Last Day of the Year

Alex informed me today that if I didn't blog today I wouldn't beat the number of posts I had last year. I was planning on doing an informative life blog but it takes considerably longer than I anticipated to rig a balloon drop from the gym ceiling. now we're getting ready to do our count down before I have to go to the dance. I must say this has been a fabulous year and I don't ever remember being so happy I hope that next year will be as good. I love you all and I hope that you have a great New Year!

Up to Christmas

Where have I been? ...I am in Vancouver. I was stuck in a meeting, which I couldn't get out of it, and there was no phone.The electricity went out in the building and we were trapped on the 18th floor and the telephone system blew too. Amazingly enough.

lol. I guess since tomorrow is Christmas I should do a pre-Christmas December post since I've been doing so dreadful this month.

This is our front tree Alex decorated.

alex stealing princess before Chio finds out.

Chio is getting so big. In her had is the doll she got for her friends birthday that she keeps unwrapping and stealing (we got her friend a different one now). It makes me wonder if she likes it so much because she isn't supposed to be playing with it.

Ouch. I really didn't want to go to the ward party this year because I wasn't feeling too good; but Alex was already at the church so I went anyway. We let alex run around with the other kids while every one was visiting and that is when alex tripped and hit his head on a chair... We went home early.

The funny part (if any part can be funny) is I took this picture after he had calmed down. I said "Do you want me to take a picture of it?"
He very composedly said,"Yes."
So I got out the camera and said, "Ready?"
"Yes," he said, and then he started screaming his head off.
As soon as the flash went off he was completely normal again and asked, "Can I see it?"
So I showed him and he wanted to take another picture and we did the whole thing again, and again right when the flash went off he was fine again. I guess he wanted you to get the feeling of the evening. Did it come across?

Pre bump.

Chio's Smiles:
When I was growing up every time my parents would ask me to smile I would make a face similar to this; my parents would never say the customary "smile" and would in detail warn photographers that they should think of something else to say. How can this possibly be hereditary? I think that my parents taught Rocio this as pay back.

alex wouldn't let me post this without putting this picture on too.

That went well

For the last post I realized I hadn't written around 11 so I jumped out of bed and wrote a quick post but the time zone on my computer is off so it posted on the 6th anyway. Then I decided that my posts were so pointless I'd wait until I actually had something to post instead of posting everyday.

The kids and I were out the other day so that daddy could "work" without us bothering him. I decided that we would go and get some sonic drinks to take up more time. After I ordered I tried to put my card in to pay but it was broken. Apparently someone had hit one of the outside credit card machines and they all broke. I don't really ever carry cash but I decided to at least check my change pocked to see if maybe my change multiplied. It turned out that I had exactly the right amount down to the penny. It was meant to be.

Field Trip and Birthdays

First off: Happy Birthday Mom. Sorry my kids aren't very good at singing, WE LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU.

A couple days ago a lady I occasionally play volleyball with called and asked if I wanted to take my son on a field trip with her and some women she does a little school with. All of the kids were four so I was a little anxious about taking my excitable three year old on a tour of Panera Bread (spelling?). I was also worried that I only knew this one women; but Alex said I should go and when one of my friends called and asked if I could babysit he went so far as to tell her no (without telling me so I wouldn't have an excuse) to make sure I would go. I ended up knowing all but one lady in the group (I didn't realize I had made so many friends in Sherman) and I had a great time. alex was definately was the youngest in the group but still convinced the other kids to play "fire" in the freezer (blowing smoke) and racecar in the hallway. That was the most exciting thing that happened to us today.

Crazy Kid

We're pretty sure that alex is going to do all kinds of crazy stunts when he gets older...I can't wait. You also get a good look into what I spend my day doing - making alex pick up big piles of pillows and blankets. These piles aren't always in the places you would expect either...the most frighting one I found was in the bathroom; he didn't do that again.

Another little tidbit

I forgot to mention it in my wall art post but if you look closely at the picture you'll see that alex is wearing a shirt from my mother that reads, "I'm Grandma's Payback". I'd forgotten about it until I had dressed him this morning. When I was younger I was always the child that would draw on the walls. When I learned how to write my name I would write that, too; I was never as smart as my brother in law (Andrew) who would always write "alex" much to my husbands dismay for he would get all the blame.

