Run, run, fast as you can?

With the nice weather out I see lots and lots of posts and pictures about race day victories which I personally think is AWESOME!  With that being said, I thought I might share a little something I've learned along the way on my running journey.  I realize that no two people are in the same stage of life meaning their fitness aspirations and accomplishments will be totally different, and I believe in all of them.  I am also proud of all of you no matter which stage you are in. Whether you are a decathlete or a beginner, I commend you.  This is just my experience. 

I've run 10ks, I've run a half marathon, I used to run 9 miles every Saturday morning. I did all of this after becoming a mom of two. After finding out I was pregnant with #3, all day "morning" sickness, zero energy, and juggling my household responsibilities, and being a good wife and mom to my two boys, I let my fitness take the back burner and I really didn't mind. Running those races and preparing my body for them took a lot of time and energy that I needed to spend elsewhere.  Since the birth of my 3rd child I have tried and failed to get back into running and working out more times than I can count. I'm not saying this time will be any different. I'm smarter than that now, however something has changed. Before when I was running regularly and in probably the best shape of my life, I was way too hard on myself. There is healthy pushing and then there is having to be perfect. Healthy pushing got me started and it was the unhealthy striving for perfection instead of enjoying the ride that ultimately got me injured before a big race and finally burnt me out altogether.  Now I'm spending my time running to get reenergized to be that good mom and wife. I'm trying to be proud of running that 5k (which I'm still struggling to reach) in whatever the heck time frame I run it in. It's not about being the fastest or running the farthest. It's just about doing it and feeling good that I did and that's more like it!

Goodbye 20's

I just had to share the fun of today and how I'm saying goodbye to my 20's.  Last day being 29 has been AMAZING. We had my Part-time kids today, two boys ages six and three like my boys. We had a blast with everything from the superhero costumes we all hung out in, to creating our own Bat cave, to the wii dancing and racing, to the Go Fish game the four boys and I played, Lego building and lego superhero and villian play. In the afternoon my three kiddos and I enjoyed wooden building block race track construction and go cart racing.  In the evening when Papa got home we had a classic Disney movie night in with pizza and beer (for papa and me).  I'm feeling so blessed to have gotten these last thirty years as awesome as they have been even with all of the downs with the ups.  One is only as old as she feels and today I feel like a kid!  An added bonus for today is the cleaning up done by the hubby including making the dreaded bathrooms spotless!  It  was definitely on the bday wish list and he knows that I like to go into any special occasion with little mess and super clean living space to subside the OCD tendancies. I can honestly say I'm not surprised for his thoughtfulness. He makes me feel like its my bday everyday!  Here's to the next thirty years being as magical and childlike as the last mixed in with a lot of love and laughter with family and friends.  Tomorrow is the day I join the "grown-ups" in the thirty club. I have a feeling 30 is just a number...

 

Leonard the Dog Bear

Leonard the Dog Bear is no regular stuffed animal.  Leonard came to me at a time in my life when I was hurting from a broken heart.  A friend of mine who could relate to the pain offered him to me for comfort.  Now, a stuffed animal that was really hard to distinguish between a dog or a bear wasn't exactly what I thought I needed at the time, however, the gesture was definitely appreciated and it helped us to build a friendship.  Although it was brief, the friendship helped me to hit a turning point in my life.  I believe God puts people into our lives as Angels to guide us toward a better path for ourselves.  This friend was that for me.  It doesn't matter that we no longer have contact with each other because the purpose of that friendship was served.  I do pray that I had something to offer my friend in return, and I am very thankful for her.

Maybe you are wondering where Leonard the Dog Bear got his name.  In the beginning he was nameless.  Just a soft cuddly stuffed animal that I had decided was a dog that sat on my bed in my parent's home.  He reminded me of friendship and hope and it didn't hurt that he's incredibly snugly!  After I got married, I took only a few "extra" things from my bedroom to my new apartment.  He was one of them. 

A little over 3 months after we were married, my Grandpa underwent bypass surgery.  Obviously with it being open-heart surgery, it was a major deal, but I don't think any one of us were prepared for what would happen.  As I write this I'm having a very difficult time finding the words to go through the roller coaster of emotions the final week of Grandpa's life.  It has been just about 7 years and I'm still trying to block that week.  When I let myself, I can remember every single detail, but that's why I've been holding those memories back.  I can not allow myself to get too deep into it, but there are a few things I will share.  We visited Grandpa the night before his surgery.  Then he was shown a video about what the recovery would be like.  It was suggested that he hold a pillow tight to his chest to help with the pain.  The next time Fer and I visited it was after his surgery and he was doing well.  As a little joke I dropped off the stuffed dog for Grandpa to "snuggle" to help his "broken-heart".  Next time we went by, wouldn't you know it, he was holding that stuffed dog close to his heart to help with the intense pain.  He said that it worked the best out of any of the pillows that he had because it was more firm.  I was so excited, he even let me take a picture of him snuggling it while wearing those tights they use to help with circulation.  He told me, "You better take a picture now because this is the last time you'll see me wearing tights!"  I think I just might be the person in possession of the last picture ever taken of Grandpa, and I have never looked at it.  I can't, it's too hard.  That was the last real conversation I had with him.  Shortly after he took a turn for the worse and just kept going downhill.  This is so incredibly difficult to write, I cannot say anymore about the details of that week. 

