A Day at the Park

Happy Birthday, Guillermo! You are 8!!

2012-01-15T21:20:00.006-05:00

Happy birthday, Guillermo! We love you!

Guillermo turned 8 on Saturday. I still feel a little strange saying that number. 8!

We celebrated the day by taking two of Guillermo's friends to Frankie's for some video game action. Another friend went out for sushi with us and then spent the night. As far as birthdays go, this one was a pretty good from my perspective. I think Guillermo was pretty pleased, too. He opened presents in the morning and then spent the rest of the time before his party putting together another Lego set. Maya was over the moon excited about her brother's birthday and put herself in charge of decorations. She worked nonstop in the morning, alternating between frosting the cake and spreading balloons around the house. I don't think she stopped talking once. She worked so hard she fell asleep the instant she sat down in her car seat to get to the arcade.

I couldn't leave her out. She worked hard to make his day special.

His baseball cake by Maya and me.

The Day After Christmas

2012-01-15T18:09:00.005-05:00

Showing off the second round of his Christmas presents.

Guillermo concealed his disappointment well, but he was sad that he didn't receive the Lego set he wanted most of all, The Black Pearl, on Christmas morning. He's getting savvier in the ways of Christmas though, and he kept a close eye on the large package with his name that we left unopened under the tree on Christmas day.

My parents arrived the day after Christmas and we saved the presents they gave to us for that day. I think the Black Pearl was the first gift Guillermo opened and he breathed a sigh of relief. Maya was thrilled with her American Girl doll, who she later named Claudia. She especially loved the brush that came with Claudia. And, she loved the matching aprons she and Claudia both received.

Our visit with my parents was great. We went for a hike, my dad took the kids to a movie (Alvin and the Chipmunks, thanks dad!) and my mother and I took Maya to the First Night Celebration in Raleigh. It was Parisian-themed and Maya is all about France these days.

Throughout the week, Guillermo also hosted several Lego parades in his room to showcase all of his (and Lego's) designs. It's quite impressive and I would show pictures but he never managed to put on a shirt during the parades.

Showing off her new American Girl doll, Claudia, along with Jenny in her new bag. She's wearing her new apron and headband, too.

Sassy Maya, telling Grandpa something about his iPad.

Christmas - The Best Day Ever

2012-01-05T13:37:00.004-05:00

Maya declared this Christmas "The Best Day Ever." Guillermo might have declared it that, but he was too busy building his new massive Lego set to talk.

We had a great, fun, lazy, snuggly Christmas day. I woke up early and laid on the couch while I waited for the kids to stir. Guillermo woke up first, at 7 a.m. Perfect. He even had to go wake Maya while I woke up Will.

They loved their gifts. Santa brought Guillermo a Ninjago Lego set; he brought Maya a guitar and another harmonica. Other gifts for Guillermo: a board game, a Greek Gods card game, a Harry Potter DS game, books from Tia, more legos from Lily and Tony, a Star Wars Lego set and a Skateboard. Maya picked up a loom with sparkly yarn to make a hat, a Lego set from Guillermo, books from Tia, a Wii game, and ... hmmm, I'll have to update this a bit later.

I went for a Christmas morning walk and later Maya and I went to a friend's house to deliver a few gifts and stayed for about an hour. The boys didn't leave the house at all, and I think that was the best part of Will's Christmas.

As Will made calzones for dinner, the kids and I decorated the train cake, our Christmas Eve tradition that we postponed a day so they could have a slice of Jesus' birthday cake at church. The train cake, as you will see, is a bit messy. Somehow they ended up in a contest to see who could get the most candy on a train car. Ick! They loved it, though!

He put it together in one day!

Maya, showing off her new Lego set.

The decorated train cake. I promise, there is a train in there.

Christmas Eve

2012-01-04T12:14:00.003-05:00

All dressed up for Church, and dinner, and just one present: A disco ball for Maya and Furno from Hero Factory for Guillermo.

Loving up me!

Smiling with Papa

So excited for the night and day ahead.

The Nutcracker

2011-12-29T15:33:00.004-05:00

Maya and I went to the see the Nutcracker this year. It was the first time for both of us. She wasn't too sure what to make of it at first, but she gasped and sat up a little straighter when the snow flakes danced on stage.

I think her favorite part of the day, besides the make-you-own cupcakes at lunch right before the show, was when I bought her Clara, the nutcracker. As soon as she saw it, she stopped walking and just stared at it. "Mommy!" "Mommy, look!" I couldn't say no, and I didn't want to anyway. We picked up a soldier nutcracker for Guillermo.

Gingerbread House

2011-12-25T21:08:00.004-05:00

On the kids' second day of holiday vacation, we made our gingerbread house (We saw Arthur Christmas on the first day). They love this tradition, likely because they sneak candy while they build it. I think of it as sort of prep for the train cake we make each Christmas Eve. But I also like it because I know that for about 30 minutes of the day, Guillermo and Maya will get along. In fact, they actually like each other. See the proof below:

Having fun!

The finished product

Hanukkah

2011-12-24T22:30:00.008-05:00

At his holiday concert.

Guillermo's class performed a holiday concert at a retirement home on the last day before Winter break. They had been rehearing for weeks. They sang several songs and told holiday "Holiday Ho Ho's" or jokes throughout the performance. Guillermo was part of this joke:

"Hey Guillermo, what does December have that no other month has?

"I don't know, Derrick. What does December have that no other month has?"

"The letter 'D'"

Even better than the joke, though, was that Guillermo volunteered to dance to "O Hanukkah" during the performance. According to his teacher, he has some moves. It was so fun to watch and he apparently really enjoyed the song. In fact, on Christmas morning, he wanted us to play "O Hanukkah" on the stereo while we opened presents.

Holiday Parade

2011-12-24T21:36:00.007-05:00

We braved the cold for another Chapel Hill-Carrboro Holiday parade earlier this month. (it wasn't that cold).

Here are some pictures:

Guillermo, fighting off his friend to get candy.

Maya and one of her bffs.

Lego Fest

2011-12-17T23:03:00.003-05:00

Will took Guillermo to Lego Fest. They came back tired, but armed with goodies.

Ninjago

With a storm trooper

Can you find them?

2011-12-17T22:59:00.002-05:00

This is one of my favorite fall activities: Hiding the kids in the leaves. Unfortunately, I missed it this year, but Will snapped up these cute pictures.

He's in there

I see an arm

UNC Gymnastics

2011-12-17T22:46:00.007-05:00

Guillermo's forward roll

Maya on the bar

Maya has been taking gymnastics since the past summer and loves it. The UNC Gymnastics team hosted a day day of gymnastics for the children of faculty and staff so we took the kids. Maya's eyes lit up when she saw the UNC team practicing and warming up. We didn't tell Guillermo where were going when we loaded him up in the car and even when we walked across campus, knowing he'd rebel against the opportunity. He wasn't too thrilled when he walked into the gym, but he quickly spotted a few friends and then spent the next 90 minutes having a great time on the gym floor. He didn't take one break and left the floor only after he collected the autographs of each one of the female gymnasts. He insists, though, that he doesn't want to go back next year :)

She's a Daisy!

2011-12-17T22:40:00.003-05:00

She's a Daisy

Maya and her good friend, Sophia

Maya joined a Daisy Troop this year. The group meets once a month and she counts down the days starting with the Sunday before her next meeting. Most of the girls in her troop are from the neighborhood or from her preschool. It is a really cute troop and my friends are the leaders, which makes it more fun for me. I like it for another reason. I like mindless sewing. I don't like sewing that requires thought or skill, but I love sewing on her badges, and man does she have a lot of them.

Merry Christmas, I mean Happy Halloween

2011-12-17T22:19:00.004-05:00

Maya and Guillermo

It's nearly Christmas, and I have been lax, too lax, about updating this blog. This fall has been fun, watching Maya jump right in to kindergarten and Guillermo, well, be Guillermo. We've had a great time, but I haven't been very good about documenting that fun here. So, the next few posts are catch-up posts, starting with, of course, Halloween.

Indiana Jones

Maya, a princess

Thankful for Intertwined Hands

2011-11-24T20:07:00.006-05:00

Maya, showing off her little apple pie with the daisy she made out of extra crust on top.

Guillermo preparing to make chutney for the lamb

Happy Thanksgiving!

The four of us celebrated at home and had a nice, relaxing day. We divided up the chores: Guillermo was in charge of deorations; Maya had pies; I had turkey and the sides; and Will was in charge of the lamb. It was quite a feast: tukey and gravy, lamb with pear and blackberry chutney; sweet potatoes, green beans, homemade rolls and apple and pumpkin pie.

We attended a breakfast feast in Maya's class the other day and that night we talked about Thanksgiving. She determined that Native Americans were thankful for bears, because bears gave their lives so the Native Americans could use their fur. Yesterday, however, she looked at me and said: "I just don't know what it means to be thankful. What does that mean?" At Thanksgiving today, she was too shy to say what she was thankful for, but echoed Will when he said he was thankful for the Cardinals. Guillermo said he was thankful for animals.

The best part of today, for me anyway, was the walk in the woods after dinner. Guillermo and Maya pretended I was a monster chasing them and when I would get close, Guillermo would pretend to blast a grappling hook with an attached rope to a faraway tree. He then grabbed Maya's hand and they flew off, together, to the next section of the woods. Pure sweetness!

Rookie of the Year

2011-10-23T21:59:00.003-04:00

There's our Rookie of the Year

Guillermo finished up his first season of coach-pitch last weekend. He had so much fun the entire season. After the last game, his coach handed out certificates from the league and then awards that he made for each player. He gave Guillermo the "Rookie of the Year." He was so proud.

At his favorite position.

