Taking a Trip to the Zoo

We've taken quite a few trips to the Zoo, but I have to admit that a trip with almost 4-year-olds is really fun.  They can do more for themselves and they aren't scared of everything.  Our most recent trip was our first day out with a healthy Daddy.

Gracie and Lukie touched a python skin, a rattle snake skin, and Gracie, my brave girl, petted a guinea pig.  We were seriously enchanted by the Children's Zoo.  I don't know how we've managed to skip that part of the Zoo over the past few years, but we will definitely be going back.

Gracie and Luke kept wanting to look through the telescopes.  Next time, I need to make sure I have money for them!

For some reason, there was also a lot of eating.  Daddy, Gracie, and Luke packed a "goodie" bag.  Lukie packed fruit.  Gracie packed BBQ sauce chips.  You can see where their priorities are.

Lukie loves fruit and nectarines are one of his favorite fruits!

Yeah, I'm tough.

Thanks for the SEE food, Lukie!

Look at these eyes!  How can you say No to them???

Someone talked us into churros.

We saw lots of animals, too.  The kangaroos were great fun!  But the star of the day was the Kimodo Dragon.

Lukie kept talking about him like he was the best thing in the whole world!

Now time for a Twinterview (age 3 years 10.5 months):

Easter Brunch

 On Easter Sunday, we started a new tradition.  We dressed ourselves up and went to Easter Sunday brunch at Daddy's friend's restaurant, Matisse.

Gracie wore a headband I made especially for Easter Day.

 We ate lots of food and Abue Juve and Tio Martin tried to eat what they thought was caviar.  It wasn't.  It was freshly made horseradish! Gracie and Lukie's favorite food was the candy at the end of their meal!

Mr. Moon

"Mommy?"
"Yes, Lukie."
"Somebody cut Mr. Moon! There's a piece missing!"

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"Mommy! Mommy!"
"Yes, Gracie?"
"Mr. Moon is hungry. I think he wants some iCarly yogurt. Can I share mine?"
"I don't know. How are you going to get it to him?"
"He is going to come down and get it from me in our car."
"Oh, well, sure, then."

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"Mommy, Mr. Moon is still awake. I need to tell him that Mr. Shunshine is waking up and it is time for him to go to sleep."

More things heard around our house

"Daddy, look at me.  Look at my eyes.  Do you see my angry eyes?  These are my angry eyes because you are not being nice. Be nice, Daddy, or I will not play with you."

"Lukie, leave Mommy alone.  She's in a time out."
"A time out?  Mommy's in a time out?" Lucas stares at me sitting on the couch quietly.
"Yes.  Come outside. Mommy needs to sit in her time out."
"Mommy's in a time out? What did she do? Gracie, Mommy's in a time out!"

"Mommy, I can do that!" (said watching commercial number 814)
"I can do that, too."
"No, Gracie.  That is for boys, not for girls."
"No, Lukie.  Girls can play with that toy, too. Not just boys."

"Mommy, when I grow up I will be the Mommy and you can be the baby. Okay?"

Travel Town USA

I've lived in Southern California all my life, but there are so many things I have no idea about.  Travel Town is one of them.  If it weren't for a birthday party we attended in early 2010, I would never know Travel Town exists in Los Angeles.

We ended up at Travel Town this trip purely because of traffic.  We had intended to go to the L.A. Zoo, but there was an accident that prevented us from getting there.  Instead, I had Daddy turn the opposite direction and we came across a parking spot just in time.

Travel Town is an amazing place designed for anyone who LOVES trains.  Oh, the trains!  Lucas was in heaven and Gracie was not far behind.  There were big trains and little trains.  Trains that had wheels bigger than Gracie and Lucas combined!  There were trains you could climb on and trains that were off limits.  There was even a train you could ride.

Can you see Lucas and Gracie?  I know it is hard because of the ENORMOUS train wheel.

Gracie loved running inside the passenger car.

Ready to be an engineer.

I think if you let them, Gracie and Lucas could spend all day at Travel Town and never get bored.

Isn't 3 1/2 years old fun?

Remind me not to make goals and Some things heard around our house

The goal thing. Not working.

Some fun things heard around our house:

Mommy, when I grow up, I'm going to be Tammy and I'm going to paint your nails.

Mommy, when you get little and I get big, I'm going to cook your dinner and help you put your jammies on.

Mommy, Mark says I have dirty finger nails.  I told him not to use mean words.  He was bewwy mean.

Mommy, I told the coyotes that they can't come in our house.  I told them they need to be quiet because they are bewwy loud and mean.

Mommy, there are no monsters in our house?  No, Lukie.  There are no monsters.  And you locked all of the doors so they can't get in?  That's right, Lukie.  You helped me lock all of the doors.  No monsters can get in.  Oh, good.  If they try to get in the door will be locked and they will be stuck outside.

Mommy, when I was in your tummy I was on the top and Lukie was on the bottom?  Yep.  That's right! And I would swim around and around and Lukie would just have the hiccups, right?  Yep.  That's right!  Lukie is so silly.  He sure is!

