Las Vegas Mama

Wow, I have really been slacking on the blog posts. But I have a reason for that, truly I do. In fact, I even dropped a hint of it in my last post, but NO ONE noticed! I think I am going to wait a while and see if anyone can come up with a good guess. Not that I blame you for missing the hint, it was subtle. In the meantime, since the last post and now, I will update you on what else has been going on. I have actually potty trained Violet, and that went so remarkably well that I really could not say anything sarcastic about it. Which is a shame, because you know how much I enjoy my sarcasm. And how sad I get when I cannot take aim and shoot it at people or things like little stinging bullets... pew! pew! pew! So the very first day Violet was at the potty like a champ. Inside of a week she was completely potty trained. I would like to brag about how fantastic I am, and about how I am the. best. mom. ever.  But the truth is that Violet was totally ready. Case in point, I notice...

I feel accomplished. Specifically, shopping has been accomplished at the As They Grow event, going on this weekend through Sunday. Do you want to see what I found? Of course you do, don't even pretend you don't care. This is just a small sampling of all the amazing finds. Beatrix Potter dress, $10. Cuuute!!! Stride Rite shoes, $2! (Ivy already scuffed them as you can see) Moses basket, $10!!!! Adorable 40's-style drop-waist dress, $4. April Cornell night gown, $7. Gymboree smocked summer dress, $5. Cap-sleeve summer dress, $2. I also got a play oven for $3 and a Snow White, Prince Charming and woodland animal set for $3 that I am too lazy to take pictures of. I should also tell you that Sunday has a 50% markdown on many items. The things that were already dirt cheaper are now even dirt cheaper.  If you have missed the event so far, do NOT miss this last day!

Guess what? I am going shopping. So what? SO, I am going shopping at the As They Grow event!! Ah, yes, that takes on new meaning, doesn't it? Did you brave the insanity last year? And by insanity I mean the AWESOMENESS. Insane = awesome, because it is a known equation that any time you combine extremely low prices with incredibly unique finds (that normally cost way too much money) then you have mom cat fights, skirmishes, and all-out brawls. That is the insane part. But the awesome part is that at the end of it all, everyone still manages to come away with treasures for their child's bedroom or wardrobe. And I am one of the lucky few to get to shop the Pre-Sale on Wednesday evening. Why? Because I am volunteering my time, my delectable writing skills, and blog coverage. I wrote the inside scoop on shopping and consigning with As They Grow for AOL City's Best, so read it and if you are not shopping the Pre-Sale, then weep. I'm kidding, please don't c...

I am resisting the power nap today... resisting.... resisting.... arrrrggghhhh!!!! It hurts!!!

I took a power nap today. Just FYI, power nap is short for Powerful Nap. Because mine was seriously powerful. I started feeling very sleepy around noon and figured it was Violet's naptime anyway, so I could just lie down with her for a few. I mentioned to Ivy how tired I was. In all her 4 year old wisdom, she said, "You go ahead and lie down wif Violet. I'll just stay up and play vewy quietly." She sounded so reasonable. Even though I knew she was just trying to avoid a nap of her own, I decided to go for it. I would nap with Violet while my 4 year old played unsupervised. Sounded like a responsible idea, at least in my exhausted mind. Besides, I would only be about 5 or 10 minutes and then I could get up and make her some lunch. I gratefully laid down with Violet, and as I immediately started drifting into blissful rest, it occurred to me that this was probably not a good idea. What if Ivy wrapped something around her neck and suffocated? What if she tried to eat...

The follow up to my article on play dates for $5 or less is family activities for $10 or less, which you can read here at AOL City's Best. Did I forget anything? Leave me a comment and let me know if you have some good suggestions!

I have been asking myself this question because of her propensity for inflicting pain - you can get the details here . Truth be told, I have been getting some results lately in trying to get her to stop the madness. I was at my wits end. I applied time outs faithfully, but it didn't seem to be doing much for averting the behavior. I had a talk with my very wise mom, and she advised me not to react emotionally to Violet's violence. She told me, in her infinite wisdom, to be extremely calm. I had been reacting emotionally and getting angry. Not because I was angry, but because I thought it would make more of an impact if she saw my disapproval very clearly. Apparently not the way to go. So I started applying time outs as recommended: very even-toned, matter-of-fact, and other words that have dashes in them. And LO! it has been working brilliantly. This, however, is not how I found out the truth about whether Violet is a sociopath. Even sociopaths can change their behavior i...