Little Droid

At Bat

Just because

2011-10-12T21:01:00.001-04:00

It's such a handsome picture of Guillermo and his favorite things.

I am Reading!

2011-10-12T21:00:00.004-04:00

Maya brought home her first take-home book today and she was thrilled to read it to us.

"It's so easy!" she boasted, but she was so proud she read it twice. "If I get stuck, I just look at the pictures!"

Happy birthday, Will

2011-10-12T20:57:00.003-04:00

Will and his favorite people!

His ice cream birthday cake. So good! Made with love by Maya and me.

Will celebrated his 35th birthday just the way he likes to celebrate all his birthdays: lazily. He slept in, went out for lunch with me, gave a lecture on campus and then watched the Cardinals. A few neighbors came over for cake but otherwise, it was a quiet day. The cardinals lost, a disappointment but the came back the next day for a win for a day-late birthday present.

Baseball Fall

2011-10-12T20:55:00.006-04:00

They are addicted.

It's been a Fall full of Baseball. Guillermo and Will hardly miss a game. Guillermo has been falling asleep listening to the Cardinals on KMOX. He sometimes draws pictures of plays and leaves them by his door for Will to find in the morning. Will, in turn, leaves the final score near Guillermo's door so he can check it in the morning.

Guillermo is also playing baseball this fall. He loves it. His favorite position is catcher because "you get lots of action." He looks like the little boy dressed up as Darth Vader in the Volvo commercial when he has on his catcher's gear. (Don't tell him I said that!)

I lost a tooth!

2011-10-12T20:52:00.005-04:00

Maya lost her first tooth yesterday! Guillermo was thrilled when he lost his. Maya was a little freaked out.

"It feels like my tooth fell out," Maya said at dinner last night.

Sure enough, she had a little hole where her tooth used to be. She had knocked the tooth loose a few months ago when she fell. She was eating an apple at dinner last night when the tooth finally came out.

The sight of the blood made her a little upset and uneasy. We cleaned it up and then I took her to the bathroom to check it out. She looked a little sad and when I asked her if she wanted a hug, she started crying. The bright red spot where her tooth used to be scared her a bit. She cheered up a little later when talk turned to the the tooth fairy and by this morning she was all smiles.

School Days

2011-08-26T10:46:00.009-04:00

Maya and Guillermo started school last week. Maya started kindergarten! She went to a half day of orientation on Friday and came out looking a little sad. I took her to a coffee shop and we shared a cookie. She perked up and revealed that her day had been pretty good, aside from the girl standing in line in front of her, who turned around and made devil horns and a scary face at her "for NO reason!"

She seemed to have a great day today. It was her first full day and she went in feeling pretty good. She came out looking a little sad, but that went away when she saw one of her best friends and they took off running to play behind the school. She told me tonight that her favorite part was nap time and recess, oh and lunch and story time (her teacher read "The Night Before Kindergarten") but please, she asked me, don't pack a banana for snack every day.

Guillermo has had a smooth return back to school. He has a wonderful teacher who gave him a research project about his name. He discovered at school that his name is not so popular, is from Spanish descent and means protector. His job at home was to figure out who came up with the name, the story behind his name, why he likes his name and what his name would have been if he had been a girl (Isabel).

Our return to school couldn't have come fast enough. Guillermo and Maya had had enough of each other by the last week. Check out their doors.

Guillermo's says "No Maya"

Maya took her brother's lead, penning her own sign: "No Guillermo"

New School Year

2011-08-23T21:17:00.003-04:00

A new school year starts in a few days. Guillermo has been assigned a wonderful teacher, Ms. Mellor. His first day is Thursday and he seems really pleased. Some of his best friends are in his class.

Maya starts kindergarten on Friday. She has a half day of orientation and will visit all four sections of kindergarten that day. In the afternoon, after the teachers have assessed the kids, Maya will get a telephone call to learn the name of her teacher.

Our family picture.

Guillermo, with his new teacher.

Showing off the McDougle spirit wear.

Summer At Last

2011-08-23T20:45:00.005-04:00

I have been terrible this summer about posting here, and now I am sad that I didn't record so much of what we did because we had a wonderful summer, a really wonderful summer. We played a lot, swam even more, read a ton and spent so much time together. Guillermo played baseball and Will helped him solidify his love for the Cardinals (taking him to see a game didn't hurt the cause either). Maya took gymnastics and after several tries has mastered the forward roll. Here are some photos of our summer fun.

Guillermo spent a lot of time building and building.

Maya and I met some friends and took the train to Burlington and back, just for fun. And it was fun!

We took a road trip to Peoria and stopped in St. Louis. Here, Guillermo and Maya and fishing at the Magic House.

We took the kids to see a game and the Cardinals won!

In Peoria, Maya being silly with Ya Ya

After watching the Cardinals live, Guillermo couldn't get enough baseball.

Maya had so much fun at gymnastics she is going to take another session in the fall.

Farm Badge

2011-07-07T21:28:00.005-04:00

Guillermo passed the swim badge test at The Farm! You should have seen how proud he was!

If you are younger than 8, you have to take a test to prove you can swim before you go off the slide or the diving boards. The test includes swimming, treading water for a minute, 10 bobs and floating on your back and front. Guillermo has been working up the nerve to take it for a few weeks now and last week, he finally did it (after his swim teacher gave him a confidence boost).

The first thing he did was go off the slide, which didn't prove to be as easy as it looked for him. He got to the top and sat there for several minutes, trying to work up his nerve. He started to inch his way down the slide, holding on tight to the sides and at one point, he even asked me to come get him down. But, his hand slipped and off he went. He had fun, but he decided he didn't want to do it again. He hasn't worked up the nerve to go off the low diving board either. Good thing, because I told him that I would go off the high dive as soon as he went off the low dive! Just thinking about that makes me nervous!

4th of July

2011-07-05T22:00:00.002-04:00

Our 4th of July was a fun, full day that started with Red, White and Blueberry Trifle making at 7:30 a.m. (Maya posed with the finished product) and ended around 10:30 p.m. after sparklers and smoke bombs. In between, the kids rode their bikes in the town parade and then played games at the town carnival. At the carnival Guillermo and Will watched a Ska band who ended up doing a cover of Outkast's Hey Ya, that was weird. It was hot! After lunch, we went swimming and then had friends over for dinner before heading out to another house for sparklers and smoke bombs. On the way out the door to light sparklers, Maya, who played with her friends all day, declared the day "the best day ever," as she is prone to do. A few minutes later, she was in tears, scared because of the noises, smoke and sparklers. She gathered her friends up and they played in the house for the rest of the night.

Guillermo, and his bike.

Maya was pretty pleased with her bike, too.

Disney, Last Day

2011-06-27T20:20:00.003-04:00

Our last day at Disney was a long one. We started at 8 a.m. at Magic Kingdom. We divided up this time. My mom and I took Maya and Will and my father took Guillermo. They headed straight for Space Mountain, but it was out of order so they rode on the Buzz Lightyear ride and went back to Pirates of the Carribbean. We took Maya to fantasy land and, all before 8:45 a.m., we went on Snow White's Scary Adventure, the Peter Pan ride and It's a Small World, twice. We also saw the Wicked Step sisters, the Fair Godmother and returned to Castle Couture, one of Maya's favorite stores at Disney because they sprinkle fairy dust on all over you!

Then we headed to Epcot for a Princess breakfast. It was so fun to watch Maya again. She was bouncy and talkative to us, shy to the princesses. She met Snow White, Ariel, Cinderella and Belle and walked in the princess procession around the restaurant. I'm glad it was on the last day because that was hard to top.

Maya posing with Belle in the picture, which is a "gift from Belle."

Will and my father brought Guillermo over to Epcot because Guillermo really wanted to check out Japan. He loved it so much, they spent about 2.5 hours in that part of the park alone. It was really cool. Lots of Japanese products, we ate sushi, and guillermo bowed saying konichiwa to every japanese person in the place. They loved him. Lots of cool products including sushi candy.

We met up with them and then headed over to Hollywood Studios to see the Indiana Jones stunt show, a most-see according to a friend of Guillermo's. The park was hot, crowded, humid, and hot. Really hot! I thought I was going to have a breakdown. We could hear the Indiana Jones show from the waiting area and we decided right away it was too loud for Maya so we took her to see Beauty in the Beast while Will and Guillermo waited for their show. I'm not sure how Will kept Guillermo cool, but Maya cooled off with a huge bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream. The show was fun and sweet.

Afterward my parents took Maya back to the hotel and I met up with Will and Guillermo for the Star Wars ride. It was fun, and the line seemed a bit shorter than it really was after a few Storm Troopers ran next to Guillermo and posed for a picture. (We didn't get to the park early enough for Guillermo and Maya to do Jedi training, darn it). The ride was fun, Guillermo loved it anyway, we came out of it and saw it was pouring. Finally, we got to use the ponchos Will had been carrying around for days. We made our way to the bus and back to our hotel, saying Goodbye to Disney.

Disney (Universal), Day 3

2011-06-27T20:19:00.000-04:00

On the third day, we went to Universal Studios Island of Adventure to see Harry Potter world. It was really cool. Well, hot, but really cool. We stood in a very long line to go through Hogwarts Castle, which was amazing, but then Guillermo, Maya and I skipped out on the ride, leaving that to my parents. The kids went crazy in the gift shop while we waited for them. Ya Ya and grandpa bought Guillermo Hedwig and Guillermo has barely let him out of his sight since then. My parents bought Maya a unicorn. Of course they fell in love with these stuffed animals before 9 a.m. and my wonderful father carried them around the whole day in the heat! Guillermo and I drank butterbeer and he ate every flavor beans. He also picked up a wand and of all the choices he had, he choose Lord Voldemort's wand. Later, he and my mother went on the Hippogriff roller coaster, his first and he said it rocked!

