Excellent Couponing Day!

Ok, so it's been a long time since I've done any real couponing. I've been in a slump since just before Christmas and when I lost my job, that put me over the edge. I guess I had no motivation for it. I lost some of my coupon sources and then I fell behind on my clipping. I stopped going to stores. I was a mess. Well, I've been slowly working on getting caught up with my coupon clipping and today, I decided to hit the stores, even though I had Jayden and Maya in tow. I was so proud of them and happy that they let me do what I needed to do. My first shopping trip was a good two hours, after we spent thirty minutes at the library. We made a pit stop for lunch and this bought me time for my second and much shorter trip. It was so late when I got home, in terms of their naps, but hey! I did it and the kids didn't suffer too badly. LOL

I bought:

3 packs of Kotex pantinliners
4 Secret deoderants
1 bottle of Listerine
3 bottles of Purex fabric softner
2 packs of wipes
2 packs of diapers
1 bottle of Gain detergent
2 boxes of Electrosol
1 pack of Quaker Quakes
1 recycled tote bag (Go Green!)
2 packs of toilet seat covers
2 packs of Reach floss
3 rolls of Bounty Basic

My original total would have been $85.46+tax, but I only spent $30.88+tax! Super excited! I love double coupons!

RIP Olivia Amaya Herrera

In the early hours of the morning, I received a call from Esteban and I immediately felt panic. I worried that he got into a car accident, but it was much worse... His mother passed away. She was still young and although she was suffering from diabetes, she was under a doctor's care. It was a complete shock.

Afterwards, I couldn't sleep. I lay awake waiting for him and thinking. I thought of Esteban's boys who were living with his mother. What was going to happen to them now? I wished I could go with him to the funeral, but I never got the kid's passports. I was stuck. I never imagined something like this could happen so soon. Who could watch the kids for us while we travelled? No one.

Jayden and Maya never met their grandmother. Esteban always wanted to take them, but we never found the right opportunity. Sometimes it was money. It was a high cost trip and every time he went, it seemed to get more expensive. Then I worried about the being too young to visit a third world country, especially since it required very stringent travel plans. I was always stressing about the food. Nothing is pastuerized or homogenized. My first trip there, I wasn't right in the stomach for 6 weeks and when I told the blood bank I had been out of the country to Honduras, they wouldn't take my blood for a year. The last time I went, I was pregnant and my doctor did not get in my way, but he did not agree with the trip. I would have liked to go with him Esteban last fall but it was going to end up being very expensive since now we needed 3 plane tickets. Plus, he had to travel to both Honduras and Guatemala. That alone would require a full day of travel, hotel stays in Guatemala, crossing borders, men with rifles and ammo strapped across their shoulders. I couldn't put the kids through that. And it just got too complicated... So many excuses and now she's gone. He'll never have that satisfaction, thanks to my worrying.

Esteban adored his mother. I felt awful for him. Did he really say his mother? Maybe I misunderstood. Maybe he said his grandmother. I felt confused, but deep down inside I knew he what he said. He loved her more than a son loves a mother. He loved her because she took him in when no one else wanted him. She raised him and made sacrifices for him like his own flesh and blood never did. He felt indebted to her. Where was he? An hour later, I called him and he was still at work. He was going to finish his shift. I don't know why, but I felt scared all of a sudden. I got up and checked all the doors and locks. So many thoughts clouded my mind. I could barely find sleep and just as my eyelids were closing, Esteban's brother called. I was jolted back into thoughts and worry. I was half asleep and half awake when E finally got home. I felt him get into bed. He just lay there. The phone rang several times. No sense trying to sleep. We ended up getting up, making phone calls and travel arrangements, and packing.

Esteban's mother was an angel of God. She was a young widow when Esteban was brought to her. She adopted him as her own and raised him, naming him after her husband, who died in war. She later remarried and had two children, but she raised many in her household. She raised her sister's son when she passed. She spent more time raising Esteban's children than their own mother. She was currently raising Esteban's youngest sister who is only 16 years old and she also had both of Esteban's boys. She helped raised countless others. She was a retired teacher and beloved in her church and community. I wish I knew her better. I only got to meet her twice. She always doted on her son and she depended on him like no other. She was very hospitable and always showering us with gifts, but she was always difficult for me to read and sadly we never had our moment to bond.

It was her dying wish to have the wake in her home, but literally hundreds arrived to pay their respects and they had to move her in the middle of the viewing to a funeral home. On the first day, atleast 300 had come to pay respects and more were waiting outside for lack of space. Esteban arrived on the second day of the viewing, along with his aunts and uncle. It was a very difficult time for him and we appreciate all of the prayers for strength and comfort during this time.

These photos were taken during Esteban's last visit with his mother in September of 2008.

My Birthday!

I woke up and quickly realized that there were 4 toddlers in my house this morning. When I volunteered to watch my sister’s kids over the holiday weekend, I didn’t really connect that it was my birthday as well. No worries though. We can still have a great day! I half-hoped that Esteban would get up and let me lay in bed a while, but that didn’t happen.

