MOMENTS IN LIFE

OMG...

2011-03-06T21:53:00.000-08:00

OMG...What happened to me? My gosh I have been gone over a year. I guess having a baby was way harder than I thought...lol! Now it is a must to keep this online journal of my life and our life. I will be back soon.

Advice on having a baby!

2009-11-17T16:42:00.000-08:00

I have been given lots of advice about the pregnancy and thereafter..here are some.

1) I have heard several times being a mother is difficult. However, until you experience it you will not know the difficulty.

2)That breastfeeding is HARD. No matter how many classes you take they really do not prepare you for what is to come. Not only that but you may have low milk supply and a very hungry baby, so you have to the what is best for your baby! and then people will make you feel guilty about it :)

3) That you're going to fight with your spouse more than you ever have and its not because you love each other any less, its because being new parents is also HARD and takes a great deal of adjustment. With that said, steal away private moments together whenever possible!

4)That everyone and their mother will think they know everything about being a mother. However, you are the only one that knows best what is BEST for your child!

5) The best advice I was given from a friend when I told her I was pregnant was don't take anyone's advice. I took that one :)

Lori!

2009-11-13T10:52:00.001-08:00

Lori Mary Born August 5, 2009 at 7:05 pm. 8 pounds 8 ounces and 19 inches. Also with a head full of hair :). This has been the reason I have not made it on my blog. Lori is now 14 weeks old and looks nothing like the picture above.

Fast Forward :

This is what Lori looks like now.(even though this is at 10 weeks)

making changes...

2009-07-06T19:34:00.000-07:00

Since life is going to change for us, I decided to change my blog title. However, it is a bit too big and I can't seem to resize it. I will leave it as is for now. I made this on scrapblog-so cool. Can't wait to play around with it more!

Well...life has been quite interesting for the past few weeks. Last Sunday, on the day of my baby shower I actually fell and fractured my foot. I fell earlier on so I just managed to be on my foot until the end of the shower. I was in pain towards the end as well as my foot was swollen. So my husband and I went to the emergency room and we discovered that I have a fractured foot. They also wanted to observe me and do a stress test and they saw I was having contractions :) It was quite stressful for everyone around but we managed to get through it. Now I am in a foot boot, and most likely have to continue to wear it for another 3 weeks. The doctor said it is healing well-Thank God. The only thing I can say is it could have been worse!

Then on Tuesday my father got into car accident. Again, he was hurt by the air bags blowing off and his seat belt-but Thank God-it could have been worse! I am just grateful we are all healthy and doing well-it includes my father, the baby and me :)

You can find some pictures of the baby shower on the sidebar! Enjoy!

10 Weeks...

2009-05-30T09:54:00.000-07:00

10 Weeks till we leave this home as two and come back as three (God Willing).
10 Weeks till we learn to love in a completely different way.
10 Weeks till we have to clean poop and get pooped on.
10 Weeks till we can't sleep through the night or we train the baby to sleep through the night :)
10 Weeks till I can have myself some sushi LOL!
10 Weeks till life changes completely because of a God's miraculous blessing.

I can't believe we have reached this point. My feelings are quite stable right about now. I am just working on wrapping up my school year. There are only 15 days left-then the plan is to spend the rest of June and July focusing on preparing for this baby!

You would think we would have a name by now, however that has not been finalized! I am sure whatever we choose it will be just perfect for this baby.

Five things I am enjoying currently...

2009-05-23T11:56:00.000-07:00

1) Babywise book-This is a great book. I hope all things I am learning I can put to use and have it come out successful with my own child!

2) My comfy flowy PJ's-nothing is as comfortable as wearing these while pregnant.

3) My hair color

4) Loquat-My in-laws have a loquat tree. I love this fruit. In Armenian the word of the fruit translates to New World. If you have not tried this fruit I suggest you try it. It is quite small compared to other fruits but it is soo sweet and perfect for the season.

5) The warm Southern California weather-I am throughly enjoying this. All winter I kept saying let it get warm already. (I just hated having nauseau and freezing all at the same time) So summer came sooner than expected here...and when you walk around people are all ready in their flip flops and cute sun dresses. Even though I can't be part of that I am enjoying to heat -even though I am sweating and ending up with water retention...In the next weeks I will be heading to the pool!

Enjoy..the Long weekend off!

