Children's Museum Adventure

My main Mama, Andrea, leading the way














Lotsa random stuff here - a creator's heaven.

Peace and Music

Waiting to be picked up from trumpet lessons.

Can you tell my child is a peace monger?

And another plaque

Here's my musician with his most recent honor - placement into the High School Region Band. The Region Concert was last night, and quite amazing. This mama is so very proud of him. Like I've said before, quite an accomplishment for a freshman.

Saturday Outing

Got Sophia dressed, put on her shoes, got snack trap filled with yummy items, sippy cup filled, and her hair done for our girls only Saturday outing. I just had to snap a photo of Sophia with her bow-decorated chongos (spanish for ponytails). You know how long I've waited for this moment...to be able to put bows in my child's hair?

And they're almost on straight.

Had a nice morning. First stopped at the bank to open up a savings account for Sophia since my inlaws sent us a Christmas check specfically for that purpose. Also deposited the boys' Christmas checks in their savings account. Then we were off to Old Navy to check out their huge winter clearance sale and was I happy to walk out of with bag full of items that were 75% off. Bargain shopping feels great.

On another note, I've been looking for a dollhouse for a while now. I don't want plastic, but finding a durable house made from wood, isn't easy to find, but alas, I found this one today.



Since the 'families' are sold separately, I have 4 choices;
Family A, B, C, or D.

Family A - White Family

Family B - Black Family

Family C - Asian Family

Family D - Latino Family

So what happens when members of a family don't fall into just one category?

I can't choose family A because I sure don't look anything like the mother with my black hair, and the boys don't fit quite right there. Next, I consider the Latino family because I'm part Latina and the boys even moreso, however, none of us look like them because our skin is not dark brown. Not all Mexicans have dark brown skin! My mom was the Mexican and she had vibrant red hair, freckles, and skin that would not tan.

I almost think I look more like the mother doll in the Asian family, Mike and Sophia the dolls from the White family, and the boys, well, if they had a Latino family with dark hair, but light skin, that could work.

They should sell the dolls separately so people can pick and choose their dolls to fit their family best. Or perhaps I'm just overthinking things. I suppose I'll get Family A and Family B and just mix the two up and just let the kids use their imaginations.

Playscape Outing

From Head to Toe

My dear friend Allison, reading to the tots.

Bleeding Purple and Gold

Several LSU fans and and our close friends, Dallas, Natalie and Ethan, came to our house last night for a game watching party. All were happy to celebrate the Tigers victory in the national championship! If you've never met an LSU fan, you haven't met a real college football fan. These folks literally bleed purple and gold. I should know -- I married one.

I have a REBEL!

A Canon Digital XTi 10.1MP Digital Rebel Camera that is!
And I'm totally stoked about my new toy.

I only have experience with PnS (point and shoot) cameras, so an SLR camera is a completely new world for me, but one I'm ready for. Got a crash course today from the prima on aperture, ISO, and shutter speed and the basic features of this baby. I barely remember what it all means, but I got the basics down (I think). Came home and it was dark, so I played around with Sophia's train with the kitchen light on.

This first photo is taken at a high aperture-f29 and ISO 400.
Note how you can see the stacking toy and the plants clearly in the background.

Here's what I'm excited about. Shot the same pic again, but changed the aperture. See how the background blurs? I LOVE that!

Taken at aperture 2.8f, ISO 400 and 1/6sec (I think)?
And you know what the best part is?
I didn't spend a penny on it.

The hubby had 'points' with his previous employer's reward program, so we cashed 'em out for an SLR.
Wahoooooo....

More to come (even though I have no idea what the hell I'm doing!)

New Year's Eve 2008

For New Years Eve, Mike and I went to Mandy and Paul's house. Had a large group to play Apples to Apples and Taboo, which is always loads of fun. Nothing like watching Mike and Mandy (who are both oh so headstrong in their ways) play Taboo and have to sit next to each other. Don't have a picture of it, but the Taboo timer accidentally ended up 'broke' after a Mandy-slam on the table. Can't imagine why? Ha.

Thought this round of cards was appropriate for every guy playing the game. Ironic that these were played in the same hand (since they all work for CompUSA).


Out with the old, in with the new. For every door that is closed, a new and better one opens and we are all looking forward to 2008!

