MaMa Ocean

the Modern bedroom

2010-10-01T06:00:00.000+03:00

Those of you who know me know exactly what kind of mom I am. And those of you who don't, let me tell you. Okay, maybe just one little piece. My whole parenting philosophy discussion is too daunting a topic to tackle at this time of night. So today we'll start with my thoughts on co-sleeping.

It all started when Zhaina was a newborn and I realized how much easier it was to have a nursing baby sleeping IN my bed with me instead of her baby crib just 2 feet from my own bed. I mean, what is the point of getting out of bed 3-4 times a night to pick up the baby to bring her in bed to nurse only to get up to put her back in her little crib one to two boobs later.

And as the years went by it just worked out for us for Zhaina to stay in my bed. I mean there was a point after I weaned her where I thought that she should learn to sleep in her own bed. I mean, I no longer needed her in my bed with me. But after a year of the back and forth of her in and out and back into my bed I decided that I was happier with her falling asleep and staying asleep with me.

After our recent move I opted not even to put a bed into Zhaina's room at all. You see, up until now she's had a crib, and then a toddler bed at least as an option. But this time around I thought to myself, what for? Lets just use her room as a play room, and without a bed there's much more space for that. Meanwhile, I had sold my old bed before the move (along with a ton of other old furniture) and used the money to buy a new mattress and custom built platform bed from a local carpenter (who was totally hot by the way).

I thought we deserved something good.

So tonight as I was putting Zhaina to sleep in "my" bed I said to her, "when do you think you're gonna wanna sleep in your own bed?" and she said,

"Maybe when I get braver. Like when I'm 15 or 17 or 18 or 19."

And that's just fine with me. Cause I'm gonna have to get braver first too.

Friendship by mail

2010-09-21T06:03:00.001+03:00

A little over a week ago the weather crisped up and I was forced to take inventory of Zhiana's cool weather clothes. In doing so I also went about the business of packing up her summer clothes. And as I do every year, I was a little bit sad about packing away virtually brand new clothing just because the temperature changed. I mean, I do borrow out Zhaina's used clothing to my cousin's daughter who is a year behind Zhiana, and my best friend's daughter who is two years behind Zhaina, but who could use her clothes right now?! So that night as I layed in bed trying to fall asleep I got to thinking, then it came to me. My dear friend's daughter reciently moved to Florida, it's hot there! And she is just Zhaina's size. Big for her age ;)

Two days later a box full of summer dresses, tanks, and shorts was on it's way south. I explained to Zhaina that we were sending her summer clothes to her "pen pal" who lives in Florida where it is warm like in Greece. She thought it was a good idea. A few days's later we recieved a picture of her new pen pal wearing one of Zhaina's favorite summer dresses. The box had arrived safely! She started to understand a little bit more saying, "it's too cold to wear my dress in Minnesota today. But not in Greece." And of course I corrected her, saying, "and not in Florida."

And a few days later a box appeared in our mailbox, filled with long sleeves and jeans just Zhaina girl's size. This was a better idea then I even thought! a cross continental childrens' clothing swap! Genius! And after ooo-ing and ahh-ing at all her new clothes, Zhaina agreed with me, saying, "that was fun, MaMa. I sent her my clothes and she sent me hers. I like penpals."

She immediately jumped into her "new" jammies, which is what I heard her pen pal did the night her box arrived too ;)

did somebody say, Tzatziki?!

2010-09-08T05:16:00.000+03:00

or didja ever even hear of it?! If not, look it up.

I brought it to a Labor Day party and it was dee-lish!

this is what's in it:

Fage 2% Greek yogurt

English cucumber, shredded and squeezed

minced garlic

vinegar

olive oil

salt & pepper

and this is how I made it:

I totally stole my dad's technique, but pretty much just guessed as far as proportions go. I just kept tasting it and adding this and a little more of that until I got it just right.

and voilà, and the finished product.

I served it with warmed pita bread, but if you're a real Greek, you just eat it with a fork.

Enjoy.

Tick Tock

2010-08-12T06:07:00.000+03:00

Presently it's nothin' but work work work, leaving me longing for those days in Greece where it was just me and Zhaina on our own program everyday, all day, doing whatever we pleased whenever we pleased.

No clock telling us when it was time for breakfast, daycare, work, lunch, break, work, pick-up time, drop-off time, supper time, this time, that time... argh I could go on and on. I hate that damn clock always telling me what to do, and making me rush on to the next thing before I've finished with the first. While we were in Greece only our inner pace ruled. If I felt like eating, I'd eat, If I was tired I'd sleep. If I felt like spending 3 straight hours on the computer I would. No guilt, none. Here Zhaina, watch a movie, don't worry in 2 minutes we'll be on the beach swimming our hearts out and soaking up the sun. Oh yeah and maybe we'll have an ice cream or two or seven, just because we feel like it.

But now if I don't HURRY and get to bed I know I'll be exhausted in the morning when I have to wake up, get dressed, pack a lunch, make coffee, get Zhaina ready for daycare and rush out of the house with barely enough time to enjoy our moments together before we are separated for the entire day because I have to work to pay for our house, clothes and food that we don't even get to enjoy together because we're always rushing from one thing to the next by that damn American clock. Tick tock, tick tock.

tick

tock.

The Highlight Reel

2010-06-22T17:17:00.009+03:00

Since arriving in Greece 1 week ago we've done so many things, it's difficult to know where to start. So instead of filling you in on all of our goings on, I will simply share with you "the highlights."

During our stay in Athens Zhaina was lucky enough to have a birthday celebration with family. I dressed her in one of the dresses from my childhood, a blue one that was purchased in Greece for me when I was 4, my second trip to my father's homeland. And although no one at the party was aware of this, her wearing it gave me such personal delight.

Upon our arrival a few days later in Samos, I was overcome by a sense of belonging on an Island that I've only started coming to 10 short years ago. But in these 10 years I've gone from a teenager to a full grown woman, a mother in fact. And now my Zhaina girl and I see this small Island as another one of our homes, not a "second home" as I cannot place it behind, but another home, a place where we feel our hearts can rest.

The other day we ran into a friend a the local ice cream shop and he said to me in broken english; "I saw your father with an unusally big smile last week and he said to me, 'my grand-daughter is coming.' "

As we walked along the cobblestone street hand in hand, Zhaina looked up and said, "MaMa, remember that place, that one that we went to in the mountain where we saw God, I want to go there."

and so we did.

Our BIRTHday 06.10.06

2010-06-10T06:06:00.007+03:00

On this day, 4 years ago, I became a mother.

At the moment this photo was taken I had no idea of the enormity this entailed. I had been a single mom since I was 5 months pregnant, and probably naive as to what bringing a new life into the world would mean. I had not planned on having a baby at the time, but she came anyways. In fact up until the doctor announced, "you got your girl" I was convinced I was having a boy. His name was to be Angel. Instead I had a baby girl who remained nameless in the nursery for 2 days before I signed the birth certificate and introduced

Zhaina Melissa

to the world.

Zhaina and I have both grown together in these past 4 years. She was an extremely difficult newborn and being alone made it even harder on me. But we both survived the "4th trimester" and went on to build a strong love for one another as the months and years past.

I still sometimes struggle as a single mom, but then I look at Zhaina and remind myself that
I did that. I birthed her, I raised her, and she is pretty damn wonderful.
I must be doing something right.

Happy Birthday Zhaina girl

Ladies Night

2010-05-29T07:00:00.007+03:00

♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ All the single ladies, all the single ladies ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪
♫ ♪ ♫ Now put your hands up ♫ ♪ ♫
♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ Up in the club, we just broke up ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪
♪ ♫ ♪ I'm doin' my own little thing ♪ ♫ ♪

May 27, 2010. Sex and the City 2 Release party. Aces on First. With my best single lady!

Martinis.

Prizes (hello beautiful poster and free movie ticket, etc, etc, etc.)

Girl Talk.

Party Bus.

Movie.

Who could ask for more?

PS. And let me just say, all you ladies that saw this film with me on opening night,

I love you for loving your friends as much as I love mine.

*to; the girls. *

Date Night

2010-05-14T06:02:00.003+03:00

At my place of employment, for whatever reason, I tend to get all the crazies. If there is someone incarcerated in jail, or prison (or as I call it, "the Big House") and they need a certain medical piece of equipment, they come to me. Like a Magnet. Lucky me.

So today at work I helped a friend of an ~~inmate~~ patient order above mentioned medical devise. And throughout the transaction I so badly wanted to ask what he was in for (that would have been totally unprofessional by the way) but instead made small talk about prison camp life and the trials and tribulations of sending things to an inmate on the "inside." I was trying to make the transaction as unawkward as possible, and well, as it turns out, I did a pretty damn good job of that. On his way out, the friend of the jailbird says to me,

"He's getting out soon. Do you want to meet him?"

What, does it say desperate on my forehead?! Cause if it does, I gotta get that off there.

