Argentine Adventure

Hannah, Sofia, my Mom at DFW airport before the flight to Argentina

Hannah and Sofia are in Argentina for 2 weeks with my mom. They left at 7.35pm on Tuesday, and arrived safely on Wednesday morning after a 10 hour flight. They were so excited about this trip, even though they didn't really have time to dwell too much. School finished on Thursday and by the next Tuesday they were on their way! It's been a whirlwind of last minute shopping, laundry and packing. We needed to buy some sweaters and warm clothes because it's winter over there, in fact one of the coldest winters ever!

I'm so happy for them, they are being treated to all sorts of outings, experiences, visits and travels within Argentina. I have 5 cousins there and several have country homes as well as city homes. There are tons of babies, toddlers and even a few teenagers--between my 5 cousins they have 17 children, including two newborns!!!! Buenos Aires is a beautiful, historic, cosmopolitan city and they are getting the whirlwind tour! I can't wait to hear the stories and see the pictures!

I had been showing them a fellow blogger's Buenos Aires site so they could get a taste of the city, you might want to check it out: http://www.akworld.net/webblog/

Is it summer yet?

Being a teenager's mom is so HARD! Today Hannah and I got into a big conflict, seemingly over nothing, but as always tempers flare between the two of us. She's soooooo ready for school to be over, which I totally understand. She only has this week left and needs to hang in there, but she's ready to shut it down. Last week she skipped school a day, yes, she skipped school...She got up early, took the bus to school and then turned right around and came home, first stopping at Bishop Arts to have a bite to eat (the cosmopolitan drop out....). It was NOT her lucky day though, our friend M saw her and called it in immediately....busted! This week is finals week and she wants to spend the night at a friend's house, go hang out, etc. Hello! It's finals week....

Well, it will be over soon enough, school that is. As soon as it is, she's off to Argentina though, and then to SEEK Camp, and THEN the long and lazy summer can truly begin....

Just when I get SO frustrated with her....something happens and I am reminded that she's such a good kid. She's at a very challenging school with lots of pressures and yet she's getting through it, she is so talented, she's funny. Her rebellions are more attitude than action, she's trying to do the best she can, she wants to do everything and be everywhere and is only human. I read a story about a 19 year old boy who just died of cancer...that was my reminder for today.

Wicked Weather

I know this is nothing compared to what's happened in Kansas, but we've been having some weather drama around here too. A few months ago we had that freaky red dust storm, and then it was unseasonably wet and cold for a long time. Even on Hannah's birthday in late April it was still cold-ish, unheard of! Then last week we had tornados again, there had been one in Fort Worth the week prior. While we didn't get one in Oak Cliff the winds were SO HIGH, it really scared me for the first time ever. We heard sirens and 'evacuated' to the hall bathroom for about 20 minutes. The electricity went out that night and for the next day. We ended up going to bed at 8pm! I drove around the next morning and snapped some pics, including the one above a few streets from my house. Our neighborhood has so many mature trees and they were snapping left and right. You still see a lot of chopping and piles of wood but at least the streets are cleared up again. I can only imagine what it must be like for the people in Kansas whose whole town was blown away.

She's In!

Sofia got her letter from TAG on Friday!!! Woo hoo! She's in! We're so happy for her and proud of the hard work she put into the application. Here she is when she won the award at the district level for her piano composition.

We're all looking forward to this summer, having some time off and taking a break especially from school! We need to recharge our batteries to come back and take on the new year, which will be Sofia's freshman year and Hannah's junior year! Yikes, next year is the year where Hannah starts seriously looking into the colleges and application process...

Happy Birthday Hannah

On Hannah and Sofia's birthdays I can't help but reflect, and yes, get sentimental. It seems like a lifetime ago, and yet only yesterday that I carried Hannah in me. As soon as I came home from the hospital I missed the feeling of having her inside me, sharing my day to day with her. She was now her own little person with her own life to lead. I remember crying the whole way home from the hospital because she had to stay there a few extra days to recover from jaundice. I felt so so sad and so empty. Ricardo would shuttle back and forth from home to the hospital taking her milk and bringing back the report of how she was doing. We were so happy when he brought her home, and soon overwhelmed. I remember that being the first time I felt awash with gratitude to my mom, not only for being there to help me with colicky Hannah but for just being my mother and everything I then understood that meant.

