Two Thousand Ten Is Almost Over!

2010 is almost over... time to reflect.  We started the New Year mid-January with little Alexa’s first trip to Disney where we played at Magic Kingdom and Ebcot.  And I ran my first Disney half marathon race the same weekend.  Despite our frozen ears and toes in Orlando’s record low temperatures that weekend, we all had a great time.  Just two short months later, Alexa took her first steps and became an official walker… the milestones didn’t stop there.

Alexa turned one year old mid April and began speaking up a storm.  By the end of the year, we lost count of how many new words she was saying (or attempting to say), but we think it could be more than 200 words and she’s even putting two words together!  She learned her colors, shapes, letters, opposites, animals, some sign language, and the numbers 1-10 this year.  Her favorite color is yellow, her favorite shape is a star, she loves showing us the opposites “up” and “down”, her favorite animal changed from giraffe to lamb to we think cat or dog now, her favorite sign language signs are “more” and “I love you”, and her favorite number is the number 9.

George is still traveling extensively for work about 8+ months of the year.  On the long trips (longer than 1 or 2 months), we get to join him since I work as a Graphic Designer remotely and do Marketing for the same company.  Of course, little Alexa enjoys the benefits of the yacht profession lifestyle experiencing many different cultures.  Over the summer, we worked in Monaco, France, and Italy together as a family for a few months.  Alexa was quite the trooper and even picked up a little French along the way.  The plan is the same in 2011 for the summer in Antibes, France (and surrounding areas) for 4 months.

In addition to our Disney race weekend, we took a little 3-day family vacation this year while working in the Mediterranean… A road trip to the French Alps to hike in the mountains in Chamonix.  The scenery was breath taking and we even walked through a glacier.  We highly recommend going, summer or winter.  We were also able to spend a week in St. Tropez, France at a friend’s ocean front villa.  So nice.

Baby cousin Parker was born end of August and he's such a cutie pie.  We wish we lived closer and could see him and cousin Ava more often.

In my spare time, I raced a few more half marathon races for charity throughout the year with a PR of 1:54:41 in a 13.1 mile race in a hail storm in Texas.  I recently raced in the Palm Beach half marathon charity event earlier this month and plan to run a handful of half marathon races in 2011, maybe even a full marathon.  Alexa and I also participated in some charity event walks to raise money to save farm animals and also raise money for breast cancer research.  In addition, I have been working hard to finish my MBA degree in the evenings and I’m finishing out the 2010 year with only one more class to go before completing my MBA in Marketing and Communications Media Spring 2011.

In January 2011, our jobs are transferring us to the Caribbean where we will all be working and living until sometime in March.  While in the Caribbean, I plan to run a race or two in the islands; learn to kite board (finally); scuba diving as much as possible; practice my French; finish my last MBA class online; work for my graphic design, marketing and event planning job for Rybovich; learn a variety of other extra curricular activities I have on my “to do list”; join island mommy groups with Alexa; work on a variety of skills with Alexa; keep up with my blog, and of course we will all have as much fun as possible.  There is talk we may even be expecting baby number two in 2011, we shall see…

Reindeer (almost Vegan), Gluten-free Carob Chip Sugar Cookies & Glitter Sprinkled Sea Shells

I honestly do not know anyone who procrastinates as badly as I do and still gets the job done (and done well I might add).  Although this time, I’m really pushing it.  And what am I doing instead of working?  Drinking a big glass of vino roso and blogging.  I don’t even want to begin to go into what I have to do this week and next.  Ok… never mind my suffocating mountain of work.  We can get to that later. J  Instead, I’d like to bask in recent memories with Alexa.  She is such a sweetheart full of love and kisses.  I’m so fortunate to be blessed with such a beautiful soul.  We’ve been busy since Daddy flew off to the Caribbean early morning Sunday.  We made reindeer (almost vegan), gluten-free carob chip sugar cookies from scratch, glitter sprinkled sea shell Christmas tree ornaments (glitter sprinkled Alexa, walls, floor, and Mommy too) and danced in our super fun tot music class.  We slid down slides and swang on swings.  We fed the otters, ducks and other things.  Books and “Elmo’s Christmas Countdown” are a fav.  These are all memories I will save.  We “adopted” three, 4-year old children from the Salvation Army for Christmas this year and bought them a small toy of their choice this morning.  I wish we had enough money to give everyone in the world some peace, shelter, love and a special toy for Christmas.

Busted!

It’s been a long, long time...

