Shaka… January 22, 2009

It has been a while since I posted and I have so much to say but I’ll try to do it in a few posts.

I first have to start by saying that I love being a mommy. My little Leo is the sweetest boy, and is just a big snuggly little bundle of joy. I actually shouldn’t use the word little when describing him since he’s weighing in at about 13 lbs. at 7 weeks. He is a big boy! He’s got friends who were born right around the same time he was and they are about half his size. Not sure where my little giant came from, but it just gives us more to love. Plus, I know he is healthy and growing which is so important.

Last week he started smiling at us when we talk to him. Not gas bubble smiles, but honest I’m smiling at what you are doing smiles. It is the best feeling in the world to see those smiles back at you. I videoed him and will post it as soon as I can upload it. In the meantime though, I have to share the shaka with you all. My little man threw his first shaka when Joe was holding him the other night. Joe, being so ingrained in the surf culture, thought it was the greatest thing ever.

Then today we found this…

Barack Obama, the first President EVER to throw a shaka. How friggin amazing is that!!! We knew we liked him for a reason. So the theme for today’s post: shaka bra! Hang loose, live life to the fullest.

Politics and ice cream…. November 5, 2008

This post was supposed to be only about my pregnancy obsession with Haagen-Dazs ice cream, but I do have to throw in a few comments about last night before I go on.

First of all, I don’t care who you ultimately voted for president; the energy, positivity and hope displayed last night at the announcement of Obama as President was historic and completely emotionally overwhelming! I feel like we woke up as a new nation, one that feels like we have a chance at a come back. Not that anything will change immediately, but at least there is someone leading us who brings new ideas, vision and hope. Personally, I am ecstatic!

Now on to some important talk about Haagen-Dazs. As I scooped out the last of my Chocolate Chocolate Chip ice cream today, I realized something, why don’t I own part of Haagen-Dazs? I’m pretty sure that in the past 8 ½ months I have contributed a fair share of my income to this company. I’ve always been a chocoholic and I’ve always loved my ice cream, but throughout this pregnancy it has taken a life of it’s own. The first trimester was dedicated to H-D Coffee with that hard shell chocolate sauce. Second trimester I evolved to my beloved Chocolate Chocolate Chip. Just in the past couple of weeks, I’ve introduced Chocolate Peanut Butter, oh my!

Now, I do make sure to eat healthy meals in between my bowls of H-D, but lately not a day goes by that I am not helping myself to a nice serving. I went to the doctor today and she said I’d gained two pounds since last week. I thought to myself, (as a means of justifying my actions) “well that sounds about right, I mean this is the time the baby puts on most of its weight.” I’m pretty sure Baby G will be born with the same sweet tooth as his/her mamma…poor kid doesn’t have a chance with as much chocolate as I eat. My only complaint to H-D is that they only make my favorite flavors in the small pint size.

Only 4 weeks to go till Baby G is here!! Wow what a belly…

Professor Pocket’s commercial debut…the importance of bilingual education! October 16, 2008

We produced our first online commercial discussing the state of education (specifically bilingual education) in the US and how it compares to other countries. Please share this with everyone you know and help us spread our message! Thank you!

The importance of bilingual education… September 22, 2008

So, first and foremost,  this post is in no way a political statement, I am staying neutral on my blog about that. But, I found this article online and thought it was interesting and worth sharing.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-rush-holt/why-foreign-language-educ_b_127588.html

With our company Professor Pocket, Nathalie and I are focusing on getting children interested in learning a second language at an early age when they are most likely to absorb the new language.  In addition to capturing kids’ attention, we are also trying to get parents to understand how critical it is for their children to be bilingual or even multi-lingual on a larger scale and in a bigger picture. I think this article captures that.  It goes beyond all the cognitive benefits of learning a second language (ie. children who are exposed to multiple languages often show superior problem solving and math skills, increased overall school performance, and better cross-cultural understanding) and extends to benefits that will affect your child for the rest of his/her life.

The US is so far behind in bilingual education and quite frankly it’s an embarrassment given that we are considered a leader in our global community. I think I have mentioned this before but in my travels through Europe and even South America, most people you meet will at a minimum speak their native language as well as English. Language education is not and should not be considered an extra curricular activity, it should be part of the core curriculum in our schools.

There is no denying that our worlds are shrinking and everything has become globalized. Future careers and jobs for our children will most likely require multiple language skills given the increased global economic environment we are seeing. I am happy to see conversations on the topic starting not only in the education sector but also in the political sector. So for all you parents out there who understand the importance… Professor Pocket is giving you a leg up and helping your children start the learning process early on and in a way that they will find fun and engaging!