So, I guess I hit this point...I hit the point of mom jeans. No, I didn't get jeans that come up to my natural waist and taper at the ankle or have pleats. But mom jeans have changed. The jeans I bought are not our mother's mom jeans.
Today's mom jeans come with some special tummy control panel. And those are the ones I got. They are a dark wash and a boot leg, and aside from the brand, probably couldn't be recognized as mom jeans. But they are mom jeans.
The thing is, since having my daughter, I have not been able to lose the weight. I am not back to where I would like to be, and I try not to beat myself up about that too much. Even though "they" say that for a year after a baby is born it's "baby fat", but, after the first birthday, it's just fat. So it's just fat now. But, besides the fat, my body has changed too. By losing the bit of weight that I have, I have managed to get my legs back to only one size larger than I was pre-pregnancy-maybe even back down to size. My tummy on the other hand? It's still 2-3 sizes bigger than pre-pregnancy size. Even if I lose all the weight, I doubt very much if it will ever be the same. Part of me is ok with that. I would like to give my belly a chance to be HOT again, but that would require quite a bit more weight loss- which I hope to achieve, but...we'll get there when we get there. And for now... here I am in mom jeans. Jeans with a control panel. But can I just say that I only paid $12 for them (FULL PRICE!) and they really and truly fit like a dream. They do. And only $12! Should I be surprised that the jeans that fit came from a superstore, not a boutique? For some reason, I'm not.
I know it's probably not a rule, at all, but, I do have to say, I think if there is one argument for having babies young, like really young, it's that you'll be much more likely to be able to regain your body quickly. I think your body just has a natural ability that we lose with age, no matter how healthy or active we are. Almost all of the women I know who had babies before 25 got their body back almost immediately-and by that I mean they don't even look like they've had babies, at all. Of course I know plenty of women who got their body back in shape after having a baby after 25, but, I don't think any of them did it as easily as those women who were under 25. Of course, I missed that boat by a few years. And then there is also the fact that throughout my life I was always the person easily gaining weight, not so much losing it. So whatever. But hey... I have mom jeans with a tummy control panel. Win/win?
Hey wait, I know what the win is! I'm not wearing maternity pants anymore!!!! Mom jeans for the win, FOR SURE!
Tell the truth... do you have mom jeans?
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
34 G and H
We've made it Stateside in one piece...but it was a looooooong journey. Here's a run down of what we did over the last two days:
Sunday
3:30am: get up
4:50am: finally leave after packing car for 20 mins
5:15am:arrive at airport
9:30am: take off for Johannesburg an hour late
1:45pm: arrive in Joburg (adjust time +1 hour), rush to post office, mail boxes, check in for next flight, have lunch in food court, go through security, buy a couple things in duty free, go to gate (got to gate as boarding was already happening)
6:45pm: take off on time from Joburg headed to Frankfurt
Monday
5:00am arrive in Frankfurt to most boring terminal ever
5:00am-1:00pm: sit and be bored in airport
1:45pm: take off from Frankfurt for Denver
3:40pm: arrive in Denver (adjust time -7 hours)
So basically... those were some long days. On the first flight from Luanda to Joburg, of course we were all tired because it was so freaking early. We all slept on the plane a little. This plane was VERY empty- we had 4 seats to ourselves in the bulk head. Was wonderful!
On the second flight, which was 10 hours long, we were in the bulk head, had three seats to ourselves, and had a bassinet. It was also good. Beni slept in the bassinet for a few hours, and Joel and I also managed to sleep a bit. What helped is that this flight was during nighttime hours, so, they served us dinner, then they turned out all the lights, and only near the end, turned them back on and served us breakfast.
The layover at Frankfurt airport was torturous. We were in the most boring terminal EVER. It only had a couple of shops- one newsstand and one duty free, one random electronics/toys shop. And it had one cafe, and then a couple kiosks selling sausages and sandwiches. No proper restaurant even. So disappointing! Also, needless to say, after having gotten up at 3:30am the morning before and only sleeping a few hours on the plane we were so tired. We took turns napping at the gate, but, with Beni there, it never lasted more than 30-45 minutes. It really seemed impossible that we had ANOTHER 10 hour flight ahead of us. It was hard to fathom.
