Blue Monday - Our new pool

This past week I will admit to feeling like we should have bought the house with the pool.  I still think about that house and how awesome it would be to have a pool where the kids can go cool off and fun.  But we did not choose that house because we realize the costs of maintaining a pool year-round to use it only 3 months out of the year. 

Usually we go to community pools, the Army Base pool, and sometimes they go to the Recreation Center pool which is indoors.  But it would be nice to just step outside and be within a few feet from the pool.

So we bought a pool.  Ok so it's only a foot of water but we have A LOT of fun in this tiny body of water.

... and while it may not be a big, permanent pool with all the bells and whistles, the kids and the dog seem to really enjoy filling water balloons, blowing water shooters, and spraying each other with the water toys.  After all the fun in the water they use whatever is left in the pool to water the plants in the garden and in the house.

Good times!

Terie

Sharing with Smiling Sally and my friends from Blue Monday.

Blue Monday: kids in the field

Walking the dog with the kids was so fun in this unkept field of weeds, made the animal in them come out and stalk me.

Sharing with Smiling Sally and friends on Blue Monday!

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Halloween!!!!

'Tis the season for the ghouls and goblins to come knocking at your door for a trick or a treat... 

I am from the Dominican Republic so this is not a traditional holiday for us, however, growing up in Jersey, I did take part in some dressing up.  One of my favorite costumes was when I dressed as a Gypsy girl with a kerchief on my head, a white fluffy shirt, colorful long skirt and lots of bangles on my wrists.  My cousin and I would just dig through her stuff and mine and somehow put my costume together. That was probably more fun than anything else we did that night.

My kids have always enjoyed this time of year, not just because of the candy but because of the creative ways they get to dress up and the pumpkin decorating/carving/painting in which we traditionally take part. 

Ms. N wasn't sure what she would be this year, but she did know she wanted to be scary.  We found this hooded skull robe in the Halloween box, sprayed her hair free and as you can see threw in some face paint not meant to depict anything in particular...it wasn't until someone at school said "wow she makes a great Zombie" that she turned to me and said "Mom I'm a zombie!" OK we've settled that.

Of course, her pumpkin also had to be scary. She did a great job all on her own. No prize for this scary lady but everyone really liked it and that was enough for her.

Mr. J seen here as Captain America. He really wanted to be a super hero and thank goodness I found this little costume for 1/2 price at a local Rite-Aid Pharmacy.  I made the shield out of a Chinet paper plate, paint, and a little white glue glitter for the star.  He loved it!!

Mr. J is the happiest boy ever.  He did not want a scary pumpkin because he believes everyone should be happy, so here it is... big smile, wide eyes,  and simple.  Nice Job!!

Just in case Hurricane Sandy comes through on Halloween, at least we know the kids got to wear their costumes.  But they are looking forward to parading with their friends through our neighborhood. Should be fun, as always!

Be Safe and Have Fun!

Terie

Back to School in the USA

Here we go again. Day 1 of 180 days of school! Yeepee!! Fifth Grade and Kindergarten.  I feel like he was born just the other day, and only a few years ago we were moving to Cuba and just last month we moved back from Cuba.  We must have had a ton of fun because time flew.

I will cherish these days when they get dressed, eat, and are waiting for me at the door because they are so excited to start school.  In a few weeks homework and early morning wake ups will set in and they will have to be dragged out of bed and pushed out the door. We'll have to see how long I can make the excitement last.  It's not that they don't want to go to school, it's that they don't want to get up early.  If it were up to them school would start with Lunch and go from there. Ha!!!

They are both super excited to get started in their new schools!

Great day for everyone!

Terie

Heart aches of a mom

Today I woke up with really mixed up feelings about a lot of things.  First off I wondered if I hurt anyone's feelings this week.  My circle of friends is important to me and the last thing I want to do is hurt them but sometimes we protect our heart so much that it is inevitable to hurt others, unknowingly.  If I did, I hope they'll forgive me, my heart is a little achy these days.  I'll explain why.

I recall how I felt a few years ago when my eldest child, my son, graduated High School.  Not only did I have to turn him lose into a brave new world but I was also leaving the country and losing my ability to be there for the occasional hug, lunch, movie, visits home, and the all too common, mom here's my laundry during school breaks.  Family members got to that instead and while I'm grateful, I am also saddened because it wasn't me.