A Photo Journal

2010-05-03T06:29:00.006+03:00

One of my favorite things has always been to go back to the same place multiple times to take pictures throughout the years. It's fun to see all the different types of changes in the photograph; scenic and weather changes in the locations where the photos are taken, and of course the obvious changes in the subjects being photographed! And what's extra special about the photos below is that not only were they taken in the same place, with the same people, but also on the same day, year after year.

A couple of years ago I started having my birthday lunch at Timberlodge Steakhouse and thought it'd be fun to get a quick shot of me and Zhaina outside near the William A. Irvin.

Feast your eyes on these!

I honestly cannot believe what a giant Zhaina is becoming! I don't think I'm going to be able to hold her in my arms in our annual birthday boat shot next year :(

my BIRTHday

2010-04-30T17:10:00.006+03:00

Today is the day to celebrate my birth. I thank my mom for bringing me into this world 29 years ago today and for everyday since that day for loving and taking care of me.

From one mother to another, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I know that today is just another day to everyone else,

but to me and my mom,

April 30th will forever be a day of shared attachment and love.

Lighen up

2010-04-21T02:43:00.004+03:00

If I'm gonna be honest here, blogging sometimes feels like such a chore so I put it off and put it off until it's been so long that I don't know where to start. So instead of giving you a run-down of what's been goin' on around here these past few weeks, I'll just fill you in on my latest hair cut & color.

What do you think?

Note to self. If you're gonna have a blog, you should actually write in it once and awhile.

A reason to party

2010-03-29T06:16:00.005+03:00

Today, at my new apartment, I held my 1st clothing swap!

look at all that yummy food!

and the happy guests!

It all started when last week I saw this photo on Flickr that inspired me to hold a clothing swap of my own. I mean, I have friends with some pretty fantastic taste and some killer wardrobes, so I invited all of them to come and instructed them to bring 10 of their finest items that they would be willing to part with, and in return would get to "shop" for new items from the entire selection.

Overall it was a great success! I myself, ended up with a new (to me, hehehe) LBD, pink leg warmers, and 2 great tops! But I have to admit, the best part was seeing some of my old favorites move on to new homes and new bodies to love them. It just felt so good to pass something on to someone I know and see it make them happy. And all the other ladies seemed pickled pink with thier new wardrobe additions as well, and some even expressed interest in hosting a clothing swap of their own!

I'm gonna have to dig deep to find 10 more fantastic items I'm willing to part with ;)

Oh and just a note, all unclaimed merchandise will be donated to a local shelter.

Special Breakfast

2010-03-18T21:55:00.005+02:00

Every morning for breakfast Zhaina BEGS me to make "special breakfast," which to her means anything made from scratch. (IE. not the usual frozen waffles, cereals and milk, or toast). On my 2 days off a week I give in to her early morning pleas, and to the kitchen we both go.

She loves to get the recipe out, helps me to gather all of the ingredients, and after I measure, she likes to pour it into the bowl, and of course she loves to help stir. She gets her little stool and pulls it right up close to me (she's practically on top of me the entire time) and asks about a zillion questions and has to taste and/or smell each and every ingredient. She likes to choose her plate and which chair she'll sit in at the table. And of course she likes eating her

"special breakfast."

Today's Special Breakfast, 300 calorie french toast

PS. my favorite part of "special breakfast" is how much Zhaina enjoys it.

PSS. and my least favorite part is the cleanup :(

A Day at the Park

2010-03-15T04:44:00.005+02:00

Today we had the good fortune to get to spend the afternoon in the park with friends (or technically family, actually). We were blessed here in the Northland with a beautiful sunshiny day and specifically we were even more so with the opportunity to enjoy it. Zhaina and I met Barbara, Scott, Maria, and Ginger at our local neighborhood park and let the fun be had!

The older girls swung, and slid, and monkey barred their little hearts out, then we went for a walk. After a couple of hours it was evident that they would surely be sleeping soundly tonight. And speaking of sleeping soundly, you should have seen sweet Ginger sleeping in her daddy back-carrier! And it too was fun for me to have a little adult conversation with people who know and love me. As a single mom of one, I often worry about us getting lonely, and especially about Zhaina not having siblings, so seeing her today running around with Maria was touching to say the least.

And as Zhaina and I walked home hand in hand, she said to me, "I sure did have fun today."

So did I, Zhaina.

in the words of Zhaina girl

2010-03-08T06:16:00.004+02:00

So I have one of those kids that is just about the friendliest kid possible.

Tonight we were out to dinner with Auntie Melissa and Zhaina was passing the time by making drawings for the couple sitting across the room from us (we'd never met). She made two pictures, one at a time, for them. Each was a rainbow and she delivered them with this message. "Excuse me Sir. I drawed this rainbow for you." The couple did not seem bothered, nor pleased with the gift from an unknown 3-year-old. Then after about fifteen minutes the woman motioned for Zhaina to come over to their table, and off she bound across the room. I saw the man hand Zhaina something to which she quickly grasped hold of and brought it back to our table. She said it was a treasure and that I couldn't peak. Finally she opened her hand over the table and down dropped a handful of coins, some real (a quarter, a few pennies, and a nickle), some fake (a beautiful large purple shiny one!). I gasped and said,

"you're so lucky!"

to which she replied,

"yeah, and RICH!"

Month 1 Webwatchers Recap

2010-03-02T01:43:00.004+02:00

When I started this I had planned to post more often, but have been unable to do so since I've been working long crazy hours at work! I just can't in good conscience rationalize time spent on the computer when I have about a billion other things I need to be doing in the very few hours I get to spend at home with Zhaina girl these days :(

That being said, I did want to update you all on my progress, which has been fantastic! I'm still going strong, and to be honest it has gotten A LOT easier in the past couple weeks. I don't know if it's cause I have so much going on that I don't have time to eat as much, or if it's that since I'm trying to watch my caloric intake it's not as fun to eat if I can't eat what I want to eat anyways, but whatever the reason, it's working!!!

Here is the breakdown:

Week 1 lost 3 lbs

Week 2 lost 3 lbs

Week 3 maintained, didn't loose any but didn't gain any either :/

Week 4 lost 2 lbs

For a total weight loss of 8 lbs the first month! Fantastic news, right?!!!!

This morning I quick shot some pics to see if anyone can see where those 8 pounds disappeared from. What do you think?

Do I look any different at all?????

here maybe this will help, here are the before pics again

Dinner for Eight, or Two; whatever

2010-02-17T06:13:00.007+02:00

Since this diet (WebWatchers) started 2 weeks ago I've been doing a lot more cooking at home. Mostly because it's just not as fun to eat out if you can't have what you wanna have anyways, but also because Zhaina enjoys it so. She is constantly asking how she can help, wanting to stir, or measure, or lick the spoon, you know all the real important cooking tasks. And so I indulge her and she becomes my sous chef.

Tonight we tackled a baked ziti recipe from my Biggest Loser cookbook. And let me just tell you, it's a good thing I had the day off today, I could have never made this after a long day at work, never. Tonight I entered the kitchen at 5:00 and exited at 6:55. Are you kidding me?! 2 hours to cook, eat and clean up dinner?! That is ridiculous! How do you other working mothers out there do it?!

We (me and Zhaina, count us, we are 2) had Baked Ziti

note. the recipe makes 8 servings, 8 HUGE servings

and a side salad with iceberg lettuce (so not my favorite), carrots, celery, radish, a splash of olive oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper, and a slice of Whole Wheat WeightWatchers toasted bread with a trace of butter and parmesean.

And because this is my favorite part of dinner (and probably yours), here is a excerpt from our dinner conversation:

Zhaina: "Preston said he doesn't want to marry me anymore."

Me: "Oh did he?"

Zhaina: "Yeah, so I decided I'm going to marry Isaac. But not until 6:30. And when he gets taller."

S'agapo

2010-02-15T00:23:00.015+02:00

Zhaina has been looking forward to "Valemtime's Day" since, well, the day after Christmas. And hooray, it's finally here! This morning she gave me the best present and slept until 7:40am!!! (soooo not her usual time of between 6:30 and 7:00am, yay!) She went from a dead sleep to bolting out of bed exclaiming "Happy Valemtime's Day!"

In all of her preparation for today she's been making Valentine's Day cards in total Zhaina style. I have a hello kitty notepad that I use to make my grocery list, which she easily took procession of. For the past week or so she's been using a black pen, a pencil and various stickers to decorate her cards for her friends. She'll randomly bring one or another up to me and tell me what they say. One even contained a map of the world where she pointed out to me where was Greece and where was America, and went on to explain that we were in 'Merica now, not Afins." But most were just proclamations of her love for her various friends and family and invitations to come to her house to visit. It was all very sweet.

Zhaina's Valentine's, hand-made with love

She wanted me to bring her to all her friends houses to hand deliver them today, but I told her that although that was a nice thought, we didn't have nearly enough time, but we could put their names on envelopes and put the cards inside and send them in the mail instead. She seemed to like that idea until I had to break the news to her that the post office wasn't open today! So if you should be so lucky to receive one of these very special notes in the mail please know that she would have preferred to give it to you in person, but her mean mommy wouldn't let her.