'Twas The Cat

I've been painting the house extremely slowly (meaning I have plans for the house but have only actually painted the living room). The other day I got Rocio's room completely ready to be painted: moved all the furniture, put up the tape, put down the sheets to protect the carpet, filled all the holes in the wall, brought in the ladder and other materials, etc. Then Alex's comes in and says "I'll paint the room, just keep the kids out". (I was vaguely reminded of "I'll cook dinner" where I get all the meat ready, prepare all the sides, take everything out the the grill he has readied, and get whatever else he needs only to hear for the rest of the night what a great chief he is. lol.) Anyway, when I came back in later (to do the second coat with the kids) there was a huge paint stain; I couldn't immediately blame him because he was still sleeping. When I asked him about it latter he blamed it on the cat. Suspicious, since we don't have a cat, don't you think?

I'll post pictures of Chio's room later, they're not loading.

Oh Christmas Tree

Hopefully, for the month of December I will be posting everyday in an effort to win a blog competition in my family. However, considering my track record recently, I don't know how well I'm going to do; guess we'll see.

Today I was given the entire morning off so I could go cloths shopping by myself. I started out well (meaning I got to the store) but I proved too much for me and I ended up at the bookstore. Why am I sharing this? Because I lost track of the time doing something I love and had a wonderful break- thanks to my husband who had me go. So I would suggest giving the people you love a break so they can enjoy the season too :)

And here are the results of our afternoon...

Our fearless decorator.

And the results.

Pride was my downfall...

On Thanksgiving day I accomplished a lot: all the laundry, all the dishes, all the windows, toilets, and floors. Then I started my kids playing with blocks in the living room while I set to work on the pie (my only responsibility for Thanksgiving day dinner). As many of you know I love to bake. Usually, I have my kids help me in the kitchen but that inevitable leads to more hand washing and messing up my clean kitchen than I was prepared to deal with so I left them to themselves. I would go in and check on them periodically and change toys but when it cam time to roll out the dough I grew overly complacent. My dough turned out beautifully; I even rolled it into a perfect circle, which I easily folded and settled into the pie plate with no sticking. My kids still weren't fighting so I finished off the pie and got it into the oven I even thought, "Wow, I'm such a great mom, I wonder why everyday isn't like this." Then reality hit. I hadn't noticed that it was too quiet, then I went into the living room and this is what I found.

The pictures don't really do it justice. This was a sharpie and he got every wall in the living room, his sister, himself, and (as much as I'm embarrassed to admit it) some of the surfaces of the room I was working in.

And, Thanks Alex! If this would have happened while you were home I would have been furious (as you've experienced many times) with endless comments with words like: chess, neglect, couch.... He just came home laughed and started cleaning it up. I'm so spoiled, I love you!

Note: Sadly enough, despite multiple face washings and baths before we went to the fire station for dinner the kids faces didn't come compeltly clean.

Dress Shoes

Yesterday I put Chio in a play dress that barely covered her diaper and then pants underneath it. When I went to put her shoes on she wouldn't let me. I thought this was very odd because she loves shoes and she knew we were going outside. She took off down the hallway and brought back her Sunday shoes. Since she was wearing a dress she would only wear her dress shoes. Silly Girl.

Finally alex's Birthday

Here are pictures from alex's birthday. He wanted a turtle cake (which he had a big part in decorating) along with pin the tail on the turtle games and car races down a table in our living room. Of course we couldn't go wrong with a game like that for little boys.

Halloween

um......I guess I'm a lot late.

We waited until the day of to get alex's costume together because every time I would start to make a costume he would change his mind about what he wanted to be. Halloween morning, he decided he wanted to be a Dinosaur. So, when we left the house to go trick-or-treating, he was a dinosaur, by the time we were 3 doors down he was a dragon, and a couple of times throughout the night he was a shark. I'm glad my coustumes are so versital, it makes halloween more exciting.

alex the dinosaur, and chio is a princess (dressed as a peasant)

All the little ones.

In our group I think there were more adults than there were kids, people were even taking picctures out their windows.

The hunting dinasour.

All the little ones.

Falling Down

Okay, now I'm almost up to date. That is to say I have blogged all the pictures I wanted to from the computer (except for alex's birthday because I can't get the pictures to load). But that still means I have Iwalani's wedding and Halloween along with other stuff on my camera somewhere. No guarantees when those will be up, but they are comming. Now, I'm going to go read all of your blogs because I've been slacking in that as well. Hope these will keep you busy for a while!

