Lions and Tigers and Garcias, Oh My!

We had a rare Saturday last month where we had absolutely nothing planned. It was really nice for Ramon and I to wake up and wonder about all the possibilities for our family with no practices to go to, no parties to attend, no trips out of town planned. It also happened to be the first weekend that the temperature was NOT 100 kajillion degrees outside. What to do? What to do? Ah Ha! A couple of months earlier- back in June- one of the parents from Sophia's softball team had given us free tickets for our entire family to the Dallas Zoo- including tickets to ride the monorail- SWEET! We packed the backpack, dressed the kids in comfy clothes, threw the stroller into the Yukon and away we went!

I was really excited to see the new Savannah exhibit that the zoo opened up earlier this year. Let's face it, the Dallas Zoo needed a face lift- it's really no secret. I was not disappointed! So happy to see that the elephants, giraffes and lions had some land to move around in. Before- they lived in these little matchbox sized pens- so depressing!

One of the highlight was feeding the giraffes- they just walked right up to us! So graceful! After we saw the lions, we rode the monorail around the new exhibit. We kept on making jokes about it getting stuck and then about three weeks later, we heard on the evening news that it did actually stop midway- full of people- who had to wait HOURS to be rescued.

On our way out- we stopped by the children's area where the kids were allowed to dip their toes into the water. Well, at least, that was my idea at the beginning. By the time we were done, both Diego and Carlos were soaking wet! Note to self- the next time we go to the zoo in warm weather- we are bringing swimsuits.

All in all, it was a great day trip- the kids had a blast and Ramon and I have great memories stored up. Thanks to our friend for the tickets!

THE BEST PAWTY EVUH!!!

... well, that's the way my four year old said it, anyway! Our little man Diego turned 4 in September (yes, I'm just a little bit behind here!) and boy, by the time kids turn 4, they totally understand what a birthday is all about. I mean, at 1, the party is more for the parents than for the birthday boy/girl. At 2, it's a good reason to get all of your playgroup together to celebrate but for the most part, again, the kid is completely oblivious. At 3, they start to put some things together that lets them know that something exciting is going on, but what that something is, they still don't quite know. But by the time the fourth birthday comes around, they GET IT. Big Time!!! We had a countdown with his calendar in his room- counting down each day until his party. He really wanted to have it at our house, complete with a pinata and water balloons, but I knew that a party at ASI would be a blast. And boy, was it ever!!! It was a Cars II themed party because like most little boys, Diego is obsessed with all things Lightening McQueen. Normally, I don't mind getting the house all decorated for a party but this time, I wanted to just sit back and enjoy the guests running around. I did the cake, though, and have to say for myself that I am really please at the way it turned out. After 40 minutes of playing in the gym, the yummy fruit kabobs and chex mix were a hit. Then, he got his requested chocolate cake. The best part of the day, to me, is when Diego just randomly screamed out, "This is the BEST PAWTY EVUH!".

My sweet Diego- words cannot express how proud I am to be your mommy. From the second you wake up and walk into the kitchen with your bedhead hair to the moment when you close your eyes after I sing to you goodnight- you are a special light in my life. I hope to celebrate many, MANY birthdays with you.

