Letters For Lucas

Wonders, Mishaps, Blunders and Joy.. commentary on my life as a mom in the form of letters to my son

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Giving Thanks

Posted on November 25, 2010 Written by Tonya

Wise men count their blessings; fools their problems. – Author Unknown

Last year, my husband and I took 5 1/2 month old Lucas to Italy (you can read about our trip here) and had a fantastic time, but this year I’m happy to be home spending the holiday with family.

Today, we started our day with a local 5 mile Turkey Trot, which I highly recommend to anyone is planning to eat and drink all day, like we did. It was only Leah and I that crossed the finished line, because poor Lucas woke up with a cold and since it was 50 degrees out at 7 AM, after mile 1, he and Daddy waited for us in a cozy and warm coffee shop. The rest of the day, Leah and I played Scrabble, cared for Lucas, wiped his runny nose, watched his favorite programs on TV, tried to get a good holiday card photo of him and stayed out of Todd’s way as he cooked the turkey, made twice-baked potatoes and green beans.

Our feast was served at 4 PM and it was button on your pants popping delicious!

This year, like most, I was in charge of the pies and there were three, as usual: pecan (Leah’s favorite), pumpkin (Todd’s favorite) and chocolate (mine!). And yes, there is a piece missing from one of the pies… someone just couldn’t wait until tonight.

Looking back at my Thanksgiving post last year (you can read it here), there isn’t much that I’d change or add to my list of things I’m thankful for this Thanksgiving. I have been blessed beyond belief! With only a few minor edits:

  • The 35 years I had with my parents.
  • A supportive, loving, patient and understanding husband, who also happens to be an incredible father and amazing cook. He’s also very generous; I found him preparing a full plate of food for a homeless man hanging out in our alleyway tonight.
  • A happy, healthy, smart, adorable, fun toddler who teaches me something new everyday and fills my life with joy.
  • A sister who has the capacity to listen, forgive and love unconditionally.
  • Being able to stay at home and raise my son.
  • Friends and family near and far, old and new, especially my mommy friends; I don’t know where I’d be without any them.
  • Living in Southern California where there is sunshine 360 days a year.
  • This blog, which has proven to be one of the very best things I have ever done for myself.
  • Extra long foot massages, pajamas, Cabernet Sauvignon, babysitters that are available at the last minute, TiVo and sleep!
  • The ability to travel to far away places, have exciting adventures, meet new people and then return safely home.

I hope however you are spending the holiday, you find as many things to be grateful for. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

This post is for Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop – Prompt #2: Share a photo of what Thanksgiving looks like in your neck of the woods.
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Filed Under: aunt leah, exercise, holidays, list, mama kat's writer's workshop, photos, quotes, TBW, weight

You Know You’re A Mom When-sDaze

Posted on November 24, 2010 Written by Tonya

You know you’re a mom when…

  • You open your purse one day and find rocks! Actual rocks.
  • A child’s book with sounds will make noise out of the blue on it’s own, repeatedly scaring the crap out of you until you finally throw it away.
  • There will come a day when you will have to reevaluate every single relationship that you have in your life and eliminate or redefine the ones that don’t make sense anymore or offer you something positive all in the name of motherhood.
  • You have waited for your toddler to switch from formula to regular milk for almost 18 months and now that the day has come and he didn’t fight it, you’re a little sad because it means your baby is no longer a baby.
  • You are driven your craziest just moments before Daddy, the babysitter or relief of any sort shows up to save the day (and your sanity).
  • You realize that the holiday season now has a whole new meaning because this little person is a part of it.

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You Know You’re A Mom When-sDaze

Posted on November 17, 2010 Written by Tonya

You know you’re a mom when…

  • You don’t care how many wipes you go through, as long as your fingers don’t have to touch anything nasty.
  • You rock out to nursery rhymes and don’t think anything of it.
  • If there is a pile of dog poop or a mud puddle at the park, your child will find it, step it and maybe even pick it up and bring it to you (that’s for you, Jenn M.).
  • One day your tot will love something (food, song, book, toy, activity) and the next day wants nothing to do with it.
  • It’s not even 9:00 in the morning and your house is a wreck.
  • It’s all fun and games until someone gets peanut butter in their hair and usually it’s mom!
  • There is nothing sweeter than a unsolicited hug.

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Looking For A Silver Lining

Posted on November 16, 2010 Written by Tonya

The holiday decorations are up in stores, our mailbox has been littered with catalogs for weeks and there is no escaping the toy commercials on television.

It can only mean one thing: It’s officially the holiday season!

Again.

Ugh.

On top of all the preparations that go into Christmas: finding, wrapping and delivering the perfect gifts, capturing a suitable holiday photo for the yearly greeting card, addressing, stamping and mailing the cards, digging out the decorations, streaming the lights, selecting and trimming the tree, attending the gatherings and displaying and maintaining a sense of good will and cheer to all, we are moving!

