Missing a few things...

So... here I am up north at my parents house.
I came up here to get some scrapbooking done, both digi and paper, take the kids swimming, and of course, hang out with my parents.
Well...somewhere between my basement and van, many things got left behind.
All of my digital pics.... uh...my laptop!....the kid's water floats....and some other stuff that I may need throughout the week.... like deodorant and stuff. I also walked out without my darn stickers for paper scrapping!!!!! Hello!!!!!!
Now... the store has some things that I forgot... but I dont want to buy a new laptop... they dont have pics of my kids (well not YET anyways!)... and they are all sold out of floaties.

I have gotten some paper scrapping done... minus the stickers of course.... and we have been swimming every day we have been here! So... not all complaining! However, it would have been nice to NOT have a huge brain fart before I left!

Two large occasions have happened since we have been up here though!!!!
K is now very actively potty training!!!!! Finally!!!!!!!!!!!!
I swear.... Once I get these guys all out of diapers.... I'm just gonna walk around with a perpetual grin!
Our little lady has also been learning how to fall asleep by herself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Of course, due to room space here she is still sleeping in bed with me at night... but now I"m able to lay her down with her pacha and actually leave!!!! Since the room I am staying in doesnt have tv or anything, I'm sooo glad!!!!! Just cant handle that darn 8pm bedtime right now!

I also got my law school schedule!!!!!!!!!!!

Only 17 more days till I begin law school!!!!!!!!!
Yes! I am completely frightened!!!!!! But, excited also! But, scared mainly.

I need to get going on buying books! I wish I would have known how much these darn books were going to cost!!!!! All of them are new editions.... so unlike in undergrad... half.com and amazon aren't a whole lot of help! OH well..... I already have homework so I have got to act quickly! Dont want to get behind before I've even started!!!!!!!!!

Fav Foto Friday (7-25)

Time for Favorite Foto Friday!!!!!!

*drumroll*

Today's theme is:

Friends!

No, not the tv show... Way too annoying!

Real friends... and since I dont think anyone wants to see MY friends...

Here are some pics of my kids with their friends!

The boys with their niece, A.

The boys with their BFF D!!! (E's third bday party)

Look how they have grown!!!

E with BFF D in Jan 07!

E with C (his Padrino's son).

These boys are 6 years apart...but could be twins! They act and think alike... it is surreal!

We are hoping that C and his brother J jr will be able to come and stay with us next summer!

(HINT, HINT, HINT if their mom or dad are reading this!!!)

F with E's other BFF A.

A is E's Madrina's daughter and her and E are like brother and sister. She also gets along great with all the boys though...and they all love to play together.

It's difficult though since A, C, and J jr all live in Guatemala. Although, it seems when they do get together, that time has not passed and they pick up where they left off.

Fav Foto Friday (7-18)

Well, it's Friday again!

Time for Favorite Foto Friday!!!!!

This week, I would like to introduce everyone to my new best friend!

This new best friend is guaranteed to help me with the rest of my summer!

It keeps my boys happy, it keeps the dog happy, and it even keeps me and dh happy!

No, my new bf is NOT a person!

It is however, a POOL!!!!!

Look how happy they are!!!!!

Spend that energy!!!!!!

Spend, Spend, Spend!!!!

Didnt notice them jumping up and down.... this is what they were doing!

They must have worn themselves down some!!!!

Actually... I know they have!

Bedtime has moved up an hour for the past 3 days!!!!!!!!!!

Feliz Primero Cumpleaños!

Happy First Birthday Little Lady!!!

One year ago today, our little lady made her entrance into the world!

We only had a 4 day notice of course... but it was still highly exciting news!!!!!!!

She has been with us a little over 2 months now! Everyone is kinda settled into their places and it's becoming "normal" around here again. Uh... yes... "normal"... like a house could ever be normal with 4 flipping kids 3, and under!!!!!

Anyways... we set out today to take the little lady to Cesarland per E's request... since he told us;" Today is a special day and on special days we go to Cesarland!"

