Father's Day and SO much more!

We added a kiddie pool to our back yard. A BIG kiddie pool. We love it! The kids are having so much fun swimming. If we fill it all the way it is over their heads. It is even big enough for me and Chino to swim around in it. Juan is very difficult though. He wants to be in the pool, but he doesn't want to be held, or in a float or let go, I don't know exactly what he wants and it is very difficult to have him in with us. He does better for Chino then me. I wish he would just sit in his little bear float and drift around the pool. But he does not like it and tries to climb out.
Juan does enjoy climbing up and down the ladder. This makes me nervous.
Audi was a little scared at first, but now she is dunking her head and everything.
Gabby is doing well this year. She is going under water now which she did not do last year!
Josie is like a fish, or mermaid. She dunks, swims under water, jumps from the top of the ladder. You name it. She is the most at ease in the water.

This is Juan with his cousin Elvira. She is three months younger than him. It was so sweet, he was driving her around the yard on his ATV.
Here is Audi acting goofy.
China and Elvira, my dad Tom and Chino's dad Juan. (hence Juan Tomas)
Josie speeds around the yard like Speed Racer. She passed Gabby and I though they would hit. I told her to be more careful passing.
Gabby acting silly.

We had a BBQ at our house for Father's Day. It was GREAT. Lots of food, family and fun. The kids swam most of the day. Later China's husband got into the pool and played with the girls, they loved it. When the weather started to cool down we got out the ATVs. Everyone had fun racing around the yard or just watching. Josie is amazing to watch. She zooms around like she has been driving her entire life. (all six years of it) The babies got along well. Usually Juan does not want anything to do with his prima. She is just some girl who follows him around and touches his toys. My girls were in good moods and well behaved. I really enjoyed the day. I hope everyone else did as well.

Crazy Hair Day!

During Summer School we have had fun things to do each day. Show-n-tell day, wear slippers at school day, bring your favorite book day, AND CRAZY HAIR DAY! The girls really enjoyed coloring their hair and they got lots of complements from teachers and friends.

In the next few weeks we have more fun days to look forward to, like hat day, Cardinal day, Hawaiian shirt day, dress-up day and pajama day. They are even having a Field Day on the last day with a picnic and blow-up bouncy things and games. Summer School is great! Free daycare and lots of fun.

Our new "Play Center"

It took a month for Dad to complete the building, but it is now finished. Our back yard is officially a park. Juan loves to play in the tunnel and club house. He is doing well on the ladder. I put the kids little picnic table in the bottom section. We are really enjoying our new play center and are thankful to Dad for all his hard work (and gas sacrifice). Note: the trampoline in the background is not ours, it is the neighbors. Chino is now putting a border around the equipment and we will fill it in with something other than sand.

Hola Uncle Fester!

It is a Mexican tradition to shave a child's head at one year of age. They believe this will make the hair grow in thicker. Chino is a year late but here is Juan with "no hair". I am getting used to it, though it was a shock at first. He now has some peach fuzz and it is nice to rub his head. Juan was very upset at first. He came home and refused to take off his hat. When you asked him what happen to his hair he would whine "Papa". It has gotten him some extra attention at school and home so now he is okay with it.

Isn't this a sweet picture! Josie and Gabby
Gabby, Josie and Audi on their new play center.
Audi on the swing.

The kids start summer school in the morning tomorrow. I am so glad. Chino and his sister have been in charge of the girls for the last week. Since China is not working right now Chino has her babysitting whether she wants to or not. She at least will clean up the messes made by the girls. When Chino is in charge I come home to spills and disaster. I came home one day last week after Chino was "watching" the girls and found milk, water and soap spilled on the kitchen table and dripping onto the floor. Another day I found bubble soap spilled on the floor of the back room and Juan had locked himself in the bathroom. I was mopping up the mess and told Chino to get Juan out of the bathroom. He said he didn't know how and left for work. I finished mopping and unlocked the bathroom door with a screwdriver. Maybe I should of took the option of saying that I didn't know how and just left the kid in there. On another day poor Juan was wearing a five pound leaking diaper because he wouldn't let China change him. I did not realize that changing a diaper was optional.

Another day in paradise.

This is Juan playing with the hamper. He drug it all over the house (after emptying it) and crawled in and out of it. Sometimes he put toys and blankets inside. This entertained him for hours. Once the lid would no longer stay on from being broken, he gave it up. Now he gets in a low cabinet under my counter in the kitchen. I came into the kitchen and found all my stuff on the kitchen floor. My blender, boxes of Ziploc bags, my coffee maker, you get the picture, then I saw the door move and looked inside. I found Juan with his blanket and pound puppy. I rearranged the cabinet so there would be room for my stuff and him and his stuff. What can I say, I have strange kids!

Juan inside the laundry hamper.

This is Josie. I don't know why she is modeling a pencil. I try not to ask stupid questions because I am afraid of the answer.

Here Gabby is modeling one of the headbands I knit. It looks a little funny, but it keeps the hair out of her eyes.

This is Audi modeling one of the headbands. She liked it until she stretched it between her feet and it would no longer fit her head. It's okay because it only took me a couple hours to make.

Good News/Bad News

Well, I thought the frogs were D. E. A. D., so I ignored them for about a week. I went to clean out the habitat tonight and found a live frog. Surprise! Poor guy is probably traumatized from floating around with his dead buddies. So I cleaned his habitat (of dead frogs and dirty water) and gave him some blood worms. He seems okay. The girls want to buy him new friends. So next time we go to Walmart I guess we will buy a new Theodore and Alvin. Hopefully I won't kill them too.

Hey, I just thought of something and wanted your opinion. Please leave a comment.

I was listening to the radio this morning on my way to work. There were two DJ's talking about offensive T-shirts. One DJ said he got in trouble in high school for wearing a T-shirt that said

" Kill them all and let God sort them out". He asked the other DJ if she found that offensive. She said she could see how some would find it offensive because it mentions God.

I was shocked. I hope you guys are shocked for the same reason as me. I found the word "kill" much more offensive than the word "God". What a world we live in, huh!

Let's eliminate Mother's Day

They don't look vicious, but looks can be deceiving.

I propose that Mother's Day be abolished. Me and Joy were talking and decided that Mother's Day would not be any worse than any other day if we weren't expecting it to be different, better. Joy's husband went out a half hour before stores closed on Saturday night and got her a $50 gift certificate. Joy was disappointed because so little thought was put into her gift. He claims he was busy because he had to travel one day this week. He was off the plane at 8:30 p.m. Friday and went out to party with friends 'til 1:30 am. He is off every Tuesday. So I can see why he could not find any time to shop for a thoughtful gift.

My husband works on Mother's Day. You see, other people take their mothers out to eat on Mother's Day. So he has to work. He did come home for an hour or two and bring me some food. Then he took a nap before returning to work. I was home with the four unruly children all day. I stayed in my room most of the day knitting. I have payed heavily for that time. Every time I left my room I had some major disaster to clean up. Juan managed to spill bubbles, soda, and water on the floor. He also ground cookie into the kitchen floor and tore up tortilla in the living room. The girls made their share of messes also. Papers all over the living room. Snack wrappers on the floor. Syrup on the table. Juan smeared syrup all over his face and into his hair while I loaded the dish washer. The scariest part of the entire day is that this was not my worst Mother's Day. My first Mother's Day I was left home alone with three three week old babies and could barely get up and down from a painful C-section. So, I think I will skip Mother's Day next year.

Josie is an author.

This book pretty much explains itself through pictures and does not require any words. Every time I look at this I want to cry. Josie is so happy to have a "pet". Isn't this the sweetest thing you have ever seen?