Catch Up: I Went to the Sea Episode 2

I'm a bit of a princess when we go fishing. My dad still baits my hook and casts my line for me. My hubster doesn't quite approve. Here's my favorite conversation of the day: 

Me: Daddy, can you put a squid and a fish on my hook? 

Dad: You want both?

Me: Yea. Sure. Just to give it a try.

Dad: Both? You sure?

Me: Yea? Why not? 

Hubster: I think that's a hint that it's not a good idea.

Me: Please, daddy. 

He finally caves. After a few hours of limited fish catching, I starting seeing more than one person with my fabulous idea! Unfortunately, I didn't have any luck that day.

Spiders Rule!

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Yesterday was a lovely day with the kiddos (despite the heat that has finally started to wane). For math, we talked about rulers. To my great surprise, they already knew how to measure things. Woot! They had fun making lines. All sorts of lines. Later that day, I read them a book about spiders since we're starting our mini spider unit. How can these two lessons be related to each other? Just wait and see. 


Once the wee ones scampered off to P.E., I was left wondering what we could end our day with. Then, it hit me! The perfect idea! Too perfect. They could make a spider web using white colored pencils, rulers, and scraps of black paper. I was able to gather enough white pencils and found the perfect sized black paper. I was sold on the idea, but I wasn't quite sure if the kiddos would be. 

When they got back from last recess, I did a quick demo. Then, I told them that they could make their webs however they wanted to since spider webs look different depending on the spider. We turned down the lights to keep the room cool. They got their paper, pencils, and rulers and were happily on their way. I even added that they could draw a spider. If they drew a spider, they had to make food for it, so it wouldn't go hungry. They were so quiet. They were so focused. It was magic! Afterward, we did a gallery walk. They got to walk around a look at each other's art work. The ooh's and aah's were too much for me. So adorable!

Why Do I Love: Words

I adore words in all their forms. Adore poetry. Adore song lyrics. Adore novels. Adore random quotations. Adore overheard conversations. Adore early morning conversations with the hubster. 

I've been infatuated with words ever since I was a little one. I used to write stories about my teddy bears. My mom used to take me to bookstores as a special treat. I studied them and wrote about them for four years. 

We are the words we say. We are the words that we keep hidden deep inside ourselves. Words can hurt. Words can heal. Words are everlasting. For all these reasons, I love words.  

Happy Birthday Daddy!

 My daddy has taught me how to stay young at heart. Most important, he has taught me the beauty of giving my time, my knowledge, and my kindness to others. My daddy is one of the most giving people that I know. Thank you for teaching me how to give without hesitation. 

Guilty Pleasure: Teenage Dream - Katy Perry

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I'm totally smitten with Teenage Dream by Katy Perry. When I first heard it, I thought, "Who is singing this incredibly cheesy song?" Then, I paid attentioned to the lyrics. They tugged at my heart strings. It's totally how I feel about my hubster. Cheesetastic and all. Twelve years later, I just want to let you know "[m]y heart stops when you look at me." 


p.s.
If you can't stand the original version, listen to this amazing acoustic cover, which I adore even more than the original. 

I Learned It From My Momma

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This weekend, we had an early birthday celebration for my dad. On the way home, I changed my the radio station in my mom's car to my favorite radio station. Then, Usher's Hot Toddy started playing, and here's the conversation that we had. 

Uncle Mark: I laugh whenever this song comes on. 
Me: Why?
Uncle Mark: Because Usher's singing about a hot toddy. 
Me: What's a hot toddy? 
Mom: (without hesitation) It's an alcoholic drink in old movies.
Me: Hmm?
Uncle Mark: It's a hot alcoholic drink. 
Me: I thought it was a new way to say tater tot. (laughs)


When did my mom and Uncle Mark know more about an Usher song than I do? Oy, I must be the one getting old. I'm so out of the loop.

Croatia Is Where It's At

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A long long time ago, my friend Alex and I were trading travel tips. He had heard that Croatia was a European hot spot. I didn't believe him, but he insisted that he heard from other Europeans about it. It's supposed to be more affordable and just as gorgeous as Greece. We're in the middle of brainstorming possible options for our trip next year. I had vague memories of that conversation with Alex, so I decided to do some research. Lonely Planet makes Croatia look positively divine. According to USA Today, Croatia is supposed to be affordable. Now, I just have to convince the hubster to keep it on the list. Alex, this post is for you. You were right. Thanks for the Croatia tip!

On Friendship

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Surprise Guest

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Tonight was Back to School Night. Standing in front of twenty one kiddos is very different than presenting in front of twenty one adults. I survived thanks to my co-teacher buddy. Woot!  For a few minutes, I left the room to take care of some other school business. When I returned, I found a little black kitty cat strolling around our room. I immediately thought, "Of course, it would find our room!" I seem to be a magnet for stray/lost animals. I'm so happy it paid us a visit. It totally made my evening.

