do this!

Our washing machine started leaking over the weekend. So I took it as a huge break from doing any laundry whatsoever.

The work man came to fix it yesterday, and when he pulled the washing machine out, you should have seen the look of disgust that crossed my face. There was lint and dust at LEAST an inch thick under the machine, along with an inch of water, stray socks, a pair of underwear (not mine, thank God), screws, coins, and other unidentifiable objects. And to think, I cleaned the bathroom before he came!
If I had known how easy it was to slide out the washing machine, I would have cleaned under it a long time ago! Just shimmy it out, it's not that heavy and sweep! Don't put it off.

Then do the same with the dryer.

You'll feel so much better.

I"m off to climb that mountain now...you know which one I'm talking about.

where the wild things are

Joaquin went with me to this local antique place I like to visit...it was just the two of us. I was surprised by how excited he was to see all the old stuff in there. I must have said "Don't touch" about 200 times. But there's one booth I love to go to, where I find the best children's books. We nestled down on floor for a bit, and had fun looking through some of those great books. We came across an old craft book filled with masks you could color and cut out. Joaquin wanted it, and I knew he would come up with some great colors to make these masks come to life...he's always been so talented that way. And for $1.95, I knew it would be well worth it.

reader question

I always like finding great blogs, so here's the question:

If you could only read one blog, which one would it be?

Mine is www.kellehampton.com.

a tight spot

What's smaller than a bread box?


I mean shoe box?


Well, not quite...it's a little harder to get out than it was to get in.

good night

I cried big tears tonight.

It started yesterday. Diego pretty much decided he was done with nursing. I thought it was just a one day thing, but he did the same thing today. Some of you might be thinking 'well, it's about time,' but I just wasn't ready.

I'm not ready. He could be the last baby. And even though we had a rocky start with nursing...I had to see a lactation consultant 10 days into it...we figured it out, and it was our time together.
I didn't need to worry about what else he was eating, I knew he was getting the best nutrition he could. I didn't need to worry about all the chores waiting for me around the house...it was a time to just sit and think and watch my baby because it wasn't possible to do anything else. Now, I acutally saw a mom once nursing her baby as she was pushing her grocery cart, but that wasn't us. We liked the quiet of my bedroom with the same nursing pillow every time. I would sush the other kids out of the room so it was just us two.

But now it's over. No one told me it was coming. And I'm not ready.

As I put everyone to bed tonight, I heard Diego crying in his crib, which he doesn't normally do, so I was a little distracted and in a hurry to get in there. Joaquin knew I had been crying, so tender-hearted boy that he is, he asked if I would lay down with him while he went to sleep. I said I'd come back after I checked on his brother.

I picked up Diego and cradled him in my arms and sang the same made up lullaby song I've sung to all the children...it's to the tune of Brahms Lullaby.

Lullaby, and good night,
Go to sleep little baby.
Close your eyes,
Time to sleep,
Time to sleep right now.

I sat on the bed with him and watched him fall asleep. That was a blessing. He's quite squirmy now and usually falls asleep in his crib.

As I tiptoed out of the room, still with big tears in my eyes, I had a glimmer of hope. I thought, 'Joaquin. He's five and would still like me to sleep with him. I better not let that slip out of my fingers.' The sadness in my heart felt a little lighter.

I quietly opened the door to his room. Oh, but he was already asleep. I kissed him and whispered "I love you' in his ear.

Then I made my way back to Isabela's room again. She was still awake and asked for a sip of water and her 'piggy'. Now that would usually bother me, after she'd been in bed for twenty minutes, but tonight, I happily obliged and gave her a kiss on her forehead. She still needs me.

Three wonderful children. And they're growing. Ready or not.

a little jealousy?

The other night, while the kids and I were eating dinner, I was marveling at how Diego eats like such a big boy. We only had forks clean, so he was gingerly taking each morsel off with his teeth, careful not to stab himself with the tines.

Me: Look how smart your brother is guys! See how eats off the fork so carefully! He's SO smart!

Then I gave him a sip of milk out of his cup...he likes regular cups like his brother and sister, no sippy cups for him! And he proceeds to drink too much and choke on it, like he does at every meal.

Joaquin: Guess he's not so smart now.

a new home

So we've almost lived in our house for two years. And as history has proven, two years is about the time we up and move. Since Juan Pablo and I have been married... 8 years in June... we've moved seven, yes seven, times. ( I know the math doesn't add up right, but some years we actually moved more than once.)

Although I'm definitely getting the itch...I won't prolong this little analogy any longer....it just FEELS like a new house right now with all the projects we've been doing.

A new bathroom.








New lattice.