Sixteen years! When Hannah was little I would try to imagine what she would be like by taking her baby traits and projecting them into an imaginary 16 year old Hannah. Everything I see in her now, was in her then, and yet she's a constant surprise to me too. I love her creativity, her strength, intense loyalty and sensitivity. I never expected her to be so funny! In so many ways she still reminds me of myself, only smarter and more self-assured. Every trait that exasperates me about her--impulsive, dramatic, all-over-the-map, demanding...are carbon copies of my own flaws. In her they are rawer, yet to be polished. I know that she will struggle with them as I do, and yet each of these traits belies a strength and talent. She lives life fully (dramatic) and in the here and now (impulsive). She's visionary (all-over-the-map) and knows what she wants (demanding).

Happy Birthday Hannah, I can't wait to see what lessons you will teach me next.

Prom Night

Hannah went to prom with her friend Rebecca. They looked so pretty, and had a really good time. I'm so happy for them that they can make choices like going to Prom alone, with a date or with a friend. Waiting around for someone to ask you is so demoralizing! Girls are so lucky today!

Fashion report: both Rebecca and Hannah wore short dresses, and both were vintage inspired. Rebecca's looked a little like dresses in the 60's, except with an empire waist. Hannah's dress was very 50's, with swiss dots and lots of crinoline and layers.

They got ready at Rebecca's house because I was participating in the Oak Cliff Artisan's Studio Tour to raise money for their trip to Argentina (we made a dent in the ticket at least!). Ricardo picked them up and took them to Evie's house where they spent the night. All in all, a very busy weekend!

Spring Break

Sofia and Hannah outside the Devil's Den cave

A few weeks ago we went on Spring Break. I didn' t have my camera on me and our computer was virus infected so I never got around to putting up any pictures . So here goes!

We invited Daniel to come with us, and he had never camped before. We went to Devil's Den, near Rogers Arkansas and got to visit with other cousins (Alicia, Tom and Mercedes) on the way. The weather was really pretty but cold so we had fires going every night just to stay warm. The best part for me was the hike we went on one day through some crevices and even got to see some little bats. The girls had a great time with their cousin and overall it was a really nice trip.

Cold Happy Easter

It's been a while I know...I've been REALLY busy at work, and my camera is down so some of my motivation has slipped, but I can't let this totally disappear....

What's been happening lately in Weir-dom:

• Sofia's composition won at the state level!!! We're not sure if that's where it ends or it goes onto some sort of national competition, but we're REALLY happy for her!


• Hannah and her boyfriend Pedro broke up...I won't go into details because I'm sure she'd be mortified, but I thought you'd like to know


• Nothing really new for Ricardo or I, just lots of work!

We all went camping for Spring Break--we invited Daniel, the girls' cousin who lives in Houston. We went to Arkansas and visited another set of cousins who live in Rogers. We camped at Devil's Den state park and really had a good time, mostly just around the campsite. Highlights were a hike to see some bats in a cave, renting a paddle boat, and having a nice campfire each evening.

On Friday we were so HAPPY to stay at a hotel in Eureka Springs and de-funkify ourselves, having a nice dinner and relaxing before heading back. As we left Eureka, we stopped to see Quigley's "Castle" which was really unique and interesting.

Now it's Easter weekend, and we went to Lafayette on Thursday after work and returned today. It was a short visit but lots of fun to hang out with mom and dad, my brother and his family. We came back to a really really cold Dallas. Tomorrow is Easter Sunday and Parranda Venezuela is performing for the second time at the Sacred Music Concert.

Visit to Denver

End of the Line
Originally uploaded by carlamarieweir.

I had the opportunity to visit a HIPPY program in Denver this week, and stay with fellow HIPPY USA trainer Ozella Martinez (thanks Ozy for putting me up and putting up with me!).

Even if only from afar it was great to see the mountains!!! Woo-hoo! It was a 2 day visit with a late arrival on Sunday night and departure early on Tuesday evening so there wasn't much downtime! I did manage a quick walk outside on Monday morning while waiting for the taxi to pick me up and HAD to take this picture. The mess of snow is still on the northern sides of Denver streets and homes.

I know I would probably get very tired of snow and cold, but when you see it so infrequently it takes on a beauty that the locals just don't understand. I wonder sometimes how things would be going for us if we had relocated to Denver when we had the chance a few years back. I guess it wasn't meant to be. No regrets, just curious.

