When I was in elementary school, I would always see the smartest kids in the class participating in this program called “Odyssey of the Mind.” I always wanted to do it, but my parents didn’t have enough time to take me around, so I just sat there admiring these kids and wish that I could be one of them.

It was a pleasant surprise to find out that my children’s school had their own Odyssey of the Mind program.  I quickly signed up to learn more about it.  I definitely got more excited when I found out that our school’s PTA was funding the program.   Last night, I went to the parent meeting.

Odyssey of the Mind is an international program, so kids all over the world compete.  However, for kids in first and second grade, they are in a non-competitive division, which I think it’s great at that age.  They are presented a certificate at the end to indicate the completion of the program.

During the year, kids have to answer one problem.  For my kids’ team, we have to answer the following one:

Primary: Surprise Party Grades K-2 The team is to create and present a humorous performance that includes a Surprise Party for a team-created character. The theme of the party is a surprise because it is being given for something that is not normally celebrated. Partygoers will give three gifts that help symbolize the theme of the party. The performance will also include an original party “noisemaker” that makes an unusual sound instead of a loud sound. Cost limit: $125 USD.

As you can see, there is a cost limit of $125.  This is for all the materials used for the project.  There are also short-term problems that the kids have to answer in a quick and spontaneous fashion.

This program is great because it teaches children to hold on to their creativity.  Like the coordinator said, after 1st grade, children tend to lose that for one reason or the other. This helps them encapsulate that.  I see how creative both of my children are.  Isabelle spends her day drawing and painting, while Cebastian loves to build things with his Legos.  I don’t want them to lose that, so I am glad that this program is around.

A parent or two usually coaches the team.  This other mother and I volunteered to be co-coaches.  I can use my organizational and time management skills to keep the kids on task.  I already created a Google Calendar for us that has all the meetings and events, and used Google Docs to keep track of the contact list.

I think it also helps children with their problem-solving skills, which is very important when they go out in the real world.  It is for all types of kids, so it’s not just for the outgoing child, but also for the shy child who stands in the back.  One thing that the teachers have been telling is that Cebastian and Isabelle tend to not want to get involved in group activities.  They are like me where they prefer to work independently.  I am hoping that this program helps them want to work as a team.  Even if you don’t want to work in a team, you usually do.  I want to prepare them for that.

If your child’s school has this program, then definitely check it out.  I am going to see if I can even create team shirts.  I will have the kids be creative and come up with the design. =)

When it comes to love, some people are idealistic, and others are realistic. I remember a conversation I had with my ex two years ago.

“You are too idealistic,” he said to me.

“You say it like it’s a bad thing.”

“It’s going to break you one day.”

“What?”

“You need to realize that you have to think realistically about relationships and realize that you are going to have to eventually settle. You can’t live life in this rosy-glass way that you seem to live.”

For the first time, I was speechless. Why couldn’t I be idealistic about love? I’m very similar to Marianne from “Sense and Sensibility” and Clementine from “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” Side note: Funny that Kate Winslet played them both. They are my favorite characters and it was due to this passion and innocence that they had. It’s one of the reasons people love me, including him, so why is it a bad thing?

In Sense and Sensibility,” Colonel Brandon says it perfectly, “I knew a lady very like your sister – the same impulsive sweetness of temper – who was forced into, as you put it, a better acquaintance with the world. The result was only ruination and despair. Do not desire it, Miss Dashwood.”

I dealt with that ruination and despair last year, and I picked up the pieces and are happier than ever. I decided to go the realistic route, but all it did was cause me to become mean and bitter. In the end, I decided that isn’t for me. I love that I still have this innocent view about the world, and I don’t care if I remain alone due to that. I’m not going to change myself.

Halloween is one of our favorite times of the year. It has two of my favorite passtimes: dressing up and candy. My mother has always been obsessed with it, and passed this obsession to my sisters and me. It’s something that I have also passed on to my own kids. My birthday is pretty close to Halloween, so that also helped as well. One of my first birthday parties was a costume party in Panama. This is when Halloween was non-existent there. My parents, who had been in the USA, brought it back with them. The whole neighborhood went to my party. Even now, when we meet someone from the old neighborhood, they still talk about how great the first costume party was that they ever attended.

Luckily, when we came the U.S., we were living in Ft. Belvoir, so it was safe enough for children to go out on their own and everyone celebrated Hallowen. We had a great time hitting all the houses, and actually had to return home to get a new bag cause the first one would fill up quickly.

In my teenage years, I went through the whole “I’m too old to trick-or-treat” phase, but that didn’t last long when I turned 17. I discovered wearing a costume and heading down to Georgetown. You would see all kinds of wonderful costumes, and my younger sister K. and I rediscovered our love for Halloween.

After that, we couldn’t be stopped. We loved it! Here are some of the costumes I’ve worn in the past:

Cebastian, at first, hated costumes.  He would take them off in a second.  It wasn’t until he was three that he realized what happens when you wear a costume.  I had to put on his Spiderman pajamas because he refused to wear one.  When we were trick-or-treating, he realized that iI get candy?  After that, there were no issues.  This year he wants to be a werewolf, so I am glad that we can finally stop being a ninja or Jedi.  

