This is something to look forward to! A weekend away with my family. So excited! As much as a trip to Botswana is high on my list of "to do's," there is nothing like going away for a few days to see dear friends. After our hectic day we have planned for tomorrow, we hop in the car and drive to Princeton, NJ to see our good friends Nic and Jodie ! Nic's birthday is Friday so we plan to celebrate, hang out, enjoy their newly built house and eat good food. Must get through day tomorrow. Hen has no school, so he plays with babysitter for part of the day as I work. We have a pressie to pick up, a bank to make deposit (fortunately not to withdraw), a car to wash. YIKES! The time-line is written in my calendar and now I must dash to bed before I burn my eyes out.
Well, well, well. This work thing is getting in the way of posting all sorts of interesting things that come flooding in and out of my brain. There is so much that I would like to record here. Journaling is so cathartic as well as providing a window in the past. Although creating a cyber journal slightly scares me as what if all those important blog posts, special emails could one day completely abolish, disappear, poof into thin air....yes, I know, back up your files (which i do every year, but should probably do every week). That is why I love letter writing, aka snail mail. Need to make a note to mental self to do that more often. Any who, I am getting into a rhythm here in DC and loving it! The rhythm is slightly fast paced, but includes important facets of life: family, friends and work. I am managing to spend good quality time with family, which includes not only my husband and child but my mom dad, brother, his fiance, aunts and an uncle. My time with my son is as involved as I can be. As I am apart from him a lot of the day, I find those special moments where I can look into his eyes and be present with him, play silly games with him and tell him how much i love him. Friends, yes, I've been making it a point to go out with my girlfriends and am so enjoying that facet of my life too. Girls night out over really good food and wine! Work is exciting intense and busy. But I love that I am using my brain, making a mark and creating something. I wanted to post a few little pics of hen as he is growing growing growing and speaking so much Spanish that I really am needing to get Rossetta Stone! Yikes help!
"FireLion" (notice the lion costume is a bit on the small side too, was from his FIRST Halloween) was this events costume pick! Halloween party at our neighborhood park and the rescue truck visited too!
Curious as to what this little one was for Halloween?
Falling in with FALL! I love the Autumn. Soups, teas, pumpkins and squash, uggs, cozy fires, brisk nights and leaves coating the streets. YUM!
Pumpkin Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting by Karina Allrich
I found what looks to be a fantastic recipe for moist Pumpkin cake/bread, gluten-free Pumpkin cake. Since I've moved away from Boulder (where the best GF pumpkin bread is made by Aunt Kay's (of Outrageous Baking Co), I haven't been able to find GOOD moist GF breads. It's either a heavy log or is dry as a desert floor. Two weeks ago I picked up the ingredients for this recipe and it has taken me til this evening at 11:00 PM to start making it. Opps! Well I just could not put it off one more day. No ways. Now that it is 1 AM, I have finally made it to bed! I will indulge in my pumpkin bread over coffee in the morning. Can't quite believe that I am holding out on this decadence until tomorrow, but I will be sure to post the outcome. I found my recipe HERE.
YAY YAY! I'm finally connected to the internet. My house has internet. I have internet. We have internet. Connected. Reconnected to the world, thank you! I had to wait two and a half weeks. Crazy eh? Guess we have technician shortage here in the DC area. Any way, as of this past Saturday we had our FiOs cable and internet installed. Somehow the tech guy managed to have the order incorrect and did not have our phone connection listed on his job list.....gonna have to wait a few more days for our house phone. The blackberry can continue to hold the fort down until then.
As we begin to settle here, I have found myself making connections with old friends. Whether through our children's play dates, on the phone or in the grocery store, it is starting to happen. This helps tremendously with the transition and is a sign that we are beginning to take root. It does feel good.
Boy am I exhausted. It is as if for the past year and a half I have been on the fight or flight mode, I've kept my head above water, barely and now that we have found our spot and are taking root and slowing down, my system is starting to shut down. I am in need of some kind of retreat, full of self nurturing, a tune-up. Where I can reflect, acknowledge, make plans, sleep a lot, do yoga, eat well, and move on and forward. This is something I am starting to look into and will make an asserted effort to do even if for a night away. I need this.
