Living the American Dream

Romanian Goodness

2009-11-13T10:03:00.000-08:00

Having my mom with us for the past 5 months has been such a blast. Not only did we get some great help with C and sometimes a much need it break from stress, but she has been willing to re-create some of my childhood goodies.
We made some plum and walnuts jam, apricot jam as well as "zacusca", this Romanian veggie spread that is delicious on freshly baked bread or crackers. And while I was tasting all the goodies, I realized that eating them is not what I am looking forward to the most (though they certainly are delicious), it's the way the house smells when you cook and make all this, it's the memories of easier and simpler times of childhood!

CVS escape

2009-11-03T15:59:00.000-08:00

For the past few months I have been struggling with the fact that I never have a moment alone anymore. With a 16 months old at home, a regular part time job that's never really a part time job, a mother who while is very very very helpful lives with us and speaks very little English, a house and a husband, I never have any time alone (unless you want to count the commute to Boston where I share the train with gazillion people on a good day!)
So I am sad to announce that my 10 minutes of sanity today were spent in CVS while I was looking for some better solution for C's diaper rash. I realize how pathetic that might sound, but sometimes those couple of minutes alone when I can just think without having to make funny faces or sing humpy dumpty, or translate whatever is all I can look forward to!

So no wonder that the idea of having another child is pretty much closed at this point...
See ya!

Hannibal rising

2009-10-11T07:04:00.000-07:00

The latest book that I am reading is "Hannibal rising" by Thomas Harris and it's pre Red Dragon, Hannibal and Silence of the Lambs.

I have always been fascinated by characters that even though they are the evident villain make you feel sorry for them and understand why they are the way they are! While I still remember how spooked and horrified I was when I read Hannibal, now reading what happened to him makes me understand why he ended up doing all those terrible things later on. (and yes, I do understand that this is just a book and it's fiction, but I am trying to make a point here). I guess (and this is a spoiler) if you would have seen people eat your sister in front of you when you were 8 years old, you might have had some issues too! Reading the book I feel so terrible for him and the things he had to witness as a child and in the same time I am completely mortified by what he does later on in life...

I always wondered how much of who we are as adults is influenced by what we have been thru until that point in life! And while there are people out there who can grow and develop without being influenced by the "bad" stuff that happened to them, many of us are not! I always wondered what kind of person I would have been if my parents would have not gotten a divorce, if I would have never met Alan, if I would have never came here for an internship all those years ago...

Do you think of what your life would have been if...

Don't have the stomach for it...

2009-09-25T10:52:00.000-07:00

For having to rip apart knitted items... I had been working on this baby blanket for one of C's cousins (for Christmas) for ever. It takes so long, maybe also because when I knit I have the attention span of a 2 year old kid. I still want the instant gratification, so I have been knitting smaller projects such as leg warmers, hats, cowls, scarves... The baby blanket was making me really unhappy! I just did not like the pattern, the yarn, the way it came out... so I ripped it apart! It hurt me to no extent to do so, but as my friend K says: it's all part of the process.
So now, K gave me this other easier, faster pattern for the blanket and so far so good! It's moving along and I like it.
I will try to take some pics this weekend with the finished projects and then post them...
Cheers!

Harder than it looks

2009-08-24T05:55:00.000-07:00

I have been asking A for the past 2 summers to get Rollerblades with me. I guess this past weekend he got tired of me mentioning it, and we went to the store and got them! I am so excited about it!
You know, how sometimes you have a completely unrealistic, idealized vision of something? Yeah, I had this twisted image of us being able to just "wosh" thru the park while we push C in her little pink stroller. Reality? Not so much!
Let's say that though we had a lot of fun and are planning on doing again soon, it was a lot harder than what I though! A managed to fall twice, but he was able to skate several times around the park! I, on the other hand did not fall, but was not as brave as he was... I went back and forth on one of the alleys close to our car!
I am certainly not giving up my day job to become a professional Rollerblade (is that even a profession?)

Re-creating childhood

2009-08-23T05:08:00.001-07:00

Growing up in a communist country, where "luxuries" such as fruit jams, tomato sauce and "zacusca" (a Romanian vegetable spread) were hard to come by in the store (not could the regular Romanian afford spending money on such a thing), my mom and grandma always made all those at home. And I have to admit they were sooo much better than anything you could find at the store. And I am pretty sure that was the truth and not some sort of idealized childhood memory of mine.
So this fall (I know I can't believe I am already talking about the fall as we had no real summer, but none the less fall is fast approaching!), I decided to just go back to the simpler things and make some goodies myself.
For the following few weeks I will be on the hunt for some great farmer's market fruits and veggies along with some receptacles to store the creations. I figured that not only will I get to remember some great times from my childhood when the house was filled with the sweet aroma of peaches and plums and sugary syrup, but also create some memories for Chloe!
I have all the good intentions of taking pictures and blogging about it, but don't hold your breath about it. Life really does get insane when you try to juggle so many things at once (anyone there can understand what I am talking about? :) And who knows what Santa might bring into your gift basket this year?

Seriously?

2009-08-05T05:22:00.000-07:00

The other day I decided to go to the mall and get some new sandals. I really need a pair since somehow I managed to completely ruin the ones I bought 2 months ago! (don't ask, I have no idea how I did that).
And I have to say I was both annoyed and aggravated to notice that you can't really find summer things anymore. Ok that might not be completely true, but I could not find any normal looking black sandals since every single store had a huge stock of winter boots!
Seriously, I think this is the biggest problem this culture has! We are rushing into the next thing before we even had the chance to enjoy the one we are in right now. I understand that this year the summer has been all wacky, but it is just August, our family has not even been in vacation yet (at the end of this week), I have not worn my bathing suit yet, and I have no tan (not for lack of trying mind you!), do we really need to worry about winter?
Argh...

Proof of work!

2009-06-29T16:46:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been getting the knitting bug...a lot! I started knitting a nice blanket for one of C's cousins, but it's taking a long time, so I took a break and made this cotton hat for C! It only took about a day and a half, and while it's supposed to be a 4 to 6 hours project, I really am not an expert and I have to knitt in between chasing Noodle around the house! I used the patern from this book called " Last minute knitted gifts", and I love it! It should be great for cool fall nights.
I have to say though... the cord nearly killed me!

Buni is back!

2009-06-22T12:49:00.000-07:00

After 4 months of being away, my mom has returned for her second tour of baby-sitting services:) I can't even tell you how much easier my life gets when she is here. Now I get to run around like crazy (still) but at least I am not dragging a 1 year old (tomorrow!) with me! Grocery shopping gets to be a lot quicker and so does every other chore around the house or elsewhere. On top of everything I actually don't have to cut and chop and pack lunches and b-fast for day care and that is a huge stress reliever. Not to mention that I was promised Romanian meatball soup for dinner tonight and I was also told that all the downstairs windows were cleaned today!

Overall... having my mom back is awesome. She loves playing with Noodle and Noodle loooooooves her "buni". She even kicked A and I out of the house on Saturday so we can go out for lunch and to buy presents for Noodle's birthday.
If you have not had the chance to meet her during her first stay, please come by. She might not speak a lot of English (though she is doing better and better each day), but she will give you a huge hug and feed you some yummy food!

Should have a group for this...

2009-06-03T10:41:00.001-07:00

My daughter is totally addicted to Gerber puffs! I think I need to start a group for her (and probably for mothers with kids like C.) so she can "discuss" her obsession with this snack. I guess in all fairness, she is a good eater, she ates whatever we have at the table including some things that I would probably not eat (pieces of parsnip anyone?) I just thing it's hilarious that she knows where the puffs "live" in our kitchen, she could be all done with her actual food, but would never refuse those puffs! And she shoves them by the handful (hers) into her mouth!
So, yeah, if your kid is addicted to this snack and would like to discuss it, please let me know :)

Stitch markers

2009-05-27T09:08:00.000-07:00

Here's my latest project... stitch markers. I have lots of small amounts of cute beads from all my beading project and since they are not enough for anything (maybe just for earrings, but how many pairs does one really need?), I decided to try my hand at some stitch markers. I told my friend K. I will make her a bunch and she promised to blog them. If you know any knitters out there who would like some, please let me know. I have more than I know what to do with and will be happy to give some away...
Let me know what you think.

Yup, that's my child

2009-05-20T07:21:00.001-07:00

Tuesdays are "story time hour" at the Attleboro library. C has been going there since she was 2 weeks old. For months and months at the very beginning she used to sleep thru the whole thing. Now she is crawling around with the other kids, licks the books and smiles at everyone. Yesterday morning was no exception. She "talked" to a bunch of kids, ate some cheerios (some of hers and some of another boy), and settled in to listed to the stories and sing songs. Or so I thought! The room was dead quiet, she was in the middle of the circle (yeah, she is not a drama queen at all), and she let out the loudest burp I have ever heard coming out of her! Everyone thought it was the funniest thing, including her! I tell you, she is the sweetest, happy go lucky kid, and then she turns into this "truck driver" ( sorry for the stereotype) in a second.
I wonder what's next....

Balanced!

2009-05-06T08:45:00.000-07:00

One of my goals at the beginning of this years was to get in shape. I think I wrote about getting a personal training (and how she kills me each week)! I also started to be mindful of what and more than anything how much I eat. While I am making progress (12 lbs in 4 months, thank you very much!), I am far from being done. Honestly, I don't think I will ever be done. People always talk about eating right as a way of life and not just a 6 months state of life. And I finally get it (I think!) I still don't love to go to the gym, but it's becoming more part of my routine much the same way drinking coffee so I can stay awake did.

I have been a huge fan of the "Biggest looser" over the past few months. Part of it because I have all the respect for people who want to change and do something about it, and part because it motivated and inspired me to keep going. I would rationalize that if the 340 lbs teenage boy could run each day and struggle thru, so could I!
Last night while I was watching this week's episode, one of the trainers said something to the extent that we need to have a balance in life, and not just stress out about the 200 cal glass of wine you had or the desert you ate for your friends visit. And it finally clicked for me. I finally got it! I often go to one extreme or the other. I either stress about it to an obsessive compulsive level, or I just don't care anymore!
So my goal is to find that balance between being healthy, exercising and living life to the fullest with no regrets! But as always that is easier said than done, so any help would be much appreciated!

Money saving pampering trick!

2009-04-27T05:19:00.000-07:00

In light of the declining economy, and as many other women, I am always on the hunt for cheaper solutions to the little life indulgences.
After a long day on Saturday (running errands with C. most of the morning, and spending the afternoon in the park pushing her on the swing), my feet were achy and tired and sore. So I decided I would love to soak them for a bit and use some scrub on them, and ... you got it, pamper a bit! Of course I discovered I have no more of those handy jars of body/foot scrub mix, so I decided to make my own. And it's so easy and muuuuch cheaper than the retail version that I don't think I would ever go back to buying it. I just mixed some baby oil with some salt (or you can use sugar if you like) in a little cup! And it worked just as well as the ones you buy in a jar. It was not the fancy kind, no lavender or rose petals in it, but it did what it was supposed to do: pampered my tired feet.

Has it really been that long?

2009-04-20T12:13:00.000-07:00

Goodness! I can't believe how long it has been since I blogged.
Lots of things happened during this time.

My brother came and visited. He got to meet C. for the first time and that was really neat! They were playing and ticking each other and all that. If you would know my brother you would know that's a huge deal. He, like most men I know, is not one to express feelings and all that. But he was really sweet with C, and really did not hold back! It made me wish I could be back in Romania so that she could grow up with her cousins there!
Oh, and we did lots of shopping! He did actually, I was just along for the ride and to chauffeur him from Walmart to Target, to Old Navy, Borders and then back to Target... You know, the works!

