Casa Herrera

Pray for us!

2009-02-09T21:28:00.004-07:00

On our way to the post office this afternoon, we passed a grand and spired church. Max said, "Look mommy, a castle!" I explained that it was not a castle, but rather a pretty church...which led to a talk about what happens in churches (praying) and why people pray (to make wishes that the people we love are happy).

Afterwards, I asked him, "Do you understand what praying means?" He said, "Yes, mommy, it is like going to the potty."

Max is May's favorite person, thing or activity. Hands down. Nothing at all comes even close. When he gets close and puts his face by hers, she reaches out with her little hands and grabs his hair and face while belting out these heavenly screeches, screams and sighs. She only makes those noises for him. When he's around, he is all she wants to look at. It is the sweetest, most innocent and true love I have ever seen.

What a blessing they both are to me. My little living prayers to the world (potty included).

May 4 mos.

2009-01-27T13:47:00.002-07:00

12 lbs 13 oz.
45% length
30% weight
55% head circumference

I hope her genetics don't weigh her down (literally) with time. Poor thing. I'll remind her when she's 30 that she was skinnier than most when she was a baby.

Terrible Twos

2009-01-23T22:15:00.002-07:00

Up until the past month or so, we have been spared the Terrible Twos. Now, well, there is a marked uptick in the general household volume level, what with the constant screaming, crying, protesting, throwing oneself on the floor and rolling around, etc. All the dog wants these days are not treats and ear scratches, rather just some peace and freaking quiet. He's planning to run away to the pound.

Whatever I want him to do is exactly what he doesn't have any intention of doing. Today (and everyday), asking him to sit on the potty was met with "NO MOMMA, I won't do that NEVER, EVER, EVER!" To my, "Max, let's go to the park and play," is his "NO! I no want to go!" To my, "You can have some ICE CREAM if you put on your shoes," is his "NO, NO, NO! I not do that."

His life is so defined by "no" and "I not like" that tonight, while reading "The Snuggliest Snuggle in the World", he had to tell me how much he didn't like each animal on every page, while otherwise thoroughly enjoying the story. It went like this...Crocodile's snuggles were too snappy.... "Momma, I no like Croc-o-dyels. They too sharp!" and "I no like High-ee-na. They go to zoo!" It was kind of funny, as well as great insight into his mind right now.

Meanwhile, May is sweet as can be. She has started vocalizing. I want to get it on tape because it is such a sweet sound. She coos, laughs, sighs and just is as cute and lovely as can be. She is growing so fast she is busting out of most of her little clothes. I bought her a few new outfits today. She is officially 4 mos. old today. While Max is doing his routine, she just sits quietly and watches, entralled. Probably making mental notes on how to perfect driving the parents crazy.

I have a job interview Monday. Ugggg.

Yes We Can

2009-01-20T10:14:00.002-07:00

Hail to the Chief. God bless #44.

Cowboy hats

2009-01-15T09:23:00.002-07:00

Yesterday, as is our routine, Max, May and I went to Story Time at the library. The librarian did a cowboy theme because the National Western Stock Show is happening right now in Denver. She read western-theme books to the kids, gave them little stickers with horses on them and had a huge selection of cowboy hats for the kids to wear. Each child picked out his/her own hat to wear during the stories.

Max picked out a brown "felt" cowboy hat that was heavy and adult size, so it hung on his head like a bowl. He thought the hat was really cool and sat on the floor by me eagerly listening to the stories and doing everything the librarian asked (like say "yeehaw!" at certain points). This is different because usually he loses interest and wants to run around the room.

Then it was time to do the Hokie-Pokie...every time they "turned themselves around", Max's body and head would do the 360 turn, but the cowboy hat never moved! It stayed looking forward regardless of what direction the head under it was doing. Hilarious.

For some people, the sky is pink

2009-01-05T15:19:00.002-07:00

Despite our recent business failure, the entrepreneurial spirit is still strong with my husband. God bless him for it too. If ever there was an eternal optimist, it's him. It is one of his strongest and most alluring traits. I can always rely on him to boost my spirits when I despair and point out the silver lining in any cloud.

He continues to troll the "business for sale" websites just out of curiosity. The other day, he saw a business for sale somewhat near the area he grew up in Cleveland. It was a pizza delivery business run out of the lobby of a 500+ unit apartment complex. The sale price was super cheap (the guy had a heart attack and needed to unload the biz fast) and showed a respectable profit....

My husband immediately thought of his brother, who has crappy job he hates and needs to make more money. He loves to cook and has experience in the restaurant business. This gig sounded like a perfect opportunity and the price was minimal compared to the pay off. So, he gives him a call and pitches the idea. At first, he is excited and agrees to give the prospect some thought. After a day, he calls back to tell Hubby he's not interested because the customers would be black people. My husband said he expected his unambitious brother to pass for any number of reasons, such as fear, lack of funds, too much energy/work commitment, etc., but never something so small-minded and silly as the customers' skin color. Dumbass.

Still in shock, he moves on to his friend who lives in the same area...he pitches the idea...his friend is receptive, but changes the subject because he has an even better business idea. "Let's invest in an Internet porn site together!" This is the second time in five years this friend has tried to get my husband to help him start his own porn site. What?!

He said as he hung up the phone, he had this weird epiphany about who he is now versus 10 years ago, when the responses from these two people might have made perfect sense.

Resolutions

2009-01-03T13:31:00.002-07:00

I like the idea of New Year's resolutions, but I've never been good at making good ones. They're usually too general, such as "I want to be a better person," or "lose weight." This year, I'm going to try to be more realistic as well as specific and see if that helps my rate of success and satisfaction.

1. Live in the moment. I want to enjoy every free moment to its fullest with my kids. Instead of just keeping them busy so I can get something else done, I'm going to forget that "something else" (which is usually something like laundry or dishes) and really BE with them. They're growing up so fast.

2. Document. Yes, they are growing up fast, so I want to make sure I'm getting it all down so that I can remember all the cute questions, discoveries, lessons and hugs when they are gone from me. Photos, blog entries, baby books.

3. Take care of myself too. I've definitely "let myself go" since Max was born. A few reasons for that are learning to be a mom at the same time as opening a business, learning to run it/market it, had another baby, etc. Now it is time to return to taking better care of myself on every level.

That means excercising, eating better, possibly going back to school or finding an interesting part-time job. Maybe Adrian and I can even take dance lessons or something. It is time to think about what, besides loving and caring for my kids, I want to do with the rest of my life. At 35 years old, it's certainly important to start checking more items off my "things I want to do before I die" list.

4. Re-connect. I can be a hermit. I resolve to be more social this year. I will reach out to friends I haven't seen in a while and try to spend more time with friends and family.

I think that's more than enough to keep me busy until next year.

Happy 2009

2009-01-01T11:52:00.003-07:00

Wow, 2009 has got to be better for us (and pretty much everyone I know) than '08. The world will not miss the Bush years, and that's an understatement. Thank God for the one bright spot of '08...the birth of little May.

Max has a new black eye...from riding a tricycle down the stairs at Solanki's on Tuesday.

We went to Woodhouse's last night for New Year's festivities. Max didn't go to sleep until 11:30 p.m.! May slept until 10 a.m. this morning.