Getting Through

2009-05-17T09:06:00.000-07:00

Every life has its set of challenges, as we face ours we say "-With God ALL things are possible" -Matthew 19:26.

We are grateful for our health and this little healthy baby growing inside of me.
We are grateful for our family and friends.
We are grateful for the health of all of our loved ones around us.
We are grateful that we have food everyday.
We are grateful for our beautiful and comfortable home.

I know there are people out there who are in much worse conditions, but I also know we will get through this bump in the road and look ahead and wonder how we got through...but we will get through because "-With God ALL things are possible" -Matthew 19:26.

Spring time and more....

2009-04-26T11:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Spring! It is so beautiful here! I keep going to Trader Joe's and buying these beautiful daffodils to enjoy the pleasures of spring. If I could I would buy fresh flowers every week the unfortunate thing is that they die! :(
Made a fresh strawberry tart to enjoy the pleasures of spring for Easter Eve. I just enjoyed looking at it cause it was soo pretty !

We are at 6 months pregnant-can't believe how time flies. We have finalized our registry and decided on a crib and changing table. Now that I am in the swing of things it has gotten easier preparing for this little babies arrival! For example-We can't decide on a name! AHHHH!

But there always seems to be soo much more to do. I have signed up on as many baby websites as possible to talk to other moms as well as just learn. There are some great resources out there from The Bump to the Cradle. Now I need to make another stop at the library to pick up books on vaccines and other baby related stuff.

I am just breathing and enjoying the beautiful California weather throughout this pregnancy and of course praying for a healthy baby.

Half Way there...

2009-03-22T15:25:00.000-07:00

Well...we are half way there 20 weeks to go till we meet this bundle of joy :) The first half went quite fast and I have a feeling the next half is gonna go even faster. There is soo much to do in preparation for the arrival that I have no idea where to begin! It was easier planning a wedding, moving and changing jobs.

What has been interesting the past few days when I have been around others, is how people are so fine in making comments about my weight gain. The fact is I am supposed to gain weight and as scary as it sounds the average woman gains 25-30 or more pounds during their pregnancy. But what makes me tingle is how people assume they can share with you how you are fat. Hello! People I look in the mirror too- I know I have gained weight and guess what so much of it is uncontrollable because of the body shape and size as well as water retention. But why do they feel they need to comment about it. For example, someone told me you have gained weight...and I thought oh they must not know I am pregnant. Then the next sentence was how is everything with the baby! Made me speechless for second. The bottom line is I just want to be as healthy as I can for the baby growing inside of me. That is going to mean I am going to gain weight. So if I can just let the world know don't comment on pregnant woman's body unless you are asked to do so! One thing I know for sure no matter what shape or size a pregnant woman is they are beautiful because of the miracle they have inside of them :)

Naval Orange!

2009-02-16T10:33:00.001-08:00

We are at 15 weeks and the baby is now at the size of naval orange! How amazing!

Well-then again God's creations are amazing...you seem to never get over the miracle of it all!

Sometines...

2009-02-12T18:02:00.000-08:00

itchin in my tummy? hmmm, wonder what it could be :) My husband told me you can feel something around 14 weeks...how does he know you ask- he can read! and what else is the internet for ?!@ so for the past two weeks have this feeling of something scratching me-puts a smile on my face and in my heart. I want to feel it everyday but I am sure he or she is too tired to keep scratching all the time! I wish all women who want to be mommies a tummy scratchin feeling.

Oh and Happy Overrated Valentine's Day! Just remember to tell the people you love that you love them on random days rather than on one day of the year...that's what makes love even more special!

Crazy Times

2009-02-08T08:36:00.000-08:00

It is a crazy time right now-in the world in general. I am just trying to get through it, as I am trying to enjoy every moment of this pregnancy :) Been wanting to take some tummy pics but keep putting it off-or maybe I am too scared to see myself in a picture with the belly. My clothes have started to get tighter, so I have headed out for some minor retail therapy so I can feel comfortable. However, most stores I walked into did not even have a maternity section-I felt a bit discriminated! I have always passed this store in the mall, but last time I was there I did not feel good enough to go shopping. So I plan on checking it out one of these days. They have cute stuff but too expensive for something you would wear for only a few months!
This is a gorgeous dress! and I do have plenty of weddings to go to in the spring but $495 is way too much! But looking never hurt! Old Navy never hurt anyone, cheap and in style!

