Medina Adventures

A walk in the woods.

2012-01-29T03:47:00.000-08:00

Girls with girls, boys with boys....there's been way to much of that around here lately. So Isabela went off on a playdate with dad while I tried to figure out what to do with my two boys. The weather has been so nice, I wanted us to be outside. But I was also exhausted, so something like Maymont was out of the question. And Diego's on this sometimes nap, sometimes not kick. Yesterday was a no nap day, which means possible meltdown at any moment...definitely not taking him anywhere indoors. That would just seal the deal.

So we ended up at Rockwood Park. I usually avoid the playground there and head straight for the trail. The playground is overcrowded and boring for me. I didn't want to have to worry whether or not my kids were sharing with others, being polite, or getting pushed around themselves. Plus the trail is an adventure! You never know what you'll come across.

Like what the heck is that guy doing on the sign?

We spied this bright green piece of fluff and thought it was a caterpillar. Then realized it was just a piece of moss. Come to think of it, I don't think we saw any wildlife. It is still winter even though it's warm.

Diego found this walking stick quickly on and pretty much used it as a gun the whole time. He's my Lord of the Flies boy.

I had to teach him not to shoot at other joggers or passersby. He was so proud of himself..."Look ma, I didn't shoot the guys!"

The stick came in very handy when Joaquin kicked the soccer ball into the creek. I finally convinced him to brave the slight embankment covered with leaves and use the stick to bring the ball close. He did it, then threw the ball up to me and I watched it roll right off the other side of the trail into an even steeper creek bed. This time, I had to be brave and risk slipping into the mud. It's a funny story now, but I was fussing the whole time. Way to ruin a memory, mom. I'm going to try and remember that the next time something goes wrong.

Some of the exercises along the trail are really difficult....this is supposed to be like the pole vault...up and over the bar.

Some required a lot of concentration.

Joaquin was quick to help his brother. But Diego's fighting for independence now...no more helping for him.

And he did do it all by himself!

He's so proud.

We made it a mile and a quarter around the trail. I had brought the wagon in case Diego got tired, but I ended up pulling Joaquin most of the time. It turns out Diego's my cross country runner, while Joaquin is the sprinter.

A day out with my boys can be exhausting, but it's also invigorating. Here's to boys!

God made a world out of His dreams
of majestic mountains, oceans and streams,
prairies and plains and wooded land,
then paused and thought...

"I need someone to stand
on top of the mountains, to conquer the seas,
explore the plains and climb the trees.
Someone to start out small
and grow sturdy and strong like a tree,"
and so...

He created boys, full of spirit and fun,
to explore and conquer, to romp and run,
with dirty faces and banged up chins,
with courageous hearts and boyish grins.

When He had completed the task He'd begun,
He surely said, "That's a job well done."
(author unknown)

simplifying

2012-01-25T00:50:00.000-08:00

Simplifying has been the motto around here lately.

Another closet cleanout was due. This time, I was a little more ruthless. If I hadn't worn it, even if I liked it, it went out. (Really, I think there are some t-shirts in a drawer that snuck by me, but I'll get them on the next go round.) I have my favorites, that I feel comfortable in, and they're in the weekly rotation...everyone I see knows it...so I'm only fooling myself into thinking I have more options with a closet full of stuff I don't wear.

Juan Pablo did it, too. I think we had four bags of stuff. And when I get around to the rest of the house, there WILL be more. It's shameful, and I'm not sure how it happened considering just four years ago, we moved back here with only 8 suitcases to our name. (It might have even been six!)

After blog hopping for awhile, I came across one talking about simplifying your time. What are the things that eat up your time? She mentioned Facebook. I've never been on it that much, but I would call myself 'checking' it and there went 20 minutes. So I joined her and deactivated my account. Now I've filled up that 20 minutes clicking around on Pinterest, but when I quit doing that, there really is much more time in the day!

More time for important things, like reading.

And house projects. When we first moved here, we had taken the ugly wooden shelves out of Isabela's closet, and even took the doors off to make more space in her room. But recently, she said she wanted a closet like Joaquin's. What a great idea! We used the direct mount shelves from Lowe's, got them cut to the size we wanted, and it took an hour or so to install. (Not to mention it's about $50 cheaper than the boxed kits they sell.) Now she has more space than ever and can see her clothes! Goodbye, dresser.

We have since pulled the old doors down from the attic. Juan Pablo and the kids threw a new coat of paint on them, and now we've got a great, new hiding place, too.

Which reminds me of a game of hide and seek we played the other day. SO FUN. Just when you think there are no more spots, someone comes up missing and can NOT be found. I hid under two pillows on Diego's made bed. The kids must have come in there at least three times, even touched the bed to check in the drawers underneath the bed, and didn't see me. The hardest part was trying to remain still and silent while laughing uncontrollably.

Back to simplifying. It's refreshing, uplifting, gratifying....and unending. If you're interested, here's some links that got me started:
small notebook
farewell facebook

fighterman

2012-01-20T02:11:00.000-08:00

We're knee-deep in super-heros around here. There are bad guys and monsters around every corner. Any random lincoln log, stick, or paint stirrer becomes the weapon of choice. And believe me, he knows how to use it. He wields it around as fast as a knight from King Arthur's Camelot. If you see an armload of toys high up on the refrigerator, you know why.

He discovered these goggles about a week ago. He calls himself "Fighterman" and I thought he was so creative to think up his own super hero name.

It turns out he just can't pronounce the 's' sound. He's really saying 'Spiderman'. F's instead of S's are really hilarious, so you know we're asking him to say all sorts of things, plus he volunteers many on his own. One of our favorite, Diego say--"I'm smart!"

The other day, he kept asking to go out on the playground. I made many excuses and tried to entertain him in many different ways....why? because it was COLD. Finally, I realized I was going against everything I stand for, so I bundled myself up (afterall, it's me who's cold, not Diego) and we headed out.

How could I deny this happiness?

Is this the making of a superhero, or what?

He's able to leap tall buildings in a single bound....almost. Well, he definitely has a creative way of getting from here to there.

Outside time in winter is just as important as any other season. It's good for him. It's good for me.

I'm a slow learner...but he's teaching me.

5 days left

2012-01-18T14:05:00.000-08:00

Be a part of something great here.

bulletin board crafts

2012-01-17T11:26:00.000-08:00

What boy doesn't like to keep score? Joaquin is definitely at the score keeping age...whether it's how many scoops of ice cream or how many soccer goals.

For some reason, he really wanted a baseball themed room. Funny because he plays basketball and soccer...but it works because Diego's favorite sport is now baseball....any game where you can swing a bat around and hit things, he's in.

So I finally hung a project I'd been hoping to finish for months, but never got around to it. This was an old brown bulletin board I picked up in a yard sale awhile back, and now it's a scoreboard. I painted it with chalkboard paint, and the letters are stickers except for the few I had to stencil in.

Eventually, I want to put up numbers for the innings, but I'm not sure when I'll get to that.

Another easy bulletin board we made yesterday...a feltboard snowman. I made this for a preschool class one year...the idea was to cut out lots of mittens and have them match them to put on the snowman. They always loved this center, and I thought it would be fun for Diego, too.

He liked decorating it, but only wants it to stay a certain way. Don't put the cowboy hat on the snowman, he definitely doesn't like that one. (And yes, he's wearing goggles in this picture.)

recycled card box

2012-01-17T11:02:00.000-08:00

This is a great, easy craft to recycle cards....birthday, Christmas, greeting, get well....any type of card. We discovered this over Christmas here and I thought about all those advent calendars with cute little boxes to open each day. Using your Christmas cards you received, you would have all sorts of sturdy, seasonal boxes to use. (That's if you still get Christmas cards...we only got four this year!)

Here's how to do it...you should know, it's addictive.

First, separate the two halves of your card along the fold line.

Use a pencil to draw two diagonal lines, corner to corner. This will give you the middle point of the card.

Fold in two sides so that they meet in the middle at the point.

Do the same for the long edges, too, so they meet in the middle.

Take some scissors and cut four slit along the folds, like the picture, to make the tabs.

With a little help, the box comes together almost by itself. Fold the sides up, the tabs go in and the outside tab folds up and over. I use a little tape to make it stick.

Follow those steps for both halves of your card....and here's the finished box. I wasn't very careful when I folded, so the edge is sticking out a little. But it's still a cute little box to leave a small treasure in...or maybe for the tooth fairy?

hospitality

2012-01-15T04:16:00.000-08:00

I've scratched resolutions. That used to be the highlight of my New Year's Eve. Sad, I know. But this New Year's was great, and now I'm trying something different.

One word.

I've chosen one word for the year. It came to me in December. I had started reading my Bible regularly...a great idea, by the way...first thing in the morning, before I eat, before I check email, before I get dressed. If I do anything else before reading, the reading doesn't get done.

So I kept coming across this word: HOSPITALITY.

My Bible has commentary, which I love. It helps me understand things so much better.
Like at the end of 2 Timothy, Paul is sending out final greetings:

"Greet Priscilla and Aquila and the household of Onesiphorus."

Not very moving, right? But the commentary says, "Like Paul, we should take time to weave our lives into others' through close personal relationships." Now that was interesting.

Then it was on to Titus. A short book with this cool verse:
"Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined."
The commentary said, "We would benefit from inviting people to eat with us.....Giving hospitality is very important today because so many people struggle with loneliness. In our self-centered society, we can show that we care by being hospitable."

And then this famous verse:

In Hebrews 13:2 "Do not forget to enterain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it."
The commentary had this to say, "Hospitality simply means making other people feel comfortable and at home."

It couldn't have been more obvious. This year, I need to focus on hospitality.

And honestly, I've never been really good at it. I forget to offer people something to drink. I never have amazing snacks. My house is often in shambles, dishes piled in the sink, or more often scattered about any surface in the kitchen, clothes waiting to be folded in a pile in the hallway.

But I'm hoping hospitality is more than a clean house. Plus, I'm going to try and use closed doors more....I can throw all the junk in a room and close the door, right?

On New Year's, our pastor gave out a study guide for Bible reading for the next few weeks. I was shocked when I read the summary for week 1: "....Our God is a God of hospitality, creating a place for a people, a place where all life can flourish...."

So there it is.

2012. Hospitality.

We welcome you to our house.

grey's anatomy

2012-01-11T19:02:00.001-08:00

We had an unexpected anatomy lesson this past weekend when Isabela had to get her appendix taken out. It was a whirlwind of a weekend that seemed to pass in slow motion. There was an amazing calmness to the whole experience. We joked that Isabela does this every January right before my birthday (thinking back to her stay in the hospital for pneumonia several years ago). I said her present to me is her getting all better...but that next year, she can just buy me something :)

Here are the FAQs:
How did it happen?
I woke up around 4am on Sunday to her crying in her room, saying that her stomach hurt. I don't think there were actual tears, just that pained face that something is wrong. I thought at first it was that she might throw up or needed to go to the bathroom, but that wasn't it. I woke up JP and told him what was going on...and he suggested his solution for most ailments : Make her a cup of tea. It seems to work for him, but I was never a tea drinker and that answer always seems strangely ridiculous to me. I did start to heat up some water in the microwave, however.

How did you know to take her to the hospital?
I'd say that was probably motherly instinct, but I did have a few clues. First, she was kind of rolling back and forth on the bed, usually described as writhing in pain. I remembered doing that when I had my gall bladder taken out. And the second clue was when she said she felt "pressure" in her belly. Many people I told were surprised to hear that an eight year old said pressure...and as soon as she said it, I knew something wasn't right. I'd say we were in the car, headed to the hospital, not more than five minutes after I woke up. The cup of tea was still sitting in the microwave when we got home from the hospital the next day.

How did the doctors know it was her appendix?
Initially, they didn't. She did throw up in the waiting room when we arrived, but seemed to get a little better while we were there. She and I were joking, telling stories, laughing...we were in the ER room for 10 hours before they transported her to a different hospital...no TV and nothing to do except talk. Despite the circumstances, it was great bonding time.
After an Xray, they ran a blood test...she had an elevated white cell count which was a surprise to me. I had thought they'd be sending us home anytime. They decided to do a CT scan and that's where it showed up. Isabela was brave throughout all of it...the IV, drinking the CT nasty stuff, the hot flash during the scan...she is quite amazing.

Why did you go to another hospital?
The closest hospital to our house, it turns out, does not have a pediatric surgeon. Ever? I'm not sure. But they transferred us to their sister hospital for the operation. Meaning....she got to ride in an ambulance! A huge one. With a TV in the back. She watched part of Happy Feet on the way over. I rode in the front, second row. It was a slow ride over...I kept checking the speedometer because it felt like an old grandpa was driving, but he was doing 60 on the highway.

How long did the operation take?
Fifteen minutes after we arrived, they were taking her down for prep. This was where I just had to trust that everyone involved knew what they were doing and were who they said they were. There were probably a dozen people asking questions, telling me information, reassuring Isabela. It was hard to know who was actually going to do the operation. I was pretty sure it was the guy who shook my hand, but I wasn't positive. It was probably Isabela's calmness that helped me remain calm during this time. In all, it took about an hour. A nurse even called me on my cellphone, from the operating room, to tell me how things were going!

Where was Juan Pablo?
We are so thankful to our friend, who may as well be family, Liz, who offered to watch Joaquin and Diego. Juan Pablo dropped them off at her house and headed over to the hospital as we were being transferred. His GPS led him somewhere else, of course, and then there was parking and a huge hospital for him to wander through. We'd never been to this hospital before (although it's where I was born). I was standing in the prep room as they're wanting to wheel her out, talking to him on his phone, trying to find out where he was. He sounded utterly dejected like there was no way he'd reach her before the operation. But the nurses were so nice! They told him to find any elevator and hit G and someone would meet him there and lead him back. He made it just in time to kiss her head and hand her a sweet teddy bear and crayon drawn cards from Liz and her kids. A wonderful moment to witness.

How long before she'll recover?
They sent us home the next day. Isabela was sad to go...she misses a TV in front of her bed. Plus, being that she seems to go to the hospital right after Christmas every time, they always have a lot of presents to give out. This time she got a penguin pillow pet. This is a prized possession. I have not fallen for those things yet and had been successful keeping them out of the house until now.

She should be back in school next week and has a follow up appointment after two weeks. She's already been walking around a lot and hasn't taken any tylenol for two days.
The biggest challenge is keeping her two active brothers from bumping and jumping on her. I have recruited Joaquin as a helper in Isabela's recovery...with the promise of a reward if he does a good job:
A pillow pet. Ugh!