We are going to Koga's today for the New Year's feasting...as soon as Max gets up from his napper. He is currently jacking around in his room...so I have to go in and yell at him.

Long time, no write

2008-12-30T09:38:00.005-07:00

So, it has been a year since Casa Herrera's last post. I had to stop because our lives (mine, in particular) became too frantic for me to find the time, heart or desire to blog about what was going on. With the centerpoint of that anxiety and stress gone (CBW) as of Dec. 12, I can now return to Casa Herrera and write about what is really important to me...my husband, children, friends.

As I sit here, I now find that there is SO MUCH to talk about that I don't know where to start.

Max is 2 1/2 and a very sweet, caring, rambunctious, contrary, energetic, hilarious boy. BOY all over. He can't just walk, he has to run, skip, jump and roll where ever he's going and during whatever he's doing. There is no sitting still. Even now, he is in my room watching "Mine Spirit" (that is, "Spirit, Stallion of the Cimmaron" Disney movie) and I can hear him jumping on the bed.

May Anita is our new little daughter (3 mos. old Dec. 23) and she is an absolute joy. She is such an easy baby...good natured, only cries when tired or hungry and started sleeping through the night on Dec. 16. Wahooo! She is so beautiful. I can't wait to get to know her like I do my Max and hear her voice, ideas and thoughts.

This morning, Max saw Brian Boitano ice skating on the Today show. He said, "Uncle Jonathan is ice skating Mamma?" I guess he thinks Jonathan looks like a gay gold medalist ice skater. Hmmm.... LOL!

Christmas was wonderful. We had Jonathan, Cody, A. Diane and Rupal/Deetya over for Xmas Eve dinner, then Christmas Day we opened gifts, played with toys and watched movies all day. The day after, we piled in the car and went to Pueblo for sledding and visiting.

May found her fingers Dec. 4.

Max says things like, "I go pee pee in my Maters mommy," which means he peed in his pull-ups that have the Cars character Mater on the front.

Or, with no apparent context to what we're doing or where we might be going, "Orca whales bite me on the fingers and penguins too," then "Mommy never ever ever let orcas bite me."

Or, when Dad comes home from work, "Daddy wearing his monkey suit? He went to work pay monies."

Or, when talking to my mom on the phone, "Grandma Bocka, I come to your house. We feed bocka-bockas, get eggs (eggthss), cats (cathsss), okay? Huh-huh, yep."

For Christmas, he sat on Santa's lap and asked him for rootbeer and applesauce for Christmas. Then he said, "So how is Rudolph? He play reindeer games."

Or, when May is crying, "Mommy! May cryin'! She need milk NOW! Feed her milk NOW!" then he tries to put her pacifier in her mouth and says, "It okay May May, Mommy comin'." He is the sweetest boy ever made. And he's mine.

Today's notes

2007-12-19T11:24:00.000-07:00

To-dos and notes for today:

Take a shower (it is now 11:24 a.m.)
Drink more coffee
Unload/load dishwasher
Threaten to kill dog with a butcher knife if he doesn't stop barking at the UPS man
Wash, dress and feed Max once he wakes from nap
Go to Costco, stock up on food/supplies for X-mas Eve dinner and in-laws visit
Come home, do laundry and chase Max around the house
Make dinner
Order husband around
Laugh as Adrian and Max wrestle and play "Herrera Soleil" acrobatics
Read with Max
Put Max to bed
Lay on the couch and relax
Go to bed

Our little hurricane

2007-12-10T12:04:00.000-07:00

So, it's been awhile. I know, I know. Disappointments all around and chastisements from friends/family. Cut us some slack. We are new business owners, are the daily victims of a 17-month-old, and, between emergencies and Maxie kisses, sometimes don't even have time to shower every day.

The business is doing better and getting busier every day. We were full for the Thanksgiving holiday week (65 doggies), and will be full again for the Christmas/New Year holidays (at least 70 dogs...meaning, more multi-dog families staying in a single cabin). There is a new crisis every day though...which I understand is a side-effect of owning your own business. The buck stops here. Today's crisis involves our heating system.

We are now calling Max "The Hurricane" as he literally spins at top speed throughout the house, causing mayhem and distruction where ever he goes. It is very much like in the cartoons, where the character's arms are moving so fast they are a blur, with shreds and bits of furniture, paper and debris flying all around. The three other members of the household (including the dog) are exhausted by the time Max goes to bed.

Yesterday he was so full of energy, and it was too cold to go outside for long, that he was chasing the poor dog (who is now 72 in dog years) around the house and pushing him out of his bed everytime he tried to lie down. Deion gets no peace, but neither do we, so we expect him to do his part in the effort as well.

Which brings me to the topic of school. Max's first day at school is tomorrow. He's going to go for five hours a week (one half day), mainly to give him some learning variety and to socialize with other kids his age. He LOVES other kids and, espcially during the winter, will benefit from having an indoor Hurricane haven where he can run wild and have fun.

It has taken me a few weeks to be "okay" with the idea of this. Everytime Adrian and I talk about it, I get all choked up. I know it is silly, but the idea of leaving him with "strangers" and driving out of the parking lot makes my throat tighten. I have no doubt, however, that Max will love this new experience and I really like the school.

September update

2007-09-17T14:32:00.000-06:00

Gosh, I hope in the near future I will be able to post more than just monthly updates. Maybe I will be able to fit in another before October rolls around.

With the new business, our lives have pretty much revolved around Greeley and CBW since July. For shame, but I haven't even found time to be gracious and send thank-you notes to all the friends/family that honored us by giving Max a gift for his 1st birthday. Also, I believe we missed Baby Joey's 1st birthday as well. We suck.... We will try to do better. We do love and think of everyone though.

Max is doing great. He's either running, climbing the furniture, rifling through the kitchen cabinets (containing pots and plastic), ordering us around or sleeping. It is good to be Max.

Any desire for political sparring and controversial discussion-making has been more than beaten out of me by the daily grind of dealing with the antics of employees, customers and partners. The dogs are the easiest, and most pleasant, part of the business by a large margin. Woof, woof.

Having said that, my absolute belief that GWB has his head up his arse is unwaivering. At last count of hands, only 30 percent of Americans disagree with me. I usually can't bear to watch the news or read the paper anymore because the war is so depressing. Worse than Vietnam because this "enemy" isn't even defineable...it's not the organized communists with an army; it is a bunch of religious whackos running around with guns, swords and explosives. But, all that is analyzed ad-nausem by the media, politicians and pundits. No need to rehash the insanity here. There seems to be no answer to the problem. We will be like the Soviets in Afganistan during the 80s. (Oh yeah, we really ARE like them because we are bogged down in that country as well.) So much to look forward to in the world.

Otherwise, it is turning into a beautiful autumn in Colorado. The leaves are starting to turn, the zuchinis in my garden are enormous and the tomatoes are still going wild. My mom's garden produced so much basil (she planted 10 plants) that she has been able to make several quarts of homemade pesto that she freezes. Last year we enjoyed it throughout the winter and look forward to again this year.

I'm going to Stephanie's book club meeting Thursday evening. I haven't read the book, but will get the Cliff Notes. Mostly, it will be fun to go to the meeting. I haven't done much with friends/family lately. Also, I will be doing Steph's raku pottery class on Sunday. It was SOOO much fun last year.

