28 things i love

it was a good thought.  thinking i could post everyday.  but reality sets in really quickly.  here are the last few days worth.

day 20: frozen yogurt bar

a new place opened up just down the street and we had coupons.  so we went with bob and d and enjoyed a cup of yogurt with lots of creative toppings.  the kids love the orange sherbet and brownie bites.  i love peanut butter and mochi.  bobby had plain vanilla and fruit.  he gave up junk food for lent, poor him. 

day 21:  getting together with friends

it's been awhile since these little guys were all together.  and it's amazing how fast they have all grown up.   this was an impromptu get together for us.  after almost a year of each of us doing our thing it just worked out for us.  i really hope we don't have to wait another year.

day 22:  andrew's class performance

they did a play on why February is significant, like african american month, president's day, valentine's day and national pancake day, really!  andrew only had 2 lines but of course he was perfect.  the school does an amazing job with these performances.

day 23:  our tree

this picture was taken a few weeks ago when the tree is in full bloom.  it always blooms during this month and it gives me a wintery feeling, without the shovel, snow jacket, boots and plows.  just pretty white flowers.  i don't even know what kind of tree this is but there are many of them in our neighborhood.

day 24:  burning 269 calories in 35 minutes 

i know this may not seem like much to those who workout regularly but i'm really working at being consistent and challenging myself to work harder.  i'm pretty proud of myself.

day 25:  balance

this was sofia's plate at the mom's group at church on thursday.  something healthy and something sweet.  that's what life is aboout. we listened, well i did and sofia ate and drew pictures, to bonnie geary who is a marriage and family therapist.  she speaks at churches and schools about handling family life.  this day her lecture was called 'if mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy'.  ain't that the truth.  it's stuff i know already; balance, taking time outs for myself, finding ways to avoid stress and conflict.  it was a good reminder to keep doing what i'm doing and work hard at making life better for my family.

day 26:  girl scout cookies

enough said.  oh and i'm glad i didn't give up sweets for lent, and now you know how i spent those 269 calories i burned.

day 27:  engagements

lots of them recently.  we celebrated mike and angela's engagement yesterday with their family.  they are such a cute couple and we are so happy for them.  it will be a beautiful wedding.  i took pictures at the party and will be making them an album.  but the one bad note is that my new lens broke.  not sure what the problem is but it is no longer focusing on auto.  made me really frustrated when i was trying to capture those moments.  i will take it to the shop this week and see if it can be fixed.

day 28: new beginnings

ok, so i didn't make it at daily posting.  i tried and then got bogged down by life and the olympics.  but today i can look back at the past 28 days and realize that i have a lot to love.  the best thing is my beautiful family.  jordan, who makes me proud, andrew who makes me laugh, sofia who makes me dream and the BEST partner in the world to share my life with.  they are truly all that matter.  tomorrow is a new month.  a chance to set some new goals.  a place to begin again.  it is my birthday month and i have some ideas floating around for a month long celebration.  i am challenging myself to step out of my comfort zone and try some new things.  i'm also working on a 40 things list. i am so excited.  i hope to see all of you soon.

lots of love. 

28 things i love: getting caught up

so i didn't make it here this week.  took some time off for no reason really.  just never made it to the blog.  so i'll catch up now.  in case anyone is interested.

day 15: the nixon library

jordan is learning about the presidents this semester.  he chose to do his report on nixon because he wanted to learn about the impeachment process.  so we decided that president's day was the best time to visit the nixon library.  they were having a presidents' day celebration so the library was free, good deal for those with 5 people in their family.  we met sue and tom and took pictures with teddy roosevelt and abraham lincoln.  the other awesome thing was that there was a forum that day with members of nixon's advisory team.  they talked about his daily schedule and what he would do on a day to day basis.  jordan and bobby got to see nixon's brother.  at first bobby thought he was a nixon impersonator.  jord did not take many notes but there was a lot of interesting information on his life, his presidency.  i love hearing about people's life story.  he did some amazing things in his life.  maybe that's why i love to scrapbook.  we saw the house he grew up in and marine one.  then we visited the grave site where he and his wife are buried.  i loved this quote on pat nixon's grave.