On another note-I had heard you get emotional during pregnancy, but never thought I would cry for random, stupid things as I have lately! I consider myself to be strong, but for the past few weeks it has been mostly tears of nothingness :) If that makes sense! I am scaring my husband a bit and myself for that matter. This too shall pass! Will keep everyone posted soon!

We're expecting!

2009-01-18T13:27:00.000-08:00

It has been quite beautiful here in California. The weather has been perfect for me-nice and warm. I occasionally miss the cold, however in my condition I really have not. In case you were wondering what my condition is or if you have not seen the ride side of my blog-I'll let you know :) Vicken and I are expecting :) We are quite excited but of course we only want God to bless us with a healthy baby. I am still in bit of shock mode other than the fact that I have gained too much weight too quickly, but I guess it comes with the "condition". I am just trying to enjoy all the moments now before life gets too hectic.

This book has been great. I have been following it week by week and every time I only think what a miracle it is! Can't get over that fact. Just like I told the doctor during our first sonogram-that's crazy!

Is it 2009 Already!

2009-01-05T10:21:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year Everyone and Happy Armenian Christmas! Can't believe it is 2009. I am actually glad Christmas and the rush of the holidays are over. I look forward to the California weather getting warmer and 2009 getting ahead. I have a feeling 2009 is going to be filled with lots of exciting adventures and changes and I truly look forward to it! On one scrapbookers blog I read I found she uses a word for the year as the focus therefore I am taking on two words for 2009 that will help build the foundation for the changes and myself. The words are "good" and "balance" , these two words are important to help focus myself and my life. I challenge the readers to find a word to use for the year!

Resolutions-so many resolutions for 2009. I still have not fully thought about goals or resolutions for 2009 since I have been a bit overwhelmed with life changes ;) but I will get to it soon enough!

I will be back soon!

Happy Anniversary to my blog!

2008-10-20T18:37:00.000-07:00

It has passed two weeks but this month marks one year for my entrance into the blogging world. Unfortunately, I have not kept into it as much as I would like to. Things here in this neck of the worlds has been good...life as usual right?

It has been a month and half since we have been back at work and for some reason I am looking forward to Veteran's day. However, before that I look forward to Fall, my favorite season.

Top 5 reasons I will miss summer...

2008-08-26T18:19:00.000-07:00

What I will miss most...

5) What not to Wear on TLC at noon (Love Stacey and Clinton and hate that hair stylist he cuts everyones hair too short!)
4)Going to the gym when I am not tired already from work.
3)The pool, the beach and my tan.
2)Going to lunch with friends and family and just relaxing.
1)Waking up after 8 am (for some of you out there that is still early)

What am I looking forward too...

I look forward to being back at work and helping my little kiddos. Remember when you were a kid and couldn't go to sleep the night before your first day of school. The excitement would keep you awake because you couldn't wait to meet your teachers and see your friends. Well, teachers feel that way too. However, as a teacher I do fall asleep, but I really look forward to the new year. I love that in my profession there is a beginning and an end. Therefore, the light at the end of the tunnel always shines. As a teacher learning never stops, there are constant meetings to revamp our style as teachers and to perfect what we do. However, specifically with the children I deal with I kind of have to work harder to help them be successful. So wish me luck for the 2008-2009 school year. I look forward to it. I promise I will be back to blog. :)

Summer Recap

2008-08-22T19:58:00.000-07:00

Well, summer is almost over-I am trying to stretch it as long as I can. However, even though I do not go back to work officially on Monday, I got to start setting my alarm so I can wake up. I have gotten used to sleeping in. But I won't be missing it..then again ask me around October :)

Summer 2008 was quite fun. Here is a recap:

May 2008: Nora Graduates from CSUN with her Bachelor's of Arts Degree in Graphic Design. Congrats Nora..break a leg in the design world. We are all proud of you!

Can you tell..she's happy :)

June 2008: AAOP's first tea fundraising event. Great turn out and great event. Thanks for my family who supported me :)

Vegas Baby! June 2008

Our 2 year anniversary: July 2008
Oh, how time flies. It has been a truly amazing two years. There has been a lot of learning, a lot of growing and a lot of happy moments. I look forward to the coming chapters in our book!

