4 little monkeys jumping on the bed

We had visitors this week. 

Reflections of Motherhood

As I was sitting looking for a website or blog that talks about motherhood, reflections or stories, I stumbled upon this video. What a special video!

I have a few "entertaining" blogs, but I'm in search of something more substantial. Some that I can actually get something out of it. Something that would actually help me. Something that leaves me with a reflection.

There are some I have in my reader feed, but others I used to read I lost the names and I miss them now. Bummer.

Anyway, if you know of any please feel free to share and I'll leave you with the video.

Treasures

What is one of those tangible materials things that you would consider a treasure ?

I didn't have to think about it. For me, it has always been pictures and home videos. I even joked to Joe when the tornado came through our city that I wished there had been room in the little bathroom we set shelter at, to move in the chest where the photo albums and pictures were. I was afraid I would loose them!

I take a lot of pictures and take videos also but have never really sat down to watch them until tonight. I can't say that I haven't watched any of them, I have, but those tapes from the cam recorder no. Those are the only ones that I hadn't really watched.

So lately, I'm making the effort to use that camera more than my phone and the flip because mainly for the memory space and because it seems like you can go on forever. Today, I recorded Anthony at soccer practice and at night I pulled out a couple of tapes and sat down with the guys to watch what was in it. First of all, I have to say that I need to go over all and label what each one contains.

As soon as I pressed play the image of Anthony as a baby came on. He was almost 18 months and I was pregnant with David. Wow! Seeing him that little brought me to tears, literally. Why are you crying? said Joe. Why wouldn't I? What a beautiful thing to have. To relive. To recognize that time does indeed fly and that our boys are growing! I can't do anything to stop that. It's just the cycle of life that tonight it hit like a pile of bricks. I watched David learning to crawl and learning to stand. Beautiful milestones that I have probably failed to have written, but they are embedded in those little-life -movies. What a treasure!

I will be recording everything or as much as I can. My children, birthday parties (something I've never done), my husband (whom would rather be hiding behind a pillow), and myself, why not? My kids will have a memory of what they used to be like and their parents and everything else their momma recorded.

I encourage you to do it also. You'll find it so special when you go back and watch them. Reliving those moments that were so simple but so meaningful. Our life is meaningful.

We've began...

Sports life has officially began in our home and A had his first soccer practice on Wednesday. He did really good but there was a time that he didn't want to go and play anymore because he said he was "tired". Lies, he took a nap earlier that day. But one of the coaches came and got him to play and he loved     it! Little D got to play a little while also, and he enjoyed it very much as well. 

I didn't bring my camera so all the pictures are with the phone. Next time, I'll bring it.

This is when he didn't wanna play anymore

But the other coach got him to play again and that was nice :)

He's got 4 friends from school playing in the same group. And that was something good I told him, because when we were on our way, I told him we were going to soccer practice and he didn't like that much, but when I told him which friends were going to be there. He said:"Wow mom! Those are my best friends!" And David said:" Yea and Abby-one of the boys sister". Then Anthony says:"Yea and she is gonna be cheering for me and say Go Anthony Go. You go get them!" But ends up that his other friend's sister was there so we decided that they were both going to be the cheerleaders ha! 

Anyway, their coach is a girl that played for Alabama and Clemson Universities and she knows what to do. We can call her KK. 

These are some of his friends and they are all so cute! Even cuter while running around! 

Watch this little video,

I promise next time I'll take a better video and pictures ok?

Oh, and proof that Anthony did take a nap before we went to practice. This is he and David napping on Great-Grandparents bed :)

Earlier in the afternoon we went to visit and while at the playground we saw this little guy

and learned about spider webs

I've also gotten lots of complements about my new red shoes. I had been wanting some for a while but like it always happens to me is that when I am in fact looking for some I never find any, and when I just happen to look they are there.  I got them from...Target! They are comfy, soft and I LOVE THEM! (Maybe Target should give me some credit$ for talking wonders about these shoes) :)

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I've told you before how much we love going to the public library for Story Time. We hadn't been in maybe two weeks for whatever reason but yesterday we did, and I am always so glad we do. He enjoys it to the max! And who wouldn't when there are bubbles, shakers and music ? 

Before we go, we like to get some books. Yesterday we left with 10 books and three movies, and I wished I had had a bag with me, they were pretty heavy, specially when your little one doesn't want to walk and you have to carry him also. 

While in the car he wanted to carry on of them...Can you hear him saying:" Mine!"?

Marshmallows, sticks and dancing

D hasn't been feeling very well, but he got some rest and seemed kinda bored so we got some modelying clay, marshmallows and sticks and began to build things.

