Busy Times at Our House!

Well we have busy around here and I've been wanting to blog so I don't forget! On Friday, our Speedy Cheetah, met her Aunt Flo. If your not sure what I 'm talking about well then...I don't want my blog to be too much, but I know what it means. She was excited and had me cracking up all day, asking questions, going to Target to shop for necessities and I know she was feeling special. We even went out and got her a little treat to celebrate. Weegie made me laugh because she said she didn't remembering getting a treat. I'm sure she did, but I asked her if she remembered not getting a treat and she couldn't remember that either, so I'm pretty sure she did, she just doesn't remember anything because she is my blond child. LOL!

On Saturday, we attended a graduation party for our dear friends, Connie and Joey's oldest daughter. Connie and Joey have been our friends for about 14 years and we love them dearly. This year has been especially hard for them, Connie was diagnosed with cancer and Joey's kidney's failed and he now receives dialysis 3x a week. They are great people with 3 daughter just like us. So if you have a prayer to send their way, I know they would appreciate it. They also throw great parties and the food was soooo good! The party was at Connie's brother's house and he has a pool. Squiggler went swimming with her daddy and she loved it! We could not get her out of the pool! I forgot my camera so these were takend with my phone's camera and are not to good, but oh well!

On another big news tidbit from our house is that on Friday we bought the Squiggler a Dora potty seat and today she used it!!!! We are so proud of her and she knew she had done something special because we were all clapping for her! I hope this leads to full time potty training, but only time will tell. She hates to have a dirty diaper and always tells us when she has, but today she told us before hand!!! Go Squiggler! She will be our earliest! We have all summer to practice. Weegie was 2 and I thought that was early, and Speedy Cheetah waited until one week before her 3rd birthday. I thought she was never going to be trained. LOL!

And last, but not least, our Weegie girl started high school today!! Oh my! I can not believe that we dropped her off at high school this morning. It was just like yesterday that we were taking her to nursery school and she cried. She didn't cry this morning, but she was nervous and quickly found some girls to walk in with. Her daddy wanted to walk in with her, but I told him no because that was not cool. He was so funny, because he really wanted to go see where her class was going to be, but she was looking at him all mortified! LOL! He didn't go after all, but we did go pick her up and met her at Carl's Jr. (It's down the street from her school.) She saw us and wanted to jump in the car, but we wanted to eat. LOL! We made her go in with us and eat, but I told her she could go sit by the cute boy she knows from middle school. She went over to talk to him, but she didn't sit with him, she sat with us. So those are just some of the happenings around here! Things I want to remember! I love my life and I love my girls!! Oh yeah and my honey too! Thank you God for all our Blessings!

The Other Side of the Fence

Today Sophia Corbridge had a post about her wish list and then challenge to look our lives and find all the good in it. Count your blessings. So I am taking the challenge. I think I have a pretty awesome life! My life is perfect for me, others might find it boring or dull, but I find it absolutely fabulous and know that I am blessed.

Here is my list:

1. That my girls are strong, healthy and happy. This is my wish always!!


2. To have a den in my house, or maybe a bigger house with a den for entertaining?


3. A Toyota Sequoia in gold or white.


4. To have brothers and sisters that I grew up with and can count on or just talk to on a daily basis.


5. To be the best mommy, teacher, wife, daughter, friend and cousin I can be.


6. A bigger closet!


7. To be able to give away random $20 bills to people that I see working hard and looking like they can use it.


8. To host a Descendants of Macedonio and Irene Hernandez Family Reunion that would hold all of us and be able to pay for it with my own money.


9. To be closer to God.


10. To take my girls on a dream vacation, but I don't know where we would go, but we would go.

Compare to the things I have list:

1. My girls are strong and healthy! I like to think that they are happy and I pray that I am raising them on the right path so that they know that they are the only ones that can determine their happiness. It's not things, or money or other people. It must come from them.


2. I have a great house with a big backyard. I love my house and even if I won the Lotto I think I wouldn't move. I would buy the house next door and move my mom into there. Then I would have more room. :)


3. I have a new car and it might not be the pricey Sequoia, but it is just perfect for my family and I think it's a pretty car too. (Sssh don't tell my honey that I think it's pretty.)


4. I have a great family with lots of cousins and uncles and aunts. I married a man with 5 brothers and sisters. I am so lucky to be related to the family that I have and I wouldn't trade them for anything. We are very close and there is nothing I know they wouldn't do for me!


