Labor Day Weekend - Day 3

Delicate Arches, Arches National Park, Utah

A Day of Hiking and Driving

Day 3: Last day of the trip, we weren't expecting to hike, I was pretty sure just a few vista points, but the delicate arch was a 1.5 mile hike one way, and it was something we had to check off our "to do" list. I wasn't expecting it to be too difficult, but it was a strenuous hike, especially with the heat radiating off the steep rocks we were climbing. We took several breaks along the way, crouching in little islands of shade provided by the small trees and rocks but we finally made it and boy was it worth it.

Delicate Arch sits on top of a rock shaped like a basin, I was surprised that we were allowed to walk right onto the arch considering that there was only a 3 foot platform before you could slip and fall down the edge of the hill. I was literally holding my breath as I saw small children climb onto the arch to take pictures. I even saw some tourists running on the edge of the hill to take photos. Really people? take it easy. the words "I don't know if I approve of this" slipped out of my mouth, which met the playful scorn of one of my new friends! I guess since becoming a parent I have become extremely risk averse. It was in that moment that it dawned upon me that I am no longer a single entity and there are people who depend on me to be there for me- just a tad bit more scarier than the fact that I was on the edge of a cliff!

And that was it, we were starving after the hike, so we revisited our favorite little restaurant, the Peace tree for some sandwiches and smoothies before we hurriedly drove back to catch the flight back home. 

Random man made rock formations along the trail!

How was the overall experience? Awesome, I had agreed to spend the entire weekend with strangers and now we've become great friends. I learnt so much from them, we talked about everything, from careers, being women in the work place, to our families and life experiences, to blogging, fashion and travel. Everyone brought so much to the table, and it was just great to be a part of their lives with Moab as our back drop. Btw, if you love indie movies, you have to read Pricess Chimera's Realm, which is a great place for a review all things indie.

Thanks ladies for the wonderful weekend, it took a whole week to get back into the routine back here, looking forward to the next trip!!

Missed out on the previous days? Read what happend on Day 1 & Day 2

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Labor Day Weekend - Day 2

Arches National Park Vista Points, Moab 

Day 2: We spent the day in Arches National Park, Moab checking out the vista points and awesome rock formations. The air felt so clean and crisp, the clouds made an interesting backdrop against the red rocks. 

Double Arches 

Balancing Rock

Call me crazy, but at some places Arches reminded me of Disney Pixar's Radiator Springs. I've only seen this movie once (...a week ever since it came out on DVD).

In the evening, we booked the Hell's Revenge hummer sunset tour. It's basically a hummer ride along the rocky canyons, and sandstone hills in an area of the park called Hell's Revenge. We could see a lot of black clouds forming as we drove to the entrance of Hell's Revenge, but we weren't too worried, because it hardly ever rains in the desert.

Apart from the spectacular view overlooking the Colorado River and Arches National Park, we even saw dinasaur foot prints, which I thought was very cool.

Aren't the clouds awesome!!

The retired army vehicle took us on 50 degree sloping rocks and teetered on the edge of cliffs, it was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. 

And, just as luck would have it, while it rarely rains in Moab, trust it to start pouring down heavily just as the sun was about to set. With the strong wind blowing the dust and the pouring rain, the temperature dropped drastically and we were treated to a backward descent from the rocky hill, and a speedy return back into town, our tour was cut short but it was exhilarating in its own right. Definitely highly recommended!!

Since we paid $5 more for the sunset tour, it seemed necessary to turn back and snap this picture. I'm sure my husband is glad he refused my request to take the SLR on this trip.

Got to love the iphone

Missed out on Day 1 of my Utah adventure? click here to read all about it!

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Labor Day Weekend - Day 1

Labor Day Weekend 2012

The Girls Getaway to the Beautiful Arches National Park, Utah 

It all started in July when a good friend mentioned that she was planning a vacation with a couple of her friends, and asked if I would be willing to join her, leaving the kids and husband at home for a few days. Did I need a moment to think about it or discuss with my husband?  No way, I jumped at the invite, I had no clue who the other women were but I knew this was my one chance to "be free", well for 3 days really.

