in a Peruvian mode

more about boys...

2012-01-10T19:15:00.000-08:00

Emily and I were watching curious george, the one where the man with the yellow hat was going to space, but he couldn't cause he didn't have four hands to activate....whatever it needed to be activated :)....but them everybody realize George could do it perfectly!......

So, at the beginning the man with the yellow hat had a sad face, and Dr wise-man said "i am sorry you couldn't go this time", then emily told me He was sad because George was going far away.....i told her, i think he was sad because He couldn't go to space as planned....but while we were saying this thing, the picture change and He was actually sad saying good byes to George and walking with him to the spaceship.....so, i just said, well emily, this time He is sad for George (but there was no point to argue and try to probe to her i was right).....

Then i add, i don't think i will never ever can let you go far away from me.....i will be sooo scare and sad.....

then i remember from our last conversations about boys and i told her: when you marry a nice boy, i will live in your basement and take care of your 10 kids (i think she said 100 but lets not encourage her...)

then she said, you will be a mamita!!!! (my mom is visiting us and sleeping in the basement), then she stop talking and start thinking for a while.....then she said: momma, i haven't found a husband yet!

i said: you better hurry darling....

she said: oh! John can be my daddy (daddy=boy/i told her the good boy will be a nice dad), He hasn't found a girl yet!!!! (you should see her face, like OMG how lucky am I!!!)...

then i said: ok, maybe you can ask him....

Then yesterday we went for a short visit to her old school, i needed to ask for after school care so i took her with me and visit her old friends and teacher....we didn't find many but had a chance to talk to Mrs Ford (ex Mrs Fork, and Four...good trick to remember her name...maybe bad for calling names to a person....but we had good giggles and she never let me said that when we where in the school, she felt embarrassed about her silly mama)....

Anyway, while i was talking with the person in charge of aftercare, she said hello to many friends, giving hugs and hellos, but then she said bye to someone who was just leaving school by the front door....i didn't see who was it.

In the car she told me she saw Chase McGee....this is the boy she meet last year and she ask him to be her daddy.....she was smiling....

and she told me: mama, i told him dddaaaadddddyyyyy (very softly) but i think he didn' hear me.....

when i ask her, who is she going to choose, she didn't know, after thinking and thinking she said to me: i want Chase to be my daddy, cause John likes to play to many boy games at recess.....

"Great choice honey!"

snowing in lincoln!

2011-12-17T13:27:00.000-08:00

It is here!...
luckily for us, it snowed friday afternoon and the whole saturday....we just have to be at home and drink hot chocolate...or just plain milk cause neither emily or sophie drinks their milk in any other way.......

Saturday afternoon i got a "great idea" and decide to get the christmas tree...it wasn't snowing that hard anymore, but the streets were busy and dirty....so, we just have to dress appropriate and go for it! besides, the tree will keep emily and sophie busy the hole sunday!

Now "getting" the tree was another story....First we went shopping cause Menards (the tree store) was just next to the market.....so, after a couple of hours getting everything we need, it was already getting dark when we went next to choose our tree.....

When we got into the store i realize i made a mistake, i was suppose to go to Ace harward center, where they have hundreds of trees to choose from (last year toke us like an hour to get "the perfect one"-plus a cold cause it was freezing that night)....

This time there were just maybe 20 trees....tree for each type/size, most of them my size :(, we needed something bigger, and from those there were just 6 to choose......it took me like 10 minutes to get one and go home....i was feeling frustrated for being in the wrong store, worried about the time, worried about the cold, and worried how in hell am i going to bring it home on my own (almost on my own cause my mom can't lift anything-doctor's orders- since 10 years ago-she uses that frase every time she can).....
anyway, the people at Menards help me get my tree into the car, but guess what???...they CAN NOT and DON"T HAVE anything to secure the tree in the car...i was the one to bring something for that! and of course i didn't...

Then the tree went from the top off my car to the inside, and i am talking of a 8-9 (whatever the measurement is....)....the back door didn't close....my mom on front, my kids at the back and my tree holding somewhere outside.....Well, if this is how it was suppose to be, then BE IT! i want to go home!....and i started driving, verrryyy slowwwlllyyyy.....
I shake in every little hill, worried about my door getting way open and scare the hell to the car in the back.....but it didn't happen, mostly because no car stayed to long on the back of my car, i was going at around 20 miles....

When we got home, next was getting the tree inside...my mom had to forget about doctor's orders.....she really like the tree....and wanted start the decorations....

Once inside, the tree......didn't fit...So we had to choop around 10-15 cm and yea!!!!! we had a beautifull tree!

We put some lights, the they didnt work, we got new lights and extra long cause the tree was huge, even more when it got all open.....but beautiful indeed....and smell great! that is why i love this trees....

After getting home, emily and sophie had some fun in the snow....and all sunday morning they sled in the driveway, it was nice!

And the best of all is that we are not having so much cold here in lincoln, we are still around 30-40F, during the day, and it is december! how amazing is that!

....check!

2011-11-28T03:46:00.000-08:00

Yes, i know, it is already winter!

as always, time is consumed by something else than living life....

These months has been the hardest but full of achievements...

This semester i took a class, just one class, to feel some fulfillment, to know i could do it, to sense it was possible......and foremost because it was free!

I still dont know if it was worth or not......yes, i learn a lot, yes i got an excellent grade, yes it is possible......but i miss the time with my girls, i was feeling more tired after work, i didn't read to them as much as before, i said the word "later" more often......i promised not to take another class because of that, i feel it is not my time anymore, it is theirs......but again, that was yesterday, today i feel "lets try another one", maybe this time with no grade, just go and listen....but if i am going to go, why waste it! lets get a grade!...uhmmmm, not very sure yet, but not much time to think about it, the dishes don't wait, the food doesn't cook by themselves (still i can think doing those chores), but reading to my kids, checking emily's homework, the bills, the doctor, bla, bla, bla, occupy my mind most of the time......and my job! yes! my job....so many tasks, so little time......but, lets go to the fun part! my ninias!
This summer emily was busy busy, she took swimming lessons, piano lessons and at some point even ballet classes! the best of all it is that she now knows how to swim!, she is a little achiever, it didnt took to much time for her, she just tried so much, and when she realize she could swim on her own, she kept doing it.....we drop the ballet classes, it wasn't as fun as swimming. i wanted to try ballet cause i dont want her to swim in winter, but since she prefer to swim, that was good enough for me to keep her excercising....We kept the piano lessons, my dear friend told me that kids have to learn to play one instrument during school, so for know we are doing piano, and yes, WE both are learning to play piano because also my friend told me that even when they choose another kind of instrument or even sing, it is a great help to accompany them with the piano.....so there is another check on my list..... my little sophie...... for her i mostly have to thank my mom, she has been here for the past 2 months and even when it just feels like it has been so little time, i thank God for the help and for have my little sophie free of cold, i almost got accustom to see her with a runny nose all the time, and coughing....but (knock on wood) she has been cold free for a while now.....she had have colds, but just the normal kind, just for a week and that was all....what a great feeling.....

she also has been learning to talk more and more!....like: come here, oh my God!, there you go eminy, no kelo-no quiero (i don't want), a you ok?, can i hep?, etc, etc, etc....

but the best of aalllll!!!! ta,ta,ta, ta!!!!!! (drums please) she is FULLY POTTY TRAINED!!!! weeee!!!!!! she has been for a while now, on summer she wanted to use underware just as emily.......she had a couple of accidents (we have wood floors now!) but after few days she was running on her own to the bathroom, well she does this "ON HER OWN" all the time, so it wasn't to hard.....but it took a little more after she try to poop on the potty too, for that i have to thank her pre-school, my sussane catch her in the act and run her to the toilet, a couple of weeks like that she was ready......

