Jump and Shout!

Today we went to Carsten Jude's 3rd birthday party. Let me start by saying that my friend Kelly was hesitant to invite Luca because she thought he might be too young for the Jump and Shout facility. She thought Luca might get frustrated because he would be afraid or not be able to climb. On the contrary, Luca couldn't get enough!  He climbed, jumped, slid and had Daddy doing it all with him!  Could a smile get any bigger than that!

Here is the Birthday Boy!

So, pizza time came and my son threw back 2 slices of cheese pizza and still had room for dessert!

Alessandro thought he could fake Luca out and get him to eat some of the cake beneath the mound of icing on his cupcake. He scraped all of the icing off and put it on the bottom of the plate and placed the cupcake on top. My son is smart!  He simply lifted up the cake and scraped up the icing with his hand. He then proceeded to insert his entire hand into his mouth! 

He doesn't mess around when it comes to his junk food!

Pretty Shoes

Why is the 104 degree weather not over??? That is the temperature today. I want to take the kids outside and not feel like I am in an oven, is that too much to ask? We have had a couple of mornings and evenings lately that have been very nice and we have been able to take the kids outside or to the park. It hiked up again. I am at a loss for words. The snowbirds are back in town and the traffic increase is here to prove it. When they come back, the heat is supposed to go away!
I needed a little vent session and now it is over.
If I have not mentioned it before, I am a part of an expert community of shoppers called Coupon Sense. I just want to share some of my experience with you partly because of the great deal and mostly because of the wonderful people I came in contact with along the way. I set out to get a free Fusion razor and a Gilette Venus razor for $1.99. Both kids in tow, coupons in hand, I went to Walgreens. They were out of the Fusion, so I had to get a raincheck. You are only supposed to get one razor, but when the manager saw that I had Nora in the Baby Bjorn and Luca in the shopping cart, she said I earned two. I was thrilled!  Alessandro will be thrilled as well!  I decided to hit another Walgreens hoping they were not sold out too,  because I had three coupons. There, I was able to get a Fusion and a Venus. I love getting great deals on items that we use on a regular basis that usually cost between $8-$13. Sure, it takes some extra planning and a lot of extra work, but if I can save our family some money and take some pressure off of my man, I am more than happy to do it. I consider it my job. I stay at home, take care of the kids and run the household. I have managed to cut our grocery bill in half! Back to the people. At both Walgreens, my transactions were not very smooth, as they are usually complicated when you are using ads, coupons and other rewards on top of dealing with store rules. The ladies that helped me out at both stores, were patient, accomodating and had very pleasant attitudes. As a matter of fact, while I was apologizing to them for the complicated transactions, they were apologizing to me as if it were their fault!  It was very refreshing because there have been times when you can tell that a person is annoyed because you are trying to save some money. I am finding more and more that as people are experiencing first hand the effects that the economy is having on them, they are more impressed with the savings than annoyed.

Finally, the reason for the title...I LOVE SHOES! I am getting Nora started early.

Delayed Gratification

I got it!  Today I ordered something on-line that I believe is going to transform my life!  It has been on my wishlist for some time and I was finally able to make the purchase!  We don't put anything on credit, as we are graduates of Financial Peace University. What Dave says, goes, in our household! It really makes you appreciate things much more when you have to pay cash for them. Proverbs tells us that "the borrower is servant to the lender" and the last thing I want to be a servant to is the credit card industry. By the way, my special purchase was my BOB Duallie Stroller. I am thrilled!

So, Hailey got the job!  She now works at at local dry cleaners and is very excited about it!  I can't believe how grown up she is. I am very proud of her. There is a part of me that is sad because she is so busy that we don't see nearly as much of her as we did before she hit 16.

Luca's vocabulary is starting to take off. He understands so much, follows directions and talks all of the time. I can't say that I understand every word he speaks, but he knows what he is saying!

Nora likes to play in her activity center now. She can be entertained for 20 minutes in that thing!  She loves bathtime and likes to examine her hands. Now, if only I can get her to sleep through the night.

Alessandro and I went out for coffee last night. Here in Chandler, Sunday nights shut down pretty early, so we ended up at Starbucks. I am not a big fan of Starbucks because I would rather support the little guy. I like the originality of small businesses and family owned establishments, but unfortunately, we were left without a choice. I think we are going to have to change our date night!

I Love Saturdays!

