Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Albuquerque Moments!

It has been a rough couple of days. My Dad is doing really well all things considered. I'm so tired I was talking about my hair and I typed here the other day.


Anyhow I promised to share some of our great moments on the trip.


The highlight for us was having Harmon ride the train from the Aquarium to the zoo. He loves trains. He talks about Thomas the Train all day long.


Later at the Botanical Gardens they had this HUGE Thomas the train display that was amazing. Both boys were entranced. They wanted to stay there forever!


The babies thought the aquarium was just magical. Callum especially went to each of the displays and stared for hours. It was so neat to see his face.


We went to a lot of restaurants and each one is just a crazy experience all in itself. With Harm's Sensory Integration he doesn't eat very many foods. Traveling has always meant french fries and yogurt for however many days the trip. So this time I was smart I packed fruit and vegetable servings for each meal and had it travel in a cooler. I also made peanut butter and Nutella sandwiches ahead of time so Harmon could eat things other than fries. It was a great success. In fact Harmon only had one serving of fries the WHOLE trip and everyone had balanced meals.



The first day of the trip was Chris' birthday. He just hit the big 31. I'm very proud of him and all he has done in such a short period of time.


The pool was a huge hit. That hotel was horrible but all the kids didn't care. They loved to swim (at least Rachel and Harmon do... Callum gets scared and sits with Dad the whole time). I was so amazed by Harmon. He can now swim all the way across the pool with his floaties. Rachel is not far behind him.


Callum and I just loved to chill at the hotel. That was Heaven after a long day.


We went to the Explora Museum. It was horridly expensive but worth every dime. They had these great discovery sections the kids were enthralled! We had to drag them all out of there kicking and screaming. They learned about pulley systems, pipes, air shoots, etc. etc.



Chris and I even got a chance to spend some time together as well. Chris' parents were oddly enough in town as well and watched the kids for an hour and a half.


It was a hard trip. I won't sugar coat it but I loved it. The best part has been Callum. Since coming home he has become so confident. I think it was just great for him to get out of his comfort zone!!!!


It's late and I've shared a ton of pics so I'm going to bed. If you want to see more you can see our picture blog: link.

Monday, March 28, 2011

In an instant anything can change...

Today at 7:45 I get a text from my mom. With bleary eyes (I really wanted so badly to sleep in after that trip) I see it is from my mom. I just assume my mom is ready for me to get my dog back (she pet sits Mackenzie when we travel) but instead she tells me Dad is getting prepped for surgery. My mind quickly begins to race and I remember speaking with my brother about my father doing a surgery to release the tightness in his tendons. I had no clue that it was today. I was worried b/c it was something that they didn't know for sure they were going to do it and so I didn't know any of the details. Would he be in the hospital a while? What does it entail? etc.
It is interesting b/c I wasn't the closest with my father growing up. I will simply say the man lived by his own set of rules and leave it at that. After college I lived in LA and was serving a mission for my church working with the local DEAF community. It was a really happy special time in my life. For the first year Dad and I didn't stay in contact but in July of that year he started writing me and I wrote back. It was very lovely! Than one day he mentions he is a little under the weather and going in for tests. I didn't hear anything until my mom told me that he suffered a massive stroke in October of that year. He went in for a minor procedure and he almost died. He no longer could speak really or move the right side of his body. After that I was never the same. The true fragility of life hit me on the head. It made me realize that grudges are never worth a dime in the scheme of life.


It has been almost 6 yrs since than. My father and I have slowly built a nice relationship. He is truly a wonderful Grandpa and I enjoy his company. He has grown much stronger, can walk with the use of a cane, speaks clearer, and is slowly gaining more independence. While he may not seem like the fast talking quick witted lawyer he once was, the man he is now is pretty awesome. In time I stopped worrying all the time that something could happen to him. The fear of mortality sort of got pushed in the back of my mind.

So back to the surgery story. He went into surgery today and so the whole morning I obsessed over my phone carefully watching the texts from my mother. She told me when he went in for surgery, came out, woke up, and best of all she sent me a text saying: "Dad is safe, out of danger, and feels like sh*t :)". I knew if my Mom's sense of humor was back everything was going to be all right!!! It gave me a renewed sense of humility. Once again mortality knocked on my door and made his presence known. I hugged my children tighter and will be grateful that I have all of my loved ones in my life another day! Life is short. I don't want to dwell on how it can all change in an instant. I just want to live my life appreciating those I love more and being grateful for each of them in my life. Every day is a gift from God in my opinion.

I apologize I didn't have time to up load and post pictures of the trip and share the fun stories of the critters in Albuquerque. Hopefully tomorrow!

Sunday, March 27, 2011

What the flip were we thinking????

Chris and I normally travel a few times each year. We do a nice vacation in the Summer and we do a long weekend trip in the winter. Sometimes every few months we do something just overnight. It is nice to have a chance to reconnect when you have kids coming out of your ears. We felt bad though because we never take the kids anywhere. It is just really really hard to travel with them. We took them to Phoenix once and to Ruidoso NM while each trip was a challenge none were like this one!


It was Spring Break for Harmon and we figured this was a good time. Originally we were going to drive to Austin. Chris has never been and since that is where I went to college I love it there and want to show it off but with a new community about to open up 3 days off was not an option. So Chris wanted to go to Phoenix and once again show off his home town (he had MLB and NBA games planned) but once again the company called and 2 days off turned to 1 day off. So we improvised and settled for Albuquerque leaving early Friday and coming home today.

We have 3 toddlers!!! It really just hit. I remarked last week how the twins were temperments were changing... that was an understatement. Harmon also struggled honestly by day 2 because he was just off schedule. I think I slept only 4 or 5 hours last night. Everything was hard! They didn't want to nap during nap time. They didn't want to go to the places we choose and than once we were there they didn't want to leave b/c they were having so much fun. Every meal was a challenge. Just getting a table at good restaurant for 2 high chairs, a booster, and two adults meant long waits. 3 mobile kids meant 3 kids running in 3 different directions.


The hotel was the biggest roach motel ever! I want to kill Chris for that one. With no air conditioning, dirty sinks, poop smell in the kids room (sadly enough that was there before the kids came), broken cribs, no working shower head, etc. lets just put it this way, it was NOT the Ritz Carlton we stayed at when I was in New Orleans in December. Chris doesn't want the kids becoming spoiled but they loved it after all it had free breakfast and an indoor pool. (He is asking was it really that bad? I never had something that nice growing up?)

Okay that was enough whining. It wasn't all bad, in fact it we had some great memories! I wish I had time tonight to download the pictures tonight to share. Like I said the kids all love swimming and that was a highlight. They were all so cute in their own way and even though it was a tough at times. When you get to spend 3 days non-stop with four special people that you love you always grow to love them more. Callum is just so expressive and so passionate about life. He just loved for me to hold him and cuddle. Rachel is just a spitfire of energy and brilliance. She may have Cerebral Palsy but man nothing is going to stop her and I saw that on this trip. Harmon is just so sweet and bright. I love when he is really truly loving something b/c he just becomes a catatonic. Chris and I had fun debating politics on the ride home. I always tease him b/c if he says something as fact I make him prove it. This always leads to lots of laughter. We don't have time to talk like this often.