New Year and New Goal

I think we can all agree that 2010 was a crazy year for everyone.  Frankly, I'm happy it is gone.  It wasn't a banner year for us.

Well, except that Daddy now has a working kidney.

And, Gracie and Lukie are both potty trained.

And we're together.

Okay, scratch that.  The year ended well. 

However, I know that I've dropped the ball when it comes to Gracie and Luke.  I've hardly taken any pictures and I haven't done a good job of recording all of the amazing memories we have had in the last year.  I wish I had something on which I could record notes to myself.  It would be awesome.  I'm forever thinking:  "I need to put that on the blog." and then I don't.

So, I'm rededicating myself to the 365 Project.  Unfortunately, we are now at a 363 project because I did not decide to do this until today.  I will do this!  I can! 

Check back later for some update posts for December.  We had Tamale Day and several other days to report on!

Here's to a fantastic 2011!

The Wizard of Oz According to Gracie

We recently watched the Wizard of Oz and Gracie and Luke were transfixed.  Gracie asked me a million questions, proof that I can never take her to a movie theater.  She will be "that" kid.

Here is what Gracie gleaned from the movie:

Overheard around our house

"Mommy, which princess am I?" (Lukie wearing Gracie's Snow White dress up shoes)

Upon seeing 1/3 of the Christmas tree decorated and assembled (Gracie):  "Mommy, Look! You got us a Christmas tree!  Oh, thank you, thank you!  It is so beautiful!  Thank you, Mommy for our beautiful Christmas tree!  Do you know I love you?" (followed by a racing, huge bear hug)

"Mommy, look!  My diaper isn't wet!" (Gracie after waking up with a dry diaper 3 days in a row.  For the record, we are still working on night time PT.)

"Mommy, is Daddy going to have a slumber party with us?"
"No, Lukie, Daddy isn't going to have a slumber party with us. He is going to sleep at our house forever!"
"Forever?"
"Yes, forever!"
"Yay!  Yay!  Yay! Yay! Gwacie!  Daddy is going to sleep at our house forever!  Yay!  Yay!  Yay!"

"Mommy, do you know that you love me?"
"Yes, Gracie, I do know that I love you!"
"Good!"

"Mommy, don't say 'booty!'  Teacher Marlene says that is a mean word!"

A word we are NOT allowed to say at school

Fun in the Rain...and the mud

 

Caught in the Act!

Gracie and Luke love to tattle on each other. They aren't mean about it, or even annoying. They just like to be reassured that they know and understand what is nice/good behavior and what is mean.

One day, Gracie and I were sitting reading a book, when a cry of distress came from the bathroom. Gracie went to go investigate and when she came back, she had quite a story to tell me. Not believing her, I decided to check it out for myself.

An Afternoon Suprise

Last week, it was unseasonably hot here. After a week of rainy days, the sun was beating hot on California and I noticed that our grass looked as if the sprinklers had not come on in several days. I was working on the automatic sprinkler system and Gracie and Lukie were playing in the backyard when suddenly, the sprinklers started working.

And you can only guess what happened:

Gracie and Lukie love Beauty and the Beast.  This is what they shared with me today.  They melt my heart.

The Little Mermaid was sleeping in Gracie's Bed Last Night

Princess Ariel (a.k.a. Gracie) slept in my house last night. I convinced her not to wear her pretty mermaid dress to school. "One of the babies may ruin it!"
She bought it. Hook, line, and sinker!

In which I cannot decide if I love 3 years old or not

Gracie and Luke have been 3-years-old now for a couple of months. It has been a roller coaster to be sure. Now that I have some experience with 3, here's what I have about 3-year-olds: It's a love-hate relationship.

Things I love about 3-years-old:
1. the spontaneous and sincere expressions of love
2. the enthusiasm for life
3. the silly singing and story telling
4. the independence
5. the helpfulness when it is time to take out the trash
6. fewer diapers
7. the ability to amuse oneself rather than depending on me
8. a rapidly forming ability to remember everything that happens, ever
9. imagination times 10
10. they can do more things for themselves (I don't have to do everything for them)

Things I dislike intensely about 3-years-old:
1.quick mood changes
2. stubbornness
3. independence
4. the "helpfulness" when you really did not need the help
5. finickiness about food
6. the tattling voice
7. Gracie's "I'm 3 going on 13" voice: "Mah-ahm! No-wah!"
8. the ability to remember everything (including that Mommy just said "stupid") and share it with everyone we meet
9. potty training (bleh!)
10. the defiance (yes, it is real)

It is definitely a love-hate relationship, but I would not change it for the world. Three is so much fun!

Halloween 2010

As Halloween approached this year, I was very worried that Daddy would not be able to join us. He had been in the hospital for the better part of a month and a half and we were all really frustrated and sad. However, Daddy had a goal. He decided (and I think this was big for him) that he was going to go Trick or Treating with Gracie and Luke. His entire focus was on being well enough to come home. But more on that later.

