Did Somebody Say "Par-tay"?

This is Tori. My girly #3. She is awesome. She has turned 5 years old. How I love her. I mean, look at her, how could you not love her?


I am a sucker mom and end up doing parties for the girls' birthdays every year. But it's so fun. They get so excited, and having their friends over for some b-day fun is a treat that only comes once every 12 months. Oh, and I do try to keep them simple and fairly inexpensive, I am after all a non-planner, so everything for me must workout with little effort and a lot of the reusable party items I have been saving through time.

This is the calm before the storm. Tori chose a jungle theme and Damon hung crepe paper "vines" the night before. They were everywhere. We had the party at noon and hubs couldn't be with us very long so the older sisters and I manned all positions. First, Jo enjoyed her lunch in peace and then was graceful enough to take a nap during the party. Tender mercies...
For any special occasion I usually focus mainly on the table setting. This one is very plain but I like to use contrasting colors. The plastic table cover is a dollar, the cups, plates and napkins range from 1 to 2.50. Since the number of guests is usually small I always have left overs I save for future celebrations. I love it when I can just open my "party" box and whip up something special in minutes. It makes me feel rather awesome.
This is the paper lanterns' 3rd appearance. Settings for the older girls are a bit more elaborate (just a bit) since I figure they will actually look at it.



Pictures like this make it all worth it.

Sara and Sofia did the face painting. Tori went for the cheetah look. The other girls did a variety of just about everything they could think of. Boys opted for rainbows though (?). Sofia said she thought "gee, what's next, a unicorn?" haha.

Sara and Sofia also crafted the parts necessary for a game of "put the hat on the safari guy" out of craft paper (59 cents a yard). It was awesome and I wish I had taken a picture of it. For kids this age I find that games are best when they are something they already know. Besides, they are just giddy to be at a party, so entertainment can be simple. We also played "animal charades" and "guess which animal".

In the end, our Tori is a year older (party or no party), had an afternoon filled with joy, and I am pooped but happy.

A Case for Far Away Closeness

On Friday Tia Alicia passed away.
When I was told that she had died I realized something that has been bothering me since.

Alicia was born and raised in southern Chile. She was Ester's and Manuel's first child. My father was their youngest of a total of 5.
Of all the siblings, they are the only two that moved and established in Santiago, the capital city.
They lived in opposite sides of the city and I only remember going to visit her once. Once.
I mainly saw her in the summers when we visited the family in the south at around the same time. Even then, I don't remember seeing her after the mid-90's except in 2008 for Ester's funeral.

I know a few facts about her. She was strikingly beautiful. I often stared at the pictures of her that hung on my grandparents walls wondering if I could really be related to someone so gorgeous. I mean, really beautiful.

From what I gathered from the adult conversations I overheard (because there was nothing else for me to do there), she was a rebellious young lady and rather conceited. She was used to getting all the attention from the guys. So when a handsome man started frequenting their house she was convinced that he was in love with her, but turned out that he was really after her younger sister. Classic.

She smoked. She smoked a lot and I don't know if she ever quit.

I don't know if she was ever married. She had a daughter who for the first few years was raised by the grandparents. This daughter of hers (my cousin) is one of the nicest people you will ever meet, and so is her husband. I hardly ever saw them.

She claimed to be a hairdresser, but I have doubted that ever since that summer when my mother let her give me the worst haircut possible. Good grief, I was already feeling awkward in my body.

She seemed to be a fun lady, but I am not sure that she got along very well with the rest of the family, at least for a long time. I suppose that time helps past hurts be soothed and forgotten, but I wonder why we were such a distant extended family. Because I don't really remember having much interaction with any of them.

I am the youngest child of the youngest child on both paternal and maternal sides of our family and I wasn't even planned, so there is an 8 year difference between me and my next older brother. I was an afterthought to most aunts, uncles and cousins and I understand that, it is all about timing. We also lived far away from most relatives. These and a few other reasons that I won't bore you with right now, are why I think that I became detached from my extended family.

So there I was Friday night receiving the news about Tia Alicia when I realized that my family now lives far away from every relative imaginable and I am not doing much to prevent this detachment from happening to my girls.

"The family is ordained of God" and although the nuclear family is most important, there are valuable things to be gained from everyone in the family tree. And there are things that we can give them in return.

