Superhero family!

What do you do when you're a little kid home on summer vacation but instead of going to fun places like the zoo and the beach, your parents are home working all day and they are too busy to entertain you?

You bug bug bug bug bug them until they stop working and paint a superhero mask on you. Because you don't already own a superhero mask and you like, need one.

Duh.

Tempera paint is non-toxic and washes off with little effort.

Super Stretchy Ballerina Girl was born!

And her side-kick, Pink Guuul (Xixi translation: Pink Girl).

This superhero stuff runs in the family, totally.

It's been fourteen lovely years

This week was my 14th wedding anniversary. I can't believe we've been married that long. A few memories of my wedding day:

• I was so nervous after getting my nails done, I couldn't even touch my lunch. You know it was bad if I couldn't touch my lunch.

• It was really hot outside. I was sweating at the altar.

• I was late. Like thirty minutes late.

• Michael's auntie arrived a little late as well, and as I was about to walk down the aisle, she darted in front of us to find a seat and snap her camera in my face. Ahem.

• When my father and I stood at the door of the church, I took one look at all the eager, smiling faces and I backed right out so I could catch my breath. Everybody giggled.

• My husband was very emotional and cried and said the loveliest vows to me. I don't remember them, but they were beautiful words.

• My little brother Josh was crying hysterically, and my stepdad had to soothe him gently. And I have that on video.

• The reception was a blur.

• Someone stole my wallet. And the thief mailed it back to me (anonymously, of course) about a week later.

• At the end of the night, we were starving. I'm sure we weren't the first bride in groom in the drive-thru line at In-N-Out on our way to the honeymoon.

Here we are, after a lovely evening of conversation, laughs and a lot of sushi.


Botox, baby from Pearmama on Vimeo.

Blogs by Latinas Awards 2011: go out and vote!

My people.

I've been nominated for a 2011 Blogs by Latinas Award for Favorite Mommy/Parenting blog.

That is pretty flippin' sweet, right?

Little old me, spinning tales about Bean Week, chub rub, my hooptie, hemorrhoids and the fear of burritos in my lunch box.

Way cool.

Would you be a doll and get on over to the website and vote for me? Voting ends on 7/26/2011 midnight PST. I'm not sure what being a winner will entail...but nevertheless, it's a nice title to hold. Now I can tell my mama I'm not just sitting around on my sweet ass staring at the computer doing nothing while the laundry piles up. So, go and vote.

And if I win, send me one of these. I'll love you forever.

Growing older

My mom said the saddest thing to me last night.

Ahhh well I'm 60 now. What does that mean, I have at least five, ten...maybe fifteen good years left?

I didn't know what to say. I looked at her and wondered how such an energetic, passionate and vibrant woman could possibly ever slow down and grow old. My mother is always gonna be my mother, running circles around me, scolding me for having TB (tired blood).

So it threw me for a loop, hearing her say that. I almost cried, you know.

"Don't be ridiculous, mom!" I said, exasperated. "I expect to have you with us for at least another forty years, give or take."

She smiled wistfully.

My mama is as invincible as the Earth. This is how a child views their mother.

Me, my mama and my siblings at her 60th birthday celebration earlier this month.

New art

I've been working on my Dia de los Muertos pieces like a dutiful worker bee every day now. You should see my house, I've got dust bunnies and laundry piles to show for it. For whatever reason, my soul really needs to stay in black and white mode. Perhaps I'm feeling the need to deal in absolutes.

Whatever the reason is, I'm digging it.

Punk rock forever. I'm really feelin' the Huitziloxochitl (hummingbird and flower) design on his tee.

My little Frida. She's been sitting in my drawing pad for over a year now. All she needed was something very minor to finish her up but of course, I lagged and lagged. But now she was ready to be born, so here she is.

A few people have asked me about my black and white drawings so I just wanted to say that I use both fine and extra fine tip black Sharpies on 9" X 12" smooth bristol board paper. I do some light sketching to complete the overall layout but all of the intricate designs are 100% freehand.

What do you think?

Maxi dresses: long on style

I'm talking about my crazy obsession with maxi dresses over at Babycenter today so pop on over and check it out.

I ♥ the maxi dress.

Seriously, I'm obsessed. If it's boho-chic, I'm all over it.

I tell no lies.

This is a pic of my baby sister and I taken at my mom's 60th birthday party, wearing our fab maxi dresses, of course.

Tumblin'...

Well, I went and did it now.

I got a tumblr account.

I've been holding out for months. I mean, seriously...how can one manage:

This blog.
My Babycenter blog.
My art blog.
Twitter.
Flickr.
Ning, both here and here.

And now, tumblr. Hijo de su...

But I peruse so many tumblrs that it just made sense. There are lots of little things I'd like to pop in and say but I so often feel like I have to write and post and pontificate etc. etc. Just regurgitating something funny and/or cute, interesting is what I need right now. We'll see how it goes.

Video blogging