Joaquin put everything into perspective the other night at dinner. He asked what would have happened if they didn't take out Isabela's appendix. I said, "Well, she would have died." We all fell silent, and then quickly changed the subject. (This is the same boy who asked Juan Pablo when the doctors were going to put her appendix back in.) Children ask the best questions.

Thank you God for watching over our sweet Isabela, and thank you to all of you for your thoughts and prayers.

first day hike

2012-01-05T11:56:00.000-08:00

First Day Hike, a great collaborative effort between the state parks to get us active once again, starting on the first of the new year. We chose a local park, instead of a state one, but the intention and result were the same....a gorgeous day spent walking outside and some amazing photos. I took the old saying, "Take only pictures, leave only footprints," to heart.

I had Isabela take this shot in case I didn't make it into any of the pictures...just to prove I was actually there, too.

Joaquin ran across these jagged rocks that lined the path as if he was running on a paved track. He really has an amazing athletic ability and I'd love to see him use it a lot more this year. Joining the circus has been suggested and crosses my mind regularly.

The paths life leads us down are so amazing. I was never an outdoorsy girl, never liked hiking or climbing. Then I married a man from the Andes Mountain chain. Add in some kids, and hiking just fits now....plus it's great exercise.

Diego found a little chair carved into a rock. What a perfect seat.

This pose is from a cartoon that I never would have let my children watch if I held any weight in this family...it's called Kick Buttowski. Enough said, right? But I do love the pose.

"Remember that time spent on a rock climb isn't subtracted from your life span."
-- Will Niccolls
I think it was here that I stopped watching and had to walk away, just to preserve my own life. Watching my two year old scramble up on this round rock in the middle of a river made my heart lurch. Juan Pablo couldn't get up there as fast as him, but I give him credit for taking the kids on an adventure that they won't soon forget.

“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.”
-- John Muir   

This was the only way across the river at one point. And it was Isabela who crossed it first...she is my brave one.

"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go."
-- T.S. Eliot
I'm married to one of those...and I'm the opposite of one of those. It's a perfect match.

Look at Joaquin perched on the slope of this rock. It's like watching Spiderman.

“If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere.”
-- Frank A. Clark

We all have different strengths. I can't watch my kids teetering on the edge of steep prefaces overlooking rushing currents, and Juan Pablo, strangely enough, cannot carry Diego in his arms for more than a minute. Joaquin can climb like a mountain goat and Isabela is brave, pensive and talkative, at the same time. Diego loves to investigate things from the tiniest bug to tall trees. Walking with the family in nature has something for each of us to enjoy.

“After a day's walk everything has twice its usual value.”
-- George Macauley Trevelyan

“If you are seeking creative ideas, go out walking. Angels whisper to a man when he goes for a walk.”
-- Raymond Inmon   

"It's always further than it looks.
It's always taller than it looks.
And it's always harder than it looks."
-- The 3 rules of mountaineering.

Definitely true on the way home ( although Joaquin could have gone another five miles). If you could only have heard the whining.... and not by me, I might add. But if we took a divergent path towards the river, they were back investigating again....proving that it's purely mental.

Here's to more happy hiking days.

year in review...2011

2012-01-04T04:29:00.000-08:00

These mosaic collages of the past year are all over the web. I think they're a great way to look back. I wasn't sure how to do it, but hurray for google. If you'd like to try it yourself, just go to bighugelabs.com and their mosaic maker. I've linked it to that. You can upload pictures from flickr or facebook.

You have to decide how many pictures to have in your mosaic...36 is the max and apparently is not enough for me. I had to make two. My photos are mixed up throughout the year, but I would have liked to see it January to December. The hardest part definitely is choosing which pictures to use.

After you finish, you can save it to your computer or share it with friends. It's quick and easy...let me know if you try it!

new year's eve

2012-01-03T11:46:00.000-08:00

Loved this balloon idea for New Year's Eve, and more importantly, so did the kids.

Each balloon had a clock drawn on it, and that was the time they got to pop it...inside was a little note telling us the activity. And just 'cause, I wrote most of them in Spanish.

It must have been a lot of fun, because even now, I can't remember half of what we did. Although I will say, do not make the same mistake I did and keep the kids up till 11pm. Things quickly deteriorated after 9:45pm.

We started off by making a video of each of the kids answering some questions. This would be fun to do each year to see how their answers change. Let's see if I remember next year.

We quickly moved on to snacks. These popcorn balls were yummy...just like Rice Krispie treats, but with popcorn.

And although it doesn't look that great, this punch was delicious. Here's the recipe. Really, you can never go wrong with punch.

I do remember making a huge lump of playdough. I tried to make it smell like peppermint, but you must need to use a lot of extract to get that smell.

Smart planning was crucial...they played with the dough while I got dinner ready. Yay, mom.

The fun didn't really start until daddy got home.

And this was the part I was looking forward to all night...funny mustache pictures.

Card stacking somehow made it onto the list...but way too late into the night. It's much harder than it looks.

And about this time, things started breaking down...tired kids means crying and hysterical laughing, switching quickly back and forth, for no apparent reason....although Diego could have made it to midnight without a problem.

Another tip: these glowstick balls from the dollar store do NOT stay together. Oh, and make sure you actually have sparklers BEFORE you tell the kids we're going to light them.

What a great year 2011 was....looking forward to the next one!

christmas cats

2011-12-31T03:54:00.000-08:00

Christmas with the fam....always great memories....but most of these pictures are of cats for some reason.

Uncle David and Aunt Leah Ann have boys in their twenties...with much cooler toys.

Nothing sweeter than kittens under a tree.

That beautiful face masks her wild side...she climbs up people's legs with her claws.

Diego loves the kitties...and these are way more tolerant of him than our own Kitty.

Checking each other out.

Now that's a joyful Christmas face.

Helping with the dishes.

Too bad this one's a little blurry....this great video helped me learn a little more about my camera and taking pictures in low light.

My beautiful cousin Elizabeth...she's expecting her first baby. (I'm holding it all in trying to make sure it wasn't me who looked pregnant in this picture.)

So pretty! A very merry Christmas indeed.

handmade Christmas 2011

2011-12-28T14:37:00.000-08:00

Our original idea was to only MAKE the kids presents this year...plus give some of the ones I had found in yard sales earlier this year and was able to sneak by them. But we did cave at some point in December and buy a few things.

These are the handmade ones...painted, sewed, and constructed in the wee hours of the night. I love, love Pinterest for giving me so many ideas!

The first ones Isabela helped with. These little things are pocket warmers, or hand warmers. We made one for each of the kids in Isabela's class...and by we, I mean she now knows how to sew very well. These were super simple to make, just two 5" squares of flannel and some rice inside. They can get very hot after 30 seconds in the microwave and are great to take out to the frigid bus stop in the morning. We also made huge foot warmers with a removable cover that could be washed (in case of stinky feet!). We went through a 25lb. bag of rice (which is only $8 by the way!)

These blocks were one of the first gifts I made. We had a set of these several years ago and loved them. You can make different designs, and I think they were originally used to make quilt pattern blocks. These have a few more fancy patterns on them and can be made into different animals.

Here is the monkey. I just painted some of Joaquin's blocks with acrylic paint and Mod Podge on top to protect it. No one's really played with them too much yet, but I do find them all over the floor.

These masks were for Diego and made from scraps. Very simple, but Diego doesn't like to put masks on, so not really a great present for now.

This fishing game was a big hit though. As soon as Diego opened this, he did not want to open any other presents. It's just a simple fish with button eyes. There is a safety pin through each of their mouthes, and the stick has a strong magnet on the end.

The kids make up their own rules as they play...there's even a shark in the mix...sometimes if you get that, you have to throw all your fish back in the water.

These were some cute printable bookmarks and cards...Isabela is into that type of thing.

Now the guitar was a little harder. I made the pattern up myself, but saw the cute idea here. The neck is too thin and flops around...I'd definitely make that part larger if I made it again.

Juan Pablo and I play with it more than the kids...one more for us!

And Daddy helped make this cool tent. Again...not played with too much, but maybe with time.

These little animal sleeping bags were a lot of fun. This one we gave away, but I made one for each of the kids, with material that reflected their personalities...balls for Diego, a bear for Joaquin, and zoo animals for Isabela.

And finally, I've always wanted to make one of these puzzles...I copied a page from a favorite children's book, sliced it into squares, and Mod Podged it onto some blocks. Where the Wild Things Are for one side....

...Horton Hatches an Egg for the other.

the eve

2011-12-27T23:00:00.000-08:00

I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.
Charles Dickens

He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree.
Roy L. Smith

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.
Burton Hillis

(Or not so happy....here's Diego screaming at his brother!)

One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don't clean it up too quickly.
Andy Rooney

Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas.
Peg Bracken

We are so thankful to Great-Uncle David for joining us on Christmas Eve. My word for the new year is HOPSITALITY, and I'm so glad to have gotten the jump start at Christmas. AND we did the unheard of...which the kids will never forget...he took them Christmas shopping at Target on the 'eve...they got to pick and he paid.

Plus the tradition still stands....pjs for all! Isabela got ones to match her new glasses.

Joaquin got ones to match his extreme sports love.

And Diego got Scooby-Dooby-Doo!

It is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas when its mighty Founder was a child Himself.
Charles Dickens

wanna play?

2011-12-22T01:53:00.000-08:00

Playing board games was one of my favorite things to do growing up. LIFE, Clue, Mystery Mansion... I loved them. As an only child, I played with my parents, and can't say that I remember playing these with friends that much. So maybe my parents just let me win all the time, and that's why it was so fun.

Then there was Monopoly. While I remember playing it, and always grabbing the dog first as my piece, it was never one of my favorites. I rarely won and easily lost interest after the first 30 minutes...and we all know how long a game of Monopoly can last.

A few years ago, my mother-in-law brought Monopoly with her when she visited us. If you look closely, you'll see it's a spanish version. That first night we stayed up playing late into the night and it was so much fun...probably because I won the first game. I wasn't so lucky the next time, and haven't played it much since then. I've kept it up high on the shelf because the kids used to get into it and spread those sharp little pieces all over the floor for me to step on.

But this past week, we pulled it out again, and it seems the kids are old enough to enjoy it now. While Diego was napping, the kids and I played for two hours straight...I finally had to bow out to go start dinner and they continued to play for two more hours. They made up their own rules...dealing out all the money 'one for me, one for you' and adding blocks as hotels because they had so many. When they drew a card, which are all written in Spanish, they did their best to figure it out, and just gave themselves money when they couldn't.

I hadn't seen them play cooperatively together in....their lives! I was truly impressed and am loving board games all over again. Anyone up for a game of Monopoly?

easy ornaments

2011-12-22T01:28:00.000-08:00

I think a lot of us discovered the sparkly, plastic, do-it-yourself ornament balls this year. The key word is definitely plastic which holds up so well to multiple falls off of the tree.

I thought I'd share two that I made from some great finds on Pinterest. I literally made these in less than five minutes.

This one was for Isabela's piano teacher. I printed off the lyrics to a Christmas carol (Hark! the Herald Angels sing) and sliced it with my paper slicer into thin strips. It helps to slightly curl them before you put them into the ornament so that more of the notes will show.

I love how a closer look brings out the words of the season, as well.

OK...this one probably took me ONE minute to make...and is quite possibly the prettiest ornament I've ever seen. All it is is colored feathers stuffed into the ball.

I imagined making a set of twelve, but when I went back to the store to get more balls, they were all gone!

veggie-mobile

2011-12-19T04:28:00.000-08:00

Isabela and Juan Pablo created this Flintstone like car for a school project.

Could be fun if you have bored kids!

the Scribbler

2011-12-19T04:12:00.000-08:00

I've dubbed him 'the Scribbler'.

The evidence is undeniable.

And our house is starting to look like a cardboard build-a-bear house. Juan Pablo's solution is to throw all markers away. A little impractical. For now, I've put the most dangerous ones, the Sharpies, in the medicine cabinet.

....And the Scribbler strikes again.

cheap fun

2011-12-19T03:35:00.000-08:00

Without a penny to spare, we've been all about cheap fun lately. The best way to do that is usually to stay home...but we spent a good hour in Dick's the other day without buying a thing.

We hit the mini golf course first...my wild kids rushing the green and scaring off a cute father/daughter team that was putting away.

Then the basketballs caught our eye. How do you get these things out?

We stopped and said hi to "the guy".

Then made our way up the escalator to the snow section!

I wondered if that seat belt would be safe if your sled took a dive going down a fast hill...

...but, of course, no need to worry on the carpet.

An action shot of Joaquin.

We wandered through the bikes, camping tents and on to the boxing corner. I was surprised we made it out of there without being kicked out. What a great place!

leaves

2011-12-08T03:05:00.000-08:00

Whenever we consider an easier way around the mountains of leaves in our yard... like buying a leaf blower, renting one, or even borrowing one for that matter... we always end up saying 'but raking is good exercise' and pull out the splinter-giving tools every year.

This is our yard. We live in the woods...and come fall, a new chainsaw starts looking like the perfect gift once again.

But with such perfect weather last weekend...we were able to accomplish this: All pumpkins were thrown away, all leaves were meticulously piled and bagged, and the lush green moss carpet that was hidden under the sea of brown was exposed and vibrant. We all stood around admiring the work, smiling with a sense of pride that we had done it.

It's amazing how a clean yard calls us out of our dusty home to do this:

And encouraged by his father, Joaquin even rode down the steps of our porch on his bike. Three times.
Until the wipeout.
A few tears were shed, and several bruises added to the collection, but I'm sure he'll be at it again. After all, it is Evel Knievel we're raising here.

But the winds have stirred, and now the rest of our unraked yard is slowly covering up that beautiful green. Just a few more weekends, and hopefully we'll have it up before the first snow.

scenes of Christmas

2011-12-07T01:25:00.000-08:00

It will be another handmade Christmas for us again this year. I've been working around the clock trying to whip up some gifts that my kids will actually play with. I can't wait to share them!

I've also been reading all those tutorials on taking pictures of your Christmas tree...I still haven't gotten one I love yet...although this one is promising :)

We made our annual gingerbread house (kit!) the other day. The best way for me to enjoy this tradition is to step back and take no part in it...except for eating the candy. I laughed to myself as Juan Pablo tried to help the kids make a "perfect" house. That icing never holds together well for us. (I came back in to the kitchen later while we were watching It's a Wonderful Life, and the roof had slid halfway down the house. I just pulled it off and ate it.)

But this activity always brings out the best in the kids. Somehow giving them free reign to make a mess and eat lots of candy helps them become the little angels in this picture.

