No, thank you. I'm not Pinterested.

I did not want or need another website to consume my free time. That's what Facebook is for... But a few months ago, a friend of mine posted a picture on Facebook, and when I asked her where she found it, she told me she found it on Pinterest. I'd heard of Pinterest and knew if I went onto the site, I'd probably be in trouble. So, I avoided it. No, thank you. I'm not Pinterested.

A few weeks after that, one of my family members posted a picture on her Facebook page, and I thought it was so wonderful. When I asked her where she'd seen it, she told me... Pinterest.

A couple of weeks ago I got an email from a friend, saying that she'd found something on Pinterest that she thought would be of interest to me. I was... very interested. So, I finally broke down and went onto Pinterest.

What is Pinterest? It's an online pin board (bulletin board). Might not seem like much of a big deal at first, until you go onto the site and realize how awesome it is. For me, when I see something in a magazine or on a website or in a commercial that I like, I'll usually tear out the page from the magazine or write it down somewhere... usually on a Post It. All those little Post-Its and magazine pages and notes start to add up, and make messy piles of disorganization all over my desk and in my kitchen. Well, now thanks to Pinterest, those messy piles of disorganized papers and notes are no longer needed because I can "pin" all of those things onto my online Pinterest boards. All of it's there, on my organized, online bulletin boards. Needless to say, I have become very Pinterested in Pinterest.

My most favorite pin board seems to be my home remodeling/redecorating project board. I have found so many ideas that I love. I was so excited to get started on my first project. I decided to start with an easy one.

Here is my first Pinterest project... redecorating my key box! This is what I found on Pinterest:

This is what my old key box looked like... I got this as a wedding gift... 17 years ago! And I haven't had sunflowers in my kitchen in around 10 years...

This is my newly redecorated key box! Thank you, Pinterest!

This was my second project. I found this picture of these dining room chairs on a friend's pin board. I loved it! So, I decided to do this with my own dining room set. This is the picture from Pinterest:

This is what my dining room set looked like before:

And this is my newly redecorated dining room set:

And this is my final project. I found this Thankful Tree on Pinterest:

And this is our family's Thankful Tree:

I've had the tree up for a couple of weeks, and there are a lot more leaves on it now. But I think this leaf is my favorite.

Every time I walk by and read it, I smile.

I am thankful.

I am a member of a wonderful Mothers of Preschoolers group. This group has been blessed with 3 Mentor Moms who offer encouragement and guidance, and at every meeting they speak on a subject matter that is relevant to the women in our group. I've been a member of this group for several years now, and there is one Mentor Mom in particular who's been with this group the entire time that I've been a member. I've been able to hear her talk about many different subjects over the years. Many of her talks have changed over the years. But there's one subject in particular, one speech that she gives each and every year, that has always stayed the same, year after year. You see, this Mentor Mom has always made a point to mention just how quickly the preschool years roll right by. She's always said that as moms, we only get 4 years at home with our precious children, and then, they're gone.... off to school where we quickly learn that we are no longer the most important person in their lives. She always tells us to cherish every single moment we are given with our babies and preschoolers, because before we know it, they will be gone. When she gave this speech 4 years ago, as my oldest son was entering Kindergarten, I heard what she said and it really hit home. Yes, she was SO right! Those first few precious years that we have with our children at home before they start Kindergarten really do go by quickly. When she gave this speech again a year later as my daughter, my middle child, was starting Kindergarten, I heard what she said and it hit me all over again. Yes, those first few years we are given at home with our children really do go by faster than we ever could imagine they will. But today, as I heard our Mentor Mom give her speech about just how quickly the preschool years go by, and before we know it, our youngest will be starting Kindergarten and we will go home to an empty house and wonder where on Earth all that time went because it sure did go by fast... well, I'll admit, I got weepy. Okay, more than just weepy... I was crying. This will be my last year with my Mothers of Preschoolers group because this is my last year with a preschooler. My youngest son will start Kindergarten next year, and trust me, I GET IT! I don't want this time in my life as a mom to end. Sometimes, it hurts too much for me to think about. I've been a stay-at-home mom for the past 10 1/2 years. It's all I ever wanted to do. And for several years in my life, I truly thought that I would never get the chance to even be a mom. And so when God did grant me a child, I tried to be the best mommy I could be. I tried to do it all to the best of my ability. I devoted the past 10 years to being the best wife and mother that I could possibly be. It's what I do best. But now, this time in my life is coming to an end. I know that I am not the only mom who has felt this way. I realize I am not the first mother to go through this, nor will I be the last. It still hurts. This truly truly wonderful part of my life that I prayed and prayed and prayed for God to grant to me - Lord, PLEASE make me a mommy - for almost 6 long years I prayed for a child, and now, well... I guess it's time for me to start setting the wheels in motion for Plan B for my life. I've cherished these years at home that I have been so graciously given, thanks to a loving God and an outstandingly understanding and supportive husband.