And let me tell you this Potty traing bussiness it is something mayor, hugggeee for me, with sophie i am taking about weeks what for emily took years.....i feel good not expending more money in diapers, butttt (of course nothing is perfect) now she doesn't want to pee on her diaper at night!, she wakes up and call me once or twice, everyday......of course i complain! who wouln't it?????........when you almost think you will get a full night sleep, there comes "mommmm, peeeeepeeee", and them "mommmm, waterrrr", and if i don't give her water, she will scream......then i will give her more water, and then she will pee....oh well, i wanted her to be potty trained right?????

Learn the hula.....check!

Learm jupm rope....check!

next on the list....survive winter!

Dialagos part1

2011-08-20T15:43:00.000-07:00

Prolog: Since what it looks to be forever, emily has been anxious and extremely careful of people around her, sometime it feels good and sometimes...reeeaaalllllyyyy!!!!, just go down to the slide, or the door is there please emily just go!!!!....and here is what happended from few simple words of an encouraging mother to her daughter...

Emily: wait mommy!!!! please don't leave me!....(after just getting out of the car)....

Mommy: thinking when is she going to grown up her fears....Never! i said, I will always be with you, always always always! (while hugging her with all my love....) Even when you married with a nice boy, i will be with you, i will live in your bassement and i am going to take care of your 10 children (she has told me that before....)

Emily: ....she smile...but mommy! i don't have a bassement!....(of course, mentioning about having 10 children is out of discusion.......)
Mommy: When you know a nice boy and get married (yes, always repeating nice boy i hope it will get stock in her mind if i tell her over an over....) i am goong to live with you....

three days later....

Emily: Mommy i know a nice boy, his name is Chase.....but is not Chase Cummings, is Chase McGee......He is 12, but he is short for his age......

Mommy: .....(what?????.....is he irish????......already????.....ok, just kids right?)

a week later after a field trip to the omaha zoo.....

Emily: Mommy, Chase and I got married, i ask him if he wanted to be a daddy and he said "OK!".....

Mommy: .....(what??????...i always though emily was shy.....uhmmmmm, maybe i was mistaken.....wait a second, married!!!!).....ok emily, tell me, when, where, why, who (again), details, details......

Emily: ugggg...i told him to married me and he said OK mommy....

Mommy: just Ok, what else....

Emily: nothing....(and getting anoyed of all the questioning)....

Mommy: (ok i see, i will let it go...)sooo, you went to the zoo right?...

Emily: yes, and i hold Chase hand.....and now he is a daddy (a daddy=a husband)

Mommy: (ok i need to talk something else cause Chase seems to be everywhere...)

next monday....we are walking to school and a little boy runs to open the door for us..

Emily: Daddy!!!!!!Mommy, he is daddy......

Mommy: (i said thank you to the boy and try to be fast in my mind to said something....) so you are Chase right?

Chase: Yes.....lets go emily.....

Mommy: (and that was it! well he is polite....and cute.....and they seem to be friends....and...ok stop, they are just children and playing.....but for some reason my heart pump for my little one, feeeling worried/secure watching her growing.....then me leaving in a basement full of children, it is going to happen, i hope not to soon and not too late, i am not that young......and also a Chase .......i guess i need to keep saying NICE BOY more frecuently......

Epilog:

two weeks later after seen on TV that you can ask for a wish if you see "flying stars"...

Emily: Mommy i wish we have those stars here in lincoln so i can ask that Chase McGee will live with us because he is going to be my daddy.....

Mommy: emily just caught me writing and ask me why i was writing about Chase McGee.....i am not pretending to be intrude but i need to write to remmember all the details about you.....i really didn't said that, i just told her i am writing what she told me because i am making a letter too (she was writing one)......she smiled and kept doing her letter....my angel, i love you so much....

VBS-Pandamania

2011-06-18T12:09:00.001-07:00

This year, as the last one, emily and now sophie went to Vacation Bible School at College View Adventist Church....

I love to go there because i think it is the best place for little ones to learn about God, and as always they did learn a lot and had fun!.....GOD MADE YOU.....THANK YOU GOD!!!!!

Sophie is always where ever she wants to be....nothing stops her....and she is not afraid to be on her own....GOD LISTENS TO YOU.....THANK YOU GOD!!!!

Emily is not like that....but even when sometimes i want her to be more open and less scare, i understand her and stay with her if she needs me.....GOD WATCHES OVER YOU...THANK YOU GOD!!!!!

At the end she had fun and wanted to stay on her own with her new friends.....i did realize that because we miss so many times going to church, she may had been afraid of so many new faces...i didnt see it like that at the beegining....GOD LOVES YOU NO MATTER WHAT...THANK YOU GOD!!!!!

Everyday all the smaller kids went in front to sing the opening song.....and everyday Sophie was there in the first row, as well as the last day when all the kids came to sing together...GOD GIVES GOOD GIFTS.....THANK YOU GOD!!!!!

Emily.....she didnt want to go to the front not even once.....but she did dance on her place, at her own peace.....

The last day the only thing she had in mind was: How can God watch ALL OF US!....God must be sooo big.....I didnt have an answer for that, i just told her like the song they sing everyday, God is GREAT, He is AWESOME!!!!

mas tarde...

2011-05-22T05:48:00.001-07:00

Six months and no writing!! you can tell i have been working....or better said, learning....

It feels like a just woke up from a long dream.....

my mind is open, my soul is crystal clear, my heart is pumping.....

it is an extrange feeling.....

it also seems like i have been place on a dream.....

and just like that, a new season is comming....

new home, new hopes......new feelings....

please don't weak me up......

Camping!!! Fun???

2010-11-25T20:42:00.000-08:00

Our first camping as a family!!!! it seems a crazy idea, and it was for some time, but at the end we had a great time with great friends and everything else was forgoten in some dark place in my confuse memory....

We got at this place at a decent hour, but the kids were so happy and distracted that we didn't start unpacking until late at night....