This past week showed signs of routine! Henry is in his new school. www.communikidspreschool.com and he is really happy to be making friends and creating new relationships. Maestra Samantha, is one of his teachers with whom he has created a special bond. She cuddles with him a lot. This is a very good place for him and am so happy we found it. On the 21st his class is going to go to Butlers Farm in Maryland to pick pumpkins and apples. I've taken the day off so that I can be a chaperon. So excited about going!
As for the work front, I am keeping busy and enjoying teaching tremendously. There is much going on at the moment. From establishing the class calendars, to finalizing all the marketing...waiting waiting on others is VERY hard. The graphic designer is very talented and has loads on his books, but it is very hard to wait for him to complete things like business cards, to web pages and postcards. It is hard to market the business without these things. YIKES!
This past Friday I went to an excellent organic restaurant for a girls night out with one of my oldest friends Christina. We had a blast! We chatted about friends and family including who what and where. We probably could have stayed for at least five hours longer then we did! Christina and I have many many childhood memories together (the middle school ones are simply the best..puberty is such a poignant time in ones life) and I look forward to creating new ones with her and her family. I am very blessed to continue to have her in my life! We ate delicious swordfish at a restaurant in Bethesda called Redwood. The was the food delicious, as was beautiful, and so is the restaurants decor! It's exterior has mixes of earth (wooden slats) and metal. This continued on through the simple design of the interiors. Despite it's modern decor the (red)wood, creates an abundance of warmth. I will be frequenting this place. The owner has a few other restaurants in the metropolitan area so I will be hopping to those as well!
Yes! It is all FINALLY coming into place. Our move to DC has been one epic journey. We have now, crossed off all our major to do's in order to go from being newly transplanted to being PLANTED! My biggest bridges to cross have been:
Get Pilates Studio up and running
Find a house
Find a preschool for Henry (Spanish Immersion)
Check, check and check! Of course these were being accomplished all at the same time. I've definitely been running around with my head cut off, which is why I've left my blog to linger alone. As Labor Day approaches, I must get ready to move this weekend, prepare Henry to start school on Tuesday AND teach my first classes also on Tuesday. YIKES! Needless to say, I am completely prepared to know that my house will be in complete disarray and that things will not be in "their places" before our big day. I don't want to even get started on what excitement I will have when it comes to decorating my new home too. Yes, I have tons of ideas but must not get hasty here. Breath, and one step at a time PLEASE. Can I tell you how excited I am? Excited that I am back here in DC, that my family is with me, that we have wonderful family and friends around us and that this is our HOME!
As we nest into our new space, I'll be back more, here in my little blog world too!
I am finally feeling partially normal. I guess as I am now getting Henry back on some sort of schedule, poor baba. Still haven't solidified the house, the school as of yet, but I will be meeting the carpet cleaners at the new Pilates studio on Monday! YAY!
As for now, my little one sleeps. I am sitting and enjoying the rain!
Where the heck has the time gone. All my fellow blogger friends, perhaps you've been wondering where on earth I went...I apologize. This moving states twice within one year is definitely taking years off my life! The great news is we made it to DC and are alive! What an epic journey and I am not so sure I want to relive it on these pages it was so darn epic.
We packed house, trucked it by way of route 80 east through Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland and then DC! What an adventure. I've always traveled in the past by way of 70 so I was keen on a new route. I wasn't really sure what to expect in Nebraska or Iowa as I had never been to those two states, but I was very drawn to Iowa. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that my great grandfather was raised there (his Dad had owned one of the first flour mills there), in Walnut Iowa. The landscape was really lovely. Of course there were farms abound (which I had expected), but what I had not, was the rolling hills! There were farms whose corn crops were on tiered hillsides. I've only seen corn growing on very FLAT land so this was a view to behold. Next thing that surprised me were the wind turbines. Whoa! These large wind mills where scattered everywhere like LARGE ants. It was fascinating!
Wind Turbines outside Walnut, Iowa
Wish I could tell you that the rest of the trip was just as intriguing but alas it was not! I will relieve you of the saga. Let's just say it took a whole extra night to get to DC (we planned two but ended up three) which we were not planning on. Henry was a fab little traveler and loved riding in the truck. After having rode in the high truck with huge windows where he could see the world, the Audi no longer cut it. Nevertheless, we made it!