SO, it is now time to dust the cobwebs of family togetherness despite the distance. There are many ways that will help us get to know, love and cherish our far away family even more. So that we won't have regrets like this one.
I don't know why we visited Tia Alicia only once. But now that I am in charge of this boat, I want to make sure that our family is a very close extended family.

Here's the Mail, it Never Fails...

Thursday was a good day mainly because of one thing: MAIL. It really made me want to wag my tail.

I got a very sweet note from an old friend who was randomly thinking of me and cared to write to me... with her own hand and pen. Via snail mail. What a nice thing to do for me and really for anyone who could use a little pick me up. Thank you Amy O.!

I have always been awful with mail. I get it from my mother (yes, I am blaming her). Christmas cards is as far as I go. That must change, because if something so simple made my day, then I want to do it for someone else.

That day I also got a package (I know! lucky!) from a friend I haven't met but already love. You see, I joined this little package exchange group where we swap names and info and dear ole Amy sets us up in pairs to send each other a care package. I was reluctant to join at first because it implies a deadline, and I automatically think that I'll miss it, but I am so glad I did.

Saturday, Sofia received a note in the mail from her 2nd grade teacher, thanking her for the flowers she had given her the day before (the day before! regular mail must not be so snail-ish after all). Notes through the mail are now on my "top 5 ways to make your child feel special" list. I mean, nothing is stopping me from sending letters to my own girlies. I should, even though it would be faster to hand deliver them, there is something magical about opening that box and finding an envelope with your name hand written on it.

Mail.

Mail is good for the soul. It connects people in such a different way than cyberspace does because in it's inconvenience it shows how much you care. I firmly believe it. I really do. Maybe next time you open your mailbox you will find a note from me, and it will make you want to wail "MAIL!".

What do you think about mail? what is your favorite thing to find in your box? I'm sure is not bills...

Random facts of the Day

I went to the dentist today (again) and lived to tell the story (again).

It rained almost all day.

Crocheted flowers with my beautiful friends Tiffany and Ann. I love them. I always feel comfortable around them.

Sara couldn't go to the 5th grade's "No Tardy Party" because... well... through the school year she was tardy plenty times.

Find myself bothered by all the movie watching being done at school these last few days.

Dinner was so so today.

Sofia made a really cool hat out of paper. She keeps coughing at bedtime. I wish it would stop.

Damon just switched the laundry load for me. Mmmmm.... laundry.

Jo has taken up high-pitch screaming once more. Thought we were getting over that.

Tori is done with preschool and has communicated to me that she would like to move onto Kindergarten next year. We had planned a second year of preschool. What to do?

Only four more days of school!

Year End Blowout

Two weeks. That's all we have left of school. The year began in August 2009, yet these are the weeks jam packed with projects, field trips, book reports, presentations, class parties, events etc. Oh, throw in a preschool graduation, mother in law visiting (but she has been great help), and dentist visits to the mix too.

If I live through these next days I'll live through anything. Maybe.

I am tired. Fun tired with a hint of tears of exhaustion.

Thank goodness for Kristi who single handedly put an outfit together for Sara's school function last week. Thank goodness for my hubs who the morning of put together Sofia's slide show for her shindig.

This morning, Sara and the neighbor Sunni found a nest with 3 robin eggs and the dead mama lying on the sidewalk. I got to find where to take the nest and drive aaaalll the way to Ogden for the second time today; and forgot to take pictures of it. Hope the chics make it. Hope I make it.

In the Motherhood

Another mother's day has come and gone. I had a good one. Did you?

Motherhood has been on my mind lately, actually it's always on my mind because I have 4 constant reminders ("mom look!", "mom i need...", "mom she's bugging me", "mom! help!", "mooooooommm!", and even "mom, don't you know?")

There are two general feelings that thus far have been associated with my mothering experience: exhaustion and joyful love.

Home life is relentless, it takes no breaks. It is overwhelming at times, and although so many people say that these young demanding years go by so fast, there are days or weeks, that feel endless. Diaper after diaper. Homework after homework. Meal after stinking meal.

But then there is that other side of the coin.

The love.

