April Shenanigans

My goodness.....time flies when your having fun!  I am getting caught up but I blink and it seems like another week flew by and I missed it!

April started off kinda rocky for us.  The month started out on a no plans Saturday, so Danny spent his entire day painting Makaila's room....she had some volunteer hours to knock out and Izzy and I tackled some laundry.  Unfortunately I checked Makaila's grades, and a D and two C's meant that as soon as she got home, no more phone!  That of course did not go over well so the weekend just went downhill from there! We ran some errands, and then I took the girls to Gordi's birthday party at Fidel and Elaine's.  The mosquitos were crazy, so after about 3 hours, we came home and brought Brianna with us!

We had a late dinner at BW3's and called it a night.  I think we were all cranky and tired!

We got up for church Sunday morning and then had lunch with the Ramirez's at he Chinese place afterwards!  Brianna loves going to church with us so much, she even packed a dress! WOHOOO...Look how pretty!!

The girls were arguing and being ridiculous and so everyone was in sour moods.  Dan took a nap while I did another load of laundry and then we drove to Katy to take Makaila to the Baylor Sic-Em-ology event!  It was fantastic, for the students, very encouraging and promising...but for me as a mom...it was heartbreaking and scary.

I would love Makaila to go to school there, but I don't think I am ready for my baby to grow up, and I am really scared that we cannot afford it!  I mean, it all sounds fantastic...but how the hell are we gunna pay for all that?????  My heart hurts just thinking about it all....Ok.....NEXT!

 Right before April began, I went in for my annual womens exams and check-ups....it didn't go so hot.  My doctor said I had a large lump (ONCE AGAIN).  So she asked me to go in for a mammogram and an ultrasound.  She called me to check again later and made it seem urgent,..which of course scared the bajeezus out of me...I was in a panic for a week.  Even that Sunday at church I asked the communion circle to pray for my health and I shed way too many tears of worry than I care to remember....but then the morning of my appointment I read the devotional for the day, got some messages of encouragement from my bible study group ladies and reminded myself of this...

 The test took way too long ( I think they just want to run up the parking fees!), but I left there confident that everything was fine, and I was cancer free!  I had to pay $1400 to get my tests done because Medical insurance is a crock of crap...I pay almost $500 a month, to have insurance, and it doesn't cover anything until I have paid $5,000 out of pocket...I mean really....what a freakin waste...why even have insurance....But I am healthy so I will move on!

The next day was an early release day for Izzy and she wen to the zoo with Aubrey!  I am so grateful to have the Campbell's in our lives.  Shari is so helpful with Izzy and I am so so grateful!  The day was perfect weather too!  I'm glad they had fun.  Our week was scattered with dance, gym, laundry, Astros games on tv, driving classes, volunteer hours, and one ridiculous meltdown at Coach's on Thursday night!

I got home early and bible study was canceled, so Dan and I decided we would take the kids out to dinner and have steak night at coaches.  The girls were both being butt munches,  Makaila didn't want to go because she wanted to go to Costco to pick up her glasses and then go to the gym with Jenelly, and Issy was busy watching tv, and didn't feel like eating steak.  Being the fantastic parents that we are, we made them go anyway.  Izzy proceeded to have a meltdown, and cry and complain about how unfair life is, and how Makaila gets to do everything, and her life sucks and I don't love her, and she was being a total brat in the restaurant getting load and crying...so I took her into the bathroom and spanked her and then when she was done screaming like a fool, I talked to her and made her understand how unfair life really is when everything we do is revolved around her and she is becoming more and more an ungrateful child!  At this point dinner is ruined, because Danny is totally embarrassed and pissed off ...the entire restaurant heard her screaming from the restroom! It was terrible two style meltdown! Needless to say she went to dance that night unhappy and came home totally apologetic and regretful.....I on the other hand spent my evening praying, crafting and drinking some wine!

These matching organizing planners were the result of my horrible evening!  Although life was once again unfair because Isabella didn't get one! LOL  I swear its always something!!

 By Friday the bad moods and craziness that was in the air had dissipated and we were all in good spirits.

Izzy kicked off our weekend by baking a cake...

She did a fantastic job and it was yummy!  Makaila and Jenny went to the gym, and pizza was on the menu for dinner!  Danny and I got dressed and headed out for a Rodeo Wrap up Party at Stampede.  It was nice to hang out with a few fun folks, but it also readily reminded us of how old we are getting.  We made it until about 11:30 and came home!

Saturday morning we got up early and once again headed to Ceci's for a fun filled day!  We had ticket to go to the Disney on Ice show!  My princess got dressed and we headed out and enjoyed the show!!