I have helped in so many ways and I know he appreciates every thing and every penny but it's just not the same as being able to physically visit and give him a hug when he needs one.

This week he moved out of the dorm and into his own apartment, which he shares with a couple of students from school.  A huge move but he did it all on his own, with a little guidance from mom and dad.  Again, living in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba has offered a lot of different things to do and a different lifestyle but it has stripped me of the ability to get up and go hug my kid.  My husband service to our country is certainly full of surprises.  But it is this service, his and mine, that helped my son become so well rounded and brave.  Leaving his comfort zone is scary but not an issue and I am proud of him for taking this huge step.

Still here I sit in the only gated Navy Housing community in the world, surrounded by the most beautiful coral reefs, amazing view of the bay, great friends, a supporting husband and three other children to mold and still my heart aches for the one I can't reach. I'll be fine and he will too but I wont deny myself the occasional sadness or tears that come when I miss my children.

For now I guess I'll have to settle for the occasional phone call, email, and instant messages and he'll have to get my hugs in the way of gifts for his new place, like food.  I know he'll make the right choices so I have already arranged for him to visit his local Farmers Market and Trader Joe's to pick up the foods we used to enjoy together before the big move.

Can't wait to see you this summer Josh! You are doing a great job! You will be fine, as will I.

Blue Monday - my Kids

"... and then thee were three"

I have to admit that while I love, love, love each of them as individuals, I find myself really, really missing my oldest child a lot. I need to get busy so time goes by faster. He's at college and I'm on an island far, far away. We do chat online often and I manage to send him little notes to let him know he's missed, loved, and ... did I mention missed?

Gosh, this is painful. OK it is for his own good. I'm glad he's mature enough to be on his own, doing what he loves to do. I wont say that I'll get over it because quite frankly, I don't want to get over missing my oldest child, I'm OK with that. But I will move on, after all, I do have three others.

The middle child who is so darn artistic even she doesn't realize it some times, the 7 year old that has more energy stored in her little body then she knows what to do with, and my little man who can make anyone smile with his big hazel eyes and long eye lashes and beautiful smile. So Sweet! Do I sound like I'm looney for my kids? I am. They make me smile, they keep me young, and when they're asleep they are the BEST kids under the sun, for sure!!

Kids have a way of really irritating me. They know exactly how to get under my skin. The hardest thing for me is to not laugh when I'm trying to be serious. Sometimes I walk away to laugh at their facial expressions, then hopefully return to continue my scolding. It really does not work but it makes us all laugh--usually!!

