Summer Catch-Up

Dear Natalie (Nat, Sissy, Nattie) and Nathan (Nate Dog, Natesy Pie, Bubba),

I know I never keep up with this blog but gosh I wish I had.  When I go back to read the other entries it triggers my memory and transports me back to that time.  To be honest, I am busy having the best time of my life with both of you.  It's summertime and we are filling it with fantastic memories.

We started off the first week of summer with two trips to Disneyland.  It was the first time I took the both of you without Daddy.  We did meet Lynnette and Hailee there, too.  It went better than expected.  Nathan, I thought you would be running wild, me trying to catch you.  But you stayed right with us.  The only thing you hated was waiting in line.  It is impossible to explain to an almost 2 year old that we have to WAIT!  You cried.  You pulled my hand begging me to COME.  But once you were on the rides, you were as happy as can be.  Your favorite ride (both of you) was the Little Mermaid Carrousel.  We rode it 6 times!  Yes, SIX TIMES!!!!  Nothing like moderation.

Natalie, you and Hailee Bop only see each other a few times a year (gosh we need to change that) but the moment you see each other it is like no time has passed by.  You are the best of friends.  It is so cute to see you guys, now at age five, having real conversations, ones that don't include your mommies.  You both are getting so grown up.  It makes me sad.  Netty and I used to bring you to Disneyland when you were tiny toddlers.  Now just look at you two.

This last week, a bunch of us went to the beach.  Natalie, you LOVE it.  You frolic and giggle in the waves, dig sand castles, and bury you brown berry legs.  It is such a delight to watch such happiness!  Now Nathan, you HATE the beach.  Sand is your mortal enemy.  If you touch it, you scream.  If it gets on you, you scream.   If it...well, you get the picture.  I tried to take you down to the water.  A tiny wave came and crashed against your legs and you screamed (very high pitch.  I don't want to say it sounded girly......but.......it did).  We tried it for a few minutes until you took my hand and led me back to the beach blanket.  You spent the rest of the time on my lap in a chair.  Every so often you would say, "HOME!"  You were done with the beach.  So we went home and had a pool day.  You are definitely a pool boy.
Natalie, you are an expert swimmer.  Never before have I seen a five year old swim so well.  You spend most of the time under water like a gorgeous mermaid.  You can dive for toys all the way to the bottom of the deep end.  It is so cool to watch you.  The other day I told you I was sad that you didn't really need me to help you in the pool anymore and you came back with, "Well, I still need you to cook my food."  It was hilarious!  I guess I am still needed for something.  What's going to happen when you can cook your own food?
Nathan, you are a wild man in the water.  You THINK you can swim and you are almost there but not quite.  You jump in from the side, belly flop right into the water (whether anyone is there to catch you or not).  It is a crazy sight.  You have no fear.  The other day you were holding Daddy's hand and jumping into the water side by side.  Then you would come up with a great big smile on your face.  Today Natalie and I took you in the pool.  You two were floating and kicking along with your water noodle in the deep end.  All of a sudden you just decided you didn't need that noodle anymore and threw yourself off it.  You went under, kicked a bit (not panicked at all) and I grabbed you to bring you to the top.  There you were with a big old grin, proud as could be.  Oh boy, you are going to give me a heart attack one of these days.
Natalie, you started tumbling class last week at The Little Gym.  I have been having a hard time getting you to WANT to do any organized activities.  So when I suggested this, and you said you would try, I signed you up right away.  The first class was a success.  When you walked in and met the instructor, you immediately bonded over your love of Harry Potter.  It was so fun to watch you in class.  I know I am your mom, but seriously you were the best one in there.  When you came out you had a huge grin on your face.  So adorable!  You can't wait til tomorrow's class.

I am sure that I am missing a bunch of fun things we have done.  Summer is half over and I am already stressing.  I just love being home with you two and watching all the fun things that you do and learn.  I just love you both so much (to the moon and back and then farther).
Love,
Mom

McFatty Monday: Week 1

Weight has always been an issue for me.  Even when I was 115 pounds I felt like I wasn't thin enough.  I know this idea stemmed from the many years spent in a dance studio with perfect ballerina bodies prancing all over the place.  I probably went on my first diet when I was 10 years old.  I remember spending the weekends with my a fellow dancer friend.  We would plan to only "eat" chicken broth for the day.  But by dinner time we would give up and eat whatever we wanted.  Neither one of us needed to lose any weight but the leotards we wore did not help us hide the extra inch of fat with thought was there.

