not eternal

"No Sophie Summer is not eternal" were my words while driving to school as Sophie was voicing her concerns yesterday. The lazy days of summer are over for my kids only to start a new school year.  Just on Sunday they came back all pumped up from Borrego Springs a tourist village nestled between a desert and the foothills of mountains.  My brother took them as he always does during the summer to their annual road trip.  Then that same Sunday afternoon we had to run to Xavi's baseball picnic to get his trophy...not much time to unwind so just like that summer came to an abrupt end.  "No Sophie Summer is not eternal"... 

Xavi is going to 4th grade and Sophie to 8th grade.  How did this happen?  I am still trying to figure it out :/ 

I remember how nervous and uneasy I felt starting a new school year...even in college every semester ughh!  that feeling you get in your stomach not fun.  Xavi had concerns of his own "I've heard nasty rumors about that teacher!"  Oh that look in his face, yup he was worried.  Luckily he came back home happy and relieve that the teacher is not that "bad".

Sophie was able to  photobomb Xavi's picture. But God forgive the hour when I told her I needed to take a picture of her at her school,  NOT!! she's way too old for that! It's embarrassing she told me!  she just took a selfie. :/   She came home with the #problems because she had been placed in the wrong lunch period.  She said she liked all her teachers so far rating them 4 out of 10 and 5 out of 10 the ones she liked the least the rest ranked higher on her scale.  She said if OJ got away with murder she could handle 8th grade!  my kids are growing up way too fast. What does Sophie know about OJ anyways?? :/ sigh.

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A mothers gotta do what a mothers gotta do

As a stay home mom I have to deal with different many things on an everyday basis.   The other day I saw on the news that Kohls is hiring 50 000 new employees for this coming shopping season.  I mentioned it to my husband and he told me go ahead might as well get yourself a full time job, we're going to like the money!  What?? that was not the answer I was expecting.  You see he was giving me the guilt trip (my mom used to do that and I hated it) as macho as this might seem he wants a woman at the house taking care of the children and the house and I want that too.  This has worked for us for 14 years.  I tried going back to work when Sophie was a toddler but it wasn't really what I wanted. I won't deny that I have those days when I feel underestimated, when the house is a mess, the kids don't listen and won't eat my food.  But fortunately there are also the good days.  For example when I go to a school and see my kids receive an award when the house is squeaky clean even for a few hours!  I truly have a lot of respect for those women that have a full time job and also take care of the house and children. Hard work that is.   

The other day I got a card on my Birthday that says how much I make our family special and that I've touched their lives.  I also loved the stick family they drew and the fact that they went back and drew some curls on me (Xavi 's told me over and over that he likes my old hair)  you know Moncy is Sophia right??  Anyways, this card made me feel loved and made me realize even more that my family needs me at home to help them and deal with the pains of growing up.

For example, Valeria will be 18 this coming March and will be out of High School.  Things are getting serious for her now.  She will be going to a community college and eventually transfer to a state university she wants to become a school psychologist.  Even though she is living with her mom at this time my husband and I are staying on top of her in school and job related issues as she wants to find a part time job.   For us that would not be a priority but she certainly wants some independence. 

Now going onto Middle school situations, last Wednesday when I picked out Sophie from school she told me "mom I got in trouble"  what kind of trouble? I promptly asked her.  According to her there are various degrees of trouble from worst to least worst:

OMG! Sophie!!

Ay!  Sophie!

Hmm! Sophie, Sophie...

According to her this was a Hmm! Sophie, Sophie... She had been warned one time already and got caught talking in class.  She had to write 10x this paragraph where she stated what she did wrong and needed a parent signature.  So she did the crime and also did the time.

The following day she got in trouble again.  This time she seemed a bit more preoccupied!  This time it was at during lunch .  She threw and apple at a boy!  OMG! Sophie!!  This certainly deserved the worst degree. According to her the boy threw chicken at her first.  She was caught and taken to the office she would  pick up trash during lunch time the following day.  But since she didn't know the other boy's last name the Assistant Principal didn't do much or brother to find out who the other boy was.  She got a long lecture from me, you know you usual you tell a supervisor first, respect your fellow students to avoid problems, two wrongs don't make a right, the second person always gets caught first, you need to pay for actions, hope you learn the lesson blah blah blah...

The one thing that bothered me a lot was that the other boy was not punished.  So we came home and I told Sophia to immediately find that boy in the school yearbook (as he was in Sophia's school last year)  The following morning I went straight to the principal and I really mean straight as I didn't bother talking to the secretary because she was too busy with another parent.  I explained everything and handed him a post it note with the boys full name, grade and class that he shares with Sophia.  He was like "wow you did the homework didn't you?"  I also wrote my phone number in the back so he would call me once he found the boy and had applied the same punishment.  He did, he called me about 30 minutes after school started and had found the boy and both kids had to pick up trash on the school grounds during lunch.  Sophie told me how she likes having a mama bear! 

