Self Absorbed for a Few Moments

A few weeks ago my coworker was having a bad day. She was telling her grandma about it, to which her grandma responded- oh suck it up, life is hard!  

Last night I felt like this... 

 AAAAAAA!!!!!!! I came home to my empty apartment and thought- this stinks! I don't want to be here tonight. I don't want to eat dinner on my couch alone tonight. I thought of every excuse to be sad or frustrated. My dad was in Alaska, couldn't get a hug from him. My BFFs had company in town, they weren't avaliable to spend time with. I was sad over my last patient whose condition broke my heart. My heart was feeling tender over a mentally ill friend who has run off. I tried being little Miss Independent and put up my new curtains, only to be frustrated at my lack of knowledge on how to drill a few holes with a very capable drill I borrowed. I watched a sad episode of a TV show.  And as it sometimes does, those moments turn into- I-hate-being-single moments. Somehow my good week and good day, turned into a pity party. Well I put myself to bed early for a Friday night and hoped Saturday morning would be sunnier. (No doubt it will when the high today is 106 degrees.) 

It's Saturday Morning. I don't feel all woe is me. I probably could have used my coworkers grandma last night saying- suck it up! 

I will take a few self-absorbed moments  to show why I do NOT hate my life. 

Listen up Tamara, suck it up and get a hold of yourself!

Kayaking in Cabo, Mexico with Sexy Chick Michelle

Lifting heavy tree limbs. Oh look, it is Sexy Chick Michelle again. 

(Arizona, you are lucky to have her!)

My mom is gorgeous, and they say I look just like her. I will age well! 

Teaching younger generations the power of a bicep flex, although this one seems to have her own personal style and I like it.

The Beast's Library at Disneyland told me I am most like Cinderella. Heck yeah!

Still a daddy's girl. Always and forever!

Sexy Chick one and Sexy Chick two in San Diego. Yep, we are a bit too cocky...

Need I say more?

32 and still wearing a tiara!

I may not have my own kids, but I'm a khala, a Tia, and Aunt T to a lot of cute 2nd cousins, nieces and nephews.

...some of the cute cousins

I've been blessed with good health.

I get to travel to beautiful places!

....more of the super fun cousins I get to be crazy with!

Saavy?

I may have days that stink, I mean, who doesn't? But the majority of my days are full of light, hope, happiness, joy, and love. So next time I feel trapped in a cage made of bones and want to scream... 

I say,  GRRRR BRING IT!

Batman and a Birthday Card

 Over the course of my almost three years as a Physical Therapist Assistant I have seen a few pediatric orthopedic cases. There are two kiddos that stand out in my mind. One was in love with Star Wars, somewhere between 8-10 years old. We staged light saber battles in the pool.  Once he barked out instructions on how join the Sith Lord and go kill innocent children. That was after he went to Disneyland and joined Darth Vader in the dark side of the force.  My favorite moment was when he put his face in the water far with his hands up by his shoulder, and posed like Han Solo frozen in carbonite. Cracked me up! 

Well I now have another patient, whom I will refer to as Batman (he claims he great-great-great grandfather was Batman), and he is quickly rising to my all-time favorite patient. He is 12 years old, loves the Falcons, video games, and scary movies. He also loves sugar. For a 12 year old, he has excellent conversation skills with adults, and a cute speech impedament. He asked me once if I am married. When I told him I haven't found the love of my life, he told me I could move in to his house and live in the attic, and I would get $10 a month in allowance. He also suggested I check out match.com to find the love of my life. Treatment session involve a lot of stretching, him asking me a million questions, and fake outbursts of pain-"Ow, ow, ow ow" yelled with a smile on his face. His birthday was a few months ago and he asked why I didn't wish him a happy birthday. I told him I didn't even know he existed. I told him my birthday is in September and asked what was he going to do for me?  He said he would make me an early Birthday Card if I brought him Sour Patch Kids candy. We shook on it, sounded like a good deal to me. 

Here is why my day today was so delightful... 

"Tamp tamp (why there is a "p" I don't know, he calls me Tam-Tam). Aw-Aw-Aw-Aw"

 U are a good PT. Hap-aw-y Birth-aw-day. Happy Birthday to-aw-aw-u-aw Tam-aw-p Tam-aw-p

The picture is him saying "aw aw aw aw", and me saying "I hear you"

 Even though u abuse me ure still a good PT. Happy Birthday and best wishes that u find the love of your life. Happ-aw aw-Brithday

Father's Day

As I type this blog I am listening to my Brasilian music station on Pandora in the background. 

This morning it was delightful to see all the facebook profile pictures of my friends and their dads. 

Then on LDS.org I saw a beautiful video about Father's Day. Click here to go see it.

On this Father's Day my dad is actually in the country, a rare event for a mid-summer holiday. I plan on making him a delicious meal to celebrate tonight. 

A few memories...

When I was little I learned that if I spoke Portuguese it melted his heart. If I was in bed when he came home, but was still awake, you could hear my little voice call out from my room- "Pai, te amo", "dad, I love you"... and he no doubt would come running. He is the best story teller. I am sure he can't count how many times he told me "Goldie Lock and the Three Bears", or the "Three Little Pigs". He also made up stories. You could give him an animal, a color, a location, and a food, and he would make up a story on the spot. One of his best made up stories was "Chicken Heart", about this little boy who listened to a radio show about a giant chicken heart coming to attack the city...oh wait...that was Bill Cosby who made up that story. I remember the day I heard Bill Cosby tell it and thought- what? He stole dad's story! 

To this day I have my dad wrapped around my finger...or is it me who is wrapped around his? I'm not really sure. My dad still gives the best advice and counsel. I'm one lucky daughter. 

Now time for a bunch of pictures of my totally amazing dad, Orlando Kelm! 

How it all began...

Our 2nd trip to Brazil together.

Only public performance on a stage I've ever done. Singing in Portuguese of course!

Borrowing the ice cream man's shirt and posing for a pic in Brasil. "Frute em ice cream"

Favorite family tradition- singing Happy Birthday at the top of our lungs!

Oh yeah, and he does Capoeira too...

But mostly I love how he loves my mom...

 

Pai, Te Amo por sempre! 

Kindred Spirits

I have a friend that I babysat for this week. It was delightful to hold her sleeping 1 month old for about an hour and half after his year and half old sister fell asleep also. At one point I went to put him down to sleep, but I couldn't pass up the chance to just cuddle with a sweet sleeping snuggler.

Tiffany came over today with a thank you package. It said I probably needed a vacation after watching her kids and since she couldn't send me to Hawaii she brought a tropical vacation to me... it included coconut juice, a lime, coconut-lime lotion, and white-chocolate-macadamian-cocnut-lime cookies. If I may be so bold to say, Tiffany reminds me of me. That package is just the kind of thing I like to do for others. When she left I told her we are like kindred spirits. Then I thought of Anne and Diana from Anne of Green Gables. I just had to look up the above clip. From the minute I met her in Walnut Creek I knew we would be friends!

Her package was just what I needed. It was kind of a weird day for me and I was constantly looking for things to be grateful for. Luckily I found a ton, like getting back scratches at church, dinner with my dad, and seeing cool cloud formations outside. Another thing I am grateful for is that the roses I bought myself yesterday opened up and they are gorgeous!

Thank you Tiffany for being so thoughtful!

(And thank you Tamara for the nice roses you bought yourself! One day the love of your life will buy them for you instead. Until then enjoy what you get, even if it is from yourself. )