he got me.

Joaquin is a fantastic story teller.

But like most moms, I can usually tell when he's making something up by decoding his microexpressions and body language like Cal Lightman.

But the other night, he got me good.

As I tucked him into bed, we were having a serious conversation about him being scared, then about Osama Bin Laden and why he became a bad guy. I was thankful to turn the conversation towards God and even have Joaquin repeat a prayer after me to help him not be so afraid.

After that, he brought up school and the infrequent lock down drills they practice in case of a bad guy entering the school. He said his teacher had them draw and color a cutout of themselves and when there's a lockdown, they put up this cutout in their seats and go hide in the designated spot in the classroom...so it looks like all the kids are still in their seats.

He said it even has this shiny stuff on it...I said, "Laminated?" and he said, "Yeah, the teacher laminated them."

I asked, "Well, how does it sit up in your seat?"

He replied,"It has these little plastic feet like game board pieces and it stands up. It looks like we're reading books at our desks."

So I thought to myself, 'That is really weird and a little scary for the kids to have to go through all that. I'm going to ask his teacher the next time I see her why they do that."

I dropped the topic and he drifted off to sleep.

But when Juan Pablo came home that night, I told him the story.

He immediately said, "He made that up."

I said, "How do you know?"

And he said, "There's no way, under the stress of an intruder in the building, they would have the kids setting up these fake people." And then, the lightbulb flashed, and the whole story just seemed so ridiculous to me.

So you KNOW I asked Joaquin about it in the morning. With my usual statement of, "I'm going to email your teacher about this." And he copped. He'd made the whole thing up.

I asked him, "WHY would you do that?"

His answer..."Because it was fun."

I am NOT liking the implications of this, nor the fact that I fell for such an outrageous story.

macerated?

If you already know what that means, then you don't need to read this post.

I, for one, thought it sounded quite gruesome.



But if you don't know what it means, then look it up, and DO IT TO YOUR STRAWBERRIES.

You won't be arrested, and you will definitely thank me later. Especially this early in the growing season.

I received my second produce box from The Farm Table, and I'm being educated on something as simple as eating strawberries. If you're local, you definitely don't want to miss out on this amazing organization. Check out their webpage here.

happy happy day

The world is beautiful with you in it.

Happy birthday, Isabela. You are loved.

any given weekend

On any given weekend, there are so many options for family activities here, that you really don't know which way to turn.

Our criteria is usually based on:

1. time...Diego still takes a nap from noon to about 3pm. So we try to hit activities before or after this.

2. cost...free is always preferred.

3. location...we have to factor in driving distance with naps...sometimes he can take one in the car, sometimes it doesn't work out which means the event will have to be cut short when he gets wild; and sometimes, I need a nap and don't want to drive too far.

4. crowds...I'll often try to pick the one I think the least people will go to. It's no fun waiting in line. Sometimes that backfires and everyone shows up at an event I thought no one would go to...and then we just deal with it. I'm thinking Kite Day 2011.

And sometimes we just stay home and do nothing. Those weekends are fun and relaxing, too.

But this past weekend, we went to an amazing event, the Crestwood Elementary plant sale and nature fair, just by chance. What enticed us in the description was definitely the petting zoo and hands-on nature crafts, not to mention there would be a wallaby, lemur, and hedgehog to pet.

I've learned not to get my hopes up too much anymore. A lot of events are so crowded, you can't get near the animals, or the one thing you wanted to see was hidden away somewhere and you never saw it. But this one definitely exceeded our expectations.

Look at this amazing face that greeted us.



And have you ever touched a hedgehog? It feels more like a bristle brush than a soft stuffed animal. (FYI, those are not my well-manicured hands.)


Diego's car nap was too short, maybe 10 minutes, and when he caught a glimpse of the animals through his groggy eyelids, he wanted out of that stroller. Here he's petting the wallaby.


All smiles in the petting zoo under the shade of a large tree. I didn't see anyone around saying "Don't touch...or "Be careful"...or "It'll bite you"...(okay, maybe I said it once) but it was very refreshing and all the little kids were enjoying the animals so much!


And it was educational! The goal was to collect 18 stickers at different stations where there were activities or crafts to learn more about the environment. We were there from 1-4pm (that was the whole time for the event) and didn't even get all the stickers.

Diego saw the ball on this recycled animal that I'm sure the elementary students helped make.


This activity was so fun. The kids learned about different bird beaks, some are long, some are short, and some are easier to pick up certain things than others. They had one minute to pick up as many candy worms, fish, and fruits as they could. Look at that concentration!


We were all fascinated by the sea creatures.


This is a frog fish. Apparently, they can bite and it hurts. A little boy stuck his hand near his mouth and the demonstrator got a little freaked out that he could have gotten hurt. (No, although quite possible, it was not a boy of mine!)


Some pretty pinching crabs.


And somebody stop me...we're all in love with these goats and are thinking of getting some! How couldn't we with that joyful smile on Isabela's face?

