our first garden

Sunday was our planting day. First I sent Isabela out all by herself to plant this tiny azaela we got for Diego's birth. It really is best if I don't go....I give way too much instruction. I'm going to have to learn to keep quiet some day. So she came back in, and I asked how it went. She said at first she dug a hole and tried to plant it still in the container, but realized that was wrong and took it out. I did ask if she remembered to water it, and she said yes, with her water bottle.


Then it was time for the garden...(Darlene, it's a square foot garden...thanks for the suggestion!) Keep in mind, I have no green thumb whatsoever. Juan Pablo said, "well, something better grow because all the supplies cost around fifty dollars."


This is a recycled soaker hose...you poke a hole in the water bottle and the water slowly seeps out during the day.


But the highlight of the day was when they found a caterpillar in the garden. I ended up finishing the last two squares as they fought over who could hold Stripey...same name as our caterpillar from two years ago. Here's the final pose...notice Joaquin ended up in his underwear from the heat!

the thinker

What's he thinking?

blessed sleep

It's funny how each child has had his or her magic sleep secret....Isabela's was the pacifier...pop it in, she was asleep, take it out, she woke up....Joaquin's was the vaccuum...turn it on, he fell asleep, turn it off, he woke up....and Diego's is sleeping on his stomach on someone's chest...lay down with him, he's asleep in an instant...put him on his back so you can actually get up, and he wakes up. Funny, huh?

pet for a day

I don't know why I'm such a spur of the moment pet owner. But the other day, I was driving home from Hampton Park, and there was a turtle in the middle of the road. So, I said, "Look, Joaquin, a turtle!" And he of course said, "Where?" and I had already passed it. There was no one coming, so I backed up so he could get a look at it. But of course from where he was sitting, he couldn't see it. So I parked and got out to pick it up....deciding it would be best to move him out of the road anyway...and so Joaquin could finally see it. Then once I picked it up, I thought, 'why don't we take it home?' Joaquin wisely figured out that we could transport him in an empty tissue box until we got home. So the rest of the drive, I was imagining a beautiful pond with rocks and lilypads in my yard where he could live and we could watch him grow....but when we finally got there I guess reality hit. We found a cardboard box to put him in while we tried to find out what kind he was...an Eastern painted turtle...and what they might eat. We didn't get that far before we decided this was not a good idea...we had no where to keep him, nothing to feed him, and he wasn't very playful.... we needed to return him.


So I waited for Isabela to get home and then I loaded three kids and a turtle into the car and headed back to Hampton Park...we wanted him to be with his family of course. Meanwhile, Isabela named him Shelly, and somehow grew to love him.



Have you ever seen a turtle fly...well, not fly really...I think he just lifted his legs off the ground and zoomed into the lake on his belly...I certainly had never seen a turtle move so fast. Isabela cried. I was relieved. Joaquin was figuring out how to get closer to the water without falling in. And Diego slept.

an answered prayer

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about starving children. I know how much Diego cries when he is hungry...usually he has gas pains to go along with it...and I'm glad that I can feed him right away and make him happy. But while I'm feeding him, I think of all those kids whose parents have no food to give them, and I've been saying a special prayer when I feed him for all those who are hungry throughout the world.
So today was the last outreach at Isabela school for the year...and what should it be for... but a canned food drive. So I sent her along with a donation. Then, as I was going through the mail, I had a handful of junk mail, and sitting on top was a letter asking for money for the Central Virginia Food Bank. As I was getting ready to throw it in the trash, I said, "Wait a minute...this is exactly what you've been praying about"...so I pulled it out of the trash, and I'll soon send it off with my small contribution. Although I was imagining the selfless volunteers in Africa physically trying to help the starving children, God provided a way that I could help, too, in my own small abilities. An anwered prayer doesn't always come in the form we expect it.

ride baby ride

Joaquin got a new bike from craigslist....there was no special occasion, just that he had driven his old one until it was falling apart and pretty unsafe. I guess from all those stunts he tries. For his birthday, (not until September mind you) he is asking for a MEDIUM sized jumping ramp. Hmmmm...I'll have to think about this one...but I am using it in the meanwhile to encourage good behavior!

it is finished

No, not the work of Christ....but our deck railing. We had received a notice that our home insurance would be canceled without this railing put on the steps. So after two long weekends, a dozen trips to Lowe's, and a lot of yelling...we have a beautiful railing to keep us from falling. If you think it looks crooked, I wouldn't mention it.

new motto

I hope you have had a chance to hear that new song on the blog "It won't be like this for long"...(unless you're like me and keep your computer muted!) It's actually what got me through those first painful weeks of nursing! I love it and it is my new life saying. I repeat it to myself often...whether the baby's crying at 3am or Isabela doesn't want to brush her teeth or Joaquin is jumping off the back of the couch. It works for good things too....helping me to remember to appreciate them while they are happening...like Diego sleeping snuggled in my arms, Isabela wanting to hold my hand, or Joaquin wanting one more kiss before I go to the store. I rarely listen to it without tears coming to my eyes. It can actually work for anything....pouring down rain, a traffic jam, a garden of tulips...just remember it won't be like this for long.

there's one more

Remember that movie The Last Samuri? Well, I think I found one more. Joaquin is all about his light saber...pronounced "light saver". He really was swinging that thing all around....I don't know where he ever saw that before, but he seems to know how to do it.