Easter happened too! It was great to spend time with A's family, but it's always bitter sweet for me. Holidays always make me think of my family back in Romania. You would think that after 7 years I would be used to living here and not still miss it! But I still do. None the less, I loved being able to see the whole family together, especially that C's cousins came and they played together.

I am running back home now, but will update more in the next couple of days!

Not so fast buddy!

2009-03-25T04:08:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! It's Poomba! Yeah I know, Mari wrote about me being gone, but I was just at a party and lost track of time. I really did tell my sister, Timone about it, but she wanted to get me in trouble and never told anyone where I was.
I am a little confused though. Mari was all excited to see me at the door and she let me in immediately, and then within 5 minutes of being back she was already yelling at me to get off the counters! In her defense though she cleans those counters at least 4 times a day when she is around. I just can't help it, there is so much to look at and play with up there (I am honestly fascinated by this machine that makes brown water collect in a carafe. I think they call it a coffee maker! I love sitting there and watch the brown water and I sometimes try to get to it, but it's always too hot.)
Anyhow, I just wanted to make sure you all know I am back. Mari promised to buy me a new bug collar so I can go and visit with friends, but until then I am grounded.

PS. Thanks Pumpkin for telling me how to hack into Mari's blog!

Poomba no more!

2009-03-17T16:45:00.000-07:00

It has been a sad weekend in our household... Poomba, one of our cats disappeared on Saturday. He usually goes out during the nice weather, but never ventured too far. And he always comes back at night for food, cuddles (though he hates them) and a nice place to sleep. This past Saturday he went out, but never came back. We have been walking around the neighborhood, and we have not seen him. We are hoping he just got lost and not killed by a car or some other awful event.
Poomba has been with us since we bought the house 4 years ago. He was/is a pain in the butt: he steals food from your plate, gets up on the counters, eats like a pig (first he gets his food all over the floor and then he eats it), but he was ours and we loved him. He was also one of those strange cats who loved ice-cream and bananas, hated soda, loved to cuddle and be petted on his own terms and only for certain amounts of times!
We keep hoping that one day he will come back, but until then we are just sad!

From Noodle!

2009-03-11T15:06:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, it' me C. aka Noodle! While I seam to still not be able to clearly communicate my desires to mama and dada, I am able to use the computer! This blogging thing is very interesting, I should get one myself, but for now I will use mama's! Oh, yeah, she is sick! I think I gave her whatever I had over the weekend (it was bad enough that they made me stay home on Monday with dada instead of letting me play with Mrs. Karah and her son!).

Since mama will probably figure out soon enough what I am up to, I better give you a quick update:
1. I have 2 teeth! I bite everyone and I put everything in my mouth (including Poomba's toys), but it feels good to be able to bite into my apples now
2. I go to day care 3 days per week (mama is teaching a class on Fridays for 2 months, so I get an extra day to play with kids!). I love it! There are lots of other kids and I get to spend my day ordering them around, throwing my toys and waiting for them to bring them back to me. No matter how many times I do it, this one boy, N. always brings my toys back!
3. I can stand on my feet! I need assistance since I am still very wobbly, but I am getting really strong. I still have trouble with crawling, but I think I will give that up and just start walking. Walking seams to get you there faster!
4. I can speak Romanian! I don't know how that happened, but every time "buni" calls, she seams to understand everything I say to her. And I know for sure she does not speak English to me since she doesn't know that much! Therefore, I must know Romanian
5. Timone is my fav buddy (except Pumpkin, but I have not seen her in a while, so I am not sure about that one!). She rubs her head on my belly and makes me laugh and she lets me pat her (in my own way since I seam to mostly grab at her!)

There's lots more, but I need to run now. I heard dada is on his way home from work and I better go and help mama with dinner (I told you she sick, right?)

Messy bussiness!

2009-03-03T06:35:00.000-08:00

Teaching your/a child to self feed and use a sippy cup is no joke! And such a messy job. C started being interested in getting food into her mouth on her own, so we give her some cheerios! I laugh and smile and clap my hands each time she manages to get one into her mouth. And I cringe inside for each and every little cheerio that flies around my dinning room floor! I love this stage of life with her. She is so much more interactive and "talkative", but messy! And if you know me any bit, you know that mess and stuff all over the place gets on my nerves and makes me pretty edgy! So I am trying to figure out how to relax and kind of let it go. I figured that I really can't humanly possibly vacuum 3 times a day, nor can I clean up after each session of "tummy time"! But boy, do I have a hard time with it!
Any advice?

First day!

2009-02-23T05:56:00.000-08:00

Today is C's first day of daycare! Am I terrified? Pretty much! I keep trying to hold on to what one of our friends L said in an email the other days: "it will be good for her. It was good for out son! She will be with other kids and play with them". That brings me some confidence, but as a mom, it's my job to worry! I spoke with A a little earlier and he said she did not even noticed when he left (I know that's not entirely true), so it was a little bit less gut wrenching to think of her with other people.
I don't think I am an overprotective parent (I might be and have no idea about it, though!). I am a strong believer in disciplining your kids early, helping them to be independent! But all that goes out the window when I think of my little Noodle!
I just hope and pray that the guilt of sending your kid to be taken care of by someone else goes away! Goodness I have such a complicated, twisted mind sometimes!
I better stop rambling now.
Cheers!

Coming to an end

2009-02-09T10:30:00.000-08:00

My mom's visit, that is. It's amazing that 6 months already passed. I just wanted to share couple of things I have learned during this time:
1. My mom is one courageous lady! She picked up her stuff and moved here for 6 months to live with us and be with her grand daughter. She did not speak a lick on English and she does not drive, but she still moved here.
2. Though I speak Romanian fluently, I am so not apart of that culture anymore. I guess we as humans are wired to adapt, and that's exactly what I did. I will always be a Romanian at heart, but every day life changed me to be more and more American.
3. I still have a hard time saying "please, can you help me" even to my own mom. When you move to a foreign country, though you have friends, you learn to became what you need to be. On top of everything I am a self sufficient, independent person, who would first die trying before asking for help!
4. Motherhood will change you. Having your own child, will teach you to speak up if not for yourself, then for your kids. I had no problem telling my mom what to do and how to do it!
5. Having her around was a blessing more than a struggle. We both have strong personalities, but I think time changed both of us.

I am sad to see her go. She has been a huge support and help for all 3 of us. I am blessed to have been able to have her take care of not only C, but us as well. She is coming back in the summer for another "6 months tour" and I am looking forward to it!

Still can't believe it sometimes

2009-01-29T17:27:00.001-08:00

I was putting my daughter to bed tonight and while this might sound really corny, I still can't believe she is ours. She smiles and giggles, and gets cranky and grumpy and then smiles and giggles again! Sometimes I look at her and I don't really get it. She obviously doesn't say much (well, except her regular "chitty chatter box" routine), she trusts us unconditionally, she moves around (in her own way)! Sometimes when I wake up in the morning and I am really tired (that happens a lot these days), I forget for one second that we have a kid now. And then it hits me and fills me with wonder! I hope she never gets tired of being with us, never gets embarrassed by us.
It's been a long day, so I am off to bed.
Sleep well!

I found a loophole!

2009-01-22T12:42:00.000-08:00

You know how I have recently started knitting? I love it, but I often looked forward to the instant gratification that my jewelry making gives me (you can whip up a pair of earrings in no time!). Well, I guess I found the loophole in knitting, or almost: knitting scarves! It's fun, easy and quick! The other day I finished a scarf for one of my friends bdays(she loved it) and started another one and I am almost finished with that one too. Can one have too many scarves?

My next project is to make a blanket out of little squares. I figured "little squares" are portable and how hard can it be to follow a pattern, right? Of course I might be eating my own words in couple of day, but I will keep you posted!

I am so getting my butt kicked!

2009-01-14T07:51:00.000-08:00

One of our new year resolutions was to get in shape. I know, how cliche, since 80% of the Americans decide that (no, I really don't know the number exactly, I just made it up!). But you know what? I really wanted to stick to my decision, and since money is a really good motivation (especially when you have to really cut other things to make it), we decided that I can sign up for a personal trainer. Now, you might say that that's crazy, but if you know me, you know that I get bored easily. I go to the gym for the first 2 weeks, and then get into a routine and then get bored. And then I quit! So this year, I am determined to be different. I signed up for a 6 months personal trainer once a week. I figured that will give me the motivation and the boost to actually do something about it. I would never not show up for a training especially since I have set them up at 6 am. I would feel horrible knowing that someone got up at that hour for me and then I don't show up.
Yesterday was my free session and OMH I hate it every single minute of it! But in a good way! By the end of the session I called A and asked him how much of my life insurance money he promised them if they kill me! Today I can barely walk, I can't sit and surely I can't lift more than a glass of water!
Honestly I am not one of those people who enjoy going to the gym. I wish I was, but I am not. I go and I hate every minute of it! But I am determined to do it, so that I am able to keep up with the noodle. I want to be able to run and Rollerblade and bike with my daughter without the huffing and puffing!
I have high hopes for the following 6 months and I really hope I can reach my goal of loosing 30 lbs!

A world of possibilities

2009-01-07T08:19:00.001-08:00

Every since I have discovered the crock pot, I loved it! I love cooking, but with a part time job and a 6 months infant it gets quite tricky sometimes. I love the fact that you can just put your things into the crock pot and then go on with your day and by the time you come back, dinner is ready. But I am forever stuck with making the same beef stew or the occasional soup in it. One of my friends at work heard me talking about it and the other day she gave me a crock pot recipes book! I can't tell you how excited I am about the whole world of possibilities that has opened for me. Did you know you can even make deserts in the crock pot? Or appetizers? It's awesome and I can't wait to try some new things. We will see how it goes!

Proof!

2009-01-05T11:53:00.001-08:00

I have mentioned before that I am a new knitting convert. Here is the proof. All I know is that I am knitting 2 and then purling 2. I have no idea all the other fancy things you can actually say about your work, but I am sure I will eventually learn that stuff too.
My new year resolution of learning how to knit is on its way to accomplishment, so much so that my eagerness has inspired my mom to start (or restart) knitting herself.
My husband A would sit in front of the TV with us and make fun by timing who finishes one row first! So much pressure!

Cheers!

Looking forward

2008-12-29T06:15:00.001-08:00

With the new year fast approaching, I have been looking forward to some new things to come:
1. Learn how to knit! Ok, I might be cheating with this one since I have already started to, but by the end of next year I want to be able to knit something more substantial than a scarf.
2. Spend more time with friends. Life gets really busy sometimes (most of the time), and we don't get to see people unless it's some one's birthday or whatever. So, I am hoping that as we make more efforts, others will make more efforts too!
3. Spend one night a week reading and talking. A and I love to watch tv, and most nights we are so tired that we can't muster energy for much else. I like watching tv, and I read a ton, but we never really get to do it as a family. So, Wend. night will be reading and talking night!

I might think of other things I might want to try, but for now I am starting small.

New convert!

2008-12-23T07:01:00.001-08:00

My friend K showed me some months ago (before C was born) how to knit. I like it, but between worries with the pregnancy (don't even get me started) and adjusting to having my life develop around a little girl, I never got my act together to actually do it! I think it also had something to do with the fact that I was looking for the instant gratification that making a pair of earrings or a bracelet gives you.

A recent book "The knitting circle" (funny enough I got that on loan from my friend K too!) changed my perspective. Not to get all corny and philosophical here, but I have finally realized that knitting is as much about the time to spent making a project as it is about the finished product. So I am knitting away at my "cherries and chocolate" scarf. It's so not neat and somehow I ended up with 36 stitches (is that what you call the noodles you knit?) instead of the initial 30, but it's my own work. Though I had dreams of grandeur in which I could already make a baby blanket right away, I decided that once I am done with this scarf, I will make another one for my mom!
I will keep you posted!