Maya, meanwhile, had a great time in Seussland. She rode the trollytrain and a few other rides, which was good because she had been scared of most of the rides during our whole trip. Seussland was really cool for kids. One ride took us through the story of the Cat and the Hat. We sat on couches and watched the story on the walls as we zoomed through the building. It was really cool. On another ride, we rode in fishes and got squirted with water, which felt great!

One of the things G and M loved best of all at Universal was the talking fountain. It was in the Lost Continent part of the park and it would talk to the kids and shoot water out at them. Other times, it would just spray water from the top and the kids, as you can see, could get soaked. Guillermo was so wet he was pouring water out of his shoes. Maya was more cautious, but got plenty wet herself.

Disney, Days 1 & 2

2011-06-25T14:26:00.009-04:00

We braved Disney World for 3 1/2 days and a blast! We hit all four parks, plus snuck in a day at Universal Island of Adventures.

Maya could barely contain herself when she saw and hugged the princesses and Guillermo went on his first waterslide and roller coaster.

We arrived Monday afternoon, met my parents at the hotel and the hopped on shuttle to Magic Kingdom. We arrived in time to see a show in front of the castle and then headed off to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, which ultimately was Guillermo's favorite.

Showing off his pirate skills at Magic Kingdom. He brought the ears and the hook home with him.

Maya loved the castle, and was thrilled beyond belief when, after dinner, we stood in a very short line to meet Aurora, Ariel and Cinderella. She could see the princesses as we waited in line and literally ran circles around me, proclaiming, "I am running in circles!"

You can barely see Maya's face, but what you can see shows pure delight!

We stayed at Magic Kingdom late that night to see the electric parade and that meant that everyone slept in on Tuesday. That was OK, but it put us back a bit at Animal Kingdom, which was hot, really, really hot and humid! We were able to walk around a bit, Maya got some autographs, Guillermo checked out the Jurassic section and we all went on the safari, which was really cool. Then, Guillermo and Will headed out and Maya, Ya Ya, my father and I went to the Festival of the Lion King show. It was amazing! Maya declared that her favorite part of the park. That, and eating ice cream, which she managed to do every night we were there. We returned to the hotel midday and Guillermo went down the hotel waterslide at least a dozen times.

Her Party

2011-06-15T22:01:00.003-04:00

We celebrated Maya's birthday with a party a week after her birthday. She had wanted a firefly party and for all of the kids to come at night and catch fireflies. I told her she had to have a day party. She was also planning a dragonfly party for next year so I convinced her to have a garden-themed party this year to combine both themes. She was thrilled. The kids painted flower pots and then planted marigolds in them, hid bugs and then found bugs throughout the house, played floral shop with a bunch of fake flowers, ate lunch and cake and then ran through the sprinkler and played water hopscotch. Maya declared it a success, and so did Will and I, after we recovered from the party of 10 girls and 1 boy.

The Cake

Maya had very specific instructions about how she wanted the cake to look. They were so specific, in fact, that we made several sketches to ensure we didn't mess up. The final cake didn't quite turn out as the sketches. In fact, to me the cake is quite a mess. But Maya and I worked on it together and had so much fun improvising when it became clear our original plans wouldn't fit on the top of the cake as we had planned. And, when we were finished decorating, Maya took a deep breath in and then said "I love it! This is just how I imagined it would look!" I heard her tell several of her friends at her party that we made the cake "from scratch, no recipe."

Happy Birthday, Maya

2011-06-05T21:55:00.004-04:00

Happy birthday, Maya!

We had a low-key celebration for Maya today but she had a great day nonetheless. We started with a trip to Krispy Kreme and some playtime on campus. Then, we came home and opened presents. The picture below is of her opening a DSi, to replace her broken Leapster. She was elated.

Later, her BFF Sophia came over for birthday treats and playtime in the water hopscotch, the sprinkler and Maya's new Polly Pockets.

She cried tonight at bedtime because she didn't want her birthday to end.

Maya found a recipe for these in a cook book and decided this was the desert she wanted for her birthday. She helped make the cookie dough, roll it out, cut the flower shapes and decorate the cookies. And, she helped scoop the ice cream in the cups and turn the coconut green for the grass.

She was so proud and so happy!

Butterflies

2011-05-28T21:43:00.004-04:00

The last day of school at Maya's preschool is always "Splash Day!" I was so grateful this year. The day is so fun for the kids. They run around in sprinklers and play in wading pools. This year, one sprinkler was aimed at the slide on the playground and the kids had a great time sliding really fast down the wet slide. The teacher set up tubs with babies for kids to wash them, had shaving cream so the students could paint the windows and set up a car wash near a line of three Little Tyke cars. Maya and her friends dug up the mulch and built a river. Then, they chased Tommy Cat, a boy in her class who likes to pretend he is a kitty, just like most of the class.

The school had an end-of-the-year celebration for the whole school and parents last week. The teachers said goodbye and handed out books they made for each student. The books had a page for every month the kids had been in school, along with a photo and an example of their artwork. These books are treasures.

The night before Maya's last day, a friend's facebook status said this: "If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies." I decided that would have to be my motto for the day, if I was going to get by with no tears. I dropped Maya off at school, watched her play for a bit in the water, and then headed to work. That was as far as I got without tears, but at least I didn't let Maya see me cry.

After school, I waited eagerly for Maya and her classmates to step off the elevator. I told myself to be strong, and I was. I expected to see a big smile on Maya's face, but instead, she bit her lip, walked over to me pretty slowly and then started crying. I just hugged her. After a bit, she said "I just don't want to leave this school." I took several deep breaths, tried to keep my composure and helped dry her tears. When we walked out of the school, she was beaming, excited about a giant playdate we had planned. My eyes were red with tears. Oh, I'm going to miss that place!

Magical Night

2011-05-28T21:19:00.002-04:00

Guillermo picked up his medal for completing the Principal's Challenge the other night, and was as proud as he could be. He completed 25 projects about magic and wizardry, a topic he choose, since the start of school. One of the projects: Sewing a wizard's cloak. He helped sew a lot of it, and despite the uneven hem and a few other problems, we are quite proud of the finished result since neither of us know how to sew.

He also made the hat and the wand. And, at the Challenge event, he performed a magic trick that widened the eyes of his peers and his principal! In the trick, he asks someone to pick any color crayon from a box and place it in his hands behind his back. Without looking at the crayon or the crayon box, he is able to guess what color he was holding. It is pretty amazing ;)

On the night of the challenge event, we set up a table to show off some of the things Guillermo made for the challenge. And, we handed out exploding chocolate frogs and stars. I mistakenly thought that Harry Potter ate exploding chocolate frogs in one of the books. It turns out, Harry does eat chocolate frogs, but they don't explode. I thought adding the exploding part was a nice touch and the kids loved them. Recipe: melt chocolate, add pop rocks and then set in a frog-shaped molds, or whatever kind of molds you like. Eat after the chocolate has set.

Fast Cars

2011-05-28T21:08:00.003-04:00

Will took Guillermo to a race track in Virginia. I wish I could give you some details, but I can't even tell you what track they are at. Look for an update here when Will has a chance to post.

Zany Day

2011-05-28T21:05:00.002-04:00

Her class made it all the way to the letter Z, and celebrated with "Zany Week." Maya's outfit was for "Zany Day." She wants you to know that her shirt is on inside out.

Maya Graduates!

2011-05-19T20:58:00.002-04:00

Maya has one more week of preschool! Tonight, her school hosted its end-of-the-school-year celebration. She was so proud!

Bugs

2011-05-19T17:25:00.003-04:00

A typical question from Guillermo:

"Mom, do you know any bugs with transporting power?"

Mother's Day

2011-05-13T20:25:00.005-04:00

Cutest Mother's Day Notes:

I had a wonderful day that included sleeping in, baking with Maya, reading with Guillermo, reading all by myself and ice cream with the whole family! Guillermo made me a Lego universe and Maya made a special card for me. Plus, they gave me these cute notes. So happy to be their mom!

Brotherly Concern

2011-05-11T21:59:00.002-04:00

"Mom, I'm a littlenervous about kindergarten," Maya said from the backseat yesterday.

"What makes you nervous? I asked.

"Maya," Guillermo politely interrupted. "Most kids in kindergarten aren't nervous by the time they are in second grade."

I choked back a laugh. In second grade, two whole years away. As kind as he was being, that's a long time to go, especially for that a 4 1/2 year old.

"Do you still get nervous at school," I asked Guillermo.

"No," he said. "The only time I was nervous was during the fire drills."

Brotherly Love

2011-05-10T21:59:00.004-04:00

Maya was getting ready for bed, snuggling with beary, one of her stuffed animals.

"I love this bear so much!" she said. "Guillermo gave it to me, on Valentine's Day."

"He did?" I asked.

"Yes, he said if I went in the house, he would give it to me," she answered.

"Oh, I don't remember that."

"You and Guillermo wanted to come inside and I didn't want to so he gave me the bear to come inside," she said.

"Oh," I answered and started to read her book.

"Mom," she interrupted. "I know I can't marry Guillermo, but I really really want to."

"You love your brother, don't you," I said to her.

"Yes," she answered and snuggled her bear some more.

Soccer Saturday

2011-05-08T22:11:00.004-04:00

Maya shoots, scores and

celebrates!

Pirate Day

2011-05-08T22:04:00.005-04:00

Ahoy there matey! This is from "Dress Like a Pirate Day" at Maya's school. She was so excited about the costume, not even the Royal wedding could distract her. Well, maybe it did just a little, but mostly she was just glad to be a pirate for the day because it involved finding the treasure chest at her school.