So after a lot of emails and deliberation, myself and three lovely ladies chose Moab, Utah as our vacation destination. This trip was a real eye opener in terms of realizing just how much life has changed in such a short span of time.

I was flying out early Saturday morning, and I began packing my bags on Wednesday, I completely over estimated the amount of time it would take for me to pack for a 3 day vacation. When we visit friends in the bay, it typically takes 2 days to pack with an intense scramble at the end before we are set to load the kids and their paraphernalia into the van. All that effort for for just a one night stay. It's such an ordeal with the family, packing lunches and snacks, a cooler, wash the bottles, warm water, clothes for the warm weather, clothes in case it gets cold at night, estimate the number of diapers I need and the list goes on (and on and on...). I was pleasantly surprised when I was done packing within a few hours. Huh, fancy that!

Day 1: We spent the day literally unwinding from our hectic lives, it was like unfurling our bodies and minds from our work, familial duties and the unavoidable stresses of life. Was I nervous about leaving the kids and hubby back home? Sure, but what was worrying about it going to solve. 

This day was all about breaking the ice and getting to know one another (except for one girl, none of us knew each other). We ate  lunch at the Red Iguana, a Mexican restaurant in Salt Lake City. It seemed to be a popular joint, judging by the line of people waiting to be seated. It's tag line was "Killer Mexican Food", well, the tacos were typically what you would expect, the Mole, being an acquired taste wasn't such a hit for us, but the chimichangas were definitely "killer" if you like a lot of cheese. 

After that, we headed out to the Church of Latter Day Saints, two Sisters guided us around the temple, it was an interesting place to visit, the architecture was phenomenal and the discussion around history and religion was a nice way to spend the afternoon. 

My favorite part of the day was when we stopped at a Carl's Junior for coffee and sweet potato fries. What was supposed to be a quick stop on the way to Moab ended up being a 45 minute pow pow with the girls. It felt so nice to be able to sit at a table and not have to argue with a 3 year old on why he can't drink soda or have to deal with a one year old screaming her lungs out because she want's to climb on the table and knock off all the cups and plates. It was good old fashioned conversation without the trimmings of parenthood. 

Mind you, it's not like my family back home had decided to do with out me, oh no, thanks to whatsapp and its free texting services my phone was continuously pinging the whole weekend with messages from my husband, providing a complete running commentary on their lives back home without me, along with photos. Truth be told, I wouldn't have it any other way, it was nice to know that I was being missed by my husband!

Our dinner in Moab was at the Peace Tree Juice Cafe, they had a great vegetarian lasagna and other italian items too. This was such a great find and definitely deserved a second visit.

Tired from the early morning flight, and long drive, we headed back to the hotel room for a good night's sleep. It would be the first time in about 2 years without waking up to a foot hitting my face while having to sleep on my shoulder in a sliver of space on the left side of my bed, while a toddler sprawls himself in the middle.

Watch out for Day 2!  

5 Sure Signs That I'm Getting Older

5 Sure Signs That I'm Getting Older (Possibly wiser too?!!)

1. Once a wannabe dance extraordinaire, I zoned out during Zumba class last week (it was a 20 second day dream before I realized I wasn't salsa'ing), but I actually enjoyed the smoother, slower movements of yoga and pilates. This is rather strange considering I once walked out of a pilates class a couple of years ago because I found it boring. 

I have no clue what this sudden mind shift is all about, anyone care to explain?! By the way, not a good idea to forget to move in Zumba or else you may get cha cha cha'd by the person next to you, not to mention the glares...ooops!

2. I dreamt I was 20 years old, and was being pursued by a hot guy. When he proposed I didn't willingly oblige and melt in his arms, not only did I decline the offer, but proceeded to lecture him on the importance of completing college, finding a stable job, saving money and then consider these romantic frivolries.  WHHAATT!!?!!


3. I would boast that I could sleep anywhere, anytime, just lend me a comfortable pillow. Thanks to the grueling training by my two kids, if I am woken up in the middle of the night, there is absolutely no way I am able to fall asleep. it takes at least 3 hours to fall back into a restful slumber, sometimes it's not even worth the effort so I am up at all odd hours of the morning these days.