I love it, but not all the time

2008-12-22T06:08:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, New England went thru the first big storm of the season. I have to admit, I love it when it snows on a late Friday afternoon! I love the expectation of it, the snuggling that follows the beginning of the storm, the hot cocoa and soup, the movies and the time spent with family! Most of our plans were cancelled due to the weather. We stayed home and while I was previously looking forward to spend time with our friends, I was really glad for the respiro! (It always seams that we run around for the holidays!)
Ok, so you might wonder when do I not like the snow? You guess it! I hate it on Monday mornings when you have to slush around to the train/car/bus to get to work! And it's cold, and dreary and no amount of hot cocoa would bring back the happy memories from the previous Friday when you had no worry in the world!

Stay warm!

New tricks!

2008-12-03T05:47:00.000-08:00

A and I went to Vermont over the weekend and left C with my mom. Now, from what I remember, we left my mom in charge of a little girl. We came back to a little "monkey/Heine". Since this might sound a little strange, let me explain.
C is discovering her voice! It's hilarious to hear her figuring out all types of noises she can make! Her new thing is this high pitched scream that sounds just like a Heine (or at least what I imagine a Heine sounds like since I have never really encountered one!)
Though we are still exhausted each and every day, it's becoming more and more fun to be a parent. I am amazed each day at how quick kids learn things. I never really understood what people meant when they say kids are like sponges... Now I really do.
I am looking forward to more and more stepping stones...

Looking forward...

2008-11-25T10:12:00.000-08:00

To Vermont this weekend. A and I are taking the first trip without the "noodle" as my friend K calls my daughter. I am ecstatic and excited (probably more at the though of sleeping 2 whole nights without any interruptions for pacifier retrieval)! And I am nervous in the same time. Luckily my mom will be taking care of her!
I think one of the challenges once you have kids is to plan and have time alone as adults with your partner. So much of our time is now spent with our daughter that even when we are alone we tend to talk about her.
Will let you know impressions when we come back.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Brrr!

2008-11-20T05:20:00.000-08:00

Have you noticed how cold it got? I did not wanted to get out of bed today in the morning.

I took my winter jacket out of the closet today, and I am wearing furry boots, and a scarf. I should have taken out my gloves as well.
I love the holidays, but hate the cold weather.I am getting more and more used to it (can you really do that?), but I still remember my first year in Boston after we got married. I cried every single day for 3 months straight, from being so cold all the time. My ideal weather would be a perpetual 70 degrees (not too hot and not too cold, just perfect!) and it would only snow for Christmas!

How are you dealing with the cold?

Another meal for a steal

2008-11-19T05:22:00.001-08:00

I know, I already skipped a week in writing about my new culinary experiences, and I guess I have no other excuse but being beyond exhausted.
But here is what I tried this week on Monday and it was yummy and cheap to make.

Peanut butter LoMein noodles (makes enough for 4 servings)
3 - 4 palm size pieces of lean pork or beef cut in thin slices (if you freeze the meat for 5 minutes it makes it easier to cut it thin)
1 big carrot, julienned (cut in thin strips)
half a green or red pepper julienned
4 scallions julienned
1 can of mushrooms
1 cup of peanut butter (we liked the smooth one, but if you like some crunch to your food, by all means use the crunchy peanut butter)
1 box of whole wheat pasta (cooked and drained)

Cook the meat in a little bit of olive oil. Add the carrots, pepper and scallions and let them cook for a minute (we like a bit of crunch to our veggies so I don't let them go too far). Add the mushrooms, the peanut butter and a cup of water (the one you cooked the pasta in). Let simmer for a few minutes. Add pasta and stir well to coat all noodles with the sauce.
Serve and enjoy!

I liked it because it was quick, inexpensive and it tasted yummy. I get in the mood for some "Asian" inspired foods often and this one hit the spot!

My new kick!

2008-11-10T05:22:00.000-08:00

Maybe this is old news for you, but I have recently discovered "iron ons tranfers"/ For someone who can't saw a straight line if life would depend on it, iron on tranfers are such a kick! I was always proud of my abilities of creating nice looking jewelry (yup, here some patting on my back!), but was always bumped out that I can't make anything nice for all the babies that are coming up (it seams like our whole family and friends are getting pregnant in the same time). The other day I was browsing Joanne's for some fleece material (I am trying my hand at some blankets for my very pregnant sister in law) and saw the cute iron on tranfers for babies.
So I purchased a bunch along with some white onesies and made some. I am so proud of my handy work that I will take some pics tomorrow and even attempt to post them here! Let me know what you think!

Something new each week!

2008-11-05T05:35:00.000-08:00

Last night I have finally decided to clean my recipes drawer in the kitchen. I always cut things from magazine, print out from the Internet... but never get to try them and decide if they should be on my repertoire cycle or not.
Last night I was determined to try something new for dinner. And I found this new thing that Rachel Ray does on her show called "meals for a steal". Since our grocery bill is my new pet peeve, I am always on the look out for healthy, cheaper meals ideas. And this one is a winner and a keeper. It took less than 30 minutes to make and it was delicious. This is my slightly modified version of it, but if you want to make it just like RR you can find by going on the web of her day time show "The Rachel Ray show".

Chicken, chickpeas, curry bowls

Brown 1 lbs of ground chicken (I used turkey since that's what I had in my fridge).
Add 1 large yellow onion thinly sliced and let cook for 5 minutes.
Add 2 tablespoons of curry powder and let simmer for 1 minute
Drain 1 can of chickpeas and add to the meat.
Add 1 can drained diced tomatoes
Add 1 cup of plain yogurt (I did not use any since I had none, but honestly I can see how the yogurt would compliment this dish), salt and pepper to taste (note: curry powder might be a little spicy, so if you don't do spicy foods, skip the pepper)
Let everything simmer for couple of minutes and then add some chopped parsley (or cilantro if you prefer, I hate it so I replaced it!)

Boil some white or brown rice and serve the meat mixture on top of the rice. I used the boil in the bag brown rice and it was delicious!

As I try more and more recipes each week, I will try to post them here. Some healthy, cheap meal ideas never hurt anyone, right?

Finally!

2008-10-29T08:11:00.000-07:00

After months and months of research and agonizing stress, we have finally purchased the second car for the family: a 2006 Honda CRX (and some other letters that I can no remember). To fully understand my excitement let me tell you my schedule from last Tuesday when I need it the car for some doctors appointments:
8:00am drive Alan to work in Smithfield (no public transportation there!)
8:30am get lost on the way back home (of course I did not plug in the GPS!)
9:30am getting to the dentist
11:30am back home
1:00pm drive Chloe to the pedi appointment
2:00pm get back home
5:30pm get back in the car and drive back to Smithfield to pick Alan up!
6:00pm arrive in Smithfield and wait for Alan
6:30pm driving back from Smithfield to Attleboro!

So, yeah, that day I felt that all I did was drive people around. Which I did!
Now that we finally have a second car I can plan to do and do grocery shopping on a Friday at 11am without having to think if the driving to and from Smithfield 4 times is worth the trip to Stop and Shop! Not to mention that now there is no need for several separate trips to the grocery store and to BJs. Honda's storage space is enormous (compared to what we have in the Ford) and I can still have my mom and C riding comfortably in the back!

And, since everyone asks me this: No, I do not care which one of the cars I get to drive. For all I care I could drive a bucket of bolts as long as I can do my thing... Though it will be nice to drive the Honda every once in a while.

Irreversible

2008-10-22T05:58:00.000-07:00

Last night I got up (habit now) at about 2:30 am and waited to hear my daughter scream for food. Funny enough, I wished I could just go back to sleep, but my mind was racing, so it looks like I had one of those early morning, exhausted epiphanies.
I realized that since I had my daughter my life has changed. Completely, to the core and irreversible. And no, I am not talking about how your body changes from caring around another person inside of you (still can't wrap my head around that one, even after I went thru it). I am talking about the fact that my life is not my own anymore, my time is not my time anymore. My priorities are changed. And for someone who thrives on order bordering on OCD, it's a hard change. I love being a mom, I would not traded for anything, but the fact that I have to plan my life in 4 hours intervals so I can make sure that C eats enough, it's a hard adjustment. Picking up and going, is not an life option for us anymore. Everything takes thinking and planning! And don't even get me started on the packing for a short trip. Though I keep it to a minimum, it still amazes me the sheer amount of clothing that needs to be packed for a 4 months old baby!
I don't regret for a minute the transition to motherhood. I think it has been good for me. I am still working on learning that I do not need to be supermom (nor can I really be that), I am learning that it's ok to ask for help (always a hard one for me) and to be ok with not having everything perfect (aka, vacuuming every day...). The last 4 months had been a learning process for me, and I know it will continue in the years to come.

Christmas already?

2008-10-16T07:06:00.000-07:00

If you are one of my friends, you already know that I love Christmas! I love the atmosphere, the trees, the lights, the cooking (thank goodness for my mom this year since she will be making all the yummy dishes we grew up with for Christmas), the spirit! I just love it all!
But, and this is a huge one, I hate that here in America we rush into everything. I can't believe that for the past month or so every time I go into a store I already see decorations and all the works! What happened to Halloween, or Thanksgiving? And it's like that with all the holidays! I mean, I get it, it's marketing strategy and all that, but do we really need to see Easter Bunnies in January? Or Christmas trees in July?

I hate that we are all so focused on getting to the next step that we forget to enjoy the now! Even in the day to day life, we are focused on the future. How to save more, how to plan the next vacation... (I am not advocating for no savings or no vacation plans), what college our kids will go to... you get my point!

So my decision? Is to really take time each and every day to stop and remember that today is about today and that I will worry about tomorrow when that comes...

I love fall!

2008-10-06T06:21:00.000-07:00

If I would have a choice, life would be a perpetual fall. I love this time of the year and here are some reasons why:
1. The foliage. Unless you have lived your life under a rock, you know that fall in New England is amazing! I love the bright colors, the reds, the yellows, the orange! I love seeing whole trees looking as if they are on fire!
2. Apple picking, pumpkin picking, apple pies, hot cider... Need I say more?
3. Being able to wear cashmere and hand knit sweaters and soft fuzzy fleece!
4. Fall means that the holidays are approaching. I love Halloween and Thanksgiving and Christmas. I have always been a sucker for the holiday, so the fact that they are fast approaching makes me so happy!
5. Snuggling under a blanket to watch a movie with some hot tea or cocoa in hand!

I could go on and on, but I should probably get going with work!

Freak accident, or happy nights coming?

2008-09-22T06:23:00.000-07:00

I had to write about this! My daughter C, slept thru the night both on Friday and Sunday night! Ok, so she skipped Saturday, but what can I say, she is only 3 months old! Even if you are not a parent yourself, I am sure you understand my excitement for a full night sleep. Counting the uncomfortable last 3 months of the pregnancy, I have not had a decent, more than 4 hours stretch night sleep! And, yeah, I admit, if I am cranky, everyone get cranky!
So I am praying with all my might that she is finally getting to the point where 3am feedings will be a thing of the past!
Cheers!