And seeing how the post office was closed we spent the afternoon doing what I like to do best; shop! We headed to the mall and just hung out, roaming from one store to another, to the food court and back in and out of store after store, until she could barely drag herself around another minute. While having lunch in the food court we shared another one of those hallmark moments, when you just feel so lucky to be a parent. Zhaina was eating her round french fries (aka potato oles) and taco when she looked at me and said,

"MaMa, this food is wonderful, you're the best giver ever!"

And it just doesn't get any better than that.

It is a good Valemtime's Day indeed.

Week 1 Recap

2010-02-08T02:42:00.003+02:00

As my first week of WebWatchers comes to a close I find myself, proud but impatient. After all, this first week was HARD and to think that I still have 19 weeks to go, is daunting. Thank goodness that new digital scale was good to me today, otherwise I don't know how I could keep doing this.

Highlights from this past week:

1. My food journal kept me accountable, thus I ate less than I normally do.

2. I made many meals from scratch, yummy!

3. Stepping on the scale to a 3 lbs weight loss!

Low lights from Week 1

1. Looking at the "before" pictures of me and not recognizing her

2. I made many meals from scratch, too many dishes to wash!

3. I gave in twice this week, once for a mountain dew, and once for a grape soda

but the biggest low light of them all is the humiliation of having to post this:

the dreaded BEFORE picture

all of the arrows point to areas that I hope to "re-shape" like I said before, I still want curves, just not such dramatic ones.

wish me luck!

WebWatchers by Stacy

2010-02-03T17:04:00.004+02:00

For this very special project of mine I decided it needed an equally special name and I hereby will refer to my personalized diet plan as WebWatchers.

You see, I'm not following any one diet, so I can't go around saying, "oh I'm on the atkins," or "oh, I'm doing Jenny Craig," or "I'm trying WeightWatchers." But I still want my diet to have a catchy moniker. And now it does. So when you are out in the world talking about me and my diet, please feel free to say things like, "did you hear Stacy is doing WebWatchers?" After all, I was thinking about you, my lovely readers, when I coined it. You see, you are all watching me on this journey. You, the web, are watching me. I have you to answer to. You ARE my meeting.

WebWatchers.

PS. I don't know how to "copywrite" but I hereby officaly declare this copywrited. Oh how I love you, internet.

the diet. day 1

2010-02-02T05:25:00.013+02:00

I'm getting closer and closer to becoming one of those women after all. Since I decided to take this "diet" seriously I can't stop thinking about ways to be successful. And you lucky readers will get to follow me throughout my entire journey. My newest idea is that will take a picture in the same outfit once a month to chronicle my weight-loss. The outfit is yet to be decided. Stay tuned for that.

Anyway, back to day 1

It all started with a trip to Barnes & Noble where I purchased a new diet cookbook (I need all the help I can get in the kitchen) and a pocket sized diet journal. I figured if I had an actual book (that I actually paid for) to keep my calorie count then I'd be more likely to DO IT! And so I did.

click photo to enlarge

I'll have to say when I added up my totals I was VERY pleasantly surprised 1,350!!!! BUT....I'll admit that even though I haven't officially started restricting my caloric intake I WAS very conscience of the fact that I was recording everything and most probably going to be sharing it with you, my lovely readers. However, it is quite possible that if the total would have been embarrassingly high I would NOT be sharing tonight.

Now for the difficulties.

As you can see my trouble spot seems to be my snacking, as I suspected. So I guess there is room for improvement :) Also, I broke down and had a soda. I know, I know, I said I'd be giving up soda all together this month, but holy-smokes mountain dew is good! I'll have to get every can out of this house, pronto! I obviously cannot resist temptation.

Day 1

Thank goodness that's over.

Oh shoot, I have to do it all over again tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after that...for the next 5 months.

Shit.

It's official, I'm overweight!

2010-02-01T06:53:00.012+02:00

I NEVER thought I'd be one of THOSE moms; you know the ones, the ones that obsess and obsess about their weight, and order SALADS when out to dinner (*puke). The ones that talk about fitting into their old "skinny" jeans, and try every diet known to man, oh, and buy "low fat" food products! I could go on and on....

And to be honest, I still don't fit into that category completely, but I'm sure as hell on my way! And as long as I'm being honest, I can't believe I'm writing this blog (*double puke).

But here it goes. It's official, I'm overweight. Okay, well not technically. I'm still within the healthy range for my height, but who wants to be healthy?! I want to be skinny. again.

Here, let me give you a visual, so that you can follow along.

On the left is a photo taken of me in Athens in the fall of 2006, and on the right you see a photo of me taken in the fall of 2009 on Samos(Zhaina too, how cute is she?!). Generally speaking I look pretty "healthy" in both, but I'd so prefer to look more like myself circa 2006. You see, within these 3 years I've gained
are you ready
30 pounds!

I've been telling people that I think that I'm "rockin' " these extra 30 lbs, but truth be told, I'd rather not have to. I mean, yes I like curves, but I'd like to be just a little bit less curvy. You know, not have to cringe every time I go to put on my jeans because they are just so TIGHT! And not have to continue to buy bigger bra sizes as the pounds add up and up and up. I actually like my chest smaller. Oh, and another thing. I'd like to be able to go out with friends and dance the night away like I used to. Last night I was out celebrating my friend Katie's 30th birthday and I had to sit out for so many songs just to catch my breath! I mean I know I said this isn't about being healthy, but jeesh, It'd be nice be able to stay on that dance floor all night long if I so choose!

So here's the deal. I'm obviously serious, otherwise I wouldn't be writing this very public blog. And I've made some decisions.

This is my goal:

To remove ALL 30 pounds by July 1, 2010

For those of you who are math challenged that means I'll have to loose an average of 6 lbs for the next 5 months, starting February 1, 2010.

and this is how I'm going to do it:

February
1. Give up soda (oh goodness that's gonna be a tough one, I currently drink 1 mountain dew in the late morning and 1 pepsi in the afternoon everyday, and occasionally more, but never less).
2. Start counting calories so I know how many I'm consuming (and obviously be more conscience about it)

March
1. Start working out (I have no idea even where to begin here, I used to go to the gym, but that was before I was a mom, now it just seems like so much work!)
2. Continue to count calories and stay below a TBA quota everyday.

April, May, and June need some brainstorming still, and I'm totally up for suggestions :)

oh yeah, and daily weigh in's charted in my bathroom on the new digital scale I'm going to purchase tomorrow.

There.

It's official.

Our private home Gallery

2010-01-25T03:12:00.004+02:00

I suppose every mom thinks their child is extraordinary, and I am no exception. Zhaina is remarkably creative, artistic, and has an imagination that rivals the likes of James Cameron (have you all seen that masterpiece AVATAR?!). We go to dance class, a music co-op, we've travelled overseas; she has already had so many wonderful experiences in just her three short years in this world. I'm trying my best to offer her all that I can and hope that it benefits her.

I often wonder what she will become and how she will use her strengths to better herself and even possibly the world.

In the meantime I'll just enjoy her artwork hanging on our walls :)

just a little cupcakes in the kitchen

2010-01-21T19:08:00.002+02:00

What kid doesn't like helping in the kitchen?! Mine sure does, I just wish she was old enough to help do the dishes after!

The other day we made cupcakes, banana cupcakes with peanut butter frosting to be exact. We ended up with 19, a dozen of which I brought to work yesterday and the other half dozen Zhaina has been making good use of.

have you been baking?

Calling all Coffee Lovers!

2010-01-14T17:02:00.007+02:00

My love affair with coffee started about 4 years ago while I was living in LA. There was a Starbucks just down the block from the dance studio, and I felt an almost physical pull there on a daily basis (and I'll admit, I was secretly hoping to run into Britney Spears). At first I was nervous ordering my "gourmet" coffee among a sea of coffee connoisseurs , but as time went on and through the process of trial and error (and a few recommendations from friends...ahem, Erin) over the years I honed my order into something that is near liquid perfection. I am now "that" person in the Starbucks line with a coffee order that makes you sigh loudly and roll your eyes. And since I know you are all curious it goes like this,

"I'll have a Grande 2 pump caramel breve, no foam with whip, at 150 degrees."

oh and sometimes it's decaf, that's after 3 pm.

Translation; Grande is Starbucks for "medium" and I get my medium with 1 less pump of syrup than normal (otherwise it's just too sweet). Breve means that this latte is made with half and half versus milk (skim, 1%, 2%, or whole) and that means more calories, and more smooth creaminess! A latte generally comes with a small amount of foam (versus a cappuccino which is virtually half foam) on the top, but I prefer it to not be there at all. And if you ask me, the MOST important part of the order is the whip cream! You absolutely cannot go without that. If nothing else, THAT part of the order must be there. Oh and one last thing, Starbucks steams their milk anywhere from 162-168 degrees, which is too hot for me! I like to be able to drink my coffee right away without burning my mouth, and when I realized you could order your coffee to temperature, I was in heaven!

