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DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 30 2009




His first day back at school since Yona arrived, David couldn't wait to show her off to all of his friends. He also had to show off his new Spiderman socks which he was so excited about, I don't think he kept his shoes on for most of the schoolday.

We did one final tour of houses and I think we're getting close to narrowing down our choices. It's exciting and scary all at the same time. I am also starting to feel really exhausted because I literally do not sleep for more than 20 mins at a time now and I cannot function most of the day. So I am not sure what the plan will be for the next three weeks before the little one's due to arrive but I am trying to take it easy and nap a lot and do tiny bits of work in between.

Happy Monday!

March 31, 2009 ~ 08:03 | link | photo of the day - 2009 | share[]


DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 29 2009




Just in case you thought the presents from yesterday weren't enough, Yona also brought David two "small surprises" for each day she's here. These include workbooks, stickers, and many other fun things that would each be considered presents that are not small in my house. So David is just being spoiled over and over again.

Here he lines up all of his new action men and his new car has the ability to propel a dog out of it, so he uses that trick to knock them all down. You'd be amazed at how many times he patiently lined them up just so he can do this.

We spent most of yesterday and today looking at houses. We drove all around our neihborhood and a few adjacent ones to show my sister the houses we had found so we could get her opinion. The rest of the time we played, rested and just enjoyed each other's company. Having my sister here means we get a fully cooked meal each night. I cannot tell you the difference it makes. Watching how quickly she does it all, makes me feel maybe I could do it, too.



March 31, 2009 ~ 07:03 | link | photo of the day - 2009 | share[]


CATALYST 55 - UNBOUNDED LOVE




This week's catalyst is: Tell us about a time you felt unconditional love for someone or something.

My words:
I must say my first experience with true, deep, unconditional love was my husband but then my son was born and the power of loving someone that small, someone whom I carried inside me for nine months and someone who is so much a part of me is indescribable. I will forever love him and my love for him will always be unbounded.



March 31, 2009 ~ 07:03 | link | creative therapy catalysts | share[]


DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 28 2009




And finally she's here!! My sister, Yona, whom I haven't seen in person since July of 2006. I cannot believe how long it's been and how much I have missed her.

Yona knew that this trip would be all about relaxing and not doing very much since I am so very pregnant and need more rest than anything else, so she didn't really bring much to wear, yet, she still came with a huge luggage. When I asked her what was in it, she told me they were toys for David. And she wasn't kidding. Here's the photo of the luggage before David attacked it.

I don't think she'll ever be able to come again without bringing this many toys. It's a good thing she has twins who are six years ahead of David.

So while I was excited about having my sister visit, I think David might be even more so now that he knows what it means to have her here.

March 31, 2009 ~ 07:03 | link | photo of the day - 2009 | share[]


DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 27 2009




OK, it's been a few hectic days and it's 5:35 AM on Tuesday and I absolutely cannot sleep so I figure what better time to catch up. These particular tulips never bloomed. Very rare, in my experience, but I loved them anyway, who doesn't love purple tulips after all.

My last day before I go on maternity has been uneventful. I tried my best to tie all the loose ends as best I could and they gave me a congratulations cake (and yes I should have taken a photo of it) and a little onesie and a hat for the little one. It was so sweet and kind and generous. It will be odd not to go to work for the next few months but I do know that I will have my hands full very soon.

My sister is coming tonight so I am extremely excited and there will be several posts coming about her.

March 31, 2009 ~ 07:03 | link | photo of the day - 2009 | share[]


52 QUESTIONS AND TECHNIQUES - TAG 12




This week's question was "what are you grateful for right now?"

I read this question at a moment I was feeling truly grateful for everything. The last few months have had their ups and downs but at this particular moment, I am so thankful for life. For my wonderful husband and amazing son. For this life growing inside me. Even for my job and the great people I work with. For spring finally coming back. For the beauty of nature. For getting to teach this class I am teaching. For getting to read books, watch TV, and in general do things I love to do. So I wanted my tag to just focus on how wonderful my life is in general and how very thankful and grateful I am for that.

I wanted to do something vintagy last week so I guess that stuck with me. I was inspired by two amazing people and my art cannot do justice to either. One is art like this by the amazing Rebecca Sower. The other is this beautiful white on white piece by Vivian Bonder. I fell in love with the white on white and have been meaning to do some art that only has tones of white for a long long time. Both of these women are incredibly inspiring and amazing. Besides a lot of lace, I used some machine stitching and that's really about it.



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I am combining Emily Falconbridge's art journal questions with trying a new technique each week. You can see the full list: here

March 26, 2009 ~ 22:03 | link | 52 questions and techniques | share[]


DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 26 2009




David spent his afternoon making these balloons. He's quite talented and loved posing with them. When I asked him what he wanted to do next. He said "let's do some art." so I said ok, what kind of art. He said "I want to scrapbook." Heh. I didn't even know he knew the word. We took out some of my spare papers and stickers and punches and had a blast.