Sort of random

2008-09-13T03:35:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I have a hard time sleeping. Usually when I am very tired, which seams to be my normal state of being lately! So while I stay in bed and pray for sleep to come (knowing very well that I will heavily pay for my inability to fall asleep in just few hours when C decides she would like some food!), my mind spins. Last night, I was thinking that I have to do C's laundry. And then for some reason I started thinking of all the things you are supposed to pun on her mattress. So let's see:
1. The mattress protector. So that when she has accidents she does not wet the mattress. Mind you, she does wear a diaper...all the time, so accidents... not so much!
2. mattress pad. Not sure why and what this might do, but if you look at baby registries you have to get one!
3.the sheets. Ok, I get this one since you don't want to sleep on a bear mattress
4. a sheet protector. I understand that changing sheets is not fun (especially at 2am!), but really? Something will get ruined. Does it really matter if it's the mattress protector, the sheet or the sheet protector? If it's really bad, you have to replace it anyhow...!

I don't get it. But it's so easy to get caught up in all this craziness of getting everything under the sun for your child. So if you see me getting to that point, please smack me over the head and remind me that college is expensive!

What can you do in one minute?

2008-09-03T05:16:00.001-07:00

As my life has become more and more hectic with a 2 months old at home, I realize that I have learned to do things quicker. Some are great, others not so great, but here is a list of things that I have learned to do in one minute flat!
1. eat lunch (hard to believe, but totally doable when the child screams bloody murder for no reason!)
2. wash 2 plates and 2 mugs (using lots more dish detergent than I used to, but none the less the dishes are done!)
3. fall asleep! This one is a given when you are sleep deprived
4. take a shower! Granted there will be no conditioner used, or exfoliate, or anything else fancy. Just plain soap and water
5. find the "lost, under the couch, the cat stole it" pacifier.

I am sure there are many other things I have learned to do in one minute. But my brain is way too fried from not enough sleep to think of some more.

Cheers!

Buni is coming!

2008-08-22T07:40:00.000-07:00

Buni (Romanian for grammy, my mom) is coming tomorrow. I have not seen her for over a year now! And she has not seen me pregnant, not has she yet met her new grand daughter. She is over the moon excited and has been counting the hours this whole week (and calling me with the count down each day!)
I am excited to have her here for the following 6 months! Yup, you read that right, it will be 6 months. I love her dearly and she will be a huge help, but I am nervous all the same, just because I am not used to have her around in my house, living with us. My husband, A is blissfully ignorant of the Romanian language, so I am the only one she can communicate with (she likes to think she understands and knows English, but really she can't!)

So next time you come over to visit, you will get to meet my mom. She is funny and loving and can cook like no one else I know! So get ready to have some fun and some yummy Romanian dishes!

Romanian style credit card

2008-08-18T11:24:00.000-07:00

I grew up in a communist, third world country, where the phrase " carrying plastic" has no other meaning, but that you caring around a bunch of plastic items! I always tell my husband A that he is lucky he married someone who at the age of 24 had no idea how a credit card works! At least not the conventional ones.
While Romania, much as the rest of the Eastern European countries, is today getting more and more Westernized (you know, McDonald's, Starbucks, credit cards, bank loans...)I realized that as I was growing up, we did have a form of credit card. It was called "borrowing money" from friends and family. In perspective, it was the best deal ever, nobody would ask for interest! Normally in our culture you were either someone who always had to ask money from friends and family, either someone who always had the money to give (I have no idea how some people afforded to lend money to others during the communist years and even much after, but that is another story in itself).
Even today, I still have friends, who I would ask how were they able to afford a certain thing (strangely that is not a crass thing to ask in my culture) and they would say "oh, I borrowed some money!" I actually have friends who would rather take a vacation/buy a new perfume/new clothes than budget for food. And savings? Who are you kidding? There are way to many things to do now with the money I might or might not have, so who cares about tomorrow!

Just a little glimpse into where I come from!

Still here!

2008-08-06T08:03:00.000-07:00

Yup, I know I have fall off the face of the Earth. Honestly, not really my fault. In our desire to make the most of our money, we have decided to switch from our current phone carrier to a different one (TMObile at home is awesome!), but in the process things got screwed up and we ended up with no internet connection for almost a month (long story short, but from our perspective, Verizon is a terrible company!).

Today, C is a little older than 6 weeks and I still can't believe it! It has been such an interesting ride, with lots of ups and downs for me (trust me, listeting to a screeming infant for 2 hours is a down no matter how much you love them!).
What have I learned in the past 6 weeks? Here is a list of it (here I go again with lists), in no perticular order:

1. To say "diapers" when people ask what they could buy for C when they come and visit! While I like the idea of cloth diapers, reality is that I just like the idea of it! I looked into it and I can't see myself dealing with that all day long! So, we end up spending lots of money on disposable diapers, so much so, that my husband A is considering adding it as a separate item line in our budget!

2. To chill out about the bathroom not being sparkling clean, or the unmade bed, or the dust on the coffee table. While I spend the day at home with C, you would think I would have plenty of time to do all the house work too! Not so fast! Between feedings, changings poopy diapers, pumping, changing her outfits 5 times a day (the child can spit!), waking up in the middle of the night for feedings, I am so exhausted that I can't think! So at the end of the day, who cares about the dust on the coffee table?

3. To master making dinner while holding C with one hand. Or trying to do the same while suffering thru her screeming "bloody murder" sessions. For no reason at all, other than being borred!

4. To feel ok about letting her scream in her crib/pack and play! Sometimes there is nothing you could do for her... I have learned that I am not a terrible mom for doing that, but just adjusting to life with an infant.

5. To go grocery shopping/run any other errand with C! I am actually very proud of myself for being able to feel her with one hand, while pushing the cart with the other and adding stuff to my cart! (it looks ridiculous, but it works for me!)

6. To be excited for 3 hours of uninterrupted sleep at night! Thank goodness for A and the fact that we have a system and take turns, otherwise I would have been a gonner by now!

There are many more to add, but I have to run and feed her! (again!)

More than the milk maid!

2008-07-09T06:26:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I am having issues... It seams like my days are a haze of feeding, changing diapers, and sleep deprivation (that is the big one!). Not that i am complaining (ok, maybe just a little). I love C, we wanted her, we tried hard for her! I am thrilled to be a mom! (except when the hormones get the best of me and I loose it!) But I am also trying to figure out how to be more than just the milk maid. I am still trying to figure out who I am now that life has changed. Much as I love my daughter, I don't ever want to become one of those women that can only talk to other people about their kids! (it works for some people, don't get me wrong, it's not a bad comment directed at any one!). So I am still reading and watching TV and trying to find interesting thing to occupy my mind. I am trying to be me and then some! I will let you know when I find a happy medium and how did I get there!

Now I have to run! The guy is coming to measure our windows to replace some of them!

A little bit intimidating!

2008-07-07T10:08:00.001-07:00

Today is the first day alone with C. After 2 weeks of being with us at the hospital and home, my husband A need it to go back to work! Still doing night shift feeding duty and waking up at 6am is not easy, but he is such a trooper! I can't tell you how much my respect for him grew the first time I saw him feeding and holding C!

Anyhow! I decided to grab on my little bit of courage and strengh and take the little one to the nearby park. My hope? That I will find some other moms going thru the same scary parts of motherhood, so we can exchange ideas and stories and have our kids play together (ok, that might come later since C is just being pushed around in her stroller!)
So, I went. To the park! And there were moms around! And while it felt intimidating to say hallo to complete strangers, I figure I could pull it off since I did not look out of place (remember, I am pushing C in her stroller!). I had hopes for this outing! The sad part? Well, none of the women seamed remotely receptive to being friendly! Ok, I was not expecting any warm hugs (I might be hormonal, but I still have my brain!), but I was at least hoping for small talk. Like, how old is she? Or what's her name? Or whatever! And I got nada! Zip! Nilch!

Am I a little down about it? You bet I am! But I am determined to try some more! One of A's cousins by marriage suggested this mom's club international. So I sent the local Attleboro group an email! I will keep you posted on how that one goes!

Later!

She is finally here!

2008-07-03T05:05:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I never got time to actually write last week when C came home after she was born, but I am writing today. Considering that I just gave birth less than 2 weeks ago, that's pretty impressive!

What can I say! There is not enough friends, relative, strangers stories that can prepare you for the birth of your first child (or second, or third, not that I can actually think of that now!). It's painful (thank goodness for modern medicine and drugs, otherwise I would have been in prison for killing the nurse and the doctor and all the other people around me!), scary, exciting, impossible to understand and wonderful in the same time. There is nothing like seeing your husband (or significant other) holding your child for the first time! There is nothing like holding your child for the first time either! (and they lied, the impossible pain is still there even when you are first holding them, but it does not really register anymore!)

After 4 days of hospital stay, we came home! It's a little intimidating at first knowing that there is no more red buttons to call the nurse when you do not know what to do! She is crying? Well, your are IT! Is it worth it? You bet it is! At the end of the day, when we put C to bed, all snuggled in and warm, and the crazy hormone surges subside (nobody said anything about feeling crazy either!), we both thank God for trusting us with her and making our wish a reality! I worry! Each and every single hour of the day! But at the end of the night, I know that she will be fine, she will grow up to be a happy, good nature kid, who is kind and gentle and witty and funny! Why? Because I will do everything I can and even more to raise her that way!

If this is a little too mumble jumble for you, cut me some slack! I really am sleep deprived!

Later!

Home stretch!

2008-06-22T07:53:00.000-07:00

Well, at least I did not have to struggle too much to find some new activities to fill my days! Why? My mild pre-eclemsia is getting worse, so tonight we are going to the hospital to start inducing labor (the doctors will, I just come along for the ride!) I am scared to death (never did very well with events not planned long in advance), but excited none the less. Not only to see how our child will look like, or what type of personality she will have (I know that comes later, but you get the idea), but also to finally be able to get up from the couch without grunting and asking for help, to finally be able to walk and talk in the same time!
So, all of you get ready for phone calls from A on Monday. Keep your fingers crossed and everything else you might be able to cross!

Excited for the dentist appointment

2008-06-18T06:55:00.000-07:00

Ok, even I know how sad and pathetic that sounds, but trust me after almost 3 weeks in bed rest, I would be excited if I would be allowed to walk to the corner store for milk! Tomorrow I get to drive (granted it's only 2 miles)and get out of the house! And I know what you think, that I should enjoy this time of peace now since the following 18 years after I give birth will be a non stop activity! But if you know me at all, you know that I hate to not do anything. Every night my husband A comes home from work and I get to tell him that I feel really useless! He keeps reminding me that growing the little beast is pretty important and that no one else could do it but me, and still I want to die each day! I read, I watch tv, I knit (making some progress with that scarf), and I make jewelry! But really could this fill any one's day for weeks at a time?

I know that in another month or 2 I will look back at this time and wish it back, but right now I am so bored with no being allowed to do anything I can't even tell you!!!
I am going to try and find some other activities to pass my time. And it's wicked hard to do so when your daily activities have to be limited to taking a shower and eating!

Later!

Still at home!

2008-06-16T09:45:00.001-07:00

Each week it's a gamble, going to my doctor appointment. I am terrified each week that I will end up in the hospital again! (the last few appointments did not go that well, you never want to be in Boston alone with the doctor who tells you that you need to be admitted, and then have to call your husband who is in Providence and tell him to come and meet you at the hospital. Not only do you worry about the baby and your own condition, but now you have to worry about the husband driving down 93 in traffic, trying to get to Boston ASAP)!
So for the last few weeks of the pregnancy, I decided to make A my umbrella! Yeah, that might not make much sense, but let me explain. You know how it never rains during the days when you remember to bring your umbrella with you? Well, I am trying the same concept! Each Friday, A is working from home (such a blessing!) so he can come with me to the appointments. And guess what? This past Friday it worked! He came with me and I was fine and did not need to go to the hospital! (of course I know that me being fine is more a result of being in bed rest for the past 2 weeks, but none the less I should be allowed to choose whatever I want to believe!)

