The Najera Family

Grateful #4

2011-11-09T08:10:00.004-06:00

I am SO grateful for my beautiful children! Sure, they can be annoying at times, but they make my life so much better! I love them so much!!! Children are such a blessing in our lives, and I am grateful to have three, healthy kids!!!

Hopping on the Band Wagon

2011-11-03T15:45:00.004-05:00

Okay, I'm totally hopping on the band wagon today, and yes, I know I'm a little late. It is nice to be reminded of the things that we are grateful for, so I'll post one thing that I'm thankful for every day in November (or at least try to). Since I'm starting late, I guess I need to make up for Nov. 1 and 2. I already posted one for today. First, I'm grateful for my wonderful husband who sacrifices so much to provide for our family!! His job isn't easy, and the drive is long, but he does it out of love for his family. We have both learned to appreciate our time together as a family since he started this job!!! I'm also grateful for my job. I don't have to work to make ends meet for our family, but without my job, we wouldn't have an emergency fund, or any financial security. I love my students and I think I have the best job ever! It's been a huge challenge this year, though. I've been struggling with a crazy schedule, and trying to balance my time with Eddie. He goes to kindergarden next year, and I really want to spend as much time as I can with him this year before he goes to school!

Grateful

2011-11-03T10:38:00.006-05:00

I am SO grateful that I got hired to judge Middle School All-Region Band auditions this Saturday!! It's good money, but it just so happens that Saturday is Anna's last game, and I'm actually glad I'll miss it! If they win, they can clinch 3rd place in their division, if they lose, they have to wait on the outcomes of 2 games to see if they will place. I can't handle high-stress soccer! The games make me so nervous!!! So, I'll let Danny go to the game, while I keep myself occupied by judging, and wait for the text. Everyone say a prayer for the Panthers this Saturday! They need this win!!

Soccer Season!!

2011-10-21T12:50:00.003-05:00

I love this time of year! Soccer season is in full swing, and although we're super busy, we have a lot of fun! Anna has practice twice a week, and that means that the boys and I get at least three hours of park play time each week! It's been SO much more fun since the weather has cooled down, although the girls played much better in 100+ degree temps! This season the team hired a professional photographer to take their pics, since our last photographer/coach retired and moved out of state. We really miss Coach Chief, but this photographer gave us nearly 300 photos on a disk for only $20! I've posted some of Anna's best pictures, although I had dozens to choose from! The season ends in 2.5 weeks, and while I will enjoy having a free Saturday, the boys and I will miss our scheduled park play dates!

Random Update

2011-05-05T09:36:00.002-05:00

It looks like Anna's trying to strangle Eddie, but she's just giving him some love! Eddie loves to climb into bed with Anna and snuggle before I put him in his bed. He always begs to sleep with her! Anna is now taking piano lessons and loves to play the piano and practice her recorder for school!
Tommy is doing well in school, and his reading has improved drastically, but he has some major organizational problems! We're working on that. He's already grown an inch taller in the past 5 months!

Eddie went through a pajama phase back in winter and spring. He would wear them ALL DAY LONG! He even wore them to the baby-sitter's house a couple of times! I swear, I couldn't get him out of his jammas to save his life! He's now the complete opposite! If he could be naked all day he would! Now that he's potty-trained he actually sleeps better, and prefers his bed as opposed to the couch! He sleeps right through Tommy talking in his sleep! Yay!!!

Potty Training

2011-03-24T11:58:00.003-05:00

I hate potty training. I really, REALLY do. During spring break, Danny and I decided to just get it over with. Eddie is 3 1/2, so he's definitely old enough, but he just didn't want to even look at the toilet. Well, we took away the diapers right after Julie's wedding, and MADE him sit on that darn toilet! I definitely have to say this was my least favorite spring break of all time. It's time consuming to potty train a kid who's not that into it, and I nearly gave up at least 5 different times. There might have been some crying and hysteria involved, but we won't get into that. After dozens of accidents though, Eddie finally "got it" last Friday and he hasn't looked back!! He even gave up his night time diapers!! I have been so blessed with my kids and night-time potty issues! I wet the bed FOREVER, but NONE of my children have! Eddie even woke me up a couple of days ago at 1am so I could take him to the potty! Wow. He has been accident-free for 5 days, 6 if you include today! Yay Eddie!!!

Day 30

2011-01-31T11:26:00.002-06:00

My hopes, plans, and dreams for this year:

Well, this is the last of the 30-day blog thing. I hope that I continue to blog more and share what my family is up to. It's not been easy for me, but I've just got to suck it up and make time for it!

This year Danny and I plan to lose weight. It's our number one goal. We need to get in shape and become healthy role models for our children, especially Tommy!

We also need to get our roof and fence fixed, and re-seed our front lawn. We have been dreaming of getting new flooring for the living areas and re-painting the walls, but we'll see if that's in our budget this year. We would like to have our home in "for sale" condition by the end of the year. Not because we're planning on moving, but we'd like to be ready just in case. You never know.

That's about it. There's other stuff like: attending the temple more often, going on a family vacation this summer (ideas of where to go anyone?), helping Anna pass the TAKS, Tommy work on his organizational skills, and Eddie graduate from speech.

Day 29

2011-01-31T11:24:00.002-06:00

My Testimony:

I know the church is true and I know that the Lord hears and answers our prayers. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and I know that Thomas S. Monson is our prophet today. I know that I will be with my family forever, and I will see my loved ones again in heaven.

Day 28

2011-01-29T18:31:00.002-06:00

A person I love:

Duh. Danny!

Day 27

2011-01-28T08:08:00.003-06:00

A Place I Love:

Home.

Day 26

2011-01-27T09:30:00.006-06:00

A child I love:

I didn't post yesterday because of a sick kid, so you guys get two today!

I would be accused of favortism if I posted just one kid on here, so I'm posting about all three of my amazing kids! I love them SO much! Some days, one is easier to love than the others, but these kiddos totally rock my world. They each have their special talents and their own personalities.

Anna is artsy, loves to read, and can be really helpful when she's in the right frame of mind. She's also amazingly photogenic. This picture was taken by Mandie last fall.

Tommy is my videogame-aholic, but he's super sensitive and gives the best hugs! I discovered that I don't have many recent pictures of Tommy, mainly because he's in his "I'm a boy, so I'm going to make strange faces at the camera" phase. Oh well. I'll just have to work harder to get a good shot of him!

Eddie is my baby and always will be! He's such a great snuggler, but he's very independent-minded and strong willed! As I looked through the pictures I have of him, ALL of them had him with a runny nose!!! Good grief!

Day 25

2011-01-27T09:17:00.002-06:00

A funny (true) story:

When I was in high school, my sisters and mom volunteered at Concerts in Garden with the Fort Worth Symphony. We did it so we could see free concerts! It was pretty awesome. Anyway, these concerts are outdoors, so there are no bathrooms, just port-a-potties. There was one concert that we went to without fail: the super hero-themed concert with fireworks. It was always really good, but there were always lots of kids there! After my duties during intermission, I ran to the bathroom before the concert continued. I finished what I needed to do in the port-a-potty and went to open the door, but it wouldn't budge!! I pounded on the door and shoved it really hard thinking that it was just stuck, but the movement caused the port-a-potty to rock! For a moment I thought it was going to tip!! I panicked. Then I started pounding on the door yelling for help. A security guy opened to door with a scowl on his face. He told me that he found some boys putting sticks through the deadlock slots in the doors locking people in. He was going around taking the sticks out and chasing the boys away. I was really shaken and rushed back to my family. When I got back they asked me what took me so long, and when I started telling my scary story, I discovered that it was actually quite funny and ended up laughing hysterically with everyone else!

Day 24

2011-01-25T17:08:00.003-06:00

Something that makes me feel better:

Chocolate!

I love it! It makes me so happy sometimes! I know, it's not good for the diet, but I've found that one small piece of Dove Dark Chocolate can change my day!