Quieter than usual day today. Thankfully. I've been really really exhausted lately. I don't sleep at all at night anymore so I really need a nap or two during the day. Tomorrow is my last day before I go on maternity. It will be so odd not to check my mail obsessively and to not have meetings all day, etc. Then again, within a few weeks, I will be spending all my waking moments with the little one so I am sure I will have my hands full.

I finally did tag number twelve today and it was a lot of fun. I am really glad I am doing this project. It has been one of the most fun things I've done this year so far.

March 26, 2009 ~ 22:03 | link | photo of the day - 2009 | share[]


DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 25 2009




These flowers are right outside our house and they smell so very yummy. The bees love them too. I am just glad spring is finally here and the flowers are blooming again and there's color everywhere. It's amazing how much happier sunshine makes me.

Last night was a rough night. Even though I went to bed at 7pm, I kept waking up and then at 1am, I just couldn't go back to sleep so I had to get up and read a little and then try to go back to bed and it was all just crazy. Not to mention all the nightmares I've been having. I know the next few weeks will only be harder but I am also seeing the light at the end of the tunnel since I am due exactly one month from today so I am telling myself to hang in there.

March 25, 2009 ~ 20:03 | link | photo of the day - 2009 | share[]


DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 24 2009




I love him. I love him madly. I just do.

Days are passing quickly but hectically. I am still really busy at work and am using most of the rest of my spare time to take care of David, keep up with my BPS class, and rest. I am getting more and more tired and more and more heartburn. Lovely.

Only three more days until my sister is coming and I cannot wait. Miss her so much. As it gets closer I just miss her more and more.

March 25, 2009 ~ 20:03 | link | photo of the day - 2009 | share[]


JOURNALING ROADBLOCKS AND TELLING STORIES DEEPLY


As I mentioned earlier, Big Picture Scrapbooking is giving a spot in my class today. If you haven't gone over to add your name, here's where you can do that. I've been reading through the comments and wanted to address some of the journaling roadblocks that people have put in the comments.

I went through the list and made some major categories that most of the people's comments fall into. I wanted to address them in two ways. One, to tell you whether we tackle this in the class directly or not and two to give you a few words of my thoughts on this so you can see what direction I would lead you in, in the class, so you can assess whether taking the class would be helpful to you. So here we go, in no particular order and paraphrased in my own words:
  1. I am embarrased to journal. Worried it will come off mushy, sappy, false, fake, pretentious.

    I talk about this a little at the beginning of the class and address it throughout the lessons here and there. My point of view on this is that if you're writing authetically (being true to who you are) then none of the above concerns matter. If you're authentic, you won't be false, fake, or pretentious. Those are all inauthetic states of being, where we're trying to be something else than we are and this workshop is just the opposite. As for mushy and sappy. those often depend on the person reading your words and everyone's ideas of mushy are vastly different from each other. We talk a lot about whose opinion matters and what you should have in mind when you write your words in the pre-class work and in week one. My hope is that by then this will be less of a concern for you.

  2. I don't have enough space on my page for my journaling. I have too many photos and not always enough room for journaling.

    Oh yes! This is a pet peeve of mine and we address this one right away. This workshop is as much about changing the way you look at journaling and changing your process of scrapping as it is about the words itself, so I promise you won't say this after the workshop.

  3. I want more depth and creativity in my journaling.

    This is the very core of my workshop. Each week I tackle another main area of what it means to journal deeply. How to make your writing more relatable, more authentic, more personal, more *you*. I also bring in writing principles that help liven your writing and breathe more air into it.

  4. i write too much or I write too little. I get caught up in the details.

    Honestly, this isn't something I handle directly. I address the space issue mentioned above and by using the new process, this might end up being less of a concern. But I do talk about the main elements of what makes an authentic story (in my opinion of course) and theoretically by the end of class you'll have a good sense of what needs to stay in and what can be left out to make your story complete and authentic so you should more easily be able to judge what's too much or too little and what you can leave out or what's still missing.

  5. My journaling is too personal.

    We talk about this in the pre-class work, too. We also address some of the deeper/harder journaling stories during our last week. I talk about why it's important to still put the words on paper, even if we have to find creative ways to not make it visible. I respect that your journaling might be too personal but it's still worth your writing it down.

  6. I can't find the right words. I don't know where to start.

    We talk about this in the pre-class handouts, too. But I'll tell you a secret: there's no magic here. I will not be able to move my wand and make it easier for you to start. You start like everyone does: you put pen to paper and just do it. We talk more about techniques and creative styles that might help you get started but in the end you just sit down and do it. I didn't want you to sign up and think I have some magic trick under my belt, that I don't.

