...You Say It's Your Birthday...

...I'm a little late with this blog.  Mainly because we spent the majority of last week unpacking (luckily we are almost done).  But, exactly a week ago (I wrote this on Monday) was this guys birthday:

I offered to make a cake, but my last cake came out like this:

So, he politely (but adamantly) said no.  (This altitude and baking just do NOT mix.)

But, we spent Monday unpacking.  And, the kids and I were going to take him out to dinner, but he wanted a nice evening home.  So, that's what we did.  We're pretty lucky that he enjoys us as much as we enjoy him.

So, Happy Birthday, Tanti Auguri & Feliz Cumpleaños to the love of my life!

Star of the Week

So, last Friday, Buddy came home with some really exciting news!
He was chosen to be "Star of the Week" in his classroom.
He was quite excited because you only get chosen as Star of the Week if
~you are trying your hardest in class.
~you are paying attention in class.
~you are being a good friend to your classmates.
~you are finishing all your work.
~basically, you are being "good".

He had to choose 12 pictures to take in and share with his friends.
And, he had to take in some of his most "favorite" things.
(Too bad they are still in TX waiting for the other half of the truck to "fill up"so our stuff can be brought down to us)
Luckily, he found some things that are quite important to a 2nd grader; especially if he has to take some things into share and doesn't have much to choose from.
I suppose I should have checked his bag about what was important to him and what his "favorite" things were, because when he got home, I realized he took:
~a plastic spinning top
~a whoopee cushion
~a hot wheel Lamborghini (there may have been more than one in there, but I'll never know)
~his iPod Touch
~a Santa hat.
~and other random favorite things.
The only thing I knew about in that bag was his iPod because it's a rule that he never, never takes that to school and had to have special permission from me to do so.  (I love how 8 year olds still follow rules.)

I thought I'd share his pictures with you.  We almost forgot about printing pictures out and had to go through our pictures and then run over to OfficeMax and print them out.  Mom & Dad saved the day and he was already to head off to school with all of his favorite things, his pictures and it was all in his special "Star of the Week" bag he gets to use as a backpack.

Jungle Raiders Park~Lake Como, Italy~April 2010

PreSchool Graduation - June 2008

Snowboarding in Tirol Austria~January 2010

A Boy & his Best Friend~Tirol, Austria~January 2010

Pisa, Italy~April 2010

Zip Lining at Lake Como~April 2010

Family of Turtles at The Aquarium in Parco Sempione

Paddle Boats in Hyde Park~London, England~August 2010

The Bird Whisperer~Hyde Park~London, England~August 2010

Venice, Italy~November 2010

The Coloseum~Rome, Italy~November 2010

California Adventure~Tron Characters~
December 2010

"The Taco Bunny"

...and this is what an 8 year old thinks of when he thinks of an Easter Bunny in Mexico:

The word bubble says, "I am the taco bunny."

I especially like the detail of the fringe hanging from the sombrero,

the cacti in the background,

the maraca in one hand,

OH!  And the all important taco in the other!!!

One of *those* Days

So, for the most part, my blog posts are pretty positive.
They share all of the good and exciting things we get to do on this program.
You get to live vicariously through us and visit far off lands and experience places that some people will never get to see and do.
I think that is pretty nice.

When I was a child and wrote my "When I Grow Up" essays,
they NEVER said "live in Italy"
or eat Gelato,
or learn to ski in Austria.
They never said visit Rome
or Venice, Italy.
They never said go to London
or Paris.
My essays NEVER said "live in Mexico City"
or see Aztec Ruins,
or live abroad, for that matter.
They NEVER said immerse myself in other cultures.

But, I've done those things.  And, without this program, I would have NEVER been able to.

But, some days, I have my bad days.  Granted, they were more frequent in Italy (the first 3 months we were there).
But, I've done pretty good here.  I haven't been "homesick" or "sad".
I've embraced everything about my new home.