We are on Day 12 of escrow and provided everything continues to go smoothly, we need to be out of our house the week of Christmas. Gulp. Happy holidays to us! Can you say “bad timing”?

Rather than freak out about about all the tasks at hand, I’m going to look at the bright side:

  • We’re no strangers to moving. Since I graduated from college, I have moved 10 times and my husband, three.
  • Moving = purging and if not now, then when?
  • We don’t have to decorate our house for the holiday.
  • It will be wonderful to start the New Year and a new chapter with a new address.
  • Our holiday card can double as a “we’ve moved” notification.
  • This could be the year I solely use gift bags without guilt instead of painstakingly wrap our presents.
  • Lucas will enjoy playing in and with packing boxes, also known as cute photo ops. Too bad we can’t put him to work.
  • We have an excuse not to attend or more importantly host any holiday parties.
  • Our gifts to each other can be items we need/want for our new home.

Any other silver lining aspects of moving during the holiday season?

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This is my 400th post!

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Filed Under: blog, holidays, list, milestones, move

These Are My Confessions…

Posted on November 11, 2010 Written by Tonya

Here goes nothing… a list of all (some) of my weird, embarrassing, illegal and shameful activities. I am sure there are more where these came from, but let’s just start here.

Please don’t judge.

  • I steal magazines from my doctor’s office.
  • I let the gas in my car get dangerously low before I fuel up. We’re talking single digits.
  • I have had the same three Netflix movies for four months. What a waste of $68!
  • I color my hair and only wash it every three days.
  • I screen my phone calls.
  • I make our bed within minutes of getting up in the morning.
  • I miss working.
  • I want to rip a person’s arm off if they take food from my plate.
  • I listen to audio books when I walk.
  • I cheat at Scrabble, but rarely win.
  • I let Lucas watch too much TV.
  • I watch too much TV.
  • I record Oprah every day and I’ll cry when this season is over.
  • I have never read one single Harry Potter book, nor have I seen any of the movies.
  • I don’t like to eat leftovers.
  • I think there should be a ban on onions. I love the way they taste, but can’t stand the way they make my house smell.
  • I can’t get one hand wet without getting the other one wet too.
  • I can rarely listen to a song without singing along.
  • I can’t stand people that can’t show up on time.
  • I stole some erasers and gum from a convenience store when I was in the fifth grade and gold charms with my BFF Sophie when we were in junior high.
  • I use subtitles when I watch movies at home.
  • I drive over the speed limit and have been know to tail gate.
  • I’d rather send an e-mail than pick up the phone.
  • I once “borrowed” a scarf from a friend that I never returned.
  • I don’t like fish.
  • I still have thank you cards to send for gifts we received when Lucas was born.
  • I recently bought a Justin Beiber song on iTunes, of course, if you got your hands on my iPod, you’d think I was schizophrenic.
  • I floss my teeth (when I floss) before I brush them.

So, there you have it. Well, some of it. What dirty little secrets are your hiding?

This post is forMama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop– Prompt #2: What are your confessions? (inspired by Usher)

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Filed Under: a mother's guilt, books, confession, list, mama kat's writer's workshop, TDA bio, TV Tagged With: a mother's guilt, books, confession, list, TDA bio

You Know You’re A Mom When-sDaze

Posted on November 10, 2010 Written by Tonya

This is my 20th list!

You know you’re a mom when…

  • You now know better than to take snacks to a public place unless you have enough for everybody there.
  • You make your child repeat certain words because they just sound so cute coming out of their mouths.
  • Your heart drops a little when you watch your toddler run up and down any surface with an incline. All you can envision is a broken nose and bloody fat lip.
  • You can’t understand how so many sippy cups go missing. They must be hanging put with all the lost socks from the dryer.
  • You are thankful for the kind fellow passengers on the airplane that not only put up with your child running their toy trains up and down their arm and your terrible singing, but also share their pretzels.
  • You child uses other people’s legs for support and nobody seems to mind.
  • Your holidays, birthdays and other significant events are a lot sweeter when a little person is around to share them with.

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You Know You’re A Mom When-sDaze

Posted on November 3, 2010 Written by Tonya

You know you’re a mom when…

  • All dignity and modesty has gone right out the window because your tot regularly uses your boobs as armrests, often pulls and/or lifts your shirt down and/or up in public, you pee with an audience and have zero qualms about throwing away a poppy diaper away in a public place.
  • You hold doors open for other mothers with strollers because you’ve been there and it’s difficult to maneuver even for the best of us.
  • You are able to tune out other people’s children’s outbursts. If it’s not yours, you’re not concerned.
  • Time passes too quickly when you’re surrounded by friends and wine is involved, but moves at a snail’s pace when it’s just you and your child.
  • Believe all modern conveniences; Starbucks, your favorite sandwich shop, the post office and dry cleaner should be offered in the drive through variety.
  • Nothing brings you more joy than observing your child play, learn and grow on their own.

