In Bloom

  

  Everything around my house is in bloom right now. 

I've been finding myself sitting on the patio just breathing in the fresh jasmine scent that fills the air once the sun begins to set. 

That has a lot to do with my absence on the ol' blog. I have been spending a lot of time relaxing and being.. happy! It's wonderful! Every time I'm pregnant (after the 1st tri, of course) I get really happy, like I'm floating on clouds. I've been cooking and keeping the house clean again and doing all of the things I love, away from the computer. I could definitely get used to this. 

 

Another excuse for my absence is the fact that we've have been very very busy. Birthday celebrations, the Opera, concerts, being a bridesmaid..again, and lots of work. Work is busy right now because all of the schools take their field trips during the Spring semester, which means I've been giving lots of tours, which I love.

Last weekend I took baby bump to it's first Opera, Aida, with Grandma I and sister. 

I got my first pair of opera glasses and black diamonds!

This week my mom comes into town!! For 2 weeks!! I cannot wait! 

After she leaves we will be going off on an Easter vacation and then the concert season will be in full swing! We have a vacation, 3 concerts and the big wedding I'm in all in one month.

And then.. SUMMER!

haps

I feel impulsed to share the current "notable" happenings around here

so, here it goes

dave and I went to the Iron and Wine concert! 

the Grand-dude (my dad) was briefly in town

today, Dave told me that he got me an "unexpected xmas gift" that is apparently almost as good as a puppy pug. im guessing it's a summer beach house?

we finally got  owyn off of the pacifiers. yipee!

at one point I turned to Dave and said,

"man, I hope we never have to do a drug intervention, because this SUCKS!" talk about addiction!

today I made homemade protein bars and laundry soap! 

hello, my name is Chelsea, but you can call me Martha.

tonight Owyn went to bed early (because he took no nap) and Dave is out for a friends birthday. Basically it is official chick-flick night!

Oh, the simple joys in life.

Recently

It's obvious that I haven't been posting as much lately. 

I recently discovered that when I'm not on the computer I'm getting a million other things done. Who would've known?

other things that have been happening recently:

- Trying to plan for our future and our next move. This includes where we want to buy our next house, when I should get a full time job, whether or not I should go to grad school, when to have our next child, what career changes Dave wants to make and what we should invest in. This grown up thing is hard. 

- It has finally cooled off here in Phoenix. Thank goodness! 

It's so hard getting out of bed in the morning. 

I love bundling up in a blanket, drinking hot coffee and having an excuse to wear sweats. 

Stalling

I have a lot to post about, but every time I sit down and open my computer to begin a post I get distracted. We have been very busy around here. 

Between family snuggles, wedding planning, work and random projects, there's only time for Mad Men at night.

Feeling Icky

 I had a really yucky few days during the end of the week. 

I woke up Thursday morning at 4am feeling really sick. I was nauseated, drained and experiencing vertigo.  I ended up calling in and staying in bed all day. I felt the same on Friday and Saturday.

On Saturday I went back to work barely spoke a word to anyone all day. I was still feeling weird and wanted to go home and go to bed. 

Eventually the time came, and I got to be with my babes and cook them one of our favorite meals for dinner. 

Did you know that it is absolutely impossible to stay down when you come home to this: 

It's true! 

p.s., notice my new beautiful ring? grad gift! green amethyst. 

Breaded Chicken Parmesan with Spinach Noodles and Sun-dried Tomatoes:

Today, Daily Struggles, Big News and a Dinner for Two

Today rocks. 

I skipped class to spend time with Owyn. 

I feel like we have been growing apart. Or more like he's growing and I am missing it. I only get Mondays off and every other Saturday and when I am home I am either doing school work or stressing out about not doing my school work. It really blows. I struggle with it everyday but when you get as close as I am, all I can think about is finishing so I have unlimited (kinda of) time with Owyn. Sometimes I don't think he even realizes that I spent 9 months devoting my body to carrying/providing/growing him, gave birth to him and fed him with my own body.

We cuddled, sang, danced, talked, learned and played in the rain. 

We also stopped by MCA (where I intern) and got fingerprinted. 

Oh, yeah, about that... 

I haven't told you guys yet. You know how I said that I'll have a lot more time with Owyn once I am done with school in May? Well.. I got a new job! Yes, that's right. I am so excited. I found out the day after my birthday. I have applied to work for AMY ( Arizona Museum for Youth) 3 times! THREE! And I finally got an interview, and apparently, they loved me. I am the new Gallery Educator. 

This job is the exact job I wanted for after I graduate and I'll tell you why, 

1. It's part time

2. It's a couple blocks away from my house

3. I'll be able to use my experience and education 

4. It's a terrific museum/curator to work for 

5.  I get to work with children

6. I will get paid a whole lot more than I do now. 

Even if I work 10 hours a week, Ill be bringing in about the same amount I am now working 3 jobs (granted one of my jobs doesn't pay).

So yeah, we went and I got fingerprinted and then went to drop off my pre-employment paper work to the HR department and when I went to pull Owyn out of the car he looked like this: 

Wow, way to make an impression.