There is no possible replacement for the love that I feel and receive from my daughters. It is almost magic the way they take over my life and at the same time add to it.
I have lost myself in my daughters and at the same time I have found the real me. They have forced me to define what really matters to me. What I am capable of. The things that I would like to make happen. How I feel about my life and theirs.
Oh, how I love them.
And when I feel this love, cooking a meal, helping with yet another school project, finding a bandaid, changing a diaper, they all become more joyful.

I love mothering.

Most my shirts are stained, my hands are "well worn", my good hair days are just a matter of luck and the list of things I would like to do is tucked somewhere I forgot. Bring me all those people who would dare criticize me or any woman for choosing this life. Bring them on and I'll show them there is nothing, nothing better I could be doing right now. I choose to not be distracted by anything less important. I choose to leave the rest for later. Because as for now, I have chosen to work towards becoming a well rounded, intelligent, bold, loving, talented and some days maybe even good looking mom.

I thank my Father in Heaven for this amazing blessing and responsibility he has given me. I often fall short, but I know that with God's help and the help of so many amazing women I know (moms or not) I can achieve my full potential as a mother and a woman.

Moments not to be Forgotten.

I had a couple of ideas for a post but they must wait. Two reasons why: 1. I don't quite remember what they were 2. I forgot what they were.
Serves me well. I should have written them down as soon as my brain lit up, considering that that doesn't happen very often anymore. Have I mentioned that my brain is fried?
Here are a few of the things that have happened lately that have made my common life a little lovelier:

1. The Humbles came over for dinner with all 6 of their children. They showed up in their bikes, bike trailers and bike carriers. I will have you all know that these are really cool people. Right Kristi? We had a great time and all the kids were perfect (if we ignore Jo's antics).

2. Sara's school choir had their concert on the 21st and it was awesome! They performed 3 songs and then they broke up into smaller groups that performed a song of their choice. The theme was "High School Musical". I could have thought of a hundred themes that were a hundred times better but I was supportive and helpful (yay for me). Sara and 5 of her friends put together a song with choreography and worked very hard with the help of cool mom Becky.
The final product was endearing although Sara had a coughing fit right as they were starting their song, her microphone fell and dangled noisily by her leg during the last half of the song, her friend's microphone pack fell to the floor so she had to drag it around, and they ended up not doing half the moves they had practiced. After all that, they were happy and satisfied with they had accomplished.
I find it admirable that these 5th graders stuck to it and did what they had set out to do. I love those kids and this will be a forever memory.

3. The 23rd I got to help with a benefit spaghetti dinner held at the school for one of the teachers who is battling breast cancer. Mrs. Franks was Sofia's wonderful first grade teacher. That night I helped dish salad and breadsticks for the 500 people in attendance and then witnessed their generosity during the live and silent auctions. I love a good community moment, and that was one of the best ones I've seen in a long time.

4. The next day (Saturday morning) the Relief Society of our ward went to visit our elderly sisters that live in the nursing home close by. We sang "As Sisters in Zion" together , Capree played a beautiful arrangement of "I Know that my Redeemer Lives" on the piano, and then we painted their nails. It was a lovely, beautiful, peaceful and happy moment. Desere't played the piano while we chatted with our new friends. Doree gave them some of her delicious homemade cookies. I wish more ladies from our ward had come because it was truly a sight to see. I should have taken pictures but I forgot my camera. No surprise there.

5. Spent the rest of the weekend nursing 4 little girls who have fallen very ill with fevers and coughs. I really, really, really hope they get well soon because I feel very tired and having sick girls at home makes me lonely. Don't ask me why. Besides, I am leaving on Wednesday evening to go to BYU's Women's Conference.
I can't wait!

6. And my Damon will be so proud of me for having worked out these links all by myself!


Sara in a dramatic "I feel unwell" pose.


Sofia trying hard to smile. She lost her dinner a few minutes later.


Victoria being lovely as usual.

No picture of little miss Jo. I can't upload it for some reason. I'll try to add it later.
She has been a handful to say the least. Thank goodness for those maratonic naps she's been taking.

Spring Shoots

This afternoon I got to spend a little time capturing the moment. Spring is timidly turning the corner. Welcome.

Once there was a Snowman (girl)

A snowman (girl) with dandelion eyes? Now you tell me what's wrong with this picture!