So tomorrow or the next day I promise I'll share some pictures (besides some quick Iphone moments) and more about what we did. It really was great. Tonight though, I'm catching up on some sleep!

I can't wait! I love this show!


I like my various Law and Orders and CSI's, a few sitcoms, (and yes albeit embarrasing I love Army Wives) etc. but in general I never get a chance to watch the scripted shows b/c I can never sit and follow everything. When I do watch tv I normally keep it on Reality Fare like Top Chef and Apprentice b/c I can keep up working while having it on and it is easy to follow. Top Chef was always my favorite until when Harmon was born. I was on maternity leave and they had this marathon for the Deadliest Catch. Considering options during the daytime are slim pickings I tuned in. I was soooo hooked after that. Now Deadliest Catch is my favorite. I can't believe what they do. Considering in real life I'm a wuss (see next post about "roughing it" in Albuquerque) I have this utter fascination and respect for these guys.

Chris though thinks I like it b/c these are the only people in the world who swear more than I do (I'm doing much better on that these days but he still teases me). I tell him he doesn't understand, it takes a "real man" to watch a man show like this so he offers to grab me my beer (root beer that is) while he tends to the kids.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Harmon SO got me! + the twins are changing...

Yesterday I whined a little about Harmon being at home. It is a challenge for us b/c we are so used to him being in school so when he is home we are really tested coming up with LOTS of activities to keep his sensory needs in check. Otherwise he climbs the wall. He also just really misses his friends. Anyhow, today he proved how wonderful he is!!!! He ROCKED!!!!

Harmon woke up and decided he wanted to pee on the potty. With Harm's sensory integration he doesn't yet recognize the need to go like other kids his age does so that means every hour and a half we have to put him on the potty. Poop is still really beyond him but today he peed on a regular basis and never once went in his diaper. We still have a long journey before he is trained but seeing his enthusiasm means a lot.

In general Harmon did a great job today. He is understanding better that he is at home and we are meeting his needs better with more activities. Cally had a rough day. He was a little moody and Harmon very calmly guided him at Barnes and Nobles through his frustration. At one point Cally got mad and Harm tells Miriam our nanny, "Cally needs a time out!"


Changes are abounding with the twins. I realized that today they were getting close to the Terrible Two's. You can tell in their demeanor. Rachel is getting so fiercely independent (and she was already Little Ms. Independent) and Cally is like a moody teenager. It is funny b/c Harmon just left this stage and now here we are again... times 2! The good thing is that neither has sensory needs. That means if I can handle everything we have with Harmon I can happily handle them. It will be neat to see them grow and transition from babies to kids. It is a hard period but it is also magical (and bittersweet b/c I'm never going to have a baby in my home again).

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Spring break is a curse for parents!

I just LOVE my Harmon. He is my awesome boy!!!! He is so sweet and so good and so loving. He is so "duh... winning!" (see older posts for references)

Nevertheless after 2 days of spring break I'm at my wits end (and my nanny will probably be asking me for a raise). It is hard for him b/c he loves his pre-k so much and it makes him so happy. Now he is just not that happy b/c he misses his friends, teachers, etc. None of this is his fault.


So why is it hard? Well lets put it this way he is just grumpy. He picks on the twins, follows me, has taken to climbing the bar top again, etc. I would put him in time out each time but he would spend the whole time in time out. When I needed to meet Chris for work stuff on Monday he wouldn't get out of the car. He just was sick of the house. So Chris and I let him help us. At one meeting he was listening to YouTube videos while we were trying to talk to someone. Today Miriam our nanny took him to the park after we finished with the twins physical therapy. I left when they came back and after only being gone an hour he was running amok again :p There is so much I'm always doing and I can't get any of it done... he stalks me!!!

He got approved for a special Summer program that will only be 2x a week. So we need to be creative for the Summer. Maybe there is a joy school or something he could join the days he doesn't do his Summer pre-k. We just have to survive till Thursday. We are going somewhere on vacation with the kids on Thursday... Please help us all make it till Thursday!!!!

Monday, March 21, 2011

Cally is the Jolly!

Callum is the child perhaps I don't talk enough about but he is no less wonderful! When we were at the zoo this weekend if Cally had his lollipop, water, glasses, and hat he was just happier than a clam. He has always craved love and comfort. While Harmon and Rachel are always busy doing the next big thing Callum would rather sit on your lap and sing to you (his greatest hits include humming: twinkle twinkle, row row, and other favorite tot songs). He is always smiling laughing and singing!


Sometimes this can be bad. We enrolled him in gym a month ago. He doesn't like it! He cries, whines, and sits there in protest. Finally the last 10 minutes he will start to have fun but by that point the whole hour has passed. I'm actually quite surprised about this because he has such natural athletic talent. Since he was 15 months old he could catch a ball in the air and throw it perfectly forward. No one believes it until they see it. He loves to throw the ball against the wall and catch it... it is cute!

I think when it comes to school and other challenges we will have to work hard motivating him. He has a very sensitive soul. He cries if he runs out of yogurt or loses his ball under the couch. The cutest thing is how much he loves his nanny. Sometimes he will cry if she leaves for one reason or another.

Callum is just wonderful. Just like Rachel and Harmon have their quarks he has his. I am so grateful he is part of our little family though. His calming happy nature is a great compliment to the exuberance of his siblings (and parents).

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Rachel and the Tigers!

I think with Rachel day to day I just forget that she is different. We do the hours of therapy every week but I just don't really focus on her having Cerebral Palsy. But when we went to the zoo yesterday my heart broke all over for her again. The first thing we do is go and see the Sea Lion show and she kept wanting to leave our seat and go SEE that sea lion. As I saw her struggling to move it really made me sad. The rest of the trip I watched her. You could see how uncomfortable and in pain she was in. When it was time to walk she fell a lot. Excuse the cheesy analogy but it hurts becuase she has the spirit of one of those lions or tigers we saw but like them it seems like she is caged. She can't just go where she wants and do what she wants to do. She has such a fierce spirit but she faces so many other limitation.

Today one of our friends shared with Chris and I separately a story of a girl with Cerebral Palsy. She told me how much amazing progress she made through intensive therapy and how she lives such a full life. Her son also struggles with a serious disability and we talked on about mourning at times when we remember the reality of the situation. She also reminded me how important it is to count your blessings and believe in your children. Other friends commented today how they thought she was making really positive progress. It helped us see the good side to the journey.


I know there is nothing Rachel can't do and she will overcome this. It won't be easy and we are all going to have tough moments but it will happen.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

The Curse of the Irish!

Like I said St. Patricks Day is always a big deal and we worked so hard trying to put it together but nothing we did work! It was so funny.