So after hundreds of dollars in Starbucks coffee, I seem to have perfected my order, and here I am giving it to you for free! I guess it's your lucky day (as Zhaina would say). So should you pass a Starbucks today, stop in and order a grande 2 pump Caramel breve, no foam with whip, at 150 degrees, and let me know what you think!

Or if you're in my neighborhood you could just stop by my kitchen and I could make it for you myself! That's right, I have graduated to at-home barista thanks to a wonderful Christmas gift from my mother.

Seeing Stars

2010-01-10T20:58:00.003+02:00

As many of you already know, my friend Angela Schweiberger's 7-week-old baby, Myles, died last month. I'm honored to have been asked to be part of a group of local women whom love and and surround Angela and her family as they grieve and honor their son. We are collectively making the family a quilt, each of us making our own 12 inch square (12 1/2" unfinished) to be tied together. There will be a few different "work bee" sessions where we will gather to brainstorm and sew together. Since I do not sew, this project is sure to be a challenge for me, but I am so happy to be a part of something so warm and loving.

For my square I plan to use some of Zhaina's old recieving blankets as fabric. I've decided to quilt a star because the night I heard of his death I went outside, looked up to the sky and said a prayer for Angela and Myles as I looked at the stars, and ever since then everytime I look up at the night sky I am reminded of him and his journey, and Angela, and what pain she must feel, and how lucky I am that I've never expeirenced the pain of loosing a child. So for me and my contribuiton to the quilt a star just feels right.

But this is the part where I am asking for your help. In my research I've found 2 quilt patterns that I think are beautiful, but not exactly what I was picturing in my mind. One is here, and the other is here. I had been thinking of a more traditional 5 point star.

What do you think? Remember I've never quilted a day in my life. Oh and the first "work bee" is next Saturday.

I baked, seriously.

2010-01-10T06:31:00.007+02:00

The other morning before work I was feeling ambitious and decided to bake a loaf of banana bread. I got the recipe years ago from an ex-boyfriend's mother (see exes are good for something) and it is a good one! Zhaina played the role of sous chef (is that still the correct term when "baking"?) and we set to work in the kitchen.

After the loaf was safe in the oven (it takes over an hour in there!) we headed off to the post office to retrieve a few gifts that had arrived from overseas (those pics will come later). When we got back to the apartment we were greeted by the most wonderful sweet smell! Fresh baked homemade banana bread! I don't know who was more excited to slice into it, me or Zhaina. But we had to wait for it to cool, a little while anyways....

I decided to butter some up and bring it to work to share with my co-workers (maybe looking to butter them up as well ;) and while I did that Zhaina had the first taste.

Well as you can see she wasn't so much a fan of the walnuts or the crust, but still deemed it "delicious!"

As did my co-workers coincidentally.

After a full day at work I picked up Zhaina from Daycare and the first thing she said to me was

"MaMa, did your friends eat ALL MY banana bread?!"

Nativity Re-visited

2010-01-04T06:46:00.003+02:00

Just one last scene to round out our Christmas season.

This is how I found them when I went to pack them away for the year. I'll miss their many configurations and the giggle they stir inside me everytime I notice they've moved once again in my absense. I can only imagine that Zhaina too will miss them.....

Dinner Diaries

2010-01-03T02:01:00.005+02:00

Being a single mom is often tough, but still sometimes, oh so sweet. And when those sweet times occur on a more than often basis, life is good :)

Yesterday I had one of those sweet moments with Zhaina over lunch. I had cooked us a special New Year's Day meal. Grilled chicken breast, bacon, avocado and lettuce. Zhaina had hers A la Cart and I had mine wrapped in a whole wheat pita. YUM! ....anyways.. we were sitting together eating our (may I say delicious) lunch when Zhaina looked at me and said, "you're the best cooker ever, Mommy." Now doesn't that just melt your heart...

And so then today when I got home from work (like most working mothers I'm sure) the last thing I felt like doing was cooking dinner. But as usual, I did it anyways. I even cooked one of Zhaina's favorite meals, tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. double yum. So we're sitting there eating together, just the two of us (duh) and she says, "How was your day at work, MaMa? what did you do there?" I didn't think my heart could grow and bigger! I mean, she's 3! I wanted to jump over and scoop her up and tell her how very special she is to me. I mean it's lonely being a single mom sometimes, but the fact that I have her to share my life with is just such a blessing. But I resisted my urge to smother her with kisses and praise and instead simply said, "well today I fixed some people's glasses." to which she replied, "how did you fix those people's glasses MaMa?" and our conversation went on as I explained what I do at work and she listened, she really listened.

And so this year I may not have a New Year's resolution, but I do have a wish...... to keep those sweet times coming!

And may you have many sweet moments in 2010 as well!
Happy New Year!!!

Nativity Scene alive in '09

2009-12-28T23:05:00.017+02:00

I never knew a Nativity Set could be so much fun.

A few days before Christmas Zhaina helped me to unpack each individual figurine and set them out where she believed they belonged. As we unpacked them one by one I explained who they were and their significance in the Christmas Story. The baby Jesus was one of the last to be unwrapped (if not the last) and Zhaina was very excited to put him in the lovely scene she had created. The initial set-up took longer than I thought possible, but the fun didn't end there.

In the days that followed the initial "set-up" every time I looked over at the windowsill I noticed that everyone was in a new configuration. The first time I noticed they had changed places I giggled a little to myself because it was almost as if they had come to life when I wasn't looking and walked to their new positions. I mean, I knew that Zhaina must have been playing with them when I wasn't looking, but since I didn't actually see her I was able to convince myself that my porcelain representation of the birth of Christ was alive in my very own living room.

I let that magical thought stay alive in my head for a few days, until I caught her in the act.

Which oddly enough, made this scene all the more sweet :)

Giving Thanks

2009-11-26T19:34:00.005+02:00

Yesterday during a ride in the car I was explaining the meaning of Thanksgiving to my 3-year-old daughter, Zhaina. After a brief explanation I said that I, for example, am thankful for our new apartment. Then of course I asked her what she was thankful for, and she said, "you mean like, M&M's?!" I giggled and said, "yes, exactly like M&M's."

So whatever you are thankful for this year, as big as your shelter, or as small and simple as the enjoyment of a sweet candy, enjoy it and give thanks.

Zhaina and I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!

What's been goin' on

2009-11-14T19:27:00.003+02:00

If you're anyting like me you are constantly wishing that you had the ability to sing through your typed words. You know, in email, texts, blogging, social networking...these days there are so many electronical devices that we comunicate through that I just miss the days that you could inflict a little melody with your message. For example, as I was typing the above title to this blog I wished that I could sing that title to you, or at least that YOU sing it when you read it, because this title in particular is meant to be sung, as some things in life just are.

Well anyways, back to the point of this blog. Take a look at what's been goin' on...

Halloween came and went.

The Big Move was accomplished.

And now for the continued cleaning and unpacking...

TuTu Cute!

2009-10-30T03:21:00.003+02:00

When I couldn't put it off any longer, I sat down to complete craft project #2.

With all supplies at hand I went to work.

turns out I had purchased WAY too much tulle

At this point of construction I wasn't exactly thrilled with how it was turning out.

But when I saw the completed project I was pleased and proud.

1st Time for Everything

2009-10-24T01:29:00.006+03:00

I’ve been called a lot of things, but crafty is NOT one of them.
Until now.
I’ve taken it upon myself to MAKE Zhaina’s Halloween costume this year!

Let me start from the beginning. A few weeks ago I asked Zhaina what she wanted to be for Halloween and without hesitation she replied, "Tiger." Okay, I could deal with that. So I started researching ways in which to transform my uber-girly preschooler into a ferocious tiger. After a few days I gave up, it wasn’t possible. On to Plan B.

"Zhaina, I can’t find a tiger costume, what else do you wanna be?"

And Zhaina being her little sweetheart self, wasn’t disappointed in the least (thank God)! She just took a minute to think that over and then informed me that she’d like to be a Rainbow instead. Rainbow?!!? And I thought a tiger was hard…

Rainbow research commenced and I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of inspirations I was able to find. But now comes the hard part…construction of said costume.

I started with the "pot of gold" (at the end of the Rainbow, get it?) that will play double duty as part of her costume and as her trick or treat bag.

I was able to reuse a play-doh bucket from Zhaina’s toy closet along with a few simple inexpensive supplies from the fabric store and

voila…Pot of Gold!

Stay tuned for crafty project #2, where you'll see the above tulle transformed into a
Rainbow Tutu!

In Between

2009-10-21T07:45:00.005+03:00

Since successfully arriving Stateside late last week I've been trying my darndest to get reacquainted with the American way of life, but it all feels so...well...hectic. In the few short days we've been back we've done everything from run our selves ragged to spending the entire day in our jammies, and yet I don't feel "happy" doing either exclusively. I'm left thinking,
"isn't there something in between?"

I'm gonna have to get back to you on that one.

For now I'll fill you in on what kind of foolishness we've been up to since we landed.

