We're Still Here

Wow, has it really been nearly three months since we last posted?!? A new full-time job, daycare, the holidays and a surprise guest kept us pretty busy. We've also been cherishing our weekend time together. This winter has been quite mild, so we've been able to spend time outside doing the things we love — like play croquet!

A quick holiday recap: My mom, LaLa, surprised Nigel with a visit before the holidays. He was over the moon to have her here. Nigel's been enjoying all of his presents, and he continues to text Santa (on his pretend phone) in preparation of next year.

Tim: Work is going very well for Tim. He's had several things published recently, including this Market at a Glance of Des Moines, Iowa. He's traveling to Kansas in late February. Before that trip, he is running his very first 10k with me! So very proud of him.

Sarah: I'm plugging away at my new gig. The firm has recently take on oil and gas titling work in Ohio. I've had the opportunity to review documents signed by Thomas Jefferson, which is pretty cool. What I enjoy the most about my job is that I get off at 4:30 and don't think about work until the next morning when I clock in. It's been a while since I've had that luxury!

Nigel: Daycare and the new routine was a bit of a rough start for everyone, including Nigel. He's doing much better now, though. We've signed him up for extra activities during the day — dance class and gymnastics — so he can get his wiggles out. His gymnastics teacher says he's the only kid strong enough to pull himself up onto the bars and hang upside down! Nigel's also really progressing well with writing letters and words and is showing a real interest in learning how to read and spell. For now, we're working on perfecting our letters and not writing so largely.

In addition to all of the normal things that go on in our house — Buddhist temple on Sundays, game nights with friends, book club, trips to the zoo — we have lots to look forward to this spring, including visits from BOTH uncles and a dear friend from NYC, Nigel's FOURTH birthday party and lots of festivals. Thanks for checking in on us!

Changes for the McDonald Gang

Some big changes are headed our way starting Monday: I'm going back to work full time!

The feast-or-famine cycle that my freelance business of three years was in was just too unpredictable. I'm grateful for the opportunities I've had and for my amazing clients, but it's time for a change. (My freelance business will live on, though, so please continue to keep me in mind if you know anyone who needs proofing, editing or writing assistance.)

I hunted for three weeks, had some face-to-face interviews and a few phoners, and was offered three jobs. When you ask Texas for a job, it delivers. I'm going to join a team of technical editors at a local, mid-sized law firm. I'm very excited, but anxious. Anxious to go back to an office (no more working in my PJs) and anxious to leave Nigel at a proper day care.

Many good things will come out of this change, though. For starters, we'll be able to financially recover from Tim's job loss last year, moving and having our RVA house on the market for more than a year. With that will also come the ability to travel more (read, take proper vacations!). And while Nigel's new day care might not offer all that his preschool did, it's a block from Tim's work. Tim's hoping to have off every other Friday so the two of them can do fun things together.

So does anyone have any working mom tips on how to keep the household from going to pot? Tips on making the most of our time together?

Shamless Plug

Did you know you can listen to me talk about RVA with the editor of Cleveland magazine? Well, you can. Check out this podcast. I also made my debut onto the Texas media scene this month with this Q&A in Fort Worth Child magazine.

A Shameless Plug

So, I know you all come here for the Nigel updates and photos, but please allow me this shameless plug: My travel story for Cleveland magazine is out! You can read it here. I also made it onto the contributors' page. Yay!

San Antonio, Baby!

Saturday I had the pleasure of flying down to San Antonio to see my pal Melissa and attend her baby shower. Melissa and I became friends in RVA when she started freelancing for Richmond magazine while I was still working there. When I left the magazine to stay home with Nigel and start my freelance business, Melissa took over for me. She and her hubby Stanton ended up in San Antonio 2+ years ago, so she's technically my first Texas pal. You may recall we visited with her this spring in Dallas.

My trip was super quick (I arrived in San Antonio around 10:15 a.m. on Saturday and was back in DFW by noon on Sunday), but I got to spend lots of time with Melissa and Stanton and their families. The shower was so sweet; I can see that baby Grace is going to be surrounded by lots of love. We also spent time at Stanton's parent's house. They are easily some of the nicest people I've ever met. Melissa hit the in-law jackpot!!!! Talk about Texas hospitality!

Melissa and Stanton were also kind enough to show me around downtown. I got to see the Alamo and the famed River Walk. I was expecting the Alamo to be on top of a desert hill, but it's actually smack in the middle of the city. My brothers visited the River Walk on their way to Mexico for a mission trip during high school, so I knew it was going to be neat. That RVA says its canal walk is trying to be like San Antonio's River Walk is laughable. There is no comparison. San Antonio's River Walk is lively and full of shops and restaurants. Sure, it's a little touristy, but it's a focal point and something to be proud of. I can't wait to go back after baby Grace is born!