  7. I am a perfectionist. What if i am not good enough?

    I don't talk about this in the lessons but we will address it in the message boards cause I a lot of people have mentioned this in the class as well. Here's one thing you should know: the purpose of this workshop is to make your journaling more authentic, deeper, and more true to who you are. None of us are perfect. Life would be so boring if we were. So I think being perfect or aiming to be perfect is the wrong goal. We should aim to have our pages be a true reflection of who we are. Not write so people on a message board can give us kudos, but write so we feel we expressed ourselves authentically on the pages we create. This is just my opinion and you are, of course, welcome to disagree, but it's something I feel strongly about so I wanted to make sure you knew.

  8. I am not a writer. I have no stories to tell.

    We do talk about this in the preclass handout and a lot on the message boards as well. I'll be very upfront: we are all writers and we all have stories to tell. I promise. I swear you are. By the end of the workshop, you should have no doubts about that.


One thing I've told the students in the workshop and would like all of you to know is that I am fully commmitted to everyone getting exactly what they want out of this class. Journaling is my passion and I want to make sure that if I don't happen to address something that's in your mind, something that's holding it up for you, something that's stresssing you, that you can always post on the message boards and ask me or email me directly. I'm committed to everyone walking away with exactly what they wanted and more.

I hope these answer some questions you might have. I posted more about specifically what you get each week and general logistics: here. As always, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

I hope I see you in my workshop.

March 23, 2009 ~ 21:03 | link | scrapbooking | share[]


DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 23 2009




Yesterday I was at Costco and bought David a little present. It's a Wii game that involves Spongebob. I thought it would be easy and fun and it turns out it's really hard so it's been mostly Jake and I playing and David watching. Tho he's still happy we have it.

My last Monday at work before I leave for maternity. Work's quite hectic of course but it's all last minute stuff so I am trying to do my very best and leave things in as good a state as I possibly can.

I've been meaning to write this one down. The other day, David and I were driving to school and he always asks me when he'll be six or seven or fifteen etc and I say "in one year" or "in five years" etc. Then he asked me when he will be twenty. I said "in sixteen years." He said that he wanted to be twenty and I said I didn't want him to be twenty, so he asked why. I told him that when he's twenty, he wouldn't be home with Mommy and Daddy anymore. He'd be away at school and sleeping there and we'd miss him so much. He thought about this for a while, and then said:

Ok, I don't want to be twenty. I want to be SIX!

I laughed and laughed. I love my boy and I know that one day the prospect of not living with Mom and Dad will be so appealing but I am so happy that, right now, it's not.

March 23, 2009 ~ 21:03 | link | photo of the day - 2009 | share[]


WANT TO WIN A SPOT IN MY CLASS?


BPS is giving a free spot in my class. Even if you've signed up, they will refund your money so go try your chances.

Only three more days to sign up. I hope I see you there.

March 22, 2009 ~ 22:03 | link | scrapbooking | share[]


DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 22 2009




Hadn't had a black and white one for a while.

Another simple day with a few chores done but nothing substantial done. We played Wii for a while, watched some TV and mostly relaxed. Oh and we started doing the taxes. Still a long way to go. And still no art done. Oh well. Some weekends are just like that.

I hope yours was more productive than mine.

March 22, 2009 ~ 22:03 | link | photo of the day - 2009 | share[]


CATALYST 54 - A PUBLISHED AUTHOR




This week's catalyst is: What's something you wish you could do? (Something you know how but are too afraid to try.)

Here are my words:

This one was easy for me. I've always always always wanted to be a published author. Fiction. Reading has always been and will always be my number one passion in the world and I've always dreamt of being one of those authors on people's shelves. I have started several novels and have done a lot of writing over the years but I have never taken it all the way. Never fully finished, edited, and sent out a book to a publisher. In the last six years, I have mostly stopped writing altogether but I still think of it from time to time and the desire to become a published writer has not subsided one little bit.

March 22, 2009 ~ 22:03 | link | creative therapy catalysts | share[]


DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 21 2009




I know this is a very blurry photo but it's a representation of today and that's what this project is about isn't it?

David and Daddy went to Stanford's Lucile Packard today (where we're planning to have the baby) and took a class on sibling preparation. As part of the class, they gave David this "Big Brother" shirt. Which he hasn't taken off all weekened. I am not sure how much of the class he digested but we figure no harm and possible help is never a bad thing.

We also looked at a few more houses around Mountain View, Palo Alto, and Menlo Park. I think we have officially seen all the new houses in the area now.

Other than that, I've gotten nothing done. No art. A lot of naps, though...