"I can read your mind"

2011-05-06T21:30:00.005-04:00

Maya is starting to catch on to her brother's trickery.

Most nights at dinner start with this:

"Guillermo, is it 'first the worst' or 'zero the hero?'" Maya asks.

She is referring to a game Guillermo learned at school or made up. In the case of dinner, it goes like this:

The first person to sit down at the table is "First the Worst."

Second is "Second the Best"

Third is "Third is the one with the treasure chest" or "Third is the one with the polka dot dress" or "Third is the one with the hairy chest," depending on who sits down and who is making the rules and their mood.

However, sometimes, the first person to sit down is "zero the hero" and the second person is "first the worst," and so on. It all depends on Guillermo, who makes the rules because Maya lets him and Will and I don't really participate.

After she washed her hands one night last week, Maya asked him before she sat down: "Is it "first the worst?" or "zero the hero?"

"I'm not going to tell you until you sit down," he taunted.

She sat.

"First the worst!" he yelled.

"Guillermo!" she shouted at him. "I don't like this game. I can read your mind now. Every time I sit down first, it's 'first the worst.' When you sit down first, it's 'zero the hero.' I'm not playing anymore!"

And that's the last we've played of that game, for now.

Star Wars Soccer

2011-05-06T21:23:00.005-04:00

I love taking Guillermo to soccer, not just because I love watching him play. I love hearing the conversations on the field because they remind me of my own 7-year-old son.

After a recent Saturday afternoon game, one family handed out popsicles. 'The red popsicles are Darth Vader's light saber," I heard one kid say as he and another boy engaged in a quick light saber duel.

Yesterday at practice, one kid referred to the goal as the Millennium Falcon. "Kick the ball to blow up the Millennium Falcon," one killed yelled. In this case, I hoped the Imperial Forces won because Guillermo was goalie. He didn't mind. He likes to be the bad guy, sometimes.

Easter

2011-04-30T21:16:00.005-04:00

Maya practiced finding Easters Eggs throughout the house the week before Easter. She wanted to be ready.

She was. Of all things, she was most excited about her Easter Morning Egg Hunt in the back yard. Well, a few weeks earlier, she was more excited about her new Easter bonnet, which she wore for no more than five minutes all day. As the day drew nearer, she just couldn't wait to search for eggs. She and Guillermo found plenty.

And they were plenty pleased, as you can see here:

Best Thing

2011-04-30T21:05:00.004-04:00

I was snuggling with Maya tonight, right after reading to her before bedtime. We had a long day that started at 6 a.m. when both kids woke up in our tent, ready for the day to begin. From then, they ate donuts, watched a little more TV then normal (while Will and I recovered from our camping trip at the Farm and early wake up call), painted a birdhouse, ran nerf bullets for her brother and a friend, shopped for an elusive butterfly catcher and hung out with our friend Thomas.

"What was the best part of your day?" I asked her sleepily.

"Youuuuuuuu!" She responded.

Best ever!

Dolphin Camel Returns from Paraguay

2011-04-21T21:23:00.005-04:00

In their Paraguay soccer jerseys

Maya showing off her heart-shaped container from Paraguay.

Will was in Paraguay last week, talking about air pollution. The kids and I had a great week, really great, in fact. But we were all happy, extremely happy, when Will came home. And you should have seen Guillermo's face when Will presented him with a gift from Paraguay. He lit up and was way cuter than he is in the picture above with his silly smile and wild hair ;). He ran to his room and emerged seconds later in his Paraguay jersey.

Maya has started calling Will Dolphin Camel. I'm not exactly sure why, but I think it has something to do with the fact that the mascot at Guillermo's school is a dolphin and Will used to bring stuffed animal camels home from his trips to the United Arab Emirates. She was bouncing off the walls when Will came home "Dolphin camel, you are home! Dolphin Camel. Dolphin Camel!"

Ninja Snail

2011-04-14T22:09:00.003-04:00

Today was national poem in your pocket day.

Here is the poem Guillermo brought:

The ninja snail is after you

Sneaking up to do some harm

He would be really deadly too

If he had a leg or arm

By David Chiapperino

"I'll be a Daddy"

2011-04-10T23:02:00.002-04:00

Maya and Will

"Look, I've got hair," Maya said, sort of beaming, as she pointed to her legs this afternoon.

"Yes, you do have a little," I answered.

"I guess I'll be a daddy then!" she answered.

Hmmmmm.

Spring Break

2011-04-09T18:45:00.006-04:00

Sorry for the delay in updates. Our computer with all of the photos crashed and it took a few days to get it replaced. But, here are a few pictures from the kids spring break. UPDATED photos.

Guillermo and Maya both had Spring break at the end of last month. Big papa came to help out with the kids while Will and I worked. The kids loved having him here. Maya doesn't stop talking when she is around him, and her nonstop chatter is one sign that she is pretty content.

Despite a lot of rain, Guillermo attended a soccer camp throughout the week. He was the youngest one, and had a little trouble with that, but overall, he had fun.

Guillermo went to a few birthday parties during the break, including one where the kids made their own shields and daggers.

A day after the dagger and shield party, we went to the N.C. Renaissance Faire and watched battle after battle.

April Sushi

2011-04-04T21:18:00.004-04:00

My best effort at an April Fool's Day joke: April Sushi!

Isn't it cute? And yummy ... if you are a kid, anyway.
I can't take credit for the idea. I found it in a magazine.

Geneva Convention

2011-04-03T20:38:00.005-04:00

Guillermo, Maya and Big Papa were having a Nerf battle in the house the other day. Guillermo and Big Papa were battling it out, while Maya was in her normal role of bullet runner. That means she runs and picks up the bullets on the ground and then distributes them to the players. When she does this, she carries across a small Army medic messenger bag draped across her body.

The rule is, of course, that you don't shoot at Maya.

Of course, Guillermo likes to violate this rule and he did the other day in front of Big Papa. He stopped the game and explained the relevant parts of the Geneva Convention to Guillermo.

And to this, Guillermo had an answer. He went into his room, pulled the silver cross off of the top of his bookshelf, and carried it back out to the battle field, ready to battle again.

Lesson learned, sort of.

Did You Know?

2011-03-24T22:44:00.005-04:00

Maya is excited for Will's father to visit this weekend, but was a little confused this afternoon when I called him her grandfather. "He's not my grandpa," she said. "He's Big Papa."

"That's right, he's Big Papa," I said. "That's what we call him but he is your grandfather. He is papa's father and that means he is your grandfather."

"Oh, I get it," Maya said.

A few seconds later, she leaned over to Sophia in the back seat of the car.

"Did you know, my papa has parents," Maya whispered.

Sophia nodded.

"It's like he's a kid," Maya said and the girls erupted into giggles.

Elephant and Piggie

2011-03-20T20:19:00.004-04:00

I absolutely love Mo Willems! Guillermo's class has been reading his books a lot this year and they crack me up. I think I like them more than my kids, though they really like them, too. Over the holidays, we read a lots of Elephant and Piggie, and took turns being each character. The best part of the books, though, are the expressions on the character faces.

On the River

2011-03-17T20:32:00.003-04:00

Our friends are moving to Europe for a few years and the only good thing to come of it is that they loaned us their canoe while they are gone.

Will has really missed paddling since college. We nearly purchased a canoe a few years ago but then something big at our house broke, though I'm not sure what it was, and we had to spend money on that. So this loaner is going to be great.

We took it out last weekend on the Eno River. We were going to start at a nearby lake but it is still closed for the winter so we braved the river, especially because we paddled on the flatwater section of the river (though it was near the dam, which made me a little nervous and caused Guillermo say the word dam over and over and giggle).

We paddled upstream and admired all of the turtles (it's too early for the snakes to come out!). On the way back, the kids got a little restless so we pulled over and hiked up the trails and found a tee pee that Guillermo insisted was still in use. When we pulled back into our starting place, without going over the dam, I was so happy about our wonderful family day. I can't wait for more!

Catching a Leprechaun

2011-03-17T20:16:00.006-04:00

Catching a leprechaun is not easy, especially when you start building your trap five minutes before book time at night.

All day Guillermo talked about making a Lego trap for the leprechauns but he kept finding something else to do instead of building the trap. It didn't help that it was a soccer practice night, followed by a special dinner of Lucky Charms (that counts as festive for St. Patrick's Day, doesn't it?) then a Nerf battle, and finally read-out-loud time.

But we started at 7:55 p.m. Guillermo made the Lego trap while I searched for a giant rubber band. We ended up with a bungee cord. We hung it to the door and hooked the other end to a Bakugan carrying case, but that didn't really do much. So we propped a large book against a giant green Lego board to trap the leprechaun as soon as he came into the room. That seemed like a good idea but we couldn't figure out how to get Guillermo's trap to fall on top of the leprechaun. We kept trying until Guillermo told me that if you catch a leprechaun, you have to watch it for 25 hours without blinking. ("I hope you can wink, mom.")

And then it occurred to Guillermo that the leprechaun might not come into our room through the door. It might come in through the window. "I can't secure all of that," he said. And, instantly, and a little sadly, our effort was finished. I kissed him goodnight and he went back to his Lego table to play while Will continued to read him his bedtime story.

I'm trying to decide if a leprechaun should trash his room tonight while he sleeps. I love the idea, but I know I'd be the one who would have to clean it up. (And yes, I know we are a day late, but he doesn't so that's Ok, right?)

GOAAAL!

2011-03-06T21:50:00.005-05:00

Watch out Twisters! Maya is just getting warmed up!