August 2008: Miami
Remember this Will Smith song:
Party in the city where the heat is on
All night on the beach till the break of dawn
Welcome to miami
Buenvenidos a miami
Bouncin in the club where the heat is on
All night on the beach till the break of dawn
Im goin to miami
Welcome to miami

We were not necessarily bouncin in the clubs till break of dawn..but we had our share of drinks!

I am glad we made it out of there before a hurricane hit!

I do not want to add anymore pictures, but I enjoyed spending time with cousins and seeing people I hadn't seen in a while. So...I go back to work soon. Goodbye summer!

Food-Part 1

2008-08-19T12:12:00.001-07:00

Since I am getting ready to go back to work in 8 days I have been trying to figure out what types of things I can make and stick in my freezer. Ideally I would love to have a tasty dinner ready to go in my freezer and I can just pop it out and defrost it and cook it later that night. I have come to the realization that if Kate from Jon and Kate Plus 8 on TLC (more on this later)!
can cook a dinner for a family of 10 I sure can cook a good hearty meal for a family of 2. Mind you I do cook often and I do cheat often thats what moms are for :). However, there are times that I sure do not feel like it too. So like I said since I have the time, the energy and my mojo...I want to cook some homemade meals that I can add to my freezer. So if you have some ideas please make a comment.

My food obsession for good restaurants and different types of food began when I was planning our honeymoon. I found the tremendous amount of blogs and travel websites raving about certain restaurants that were a must try. We went to Tahiti for our honeymoon and we went to Moorea and Bora Bora-two of the many islands of Tahiti. So my obsession began when we went to one particular restaurant-Villa Mahana.
This was a beautiful place. It is a home converted to a restaurant and the chef cooks every meal for you. This was very exciting for me and from there on began a journey of food.

FOOD-Part 2

2008-08-19T12:11:00.000-07:00

I found this off a this food blog-Chocolate and Zucchini.

So I decided to add it to my blog. If you want to add it to yours go head! :) I went through the list and marked what I have tried and what I have not tried. The bottom line is most of those things that are not tried, I really do not have a desire for. I do like meat, but I am not into eating glands, insects and any reptiles.That job is reserved for this guy.

Here’s what I want you to do:

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

Orange- have not tried it

Green- tried it

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros-can’t believe I have not tried it considering I live in Los Angeles.
4. Steak Tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue-I have made it once but I sure do love it. A fun food experience.
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho-tried Korean cold noodles for the first time. It was tasty but cold didn’t cut it for me. But I really want to try Pho.
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi-have eaten these flavors separately but not together. (potato and cauliflower with curry)
15. Hot dog from a street cart-next time I go to New York I will have to try. I get grossed out.
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans-hello, I do live in Los Angeles
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper-I love spicy but I also love to taste the food!
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava-grew up with it and every occasion this was the dessert
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float-haven’t tried it cause I hate root beer.
36. Cognac with a fat cigar-I have drank cognac, but the cigar is not gonna cut it.
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal-yes, at least 15 years ago. Before I discovered what real food was J
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini-so strong (I only like the olives)
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake-churros and funnel cake YUM! But want to go to New Orleans for true beignets.
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho-always wanted too, but the idea of cold soup doesn’t do it for me.
72. Caviar and blini –need to try a good one though.
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini-I want to host a brunch so I can make Bellini’s.
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.-there is one on my list but haven’t made it out yet. (maybe my birthday J )
85. Kobe beef-want to try
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam-tried it when I was like twelve, eeewww, yuck! Why would anyone want to eat out of a can! They should take this off the shelves in the supermarket.
92. Soft shell crab-had it in San Francisco. But unfortunately whenI went to Miami the famous Joe’s crabs were out of season, so I missed out on it L
93. Rose harissa-Armenians make a harissa dish with meat. After searching I learned this is not a
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano

96. Bagel and lox-I was quite into Bagel and Lox a few years ago (maybe it had to do with the fact that I was working at a Jewish temple) however, now it really does not interest me.
97. Lobster Thermidor

98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Miami

2008-08-18T10:01:00.000-07:00

Here are some of our Miami pictures.

Just click on the link :

Miami Pictures

Enjoy!

Can you believe it?

