summer school!

Isabela started her summer school today at elementary school!! She had a great first day, even though she said she didn't talk to any friends. Her teacher's name is Mrs. Snead....isn't there a Mrs. Snead at every school? She seems really nice. The whole family came to drop her off today, and Joaquin was quite the character. She got to ride the bus from the summer school to what will be her "real" school (Grange Hall...which she calls Grange Hog!). She did a great job and can't wait to go back tomorrow!

July 4th art

The other day we made fourth of July decorations...our dining room doubles as a messy craft room which is really great. We painted some of those wooden cutout stars from Michaels in red, white, and blue for our wire tree. Joaquin also decided to turn his paper plate into a decoration! Isabela just loved it as you can see her trying to hug the tree. We are also trying to get together a box to send to Bolivia for their cousin, Daniela's, birthday. She was born on July 4th... a couple weeks after Juan Pablo and I got married....oh! that reminds me our 6th wedding anniversary was June 22nd. We did nothing to celebrate as usual...although I did consider getting us new wedding rings since Juan Pablo lost his about four years ago. I never made it to the store, but I still might do it. So we have the stuff to send to Bolivia, it's just a matter of getting to the post office with it. I don't know why that is always so hard....except I always want to send more than I am sending, so I wait to put more stuff in the box and then I wait so long, I may as well not send it! It's already going to be late, but I definately want to get it in the mail before July 4th!

BMX or Motocross?

So I've been debating whether or not to start Joaquin in BMX racing (although he is way into motorcycles)....he is exceptionally talented on his bike...or anything with wheels for that matter. The other day, he found a skateboard ramp at a friend's house, and being the good mom, I told him to stay away from it. And being Joaquin, he did it anyway. He was on one of those two-wheel scooters, and started off at the bottom of the ramp, just riding on the driveway and going up a little on the ramp....but soon enough he was able to fly up to the top with it and land on the platform! When the older kids came outside to play...they were like "Wow...he's better than us!" I found out there is a BMX track in Richmond...and Juan Pablo informed me that BMX is a little safer than Motocross because the bikes are lighter if they fall on you. So I think we'll try to watch a race and see how it is. Isabela, on the other hand, looks like Mary Poppins on her bike...she just goes leisurely, looking all around, until it went off the path straight down this huge ditch! And I couldn't let them have all the fun...I tried the monkey bars...when did those get so hard to do?

Vacation Bible School

Last week the kids and I did VBS at our church. I helped in the arts and crafts room, Isabela was in the Kindergarten class and Joaquin had a wild pre-K class....one of them peed on the moon bounce!! No, not Joaquin! The theme was SonWorld amusement park and on Sunday, they did a big performance for church. No...that's not Jesus standing up front...it's Michael Berkley, the kids' music director...he's super talented in the music dept! Where's Waldo?...I mean Isabela?

rick and bubba!!

Here's a picture of us with our favorite morning radio show people rick and bubba! I started listening to them by chance a few months ago and was cracking up at their stories and comments...plus their accents (way south!). I haven't laughed so hard in my life on my way to preschool!! The kids were telling me to stop laughing! So they have this cool lead-in song that the kids sing all the time...and I heard they were coming to Richmond so I thought it would be fun to go and see them. We made special t-shirts with stuff from the show (like the phone number 1-866-WE-BE-BIG) and the kids wore them to the book signing. They were at a Kroger in Chester and the kids fell asleep on the way there so I sat in the parking lot for awhile. We finally went in and had to wait about 1 and a half hours till it was our turn! The kids did good...I had brought stuff for them to do and grabbed a box of crackers off the shelf for them to eat (yes, I paid for it later!) Rick and Bubba loved the shirts and the kids and it was a lot of fun.

four wheelin'

A friend gave us this power wheels the other day and I went out and spent the $60 for the batteries so it would actually go...the kids have had a blast!! Yes, they have hit a few things and Joaquin's foot was run over, but they still love it! I keep a close eye on them when they are riding in the front, but in the back of the house they are on their own and all you hear is %*@*&%%*!! and lots of squeals and I'm just praying they come around the corner smiling...and they do!

cooling off!

My friend Liz sure knows how to live the good life! She set this pool up in her driveway (so it wouldn't ruin the grass) and set up her chairs and fan with ice pops in the fridge and it was a great day! I got in the pool too, and it was the first time I hadn't been hot all day! Back at the ranch, we hooked up the octopus sprinkler and that thing is dangerous!! His arms wave all around and if you're not careful, he'll squirt you right in the eye!

more house pics

Here are some more pictures...Joaquin's room, the cute shower curtain I just got from Target, the living room and Isabela's room. Yes, she likes pink!

as requested...

Here are some pictures of the house. I had been holding off because it's still a mess from moving in, but I'm sure you all understand! We obviously spend a lot of time in the "big room", that's what we call it. It's got the kids part, and will have a tv at some point...there is also a hideaway under the step for the kids to play in and read and stuff. They love it! The yellow walls in the kitchen and front living room were just painted, and we love it! The carpet will have to be changed in our bedroom at some point, but we are very glad to have our bed now. We moved it on top of the minivan with just a bungee cord (one made out of four tiny ones hooked together)holding it down!

the graduate!

Isabela is on her way to Kindergarten! She put on a great show...outside...on one of the hottest days! I thought I might cry at one point, but the heat dried up my tear before it even hit my cheek. Joaquin was quite impressed with Isabela's cap and gown,.....but of course, couldn't let her have all the spotlight. Yes, that is him up on the stage! I knew he would do it at some point (well, come to think of it, he did get up there before the show started, too). Luckily, the show was over and they were posing for class pictures. I chased him back and forth on the stage about three times before I actually got him off of it!

the list

After reading The Next Thing on My List in our book club, we were all prompted to make a list of 10 things we wanted to do before we die. Here are some pictures of one of them that I crossed off! (I've actually done another when we went to the Richmond Kickers soccer game, if you consider them pros) Isabela was much more adventurous than Joaquin if you can believe that. She went all the way to the top and was the first one to go! Joaquin made it to the top once after much coaxing from us on the ground. But he was much more at home on the free climb wall, which is about 10 feet high, and done without harnesses. I think all the safety features were throwing him off!
Juan Pablo took that great picture of me at the top...I wouldn't have put it on, but then no one would believe I did it! The hardest part was coming down....you have to let go of the wall and hold on to the rope, trusting that it won't break or come out of its knot! I was the most vocal of the four of us, letting out the occasional scream on the way downnnnnn!

moving!

We have been slowly moving to our new house over the past few weeks. Although I think we started sleeping in it the day after we bought it. We finally have everything over there except our bed and the sofa. And all we used was our minivan to do it! The kids are loving the new house. We have painted both of their rooms and the front living room and kitchen and hallway. The kids love being able to play outside and run around in the big room. There is also a secret hiding place under the four stairs where they like to go.
Animal sightings: a luna moth, a frog, a bat (at night), and I finally saw the first deer when I came home late one night...he must have been checking out a chair I had left by the back door.
Along with that go Isabela's bug bites, and two ticks she had on her back last night!
Joaquin got a bloody nose from the tree swing under the fort. So I guess I will need to update my first-aid certification! But I can't wait to have our first cookout and have everyone over!