Easter Sunday Reflections

Today we celebrated the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) also held its annual General Conference. Watching conference was the perfect way to remember Christ and feel a renewed desire to follow his example. I feel the love Christ has for me.
I know Jesus Christ came to this earth because he had an indispensable role in the plan our Heavenly Father has for all of us. We could not return to our heavenly home without a savior. Jesus came to be such savior. But my testimony is deeply strengthened as I realize that not only did he come because it was necessary, or because it was his duty; he also came because he loves me. He loves all of us. He sacrificed his life so that each of us could have a chance at the blessings of an eternal happy life.

In The Book of Mormon, the prophet Nephi has an encounter with an angel of God who explains to him the meaning of a dream his father Lehi had seen. In the dream there is a tree that bears a fruit that's exceedingly sweet. To help Nephi understand the meaning of this fruit, the angel shows him one scene: the birth of Jesus Christ. The meaning of the fruit? the love of God.
To me, the angel shows Nephi this moment in history because there is no better example of the love God has for his children than the birth of his only begotten son. His son who came to earth to become a redeemer for all of us. He came for me.
Jesus Christ came for me. Not only that, he also led a life that is the perfect example of the way we need to live to achieve true happiness.

Even more, he paid for my mistakes so I could become clean again. Even more than that, not only did he suffer for my sins, he also suffered with me all my pains and sorrows that I have and will have to experience in this mortal life. This way, he understands my deepest feelings, even those I don't think I could explain.

In addition, after he died he was resurrected, making it possible for me to one day be resurrected too, have my spirit be reunited with my body.

His act of love has made it possible for me to have hope in a better world to come and while I am in this world, I can count with his loving guidance and care.
I love my Savior Jesus Christ. I will be eternally grateful to him for all he has done for me. As for now, all I can do is to strive to lead a life that follows the pattern set by his perfect example until I can one day meet his embrace and share his blessings with my family.

The Sock Hop

There will be no mention of the weather today in this post. Not worth it. Just as it is not worth commenting on my mood this morning. Just as foul.
But hey, look at these cute bunnies we made out of mismatched socks. Aren't they cute? well, not like the ones in the magazine, but I do believe these ones have much more character (and a little more grime too).




And also, Sara got her cast taken off today. Hooray!

Fruits of Today's Labor

Well, the baby might have not gotten out of her pj's today, but at least something was accomplished. Mmmmm, strawberry freezer jam.

Tori as the Jam Fairy.

of better days and a van full of cans

This week was rather dreadful. Lame days overpowering the good ones. But Friday turned out to be so nice. School was out, so Kristi invited us to come over to play, and that fixed the rest of the weekend. Nice friends will always make it better.
So here is my question: why do I insist on feeling bored and lonely, stuck in a place I don't like, when I have some nice friends with whom I could be sharing more of my common life? My days mixed with others' might become 100% better. So...
I should leave my awkwardness behind (well, at least ignore it) and just find the friends that are willing to share with me a little part of the day. I know for a fact that everybody has been given talents to bless each others' lives and that cannot happen unless we all get together at some point.
So here it is to Tiffany and our Project Fridays and whoever wants to come. Maybe I'll have someone come cook with me. I don't know. But I've got to appreciate the beautiful ladies around me and learn and laugh with them.
Saturday evening we had our friends Becky and Alexander with their kids over for dinner after a long absence. We made really yummy pizza (you should really give spinach and feta cheese a try) and had Becky's delicious cream puffs. Talked and talked, and then played a board game (a must). I hadn't realized how much I missed them. Here's to more dinner with family friends too!

On a whole different topic now...
Saturday I finally took can mountain to the recycling place and sold them for $89.66 . Nobody is getting rich, but it is $89.66 that we didn't have, and added to the cash contributions we got, it will make a nice contribution to help the Chilean people who are still suffering from the devastating earthquake that shook our country on February 27th.

Behold, 164 pounds of cans.


A BIG Thank You to all those who contributed cans, cash, and prayers for those in need.