Toddler Bunny

Having a two year old is kind of like celebrating Easter with the traditional egg hunt.....EVERYDAY...except it's not eggs you're going to find. Maybe a toothbrush in your sofa, a bouncy ball in your shoe, or a Hotwheel in your cupboard.

This morning, I woke up with the sun streaming into the room. And as I turned my head to peer out of the window, something round caught my eye. It was sitting on the window sill, hidden just under the blind. What could that be?

It was a cherry tomato.

It made me smile.

And I had thought I was too old for egg hunts. Glad I was wrong.

royal wedding scones

Inspired by friends, we ate scones this morning while watching highlights from the royal wedding. We used this recipe, but I substituted chocolate chips for the raisins, and added a bit of whipped cream and frozen blueberries on top.


I'm glad I didn't just let the event pass by....it turns out Isabela already knew a lot about it. I guess they've been talking about it in class.

I explained the royal family to Joaquin, using our own family as an example....Juan Pablo is the King....and the first born son, Joaquin, would be prince and heir to the throne.

Could we be in trouble?? Just kidding. Joaquin is very caring and FAIR, if anything.


And for the record, my royal name is Lady Dorothy Ameoba -Walker's Ferry...or Lady Sarah Sunshine-Bromley...which sounds a bit more British if you ask me.

Cheers!

Holy Week... filled with sadness, tears, triumph, love, excitement, wonder, joy.
Our Spring Break... filled with the same, but not necessarily the same order.

The highlight was probably our impromptu trip to Forest Hill Park. The big boys rode their bikes on the trails, on and off road!



Joaquin even wanted to ride across this bridge! I had to say no way. Am I the only voice of reason in this family?


Meanwhile, the rest of us enjoyed Mother Nature's spring show.


I think other people love this park, too.


Oh! And Isabela got a haircut...first she did it herself, then we took her to the shop. I actually liked what she had done on the soccer field with a pair of scissors, but somehow it morphed into something scary later on, so we had to get bangs. Bangs make her hair so much easier!


WORLD OF MIRTH. If you haven't been here, it's definitely the funnest toy store ever. Make sure you don't bring your purse if you don't want to buy anything, or else everyone will come out with a bag.


Then we headed across the street to The Byrd Theater which was playing Gnomio and Juliet. The whole family got to see the movie, eat a huge popcorn and a drink for only $17. Definitely a deal these days.

And that was just Day One.

A FUN BUY.

I came across this typewriter in a thrift store...the same kind my mom owned when I was little. The kids have been fascinated with it...and while I had great ideas of them practicing their spelling words and writing to their penpals on it, it turns out the C, E, P, J, and R don't work. Some of those letters are pretty important. (Som of thos ltts a tty imotant...see what I mean?)

So instead, Isabela just types up "prescriptions" as she calls them, super fast typing with whatever keys her little fingers hit first. And that's how I learned, too.


Day Two, we headed out with friends to Pocahontas State Park.

Our walk around the trail was slowed for some reason. He insisted on pushing. He's getting quite insistent lately.


Isabela got to be big sis' to a little sis' for a day. So sweet.


And the only sign of the beavers was this tree. Pretty cool, but a little too far away from the lake to do them any good, in my opinion.


I was wary of letting Diego get too far off by himself, but I was able to bring him back by yelling "bichos!" (it means bugs in Spanish). He's not that scared of them, actually, but likes to be near just in case.


Day Three, our Aunt Leah Ann came to visit and put on the best Easter egg hunt of all! I told her to make it hard for them, and she complied. They were stuck up the gutters, in the watering can, under bike seats.


I loved the rosaries she included in some of the eggs. And she even explained how to pray the rosary. FYI, they are not necklaces....only gang members wear them around their necks.


Yes, I need to cut those weeds.


And just so you don't think we always eat healthy...homemade donut holes: canned refrigerated biscuits, cut and rolled into balls, fried, then dipped in cinnamon/sugar or powdered sugar. There's something about sugar and bread that I just love.


I did a little sewing...I was trying to make a dress for Isabela that took me over a month, with stopping and starting and figuring it out. When it was done, she didn't like it and neither did I. So I whipped up this skirt in thirty minutes, and that's what she wore for Easter. The instructions are here. And anyone can make this.


CRAFTS: Mostly they involved dye and vinegar, but this bird nest wasn't too messy and turned out so realistic! Unfortunately, I can't remember where I saw it to link back.


CANDY: Way too much.....

...but so good.


EASTER on PARADE:

Definitely HOT. It was our first time going. While it was fun, I'm not sure it will become a tradition.


People, dogs, and even yard ornaments were dressed up.


These birds put on a good show.


And Joaquin caught a short line for an inflatable. But again, it was hot and snow cones were $3 each!


We ended our Easter break up all night with a screaming Diego...that can only mean one thing...an ear infection. And when I say up all night, I mean I finally went to Walmart at 4:45am to get some Children's Tylenol, only to come home to a silent house. I caught a few winks on the couch before the cat started meowing to go out. Then it was time to start the day.

I think I'm ready for a vacation.