High School Musical on Ice

This past week, we had the good fortune to go see Disney's "High School Musical on Ice." Now, you have to understand, Julia has seen the movie once, but is not all that crazy about it. But, when I asked her if she wanted to go with a bunch of her friends, she thought that sounded great! Liliana was thrilled to have a "girl party" too, as she would say.

Seven moms and 11 daughters, all loaded in to three minivans and headed to the show together. We all had such a great time! When the show started up, the girls had such different reactions. Some of our friends squealed with excitement, Julia cringed from all the noise around her, Liliana's eyes got real big and she was mesmerized! I loved seeing/hearing all the little girls around us sing along with all the songs.

During intermission, one of my friends asked Julia if she was having a good time. Julia said, "Not really." Of course, my friend was so sweet about it. She said, "You know what I like to watch? All the lights changing colors and the Zamboni." (which was out at that time) Truly, I think she was enjoying the ice skating and the music, but not all the noise (and not the signs). Let me explain...I guess they were selling these little poster-type signs there that read, stuff like, "Fab-u-lous" and "Go Troy" and "Go Wildcats," just to name a few. Well, all the little girls would hold them up from time to time, making it difficult to see past them. None of us liked that! Liliana was having fun squealing like the big girls and sharing candy with all her friends (one-by-one and one at a time). It was very sweet.

I even bought the girls a snow cone in a souvenir cup for a whopping $10 each! Can you believe that? Oh well, the girls were absolutely thrilled! It was worth it.
It was a great time. I'm so glad we got to go. It was fun to see Liliana dancing in front of her seat, and to have Julia sit in my lap so she could see for a good portion of the show. I just love those sweet moments!

Easter

We had a very nice Easter last week. The girls were so excited when they woke up that morning! The Easter bunny had left eggs all over the place! But, first they had to find their baskets, so they'd have something to put the eggs in. That clever Easter bunny likes to hide them in sneaky places! Liliana's was in the oven this year! Good thing she found it before we had to cook anything!

Nate made yummy French toast and we just enjoyed our morning together before church (we have late afternoon church, starting at 2:30)

They loved decorating the ceramic animals the Easter bunny gave them. They came with a kit to grow their very own grass.


I had to be at church early for choir (we had such a beautiful program of music that day), so we rushed to get out the door together. I had wanted to get pictures of the kids, but didn't want to be late for choir so I grabbed the camera to bring with us. Nate snapped a picture of the kids. You know me, there would have been at least ten of the same pose. Anyway, here it is! :)
Liliana got to say the prayer in primary. We all thought it was so special that she got to say it on Easter Sunday. She started it off all by herself and even said she was thankful for Jesus. She did such a great job and we were so proud of her!

I love Easter time. The renewal and rebirth we see at Spring is so significant and reminiscent of the true meaning of Easter.

We got to spend Easter dinner with friends of ours. We had a yummy ham, mashed potatoes, homemade rolls, asparagus, salad, fruit, and even a yummy bunny cake that was so cute for dessert (with ice cream, of course)! It's so great to have friends to spend holidays with! Thank you! I hope you all had a wonderful Easter too!

Simon's birthday party

We couldn't let Simon's birthday pass without a celebration!

Nate and I worked together to make him a cake, complete with a "1" candle.

We called our neighbors and friends to stop by and help us sing to Simon, watch him with his cake, and have some dessert with us. The kids even played "ring around the rosy" with Simon. He loved it!

The birthday cake is a big deal in our family. Our kids don't get any type of sugar before their first birthday. The cake is the "first taste" of sweets for them. Of course, we were all excited to see what he'd do with his cake. Especially the kids. They couldn't keep their own hands out of the cake! :)

He actually wasn't all that interested in it! He put his finger in it and tasted it, but after a couple times, he was done. The kids tried..."forcing" is a strong word, I'll say... "encouraging" him to take a bite. He just really didn't want it. Oh well, I guess that's a good thing. He liked the ice cream a little better though.

Afterward, I got him right out of his highchair, and put him in the shower.