For those of you who knew my Grandpa, you will not be the least bit surprised by what I say.  For those of you who did not know him while the earth was privileged with his presence, you should know that he was a stubborn, often times grumpy, hardworking, dedicated, honest, caring, loving, selfless, and faithful man.  We gave each other a hard time, but that's how my family does it.  When I was young I was told once by a family member that "you wouldn't get messed with if you weren't cared about."  I guess my family loved me!!!  Anyway, I'm not going to sit here and make a perfect saint of him.  We all know, just like all of us, he had his flaws.  However, I will say that he sure was something so amazingly special to me.  He was Grandpa.  He would take us to check cows sometimes.  We thought it was awesome how we didn't have to wear our seat belts and could stick our hands (and sometimes heads) out of the pickup truck window as we drove down the country roads.  He took us hiking where once I had my very first deer encounter.  He started his own contracting/construction business and with his hard work and dedication made it successful.  But not only that, his honesty made it thrive.  The summer before my sophomore year of high school my brother and I were able to go on a mission trip that if it had not been for Grandpa and Grandma we would have never been able to go.  They helped us out because they believed in us and in the cause.  Because of them we had a head start on our journeys of faith.  That was a trip I will NEVER forget and I worry now that I never told them how much my life changed for it and how grateful I am to them.  My Grandparents have also contributed to putting young men through seminary, even making a trip to India to meet one of these men.  There are countless memories of Grandpa and I could go on, but the point is, this human, this mortal was my superman once.

Shortly after Grandpa passed I remember asking my mom if it was possible to continue to grow in your love for someone after they were gone.  She told me that it was absolutely possible.  This happened for me.  I had always loved that man, but no one seems to ever realize the good they've got until its gone.  Maybe it's cliche, but it is so true.  After he was gone from this world, I felt like I was searching for him everywhere.  It is hard to explain.  When he was living, we didn't live close by after I got married.  It wasn't like we would run into each other places in our daily routines.  But for some reason I always felt like he was around, and I would turn and look many times thinking he was there.  All the while "knowing" he couldn't be.  He was gone.  Recently Fernando and I attended a parish mission at our church.  The insightful speaker spoke about how those we have loved who have gone on walk with us, we just don't see them.  But perhaps sometimes you can feel them.  I LOVED this because I can NOT even tell you how many times I have felt him with me.  We are closer now that he is in Heaven than we were when he was on this earth.  One day very recently I was driving home, alone in my car when all of a sudden I knew he was there in the passenger seat.  The last time my brother had been driving with Grandpa in the car, he was 15 and with a learner's permit.  They were in an accident because Grandpa pretty much forgot he was helping a kid with no clue.  Needless to say the only thing I could think was "Get out, Grandpa!" We had a good laugh.  Then a good cry.  I miss him.  I know many of you reading this now miss him too.  Thankfully, because of the man he was while he lived on this earth, we have faith that his is now in Heaven walking with us when we need it while we finish our journey here.  I know he will be waiting for me when it is time, and I'm sure we'll have lots of things to give each other a hard time about.  It'll be great!

 

 

 

As you most certainly have guessed, that man, my Grandpa, is named Leonard.  My Grandma so selflessly gave the stuffed dog back to me.  He instantly received the name Leonard.  Leonard has been with us now since our family began.  The first time I showed Leonard to Max, he instantly put his arms out and walked to him excitedly.  The first time Nico met Leonard he called him a bear and refused to call him a dog.  He did however say that he was a Dog Bear, hence Leonard the Dog Bear.  The first time Belle met Leonard she smiled the biggest smile and took him in her arms lovingly hugging it.  I like to pretend that there is a little bit of my Grandpa in Leonard the Dog Bear.  Grandpa came to play with Belle today.  He's always on my mind, but even so much more lately.  On February 2 it will the 7th anniversary of his passing.  We may not have his body with us anymore, but I know that my babies have been with him and that he is with us now.  Leonard the Dog Bear assisted in healing my broken heart once before.  He assisted with the pain in my Grandpa's "broken heart".  He is still here to mend our broken hearts.   


 So we can enjoy the BEST DAYS EVER...

The Brown Chair

I've been feeling the desire to write this for quite some time now, but today I was truly inspired by some amazing women and awesome MOMS.  There are many factors that when all put together make up the reason the blog writings haven't been happening regularly like I wish, and maybe some day I'll get the opportunity to write about it, but today I want to share this story. 

As I have mentioned, today I was blessed with the opportunity to be in a gathering of some beautiful women.  The topic came up about clutter and sentiment being attached to objects making it hard to get rid of things that perhaps should be let go.  The thing that came to mind for me is the same thing that always comes to mind....the brown chair. 

When I was a little girl there was one place where I could always count on finding my Dad in the evenings if I needed him.  In our home we had a small living room made up of a rust colored floral couch, a matching rocking chair, and a super soft and cozy brown recliner.  In the evenings (when Dad wasn't working nights) anyone could find him sitting in his cozy chair relaxing after a grueling day of hard labor.  My dad has been a hard worker since he was a kid.  First working on his family's farm, then working for my Grandpa building beautiful homes and other wonderful things, then working in factories, and back to building homes.  Whatever it has been that he does, he has always put his all into it.  So at the end of the day, it was only natural that he would be exhausted and take a break in his chair.  Growing up I never thought about the hard work that he was putting into taking care of his family.  I just knew that that is where he would be at the end of the day.  There was always something so comforting about knowing he would be right there.  (And we also knew that if we heard the sound of the footrest of the recliner going down that someone was in TROUBLE!!!)  I have fond memories of my Dad reading bedtime stories to me in that chair.  Eventually my parents remodeled the living room, getting new furniture.  The only piece that did not go was that Brown chair.  Dad had it moved to his bedroom taking the place of my great grandma's rocking chair which was only just moved to another room of the house.  I remember when my dad had to have knee surgery and had to be out of work for a while to recover.  When that happened I could still count on finding my dad sitting on that brown chair (it was only in a different location).  When my bro, sis, or I were sick we were always quarantined to my parents' bedroom where we would lay in their bed or in the brown chair watching our favorite movies and cartoons.  There our Mom would nurse us back to health.  I always remember wanting to stay home one extra day from school so that I could rest a little longer in that chair. 