Visit from China

2007-08-14T07:24:00.000-06:00

My step-dad, who lives in China, is here visiting until Thursday. He has been living in China since September of 1996. He is the manufacturing/sourcing/quality control liaison for Lowe Alpine Systems, makers of rugged outdoor-wear, climbing equipment and backpacks. As such, he travels extensively in Asia, visiting factories, etc.

He always has hours of interesting stories to tell us about life in Asia and his travels. A lot of the stories are such that one would think you'd read about in a newspaper or see on the nightly news, but because of the communist government censorship, the information is prevented from being reported. And if it is reported, God help the poor journalist who dared to think it news fit to print/broadcast. I imagine their newspapers must be similar to National Enquirer and TV news broadcasts like watching E Extra or Entertainment Tonight...because what else is there to talk about if not what is actually going on?

For example, I recently heard another report on NPR about food safety in China. One of the subjects was a Beijing street-side food vendor that was making "bbq pork dumplings" mainly out of cardboard. He would find used cardboard in dumpsters or on the street, chop it up, put it in a vat with some solvents to soften it up and reduce it to a pulpy soup, then he added the bbq spices and a little bit of pork...and voila!..the cheap stuffing for his dumplings. This guy, when pursued by the Chinese journalist, not only admitted his recipe, but showed the journalist how it was done. He has pictures and audio recordings.

I asked my step-dad whether he had heard that story. Indeed, it was the talk of the nation...except not why you would expect. He said the government arrested the journalist for publishing lies. He is still in jail and they will not release him until he swears he made the whole thing up. Everybody believes the story, except the government.

Also, as you may have heard on the news (I did), China recently had some hefty flooding due to torrential rain. Local residents to the flooded area, which is quite massive, report hundreds of people missing and/or dead. The government has censored the information, and is not searching for the missing and/or dead. Sheds a new light on FEMA, don't it?

God bless America.

Grand Opening, ER

2007-08-10T09:33:00.000-06:00

Since Camp Bow Wow opened, life has been in overdrive. While I have been able to establish somewhat of a "work" routine (I work two regular Camp shifts per week), I still spend nearly every waking moment marketing or thinking about marketing. Our Grand Opening party is August 25, for which I'm in charge of planning and orchestrating. Newspaper ads have been running in the Tribune since July 20 and radio spots on K99 (99.1 FM), TRI 102.4 FM and another station begin Monday.

For the record, the newspaper ad money has been wasted. We've gotten a measurable zero response from the ads. Apparently, no one reads the newspaper anymore, unless it's online where the paper advertisements aren't posted. We are hoping for a much better response from radio. Otherwise, ALL of our current customers have found us via the Internet and word-of-mouth. Consequently, I've spent hours trying to optimize our website and Internet presence without paying a service to do it for me. As they say, time is money, so this time investment on my part had better pay off.

For the Grand Opening party, K99 will be doing an onsite live-broadcast remote. We'll also have several vendors with booths, including Weld County Humane Society, Second Chance Rescue, Canidae dog food, Greeley Chamber of Commerce, Qdoba, IntaJuice and some others. We'll be doing facility tours as well as running a doggy photo booth (get your picture taken with your dog) and a doggy "bobbing for hotdogs" pool. Whew! Please send me your prayers and positive energy that we'll have hundreds of people and great response.

If you're reading this and within 4 hours of Greeley, I expect you to come. No whiny excuses like "I don't have a dog," or "I don't even live in the state." Unacceptable. You should be there to support me.

MAX
Where does little Max fit into all this? Well, he's been logging in a lot of grandma and daddy time. As a result, it seems to me that he has grown up overnight. He is doing all sorts of new and crazy things...like learning by observation how to flush the toilet, turn on/off the computer, open/close and turn on/off the dish washer, point the TV remote at the TV and change stations/volume, etc. Tomorrow he will be driving the car.

He also understands nearly everything you say to him, except with the selective hearing filter he inherited from his father. So, while he immediately responds to "let's go for a walk," "time to take a bath," and "do you want some ice cream," he completely ignores "no," "get out of the dog food bowl," and "time to pick up your toys." Hmmmm.

FINGER INJURY
Yes, LaDawn, you heard right. Max logged in his first trip to the ER a few weeks ago. We were at Camp and I was working in the back while Adrian was in the lobby checking email and surfing the 'Net. Max was crawling around in a gated area (under the close supervision of his dad) and found the only thing available in which to stick his finger...the 3"X3" metal fan mounted in the lobby desk to exhaust the heat from the computer. Imagine a CuisineArt chopping blade.

Luckily, it didn't chop his finger clean off, but it did slice a gory swath of skin and nail from the top of his left index finger. I won't bore you with the ER trip details, as I'm sure you can imagine the chaos, screaming and tears (both his and mine).

Boy parts, Camp funnies

2007-07-25T10:18:00.000-06:00

Since Max turned 1, we can hardly keep up with his physical and intellectual development. Every morning we seem to wake up to a new little person.

Walking: While he has had the skills to walk since mid-June, he has chosen to continue crawling unless under duress (like being stranded in the yucky grass). Since Monday, he's gained the confidence to walk unassisted from one toy, parent or piece of furniture to another. Big silly grin, arms outstreched and waving around in the air...he looks like a goofy monkey. Sweetest thing ever.

Boy parts: Also Monday, we were in the backyard playing (naked) in the baby pool, when...schazzzamm!...he looked down and saw this thing hanging off his body. After several pulls, pinches, grabs and probes, he was delighted to learn that it was officially attached to himself and he could access it at will. He then started carefully draping things over it...such as tree leaves and cups. Later, I entered his room after a nap to find he had taken all his clothes off, including diaper, to investigate his new fun toy some more. Hmmmm....

Camp funnies: If you can't laugh at yourself, who can you laugh at?! Yesterday, I had my first official working shift at Camp. I'll be doing two shifts a week (as will Barb and Deniece) to stay "in the know" with our day-to-day operations, etc. The rest of my work time will be spent marketing, etc. It was a like a Benny Hill skit. During my shift, the security alarm went off and I didn't have the shut-off code, I locked myself and a dog in the dog-wash area until I was rescued by an employee 20 minutes later, a little poodle named Lucky tried to bite me twice (I deserved it), then I got tangled in the shop-vac extension cord while running toward the lobby to greet a customer. By the end of the six-hour shift, my hair was wild, black mascara smeared, my clothes were filthy from top to bottom, and I had bruises on both knees from the extension-cord attack. Our $7.50/hr employees, on the other hand, were calm, clean and smirking. They can't wait to be around to watch my next Camp shift. Har-de-har-har.

Now Open

2007-07-19T20:53:00.000-06:00

Today was our first day open to the public. We had two doggy interviews and we have appointments for another two tomorrow. Multiply that by 10, and we'll be on our way to breaking even for the day. :-) But, as Hubs likes to tell me, "Slow and steady wins the race," so I will try not to be impatient.

To all the prank callers (Joe), I'm on to you.

I spent the afternoon doing marketing visits at vet offices all over town. One in particular drives me nuts. Nice vet with a great facility, but his receptionist is a total bee-atch, plus she looks like Jabba the Hut (hmmm, maybe I'd be cranky too if I looked like that).