{I think a lot of the cake "mutilation" was done by our other kids}



After getting all cleaned up, he was up for playing with his new toys. The girls each got to pick out something for him. Well, it turned out they each got him two things. Simon recently got some money from his great grandparents. Which was so nice of them! And, Liliana was very concerned that Simon didn't have his own piggy bank to put it in. That's what she really wanted to get him. We actually ended up finding a bear bank instead. She also got him a couple of cars, which he loves. Julia got him a frog (bean bag type) and his very own remote control. Aunt KK got him blocks. We all had fun picking out his gifts. And he had a lot of fun playing with them! He got some great gifts from our friends and neighbors too!

It was a great day! I still can't believe my baby is one!

That reminds me. He had his one-year Doctor's appointment, so I can update you on all his "stats."

Height: 32" - 95th%
Weight: 25 lbs 14 oz - 90th%

He has all his teeth too! And, a very, how should I say this..."Nate-sized" noggin. It's in the 97th%, so at least he's proportionate! :)

The doctor thought he was doing fantastic! He's walking, talking (a little), and thriving, for sure! We're so proud of him!

Spring Break

Julia had her Spring break last week. We were lucky enough to have my sister Kara here that very same week! She actually arrived a couple hours after my triathlon. So, I went home, showered and then got to take the kids and go get my sis from the airport! I didn't get to take a nap that day, but I was okay with that because I got to see my sister! :) On our way home from the airport, we met Nate at Pei Wei and had dinner. Yum! I just love that place! I think it's funny because Julia will read it and say something like, "Oh, are we eating at Pee Wee?" Anyway, once we got home, Aunt KK had surprises for everyone.

Littlest Pet shop for the girls, Little People for Simon and a necklace & earrings set for me from Mom. Thanks so much! It was all a hit!

That night our neighbors had all of us over for dinner. It was great!

Kara helped me with my Sunbeams at church on Sunday and we had another great evening, eating dinner & visiting with some of our friends.

The next day was St. Patrick's Day! (You can tell from all the green we were wearing.) :) We saw "Horton Hears a Who" at the movie theater with some friends. It was cute! Of course, the kids' favorite part was probably playing on the railing together out in front of the theater afterward.

After the movie, Kara and I decided to take the kids to the park with a pond to feed the ducks. There were only three ducks total and they weren't super hungry, but we all had fun anyway. The kids enjoyed the playground quite a bit. Simon even gave Aunt KK kisses through the peek-hole in the climbing tube. :)

The next day it just rained and rained all day! We decided to have an "in day." Kara did manage to get out to buy the stuff she needed to make her salsa and guacamole to go with our dinner that night. (Man, that is a long sentence!)
Even though it was raining, it had let up enough that Nate was able to grill on the Big Green Egg, and we got to have steak fajitas for dinner. It was delicious! Simon even liked the guacamole!

The next day was gorgeous! So, I thought, "Hey let's go to the zoo!" It was a good idea, in theory. I knew it'd be a bit crowded because it was Spring Break for everyone, but the fact that it was "half-price Wednesday" had slipped my mind. It was CRAZY busy! Even getting off the freeway was backed up! I jokingly said, "Everyone must be going to the zoo." It turned out that I was right! Once we finally found a parking spot & went in...THAT'S when I realized it was half-price admission! Oh no! No wonder! Oh well, it was totally crowded, but we had fun anyway.

The next day, we ran some errands together (Target - I just love going there!) and then took the kids to the "free zoo" (a.k.a. the pet store). There was an adorable English bull dog there and all the kids enjoyed watching him play! Simon liked checking everything out.

Every time my sister comes to visit, we have a tradition. We go out for sushi together. Yum! (Thanks to Nate, who stayed behind and got the kids to bed). We came home for a brief spell after dinner, I got Simon to sleep, then we went back out and caught a movie. We saw "Definitely, Maybe." It was alright...not a favorite for either of us, but not one of those regrettable types either.

The next day was Simon's birthday (more to come on that). She made us her "famous" lumpia (a Filipino style egg roll) and everything! Yummy! Then, Saturday she had to go home.

I'm so glad we got to have my sister come visit! We stayed up late, talking every night. We talk on the phone and e-mail each other a lot, sure, but it was nice to talk and catch up in person, you know? I love my sister!

Thanks for coming to see us Kara!