It’s been a long, long time, I’m sorry but I just couldn’t find the time or energy to blog.  Alexa has been very ill, first with a kidney infection, then with a horrible flu and finally with a devastating stomach illness.   Daddy had to travel twice for about half of the whole dreadful experience.  My concern for Alexa has been debilitating.  One Pediatric Urologist (one of the top in Florida) wants to perform surgery on her immediately, the other wants to wait and keep her on another 6 months to a year of Prophylactic antibiotics which I am sooo uncomfortable with.  The surgery would be a kind of c-section type surgery where they make an incision across her lower abdomen to replace the valves leading from her bladder to her kidney.  I, unfortunately, was forced to have a c-section when giving birth to Alexa and I do not wish that pain on anyone let alone my own little 19-month old daughter.  And if that 50-50 diagnosis wasn’t stressful enough, Alexa’s extremely severe diarrhea and vomiting over the last week coupled with her lack of fluid intake stressed me to no end that she may become deathly dehydrated.  Thankfully, Alexa is finally feeling much better after over 3 total weeks of Hell.  She is running, playing, smiling, eating, drinking, and creating marvelous artwork on paper as well as on seashells, our walls and all over herself. (Pictures to come)

Tomorrow morning I am running the Palm Beach half marathon which should be quite interesting since I haven’t run since Alexa became ill more than 3 weeks ago and the race website states “No iPods”.  WTF?!?!  Regardless of how difficult a 6am 13.1 mile run in 50 degree weather with no music might be, I am looking forward to getting out there and running none the less.  Thankfully I have a buddy or two to run with and in girlie fashion to chit chat with the whole time.  After my run, Alexa and I plan to make some vegan Christmas cookies and reindeer chocolate iced cupcakes.  Then, we will finish making our seashell Christmas tree decorations and decorate our Floridian tree.  Daddy is in the Caribbean so he won’t be here to enjoy our vegan sweetie baking, Christmas crafts and tree decorating.  Although I’m sure Alexa and I will have a blast tomorrow, it would be really nice to spend a week in the Caribbean with Daddy, then come back and make these Christmas delights together as a family.  Sigh.

Just as a heads up to my fellow bloggers… Sunday night, and pretty much the whole rest of the next 12 days, I will probably not be sleeping trying to get a 20 page content analysis written (due this Thursday), 2 presentations created and presented, take an Accounting final exam, write a 10 page Financial analysis on a public company, and write a course reflection paper all while working my regular job and taking care of Alexa alone.  Plus, I still have to find time to train for my next half marathon, so my blogging might be put on the back burner again.  Unless of course, I decide to procrastinate, which is a huge possibility.  I tend to procrastinate and then do whatever it takes last minute to create the most perfect A+ masterpiece.  Sleep is over rated.  These are the kinds of challenges I absolutely love.  Look out world… super Mom is on the loose again!

Home Sweet Home

We are home from the hospital and it feels like we’ve been gone an eternity.  Nasty mac ‘n cheese for every meal, room/bed confinement, poking, prodding, and even forcefully and repeatedly sticking things in Alexa’s precious little privates… Hospitals definitely have similar qualities to prisons.

WTF Happened, you ask?  Well, Alexa fell very ill this past week while George was in Europe.  After a few days home alone with Alexa’s scary high fevers and a few trips to her Pediatrician, she and I ended up in the hospital under unfavorable, yet suspected suspicions.  After more invasive caths, it has been determined that in fact Alexa has another severe kidney infection.  George flew back into town last night and met us at the hospital.  Presumably this kidney infection is bacteria introduced from her awful cath VUR scan tests earlier this month, but we don’t know yet for sure.  She’s had a few doses of IV antibiotics and feeling much better now.  The sleepless nights were exaggerated by our poor little 2 year old roommate very ill with some kind of respiratory thing, the constant vital sign checks to both girls, the super uncomfortable chairs George and I attempted to sleep on, and our roommate’s guardian’s horribly loud snoring.  Yes, we all had quite a rough night. Alexa “slept” on my chest the whole night.  She is very traumatized with this whole ordeal.  Thankfully, the hospital let us leave early and will call us in the morning to let us know what kind of bacteria the culture grew.  There is a possibility we could have to come back in for another dose or two of IV antibiotics on Sunday.  I pray that is not the case.

Thankfully Alexa is mostly in great spirits and is relatively quickly overcoming another severe kidney infection.  Unfortunately, however, this Hell is not over yet.  All this pain and torture has only resulted in more.  Her Urology Specialist is 99% sure he wants her to have surgery to correct her VUR and he wants her to undergo the surgery immediately, meaning within the next couple of weeks.  Enforcing the decision more, the specialist’s partner is 100% sure he wants her to have surgery immediately, meaning right now.  We have 8 days of the new antibiotic.  The Docs promise a decision before those 8 days are up.

8 days from now is November 28.  Our plans to surprise Christopher at his football playoff game November 30^th in Boston are now in question which is devastating for us since we never get to see Christopher and he is doing so amazing in football right now.  The 4^th of December, George is supposed to fly to Antigua for a week, then back home to us for a week, then off to the BVIs just before Christmas.  I’ve learned, the truth is, no matter what, there is never a good time to schedule ANYTHING in this yachtie lifestyle.  Of course, our children’s health is always priority.