Happy 3rd Anniversary

"I, with a deeper instinct, choose a man who compels my strength, who makes enormous demands on me, who does not doubt my courage or my toughness, who does not believe me naive or innocent, who has the courage to treat me like a woman." - Anais Nin

Coffee

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Once a week, I go in and plan with the teacher who I'm co-teaching with. Because our parking lot is teeny tiny and gets really hectic, I usually go a few minutes before dismissal. I try my best to sneak in, but it usually doesn't work. Here's an adorable conversation I had today. 

Little Miss: Hi Mrs. Trac! (gives a hug)
Me: Hi! Thanks for the hug. 
Little Miss: Mrs. Trac, you smell like coffee. 
Me: Good observation. It's probably because I've been sitting in a coffee shop for awhile. 
Little Miss: Oh. 

"Awhile" translates into most of the day. I had a lovely day people watching, sipping on a toffee mocha, and reading this book.

On Balance

Something has changed. I'm being swept away by life. I'm too focused on the expectations, on the check marks on my lists, and on the bigger picture. I'm forgetting about all the small moments in between. It's those small moments that transform into memories. I'm forgetting that there needs to be a balance between everything. Here's to more growing and learning. Wish me luck!

Throwback Tuesday: Memory - Sugarcult

Catch Up: Enchanting Day Trip

Last Sunday, we went to Hearst Castle with Mark for a quick day trip. The last time we went was about four years ago, just the two of us. Mark hadn't been for 10 years! When booking the tour, we chose Tour 1. We assumed that we would see the same stuff that we saw last time when we had taken the tour. To our delight, they switch it up. We got to see one of the guesthouses, Casa del Sol. I also learned a bunch  during the tour and on the drive up. For example, Mr. Hearst loved animals. He had kangaroos, bears, and lions on his estate. The bear cages were even more advanced than the zoo enclosures at the time. They also had the only air condition on the entire estate! 

Hearst Castle and San Simeon are always enchanting. I can totally see why Mr. Hearst called his estate the Enchanted Hill. C'mon, where else can you walk on gold? For me, I'm most fond of the exterior. I love the architecture, the views, and the swimming pools. As my hubster says, "The interior feels like I need to be smoking a cigar." It's stuffy. It's crowded with artifacts and art. It feels like if I touch something it might just fall apart. Mark's not too big of a fan of the carpets on the walls. Perhaps, I'll have to start saving now for my $5,000 pool party at the Neptune Pool. I have to start before Mark beats me to it.   

p.s.
Thanks to the hubster for taking pictures of the Roman Bath. Happy you have a steady hand. 

p.p.s.
Thanks to Mark for the uber cute couple shots!

Have a Danish

One town over is one of the most touristy towns that I have ever seen. Bus loads of tourists can be seen during the summer. Every September, they have a weekend called Danish Days to celebrate its Danish heritage. Usually, we're out of town because it falls on the same weekend that we want to celebrate our anniversary. Because we had a low-key anniversary this year, we were able to go. My hubster rolled his eyes. I was eager to see what all the hoopla was about. It was such a fun family event. People in costume, artisans sharing their crafts, and snow cones, what's not to like?

Foodies? Who Knew?

Taken by Lisa

 I'm not comfortable with calling ourselves foodies. It wasn't until our NYC trip when our friend Carlos brought up the fact that we're foodies. Who knew? When I think of a foodie, I imagine somebody who watches FoodTV religiously, knows all the fancy restaurants in the nation, and has an encyclopedic knowledge of exotic foods. I just thought we liked food like everyone else does. 

On our recent vacays, we've learned that food is a huge factor for how enjoyable our vacay is. If we have lovely food experiences, we come back with an enthusiasm to promote the location like it's going out of style. Here's half of a conversation that my hubster had with Carlos. (I couldn't hear Carlos' part because they were talking on the cell.)


Hubster: I don't think we can go China. 
Carlos: 
Hubster: It's not a big deal anyway. 
Carlos: 
Hubster: Well, I don't want to go and eat Chinese food. I grew up eating Chinese food every day. 
Carlos:
Hubster: No, I'm not going to go to China and eat McDonalds. I want to go to country and enjoy their flare.*
Carlos: 
Hubster: If we go to China, no flare for me. 


Yes, it's true. Most of time, the first consideration of a travel location is the cuisine. If we can't think of anything that we would want to eat there, it gets bumped off of the list. This is the part of the post where we give a big thanks to Anthony Bourdain for previewing the cuisines and locations for us..

 *I think he confused flare and fare. Isn't he cute? Hopefully, I'm just as cute as he is. I didn't figure out that he mixed up "flare" and "fare" until I typed up this post.

