Fairy Birthday

Happy 6th Birthday to Our Fairy Princess!!!

She is our in-house comedic routine. She's sassy and knows when Mami is supposed to be stern but is fighting a snicker. She does things, like wear rainboots with sunglasses and polka dot shirts with plaid skorts and doesn't get why it doesn't match. She hunts bugs with the abandon of an entomologist in the Amazon. Her love of bugs is only second to her love of My Little Pony.

She's an intercessor. She prays every night whether Mami remembers or not. And she remembers prayer requests. God is going to use this child one day, sooner, rather than later, I think!

Chores are Fun!

Right? Well, when you have two children who are so close in age, but so dramatically different in maturity, it's very difficult to be "fair" in asking them to do things. Our Princess is a ready worker, while Our Fairy drags her feet in everything. I'll be honest, I have a bad habit of heaping it on Our Princess because I know she'll do it. So, to make things fair and to make sure that Our Fairy is learning to do more to help the family, I made A-Day/B-Day lists. On A-Day, Our Princess is in charge of washing the dishes, sweeping the floor, and wiping the chairs down. Our Fairy clears the table before and after, dries the dishes, puts them away and wipes down the table. The next day alternate. This eliminates whining about who did it yesterday and why do I have to do it...*sigh*

The best part is, I don't have to do it and can spend that time getting the next activity going. To be honest again, our kitchen hasn't looked this clean in a while. Even Our Oso helps out. He's just helping them until he's big enough to take on his own chores by himself.
And for my two middle, strong-willed children, it's the scedule telling them what to do, not mommy, so there is less chance of rebellion...

A New Year!!

I have many New Year's resolutions this year. I believe I'm making up for past years when I never could be bothered to make any. So here goes:

1. I don't want to say lose weight, because I really don't care what the scale says. We're making plans to take our kids somewhere Magical in September and I want to fit comfortably on the rides, not live in fear that they won't be able to get the belt across or the harness down. So, in order to do that, I want to lose a few sizes. Three to be exact. If I can get to a size 16, that would be wonderful. However in order to do that, I have to have a plan:
A. Drink 1 gallon of water(at least) a day
B. Make an effort to either do Zumba or Bootcamp once a week
C. Play with my kids as much as I can
D. Begin to cook healthier meals for myself and my family
(Yeah, who'd have thought resolutions would have subsections? Beware the fine print!)Hopefully, I will be successful this year and it will become a habit!

2. I want to get back into blogging every day, even if it is only a picture or two. I think, like a scrapbook, this is something I can look back on and enjoy long after my children have grown up.

3. I'm going to begin to control the chaos that is my home. If you have chaos issues and have never visited the flylady, you don't know what you are missing! I've tried so many other methods in the past, because let's face it, who wants to have a chaotic home? and never had any success until I found her website. I'm not even sure how I found it one day, I just know that my house would be cataclysmically insane if I hadn't begun shining my sink before the third princess came along. So, off to shine my sink and swish and swipe!
Happy New Year!

6

Wow...6 years old...that' s 1/3 of her life with us. My baby girl is finally(already?) six! She's a very sweet-natured girl who is quick to help others. She's the one who goes up to others she sees by themselves to talk. At her K5 graduation, her "superlative" was "Everyone's Friend." I couldn't be more proud of her. She loves Josefina, her american girl and to read stories about her. She loves to be crafty and makes cards for everyone. She says she never wants to leave us when she gets older and that she wants to marry her daddy. She never wants to cut her hair, at least until it gets to her feet, because it would hurt to walk on it all the time. She loves to pray and be read to. She plays soccer and sings all of the time. What a blessing she is to our family.

Heavy Heart

Immigration...it's a tough subject to talk about as it brings very harsh feelings on both sides of the table. It's difficult for me to talk about, but I believe there needs to be more pertinent information out there. The media distorts it, the left says it's a race issue, the right a security issue, but it is not a black-and-white issue. There are so many shades of grey, many of them sitting next to your children at school, church, or on the playground.

