Life with Dylan

Year: 2011

  • My Inspiration

    As much as I love my life with Dylan, there are those days when I feel like the world is crumbling around me. I am not perfect. I can offer advice and help others, but I cannot always take the advice or help from those who want to help me. Last night I went to a meeting with a group of women, my friends, the members of Divine Perceptions. Aside from helping each other with our businesses, we help each other grow into better, stronger women.

    So just when my world was crumbling around me and I felt I could not catch me breath, these women reminded me of how strong I am. We are all human and we all get down sometimes. However, we all have something or someone who inspires us to keep going.

    Because this meeting went well past Dylan’s bedtime, he spent the night with Grandma and Grandpa. The house was so quiet this morning. While we should not live our lives for someone else, but rather live our lives for ourselves, the quiet of the house when I woke up reminded me of what my inspiration is to keep moving forward. I realized that it does not matter how much money I make, how successful my business is, or how many friends I have. What matters is how I live my life and that I live my life with positive thoughts and actions.

    To do this, I look to my inspiration …

  • A Day Without Video Games


    After much complaining that there was nothing to do if he could not play video games, Dylan immersed himself in Lego’s for over 2 hours! Creativity, imagination, and oh, if you could have only heard the detailed story that went along with these pictures. I love it when Dylan plays with something other than video games. However, he realized that he only has one blue base and now we need to go buy another one to make the Battle scene complete. I sense a trip to the Lego store coming soon.

    The Battle of Good …

    versus Evil on land …

    and of course the Battle from the Sea.
    The Star Wars Battle


  • The Family Business

    Aside from Cub Scouts and all of Dylan’s other activities, we have a family business to run! Shel Cosmetics will be celebrating our 3 year anniversary in April and this mom-owned business could not be happier. Using my education and over a decade of experience as a licensed Esthetician and Makeup Artist, I branded my own line of cosmetics in April 2008. Whether or not Shel Cosmetics would take off was yet to be determined, but together Dylan and I made a go of it.

    Believe it or not, Dylan has a role in this family business. He helps choose colors, take inventory, and best of all he likes to help package and ship out the orders. Dylan is the best advertising ever, telling his friends that their mom should buy our makeup because it’s the best, Naturally. Still working on the company slogan “Bring Out The Most Beautiful You, Naturally” but he gets the point across.

    As for me, I stay busy with the Blog, Facebook page, Twitter, monthly newsletters, and special sales. That is just the marketing side. I also handpick each and every color for the core line and twice a year (Spring and Fall) introduce Limited Edition products.
    To find out more about our family business visit the website. shelcosmetics.com

  • Fill In The Blank Friday

    Thanks again to my friend Roxanne at On The Rox for introducing me to Lauren at the little things we do Join me and 144 others who Fill In The Blank every Friday.
    Join The Fun Here
    1. I am currently obsessed with … the Food Network and the Cooking Channel. Dylan and I just can’t get enough of these shows. From the basic comfort food recipes to amazing Italian dishes to scrumptious desserts. We are hooked!
    2. Today I am at peace  because … I have just spent a weeks worth of quality time with Dylan. Two and a half days at Disneyland, caught up on school, house is clean, laundry done, and still three days of vacation left.
    3. The age I am is  40  and the age I feel is … most of the time 35. But don’t get me wrong, there are many days I feel 40 and think ‘Man I am getting old’, but somehow I keep pushing through.
    4. My favorite place is … the beach. No question about it, the beach makes me happy. Newport Beach, Hawaii, Mexico, the rocky cliffs of Northern California … just give me the salty air and the sound of the waves crashing. 
    5. Something I have been procrastinating is … doing my taxes. Not that my taxes are difficult, just a simple Schedule C and some education credits. It’s just the daunting task of getting all the paperwork out and actually doing them. I know I will be getting a refund, but the money can’t be spent now, so there is no hurry I guess.
    6. The last thing I purchased was … a. coffee on Main Street USA at Disneyland.
    7. The thing I love most about my home is … it is all about me and Dylan. My home is inviting, lived-in, decorated like a beach house, has toys and books on the floor, and is never perfect. I also love the sound of Dylan’s voice when he is playing in his room.
    Share your random thoughts in the comments below or over at

  • Wordless Wednesday – DCA

  • Happy Reader

    If you follow this blog, you probably already know how much Dylan loves to read. So you can only imagine how much he loves visiting the library. We are very lucky to have a wonderful library only 5 minutes from the house and we visit the Newport Beach Public Library at least twice a month. He gets so excited when we walk in that he runs for the children’s section. I have to keep reminding him that along with no loud voices, there is no running in the library. He knows right where the animal section is and has recently learned how to use the computers to find books he wants to read.

    The public library is such a wonderful place to take your children. Rain or shine, the library is a place where children can learn and get lost in a world of reading. Libraries can also help teach children responsibility when they check out books to take home.

    Checking out his books

    Only a few books this week … Notice a theme?

    How often do you take your children to the public library?

  • I Pledge Allegiance …

    Lowering the flag

    To complete Achievement #2, Your Flag, Dylan needed to lower and raise the U.S. flag from a flag pole and learn how to fold the U.S. Flag. Lucky for us, my parents have a full size flag pole in front of their house and Grandpa was more than happy to teach Dylan what he needed to know.