5. This I work on everyday and I pray that I am doing a good job. I like the saying that says that 100 years from now it won't matter what car I drove, or house I lived in, but that I was important in the life of a child. Mine and the 24 that I am entrusted with every year. I have the greatest husband and am thankful that he is so patient with me! I think I 'm a pretty good daughter considering....but I could do better. I like to think that I am a good friend, I try to be there for them when they need me whether it's in person or just on the phone. I don't have a lot of friends, but I do know a lot of people, but my true friends I think I am there for them.


6. LOL! I want a closet like Carrie in Sex in the City, but that would only be if we ever won the lotto. Oh well it is my wish list!


7. I have this wish forever... I once saw an old man on the side of the freeway selling candy. He reminded me of my daddy. I was too far from him to give him money. I always wished I would have gotten on the freeway, turn around and off again at his exit. I didn't, but there are other people that I sometimes see that I wish that I could just walk up to and hand them a $20. I do give money when I see people in need, but this is just a crazy wish I have that I could just walk around giving $20 away.


8. My cousin Art has this same dream! Someday I will make it happen, but I don't know how or when. I do know that I throw HUGE parties at my house so that I can invite all my cousins from my dad's side, but I don't have enough room to invite ALL my cousins from up north too!


9. This is always a work in progress. I know I am so loved and blessed by God, but I wish I felt worthy and served Him in the way that I should. Like I said this is a work in progress and I know God isn't finished with me yet.


10. We have gone on some amazing trips and I know we will go on a lot more in our lifetime. Before I met my husband I had never been out of the state, but he has taken me and our girls to so many fabulous places. My favorite has been Hawaii, but I would love to take my girls to somewhere they would really like to go.

I am so blessed and I know this is a wish list, but really like I said I have a great life that is perfect for me! I have 3 great daughters, a wonderful husband, my mom is with me everyday and even though we fight I don't want her anywhere else, I have the best job in the world being a kindergarten teacher, I have a great extended family, we have a beautiful house and live in a great community! We have 2 cars, lots of clothes, lots of shoes, my girls have toys and games, we have a cute dog and we have lots of friends. We love our church and I am now a Eucharistic Minister and teach CCD. My grass is really green on my side of the fence and I don't like to think about what ifs. I know I am where I am suppose to be. Thank you Lord for all that you have given to me.

First Trip to the Movies!

Today I decided to take my girls to see Toy Story 3. Everyone and their mother has seen it and has said what a good movie it is! The older two went to see it in 3D, but I knew Squiggler wouldn't be able to handle that so we went to see it in the regular theater. A nearby movieplex had both showing at the same time so we decided to go there. Our theater was pretty packed and I put the baby on my lap. This was her first time ever going to the movies. She was pretty good up until the last 10 minutes of the movie. She had some popcorn and half of a hot dog, but at the end she decide she wanted some milk. (Mommy's milk) I am not comfortable with nursing just wherever so I told her to wait....well that was not a good idea! She got so mad and threw a little tantrum in the theater. She was tired because she had not taken a nap earlier even though we had tried putting her down. I couldn't even take her out of the movie because it was so packed and we didn't sit on an aisle. Oh well live and learn!

Overall, I think she did pretty well for her first time, but I think I will wait at least 6 months before I try that again. I didn't cry in the movie like all my friends said they had. I think it was because I was more worried about Squiggler. I wanted to blog about this because I don't want to forget her first time going to the movies, but I don't have any pictures because there was nothing at the theater to take her picture with to show what we had gone to go see. I like the pictures of her that I included in this post so that is why I added them. LOL!

Owie!

Squiggler got her first real owie today. She called it a co co.( coe coe) She was playing outside with her daddy and she fell down and scraped her knee. It was a real scrape with a little bit of blood. It must of hurt her because she didn't want to bend her knee or let us clean it. She didn't even want a bandaid until she saw that it was Hello Kitty and then she let us put it on her. It's the first time she has ever had a bandaid besides when she gets shots. She kept showing everyone and calling it Kitty.

On another note...I had dinner tonight with my bff and told her about my blog. I told her how I thought I was so boring and that I really didn't ever have anything to say. She laughed and then said that when we get together we never stop blabbing. She is so right! We haven't seen each other since May 1st, but we do talk at least 1x a week or text a couple of times a week. You would never know it! When we get together, we just talk and talk and talk! I love that about our friendship!! She has been my bff since we were 8 years old!!!! She once gave me pillow that said,"You'll always be my friend. You know too much!" LOL! So true!!!

