two months

Two months have flown by, just as they always say.


Carmen is so close to rolling over, it's going to scare her when it happens.

Do you like to talk?
She will carry on lengthy conversations, smiling the whole time.  She loves to talk... when she's awake.  It's hard to catch on camera though...we tried to video her talking the other night, and she abruptly stopped as soon as our finger pressed record, then started chatting away when we finally gave up.




Look at the hair on those two!  But just today, Joaquin announced he thinks she's the most different out of all the kids....and I have to agree.  Her hair is the lightest, the curliest, her eyes the bluest, and she's been sucking her right hand.  Uh-oh...not a righty!



She's another joyful baby.  We must be on the good list.

funny things

Here's a few recent conversations with the kids.  They could just be funny to me, but hopefully they're just funny.


BOOK FAIR

The kids had a book fair at school and were talking about all the books they wanted to get.  Joaquin said he wanted a Guiness Book of World Records gamers edition. Both JP and I thought it would NOT be a wise investment and were trying to convince him:

Joaquin:  It's the gamers edition!  It's got the high scores for all the games!

(Me thinking:  There's no WAY I'm paying $15 for that.)

JP:  You can find all that information online.

Joaquin:  I don't want the information, I just want the book!


SISTER LOVE

Diego (plugging his ears with his fingers):  If Carmen doesn't stop crying like that, I'm not going to like her anymore.


MILKMAID

While I was nursing Carmen in my room, Isabela yells, "Mom, can you come here when you're done milking the baby?"

mother's day

The dilemma of mothers on Mother's Day...to spend it by yourself, sleeping peacefully, or you know... the other option.

The kids woke me with heartfelt gifts made at school....a necklace and a laminated scrapbook.  There's usually a page filled out by the kids with information about me.  Apparently, my favorite thing to do is shop and I'm REALLY good at cleaning the house.  Hmmm.




Isabela asked her dad to help her make breakfast...a german apple pie.   It was supposed to be a german apple pancake, which is slightly less complicated and a lot quicker to make.  At one point, Isabela came into the bedroom asking, "Mom, could you come help?  Dad is driving me crazy."  Funny.

I really debated about staying home for this one, but have decided to live life as best I can, even with a new baby, so we headed to Kings Dominion as promised to the kids.


(Joaquin zoned out here.)

And Carmen entering the sleepy zone.



Juan Pablo captured this shot with his iphone of Diego on the plane saluting.....really he's just getting the hair out of his eyes, but isn't it precious?



He loves the driving school.  That puddle behind him mesmerized him every time and he had several almost crashes.



The boy in line in front of him refused the pink car...Diego gladly took his place.  Sally 67.



And a family shot at the end of the day.  How am I still smiling?  I convinced everyone after only three hours at the park that we should head out and eat at Chili's for a late lunch...and they surprised me and agreed.



Our overgrown lawn provided me one last gift....





...a bouquet of flowers.  For you, mom.



So sweet.  But beware, dandelion juice does stain your hands for awhile.



Carmen and I were both asleep by 6:30 that evening.  It was a very happy day.

kickers

Soccer season is finally coming to an end.  With two playing now, practices and Saturday games took up a lot of time.



I only made it to two or three of Diego's games and one of Joaquin's.  New baby syndrome.  But they were so fun to watch!

Looks like Diego thought fútbol meant football in this picture:



And Joaquin amazed me with his dribbling skills.



This past weekend, the sun finally made its appearance.  And we made a makeshift tent using towels and the stroller to create a little shade.

There was way more bickering involved than this picture shows.



I finally banished them from touching the stroller at all, and Joaquin tried to find another suitable place.



But at four...there's only two things that matter in soccer:  running through the parent tunnel....



...and snacks.

ten

We had our first double digit birthday this month.


She was so excited to ride the bus home with two of her friends.  We clinked root beer bottles at Dave & Buster's that evening.  That's what ten year olds do.



The earliest digital photo I could find of Isabela...she's four here.



And still every bit as precious at ten.  We love you, Isabela!

pbs kids

We got out.

Weeks of being too tired to do anything are driving me stir crazy.

So Sunday,  JP had to work, the kids were wild, and I decided we HAD to go somewhere.  And it turned out there was a fun event at a nearby park that also included a self-tour of our local PBS station.  How cool!  My plan: skip the vendors and booths, do the tour, then get out of there.

So I fed the baby, rushed everyone into the car, and we headed off without me mentioning where we were going.  No sense hearing kids whine about why they don't want to go.

I think I was the most excited to see this sign when we walked up to the studio!  It's Sesame Street!  I told the kids to run over so I could get a picture.  Diego CRACKS me up in this one....that's his pose, not some caught in mid-action shot.


A smallish cookie monster was inside.  I asked Joaquin, why he stuck his hand in his mouth, already knowing the answer...."To see if there were any cookies."



You're never too old for cookie monster!  Unless you just turned 10, like Isabela.



Headed toward the studios, we weren't sure what to expect.  It was really just a big room with one or two sets.  Nothing fancy.  I guess that's because it's PBS.



This is the morning garden show that's on once a month.  Isabela looks so nervous, like she's really on tv.



Joaquin was nervous, too.  It reminds me of the very first time I ever went on the Internet at my aunt Nancy's house a million years ago.  I'd heard of it, and heard of chat rooms, and was so nervous to go on it....were people going to want to 'chat' with me?  What would I say?  Could they see me?  Makes me laugh now.



She looks like a natural to me!



We headed for the Kona Ice truck after the tour.  They should know us now...the kids make a beeline for it at every event we go to.
I thought I'd treat myself this time, too....usually I just try to save money and eat off the kids' cones.

I didn't really think it through though...pushing the stroller with one hand over gravel made me spill the snocone on the stroller and Carmen started to wake up and want to nurse...which meant quick exit to the car.

Thankfully, it started to rain, giving me the perfect reason to head home, which by this time, was the only place I wanted to be.

Funny how an hour and a half earlier, I couldn't stare at those walls one second more.

Home, sweet home.

one month

Look who slept through her one month birthday!


Come to think of it...sounds like an ideal party to me. Oooh yeah, a sleep over.


I think we're crossing our first milestone, too...she might actually be smiling at us now instead of the gas bubbling in her belly.  Although she fits right in with the family....gas is a daily topic of conversation around here.



Here's to more sleep! Yay!

Happy One Month, Carmen!