Here's the finished product. Gone the next day. I do believe we are the only family that will actually eat their entire gingerbread house.

We're very merry.

pueblo, powhatan, AND lakota

2011-12-06T22:57:00.000-08:00

I love school projects! OK, I admit I'm a nerd. But what is more fun than making boring old school work come to life with your kids?

Joaquin was only supposed to choose one Native American tribe...but how can you choose just one? So he didn't.

Here's his Pueblo village...painted boxes and popsicle sticks. I think this one's my favorite.

A long house for the Powhatan in winter...the shape of the house comes from a box of butter and half a canister of bread crumbs....yay! for recycling.

And the most unique one...the buffalo jump of the Lakotas. (Our yard overflows with moss which was finally put to good use.)

Could you choose just one?

a walk in Bethlehem

2011-12-03T19:41:00.000-08:00

Friday night we headed over to the other side of town to the Bethlehem Walk. We'd never heard of it, but a good friend said it was excellent...plus it was free.

We knew there'd be a wait in a long line in the cold....so we were somewhat prepared. I had brought clementines, bottles of juice and ribs for us to eat...an odd combination, but that's what we had.

And we entertained the kids as best we could. There was 20 questions. Jumping jacks. I spy. And a new game: translate this. I was asked to translate something into Spanish, then they'd check my answer by asking Dad the same thing. (I'm happy to say I got them all right.) At some point, we were reduced to the cheek squeezing game.

We lucked out with some chairs when we got to the 'waiting' tent. A little girl was restless behind us, throwing a small fit for her grandma. I offered her a clementine, which she declined, but that little interaction did stop the tantrum. I always love it when someone speaks to me when my kids are acting up instead of ignoring me. It's so uplifting.

On to the city. We had to pay a shekel to enter the gate and were warned not to give it to the beggars before we got there. I think we were all tempted to give them away....

...but the Roman guards were not to be played with about money.

The streets were bustling with vendors that filled the air with the scents and sounds of the ancient town. Fire pits were around every corner to help us stay warm, while we walked around in awe at how realistic everything was.

There were shepherds, animals, wise men,

...and most importantly, a baby born in a manger. Every now and then, one of the actors would sing out a carol...including my favorite, "Mary Did You Know." If there is one thing we did this season that helps us understand the meaning of Christmas, this was it... and worth the simple sacrifices of warmth and patience.

recycled decorations

2011-11-30T11:50:00.000-08:00

We have a recycling pile by the front door. It's HUGE. It started because the recycling company would not deliver us a collection box. And they never come to pick it up. So we started collecting it ourselves, and Juan Pablo takes it to his work when it gets really outrageous.

I know there's a better spot for it than the front door. But somehow it works. It's like it's on it's way out, but it's not on the porch collecting spiders and bugs.

So the other day I was getting ready to add a lunch meat container to it, and I thought, "There must be something I could make out of this."

And there was! It became some kind of a snow globe.

And the snow was Isabela's idea. I couldn't figure out what to use...I'd gotten rid of that fake snow a long time ago because it just kept blowing out of the bag and getting everywhere....and cotton balls were too big. But Isabela said, "What if we grate a bar of soap?" And it turned out perfect! Powdery and it smells good!

imperfect

2011-11-29T19:55:00.000-08:00

It's hard to write about a less than perfect holiday weekend. It was one for the record books in unhappiness.

But don't feel bad for us.

God surely can turn a bad situation around over the course of a weekend.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him...Romans 8:28

And He did.

Our thankful mailbox was definitely the highlight. Our only complaint was too few to open. Next year, we'll have to start on November first.

We took turns reading them one by one. I was pleasantly surprised by Joaquin's thankfulness for seasons and Isabela's grandiose 'God', 'Every day', and 'Everything'. (There were also the typical PSP, dogs and cats, and blankie and chupi.)

We hit the road shortly after that. It's become a tradition to stop by Bass Pro Shops on our way up to Thanksgiving. Our original plan was to surprise the kids and go to the National Zoo...but that didn't happen. Maybe next year.

Such a serious expression to be holding a pink gun.

And you better believe they weren't aiming for the ducks here.

This could be one of those 'see how much they've grown' photos, year after year.

I'll spare you the details of our Thanksgiving of silence. It wasn't pretty. Little eyes were watching us, and probably saw us at our worst.

They could feel the tension, and it affected them, too. I can only hope memories of the good will outweigh the bad.

So I did the only thing I knew to do. I picked up my Bible. It had been too long. But there He goes...turning it around for good.
And slowly the weekend started turning around, as well. I think a lifetime was lived in those four days. So much time.

And I believe that Thanksgiving has surely become my favorite holiday.

We climbed to the attic and brought down the boxes filled with decorations...and I finally realized that Christmas actually starts now.

At advent.

If you wait until December 25, while you're opening presents, you've missed it.

This year, we are following an advent book called, Celebrate Jesus at Christmas, and I highly recommend it. We're reading scripture, slowly setting up our nativity scene piece by piece, singing carols, and praying.

Today Isabela said a teacher asked her class if anyone was a Christian. (It must have had something to do with a book they were reading.) She said she was the only one who raised her hand. She said she was embarrassed, but I told her God wasn't. And I was so proud of her.

I'm excited about all the gifts this season of advent will bring...as we patiently wait...living our imperfect lives.

what's wrong with this picture?

2011-11-28T12:59:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it's just easier this way.

happy Thanksgiving.

2011-11-24T02:48:00.000-08:00

A quickie before we hit the road for Thanksgiving....I certainly couldn't have left the last post with 'the enemy' on such a grateful day. (And even I can admit, at times I'm thankful for you, PSP.)

Being a pleaser and a perfectionist can make holidays hard sometimes. The other day, Joaquin had an assignment to write about two traditions his family does at Thanksgiving. I got a small knot in my stomach and started thinking, 'Do we have any traditions? Are they worth mentioning? What will other kids write about?'

And really since most of 'the rocks' of my family have passed away (grandparents, parents) and since my husband's family lives in Bolivia and doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving...(except when I forced them to and almost killed his grandma)....the weight of holiday traditions now lies on my shoulders.

In my mind, our tradition at Thanksgiving was simply to eat.

But each year is different...and new memories are added. And I believe tradition is keeping the fun memories alive by repeating them...and confining the bad memories to a 'remember when' joke told while looking at old photographs.

So this year, I see some new traditions on the horizon.

I hit the library Tuesday to pick up some cooking and craft books for the holiday (...a tip I saw on the net somewhere) and in the toddler cook book was a simple recipe for cookie-cutter cookies.

Add friends to the mix, and I see a tradition brewing.

Isabela was a great chef, reading the directions, measuring, and including the smaller ones. I was busy starting dinner, so she was on her own. We moms watched them with wonder.

Would you believe we'd never made cookies with cookie cutters before? I think it's that wait time while it chills in the fridge that always put me off. Actually, it's a great little break between mixing and rolling for the kids to burn off some steam.

This year, we get to open our thankful letters...that is what I'm looking forward to. I can't wait to read what everyone wrote..knowing this family, the sky's the limit to what we might be thankful for.

And here's a game you don't want to miss. We did this one year, and it was hilarious. Everyone at the table writes an adjective on a piece of paper and puts them into a cup. Then everyone writes down the name of an animal and puts those into another cup. The cups are passed around and every person pulls one piece of paper from each. This becomes their new Native American name. (Anyone remember stinky armadillo?)

Games are fun traditions. Here's a printable one we're trying this year.

And we may have a secret tradition starting this morning. I'll let you know if it works out.

Meanwhile, I'm thankful to have this blog to write down my family's memories and my own thoughts. Thanks to all who read it! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving wherever you are. (And if you'd like a special prayer to say at the table today, here's a beautiful one. )

the enemy

2011-11-21T03:00:00.000-08:00

On any given day, if I can't find the children, and the house is quiet, this is why. Meet my archenemy.

He's stolen our creativity.

He's stolen our family time.

He's lured my children away from adventures in the great outdoors.

I teeter back and forth on taking it away and giving it back. I've thrown it in the trash, but it reappeared. When rooms are kept clean for days on end, homework is done, and civility reigns, I think, "Why not?" and give in. But I regret it EVERY time.

It's been gone for the last few days.

Some of us have gotten messy with Mod Podge, or taken a mountain bike ride for hours in the park. We've played Uno and been to a birthday party.

The enemy is down. But I'm sure the battle is not over.

'tis the season

2011-11-14T20:20:00.000-08:00

And the season comes earlier each year. We had our annual tree lighting last weekend, if you can believe that! But mindful of being thankful, it was warmer than it's ever been before.

I definitely need to practice night shooting with my camera...it's so hard to get a good shot! There was another mom right beside me trying to do the same thing...her kids were sitting on the same bench as mine, squirming and not looking, just like mine. I don't know why we always try to get these posed shots...the candid ones are SO much better.

Having kids makes you do things you would NEVER do if you didn't have them. Like stand in line for an hour for a balloon. I joked as we were the next ones up, "Let's go, I'm tired of waiting." But it was so worth it. Their balloons fit their personalities so well.

And somehow, I took this shot and loved it. These cheap light up toys sure make the kids smile. (And they keep them quietly mesmerized, too.)
I love this season...I hope it goes by slowly.

scissors, paint and glue

2011-11-14T19:12:00.000-08:00

We celebrated another first this week. Scissors!

Diego did his first cutting on this cute squirrel printable. You can find it here at HP, but they have a LOT of other cute printables...great way to make you use more ink!

I've been using the whole family technique on lots of projects. Diego painted the paper for this bear, then I made a pattern and Joaquin cut it out. Diego glued it on and colored the ominous fall sky. This idea was from deepspacesparkle, a great blog for art projects for students.

Isabela was given a set of watercolors in tubes. I've never used the tubes before...always had the crayola watercolor trays growing up.... so she is having fun experimenting with them. She made this turkey all by herself.

Diego made these handprint ships that have been appearing on pinterest everywhere. I'm thinking of naming them after real pilgrim ships. I found this interesting site that records a lot of information about those ships, like the people on board, where and when they landed, etc. I think Patience, Love, and Blessing are good names for ships.

And what would Thanksgiving be without a paper turkey? Again, this was a collaborative project. Diego painted the paper. I found letting him use a sponge brush and acrylic paints turns out the best. Isabela cut out the pieces...and I glued and added the glitter.

There are so many creative ways to record thankfulness these days. I've always wanted to do a tree branch with the leaves hanging from it, but still haven't put one up. This year, we're doing a recycled idea and it's been a big hit. We made a mailbox out of our recycling...diaper boxes are the best!...and everyday, each of us adds a little letter of what we're thankful for. We won't open them until Thanksgiving, so there's a lot of anticipation for the big day. Isn't that what's great about the holidays anyway...anticipation? I saw this idea on one of my new favorite blogs choose to thrive.

thank you

2011-11-13T03:12:00.000-08:00

It's not 11-11-11...but it's never too late to thank a veteran.
Thank you for all your sacrifices...so my family can sleep in peace tonight.

beautiful things

2011-11-10T19:58:00.000-08:00

looks like fall

2011-11-09T11:21:00.000-08:00

You should hear me as I drive down the street. The kids are probably sick of me gasping and saying, "Look at those trees!" But really, could they be any more beautiful?

We brought some of the color inside, last night. We printed GIANT leaves we found at Maymont.

Glitter haunted houses, that look more like sparkling gingerbread houses under a winter snow.

Hoot owls from toilet paper tubes and cupcake holders.

And a precious squirrel I found at Goodwill. He's waiting for us to collect some acorns for him. We'll get them soon, but for now he'll have to wait. I keep finding him all over the house anyway...someone keeps moving him.

And our grateful banner...in Spanish, G-R-A-T-I-T-U-D.

It makes me thankful just to look at it. (Never mind those wind chimes blocking it...I've moved them.)

today

2011-11-06T20:43:00.000-08:00

This is an important picture.

I know. You've seen just as many of these pics as I have. But today's the day we hope to see more and more of those precious lips. We're starting to say good-bye to chupi....his binki, paci, whatever you may call it. No more hard plastic chupi kisses. Or at least not as many...we're slow going...just using it for naps and night-night...and today was a pretty good day.

It seems like all this 'big-boy' talk may have gone to his head....or he'd just like to be an '80s tennis pro.

Today was a special day for Joaquin, too. And a long one coming...he and I went out for his birthday. Yesterday he said, "I can't believe it's almost Christmas and we still haven't celebrated my birthday!" Unfortunately, my great idea of celebrating with only mom, dad and birthday kid never quite worked out how I thought. Soooo, we may be re-instituting parties for the coming year. The kids are thrilled.

And where do you think my spirited Joaquin would like to go with his mom? To paint pottery. He knew exactly what he wanted to paint, too...Rudolph.

I've been wanting to do this for so long...just me and him. It really is priceless to take out just one kid and focus all your attention on them.

Because one day, you'll take a picture of them, and wonder how they grew up so fast...and you might catch a glimpse of a future teenager...and there'll be a knot in your throat or a tear in your eye.

This month is all about being thankful. And I can't get this phrase that I read on pinterest out of my mind.

What if you woke up today... with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?

What a long list I have. Thank you, God.

fred and daphne

2011-11-05T04:38:00.000-07:00

Meet our two new pets, Fred and Daphne. Or is it Daphne and Fred?

Isabela put her name in at school to bring one home. She came home with two. Apparently, her container was big enough for two.

Things I did not know:
they can live for 15 years
they eat bloodworms

Things I knew, but forgot:
free is never free

But they are super fun to watch. One of them (Isabela can tell them apart) wasn't moving too much last night. We're hoping she was just a little tired. Isabela laid her rosary on top of the tank screen...she said 'in case Daphne dies'. Very sweet.

blue monster

2011-11-05T03:03:00.000-07:00

Diego and I have a little secret.

A blue monster lives in the closet in my room. When it's nap time, if the closet door is open, Diego says with surprise, "Blue monster got out!" And I'll karate chop him back in and close the door.

I'm not sure why I karate chop him, because we actually like him. And Diego will get mad if someone tries to hurt him (like say, Joaquin).

Last night at the gas station, I said, "Look! There's blue monster!" and Diego laughed and laughed so hard. I kept it going with, "How did he get here? He must have rode on the roof!" And he laughed a hearty belly laugh some more.

But the other day, I broke the cardinal rule of all moms everywhere...I ignored the 'too quiet' baby in the other room because I was too lazy to get up. When I finally did....

...he was doing exactly what I knew he was doing but hoping he wasn't.

He had the weapon in his hand....a blue Sharpie.

And he was turning himself into a blue monster!