4. Twitter? Flickr? Tumblr? I can't keep up, technology is moving way too fast for me to keep up to date. I give up, i'm turning into my parents. The way I see it is, as long as the iphone is cool, so am I, heaven forbid the day some other company takes over the universe and my iphone becomes a thing of the past, so too shall my coolness quotient take a beating.
(BTW, you can like me on Facebook here:

hint hint!)

5. Glee, the most amazing show on the planet, i've been hooked since the pilot almost 4 years ago. Like I mentioned earlier, my secret goal was to be a performer and this show provided a way to live vicariously through the characters and witness their amazing talent. Now, I watch the show through a slightly different lens. I watch it as a kind of case study dealing with the realities of being a teenager in America. It's a way to educate myself on how to deal with my kids when they turn to me (hopefully) with their teenage issues. Yes, I know, a little bit over prepared, just slightly, but what can I do, i'm a mom now!!

A real mother's day

Hope all the new and veteran moms had a great Sunday doing whatever it is you enjoy! There was an article doing the rounds on Facebook which I personally believe was written for me, the brutal truth about a typical day looking after the kids so I thought I would share it with you, the original  link is:
 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amber-dusick/mothers-day-gift_b_1508212.html


I was actually lucky enough to have my husband take the babies off my hands for a while...read the article to understand what I mean!!


Written by Amber Dusick (on Twitter: www.twitter.com/AmberDusick)

Mother's Day is coming. I'm a mother, so I'm supposed to be honored and pampered and people are supposed to worship at my feet and stuff. More than usual, that is.

Since my kids are young, much of this mother honoring stuff falls on the shoulders of my husband. I know this isn't fair, since I'm not his mother and all. So I make it easy for him by telling him exactly what I want.

Unfortunately, I have never gotten exactly what I want. In fact, almost no mothers ever get exactly what they want for Mother's Day. There must be some miscommunication going on.

I'm going to try to clear it up.

There are tons of traditional Mother's Day gift choices. The hardest thing is figuring out which one to pick:

Flowers? Jewelry? Candles? Chocolates? The answer is NONE OF THESE THINGS.

Things like chocolate and flowers are fine and dandy. But they are totally unnecessary!

No, those traditional gifts aren't the very best way to show appreciation.

To uncover the best Mother's Day gift ever for a mother with young children, you have to take a look at her life.

Mothers get up early. They are tired.

Mothers allow uninvited guests into their personal space. They are never alone.

Mothers perfect the art of eating with only one hand. They eat very fast.

Mothers even use the bathroom with the door open. They have no privacy.

And so much more.

Mothers of young children are amazing. They do all of these things! For free! Daily!

So what will make mothers feel appreciated for all of those things that they do?

To not have to do any of those things. Just for one day. Or a half day? A couple of hours?

Seriously. Just a little time off. And it doesn't even cost anything.

Eye Like Eye Shadow

It was one of those Friday nights when you've had a really tough week and all you want to do is sink into bed early, turn on the t.v. and zone out. So there I was 9:30 at night, quite content at my day's productivity, I had done the dishes, dusted and vacuumed the living room, folded some (...it never ends...I never get to the bottom of the basket...) of the laundry and even managed time to cook a full meal. Like a thunderbolt, I shot out of bed and drove off to Target. There were only 20 minutes left till closing and I realized I had run out of baby formula. Aagh I was so pre-occupied with cleaning that I forgot to go buy some during the day.

Why target? Why not another 24 hour store? Well, I had some coupons (yes, I try to use coupons, ever since extreme couponing sweeped the nation). Most of the time my coupons expire or go missing the instant I remember to use them but today for once, I knew I had some pretty valuable Target coupons, and for those of you who know how expensive formula can be I wasn't going to give up so easily, plus I had the added thrill of getting to the store before it closed for the day!! 

