The Peanuts' Mom

Mommy's Mis-Adventures in the Kitchen-#2 - Baking 101

2011-12-15T11:44:00.002-05:00

Last winter I took a baking class, really my first ever cooking class! I was very pregnant at the time so I think my domestic hormones were kicking in & I must have been channeling June Cleaver or something. I have to say I enjoyed it very much and learned quite a bit. The biggest take-away was that I have a lot to learn so this will probably not be my last class. But it's okay because it's something I want to do as opposed to something I have to do. I absolutely loved our chef teacher. She was kind and patient and funny! Or maybe she just thought my skills or lack there of, were pretty hilarious. Hmm.

Anyhow the girls have reaped some benefits of my baking experience and we made some Xmas cookies last year. Not to embarrass myself I only shared with my immediate family, the peanuts and J. Once I could please their taste buds I'd be ready to offer my goodies to the rest of the world.

How did I stumble upon this class?? I pass by Chef Central often on my way to the baby store. I have never ventured inside well because it does say "CHEF" and I'm not a chef by any definition. So I have no business in there. Except one day I was in search for a platter for Thanksgiving for my other adventure (my latte cheesecake) so I thought I might check it out. When I walked in I was amazed by all of the amazing chef STUFF they had! I must have looked like one of the Willy Wonka kids in the Chocolate Factory. I might as well have walked on to one of the sets of the Food Network! They had everything from exotic spices and ingredients to the latest tools and gadgets and lovely displays to show off delectable creations of skilled chefs. None of this really relates to me but nevertheless I walked around aisle after aisle wishing I knew how to use all of these magnificent little contraptions. By the time I reached the back of the store I found a cooking classroom and a wonderful person in one of those cool chef jackets, the object of my envy. They had a calendar display of all the great classes they offered and the level of each one. Level 1 would be novice. That would be me! I was excited that they offered some hope for poor hapless wanna-be-bakers like myself! It was a chance to learn how to make something not from a box or refrigerated tube.

These people really knew what they were doing with this class. They managed to teach someone like me how to create something like this!

J was totally impressed when I came home with these goodies!! I think he was under the delusion that I could pull this off on a regular basis on my own, neither of which was true.

These were the girls favorite, glass sugar cookies made with candy centers. Not too difficult and quite yummy!

These were my favorite, white chocolate cranberry cookies & chocolate macaroons. These were easy and required no artistic ability!

Rugelach cookies, these were a royal pain! I don't think I could repeat this at home, as it had way too many steps but they were tasty.

THESE were my pride and joy! They were what you would call my pièce de ré·sis·tance!!

These were great and I put in a lot of time in the decor and was so happy with the result that I didn't want anyone to eat them :) Eventually J convinced me that I should let the girls eat them, so I did.

This year I pulled out the recipes and decided the peanuts and I should practice our cookies for Santa's big arrival. They're older and I thought it would be fun to decorate some sugar cookies. Not sure what we'll try next but this is how this adventure turned out.

First lesson of Xmas cookies is that delicious cookies require work! Cati took it well...Val umm not so sure.

They suggested that we just bake them & eat them. But I persisted, and next it was some more work to make them look pretty. And just so you know that's home-made royal icing. I'm pretty impressed with myself.

VOILA!! Done!

I will not tell you which ones I did and which ones the girls did, for fear that I might receive some ego-bruising commentary lol! And finally it was time for us to enjoy the fruits (or cookies) of our labor!

I have no idea if the girls were looking to make something that they could be proud of but by the looks of it I think they were just looking for a reason to convince me to give them yet another sugary treat. I had a totally different agenda, to prove to myself that I could bake something edible and easy on the eyes! HA!

I also want to start some holiday traditions with the girls that they could look back on fondly. And I'm hoping that maybe just maybe they won't remember that mom was not the best baker but they could look back and remember that we had fun doing it.

The Drunken Years

2011-12-05T14:05:00.000-05:00

....if I were writing a book about the girls and motherhood this would be the title of the current chapter in our lives.

Why? Well because for one, this is what it's like to parent 3 year old twins right now. I constantly feel like the AA sponsor of 2 drunks trying to rationalize, negotiate, and appease them every waking hour of their little lives. Secondly, the emotional roller coaster of three-year- old-twins can certainly lead to several drinks a day. Only alcohol could numb your mind enough to deal. Thankfully the latter doesn't happen too often because of school (thank you Lord), grandma (thanks again dear Lord), and daddy does eventually come home (Good Lord I am really blessed).

What really compelled me to post this today was reading this article and watching this video. Warning: If you have no children watch at your own risk. You may never want children after this.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2011/12/05/143062378/whats-behind-a-temper-tantrum-scientists-deconstruct-the-screams

The screams and yells resembled the same sounds that occur in my house times two! But what really got me was the reason that caused the tantrum of Noemi and David Doudna's daughter...and I quote,

"Their daughter Katrina once had a meltdown at dinnertime because she wanted to sit at one corner of the dining table. Problem was, the table didn't have any corners – it was round. When David Doudna asked Katrina where she wanted to sit, the tantrum only intensified. "

In my opinion the article should have been named, "What's Behind The Drunken State of Your Toddler." I'm not sure if it's scientific enough but it certainly captures the sometimes mind-boggling-reasons why your child gets upset.

This is a picture of their school's Halloween parade of 2010...notice they are not wearing the black pants of their costume. Why? Nobody knows, but the teacher told me that they explained to her that bumble bees don't wear black pants. Ummm ok. Again you can't rationalize with a drunk you just say okay and move on. So long as they agreed to walk in the Halloween parade the teacher couldn't spend too much time discussing the black legs of a bumble bee. And I agree.

In my experience this has been the difficult part of having twins, the tantrums. While at our local pool one day, Catalina decided she wasn't going to follow directions of her swim teacher. So I kept reminding her, very patiently I might add, that if she didn't listen we would NOT stay at the pool after class. After several reminders Cati had blatantly refused to do anything the poor young teacher asked. So as a result I had to stick to my threat and follow through. I braced myself for what lie ahead. Don't ask me who's more strong willed of my twins because I'll say the one that's giving me the hard time in the moment and that could change any day, any hour, any minute. Anyhow once she figured out we weren't staying the tantrum ensued she screamed, she cried, she smart mouthed me but I ignored it all because in the end a battle of words would get us nowhere. I can't say it was easy to hold it together. And I guess the look on my face was one of angst and worry. Worry that I would cave because I couldn't stand the embarrassment and the dread that all eyes were on me. And I wanted to explain this this tazmanian devil was really my child I was trying to drag out of the pool.

Suddenly I heard a voice from what seemed like a crowd of hundreds of other judging moms. The voice, because I couldn't possibly stop and look up to see who it was, said "Way to stick to your guns mom. You have to follow through otherwise it will only get worse." In that moment I felt a surge of strength and reassurance that came from the voice and I was suddenly confident that I had to be doing the right thing. And any fear I had that one day Cati would be telling this story opposite a therapist, completely dissipated. To the unknown mom who encouraged my disciplining that day....A heart felt Thank You. I really needed that.

The way I see it at two they're frustrated because they can't express what they want and you're frustrated because you wish you spoke babble. But at three the frustration is exponentially higher because they can talk fairly well now and they can say please and they can "use their words" and yet they still can't get what they want. When this happens the reaction is along the lines of...WHAT! Are you serious Mom?? In my case I guess this would be to the second power. And as a result sometimes I need TWO beers after a long day with the twins. If you throw in the infant in the middle of this madness and now I need a nice little alcoholic concoction that will knock me to bed in one gulp, like a Kamikaze Shot.

Since they've turned three I've had to up my negotiation tactics. They're smarter now. Now it's about creating the delicate balance of providing options that allow them to feel empowered and me to feel like I'm still in charge here. This is no easy task. So if you're out there thinking I can't possibly do this. I'm here to tell you that you're not alone. There are many days when I don't think I can do it either. You're not a failure you're just part of the masses.

Sometimes I think that because I have twins I'm much more willing to give in and just comply. After a day of heavy deliberations I am worn out. I can't hear myself think anymore never mind thinking straight so I just give in. Inside I'm pleading for mercy and screaming "UNCLE enough already!" When is Ashton Kutcher going to jump out of a car and say this is all a big joke on you! You just got PUNK'D!!

Every day it's about strategy, how do we get through whatever activity without an emotional breakdown. At this age they're thoughtful, albeit in a irrational sort of way, so I need to be careful not give some half-assed reason for why I need them to eat their meal, put their shoes on, or go to bed. If you think you can get away with some thoughtless response, then think again my friends. Get ready for a rebuttal. You do not want to get into direct, cross-examination, re-direct, re-cross, etc. That is what you want to avoid at all cost. That will eventually end with ...meltdown. You want to address the question and calmly agree to a settlement. Done.

For example:

Twin A: Mommy I want to wear my pretty brown sparkly shoes to school.
Me: You need to wear your big sneakers today because today is gym day at school and if you wear your brown sparkly shoes they might fall off your feet while you're playing races at gym today. And you can't stop to pick up your shoes while you're racing otherwise you'll lose the race.
Twin A: Oh okay mommy. Let's put on my big sneakers.

And this is the kind of quick-thinking I have to come up with early in the morning without even having my first cup of coffee.

Things to note in this example. First of you never say "no." I try to avoid this word like my tongue will spontaneously combust if I say it. "No" usually leads to automatic rebuttal it doesn't matter what you say after that word. There will almost always be a rebuttal and so begins the negotiation. I try to always begin with words like "I want, I need, You must, You need to, Please do, or Would you like"

I'm not sure if my kids get away with way too much or if I'm way to hard them. I probably won't know until much later in life, and will probably be too late to do much about it at that point. One comforting thought that lets me sleep at night is that I'm trying. In my heart my intention is not to scar my children for life or allow them to become degenerate burdens on society. I am doing the best that I can. I hope that one day they can look back at their childhood and see that we tried very hard to be good, positive, and fair parents. I hope they can look back and see that our intention was not to rob them of the pleasures of life but to protect them of the dangers that lurks in the world today. I hope that they can appreciate what we wanted to teach them about life and how to deal with the the success, the struggles, and the sometimes painful experiences that their life might bring them. I hope that one day when I'm long gone they can say with gratitude that we prepared them for their future.

And this is why it's so hard to deal with the little drunks. Because I want so much for them to understand why I make the choices I make and why I can't just let them roam the planet like little savages. I know that one day I won't be there for them to make that crucial decision and so I pray with all of my being that I have given them the tools necessary to do the right thing. And I hope that my little drunks grow up to be sober adults :)

What I did on my Summer Vacation...

2011-11-04T14:41:00.005-04:00

...don't you wish you could go back to those days! This year I actually DID have a summer vacation because I was on maternity for most of the summer. If I could go back to 4th grade I'd do it in a heart beat ;O) My mom, bless her soul, tried really hard to make summers interesting and desperately tried to occupy our time with something...anything...to keep us out of trouble. When you're a working mom, like my mom was, summers are just hard & stressful because you have to find something to keep your kids occupied during the hot, non-air conditioned, cramped, summer months so the kids won't kill each other and you don't wind up choking a child. But most of all you probably stress about keeping your kids out of trouble during the summer months. Some of the things that come to my mind from my childhood....

Summer Day Camp-this must have been so friggin expensive for my mom. I now appreciate her sacrifice. If I haven't said it before, THANKS MOM.

Trips to Peru-I get that this helped reduce mom's stress but who the heck wants to spend their summer in a cold country?? While it was a lot of fun to be there and be in a place where you could roam the streets with other kids and not have the fears that exist where you live in the inner city...but really it was no place to tan in July!

SIX FLAGS GREAT ADVENTURE-one of my favorite places on earth! The best times here were with cousins and aunts and have a full blown meal out of the trunk of my aunt's car stocked with rice and beans and pernil and spaghetti and a Peruvian fav....papa ala huancaina! Yes, this is how we rolled.

Pleasure Land-a long lost concept today, this was a public pool in Jersey & boy was it a fun place!

The Jersey Shore-the beach has always been a favorite for me and I plan to keep this tradition going with my own kiddos.

So now that Fall has arrived I'm compelled to document our summer vacation with the peanuts. I think it's my way of holding on to the warmth of summer as the weather in reality gets colder & colder around me.

Camila has clearly enjoyed the summer. I think she especially enjoys the fact that there's no need for shoes or socks!

As a kid, I went to a baseball game once. I think I was about 13 when I got to go to my first Mets game. This summer we took the girls to see the Mets & they got to meet my favorite big head, MR. MET!

And J took advantage of the batting cages to see if we have any small prodigies on our hands.

And I thought Val looked pretty cute in her batting helmet ;O)

This is probably not one of J's proudest moments (he's a Yankee fan in disguise) but it is certainly one of mine. It's such joyful moments like this that make me feel so lucky.

The Bronx Zoo

I think I went once as a kid to the Bronx Zoo. J has been wanting to take the girls for some time. So this year we did. The girls had a great time. Me, well not so much. I think much like folks in the Bronx, the animals were just way too hot to come out and entertain us. I'll give it another shot next year but if they don't straighten up their act we'll be going to Turtle Back Zoo in NJ.

The little hungry caterpillar. The girls love this book & it was fun to actually see one up close and personal. Thankfully it wasn't real :)

The highlight of the zoo, the merry-go-round. HUH?? I'll take it.

This is was some sort of zoo monorail. Not sure if it's just a contraption to keep the kids contained and get off your feet for a while or if it really is a way to see more animals. Here's what we saw....

Each other...