day 16: a win

jordan's last basketball of the year was on tuesday.  they played a team from woodland hills that was more closely matched to our kids' level.  let's face it they got creamed in every game.  it was heartbreaking.  but today our kids had magic on their side.  we watched the score go up and for the first time were so excited.  the kids were pumped and being more aggressive.  jord handled the ball so much better and even made a basket!  they were so happy to end the season with a win.

day 17: lent begins

lent is the perfect time to step back and reflect on how i am living my life.  i usually give something up like coffee, or sweets, or shopping.  but this year i wanted to do something instead of giving something up.  i'm working on living a better life, one that makes me feel good at the end of the day.  thinking positively and being patient with the kids and myself.  40 days is a long time to make a change and i am looking forward to it.

day 18: pajama parties

our monthly bunco game was last night.  the lady who hosted wanted us to come in our pajamas.  you should have seen the look on jordan's face as i walked out the door dressed in my hello kitty pajama pants.  it was so much fun.  i have met some nice ladies and am laughing all the time.  and now everyone wants to have a theme night.  i just hope they keep it clean.

 

day 19: spring is in fashion

so glad i did not give up shopping for lent.  well actually i didn't spend any money so i guess it doesn't make a difference. but i wanted to look at what's in stores for the new season.  i could have spent hundreds of dollars, especially at anthropolgie or ann taylor loft.  kind of excited that my birthday is coming up so i can spend a little bit on me.  i mean seriously i need this:

and this:

















looking forward to the weekend.  drama rehearsal, baseball practice and CHA open house.  happy weekend everyone.

28 things i love: day 14

you guessed it: valentine's day

i especially love this from elise blaha.  i used to be a hater and then i embraced the fact that this day gives us an excuse to be corny and loving and use red hearts and pink doilies for everything.

we made strawberry crepes for breakfast, had orange juice and prosecco and are spending the day watching the olympics.  tonight we will go to our friends' house for dinner.  we are bringing appetizers and chocolate fondue.  no need to go to a restaurant, spend a ridiculous amount on roses or get each other expensive gifts.  we got nice cards that say i love you, sticky notes, starbucks gift cards, some digital scrapbook elements and lots of hugs and kisses (chocolate and real).  andrew proclaimed that we should celebrate valentine's day once a month.  love that idea too.

hope everyone is having a great v-day.  lots of love, hugs and kisses from the mitas family to yours.

28 things i love: day 13

reconciliation ceremony

andrew had his reconciliation ceremony at church today in preparation of his first communion in may.  he had a retreat in the morning with his class and then we joined him for the service.  he was so cute, and nervous while he waited for his turn to talk to the priest.  we talked to him and he joked with a friend.  and then he walked into the room and we wondered what he would say to the priest.  it was one of those moments where i recognized that he was growing up and would have to handle himself without us.  we assume it went well, he came out said his prayers and got his certificate.  one step closer to the big day.

in other news: we went to the movies with our friends, the barons, to see 'the lightning thief'.  jordan has read the entire series and had been counting down the days to the release of the movie.  it was ok.  we saw many flaws and felt it was a little flat.  but jordan and rebecca really liked it.   sofia was a bit freaked out with the monsters but was smiling throughout.  afterwards we went to dinner at poquito mas where the kids explained the differences between the book and the movie. love that we have such great friends to spend time with.