10 Years Later

I posted on FB a couple of days ago that I had to explain 9/11 to Sophia and Diego for the first time. She had to wear red, white or blue in honor of the 10th annivesary of our nation's tragedy. It was a really hard conversation to have with a six and three year old. I found myself tearing up as I told her about the "people with evil in their hearts" who took over the planes. I told them about the brave firemen who rushed up those two towers to save all the people trapped with nowhere to go. I described how the passengers of Flight 93 sacrificed their lives to avoid the plane hitting our nation's capitol. Now, keep in mind, I kept it child-friendly yet my voice caught countless times and I had a hard time looking into their sweet innocent faces. It went over Diego's head, and for the most part, Sophia seemed to have a hard time grasping it all, but I do think the she could sense my sadness and that it was a horrible time for our country. Something changed in her eyes for a brief second and I thought to myself,"I just busted her innocent world bubble." I hated being the one to do it, but who better but me? I always want their worlds to be all bubble gum and confetti but that is not reality. Afterwards, I felt this heaviness in my heart and I couldn't really pinpoint why until this morning. 9/11 is a day that changed our country and our world. But personally, that is when MY innocent world bubble was broken. That is when I realized evil truly existed. That war and danger and death were a reality here in USA and not just on some remote country that I saw on the nightly news. That the choice to be a hero when there is so much to sacrifice needed to be made. So many questions. I remember going to our apartment after work and turning on the TV and just crying. And crying and crying. Ramon was with me bc they made all who worked downtown leave work in fear of attacks around the country. Not a man to show much emotion, he sort of just sat there with this glassy-eyed expression as we saw hundreds of people walking across the Brooklyn Bridge- trying to get to their loved ones. I called my dad who, to me, is the voice of all reason and just asked WHY??? It was the one and only time he didn't have an answer for me.
Today, on September 10, 2011, I went for a run in the morning. The weather was crisp and cool- you could smell fall coming. Our neighborhood is decked out with American Flags and just looks so beautiful. In the quietness of the morning, in the beauty of the sunlight, I thought about how grateful I am to live in this country, to raise my children, especially my daughter, here in the land where anything is possible. I said a little prayer, thanking those who have given their lives for me. For my babies. I said a prayer for those innocent souls who, for them, Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001, was just another work day in NYC and D.C., just another day to take a flight back to their families and loved ones. For me, it was just another day teaching first graders. I left work a different person that day. I will never be the same. 9/11 made me grow up and still, ten years later, I'm reflecting how it changed me and what changes I have yet to make.

Ummm. Ew.

I wrote my post about potential a couple of days ago as I was going through this internal struggle about staying at home vs. feeling the need to work. I thought I would sit on it before I posted it. Then I had my annual nightmare. For the past 12 years, I have had nightmares that begin around the end of July and continue till, oh, around Labor Day. They all revolve around the beginning of school. Sometimes I will have a dream that my classroom is a total wreck and the kids are about to come in for the first time. Or I'll have a dream that I can't find important paperwork or data for a meeting. I'll dream about being locked in at school, losing it at a presentation, hellion kids screaming around the hallways, being late on the first day. I've even had a nightmare where I had a "wardrobe malfunction" at work. Last year I had the dreaded nightmare- like clockwork- but when I woke up, I just laughed and sighed with relief bc woo hoo! - I didn't have to go to work!!!
But this year, the dream was different. It was a Back to School dream, yes- but not at all like the ones before. This time, in my dream, Sophia and Diego were just about to come home from their first day of school. They get home and we are having our afternoon snack when Sophia starts complaining that her head itches. I look underneath her hair at the nape of her neck and there I find the all these lice eggs- huge, white eggs that are wiggling and jiggling around. I'm talking mutant-like lice eggs that were about an inch long and kind of transparent. Then I see these claw like jaws bite through the eggs. Ew! Then Diego starts scratching at his head and he has lice also!!!!! Just thinking and writing about this horrible dream has me itching all over!!
Thankfully- the alarm clock went off and I escaped the nastiest dream I have ever had. It didn't take me long to realize, however, that my subconscience has begun to transition with my conscience... I am no longer at teacher. I am a mom. A mom with a terrible fear of lice!

Potential

That's a heavy word. POTENTIAL. What is your potential? What is mine? Have I been living up to it? Lots of people have asked me how I have transitioned from being a working mom to a stay at home mom. Honestly, I was so sleep deprived last summer and into the fall that I couldn't even think about the change. It just happened. I truly enjoyed my first year "off" of working. Now I'm getting the question from various people: Soooooo, when do you think you're going back to work? Just like that. With all those o's dripping off the end of the word "so". It made me wonder if I should be thinking about going back. I even had to sit down and ask Ramon if I even NEEDED to think about going back. Can you say "paranoid"???