Alexa is peacefully sleeping in her own bed now.  She is exhausted and asked to go to bed just after 6pm tonight.  After we had to pin her down to get her to take her new meds, she drank a big cup of vanilla almond milk and skeptically went to bed.  The whole thing is so heartbreaking.  I love and miss my baby.  I pray we aren’t breaking her spirit with all this.

George and I are exhausted too.  I am completely avoiding doing my Accounting midterm as well as my backed up graphic design work to write this blog while my handsome, Captain, (amateur Chef) hubby creates a masterpiece meal for the two of us.  My classes are now suffering, so looks like I will have my Master’s degree Spring time now instead of fall.  We are all a bit shook up at the moment and don’t really know what to make of all this.  Honestly, I am SCREAMING inside and really don’t know what to do with myself.  Thankfully we are home sweet home.

Co-sleeping

When George goes out of town, or even sometimes when he’s at home but vacant, I wish Alexa was snuggling up next to me in my big bed upstairs.  Lately I’ve considered buying bed rails and seeing if Alexa will sleep up there with me sometimes since she used to as an infant.  She’s so independent now and so happy in her own bed.  I miss my little peanut so much.  Is this normal?  Does anyone else feel like this?  I guess in our household the Mama has more separation anxiety than the baby.

We have so much to be thankful for. All of us.

It’s Sunday night.  Alexa is fast asleep after a day filled with swimming, football, outdoor adventures, books, and sticker fun.  I’m supposed to be working right now.  Ha!  Instead I am drinking a rather large glass of red wine, writing in my blog, trying to drown out my sorrows since George left the country this morning, yet again.  In typical Alyssa fashion, I let my stress and sadness get the best of me and become the culprit of bowing out on one of my most amazing girl friends night as we were supposed to attend the odd Roger Waters Pink Floyd the Wall Concert together.  She still went with another friend.  Glad she still enjoyed it, shame I missed it.  Funny enough, although it may look like quite the opposite at the moment, I’m actually looking forward to some time to myself this week.  I think I just needed today to be down.  Isn’t it okay to be down sometimes?  Contrary to most of my blog entries (I use my blog as an outlet), I tend to always try to keep busy or stay upbeat every day for me, for Alexa, for everyone, but maybe I deserve a day here and there to be sad.  Maybe I can even eat something bad when I’m sad like some salt and vinegar chips or something.  In the movies they eat ice cream.  As ironically as it sounds after mentioning my bowl of a glass of red wine and my random organic salt and vinegar chip fix, I am looking forward to a nice long week of veggie juice detox and full-on athletic training.  Oh and of course, as you know, coupled with loads of work, classes, bills, house work, and all the other day-to-day life shit we Americans attempt to cram into our lives.  If you know me at all and my packed ass schedule, you will be shocked to know I’ve been considering trying to squeeze in swimming lessons for Alexa (again), guitar lessons and French lessons for me, and even kite boarding lessons (something I’ve wanted to do since I was 25 years old).  My mother when she was visiting a few weeks ago said to me quite a few times how I need to stop always being in such a rush.  My life is always in such a rush, rushing to my next thing I’ve crammed into mine (and Alexa’s) busy ass day.  But that’s just it, besides a few things out of our control; this is mostly self inflicted stress.  I mean, it is so important to recognize how lucky we are to have our health, our youth (yes, that’s a state of mind), our family, and our friends.  I am grateful to have food on our plate and grateful for our jobs and our home.  There’s so much love surrounding our family (although our family is wide spread across the hemisphere at the moment) it would be selfish and disgraceful to constantly focus in on any of our petty superficial bullshit.  I know it is okay for me to deeply miss my husband in Amsterdam; my brother, niece, and nephew in Texas; my parents in Texas; my mother-in-law in New York; my beautiful daughters-in-law in London; my smart and talented son-in-law in Boston; and all my friends and family scattered about the world… but, thankfully, we are all connected through the amazing energy of love.  What if we were living in Haiti or New Orleans or Thailand when natural disasters hit and we lost each other and all that we knew of life?  What if we were “lower on the chain of life” as animals whose children are ripped away from them or homes are destroyed or lives are slaughtered for reasons of human entertainment or “gain” or land “development”?  What if.  We have so much to be thankful for.  All of us.

The Good, the Bad, and the Blessed

Good news, Alexa’s one side healed on its own.  Bad news, the other side has not improved at all and is still a severe grade 4 VUR.  Good news, doc is giving her 6 more months on daily antibiotics in the hopes something will change for the better.  Bad news, if there is still no change in 6 more months time, Alexa will need surgery.  Surgery at 24 months old.  I can’t bare to think about it.

Good news... most of our family and friends are healthy and we are blessed to be surrounded by so much love.