And so, as I reflect upon the past 10 1/2 years, and as I look forward to this upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, from the depths of my soul I can honestly say that for the gift of motherhood, for the gift of family, for the gift of my husband, and for the gift of being able to call myself a stay-at-home mom... yes, for all of these things, and for so much more, I am truly truly thankful. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gifts!

Lists

I like making lists. Some lists, like my grocery list, I write down. Other lists, like my list of celebrities that I either really love or that really bother me, I just usually verbalize to my friends and family. And then there are my mental lists... lists I typically just make mental notes of but never really write down or verbalize to anyone. Such as, the list of restaurants that I am boycotting purely because of their name. But today, dear friends, I am writing down my mental list of restaurants that I am boycotting, simply because the list is getting quite long, and I'm starting to lose track of all of them! So, here we go! I'll start you off with an obvious one.

Restaurant #1...

I typically like my wings with a side of Blue Cheese or Ranch, and not a side of Sexism... Thank you, very much!

____________

Restaurant #2...

I'm not sure what makes their tacos rusty. And I have no desire to find out.

____________

Restaurant #3...

A potbelly is something I am trying to AVOID!

____________

Restaurant #4...

I'm not sure which is worse... the mayonnaise sandwich or the fact that they are a front for the KKK. Either way, I'm not eating there.

____________

Restaurant #5...

You can tell me 'til you're blue in the face that they have the best burgers. I'm still not eating there (see restaurant #3).

____________

Restaurant #6...

I feel like I'm just being redundant at this point (see restaurants #3 and #5).
____________

Restaurant #7...

SERIOUSLY?!?!

____________

Restaurant #8...

Dear Restaurant Owner,

The name of your restaurant is gross, and disturbing, and reminds me a tad bit of my dad, his brothers, and my own brothers. Oh yeah, and high school.

That is all.

____________

Restaurant #9...

Are they saying that if you eat here, this is what you will become? Just going to avoid it (see restaurants #3, #5, #6, and #7)... Where is the Skinny Mamma's Cafe? Cause that's where I want to eat!

____________

Restaurant #10...

Okay, so the name of this restaurant is Casa Cha Cha, which in-and-of-itself isn't so bad. It's this restaurant's description of the type of food that they serve that makes me want to boycott it. You see, Casa Cha Cha serves "Rough Tex-Mex." I'm sorry, but I don't necessarily like my Tex-Mex rough, or any food really for that matter. Food and rough just don't really go together, in my opinion.

____________
I'm sure there are more, but that's all I can remember for now. Are there any restaurants that you avoid purely because of their name?

Planning

This is what you call poor planning...

I've needed a new towel bar in my bathroom for months now. Every time I found myself on or near the bathroom accessories aisle in Walmart, I'd realize that I had forgotten again to measure the wall. Last time I was on the bathroom accessories aisle, I just went ahead and bought one. Poor planning...

**********************

This is what you call good planning... I started menu planning a few months ago. I use this picture frame and some templates that I printed from off the Internet (one for each month of the year). I write on the glass of the frame with dry erase markers. At the end of the week, I just wipe off the marker and start all over again. Menu planning helps me on SO many levels.

Level 1: I always know what I need to buy from the grocery store, and it helps me avoid mid-week grocery store runs.

Level 2: It really helps me with staying within my grocery budget.

Level 3: Every time someone comes up to me and asks, "What's for dinner?" all I have to do is point to the menu...

This week though, I had a lightbulb moment. I asked each person in my family what their favorite dinner is. And just like that, BOOM, 5 meals worth of menu planning for the week = DONE!

Last night, we had Avery's favorite dinner, chicken parmesan. Tonight, we will be dining on Samuel's favorite dinner, make-your-own pizzas. Tuesday night, we shall feast on one of my favorite meals, chicken and mashed potatoes. Wednesday night, we will have soft tacos because Hector realized shortly after requesting Chinese food that no one would really eat his favorite meal (sesame chicken). Soft tacos was his runner up. Thursday night, well, that's Isaac's night, as well as the night that we have Samuel's Cub Scout meeting at our house. So, we shall all be dining on Spaghetti O's, canned raviolis and Beefaroni that night. Yummy... can't wait!