Chris planned lunch at an Irish Pub but when we got there it was CROWDED to the gills so we ended up having lunch at this fancy dancy place. Chris got his corn-beef and cabbage which looked fully nauseating. I made an Irish dinner despite my best instincts... Shepard's Pie. When I was contemplating cooking this my nanny and Rachel's social worker (who are both also Hispanic) couldn't recognize some of the ingredients much less know how to cook them. It was a sign, I didn't listen :( Finally Harmon overdosed on Irish sweet treats and spent the whole night keeping us up vomiting.


It wasn't all bad though. The kids were adorable. The manager at Barnes & Noble had to take a picture of them and told me later it will be in a regional circular for the stores. I guess more than anything we all laughed even when things didn't go as planned. Harmon was HILARIOUS in his sunglasses and hat. He looked ready for a World Cup soccer match. Even though our plans are always flawed it is just letting loose and having fun that truly matters.


Wednesday, March 16, 2011

I must have made a leprechaun angry :(


because he burnt my cupcakes!!! Okay lets just be honest, we know I can't cook very well and evenly cooking cupcakes is beyond my control. Chris right now is giving his shot at a redo... I should have just bought cookies!

It is a joke b/c we decided to upgrade in our new home to one of those deluxe kitchens with a double oven and a cook top. The truth is though I'm sure when my kids are old enough to verbalize their true feelings they will beg me to simply go to Albertsons or maybe even a custom cupcake shop. My sister when she moved into her condo was much more realistic for the proper use of an oven: to store stuff.

St. Patricks day has always been a fun special day for Chris and I. Our first St. Patricks was spent in London together. We don't dress up the kids for every little holiday but we will tomorrow. Chris is taking me to a special lunch at the local Irish pub and I was planning on surprising Chris with an authentic Irish dinner... I wonder if someone has that for take out around here? It might be best considering the cupcakes!

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Priceless lessons from my Mom...

Part 2 of 2 posts... maybe one day we will add a 3rd.

Like I said in the last post I don't think I appreciated my mother nearly enough until I too became a mom. This Sunday I was missing her b/c she is in Las Vegas visiting my sister (and the week before I was ill so I didn't see them either that day). We normally see each other every week. She is so busy working 60 hrs on average a week as a high school teacher and caring for my disabled father who had a stroke in 06 but she always makes time for us. She loves watching my critters and if we can't get down to El Paso she comes up to Cruces. It is a really special relationship.

So anyhow these are just some of the lessons she passed down to me and my siblings that really shaped who I am today. These are the lessons I want most to pass down to my children!!!
  1. Life is too short not to eat good food. If you have to go diet you might as well go with out. Along the same lines laughter is as important as food. You can't live a good day with out it.
  2. Don't waste your time worried what everyone else thinks. Have fun and just be yourself, and you will always be good enough.If you love life with gratitude for all your blessings and spend your time giving you will always attract good people.
  3. Don't waste time being petty over things that don't matter. If your life is not at risk than most of the time it doesn't matter. You don't regret walking away but you will regret a useless battle that you wasted time on.
  4. Love EVERYONE! It doesn't matter one's religion, race, nationality, sexual orientation, political affiliation, etc. b/c good people are good people. Don't judge before you can get to know someone. You might miss out on a really great person!
  5. Don't be mean and don't hurt people for fun. You have feelings and so do other people. It is better to bite your tongue than have false satisfaction from sticking it to others. Treat others how you want to be treated. With that ignore stupid people who are mean-spirited. Life is too short to worry about them.
  6. Be a strong woman. Know your who you are and know your worth. Don't settle on a guy to have a guy. Don't take crap at work. Get your education. If you are going to be married don't settle for anything less than a loving respectful marriage. With that said raising your children is the best time you will ever have in your life. Don't fear to pull back on career to do it.
  7. Don't live on credit. Spend what you have and stop when you don't have it. But don't be a miser! Travel the world as much as you can. Splurge on a 5 star meal or a 5 star hotel if you can. Be responsible with money and plan for the future; but remember to live!
  8. Love God and be faithful even when times are tough. There is no challenge that you cannot overcome if you have faith. With that count your blessings always, you will realize life is never really that bad even when things are falling apart.
  9. And of course the most valuable lesson a Puerto Rican mom can give her kids is this: life is always better at the beach!

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Mom you are soooo embarrassing!

This is part one of two related posts.

There is a conversation that comes up in our family every now and again. It is simple: PARENTS ARE SOOOO EMBARRASSING! Every single one of us in our family have felt it at one time or another. Growing up and even up until I got married I would be so self-concious to bring new people home... especially boys. My mom I used to think was especially bad but the funny thing is that EVERYONE loves her. They tell me how funny she is, smart, sweet, beautiful, etc. My husband the day he met her just fell in love with her and Heaven forbid told me I was a lot like her.

I guess now that I'm a mom now I realize 2 things. First everyone was right: my mom is amazing in her very unique way. Every day I understand more of what she has sacrificed for us. I see her unending love and she is truly beautiful. She still drives me crazy on a regular basis but I love debating with her and sometimes we just laugh so hard it hurts.

Of course the most important lesson is that I will one day be just as embarrassing! I already force my children to endure the cheesiest family portraits and I dress them up all matchy-matchy. I have no doubt by the time puberty arrives they will be all asking me to drop them at the corner before school and to please change my outfit before I attend their school event.

When I was pregnant I thought I would be a cool mom! Fact is though is that none of that matters. The few cool parents that exist in this world are like Billy Ray Cyrus who had a 16 yo daughter pole dance. I guess if that is what it takes to be cool I'm okay with not being cool and in the mean time I will keep forcing my kids to do embarrassing pictures. After all if I'm not going to be cool I might as well enjoy the perks!

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Simply Delightful Dinner...


Chris and I are a fans of 5 star dining! Joel Robuchon, Emeril Lagasse, etc. are all wonderful but tonight they paled in comparison to Peter Piper Pizza. Today life was like a meat grinder. Chris got real sick to his stomach and I was beyond swamped. The kids didn't take their afternoon nap and everyone was on edge.

So I went and got some quick veggies and fresh fruit, stuck everyone in the car and started driving. I went through McDonald's drive through and got some apples, nuggets, and chocolate milk. I added the veggies and grapes so each of the kids had a decently balanced meal (humor me) and we kept driving. Chris had some chicken noodle soup his mom had dropped off and so he was set. I couldn't decide... I wanted something not healthy but not deep fried.

Finally I decided to go to Peter Piper and order a pepperoni and long green chile pizza. It was great. The kids had a WONDERFUL time just playing. I enjoyed the food and a chance just to kick back and relax. It wasn't fine dining but sometimes you don't need CraftSteak for the perfect dinner.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Duh... Winning!


No spouse is perfect... even Chris, but after a week plus of Charlie Sheen antics I sure am glad he is not the father of my twins. Chris has an incredible amount of confidence in everything he does (for good reason) including parenting. He likes to run a tight ship which worked great when our children were really little and he had to give the twins bottle at tandem but now that they are all toddlers this is proving quite harder. He tries to get them to all line up and get their diapers changed. Instead the three kids run around like wild animals throwing the diapers out of the baskets and putting their PJ's on their heads.