So I am hoping to keep playing this game each week! If I bring my umbrella with me, it will not rain! It never does!

Some goals!

2008-06-03T07:01:00.000-07:00

Since I talked so much about making lists and how that makes me feel better, here are some of the goals I have till the end of the year!
1. finish knitting my first scarf! That might not sound like a lot to some of you, but for someone who never really knitted before, it's a big deal. My friend K showed me how to do it couple of weeks ago and while my arms hurt after 6 rows, I am hooked. I am hoping to reach my goal since I have to be in bed rest until C comes

2. find a "mom's group" in Attleboro. I imagine life with a baby will be incredibly great, but insane at the same time. While I love our friends and their kids, they all live about 1 hour away from us. Not quite the closest trip for some adult time (no worries, I will still make the drive for some play dates!). So I decided to start looking at some local groups that C and I can go once she is born

3. re-start my etsy store. The past year has been such a crazy one, and I never really had the energy to invest some time in my etsy store. Now that I can't be doing much anyhow, I would like to start taking photos of my stuff and list them up (I should probably start by making some jewelry first, ha?)

4. host the second annual jewelry party. Maybe sometimes in September, in the back yard, with some fun food and kids running around (not C, since she will only be few months old by then). This one is a difficult one, just because it's always hard to find enough confidence to invite your friends to see and maybe buy things you made yourself. But I will give it a try, the overwhelming positive response from last year will give me the courage to do so

5. come up with a solid plan on how to make sure that A and I spend time together alone once C is born. I am hoping that between all the "adopted" aunts and uncles, grandparents and friends, we could find some sort of time! I am a firm believer that remembering to be a husband or a wife will help you be a better parent

Wish me luck, keep your fingers crossed and ask me how I am doing with reaching my goals!
Cheers!

Being a list person

2008-05-28T05:12:00.000-07:00

I am such a list person! Some people would call it obsession, I call it sanity.
My life is a huge "to do list". I have a list for grocery shopping (ok, not such a huge stretch), a list for chores in the house (and who does what), a list for Christmas presents (done well in advance), a menu list for each week (keeps me sane as I do not have to figure out what to cook after a whole day at work), a list of things to do at work, a list of things to ask my doctor when I have a visit, a list of things to ask my mom to bring when she comes to visit, a list of things that we still need for the nursery... you get the idea! My husband A will attest that there is always some sort of a list attached to the fridge in our house. I like being able to check off things that get done! It makes me see the progress!

Lists make me feel sane! Lists make me feel in control (yup, you could argue that I am a control freak!). For years I wished I was more of a spontaneous person. I always thought it's cool and "in" and artsy to be spontaneous. But at the age of 30 I have finally accepted that I like order and that living my life with no clear plans stresses me out. Now, don't think I am so completely boring. I like doing things: I like going to the beach, I like being at the zoo, I like hanging out with friends, I like having cook outs, I like lots of things. And I think A and I do lots of things. I just have to prepare and know about what we are doing in advance. Is that good? Is that bad? I don't know, I guess you could argue it both ways!

Have fun today! I have to run now and make a list of things I need from the grocery store this weekend! :)

PJs in public

2008-05-27T05:35:00.000-07:00

I don't know, I guess I will have to file this one under "relaxed American tradition", but I just don't understand why some people wear their pjs in public. Today, on my way to work, I saw this woman on the bus who was wearing green stripped pjs (top and bottom) with an inscription that read "sleeping like an angel". Honestly, a skirt and a tshirt is the same amount of pieces that you get to wear and I am sure it would look less disturbingly in public.

I will never forget one Friday night about 6 months ago, when A and I went to have dinner at TGI Friday's (yeah, funny!). By no means, do I consider that place high scale or anything, but this guy came into the restaurant wearing black silk lounge pants that have huge all over red lips on them! Now, why would I want to eat my dinner looking at this guys pants (trust me, it was impossible not to stare!) Though in my country the sweat pants are for the gym, even that would have been better than what he was wearing.

So, my conclusion? Well, if you are going to be out in public, please make an effort! If not for you, at least for the people that are forced to see you!

Cheers!

Can't pull that off anymore!

2008-05-21T05:14:00.000-07:00

I was thinking last night of all the normal, regular things that I used to be able to do before I got pregnant. And I came up with a list of things that at 31 weeks I can't pull off anymore. Here is comes:

1. I can't tie or put my shoes on anymore. Nor can I put any socks on. Thank goodness for summer and whomever invented flip flops and slip on shoes
2. I can't wash my feet
3. I sure can't bend down to pick up anything
4. I can't shave my legs properly since it involves some degree of bending and balancing your whole weight on one foot as the other one is propped up on the bathtub
5. I can't get up from the couch without some assistance (granted our couches are soft and cushy and you kind of sink into them, especially when you gained 18 lbs!)
6. I can't see my belly button! Trust me, I tried
7. I can't walk and talk in the same time! And not because suddenly I became stupid, but because I would huff and puff to the point where you can't really understand what I am saying
8. I can't stand the sight of roast beef or any other very pink cold cuts (you should see me at the store at the deli counter closing my eyes when the guy hands me the bag!)

I am sure things will return to normal, but my point is that nobody tells you that once your pregnancy advances, normal things became something that you need to plan around if you want to accomplish!
None the less, as much as I am scared to death and excited as well, I would not trade this stage of my life for anything!

Cheers!

Strange!

2008-05-14T05:22:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, keeping up with the blog has not been my forte in the last 10 days or so! I have just been so busy at work and so tired afterwards, that I could never muster enough energy to actually write anything once I got home!

Over the past few weeks I have noticed a very strange phenomenon: people reading books while they walk! While I am all for reading, doing it while you are walking the streets can't be that safe. Only yesterday on the way from the train station, I saw thins guy almost getting hit by a car. He was so emerged in his book (I could not see what he was reading, but I hope it was good!) that he never noticed he was crossing the street and the cars were coming. Scary!
I guess I will keep my reading stationary... at least for now!

Cheers!

It's been 6 years!

2008-05-05T05:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was our 6th wedding anniversary! A and I kept talking about the fact that time flies so quickly! I still remember the day he asked me to marry him in December of 2001 when I though May of the following year would not come soon enough! (that's when we actually got married). Here we are 6 years later, expecting our first child!

Life as a married woman has not been by any means perfect! I think we are just a normal couple, with ups and downs (yup, we do fight about stupid things too, just ask my friend K). We go thru good times and bad times, but at the end of the day we are always together. Has it been always easy? Goodness no, but I would not trade it for anything. Moving here for good 6 years ago has been a difficult decision, but I would still do it today in a heartbeat!

I am just amazed at how quickly 1 year, turns into 2 and then 3 and so forth! I am looking forward to write about our life in the following years and see what the future brings!

I can't be Martha Stewart

2008-04-23T05:10:00.000-07:00

Not that someone specific asked me to, but I realized that society kind of expects us, women to be a Martha Stewart type!

Why do I say this? Yesterday I was asked (again) at work what my plans are for coming back after maternity leave. No matter how many times I say that I don't want to do a full time job anymore, no one is listening (at least it feels that way!). In a way it feels good to know that people value what I do enough to want me back, but in another way it's annoying to have to say the same thing over and over again.

Walking to the train station last night, I realize that society expects you to be a superwoman: have kids (working thru the whole pregnancy), take care of them but still hold a full time job, cook and clean the house and in your spare time decorate and do arts and crafts just like Martha Stewart! Yeah, it all sounds wonderful on paper, but reality is different, at least for me. I can barely drag myself thru a whole day at work, and though I like to cook, there are days when I ask my husband to have cereals for dinner because I could not muster enough energy to even stick a frozen dinner in the microwave! And don't even get me started on cleaning the house. That is a lost battle already!

So, my decision, is to do what I can, when I can, and forget about what society says I should be doing as a mom/woman/wife!
Easier said than done!

Fashion forward or just teenager strage?

2008-04-18T08:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was such a gorgeous afternoon. The birds were chirping, the sun was out, the flowers are booming. I was all excited about walking to the train station (1 1/2 mile of huffing and puffing). But instead of enjoying the walk, I was completely puzzled by these 2 teenager girls (probably around 16 or 17 years old) walking in front of me. The both wore identical outfits (I am pretty sure they were not siblings) of very short shorts (short enough that I do not think bending was a possibility) with spaghetti straps half shirts, ugg boots (yup the furry ones!) and hats (the type you would wear during a winter storm!) Now I am not even going to touch on the fact that wearing the same outfit as your friend is a little far fetched for me, but come on... ugg boots and short shorts? It was way too warm for ugg boots and a little too chilly for shorts and tiny camisoles!

So for the whole way home I kept thinking that I must be getting really old since I could not wrap my little head around that outfit!

I still have a personal space!

2008-04-17T05:14:00.000-07:00

It's very interesting to me how so many people think that pregnant women do not have a personal space anymore. Let me explain my statement.
I have noticed that over the past few months, ever since my belly became to resemble a basketball, people have this desire to touch my belly all the time. And I do not mean my friends, I mean random people, the ones that you say "good morning" to at work, but don't exchange any other words at all, or even complete stranger who you have just met.
The other day, this woman whom I have seen in the office but have never talked to, came up to me and said "oh, you are pregnant" and proceeded in rubbing my belly! I can not even tell you how disturbing that is! I mean, I am ok with friends touching my belly, especially if they ask before, but complete strangers?

My husband A mentioned a while ago when I first complained about this that next time when it happens I should touch their bellies as well. And guess what, my resolution after the last uncomfortable encounter is that I am going to do so! I am just not sure how I could tell people that being pregnant does not equal with no personal space or a sign that says "please touch and rub my belly"!

Pregnancy brain

2008-04-08T05:17:00.000-07:00

For the past 10 days I have been agonizing over the fact that I can't find my house and car keys. All I know is that I came home one day, I let my self in, and then the next morning I had to call my husband to ask him about the spare key to the house as I could not find mine. I have been streesing over the fact that maybe I came in the house and left the keys in the door and someone took them and now our house will be broken in. Loosing my keys coincided with some of the neiborhood kids breaking one of the exterior windows in our sun room (no, we have no idea who did it). So for the past 10 days I have been coming home and thinking that I will have to call the police to report a break in.

Mind you I have been looking for the keys in all imaginable places: behind the couch, in the cat's litter box (don't ask), under the tv stand, in all my other bags, even in the fridge (yup, I have put my keys in the fridge before)! Could not find them!

The situation changed today in the morning when I went to get my new pair of flats from the drawers. The keys were in one of the shoes! I have no idea how they got there, or when, but Alan and I got a good laugh at that!

Now I know for sure that what they say about pregnant women being spacy is true and not just an excuse that they came up for all the things we do backwards!

Cheers

Puzzled

2008-04-07T05:24:00.001-07:00

Yesterday my husband and I decided to go and check up some stores for some much need it "crib purchase ed". We ended up in this one store that one of our friends recommended (beautiful furniture for babies, but wicked expensive in my opinion as I do not think that the baby's furniture should cost as much as our bedroom set) where A noticed that some of the crib sheet sets were more expensive that the crib. We were both puzzled to see this great looking set for girls (you know, the fitted sheet, bumper, ruffle and the blanket) for $399! No, I am not making it up, it really was $399!
I just don't get it. Obviously there is much less material need it, and the embroidery, as cute as it was, it was certanly not worth $300! My only explanation for the crazy price was that parents really get influenced by the whole crazy idea that their kids have to have the absolute best! I am all for my child to have nice things and usefull things, but do I really have to spend $400 on sheets to feel like I am a good mom?

