Two Pretzels

For the record.

noreply@blogger.com (Ky • twopretzels.com) — Wed, 30 May 2012 19:22:00 +0000

I simply cannot wait to sit down, put my feet up and blog tonight.

--

AH!

noreply@blogger.com (Ky • twopretzels.com) — Tue, 29 May 2012 16:21:00 +0000

Dear blog,

I miss you. Oh, how I miss you. However, I took a much-needed few of days off so that I could enjoy our houseguest and go out of town on a little weekend away.

I will get back to regularly planned programming very soon. The houseguest leaves Wednesday.

Please, stay tuned. I mean everybody needs a break now and then, right?

ky

--

Heaven

noreply@blogger.com (Ky • twopretzels.com) — Sun, 27 May 2012 20:25:00 +0000

And we're in La Paz this weekend. We went here and it was amazing. It's Balandra beach and it's phenomenal -- potentially my favorite place in Baja California Sur. More pics to come.

Job well done, brother. Job.Well.Done.

noreply@blogger.com (Ky • twopretzels.com) — Fri, 25 May 2012 01:59:00 +0000

As an American, I thank you.
As your sister, I couldn't be more proud.

Thank you for your service.

Brother - I love you to the moon and back.

Collecting sea shells

noreply@blogger.com (Ky • twopretzels.com) — Thu, 24 May 2012 15:46:00 +0000

Always dust. Everywhere I turn.

noreply@blogger.com (Ky • twopretzels.com) — Wed, 23 May 2012 03:40:00 +0000

Craig's Mom arrives tomorrow and we're all excited to see her. However, in preparation for her visit I'm attempting to clean and organize, because seriously? YOU would do the same thing if your mother-in-law was staying at your house for seven days.

But, I will have you know that Craig's Mom is pretty great and she happens to be a phenomenal grandma therefore we're all excited about her visit. Lila is especially pumped for her return so that she can read "Geraldine" to her more.

Ok, back to cleaning.

--

At some point in my life I will have a garden gnome collection.

noreply@blogger.com (Ky • twopretzels.com) — Tue, 22 May 2012 11:08:00 +0000

I don't live next to this person, but I sort of wish I did.

(As Craig pointed out, imagine how easy it would be to explain to people where you live? "Yeah, we're right next door to the lady* with 2 million small plaster gnomes in her front yard. You'll see us.")

So, loo this woman has such a surplus of garden gnomes that it's standing room only! Those little guys in the back are actually positioned wee-garden-gnome-shoulder-to-shoulder.

Love this.

And I love the random candy cane in the center of the photo that probably should have been removed months ago - but let's be honest, it adds to the charm of this wee Garden Gnome Conference. And let's be honest again, because of the chaotic visual eye pollution it can be assumed that the Garden Gnome owner was more than likely not able to actually see the candy cane let alone remove it.

I will have this one day. Mark.my.words.

So, who wants me to move back to the States and be their neighbor?

--

*For some reason I envision that the Gnome Owner is a woman who "parents" about 102 cats, names each and every one of her gnome "children" and collects used yogurt lids.

Correct me if you think I'm wrong.

--

Ladies Lunes: The one's almost 3 and the other one is almost 16 months.

noreply@blogger.com (Ky • twopretzels.com) — Mon, 21 May 2012 11:08:00 +0000

Dear Lila and Vivienne,

You make me laugh. The two of you make me laugh. You're becoming a duo; a force to be reckoned with... Lila, you must sit by Vivienne at breakfast, lunch and dinner. "I sit a next to Vivienne." We thought it was so cute, but then we realized that you're giving her all of your blueberries.

Lila Ross - you're talking so much and your favorite response right now is, "I think so."

Example:

Me: "Lila, can you please hand me Vivienne's cup?"

Lila: "I think so."

Me: "Lila, do you want fish for dinner?"

Lila: "I thinks so."

It's your standard response and I love it. It's certainly not definitive, but I get it -- you can't promise when you're not certain.

