break time! day 1

Hey y’all! 

I realized last summer that just the three of us (juan, ladybug, and myself) hadn’t taken a real family vacay since ladybug was a toddler! Yes, we travel, and travel quite a bit, but it was always family related and mainly to Atlanta, which is where Juan is from and where I finished school. We always have a blast when we go ‘home’ because, well, it’s home. Most of my college friends are still in the area, and do I need to even mention all the good eating to be had there? Plus Juan and ladybug get to spend time with the family.  Even though it’s home, it’s still just home.

 

the fountain at Balboa Park

Upon my vacation realization I told Juan we had to fix this asap! So being the man of action that he is, he started looking for somewhere other than Atlanta for us to visit. But the question was when. Do we sacrifice our Christmas vacation in Atlanta for our family get a way? We don’t get home as much as we used to; it’s dwindled down to only once or twice each year ($650 has been the average price per ticket!) at most, and his family’s not happy about it. Thanksgiving? It required more thought, and time, but ultimately Christmas break won and the Atlanta lost. San Diego here we come!

We left that Thursday before Christmas and returned late Christmas Eve. Thirty minutes into the flight I began to panic because I realized that I hadn't done ANY shopping!! Nope. Not even one little gift card for ANYONE! And we were returning too late for me to get anything at least for ladybug. In addition to my own anxiety, ladybug had to contribute hers as well - would we get back in time to make Santas cookies? how will Santa find her if we didn't have a tree? and on and on...!  Well thank God for friends like Glo! She saved the day by doing all my shopping for ladybug! I could exhale and really enjoy the trip.

And boy did we have a much needed blast filled with lots of food, walking (and no wheelchair or motor scooter mind you!!), and uncontrollable laughter. It was just wonderful and just what we needed and we will be doing this more often! 

Day one was all about rest and relaxation. But day two was full of museums at Balboa Park. This place is a museum freaks heaven! There are museums for every possible interest, with fountains and historic mission style buildings all nestled in a beautiful park setting. There are people everywhere selling churros and balloon animals, protesting the civil situation or another, passing out info on religious and sexual rights to expression (not necessarily the one in the same, lol!) all throughout the place. Our favorites where the ones with animals. 

she loves dinosaurs, reptiles, and sharks!

As for museums, we found ourselves in the natural history museum... ladybug LOVES dinosaurs, sharks, and other creatures. 

this creeped me out

she got a real kick out of this giant shark!

telling her dad 'what's what'

we had fun at the natural history museum

Day 1 was so much fun, so STAY TUNED for day 2!

Be well ♥

Is It Twelve Already?

Wow, has it really been two months since my last post? Honestly, I have no excuses and I’m sorry. I’ve just been lazy. I think of and want to blog every day, but just haven’t. That’s it. No excuses really, no drama, haven’t been sick, fingers been working (sort of) fine. Then I started getting emails from you all - my wonderful and faithful followers. Wow. I’m so blessed and humbled that so many you out there actually care about my inane dribble. Then I really began feeling bad. As I should. Because I’ve had some pretty funny, interesting, and thought provoking insights to blog about! Well, what’s done is done, so let’s get to it! Since there’s a bit of ground for me to cover, I’ll start slowly, which will force me to post several entries – more for you all to enjoy! 

So let’s start with my beloved ladybug. She just had a birthday and is now a twelve year old. I’m still wrapping my mind around this. It’s amazing to see how she’s grown (literally! –  she's grown 7 inches in 10 months!!), and developed both emotionally and maturity wise, especially since moving her to a new school last year. She has changed by leaps and bounds and I’m so damn proud of her! She’s gone from absolutely hating the idea of reading, to begging for books and sneaking to stay up late so she can read! OMG. She rarely complains, and never gives up. I am often in awe of her and wondering where she gets that fortitude from. 