On the other hand, Isabelle never gave me any issues.  She gladly put her costume on.  The only thing is that I can’t leave her side.  She is afraid of any little thing, so if I leave her to go to a door alone (this really means with her brother and cousin), she will scream like someone is attacking her.  Even now, if we go to the Halloween store, she will not enter unless I am holding her hand.  I was shocked that she wanted to be a vampiress this year.  She is definitely taking after her mother.

This year, I have been so busy that I haven’t been able to fully be as excited for Halloween as I usually am because of the workload I’ve been having.  However, now that this project is finally over, I am going to get ready for the festivities.  I still haven’t gotten my costume, so I need to get going on that.  At this point, I’ll choose anything that looks good and not every single woman will have.  Even if I don’t, as long as the kids have a good Halloween, I’ll be happy.

30-Year Old Talking

31-Year Old Emerges

Today I watched one of my favorite movies of all time, “Legends of the Fall.” This movie stars Brad Pitt as Tristan (I was about to name Cebastian after this character).  Everyone who loves him fall to tragedy in some way or the other. There are some people who are like this. They are tormented souls who destroy anyone who comes near them, even when they don’t mean to. For some reason, people love them quickly and deeply but it only causes them to suffer more.

It’s like they said in the movie, “He was a rock they broke themselves against however much he tried to protect them more.”

People like this are meant to roam free and alone. They shouldn’t be surrounded by people because it only causes them to feel more alienated from the world. The entire time they feel they have to take care of everyone that they fail to take care of themselves.

If you ever meet someone like this, just realize that all you are doing is causing yourself pain.  In the end, you will be left broken and alone.  I am glad that I was able to survive this, but there are many people don’t.  I now stay clear of men like him.

Photo Detail: fall, originally uploaded by Rachael Chavez.

After this clip was taken, I almost fell off my bike in a really bad way. The bike actually did a wheelie (Is that the correct term?), and I was headed towards a really rough, rocky landing. When this happened, I realized that this is exactly what is happening within me. I’m losing myself because I am not following my dreams. Money isn’t everything, and I need to realize that. I saw this article that stated the freelancers could live off of $10/hr. I almost fainted. $10/hr?!  I posted it on FriendFeed, and I realized that I could possibly live off of that (well..maybe a little more).

This was the second sign that I’ve had in the past few days.  After the Maryland 5K Breast Cancer Run, my sister asked if I wanted to go to church with her.  I decided to accompany her because I haven’t really spent much time with her.   I’m glad that I went.  The preacher discussed how people’s lives sometimes are in a standstill because they allow things to suppress them.  You have to rise above those obstacles and claim what is yours.  You can’t put your dreams on hold for anything, even if it causes you to struggle a little bit. 

Almost ended up in the hospital, but I was able to overcome that obstacle and survive.  It’s time I did that with my life.

Cebastian got a bigger bike for his birthday. When we tried to ride it in the parking lot, he kept falling off. He had been riding his previous bike with no training wheels, so I don’t understand why he couldn’t do it with this bike. This Trek bike is 24” bike compared to the 20” bike he used to have, so I am not sure if the height has anything to do with it. I am nervous, but I want Isabelle and him to be great bike riders, so they can ride with me. When I did the Tour de Cure, I saw kids who were around 11 riding with their parents, so I hope that will be us one day.

I saw this video on teaching children how to ride a bike, so I hope to have the same success they seem to have.

When I was learning how to ride my bike, my parents did what many other parents did. They held the bike of my bike and let go. I fell the first few times, but then I got the hang out of it. Maybe that will be the best way to go? If anyone has any tips or suggestions, I will gladly accept them.

The women in my family love makeup, and it has been like this forever. When I went to Panama in April, I remember one memory that stuck with me. We were headed to an event, and my cousins, aunt, sister, mother, Isabelle, and I were in a room getting ready. All of us were either pushing to see each other in the mirror, or had a compact out, and were trying to put our makeup on. At the same time were doing this, the younger girls, who were still too young to take part in this ritual, were watching us mesmerized. It was the same look my cousins and I used to have when we watched our aunts and mothers get ready.

A few years ago, I was shocked to find out that many men prefer women who don’t wear any makeup. The last time I confirmed this was last week when my friend said that yes, he likes when a woman doesn’t wear much makeup. I guess I can see why. You are able to see if she is naturally pretty because makeup can cover many imperfections. I understand that, but I still can’t give it up.

I love the way makeup can transform my look to any way I want. I grew up reading fashion magazines and trying to adopt many of the looks that I saw on their glossy papers. When I visit Sephora or a similar store, I get a rush buying a tube of lip gloss or mascara. It’s always great when I go with a family member or friend, who shares the same passion. We behave like giddy girls. It might sound silly, but little things make me happy. Sometimes even more than the bigger things.

I sometimes wonder if it’s a culture thing as well.  I see some of my friends, who are from other countries, who love makeup just as much as I do.  Then I see some of my other friends who could care less for it.  Well, I love makeup, and I don’t think I will ever give it up.

Photo Detail: Digital Makeup, originally uploaded by { Fiat Lux }.