Hide and Seek with mam and other weekend adventures

Hijo and Mam played Hide and seek today.  Hijo told Mam to count and then he would go hide after telling her where he was hiding.  He woudl then count while Mam hid.  I got into the game by hiding in the shower and hijo thought that was great fun.  But he found the laundry hamper the best place of all.  I think he looks like a "jack in the box".  Of course , it is "hijo in the box". 

A quick pic of Momma and Mam before heading off to find hijo

hiding in the bath tub!!!!

we celebrated Auntie Lulu's birthday today- She specifically asked for hijo to blow out the candles.  

Friday night, hijo and I watched videos.  It was a quiet evening for us.

Brocoli with cheese and rice on the couch - perfect hijo dinner.juice in a basket- even better.

Saturday, I struggled with a migraine all day.  but we had snow to shovel and a walk to take (to tire out hijo).

Shoveling- he is getting very good at shoveling the sidewalkThen he decided to "snowplow" the yard.And make me a heartand another oneand show me that he is an angelthe mark of my angel boyOne our walk- he found a stick (I think little boys are magnets for sticks) and he used the stick to make air holes for the animals sleeping under the snow.  I am not sure where he gets these ideas, but they are cute.  I also think they show how much he cares.

We spent the rest of the day inside with me trying to get enough medication in me to stop the migraine.  It took all day.  I woke up Sunday morning feeling better, but then got behind on my meds again and we are right back where I was last night.  I hate winter and I hate migraines.

here is a better week- we are expecting warmer temperatures by mid week.  I am hoping for no more snow and lots of sunshine.

Love to you,

Momma

pictures from my busines trip

These are the only pictures I took in RTP (Research Triangle Park, NC)  they are meaningless to every one but the team.  But hijo might enjoy them.

me with some of the team.R and T- they are awesome teammates.  I would be lost without them

This picture is really worth a 1000 words.  We have A- the medic for our team, catching a ride with one of the team- except that the only seat available in the car is the car seat for the baby.  he sat in it all the way back to the hotel!!!!!   I am sure that was an entertaining ride.  I think we need this picture on some formal document for the entire team. 

I am sure we could come up with some team saying for this picture- perhaps that could be our next teambuilding exercise?

On the home front- hijo and I are happy to be back together again.  We had a parents meeting for incoming kindergarteners tonight.  I had thought that hijo would stay with my parents during the meeting, but I realized by lunch that if i picked him and my parents up for dinner, there would be no way he would let me leave him again.  I was right, and I was glad to see that other parents brought their kids along.  Hijo took some cars and he was quite happy playing with them while I listened to the information.  I have a list of 50 activities to work on with him this Spring and Summer to prepare him for kindergarten.   I also need to call tomorrow to schedule the pre kindergarten assessment.  The assessment is 45-60 minutes long.  I stay in one room and hijo is in another room.  I am not sure how that is going to go over, but hijo will not be the first kindergartner who will not let his parent out of his sight during the testing.

After the meeting, as we were driving home, I asked hijo what was the best part of my business trip and what the worst, here are his responses.

best: Playing with Mam

worst: momma being away

He then asked the same questions back to me:

best: seeing Mendy, Marg, Yayra and Janette at the home office.

worst: being away from hijo

Love and hugs and hasta pasta,

Momma

Business trip- day 1

Hola Mi Hijo!!!!!!!!!  Te amo mucho, bebe.  

I made it to the southern state today.  What shoudl have been a nice 1.5 hour flight, turned into something else entirely.  Let's start at the beginning:

6 am- wake up, get hijo up too.

6:15 am- out the door to drop hijo off at Mam and Pap's

6:30 am- on the road to the airport

7 am- at the airport, blow past the checkin area becuase I remembered to check in at home.  Go the wrong way to get to secruity.  It moved recently and I forgot and went down the esculator.

8 am- sitting at the gate watching the plane arrive

9 am- announcment comes that my plane is delayed so that  a crew member can arrive (we were supposed to take off at 9:10)

9:15 am- announcment made that we are delayed until 9:45

10 am- on the plane, announcment comes that we have to be de-iced

10:15- we are in line for take off when they announce we have mechanical issues and we are going to maintenance. We ride around the airport in the plane for 30 minutes (I kid you not)

10:45- plane fixed, we can take off

Arrive in southern state without any further issues.

I catch a cab directly to the office as I have a lunch meeting (time to talk with the others folks I usually only get to talk to via phone).  Met one person that I have only ever talked to via phone.  He looks nothing like what I imagine him looking like.  I suppose the same can be said about me.

Head to the hotel after 3 pm so I can get checked in and run reports before meeting up with another firend for dinner.

She takes me to MEZ - yep, it is mexican inspired food.  Corn soup was good, empanadas- not so good, tres leche cake- not at all what I expected and to be honest, I like the tres leche cakes at home better.  But, I did not go out for the food- I went to talk with M.  It was great talking with her.  I wish we still worked together on projects- she is so much fun.  Saying prayers for her and some exciting news she shared.  I am excited, really excited.