 We had lunch at Fuddruckers after, and then did some shopping at Burlington, then headed home.  Dan was working in the garage all day.  We cleaned up and then headed toward the mall to check prices on punching stands...but found nothing!  We came home to call it a night, and then caught our second wind and decided to go meet my parents at a wedding instead.  We stayed there till 2 am, then came home and brought  my parents with us!  Danny and my dad stayed up till 5 am, while me and momma went to bed!

We got up for church the next morning (Makaila left on her STUCO field trip).  We had lunch at Iguana Joe's afterwards, and then headed over to Tia Soki's for Adrianne's Birthday lunch!  We went to my in-laws later for Loteria and pizza.  Came home and started another week of fun! LOL

This week was particularly hard for us!  Danny left on Monday evening to drive his parents to Ohio to see Uncle Pete.  I am so grateful and proud of him for this.  He is a good son! But he is also very much my better half.  I need him!  We were lonely without him.  I had to stay home and take the girls to school, and we ate Chinese take-out and pizza, and leftovers, and went to bed early most night.   I really really missed Danny.  The house was spotless, but I wanted my husband home.  I know its only been a couple years since he stopped working shift work an became and everyday staple in our routines...but OH MY WORD.....he does so much to help with the girls, with groceries, with taxi duties....he is my rock...I am falling apart without him!!

Thursday I  was off from work, so I took the girls to school, then picked up my sister Nancy and we did some antiquing in Crosby...we spent a few hours hitting shops...

 then of course at noon Danny called and said Izzy wasn't feeling good, the school nurse had called him, so my sister adventures were cut short and I went to get Izzy!  We came home and I was cranky! LOL When I finally got over it, I took the girls with me to the mall to get some candles,  for gifts and stuff....it was only Thursday but we were barely making it..my temper was hanging on by a thread, Izzy skipped dance and I went to Bible Study because I desperately need to catch my breathe and get some Jesus!!

Friday morning we got up super early to take Makaila and Jenelly to the gym, but that backfired and we did some Billy Blanks workouts at the house instead.  We showered up adn then all headed to the Galleria for the day.  We stopped at Mi Tienda for lunch first, then to the Container store to organize my restroom cabinets, and then hit the mall...

We spent the day window shopping, walking, and buying a few things here and there.....we got some Baskin Robins on the way home and then watched tv and movies in the living room until Danny made it home at midnight!!  Oh my goodness, was I glad to see him.  I mean like tears in my eyes glad....I really really missed him!! He was such a sweetheart too....He brought us all gifts.  Got the girls stuff from the Coldwater Cavaliers, and some wooden signs for our walls, some taffy, and chips and stuff...I just wanted to snuggle with him i our bed...I missed having him there with me....apparently he keeps me sane! LOL

We slept in on Saturday until about 10, awe ate barbacoa for breakfast while Danny showed us the pictures he had taken, and the things he did while back in Ohio.  I went and bought stuff for the Easter egg hunts, and then we all got ready and headed to Johnny;s for his Birthday/Easter celebration for his girlfriend Adriana and her daughter.  We had a good time...especially Izzy..she found $45 in her eggs and tons of candy, and collected the most eggs...so she got another prize.....

 Once we were done partying...we headed to Mi Tienda for some last minute things for Easter....got some aguas frescas while we were there....

 Then came home and got to baking...we made cupcakes, rice krispie treats, cut up all the meat for tomorrow...and called it a night.....

This little baker is getting really good in the kitchen!  I'll do Easter separately...because its a whole lot of fun to pour into this already emotionally charged post...

Makaila...College is scary for me too

My baby is almost 17...her Senior year of high school is fast approaching and I'm not ready!!  I mean seriously....how did time go by so fast....she was just this little....

 Makaila.  I am so proud of you.  Everything about you!  Your beautiful smile, your hard work, your patience, your kind heart...I could go on forever.  I know you are stressed out about college and grades.  I know you have your heart set on Baylor, and I know that I put a lot of pressure on you in regards to getting good grades and getting involved in things....but its hard for me too.  Your my baby.  You made me a mommy.  At an age when I was completely unprepared, lost, confused and scared shit less,  you came into my life and made me whole.  Getting ready for your senior year breaks my heart.  It's hard to watch you grow up.  I mean hell....it feels like just yesterday I was walking behind you while you held your daddy's hand to go to your first day of Pre-School!!!

I blinked and you were singing camp rock songs at the top of your lungs and pretending to be Gabriella from High School Musical.

