first sleepover...

oh my goodness, how did this happen? how did my first born angel turn into a 5 year old going to her first sleepover??

This is actually the 2nd sleepover that Ava has been invited to this first year of school. 5 seems young to me but I guess not. She missed the first one because it was Mama's weekend with the girls. This one was too but she really wanted to go. So I made concessions for my kid-free night so that she could go. She told me up front that she was not spending the night and I could pick her up at 10. So that was the plan.

However, when I got there to pick her up, she told me she wanted to stay the whole night. So she did :) and we both survived - a little stronger, a little more independent and a little sad, but so very proud of both of us.

Raffle for Haiti Donations

A group of my very talented and generous friends have put together a raffle to help raise funds for Haiti.

www.dfwforhaiti.com

This is a worthy cause and you could win some great prizes!

a mini vacation...

We had a 4 day weekend due to the MLK holiday. I could do this every week LOL.

We didn't really make any plans, just decided to hang out and decide as we go. And it was fun :)

Friday, we took my parents to lunch. It never fails, I try to give my folks a break and they beg to see the girls anyway. I am very grateful to have them in my life and that they adore those girls so much.

Saturday, we met up with Brandie and D for lunch at Aparicio's. We sat on the patio and enjoyed the koi pond and the DART train running by every 15 minutes or so. No - it was a good thing LOL...the kids loved being so close to the train! But sorry, B - I did NOT like the food there!
We then met up with Tracey and Z at Ikea - yes, on a Saturday afternoon! YIKES! But it really wasn't so bad and I love me some Ikea!! We spent 3 hours there and I left with some stuff I "needed" and a few more things added to my must have list. We decided to stop at Cici's for dinner and then headed home. The girls were wiped out (and so was Mommy!)

Sunday, we met the group again at the Dallas Zoo. It was a beautiful day! We only had a couple of hours until closing so it was a little rushed but we had a good time. My friends were so kind to share their membership benefits - I am determined to get us a membership as well to pass on the kindness ;) Dinner at The Black Eyed Pea and then home for movie night - Enchanted, I love that movie!

We will hit up a park today and get things ready for a short work/school week (YAY)

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend and have a great week!

some of my 2010 goals...

~Self care and to not feel selfish or guilty about it. That has always been a struggle for me. But I need to be a "better" me in order to be a better mom, friend, daughter. So my spiritual list includes: therapy, al-anon, yoga/meditation, journaling, reading, volunteering. My goal is to find my focus again and to gain balance in my life.

~The old standby of losing weight (LOL), but with more of an aspect of getting healthy. My family history includes high blood pressure, heart disease and obesity. I have an uphill battle that I need to win. So I am going to really work on being active this year. I am planning on at least 2 Half Marathons in May and September, with a few 5K/10Ks sprinkled throughout as well. I would like to lose about 50 lbs but as long as I am on the right track, I won't sweat the numbers on the scale.

~Make our house a home. No more unfinished projects, no more unpainted walls, no more hesitation on picking a design or style or piece of furniture. I don't want to spend years unpacking and still not feeling like we are here to stay. I have a long list of things to do around the house and I plan to start this month.

~As I mentioned in the prior post, I am going to live in the moment. I am trying to convey this to my girls as well, especially Ava. She has come to me a few times lately talking about not wanting to grow up or for me to grow old. We have been talking about treating life as an adventure, every day. We both love the movie Up, so we relate it to the movie. I told her that we could help each other. So maybe that will work for both of us.

I have a few more on my list, but I also don't want to tempt failure. I will pick my main priorities and work those well.

Good luck to you on your goals for 2010! :)

christmas has come and gone, new year about to start...

Christmas is over and I was ready for it to be gone. I just couldn't get into the whole holiday spirit this year - lots of changes from years past, not really sure where I belonged. But it was fine overall, I enjoyed the time I spent with the girls and some of the traditions we started this year. I have plans for new ones next year as well.

Now on to 2010...I am ready for it! I always love January 1st ~ so much potential, so many new goals and aspirations. I may not always follow through on my resolutions, but I love the feeling of starting fresh. This is going to be My Year ~ I can feel it, I know it deep down inside. It is not just about losing weight or getting organized (like all the years past). It is about finally finding myself and loving who I am.

I have a list of goals and to-do's but my main focus is going to be living in the moment. This is one of my biggest weaknesses. I am always looking behind or far ahead - and missing out on the present. I want to appreciate all that is happening...right now.

I have a handful of people in my life that I truly admire and look to for inspiration. Different types of people, different lives and different reasons why I think of them as role models to aspire to. I am going to keep those people close and up front - try to stay focused on what I love most about their attitudes and outlooks on life. And I will hope to be an example to someone else at some point.

I will be 43 years old this April - lots to do before and after that birthday. Time to get busy :)

first holiday on my own...

today has been a mixture of emotions for me ~ it is the first official holiday as a single person and without my girls.

I started the day with the YMCA Turkey Trot downtown. I have always wanted to participate but never could because of Thanksgiving day obligations. So it was fun to be able to join in this year and I definitely plan to make this an annual event. My goal is to run it next year ;)

Afterwards I joined my friend Jacki and her family at the temple for a vegetarian lunch buffet ~ my first tofurkey! LOL It did not look or taste like turkey, but I love tofu and it was delicious!

I came home and started puttering around ~ but I have also been nursing a sore throat today and decided to take a little nap. I am still a little out of it but doing okay.

I am sad to be without my girls today though and have decided to cook/host at my place next year. I like having leftovers for dinner and I am dying for some right now! I also like the idea of having an open house for anyone that doesn't have plans and wants to join us.

The alone time has given me a chance to think about things, which can be both good and bad. But I am formulating my list of goals and plans for the next year. I have so much I want to take care of ~ need to write them down and prioritize.

The girls come back tomorrow and I am hoping I feel better. I want to do a couple of fun things before the break is over. It is also officially Christmas decorating time at our house, so we will be busy with that as well. Hoping for a good December...

feeling better...

so this week brought a couple more "revelations" about what a small world I live in and it shook me up pretty good...but I have some great friends who have helped me clear my head and gain a new perspective. I am so very thankful for the people in my life :)

I am trying desperately to get some things done! I have taken in entirely too many "projects" and have to get them completed!! This includes priming and sanding and painting ~ I am excited to do them but the time simply gets away from me! I am setting a goal for completion by planning an open house soon. I am ready to open up my house to friends and family. I love having people over, with kids and without, dinner, drinks, movies...I love having a comfortable and welcoming home. So there is my kick in the butt to get things done ;)

I had a great day yesterday!
I picked up another TV cabinet to be updated (I know, I know) that will go in my bedroom.
Attended a mother's blessing party, enjoyed great company AND got a henna tattoo!
Ended with a night in watching movies at a friends house - until 3am! ACK!!

Today is going to be productive...cleaning house, prioritizing what needs to get done, paying bills, etc. All before the girls come back home at 6!!

Happy for a clear head...