28 things i love: day 11 & 12

two posts in one.

making valentines

sofia wanted to makes hearts and put glitter on them.  we traced, cut and signed them and then she decorated them with stickers.  we ended up only putting glitter on the teacher's cards.  it is a project that requires glue, space and a vacuum  cleaner.  we really had no time.  but they came out so cute and now our kitchen is sparkly with glitter.

andrew also didn't want to give out the traditional valentine card.  so we made chocolate covered pretzels for his class.  this is one of my favorite treats,  to make and to eat.  they look so cute when they are done.  and they are easy to make.  i had the heart sprinkles from a valentine cookie decorating kit and thanks grandma sue for the perfect pretzel bags.  then i used my heart punch to make the tags, and andrew  signed his name.

jordan opted out of the valentine thing all together, he is in middle school.  but he did buy his close friends some valetine-o-grams.  they deliver those at school.  so that was easy.

i'm working on some cards for the family today.  love this holiday.

the olympics

so i can go on and on about my love for the olympics.  ok, it's really an obsession.  i remember watching it as a kid and then thinking i could be a gymnast, or a swimmer or an ice skater.  i collected everything olympics in 84 when they were here in los angeles.  we even saw the gymnastics team at knotts berry farm.  i was in love with mitch gaylord, even after he starred in american anthem. one year when i was working at dreamworks i brought in a watchman, remember those, and kept it tuned in during the day so i wouldn't miss a thing.  now i record it, on two tvs and stay up until 1 in the morning to watch it all.  i really don't want to recall the summer of 2008 when we took an rv trip back from colorado and found out that the olympics started while we would be camping in bryce, but bobby promised that we would have reception on the dinky tv and the night of the opening ceremonies we only got static and i got mad and bobby got mad and i wanted to stay in a hotel, and then i got over it, well sort of.  can you see where i am going with this.  but why do i love it so?

i love the meaning behind this event.  the world coming together, in good times and in bad, to compete and be friends and celebrate, and then kick a@#.  i love that so many of the athletes have struggled and conquered adversity to get to this moment.  i love that they dedicate  their whole lives to being the best.  their determination is impressive and inspirational.  i love the stories of triumph and defeat.  i love the intro song.  i love that bob costas becomes a part of my everyday for two weeks.  i love the olympic rings . . .ok you get the picture, i'm obsessed.

but one thing i REALLY love is that you can pretty much guarantee that every house in our neighborhood will be tuned into the opening ceremony tonight as they light the torch.  i know that i will feel a sense of unity and pride.

so now you know where i will be for the next 2 weeks.  blogging and watching.  go USA!

28 things i love: day 10

going to the post office

but only when preschool kids are involved.  i have done this 6 times now.  the preschool takes the kids on a fieldtrip to the post office to deliver the valentine cards they made.  they are learning about the community and what different occupations there are.  each kid has a turn giving their card to the postal worker who stamps it and sends if off.  we should be getting our card in the mail today.  i walked with sofia and the twin boys.  they are such cute superheroes. 

posting today's love later on.

28 things i love: day 9

hot chocolate on a rainy day

the kids know that if it is raining, it's a hot chocolate day.  nothing fancy, instant hot chocolate, boiling water and marshmallows or whipped cream.  today i added some heart sprinkles because they were sitting on the counter.  it's a treat every time.

i opt out of the regular hot cocoa and prefer the hungry girl's version of the salty caramel hot cocoa.  i know it sounds a bit strange but the salt does give it something special, and this version is so much better pointswise (weight watcher points that is.)

so go enjoy a cup of hot cocoa today.

28 things i love: day 7 & 8

sorry i didn't get to post yesterday.  we hosted an impromptu superbowl party and then crashed after everyone left.  so today i will make up for it.

day 7: having family over

like i said we had people over to watch the superbowl.  and by people i mean, tom, sue, my parents, sister and her boyfriend.  we had a taco bar with chicken, tortillas, guacamole, rice and salsa.  chocolate chip cookies, sweet bread and berry crisp for dessert.  not bad for a last minute get together.  and the game was so fun.  i had no preference  but there was a huge support for the saints so were happy they won.  i love being surrounded by my family and sharing time together.

day 8: alone time

on the flip side, my pt canceled my appointment today so i had some unexpected free time.  we had our conference with sofia's preschool teacher and then i went for a walk with my mom and sister.  then i came home and had some lunch and cruised the internet.  now it is time to pick her up from school.  it really wasn't that much time alone.  but it's rare for me to find myself without something to do and even more rare to be in the house alone.  it's quiet and calm.  all i hear right now is the refrigerator running.  ahh . . . .

but now i have to go.  hope your week is starting out lovely.