I shall leave you with one more photo from this session:



March 22, 2009 ~ 22:03 | link | photo of the day - 2009 | share[]


DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 20 2009




Tulips. I can never get enough of them.

Really busy day today, trying to tie up loose ends at work. Making sure that whoever takes over for my work is not left stranded. I want to leave things the best I can.

There are still so many baby things I haven't even begun worrying about like washing all of David's old clothes with the special baby soap. Like buying a new pack-n-play so there's a place for this little one to sleep. Like making sure we have newborn diapers etc. etc. At least I did make the carseat installation appointment so I feel good about that. And David's going to a "sibling" class at Stanford this weekend so we'll see how helpful that will be.

My sister is coming to visit exactly one week from now. I haven't seen her in person since June of 2006. I miss her like crazy. I cannot wait to see her and hug her and spend hours and hours talking to her. I know she'll help me with shopping, with preparing for the baby, and with looking for houses. She will cook for us. She will just be so awesome to have around. I cannot wait to hug her.

My Big Picture Scrapbooking class started yesterday and the boards are already hopping. I am so excited to be there, to get to teach this class, to get to share this experience with others. I cannot tell you how happy it's making me. I am so thankful for the opportunity.

I shall leave you with this wonderful photo of David from this morning:



Happy Weekend!

March 20, 2009 ~ 20:03 | link | photo of the day - 2009 | share[]


52 QUESTIONS AND TECHNIQUES - TAG 11




This week's question was "what keeps me awake at night?"

To be fully honest, the one thing that literally keeps me awake at night is the baby, of course. Now that I am 8.5months pregnant, between peeing and spinal pain, there's not much sleep to be had. But since I did a tag on pregnancy two weeks ago, I wanted to focus on something else so I decided to choose another big thing happening to us: the fact that we might be buying a house for the first time ever. Deciding whether to buy or not, finding a house, and trying to do it all in the middle of a baby coming certainly has been keeping me awake so I thought it was a fair one to tackle.

I originally planned to do "vintage" this week but somehow when I started doing the tag, this is what came out. I don't know that it uses any specific technique except maybe a bunch of stamping and some layering. Nothing major or very new to me. I took a chipboard house and added elements of what I hope to have in my new home: music, words, flowers, sleep (moon), joy (butterfly), togetherness (key) and lots and lots of love.



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I am combining Emily Falconbridge's art journal questions with trying a new technique each week. You can see the full list: here

March 19, 2009 ~ 16:03 | link | 52 questions and techniques | share[]


DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 19 2009




This might officially be cheating since these photos were taken last night but they were too precious to me not to count in my year so as far as I am concerned this is today's photo and that's that.

This is David and Daddy playing with stomp rockets in the backyard. David loves these so much that I think you can see the joy in his face. Last night, he decided to experiment with the different ways he could get the rocket to fly.



He tried using his elbow, jumping with both feet, sitting on it, jumping backwards and many other crazy styles.



And the whole time he laughed and laughed and just couldn't get enough.



Watching that kind of joy on a kid's face is electric and contagious. It's one of the joys of being a parent and getting to experience the world through your little one's eyes. He kept making his hands into little firstballs so he could get more strength.



And of course here's a tulip shot I took before I had to part with the beautiful, reddish orange ones we had this week.



My Big Picture Scrapbooking class started today and I couldn't be more excited. You can still register for a little while and if you're on the fence, go for it! I promise you won't regret it :)

Happy Thursday!

March 19, 2009 ~ 16:03 | link | photo of the day - 2009 | share[]


DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 18 2009




We got to work really early this morning so we got to play outside for a bit and I tried to snap a photo quickly before David changed his mind about playing on the swings.

Another long, eventful day but now we're halfway through the week so I am feeling more optimistic. I hope your week is going well.

March 18, 2009 ~ 17:03 | link | photo of the day - 2009 | share[]


DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 17 2009




Happy St. Patty's Day to those of you who celebrate. I don't really but I do enjoy seeing others who do. Here's a branch that I photographed at work this morning. I love seeing spring finally arrive at our door. I am ready for the warm sunshine and blooming flowers everywhere. It always makes me feel rejuvenated.

A long day today even though it wasn't Monday. As my last few days are coming at work before I leave for maternity, and as the baby gets coser, there are just lots of odds and ends to do for both. So today was meetings and presentations and then trip to Stanford Hospital to learn more about their birth center and process.

My BPS class starts on Thursday so I am really excited about that and a week into the class, I will be leaving for maternity so I will have extra time and attention to give to the class which makes me even happier. I just hope the students like all the work I've put into it.