My darling little daughter, Violet, has always been rather... well, violent, to be honest. Which is ironic, because when she was born, both of my parents objected to the name because it sounded way too close to the word violent (in English and in Spanish). Sure enough, from the time she had control over her arms, she was violent. She would do something I called a "face tear". From her cozy little spot in my Sleepy Wrap sling she would reach out an arm and making a claw hand she would use her tiny, sharp little baby nails to scratch my face when I least expected it. She would seem to be snoozing peacefully, begin to stir, and out came the Claw of Death. FACE TEAR! She would be done nursing, I would sit her up to burp her, and FACE TEAR! I would nuzzle her soft, fragrant little face in the mornings, pull back a little to gaze lovingly upon her, and BAM. FACE TEAR! I'm not going to lie, I bled. And it hurt - mostly in my tender little mommy heart, that my own chil...

If you aren't feeling too excited about shelling out upwards of $15 for play date activities, head over to AOL City's Best and read my 4 picks for play dates that are $5 or less. You can read the article here . My next article will expand the budget just a smidgen, I will cover play dates for $10 or less. So if you have any suggestions you think I need to include on that one, be sure to message me.

So we went to LA over the weekend, which was fun. Especially the part where the girls wouldn't stop crying on the drive. That was so relaxing, and I can't wait to do it again. My ears have not bled nearly enough lately, so that was a relief. I wish I could do that every day. Now, even though it was just a few days, I missed Las Vegas. I missed the fact that when I blow dry my hair it stays the way I styled it instead of frizzing. I missed the fact that the air quality is far better, and I missed being able to breathe easily. I spent those days in LA with a stuffy nose because of my allergies. Within a few hours of arriving back in Vegas, it was completely cleared up. Still, it was nice to see family and friends again, I had missed everyone. We went to my nephew's 2nd birthday party, the kids all got to run around outside and eat cupcakes so it was a good day. My favorite part of that day was when Violet saw her dad from afar and went running full speed ahead to ...

So, I have to tell you all that I did not end up going to the Grammy's after party. I know, I know, you are disappointed in me. I understand. Maybe I should have gone. But I felt it was going to be too much to travel down there, come back on a Monday and have to leave to go back down on Friday. That would have put us at 16 hours worth of driving time, with a 2 year old and a 4 year old. Too much. I had a back up plan in place to bring you guys all the juicy insider details of a party like that. My sister, Natalia, was going to go for me and then do a guest blog about it. But then life happened. She came down with the flu. And so here we are, well into the weekday again and I have no glamorous stories to tell. I hope I haven't let you down too much. I guess will have to come up with some crazy mom story to tell you instead, just to keep the drama alive. UPDATE: I just got an email from one of the PR people who arranged the event. Wanna know who was there? Tara Reid , the...

So Phillip and Ivy went to a Valentine's Day dance at Black Mountain Rec Center, a dance that celebrates the tender love of a father for his little daughter. I dressed them both in matching pink and brown outfits. It only sounds strange. I thought that the end result was charming. Don't you? Phillip said it was really cute to see all those dad on the dance floor, some with several daughters. Ivy thought the music was way too loud, and was too intimidated by the volume to dance much. "But was it fun?" I asked. "A little bit fun," she said. "...and a lot of boring." Awesome.

So, as you may have read from previous tweets... I got invited to Nivea For Men's Grammy's afterparty this Sunday. First of all, WHAT???!!! Second of all, AWESOME!!! But here is the thing - it is happening in Los Angeles, as any Grammy's party should. And I am here in Las Vegas. Nivea for Men is arranging a private shuttle to bring the Las Vegas invitees to this Grammy's party blowout. So transportation is taken care of. It's all settled, but something seems to be niggling in the back of my mind. Hm, what could it be...? Oh yes, I remember now - I HAVE CHILDREN! That makes it a lot more challenging. Phillip and I would have to travel down with the kids in tow (probably NOT on the party bus), just so I could go to this admittedly glamorous afterparty at a secret Bel Air estate, which will be crawling with industry insiders (it's co-hosted by Steve Riftkind from  Universal Music Group), music stars, and who knows what other sorts of fabulousness? What ...