Happy Father's Day 2010

Happy Father's Day to my Honey! Today is his day and all he wants to do is enjoy it at home and some grilled salmon. That's easy to do! I took some pixs with him and his girls today! They are all Daddy's Girls in their own way! We went to the mall and got him a Dodger shirt and a book he wanted. The girls are making him homemade cards and they are making one for Squiggler to sign too. (She thinks she can write her name.)

Here is my hubby with Weegie, our first born. The day she was born I remembered that he looked at me and said, "You're going to have to be the disciplinarian." He wasn't kidding! This girl has her daddy wrapped around her finger. She is 14 now and is turning into your typical teenager. All of a sudden we don't know anything and she knows everything. I hope we can make it through the next 6 years!!! I know he loves her so much and she loves him too!

Here is Speedy Cheetah and her daddy. She is his Nature Buddy. She will go camping with him, hiking, to the library and pretty much anywhere he asks. She is always up for an adventure with her daddy. She is 11 and her daddy knows everything!! Hope that doesn't change when she turns 14! LOL!

Here he is with Squiggler. She LOVES her daddy! When I come home she gets excited, but when her daddy walks through the door, forget me, she only wants him. She loves to go outside with him too and she loves to have him take her for long walks. He reads to her everyday and teaches her where her nose and other body parts are. He is also teaching her the colors and ABC's.

I got lucky and have the best hubby! He is such an amazing dad and all around guy! My tia always said, "Marry the man that treats you like a princess." and I did! Yay me! I couldn't be more Blessed! (Even when he drives me crazy by throwing Squiggler's food away!)

I couldn't resist posting this cute pix of the Sguiggler. She is modeling her new boots. She had some cute brown boots, but they are too small for her. She found them on Saturday and demanded that I put them on her. Well they wouldn't fit and she was so sad, so when we went to the mall I bought her some news ones that where on sale for $9.99. She is very happy with her new boots and wore them to church. Everytime I told her to show someone her new boots, she would stick her foot out. Too cute!

Weegie's Graduation!

Today my oldest daughter, Weegie, graduated from Middle School! I can't believe that she is headed to High School! It was just yesterday that I took her to her first day of Nursery school and she cried. Oh how I hated to leave her there, she was such a cry baby and broke my heart. Her first day of middle school she did not know a soul that was going there, but she quickly made friends and loved her school! The ceremony was at 8 in the morning and we had to be there by 7 am to get good seats. We got up at 5 in the morning to get her ready and curl her hair.

The graduation was outside at the Honor Court stage. I really loved her campus! It is so beautiful and it was nice to be outside. (Cold, but nice!) They marched in so nicely and her homeroom was the 2nd room to graduate and walk across stage. Her teacher, which was her favorite teacher this year, announced their names so proudly, but when she got to Weegie's name she announced all the awards that Weegie had won! The audience gasped! Not because she won the most awards, but because she was the first student to walk across stage that won a lot of awards. (They did the same for all the students that won awards the night before.) Four students gave speeches, but there was one speech by a young lady that really touched me and she broke down while giving her speech. I also teared up at the beginning of Pomp and Circumstances.

After the ceremony we ran around and looked for some of her friends to take pictures. The above picture is of Maestro Rodriguez, he was Weegie's strings teacher for the last three years, and her overall favorite teacher! She loved being in his class and worked hard to keep her Violin 1 status. The veteran students of 2010 also presented him with a trophy that stated he was the BEST TEACHER EVER! He was wearing his shades because he didn't want the kids to see him with tears in his eyes. After the ceremony, Weegie's ex-boyfriend's mom came up to her and gave her a present. They are gardeners and she gave her a beautiful rose plant that can be planted in our yard. Weegie was really suprised because while she dated T, she thought the mom didn't like her. I think the mom realized all along what a nice girl Weegie is.

On Thursday night there was an awards ceremony at Weegie's school and only the 8th graders getting an award where invited. We were so proud that Weegie got an invitation and had no idea what award she would be winning. Well she won 5 awards!!! She got the gold presidential seal on her diploma, a trophy for a 3.5+ overall GPA in her 3 years at Frost. A trophy for Perfect Attendance in her overall 3 years at Frost. (She had 1 absence in her whole school career so far.) A certificate for Excellence in History and Algebra. (That means for 3 years she had AEE in those subjects.) She should have gotten one in English, but last year the teacher we didn't like gave her an S in English. (That's not why we didn't like her though.) The above picture she is with her principal, whom was also one of my teachers in middle school too. (It took me 2 years to realize that though. I always wondered why he looked familiar.)