Sweet girl, you love Lionel Richie. You love him. You sing his songs, request to watch his T.V. special that we DVR'd and protected so that it can't be deleted... Your favorite song is, "You are the sun." I need to record you singing it.

In one more month, it will be your birthday, Lila Ross -- and you will be three years old. However, when asked how old you will be, you reply with, "I'll be seb-een." (Seven.)

You make me laugh. And you cannot wait for your birthday. Not a day goes by that you don't mention what you would like at your "happy birthday party."

And Vivienne Kate - you're fire-y these days.

Me: "Vivienne, PLEASE PUT that POTTED PLANT DOWN NOW."

Vivienne: "AHHHHH!!! Neh-neh,neh, NO!" (And then you scream and wave your arms about.)

You remain to a choosy-eater but SHOCKED us this week when you actually ate garbanzo beans and watermelon. If it were up to you, you'd subsist solely on blueberries, strawberries and scrambled eggs.

You're CONSTANTLY climbing on everything. EVERYTHING. You have no fear and we sort of think you're incredible.

Sweet pea, I love you so much.

--

On to the photos...

Lila picked a dozen flowers for me... and set them all up in "vases."

I love toddlers.

Another view. There really are so many uses for snapware.

The other day Vivienne was waiting at the door for Nelly the Nanny to come. "Vivi, where's Nelly?" Off to the door she went.

Lila already has so much power over Vivienne.

"Wee-vee -- let's make a train. You sit here."

"Ok. I'l be real-still-like."

There's a lot of this in our house.

Usually every 3-5 minutes.

Crafts are fun.

The ladies, playing in the pool.

Seriously, could you not just eat her?

Here's Lila teaching Millie her letters.

That pose demonstrates why a helmet should be mandatory for Vivienne all day, everyday.

And how cute are those bottoms?

When Craig wears a hat Vivienne doesn't know who he is. :)

Water is the primary method of entertainment in this house.

I know, right? Who does she think she is?

Oh, this baby. And her headbands.

She's so serious. I mean, come on - wouldn't YOU be if you had three stickers on your face?

These aren't great photos -- but Craig walked into Vivienne's room the other morning and saw this. I ran in with my camera and got it on film. (Or memory card, if you'd rather.)

Vivienne's first tower. Whoa.

She's a genius.

The "tent" in Lila's room.

I didn't dress her in this outfit.

But she certainly looks happy, no?

Sleeping in the pack and play. I wanted to re-introduce it since Vivi will be sleeping in it on and off for the week. (Her Mimi is coming to visit and Vivi's room doubles as the guest room.)

Sisters.

Lila got a "bubble gun" that we're refusing to call a "gun." (Look at Lila's face. That's precisely why there will be no "real" guns in our house.)

They love it.

Clearly it's mesmerizing.

That face.

My favorite Vivienne picture of the week:

Again.

She's climbing again.

Best friends.

(Ferg is the BEST DOG IN THE WORLD.)

Lila's first experience with "rich chocolate" ovaltine. :)

Um, she loves it. :) She's so my daughter.

The laughing, oh it makes my life.

And they laugh at one another, of course.

She's a weirdo. I'm not sure where she gets these faces from...

Oh wait, I do...

And this is Lila's SERIOUS face.

"Listen a me. OK?"

Craig is the finest face painter in Cabo.

My favorite of my Lila this week.

Ah, oh how I love them.

kb

--

Indeed. That's a truck full of watermelon.

noreply@blogger.com (Ky • twopretzels.com) — Fri, 18 May 2012 04:24:00 +0000

Happy Birthday, Two Pretzels!

noreply@blogger.com (Ky • twopretzels.com) — Thu, 17 May 2012 16:41:00 +0000

Today is my blog's 6th birthday.

:)

I can't begin to tell you how happy this makes me.

I love this space.

To you, the reader:

Thank you, kind soul, for reading.
Thank you for commenting.
Thank you for being a part of my life.