When I was a freshman in high school and 114 pounds, I joined weight watchers.  They taught me how to portion my food and make healthy choices.  But I ignored the advice of the "experts" and decided that fasting would be much faster.  Which, I was right.  Pounds shed off my body very quickly.  But by my Sophmore year I was back to eating whatever I wanted.  Everyday in English class I bought a King Size Kit Kat from sports players doing fundraisers.  I spent the whole period slowing savoring that delicious chocolate.  I would eat it layer by layer.  And with each of those candy bars, I packed on the pounds.  I was back up to 116.

I again resorted to fasting two weeks before my wedding.  8 pounds came right off thanks to my 200 calorie a day diet.  But that ended at the end of those two weeks and wedded bliss caused me to gain once again.

Three years later I found myself pregnant with Natalie.  I vowed at the beginning to eat healthy for her and keep my weight gain to a minimum.  It started off strong.  I was attending Jazzercise twice a week and eating healthy.  But by the second trimester my appetite got the best of me.  I ended up gaining 40 pounds.  Wow, that was hard to type!!  Right after delivery I was 15 pounds lighter.  But I was still very heavy.  I thought breastfeeding would just shed the inches off (as everyone promised).  But I am one of the rare few that it doesn't work on.  Ugh.  I didn't lose all my weight until Natalie was 2 and a half.

When I got pregnant with Nate I was the same exact weight I was when I got pregnant with Natalie.  I gained the exact same amount of weight throughout the pregnancy.  Again the weight did not come off with breastfeeding.  And I did it for 8 months!  But this time I had a goal to reach.  We were going to Hawaii 14 months after his birth.  I had to lose the weight.  It was so hard to get motivated.  Over the summer I tried the Atkins diet.  The first two weeks went great.  I lost 8 pounds and didn't feel like I was depriving myself.  But after the two weeks, I plateaued.  I followed the same strict diet rules but just couldn't lose another pound.  I got frustrated and quit.

October came and I was desperate.  I decided to go back to my old ways of eating.  Very low calories and a lot of exercise.  It worked.  I lost about 20 pounds in 2 months.  I wasn't where I wanted to be but at least I could fit into a swim suit and all my old clothes.

Now the story leads me to today.  I have lost my motivation and the scale is moving in the wrong direction once again.  But I just DO NOT want to go back to starving myself to get results.  So I heard of a little diet called THE CARBLOVERS DIET.  I have decided to give it a try.  I know cutting out all carbs does not work for me.  I'm Italian.  I need PASTA!  I went and got the book today and read as much as I could.  I have done my grocery shopping and have my meals for tomorrow planned out.  I chose this diet because not only can I eat carbs, the types of cards you eat reduce belly fat.  I am tired of people asking me if I am going to have a baby.

I am going to use this blog to report my progress each week.  So here is my first McFatty Monday post!

I can't believe I am going to put this on a public forum.  But here it goes.

Today's Weight: 127

Park

Since beginning of January, Nathan has been a terrible sleeper.  Some nights he wakes up just needing to be rocked a few minutes then goes right back to sleep.  Other nights he is up for hours at a time.  The other night I was up with him from 1 am to 3:30, at which point I woke up Gar and told him I was "tapping out."  I just couldn't do it anymore.  Last night he was up for an hour.  But not just awake.  He was ready to play.  I tried to lay with him but he just rolled around and giggled.  So frustrating.  So today I had the bright idea of taking him to the park and letting him burn off some energy in hopes he would have a good night sleep!  And so off to the park we went: Nathan, Natalie, and me.

The kids swung on the swings.

