Summer on the "cheap"

I need a break... It's beginning to make sense what I heard once at church. They said that sometimes people get into this busyness, and that can thwart your effectiveness in many areas of your life. You have so many things to do and so little time, that God gets kicked out. Since we got the car we are always on the go, go, go. We started going to the slides, people's houses for playdates, grocery shopping... But these last two days we stayed home all day long. 

Daddy and Enzo being silly

I liked it a lot. It seems that Elizabeth is happy no matter where we are, and I'm thankful for that. Of course, I could see her jumping all day long on the couch, or from chair to chair in the dining room. That's why today we had to go out again, but it was nice to have a couple of resting days.

Enzo is eating on his own now. He is eating like a little pig... I honestly don't understand how it is that the tree of us can have the same thing for breakfast. Just today we all had half a cup of oatmeal. Where do these guys put it? Their stomachs are tiny compared to mine! And they look so thin... I guess they are growing, but that Enzo is scary. He is eating as much as Libby, and sometimes, he actually eats Libby's leftovers. Good luck, Daddy, paying those groceries when he's in sports :)

He gets mad when he sees no more food on his tray, and makes this noise, something like AHHHHH, while he pulls his shirt.

Learning to use the spoon

Eating Mommy's bread

Making pizza

Cheating

Libby reading to Enzo his first goodnight story

Summer just kicked in. I mean, it's been at least a month since days began being super hot, but we were still going out for the most part. Then Libby began saying HOT when we were at the slides, and they were. I've been trying to find ways she could play, but not outside where it's so hot and humid. 

For the most part we have been going to Merritt's house to play with a slide she has, and Libby slides down into a little water thing. She can stay there for hours, but we usually leave because Kori has to take her nap. On the weekends we go to the pool with Daddy. 

Enzo loves the water, he absolutely loves it. Libby is doing better at the pool. She actually jumps into my arms, and I catch her again and again. When it's time to leave, I let her go all the way down into the water, and she doesn't cry anymore when she gets out. That's good... that's great, actually. 

Enzo swimming

Nena enjoying the water

Enzo at the pool

Libby at the "Water Park"

Pretty Libby

Singing

Slim

Emerson had a brew day last weekend. I made pancakes and all of us had breakfast while Daddy brewed. I think Emerson liked it. He told me yesterday he wants to volunteer at this relatively new brewery on the weekends. I didn't like the idea at first because I'm selfish. I'm with Libby and Enzo all day long everyday, I want Emerson here to help me with them. But then I also thought that he needs to do stuff, something he really likes... His dream is to open his own brewery one day, and this will help him learn a bunch of stuff. 

We all need to make some sacrifices for the things we want sometimes. And I really want to help him.  I have this idea stuck in my head that I need to be a supportive wife because that's whom God wants me to be. And being that kind of wife is not something that just happens. It's the result of a series of choices. It's something I have to choose to be, because by nature I don't feel like doing it. I guess it's just like when you have an incredible amount of debt. It doesn't happen overnight. It's the result from choice after choice after choice of using the credit card when you knew you couldn't afford it. 

Pigging out

More pigging out

I remember that when went to this brewery Emerson wants to volunteer for, I met the wife of one of the owners. She said she had been with her children almost ALL the time while her husband and his sister were doing all this for years, you know, working on the brewery. The day had finally come, but she knew it was just the beginning. Now they had to keep working on maintaining the brewery and making it successful. During all those years she was actually taking care of her nephew, too. But that day she was children-free, they had hired a baby sitter for the first time in years!!

I felt happy for her, for her husband... because their dream had come true. We talked to them, they were nice people, you know, willing to help if anybody ever wants to do the same thing they did. They didn't seem different from me or Emerson. I'm sure they guy is smart and so is his sister, but nothing unusual or out of the ordinary. I guess the difference between someone who accomplishes something like that and someone who doesn't is just their willingness to work hard, and don't give up. That day I felt like we could do it. 

Those memories came back today. Why? Who knows... I just think that if this is the first choice of a series of choices, I don't want to miss it. Whether it happens or not, I want to be a supportive wife. That's all that matters :)  

Jun 8th, 2013. Brewing with Daddy.