I'm so thankful for you.
And if I'm not following your blog - please tell me what it is so that I might start.

ky

Randomness

noreply@blogger.com (Ky • twopretzels.com) — Thu, 17 May 2012 11:08:00 +0000

My next tattoo.

You may or may not have heard this in my house last night:

Me: "I'm going to go in and read books to Lila. You are going to figure out where you can go to buy me a burrito."

Craig: "Seriously?"

Me: "Yes. It's Mexico. It can't be that hard."

Yes. He's lucky. That's inferred. I am a blessing.

--

I just recently bought ovaltine. I love it. I adore all things malted. Except whoppers. Those beasts are disgusting.

--

I like it when people pronounce "jogging" as "yogging." And by "people", I mean, I like it when Ron Burgundy pronounces "jogging" as "yogging."

--

No one in my family likes papaya except me. Sad. It's an incredible fruit. Look at this inappropriateness from wikipedia: "In Cuba, the papaya is called "fruta bomba" and the word papaya is a reference to female genitalia."

Who knew?

--

I think chokers (necklaces) are horrendous and no matter how "on trend" they are I will forever hate them. They're hideous.

--

Lila told Vivienne today at dinner, "You is my best friend. I lud you so much."

Then she took her food off her tray.

--

Our new-ish dog, Millie, is a repeat offender in terms of chewing up the girls' wooden toys.

Wooden toys aren't cheap. She's eaten at least 15.

She's no Ferg. She.is.no.Ferg.

--

Today when I got home from work Lila had a whole "Happy Birthday party" set up for me complete with blocks, puzzle pieces, teacups, plastic cupcakes and plates. She then sang Happy Birthday in English and then sang Happy Birthday in Español.

My daughter is a choyera. And I love it.

--

I turn the ringers off on my cell phones from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. because, really? I can't help you if something happens during those hours.

Nor do I want to risk a myocardial infarction.

--

Happy Thursday.

--

I mean, really?

noreply@blogger.com (Ky • twopretzels.com) — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:01:00 +0000

I've been living here too long.

noreply@blogger.com (Ky • twopretzels.com) — Wed, 16 May 2012 11:08:00 +0000

Not the ceiling fan in my bedroom. But it's certainly lovely.

There are some old wives' tales (is that politically correct?) specific to Los Cabos that sometimes drive me nuts. I fear that they're starting to weave themselves in my brain and are now becoming logical.

Case in point: I turned on the air conditioning in our bedroom a couple of nights ago (it's so hot already) and promptly woke up with a slight sore throat and some sneezing.

Obviously, the air conditioning is making me sick, right?

That's what they say. You get sick down here and it's solely because of the air conditioners.

As my dear sweet husband reminded me, the air conditioning cannot give me a cold.

Neither can going outside with wet hair.

--

On another note, sometimes our bedroom ceiling fan is cranking so hard I fear that at night it's going to fly off the ceiling and slice up our bodies.

Normal, right?

That fan, like birds of the air, is not trustworthy.

Have a good day.

--

Oh Toledo, are you really worth it?

noreply@blogger.com (Ky • twopretzels.com) — Wed, 16 May 2012 03:42:00 +0000

For those of you without a calculator handy, that would be $871.98 per ticket for Lila, Craig and I.

Vivienne will be 10% of my ticket.

[insert heavy, heavy sigh.]

--

I haven't quit drinking coke, but I have quit the gym.

noreply@blogger.com (Ky • twopretzels.com) — Tue, 15 May 2012 11:08:00 +0000

It's true, I quit the gym because I was paying for pilates class three times a week from 6-7 p.m., but I wasn't going even though I love it. See, Craig gets home after six and physically getting to the class got difficult. More importantly, I felt like I was missing my girls far too much. I mean really, the last thing I wanted to do was run home at 5 and wave to my girls and then walk to the gym and spend time by myself thinking about my girls.