1. I had my hair did. new color. very dark. very, very, very dark.
2. Held a meeting with Baby Obrean and big sister Ava. complete cuteness.
3. Photo shoot with some of our bests. gorgeous fall colors.
4. Sang our hearts out at Mothersong. a high point.
5. Viewed the new dwelling. overwhelming.

I'll only elaborate on one of the more "hectic" days (see above #3) where we spent the afternoon with family at Jay Cooke, an exteremely beautiful nearby state park. Here are some of my drastically amature shots from the autumn photo shoot. I'm patiently waiting for the veteran photographer to develop her film (yep, the old fashioned way). Until then feast your eyes on these.

the cutest playmates EVER

I told you it was dark

P.S. I'll let you know when I find that balance.

Detained in Switzerland

2009-10-18T04:23:00.005+03:00

We have arrived Stateside. We are home. We made it to America. So many ways to say we've made it, I can't decide which to choose, so I'll say them all. And wait till you hear this, you're just not gonna believe it.

Remember when I was saying how long the trip home was going to be? I didn't think it was possible, but it became longer. We were detained in Switzerland.

It all started after airplane ride #1. We had landed in Zurich and were patiently waiting in the passport control line. When we came to the front of the line I handed our 3 passports to the immigration officer and he proceeded to scan and type and look back and forth from the screen to us, to our passports and back again. At first I didn't think anything of it, but then the people waiting behind us in line started to crowd us and had long ago stepped over the clearly marked yellow tape on the ground (of which you are supposed to stay behind until you are summoned by an officer). I then began to wonder, what is the hold up? And as if the officer was reading my mind he said to me, "you overstayed your visa in the Shengen." Knowing full well we had, I replied, "yes." to the question that was never asked. He picked up the phone and and looked at our passports for the one hundredth time and spoke quietly and quickly to the person on the other end of the line. After he hung up the receiver he motioned for us to wait "over there" for the police. THE POLICE?

A few moments later a stern looking man appeared in full uniform. He motioned for us to follow him, and like little sheep, we did. As we walked through high security doors I read "POLIZIA" across his back, and that is when I noticed his weapons. I scanned the area at the other officers and took a quick inventory of their weapons, you know, just in case. I counted pistols and batons, handcuffs and sprays, but most importantly machine guns. That is when I decided, this is serious. I had no prepared defense against machine guns!

And so we sat and waited like good little girls. The room was a glass cage, with no bathroom or water fountain, but no shortage of machine guns, that was for sure. When our officer returned he informed us that we'd have to pay the penalty for overstaying our visa, a mere 410.oo Swiss Franks. When we asked how that translated into US dollars all he had to say was he'd have to check on that, he thought it was equal. He thought, did ya catch that? We had no idea.

Our stern officer continued to ask us if we had enough Swiss Franks to pay the fine, or US dollars, either would do. Oh and he'd provide us with a receipt, as if that was any consolation. I informed him that regardless of whether or not we had the Franks or Dollars I did not feel we needed to pay the fine seeing as how we hold all of the rights of a Greek citizen, through the blood of our father. I thought I sounded quite convincing, that was until he asked for proof in the form of a Greek passport or ID card to corroborate our story. We had neither. Shit.

And so we waited.

After some time another officer came out to speak to us and had us sign some paperwork. I had flashbacks to Brokedown Palace and hoped we had not made a drastic mistake by signing the papers. And then to our great relief we were ushered out of the glass cage and back into the hustle and bustle of the Zurich airport to catch our flight to America. Thanks be to God.

As it turns out our case is going to appear before a Swiss Judge and he will send us his ruling via snail mail. It is possible that there will be a fine greater or equal to the original fine quoted. And it is also possible that we will be denied entry in the future. Entry into where exactly you ask? I'm wondering the same thing.

I'll let you know once I hear from the judge, for now I'm just happy we were welcomed back into the United States. And by a very cute immigration officer may I add ;)

The long "road" ahead

2009-10-10T01:22:00.010+03:00

Our return to the States is a few weeks earlier than originally planned, the trip begins this Sunday. We'll be leaving the Island at dawn, as the sun is rising our plane will lift up into the skys. The first flight of our journey will set us on course to a new chapter in our lives. We will spend some time in Athens and then when we must, we will aboard a number of aircrafts in our pursuit of home. In total our itenerary will span about a week, and for that I am thankful, it gives me more time to leave my troubles behind me.

As I prepare for this trek "home" I imagine being lifted up into the sky and I feel lighter than when I came, more peaceful. I know that all my time spent on the beach was more than just pleasure, it was the medicine I needed. These past 4 years have been heavy. I went from being madly in love to alone. From living life in the fast lane to life in the car pool lane. From everything being about me to having a child who's needs come first. As I prepare to fly I imagine all the weight of my struggles to be left behind in those rocks on the beach. I imagine that I have let go of all my heartache and we are free.

The new chapter of our lives will be set in a new city, a new home, and hopefully a new outlook. And I, for one, am excited to see what it looks like.

We need your vote!

2009-10-08T00:55:00.007+03:00

The other day when I was online "shopping" (aka looking but never buying) I came across this casting call for new Gap Baby models and I was like,

"Zhaina could soooooo do that!"

so I entered her! We're a little late on voting since it is nearing the end of the contest, but there is still time!!!! We need

YOUR VOTE!

go to

http://family.go.com/gapcastingcall/entries/sgizas/746556469/

and just click VOTE

you can vote once a day up until October 22nd so log on and get voting! Tell your friends, and your friends friends, and their friends too. Spread the word and let's see what happens!

Maybe you'll be seeing Zhaina girl's sweet face in a Gap store near you soon!

Are we there yet?

2009-10-03T17:29:00.020+03:00

Now that color week is over, it is back to business as usual: Lengthy posts of our daily shenanigans.

First, I want to tell you all about a day this past week when we went on an Island excursion with the whole gang.

The whole gang

me, Melissa, Zhaina girl, Yianni, Panos, Papu

When we left we were told that we'd be visiting a nearby beach referred to as Psili Amos ("sandy beach") which we've been to many times before and is probably the most famous beach here on Samos. Boy was that misleading! My dad proceded to drive us in his oversized Chevy Avalanche along a 2 lane road that soon became a 1 way, that soon turned into a dirt road, that soon disappeared altogether into the rocks that made up the side of the mountain. We drove along these mountain side rocks for a number of minutes with all passangers holding on for dear life as my dad drove inappropriately fast around corner after sharp corner. Ultimately we came to a stop on a cliff where Zhaina announced, "Papu, that's enough! It's scary!!!" We all piled out the truck amazed we were still alive and shocked at where we had ended up; a small private beach all tucked away in the side of the mountain.

I had to admit, it really was an amazingly beautiful place.

We spent the afternoon rock climbing, swimming, fishing, rock skipping, playing racketta, exploring, and of course picture taking.

Melissa and I unpacking our picnic while Zhaina climbs to her perch in the background

Yianni

the winning photo of the day

Oh and one more thing, Melissa and I spent the day admiring a mysterious man that we found on "our" private beach.

In fact I'd like to take this time to addres him, where ever he is.

Dear first man (that's what we call you),

You were a breath of fresh air, sitting there on the cliff overlooking the Sea. So beautiful, so handsome, so natural. Almost like you had been made by God for the purpose of just sitting there like you were part of the rock that made up the mountain that made up the Island, as if God had made you to exist there for all of eternity. You looked so right.

Thank you for being there.

signed,

the loud family at the beach the other day

remember us?

Well it's one for the money, Two for the show

2009-10-02T16:48:00.009+03:00

Singing has been a lifelong passion of mine. I sang in choir from the 5th grade all the way through college and loved every minute of it. One of my favorite concerts I ever performed in was one of my firsts, at Wahburn Elementary back in the early 90's. I remember it to be a Blast from the Past sort of show where we sang poignant songs from each decade up until present time. One of the biggest crowd pleasers was a medley of Elvis songs, one of which I am reminded of on this the last day of color week. Take a minute and visit it here, tap your toe and sing along, it might just be the medicine you need to lift you up if for even just a few minutes.

And after you've had your Elvis fix, please enjoy the blue in my world.

I'd also like to send out a big THANK YOU to my cousin Barb for hosting this color week that filled me so! And thank you to all the other participants that took the time and consumed my mind with beautiful shades all week long. It was a joy to sign on each and everyday to see the color wonder that you were able to capture within your own life to share with me and others. Which reminds me, thank you to all who stop by MaMa Ocean each and everyday! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Have a great weekend!!!

In the Pink

2009-10-01T18:36:00.008+03:00

Pink has been a color lover of mine as long as I can remember, so looking for inspiration for this day of color week was met with pure joy. Just sitting in our room and looking around I had ample amount of pink to capture, but decided it would be more fun if I took my search outside of these four walls.