But for some reason, last night...it hit me.
I don't necessarily think I am homesick per say
I'm just sad.

I miss my forever friends I made in Italy.
I miss my forever friends in California.
I miss my girlfriends (you know who you are).
I miss my family.
I miss my "normal" life.
(This program is anything but normal, but it is SO worth it...and I would stay on it forever if I could.)

But, although I am having my pity party, I know that by the time I leave here, I will have some more "forever friends".

So, I'll shed a few tears.
E-Mail *my* girls
And carry on with my life.

Tomorrow's post, I PROMISE, will be better...
Because, although I'm sad today,
I know that I'll be seeing my girls again.
And, we are all allowed to have one of *those* days.

"A road to a friend’s house is never long."

Random pics in Mexico..

I think my Granddaddy had a brown one of these station wagons!  Oh what memories...

The men in my life.  They DO smile...

  

 Bleaching my veggies for Guacamole!  YUM-O!

 

Eight is GREAT!!!

Today I woke up and my baby is 8 years old.

EIGHT years old!!!

Eight years ago today, we were living in Oceanside

Daddy was deployed.

It was just our family of 3.

Brian's Sister (Thank goodness, since he came so fast)

and his Mother were there.

But, what made it memorable, is despite the sadness of not having my husband there,

I was surrounded by some of the BEST girlfriends I could ever ask for.

My delivery room was full of love and light and prayers and everything else you need

My girlfriends Joy, Amber, Brandi were there.  

They cried with me when I had to send the Red Cross message to Brian.

They loved on him like he was their own.   

They were there for me...more than I thought I needed.

But...today, my baby is EIGHT years old!!!

He is in 2nd grade.

He loves Basketball

and Soccer,

and Football,

and Video Games,

and Swimming,

and Snowboarding,

and Skateboarding,

and Nerf Gun Wars,

and hanging out with the Marines,

and his dog

and his family.

He came downstairs before he went to sleep last night and cuddled up next to me.

Told me he couldn't fall asleep because, he was going to be EIGHT tomorrow.

We cuddled for a minute and I asked if he thought he would wake up taller.

He kind of chuckled and said, "No."

I asked if he thought he'd feel different, he said, "No, I'll just feel 8."

I tucked him back in bed...for the third or fourth time.

He came back down and asked if he could measure himself on his bedroom wall

with a marker.

I said he could...but with a pencil.  =)

I took him back up to bed and tucked him in...again.

He asked for butterfly kisses (like how Kyleigh used to do them)

and then for real butterfly kisses.

I know that far too soon, these days are going to be only memories.

He isn't going to want to cuddle with me 

or give butterfly kisses,

or measure himself on the wall (unless he is at Aunt Debbie's & Uncle Scott's).

Soon he will be "too cool" for Mom and her kisses and cuddles.

So, for now I'll try to remember every one of these moments.

When I sat down to write this post, I was going to share how much my little guy has changed my life.

The beginning was rough (don't know what I would've done if my Grams - Buddy's GREAT Grandma - didn't stay with me for two months).

Buddy HATED the car.

Sleep was overrated.

I was going to share how many times he has made me laugh.

He says the funniest things.

And does the craziest things.

I've made many a phone calls to someone saying, "Can you believe he said this?"

Usually it's a dig or joke about me.

But, man...he's the BEST!

He makes me laugh

and cry

and want to pull my hair out at times.

But, he's mine...he chose ME to be his mommy.

And, I am the LUCKIEST Mommy alive!

Pictures of Christopher through the years:

2003

In the hospital with my bouquet/balloon
from my videographer's husband
(sent on behalf of Brian)

A Sister's Love

Brian in Iraq smoking a cigar celebrating the
news of Christopher's birth.

Brian & Christopher meeting for the first time
(Granddaddy & Bis Sister in the background)

2004

1 year old

2005

2 years old

2006

 3 years old.