What's on the menu at your home this week?

And the nominees are...

In the category of Best Halloween Decorations in our neighborhood, the nominees are...

*This house that is right down the street from us, that has an American flag, huge spider and spider web, police tape, 2 scarecrows, and 1 deflated inflatable:


The house that is about 5 blocks away from our house, that has a giant inflatable spider that has been suspended from the tree in their yard, with a giant spider web that they probably had to get up on a ladder to connect to the top of the house, that spans their entire front yard:



And **this house, that has 1 sad and pathetic looking, dried-up mum, a few baby pumpkins, and 2 pre-lit jack-o-lanterns. The owner of this home obviously has too much on her plate, as she can't even find the time to water that poor mum. And what on Earth is that in the corner? Is that supposed to be a witch's broomstick? What is up with that huge stick?

And the winner is (drum roll, please)...

The house with the giant spider web!!! Woo Hoo! Way to go, random neighbor that I have no idea who you are or what your name is. Way to go ALL OUT on the Halloween decorations! Here's to a job well done!

**********

And now, moving on to our next category. In the category of Best Random Comment Made By One of My Kids This Week, the nominees are...

Avery: "I already know what you're going to say about my hair and all I want to say is that I'm going to go brush it right now, so you don't even have to waste your breathe."

Isaac: "Can we listen to the ***Move My Jacket song now?"

Samuel: "Yes, this IS what I'm wearing for the day. And just so you know, the whole everything-needs-to-match-thing is getting really old and I am over it."

And the winner is (drum roll, please)...

Samuel, who decided that he is "over" the whole matching-his-clothes-thing at the age of 10, and who wore an Army green and white striped shirt with red and navy blue gym shorts today to go to the pumpkin patch in. Way to think outside of the box and not feel pressured to conform to the societal rules of fashion, dude! You rock!

__________

* This house might have taken the grand prize IF they would have inflated the inflatable (I am not a fan of dead inflatables) AND if they had taken down the flag. Because let's face it folks... You can be as patriotic as you want to be, but when it's all said and done, what does the flag have to do with Halloween? Not much, is the answer to that question.

**This is actually my house. And yes, I am busy. And yes, I feel sad for that poor, dried-up mum that I can't ever seem to find the time to water. It's all my fault, mum, and I am so sorry... And that stick is actually a walking stick that Hector found YEARS ago on a family camping trip, that he promised me he was going to "do something with." It has sat right there on the porch for 3 years now...

***The song is actually Moves Like Jagger, but I LOVE it when he says Move My Jacket. I can't bring myself to correct him because it is SOOOO cute!

The Good and The Bad Parts

Samuel's appointment with the Pediatric Neurologist went well. The doctor was very nice but she asked Samuel dozens of questions, which made him nervous. Eventually, he got overwhelmed, shut down, and stopped answering her. She did a physical exam and analysis of him that involved lots of eye contact and touching, which made him even more nervous. They also did an EKG which made him EVEN MORE nervous (it was at this point, when they started putting all the sticky pads all over his body, that he started to cry). That was the bad part.

So, here's the good part. The doctor said that at this point she feels it is too early to give a firm diagnosis of Tourette Syndrome. Considering that I was expecting her to take one look at Samuel and say, "Yep, he's got it!" I would say that this is the REALLY good part in all of this! Her main reason for saying it's too early to tell is because Samuel's had periods throughout the past year and a half where the ticks he was having at the time lessened or disappeared due to changes in his environment and/or diet and other conditions. She thinks that the ticks that Samuel has been exhibiting are just nervous ticks, and not necessarily Tourettes. And so for now, we will continue to hope and pray that these nervous ticks will eventually go away all together with a little help. If they don't, that's when the doctor will order more tests to be done.

And so, the doctor has recommended therapy (probably some form of play therapy) to help Samuel find positive outlets and ways of dealing with his stress and anxiety. She has also recommended medication to help alleviate his anxiety and ticks, and the discomfort that comes with them. We plan on researching this medication further, before we make a decision as to whether or not we will give it to Samuel.

With today's appointment, we feel that we have gained some sense of direction in all of this and that we are on a good path to helping Samuel work through this. And we feel really good about this doctor and her willingness to listen to us and work with us. We take Samuel back in a month to reassess. Thank you for your continued prayers.