Unloading the Rover.
Can u see Henry is helping out too?
Our first 5 days here were spent recouping, unloading our house in storage and spending time with family. I've moved all my equipment in my Pilates studio and am finishing up the last touches before we are ready to "open shop." The past few weeks I've been juggling so many to do's. To start, I am trying to sort out Henry's school. I've seen a couple of really fabulous schools that have Spanish immersion. Now I am on a hunt for a nanny who can supplement a few hours here and there. The third ball in the air, is finding a place to live. Needless to say I'm gonna need a vacation before I start my new job. Ha ha! Henry has been going through this transition like a super star. He mentioned going home a few times. I know once we get into our own house with his own bed etc, he will be home! Having my family around has been a huge help. This is something I am so very happy about. The support is tremendous. On top of my family affair, I have wonderful friends here too.
Living out of a suitcase has been a challenge let alone a toddler who is running wild! We are staying at my aunts house which has been incredibly fantastic! We get daily swims in, great conversation and delicious food. Speaking of food, my aunt and I saw Julie and Julia! What a fantastically sweet movie. I loved it. I thought Meryl Streep hit Julia Child right on the money! Her mannerisms and body language was spot on! There were points in the movie where both Trisha and I were literally cackling out loud it was so hilarious!
Pool fun!
Any who back to the juggling, the past few weeks...it has been wild. We're hoping to have things settled by this coming week. Will keep you all posted. I've missed my blog friends and my google reader. In the coming weeks I will be back on track. In the meantime do check in here and there to see what's new!
We are officially departing in 9 DAYS. Yes, NINE days, oh, 9! Oh hell. If you could really see my house now.....
Hmmm, got some work to do don't ya think?
What's up with the tent your wondering? As we dig things out of the basement, Henry has found some 'new' toys to play with!
What have we have been doing all this time since my last post about getting organized for a move (which I did do..but did not complete). You see we've been doing a lot of this:
Swimming and eating by the pool!
More eating and outdoor fun!
Eating more and playing with friends (who we will miss incredibly)
Our summer thus far has been loads of fun! And we are doing what we can to squeeze in the bit that we can before we leave in NINE days! Starting to really feel mixed emotions. Life in DC will be fantastic as we have family and many close friends there. I can't wait to settle into my new job and get into the rhythm of life there! And I can't help and feel some sadness too as we are leaving some of our most favorite people and places. We WILL be back to visit!
Come the 31st we will head out on our THREE day road trip!
Oh fun oh fun oh fun! Today I did some of my very own creating! I am learning how to use html language to create buttons for the company Commandos. Very cool. I'll admit, I couldn't do this on my very own and have found a fabulous blog designer, named April, who has listed various tutorials on her site. I found April Showers Blog Design through the lovely Ali over at Holdenittogether. Thank you ladies so so much!
Here are some of my creations!
This one will be good for those who would like to post on their blogs or websites. Nice feature is that it links to the Commandos website.
Use promo code COM-KBKb for 10% off.
This one will be used for those doctors and physical therapist whose practice focuses on patients who experience pelvic pain conditions, like Interstitial Cystitis and Vulvodynia.
Soft cotton alternative for painful pelvic conditions. Click above and use promo code COM-KBK1 for 10% off.
Ok, so these took me all of a few minutes to make so I will definitely continue to play. But at least it is the start to having some more tricks up my sleeve! HA HA!
My dear boy, is exactly 2 and a half! He is my joy, my little love bug, who brings the child out of me. Who makes we want to be the best mommy I can possibly be. My two and a half year old is not only sweet as can be but sensitive too! I love it when on his own accord will tell me "bless you" after a sneeze or will tell me "thank you" for helping get a book from the shelf. I adore it when he sings me made up songs about what he loves. I cherish his spontaneous hugs and kisses. I love him. It is quite hard to believe how time has flown, thinking it was near to 3 years ago that I gave birth to this little being. This child o mine has had quite an adventure thus far. Traveling to South Africa, moving from San Diego to Boulder and now to Washington DC. The countless flights to California and the east coast. His friends, the ranch, his love for books and cars, and his adventures and experiences at bilingual school. I can only imagine what the world will have in store for him. Where will he live? Where will he travel? What will he do for a living? Will he get married? As his parent, I realize what we can do is be as present as we can with him every single day. We can teach by setting examples and nurture his interests. He will get to that point in his life where he will chose his own paths.