So... Libby needs to exercise every day, not because I want her to, but because she has lots of energy. By the way, I chickened out, and she's not going to Mother's Day Out next fall. I'll give my reasons later. Since she won't go, I wanted to find her an activity so that she could go jump, exercise, just have fun. We thought gymnastics, since she is always jumping around. 

Playing with Daddy

Pony tail for gymnastics

Making her detest cats...FAIL!

We visited the Little Gym the other day. It's a nice place, and we took lots of photos. I just don't think it's a good fit for her. From the moment we got there, she never sat down to interact with the other children, she just took off... She wanted to play, and do the bars, and play with the balls. I understand she needs to interact with other children, and she will do that next fall when we come back to BSF, MOPS, and church. It's not like I have her isolated from the world. I just think she is -I don't want to say different- peculiar.

She has never liked sitting around in a circle, and clapping hands, and dancing with the songs when we go to the library. And being completely honest I don't want my husband to pay 17 dollars per class, for someone to teach my child where her tummy is.  

THE LITTLE GYM PHOTO-SHOOT

Libby on the balance bar

We have also had cheap lunches at HEB. I take lunches for everybody since they have a microwave, and I just buy a soda. Anything to get out of the house when she is bouncing up and down. Just today she hit her head like four times in the apartment. So we go to HEB, and sometimes I buy half a pound of deli food, and she helps me pay for it. Then we get out of HEB, and have ice cream. Enzo also likes ice cream so much he cries when his sorbet is over. 

Showing constraint

What the heck!!

Mmmm...

"Come one, Grandma"

Fondo, fondo

Enzo is hooked, too

Treason on Menchie's

Tearing his clothes

Again :)

Angry

By the way, Libby is growing healthy and strong. About a month ago she had her two year-old checkup. She had to have one vaccination, and I explained to her what to expect. I told her that it would hurt a little, but that I knew she was strong, and that she would be okay. I promised we would go have ice cream with Daddy that afternoon. 

The face of anticipation

Not really knowing what to expect

Pain

All she cared about was the reward

We have also been visiting the playground area at Willowbrook mall. She likes it, but you have to get there pretty early or other children that are not supposed to play there are playing there. And there's no one you can complain about it. We have gone buy groceries together, eating pizza with Daddy, and going out to eat on the weekends sometimes.

All that is to say that the reason I chickened out about the MDO program is because I do like spending time with my children. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying mothers who send their children there do not like spending time with them. But at her checkup I asked the doctor if there was a developmental area she needed those programs for. I want to provide what my child needs, but Dr. Pope said there's not a lot those programs give the children other than play time with other children - which she'll get with Enzo, he said. He said she'll probably have fun, but she doesn't need to go. That's all I wanted to hear, because I've felt pushed to do it.  

Plus, he mentioned that at her age she doesn't really play with other children yet. And it's true, I've seen it happening, she just does her own thing. Obviously the programs provide free time for mom... but I don't want time away from them for five hours once a week. That's why they go to their room for two hours every day to rest, and they go to sleep at 8 pm. sharp every night so that I can spend time with Emerson. 

I want to be with them all the time while they are growing up. There will be one day when they won't be here anymore. They have to go to school, I know. So I'll spend as much time with them as possible while I can. Yes, I'm tired. So what? I adore them :)

So big

Riding the bear

"Brother, look!"

"I said,  'Smile'"

Pizza night

Eating at Willie's

HEB lunch

Lemon face at Willie's

Groceries with Dad

Willowbrook

Pizza 

Owning the pizza

The image at the bottom of this paragraph represents what in Mexico people call a muégano. It is a kind of funnel cake, although thinner. Muéganos are made out of flour, and deep fried. Then they are submerged in a sweet syrup called pilocillo. You cannot separate the little squares individually, they are attached to each other with this crystallized sugar, and if you try, they will break.

So am I with my children right now. They know I adore them, and I know they adore me. So we will be Muéganos Forever until they want it otherwise. 

Muégano

Oh... I also began doing grocery shopping with Libby walking and Enzo on the backpack. They like it better that way. Libby helps me with the stuff and prices (She doesn't really help much, and she broke a strawberry jam jar the other day, but she is learning tons, I'm sure).

Emerson asked me if I had paid for what she broke, but I didn't. I'm sure Walmart can afford one jar. It won't happen again, though. We'll have to teach her to make amends and do what is right. Emerson mentioned that maybe once she understands what an allowance is she can pay for stuff if she breaks it. 