Here she is with her daddy! (She is such a daddy's girl!) Hubby and I were talking about how Blessed we are to have such amazing children. They are all so smart, well behaved (in school) and friendly. (That includes Squiggler too.) Weegie has been giving us a little run for our money because she has turned 14 and a true teenager, but I have faith we will get through it! (It might be 5-6 years!) Thank you God for all that you have given us! Please continue to bless our family and help us to follow the paths in which you have chosen for us. May we make wise desicions as a family and with raising our girls. May we always show them the love that you show us and bring them up in a way where they know your presence is with us always.

Speedy Cheetah's Graduation Day

Today our Speedy Cheetah graduated! We are so proud of her! She truly is an amazing child and all her teachers tell us so! The graduation was held at the nearby middle school. (Nearby to her school.) It was indoors and all the students had to wear the same shirt and black bottoms. We went out and bought her new shoes for the occasion. (LOL some sneakers because they had to walk there.) The above picture is of her and her principal. It so happens that her principal and I have a lot of mutual friends so she knows us pretty well. I'm so glad that she posed for this picture for us because the lighting was terrible in the auditorium and Squiggler fell asleep on my lap so I didn't get any good shots.

Here she is with some of her friends. The young lady with the red hair will be attending the same program with Speedy next year. I'm so happy she will have some familar faces next year. Speedy even had a part in the ceremony to introduce someone. She was in student council and that is how she got picked. They sang Fifty Nifty States and a really good song by Rascall Flats. (I have to get the name and lyrics.) The principal also read a great poem that I had heard before, but now I need to get a copy of that too!) I'm going to include them in her book and post them here on the blog too.

These two girls have been her friends since she went to Sunland. They are also girl scouts and hang out often together. They are like the 3 muskateers! The shorter of the two girls has a wonderful family that has often helped us out when we had issues with getting Speedy to school. They are the nicest people and we will miss them next year because their daughter is going to a different middle school. I hope that Speedy and her keep in touch through girl scouts.

Here is a family pix that my mom took. We had to wake Squiggler up when it was over. She still looks tired. Afterwards we went to eat lunch at Soup Plantation which is Speedy's favorite restaurant. My hubby and I both took the whole day off since the graduation was at 10 am.

Here she is with her wonderful teacher. We really were so glad that Speedy had her as a teacher!Speedy is such a special girl and we are so proud of her! She is incredibly smart and we are so honored to be her parents. Everyone that meets her always comments on how sweet she is. I call her our Bubbly girl. She has a heart of gold and remembers everything. She loves to read and find out things. I think her favorite subject is History. (Hopefully next week I will remember to interview her on what she liked best about Elementary school.) I can't wait to hear her answers! We love you Speedy!

My Class

This is my wonderful kinder class! Today I said goodbye to these kids. I told them that I loved them and that I would miss them, but it was time to go. I have taught them all that I could in Kinder and they are ready for the adventure of 1st grade. We had our End of the Year Celebration today and they sang songs and did a play for their families. We had so many people there that there was no room to move in the class! We also had a potluck and there was soooo much food, but by the time it was time for me to eat, it was all gone! LOL! I was running around like a crazy woman today, but it was all good! I won't be there really for the next two days because my girls are graduating. I will miss them so much! I told them to come and visit me and if they make it big they have to buy me lunch!

Here is a picture of Squiggler. She is in the top picture too because she went on our field trip to McDonalds with us. She loves to talk on the phone and she dropped my phone twice today. It actually still works, but it looks all beat up. Weegie says it looks like a teenager's phone because its all messed up. LOL! Good excuse to get a new phone.

Today when I was going to take Speedy to buy some new shoes for her graduation, we saw this slide on the sidewalk. I literally stopped in the middle of the street and asked if they were giving it away. The man said yes because his kids were too big for it. I thanked him and put it in the back of my truck. I was so excited because I had been wanting to get one of these for Squiggler and had been eyeing Craigslist, but hadn't found one close or cheap enough. Free is pretty good! I actually kind of lost $20 today so this makes up for it. It wasn't even my money and I have a feeling I know what happend to it, but let's just say that I hope that person needed it more.

Squiggler really liked the slide and she loves to be outside. She doens't have a phobia of the grass anymore either.

I also received these flowers today as a thank you gift. I love flowers and always feel so special to get them, but the BEST gift that any teacher can get is a genuine thank you and I those too. One in particular was from a dad that stood up at the end of the ceremony and said in front of the whole class that I was the best teacher that any of his kids had ever had. (He has 4 of them and the oldes is 14) That really meant a lot to me! I love being a teacher! A kindergarten teacher because then usually I am their first step to education and I strive to make it a positive one!!!!!