I guess I started to question if others saw me as slacking off- not doing my part in contributing to the finances. I don't want to be seen as the woman who lives off her husband's salary when she is perfectly capable of working herself. Now, I know I shouldn't give a rat's hiney about what others think about me, but after getting that question several times, it just made me wonder. I have two diplomas hanging on my wall in the office. And as embarrassing as it is to admit it, I'm not going to lie- I've looked at the list of principals my district currently has and think to myself- that could've been you, Ana. YOU could be doing x,y,z and making $$$ to go towards college funds, a newer car, a bigger house, etc. And, of course, there is a HUGE part of me that really misses all those kids who I've taught. There's a lot of work to do out there.... lots of minds to teach, lots of hearts to counsel, lots of kids to lead to better choices. Have I squashed my potential? I see lots of need out there. Many times I have thought to myself that I really need to master Spanish and become an advocate of some sort for Spanish speaking families dealing with Autism. There's just SO. MUCH. NEED.

And then I look into the eyes of my children. Sophia's brown curious eyes. Diego's big expressive eyes. Carlos' sweet innocent eyes. And I see my potential. And I'm brought down to the realization that I am where God has called me to be- with my little ones. They are my potential. They are my focus and I will not feel inferior again. I will not allow myself to feel as though I am not contributing to this family ever again. I will direct all my ambition and potential onto my children- all my love onto them because they need me here. And then when Ramon and I feel that they are fine without me at home- then I will meet my potential "out there". The fire is not out of me- it's just directed towards being the best stay at home mom I can be.

Puerrrrto Rrrrrrico

We had an AMAZING first family trip to Puerto Rico! Actually, the family wasn't complete because we left Carlitos home with my mom- which was a killer for me- but during the week we were gone- I completely realized that it was the best thing for us. Family vacations are a new thing for us. Growing up- we didn't go on family trips. No lake houses, no beach trips, never been skiing. I think my family went to Disney Land when I was little- there is a picture of me floating around hugging some Robin Hood character- but I don't remember it. Ramon's family went on trips- week long car trips to the mountains of Mexico to visit grandparents where the only way to get to the house you had to ride a mule. Leaves for toilet paper- that kind of thing. NOT a relaxing vacation. We've been wanting to take the kids somewhere but wanted to wait until Diego was a little bit older. Well, the timing was perfect. We chose to stay at El Conquistado Resort and it was so family friendly. After a day of flying and traveling, we arrived at the hotel in the late evening so the kids didn't get the full effect of seeing the ocean up close for the first time until the next morning. My favorite quote of the vacation was when I opened the balcony door, Diego said, "Mommy! Look at that swimming poool!" Sweet thing- he was pointing at the ocean!

We spent the first day in the pool and then getting to know our surroundings. The second day was BEACH DAY! The resort has a private island with a really sweet beach. To see my kids play in the sand, find shells and explore the shallow ocean water was a beautiful thing. It makes me so grateful that we are able to provide these kinds of experiences for our children. If you take your family on vacations every year, or if you have memories of going with your own parents as children, please, PLEASE don't take it for granted. I don't know if it was for financial reasons that my parents didn't take us places or if it was my father's health- maybe a little of both. I KNOW that Ramon's family would never have been able to fly to a beach and stay at a resort back then. I really don't want to get on a soapbox about it right now but it really hit me- what a blessing it is to be able to bring my children to a tropical paradise and to experience the world beyond Dallas, Texas. Did you know that there are children in Dallas who have never been downtown? That seeing the skyscapers is like leaving the state or country?

Okay- I went way off subject.... sorry!

