When the Stars Align

The curry yellow lights blended with the crimson reds flooding the walls of Marula cafe, as 70s funk bursted out of the speakers.  It was 4 am, and fall and an Indian summer, where somehow I was still wearing shorts in October.  I walked towards the bar and all of the sudden was intercepted by a tall man.  

I wish I remembered his entrance line.  How he hooked me, but all I remember, and I hadn't had too much to drink, was talking to him briefly in Spanglish, about living recently in Venezuela.  "I lived in Venezuela this last year." His eyes lit up in the dark.  He found this fact intriguing.  Perhaps, looking back on the situation, this was one of the good things that came from Venezuela "I lived to tell" and there was so many stories.  So here's to the stars aligning, first, returning to a dance club when I had run into friends on my way home  on a Saturday night. Second, being in my groove and comfortable on the dance floor, vulnerable and not looking for any kind of trouble, but just genuinely having a good time.  Times like these where our best shines from the inside out.  And finally, to being thirsty at 4 am or Andres may have never made his move.   It was October 2011, at a little 70s funk discotech in Barcelona that I met the man I hope I will spend the rest of my life with. 

#TWTblog #sol19 #partners

Baking with Mom

I had a rough day so I wanted to write about somethings that made me happy.

Baking with Mom.

When I was just 4
Mom whipped out the bowls
A metal mixer
Some chocolate chips
Shredded coconut
Butterscotch chunks
Graham crackers.

We crushed the crackers,
Melted the chocolate
Sprinkled the coconut
And threw chunks of Butterscotch
On top to make
Magic Cookie Bars

The photo of me with
The wooden spoon
An enormous grin
And my brother nowhere to be found
Sparks sanity on days like these.

When I was 14 and generally cranky,
I came home from track practice
Not hungry after 8-400 m dashes
My mom wanted to feed me
And settled with "Let's make cookies"

She took out the cinnamon
the snow white sugar
the creamy butter
the dusty flour

We mixed
Mixed
Mixed

My grumpiness subsided
Wafts of cinnamon floated through the air
And snickerdoodles came out of the oven
Stealing my hunger and replacing it with joy.

When I was 28 and at home for the first time
In a while, recently divorced
Not wanting to talk
Not wanting to eat

My mom broke out the cookie cutters
The multiple ingredients for 4 different types of cookies
Hershey Kiss Peanut Butter
Mexican Wedding Cookies
Sugar Cookies with Sprinkles
Oatmeal Scotties

She didn't say a word.
We baked in silence.
Rolling the dough
Cutting out shapes

She knew what we had to do.

When the first batch was in
She broke out the wine.
At that point, things had become better than fine.

I smiled because somehow she knew
Those moments together sparked happy brew.

Now that she's gone, my love for baking
Has temporarily been lost and needs awaking.

I long for the day when Pablo and I can recreate cookie magic
With her loving guidance shining upon us.

#SOL19 #TWTblog #Remember

This is the Year I:

This is the year I: 

-listen and ask more questions.  

This is the year I:

-make myself stretch everyday because I know how much good it does my body. 

This is the year I: 

-let my child lead me through my neighborhood with wonder, innocence and the strong desire to find wild animals at his disposal. 

This is the year I:

-fall in love again with water in all forms because of Pablo.

This is the year I: 

-examine the clouds again with wide eyes, curiosity and amazement.

This is the year I: 

-roll around in the grass laughing with loved ones. 

This is the year I:

-smoke a cigarette every now and then and am okay with it.

This is the year I: 

-regularly salute my mom during moments of brilliance as if she were there in the background, a silent observer. 

This is the year I:

-sit still when stuck in a flustering storm of dragonflies and butterflies.

This is the year I: 

-give kiss attacks to my son and feel like I get shot with an injection of sunshine as he smiley requests  “Mas! Mas!"

This is the year I: 
-start making better environmental decisions, no plastic bags, shampoo bars, more recycled clothes, toys, etc. 

This is the year I: 

-name and note small things as if living them for the first time. 

This is the year I:

...

A Pretty Painless Experience: Single Parenting Blues

In the afternoon yesterday, my little baby boy started screaming like he had been possessed by the devil.  I felt for a fever, scanned for any physical damage, and tried to observe him but he just wanted to be held and rocked like he was 5 months old again.  He did occasionally pull on his ear and so I thought maybe he had an ear infection.  Guiltily, I gave him some ibuprofen which knocked him out quickly for another 2 hours after he had already taken a 1.5 hour snooze.  When he woke up he was peaceful.  Although, I monitored the situation til he went to bed.  And when he woke up in the middle of the night, I brought him to my bed for as long as I could take the rolling around (about 1.5 hours) just to make sure he was okay, no fever, etc.  I thought I was in the clear and then...

This morning, I was snuggling him and giving him a kiss attack and noticed his ear full of orangish pus and wax.  I took a closer look and it was definitely infected, even after swiping it with an alcohol wipe, I noticed the entrance into the canal was shut with wax and pus.   So, I called up my pediatrician; 8 hours away on holiday.  She recommended this and that based on a photo and no fever, but since my entire life, I had chronic ear issues, I did not want to prescribe without a trip to the doc especially since this was P's first ear infection.  So, I begrudgingly went to the dreaded Clinica Olivos. 

Surprisingly, it was a pretty painless experience.  A 20 minute wait, a seemingly competent doctor and a prescription.  I was feeling like my day was pretty tied up at this point. 

So, I walked outside towards the pharmacy and it was closed.  Then, I did a quick google search with my phone.  1.6 km away.  Baby in arms. 13.3 kg baby to be exact. 

