some photos from the last few days

Yesterday, just as I was about to loose it- the ice cream truck came down our street.  So a treat for hijo and 5 minutes of peace for me.  Please note, most of the ice cream was on hijo and the couch.  My boy spends far too much time chatting while he is eating. 

The handy man came back today to finish working on the new back steps- unfortunately he will be back tomorrow to finally finish- needs a rail on the left side and the steps need to be completed onthe right side.  The steps are great- exactly what I originally was thinking of 2 years ago.  I know it looks like there is a issue on the right side, but that is becuase the concrete pad slopes for drainage.  The handyman and I are brain storming how to minimize the look of the gap- which might involve a pottted plant or 2.  But I love the steps.  I am so happy.  I learned something new today- I am actually supposed to wait 3 weeks before sealing the wood.  I thought I would have to have it done ASAP after he finishes up.  But so not the case, apparently the wood needs to dry out considerable before I seal it.  So there is my plan for the end of May.

More photos from the weekend

Some more pics from our from fun weekend.  ladybug's neighborhood has a park in walking distance from her house- as in about 1 block from the house.  So I took the kids there on Saturday so Little bit and E could sleep/nap.

 i was quite cool for me - I guess I have gotten used to the warm weather here and with the dampness in the air from the rain, I was cold. 

 Ladybug and Hijo were fine, playing and actually trying to take off jackets and sweatshirts.

One of the nice things is the flat bike path that was also totally unobstructed.  I could sit at one end and watch them race around the bike path and not worry that they were going to get out of sight at any time.

As you can see, ladybug easily gets far ahead of hijo

After we came home, they played in the backyard.  There was some ball throwing but lots more "food" being cooked up.  The food being dandilions, grass and dirt, all served on a frisbee.

Hijo had a great time.  He told me he would like an older sister, but not a younger sister. 

In the car, he had some precious comments:

"Momma, you are not old, Mam is old".  Oh, if he only knew.  Then he informed me "Momma, you are never going to be old".  I love my boy.  I wonder what he thinks about Pap's age.

I am tired now after my class and getting hijo to bed.  I am off to check facebook and then heading off to bed.

Love to you,
Momma

refreshed and renewed- the product of time with my best friend and her family

We headed north on Friday - a chance to visit my best friend and some wel deserved rest and relaxation.

Hijo napped on the way up- it is about 4 hour drive.  We stopped for dinner and I stretched my legs some.  By this point, hijo was asking how much longer.  Oh joy, the typical kid question from the back has started now.  can we go back to him napping the entire way north (last year).  We arrived just after 9 pm and every one immediately went to bed.

In the morning, the kids began the process of establishing the pecking order.  Little bit was at the bottm, just because she is 15 months old.  Interestingly, at this point, hijo was the top kid.  Ladybug soon let him know that since he is the middle one, and she is top kid in the house as the oldest.  My kind of girl.  Of sourse I sat and watched the hair fixing process and again thank God that I am the mother of boy.  I just cannot do the ahir thing- how to fix it, what things to use, 20 minutes of doing (E is much faster than 20 minutes- but it was long enough in my mind). Nope, I ma glad to have a boy- run a brush through it and we are good to go. Of course it helps that hijo has curly hair.

We figured out how to get 3 car seats in one row and hijo volunteered for the middle row on the way downtown.  Then it became a fight as to who was going to sit in the middle each time we got back into the car.  I am so proud of E and I for getting 3 car seats in one row- and E for finding the smaller car seat for the middle.  It worked and it the kids did not kill each other at any point.  We had planned a trip to the zoo near them, but it was usposed to rain most of the day, so we stayed close to home- the hands on Museum. 

Everyone had a great time.  Lit bit loved the blocks.  Hijo figured out how to be a plumber.  This should come in handy when I redo the bathrooms in a few years.

And then he found the water.  Hijo is drawn to water- it calls to him.  He would have been happy to play here all day.  But then we found the music toy- which allowed him and ladybug to play songs after building the pipes for the organ.