So funny!

Nate and I just saw this for the first time last night. We both laughed out loud!

First birthdays

{Julia}

{Liliana}

{Simon}

Happy birthday Dad!

Simon was born on his Papa's birthday! We all thought that was pretty neat. So, I want to also wish my Dad a happy birthday! I love you Dad! I hope you had a great birthday!

{from Christmas time}

Simon's first birthday!

I can't believe it, but our sweet Simon is one today!

Just look at how much he's grown...

And these are from this past week...


Milestones:
He walks now (has all but given up crawling completely). He signs some words and continues to learn more ("dog" being one of his newest - he sticks out his tongue and makes a panting noise). He talks a little bit ("Mama," "Mah" -more, "baba"-bye-bye, "hi," and some other noises. He once said "Dad" clear as a bell. He's been starting to say "nah" sometimes when he wants to nurse (while signing "milk"). He has twelve teeth (his two top molars having just come in this past week and a half). He's big for his age (I'll post the stats after his one-year check-up). His hair curls up on the ends and is so cute I don't know when I'll ever be able to take him for his first haircut. He loves baths, showers (anything in the water). He loves his sisters immensely. Every time I spray his hair to comb it, he laughs...EVERY time! He's getting a little more opinionated lately. He'll let us know he doesn't like something by "complaining" and arching his back. He's still absolutely afraid of the vacuum. He likes to dance to music.

I'm sure I'm forgetting something (I'll keep thinking).

He blesses our lives everyday. We just love him so dearly!

Happy first birthday Simon!

Kitchen chemistry

So, Nate was making brownies the other day and the girls were helping. The Crisco was out because Nate uses it to grease the pan. He caught Liliana tasting the Crisco and decided to teach her (and Julia) a little lesson about the importance of asking for permission before tasting anything in the kitchen.

{Remember what happens when you mix baking soda and vinegar?}

Do you want THAT to happen in your tummy? No way! I know the girls enjoyed the demonstration, and, hopefully, got the point. I just love that clever husband of mine!

My first triathlon

Saturday was AWESOME! I have to say, I truly enjoyed the entire experience of my very first triathlon. I apologize in advance because I'm going to get a bit wordy, but I want to remember it all.

Friday night, I laid out my bag and got my gear ready for the early morning to come. My alarm was set for 5:20 am. When it went off, it was still dark outside. I got up, washed my face, brushed my teeth and finished packing up my stuff. I definitely had those pre-race jitters! Nate got up with me, so he could get everything ready to get the kids out of bed, put them in the stroller (and Simon in the backpack) and take them to watch the triathlon and cheer me on. It was a local triathlon and he walked there with the kids. He got the rack on the car and my bike on the rack for me too. Thanks hun!

It was a pretty chilly morning. It was in the 40s and extremely windy! I made sure to take a long-sleeved running jacket, gloves, and an ear warmer head-band, just in case. I ate my breakfast (a banana), brushed my teeth again and was on my way.

I got there right as the transition area opened. There were already lots of people there. I was so excited (and nervous)! I got my bike and started walking over. I got marked with my number (on both arms & both legs) and my age (on the back of one of my legs). Then, I was able to go to my assigned rack and pick a spot for my bike. The closest spot to the aisle is always a good choice. That's what I picked. My number was 387. We were numbered according to the swim time we entered and the numbers began with 336. So, I had the good fortune of being surrounded by some stellar triathletes. You should have seen some of those bikes! I tried not to be intimidated. They were all very nice. When they found out it was my first triathlon, they even offered advice and wished me luck!

Anyway, once I got my transition area the way I wanted it, I headed indoors to the pool area. But, I decided I would come back out to the transition area one more time before we were to start. Because, I wasn't quite ready to strip down just yet, as it was quite cold! I went inside to get my timing chip (which you strap to your ankle) and it was at that point that I bumped in to some of my other friends that were also doing the triathlon. That pumped me up! It was great!

Once I got my timing chip, I went back out, stripped down to my triathlon suit and bare feet, then headed back inside. I really wanted to warm up. So, I swam for about 700 meters, until they told us it was time to clear the pool.