2008-08-15T10:02:00.000-07:00

Well, a certain someone saw my post the other day and brought back my camera :)

So I took a picture of my husbands closet...check this out

Perfectionist, huh? I was also supposed to take a picture of my side but the problem is all my hangers don't match, so I am not ready to show it off.
However, I would like to say: Even though I am organized, he is so much more organized then I am!

Tell me what you think :)

What has happened to me...

2008-08-13T10:06:00.000-07:00

Not sure exactly what has happened to me, I guess I lost my mojo in the world of blogging.
I have exactly 15 more days of vacation-where does the time go? Somehow even with a vacation there seems to be so much to do. For all of you that know me I enjoyed cleaning out my closet this week-I really did not get rid of much but was able to organize it. When I get my camera back I will take a picture of it, just because it is so neat. However, I also want to show off my husbands organization skills. Pretty darn good :) All the hanger are the same color, all aligned neatly like you are in a store. I am sure he gets excited every evening when he picks out the shirt he will wear the next day.

We got back from South Beach last week. It was really a lot of fun and relaxing. We enjoyed the humidity, which made us enjoy and appreciate our Southern California heat. We also enjoyed being children and walking in the rain one night when it started pouring on us. We also went to an amazing Spanish restaurant (you can see my review on Yelp). All in all it was a relaxing and fun get away. Next time I head to Miami, I hope it will be to take one of the cruises towards the Caribbean -that will be a while from now.

So the plans for the rest of the summer is to fill this blog with lots of new posts and pictures. I will also be stealing some ideas from other bloggers.

Where does the time go?

2008-07-27T09:03:00.000-07:00

How can it possibly be that it has been three months since I have posted! I guess I lost my mojo..but I am back. Somehow the time passed away and I just did not realize it. It wasn't that I did not have time to post on my blog, I just got consumed with other things.

The bottom line is...I am back. I had two weeks off in June and went back to work for July and in four days I will be back on vacation-can't wait! We are heading to South Beach next week and I really look forward to relaxing.

I will be back to post interesting things going on in life and the blessed moments.

Talk to all of you soon.

I am still here!

2008-03-24T16:46:00.000-07:00

Yes it has been nearly two months since I have posted! This was one of my resolutions for the year so I need to work hard to keep it up. Sorry for my delay in posts. Basically I have really been focusing on getting my educational therapy practice off the ground, which has been taking some time therefore blogging was not a priority. But I am going to work on making it.

Well..first let me say Happy Easter! We had a nice Easter and celebrated Vicken's birthday since it fell on Easter too. I will be taking him out somewhere special this weekend and will keep you guys posted. Unfortunately we did not have this week off. However we have the week of April 14 off which will feel really nice.

My sister has been doing some wonderful things on her blog so check her out . You can find the link to her blog on the side of this blog. She does raffles for pretty cards! I am so excited for her.

I will post some bday pics.

a day off...

2008-01-21T20:02:00.000-08:00

It is so interesting how when you have a day off you tend to have more to do than usual

I have been wanting to go to the Murakami exhibit at MOCA! finally had a chance to see it today with Nora. It is really cool Japanese anime. There is even a Louie Vuitton store with purses designed by Murakami and Marc Jacobs..pretty cool.

Pulled out all my scrapbook stuff out and finally delved into. I have list of pages I must tackle.

I am pretty excited about getting creative again. I look at my things and wonder how I accumulated all that but I sure did and before I buy more I need to use it up!

Got to go shopping and make returns from Christmas..finally over too.

Happy MLK Day!

Happy New Year

2008-01-10T20:47:00.000-08:00

It sure has been quite a while since I posted. I thought I would make it during the holidays but somehow it took me over and I did not get a chance to post. Last years goal was to start a blog this years is to maintain it and update it as often as I can the goal-Weekly if not twice a week :) We shall see...

2008...The start of a new year. Resolution time. So many resolutions. I have so many I have it categorized: Spiritual, physical, career, familial, personality characteristics, craft and financial. That is a lot huh? There is always something to work on. So I thought if I organize my goals, I can knock them off the list slowly but surely. I wish everyone out there a happy and healthy new year! and I will be back soon!

It's the most Wonderful time of the Year!