Bug they had to fish first.  E figured it out today that we have een friends over 30 years!!!!  When did we get old enough to be friends that long????  here is a prayer that our kids are friends for just as long!!!

We headed up another level in the musuem and found the piano keyboard that you can walk on- or in hijo's case, slide on.  He was loving it.  Little bit was not loving it.  Then Hijo and ladybug found the climbing wall-ladybug did great and she would have continued to climb.  Hijo got a little scared and he was done.

So off to the general store we went.  he was selling me fabric and corn at this point.

Then we found the best part- the ambulance.  This was too cool.  Altough hijo would have preferred that the siren actually worked.

After the museum, we headed to T.arget - hijo ended up with a new bathing suit (hehehehe).  Then it was lunch at my favorite middle eastern resturant- YUMMMMMMM!!!!   Before target, we also checked out the farmer's market.  We got some great bread that I brought home to eat the next few days. 

Little bit needed a nap, so I took the big kids to the park for a while.  This is where ladybug established that she is the top kid.  She made sure hijo knew that she was the oldest and dominat one in the kids by showing him that she could ride her bike faster and longer then he could ride his scooter.  Hijo moved on to bouncy toys at the park and he was quite happy.

There was even a purple dinosauer that we both could be on. Eat your heart out Barney.

Some sliding races and lots of ties.  I hope E does not freak out by the stomach sliding- they were fine.

Another test of speed.\

dinner was burritos and salsa made from my Guatemalan cookbook.  It was a hit- quite the international weekend.

After dinner, we got the kids ready for bed and then set up to watch S.tar T.rek- the latest movie- thanks uncle Dave!!  The movie was a hit with the adults who all enjoyed the TV show an dother movies.  Ladybug stayed up through the entire movie, hijo was asleep half way through.

We had a drum circle this morning- hijo was happy.

The girls had a good time.

Emotions

I am an emotional wreck today.  Finally figured it out- 3 years ago today, Hijo's adoption decree was signed in Guatemala.  In the eyes of the Guatemalan courts (Family and PGN) we were a family.

I am wreck of emotions- I wonder who else is a wreck of emotions too. I am taking the weekend off from blogging- see you Sunday night on the blog for updates.


Love and hugs,
Momma

oh the views at our house

Some fun changes going on at casa de Cole. 

These are the back steps- they look fine, but they are rusting and the railings are scary.  I usually block the railing going to the basement door with the grill becuase I am so scared hijo will either run into the railing or grab on to it to look down the steps and the railing will give way.

I have been planning to replace the stairs with a small landing/porch and steps to the patio for 2 years.  Now is the time it is finally being done.

But before I get to the changes, I am going to show off my gardens- The strawberry bed with 3 volunteer potato plants.  The poatoes never came up last year but are coming up this year- coool!!!!!!!

The onion and potato bed- the onions are coming up in the middle and the potatos are out on the edges.

The lettuce, swiss chard, radishes, carrots, snap peas bed. Nothing coming up yet, but it has only been 5 days since things were planted.

The soon to be tomato, peppers and cucumbers and maybe bush beans.

It needs a layer of compost- that will come next weekend

 Old steps removed.  WOW- what a difference.

The beginning of the porch area- about 3 feet out and then the steps will come off the end.  The builder is over in the corner of the picture.  We were talkign later and he suggested exactly what I had envisioned 2 years ago but was told by the H.ome D.epot folks, could no tbe done.  I am so excited.

Hijo was completely enthralled when he got hom.  he had to sit in front of the door before soccer and watch.

When we got home, this is what we found- day 1 done.  The porch is done, the steps will be done as soon as the weather allows (we are expecting rain all weekend).

Hijo had week 3 of soccer and he is loving it.  Although apparently someone called him a "baby" tonight while he was on the field.he was very sad.  I am not sure what to do- so I told hijo to tell the other kid that he was not a baby but a big boy since they are all on the big kid team. Thankfully there are only 3 more weeks of this and then we can try another league.

He did a great job tonight- he was in the mix, running after the ball, helping his teammates and listening to his coaches. But I am happy that he is out there participating and smiling through the session.

Love and hugs,
Momma