Well, the last flight, they stuck us in seats 34 G and H. Row 32 was the bulk head. We were not in it. G and H were the aisle and the middle seat. There was a young woman sitting in J, the window seat. Beni had no room to play, we didn't even have any room for her toys. There was no bassinet. Oh, also, there were no personal tv screens! Basically, this flight was off to a bad start. Then, because this flight took off mid-day, and arrived mid-day, they decided that economy class should suffer through an extended length day. Business class mind you went dark during the flight so they could comfortably watch movies on their personal screens. Economy stayed lit up and bright THE WHOLE TRIP. Do you know how easy it is to make some babies sleep when the room is as bright as day? Yeah, that sucked.
Then, Joel took Beni back to one of the galleys to play on the floor for a little while. It was ok for a while, but then, they were told they had to leave. Joel was pretty cranky by then with the combination of crappy seats, no personal tvs, etc, so he complained that if we had been given baby appropriate seats, he wouldn't have to be back there (there were 4 grown men sitting in the bulk head, no babies). So then a while after Joel came back, a stewardess came to us to hear him complain some more. Eventually, she got the guy sitting on the aisle in the bulk head to switch seats with me, so they were able to put a bassinet up for Beni. Thankfully that worked and she did sleep a little in it. But then toward the very end of the flight she kept stirring in her sleep just enough to start screaming at the top of her lungs and flailing her body around like she was possessed by a demon. The guy next to be assumed the brace position and covered his ears. I thought that was classy. I mean, I know my kid is screaming, but, really? Could you be any more rude? I kept forcing my boobs in her mouth and eventually she calmed down, and fell back asleep.
That plane couldn't land soon enough. Joel was sitting 2 rows behind me, in the middle seat, unable to help me and I was sitting there wanting to cry and scream myself. It's very frustrating to deal with her in that state where she isn't really awake but is also definitely not asleep. She won't be comforted, and only nursing calms her down, but it's hard to get the flailing, screaming body into position, not to mention getting the bra unhooked and shirt adjusted, etc, etc... so sometimes the screaming goes on for longer than you like. Ah, the whole thing just sucks. Needless to say, by the time we landed in Denver, we were SO ready to get off that plane.
We let everyone around us get off first- neither Joel nor I in the mood to push and shove with the rest of them- and then just moved at a slow mosey on through immigration and customs. We had bought a couple boxes of chocolates for our wonderful hosts here in Denver at the airport in Frankfurt, so of course, we declared those and ended up having to have all our bags x-rayedchai, and we met my sister-in-law and my nephew and we came home, and showered and had dinner and fell into a dead sleep by 9pm in my brother's kind sized bed (what a treat! We need one!).
Today we've walked for miles in the sunshine, exploring the little town my younger brother lives in. We had lunch a great little restaurant (Joel had a pepperoni pizza and I had a roasted beet salad- and we shared some fancy cheddar cheese + apple slices and fig jam and rosemary flatbread with Beni). Then we walked some more and more and more and Beni napped in the stroller. We walked all the way to a grocery store and I fell in love all over again, and we bought some baby snacks and baby food and...well, let's just say, this trip is now off to a good start. This evening we'll head to the mountains with my older brother, and tomorrow Joel should actually get to go snowboarding.
34 G and H finally seem behind us and we are happy people again. Also, we now know for sure that there is no question about which approach to traveling is better. We will always pick the longer layover/more days of traveling which includes a night in a hotel, over short layovers and pushing through less days of traveling.
Have you got a horror story of your own about traveling with or without a baby?
Sunday
3:30am: get up
4:50am: finally leave after packing car for 20 mins
5:15am:arrive at airport
9:30am: take off for Johannesburg an hour late
1:45pm: arrive in Joburg (adjust time +1 hour), rush to post office, mail boxes, check in for next flight, have lunch in food court, go through security, buy a couple things in duty free, go to gate (got to gate as boarding was already happening)
6:45pm: take off on time from Joburg headed to Frankfurt
Monday
5:00am arrive in Frankfurt to most boring terminal ever
5:00am-1:00pm: sit and be bored in airport
1:45pm: take off from Frankfurt for Denver
3:40pm: arrive in Denver (adjust time -7 hours)
So basically... those were some long days. On the first flight from Luanda to Joburg, of course we were all tired because it was so freaking early. We all slept on the plane a little. This plane was VERY empty- we had 4 seats to ourselves in the bulk head. Was wonderful!
On the second flight, which was 10 hours long, we were in the bulk head, had three seats to ourselves, and had a bassinet. It was also good. Beni slept in the bassinet for a few hours, and Joel and I also managed to sleep a bit. What helped is that this flight was during nighttime hours, so, they served us dinner, then they turned out all the lights, and only near the end, turned them back on and served us breakfast.