In her first game of her career, Maya stole the ball from the herd, dribbled down the field and then slammed the ball into the top left corner of the net! Goaaaal!

OK, I'm not sure all of that is true, but she did score in her first game. She rocked it. She wasn't timid. She was ready and full of confidence. She ran hard the whole game, never got wimpy and even kicked the ball in the net once. I wish I could tell you the details. Sadly, I missed it as I was at the boy's game, but she was so proud. Her league is made up of 3 and 4 year olds, so it helps that she is one of the older (though not bigger) kids on the field. More importantly than the goal, though, is that she had so much fun and has been counting down the days until her next practice.

Guillermo running with the big boys.

Guillermo had his first game in more than year this weekend and he did great. He ran hard, played some good defense and had fun. He is on a great team. Many of them have been together for the past four seasons and some of them have together for five or six. His coaches are wonderful. They know the game and, more importantly, know how to handle boys this age. Some of his teammates are pretty good, and pretty serious, which is a big change from the last time Guillermo played in this league (though he was 4 at the time). They spread out a little more and played their positions a lot better than I expected and some can knock the ball really far and really hard.

Ready for Soccer

2011-03-02T20:18:00.003-05:00

Soccer season has started. Guillermo has his first practice tonight. Maya's first practice was rained out but both have games on Saturday!

Artists

2011-02-26T21:31:00.003-05:00

My masterpiece :)

Inspired by my masterpiece, both kids asked if I would buy them canvasses so they could make their own works of art. Here are their works in progress:

Guillermo, working on his battle scene. This is the bad guys' castle.

Maya, who started mimicking my painting and then made some changes.

Country Girl

2011-02-26T21:19:00.004-05:00

These were just too cute not to share. By the way, Maya calls this dress her "marrying dress." She didn't get married that day.

Everybody Get Up!

2011-02-26T20:06:00.006-05:00

Working on his James Brown poster.

The finished project. It's hard to tell, but there is a picture of James Brown from a Simpsons episode.

One of Guillermo's assignments this month was to make a poster about an African American who has changed the world, or who has changed the student's world. Guillermo wasn't quite sure who to pick so I threw out some names: Martin Luther King (who he knows about), John Coltrane (One of papa's favorite musicians), James Brown. I didn't have to go further than that. James Brown it is.

Guillermo falls asleep nearly every night listening to a James Brown cd Will made for him. For the project, Will and Guillermo listened to a bunch of James Brown songs and then lots of music that sampled James Brown, who is, as you will see on Guillermo's poster, is not just the "Godfather of Soul" or the "Hardest Working Man in Show Business" but also the "Most Sampled Musician in History." Guillermo's job on that task was to figure out what instrument was sampling James Brown. He then featured not only James Brown on his poster, but also pictures of records that sampled James Brown.

It was a perfect project for Will, and Guillermo.

The Ugly Duckling

2011-02-26T19:51:00.006-05:00

On our way to the Ugly Duckling

Today was a wonderful day with friends for Maya and I and bike riding for Will and Guillermo.

Pat and I took Maya and Sophia to see the The Ugly Duckling Ballet (a story, I learned this week, that I don't think I really like). However, the ballet was beautiful. Maya loved the dancing, but more than that, she loved the costumes, especially the spring flowers and with their long ribbons, and, of course, the white, glittery swans. The show was a matinee filled with kids so it didn't matter that Maya spoke throughout much of it. She was enamored, even with the orchestra.

After the show, we walked through downtown Raleigh and had lunch and then wandered upon the Raleigh Chili festival, which featured face painting, a bouncy house and a photo booth, among other things (mainly booths of different restaurants offering up samples of their chili). Maya and Sophia picked unicorns for their face, had their pictures taken, bounced, and even picked up mardi gras beads, which they pretended were pet snakes. It really was a sweet day.

Another Tooth Missing

2011-02-17T22:50:00.004-05:00

I won't write about every tooth Guillermo losses, I promise, but this one is too good. He is now missing both his front two teeth. After a weekend of twisting and turning it, Guillermo finally lost it last Sunday.

Valentine's Day

2011-02-16T17:44:00.006-05:00

Flowers for me from Guillermo and Will.

I can't remember a more fun Valentine's Day than this one.

It started days in advance because Maya was so excited for the special holiday about love. She checked her calendar every day to find out how many days were left before the big day. She and Guillermo started making their Valentine's a week in advance (Maya was still finishing her's up the morning of.)

They both had fun at their parties and when they got home, they found Valentine's presents from their grandparents: a Fancy Nancy sticker book and princess paper dolls for Maya and a Nerf gun for Guillermo. He was over the moon. "This is awesome!" he exclaimed when he opened it. "Nothing says I love you like a Nerf gun," I told him. He beamed. "You don't hear that every day."

The best part, for me, was the end of the day, when Guillermo sat patiently with Maya, helping her with her new Wii game, Dora's birthday adventure.

"My Daughter Loves Me"

2011-02-10T21:56:00.005-05:00

Will and I attended the Engineers Without Borders annual fundraising dinner last weekend. The entire night was really fun, but one of Will's former colleagues shared a story that I really loved (and so did Will's colleague).

Will's colleague, a retired UNC engineering professor, was giving a talk to students and some faculty once and, trying to start the discussion, asked Will directly "What is one thing you are certain of?"

Without even thinking, Will replied: "My daughter loves me."

I loved that. So did Will's colleague. Since Will is so trained to think scientifically, his colleague said, it meant a lot that Will's first reaction was tied to family.

Studs and Plates

2011-02-09T12:32:00.004-05:00

Guillermo took the first of three Lego machine-building classes last night. I have not seen him so excited in a long time. Every time the teacher, who said the kids could call him coach, asked the class a question, Guillermo's arm shot up. Sometimes he had the right answer, a few times his answer was wrong and several times he had no clue, and said so. I haven't seen him in action at his regular school so I don't know if this is how he behaves there, but I sort of doubt it.

Maya and I had planned to leave the class so we could do some Valentine's Day shopping (for our special Valentine's) but right away Maya wanted to stay and Guillermo wanted us to as well so we settled in for the next 75 minutes.

The teacher taught the kids the names of many of the bricks and other Lego pieces and then asked them to build a simple machine following his instructions. They ended up building a lever and had to figure out where the spot for the fulcrum would be. His "assignment" was to build more levers before the next week. He went home and started right away. The best part: He asked me to help.

She's On A Bike

2011-01-30T21:47:00.003-05:00

We finally got Maya on the trail-a-bike today!

We've been trying for more than a year and today was the day. Will started out slow, walking the front bike while she sat on the back but pretty quickly he hopped on and they rode and rode and rode. And, then they came back for Guillermo and me and we rode to Johnny's to celebrate. That was Guillermo's idea. He wanted to celebrate Maya's success (and get himself something good to drink). After Johnny's, we rode to the park and played for awhile and then rode home. Will decided to take us down the big hill leading into our neighborhood. I was pretty nervous about Maya, but Will took it slow until the end when he let up on the break and I heard Maya shout "Woo Hoo!"

We finished the awesome 60-degree day off with sushi and "that chicken I really like" for Maya. (Tempura chicken, by the way.)

Slumber Party x 2

2011-01-28T21:36:00.004-05:00

Playing Wii in her princess dress with cat whiskers on her face.

Guillermo is at another slumber party tonight.

Maya is in her room hosting her first sleepover. She and her friend are asleep now, but the night couldn't have gone any smoother.

Maya and her friend played in Maya's castle, played Just Dance for Kids and raced bikes, ate pizza and ice cream and watched a video. I read them a book right before bed and then they fell right to sleep.

Let's hope the rest of the night goes as smoothly.

"I Knew in My Heart I Could Do It"

2011-01-28T21:14:00.003-05:00

The family that exercises together ...

Will came home early Tuesday so I decided to sneak in a run before dinner. The kids wanted to go with me so I ran and they rode, with Will keeping pace with Maya. Guillermo and I decided to go through the woods. We tried to convince Maya, who was on her bike without pedals, to turn around with Will and go home, but she was up for the challenge.

Guillermo and I went ahead but slowed down a bit when we came to a few fallen trees blocking our path. We stopped and then waited for Maya to catch up. She was coming down a gradual, but bumpy slope and she had a huge smile on her face.

She came to a perfect stop next to us.

"I knew I could do it!" she beamed.

Will said the whole way down she kept saying "I know in my heart I can do this!"

Slumber and Droids

2011-01-23T17:52:00.005-05:00

Guillermo attended his first slumber party this weekend. This one was for his good friend who was turning 8. Guillermo had fun, but he didn't divulge too many details. The birthday boy's mother said the boys fell asleep around 11 p.m. and woke up at 7:30 a.m. The party invitation called for pizza making, wii battling and carrot cake eating and then a morning hike through the woods. The slumber party was right down the road so Guillermo stayed for a good part of the afternoon the next day. He was tired, of course, so he and Will settled in to watch Star Wars on Saturday afternoon while Maya and I did a lot of shopping and playing.

Meanwhile, Maya was pretty excited about her family fun night with Will and I while Guillermo was at his slumber party. It started with her trying to pick up the Wii Lego Star Wars battle that Guillermo had been playing. I tried to help, but didn't really know how to play so I sort of gave up on her. I went to get dinner on the table and told her I couldn't help her for a little bit. A few minutes later, I heard her shout "help, mom." I told her I'd be there in a few minutes but she kept shouting "help." By the time I got to the living room, she looked shell-shocked and then she burst into tears.

"I needed your help. The droids were getting me!"

"I can help you now," I offered.

"I killed them all," she sobbed.

"That's great," I told her.

She was completely frazzled and quickly switched off the game. I could barely contain my laughter.

We finished the night off by watching Ponyo. What a sweet movie.