Day 23

2011-01-24T08:16:00.002-06:00

A Travel Story:

Hmmm....I don't have anything super interesting. The most recent traveling that my family has done was to Austin and San Antonio last summer. Danny had a performance at UT with his trombone choir and the kids and I decided to tag along and go to Sea World after the conference. Well, the day we got to Austin was the day of the World Cup Final. We couldn't check into our hotel until 4pm, and the final was at 1pm. Danny had rehearsal and check-in that morning, and the kids and I had gone on a tour of the capital. We were tired and hungry and decided to look for a place to eat when Danny was done at noon. Danny called and drove around looking for a place that would broadcast the final, but he couldn't find anything. We finally decided a Burger King for the kids and went in. As soon as we walked in Danny saw that one of the eating areas had a large TV in it! He asked the manager if they could switch the channel to the World Cup and she was more than happy to oblige. After all, the entire staff at Burger King was hispanic! So, we spent more than 2 hours that day at Burger King watching the World Cup Final!

Day 22

2011-01-23T20:51:00.001-06:00

A Favorite Youtube video:

Well, since I spend zero time on youtube, I have no favorite! Yeah, I'm lame. Oh well.

Day 21

2011-01-22T11:30:00.001-06:00

Nicknames I have and why I have them:

I'm a few days behind, so here's two for you today!

My first nickname was Meme. Apparently, I said "me! me!" all the time, and it stuck. When I was around 8 or 9 I changed the spelling to Mimi, so it would be more mature. Nobody outside of my family called me that, though.

I was always Melinda at school, until 9th grade. There was a Belinda in the band at that time, and it started to get confusing, so one of my friends (I honestly don't remember who) started calling me Melly. Well, some people thought my nickname should be Millie instead of Melly, so I had a group of friends calling me Melly and another group calling me Millie!! It was crazy. By the time I graduated, I was back to plain old Melinda. Now and again, people will call me Mel, which I really don't mind at all, but for the most part, I'm Melinda.

My sister started calling me Milk at one time because I was the palest of all my sisters and I can't seem to tan like they can! So, she called me Milk, and I called her Dead Leaf for some reason.

Of course, I'm Mommy now to my kids and actually for a long time they called me MaMa. The Mommy thing took over after a while, and now Anna is calling me Mom, because Mommy is getting too baby-ish for her.

Danny just calls me Melinda. We don't have nicknames for each other and never have. No particular reason.

I know. Pretty boring, but there you have it!

Day 20

2011-01-22T11:17:00.004-06:00

A Favorite Recipe:

I don't like to cook. I REALLY don't. I have to be in a special mood to want to cook. There are days at a time where I refuse to cook and we eat frozen pizza or go out to eat. Seriously. But, I do have some recipes that are super easy, don't take much time at all, and I love! My kids LOVE this one! When I make it they run to the table and eat like they haven't eaten for days! You should see Tommy eat this! He seriously lowers his head to his plate and shovels the noodles into his mouth!

Alfredo

1 (12 ounce) package of your favorite fettuccine noodles
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
A pinch or shake of nutmeg
1 pint heavy cream
3 ounces freshly grated parmesan cheese

Boil enough water in a medium-large stock pot for a package of noodles. Add noodles and bring the noodles back to a boil. When boiling, again turn off the burner and cover the pot. Noodles will be done in about 12 minutes (or a little earlier if you like them al dente).

While the noodles are cooking, melt the butter in a deep saute pan over medium heat. Add seasonings and whisk gently to mix. Add the heavy cream and heat thoroughly. Sprinkly in about an ounce of cheese to the mixture stir to incorporate before adding more cheese. Repeat two more times.

Drain the noodles and gently toss them in the Alfredo sauce until coated. Transfer pasta to a warm serving bowl. Top with more grated cheese and serve immediately.

*My additions: I usually add garlic and herb seasoned chicken to the alfredo at the end. It's really yummy!

Day 19

2011-01-21T10:03:00.002-06:00

A Hobby of Mine:

READING! I love to read! I have a favorite spot in my house that I love to curl up on and just read! Now, I'm ALWAYS getting interupted when I read, but it's a great way to relax!

Day 18

2011-01-20T08:22:00.001-06:00

Put your iPod on Shuffle and Write 10 songs that Pop Up:

1. Monkey - Bush

2. She Is - The Fray

3. Super Mario 64: Slider - Super Mario Soundtrack

4. Queen Of Mars - Candace - Phineas and Ferb Soundtrack

5. Right Here - Miley Cyrus

6. Talk Show Host - Radiohead

7. Lady Marmalade - Moulin Rougue Soundtrack

8. Amor, Amor, Amor - Luis Miguel

9. Come, Thou Fount Of Every Blessing - Mormon Tabernacle Choir

10. Something Bad - Wicked Soundtrack

Day 17

2011-01-19T11:30:00.000-06:00

A Habit I Wish I didn't Have:

Well, I have many. Here are some that I'm working on this year:

Yelling when I get frustrated, and major impatience. Yikes. Not sure if it's technically a habit, but I think it is.

Eating when I'm bored. I'm really working on it, and hopefully it will lead to some weight loss this year!

Day 16

2011-01-18T16:04:00.000-06:00

A Photo of my Family:

I think this is the 3rd time this pic has been posted on the blog! Thanks Mandie!

Day 15

2011-01-17T09:55:00.001-06:00

The Next 3 Things on my Bucket List (not necessarily in this order):

1. Take the kids to Disney World.

2. Visit New York City!

3. Buy a new van or SUV! My current van is functional, but I need something with more than 4 cylinders, something that's NOT red (not a fan), and perhaps an SUV. I'm not really a van type of girl, but we'll see.

Day 14

2011-01-15T13:25:00.006-06:00

My Dream House:

When Danny and I were in Costa Rica we had lunch at the Los Suenos Resort right outside of Jaco, and just fell in love with the area. There's a large hill that overlooks the bay and there were these beautiful homes on it, and we always joke that if we won the lottery we would move there. So, we're dreaming, right? We found this one and it's beautiful! It has 4 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, and 3600 square feet for a cool $2.5 mil.

Day 13

2011-01-14T09:21:00.020-06:00

What I did today:

Well, this landed on a school holiday, so it's going to be way more exciting than a regular school day!

4am-ish - Eddie crawled into bed with me and Danny.

5:35am - My arm is killing me where Eddie is sleeping on it, so I scoop him up and take him to the couch. I get him something to drink, then rub his back until he goes back to sleep.

7:25am - Danny gives me a kiss and leaves for school while I am still snuggled in bed. The boys are already up and playing Gamecube in the office, and looking at Transformers online.

8:20am - Wake up and help the boys with their Wii game, then go back to my room and read my Joseph Smith book for 15 minutes.

8:50am - Go to the kitchen and fix breakfast for everyone, and break up a fight between Eddie and Tommy.

9:15am - Head to the office to check my e-mail and listen to Anna practice her recorder. Resist the urge to correct every little mistake. We work on reading notes and rhythms.

9:45am - Gather laundry from various corners of the house and start a load of darks. Do the breakfast dishes and start the dishwasher.

10am - Change Eddie's diaper and take him out of his pj's.

10:30am - Explain to Tommy that we can't make Eddie disappear and have him come back only when Tommy wants him to, and no we can't trade him in for a Wii game. Tell Anna for the 1000th time to get started on cleaning her room.

10:45am - Order Tommy's book order online. Yay for not having to write a check!

10:55am - Go into the living room to find that Eddie has taken off his poopy diaper and sat on the couch with his poopy butt. He also wiped his poopy hands on his shirt and carpet. I clean the couch and carpet and seriously consider running to Ikea for a new couch and Lumber Liquidators for new floors. Move the clothes from the washer into the dryer and start a new load so I can wash Eddie's poopy clothes. He has NEVER done this before!

11:05am - Listen to Anna cry about a missing charm bracelet. She screams and won't listen to me, and runs into her room still crying.

11:10am - Anna is still crying. Charm bracelet still missing.

11:20am - The boys pick out a movie to watch and I straighten the living room.

11:30am - Help Anna look for her bracelet and help her clean her room for a little while. She has stopped crying.

Noon - I make lunch for the kids, and start reading "More Perfect than the Moon".

12:30 - Switch the clothes from the washer to the dryer, and make lunch for myself.

12:45 - Anna practices her recorder again and yells at me and says the recorder is stupid. I only said her recorder is not broken, even though she swears it is. She's getting frustrated with her practicing. The movie is over and now the boys are playing Super Mario Brothers Wii.

1:15 - Put away some laundry and finally take a shower.

2:20 - Finished reading "More Perfect Than the Moon." and started watching the lat 2 episodes of the Sing-Off that I haven't gotten to.