I haven't seen much of Max this week, but apparently he's being appropriately fed and watered by Grandma. Also, I missed Steph's book club meeting. Sorry.

By the looks of this picture, I need to get a little sun.

Parties

2007-07-15T22:03:00.000-06:00

Max had two birthday parties this year...one in Cleveland and one here at home. Fun, fun, fun, but we are all glad the parties are over until next year. Now mommy has a gazillian thank-you notes to write. The nice thing is they will all be sincere, as so many people were very generous with their gifts, time and sentiments.

Special thanks and love to Auntie Allison and the Cleveland Casa, as well as my mom and Godmudder Stephanie.

Certificate of occupancy!

2007-07-12T13:11:00.000-06:00

Today the city of Greeley granted us our Certificate of Occupancy for Camp Bow Wow. We will start our employee training Monday and will be open for business Thursday.

We signed our franchise agreement September 2005, so this has been a long haul.

Yahoo! Now the real work begins...right?

Woof woof

One Year

2007-07-10T03:38:00.000-06:00

Today, at 3:31 a.m., begins my baby boy's first birthday.

Words cannot describe the feelings I have remembering the moment he was born nor the past 12 months of adventure with him. All I can say is he is my pride, joy and daily reminder that there is a God and he is good.

May you all be as blessed as we are.
Then...

Now!!

Ewwwwww

2007-07-06T15:16:00.000-06:00

Sorry for the blogging hiatus. Let me catch you all up on the past week at Casa Herrera....

Thursday, June 28 -- Grandma Mary babysat Max while I did some work at CBWG in the afternoon and then attended a Chamber of Commerce "business after hours" event at the Harley Davidson dealership across the street from Camp. I schmoozed with the business folks for a few hours and was home by 7:30 p.m. I walk in to find Grandma Mary and Daddy Junkfood feeding my baby son Kentucky Fried Chicken original recipe with all the fixins'. Also, Max went swimming in the backyard that afternoon and apparently consumed a fair amount of pool water.

Friday, June 29, 6 a.m. -- I enter Max's room to find poop ALL OVER his crib, blankets, face, hair, inside his ears, and any other surface the poo could cling to.

The faucet-butt (pardon the graphic visual) diarrhea continued unabated for the next days. Sunday, in a moment of very poor judgement, we decided to risk getting out of the house and went to Red Robin for dinner. Five minutes after we ordered, Max looked at me and uttered a little grunt, then I heard a splash on the floor. I don't think I need to describe here what the next 20 minutes in the restaurant looked or smelled like...let's just say it was worse than the Pachyderm House at the zoo.

We did our best cleaning everything and everybody up and got the heck out of there. We went straight to Urgent Care, where the doctor told us he was basically fine, not dehydrated, looked good, and we just had to wait out whatever was going on.

Miraculously, and I do mean that, the problem stopped in time for the plane ride to Cleveland to visit the Herrera grandparents. Literally, Monday night he was still sick and Tuesday he was not. I honestly believe Adrian's and my guardian angels were at work, because I don't know how we were going to make it through air travel with a sick baby.

Long story short, Daddy Junkfood has learned his lesson and Grandma Mary isn't going to let him chug pool water anymore.

We are here in Cleveland and having many adventures. We'll be back Sunday.

Other library mishaps

2007-06-29T16:23:00.000-06:00

I mentioned in the "emergency" post about other library incidents that have put Max and I on a particular librarian's Watch List.

First, let me say that our library has an entire wing dedicated to little kids -- this is not the NY Public Library in all of is austerity. There is a puppet show theater, animal-print rubber mats for story time, kid-level book bins, stuffed toys, etc. Second, there are two kid-area librarians: the nice older lady (who has children of her own) and the young bitchy zealot (obviously, no kids). The older lady is patient, loves the little ones, doesn't mind if they crawl around during the stories, sits on the floor with them, etc. The young one insists on kids IN LAPS during stories, sits on a chair above them, tells parents to leave the room if their child fusses, etc. I think you get the picture.

I've tried to schedule our library visits around when the older lady is working, but they seem to have random story time duties.

Anyhoo, the first incident involved me taking a few digital pictures with my camera during story time (holding the camera at arm's length, taking pix of Max clapping to a song while sitting on my lap). She (the young zealot) stopped the song and asked me to stop taking pictures. "Sure, no problem," I said. Afterwards, she tracked me down in the library to let me know there were federal privacy laws governing taking photographs on library property. I've never heard of such, but if it's true (anybody out there know about this?) I'm cool with it. However, there is no sign anywhere saying that photography is not allowed in the library.

The second incident, which is so much less forgivable, involved Max directly. He was watching some older kids doing a puppet show (with me sitting two feet away) and got overly excited, flipping himself over backwards and hitting his head on the floor. He started crying...I picked him up and started walking out of the library to calm him down. As I walked by the librarian desk (in the KIDS area), the young librarian shushed us and said "quiet in the library!" Rrrright. For the rest of day, I hoped some little kid would throw up on her shoes.

I'm thinking the "adult non-fiction" stacks might be a better fit for her. Ya think?

What is your emergency?

2007-06-27T19:55:00.000-06:00

Max likes to play with the phones. Today, while at the library lap-sit story time, I let him play with my cell phone (keypad locked) to keep him quiet through a rather dull book. Just as the librarian (who doesn't like us to begin with, but that's another story) was moving on to "Is Your Mamma a Lama?", I heard coming from my phone "Longmont 911, what is your emergency?"

Startled, I quickly grabbed the phone and hung up. As you would expect, the 911 operator called back immediately: "This cell phone just called 911, is there an emergency?" So, disrupting story time and drawing the librarian's very librarian-y disapproving look, I said I was very sorry for the call, "there is no emergency here other than having a one-year-old," and again, sorry, sorry, sorry!

The other moms laughed (not so much the librarian), then I got a talking to by the 911 operator about letting children play with phones. Apparently, there is a security feature on cell phones that if you press the "call" key long enough, even if the keypad is locked, the phone dials 911. Um, good to know.

I think we'll skip story time for a while. One more incident and we'll get banned for life...or maybe just until Max is in kindergarten.

June photos

2007-06-25T19:29:00.000-06:00

With Godmudder Stephanie
Stylin' with diaper
Trying to survive the hammock...notice the clinched fists.
Walking with music machine.

Cooling off in the back yard. It has been in the upper 90s for the last week.

Mandala

2007-06-24T12:24:00.000-06:00

Check out the Daily Mandala link at left. A little art appreciation is a good way to start out the day.

A little service please

2007-06-22T10:18:00.000-06:00

Recently, my personal credit/debit card expired. Not wanting to assume Chase would send me a new one without prompting, I called a few weeks in advance and requested one. It didn't arrive before the old one expired and I was using cash (who carries cash anymore?) that, because I had no card, I had to get from an actual human teller at the bank. Is Knight Rider back on TV too?

I called two more times, as well as requested one over the Internet and another few weeks went by...nothing. Finally, after an episode of searching for pennies underneath my car seats because I ran out of cash at an inopportune moment, I called and had to be really angry with the person, ranting and raving like a crazy woman ("DON'T YOU PEOPLE WANT MY MONEY?! HELP ME SPEND MONEY NOW OR I WILL TAKE MY SPENDING ELSEWHERE!"), and they FedEx overnighted a new card. Why does it have to get to that point in order to get service?