"I'll love you forever I'll like you for always, As long as I'm living my baby you'll be" By Robert Munsch and Sheila McGraw
So things are starting to get a little messy around here. I am just starting the process of packing house and things are only gonna get messier! Yesterday was paper day. I went through TONS of old piles of paper and files in my office, things that I just don't need. Desperately trying to put things in their place. This way when it comes time to put things in boxes, there aren't those completely random objects, papers and what not thrown in. Here is my approach to prepping for packing:
Few weeks before move:
- Place a box in each room designated for things you want to get rid of (whether you want to donate it or sell it).
-Place a large trash bag for papers and other trash or recycleables.
- Go through desks, drawers places that are likely to accumulate junk, trash etc. Decide what to keep, give or throw away.
-Go through clothing and especially those closets that like to hide things away from you! I have a box filled with clothes that I am going to sell or give away.
-Pair down your magazine collection. If you are a magazine lover like myself, you may have piles of them under your bed, in a closet? I have a huge pile I've been meaning to go through. So now I am flipping through and clipping what I want to keep in my design inspiration binder. Binders: This system is great if you like to go back to and refer to things. I have binders for: interior design, South Africa, Inspiration/Betterment, Henry ideas (gifts, party ideas), Pilates and personal wish list (great for the hubby to peruse through if he has a hard time figuring out what to buy his wifey). I try to go through the binders often to eliminate and keep things manageable. All in all, this system really helps for my work!
- Try to recycle as much as you can!
- Go through labeled boxes. I have clear boxes that have crafty items, fabric samples, photographs, toys, letters, Henry's artwork. I took a quick peruse through those just to see if I could pair down. Some, but not much.
- Pair down toy collection. No point on keeping those cars whose tires are missing or somehow have been COMPLETELY dimolished.
Somehow, just writing this all out makes me feel that much more organized. However, there is still the garage AND basement. Wish me luck!
I do have many tastes from stark white and clean lines to colorful and traditional. To marry the two can be overboard but I think with moderation you can find the happy medium. To be just focus on one genre can be at times boring.
But what excites me the most is the fabric choices you can make in decorating a beach house! Some of my favorites:
After coveting Cottage Living magazine for many years, I needed to fulfill the void once it went under. Now I get Coastal Living which doesn't quite hold a candle to Cottage Living or Domino for that matter, but I did find the following and think I might enjoy anticipating it's arrival every month in my mailbox...I found this adorable hotel in their July/August issue:
I think this hotel is pretty fantastic. What makes me excited about going to stay, is it has a bit California surfer style meets Morocco . You don't quite realize your are in Montauk NY (except maybe for the striped chairs). The hotel is owned and designed by Robert McKinley.
...that we are packing house and moving to Washington DC!
Wow, ok whirlwind is approaching fast, I know. The life we have lead since May 2008, has been a crazy one. Now we are returning to my hometown and I couldn't be more excited! Our departure from Boulder is gonna be a sad one, though. I've already shed a tear or two with my friend Carol. I've got a nice handful of fabulous girlfriends here who have children that have become friends with Hen. Definitely hard. We are also leaving behind extended family and the topper to this rather delicious cake, is the ranch. Yikes! I will definitely miss the beauty of Colorado (gotta love the Rocky mountains) as well as the weather (although it is a tad too dry for my vata body. My skin gets super dry). But I must admit, that what will unfold for us in DC is incredibly exciting. I've been offered a position as Pilates director at a studio (the proposal went very well thank you). YAY! This is huge for me. Another fantastic factor is that both my mom and dad live there as well as my brother Rob (who is newly engaged). There are a schlew of friends who I still keep in touch with who are also still residing there. So we'll transition well. There is MUCH to do at this point. Am needing to go through the house starting this weekend and decide what is to trash, pack or sell. The garage sale will be great. As I mentioned in my previous post, purging feels oh so good. We must get house packed by the 29th of July as we load on the 30th and head outta town on the 31st. WHAT? yes, we are heading out on the 31st of July. That is exactly 29 days from now. Oh this is gonna go quick. Fortunately, we haven't to worry about finding our house just yet, so we will be staying with family for a bit until we find the right neighborhood (schools, work etc all factor into that). School for Henry is something I am starting to get a bit nervous about as I keep hearing about waitlists. The same goes for here in Boulder, but I will take my time and find the right fit for him. There are numerous bilingual schools there so I know this won't lay over my head for too long. Yesterday was definitely a day of reflection for me as it was the day that I found out about the job. I took myself for a walk so that I could really look at what we are leaving as well as what we are coming into. There are always the pro's and con's, but for me the biggest motivating factors to move east back to DC are my parents (who I very much want to be apart of Henry's daily life), and the successfulness of our careers. These are pretty big things. Deep down inside I've wanted this for a LONG time!