Dear California

Dear California, 

Have I told you lately that I love you? I know I take you for granted. It's easy to take you for granted because you're the only home that I've ever known.  I love you for so many reasons. Yesterday afternoon reminded me how beautiful you are. Where else can I work all day then drive along the picturesque coast? Malibu looked like a picture perfect postcard at that magic hour. We enjoyed a delicious dinner of fresh seafood with a side of ocean view. Then, we scurried across the freeway to attempt to walk down the shear cliff, so we can dip our toes in the sand. I love the smell of the ocean, the feel of the ocean breeze flowing through my hair, the sight of the sun dipping below the horizon. I can't imagine ever abandoning you. 


xo,

Bea 

Sneaky

My friend Mark sneaked this photo when we were at the beach with him. Then, he made it into a calendar for us. One of many reasons to look forward to 2011.

Throwback Tuesday: In The Middle - Jimmy Eat World

When I Grow Up

 

 

When I grow up, I want to throw fantastic birthdays like the one above for my kiddos. Hopefully, my kiddos will want fun birthday parties. Maybe, I'll just have to play lots of Super Mario Bros. while the little ones are incubating.

On Courage

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage" - Anais Nin  (1903-1977)

Ode to Huck and Tom

I have yet to finish Huckleberry Finn. I haven't even touched Tom Sawyer. When I was playing in the creek, all I could think of was them. We are very much looking forward to taking our kiddos down to the creek whenever they come.

Barefoot

I love being barefoot. Once I get home, I take my shoes off immediately. I love walking in backyards and on patios barefoot. When I was little, my parents tried to rid me of this dirty habit. They told me that I would catch ringworm if I walked outside barefoot. I haven't yet (knock on wood). On my way home, my hubster and I had this conversation.

Me: What do you want to do this weekend? 
Hubster: Maybe, make some breakfast smoothies and eat some danishes. But we don't have danishes. 
Me: Okay.
Hubster: We could drink our smoothies out on the patio in our pjs barefoot. 
Me: I love that idea! 

Isn't he a genius? Pjs, smoothies, bare feet, and sunshine. How heavenly! 

Boys Will Be Boys

Last weekend, Steve (my hubster's best friend from high school) and my hubster went off roading. I thought about going, but I chose to enjoy some delicious napping. I did make my hubster take the camera with him. Having photos is just as good as going, no? So happy that I didn't go. They came back 3 hours later! My days are bumpy enough for me.

Another Halloweenie!

Halloween is fast approaching. Thanks Michaels and Walmart for reminding me. Halloween is a very big deal at the school I'm at. We do a huge Halloween parade with the entire school (Over 600 kids dress up). All the teachers and aides dress up too. We trot around in a circle and display our costume while Monster Mash plays. No pressure, right? That's exactly why I'm trying to figure out my costume now. 

My first year, I was a tree. Last year, I was an alien. Both were homemade costumes. I love homemade costumes. I never had them as a kid. My parents always got me the perfect store bought costumes. I'm hoping to make homemade costumes a tradition with my family whenever the kiddos finally arrive. That's why I'm trying to get some practice in now. 

My hubster wanted me to be a milkshake, but I couldn't find any inspiring milkshake costumes. I started to browse Target for some ideas, just in case I didn't have time to make my costume. I found a cupcake and crayon costume. They are so pricey! I decided to roam over to Etsy and Martha. Now, I have too many options. 

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 I'm honestly leaning towards the sushi one. I think I could hand stitch it, and it would be the easiest. I was also thinking about switching it up and being a sushi boat. That makes it way ambitious. When it comes to the one with the butterflies, I was thinking about modifying it and making it with bees instead. Then, I could draw honeycomb pattern on a t-shirt, get a tutu and become a beehive. The Rubik's cube is so classic, and it would be so fun to make with my hubster. I might hate contact paper and black duct tape after making it. Oh, choices, choices.

Throwback Tuesday: The Sign - Ace of Base

On Replay: Anything by M. Posner

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This has been the summer of Mike Posner for me. His songs have been on constant replay during many of my coffeehouse stints. His channel is my current Pandora favorite because all of my other favorite artists pop up on the playlist. I just love the lyrics and the beat. My hubster is even a fan of his cover art and title of his debut album. Here's a conversation that my hubster and I recently had about him.

Me: Babe, listen to this song. (Plays Cheated)
Hubster: Okay. 
Me: Isn't it good? It's not often that nice guys have a good break-up song. He has definitely had his heart broken one too many times.
Hubster: That's probably because he picks the wrong girls. I bet he likes bad girls.
Me: True. Like the girl in his other song. 
Both: (laughs) 

I wonder if it's true. Mike Posner, do you like bad girls?

Farewell Summer!

Adios summer! Even though the weather wasn't as pleasant as expected, we were still able to enjoy the fruits of summer. I'll miss them most of all once our farmer's markets are filled with root veggies. My favorite fruit this summer? Raspberries. Our neighborhood farmer (he's literally a few streets over) has the sweetest raspberries for only $1.50/box. Our raspberries are so fresh that they still have feathery seeds from neighboring plants on them. We usually ate half of the box before we even made it home. 
 

When You Give a Bea a Cupcake

Answer to the literary allusion in the title.