Eventually, over the years, the chair began to wear down becoming somewhat of an eye sore.  I don't know exactly how or when, but the chair was moved once more, but it didn't go too far.  Yes, my mom finally was able to get it removed from the house, but only as far as my dad's shop.  After many many years, my dad finally got to build something for himself again, the shop of his dreams complete with a storage room (bigger than my bedroom growing up) for my mom to keep her favorite things.  Only for some reason I can't imagine that chair being in there for her.  I came across it one day, having only slightly forgotten about it.  I realized that they were in the process of getting rid of some things and I just couldn't imagine that chair not being in the family.  So I rescued it!  That brown chair migrated to our home.  I placed it in the nursery where Nico was just a baby.  Every night until he was old enough for his big boy bed I would rock him and read books to him.  It was in that chair where we would say prayers every night.  Today it is in that chair that I read to my baby girl, just as my dad had done for my brother and me, and where bedtime prayers are said before Belle's breathing gets even and she closes her eyes for the night. 

That brown chair may not be as soft or as cuddly as it used to be.  It might have settled into the shape of my dad or now in the shape of  me.  True, it has seen better days in the way that it looks and I've had to cover the seat with a crocheted afghan blanket from my paternal grandma to disguise the worn bottom.  Sure if you put up the foot rest it still rocks and won't stay in place.  But that brown chair is way more than just a chair.  It is a place of love, prayer, comfort, healing.  A peaceful retreat that not only reminds me of my dad, but is a pleasant reminder of my whole childhood and of growing up.  It is a symbol of how things may grow old and change over time, while molding to fit perfectly to who one has grown to be.  I was a baby being rocked in the brown chair, and now I rock my own babies in the brown chair.  One MOM mentioned that sometimes she yearns to go back to the "simpler" life of childhood. That when you are young you don't have any clue how your life is going to be and you don't realize all of the complexities you will face.  In a world that is constantly changing and can be scary, I relish the fact that I have somewhere to go that brings me back to the feelings of comfort from my childhood. 
While around the brown chair I can feel its magic that can only come from all of the love that it has been exposed to.  Every time I sit in its lap I feel I am able to fully take in the special moment with my child which is so important because these moments in our life are so incredibly limited.  My babies will not be babies forever so enjoying every second that we can is imperative.  I know it will not always be like that, we are human, but I'm blessed to have the brown chair as a reminder that even though all things change over time, with a little care and lots of love, they can still be great and make their magic!  Kind of what some of us are like I think.  We start out nice and neat, flawless, and we go through many ups and downs in life, sometimes getting thrown through the wringer.  We can go about our world at a slow, steady, soothing rock, and then something comes and "rocks the boat" causing us to crash against the walls or flip us backwards.  Just as the brown chair, we may be moved around and have to get used to different surroundings, sometimes being left in a place that seems to be dark and lonely.  And then out of the blue someone or something comes along and seeing value in you, dusts you off and shines light into the world again giving you a purpose. When finally pulled out of that dark place, that special magic is there to be reignited and shared with others.

Even though this may be an odd metaphor for one's life.  It seems to be relevant for me.  For now I'm going to continue to enjoy every moment in the brown chair until it is time for it to move on.  Although highly unlikely, perhaps one day it will bring fond memories of childhood to my own kids.  Maybe they will rock their babies in the brown chair.  Maybe another family will benefit from its magic.  No matter what happens in the future, for the brown chair, for me, for my family, one thing is for sure; we will grow older, we will change, but we will do our best to continue to make each day the BEST DAY EVER loving, caring, and comforting each other. 

Belle Turns 1!!!

Isabel Turns 1...story under construction

Happy Birthday, MOM!!!!

Happy Birthday to the best Mom in the entire world!  She has been the most amazing example of the Mama I want to be to my kids.  Every day I realize that I am more and more like her, and you know what?  I’m so glad.  Growing up I thought that I never wanted to be like my parents.  Now I see that everything that they did, all of the hard work and tough, but compassionate unconditional love was exactly how it should be to be a great parent.  I’m well aware that God has blessed me way beyond what I deserve by giving me my mom.  And in turn my children have been blessed with the BEST MEMA EVER!!!!   It might irritate me sometimes to see that I’m turning into my mother, but that’s only my stubbornness coming through since I had “vowed” to never be like her.  Man, when we are young, we are so dumb.  If I could be half the mom she is, my kids will be blessed.  I never saw her rest when I was little, and honestly, I don’t think I can remember her complaining about being tired either.  That’s definitely something I need to work on myself!  She would get up well before the sun, make us all breakfast of our choice, most times we all wanted something different.  I’m not talking about her just putting a piece of bread in the toaster or warming up a pop tart or Eggo waffle.  This amazing woman would scramble us eggs, make French toast, homemade pancakes or biscuits, omelets, you name it!  EVERY SINGLE MORNING before school!  Not only that, she was able to get our difficult bottoms ready for school and on the bus (most times before the sun came up as we had a LONG bus ride living out in the country.)  She was able to get herself and the house ready by the time all of her kids came.  She ran her own at-home daycare.  I, to this day, cannot think of a single person who was/is better at taking care of children who are not her own.  Actually, she felt like every one of those kids were hers and treated them so.  She would spend her entire day not only giving those babies as much attention and care that they deserved and needed, but also she was able to somehow magically get laundry done, the house cleaned up,  beds made EVERY SINGLE DAY, and manage to have homemade baked goodies for us for after school treats and for our lunches.  EVERY NIGHT she would make a delicious home cooked comfort food meal and help us with our homework.  By the time she got us in bed she was tirelessly finishing up cleaning the kitchen and starting her other responsibilities of packing lunches for the next day, planning upcoming activities, etc.  This absolutely amazing woman (there are no real words to describe her) would make us hand crafted toys to play with.  We may not have had a plastic kitchen set like they sell in the stores, but we had a mom who turned a plastic children’s table into an oven and stove with craft supplies around the house!  She sewed us our very own Cabbage Patch dolls.  She sewed us clothes, and she decorated cakes on the side!!!!  Our Halloween costumes were mom and dad created, with my mom crafting them in her “spare time”.  I remember when my sister was a “Dorito’s bag” one year.  This was no cheesy half-assed Doritos bag.  No pun intended.  My mom made her a Chip face mask and created a bag for her body by using two poster boards.  She even found  a way to get a plastic front and put real Doritos inside.  When she could have just drawn squiggly lines for the words on the chip bag, she took the time to write out everything from that bag.  She wanted my sister to have the perfect original costume.  And she sure did!  It was awesome!  That costume is probably still around somewhere.  I even wore it one year as my costume.  These are just a few of the countless things my mom has done, continues to do, and will no doubt do in the future.  You see, now you know what I mean when I say that I hope to be even half the mom she is.  When I was in high school, my mom did something else amazing.  She decided to change careers.  She was brave enough to go and learn something new.  She became a certified Pharmacy Technician.  She trained and studied and she was successful!  I’m so so proud of her for having the courage to try something new.  And now she and my Dad have been on their latest adventure of running my Dad’s construction company where she is the office manager.  She has put her all into every single day of her life.  Recently when she was faced with the obstacle of knee replacement, she confronted it head on and battled through the pain and frustration of not being able to get around like she is used to.  It has been a huge struggle and very difficult, but again, that woman is amazing and is on the up side already.  The doctors have told her the entire time that she’s ahead of the game.  I wouldn’t expect anything less from her.  I want to be JUST LIKE MY MOM when I grow up!