Happy Birthday Stephanie!

2007-06-19T20:49:00.000-06:00

Today is Godmudder Stephanie's birthday. She is 25 with 8 years of experience. Love you!

First steps

2007-06-18T00:16:00.000-06:00

On Father's Day of all days, Max took his first on-his-own steps. We were at my cousin's BBQ in the backyard, and mainly to keep from having to crawl and touch the (still yucky and weird-feeling) grass, he walked three solid steps from Grandma to me with his dad watching. Then, to prove it wasn't just a lucky balancing act, we made him do it again. We were all SO EXCITED. It was the coolest thing ever. The entire BBQ contingent celebrated the event with us...everyone cheered and clapped. With that, Max decided clapping was much more fun than walking, and that was the end of walking for the afternoon.

Bearing witness to his life has, is and will be a constant source of wonder and astonishment for me and his father. He is the greatest blessing of our lives.

Kuranda beds

2007-06-15T21:11:00.000-06:00

Today was a CBW Greeley day. Hubs took the day off from his paying gig and spent 8 hours with the other two husbands putting Kuranda dog bed cots together. Let me repeat, 52 dog beds took three men 8 hours to construct with power tools. These beds were supposed to be fast and easy to assemble. Hmmmm...maybe there was too much beer drinking going on.

Meanwhile, I interviewed a few vets we're considering to be our dedicated camp vet. We're searching for the perfect vet to have on "retainer" to treat any injured or sick dogs in our care. I also arranged for our exterior and interior signage.

Tomorrow, I will be at "Petapalooza", which is a pet/people music event at the large Harley Davidson dealership nearby. We'll have a vendor booth there, telling people about CBW. Hubs and the two others will be cleaning the interior rafters of Camp with a cherry-picker and air compressor. I'm pretty sure I'll be having a much better time.

If you know Hubs, it should make you grin from ear-to-ear that he is doing so much "construction" and handy-man stuff. He can barely hang a picture at home, so I gotta hand it to him for stepping up to these manual-labor chores. Again, maybe it's the beer.

Max will be tearing it up at Grandma's tomorrow. Cats to chase, slobbery dog balls to lick, hammocks to nap in, a 60-year-old lady who does anything he wants. Aaaahhh, it's the life.

Livin' the dream

2007-06-13T06:14:00.000-06:00

Last night at about 1 a.m., I awoke to strange sounds coming from the general area of the dog on the first floor. I rubbed my eyes and went downstairs to discover that he had diarrhea all over the floor. I cleaned it up and then (because I couldn't enjoy it without him) woke Adrian up to tell him the events. The rest of the night I spent half awake listening for more doggie activities, as well as smelling the odor that pervaded the house.

Max woke up at 5 a.m. for a diaper change and nurse, and after carefully assessing my mood, decided he was ready to attack the day with lots of crying and tantrums. Papa Adrian was woken up to take the morning shift, but at that point I was fully awake too...so we all went downstairs to find...MORE dog poo, but this time with a pee-pee chaser. Yea! At least he was corralled in the laundry room hall since the 1 a.m. incident.

Adrian cleaned up that round wearing rubber gloves, using ample disinfectant and an entire roll of paper towels. The dog will be going to the vet today.

Random?

2007-06-11T20:48:00.000-06:00

Occasionally, when I have a few extra minutes, I click the "next blog" button at the top of the page to see what other bloggers are up to. Next Blog is a completely random function that shuffles hundreds of thousands of blogs out there...so what are the chances of coming across the same fairly interesting blog twice? I ask you.

Well, it has happened to me and I thought maybe it means something? So I've included the guy's link (4th Ave. Blues) in my list. I'll give it a test run and you can tell me if he deserves to be listed on this blog or not.

Sting is a god

2007-06-10T10:54:00.001-06:00

There is a reason why he is a superstar. Nearing 60 years old and still able to keep a sold-out arena on its feet for three hours. Unbelieveable concert. Worth every penny. I'm hoarse today from screaming like a teenager.

The Police

2007-06-09T15:07:00.001-06:00

I'm talking about the rock band, not the fuzz.

Adrian and I are going to see the Police in concert tonight at the Pepsi Center (a.k.a., "the Can") in Denver. The last time these geezers (;-)) toured together was 1982, so this is quite a momentous occasion. We are so excited about going, once we're in our seats we'll have to sit on our hands to keep from waving at people.

In approximately 1989, I saw Sting on a solo-tour at Red Rocks. I was accompanied by my cousins Risa and Jody...we were about 17. It rained and we sang and danced our hearts out soaking wet. The three of us also saw Richard Marx that summer. Remember him? One of those smarmy 80s ballad singers with the huge feathered-back mullet hair. So, not quite as good.

The tickets were EXPENSIVE (8th row), but sometimes you just gotta. There are a few people/bands I wish I could have seen before they quit or died or committed public-relations Harri-Kari...these include Elvis, Michael Jackson (during the Thriller years), Duran Duran, the Go Gos, Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra...and so many more. When it is my time to leave this world, at least I will be able to go a little bit happier because I saw the Police in concert.

Falling, walking, swimming

2007-06-06T09:42:00.000-06:00

I've been emailing with a friend and realized I should post some of the news we've been discussing. Here're some latest Casa Herrera tidbits...

Max fell down on the cement patio last week and cracked his head so hard he had a goose egg on the back of his head. Watching him do it was like a slow motion movie -- I can still see his noggin bouncing off the cement like a ball. The dull thud was sickening. It was his first real "injury" and he did one of those no-sound hold-your-breath screams (followed by actual screaming) for several minutes. It was kinda traumatic for all three of us -- but, he made it through and now is more careful about jetting around the patio.

However, the side-effect for me is everytime he takes a tumble now I gasp out loud and flinch. I'm trying not to do this.

Max has a "walker" thing that he can push around while he walks behind. When I want to really tire him out so he will take a good (hopefully extra long) nap, I make him walk with his walker all the way to the mailbox, which is about 1/3 block away. He thinks it is really fun, plus he is exhausted by the time we get home. Another tire-out activity is learning to climb up and down the stairs safely. I make him go all the way up (1st floor to 2nd floor), then back down facing the stairs. Down is not as fun.

Also, his first swim lesson was last Sunday. It is going to be a father-son activity for a couple of reasons. 1) I don't like the water much (it would be fine, except for the getting wet part) 2) daddy loves the water 3) Max and daddy have a great time doing it 4) I don't want to have to dunk him under water.

2007-06-04T14:53:00.000-06:00

Joe in demand

2007-06-02T17:16:00.000-06:00

Dear Joe,

During your next 15 minute break from lopping off heads at work (JK), visit LaDawn's blog. www.clare-panton.blogspot.com She posts lots of controversial whatsits over which you will have a ball debating merits.

Don't forget who gave you your start, though...we still love your antics on our blog too. ;-)

Casa Herrera

See no evil

2007-05-31T08:35:00.000-06:00

Adrian and I have become "those people." We admit it. We announce ourselves to the world. We post it on our blog for all to read: we can't watch violent movies anymore.