He had colored an entire hand, front and back, with blue Sharpie and was well on his way into the second... and a nice large drawing on the window sill, too.

I gasped and grabbed him up, feet dangling in the air, headed straight for the bathtub. Diego's sweet voice asking, "What, Mom?"down the hall.

And it happened just as it did in The Cat in the Hat....the blue came mostly off of his hands, but is now on my tub!

The baby who refused to wear a costume on Halloween has turned himself into a real blue monster! I wish I had taken a before picture, but the evidence is still there and shall be for a long time I imagine.

friends from Uganda

2011-11-04T03:30:00.000-07:00

Mulimutya!
That means 'how are you all?' in Luganda.

This is the choir that came to sing at our church this past week. And we were honored to open our home to two wonderful boys, John and Gabriel, and their choir director, Evah. John is the one with the big smile, and Gabriel to the left of him.

I loved learning about Uganda from Evah. She quickly dispelled the idea that lions and zebras were running around in the bushes. She said they are only in the zoos. And she taught us that the Nile river starts in Uganda! And, yes, there are crocodiles lurking in it.

John and Gabriel were so kind and great examples to our children. One night at dinner, Joaquin was showing off and John told him in Uganda, he'd be sent from the table, not eat...and maybe even caned. Ouch! (That really didn't deter Joaquin, but great try, John!)

The choir sings beautifully and came to raise awareness for the AIDS crisis still alive in Africa and money for their school.

They told us that instead of piano, or guitar, children in Africa learn to play the drum.

But children are children no matter where they are from, and they loved watching Scooby-Doo and Tom and Jerry just like my kids.

We tried to show them a good time despite the rainy, cold weather. We hit Chuck E Cheese one night and Juan Pablo's indoor soccer game another. We braved the rain to trick or treat on Halloween. And they got to see Isabela perform in her third grade Veteran's Day program. We were also able to arrange for the choir to sing for the third, fourth, and fifth graders at her school. Much better than reading about Africa in a book!

The last day we were filled with happiness for our new friendships and sadness that they had to go. But now, somehow, Africa doesn't seem so far away. We wish them a safe journey home. You can see a short video of the choir from the Times Dispatch here.

halloween

2011-11-01T04:31:00.000-07:00

I heard it exclaimed several times last night....while trudging through freezing rain, stepping in streams of water flowing down the sides of the streets, as paper candy bags burst and spilled onto the wet sidewalks, "This is the worst Halloween ever!"
But for some, I imagine it was the best.

Kermit!

2011-10-29T03:27:00.000-07:00

Thanks, Aunt Nancy, for the photo! Here's that Kermit the frog costume I was talking about.
I can still smell the paper mache.

tuckahoe plantation

2011-10-27T12:20:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we visited Tuckahoe Plantation for a picnic with the Farm Table. Known as "Thomas Jefferson's boyhood home", I thought a little education might be slipped in, as well.
Not much learning happened, but we did breathe deeply, taking in presidential air.

TJ's view growing up. Very pretty.

Can't you picture Thomas Jefferson doing this same thing when he was little?

This precious girl just keeps growing up.

A friendly little cat..she let all the children pet her. Diego still loves the kitties.

Me and my new favorite boots. I bet you'll be seeing those a lot, come colder weather. I can't wait much more.

Oh, the story behind this picture. While Juan Pablo and I debated about whether or not someone lived in this home, Joaquin headed up the steps to go in. We tried to stop him. But yes, it was the gardener yelling across the yard, "That's someone's home!" that actually sunk in and made him turn around. (I was wrong by the way. I mean, why would someone actually live in Thomas Jefferson's boyhood home? Shouldn't it be a museum or something?)

I hesitated to post this picture of me. Have you ever looked at a picture of yourself and not even recognized you? This is not what I look like, but somehow it is still me.

An action shot. Juan Pablo took most of the pictures in this post. He was quite proud of this one. I thought it was blurry, but he said, "That's the whole point!" He's got an eye for these things, you know. :)

A friendly scavenger hunt for the kids....but....those intense looks tell me they are only 'in it to win it'. I guess Juan Pablo and I are somewhat competitive, and I fear it has rubbed off.

And here's Isabela with the prize! So happy!

Me and the kids...glazed over...I guess it's time to hit the road.

It seems fitting to end with some quotes by Jefferson. Enjoy!

A coward is much more exposed to quarrels than a man of spirit.
Thomas Jefferson

Do you want to know who you are? Don't ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.
Thomas Jefferson

Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.
Thomas Jefferson

If God is just, I tremble for my country.
Thomas Jefferson

In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.
Thomas Jefferson

There is not a sprig of grass that shoots uninteresting to me.
Thomas Jefferson

a spooky halloween!

2011-10-22T13:32:00.000-07:00

Old halloween memories are so great.

There was the time my friend peed on someone's porch because she couldn't hold it anymore, and wasn't ready to go home. Or the time I froze as a hawaiian dancer because to wear a coat would ruin the costume.

You don't know this as a child, but what you choose to be for Halloween will be with you forever...although some costumes are more memorable than others.
There were the store bought ones, with the plastic mask that got all wet on your face after breathing in it for a few minutes. My odd choices were Woody Woodpecker, Woodstock (from Snoopy), and a storm trooper, which isn't so odd, except that Juan Pablo just told me that was for boys.

Then there were the homemade ones: a clown, a safari guide, and one of the most memorable--Kermit the Frog (picture a green leotard, green tights, yellow felt collar, and a GIANT green paper mache head. Oh, I hated that head!)

And when I was about three, I was a witch (gasp!). Nowadays, dressing up scary is met with mixed feelings...so when my kids chose 'ghost' and 'witch' this year, my initial response was NO.

But it's true that I'm easily influenced, so when a friend said her daughter was going to be a vampire, I thought, "Why not?"

And when they're this cute....

....and this silly, how could I not say yes?

Now this one, I'll admit, is pretty scary. It's homemade...out of a goodwill sheet...but the idea was from pinterest, of course.

There's nothing better than getting to wear make up at age 8...

...and lots of it!

Practicing his ghost face...and then it was off to the fall carnival.

Are they thrilled, or what? (There are those pumpkins I was talking about.)

Diego discovered party favors and blew it until it fell apart.

And I was shocked, but Joaquin won for scariest second grade costume. I'd warned them well that they would NOT win this year...so when Joaquin did, and Isabela didn't...it was upsetting for her. But she held it together well. I did my best to reassure her, and she agreed it was better for us to be happy for Joaquin, instead of being sad for her.

Diego had had enough by 8pm and was reduced to playing with a toy car in the middle of the school hallway.
And I let him.
He was happy, people were walking around him, so I just went with it.

And my favorite image of the night...waiting in line at the last stop, the giant inflatables.

And I thought I'd share how photo editing can change an awful image into a good one. In the first picture, I forgot to adjust the white balance on the camera.

Do I know what that is? NO.
But it's easy to adjust and makes the colors come out right on your picture. So if you forget, you can turn the picture into a black and white. But don't stop there. Increase the whites of the image by increasing the exposure or highlights. Then increase the blacks by increasing the contrast.
I learned that at Katie Evans Photography and I LOVE IT. Read it.
This image was edited in picnik, and best of all, picnik is free!

anatomy of a school project

2011-10-20T19:40:00.000-07:00

All by herself.
Isabela finished her latest school project all by herself.

(I've been known to help a little too much in the past.)

So what does that really mean?
Here's a quick recap:
She laid out her map, every last detail. I debated some of them, but she backed them up with excellent explanations. I suggested chalk pastels instead of marker or crayons, and she agreed. (I sprayed the hairspray to keep the chalk from smearing, and so she wouldn't get it in her eyes.) She decided the symbols for her legend. I tried to change some of them. She stood strong. I helped her spell all the words right.

So did she hole up in her room and complete it without me seeing it? No. And it might have been completely different if she had. But did I draw an example and risk her copying it? No. I gave a little help when needed, but this one is all hers... and it's beautiful.

Now, she WAS up until 10pm finishing her other homework. Time management we'll save for another day.

a mom's life

2011-10-20T03:40:00.000-07:00

I'm on the PTA this year.
It's a great responsibility. And amazing how this organization of moms gets money raised and things done for the school. They sure know how the system works. I don't understand half of what they're talking about. Just 'smile and nod' is still a good motto for me.
So I'm Beautification...which is totally ironic if you've ever stopped by my house unexpected.

Out of the many ideas I've proposed, one of them is happening soon! Pansy Day for the Kindergarteners. They'll be planting almost 200 pansies around the school grounds, plus a master gardener is coming to talk to them the day before. The idea came from another nearby elementary school that plants 800 every year! I decided to start small, and as I was organizing this, I felt like a project manager for Donald Trump. Definitely been juggling balls around here lately. But it's finally coming together.

Beautification also means hay bales and scarecrows out front in fall. Besides Juan Pablo's pumpkin contest, that's why I've been painting pumpkins for the last week.

Go bulldogs! (Although Isabela informed me that our football team is called the Miners...don't ask, something about school associations.)

I spray painted some tiny pumpkins our school colors, each having a letter to spell out the name of the school....and added this mascot, too. I found the pattern on pinterest. Did I mention I LOVE pinterest? Still do. If you paint your pumpkins, make sure to cover it with varnish so the paint doesn't wash off in the rain.

A busy mom equals lots of coloring on walls...and sometimes on paper.

And I finally gave in and decided to pay someone to clean the house. The kids!

They have a book fair next week and want to buy lots of books. I've posted a list on the fridge with all the chores and their monetary values. Last night they earned a total of six dollars....and I have a clean tub, folded and put away laundry, clean toilets, and shiny mirrors. I'm happy, and so are they.

There's one more thing I finally tried from the elusive mom manual I've always searched for: Listening. I've been struggling for years to figure out behavior charts, rewards, consequences...they're complicated, time-consuming, sometimes expensive.

But the other night, Joaquin told me, "If I knew I was on yellow or red, then I'd stop." My mind screamed, "What?" All this time, and he finally gave me the answer. See the school uses a color system...their card is changed from green to yellow to red, depending on their behavior. Sooooo, we started that here, too.
Ours works like this: Our colors are Green, Yellow, Red, and Black. Every day, they start on green. Outrageous behavior and unkindness will move their color. Kindness and helpfulness can move it back. Ending the day on anything but green will mean an extra chore the following day, for each color past green...so up to three chores. (Yes, Isabela ended on black one day.)

It's working. I'm happy and they're happy. Again.
I might finally be figuring this mom thing out.

Just look at this angel.

angry birds

2011-10-16T21:37:00.000-07:00

Here's a sneak peak of our entry for JP's annual pumpkin contest at work.

I found a great tutorial on drawing the birds here.

He's even going to use our homemade blocks to set them up. It's got my vote!

ashland berry farm

2011-10-16T20:29:00.000-07:00

If it weren't for this hay maze, I don't think my kids would have gone to the pumpkin patch this year. They just weren't interested.

But,....there's nothing like a rope swing to put smiles on their faces.

Not quite as easy as it looks.

If I could find a good branch, I'd definitely put one of these in our yard.

Those were some GIANT pumpkins.

Really, there's only three of them. Why is it so hard to get a shot with all of them?

So we headed out on the hayride. Isabela said, "This is definitely not safe." She's used to the covered wagon with metal sides keeping you from falling out. I know. Spoiled.

Some little people found their pumpkins and fell in love right away. Which also means they're ready to go sooner.

Others combed the fields with a fine toothed comb searching for just the right one.

At one point, I think I stopped Diego from turning the water on in the fields. Ohh, that would have been bad. Although now that I think about it, I'm sure a water tank is hooked up first. But the possibility is still funny.

The trick at this patch was 'all you could carry and take 3 steps with' for $20...the problem was... it was just me and the kids. We did a couple of practice runs in the field. We lost a few in the process, and I had to be rescued once by a nice woman passing by.

It was WAY harder figuring out how to get the nine pumpkins and three kids from the field to the hayride stop, than it actually was carrying them for the special.

Now, I'm not sure how long these pumpkins will last, but rolling them worked.

africa!

2011-10-13T00:01:00.000-07:00

We're about to have two more children join our family.

From Africa.

It's only for a few days.

But it will be life-changing.

And we're so excited!

The Hope for Africa children's choir, from Uganda, is touring the US, and one of their stops is our church. They needed host families...we have plenty of space...so we signed up.

Our kids are asking thousands of questions already...my favorite so far from Joaquin: "Will they be my brother or sister while they're here?"

With a smile, I responded, "Probably."

a cold day for the fair

2011-10-09T01:53:00.000-07:00

I love pictures.
They remind you of the fun you actually had, even when you can't remember it.

Like this day at the State Fair. Way to cold. Way to gray.

These kids do not seem happy to be holding such a big cotton candy.

At least one person thought it was real.

Joaquin really played the part here. (FYI, I used the 1960s edit from picnik on these shots.)

So I'm sure they planned it this way, but we definitely got trapped on this circle of food and rides. The whole reason we even went (OK... the whole reason I went) was to see the giant pumpkins, crafts, and farm animals, but we couldn't find any of those the entire time we were there. Really bad maps. Really bad set up.

The bull ride was definitely worth it though. Only, don't do it after you eat. Isabela's face started looking a little iffy for a few minutes. But both kids were able to hang on tight and not fall off.

We hadn't even planned to go on rides. But one look at this, and Diego eyes lit up. How could we say no?

"And that one, too!!"

"OOOOhh, and look over there!"

Isabela and I headed to a row of cut-outs while the boys were on the ferris wheel. But there were no steps! Really?

Someone's happy.

Well, at least this one didn't need a step.

Now, this one was hilarious. As Diego tried to situate himself at the top of this slide, his body started turning and he ended up going down spread eagle, head first. He just laid there like a rag doll and went with it.

And his first ride all by himself!

I wasn't sure this flimsy rope would hold him in.... and he seems to be wondering the same thing.

And the bumper cars. Am I the only one that hates these? I don't think so. They don't go the way you want. You get jammed up with whiplash and spend half your time trying to figure out how to get your car to actually go.

But Joaquin sized it up pretty quick. After his first pile up, he stayed away from the other cars and just did laps around everyone jammed in the middle. Smart boy.

Then there's the fast one. Diego and Joaquin were dying to get on this. To me, it's another one that looks fun, but really isn't. Speeding in a fast circle with you head bobbling around is not for me. Joaquin doesn't look too sure, either. He's a second guesser, like me. Makes a decision, then wonders if it was a good one.

It was.

And their eyes are on to the next one.