Saturdays are my favorite day of the week, mostly because it is my husband, Alessandro's true day off from work and school. Not only do I get help with the kids, but we get to spend time together throughout the day. Alessandro cooks breakfast on most of his days off. He finds cooking fun and relaxing. I am almost guaranteed to wake up every Saturday morning with coffee and some delicious form of eggs, etc. Today was no different!  We eat most meals as a family at our kitchen table. Since we got married in January 2006, I can probably count on one hand the number of times we have eaten in front of the television (not having reception for our first couple of years had nothing to do with that!) After breakfast, Alessandro mowed the lawn and I got ready to host a Gold Party. If you have never been to one, I highly recommend it!  You actually go to a party and make money rather than spend it! I am working diligently on saving for a double jogging stroller. I am over half of my goal. I had an opportunity to visit with several people that I have not seen in a while. We had a very enjoyable time. I hope everyone was blessed at the party!
My Aunt was in town and came by to visit us with a bag of goodies for Luca. Her grandson, Kingston, always has the cutest clothes and the cream of the crop is passed down to Luca. I am so glad Cindy, Kingston's mom, has good taste!

Time to get out of the house now!  Golden Spoon, here we come! I love loading the family up and heading for a relaxing outing like that. As long as Luca is eating it is usually a relaxing time. Nora is just relaxed everywhere, no matter what. She is so laid back and I am so grateful! A nice balance to Luca's temperament.
Tonight our plans are low key, as they usually are with the kids being at the stages they are in. We rented a movie "A Walk In The Clouds". We have heard so many wonderful things about it and are excited to watch it. If you are wondering where Hailey is in all this, well, she got her license a week and a half ago...she's going to have to start her own blog now because I can't keep up with her!  Just kidding. Today she got up and had an interview for her first job. She wants it so badly and I want it for her!  She should hear by Monday at the latest. It is at a dry cleaners and the hours and compensation are perfect for her! Next on my busy 16 year old's schedule, who seemed to have grown up overnight, was a meeting for the Crime Prevention event she is putting on for the neighborhood. She is working on buiding her resume for college and this is one of the things she plans to do every year. Right now, she is working on a group project for school and then she is going out to dinner with her friend Cassidy and her family. Days like these are when I become very thankful that she can drive herself. It is interesting keeping up with the schedule of a teenager and babies at the same time.

Pick and Choose Your Battles

Due to the fact that I was up just about all night with Nora again put me into a state of complete exhaustion. As much as I can't wait for these times to pass, I also want to cherish every moment because as I have learned with my 16 year old, Hailey, time goes too fast. Someday I won't have those quiet and private moments alone with Nora when all she wants is me without any other distractions for either of us. It amazes me how big she is and that she has grown with only the nourishment that God created my body to give her. Amazing!  So, the first thing that Luca saw this morning were the messed up cupcakes on the counter and he immediately let me know that he wanted some. I don't know how, but I got him to eat scrambled eggs first, but within 30 minutes of breakfast, he was at me again for the cupcakes. Here is where I came to a crossroads...I could say "no" knowing that he would be eating some later on during the birthday celebration and deal with the fit he was sure to have, or I could put him in his high chair with a cupcake and have a few moments of peace. Guess what I decided to do???

Touche`

Hailey was working on a campaigne for crime prevention awareness down the street at a neighbor's house today and when she walked in the house she had a sheepish smile on her face while holding a glass container with a mess of cupcakes in it. You see, tomorrow, a few of us are celebrating a friend's birthday and the cupcakes were for that particular celebration. I am sure I had a look of horror on my face when I saw the cupcakes all over the place with the icing everywhere but on the cupcakes. The explaination was that she had them on the floor of her car and when she turned the corner, they went everywhere! Being extremely sleep deprived (Nora was up 5 times the night before) there was very little grace given to her in my response. I told her that she needed to be more conscientious and less careless and suggested that she should probably get herself to the grocery store because we needed birthday cupcakes or a cake. I felt pretty good about the lesson I was teaching Hailey...that is, until I called my mom to brag about my fabulous parenting skills!  My mom reminded me of a time when I was 16 years old. This was in the days when the cell phones had just come out and cost about $1500. You know, like the ones you see on "Saved By The Bell." I was pulling out of our driveway and forgot that I had left the cell phone on top of the vehicle. The result was that I ran over the phone and completely destroyed it. She also reminded me that I didn't get grounded or forced to pay for the phone and then she asked me how I turned out...touche`!  I felt so bad for how I treated Hailey. I had to repent to her and tell her I was sorry for being mean. I still feel the consequences should have been the same, but my tone toward her could have been more full of grace. She made a $5.00 mistake and I acted like she had made a $1500 mistake. The truth is that if I had not been so quick to jump down Hailey's throat, she probably would have made the suggestion to bake new cupcakes herself. That is just the way she is, responsible and as thoughtful as any other teenager I know. The lesson for Hailey: be more careful (although she jokes around and says that she learned not to drive with cupcakes in her car). The lesson for me: think before I speak especially when I am deprived of sleep (which has been happening frequently) and speak to all of my children with kindness even when mistakes are made. "Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up" 1 Corinthians 13:4.  Patience and kindness are so important when dealing with our children, although we are tested!