Eating Cake.
(Note the shirt - It was by far my favorite)

2007

4 years old.

2008

Dad, Buddy & Mom at Preschool Graduation
June 2008

2009

6 years old.

2010

Snowboarding in Austria
(almost) 7 years old.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my FAVORITE EIGHT YEAR OLD!

I LOVE YOU!!!

"Mother's of little boys work from Son up til Son down"

The Assembly

On Thursday, March 24, the 2nd graders held a celebration for Benito Juarez and their finale for "We Love Where We Live".  Some classes sang traditional mexican songs and some did traditional mexican dances (believe it or not, my boy danced), some classes did gymnastics and some sang a song that they made up, "Recycle Rap".  It was a nice program where the entire lower school was able to watch our 2nd graders celebrate their planet and home.  I tried taking pictures but the ones with Christopher dancing came out burry.  However, here is Christopher's class after the assembly:

If you look closely (& click on the picture) you can see
my blondie!

My blondie...again!

All of the performers with their teacher, Ms. Oviedo.

A Forest and a Castle in Our City!

Clue #5

In Chapultepec Park, high up on the hill, you will
find the final location.  It was built in 1785 as a
home for important people from Nueva Espana.
When Mexico became independent, it was the
school for the national military.  Then, in 1864, it
became the home for Emperor Maximilian, and
Empress Carlota.  Over the years it has also been
home to Mexico's presidents.

When you arrive, find the YELLOW page in your
packet and follow the directions.

Make sure you bring a pencil!

*****************************************

Although it didn't say to, we brought a camera and I am so glad we did!

We are at Chapultepec Castle.  I can't wait to go back here.  Maybe this weekend.  This is such a neat place near our house.  It's high up on a hill giving visitors a beautiful view of the city.  It's in the center Bosque de Chapultepec.  (Bosque = Forest)  And, what a forest it is...in the middle of a major metropolitan city.  AMAZING!  The park has a small lake where you can rent paddle boats or row boats.  There are ducks in the lake (good to know so we can take corn tortillas to feed them next time).  We attempted, multiple times to feed the ducks and squirrels some popcorn and guess what...NONE of them would eat them.  I read on a blog that I follow, ducks here like corn tortillas.  Whoda thunk it?  Anyways, here are some pics of our special day with Buddy.  Enjoy!

Buddy in front of the Castle

Buddy took this.  It was painted on the ceiling
in the Castle.

From the Castle looking down Reforma.
(There is a forest in the middle of the city)

Los Ninos Heroes Monument

You can read about Monumento A Los Niños Héroes.
Check back tomorrow for the final on Christopher's "We Love Where We Live" assembly at school.

Aztec Ruins!

Clue #4

A site around the corner from your last clue, step

back into the past into a former home of the

Aztecs.  Although it's still being uncovered, you can

tell it was a MAJOR part of Aztec history.

When you arrive, find the ORANGE page in your

packet and follow the directions.

Make sure you bring a pencil and your camera!

*********************

Here we are!  We are at the Templo Mayor.  Christopher enjoyed taking pictures for his project.  This was really interesting to see something so old, but so "new" to actually visit.  One of the best things about this program is that we have been able to see and experience history far beyond what we would ever be able to see and/or experience in the US.  I wish I could pocket just a piece of the wonder and amazement when my little ones realize how old something is or what it was used for.  Christopher sure enjoyed learning about "sacrifices" while we were at the Templo Mayor.  He is such a boy!!!  =)  Enjoy these pictures (professionally taken by Christopher, age 7) of different parts of the ruins.

As we left the Templo Mayor, there are many people in traditional Aztec attire.  Some were dancing:

Some were performing a healing ritual that we did not take pictures of because we didn't want to "intrude".  But, you can read about it, by clicking here:  Curanderismo.  Even just standing there and watching, it was almost as if we were "invading".  However, it was a beautiful, albeit strange, thing to see there in the open surrounded by hundreds of people.