3:00 - Anna played for me again and got mad and stormed off. She argued with me and is now being punished.

3:12 - Changed another poopy diaper, but this time he didn't get it all over the place.

4 - Just finished watching my shows (I really wanted Street Corner Symphony to win, oh well), and got the kids a snack.

4:30 - Call Danny and make dinner plans while the Eddie and Anna play in her room and Tommy plays outside.

5 - Meet Danny at Chick-Fil-A for dinner! Yum!

7 - Get home from Chick-Fil-A before Danny, and the kids bombarded Danny's car with snowballs when he got to the driveway. Yep. We still have some snow left! Crazy. Then let the kids watch Ninjago before bed. It's their new favorite cartoon.

Okay, so I'm going to end here. If I don't, I won't remember to post this tonight! Did any of you make it to the end?

Day 12

2011-01-13T10:11:00.006-06:00

A Favorite Quote:

Hmmm...I really don't have a favorite quote. There are several that I like, such as:

"Wagner's music is better than it sounds." Samuel Clemens

"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody." Bill Cosby

I was reading "A Little Princess" last year and this passage jumped right out at me:

"Never did she find anything so difficult as to keep herself from losing her temperwhen she was suddenly disturbed while absorbed in a book. People who are fond of books know the feeling of irritation which sweeps over them at such a moment. The temptation to be unreasonable and snappish is one not easy to manage. 'It makes me feel as if someone had hit me.'"

Day 11

2011-01-12T11:34:00.001-06:00

A Favorite Book:

Another tough one. I LOVE to read, but the book I keep going back to is Pride and Predjudice. I can read it over and over and not get tired of it!

Day 10

2011-01-11T16:19:00.002-06:00

A Favorite Food:

Hamburgers used to be my #1 favorite food, but that has been replaced by Chili's grilled chicken sandwich. It's SO good, especially with bacon, cheese, and honey mustard! Give me a good chicken sandwich anyday and I'll be happy!

SNOW!!!

2011-01-10T18:06:00.004-06:00

It snowed 5 inches yesterday, but before it snowed, it rained, then sleeted! Yikes! The roads were a little slippery this morning, so school was cancelled! I was actually really excited for a snow day!

Tommy made the best snowballs, but it just took too long for them to be perfect! He finally abandoned his dreams of perfection and pummelled us all with arm fulls of snow!

Anna gave Eddie this sled to play with and he put his doggy on it and dragged him all around the yard! He loved it until he discovered how to pull icicles off of the house!

We had a great time today! We didn't build a snowman, though. We tried but the snow just wasn't sticky enough! I was grateful for this snowday today, but I can't wait for the kids to go to school tomorrow!

Day 9

2011-01-10T08:58:00.000-06:00

A Favorite Movie:

Hmm....this is a tough one. I really don't have an all-time favorite movie, but I really love Emma, Ever After, and A Little Princess.

Day 8

2011-01-08T17:31:00.001-06:00

A Favorite Song:

My favorite songs change now and then, but one of my all-time faves is Green Day's Brain Stew. I love it! I think it's the guitars. A more recent favorite is Katy Perry's Firework. Her songs are really catchy, but most of her lyrics are trash. This one is WAY better than her others!

Day 7

2011-01-07T11:42:00.000-06:00

Something I Want to Buy:

New floors for my house!!!! The carpet in my home is only 7 years old, and most of it looks great except for the stuff in my living room! I would love to replace all the carpet in the living areas with a wood-type flooring!

Day 6

2011-01-06T09:35:00.002-06:00

Something I Bought Recently:

An iPhone. I love it!

Day 5

2011-01-04T16:26:00.002-06:00

Top 10 Pet Peeves:

1. I CAN NOT stand it when people say "me likey." You sound stupid when you say it, and I will forever think you're a moron.

2. Stupid drivers. I was stuck behind a driver who was going too slow, shifting a bit too far right or left, and tapping randomly on their brakes! I finally got around them to find that it was an older woman with a puppy ON HER SHOULDER, and she was petting it and giving it kisses! Grrr.....

3. My children cocking an attitude.

4. Students who don't pay, and parents who won't call me back!

5. Pee on the floor of my bathroom. Tommy is my number one offender in my house, and I hate the smell of urine! Blech.

6. School politics. They SUCK.

7. Stupid teenagers at the community pool who don't know how to follow simple rules.

8. Teenage fashion on 10-year-olds and younger. It's just wrong.

9. Gum smacking. I can't stand it.

10. Tom's shoes. I just don't get why they are so expensive and popular! I understand that he has a great cause and everything, but seriously, most of the shoes are UGLY.

Day 4

2011-01-03T08:09:00.002-06:00

Something I Crave:

Chocolate Chip Cookies! I LOVE them!

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T13:22:00.003-06:00

I really stunk at posting this year! Life just got in the way, and I let my blog slide. One of my resolutions is to blog more, so hopefully you'll see more posts next year!!

Cousins

2010-12-30T11:59:00.004-06:00

Anna took this picture a while ago, and Eddie obviously has a nasty runny nose, but it's a really cute picture. Carter and Eddie have a lot of fun playing together!

Day 3

2010-12-30T09:29:00.005-06:00

A favorite photo.

I have TONS of favorites, but this one is just so cute! It was pure coincidence that the kids had matching pjs!

Day 2

2010-12-30T09:16:00.004-06:00

A picture of me last year and now, and how I have changed since then.

I honestly don't remember why I took this picture, but it was sometime last January.

Life has been pretty much the same for us since then, except I've gained about 10 pounds! Yikes! I hope to work on that this year!! I also went from working one day a week teaching 7 students, to working 3 1/2 days teaching 19 students!

Day 1

2010-12-30T09:08:00.007-06:00

So, my sister, Missy, posted this 30-day blog thing, so I decided it will help me blog more this year! Here it goes:

5 Things That People Don't Really Know About Me

1. I don't know what I want to do when I grow up. Do I want to be a full-time teacher? Do I want to keep on teaching private lessons, or do I want to do something completely different? I have no clue!

2. I feel guilty when I throw something in the trash that should be recycled.

3. I really like Rihanna. I'm not usually an R&B type of person, but I've really been liking her stuff recently!

4. I love Cheerios.

5. Even though I'm a huge de-cluttering fool, I have problems with my closets. Almost every closet in my home is an unorganized mess!

Family Picture

2010-12-09T16:57:00.003-06:00

My fabulous sister, Mandie, took this picture for us a couple of weeks ago. I can't believe everyone's looking at the camera and smiling!!

Random Stuff

2010-10-21T18:47:00.004-05:00

Do you see this mess!?! It's awful. This picture was taken 2 months ago, and it hasn't gotten much better. The room and desk have even been painted and the bookshelf and bed are gone, but it's still a disaster area! Sigh...it's a CONSTANT battle with Anna.

I just realized that I haven't posted any first day of school pics! Here's Tommy at his desk in Mrs. Sullivan's room. Anna had her for 1st grade and loved her, so I am really excited that Tommy's in her class!

I don't have any pics of Anna at school because she didn't want to be embarassed by me. Dangit. Why does she have to grow up so fast?

Anna has really blossomed this year! She ran for student council and even did a speech in front of the entire 4th grade! She didn't win, but she had a lot of fun campaigning! The pic below was taken for her posters and fliers.

And of course, we can't leave Eddie out! He started pre-school at Lawson Early Childhood Center in September and started out pretty rough. He cried for the first week or so when I dropped him off, but now he's fine. The picture below was taken by Anna. Eddie was mad one day and went to his bed and cried himself to sleep. His special pillow must have slipped out from under his head and ended up on top of his head! It looks like he's wearing a weird blue hat! Anna and Tommy kept coming in and laughing at him, and I swear, Anna took 15 pictures of him like this!

I've been busy...

2010-09-10T10:46:00.002-05:00

This lovely bookshelf (above) came from Anna's room. It was used and abused, as you can see. It was a $10 Craigslist find, so I wasn't too upset about the condition that I found it in. We were going to put it in our garage sale, but I thought I could put it to use somewhere else in the house. So, I thought it would work in our back entry as a way to organize our giant mess of shoes (below). Unfortunately, the bookshelf was too big as it was and was an instant magnet for junk.
So, I tweaked it a bit using a jigsaw and black paint. I love it! The bins were a Target find for only $4.98 each!!! They were regularly $19.99 each! I already owned the jigsaw, pillows, and black paint, so my total cost was only $10! The bench is perfect for sitting and putting shoes on, and the kids use it as a way to reach their backpacks and jackets that are high on the hooks! What do you think?