I took this pictures at the beach yesterday because it was just perfect! Enjoy it!

~~~~~~~~~~~

It is Sally's Blue Monday and a great day it is. Stop by Smiling Sally to see what others are sharing.

Staying in the now

Photo by SpinDiva

"Surrender is the simple but profound wisdom of yielding to rather than opposing the flow of life. The only place where you can experience the flow of life is the Now, so to surrender is to accept the present moment unconditionally and without reservation... It is to relinquish inner resistance to what is." ~ Eckhart Tolle

~ ~ ~

Life. It has been somewhat complicated these past two weeks. We've been packed, the vehicle has shipped, we live in a hotel suite smaller than my old bathroom but the kids are happy. I was a little worried about their reaction to moving and leaving dear friends behind. I must have done a really good job somewhere along the way (yes, padding myself in the back right now) because I expected trouble all the way to the end. Instead they are excited, sad to leave friends, as am I, but excited for this new adventure to begin. A few more days of this craziness and we're on our way from 45 degrees and foggy to 85 degrees and clear. I can live with that! I can't wait to share our adventures and life in Guantanamo. I have a feeling we will have some interesting stories to tell. I do hear you saying "I don't know how you do it all." Well I have friends reminding me that I should forget about the statement "it is what it is" and remember that "it is...what you make of it." So I choose to make it a positive experience, even in the midst of stress and chaos. 

I admit there were a few moments I thought I'd loose my mind and the stress monster tried very hard to take me down (i.e. when I thought I lost my wallet one week prior to moving) but I resisted, talked myself out of an anxiety attack and guess what, I found my wallet exactly where I left it, under the bathroom sink.  

WHAT? Doesn't everyone use this space for their wallet? Surely you must have put the cereal in the fridge and the milk in the pantry at some point in your life!!

OK call me crazy. Well, then again, don't. That would just be mean.

I will continue to remind myself that right here, right now is really all that matters so I will continue to only focus on that which I can control, everything else will fall into place nicely.

Outdoor Wednesday- The Sand Pool

Outdoor Wednesday is hosted by Susan from A Southern Daydreamer. Visit Susan to see the outdoors from another point of view :-)




I have been lost in the land of the living running with the kids, attempting to sell a house, working and well...the best part, still having fun, playing with our Wii and spending quality time together, apart and with friends. Staying on the bright side of life...that's all that matters.

For outdoor Wednesday I will share my little ones in black and white. Despite feeling crummy this past weekend I took the kids to the Sand Pool on base. They had a blast!!



Getting there was the first challenge of the day. First we wanted to go to the community pool in our housing area but I could not find the passes, then we tried the pool on base but they were closed, just that weekend, thankfully I remembered the Sand Pool and I was very glad we made it there. The kids had a great time going down the water slides. Unfortunately I was the only adult so I could not be my kid's paparazzi while trying to keep them from drowning. Funny thing is, I forgot about my allergies and my head cold and was feeling great by the next day...hmmm, maybe the sun helped a little.

Enjoy.

Outdoor Wednesday #17- kids

Outdoor Wednesday is hosted by Susan at A Southern Day Dreamer.  Stop by to see what other outdoors everyone else is showing off today.

I love this picture of my two youngest kids...you know, lovingly holding hands, not fighting, walking not running...ahhhh!  So sweet!  I better enjoy it because soon they'll grow up and become teens....ugh..scary!

On the college trail

Oberlin Conservatory, OH

Westminster Choir College, Rider University, NJ

James Madison University, VA

Oh my gosh, I though we would never stop traveling.  I feel like the whole month of February has come and gone and it's only the 19th.  We decided that, since I'm the control freak (so they say), that I would go with our oldest son, the Musician, on his college interviews and auditions.  In a way, I thought, this is great for me I  only have to worry about one child and he's a grown up now or "an adult" according to the law, yeah, whatever!  

Turns out there was a lot of driving, traffic, snow, long train rides, sleepless nights, and emotional stuff going on during this time.  I never had a chance to just let go. I had to be strong for him - it's what mom's do- when he felt he did poorly and needed a shoulder to let it all just go.  Well, the shoulder was there but he didn't let anything go, not to me anyway. 

I found out recently how much he felt like a failure like he would never make it and how much anxiety he had about auditioning live in front of judges and a camera.  Oh well, I was there to listen and advice but I'm also a parent, I apparently don't get it because in "my day" things were different.  Huh, I thought emotions were around "way back then." Guess I was wrong again.  Oh well, some day he'll grow up and then I'll start to be right in his eyes, or not.

Now we're done with all the college stuff and the anxiety is placed on that letter we're supposed to get stating that he is accepted into that school and even better would be if the letter told him that he will be awarded a scholarship to help pay for his education - now that would be a sweet thing.