"Hi, I'm Chelsea, I'm going to be working with the children in the museum. Oh, this is my son, don't mind his tattoo's, I let him play with a pen while we were driving in the car."

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Tonight I grilled on my own for the first time. I wasn't sure I even knew how to turn on the grill, 

but it turns out that I do! 

 We had grilled chicken breast and spinach tortellini with pesto and baby heirloom tomatoes. Yummm.

 

I Heart Mondays

I heart Mondays because I have no obligations outside of the house.

Unless there's doctor appointment or something.

It's my day off but Dave works, so Owyn and I like to get into trouble. 

But, shhhh, don't tell him that.

A few things we like to do: 

Stay in our pj's all day

  

Put Owyn to work so when Dave comes home, he gives me the credit

Play in our side yard/jungle. (I swear someday soon this will be our garden!)

spread out my research project all over the living room during nap time.....

while nap time looks like this in Owyn's room

I wonder how long he was up?

We did end up leaving the house. All Owyn wanted to do was go outside and it was driving me nuts. So instead we took a 2 hour Target trip and spent money on dumb things that I never would have spent money on if it weren't for me trying to waste time.

We love our Mondays. 

Now, back to work :)

A True American Idol

A while ago Dave told me a quote. One by Eleanor Roosevelt. This quote was: 

"Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people."

I replied, "she has taken those words out of my mouth!"

This is what I have been trying to explain for so long. I have discussions with my sister about it, a woman who is a great mind. Ever since Dave said this to me I have been in love with Eleanor Roosevelt. She was such an incredible woman. One that I look up to. 

This is one of the reasons why I love Dave. He knows me so well and we share the same ideas and values. We are able to have deep discussions that and share political and religious ideas. And luckily for us, we agree on all religious points of view and most political. He is able to open my eyes, challenge my ideas and even give me he shivers by the powerful things that come out of his mouth. And I'm sure I do the same for him.. maybe?

Anyway, back to my lady Ellie, she is my new idol.

Here are some great quotes of hers that I treasure, for your pleasure:

"People grow through experience if they meet life honestly and courageously. This is how character is built."

"One thing life has taught me: if you are interested, you never have to look for new interests. They come to you. When you are genuinely interested in one thing, it will always lead to something else."

"A little simplification would be the first step toward rational living, I think."

 
"Friendship with ones self is all important, because without it one cannot be friends with anyone else in the world."

"I think, at a child's birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift should be curiosity."

"My experience has been that work is almost the best way to pull oneself out of the depths."

"Only a man's character is the real criterion of worth."

"You can never really live anyone else's life, not even your child's. The influence you exert is through your own life, and what you've become yourself."

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My biggest goal in this life here on Earth is to be a good example to my children and be someone they can look up to.

 

My Little Valentine

I tried my best to make Valentines Day a special day. 

I think I failed. Have I mentioned that I am sick again?

I can't decide if I should go to the doctor or not. To be quite honest, I don't think I can get myself to the doctor. Yes, I did attempt to go to work today, but I also failed at that. I am now home laying underneath two comforters and propped up by 3 of the best pillows in the house. aka Owyn's pillows. That kid has claimed all of the softest down pillows in this house to be his own. He cries out for them when he's sad or tired. " Gaaaawwwwlllll". How he got gawl out of pillow, I'm not sure. 

Anyway, here are my symptoms so you can tell me whether this need medical attention or not: sore, swollen and red throat, congestion in sinus cavities and chest, lots of pressure on my chest, low fever around 100 for three days (even if I take Tylenol!), extremely sore and achy body (even my hands are sore. weird.), sinus headache.

Yesterday I had a doctor appointment, not with my PCP. Dave advised me not to take Owyn but I hate asking people to watch him, especially just for an hour or two, so I brought him anyway. Boy oh boy was that a nightmare! It wouldn't have been so bad if those damn Pharmaceutical Reps didn't keep coming in and taking up the doctors time which meant we had to wait 25 minutes in the waiting room past my scheduled appointment. Owyn must had been on speed or something and was running in circles around the waiting room like a Tasmanian devil. He kept wanting to go outside and when I picked him up he would throw a fit and hit me in the face, or himself. I was so angry because 3 pharmaceutical reps walked in one after the other smiling and all making remarks like "it's hard being the mom sometimes" and I looked at them and wanted to slap them. I know what they're doing, I know that they are trying to push their drugs onto my doctor when he should be taking me back into the room. I know because my mom used to be one (only she wasn't pushy, of course :))

Afterward I thought I would try to take Owyn out for some lunch so we went to Sauce and all he wanted to do was play with the silverware. 

We went nextdoor to Urban Outfitters to get Dave a bag he's been wanting and I couldn't remember which one is was. 

We had a second doctor appointment, this one was a check up for Owyn, later in the day. It turned out worst than the other. We waited an hour and Owyn was going nuts in the little room. I had to transfer my sleeping son from his bed into the car so we could get to the doctor in time. He didn't have shoes on, he had crusty stuff on his face, stinky breath and a diaper full of pee on him. I left the diaper bag in the car and couldn't get my aching body out to get it. I was embarrassed, I looked like I never take care of my child. 