New picnic table. (plans are from Knock Off Wood...we made this for $18 plus paint.)




We might just have to stay.

what would you call it?

We stopped at Chipotle for dinner the other night, and as we pulled in the parking lot, there were about 8 state troopers who had decided to do the same thing.

It was a nice evening, so I headed outside with Diego to find a table, while the rest of the family got the food and drinks.

Isabela was so excited as she swung open the door to the patio.

"Mom! I saw a whole pack of police in there!"

Surprise!

It all started with a spontaneous note left on each child's bed by their dad before he left early for work on Saturday. He'd never done that before, even though, in the beginning, our long distance relationship was kindled through letters and email.


The kids felt so special...they read those notes over and over. And Joaquin comes running up to me with an idea.

"We should have a surprise party for Dad!"
"Why?" I ask.
Answer: "Because he's the best Dad ever!"

Now, I must admit that a twinge of jealousy flashed through me, because right now Joaquin is all about Daddy all the time. But Joaquin is right...he is the best Dad ever and I'm not sure that we show him enough. So we got to work.

This is Joaquin's contribution...the party mascot...a robot. He rooted through our craft supplies and came up with this to oversee the festivities.


We used Isabela's tiny tea set for dishes and silverware.


The menu developed from our almost bare cupboard and included popcorn, cookies, Jell-O, deviled eggs, and a huge sandwich (with our only two slices of bread left...the crusts!)


Isabela made the sign.


I hung some decorations.


And the kids practiced their surprise music...these are aboriginal digeridoos from PVC pipe. We saw a show recently at our local library and the kids have been playing them ever since.


So we were all giddy with excitement when the time came. Juan Pablo pulled up and I sushed the kids and we hid. And wouldn't you know, that Juan Pablo knew something was up, so he came in the back door and ruined the whole thing! Joaquin bursts into tears and I told JP to go right back outside and come in the front door. He did, and the kids blew their didges and I threw confetti and the party was a great success. We drank Kool-Aid out of miniature cups and ate yummy food and told Juan Pablo he's the best dad ever.

muddy buddy

Bored with your same old exercise routine?
How about this race coming to Richmond on May 2. Have you heard of this?

It's a partner race...one rides a bike, one runs...then you switch after each obstacle. At the end, there's a 50 foot mud pit you have to crawl through. Was your first thought the same as mine....Date Night!!

I really wanted to do it, until I saw the video....now I'm not so sure.

There's a kid's race, too.

Even if you don't enter, this would be one race worth watching...and it takes place at Pocahontas State Park.

a day in the sun

I am so thankful that Isabela wanted to play soccer this season...an outdoor sport. Anything to get us out of the house more. And if every Saturday is as beautiful as last Saturday, it's going to be awesome.

Joaquin took this shot of Diego and I. Yes, I left him strapped in his umbrella stroller the whole time. Usually for the practices, he is all over the field, rolling the balls and eating the cones...but I thought for the first game, we'd take it down a notch. And I brought the perfect seat with me...it's a tiny Dora the Explorer folding chair that I have thought about tossing a thousand times because the kids never use it. But it's small and light-weight and I fit right in it.


A little pre-game stretch.


Hi, girlie! We're watching you!


Isabela really is so precious out there. She's not in it to win it, although I know she'd be ecstatic to score a goal...she just runs around the field with the pack, following the ball...but what's noticeable is the huge grin she has on her face the whole time. I love it. I hope she always keeps that cheerful nature.


Meanwhile, Diego has fallen in love with a new bear that Isabela lent him...Icebox is his name.


And the infamous sippy cup is making its way into our world. He's still a huge nurser, prefers water over whole milk, and will occasionally get a wide eyed look and let go of the cup gasping for breath because he's drunk in too much.


Here, I'm really just playing with my camera. Usually I just take automatic shots, but I was trying out that macro mode...the one with the little flower icon...and that was fun.


Joaquin's trying to get the dud bottle of bubbles I brought along to blow.


And there's just something so sweet about a tiny hand resting on your leg while little eyes watch the world around them.

content in all things

In Philippians 4:11, Paul said, " for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances". This is my lifelong goal, which at times feels impossibly unattainable.

This beautiful family of mine, pictured above, went on their first camping trip, first anywhere trip, without me!...Two nights and three days. So in the days leading up to their departure, images flashed in my mind of emergency calls in the night and terrible tragedies that could occur...as I believe any mother gets when their children are away from them. We suppress them with a prayer to God knowing there is nothing we can do.

Diego and I stood waving in the parking lot of the church, as the bus pulled off and the tail lights got smaller and smaller. I knew that the excited conversation taking place on it had long forgotten us.

What should we do now? Three days to ourselves.

