Hello, there. It's me.

I realize it has been a very long time since I last posted........it was in the last calendar year in fact. So many wonderful things have happened since then.........the girls are growing and thriving and filling my gas tank up with so much love and wisdom and laughter. I have, since last year, started a new journey in yoga which happens to be my passion (outside of my husband and children). I could spend all freaking day reading about it, talking about it, practicing it. In fact, I kind of do. I started a yoga teaching program in February and have since learned to live my life in a different way. I live my yoga, on and off the mat. It has allowed for so much growth and I know that I will spend the rest of my days practicing all of my teachings and trying to be "in balance" while living such a fast and filled life. I am thankful to be on this path. I always knew I wanted to do this, but kept finding excuses to put it off. And then one day, thanks to a lot of support and encouragement from my family.....I said, you know what? I will never do this unless I just let go of the what ifs......so I went for it.

I still remember 7 or 8 years ago, I was in a project management training class at work and during this week long endeavor, we had to do ice breaker introductions. Questions like, "tell us something we don't know about you" or "what is something really dear to your heart?". I kept saying, I want to be a yoga instructor. Those questions were followed by classmates asking: "so where are you going to take your training? And what are you doing about it?" It took me ten years to finally surrender to that little voice in my head that wanted more. I wanted to not just practice yoga for the health benefits (though I've lost 10 lbs since starting my program and ALL I do is yoga). I wanted to study from amazing teachers (and boy did I get lucky in this department), get lost in the philosophy of it, the anatomy (which is keeping me busy, because it is really hard) and to just feel the sometimes scary emotions that come up while you breathe and you listen to what your body is telling you. Yoga is about becoming aware and noticing.....noticing what comes up without having any judgement or opinion about it; its about quieting the mind so you can hear the inner voice of who we really are. Our true nature. We already are who we are.........there is nothing we need to change or do to be happy, wholesome and complete. It is already there. Life is always going to be challenging....there is no doubt, but yoga really does help make it easier to navigate. At least it does for me :) :) :)

With this said, I know that I have little free time right now and that means the blog has fallen very far down on the priority list. Between the girls and yoga and the house and life....the days don't ever seem long enough. However, I will try to be better about posting on here more often. There are so many things that I experience with the girls I don't want to forget.... Most recently, I can tell you that we went through a rough couple of months of being just the three of us while daddy traveled the world saving airplanes (sounds good to say that way, but really, he was working with suppliers). Anyway, he is our hero, and we love him and those weeks without him were hard because you really don't know how good you have it until you don't have it anymore. On the positive though, it made me really, really fall in love with my "job" as a mommy. These girls inspire me to be a better person and Ellie teaches me so much everyday......I am sure Katelyn will too once she is older can talk more clearly. As hard as being a stay at home is, I can honestly say that I have come around to LOVING it. The first year and a half was really inconsistent, and I didn't like that.  I considered going back to work all the time.....but now that the girls are older (and sleep better!) we are truly finding our groove and having lot of fun (with those really crazy OH MY GOSH I AM NOT GOING TO MAKE IT THROUGH THE DAY- days crammed in there as well!).

I hope to come back again soon. Hoping for a few posts about the girls and updates on their lives real soon.

Namaste,
Maria

Christmas Traditions.....

We decided to make going to the Reindeer festival at the Cougar Mountain zoo a Tran family tradition and that is where we drop off our letters in Santa's mail box, feed the hungry reindeer apples and of course, hike up to Santa's house and take pictures with him :) We love this place because you can pay $5 and take your own pictures so we don't pay crazy amounts for their photos. It was SUPER rainy and cold today, but we had a blast nonetheless.  Ellie was so excited to go..........Katelyn was an infant last year, so she had no clue what she was in for. Let's just say the scary man with the white beard will be remembered by our little nugget  as a very scary person.......

 Ellie ready to drop off her letter (along with the letter we wrote for her Ariel doll--she is desperate need for a prince Eric and Ellie knew just where to get one!)