 Mom,

She truly is a ROCK STAR!

I love you so much.  You are such an inspiration to me and my little family.  We wish that we could see you all of the time, but for some reason God has placed us a little ways apart. The distance may not be too far, but our limited time creates a bigger gap.  Perhaps it is so that I can learn on my own to be the mom that I want to be, just like you have always been for me.  I definitely still have those “I want my Mommy days”, and I’m so blessed to know that I can pick up a phone and call you.  Hearing your voice has always helped me when I’m frustrated, sad, mad, happy, excited, etc.  I always want to share my stories with you and you are always willing to listen no matter how ridiculous they are.  You never make me feel like what I have to say is unimportant, even if I’m telling you the same thing for the 100^th time.  You have endless patience that I would LOVE to possess!  While being a part of my MOMS group over the past few weeks, I’ve been reflecting on relationships, feelings, and friendships among other things regarding motherhood.  I’m coming to realize that not only are you my mom, but one of my BEST FRIENDS!  I don’t know what I would do without you.  I’m so grateful for your spiritual nature.  You have nurtured and taught your children to have a close relationship with God.  You and Dad have definitely succeeded in this God given responsibility.  Thank you for being you.  Thank you for being a Mom to Fernando who deserves a Mom just like you!  Thank you for being the most awesome, loving, spoiling Mema that my kids deserve.  I’m missing you just writing this!  When the time comes for me to take care of you like you have taken care of me my whole life, please know that I’m always going to do it with as much patience, love, and care that you have given to Angi, Jon, me, our spouses, and our own babies.  Happy Birthday, Mom! 

Thank You, God for giving us this amazing Mother who obviously has lived her life committed to her children and family similar to Your own Mother.  Please continue to bless her and keep her strong to always follow Your path for her.  Please help us to never take her for granted and to be able to show her all the love and compassion she deserves.  Thank You for the BEST MOM EVER!!!!

Nico TURNS 3!

Nico's SUPER Birthday Bash COMING SOON!....

We're Baaaaaack!

Where can I even begin?  So much has happened since our last post.  The Castañeda Clan has been up to a lot of new exciting adventures.  Among those has been starting preschool (all three of the kiddos) and for Mama, starting teaching preschool.  Max is really enjoying what will definitely be his final year at SMA.  He loves his teachers and has made new friends.  One in particular shares the same interest in a very specific video game that Max is more than obsessed with.  Nico has his best friend in his class.  He is excited every single day he gets to go to school.  Unlike last year when we had tears the first month or so of school, this year he walked right in and enjoys every second of his day.  Belle is LOVING her class as well.  It doesn't hurt that Mama is one of her teachers.  She's the youngest one, but keeps up with the kiddos really well.  She's already learning so much just by watching and interacting with them.  As for me, I love my new job more than any other job I have EVER had (besides raising my own kids).  It doesn't even matter that we've had a crier the entire day or that I have more messes to clean up than usual.  It doesn't even matter that I get paint smudged on the side of my face and it stays there the whole day just because I have no time to clean myself.  I just LOVE it!  Being at the school where all of my kids are and getting to teach Belle is such a blessing.  I can not even explain how awesome it feels to get this opportunity.  



I love being Soccer Mom!

Max has started team soccer practices and had his very first game this morning!  Although, the kids are still in the learning stages of the sport, they did very well!  Max really liked playing offense!  I am very proud of him.  He hung in there and ran his little heart out.  He's one of the smallest on the team, having just turned 5 and his teammates are 5-6 years old.  Papa took on the role of assistant coach.  I'm proud of him too.  Soccer is a passion of his and now he gets to see it lived out through his kids.  Not only that, he's taking an active role in it.  I certainly had my hands full on the sidelines with Nico and Belle.  Belle was such a doll!  She would squeal with delight any time the crowd would clap and she would belt out a holler any time there were calls to cheer on the team.  Nico on the other hand did not seem interested in watching the game.  If you know Nico you would see that he truly believes he is the same age as his brother.  Maybe he says that he's two (almost 3) and Max is five, but he doesn't really understand that there is any kind of difference there. Nico thinks he's just as big as Max and the other players so he doesn't get why he's not in a uniform and playing on the team.  When I tried to explain it to him he told me "Then I'm a coach like Papa.  I'm Coach Nico!"  It was such a struggle keeping him from bolting out onto the field during the game to get to his Papa.  I had my go-to survival stash of snacks, but when that started running low I thought I was in a jam.  However, Fer had so cleverly stashed his iPod in the soccer bag.  That got Nico's attention for a few minutes anyway.  Then he polished off the rest of the snacks and the game was over.  Success!  Of course after the game he felt like he had accomplished something great too and took a team Gatorade and snack.  Max passed so I guess his little brother just took care of that for him.  There are no score keepers, but lets just say that if there were, just maybe our Lightning Bolts came out on top ;)  We really welcomed the wonderful fall weather for his first game.  Afterwards we had victory hamburgers and took a family trip to Lowes.  Our next big family project is already well underway.  We've decided to take on painting some rooms in the house.  We've been here over six years and every now and then we feel the urge to spice things up.  Although we do all of our home improvements and most maintenance ourselves, we really considered hiring someone to do the job this time just to give us a break.  Well that idea went down the toilet when we woke up this morning and just decided today would be the day to make a move on our project list.  We picked our paint colors, stocked up on the supplies we would need, headed home and Fer hit the ground running.  As we speak he's just finished the kids' bathroom and taping off the upstairs hallway.  It's a wonder what a little paint can do to give the place just the little change that it needs.  Usually we trade off painting with child duties, but for some reason this time I've got out of the painting responsibilities this far.  (Hooray!)  Instead Max and Nico took their turns alongside their Papa for the beginning of the painting adventure.  We always give them the opportunity to give our projects a try.  When their turn was over, Fer handed them off to me to bathe them and get them going in other activities to keep them occupied.  It is really difficult to keep them away from their Papa when he's home.  I have such daddy's boys. While the boys were helping their Papa, I worked with Belle on her crawling.  This past week, on Sept. 13 Isabel hit many milestones.  It was incredible what all of a sudden she decided she could do.  She pulled herself up first that day.

