weekend recap

for some reason, even during the slow times, we're crazy busy. but i am DETERMINED that things WILL slow down VERY SOON!!! see all those caps? that's me willing it to be so!

this past weekend involved friends, regional volleyball games, rainy beaches, drinks and carb-loaded food, wedding dresses, shopping lists and some mild stress of what has yet to be.

* we had some CO girls out here visiting us/working/playing hooky. it was ALL GOOD! thanks to our jobs, our lives and the social butterfly-ness of my ohana, we have friends from all over - some are panda's, some are mine, some are shortstack's .... but when they are introduced to the whole family, we tend to just take them in. unfortunately, our CO girls felt the need to bring the cold and wet weather with them ...

shortstack & aunty mollie ... yes, we know the focus is a bit one-sided 

* UH wahine (women - for our non-hawaii peeps) volleyball team were playing in the NCAA regionals this weekend ... friday night we faced USC ... and they played hard ... but we still lost. so not good! like, lisa-is-crying-at-the-end-of-the-game not good.

 

UH v USC

* some of us took a good, long nap during the volleyball game

* it was the 1st weekend in a SUPER LONG TIME that we could enjoy without the thought of writing, editing, reading, researching, data collection, coding, analyses, etc., etc., etc. ... hanging over our head. so after a saturday of shopping, driving, cold-beach swimming, eating and plain ole' hanging out together, we headed into a sunday of cooler-packing potlucking with some soccer friends ... (yes, soccer friends. yes, you read that on my blog. yes, i wrote that of my own volition!) 

 cooler packed and ready to go, books stacked and ready to entertain ...

* i have a stack of books to get to now that i don't have to worry about anything academic. this one was ordered and received but was kept in the box on a shelf per panda's instructions and under her wacthful eyes until i got my thesis in and classes done. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!

so, the book stayed next to me all weekend, but for some reason, tv-vegging was prioritized

* we did a costco run and started the fridge cleaning ... had some garlic that needed to be used so i roasted up a HUGE batch ... well, i thought it was huge. last night i noticed that it never makes quite as much as i think it does.

 roasted garlic w/ olive oil, balsamic vinegar and sea salt ... goes well in and on ANYTHING!!

now it's a sunday monday and we're back to the grind. only a few short weeks and christmas will be upon us. where the heck did this year go?? here's to hoping that all of you are having a spectacular day ... get through it ... .75 days down and 4.25 left to go!

the holidays are here ... and i get to enjoy 'em!!

it is done! yep!! last night was my final class for my final course for my master's program. i turned in my thesis on monday. it is ALL done!!

and now we get to enjoy the christmas season. WOOHOO!!

i thought this would be a great way to start the celebration times ...

~ christmas buddies ~

lighting up our home

this is our first christmas as a family in a home of our own. since the day we moved in (well, the day panda moved us in) we have been steamrolling through the year without really taking a breath. we've been busy with work, school, traveling (for work and family), thesis-writing, classes, soccer, surgery, visitors, did i mention work and school??!

we finally have  chance to take a breath in our home, create a space to celebrate the holidays, slow the pace down and just enjoy each other and the stillness.

i am a stickler for my holiday rule: NO CHRISTMAS UNTIL AFTER THANKSGIVING! seriously! we will NOT start to celebrate christmas before halloween!! so, the day after our t's-giving feast, i was ready to start decorating ... but we got sidetracked with the daily life duties. this past saturday, we were finally able to pick our tree, buy some lights and start the festivities. as always, the best laid plans are just that ... plans.

panda wasn't a huge christmas celebrator before shortstack and i invaded her life. i've always been a christmas season fan, but i've over the past five years, my enthusiasm was a bit dampened with craziness of life. also, in the chaos of two moves in the last two years means that my box of christmas fun is MIA. oh well! so, we are (somewhat) starting from scratch, putting emphasis on homemade and special to the family.

the tree is up (thank you, panda, for your ingenuity and patience)! i'm still not sure why someone can't create an easy-to-use tree stand that works for us year after year. garland (thank you, aunty jeannie!) and stockings are hung and decorations are being planned and made. woohoo! the holidays are here!!

now, if only i can get through the next 3 days with my sanity in tact, i will then be able to completely soak up the time with family and friends and read all the fun books that i want!!

cranky pants ... i'm talking mama, not the baby

so, i read this article this morning and it totally reminded me of those days that everyone is grumpy, tired and simply not clicking. those days that mama is so NOT ok and can't quite keep myself from throwing tantrums of my own.

we have a rule in our house ... if you want to throw a tantrum, be upset or unpleasant, you have the right to do so ... just go into your own room so that others don't have to be the target of the tantrum. i am firm believer that we all have the right to move through our emotions. it's unreasonable to tell our kids that they can't have tantrums or be grumps when we adults have tantrums and are supremely grumpy whenever we feel like it. i want shortstack to know that it is okay to feel whatever he is feeling. but he has to own it, control how it manifests and understand that others are not responsible for filtering or absorbing those feelings.

sometimes, mama needs that reminder too. and on days when the 'ohana is simply not clicking, well, we need to all take a breath and just remember that we love each other SO much that we feel SO safe in sharing everything we feel. so, maybe we should just take a timeout and tell each other "i love you" and there's an off-chance that we might all start clicking together again.

it's a friday, peeps! make it a good one ... and have a safe and beautiful weekend.

hi. my name is lisa. and i'm lazy ...

... it's true. i am LAZY. at this point in time i am not at all interested in pushing the last little bit to make it to the end of my master's degree, make it through my week at work, clean the house, complete any of the billions of projects that i have started, finish wedding planning or even read a book for fun. at this point in time, the only thing that i am interested in is being lazy. in going home at the end of the day, drinking a glass of wine and curling up to go to sleep. call it rebellion, burn-out, boredom --- whatever you want. i call it laziness. and i'm okay with it. well, i'm okay with wanting to be lazy. i can't be lazy. i need to graduate, see my students, decorate for the holidays, tidy-up the house ... but i'm just saying, it's okay to be lazy. i'm giving myself that permission.

... and when i make it to the end of december, i'm going to crash out and sleep like a baby ... *sigh*

thanks for thanksgiving ... & now back to work

*sigh*
why are holiday weekends all-too-short?
oh well! it was spectacular while it lasted ...
we had A LOT of napping, tv watching, eating, hanging-out-together, tickle-fights, book-browsing, snack-eating, mimosa-and-baileys-n-coffee-drinking ... ahh, the list could go on and on ...
we hit up one of the last UH football games of the season ... tulane v. UH ... we won. oh yay! hopefully those point-shaving rumors will soon be put-to-rest.

who's ready for some warrior football?? kaleo ALWAYS is!!

and then, so quickly, our splendid long holiday weekend ended! and back to the grind again ... but still (& always), so much to be thankful for ...

... i see the end of my thesis in sight 

... i purchased my grad cap & gown

... i'm going to walk in my graduation (for the 1st time) on december 17th

... i found my wedding dress (too bad the store hasn't placed the order yet)

... in 9 days, i will be pau with classes (well, at least until i decide to get my PhD)

... christmas songs on at work & in the car

... time for serious holiday decorating

... it's cold enough at night that i can wear snuggly pjs AND hog the blankets 

... we have a little boy that is simply too cute for words

... i have a fiancee who loves me better than i could have ever wish for 

... tomorrow's work schedule isn't as insane as yesterday's was!

... i have a PILE of FUN books to read ... in 10 days!!!!

counting our blessings ...

... and being lazily burrowed into our home ...

thankfully & gratefully with love to you all