My husband had a different approach to the incident.  He told her "So I heard you threw an apple at a boy?  Good for you!  You need to protect yourself, get back at him and stand up for yourself.  Don't let any body throw food at you.  Only next time make sure you don't get caught!  That is his way of thinking, I know it's not the best of a parents reaction but in a way I am glad he teaches survival skills to his daughters and son.

Going into another topic Xavi's school is having a fundraiser profits from this sale will go directly toward programs and materials to benefit the students.  If the students sells 10 items they get to go to a D.J. Glow party just like the one at club penguin  Xavi says.  He is all excited, I am buying two items already.  So if you have a chance and need to do some shopping and would like to help please do so your help would really be appreciated.  If you can't, that is ok too.  I am just a mom advertising and trying to help my son  go to a D.J. party

CAWSTON PTA is having a fundraiser. You can shop online at

West Coast Fundraiser

The school receives profit from the sale and the student will receive prize credits. Enter the student ID below to begin.

Student: Xavi Aguilar

Student ID: caw15088

Thank you for your support.

Last but not least, Lola has a nasty eye infection yeah gunk and all not worthy of a pic...we have an appointment with the vet tomorrow Lola Lola!  $$...

So yeah my family needs me and I am here for them but I also make time for this little blog of mine to write all of these little adventures and maybe one day laugh at them.

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This and that...and a new school year

I've been kinda busy this past week trying to find the perfect backpack for Middle School and the coolest one for 2nd grade.  The kids started school this past Monday and it all went well despite all the mixed feelings and emotions and all the knots in the stomachs (us parents had those knots too).

 These were the happy and not so happy faces on the first day of school

It's hard to believe how fast summer went by.  Really where did it go?  Soon we will fall into a routine again and long for summer to come.  Today being the second day of school we picked up Sophia in the front gate.  As all those tweens and teens a great majority of them taller than me walked by us only one thought came to my mind "Don't these kids know that deodorant has been invented?  and "Don't they know  that in a 100 degree weather it is an unforgivable sin to not wear it?  gosh really!

Speaking of summer I accomplished many of the things that I set my mind into it some I didn't (no surprise) one of them being my bike project :(  But I still don't give up, I basically shared some of those goals to make me accountable for them so I still want to get my hands on that bike of mine and give it that makeover...someday I will!  I know that!

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Party invitation

Some weeks ago  Xavi came up to me and told me "mom let's party at your place!" (meaning MY bedroom) 

I answered, "why don't you party at your place?" 

(meaning HIS bedroom)

This was his answer:  "Because your bedroom is bigger, your bed is bigger and you have more pillows"  He loves to jump on my bed and fight my pillows.  He practices his Taekwondo, kicks and punches and he has a specific pillow that he says it's the hardest one to defeat!!

He even made invitations for his party!

 Ok, ok so I myslef put the sticky invitation on the Tequila bottle just for photgraphy purposes.

But the party is over.  Today the kids went back to school.

Feelings of excitement, nervousness and anxiety filled the house this morning.  I am talking for all of us.

I seriously thought that Sophia was going to have a panic attack!
She was so nervous she begged me to take her back home.  Luckily the teacher came out and greeted her and gave her a warm welcome.

Xavi on the other hand was eager to go to his class to meet his new teacher.  He told his sister "Sophia it's your responsibility to go to school"  What a mature little man I have!

Xavi is a first grader now and Sophia a fifth grader.  I wish the best of luck to my students!

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Glad to be back

First of all I'd like to thank you for all your nice words of support  and encouragement.  I really enjoyed the short break but also missed this blog world and missed you guys.  There is so much to share and things to document in this little blog of mine that I am back.  

On my etsy shop I had 7 sales on May and thoren1 was the monthly winner.  This was his free pick.  He told me he would use them to stay in touch with his long distance girlfriend.  Talking about love letters! Great idea don't you think!!

I featured one artist on May

oneandtwocompany

It seems like it was yesterday when Xavi started kindergarten, well the school year just finished.  He made amazing academic growth.  He met the challenges of his kindergarten year with enthusiasm effort and a positive attitude!

A couple of weeks before school ended his class visited  Calicinto Ranch for an educational experience.  He was so excited as it was his first time riding a school bus.  At the Ranch he got to ride horses and held chickens and goats.  He said he had lots of fun.  He came home with this worksheet and that pair of sheep got some ahhh's and ohhh's from me and my husband!  