Letting Go

After a long battle with Mike (and myself), I'm finally letting my teaching supplies go. All of them. I'm clearing away the boxes. It has taken 2 years for me to finally be at this point, but I'm finally there. It's hard -- but I'm there.

I felt like Whoopi Goldberg in the movie "Ghost". You know, when she had to hand over the check for 1 million dollars to the nun and she had a death grip on the check. It was like that with my unit files. You have to understand these unit files are a teacher's bible. The soon-to-be teacher who bought them kept saying, "I know this must be hard..." but she got those boxes in her car speedy quick before I changed my mind. What has kept me from having a panic attack each time I've watched my items (that took years to collect) being carried away, is knowing that every person they have gone to, will use them. They aren't getting used here and well, what's the point in that. It all needs a new home. And the hubby will finally have his beloved garage back.

A Simple Christmas with Midnight Mass

In keeping with our fairly new tradition of 'keeping things simple' for Christmas (and prepping for my husband's impending change in employment), we decided to continue this new tradition which we launched last year.


And it was very very VERY simple.

Tested was the saying, "The true meaning of Christmas is not what you find under your tree." I suppose I can say we passed, but barely. It wasn't easy because I love to gift-give...moreso than receiving gifts, but we had a plan and we stuck to it. The good news is that we will not have buyers remorse next month when the credit card bill comes in.

After the boys opened their few gifts and Sophia hers, at Domi's pleading, we went to midnight mass at Saint Mary's Cathedral in downtown Austin. We were joined by my lovely Aunts, Marjorie and Jeanne, and Yvonne and Doug accompanied us as well. Even though we arrived at 11:10, the cathedral was packed and we were lucky that we even got seats. Folks were lined up around the church and stood throughout the entire mass.

It had been years since I attended a midnight mass. Believe it was as a young child with my Mama Blanca in El Paso, and it was such a treat for a child to be able to stay up so late, which is why it excited me. However, I did not recall midnight mass being this incredibly beautiful. The sacred music, the enchanting choir (I don't think I've heard Joy to the World resonate so strongly...the trumpeter...wow, is all I can say), the golden altar decorated with poinsettias, the candles, the heavy incense. All very beautiful.

Saint Mary's Cathedral



Ok, so even though this is the church we had Sophia baptized at, for those of you who know me well, know I'm not big into 'organized' religion, or I guess I should say the 'religious right', but for whatever reason, Domi is incredibly drawn to learning about religions (in particular the history of different religions), and he's especially drawn to Cathedrals. Almost obsessed. He goes on and on about the architectural designs whenever he sees one, and even has the inside of Notre Dame as his background on his MySpace. He must have been a priest or a Gothic architect in his past life or something. His newest goal is to one day be one of the musicians playing his horn during midnight mass.

On Christmas Day we hosted a dinner. My favorite part of hosting dinners is decorating my table. I must not have had enough tea parties as a young girl, cause I get all Marth Stewart crazy about my table. And yes, I'm aware that the table setting is incorrect in the photo above. Domi set the flatware out and promised he remembered the correct placement, but after I saw the photo, realized it was wrong. So he got a tutorial in how to properly set a table.

Kidding! I'm not Mommy Dearest.
But I don't do wire hangers ;)

Anyhow, my brother in law David, and our dear friend Marco (and his super duper nice buddy, Todd) joined us for the feast. It was the easiest dinner we've ever hosted. All I had to do was set my dining room table and David and Marco brought all the food. We also enjoyed a couple loud rounds of Tabboo. Fun times.

This is the only shot I have of Sophia in her Christmas dress and Mary Jane shoes.
And of course, it's blurry.


But the best gifts were received on our doorstep Christmas morning in 5 individually wrapped boxes. A scarf for each one of us that my mother had made during the last couple years of her life. It's amazing how the scarves still have the smell of her casita.

Of nag-champa and sage.

Happy 14th!

We had a relaxed, laid back day for Jay's 14th.

The boys and I spent the early afternoon at the Drafthouse and watched The Golden Compass, then went to Terra Toys to pick up Sophia's Christmas gift, came home to eat dinner prepared by Mike, followed with some scrumptious cake from Le Madeleine.


Time flies too fast.

To go from here...






To here (6 years later)...





Facial Hair, Muscles, Girlfriends, and other that other 'stuff' that comes along with growing into a young man. It's inevidable.

No matter what though... Jay will always be my baby boy!

Happy Birthday, My Love.