I will leave you with a photo of David from school cause I can't ever have enough of those:




March 17, 2009 ~ 23:03 | link | photo of the day - 2009 | share[]


DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 16 2009




I had a rough night last night because during my sixth wakeup for the night - which was at 3am - my spine just decided it didn't want me to lie down anymore so no matter which way I turned, I just couldn't get my body to let me sleep. So, when David woke up this morning, Jake must have told him that Mommy needed some more sleep cause when I finally got up, I saw him sitting in the living room, on the beanbag, with covers and quietly reading a book.

On the other hand, David's been considerably more difficult lately. Not like he's terrible or anything; he's still the sweetest boy. But he shows signs of complaining and pushing back more often. I don't know if that's really just natural part of growing up or something is up but I am hoping it will pass. Honestly, on the little sleep any little thing gets on my nerves so it could also be mostly me, who knows?

I had quite a lot of contractions today. I really can't imagine getting a lot bigger but I know I will. Oh well, as long as the little one is happy and healthy.

March 16, 2009 ~ 21:03 | link | photo of the day - 2009 | share[]


DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 15 2009




David bought these Spiderman tatoos and cannot get enough of them.

Today was a quiet day. My brother and sister in laws are still here. They spent the morning playing with David while I took a nap and then they all went to have lunch with a friend while David and I attempted to take a nap but he wouldn't take one which meant I couldh't have one either. And now we're all watching Wall-e.

Here's Leila and David, playing with the tatoos.


And here are some beauitful tulips my friends Manu and Hana brought yesterday:


Happy Sunday.

March 15, 2009 ~ 18:03 | link | photo of the day - 2009 | share[]


CATALYST 53 - I THEE WED




This week's catalyst is Create a piece of art around a memory or occasion that has no photos.

Here's my text:

When we were planning our wedding, the one thing we spent the most amount of money on was our photographer. We figured the photos were the best way to preserve our memories of the special day. We found this person who looked really professional, had great albums, etc and decided to go with him. He did show up and take a bunch of photos and he even delivered us our proofs and album. The deal was that a year later he would give us the negatives. Except that when the year passed, he went completely awol. We couldn't get him to answer the phone or email. We were never able to get in touch with him again and, to the day, don't have one negative from our wedding day. We still have the album we bought but if you come to our house, you won't see any wedding photos on our tables because we have none.

March 15, 2009 ~ 18:03 | link | creative therapy catalysts | share[]


DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 14 2009




Happy Pi Day!

My beautiful sister-in-law threw me a baby shower today. It was a wonderful, relaxed one and good friends came. We didn't have a lot of people but it was really nice to have one nonetheless. I am reall thankful that they came all this way just for us and played with David so much too. She bought some yummmy food and did some traditions from each family member.

Here's my brother in law, Danny, and David.


Here's a tradition my other sister in law, Andee, does: we gave candles to everyone so they could light them when I am in labor.


One from Lelia herself: she bought stickers and got the guests to pick the ones they liked and write some words on a picture frame so when the baby comes we can put the photo in it with everyone's sentiments around it.


And finally one from my sister: a sheet torn by everyone and then candy wrapped in it.


And that's it. I hope your day was as nice as mine.

March 15, 2009 ~ 18:03 | link | photo of the day - 2009 | share[]


DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 13 2009




Did you know there will be Friday the 13ths this year? We've already had one in January and here's the second one and we will have another one November. So if you believe it's unlucky, you're in for a long year.

I hadn't had tulips in a week or so, I missed them. Look at all the colors. It's just so stunning to me. Even though it doesn't even smell, I love it nonetheless.

Not feeling up to saying much today, so I will leave you with a lego shot I took at David's school. Happy Friday.




March 13, 2009 ~ 17:03 | link | photo of the day - 2009 | share[]


52 QUESTIONS AND TECHNIQUES - TAG 10




This week's question was "name 5 movies that inspire you creatively..."

I've had to think about this one for a long long time for some reason. At first, I thought about my favorite movies but then I reread the question and it talks about creative inspiration. Then, the first thing that came to my mind were these set of three movies made by a Polish director called Red, White, and Blue. So I decided instead of choosing five, I'll just stick to this trilogy.

This week's technique was fragments. I honestly had no idea what to do with them so it was an interesting challenge for me. I went through all my scraps and picked all the red, white, and blue paper I had and glued them to the back of the fragments and then just had fun with it. I painted the tag with denim distress ink and then embossed it with clear, shiny embossing powder. The fragments I had were the ones with the holes so I tried to align them interestingly. I am not sure how I feel about the outcome but it was fun. I am sorry the photo didn't turn out that well, especially the butterfly.


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I am combining Emily Falconbridge's art journal questions with trying a new technique each week. You can see the full list: here

March 12, 2009 ~ 21:03 | link | 52 questions and techniques | share[]


DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 12 2009




I love this smile. I spent some time with David at school this morning. I love watching him work his way through the class, seeing the activities he chooses, the way he interacts with the kids. It's nice to get to see how he's with his peers as opposed to us.