Some kind of ant eater??...the darn thing was moving too fast.

ELEPHANTS!...something we recognized.

Lion?...umm yes sounds good.

The 4th of July 2011

This is the first fireworks display we've attended...and this was Camila's first 4th of July. And she did so great and loved it!

Summer is truly for lounging...

Playing...

And lounging some more....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!

The Jersey Shore

Fist pump...or as Cati and Val say Piss pump!

With the Jersey Shore you can never go wrong...we ARE beach bums :)

And so are our cousins...

And favorite uncle Jeff!

And just bumming around....

So as not to forget their heritage we also celebrate the the 28th of July...Peruvian Independence Day.

Did I mention J hates the heat?...This is J hating the heat...and Camila too.

My littlest Peruvian Peanut!

The older peanuts deal with the heat a tad better...

Titi Ani loves the heat...little cousin David, maybe not but he's still hanging showing his Peruvian pride ala Elmo! ;O)

And as we wind down the summer...Pre-Season Football!! Due to the lockout we got to see our very favorite green team in Jersey this year as they prepared for the season.

Thank you JETS for provided some seriously FUN entertainment for the kids.

Big REX!

Revis on his island..

And our beloved cutie patootie...Mark Sanchez! Along with our recent acquisition Plaxico Burress.

What a great summer indeed. I'm thankful for these great summer days that I got to spend with my peanuts. Good-bye pretty dresses...and golden tans....

hellooooo Pre-K. YIKES!!

The girls didn't know they would be starting a new school this year. It was intimidating at first for them but mostly for me. It was not easy as an over protective mom to let my kids go into a new environment. I worry all the time. Will they be okay? Will they be scared? Will they need me? In the end I know they're ok. I have very independent, strong, and resilient little girls but they will always be my little peanuts and I will always worry no matter how reassuring a place may be.

My peanuts are growing up so fast....

And Camila enjoyed some quiet time at home. After a very busy summer it's nice to have a little alone time as we wait for big sisters to get out of school.

From Mommy of 2 to Mommy of 3

2011-05-15T14:36:00.016-04:00

And here they are...one, two, THREE peanuts!

How does one go from zero to two and two to three? When we begged and pleaded for one child we were blessed with our twins. I didn't know much about nothing back then so ignorance is bliss. At least that's what I say. I had no idea what one baby was like so two babies I figured it was the same with a splash of hectic!! After the chaos settled J & I thought we had done pretty good with the twins & really it wasn't SOOO bad. Again we got on our knees and begged & prayed for another baby...with a note to the good Lord, just 1, if you don't mind.

This time the guys upstairs got the order right. We got ONE healthy & happy baby. I'm not gonna lie it wasn't easy being pregnant with one baby & raising two two-year-olds. No one prepared me for that one. But never the less we worked through adjusting our routines and task responsibilities around the house. Having Camila has been no walk in the park. We had expected an easy breezy 9 months. But it was more like hard & treacherous hike up a steep mountain with several moments of fear scattered through out. In the end our 3rd little girl came into the world after just 36 hours of laaaaaabor that began at 3AM on March 17th and finally ended at 3:39PM on March 18th!

Side note: When J & I got married in his wedding vows he mentioned how his life with me had been blessed in 3s...after 3 years, 3months & 3 days of dating we got married, we got married 3 times in one week (long story), and he discovered the 3rd love of his life. I don't think he knew then just HOW significant the number THREE would be in our lives. HA!!

Overall if you add up my good days, bad days, and down right ugly days it's just a joy to have all 3 peanuts! When the planets align and the universe is in perfect balance it can truly be a breathtaking experience to watch all three of my daughters together. It leaves me in wonder how I arrived to this point. We don't always have moments like this but these moments overshadow most of the crazy moments we have together. When people ask HOW do I manage taking all 3 kids shopping or to a doctor's office or to a restaurant? I have to say it's a shot of air, 2 gulps of God Help Me, and 3 thoughts of "I prayed for each & every one of these little ones & I got what I asked for!" And with that we move forward. It's nowhere near easy and it takes a heck of a lot of planning, scheduling, coordination, and PRAYER. Otherwise I would really lose my mind.

And when I say "PRAYER" I really do mean prayer. I find my days are made up of little prayers of help and sometimes big passionate prayers. For example:

-God please let her sleep for about 30 more minutes so I can make a mad dash for the shower & get the girls dressed for school.

-Oh God please help me not to kill the dog that just ate my child's bagel right off her plate & now I have to make ANOTHER one & watch her eat it one tiny nibble at a time!

-God please let this gas last me long enough to make it to the girls school & back home because if I stop this car I know Camila will scream her head off.

-As I'm breastfeeding Camila upstairs & all is quiet downstairs...Oh my precious precious God I beg of you PLEAAASE tell me that I didn't put the dogs on the potty & the girls outside in the yard??!!!

-Dear God please let the girls play nice & QUIET so they don't wake up this baby for the fifteenth FRIGGIN time this hour.

-God please let the girls eat their food without my begging & pleading with them to just EAT the damn food.

-God please let me produce enough milk today to feed my baby she seems to have a bottomless pit for a stomach & if I have to eat another bowl of oatmeal with quinoa I think I'm going to puke my brains out.

-God if it's not too much to ask today, do you think all 3 kids could find a way to fall asleep at the same time so I can get just 15 minutes to myself to eat, sleep, or shower!!

-God PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE it's been a long 12 hours let J catch the friggin early train because I don't think I can handle it today if he calls to say he's going to be late cause he missed the DAMN FRIGGIN TRAIN AGAIN!!

And so my prayers for help and guidance and strength & sanity go on & on. It's been a hectic & down right chaotic 4 months with the arrival of Camila but here are the many many moments that quickly remind me why I begged & pleaded for baby #3.

We meet...it's love at first sight.

Here are my little baseball fans at the Yankee's home opener.

Val and I discuss how a long time ago she too was just as little as Camila. We also talked about how she got to our house :) That was a fun conversation.

Camila's arrival came right around the Easter season...so we visited with the Easter bunny.

And after Spring comes Summer!! Poor Camila was happy to be unbundled & ready for some summer fun.

The beginning of May is always fun cuz we kick off the season with Daddy's birthday!!

Another birthday and J is still as young as the day I met him ;O)

And there's mother's day...which every year I am reminded why I am the luckiest woman in the universe. I get to share my life with these wonderful human beings.

And then probably the biggest event of the year is Cati & Val's birthday! I can't believe they are already 3 years old...God where has the time gone??

And one day this little one will be 3 too :)

It's not an easy job. I would say it's the hardest job I've ever had. There are no sick days or vacation days. Some days I'm on call around the clock. There's no night shift to take over. There's no monetary incentive or bonus at the end of the year. I'll probably never get a raise or recommendation. Many days all your work goes unnoticed and under appreciated by those you are servicing. And many days you definitely like this is some kind of cruel joke & there should be a law against this kind of abuse! I mean who works under these kinds of conditions??

With this job I have just ONE chance to get it right. I have one chance to make sure I do my very best to raise confident, strong, and responsible young women. And I won't know how good or bad I've done for another 20 years or so. I may not always get it right & some days I don't know where I will find the energy to get me through the day. On those days I rely on my spirit and determination carry me through. Because in the end, to me, it's the most important job I will ever have in my life.

Xmas 2010 Recap

2011-01-18T10:15:00.003-05:00

Every Christmas brings special memories especially when you have two 2-year-olds that make it interesting, exciting and fun!! It's not always fun and games and of course being a mommy is A LOT OF WORK but it's sooooo worth it and we feel incredibly blessed to have the privilege of being parents to our peanuts. These are one of the few jobs you'll ever have that its rewards far outweigh the energy put into it.

Some highlights of Cati & Val's Xmas was that they discovered the Christmas Tree, Santa, and Presents, and most importantly we talked about Baby Jesus. As a matter of fact the girls sang Happy Birthday to the Tree and at church they sang it again for Baby Jesus.

The TREE

The tree at Rockefeller Center

It was so tall she almost fell over pointing at it.

And here's Val all smiles!!!!

Cati looks a little dizzy from staring up the tree for so long..lol

And a special friend made an appearance at the Tree too.

Santa

We followed a mysterious road to see Santa...

Val was enamored with the penguins..

And dancing bears...

And we know who's ride this is!!!

And finally the moment of truth it's the old guy himself...SANTA!!!

And I hadn't had a chance to really visit with him in a while so I had a few words with old St. Nick too!

As we got ready for our annual Christmas photo we sang songs around our tree & talked about presents at Christmas.

And we showed them miniature versions of little presents.

...which they loved!

A visit to Christmas Village...

I have never been but I've heard lots of nice things. It was a pleasant little ride to this special place. And I have to admit I may have been more excited than the peanuts, probably because they had no idea where we were off too.

Almost there!!

And finally here we were.

I think the peanuts were not really prepared for the cold but it didn't bother some of us.

Some familiar sights.

It's the other peanuts.

And even our summer friends make it out in the winter for Christmas.

The lights were really pretty!

And the trains which were shown indoors were enjoyed by everyone.

One of my old time favs.

And Santa!

What cold!??!...boys are so much tougher than girls lol. Cousin Elias had a greeeeat time!

Baby Jesus

Our visit to Christmas village offered an opportunity to talk about the religious meaning of this holiday. We got to see an almost life size Nativity that helped tell the story of Baby Jesus.

You see the history of the Holy Family is a such an important part of our families. We believe that without them we would have never had our Saviour enter the world. They are our role model as a family and something we personally strive for each day. I'm sure Mary and Joseph had their ups and downs like most married couples but yet they persevered through it all and managed to raise a happy & loving young man. It was their good parenting & love that prepared Jesus to take on his ministry when the time came.

This was the first year that we got to bake cookies too! I attended this fantastic baking class and got to learn how to make cookies which I then showed the girls everything I learned. Stay tuned for a separate post on this.

For me, the holidays are always special and I love love love doing all the Christmassy stuff. The decorating, the music, the shopping, and the holiday movies all make Christmas for me. Enjoying this with my daughters is a dream come true for me. Maybe one day when they are all grown up they may not want to do all this with me but then again maybe they will because it will bring them back memories of their childhood. And maybe one day they'll continue our traditions with their own children. Tears. (must be the hormones)

Christmas Day

Finally arrived! J & I spent hours building and wrapping and finally the big day arrived. We were so excited to see the look on the girls' faces when they saw all their gifts.

And when all was said & done they were OFF to play with their new stuff.

But wait! There was a lot more at Grandma's house.

My nephews also enjoyed in the loot!!

And we got some cool gifts.

This year was special for me too because I was carrying around a little bump, a reminder of a true Christmas miracle. We are very fortunate to have our two happy & healthy girls and expecting another baby girl is nothing short of a miracle for us. We prayed and hoped for this child with all our hearts and our prayers were answered.

The Xmas Blizzard

Oh yes and last but certainly not least...SNOW SNOW SNOW!! The last blizzard of 2010 proved to be a whopper of an experience. We were able to enjoy it because well J & I were both on vacation from work and the peanuts were off from school too. And they looooved the snow and everything that comes along with playing in snow.

All night it looked like this...

And the next morning it looked like this...

And when we opened the front door it looked like this...

And the poor dogs had to go potty like this...

But finally after we dug ourselves out of the snow the fun could begin!

Next year we'll take it to the next level and take them sledding WOO HOO can't wait!! AAAAND I won't be pregnant so you KNOW I will be in there like snow-wear sledding with my peanuts....I'm sure J will enjoy staying home with our littlest peanut.

And these are the moments that make being a mom to the peanuts PRICELESS!! I wouldn't give up this job for a gazillion dollars :)

Mommy's Mis-Adventures in the Kitchen- Thanksgiving 2010

2010-12-02T09:58:00.011-05:00

Well folks this blog has been mostly about my adventures as a mom with my beloved peanuts. But after a conversation over dinner with some good friends (~~&&NYC) I've decided to shake things up a bit around here. Part of being a mom of two picky eaters & wife of another picky eater means experimenting in the kitchen. Now if you're a member of my family, you probably don't think I can cook, but I assure you that I can. I just don't cook for all of you because you guys only like one type of food, Peruvian, that's it! If you're a friend that we've had over for dinner and/or parties you know that good food will always be in abundance at our home gatherings. And if you're my husband (hopefully there's only 1 person who can claim this) you know that I love love love cook books & watching cooking on TV and on occasion I'll actually try new things! Giada, Ina Rachel & Paula are my idols and I would do anything to spend a day in their kitchen. But since I can't I will invite them to spend a day in MINE. :) ...in my mind of course.

While being a working mom of twins certainly makes me very busy, I can't neglect other interests that I'm passionate about. There are things I enjoy doing & maybe one day I can make a decent living from it! But whether I can make money or not it shouldn't stop me from doing them. So I've made a commitment to myself (& my blog) to pursue these interests and share some of my adventures with those who care to read about it.

Soooo...Mommy's Mis-Adventures In the Kitchen #1

I'm not a trained chef. I can't even say that I'm a great cook. I like to say that I'm a decent cook that every now then surprises my family with something great. But here I will share with you my ups & downs in my kitchen with some of my favorite top chefs & their recipes.

