My sister in law's boyfriend has a new camera, and some weeks ago, he took this picture of Marie. See those eyes? They're only one of many reasons why even after the worst of nights or temper tantrums, I cannot help but be totally and completely in love with my little girl!
Friday, September 26, 2008
in love
My sister in law's boyfriend has a new camera, and some weeks ago, he took this picture of Marie. See those eyes? They're only one of many reasons why even after the worst of nights or temper tantrums, I cannot help but be totally and completely in love with my little girl!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
ditch the disposables
I've been meaning to write about this for a week or so now, but I was a little too consumed by my upcoming driver's test to actually do so. Crunchy Domestic Goddess is doing another green living challenge, this time, to replace 2 types of disposable household items with reusable, greener options. In CDG's words:"We live in a society of convenience, where throw-away products are the norm rather than the exception. But all of the disposable products take resources and energy to produce and then, of course, get thrown away, filling up our landfills. All of this is bad news for the environment."
She goes on to provide a list of common disposable items that you could choose to give up. A lot of them are things we have already learned to do without. For example, Marie wears cloth diapers instead of disposables, we have reusable water bottles and I use mama cloth instead of disposable menstrual pads/tampons. So the 2 items I have chosen to give up are Swiffer cloths and tissues. As a replacement, I'm using prefold cloth diapers for the Swiffer, and I cut up an old pillow case to make about 20 handkerchiefs that I've been using to wipe Marie's nose (at the moment, she's the only one in the house who has a runny nose). So far, so good. What could you learn to live without?
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
yyyyesssssss!!!
After living in Germany for five years, I will FINALLY be allowed to drive a car here! That's right folks - I passed my German driving test with flying colors, and now there's only one more bureaucratic hoop to jump through before I am in possession of a German driver's license! YEAH!!!
The process has been costly (all told, I calculated that it cost me about 600 €), even though I was "only" trading in my California license for a German one. It has also taken a long time. I applied for my German license two years ago, but what with being pregnant and working on a university degree and working as a translator, I didn't get around to taking the written test until a year ago. And after Marie was born, I didn't have the time to do any practice sessions with a driving instructor. But once Marie was settled in daycare, I finally did some practice sessions, and yesterday, the test. Compared to this test, the one I took in California ten years ago was a joke! The test here lasts 45 minutes, involves parking in 3 different ways (including parallel parking), is done on a manual transmission, and often takes you through sticky situations. If I had taken this text ten years ago, I'm almost certain I would have failed. But after 10 years of driving experience (notwithstanding the last 5 years, in which I only drove when I was not in Germany) and my 5 practice sessions with a great instructor, I think I'm a better driver now. In any case, I'm legally ALLOWED to drive in this country!
The process has been costly (all told, I calculated that it cost me about 600 €), even though I was "only" trading in my California license for a German one. It has also taken a long time. I applied for my German license two years ago, but what with being pregnant and working on a university degree and working as a translator, I didn't get around to taking the written test until a year ago. And after Marie was born, I didn't have the time to do any practice sessions with a driving instructor. But once Marie was settled in daycare, I finally did some practice sessions, and yesterday, the test. Compared to this test, the one I took in California ten years ago was a joke! The test here lasts 45 minutes, involves parking in 3 different ways (including parallel parking), is done on a manual transmission, and often takes you through sticky situations. If I had taken this text ten years ago, I'm almost certain I would have failed. But after 10 years of driving experience (notwithstanding the last 5 years, in which I only drove when I was not in Germany) and my 5 practice sessions with a great instructor, I think I'm a better driver now. In any case, I'm legally ALLOWED to drive in this country!
Thursday, September 04, 2008
tagged!
Half Pint Pixie has tagged me with a meme, so here goes:
1. What I was doing 10 years ago:
Ten years ago, I was just beginning my last year of high school in Sacramento, California. I had spent the summer deliriously happy, since the boy I had been desperately in love with had recently declared his love to me. The first few months of that relationship were bliss, and we would stay together for a year and a half. But another relationship would prove to last much longer. Ten years ago, I also met Amanda, who would go on to become my best friend. We attended the same high school, and later, the same university. Even though there's an ocean between us now, we are still the closest of friends. I spent that summer listening to a lot of Sublime, Bad Religion, Tom Petty and Rage Against the Machine. I still listen to these bands' music, but probably Rage Against the Machine most of all. Toffi and I went to see them live shortly after Marie's first birthday. It was our first night out as a couple in almost a year!
2. What 5 things are on on my to-do list for today (in no particular order):
• Have Toffi take Marie to daycare so I can sleep in and recover from my sore throat/cold/flu.
• Get a hold of my sister-in-law and ask her to pick Marie up from daycare so I can stay inside and spare myself the strain of a 40-minute round-trip walk.
