1.31.2012

Verily, a Call for Grog an' a Hornpipe (or, "Birthday Party")

"Verily" is perhaps my favorite term in pirating lingo.  But I digress...much earlier than normally in my posts.

Awhile back, Hubs asked what I wanted for my birthday, and I had an instant reply: "To be utterly removed from any party planning."  I am more or less the social director/type-A control freak of our little family, but now and then a matey needs a break.  He did little more than ask for a guest list and run a few ideas by me.  All in all, Hubs is wonderfully capable without my micromanaging!  He planned a great night, with a good mixture of spontaneity thrown in.

WE DID KARAOKE.

Ok, y'all.  It had been a solid couple of years since my pipes did any public singing beyond belting Yo Gabba Gabba tunes in the grocery store to calm a peckish HD.  Color me stoked!!  Item one last Saturday was to dispatch HD to her grandparents' house for the night [Side note -- HD loves her grandfolks, but she threw a snotty-nosed, puddle-sized tear, heaving sobs fit when we tried to leave.  She's been going through major mama separation anxiety a little later than most kids.  She's fine once we leave, but any tips on easing this is appreciated. Comment or email me!].  Item two was to don my best grandma sweater and hit up the unspeakably delicious Dosa for a little quality date time with just Hubs.

Hubs secured a private room at a joint in Japantown, complete with plastic liter bottles of Korean beer and delicacies like seafood pancakes.  There was even a glorious fruit platter.  The room was long and skinny with black vinyl booths, sort of like sitting in a semi-janky stretch limo.  We met up with a slew of friends and brothers and got the party started.

My lovely sis-in-law, rocking the crescent tambourine.
A little warm-up tune.

Hubs and me, now both officially sailing strong in our thirties.

Behold, the glory of a packed private karaoke chamber! Note the fruit platter.



































The song options were beyond off the wall.  You had some standard show tunes, top 40, some basic country hits.  The typical variety you'd expect, but with weird little gems thrown in -- like the main tune from School of Rock.  My karaoke twin Shana and I bogarted the mike most the evening, slamming down ditties like "I Would Do Anything for Love" and "Glory of Love".  Because, you know, those are some serious jams.  Hubs did a stellar rendition of "Physical" as an homage to the week of my birth, and my fave Toto song.  We were treated to jokey takes on ditties by Mariah Carey, TLC, Blackstreet, and Boyz to Men.  We made excellent use of the applause button on the karaoke controls.  It was a blast.



And I even busted out a Johnny Rotten impression (which most of our guests kindly ignored).  You can feel free to do the same.


The night rounded out at local bar Blur, where we grabbed a sweet huge booth.  I also was treated to some tasty Sheep Dip.  Then, Hubs and I bid good night and proceeded home.  And for the first time since HD's been alive, we spent the night in our own home without her (we've spent nights away from her, but only if we're in a overnighting somewhere for a wedding or event).   The next morning was the biggest luxury ever, sleeping in until 8am (a HUGE gain for us over the standard 6:30) and going out for breakfast.  Once we retrieved HD, we made it up to her by taking her to Golden Gate Park to ride her beloved carousel:


The past few years, my birthday has been very low-key, which has been perfectly lovely.  But it was still nice to be made a fuss over.  Thanks heaps to everyone who was able to come, and to those who called me anyway to show some love.  This will easily tide me over for another 10 years :)


1.24.2012

Odds and Bobs (or, "Recent Tidbits")

-- So I turned 30. It was way exciting, especially because I got to go to work all day in the rain!  Party is next weekend; more to come.

--  When you have your own family, it's sort of an unwritten rule that you stop buying stuff for yourself, particularly pretty stuff.  My folks sent me the best goody box of Kiehl's aging creams and called to explain that they don't think I look old, just that I need to pamper myself.  That convo was much sweeter than it sounds.

-- BBC 1's Sherlock is super funny.

-- HD enjoyed my birthday balloons on my behalf. She's also learning the parts of a drum kit, and practicing on her toy pots. Partridge Family here we come!

-- Finally, my kid is extra pretty.


1.19.2012

A Treasure Trove of Larnin' (or, "20 Things I've Learned in My Twenties"

This week I make the grand exit from my twenties.  I'll be utterly honest and tell y'all that I don't mind this one little bit.  This past decade has taught me so much (as it does everyone, I suppose), but it's been pretty exhausting.  College in all its glory, entering the working world, dating in all its horror, falling in love, being married, changing careers, becoming a parent, buying a house, lots of family upheaval, seeing old friends come and go...  I've been reflecting a lot this week on the past, on general life lessons and just things I've discovered about myself.  Here are the:


20 Things I've Learned in my Twenties

1)  Even though I adored my college experience, I learned that a 4 year university really isn't the right path for everyone at age 18.  And not to automatically pass a negative judgment on anyone who's forged another way. 