The beach- they loved it! Sophia was so determined to find a starfish but had to settle for shells, coral and hermit crabs. Diego just wanted to splash in the water and dig in the sand. Ramon buried them in the sand and that was so funny! I,of course, just took advantage of not having to change diapers, clean the kitchen, fold laundry, and sat out in the sun reading on my Kindle! Just what this busy mama needed! Oh-and yummy beverages made it even better! We also took a walking tour of Old San Juan, which was just breathtaking. The colors of all the building were so vibrant and the architecture just took us back into history. We toured one of the island's forts and the kids really got into the history of Puerto Rico- especially at the mention of pirates! Boy, did we ever do some walkng that day but my two troopers kept up with us. I was so proud of how well they did because walking through the streets of Old San Juan was really more for Ramon and I- not a quite a kid-friendly day trip. We spent the last two days going back to the beach and spending time at the pool. We considered going to the rainforest but we were afraid that the kiddos wouldn't be able to "hang" with all the hiking. I was a little bummed about not going bc I knew they would've seen and heard animals not native to Texas and give them a better background of what a rainforest is all about. But the memories we made swimming with the kids in the ocean and playing with them at the pool will stay with us forever. Now, a month after the trip, it's neat to hear them talk to each other about Puerto Rico. "Hey, Sophia, remember when we saw the hermit crab?" "Yeah, and Diego remember when we hear the Coqui frog at night?" They want to go back and take Carlos with us. Well, actually, Diego really wants to go back because he REALLY enjoyed the buffet breakfast at the resort! Ha! My scrawny, petite little one chowed down on donuts, toast, bacon, sausage, fruit and all the cereal his little tummy can hold. And, of course, by the end of the 5th day in Puerto Rico, I was ready to come home to my Carlos. My arms were aching to hold him and I was missing his warm-I-just-woke-up-from-a-nap- breath on my neck. The plane ride home was long and rough (we had to be at the airport at 6:30 in the morning! GASP!). There is no place like home- especially when you have your sweet baby waiting for you. But we will hold Puerto Rico in our hearts because it was our first real family vacation. Now, the question is: Where to go next year?

Oh, this child!

I'm the youngest of three. I have two older brothers who are eight and ten years older than me. So I don't really have to put it out there, but I had it pretty sweet in terms of birth order. I was not only the baby, I was also the princess. My husband, on the other hand, in number 3 of 4. Right in the middle. He speaks of the horrors (I'm exaggerating just a little) of being the middle child. I look at our Diego and wonder if he feels any of that middle child syndrome business. Does he feel ignored, unimportant, passed over? I'll admit that he has a lower number of pictures compared to Sophia and Carlos. Ugh- I feel horrible about that. But man o man, this child of mine has such a personality. His huge eyes just express so much! He cracks me up constantly. He walks with such confidence and talks to people he meets at the grocery store like they're his best friends. When we are out and about, I hear people commenting to each other about my lil man- "Oh, he's so cute!" "Look at that little boy and his head of hair!" "He's going to be something else when he grows up". I seriously almost had to have words with these two ladies who would not stop talking about him. We were at the Fort Worth Stockyards and Diego was busy playing with his brand new corkscrew shotgun and I overheard them talking about him. Then they just kept going... "He's so handsome. Look at him. He's going to be gorgeous when he grows up. Look at him strut around. He is really cute." And on and on. It was kinda creepy. Diego is on the petite side but he will walk up to a group of first/second graders- start chasing them and stand up for himself. He doesn't back down. I love how he demands attention from those around him. I don't want him to ever feel ignored, unimportant, passed over. So here are my favorite Diegoisms that make me smile:

*Mom, I'm super duper hungwy.

*What would happen if a giant (insert whatever scenario you want here)- his favorite is what would happen if a giant stepped on us.

*Mommy- I don't ever want you to leave me because then I'll cwy.

* HEY- LOOK AT ME!

*When I gwow (grow) up, I'm going to be a hospital doctor. And Spiderman.

* Watch my head!- this he says when he is jamming out to hip hop while strapped into his car seat. His body can't move but he wobbles that head to the beat. Looks like a bobble head!

* Oh MAN! Not again!- to this he adds the open palmed hand slap to his forehead.

*Bubble bubble bubble guppie guppie guppies- his new fav show.