For This Child

When I looked into the eyes of my newborn son for the very first time, I knew that he was THE child that I had prayed for. For THIS child, I prayed. This was the child I asked God to bring into my life. There isn't anything I wouldn't do for this child. And when he struggles in life, well, I want to do whatever I can to help him. You see, this child is my heart and my soul. And I hate seeing him struggle as much as he does... This child...


And so, here we are, going down a road that we've been trying to avoid for the past year and a half. And maybe we weren't even trying to avoid it, so much as praying that this child wouldn't have to go down it.


Tomorrow morning, we have an appointment with a Pediatric Neurologist to see if she can help us. Samuel has been displaying certain physical characteristics which lead us to believe that he may be struggling with Tourette Syndrome. Hopefully, this doctor will give us the answers that we are searching for. Hopefully, she will give us some sense of direction for this road that we are traveling down. We feel lost, quite frankly, and we are looking for answers to questions that have gone unanswered for far too long. Hopefully, she will be able to help this child that we love so dearly.


And so, I very humbly ask you to pray that God would direct our path when it comes to making decisions for this child, and that with this appointment, we will get the answers that we desperately crave. Most importantly, I ask you to pray for Samuel, for the peace that passes all understanding to guard his heart, mind and body throughout this entire process.

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time, accepting hardships as the pathway to peace. Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it. Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will. That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him forever in the next. Amen.

October Is...

Isaac was not feeling well this morning. And since I've been going 100 miles an hour lately, I decided to cancel our plans and commitments for the day, and stay at home. I figured the time at home would do us both some good. I sat down at my laptop and opened my email. And something immediately struck me as funny. The first 4 emails I opened were all alerting me to the fact that...
Really? Hmmmm... Because I already knew that...
So this got me thinking. What else IS October? Did you know that October is........

Dinosaur Month

Family History Month



Diversity Awareness Month
National Book Month


National Book Club Month


National Book Fair Month





Country Music Month

National Dental Hygiene Month



National Stamp Collecting Month

Respect Life Month

National Pork Month

Eat Country Ham Month


National Pickled Pepper Month

National Pretzel Month

National Cosmetology Month

National Depression Education and Awareness Month

Polish American Heritage Month

National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Month

National Stamp Collecting Month

Vegetarian Awareness Month





National Fair Trade Month
National Sarcasm Awareness Month (Oh yeah, because we all need a month to be aware of that!)

National Cyber Security Month

Computer Learning Month

National Cookbook Month

Hunger Awareness Month

National Healthcare Food Service Month

National Popcorn Month

National Chili Month

National Caramel Month

National Cookie Month

National Kitchen and Bath Month

National Fix Your Toilet Tank Month (Really? Do we REALLY need a month for this?)

National Restaurant Hospitality Month

National Roller Skating Month

National Spinach-Lover's Month (Folks, I can't make this stuff up!)

National Apple Month

AND......

National Apple Jacks Month Wow! Do you get the impression that lots of people out there have tons of things that are near and dear to their hearts that they want to make others aware of? Well, as fate would have it, I also have something near and dear to my heart. October is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. This is one of those things that I wish we didn't have to think about or have a month of remembrance devoted to. But we do.

Tomorrow, October 15, has been designated as an official day of remembrance. And so, I invite each of you to light a candle at 7:00 p.m. tomorrow night, and keep it burning for at least one hour, so that there will be a continuous wave of light all over the world, in honor of this day.

October is sure to be a busy month for a lot of us, and things will almost assuredly get busier in November and December. Don't forget to take time out of your busy schedule to remember what's really important to you and what really matters in this life.

Under the Category Of...

...things I take for granted (being able to hear). This video if of a 29-year-old woman who was born deaf, and is hearing her own voice for the first time. What a powerful and truly touching moment!

Click on the video, then click on it again and it will take you to youtube.com.

Catching Up

Hello. (knock, knock, knock)... Is anybody there? It's me, Patty. PATTY! Yes, it's me.

A friend of mine sent me a message a few months ago, asking if I was okay. She hadn't heard from me in a while and I hadn't blogged in months. Really? Had it been months since I'd blogged? So when another friend of mine mentioned a few weeks ago that I hadn't blogged in awhile, I decided it was time to get on here and check. Why yes, it had been months! Uhhhhh, sorry about that, folks! So, to all of my loyal readers (the few of you who might still actually be checking my blog), I offer my sincerest apologies. And I hope that there are still a few of you who've stuck around to see this new post.

So, dear friends, let's get caught up with each other, shall we? Here's my summer... Get ready! On your mark, get set, go!