28 things i love: day 6

scooter's jungle

it is the place to have your kid's birthday party.  what's great about it is that there is something for everyone, including the parents.  air hockey, go carts, ping pong, bouncy houses, and a gigantic slide that will scar you for life if you don't put your arms up.  (that's sofia going down the slide with a friend) we've been to at least 6 parties here in the last year.  we love it so much more than chuck e. chesse's.  today we went for two of sofia's friends,  twin boys who are turning 5.  i think one of them has a little crush on sofia, it's so cute.  there were so many kids running around, going down slides and using the zip line.  so much fun!


in other news: jordan took his test for the johns hopkins talent search today.  it was a computerized math and verbal test that took him about 40 minutes to complete.  we should get the results in 3 weeks and we'll see if he's eligible to take some classes over the summer.

hope everyone had a good saturday.

28 things i love: day 5

being aware

i had my first physical therapy today at the new place.  actually her name is martha and to be perfectly honest i was a little worried.  when we talked yesterday to make my appointment i thought, this lady is too happy and peppy, she might drive me crazy.  but i haven't been to therapy in a week and although the cortisone shot really helped i feel like my shoulders and back are tightening back up.  so it was time to go again.  unfortunately this place is in burbank, not down the street from my house like the other place.  but as soon as she started working on me and asking questions i felt great.  she loosened me up right away and at one point i could feel the circulation in my arm come back, pure energy all the way down to my fingertips.  the best part of this treatment was lying on this foam tube.  i could feel my back and shoulders open up.  it was AWESOME.  no heat or stim this time, kind of missed that.  but she was very caring.  so my homework this week is to be aware of my body.  i have a tendency to slump my shoulders and tighten my upper body.  as soon as i feel that i need to push my shoulder blades together and engage my core.  also to be aware of the feeling in my fingers, what makes them numb or feel tender or painful.  and then to be aware of my environment that makes me feel stress.  that one will probably be the hardest to control.  taking that moment when i can feel myself tensing up, and remember to relax and breathe.  easy right?  i'm doing it right now.

going into a busy weekend.  but will still try to post.

28 things i love: day 4

jordan and basketball
here is a picture of jordan and the entire school basketball team.  one of the dads plays for the denver nuggets.  any guesses who it might be?  he's the tall guy in the back.  he is sponsored by nike so all of the players got nike basketball shoes for FREE!  well, technically jord didn't get his but he will have them next week, long story.  jordan loves basketball.  i have even admitted to myself that he loves it more than swimming, and i'm ok with that.  he always has fun when he plays, win or lose.  he smiles on the court and runs back and forth.  he is even trying to get a little more aggressive.  it's great watching him play and enjoy himself.  (although sometimes i think the reason he loves to play is because he gets to drink a whole bottle of gatorade.)  i just wish the season was a little longer.  but today was another cool memory in his academic career.

28 things i love: day 3

being snack mom
actually today was a tough one because there was a lot to love.  but being snack mom topped the list.  sofia is very active in planning the menu for her classmates.  this morning it was bagels and cream cheese, turkey sausage, cantelope and melon and orange juice.  i always want to plan something interesting but find that the kids really like simple; cheese and crackers.  it turns out that this group of kids are good eaters.  so next time i may be more adventurous and bring in something fun.  as snack girl sofia helps with the calendar for the day, she sets the table and gets to sit down first.  she loves that.  after snack the kids and teachers thank the snack person and their parent for bringing snack.  i laugh because when they ask sofia (or andrew and jordan when they were in preschool) what my name is she always says betty.  the school knows me as gioconda.  so i have to explain the reason behind the two names.  it always gets a laugh.  i love watching sofia interact with her friends.  she has a lot of friends who are boys.  two in particular whose mom told me that they love her because she doesn't just play girl stuff.  that's right, she can hang with the boys and dress up with the girls.  i love that!