Butterfly Pumpkins

Imagine be forced to pin down your fully conscious, screaming and crying, 18 month old child motionless while a nurse shoves a long plastic tube up her urethra, fills her bladder with dyed liquid numerous times, and X-rays her for what seems like an eternity.  Actually, don’t try to imagine this scenario.  It is much to painful to even think about.  Absolute heartbreaking torture for our little one as well as for us, the parents forced to contribute to the suffering.  At one point, I couldn’t help but to yell at the radiologist “WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO HER?!?! SHE’S IN PAIN!!” and “CAN’T YOU JUST HURRY UP?!?!?”  Probably not good Alexa heard me freak out on the Doctor, but the whole experience was extremely upsetting for all involved.  Unfortunately, this is not the first time we’ve had to endure this pain and probably not the last.  According to the radiologist, her VUR condition is still very severe on her left side and although less severe on the right, the condition still exists on that side as well.  We will see her specialist next week to go over the results, but it’s not looking promising.

For the next few hours Alexa sporadically yelled out in pain, knees collapsing to the ground, every time she had to pee.  Although the catheter was removed, she was obviously still in massive amounts of pain as she clingged to me, digging her fingernails into my shoulders, trying to bear the agony.  It took everything for me to fight off tears and remain strong for her.

As the day went on, she began to feel better, thank God.  Later in the afternoon she felt well enough to help me carve a pumpkin.  Yes, I know we are a bit late for Halloween, but being in the yachting industry, Halloween time of the year is so hectic, we were lucky to even make it to one house trick-or-treating on the 31st.  Being that it is 5 days after Halloween, I lucked out on a delicious deal on a fantastically plump pumpkin from the farmers market.  The weather is amazing right now (high of 72 degrees and sunny), so we sat on the back terrace and carved a butterfly into the pumpkin.  And we scooped out all the seeds to make a fresh, baked pumpkin seed snack.

It’s another gorgeous, crisp, clear autumn day today in South Florida and we plan to make the most of it outdoors.  The goal is to live in the moment, show Alexa the time of her life, and not to think about the possibility of Alexa facing surgery in the near future to correct her VUR condition.  We are praying the specialist will deliver a more promising diagnosis when we see him next week.

Rainbows & Sunshine

After weeks of stress and chaos, I’m happy to post a blog full of rainbows and sunshine.  The 2010 FLIBS is officially over and was a success.  Rybovich Superyacht Marina and Shipyard, where my hubby and I both work, is beautifully busy all because my husband is THE MAN.  Caitlin is out of the hospital and feeling much better.  Most of her suspected ailments listed in my previous blogs were proven false, thank God, so now after one last healthy dose of IV antibiotics, she is happy and healthy and able to enjoy London once again and even a last trip to Amsterdam.  My mother has finally fully recovered as well.  Alexa loves school, is the star in her music class, and really loves this autumn pumpkin thing.  Autumn just happens to be my favorite season as well.  Although Halloween was rained out, Alexa was the most precious pink Pirate and got to trick or treat at one kick ass spooky house before it rained on our parade.  Alexa is full of “I love yous”, kisses, and hugs lately.  She’s so adorable!  It’s so nice to be able to spend time with my baby again.  She gets to enjoy her Daddy for another 9 days before he heads off to Amsterdam too.  Me… I’m gearing up to run another half marathon race with a yachtie mommy friend as well as enjoying a more manageable Graphic Design work load.  I started classes again last week.  They are difficult so far, but it will be so worth it to finally have an MBA this December.  Other than a few current unmentioned trails and tribulations, the Whitehouse family is full of rainbows and sunshine.

Alexa's Class Room - Halloween Dress Up day.  Alexa was a Dolphin's Cheerleader.

After weeks of being separated, Daddy surprised Alexa by Showing up for her School Costume Parade

Precious Pink Pirate heading out to trick-or-treat

Trick-or-treating at Kalea's house October 31.



Mystery Diagnosis & Florida Fall Season Yachtie Hell

George is now in London to be with Michelle and Caitlin during Caitlin’s mysterious medical complications.  Caitlin is in the hospital in London… again.  She has mono with an enlarged spleen, a throat infection, something going on with her kidneys and bladder, and a possible cracked rib.  We’ve decided she should be on the show “Mystery Diagnosis”.  I’m dying that I can’t be with her, but thankfully her father is with her and Michelle now.  Ironically, this time last year, Alexa was hospitalized with a severe kidney infection and after numerous painful and invasive tests, was diagnosed with grade 4 VUR.  I suspect Caitlin has this condition as well, but it was never diagnosed.  The treatment is usually surgery.  She sees a Urologist Monday.