Every year at Thanksgiving I think of a few dishes I want to try out. Ask J, it's no easy task for me but I do put a lot of effort into it. First I go through a list of dishes from something I've watched on the Food Network from one of my mentors (Ina, Giada, Paula, or Rachel). On occasion I have used some others for inspiration. I might also stumble upon something surfing through other blogs or my fav Cooking Light magazine. Some key dishes have been so good we've made them a tradition. Others experiments have been a big goose egg....ERRR try again :(

For dessert I usually make the pies, both pumpkin (my little brother's favorite) and sweet potato which seems to be everyone's favorite. Look how pitty pitty is my sweet potato pies :)

And we usually need to make extra for our post-Thanksgiving dinner at our house. Here's a yummy pumpkin pie that my lil bro likes because its delish but also a healthy version I got from Cooking Light magazine.

This year THIS caught my eye. Even the title of this recipe made my mouth water, Pumpkin Spice Latte Cheesecake. UMMM I know your mouth is watering too right? After reading this over & over again it sounded easy & I have to admit that it was easy, even for this novice baker.

If you look at our pictures side by side, I would say...not bad.

Here's mine...

And here's miss Sprinkle Bake's...cool huh?! Ok so her's looks a tad better but I'm sure it's the whole camera angle.

While this really was an easy recipe, nothing is THAT easy for me. So here's my Pumpkin Spice Latte Cheesecake adventure. First off I don't do crusts. I don't know why but I have attempted a few times & it just doesn't happen for me. For my pies I go with the frozen store brand & it usually works out great. But I couldn't find any cheesecake crusts in the frozen aisle. So I walked down the baking aisle and examined every so called easy-to-make crust. After thorough analysis and about 10 minutes of my kids screaming at me, I went with the graham cracker crumbs & followed the directions on the back. It was 3 steps, how hard could it be? Done.

Back home, it's Wednesday night and the girls are fast asleep. There's no way I could do this with them up & I wanted my focus to be on this dessert. I also prepped my pies at night too. So I'm making my graham cracker crust & I realize that the box doesn't answer some of the for-dummies-questions like, what if it doesn't look like it's enough? The directions say add the butter & press into your spring form pan. Got it, but I'm pressing & it's cracking & leaving gaps. So I keep pressing & pressing & somehow this is stuff is supposed to be enough for the bottom of the pan & up the sides?? Uumm...I don't think so. Then I figure I'll make more but I don't have enough to double the instructions so how much butter do I add to what's left of crumbs about 1/2 cup? Again, there is no 1-800# on the back of the box! Seriously, if anyone from Betty Crocker is reading, here's a suggestion add a friggin phone number where newbie bakers can call with questions. And make sure there's an experienced American baker answering the line.

Anyhow, I did what I could & into the freezer it went to chill out while I made the filling. I have to say the filling went a whole lot better & it really was pretty easy. UNTIL....until I realized I forgot to get the instant espresso. AAACKK! My cheesecake is nearly done & there's a missing ingredient. So I think...do I improvise? That's never really gone that well for me. Do I substitute with instant coffee? How bad could it be? Do I just skip it? Hmmm...nope. I decided to send J to the supermarket at 11pm at night. I know, I know, BIIIIIG mistake. Ladies, never, evah, evah send a grumpy husband to the market for something he's never seen before in his life. Even with specific instructions and the indication of which aisle he should go to, he still came back with coffe grounds. Yes friends this is not instant, it's ground espresso. UGGHHH meanwhile my filling is sitting idle waiting for the final touch!!

However in his defense and as a note to his incredible patience with me he went back & called from the super market until he got the right thing. Thank you God.

At 1am out came Penelope (that's my name for my master piece) & she looked lovely. And she smelled even better. I set her gently on the cooling rack to cool for an hour.

And then I realized the recipe did not say how the heck you're supposed to get the cake off of the bottom pan. WTF?? I wasn't ABOUT to ruin my masterpiece by trying to scrape it off the friggin pan. Again people, maybe to you chefs it's stating the obvious but to people like me it's a rack-your-brain-effort to figure this stuff out. I realize I'm a college graduate but I'm a home ec dropout. So Penelope stayed in the pan. And we just placed her on a pretty dish & covered up nicely & carefully placed into the fridge until tomorrow, when we'd have to figure out how to get her to Grandma's house for dinner in one piece. I offered to take separate cars for Penelope's sake but J was not having it. MEN!

My presentation is not quite as sophisticated as Ms. Sprinkle Bakes but I think it was ok. I couldn't do the whole powdered sugar pattern & opted for a more abstract look. I think the next time I make this I'll add some vanilla cool whip which might be a nice compliment to the hint of latte in the cake.

The critics response: J is not a coffee drinker so he couldn't appreciate the spice latte bit. I think only those who have had the distinct pleasure of enjoying a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte could really dig this. But he liked it & ate his share without leaving anything behind. Translation, thumb up! And my brother-in-law asked me why didn't live closer so he could eat some more. Translation, TWO thumbs up!! :) YAY!!

Happy Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-30T12:53:00.009-05:00

Every year people remind each other to remember the true essence of this holiday, being thankful. This year I didn't have to think twice about what to be thankful for, my family's health, especially these two.

This holiday will probably always be marked as the time when my little Valentina wound up in the hospital with some scary stuff. It's sad that sometimes it takes a serious incident coupled with some struggle to make you realize what is important in life. Last year my little peanut was not healthy at all. And while sometimes I wish they would slow down so I can catch my breath, I'm thankful that this year no one slowed down. Instead the peanuts were full speed as it should be.

The blackest Friday ever for me was in 2009. We wound up here in the hospital with our sick little girl. And while their dad & I spent days and nights with her we had another little girl at home wondering what the heck was going on. It seemed like it would never end and the days at home would be just as hard.

Today, we're here at home causing a raucous and trying to get our hands into everything. I know for J & I it was a very happy thanksgiving because the days of Val being so sick are way behind us. She's a walking and talking vibrant and energetic two-year-old.

Getting ready for Thanksgiving the girls painted turkeys! What? Their art doesn't look like turkeys to you? Of course it does, these are the most beautiful turkeys I've ever seen people (use your imaginations or think abstract art :) ha ha)!

And sometimes the artists can get carried away and decide body art is also fun!

We spent the day at Grandma's with some other little people and eating some yummy turkey. My nephew is quite the charmer :) And finally check out this spread that grandma laid out for the family. Very nice!

This is Cati with her lets-get-our-eat-on face.

And Val in one of her extra special moods...ahem. And daddy with his token JETS gear to ensure all the Thanksgiving vibes make for a football win!

The next day all of us girls got up early & seasoned our turkey together for our post-Thanksgiving dinner at home. As we sang to the tune of Hello Mr. Turkey. Something about saying hi to the turkey and then telling him not to run away cuz it's time to eat. Yeah a little morbid, I know. But the girls didn't mind it.

This is something I like to do because really there's never enough left over turkey. I make our own and add just a couple of side items for our dinner.

In the end there are never enough days to be thankful for all of the blessings we have and we need to cherish and appreciate the people in our lives each and every day.

Bye Bye Summa Smma-time

2010-11-23T14:29:00.002-05:00

It's been ages since I blogged but I can't move on until I reminisce about our summer a little bit...

I live for summer & the end of it just makes me wish I had a billion dollars so I go to a place where there's summer all year round. If this ever happened then it probably would mean that my husband has either died or left me for some young chick who lives for the cold weather. He would never move to the tropics..sux for me I suppose. The only comforting thought is that my 2nd favorite time of year is approaching & the holidays will soon be here. But until then it's time to answer "What We Did On our Summer Vacation"....here's some stuff we did

The peanuts learned lots of new words this summer like...

To the beach!

This is Cati's sexy look...HA!!!

Horse-seez.. (that means carnival type rides...everything is horsey)

For the 4th of July we made cupcakes so they became little bakers...and eaters!

We also met some new friends like Big Bird and Elmo. They were just a tiny bit bigger than we expected. Hmm.

We had a blast this summer. In just a couple of short months my peanuts have grown so much. They're turning into little bits of personality right before my eyes. I try to capture as many moments as possible because I know that if I take the time to blink I'll miss it. And I don't want to miss a thing!!!

And one last thing the girls learned this summer was..."Mommy's Belly"

The stork paid us a visit this summer & we're going to have a new baby join our family!!

We are so excited about this baby. We wanted to have another child and give the girls a chance to be big sisters. And I also wanted to see what it was like to have just ONE baby. Our plans were always to have a big family but because we're not young spring chickens anymore we thought we'd be lucky to have 2 children and now we feel incredibly blessed that we get to have 3!! We wanted and prayed for this baby for a long time and there were moments where I thought maybe it just wasn't meant to be. But if this was the case then I was overjoyed at being a mom of my two amazing daughters I know that having them was my first miracle.

I am incredibly grateful and feel like we've been afforded another not-so-small-miracle. If all goes well, Baby Martinez will be making an arrival in March 2011. And the peanuts are so very happy about it too! I can't wait for all of us to meet this baby.

And that was our summer in peanut shell :)....So here's good-bye to Summer 2010...boy was it a good one! Well miss you summer see ya in 2011.

Potty Training Twins...the nightmare

2010-07-02T13:07:00.013-04:00

So maybe it wasn't a total nightmare maybe it was like someone gauging your eyes out but we had to go through 2 attempts before we got it right. Back in July I decided that this would be a good time for me to work with the girls and get them potty trained. They were talking now and much more independent and of course I had some vacation time coming up so I can fit this into my schedule. I also wanted them trained before we went for a week down to the Jersey shore.

Lesson #1

As a parent, we sometimes need to take the lead of our children. We can't control everything in their lives. There are times when they will be the ones to decide on certain things.

So this was my first mistake! But everything is a learning experience and I'm sure I'm bound to screw up more times than just this. And I probably won't win Mother Of The Year but that's life and we can't always get it right as much as we have their very best interest at heart.

Lesson #2

You are not alone! This is a critical lesson to my over-achieving-mommies out there. You know them, we're the ones that don't ask or want anyone's help. We whole-heartedly believe that there isn't anything we can't do, even with twins.

That's me! Since the day they were born I believe I could do ANYTHING with my twins on my own. I refuse to admit that having multiples is in any way limiting to the things I can do. But twins are hard work!!! It's exhausting and tiring and sometimes near impossible!! This is one of those things. There was no way I could possible pay close close attention to each child AND clean up the 500 accidents that happened over 4 days.

Here's some of my original post after the first attempt.

Good God in heaven what in the world have I done! What was I friggin thinking?? 3-day potty training, puh huh cheah right!! I hope they read this one day & realize they SO owe me! Everyone knows I'm a borderline germa-phobe and God only knows that was magnified by the nurses in the NICU. After 19 accidents & counting, OH my germs everywhere....I've been cleaning up so much urine all over my floor at the risk of getting some kind of bacterial disease. I swear if I ever hear one complaint to clean up their room they will be forced to read this over & over again. I've got urine all over the bottom cuff of my pj's and the thought of urine smacking me in the ankle every time I run into the bathroom to catch an accident is making me nauseous. I'll have to scrub my feet with a pumice stone or better yet maybe I'll need to soak myself in alcohol for a few hours.

And where the hell is their father?!!?? I guess part of me was wishing he would wake up this morning & say "I'm going to take the day off & help you potty train the girls." In my dreams. I'm sure he doesn't even know how I'm going about this. For all he knows I could have inserted a catheter into each of our daughters and make you pee on command. What else is new.

The plan is to let them have an accident in their bed because I don't know what I was thinking taking this on by myself and now I need the time to think this through, regroup, & most importantly bathe, a few 100 times. I have to find a better way. God, if you're listening a miracle of your caliber would be really good right about now. I have invoked a higher being & prayed a little cause I don't know if I'm going to make it. I can't be taking one child to the potty while the other one decides to pee on the floor at the same EXACT time. That's just not going to work.

I had hit rock bottom. I was tired and frustrated and disappointed. I was so sure this would work with my peanuts but, I was wrong. I made a mistake & should have never put them or myself through this. All I kept thinking was, gosh I SUCK at this parenting. How many more things will I F' up? I really hope I don't mess up on the important stuff. The worse part about it was that I felt all alone in my failure.

But we live and learn. Just like when we gave up the co-sleeping, gave up on the paci, or when we did away with the bottles and their sippy cups, this was going to be a process. As a parent I need to accept that some things will come quickly for my daughters and some things will take some time and I need to be patient and comforting and above all loving. All parents have high expectations and want our children to excel and be the best but it takes a good parent to realize when you have to give encouragement and guidance and when your child needs to just wait until they can get better at something.

A few months later we gave it another try. The girls were older they new about the potty and had learned how to pull up and off their pants. They had matured quite a bit in just a few months. This time we did the gradual process and I got LOTS of help, professional help! My job hosted a Potty Training Boot Camp! Alright! The parents got little seminar on the approach and agreed to abide by the Potty Training Oath, the kids got a whole ceremonious introduction to begin the week long program. So while I worked a few floors above the pro's helped my kids understand the difference between wet and dry and were the help I needed to keep things going at home each night. The weekend came and they hadn't been successful once but we had 3 more days to ourselves and finally they got it. YES THEY GOT IT!! Oh our joy to see our kids use the bathroom instead of the floor. I felt like a lottery winner folks that's right it was like a million dollars.

We were all happy about our success!

And then we danced!

And we even drank!

And we even fell over with joy!

Now it's not perfect they do have to be reminded but a couple of months later they now have learned the feeling of when you-gotta go and they tell us. We also have accepted that they WILL have accidents but that's the process of learning. Kinda like riding a bike they will fall and trip but we dust off & start again.

And that's how we potty trained our twins.

Vacation is all I ever wanted...

2010-06-22T19:58:00.004-04:00

Vacation had to get awaaayy....(The Go-Go's in case you're wondering).

Aaaah my heart melts for vacation.