Another Tooth Gone

2011-01-20T06:39:00.007-05:00

Guillermo lost another tooth! It's his third, if you are keeping track.

He lost it Monday evening, after twisting and wiggling it for a good hour in bed when he was supposed to be sleeping. He came into my room at about 10 p.m. to show me the new empty space in his mouth. He was adorable. Well, he was adorable if you find kids with big, gaping holes in their mouths adorable, which I normally don't, but Guillermo is my kid so I thought he looked sweet.

Now, I'm not so sure. Teeth are starting to come in on the bottom room of his mouth, and these teeth are giant, like linebackers next to ballet dancers. His teeth already are crowded as it is (it's hard to get tooth floss between some of them), and Guillermo's dentist warned us it would get worse. She's even advised that he may need braces by the time he is 8, but she was hopeful that we might be able to wait until 10 or so.

On the top row of teeth, it just looks empty. I am not entirely sure what happened up there. One day around winter break, his teeth were lined up in a row the way most teeth are and the next day, it looked like he was missing one. Somehow, the front right tooth had shifted toward the middle and was pretty loose. Now, he has a pretty wide gap. I'll work on getting a photo in the next few days.

Happy birthday, Baby G

2011-01-15T00:00:00.005-05:00

Guillermo turned 7 today! We celebrated with mid-day gifts and a store-bought carrot cake. Ugh. Carrot cake! He picked it out after a suggestion from one of his best friends and then had the nerve to ask if I could buy it from a store. Maya had suggested a few weeks ago that she wanted to buy a cake from a bakery after she saw the magic they could do with frosting. Anyway, enough about my hurt feelings ... :)

Guillermo had a great day. He picked up a few video games, a Lego Star Wars book, a book about Greek Myths, a Ninjago Lego set and a magic potions kit. Score!

We celebrated his birthday at a friend's house Friday night and then hosted a birthday party for him on Saturday at Frankie's Fun Park. He had a great time. It was a bit overwhelming for me, trying with Will to keep an eye on all of the kids, but he had a great time. They played in the fun house and played video games, and ended it with laser tag. Guillermo saved the tickets he won from video games, hoping to collect enough on future visits so he can buy a pop gun like his friend was able to do.

It was a good weekend. I can't believe my baby is 7!

RIP Grandma

2011-01-13T16:25:00.003-05:00

My grandmother passed away this week. I didn't make it to the funeral, but my sister and I wrote this to be read during the service. We love you, grandma!

We are sad not to be here today to honor our grandmother in person, but we wanted to share with you some of the things we loved about her.

Our grandma was loyal, extremely hardworking, and loving and feisty at the same time. It never occurred to us as kids, of course, how ahead of her time she really was, working full time while having children at home. Or, how it was unusual for grandpa to wash dishes after dinner or help around the house as much as he did. Thank you both for teaching us that at such an early age. As for the feisty part, we got it and love and appreciate it. Our husbands might say we inherited that gene from you, grandma.

It’s hard to talk about grandma without talking about our grandfather. For us, they just go together as a solid pair. We use to giggle when they would talk about going square dancing. Now, we admire the sweet way they showed their love to each other.

Through both of them, we learned to love camping, playing cards and water slides, Mallomars, Dilly Bars and corn diggers, family thanksgivings with grandma’s homemade noodles that we still haven’t been able to make on our own, Pepsi (except for Julie) and shopping trips to Quincy and Walmart.

We must admit, we never grew to love your Red Devil ham.

I’m sure Julie would have had fond memories of her trip to Disney World with our grandparents if she hadn’t started missing our parents so badly halfway through the trip, forcing them to turn around and take her home. Of course, she was just four.

Grandma, thank you for the beautiful quilts you made each of us. They keep us warm throughout the year and remind us of you every time we see them. They are so much more to us than just blankets.

But, mostly, thank you both, grandma and grandpa, for the love and compassion you gave us. We know how lucky we are that you were so much apart of our lives as we were growing up.

Grandma, we are so happy that you are now reunited with grandpa in Heaven. We’ve missed him, but we know how much you have missed him, too.

Grandpa, knowing you, and your love for our grandmother, we bet you have quilting needles waiting for her and you’ve already found her a Hickory Stick so she can start quilting again. And, we hope the two of you can spend an eternity laughing, loving, playing cards, dancing and even find some time to check in on us.

Sign Language

2011-01-06T21:53:00.003-05:00

Maya told me at the beginning of the school year that she wanted to learn sign language. She said it a few days after school started so I thought she might have learned a little at school. I told her I would get a book at the library so we could learn together, but I forgot each time I went to pick out new books, of course.

But, I remembered during Christmas shopping and for Christmas, in her box of books, she found a sign language book. She is loving it. We have learned baby, milk, eat, water, happy, sad, soccer, dance, basketball, baseball, cat, TV, refrigerator, mom, dad, brother and sister. Maybe more.

It was S week at her school this week and for show and share, she decided to share her knowledge of sign language. I was so proud of her. She brought her book to school so she could demonstrate the signs and her teachers could follow along or help teach the class. She was so proud, and the whole family is having fun learning a new language. It's especially fun this week (at least for me) because Will's grandmother is here so we are practicing words in three languages: English, Spanish and Sign.

Family Christmas

2010-12-30T09:26:00.006-05:00

After church on Christmas Eve.

I'm back at work, still so happy about our Christmas break. I love Christmas because we spend so much time together as a family. A few weeks ago, Maya and I flew to Denver for a Mother/Daughter party that my sister hosted. (It's not really a tea party; more like a cocktail party with juice for the kids). Maya wore a shiny silver outfit for the occasion, an outfit, like most of her others, that came from Lily. My sister said it brought tears to her eyes to see Maya in the outfit as she remembered Lily in it just a few years ago.

Dad and Maya at Julie's

Ya Ya and Maya

Then, on Christmas Eve, my parents flew in for the week and we had a great visit. Guillermo shared with them his e-mail from Santa on Christmas Eve. On Christmas Day, they watched as the kids opened their presents and then helped set up everyone's Mii and helped decorate our train cake. The rest of the week, we went shopping, played a lot of Wii bowling and just hung out. My parents watched Maya and Guillermo while Will and I spent an evening away at the King's Daughters Inn in Durham. It's a beautiful bed and breakfast across from Duke University.

And when my parents left, it was the four of us and we had such a nice few days together. I wasn't ready for it to end, but I was happy that each of us went back to our daily non-vacation routine happy that we spent it together. Next year, we need to get Jen and William here to celebrate with us as well!

Maya, Will and Guillermo

It was a Wii Christmas

2010-12-30T09:17:00.003-05:00

Merry Christmas!

At last, we have a Wii. And Guillermo couldn't be more happy. It was a Christmas present to him and Maya from my parents and Guillermo is over the moon. He's had non-stop Lego Star Wars and Super Mario Galaxy 2 on our television since Christmas. Yes, he's had breaks and my parents have been especially good about making him take a break so we could have family bowling tournaments. Last night, we attempted wake boarding, table tennis (Will is really good at that), and fencing. Maya's game is Just Dance Kids, but she isn't totally into yet. She loves bowling though. After she throws the ball, she runs up to the tv and watches and when the pins fall down, she jumps around as happy as can be. It's adorable!

Guillermo bowling

Maya's big gift this year from Santa was a box _ a giant white card board box shaped like a castle. It's too big for our living room, but she likes it and so do her friends. Today, she and Guillermo started coloring it in and they named it the "Princess Yellow Striped Castle." Santa also delivered a package of princess dolls for her. My parents also gave her a silky pink nightgown and robe that she adores (she calls it her pinks!).

In her pinks!

Guillermo's big gift from Santa was a new bicycle, one that shifts. It's awesome!

Guillermo and his new bike!

Gingerbread/Cannon House

2010-12-23T23:52:00.004-05:00

Adding the cannons to the house

We made a Gingerbread house the other day. Guillermo picked the theme of our house: Cannons. He convinced Maya to decorate the house like it was a military house, which was pretty hard since we were using a bunch of candy in primary colors. Nonetheless, he clued cannon launchers and cannon balls all over the house. Later, Maya decorated the Santa gingerbread man with red frosting. He looked like he had been torn apart by cannons. I think it turned out pretty good and, more importantly, so did they.

Girls Weekend

2010-12-23T23:40:00.007-05:00

Julie, Lily, Me, mom & my mom at the Mother's Tea.

Julie, Maya & me

Lily and Maya every morning during our stay in Denver.

Maya and I just returned from a girls weekend. We flew to Denver to attend the Mother/Daughter tea that my sister hosts every year before Christmas. It was such a fun trip, except poor Maya was sick the whole time. She had a fever one day and the rest of the days, she had a pretty bad cold that swiped most of her energy.

The trip marked the first airplane ride in years for Maya. She couldn't even remember the last time she had been on the plane. She was so excited and she did great, despite the fact that I forgot headphones for her video player, hadn't changed the batteries for her Leapster and kept falling asleep on her every time she opened up her I-Spy book.

My friend Michelle picked us up from the airport. We hadn't seen each other in two years. We spent the afternoon catching up and then picked up her kids from school. It was so fun watching Maya and Michelle's daughter play together. The last time they saw each other was when they were 2. But, they got along famously.

The tea was Saturday and we went to see Christmas lights and How the Grinch Stole Christmas on Sunday. By these two days, Maya definitely wasn't feeling well. She clung to me most of the tea until her motrin kicked in. She wanted to leave the lights early on Sunday because she was tired. But, when she was feeling well, she had a great time. And, so did I.

Santa and Tears

2010-12-15T21:08:00.003-05:00

Guillermo has been hinting to me for a few days that he isn't sure Santa Claus is real. "Is Santa Claus real, mom?" "You would tell me the truth, right?"