So began my thrill seeking, adrenaline pumping adventure to buy baby formula. I would have liked you to picture me flying across the highway, dashing and swerving through the traffic, but alas, it was really a quick and simple 4 minute drive down the road, and the streets were empty. Once I got to the store I spotted the makeup section from a distance, and recalled that I had run out of eye shadow. I took an about turn from the baby department and landed in the midst of all sorts of  makeup. I was in the mood for some really vibrant, bright colors and looking at what was available (plus having absolutely no knowledge of this art form beyond the drug store makeup aisle) I wasn't impressed by the stuff up on the shelves.  That's when I remembered Krissi, my neighbor, telling me that she had a tonne of makeup at home. A quick text to Krissi to tell her I was going to raid her supply, and then I was on my way to grab some formula.....of course some chocolate cake caught my eye...sabotaging my own weight loss goals, I scooped it up along with the formula and began my mad dash to the check out counter. By now all the shop lights were switched off and I ran the risk of being trapped in the store all night long (reminds me of a movie I saw when I was a kid, can't remember the name of it).

Now, 7 days later, armed with 6 spanking new eye shadow brushes (who knew there were so many types, I have always used the sponge applicators), eye primer, base, finishing powder and enough eye shadow that warrants it's own 3 drawer storage box, i'm ready to learn how to go pro!!

I got some basic hands-on training from Krissi over the weekend and another consultation this morning, a step-by-step tutorial from AccidentallyMommy and loose eye shadow powder from Madd Style Cosmetics. MSC makes 100% vegan makeup, I never knew that some red pigments have insects in them (eeeewww!!) but not MSC, they use the best minerals and ingredients.


I usually go pick my kid up from day care in sweat pants and my hair pulled back moments before I have to leave, it goes without saying that I don't get decked up for this daily ritual, so it was funny today when I walked in to the classroom, the teacher was like "Oh, you look nice today, are you going anywhere special?"   and the only thing different about me was that I still had my eye shadow on from my practice session.
Note to self: Just because I don't have a desk job, doesn't mean I have to look frumpy, well...at least..not everyday...

I managed to synchronize nap time today, so while the babies were sleeping this is what I was up to:

Excuse the base jutting out, this was my first attempt!!

I love this look!! 

So there you have it, untamed eyebrows with some super snazzy color on the lids, want to know their names? They are: Honey Badger, Boognish, Peepshow, Pisces, Ohm and Damn the Man.

Amazing how a little color can transform the way one looks and feels!!

Life is a Treadmill

There are some days that I just don't feel like doing anything, nothing, I just want to sit there, on my favorite place on the couch, the part with the big dip in the expensive sofa. I know everyone has a favorite spot, mine is the seat closest to the end table where I can park (alongside myself) my cell phone, laptop, a spoon and my personal jar of Nutella (yes that delicious chocolaty spread which is oh so addictive - but I am a good mother so I hide the same from my children to save their teeth, my teeth? well they can bear the abuse).

I consider this sedentary evil a luxury, almost impossible to enjoy now that I have a little family to look after. This desire stems from a variety of situations and predicaments, for example, wanting to recuperate from an all nighter, recover from the dreaded flu or to retaliate against my own self inflicted daily schedule. Whatever it may be, this luxury which I once classified as "boredom"  is like a mirage, cliched I know, but there is no other way to describe it. 

I was chatting with my friend over the weekend and we were talking about how our life with children is like running on a treadmill with a broken "stop" key. If one child is fed and ready to play, the next one is up for their meal, howling in the background. If one child is off to bed, the other needs a diaper change and of course it will be leaky, and if by chance they're both napping, the phone will ring, waking them from their slumber. No matter what happens or how lazy and tired we feel, as moms of babies we can't just say "Go fix yourselves something to eat 'cos I don't feel like cooking dinner tonight" or "I'm sleepy can you get yourselves ready for daycare?". 

It can get frustrating and at times I lose patience and go on a naughty corner rampage, and when that doesn't work I just sit there, in my special place, my little island oasis sans the chocolate indulgence, blocking out the horrendous sounds of honking toy trucks and automatic ball popping machines, defending my helpless laptop and its cord from the clutches of a crazy baby, saving my iphone from the slobbery grip of my loves, and wonder if I will ever reclaim my freedom....or the "Ctrl" key from my laptop for that matter,  it's missing and hasn't been discovered in any diapers yet so I think we're good since it's been a few weeks...