Husband Tag

1. Where did you meet? UVSC
2. How long did you date before you got married? 6 months
3. How long have you been married? 5 years
4. What does he do that surprises you? The things he comes up with to do with our kids are always the most surprising.
5. What is your favorite feature of his? He has the best smile ever!
6. What is your favorite quality of his? He is always so calm. And luckily when he's around he can have it rub off on me.
7. Does he have a nickname for you? Kiki-but that's it. I think I've heard him say Kiora about 5 times in my life and it sounds incredibly awkward. When he talks about me to others it probably sounds like he's referring to an acquaintance.
8. What is his favorite color? Yellow
9. What is his favorite food? Sandwhiches
10. What is his favorite sport? Football
11. When and where was your first kiss? In front of my apartment at night.
12. What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? Play catch or ping pong or watch football or movies or eat or...other stuff, I don't know which is my most favorite.
13. Do you have any children? alex and Chio.
14. Does he have a hidden talent? I can't believe how well and sound he can sleep....and I'm incredibly jealous.
15. How old is he? 28
16. Who said I love you first? I don't know.
17. What is his favorite type of music? Folk and other stuff that sounds like folk, and when I'm not around, Punk occasionally.
18. What do you admire most about him? His devotion.
19. Do you think he will read this? Yep, Alex never misses an opportunity to tease me about my grammar and spelling.

One Word Answer Tag

1. Where is your cell phone? Unknown
2. Where is your significant other? Couch
3. Your hair color? Brown
4. Your mother? Karen
5. Your father? Max
6. Your favorite thing? Family
7. Your dream last night? Forgotten
8. Your dream/goal? Sleep
9. The room you're in? Commonroom?
10. Your hobby? Reading
11. Your fear? Dark
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Refreshed
13. Where were you last night? Home
14. What you're not? Social
15. One of your wish-list items? Sleeping
16. Where you grew up? Desert
17. The last thing you ate? Pork
18. What are you wearing? PJs
19. Your TV? Disconnected
20. Your pet? Nope
21. Your computer? Slow
22. Your mood? Happy
23. Missing someone? Family
24. Your car? Running
25. Something you're not wearing? Shoes
26. Favorite store? None
27. Your summer? Hot
28. Love someone? Lots
29. Your favorite color? Blue
30. When is the last time you laughed? Today
31. Last time you cried? Saturday

He He He

Our new neighbors have a dog named Max .... Not that I think that is a good name for a dog at all.

Chio modeling her shoes.

alex wears this batman shirt every other day, literally. It gets washed with every non white load I do and then on the days I do whites he mopes around because he knows he has to wait longer for it to be cleaned. One time he even asked if it could take a bath with him so he could wear it to bed.

Washing Daddy's Car

This is why we have kids.... Right?

Tid Bits...

I was intending to blog all day yesterday, but we may have had our power turned off, which messed up our internet and phone- then today we went to Dallas to vote. But obviously, from my long inactivity, I have LOTS to blog about.

In the last month alex has grown an entire inch.

alex tells strangers in the store that I cuss a lot ("stupid" and "shut up").

Like alex, Chio LOVES BBQ.

Our weather is pretty much perfect right now AND we can enjoy it without any mosquitoes.

Whenever Alex or I laugh alex says in a somber voice, "It's not funny mommy/daddy."

We have lots of leaves to rake.

Chio has new shoes

alex is still cute,

and so is Chio.

And I'm NOT pregnant. Chio hates it when I try to blog; which is why I dictated the last two to Alex, which is why they didn't make any sense.

Alex thinks this shouldn't have a title.

Watching Daddy

I'm thinking. What do you think I should say. what did you put. Rocio and alex love watching his dad out there. Alex is mowing the lawn and they watch him the whole time. Your such a bonehead. Just post it. take off that crap and post it.

As dictated to Alex

Chio Turned One

Slide Show from Chio's First Birthday

The Swing

Sorry Calixta- I keep trying to do your tag and I get distracted.

This is a quick update on the daddy/son project: the swing. alex loves it! who knew the back yard could be more fun?

Chio's Bad Day

Rocio had a really bad day yesterday.

Sacrament Meeting:
The morning went well, we got to church 5 minuets early; exactly the way I prefer, we can get settled without already being restless when the meeting starts. Then I found out I had to go on to the stand for a little bit, I didn't even have to do anything but I still hate being in front of people for any reason. I was even extra anxious because Alex wasn't there to help with the kids, so I had to find someone to help me-another thing I don't like to have to do. Rocio is extremely sensitive to my moods so she started to get upset. While I was trying to calm Chio down alex became jealous and started doing exactly what Chio was doing to get my attention too-meaning screaming high pitched in a fake cry. From there it only escalated as they each tried to out yell the other (this was during the sacrament). I know that people say everybody's children misbehave during church, but I only ever notice my own. Perhaps I'm so caught up in my own embarrassment each week I don't look out my own little bubble to see anyone else, but it only seems like only my kids are screaming. Anyway....Sacrament didn't go well and we spent the majority of the time with alex sitting in time out and me trying to get Rocio to calm down.