It is hardest for me because I am a Patriot. I love America and everything it stands for. As a daughter of a legal immigrant and a Retired USN Sailor I fly my flag with pride. I also understand heritage and not forgetting what(and often who) was left behind. I understand that our country is vulnerable (though not for reasons the government would have you believe) and we don't want another 9/11. There are steps that do need to be taken, and there is also overkill. I believe there need to be laws and those laws need to be obeyed. But there also needs to be mercy.

I married a man who came here legally, but was not legal when we married. I did not marry him for that reason, I married him because he was (and still is) a great man of God who would sacrifice a great many things to provide for his family(both here and in el Salvador). My husband did not receive his "papers" because he married me. Contrary to popular opinion, marrying a US citizen does not magically give you a green card. It doesn't even give you a visa to visit. They say there is one available for the spouse of US citizens, but (there's always a but) only if you meet certain requirements. It's a gamble. If you came into this country without an I-94 (also known as an entry visa) then you are required to return to your country of origin to receive your visa. You are almost always denied the first time(go figure) but then with the second you might get it. Sometimes, however, you get an ambassador's aide who is having a bad day and says no to everyone. This is what happened to my in-laws. We tried the legal route to bring them here for our wedding, even going so far as to have my father sponser them during their visit. They were both denied.

US Embassy San Salvador

The only reason my husband was able to work here during the six years it took for him to get a permanent resident card due to our marriage is because of an earthquake that occurred 11 months before we were married. We were married almost a year before he received permission to work and therefore to get a drivers' license. I remember getting up to drive him 40 miles round trip to work before being in class at 8. Yep, we were definitely honeymooners! To date, El Salvador is one of only Eight countries granted TPS, and this is given only to those who were on American soil when a government-approved disaster occurred in their home country.

Immigration is a mess. Changing the name didn't help. Don't get me wrong. I am thankful for and pray for the border patrol agents we have working and risking their lives to keep us safe. I just truly believe that if you are following the laws of the land and keeping your nose clean, why shouldn't you be welcome? Why not go after the drug dealers and murderers and those caught while DUI? Why go after the group of hardworking men and women who bother no one but those who are too lazy to try to get and do the same job? Now I know there are those of you legalists that say that the law was broken when they came here in the first place and that is true. You can see why this is a difficult issue for me as a Christian and an American. To see friends struggle to provide with the threat of deportation over their heads.

One friend came to the US with her two sons, through the desert. One of her sons has Down's syndrome. She came because she knew this was the best place for him. In her country he would never have a chance to go to school. He would never be self-sufficient. He would sit at home all day with no positive development or, worse, be put in an asylum. She would never have learned to reach him as she was taught here in the US. She doesn't receive Medicaid for him. She has worked hard during her time here and has said that she has no regrets for the sacrifices she made to provide her son with the best she could. Too bad some of what she provided wasn't her's to offer.

I hear stories of people who came to this country illegally that would make you cry. I hear about families being torn apart because dad is illegal and mom isn't. Or because Mom and Dad are illegal and little Juan isn't. One lady in our church will finally get her papers, but only because her husband died at the hands of an American. Another won't get his(easily anyway, we are praying for a miracle) because he was caught at the border and released, then they sent his court date to the wrong address. He has been married for the last 8 years to an American Citizen. They have two children. If he is caught, he gets mandatory deportation with refusal to return for 10 years. They are working to overturn this, but who knows? It's in God's hands. I could go on and on, which I am sure you are thinking I already am. I got yelled at on facebook the other day that if it were my house that got broken into or my family that was killed, I would feel differently. I don't think so, but maybe I would...but no more than if it were a US citizen. Evil is evil, no matter what country it is from.

Kindergarten Graduation 2010

Finally, after playing catch-up, the blog I really wanted to get to! Our Princess graduated from K5 on Thursday...She is done with formal "school." From here on out, God willing, we are homeschoolers! The ceremony was wonderful and sweet. I managed to make it through, barely, without crying. I think that had to do with me being the one with the camera and seeing most of the ceremony through the lense. Our Princess's class performed several songs, one of which was so boisterous, it caused her to knock her own hat off. It really was a blessing being able to send her to Northwood for the time that we did. I've always said that if we couldn't homeschool, the only other place I would send my children would be Northwood. Her teachers this year have been such a blessing and I am so thankful for what she has learned so far.