 My big girl

 Kate recently started saying "cheeese" when daddy is behind the camera, too bad you can't tell with the binky in her mouth :)

 Ellie: Hi Santa, I have been a good girl.

Santa: That's wonderful.......I hope you have a lot of fun this Christmas. Would you like a chocolate or a candy cane?

Ellie: MOM, I got a MAGICAL CHOCOLATE!!!!!!

Terrified Katelyn........

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Another tradition I have is hosting a Christmas gathering at our home for my dear book club girls. We have been reading together for six years and we finally decided to include spouses for the first time. Quang and I sent the girls to grandma and grandpas for the night and hosted a cocktail party complete with a white elephant gift exchange and an some sporadic Xbox kinect playing. It was a lot of fun to meet all of the husbands and for them all to meet each other, although I am not sure the Dance Central game will be part of our future Christmas parties......Quang got so into it that he ripped his very nice suit pants! I am so glad all of them made the drive to our place with the crazy weather (one couple even got rear-ended in the rain and still showed up!), but I am really bummed we didn't get a girl's group photo. Oh well, there is always next year!

 It all started out really chill, you know, shoulder rubs by the fireplace.....

 My beautiful, talented, fellow yogini friend Linds and her husband Brent

 Loved talking to Chris and Jenny about the joys of toddler hood and our little girls.

Kerry, Malia, Peter and Jamie chatting it up. Having these girls in my life is such a blessing!

Quang and I all dressed up :)

 

Then a lot of this happened.......

 And this followed.....[enter Dance Central]

 plus a little of this......

And I can't even tell you how much fun Peter was......I think he's Quang's new favorite person. 

Katelyn, 15 months

My sweet Kate is talking up a storm these days.........loves to repeat everything we say and knows most essential words to get what she wants. Her voice is so darling, her loud pitch scream when she's unhappy-not so much.

At 15 months, she's still a small little thing-25th percentile across the board...but doctor said she's happy with her growth and is very healthy. She was most impressed at how much Kate spoke, in two languages too! She doesn't seem that small to me though.......she wears 24 month clothes and sometimes 2T.....must have something to do with that big belly of hers.

We had refrained from locking up our kitchen cabinets and drawers for a while......thought we could make it through her "terrorizing" phase.........ya no. Husband was informed tonight that I no longer want to put away pots and pans 17 times a day. Don't even get me started on what she does with all the tea bags and place mats..........

She loves being out in the universe learning, digging, climbing, you name it. She's very friendly and spends most of our family dinners at restaurants walking around saying "Hi" to complete strangers, God forbid she actually sat at our table and ate food. Too much to explore, mom! 

Speaking of food, she's a great eater. Man, it is so fun to feed her. Well, maybe I think it's fun because it is actually easy to feed her......which in turn makes it fun for me. I digress...... Currently her favorite foods are:
Scrambled eggs, blueberries and pears (although she calls all fruit "apple") and she is a big fan of anything fried.

Drumroll please..........KATELYN IS SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT!!!!!! Can I get an amen?!?! She sleeps between 6:30-7 PM to 6:30- 7 AM, most nights. She is getting lot of new teeth and molars so there are a few nights where we have to rescue her with ibuprofen and snuggles......but for the most part, she's becoming a much much much much better sleeper. I can't thank God enough for this blessing........it took 14 months or so.....I pray it continues!

I see my nieces who are now 19 months old and all the fun stuff they are doing....I am happily looking forward to all the milestones the next few months will bring for baby Kate.

It could have been worse....

 Ellie's class picture this year.........as you can see, she is muggin it and showing the world her "tats". No idea why she's posing this way, she is always so happy to be at school and she's also great in front of a camera (growing up with her father, she has no choice).

I suppose it could have been worse, she could have been picking her nose, like her classmate OR she could have been wearing her cleaning super hero outfit [see above] which she wore for like three days straight. I know what you're thinking.........growing up with her mother, she has no choice, right? I know.......I think my passion for cleaning is getting to her. Last week, grandma Tran took her to a toy store and told her she could pick ANYTHING she wanted.......she wanted a broom and dust pan thingy. Oh boy........

