Izzy izzy cocoa pop

17 months old. He is adorable. He loves water. He loves to help clean with gloves, cook with a spatula, windex windows, drink smoothies, vaccum and smile.

His first expression is, "mwwah" ("mas"). But, Jared thinks he can now say baba (papa) and mama. He is also getting fiesty. When he gets mad he points his finger at you and yells.

He spends most of his day toddling around, following papa around (since I have been at summer school). When Jared sits down at the computer, he will spin his chair around, grunt and want to be held...or just yell at Jared until he gives him some attention.

We love him.

end of kindergarten

The year has flown by. He has now written notes to ME in sentences! I am so impressed. I am NOT impressed with the three girls who have been calling him on my cell phone and who leave him their phone numbers (or his, "I love Jaelen" notes home).

He loved feeding his caterpillars, watching them form into chrysallis', hatch and then fly away. He nurtured them and loved them so much. One died and he buried it in the backyard with tears.




"I love you mom. And can we go to the parek to play with JD."
"I wut to go to the movey teedr" (Movie theatre, b/c Austin goes to summer movies and not Wes). What a great Ninja Turtle!

He has learned rhymes (eeney, meeney, miney, mo, catch a tigger by the toe) and hand slapping games. He and I also made a paper mache spider..our first at home project. I can also have him read to Isaac. I love that part.

The Runaways

When thee little boys get together, they do just plain 'ol stupid things.

Wesley and Austin had one of their best buddie over, Barik Boley. We were all getting ready to go swimming over at Barik's house. I told them to go into the garage to get on their sandals. I thought they'd wait for me...

Five minutes later I went into the garage, which had been cracked open 12 inches. No boys were in the garage. I went outside. No boys were in the driveway. No boys were hiding behind the bushes. No boys were in the car waiting. No boys were across the street. NO BOYS ANYWHERE

We got in the car and started calling for these two 6 year olds and one 4 year old.

Can't see them. Can't hear them. Worries start to build and my heart start to beat faster.

It's 105 degrees outside.

Drive to the Boley's. No one has arrived there.

Jared gets on foot and starts searching through the bushes and trees. I start making unsuccessful loops around the neighborhood.

I pass by an older lady walking on the street. Did I see her with someone too?

I drive over. Yep...it's the boys. They had crossed through two major streets and intersections.

Red faced. Sweating. Embarressed.
Had been hiding under a bush. Hide and Seek?

I corral them into the Armada. Tears streaming. Heart grateful. Made eye contact with the sweet stranger. No words were needed.

Took Barik home. Left Leslie a message of concern and gratitude.

Sent our boys back up to their rooms for some tiemo quieto.

Between my tears and Jared's stern voice, we taught them an important message about stranger danger, being too small to wander away (pero Mama, eramos tres personas!), and how much we love them and would miss them in our family.

So grateful it was a good samaritan that picked them up and not a creepy sex offender. Grateful to not have to call 9-1-1 and report a missing child report. Grateful for a safe (?) neighborhood and that I noticed they were gone within 5 minutes.

I love my naughty little boys.

baseball and birthday

Wesley ended his Spring t-ball season. He loved playing his last game in the big Surprise Stadium. The trophy, free ice cream cone and certificate made his entire week. He immediately took home the trophy to wash it with soap, sleep with it under his pillow and take it to school to show his friends. I love his natural excitement. He loves throwing anythings; dirty laundry, balls, shoes and stuffed animals around. He can't wait for more sports; soccer, swim, and basketball.








We loved taking Leslie out for her 3-4 birthday. A great Thai restaurant, clean comedy and friendships made it a fun night. I wanted to embarrass her, but she stayed under the radar all night. I love any excuse to put on some bling jeans, high wedges and extra glitter.

Insomnia

It's 4:36am. I cannot sleep. House is quiet. All I hear are the fans blowing in each of our rooms. Outside I can see a few rays of sunlight beginning to come up. I went to bed at 11pm, but couldn't fall asleep until after midnight. Here I am again, my mind racing. I feel anxious. I hope this doesn't hurt my poppy seed baby.

Here's how I found out: I woke up at 5:30am yesterday and couldn't go back to sleep. Just thinking and obsessing with this baby thing. I was day #7 late with the baby and still no period. I decided to take yet another cheap dollar store pregnancy test. They had come out positive with baby Isaac, but three negatives in one week was very disappointing.

I peed on in the cup. I mainstreamed it. The pee was dark yellow, very concentrated. NEGATIVE AGAIN.I went back to bed disappointed. Decided to read my scriptures/Ensign. I had the idea that maybe the tests are not very strong in the HCG levels and I should take my expensive and ONLY First Response test (that Arianne told me about). I didn't want to waste the money, but isn't my curiosity worth 3 bucks? I told Jared about the negative test. He kept telling me to wait until Sunday. NO! I don't expect him to understand. I wanted to take tests BEFORE I was late...so, really it's been weeks of wanting to know. weeks!

I decided to take my second morning pee (SMP). I was nervous. Could I trickle out enough? Trying to get kids ready for school too...breakfast, beds, hair, lunches, etc. I go into the other bathroom b/c Jared is in ours.

I squeeze and push out just enough to barely wet the stick. oh no! Did I not get enough? I am super sad b/c I just wasted another test! I didn't pee enough to see the original line show up! What the heck! Then the second line shows up. I look harder and I can see what looks like a scratch. Could that be the second line? I look at it closer. I move it around in the sunlight coming through the window. Is that a second line? It looks like it!