To add to all this worry, a certain someone is putting extremely unrealistic and impossible demands on us financially and refusing to discuss it which is causing suffocating amounts of stress.  I don’t want to get into it in a blog, but I couldn’t help but to mention it since it has been like a disease enslaving most our thoughts and the culprit of many sleepless nights for a long time now.

With half our minds injected into our personal stresses, George and I have been so swamped with work.  George has been nonstop working in Spain and I have been nonstop working in Florida.  In between my chaos emergency graphic design projects, I worked the Rybovich crew party on Friday, the National Marine Poker Run Saturday, the SeaKeepers Party Saturday night, the Yacht Chandlers Party Saturday night after the SeaKeepers party, and the Dolphins game today.  I miss my little girl.  Thankfully I was able to take her to the game with me today, but tomorrow starts another day of chaotic fiasco Florida fall season yachtie hell and I have an Accounting Class starting tomorrow night as well.  Sadly, as I look ahead to my week, Tuesday night might be the ONLY night I will be able to tuck my little girl in bed until next Monday.  I’m heartbroken about this.  To make matters worse, we will be on week 2 of her not seeing her Daddy at all.  I miss my baby… both of them!

Two Saturday's ago Beach Morning while Daddy had to work

Visit in Texas with Cousin Ava (right) and friend Emily (center)

A goofy close-up in the Executive Box Seats at today's Dolphins/Steelers Game

Cheering on the Dolphins!

Spread Thin and Burning the Candle at Both Ends

I can barely breathe from stress and I my neck is so kinked up I can’t move my head without sending shooting pains up my neck and down my shoulder blades.  What’s causing this? A whole lot.  My poor mother and Caitlin are both very ill and I am worried sick about them.  Caitlin has mono, again, and her spleen is leaving her in pain and weak.  I feel horrible for her.  My mother is ill from a fevery sinus infection and some weird eye infection that looks really scary and feels just as bad as it looks.  And since Alexa and I have been around my mom, I’m worried about Alexa too.  I’m in Texas for a few days trying to visit with my family and friends before the boat show chaos starts, but obviously picked a very bad time to try to squeeze in a family visit.  How awful is that to even write?  “Squeeze in a family visit”… into my busy life… how horrible.  Family is everything!  So why can’t I tell my other obligations to fuck off?!?!  Or at least tell them to lay off a little bit so I can visit with my family every so often.  In between hours here and there visiting with family on this quick 3 day trip, I’ve been working like a mad woman on all these emergency graphic design projects for work.  I’ve been so busy trying to balance my poor sick mom, family visits, and work, I haven’t been able to visit with any friends.  Spread thin and burning the candle at both ends, I feel like I can’t give any part of my life my all.  Alexa and I fly back to Florida Thursday morning and I dive head first into the chaotic fiasco of Florida fall season yachtie hell.  Oh, and I start classes again on Monday.  I’m not sure how I’m going to possibly do it all.

Speaking of being separated from family… George is in Spain until next Tuesday.  Check out the picture he emailed me of the view from his hotel room.  “MUST BE NICE, GEORGE!  THANKS A LOT FOR THE NICE PHOTO OF YOUR PARADISE!”  All sarcasm aside, George works his butt off, never taking a day off, and deserves to have a party filled golfing work trip in gorgeous Palma, Spain for a week… I just wish Alexa and I could join him.  Instead, I’m going insane with trying to balance waaaaaay too much!  Too much work and not enough time in the day (or night).  Too many bills and not enough money.  Single yachtie mom-ism, but not being able to devote the time to Alexa that she deserves. Too much gross food and not enough exercise.  Too many ill loved ones and not enough time to be with them.  I’m drowning.

Now, let’s turn this around and upside down… life is peaceful.  Everyone is healthy.  Money is flowing freely and easily.  All bills are paid and debt is erasing.  Life is peaceful.  Alexa is happy.  Our family is together and our love for each other flows freely.  Fresh fruits and veggies are abundant and exercise is plentiful.  Life is peaceful.