Not sure yet. So the proposal is sent off and I wait. Waiting is definitely hard to do as is any transition to the next step. Instead of getting overly heady and stressed about what's to come, I am keeping busy with house projects and summer fun activities with Henry. I am thinking about having a garage sale, I love giving them as I get quite siked up about purging out all the junk that starts to accumulate. Where does Henry get all those darn trucks and cars from? Visits at friends, gifts from family members, our weekly shop at Target ( he wishes), you name it! Hoping it will be a successful one. Another fun way I recently got rid ofsome things, was a clothing swap (you can get rid but also come home with something "new"). Last Saturday I hosted my first Clothing Swap with my girlfriends. Our friends invited friends. They brought clothing they were tired of, no longer wore or just wanted to rid themselves of. This is a great way to recycle and reuse. After some wine and hors d'oeuvres on the patio we headed to the living room and started to look over each others stuff. It was so fun and everyone made off with something "new!" Will have to host another one of those in the future. Twas successful..I made off with a very cool white leather bracelet, a skirt, a shirt and 2 pairs of brand-spanking new shoes (must have been impulse purchases).
Was just doing some research on Clothing Swaps and came across a plethora of sites.....
Did you know that people are swapping clothing at special scheduled EVENTS across the country? Check out www.clothingswaps.com Wow there is a mecca of this out there. Also there is a site called SwapStyle Where you trade with women online all over the world! Had no idea there was this out there. Very interesting!
Tomorrow I should know more about the outcome of this proposal, please hold thumbs or cross your fingers for me!
I came across this gorgeous lodge located in South Africa over at the Elle Decoration South Africa blog. This is one stunning place. I like the openness and laid back appeal. Yet, it still has a keen eye for great design. However, I would be slightly nervous about bringing my two year old there...a lot of white. Next time in SA, must go and have a look. It would be a great location to have a retreat. Hmm, maybe a Pilates/yoga retreat? Zensa Lodge is near Capetown and close to the water. I love how there is a huge open grassy area (place for future yoga and Pilates classes, hehe). Any who, check out the ZENSA LODGE, they have many great design pics on their site.
As for my work, my proposal has been sent! It's off and now I must wait.....so must you! Will keep you all posted as the time draws near!