Last week, Blood Diamond spent 20 minutes in the DVD before I banished it back to Netflix. Last night, we watched Apocolypto until the guy rips the baby from the mom's arms and swings it around by its ankle (to its demise)...we looked at each other in utter horror and hit the eject button. And, man, I really wanted to see that movie.

We ended up watching a Harry Potter movie. It was that or Shrek. Our psyches couldn't handle anything more serious. When you have a child in your life, things change.

Graduation

2007-05-30T15:16:00.000-06:00

This is Kiyoshi Koga. When I was 15 years old, his mother (my mom's best friend) let me, my mom and my step-father share in his birth. It was the most amazing thing I had ever witnessed, especially at age 15!, until the birth of my own son. I was literally at the foot of the bed and watched as he entered the world.

Big sigh, he is now 17 years old and will graduate from high school this weekend. How did that happen? Not to be cliche, but as if it was yesterday, I see his crying face covered in goo, placed on his mom's belly as his dad cut the umbilical cord. Now he is off to college.

"Time may change you, but you can't change time," David Bowie.

What's for dinner?

2007-05-26T14:21:00.000-06:00

Warning: Some of the following opinions may be controversial, but I am the Editor In Chief of this blog and I can say whatever I want.

Can you imagine being a citizen of a nation that doesn't care if you live or die? Or worse, in a nation whose government is actively, if not passively, trying to limit your life expectancy? In my opinion, that is modern-day China.

My step-father has lived in Hong Kong for more than 10 years. Not only do I enjoy hearing his tales of adventure and intrigue about living and working in Asia, I visited him for three weeks several years ago and was able to experience some of the culture myself. I happened to be there for the first Chicken Flu epidemic. Now, don't get me wrong, there are some awesome people and, in many ways, the culture is vibrant, interesting and inspiring. However, there are also aspects (probably evident in every culture/society, including ours) that I find disturbing.

For example, the Chinese government subsidizes cigarette sales for its citizens. Why would they do that? Why not just sell them for what they are worth (or, as our country does, put a heafty tax on them to discourage use)? Think about it and come to your own conclusion. Also, forget about any meaningful environmental protection (like, regulating industry to make sure chemicals and toxic pollutants aren't fouling the air and water). They may have "laws," but no one is enforcing them so long as the government gets its money and appropriate bribes to local Communist Party officals are rolling in.

There are many other examples and stories I could impart as evidence of the value they assign human, let alone animal, life. With more than a billion citizens and counting, what are a few (hundred-thousand) hazardous-waste-caused deaths? Eh, just the price of doing business as a communist/free-market capitalist nation without the bothersome hindrances of voting, free-speech and a system of checks and balances. Woohoo, the next Super Power. Look forward to it folks.

"Who cares?!", you might be thinking. "I live on the other side of the globe...they can do whatever they want to themselves over there." One only needs to read recent U.S. headlines about melamine-laced pet food and resulting deaths to understand why you should care, and care very, very strongly.

Read or listen to this article to bring the lesson forcefully home, literally. I especially like the part about rapid-drying tea leaves and contaminated fish imports....

Do you know what you're eating for dinner? Yeah, neither do I.

NPR : As Imports Increase, a Tense Dependence on China http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10410111&sc=emaf

*Listen to this story*Please click on the headline to the story using a RealAudio or WindowsMedia player.For players or technical support, please visit NPR's Audio Help page. http://www.npr.org/help/index.html?showdiv=100

Max's first haircut

2007-05-25T20:41:00.000-06:00

Before...

After!
With daddy...

Fun with toilet paper...

Investing in kids

2007-05-24T21:47:00.000-06:00

Besides because it is the right thing to do, here is yet more logic behind why we should all care about investing in the health and education of America's children, regardless of who they were born to, where they live, what color their skin, how much money their parents have, or by what name they call God.

http://www.marketplace.org/shows/2007/05/24/PM200705245.html

Desperate housewives

2007-05-19T17:14:00.000-06:00

Steph and I are going out for some no-husbands, no-kids time. At 11 a.m., our tune was upbeat and wild ("Oh yeah, we're soooo going to party! Yeah! Dancing! Drinks! Mayhem!). Now, at 5 p.m., after a full day of kid chasing and husband managing, the tune is more mellow ("Maybe a margarita and some cheese sticks?").

El noche

2007-05-18T08:50:00.000-06:00

Some of the most tender moments I share with my son are in the middle of the night.

Usually (and thankfully), Max is a great sleeper and makes it through the night on his own. Occassionally, he will wake up but soothe himself back to sleep after several minutes. Rarely, as was the case last night, he will wake up and need parental intervention to go back to sleep. Whatever was going on in his little head, all he wanted was to be held and rocked for a while to make it all better. I obliged and, though it was 2 a.m., those were the most serene and affirming 20 minutes of our day.

One of the most blessed and inspiring lessons I have learned from motherhood is the joy and satisfaction that comes of bringing peace and comfort to another human being.

Jobzzzzzz

2007-05-15T13:50:00.000-06:00

The matriarch of the Clare-Panton Family blog recently posted about the job from which she learned the most during her working life. Reading the post and thinking about my own life, the vivid tableaux that illuminated my mind were all the jobs that were totally ridiculous, not the ones I gained the most from professionally or intellectually. She suggested I post my thoughts about these lowly positions on my own blog instead of hers, thankyouverymuch. No riff-raff allowed on her blog, apparently. :-)

Like my very first job, at A&W Rootbeer in Louisville (sadly, it closed last year) when I was 14 years old, swaddled in skin-tight forest green doubleknit polyester. Within a month, I had flooded the dining room and nearly burned the place down...and I didn't get fired. I still have the faux driving cap thingy that was part of the uniform.

Or the waitressing gig at The Egg & I in Greeley during college, at which my shift began at 5 a.m., ended at 2 p.m. and I earned $2.13/hr. As I was a horrible waitress (who can remember eggs over-medium at 5 a.m.?), I didn't get many tips. In fact, I knew I wasn't cut out for waitresshood when people asking for things -- like a clean fork -- really pissed me off. This is the place where, one day, one of the cooks accidentally cut the finger off his rubber glove while making omelets and didn't notice for quite a while. By that time, there was no telling where that rubber finger had ended up. About an hour later, the police came by the restaurant because an old lady called them to report finding a "condom" in her eggs.

These are the jobs that stand out for me.

I'd love to read about your funniest jobzzz, so please post away!

Happy Mother's Day!

2007-05-13T11:20:00.000-06:00

Open-mouth guppy kisses on my face. Dirt between his little toes. Sticky fingers. Wrassling him into a clean diaper and a change of clothes. Waving bye-bye. Together, watching the leafy shadows dance on the grass under the tree. Chubby baby boy legs. His "I'm so tired" sigh, even as he chases a ball down the hallway. Stroking and patting my face while nursing. Maammaaammaaa, daadaaadaaa. Love.