The layover at Frankfurt airport was torturous. We were in the most boring terminal EVER. It only had a couple of shops- one newsstand and one duty free, one random electronics/toys shop. And it had one cafe, and then a couple kiosks selling sausages and sandwiches. No proper restaurant even. So disappointing! Also, needless to say, after having gotten up at 3:30am the morning before and only sleeping a few hours on the plane we were so tired. We took turns napping at the gate, but, with Beni there, it never lasted more than 30-45 minutes. It really seemed impossible that we had ANOTHER 10 hour flight ahead of us. It was hard to fathom.
Well, the last flight, they stuck us in seats 34 G and H. Row 32 was the bulk head. We were not in it. G and H were the aisle and the middle seat. There was a young woman sitting in J, the window seat. Beni had no room to play, we didn't even have any room for her toys. There was no bassinet. Oh, also, there were no personal tv screens! Basically, this flight was off to a bad start. Then, because this flight took off mid-day, and arrived mid-day, they decided that economy class should suffer through an extended length day. Business class mind you went dark during the flight so they could comfortably watch movies on their personal screens. Economy stayed lit up and bright THE WHOLE TRIP. Do you know how easy it is to make some babies sleep when the room is as bright as day? Yeah, that sucked.
Then, Joel took Beni back to one of the galleys to play on the floor for a little while. It was ok for a while, but then, they were told they had to leave. Joel was pretty cranky by then with the combination of crappy seats, no personal tvs, etc, so he complained that if we had been given baby appropriate seats, he wouldn't have to be back there (there were 4 grown men sitting in the bulk head, no babies). So then a while after Joel came back, a stewardess came to us to hear him complain some more. Eventually, she got the guy sitting on the aisle in the bulk head to switch seats with me, so they were able to put a bassinet up for Beni. Thankfully that worked and she did sleep a little in it. But then toward the very end of the flight she kept stirring in her sleep just enough to start screaming at the top of her lungs and flailing her body around like she was possessed by a demon. The guy next to be assumed the brace position and covered his ears. I thought that was classy. I mean, I know my kid is screaming, but, really? Could you be any more rude? I kept forcing my boobs in her mouth and eventually she calmed down, and fell back asleep.
That plane couldn't land soon enough. Joel was sitting 2 rows behind me, in the middle seat, unable to help me and I was sitting there wanting to cry and scream myself. It's very frustrating to deal with her in that state where she isn't really awake but is also definitely not asleep. She won't be comforted, and only nursing calms her down, but it's hard to get the flailing, screaming body into position, not to mention getting the bra unhooked and shirt adjusted, etc, etc... so sometimes the screaming goes on for longer than you like. Ah, the whole thing just sucks. Needless to say, by the time we landed in Denver, we were SO ready to get off that plane.
We let everyone around us get off first- neither Joel nor I in the mood to push and shove with the rest of them- and then just moved at a slow mosey on through immigration and customs. We had bought a couple boxes of chocolates for our wonderful hosts here in Denver at the airport in Frankfurt, so of course, we declared those and ended up having to have all our bags x-rayedchai, and we met my sister-in-law and my nephew and we came home, and showered and had dinner and fell into a dead sleep by 9pm in my brother's kind sized bed (what a treat! We need one!).
Today we've walked for miles in the sunshine, exploring the little town my younger brother lives in. We had lunch a great little restaurant (Joel had a pepperoni pizza and I had a roasted beet salad- and we shared some fancy cheddar cheese + apple slices and fig jam and rosemary flatbread with Beni). Then we walked some more and more and more and Beni napped in the stroller. We walked all the way to a grocery store and I fell in love all over again, and we bought some baby snacks and baby food and...well, let's just say, this trip is now off to a good start. This evening we'll head to the mountains with my older brother, and tomorrow Joel should actually get to go snowboarding.
34 G and H finally seem behind us and we are happy people again. Also, we now know for sure that there is no question about which approach to traveling is better. We will always pick the longer layover/more days of traveling which includes a night in a hotel, over short layovers and pushing through less days of traveling.
Have you got a horror story of your own about traveling with or without a baby?
Friday, April 8, 2011
Awkward interlude to real life
It starts on Sunday. We'll leave behind the routine and everydayness of life in Angola and set our for new pursuits. We'll have two weeks of proper vacation- totally relaxed, doing fun stuff, hanging out with family and friends. But then Joel will leave to come back to Angola to finish up the school year, and Beni and I will stay in Michigan.