Amazing sunset at our home a few days before our departure

First Day of School

Yesterday was Alexa’s first day of school for three whole hours without mom, (really two hours since I stayed with her for the first hour), and she despised it, or so she lead me to believe so.  “What’s up with this sitting down while I drink my juice crap” she said to me with her teary eyes and quivering lip.  “And where are you going Mama?!? Don’t leave me in this ‘dreadfully’ bright and cheery place with three other happy kids my age and loads of new toys to play with!”  Her “Day in Review” says “the most exciting part of my day was using glitter to decorate autumn leaves, music class, and the playground.  I loved the slide, five little ducks song, and building with soft blocks”.  The theme this week is learning all about autumn.  There’s a different theme each week for the kids to learn about.  When I picked her up, the Director was reading her a book and told me how Alexa loved playing instruments in music class but refused to wear her pirate hat.  With teary eyes, Alexa punished me by ignoring me for about 5 minutes when she saw me and her little lip quivered for the first half of the car ride home.  She doesn’t understand why I did this to her.   It was heartbreaking.  Despite her glowing “Day in Review” obviously she had a rough few hours and shed many tears.  A big part of me feels awful, like I’m breaking her spirit or abandoning her by bringing her to this school.  However, although Alexa doesn’t agree, I am confident this is a choice school.  Each day she will not only develop social skills being around other children her age, but this school also teaches language (English & Spanish), sensory/science, math, creative expression, and fine/gross motor skills.  Depending on the day, in between playground time, snacks, naps, and lunch, the kids her age attend media class, gym class, music class, center time, group circle, and art class.  Her 18 month old doctor’s check up (3 days early and accompanied by painful shots in her yummy thighs) prevents her from attending school today.  I’m sure after this morning’s doc appointment Alexa will think I am on a mission to torture her.  Beginning October 26, she will begin school three full days a week.  For now, it is little bits of school here and there so she can become familiar with everyone and everything.  Although I love my job, I can’t help but feel a little resentful about being forced to work so much.  I miss my baby already.

Balance...

What a gorgeous 10.10.10.  A little fun in the sun and waves Saturday with the fam, a delicious Saturday night date with my husband (the first since Valentine’s Day), a lovely Sunday brunch in Weston at Jenna’s, and a Sunday afternoon stroll through Mizner Park made for a wonderful weekend.  Now, a dose of bad news… Caitlin’s been sick trying to deal with shitty London health care while George and I helplessly await updates via bbm.  We are worried sick about her.  Alexa and I both caught a cold this week, but we seem to be on the mend.  I’m insanely swamped with work, but procrastinating in order to squeeze out a quick blog update.  I’m severely struggling with balancing work, school, mommyism, house wife “work”, exercise, sleep, bill management, and other financial obligations.

Essentially, in order to cross off at least a few items on my daily to-do list, it looks as though I’ve been forced to temporarily suspend my blogging, sleep, and apparently all forms of exercise.  Although I am frantically fighting full burnout, I see light at the end of this insane sleepless unbalanced tunnel.  After interviewing 10+ pre-preschools and 12+ potential babysitters this week, I finally found a suitable fit.  Finally, I can begin to achieve the balance in my daily life that I’ve been longing for and maybe even be a Super Mom who actually sleeps.  However, due to the fact it is Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show month and I start classes again later this month, the sleep still may not come for a while.  After this weekend I will most definitely have to pull an all-nighter tonight in order to get my work done for Monday morning.  This scenario will repeat itself numerous times over the next three months, but Alexa starting “school” part-time should help alleviate some stress.  Although, I’m going to miss my little munchkin dearly while she attends school, I think school will be good for both of us.  Maybe in between work and classes while Alexa is in school, I can squeeze in some runs again since I am supposed to run another half marathon November 14^th.  Alexa’s new schedule: Monday mornings Alexa has music class… Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday Alexa will be in school… Friday will be our girlie day (unless I have to work an event)… and Saturday am Alexa has swim class… Sunday is fun day with Mommy and Daddy (when Daddy is in town).  Actually next Sunday Alexa and I fly to Texas for a few days and Daddy goes to Spain.  The Sunday after next Daddy will still be in Spain.  And Alexa isn’t really starting school until October 26^th… Then it’s boatshow… why am I even trying to make a schedule?  S-s-s-s-Supermom who?

Rainbows

I started this blog site with every intent to write in it almost daily, yet it’s been September 17^th since my last confession.  Why have I slacked so badly?  First of all, my distance is due to the fact that I have been a single mother with full-time jobs and no babysitter or family to help for over 2 weeks.  (The joys of being a yachtie mom who lives far away from family).  I’ve also been overwhelmed with emotion about the sudden loss of my good friend’s sweet, free-spirited mother.  A remarkable young mother of only 60 who had an amazing life forced too early to leave behind 4 beautiful children and her loving husband of almost 40 years.  She sent her beautiful daughter, my good friend, a rainbow the other day.  And not just any ole’ rainbow… one that stretched from end to end over the ocean, bright and clear as can be.  “For you my love!  Mua! Mua! A rainbow for you!”



"Boozing" it up before heading out



Amidst the crazy work hours and this heartbreaking tragedy, I’m still determined to show Alexa the time of her life, daily, through 1000’s of kisses, hugs, and “I love yous”, and also recently kiddie playdates, a walk for farm animals, cheering at the Dolphins/Jets game in executive box seats, seeing most of “Sesame Street Live” at the theatre, and dancing to some tunes in a tot music class.  Her smile, her laughter, is my reason for living.