For now, I'm glad we're done with the driving; well I'm done with the driving, he's still as driven and ambitions as ever to become the best at what he loves to do most, vocal performance.  My heart just sinks at the thought that my little boy, my first born is on his way to college.  I don't feel old enough for this --OK sometimes I do feel it but time seems to have slipped on by.

I have three more sweeties to enjoy and eventually, hopefully, go on future college trails to get them on the right track to a great future.  I have a long time before the nest is empty.  Now I'm off to take a little break while baby sleeps.  Hot yerba-mate tea sound yummy right about now!

Ciao!!

Kids bed time

Photo by: pinkisawayoflife

I have to admit I have lost my touch this week with my kids sleeping schedule, mainly because when the baby takes a nap I tend to get involved in other things and forget that I should really limit that nap to 2 hour or less or at least he should be up by 3 pm.  UGH!  Did I not learn my lesson with the first two kids?

Anyway, to make matters worse I also let my little peanut (6) watch a movie in bed.  Usually TV is not allowed until weekends but I figured swimming made her tired, she did all her homework and the few chores she gets to do after dinner; surely she'll drop off before the movie has a chance to get going....WRONG!! She came down the stairs around 9:3o pm, 90 minutes after she went to bed, I mean, to watch TV.  The problem with this scenario was that the baby was also awake...huh! The baby, he's really a toddler who happens to be really wrapped around his mommy's leg like a little monkey.  

Lately that little monkey has a way of saying "betos, betos" and laying his wet sloppy kisses all over my face.  Betos by the way is his way of saying besos in Spanish which means kisses.  I can't even get angry, they are so loving and so cute.

However, we have a very tired mommy, daddy is already snoring and so are the teens and the two young children wanting more attention, affection, a book read, a song and a prayer.  I was lucky to make it through the first few lines of her book.  Why are they so wired?  The darn TV!  It's out of the room then I wont be tempted to quiet them down with the boob tube and as for those naps, I must keep them between 11 and 3, no later.

They are now both in bed, quiet, listening to classical music and hopefully falling into a deep slumber.  I'll stay up until I know they are asleep, for sure this time.  In the mean time I am going to relax with some tea and my PC.

Happy New Year - traveling with kids

Here it is, the new year, 2009! It is hard to believe a whole year has gone by. It seems like just the other day I was nursing a baby and waiting for hubby to email or call from Iraq. He's been home a year, the baby is now 2 and my oldest is getting ready for college. WOW!! So many new things have happened in the last 12 months like my 6 year old reading a chapter book. She has fallen in love with the adventures of Ruby Gloom by Rebbecca McCarthy and my teen girl who avoided reading anything is now addicted to reading. I never thought I'd hear myself saying, "put that book down!" The two year old is repeating everything he hears and that's just scary sometimes. It's amazing how much language development there is between 2 and 3 years old. I love it!

Some things we learned during our vacation-- we drove from the Virginia Peninsula to New Jersey - midway up the state. On the way back we hit Pennsylvania, Delaware and Northern VA. We learned that:

--some people don't realize their showers don't work because the kids never complain and the adults never use that particular bathroom. We used several showers and had many different sleeping arrangements along the way. The showers went from a trickling drip out of the shower head to a shower with uncontrollable temperature to the best one which was a strong, perfectly warm, long lasting shower. You never know what's coming so be prepared to skip a shower if necessary - carry lots of personal wipes :-)

--it is best to force kids to use the bathroom before a long drive or you will be making many stops, sometimes, one per child...grrr!

--packing the makings for a meal is more cost effective and takes up a bit of time if stuck in traffic - so we pack a soft cooler with peanut butter, jelly, apple sauce, fresh fruit, drinks, snacks a butter knife and a small cutting board to prepare lunch on the go. The meal is fresh and nothing goes to waste.

--pack lots of books, magazines, crayons, coloring books, etc. Reading is a great way to pass the time.

--charge all electronics (DVD players, car games, iPods, cell phones, etc) a day before the trip and keep extra batteries and a small screw driver in the car for toys that require them, just in case.

--a GPS unit is a really good thing to have when you want to avoid massive traffic jams or at least to find a detour in the event of unforeseen traffic jams. We borrowed one and it saved us a good four hours.

--finally, it is important to be realistic and tell the kids how long the ride will be. If they don't really understand the concept of time, create a game in advance to help them count down the hours, i.e. draw a clock on construction paper and put an x on the clock number for every hour that passes then you'll know how many are left to go.

I hope these tips will help others planning to go on the road. I would love to hear from you and what tricks help you when traveling with children or just to keep you busy on the road.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! My trip isn't over, going home today {{sigh}}.