May 30: Avery turned 8! We gave the kids birthday presents (Disney autograph books and pens) and told them that we were taking them to Disney World. And the reality of it all started to set in!

June 1 (I think): At some point during the last week of school, both Samuel and Avery had awards assemblies at school, the yearbooks were delivered to the school but half of them were printed wrong, and we had a tornado blow through town... I'm not really sure exactly when everything happened though... because that week is still all a blur...

That picture (above) would be from the night we crammed all 3 kids, tons of bottled water and snacks, a twin sized mattress, 1-50 pound dog (a dog that, as it turns out, does NOT like hail and tends to not only drool but also whines and pants the ENTIRE time when there's a major storm brewing, as you are all crammed into a bathroom the size of well, a small bathroom), 1-16 pound cat (that likes to moan, A LOT, at the dog that is panting, drooling, and whining in her face), some flashlights, candles, shoes, blankets, and 2 adults, all in a small bathroom when the tornado was rolling through town... Isaac slept the entire time.

June 3: Last day of school.

Incidentally, I have a little tradition where I not only take a picture of the kids on the first day of school, but I also take a picture of them on the last day of school too. First day of school... on the front porch. Last day of school... near the bar in the dining room. I LOVE seeing how much they grow in a year based on the height of the bar!

June 4: Avery had a birthday party with 12 friends at Celebration Station.June 5: Samuel had his birthday party, with his best friend and his father (no girls or mothers allowed!) at Chuck E. Cheese.June 7: Samuel turned 10.

June 8: My sister and her 2 children moved in with our family.

June 9: Tried to get my sister prepared to take care of the dog, cat and house while we were gone to Disney World.

June 10: Started frantically packing for Disney.

June 11: Realized there was absolutely no way that we were going to be able to attend a family member's wedding. Reluctantly made a few phone calls and stayed home from the wedding, and finished packing, frantically, until around midnight.

June 12: Woke up at 5:00 a.m. and left for Disney. Drove through Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Drove for 13 hours. Stopped for the night in Pensacola, Florida. Stayed in the worst hotel ever! Seriously, it was bad!

June 13: Drove 7 hours from Pensacola to Disney World. Checked into our resort. Swam in the resort's pool until around 10:30 p.m. Kids thought it was SO COOL that they were swimming that late at night.

June 14: Woke up way too early to go eat breakfast with Mary Poppins, Winnie the Pooh, Alice in Wonderland, and The Mad Hatter. Paid $16.99 for Isaac to eat a handful of Fruit Loops and half a banana. He spent the entire time staring at Mary Poppins, never once saying a single word to her or any of the other characters. Practically Perfect!

Paid $32 (yes, folks, you read that right) for Samuel to eat a biscuit and a pancake shaped like Mickey Mouse, only to refuse (REFUSE, I tell you!) to be in ANY pictures with the aforementioned characters. But the $32 we paid for Avery's breakfast was well worth it, as she wanted to pose with all of the characters at least a dozen times. Poor Alice had to pry herself away from my adoring daughter's grasp. Sorry, Alice... Sorry.

By the way, Hector and I ate ALL of our $32 worth of breakfast, and we even took some fruit to go!

Yes. We. Did!

After breakfast, we trotted over to the Magic Kingdom. See how hot and sweaty we look? Well, that's from all that trotting we did.

Met Pluto. Saw an awesome parade. Danced in the streets.Got to see my precious daughter get pampered and treated like a princess at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique inside Cinderella's Castle. Didn't realize it until after we arrived home from our vacation, but the professional photographer inside the boutique snapped this picture (below) of me at the very the moment that Avery was turned around, and she and I got to see her for the first time after she'd been pampered all day long. Now folks, I tend to pride myself on being frugal and loving a good deal, but this type of pampering did not come cheap and I will admit that before I made the reservation I didn't want to do it. And after I made the reservation I almost cancelled it (twice). But I tell you what, to see the look on my beautiful daughter's face, and to have this moment with her that was perfectly captured in this photo, well I would spend the money and do it all again in a heartbeat, without a doubt!
Yep, totally worth it!