Toddler boys are really tough to deal with sometimes. Cutest and funniest being in the world, but man, they sure do like to test the limits. I never hear moms with toddler girls complain but every mother I meet who has or has had a toddler son has the same stories I have. 

By the time we made it home I was texting Dave begging him to come home and take care of Owyn so I could rest. The moment he came home I went into bed and spent 3 hours writing a paper. Meanwhile Dave was running around the house taking care of everyone and cleaning up the days worth of messes. I feel so bad. I wanted to do something special for him but instead he did everything for me. 

Gotta love my boys. Without them, my life would be so empty.

 

I know my last few posts have been a little snarky, but with 3 illnesses over a course of 4 weeks comes cynicism. 

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See lasts year's festivities here and here. 

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Also, did you know my blog just celebrated it's second birthday last week? It's true!

Cultural Festivities

this weekend was full of cultural events. 

1. shopping. we both got a pair of jeans. (I work for Lucky and get 60% off but I only wear Gap jeans. weird? not if you've ever tried on Gap 1969 jeans!)

2. Chinese Cultural Festival (to celebrate Chinese New Year. Year of the Rabbit! Bouncy bouncy bouncy. (that's what I say to Owyn when we see rabbits since I don't know what noise they make. he seems to think it's funny)).

3. Japanese Tea Ceremony. I helped at a private reception for a Japanese ceramicist at MCA. It was really neat, I worked with/met new people and had great food.

Sick Days

As much as I don't like being sick, it is nice to take a break. 

Yesterday Dave stayed home and we got to relax, and eat Chick-fil-a for lunch and go on an afternoon walk. Our poor Mitzi is sick too. She has a very bad ear infection. :( 

Owyn seems to be the only healthy one around here.

 I can't wait for our irrigation to start back up again so we can have a green lawn and lush trees. Our trees look out of control! They are overflowing the back yard.

Side note: No one can ever find our door. Everyone comes to the side door over by the car port. Does it really seem that hard to find the front door?

Mommy & Son Day

I took Owyn to the Phoenix Zoo on Friday. 

I wanted to do something special with him because I was leaving Saturday morning. 

I let him do everything. 

We pet all the animals, I let him run around, I bought him a pretzel, took him on the carousel twice and let him pick the animal and I let him play on the playgrounds and walk through the water barefoot. We had such an amazing time just the two of us and he was such a good boy. 

I'm so obsessed with this kid. 

 

It was a really exciting weekend, but I have no pictures to prove it.

Last weekend flew by so fast. 

We were so busy I never had a chance to take out my camera. 

Pathetic. 

Mom and Scott were in town and stayed in our guest room. They came in to meet my nephew. 

Athen. What a cutie! 

They came in Friday night, but I had an event to attend to. 

It was the Fall Opening Reception at the ASU art Museum and I had a chance to go to Four Peaks and then the reception with my co-workers/mentors from MCA. They networking opportunity was way too great to pass up. I am so glad I was able to go because I met so many people standing by the side of our associate curator and registrar. They are so good to me over there at MCA and I am lucky to be apart of their group and everyone I met Friday even told me so. 

 After meeting people and running into fellow class mates and previous instructors, my lovely Dave and Owyn came to see me. I was able to show them off to everyone. I like to stay professional at school because this industry is such a small network of people and you never know who's gonna be a good reference or interviewing you for a job someday so it was nice to let down that wall and introduce those people who see me as the serious Chelsea to my son and let them see me as a mother.

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Saturday morning Owyn and I went with Mom and Scott to run errands for the big party we had later that day for new baby Athen. We went to Costco and my mom got Owyn a giant Pillow Pet.

The party was great. Just like every other family get-together it was loud. very, very loud. The kids run around screaming, Im not really sure why, and the adults talk loud over each other- my family has a whole lot of women. The only difference this time was that Owyn joined in on the chaos. I was pretty surprised. I guess he's a Buri. He ran around with the kids yelling. It was pretty funny. That boy copies everything these days. 

I love hanging out with the Buri's. I get to laugh and gossip with my aunts, talk to my cousin Victoria about how crazy our moms are, play with my little cousins, get made fun of for one thing or another by my uncle and clean with my grandmas. We all wished my very pregnant sister was there. We miss you! You'll be here soon! Someday Owyn and Riley will be laughing about how crazy we are. 

{i stole this picture from mom}

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Sunday was nuts because...

my mom was in urgent care because she did something to her back and couldn't move, 

I had a benefit show at MCA that I had to attend, and 

I had to work after the benefit show at Lucky until 2:40am.

It was exhausting and all I wanted to do was go home cuddle with Owyn and spend time with my mom. 

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Monday was also busy because I had sleep to catch up on,

an interview to conduct with a volunteer director, 

dropped mom and scott off at the airport and went straight to dinner

to a friends birthday dinner, went home and wrote a paper until midnight.

Today is school and then work until 10. 

Tomorrow I intern all day. 

Thursday I have school and a concert. 

Friday I pack and Saturday I leave for Nashville. 

This is my life.