So, after much deliberation and far more guilt than I could bear, I quit the gym. Yep, the gym may only be a 3-minute-walk-away, but I felt like I was light-years away from my girls.

Adios, pilates! Hasta luego, gym! (For now...)

And I've never felt so good.

Sometimes I think as Moms we think we should be able to do it at all.

We can't. It's that easy. I simply cannot do it all.

I'm not meant to be an *active* gym member right now. Nope. No time.

I need to remember that this is a season; a season whereby gym visits are not important. Nope. Not now.

So, to feed my desire to still be active I've been doing Insanity for 4 weeks. (See here.) You've heard of this, right? It's a Beachbody product like P90X. (I wrote about P90X a couple of years ago here.)

It's cardio.
A lot of cardio.
A TON of cardio.
A TON of cardio in my living room every morning at 6:00 a.m.

Here's my review:

PROS:

The instructor isn't even remotely grating and annoying. (Tony Horton from P90X drove me BANANAS.)
The first 30 days of the 10-disc DVD program are short. As in 40 minutes. ANYONE has time for 40 minutes, right? (They go up to 60 mins after the first 30 days.)
The studio where the DVDs take place is well-lit. It's in a high-school-looking gym - it's not dark, but instead it's light and bright and airy. I need that.
Cardio, baby. It's fast-moving and quick and doesn't require you to be overwhelmingly coordinated. This ain't zumba.
You go hard for a few days, but then get a recovery day. It's a six-day program.
The people who are working out with you on the DVDs actually stop doing the exercises and take breaks throughout. They're... normal!
You can do this at home and you don't need any extra stuff -- just some water and a yoga mat.

CONS:

It's hard on your joints. It really is. As I said, I'm 4 weeks in and my ankles... well, they sort of hurt. I'm changing up and really focusing on my CORE and coming down lightly on my joints and that's helping. But, it's tough.
It's a lot of jumping. I hate jumping. And I mean it's the kind of, jump up, tuck your feet in around your waist and slap your knees-jumping. Insane.
You don't spend much time doing strength training -- not at all, unless you count push ups.

Now for the big question: have I lost weight?

NO. Was I trying to lose weight? Quite frankly, not really. I just want to be in good cardiovascular health and I want to TIGHTEN. Let's be honest ladies, you can get back to your pre-baby weight but your body just ain't the same. (WHY IS MY SKIN SO LOOSE? TELL ME I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE.)

Have I gained weight?

YES. I have gained 2 lbs. I find this to be so annoying, but my personal-trainer-friend tells me to STOP weighing myself and just pay attention to my measurements. And no, ya'll - this isn't a "muscle weighs more than fat" thing -- that's an urban myth created to make us all feel better, if you ask me.

Anywho.

Bottomline: I like it. It's hard. And for right now, it works. I think that after I finish the 60 days I'm going to integrate some strength training into the program... in my living room, yo.

--

I should have been blogging...

noreply@blogger.com (Ky • twopretzels.com) — Mon, 14 May 2012 04:16:00 +0000

But instead we played all.day.long.

It was perfect.

And at the end of the day Lila asked, "Mommy? We listen a Lionel Richie now?"

Absolutely, Lila.

I love her. She is my heart walking.

Mother's Day 2012 was a success.

TOMS all around.

noreply@blogger.com (Ky • twopretzels.com) — Fri, 11 May 2012 16:12:00 +0000

Last night I did a little shoe shopping. I thought, "Vivi needs her first pair of TOMS. Well, those are cute, so are those..."

So our family of four got some new shoes.

For Vivi - Snowflake

For Lila - Paisley

For Lila - Glitter Pink - her cousin has these and she covets them.

For Craig - his first pair

For me - Freeport Fuschia -- but the color should be more like that below.

Happy Friday.

Go shopping, too. :)

--

MexMo: Feliz dia de las Mamas!

noreply@blogger.com (Ky • twopretzels.com) — Thu, 10 May 2012 22:06:00 +0000

So, since I had my babies in Mexico and currently reside in Mexico, I get to celebrate Mother's Day twice. Um, awesome.