On a side note, my own sheets cost about 10% of that amount since I have no problems with buying them at Target when they are on sale!

"Can I ax you a question?"

2008-03-31T05:23:00.000-07:00

I just do not get it! I work in the research unit in one of the big hospitals in Boston, so the my coworkers are mostly highly educated people, you know the ones with 2 degrees and lots of letters after their names. None the less some of them would approach you with "can I ax you a question?"! Every single time when I hear that, I have this vivid imagine of a low budget 80's horror movie in which lots of heads and limbs get chopped up! It makes me cringe and my poor brain hurts!

By no means I would say that I am an expert in the English language. After all it is my second language, but if you know anything about Eastern Europe, you would know that we learn English in school. And yes, it is not the most "current, hip" version of English, but at least it's proper! I can only imagine how I would have been smacked upside my head if I would have said something like that to my English teacher. Not to mention that she would have made me write all the forms of the verb "to ask" 100 times until the next lesson!

I read this article the other day, that it's considered bad manners to correct somebody's grammar! But is it really? I would rather have someone pull me aside and point out my mistakes (in a respectful manner, of course) than to continue to sound like a street smachk!

So what do you think?

Looking towards the future

2008-03-28T10:16:00.001-07:00

As I was traveling with the train in the morning and C. decided to let me know she is also awake and would like some activities I had this vivid image of my kid in 3 or 4 or 5 years from now on running around at Kenny Bunk with a bunch of other kids. (Just a side note, my in-laws have a trailer there). I don't know what she will look like (my husband A was mentioning the other night that he can't picture that either), or what will her personality be. But for some strange reason I kept thinking of my friend K and her stories about her childhood when she and her brothers spent a whole summers at a camp ground with the grandparents. And then I could picture A and I buying a little pop up trailer and traveling with the kids during the summer vacations (yes, we would like more than one, even though this one is not around yet).

It's amazing how much one's perspective over life changes when it's not only about them anymore. It hit me the other night that life will sure be completly different from now on. Don't get me wrong, I don't regret it, and I would still do it in a heart beat, but unknown still scares me!

Reaccuring

2008-03-24T05:21:00.001-07:00

For some strange reason, ever since I have gotten my licence I have this reaccuring dream that I am on 95 driving on the wrong way. You know the movie Matrix? The second part? When Trinity and Morpheus are on the highway trying to escape the agents, and Trinity turns the motorcicle around and starts going against traffic? Well, that would be me (I whole lot less cooler looking than her, though). I have no idea why I dream this all the time since nothing could posses me hard enough to ever be doing that. Driving is a lot of fun, but my dream is so real sometimes that when I get behind the wheel I have to remind myself to make sure that I drive on the right way of the street!

Later!

That's not what I was asking for

2008-03-12T05:09:00.001-07:00

As teenagers my brother and I used to bicker to my mom (half jocking and half serious) that she did not manage to give birth to us some thousands of miles away from where we were (Romania). Trust me, growing up in a country under Communist times, where everyone is watching and spying on everyone else, you would have bickered too! Funny enough, years later, my wish came true. I now live close to Boston, thousands and thousands odd miles away from Romania. The problem? I wish I was more specific in my bickering and asked for some warm climate thousands of miles away, like California!
My father in law called yesterday from Florida to tell me (more like rubbing it in) that he was at the pool, warm and cozy with a cold beer in hand. That made me think even more of how much I hate the cold weather in Boston that lasts until May. Ok, maybe my dislike is also based on the fact that I got to the point when completely buttoning my winter coat is not possible anymore, so there is aways some sort of breeze (I do refuse to buy a maternity winter coat just for few more months!)

So, please do pray for some warm, sunny weather coming our way!

Salem Falls

2008-03-05T05:15:00.000-08:00

I am reading this book by Jodi Picoult, "Salem Falls". First I have to say that I am a huge fan of her work. There is something very "real" about her work. Now back to the book I am reading, I am not going to spoilt it for you, but the story is about a guy who gets accused of rape twice. The striking thing for me is how the little things we do in life can be twisted and turned around against us. How the most innocent things we do could be taken out of context and used for a conclusion completly different than the reality. I am firm believer that there is always a cause and an effect in all we do. We might not always understand the cause, but there is always one. We might not always like the effect of our actions, but there is always one!

Trust me if you have not read anything by Picoult, it's worth trying.

He ate my breakfast!

2008-03-03T09:49:00.000-08:00

You know that thing that we all said when we were in school and did not do the homework? "The dog ate my homework!" Well, this is a stretch from that, but Poomba ate my breakfast in the morning. At least part of it. I have made a ham sandwich to eat when I get to work (yes, I know eating a ham sandwich for breakfast is strange, but so is eggs, steak and cheese!) and put it in my purse. When I came back from brushing my hair he was already in there biting from my sandwich, wrapping and all. Since I had no time to make a different one, I had to wait until I got to work and then cut off the piece he chewed on it. Ok, it was pretty yuchoo, but I was hungry!

I bet if we are not going to pay attention he will share the cereal with the baby in the future!

So much better!

2008-02-28T07:09:00.000-08:00

There is no other way to say this, so here it is: WE ARE HAVING A GIRL!!! At the end of the day neither one of us really cared what we were going to have (after all the treatments to get here we were not about to start being picky!), but now that we know, I am sooo excited that it's a girl. My friend Stef's daughter, A, will finally have another girl to play with (ok, in couple of years, but still).

I called Alan's parents and told them about it. They are living for vacation in Florida (Disney) in couple of days and already warned both of us that they will be buying lots of Minnie and Snow white items! Alan's dad is too funny! He is so proud and excited to be a granpa!

Well, I better run back to work.

Preparing for tomorrow

2008-02-27T09:26:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is the day when we get to not only figure out if our baby has all it's supposed to be having (2 kidneys, one whole heart, a whole brain, 10 fingers and toes... you know the drill) but we also find out if the baby is a SHE or a HE.
I think and hope for a girl, but I do not really care at the end of the day as long at we are healthy.

I don't know about all this pregnancy thing! Each day I go between being ecstatic to being paralyzed with fear of something going wrong. I know all pregnant women go thru this, but boy it's scary when it happens to you. I try hard to calm myself down and remember that gazillions other women had healthy babies, but the fear of unknown can not be easily calm down. Luckily I have some very good friends (thanks K!) who listen patiently to my every other day bickering and remind me that I will be OK!

So if you are around and awake tomorrow morning at 7:30am, please send some good karma my way!

Little piece of yummy home!

2008-02-25T05:17:00.000-08:00

After looking around in the fridge on Saturday morning, I decided that we need few essential things to make it thru the week. So I decided to just run quickly to the neighborhood mom and pop grocery store called Seabra. I always get the flyer in the mail, and think "that's a good price" for whatever, but never really went.
The store looks exactly what you would expect. Nothing high end or fancy, with some brand names and lots of "unknown" brands as well (note: unknown brands do not bother me, lots of times, in my opinion, you get the same quality product even if it't not "barilla"). The biggest surprize in the store is that they have lots of imported foods! That is always exciting since I am always on the look out for Eastern European foods!

I went to the deli counter for some cold cuts for lunches and I saw this thing called "smoked pork ham". Now, it looks to me like half of the stuff at the deli counter are labled as "smoked ham", so i am always confused of what I should be getting. But this thing looked awefully a lot like this Romania cold cut meat called "muschi file". So I asked the lady behind the counter to let me taste a tiny slice. You can not imagine my surprise and delight (along with the poor woman's funny look at my "victory dance") when I realized that it tasted just like what "muschi file" does!

To better understand my excitement over a piece of ham, try imagining growing up with peanut butter and jelly and loving it. And then moving to a country where they have never heard of it! How would you feel if out of the blue you find a little store that sells it? Now granted, there are so many yummy foods here, but i still miss the cheese and the cold cuts meats from Romania. That's pretty much all I eat when I go home to visit.

Needless to say Alan and I ate a whole pound of that stuff (for bfast, lunch and dinner). I can't wait to go back this weekend to get more of it. Oh, and the other great thing is that they have lots of imported cheese too!

I have found my little piece of home heaven!

Growing pain!

2008-02-22T10:33:00.000-08:00

No, I am really not referring to the obvious growing pains due to the pregnancy, but more to the emotional growing pains as one's life changes.

You know how sometimes you have those flashes of realization? Yesterday as I was walking home from work, I kept thinking how much my life has changed in the past 6 years. Moving across the world from Bucharest to Boston was a difficult thing. The hope and determination of going back to Romania each year kept me sane. And we did just so. We pretty much went back each year to visit my family and friends. But funny enough, each year was different. I think it took me a while to realize that life moved on and what I was holding onto were just memories of how things and life used to be in the past. Not only did I change, but so did my friends. So each year it was a little bit more of a bitter sweet experience.

Last night I realize that my desire of going back home each year is more than even a futile effort of holding onto something that doesn't exist anymore. Things had changed dramatically: my brother visits each year, my mom is getting ready to come and be with us for a while after the baby is born, some of my best friends moved away to different parts of the world. So, with growing pains, I have finally let go and accepted that it's ok for life to change! Are we never going to go back to Romania? No, of course we are going to go, but I am finally ok with not making it a point of going back each year. While I love my family dearly, I am finally ok with realizing that my life and family is here with A and the soon to come baby!

I can't even tell you what a world of possibilities this realization opened up for me. My mind is still spinning with all the options!

Later!

I do not get it!

2008-02-19T05:42:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday A and I went to one of his cousin's wedding. It was a late one, but fun none the less. Unfortunatelly jumping up and down on the dance floor with an ever expanding belly is not very comfortable, so A and I were happy to chill at our table and hang out with some of the other family members.

Now for the strange part of this wedding. The groom's parents (the bride is A's cousin) gave the new couple a very nice gift: they paid for their honeymoon in Costa Rica. You might think: that is a very nice and generous gift! Yup, I would tend to agree with you, but here was the catch (you knew one was coming, right?): the groom's parents are going too! No, I am not halucinating, or making it up. The groom's parents paid for the honeymoon... for the 4 of them!!!

Now, who does that? What parent wants to be going in their child's honeymoon trip? And why you as a child would accept something like that is also beyond my understanding. I mean, can't you say:" Gee, mom and dad, that is a very generous offer from you, but rather buy me a couch and let me be with my wife alone in my honeymoon!"

You can only imagine the discussion at our table that night. All I am going to say (in order to keep it as G rated as possible) is that I don't think that the groom's parents will be grandparents any time soon!!!

He must have been human in another life!

2008-02-15T07:04:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I swear my cat Poomba must have been a human in another life! I know cats have very strange habits in general, but I do think Poomba thinks he is one of us. He wants to sit at the table with us (one paw on the table, sniffling the food), he pulls his food bowl with his paws to get it closer to himself, he sits on the toilet sit and watches me put make up on, he likes to jump in the shower while the water is running, he hates if you try to pick him up and he hates being covered by blankets! He watches tv so intensly sometimes that I can bet my life he actually follows whatever is going on during that CSI episodes and he has his favorite shows when he likes to come and cuddle on the couch with us (he is a sucker for American Idol!). He sure does have his own personality that is totally different than Timone's. The fact that Alan and I pretend that he has his own voice (yup, we know we are strange) probably makes it even stranger! Goodness I wish I could be in his head sometimes!

Cheers!

Is it only my mom?

2008-02-06T05:24:00.000-08:00

So, I love my mom. With all my heart. We have a great relationship. I grew up knowing that she is not only my mom, but also my friend and that I can tell her anything.