Busy Weekend!

To say this was a busy weekend would be an understatement! We had so many things going on with our girls, but it's always worth it! Yesterday we had to run to the mall to buy Speedy some pants to wear to graduation, then rush her to a theme party. After we picked her up we had to take Weegie to her concert which was very good, but lasted a looooong time! Weegie plays the violin and is in the strings at school. She played in her last concert last night and they did a beautiful job! She learned to play violin in school while she was in 6th grade and really took to it. She is pretty good and in 1st Violins. Sadly, she won't be able to continue in high school because it doesn't fit in her academic schedule.

Weegie is third from the boy, but you can barely see her. I didn't really get to enjoy the concert because my darling daughter was in charge of getting Maestro Rodriguez a gift from the graduating 8th graders. Well she forgot and guess who had to leave the concert and figure something out. I was a little upset about her lack of responsibility, but it all worked out in the end. (That girl!!!???)

Today Speedy Cheetah bridged officialy to Cadette Girl Scout. They bridged last month too, but today got their new vests. I am so glad that she is going to stick with it. These girls are going into Middle School and so they are going to have their meetings on Sundays. They are all going to different schools and it won't work to have meetings after school anymore. She has amazing troop moms and a great troop. Today we also saw some Senior GS's graduating from the program. Some of the girls stated that they had been in GS for 12 years! We figured out that if Speedy keeps it up then she will have been in it for 10 years! Wow!

The troops and leaders did a really nice job in the organization and presentation of the ceremony.

Of course Squiggler had to get in on the action too! She was a real trooper this weekend because we messed up her nap schedule on both days! This week proves to be a busy one too. School is almost out and we have 2 graduations and 2 award assemblies!! 5 days to go!

Squiggler is 18 months!

Oh my gosh! I can't believe it, but our baby is now 1 1/2! Where does the time go? She is turning into a little girl and has really grown a lot this month! Just yesterday she told us that she had to go potty! I'm off in 2 weeks. Maybe the potty training can begin? She is so smart like her sisters and says so many words. She loves to sing and her favorite song write now is OMG by Usher. When we get to the mall, she claps because she recognizes it! Oh no!!! When we get near our house, she starts saying, "Home! Home!" She eats with a spoon and drinks with a straw. She loves her baby dolls, plays with her toy kitchen and shopping cart. She got on a ride at the fiesta today and loved it too. She says "Hi" to everyone and still really likes boys!! She repeats everything we say and already knows the color pink. (Surprised?!)

Like I have done every month for the last 18 months. I took her to get her pictures taken. Last month she didn't do so well so this month I wasn't sure if we were going to get any. I wanted to do a repeat of her six month last year, so I took her new bikini. We gave her some props to play with and she did great!! I was so proud of her and she really likes to take pictures! I think I have a future model on my hands. LOL!

You can see her six month shots here. I love the bikini pose then and now. I forgot her little white sunglasses so we had to use the ones they had and they wouldn't stay on her face. Oh well! No chupie (pacifier) shots this year.

We really just enjoy this little girl so much!! She brings so much joy into our lives! Everyone tells my husband that she's going to keep him young. LOL! I told him he is going to be the hip teacher because he will know all the latest kid things.

Some things about our Squiggler at 18 months!

• You weigh 22 pounds and are 32 1/2 inches long.
• You love fruit and french fries.
• You know where a lot of body parts are. (eyes, nose, chin, pansa, hair, ears, toes, cheeks)
• You tell us when you go potty.
• She loves to go outside and says "Side"
• She loves to turn in circles and get dizzy.
• You are very smart and follow directions.
• You clap when we go to the mall. (LOL!)
• You love your sisters very much! Especially that fantastic Vanessa (She's right here!)
• You love to dance to OMG by Usher and sing that song along with some others.
• You say "Hi" to everyone and still very much like boys. (Especially older ones)
• You are still nursing and don't seem to have any plans to stop.
• The doctor called you "Very sophisticated."
• Everyone always compliments us on how well you behave. (I think though you are getting a little more daring.)
• You get your books and "read" them.
• You know how to turn off the tv and constantly turn it off when your sisters are watching it.
• You like to color and write on paper.
• You came to school a couple of times and like to sit in the chairs like the kids.
  

I know there is probably so much that I am forgetting, but I hope you always know how much we love you! You are the best baby and we are so thankful to have you in our lives! You are truly a gift from God and when we say our prayers we always tell him thank you. You are the perfect combination of your sisters and keep grandma on her toes!