Eddie's First Day of School!

2010-09-08T15:59:00.002-05:00

I have no pictures because we were in a hurry and it was pouring rain outside! Eddie was super excited to get to school this morning and had no problem with me leaving him! He made a new friend, Jake, and another one he calls "dookie". I'm pretty sure that "dookie" doesn't exist, but it's his new favorite word. Anna and Tommy just crack up when he says it, so he tries to work it into every conversation! Oh well. I just hope he doesn't say it at school! Eddie was really upset when I picked him up because he was soaked with rain, and it took me almost 25 minutes to get through the pick-up line! A trip to McDonald's and one happy meal later and Eddie was a happy guy! He can't wait to go back to school on Monday!

Trombone Lessons

2010-08-13T09:41:00.002-05:00

Tommy and Eddie love it when Danny gets out his horn to practice, so Danny thought it was time that Tommy started learning to play properly. The soprano trombone is just the right size for Tommy right now. This was from his first lesson. You can see from the first pic that he was puffing his cheeks, which is a major no-no in the brass world, so Danny worked with him for a while. You can see from the second pic he fixed the problem and had a great sound!

Happy Birthday, Anna!!

2010-08-04T10:31:00.003-05:00

Anna turned NINE today! Can you believe it? It hardly seems like nine years have passed! We love you, Anna! I'm so happy you're my daughter!

SeaWorld

2010-07-22T09:28:00.002-05:00

Eddie won a Shamu at the kids' midway. He carried it around all day! He was really good and stayed in his stroller when we needed him to, but by the end of the day he was exhausted!
Since it was raining on and off all day, attendance was pretty low. Anna and Tommy were able to ride the kid coaster almost 8 times in a row! They loved it! I took Eddie on it once and he was not too happy about it! He didn't scream or cry, but he did have a look of sheer terror on his face! Tommy was ready for a big coaster by the end of the day, but he was too short to ride. He missed it by 1/2 an inch!! I seriously took 5 pictures of them on the coaster, but Tommy has that same creepy smile in each of them! Sigh...

Papi and Anna on the river rapids ride. Anna didn't like getting wet, but since it was raining all day, you'd think she was used to it!

Of course the kids LOVED seeing Shamu. Shamu had a baby back in January and little Sakari made an appearance during the show. Anna couldn't get over how cute she was, and STILL talks about her! And Shamu looks pretty good for having a baby just 7 months ago, don't you think?

The kids gave our day at Sea World 2 thumbs up! We spent the morning at the water park, and even though it was raining we had so much fun! There were no lines for any of the water slides, and Anna and Tommy LOVED them! I took Eddie on a little one and he freaked out and cried all the way down! Oh well. He loved the kid pools, but started getting really cold after about 2 hours, so he and I took a break to warm up, while Anna, Tommy, and Papi played in the wave pool. I don't have any pictures from the water park because of the rain and all the wet. We had lunch after we were done at the water park and then we went to enjoy the shows and rides! The kids had a great time and we can't wait to go back!

Just Plain Creepy

2010-06-27T20:27:00.004-05:00

I have issues with this bear. He creeps me out. BIG time. I just think it is so wrong that teddy bears talk. He makes me want to run and hide and I really think his character in Toy Story 3 is so fitting.
But it's not just this talking bear that creeps me out. It's ALL talking bears. Remember Teddy Ruxpin? Ugh. Just his name makes my skin crawl, but the worst talking bear was the one from AI. Oh man. I had nightmares about him for days after I saw the movie! So there you have it. Talking bears give me the creeps.

Pink - by Anna Najera 4/13/10

2010-06-22T20:11:00.002-05:00

Pink is a newborn infant sleeping.

Pink is a spring dress a girl wears for Easter.

Pink is a satin ribbon for brown hair.

Pink is a butterfly flying in a garden.

Pink tastes like cold, pink lemonade that's sour.

Pink smells like a fresh picked rose.

Pink sounds like a little whisper or cry.

Pink feels like a washed cotton blanket.

Pink looks like a tiny little pearl or opal.

Pink makes me feel sweet.

Pink is my favorite color of all.

Day 8

2010-06-04T16:39:00.003-05:00

Yes, I know, I skipped day 7, but I have pictures to post from that, and I just haven't had the time to download them.

Today started out okay and went downhill from there. Eddie decided that Carter's head made a great nail for his hammer and wacked the crap out of poor Carter. Don't worry, Carter's fine, I haven't even seen any bruising. Then, Tommy decided that his hair needed to be more spikey, so he cut it himself with his safety scissors in the bathroom! Now, he has huge gaps of hair missing from the top of his head! Not long after that, Eddie started throwing up. Great. Not a good day. Mandie's kids have been fine, but a little whiney. I don't blame them. With the way my kids are acting today, I'm a little whiney, too!

Day 5 and 6

2010-06-03T10:44:00.003-05:00

Carter went into the office on Tuesday morning to get his juice, and less than a minute later he was in tears with blood streaming down his face! I have no idea what happend, but Carter was fine 5 minutes later and playing with Eddie. He now has a lovely mark right in between his eyes!
The honeymoon is over for these two, and they spend a lot of time fighting. There are some good moments when they actually get along, but it really helps to have the older kids around!

Yesterday was Tommy's kinder graduation. They did a great job singing their songs and the slide show was too cute! You can see Tommy in the front row in the dark green shirt.

Tommy LOVES Mrs. Woods and is so sad that she won't be his teacher anymore, but he is really excited that today is the last day of school! You can also see that he's lost his front two teeth!

UNDEFEATED!!

2010-06-03T10:32:00.003-05:00

Anna's soccer team went undefeated this year, even through their tournament!! Her coaches even put them in the top tier of the tournament, so they would have some major competition, but our girls are AWESOME! She's not on the Lady Pumas anymore because the team no longer exists, so we put her in the draft and she was put on the Panthers. I couldn't be happier with the team, and most especially, the coaches!! One of her coaches is the McKinney Fire Chief and the girls call him Coach Chief. He's so supportive and the girls love him! They played positions this year, and Anna never played positions before, so she had a lot of adjusting to do! She learned quickly and loves soccer now! I guess it doesn't hurt when you win every game!

Day 3 and 4

2010-05-31T18:03:00.003-05:00

Well, we survived church yesterday with no big problems. Eddie did whack Tommy in the head with a magnadoodle, but Abby and Carter did great! Abby was a little sad yesterday, and again this morning, so she went out with Anna to make a video for her mom and dad. Anna dressed her up in her Sharpay dress and did her make-up as well. Making the video seemed to help Abby's spirits, although going swimming helped out a lot too!

Day 2 photo shoot

2010-05-30T16:23:00.003-05:00

Anna loves her new camera (my old one) and decided to do a photo shoot with Abby. She started by doing a lovely makeover on Abby, and I'm just happy it didn't turn into a big mess! Anna is learning that less is more when it comes to make-up! After the makeover, Anna took photos, and let me tell you, Abby is a pro when it comes to posing!

Day 1 and Day 2

2010-05-29T13:18:00.004-05:00

I will be taking care of my sister's kids for the next 8 days. Abby is 4 1/2 and is ALL girl.

Carter just turned 3 and he is ALL boy. He is a charmer, though.

Mandie dropped Carter off at my house yesterday morning at 8:30, and I picked up Abby from school at 2:15. Carter adjusted really quickly, and even calls me mom! I guess it's not too bad, Abby calls me Aunt Ginny, so I'll take what I can get. So far, I have been able to handle it, but having 5 kids under the age of 8 in my home is difficult! Having a swing set in the backyard has REALLY helped. I promised my kids that I would buy one before Abby and Carter came, and it is a lifesaver! They do fight over swings at times, but it's SO nice to send them all to the backyard to play! Dinner time is really hectic, and Abby and Tommy both have bottomless pits for stomachs, so I have to watch those two pretty closely. Bedtime was not a walk in the park, but not as bad as I thought it would be, even though Carter and Eddie both had trouble sleeping.