Chris also sometimes has trouble understanding why the kids don't get "quiet" time. He sits down for 2 minutes to read the paper and Rachel is writing on the walls, Harmon is hiding DVD's, and Callum has diligently removed the entire contents of the lower kitchen cabinets amongst the kitchen. I think the problem is that at work Chris roars and everyone listens but at our house Chris roars and no one cares. Such is the life when you have 3 toddlers under your roof.

Still Chris works so hard trying to care for the little ones so I can get work done or get a break. If you ask him how everything is he will admit life isn't perfect but he is definitely "winning"!

Note: Don't let your toddler watch "Showbiz Tonight" every evening. Harm's favorite phrase is guess: "duh, winning!"

Monday, March 7, 2011

The baby Fashionista!

There is no way around it! My girl has got some serious style going on! She always has but now as she enters into toddler-hood it is becoming her daily obsession. Her first words after Dadda were: shoes and bow. She brings me sweaters and hats to put on her. When I dress her she gets mad if I forget her bow. She chases me down telling me: bow bow! She always wants her cute glitter high-tops on and if I forget than she chases me down with them. Rachel loves watching me put my make up on in the morning and she watches me brush my hair.
It is really cute and honestly very surprising to me. After all she has two crazy brothers and I'm a bit of a tom-boy myself. I want to be buried in sweats :p Seriously I'm very laid back and if I can get away w/o having to put on make-up I don't wear it! I think she will be more like her gorgeous Auntie Eliza (my sister) who I suspect was born with make up on ;) I'll admit I love Rachel is such a little girlie girl. We are going to have fun picking out clothes, make up, jewelry, etc. and getting our mani/pedis together as she grows up!

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Give them a round of applause!!!


I think the shock of a disaster weekend is starting to wear off... it was rough! Where do you start? I could go into the strange drunk rock wall guy who threatened to kidnap Chris for a $100,000 but fortunately that went no where. Instead it really was all about the kids. Last week Harmon was sick. This week Rachel was sick. Saturday morning well... yes, you guessed CALLUM WAS SICK! Imagine that. We had plans for the weekend but they needed to be canceled. At least all my plans were :( Add in a nasty fall I think I've earned the right to be bitter but...


I'm not! I got to spend some amazing time with each child. Callum couldn't stop laughing each time I taught him how to open the above toy with the trap doors. Each time he figured it out he clapped for himself. He was sooo happy and so proud of himself! Rachel is amazing with her megablocks. She now builds towers bigger than her! Harmon was cute too, as always he was telling me the world as he sees it: I no want to share a room with Cally I want to share a room with Sir. Topham Hatt. It was neat realizing how the twins are doing so well on big milestones like clapping, turn taking, and communicating (things Harmon was very delayed with) and it is so wonderful seeing how far Harmon has come! They are all amazing :)

So none of our plans went as they should and the illness keeps spreading; but it still was a nice weekend. Kids always are the best entertainment!

Thursday, March 3, 2011

If he wasn't so cute... he would be dead :p

Harmon has the unique gift to drive me absolutely 100% NUTTY and steal my heart all in a matter of minutes. I'm not complaining. It is part of raising a little boy who is all boy (and I wouldn't want it any other way).


So why would I kill him? Yesterday I got home from working with Chris on something and Miriam our nanny tells me Harmon is asleep. She leaves and I get ready to meet with someone who is coming to the house. I take advantage of the 10 minutes I have to finally sit, rest, munch on some popcorn, and have some DP. Than I hear "Mooooommmmyyyy, are you here?" "Yes Harmon, go to sleep!" "Mommy I poop" "Okay I'll be right there." So I go and put up my popcorn quickly and get ready to change his diaper. Low and behold the diaper is open on the floor in front of me and poop is everywhere. That is when he exclaims so proudly "Mommy, look I finger paint my poop." I sat and calmly explained that we don't play with poop. We don't touch our poop. He quickly apologized and promised to wait for me to take his paints out next time.

And sometimes he is just too honest. This morning I decided to weigh myself the first time since I think before New Orleans before getting dressed and I tell him playfully "Uh oh, Mommy gained a pound..." and he looks at me very seriously "Mommy eats too many cookies. Mommy no eat cookies and give to Harmon. Mommy no gain weight". I just couldn't stop laughing at my son trying to con my desert off me but it also made me wonder, who talks about eating cookies and gaining weight? It sure isn't me or Chris, we love our cookies.

Than there are the times when he is so adorable. He brings me his trains every morning while I'm often still asleep and he than explains to me how each train slept. He always tells me how pretty I am and he gives hugs and kisses all day long if you let him. Yesterday was his first new gym class since he started school. This time his siblings are in the class so I had my hands full even with Miriam's help but he just behaved so well. He loved showing me all the great things he can do. I really appreciate how much he is learning to follow directions. He loves his books so much that he recites his books from memory to us now. He is so smart!

He also has a crazy imagination. Yesterday after the poop painting I laid him back to sleep. He wakes up yelling "Mommy my ear hurts!!!!!" I run in and ask what happened. "An old man came through my window and poked me in the ear and now my ear hurts..." The gentleman who I was meeting with asks me when I came back he asked "did he just say..."



Well just as I was finishing this post Chris was changing Harm's diaper and Chris exclaimed "holy cow that is a lot of poop". Harmon runs off to tell me: holy cow, holy sheep, holy goat, holy dog, and than after much thinking "holy penguin".... we had to break down giggling! Again I don't know where he gets it from :p

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Isn't everyone a twin?


It is funny b/c twins are just different than everyday single babies like me or Harmon. I don't notice the differences until I have one of those "aha" moments. My most recent has been Rachel. She was given a baby Cinderella doll and stroller for Christmas. She didn't like it that much until Dia de los Reyes Magos (which is 3 Kings Day or the Epiphany, a Hispanic tradition celebrating the Wiseman giving gifts to the Christ child). We had a little party (complete w/King's bread) and my mom brought the kids gifts of course. Rachel's was a doll. She looked at it intently and put it in the stroller. Suddenly she was SOOO happy. The stroller looked right and now it is her favorite toy. If something happens to one of the two dolls she gets very angry until they are together again.


I guess it makes sense. After all her life has always been side by side with her brother. She even gets real confused when she sees my niece Juliet alone. She doesn't like babies being alone. I think she thinks everyone has a twin. Maybe that is why she gets scared when Harmon is around sometimes... after all where is his twin? Callum thinks in similar ways. He won't sleep unless Rachel is in the room. He loves just knowing she is there. It makes me sad to think of when they will be separated when they start school (Rachel will be in a special program when she turns 3 for her CP and Callum will likely go to a Montessori Pre-K). But even though they won't always be together I know their bond will always keep them close together forever.

Sometimes it makes me wish I had a twin or it makes me sad Harmon doesn't have one. Than I realize if I had two crazy energetic Harmon's running around my home we would never have had the twins :p

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Albuquerque Moments!