As I’ve mentioned in a previous post here, last year was the year from hell for us when we moved her to this new school – it was truly horrible. But she triumphed and never let those kids, or the situation get to her. Now, she’s a rock star! She’s little miss popularity! It's like the twilight zone, lol! They LOVE her! She’s not complaining either. Even though she seems to have found a really good core group of girls (who’ve played a major role in her new found interest in reading), I see now through the benefit of hindsight that at least this group of girls are shy in nature and underexposed, and that that's what their particular issue was last year (I can't speak for the other lil heifers!). However, Juan and I have told her more than once to be mindful, that some of them were the same girls who treated her not so nice, for whatever reason, and to let them show her that they want to be her friend for who she is, not what they think she has or can do for them.

With that little bit of background said, she had a big birthday weekend blowout/extravaganza with some of the girls from school. It was two days of 12 and 13 year old fun! The theme was “Girls Night Out and In” where we first did a ‘date’ with a movie and dinner complete with ‘mocktails’, then we headed to our house for lots of fun and games. Once home we did the bday cake and a sparkling cider toast in fancy glasses. Then they had an Xbox dance off and karaoke singing contests where the girls won prizes. Afterwards they had a massive pillow fight and enjoyed down time where they did crafts, worked puzzles, and played card/board games. The next morning we headed to the local breakfast spot for pancakes and hot chocolate, then back home for more hanging out time til their parents picked them up. Everyone had a blast! And I survived!  

So it's official, we have a twelve year old. My how time has flown...

Be well ♥

We Got A Love Thang...

Today is my wedding anniversary and I’m going to let you in on some of my random thoughts and feelings about him, about us, and just some of how he is…

Wedding on the beach at sunset in Ocho Rios

Gosh I am in love with my husband. I love him. I truly do. And it has nothing to do with familiarity due to time. He’s the strong silent type - physically, emotionally, and character. That’s so sexy to me. And I know he loves me, adores me without question. All of me. COMPLETELY. I don't have to hide. He kisses my boo-boos. He believes… no, he knows I can do anything. He thinks I’m pretty. I think he is FOINE. We flirt with each other…. A LOT. I am his queen and he is my king. He is my biggest fan and loudest cheerleader. My personal bodyguard and protector. I don’t ever have to worry. He knows that I trust him to lead our family because he knows I have his back in the most fiercest of ways. We trust each other with our lives.

Musee D'Orsay Paris 2008

I love it when he sees me struggling to make it up the stairs. He comes behind me and whisks me up in his arms, quietly, gently. Yes, he’s sexy to me, still after 22 years. And I am to him. Don’t get me started about the lovemaking…. Yeah, still. Even after 22 years. “Dayum!”‘Nuff said.

I love the way he looks at me when he thinks I don’t see him. I love how hard he works for us. Though not the best communicator, he’s tender and loving. He loves our daughter in the way a dad should - active, engaged, and concerned. He combs her hair almost better than I can, and I love the way he looks at and watches her. He loves to laugh, sometimes too much, and always looks for the bright side no matter how pitch black it actually is. I love that he tempers me like chocolate and helps me get and stay balanced, sometimes with just a glance my way. A patient student, he allows me my mistakes while I figure out how to show him how to love me. He really does listen, even though he ignores most of what I say. He does not suffers fools, believes in femininity yet loves a strong woman. Has no problem donning an apron or hand washing my bras.

In first class on an Air France flight 2011

I love it when he works in the yard, or on the cars. I love his arms. His shoulders. His legs. I love cuttin his hair with clippers or shaving him with a straight razor and cream. I love his 3 o'clock shadow. I love when he gets in someone’s ass for being disrespectful. That bass in his voice.... yes.

We’ve been through it these last several years with my health. I mean things that would rip most marriages apart, but yet we are only stronger; we love and appreciate each other more and more. He can be amazing. 

Again, he is not perfect. I am not perfect. However, we are truly perfect together (most of the time, lol!!).  

Happy Anniversary to US!