There were 490 people entered in the race. They lined us up and had us get in the pool, one-by-one, leaving five seconds between each other and we swam in a snake pattern (down one lane, up the next) until the 300-meter-swim was done. You should have seen all those people lined up along the pool. My nerves were going! I feel like I did fine in my swim. It was strong and I was happy with it. I even passed one of the guys ahead of me. :)

After the swim, I ran to the transition area (and saw my fam for the first time - all cheering me on - it was such a great sight! Thank you!). I dried off my feet, took off my cap and goggles, re-did my ponytail, immediately put on my helmet and strapped it. Then, I put on my sunglasses, my socks and shoes, grabbed my bike and was off. I made a split decision not to put anything else on. I was feeling pretty warm after my swim.

The bike was a 12-mile course (a six-mile loop done twice). It went smoothly for the most part. My chain did fall off once. And, apparently, my seat wasn't tight enough because it slipped down. So, when I stopped to fix my chain, I also fixed my seat. I was so bummed about having to stop! But, it probably only took me a minute or so to fix those things. And, it was so WINDY! There were times when I'd feel like my body was a sail as the wind pushed against me. But, overall, I was happy with my results.

When I came in after my bike, I dismounted, ran my bike back to my spot on the rack, but had to cram it a bit into a little space. Then, I took off my helmet and replaced it with a hat, grabbed the strap with my number on it and began my run.

The run was an out-and-back 5K. I felt like I held a good pace during the run. I was worried that if I pushed it too hard I might throw up, so I just held it at a "feeling pretty good" kind of pace. It was a little hard to judge for me. Once I hit the turn-around point, I felt much better. Probably because that "almost done" feeling came over me! I was so psyched!

As I ran in for the finish, I felt so good! I was all pumped up on adrenaline. As I crossed the finish line, they handed me a medal for finishing. Pretty neat, eh? :) Then, I ran to see my family and give them all hugs. The girls were freezing! Liliana and Simon had fallen asleep. Nate said he woke Lili to tell her I was coming, so she stayed under her blanket, but stuck her arm out and rang her cow bell to cheer for me. I thought that was so cute! It was funny how I didn't feel cold at all. But, the longer I stood there, the colder and colder I got until my teeth started chattering and everything. I couldn't go back in to the transition area because there were a lot of people still competing, so they wouldn't let us in (which I totally understand and appreciate).

After my race, Nate gave me a necklace with a triathlon charm. It was so thoughtful and I love it! Thank you sweetie! Julia was very excited about giving me that surprise. After cooling down a bit, I was able to eat the pancakes they had going for all the participants and drink my vitamin water. I was on that adrenaline high for a while!

The whole experience was so amazing. I can't wait to do it again. In fact, there's another local one next month and I think Nate and I both will compete in it together. Won't that be fun? We sure think so!

Well, there you have it. A very long update on my very first triathlon. Thank you all for your love and support!

I can now say, "I am a triathlete!" Woo-hoo!


{Here's what our shirts looked like for the St. Patrick's Day Triathlon...funny,huh?}

{the girls all bundled up in the stroller. Julia was so cold!}

{Yep, that's our son in a pink blanket}

{series of events: swimming - I'm the one in the middle, running to the transition area, getting on my bike, starting the bike leg, finishing the bike, starting the run & finishing!}

{right after finishing with my medal, & with two of my friends who also competed}

{"we are women, we are strong, we are TRIATHLETES!"}

Just because I'm sure you're wondering...

My swim time: 300 M 4:51 (1:29 per 100 M pace) - 35th overall
(Nate had to remind me that the time didn't stop when I touched the wall, but when I ran in to the transition area - so I was happy with that time)
T1: 2:10
My bike time: 47:23 (15.2 mph) - 350th overall
T2: 1:07
My run time: 30:10 (9:44 min miles) - 291st overall

Total time: 1:25:39 - 312th overall.

I met or exceeded the goals I set for myself! And, I have to say, I'm totally happy with that! But, I do have some new goals for the next one! Stay tuned for another new adventure!

Three days left!

I can hardly believe it! There are only three days left until the triathlon! I'm excited to do it. The nerves are there, sure, but I really am looking forward to it. I feel ready. I guess I will see how ready on Saturday. I think once you do your first one, then you know better where you should have spent more time training.

