home sweet home

We are officially here in El Paso, TX now....as of 5 days ago. The drive over here went well...Austin fell off of the bed in Tucson where we stayed the night, and between Jared and I, we averaged about 5 hours of sleep. My in-laws Carol and Glenn helped out a lot with the moving of boxes and loading up a storage shed. We didn't unpack hardly anything so that we can just load up quickly and move into another house (what's another move anyway? I am so used to living out of boxes~). We are hoping to find a house here in the next week...I will keep you posted.

El Paso is great! It has the small town feel, but with the shopping centers and freeways of a larger city. I discovered the El Paso zoo today with the boys and it was delightful. Just enough animals (bears, tigers, birds, etc) to keep the boys entertained, but definitely not crowded or packed to be annoying. It is humid here with the monsoon season, but the animals came out anyway.

I am checking out the local libraries soon, I looked at a gym facility here as well (good enough, but not what I want in their child care services), and I am signing up Wesley for a preschool starting end of August. I feel like such an old mama~ Signing up her boy for preschool...let the tears come now as I see my boy grow up. I want to establish a life here asap so I can feel comfortable.

I don't have access to internet yet, but I wanted to just update ya'll (like that southern drawl? Truth is, haven't heard much of it yet...El Paso doesn't seem to be like the other Texas cities...feels very low key here).

I am off to take the boys swimming here in the apartment complex pool. Anything to get out of the house~ The weather is great, but the pool is definitely NOT warm for my AZ skin~ Wesley still jumps in and enjoys it though...it's all about the boys~

Hasta la proxima

Light at the end of this week!

We will be moving this week! We are NOT buying the house that I posted about a few weeks back. Surprise surprise! Since we have not been able to sell our current home here in AZ, we decided that two mortages would be too much for our pocketbook, especially with the business just taking off. I haven't been this excited about a move since we left our last bordertown of Nogales, AZ and went back to Provo, UT.

Even then, I was nervous b/c we lived in a terrible basement apartment with no windows and couldn’t fit a couch down there! But, I just am so excited to stay put for a while, set up my home, and hopefully buy a piano. Not to mention that I am excited for Jared to get out and be busy every single day. He has been struggling to find purpose to his daily life now for over a year ½, with his job transitions. So, to be able to send him off to work everyday, look forward to lunch time with him, go and visit him at work and support him…I am excited! I want a routine to live by, including him being at work and me doing my thing at home. It’s stability that I crave. Remind me of these goals when I feel the monotony of being a homemaker, feel frustrated with the boredom and crave excitement and commotion. Hopefully I can look from within to branch out and make good friends, like I have here in AZ. It will be an adjustment for sure, and it will be a lot harder than I can even expect. But, because we have moved now 11 times, I sorta know the in and outs of moving and how to pace myself.

My hubby is back for the week and it is good to share the responsibilities with him of raising our children! Wesley is a full bloomed preschooler with so much energy, many questions and is constantly wanting new entertainment. He LOVES being with me. I need to just enjoy it, but sometimes mama needs he space too! He wants to paint nails with me, wants me to sit with him for “tiempo quieto” (quiet time) with his DVD, “quiero vos” (I want you) when it is time to sleep, and is constantly just following me around the house. I try to get him involved in a game, puzzle, activity and then sneak out, but he quickly finds me. I think he and I are similar where we love to be around people and don’t like to be alone. I am afraid though that he is not learning how to entertain himself and be satisfied with what he has. He is constantly asking when we are going to go visit his friends, and the first thing he said to me this morning was, “quiero nadar.” I want to swim (which was different than his usual, “quiero chicle” I want gum). Jared is adjusting to his new energy level as well. I had them set up a car “raceway” in our bedroom so that he could be involved…it only lasted maybe 20 minutes with not much out of it except a messy room!