Greener on the Other Side?

When one has a day like I had yesterday, they can find themselves complaining, as I did. Let me share a little summary of the days events. Crying, whining, short naps (for the children, not for me), complete exhaustion from the night before because both children were up several times throughout the night. Needless to say, by the end of the day, I wanted to collapse. I found myself complaining about how I need time for ME and how draining it can be to care for the kids all day long without a break. Then it hit me...wait a minute...for 12 years, I longed to be a stay at home mom and was unable to. What am I complaining about??? Twelve years, I complained about having to work outside the home and then come home and try to do all the things a full time mom does. As a single mom, I worked sometimes two and three jobs at a time just to make it. For several years of that time, I worked as an RN on the night shift so that I wouldn't have to take my daughter, Hailey to daycare. I was very blessed by so many friends and family that would watch Hailey while I worked which helped me to avoid costs of daycare. As I remember the way things were for me and for Hailey, I quickly repent for my complaining and remember that children are a blessing from the Lord, and I am blessed to be the one who gets to spend all day long with them.

Truth or Truth Twisted???

One of the great things about having been so young when I had Hailey, is now that she is a teenager, the shenanigans that she and her friends may try to pull are not foreign to me. First, let me just clarify that Hailey did not try to pull anything as a driving teen tonight, I was only reminded of a trick we used to pull on our parents, growing up in a border town when she and her girlfriend were heading to a party. I know what you are thinking, but it was not one of "those" parties I remember going to as a teen where there was alcohol, drugs and everything that goes with the combination. It was a birthday party...I talked with the mom and was assured there would be constant supervision and no alcohol. With that information on hand, Hailey had my permission to drive herself along with one of her friends to the party. So, the girls got ready and off they went. They were gone about 5 minutes when I got a call from Hailey's girlfriend letting me know that they were going to Taco Bell. I chuckled to myself because when I was a senior in high school, my parents gave me a lot of freedom. I had two rules: No going to Juarez, Mexico (across the border) the very same place that has been plastered all over the news, and if I was going to be out past midnight, call home to let them know. Well, the second rule was easy to follow. The first rule impossible, at least in my mind at the time! Let's just say that my parents thought I loved Taco Bell, which in fact, I did, but it was also my way of going across the border without lying to my parents about where I was going. Of course, both you and I know that I was outright lying to my parents, but I rationalized it and it made me feel better about going. Just about every weekend, I would tell them that we were going to make a "run for the border" and then head over to "Tommy's house". We did both. Here is how the night went: Taco Bell for a snack, Juarez for the dancing, and Tommy's for a recap before heading home. Hailey gets a kick out of this story. I was teasing them tonight about where they were really going and they just laughed! By the way, you should have seen the look on my parents faces when I came clean...several years later when I was "all grown up". Now, as I have raised a teenager, I have come to realize that the rules our parents put in place were there for a reason.

Hailey's Sweet 16!!!

I know you have been waiting for the details on the Sweet 16, but the day was jam packed from start to finish and wasn't over until 11:00pm, at which point I intended to get on the computer and write, but Hailey had a paper she had to turn in by midnight!
Hailey's friends surprised her by bringing her birthday balloons to school, one of which played an extremely annoying song when hit. It was very cute. All day long she had to carry these balloons with her, but she loved every minute of it!
I have a Bible study at my home every Thursday morning and my dear friends who are a part of it were so generous of their time that they stayed at my home while Luca napped so I could take Hailey to get her Driver's License. I picked her up from school early and off we went. She had to take the test in my big Tahoe, but I was certain she would pass. Well, in she came and when I asked her how she did on the test she said she had failed it. Again, I was certain she would pass, so I said "No you didn't". Then, she began to tell me the details of her experience and I knew she couldn't be making that story up, not to mention the tears welling up in her eyes. Once I realized she didn't pass and was on the verge of crying, tears began to well up in my eyes. No big deal, really, after all, she has the opportunity to retake it the very next day, but to see that look of disappointment in your child's eyes is a heart breaker. C'mon, you all know what I am talking about. Anyhow, she "touched" the cone, which I guess represents a car. Automatic fail. Then I remembered what was coming later and I felt much better, but Hailey knew of nothing coming later. Kinda like how our God sees the big picture for His children. El Roi "the God who sees", doesn't only see what is right in front of us, He sees the whole story from beginning to end. He knows His plans are good. What comfort I take in that! Anyhow, we went home discussing other possible cars she could take her test in, but could not come up with any good solutions. When we got back to my house, the ladies in my group were still hanging out and we told them what had happened. One of them, without hesitation, offered her car to Hailey to take her exam. Hailey was so excited. The rest of the day, she was being teased by friends and family about failing her test, which irritated her, but also put it all on a lighter note. It definitely gave us something to laugh about. We have to laugh at ourselves through life and not let everything become so serious!
Moving on to the next segment of the day, I left the house to pick up dessert for the birthday festivities. Hailey is not a big fan of cake, but loves the pastries from AJ's. I had planned to get an assortment only to find that AJ's had closed its doors last week. Talk about disappointing. I tried two other places only to be even more disappointed. We ended up having to settle for a cake, even if only to have something to put the candles in.
Here's where the real fun starts...my parents, along with my grandma and sister, drove up from El Paso to surprise Hailey with a car! Did I mention they had 5 dogs with them too and could only stay one night??? My dad and mom's gift to Hailey was a 2001 Chevy Blazer. Hailey had no clue! We got ready and left the house coordinating timing over text with my sister, Salena. They had to come to my house to get the dogs settled in and get to Grimaldi's before we did. The timing all worked because we picked up her friend, Cassidi and I ran some meaningless errands. Upon arriving to the restaurant, the whole family was sitting down waiting for us with camera in hand. Hailey couldn't believe they were there! We sat and had a wonderful meal of pizza and salad, stories and laughs. We were going to head back to our house for cake and presents, but as we walked outside, there was a vehicle with a big red bow on it. Hailey's face was unforgettable! Then, of course we had to tease her about the fact that now she had a car...but if only she could drive it! It was a memorable evening, one she will never forget!