At. Last. Violet is asleep. I am sitting here with a mug of Mexican hot chocolate, feeling like my head is all floaty and light, like a hot air balloon... and feeling relieved. Today has been one of the most challenging days in recent history. While battling Evil Germ, I have also been battling Fussy Toddler, which as all moms know is one of the most difficult things to do - period. I had to take Violet to the doctor to get a steroid shot. While we sat in the waiting room, I suddenly felt like I was fading away. The "darkness" started to encroach but I fought it off and took a few deep breaths. Maybe it was the long nights keeping vigil over the girls' breathing, combined with my own illness. But it was touch and go for a while there, and all I could think of was how utterly stupid and inconvenient it would be if I fainted. Once we were in the exam room I warned the man-nurse that I may not be conscious much longer. "If I pass out, here is my cell phone on t...

Hello again. Did you miss me? Ivy and I are sick with some kind of evil germ or virus. Let's say germ, because it just sounds funnier. "Good evening, ladies and germs!" See? Funny. Also, it makes me think of that germ-looking thing on Sponge Bob.  Also funny: So, I know it is evil because it has hit us pretty hard. I am waiting for Phillip and Violet to fall prey to Evil Germ, it is inevitable. Ivy's breathing was not doing too well, and she was running a high fever. So I took her to the doctor (which took 2 hours, thanks a lot Foothill Pediatrics!), and by the time we made our way back home Evil Germ had taken hold of me and I started getting Evil Fever and Evil Chills. Today was the worst by far, though, because my temp shot up and I had to get into bed and get into the fetal position. Eventually Ivy came looking for me and the sheer thought of having to get up to take care of someone else made me burst into tears. Ivy took the hint and left. There was NO ...

So this week I was invited to a party at the Palms. Would you believe I had never set foot in the Palms, even after nearly 7 years of Las Vegas living? True story. The party was a launch of Nivea for Men's new campaign called "Look Like You Give a Damn". Phillip came with me, since after all he is a man and can appreciate the fact that the party was more manliness-oriented. As for me, I was excited just to have a chance to dress up in something other than my usual uniform of jeans and clogs. So the party was in the Fantasy Tower's Sky Villa, which has an awesome infinity pool. This one, in fact: The Sky Villa is really beautiful - 2 stories of luxurious rooms, where they had fun things set up like a golf room, an old-fashioned barber shop (for complimentary man-grooming), cigar lounge and a burlesque/dessert room. But don't you worry, Phillip kept custody of the eyes. He only had eyes for the delectable mini cupcakes anyway, as it should be. If you foll...

Part of what has been keeping me busy and away from all you, my dear blog BFFs, is the writing I have been doing for AOL. I forgot to post these as I went, so here are some of my City's Best Valentine's Day picks for Las Vegas. First, the Valentine's Day gooey, smoochy, lovey-dovey stuff:   Vegas I-Do's: 5 Perfect Places to Pop the Question Keep Love Alive: Valentine Gifts For Marrieds Free Vegas: Date Ideas For Valentine's Day But let us not forget about our wee ones. Many of these you have already seen me write about here on this blog, and others will be new to you. Check them out, and if you have a suggestion that tops what I have I will be very grateful to hear of new or interesting places!   Fun For the Little Ones: Best Baby Corrals Kid-Friendly Vegas: Stress-Free Dining For Parents

Remember in The Neverending Story how "The Nothing" slowly starting creeping into Narnia or wherever it was, and bit by bit this gray, whirling, windy nothingness destroyed everything in its path, almost including the Empress and her ivory tower? (BTW, wasn't the Empress so adorable with her little pearl thingy hanging on her forehead?? For years and years I wanted one of those. Maybe I still do. Just a little.) The Nothing is consuming my blog right now. I have been busy with stuff but I cannot really think of anything particularly fun or interesting to write about. Maybe my head just isn't in the game the way it used to be. I have also gotten lazy about accepting offers from companies to promote their stuff. I want to do it, I do. But I am having a tough time sitting down and getting it done. Sorry, companies... I am working on it, hang in there! The point is, don't give up on me, please. I am working on giving the Empress a name so that NeverLand can contin...

Apart from being a pretty bad picture with Violet blinking at that moment, the truth is that this... ...was was nothing worse than a little watercolor paint! Take a closer look: She strolled into the room nonchalantly like if she hadn't just painted her own face. Man it cracks me up when kids do stuff like this!

Here is a picture of Violet from Friday.   I will tell you tomorrow what this is all about, but first you have to guess what happened.