It's life...with my kids

So I've been sort of absent from my blogs lately and much of that has to do with my busy life with kids, school work, house work, my job at the gym, etc. etc. etc. blah! blah! blah!  Simply said, I let life take over and failed to keep to my routines and rules for maintaining a healthy daily schedule.  I suddenly found myself tackling everything on the to-do list...time for a honey-do list.  What was I thinking?!?

My almost two year old has recently realized that he can be independent - gosh it's like they know when they're supposed to start that terrible two thing.  I have never really believed in terrible two's with my other kids, but this time I'm thinking it's a real thing.  Anyway, he's so darn cute it really doesn't matter much to me.  He's a happy camper 90% of the time.  The other 10% we sit and enjoy each other's company and all is well in the end.

My six year old is into reading, a lot!! That's a good thing right!? It is, don't get me wrong.  However, sometimes, I don't want to read anything nor do I want to be read to.  This is when I pull patience fromt he depth of my soul and just listen to her read.  I usually fall asleep and then she wakes me by saying, "oh no, now I'm going to have to read it again!" GREAT!! "You know what, your daddy hasn't had a chance to hear this story, let me go get him, HONEY!!!"

My 14 year old wants to be a photagrapher but she doesn't want to have to study very hard to get good grades.  There are more important things to consider, such as, clothing, hair, shoes, her social network...Yeah!  She's your average teen.  Example: three weeks ago she was failing Spanish.  That was an embarrassing call from her Spanish teacher who offered to tutor her after school.  Embarrassing because I had to inform her that I, her mother, am spanish and speak, read, and write fluently.  Her response, "OH."  I took away the iPod, forced her to study, talk to me in spanish and work on extra credit to bring up her grade, which she did as of yesterday.

My 17 year old is realizing that more sometimes means less in the end.  He is a musician, wants to become a music educator and a concert choir condutor.  He has the potential, the voice, the talent and the motivation--no doubt, he makes me tired with all he does.  However, doing so much was costing him well needed practice time, which I gently mentioned and he said "I can handle it mom."  Well his voice teacher made the same comment about doing too much --" focus on being prepared and practicing your music, that's all you need to do right now."  He agreed.  Hmmmm, funny how when I said it the effect was completely different.  Oh well, what do I know, I'm just a parent.

Today I will get my schedule organized and my to-do list in order.  Everyone will get a to-do list this week.  Then maybe, just maybe, I'll regain MY time to do what I want on or off line.  My toddler will continue to steal my heart for that 10% of the time he feels he needs mommy comfort, my six year old and I will be reading much, much earlier in the day and leaving the night-time reading to daddy, my 14 and 17 year old will continue to learn from their mistake and hopefully reach their full potential.   I am proud of my kids--they occupy my space, my time, my life, and they make us oh so happy!!

Whose up at 4 am?

This semester I "chose" to take three classes, all online and two of them electives.  Easy stuff right? Wrong!  It's only easy if the times you choose to study are there for you, uninterrupted.  But I have only two semesters to get my degree and I'm going do this even if it means readjusting my sleep schedule. SLEEP? Ha!

Every morning I get up before the kids so I have time to make some coffee and study.  I am my best early and must take advantage of what little brain energy I can get.  When I get up the plan is to log on to my classrooms to post assignments, read, respond, work on essays, catch up on reading assignments, etc.  However, it seems my time gets crunched or something happens or a kid wakes up earlier then they should and then there goes the day.  So last week I decided to go to sleep a little earlier, get up earlier and get some real work done.  Here's how it went:

*got up at 4 am- yes, I said Four AM!

*started the coffee pot

*turned on the laptop

*set myself up at the kitchen table

*grabed my hot coffee which I turned into a Cafe con Leche (Latte)

*sat down, logged in and by 4:30 am I was rearring to go

Within 10 minutes of focus and concentration I was dealing with this

He never wakes up this early....NEVER!

....or this cranky...Maybe it's a growth spurt

Apparently, nothing a little food can't fix.  So I gave him Sweet Darling Clementines....

and that made him smile (my heart melts for that smile)

throw a banana in the mix and you get...

.... happy little man ready to take on the day, even if he started his day cranky, apparently hungry and  very, very early.

I didn't get much work done but I did get lots of love, wet kisses, quality time with baby.  He's such a sweetie! 

A little patience and a lot of love went into this morning, it all works out in the end.

Time to weed and play in the garden

Well, I finally decided it was time to clean out the garden. After the rain we had, the weeds took over and my garden went from looking like a "little patch of heaven" to an abandoned garden with overgrown weeds, half eaten vegetable plants and some other goodies growing along the way. I figure the healthy weeds were taking all the nutrients from what little is left for me to enjoy so it was time for them to go.

