Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Naked-love Sandwich

Ben does not tolerate shirts with buttons on them. Simply refuses to wear them. Odd, I know. But Filipe's mom is visiting this week, and she wasn't aware of this particular quirk of his. So this morning, she got him dressed in a nice red striped polo. How she managed to get it over his head without him noticing the buttons is beyond me. But by this afternoon, the jig was up. He pulled down the collar in the front, got a good look, and scolded most fiercely, "No buttons!" He would not desist until the offending shirt was removed. Since it is pretty warm today, I took it off, and told him he could be a naked boy for the rest of the day. Who needs more laundry, right? Well, as soon as Sam saw the freedoms Benny was enjoying, he staged his own protest. So off his shirt came.

The key to this next part is that the boys are not frequently shirtless. Really, only when we go to the indoor pool at our gym.



Those bare-chested lads ran their hands over their milky white tummies, looked at their mirror images (each other) and giggled. They ran toward each other and gave eachother a nice bear hug, rubbing their shiney little bellies against eachother, giggling like schoolgirls the whole time.



Of course, by the time I grabbed my camera, Sofia wanted in on the action. So here we have our naked-love sandwich.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Friday, April 24, 2009

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

I'm impressed with my younger self!

So in my quest to de-mite our bedroom, I donated my down comforter to Goodwill. And was left with a bare bed. I didn't really feel like spending money on a new cover, so I raided my closet to see what I could find.



I found Emily. Yes, this is Emily, as in Dickinson (I was always destined to be an English major). I made this quilt while I was in high school, I think. I decided I wanted to make a quilt, found a pattern, then thought, why make a twin size when I could make a King size? So make a King-size quilt I did.


As I pulled this out of the top shelf of the kids bathroom and laid it on my bed, I started really looking at it. And imagining what it would take for me to make something like this today. Man, I must have has some free time! And it amazes me that I was able to stick with the project. Granted, I sewed the top piece, then sent it to my grandma to bind and tie, but that was still a whole lotta sewing! And the pieces actually match up nicely.


So I want to thank my mom for helping me get started with that, my first (and maybe only) very large project. I vaguely remember going with her to choose the coordinating fabrics (is anyone surprised that I chose green? I didn't think so) and to explain how to piece it all together. Apparently, some of the lessons actually did take.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Where the battle begins

Over the last several years, Filipe has developed mild allergies. In spring and fall, he'll get a bit sniffly and sneezy, and we'll wonder if he's about to get sick. Well, this year, he really broke loose. Within the space of a week, he was nearly incapacitated. Sneezing, congestion, runny nose, itchy/watery eyes, the works. It got so bad he let me make an appointment with an allergist. He came home looking like he had endured an interview of torture. His back was covered with little welts where they tested him for what seems like every allergy known to man.




Our lucky boy came up positive for lots of seasonal allergies, and fun things like dust mites. Good times. He was prescribed an entire battery of meds, some of which are helping a bit. But he still has such a hard time overnight, I've started the Battle of the Mites in our room. I've stripped the bed, washed everything in hot water, I'm getting rid of my fluffy down comforter (sob!) and will get some mattress & pillow encasings.









I dusted, I vacuumed. I've laid our bedroom bare.









Watch out, dust mites. You don't mess with my man. This means war!

Monday, April 20, 2009

Some place hot just froze over.




I actually completed my first apparel project! I started this pair of pants quite some time ago, was interrupted when the boys woke up from their nap, and never seemed to finish it. So today, I finally finished them! They are a pair of pants/capris for Sofia, but you know how she is about photographs. So I got Sam to model them for me (don't worry, baby, I'm saving up for your therapy).
They are made of out a stripe corduroy that I love, and granted, it made the pants a little retro, but hey, you learn as you go. These pants have side pockets and an elastic waist. I'm so happy to have them done. No guarantees she'll ever wear them, but I tried. And I just might try again, given the proper inspiration from a visit to the Walmart material section.....

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Government Canyon State Natural Area


Filipe and I made an executive decision to skip Camp Meeting this year and have a family nature day instead. We packed up the kids & a lunch, and headed off to Government Canyon State Natural Area. It was a beautiful day for a hike, nice and cool. It was a little muddy from the rains last night, but that made it even better in the boys' opinion. We watched for mountain lions along the way (the ranger had warned us about a sighting they had last week) and found all sorts of caterpillars, lizards, flowers, and ant hills. Good times. We also had a great picnic at the picnic pavilion. Next time we'll try to hit the Visitor's Center. The kids came home and hit the hay--right after a much-needed rain-shower!
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Friday, April 17, 2009

Fun AFTER the rain

As much as the kids love rain, I think they love after the rain more. And after they're done playing in the after-rain mud (making pancakes & waffles today, they tell me), they get to play in more rain--this time in the shower.





New Recipe--Pasta Primavera


Yum yum! Here's a quick, easy, moderately healthy recipe for Pasta Primavera:

2 cups broccoli florets
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed mushroom soup, undiluted
1 large carrot, julienned
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove, minced (I just used some garlic powder)
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 cups cooked spaghetti


In a large saucepan, combine the first seven ingredients. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat until vegetable are tender, about 12 minutes. Stir in spaghetti; heat through. Yield: 4 servings

I can send you the nutritional information if you're interested. Otherwise, eat and enjoy!