• Call my driving instructor and ask him to reschedule my driving test for two weeks earlier than originally planned because I somehow managed to mix up the deadline (I blame it on breastfeeding mommy brain).
• Watch Sense & Sensibility for the umpteenth time.
• Find out whether my sore throat tea is safe for breastfeeding, and if so, drink as much of it as possible!
• peanut butter and banana sandwiches
• fresh-baked bread with a thick layer of butter
• tomato salad with balsamic vinegar and oil
• Greek yogurt with peaches and honey
• strong black tea with shortbread, biscuits or some other sweet thing
• pay off my parents' mortgage
• pay off my friends' college loans
• buy a house on a large piece of property with plenty of room for gardens, tree houses and animals
• start a foundation for the benefit of victims of rape and domestic violence
• start a foundation to assist low-income families in making their homes more energy efficient
• London, England
• Ulm, Germany
• Sacramento, California, United States
• Boston, Massachusetts, United States
• Prague, Czech Republic
• Berlin, Germany
I now tag Jen, Sarah, Broken Man and anyone else who has a fancy to play!
1. What I was doing 10 years ago:
Ten years ago, I was just beginning my last year of high school in Sacramento, California. I had spent the summer deliriously happy, since the boy I had been desperately in love with had recently declared his love to me. The first few months of that relationship were bliss, and we would stay together for a year and a half. But another relationship would prove to last much longer. Ten years ago, I also met Amanda, who would go on to become my best friend. We attended the same high school, and later, the same university. Even though there's an ocean between us now, we are still the closest of friends. I spent that summer listening to a lot of Sublime, Bad Religion, Tom Petty and Rage Against the Machine. I still listen to these bands' music, but probably Rage Against the Machine most of all. Toffi and I went to see them live shortly after Marie's first birthday. It was our first night out as a couple in almost a year!
2. What 5 things are on on my to-do list for today (in no particular order):
• Have Toffi take Marie to daycare so I can sleep in and recover from my sore throat/cold/flu.
• Get a hold of my sister-in-law and ask her to pick Marie up from daycare so I can stay inside and spare myself the strain of a 40-minute round-trip walk.
• Call my driving instructor and ask him to reschedule my driving test for two weeks earlier than originally planned because I somehow managed to mix up the deadline (I blame it on breastfeeding mommy brain).
• Watch Sense & Sensibility for the umpteenth time.
• Find out whether my sore throat tea is safe for breastfeeding, and if so, drink as much of it as possible!
3. Snacks I enjoy:
• peanut butter and banana sandwiches
• fresh-baked bread with a thick layer of butter
• tomato salad with balsamic vinegar and oil
• Greek yogurt with peaches and honey
• strong black tea with shortbread, biscuits or some other sweet thing
4. Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
• pay off my parents' mortgage
• pay off my friends' college loans
• buy a house on a large piece of property with plenty of room for gardens, tree houses and animals
• start a foundation for the benefit of victims of rape and domestic violence
• start a foundation to assist low-income families in making their homes more energy efficient
5. Places I have lived:
• London, England
• Ulm, Germany
• Sacramento, California, United States
• Boston, Massachusetts, United States
• Prague, Czech Republic
• Berlin, Germany
I now tag Jen, Sarah, Broken Man and anyone else who has a fancy to play!
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
the sound of freedom
They say the love a mother feels for her child(ren) is uniquely powerful, and I can only confirm that it is so. My love for Marie is like no other love I have felt. It is primal and intense, as well as tender and gentle. It was hard at first to leave Marie at daycare. I barely slept the night before her first day, even though I knew I wouldn't be leaving her there alone until the 3rd or 4th day. It has definitely been a challenge to let go. But now that Marie spends 5 hours there each weekday, willingly takes naps with the other tots and barely flinches when I say goodbye in the mornings, I have to admit something:
I absolutely love shopping with neither Marie nor the dog in tow.
Granted, I can't turn off the instinctive reaction I have whenever I hear a baby cry - I am constantly on alert - but there is something glorious about being in the grocery store ALONE. A child cries, but it is NOT MINE. A dog barks, but it is NOT MINE. It is not my child who is in distress; it is not my dog who is getting into trouble. That? Why, that is the sound of freedom, my friend.
I absolutely love shopping with neither Marie nor the dog in tow.
Granted, I can't turn off the instinctive reaction I have whenever I hear a baby cry - I am constantly on alert - but there is something glorious about being in the grocery store ALONE. A child cries, but it is NOT MINE. A dog barks, but it is NOT MINE. It is not my child who is in distress; it is not my dog who is getting into trouble. That? Why, that is the sound of freedom, my friend.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