But before doing so my mind wondered off to just over a year ago to Zhaina's 2nd Birthday party. To my baby turning 2. We had to have the party a few days early since we were leaving for Greece just before the anniversary of her birth. It was early June in Wisconsin, and we had been blessed with a gorgeous summer day and all of our favorite people came to celebrate with us. During Zhaina's nap I had drawn out a special chalk birthday message for her on our back patio where the party was to be held and set out a few tables in various sizes for our guests. But the part I was most excited for was the cake. I had designed it myself (leaving the creation of it up to a bakery in town) and thought it was the best birthday cake ever! It featured a cartoon character that doesn't say much, but finds himself in a lot of mischef! Can you guess who it was?

Times up...Pink Panther! I dug up the photos taken on that day and showed them to Zhaina. She was astonished by the cake and so happy that one of her beloved cartoon friends was there too! And so we took out our Pink Panther Vol. 1 DVD and watched it with smiles plastered across our faces. One of my favorite shorts is Pink Posies, which you too can enjoy here. And who doesn't love that Henry Mancini!!!

Later that day I was able to get back on task and capture these hues on "film."

Come back tomorrow when we wrap up color week with my other favorite, BLUE!

GO GREEN

2009-09-30T18:02:00.003+03:00

Now that everyone is "Going Green" I thought I'd give it a shot too.

* all puns intended

Zhaina's turtle sun bathing at Glycorisa Beach

One of these things just doesn't belong here

So excited for tomorrow, all photos dedicated to the colors Pink and Red!!! Stay tuned!

*Remember to visit these photos full size, please visit them here.

Orange you glad I didn't say Banana?

2009-09-29T02:27:00.010+03:00

It's times like these that I wish I was back in the good ol' MidWest. Looking for ORANGE in a place where fall has yet to arrive was a hundred times more challenging than it should have been. I can just picture now; Wisconsin...all the pumkins, gourds, hunter blaze orange...oh the possibilites!!!

However, even while feeling sorry for myself I did manage to spot this festive color out of it's element afterall.

Zhaina's 4th pair of arm floaties this summer, these ones are a keeper!

Who knew Papu could garden?

Color week is just gearing up, stay tunned for my world ala GREEN tomorrow!

And it was all Yellow

2009-09-28T17:52:00.011+03:00

And so the week begins with Yellow, the center of the rainbow.

Although not a huge ColdPlay fan (what’s with their wardrobe anyway?), this song comes to mind when searching my world for things colored yellow.

And this is what I found on the hunt:

Lemon Fanta, lower cooler shelf, Notos.

Soft yellow in the form of apple juice, lovely.

When I explained color week to Zhaina, she was all too eager to participate.

Meet Belle, Photo cread. Zhaina.

* to view all photos full size visit them at http://www.flickr.com/photos/mamaocean/sets/72157622348205189/

Stay tuned tomorrow for a little MaMa Ocean in Orange!

Yay for a healthy baby boy!

2009-09-26T20:49:00.002+03:00

I new beautiful soul entered our world yesterday.

Welcome Baby Obrean!

So happy for proud MaMa Candice, Daddy Vee, and big sister Ava!!!

Invitation Participation

2009-09-26T19:02:00.003+03:00

Happy weekend Readers!

Beginning this Monday September 28 I will be joining in the fun of Color Week! My cousin Barb is hosting for the first time and is asking that anyone who may be interested in playing along to email her at westsidebeadery@yahoo.com by tonight 9 pm CST.

Keep a look out next week for my world IN COLOR !

Fall?

2009-09-25T02:00:00.003+03:00

I hear the welcoming call of Fall, but I do not see it.

You see, here it is still 80+ degrees, sun shiny days EVERYDAY. I wake up every morning (okay more like noon) wondering if today is going to be the last day of summer, or as Melissa puts it, "the last beach day," but everyday we are surprised at how increadably beautiful the weather still is. (And by the way, I have decided that September is by far the most beautiful month in Samos. So if any of you are saving your pennies for a pipe dream vacation, make sure you book your tickets for September of whatever year your dream becomes realized).

I feel so lucky to have this extended summer, to still be wearing my flip flops and ponytail, and swimsuit coverup everyday. I know that soon I'll have to start wearing real clothes during the day, but for now I'll relish these last few weeks of swimsuit wearing, sun glasses rockin' days!

Dear Pomegranate, We Love You

2009-09-22T18:03:00.007+03:00

In the past few weeks we've been noticing the pomegranate trees coming into full bloom during our walks around the village. There is one tree in particular that we've been keeping an eye on since it is in what seems to be a deserted plot of land. Melissa and I have wondered aloud what is to happen to the fruits once they ripen and there is no one there to harvest them. I mean, we mind as well climb in there, right?

Thankfully that was not necessary. Today my dad showed up with the beginnings of what promises to be a bountiful pomegranate season.

the little thief

so delicious

Zhaina inspecting the "Pearls"

For further reading on the significance of this fruit start here.

As for me, THIS is next on my reading list. Now if only I could get my hands on a copy...

UPDATE Family Portrait Challenge

2009-09-22T17:43:00.002+03:00

Our family portrait has been included on the original blogger's post along with dozens of other families from around the world. It is still not too late for your family's portrait to be included as well. So get out there and gather your family for backyard photoshoot! Can't wait to see the results! Post them here in my comments section and don't forget to email Jenny!

see details below

Our Family may be small, but we pack a lot of punch

2009-09-21T18:08:00.010+03:00

I came across this blog last night before bed. I LOVED the photos (and the challenge) and immediately began brainstorming ideas of how I could capture my little family and make the photo pop. I decided that our equivelent of a "backyard" is the beach and so we woke up this morning put on our swimsuits and went to where we always go, Tarsanas Beach. I should also add that I allowed Zhaina to do what she always begs to do, wear nearly every accessory she owns at once.

We scoped out a few different locations on the beach and tried a few shots at each place, but this photo won my heart. (not to mention in 98% of the other photos all or most of our bodies never ended up in the frame). I brought the blue chair and a stool (on top of which I placed my camera and set the 10 second timer) as props and then just let the beautiful setting do its job. I told Zhaina ahead of time that we were doing a "photo shoot" today and she acted like it was no big deal, and was most excited about deciding where to stand.

If you haven't had your family portrait taken in who knows how long (for whatever reason) I strongly encourage you to answer my call and take part in this challenge. Link your family's portait back in the comments section here and send it to Jenny. Whatever means family to you, big or small, take a few moments to capture yours, and I know you'll cherish the results.

I sure do.

Brrrrr

2009-09-20T19:05:00.003+03:00

Today while on the beach my dad told me to "Watch out for Zhaina. The weather, it changes now, maybe she's cold."

It was sunny and 80 degrees at the time.

My inner Photographer

2009-09-19T18:34:00.004+03:00

eat your heart out
Originally uploaded by MaMa Ocean

Since adding a Flickr account to my already enormous online portfolio I've discovered I'm not at all what one would call a "photographer." I'm more of a bumlbling idiot with a camera in my hand. After years of being on the other side of the camera, I'm finding it a little strange to adjust to being behind the lens. I mean, I have always like having my picture taken and think it odd that others don't share that feeling. But alas, today I had the most uncooperative subject!

This afternoon my dad came down to the beach with this ridiculously large piece of karpuzi (watermelon) for Zhaina and all I wanted to do was snap a cute shot of her eating it but every time I lifted the camera she turned around! I'd have to pretend I was walking away and then run around her really fast and click! After a few moments I was able to get this shot, but not without the lack of trying.

But I have high hopes for my future photos and am bound and determined to let my inner Photographer out! (subjects willing).

A Day in the Forest

2009-09-16T17:57:00.010+03:00

After a minor repair, we took the beast on a

long ride

the other day. It took us about 40 minutes in the car and a lot of "Zhaina, just look out the window." and "Zhaina, talk to your kangaroo." but finally we made it to

~~Manolates~~ the Forest.

After a short hike we poked our way around and through a couple of restored Greek traditional homes complete with outdoor summer kitchens, hearths and all.

We explored the forest and wondered aloud if we might find the smurfs, but instead settled for a tiny creek and local cats that insisted on following us everywhere. Zhaina was a huge fan of the forest, once exclaiming, "MaMa, this place sure is wonderful!" Melissa, not so much. And when Melissa couldn't stand being in the forest for another minute we hopped back in the beast and drove to the nearest

sweets shop

for a snack, which immediately boosted her spirits.

Online Expansion

2009-09-15T17:37:00.005+03:00

While someone else is downsizing their online portfolio, I am EXPANDING. You can now find me on Flickr as well as everywhere else I've always been.

A Perfect Storm

2009-09-13T19:49:00.005+03:00

If you only knew how the sky normally looks here, you would be able to appreciate the following photos that much more. A few years ago I once took it upon myself to count how many days it would take for a cloud to appear in the sky, and I kid you not, I got to 7 weeks! Seven weeks without a single cloud in the sky! And then when it did come it was just a tiny little smear of a thing. We are among the lucky who have clear big blue sky, day after, blue sky day.

Well, the other day changed all that. A storm blew in so fierce that we had more rain fell in a 12 hour period then all of September and October of last year. It was like the sky opened up and and a waterfall came pouring out. But that's not to say we didn't make the best of it.