OPM

2007-05-11T10:02:00.000-06:00

Other People's Music. "I know this is whyyyy, this is whyyyy, this is whyyyy...I know this is whyyy...." This is the rap song I'm enjoying while writing this in my second floor office with the window only cracked open. Not part of my music collection, rather it is courtesy of the teenager two houses down and across the street who is in his house with a window open. That is how loud it is. It's the same teenager who asked Santa for one of those really loud mufflers (seems like just taking the regular muffler off would achieve the same affect?) for his low-rider Honda Civic...and Santa -- who obviously didn't refer to his good kid/bad kid list -- got him one. He's been terrorizing the neighborhood with it ever since.

My only solace is knowing he'll be wearing hearing aids by the time he's 40.

Do I sound like an old lady? Oh well...next I will be yelling at neighborhood children for walking on my lawn. LOL!!

Back yard, etc.

2007-05-08T13:35:00.000-06:00

Adrian has owned/lived in this house since it was built in 2001, and I since we were engaged. It has only been since last weekend that the back yard is finally completed.

Two summers ago, we had the trees planted, grass laid down, planters built, etc. Last year, I was very pregnant and then had a newborn, so did not lift a trowel or pull a weed all summer (and neither did Adrian). So, with the help of three teenagers, we made the final push and laid down weedmat in the flower beds, prepared the vegetable garden, planted shrubs and flowers, mowed/edged the grass, shoveled in 4 cubic yards of mulch, and pulled enough weeds and collected enough yard debris to fill up a dumpster. Needless to say, we were all exhausted.

In addition to the better-than-minimum wage the teens earned, they also ate the equivalent of two full meals in the space of six hours, plus pop, plus tea, plus bottled water, plus a few bags of chips. And, on the way home, Adrian bought them all ice cream. If they had stayed any longer, we might have had to BBQ the dog.

I'm growing lettuce, tomatoes, two kinds of peppers, squash and garlic in the garden.

Max still thinks grass is alive and dangerous. So if I sit him on a blanket in the middle of the lawn with some toys, he is essentially marooned. He will NOT move past the edge of the blanket....so that way I can get some planting/weeding done nearby and know he is more or less in one spot. Unfortunately, some day soon he will figure out that the emperor has no clothes, and then I'll have to get the play pen out. I hate the play pen (baby jail), but I admit it is the only way to keep them safe and get anything done that requires two hands.

2007-05-06T10:23:00.000-06:00

In Grandma Mary's kitchen, with Cheerios.

Pearl St. Mall, springtime, with mommy.

Motivation

2007-05-03T13:06:00.000-06:00

I've been teaching Max to use a straw for a couple of weeks now. He has mastered the sippy and regular cup (with help), but the straw has so far just been something to chew and play with. Last night, the family went on an evening car ride to Sonic for a treat. Adrian got a fruit slushy (Sprite, crushed ice and fruit) and gave Max a taste by sucking a bit into his straw, then taking it out of the cup and releasing the liquid into Max's mouth. It was the most wonderful thing he had ever tasted. As if the skies parted and a choir began singing Hallelujah!, Max grabbed the cup and began sucking on that straw as if his life depended on it. He drank until he had to come up for air. It was the funniest thing I've ever seen. Good part: Max knows how to use a straw. Bad part: Max has a powerful desire for fruit slushy.

Laws of gravity

2007-04-30T10:00:00.000-06:00

This morning at 7 a.m., Max was up and Adrian put him in bed with me while he got ready for work. As usual, Max was ready for action and I was still trying to open my eyes. As he crawled around on the bed, I had hold of his ankle so as to keep him from launching off and onto the floor. Let's just say my grip wasn't strong enough...

Coming soon?

2007-04-27T09:36:00.000-06:00

Our "coming soon" sign is finally up on the outside of our building and the contractor is busily hammering. I'm told we're to open sometime in June. You are all invited to our grand opening party, etc. Adrian and our partners Steve and Barb have been working night and day (literally) on finalizing our SBA loan, tinkering with the building contract, keeping our budget in line, etc. Our other partner, Deniece, is interviewing potential employees, which has been interesting...last week she talked to someone claiming to be a "dog whisperer." And, I'm focused on the grassroots marketing -- visiting local vets and groomers -- and working with the CBW marketing people on our soft- through grand opening media/pr. Next week I'll start approaching travel agents (we have a cross promotion program for them). It has been a long road, but it seems as though the end is in sight.

"Denny Crane"...er...I mean "Adrian Herrera"

2007-04-24T15:23:00.000-06:00

Here's Adrian's latest quotable quotation..."Work is always a s*&t sandwich. When you go to another job, you're just trading one flavor for another...except hopefully with a little mayo."

Other eye-rollers include (as he looks in the mirror), "Daaaaaamn, I get better looking everyday." And (when he's off to the gym), "Time to improve on perfection."

Um, yeah. Folks, this is the world I inhabit. Send sympathy cards to: Leah Herrera, 1716A No. Main St. PMB 291, Longmont, CO 80501.

You had to be there

2007-04-14T22:35:00.000-06:00

So, tomorrow my best friend Stephanie (we've known each other since we were 18, were sorority sistas and then roommates) are meeting some old college friends for brunch. These gatherings inevitably call to my mind myriad happenings from those wonderful days, which are now over a decade old. Most of them make me laugh uncontrollably, while others make me sigh with regret (not very many, thank God) or blush with embarrassment (there are lots of those).

In the midst of these memories, my husband usually asks me why I have such a strange smile on my lips...like I know a really good secret. I just shrug. Honestly, if I tried explaining what's so amusing, no one would get it anyway. As with many things in life, you just had to be there to see it for yourself.

For example, that old country song -- I think it's called Blue Bayou? -- came on the radio the other day. It was a song we played over and over again, singing at the top of our lungs, while driving around Greeley at all hours doing "drive bys." This is when you drive by a guy's house, apartment or workplace to see a) if they're there, b) who might be there with them and, c) if we can see in their windows to see what they're doing. I think the authorities call this stalking now.

Then there was the time Steph and I showed up at a house party and didn't know a soul...go inside to find the place packed like sardines, a wierd garage band playing in the tiny basement, and everyone passing around what we thought were cigars but turned out to be really enormous joints. We did not inhale. That's the same night there were two grown men, dressed as elves and wearing red/white striped Pippy Longstocking socks, taking turns pushing each other in a grocery cart around our apartment parking lot in the middle of the night. This is the same apartment where our roommate would hide her toilet paper (including the one currently being used) when she left because she didn't want us to use her bathroom when she was gone. She hid her telephone too.

Our friend Julie had this sketchy boyfriend for a while. He would get up at 3 a.m. every day to "go to work." He told her he was a stock broker and had to be at work so early because his clients were all from Asia and that's when their trading market opened. She was really impressed, until she found out he had a newspaper route. He also went to class and did homework...she found out later he was had been kicked out of the university months before and just kept going to class to hang out with his friends and pick up girls.

And I haven't even gotten to the funny stuff yet.

I could go on and on. It's all good, all worthy of the strange smile I have on my lips right now, and probably only hilarious if you were there and lived it. TTFN.