Who can argue with that?????

So, two phone calls later, we are all set for Cesarland aka winter evening lifesaver!

Horror of all Horrors!!!!!!

It had closed up 3 days ago!!!!!!!!!!!!

What the H$%^ are we going to do now?????????????

Not tonight of course... but this winter??? Next winter???? the winter after that????

We cant go to CeC all the time!!! It's too damm expensive!!!! Cesarland was perfect for us!

So... a phone call was made... and we were off to McD's.... thrilling... absolutely thrilling.... *puke*

We hadnt been to this particular McD's before... and probably wont go again anytime before winter. Their playland faces west... and it must have been 200 degrees in there!

But, even with the heat, it was nice to see P and D (friend and boy's bff) and the boys seemed to have fun playing along with our granddaughter since her and her mom rode with us.

We had stopped by Meijer's and found a cake at the last minute... it was cute... Little Kitty. Not my first choice...but hey! wasnt anything to do with a princess! So, guess it was perfect! Surprising very tasty also!

We didnt do gifts today... L doesnt know its her bday.... and we are having the family party on the 27th... so we will do gifts then. Plus... I ordered 2 of her gifts today... online... so.... couldnt have given them to her anyways! Good mom!!! Buying online gifts the DAY of her bday!!!

I wont get away with that much longer!!!! Especially when my boys wanted to know where the new toys were!!!!

Well... here are some pics from today!!!!

Yummmy.... CAKE!!!! Yummm.....

(yes...my girl can eat! Like her momma!)

You CANNOT take my cake away!!!!

I am better now that I have my Birthday Crown!

Catchin up...

Well, life gets busy.

Internet connections come and go... Dh's "dont touch the computers" (according to him of course...must have been the computers gnomes or something)

I have my connection on in my basement now...but CANNOT for the life of me get the connection going on my laptop. Of course.... I cant be in bed with the little lady and be downstairs on the computer. I am now...but I have an ear to the floor listening for the smallest little peep.

Soo.... we have been to the zoo, been to chuck e cheese, been to a friends house, and have now spent two days playing outside in our little toddler pool.

We went to our local zoo.... gosh, it had been at least 17 years since I had been there... I've been to the zoo south of us... but not our local zoo.... We had a good time... we went with E (my stepdaughter), C (grandson), A (granddaughter), P and D (good friend and my boys bff), and we also took our neighbors son F with us (who is the same age as our grandson).

We were there pretty much the whole day.... highlight of the day was that our boys got to ride on their first train ride!!!!! They laughed pretty much through it!

Last Sunday, we went to church, and then we headed down to our friends house to go in their pool and to have a cookout! D & T have two children and they are also from Guatemala! Their daughter is E's age...while their son is 2 years older... we actually met them while we were visiting E and they were taking their daughter home. They used the same incompetent agency...but they lucked out and got the industrious facilitator and not the same one as us. Anyways... we have kept in touch and tried to get together a few times a year... we always have a lot of fun and this time was no exception.

It has been super hot round here the past couple of days... so dh finally got the kiddie pool out!!! The boys have been having a blast in it!!!!! I cant believe we waited so long! But, the boys are making up for lost time! They were in it for 3 hours last night... In it at 9:30 till 12 today...and then from 6:30 till 8:30p tonight. Last thing they asked us when they went to bed... "Can we go in the pool in the morning????".

Hmmm...supposed to be in the 90's again... I'm sure there is a very good chance they will be in the water tomorrow also!

Here are some pics from the past week!

Even sitting on a bench at a park is fun!!!!

F and D on the train ride!

(no...I didnt capture the most thrilling of moments...)

E and K on the train ride at the zoo!

(they really DID enjoy the ride! I promise!)

Another year...

Well... I have made it another year!

Yesterday was the 31st anniversary of my arrival!

Kinda hard to believe. Just a few years ago I would have thought that someone in their 30's was ancient. Someone that old was just completely out of touch with reality and soo uncool.