Headed back to the hotel at 7 to run more reports, finish up some other reports.  Now, looking at the bed thinking it is time to put my jammies on and watch some Olympics.

Tomorrow- all day meeting and dinner with client.  Busy day, but I might be able to get some pics in the mornig of the team I work with.

Love and hugs,

Momma

PS- sleep well my baby.  Momma loves you.  Have fun with Mam and Pap.

Sleeping Hijo

I love looking at hijo while he sleeps.  He has been sleeping on the couch this week- more to do with the fact that I am traveling for business next week and it is one less stressor if I let him sleep close to me.  He sleeps with such abandon- totally relaxed - his body is like putty.  he looks so cute too.  It is hard not to snuggle up to him and cover him with kisses- but I resist becuase I know that if I wake him up, there will be a fight to get him back to sleep.

Hijo wanted to show you what he does to me in the evening when I check email hile he watches Dora and Diego.  He likes to pull out the stickers and then cover himself and me with them.  I have to admit that I have passed my limit of endurance with Dora and Diego.  We see the same shows over and over.  I think each week we are lucky to get 1 new episode that we have not seen.  I am sick of saving baby jaguar, helping Azul get his whistle and saving baby chinta.  And I am forced to watch them becuase hijo no longers agrees to reading books because he has seen the show before.  That worked for 2 weeks and then he realized that he was only getting to watch TV in the evenings 1 night a week.   I need a new tactic, becuase he likes being read to at night, but I am not willing to keep him up past his bedtime just to read to him becuase he wants to watch TV.

And yes, I know I am the parent and I set the rules, but I am not willing ot have a fight every signle night at 7 pm.  It is not worth the stress to both hijo and I for me force this issue.  I save my fights for more important things- picking my battles carefully.  This is not a battle that is worth it.  I know that in another month, TV will loose it's allure becuase the snow will be gone and the temperatures will be warmer and we will be walking and riding bikes in the evening.  At that point, he will just want to cuddle on the couch after we get home and then he will be ready to read books again before bed.  Everything runs in cycles depending on the weather around here.

Well, I am off to finish laundry and get hijo's help cleaning the house.

Love to you and hasta pasta,

Momma

random stuff

No pictures- hijo refuses to let me take pictures of his "new slippers"

They look like Mater from CARS.  he was so excited to find them at the consignment store yesterday.  So one trip through the wash machine and dryer and he is now wearing them.  Have I said he is quite happy about them.

I also bought 5 pairs of pants for him for school.  he has to wear dark blue pants, so I bought 3 pair in the size he is in now and 2 in the next size up.  I will be looking for these color pants for the next few months, just to stock up.  He also needs plain white polo shirts or pale blue polo shirts.  I did not find any of those, but I will keep looking.

Hijo also decided that he needed to do some shopping, so he picked out some clothes.  3 pairs of jean shorts!!!!! Yes, it is below freezing outside, there is at least 14 inches of snow still on the ground, but he wanted shorts.  I bought them- he is definitely my son- looking forward to Spring.

The count down to Spring starts this weekend- I need something to look forward to, as I am quite tired of snow and cold. 

Some friends are in Guatemala now and I am jealous.  I asked them to bring back some sun and warm weather, hopefully it comes back with them.

That's about all for tonight.

Love and hugs,
momma

More snow- please make it go away!!!!

More time together today.  I think these snow days are wearing on hijo and I.  He seems to think that when I am working, but not the phone, he should be quiet and when I am on the phone, that is the time to come poke me, hit me, say MOMMA, MOMMA, MOMMA and do a few other things. This does not make for a happy momma and it makes for a very stressful day for us both.  He is going back to my sister's tomorrow (YEAHHHHHH) and I think we will both be happy.  Hijo says he misses the dogs (as he told me yesterday).

Hijo had the camera most of the day.  I have about 100 pictures of TV and of me.  Here are hijo's view of the day.

Zee and Moose A Moose- the host of his favorite TV sation.  For Popi and the grils, Zee and Moose are like Dokie on TV in Guatemala.Momma working.  I was running reports and collating data into a new spreadsheet, so I was pretty focused. 

Hijo and Momma.  I was showing him how to use the telephoto function and how to hold the camera- this was break time for us both.Hijo showing tha he knows how the telephone works.  This is my new hair cut- I seriously hate it.  And I hate it even more now that I see how it really looks on the sides.

We shoveled the last of snow at lunch today- no pictures.  I just wanted it done.  I am sick of snow- have I said that before?

This evening we headed out back make sure that gutters were not too bad.due to the snow and melting ice. With 18 inches of snow over the last few days, I was worried.