At one point both of my children were squealing with happiness, my heart just melted and I felt as if there was no where in the world I would rather be in that moment.  I just felt so lucky to be there mom.  Sometimes I get so consumed with work and cooking and cleaning that I forget to just enjoy and play with my children.  Garrett is so good at it.  He can sit with the kids and play video games or just hang out.  But I am always up feeling as though everything must be clean and tidy before I can even sit down.  So going to the park was just so refreshing.

Nate climbed up the slide.  Natalie was such a great big sister and let Nate ride on her lap down the curly slide.

Before we left the kids wanted to say hi to the ducks.

Nathan just loves animals and wanted to get right up close to the ducks and geese.  He has no fear.  The following picture was taking right before the goose tried to take a bite out of Nate.  The goose saw Nate (who was shorter than this giant bird) and decided he was much too close and lunged right at him.  Luckily, I was right there and picked up Nate quickly.  But the goose was relentless.  He still came toward us so I had to turn and sprint.  I got away but not until after the angry bird chomped down on my leg.  Good thing I was wearing jeans.  Nate whimpered a bit and pointed and the goose.  I think his feelings were hurt. 

Such a beautiful day with my sweet kids.  I'm a lucky Mama.

Til next time,
Trish

PS- I will let you know if the park wore Nate out enough to sleep through the night.  I am keeping my fingers and toes and everything else crossed.  Please sleep little man!

So Cal Girl

I would like you to meet my sister, Jennie. 

She is just the most amazing person (and I am not just biased because she is my sister). 

Let me tell you a bit about her.

She was born, raised, and lives in Southern California. She is 39 but seriously looks younger than me (33 years old here.  I always get mistaken for the older sister!)

She is a high school World History teacher.  But not just a teacher........an amazing teacher.  She puts her whole heart and soul into her students.  She is so dedicated that she gives up her Saturdays a hand full of times each year to take her students to feed the homeless. The first year of her teaching career they made her the Avid Coordinator (college bound student class).   It says a lot about how AWESOME a teacher she is!

She is a single mom of three wonderful children (again I am not just biased because they are my niece and nephews).  She has been raising them on her own now for the last seven years.  Her oldest son is in college, her middle son is a junior in high school, and her daughter is a seventh grader. 

(Jennie and her daughter)

She loves running and exercise.  Her favorite running spot is along the beach near her house.  She is so passionate about that spot that she wrote a short story about it.  It was even published in our local paper. 

Some day she wants to travel the world.  She is a history teacher and would love to visit the places she describes.  I know her dream is to share her travels with someone special.  Paris is a must on her list. 

More than anything I want to see my sister happy.  I want her to feel loved by someone special and for her to love him the exact same way back.  I want her to be spoiled rotten because she deserves it.  I want her to find her soul mate.  Someone she can share her life and dreams with.

Please contact Trisg @  tlsimpsn@hotmail.com

 (Auntie Jennie with my son)

A Letter to My Love

My Love,

Today we celebrate our nine year wedding anniversary.  Wow, nine!  We have come so far and changed in so many ways.  We have seen our family of two grow into a family of four and I could not be prouder.  Our children are so very lucky to have such an amazing, hands-on, involved daddy.  My heart melts whenever I watch you with them.  Both Natalie's and Nate's eyes light up when you are around.

Although we said "I do" nine years ago today, I knew well before then that you were the one.  And I am so happy to say that I was right.  You are my soul mate.  The one I want to share my every day with.  The one I want to kiss each night.  And the one I want to grow old with.

Thank you for these amazing nine (15) years.  I can't wait for the next 50!

I love you,

Me

New Years Resolutions....I mean Goals

Well, the year is almost over.  We officially only have two more days of 2010.  This year has had its ups and downs.  Financially, we have had some set backs.  Cars have broken down (Garrett's car twice), pools have leaked, and vacuums have bit the dust (2 to be exact).  I even got a pink slip from the school district.  But on the brighter side I got my job back, Nate has grown into a walking, talking, funny little toddler, Natalie received student of the month at school, and we took the most amazing trip to Kauai with the Thomson family.  Even though we had a few hardships, we are so blessed with the most wonderful family and friends.  While 2010 had its struggles, it still was a pretty darn good year. 

I have come up with a few goals for the following year.  I tend to NEVER stick with my new years resolutions.  So this year I am going to come up with some goals. 