Today was the first day that we have gone swimming as a family this year. I am always amazed at what my kids can do in the water, and Abby and Carter didn't disappoint either! It was nice not having to worry so much! Hopefully, tonight will go smoothly and we can get to church on time tomorrow!

Obsessive-Compulsive

2010-05-15T18:07:00.002-05:00

Yes, I am. I think. Okay, maybe just a little. A couple of weeks ago I decided that our front room was too "granny". I just hated the chairs, the wall color was blah, and I felt like I was in an old woman's sitting room. Not cool. So, I painted the walls. I love the green and it brightened the room up a lot, BUT the stupid chairs were still there and clashed horribly! So, Danny and I started looking on Craigslist, at Target, IKEA, and online for a replacement for those chairs. We found nothing that we could agree on, and we didn't really want to spend much money. I started looking at the chairs, how they were made, how the fabric was attached in some places and made up my mind. I would reupholster those suckers. And I did. I didn't plan on starting until the summer, when I had Danny's help and more time, but once I got it in my head I couldn't rest until I did it. I started on Monday morning, and finished up last night. It was a hard process, but I did it! I have never done anything this complicated, and with no help! Here's the before:

Yep. Totally screaming "Granny chair! Put some doilies on my arms!" They're not bad chairs. We actually bought them new, but mainly because they were only $50 each on clearance at Wal-Mart and we needed furniture for our home. The fabric was itchy, but the chair is actually really comfortable. It even reclines! Below is the after. I had bought the cordouroy at Wal-Mart for only $1 a yard years ago thinking I would make curtains for my living room, but I didn't have enough fabric to do it. So, I used some of the fabric for my office curtains, and had some left over. I started with the leftover fabric, but that barely covered one chair! I ended up taking down the curtains and using those too! In all, both chairs used TEN yards!

The picture below makes it look almost purple, but it's not even close to that color. I'm sure you can see all the flaws, but I think it looks WAY than before! What do you think? Don't be shy, I would love to hear what you have to say, good or bad.

Interview

2010-05-12T11:58:00.003-05:00

I have an interview in a couple of weeks, and I am SO nervous! McKinney HS is looking for a new tuba/euphonium teacher and I was hoping it would be as easy as sending my resume. Unfortunately, it's not. I have to go in for an interview and PLAY for Mr. Ringel! YIKES!! I've taught with Mr. Ringel before in Plano, and I think he likes me, but I'm hoping I don't screw this up!! Please pray for me! I really want to start teaching in McKinney!!

Anna, the Moviemaker

2010-04-26T18:38:00.005-05:00

I gave Anna my old digital camera, and recently she has discovered the video function on it. She knows how to make the "movie" and even take it to the computer and upload it! She's made nearly a dozen of her 10-30 second "movies" starring herself, Tommy, the plants in the backyard, Eddie, and almost anything else she can find! This is a cute one of Eddie and his artwork.

Bluebonnets!!

2010-04-19T18:49:00.004-05:00

It's been 2 years since we've had a family picture taken, and we've never had one done in the bluebonnets! My fabulous sister, Mandie, took these for us. Eddie was really sleepy, and didn't want to cooperate with us for our family picture, but I still like it. What do you think?

Eddie LOVES that gray shirt! He refuses to wear anything else! Oh well, at least we got a smile out of him!

The Farm

2010-04-14T11:17:00.002-05:00

For those of you who don't know, Danny was born in Costa Rica, and his dad had a large farm in Jaco, (pronounced Ha-ko, NOT Jack-o as in Michael Jackson!) a small beach town. One of the things I was dying to do was to go see where the farm was, and I was actually suprised, Danny was too, to see some of the buildings still standing! Below is where they used to keep cattle.

This is the creek that Uncle Mike nearly drowned in as a toddler!
This is the back of the building that used to house machinery. There is a family that actually lives here! We were suprised to see chickens in the back, and a little boy playing in the dirt! The family lives in the part that used to house some offices.

This is right next door! Can you believe it? It sits unfinished, and boarded up. Costa Rica was not immune to the economic crisis, unfortunately.

Here's the front of the large machinery shed.

It was fun to see where the farm was, and I was shocked by the size of it! When I think farm, I think a couple dozen acres, not MILES!

Volcan Irazu

2010-04-12T14:55:00.006-05:00

On our final full day in Costa Rica we went to Volcan Irazu. It's considered a dormant volcano because it hasn't erupted since the 60's. The area around it is fertile and very beautiful! We passed dozens of farms on our way to the volcano. It was in the low 50's, upper 40's up there, so we needed jackets. I'm so glad Danny's mom warned us before we left!

The crater is really big, and super deep!

The smaller crater is still really big, but not near as deep.

The clouds started rolling in about an hour after we got there. We were grateful that it was clear enough to see the craters!

We paused for a picture on our hike up to the upper observation deck.

The leaves on this plant are HUGE, and very rough to the touch! This is actually one of the smaller ones that we saw!

We climbed up to the highest observation deck, and I swear I was going to pass out! The air was so thin, and the path was super steep!

The clouds starting to roll in.

A sulphur cloud. Yuck. It smelled like rotten eggs up there, and the ground felt like Texas asphalt in the middle of summer! It was HOT!

Danny got this great shot of the crater by holding on to the railing and leaning over as far as he could with his arm outstretched! I was really nervous. Not for Danny, but for my camera!

Photography

2010-04-08T09:15:00.003-05:00

Yeah, I know, I totally suck about posting on my blog!

Anyways, I got a new Cannon Digital Elph for Christmas and I was excited to use it on our trip! I'm no photographer, nor do I want to be, but I did want some good pictures! Well, it took me a couple of shots to figure out the settings in order to have some good pictures! Sometimes the facial recognition would zoom in on something in the background and the subject of the shot turned out blurry! Check out my first try below:

So, I switched up the settings a little, and here's my second try:

Not bad. Those are bougainvilleas, by the way, the namesake of the FABULOUS hotel that we stayed at in San Jose. There is a gorgeous garden that surrounds the hotel and we ended up spending a lot of time out there! It was so beautiful! I finally got it right on this shot:

Isn't that such a beautiful flower? The garden was filled with such beautiful flowers and plants! There were several plants that I have never seen before, and several that we see all the time here in Texas, but they were 10 times BIGGER!

Our Newest Friends

2010-03-26T20:59:00.003-05:00

So, I will start my blog posts about our trip to Costa Rica by going backwards. To make a long, frustrating story short, we missed our connecting flight to Love Field out of Houston, and the next available flight was cancelled on Friday night (which happened to be the last flight of the day), and the next available flight wasn't until SUNDAY!! I was frustrated, and apparently, so were these other four people. From left to right we have, Anita (FUN FACT: she has perfect pitch), Danny (of course), Debbie, Kim, and Mitch. Danny and I rented a van and drove these four strangers back to the metroplex with us! They paid us, of course, but they really had no choice. None of them had a driver's license and they were essentially at our mercy! Debbie and Anita are both teachers in Grand Prarie, Kim was a tourist from Korea and spoke very little English, and Mitch is from California and was flying to Dallas to visit his dad, who lives in Keller. We had, suprisingly, a really fun trip home! Mitch was hilarious and kept us laughing most of the way, and it was fun getting to know these other people! We dropped Mitch, Anita, and Debbie at Debbie's house in Grand Prairie, where Mitch's dad met us. It was past 2am by this time, so we drove Kim to his hotel in Dallas where he was going to catch a shuttle to DFW. His shuttle was to leave only a few hours after we dropped him off! Poor guy! He was trying to sleep on the way to Dallas, but I'm not sure he was able to! We still don't know for sure if he caught his flight and made it home safely! Danny and I then drove to Mandie's house in Wylie and crashed on her couch, and Carter's bed! We were so tired, but SO glad to be back!

Danny claims that this was all my fault. Why, you ask? Because I'm not a huge fan of flying, and for some reason, I had a lot of trouble on our flight from Costa Rica to Houston. It was really bumpy, and the landing was terrible! I groaned when we got off the plane and said, "we have to do this AGAIN in less than an hour!?" Danny said, "well, what do you want to do, rent a car and DRIVE home? That doesn't sound fun to me! I'd MUCH rather fly!" Well, we ended up doing just that, and had a great time doing it. I would have much rather flown, but at least I got home in time to see our crazy snow storm, and now we have a funny story to tell our grandchildren!