Dear Ellie......

Dearest Ellie bellie,

Thank you. Thank you for making me feel like the luckiest mommy in the world. Thank you for being so stinking adorable and sweet and caring. Thank you for surprising me when you left your dreamlight pillow on my bed so I can see bright colored stars on my ceiling  and feel like I am staring at the sky. You wanted me to experience that feeling of joy you get when you see those lights on your ceiling. I love it :)

Thank you for asking me to play with you all the time.......even though sometimes I am busy, you always patiently wait for me.  I know sometimes I am tired, but I really do love playing barbies with you and hearing the funny plot lines you come up with. I don't always want to change their outfits a million times and I certainly don't like watching you take apart the elaborate hair dos I spend 20 minutes working on for Rapunzel Barbie seconds after I finish it, but I do it all anyway--because I see how it makes you giggle.

Thank you for loving me so much. Today, when I read you the book "I like myself" which is all about self acceptance and being who you are no matter what, you told me that you loved what was on my inside and my outside. I tried not to tear up, and then you said: "I love your bones mom." I hope someday you get the point I was trying to make when I explained the book to you.....but you were funny nonetheless and my bones thank you. They are loosing density as I write this.......you know, your 30s will do that to ya.

Thank you for putting a Chucky Cheese sticker on my hand before I left for yoga last Saturday.....I thought of you during every downward dog and it made me smile.

Thank you for being such a great friend. I genuinely love spending every day with you. You see the world in such a considerate and special way. Except for when you showed me the dead slug on the ground the other day and wanted me to touch it.......but really. You are such an empathetic person. The other day, when I picked you up from school, you rejoiced when you let me know your friend Rachel didn't have a runny nose anymore.......I had no idea what you were talking about. You seem to care about people who are sick or aren't happy. You are becoming a mini-me in so many ways. I saw how you hugged and kissed your sister at the doctor's office this morning when she was crying bloody murder about to get her shots. You kept saying "Ellie and mommy are here, we'll protect you." She truly felt better knowing you were there.......I hope you both continue this loving friendship you have for as long as you live.

I pray that I am doing a good job raising you and showing you the ways of this crazy world we live in. Sometimes, I am scared when I watch the news that there is a lot of "crazy" out there and I wonder what you'll think of it all once you're old enough to know. Just remember that mommy and daddy will always be here for you. NO matter what.That will never change.

Everything about you at this age is magical. I love hearing you sing along to the radio while I am driving and how you get up from the couch while watching The Little Mermaid to dance along to "under the sea". I crack up when I hear you say to yourself as pull into the driveway: "Uhm, Frank......(next door neighbor) it is dark out and your Christmas lights are not on yet...........c'mon Frank!" LOL Seriously, you do this. I love teaching you Spanish and watching your little wheels turn when you learn new words and translate them for people.

I just love you. I never want to forget anything about this season of your life. I hope that someday you can remember too, by reading this blog. Just know that you are the coolest three and a half year old I know.

besitos,
Your mamita

Balance

Ayurveda is a form of natural/alternative medicine which is considered a sister science to the practice of yoga. In my opinion, it is one of the most fascinating systems and I am currently reading all about it to prepare myself for a yoga training I'll be starting in the coming year.  Ayurveda aims at balancing out the body and the mind by using nature as its guide. This time of year, the dominant dosha is "vata". The cold, dryness and movement (or wind) of the fall, especially in late fall, tend to increase in our bodies as well as in weather. It is also a time of change, where we tend to feel a bit un-grounded.

For this reason, I've been practicing a lot of balancing poses on my yoga mat and working on building heat in my core to keep my body warm. I tend to be cold all the time so this is important for me. As I was contemplating the things I needed to focus on counteract the cold, dryness and movement (warm soups, lots of moisture and slowing way down) it dawned on me that my family was experiencing a bit of an imbalance last week.  My hubby was out of town for work yet again and us girls were having a hard time. This was the second consecutive week that daddy was "missing" from our lives and we just could not get it together. The girls were having a hard time sleeping, we seemed to be late every where we went, emotions were running high and patience was a virtue that was non-existent. The three of us were tired, and not ourselves.