Today and tomorrow we're tying up loose ends for our trip to RVA. Nigel and I are also playing airport to prepare. He likes to pretend we're going through security, pull his suitcase around and say things that the pilot will say (think: "Ladies and gentlemen, we're now approaching Richmond, Virginia.").

My First Solo Race

I was feeling pretty down after my first race in Texas Easter weekend. I wanted to redeem myself, and I also wanted to see if I could do it alone. Motivate myself. I'm totally grateful for the running coaches and partners I've had since January 2010, but I was feeling like I had lost some of my internal drive. Many of my issues with running are simply mental hurdles. So, on Saturday I did the Run for Sarah 5K.

I was unfamiliar with the course, but it turned out to be beautiful. We started at an enormous high school football stadium and ran through a neighborhood and around a lake. The weather was mostly ideal for running: the temperature was in the low 50s, but the wind was easily 15 mph.

How did I do? 38:56 (vs. 41:17 last time). I still have a lot of work to do to get back down to my personal record of 30 minutes, but it felt really good to complete this race all on my own. (A HUGE thanks to my cheering squad of two!!!)

Mother's Day

I joked with several friends last week that I didn't want to blow Mother's Day... didn't want to ruin the special day. I didn't want my Mother's Day to end up like Frankie's on The Middle. She wanted her hubby and kids gone for the day, so they left. Instead of relaxing without them, though, she ended up doing work around the house. And the kicker was, the kids and hubby had a picture perfect day off on their own. You can see the full episode here. Additionally, for various reasons, Mother's Day is always a tad bittersweet at our house. Plus, this is the first year that Nigel's old enough to understand appreciation and the concept of Mother's Day, so I knew there was potential for greatness.

So, Saturday was family fun day. First, we drove to Plano for an Asian American festival. On the way there, Nigel counted to 10 in Spanish and French. I got a "I did that!" feeling in my heart and was just overwhelmed with just how much I love being this little guy's mom. At the festival, Nigel got to play a violin and a drum, listen to Indian music, and have an egg roll during our picnic. It was refreshing to see so much diversity, something we continue to crave here in FW.

Next stop: the Cottonwood Art Festival in Richardson. It reminded me a lot of Arts in the Park.
Nigel enjoyed looking at some of the art — large sculptures are a huge hit with him — and he also made a plaster hand print. Of course, no festival is complete without ice cream so he had some of that, too.

After a brief stop at home, I chose Indian food for dinner. We went to Tandoor in Arlington. This is where the magic died. I'm not sure if Nigel had just been out too long or what, but he was wild! He refused to eat everything that was offered to him (despite the fact that he's been eating Indian food for two years), and he ran into the parking lot when Tim took him outside for a "chat." It didn't exactly leave me with a warm feeling in my mothering heart.

While I was with my running group on Sunday, Tim and Nigel made carrot cake cupcakes for me (I missed my mom's carrot cake over Easter). They also surprised me with three cards (the one Nigel picked out was in Spanish), a new sports bottle and a running shirt. After lunch, Tim and Nigel went to the YMCA to practice swimming while I watched something on Netflix. When they returned, I ventured off on my own. I went to the FW Botanic Gardens to read and get some sun, but I quickly realized it was way too hot and relocated to Starbuck's.

The weekend was the perfect balance of family and alone time. I really did feel special, minus the Indian restaurant episode. But really, I feel like that every day. I'm so lucky to have a husband who shares the responsibility of parenting, who recognizes when I need some down time and appreciates my style of parenting. And I'm super lucky to have a son who tells me "You're the best mother in the whole world. I love you more than all of the cupcakes, all of the ice cream and all of the hot dogs in the world."

My First Texas Race

Yesterday I ran my first race in Texas: Victory Over Violence 5K. The race went through Trinity River Park, which is one of my favorite parks in FW. It was a flat course that was well shaded. The Monument Avenue 10k, which I ran in 72 minutes with my brother last year, has corrals for its 35,000+ runners. There were maybe 3,500 runners/walkers for the Victory Over Violence, and thus, no corrals. Therefore, there were walkers and baby strollers up front, which easily cost me and my running partner, Suzanne, some time out of the gate. I also tacked on a bit of time near the finish line when part of my cheering squad ran onto the course and tried to run alongside me (it was really cute, though).

My chip time for Saturday's race was 41 minutes. Appalling, really. I can — and have done — SO much better. It was a humbling realization that I'm much slower than I was a year ago. When Nigel and I stayed behind in VA from September through November, I all but cut running out of my routine, opting for yoga three times a week instead. I found a great running partner here in FW in January, but had not really been putting forth the effort during the week on my own. But 'tis the season for new beginnings. So I'm dusting myself off and rededicating myself to running. In fact, I think I'm signing up for another race in 2 weeks ... so I can get in at least one more before it gets hot as heck!