2007-11-26T22:06:00.000-08:00

It is such a wonderful time of year. Christmas and New Year's ..warm hot chocolate, decorating, Christmas music, cookie parties, holiday parties, shopping and wrapping gifts, and brown little packages tied up with string...these are a few of my favorite things :) I love it so much! As crazy as it gets and as busy as it gets I just love this time. I am not a cold weather person, I do prefer the sweaty heat in California, however the cold too can be refreshing when you are nicely bundled up. But of course for some people it still is not cold enough in California-not for me.

So we decorated for Christmas yesterday. It was a lot of fun. I put on Christmas music and since I was quite organized with my packaging last year, putting everything out was quite easy. Vicken helped a lot. He did almost all of the tree..it was quite yummy! It looks great. Traditions are so important to start within families, so this is one of our traditions putting up the tree together and I think it will stick when kids come too. Here some pictures of our decorations. Enjoy!

This is on our buffet. The picture behind it is a painting my sister did for Vicken and me for our first anniversary. It is a painting of my bridal bouquet-very thoughtful and for sure beautiful.

Our Tree
Purple and Silver

A closer look at the ornaments

With the lights on!
Wishing everyone a happy healthy fun filled Christmas season. I will be back to post about the cookie party and more holiday fun stuff!

Oh How Fun...

2007-11-25T10:11:00.000-08:00

I have been wanting to see Wicked for months now. They are showing at the Pantages. Ever since the phenomena swept over Los Angeles. My sister really wanted to see it too. So we figured this weekend would be perfect. For every showing of Wicked they do a raffle 2 and half hours before the performance. You go in put in your name and about 26 names are called and if you win for $25 buckaroonies you get to sit in orchestra seats which usually sell for over 100 dollars. So my sister and I decided to give it a shot we went in early and gave our names. There were people there who had seen the show over 6 times that was insane. They called the first name and it wasn't ours. So I turned to Nora and said if we don't win we will come back the next weekend. Then the guy pulled another name, he stumbled on the name so I assumed it must be mine cause it is so hard to pronounce. It turned to be Nora's name and we won tickets! !!! It was funny too cause from the beginning I told Nora they are going to call your name. We went to watch the show and we were in row A that means front row..the first row. It was crazy. Being up there you feel like you are part of the show and the excitement. We both loved the show!It was a beautiful story about how people should be loved for who they are and sometimes all of us are a little misunderstood! I recommend this show and I hope to see it before May again before it goes off stage.

Well I was not right about my surprise from Vicken but it was what I wanted. I have been wanting to go to CRAFT for months now and finally I got the chance. Vicken took me for my birthday and I had a true Top Chef experience (I am a big fan of the show). We had amuse bouche (a tiny bite size piece of food served before courses to amuse the mouth). We had porkj belly I had always seen it on the show but wanted to taste...it was good kind of like bacon and meat in one. Of course Vicken had the steak and I had braised pork (which was really good). What I loved about the experience was every course is served it's like eating at a friends house you get to share all your meals. It was cool. We had fun and it was quite yummy. Would recommend this spot for sure!

I'm Thankful!

2007-11-24T10:34:00.000-08:00

First off...sorry for my delay in posts. It has been a busy couple of weeks. However, I am going to try very hard to post every other day at least even though Christmas is around the corner.

We just celebrated Thanksgiving this week and my birthday happened to fall on the same day. I can list all the many small and large people and things I am thankful for however most of all I am thankful to God for blessing me with such a beautiful, fulfilled healthful and happy life. He is the one who has surrounded me with amazing people such as Vicken and my parents, sister, Vicken's parents and Raffi and Betty. and to this I am thankful and grateful. There are so many other people in my life who I am thankful to have just for their helpfulness, their happy thoughts, their prayers, the moments of laughter and of course this list will go on and on, but this is where I will stop! I am just thankful to God.

Well... it was also my birthday..Turned the BIG 27- This is not old, but when I think about my mom was on baby number 2. Oh well..that was back in the day:) My birthday with family was nice. However tonight Vicken has surprise in store. I took a guess at where he is taking me and shared this with him, he just chuckled so I must be right. I will let you know if I was right with pictures and of course my review.

Have a great weekend. I am sure enjoying having 5 days off the joys of being a teacher!

Happy Halloween

2007-10-31T21:13:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

Hope everyone had a good and safe Halloween. If you took the kids Trick or Treating make sure they don't eat all that candy!

-From my previous post-decided to work on practicing to love unconditionally it has been good so far. The power of loving others like yourself can be truly amazing. But sometimes hormones get in the way!

