holidays

‘Twas The Week Before Christmas

Posted on December 17, 2013 Written by Tonya

‘Twas the week before Christmas and all through the house
There were piles and messes and somewhere a spouse.
With all the shopping, decorating, cards and baking,
‘Tis the season, there was no mistaking.

With family on their way and a new home to set up,
The pressure inside my head is about to make me erupt!
With my to do, to buy, to return and to wrap list long,
I couldn’t help wondering where I’d done wrong.

I’m an organized person, I should be more on the ball,
But with a busy four year old on top of being 34 weeks pregnant, I’m afraid I can’t do it all!
Carrying a heavy load and wanting everything to be perfect,
Is not only stupid, it’s highly unrealistic!

With visions of a new baby girl swirling around my head,
It dawned on me that I need to take a step back in order to avoid all the dread.
It’ll all get done, one way or another.
I’m not a super hero, just another busy mother.

So with only seven days left to prepare
For only one of the biggest holidays of the year,
I’m raising my red flag and asking for HELP,
Seriously. Anyone will do, just yelp!

It’s taken me a while to learn that the holidays are meant for making memories and having fun,
Not crossing stuff off a list that you’ve done.
So instead of being busy, stressed out and uptight,
I’ve decided to light a fire, sit in front of the tree and put up my feet tonight.

I hope your week goes according to plan,
But if not, take after me and ask for a helping hand,
And above all else, please make time to enjoy,
Surround yourself with smiles, laughter, love, cookies and joy!

A Week Of Milestones

Posted on December 16, 2013 Written by Tonya

Hello friends, it has been a while. Almost an entire month in fact and in that time, we moved, decorated for Christmas, surpassed the critical 32 week point of my pregnancy (!) and were without Internet access for almost three weeks. It has been busy and we are anything but settled into our new home, but have already had guests, are hosting family and friends for Christmas and are enjoying making our house a home.

I’m currently sitting at the island in my beautiful new kitchen listening to holiday music, avoiding my very lengthy To Do list and thinking back on a week of some pretty big milestones for Lucas:

Milestone #1 For the first time EVER, Lucas ate what we ate for dinner!

Before becoming a parent I always said I would never be a short order cook, serving up a separate meal for my child, but having such a picky eater that was not the case in the least bit and until last Tuesday, that’s just what we did.

Tuesday he enjoyed pesto pasta with chicken and broccoli.

This is huge!

No separate meal.

I know it won’t happen every night, but we are headed in the right (and way more convenient) direction.

Milestone #2 While out to dinner on Saturday evening, Lucas asked to use the men’s restroom (gulp), which led to me sending this tweet while I waited (and worries):

I don’t know what the appropriate age is to let your son use the restroom by himself, but I know that I won’t be doing it again unless it is a another single stall situation.

Milestone #3 There are very few things in my life that I have had to have. These shoes purchased long before Lucas was even born were one of those things.

I completely fell in love with this New Balance sneaker, size 12(!) decked out with Oscar the Grouch, complete with several pesky flies. On the bottom of the sole, it says: “Have a yucky day!”. Having grown up watching Sesame Street, I just had to get them!

We bought them while in Old Town Pasadena in the Spring of 2009 and never thought our little boy would ever be able to wear them.

At 4 1/2 years old, Lucas’s tiny feet grew and grew are finally big enough to wear them!

Be still my heart, my little boy is no longer so little.

The Spookiest Story I’ve Ever Heard

Posted on October 30, 2013 Written by Tonya

I don’t know about you, but I have already had my fill of candy corn. I can’t help it, I just can’t get enough of the sugary stuff!

The last time I “dressed up” for Halloween was a decade ago for a co-workers Halloween party and I was a very demure 50’s girl complete with poodle skirt, cardigan sweater, pigtails and Keds. Clearly, I’m not a big fan of this holiday. I do, however, love taking Lucas trick-or-treating (wait until you see his costume!) and his excitement over Halloween decorations is adorable.

I do find haunted houses, ghost stories, witches and fortune tellers intriguing, but I’m not overly comfortable with the macabre. There is a large part of me that believes in the afterlife, mediums and those who can communicate with the dead. I have visited several psychics over the years and not a Halloween goes by that I don’t think about a spooky story my grandmother and mother used to tell me.

I didn’t know my mother’s mother very well. We always lived far away from my grandparents and only saw them once a year. She died when I was in college. I do recall she was a heavy smoker, a loud talker, collected owl figurines, loved to sew and I will forever remember this story, the spookiest one I’ve ever heard.

Unfortunately, no one else in my family can verify this story and since neither my grandmother nor mother are with us any more, I choose to believe it’s true…

My grandmother was 15 and out shopping with a girlfriend and stumbled upon a fortune teller. For kicks, they decided to have their fortune told. My grandmother went first and the psychic told her the “standard”, you’ll marry someone tall, dark and handsome, to which my grandmother giggled and then promptly forgot.