We'll be living in a house that isn't ours, surrounded by stuff that isn't ours. Then we'll be staying with my Dad for a while. We won't be staying either place for long so we won't buy stuff for the house or even properly fill the cupboards with, well, the stuff I would usually stock my cupboards with. My husband/Beni's father will be missing while he's back finishing off the school year. We'll be driving my mom's car. We will probably establish some sort of routine, because, routine is good for kids, but, it'll all be of our own making- I won't be working at all, or have any real responsibilities outside of just taking care of ourselves. It'll be like a really long vacation...which sounds lovely... except that there is a sense of being unsettled that comes with it. We won't have our stuff, we won't have our home- there will be a desire to really settle in, nest, if you will, but, we won't be able to because we have neither the money nor the reason to do so when we'll only be in that place for a little while. I am incredibly envious of the Kardashians and Kendra who seem to move every few months, and every new place they go to is fully decked out exactly to their own specifications before they even get to the new place. Man, wouldn't that be nice?
I am really not complaining about this awkward interlude, because we will enjoy it immensely. I will love seeing my girlfriends and my family. I will make the most of being in small town America and all the luxuries that go with it. But still, it's like a long break from real life, if you get what I mean. It's not bad, but, there is something just unsettled about it. I know we'll both miss the crap out of Joel, just like we did last year during my maternity leave.
In July I know we are all super going to enjoy our trip to Latvia, and that will probably fly by because it will only be three weeks, and there will be so much to see and do while we are there.
But I'm pretty sure that once we get to Laos in late July, we'll be pretty glad to be there. To find our new home, to settle in, to be together, to get back to real life- which is not always as much fun as a long vacation, but, which is somehow reassuring... between nap times and chores and dinner times and long evenings spent watching bad tv and surfing the net... I'm sure we'll be ready for it by the time we get to it.
We'll be living in a house that isn't ours, surrounded by stuff that isn't ours. Then we'll be staying with my Dad for a while. We won't be staying either place for long so we won't buy stuff for the house or even properly fill the cupboards with, well, the stuff I would usually stock my cupboards with. My husband/Beni's father will be missing while he's back finishing off the school year. We'll be driving my mom's car. We will probably establish some sort of routine, because, routine is good for kids, but, it'll all be of our own making- I won't be working at all, or have any real responsibilities outside of just taking care of ourselves. It'll be like a really long vacation...which sounds lovely... except that there is a sense of being unsettled that comes with it. We won't have our stuff, we won't have our home- there will be a desire to really settle in, nest, if you will, but, we won't be able to because we have neither the money nor the reason to do so when we'll only be in that place for a little while. I am incredibly envious of the Kardashians and Kendra who seem to move every few months, and every new place they go to is fully decked out exactly to their own specifications before they even get to the new place. Man, wouldn't that be nice?
I am really not complaining about this awkward interlude, because we will enjoy it immensely. I will love seeing my girlfriends and my family. I will make the most of being in small town America and all the luxuries that go with it. But still, it's like a long break from real life, if you get what I mean. It's not bad, but, there is something just unsettled about it. I know we'll both miss the crap out of Joel, just like we did last year during my maternity leave.
In July I know we are all super going to enjoy our trip to Latvia, and that will probably fly by because it will only be three weeks, and there will be so much to see and do while we are there.
But I'm pretty sure that once we get to Laos in late July, we'll be pretty glad to be there. To find our new home, to settle in, to be together, to get back to real life- which is not always as much fun as a long vacation, but, which is somehow reassuring... between nap times and chores and dinner times and long evenings spent watching bad tv and surfing the net... I'm sure we'll be ready for it by the time we get to it.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Thoughts on moving on...
We have two days left in Luanda, and very early on the morning of the third day, we are off. I went to the grocery store today to pick up some fresh bread (we've also been eating lots of sandwiches this week), and I found myself thinking, "this is the last time I'm ever going to shop here." It's not like I was super attached to the grocery store, but, it's just weird thinking that a place that you know so well, and that is a part of your life every week, sometimes several times a week, will become a permanent part of your past all in one day.
As I walk around school and say goodbye to people I keep thinking the same thing... "this is the last time I'll walk along here... the last time I'll greet the secretaries... the last time I'll see these kids (well, maybe not!)...the last time I'll see most of these teachers and friends...."
I've done this before, obviously, the leaving thing. I left the States- although I always knew I would return there. I left China- I went back once, and it is possible I'll never return again. I left Latvia- we are going back, but probably never to live there. Now we're leaving here, and I can say with 99.9% certainty, that we will never return.