Emily was introduced to a hot/burn mashmellow, she didn't like it, as you can see!

That night i did try to sleep sophie for hours, she usually when to bed at 7-8 pm.....after trying for an hour i just give up an let her stay outside until she couldn't stand on her own....daddy rock her for a little while, and that was it...and for me too....

Next day we wnet to walk around, to find the pond and some other things....

Larissa and her husband Salvador and her daughter Marianna invite us to this place, as well as another couple and their 3 kids.....i am so sorry for not remmembering their names, that always happens to me.....

we had a great time "rowing", it took some time before we could move the boat where we wanted to go.....

At some point i was scare because Sophie wanted to walk around!, but once she was on my lap she got quite happy!

Then we had a water ballon fight!, it is amazing how long does it takes to fill does ballons and how fast they run out!

They really enjoy it because it was a hot day! even when it was the last month of the warm season...

We eat, we sing, we dance and talk for a while, i was such fun!!!!

After a while even Sophie was ready for a little nap on daddy's arms...then it was time to go home, i wanted to be early on our place because after all the little sleep i was going to have a big fight that night, and we still had to eat and take a shower.....

and to be sure not to carry all those crazy ugly little "daddy long legs", they just creep me out everytime i saw them in the tent....they made the little girls screem so many times when they got inside their tent!!!!!

late....

2010-10-19T14:48:00.000-07:00

It has been reeaaally long since my last post, and many many things has been happening around....so i hope i get to remember something because right now my mind is all blank, but as always if i start writing i wont stop until is very late or my kids are hungry.....let see....

Sophie loves to try new things, foods and everything emily does...EVERYTHING, even if Emily cough or sneeze, Sophie will do it too...and to take anything Emily has on her hands (that is our big fight right now)....Sophie also likes to wear high heels! so she is not much of a tomboy as i believed....

I will start writing about my little car accident, then our 2 days camping outdoors WITH THE GIRLS!, and our trips to the museum, Local fair, and my emily's birthday of course!....i am so delay in my post, mostly because y decide to make my spring cleaning close to autumn, and then decide to do some rearrangements.....ufff all this months just cleaning, taking winter clothes out, washing them, looking every little paper around to see if i can throw it away.....not much fun....but i am almost ready! just few boxes more to enjoy it completely....ok, lets start before Christmas is here!

I really need to talk about this, and i think for some reason this part of my life i need to write and leave it on the paper, but of course the importance in my safe and others leave it very clear on my mind......On july i had a car accident, i didnt talk about it also because there were many things to do, fix the car, car insurance, doctors, pain, bad dreams .... so many things and i just had a very little accident, i "collide" another car at just at 25-30 max miles/h...could it got worse?, yes!, you should see the other car in front of me, it look like an accordion (it was a sedan model)...and i thank God for keeping us all safe, non of people involve in the accident had a severe injure...

i had my 4 year old on the back seat, on her car seat.....we were leaving the fireworks place for the 4th of july celebrations and some people couldn't decide which direction/exit to take on a 65 m/h highway, so they slow down all of the sudden, forgetting the cars coming behind, some of the cars could stop very close to each other and some of us just couldnt....there was a 3 car "accident" or "negligence" as a learn latter.

Emily on her gymnastic class....

Because this was my very first "offence" i went to an STOP class, a 10 hour class about driving. Over there, they told me i was negligent to stop, i fight that assumption with the officer but i was the last car on the line of the accident, so they say it was my fault....which i think still it wasnt....same as the 40 other people in the class, 90 % of them for speeding. When i heard their stories and how much they complain about the "stupid officers" who give them a ticket just for speeding from 5-10 miles/h, i start to think more about my case....

Watching TV......

This other people in the class believe they had no fault because there was no accident involve....in my case i stop thinking who's fault was it and think more how to avoid this situations, and that was why the class was for, to learn to be prepare for ANY situation, i think specially to watch out for those other 30-35 people in my class that feel speeding it is not an issue....i am so glad i took the class, i learn a lot, specially to take my time while driving, even when i am not a speeder, but for not to cross with one....

Double ride....Emily is not a good walker.....but Sophie is a good sharing...well sometimes....

I learned to do not look for my daughter water cup while i am driving (even if it is just next to me), i dont turn to see what she wants me to see, i always secure her very well on her car seat even if we are going close to home.....some of those things just take seconds, like giving her some tissue to blow her nose, but i realize we loose a fraction of our attention to the road, and that fraction could mean to be dead or alive, or injured.....as i said, my was a very tiny accident, but i had pain for 3 weeks over my neck, head and eyes, and then my body.....and i was using my seat belt.

In Peru just not long ago they made a law for everybody to always use a seat belt....just no more than 5 years ago......still, there is not law for the use of car seats, but in the last couple of years i saw more people using it, it think just like a fashion thing (not everybody has one).....and when something is a fashion on Peru, locals start making their own imitation, most of the times a really bad one...two years ago i wanted to buy a helmet for emily to ride her bike while we were on Peru, and what i saw was the most terrible products i had even seen, because it was meant to be for the kids to be safe....this "helmet" had a strong white interior like any others but the exterior was a copy of the picture of some kids idol in a plastic just as hard as a bottle of water!!!!!...i walked away just sad, i remember talking about this to every person to came in front to me but as the time past by cowardly i try to think in something else....

Please be careful and safe....for your kids, your family, those others kids, their moms and dads, and also for your own sake, not because you dont have kids or they are somewhere else allow you or me to be negligent, dont forget we are also someone else child....and it will kill them if anything happens to us.... STOP!...i do.....

Pool time!

2010-09-01T09:11:00.000-07:00

This summer we had enjoy the pool as never before, for a couple of weeks we had been in the pool every afternoon!, and the rest of the month every day or another.....First days i got tired of having Sophie in my arms, but after a couple of days it was so relaxing, i think i even got more energy after just 30 minutes in the pool that i couldnt stop going......
At the beginning emily didnt want to use her life vest in the water.... i try to brave her, i try to intimidate her and just got tears and screams.....

Every possible trick didnt work until i force her to use the vest and push her away....she cry again, but she learn the feeling of being in the water all by herself....and that was it....

like a fish in the water, she felt so happy!, but the next step was to jump.....again more tears....
while i was trying to convince her (push again!) to jump, she was learning to contain her breath under the water....why i didnt teach her that first?, it sounds obvious thats the first step before jumping.....

i could see she was getting better and better under the water, lasting longer and even kicking at the same time....

then, one day out of the blue, Emily and Armando were in the pool with Caleb and her mom, and Emily told her friend: watch me how i jump into the water!, Armando said she hesitate for few seconds and then.....SHE JUMPED!....

and now that is all she does in the pool.....

This other place is the Mahoney Park, the girls love it!, it has waves in one of the pools and slides, fountains, etc...