Started on the tag last night. Finally picked the theme and the technique but I am not finished yet. Not sure if I love it, but the point is to experiment and I certainly have been experimenting.

One week left to my Big Picture Scrapbooking course, Telling Stories Deeply. I am really excited and nervous. You can get more detail here and of course you can ask me questions as much as you need. I hope to see you in my class!

March 12, 2009 ~ 12:03 | link | photo of the day - 2009 | share[]


DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 11 2009




Another school shot today. I love watching David at school. Many days I am loathe to leave him and go to a meeting.

We're halfway through the week already and I feel like I've accomplished too little. My wonderful brother in law is coming to town tomorrow so I am excited to see him and his wife is coming on Friday. I haven't seen her in so long and she's so wonderful that I can't wait to see them. They're flying across the country just to throw me a baby shower, aren't they the nicest people in the world?

I've been thinking about my tenth tag but I haven't decided exactly what to do yet and even what technique to use. We'll see when and if inspiration strikes. It doesn't strike very often laltely.

Hope your week is going well.

March 11, 2009 ~ 19:03 | link | photo of the day - 2009 | share[]


EXPECTATIONS AND HAPPINESS


Lately, I've been thinking about the power of expectations. Or more like the downside of having too many of them. I've decided that one of the biggest contributors to unhappiness is when expectations don't align with reality.

When I was pregnant with David, Jake and I took a baby prep class and a month after our kids were due, we all came back to the same hospital to meet and talk about our babies and how things went, etc. We noticed, at the time, that the couples who had an unexpected problem (however small it was) felt like their hospital/birth experience was terrible and in the cases where everything went smootly, the parents thought the hospital was amazing. There might have been some cases where the staff varied enough to cause this, but I really think it had more to do with the alignment of expectations vs reality. If you go into it thinking you'll have a one night stay at the hospital and end up having to stay 3 days, suddenly it's the hospital's fault or something went wrong. Instead of focusing on the good, like how your baby is healthy, you focus on how things didn't go as planned.

This is true in the smallest things in life like getting caught in a red light when you expect to be somewhere at some particular time. It's also true in the biggest things like career, love, home, etc.

I've been trying to figure out what this means to me. Do I lower my expectations? Do I purposefully not set expectations? But aren't expectations also a bit of a driving-force behind acheivement? How are they different from goals? I am not entirely sure of the answers. But I did decide that I will spend more time thinking about the crux of the issue and try to figure out what matters most to me and hope that, that particular thing goes well and try to refrain from having any more expectations than that. So, for example, concentrate on having a healthy and happy baby and let go of getting to control the timinig, location, and other, smaller issues.Or focus on getting somewhere safely even if it means I have to be a few minutes late. Cause safety matters more. Spend the extra few seconds to hug or calm David down even if it means I get that much less sleep.

I guess it's a way of learning that you can't have it all and you should stop expecting it. And it's also taking your expectations, especially the subconscious ones where you just take things for granted, and living each day more aware of them and making sure you're not expecting more than what's realistic and, more significantly, more than what matters.

March 10, 2009 ~ 21:03 | link | psychology & philosopy | share[]


DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 10 2009




Today's the Purim celebration at David's school so all the kids and the teachers were dressed up in costume. Being the great mom that I am, I completely forgot. So I was really thankful when the teachers put together this quickie for David. He even had a crown and all. But he said he's not "king David" he's a prince.

I've also been meaning to write this little story that happened between us last week. It was one of those nights Jake was working late so I had put David to bed and he was being whiny and I was almost at the end of my patience and took a deep breath to make sure I wouldn't blow up at him and changed course. So I slowed down and said "I'm so happy you're my son, David. I love you. Thank you for being my son." There were a few moments of quiet and then he said "You're welcome." and then he said "I'm so happy you're my Mommy." It made me feel so much better and it made me realize the importance of taking a breath and stepping back every now and then.

On another note, today's my best friend Levent's birthday! Happy Birthday my wonderful friend, I love you!!



March 10, 2009 ~ 13:03 | link | photo of the day - 2009 | share[]


DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 9 2009




Another fun day at school. David was elated to find out that he can cut the little piece of foam. Small things make him so happy. Of course, on the other side of the same coin, small things set him off too.

A long day today as Mondays are for me but then the week gets lighter so I know that I just have to get through today. Not much else to write so far today.

Happy Monday.

March 09, 2009 ~ 12:03 | link | photo of the day - 2009 | share[]


DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 8 2009




Daddy's back and it has brought much rejoicing into our household. It's wonderful to have our wholefamily together. David was so happy, he kept giving him hugs all day long.