June 15: Went to the Animal Kingdom. It was at this point that Isaac's suspicion that we'd all lost our minds was confirmed.
Saw the Tree of Life.
Met Lilo and Stitch. Met Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse! This is it, kids... The whole reason we drove 20 hours!!! Look at me! Please look at me... Smile! Please smile while looking at me... Please?!? Okay, that's good enough!
This picture (above) was my 4th attempt to get all 3 of my kids to actually look at the camera AND smile!Ah, now that's precious! :-) By the way, before we went on this vacation, a friend of mine suggested that we do the majority of our "main" character greetings at the Animal Kingdom. Why? Well, the average wait time to meet Mickey and Minnie at the Magic Kingdom was 1 1/2- 2 hours. Average time to meet these same exact characters at the Animal Kingdom... 15 minutes! And for Tigger, Eeyore and the other characters, we simply walked right up to them with no wait time.

And so, we met Tigger.

Met Eeyore.
Met Goofy.
Met Donald.And then we met... Wait a minute! Who is this?!?! I mean, I knew who it was, but my kids didn't have a clue. Yet, there they were, posing for yet another picture. Do you get the impression that my kids were just running up and posing with anything soft and cuddly at this point? Yeah, me too...

Saw another awesome parade.
Saw The Lion King musical. Horrible picture... Spectacular show! Waited almost 2 hours to go on an African safari ride. Felt like we really were in Africa, it was SO HOT! Actually had Hector get out of line, walk a mile to go get us all some ice cream, come back, then we all devoured our ice cream, and still had to wait in line for another hour. BUT, we soon realized those 2 hours of waiting were TOTALLY worth it when Isaac said that he was sooo happy that we finally took him to Africa, and that I was the best mommy ever. Priceless memory right there! Wish I could have captured those words on video (for later when he's a teenager and thinks I'm the worst MOTHER ever)!
June 16: Went to Hollywood Studios. Met Buzz Lightyear and Woody.
Met a Green Army Man.
Watched my oldest son get to see Darth Vader, up close. He refused to meet him. Can't say I blame him!

Rode the Star Tours ride about a dozen times. Samuel was in heaven!
June 17: Went back to the Magic Kingdom. Met Daisy Duck. Yo, Acevedo Kids, your mama is over here!!! Over here! Look over here!!! Oh, forget it. :-)
We all started to feel the exhaustion setting in (some more than others)...
Saw the princess show.

Stood in line for an hour, in the rain, to meet Princess Tiana, only to get to the front of the line and get told that Princess Tiana was getting wet and needed to go inside. Well, that's a princess for you, right? Because we were ALL wet! Waited and waited, but the rain never stopped, and we never got to meet Princess Tiana, or any other princess that day, as it turned out...

Kept my kids out way too late in the hopes that the rain would eventually stop and we'd get to see the most awesome fireworks and laser light show ever! This time, our patience paid off!
June 18: Went to Epcot.
Became one of THOSE parents. You know, the parents who make their kids wear those adorable animal backpacks (horrible leashes) in crowded public places because they can't maintain control of them. Listen, little boy, you can pout all you want, but I told you that if you ran off from me one more time that you'd have to wear this thing... so here we are! I don't want to hold the leash any more than you want to wear it. But this is our last day here and you're not going to ruin it all by doing something like getting lost. Oh, you're wearing it, alright. Do you hear me, Mister Man?

Realized shortly after arriving at Epcot that Isaac was about 4 inches too short to ride 98% of the rides. So the leash, I mean adorable backpack, came off. And while the "tall" people rode all the "big" rides, Isaac and I rode the Finding Nemo ride about 6 dozen times, then we played in the fountains, and then we ate tons of very yummy (absurdly expensive) ice cream.
June 19: Packed it up, left the happiest place on Earth (sadly), and started the long drive home.

June 20: Continued with the second half of the longest car ride home ever!

June 21-23: Unpacked and tried to recuperate...

June 24-26: Went on a weekend retreat with my friends from my mothers of preschoolers group.

June 27-30: Tried to unpack from Disney and my weekend retreat, and repack for our trip to the beach. Uh, yes...

July 1: Got back in the car for another vacation. I'm being serious... Drove down to south Texas. Spent the week with family, at the beach.
That's my 3 kids with some of their cousins (above). Me with my mom and siblings (below).
July 8: Drove back home...

July 15: Celebrated my sister Nina's birthday.
Spent the next month just hanging out at places like the library, the water park, the zoo... and the park...
August 6: Celebrated my 17th wedding anniversary. Wow!


Started the back-to-school shopping. Started preparing myself for back-to-school...

August 14: Maggie dog turned 3!

August 19: Gave Hector a surprise party for his 40th birthday.

August 22: Summer was over, and the kids started back to school.

As for the past 6 weeks or so, well that update will just have to wait for another time. I'm tired, but it felt so good to finally blog again and get caught up. I've missed you all! Thanks for hanging in there with me!