I worked tirelessly for over 2 hours pulling weeds, grass that was attempting to find a new home by sneaking its way into the garden, excess branches from tress not in my yard, etc. I initially wanted to go to the gym this particular morning but I think after all this work in the yard, I'm done exercising for the weekend. This was hard work I tell ya!!

In the mean time, my daughter cut the grass and the two little ones attempted to help me with my weeding issues. It was sort of fun and educational for them, above all, it was a great workout for everyone. Taking a lemonade break in the afternoon was well deserved and truly enjoyable after all that work.

Now my garden is clean, well almost, the tomatoes have been fed, the grapes and herbs are doing well and untouched by the critters. The watermelon vines are still struggling but there are some buds in the making.

It is such an adventure and a learning experience for the kids when we get outside, even though we all had to work hard for a little while, it is much more fun to enjoy our back yard when we do the work ourselves.

I am now working on making some dishes with tomato because I have more than I can eat-- yellow pear, orange, yellow and regular red tomatoes. I think I will attempt to make salsa tomorrow. I just need a good recipe to follow and I should be OK.




Photo Credit: The Great Beast

A day of rest or not...

Finally! A day for me to do nothing or something but it will be my choice. Crazy as it may sound, I will be cleaning my house today, top to bottom. I feel I have neglected my home over the past week due to our volunteering in the Vacation Bible School program at our chapel. Boy that was a real adventure. It was so much fun, exhausting, but fun. I had my 20 month old in tow the entire time and he was a real trooper. He was well behaved, he played in the playroom, we visited the classrooms and while I took pictures he entertained the crowd. It seems everywhere we went someone was at the ready to scoop him up into their arms and give him hugs and kisses.

I was worried at first not sure how he would behave for three hours a day but it turned out great and he took awesome naps after. I was busy with school work, transporting other my other children around and keeping up with laundry. It was a crazy week but it was a very rewarding week as well.

My first born, now 17 was selected to attend the Governor's School of Richmond for a month. I dropped him off on Sunday. It was like a precursor to the college drop off which will happen next year--God willing. It was an awesome experience as a parent. I was so proud that he was one of 400 kids in this state chosen to participate, one of 28 vocalists--WOW! I miss him but I don't miss him as much as I thought I would. I was actually OK leaving him there. I felt he was in a safe and nurturing environment. Not to sound uncaring but he was hardly ever home. He worked long hours or was at school, with friends or a school function so yes, dinner times and Sundays he was home and he is missed.

So now I sit here taking a break, studying, listening to the news and planning my day of cleaning. That will be my workout for today. I will be much more relaxed and enjoy my quiet time once all that is done. For now, I'll just take advantage of the next few minutes of my early morning peace.

Back to school but not for long

I realized this morning as I was seriously enjoying my early morning time alone, that there are 3 weeks left before school lets out. This is good and bad. I always look forward to having the kids home and not getting up so early, eating breakfast together, doing stuff around town, etc. But then for some reason the younger kids never do sleep in when they should. It seems like on the days they don't have school, they get up earlier. It's a pattern I've learn to accept. My teens on the other hand would sleep until noon if I let them, and I do sometimes.

Flor (my mother in law) asked me what we had planned for vacation. I always feel a little awkward answering this because I think she thinks we should do something. Apparently it is an American tradition to plan a vacation away from home during the summer months. Growing up in the Dominican Republic, where I was born, when school let out for the summer simply meant that the kids would play all day outdoors, eat fruit ripened on the tree, make home-made helado (like italian ice),go down to the river for the day, hang out with the neighborhood kids and come home before the sun goes down. There were no major trips planned, no money sucking adventures to go to, just a simple summer. We did occasionally go to the beach, which for us was about 3 hours of away. We also visited family members who lived a little further away but that was it.

We have gone a few summer vacations, the American way, summer house rented by Flor and Dulce and another time we rented a Condo in Florida and it was fun, I will admit to that. Although I felt like I needed a vacation after my vacation. I don't ever feel the need to begin planning a week-long summer trip. I just take each day as it comes and if I see an opportunity for us to go do something fun and we have to spend a couple of days there then we go, if not, we're not too far from the beach, 2 major rivers each with a beach area as well and a few amusement parks.

Then there's our back yard. it's not huge and it's not fenced in but we have great neighbors and a lot of kids in the area. So this summer I plan to turn on the water sprinkler, fill up the water balloons, fill up a kiddy pool, and enjoy the outdoors right here, where it's free, fun and full of smiles.