Christmas Recital

Rory's Christmas recital was last night and it was a night to remember. I know I am biased being that he is my son and all, but he is the best dancer in the bunch!

New loves

We finally got Rory signed up for tae kwon do and he is just loving it.  And we love it, too.  Yeah, yeah, of course we want him to have fun and learn some moves, but these teachers instill discipline, and that is the real kicker.  Rory is a great little guy, but he is four and that means being pretty darn rascally from time to time. To see him standing in line perfectly still and calm and to be told how important it is to respect and listen to his parents is quite the winning combo of money well spent.

And Miss Eloisa loves, loves, loves swings.  We've bundled up and walked to the park a couple of times this week and she is just fascinated.  Or maybe it is that she is fascinating to watch.  The pictures will explain what I mean.  The rain is going to kick back in soon and it will probably put a stop to our swinging for a bit.  But actually, crazy mom that I am, we'll probably be there with a towel and an umbrella hovering over her so she can have some more fun.

Thanks a lot

So today is Thanksgiving and it has been a great day. Stormy, blustery, rainy...all the perfect excuses for staying indoors. We opted not to go to the Bay Area for the holiday because of the cost and of knowing that my family will be up for Christmas next month.  We were invited to a couple of friends' houses as well, but I really wanted to have my own little dinner with my own dear little family.When Jaime and I were deciding what to cook, we quickly agreed that it would NOT be turkey since neither of us like it.  We slow cooked a pork roast and served it with all the traditional sides.  Weezy ate some squash and a baby mum mum and all was lovely. We gave our thanks, discussed our weekend plans, and had some laughs.

Rory provided the biggest ones albeit unintentionally.When it came time to clear the table, Rory still hadn't eaten his carrot.Yes, carroT. Not two, not three, one.  After some screaming and crying, he insisted on taking his carrot to the bathroom while he peed since he was "just so hungry for it".  Of course, when he returned his hands were empty and he told us he ate it. He eventually confessed to sticking it under our bed.We gave him a new carrot and watching that boy was like watching myself as a child. I don't care much for vegetables now, and when I was a kid, they were sheer, absolute agony. I quickly became an expert on how and where to discard them. I knew all the tricks and I still do.  He did some impressive work:  tucked it under the rest of his food, coughed it into a napkin, spit it under the table, put it up his sleeve, sneaked it onto Jaime's plate, and insisted on throwing out a wrapper he found on the floor and spit it directly in the garbage can.  Needless to say, Rory did not get a slice of pie for dessert but of course we gave him bites of ours.

Wow, so now the holidays are here.  Crazy that another year is coming to an end.  Every year the season goes so fast and with the amount of stuff we are going to cram into our lives over the next month, I know this season will fly by, too.   But we can talk about that later.  For now, happy thanksgiving and here's to being thankful for how good you've got it.

Amused

Amused, no.  Intrigued, yes.

Let's eat!  Or, let's hope she let's me eat!

Carrying on my Grandma's tradition. No, not the A-1 sauce.

  Eloisa's equivalent to apple pie.

El vacationo

We spent a month in Spain and it was a heck of a good time.  I am lucky enough to have been thrown to the wolves of Madrid on seven occasions in the past eight years since Jaime is a Spaniard. My heart just soars when the plane pulls in and I excitedly brace myself for the Spanish vortex I get sucked into after customs and baggage claim. I am always mesmerized when so far from home, and  I revel in watching the people, seeing the high rise apartment buildings, observing  the hustle and bustle of the streets, and diving in.

But you have to get there first. Try a night flight to Seattle, red-eye to Boston, eleven hour layover with all of your luggage,and finally, six hours to Madrid.  The kids were seriously great for all of it, so it wasn't so bad. Just really,really long and exhausting, but worth it for the nice escape it was.  Real life is great and all, but there are times when you just need to get the heck out of town and your nearest Safeway. The weather was nice and warm, we caught up with lots of friends and family, and everyone fell in love with Eloisa (as was expected) and affirmed their love for amazingly bilingual Rory.  Nothing humbles you like having your four year old translate something for you.  But hey, I’ve got two kids and he has a fresh little brain, so how can I really compete with that?  

My camera died five days into the trip and the ONE thing I forgot to pack was the charger. I might post some more stored on another computer, but here are a few pictures I got with my camera.

The Egyptian Temple in downtown

A euro well spent. We were all impressed!

Out on our morning stroll

Not impressed with my funny face

Enjoying her favorite necklace

Still smiling after losing $75 in a half hour at bingo

Little Rory at 6 months in Madrid.

Butternut squash day

She never quite knows what to make of those first few bites. You'd think I was torturing her, but she always goes back for more. I am excited at the thought of  introducing her to so many new and exciting foods. No matter how hard we tried, Rory inherited my horrendous eating habits and very picky mouth. Hoping lightning doesn't strike twice, we are dedicated to Eloisa being an open-minded eater. As with everything my little love has shown us so far, she is off to an amazing start!

"All right, Mommy, that's enough".                                                                                                                  

And a vibrating teether for dessert!

Say cheese, little love!

I could stare at her for hours. In fact, I do!  She was such a beautiful newborn and she is such a cute baby, I can hardly stand it! And cute it not even the word- breathtakingly scrumptious, perhaps?  I just want to inhale her when I look at her little face. She fits in nicely and definitely uses the loud voice she needs to be heard in this house! 

Hello four months!

Eloisa turned four months on the 29th.  So hard to believe it has passed so quickly, yet pregnancy feels like an absolute lifetime ago.

I waited for my girl for a long time and she was well worth the wait.  She is the best baby, she'll be the best girl, and finally, the best woman. But all that will come in time and I hate to waste my life by living for the future.  I enjoy the moment and now.  Life comes and goes so, so, so very quickly and since this one is the only one I will ever have, I strive to get the most out of my days and experiences-especially including when my children are so tiny, sweet, and toothless. It really does go fast.  Too fast.  But I have made sure to savor having a little baby in my arms with her little head to cradle in my hands. I have enjoyed and appreciated every moment with my precious Eloisa.