Weird Dusty Day

Downtown Dallas during the dust storm, from Oxtopus' photostream on flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=401176453&size=m

The weather today was so strange. A strong wind blew in from West Texas bringing with it a ton of red dirt/dust that created a funky haze in Dallas. You couldn't see past a few blocks and even the sun was blocked out!!! This created a foul and creepy mood, people were driving crazy and Hannah and I got into a big fight...needless to say, not a great day. Hannah and I went to buy groceries, we started mending things on the drive to the grocery store and fully reconciliated right there in the toiletries aisle of Central Market, tears and all. I guess it came out ok because we ended up staying home after the grocery store and doing laundry and getting the house in order, which is good because I'm going out of town again tomorrow evening. We need hazy, crazy days sometimes, just to make the other days seem more normal.

Weir City Hall Happenings

Our own City Hall!
Originally uploaded by carlamarieweir.

Here's what's been happening around here lately:

• We're finally taking Christmas down...the tree and all the decorations were up until today...
• Testing "season" starts very soon so Ricardo has been working on Saturdays a lot because there's a weekend tutoring program every week.
• Our garage apartment is still empty...haven't had time to put the word out.
• Hannah has a boyfriend, Pedro, they have been seeing each other for about 4 months. He's a very polite and nice young man who is a senior at Science and Engineering High School.
• Sofia is happy and relieved to be done with the High School application process, and eagerly awaits hearing whether she got accepted

Other than that...the laundry is starting to pile high, I haven't been to the grocery store in almost 2 weeks and I'm ready for a vacation!!! That is to say, we've been really busy with work and keeping up with these two fabulous teenage girls!

The Eagle has Landed!

Today Sofia and I delivered her application to Townview TAG! It's been an arduous few months but I know that she gave it her all and did her very best on the application, it's out of our hands now. She was so relieved and happy to be done with it, as we were too.

I don't think it was as stressful for me to apply to college or even graduate school as it has been for Sofia and Hannah to apply for High School. Here's what is required for the application to TAG (granted, the BEST high school in the nation, as rated last year by Newsweek Magazine, amazing!). Applications must have:

• Resume with back up documentation for the activities listed
• Official copy of grades and test scores
• Project highlighting a talent, with essay explanation
• Essay written by hand, on a prompt given to them

It really helped that we had been through this with Hannah already and knew to get started early. We're way too busy to be able to whip this up a few days before the deadline, which is the end of February.

Now the wait begins. She should find out by early to mid-April.

Corteo Dallas

Corteo Dallas
Originally uploaded by carlamarieweir.

Today my mom got to use her Christmas present which was 2 tickets to Cirque du Soleil's Corteo. We got there nice and early (a change for me) and enjoyed everything from the gift shop to buying snacks and finding our seats well before the show began. Neither of us had ever been to a Cirque production so we were blown away! The acrobats, the live music, the story, the set, the costumes--everything was amazing!!!!! It was magical!

Repujado Class

Student Work
Originally uploaded by carlamarieweir.

Today was the second of two Repujado classes I gave at the Latino Cultural Center. I had about 10 students and they had a really good time and made some great projects (as you can see). I've really enjoyed sharing this artform with people and there seems to be a real demand for it. I can't help but think that it could go mainstream any minute now, especially because of the boom in scrap-booking and paper arts. For now though, most of the students I get are Spanish speakers who already know about it and always wanted to learn. My mom came to the class and had a blast chatting with everyone and telling them how to do repujado--even though she's never done any whatsoever! She's hilarious!

Tomorrow we're going to Cirque du Soleil!!! I can't wait!

Cafe and Bakery

Cafe and Bakery
Originally uploaded by carlamarieweir.

This is one of our favorite little places to get a snack in Dallas. I try to take out of town guests here because it's so much fun and is a little unexpected in Dallas, TX!

It has some delicious little pastries such as red bean donuts and egg sandwiches and rice flour donuts with sesame seeds on them. They also have all sorts of fruit slushies, hot and cold teas and bubble (tapioca) teas--the all time favorite!!!! The BEST part about it is the little tea-rooms you can have all to yourself. Each one is different but is like a mini-living room or dining room for you to eat/drink your goodies. It's loads of fun, the kids love it because they get their own room (although they always end up cramming into ours because they are so nosy about our conversation...)

Going on to STATE!