Afterward, we went out to eat and I caught Our Fairy being silly.

How could anyone not love her? She's precious!

Mother's Day 2010

I'm not even going to dwell on the disaster that was this morning. This afternoon made up for it. We had a lovely luncheon after church. The men put it on for the moms. It was quite lovely and nice not to have to worry about cooking today.Our Oso enjoyed it. He was given a slice of cantaloupe which he proceeded to devour with undue haste.

This is him choking on a piece of melon as I attempt to get the perfect shot...don't worry, he spit it out right away... This is him 2 seconds later, letting you know he is the cutest guy around...

"Chuckacheese"

Before yesterday, Our Fairy had never been to Chuck E. Cheese. She had only seen it on TV and passed by it several times a week. Every time we went by she begged to go there. So we decided we would do her birthday party there this year.

She got to invite four friends and we brought everything with us; just ordered pizza, drinks and tokens (lots of coupons!! Thank you Hi-C!). It was way too expensive to do one of their birthday parties and who really wants rats on their birthday cake? I think we spent half the money doing it with Princess and the Frog. We got there when they opened and there was NO ONE there. It was perfect! They got to play for a long time before people started showing up. Our Fairy got a quilt from her Maga that Maga has been working hard on for a while. She didn't actually quilt it, although she knows how, her hands just don't do it anymore, so she had someone quilt it for her...but she and Papa cut out each and every little square and put them together. It is beautiful! It was the first thing we put away when we got home. The girls' room is the color I am pointing to there on the girl's hat. I can't wait to get one for Our Princess!

School Picnic

Our Princess's school picnic was Friday. It's a pretty fun day for the kids and Friday was just beautiful. Not too hot, and a slight breeze all day long. We went to Wannamaker and played on the playground, went on a nature walk and played in the field by the picnic shelter. Our Princess running under the parachute when they called June Birthdays...

They were great about letting Our Fairy join in on the fun

Our Oso loved watching all the kids run around on the playground while chewing the head of his Little person.

Until he fell asleep during his favorite part, the bubbles! (We won't talk about where his sister decided to leave her bag of Cheetos)

Our Fairy

Four years ago today, Oliver was having a decision-making crisis about whether to go to work. Like today, four years earlier there was immigration reform going on and everyone was all worked up. It was decided by the pro-immigration movement that they would "boycott" work on May day. But Oliver didn't want to do that. He felt it was wrong to treat his boss that way, yet was concerned about his co-workers with less than perfect papers thinking he didn't care about their situation, which was far from the truth. He really did struggle with this decision, so I made it easy for him...I told him to call in and tell his boss that he was going with his wife for her 39th week check-up, 'cause hopefully today would be THE DAY.

He did and it was. At 6:30pm on Monday, May 1st, 2006, a "day with no immigrants", Our precious Fairy was born at 8 lb 1 oz, 18.5 inches long and she was so light! Funny when you consider the significance of that day.  Our little Gûerra.

Now Our Fairy is four years old. She loves Clifford and Curious George, her baby dolls, especially Bitty Baby Julie, and riding her bicycle. She bumps into everything and falls down everywhere. If there is an accident that could happen, it's happened to her, although thankfully she has never broken any bones or had serious injuries...Her new favorite movie is Princess and the Frog (thank goodness, I'm getting tired of the mouse movie). She loves her Tía who has lived with us since she was 6 months old and would spend all day everyday with her Maga and Papa. She likes spicy food, much to our surprise. She can't wait to go to the water park this summer and she swims like a fish. She gets distracted easily and can't count to four yet (1, 2, 3...6!) but she comes up with some amazing stories and ideas that you know there are more important things going on in that mind. She loves to "read" books and tell the story Fairy-style. She has the most beautiful brown eyes and always looks like she's up to mischief (half the time she is! Did I mention the time that she decided Her sister's American Girl doll and her Bitty Baby needed a bath?) She is a blessing to our family and so very precious to me.