So I figured the day was quite a disappointment. No giant pumpkin. No prize cows. No hand-stitched quilts. No turkey leg for Juan Pablo. No cotton candy for the kids.

But I saw some smiles, too. As my camera reminds me, the day was not all lost.

There are good days and there are bad days, and this is one of them. Lawrence Welk

Or this was both of them. -Me.

warrior dash

2011-10-04T22:43:00.000-07:00

Fire. Mud. Water. I've never seen Juan Pablo happier. Enjoy the pictures.

sightseeing

2011-10-01T05:27:00.000-07:00

Our one and only sightseeing trip while Juan Pablo's dad was here was to DC. I know it seems we must go there a lot...and that's because we do! There's so much to see! And we keep seeing the same things over and over again, so there's still so much to see.

This time, Juan Pablo hatched a great plan to bring the wagon to cart the kids around. He actually pulled it through the museums, too. Too bad Diego didn't want to sit in it. I still had to hold him almost the whole trip. Coupled with the fact that my lower back has been hurting, I ended up in the wagon with Diego at one point. We got chuckles and fingers pointed at us, but I dug my head in a brochure and enjoyed the little ride.

First stop: Air and Space.

We got separated for the entire museum without planning, but ended up meeting at the entrance right on cue.

Down the mall a ways...this time Abuelo pulling. I'd say Joaquin always gets the most use out of the wagon.

This great book fair was happening the same day. And being that I love books, I really wanted to see it. (No one else did.)

I was the most excited out of everyone to see the Magic School Bus.

But we headed on to the Natural History museum. The kids remembered this cave from a story we read recently, Ghost Hands by T. A. Barrow., a great book by the way.

Pit stop at the bathrooms and a look at a cool totem pole. Then we hit the museum shop. We always do. And it always takes a LONG time.

By this time, Diego and I are ready to go. So I decide to head out to the book fair with him while the others continue on in the museum. Best decision I've ever made. I sit in the first tent, in the first chair I see. Turns out it's the PBS tent and a show is getting ready to start. Front row seats.

Then we saw some famous people and got our picture taken. No lines whatsoever.

And Diego loves these characters...the cow at Chick-fil-A taught him not to be afraid.

Look how happy.

We met up with everyone again and headed over to the sculpture garden. Still warm enough for a little dip.

And some beautiful flowers.

We finished the day off with a wonderful meal with my uncle and aunt. The kids were crazy in the restaurant. I'm glad we lost no arms in the carousel door. Another great day in DC.

pictures aren't for everyone

2011-09-30T03:56:00.000-07:00

Welcome to DC.

This photo has a nice story behind it.

We were all walking along the mall, kind of spread out, taking in all the action. I had hung back, since I had my zoom lens on and was trying to get a nice shot of Isabela and her Daddy, who were strolling along holding hands. There also happened to be a HUGE national book fair going on along the mall, with all kinds of tents and attractions being set up.

So I had snapped a few shots of them, and noticed out of the corner of my eye, two ladies on a bench nearby, holding large magazines up over their faces. My first thought was 'Wow, they must need glasses if they can't read that.'

But as I passed by, checking my camera to see if I had any good shots, they put down their magazines and said, "No pictures, please."

I quickly assured them with a smile and a few words that I wasn't taking it of them, but up ahead. (After all, wasn't that the Washington Monument over there?)

But they were antagonizing. And I could tell they were trying to be mean about it.

I tried to size up the situation. First, they were twins. They were at LEAST 60 years old. They were dressed the same. Maybe they were famous authors here for the book signings....

....So out of my mouth comes, "Why? Are you somebody?"

Niceties were somehow behind us now.

They quickly retorted indignantly, "We're citizens of the United States and our image belongs to us." Then I realized I wasn't dealing with some famous authors, but some crazies.

I said, "Well, that's my daughter and my husband up there and I want a picture of them," and decided to cut my losses and walk on.

I WISHED I'd said, "You might want to sit somewhere other than on the mall of the tourist capital of the world if you don't want your picture taken," but I didn't think of it at the time.

Yep. Welcome to DC.

kickers

2011-09-23T01:37:00.000-07:00

Isabela's playing soccer again. And we're so cheap that we don't buy the team photo...just snap some quick pics as they're lining up for it.

But we will spend money on a very small and somewhat cold Papa John's Pizza...worth every penny.

Pre game jitters? Psyching herself up? Their team lost pretty bad...something like 15-0...I know it's not supposed to be about winning, but that's just for when you win, right? I do hope this season isn't like the first one she played when they lost every game.

JP is coaching Joaquin's team this year. I'd love to see it, but we're normally on different fields. Diego is ready for his own team, too, but I'm not sure they have them for two year olds. For now, I just chase him off the field...and he's very fast.

Ooooh...she's got the ball! Actually this is a corner kick. Normally, she's content to trot behind the pack as they dribble downfield, and she'd like to play goalie. I think that's because they don't run so much. It's fun to watch her though...she's so social...giving piggy backs during practice, chatting on the field during the game...she didn't get that from me.

Yay, Isabela! Goaaaaaalllll! (or not.) We love you either way.

magnified

2011-09-21T22:14:00.000-07:00

Lovin' this.

abuelo at work

2011-09-21T21:49:00.000-07:00

I think this was taken bright and early, the first morning Abuelo got here. He replaced the roof on our bay window that has looked disreputable for years. Lowe's is definitely his favorite store.

I think he's probably been there five times. He's also replaced our front steps...the first of which was going to give any day now.

And there's the rain gutter on the back porch...it used to overflow and come pouring out over Isabela's window and right into her room. Not anymore.

Yes, my front porch looks like this. But the house has never looked better.

The fun Uncle has been taking our daredevil for rides...and letting him play way too many games on his phone.

And Isabela is enjoying her cholita outfit. She can really balance that hat on her head!

Sorpresa!

2011-09-19T04:32:00.000-07:00

Saturday night, we head up the familiar I-95 to DC on the way to the airport. JP's brother was flying in, and instead of sending Juan Pablo by himself like we normally do, I suggested that we all go. It would be a late night, but it would be fun to welcome him as a family. I even bring balloons to blow up and wave when he arrives.

During the drive, I mention, "What if your dad comes with him?" We've been wanting him to visit ever since we got married and moved back to the states. JP shakes it off with a "Nah. I don't think so."

It takes us two trips around the airport to find the correct parking area, but we arrive on time and head into the terminal. We light up at the moving walkways like it's Kings Dominion, and you can hear squeals of excitement echoing down the halls.

It's not like the old days...or even like they still do it in some movies. You're not waiting at the end of the plane's walkway to greet your long lost relatives as they shuffle off the plane looking dazed and disoriented. You're not even allowed over there, of course.

We wait at baggage claim for him. And wait. And wait.

At one point, Isabela sees someone in a teal blue shirt and exclaims, "I see him!" And we all crane our necks saying, "Where? Where?"

"Right there!" she points. I can tell she wants to hop off the seat and run over to him, but I'm holding her back because there were a lot of people. He gets closer and closer and we're still asking, "Where is he?"

It turns out... that's not Uncle. Looks nothing like him, really. But the shirt did seem like something he would wear. Her face turns a light shade of pink, and we all bust out laughing at the guy who wasn't Uncle.

Searching the oncoming faces, we're still waiting anxiously to surprise him. And we start to get a little worried. The crowds aren't coming as strong now. I suggest he might have gone to the bathroom after the long flight. But JP decides to take Joaquin and go find him.

They're gone for awhile. Isabela and I continue to scan the crowds, while Diego waits unusually patient as I hold his hand with a tight grip. The baggage carousel is great entertainment and little too tempting, I imagine.

Then, far off in the distance, I see balloons. I can't tell who's carrying them, but those are definitely our balloons. And then my eye catches a distinctive head full of grey hair on a man with a suit. IT'S HIM! Hid dad! Those sneaky Medinas. They managed to it a secret for weeks. It turns out the surprise is on us!

We run over and give big hugs and shy looks from little faces who are unsure.

And it's all so incredible. We're all there to greet them. We have the big mini-van and are able to fit everyone in. And that sneaking suspicion I had on the way up. I do sometimes think I'm a great detective. Most moms are, after all. I think what gave it away was the fact that his dad didn't call us to say Julio had taken off from Bolivia. They always call.

Still, I love a good surprise.

apple week

2011-09-16T05:58:00.000-07:00

Diego and I had an apple week when the kids went back to school. I thought I might try using some theme lessons with him a couple of days a week, since it's just him and I now.

This contact paper apple I found on pinterest. His favorite part of the activity was when we went outside and picked one leaf from a tree to add to the stem. And here is where I learned it's important to have the craft prepared before you start it with a two year old.

It looks pretty in the window and he is proud to see his work displayed.

We collected apples from the playhouse. He couldn't hang them up yet, but that's something we can practice.

I'm working on making some of those cute sensory bins that are all over the web...we played with these apple toys instead since I can't ever get my act together. Ten Apples up on Top was a good book to read this week. His first Dr. Seuss.

And of course, apple printing....cut both ways. Place your paper on a towel if you try this because the apple is never exactly flat, and it makes the print come out better.

And I'm trying to stick to the Spanish...his vocabulary is growing!

photo shoot gone awry

2011-09-13T18:44:00.000-07:00

We've been working on redecorating Joaquin and Diego's room.
Joaquin suggested a football theme...now it's headed for baseball...but when he wanted football, I thought it would be cool to get some shots of him tossing the ball around to put on his wall.

Well, you can't see the ball very well, but I love his eyes in this one.

Our photo shoot didn't last long...whatever Joaquin does, Diego wants to do, too.

And he can keep up pretty well. The next wide receiver.

So Diego decides to lay down in the grass.
I thought, 'How sweet. Ewwww. Bugs..' Then I thought, 'Kids used to lay in grass all the time. It's so soft and cool when you touch it.'

Isabela laid down, also. I really wanted to join them...but I realized.... we don't have any grass. It's all weeds and very pokey.

He looks like he's thinking the same thing. "This really isn't that fun." Notice the giant mosquito on his face.

And here's our little comedian. Always on the lookout for a good laugh. Should I put this on the wall?

an unexpected visitor

2011-09-13T18:19:00.000-07:00

When we moved to this house in the country, I thought we'd definitely see lots of wildlife. I wondered if I'd even be scared to go outside. Maybe there'd be a bear!

Well, it turns out we're not that country...and the biggest wild animal attack we've had was when the skunk chased the cat around the house spraying all the way.

But the other morning, Joaquin looks out of the window and excitedly says, "A deer!" He was so close! A young Bambi. Didn't you always think Bambi was a girl's name?

I ran for the camera hoping not to scare him. We watched him for about 15 minutes...until Joaquin snuck out the front door, then around the side of the house and ended up making him leap into the woods.

Very cool, though. We're hoping he'll come visit again.

Seven

2011-09-11T19:55:00.000-07:00

We celebrated seven last week. He's been saying he's seven for almost a year now. I'm not sure what his deal with six was, but now he can say it and mean it.

Birthday morning.
Bright and early. (Check out the still black windows.) His face looks like he's squinting from a blinding flash, or in terrible pain from some unseen person pinching him...but this is his "I'm so excited I'm going to burst face."

Then I made him wait for Dad before he could open his presents. Plus since he woke up at the crack of dawn, I think he's still in a little daze.

This is what he'd been asking for for months. Now it is put together, and he only occasionally freaks out when someone messes it up.

Strictly homemade cakes around here now. It's supposed to be a football field, minus the football and the goal posts. I was a little strapped for time. He did love the field though. He's sweet.

Isabela thought to make the posts with the candles, and formed a ball of sorts in the middle. Joaquin counted and noticed there were actually eight candles on his cake. Well, at least there weren't six.

Can you believe we forgot to smash his face in his cake??? He asked about it later and I felt so bad. What kind of parents are we?

So, in honor of our sweet seven year old, I thought I'd share seven interesting facts about him...

1. He likes to sleep with a nightlight on. I mean, he'll scream and leap from his bed if the light goes off without his nightlight on.

2. He wants to be a wild animal vet when he grows up. I see him more of a stunt man, or super hero, myself.

3. He'd probably say his favorite movie is Star Wars. (He's never seen it.)

4. His favorite sports are football and baseball. (He's never played them or even watched a game before.)

5. He can flip onto any cushion from any height. Well, we haven't tried the roof, but I'd bet he'd like to. He flies from the top of steps. He hits the ceiling before he jumps off his bed. I'm just happy we're in a one story house.

6. He can read for many hours straight. I checked out Bonjour Babar the other day...it's a compilation of six Babar stories...he was quiet for hours, took it with him in the car, slept with it at night.... until he'd finished it.

7. He's sweet, sensitive, and caring. Right after he calls you, "Butt", he'll apologize in the most sincere way...and make it up to you with an amazingly set table with folded napkins, tall wine glasses filled with ice water, dimmed lights, arranged silverware, and a precious smile.

We love you, Joaquin. You make us smile, too.

LEGO gift bags

2011-09-06T20:02:00.000-07:00

We have a birthday coming up tomorrow. It used to be, moms sent cupcakes or cookies to school to celebrate. But I'm really not sure when that tradition started...I don't remember my mom ever doing that. And I, for one, am glad it's a no-no now. Those teachers don't need 25 kids full of sugar 25 times during the year.

What you can send in is a non-food item. Which is still a little confusing to me...the poor birthday boy is giving everyone else a present on his special day. But it's giving. And I'm all for anything that will help my children be more giving.

So this year...he's into LEGOS. And I found this amazing printable LEGO coloring book here.

I added a different cover for a boy or a girl...sewed the pages together...put them in a ziploc baggie...and added a little phrase on top of the bag. (Sewing paper is my new favorite thing to do.) Of course, I waited until tonight to do most of the work, so I just finished a few hours ago. But I think they turned out cute, and Joaquin is eager to hand them out tomorrow. Here's some pics:

first lunch

2011-09-06T19:26:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I used a 50% off Michael's coupon to get some of those silicone baking cups. Two words.
LOVE THEM.

They make the kids' lunches look so fun, but more importantly, keep the food separated (for the most part)...and really, what kid wants their foods touching?

So I took a picture because I'm not sure they'll get another one this good. But I'm definitely doing the #1 mom tip this year...making the lunches the night before. So much easier!

This lunch had:
blueberries
cantaloupe
strawberries
carrots
turkey and cheese on whole wheat
kale chips*
apple juice
granola bar for snack

*These, it turns out, are best right out of the oven. The kids LOVE them though, and it's so healthy for them. The recipe is simple: Trim the stem off the kale. Wash. Toss in olive oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt. Cook on baking sheet at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. They are crispy just like chips and delicious.