I hop off the toilet. I forget to wipe. I run to Jared. I give him the test and say, "What do you think?" He looks at it and says, "Yep, you are pregnant. I told you were pregnant." I wanted to jump up and down and squeeze him! He was still on the toilet...not gonna happen. I asked him if he was nervous b/c we don't have a job or insurance. He said that he wasn't. He said that just yesterday he was thinking that maybe we should wait. Then he got a CONFIRMATION that there is no need to wait. Perfect I say!

I am thrilled. I am so excited to have another child to add to our family. I am so so so ready. I keep seeing babies and pregnant bellies and hear of families having 7 children...I want that too!

On my mind:

1. Pregnant

2. Teaching school

3. New 1300 calorie diet

4. House hunting

5. Employment for Jared and selling Tacoma

First of all, I am starving. I have been starving for 4 days now. I go to sleep hungry, I wake up hungry. My tummy grumbles and complains. I have been doing this 1300 calorie diet, and pretty much obsessed over my food intake. This can't continue for forever...especially now that I am pregnant! I am so darn excited. But, how do I balance and manage it all? I just ate a banana...now I wonder if I need to go run it off? Can I eat cottage cheese, lunch meats or fruit? Why no protein shakes? Only chicken and egg whites all day long? Where is the joy in food? I have dropped 3 lbs since starting a week ago. I start this pregnancy at 125lbs.

Good thing my good friend Jennie Souders is in it with me. 5am workouts. Texting about food cravings and calories. Swapping recipes for new protein ideas and obsessing about all of it together!

I also got offered a full time teaching job for next year at ACA, the 5th grade position. I was hesitant at first b/c I really want to get back at being at home. But, now that Jared still doesn't have a job, we really could use the insurance and income. I went in yesterday to talk to Heather and she gave me that option, or a jr high "gray area" teaching where I would need to be very flexible and teach up to 6 classes a day (with no prep?). On the elementary side, I could work with the same girl I helped hire, Victoria Simmons, and we could do a block schedule.

Am I up for that challenge? Can I work full time and go through an entire pregnancy all over again? Things on my mind: classroom management, setting up the room, curriculum, will I get bored or overwhelmed by being stuck inside all day? Passing the two AEPA tests. Grades, parent teacher conferences, the education my boys will receive, and drama. I got Austin tested for early K and I think he passed. Tough questions: what are windows made out of? Draw me a circle. What letters are these (he said P was a G). Re-tell me the story of the five little ducklings after reading this book. Write your name. Hop on one foot. If this is the first, then this is the _. I really felt like Mrs. Sandoval was supportive and was pretty easy on him.

This computer may have a virus as well. Danger screens keep popping up. Jared will have to work on it. I opened up a peeonastick website for my pregnancy test yesterday and this is the results I got! No good.

Who will watch Isaac once I go to work? Who will watch the baby once she/he is born? My mom or Olga? How will we make it work financially? Where will Jared be working?

We may have found a home. 160K for 3000 sq ft. Shutters, granite counters, landscaped backyard. The lady is only looking out for numero uno, so not sure if she'd be stripping her place clean (the travertine in the backyard? The bbq grill? The dishwasher? For real?) Will she foreclose or short sell so we can get it at a good price?

I hear footsteps. Wesley for sure. Me desperte tempranito para jugar video games. Puedo leerlo. He is now on my lap reading about his name. He has sleep wrinkles on his face. Morning yummy breath. No shirt on. Hair standing up.

So.....pregnant, home, school, working out. Lots of things to think about.

Graduation

Our big 4 year old.
Isaac wanted to be part of the crowd. Austin did a great job singing along with his classmates, "Bumble Bee" songs and "Days of the week." It was touching.
Ms. Kim and Ms. Jesika. Austin and I both loved them..what preparations they always made to make the kids feel so special.
Austin was so happy to have his medallion. Took it right home to wash it, sleep with it and adore it.
Wesley helped himself to 6 brownies and 5 rice crispies. Seriously? He takes after his own mama with such as sugar tooth.

Finding the best seat...literally on the front steps.


Austin is officially going into Kindergarten. At the time that we attended his, "Ready, Set, GO!" Preschool graduation, I was thinking about putting him for another year with the same teachers. We loved Ms. Jesika and Ms. Kim. They were always so genuinely happy to see the kids and really made efforts with fun field trips and class songs. Now that I am working full time next year, he will be attending ACA along with Wesley. Austin is going to be a Kindergartner! His birthday is at the end of Sept, so he misses it by a few weeks. I was thinking physically it'd be better for him to be taller going into school, but I guess he will continue to be our little firecracker.

He was tested for early Kinder and I was nervous with those questions! He had to point out certain letters, write his name, re-tell a story from a book, draw circles and squares, etc. I am so glad he had exposure to it in Pre-K b/c I know I didn't do that at home! I feel like Wesley was more prepared b/c he had the extra year, but I also feel like Austin will do great b/c he has been exposed to it through his older brother. He loves to rhyme words and ask what things start with.

I am not ready for my boys to be so grown up!

Mother's Day

Homemade cards
Breakfast in bed
Wild flowers picked by Austin
Cute new Silver ruffle pumps
Kisses, whining, rushing to get ready for church
Sleeping in 'til 7:30am
Wesley gave me soap salts from school and a card that read, "Thanks mom for making me breakfast."
Austin gave me a camoflauge pillow that had his handprint and name stitched in.

Overall, a great Mother's Day!