I helped them build a house

Then it quickly turned into a campfire. Anthony added the fire

 And David added the stones for around the fire

I guess they've spent enough time helping their daddy build a camp fire that they already know what it needs :) 

And while we were doing this, we listened to Pandora, Toddler station (like we do often and I mentioned on a previous post ) and one of their favorites songs came on and look what they ended up doing ! ...Dancing :)

These two a some cool dudes! 

Car Painting

We tried something different this time. Car painting. I spread some paint on kraft paper and gave them some little cars. They moved the cookie sheet around and let the cars go at it. David thought that was pretty hilarious :) They also just moved the cars around. Simple but fun painting time!  


They are using Joe's old t-shirts while listening to the Toddler Radio station from Pandora. Isn't Pandora awesome? I LOVE IT! I think I'm addicted :)


Anyway, here goes...

It's dried up and probably ready to be hung along their others paintings.


Have a great week everyone! 

Future movie star?

Ok, so Anthony LOVES to recite things he memorizes, like movies, book stories etc. He's got a great memory and one of the things he loves to memorize the most is movies. Here is one...

We recorded this while were in Atlanta visiting my family last month. I wanted to show my mom, and she of course LOVED IT !

UP is probably my favorite animated movie and of course the boys love it too. Have you ever watched it? If you haven't, you should, it's really neat. 

So what did you think? Pretty neat ah? 

He might be a movie star one day :) 

Old Videos

I was looking over our computer files, organizing and storage, and I found two that maybe a year old and I wanted to share with you. Some of the videos were too long to upload so I ended up opening a private youtube account to upload them to, and this turn out to be a pretty good idea. 

Check them out! 

The first must a year old or so, because look a David he looks like a total baby with his round fat cheeks :)

And this one must be earlier this year. D is functioning a lot more :) And A's hair is super long! 

Both videos happened in the same room, but on the first one, I think I was reorganizing and the walls were not painted yet. You can see a huge change on the second one. Walls painted and with a guest bed. Today that room doesn't look like that anymore. We moved the guest bed to another room and it is now a mess I'm trying to clean and organize yet again! Cleaning out the office closet and our personal files and blah blah blah... Whew! 

Well, I hope you enjoyed the videos :)

Until next time...

Where is...?

Yesterday, while we were visiting Joe's Grandparents, Anthony made his first real drawing. I didn't get a picture of it, but I soon will and I'll show it to you. We left it there, so that's why I have to wait until I get it back :)

We were sitting by the kitchen counter, they boys were drawing, and there was Anthony very concentrated making his first drawing. Without any assistance or copy of anything. It just came like that. 

I looked at it when it was finished and I was really excited because I always wondered when he was going to start to "actual" draw. Not just crazy lines everywhere, which I also love, but those lines to actual come alive. And it happened. 

Last night, we showed Joe and of course he also liked it. Anthony tried to do the same he had done earlier, but this time I told him to add some arms and legs and this is what it was like when he finished. 

This is total awesomeness. I love it! 

What a great milestone for my boy. I can't wait to see more! It makes me really excited. Really.

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We read every night. Every night the boys have to have a book read to go to sleep. If I get lazy, they'll remind me. Believe me. And I love when they remind me. It is one of my most favorite times of the day. We now sit (we used to lay down) and read a couple of books.

They have this little thick book with nursery stories and rhymes, and last night we had the best time learning some. We laughed, giggled and learned, and kept calling Joe back into the room to show off each little new thing we learned. I don't change those moments for anything in this world! 

Once we were finished, I had to go to the laundry room to get David's bed sheets that I had washed and dried earlier, after he tee tee on them during nap time. So, I told Anthony to read a book to David while I came back. 

When I came back, this is what I found... (turn your speakers up)

Did you see David making that "mmm let me think" face? With the finger in his mouth trying to figure out where the thing was? 

Cool kids, aren't they? I think so. 

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One last random thing. Have you guys watched the new  Kung Fu Panda: Legend of Awesomeness cartoons on Nickelodeon?

It is hilarious, fun, silly and the kids love it, we all do! The four of us seat and watch it almost every day. Great times, lots of laughs :) 

Boosterthon Fun Run

Ok, so this morning we went to see A run the Boosterthon Run at his school. It is an event to raise funds for the school and what an event it was.

This morning PK3, PK4 and K run. Sometime later today the other grades run. It was planned to be done at the soccer fields of the school but it rained, so they moved it to the Elementary gym.

It was nice to see all the kids with the same t-shirt and all the parents and grandparents around waiting to see their little ones run. The kids were excited too, at least ours was. Last night I told him he needed to make sure he finished his meal so he could be the fastest one today and he did. He finished it all! And this morning he was so excited and ate all his breakfast.