* I like shocolate. Lots and lots of shhhhhocolate.

365 days of lovin' this baby!

This picture pretty much says it all! YIPPEEEE! Carlos is 1!!!! Can you believe it? So I started thinking about how to celebrate his birthday a couple of months ago. The actual day of his bday was the day after school ended and Sophia and Diego both had a dance recital to get ready for so I knew that weekend was out. So I planned it for the weekend before and it turned out to be a pretty good weekend for it- Memorial Day weekend! I decided to go with a Fun in the Sun theme. There is something about a smiling sun that just makes me happy. We made it a small family affair. Ha! If you know our family- we don't come in small!!! But I really wanted it to be about all about my Carlitos. If I could write how much it means to me to have those close to me at my son's birthday party... I just can't put it into words. My children are SO loved and it just moves me to tears.

My sweet Carlos- you have been such a true joy! Every single thing about you makes my heart smile. You are a gift from God, a piece to the puzzle and one of the loves of my life. As I've watched you sleep in my arms for the past 12 months, I have come to realize the miracle of God's love for us- only HE could make me feel the way I do about you. Your smile, your hugs and listening to you laugh fuel me to be a better mother and a better person. I've said it before- it is such a privilege to see you grow and I cannot wait to celebrate all the milestones you have ahead of you. I will walk beside you, guiding you along the way.

Time flies....

...When you're having fun. Oh, and when you're sleep deprived!!! So I'm sitting here on our couch, this lovely June 2nd and I'm thinking about what I was doing/feeling exactly one year today. I was huge with Carlos and preparing for his birth the next day. There were no butterflies in my tummy. More like pterodactyls. My bags were packed, gifts for big sis Sophia and big bro Diego were wrapped. I showered, got my outfit for the next day ready. All my lists were checked off but, you know, it really doesn't matter how well prepared for a baby you are... even when it is your third child. Nothing can truly prepare you for the life change a new baby will bring. Carlos turns one tomorrow at 7:44 in the morning. The first three months were a blur, I have to admit. Thank goodness I have plenty of pictures to look at because I can not for the life of me remember anything that happened during the summer of 2010. The third child really tested Ramon and I in the beginning. Even though he was, and still is, such a calm baby- caring for another child really required us to take a crash course in teamwork. No more man on man defense, as they say! I am so blessed to have such a wonderful husband who stepped up to the plate to become so much more of a hands on dad. I needed to be with the newborn and he gladly fed, cleaned, bathed and read bedtime stories to the other two.

Sophia and Diego also learned patience and the art of nurturing for a young baby. Sophia is so, so, so good to Carlos- from day one she would sing to him and look out for him. She still is truly mesmerized by him. I found her playing with him the other day, all alone in his room. I watched her interact with him for a couple of minute and thought, "What a wonderful mother she will be when she grows up." My Diego was so mad at the beginning! I understand now that we really didn't prepare him as well as we should have for a new baby. He took out his anger on poor Sophia and me but never at his brother. He loved the idea of being the BIG brother and now loves to play cars and trains with Carlos. I can't wait to see their relationship blossom as they grow up together- my boys!

Carlos completes our family. I honestly cannot get enough of him. My arms feel empty when he's not in them- I miss him when I am away from him for too long. He is my chunky monkey, my fluffers, my squishy, mi rey, mi amor, mi bebe. I am proud to be his mother. I am honored to be his mother. I feel so blessed to be his mother. Happy Birthday, Little One.

I'll post pics of his party tomorrow. I'm sleepy. Carlos' top teeth are coming in and well, sleep is only but a dream nowadays....

Saying goodbye to my two friends

Okay. So if you really don't want to read about my thoughts on breastfeeding, then I'm giving you fair warning to stop reading this right now. Seriously. Right. Now.