 Sometimes I look back on these pictures and remember these moments like they were yesterday.  I remember holding your hand while we walked through Sea World for the 4th time that summer and taking 17,543 pictures at your Fall singing show in Pre-School where you dressed up like a care bear and sang 5 Little Pumpkins.  I remember carrying you to your bed at night when you fell asleep because you would fall asleep with me in my room when your daddy was working nights.

 I remember taking you to Astros' games, water parks, hanging out with my girlfriends and their kids, taking you on Mommy daughter brunches, and that red dress in this picture...you were wearing that the night I graduated college.  That picture was taken at Zio's after my ceremony and you told me at least 15 times that night how proud you were of me and how much you loved me and that you wanted to go to school like me when you got big!

 Do you remember how much you wanted a sister?  You asked for one three Christmases in a row!  There were nights you would cry yourself to sleep because you wanted a sister so bad and I wouldn't give you one.  It's so funny.  I can remember the day I found out I was pregnant with your sister.  I cried because I wanted her so bad, and I knew that I only had a limited amount of time to get pregnant because I was sick and the doctor wanted to take my ovaries out...so he gave me a few months to get pregnant or that was it.  I was afraid that you would be jealous, or that I wouldn't be good at being a mom again, or that something bad would happen, or that your dad and I wouldn't make it work....but when I told you I was pregnant you cried.  You were so excited.  When I was pregnant you would touch my belly, and sing to your sister, and read her books.  You would tell her prayers in my belly, and you would tell me how much you loved me for giving you a sister!  You took all my fears away and made me feel so much better...and I'm sure you had no clue!!

 You are such a good sister.  You love your sister, you protect her, you care for her.  It's like she has two mommies.  I don't know what I would have done without you...she is so much more sassy then you were.  But you guys are the perfect balance.  You drive each other crazy, and love each other fiercely, and I am so proud of you.  You take being a sister to a whole new level!!  I wish I had a sister like you!


Thinking about you going away to college in a year or so gives me pride in abundance.  It makes me feel like I was a good parent...like I set a good example....but it also scares me so so much!  I'm a protective momma.  I want my babies to stay babies.  But that isn't an option, so instead I am watching you grow into a beautiful woman.  Your almost 17, your driving, your the Student Council VP, you are a black belt in Taekwondo...WOW.....Can you believe it!!

You remember the year you turned 9, and we took you to Disney World?  Man - I felt like a queen that day.  You have no idea how hard your daddy and I worked to make that happen. We saved for what seemed like forever, we planned the breakfast with Mickey and Goofy, we stayed on the resort so you could have balloons in your room on your birthday, we had a tea party in Minnie's house, and you had your daddy whirl you around in the tea cups ride not once but twice!  

 Man, you should know that as I started this post...that turned into about 4 hours of me looking back on pictures and crying like a baby.  I thought about so many things.  So many memories.  You loosing teeth, getting braces, going to Honduras on a mission trip, posing in front of the Eiffel tower in Vegas, pretending to be the statue of Liberty in New York, feeding a zebra from our car to prove your sister wrong....

 I thought about us on the beach, your first time going to Taekwondo crying beucase you didn't want to do it.  The first time you placed first at a Tournament and how that just lit a fire in you and then you won State and District Titles....OMG!!

I thought about lots of things, but the thought and feeling that was the most consuming was PRIDE!!!

The point of this post was to tell you that if your scared, then you are not alone.  EVER!!  I'm scared with you.  But just like all the pictures in here prove and how I have always told you....I am here for you every step of the way.  I don't care where you go, or how far you are, I will always be here when you need me.  I will answer your calls, I will help with homework, I will scream at you when you think about giving up.  I will push you and encourage you, even when I am scared too.  I will try really hard not to cry in front of you when I think about you growing up.  I love you and am so proud of you.  You are going to be an amazing woman one day....I'm just sad that those days are coming so fast!! 

Don't stop, don't quit, continue to be the person you are becoming....keep growing and keep learning, and keep trying!! You are so smart and I know that God has great plans for you.  College is scary, and it's hard, ...but your not alone!  

We still have to get through this school year, the summer, and enjoy your Senior year....so don't let the stress of colleges, money, scholarships, grades pull you down.....enjoy today and remember to pray about it...God is way better at all this stuff!!!!  I love you, even on the days I spend most of my time complaining, criticizing, comparing, pushing, and nagging you.....so in case you feel frustrated or you are having a  pity party....look here, read this, and remember that you are blessed!  You are loved unconditionally.  You are my best friend, and I love you! Don't be scared...I'm right here!