Texas Fashion

Texas fashion is a bit more casual than the East Coast, but it's not frumpy. Tim says it's quite common to see businessmen downtown in jeans, boots, cowboy hat and a bolo tie. And the women I see out and about at the play areas are always very put together. Who doesn't want to put their best foot forward in a new town? So, little by little we're changing our ways, too.

Without much help from us, Nigel has always been fashionable. His wardrobe is quite impressive, complete with sweater vests, button up shirts and a driving hat. The moment my mom found out we were moving to Texas she ordered Nigel some killer cowboy boots. He wore them with his cowboy Halloween costume, and he still wears them at least once a week. Uncle John gave him the super cool shirt above for Christmas.

I'm trying to catch up to Nigel's coolness by making a conscious effort not to wear my yoga pants for anything but yoga. I also got a hair cut and am wearing the super cool Corral cowboy boots that Tim got me for Christmas. I still have a ways to go before I'm making a fashion statement in Dallas, but my yoga pants are appreciating the vacation.

A Shameless Plug

Just a quick note to let everyone know I now have a fabulous professional website, thanks to my bud Ryan Powell!

I went to school for journalism and was a city magazine editor for several years, but since Nigel joined our family I've added marketing and advertising work to my resume. If you know anyone who needs help with copywriting, editing/proofing or press releases, please pass my name along. I'm currently looking for clients in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

Please visit skmcdonaldinc.com to view my resume and work samples. Mention this blog post and your company will receive 10% off my hourly rate.

Will You Be My Friend?

We came here knowing not a single soul! My closest friend Melissa is in San Antonio, which is more than four hours away. I cannot wait to see her, and am so glad we're closer to each other than we were, but a four-hour drive means we won't be seeing lots of each other. It's been nearly a month since I last saw my friends and family. That's one month of talking almost exclusively to a 2-year-old and Tim. And as much as it pains to me admit this, I'm pretty sure Nigel's growing bored with me already, too. Sure, there have been the occasional adult conversations: dinner with Tim's great-uncle and great-aunt, Tim's coworkers at the office Thanksgiving potluck, the ladies at the grocery store who stop to tell me how beautiful Nigel is... But I haven't made any friends yet. Frankly, I've almost forgotten how it all works. And let's face it, I'm not the most outgoing person to begin with. So how are we supposed to meet people when I don't work outside of the home, we don't go to church, Nigel won't start preschool until September and all of Tim's coworkers live more than an hour away from us?

I've spotted "our people"* at the grocery store before, but what am I supposed to do? Walk up to them and say, "Hey, will you be my friend?" The easiest, logical way to meet folks seems to be through Nigel — strike up a conversation at the park. Only one problem: there are no kids at our park. Nigel and I go to the park almost daily, and the three of us go on the weekends. With the exception of two times, we're always the only people on the playground (One time some kids were cursing while their dad sat in the car, so I made Nigel leave. The other time the family didn't speak English, so the friendship sparks weren't able to fly.) We've seen signs of children on our street — play equipment in backyards, bikes on the porch — but no kid sightings.

So, while I build up my Spanish skills, I thought we'd check out storytime at the library. Storytime at Belmont in RVA was always so much fun for Nigel and I. No dice here, either. The weekly fun at our area library is geared more toward 5-ish-year-olds since, as the librarian told me, "the area isn't affluent enough for a toddler storytime; there are no stay-at-home-moms." (How in the world are you supposed to know all of this stuff when you're moving from another state!?! Yet another reason why we'll be moving to another neighborhood next fall.)

Today at a mall play area I thought I was on the verge of getting another mom's number (sounds a bit like dating, huh?) when her daughter pushed her son and they had to leave. But I'm not giving up! My friend Annemarie has put me in touch with one of her friends who lives here, and we're planning to meet up soon. I've also joined a meetup.com group for women who are new to the FW area. They're having a cookie swap this Sunday. I've signed up to go; let's hope I don't chicken out at the last minute.

* "Our people" can usually be spotted in the bulk-bin section of Whole Foods buying lentils. They may or may not drive a VW. Quite often they have at least one Mac in their home, but they definitely read nonfiction and listen to NPR frequently. They like good food (they know a French fry isn't a vegetable), and they don't do a double take at our family. They are on both sides of the political fence, but they are not members of the NRA or PETA. They have GLBT friends, as well as friends from various ethnic backgrounds. In summary, they are your everyday nerds who don't quite yet know that they're nerds.