Gift #1 was a jungle pop-up book with animal/jungle sounds...the dog was not happy.

Gift #2 was a bug felt-board book with little felt bugs and such to put all over it.

Gift #3 was The Princess and the Frog movie

Gift #4 was Curious George!! She has been eye-balling him at Barnes & Noble for the last three months and begging to bring him home. How could I say no? She has been dragging him around for the last 24 hours...

The sad thing is I have no digital baby pictures of Our Fairy...our hard drive was erased January '09. But Maga has some and as soon as I get copies, I'll post one!

9 months!

July 28, 2009

Our Oso

My baby boy is 9 months old today. These last months have gone by so quickly. I think it's worse when I think that he might possibly be our last. That just makes me want to go back and live the last nine months all over again, sleepless nights and all...He is such a precious little man. He has just learned to sign "please" and he blows raspberries ALL the time (I think he gets that from his sisters). He has a ticklish spot, his belly. He loves sweet potatoes and puppy kisses(much to the disgust of his daddy). He loves to ride in the swing in the front yard; well, any swing for that matter. He hasn't said anything yet, but you can tell he's thinking it; he's got the greatest expressions. He wants to talk, just hasn't gotten it out yet. He gives me the biggest smile when I walk into the room that makes my heart swell. Everyone said that there was something about a mama's relationship with her boy, but I thought "No, not me, I'm not raising a Mama's Boy." And I'm not, He's Mami's little Man.

Princess Photos

Leyni's Beautiful Smile

Some more of Our Princess's photos. The weather has been so nice we have been going outside a lot more often (before the invasion of the mosquitos). It really kills me to go to work on those perfect spring days. The more I spend outside, the more I feel inclined to do yardwork(normally an area that Oliver has commandeered). I've actually gotten a few things planted, we'll see if they grow! Tía and Our Oso swinging in the yard. He LOVES the swing. (please ignore the fact that the cushion is on backwards and is covered in pollen...I said I started, but have not accomplished very much :op)

Puss....In Birdbath

Merlin, our newest little man...9 weeks old now

Spring Pictures

Just a couple of pictures our good friend Miss Grace took for us. She always does such great pictures of the kids and I know having a professional camera helps, but she really does have talent at grabbing that perfect shot! We decided to go to Gahagan park because it's a favorite of the girls and really is a lot of fun to try to get pictures. It really is a blessing to have Grace as a friend and an even bigger blessing that she is willing (and even calls me because she wants) to take pictures!

8 months old

Our First and Favorite Little Man is almost 8 months old. He likes to sit in his big boy seat with his sippy cup. He talks to Tía while she cooks and loves to laugh! He likes to eat pineapple and have his belly tickled. He hasn't said any words yet, but you can see his thoughts right on his face and know that it won't be long! Especially when he sees his sisters. He twists in ways I never thought possible to see them as soon as he hears them. Makes mealtime interesting. Oh, and he loves biter biscuits!

Lowcountry Livin'

One of the things I love about the south! Three seasons in one...fall leaves, spring flowers, taken in the winter!!

Quinceañera

We had a Quinceañera ("sweet fifteen")at the church last Saturday evening. It was lovely. Hermana Angelina and the other ladies outdid themselves with the decorations (really, our Fellowship Hall is gaustly and that night it looked great!) María Dayana, one of our youth, turned 15 the beginning of the month and in hispanic culture, when a young woman "comes of age" we celebrate it! There is a ceremony where the pastor (or the youth pastor) prays for her and her family, her future husband, her choices from here out and afterward there is a reception. It is very similar to a wedding and can cost as much as one!

Look at that dress! THAT is what I always thought prom dresses should look like...princess-y and soft...not some of the daring things I've seen girls wearing...