Sofia accepting the trophy (clear star) and ribbon at the Reflections Dallas Award Ceremony

Sofia entered a composition into the Reflections Contest, which is a PTA awards contest for art, music and literature that's held statewide. They receive hundreds of entries from Dallas school students. Her composition went to the regional level, one of 32 entries in music, art and writing. And now....it was one of two selected at the regional level to go to state!! It's an original composition, in the classical style, which she has named Copeman's Tomb (after a mountain in Wyoming). I'm so proud of her, and thankful to Ricardo, for being so musically talented. I've heard it a hundred times and still love it! The best part is that she's proud of the piece herself, and yet is so grounded. She said in her artists statement that she hopes this is the first of many compositions and that she's sure she will look back some day at this piece and think it's very basic compared to others she has done.

Not a little girl anymore

Not a little girl anymore
Originally uploaded by carlamarieweir.

What a great weekend! The weather was beautiful, cold and clear! We really didn't have a huge programmed agenda, for a change, and just did some spur of the moment things.

Saturday I taught a repujado class. Since I took some time to get organized on Friday it really went smoothly and wasn't stressful at all. Today, Sunday, Hannah and I went out all day while Ricardo and Sofia watched the superbowl. We went to the park (where I took this picture), walked up and down Jefferson Street, then off to our favorite Korean Bakery where we had bubble tea and listened in on some drama that we couldn't understand because it was in Korean (a lady and man fighting, the lady storms out and later we see her sitting in the back seat of a car, punished? banished? self-exile?). We then went to White Rock Lake where we met Shawna and Tristyn for a picnic and walk. All of couse under the guise of taking pictures for Flickr.

Hannah and I had lots of time to talk about things such as boyfriends, college, school, the meaning of life! She's maturing so fast, and is such a better person than I was at that age, kinder, funnier, more grounded. I'm so proud of who she is becoming.

Cold and Dreary

Bridge to downtown
Originally uploaded by carlamarieweir.

It's been really yukky the last few days...cold, wet and dreary. It's on days like this that I HAVE to remind myself how very much I hate Texas winters, and how I really prefer winter clothes and days...

Yesterday I took Hannah out to buy a new coat. The first one she's ever chosen herself!!!! They have made do with sweaters and layers these last few years, but this cold snap has really made a coat necessary. She chose a very nice camel colored 3/4 length coat with nice details like a wide collar, a-line cut and great buttons. Hopefully this weekend we will make some time to take Sofia out to buy one too.

They will both need it this summer, when it's winter in Argentina...since I talked to my mom today and we decided to send both girls with her on the trip. It will be so wonderful for them to experience that together, and to have the opportunity to see a new country and visit our family there.

This weekend is pretty busy, tomorrow is my first of 2 repujado classes I'm teaching at the Latino Cultural Center, Sofia has a birthday to go to, and she needs to finalize her application to the Talented and Gifted High School. It's not due until the 21st, but it's best to get it in sooner.

Weir Country Storage

Kick out clutter...
Originally uploaded by carlamarieweir.

I think I would be more motivated to "kick out the clutter" if this fabulous storage facility with my OWN name on it were closer to me...

We found out a few years ago that there's a town called Weir, TX and that made us soooooooooooooo-o happy! I drove Ricardo's mom there a few years ago when she was visiting and she loved it, we took lots of pics and ALMOST got to meet the mayor. The store manager called him and he was mowing the lawn so he couldn't come right over...and we really had to get back to Dallas! Mercedes (mother in law) insisted on showing them her ID card to prove that she really was named Weir. I'm pretty sure they had believed us before that...but it was fun to see the quizzical look on their face when it was a Venezuelan ID.

Today I stopped to pick up some t-shirts but they didn't have the girls' size, only for Mr. Weir, he's happy!

Dinner at Ali Baba

Dinner at Ali Baba
Originally uploaded by carlamarieweir.

My friends Peggy and Ozy were visiting from Colorado this past week and we went out to dinner with some of our Dallas / Venezuelan friends, at a middle eastern restaurant! It was a lot of fun and delicious! It's called Ali Baba, and is one of the first restaurants I ate at when I moved to Dallas, and has remained a favorite.

Afterwards, some of us went to a Drag Queen show, that was a blast! Those "ladies" are really talented, especially when it comes to dressing and make-up. They put us "real girls" to shame!

It was fun to hang out with Peggy and Ozy here on the home turf, show them around and take them to favorite places. One of the things I love about Dallas is the variety of places, restaurants and cultural activities we can take visitors to.