When I left the States back in 2003, I was looking forward to new adventures, but I was also running away. I was running away from toxic relationships, broken hearts, stagnant communities, a whole lot of my own drama. I got away, and frankly, I do think it did me a lot of good, but of course, it didn't solve my problems. When I left China, I was sure that things would be better in Latvia. I would be able to speak the language, I wouldn't feel like the freaky white girl, cause pretty much everyone is white, I would know some people, I'd no longer be a first year teacher.... things would be better.
Then I got to Latvia, and well, things were not really better. My expectations that things would be so much better made everything seem twice as bad as it was. Things weren't horrible, but, it was still a very tough adjustment period, and I hadn't expected that. I had a hard time making friends, the expat community in Latvia was very different than it had been in China, and my school didn't come with automatic friends like it had in China (and the to-be husband only showed up a year later). I realized that I am distinctly Latvian-American; not Latvian, not American...Latvian-American. I realized that for as much as I had never fit in in America, I didn't fit in in Latvia either. So yeah, it was a tough adjustment period.
When we left Latvia to come to Angola my outlook was not quite so one-sided, but also not really balanced. I was sad to leave Latvia...mostly because I was sad to leave some of my best friends and new family. But, I kept a really positive outlook because we were headed toward WAY, WAY, WAY better money (yay for getting out of debt!), and, I was looking forward to mine and my husband's relationship growing in a way that would only be possible on new level ground- where us was just us. I was excited to define us away from his friends, my friends, his family, my family, etc. But I knew we were leaving things behind, and that life in Angola would be an adventure, a challenge.
And I was right. I still miss everyone in Latvia, and surprisingly, some things about Latvia. And life here has been an adventure and a challenge. But now, as we're leaving again, I think I have the most level-headed attitude about it that I have ever had.
I am downright sad to leave my friends here. I'd say it took me quite a while to establish friendships here (hmm...that might just be a pattern for me), but now that I have, I really enjoy the friends I have made here, and I will really and truly miss them. I also know that even if we had to live with lots of cockroaches, ants and mosquitoes, the apartment we lived in for the last two years is a very nice apartment. I like that it is new, has clean lines, and looks clean when it is clean (not old and still dirty). Even if it's not always the most convenient thing, it is pretty nice to have drivers to drive you around. The salary we earned here was wonderful, and will be sorely, sorely missed. It was also nice to not have to pay any bills while living here. Financially, this place was very, very good to us. So yeah, I know that there are things I will miss. I am sad to leave.
But I am also looking forward...beyond the next few months which will be a wonderful but awkward interlude to real life (more on that later, I suppose, maybe tomorrow), I am looking forward to Laos. I am really excited about returning to Asia. I said to someone the other day, I think I suit Asian adventure more than African adventure- Asian developing country more so than African developing country. I am very much looking forward to living near some family again, and Beni
All that said, I know very well, that adjusting to life in Laos will take time and effort. It's not going to be perfect, and it's not always going to be easy. I will have to break out of my shell sometimes to find people to connect with during the days when everyone else is at work, to find some hobbies for myself outside of my family, to find the courage to drive a car there! Even though the produce is going to be amazing, there will be things we won't be able to get that I will have to learn to cook without (and add to my list of things to have people send me or bring me!). There will be an adjustment period. But like I said, I think it's good that I am going into it both excited, and expecting it to suck. I think it's a level of reality that I haven't ever faced during one of these transitions before.
In the end though, my life has changed a lot since the last time I did one of these transitions. I am in a happy, stable marriage and we have a wonderful, amazing child. When it comes down to it, I'm also aware that the three of us being together and loving each other is all that really matters- and we can do that anywhere in the world. Maybe that is why I have a better attitude on all this this time...because my priorities have shifted.
Have you ever faced a big move to a totally new place? How did you deal with it?
As I walk around school and say goodbye to people I keep thinking the same thing... "this is the last time I'll walk along here... the last time I'll greet the secretaries... the last time I'll see these kids (well, maybe not!)...the last time I'll see most of these teachers and friends...."
I've done this before, obviously, the leaving thing. I left the States- although I always knew I would return there. I left China- I went back once, and it is possible I'll never return again. I left Latvia- we are going back, but probably never to live there. Now we're leaving here, and I can say with 99.9% certainty, that we will never return.
When I left the States back in 2003, I was looking forward to new adventures, but I was also running away. I was running away from toxic relationships, broken hearts, stagnant communities, a whole lot of my own drama. I got away, and frankly, I do think it did me a lot of good, but of course, it didn't solve my problems. When I left China, I was sure that things would be better in Latvia. I would be able to speak the language, I wouldn't feel like the freaky white girl, cause pretty much everyone is white, I would know some people, I'd no longer be a first year teacher.... things would be better.
Then I got to Latvia, and well, things were not really better. My expectations that things would be so much better made everything seem twice as bad as it was. Things weren't horrible, but, it was still a very tough adjustment period, and I hadn't expected that. I had a hard time making friends, the expat community in Latvia was very different than it had been in China, and my school didn't come with automatic friends like it had in China (and the to-be husband only showed up a year later). I realized that I am distinctly Latvian-American; not Latvian, not American...Latvian-American. I realized that for as much as I had never fit in in America, I didn't fit in in Latvia either. So yeah, it was a tough adjustment period.
When we left Latvia to come to Angola my outlook was not quite so one-sided, but also not really balanced. I was sad to leave Latvia...mostly because I was sad to leave some of my best friends and new family. But, I kept a really positive outlook because we were headed toward WAY, WAY, WAY better money (yay for getting out of debt!), and, I was looking forward to mine and my husband's relationship growing in a way that would only be possible on new level ground- where us was just us. I was excited to define us away from his friends, my friends, his family, my family, etc. But I knew we were leaving things behind, and that life in Angola would be an adventure, a challenge.
And I was right. I still miss everyone in Latvia, and surprisingly, some things about Latvia. And life here has been an adventure and a challenge. But now, as we're leaving again, I think I have the most level-headed attitude about it that I have ever had.
I am downright sad to leave my friends here. I'd say it took me quite a while to establish friendships here (hmm...that might just be a pattern for me), but now that I have, I really enjoy the friends I have made here, and I will really and truly miss them. I also know that even if we had to live with lots of cockroaches, ants and mosquitoes, the apartment we lived in for the last two years is a very nice apartment. I like that it is new, has clean lines, and looks clean when it is clean (not old and still dirty). Even if it's not always the most convenient thing, it is pretty nice to have drivers to drive you around. The salary we earned here was wonderful, and will be sorely, sorely missed. It was also nice to not have to pay any bills while living here. Financially, this place was very, very good to us. So yeah, I know that there are things I will miss. I am sad to leave.
But I am also looking forward...beyond the next few months which will be a wonderful but awkward interlude to real life (more on that later, I suppose, maybe tomorrow), I am looking forward to Laos. I am really excited about returning to Asia. I said to someone the other day, I think I suit Asian adventure more than African adventure- Asian developing country more so than African developing country. I am very much looking forward to living near some family again, and Beni
All that said, I know very well, that adjusting to life in Laos will take time and effort. It's not going to be perfect, and it's not always going to be easy. I will have to break out of my shell sometimes to find people to connect with during the days when everyone else is at work, to find some hobbies for myself outside of my family, to find the courage to drive a car there! Even though the produce is going to be amazing, there will be things we won't be able to get that I will have to learn to cook without (and add to my list of things to have people send me or bring me!). There will be an adjustment period. But like I said, I think it's good that I am going into it both excited, and expecting it to suck. I think it's a level of reality that I haven't ever faced during one of these transitions before.
In the end though, my life has changed a lot since the last time I did one of these transitions. I am in a happy, stable marriage and we have a wonderful, amazing child. When it comes down to it, I'm also aware that the three of us being together and loving each other is all that really matters- and we can do that anywhere in the world. Maybe that is why I have a better attitude on all this this time...because my priorities have shifted.
Have you ever faced a big move to a totally new place? How did you deal with it?
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
I just can't wait...
- To go to the grocery store. I'm looking forward to fresh, ripe (but not over-ripe or rotten) fruit and veggies! Sweet potatoes, bread and butter pickles, fake chick'n patties (they are my weakness when it comes to meat substitutes)... there are so many other foods I am looking forward to. The farmer's market near my mom's house should be open fairly soon, and I hope to actually make it there with her once a week.
- To go out to eat. We really miss being able to go to restaurants and have take-out here in Luanda. It'll be quite a treat to be able to go out. And the best part is, Beni will be able to sit in a high chair now, and eat real food, so she should be easier to take to a restaurant in general than she was last time we were in the States. I can't wait to have restaurant breakfast. I love breakfast out... and there is a place in my mom's town that does AWESOME breakfast. Can't wait!
- I am not looking forward to having to reign myself in with all this food. I REALLY don't want to gain a million pounds while I'm in the States.