Then were is the problem you might wonder... I got married 6 years ago and moved away to another continent. Though I have been gone for all this time, in my mom's mind I am still 17 years old, not knowing what I am doing. Now, mind you, I am not old at all, I am only 30 years old, not that I know everything, but I think I managed to get a grasp of what I am doing. I don't know about you, but 90% of the time she does not listen to what I say. I would make my point and then she would continue the conversation as if I have never spoke! Details are really not important in regards to what our conversation was, though I will say it has to do with the baby! She drives me over the edge with no fail every single time.

I know she loves me, I know she raised me and she wants the best for me, but really why can't I be left to make my own stinking decisions and mistakes! While the saying "learn from other's mistakes" is cute, I really do not think it has life applications for me! I am all about being wise, but ultimately I really do not learn lessons unless I really make my own decisions and conclude that it was the wrong thing to do.

Is it only my mom, or yours are the same? God I hope I am not the only one in this situation!

Fun Saturday!

2008-02-04T05:08:00.000-08:00

Saturday we went over our friends, K and D to go bowling, eat some food and play some card games (Alan and I got them addicted to this cards game called nerts, a 4 way version of solitaire!).

K and I really suck at bowling (hope you don't get offended K), but it was fun to see the boys trying to outdo each other (in a friendly way since they are friends. Now, nerts game is a different story since I get wicked competitive and it's one of my fav games (sometimes I think that this baby will come out with a deck of cards really to kick some butt in the hospital nursery!). But D, took the cake on Saturday and kicked my butt!

I love hanging out with D and K and they even got the honorary title of aunt and uncle. Well, K passed with flying colors, D still has to prove himself (just kidding!)

See ya!

Visit with my brother

2008-01-31T06:04:00.000-08:00

Most of you know that my whole family lives in Romania and it's a great treat when I get to see them. For the past few years, my brother has been coming once a year for some training somewhere in the US and then comes over to visit us. It's fun, but so exhausting in the same time. You might wonder why? Well, not because he is hight maintenance, or demanding, but because the time he visits us is the only time he goes shopping for anything (back home, my sister in law does all the shopping in the house...)
So, I have spend the last 5 days between Target, Old Navy, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Burlington Coat Factory, Walmart, the mall, Payless, The Shoe Depot, Borders, Game Stop, and then back to Target, Old Navy, the mall... you get the idea!
It was fun, but even for me it was all too much.

The very interesting thing was that while I though some of the things he was interested in were expensive (a pair of sneakers for $90 seams like a lot of money in my opinion), he was very excited at the prospect of not having to pay 5 times the price! Yup, surprizing as this sounds, you can actually find anything and everything in Romania, but 5 times more expensive than here. So no wonder I had to give my brother one of our bags to bring all his purchases home. As much as I hated going back and forth between the stores mentioned above, it was fun to pick up things for my niece and nephew and know that they will be excited about it. My niece is 4 and she all about pink and dolls, and my nephew is almost 9 and loves his Game Boy!

But al the end of the day, I am glad this is all over. Yes, I will miss having him around the house (I will not miss the snoring noises though), and having the chance to speak Romanian (yup, Alan still doesn't know much of it), but I am glad life is getting back to normal. As sad as this sounds, I am almost glad to be back at work to get some peace!

Cheers!

What phone service does she have? Cause I really want it too!

2008-01-16T05:30:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I had one of those experiences when you do not know if you should just laugh or cry. Let me explain.

I take the commuter rail everyday. To and from work. I normally get a sit so I don't mind it. I get to read, bead and do a bunch of other things.
Yesterday I got on at my regular station, Back Bay. I did not get a chance to read one line of my new novel. Why? Well, this woman who was sitting about half a car behind me was having the loudest cell phone conversation I have ever heard. I don't think there is anyone that was in that car yesterday that does not know about Jason who is 20 lbs lighter than her, about Laura who is making out ok, but hates her job, about Jen who had her baby, a boy, Caleb... and the list could go on and on. I could see the people around me looking at each other, half surprised and half aggravated! None of us had a chance to say anything to her because she did not stop talking the whole way from Ruggles to Attleboro when I got out!

It never ceases to amaze me how oblivious some people can be. I have no problem with people talking on their cell phone. After all we are all free to do whatever we would like to. But I never understood why one has to be so loud that people around have no other choice but to listen. Trust me, she was so loud that you could not tune her out!

My conclusion to the day? Well, I wish I knew what phone service provider she had, because she had coverage the whole way. And if you had ever taken the commuter rail to Providence, it is widely known that 99% of people have no phone coverage from Sharon and well past Mansfield!

Later!

I have a window

2008-01-10T12:50:00.000-08:00

For the past 1 1/2 years I had been working the same job. I love it, I would not trade it for anything. I love my co-workers and my boss, again I would not trade it for anything (except motherhood). But my desk sat between the back door of the office and 2 huge walls. I never knew if it was sun or raining outside. I would not see the light until the end of the day. Today we moved to a new building, 4 blocks down the street from where we used to be. And as silly as I feel about it, I am so excited to have a cubicle right next to the window. Now I get to be amused by traffic on Mass Ave (you should see it sometimes), and watch people trying to dart across the traffic! I have not had so much fun at work in a long time. And most importantly I have a window! Luckily no one really expected us to work today since I spent most of the day marveling at the fact that I can see outside.

Later!

Baby's heart!

2008-01-08T05:21:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I heard the baby's heart. It was the strangest thing that has ever happened to me! I guess when you are sort of still looking like you had too many cookies for the holidays and not really pregnant, any confirmation that you are indeed pregnant help. Well, hearing another little heart beating helps!
Today is one the pregnancy milestones: I am finally 12 weeks along. I sort of started to feel more and more that this is real and that I can relax a little bit. But most days I am still scared out of my little mind.

Cheers!

New Year, new adventures!

2008-01-02T09:40:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I am still hyperventilating over the fact that it's January again and I have no idea where another year went!

I am sure that the whole world knows by now, but just in case : I AM PREGNANT! After 3 years of treatments and shots and misery, it's finally happening. I am scared out of my mind most days (I alternate between freaking out that I will screw up somehow and my child will be all messed up, and freaking out that there is something wrong with the child and I am not sure how I am going to deal with it). When I am not scared out of my mind, I am mostly sick. But compared to the hell I have been thru with the treatments, being sick on a regular bases became a walk in the park (I know, kind of sad, but so true!)

My in laws were so excited over the news (we told them for Christmas)! So excited that we never got the chance to tell another person in the family. Everybody came over for Christmas day, and between my father in law and my mother in law, everybody found out about my condition! From them! Yup! We never really told anyone else in the family, cause we never got the chance for it! I was not sure if I should be laughing hysterically about it, or just cry!

So this year is a big year for us. By the time Christmas comes again (sooner than what you might think) there will be a little baby Tux around!

Cheers!

Horrible commute!

2007-12-14T06:28:00.000-08:00

Yup, I know gazilions of people who live in New England will be bickering about this today on their blog. But honestly, though I certainly did not have it the worst, I can't help with the bickering.
So, yesterday I left my work earlier, thinking "what a marvelous idea, I get to beat this crazy weather and get home before the worst of it starts". Ha! Little did I know about it. I was at Ruggles at 1:45 waiting patiently for the 2 pm commuter rail to Providence. Mind you, it was a mob scene on the platform, but I was not too worried since I have taken the 2:00 pm train before and it's mostly empty. Goodness, at 2:08 the train came by, and never stoped at Ruggles because it was too full! Of course there were no announcements about it so myself along 200 other people were left to wonder what has happened! Luckily one woman told us that her husband was on the train that just passed and that indeed it was our train, but that the conductor or whomever made the decision not to stop because it was too full!
The next train was not schedule until 4 pm and by this time MBTA started announcing that all trains are running 30 minutes late!
Long story short... I waited there for over 3 hours, in a freezing wind and snow (there is no "in side" at Ruggles and no heat) and then was told that the next train might not even stop there either because it was too full. Luckily there were plenty of angry people who started yelling at the MBTA employee and somehow the train came and stopped. Getting in was another story, but let's say that the 2 men that were standing next to me (between the cars) got to know me a lot better than I would have liked. But at least I was better of than the 500 people from South Station that were not allowed to get on!

By the time I got to Attleboro I could not feel anything, I barely made it up the hill (if you have been over you know our house is up a small hill) without breaking my neck and started crying of frustration, cold and everything else the second I enter the house. My husband had to take my clothes off since I was not able to even move!

Needless to say, it was horrible, but even so I at least made it home. My sister in law had to sleep at a friend's house after 5 hours in traffic and it took my brother in law 7 and a half hours to get home (a full day of work)

If you worked in Boston yesterday, I am sure you have your own horror stories. All I can say is "I HEAR YOU!"
To a better commute today!

Confused

2007-12-12T06:02:00.000-08:00

Last night I went to the work Chrismas party. Each year it's a very interesting experience and this year was not a dissapointment either. I was telling my friend K in an earlier email how I never stop being amazed by co-workers who get completly plastered at work functions. I have nothing against people having a glass of wine or 2 or whatever you can hold, but getting drunk at work parties is really confusing for me. The next day you still need to be at work (I can't imagine the killer headache one might have after that), pretending that nothing has happened the night before. Not to mention that I have to pretend I did not see you fall over the chair last night... (it happened in previous years, not yesterday though)
So, I don't get it, maybe one of you can shed some light into my little mind!

So not ready for Christmas

2007-12-11T13:25:00.000-08:00

I realized today that there are only 14 more days until Christmas. Considering that I do work a full time job, I only have one weekend to finish my shopping before the big celebration (by principle I refuse to go to the mall or anywhere near the stores on the 23 and 24th of December). This year, unlike any other, I am so not ready for Christmas. Normally, being the OCD person that I tend to be, I would have been done with all gifts, cards and other stuff like that even before Thanksgiving. For some strange reason, I have not been able to get my act together at all.
I already gave up on the idea of having anything ready for my family in Romania, but in my defense my brother is not coming until the end of January, so no need to really have things until then.
I scrambled around for some things for Alan last week and some for my mother in law and sister in law (the boys are Alan's problem). Keep your fingers crossed that I get to finish this weekend, otherwise you might need to help me... (whatever that might involve!)

First trips alone

2007-12-03T05:35:00.000-08:00

Saturday morning, at 6:10am I get woken up by my husband who is in a frenzy that I am missing my train! Yup, I did wanted to strangle him considering that Saturday is not a work day and pretty much the only day that I can sleep longer than the regular 5:30 am time. After trying really hard for about 20 minutes to go back to sleep, I just gave up and decided to make my first trips in the car alone.

After some much need it coffee, I got in and drove (ALONE) to Stop and Shop (we were in dire need of some greens and other stuff) and had a blast. No, not shopping necessarily, but with the fact that now I can finally get in the car whenever I want (provided that I do have the car in the driveway) and drive wherever I want!
Being proud of handling going to Stop and Shop alone, I decided to even go to Target! And I made it there and back with no problems. Even though for about 2 seconds I had a panic attack in Target trying to figure out how I was getting back home (I quickly remembered that I can drive myself now), I had the time of my life. I blasted the heat in the car (goodness Saturday was freezing), turn on my Christmas music (Alan hates it for the most part), sang along with no one to listen to me (thank God for that, I really can not sing if my life would depend on it)!

See ya!

I finally did it!

2007-11-28T04:56:00.000-08:00

I know what you are thinking when reading the title... you naughty people, that's not what I am talking about!

Yesterday I had the day off from work and I went for my licence! Yup, I did not act like a complete idiot (trust me, last time was so painful even for me that I could not blame the poor state trooper for not giving me that licence), I actually did everything right, and at the end of it GOT MY LICENCE! Freedom here I come!
I can't even tell you the level of excitement in our house last night. Me for meeting my goal for this year (I was only allowing myself to have vacation for Christmas if I get my licence before it), and Alan for realizing that he never has to go to Christmas Tree Shop with me! (Yup, like all guys, he hates that place!)