 

I try to lose weight, but it keeps finding me...

Post baby number one, I was so determined to lose all the 50 pounds I had gained during the pregnancy. I joined the gym, attended classes every night, ate perfectly portioned meals and even tried my hand at bikram yoga. By the time it was my son's first birthday, I must say, I was once again willing to be photographed.

Now with baby number 2, I find it so difficult to get out of the house and excercise. I love my kids and love creating exciting meals for them...the only catch is that I crave for their leftovers...oooh is the the cheese croissant too warm? let me take a bite to check, having trouble finishing your pasta bake? let me help, had enough chocolate mousse? i'll eat it for you...

So even though I'm active the whole day, with story time at the library, play dates, baking and diaper runs, my food intake sabotages any chance of weight loss. I decided last weekend, that enough was enough, the weather is getting warmer, spring is only a couple of months away and the stores have such cute dresses for sale already, so I will lose the weight. Off I went to the gym and with much trepidation, stood on the electronic locker room scale for my initial check in. By the way, we have a scale at home but the batteries ran out, I bought new ones, it requires those silver disc batteries, 2 of them, so 3 months ago I bought a couple. Who knew that there are separate "+" and "-" batteries, I thought they were like the regular AA batteries. I ended up buying 2 "+" batteries hence for the last 3 months I have been on huge food binges without a care in the world because there was no way for my husband to prove that I was gaining weight....yes I live in my stretchy pants!

There I was in the locker room, expecting to weigh in at 185 pounds, but to my pleasant shock I was "only" 167 pounds, which is still quite a lot considering I was 125 pounds pre-pregancy #1. I felt like I was halfway to my goal, which was super motivation for me. Since then I have been to the gym 3 times, plus this long weekend I went twice...yay! i'm so excited, I don't dare to touch anything remotely unhealthy or overeat, because when i'm in those group classes and my face is burning up and my body wants to collapse, I always wonder why I thought it was a good idea to eat all that junk.

Well now that I have put my story here for the world to read, lets hope that this in itself will help me get into shape once again!

Hubby love

So, the other day my husband and and I were talking about how drastically our lives have changed over the last couple of years....from pub crawling in San Francisco and 10 mile hikes across the Tahoe mountains....to being the parents of two children. He was trying to be supportive and compassionate towards me...telling me how he really appreciated the sacrifices I made to look after our growing family. I once used to work in the city, amongst the hip and cool, I used to be one of them, the high rollers living life in the fast lane, until I had my first baby. Suddenly my priorities and goals in life did a full 180 degree flip on me.

I love my new role as full time mom, its been an amazing journey in its own right and I wouldn't change a thing. There are days though, that I do miss being able to wear nice clothes without the added splash of spit-up, or to be able to go to the mall without my own posse of baby peeps. There are days when I am simply happy in my new world and then there are others when the frustration and exhaustion get a little too much to handle...that day happened to be one of those days. 

Our discussion slowly made its way into the delivery room of our second child, the climax of nine months of anticipation, hormones and per my husband, walking on thin ice. "You know"...he began to say..."during the whole delivery process, the part that I really felt your pain was when you were having a huge contraction and you had to sit still while the anaesthesiologist poked you with a tranquilizer"...at that point in our discussion I didn't know whether to burst into laughter or be angry at my hubby for his statement which left me dumbstruck!

What do you think?!

Hi There!

I'm officially welcoming myself to my blog, my own place, a space of my own that cannot be dirtied with grubby little chocolaty fingers, a space void of baby food and dirty diapers, a space where dinner requests and demands will fall on deaf ears. <<Breathe>> Deep breath....exhale....aaaaahhhhh!!! 

 I'm a mom of two babies and found that life just has its intense crazy and bizarre moments, but in hindsight provide some much needed comic relief... Blogging gives me an avenue to share my experiences and joys with the world but most importantly, a space of my own and another use for my rickety glider....