I'm in mourning. My body has naturally weaned Carlos from breastfeeding. I was really trying to make it one full year but my boobs said NO MORE!!! I'm the type of person who once I have a goal in mind, I fully intend to committ to it and achieve it. So the fact that my body has gone behind my back and shut down the milk factory before I was mentally prepared really gets on my nerves. It all started in April when I could not get Carlos to sleep for more than 3 hours and it dawned on me that I wasn't producing as much as before. I tried to pump more, tried to feed him more and made sure I was drinking enough water but nope...it just slowed down. I know I could have tried some supplements but my mind just rationalized that Carlos would be one in just two months, so I should go ahead and start to wean him. But I just hate listening to my mind when my heart is kicking and screaming, not wanting to have this come to an end. Again, if I could have another baby, this wouldn't bother me so much but I'm not going to have another one. I'm not going to have this closeness ever again. It is just another slap in my face that this period of my life is over. Now, don't misunderstand me, I'm not the type of mommy who wants my toddler walking up to me asking for mid afternoon snack (if you know what I mean). That just doesn't sit well with me, personally. I guess I'm just trying to hold on to Carlos being an infant- a baby- for as long as possible. And I take great pride in the fact that I, ME, was solely responsible for his nourishment. I worked hard for it. It's not easy. That bonding, well, I just can't come up with the words to describe how beautiful it is. Now Carlos gets so excited when he sees a bottle. Boo.
And let's just discuss the physical sacrifices that I'm experiencing now that I'm no longer a member of La Leche League. Boo for having to buy smaller bras. Boo for my shirts not filling out anymore. Somebody find me a plastic surgeon. I miss my two friends.

Cheerios, Bananas and Mango- OH MY!!!

Soooo, where have I been?- you may ask. Let me tell you. I haven't been missing in some remote country nor have I been hiding under a rock. I've been stuck in the kitchen, cleaning the high chair. Yes, the high chair has taken up every single free moment of my time. Sweet Carlos has been eating cereal and Gerbers for about 5 months now and as long as I control the spoon all is good. But now that I have been introducing adult food to him, I have been sweeping, wiping, scrubbing, scraping every nook and cranny of the high chair. Breakfast, lunch and dinner have become the most dreaded part of my day because I know that me and that high chair are going to battle it out. Where, oh, where am I going to find hidden bits of chewed up tortilla or squished green beans? Those friendly, round Cheerios look so innocent and fun as Carlos picks them up and places them into his little mouth but no, not so much when I am scraping dried Cheerios off the floor. And just when I think that I have picked up each Cheerio, swept and mopped the floor, just as I walk away, there it is.... the sound that makes tears come to my eyes. CRRRRUUUUUNCCCCCHHHHH! I always manage to step on the ONE Cheerio that escaped my broom and mop. And don't even get me started on the slippery food... the banana, avacado, sweet potato and Carlos' favorite- mango. Eww-you think it feels gross to touch and handle fresh- just imagine what it's like to pick up and dig out mashed, slimey, hours old banana out from under the high chair cover. You know, I look at my youngest love as he sits in his high chair covered in whatever happened to be on the menu and I think to myself- SURELY, this is the messiest one yet. SURELY, Sophia and Diego were no where near as messy as Carlos. Then I started to look at some old pics and there it was...proof that Sophia and Diego did their share of making a mess. And I think to myself- in 7 to 10 years, when all three of them can make their own lunch and clean up after themselves, I'm going to be able to sit on the couch and watch TV without having to worry about cleaning that blasted high chair. But then, by then, (and probably WAY before then) I'm just going to miss dearly the time when I had a baby in the house whose food-smeared face smiled at me from above the tray of a messy high chair. I'm going tear up at the memory of wiping applesauce from between tiny, chubby fingers. My heart will ache when I realize that I don't have a baby to sit in the tub to scrub out peaches and pears from his soft hair. So take a look at my three babies at their best... Sophia at 9 months

Diego at 17 months

Carlos at 11 months

Over and Over and Over Again

I caught myself a baby bumble bee!!!

Won't my momma be so proud of me!!!

I caught myself a baby bumble bee!!!