I pretend I don't hear him.

He and one of his friends say they are going to stay up all night to see if it's Santa or the parents who set out gifts.

Yesterday, he told me one of his friends said his mom gives him presents, not Santa. I followed quickly with "of course we give you presents. I still need to wrap them before I put them under the tree."

Well, today, he decided he wanted to go see Santa at the mall so I told him I would take him tonight.

"I'm not going to tell him what I want because he's not the real Santa," he said matter-of-factly.

"We don't have to go," I said.

"I want to," he answered.

But Maya interjected.

"I don't want to see Santa."

"Why not?"

"I just don't."

"Ok," I said, hoping she would change her mind.

We were the only ones in line when we arrived. Guillermo skipped right over to Santa and sat on his lap. He seemed pretty happy. Maya clung to me. (She's never been scared of Santa before).

The Santa was really nice and friendly. He kept trying to get Maya to talk to him or come sit with him but she wasn't having it. I even walked her over to him but when I tried to get her to stand next to Guillermo, she started crying. I felt awful. She was really upset and it took awhile for her to calm down.

But, when she did, she helped make Guillermo smile a perfect smile for the photograph and then as we were leaving, she even gave Santa a high-five. Maybe next year.

Snow Days

2010-12-07T22:37:00.003-05:00

It snowed! It snowed a lot, for us, and especially for December. As one young neighbor said, "this is like January snow!"

When You Were A Kid

2010-11-28T15:54:00.006-05:00

"Did you live in this house when you were a kid?" Maya asked me yesterday.

"No, I lived in a different house," I answered.

"OK, tell me what your room looked like," she said.

"It had yellowish/gold carpet and I had a white and yellow bedspread with flowers and a doll on it," I answered.

"Where was your bedroom?"

"Upstairs, first door on the left."

"Which way is left?"

"This way."

"OK, tell me about your house. When you first walked in the house," Maya asked. "What did it look like?"

"You were in a foyer and you could either go upstairs or downstairs."

"If you went upstairs, what did you see?"

The living room was this way, the dining room was this way and then you could enter the kitchen. Or, you could turn the other way and go up another set of stairs, where the bedrooms were."

"What did the upstairs look like?"

"The first door was the bathroom. If you kept walking, ya ya and grandpa's bedroom was at the end of the hall."

"Wait, which side of the hallway?"

And on and on and on, she asked questions, just like a reporter. :)

Thanksgiving

2010-11-26T22:10:00.004-05:00

Our Thanksgiving started with a Kids Fun Run (not with the adults 8K because I wasn't up for it) and ended with us watching Pokemon on the big screen at our house. In between, I went for a run, Will, Maya and I cooked and baked (maya made cute little pumpkin pies), we all ate a wonderful meal and I introduced my kids to Elle Woods. Maya adored her. Guillermo liked the story, well, just a little bit, he said. (To be fair, it was Legally Blonde 2, definitely the lesser of the two movies). It was a perfect day. And, I'm now fired up to run the 8K next year.

Go Guillermo!

Showing off their ribbons

Maya with the two pies, apple and pumpkin, that she helped me bake. Her little pumpkin pies were in the oven.

Guillermo chose the leg. Since we had just bought a turkey breast instead of the whole turkey, we decided to buy legs just for Guillermo, and then we made a "Medieval marinade" for them. The legs turned out pretty good.

Once There Was a Boy

2010-11-24T19:08:00.004-05:00

Maya found an old baby photo album, the soft, padded kind you give to babies, from when she was a baby. It was one we gave to her. Unfortunately, we had put only a few photos in the book even though it held up to six. I do remember taking one out for something so by the time she found it tonight, there were only two photos. She wanted to know where the other photos were and when I told her we had lots on the computer, she decided to make up a story using the photos in the book. Here it is:

For the first photo of just Guillermo: "Once there was a boy. His name was Guillermo. One, he was good. Two, sometimes he was bad (hee hee, hee)"

For the second photo, with Guillermo and baby Maya peering over the couch: "He met a girlfriend. Her name was Maya and she was a little tiny baby. He took good care of her and that was when Ya Ya and Grandpa and mommy and daddy were there."

Then, she turned to a blank page: "And then they died."

Nice Leopard

2010-11-21T18:58:00.003-05:00

There was a lot of dancing and singing and acting at our house this weekend.

It started Friday night, when Will came home for work. He started spinning on his new DJ table and we turned our living room into a dance floor and the kids took turns dancing and spinning.

Later, Guillermo found the box under his bed that I use to store some of his artwork and some school papers from the past several years. In it was his popsicle stick set of the three pigs and the big bad wolf. So, we all took a character and played, four rounds, so each of us could be each pig and have a chance to play the wolf.

Tonight, Maya promised she would perform her ice cream dance after eating her Sunday sundae. As we were cleaning up, she and Guillermo came up with a play. It started with Guillermo pretending to be an ice cream cone. Then, Maya came on stage and started to try to lick him (this after today she somehow pinched the frenulum of her tongue in the bathroom door, causing it to bleed and really hurt. And please don't ask how that happened. I have no idea why she had her mouth in the door in the first place.) So, when Maya tried to lick him, the ice cream cone came to life and ran across the stage and the chase was on. Maya danced and Guillermo performed some martial arts moves.

They were so excited about their performance, the did two more for me after Will left for work. The first, was called "The Leopard and the Princess" and the second was called "The Bear and the Princess." And they both featured a princess walking through the forest and finding an angry animal who tried to attack her and in the end, knocked her unconscious. They loved it.

They already are planning their Thanksgiving show for us. And, they let the title of the upcoming performance slip: "Underwear, Underwear and the Princess."

Athletes

2010-11-18T22:10:00.004-05:00

The whole Vizuete clan competed in races this fall.

G and M with me before the Ramblin Rose Triathlon

Will and the kids before the Pancreatic Cancer Awareness 5K

Maya taking a tennis lesson. This picture was in the local newspaper.

Maya showing off her medal from a fun run. Guillermo ran it too, but he wouldn't pose for a photo.

Fall Festival

2010-11-18T22:01:00.004-05:00

This fall was extremely busy for us. Between the election and co-planning the Fall Festival, it was a little crazy around here. But, helping organize the festival was fun, and the festival was a great for the school community and raised quite a bit of money for the PTA. Here are a few photos to show how much fun the kids had. Well, maybe the photos just show how much they love donuts.

This is their favorite game at the festival.

She couldn't wait to try the donut game.

Celebrating at the festival

Catching up

2010-11-18T21:37:00.005-05:00

I've been MIA. I apologize, but I've got a lot of photos to post and a few things to tell you about but I thought I would start with these photos. Aren't they sweet?

Halloween

2010-11-01T22:21:00.004-04:00

Maya went from this last year, a bad butterfly:

To this, this year, Belle in the golden dress."

"Don't you want to be something scary?" I asked her when she told me she wanted to be "Belle in the golden dress, mommy."

"You don't have to be something scary to get candy," she told me.

She really wanted to wear the golden dress.

Guillermo wanted to be a ninja again

And, I got into the act this year, too:

One Tooth Less

2010-10-27T10:35:00.004-04:00

He's missing a tooth!

Guillermo lost his first tooth! He lost it Saturday, after it had been really loose for a few days.

As he was wiggling it earlier in the day, he had started talking about the tooth fairy, or, rather, that he didn't think the tooth fairy existed. Here's his theory:

"Maybe an activation device in your tooth goes off when you lose it, and it triggers a dollar."

Either way, he woke up the next day at 5:30 a.m. to check to see if the activation device had gone off or if the tooth fairy had visited. I'm not sure what he thinks happened, but he was pleased to find money under his pillow.

Weekend Wedding

2010-10-17T21:53:00.004-04:00

Before the ceremony.

He hands off the ring.

Maya was playing with a friend here today and I was sitting on the couch, reading the paper, zoning out. I could hear them playing but I wasn't paying attention to what they were doing until I got up and saw Maya but saw that Guillermo's room was closed.

"Maya, where is your friend?" I asked as I moved toward Guillermo's door.

"He's in Guillermo's room. We are getting married and I told him to go in there and practice dancing for the wedding."

I listened at the door, smiling, and heard the sound of Legos.

"Are you sure he's practicing?" I asked, nearly laughing.

"I told him to. Let's check."

Her friend wasn't dancing, but instead filling a play tea pot with Legos.

"I'm making coffee," he said.

"We're getting married. You are supposed to practicing dancing," Maya told him.

"OK," he answered happily. "I need a costume, too," he added, checking out the golden yellow satin dress Maya had on.

I searched Guillermo's room and found his old angel costume. In retrospect, it would have been cooler to give him the Batman costume, but he was pretty pleased with what I came up with.

Maya made me pretend to drive them to the wedding outside. On our way the door, Maya's friend said "this is the sweetest thing I've ever done."

I did the ceremony quickly, awkwardly, because I don't want Maya to start playing wedding with every neighborhood boy, or any neighborhood boy, and when they finished, they asked what next?

"The bouncy house!"

And they jumped for in the bouncy house for the next 20 minutes.

Abracadabra

2010-10-03T00:08:00.004-04:00

Guillermo has signed up for the Principal's Challenge again this year. We left it completely up to him, but I'm glad he decided to do it.

Last year, I thought we had convinced him that this year's topic should be food. It would have been so easy to come up with 25 activities related to food. I had it all mapped out.

This year, he couldn't remember that we had even discussed having food as a topic. He asked me to give him some ideas so I did: North Carolina, Spanish, Space, I think I named a few countries, including the United States of America.

"How about magic?" he asked. "I want to do it on magic."