I decided to try something I used to do years ago, and many of you do on a daily basis...I made a list.

I used to make lists all the time. Then somewhere along the way, I stopped, maybe thinking that if there was no list, I didn't have to see all the things I didn't have time to do.

But I'm definitely good with lists. The satisfaction of crossing things off is a great motivator for me...even to the point of writing something on the list I've already done.

But I wasn't completely content. I wondered if Diego and I should have gone, too. I wondered if they would have this wonderful time and come back different. I wondered if they would have a miserable time and come back exhausted, wishing they hadn't gone....after all, they were volunteering to help clean up debris from the camp.

Diego noticed they were not around. He wandered into their nice clean rooms...saw pictures of them in frames and pointed and babbled and even kissed the pictures. The house was quiet, and although it was clean, I realized that Diego and I sure can make a mess. Clean up after yourself, right away...that is the key to a straight house.

And three days passed quickly. When it was time to pick them up, I wondered if I would cry or if they would run and hug me. Nope, I barely got a hug out of the three weary travelers. The long drive had stolen my triumphant reunion.

But later, listening to the stories spill out of their mouths, voices filled with the excitement that only novelty can bring...stories of new creatures they saw, friends they made, and experiences they had...I was content. Content that they had gone without me, content that they came home safe, and content that this is my family and my life. Paul learned to be content, and I can learn, too.

egg hunt

Yes, we were one of the several thousand people that ventured over to the Maymont Easter Egg hunt....do you see those one hundred rolling acres of hills behind Joaquin? There were exactly one hundred eggs hidden in there...that means one egg per acre. I really hadn't done the math before we left.


Perfect weather for Maymont though...not too hot. On the way there, Joaquin asked, "Mom, why is it always hot at Maymont?" Really, it's just that we usually go there in summer. One piece of advice: Don't.

But this time of year is great...gorgeous tulips...


and amazing trees for climbing and vivid imaginations. Do you see the face in this one?


Peek-a-boo.


Well, we left empty handed. If I was a good mom, I would have secretly taken my own eggs for them to find. We agreed that they tricked us...there weren't really any eggs hidden, they just wanted to see how many people would come to their park.


And even though Maymont is the best park in Richmond...it doesn't hurt to leave BEFORE you are worn out. We left early and happy. And spent the rest of the day at our POOL! Yes, it is already open...and heated. If you live near by, ACAC is running a special...30 days for $79 for your whole family. If you wait toward the end of April, that will take you through a good part of May when the awesome kids' pool opens.

highs and lows

With the onset of beaUtiful weather, we've been spending plenty of time outside these days. And for some reason, this spring, I've noticed the amazing rebirth of plants and emergence of animals more than ever before. Each bud just seems so miraculous to me...what once looked dead was hiding such beauty underneath the surface. How perfectly poetic for Easter to be in spring.



Juan Pablo and I went on a peaceful walk with just Diego the other day while the kids were in school....Diego so loves nature. And there was plenty of it! The turtles were all sunning on rocks, branches and anything else they could balance on before diving into the water at the first rustle of our footsteps.

This is a picture of Diego trying to squirm his way out of Juan Pablo's lap... to perhaps jump into the lake?


And he is his brother's brother...his first trip to the emergency room the next morning. He's not quite ready for little steps like he thinks he is, and he bumped...or gashed if you were to see my horrified face when it happened...his head on the fireplace. No stitches though, just dermabond. And maybe a scar to go along with it.

easter cookies

Don't forget the night before Easter, these cookies are fun to make, and a great way to remind us of Jesus' sacrifice and resurrection.

a chorus line

When I was in elementary school, I vaguely remember doing a performance for the parents, where we sang songs on a stage...I think I had a poodle skirt on.

And I'm not sure if I'm making this part up, but I think a boy had to wear a girl's yellow polka dot bikini...for that song. Could he really have done that?

I also remember having to wear a headband that was just a piece of elastic safety pinned around...and it was so tight that I think it cut off the circulation to my brain.

All those memories came flooding back when we went to see Isabela in her performance this week...and she put on bumble bee antennae with a piece of safety pinned elastic!

She was worried she might mess up, and this was my advice:
1) the only people watching her would be us because everyone else was watching their own kid
and
2) just smile and keep on singing, even if you mess up....we don't know the words so we won't know the difference.

Anyway, we were packed in the HOT gym like sardines waiting for the show to start...sitting on wooden bleachers, with a squirmy Diego and a talkative Joaquin. Moms chatted with each other about the kids, dads people watched and tried to keep kids sitting in their seats.

And finally the show began. Isabela did great. They sung about picnics and bugs.

And I didn't see her mess up once.