Won't my momma be so proud of me!!!

Is being sung Over and Over and Over again by my little Diego in his high pitched 3 year old voice. Why, oh, why do some songs get stuck in our heads? The whole family went to Nordstom Rack the other day to find a bday present for my sis in law and we decided to split up. I took Sophia and Ramon had Diego and Carlos. Once Sophia and I were done shopping, we set off to find the other half of our family. It was rather crowded in the store but I had no problem finding my boys. How did I find them so fast? Because Diego was belting his bumble bee song from the top of his lungs. Most of the other customers were smiling. Most of them. :)

Holiday Traditions

Look at me... two posts in one day! I told ya I had a lot to catch up on! So one reason why I really liked Richardson when I was interviewing for a teaching job up here in the Dallas area was bc I just got this good ole small town feel when I visited the district. Being from a small town, I felt that by working for a district like RISD would help me adjust to living in Big D. I was right. It was one of the best decisions I've made. Now Sophia is a student at a RISD school and many of the places that we go to are in the Richardson city limits. This year, we started a, what I hope to be, tradition that brings back so many small town memories for me. Sophia was in her very first holiday parade this year with her dance company. The city of Richardson holds a holiday parade and I was so excited when I found out that Sophia would have the chance to participate. I LOVED being in parades as a child.... Kyle had the Fair on the Square and Buda has (still) Budafest. I mean, nothing brings a community together like a parade!! So I signed her up. She had no idea, really, what she was going to do, but I think that my excitement caught up with her. Ramon decided that his little girl was not going to walk by herself so he signed up to walk along with her. AWWW... he's such an awesome daddy! So that left me and the boys to stake out a spot along the street to watch her. We found a great place towards the end of the parade route and had to wait a good while for the parade to start and then make its way to where we were. It was cool to see all the businesses get involved, all the girl/boy scout troops being represented and of course, the bands!! Oooo- how my Diego moved to the drum line! And my sweet Carlos could only keep his eyes open for the first part of it... even with the bands playing, horns honking and people yelling out "Merry Christmas!", he managed to take a nap! Then came the moment when I knew my princess would be coming- Ramon sent me a text and told me to look out for truck pulling a roller-blading elf. Sophia's face when she saw us cheering her on was priceless! And then as they passed us, Diego realized that he was missing out on the fun and yelled,"PAPI!!!" and ran out to join the parade. Too funny! This parade might not have been on any tv channel but it really put me in the holiday spirit and was a great way to kick off the holiday season. I hope that we participate again is some way next year and in the years to come.

Such a slacker

I am totally dropping the ball on this blogging business. Ugh! I'm so disappointed in myself bc I really want this to be a way for me to record the everyday stories of my children. There are so many small details of our daily life that I find so fascinating, so hilarious, so meaningful but I never, NEVER remember to sit down at the end of the day to blog about them. So what have we missed since my last blog? Oh, just Thanksgiving, Carlos turning six months, Sophia's sixth birthday, Diego's Christmas program, Christmas, New Year's. I will do a better job. I will do a better job. I will do a better job.

Let me see what I can go back and remember....

Thankgiving was yummy. We went to Kyle to spend it with my side of the family. My cousins threw a surprise party for my uncle's 70th birthday that same weekend and all of us were WAY excited bc it was a 50's themed party and we all had to dress up. It was neat feeling all the excitement from my mom and my aunts as they planned the party. We busted out the poodle skirts, leather jackets and rolled up jeans. My sweet dad dressed up as Elvis (granted, he wore a classic 70's Elvis outfit, but we got the point!) and he looked so cute. He's such a good sport. My mom and dad were responsible for bringing my Uncle Benny in and he was so surprised. Oh, and we danced and danced and danced. It is a rare event to have Diego get worn out but we did it. Around 10:30, he stopped dead in his tracks and looked at me and said, "I want to go to sleep." For those of you who know my little Diego well- you know that he just KEEPS. ON. GOING. Here are some pics of the party.