2)  I am just not a career person.  I'm lucky to have a job at a company I believe in and to work with some great people.  But my true passions really don't align with many viable jobs.  I've prioritized my family's well being and comfort over my interests in choosing my profession, and I'm perfectly ok with that. It just doesn't exactly make for a lady who's itching to climb the corporate ladder.

3)  I do not need everyone to like me.  It's just too much work to pretend to be someone you're not for the people who don't get you.  As my buddy V used to say, "Sometimes a person is just not 'your people,' and that's ok."

4)  My 22 year old self would have been much better off to know that Jaegermeister is the devil.
Took me a full year to realize that Jaeger + Red Bull always = regret.

5)  Making friends is way harder as an adult (especially in the suburbs).  Although I still haven't pegged why.  Perhaps it's because we're no longer on a common playing field (e.g. how everyone was the new kid freshman year of college)?  Because we're all more cautious and reserved the older we get?  *Shrug*
 
6)  There is no right way to break up with someone, but if you're truly unhappy you can't waffle over it.  [Thank God for the courage and wisdom of Kim Kardashian, or I would never have come to terms with this on my own.]

7)  I'm grateful that while growing up, my parents were more authority figures and guidance counselors than friends.  That's what parents are supposed to do.  But now that I'm an adult and they no longer are responsible for me, I am so lucky to say that my parents are truly amazing friends to me.

8)  You should ALWAYS turn off your cell phone at the end of a night of drinking.  Once you're home safely, obviously.

9)  It's alright to let some friends fade out of your life -- sometimes people are needed in certain points in your life and then you go your separate ways.  That doesn't make the memories of those friends any less special.
 
10)  That ALL relationships are work, and nothing lasting exists without ongoing maintenance.  I've learned to make sure that I put forth effort with people who are worth it and are in it for the long haul with me. 

11) That as long as you can financially support yourself and not forgo your own sense of integrity, you should do whatever you damn well please as your job -- no matter what pressures or influences there are from family, classmates, friends, and society.  No need to work at something you dread because you think it'll make someone else proud or because it's the "best fit" for what you studied in college.

12)  A plate of pancakes may not fix your problems, but it will always makeyou forget them for awhile.
Bills?  Errands?  Deadlines?  All I see is sweet, sweet syrup.


13)  I have a really short fuse when it comes to rudeness (even if unintentional) from absolute strangers, and this trait can get me into a lot of trouble.  I'm trying really hard to work on not being counter-rude.  Everyone deserves common courtesy, even if they don't have my respect.

14)  The biggest way to strike up a new friendship is a common interest, right?  Embrace all your nerdy obsessions and fascinations, and let that freak flag proudly fly.  It becomes less embarrassing and more hilarious to geek out over something you love, especially if it connects you to someone else.  I'm a loud and proud lover of Lost, tinned sardines, Bob Seger, Harry Potter, and visiting insane tourist traps.
Rock 'n' roll never forgets.

15)  Never say never.  Because there will be that one time that new info comes to light, and you'll want to reserve the right to change your mind.  E.g. me, circa 2007, "never" wanting a phone that did anything more than call and text.  2012 me is cracking up over that one.

16) I've lived in enough places that I can now officially declare it.  Despite the noise, smog, traffic, etc. of city living, I am an affirmed Town Mouse.  The suburbs have their charms, and it's what's best for my family now.  But someday...

17)  That if you choose to marry at all, marry your best friend.  Seriously, it's the only way you're going to keep it together for years to come.  Oh, and this is operating under the assumption that best friends make each other laugh, are honest with each other (at least about the big stuff), and are just opposite enough to keep things interesting. 

18)  As soon as you have a steady paycheck, no matter how small, you gots to start saving for retirement.  I'd rather be playing bridge on my front porch in my 70s than continuing to tote the weary load.

19)  Making couch forts will always be fun, no matter what your age.

20)  That the fundamental truth of my life (just me, not universal for everyone) is that I'm meant to be a mama.  I really do understand that parenting is not what everyone wants, and that's cool.  But it's what I've worked hardest at in my life and it's my greatest and most useful talent (not that I'm in any way the perfect parent).  It's the thing I've wanted the hardest and most consistently in my time on this earth.  All the babysitting, nannying, and day camp counseling was leading up to this.

"Fallin', yes I am fallin', and she keeps callin' me back again."


1.17.2012

The Young Matey Hears the Call o' the Sea (or, "Our Quintessential Suburban Weekend")

This past weekend was the best possible mix of getting boring junk done and having fun.

Getting junk done equated to Target-mania to stock up on supplies and clearance clothes for our little bean pole.  Kid's 19 months old and almost too tall for 2 year old's clothes.  Grocery shopping, gym time, laundry.   And the dreaded little activity of digging through HD's plethora of toys/books/stuffed animals and weeding out the trash and stuff that's too babyish for her.