I plan to do more after this one. I've talked to a lot of people who say you get addicted to doing tri's. I think I already am. I'm addicted to the necessity to train and work out. I'm addicted to the "me time" it affords me. I'm addicted to training for something again (like the old college days in swimming). It just seems to work for me. I have a competitive nature, hopefully not overly so, but a healthy one certainly. So, I definitely look forward to the competition. Right now, for this triathlon, that competition is with myself. I have goals/times in mind that I hope I will attain. I don't think they are unrealistic. For example, I want to not have to walk during the run. :) I think there is a delicate balance of how to push yourself. If you push way too hard on the swim, you might start a bit winded on the bike & really lose it in the run. It is called a "sprint" triathlon, yes, but think about it...I'm still looking at about an hour and a half, at least, straight of really pushing myself. Do I think I can do it? Yes. I just want to make sure I come out of it knowing I did my best and had fun. Of course, I don't want to be thinking, "Oh, I probably could have pushed a bit harder," or "I shouldn't have pushed quite so hard in the bike (or swim)." See, a delicate balance. Anyway, there you have it...my thoughts on my upcoming endeavor. I am totally excited!

Any last-minute advice from those of you who have already done a triathlon?

Winter and Spring...all in a week!

Last Monday, we were so excited to get snow one night! I, of course, ran and took a few pictures from the front door. It was even sticking on our cars! It was nice to see the beautiful flakes cascade down from the night sky.

Two days later, the temperature rose to the 70s!
It was warm enough to enjoy a picnic outside.
Even our dog Howie lay in the grass, soaking up the rays of sun,
and he only likes doing that when it's warm.

The very next day, it was cold and rainy again in the morning.
I took Julia to school, and afterward the rain turned to snow. We were all very excited! It continued snowing for hours. When I went to get Julia from school, it was still snowing. I snapped a few pictures in front of a friend's house, out in front of Julia's school, and on our way home.

Once we got home, Julia was very excited to get outside and play in the snow. Liliana had fallen asleep and Simon just had to watch from the window. He wasn't too happy about that. He wanted to go out there so badly!

Julia caught snowflakes on her tongue, built a snowman,
made and threw snowballs & even ate some of the snow! She had the best time!

Nate got home a bit early (because of the weather). We woke Liliana up so she wouldn't miss out and the three of them went out to have some fun. Lili loved the snow too! She even built her own little snowman (which I didn't get a picture of, doggone it!). Simon still didn't get to go out, but Julia did bring in some snow for him to taste. He rather liked that!

The snow had all melted by the next day. It gradually warmed up little by little each day after that. We had some rain yesterday and last night, but today was so nice! It was back in the mid 60s! The kids had a blast jumping on the trampoline and reading outside in the sun. Simon also got to try the trampoline for the first time. He loved it! He was all giggles. Even getting little bounces and falling over made him laugh. It was so cute!

{a side note about the reading: Julia has been enjoying the "Magic Tree House" books by Mary Pope Osborne. Have you heard of those? They are awesome! She reads at least one, if not two, every day after school. She gets to go to the library at school and pick them out almost every day. She reads it in one sitting. She just loves them! So, if your kids are looking for a good read, try the Magic Tree House books!}

Comfy at Costco

While Julia was in her theatre class last Tuesday, Liliana, Simon and I made a run to Costco. Of course, on the way there Simon fell asleep. As most of you probably know, he grew out of his infant carrier long ago. So, I improvised and it turned out rather nicely. He slept the entire time. I'm really glad I had that blanket and sweatshirt in the car!

{"I spy, with my little eye...Simon!"}

"I'm sorry Mommy."

Just the other day, Liliana and Simon were nicely playing in the other room when Liliana came and found me to say, "I'm sorry Mommy." To which I replied, "sorry for what sweetie?" She said, "for writing on Simon." We went in to the other room to see Simon, and, sure enough, she had indeed marked on her little brother. He didn't seem to mind too much though. I reminded her that "we only write on paper." She laughed as she recited it with me.

Check out the look on her face. Mischievous little thing! :)

I finally captured it on video...