I get up and get Sebi and Maya’s diapers changed. Then I take Chooch (who is potty training) to the potty while Jayden goes in the toilet. I get them settled in front of the TV and get their milk cups. I put on a pot of coffee and proceed to the bathroom to wash 5 sets of teeth and then I start on breakfast. Everyone is fed by the time Esteban wakes up (finally) and he calls for me to come. I am annoyed but I go and he says Happy Birthday.

Now, I am painfully aware of the fact that I’m not working and we can’t afford lavish presents. But still. Not even a card. But how can I be mad when he cheerfully asks what I want to do today? Anything I want, he proclaims. Not that he requested the day off or anything. He has to go to work in the evening so how can we possibly make plans? We only have a few hours left and somewhere in between, my sister will be coming for her kids. And anyway, I always get upset when he expects me to make plans for my own special day. He knows this.

He offers going out to have breakfast, but I already fed half the house so what difference would that make. Plus, it’s already annoying enough to go out with him and the kids (he gets so mad with their behavior outside the house), let alone go out with four kids. No thanks.

He gets up and offers to make me breakfast so I help him. I like when we work together in the kitchen. It occurs to me that we can’t really make plans because we have no idea when my sister will be coming to pick up the kids. And I don’t want her to think we’re throwing the kids out so I don’t call to ask. We decide to go about our business and when they call, they can meet up with us. So we get everyone ready and I suggest going to Target to look at the after Easter clearance sales. I know, exciting. We’re about to step foot out of the house when my sister calls and says she’s halfway to my house. Is this really happening?

We decide to carry on and have her meet us at Target. When she got there, when we were checking out and then we ran over to Michael’s to check out a craft idea for the kid’s birthday party. Afterwards, my sister suggests lunch and we’re not really in a position to go out to eat, so we are hesitant, but they insist. It’s my birthday afterall. So we go to Olive Garden for the lunch special and somehow we ended up spending a ridiculous amount of money. Now, Esteban and I get into an argument. Great! We all go back to my house and EVERYONE except for me falls asleep.

So on my birthday, I was in Facebook world. Now they know how to throw a party! LOL Anyway, Esteban gets up late and yells at me for not waking him. Is this a bad dream? He rushes off to work. There’s no way I’m cooking dinner on my birthday so I make peanut butter and banana sandwiches for the kids and soon after my sister and her family leave. I gave the kids a bath and put them to bed. I text Esteban. “I’ve never had such a depressing birthday.” It was like any other day.

The Cousin's Easter Celebration

Mari and Serg were in for a crazy busy weekend at the restaurant so I volunteered to take her kids for the weekend. It's the first time they've ever slept anywhere without their parents so we were nervous, but things turned out just fine. We moved the kid's table and chairs inside so that Jayden and Aiden could sit here to dinner and Sebi and Maya could sit in their booster seats. They loved having their own space.
Here is Sebastian watching tv.
On Easter Sunday, we decided to go to the second service. The first would have been too early with 4 kids and the last would have been perfect, but I didn't want to go to the last service. Amazingly, we get there at 9am exactly. I sit down thinking to myself, "I'm Super Mom and Super Titi!" I feel more joy than I can remember feeling in a long time and I'm overtaken by the moment so I bend down to kiss them each, when I realize that I never brushed their teeth or washed their faces. Horrified, I grab a wipe and start to clean them up as best as I could, since not a one of them likes having their faces, particularly their eyes, wiped! Here are my angels. Jayden is still mad about the wipe incident.

We quickly lost control of the situation and the kids become antsy. Maya and Sebi are begging to come out of their strollers and I almost had to sit on Jayden and Aiden to keep them in their seats. But it's Easter Sunday and I'm not losing my temper no matter what happens so I do my best to keep them interested in the service. Thank God for the choir! Because of the large turnout on Easter Sunday, the church holds an outdoor service to accommodate the crowds since the new building is under construction and not ready yet. They set up a large white tent and chairs and we are sitting literally in an area with dirt, covered by mulch. This is usually where the cars park. And before I know it, the kids have discovered sticks and start playing with the dirt and mulch. Esteban was furious, but I pretend as if it's not happening. Atleast they are not causing a scene, I muse to myself! Here's Maya all but sitting in the pile of dirt.

The kid's hands and feet were black with dirt. Ugh. Here's Aiden's feet!

Only adorable Sebi was still clean.

Maya was black with dirt and then she wiped her hands and feet on Esteban's pant legs. Didn't she know he was already mad?

After the service, we cleaned up and took the kids to grab some breakfast. They all had fun picking out muffins and donuts. We then headed to the playground where they forgot all about the goodies and ran off to have a good time.

Sebi was just being too cute!

Even Esteban takes a swing with the boys.