Cheers!

Birthday bash!

2007-11-19T08:41:00.000-08:00

Yup, I finally turned 21! Just kidding, I have turned 30 a week ago (I was smart and took my birthday off from work and spent it at home in my PJs), but my husband organized (with some help) a birthday party for me this weekend. I was so overwhelmed with the number of friends and family that came over to celebrate with me.

Being 30 is really not that different than being 29 or 28. I still have to get up at 5am during the week days, I still have to go to work and cook dinner and feed the cats as well. I was waiting for some sort of Earth moving experience, but that never really happened and I have a feeling that it will never really happen.

Thanks to all for coming and hanging out with me on Saturday!
Cheers!

All this rushing!

2007-11-05T14:32:00.000-08:00

I was coming back from a conference today and had 1 1/2 hours before my train (yup, the joys of living in the "far" suburbs and not driving are having to wait for the next train...) and after getting treated by my friend W with an early bday present (manicure) I still had a little bit of time. I decided to quicky run into Macy's even though my head felt like the fog was descending around it (I have been sick since last Friday night). And guess what? They have the store dressed up for the holidays! And I mean Christmas! What the heck? Halloween was just last week and Thanksgiving is not even here.

I love Christmas, it's my fav time of the year. I love the atmosphere, the spirit, the gifts, the lights, the smells! I love Christmas music (I know I am corny),but for crying out loud, November just begun 5 short days ago and I have already heard a bunch of carols! By the time December 24th comes, I will be sick and tired of listening to carols (though my husband would swear that I can listen to Christmas music all year long!)
Each year I get more and more agravated at this craziness of jumping from holiday to holiday without waiting to even enjoy the one we are just approaching. I even find myself reaching out for the next thing and forgeting that I just acomplished something!

Where I come from we put the Christmas tree up on December 24th, and the holiday lights in the city do not get turned on until close to the 20th of the month (though I have not been home for Christmas in 5 years, maybe things have changed. I will have to check on that!)

All this being said, I still love Christmas. I will still love it even if the stores will start decorating for it in August! But I have to think of a way of protesting against all this "holiday rushing". Any ideas?

5 days of Christmas

2007-10-26T06:21:00.001-07:00

Yup, that's how we have felt every day this week. Why? Well we decided to reface the kitchen cabinets (and if you have been at my house you know how terrible the kitchen looked). So someone has been in our house working on our kitchen every day this week. My husband noted the other night that he feels like it's Christmas every day when he comes home from work. We both look forward to see the progress done for that day. Just the same way you look forward to open your gifts on Christmas day (I know I am not a kid anymore, but I still look forward to ripping pretty paper to see what's inside the box with my name on it!)

We took the "before" pictures and we are going to take the "after" pictures. Maybe I can get my act together and post some here.

Have a fun weekend!

Trying again

2007-10-25T09:17:00.000-07:00

Most of you know that I do not drive. Actually to be correct, I do not have a license, I do drive now, but with someone in the car (leaner's permit).
My big goal is to have my license by the end of the year. I figured that since I am turning 30 in less than a month, I should at least add that milestone to my life. So I am taking driving lessons (again) and driving everywhere during the weekend. I even made a deal with myself : I can have the week between Christmas and New Year's Day off if I have my license by then, otherwise I have to go to work (not Christmas day though :)

I am not a bad driver. And that's not me beating my own drum (is that what you say?), my husband says so too! I can drive, I am not afraid (anymore, at least), I know what I am doing. But I act like a complete idiot when it comes to have the state trooper in the car. Like, really bad (for example, who forgets to back up first before turning to get out between 2 cars! you had to have been there to see it!)

This time I am determined. To pretend that there is no one else in the car with me (I only hope that I will not forget though to follow their instructions...)

I will keep you posted!

Black and red!

2007-10-22T09:57:00.000-07:00

In case you were wondering, the jewelry party this weekend was such a blast! The whole morning I agonized over the idea that no one will come (my poor husband was getting tired of re-assuring me that it will be ok), but in the end it went so well! I had fun seeing people liking my jewelries, trying them on, and, of course, buying it!

At the end of the day, after the dust had settled, I was finally in the black! The first time since I have started this whole thing in May of this year. Of course the positive income did not last too long since I had to buy more supplies for more parties and fairs, but nonetheless it was thrilling to see numbers in black and not red into the spreadsheet (if any of you know my husband, you know that he has a spreadsheet for everything... :)

Though the next few months will be very busy, I am looking forward to more victories in this area (as well as some other areas). Positive re-enforcement never killed anyone!

See ya!

Finally Friday!

2007-10-19T04:55:00.000-07:00

I can not even believe that it's Friday! This week has been so crazy with work and trainings, but guess what? I have the day off! Nothing to do (ok, just some house cleaning for the party tomorrow, but compare with having to be at work that's nothing), nobody to answer to (maybe just the cats), no where to rush... what a bliss! I am waiting for my husband to leave for work so my fun can start.

Have a great weekend and maybe I will see you tomorrow!

All beaded out!

2007-10-15T07:18:00.000-07:00

I have beaded, strung, wired, coiled, wrapped like crazy for the past month, but now I am finally ready. My Open House jewelry party is this weekend and I can't wait for it! I even took Friday off to make sure that the house is in order (my husband worked on some home improvement projects over the weekend and you can not even imagine the cleaning that needs to be done), my displays are all set and the food is ready to go.

In between all this work around the house, I have decided to give "handmade soap" a try. So, I purchased a melt and pour kit and a book to read along. Who knows, maybe the products of my labor will be a great addition to my jewelry table for the upcoming fairs.

See you soon!

Saving time!

2007-10-12T08:39:00.000-07:00

As I was complaning yesterday that there is no milk in the fridge and that there is no time to go food shopping in the middle of the week, my friend K suggested Peapod! So, I got to the office earlier than usual today, and checked it out. I feel like I have discovered sliced bread all over again! My life for the past 5 years has been a continuos race to make the most out of every second. I don't know if this is an American thing (we sure don't eat at our desks in Romania), but it feels like unless I do at least 2 things in the same time, I am wasting time.

For example, I always bead on my way to work (45 minutes with the commuter rail), I read and listen to the ipod in the same time, I watch TV while I run on the treadmill (ok, that is more because I hate running and I need something to distract me from doing it), I cook dinner while I talk with my sister-in-law, and don't even get me started on how I answer emails while in the middle of a training!

While I am all excited for discovering PeaPod (food will be delivered while my husband and I are painting our hallway), I am wondering if I will ever feel that it's ok to just focus on one thing at a time.

Enjoy your weekend!

How do cats know?

2007-10-05T05:52:00.000-07:00

We have 2 cats at home: Poomba and Timone (yes, I do like Lion King). Strangely enough, we gave them their own pretend voices and personalities, meaning that if I ask one of them a question, then my husband will respond with a certain voice and with a certain personality.
Funny enough, Poomba who is not a cuddly cat (he is not found of strangers trying to touch him, or even me trying to cuddle and kiss him), has a deep voice and in all "his" answers is a "smarty pants" cat. He always has something mean and obnoxious to say! Timone on the other hand, is really cuddly. Her voice is really high pitch (I do it a lot better than my husband) and she is always the nice one who admonishes Poomba for being a "smarty pants" fellow.
Yes, we know this is strange, but my friend K's cat, Pumpkin, blogs for her. So how much stranger are we?

The story is that Timone, knows the time! Don't ask me how, but every morning without fail, exactly at 5:40 am (when I get up), she comes to our door and starts miaouning and tries to jimmy the door! If we let her come in, then she starts butting heads, and purrs loudly. The problem is, while she can apearantly tell time, she can't tell the days of the week, so no matter if it's Monday or Saturday, she is at our door at 5:40 am. In her defense, I would probably not be able to tell one day from the other if all I did all day long was lounge around, eat and maybe chase some toys.

How does she know what time it is? What about when it's winter and it's darker out, or it's summer and it's lighter? I have no idea!

Another day!

2007-10-03T05:19:00.000-07:00

Why does it always feel like the week days are dragging by while the weekend flys by? I know there are 5 days of work and only 2 for play, but why can it be the other way around?

On another topic, I promised that I will post a link to my etsy shop so people can look at my stuff (and maybe buy some too). My friend K listed a link to my shop on her blog (if you are reading this, thanks K! You are the best!), so I feel it's my duty as a crafter to do the same. Without any further due... here it is:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5202443

The cool thing is that things really started to pick up. I was at a birthday party on Saturday with my husband and I was so excited when one of our friends, S., offered to host a party for me. Even though I know my things are really nice and well priced, that's only my opinion. So when people show interest in what I can make, it gives me confidence that I really make things that are worth it! This statement might not make sense to you if you are not creating stuff with your own two hands and then try to seel whatever that is...
This jewelry making started as a hobby until my husband mentioned that I either stop buying stuff, either I start selling (no, he was not being mean, our house was bursting at the seams with all the stuff I had). My dream is that one day when we have kids, I can do this as my part time, contribute to the budget, type of job. Maybe if I dream enough this will happen.

Later!

Not quite a baker! But making progress!

2007-10-01T06:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went apple picking with my brother and sister in law. I loved it! It reminded me so much of being back in Romania, in vacation with my family. We used to go to the mountains where you are surrounded by apple trees, blueberries bushes, pear trees, grape vines...

Even though I have been in Boston for over 5 years now, I still can not get used to the idea that you go to the supermarket and buy your fruits... and the farmers markets are a pale substitute to going to the market in Bucharest or picking your own.

So yeah, I went a little overboard with the apples. Even though I am not a baker (I could not bake a cake if my life depended on it) I still picked 12 lb of apples. I picked them and Alan carried the basket :)

Last night I gathered all my courage and tried my hand at an apple crisp. And I must say I am actually impressed with myself. It was quite good! I almost went for seconds and I not the one for sweets to much!
But since there is still plenty more apples around our house, my friend K send me directions for an apple pie. Must try this weekend... I might not be quite a baker, but I sure am making progress. Wish me luck!

Blog name?

2007-09-28T06:21:00.001-07:00

You might wonder what's up with the name?
I come from Bucharest, Romania and as a litle girl I have always dreamed of living in a house with the white fence (I know, what a clisee)! Who knew I would have to come to Boston to do so (people in Romania usually just live in condos... not much houses around unless you live in a village). After 3 years of moving to Boston to be with my husband, we bought a house in Attleboro. We still don't have a white fence (or a fence for that matter), but I do live in a house and not a little tiny condo.

Thursday July 5th

2007-07-05T10:39:00.000-07:00

I never though I have any arts and crafts talents until few years ago. One of my best friends from Romania (yeah, that's where I am from) gave me this great necklace for Christmas. I loved it! And I said to my self "I wish I could do that"... And then I decided to give it a try!
Goodness, the first item ever created by me, was horrendous... but I was so proud of myself. I finally created something! Who would have believed that. Going to the beads store was such an adventure! I got hooked, I loved all the little beads and wires and clasps, and bought a bunch of them even though I had no idea what to do first. But little by little things started to take shape... first some necklaces, then a bracelet, then some earrings. People at work started noticing my jewelries and started asking for some! I was so excited! Finally I can say that I have some creative genes in me.

Recently I went to an arts and crafts fair and I loved it! People bought my jewelries. I still could not believe that complete strangers would pay to own something that I made!

So, I finally took the plunge! I made business cards, I had a jewelry party and now I am working on my own etsy space (will post the link once it's up and running). Wish me luck!