It has been a rough couple of days. My Dad is doing really well all things considered. I'm so tired I was talking about my hair and I typed here the other day.


Anyhow I promised to share some of our great moments on the trip.


The highlight for us was having Harmon ride the train from the Aquarium to the zoo. He loves trains. He talks about Thomas the Train all day long.


Later at the Botanical Gardens they had this HUGE Thomas the train display that was amazing. Both boys were entranced. They wanted to stay there forever!


The babies thought the aquarium was just magical. Callum especially went to each of the displays and stared for hours. It was so neat to see his face.


We went to a lot of restaurants and each one is just a crazy experience all in itself. With Harm's Sensory Integration he doesn't eat very many foods. Traveling has always meant french fries and yogurt for however many days the trip. So this time I was smart I packed fruit and vegetable servings for each meal and had it travel in a cooler. I also made peanut butter and Nutella sandwiches ahead of time so Harmon could eat things other than fries. It was a great success. In fact Harmon only had one serving of fries the WHOLE trip and everyone had balanced meals.



The first day of the trip was Chris' birthday. He just hit the big 31. I'm very proud of him and all he has done in such a short period of time.


The pool was a huge hit. That hotel was horrible but all the kids didn't care. They loved to swim (at least Rachel and Harmon do... Callum gets scared and sits with Dad the whole time). I was so amazed by Harmon. He can now swim all the way across the pool with his floaties. Rachel is not far behind him.


Callum and I just loved to chill at the hotel. That was Heaven after a long day.


We went to the Explora Museum. It was horridly expensive but worth every dime. They had these great discovery sections the kids were enthralled! We had to drag them all out of there kicking and screaming. They learned about pulley systems, pipes, air shoots, etc. etc.



Chris and I even got a chance to spend some time together as well. Chris' parents were oddly enough in town as well and watched the kids for an hour and a half.


It was a hard trip. I won't sugar coat it but I loved it. The best part has been Callum. Since coming home he has become so confident. I think it was just great for him to get out of his comfort zone!!!!


It's late and I've shared a ton of pics so I'm going to bed. If you want to see more you can see our picture blog: link.

Monday, March 28, 2011

In an instant anything can change...

Today at 7:45 I get a text from my mom. With bleary eyes (I really wanted so badly to sleep in after that trip) I see it is from my mom. I just assume my mom is ready for me to get my dog back (she pet sits Mackenzie when we travel) but instead she tells me Dad is getting prepped for surgery. My mind quickly begins to race and I remember speaking with my brother about my father doing a surgery to release the tightness in his tendons. I had no clue that it was today. I was worried b/c it was something that they didn't know for sure they were going to do it and so I didn't know any of the details. Would he be in the hospital a while? What does it entail? etc.
It is interesting b/c I wasn't the closest with my father growing up. I will simply say the man lived by his own set of rules and leave it at that. After college I lived in LA and was serving a mission for my church working with the local DEAF community. It was a really happy special time in my life. For the first year Dad and I didn't stay in contact but in July of that year he started writing me and I wrote back. It was very lovely! Than one day he mentions he is a little under the weather and going in for tests. I didn't hear anything until my mom told me that he suffered a massive stroke in October of that year. He went in for a minor procedure and he almost died. He no longer could speak really or move the right side of his body. After that I was never the same. The true fragility of life hit me on the head. It made me realize that grudges are never worth a dime in the scheme of life.


It has been almost 6 yrs since than. My father and I have slowly built a nice relationship. He is truly a wonderful Grandpa and I enjoy his company. He has grown much stronger, can walk with the use of a cane, speaks clearer, and is slowly gaining more independence. While he may not seem like the fast talking quick witted lawyer he once was, the man he is now is pretty awesome. In time I stopped worrying all the time that something could happen to him. The fear of mortality sort of got pushed in the back of my mind.

So back to the surgery story. He went into surgery today and so the whole morning I obsessed over my phone carefully watching the texts from my mother. She told me when he went in for surgery, came out, woke up, and best of all she sent me a text saying: "Dad is safe, out of danger, and feels like sh*t :)". I knew if my Mom's sense of humor was back everything was going to be all right!!! It gave me a renewed sense of humility. Once again mortality knocked on my door and made his presence known. I hugged my children tighter and will be grateful that I have all of my loved ones in my life another day! Life is short. I don't want to dwell on how it can all change in an instant. I just want to live my life appreciating those I love more and being grateful for each of them in my life. Every day is a gift from God in my opinion.

I apologize I didn't have time to up load and post pictures of the trip and share the fun stories of the critters in Albuquerque. Hopefully tomorrow!

Sunday, March 27, 2011

What the flip were we thinking????

Chris and I normally travel a few times each year. We do a nice vacation in the Summer and we do a long weekend trip in the winter. Sometimes every few months we do something just overnight. It is nice to have a chance to reconnect when you have kids coming out of your ears. We felt bad though because we never take the kids anywhere. It is just really really hard to travel with them. We took them to Phoenix once and to Ruidoso NM while each trip was a challenge none were like this one!


It was Spring Break for Harmon and we figured this was a good time. Originally we were going to drive to Austin. Chris has never been and since that is where I went to college I love it there and want to show it off but with a new community about to open up 3 days off was not an option. So Chris wanted to go to Phoenix and once again show off his home town (he had MLB and NBA games planned) but once again the company called and 2 days off turned to 1 day off. So we improvised and settled for Albuquerque leaving early Friday and coming home today.

We have 3 toddlers!!! It really just hit. I remarked last week how the twins were temperments were changing... that was an understatement. Harmon also struggled honestly by day 2 because he was just off schedule. I think I slept only 4 or 5 hours last night. Everything was hard! They didn't want to nap during nap time. They didn't want to go to the places we choose and than once we were there they didn't want to leave b/c they were having so much fun. Every meal was a challenge. Just getting a table at good restaurant for 2 high chairs, a booster, and two adults meant long waits. 3 mobile kids meant 3 kids running in 3 different directions.


The hotel was the biggest roach motel ever! I want to kill Chris for that one. With no air conditioning, dirty sinks, poop smell in the kids room (sadly enough that was there before the kids came), broken cribs, no working shower head, etc. lets just put it this way, it was NOT the Ritz Carlton we stayed at when I was in New Orleans in December. Chris doesn't want the kids becoming spoiled but they loved it after all it had free breakfast and an indoor pool. (He is asking was it really that bad? I never had something that nice growing up?)

Okay that was enough whining. It wasn't all bad, in fact it we had some great memories! I wish I had time tonight to download the pictures tonight to share. Like I said the kids all love swimming and that was a highlight. They were all so cute in their own way and even though it was a tough at times. When you get to spend 3 days non-stop with four special people that you love you always grow to love them more. Callum is just so expressive and so passionate about life. He just loved for me to hold him and cuddle. Rachel is just a spitfire of energy and brilliance. She may have Cerebral Palsy but man nothing is going to stop her and I saw that on this trip. Harmon is just so sweet and bright. I love when he is really truly loving something b/c he just becomes a catatonic. Chris and I had fun debating politics on the ride home. I always tease him b/c if he says something as fact I make him prove it. This always leads to lots of laughter. We don't have time to talk like this often.