- So on that note, I am also looking forward to being able to take Beni for walks around the neighborhood, going for runs by myself around the neighborhood, and maybe (I'm not sure about this yet) joining a gym in some capacity to use the machines, or maybe go to some classes. I'm seriously considering trying Zumba. We'll see.
- Obviously, this should probably be in the number one spot, but of course, I am really looking forward to being around my family. I love that Beni will get to spend more time with her grandparents and get to know them better. I am really close to my mom, and I will admit, have a bias toward wanting her to have a great relationship with Beni. So I am looking forward to them spending a lot of time together.
- I am REALLY looking forward to shopping for Beni. She is very near the end of her current wardrobe, and I'm so excited to buy her 12 mos and 18 mos clothes. Because we'll be leaving the States in July, and not coming back for around a year, I have to buy ahead. I am going to be living on a budget, so I will have to be a smart shopper, but, I absolutely adore little baby clothes, so I just can't wait to go shopping!
- Oh, oh, I am SUPER looking forward to my La Leche League meetings! I should be able to attend the April, May and June meetings. The ladies from my meeting have playgroups on the weeks when there isn't a meeting, so maybe we'll go to some of those as well!
- I am also looking forward to getting to hang out with my girlfriends and their kids! It will be fun to see Beni be able to interact with the other kids- obviously, when they last saw her she was still a lump that didn't do much of anything. And I can't wait to just sit and chat with the ladies. :)
- I think Joel and I should be able to go to a movie or two. That will be fun. We can do that here, but the popcorn isn't as good. :) In general, with Beni a bit older, and my mom around for babysitting, we should be able to go on a couple dates. Not sure if they will be afternoon or evening ones, but, one way or another...
- Oh, I can't wait to drive! I love driving, and I don't do it here in Luanda. I will apparently drive in Laos...but I love to drive in the States where I feel comfortable and safe, know what I'm doing, etc.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Sigh.
I'm lacking inspiration. In our last days here in Luanda, I'm not really sure what to write about anymore. Life is revolving around packing, purging, cleaning, saying goodbyes. Suitcases are filling up, as are boxes. We might need one more. Walls are empty, cupboards are empty, closets are empty. The fridge is getting close to empty. We're eating fresh stuffed pasta (like pre-made ravioli or tortellini) or pizza all week this week because they require no other ingredients.
We're done here. Well, I am. Beni and I are.
So I don't know what to tell you.
Anything you want to read about? Ask me while the asking is good. After Saturday, I'll probably be taking a blogging break, at least for about two weeks until we settle in in Michigan.
So yeah... ask while the asking is good.
We're done here. Well, I am. Beni and I are.
So I don't know what to tell you.
Anything you want to read about? Ask me while the asking is good. After Saturday, I'll probably be taking a blogging break, at least for about two weeks until we settle in in Michigan.
So yeah... ask while the asking is good.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Onion breath
Blah. I made potato salad yesterday for a BBQ we hosted to say goodbye to our friends here in Luanda. Long story short, there were lots of finger foods and appetizers, and the mains didn't really get touched. So I took home a lot of potato salad.
Backtrack... I made a very simple potato salad- potatoes, boiled eggs, pickles, mustard and mayo. Oh AND ONIONS. I chopped them very small, because generally I don't like raw onions. I don't like them in pretty much anything, potato salad included. But I wasn't making this just for me, and I think a lot of people like onions in potato salad...so I put them in there. But I chopped them small so that when I did eat it, maybe the onions would be less offensive to me.
So, end of the night, and there is a huge bowl of potato salad left. Absolutely riddled with tiny chopped onions!
I ate some last night for dinner, and then promptly went seeking ways of getting rid of onion breath (sucking on a lemon was the cure that worked last night). I ate some more for dinner tonight and with every bite I took I sort of moved the food around in my mouth searching out the onions and spitting them out as much as I could. I could kick myself for chopping them so small! And, I'm all out of lemons, so, here I am with my onion breath and nothing super effective to do about it. Grr.
So I have decided, it just isn't worth making food I don't like...if, rather when, I make potato salad again, I am NOT going to put onions in it! I do like cooked onions, quite a lot in fact...but raw ones... ugh, no thanks!
What is a food that you just don't ever want to eat again???
Backtrack... I made a very simple potato salad- potatoes, boiled eggs, pickles, mustard and mayo. Oh AND ONIONS. I chopped them very small, because generally I don't like raw onions. I don't like them in pretty much anything, potato salad included. But I wasn't making this just for me, and I think a lot of people like onions in potato salad...so I put them in there. But I chopped them small so that when I did eat it, maybe the onions would be less offensive to me.