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Further signs of ADD


I have realized I am a literary polygamist. I have at least three books that I am currently in the middle of reading. This was never my way before. I was religious about finishing a book to the last page before beginning a new one. What changed? Perhaps I am so worried that I will never have time to complete one book that I panic and pick up the next one. Ahh... I never thought of myself as a cheater. But here I am. This is what is currently on the docket: ScreamFree Parenting (anyone think I really should read this one cover-to-cover??), The Bible Jesus Read, and Divine Prophecies Fulfilled (a very interesting 1922 book about Ellen G. White & her prophecies). And I'm sure there are several others that are not privileged enough to be on the night table.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

All in a morning's work

Out with the old....








And in with the new(er)!





I got tired of the striped velvet on my dining room chairs, so I pulled down a chocolate brown microfiber homemade curtain panel I've had since we got married, and perfomed a little cosmetic surgery. I'm pleased. I'm glad it didn't cost anything, because I'll probably feel like changing it again in about a year. That's just the way I am. Filipe's lucky we're legally bound to each other....

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Family Day

So we're trying to figure out the whole holidays thing and what kind of traditions to start with our family. We're a little undecided on Easter & the whole Easter Bunny & egg hunts and such, so this year we just kind of made it a family day. We headed off to Sea World, hoping most of the rest of the world was safely in church or hunting for eggs. Originally, we were planning to go to the beach, but the forecast had called for thunderstorms & such. Well, we had some rain overnight, but Sunday morning was bright blue.


The were very few crowds at Sea World, it was pretty much walk-on for any of the rides. The kids had such a good time.







Filipe chasing the boys through the pirate ship tunnels....

Easter Egg ride.....


Sam getting in trouble....




The boys were riveted to the Cannery Row Caper show


Thursday, April 9, 2009

9-1-1

Well, I've aged about 5 years in the last 45 minutes. After the boys woke up from their nap, I put on their socks and shoes and sent them to the backyard to play. I then put on Sofia's socks & shoes, and went out with her.

The boys were gone. Really gone.

I ran over to the side of the house to check the gate, but it was closed. I thought maybe they snuck inside and are eating toothpaste somewhere upstairs. Did a quick check in all the usual hang-outs, but with no luck.

By this time I'm really starting to panic. I think maybe they somehow got the gate open, went out front, then closed the gate, so I run out front and do a quick scan up and down the street. No toddlers running and giggling with glee. I run back out to the backyard--still nothing. I grab the phone and dial 9-1-1 as I'm re-checking all the rooms inside.

After giving the operator my information, she dispatches a police officer and I stand outside, pacing furiously. I stare at the face of each driver going by in their car, trying to see if they are looking at me like they know I've lost my children. I'm sure someone has seen two little boys running down the sidewalk, and can tell me where they are. But no one slows down, no one brings my boys home. I can't leave the house, because I have Sofia there, and just in case the boys really are hiding somewhere in the house or in the back. I do sprint across the street and up the other street, checking likely places the boys would be, but I can't see any sign of them.

It seems like forever before the police officer arrives. She takes a description of the boys, and tells me that she will be there day & night until they are found. They will send up the helicopter immediately, because of the age of the boys. I'm relieved and panicked at the same time. A helicopter? Day & NIGHT?? But she goes to call the info in, and I run back to the house to do another check. I send Sofia up to check their favorite hiding spots, because by this time she's feeling scared and needs a distraction. I run out back again to do one last check.

After I had called 911, I called Filipe, who was driving home from Houston. He had mentioned checking to see if they had crawled through the fence somehow. So when I went out for my last check, I had that in mind. I checked the outdoor shed, behind the shed, and by the garden. That's when I noticed one of their Tonka dump trucks sitting in the back corner of the yard. Right next to one plank of fence that was pulled slightly out. I ran over there and shoved the two loose planks aside.

There were my two boys, sitting in our behind-us neighbor's yard. Apparently, they have a Barbie ride-on jeep that the boys thought was very cool. I had to do the "count to three" trick twice before they reluctantly scooted through the fence. As Sam passed through, he looked up at me with his big brown eyes and said, "No time out Sammy. No time out." Don't count on it, kid.

I hauled those boys out to the front porch and sat them down, and went down to the police officer to let her know I found them before they sent up the helicopters. She came over to take a look at them just as another police officer arrived. The boys were very excited to see the police cars. Me, not so much. But we told the other officer the story of where they were, and they took my information down and left. As they got back into their cars, Sofia looked at me with disappointment and said, "oh... I thought we were going to get to ride in the police cars." Not unless they're taking me to Child Protective Services, I thought.

So that was my adventure for today. My heart is just now returning to normal, whatever that is. So the moral of this story is The toys are always more fun on the other side of the fence.

The End.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Messy fun

Had a good time at a birthday party today... what perfect weather! I had planned to take more pictures, but alas, was too busy chasing Sam and Ben. And I mean that literally. Little monkeys.













Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Snow Day San Antonio

We had a crazy cold front come through here.... It almost covered our car.










Then again, it almost covered our kids, too....





Crazy San Antonio weather....

Monday, April 6, 2009

Ah, the romance


I do love a good wedding.... congratulations, Raul & Charisse!

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

That's what it's all about!

We had a playdate at my friend Kim's house today. She had knee surgery and has been housebound for a while, which explains why she was so happy to see us.... at this point, she would have welcomed Dick Cheney!

Well, after a great time, we had to go home. The boys had been behaving so nicely all morning, but the minute they knew we were leaving, the facade was broken. They went crazy cute, running all over, laying on the floor giggling.

Well, they say a picture is worth a thousand words, and my dear friend Kim was good enough to catch the antics on film. Thanks. So. Much.
Ha!
Here's my boys, being so good....
Then the good times begin....

And what you can't see is that none of us are wearing shoes--I gave up!!