Just got back from the east coast. We went to our friends first birthday in Princeton NJ and then went onto DC to see my family. This trip was 4 nights....quite a bit of travel to do in a short period AND with a 2 year old. Needless to say, now that we are home, I am REALLY sick with an awful cold/flu. Oh poor me...sorry need to have a pity party at the moment cause I do. I haven't felt this bad in a long. It's that kind of sickness where you really can't play it off. I look and feel like hell. Today I am still in my pj's and my poor child has to deal with a mommy who just doesn't have it in her to be the best playmate. So we are doing the best at the moment. I've got so much going on at the moment and wish I could share all of it right now, but just can't. However, I will tell you that I have a big deadline tomorrow.....I am writing a proposal for a Pilates program. Can't say any more than that at the moment but will share more as I move forward with all this. It is VERY exciting. We've got some big changes on the horizon and 1) I don't want to jinx it 2) don't want to mention detail it until I know it is a go. Sorry for the tease, but please do stay tuned in! Despite feeling the beginnings of what turned out to be a cold while on travels we had a excellent time. We had a great time with friends in Princeton and ate at gorgeous restaurant called, Eno Terra. (the website doesn't do it justice) MMmmmm! Then we took the train to DC, which was Henry's very first Amtrak ride. I grew up going on the train so I was excited to have Henry partake in this adventure. He loved it and much to my father's excitement too as he is a huge train buff. While in DC we saw family which is always hectic, as I usually run from household to household, but was happy when my dad invited my mom to dinner....they're divorced after 32 years of marriage and are finally able to hang out with each other despite my dad being remarried (which has been an ongoing source of contention). Must admit it was a tad weird having my family all sit around the table including my dad's wife, she handled it well even when my parents chatted about good memories of the ol days. More on the family dairies one day. My brother took us on his boat on the Potomac River, that runs through the city. As a high school student I used to scull on it. Henry hasn't been on a motor boat EVER, so he was completely amazed. His favorite part was watching the water get pushed out out the back. He loved how the boat made waves!
Despite my rant about "un-sunny" California, we had a blast! Of course the last two days that we were there the sun came out! YAY for sun. I swear it seems that there is not much sun shining around the states these days. Tons of rain and overcast in Colorado and hear that the upper east coast (including DC) has had loads of rain. Where's our summer? Well, despite my rant, the rain is good. WE NEED IT! San Diego was great! Dean and I decided that it is a place we enjoy to go on holiday, but can't see ourselves living there again (sorry sissy poo, I still miss you stacks). Our holiday of course consisted of a lot of running around to do various errands for my mom, sister and I. But we also got up to some dinner parties, beach time and visits with friends too! The most important reason we were there was for Norah's special event. I am so happy that we were able to be there to support her at her First Communion which was lovely. All these little people decked out for this special rite of passage. Norah was gorgeous!
Norah was given this rosary by my mom which had been given to her at her Confirmation.
So sweet!
Henry posing as he eats candy in church (naughty boy, who gave that to you)!
Posing in the garden
Norah and "girlie" the cat, posing.
After the ceremony, we had lunch reservations over at the Hotel Del. The day was gorgeous, so we were very excited about sitting outside for our lunch. Despite the lack of excellent service, the food was DELICIOUS!
Having eaten all his strawberries, he moved onto his favorite, grilled cheese (love the bib)!
Norah gives a toothy grin while sipping down her smoothie.
After lunch, we headed down to the beach. Coronado has the most gorgeous beaches. They are clean and quite expansive ( I think they must be man-made). Henry could not get out of his seat quick enough to go see the beach (put an emphasis on the "ch" of beach as this is how Henry pronounces it). "Yay, beach! It's the beach! Going to the beach! Go swim in the beach!" said Henry.
Norah found loads of seaweed. This was particularly beautiful and she enjoyed dancing with it too!
She pointed out that an urchin was growing on it!
Henry made it into the water pretty quickly. After having jumped in literally with his clothes on. Thank goodness I brought his swim trunks!
Lots of running in and out of the water. He does not realize that he can't swim. The kid has no fear.
Really liked this pic as it reminds me a bit of my sister Sarah (her mother).
Dean took this pic of Hen and I. It is one of very few pics that I remotely like of myself (perhaps maybe because henry is covering half my face). Having little sleep, the stress, that I've got going on these days does not make for a photogenic Kate.
After a delayed flight on Monday night we got home around midnight. Since we've been home, we've been sleeping, sleeping and recovering from PINK EYE! Yikes, not sure how Henry contracted that, but am thinking it must have been from the plane? Airport? Poor baba, woke this morning with his eyes glued shut. He was a very brave boy and managed to sit still while I put a warm washcloth on both eyes. Icky goop! He is resting up and on antibiotics. He'll be contagious free when we get back on the plane. Next stop Friday, we head to New Jersey to visit our friends in Princeton, then onto to DC. Very excited about this upcoming trip as it will be very defining for us. Will be sure to tell you more as things progress. For now, I keep quiet!
Glad to be back in blogging land. Hope I can get two more posts in before we go! Check back, ok. xxoo
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