So, end of the night, and there is a huge bowl of potato salad left. Absolutely riddled with tiny chopped onions!
I ate some last night for dinner, and then promptly went seeking ways of getting rid of onion breath (sucking on a lemon was the cure that worked last night). I ate some more for dinner tonight and with every bite I took I sort of moved the food around in my mouth searching out the onions and spitting them out as much as I could. I could kick myself for chopping them so small! And, I'm all out of lemons, so, here I am with my onion breath and nothing super effective to do about it. Grr.
So I have decided, it just isn't worth making food I don't like...if, rather when, I make potato salad again, I am NOT going to put onions in it! I do like cooked onions, quite a lot in fact...but raw ones... ugh, no thanks!
What is a food that you just don't ever want to eat again???
Friday, April 1, 2011
Finding time for family and traditions
My sister-in-law's comment from the No Cooking post about Friday night pizza made me think more about how and when we spend time together as a family.
The truth is, right now, we're kind of stuck in the trying to get through the day with falling over exhausted...which means that even on the weekends one of us gets up early one day, and lets the other sleep in, and we switch the other day. Then on the weekends and on the weekdays we run around getting stuff done- Joel works, Beni and I play and do work around the house. On school days when Joel comes home he plays with Beni while I get a moment to either go work out, or write my MRTW post. Then she eats dinner, which is sometimes a joint effort, sometimes not. Then, she gets ready for bed, which we do all together 99% of the time, and then I put her to bed. Only after that I make dinner for Joel and myself, and we spend the evening watching tv, hanging out on our computers, reading, etc. Weekends are very busy- we shop, sometimes Joel goes surfing for the whole day, and in general we just end up doing a whole lot of "you entertain the baby, while I do this, and then I'll watch her while you do that".
When I was at university I wrote a book called Pancakes on Sunday which was set in one of my favorite childhood traditions- a big family breakfast of pancakes on Sunday! I said to Joel the other day that we should have pancakes one weekend morning (especially since it's one of the meals he not only makes, but makes well!)... but, of course, it would require that we BOTH get up early enough to have the whole family eat together!
As of right now, we don't really have any family traditions yet... heck, seems like we're finding it hard to find time for family in general, unless you count when we go shopping! There is just plain a lot to do in a day, and everyone wants a moment to catch their breath. But as Beni gets older, we will definitely change our dinner time to make it a family dinner. And hopefully we'll all catch up on sleep enough to make some time to do things as a family, instead of just as couples (me and Beni, Joel and Beni, Joel and me)!
Do you have family traditions that are not so much holiday centered, but more every day things (like Friday night pizza and a movie?)? When do you make time for the whole family to hang out and play?
The truth is, right now, we're kind of stuck in the trying to get through the day with falling over exhausted...which means that even on the weekends one of us gets up early one day, and lets the other sleep in, and we switch the other day. Then on the weekends and on the weekdays we run around getting stuff done- Joel works, Beni and I play and do work around the house. On school days when Joel comes home he plays with Beni while I get a moment to either go work out, or write my MRTW post. Then she eats dinner, which is sometimes a joint effort, sometimes not. Then, she gets ready for bed, which we do all together 99% of the time, and then I put her to bed. Only after that I make dinner for Joel and myself, and we spend the evening watching tv, hanging out on our computers, reading, etc. Weekends are very busy- we shop, sometimes Joel goes surfing for the whole day, and in general we just end up doing a whole lot of "you entertain the baby, while I do this, and then I'll watch her while you do that".
When I was at university I wrote a book called Pancakes on Sunday which was set in one of my favorite childhood traditions- a big family breakfast of pancakes on Sunday! I said to Joel the other day that we should have pancakes one weekend morning (especially since it's one of the meals he not only makes, but makes well!)... but, of course, it would require that we BOTH get up early enough to have the whole family eat together!
As of right now, we don't really have any family traditions yet... heck, seems like we're finding it hard to find time for family in general, unless you count when we go shopping! There is just plain a lot to do in a day, and everyone wants a moment to catch their breath. But as Beni gets older, we will definitely change our dinner time to make it a family dinner. And hopefully we'll all catch up on sleep enough to make some time to do things as a family, instead of just as couples (me and Beni, Joel and Beni, Joel and me)!
Do you have family traditions that are not so much holiday centered, but more every day things (like Friday night pizza and a movie?)? When do you make time for the whole family to hang out and play?
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