I'm still here...

The gypsy, the transformer (sans mask), the little cowgirl and the big cowgirl on the way to a Halloween party.

Don't mind my morning hairdo. I'm looking in my new COACH purse Julio got me for my birthday where I found 3 pairs of earrings! Pearls, I might add. Geesh, my husband is the best!

I haven't blogged in a few weeks-just laziness. There's so much to catch up on, but I don't really feel like it. It's been a busy month with family visiting and such. But, since today is my birthday, I decided to blog in celebration of it, or something like that. Yes, I'm 35 today, I'm old. It's kind of depressing, especially when you've got as many gray hairs as I do. Julio did outdo himself with the gifts-yet again. He spoils me. I just wish I could get a day off from kids, but that's not going to happen. I spent the morning taking Marco to preschool and running errands with Sylvia. Now I'm exhausted! But that's life when you are 12 weeks pregnant. Yes, we are expecting baby #4 on May 11, 2011! That's the main reason I haven't blogged-fatigue, nausea, fatigue. Just keeping up with my day to day responsibilities is hard. So, we haven't done as many Halloween and fall activities this month. We did go to a Halloween party last weekend and have two more this weekend. The kids are excited. Then it will be over and the holiday season will officially be upon us!

School Fall Festival

They won teddy bears and lollipops.

Is that a scarecrow?

Face painted.

Nachos, game booths, cake walk, pumpkins, hay bales, and lots of families there to support Dewey.

Marco's First Field Trip

At Apple Hill just after she got in the pond.

Marco and Sylvie helping Grandpa pick apples.

Marco and his "class" in the orchard

This week...

Lucia lost her first tooth! She worked on getting that one out for a while and was so excited when it popped out! She got a dollar from the tooth fairy last night.

On Monday, I was in the bedroom when I heard a BANG! and then Marco started crying. I ran out to find him running around the dining room with blood spurting out of his head. He couldn't tell me right then what happenned (shock I guess?) so I took him to the ER. He kept trying to run out the door, so they got us back to see the doctor really quickly. Fortunately, only liquid stitches were needed, so it wasn't TOO traumatic and we were out of there within an hour. In the car on the way home, I said, "So, I guess you won't do that again or next time you'll need real stitches." He said,"Yeah. I was running around the kitchen with my eyes closed and yelling and I ran into the dishwasher." Why would he do that??? To keep Sylvie out of the cookies that she was trying to get on the counter. He was trying to distract her. Ooops!

Marco's preschool

Marco and his "gaggle of girls".

Julio said, "Viva la raza!" when he saw this picture. It's Marco's official first day of preschool.

This year I am doing a co-op preschool with some other mom's from our ward (church). We take turns teaching at our house two days a week-so it works out to be our turn every 5 weeks or so. Marco was very excited and ready to start. Unlike Lucia, he didn't care about his outfit-he picked out his own and wore old, mismatched clothes instead of new ones. This week was our turn to teach. It went well. We do circle time and say the Pledge, sing songs, go over the calendar, ABC's and nursery rhymes. Then we do our letter of the week and practice writing/coloring it. Then we do free play. I got out puzzles, dress ups, play dough, but the kids would rather play outside. Then we have a snack. Finally, we do our theme (this week is dinosaurs) and read a story and do a project. Then the kids played some more. They had fun and it was pretty easy. We'll be doing some fun fieldtrips as well. Sylvie enjoyed being in the action too. Looks it will be a fun preschool year!

Fun times

So, I have this friend in my ward who is so much fun. The past two weekends, we have gotten together to do some fun stuff. Last weekend, she took me to The Happy Day Spa for an hour massage and it only cost $20! It was a big room with tons of overstuffed recliners, soft lighting, a water fountain and music. They started with your head, arms and hands, calves and feet and then did our neck and shoulders. It was wonderful! I also have another friend/neighbor who I've spent some time with and our boys play together a lot. We sit and talk for hours while the boys shoot fake guns, track blue sand from the sandbox all over the house, dress up as superheroes, and play trains or cars. Last night, my friend who always plans stuff took a group of us ladies on an hour limo ride (that she won at the fair) and then we met the husbands at a Turkish restaurant. I'd nevewr had Turkish food, but it was pretty good. We had a great time acting like teenagers in the limo and talking over dinner. All this socializing is a little tiring, but it's fulfilling to be able to be around other people.

Givers and takers

I was thinking tonight while making dinner. There are two types of people in this world: givers and takers. The givers who give the most seem to be the happiest and most successful people I know. Whether they give church service, friendship, love, money, work, support; they are examples of success and happiness. The people who are takers and take the most; whether it be money, friendship, support, work, service, love, tend to be the most miserable and unhappy people. Those who always give, also give thanks for what they have. Those who always take, seem to complain that they don't have enough. Those that give or take at different degrees tend to have different levels of success and happiness or failure and misery. But, I think that's what it all boils down to in life: giving or taking. Who do we want to be? Ok, so I'm not really all that profound and I don't take myself that seriously, it was just something I thought about.