On the way out, the kids ran ahead of us and right into the bounce house. We caved and said 5 minutes, ok! I just vetoed the idea of having a bounce house at the kid's birthday party because last time, Jayden and Maya refused to go in. Oh well. Here's Jayden pushing some poor soul.

After we finally convinced them to come out of the bounce house (Esteban had to literally go in and grab Chooch), we went home and discovered that the Easter bunny had been by and left treats!

The kids were thrilled with their baskets. Eggs and Easter grass were everywhere and everyone was fighting for everyone else's things.

A little blurry, but Maya found a Dora shovel and a bunny noisemaker in her basket!

Jayden didn't care what was in his eggs. He just wanted to open them up in a jiffy and claim the prizes as his own!

After basket mayhem, we took them to the bathroom for a thorough cleaning of hands and feet and left them in their undies to play for a while.

And Jayden and Chooch actually took their naps together. Jayden never wants to sleep with Chooch, so I was thrilled. Of course, Chooch doesn't fool around. When it's time to sleep, it's time to sleep. And Jayden is a major fool arounder. So when I peeked in on them Chooch was in sleep position and Jayden was standing over him with his blanket over his head, pretending to be a ghost. Poor Chooch! Here they are after they finally passed out.

After nap, we had dinner at a friend's house. They have a huge retention pond behind their home, which was completely empty so I took the kids there to play soccer. I was just to nervous to stay in our host's yard since they had a pool, but no pool fence. And it was a pretty tight space. In this large wide open space, there wasn't much that could go wrong, except that everyone was fighting over the volleyball, soccer ball, and tennis ball.

Maya could care less about the sticks. As long as there were sticks and dirt, she was fine!

The evening ended at 9:30 when the kids went to sleep. What a day!

Easter Egg Hunt at Family Christian Center

We took the kids to the Egg Hunt at our church. Now, they had 60,000 eggs and so there was tons to go around. I didn't even get to take pictures because Jayden and Maya literally walked in, filled their baskets and came out in less than five minutes. It was crazy. I took the eggs and emptied them into the basket in the stroller. Here's Maya helping...
The line for the Easter Bunny was way too long and when I combined that with the fact that Jayden and Maya refuse to sit still for pictures, I decided it wouldn't be worth it. The real bunny was just as fun and no line. Here's Jayden checking him out.

Maya takes a turn to pet the bunny.

Afterwards, we let the kids play in the playground. Here's Jayden on what turned out to be his favorite!

Maya was a maniac on the swings. E was pushing her pretty hard and I was pretty nervous, butt she seemed to enjoy the whole thing!

After the park, we stopped by the Spanish Ministry table. They were selling pinchos (spanish style shish kabobs) and pina coladas. Delicious! I couldn't stop at one. I went back for a second pincho. Too bad they ran out of the pina colada. I would have had a second too!

Library Visits

With my schedule being wide open now, I have really thrown myself into my to-do list at home. And I must say that the days are flying by. It seems like there is so much to do. I am keeping so busy.

I started to bring the kids to the library. I used to miss Toddler Time because it was on Wednesday and Thursday, my work days. And we’re really enjoying it. The kids aren’t really sure how to act, ‘cause they’ve only been a few times and we don’t know the stories or songs yet, but it’s so much fun. I love picking out the books we’re going to read for the week and I especially love looking for Spanish board books. Plus, while I’m at it, I pick up an audio book for myself.

Here's Jayden dancing to the Hokey Pokey and If You're Happy and You Know It! He was just thrilled to wave his hanky around.
Esteban was very amused!

Maya was pretty happy too.

Maya's Birthday

Last night, I did a quick search through my recipes and found one that seemed interesting AND I had all the ingrediants on hand so I decided to make Maya a Chocolate Cream Cheese Pound Cake! I scooped out the flour and the sugar and Maya went running to her booster seat, fastened her safety strap and threw on her bib. It was hilarious!
I told her the cake was for tomorrow, but apparently she didn't understand me cause she laughed.

April 4th! Maya's Birthday! Here's the birthday princess brushing her teeth.

It just so happens that one of the local churches was hosting an easter egg hunt so off we went. That's not a Dora Egg, by the way... It's the bouncy ball that Esteban got her. She loved it so much, she decided to put it in her basket.

We're in line at the church. Well, everyone except for Maya. She's just posing and looking all cute.

Didn't seem like that many eggs for so many children, but it was enough for them to get the point and they enjoyed it anyways.

The birthday girl gets whatever she wishes for. Jayden was lucky today. They each got a ride.

Jayden loved it!

Maya thought of something that made her quite happy!

Jayden is holding back a smile. They make me laugh when they do this. Maya is famous for this.

No fancy decor this time. Sorry Maya. I'll whip something fabulous up for your party!

Jayden wanted to help blow out candles so bad, but it turned out Maya was quite capable!

Triumphant Smile!

Clearly Jayden loved the cake, as he's liking his entire paw!

Maya too, although she's being a bit more lady like!

She's pretty good in my wedges! You should see her walk in them.