guest post!

I'm so honored to do a guest post over at Latinaish today!  In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, she's doing a series called  "A Trip to...." where readers can share a bit about a Latin American country they've been to.  Of course, I talked about Bolivia!  See more pictures like these over there.....

goooaaaal

Soccer Saturdays are back.  Oh, plus there are practices for three kids that take up four nights out of the week.  I don't go to the practices if I can help it...and I don't feel guilty one little bit.  Plus I can't be at three different games in one day, so I don't see all those either.  It just makes it all the more special when I can be there.

Diego is in a league of his own.  He was born with the running gene and can go forever.



He scores at least ten times each game and sometimes dribbles the ball all the way down to his own goal before turning around and going back to score.  I'm sure the other parents aren't too thrilled about it, but I love to watch him.



This is a look I get often...although here she's just walking back from checking on the Papa John's snack booth.  We tried a new style with her hair that involved twisting it around into a ponytail...we both loved it and she got several compliments.  Maybe she'll let me do it more often?



Carmen played with Joaquin a bit on the sidelines.  If there's action going on around her, this baby does. not. sleep.



Isabela loves being part of a team.



The running and kicking part of the sport she could do without, but she loves a team.



This photo from the other week turned out prophetic.  She scored the first goal of the game last weekend!  I asked her how she did it.  She said, "The goalie and another girl were fighting over the ball, so I thought I better stand a little close to the goal in case it comes my way."  And sure enough, the ball slipped out over to Isabela and she kicked it right at the goal.  The goalie ran over to block it with her knees knocked together and the ball went right between her feet.

Well, that deserves an 'atta girl!  And just like that... her confidence in her abilities and herself is back.  Yay, for soccer!

stopping by Bolivia on a busy day

There was a local event last weekend about Peru, so I suggested we go despite our super busy morning filled with soccer and taekwondo.

Juan Pablo gave me a funny smile... because as any Bolivian knows, Peru is not Bolivia.  But in my mind, it was as close as we could get for now.
I think that in the busy-ness of life, we often forget that we are raising bicultural children.  We struggle to keep up the Spanish in an ever-increasing English speaking day...there's school, homework, friends.  Bolivian foods are replaced with quick and easy spaghetti and taco soup.

But I'm not giving up.  I've told Isabela that we are going to have 'Bolivian dinner night' where we cook one dish each week....and she's so excited, sighing each time I say it can't be tonight.

And I'm repeating myself in Spanish every time I realize I could have just as easily said it in Spanish in the first place.  Like last night...Joaquin walked out of TaeKwonDo without shoes on.  That's usual.  But I said, "No tienes zapatos?"  And he stopped mid sentence and ran back to the building to get his shoes.  And I was happy.

So.... this past Saturday, on empty stomachs and with tired bodies, we headed downtown.

The kids protested, complained, and fought with each other...plus I had to change Carmen as soon as we arrived...all of this trying to coax us into just giving up and going home...but I was undeterred.

At the entrance, the kids were given a little passport and were told to get stamps at the various activities, then come back for their reward...a colorful friendship bracelet.  Best. Idea. Ever.  That was all they needed to hear, and hunger pangs ceased and interest soared.

Here's Diego playing his handmade zampoña.

Isabela weaving on a loom.



We decided to split up at one point...the boys went on to carve a stamp and Isabela sat to watch some dancing.  But in the end, they got their prize.  

But the best was yet to come....a parade.  And guess who was there??  Bolivian dancers!!  See the flag on her costume....red, yellow, and green.

It was almost like being there.

The kids were speechless as they watched.  And Isabela is ready to sign on the dotted line to join a Bolivian dance troupe.  She made a video and memorized the moves already.

Then, in an instant, we're back into our everyday life, stopping by McDonald's on the way home when our hunger pangs returned with a fierceness.

But for a few hours, the kids reflected on a heritage and culture that makes them who they are.   And I am excited to help them discover it, even half a world away.

bangs

I am now officially my mother's daughter. (If I get a chance, I'll have to find a photo of her to upload.)



I've been wanting a new do for years.  But every time I come out of the salon, I look exactly the same.  They talk me into something else, which is basically the same thing I've always had.

You know you've done it right when the kids see you and say, "I HATE IT, MOM!"  "GO BACK AND TELL THEM TO CUT IT OFF!"

Well, I don't think cutting it off would solve the problem.

We're still getting used to the new me, but overall, I kinda like it.  Of course, I can't straighten my hair as well as those stylists do, but I still do a double take every time I walk by a store window.

to a new year

Not Enough Time in the Day + Tired Mom = ME!

And I lamented the fact that our NOT bummer summer really wasn't that fantastic at all.  If there's no big 'remember when' vacation, it somehow feels like summer never happened.   We checked a lot off our list, yet only managed to complete one row.  So the day before school started, I took them to Chuck E. Cheese.... and the last three months were quickly forgotten.  (End it on a good note, and they'll never know!)




Maymont with friends...the brothers were showing some LOVE.  These two really are daredevils.  Diego is following right in Joaquin's footsteps, climbing rocks and trekking paths.






Interesting expressions.



Not sure what he's doing with his hair as he stares down the eagle.



Carmen amazed by everything, as always.  Babies are so much FUN!!  The world is new again.



The weekend before school started, we went on a family walk downtown at the canal.  Way too hot.  Carmen didn't want any of it.  So we called it a day and left early.



But we did see some amazing graffiti art that we hadn't seen before...



...how do they do that?



The four.  Carmen fits right in with her love of books!  Eating them, reading them...it's all the same.



Oh, yeah.  JP decided to knock down our chimney one weekend.  He demolished my favorite desk as the stones came crashing down, but I had to be thankful he was okay.  This was only days after I read a great book, One Year to an Organized Life, and had determined to declutter and make our house beautiful.  Typical.

It's ready for drywall now, so we'll take some after pictures when it's done.



And then school finally started.  A fifth grader...



...and a fourth grader.



Diego's doing preschool with me.  Nothing too complicated...how about blowing on baby sister's cool hair?  Science experiment, check!



And in the middle of all the new beginnings, we had a very important birthday to celebrate.  And what a busy day it was!  His first travel game of the soccer season and he made three goals!!



Some way cool presents....Joaquin is into trash packs...he's not sure he wants his friends to know it, but I'm encouraging him to be himself and to know it's okay to like what he likes.



I pulled 'other one' bear out of the pile up and he said he still smells like he did when he was a baby.



Diego made an amazing birthday card with Mario and Wigi and bob-omb and some way cool secret door.



Still on his birthday....TaeKwonDo demo practice....Joaquin is on the kicking team and can do some amazing things.  We finished up his big day with just Daddy, Mommy and Carmen to his favorite restaurant and one activity.  Guess what he chose?.....Panera Bread and Putt-Putt.  He even scored a hole in one with some wild hit over a rock and around the bend.  Crazy.  The next day he said it was the worst birthday ever, but I reminded him of all he did and as I always say, how much better could it get?



Our Saturdays this fall will be filled with soccer games.  We have THREE playing and JP is coaching Diego's team!!  This was us before we went our separate ways to get everyone where they needed to be on time.



We're still working on that hair.  Her bow stays now....



...and look at that cute little face.



Did I mention she's crawling?  She inches forward on her face.  I really do need to take a video of it.

So that's it in a nutshell.

Just one little nap...for me.  That's all I ask.