Late nights with a book

2007-04-11T13:40:00.000-06:00

I hate it when I get hijacked by a good book. I'm reading "The Other Boleyn Girl" and have become obsessed. I read it every free moment I have and can't wait until it is finished so that I can have my life back. When I was a teenager, in the summertime I would blissfully read book after book, usually at night until 3 or 4 a.m. It was awesome. I loved those late nights alone with a book and my imagination...but, then, I had the luxury of sleeping in as late as I wanted the next morning. What were other teenagers doing? It certainly could have been worse. ;-)

Flash forward 20 years and I was up until 2:30 a.m. last night reading this damned book, then up with Max at 4 and 8:30 a.m. Sometimes I think might be better to read the mediocre than to get swept up completely in the best. Naw...I'd never. Any candidates for my future obsessions and sleep loss out there? I can't wait.

Maxie G's two teeth

2007-04-06T10:46:00.000-06:00

Caviar dreams, fish stick budget

2007-04-04T13:46:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, we ran around and did all kinds of stuff...today Max and I are dragging butt. He's been sleeping a lot and I am just tired. No naps for mommy. Adrian took the day off yesterday and we went to a nursery to look at shrubs (the Herrera excitement continues), had a landscaper over to give us an estimate on the front yard...and during our travels saw an open house for a still-being-constructed $800K house in a neighborhood we like. Unwisely, we stopped and went inside. It was an absolutely gorgeous palace (with no yard, of course, and close enough to the next house to have to share a driveway) with a master suite that our entire second floor could fit in. Custom everything. Crown molding everywhere, even in the garage. With stars in our eyes, living on one income and soon opening a business, we eagerly calculated that if we ate ramen noodles for the next five years and sold our cars, we could definitely afford the place. "To hell with Max's college fund! Yahoo! We're moving!" Luckily, there was no salesperson around. By the time we got home, we had come to our senses and trudged with leaden feet and downcast gaze into our hovel of a home. ;-) Just kidding...we realized our house ain't so bad because we don't have to eat ramen and Max can have a college fund! (Plus, who wants to clean all that square footage?) Ha ha!

Crawling

2007-03-29T10:11:00.000-06:00

Max is officially crawling now. Yesterday, he was still kinda scooting and flopping with great effort to reach the bad stuff he shouldn't be playing with...today, he just pops up on all fours and motors straight for the still uncovered electrical outlets, clumps of dog fur, power cords and thumb tacks left carelessly on the floor. ;-) Ahhh, such a brave new world.

Also, yesterday we were hanging out on the lawn in 70 degree temps and turning the soil in all of the flower planters, today there are four inches of snow blanketing everything and I had to cancel the lawn guy. Gotta love Colorado weather. God certainly does have a sense of humor.

March Madness

2007-03-22T19:44:00.001-06:00

Here is Max with Audrey Woodhouse (her mom is Max's godmother). We hosted a brunch a few weeks ago to which the Woodhouse and Solanki families came. Though it is a huge effort for me (I can be a hermit), we love having our good friends over to visit and eat. We are even planning to roll out the second editon of our Chilean Wine Tasting Party this summer. Stay tuned for more details on that. Anyone reading this blog is probably welcome to come (NO flashing and boobie grabbing this year, Stephanie). What a crazy month it has been for the Herrera clan. I just finished six days of corporate CBW training, which put a lot of stress on me, Max, my mom and Adrian. It nearly force-weaned Max, but I think we are recovering. Since we all feel like we haven't seen each other in over a week, we're going to Glenwood Springs this weekend to enjoy the hot springs and mountain air. We might even rent bikes with a pull-behind kiddie wagon. It will be so nice to spend some quality time together -- Adrian and I are wonderful partners in parenting and life, and we also recognize the need to reconnect in the romance/friendship departments.

Teeth

2007-03-08T10:52:00.000-07:00

Max has two little teeth now. Lots of crying involved with this teeth stuff. Also, the prune juice hasn't been working, so Adrian fed him an entire container of baby prunes last night...positive results came out this morning. An all-around success. This is what gets us Herreras going these days...good baby BMs, slobber kisses, playing with blocks. It probably sounds crazy (and miserably boring) to the childless, but, man, this is really the good stuff. What did we do before Max? Nothing important, that's what.

Turds

2007-03-06T11:05:00.001-07:00

Max's love of all things beta-carotine has led to an uncomfortable case of constipation. As the doctor says, "p" is for poo, so he's now on a regimen of pears, peaches, plums and prune juice until the ugly, smelly clog passes. For me, the turdy episode is a metaphor for how I feel about recent comments to this blog. It will certainly feel good once the toilet finally flushes and we can move on with our day. On that note, here's some newsiness about our goings on...our Greeley Camp Bow Wow is moving along and, if all things continue as they are, should be open by May. We exhibited at the Greeley Home and Gardens show last weekend and convinced nearly 400 potential customers to give us their mailing and email addresses. I've been spending a few hours (at least!) each day working on our grass-roots marketing efforts, including visiting Greeley vet offices, volunteering for the Humane Society mobile pet adoptions, etc. If you have any grass-roots marketing ideas, feel free to post them here! Go to www.campbowwowusa.com for more info about what we're doing with our lives.

A tale of three tree huggers

2007-02-28T10:45:00.000-07:00

Recently, there has been some discussion on this blog about tree huggers. Three good examples are shown at left. The one in the middle will grow wise learning from his mother the importance of good earth stewardship in order to save humanity from disease, starvation and death. The one on the left, after cutting down a decades-old tree because it dropped a few leaves in his pool (in other words, a one-man effort to ruin hundreds of gallons of fresh drinking water so he can splash around once a month), has REPLANTED a tree in the same spot due to too much sun. Hmmm...this kind of vision and forethought is astounding. We need a guy like this in the White House...but, alas, we already have one. And finally, the handsome one on the right hugs trees because he thinks that will get him more "action" in the bedroom. Now, THAT's how we Herrera's roll.

Movie night

2007-02-24T12:07:00.000-07:00

Last night we went to the movies for the first time in seven months. Ghost Rider was entertaining, but not the best acting ever seen. Nicolas Cage has had a face lift...but, I've got to hand it to him in the physically fit department. He has abs of steel. Max was up several times last night for no apparent reason, though he is working on pushing out two teeth, so that may have been the issue. My mom started driving again this morning, which is a huge relief to her and us. She seems to have turned a corner with the Vestibular Neuritis (sp?), not because it is necessarily improving but more because she is just sick of it and has decided to get up and get moving. The Herreras are going to do something outside today, as it is warm and pleasant. Max is now eating carrots, pears, applesauce and sweet potatoes...but won't let peas, rice cereal or oat cereal past his lips. Adrian is calling me to lunch (he made burgers), so I'll sign off for today.

Our premier

2007-02-21T10:13:00.000-07:00

Taking a cue from Aunt Stephers and the Woodhouse Circus, we're starting our own family blog to keep our wide-spread family up-to-speed on our goings-on. From Chile, Ohio, Florida, China, Pueblo, Fort Collins and anywhere else, you can check in on us through our blog. I'll try to update a few times a week. Not that our day-to-day is dripping with excitement and intrigue...but, hey, maybe our sharing will encourge you to share as well. We want to hear from you!

The report for today: The snow has finally melted enough that Max and I can go on a walk with the stroller in our neighborhood. The sun is shining, temperature is warm, and we're looking forward to some fresh air. Like breaking through the arctic ice, I finally shoveled the sidewalk. LOL! Our neighbors have been hating us. Oh well...I'm too busy to care.