Hot Lattes all around! (tiny hot chocolate for you know who!)

Oh and my dad sent Taki to purchase one large umbrella that served as a sort of shuttle between the hotel and the restaurant. Me and Melissa joked that every half hour it went back and forth carry people from one destination to the other. Very Greek. You know, far be it from everyone to have their own individual umbrella, we'll all just take turns with the same one. Typical.

around noon it looked like this

Even Zhaina found a way to make herself useful.

That is until she snuck in the water fully clothed while I was busy taking pictures of the sky!

I managed to wrestle her out of her dress and jacket, but not the water, it was just too tempting! And even she couldn't keep her eyes off the sky, it just was too strange, I mean,

for Greece...

It finally did clear up around five in the afternoon, but left us all kind of wondering,

did that just happen?

Yoga Baby

2009-09-10T18:20:00.006+03:00

Sometimes she just amazes me.

Usually when we are on the beach I'm lost in my book, or my magazine, or whatever else I can get my hand on that is written in English. Meanwhile, Zhaina is off making friends with the tourists, or swimming, or finding sea glass, or snails, or some other predictable kid behavior. But the other day when I looked up from my book to scan the beach in search of my social butterfly, this is what I saw...

I thought maybe it was just a fluke, until today when she did this:

Have you ever seen such bliss?

The child in us all

2009-09-09T18:48:00.006+03:00

We've been spending some time in my dad's hovel as of late, and in this time I was reminded of the bliss of childhood innocence (and how some of us can hold onto it even in our older years).

The other day my dad fixed us a dinner of Russian tortellini, fresh vegetarian tomato and herb sauce, horiahtiki, fresh fried potatoes, hard cheese, and bread. * Queue mouths drooling. * But that isn't all. After dinner was ~~devoured~~ over the real fun began. My dad made some ill humored joke about me not needing to do the dishes, and then went and, gasp! did them himself! And it's a good thing he did, because in the process of cleaning up the supper mess, he remembered how to make a chore into a fun activity, like only he could.

Blowing Bubbles with Dish Soap!

In the end, I'm not sure who enjoyed it more, my dad, or Zhaina.

Take a look, it's in a Book

2009-09-07T18:35:00.008+03:00

So I'm reading this book, and it's like, consuming me. I've already read it once or twice before, and of course have seen the feature film it was made into. And yet, it consumes me none the less. And it's strange, because it's not one of my all time favorites (what's your favorite?), and I've already read so many wonderful books over the summer, but still, it consumes me. I love the characters, the setting, and all that adventure!

My favorite chapter, "the doing of it"

My favorite passage,

--If I was to ask you to do something, would you do it?

Inman considered that he should frame an answer here on the order of Maybe, or If I can, or some like provisional phrase.

What he said was, Yes.

What are you reading currently?

(if you find yourself saying "nothing" then what are you waiting for?! Pick up a book, any book and start reading! I guarantee you'll soon see what you've been missing)

Table for 2

2009-09-03T18:26:00.009+03:00

Every Wednesday night my dad has Live Greek Music at his restaurant on the beach, Notos. And now, since I'm not working, we actually get to enjoy "Greek Night." Zhaina and I get all dressed up and try to make it there before the rush so that we can eat too. You see, Wednesday nights are by far our busiest night. There are usually Greeks lined up for a table (or even moving tables out from inside, and sometimes even over from the restaurant next door!)and crazy tourists with smiles plastered across their faces as the entire restaurant sometimes sings along with the band. I too, have learned some of the songs and sing quietly to myself with my own smile plastered across my face. And as for Zhaina, well lets just say she has no problem dancing the night away...

Last night in particular we did NOT make it in time to get a table outside. With the

restaurant full to the brim

Zhaina girl and I set up a table for 2

inside, not far from the kitchen where my dad enjoys Greek night as master chef.

Shopping, I'm Going!

2009-08-30T00:39:00.007+03:00

With my sister off gallivanting through Italy, Zhaina and I have had to entertain ourselves, and today entertain we did. I've been meaning to visit the nearby capitol of the Island all summer but haven't had the opportunity, until now. I usually prefer to attack Vathi on my own, but I figured if I gave her all the rules of the city ahead of time maybe, just maybe we'd be okay, just the two of us. So in the

car ride

over I repeated "you have to stay by your mom, you have to be good listener, and you don't touch anything!" what felt like a zillion times. And what do you know, it worked! Zhaina was such a big girl in the big city today!

We ~~shopped~~ walked, and walked, and walked and walked, and then we had

lunch.

Unfortunately since lunch was last on our to-do list we then had to walk back to the car. By this time in the day the sun was blazing and humidity was at an unusual high. Our entire walk back along the harbor was beautiful, but scorching. Finally when I saw the ~~beast~~ car in the distance I felt relief, however momentarily, because Zhaina then announced, "MaMa, my legs hurt!" So we took a break from all that walking and took some photos by the sea.

She's off on a big Adventure

2009-08-26T18:32:00.005+03:00

I sacrificed my mid-day siesta today to see my sister off to Italy.

She's one lucky duck to get to backpack from Venice to Rome and all-over in between for the next couple weeks. Zhaina said she wanted to go to Italy too, but I had to break the news to her that we weren't invited. Then she said that we should go ask Papu for some more money to buy some tickets. A pretty advanced thought for a 3 year-old I think, but still I had to tell her no, Melissa gets to do this alone.

And then just before Melissa left I asked her one thing; to bring us back a present (nothing crappy) wrapped in 50 Euro bills. That should make up for us missing Italy.

Sailing to Samiopoula

2009-08-25T17:09:00.010+03:00

This past weekend a few friends and I took a local boat trip to a nearby private Island by the name of Samiopoula (literally meaning "small Samos"). I've been twice before but I think this year was my favorite visit. Zhaina was the only child on the boat and so of course was revered by all. And not to say she didn't deserve the attention, I mean, she IS pretty darn cute.

We spent the day playing in the sand, eating snacks on the beach, honing my Racketta skills (I'm improving exponentially I must say), and enjoying the waves of the sea. Oh and of course we took out ample time for photo ops.

But my all-time-most-favoritest part of the day was on the trip back to Pythagorio when the Captain of the boat announced that we'd be anchoring in an alcove to go swimming! After a brief hesitation I stripped down to my bandeau bikini, handed Zhaina off to Chelsey, climbed up on the boat railing and dove in!!! I was the only female on the boat to dive from where the men were diving and Zhaina couldn't have been more proud. I surfaced the water to hear her clapping on the boat and yelling "Bravo MaMa!!!"

the Beast

2009-08-19T19:04:00.005+03:00

When reading about all our traipsing around the Island this year, you might be asking yourself, "how are they getting there?" To be sure, we are not paying a taxi. And we defenetely are not walking. So how are we getting to that "other beach" you ask?

By Beast, that is the Mercedes; diesel style.

At the last minute before I left the States I stopped by AAA and got myself an International Drivers License. I wasn't sure I'd use it, I've had this license in the past, but I thought to myself, "just in case." Well for a last minute thought it has turned out to be a Godsend. Me and my license have got us all over this Island this summer. Okay, it may not be glamorous, and sure the windows don't roll down (and for sure there is no air) and it weighs about a million tons, but it's free and it goes. Most Greeks (and some Americans even) cannot believe I know how to drive a diesel stick, and I secretly revel in the shock on their faces as I drive on.

Now that I think of it, it IS getting to feel more and more like home here every year afterall.

Me as a Barista

2009-08-15T18:59:00.004+03:00

I had big plans for another blog, maybe something like a cookbook, but not exactly. Maybe something like a story but including lessons on how to be a "good eater." Maybe I don't have time. This will have to do for now...

For an avid reader of mine I will share one of my best. And as a self-proclaimed coffee connoisseur I can guarantee this coffee is my best.

This recipe calls for an esspresso machine so if you don't have one, run out now and get yourself one, you need one, I promise you'll love it. (but if you're in a bind try using instant coffee but I cannot promise it will be as delicious).

Iced Latte

1 or 2 shots of esspresso (depending on the pick-me-up neccessary)
1 1/2 t sugar (for medium sweetness)
1 ice cube
fresh milk (as opossed to condensed milk, which is the coffee milk of choice in Greece)
bendy straw

oh shoot, I forgot to mention, you'll also need a hand mixer, so while you're at Target pick up one of those too.

collect your esspresso shot(s), sugar and ice cube in a glass, froth with hand mixer, add milk to the brim of the glass, insert bendy straw and sip away!!!

Everyone loves a party! Well...maybe not Zhaina.

2009-08-11T17:44:00.014+03:00

It's been all fun and games around here, with little time for anything else.

It all started with a big celebration in Pythagorio last week when the archbishop came from Athens to give a speech (which was strangely followed by fireworks and a concert the next night). We had mini-donuts and and cotton candy, and even a parade. I'm not sure exactly what we were celebrating, but it sure was fun! Look and see how much fun Zhaina had! Okay, so maybe she wasn't such a fan of the fireworks, but we sure thought they were spectacular!