Daddy came home Wednesday night.  Yaaaay!  Alexa and I are thrilled to have him home.  Now if my damn work would leave me alone for at least half a day so I can spend some time with my family, that would really be nice!  I think I’ll be playing hooky this weekend (at least during the day while G and Alexa are awake).  A family Saturday picnic at the beach and a BBQ football party with friends at our house on Sunday sounds really perfect.  Oh, and I’m running a 10K Sunday morning to raise money for the Boys and Girls Club.  The weather looks like typical South Florida weather.  Maybe sunshine, maybe some showers… Maybe, we’ll see a rainbow.





"Dolphins Party is Suite'r" Go Dolphins! (Too bad they lost)

Don't mess with my "Tofurky"!

Imagine There Was No Tomorrow



Nathalie's Mom (this summer)



Nathalie and her parents (this summer 2010)

A good friend of mine is suffering.  Her mother, (her best friend), suddenly went into cardiac arrest this weekend and it is uncertain if she will make it.  It’s heartbreaking.  I don’t know what to write except for this prayer.  “God, please help to give Nathalie’s Mother the strength to pull through.  She is young, strong, and vibrant and her family needs her.  However, if you should feel it is her time to go, please ease her suffering and help her to come to you in peace.  And please give her family strength to get through these hard times.”  I’m shaking as I write this.  It puts everything in perspective.  I want to call everyone I love and tell them how much they mean to me.  I want to do this every day.  Imagine there was no tomorrow.  Although I know we will all have to deal with losing our mother (my best friend) some day, I can’t imagine loosing my mother…right now.  It would be devastating.  I love you Nathalie.  I’m so sorry you and your family are suffering.  I’m sending you so much good energy and love.  I am here for you always!

My Mom.  "I LOVE YOU MOM"

“Imagine there was no tomorrow

Imagine that I couldn’t see your face

 There’d be no limit to my sorrow

So all I can say

I wanna tell you something

Give you something

Show you in so many ways

Cause it would all mean nothing

If I don’t say something

Before it all goes away

Don’t wanna wait to bring you flowers

Waste another hour

Let alone another day

I’m gonna tell you something

Show you something

Won’t wait til it’s too late

Imagine there was no tomorrow

Imagine that I couldn’t see your face

There’d be no limit to my sorrow

Cause there is nothing that can fill this space

I wanna tell you something

Give you something

Show you in so many ways

Cause it would all mean nothing

If I don’t say something

Before it all goes away

Don’t wanna wait to bring you flowers

Waste another hour

Let alone another day

I’m gonna tell you something

Show you something

Won’t wait til it’s too late”

- Alicia Keys (part of "Tell You Something")

Left Behind

9pm on a Friday night, Alexa is asleep and I’m already in my PJs contemplating if I should work on some of my many pending Graphic Design projects (something I do most nights after Alexa is asleep), or work on my yachtie moms website, or get off this damn computer for once just to chill out alone on my couch, maybe with a glass of red wine and dark vegan chocolate and rent a movie.  When I am home and Daddy is away, this is my lonely life.  What makes it worse is that my “other half” isn’t just working by day in Monaco, France, Italy, Spain, Amsterdam, the Caribbean, Dubai, or where ever he might be at the time, but he is also expected to “work” at night.  You see, a big part of this job is entertaining the rich, fabulous, and others yacht industry people who are biting at the chance to get a piece of the pie.  Although I am over the whole going out EVERY night thing, somehow knowing that my husband is still very much actively participating in this lifestyle makes it harder on me.  I appreciate and welcome some solitude, but Daddy G is gone for work most of the time.  For example, he’s been in Europe since the beginning of June and will not return to us until September 29^th.  (Thankfully we were able to spend 2 and a half of those months with him in Europe on the company dime).  Mid October he is traveling back to Spain for a week then coming back to a full-on week of Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show day/night work.  In November, he will be in Amsterdam and Germany.  In December, he will be in St. Maartin and Antigua for 10 days.  In early 2011, he will be gone for 3+ months in the Caribbean, back in Florida for a month (if we’re lucky), then off to the Mediterranean again for 4 to 5 months.  One thing about this amazing, traveling, yachtie lifestyle is that when you are left behind, it can be quite lonely sometimes.

What a great way to start the day…

There’s this life that most of us live trying to make it on time to appointments, writing blogs, facebooking, traveling to “distant” lands, working at jobs, worrying about gaining a few pounds, worrying about money, striving to live up to societal (or parental) standards, struggling to find “balance” and then there’s right now.  Where you can exist in the deep penetrating emotional connection where none of that other stuff matters, in a web of connecting energy forever blending us to everything and into one another.  As adults (whatever that really means) we search (some consciously, some unconsciously) for “happiness”.  We try to find balance in the chaos and make since of all the distractions surrounding us sifting through years of manipulations to somehow gain back our innocence while preserving our hard earned wisdom.  Absorbing the enormity and elfin of our existence, as Alexa and I gaze over the vast ocean at sunrise on the beach this morning, felt both comforting and confining.  However, before my emotions began to drown me, I became distracted with the challenge of photographically capturing this flawless, open, pure soul dancing among a flawless, open, pure ocean sunrise.  One juicy watermelon sliver and 184 photos later, I joined Alexa dancing among the wind and morning sun rays, sharing the soft sand between our fingers and toes, bouncing together in the bravura ocean waves, just being in the energy, the love, the moment, the now, together.  What a great way to start the day…