Hijo likes these icicles

Hijo decided that he has not shoveled enough (maybe I could hire him out), so he wanted to shovel the backyard!!!!!.He was tripping over the snow- it was so deep.I set the ruler in the snow and it read 13 inches.  BUT, when I slammed it into the snow, it read 17 inches since it hit the patio base. 

Hijo next to the ruler, as you can see there is about a 3 inch base they are on becuase hijo is not 46 inches tall, he is 41.75.  His boots probably give him .5-1.0 inch more in height, so definitely there is snow under the ruler.

Well, that is about it for tonight.

love and hugs and hasta pasta from us,

Momma

Recapping the last few days at our house- lots of pictures

Another snow here.  So far, at least 6 inches on the ground (7:15 pm US eastern time) and another  inches due over night.  I shoveled the driveway, with some help from my little man.  I know from experience that it is better to shovel multiple times instead of waiting for it all to end to shovel.  moving 11-12 inches of snow is incrementally harder than moving 6 inches of snow.  And today's snow was wet and heavy.  It was hard work.  We have not had a snow plow on our street since early this morning.  I am not expecting one until very later tonight or tomrorow.  So we are house bound again tomorrow.  Hijo's very red cheeks after 1.5 hours outside playing and shoveling.  He has agreed to a ski mask hat for next year.  So that is on the list now. Since the stores have switched to summer clothes, there is no chance to get one this year.  Hijo finally gets the snow shoveling process.  I think I can take him to Pap's on snow days and he will be a help.  He defintiely was a help me today.

Hijo tasting the snow flakes and me, exhausted after  1.25 hours of shoveling. And I showvel the end of driveway at 3 today (4 inches on the ground) so that the snow plow did not plow us in when it came down the street.hijo falling down as he tries to climb Mt Cole in our front yard.

This is Mt Cole, the red shovel is at the top.  The blue shovel is sitting on the ground and is perpendicular to the pile.  Hijo is the measuring stick.  He is 41.75 inches- so 3 feet  5.75 inches.  the snow pile is above his head by an inch or 2.

 Al close up of the pile and hijo on top of it.

being a good home owner and digging out the fire hydrant.   Now we are sure not to have any fires at our house.

Picture of me taken by hijo.  I got my hair cut on Friday and I absolutely hate it.  The dude completely ignored me.  His first cut was so drastic, there was nothing to do but sit and let him finish.  I will not be going back there again.

Since we knew yesterday that this much snow was coming, I preplanned some activities for hijo while I worked.  first up was finger painting.  A success!!!

next up was dry rice and beans for hijo to play with.  I felt bad that I was "wasting food" so hijo could play, but according to lots of blogs I read, this is a huge hit with other kids- occupying them for hours.  Hijo spent 30 minutes playing with the rice and beans and then flung it around the floor.  So that ended that activity for him.  I was not a happy momma with his choice to throw the beans and rice around the living room. 

Hijo found his own activity next- he decorated his face with stickers.  This kept him busy for an hour.  Go figure.

Saturday, J and N came over for play time. 

N and Hijo in the backyard. Hijo wanted to pull N onteh sled so badily.  Ni was having none of it.  Hijo was so proud that his grandpa gave him the sled.  He kept telling N all about the sled and begging N to get on the sled.we worked on the snowman again- that would be J and me while the boys played.  The snow was very dry, so another squat snowman.  But the boys loved it, which shows, it does not have to perfect, it just has to be done.Then the boys decided to slide.  They liked whizzing down slide - it was slick with water after they went down it once - the snow on their boots metlted on the slidethen hijo found the "kyrptonite"- AKA the green ice from the time we used food coloring on the snow and it froze.  It was like the treasure to hijo. 

The boys- 2 cuties.

Friday- I took a day off work and took hijo, Mam and Pap to the aquarium

Hijo preparing to take pictures of the penguin parade.  He was less then impressed with the wait and the other kids.The penguins: Simon, randy, Paula - yes named after the idol judges.

Much happier to be near the penguins.  they don't let them out becuase apparently penguins go to the bathroom every 20 minutes!!!  mad at me becuase I was taking pictures again.  He was showing  Pap where we were on the map of the aquarium. 

playing in the frog bog.  He loves this area- mostly becuase of the video game-where he accidently manages to get the frogs across the road.  It is always an exciting event when he manages to not kill the frogs with the first car in the video game (frogger).

playing in the jellie area.    I like the chandelier.

Sizing each other up.  Pap at over 6 feet tall, hijo right at 3.5 feet, Mam and I right under 6 feet (despite the picture).

It was a good few days.  Hijo will home again tomorrow and I am not holding out hope that he will last through my work day.  I really want it to be Spring, I am tired of snow, cold and the genral greyness of the days (we did see sun this weekend).  We are closing in on 30 days to Spring and Lent starts on Wednesday.  I was thinkking about giving up personal email and facebook for Lent and only blogging once a week.  But I thought better of that.  Still thinking about what I want to give up, I do feel the need to give up something.

hasta pasta,

Momma