Simon walking!

For your viewing pleasure, some of his first steps (he's taken a few before, even up to five, but this is the most we've seen him do...and I CAUGHT IT ON CAMERA!)

Grandma Wright's visit

We were so happy and fortunate to have Nate's Mom come visit us last weekend. It was so great to see her! She was with us for five days and the time just flew by way too fast! She is so much fun to be around. I couldn't ask for a better mom-in-law! She's also a big help whenever she comes! Thank you Mom! She threw me a life-line and pulled me from the drowning ocean of laundry while she was here. It's all caught up! And I'm keeping it that way! Oh man, that's so great to say! She even took on another MAJOR project known as...the craft closet. It's so great to see it looking the way I've always wanted it to.

Also, we had a lot of fun just all being together. See for yourself...

Grandmas always come bearing gifts...THANKS GRANDMA! The kids had so much fun opening early Easter goodies!

Julia was so excited to introduce "Lily Pad" to Grandma. Grandma even got to hold her! It appears as though the collage cut Lily Pad out of the picture, so you'll have to take my word for it...she is indeed holding the frog in that picture. Lily Pad even leaped from my leg to Grandma's.

Julia simply loves playing the piano. She likes to learn new songs (from others and by herself). Grandma taught her a new one. They all had a grand time playing together. I love memories like these.

Julia had her first soccer game of the season and Grandma got to be there! Not that they keep score or anything, but her team won. Julia played great! She scored a goal, had a few assists and some blocks as well. She loves it!

After the soccer game, we made a few important stops...the German deli store (yummy candy & such) and The Cheesecake Factory. Afterward, we got to walk around the shopping center a bit.
{I love Simon's wild hair from wearing his hood. :) Isn't he a cutie?}

And...drum roll please...
I'm actually showing you the inside of my craft closet (and I'm PROUD to).

Doesn't it look fantastic? Thanks Mom! And thank you to my handy hubby for putting everything together & installing the shelf up top.

There you have it...our whirlwind visit with Mom. We were so glad she got to come! We miss her already! The day she left, the girls and I were talking about how we were sad she had left. Julia said, "I miss her so much." And Liliana said, "Yeah, I love her." It was so incredibly sweet. Thanks for coming Grandma, and for everything! We love you!

{I just need to use the time until we see each other again to study up on two-letter words and obscure "X" and "Q" words so I can someday hope to be as good as you in Scrabble}. For anyone else reading this, (especially if you're a Scrabble aficionado) let's just say she had a 95-point play in one turn! Amazing!

Kindergarten Rodeo

Julia had a Kindergarten Rodeo last week at school. She got to wear cowgirl clothes and bring her stick horse to school and everything. Not to be left behind, Liliana wore cowgirl clothes too. Julia even thought braiding her hair would be a good idea. She thought it was fitting to a cowgirl. Note: she does NOT like braids! She told me she liked braids, she just doesn't like them in her own hair.
I thought it'd be fun if Simon and I looked the part too, at least a little (he wore a plaid shirt and jeans and I braided my hair in two and wore boots - not just boots though).

Julia and Liliana at home before we went to Julia's school.

There were lots of fun games set up in the gym at school.
A hat toss, a relay flag race on stick horses, a "chuck wagon" race, bean bag toss, "rope the calf," and limbo, of course. The kids all had such a great time. Lili got in on the fun as much as she could too! :) Some of the other Moms and I were talking and we thought the teachers were pretty amazing, especially since they had to do it all twice that day! (Julia is in half-day afternoon Kindergarten). After the games, "Cowboy Bill" came and played his guitar and sang with the kids. Then, the kids all headed back to their own classrooms for a chili "dinner." And yes, Julia only ate the Fritos and cheese.

"Back in the saddle again."

The highlight of the Rodeo was having Grandma there! That's right! Nate picked his Mom up at the airport that day and they came straight to the school so she could see her grandbabies. The kids were so excited to see her! (We all were)!

I just couldn't resist putting that picture of Nate in the collage. Too funny! I love you babe! :)

It was quite the fun party! A rodeo in Kindergarten...I LOVE living in Texas!

Stay tuned for more on Grandma's visit...