I left Florida with a baby and returned with a little girl

I type away tonight deliriously tired.  As you can imagine, once you finally make it back, it takes days to get everything in order with the house (and yourself) after being gone so long.  Holly guacamole, that was a long trip back to Florida!  17 hours total travel time.  All things considered, Alexa did absolutely amazing.  I’ve been blessed with a smart, little, sweetheart, hug muffin who’s also a terrific traveler and expert gamer.  Today is Alexa Capri Shannon Whitehouse’s 17 month birthday anniversary and in her short life she’s traveled to New York, Massachusetts, Maine, Texas, Antigua, St. Maartin, France, Italy, and Monaco (some of those places numerous times).  She swam in turquoise Caribbean and Mediterranean waters, danced in the winter snows in Texas, climbed glacier French/Switzerland mountains, and dined at the finest French Riviera restaurants.  This is what makes it all worth it.

I knew Alexa changed quite a bit while in Europe these past few months, but being back in our Florida home just proves it to me even more.  She’s outgrown most of her toys and clothes and… well… she’s just so grown up compared to 2 and a half months ago.  I left Florida with a baby and returned with a little girl.  She says at least 3 new words a day repeating the last word of just about all my sentences.  She’s easily saying 50+ words (some in French), so many I can’t even begin to try to count, but I’ll try...  Mama, Dada, friends, girl, hi, ball, kick, up, off, on, light, cat, dog, duck, giraffe, baaaa (sheep), mooo (cow), chick, horse, pig, fish, ox (oc for a singular ox), one, two, three, five, six, eight, nine, eyes, mouth, ears, hair, nose, arm, feet, no, yes, bath, beach, love, hug, I love you, chair, juice, milk (guck), cup, clap, hat, book, blocks, stack, stairs, walk, step, shoes, apple, broccoli, cheese, the list goes on and on… She knows almost the whole alphabet and the sounds each letter makes as well.  She knows some of her colors and can match every shape.  She knows all the animals and most of our body parts.  She understands EVERYTHING we say to her and can even read.  But the most amazing thing of all, she can operate my iPhone perfectly, sorting through her pre-school apps picking and choosing the games she wants to play while purposefully avoiding my “boring” apps, already practically mastering each of her numerous pre-school games.  I’m not writing this to brag about my little genius, but instead creating a log for myself of her development.  Something I can look back on when she’s grown - cherish the memories - and also share this blog with her when/if she has a little one of her own one day.

Wow! What a Great Weekend.

Antibes

Wow! What a great weekend with the girls. Just as suspected, Alexa was happy as a clam to be around her big sisters again. Antibes spoiled us with lavender, spices, olive oil, mueles, frites, tiramisu, and cappuccinos. Then, following an afternoon cruise through the charming village of Eze, Daddy G cooked a fabulous eggplant parm which we all enjoyed on our beautiful Monaco terrace overlooking the marina for the perfect close to our first day together. A beach lunch, merry-go-rounds, and glitter sand filled our Saturday in hoity toity Cannes. Carnivorous bees joined us that evening for a gorgeous curry dinner on the terrace back in Monaco. The last day was a pizza, palace, poker Sunday in Monaco strolling through the gardens overlooking the Mediterranean Sea so lovely. Wow! What a great weekend with the girls. Caitlin and Michelle are back in London now, but not for long… Scotland, Paris, and Dublin are on their itinerary for the next three weeks with many more destinations to follow. My itinerary now consists of one destination, Florida. Hot, green, luscious, Florida with all the conveniences I’m used to, territory I’m familiar with, and people who speak English (mostly). Florida, home. I’m packing up two and a half months worth of mine and Alexa’s crap today. Alexa and I head home tomorrow. Home. “Home”. What does that word really mean to me? Is Florida my home since I own a house there and I have friends there? Or is Texas really my home since I grew up there and my friends, brother, mother, father, niece, and my 13-day-old baby nephew who I haven’t had a chance to meet yet are there? Have I really ever felt like I have a home or should this traveling soul confess the world is my home? Actually, George and Alexa are my home. So then, I’m not really going home, am I? I’m already home. As a matter of fact, Alexa and I are leaving part of our home in Monaco tomorrow when we step onto that plane. But George will be home soon. Home is where the heart is. Regardless, I can’t help but excitingly shout, “FLORIDA, HERE WE COME!”

Eze

Back Packing in Eze

Sisters in Monaco

Riding the Merry-Go-Round in Cannes