There is almost always a pastel tres leches and favors on the table...this time they were barbies dressed like Quinceañeras. They were really pretty! You can't really see it, but they are covered with lt. blue/white glitter and they are made out of paper products(haven't figured out what the fixation with paper products is, except that perhaps handmade is the best kind of favor). One of the girls tore her sleeve, but you can still see all the work that went into making them.

There is dancing, but as it is at the church there is only the "waltz de familia" where the young lady dances first with her daddy, then with family and friends. The party is all about the birthday girl, of course, but sometimes she has female attendants(can't really call them bridesmaids, but that is what they amount to). Dayana chose not to. She did have the male attendants, many of which were from our youth group or family and they did a great job!

It really was quite lovely and something every little girl looks forward to. Our Princess was very excited about it, and when I thought about planning hers in less than nine years...yeah, well, ahem...

The Journey Begins...

I have been researching for the last 6 months. I've spent hours reading books, searching the web, and talking to pros. I want to do this right. I am so excited that I can't wait until August! This is something I have always wanted to do, something I have always felt that God has called me to do, even though for the last 2 years I have pulled a Jonah on Him. I felt that I should fulfill my commitments to others, even though it was only a word of mouth contract and they felt no commitment to me. So, in three months my contract ends and I begin a great new adventure, one that I am so very enthusiastic about that I probably annoy all of my friends who are patient enough to listen to me.

As of May 27, I am a SAHM, and this fall, finally, we begin homeschool!

Often I have heard that others would belittle my decision or make me feel like I'm weird because I want to teach my children at home, but most everyone I have told is supportive of our decision. But not for the reason I am supportive of my decision. Does that make sense? Everyone (but one person) agrees with my decision because the public schools are dangerous, or dumbing down our children, or because private school is so expensive with three children.

That's not the reason I chose to homeschool. I want to be there. I want to see that look when my child learns something new. I want my children to know that family is the most important thing after God, and that I not only say it, but put it into practice. I want to choose carefully what goes into my children's minds, things that would be pleasing to the Lord. It's an awesome responsibility to be a mom, one I am so glad that God has chosen to give me. My children are precious to me. When Our Princess was born, I remember watching other parents with their children, teaching them colors and shapes and they weren't even 2! I also remember praying that She be compassionate. To have a love for the Lord the shone through her. It didn't matter to me if she was advanced for her age and knew everything, I just wanted her to have a love of others. I pray that for Our Fairy and Our Oso, too. I pray that God continues to guide me and that I am the teacher my children need.

Princess camera

Well, our camera bit the dust, making me a mean mommy for promising Our Princess she could have it when we bought our new one. I didn't think it would die off before we could update! Sweet girl, she told me, "That's ok, mami, I can pretend." I felt horrible.
Thankfully, this morning we were cleaning up to make room for my new office equipment and I found an old camera that my parents gave us when they updated. It's not the greatest camera, but it takes pictures and has a docking station so she can put them on the computer, so it's a winner!!
She's been taking pictures all morning. It will only take like 30 before she has to start chosing which ones she wants to delete, but she loves it and that is all that matters!

On a secondary note...

Our Princess lost her fifth tooth on Thursday...this one she pulled out all by herself. She is so proud and so beautiful! She's got the best hockey smile!

Snow in Charleston!

For the first time in 10 years we had snow fall and stick! For the first time in 20 years, it was 5 inches!! It was wonderful! The Girls enjoyed playing in it both last night and this morning. We took tons of pictures, so many that the camera broke(either that or Oliver got it wet; he's not telling).

It started falling last night at 6 and kept falling 'til about four this morning. When we woke up, it was like being in a completely different place!! It was magical! This was the first time Oliver had ever seen snow. He and the girls started right away making a snowman. He was so excited until he realized how cold it was! The girls spent several hours outside this morning playing in it before it started to melt. Even Our Oso enjoyed eating it!

Around noon it began to "snow" again; actually it was the snow melting off the trees. As I came home from work tonight, there was still snow in some places; places the sun hadn't touched long enough to melt. I think it was perfect. With horrible blizzards in other parts of the country, I think just a night and morning of magic is enough...