Yup, that's me wailing in the background.  I know grandparents like to spoil, but this is RIDICK!  There's more junk outside the shot, just waiting to impress upon our child that stuff equals love.
Now on to the funs!  Pinterest is a wonderful thing, no?  Well, not only has it helped me tag lots of pretties that I will never afford or muster the effort to make, but it also actually presents the occasional marvelous idea.  The "I Could Actually Do That" idea.   That particularly magical pin lead me to create a year's worth of pre-planned dates for Hubs as a Christmas gift.  Last Saturday, we did our first one, at home wine tasting.  We hit BevMo and took advantage of the 33% off sale, purchasing 3 wines that are not at all like what we usually drink.  After HD was asleep, we busted them out and did the whole she-bang, rating each wine on color, scent, and palate.  We spent a good hour discussing the wines, laughing, and using pretentious language about tannins.  First date was a roaring success!  I'll be sure to post about each month's date as they occur.  Conjugal details aside, naturally.


Hubs critiquing the Argentinan Chardonnay's not-buttery-enough color.
Boo-zay!
Sunday was a blast for our whole fam.  We headed up to our beloved San Francisco to hit up Golden Gate Park.  It was cold and windy, but Lord knows that doesn't stop a toddler from enjoying a park.  Kid had the time of her life at the huge Children's Playground, which has a tons of slides, those little bucket seats that spin around, sand pits, and cool statues of ocean stuff for climbing.  But our HD was completely enamored with the carousel.  So much so that she begged for a second ride and has not stopped talking about it in the days after.  She even reenacts the slides and carousel with her baby doll and stuffed Cookie Monster.


On her actual first ride.  HD looked so blase during the ride that we didn't realize she actually loved it until it was through and we had to vacate (horror!!).
That's right -- we're riding a pig with a jaunty neck kerchief.  I call him Toots.
The best part of the whole day is actually the part where we didn't take any photos.  Inspired by the wave and sea creature statues at the playground, HD insisted upon visiting the ocean.  Seriously, "Ocean?  Ocean?  Oooooocean?" was the catch phrase of the day, even in the midst of fun park stuffs.  And since the park is pretty much right there, we drove on over after we were done playing.  We got out and braved the blowing sand and walked our little bug-lette down to the Pacific.  I stood with my little family in the freezing wind, eyes squinting against the sun on the water, and knew that moment was so much better than any photo of it could ever be.





1.03.2012

Chamber Pots and Wee Ditties (or, "Things the Kid Does at 18 Months")

I've loved being home with the kid the past 2 weeks.  It's been a cool way to test out the stay-at-home Mama thing.  Plus, she's grown up so much in this brief time.  We've started potty training, and had our first success on New Year's Day (trust me, it was way thrilling).  Don't worry, I promise not to get much more detailed than that.  But to any mama readers who are interested, we've been working off the book Diaper-Free Before 3.  HD particularly loves Pirate Potty, Once Upon a Potty, and Potty.   

Also, we've been having all sorts of full on conversations with each other.  Granted, they're mostly about either the time we spent outside earlier that day or the desire to spend more time outside.  But we also have heated debates about the nature of the musical influences behind Yo Gabba Gabba, so that's been pretty stimulating (for me, anyway).  And the dancing!  Still working on catching that one on vid, but I have been thrilled to bop around the house with HD instead of following her with a camera.

And of course, there's the constant singing.  Enjoy a sample:


1.02.2012

The Longings of the Yuletide Season (or, "I Miss My OG Family")

This is the third Christmas season that I haven't spend with my parents and brother.  Granted, this is primarily due to my choice to not travel with a baby/toddler during one of the busiest travel seasons of the year.  Regardless, that doesn't mean that I don't miss them like crazy.  So this little random post is my little internet hug to them.

Daddy and Mama -- HD loves the gift you got her.  As we discussed on the phone, I believe that this is the most evil toy in existence.  My new year's resolution is to not accidentally-on-purpose break it.


Did you notice how this toy exerts it's wicked nature upon my kid?!  She's so lured by it's sinful sounds, she literally starts choking another baby!!

The newest thing we're trying to get HD to do is to learn a catch phrase for each member of our family. Let's give this a whirl:




To those who need a little help (since I am not going to attempt to input subtitles on the video), allow me to translate.  "Do what?" is a Southern expression meaning "Pardon me?  I didn't quite hear you/I wasn't paying attention to begin with."  That would be my father's (Pappy's) saying.  "Hey, y'all!" is a oft-used greeting in the South, meant to refer to both genders, not just "guys."  That would be my mother's (Mammy).  My brother is a rabid Raiders fan, hence his phrase.  And my sister-in-law's (Alice) family is French, which is why we went with "Bonjour!".  Also, we picked those phrases since they were pretty easy to teach HD.  That was actually prolly the trumping factor in choosing them.

HD says, "Bye, yaww!" (That would be "bye, y'all").