I have been reading my toddler activity book at every chance I get and so far the activities I have used (including playing with soapy water in the kitchen) has been successful. They are just short lived. I look forward to getting onto a routine this month….where we go to the gym in the mornings, go run errands (library, free movie, grocery shopping, etc) and then go home for naps. In the afternoon I will have playtime with the boys, we will do some chores, watch tv and get dinner ready. When they get older, I hope that we can do chores together in the morning. I want Wesley to be able to make his own bed soon too. He is getting very independent b/c he can now get himself 100% dressed all alone, he just learned how to swim (can take a breath for air) on his own this week, and is learning how to put puzzles together and recognize numbers! It is amazing how fast he is catching onto things. I struggle with my internal chaos with Spanish vs. English and feel so inadequate trying to teach him Spanish, but I am doing my best. I do switch to English when I react to him out of frustration and he usually responds to me in English too! He hates it when I, “hablar fuerte” (yell) and so that has been a good form of discipline. I don’t hablar fuerte, but if I threaten to do so, it makes him move! He will call Jared on it too, which is a good thing and good for us to NOT do.

So, drop me a line and wish me good luck with this week! We are already packed up, from four months ago...and just now moving from one empty house to an empty apartment! I am just looking forward to some stability and yummy tacos!

Passion Party

Anyone ever heard of these parties? (I have about 5 minutes to write in here while my kids are watching Charolette's Web 2 and eating Cheerios...that's about how much time I get before Austin comes in here and wants to be held..."subir!!" OH...NEVER MIND... He just found me and now I am going to ask him to fetch me things to keep him busy...like his cereal, elmos, Wesley, etc)... Be aware though...this is specifically for my married girls out there only!

Back to the Passion Parties. Here is my PG rated version for those of you out there who are not interested....for those who have more "questions" for me, just drop me a line and I will personally give you the real scoop:) I was invited by a friend of a friend about this last Party on Thursday. I think my expectations were a little too high b/c I thought it would be a night full of secrets shared amongsts women, exciting revelations or a night out to really let loose. Well, I was wrong. Although the "party" was informative, it was more of a class or lecture for me. The information given was appropriate and very helpful, but it was boring! Even the consultant seemed a little bored with her own presentation. I was hoping it would be more sassy, exciting and motivating. Maybe I will just have to become a consultant myself to fulfill that desire of connecting with the other mama's out there who want to improve their intimacy! Despite the mellow "party," of course I did end up getting some products and will be looking forward to any positive results!

Ready to move

Both of my boys have been taking a nap now for almot 4 hours. This is not normal! After the first 2, I was expecting both of them to come out of their cocoons and bounce all over. Wesley wandered in onto my lap (I was watching Remember the Titans, love that show! Left Side! Strong Side!), and next things I knew, he had fallen asleep again....so I put him back on my bed. Austin has been making small noises, I just checked on him, but he is face up and mouth open in dream land.

This would be an ideal situation for any homemaker to dive into projects, do some experiemental cooking, clean a baseboard or catch up on emails. In my situation though, I live in a house that has been "packed" up for 4 months already, I have only food I am eating off of until we move, and I am obviously not motivated to scrub any flooring.

I call this house the Motel 6 or Raddision. It does not feel like a home at all, but a huge and vacant hotel with me and the boys breathing, eating and sleeping inside. No memories are being made here (unless you call losing Wrangler), and 1/2 the time I just seem to wait for the days until I can be situated with my hubby again in El Paso. I am so ready to be done with this!

Home safe

After 2 long and grueling days (not to mention several melt downs)...Once again, another HUGE prayer was answered for me. Wrangler is back in my life and I am thrilled about it. You know how much I was mourning my loss and trying to come to grips that things were just not going to be the same without Wrangler-roo. I was going to return the collar and rawhides I had just bought him 3 days ago. I reluctantly posted some humble signs up around my neighborhood saying, “Lost Dog Black Lab “Wrangler” and my #. I posted only a dozen. I got a phone call last night with a lady saying that she thought she had my dog. I asked if he had a white patch on his chest. She said yes! I started just crying right there on the phone and saying thanks. She lived a good mile away, but within my same neighborhood. She said that she took him in on the night that it was stormy and had been taking care of him. Not only that, but she was a vet tech! She said that if anything she had spoiled him a bit and had 2 other dogs that he had been playing with. I was so grateful, and I am sure she could feel the happiness resonate from me. I gave Wrangler a huge hug and he recognized our Tahoe the minute I pulled. Thank heaven for Good Samaritans. I went to bed last night pondering what kind of gift I can take that family. Unless you have a pet, it is hard to really understand the void and sorrow I was feeling. It was the unknown that was most scary for me and was leaving a void in my heart. I feel so grateful to have him back. So much relief and just happiness in my heart.