When it was her friend’s turn, the fortune teller clammed up and became very jittery. She claimed that she couldn’t tell the girl’s fortune because nothing was “coming to her” and instead wrote something on a piece of paper and asked her to put the note in her shoe to read once she got home.

The two girls carried on with their day, had lunch, did more shopping and as they were heading home crossed a busy intersection. My grandmother’s friend was hit a car. She was instantly killed.

The note tucked in her shoe read, “you’ll never live to read this”.

I have never heard this story from anyone else so as far as I know, it is true. I’ve shared it many times over the years and it still send chills up and down my spine.

Wishing everyone a very happy and safe Halloween!

This post was written for Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop, Prompt 2.) A spooky story someone once told you.

A version of this post entitled Fortune Teller originally appeared on Letters For Lucas on October 29, 2010.

Too Cute Halloween Peep S’mores

Posted on October 30, 2013 Written by Tonya

Lucas came home from preschool last year on Halloween with a treat bag full of goodies from his classmates. I felt like a total heel because we didn’t send any treats (I didn’t know!!), so this year I wanted to make sure we/I did. I am the least crafty person I know so I’m constantly ~~stealing~~ borrowing other people’s ideas. I wanted to do something different than just sending a bag of standard fun-size candy.

Low and behold… While waiting for a doctor’s appointment yesterday (nothing like procrastination!), I was going through my Instagram feed and found the cutest and more importantly easiest idea posted by Mamainlalaland.

A quick trip to Michael’s and the grocery store and an assembly line was set up! The result is too cute…

We put together 30 bags in less than an hour, so there is still time to make these for your favorite ghouls and boys!

Directions for Halloween Peep S’mores:

1 graham cracker (broken in half)
2 mini Hershey bars
1 ghost Peep (they make pumpkin Peeps too if you want to mix it up)
Place in treat bag
Tie (I used orange and black raffia and a Halloween tag I found a free printable for at Anders Ruff Custom Designs. You can download it here.

Directions for making the s’mores (in case anyone asks):

Place an unwrapped chocolate bar on top of a graham square. Top with ghost peep and second graham square. Microwave 10-15 second and enjoy!

I am so thankful for creative people who inspire me. Happy Halloween!

Don’t Let Your Kids Be Litter Bugs: A Halloween PSA

Posted on October 28, 2013 Written by Tonya

I like Halloween as much as the next person; seeing children scurry from house to house in the dark screaming, “trick or treat”, indulging in a treat or six myself, marveling over people’s costume creativity and since becoming a mother, attending Lucas’ preschool Halloween parade has become a huge highlight and taking him out to beg for goodies with his friends is a lot of fun.

But, I have a teeny tiny public service announcement….

The day after Halloween last year while out walking Charlie, I picked up over 70 candy wrappers in my neighborhood. It would have been more, but I only had one bag.

I was completely appalled!

Litter attracts rodents and insects and loose garbage can make it’s way to waterways and harm fish, or birds might eat it and choke, not to mention, it’s ugly to look at.

When discussing Halloween safety, PLEASE also talk to your children about littering or better yet, have them wait to dive into their treat bags until they get home.

Thank you, be safe and have fun trick-or-treating with your little pumpkins!

With Love

Posted on October 8, 2013 Written by Tonya

It’s that time of year again… Halloween has completely invaded stores and in some cases, (Michael’s and Kohl’s) you’ll even see Christmas decorations displayed. It starts earlier every year, as they say.

Children wane back and forth about costumes, family reaches out to discuss Thanksgiving plans and preliminary gift lists begin.

The last three months of the year are typically a blur to most of us. We scratch our heads in bewilderment wondering where the year went, lament over all the holiday activities, try to stay healthy and enjoy the magic of the season and precious time with our families and friends.

This time of year sucks for me.

I’m overjoyed about finally being pregnant and loving every minute of daydreaming about baby girl’s arrival, we may have found a house and just this morning, I ordered Lucas’ Halloween costume, but October 15 is looming. It’s a date on the calendar I dread the most. This October 15 marks the sixth anniversary of my parents deaths.

Six years.

Six years of milestones missed.

Six years of missing.

It still boggles my mind and the grief continues.

It’s just not right that they aren’t here.

This year I will be spending the day with one of my dearest friends getting pampered, followed by a mellow evening with my husband and son. We will launch a sky lantern and remember, as always with love.

Childhood Classics

Posted on October 3, 2013 Written by Tonya

Play Doh, Crayola crayons, Hop Scotch, Dr. Seuss, Monopoly, Legos, the familiar jingle of ice cream trucks, cannon balls, balloon animals, Disneyland, peanut butter & jelly, hide and seek, cartoons and silly, albeit inappropriate songs…

I love how some things about childhood are timeless.

“Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat.
If you don’t, I don’t care, I’ll pull down your underwear.”

This post was written for Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop, Prompt 5. Something your child learned this week.

Labor Day Weekend: Signs Of A Great Vacation

Posted on September 3, 2013 Written by Tonya

We love San Diego and have missed it desperately since we moved from North County to Orange County almost three years ago. We made a lot of wonderful memories (not to mention friends) in our little beach town of Leucadia and life in general is a lot more laid back in San Diego, so anytime we can get back there, we do! Luckily it’s only a one hour drive south.

We just spent four days in La Jolla as an end of summer, Labor Day weekend getaway and it was just what our family needed.

Our hotel room was steps from the beach, everything we needed was within walking distance and the sand, surf, sea life and sun were in abundance.

More signs of a great vacation:

1. I took a book that I didn’t open once because there was too many other things to do, like people watch, lounge in the sun, follow guitar fish up and down the beach and practice writing our name in the sand.

2. The only shoes I packed were flip flops, there was no make up worn and I left my flat iron at home.

3. When we unpacked, sand was everywhere, and I do mean everywhere, but I didn’t mind a bit.

4. The majority of our dirty laundry consists of bathing suits, towels and cover ups.

5. Tan lines.

6. We took the long way home just to make it last a little longer.

7. For four days someone couldn’t be dragged off the beach if his life depended on it.

8. That same someone fell asleep in the car on the way home.

9. We’re already planning our next visit.

10. We brought home good memories, great photographs and huge smiles.

Mother’s Day

Posted on May 12, 2013 Written by Tonya

Tonight when I take the Listen To Your Mother stage in Sacramento, I’ll be thinking about my mother.

It’s Mother’s Day after all, who else would I be thinking of? Of course, not a day goes by that I don’t think of her.

I wonder what she’d think of the piece I’m going to share.

I’m sure she’d cry and laugh in all the right places and then ever sentimental, cry some more.

I have no doubt that she would be tremendously proud of me.

Oh, how I wish more than anything that she were going to be sitting in the audience and the first one to hug me after the show.

I wish she were here today and always.

Happy Mother’s Day, mom.

May, 2007

A Belated Valentine To My Dog

Posted on February 16, 2013 Written by Tonya

Dear Charlie Pasta,

You came right to me.

You chose me.

Out of all your equally adorable little brothers and sisters, you stumbled your way to me. I didn’t want an orange and white Brittany, I wanted a liver (chocolate) and white. But your little face won me over. Thank goodness you couldn’t see very well yet because I was a fright having just spend several days taking care of a sick toddler. I don’t even think I showered the day we met.

You were barely a month old but I knew I wanted you too.

My God, what I was thinking?!

I was so insistent on adding you to our family, I literally begged and pleaded with Todd for months! Oh yeah, I hate to break it to you but your BFF didn’t want a dog. He fights to keep you now, so you’re safe.

Over the last six months you have tried my patience beyond belief and we are still struggling to find some common ground.

You’re a puppy, I get it, but for the love of all the leaves and birds you chase in our backyard, the holes you enjoy digging so much, the chicken flavored treats you adore, the dirty socks you hoard and all the rounds of fetch I have played with you, please calm the fuck down!!

We have been told that your breed is an “energetic” one, that you require lots of exercise, thrive on having a task and find it difficult to relax. You and I should be getting along famously because that describes me to a T.

Alas, we don’t.

Yet.

I know we’ll turn a corner soon and until then, I’ll try to have more patience with you, my sweet little freckle faced friend.

As long as you keep looking at me with a cock-eyed head when it’s 2 minutes past your feeding time and the lower half of your body shakes to one side when you wag your tail, I’ll keep taking you on long walks, searching high and low for more challenging (and indestructible) toys and picking up your poop. Deal?

In spite of our similarities, I love you and all the fury, frustration and fun you have brought to our family.

You have never cared what I look like or if I’m happy, sad, sick or frazzled. You chose me.

Love,
Me

P.S. In the middle of writing this, I left you outside unsupervised for five minutes and you dug a hole, asshole!

‘Twas The Week Before Christmas

Related Posts:

A Week Of Milestones

Related Posts:

The Spookiest Story I’ve Ever Heard

Related Posts:

Too Cute Halloween Peep S’mores

Related Posts:

Don’t Let Your Kids Be Litter Bugs: A Halloween PSA

Related Posts:

With Love

Related Posts:

Childhood Classics

Related Posts:

Labor Day Weekend: Signs Of A Great Vacation

Related Posts:

Mother’s Day

Related Posts:

A Belated Valentine To My Dog

Related Posts:

Related Posts:

Related Posts:

Related Posts:

Related Posts:

Related Posts:

Related Posts:

Related Posts:

Related Posts:

Related Posts:

Related Posts:

What I Write About