If you don't believe me, here's some proof:

first days

2011-09-06T19:10:00.000-07:00

What an excited smile! First one up. Made his bed, cleaned his room, dressed and ready to go right away. But the waiting got to him.

This one was the last one up...but out on the porch fifteen minutes before the bus was supposed to come, dancing in the rain...she somehow made it out of the house withOUT making her bed or picking up her floor. How does she DO that?

And this one wanted to get on the bus, too. "I ride bus." "I go schoo."

Not yet, Isabela. We still have five more minutes.

The smile is starting to fade now. The nerves are setting in. I'm sure he gets it from me...I get very nervous before doing new things, but after many decades, I've learned to feel the fear and do it anyway (most of the time.) He's still new at this.

He ended up in tears, not wanting to go.

I'd made each of them a heart for their pocket in case they got lonely. By the first day of school, we'd lost all but one. Isabela thoughtfully gave hers up for her sad brother.

I think it worked. He wants to take it again tomorrow.

batter up!

2011-09-01T23:32:00.000-07:00

Peanuts! Popcorn!
One evening during our blackout, Diego and I wandered outside. He found a black plastic bat in the overgrown grass. The kind that might have been run over by the lawnmower before. One tennis ball later, he was swinging like he'd been part of the team for years. That's the thing about baseball...once someone picks up the bat, everyone wants in.

The bugs were chirping in the grandstands. The air was cool...well, at least cooler than it was inside.

And you can hate on baseball all you want, but it's still a great game for kids...full of cool gear, turn taking, and strategy. Fast ball, perhaps?

I haven't seen this two year old share before as well as he did that night.

And...he caught it without evening looking!! Well, really he's throwing it, but it looks like he caught it.

Then Babe Ruth stepped up to the plate.

Some quaked in their cleats and hid behind their gloves.

But the competition was fierce...we all know the saying, "it ain't over 'till..." and that's especially true in baseball.

The outfield can sometimes be a lonely place...but it's also a time to gather your thoughts.

A half time show of a little dancing...

...and laughter.

But we did have to call the game early. Diego kept being in the wrong place at the wrong time. You know what I mean? When you keep getting whacked with the bat every time someone takes a swing? Still, it'll go down as one of my all time favorite games.

hurricane irene

2011-08-31T16:58:00.000-07:00

We watched the hurricane from the back porch. This little hot air balloon wind spinner never spun so fast in its life...at times it was parallel to the deck.

On the other side of the house, the little birds continued to flit to and from the bird feeder, even with the pouring rain and high winds. There's two huddled together in this picture.

We emerged after the storm to see what damage had been done. Mostly, it was just a lot of leaves and branches.

There's a driveway under there somewhere.

And it turns out we had a little more damage. Our 'shed that looks like a chicken coop'. A red X tree...it should have been taken down just a little sooner.

We lost power early afternoon. We just got it back Wednesday evening. That was longer than Isabel for us. But I'm not complaining. We were resourceful, neighborly, read books by flashlight, looked forward to sunrise, got in bed at dark, cooked pizza on the grill, played baseball and enjoyed each other's company. I think we might need to do this once a month now.

This was on the corner, the house beside ours.

I think I wanted it to fall on me only once...my kids fight, too, you know.

random thoughts

2011-08-26T02:03:00.000-07:00

I love a good storm. Not hurricane size, but lots of rain and a bright lightening show. (As long as no one gets hurt, of course.) I think a slight smile might have even crept across my face as I realized my house shaking the other day was actually an earthquake. To know only God is in control, and I can do nothing about it is humbling and reassuring at the same time.

Diego and I stepped outside just before the skies opened up last night...for a little digging and investigating.

Lately, it hasn't been happening as much as I'd like. There's been way to much house cleaning going on around here. And strangely, you just can't tell.

Would you believe I still don't know how to really work my camera? I'm most definitely not a natural. I've read the manual. I've even read a book about it. I think a class is in order now.

In other news, potty training is interesting. He loves undies, sometimes. He's never used the potty though. Not once. He just likes to wear them around the house until he pees in them and then wants a new pair. No, he's not ready yet. But he sure looks cute in them!

Gotta run...here comes the rain...time to get the cardboard boxes out of the yard before they turn to mush.

Hurry!

love

2011-08-25T00:42:00.000-07:00

Diego loves his 'tugas' (tortugas).

And I love watching him grow.

Tonight, I came home late with Isabela...we'd had a girl's night out shopping for bookbags. (We're definitely going to have more of these. She walked through the mall holding my hand. And I didn't want to let go.)

The house was dark when we got there, so everyone was in bed. The front door was locked so we had to get in the back. And I had to run back outside to turn the lights off from the car...when I got back in, the boys were up, excited to see us and our packages. But when Diego saw me come through the door, he ran up to me....and hugging my legs he says, "I love you Mom!"

There's nothing better.

why we're {not} homeschooling this year

2011-08-22T04:57:00.001-07:00

It was a long, torturous road for me on deciding whether or not to send the kids to school this year. The images of happy children playing in the creek, learning their science lessons first-hand, or reading a book on a blanket under the clouds, these images still dance around in my head.

I spent many evenings researching late into the night homeschooling ideas, curriculum, thoughts and opinions. In my immediate surrounding of friends and family, no one homeschools. It could be because we live in a 'great' school district. What attracts me to homeschooling is not measured by test scores though.

Then there was the reality this summer: two kids I would occasionally have to lock out of the house in order to get them to play for any amount of time outside, a girl I could barely get to write a few sentences to her pen pal, a boy who would start crying when I said, "Let's go to the library."

What? Who's kids ARE these?

I started thinking the only reason they wanted to homeschool was to not do any school.

So I decided to give the other option a second look. Public school. These were my thoughts: It takes a village to raise a child. A school is a village, and for the most part, filled with teachers who have studied for years on how to best educate our precious kids.

But it's a watered down education, you say.

So we read at home. This summer we read A Lion to Guard Us, Because of Winn-Dixie, Stuart Little, and The Sword and the Tree, to name a few. These are old classics that are currently offered in a homeschooling catalog. We got them from the library.

We played board games and as we moved around the board, I realized we were adding and subtracting.

We baked. And we're missing some measuring cups. So we learned that 1/4 plus 1/4 equals 1/2.

But I still wanted my kids to play outside more. How could I make this happen? A garden. So we had a garden that flourished. Weeds right along with tomatoes and cucumbers. It attracted bumble bees, butterflies, cicadas, and praying mantises.

And I don't want them to miss any of this when they go back to school. I thought maybe we could start a garden at their school.

And what position should be open on the school PTA?? Beautification.

I'd say a garden qualifies.

So I signed up. The kids are going to school. I'm on the PTA. And the decision is made.

Am I having second thoughts? Absolutely.

There are amazing homeschooling blogs out there that I still read, essays from homeschooled kids that make me want pull my kids out tomorrow, but we're going to give school another try this year. Full-on.

Will I stop reading those homeschooling blogs? No way.

We're still learning at home. I recently picked up a book on my shelf, Honey for a Child's Heart. It's supposed to be a list a great books for kids to read. And it is. But it's so much more, and I recommend it.

I'm excited and nervous about this upcoming school year. I've turned over part of my children's education to someone else. And I've taken on a great project that just might provide education to other kids. It's the village coming full circle.

And if you ask my kids what school they go to this year, don't be surprised if they hesitate before they answer.

good book?

2011-08-18T09:54:00.000-07:00

One of Joaquin's favorite books this summer was The Legend of Spud Murphy. It really is funny. He read it twice, then went on to read two others by this author, Eoin Colfer.

One day, we were working on our shrinky dink addiction, and I said, "Why don't you trace the cover of that book you liked?"

He wanted me to do it first....so I traced one and he colored it in with colored pencils.

This could be a fun summer project to remember favorite books your kids read...or something pretty to decorate a baby's window...I could see Goodnight Moon being one.

It could also be a great gift for a teacher (or librarian)...if you find out what their favorite book is. It is large enough to be a key chain or a Christmas tree ornament.

I even did one with a book cover that I thought was cute of a sweet dog saying, "I didn't do it."

Here's Joaquin with two of his favorite books.

Linking up here: Skip to My Lou...check out other great crafts.

who put an anaconda in the swift creek reservoir?

2011-08-17T03:32:00.000-07:00

We had a close call yesterday.

We were at the park...the kids were running way ahead of me.

Down the pier.

At the end, there are steps that lead right into the water. (Who's idea was that, by the way?)

Joaquin was already in it.

Isabela was in it.

Diego was in it, with his shoes on.

I was just getting there, trying to figure out if I really wanted them doing this.

ALL OF A SUDDEN, a HUGE snake starts thrashing and writhing right at the bottom of the steps where my three precious kids were playing.

How big you wonder? Make you hand form a letter 'C'....that's how thick his body was. It was SO BIG I didn't even see its head.

The two older kids high-tailed it up the steps screaming all the way, leaving their two year old brother still tottering at the bottom of the steps trying to figure out how to get to the rocks.

I flew down there, grabbed his arm and pulled him up the six or so steps at once.

There's no picture to go along with the story, obviously, but the image is definitely burned in my mind. Really, I couldn't stop talking about until I figured out I could actually be scaring the kids more. We spent the rest of our time on the safe playground.

Later, as we sat on the bench at Rita's eating an ice cream, we thought how different our afternoon could have turned out and were thankful.

a dancer's story

2011-08-15T19:08:00.000-07:00

When I was Isabela's age, I had just started ballet. My parents took me to my first class kicking and screaming, or so I was told. I took that one class, and fell in love. A ballerina was what I wanted to be...so I danced the next eight years away.

And just like many of the ballets you may see on stage, this story ends tragically. The end of summer, my sixteenth year, I decided to quit. I wrote home from Seattle at the Pacific Northwest Ballet and told my parents, breaking my mom's heart and ending all those deposits my dad had made to the Richmond Ballet's bank account. I imagine they probably felt both sadness and relief. I had written off college, but now that I was quitting, a higher education would be back on the table.

They briefly tried to talk me out of it. But my mind was made up.

And really it was never mentioned again.

To this day, I have never taken another ballet class. I find that unbelievable...and one day, I may change that.

But here is Isabela's story.
She's spent the last two weeks dancing with the Latin Ballet of Virginia.

And it ended with an amazing performance last Friday...a make believe story with dolphins and manta rays and pirates.

The great thing about this dance school is how relaxing and friendly, even child-friendly, their performances are. Diego was able to sit through this hour long show on my lap...and he sat with interest, watching intently for most of the show. The beat of the music, the colorful costumes, and the gusts of wind from the dancers rushing by our chairs kept him very entertained.

Isabela took her bow and we were so proud of her. But I asked her on the way home if she'd like to take a dance class in September....and she said no. It's not her passion, and I'm fine with that. She likes to try different things, and sometimes I wish that I had done that growing up, too.

Follow your heart, Isabela, and we'll be right there with you.

marble circus

2011-08-15T03:33:00.000-07:00

I finally finished a masterpiece over the weekend. Painting is something I love to do but rarely find the time.
There is always something to clean, a meal to make, dishes to put away, or places to go.

Plus if I pull out the paints, that means the kids will want in on it, too. But somehow, I got away with it...no one asked to paint, and I specifically said, "I'm not doing anything else until I finish this."

I found the idea on Crafty Crow.

Something about the colors of the animals and the design made me have to have it. We had a big piece of cardboard laying around...hers is wood, but cardboard works fine.

The kids play with it some...it's not their favorite toy. But I had fun making it. Obviously, it's not just for marbles...there's even some learning going on here...Can the car fit in this size hole? How many points do you have?

I definitely thank Pinterest for helping me actually DO some of the creative things I find on the web. I can locate them quickly and have a visual list of all the things I'd like to try. Do you use Pinterest? If not, what are you waiting for?

DC--take two

2011-08-09T11:24:00.000-07:00

Juan Pablo's parting words as we tried to round everybody up for another day at the museums..."Let's hurry up so we can get back." Not exactly what I wanted to hear, but I was undaunted.

Still, there was trouble just around the corner.

What does that tiny sign say? Metro station closed.

We were told to go up some steps and catch the shuttle to the next station. Really, I saw it as a better adventure than we would have had...the kids were thrilled to get to ride the Subway...and now they got to take a bus, too!

We passed Great Waves water park on the way. Watched its cool water slides slip out of view of the bus window and filed that trip away for another hot day. It was museums for us.

Oh. And did I mention Diego only likes me to hold him? That why I have such great arm muscles, not that BodyCombat class I've been taking.

The subway really is cool. Joaquin practiced gymnastics by climbing the pole to the one on the ceiling. Isabela twirled around them. It definitely reminded me of my college days in DC.

I was a little self-concious with the camera...looking like a giant tourist...but then I realized, I was a tourist, and there's lots of them there, so it really didn't make a difference.

The Smithsonian stop lets you out right smack in the middle of the mall. I LOVE those views. And did I mention it was hot? That's not a dirty lens in the Capitol picture...just plain hot air.

At this point, ice cream was way more important than the Washington monument.

Another of Diego's favorites...birds. And they were approachable...only flew off at the last minute. Letting them chase pigeons brought a smile to everyone's face.

Definitely, the museum of natural history has got to be one of the best ever. All those stuffed animals.

My kids loved each and every one and actually read some of the information about them! We tried to name a lot of them in Spanish for Diego...we all got stuck on 'walrus'...even JP. He had to look it up on his phone. Turns out it's 'morsa' if you ever need to know.

I got excited about the possibility of walking through the live butterfly exhibit...but it turned out it cost money. Except on Tuesdays...so if you're up there on a Tuesday....

Our favorite place of the day turned out to be the sculpture garden of the National Gallery of Art. Isn't this tree amazing?

And the police were letting everyone stick their feet in the fountain to cool off. THANK GOD. We hadn't stepped outside two seconds before the kids were complaining about the heat. And it wasn't even that hot. Diego got so wet he had to walk around in just a diaper for the rest of the day.

So everyone was really ready to leave after that...but I dragged them all to one more stop. I've been wanting to go to this 'secret' tunnel ever since I read about it on latinaish.com. It connects the east and west wing of the National Galleries of Art.

So I did the smart mom thing...we charged through the museum like speed walkers, bypassing all of the most famous paintings in the world to get here.

Definitely worth it. Mesmerizing. We went around a couple of times and under disapproving looks from a guard, we fussed at the kids for having too much fun on the sidewalks.

Very hard to capture on film, but still beautiful.