So tomorrow or the next day I promise I'll share some pictures (besides some quick Iphone moments) and more about what we did. It really was great. Tonight though, I'm catching up on some sleep!

I can't wait! I love this show!


I like my various Law and Orders and CSI's, a few sitcoms, (and yes albeit embarrasing I love Army Wives) etc. but in general I never get a chance to watch the scripted shows b/c I can never sit and follow everything. When I do watch tv I normally keep it on Reality Fare like Top Chef and Apprentice b/c I can keep up working while having it on and it is easy to follow. Top Chef was always my favorite until when Harmon was born. I was on maternity leave and they had this marathon for the Deadliest Catch. Considering options during the daytime are slim pickings I tuned in. I was soooo hooked after that. Now Deadliest Catch is my favorite. I can't believe what they do. Considering in real life I'm a wuss (see next post about "roughing it" in Albuquerque) I have this utter fascination and respect for these guys.

Chris though thinks I like it b/c these are the only people in the world who swear more than I do (I'm doing much better on that these days but he still teases me). I tell him he doesn't understand, it takes a "real man" to watch a man show like this so he offers to grab me my beer (root beer that is) while he tends to the kids.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Harmon SO got me! + the twins are changing...

Yesterday I whined a little about Harmon being at home. It is a challenge for us b/c we are so used to him being in school so when he is home we are really tested coming up with LOTS of activities to keep his sensory needs in check. Otherwise he climbs the wall. He also just really misses his friends. Anyhow, today he proved how wonderful he is!!!! He ROCKED!!!!

Harmon woke up and decided he wanted to pee on the potty. With Harm's sensory integration he doesn't yet recognize the need to go like other kids his age does so that means every hour and a half we have to put him on the potty. Poop is still really beyond him but today he peed on a regular basis and never once went in his diaper. We still have a long journey before he is trained but seeing his enthusiasm means a lot.

In general Harmon did a great job today. He is understanding better that he is at home and we are meeting his needs better with more activities. Cally had a rough day. He was a little moody and Harmon very calmly guided him at Barnes and Nobles through his frustration. At one point Cally got mad and Harm tells Miriam our nanny, "Cally needs a time out!"


Changes are abounding with the twins. I realized that today they were getting close to the Terrible Two's. You can tell in their demeanor. Rachel is getting so fiercely independent (and she was already Little Ms. Independent) and Cally is like a moody teenager. It is funny b/c Harmon just left this stage and now here we are again... times 2! The good thing is that neither has sensory needs. That means if I can handle everything we have with Harmon I can happily handle them. It will be neat to see them grow and transition from babies to kids. It is a hard period but it is also magical (and bittersweet b/c I'm never going to have a baby in my home again).

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Spring break is a curse for parents!

I just LOVE my Harmon. He is my awesome boy!!!! He is so sweet and so good and so loving. He is so "duh... winning!" (see older posts for references)

Nevertheless after 2 days of spring break I'm at my wits end (and my nanny will probably be asking me for a raise). It is hard for him b/c he loves his pre-k so much and it makes him so happy. Now he is just not that happy b/c he misses his friends, teachers, etc. None of this is his fault.


So why is it hard? Well lets put it this way he is just grumpy. He picks on the twins, follows me, has taken to climbing the bar top again, etc. I would put him in time out each time but he would spend the whole time in time out. When I needed to meet Chris for work stuff on Monday he wouldn't get out of the car. He just was sick of the house. So Chris and I let him help us. At one meeting he was listening to YouTube videos while we were trying to talk to someone. Today Miriam our nanny took him to the park after we finished with the twins physical therapy. I left when they came back and after only being gone an hour he was running amok again :p There is so much I'm always doing and I can't get any of it done... he stalks me!!!

He got approved for a special Summer program that will only be 2x a week. So we need to be creative for the Summer. Maybe there is a joy school or something he could join the days he doesn't do his Summer pre-k. We just have to survive till Thursday. We are going somewhere on vacation with the kids on Thursday... Please help us all make it till Thursday!!!!

Monday, March 21, 2011

Cally is the Jolly!

Callum is the child perhaps I don't talk enough about but he is no less wonderful! When we were at the zoo this weekend if Cally had his lollipop, water, glasses, and hat he was just happier than a clam. He has always craved love and comfort. While Harmon and Rachel are always busy doing the next big thing Callum would rather sit on your lap and sing to you (his greatest hits include humming: twinkle twinkle, row row, and other favorite tot songs). He is always smiling laughing and singing!


Sometimes this can be bad. We enrolled him in gym a month ago. He doesn't like it! He cries, whines, and sits there in protest. Finally the last 10 minutes he will start to have fun but by that point the whole hour has passed. I'm actually quite surprised about this because he has such natural athletic talent. Since he was 15 months old he could catch a ball in the air and throw it perfectly forward. No one believes it until they see it. He loves to throw the ball against the wall and catch it... it is cute!

I think when it comes to school and other challenges we will have to work hard motivating him. He has a very sensitive soul. He cries if he runs out of yogurt or loses his ball under the couch. The cutest thing is how much he loves his nanny. Sometimes he will cry if she leaves for one reason or another.

Callum is just wonderful. Just like Rachel and Harmon have their quarks he has his. I am so grateful he is part of our little family though. His calming happy nature is a great compliment to the exuberance of his siblings (and parents).

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Rachel and the Tigers!

I think with Rachel day to day I just forget that she is different. We do the hours of therapy every week but I just don't really focus on her having Cerebral Palsy. But when we went to the zoo yesterday my heart broke all over for her again. The first thing we do is go and see the Sea Lion show and she kept wanting to leave our seat and go SEE that sea lion. As I saw her struggling to move it really made me sad. The rest of the trip I watched her. You could see how uncomfortable and in pain she was in. When it was time to walk she fell a lot. Excuse the cheesy analogy but it hurts becuase she has the spirit of one of those lions or tigers we saw but like them it seems like she is caged. She can't just go where she wants and do what she wants to do. She has such a fierce spirit but she faces so many other limitation.

Today one of our friends shared with Chris and I separately a story of a girl with Cerebral Palsy. She told me how much amazing progress she made through intensive therapy and how she lives such a full life. Her son also struggles with a serious disability and we talked on about mourning at times when we remember the reality of the situation. She also reminded me how important it is to count your blessings and believe in your children. Other friends commented today how they thought she was making really positive progress. It helped us see the good side to the journey.


I know there is nothing Rachel can't do and she will overcome this. It won't be easy and we are all going to have tough moments but it will happen.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

The Curse of the Irish!

Like I said St. Patricks Day is always a big deal and we worked so hard trying to put it together but nothing we did work! It was so funny.