Come Friday, daddy came home earlier than expected after hearing my defeated voice on the phone. He knew that it had been a long week and I believe he sensed that we were out of balance without him here. As soon as he walked in the door, things seemed better. I can't explain it, but they did. Somehow, the girls started behaving in ways that actually mirrored their  chipper personalities and they didn't seem as off. I felt instantly relieved to have my partner back, another set of shoulders for things to fall upon. His strength, his comfort and his laughter filled our home. That night, we all went out to sushi in the pouring rain, and the four of us walked hand in hand from our car to the restaurant. At that very second, I felt the pieces come together. Click. We were again in balance. And so the rest of the weekend we acclimated to having him back and we showered him with lots of hugs and kisses.

Hopeful that he'll stick around for a few weeks (or even months) until he has to pack his suitcase again. Until then, us ladies will enjoy knowing that our little family is complete. Balance. It is such a powerful thing.

Houston, we have a shopping problem.

Katelyn is so funny, you guys....she loves to go to the store and look through clothes. She always has a purse hanging from her arm (and the occasional princess castle). And not an hour goes by that she doesn't make the rounds in her shopping cart. She even walked it around in her Yoda Halloween costume.

I have NO idea who she gets it from.

Thankful November......Oooops.

Yeah........ so I definitely don't have the discipline to do a post on what I am thankful for every day of November. I was going to, really. It sounded fun and thought-provoking, but alas........I just don't have it in me. Oops. My bad.

I am, though, SO thankful. For SO many things in my life. SO grateful I get to share my life with so many amazing people.  I hope I am doing enough to show them just how much I appreciate them. For all the dreams, opportunities, and miracles. For lots of lessons learned and for every single day. For the knowledge I've gained in my 30+ years on this planet that are helping me to live a wholeheartedly.

Excited for election day tomorrow. Have you voted yet?

Thankful November Day 1

Today, I am grateful for My Life. My health, a roof over my head, electricity (still praying for everyone on the East Coast hit by Sandy), reliable transportation, food on my table, and for the choices I get to make every day that so many don't get to. I feel so blessed.

14 months......Monkey girl and Yoda

This is a picture of my girls before trick or treating last night :) Had a really fun time decorating the table with lots of orange and black, baked some pizzas and my mom brought over a delicious chocolate cake which went over well with all the candy overload. It was Kate's first time trick or treating and she was so cute with her little Elmo candy bag. She stayed up until almost 9 pm and did great. What a trooper.

This has been a crazy busy month for us with weddings, family travel, daddy travel....it all sort of culminated with a fun Halloween night but I have to say that I am pretty darn exhausted and I am looking forward to November.

Katelyn continues to change a mile a minute. She is now walking around like a champ and it is so fun to watch her wobble around everywhere. She is talking so much too. Some words that come to mind:

"go"
"bubbles" for when she wants to take a bath
"night night"
"blow blow" (and then she blows on the hot food.....totally adorbs)
"milk" (but it sounds like 'mites')
she says a lot of our names and also "ba" and "abuela" (grandma in Vietnamese and Spanish)
and of course, the all time favorite "NO" ha

Ellie has been amazing lately. I don't know what it is.....she is just so grown up. Kinda makes me sad, in a way. She was so incredibly well behaved on our flights to and from Tenessee (can't say the same for baby sister, ahem....) and she just has such a loving and kind way about her. She did an AMAZING job as flower girl and was so proud of herself. Adults often comment on how outgoing and friendly she is. Latley, she is doing a lot more playing on her own and she cracks me up with her silly imagination. Today, she was playing dress up with some of my shirts and I could hear her talking to her dolls and I couldn't stop laughing. I love that kid!

I have lots of pics to share from both weddings and my two little ladies being sisters but I am afraid they'll have to come in a different post at a later time. So long October, bring on the Holidays!