Wrangler is back WITH his collar on (bright orange), I gave him some scrambled eggs, lots of kisses and I may just let him sleep in my bed (just kidding). It will be so nice to not be constantly looking outside and mourning my loss through the house windows. I love Wrangler!

Lost Dog: Black Lab, friendly, goes by "Wrangler."

Things have been crazy today….Wrangler is missing. He has been gone since this morning (there was lightening and thunder last night and so he ran off to find some shelter from the noise). I had left him outside to “guard” our house while Jared is gone another week in Texas. Unfortuantely, he is NOT wearing any tags or identification and I am worried sick. I have already had two meltdowns about it. This last one got Wesley and Austin concerned, where Austin brought me his Elmo doll for comfort and Wesley called up Jared on the phone and asked him to “hablar fuerte a Wrangler” (go call for Wrangler). I think it’s good that they can see that their mama also has feelings and sometimes she needs to cry too! I just hope and pray that Wrangler will come back soon. He has been in our family for almost 5 years and is so precious and dear. I just keep thinking about what a well behaved, happy and loyal dog he is. I am such a worry wart. Just tonight I saw a coyote wandering in front of our yard and I worry that perhaps Wrangler got in a fight with one? What about the 113 degree heat and no water issue? Can he survive and come back home???

On a different note; it was a delight to reunite with Wesley after a week of being gone. (Thanks again to his Tia Dawn for watching him all week and taking such great care of him. Her house is better than Disneyland for him!) His eyes were so bright and his smile was so sweet. He gave me lots of hugs and kisses and wanted me to hold him at dinner. He is speaking only English, but hopefully his Spanish will start to come back. Already tonight as he and Austin are taking turns about who can cry the loudest in their beds, he has spoken to me about a “dragon verde” and that “no quiero dormer.” He fights sleep like it were a disease. I know he is exhausted from a hard playing and splendid week with his cousins, so now it will just all catch up to him and it will take him another full week to get him back onto some decent schedule. But, with our lifestyle, is there any such things as a “decent” schedule? Is living out of boxes, shuffling my kids from babysitter to babysitter and sleeping in random beds normal? I do have some hope for this week though. Wesley’s beloved Tia Dawn gave us a bunch of toys that her boys outgrew and so I am anxious to discover them alongside Wesley and enjoy some variety!! Thanks Dawn!!

My mind wanders back to Wrangler….tears….I will keep you posted…I wish Jared were home to help comfort me .

Nordstrom-a-holic

I am Adrienne and this is Danielle.


And we are Nordstrom-a-holics. While we were in Fresno, California this last week (on a business trip for our hubbies opening up a new showroom of DirectBuy), we discovered the Nordstrom Rack!!

To put it lightly, we visited that place everyday that we were there...in between our helping out where needed at the showroom and fetching food for the employees (always a big yet fun task for me since I love food!!!). Not only did Danielle and I really enjoy our time NOT being mommies for a few days, but I learned a bit more about the tricks of shopping:

1. Number one: NO CHILDREN!!! Who can enjoy trying on clothes in a dressing room between sippy cups, a stroller and a tired toddler? Not to mention that you have no room to even take a peak in the mirror b/c of tight quarters.
2. Number two: NO SCHEDULE!!! I need to not be on a tight schedule to bustle through the aisles and sort through the many racks of clothing. Good shopping requires a clear mind and plenty of time to explore a variety of fashion options! Plaid? Stripes? Solid colors? Creativity is a must!
3. Number three: FRIENDS!!! I prefer to go with girlfriends (or in my case, my husband Jared who loves to go shopping even more than I do, just lacks the time to do so). I love being able to ask their opinions of things look too frumpy, short, tight, ugly or straight out don't match!
4. Number four: No budget!!! Wait a second, that one is important but I like to think that when I am shopping, I don't have a budget. That way I am in a less constricting frame of mind and I can let myself feel "free" for once! Then my sense of style can flourish!
5. Number five: Anyone who knows me that when doing shopping, always keep your tags and receipts handy for all of those returns that I LOVE to do!!! In this case, we returend to the "Rack" 3 x's for returns...always important to be organized.
   

Even though Surprise, AZ does have many shopping options (well, only Kohl's and Target), I left my heart not in San Francisco, but in Fresno at the Nordstrom Rack...