Chris planned lunch at an Irish Pub but when we got there it was CROWDED to the gills so we ended up having lunch at this fancy dancy place. Chris got his corn-beef and cabbage which looked fully nauseating. I made an Irish dinner despite my best instincts... Shepard's Pie. When I was contemplating cooking this my nanny and Rachel's social worker (who are both also Hispanic) couldn't recognize some of the ingredients much less know how to cook them. It was a sign, I didn't listen :( Finally Harmon overdosed on Irish sweet treats and spent the whole night keeping us up vomiting.


It wasn't all bad though. The kids were adorable. The manager at Barnes & Noble had to take a picture of them and told me later it will be in a regional circular for the stores. I guess more than anything we all laughed even when things didn't go as planned. Harmon was HILARIOUS in his sunglasses and hat. He looked ready for a World Cup soccer match. Even though our plans are always flawed it is just letting loose and having fun that truly matters.


Wednesday, March 16, 2011

I must have made a leprechaun angry :(


because he burnt my cupcakes!!! Okay lets just be honest, we know I can't cook very well and evenly cooking cupcakes is beyond my control. Chris right now is giving his shot at a redo... I should have just bought cookies!

It is a joke b/c we decided to upgrade in our new home to one of those deluxe kitchens with a double oven and a cook top. The truth is though I'm sure when my kids are old enough to verbalize their true feelings they will beg me to simply go to Albertsons or maybe even a custom cupcake shop. My sister when she moved into her condo was much more realistic for the proper use of an oven: to store stuff.

St. Patricks day has always been a fun special day for Chris and I. Our first St. Patricks was spent in London together. We don't dress up the kids for every little holiday but we will tomorrow. Chris is taking me to a special lunch at the local Irish pub and I was planning on surprising Chris with an authentic Irish dinner... I wonder if someone has that for take out around here? It might be best considering the cupcakes!

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Priceless lessons from my Mom...

Part 2 of 2 posts... maybe one day we will add a 3rd.

Like I said in the last post I don't think I appreciated my mother nearly enough until I too became a mom. This Sunday I was missing her b/c she is in Las Vegas visiting my sister (and the week before I was ill so I didn't see them either that day). We normally see each other every week. She is so busy working 60 hrs on average a week as a high school teacher and caring for my disabled father who had a stroke in 06 but she always makes time for us. She loves watching my critters and if we can't get down to El Paso she comes up to Cruces. It is a really special relationship.

So anyhow these are just some of the lessons she passed down to me and my siblings that really shaped who I am today. These are the lessons I want most to pass down to my children!!!
  1. Life is too short not to eat good food. If you have to go diet you might as well go with out. Along the same lines laughter is as important as food. You can't live a good day with out it.
  2. Don't waste your time worried what everyone else thinks. Have fun and just be yourself, and you will always be good enough.If you love life with gratitude for all your blessings and spend your time giving you will always attract good people.
  3. Don't waste time being petty over things that don't matter. If your life is not at risk than most of the time it doesn't matter. You don't regret walking away but you will regret a useless battle that you wasted time on.
  4. Love EVERYONE! It doesn't matter one's religion, race, nationality, sexual orientation, political affiliation, etc. b/c good people are good people. Don't judge before you can get to know someone. You might miss out on a really great person!
  5. Don't be mean and don't hurt people for fun. You have feelings and so do other people. It is better to bite your tongue than have false satisfaction from sticking it to others. Treat others how you want to be treated. With that ignore stupid people who are mean-spirited. Life is too short to worry about them.
  6. Be a strong woman. Know your who you are and know your worth. Don't settle on a guy to have a guy. Don't take crap at work. Get your education. If you are going to be married don't settle for anything less than a loving respectful marriage. With that said raising your children is the best time you will ever have in your life. Don't fear to pull back on career to do it.
  7. Don't live on credit. Spend what you have and stop when you don't have it. But don't be a miser! Travel the world as much as you can. Splurge on a 5 star meal or a 5 star hotel if you can. Be responsible with money and plan for the future; but remember to live!
  8. Love God and be faithful even when times are tough. There is no challenge that you cannot overcome if you have faith. With that count your blessings always, you will realize life is never really that bad even when things are falling apart.
  9. And of course the most valuable lesson a Puerto Rican mom can give her kids is this: life is always better at the beach!

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Mom you are soooo embarrassing!

This is part one of two related posts.

There is a conversation that comes up in our family every now and again. It is simple: PARENTS ARE SOOOO EMBARRASSING! Every single one of us in our family have felt it at one time or another. Growing up and even up until I got married I would be so self-concious to bring new people home... especially boys. My mom I used to think was especially bad but the funny thing is that EVERYONE loves her. They tell me how funny she is, smart, sweet, beautiful, etc. My husband the day he met her just fell in love with her and Heaven forbid told me I was a lot like her.

I guess now that I'm a mom now I realize 2 things. First everyone was right: my mom is amazing in her very unique way. Every day I understand more of what she has sacrificed for us. I see her unending love and she is truly beautiful. She still drives me crazy on a regular basis but I love debating with her and sometimes we just laugh so hard it hurts.

Of course the most important lesson is that I will one day be just as embarrassing! I already force my children to endure the cheesiest family portraits and I dress them up all matchy-matchy. I have no doubt by the time puberty arrives they will be all asking me to drop them at the corner before school and to please change my outfit before I attend their school event.

When I was pregnant I thought I would be a cool mom! Fact is though is that none of that matters. The few cool parents that exist in this world are like Billy Ray Cyrus who had a 16 yo daughter pole dance. I guess if that is what it takes to be cool I'm okay with not being cool and in the mean time I will keep forcing my kids to do embarrassing pictures. After all if I'm not going to be cool I might as well enjoy the perks!

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Simply Delightful Dinner...


Chris and I are a fans of 5 star dining! Joel Robuchon, Emeril Lagasse, etc. are all wonderful but tonight they paled in comparison to Peter Piper Pizza. Today life was like a meat grinder. Chris got real sick to his stomach and I was beyond swamped. The kids didn't take their afternoon nap and everyone was on edge.

So I went and got some quick veggies and fresh fruit, stuck everyone in the car and started driving. I went through McDonald's drive through and got some apples, nuggets, and chocolate milk. I added the veggies and grapes so each of the kids had a decently balanced meal (humor me) and we kept driving. Chris had some chicken noodle soup his mom had dropped off and so he was set. I couldn't decide... I wanted something not healthy but not deep fried.

Finally I decided to go to Peter Piper and order a pepperoni and long green chile pizza. It was great. The kids had a WONDERFUL time just playing. I enjoyed the food and a chance just to kick back and relax. It wasn't fine dining but sometimes you don't need CraftSteak for the perfect dinner.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Duh... Winning!


No spouse is perfect... even Chris, but after a week plus of Charlie Sheen antics I sure am glad he is not the father of my twins. Chris has an incredible amount of confidence in everything he does (for good reason) including parenting. He likes to run a tight ship which worked great when our children were really little and he had to give the twins bottle at tandem but now that they are all toddlers this is proving quite harder. He tries to get them to all line up and get their diapers changed. Instead the three kids run around like wild animals throwing the diapers out of the baskets and putting their PJ's on their heads.