We have some winners!

2010-03-03T09:17:00.002-06:00

Thanks everyone for the love! I didn't realize that some of you actually read my blog! I have been super busy the past couple of days, so I'm sorry this is a little late. Tommy was diagnosed with strep and a double ear infection on Monday. I would have never taken him to the doctor, but in the middle of the night he woke up with a 102.4 temp. The next morning he was fine, said that nothing hurt, and he could go to school! So, I sent him to school, called the doctor, explained what was going on, and they said they needed to see him. When the doctor was examining him, she looked at him and said, "hey, bud, you shouldn't be so happy. It looks like you should be in a lot of pain. Does anything hurt?" Tommy looked at her and smiled and said, "nope!" Crazy kid. Especially since after taking the first 2 doses of medicine, he was feeling lots of pain, was super tired, and didn't want to eat! Oh well, he's at school today, and Danny is home sick. Danny thinks he has a cold, but I'm afraid it could be strep. Dangit.

Anyways, our winners are: Damaris, Ginny, and Chrystal! I'll get you your prize as soon as I can!

300!

2010-02-25T12:04:00.002-06:00

I guess I didn't realize that my last post was my 300th! Wow. I can't believe I've had so many posts! To celebrate, I would like to do a little giveaway. Since I have had 300 posts I would like to award three lucky readers a little token of my appreciation! It won't be something big, so don't get too excited! Just leave a comment on this post, with your e-mail address, by Monday, March 1st! Here's to hoping more than 3 people read this blog!

A little sad

2010-02-24T09:27:00.003-06:00

Anna and Tommy were both placed on new soccer teams this year. It was so sad for us all! Their teams have ceased to exist due to low numbers of returning players and no coaches. I have been in contact with the team manager for Anna's new team, the Panthers, and she sent me a picture of what the girl's uniforms looked like. When I opened the e-mail I was suddenly REALLY sad. She sent a picture of the Panthers playing the Lady Pumas, Anna's old team! (She had no idea that was Anna's team, by the way.) You can see the fabulous Tayte on the far left in the pretty pink and black uniform. Anna LOVED those uniforms, and so did I! The pink was the perfect shade and it was the best looking uniform in their age bracket! The Panther's uniform is green. BRIGHT green. Anna doesn't like green. And to make matters worse, Anna doesn't know a single girl on the team. Great. JUST great. This will be an interesting season.

My Happy Song

2010-02-19T16:34:00.003-06:00

My most recent happy song is "Fireflies" by Owl City. It just makes me smile everytime I hear it! Do you have a happy song? Please share!

Early Morning

2010-02-11T08:21:00.002-06:00

I've been up since 6am. Eddie woke up early, and I stayed up with him watching the school closings hoping that school would be cancelled for the kids and Danny. No such luck, but Anna woke up with a fever, sore throat, and awful cough. She gets a snow day, while Tommy and Danny both have to go to school. It certainly is beautiful outside, though!

Eddie's Speech Progress

2010-02-10T14:33:00.003-06:00

Eddie had his one year review last week for ECI (Early Childhood Intervention). Last year, when he was 18 months old, these were his scores:

Cognitive - 16 months
Communication - 10 months
Social Emotional - 29 months
Physical - 16 months
Adaptive - 15 months

As you can see, he was all over the place, but he was consistently behind in every category except one. He has made huge improvements this year, and we've worked pretty hard to get where we're at right now. It's really fun to see how much he learned in the past year! Here are his scores at 29 months:

Cognitive - 29 months
Communication - 24 months
Social Emotional - 35 months
Physical - 32 months
Adaptive - 33 months

He is now only 5 months delayed in speech, and only has 3 things that he needs to work on in order to catch up!! He is now caught up in everything else! His speech therapist is confident that in 6 months he will no longer need services! This is AMAZING! Tommy is still in the need of speech services, so I feel so grateful that Eddie is doing so well! Yay Eddie!

Picture of the Day

2010-02-07T20:43:00.001-06:00

This is what Tommy looked like before he pelted me with handfuls of snow! Last December was awesome!

Picture of the Day

2010-02-02T20:07:00.003-06:00

Classic Eddie. He drives me nuts sometimes, but I love my little guy!

Catching Up

2010-01-29T13:18:00.002-06:00

The kids wouldn't have even gone out into the snow on this day, but our neighbors were out in their front yard building a snowman, and the kids just HAD to go out too! I'm SO glad we went out! We had a blast! Tommy's favorite part was making snowballs and throwing them at everyone!
Our snowmen were really dirty because we had so many leaves in our yard, and the snow was so WET!

Eddie and Papi took off for a long walk down the street. Well, actually Eddie took off down the street and Danny followed, but it was such a beautiful night they both enjoyed how peaceful it was! Eddie just loved the snow, but he didn't love how cold it was! Danny would periodically blow on Eddie's hands to warm them up. We didn't have any mittens for him!

This is actually the snow that we woke up to on Christmas day. Anna was the only one who wanted to go out in it. The boys were too busy playing video games! It was hard and icy, and not much fun to play in! It was NOT fun to drive in, either! We had a rough trip on the way home from Abuela's house Christmas Eve. The drive is normally about 30 minutes, but it took us almost an hour to get home! The roads were super slick, and we were SO grateful to get home without any problems!

Our little cactus did not like the snow one bit! We forgot to bring it in this winter, so we're not sure if Spikey (yes, we named the cactus) is going to make it to spring!

I'm a slacker

2010-01-23T12:28:00.003-06:00

Yeah, I know. I haven't blogged in a month. I have a TON of pictures, but I've just been too lazy to download them to my computer. I'll try to post something worthwhile later, but right now I have to deal with Anna, who has strep, Tommy, who has been grounded from video games because his behavior at school has been TERRIBLE, and Eddie who is still sick with a cold! Sigh...it's going to be a LONG day!

Looking for some inspiration...

2009-12-30T08:54:00.002-06:00

My bedroom is ugly. Okay, so it's not really ugly, it's just not pretty. It's not a room I walk into and feel like it's my sanctuary. It has outdated furniture, and an ugly clock, and too much gold, oh and black curtains I made when I found out we had a peeping tom! I want something peaceful, and pretty, but not frilly, girly. I want to paint the walls, replace my headboard, maybe repaint my dresser, or even get a new one, get a new comforter, shams, bedskirt, maybe re-upholster(why does that word look weird to me?) my chair...the list goes on. Any ideas of what I should do? Any pretty rooms you have found online to give me some inspiration? I don't even know what colors I want or anything! I would love to hear/see your ideas!

ANOTHER conversation with Tommy

2009-12-08T18:16:00.002-06:00

Setting: The kitchen, early this evening.

Tommy: I want milk.

Me: I want milk, what? (trying to get him to say please)

Tommy: Oh. I want milk, poe low bowl.

Me: WHAT?!

Tommy: I want milk, POE LOW BOWL!!

Me: Poe low bowl?

Tommy: You know! Poe low bowl, please in Spanish!

Me: You mean, por favor!

Tommy: That's what I said!

A Conversation with Tommy

2009-12-04T12:39:00.004-06:00

Setting: Early this morning in the living room

Tommy: You have to be friends with a girl before you can marry her.

Me: Sounds good to me. Who told you that?

Tommy: Cambree. So, I'm not going to marry her anymore. I don't want to be her friend; I just wanted to marry her.

Oh dear.

SNOW!

2009-12-02T20:52:00.002-06:00

I woke up this morning to see snow outside! I was so excited, so I ran to get the kids up. They dressed in record time (I wish it snowed every morning!), and rushed outside. Tommy was the first one out, and Anna was not far behind. They had a short snowball fight, and headed inside for some breakfast. They were freezing but VERY happy! Eddie was content to watch from the door. He did NOT want any part of the snow! After I got the kids to school, I made a small snowball and threw it at Eddie. He thought it was hilarious, and finally started playing in the snow. The snow only lasted an hour on the ground before it started to rain, but it was a great start to our day!