Lila's been talking about a "surprise" for me for at least 3 weeks now. The surprise is a dance at school and she's come home everyday and told me about it. I'd ask her to show me a bit of it, and she'd kick her leg out forward... once and tell me, "That for you!"

Lila's school

As it turns out, that one leg kick was quite telling of the actual, finished Mother's Day dance.

More on that in a minute.

First, let's take a look at my daughters hugging one another this morning before Lila's Dia da la mama's festival.

Next, let's take a look at this ridiculously cute outfit that I made. (As if. I did not make this outfit. A friend of a friend made this outfit and I paid for it.)

Traditional Mexican skirt, apron and vest.

P.S. The vest is velour. ROCK ON. I plan on dressing her up as Joan Jett for Halloween this year. Score.

And, those shoes and socks? They're all Lila. Hey - what can she say? They make her jump higher! ("Lila, your shoes are tight, you're going to need some new ones. Her: "You will buy me same shoes again, right?" Absolutely. Hello my little creature of habit.)

Next, I had to take a picture when we got to school. Pre-performance.

She slowly warmed up.

Um. I know. SO cute.

This is Lila's friend, Nico.

Next, the dance:

And pics from the dance.

Finally, when it was over - this little sweetie found some rose petals and brought them to me. Sweet girl.

Um, I love her. She was so proud.

And when it was all over with, the children find their Mommies in the crowd and bring them a gift. Mine was a little plaster square with her hand print on it.

I cried.

GREAT day. I've never enjoyed a little program more. So sweet.

I really love being a Mom.

--

P.S. Big thank you to mi amiga Dulce for taking so many of these photos! xo.

Instagram addiction.

noreply@blogger.com (Ky • twopretzels.com) — Thu, 10 May 2012 03:24:00 +0000

I've recently gotten an iPhone. (Yes, thank you - I'm enjoying 2006, thank you for asking. It's nice to finally be here with my niece who I believe is on her fourth iPhone to my one.)

For the most part the iPhone has underwhelmed me. It's fine. It's just a mini version of my iPad... that actually dials out. But whatever. I will say that my blackberry lasted for HOURS and my iPhone is nearly dead by 5 p.m. (BOO.)

Still, I am in love with instagram. I know everyone else has been in love with instagram forEVER, but it's new-ish to me and I like it.

Do you love instagram? If you're on it, tell me so that I can follow you. I'm nosy. I want to see your pictures. And your life. And your house. And your kids.

(Go ahead, file that restraining order now.

Here, I'll show you some of my recent uploads:

P.S. If you're on instagram, follow my friend wilsonsarahn. Her photos are artistic and pretty and incredible.

P.S.S. I'm sick of twitter. I'm thinking instagram is my new twitter.

--

Right.

noreply@blogger.com (Ky • twopretzels.com) — Tue, 08 May 2012 16:30:00 +0000

I'd totally wear a white blazer to the playground with my nephew.

The one where Lila fell. Parents, thoughts?

noreply@blogger.com (Ky • twopretzels.com) — Tue, 08 May 2012 11:08:00 +0000

So last Friday Lila fell down at school. She falls all the time (she gets that from me), but she fell a little harder than normal this time. She was apparently swinging and tripped when getting off the swing and forgot that she had hands and fell on her face.

Her lip was fat and bleeding, the teeny patch of skin above her lip between her nose and lips was scraped up pretty badly and so was her chin and lip.

They immediately cleaned her up with water, put an ice pack on her face and put arnica* on it.

...but they didn't call us.

Craig was the parent picking up Lila on Friday and when he got to school he saw Lila and it appeared as if Lila had simply drawn on her face, but as he got a better, closer look - he saw it was dried blood and a scrape and he went into Papa-bear-protection mode and was IRATE. (Understandably.)

Why didn't the school call us?