All in all, day two went well. Diego fell asleep on the Metro ride home...so I had to CARRY his limp body upstairs, downstairs, across streets....I locked my hands together under his weight and just kept walking, the sweat dripping off my forehead. A small sacrifice for a day of fun, right?

planes or balls?

2011-08-09T02:58:00.000-07:00

When Diego sees planes, he waves, he points, he blows kisses. It's the cutest thing I've ever seen. Oh, and he calls them aviones, the spanish word for planes. That's cute, too.

So while we were in DC we went to the Udvar-Hazy air and space museum.

But I think it was a little late in the day. Or a little too close to when we visited the air museum in Richmond.

It's really cool when you walk in to see planes hanging all around...but then they were over it. Forget the cool helicopters.

And the space shuttle!

These kids loved the big stone balls out front.

We couldn't even wrangle Joaquin for a picture.

So we zipped through the museum and headed home. Really that's how we do most museums....zipping style. Not much reading or learning, but I keep trying.

And now they're happy...back in front of the TV.

zonked on the metro

2011-08-07T18:49:00.000-07:00

A trip to DC this weekend left us a bit tired.

feeding the chancho

2011-08-04T19:40:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty sure this is not the official name of this montessori activity.

I'm finally getting my act together and starting to introduce these fun, educational trays to Diego. The whole world of Montessori is so fascinating. Everything is done in a particular way and for a particular reason.

Using trays helps teach the kids to carry things carefully and use balance. Glass bowls and pitchers teach them to handle things gently. And scooping with a spoon, well, that one's easy.

Diego was a little more interested in it when I asked him to feed his chancho. Pretty cute. If you're looking for some similar activities, Counting Coconuts is a great place to start.

Ohhh...I just noticed he's using his right hand! He's usually a lefty like the rest of us. I think we're gonna have to work on that.

looking for a new park?

2011-08-04T18:57:00.000-07:00

If you want your kids to smile this big, take them to the park at Mary Munford. I think I'd heard it was good, but it wasn't until I read this post that I decided to try it out.

It has musical instruments.

A cool little house.

And tires. Joaquin couldn't decide if he should crawl on it, or through it. A spider inside helped him make up his mind.

He really was having a great time despite his face. Check out these steps...they wobble back and forth.

One side is all wood, and the other is metal and plastic. Still fun.

Do they look alike, or is it just me?

Joaquin found a nice cooling off spot. Bring your water and have a great time!

choo choo!!

2011-08-01T18:47:00.000-07:00

Watch out for that runaway train!!

Elementary schools have the coolest playgrounds.

who's birthday is it? we ate your cake.

2011-08-01T18:27:00.000-07:00

This was the most delicious cake ever. Joaquin and I made it. Lemon cake with lemon icing, both made from scratch. It didn't last long around here, and unfortunately, I ate most of it. If you can't reach me, I'll be at the gym.

a friend of Charlotte

2011-08-01T18:13:00.000-07:00

Isabela was very excited when she discovered this 'zigzag' spider beside our front door. We were all summoned outside to see it, and it was quite impressive. But I'm sorry to say it wasn't there in the morning...web and all just gone....we're not sure if Kitty got to her, or something else, but at least we got a picture before she left. (For the record, it was not me. I'm fine with them outside of my house, it's when they come in that their days are numbered.)

long sleeves and pants

2011-08-01T01:59:00.000-07:00

Nothing says summer like free ice skating.

We'd tried it with Joaquin once when he was about four...ice hockey lessons...and we hadn't been back since. Good idea, Susan, start them even younger. Diego HATED it. Although he did get used to walking on the hard floor with the skates, he cried the whole time out on the ice, unless I was carrying him...very hard to do by the way.

He spent most of his time here. And I hadn't given him any money. He kept finding these candies in the machine. Isabela thought his little hand was small enough to fit up in the hole...but I'm not sure where they were coming from.

Joaquin's lack of fear made him a natural. He's ready for those hockey lessons now.

Isabela's trying out a figure skating move here, haha.

Diego managed to wander into a corner that had a basket full of hula hoops to entertain him for a while.

But watching the candies whiz around was definitely more fun.

kid logic

2011-08-01T01:51:00.000-07:00

The other day, on our way in to Target before lunch:

Me: Now, we're just running in here to get a few school supplies that are on sale. We are NOT buying any food.

Joaquin: Can't we just get one thing?

Me: NO. I have lots of things at home we can eat.

Joaquin: Can't I just get a grilled cheese?

Me: NO. I can make grilled cheese at home.

Joaquin: But, WHY can't we get something?

Me: Because I have all this food at home. Why would I buy it here, if I have it at home?

Joaquin: Well, buy something you don't have.

milk science

2011-07-29T04:24:00.000-07:00

We checked out some fun science project books from the library the other day. While this activity didn't last us very along, it was easy, amazing, and very beautiful. All it takes is:

milk
food coloring
a toothpick, or something similar
dish soap

You pour some milk into a shallow pan. Add several drops of food coloring. Then dip the toothpick in the soap and touch it to the milk.

The colors suddenly swirl and shoot around the pan. Very cool.

feed the birds

2011-07-28T04:48:00.000-07:00

We headed out to the park the other day and realized we even had some crackers in the car to feed the ducks.

(A note about the crackers...I've stopped buying crackers for many months, but this week, I bought some plain, ol' Saltines. Checked the box, they had the least, but pronounceable ingredients. When I let the kids try them, they LOVED them. Joaquin said: "Mom! Where did you GET these???They're delicious!!")

Anyways, apparently the ducks thought the same thing! We were immediately surrounded.

Joaquin liked the hand feeding.

Yes, it hurts!!

There was only one brave soul that dared hop up onto the table.

Is it me, or does this remind you of Mr. Popper's Penguins?

It's so hard to get a picture of the three of them. Diego's just a little short.

We headed over to the sand pit after that...Diego is always very concentrated around sand.

And for a bit, their imaginations returned. The sharks were circling the ship and no one could slide off into the water. It's been a while since I've seen them play like that. So sweet.

Diego finally got a turn as captain.

Then it was time to go!

shrinky-dinks

2011-07-26T04:55:00.000-07:00

Joaquin's famous last words (said while whining): I don't want to make shrinky-dinks.

Forty-two pieces later, I'd say they are highly addictive.

And the great inspiration for even making these at all can be found at scissorspaperwok. She made the most beautiful buttons from shrinky-dinks. Definitely check it out.

easy dough experiment

2011-07-26T04:45:00.000-07:00

We've been playing with dough for over a week now. One day we decided to bake bread (which turned out badly, by the way) and finished way before the kids were ready to be finished. So I gave them some flour and water and let them experiment with how much makes a good dough.

That day, Isabela even made hers into a pizza dough...we actually put pizza sauce, cheese, and pepperoni on it, cooked it in the toaster oven, and ate it. Yes, even after her hands had squished all in it for like twenty minutes...and we're still here to tell about it.

Joaquin kept his in plastic and pulls it out every now and then...it just needs a little more flour when it gets sticky and it's good as new.

And it's cheap enough that we made a new batch when Isabela's friend came over.

Just flour and water.

How much? That's just part of the fun.

i heart faces....water

2011-07-25T14:05:00.000-07:00

Water is a great theme for this week of HOT, HOT, HOT. This one is an oldie, but reminds us of our swim team season this year. He looks like he's getting ready to dive right in!!

Check out other water entries at i heart faces.

bubbles!!

2011-07-25T02:52:00.000-07:00

Easy bubbles...forget the glycerin they always recommend. That's what always held me back from trying this before. I've never seen it before and certainly never remembered to buy it at the store.

Just try a half cup or more of dish soap and some water in a pan.And any kind of blower....plastic cups worked great...so did a sand filter toy with lots of holes in it.

We even tried plain old string tied in a loop.

Toes don't work so well.

stamp it

2011-07-25T02:41:00.000-07:00

We happened to go in Michael's at the right time the other day, and they were doing this fun and easy craft for free. All you need is:

craft foam
paint or ink pad
something pointed like the wrong end of a paintbrush

Draw your design into the craft foam pressing a little hard so it makes a good indentation.

Then you can roller or sponge paint...or even use a stamp pad to get ink on your design and then stamp it on paper. It would make great wrapping paper.

Or cards. Joaquin thought of coloring in the design that it makes and that turned out neat.

Or just make a picture. Warning: Maybe it's just me, but this craft might be more fun for moms than kids.

bored? game

2011-07-19T19:14:00.000-07:00

Learn during the summer? NO WAY. When I was little, I did absolutely NO learning June through August.

Wait. I remember taking cooking once in summer school. (It didn't help.) And once I went away to an artsy camp I think. My memory is fading of that, but I do know I made one of those plaster strip masks of my face at the camp.

Unfortunately for my kids, times have changed.

Ever since we dipped our feet into homeschooling, learning just seems so exciting...and possible...and fun...and everywhere. And summer seems like the perfect opportunity for creative projects.

Remember the states the kids chose to read about this summer? Alaska and Hawaii. Polar opposites.

Really it turned into mostly Alaska. Isabela and I came up with a great idea to make some kind of a dog sled board game, and Joaquin ran with it. He forgot all about surfing the waves in High Tide in Hawaii.

And it really is a fun game. With easy directions. It's kind of a cross between Uncle Wiggly and Trivial Pursuit...only all the questions are about Alaska.

You choose a dog to start the race.

And follow the path around the icy, snowy lakes and across slippery rocks. There are short cuts and long ways.

First one to the finish, wins.

But beware...we know all the answers.

there but for the grace of God...

2011-07-18T03:39:00.000-07:00

There but for the grace of God, go I.

I'm sure I first heard this phrase from my mom. I had never liked it much...with it's yoda-like grammar structure. Plus, being young, it just didn't make much sense to me. The young are invincible and untouched by tragedy, for the most part.

But now, the phrase is often silently whispered in my thoughts.

And once the other day in Maymont.

We ended up getting separated here. The two older kids had gone to the bathroom with dad, and I got sidetracked taking cute pictures of Diego. When we came back up to the bathrooms, they were all gone, so Diego and I headed on to the waterfall, where I figured they'd be.

We cut through a bamboo path and came out close to the waterfall. People were drenching themselves under it, so we sat down to watch. We dipped our feet in the cool brook that was flowing by us, and I kept a tight squeeze on Diego's arm so he wouldn't go plunging down below. And we waited. The others weren't there. After fifteen minutes, I figured they must have gone on to the japanese garden, so we packed up and headed over there.

And we found them crossing the stepping stones. Joaquin was going full speed yelling, "Watch me!" And Juan Pablo was unusually quiet. Isabela was holding his hand.

Before I had a chance to fuss about being left behind at the bathrooms, JP says, "It was a good thing you weren't with us."

It turns out, Isabela had slipped off a very high rock. And here's the God part. Juan Pablo was below and reacted fast enough that he caught her. To hear Joaquin tell it, Isabela said, "Hey this looks like fun," then slips and starts screaming and waving her arms around. And it is quiet funny to see him do it.

But really it's not funny at all.

It could have been much worse. But the only injuries were a banged up ankle, a bleeding pinkie toe, and Juan Pablo scraped up his arm and pulled some shoulder muscles.

There but for the grace of God, go I.

So does this mean, if something worse had happened, God's grace does not exist?

I don't think so.

Afterall, it's just a saying.

But it gives us pause to think. And be thankful.

The fall didn't stop us from climbing high....

...or hoping to.

But we're glad there are others to help us down.

We finally made it up to the Dooley mansion, and this day we decided to take the tour. Only, two minutes after it began, Diego started squirming and whining, so before we could get kicked out, I excused myself with him. The guide said, "Come back when you're older!" Oh yeah, and see those black grates on the house like a dungeon? Joaquin pulled one of them off.

So Diego and I hung out waiting for the others. We made a new plant that reminded me of Horton's clover from Horton Hears a Who...and acted silly.

And even though I kept a close eye on this little runner, at one point, he stood on the edge of a rock wall gazing down at a tumbling waterfall. Although I was too many feet away to be comfortable, he stayed put.

There but for the grace of God, go I.

Grayhaven

2011-07-12T03:05:00.000-07:00

Grayhaven....it sounds like the name of a castle from medieval times. Misty clouds rolling along the moonlit sky with the sounds of metal armor clanging and horses hooves stomping the ground below.

But it's not. It turns out, it's a nearby winery....The Farm Table held a family event there this past weekend. Just one more reason I'm thankful we joined. Their mission is not only for people to eat healthier, but also enjoy it!

Here's the most recognizable flag on earth these days. Don't know it? Well, don't admit it, but you must not watch soccer. (It's South Africa's...where the last World Cup was held.) I saw it and immediately thought, 'Wow, they must really like soccer,' but after some deductive reasoning, I'm now thinking the owners are from South Africa.

The beautiful wooden door on the house also caught our attention...along with large cattails and giant koi swimming in the pond surrounding it.

Did you know that wine grapes had thicker skin and lots of seeds? Someone just told me that. Interesting.

Isabela dressed the part. Check out those pink boots!

And the kids were immediately drawn to this old merry-go-round....but after spinning on it for AN HOUR, Joaquin thought it wasn't that merry. We actually had to leave early because he felt sick...luckily he didn't GET sick. He really has an iron stomach.

Watch out for those balloons!

I think Isabela was most impressed by the woman who painted her face, Ingrid...who happened to be the author of The Fabulous Flying Fandinis...a book we had checked out from the library before. And Ingrid generously gave her a copy of the book. Here she is sharing it with her Dad and Ana...and I don't think she put it down the whole ride home. Thanks, Ingrid!

"Hey, Diego...I think someone's trying to get your attention!"

Look at this amazing table. The Farm Table isn't just some fruit and vegetables in a box...although it's delicious. It's not just an education on eating healthy...although it is. And it's not just recipes in a newsletter...although we've discovered some great new tastes. It's a community gathered around local, farm grown food. If you've thought about joining, it's not too late!

Even the horses enjoyed the carrots.

Okay. So we don't always have to be healthy...Diego enjoyed a mouthful of brownies, too. Thanks to The Farm Table for a great day!

airborn!

2011-07-08T18:52:00.000-07:00

A surprise trip to the airport...no we're not going anywhere....just visiting the aviation museum.

It looks like these guys were doing some damage to this plane. I told them not to touch it!

This is a motley crew of pilots...luckily there's not room for passengers.

And I'm pretty sure this is NOT the face you want your pilot making over the open ocean.

This place is amazing....definitely worth the visit. Beautiful, brightly colored airplanes were everywhere!! And although I didn't get to read much about them (chasing kids around), they each have a story. There was one that even flew to Antarctica in the 1930s.