Randomness

2009-11-14T21:40:00.002-06:00

We got hit with a stomach bug this week. Eddie first on Wednesday, Anna and Tommy on Thursday, and me on Friday. Danny escaped it.
Anna went to an 80's party tonight. It was fun to dress her in a totally outrageous outfit that I would have loved to wear when I was a kid.
I pulled nearly 100 iris bulbs from my back flower beds. They had multiplied so much, and had so little space, that they were growing over the cement into the driveway!
My fence needs some minor repairs and a major paint job. Anyone want to come help?
Anna and Tommy missed the Patriotic Parade on Friday. They were sad, but we were able to listen to it from our backyard. It would have been Tommy's first parade.
I can't wait for the cold front to come! Warm weather in November stinks.
I'm getting my first MaryKay makeover on Wednesday morning. Anyone is welcome to come watch and get made over themselves! Bring your kids!
I can't wait for Black Friday!
High School All-Region is coming up and I'm nervous about how my students will do.
Eddie has not slept through the night since he had the flu. We can't get him to sleep all night!! Any suggestions?

Yay! It's November!

2009-11-02T14:02:00.002-06:00

I am SO glad that October is over! Danny and I both agree that this past October was the worst in our history together. It was bad. VERY bad. For those of you who don't know, it all started with a spray painted tuba. I won a tuba on e-bay, only to discover the loser previous owner, spray painted a silver-plated tuba silver! What the heck!? Two days later, Tommy came down with swine flu, and 2 days later Eddie got it. Tommy went back to school that Thursday and Friday, only to be sent home the next Monday because he was throwing up! He threw up for 2 days, got really dehydrated, went to the doctor, they thought he had appendicitis, sent him to the hospital for some tests, turns out he really was just constipated. He remained constipated for 3 days until we got things moving again right before Kyle and Damaris' fabulous wedding. The day after the wedding, my wonderful mother had a heart attack, and would have died had my fabulous sister gone to check on her. Later that week, Eddie came down with the same virus that Tommy had the week before. Not fun. We thought it was all over, until last Thursday when I got a call from the nurse at Anna's school saying she needed to see the doc, ASAP. She had a massive infection on her right foot, caused by an ant bite, that made it swell to almost twice the size and had track marks up her leg. And finally, the month ended with two TERRIBLE soccer games that my kids played in, and lost miserably. Sigh...I have so much to be thankful for this month, though, and I'm glad that my children are all well again, that I have plenty of money in savings to cover all of our medical bills, and that my tuba is getting repaired, for FREE, thanks to Danny!

Check out this giveaway!

2009-10-20T12:46:00.006-05:00

I know some of you out there are in the need of a new faucet somewhere in your house, especially me! Check out this great giveaway on One Project Closer. I would totally choose the Mystique faucet if I won. Which one would you choose?

I need a vacation. NOW.

2009-10-19T16:48:00.005-05:00

I have yet to get a full night's sleep. Eddie has been waking up in the middle of the night and it's been really hard to get him back to sleep. He's not been sleeping well, and is insanely cranky. The flu just wore him out and he's still recovering. AND he just hit his head on the coffee table and has a golf ball sized bump on his forehead!

Because of that darn flu, Danny and I spent the day Saturday completely disinfecting the house and all the toys in it. It took all day, but we were so happy to have a germ-free home! I was finishing up with some cleaning this morning and got my stuff together to teach tomorrow. Then, I got Eddie dressed and we went to playgroup. Eddie was hopping up and down in his car seat because he was SO excited to get to the park today! The poor kid has been cooped up in the house for the past week, so he totally deserved a couple of hours at the park. Sadly, it wasn't meant to be. Only 5 minutes after we got to the park my cell phone rang. As soon as I heard Nurse Shannon's voice, I knew I wasn't going to be happy. She informed me that Tommy threw up during snack time and I needed to get him as soon as possible. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Eddie was really upset that we had to leave and I was so frustrated. I thought I was done with sick kids for a while! I thought I would be able to teach tomorrow! Grrrr....I just want to get a full night's rest, have all my kids healthy, my home germ-free, and my schedule back to normal!

Flu Update

2009-10-14T09:03:00.002-05:00

Tommy is now completely over the flu. He's been fever-free for more than 24 hours, and he's doing great. He was a bit tired last night and crashed on the couch way before bedtime, so I decided to play it safe and keep him home again today. He was SO mad that he couldn't go to school, and Anna was SO mad that she had to go!

Eddie, on the other hand, is not doing so great. He was diagnosed with N1H1 yesterday and WOULD NOT take Tylenol or any other fever-reducing medicine last night! He was burning up and miserable and we finally just had to hold him down and forced it in him. He also has a nasty case of croup which is pretty rough combined with the flu. He has Tamiflu, but he refuses to take it, so I've been hiding it in his juice. I haven't had much sleep, and I'm completely exhausted.

I took the kids to get their flu shots yesterday, and I went first to show them that it's not too bad. Tommy screamed his head off and Anna hid in the corner! Wimps. Hopefully, we'll be flu-free here soon, and I can have a full night's rest!

Oink, Oink

2009-10-12T13:00:00.000-05:00

Yep. Tommy has the N1H1. It sucks.

5am

2009-10-12T09:52:00.003-05:00

At 5am Sunday morning, Eddie came into our room just crying and crying. He went to Danny's side of the bed, which is VERY odd, and wanted him to get out of bed. Danny did, and followed Eddie to the living room, where he tried to console him, but he was still crying and was really upset. Eddie grabbed Danny's hand and led him into his room and pointed to Tommy's bed where Tommy was coughing and throwing up. Eddie was really upset about what was going on with Tommy, but he calmed down as soon as he saw that Tommy was okay. Isn't that interesting? Eddie is such a loving and caring little guy! Also, when Tommy was asleep on the couch yesterday, Eddie would come up to him and touch his face, and pet his tummy, and then walk away. How sweet! Tommy's fever ranged from 100(with tylenol)-103.3(without tylenol) yesterday, and he complained of a tummyache and a sore throat. He's a little better this morning, but still woke up with a high fever (102), so we're taking him to the doctor in a couple of minutes. I was really happy to actually get an appointment with my doctor today, and I didn't even have to settle for someone else in the practice! I had to wait on hold for at least 10 minutes before I could talk to somebody just to make an appointment because they were SO busy! I'm crossing my fingers that he just has strep because that's fast and easy to treat.

Dear Vacuum,

2009-09-25T11:31:00.002-05:00

I have been wanting to write this letter to you for a long time. A VERY long time. I remember the day that Danny brought you home. You were a pleasant suprise. Our faithful Dirt Devil had bit the dust, and we needed you desperately. I loved your HEPA filter, your self-propelled goodness, and all your gleaming tools. You were great. You sucked up all the stuff our kids left behind. Even mounds of sand from the sandbox. But times have changed. You've gotten older, and every time I use you, strong emotions come flooding to the surface. I can keep them in most times, but sometimes they just come out in bursts. Like last week, when I screamed at you, "Why can't you just suck up that stupid cheerio? Dangit! Why? WHY??!" I know it's not your fault. You are an inferior vacuum. You were from the start, but we didn't realize it until you started getting clogged every time we used you. You are a piece of crap. Everytime I see you I feel like hurtling you out the window, or putting you in the driveway and backing over you a couple of dozen times. Yes, these are strong emotions towards a vacuum, but I require your use almost daily, and with three kids, you just can't keep up. Today, I brought home a new, shiny vacuum. One that has less bells an whistles than you, but with consistant 5-star ratings from several sources, I feel I can trust my new vacuum much more than you. I will not donate you to Goodwill, or throw you in the trash with the 3-day-old diapers, though. I will put you in the garage to help us clean out our cars. The ONLY good trait you have is strong hose suction. I wish you the best of luck in your new role in our home. If you even think about losing your hose suction, though, we WILL let you rot with the diapers.

Sincerely,

Melinda

disapointment, frustration

2009-09-15T17:02:00.004-05:00

So, this past week has been full of first, disapointment, and now extreme frustration. Last week, I learned that my HS friends got together for dinner. ALL OF THEM. Except me. I was so upset that they didn't ask me to come! I know it's silly, but I still enjoy spending time with them. I just don't understand why I wasn't invited. We all live in the metroplex, and I may live a little out of the way, but I'm not too far! They have my e-mail address, I'm friends with them on Facebook, I mean, there's a way to contact me, even if they don't have my phone number! Sigh...it SUCKS to be left out.

