10 months to our baby sugar pea. Just when I think you couldn't make life sweeter or that my heart couldn't possibly love you more, you make it all multiply again and again. How did we get so lucky?
I apologize for the mediocre quality iPhone photo!
I apologize for the mediocre quality iPhone photo!
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