1.) Pass the mathematics CSET I have to pass this test if I want to keep my job.  While staying home sounds very appealing, the money is much needed.  I HAVE to pass this test.  

2.)  Spend at least one hour each day studying for the CSET It is so hard to be disciplined and study.  They say that teachers are the worst students and I definitely agree!!!

3.) Read to my kids every day Both my kids ADORE books.  Nate is always bringing me a book and sitting right down on my lap.  But usually I am so tired and exhausted by the end of the day I just throw my kids in bed so I can relax.  But what is 5 more minutes each night?  A bonding 5 minutes is what it should be.

4.) Put my family before anything else in my life I want my wonderful husband and kids to feel like they are number one in my life.  They are the most important things in the world to me and I want them to know it.  I plan in 2011 to show each of them that they come first: not my job, extended family, friends, or hobbies.   

5.)   Exercise at least 3 times a week When I exercise I feel strong, confident, and healthy.  It is the one thing I NEED for myself.  For the past 5 years I have been taking care of small children and sometimes (most of the time) I forget to take care of myself.  

So those are my five goals.  I think they are doable and I hope I don't forget them within the first month like I usually do with my resolutions.  Happy New Year!

BIG BOY BOOSTER (a quiet dinner at last!)

Today I bought Nate a new booster chair (big boy chair) for the bar stool.  For the past year he has been sitting in a high chair next to the bar.  This high chair was a charming chair: cute little zoo animals, cozy cushion, removable tray.  Yet since the day we brought it into the house, to Nate it has been a TORTURE CHAMBER!  Each meal in this chair has been miserable.  And not just for Nate.  The crying.....the complaining......the screaming.  But today it all changed!  All because of a cheap green plastic booster chair.  But to Nate, it is his ticket to the big people table.  He no longer has to look longingly at his big sister in the tall stool.  Now he gets to be apart of it all.  Tonight, sitting next to his big sister, he had the BIGGEST grin on his face.  The meal was a pleasure (except for the stolen corn from Natalie's plate).  Nate even ate all his food without any oozing or spitting out.  He LOVES this new chair.  Which means Mommy LOVES this new chair!

15 Months

Dear Nate,

Today was your 15 month check up.  You are still in the 90th percentile for height (thanks to Daddy) but have gone down in the weight department, 75th percentile.  I can definitely say that it is because of your picky eating habits.  There are very few things that you will eat.  Right now the list includes: eggs, yogurt, rice, pureed baby food meat medley, corn, apple sauce, and Pirates Bootie. If I try to give you something you don't like, it just oozes out of your mouth.  It's not a pretty sight to see.

In the past month, you have been learning so many new things.  It's like this light bulb went on in your brain and you are suddenly this little kid who understands me.  Your vocabulary is rapidly growing.  You can say hot, Emma, no, Mama, Dada, vaccumm (va va), night night (ni ni) and thank you (na nu). You also follow directions (sit down, get a toy, get in your chair).  You can walk really well now.  Most of the time you just run to keep up with your sissy.  But you still enjoy being held.  You are very particular about who holds you now.  Strangers or people you don't see too often don't usually get to pick you up. 

You adore your Auntie.  If she is in the room then no one else matters, not even Mommy :(  Your cousin Brandon is a close second.  You just LOVE him.  Auntie says that every day after your nap you run right out to the tv, sit on Brandon's lap, and watch him play x-box.  So cute! 

The cutest thing ever is bed time.  I will ask you if you are ready for night night, and you nod your head, smile, and raise your eyebrows up and down.  It cracks me up.  Then when I put you in bed I say night night and you stick out your chin, make a mmmmmm sound to give me a kiss.  But when I go in for it, you roll to the other side of the crib and giggle.  You are already teasing your poor momma.

Your favorite thing in the hold world right now is vacuums.  Every time you see one you say va va.  So Grandma Linda got you a pretend one for Christmas.  At first you were scared of it.  You were not a fan of the noise.  But now you push it all over the house with a big grin on your face. 


Thanks for all the laughs!  You and your sis are the light of our lives.  I love you to the moon and back.  And that's a lot!