So, my frustration has come because one of my students decided that he didn't want to take lessons from me anymore and has gone with another teacher. He told me TODAY when I went to his class to teach him! Come on! Give me some notice! I didn't even get a phone call or an e-mail from his mom! This is the SECOND student that I have lost to this other teacher this year! I'm so frustrated! I'm a great teacher. I am, at least I think I am, and I've had success with several of my students. It's hard when I teach a kid one week, and suddenly he decides to go with another teacher. I'm angry that I lost a student, and the income from him. The other teacher has 5 times MORE students than I have. I need this kid's money! I am struggling to fill my ONE day of teaching, and this guy has 5 FULL days! Grrr....

And there was a bunch of crap that happened in between. It's just not been a good 7 days. The sun is finally out, so hopefully that means things will change. I sure hope so.

My 16 cent project

2009-09-04T09:18:00.005-05:00

I found a couple of great letters at Garden Ridge for 90% off, which made them only 16 cents each, with tax. Unfortunately, the only letters they had were Q and X. What do you do with a Q and X you might ask? You make some book ends! I grabbed some scrap wood from the garage, sanded it down, and cut it to size with my trusty little saw. It took me forever to cut the wood, but I got a great workout! I painted the wood black, screwed it together, and hot glued the letter on. It was super easy!

What do you think? I know it's not stellar, but hey, for the price, you really can't beat it, and it looks WAY better than what I had there before:

This lovely bookend was a whopping 50 cents at Ikea, but it leaves a lot to be desired! I love my new book end and can't wait to finish my other one!

The First Day of School!

2009-09-04T08:57:00.003-05:00

Tommy was SO excited for school!!

Look at my THIRD grader! Can you believe it? Anna has to meet out in the portables, so she doesn't have a beautiful classroom like Tommy, but it does the job.

Tommy walked into his class and was so excited to see them working with play dough! But, he first had to find his friend Isabelle before he could feel comfortable in class. Isabelle is a friend of Tommy's from church and lives just around the corner from us, and thankfully is in his same class at school!

Yeah, yeah, I know this is 2 weeks late. I've been a lazy blogger lately. The kids' first day of school went fairly well. We ended up leaving the house 15 minutes later than I wanted, and the walk took a long time because Tommy got really tired and he kept on stopping. We got there just as the bell rang, but I was able to walk Anna and Tommy to class with no problems. No tears. Not until the end of school, anyway. Tommy cried everyday, at the end of school, the entire first week because he was tired and hungry and just wanted his mommy. This week has been much better!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EDDIE!!!!

2009-08-31T09:00:00.003-05:00

Today is Eddie's birthday! I can't believe that this guy is alread 2 years old! He has brought such joy and happiness to our family, and we're so grateful that he's ours! He had his check-up last Friday and is in the 19% for weight and 45th% for height! He's definitely growing, but he's not my chubby baby anymore. It's bittersweet to see my children grow up. We love you Eddie!

Anna's Baptism

2009-08-26T09:44:00.002-05:00

I know, it's been a long time since I posted, and this post is super late, but Anna got baptized on August 8th! It was a great day, and it was so wonderful to have so many family members there! I'm grateful that Anna made the decision to get baptized, and that Danny got to baptize her. The spirit was strong and hopefully, it will be a day that Anna never forgets! I was in a hurry, so I forgot my camera, but my mom got this picture of our family after the baptism. Tommy hates having his picture taken, so I'm trying to restrain him. Hopefully, I can get some more pictures from other people who were there and actually remembered to bring their cameras!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ANNA!!!

2009-08-04T16:13:00.005-05:00

My "little" girl is eight-years old today! I can hardly believe it! I love you Anna! I hope you have a fabulous day!

Anna's Room

2009-07-21T09:20:00.004-05:00

Last Friday, 3 of my wonderful sisters and my mom, came over and helped me and Anna clean her room. After FOUR hours, 2 bags of trash, a bag AND a box of stuff for Goodwill, a grocery bag of stuff for my sister's daughter, and another grocery bag of stuff for my great-niece, Anna's room is clean and organized. I could have NEVER done it without help. The influence of my sisters really helped Anna get rid of so much stuff, without much argument. Her closet has so much space in it, and it's a pleasure now to walk in her room! Her desk drawers are even organized! Thank you all so much for your help!!!

My son, the photographer

2009-07-18T10:42:00.004-05:00

I was uploading some photos onto my computer this morning when I found a dozen or more photos that were obviously taken by Tommy. Some are actually pretty good, but you can see he's still a novice.

Nine Years!

2009-07-15T16:40:00.003-05:00

Today is our ninth wedding anniversary! Can you believe it? I can't believe it's been nine years already! Danny is such a wonderful husband and father, and I love him with all my heart! Happy Anniversary!

A Death in the Family

2009-06-30T15:06:00.004-05:00

Today we all went swimming as a family, but Eddie was getting tired, so Danny took him home while I rounded up Anna and Tommy (who is IMPOSSIBLE to get out of the water!). I got home, and was taking off my shoes and putting floaties away when Danny came into the room and said that his mom called and that there was a death in the family. I froze. My mind immediately started racing through all the different possibilities of who it could be. A heart attack? Car accident? Abuelo? Nydia? An uncle or aunt? Then I looked at Danny. He didn't really seem sad, he looked almost....happy. Then it hit me. "Jabberwoky," I said instantly. One smirk from Danny confirmed it. It was cranky, old Jabberwoky, Danny's parents' million-year-old cat who has been plagued with health issues in his old age. The vet finally said that he was too sick, and put him down. To tell you the truth, I'm happy that he's gone. The poor cat was suffering and now he's in a much better place. Eddie will be sad, though. He always went straight to Jabberwoky whenever he went to abuela's house, even though Jabberwoky made it quite clear that he didn't like Eddie! Rest in peace, Jabberwoky.

Nothing much....

2009-06-25T18:08:00.002-05:00

I've been a slacker, and haven't blogged in a long time. We haven't really been doing anything exciting, just hanging out, going to the pool, and relaxing. Tommy and Papi play a lot of video games together, and Anna has been doing her regular craft stuff. Summer is great...until the kids start fighting, that is.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOMMY!

2009-06-07T10:19:00.003-05:00

He may drive me and Danny completely nuts, but we love this kid! He turns FIVE today! He has worked really hard for the past 2 years to overcome some serious speech issues, and will go to regular kindergarden next year! We can't get him to stop talking! I can't believe how big he is! Happy Birthday Tommy! We love you!

"Treasures"

2009-05-29T13:06:00.004-05:00

Tommy hopped off the bus today with a huge smile on his face and a large Ninja Turtle and motorcycle in his hands. "I got treasure box today!" he shouted. Well, I opened his backpack to reveal many more "treasures." There was a book, memory game, brand new water colors, and a large bag filled with foam, magnetic letters! What the heck? As I sifted through the many papers, pictures, and toys in his backpack, I cam across a small note at the bottom that said: "As we prepare to box things up...for our move, we will be throwing out lots of items. Please be aware that you may notice lots of treasures (books and toys) coming home." Um, so what they're saying is, they are going to send home, with my four-year-old, all the crap that they don't want? Great.

Question

2009-05-22T14:13:00.001-05:00

Do you ever find a bruise on your body and wonder where in the world it came from? I do. ALL. THE. TIME. And it drives me nuts!

YIKES!!

2009-05-20T10:18:00.002-05:00

I was just invited to perform at the beginning band concert at one of the middle schools that I work at! I would be playing by myself to demonstrate the lesson teachers' abilities and highlight private lessons. Oh crap. I am SO not prepared to do something like that, and playing in front of large audiences is NOT something I enjoy doing!!

Love Affair

2009-05-15T13:39:00.002-05:00

I love chocolate. I mean, really, who doesn't? Well, yesterday, I was at Walgreen's buying some diapers and I took a shortcut through the candy aisle. I glanced to my right and saw that they had the Weight Watchers bags of chocolate candy on clearance for 75 cents a bag, and I just happened to have a coupon, Buy 2 Get 1 Free. So, I bought 3 bags for less than $2, and if I didn't like them, I would give them to the kids. They were HEAVENLY! I love them! They are SO good! The only kind that they had was Double Chocolate Mousse covered in Rich Dark Chocolate. Just the name of it makes my mouth water! I highly recommend these chocolates to anyone, not just someone trying to lose weight!