Sophie really enjoy it as much as Emily....but there where sometimes (many times) that sophie went into the water, and she refused to get any help at all....she wanted to stand on her own, or maybe she was just too scare and wave her hands as crazy....yea, that must be it!

The first time was very nice, just sitting on the edge, splashing some water, etc.....after they got use to it, one run one way and the other to the opposite direction.....

Sophie is very sociable, too much probably, she pass people over their legs, hanging their arms, clothes, etc...it is hard with her, specially to get into the slide, she doesnt know she needs to wait her turn, she goes pushing other kids, so i have to grab her really hard for few minutes until she gets in....

it is not surprising that daddy picks emily if he had to stay with one of the girls......and of course, next time is my turn....

At the end, the price is SILENCE, everybody is sleeping.....no nagging, no "I WANT CANDY", no "ARE WE THERE YET", no "WATCH ME, WATCH ME!"....

no CRYING, no MORE TOYS, no MORE MILK or WATER or SNACK.....

no YOU ARE SPENDING TOO MUCH MONEY, no WE ARE GOING TO BE LATE, no I TOLD YOU SO......

just quiet time for mommy.......shhhhhh!!!!!!

Emily's School day!

2010-08-19T13:40:00.000-07:00

Everything has an end.....and a new beginning!!!!

A painful day for mommy finally has arrived, anxiety, fear, and most of all, emptiness.....who is going to fill my little Emily's place?....Sophie?, some i guess, but the "partnership" and bonding that lately has been amazingly growing?....i am going to miss her....

Somehow i feel it is not fair, after all the time, fights, non-sleep, psychology, and else; to mold my little one to be a respectful lovely girl......they take her away from me!!!! just NOT FAIR....

We had an "Open house" a day before school....it is a wonderful time to meet teachers, children, and the school itself (if you didnt went around before-like me) and have some Ice-cream at the end!....We had a meeting at the school before that day, but was mostly for parents to meet the Director and know more about the school, while the children went to play in the classroom..... that day i saw i lovely lady i meet when Emily was 2 years old (it really seems like a long time!), when she use to teach little children along with parents (like a pre-school) for a couple of hours....her name is grandma Judy.....I felt better to know that she will take care good care of Emily, she was so happy to see us and told everybody about Emily.....Judy has been volunteering at that school for a long time cause many kids went to great her, big hugs and kisses for "grandma judy"....from 6 to 10 years old kids.....i felt the love! Judy was so kind to show us around the school....and oh my God!, what a big school!....Holmes Elementary had something around 450 kids and just teach primary level.....and as far as i know they have 3 classrooms for kindergarten.....She show us the library, the music, computer, art classrooms, and the gym!....the lunch room too (my baby is going to buy her own lunch!!!) and we met all the teachers on our way.....and because they are not allow to bring money the kids use "security cards", they need to learn their password and parents can put some money in those kind of credit cards.i think i did great after all, i keep my cool and let Emily had an amazing experience at her first day...It was nice to see neighbors and they kids around...that is a rule here, is like a neighborhood school....we are going to Holmes school because is in our area....how lucky are we??......

We also could see parents crying...i wasnt, she was so happy and waiting so long for this day....everybody who knew she was going to kindergarten made a big deal about it, a marvelous idea grew in her mind, school was a wonderful place to have lots of friends to play and do stuff!

Daddy mention i didnt drop a tear because i was happy to get rid of her, SO NOT TRUE!......even little sissy try to follow Emily, they are such lovely friends.....but this is a journey Emily is going to start on her own....they will catch up later!Another great thing is i can come and visit her anytime i want, and become a volunteer too...i try to be by lunch time, but because this first week they are going home earlier, i missed it and had some time at recess....she was a little sad, ans when i approached to her she just start to cry really hard.....i couldnt understand what she was saying.....the i catch "i hurt my leg".....and more and more crying.....i hug her and she calm down quite.....but after the day was gone and i pick her up, she was happy again and told me she made 2 friends, Karen and Seven....yes seven!.....what was really funny was that her teacher is Mrs Ford, so for Emily to remember i told her it sounds like Four, so she is Mrs "cuatro"....she laugh so much about that (but she doesnt want me to say that at school)....and now she has a friend "siete"......

Later she explain to me that when the bell ring a kid push her from the slide and he fall bad.....i let her know she should tell the teacher if something like that happens again....

This is her 3th day, and already the sub-director, her assistant, and the teacher knows me well.....Today I let emily to walk on her own to the front door, while i waited some steps behind....She keep herself at the door and didnt went all the way through so i had to help her, inside we saw all the kids going in just one direction (probably to the Gym cause it was rainy), and when i ask if everybody was going over there (meaning all kindergartens include), the assistant told me yes, except from PARENTS......probably noisy parents like me! ha, ha!. they know me already dont they!.....and school has just started!!!!!

Family matters.....

2010-08-03T13:27:00.000-07:00

In Peru (as in some other countries, i guess), we carry 2 surnames, the first one (and most important) from our father, and the second (the one is lost through generations) from our mother.....So, until few years ago, when you got married you could introduce your husbands first surname instead of your mother's (so you always keep just 2 surnames) and which i did when i got my first passport....but in one of my trips to Peru, the rules changed, and you no longer eliminate your mothers surname, and if you have to introduce your husband surname, that will be your third surname....

Having my visa and many other documents with my husband surname at the end, i had to get a new passport with the three surnames, lucky me i just have one first name, otherwise that would be such a pain.....
So, having 2 surnames make yourself kind of unique, i mean, here your can have hundreds of people with the same surname and not be related at all....In Peru if you try to find a person on the yellow pages, you definitely dont have much to look for or make a mistake calling the wrong Alipio Julio Ponce Huaman.....

In my family i have a sister/cousin, or what normally be call first cousin?... but for us is quite special because my mother's sister married my dad's brother, and for that my cousins have my same surnames, in the same order, just like me and my brothers.....

My sister/cousin is one year older than I, we grew up together as close as brothers and sisters can be.... she has a great memory for that, o my God!, she remembers every little thing, every little play, all the fights, our pets, our friends, school, etc, etc.....she usually tells me: "i am not sure you are my cousin!", because i barely remember things, and as times passes i remember even less....

But most of all, i remember how great she was drawing, i may say i am pretty good at that too, and i believe it comes from our father side, my grandpa was an Artist.....however, there was a big difference, i was good making copies from pictures, she was creative in many ways....i specially like and recall her passion for dresses, she was maybe 10-12 years old, and she did draw and draw, designs after designs, dresses for our barbie dolls....and i remember we did sew those dresses for our dolls, and even a couple of her designs my mother did sew then for me (she was great with a sewing machine).....

So, when i was growing up i dream to become an Interior Designer, which had no future in my parents eyes, so i had to choose a University career in order to get my "Titulo" (like a second degree after you get your bachelors)...i guess that is every parents dream in Peru, and it is so common i didnt fight it, i just had to find something else to go for.....