This is actually the first time she pulled herself up.
I can't believe I actually caught a milestone on camera!

  Then she signed to me that she was hungry for milk.  Later in the afternoon she crawled for the first time!   She's also starting to let me know when she wants her diaper changed.  She's even already got 6 almost 8 teeth!  My baby girl is over 8 months now and really demonstrating her abilities.  Max has been working with her on her verbal skills.  She loves to repeat the sounds that he makes.  He's the one that got her to say Mama.  Now she even says Ma sometimes, which I can only assume means Max.  She heard me call Nico "Bubba" and she mimicked me.  She sees her Papa and says "Papa" too.  She could just very well be repeating our sounds and really have no clue as to what she is saying, but it's cute and sweet nonetheless!  I am struggling with her growing up though.  She's supposed to be my baby and I need her to stay that way.  I always feel at this age they jump through stages way too fast for me. 

Other than getting the new job started, preparing for school, "Meet the Teacher, the first few weeks of school, and adjusting to the new schedule, we've done several family activities that we've not blogged about.  We've had the very first movie afternoon where all five of us were able to sit down together at one time and enjoy a movie!  It hadn't happened before and it hasn't happened since.  We watched Thomas and the Great Discovery (I think Nico's choice), had Happy Hour Sonic drinks, and I made some delicious homemade popcorn with melted butter!  Of course, Belle had to pass on the Sonic drinks and popcorn, but she was content with her agua and Cheerios. 
We've also enjoyed our final family swim of the summer.  Nico has mastered the back float and Max enjoys swimming around and blowing bubbles in the water.  Belle loves to lounge in her floaty laying her head back and letting the sun shine on her face.  Of course I do all I can to keep the shade of the floaty covering her, she wears her pink sun hat on her head, and she sports her super cool pink shades.   
We made a trip up to see Mema and Pops before Mema had her knee replacement surgery, and we've made another trip up since to visit.  She's so amazing!  She is well on her way to recovery.  It is a lot of hard work, but she puts everything she has into it.  She's been told she's ahead of the game, but I wouldn't expect anything less from  my mom.  She's a fighter and a super strong woman.  I want to be just like her when I grow up!  She's going to be running after her grandbabies before we know it.  We will be trying to keep up with her once again. 
We've also been very busy with the steady flow of orders coming into That's Sew Belle.  Sewing has become such a wonderful part of my life.  Being able to turn a hobby into a small home business is a dream come true.  Please check out the tab at the top of our blog home page to see more. 
 

Overall the past month's break from blogging has been one crazy ride packed full of time with my super amazing family.  We are on an exciting journey these next 9 months before our next summer break, but we plan on trying our best to make this time, as we did with the summer, the BEST EVER.  

Castañeda Clan Best Day Ever

As you may have noticed we've undergone a name change for our blog.  "The Castañeda Kids and the Best Day Ever!" has now become "The Castañeda Clan Best Day Ever".  Our family has chosen this name change to better reflect the writings that we do.  Although our stories are about our children, it is more about our family life.  Therefore since we are writing more about our clan as a whole, rather than just the kids, we changed the name.  We hope that you continue to follow us.  All of you inspire us to make each day the best it can be and it is our hopes that we can help do the same for you.  Until we are able to pick back up on writing regularly, we invite you to read some of our previous blog posts that you may have missed.  Our most popular ones are listed at the right.  Lower down on the page are the archives.  If you are new to our blog, we suggest you read "The Thing that Goes Bump! in the Night.  A short but true story", "Angels All Around another short but true story", A Day at Home, or My reasons for Living.  We also suggest that you read the tab titled "Our Story" listed at the top of this page.  We wrote this story so that those who read our blog posts may better understand where they come from.  Thanks for reading!  Have a blessed day!
Peace,
The Castañeda Clan

The Final Days of Summer

We are really gearing up for school now!  Only one week left of summer vacation!  I can't even believe how fast this summer has gone!  Papa turned 30, Max turned 5, Mama turned 29, Nico's well on his way with potty training, and Belle is ready to crawl!  It won't be long for her now!  We've had a Sea World vacation, SMA summer camp, Religious Education marathon, swimming, a nice long visit with Cousin Jack, Firefighter appreciation, birthday party after birthday party, our own family Olympics, Science Day at a friend's house, visits to the library, play dates, not to mention some of the best times spending time together at home.  And that's only a little of what we did.  Phew I'm exhausted!  Our goal this summer was to make it the best that we possibly could, especially since last summer was pretty much a bust for the boys with me being preggers and sick EVERY DAY ALL DAY!  I'm proud of us for doing most everything we wanted to do and much much more!  I'm thankful that the Science day worked out at a friend's house because that was the one thing we wanted to host but were unable to find a good time.  We will be blogging on a limited basis for an indefinite amount of time while we get adjusted to our new school schedule.  We've got Max starting his Pre-K 5 class, Nico getting ready for his 2's class, and Belle excited about attending her first class with the Babies at St. Michael Academy.  I've been blessed with a teaching position at their preschool so I will get to spend Max's final year with him and Belle's first year with her.  Even more of a blessing, I was hired to teach Belle's class!  We have three kids in Preschool.  THREE!  I just can't believe it.  The past six years of my life have been the most joyous with this past 6 months being the fastest.  I guess it is true what they say, "Time flies when you are having fun!"  This reminds me of something Max said one evening this week when finding out it was already dinner time.  "Mama, why do the days go so fast?  I just want it to go slow!"  I took it as one of the highest complements I could receive from my kid.