He also was very proud of his horse and I know I should not question a kid's creativity but I just had to ask why a blue horse honey??  He said oh no that's the back you should see the front!

And here is the front.  No more questions!

Here is my little cowboy.  Yeehaw!!

Each Kid in his class drew him or herself and all of the pictures were put together to create this shirt.  One morning I gave Xavi the money to turn it in to pay for the shirt and he lost it.   Not a good thing :( he was upset and so was I.  Luckily another teacher found the labeled envelope with the money and turned it in. 

It is amazing how many kids a single teacher has to work with!  When Sophia was in kindergarden she had 15 classmates Xavi has 29!!

  

I loved this shirt idea it is a great way to remember his classmates, do you see that boy named Ruben?  It's Xavi's best friend!

Anyways I am glad to be back and ready to enjoy this Summer!  Hope you are  too.  But not too hot of a Summer please!

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The many ways of waiting

Last week it was parent-teacher conferences at school.  Luckily I didn't have any conferences meaning that my kids are at grade level.  That's a relief.  It also meant that Sophia got out early and like we've done it before we had to wait and wait.  

I can only thought of taking a little nap sitting in the truck or Xavi doing a little homework, yeah right!  Xavi had other things in mind. Sometimes I hate it that I am always thinking like a mom I need to be more flexible and relax at times.

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Morning Laughs...On Friendship

On Tuesday of this week I picked up Xavi from school 

and he seemed sad and heartbroken.

You see he told me his best Friend Ruben had found a new friend.  

I told him that all three of them could be friends.  He came home desperate and wanted to write a note to Ruben 

(I really thought that was cute, he can barely write 

and Ruben can barely read!!)  

He wanted me to also write a note to
Ruben's mom so we adults fixed the friendship.  

I explained to him that there was no need for a note and that he could talk to Ruben, tell him how he was feeling and
all three of them could be friends.  I saved the note.

Here it is.  He phonetically wrote:  

"if you want to be my friend".  

I am very proud of him for a kindergartener that did not know his ABC's back in August he is pretty good.

So the next morning he was rushing to go to school.  This time he didn't wait for his sister and zoomed through the gate as he had some business to do.  After I picked him up I asked if he had fixed his friendship with Ruben and his new friend and he said yes.  All three boys were friends now.

And it so happened that when we picked up Sophia from school (she is out at a later time)  She started talking about her friend Bailey having a new friend, and not being Sophia's bff  basically the same third wheel situation.  I started the talk again:  talk to Bailey about the three of you being friends blah blah blah...and bluntly Xavi interrupted me and said:

Just do it like I did:

make funny faces and they 

both will like you and be your friends!!!

so that's how he did it

(the little clown, I can totally see him)

A friendship can so easily be mended.

I have a very special bff with whom I shared good,
bad and some very special moments 

I don't see her often.

But when we are in contact we can laugh and cry as if it was yesterday and not a day has passed!

Friends are forever.

Happy Friday and enjoy your friends!

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Red Ribbon Week

Red Ribbon Week is an alcohol, tobacco and other drug and violence prevention awareness campaign observed annually in October in the United States. 

Besides being a great prevention campaign and learning opportunity for them, the kids also get to have fun in school activities.

On Monday they received their red wristband to be worn all week.

 

On Tuesday they wore their craziest sock for 

"Sock it to Drugs" day!

On Wednesday, they wore their clothes backwards for 

"Turn your Back to Drugs" day!

On Thursday,they wore crazy sunglasses for "Shade Out Drugs" day.

Friday it was Wear Red for "Red Day"

in support of Red Ribbon Week.

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

One of my ultimate favorite Bible verses!

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{this moment}

A Friday ritual inspired by  Soulemama

In her words: "A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week.  A simple, special, extraordinary moment.  A moment I want to pause, savor and remember."

NOTE:  I will allow myself to break the rules this time...two very special moments!  both of my kids getting an award this week!  proud mama!

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While having to wait...

This week has been parent-teacher conferences, 

that means minimum days which translates into me and 

Xavi  having to wait one hour outside the school for Sophia.

We've gone for an oil change, grocery shopping and to the bank
on the previous days, waiting in line impatiently 

hoping that I get to finish everything in time

to pick up Sophia.

Today we just waited...

we found a nice shade,

we laid on the cool grass,

we ate jungle crackers

we took pictures,

also took pictures of each other,

we practiced Xavi's ABC's,

we waited patiently  without any rush to go anywhere,

we just relaxed!

On a minor note:  Conferences went well, practice on multiplication tables,

and practice on abc's and numbers were assigned respectively!

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