My sister/cousin choose Architecture, maybe because her father was a civil engineer, but i guess mostly because she was born for that....

Having nothing to loose i had one of those famous vocational psychologist test, to see my inclinations.....test after test the results came: doctor, biologist and ......(dont remember last one), maybe because a new word open with the word BIOLOGIST, which was far from being an accountant, a lawyer, or even a doctor (the "favorites" of any parent's mind) .....a b-i-o-l-o-g-i-s-t....ok, lets see!.....and in one of my searches i found something like this: "being a biologist you need to have an artistic eye to look what no other eye can see"......lately i think you need that in any profession, but at that time i thought that my path was being connected in front of me....and that was my future....

My sister/cousin never loose her touch, such creations, and even her style, her strength.....She is my role model, she is my best friend.....i specially like the last one because she can be sensitive and impartial......she can even slap my face throw the phone!, but most of all, she is always there to hear me and she will never lie to me, not even "to make me feel happy"......
In one of our talks, she send a picture with a beautiful dress for her cat that she and her daughter made.....but then she mention they use silicone to stick the stuff together.....so i was remembering one of my few memories, and how much we enjoy making dresses for our dolls, etc, etc....and then it got me thinking about how much technology (if i can call it like that) has change through years....not that i complain, cause it is great to have a car or a plane instead of a horse or else....or o my God, what will i do without a washing machine or dish machine????.....and then i though about the rice cooker uhmmmm????.......in my time, we cook rice in conventional pans, use a little bit of oil and fry some garlic until gold, then little toast the rice with that, add the water and salt till boil, move, add water, move, water in the middle and decrease the temperature for cooking......so you are probably stick to the pan to see and taste and add water, etc, etc....probably while you are cooking something else....i always wonder how our moms did that and watch her kids!....well i know my mom had and assistant, but what about others mums???....i mean, why i cant, even with all the machines!

Emily has learn how to make rice on the cooker, she loves every step on that, from counting the cups of rice, to wash it, to add things and stir, and finally to turn it on to cook..... not to mention she loves to eat rice......

but then i thought, as other things, they had become mechanic.......will she be able to "survive" without "machines"....what will she do if her rice cooker broke? (buy another? probably..) just to mention one little example.......

When i was growing up, my mom had help in the house, so i didnt learn how to cook, or maybe i just didnt like since the beginning, and i didnt care to ask about it.....but then my mom retire from work when i was around 15 or so, and she decide to teach me some, which i complete refuse to do it, it was too late for me.....my dad, more determined to chaining me to the kitchen if he had to, told me i had to learn at least how to make rice and how to prepare spaghetti, just as a survival skill.......and because no one says no to my dad, i learned it.....then by 25, when i leave my home, or better say, when i got married, those where the only two dishes i knew how to prepare.....

So now, sewing was part of my child "hobbies", and i definitely like it better than cooking....we learn how to sew from school, and how to stitch buttons and zippers (which was the hardest for me) and even to knit and crochet.....it just make me think, besides for a good education, good manners, and to be a good sister, i will have to teach Emily and Sophie how to sew....and cook rice and spaghetti, and 10 other dishes i learned over the past 10 years......(maybe just 7, but by the time she is ready it could be 10!).....

So, it doesnt stop, growing is a constant learning...from walk to be a good person, to be kind, to be confident, to care, from people, animals, the planet.....now, little by little but non-stop.....we will make sure my little Emily learn now while she is little and quite obedient....and for sure she will be a great help when Sophie needs to learn those things too, because oh my God, we are going to need all the help available with that little one!!!

Happy Independence day PERU!!

2010-07-29T09:05:00.000-07:00

FELIZ 28 DE JULIO!!!!

TE AMO PERU!!!!

FELICES FIESTAS PATRIAS!!!!!!

My monkeys....

2010-07-20T19:49:00.001-07:00

they said kids learn from their parents or siblings.....but i havent seen any in my family or close friends SPITING like Sophie does....

she will drink a little bit, but she will mostly take a good amount of water, play with it in her mouth, and then spit all over her.....
that is why most of the times she is just on her diapers or with her t-shirt off....

why Sophie whyyyy????......

well, i guess is kind of fun....

and i almost forgot this....i mean, where in the word had she possible ever seen anybody doing something like this......can you see it???....before i got annoyed watching her save her food all over her head, really, like just to annoy me....but now she did find a better place, where can perfectly fit green beans or fries, but also there is no problem to fit anything else, like meat in this case.....oh yes! her ears...both of them.........the most difficult for me to clean is rice!, sometimes i dont know if i am pushing it in or out.....

once i hear people are the best self cleaning machines in the planet....i HAD to believe that....

oh the beads!!!!!...Emily, i told you to keep it out off Sophie's reach.....sooorrrrryyyy mommy......

Sophie will try to put them back on the box, and mommy will get soooo proud, just to immediately see her trowing them back!.....yea, more fun for me....

or her curiosity in braking things, specially Emily's stuff.....or mommy's couch (while i am washing the covers)......
and her most tiring, exciting, scare to death hobby of climbing......really Sophie, why????

it is not like i dont enjoy it some times, like when you are quiet watching TV sitting in just one place....
or sitting right next to my amazing helper Emily, and having quiet safe fun.....

but taking you out of the table 5 times a day my dear....

or having my heart bumping so fast thinking you are going to get hurt......

i quietly watch you closely, and let you enjoy your new adventure.....you are a toddler after all.....

but why you like to go to the extreme my dear???, why you make me think i am such a horrible mother for not watching you that minute i went to bring you dry clothes????
lucky for me i had the camera right next to the computer, i know i am going to make good use of this picture in the future...

my monkeys are having great fun........

and all start in this particular moment....

i should know what to expect, after all Sophie grew up in a square "safe" couches barrier protection for months......she learned to step on small things first and keep her balance....i guess she was practicing for the future....

for the big scape......

we even try to contain her in a pool.....but was unsuccessful and even more dangerous...
she NEEDED to find her way to get out and survive...

and she did it.....be safe honey....mommy loves you....

First LUV!

2010-07-15T12:57:00.000-07:00

Sophie: we are finally alone Isaiah! in this rommantic (full of strawberries) forest!.....HUG ME!
Isaiah: i dooon't waaant tooo....
Sophie: what???!!!

Sophie: ohhh, common!, i know you like me....look! your mommy is not watching! give me a kissy...

Isaiah: please, just goooo...
Sophie: just one kissssyyyyy!!!....

Isaiah: NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! I like Londyn!!!!....just live me A-L-O-N-E, would you?..

Sophie: whatever....I KNOW you DO LOVE me, and one day, one way or another, i WILL get my kissy (strawberry flavor, of course).....

Emily: Babies! ha!
Caleb: yea! Babies.....

At the zoo!!!!