 

He Was Great

i had a dog. his name was malik. he was great.

and i miss him so very terribly.

he saved my life. not once, but twice. well, actually, if you count the many times he reminded me to take my medications....  anyway, we had just bought our house, and i had taken part of the day off to scheduled all the service to be checked out and/or connected - gas, lights, cable, etc... and juan told me to take malik with me, give him a chance to check out the backyard since we hadn't actually moved in yet. all the workers cam and went, quite uneventful, until the cable guy came.

malik, 208 pounds at the time, a very lazy and unaffected creature, and in a way that was very much not like most dogs, normally could care less about most things, especially if they're humans talking business. but milliseconds before the doorbell rang, he went BANANAS. i - mean - B.A.N.A.N.A.S.  i had never seen him like that - barking and snarling and jumping. he was behaving in such a crazy way that i had to take him outside. while there, he ripped the screen door off and i was afraid he was going to break through the sliding glass door! malik clearly didn't like this guy, who kept begging me to come inside and go upstairs to show him what should go where. mind you, we hadn't moved in a stick of furniture yet, it was obvious where the connections were and there was nothing for him to take.

ultimately the guy finally left, discouraged and clearly afraid of malik. before he pulled away in his truck, i get a call from the cable company dispatcher saying their guy can't make it because the previous appointment ran over. almost on cue, malik, looking for an ear rub as reward for his performance, nudged me out of my shock and i was able to gather my wits about me and get part of the guys license plate and call the police. they caught him at the entrance of our subdivision. i won't go into too much more detail, but will say that that guy had been robbing, beating and molesting women in the area.

tears. he truly was great.

he had a way with ladybug that was just amazing. there's a commercial running now where this humongous great dane allows a little girl to dress him up and paint his nails. yep, malik. he was her body pillow, her pacifier, her partner in crime. when she was 2 years old and wanted a snack, she'd bat her eyes at him and he knew his mission. i always kept a bowl of fruit and her favorite crackers on the bar counter, and in only his stealth way, he'd get on his hind legs somehow and get her snacks. i still have no idea how he could do it.

and oh that face. that lazy, "ah, c'mon" or "who...me?", or "don't even think about grabbing that lead and talking ME for a walk" look.

i ache for him. tears.

there's a song that i've had on my ipod for at least a year, don't remember when or how i found it, but it's now used in a fabulous purina dog commercial. now, i don't mean to begrudge my cat loving friends and followers, but... there's just something about dogs. especially my dog. malik. and this song, along with the commercial, makes me miss him so much more.

he's been gone for almost 4 years now. but he's with me every moment. every day. 

i had a dog. and he was great.

Malik ~ 1996-2009 

what love is for me

love is my husband. i love him. i truly do. and it has nothing to do with familiarity due to time. he's the strong silent type - physically, emotionally, and character. that's so sexy to me. he's sexy to me, still after 22 years. and i am to him. he's tender and loving. he loves our daughter in the way a dad should. active and concerned who combs her hair almost better than i can. he loves to laugh and always looks for the bright side. he listens. he believes in womanhood, but has no problem donning an apron and scrubbing the toilets, and i haven't done laundry or changed the sheets in at least 15 years. 

i love it when he works in the yard, or on the cars. how he looks at me when he thinks i'm not paying attention. i love his arms. his shoulders. his legs. i love cutting his hair or shaving him and his 3 o'clock shadow. or when he's getting in someones ass for being disrespectful. that base in his voice.... yes.

now don't get me wrong. he's not perfect. our love isn't perfect.
 

but he loves me without question. all of me. COMPLETELY. i don't have to hide. he kisses my boo-boos. he believes, no, he knows i can do anything. he thinks i'm pretty. he flirts with me. i am his queen.

we've been through it these last several years with my health. i mean things that would rip most marriages apart, but yet we are only stronger, we love and appreciate each other more and more. he is amazing. 

again, he is not perfect. however, he's pretty damn close to it for me.  

juan is love for me.