We started the day with a Halloween Breakfast at Hometown Buffet with the Cook-Uribe-Arteaga-Uribe Family. If you count, that is 6 adults, 1 teenager, and 6 little kids. It's a big group! Nana wanted a shot of everyone together and we managed to snag this beauty:

Notice Nathan in his Batman costume. He would not take it off for anything!

Gracie and Lukie went as a giraffe and a dragon. They loved their costumes! Loved them!

Not that they look that excited in them or anything!

That's better!

And surprise! Look who did make it home from the hospital to go Trick or Treating!

We had the best time and we have more candy than should ever be in a house! Gracie and Lukie made it to 12 houses before Lucas declared, "I'm done Trick or Treating, Mommy."

keeping positive despite set backs

As happens too often in our lives, Daddy is very, very ill. His kidney transplant a month ago went very well and he was home five days after the surgery. From there, all of his old issues reared their ugly heads and, this time, new ones cropped up as well. He is in the Intensive Care Unit for the 3rd time in 3 weeks.

In the beginning, Gracie and Luke were doing okay with Daddy being in the hospital. They knew that he was "with the doctors" and that he would be home soon. As the days and weeks drag on, they are acutely aware of his absence and their sense of security has been shaken. We've had meltdowns and screaming matches, hitting, kicking, biting, bad-listening, and defiance. It hurts my head just to write about it.

Tonight, after a particularly bad episode, the following conversation took place:

Gracie: "I don't like you, Mommy! You are mean."

Me: "I'm sorry you feel that way. The good news is, I'll always love you, no matter what."

Gracie: "No, Mommy! I don't like you and I'm going to runaway!"

Me: "Oh! Well, no matter where you go, I would always find you." (Even though, I wanted to say, I want to run away too!).

Gracie: "NO, MOMMY! I'M GOING TO RUN AWAY!"

Me: "And I will always find you."

There was silence in the back seat and then, a few minutes later, she said, tearfully, "Mommy, I don't want to run away."

Me: "I'm glad, Gracie. I don't want you to run away either."

Gracie: "Mommy, I won't runaway like Daddy. Did Daddy runaway from us?"

I SO almost lost it.

Me: "No, Gracie, Daddy did not runaway. He is very sick and has to stay with the doctors, but when he gets better he will come home. I promise Gracie. Daddy will come home."

Gracie: "Okay, Mommy. Daddy is coming home soon."

And all was right with the world for 5 minutes.

Come home, Daddy. We miss you.

Things overheard in the car and around our house

"Lukie is stinky because he is stinky and he has a stinky booty."

"Gwacie, do you want to be my Mommy?"
"Okay, baby!"
"Waaaaa, waaaaa!"
"It's okay, baby!"

"Wook, Mommy!  I'm a pirate! Arrrrr!" said with heart shaped post-it notes stuck over one eye.

"I want some bubble gum, Mommy.  I want some bubble gum, Mommy.  I want some BUBBLE GUM, MOMMY!"

"Mommy!  Daddy is in the computer!  Wook, there he is!"

"Mommy!  Don't turn off my Daddy!"

"Don't go, Mommy!"

"No, I don't want you, Mommy!  I want my Daddy!"

"I don't wike you any more, Mommy."
"That's okay, Lucas.  No matter what you say, I will always love you."
"I don't wike you, Mommy.  Leave me alone."
"Okay, Lucas.  But remember, no matter what you say, I will always love you."
"No!"
"No matter what you say, I will always love you."

whispered:  "Mommy, there are no monsters and no mean witches and no ghosts in  your room, right?  Daddy made all of the monsters go away, right?"
whispered back:  "That's right, Gracie.  Daddy sent them all away.  They can't get you, because I love you and Daddy loves you and Lukie loves you and those mean monsters and mean witches and mean ghosts can't get inside our house."
"Okay, Mommy."  pause  "And there are no coyotes under your bed.  Right, Mommy?"

Daddy and Tio Joey's Big Day

In about 12 hours, the day we have been waiting for will be here.  Tomorrow morning, Tio Joey will go into surgery so that the doctors can remove one of his kidneys.  That kidney will then be transplanted into Daddy.  It's a big, huge day for them tomorrow.

We've been very anxious, trying to catch up with lots of things, recording Daddy singing lullabies for Gracie and Lukie (apparently, I don't sing well enough), and trying to just enjoy one another.  The road to recovery is going to be long and difficult for Daddy and we wanted to make sure to get as much in as we possibly could.

But tonight, in preparation for the big surgery, we celebrate Tio Joey.  He has gone through so much to make tomorrow possible.  He's changed his diet, lost 35 pounds (weight we did not think he had to lose), and spent hours traveling to see doctors for test after test.  He never hesitated when Daddy asked if he would be tested;  none of the tios hesitated.  They all volunteered to give Daddy a kidney.  That amount of love cannot be quantified here or anywhere.  They are simply amazing.

So tonight, we want to say "thank you" to Tio Joey for giving our Daddy a second chance at a good life with us.  We love you, Tio Joey!

Tio Freddy, Daddy, a fierce Lukie, and Tio Joey celebrating Daddy's 40th Birthday