Yes, we CAN

As I posted before, the devastating earthquake in Chile left me feeling helpless and quite lonely. And since we had donated money to the Haiti relief, we saw ourselves with very little to donate to my homeland.
So we started an aluminum soda can drive. Something we have done with the girls before to fill the endless hot days of summer and raise funds for a good cause at the same time.
This time, we only gave ourselves one week and hoped for the best.
At first, the response was slow. Then, we announced it at the girls' school. Still, not much. That is because I was looking for the donations in the wrong spot. At the end of the week the girls told me that the can donations were being collected in the lunch room, so we went to see if there was anything for us to take home and WOW! did we ever!
Oh, how happy I felt! I was no longer alone in the world, instead, I had all the families that cared to send the cans to school, the school ladies that helped us get it done and the other families that gave me their donations directly. Thank you world for showing me that caring is easy to do and it makes a huge difference.
I shall post a picture of can mountain soon.

What a Week!

2 birthdays, 1 recipe exchange, 1 fifth grade maturation program, 1 birthday party with 6 fifth graders, 3 cakes, tons and tons of aluminum soda cans.

Sara turned 11 on Tuesday. Eleven. How time flies. What a beautiful, smart, cool girl she is. I wonder where she gets it from because I certainly was not like that at her age. Maybe her dad? mmmm.




We got her a cruiser bike. Bought it used (we are commoners after all), and hope to eventually take it apart and paint it a sassy color. We decked it out with a great basket and a bell. I checked her out of school to go out for lunch at the Great Harvest Bakery. We had a lovely time, just the 2 of us. I love my Sara.



Damon turned 36 on Wednesday. I have known him 13 years out of his 36. And I get to spend the rest of forever with him. Yay!

Thursday I went to the recipe exchange. This month it was meals under 400 calories per serving. Everything that looked good to me was over that, so I had a hard time finding a recipe. I ended up making rice and beans and enjoyed a good evening with great ladies.







Friday I got to join Sara at the Maturation Program for all the fifth grade girls. It turned out to be enjoyable, especially since we had already gone through that conversation. I asked Sara if she had learned anything new and she told me "I didn't know it happened EVERY month!"

Friday evening we had a little party with Sara's friends. I felt so lost planning it. When your oldest one turns 11 you can't do a princess party and decorate it all pink. Not anymore. That is so 10 years ago. I did not know how to approach it. We wanted to play blindfolded musical chairs but I was at a loss about what music to play that wasn't Hannah Montana or the what's their name? Brothers. We would like, after all, to teach our kids what good music is supposed to sound like. Then Elvis Presley came to the rescue. Of course! he can make any party cool, hip and happening.
So they played blindfolded musical chairs, pictionary with chocolate pudding as finger paint, freeze dance, and other games, all to the beat of The King. What fun.

About the cans, that's a post of its own. Read on.

and now, for something lovely

I don't know if there is anything lovelier than little girls having a tea party.
Yesterday, given that Jo insisted on screaming while seated in her high chair, making it hard for Sara to do her homework, she decided to play tea party with her baby sister.

Tiny cups + Water = Magic, smiles and a happy afternoon.

Feeling the Earth Move

Saturday, February 27th 2010, 3:37 am. Santiago, Chile.
A 8.8 earthquake has hit my home country. The 6th strongest earthquake ever registered in world's history. All of that followed by tsunamis hitting small coastal towns.
My brother David who lives in England called me at 7:17 am my time that morning to inform me of what had happened and tell me that he cannot contact our parents' home. I gasp. The next half hour is as slow as it could ever be.
Last month Haiti had a 7.5 earthquake and the images of the devastation are still freshly engraved in my mind. Thoughts quickly filled my mind, making my heart race: will I have to go there? would it be possible to go? what will I find? what has just happened?
Through facebook, a kind friend and surprisingly via skype, we were able to contact my brother Ricardo who was at my parents' house with his daughters and aunt Carmen. They were all well and the house hadn't suffered any damages.
Sigh of relief you say? oooh my. YES.
Finding out about my father's side of the extended family took until Sunday afternoon. And thanks to another most kind friend, we found out that they were all well. Thank goodness everyone was OK.
But only if that was all that mattered.
My beautiful country. In shambles. My people suffering.
And I am so far away, alone among people who don't seem to understand my pain.
I have had a knot in my throat since then.
Watching the news and pictures on the internet makes it seem so surreal. Could this really be happening? all the destruction and desolation. People in despair. Some hopeless. Some of them in such an alternate state turn to theft and looting.
Entire towns gone.
But I know my country will emerge from this with a renewed determination to become a better nation. We'll pull together and help each other out. I know God is mindful of all his children, and that along with a trial, he gives them the strength to overcome them and grow.
And this, shall also pass...