I guess I have the uncool part down... It's kinda difficult to be "cool" with 4 under 4. I would qualify for certifiably insane some days though... however, I'm not sure I'm on my way to being on the A list quite yet.



I do have many things to be thankful for as this momentous day has come and gone.

First, my family. My mom and dad were able to join my dh, E, K, F, and lady L in wishing me a very Happy Birthday! I never really imagined, even a few years ago, that I was going to be a mom to 4 little ones.... but I am so very blessed to be in my situation.

I am also blessed that I am preparing to enter Law School. *said in deep, dark, movie preview type voice*

Who would have thought at at my advancing age, I would be able to try to start a new career???

I guess I am just truly blessed for all of what life has given me. Even the bad times, I have tried to use for the lessons contained within. Things may not have always gone as planned...but maybe things DO happen for a reason.



I had a pretty good day... I got to have breakfast at Denny's! Yes... that's a treat... in college, it was a requirement...but lately... it's an event! Our favorite waitress was there....and she even showered me with a hot fudge brownie sundae!!! Yes... the kids loved my birthday too!



Got to have dinner at BD's Mongolian BBQ!!!!!!! Oh my... I L-O-V-E this place!!!!

Yes...another free hot fudge sundae!!!!



Got home and our neighbors were throwing away a perfectly used kids bike! Oh such a treat!!!!



I was also able to pick out an alarm clock radio that charges my ipod and can play my ipod music and I got some scrapbooking supplies...including a way cool shape cutter!!!!!



My dh even stayed home from his softball game!!!! Now THAT never happens!!!!



Reality did set in for me though at about midnight.... see, we waited till the kids went to bed to cut my cake (which I ordered and paid for myself...thank you).

Reality of my 31 years is that instead of toasting myself with champagne or or the champagne of beers... I got to toast myself with a raised glass of Mylanta! Cheers to nighttime heartburn!!!

Cheers to myself for many, many more years of the good, the bad, and yes... sometimes the ugly.



Here is a pic of my beautiful cake!!!!




Here is a pic of a very tired me... holding on to my heartburn inducer!!!

Fav Foto Friday (7-4)

With the holiday today, I almost forgot it was Favorite Foto Friday!!!!!

Lady L celebrated her 1st U.S. Independence Day today!!!!

The next pictures may be disturbing to some viewers. Not even parental guidance will keep you from laughing!

E has escaped the house with his niece on Wednesday. I went outside to find them.

This is how I found E!

Oh yea! Work those shoes!!!!

I guess I should add that when he wears these in the house they are accompanied by a very fashionable pink purse!!!

At least my son has balance!!!!!!!!!

Independence Day

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government.

Today is a very important day in the history of the United States.

July 4, 1776 is considered to be the birthdate of this country. 13 colonies of people who came across the Atlantic, to leave their opressive King of England, to come here and opress and slaugher the inhabitents that were already here.

Oops... yea... that isnt in any history book that is taught in our schools.

What is also not in there is that THIS declaration of "independence" only applied to White, Male, Landowners. As did the constitution. Why else would there be the need to add amendments to include people of color and women????

Granted. I'm blessed beyond riches that I was born an American. Since I come from a family of immigrants, I could have easily been born behind the Iron Curtain in Hungary. Instead, I was born in the land of opportunity and the land of great wealth.

I was able to have a great education (both private school and public school), I have had the opportunity to go to college, I have a fantasic (albit quite shaky) job as a Journeyman Millwright in an auto factory, I have the opportunity to attend law school this fall, and due to dh and I loving overtime when it was available, we were able to adopt 4 wonderful, fantasic children. We are blessed to be able to put a comfortable roof over their heads, put food in their bellies, and now put them in the posistion to have every oportunity that we have had and hopefully even more.

Today, I remember those who have set out to make these things possible. Not necessarly the founding "fathers" of this country... but the ones to set out to change the injustices that have saddled this country since its founding. Lincoln, Anthony, King, Randolf, Reuther and many, many others, along with those who today are still fighting the good fight.