Ratita

What helping looks like

Yes, they are related.

Practicing letters

Libby and Enzo playing

Ahhh...what else? We went buy groceries for the millionth time, and we stopped for a smoothie. We were supposed to share a large one, but who am I kidding?

Pedorra

Pericles

My share...

Playing rough

The other day we went to a place called Monkey Buziness. I had heard about it, and I wasn't sure what to expect, but we had to go to try it out. It was like 8 dollars, and Libby couldn't play in all the bouncy houses because she is still very short, but we had fun. At least we know now that it's not for her age just yet. There was a nice toddler area, but it seemed silly to pay for that kind of thing. We got there around 11 am, and left about 2 pm. We had a great time. 

You can bring your own snacks, although they looked at me funny when I asked them where I could eat the food I brought. They wanted me to order pizza. After eating, Libby wanted to keep playing, and so she did for about half an hour more. She was crazy about the balls. And I really liked the fact that you can get on the bouncy houses with them.

Looking for more balls

Worm

Climbing

Sliding down with Mommy

Enzo crawling

Eating lunch

OUT!

Playing with Brother

Nena on the slide

Riding the horse

Yesterday I made out my mind and decided to go to the pool on my own with both of them. We cannot be here doing anything, or waiting for Emerson to take us in the evening. He doesn't like the crowds. Libby was very obedient and never did anything crazy. I told her she needed to be by my side all the time, and she was. Two or three times she lost the ground because she was jumping on the edge, and I had to pick her up. She complained because of the water, but I told her that's what happens when you go swimming. I think they both liked it. 

We were there for about an hour. She was throwing Caillou's head and would jump to my arms to get it. Enzo was very happy, but hadn't taken his first nap yet, and it was almost 12 pm. We came back, and he went to sleep. Both of them ate lunch around 1 pm. And they went down for a nap around 2:30 pm. Tomorrow is pool day again. I need to go buy some floaties tonight, just to be safe.  

Getting dry 

Sirena loca

Coming back home

OUT!

Cellphone thief

We also tried the playground at BK. I think it was a hit. Libby climbed all the way up, and suddenly she freaked out because she couldn't find the way down. A girl had to help her... she was happy when she saw me. But then she got over it and climbed again. This time she found the exit on her own, and was very proud of herself. I think we'll go there more often. I paid for lunch this time, but we can go right after breakfast so that nobody is there.

Today there were about 15 toddlers there from a day care on a field trip. Hopefully not all day cares are like that, because these ladies were slapping the children, and screaming at them badly. I usually strike Libby on her hand if she touches something she shouldn't, specially when she knows she shouldn't and does it anyway. But these ladies were doing that to other people's children, and yelling at them, and pulling them from their arms... isn't that kinda bad? 

Las coroooonaaaas de los princiiiipeeeeees

Libby on the big slides

La Changa

Finding her way

After BK, Libby said she wanted to go get ice cream, and I had promised... so we went to a new place near Merritt's house. It sucks flavor wise. I mean, it's not Menchie's or Orange Leaf, and it looks pretty shady on the outside - the inside too. But I liked the fact that they have chairs for children and legos so they can play with, and Libby and Enzo had a wonderful time there. So who cares about ice cream? They don't care obviously. Going for ice cream is more for the event of going out to get some mamama. So we'll go there from now on. 

Eating ice cream

"Check this out, Daddy"

Happy Libby

Crazy about ice cream

Enzo talking 

Enzo drinking his smoothie

Just came back from Walmart because I went to buy Libby a floating device, and some water shoes got on my way :)

Honestly, every time I go to bed I can't but thank God for everything He has given me. We are healthy, our children are growing and they are beautiful, just the way He created them. I go back and forth in questioning people who have no belief in God. Let's forget Jesus, and God... mainly having no faith in anything whatsoever. My life without my faith would suck!!

I see Libby's eyes, Enzo's smile... and I believe there is someone greater and bigger out there in the universe who created them, someone who makes the sun rise every morning for our delight. 

My world and my life may not be perfect, but they are exactly what I need. God knows that. Of course there is hope, and Someone who cares for us. That Man they call God loves me.

And He loves you, too.