Keeping it Real

Today, my sweet husband (and only follower) told me he really liked the post about Charlie because it makes our town seem lovely. I nodded and said something like "mmm, good", after all, this is the purpose of the blog, to highlight the lovely. But in reality, I very much dislike this wretched place (hence the need for the blog and such highlights). Some days I dislike it more than others. Today was a bad day.

On my first post I babbled about potholes in my life and trying to see the good things in it. Well, the major and only pothole as for now, is living in this very boring, isolated, lifeless suburb and having no way out in sight. It drives me crazy. I wonder how on earth I have lasted this long. The constant silence bears heavily on my soul and therefore my mood. Oh mood.

There has got to be more to a town. I long for a place where I can walk most everywhere I need to go and see people on the way. To hear, see, smell everyday life running its course.

If anybody ever reads this and knows of a good place, let me know. We might get there someday.

As far as a highlight for today: Damon asked the girls who is the smartest person they know. Sara answered "Mommy and Daddy". Good answer girl, you might be buttering us up, but still, good answer

Roommaties

Yesterday we had a college roommate reunion of sorts. 4 of us got together and we skyped/phoned with 2 more who live in AZ. What a fun day.
We looked through old pictures and had good laughs. It felt like home.
Those first years at BYU were great for me. Such formative years.
I was clueless in so many ways.
We commented on how some of us have "stayed" a certain age and how for some the 30's seem so dreadful. I like my age. I like the 30's. I like me better now that I am older and somewhat less lost. I have a much better idea of myself, what I want, what I love and dislike.
These ladies helped me during the most crucial time: away from home, in a foreign place, on my own for the first time, trying to grow up.
I still wonder how on earth I ended up there, but I can't imagine what my life would be like now without those experiences.
I met more than wonderful friends who loved me despite my quirkyness (oh, and how quirky I was/am). I only wish I could see them more often.

A walk and Charlie

Charlie is our happy, faithful dog who had not been groomed for well over a year (yes, I will have you know that we are not the best dog owners in town). But today he was pampered and got the works. Tori, Jo and I walked to go pick him up since it was "in the neighborhood". He looks so handsome. We stopped by the school and met Sara and Sofia and walked home together. They were happy to see us there and loved how soft Charlie's coat feels. Tori picked up some pebbles and asked me if she could keep them for her rock collection, which consists of a few pebbles, namely, the ones she had in her hand.
It had been so long since we had gone for a walk. What a nice treat. I was tired after that though... I have got to get in better shape

Learning to Love the Common Life

It was two days ago. I had heard about NieNie a long time ago but it wasn't until then that I looked at her blog. Her life after her accident amazes me, but her life before that made me think about mine in a different way.
Nie's life seemed so absolutely perfect. Everyday filled with happiness. I wondered if her road of life could really be that flawless, especially when mine at times seems filled with potholes.
But there is something I didn't expect to notice: our lives, deep down, were and are very similar. Here's why:
We both:
1.Have amazing husbands who love us madly
2.Have 4 beautiful children
3.Have a home filled with the happiest kind of love
4.Love the gospel of Jesus Christ and know we are beloved daughters of God
I wonder if my life has been just as lovely all along and I have not realized it. Did Nie realize it?
Maybe Nie's life isn't absolutely perfect, but she has this talent of highlighting all the lovely things she is blessed with everyday. The counsel of keeping a journal is so clear and wise to me now. Journaling emphasizes what you cherish and the tender mercies received every day (and so easily forgotten) that make life seem...well, perfect. Perfect for those who live it. And what a lovely legacy it becomes to those who come afterward, wondering who they are.

So, because I lead a life that seems to me very common, filled with routine, and in all honesty, exasperating at times, and have proved to be a terrible journal keeper, I have started this blog so I can show myself that life, even though common, is filled with joys and bits of perfection that tend to be overlooked.

Wow, that was long-winded. But since I am doing it for me (and those around me who are directly affected by my daily moods), I will make it a point to state everything I feel needs to be stated, clarified, defended and remembered.

So here goes nothing...