The Run only lasted an hour and it was ideal that they run 35 laps, and guess what? Anthony did run the 35 laps! It was so exciting to see him run and speed up every once in a while. He run with such a style. He had his hands in an exact 90 degree angle and hands with a fist for power. He was also very focused :)

Half way through Joe took him to get some water, and then he continued to run. A few laps later he got upset and he said he didn't want to run anymore and I told him it was fine. He didn't need to. I took him to get some more water and we came back in and I walked by his side with little D. We got to where he needed to get his t-shirt marked and after that he finished it all by himself!

We are so proud of our boy! He is a great runner and one happy boy :)

Watch this little video of him running...

And some pictures...

Monkeys

The boys made some paintings for their daddy for his birthday. I meant to post this video but I got busy, so he you go...

How about that? Quite the artist eh?

They really love to paint, and I know I say it a lot but they really do. It gets pretty mess, but the reality is that it is a happy colorful mess! :)

On another note, A has decided that he wants to wash the dishes now. He has always been very helpful and since little, he's always like to help around the house. Crazy don't you think? I mean, he is how old?

Little stinker, I  LOVE HIM!

And how about this other one?

He just decides that he should grow up as fast as possible!

Not fair :(

He also likes to carry his toys everywhere he goes. Sometimes he's got so many, he can barely carry them all together. It's pretty hilarious when he drops one and then he tries to get the one it fell and the while he is doing that, another falls down and it repeats until he lets us help him. This happens EVERY DAY :)

"Whatever they grow up to be, they are still our children, and the most important of all the things we can give them is unconditional love. Not a love that depends on anything at all except that they are our children."

- Rosaleen Dickson

I don't wanna go home!

After David and I pick Anthony from school, we go to the school's playground for a little while -that is, if David hasn't fallen sleep before we get to the school -. 

Their favorite, the swing. They could sit there for hours. Seriously.

Bike Riding

Many of you have seen this video on Facebook, but for those who haven't, here it goes. 

Anthony and I have been practicing riding the bike for a while now and he is doing so good! At first, the bike was a little too big for him, but he eventually grew into it. 

We practice in our back porch, for safety, but since he is doing a lot better now, we are going to move onto the cul-de-sac. 

On this day he was with Joe practicing :) ... 

See how good he is doing? I love him to pieces!

Ok, gotta go now. I thought I would share these videos today. I have so many more, which I will upload little by little.

I love having this family blog because it is just the best way to share with all, and for our family and friends to see our boys grow up, specially for my dad.

Wish you all positive energies for the day and always :)

I don't need to think it through...

These boys are so funny! Here it is an example ...

CHOM

The boys and I went to CHOM- Children's Hands-on Museum- for the first time on Wednesday. I really don't know why we hadn't been there before but we loved it! We attended the Moving and Grooving class that only lasts 30 minutes, where the boys actually sat down through the whole 30 minutes, well, except David, he danced a little and played with the shakers and sticks, while Anthony clapped at the end of each song and when the class was over he said: "Is it over?" I think he was ready to go and I don't know why because he loves dancing and he's really good at it too. I think he was intimidated. This is why we are definitely going back and try again. 

The museum is located in Downtown Tuscaloosa and has lots of neat areas for kids to play at. My favorite was the bottom floor. Perfect for my two little ones. The boys loved it so much that Anthony had a fit because we were leaving.

If you live in Tuscaloosa, AL or surrounding areas I encourage you to go, specially this summer when lots of parents are gonna be looking for places and activities for their children who are going to be out of school. We are going back and we are getting the Summer Pass, which turns out to be a lot cheaper than each visit to the museum.


 I'll let you with this video of my little monkey loving this particular chamber :)

Hallelujah Tuscaloosa

I can't believe it's been already 8 days...

Inspiration for life

I came upon this video a couple of weeks ago, and for some reason it kept breaking up and I could not see it completely; but the other day I gave it a try once again. It is such a beautiful and inspiring video that sort of gave me a little chill by acknowledging its entire truth.

I wanted to share it specially today, because yesterday was my little guy's third birthday and I realized how fast time goes by, yet, we do not realize it most of the time because of how busy we are, or because we are focused on other things. I am learning to set priorities and stay true to them. I want to enjoy the very simple little pleasures of life. I want to enjoy my kids, husband and family as much as possible. I want to be happy and spiritually complete.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did...

Water fun

On Sunday while I was cleaning out our back porch and doing some flowers planting, the boys decided they wanted to help out mommy water the plants. They did help out water the plants and the grass mostly, until they figure out that it was a lot more fun to play with the water :)

This is a little shot of both of them while playing with the water hose. Just a few seconds of minutes and minutes of water fun! 

Giggles

Eating and giggling. I love his laugh! 

Jumping beans

Lately, the boys want to jump all the time, and David is learning quite fast, he is really cute trying, and Anthony says he is a Kangaroo. I caught a video of them jumping the other day while getting all the Christmas stuff out of the attic.