Happy New Year!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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...

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!

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

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!!

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

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

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

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

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

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!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!!

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

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

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!