I wanted to highlight a few of the things that we did this week.  The biggest highlight of the week was my trip to the dentist, of course!  Okay, no not really.  I actually dread that every time I have to go, but the people are very nice there so that makes it a more pleasurable experience.  The actual biggest thing that happened this week goes to Nico.  His first poo in the potty!!!  Whoop Whoop!  I won't dwell on the details, but we are proud of him.  I've been doing a LOT of sewing for That's Sew Belle, which always brings me joy.  Fer's taken on the blog job of creating picture collages, making my life a little bit easier, and he's been excited about the idea.  Max has been, well Max, with his awesome imaginative personality, creating never a dull moment.  Belle's been working on her crawling muscles.  She's almost there (not that I want her too.)

Tuesday we decided to get out of the house and go outdoors.  Even though it was rather toasty, we just couldn't stay couped up and we didn't really have any special place we wanted to go.  Since I'm using the garage clothesline for drying our large laundry items, I needed to be out there to hang a load anyway.  I moved out the minivan, brought out the toys , large rolls of plotter paper, markers, crayons, race cars,etc. and had a grand ole' time.  We are "forced" into using our garage as our backyard since we do not have a backyard.  We do have an alley, but with the two hyper boys and a baby to keep track of, sometimes it is best to get out my trusty little orange cones to block off a space for them to play.  I don't know what it is about those orange cones, but they usually stay within the perimeters.  Of course, it isn't a day in the life of the Castaneda Clan without a little bit of drama.  So Nico decides that he wants me to change his diaper (he's still not completely potty trained), but Belle was playing contently on our lovely "race track" we had created on plotter paper attached to the garage floor.  I asked Max if he would please run inside to get a diaper and some wipes for me to use on his brother so that I wouldn't have to move everybody inside.  Max being the awesome kid he is did so willingly, only he told me that I better not tell anyone that I was changing his brothers' diaper in the garage (where no one could see).  He told me that he didn't want me to get arrested....Anyway, I guess his hands were a little too full when he came back outside.  He was carrying toys in one hand and the diaper and wipes in the other.  I suppose when he pulled the door closed he accidentally moved the lock.  And guess what?  Thirty minutes later when it was time for me to start making their lunch, I couldn't get the door open.  Yes, we were locked out!  No, we didn't have a spare key...Thankfully I had my cell phone on me, which is not always the case when we go outside.  The poor hubby had to spend his lunch break driving all the way home and letting us inside.  Of course, we had to wait for him to finish a meeting, and then I still had to fix lunch when we got inside, but nonetheless, we were not outside the entire day baking.  We may have been hot and hungry by the time we got inside, but the boys were still insistent that we have the picnic I had planned for us (before getting locked out).  So no cooling off for us.  I quickly prepared lunch and we all trekked back outside for a picnic.  By the time we made it back in we were all pretty much done for the day...well I know I was.  I learned a very valuable lesson though.  NEVER GO OUTSIDE WITHOUT KEYS!  Also, I think it would be wise for someone close by to have a spare so we don't have to bake so long next time.  Because who am I kidding, I'm prone to make little mistakes like this. 

Wednesday we spent some time at the library and attending Mass for the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  We had only a little time between the library and Mass so the boys thought it was "super cool" when I picked them up some lunch, parked the minivan  in the church parking lot, and had a picnic in the car with our windows rolled down.  The day was overcast and rather pleasant.  


Their personalities are very apparent in this photo!  Our session was interesting.  Max with his sweet seriousness, Nico with his hilarious pretend distressed look, and Belle with her beautiful happy smiles.


Thursday I got to work in my classroom while the kiddos went to the church nursery.  I'm getting so excited about teaching!  I'm a little nervous and a tiny bit scared too, but overall just really happy for this opportunity!  In the afternoon we played all kinds of things, but one of the things that stands out the most with me was when we were playing "Mario pirates".  I got to be Mario Pirate (per Max's instructions) while Max was Luigi Pirate.  Nico was going about the room as if he was a bad guy, so in my best pirate voice I said to him, "Arrrrr, are ye the scoundrel?"  Nico's response in the best pirate imitation this 2 1/2 year old could do (which was really rather good), "No, I'm not a scoundrel!!!  I'm just an angry boy!!!"  All the while he's smiling from ear to ear.  He then continued to thrust his glowing rainbow Skittles wand into the air as if it was his pirate sword.  Maybe you had to be there to really get the full effect, but it was greatness. 

Friday we had a wonderful adventure outside in our neighborhood.  I will be blogging about this adventure in another post coming later this week:  The Quest for the Fountain of Red and Blue.  It was somewhat inspired by our newest found form of entertainment "Where's Waldo?"  We have spent hours looking at this one book that we checked out from the library.  When I was younger I would look at these books while waiting on my sister at the Orthodontist's office and then later when I was a patient there myself.  Fer actually did the same thing when he was younger, looking at them at his dentist's office.  I LOVE these books.  I had forgotten about them and then as we were headed out of the library on Wednesday, I caught sight of a group of them out of the corner of my eye.  I was ecstatic!  The boys probably thought I was nuts, but what's new there?  We've been looking through it ever since.  We can't wait to pick up another book the next time we go back! 