There was an old army helicopter, too. The kids were IN AWE of the propellers and how GIANT they were!

Lots of model planes to look at, as well. Diego was in heaven here.

But this miniature flight simulator was definitely the highlight. The kids were really able to make it fly.

And this picture definitely sums up our experience...kids running in every direction and Diego trying to touch propellers he shouldn't be touching.

For members of the Science Museum of VA, admission here is free. (But not if you stop by the gift shop.)

después de la tormenta

2011-07-08T02:51:00.000-07:00

(Spanish Friday...con latinaish.com)

Qué tormenta tuvimos el otro día!! Al fin, puedo usar chapparrón en algo más que la canción "que llueva, que llueva..." La casa estaba temblando con cada trueno.

Tenemos una piscina plástica para nuestros hijos....pensé que ésta los llamará afuera más este verano, pero no. El agua es muy frío cuando la llenamos con la manguera...y es aún más difícil vaciar. Mi idea ahora es cortar un pequeño círculo en el fondo y usar un tapón de la tina. No sé, si me equivoco, no podría usarla para nada.

PERO con esa tormenta, se cayó tanta lluvia, que la piscina estaba bien llena. Mis hijos fueron a investigarla, y el agua fue bastante tibio.

Perfecto para alguien de 36 pulgadas.

Qué panza!

Y qué sonrisa!

celebrating the fourth

2011-07-05T04:02:00.000-07:00

Bug spray.

Water.

Snacks.

Yep, we were ready to go to the annual fourth of July parade.

And I finally learned where to park...at the start of the parade. If you do that, there are no long gaps between groups, you're not waiting an hour for it to start, you get to leave early, and most importantly, they haven't run out of candy.

It was all about the candy...as it is most years, but I went with it this year. We ate as much as a we could. I said, "Yes, yes, yes," and it felt good. It's tiring having to play bad cop most of the time, so this was refreshing.

And for the record, balloons are just as great as candy.

Love the boats! We are lucky to see a large group of sailboats in the lake some mornings and they are so beautiful. On my to do list is to find a place that will let us take the kids on a sailboat for a bit.

Diego was able to enjoy it more this year. He cheered the people on as they drove by.

"Yeah, Mom. This is definitely fun.

I love this picture of Isabela. It's really hard to get a natural one of her....she sees me pointing the camera in her direction and quickly turns around or poses...but here is her beautiful smile that we love.

Hope everyone had a very happy fourth of July!!

zoo animals

2011-07-02T12:04:00.000-07:00

I took Diego to the zoo a couple of weeks ago....he and I have passes. It was so much FUN!

We went early so the animals weren't tired of everyone looking at them yet. And a lot of them were being fed.

Zoo pictures are notorious for being really boring. I didn't have my zoom lens with me, but some of the pictures turned out really good anyway. One lady we ran into said she decorated her playroom with blown up pictures she had taken from this zoo...I thought that was a cool idea. So here they are:

The flamingos flapped away just as we got there....

...but they came back and settled down.

This guy was bravely trimming the grass around the chimpanzees. He kept looking over his shoulder to see where they were and to make sure his wife was throwing the banana peels to them from across the water. Very entertaining.

Look at this fish picture!! A little scary if you ask me.

Diego LOVED it all. He's at a great age for the zoo.

They have some beautiful birds there. A lot of them are towards the back of the zoo, so maybe I just never made it that far before.

Diego was cautious around the giraffes.

A definite highlight was watching the rhinos eat. They were SUPER close and every once in a while let out a tremendous snort that sent us jumping.

The wise and aged galapagos turtle gave us a nice smile.

And the peacock chose not to open his beautiful feathers, but he's still amazing anyway.

Diego's keeping his eye on that peacock as it strutted around the picnic tables.

It was a great day...we beat the heat, and you can never go wrong if a snow cone tops it off.

the northern lights

2011-07-01T03:27:00.000-07:00

I asked the kids to choose a state to learn more about this summer.

Isabela's first response, "Canada." (I'm glad we're working on this.)

I suggested Alaska since it's actually a state, and she agreed.

Joaquin's choice? Hawaii.

And that about sums up their differences.

So I came across this fun art activity (I'm pretty sure it was on this Iditarod webpage)when looking up things about Alaska. It's a water coloring of the northern lights.

To do this, you need:
a black sharpie
watercolor paper
watercolors
tape
water

Just tape down your paper with a nice border, and draw your landscape with the Sharpie. This is great since it's all black, the details are all colored in. Hardly any mess ups!

Then paint a layer of water on to your paper to wet it. This helps blend the colors. Then paint some bright color in the sky, and fill in any remaining white with a dark color...we used black water color.

As it dries, it spreads and some amazing colors come out. Very fun and addictive! We even thought of using these as post cards.

clean up, clean up

2011-06-27T21:21:00.000-07:00

Tonight, I found myself cleaning up the dinner meal mess by myself, AGAIN.

The kids were ransacking the house. Juan Pablo was at work. And I wondered how come I was the only one cleaning up. My good intention of creating, or heck, even copying, a workable chore chart just hasn't materialized.

Well, I was going to put my foot down, whether they liked it or not.

As I was rinsing off dishes, I yelled for the two oldest to come into the kitchen...they ran in, maybe expecting a treat or something.

I calmly said, "I need you two to help me clean up the dishes," fully expecting a barrage of protests on why they couldn't and shouldn't have to help.

Instead, they immediately started handing me dishes and putting them in the dishwasher! What?? I was shocked and awed. Maybe this was their plan.

But quickly the dishes were almost done, and I wondered how much more I could get away with. I offered the spray bottle to Joaquin to wipe down the table. Isabela immediately countered with, "But I want to do that!" What?? Were they actually fighting over cleaning up?

So I responded with, "Well, I have another bottle in the bathroom. You can wipe down the sink in there." And off she went.

Now you will absolutely not believe what happened next.

Joaquin runs to me asking if it's alright to clean the toilet! And Isabela is right behind him with, "But I wanted to clean the toilet!" Well, OK. We have two toilets. Go right ahead and clean them.

And I have to add, the fun didn't stop there. The night ended with a very clean shower as well, thanks to these two.

Now I'm not sure what was in the dinner tonight, but we are definitely having this meal again.

flashmob!

2011-06-27T05:17:00.000-07:00

One of the greatest inventions of this decade has got to be the flashmob. Getting hundreds of people to do the same steps in wide open public places is SO COOL! But the hardest part is keeping it a secret.

Saturday, I was in one!

It was at the Science Museum of Virginia during their huge Cultsha Expo. My plan was not to tell the kids or JP at all and just start dancing when the time came....but I knew by Saturday morning I'd have to tell Juan Pablo in order for it to work...otherwise I'd somehow be stuck carrying all the bags and Diego and miss my big chance. But the kids still didn't know.

We were all given the same t-shirt to wear...they told us to hide it with another t-shirt, or something to take off right before we went out. I put mine on in the morning and the kids immediately started asking questions. Who gave you that shirt, Mom? Joaquin said, "It doesn't match your jeans, Mom, put on another one!" (How can a black t-shirt not match jeans?)

So here's a video of it taken by someone (goodluck trying to find me):

And this one, you can see me for a bit...then I bump into someone as we're moving off to the next part.

The kids' faces were not what I expected...they looked more confused than anything. Like, "Why is mama over there dancing with those people?"

But it was SUPER fun...there were all types of people in it, too. If you ever get the chance, definitely try it!

swim meets

2011-06-22T03:24:00.000-07:00

I think I've discovered the new 'hell on earth'. It's called a swim meet.

I've heard moms talk about them for years. Usually of how fun they are and how they can't wait for it.

This year, we thought we'd try it out. Both Isabela and Joaquin are on the team. Practices are daily. I knew this ahead of time. That means a big commitment on my part...getting the three kids to a pool 25 minutes away from the house ....on time. Oh, and practice is at 8:25am. We actually haven't made the morning practice yet since the kids are in camp this week.

But last night was a meet. Really, how bad could it be?
Let's just see.

We arrive at the other team's pool at 4:30pm. It's beautiful! Colorful umbrellas surrounding a sparkling pool that flows under bridges and even has a high dive! There's a grill going and a snack shack serving up snow cones. My favorite!

Only everyone's already staked out their spot in the shade. The sun's beaming down and it's muggy. I've brought no money for snow cones. And YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED IN THE POOL. Even the part that's not being used.

We make our way over to the boiling sand pit for the last bit of shade up against a slightly rusty wire fence near some wild marsh weeds. We'd brought our own snacks, watermelon, string cheese, carrots, trail mix, and water......which we dive right into because it's SO hot.

We head over to see which races the kids are in. Just one for both. Events 10 and 13. (Figuring out when they swim is another whole post in itself, filled with words and terms we're still getting used to.)

Then the waiting begins.

While the other team's warming up, we piddle around in the sand, talk to some other moms about how hot it is, look for a coach to ask a question, answer a million questions from the kids about what's going on, most of which I don't know the answers to, and then wait some more.

Finally it's our turn to warm up. The kids are confused. "Which lane do I swim in?' they ask. I'm so HOT, I'm about to jump in and start freestyling.

Then they're done and Joaquin comes over crying. He doesn't want to swim. I can't imagine why, but it turns out he was scared of jumping off the stand instead of the edge of the pool. My daredevil Joaquin. But we work it out.

A little more waiting...then it happens...thunder. In the bluest sky you've ever seen. And more thunder. That means the meet gets pushed back...and back.

People are milling around. We're wondering what's going on. The kids are hot and bored. I'm holding Diego since he's started picking up random swim caps and throwing them around.

Sure enough, the skies cloud over and people start packing up. So we do the same and head to the car. Much better. We sit in the trunk and pull out some cards. By the time we figure out how to play the game, people start heading back in and the meet's on again.

So we start back up the little hill, which to me could have very well been a mountain, dragging our cooler. After Joaquin forgets something in the car, we finally make it to a better spot in the grass. But somehow in all the fuss, Isabela loses the rubber around one of her goggles! We head BACK to the car to search but don't find it. Now she could easily use her brother's, except he's a boy and she can't wear a boy's goggles. It's all I can do not to LOSE it in the middle of this heat, carrying a toddler, calming eight-year-old concerns, entertaining six-year-old boredom while WAITING FOR A 20 SECOND RACE TO START!!!

But it finally does. Oh, did you want to actually SEE your kid swim? Then be prepared to stand on your tippy toes and peek over shoulders. The edge of the pool is lined with adults. I did have a momentary vision of pushing everyone in front of me into the pool, but I didn't act on it.

Then, before you know it, it's all over.

And except for the ants somehow finding their way into the cooler, the rest of the meet is uneventful. We're home by 8:15pm. Eat dinner at 9pm and kids in bed by 9:30pm. It's late for us, but much earlier than the rest of the swimmers.

We learn a little more at each meet. The first one, it was bring snacks. This one, bring cards, games, anything to pass the time. Next one?

Now, I'm not a complete pessimist. I can see how a meet could be fun. Your close group of friends all have kids on the same team, you sit back and relax with a cold drink and the right snacks chatting away, while the kids are having fun playing and swimming. But that's not our meet. Right now. And every Tuesday until the end of July, know that I'm doing my best to keep out of that flaming land of fire.

father's day

2011-06-20T22:32:00.000-07:00

Well, hello there!

Another adventurous day for the books. We thought we'd hit VA Beach for Father's Day. It's one of Juan Pablo's favorite places. But we hadn't checked the weather first.

Heading over, the skies looked pretty ominous. I pulled out his iphone about 20 minutes away to see what the weather said...storms starting at 1pm.... and it was noon.

I say all this just to show that you should never let the weather report deter you.

It was actually sunny when we got there. A little windy though...our two umbrellas immediately flipped inside out then started blowing away down the beach and sent people screaming. We quickly recovered them and decided it wasn't that sunny.

The sand man dove right in....with last years close talking to the sand and some plain ol' wallowing.

Give the boy a bucket, and he's happy.

Give this boy a boogie board and a wave...and well....he's happy, too.

There was a strange and very steep hill down to the surf this year...I'm not sure if 'they' made it like that, or if the ocean did. But it made for some interesting photos of Diego looking like he was buried in sand.

And I made sure to have JP get some pics of me this time. Nothing like seeing yourself in a bathing suit to rev up the gym routine...I've been working out hard, but still had to crop it.

I had fun catching some waves, too. That just never gets old.

Here's Diego pushing me away when I tried to get a nice shot of us.

This cool boat was riding by, and I managed to catch this shot of Isabela swimming out to it...it looks like it's just them in the ocean.

Diego was mesmerized by the aviones...he rarely lets one fly by without pointing and saying, "Avión!" Maybe he'll be a pilot one day.

So the other thing we forgot was quarters...for the meter. So when our two hours were up, it just so happened that the skies clouded over and the wind picked up even more. Yes, a storm was definitely coming.

But I came across a review of the nearby park, Mount Trashmore, when I was worrying about the weather, and we decided to stop by on our way home.

It's a giant hill....that used to be a landfill. Steep going up....

....and coming down.

With a great view around it....there was a cute carnival that we kept saying NO to.

And wide open spaces to run around in....

...and, of course, a giant hill to roll down.

Diego's a mama's boy right now...so he didn't make the father's day picture.

Some loud clanging attracts us to the other side of the hill...and what should we see??? but some knights sword fighting in full body armor!

So we head over...and they invite us to come and try out some stuff. They were friendly knights, the round table sort, and told us all about what they were doing.

The day just keeps getting better and better.

Because then, we look over in the distance, at the most amazing playground we've ever seen.
It's huge.
It's on spongy foam.
It's got a million things to climb on.

So while we were impressed with the plain, giant hill when we got there, and surprised by the fighting knights below.....we're now speechless at how we just happen upon the coolest things.

This little sprite was hard to keep track of. Running top speed all over the place.

And he got a little help from sis' on the harder parts.

Oh, yeah....and remember that storm I was talking about? It finally hit. And we had a long trek back to the car. We were soaked, and loving it!! It turned out the storm was the coolest part of the day.

last days

2011-06-18T16:07:00.000-07:00

For our teachers this year, we made these cute tote bags that look like looseleaf paper. The kids drew their design on with pencil and I copied it with a black sharpie. You can find instructions here.

Joaquin always does his best work in his underwear...so he's not in the picture.

Getting ready for the annual squirt down when they get off the bus. Friends let us participate in their neighborhood...it's much better with lots of kids.

Joaquin always gets pretty soaked....

...and this year Isabela tried to get me and ended up shooting Diego right in the face. He was not happy.

But an ice cream sundae can usually cure any unhappiness. Happy end of school!!!