So it is settled. Today, for our first activity, we had a brainstorming session where we talked about what we know about magic, some magicians we know (real and fiction) and what their magic powers are.

We're also finishing up a book from one of his favorite series, "Secrets of Droon," and are going to make a magician's cloak together.

I think this is going to be a great topic.

Texas Fighting

2010-10-02T23:56:00.005-04:00

Maya gets all of my neice's hand-me-downs and boy are we lucky. Maya is the best-dressed kid around, if I do say so myself. She always has been (Thanks Julie!).

The latest box of hand-me-downs came yesterday. A big box full of 4T clothes. Maya helped me unload the box, until she found a pair of cowboy boots that fit her perfectly. Then, she was done helping. She was ready to play.

We went outside so she could show off her "Texas" cowboy boots to Will. Then, she picked up the noodles that we use for light saber battles, and wanted to fight, "Texas style."

"Let's pretend that you don't know me and you want to fight me and you see that I am really good at Texas fighting," Maya says to me. I agree and get into character and we battle.

"Wow, you are good," I tell her. "Where did you learn to fight like that?"

"My whole family is good at Texas fighting. My papa, my brother, my mama. We're really good at Texas fighting," she told me as the battle ensued. She later won and declared herself the champion of Texas fighting.

Today, she asked me to help her put her boots on again. "Now I'm ready to go to Texas with papa one day. We could all go as a family vacation. Does everyone in Texas wear boots like this?"

"Not everyone wears boots," I answer.

"Only the really good people do, right?" she responds.

I think it's time we get Guillermo a pair now.

LIttle Things that Made Me Laugh and Smile

2010-09-29T21:38:00.005-04:00

Guillermo told me last night that his teacher was going to be gone today and that there would be a substitute teacher. He mentioned a few boys from his class and said they were thinking ... "well, wouldn't it be cool if our substitute teacher was an Army guy!"

Sadly, the substitute wasn't dressed in uniform today, but Guillermo said the day went well anyway.

Maya was angry with me the other day and said this: "You are crazying me down!"

But she also said this: "When you are angry with me, I'm going to give you a paper heart." Now how could I be angry after that?

Camp Out

2010-09-29T21:18:00.004-04:00

We finally took our not-so-new tent out last weekend. It works great! Goodbye pup tent! Hello, giant tent.

We went to the annual camp out at the Farm. We went about a year ago with friends and Guillermo, Maya and I crowded into that tiny little tent. This year, Lisa and Charlie joined us and Maya's friend from preschool was there, too. It was really fun. Guillermo and Charlie befriended a group of kids and they took off for the playground and the woods. I took Maya on a hike with her friend and then we all met up for a group marshmallow stick hunt and then to roast marshmallows. While stick hunting, a 6th grader befriended Maya and became her "babysitter" the rest of the night. It was wonderful. Will, Lisa and I just hung out and enjoyed the beautiful evening. This is really the way to camp.

By 10 p.m. the kids were worn out and they fell right to sleep. So did we. After breakfast the next morning, we packed up and headed out of our campsite by 8:30 a.m. We all needed naps.

Guillermo the biker

2010-09-29T10:53:00.005-04:00

guillermo is a bicycle rider.

On september 23, 2010 I came home and guillermo was home wanting something to do. As always i suggest riding his bike. He usually says no, and when he says yes it consists of me helping him start and then he rides a few feet, stops, and doesn't want to try it anymore.

9/23/2010 was different, I could feel a breakthrough. I say, "Guillermo let me teach you today how to start the bike on your own. Step on the pedal that is up and push off with your other foot on the ground. When you start push down on the pedal with your other foot and you are good to go."

After a few tries he got it and then he was off. Around and around the "sac" he went. i hopped on my bike and started following him. We immediately played start wars he was red one, i was red two and we blasted the giant mound of mulch in our "sac". Lets try to make it down to the stop sign, now the second one down the street, how about up the hill to max's house, now over to the gazebo. Then he insisted to go his elementary school, done. what a champ.

the next day i suggested he ride a slightly bigger bike since his was a bit small now and probably harder to control. He agreed and away he went. bigger faster bike was way cool. since then we have gone to school twice, and he wants to ride bikes with me everyday. We even did it at night before bed, don't tell his mama.

we went to the store yesterday to get new tires, chain, and a brand new helmet for guillermo.

He is one proud boy.

Sounds on a Sunday Afternoon

2010-09-19T13:23:00.005-04:00

Will is napping after a late night last night, I'm supposed to be folding laundry, and the kids are playing, Maya in the living room with her magnetic drawing board and Guillermo in his room, undoubtedly staging a battle, likely with his Bionicles.

Besides the air conditioner (it's supposed to hit 96 this week!) and the washing machine, this is what I hear:

Maya signing the story she is enacting on the drawing board: "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah." "Stop, celebrate, the cannon sounds." "The captain has a problem." "And our instruments worked in our music class."

Guillermo: "rwwwww, fsk fsk. ... There it is. Pshhhhh. Pshhhh." ... "Yaaaa Boom, boom. Hummm, hummm, hummm, Pffsst" ... "Wooahhhh."

It's music to my ears!

I Caught a Fish

2010-09-11T20:43:00.003-04:00

"Look at my fish!"

"I caught a fish!"

We ended our summer with a wonderful vacation to Will's uncle's house on a lake in Georgia. The last time we were there, I was pregnant with Guillermo. This time, we had both kids with us and Will's father was there too.

The kids had fun from the start. We parked on one side of the lake and Will's uncle picked us up on his boat to take us to his house. Guillermo and I swam in the lake and Maya played on the dock with Will and Big Papa. The dock itself was incredible. Will's uncle built it himself: boat lifts and built in ice maker and refrigerators. The best part is the 62-inch flat screen tv that folds down from the ceiling. When Guillermo and Maya got tired of playing, they sat on chairs and watched cartoons while we hung out. It really was cool.

The best part was after dinner when Guillermo and Maya went fishing. I don't think Maya has ever been fishing since Will and I have no interest in taking the fish off the line if we would ever catch one. Big Papa helped them, though. Guillermo went first, didn't catch anything. Maya went next and within a few minutes, her line started to pull. Her face lit up. "I caught a fish! I caught a fish! I caught a fish!" She was bouncing around and for the rest of the night she sang "I caught a fish!" Guillermo was up next again, and this time he caught one, too, and he was pretty proud.

The next day we went for a hike, took the boat out, hung out on a little island and swam. Guillermo went for a ride on the four-wheeler with his cousin and uncle and I took him out on the Jet ski. They played horseshoes and bean bag toss (I hate the other name for that game). It was great.

Maya was pretty wimpy on the way home Monday. "I wish we could stay there more days!" We promised her another trip next year.

We're Going on A Trip to the Lake and We're Taking ... Princess Slippers and a Magic Wand?

2010-09-02T22:48:00.006-04:00

I'm a little heavy on Maya this week, but this girl is cracking me up.

On the way to school today, she told me this: "I don't want to be a cash register girl when I grow up because then I have to give away all my money. Oh, but people would give me money, too."

Then tonight, I told her to pack for an upcoming road trip to visit family at a lake in Georgia. It's a seven hour trip to so I told her to pack things that will keep her busy in the car. Here is what she came up with: a pair of dress up high heels, a skirt for her leotard, a red and black dress up dress, a magic wand, a crown, a few headbands, a purse, and the game Rush Hour, which has at least ten small cars.

It's going to be some trip.

Maya's First Day of School

2010-09-01T18:31:00.002-04:00

Maya started school yesterday and boy was she excited. She now goes five days a week, instead of three, "everyday that Guillermo goes, I get to go, too!." She is now in the Frog class and she is so proud. She didn't have too much to say about school when it was over, just that she had fun. She came out wearing a new necklace and holding a letter that a friend made for her.

This morning, on her second day of school, she woke up at 6:30 and gave me a hug in the living room. Then she asked: "I was noticing that I might be late for school. Am I late?"

More Jokes

2010-08-31T21:14:00.004-04:00

Monday was Maya's turn to tell jokes, and she had the perfect audience in her good friend, Sophia.

Sophia went first but I can't remember Sophia's joke because Maya's was so good.

Here it is:

"Knock Knock," she started.

"Who's there?"

"Peach," Maya answered.

"Peach who?"

"Peach aren't you glad I didn't say orange."

Harharharha ha ha.

Well, Maya laughed. Sophia looked a bit confused for a few seconds before she joined in the laughter.

First Day of School

2010-08-25T09:21:00.008-04:00

On his first day of first grade.

Guillermo is in First Grade. Just writing that made me feel a little wimpy, but I sent Guillermo to school this morning without a tear so I think I'm entitled to watery eyes right now.

He seemed pretty happy to go and that was a bit surprising, though he had made a few comments recently indicating he was more excited then I had expected. When I crawled down into his fort this morning (next to the tent in his room, I might add), he begged "Just a few more minutes?" When I told him him not today, it was a school day, he begged for just one more minute. I agreed, walked out and heard him crawl out and start putting on his clothes right away. He came into the kitchen all smiles ... of course it was chocolate chip banana bread day.

So, what's different about this year versus last? The main thing is I didn't even take him to school. He and Will rode their bikes. Also, extra clothes in case of an accident weren't on first grade supply list like they were for kindergarten. That makes me a little nervous. But, it doesn'tmatter that much. I packed all of Guillermo's school supplies in his backpack last night l only to find them in his backpack this afternoon after school. He had forgotten to get them out of his bag.

He didn't offer up too many details of his day, but said it was fun. Lucky for me, I'm friends with the mother of one of Guillermo's classmates, a girl. She's already talking, and I'm catching up on all the classroom gossip.