This weekend provided for some much needed family time.  We miss Papa so much during the week when he's at work.  It's so nice when we can all spend time together.  Well...I did get to sneak out one day for fabric shopping and the next day for some school clothes shopping, but other than those few hours, we got to spend some awesome quality time.  Saturday evening we were blessed with a downpour (or as my Dad always called it when I was a kid, "downburst").  The kids were so fascinated by the heavy rains that they sat mesmerized by our storm door watching for a long time.  I taught the kids the song "Rain Rain Go Away" which they thought was quite humorous for some reason.  I guess I should have been teaching them "It's Raining, It's Pouring" instead since we really didn't want the rain to go away.  And then in the song, little Johnny wanted to play outside so he wanted to rain to go away, but in our case, because it was raining Fer let the boys go out back and run around in the rain!  While I was giving the baby her bath I heard some very loud happy squealing coming from behind the house.  When I looked outside I was surprised (only a little) that it was coming from my boys who were half dressed playing in the rain.  I think they will always remember doing that.  Belle and I brought the boys some towels to dry off and we heading back upstairs so I could put her to bed, only to hear the boys run back outside for more excitement.  How great it must be to be a kid.  And the sad part is, when we are kids we just want to be grown up.  Go figure.


We aren't slacking off these final days of summer, and we hope to continue with fun family adventures even with school in session.  My boys are at the age where school is fun anyway! They can't wait to go back, see their friends, and make new ones.  Continue to look for our adventures throughout the school year.  We'll be making new memories every day and we are hoping to share them with you!

BEST last DAYS of Summer EVER! 

Playing with their laptops

Batman and Lefty decided they  needed to do some quick coloring before bedtime.

Our princess loves to play with hair. 

Belle was such a trooper while I did a mini photo session with the kids on Friday.

Just some light reading..."It wasn't me!"

The Greatest Show on Earth

Hi there…today you may notice some changes in the writing style of this amazing blog “The Castaneda Kids and the Best Day Ever”.  As we are getting closer to the end of the summer, the time to spice things up has come! I mean really hot, like with those jalapeños from the hot dog stand at the American Airlines center (LOL). Today it’s time for Fernando to delight you with the amazing story of the “Greatest Show on Earth”.

We had a good start in the morning.  As always, it started with some coffee and there was some toast for Jen and me. The kids enjoyed their cereal and fresh fruit. Since I don’t get to feed Belle so often during the week because she is either still asleep before I go to work, or she has already eaten her dinner when I come back from work, I took the opportunity to do so.  She enjoyed her cereal and I enjoyed feeding her as I have gotten to do for the last two weekends. It is amazing how she hums on every bite.

After eating enough food, we started getting ready for the “Greatest Show on Earth”, aka, the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus at the AA center. The soccer Olympics game between Mexico and Brazil for the gold medal started that morning. As you may know, I am huge Mexico soccer fan and especially loyal to my hometown team Santos Laguna. Unfortunately I had to record it so I could focus on the kids and finish getting ready. Not a big a deal I thought. 

We learned from last year going to the circus that the food was not good for the kids. The AA center was super expensive and after buying all the food, they did not even want to taste it. So this time we decided to get their lunch packed so they could eat on the car ride to the AA Center. It worked just fine; they had some edemames from Sam’s club and some turkey pepperonis. FYI for all parents, Edemames are super good for kids (and for you). These soy beans are loaded with protein and antioxidants. If your kids do not eat vegetables, get some of these steamable bags at the store and let your kids try it. We have successfully introduced edemames to our nephew and to some of our friends’ kids. So there, no more excuses.

For dessert we had to smuggle some peanuts with M&Ms for the boys. For Belle we had her baby stuff, so she was all set. However, for us the food situation was looking unfavorable. Jen and I decided we would eat lunch at the AA center, and guess what?  We ended up paying for it twice! The first time went to the credit card and the second time went to el baño! =(…. We shared a “Big D” package which is basically a 1 foot long hot dog and a large tray of nachos loaded with lots of jalapeños and a large soda. Since I am allergic to the fake cheese of the nachos, I just ate the chips with jalapeños. Anyway, afterwards we did not feel very well. As I remember last year, we did the exact same thing and unfortunately I had the exact same results. But because Jen was pregnant I believe she could have had more.  So I guess as an adult it is harder to learn new lessons. I am sure you may recall some of these =).

Other than the food being no so good, the show was great, we had really good seats, however we also learned this time that aisle seats would work much better for our family. When we take our kids to events like this, I really want them to enjoy themselves and I love to treat them with things. This time it was so hard to even take them to the bathroom because we were in the middle of a row and there were a lot of people both ways. But going back to the show, the coolest thing we enjoyed was a guy that was lit on fire and then was shot through the air in a big catapult…which reminds me of the time I thought I was spontaneously combusting…but that is for another time.  There was a pretty cool elephant show, as well as “the jumping guys”, as Nico called them.  Both were pretty cool.  They had a very colorful show and very kid friendly environment. I think the kids loved it.  Although Belle ended up sleeping through the entire thing.

Another highlight of the day was the snow cones. The boys really love snow cones. Last year at the circus we were a little smarter, we let the boys share one elephant head snow cone and it worked just fine. This time they had ended up with a clown head snow cone for each one. Nico spilled half of it and Max only ate half of his. However, they still seemed very happy with it so I was happy too.

After the “Greatest Show on Earth” was over we came back home to finish watching the soccer game which was turned out to be the real “greatest show”! I managed to stay away from the media and Facebook during the day so I didn’t know who had won.   We watched the game at home as a family, however most of time I just stood in front of the TV supporting the team and yelling at it. It was an epic game. Through the entire game I felt so nervous, but Mexico did a GREAT job and managed to defeat Brazil!! The score ended 2-1. This was, and still is, a BIG BIG deal. I mean when the referee ended the game and Mexico had won the gold medal, I felt a big knot on my throat and pressure in my eyes. I ALMOST CRIED!! I am serious; I really could not believe it. I have supported Mexico’s team since I was a little kid and Mexico always plays like “never before”, but ends up always  losing. But not today, not this Saturday. Today everything changed. Mexico made history in the books and in my heart! Mexico won its first International Soccer Championship. They won the GOLD!  This was the real “Greatest Show on Earth” and the BEST DAY EVER for a circus fan and Mexico fan.