    I just happen to have my camera with me yesterday when the impromptu flag ceremony took place. I only wish Dylan had been in his uniform, or at least something nicer looking than sweats! Watching my Dad teach Dylan how to fold a flag was great. I was so proud of him.

    Since this week is President’s Week, Dylan is off school and we have decided to spend time working on Cub Scout Achievements. Art projects, cooking projects, nature hikes, all sorts of fun activities together.

    Learning to fold the flag
    Almost done
    See Mom, told you I could do it.
    Raising the flag
    Long may she wave
      

  • The Blue and Gold That Wasn’t

    It has taken me a while to post this because I did not want to post from anger. February 16th was the Blue and Gold Banquet for Dylan’s Cub Scout Pack 312. This is an annual banquet to celebrate the birthday of Scouting where boys are recognized for all of their achievements thus far and usually get presented with some sort of insignia to represent what level of Cub Scouts they are working toward. Dylan was very excited about this night and he had worked hard to earn a special patch, the Leave No Trace Awareness Award. He has also earned about 6 Belt Loops through the Academics and Sports Program and has completed 8 of the 12 achievements needed to earn his Wolf Cub badge.

    There have been issues with some of the adults and boys in this pack over the past year, but we tried our best to stick it out. Needless to say, at this particular event, the Den Leader went to far and we left. Of course I took Dylan’s patches and awards before leaving. We were there about 15 minutes, just long enough to snap a few pictures.

    Dylan and Grandpa
    Dylan and the posters he made

    We have been invited by some neighbors to join their pack, Pack 744 and will be attending their Blue and Gold Banquet on March 1st where Dylan can be officially recognized for his achievements. It amazes me how some adults can be so rude and have no regard for what Scouting is meant to be. Dylan and I will be much happier once we join the new pack.
    Oh, and since we didn’t stay, we missed the dinner. So Grandma and Grandpa took us out to dinner. Dylan ordered off the adult menu because he said he’s not a kid anymore. Here is a great picture of his reaction when the food arrived. And yes, he ate almost all of it!

  • Another Learning Experience

    So after Friday’s Fill-In-The-Blank, I was craving sauteed shrimp and pasta. Since shrimp is one of Dylan’s favorite foods I thought I would surprise him. The perfect ending to a perfect day. Within 15 minutes we went from freshly bought shrimp to a delightful dinner.

         
    About and hour after dinner I notice Dylan’s cheeks are bright red. Hmmm, now what did he eat. It couldn’t possibly be the shrimp, because he has been eating shrimp since he was 3 years old and loves it. I have flashbacks to when he was a toddler and this would happen when he ate eggs. Quick, find the Benadryl and everything will be fine. No Benadryl to be found. Not a big deal, it will go away like it always does. 
    Wrong! About 30 minutes later he is itching his legs and arms. When a lift his sweatpants I find hives and his ankles are swelling. The rash is moving up his arms and his hands are swelling now too. Not good. OK, it’s about 10:30 pm now and I need to figure out where the closest 24 hour CVS is. Oh, and did I mention it’s pouring down rain? After calling for reinforcement, aka my Mom, I am reminded how fast allergic reactions can spread. So we decide to head over to Hoag Hospital. Thinking I’m making a big deal out of nothing, but better to be safe than sorry.
    It’s now 1:00 am and we are waiting for the doctor in the Emergency Room. Oh, how I wish I could have crashed out like Dylan. The doctor confirms this is anaphylaxis, in English, an allergic reaction. After a shot of epinephrine, a dose of Prelone, and a dose of Benadryl we are told to wait 20 minutes while they monitor Dylan’s heart rate. Talk about a mother’s state of fear when you watch your child’s heart rate go from 84 to 145. Apparently, this is what the epinephrine does. All is now well and we were sent home at 2:30 am with a prescription for Prelone. Dylan barely remembers a thing because he slept through the entire ordeal.
    Just another day in my Life with Dylan.

  • Cool Cuts for a Cool Kid

    Dylan has disliked haircuts since his very first one and we have tried everything from Mom cutting his hair to Supercuts to overpriced salons. Since he likes to wear his hair a little on the long side, his hair doesn’t need to be cut as often and this helps. But his hair is so thick that it can start to look a little ‘bushy’ and ‘shaggy’ … he has the perfect ‘girl hair’ we all dream of. Well, today I just couldn’t take it anymore and told him we were getting his hair cut. I thought we would give another kids salon a try; one that we have not been to before, but that I have heard good things about. So we headed over to Cool Cuts 4 Kids on 17th Street in Costa Mesa.

    Front View Before
    Back View Before

    Wow, this place is COOL! Video games at each station for the kids to play while they get haircuts. And the lady was so good about not getting in his way when she was cutting his hair. I am impressed. Dylan sat there for a full 20 minute haircut without flinching, whining, crying, complaining … nothing but silence. This place has it all figured out and with very reasonable prices. ($19)

    Haircut is done, but Dylan is still playing his video game!

    Dylan is happy and Mom is happy. I definitely recommend Cool Cuts 4 Kids. 
    Where do you take your kids for haircuts?