Then this past weekend we were so lucky to get to go to a rock festival in Ireon. The Stranglers were playing and we shook our groove thing all night with only a break to buy a T-shirt Melissa had been eyeing up all week (photo with Melissa wearing T-shirt inserted here, via imagination). We met up with Dad after the concert and reminisced about the old days at the Cove where they played only good music but all the girls were ugly. Okay, maybe only he reminisced and we just listened, he always has been a good storyteller. Wish you coulda been there too!

Let there be Light

2009-08-04T18:02:00.009+03:00

Location: Panagia Spiliani Monastery Samos, Greece

Do you ever have that moment, that feeling when you somehow become transported into another realm? You are awake and aware of what is going on around you, but you somehow feel, hear, and smell things that you cannot neccessarily see. This place, Panagia Spiliani Monastery in Samos, makes me feel differently, it makes me feel lighter, stronger, and more centered. While inside the cave I always whisper, afraid to startle the souls I feel along side me. And although I'm not usually a graceful person, I find myself tip-toeing around, careful not to make a sound. My trips inside the cave are rarely long, as I feel I can only visit stay in this dream briefly before it might shatter. At some point I must exist, but find myself lucky enough to be greeted by the setting sun.

Lighting a candle for those I love

Hesitating at the Virgin's door.

Seeing the Light

Upon exiting, basking in the twilight sun.

Where do you see the Light?

The Old Man and the Sea

2009-08-04T01:27:00.005+03:00

Even in his mid-fifties my dad is as competitive as ever. On a recent trip to another beach* Papus Yiannis challenged all stragglers* to a game of Racketta. As we all took our turns he would call out, "watch this!" followed immediately by hurling the ball back at the other player at warp speed. In his mind I suppose he thought he was showing his fans (ie the stragglers) his immense talent at playing Racketta (a game I've now been playing for weeks and still am not sure of the rules) but in reality was mearly gathering pity for his opponent from his fans (ie the stragglers). Yet still somehow it was one of my favorite moments of the summer.

*see "I got a pocket, got a pocket full of Sunshine"

I got a pocket, got a pocket full of sunshine

2009-07-29T19:16:00.011+03:00

Take me Away.

Every chance I get I take all the stragglers and we head to "another beach." You see, we pretty much own our very own lovely stretch of beach in Pythagorio, Samos (well as much as you can "own" a beach) but it comes with strings. My dad's restaurant is on that lovely beach. So if it is your day off and the restaurant gets busy (as is likely in high season) you are no doubt going to be called up to work by my tyrant of a father. And I mean work hard! Sweat hard! Oh, and I should remind you, you are still wearing your swimsuit while working, and it is most likely still dripping salt water down your leg. So now you're working in your swimsuit, with it dripping down your leg (and if you are of the female variety it is also dripping from your boobs, lucky you). Working, sweating, dripping, all the while hopefully not tripping. So I think you can see why we head to "another beach" as often as possible, which is never often enough.

A sweet escape

My best photo yet

2009-07-25T17:43:00.005+03:00

If only I had a Flickr...I would post this photo there. But instead it will stay here for your viewing pleasure, and mine.

It was taken about a week ago when Zhaina and I escaped for a latte in the harbor alone together. The friendly waiter gave her this drink ornament to keep her happy while I sipped away on the beverage below. Yum yum.

Hookah Disturbance

2009-07-15T18:20:00.005+03:00

The mere presence of a Hookah pipe is enough to put me on edge. It is just so big, exotic, and strange. I mean, I know that it is now coming into fashion just to be seen in a hookah bar or a hash den, but me, smoke shisha, not so sure. Until now...

The other night we ~~scared the crap out of~~ walked in on my cousin preparing the hookah for a midnight smoke, and I have to admit I was completely entranced. The whole process of indirectly lighting the shisha (or in our case apple flavored herbal molasses) totally demanded my full attention. And then when it came time to smoke I only momentarily hesitated, what was I waiting for?

Turns out nothing. I guess I am in fashion after all.

Breakfast of Champions

2009-07-14T18:40:00.007+03:00

BEACH BREAKFAST

Milky

Iced Latte

Fresh Bread

Butter

Honey

Yummy!

Just another bad day in Paradise

2009-07-12T01:36:00.004+03:00

So I've had this strange string of bad days, and for no particular reason, other than I'm cranky. Just pure and simple cranky behavior. Okay well maybe not for NO reason. My dad is rather a cranky person, more so in his most recent years. My sister and I go back and forth as to the reason why. Could it be his age? Could it be he works too hard? Is it because it is difficult to be a host? Maybe he's stressed out because of money? Are we, his daughters, the root of his angst? And this list of questions gets longer and longer without any answers ever surfacing.

So this evening, feeling just as cranky as ever, I look over at my dad with his crabby face and I think to myself, "wow he looks like me!" So, there you go, the reason I'm cranky for no particular reason at all is the exact reason why he is.

And yet, this reason remains unidentified.

Through the years

2009-07-07T16:41:00.008+03:00

They say, "the time goes by so fast."

They say, "enjoy it while it lasts."

They say, "don't be in such a hurry."

"They" are right.

2006

2007

2008

2009

Adventures at the Acropolis

2009-07-05T17:30:00.012+03:00

Should you ever be so lucky to come to Greece, in my humble opinion, the #1 thing you must see is the Acropolis. It is absolutely magnificant! My first visit to the Acropolis was when I was just about Zhaina's age. There are photos in exsistance somewhere of me, Melissa, and my mom and dad hiking to the Acropolis in the early 1980's. Now nearly 30 years later I am bewitched by the Acropolis everytime I come to Athens. It is just so amazingly breath taking. I took Zhaina on her first hike when she was just 3 months old, but since then it has been too daunting a task to return. Until last week while in Athens we set out to do a midnight hike only to find that the gates were closed and we couldn't get all the way to the top :( So we drove as far up as the road allows and admired it from afar.

Only to have Zhaina anounce she had to pee! So in true Greek style we found a bush and crouched behind it.

On our way back through the center of Athens we stopped at the Greek Parliment building, specifically, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier for a quick photo op.

And as you can see we came just in time for the changing of the guards! I've always loved a good dance :)

Sea Glass

2009-07-04T17:29:00.000+03:00

Here on Samos a lot of time is spent on the beach and one of Zhaina's favorite beach activities is searching for sea glass. Of course she loves swimming and snacking too, but searching for sea glass is the best. On my dad's beach the most common colors of sea glass found are green and clear. But once and awhile you get lucky and find and amber piece or even light blue. The green are from the Heineken bottles, the clear are from the coca-cola bottles, the amber from Amstel beer bottles, and the light blue ones I'm not so sure about. There are also many tiny sea shells and pottery shards that are also lovely to collect. I keep all the sea glass Zhaina finds on her own in a blue gossamer bag that we tote around the world with us, and the search continues. Zhaina now has a crew of helpers on the beach. The newest edition to the crew is Chelsey, her nanny this summer.

All this talk about sea glass reminds me of a lovely book I read some years ago by the same title. I should find mine and re-read it, I remember it filling me so. Perhaps I will tuck away a copy for Zhaina as well...

The Pizza Maker

2009-07-03T17:44:00.000+03:00

One of my dad's 3 businesses on the Island is a Pizzeria, which we refer to as simply, "the pizza". It was opened by a Dutch guy some years ago, but when he moved on to new ventures my dad seized the opportunity to expand his capitol on the Island by purchasing the pizza. (Again, referring to the business and not to a single pizza pie). This is his third year running the pizza and it gets better and better every year I believe.

Adoni, the pizza maker (employed by my dad) had a family tragedy occur in the last week and had to suddenly make a trip home to Albania. This left a huge void at the pizza. You see, we make everything from scratch at the pizza. And by scratch I mean down to the shredding of the cheese out of 25 lbs blocks. But not only do we shred the cheese, we make the pizza dough. And who do you think is the lucky one to have taken on this gigantic task?! Yes, that's right, me.

the pizza maker.

So these past few days I've spent the sweltering afternoons in front of a wood burning pizza oven, rolling dough.

After it has risen it looks something like this:

Yikes.

And then about 2 hours and 5 lbs of sweat collecting under my boobs, we get about 50 or so of these:

the fruits of my labor

But don't worry, I had help.

To Blog, or Not to Blog

2009-07-03T01:40:00.000+03:00

I've had this inner battle about blogs for the past year or so. Trying to decide how I felt about them. I thoroughly enjoy reading blogs, and have followed several for some time now, but having my own, well that's a whole other story.

I've always been plagued by this wierd oxymoron trait to my personality. On one hand I am somewhat (okay some may say alot) of an exhibitionist, yet on the other hand I am very private about the way my brain works, the way I think about things, and especially the way I feel about not only things, but more importantly, people. So to have all that out there with people reading my words and judging my thoughts, scrutinizing my photos, that took some incouragement.

Yet, in the end I've decided to give it a go.

So here it is world, I hope it is all I promise it will be, and more.