Simply Amazing Science Day

We've been wanting to host a Science day for quite some time now.  In fact, it was one of our summer bucket list activities.  However, the summer is just slipping by so quickly and it has not worked out yet at our home.  So when we were invited to a Science day by a family friend, we could NOT pass it up!  I've had the 80's song "She Blinded me with Science" by Thomas Dolby in my head all day long.  I realize that it doesn't exactly have anything to do with actual science experiments, but it's a classic nonetheless...well to my 80's rockin' family anyway.  Our friend is a high school Pre-AP chemistry teacher, so I knew that my kids would not only get the experiments, but a wonderfully educated explanation of what was going on as well.  I couldn't have asked for better.  It was awesome!  I'm not sure I would have had the answers for the kids if I would have done them myself.  The kids were able to enjoy an erupting volcano (baking soda and vinegar).  Our friend and her boys (the same ages as mine) had made a paper mache volcano earlier in the summer.  It was set up out in the back yard ready to go when we got there.  Each child got to use food coloring of their choice to tint their very own plastic cup of vinegar.  

Sonya adding the baking soda

After the baking soda was in place inside of the volcano, the kids got to take turns pouring their cup of vinegar inside to see the reaction.  The "volcano" erupted "lava"!  The bubbles are created by the carbon dioxide escaping the water solution.  (I so hope I said this right because my nerdy self took chemistry way too many years ago and although I LOVE LOVE LOVE chemistry, it doesn't mean I retained much).  I tried to listen to the Teach today, but I did have three kids I was juggling (plus a swarm of bees I was fighting).

Max already poured his vinegar inside and is watching the reaction



Nico's supposed to be pouring in his vinegar...only he just poured it on top

 

Erupting volcano experiment.

 

Sonya, if you read this and any of my Scientific explanations are incorrect, please comment or send me a message and I will fix immediately.  Thanks so much!

We then headed out front (to try to escape the swarm of bees) for the kids to create their own Alka-Seltzer film canister rocket.  The kids put half a tablet of Alka-Seltzer into a film canister, added water, put on the lid, quickly set it on the ground (and backed away for safety), and watched the "rocket" shoot into the air.  The kids then tried to catch their rocket on its way back down.  The carbon dioxide gas produced from the Alka-Seltzer in the water builds up so much pressure that it "launches".  Awesome!  Except I just about missed Nico's turn because I was trying to fight off bees from my baby!  I really think those bees could smell fear.  No one else was really bothered too much by them, but I guess I've discovered a new phobia.  I haven't been this way around bees before, but my kids have not been stung and I really did NOT want to EXPERIMENT with that!  

Nico doing the "rocket" experiment



Max getting ready to launch his "rocket"



We then went inside for some cooler play time.  The kids had so much fun playing with anything and everything.  They would blow in and out of each room with something new each time.  It's always so nice to take the kids somewhere they haven't been in a while so that they can experience a different environment and different toys.  It had been a long time since these kids had gotten together, but they played so well!  I was completely impressed with them.  There was no shyness and limited fighting.  I would say that is awesome for these boys!  After lunch the experimenting continued with "Elephant toothpaste".  I am not even going to try to explain this one except that the reaction creates what looks like a giant stream of toothpaste.  Google search "elephant toothpaste" for a detailed explanation.  My baby girl had fallen asleep after lunch while I was holding her.  Since it was loud in the house from all the kids I stood clear of the experiment.  However, I did sneak a peak and it looked awesome!!!  I just missed the explanation of it.  After that some of the kids made ice cream in a plastic bag (which I missed the "recipe" and explanation on this also).  My boys didn't want to participate in this, but of course after the ice cream was complete and the chocolate syrup was brought out, they just happened to decide they would like to join in on the activity.  In fact, when we got home and we were discussing the awesomeness of the day, Nico revealed to me that his favorite scientific experiment today was "eating ice cream!" with Max chipping in with "yeah! with lots and lots of chocolate syrup!"  Gotta love kids!

You know, seeing my kids learning about science and enjoying it brings me way back to when I was young.  My brother and I would watch Bill Nye the Science Guy and Beakman's World (back in the 90's).  Good times, good times.  They made science so much fun!  And contrary to popular belief, Bill Nye is still alive and kicking, although he's been subject to several death rumors over the years.  I don't know if anyone remembers Beakman's World, but kids would write in with questions and each episode would focus on a few of those questions.  During the episode Beakman and his team would give the scientific explanations.  I'll always remember the episode of Beakman's World when they explained flatulence, including singing a very elaborate song that could only be titled "Flatulence, man-made Turbulence".  I know, I know, why do I remember that?  I guess it was just too funny at the time. I did my trusty little Google searching and found out that the name of the episode is "Fingerprints, Beakmania and Flatulence" from Season 4, Episode 26, Aired Mar 17, 1995.  Crazy that of all things, this sticks out in my mind.  I Googled it because I wanted to make sure I wasn't just making things up in my mind.     Maybe the song was catchy....perhaps I'll search YouTube next.  Come to think of it, Bill Nye the Science Guy had a pretty catchy theme song as well.  Anything that can bring me back to the simpler times of my childhood is welcomed.     

After such a wonderful, fun filled day of Science, it makes me very eager to hunt down more that we can do.  Maybe I'll even get around to that Science day I've been wanting to host myself.  But if not, I'm sure the boys and I will be experimenting around the house on our own.  I'm hoping my "engineer-brained" Max will be intrigued by Chemistry too.  If anyone has some really cool science experiment ideas for kids, please send them our way.  We would LOVE to test them out.  Thanks to the Loughrans for a truly awesome day.  We had a blast and hope to do it again soon!

Aunt Lisa and Cousin Lucy joined in on the fun too!

BEST Science DAY EVER!