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Project Smile – October

Posted on October 31, 2010 Written by Tonya

October has become a notoriously bad month for me because it is the month my parents died three years ago and my plate right now is very full with lots of other stresses, but thanks to Alicia’s (A Beautiful Mess) Project Smile, here are 31 reasons I found to be happy this month:

1st – The kindness of strangers along the Susan G. Komen for the Cure route.
2nd – Walking across the Golden Gate Bridge. I got to cross #23 off my Buried List!
3rd – A celebratory dinner with Leah. We just walked 60 miles!!
4th – Home sweet home, coming home to Lucas. This was the longest I have ever been away from him.
5th – Pink toe nails.
6th – I made dinner!
7th – Blind (lunch) date with @surferwife.
8th – An impromptu overnight trip to Palm Springs.
9th – Coming home. Lucas didn’t fair very well in the hotel room, so none of us got any sleep.
10th – Watching Lucas’ face light up at all the trains at Travel Town in Griffith Park.
11th – Just a regular ole day where everything goes exactly according to plan.
12th – A great two-hour long workout! I love to sweat.
13th – After being in 102 degree heat at the pumpkin patch… air conditioner!
14th – A much overdue date night at one of my favorite restaurants.
15th – Five grown women making silly faces, funny noises and dancing around trying to get two toddlers to smile for pictures at the pumpkin patch and a champagne toast to two very special people.
16th – Finding a darling house with a nice big backyard and plenty of room to grow. Unfortunately, we had to let it go because we want our current house to sell first. But I know another one just like it or better is out there!
17th – Manicure, pedicure, lunch and shopping with a BFF.
18th – A jammy day! We played hookie from music class and spent the day in front of the TV.
19th – Leaving my therapist’s office after an eight month long hiatus and knowing that I’m going to be okay…eventually.
20th – Mommy & Me group mommies only get together. Where would I be without these women?
21st – I FINALLY got the oil changed in my car.
22nd – Finished one book and started and finished another!
23rd – A family bike ride. Lucas loves his helmet.
24th – We spent all day shopping for Lucas! He got new pants, shirts, shoes, bibs and a Thomas the Train set.
25th – A gift from a far away friend. Thank you, Sophie for the soap, it smells too pretty to use. xoxo
26th – A three hour long nap! Mommy was very productive today.
27th – Wine, wine and more wine with friends.
28th – Playing cars with Lucas. An entire hour flew by and I didn’t even realize it.
29th – Seeing Steeping Feet, a Dave Matthews Band tribute band.
30th – A husband who lets the mother of his child sleep in.
31st – My little Superman. And candy corn.

Be sure to link up at Alicia’s (A Beautiful Mess) Project Smile, or check out her reasons to smile this month. Her photographs are some of the most boo-tiful you will ever see. 🙂
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Filed Under: DMB, friends, list, outing, project smile, TV, warm fuzzy

You Know You’re A Mom When-sDaze

Posted on October 27, 2010 Written by Tonya

You know you’re a mom when…

  • You walk around with raccoon eyes and people often tell you you look tired or my new favorite, ‘fatigued’ and you feel like screaming, “uh, no s*it, I have a toddler!”.
  • You hire a babysitter for the evening so that you can go out with your friends, but all you really want to do is to curl up in front of the TV in your pjs.
  • You carry your SPF face cream with you in your purse because 90% of the time you walk out of the house without putting it on because you are too busy getting your child ready.
  • You can’t wait until your tot can tell you exactly what they’re thinking because you just want to know what’s going on inside their head.
  • Even though you know it’s bad to linger, the sad face and cries for “mama” break your heart when you are trying to get out the door without him.
  • It’s a productive day when you get a three hour long nap from your little one. Bless you child!

Be sure to link up with your own You Know You’re a Mom When-sDaze list at Mommy of a Monster.

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You Know You’re A Mom When-sDaze

Posted on October 20, 2010 Written by Tonya

You know you’re a mom when…

  • Inevitably, immediately after finishing your chores, just when you are about to sit down and relax, your child will throw up all over himself and the freshly cleaned floors for no apparent reason.
  • You keep thinking: maybe this time he won’t eat the crayons.
  • You are shocked, amazed and more than slightly annoyed that when your son doesn’t go to sleep until after 9 PM, he still wakes up at 5 AM!
  • You are shocked, amazed and more than slightly annoyed that with all the toys your kid has, he wants to play with a stapler, sunglasses, clock, wallet and trash can.
  • There will come a day when your tot will ask to have Cheez-Its for breakfast and you will give them to him.
  • You’re a little sad each time you have to retire a favorite article of your child’s clothing.

Be sure to link up with your own You Know You’re a Mom When-sDaze list at Mommy of a Monster.

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