2010-07-12T13:46:00.000-07:00

We have been going to the zoo few times by now, so here are the pictures!!!
This one was at Lincoln Children's zoo, with my mom's group....it was nice but short, i arrived at 10 and i had to pick up emily at 11:30 from pre-school....

Sophie is really easy going....she was nice with the other girls, and they were nice to her too....

but if anyone try to take anything from her, she will defended to death.....or better say, she will throw a tantrum on the floor.....

she play nicely for a while, but she always wants other kids stuff.....she really keeps me busy taking her out of trouble!

she has no fear.....which sometimes is good, and sometimes reaaaaly bad, like when i run to take her off the computer...sooo scary!!!

she is a natural climber!

she didnt fear the camels either....

Next time we went to the same zoo with the whole family......there was the pet society, with dogs and cats for adoption....

Emily has been asking for one few months now.... and i am not so sure about that yet......

yea...most definitely not now....

when we were feeding the goats, sophie was very eager to help!

emily is really good doing that! she has years of practise!

at the end, sophie back up her hand.....after all she got a little scare....

Sophie got a butterfly on her hand.........

At the Omaha Zoo.....for the very first time i travel alone with my girls.....well, i already travel to peru, but this time i was driving to other city.....Sophie had an appointment at Doctor's office, so we kill some time at the zoo....and literally, it kill me!

emily y sophie.....penguin pool behind...

showing a coast ref...sophie wasn't scare at all....for emily took a couple of years before she wouldnt run to see the waves....

the big aquarium with the sharks.....

both the girls went in circles for a while in this thing.....

yes sophie, that's a fishy......

and more fish!!!

Emily's picture!!!!....i dont let her use the camera too much since she broke the last one...

Sophie was crazy to jump on the water....as always....

there was a brand new baby gorilla.....it was really tiny!

Sophie help feeding the goats....one of those beast push my little one to the floor....

our favorite activity at Omaha's zoo!!! feeding the parakeets!!!!....even sophie got a chance to have one close!, but they were very difficult to get, sometimes they are just to full to accept more food...

so, emily decided to put her food inside the hole (where the birds hide)!!!! her whole arm went very deep!, i was so scary (i dont know why she wasnt!), but i swallow my fear and i just wash her arm with plenty alcohol.....i know it may sound ridiculous, but i cant helped!

Picnic Graduation!

2010-07-07T13:19:00.000-07:00

Emily's graduation happened a month ago...i know....but i guess i am updating quite ok, since sophie's birthday celebration was two months late!....sooooo....i am getting better???!!!!
anyway...here are emily's pics from her pre-school graduation....

she looks big and ready for the big K!!!!!! (kindergarten)....so by next month my little emily will be going to school from 8:45 am to 2:45 pm everyday, from now to what it seems to be ever.....and of course i will be dying in panic thinking of her first 100 days in school....

with Miss Cindy!, such a lovely teacher, we are going to miss her.....

with Miss Kristin!, she always great emily in spanish....thanks Miss Puity! (that's how emily say it two years ago..)

with Miss Barb!, her spanish teacher......emily was one of her best students!

with her best pal Yakub (on the floor) and Sjoen.....

and Sophie of course!....always in the middle, for now and ever....

on the way she had few girl friends like Mia (she is shy like emily), Julia, and the last one Ashea.....

In lincoln kids start public school when they turn five before september 15th (or something like that), so Emily is ok, but some parents and teachers feel more comfortable is the kids wait for another year to start if their birthday is close to the deadline....we didnt wanted that for emily.....

receiving her "diploma"....

with her teachers....

showing off!!!!

yyyyyyyyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sophie's 1st Birthday!!!!

2010-06-14T13:01:00.000-07:00

Our first picture together with daddy, mommy and mamita!

Emily came to visit next day, after her ballet classes....she was really gentle with me.....

One month old...sleeping on mommy's arms....

Two months old.......sisters love....

Three months old......and still very little hair...

Four months.......yummmy!!!!

Five months......."i will find you anywhere you gooooo!!!"

Six months old......ready to visit Peru!!!!

Seven months....."i am having so much fun!!!"

Eight months...."look at me grasping!!!!"

Nine months......"my first Christmas!!!!"

Ten months....."love you so much mamita and papito!!!!"

Eleven months.....last month in Peru....

Twelve months....."Nothing can stop me knoooowww!!!!!!"

and here are the pictures of sophie's party!!!!....at fourteen months, ja, ja....hopefully she will never know.....well she will probably find it out, hopefully reaaally really late for her to find it funny and laught about it....

Thanks to tia Larissa we had pictures of the party to enjoy because our new camera arrived just next day.....i really miss not to see you in any of the pictures, buuuu.....

Sophie was napping for a long time, more than an hour, i had to wake her up, but while she was sleeping i had the time to talk to our friends Larissa, Salvador and Larissa's parents....

Then she went to daddy's arms, her favorite place lately......and of course emily had to come along and make some space for herself and remind sophie she was first...

our neighbords, Kyle, Isaiah, Lori and Caleb came to join us an have fun with the girls!!!.......emily really likes to play with Caleb and Sophie feels really happy around them too, lately she has been quite afraid of people, even if she has seen them before.....but not with them!!!!

Times goes really fast, now my little baby is one year old, she is not really a baby anymore, but is still hard to get use to it....so hard i still rock her to sleep, some days i feel i can not do it anymore, but as always i find the strenght to keep going, just for her, for my babies.....

you bring me the light of my darknest days......you really keep me busy but i love you so much i forget very easy, you are my happy girl or like your daddy says, you earn your own space by yourself!!!!!....and we all know what he means my angel......

just a mother....

2010-06-13T10:52:00.001-07:00

when i was thinking about some of the things i have to come through to be a mother, i came across with one that for me could be the most annoyingly challenge....poop....

yes, when we/i got pregnant, my husband and i talk about who was going to change our babies poops....he complete deny that task, like it was some sort of hex...and despite i was the middle child, between two boys, and all the things they did to disgust me in every way everyday, specially the youngest one with his burping ABCs, to mention on of the mentionable ones; i had to fight my famous "odor alert" nose and think in something else while changing diapers....i was really bad because just thinking about it made me run to the toilet....but no anymore....i think...

so since my emily arrive almost 5 years ago i could see an arrange of colors since black-greenish, to brown, watery seedy creamy.....and just when you got use to one of the color, it change again!!! and you will find yourself running to the doctor's office to get her check because something must be reaaallly wrong with her.....and you Ped will give you the look and send you home....lucky i had a terrific pediatrician, she always send me home with a smile and telling me i was doing a great job!, what a sweet!....nowdays if i talk about poop it is just a scientific matter....you tell me the color i will tell you the age of your kid!...that easy!

and then, how can such small baby poop 10 times a day!!!!....come on!, and again, the doctor will send you home, frustrated and with 150 dollars less in your pocket.....that is why we need to talk and search about almost everything....