I had planned to take the whole day off and just relax and be with Jake and David and not worry about getting things done and it's been a lovely day so far. Despite the strong heartburn, I feel calmer and more positive than yesterday.

The household is quiet as everyone takes a nap and relaxes on this Sunny Sunday. I finished the latest Grisham novel I was reading and honestly it was so bad that by the end of it I was mad at him for taking my time and wasting it like that. Who wants a "whoddunnit" novel that doesn't actually tell you who did it. What a waste of hours I won't ever get back.

Off to read another book and take a short nap myself. Hope you're having a happy weekend.

March 08, 2009 ~ 17:03 | link | photo of the day - 2009 | share[]


CATALYST 52 - TIME TO LET IT GO




Catalyst fifty-two is Tell us about something you've always wanted to learn. A really exceptionally good week this week with a lot of varied and beautiful art.

My words:
I've always been a worrier. All the time and about everything. When I was pregnant with my first baby, I put a sign over my door that said "give up that there's something wrong." and I looked at it every day. Over the last four years, I've gone up and down on this. And this year, I've decided to put extra focus on achieving peace and letting go of worry. Though, I must admit the relatively rough pregnancy hasn't helped a lot, I really have been working hard at letting it go. If there's one thing I'd love to learn, it's letting go of worry.

Technique Highlight:

This piece is inspired by the amazing Kelly Rae Roberts. I used several of the techniques she teaches in her book "Taking Flight." The wings have glitter glue on them that makes them shine and they are made out of wire and tissue paper.



March 08, 2009 ~ 17:03 | link | creative therapy catalysts | share[]


DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 7 2009




The rain has finally stopped and I am really glad. It was starting to get to me. The nice thing about all this rain is that it makes some beautiful greens in the backyard.

A relatively productive day today. I did two catalysts, a bunch of laundry, read some, played with David a bunch, and prepared tomorrow's catalyst for posting. However, it was also a pretty rough day emotionally. I seem to be up and down a lot and maybe suffering from a bit of this. Hoping to go to bed in a few minutes and get a good night of rest. It's amazing what some rest can do.

Jake comes back tonight and I am excited to see him. I miss him when he's gone. I know many women like taking time off but I seem to be happiest when my kid and my husband are around me. Even if it's more work, I just love having their presence.

Hope your weekend is going well.

March 07, 2009 ~ 22:03 | link | photo of the day - 2009 | share[]


SOURCE OF CREATIVITY




As someone who struggles with feeling creative constantly, I found this to be an inspiring and thought-provoking lecture. It's worth the 20-minutes of your time. [thanks to viv who led me to the link]

Also, I loved Eat, Pray, Love and look forward to her next book.

March 06, 2009 ~ 21:03 | link | writing | share[]


52 QUESTIONS AND TECHNIQUES - TAG 9




This week's question was "what was the last brave thing i did?"

It might seem odd but the first thing that came to my mind was my pregnancy. Even though I really want this baby and I am so happy she or he is coming, this has been a long, hard pregnancy. I know it could be much worse but, for me, it's been a journey in being brave. Trips to ER, a LOT of throwing up, anemia, resulting in more medication than I wanted. But, I'm almost at the end of this journey and can't wait to meet my little one.

This week's technique was simple. I drew a profile of a pregnant woman looking down. I put glossy glaze all over it and then microbeads on the glue. I left it overnight and then put another layer of glossy glaze over it so the beads wouldn't fall off. I made a little heart out of wire with a small flower on it which I glued to the pregnant woman. I then inked the rest of the tag and wrote along the profile. That's it.

----

I am combining Emily Falconbridge's art journal questions with trying a new technique each week. You can see the full list: here

March 06, 2009 ~ 13:03 | link | 52 questions and techniques | share[]


DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 6 2009




Another school shot. I like these cause I know I will want records of what school and class was like years from now.

Finally relaxing a bit. The end of the week is always easier than the beginning at work and allows me to rest more which is great. Still got one more thing due and then I can focus on doing some creative therapy art this weekend. I also plan to rest as much as possbile. I have to clean up my table first though since it's messiest it's been in months.

Happy Friday!!

March 06, 2009 ~ 13:03 | link | photo of the day - 2009 | share[]


TURNING FOUR




With the March kit from A Million Memories.

With the March kit from A Million Memories.

These are photos from david's 4th birthday. i tried to blur the other kids just in case. i wanted the album to be messy and fun so i used gesso and paint and a bunch of rubons. tfl.






















March 06, 2009 ~ 13:03 | link | scrapbooking | share[]


SPELLING MOM




With the March kit from A Million Memories.

