family Archives - Page 3 of 3 - Pura Vida Sometimes

Letter to My Daughter: I Give You the Best of Me

October 20, 2016 No Comments

Letter to My Daughter - Best of Me - Pura Vida Sometimes

Sweet Warrior Princess: Today is your day. Okay, all 365 and 1/4 days of the year are yours, to be sure, but this one you get presents and cake. When you were born, three years ago today, I committed to write you a letter within the week…but I was tired and way too cozy with the warmth of you asleep on my chest and it never happened. Every year, the week of your birthday, I have the same intention – but I get busy, and more tired, and somewhere along the way, thoughtfulness and creativity are sacrificed. My letters to […]

children, family, parenting, toddler

Survive Those Toddler Tantrums

September 20, 2016 No Comments

Survive Toddler Tantrums - Pura Vida Sometimes

In the last few years, with lessons I learned from my very patient husband, seasoned parents, and trial and error, I’ve become a far more patient person, who is actually pretty good at negotiating with toddlers. I think back to a day sometime in my late 20s. I was standing in line at Victoria’s Secret about to spend loads of money on things I didn’t need, when a mother about my age and her toddler got in line behind me. Cue eyeroll. The kind started wailing like a police siren, and the exasperated mother who wanted to update her wardrobe with […]

family, travel

Learning to See Through a Child’s Eyes

September 8, 2016 No Comments

Over the long holiday weekend, we decided to escape the triple-digit heat in the Valley of the Sun and retreat to the pines, filling our lungs with clean air and disconnecting, if only for a few days. Excitedly anticipating a poor network connection, and being too Type A to not to have an agenda, my main business item was to clear out the photos in my iPhone. Easy enough – my idea of relaxing. I also had a list of attractions in the area to visit if the fancy struck us, to make the best use of our limited fun […]

Career, Cornerstone, family, letter to my daughter

Letter to My Daughter: On Being a Workaholic

August 25, 2016 5 Comments

Letter on being a workaholic Pura Vida Sometimes

To my beautiful Warrior Princess: One of my greatest fears is that you will look back on your childhood and think that your mom cared more about work than about you. I would understand if my actions gave you that impression, but it couldn’t be further from the truth. I’d like to explain a few things with hopes you will view our life together with love and compassion and make good choices on how you want to live yours. Since I was 17, I’ve only ever not worked during three four-month spurts in my life. The first two were between […]

culture, family, gender, Latino

Raising Strong & Happy Girls Who Win

July 20, 2016 No Comments

On a very typical Saturday morning, I was probably in junior high, my sister and I were watching cartoons in our pajamas having just woken up, easing into the joys of the weekend. My father who, by the looks of it, had been up and at it at least a couple of hours, busted through the door, stood inquisitively in front of us, waited a few seconds, and decisively said, “You guys look bored.” We sprung from the couch and shouted, “No, no, definitely not bored! No, Dad.” He turned around and went into his workshop as we scattered to […]

birthday, family, introvert, lifestyle, travel

An Introvert Birthday in China 75 Floors Up

July 2, 2016 1 Comment

When I was a child, I grew up in a tiny town on a cul de sac lined with cute little houses in some variation of one of five models, where in each lived two to four kids, and most of the dads on the block worked with mine. Facing our house lived my best friend, my sister’s best friend, and my parents’ best friends – they are family, no way around it. On my sixth birthday, we strolled on over to my best friends’ like any other day and, “Surprise!” All my friends were there to celebrate with me, […]