my mom help me for the first 2-3 months on the birth of my two kids, and i can not find the words to tell you how lucky and great this help meant to me....in every way, but specially for changing diapers, with both of my girls, my mother got all cover on their runny poop, mostly her hands, or clothes, but in a couple of this disasters, on her face, mouth and her luggage that was laying beside the changing table minding his own business.....and PAAAMMM!.......it didnt get in her eyes cause she was wearing glasses but her mouth, oh her mouth....i need to stop now.....

and then comes....potty training....with emily it was so crazy we had to take her to a psicologist, why? because she didnt like to see her poop and was trying to stop it from coming out....she needed medicine, and it got so bad she wanted to stop peeing too, but because she couldnt hold her pee, she would cry every time she need it to pee......so we came back to the diapers, and even with that we struggle a couple of days.....so we wait longer and longer.....

by the time she was 3 she was so ready, she knew how to hold her pee during pool time, so i could see her moving and crossing her legs....then i put her a diaper and it was fine....but one fine day i bribe her with some fancy cars from the "cars" movie (cars could talk!), and she love them, so in a couple of days she run to the bathroom and never had an accident.....but for her poop i had to wait another year....

i had travel to my country and a couple of days of our arrival, emily was complaining of a tummy ache and she bend and cry...then she said, "mommy i need to poop! bring my diaper!!!"...sorry sweety, no time for diaper, you have to go NOW!...i seat her on the potty and she couldnt hold it.....5 minutes later she repeat the process......i was so scare of a tummy infection that is why we run!, but after that she was normal again, so it was just something she eat she was not use to eat it.....but she felt relieve, so she didnt mind going to the toilet from that day after.... still she is afraid of pottys that flush by themselves, she doesnt finish peeing and she runs from it!, it takes her time and some pushing from my part.....

and you may think that know after 5 years everything is just beside me...no, you are wrong....and not because i need to train sophie now, which i complete refuse to waist energy and words and time....she will go when she TELLS me she want to use the potty and non before that!....but it is because now my older little angel likes to chat about her poop...like sometimes she poops "like a train", with many many wagons, sometimes train comes alone, sometimes train came back to the cave, sometimes the train does splish and splash sounds, other just pouch pouch sound....and so on and on.....

every time she wants to pee she will ask me, and if she wants to poop when she is peeing, she comes back to me to tell me she needs to poop too.....most of the times i want to scream JUST GOOOO!!!!!....but i just say OK instead....just because i like her to ask me when she wants to do some stuff....(like when she wants to cut her doll's hair or so)....but as i said, i had i good background at home with my brothers, i get gross about it but i learned to laugh....i dont have where else to go, is not like i can forget i have kids and everything that comes with them.....

it a hard hard job, but at the end is soooo so rewarding!.....there is much more than just plain poop!, ja!

there are 3 types of babys, the easy ones, the middle ones, and the stormy ones....what are you going to get???nobody knows....easy ones sleep with their milk, play with their hands and let you cook and clean without a peep....i have seen one of these....stormy ones, will be very awake after their bath and milk, looking to be entertained 12 hours a day and not let you go to the bathroom to pee....i had one of them....but i guess it will also depends what kind of mother are you...and you can be one of the three too....easy one, the one who after just 6 days of giving birth you can find her in church or in high heels ready for the world..... i also have seen one of them....or the scary mom that doesnt take their baby out after one month at least (she had try it many times but run back home after the first cry)....i was one of them too.....so it was a very bad mix and match, but as my ped said....i was doing a goooooddd joobbbbb!!!!

nobody told me what it was going to happend after delivery...opposite a friend of mine got so much information she is now afraid and it is thinking not to try having a baby.......which is the best???...neither....one day i came across a web page that unfortunately i coulnt find it again, it was about how much some women want to have a baby, some of us can and some cant....and some doesnt want them.....but for those who struggle it is a really terrible pain, it can get to years and years of trying, you really cant feel how horrible it can get unless you live that....i remember myself years ago saying to a friend: "just try it, relax", and lots and lots of bullshit, that i hear from others, but really not thinking it seriously....until i hear i couldnt have anymore children the natural way, my world just collapse....still nothing compares cause at that time i had at least one.....

in this web page many women wroted about their struggle, marital troubles, and most of them divorced after years of trying to concive or few months/weeks after getting pregnant or having the baby ....why?....no body told them that being married it is hard, and having a baby can be a thousand times harder...i always compare it like, when i was studding for a test during college, i didnt get much sleep, and i was so tired, but them I COULD decide and say, the university can go to hell, i just want to sleep....when you have your baby, you cant.....i had a c-sec, i had my nipples bleeding and i refuse to breastfeed because of pain but 5 seconds later after hearing my baby crying to be feed, i just cry and went to take her close to me and just feed her......you will push yourself to the end, and at the same time you realize how an extraordinary woman you are and how much more you can keep pushing......once i read about a mommy who went to take a shower and fall sleep on the floor while the water was poring on her....so true....many times while i was breastfeeding my girl my husband had to be awake close to me so i wont fall sleep and let my baby go on the floor......

we normally just see the cutest thing of having a baby, the baby clothes and bassinet, decorating the room, etc....i remember taking Lamaze classes for giving birth, so you are relax and you count your breathing, etc.....i didnt know that babies dont latch naturally and will make your nipples bleed, and especially didnt know all lamaze classes went to the garbage cause i needed a c-sec.....and over the top......how hard it will be after the baby??, they just need milk right!...wrong, milk comes after 3-4 days or 6-7 days if you have a c-sec, so your baby cries all the time....you dont sleep cause you feed them every 2 hours for at least 2 weeks.....everything goes so unnaturally, it makes you resentfull why nobody told you about that, and definitely you are not going to get pregnant AGAIN!....but years later, you forget everything and you get pregnant!!!!, ja!!......and you dont remember a bit of what you did with your first child!...which could be good cause your second could/mostly be completely opossite to your first one....

for me, this is it...even when again after one year of having a baby, i have forgot half of the terror, i think of a baby boy, but know i can see how much less time i have for my girls, i want so much for them, time for playing, reading, coloring, etc....and some days i need a me time too.....and dont forget husband time too....i couldnt do that anymore, one parent for one kid it is going to be ok, and who knows what could happend later on....maybe i can get pregnant in my fourty's!, if Gods thinks that it right, then here is a womb to another angel to come and raise and LOVE......

just to get it out of my system....

2010-05-28T21:06:00.000-07:00

for a while i had been thinking a lot of something that one of my friends said....well about 2 things....one of them, mothers day and the other is why we mothers talk a LOT about our kids....

Many of us think that is a little odd to have "a day" to remember our mothers or fathers, etc, especially because year by year it has increasingly become so commercialized....