This one has been in the works since last January, yes that's correct over a year of planning. I take my vacations pretty seriously and my usual obsessive-compulsive-self planned all of our meals, activities, packing items, well in advance. I had lists upon list of websites I used for my planning, things I needed to take for the girls, crucial tips for getting to places I wanted to take the girls and also fun ideas for all of us to enjoy while on vacation.

Me and the peanuts worked on the preparations. They got their favorite outfits from all of the great birthday gifts they got this year & we were ready to go!

And J was in charge of figuring out how to get me and everything I absolutely needed to our vacation spot, ORLANDO! Contrary to popular belief you can take two 2-year-olds to Orlando. And yes we visited the Disney parks and lived to tell about it. It was one of the best family vacations we've ever had & the girls had a blast. And I have a feeling they might just remember this trip. Sometimes I hear the Dumbo song being sung by someone randomly. It's a song we made up while waiting on line to ride Dumbo.

Here are some of our favorite moments of our family vacation.

We made lots of new friends!

Turns out Valentina is a real charmer :)

Catalina showed The Mouses' a new dance. LOL! Too funny!

And here are my little dancing queens strutting their stuff at Minnie & Mickey's party.

And these fuzzy little chefs made us a fabulous BBQ dinner that day. Yummy!

We were a little skeptical about the chipmunks but eventually the girls warmed up to our chefs.

Disney is no place to lounge around all day so we made sure to keep active....in the sweltering suffocating heat.

There's no place to beat the heat than in the pool! The peanuts learned the word "pool" real quick & every day they asked about it. Not sure how we're going to break the news that we don't have one of these at home. uh oh.

And sometimes the rain would come and set us back but we would patiently wait until it stopped so we could get on with our vacation business.

And sometime we would hide from the rain so it wouldn't find us...

But OUT came the sun & so would the peanuts!

So off we would go again on another adventure.

And after lots of running around you must refuel with great food & DRINKS!!!

I swear I didn't give her any of my mojito :)

Cati truly enjoys a good meal.

And so does Val

And so does J

And these were some our absolutely fun fun fun moments...it's Dumbo!! Dumbo! Dumbo!

We're next!...on the TEA CUPs Yippee!

Round round & round we go..

And my daughters enjoy even the simpler adventures like

...the slide.

...and the choo choo train.

But if you ever decide to take your toddler to Disney here's a few tips I can now offer after having experienced it myself.

-Pack appropriately...food, drinks, strollers, child harness of some sort, a water mist fan, and caffeine for yourself.

-Get a hold of a map & plan out your visit to the park. Break it up into 2 parts early morning & late afternoon. In the middle go back to your hotel and take a nice bath, nap,& have a hearty lunch. Your kids will thank you and so will your psychiatrist. I promise the park isn't going anywhere & they're open late.

-For the little ones it's easy to just pick 2 maybe 3 places that has appropriate entertainment for their age group. We picked 2 parks, Magic Kingdom & Hollywood Studios.

-Pick a character meal that's also age appropriate & there are LOTS to choose from. Oh yes, and before I forget book & pay for these at least 3 months in advance. We picked Mickey's Backyard BBQ, it's a little known secret that this one doesn't get booked too fast & the characters just hang out on the dance floor the whole time. This was very much our style. I loved the laid back and real home style BBQ atmosphere.

-Hang out at your resort pool and use ALL the amenities it offers. We had a great time just minutes away from our room. The kids had no idea we never left the complex!

-And take some time to enjoy nice meals, naps, and just lounging around when the kids are fast asleep.

Oh my little peanuts I can't wait to tell you all about your very first visit to Disney. You girls had such a great time & so did we.

Till next year vacation...we will miss you!

It's Cool to be 2!

2010-06-17T20:12:00.002-04:00

Here are my two cool 2 year olds having breakfast on the morning of their birthday day. I know I know it's almost a month ago but we've been busy livin it up for their birthday month!

We've had a month full of events to celebrate their big milestone into toddler-hood. I've also been celebrating the fact that I have survived 2 years with twins. I'm pretty independent when it comes to most things but this has been the hardest endeavors of my life. And I'm very proud of having accomplished just a few things like cooking food my children will eat....sometimes, going grocery shopping with both of them by myself, taking them to the doctor check ups by myself, and going to the park just me & the peanuts. Not bad huh?!

Birthday breakfast was heart shaped banana pancakes & Valentina loooooved it!

And so did Catalina :)

Later that day gramma bought them their very own cake & they didn't look like they were going to share with the rest of us! lol

And a couple of Doras and Diegos and Boots...yes we do 2 of everything.

And after the cake we read our birthday cards...

They were musical cards & as you can see it was a big hit.

So because it was a Wednesday and we couldn't have a big ol party in the middle of the week we did the next best thing. We went to Chuckie's because it's ALWAYS a party at Chuck E Cheese's! And just our luck the big cheese himself showed up for our special occasion.

A couple of days later we threw the girls a birthday bash that I think they really enjoyed. I love birthdays and I love to celebrate them to the fullest (especially my own). And no birthday can be complete without some good friends and family to celebrate with you. I also want to make sure that the peanuts have great memories of their birthdays or at least great pictures that show how much fun they had at their birthdays. I never ever want them to doubt how very special they are to us. We love them both so much and are so grateful for the day that they entered our lives.

Our party was....DDDDD DOOORAA!! What else? These kids live, eat & breath home girl. We party-ed it up Dora style :)

Decorations...check!

Entertainment...check!

Cake.....ummm I dunno what the heck happened to Dora & her little monkey friend but J thinks she may have been hanging out at the beach too long. I was a tiny bit annoyed here since we got this cake at very reputable bakery in Hoboken, NJ. If anyone watches TLC, then you know who I'm talking about. At least the fox looked good & that sneaky fox is Val's favorite character.

And finally our guests...

Happy Birthday my babies! I love you more than I could ever put into words. The last 2 years have been so much fun. You have filled my life with so much happiness.

In my memories...

2010-06-16T13:58:00.000-04:00

I don't think I've ever posted about my dad. But today he's been on my mind a lot. He would have turned 63 today but he died in 1993.

On days like today I remember him often throughout the day. Like many dads he liked to spoil his children & in his short time on earth he fathered two incredible girls. He didn't live long enough to see what we would become because the good Lord and the universe figured his time here was over. I often wonder what it would have been like to have an adult relationship with my father. Growing up he was in and out of my life so it was hard to have any kind of consistent relationship but we made the best of our moments together. I wonder what our conversations would have been like today now that I'm married and have children of my own. If you know what's like to lose a parent you know what it's like struggle with the big milestones of your life feeling so incredibly happy but always thinking about the parent who couldn't be there to see you in this incredible moment.

He was a great person. He was a lover of people and music and saw the positive in everything. He was the eternal optimist. I miss him all the time but on days like today it's even harder despite the years that have passed since his death. Initially it felt like he was on one his MIA phases when I wouldn't hear from him in a while and at any moment he would just show up at my mom's house or one day he'd call out of the blue. But as the years pass its harder to accept that I'll never hear his voice again. I'll never hear him laugh again. I'll never watch him dance again. And then it's like it just happened. He wasn't the greatest at parenting but he was loving and affectionate and he could never stay mad at me for long. He wasn't good at disciplining or any of the important things that children need to grow up to be responsible adults. But I like to remember the things he was good at like how he tried to make our visits as fun as possible. I remember when he came to see me at my 3rd grade performance of Cinderella (I had 1 line to say). I remember him taking us to watch the ball drop in Time Square (the only time I ever saw it live). Every year he took us to the circus or some local carnival or to Great Adventure in some borrowed car. I remember our many visits to Manhattan and eating in China town or Little Italy. And no matter where he was or what he was doing he never forgot a holiday or my birthday. He never hung up the phone without saying "I love you." I think in some way he might have known he wouldn't be with me long so he tried to make the time we had together the happiest moments in my life.

We used to have serious conversations despite my young age. I remember being 10 years old and talking about how hard life can be and I was lecturing him about his life style. He would say things like "Jennifer you have to enjoy life because you never know about tomorrow." In my darkest moments I think about what he would say & what advice he would give me. But when I look back I see that his life was an example for me and will always be the best advice. I have learned so much from my memories of him the good & the bad. He was human and made many mistakes & over time I understand why. I realize that life is not easy & being a good parent is not easy at all. I know how hard it must have been for my mom to be a mother & father when he wasn't around. But he also knew that the best place for me was with my mom. He knew I needed the discipline and structure and stability that he could never give me. Instead he gave me the very best of him for as long as he could. In the end he was the best father he could be.

Sometimes it's hard when I realize my girls will never meet him especially when I see little bits of him in my daughters. They have his free spirit and his contagious smile. When Cati wrinkles her eye brows or Val scrunches her nose in such a way they remind me the he really did give us the very best of him.

I hope that from wherever you are you know how much we love you & remember you always.

Easter 2010

2010-05-06T14:55:00.002-04:00

I know this is way late but we've been busy enjoying Spring & other such things that come with spring like going to the park & being outdoors most days.

Anyhow, I did want to blog about our Easter festivities...this another one of my favs as far as holidays go. I remember as a kid BEGGIN my mom let us color easter eggs. I also remember PLEADING with her not to force me to wear shiny easter shoes. That's what I remember them as "easter shoes." I think I was a strange child with very particular issues when it came to shoes. I really mostly liked to wear sneakers. Any shiny or pointy or heaven forbid open-toed and full blown tantrum would ensue from yours truly. Clearly those days are gone & there aint nothin cuter then some pretty sandals :)

We made it to church for the fashion show that is typical of Easter Sunday at most churches. While I do hate to admit I fall under that category of wearing something new for Easter. I don't quite get all the to do about dressing up when the rest of the year we're pretty casual about church attire. But like I said I do enjoy this holiday so I follow suit & got the girls cutsie dresses for the occasion. Like most 2 year-olds they did not oblige for a nice photo before we left so we caught some pics when we got home so please excuse our slight disheveled look.

Val is a firm believer that the 80s look is IN this year.

OR maybe she got this look from riding with the windows down in her convertible.

The girls were a little under the weather so we didn't make it to our local community Easter egg hunt but we were able to improvise very nicely at home. And actually this was probably a better idea to do a trial run at home then out in a gigantic field with other greedy little rugrats from the hood. Instead our cousin Elias joined us for a family egg painting & an egg hunt in the yard.

And off they went on their hunt!

Then we congregated to compare the stash.

All is good!

The hunting was obviously a bigger hit then egg painting..

They were more interested in stickers.

Aaand with a little help from the adults presto!

Our eggies.

Come on Vamonos!...Everybody Let's Go...

2010-04-21T18:05:00.000-04:00

...if you starting humming this in your head then you know EXACTLY what I'm about to write about. HA HA inside parent joke. Anyhow yes, the girls were on a real adventure recently. We visited the jungles of New York City and found some interesting places to hang with the peanuts.

These days any trip into the city with the peanuts is a real adventure for me and I don't have a handy backpack with everything & the kitchen sink or a map to lead me to the best parking lot, or a fox who's willing to swipe a few things from me that weigh a ton of bricks. But I do have grandma & she was just as great. The girls had no idea but I had a day of fun filled activities for them. First stop, the Children's Museum of Manhattan. This gold mine was packed full of fun that could have kept the girls busy for hours & hours on end. It would be really great if they had some kind of child care program so I can leave them there & paint the town red :) but enough of my fantasizing. This excursion was about bringing my girls' animated friend to life.

These intelligent wonderful people have a fantastic Dora The Explorer & Diego exhibit. The girls enjoyed both! They're not huge Diego fans but given the shy smile Cati has on her face everytime she catches a glimpse of him on TV, I have a feeling she was more then happy to see Diego come to life at the exhibit.

I have to tell you how great it was to just release the hounds & let them roam freely in this colorful baby-proofed world. I wish more places were like this. All I had to do was follow around one child while grandma followed around the other child (she didn't realize what an aerobic workout this would turn out to be). The museum had an entire floor dedicated to this exhibit filled with child-height exhibits & interactive stations.

We also took them to other floors which also had great activities...like the classic slide. You just can't lose with a slide. I bet that guy must be rolling in dough with that invention. But my kids enjoyed this too.

Getting them out was a whole other adventure. I finally did convince them to leave with some bribing & consoling. Next stop lunch & then a nice long local car ride downtown so that maybe two peanuts could take a power nap before our next adventure!

Lunch worked out well. No one got into a food fight, no abrupt exit from nearby patrons & the girls actually ate. So in my book we got an A++. The nap situation worked out well for one & not so well for the other but hey 50% success rate here is not bad. Then the climax of our day, Radio City Music Hall. I wish I knew what they were thinking when we got in there. The place was mobbed with people, screaming children & stroller bumper cars. It was a tad stressful for moms & caretakers like grandma praying & hoping that when you got home you had the right child. But I have to say that the venue did a nice job of getting people in and out as quick & painless as possible. And I was happy that I didn't have to quiet down my kids every 5 minutes. I actually enjoyed the chaos a little because I didn't have worry about being "that family." We got to our seats & that's where we stayed until it was over. I finally got a moment to rest my legs & the girls were busy admiring the enormity of the theater, staring at the ceiling & stage.

It was exciting for ME to see some one-of-kind moments when their faces light up in amazement. Their favorite friends live & in front of them causes such a reaction that it's absolutely priceless.

Some of us wanted to jump out on stage...to literally go & hang out with Dora.

But all good things have to come to end a hard fact for the peanuts to accept but the it was worth the trip!

After the storm...

2010-04-08T08:52:00.002-04:00

The sun always shines. We were pretty happy the sun & warm weather decided to come out & gives a break from the wet stuff. J thought this was an opportune time to bust out some nice weather fun toys for the girls. And after being cooped up for what seemed like FOREVER the girls were ecstatic about being “ow-sigh”…aka outside. That’s their new word now. Now they have their own house & they set their own rules in THEIR house.

I have to remind J that they can do what they want in their house because it’s technically not under our roof! LOL He’s having a bit of a hard time with this but he’s adjusting. I also realized that we need to take better care of our yard now that they’ve discovered this new play area. And I’m having a hard time explaining why we can go "ow-sigh" when it’s raining. Yeah, they still don’t get the whole rain thing yet. Sigh.

With new experiences come new challenges.

Worse storm in PSEG history...

2010-04-05T18:42:00.001-04:00

...the voice mail said. We want to thank you, our valued customer for your patience & understanding while we recovered service for over 25% of our customers. Clearly, they have me confused for some other PSEG customer because I, dear friends, was not patient OR understanding. I was cold & aggravated & wondering where the heck I could go with 2 kids, 2 dogs, & a husband. This is no way to live.

Flashlights (even Dora was there to help..hey, we were desperate!)

Outdoor fridge…alla Little House on the Prairie

Every candle I could find in the house (Thank you! To anyone who's ever given me a candle) I can see why the Ingalls used oil lanterns...they were definitely on to something back then.

And thanks to BJs Wholesale Club...we had plenty of battery power!

And wearing coats INSIDE.

But at least we had an inside that we could all jam into. Others had it a lot worse. Imagine a friggin giant tree landing on your house & setting your roof on fire.

And here was the other half of that tree..

That’s pretty scary stuff. And as we took an adventure to the nearest diner we realized that there was a lot more damage out there then just our block.

This storm brought a lot of awful things too close for comfort. I didn’t sleep a wink that night for fear that the burning wires near our house would land on our house & set the place on fire. We were prepared though. We had a bag packed, the girls & I slept in our clothes, the dogs in their collars & leashes nearby while J watched our bedroom window if anything should happen. Several times that night our window lit up bright orange from the wires burning right outside our window. Eventually they broke off & landed in our driveway & the car survived, thank goodness.

But like any horrifying experience it makes me reflect a bit. What would we do if we had to suddenly leave our home? What would we take with us? I packed the pictures of my babies & our toothbrushes, some underwear, socks, clothes & some toys for the girls, and food for the dogs. And there you have it, my most prized possessions all jammed into a duffle bag near the door. That is all I treasure, our lives & the basic needs to keep the people I love alive & well. I’m not sure why I torture myself thinking would if this? Or what if that? In my head I planned several escape routes & thought about places we would go or could go. In the end we were fine & survived that night. The next few days were another story. We lost power the night before right after dinner so we tried to figure out what were the next steps. Thankfully it was the weekend so we didn’t have to worry about work & all that business. Three days later we got power back & internet (with some lingering issues) and are all alive & accounted for.

It was nice to have family that we could rely on who were in much better conditions then we were. And I’m also thankful for modern day inventions like…portable generators. Hopefully we will be better prepared next time mother nature decided to drop a nifty little storm like this one again.

Communication

2010-03-07T19:38:00.006-05:00

We are fully in the phase with trying to communicate with the girls. When I think about it I realize we've been trying to communicate on some level since birth. When they were first born they cried & we responded with either food, a clean diaper, a blanket, a little rocking and USUALLY something worked. Now I feel like I'm trying to learn a foreign language only there's no handy translating dictionary.

At first when they were starting to babble a few words it was exciting that they could point & speak things like dada, book, backpack, nana, & eventually mimi (=mommy). Now, it's a whole different ball game we're dealing with. They are intentionally trying to express their needs, wants & emotions. And unfortunately it's not as much fun anymore as I stand with a look of confusion, I'm sure, emptying out the refrigerator & kitchen cabinets hoping that SOMETHING will appease them. There are days when I have to figure out what "deeez" means today? Yesterday it meant cheese. The day before it meant juice. Today it could mean cookies. Who the heck really knows?! Its frustrating for me as a mother trying to fulfill the needs of my children. I've been doing that since they were born & hoping to God that I'm doing a decent job. I'm sure I've failed a few times. But this time around the task is sometimes darn near impossible. The only thing I know for sure without a doubt is when they need a diaper change. Thank goodness for small accomplishments.

After giving this some thought I realized this communication thing is probably something they'll struggle with all their lives. I am certainly still dealing with communicating with those around me. The only thing that gives me some comfort is that I don't expect much from my almost-two-year-old -babies and many days it's easier to communicate with them then it is for me to communicate with many adults. Yup. There it is. I've said it & I strongly believe it's true. For instance communicating with a 36-year-old-man.....I say let's start cleaning up the house & he hears let's clean sometime next month or 60-year-old-grandmother....I say I'll call you when I'm on my way & she hears call me every 10 minutes until I get there. You see what I mean?

So I think my goal here is to teach my girls to be patient with me. Because heaven knows these girls are going to have a lifetime of communication challenges & they might as well start now at dealing with people who just don't LISTEN to you.

Dearest Cati & Val

I know this is a tough time girls. I know you are trying so hard to let mommy know what you want. I may not get it right all the time but I sure am trying my darnest to get you what you need. And sometimes, my sweet little peanuts, the answer is "no." I know, I know, this is not an easy word for you to accept but that's life. I know you would love to throw cheerios around in church & into some lady's pocketbook but mommy has to show you some limits and some common courtesies. Trust me, these lessons will go a long way in life for you both. And you should also know that you don't always know what's good for you & mommy does, most of the time. Sometimes you don't even know what you want because I'm pretty sure that you can't possibly want to see Dora The Explorer at 3:30AM. What you actually want is "sleep." I know this because that's what I want!

But don't worry girls, that's what I'm here for to guide you through these tough times & to prepare you for the future. I hope that I can prepare you for adult life when you have to communicate to the dirt bag that just broke your heart that he's just not worth your tears or heartache & he should definitely get lost. I hope I can teach how to speak kindly to your mother, who wants to spend every moment by your side to protect you from the world & let her know that it's okay to let go of your hand. I hope that I can prepare you for speaking intelligently & respectfully exactly what's on your mind & in your heart. I hope that one day you're not afraid to stand up for yourself or stand for what is right. I hope that I can teach you to be strong women unafraid to tell the world that you are a valuable & great person with so much to offer.

Love

Mommy

Ringing in 2010

2010-02-22T20:50:00.002-05:00

A little late! The New Year is always tough for me because I enjoy the holidays so much & its so sad to take down the decorations, ending family gatherings, no more nostalgic holiday music and marking an end of a whole year. This year it was a tad harder because we were nursing my littlest peanut back to health.

We've had a busy new year but before I get into the latest & greatest with the many happenings in our life, I want to set some goals & hopes for the new year. I'm not generally big on resolutions & such but this year I've been inspired to make some changes and much needed improvements in my life. So here it goes....

1-Be Grateful

Yes, I said it. We have a tendency to be ungrateful, always bitchin about something, never seeing the good in anything people. I'm keeping a journal by my bed to remind to write something I'm grateful for each & every day. Even if it's the same thing every day & even if I don't remember to do it every single day, I want to remind myself that things could always be worse. The recent disaster in Haiti has put so many things in perspective. I have a home, a family, & my life....what more can I ask for?

2-Be Happy

Simple yet so difficult to achieve. Sometimes when things are so crazed & stressed it's hard to find the energy to put into being happy & doing the things that make you happiest. It's so easy to get caught up in the daily "to-do's" that we forget to do the things that make us happy. I've decided to write a list of things I enjoy doing & DO them. As I put this list together I realized that it's not money or jewels or travel that would make me happiest but the things that you can't put a price tag on. Once a week I'm taking a nice hot bath, reading a good book, listening to some soothing tunes.

3-Take Care of Myself

I have to admit that I've resorted to eating some serious junk & I have a few thousand excuses that I've convinced myself it's ok. But it's not. So I'm jumping back on the wagon & need to take better care of me. If I don't, I can't possibly do a good job of taking care of those that need me. Aside from eating better I need to get up of my rear & on my feet. I got myself a new little gadget that will hopefully motivate me to stick to it (thank you Mr. Nike for your cool inventions). So my Nike + friends please feel free to keep me in check if you don't see me logging any miles.

So that's that.

The peanuts have been busy growing like little weeds & right before my eyes they're turning into little people who walk & talk & are more independent with each passing day.

We were quite social in January with lots of guests to entertain & parties to attend.

Here's Val trying to hide from the paparazzi but was nice enough to let me pose for a pic with her.

A fun visit with Val's godparents.

A very fun New Year's Day party at the Cervantes' household. The girls were thoroughly entertained.

And we had a fun visit with itty bitty Bianca...sporting her leopard print dress. You gotta have a certain style to rock leopard print. You go girl!

Bring on the L-O-V-E for Valentines Day

And then we have some not-so-loving moments....sigh...this is no different from any other day. One out of two children must be upset about SOMETHING.

We got some fine jewelry for Valentines day & there's nothing like the right accessories to help fix a situation. But picking the right jewelry is a tough decision & must be carefully thought out.

You see! Now we're in LOVE again.

And so is the dog in the background....showing himself a little love. Oh boy!

And then we got snowed in for the first BLIZZARD of 2010

The first snow fall of the year is always fun & pretty to watch. The girls were a little under the weather so we enjoyed the powder white stuff from the INSIDE.

Then you realize there's such a thing as too much of a good thing. It's pretty & all but where the HECK is a dog to do his "business" with cold snow freezing your cojones.

But we kept ourselves busy inside by having enough reading materials & arranging them just so.

Playing musical chairs...also known as annoying your sister while she sits in her chair. It's fun when you have a sibling to play with.

And we kept up with our parent responsibilities of feeding our babies.

Now they now how I feel.

These babies must be on a 4 hour feeding schedule. Cati looks beat!

But it's SO worth it!

Xmas 2009

2009-12-26T22:18:00.005-05:00

As Christmas weekend comes to a close...here's our Xmas 2009 wrap up. Along with some of my random thoughts.

Christmas Eve

At my in-laws in the Bronx, the girls were super well behaved & enjoyed the amazing eats that only Dominicans can pull off. By the end of the evening the savages grew weary but managed to maintain their composure for some family pics.

Christmas Day

We woke up nice & early & headed out for church followed by another visit to grandma & grandpa in NJ....I doubt I'll be able to get away with putting off gift opening next year. They were totally clueless so they went along blissfully unaware.

One out of two kids must always be in some kind of foul mood. So family pics...eeeh not so much on this day. Their cousin David was very cooperative & even dressed up accordingly :)

However ripping up paper, now that was something everyone was willing to help out with.

And this toy did not belong to either of these two.

Cousin David was happy to have some cardboard boxes to play with.

And his brother Nick was happy with his gifts.

And us big kids got some goodies too! And check out my little elves.

And just in case dinner ran a little late, Cati got pre-Xmas dinner snack. CHEERIOS! Never leave home without them.

Notice Val in the corner making sure no one tries to take a snag of her stash.

And we got home...the real gift giving began!!

Santa had clearly arrived while we were gone.

Looks like we have a winner here. The table & chairs were a big hit!

Another big hit was their Dora The Explorer Backpacks! Mommy woke up in the weee hours of the morning on Black Friday to get these suckers at half-price. Twins are not cheap!

And here is my child drunk with exhaustion but still unable to release her talking back-pack.

And we also found out that JUST like Dora's Back-pack holds lots of amazing (and sometimes unbelievable) stuff our Back-Pack holds incredible stuff too like juices, legos, and other useful items that will save you when you're in a bind.

My kid has a bit of an obsession with Dora. I'm not ashamed to admit it because I think it's a healthy obsession and one that hopefully won't ever land her in jail or an insane asylum. As you can see here she's hiding her Back-Pack under legs lest someone may try to come & swipe it from her while she's distracted.

AND last but certainly not least, Santa opted not to leave me a sack of coal. Instead he remembered how much I do throughout the year despite being a royal pain in the arrears to J. He remembered that I never seem to catch up with my book club reads (my only escape from the daily madness of my home) and he got me THIS!

I was quite surprised & excited to find this under the tree with my name on it. AAAAND it already had my book for this month's book club downloaded AHA!! Now that is what you call incredibly thoughtful. Thank you Santa ;O)

But really, I am so grateful that under the tree I could also find this. The little ones I love most in this world happy & healthy & running me ragged. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

Black Friday 2009

2009-12-19T10:50:00.009-05:00

It's taken a very long time for me to post again. Mostly because nothing really mattered outside of keeping vigil over my little girl these last three weeks. Her illness isn't terminal or life threatening but could have been life altering. However thanks to many prayers & positive vibes from friends & family all things point to a full recovery, at some point. Despite knowing that things could have been much worse, nothing could provide comfort when you're in the middle of it happening to you. I know things happen for a reason & perhaps the good Lord was sparing her from something much worse...yet I still couldn't help asking "why her? why not ME!" I know there are parents out there (many whom I know personally) dealing with bigger travesties then my own & this thought did give me the will I needed to get through this. I don't know what inspired my peanut but perhaps her own innate resiliency.

Typically on black Friday J & I would be putting up our holiday decorations with carols played in the background, getting our Xmas cards ready, and making our Thanksgiving meal at home for just us. But this black Friday 2009 it was very different & I'll probably always remember it as a black & gloomy Friday.

One day when my baby is feeling healthy a year from now I'll think back to this as one of the many scares this little one had. This Friday Valentina woke up unable to walk. A child who normally greeted you scaling her crib to get out, was suddenly flat on her back crying to get picked up. Once I got home from a manic morning of pre-dawn shopping & she still wasn't moving from her sitting position, I knew something was up. I checked her meticulously looking for something broken & I found a swollen knee resembling a tangerine & "warm to the touch" (a term I learned from my medical experience). After full panic set in & quickly put aside I took her to the ER at our local hospital. I kept thinking she must have sprained, fractured, or broken her leg somehow & now I'll have to figure out how to handle a toddler in a cast. Little did I know that would have been the best scenario. Instead her diagnosis was we think she has a bacterial infection in her joint temporary paralyzing her leg so we'll need to "tap" (that means stick a needle in her joint to remove fluid..another new medical vocab word) her knee. That wasn't a pleasant experience for anyone involved but it did confirm the doctors' suspicion that she definitely had "septic knee" (a bacterial infection in your joint - another new medical vocab word) and would need to be admitted so she could receive IV antibiotics, not the common pink stuff provided to most kids with infections. The explanation of her diagnosis together with all of the risks that doctors need to legally inform you of as a parent sent me into a state of shock or utter disbelief. No no no no...she just hurt her leg, I kept thinking to myself. These knuckleheads don't know what they're talking about! But they were right & the follow up tests showed it & she had consistent fevers indicating her little body was fighting some freaking microbe that if I could actually strangle the damn thing it would have given me incredible gratification. Instead I used opportune moments to lash out at nurses, technicians, & doctors who managed to foul up in different ways with my kid. Still nothing could really quell my desire to blame (or kill) whatever was causing my peanut so much pain in her short life.

After a week of ups and downs but definite progress of her condition we were told that going home would be a real possibility. It's incredible how a week in the hospital can seem like months. But not without another dramatic experience like having your 18 month old go through surgery under general anesthesia (that means put to deep sleep). Why? Well after all the blood draws and and playing pin the tail on the donkey with Val's veins she had none left to set up a permanent IV line so she can continue her medications at home. The alternative was to surgically place a catheter in her chest to a main artery so she could receive her medications on a daily basis by a home nurse for the next 4 weeks. With that, we were released only to get home & deal with various other issues & side-effects and ongoing visits to see our long line of doctors.

I could finally go home and be with both my daughters & somehow convince Cati that my absence was only temporary and that my having to leave her with grandma was just as painful to me as it was scary for her. My other little trooper was strong enough to hold the fort at home with her grandma.

After lots of opinions & observations it looks like Val will not have any permanent damage to her joint & in a few days she'll be off all the drugs that have for the most turned my once active & lively little girl into a cross between a drunk & sleep dwarf.

She'll then have to go through one more procedure to remove her catheter & then we can all breath again. Or should I say will be able to breath again & laugh again & live our normal hectic life again.

I can't lie, a lump formed in my throat that first night that has never quite gone away. Even knowing this will all be over soon and we'll once again resume where we left off doesn't release the worry of what we still need to face ahead of us. I'm trying very much to have a sense of normalcy at home & the peanuts have certainly picked up where they've left off fighting & playing like little monkeys. It gives me a small sense of relief and hope that she'll be fine.

And so I'm committed to make this holiday special as we intended it before all this mess happened. And maybe even one day I'll be able to use this to hang over my daughter's head when she doesn't want to come home to visit her elderly parents because she would rather be skiing th slopes of Aspen or something.

In retrospect this experience has taught so much & I've learned that....

It's true that when they say when decide to have children your heart walks around outside of you.
My life would never have been worth living without my daughters in them.
As a parent we are strong enough to get through anything for the sake of our children
As a parent you have a right to protect your child from protocol that interfere with their best interest...like technicians who want to wake up your child every 4 hrs for a rectal temperature, or forcing you to use a crib when it scares the be-jesus out of your kid, or wearing a hospital gown 5 sizes too big instead of something familiar from home. For a scared small child, every smidgen of familiarity goes a long way.
Have a GREAT pediatrician that you can trust goes a long way.
And if you need to be in the hospital you might as well milk it for all it's worth! Valentina came home to share all of her accumulated winnings with her sister Catalina :)

CHOCK FULL O' HALLOWEEN

2009-11-02T20:27:00.003-05:00

Since this is one of my absolute favorite holidays, I always make sure we do it up right. Now that I have my daughters to join in the fun I have to say this was one of the best Halloween I've had. J is not really into it...bah humbug! He's kind of a Halloween spectator....and boy did we put on a show.

Pre-Halloween

Last weekend we had fun times at the pumpkin farm. Gotta luv Jersey for its plentiful pumpkin farms. And we all know that this holiday is aaaallll about the pumpkins pumpkins pumpkins. So here we were surrounded by bright orange pumpkins. And I made sure to stock up enough to eat AND carve.

The girls took to their pumpkin pinkin with great fervor analyzing each & every round vegetable to make sure they picked the perfect one!

Followed by a Halloween Party and a chance to do a costume dress rehearsal. Cati & Val found dressing up fun as well as funny. I tried to help get them into full character by asking them cluck like a chicken...this caused some serious laughter.

And here are my little birds perched up on some hay. It's all about new experiences girls.

Halloween Eve

The girls have not been feeling to hot lately, especially Cati. Poor girl's had a series of ailments all smushed into one week. But she did great at her nursery school Halloween party & parade. I really had no choice I couldn't disappoint these toddlers with bailing on a party. As you can see their appetite was not affected. And they were happy to see some of their friends in their Halloween-best!

Halloween Day

Since the weather was not being very cooperative we took trick-or-treating indoors. There's another reason I'm thankful for Jersey...the malls are aplenty!

And here we are....The KFC Colonel & his uncooperative KFC Chickens...one was Original Recipe & the other was Extra Crispy!!!

And topped it off with a little Halloween gathering of little people and some pumpkin carving with little cousins & big cousins. The girls & I put on our KFC chicken dance show for the fam. Turned out to be a big hit :)

The colonel & her dancing chickens!

Let's move on to the carving...

Not bad for a bunch of amateurs...thanks to my cousins Janet, Ana & Terry. But really the kids did the hard work which was scooping out the seeds. EEWW!

All for the GREAT PUMPKIN Charlie Brown...

As time passes...

2009-10-19T09:53:00.009-04:00

One tends to forget to appreciate things like wedding anniversaries. There was a time when this was one of the year's highlights. But two dogs, two kids, and keeping up with the many facets of our home we tend to just let this one slide by. This year however, we didn't let that happen. Well at least J was kind enough to not let that happen. Lord knows last year I can't remember it at all since it was all one big blurrrrrr...the twins were only 4 months old. YIKES! What a hard time that was.

Anyhow, this year we decided to reacquaint ourselves with adults and be adventurous in what they call "going out." I vaguely remember something about this "out" business a long time ago when my bed time was sometime around dawn :) Apparently "going out" commences sometime around 10pm. I can't even imagine what that's like since I can't seem to stay up on my couch past 10pm.

And I probably shouldn't have indulged in something so DELICIOUS like this at 11pm at night...uughh.

Well here we are some very good friends having a warm dinner & adult conversation (no kid-talk involved) and after a yummy dinner we stayed for some dancing, something my feet were having a hard time remembering. I knew I would pay for this in the morning but well worth the sacrifice! Clearly this "out" thing is just like riding a bike. You can pick up right where you left off! It was a fun evening & it was good to commemorate how far we've come.

It was fun to remember my wedding day the mishaps, the memorable moments, and MY DRESS. Gosh how I looooved my dress. And, yes, I did put it on for old time sakes & happy to say that it STILL FIT :)....patting myself on the back for that one (and thank you Weight Watchers).

But really I remember our vows & our ceremony, how pretty everything & everyone was. And as marriage becomes more & more challenging with each passing year, it helps to remember the words spoken at that momentous occassion....

Nothing is easier than saying words and nothing harder than living them day after day. What you promise today must be renewed and redecided tomorrow. At the end of this ceremony legally you will be man and wife, but you still must decide each day that stretches out before you, that you want to be married.

Real love is something beyond the warmth and glow, the excitement and romance of being deeply in love. It is caring as much about the welfare and happiness of your marriage partner as about your own. But real love is not total absorption in each other; it is looking outward in the same direction --together.

Love makes burdens lighter, because you divide them. It makes joys more intense because you share them. It makes you stronger so you can reach out and become involved with life in ways you dared not risk alone.

This one's for you J.

Song: You Make me Feel Brand New

By: Simply Red

You Make Me Feel Brand New Lyrics

You know it's Autumn When...

2009-10-14T15:58:00.005-04:00

You get up to walk the dogs & they start to tremble mid-walk. My hands were cold this morning. So cold, I thought to myself, I may have to get my gloves out. When thinking about what to wear I could only envision a warm lumpy sweater, boots, and warm wool pants. Sometimes these thoughts begin to depress me. But then I think about the fun things that this time of year brings us.

Like my birthday!! I got my very first birthday card from my peanuts...it was beautiful.

And J didn't forget either...he got me a "sign of Spring" this made my heart happy to know that Spring will be back again :)

Our fall decorations are out for the world to admire as they drive, run, or walk past our house.

And we can't forget the uber-fun holiday...HALLOWEENY!! Last year, the peanuts were Lady Bugs. This year's been a bit of challenge to come up with a costume for them that's creative & fun & one that lets me join in on the dress up fun. You all know how much I love costumes & pumpkins & everything HALLOWEENY!

And only in the Fall can you enjoy a yummy warm cup of soup. This I pulled off with a recipe from my good buddy Paula Deen. It was so easy peasy & just right for me. Next on my list is yummo pumpkin soup. Lord knows I love everything pumpkin...pie, muffins, soup, just to name a few. I also like to carve them & paint them.

So maybe the crisp cool autumn season is not SO bad.

Good Bye Summer 2009

2009-09-23T21:04:00.005-04:00

This is always a sad time of year for me when the weather starts changing & the jackets& closed shoes come out of storage. It's time to say good bye summer sandals, tank tops, and pretty flower dresses. We've had an eventful summer chock full of firsts for the girls. This summer they've gone from little infants just turning a year old to full fledged toddlers. They walk & run & babble & each day I discover a little more about their unique personalities. But it's been for us even if many times I needed a break to just chill out at home. I'm sure this will be the first of many busy busy summers to come.

I guess this post is about taking a look back on fun summer 2009....and bracing ourselves for the winter.

And these guys will miss summer too. Some days I think they hate the cold just as much as I do.

The runner is BACK

2009-09-14T10:54:00.008-04:00

Many of you remember my early waddling days when I disocvered the inner runner in me.

Yesterday I made a come back & I ran my first 5k in well over a year & it was for TWO great causes. The first was Komen's Race for the Cure and the second was to revive the penguin runner that I know & love. Who in their right mind misses EXERCISE??!! I know it's weird but what can I tell you? It's true. Although I discovered my love for running late in life, I was missing it so much as if a part of me had been lost in the midst of being a mom to the peanuts.

Both, although not equally, are very much a part of my life (whether I like it or not) and after this race I realized I neeeeeeed to run. I find ME in running. I find time in running. I find time to reflect in running on the positives and not-so-positives things. I find mental organization, somehow. I find I can tackle the rest after a good run. There's something about hearing yourself breathe, the sounds of your feet hitting the road and way your mind can forget about all of your laundry lists and foucs on your goal . When you reach your goal, you feel like you've accomplished something great, even when nothing gets checked off on your to-do lists.

This is not to say that it was easy! I think it was somewhere after mile 2 my legs were aching, my shoulders were tight, my chest was heaving, & I was sweating, in a not-so-pretty way. Sometime after mile 3 I hear my name & turn around to see my team captain (bless her for setting this up for us AND still having the energy to SPEAK), and I remember thinking if I have to say one word I might just collapse right here & now. So all I could manage at that moment was a wave or maybe it was more of a lifting of the arm, like in the movie Awakenings, to let her know I hear you & I see you but I'm about die but not until after the finish line. The only thing that kept me going was looking back at the people I was passing & feeling like I was going to WIN! Really, you don't WIN anything but you do finish & that feels pretty incredible.

If I did win something, my acceptance speech would go something like this. I'd like to thank my Race For the Cure Team. You guys are great atheletes with gracious hearts! Racing with you ladies was an honor & I do hope our contribution will help find a cure for cancer one day. I want to also thank my DH & my peanuts for supporting me today even if it meant waking up SO early on a SUNDAY. I promise we can have pizza for dinner tonight. YUM. And I hope to see more races in my future not only for me but I want my girls to see that mommy can do other things besides laundry, floors, feedings, & fixing all boo boos. Thank You!

Some of my running buddies...

My kids reeeeeally excited about my race...mmm NOT! Or maybe they're thinking "what's up with the getup mom?"

And me SO HAPPY because I'm about to EAT :)

A Day For The Baby Books

2009-09-09T10:28:00.003-04:00

Lots has been keeping us busy these days, but today has basically trumped anything else that's been going on. My itty bitties started "Early PreSchool" today. Yes, there is such a thing. It's a little more than glorified daycare. They have a real dedicated classroom with a teacher and a couple of aides and tables & chairs with their names on them. They have a schedule to their day (albeit a loose one...they ARE still toodlers) and they do projects during the day. The teachers take pics of their daily art projects to take home to the parents. And we hope, they learn something before they actually get to the real deal of Pre School which is not that far away for us (next year).

Anyhow, I felt my heart ache. It was an ache similar to the one felt the day I left for a full day of work when they were only 4 months old. That was different though. I don't know if they noticed I was gone & they were still in the comfort of their own home, familiar & comforting. Today, they definitely noticed I was gone. And just to make sure I wasn't going anywhere so fast Valentina held on to my neck for a while. I felt like I was leaving them in an unknown world without me there for security or to guide them through it. J's advice was to just drop off & leave, like ripping the band-aid off in one shot. Yeah, well I'll never be the one to rip the band-aid off my kids. That said, I was there for about an hour & a half, mostly out of their sight but I was there. Ok, the real truth is I was in the director's office watching the monitors blubbering worse then the kids. Oh goodness, what must these people be thinking?! Crazy lady, we're not going to KEEP them! Or something along those lines, but whaterver. I am their MOTHER and I get a free pass to cry at any event that's even remotely emotional.

Like any decision surrounding the girls, I can't help but question relentlessly whether or not I made the right decision. I read all the books & researched all the possibilities. I interviewed every school & teacher available. I went over policies & scenarios as best I could. Yet, I can't help but wonder if I made the right choice. This is the kind of mind numbing questioning that keeps you up all night before the 1st day of school. It's what makes you suddenly nauseous in the car ride wondering if you just go back home & do this another day. It's what even makes you think maybe you should turn back because the girls might get car sick & well, you can't show up with 2 kids all puked up on the FIRST day of school. Right? But in the end I kept telling myself this is what we decided & what we agreed we wanted to do. And the peanuts will be fine. This is just another step up in the process of growing & learning. And if I kept saying this over & over it would stop me from turning the car around & heading right back home & leave this for next year!

I held fast and survived the day, not without a few more water works, but I did it. I stopped by at lunch time to find out they some lunch & were having a hard time with napping but eventually their little tired bodies gave out & down they went. When they woke up they had a snack & mommy was their to greet them which I think they liked. And I was incredibly relieved we had all survived yet another milestone on our journey.

And some captured moments that we'll one day look back on & think, man things were so simple back then :)

Here we made it past the front door and IN the classrom.

My kid is looking skeptical here.

Miss Meghan quickly figured out the way to my peanuts' heart is through their stomachs!

Nothing like a good cracker to help break the ice.

And finally some of the veterans decided to help welcome the peanuts to their new class!

Thanks little friends & I think we may actually try this again.

Fit As A Fiddle

2009-08-30T16:24:00.002-04:00

My little peanuts had their 15 month appointment a couple of weeks ago with Dr. M and their progress is great! They are still itty bitty little peanuts but they are strong & healthy & growing...

Catalina

31 inches

22lbs 5oz

Valentina

31 1/4 inches

21 lbs 14oz

And when it rains & REALLY rains...but we have to make the best of it. As they say, the show must go on & the entertainment must continue. Otherwise I can go stir crazy if I'm in the house too long. But to help keep the peanuts healthy we had our rain coats. These things were so cute! I'm not sure if the girls felt the same way.

Off we go to grandmas for a play date with our cousin Eli!

And a playin we did!

Lots of boys toys...thankfully the girls can easily adjust.

Random Thoughts

2009-08-26T11:21:00.003-04:00

Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde

My kids like to take turns being both & it's just so maddening!! Sometimes they do exactly the opposite of what I want them to do, why is that? I've tried everything like ignorinng the bad behavior because supposedly they're looking for a reaction from me. So I turn my head when they've tossed the entire bowl of pasta w/meatballs on my just cleaned tiled floor. Then I have tried consequences, no more dinner if you toss your plates. Yeah right. That was a much welcomed treat. I've tried no more toys if you keep throwing them at the dogs, only for them to move on to other destructing activities. Then I've tried stern talking, "NO THROWING!" Yup they giggled & decided to toss the sippy cup too. AAAAAAACKKK!! And then SWISH WHAM WOO...BIBBIDI BOBBODI BOO they turn into these lovable creatures who wink at me & wrinkle their nose in the cutest way that whatever they're babbling at the moment just HAS to mean....I love you mommy & I'm so sorry for being such a PITA. And so I melt.

When Nothing Else Matters

Recently I've been experiencing what some call lost professional ambition. Supposedly it happens to new moms. I remember a time when I was the epitome of feminism, the over achiever of my family, the one who would one day sit on the Supreme Court of U.S. Today, I am glad someone else made it before me, the pressure's off. Good luck Sonia! Now on to more important things on my plate, like nurturing & raising two little people & ensuring that this project is a success is on the top of my list. It's a project that will take years before it goes into production (out in the real world on their own). Its up to me (and J...but mostly me) that these two people become intelligent, positive, self-assured, self-sufficient, empowered women. So I guess saving humanity is much more important then financing hedge funds and working for a financial institution that is now owned by the government because it couldn't keep it's VERY LARGE check book balanced. Come to think of it I do have my ambitions focused on the right project.

Is It Really 50/50?

With women's lib or somewhere around there an idea originated that relationships/partnerships etc. would be equal now for both men & women. To me that means that my career is equally important, family and financial responsibilities is equal and domestic chores are also divided equally. Today, I find myself a part of a not-so-exclusive club of women who see their relationships as more 70/30 and at BEST 60/40. Yes, can you believe that I am not alone here?? Here I was delusional thinking my husband was not following the rules. And there would be serious consequences for not doing so. Only to my shock & horror I discovered on a mother's forum that I like to post many of my vents & questions for my moms with twins, that this was the norm. What the?! Why didn't anyone warn me? I didn't sign up for this. This is NOT how I envisioned my life is a mother & wife & cook & maid & personal shopper! More importantly, can someone tell me how I renegotiate the terms of this arrangement?! Laundry & grocery shopping doesn't even come close to his 50%.

My Girls Like To Party All The Time

2009-08-24T17:18:00.003-04:00

Eddie Murphy sang it best. While I find these social outings sometimes a little stressful, the peanuts on the otherhand find them fully enjoyable. Sometimes they're at their best and sometimes, well, not so much. A lot of it depends on the weather, the entertainment, and of course, the FOOD! Yes, I take pride in this afterall they are MYYY children. Sometimes I do see some of J in them when they're a little cranky from the heat & would prefer cold liquids over hot foods. But overall, they do enjoy getting out & socializing & being IN the mix of things.

Socializing also means exploring & for me it means chasing. Chasing around not one, but two little peanuts is some kind of aerobic exercise, I'm sure. If I can corner the market on this new phenomenon to lose weight I'm sure I can make a million bucks. This also an opportunity to learn about the party etiquette and meet other newbies of the party scene.

Proper Attire

How long will her nicely combed hair & bow last?...hmmm??? 10 seconds.

How exciting!

Outdoors makes for an even better party!

Good choice of drink Val, it's mommy's favorite drink too!

Acceptable Forms of Dance

Here's my Cati rockin out.

My little Val being dainty.

And my other child itchin to hit the floor like the chick in front of her..uuggh.

Waiting...for the guest of honor to blow out the candles before having cake! I must admit that's a hard one.

Happy 4th Birthday Nicholas!

Happy 1st Birthday David!

Sometimes they just need something to chew on until the cake arrives.

And sometimes we can wait patiently by the cake table :)

And then there's the really challenging fact that we're still a little too small to parttake in some of the events made for the older kids.

Val really wants this kid's baseball.

Cati's not too happy that she can't play this game...whatever it is.

But the good news is that we're a few steps ahead then these even littler guys.

This is baby Justin who's only 2 months old.

And this is little Christopher & he's 5 months old.

Too cute!

Summer Socials

2009-08-03T09:59:00.003-04:00

The peanuts have been busy little socialites with their presence being requested at many premier events this summer (ha ha) but not after MY kids get through them. Rather then explain each & every outing, I decided you can see for yourself how our lovely summer is unfolding. Have I meantioned I LOVE SUMMER ?!! :)

Ice Pops!

Graduation Parties!

BBQ BBQ BBQ!

Visit to the Central Park Zoo

Peruvian Independence Day Happy 28th of July!

And the summer is not over yet!!! So stay tuned :)

TOPAZ, my first dear daughter.

2009-07-30T10:52:00.006-04:00

Yes, Topaz with her sweet & gentle yet demanding & bossy nature is my very first 4-legged daughter. She's just like any other girly girl. She's bossy around the house & makes my 4-legged son do whatever she wants. She runs him out of his sleep spot. She steals his treats. She takes over his crate. But she's also the BEST cuddler & gives the cutest kisses. She watches over the twins to make sure they stay in line. She plays nice with the twins. She lets them pull on her ears & unwind her curly tail. She LOVES shoes (to eat them, that is) & is a foodie (just like her mom) who will eat anything!!

Poor C3 KNOWS she's gonna wrestle him for his spot.

Some of her not-so-good traits is they she's a worrier. She's nervous about all things foreign to her. Take the vaccuum for example, she doesn't get this loud purple thing that sucks up anything in it's path. So she shakes & tries to growl at it every time the vaccuum is out doing it's business. She's nervous about cars zooming past us on our walks. Why are they so loud?? She's afraid of lawn mowers. She's afraid of large people invading her personal space. Most of all she HATES to be without her big brother C3PO. He gives her a sense of security. Although she annoys him to no end, she loves him dearly & just hates hates hates to be without him. Her favorite place to be is home with the all those she knows & loves, her family.

Now that you know a little bit about my little girl Topaz, I can share this story with you. C3PO got sick a couple of weeks ago. So sick he needed to go to the vet asap! I didn't want to leave Topaz behind at home with the nanny & the girls because I knew she would just whine & scream like tortured cat the whole time I was gone with him. So I decided to bring her along with me but leave her in the car while I took care of C3PO inside the vet's office. Please don't call PETA on me. She was fine with the windows open & I wasn't going to be longer then 20 minutes. Well ALOT can happen in 20 minutes.

When we got back to the car, with C3 on his way to recovery, Topaz was a nervous MESS! She got so freightened about being left alone she decided to poop in the back. As if this weren't enough she decided to pace all around the car to calm her heightened nerves. I'm guesing she was frantically pacing around the car because she managed to step in her poop & track it EVERYWHERE :grabbing my face in shock: So you can imagine the look of disbelief on my face when I found her in the front seat & noticed her white paws were brown. And when I opened the door to the car the smell would send such a shock across my body that it could have knocked me right on my ass. My leather seats, console, steering wheel, dashboard, kids car seats ALL were a poopy mess! Part of me was in denial as I tried to wipe my seat down to take them both home. Did she really do this?? Then I realized, yes, she did because I'm suddenly nauseous from the smell in the car.

On the way home I was thinking of how many different ways I could pack her up in a FEDEX box & send her off to the North Pole and wondering if the FEDEX man would notice that there was no return address on the box. By the time I got home the rational side of me kicked in & I was left with only 1 person to blame for all this...ME. I know my little girl too well & I why on earth did I think she would be ok in the car completely ALONE?? What was I on that morning??

When I told J the story all he could muster up was "How in the world are you going to clean up the car??!!" Thanks J! I can always count on you for support sweetheart :) But I did clean up the car & took apart the car seats & washed the covers & wiped down the seat belts & cleaned every poop-filled crevice I could find in the car.

Lesson here is, THINK before you act. Think Jennifer, just THINK a little before you decide to do something so incredibly dumb!

And when you look into this mug...all is forgiven :)

Adult Entertainment

2009-07-21T15:27:00.003-04:00

Not THAT kind but the kind where adults sit around a table and eat a meal with a knife & fork & enjoy the simple pleasantries of being an adult.

My monthly book club is something I anxiously look forward to month after month. It's the one SURE time that I will get without the kids & the hubby and engage in some thoughtful & intelligent adult conversation. As you can tell from my previous posts, I don't get THIS kind of adult entertainment often. I was lucky enough to be able to be host for our book club this month. The weather was scheduled to cooperate so I went out on a limb here & planned for an outdoors setting. I grilled chicken cutlets with a basil sauce & marinated beef ribs. I made a simple salad & Italian sweet sausage pasta dish with sun dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts (courtesy of my Italian mentor Giada) to compliment the grilling. I also made a punch courtesy of my Food Network buddy Paula Deen.

I'm guessing it was a hit since there was not much left over! The Food Network Fairies never let me down!

The food was actually the last thing on my mind (surprising, I know). I was actually looking forward to sitting around a table (sans the high chairs) and enjoying a warm meal & discussing a topic, other then toddler adventures, bills, & the list of chores for the week. This was my sole own opportunity to catch up with the rest of the world & the happenings within it!

My book club girls did not disappoint! Our topics of excellent convo ranged from what's NOT so good on TV, supreme court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, our recent summer readings, planned parenting, child care options, and some recent events in our personal lives. AAAHHHH part of me does miss the childless days. Is that a bad thing to think??...of course I ADORE my peanuts but I do appreciate the few moments that's not completely wrapped around their little worlds :) It's also nice to know that my brain can actually have intellectual thoughts beyond dirty diapers, one-year-old feedings, and laundry sorting.

Beantown Getaway

2009-07-16T07:42:00.005-04:00

We had a good excuse to head out to Boston this weekend, as our good friends were getting married. While I grew anxious as the weekend drew closer thinking about all the packing I had to do, wondering if the girls would have any meltdowns during inappropriate moments, and if the dogs would behave in the hotel while were out & about, in the end it was a great weekend with not too many mishaps.

We left quite early and when I finally saw this sign I was so relieved. For some reason our hotel wasn't expecting us this early, despite my many phone calls to confirm & re-confirm our arrival day & time. They squeezed us into a tiny room (2 adults, 2 toddlers, & 2 dogs...squeeeeeze) that wasn't ideal but we dealt with it because we had a wedding to get to in a hurry on Saturday morning (friggin hotel reservations!).

The bride & groom from afar. I sat waaaay in the back...on purpose!

The flower girls were nice enough to pose for a close up.

The wedding took place in a pretty chapel on the Harvard University campus. I didn't get good pics because my hands were busy chasing a little one around & desperately trying to keep her calm & composed during the ceremony. J had to remove our other little one because she was unable to use here "inside voice" lol. In the end I got to hear the important parts & we were very happy for the newlyweds and very grateful that they allowed us to bring the peanuts to be a part of the grand event. Our good friends were also kind enough to make it all happen a decent hour 11am ceremony followed by a lunch reception at a casual dining establishment owned by the groom's cousin. I couldn't get a good pic of the place but I assure you the ambiance was incredible & the food, to die for ummmmm. Merengue , if you're ever in the Boston area and looking for authentic Dominican cuisine you have to have a meal here.

Once the important events were over and the party was off to take pictures the peanuts enjoyed their abandoned playground. It was a little strange watching them run up & down the aisle. Part of me was thinking, I am SO not ready to see my little girls walk down the aisle yet.

I also don't know why my daughter decided she was going to place rose petals on this gentleman's knee. Sorry mister!

While we were in the area we stopped for a quick visit to J's brother and got to meet the newest addition of the family. This guy is little Mikai and he stole our hearts from the moment we met him. He is too too cute for words!!

But by the end of the weekend the girls were happy to be home playing with their own stuff.

Notice someone finally got her sand!!

Cati was getting a closer look to see if her eyes weren't decieving her.

Val had a questionable expression, probably like me, I'm sure she was thinking ewwww sticky!

Fun Filled Fourth of July 2009

2009-07-06T17:33:00.004-04:00

The 4th of July is a holiday both J & I look forward to each year. We know we'll be feasting on a BBQ at home or hosted by someone else & in my opinion it's the real start of the summer. Because it's usually HOT! Something I really truly looove. There's nothing like the smell of cooking out, the taste of summer drinks, & the cool splash of pool water on a hot summer day. This 4th of July did not disappoint!

And we had a weekend full of events for the girls to take part in. Throughout the weekend I kept thinking of 4th of July's to come when the girls will be able to do a whole lot more then just be carried about from place to place. I get so excited thinking about it. They did really well this weekend despite all the social engagements but we were sure to make it back home each night in time for bed time. So unfortunately, we missed the fireworks but got to watch the fireworks on TV (not too bad considering..). Next year will be waaay different I assure you :)

Friday afternoon at the ball park, it doesn't get better then that folks! The girls were in full Yankee regalia to cheer the home team on! Here's Val in her cheering formation. I tell you the "Bring it On" chicks have nothing on my kids. Ha!

And Cati (sans the paci, of course...no comments please!) there's some serious cheering behind that plastic thing in her mouth.

Early Saturday morning I got the girls & myself dressed in our Patriotic gear. We took it back old school style thanks to Uncle Fonsi for the birthday footwear gifts.

I guess Cati wanted to bring it waaay back. She found one of J's projects hanging around our room.

Yes it's a VCR (no, not a Beta ha ha ha!)

The girls entertained themselves with whatever they could until we were ready to pack them into the car & be off to our BBQ, courtesy of the Moquete Family.

The troops were getting restless...

I guess Cati was gettin impatient & threatening to use this NYC Metro Card.

When we finally did arrive, we got to enjoy some good eats, their fun pool, and many of their kid friendly entertainment. This place a toddler's Six Flags!

Look at the grin on my kid's face. Need I say more.

First thing's first...protection.

And some R&R...

I swear I thought the girl was going to ask me to fan her next.

And some more play.

After so much activity the peanuts slept like newborns ALL through the night. AAAHHH nothing like a tired toddler.

Sunday morning we were up early again & headed out to Church for some spiritual uplifting & it what a beautiful sunny day it turned out to be.

So Mr. Peanut decided he was going to grill & so we had our own impromptu BBQ accompanied with some water fun acitivities for the girls (and the pooches snuck in some summer fun too).

The big guy was kind enough to get the girls a water table & sand box to play in for the summer. Except for....ummm there's no sand. WHAT? The darn friggin toy store ran out of play sand. Can you see my child's face wondering where the heck the sand is?

Val didn't miss a thing.

Cati soon joined in the fun! And so did C3.

Here she is looking for her sand again.

And the boxes were fun too! I think this made up for the missing sand :)

As usual, the weekends (even the long ones) are too short for me :( I never get enough of family time.

More Party Please!

2009-07-02T10:11:00.002-04:00

This is late but we've been tied up with craziness at our house ;O)

We had a wonderful time at our buddy Joaquin's 1st Birthday in the park! As you can see he had lots of little guests, fun entertainment, and YUMMY birthday cupcakes. I caved when I saw blue velvet cupcake. MAN were those good and they were homemade so how can I pass that up.

The girls had a great time with the music & playing pin the fin on Nemo. How funny is that?! What happened to our beloved donkey? I guess that's not PC anymore. AAAHHH thoughts of my childhood.

Our Father's Day Gift

2009-06-30T15:08:00.003-04:00

The girls walked about a week after Father's Day and for J it was the perfect gift!

So now we're up to new adventures in the land of the walking :)

GO Zombies GO!

When Your Kid Won't Eat

2009-06-30T13:38:00.005-04:00

It breaks your heart. You feel helpless. You feel frustrated. You feel guilty. Where did I go wrong? What happened? You loved feeding time & now you don't? You just rack your brain tryin to blame it on something! Because everything needs an explanation & a valid one, you just need a reason.

As a new mom I prayed that this wouldn't happen. I prayed that I would do all the right things so that my kids would enjoy a well balanced diet without any complaints but instead asking for more. After all this effort my daughter has decided she doesn't want food. Not all food, mind you. Some foods are okay but other foods she is just NOT going to have it. That's it. No more questions please.

My parents raised a "clean plate club" kid with me. To this day I have food issues. I eat when I'm not hungry & I'm not satisfied unless my plate is so clean it needs no washing, and I eat food so it doesn't go to waste, ha! I've tried hard to break these terrible food habits. And yet still, thirty some odd years later I struggle. So I promised myself that I wouldn't do this to my own kids but I secretly hoped & prayed that this wouldn't even be an issue in my house. I guess it fell on deaf ears.

My sweet peanut Valentina (the smaller of the two) has had a rough week food-wise. Food she once loved is now gross. So gross it makes her gag! Gag, as in ready to vomit. I'm frustrated to no end because I'm afraid she's going to starve to death. I realize she actually CAN survive on cheerio puffs, yogurt, & milk, oh and maybe a grape or two. Still in my mind I feel as though I'm failing as a parent. This can't possibly be enough to sustain this toddler, can it? After researching & reading every parent book I can find & of course interviewing other veteran moms, I think I've come to a reasonable place with this dilemma. Children will eat when they're hungry. And I'm supposed to keep saying this until I start to believe it.

In the mean time I'm praying my other child does not follow her sister. God, please spare me this one thing. I'm beggin here! I know I was a terrible terrible eater as a child which is why I was punished by sitting at the table into the wee hours of the night until I finished my dinner and many times dinner for breakfast the next day but I swear, I knew not what I was doing to my mother!

A Day of Mourning

2009-06-26T11:02:00.004-04:00

I don't usually get caught up on the passing of celebrities. But as a child of the 80s I'm compelled to pay tribute to 2 people who influenced my childhood from what I wore to what I listened to and how I danced.

When I first heard the news of Farrah Fawcett's death I immediately thought, God who DIDN'T want to be Farrah Fawcett? Before Jennifer Anniston's hair everyone wanted Farrah's hair. Lord knows I tried my best to achieve that feathered look & remember begging my parents for a pair of Pumas & short shorts like the Charlie's Angels girl. The show was one of my all time favorites. And I fondly remember pretend playing with my cousins Charlie's Angels in my grandmother's house. Before I knew what women's lib was this show set in my mind that women can be just brave and heroic as men. They were chicks with guns! It didn't get more exciting for a girl my age. Where are these wholesome role models today?

The death of Michael Jackson was surreal for me. I heard the news on the radio as I drove home from work and I literally yelled out to no one "WHAT?! No way!" I felt shock and thought that just can't be. It just can't be. I anxiously waited for J to get home to tell him the news. And we both kind of felt like maybe they're wrong. Maybe he's in a coma or something. I mean, nothing's been confirmed so we held on to what little hope for this awful news to be false. When it was confirmed on CNN we were both glued to the TV watching this very sad sad ordeal. When they played his music my eyes got watery & I cried. I don't know why. I'm not usually a crier about these things but I did. I felt like part of my childhood just died. The songs we sang as kids, the dances my brother & i tried our best to imitate, felt gone. I vividly remember my 3yo little brother playing Beat It (on a 45..do those still exist?) over & over again with no end in sight. I remember when the Thriller video came out how the whole family sat around the TV to watch it (including my parents). It was the coolest thing ever! I remember playing my aunt's Thriller LP on her stereo over & over again. My aunt also had the Farrah look. She was the coolest in my eyes. A man who's incredible talents contributed so much to humanity is now gone. It saddens me to think that my kids will grow up in a world without an incredible music genious. There will never be anyone that will measure up to Michael Jackson.

Thank you both for enriching my childhood with your talent. Thanks for providing an image that women can be just as brave & strong as men. Thank you for providing the music that will always take me back to a wonderful time in history that I will always remember fondly.

Rest In Peace my heroes! You will never be forgotten.

Blueberries = Baking

2009-06-09T16:46:00.004-04:00

We had a bunch of blueberries on hand. I wasn't quite sure how many berry smoothies I could make before the girls decided enough was enough. So I thought I would bake some blueberry muffins. It's a Cooking Light recipe you can find here.

I'm no Martha Stewart or Barefoot Contessa, bless their wooden spoons, but I think I can follow simple directions. And these were simple enough.

Not bad. Notice some cups are fuller then others. Yeah I wasn't quite sure how much goes in each cup. We'll see how it bakes.

So I froze the smaller ones for the girls. And the large ones I left for J. He'll be the ultimate decision on thumbs up or down :)

Of course I thought they were yummy.

Speaking of Spills...We had our 1st

2009-06-09T16:23:00.002-04:00

It wasn't a good start to the weekend when I got home from walking the dogs feeling ill. Then Jorge greeted me with my injured child. It wasn't pretty. There was blood, swelling, and lots of tears. The story goes like this. The girls were crawling like little wind up toys across the floor. And Catalina tripped on the corner of the runner & her face went right into the floor. Thump! Crack! WAH!

Busted lip. Broken heart.

We tried to put ice on it but of course that didn't work. SO I decided to try a frozen mango cube. It was cold & tasty. To see my daughter's lip expanding wasn't fun at all. But I knew this would be the first of many. So I braced myself & offered some comfort. And I guess Topaz's nurturing instincts kicked in too as she also provided comfort. OR it could be she was interested in the mango.

After some mommy time, Cati decided to rest in her fav place.

And then she realized Val was doing something fun (meaning: something she shouldn't be doing).

And off she went. This is how she got into this mess in the first place, mind you.

Caught in the act my dear.

But despite Cati's mishap, the show must go on. We donned on our finest threads. Well the girls did anyways, I tried to find something I can move around in without flashing anyone and we headed out to our social engagements.

Leyla's 1st Birthday

Leyla's mom did a great job. She covered all her bases. A place for the kids, adults, AND the cakes!

And the food was delicious. Right J?

In the end we had a fun time. Thanks Leyla's mom!

Leaks & Spills

2009-06-04T11:49:00.009-04:00

When I first ventured into the world of liquid receptacles for children I had no idea that I was in for torture. As a new mom-to-be you read every article on BPA, colic, gas-reducing, etc. etc. After extensive analysis I decided this was the absolute best of the best bottle for our children.

At the time I didn't consider the cleaning time required with these bottles...thank goodness for dishwashers. What was I thinking?!

Then we decided we would switch to these in hopes that one day Cati & Val would hold their own bottles & feed themselves. Perhaps a shorter wider bottle would do the trick! Uh uh wishful thinking on my part.

In every case the darn bottles leaked & would spill formula everywhere ruining everything in it's path...kiddie outfits, adult pants, bottle bags dripping w/milk, car seats, car mats, & the list goes on. I must be an idiot. I mean how hard is it to screw on a bottle nipple. I don't have a degree in this field but really HOW many times can I get it wrong? It doesn't matter which bottle we used the friggin things would leak. Switching to another brand didn't help either. I would always find my hands sticky with formula milk at every feeding. SO I would go through the ritual of removing the bottle from a screaming hungry child's mouth to "readjust" the nipple & screw it on AGAIN. It's just the little things that make my day impossible.

Now that we have the green light to use sippy cups, I was ecstatic at the idea of FINALLY introducing the girls to Spill Proof. Aaahh I can already picture my dry cleaning bill shrinking. I can picture getting dressed just once without having to go back to change my pants for work. And I imagine a car without the smell of formula impregnated in the carpet & car seats. Sigh.

Sound the alarm!! Someone through a bucket of water on my dream. I don't think so! This is what our new cups have produced. More leaks.

With all the high tech innovation out in the world today it boggles my mind that I have to deal with this. Something so simple so trivial yet so ANNOYING.

Perhaps at the end of the day it in fact could be that I don't have the skill to use these contraptions & I may need some kind of hands-on help. If anyone knows of any professional help here please let me in on it.

Maybe one day when my kids are old enough to share a beer with me I'll finally be rid of this problem.