Take care will be back soon!

Happy Sunday!

2007-10-28T13:25:00.001-07:00

Found this mantra online! These are somethings to practice daily. A few things I would add are- always have Faith and Hope. Love unconditionally-Two simple words however the practice is quite difficult. I will challenge myself this week- to practice these thoughts. I will let you know how successful it is. :)

Happy Sunday

More School-or no more!

2007-10-27T09:30:00.000-07:00

For the past few weeks I have been pondering this program
I am not sure if I want to go ahead and apply and see what God has in store for me or not even take the chance of applying. A few reasons for my thoughts..The Pros and Cons

The Cons
1) Do I really want to go back to school now? (I maybe lazy)
2) Am I ready for the stress of the papers and a dissertation? Just the mere thought of having to do an interview in front of the acceptance committee freaks me out.
3) I do want to have a baby at some point (no time soon for you lurkers out there) and I have talked to people that had kids while in the program . But I just feel bad its not fair to a baby if I am not able to cherish their growing moments and I have to be at school! I want to savor each moment with a future baby!
4) What about time with Vicken and our family. Because sometimes you need to say No

The Pros...
1) I know that one day I want to get a doctoral degree. I love academia and I love learning about the art of teaching, as crazy as it sounds I do love reading educational research. Working at a public school I also have gotten to learn more and enjoy the governments role in public education. I enjoy the aspect of how education is so interlocked. From the student to the parent to the teacher. As well as what you learn in Kindergarten effects you through high school and beyond. We can't just say well that was elementary school and its done-No its not its a building block. (I am off my soapbox!)
2) The program at UCLA is made for people who work, you go to class one time a week then on Saturdays.-if you are good at time management (which I think I am) I can be able to juggle family, work and school. (AM I READY-NOT SURE)
3) Career changes can be on the way with such a degree but do I want to make a change?

So these are just a few of my thoughts..in the end whatever decision is made I will be happy with it. I also know that I do not have to be 26 to go back to school-as I have heard from so many people in my family this is America and you can go later too. So technically what's my rush? I graduated with my B.A. at 21 and with my Master's at 26-So I ask again what is my rush?

Busy Week

2007-10-19T18:47:00.000-07:00

As you can tell from my posting it has been a busy week. It seems this is how its going to be for a while. I have a boom of private clients I have been seeing and I am part of AAOP (Armenian Autism Outreach Project) oh and I have a full time job and oh I have a husband too! so these things have taken up much time. Don't get me wrong I am grateful for all these things. Sometimes I wonder if I take on certain responsibilities to just challenge myself ? and see can I really do it? We will find out in June if I really did all of it!
I am also so blessed to have Vicken. Cause he is not the nagging husband at all. If there is food he will eat, if not he will buy something. (so important in an armenian marriage) It's interesting too because Vicken has had a busy week too and I have seen him but we have not had much of our "bonding time" which I love. These 7 days until Sunday are packed with fun good things..but they are packed. so I can't wait till two weeks from now when I go out of town for some fun filled girls get away and relaxation!

Food for Thought

2007-10-15T21:23:00.000-07:00

God’s Coffee

A group of alumni, all highly established in their respective careers, got together for a visit with their old university professor. The conversation soon turned to complaints about the endless stress of work and life in general…

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went into the kitchen and soon returned with a large pot of coffee and an eclectic assortment of cups: porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal - some plain, some expensive, some quite exquisite. Quietly he told them to help themselves to some fresh coffee..

When each of his former students had a cup of coffee in hand, the old professor quietly cleared his throat and began to patiently address the small gathering… "You may have noticed that all of the nicer looking cups were taken up first, leaving behind the plainer and cheaper ones. While it is only natural for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is actually the source of much of your stress-related problems.”

He continued…”Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In fact, the cup merely disguises or dresses up what we drink. What each of you really wanted was coffee, not a cup, but you instinctively went for the best cups… Then you began eyeing each other’s cups….”

”Now consider this: Life is coffee. Jobs, money, and position in society are merely cups. They are just tools to shape and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not truly define nor change the quality of the Life we live. Often, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee that God has provided us… God brews the coffee, but he does not supply the cups. Enjoy your coffee!”

The happiest people don’t have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything… So please remember: Live simply. Love generously. Care Deeply. Speak Kindly. Leave the Rest to God.