Second Hour:
After I walked in to Sunday School and she started yelling again, I just went out in the hall to get her to relax. She was still upset and I started thinking maybe she was getting a tooth or not felling well- or maybe feeling my dread of the 3rd hour when I was supposed to be teaching with her acting like this...

Third Hour:
Someone offered to take her during the 3rd hour for me and I couldn't resist the kindness. However, it didn't go so well and during opening exercise I could hear Chio crying from where ever she was in the church. I had someone take my class and went to find her. She doesn't nurse during Church anymore so after my shirt and blouse were splattered with yogurt at breakfast, I changed in to a knee length onepiece dress with a high neck for church. So, while I was capable of nursing my screaming baby...it was difficult to find a place to do it. After I finally found a place- she bite me, hard (first time drawing blood hard-this is now the third time she has ever bite me). So I just walked around holding her while she got all her crying out (and gave her some Tylenol-just in case) it wasn't the I had milk withering in pain type screaming, just the helpless my life is so hard crying.

Home:
After getting though church, the drive home and lunch crying she finally fell asleep (I got the yoga ball back out and bounced her). After she woke up she was wonderful. While they were both asleep, the Cowboy game came on so I decided to watch it (even though I would watch it later with Alex). When Chio woke up happy, I kept the game on and we played blocks on the living room floor. Sometime the 4th quarter Chio wandered off-not unusual-and I kept watching the game because it was getting scary (they ended up losing, the only good news being that the Giants are now the only ones in our division undefeated). Then Chio got into the dishwasher (I'm not sure how) and found a grater, which she got her finger stuck in. I know, I'm a terrible mother to let this happen while I was watching football. So then I had to decide if I should take her to the hospital or not. It look like it just took of a layer of skin, it wasn't very deep and I didn't think that stitches would help at all. During this assessment, her finger was giving off a lot of blood. First I dripped it all over by the kitchen sink while I was trying to wash all the blood away (all this time she is yelling). Then I try to catch the blood with my hand as we go to the bathroom (it doesn't work and I drip it all over). By the time we get to the bathroom, alex has come to investigate. As I frantically try to get a band aid on her finger he starts screaming bloodly murder about how he wants a band aid for his week old scrape on his keen that hasn't bothered him until this point. I had to set Chio down to get the band aid (six seconds tops) when I grabbed her hand again she was covered in blood- she had been rubbing her hand all over her self. I took all her clothes off and dripped blood back to the kitchen sink to wash her off again. When the band aids were on, the blood would stop but she kept ripping the band aids off and opening the wound back up and soon we ran out of band aids-and I had to start using gaze and tape.

Sorry if this didn't make since.

She was happy when I held her for the whole night, so maybe the whole day wasn't bad -poor Chio! Her birthday party is coming next- that is a much happier story.

Hunting Monsters

Every year (well, for two years now) around Halloween every trip to the store becomes a chore with constant reminders: not to look at the "scary monsters" who are "gona' get me", that they're not real, and won't hurt alex. Even covering his eyes with his hands (his idea-quite entertaing to other shoppers), he still sees them. This inevitably leads to conversations of what he is going to do to the monsters. With me he says he is going to say "no, no, no" , "you don't touch me" or "two minuets" (meaning time out). With his dad he is aparently a little more grafic; here is a conversation alex and his dad were having in the woods about tracking monsters.

Camping....

Well, we thought we were going camping but it turns out we just stayed at a hotel in the woods. lol. I told alex that I didn't want to sleep on the ground (literally the ground- I wanted a mat this time) so he decided we would just get a "cabin". We were expecting some sort of pallett with a matress enclosed in some walls but we got an actuall cabin with an oven, bathroom, extra room, fold out bed, lounge chairs a fridge. They said the only thing that we needed to bring was food to stock the fridge and they were right. So, while we weren't exactly camping, we did have fun! We went camping for Chio's Birthday Happy Birthday Chio.


Part of the cabin.


Look out.












Hiking and Flying.




Catching Mr. Turtle.

And Happy Birthday to Alex. When I was growing up my dad taught me the secret to eternal youth...marry someone older than you. So, thanks for making me young sweety, I love you more than you love me!!



Sorry about the picture placement, I didn't have time to fix them.