Chris also sometimes has trouble understanding why the kids don't get "quiet" time. He sits down for 2 minutes to read the paper and Rachel is writing on the walls, Harmon is hiding DVD's, and Callum has diligently removed the entire contents of the lower kitchen cabinets amongst the kitchen. I think the problem is that at work Chris roars and everyone listens but at our house Chris roars and no one cares. Such is the life when you have 3 toddlers under your roof.

Still Chris works so hard trying to care for the little ones so I can get work done or get a break. If you ask him how everything is he will admit life isn't perfect but he is definitely "winning"!

Note: Don't let your toddler watch "Showbiz Tonight" every evening. Harm's favorite phrase is guess: "duh, winning!"

Monday, March 7, 2011

The baby Fashionista!

There is no way around it! My girl has got some serious style going on! She always has but now as she enters into toddler-hood it is becoming her daily obsession. Her first words after Dadda were: shoes and bow. She brings me sweaters and hats to put on her. When I dress her she gets mad if I forget her bow. She chases me down telling me: bow bow! She always wants her cute glitter high-tops on and if I forget than she chases me down with them. Rachel loves watching me put my make up on in the morning and she watches me brush my hair.
It is really cute and honestly very surprising to me. After all she has two crazy brothers and I'm a bit of a tom-boy myself. I want to be buried in sweats :p Seriously I'm very laid back and if I can get away w/o having to put on make-up I don't wear it! I think she will be more like her gorgeous Auntie Eliza (my sister) who I suspect was born with make up on ;) I'll admit I love Rachel is such a little girlie girl. We are going to have fun picking out clothes, make up, jewelry, etc. and getting our mani/pedis together as she grows up!

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Give them a round of applause!!!


I think the shock of a disaster weekend is starting to wear off... it was rough! Where do you start? I could go into the strange drunk rock wall guy who threatened to kidnap Chris for a $100,000 but fortunately that went no where. Instead it really was all about the kids. Last week Harmon was sick. This week Rachel was sick. Saturday morning well... yes, you guessed CALLUM WAS SICK! Imagine that. We had plans for the weekend but they needed to be canceled. At least all my plans were :( Add in a nasty fall I think I've earned the right to be bitter but...


I'm not! I got to spend some amazing time with each child. Callum couldn't stop laughing each time I taught him how to open the above toy with the trap doors. Each time he figured it out he clapped for himself. He was sooo happy and so proud of himself! Rachel is amazing with her megablocks. She now builds towers bigger than her! Harmon was cute too, as always he was telling me the world as he sees it: I no want to share a room with Cally I want to share a room with Sir. Topham Hatt. It was neat realizing how the twins are doing so well on big milestones like clapping, turn taking, and communicating (things Harmon was very delayed with) and it is so wonderful seeing how far Harmon has come! They are all amazing :)

So none of our plans went as they should and the illness keeps spreading; but it still was a nice weekend. Kids always are the best entertainment!

Thursday, March 3, 2011

If he wasn't so cute... he would be dead :p

Harmon has the unique gift to drive me absolutely 100% NUTTY and steal my heart all in a matter of minutes. I'm not complaining. It is part of raising a little boy who is all boy (and I wouldn't want it any other way).


So why would I kill him? Yesterday I got home from working with Chris on something and Miriam our nanny tells me Harmon is asleep. She leaves and I get ready to meet with someone who is coming to the house. I take advantage of the 10 minutes I have to finally sit, rest, munch on some popcorn, and have some DP. Than I hear "Mooooommmmyyyy, are you here?" "Yes Harmon, go to sleep!" "Mommy I poop" "Okay I'll be right there." So I go and put up my popcorn quickly and get ready to change his diaper. Low and behold the diaper is open on the floor in front of me and poop is everywhere. That is when he exclaims so proudly "Mommy, look I finger paint my poop." I sat and calmly explained that we don't play with poop. We don't touch our poop. He quickly apologized and promised to wait for me to take his paints out next time.

And sometimes he is just too honest. This morning I decided to weigh myself the first time since I think before New Orleans before getting dressed and I tell him playfully "Uh oh, Mommy gained a pound..." and he looks at me very seriously "Mommy eats too many cookies. Mommy no eat cookies and give to Harmon. Mommy no gain weight". I just couldn't stop laughing at my son trying to con my desert off me but it also made me wonder, who talks about eating cookies and gaining weight? It sure isn't me or Chris, we love our cookies.

Than there are the times when he is so adorable. He brings me his trains every morning while I'm often still asleep and he than explains to me how each train slept. He always tells me how pretty I am and he gives hugs and kisses all day long if you let him. Yesterday was his first new gym class since he started school. This time his siblings are in the class so I had my hands full even with Miriam's help but he just behaved so well. He loved showing me all the great things he can do. I really appreciate how much he is learning to follow directions. He loves his books so much that he recites his books from memory to us now. He is so smart!

He also has a crazy imagination. Yesterday after the poop painting I laid him back to sleep. He wakes up yelling "Mommy my ear hurts!!!!!" I run in and ask what happened. "An old man came through my window and poked me in the ear and now my ear hurts..." The gentleman who I was meeting with asks me when I came back he asked "did he just say..."



Well just as I was finishing this post Chris was changing Harm's diaper and Chris exclaimed "holy cow that is a lot of poop". Harmon runs off to tell me: holy cow, holy sheep, holy goat, holy dog, and than after much thinking "holy penguin".... we had to break down giggling! Again I don't know where he gets it from :p

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Isn't everyone a twin?


It is funny b/c twins are just different than everyday single babies like me or Harmon. I don't notice the differences until I have one of those "aha" moments. My most recent has been Rachel. She was given a baby Cinderella doll and stroller for Christmas. She didn't like it that much until Dia de los Reyes Magos (which is 3 Kings Day or the Epiphany, a Hispanic tradition celebrating the Wiseman giving gifts to the Christ child). We had a little party (complete w/King's bread) and my mom brought the kids gifts of course. Rachel's was a doll. She looked at it intently and put it in the stroller. Suddenly she was SOOO happy. The stroller looked right and now it is her favorite toy. If something happens to one of the two dolls she gets very angry until they are together again.


I guess it makes sense. After all her life has always been side by side with her brother. She even gets real confused when she sees my niece Juliet alone. She doesn't like babies being alone. I think she thinks everyone has a twin. Maybe that is why she gets scared when Harmon is around sometimes... after all where is his twin? Callum thinks in similar ways. He won't sleep unless Rachel is in the room. He loves just knowing she is there. It makes me sad to think of when they will be separated when they start school (Rachel will be in a special program when she turns 3 for her CP and Callum will likely go to a Montessori Pre-K). But even though they won't always be together I know their bond will always keep them close together forever.

Sometimes it makes me wish I had a twin or it makes me sad Harmon doesn't have one. Than I realize if I had two crazy energetic Harmon's running around my home we would never have had the twins :p