Love this!

Kids say the darnest things...

2007-10-15T19:24:00.001-07:00

Story 1:
In the fourth grade reading curriculum students need to read a story about the Titanic. Then they must complete a workbook page. The question on the page is Would you ever like to take a trip on an ocean liner? Why or Why not?
Student response: No, I would never want to go on an ocean liner because if it sinks women and children need to get off first and I will never see my dad :)
Teacher: Well all ocean liners don't sink.
Student: Oh okay then...I guess I will go on it!

Story 2:
I was testing a student. The word problem stated " Bob has to use a pay phone to call Jim. He needs .65cents What is the least amount of coins he can use to make the phone call?"
Student thinks..Hmmm, Use a cell phone! and his reaction was duhhh how stupid you don't know that!

There is so much more but somehow I forget..so I will make sure to post them here so I can remember all the reasons why working with children is so rewarding.

I love Fall-Continuation

2007-10-15T19:22:00.000-07:00

I love Fall

2007-10-14T18:20:00.001-07:00

Fall is one of my favorite seasons! Warm sweaters, long boots and some cloudy/rainy days. I love orange and the reds and I love my mom's Thanksgiving Turkey! Now that I learned how to post images I will be back with pretty little things.
Enjoy!

My Job

2007-10-10T19:31:00.000-07:00

A lot of people are confused with what I do. I am not sure why there is a confusion, but I am going to try explain it. My job title is a Resource Specialist. Yes I do have my own classroom on campus and I do see students throughout the day. There are two categories of what I do. First, students who have disabilities (learning disabilities, speech problems, autism, add or visual problems) and if they are below grade level, then they come into my classroom for hour or more depending on their need and I work with them in a small group to help them get better at the skill they are working on. The second area of my job is talking (consulting/collaborating) with teachers on students who have problems in their classroom. Then we will set up a meeting and I will test a student and find out if there is an academic problem or not and if they end up having an academic problem they start coming to RSP. BTW this is the shorter version of the explanation. :)

Anyway, a few weeks ago they called me from the district office letting me know that they are going to need me to homeschool a six year old girl who has cancer. My first reaction was Do I have too! Then after thinking about it for a while I thought it is a good learning opportunity for me and I will be helping this little girl. So yesterday was my first day with her. I walked into her home and there she was...really cute no hair (all shaved or fallen out cause of chemo) and the biggest smile on her face! Her mom told me later she was waiting anxiously to see me. She was looking forward to her teacher. We worked together and she was the best student I have ever had! Of course she does not have a disability..she is just being homeschooled while she is going through with chemo. But she is such a strong girl. She tried so hard to do everything perfectly. She would write a letter and if it went out of the line she would apologize (so cute!) and for a 6 year old shes got the best handwriting I have seen -even compared to the typical students!

Anyway, the cancer she has is Ewing's Sarcoma. It is a rare case of bone cancer which usually happens to teenagers, but unfortunately happened to this little six year old. At first I had a fear that it might be too depressing to work with her, but after yesterday and today I have grown to becoming more fond of her. She is so sweet and so strong! and I pray she gets better soon! It is amazing how we think we can't handle certain things but God knows better. With this new student of mine God is also teaching me to be grateful for all the people we have around us and to savor each moment! I will try to be back tomorrow!

Finally...a Blog

2007-10-08T21:25:00.000-07:00

Finally..I am starting a blog. This has been on my list of to do's for a while but I have not got around to it. You may ask why start a blog who reads it ..Well first I love blogs! I have more than a dozen blogs bookmarked. Not that I love reading about other people :) But I just love some of the creative blogs out there that really inspire me -be it scrapbooking or cooking! (you can find some of them on this blog) This blog is to just journal my daily events! Life goes by so fast and sometimes I even forget how fast so I wanted to make a blog so I can remember my daily experiences. This blog is also a challenge to myself to get more tech savvy. Finally..this way I can truly realize how important each moment is and to cherish it. Somehow I do not say it enough that enough anymore, but when I was dating my husband, everywhere we went together or did that was different, or an event in our lives that was special or even ordinary I would say to him "this is a moment" so I want to savor every moment out there! I would love to hear from you guys...so post a message say hello and Don't be a quiet lurker! Hopefully I can inspire you to make a blog and Cherish every moment!