Journaling Reads:
we received this toy
for your birthday last year
but forgot it in the closet
so when i finally took it out
you were instantly fascinated
and wanted to spell everything.
i patiently helped you
a little bit every day
but my favorite moment.
was when you called me.
into the kitchen and said
"I have a surprise for you."
You had spelled "MOM"
all by yourself.
Definitely my favorite moment
of the week.


tfl.

March 06, 2009 ~ 13:03 | link | scrapbooking | share[]


TRICK CANDLES




With the March kit from A Million Memories.

Journaling Reads:
you were very excited to celebrate
your birthday at school
we bought tiny little brownies
one for each of your classmates
and four for you.
even daddy took the morning off
so we could celebrate together.
after we lit the candles
everyone sang for you
and you waited patiently
until it was over
so you could blow out the candles.
what you didn't know
was that they were
trick candles
so just when you thought
they were out
they came right back.
just watching the surprise
on your face was worth it.


tfl.

March 06, 2009 ~ 13:03 | link | scrapbooking | share[]


DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 5 2009




Little boy giving me a smile at school.

Yesterday turned out ok afterall. I went to the doctor, heard the little one's heartbeat, and managed to stay awake through the musical and even make it through today. For the most part at least. It had been a long time since I went to a musical and I really had no idea about the story so I enjoyed all of it very much. I even managed to stay up a little later than usual and work on my kit and tag.

Jake left for New York this morning. I wish I were there with him; I really miss the city a lot. Even six years later.

March 06, 2009 ~ 13:03 | link | photo of the day - 2009 | share[]


DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 4 2009




First time I've seen David playing Operation. Even though he couldn't get any of the pieces out, he didn't get frustrated. Just tried for a bit and then moved on to another toy. My sweet boy.

Rough and long day today. Back to back meetings and then I have to pick up David and rush to the doctor's and then rush back home and get dressed cause I'm going to see Wicked on Broadway (well in San Fran) tonight. Even though I am really looking forward to it, I haven't stayed up past 10pm for 7 months now and I am not sure I'll make it through so we'll see.

Feeling a bit worn out and worn down. Wishing life was a little simpler. Just one of those days I guess.

March 04, 2009 ~ 12:03 | link | photo of the day - 2009 | share[]


DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 3 2009




I've been drinkng Diet Peach Snapple lately and I know it's not good for the baby so I've been desperately looking for alternatives. One of the perks of working at Google is having access to a fridge full of Naked Juices so I've started drinking those instead. O-J is my favorite one. Plain, simple, and consistently yummy.

David build a Star Wars tent today and I wanted to share:



Started working on the kit a bit and even started my tag but things are moving slowly since I am still quite exhausted and going to bed early.

March 04, 2009 ~ 12:03 | link | photo of the day - 2009 | share[]


DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 2 2009




This morning was a rainy Monday morning where I had a dentist's appointment at 8am so I needed some tulip love to tide me over. Jake bought these pink ones which are so soft and lovely looking, aren't they? And I love how they're leaning towards the light.

Feeling tired as always but things are going ok for us. Jake's liking his work, David's a happy little boy, I am doing ok and the little one seems to be growing just fine. So, all in all, I don't think we can compain. A little over three weeks to my maternity leave and my sister is coming right on the day I go on leave and I haven't seen her in person in almost three years so I am very excited. April is promising to be very hectic but I am planning on taking it easy as much as possible. Especially if the Braxton-Hicks gets worse.

Hoping to work on the new AMM Kit, some catalyst and my tag this week. I want to do some art every day just for me. Let's see if I can.

March 02, 2009 ~ 16:03 | link | photo of the day - 2009 | share[]


CATALYST 51 - TIME TOGETHER




This week's catalyst is: What's something you do every day just for yourself? (If nothing comes to mind, create the art around what the one thing would be and why you're not doing it.)

Here are my words:

It might seem silly but something I do for myself each day is to spend time with my son. I've always dreamt of staying home when I had children but as it works out, I am now working a full-time job so it's really important to me to make sure I spend quality time with my son every single day. As much as I know my son loves it, too, it's really something I do for myself.

This is not one of my favorites art-wise but the feelings and thoughts are genuine.

come, play.

March 02, 2009 ~ 16:03 | link | creative therapy catalysts | share[]


Daily Photos - March 1 2009



I know this is technically not a good shot but I love seeing the joy on David's face as he wins his boxing game on the Wii.

Mostly a day to rest today. Feeling more and more tired lately but I guess that's not surprising as I go into my eighth month. Yesterday ended up relatively productive after all but not today. I am trying to learn to be ok with that since I don't have a choice and I am working on the most important project which is making sure the baby is growing safely.

Happy March!!

March 02, 2009 ~ 15:03 | link | photo of the day - 2009 | share[]
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