a few other things to love: jordan's teacher emailing us because she thought there was an error in his grade point average.  he received second honors and she was surprised.  she went over his report card and found that he missed first honors by .07.  that's it.  so close.  so she wanted us to know that he had done an amazing job the first semester and that she would work with him to make little improvements that will give him what we know he is capable of.  what a special place to go to school.

andrew will be playing for the trojans this year.  he has moved up to farm baseball and his coach sounds really motivated and ready to go.  i am so thankful and hopeful that this will be a better year.  i can't wait to see him in his uniform.  sorry uncle bill.

going out to the movies tonight with some moms from school.  we will see extraordinary measures.  really looking forward to it.

happy wednesday

what's not to love?

28 things i love: day 2

hearts

i love hearts.  big, small, glittery, plain,  pink, red, blush, rose.  they all mean the same to me.  i especially love the hearts that the kids draw and the occasional one i get from b, wink, wink.  i know it's everywhere this month; on cookies, cakes, balloons,  but it makes me happy.  and what is wrong with being happy about love?  if that doesn't get you wait until you see the valentine cards that sofia is making with hand drawn hearts and pink glitter!

in other news:  sofia had her assessment today to see if she is ready for kindergarten in the fall.  the cut off at CHA is September first but they do take each child individually and see what is best for them.  we are now seriously considering waiting one more year and putting her in the pre-k program.  i'm evaluating all of the information.  we have a few months to think about it and there will be a reassessment in june.  the director did tell me that her auditory recall was phenomenal.  she can remember numbers and names better than any of us.  great skill to have.  either way she will be a great student.

jord had a basketball game today.  they are really struggling against some teams that have better players.  the score today was 30-11.  but it was our highest scoring game.  but he is having a great time.  he also got a medal today for academic honors in the first semester of school.  he is doing amazing.

i went to pick up andrew in his class to head out to jordan's game and i got to hear him read his i love poem to the class.  among his favorites were: i love my family, i love kit kats, i love blue and i love corn dogs.  he does.

that's it for today.

hello february

wow that one snuck up on me.  february is my second favorite month of the year, the first being october.  i don't know if it's valentine's day and seeing all the red and pink around but there is something about this month that makes me go ahhhhh.

or maybe it's because it is the short month before my birthday.  as of today there are 37 days until the big 4-0.  yikes!  not stressing at all.  thinking of ways to celebrate, but alas none of the options involves going to new york for a week to eat, shop and see plays.  maybe next year.

i wanted to do something different this month and focus on the things i love.  life has been a little challenging lately so this will help put me in the right spirit.  i will post everyday for this month with something i love.  don't think i'll make it?  you'll have to check in and see, got that mike?!  and yes i will be making some kind of scrapbook to document.  hoping to work on that tomorrow.  but for today, here is what i love:

28 things i love: day 1

 

Lovey Gummy Tummies from Trader Joes

i am definitely a gummy lover.  any fruity, gummy, chewy candy wins me over, not so much chocolate ,.  so when i found these at my beloved tj i knew i had to try them.   they have a little burst of cherry flavor in the middle that is a sweet surprise.  and of course i love the lovey hand holding the gummy.  she's pretty sweet too!

in other news:  went to the doc today and he gave me a shot in my wrist to help relieve the pain and numbness.  wow, that was not fun.  painful, uncomfortable and it made my fingers go completely numb.  but now they feel better.  thankfully he only did one wrist, he said it can have overall affect.  i hope so because i don't want to have to do that again.  now i'm not sure what else will happen.  i will have physical therapy again, with a new pt because my insurance no longer covers the first pt place.  and i think i see a deep tissue massage in my future.

check in tomorrow for day 2 of 28 things i love.