Yes, that's a plastic yard candy cane he's aiming at me.

He does have one fatal flaw though...bugs. The slightest flutter or buzz will send my fearless, dare-devil boy racing into the house while screaming like a girl. I think he got that from me.

good picture?

Why is it so hard to get a good picture? This was the first one we took today....hair in Isabela's face, Joaquin with a goofy look, baby with a pacifier! But I do love digital cameras...remember when we used to turn the roll in to get developed as soon as possible, waiting to see if you got any great shots?!! Of course, now I rarely develop any pictures...they are all sitting inside my computer hoping not to be mysteriously erased by some virus or crash.

birthday book

This is the book Isabela got donated to her school library in honor of her upcoming birthday. It has a plaque on the inside with her name and birthday on it! She got to be the first one to check it out! I don't think she got to choose which book was donated...hence one about Scottish Terriers....however, she has been begging for a dog, so it was pretty appropriate. And there is no way we're getting a dog any time soon.

Happy Easter!

We hope everyone has a Happy Easter! This is what it's all about! The kids were so excited to walk into church today and up on the screen was a picture of the empty tomb...Joaquin was yelling, "look the tomb is empty! it's empty!"


Of course, it's not Easter without eggs either...a symbol of new life.


And baskets...even Diego got one. The kids felt bad for him because he only got one little rubber ducky.



They were so excited this morning...I think more so than Christmas! They were running around screaming at all the crazy spots the bunny hid his eggs and jelly beans...how wonderfully magical to wake up to a house filled with candy! It is great to be a kid! Me, I was just thankful to take a shower and change out of the pj's I've been living in for the last few days! There's nothing like being seen in public to make you wash your hair and put on some make up. Of course it is either or around here. Either we are all dressed and presentable and the house is a disaster...or the house is presentable and we're the disaster....if you didn't get your basket today, it is because it exploded over here at our house!

a losing battle

So, I woke up from a much needed SHORT nap with Diego to a very quiet house. I had a suspicion, but was hoping for the best, as I walked to the big room...but there they were...Daddy, Joaquin, and Isabela watching a MOVIE! I couldn't believe it! All my hard work for the week ruined in thirty minutes! I did leave crying from the room...yes, I'm emotional...but I cried because I can't do it alone without my husband's support, and I cried because the kids knew the rules and took advantage the first second they could. Of course, my tears made everyone turn off the movie and go outside to play, but I still feel sad about the whole thing. I know, get over it, and I will, in fact I think I already am...the kids are at the gym with their dad...hmmmm....maybe I'll go watch tv!

unplugged

The rule for this week has been NO TV. And believe me, it has been hard!! Probably harder for me than for them, if you can believe that. The kids had watched so much tv the last few weeks that they actually forgot how to play. The first few days they asked many times to watch tv, but I did not cave in. They finally started to find things here and there to do, and have been able to play with each other the entire day without watching a single show! Here are some of the things they've been doing:

They've played army men! I didn't know kids actually played with these things! Joaquin first set them up on the step stool like this, then his Dad showed them a cool game trying to knock the other team's men over using a marble. They loved it!


3-2-1-contact! There's nothing better than contact paper! They spent several hours making these....they were supposed to be placemats, but the kids didn't want to mess them up.


And we've been reading Charlotte's Web. It has a picture every few pages, but the kids actually sit and listen to me read it.

It's hard not living in a neighborhood where the kids can run outside and find some friends to play with. And for some reason, they haven't wanted to go outside too much this week. They've played dress up with halloween costumes and built forts around the house. When it seems like there is nothing to do, we sit down for a snack, or I put them in the bath!

So far, so good. I hope that we can keep this up!

a family visit

Great Aunt!

Great Grandma!

Sorry I didn't get one with the rest of you that came!

easter parties

I actually made it to both their easter parties at school...with the baby! It definitely wore me out for the rest of the day, but I was glad I could finally attend something at their school. Here's Isabela's dyed eggs:

Here's Joaquin with an egg balanced on his head!

Joaquin is great at putting Diego to sleep. Every time he holds him, Diego falls right to sleep!


A sweet kiss from his sister.


The stork has arrived!

mud!

The kids had some fun the other day playing in the mud...when I first looked out the window and saw what they were doing, I wanted to tell them to stop and get cleaned up. But then I thought, "why not?" and told Juan Pablo to run and get the camera instead. They were squealing with delight just like pigs!

JP's family

We had a nice visit with Juan Pablo's family for the last month....we worried that they wouldn't get to see the baby because he came so late...they had arrived on March 3 and he didn't arrive until March 20! But they got to see him for a week and the kids had fun playing with them and practicing their spanish.
We love to set the camera on timer and run to get in the picture before it snaps! Here's one of the family: