It's Been a Pinterest-ing Week

So after about 6 weeks, the kids and I are finally into our routine on Monday, Wednesday and Friday; the days that I am *pretty much* home with them all day. This week particularly, I've been able to get a lot done that involves pulling stuff off of my Pinterest boards and actually completing them.

I started with a pin about growing your own plants/trees from left over seeds. I had bought some avocados and a pineapple at the store so those are the two I'm growing. So far not much has happened but I'm pretty sure it takes awhile. I'll let you know how that goes....

I recently made a cushion for our large bay window. That's seriously been on my list for the full 6.5 years we've lived here. Oh well. (And by "make a cushion" I mean I found a long cream colored valance that had been hanging in the same bay window when we moved in and has since been stored in a box in the basement, stuffed it with some extra pillows and poof, a comfy neutral toned full length cushion.)

Anywho, the cushion wasn't quite long enough so I stuck some other throw pillows we had at each end. Now the orange and red ones were perfect but I had these two other little ones that had originally been from a bed set that we don't use. So I found another unused valance, the same color as the one used on seat cushion and got the idea to put some scripture in Espanol with a stencil from this pin. The first is Joshua 24:15 and the second is 1st John 4:19.

We have one window in our bedroom that was in desperate need of a spruce up. So I created fabric flowers, glued them onto an existing curtain tie, and then glued on a button so I could hook it together once I wrapped it around the drape.

I created a sign for our front porch. It says "welcome" in Spanish. Carlos thought there should be an "s" on the end of the word, but after doing some research online I was able to find lots of welcome mats, signs, etc, with the same word, minus the "s". You'd think that a native Spanish speaker and a college graduate with a degree in the same language would be able to figure out something so simple  Oh well. The idea for the sign came from here. And the way I made it came from here. And I mean seriously, it was so easy! I'm going to be making lots of signs!

Finally, this pillow. I didn't make it, my mom did. But the flower in the middle was quite fragile and so we weren't able to keep it anywhere that the kids could reach. But I liked the colors and the style and have been meaning to figure something out in order to be able to use it on our bed. So I took off the original flower and then cut out a bunch of fabric circles and then glued them all together.

The best part about my crafting... I did no sewing at all. Hot glue is my new best friend! 

I also made a couple recipes off of Pinterest including this and this and this. I didn't get pictures of them before they were gone.

Needless to say, it's been a good week.

Princess's and a Birthday

Bela has a limited number of actual friends. I mean being three years old kind of limits her ability to get out and there and fill her social agenda. However on the one day of preschool she goes to each week she's managed to make a real friend. I mean all the kids are her "friends" but Leena is like her FRIEND. She talks about her a lot and the teachers comment on how they're super close during their activities.
So today, Leena had a birthday party. A princess party. One where the attendants were required to wear a princess dress. I mean this was the real deal.

   

It was adorable and so well put together. Leena's mommy did a fantastic job. Even dad particpated by putting on a sharp looking suit and passing out pink lemonades in champagne glasses presented on a silver tray. Pure elegance for all the tot sized royalty.

TMI...I mean really

If you have no desire to read about poop in the tub, I suggest you stop reading now. No really... This is me warning you. I don't want anyone complaining about how I wrote on such a gross topic. No one is forcing you to read. Ok, so we're clear, yes? Good...






Tonight at bath time, both kids were playing in the tub. Carlos and I were close by cleaning up the kitchen. This is how the next 5 minutes went down.

*Bela screaming from the bathroom*
Me: (I run in to see what the big deal is)(When I arrive on the scene, Bela is standing on the bathroom floor and R is sitting in the tub) Why are you screaming?
Bela: There's popo in the tub!
Me: RICKY!!! GROSS!!!
Bela: No, it was me!!!
Me: Bela, that's disgusting, why on earth would you do that?!! (This is a kid that has been potty trained for over almost 2 years and hasn't had an accident of that magnitude since, I don't know when.)
Bela: I don't know! I just had to!
Me: OK, well Ricky, get out! And Bela I'm not cleaning this. You know better than to do that and you know when you're body needs to go. You know to listen to your body! There is no excuse. So you are going to clean that up!
Bela: (Breaks down and starts yelling) I AM NOT CLEANING THAT UP! I DON'T WANT TO CLEAN THAT UP!
Me: Well, I don't either. I spent 2 years cleaning stuff like that from your body and I'm done. You are going to clean it and perhaps that will teach you to never let that happen again!
Bela: (repeats protest)
Me: Well then you can stay in that bathroom all night with a stinky tub, because you're not coming out until it's clean!
Bela eventually realized I was totally serious and submitted to my demands. I grabbed some paper towels, a plastic bag, threw them at her and said "best of luck".... Ok, not really. I helped her.

But no joke, that will teach her not to poop in my tub.
#ThisIsNotWhatISignedUpFor

Date Day

As a married couple with 7.5 years under our belts and two kids running circles around our legs, we try to get out every once in awhile. Sometimes just dinner is enough but often we try to do something different. Something fun and out of the ordinary. We're blessed to have both my parents and his mom living close enough to babysit for us when we need to Get.Out!
I bought a Groupon a few weeks ago for rock climbing and we finally used them last week. Now I haven't been since high school and Carlos had never been. So it was a trying, albeit exciting, experience for both of us. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a creative date idea. We climbed... and fell a lot. And after about 45 minutes we were done. It's extremely exhausting and physically challenging. Especially if you've never done it. (Or in my case have and are determined to try the hardest walls to prove your expert skills and monkey like maneuvers.)

Heatlh and Wellness part 2

Part of this health kick, is me being aware of the fact that the older I get, the lazier I get and the harder it's going to be to stay fit. I used to be a runner. I loved to run. I was good at it. I was fast. I think the last time I ran was last spring. uggghhhhhh. I have the knees of a 90 year old and use it as an excuse to do  nothing. It's a bad excuse considering my knees would be stronger if I worked out more often, or ever. So today I ordered a yoga mat. We have a weight bench in the basement that rarely, (re: never) gets used and I have an exercise ball as well. So here's your job, oh trusty reader. Keep me accountable. I'm not trying to lose weight, I just want to build muscle tone. So don't let me down. I'm counting on your nagging and incessant reminders. Mmm K?

In Search of Health and Wellness

Since becoming a mother of two I've tried to be healthier. Carlos and I are both small people. We have been blessed with high metabolisms and have never really had to work to keep weight off. But then my kids got to the age of needing regular balanced meals and I figured, now's a good time to start being more aware of what we're putting in our mouths. I haven't gone completely off grid and started eating cardboard, but I do try to make as much from scratch as I can. We eat a lot of fruits, veggies, lean meats, whole grains, etc. I make my own yogurt, banana ice cream, granola, breads and so on. Getting my kids to eat their veggies is still like pulling teeth but it's baby steps, right?....errr,... right?
So I was pretty thrilled the other day when B came into the kitchen and told me "my tummy is still grumbly. Can I have some salad?" Heck yes you can. Here! Can I get you a side of Kale, steamed broccoli or spaghetti squash with that?!

The salad was all she wanted but don't think I didn't try to take advantage of her sudden interest in greens. It was a success in my book. I'll take it!

This post is a long time coming

I am a busy woman. I mean of course all  moms are. Running around keeping two small kids in check 5 days a week is tiring. Keeping a house running properly, being married, and all the other things that accompany just being a person, add up. But I've gone ahead and added 30 hours of work on to all of that each week. I mean, really? Who is this driven professional hanging out in my body?
I have made it so my schedule allows me to be home on Monday, Wednesday and Friday all day (and of course the weekend). With the exception of an hour and a half on Monday at noon for me to go teach one class. Half of that 30 hours is working for Davis Interactive which I do from home during naps, after bed time, and on weekends when the hubs is home to take over kid duty.
My classes have gone ridiculously well. I really am thrilled by the amount of response that has stemmed from starting group classes last August. I have even gotten to a point where I am turning people away because I don't have the time to add more to my work load each week.
This past fall, when Carlos decided to quit work and go back to school full time for what could be the next 5 years, I did some serious soul searching and praying to figure out what my new role was going to look like. Finding a full time job seemed to be the easiest financial solution but it didn't take care of our two young kids that, as much as I tried, I couldn't force myself to be ready to leave for full time work outside of the home. So I thought, 'What can I do that I'm good at?...That I'm qualified for?...That I can make a living off of?...
And then it hit me! I went through a heck of a lot to get a college degree and spent an unfortunate amount of money on it. And other than running a bi-lingual home, I'm not using said degree! So, that was it. I talked to a homeschool neighbor and friend of mine about offering Spanish classes in group settings for all ages. In the first session alone I had 5 classes filled. (Filled being no more than 10 students). I figured out a fair rate that would keep me paid for my time and materials but was still acceptable to families that are living on a limited income. I used homeschool networks, yahoo groups and FB to spread the word and spread it did.
I currently cram 13 classes into 2 days and then 2-4 private lessons dispersed throughout the week (depending on the week).
I'm grateful to have a degree in something that I use daily. I know so many people who don't and for so many years, I was one of them. I'm grateful that I have skill that there is a market for. I'm surprised how much I love teaching. If you had asked me when I was in college if I was going to use my Spanish degree for teaching, I would of said "h to the no!" Heck if you had asked me the same question 2 years ago , my response would have been the same. But it's grown on me.
A friend of mine recently asked me when I have "me" time. I laughed and said "never". But honestly, I'm ok with that. I get to raise my kids with minimal outside help. I work my ass off on the 2 days that they are at Parents Day Out and at my parents home so that I can earn enough of an income to not have to resort to full time child care. I'll sacrifice "me" time if it means I get to keep the rest of it!