Lila was fine, she definitely was the most scraped up I think she's ever been and I think it's definitely going to be uncomfortable and slightly itchy as it heals, I'm sure.

--

So, what are your thoughts on this? What is your experience with your child's school/care provider in the case of an injury? Do you have a set plan of attack when this happens?

--

I immediately called Lila's teacher, whom I frequently text (Si! I'm that parent.) and whom I love and she told me the full story and explained that she was going to call, however Lila hardly cried, she seemed fine and after they cleaned her up she wanted to play on the brincolin (trampoline) and she jumped and jumped and jumped and was happy.

Still, I said, "If she ever bleeds at school from her face, I need to know. Even if she's ok. Send me a text so that when we pick her up we don't flip out. If she falls and scrapes a knee - I get it, but this was a bit more than a scraped knee."

She apologized 3 million times and even texted over the weekend to make sure Lila was ok.

Ok, so thoughts on this, please. Should the school have called? Am I overreacting?

--

*Arnica is essentially used here like Windex was used by the Dad in My Big Fat Greek Wedding. And it's true, it pretty much fixes everything.

--

MexMo: Hay un caballo en la calle.

noreply@blogger.com (Ky • twopretzels.com) — Mon, 07 May 2012 17:39:00 +0000

That loosely translates to, "Hey - there's a horse in the road."

Nope. I don't have any words.

Just another day in paradise.

Consider this my public complaint.

noreply@blogger.com (Ky • twopretzels.com) — Mon, 07 May 2012 17:00:00 +0000

I hate facebook timeline and I am not excited about having to use it starting tomorrow.

Boo.

--

Ladies Lunes: Amigas.

noreply@blogger.com (Ky • twopretzels.com) — Mon, 07 May 2012 11:08:00 +0000

It appears that my girls are quite entertaining.

This was the week of playing together.

And Vivi? Holy cow, she is out of whatever shell she might have been in previously. She's absolutely who-larious.

And, she loves Millie.

And these girls love one another, too. Just ironically, never at the same time. (Two seconds after this photo was shot Vivi wanted Lila off of her NOW.)

But then two seconds after that... you get this.

Sisters.

Friends, if you don't have a water table for your toddlers - BUY ONE. Ours is played with every.single.day. And, for those of you in colder states, I hear you can still use it in the winter. Bring in the snow and let the kids play with it.

Best $40 you'll spend this spring.

Lila was pouring "cupcakes." Uh-huh.

Yep, pajamas and rain boots.

Vivi was drinking water... with her sister's magic wand.

Oh, those tootsies.

...and that laugh!

More painting. It's part of Lila's daily life these days. Love it.

Ladies who lunch.

Millie is always ready for some sort of snack.

That hair.

So, we have these screened sliding doors that go out to our back patio. Millie, our insane dog (whom we love), ripped a hole through the screen when she first moved in so that she can come and go as she pleases...

...now, guess who else likes to come and go as she pleases?

Coming back in.

And now, guess what? She even carries CHAIRS through the door now.

Yep. Craig will be fixing the door this week.

This is Lila posing by her "herbs." (Please, pronounce the "h" -- Lila does.) She waters them and is very proud of them.

Vivi is very much into head accessories.

Even at breakfast.

Um. Her belly.

Sunday morning my girls were cutting the floor. They were following one another around with their ridiculously noisy lawn mowers giggling and laughing.

The sounds was a bit much, but they were so cute.

Yes, that's Petal hitching a ride on the mower.

Lila paints everything... even her toes with water.

...and, for the pièce de résistance of this week's Ladies Lunes:

Have a great week!

k.

--

Meet my basil plant.

noreply@blogger.com (Ky • twopretzels.com) — Mon, 07 May 2012 02:59:00 +0000

Isn't it cute?

It's a miniature basil plant. I didn't know miniature basil existed, but it does.

--

I'm looking for some fantastic miniature-basil-inclusive recipes, please.

--