When we made it to the pharmacy, P was as happy to be out of my arms as I was, and he sat patiently in the waiting area while I ordered his prescription. 

It's 2 pm and the day is more than halfway over but these single parenting stints make you feel like you are constantly climbing a steep hill with 5 minute intervals of flat terrain.  I am thankful to have a little lover, not a fighter of a man.  Still, I send huge kudos to the parents in the world who do this or did this everyday, especially, my little brother.

#SOL19 #TWTblog #Parenting 

Dragonfly Pandemonium

A Ding
Two Horns Blare
Then the train revs up it's engine
Firing past the park
Like a stampede of bulls

And as the rumble starts to die down
An explosion of butterflies
Dragonfly pandemonium
The air is buzzing

Woosh. Wee.
Engulfed by bugs,
We pause enjoying
the dances all around us.

#SOL19 #SliceofLife #Natureswonder

Keeping up with 20 months old.

When the first drop of noise comes out of the corner from down the hall, my body twitches.  I roll around thinking to myself, let it be a nightmare, let it be a sweat, let it not be... then, there it is the morning wail to let me know I am to deliver milk, and scoop you into my arms and remind you that you aren't alone in the house and that you are surrounded by love.

It's Saturday and while papa is not here to share the laughter, the pool time, the crying, the load, I have decided to get out of the house and go on an adventure.  We eat an amazing breakfast this morning, inspired by you, dear P, avocados and scrambled eggs, and toast with homemade raspberry preserves.  And then, we pack up: 2 diapers, 1 big bottle of water for mama, 1 small bottle of water for P,  and a recyclable sandwich baggie fulled of pseudo healthy snacks: raisins, peanuts, oatmeal cereal bears, 2 cinnamon cookies, chopped up apricots, and salted Peruvian corn.  Plus a pouch to help us survive the train journey down to Palermo.  It's a gorgeous day and with the puree of pomegranates, pears, carrots and oats, you are relaxed and geared up to go, until we get on the train and you decide that being still is not feeling good.  One minute you point to the train seat, and I move you and you sit gracious for 5 minutes, pointing here and there and everywhere, until you realize your stroller is empty which of course, makes you want to be there.  Why wouldn't it? Empty spots shout to be made full. 

At the park, you insist upon the see-saw "Up-down" I say intensely trying to increase vocabulary but feeling like a broken record. 

By the time we reach the restaurant for lunch, you are full of all the snacks from before.  But mama is with another mama, and we know this story like the back of our hand.  We choose the terrace of a cafe that is a bamboo jungle with easy to view spots for you, dear P to run around, to make friends, to smile at babies, to turn over sugar bowls, to throw rocks, and to get lost in your imagination. 

On the way home, going in and out of the calm and the storm, I desperately long for naptime, to get in my slice, to tidy up the house a bit, to take a shower...

With a splash of milk, and a change of diaper, you magically concur.  It's time for everyone to get their daily dose to themselves: naps, dreams, silence reside as we speak.   With that, I am off to indulge in a little siesta myself.  Happy Saturday! 

The ABCs of Living Abroad

This morning started with the air and the sun opening their hearts to the Argentine fall.  I walked to school in a long sleeved shirt, with the breeze sweeping across my face, softly opening my still sleepy eyes.  It was Friday! A long weekend was coming! I was more than half way through my single parenting stint and the weather was flat out spectacular.  I arrived at school a minute or two late as I was relishing in the B-beauty of it. 

I arrived to school sat down to my first conversation of the day, a coaching cycle with a teacher on High School integrated Physics and Chemistry.  We spoke of what's next, some guided inquiry strategies and got revved up for the next week which will introduce waves.  We previewed hooks and discussed student accountability.  I was 2-0.  My day had started off with two beautiful moments before 10 am... Wooee!

After the chat my coachee, I decided to treat myself to Starbucks.  I had held out all week and was craving a cold brew so I got my reusable Starbucks cup and walked over and my crush on the Argentine fall weather got even stronger.  I walked to the counter, ordered a cold brew and handed the cashier my cup.  She said to me straight faced in Spanish "We don't serve cold drinks in these cups."  I straight faced, no tone, no angst, said "Why?" And I didn't get a response.  This proceeded to a stare down.   Then she got another cup, a plastic one, to which I firmly responded.  "Please don't use that plastic cup. That's why I brought my own. "  The stare down went on, by this time the line was growing.   Finally, she took the cup and put it next to the place where the coffee orders would be made.  She had put the plastic cup from before away but I thought I might as well just give her the benefit of the doubt that the process in between of getting the coffee in the cup would be a pure, non plastic escapade.  I chose to turn the other way.  Bottomline is this moment, was my A of the day, annoying.  When you are trying to be environmental conscious and the inability to think outside of a box gets in the way... let's just say I have the image of a goat ramming it's horns against a wall and not getting anywhere.

The final letter of tonight is the C-care... There is so many places I can go with this but being abroad I am thankful for the care I am able to give my child and myself.  Today, I got home from work, went for a quick 5 km run and then was able to come home and have physiotherapy at my house.  My physiotherapist takes good care of me.  She does ultrasound therapy and then massage and on top of that, she is an Argentine-German lady that speaks 3 languages and is my age with a child a similar age to Pablo, so we can chat about everything from here to the moon.   Meanwhile, while Sandra cared for me, my helper, Vero, took Pablo to the park which made everything better for everyone.  I thank the spirits above, whoever, whatever they are for allowing me to take care of myself and take care of others.  It is something that is easy to take for granted.

#ABC #Lifeabroad #SOL19 #SliceofLifeChallenge