Today, I took her to retake her driving test and she passed with flying colors! What a relief that was to me.

One of Those Days

Well, we certainly all have them. You know what I'm talking about. One of THOSE days. Long, too much to do, not feeling 100%. With Hailey's 16th tomorrow and chasing after the 2 under 2, there was no time for napping...not for me anyway! Still with the hectic day I had, I was able so sit on the sofa with Luca on one side of me and Nora on the other, and spend a moment with the Lord. It literally felt like only a moment. On days like these, I long to read for hours for that extra rejuvenation and comfort. They (the moms with kids all over the age of 3) keep telling me that those times will be coming soon. I can't wait, but then I can. I adore the baby stage and even the challenging stage Luca is in (21 months). I like the cute part more than the training part, I must admit.

It is time for me to lie down and sleep sound...big day tomorrow...I am dying to tell you all about it, but it will ruin the surprise of all we have planned. Yes, it will be a very exciting day from start to finish!

Anticipation

My oldest daughter, Hailey is about to embark on a very exciting (for her) and scary (for me) time in her life. She will be celebrating her 16th birthday on Thursday, September 17th. It seems like yesterday that I found out I was pregnant with her. Such an uncertain time for me. She is the best gift I could have received from God. Her creation literally saved my life! I will have to pray harder now, than I have ever prayed in my life for her...her safety, her decision making, her knowledge of who she actually is.

This past weekend she participated in her school's homecoming festivities. She looked classy and grown up as I left her at the drop off place to load onto the bus with her friends. I walked away from her with a hint of excitement, but a lot of sadness and confusion. She will be faced with more difficult decisions now as a teenager than she has ever been faced with before. She has a good head on her shoulders and knows right from wrong. The enemy of our souls wants our kids...we must stand with them and for them! I am confused about how quickly her childhood passed me by. How did my firstborn, my baby girl go from playing dress up and tea parties to dressing up and going to parties????? It happens to all of our children. They grow up, make choices, and hopefully find exactly what it is that they are called to do by God and thrive in it! Go Hailey! I am on your team and rooting for you!

Toddler Cuts

Taking Luca to get his long locks cut is always an adventure! Yesterday, I resorted to something I have never even considered, in order to make the process simple. Sugar. That's right, the stylist recommended a sucker for my little man and I gladly gave him one! He sat like a big boy enjoying every moment of the sweetness in his mouth while his hair was being tamed!

Boy did he enjoy that sucker! It was like nothing he had ever experienced!!!

What does one do when someone is attacking their son and the parent does nothing about it?
I needed to get Luca out of the house and took him to Chick Fil A to play. The first hour was amazing! He was having so much fun! Then, out of nowhere, this kid had his hands around Luca's neck! I saw him laying down and crying through the window and the kid was on top of him...I first thought he was trying to help Luca. Being the protective parent I am, I run into the room to find the choker's mom pulling him off of Luca. The other children in the room ran up to me with pointed fingers yelling that the boy was choking Luca! All Luca wanted to do was play, not get attacked! I can't believe the bullying is already starting...and by a boy years older than Luca! The parent of this kid simply told him that he could no longer play and that he "made a bad choice". What???? Oh, she also made him say he was "sorry". Big deal! The family darted out of their so fast! Embarrassed, I'm sure. The other families in the restaurant were just looking at me like they could not believe what they had just witnessed. Needless to say, neither could I.