I call my mother every week, for almost everything....that is maybe to much, but its me....so it make me wonder about the other side...yes, how many times we truly remember to great our family our friends, if not for this "dates in our calendars"........ the people who maybe call them once a year, or on woman's day, or anniversaries, or earth day, or for mothers day, like when the wife remind her husband to sign a card to his mother (i saw this on a movie-so maybe its not true, specially if the wife remind her husband about her "mother in law"-90% of married couples are not fond about their in-laws) and he asked: this is for what??? and she said, its her birthday!.....and yes again, it can happen, our busy lives dont let us communicate much with our family or friends, it is never like when we were in school or college days.....we dont gather together and sing songs, or recite poems......not everybody, but at least a lot of us forget about it....

so for some of us it is great to have "a day" to remind us about some special person we leave beside, to reconcile with our beloved for some stupid fight, a day to remember we live on planet earth and we have to take care of it, because is our home, a day to cheer us up and tell us we are important.....yea, yea, we should always know we are important, but for some people, even just one, if you create just one smile on her, we are creating a chain of greatness.....have you hear about depression???, yes, those who had fight with it know how deep in the dark can you get, so terrible and so lonely we dont have anything to live for.....

so, for me, yes...give me dates to help me be more compassionate, to take more care, to say I LOVE YOU, to say I AM SORRY, i miss you, you are wonderful, you are worthed.....a date to stop me from running and take care of simple and most important things in life.....

and my same friend also said this on a facebook comment:

"i really cant understand how pregnant women can only talk about pregnancy and mothers of a new-born child only talk about that child...but well...that's life with its imperfections and aspects one simple does not always grasp...."

and i added this:

"i guess in my case i am just surrounding by girls with babies and i expend so much time in the park or something baby relates like "mom in touch group" that there is no much time for anything else...for know...i hope...we are in this mysterious word of tantrums, potty training, foods allergies, colic, fears, sleeping problems like i didnt know if babies are tired they just cry and cry and cry....i thought they will just shut their eyes and that is it!...and hundred of many surprises.....so maybe we feel so dumb and helpless that a little (or lot) of talking may help....especially when you hear that somebody else baby has the same problem...it sounds bad, but as i said you feel connected or find some kind of understanding...."

and it make me thinking again....in how awful i can sound talking a talking about my kids and their poops or else......and i can said know that it can be the same even between parents, when they said: "my little one change her clothes all by herself", so a nonparent person will think: "arent all kids change their clothes, what is she so happy about???" or think..." yea, right, but we weren't talking about the climate changes???....a parent of a 4 year old may think "at what age my daughter change by herself, sooner for sure..." a parent of same age kid will say "mine talks 10 words in two languages!!!"..yea, that will be me....shame on me.....but we all parents are like that.......(again a feeling of relief.....)

it also remind me when armando and i were living on ireland (childrenless) and he will get so annoying about the kids screaamming and crying on the bus...he said to me: "can i take one of them and throw it out the window"....but you should see him know....how much he loves to play with his children, and other children...just like another little one....

i remember with my first baby i expend all my extra time reading about babies, books and books and on internet.....and i should said it help me a lot.....like when my emily start her terrible twos and throw herself to the floor backwards hitting her head...can you non-parent imagine that????, yes, i was all open mouth running for information on my little "cave man".....then i found it can get even worse, those little critters can bite themselves, scratch their faces and else........like my cousin reminded me of one of the many things i did/or said: she told me i use to said:" if you hit me, i will pee!!!!".......oh God, i guess i have nothing to complain about my kids.....

play time!!!

2010-05-26T09:25:00.000-07:00

after lots of raining days...it was time for the sun to come and visit Lincoln, we where close to 90 F the past weekend!!!...so we decided to go some place with water after taking sophie to the doctor's office....yes, again, sophie got some fever since Thursday afternoon, she was feeling moody and tired, and just few minutes after we arrived at home and changed her clothes, she falled sleep on daddys arms, she was 102 degrees, i opened her mouth for some medicine, she didnt had the straight to fight it.....next day was worse, she was almost all day on my arms, fussy and just not being herself....the nurse over the phone told me to watch her 24 h and see if she develops any other symptom, like runny nose or something, if i cannot see anything i had to take her to the doctor.....by saturday morning she woke up without fever, but by 10 am it began again......so i call the office and got her for 2:30 pm....we went out to eat and from then to the doctors office....
emily performed for daddy as she waited for her sister.....
luckily sophie had just some virus at he back of her throat and didnt need antibiotics....just wait few days and it will go away.....i just need to watch out for emily because it was contagious, and they like to share everything, even germs....

in the city center has been lot of construction for the Antelope valley project, this is an amazing path for bicycles and pedestrians to walk trough, basically made for flood control, it has been designed to contain ponds, fountains, pools, benches, sculptures, lamps, parks, as amenities....i always watch it after taking armando to work, so i was dying to get trough and enjoy it!....it is really great! or it is going to be cause it is not complete yet and there is still a lot of dirt around and the water didnt look nice to play around....so we have to keep the girls out of them, specially sophie!

It was nap time for sophie, but yeah! right.....she fight it to keep going!

we went to the park close by and play a little bit on the grass and on the playground, the greatest thing about this park is the fountain in the middle of the park, lots of kids come to play in a sunny day.....but it wasnt working yet......something different is the structure of the play things, there are "modern"......pretty but odd.....like in the picture of emily, i guess that was a "horse"....i havent seen much kids over that thing....

luckily they couldnt change the swings so the girls always have great fun on them!!!!!

Sophie likes to practice her songs.....

one is in spanish, un elefante se balanceaba sobre la tela de una arania..(one elephant swing on a web...),

so she use her fingers for number one and to play spider as in the itsy bitsy spider song.....then we say in spanish: como veia q resistia...(as we see it was strong...),

she cover her eyes because in the video where she saw that song, the kids use their hand as glasses.....

then we play another song that a little nine year old did teach me on the park when emily was just 2 years old....

it is something like this: one for the money, two for the act, three for the people and four we gooooo!!!, so we push 3 times and the fourth we go really hard, and she love it! as emily did!

when the night came she was so tired.....still woke up 3-4 times for the fever and for the heat, she was sweating so much i had to shower her on powder....

On sunday we went to play to an indoor playground, "lost in fun", and emily help to get sophie on her socks.....but most of the times sophie will shake her feet so much that emily finish asking for my help.....

sophie really enjoyed every place in the playground!, the bubbles, the balls, more swings, a tunnel, and the sponges...she reaaaly liked the sponges...she even through herself in there after watching emily......

at the beginning she was a little scare because the place it is quite dark, but after she got confident, she could get in and out without help! it was really cute how she will scream (like emily) before jumping!....

and as always, they will finish up with us, and next day our old bodys will feel like a trunk pass over us.....and they will be, they will be so fresh and ready to start all over again!....but tomorrow is going to be Monday, a day to work and to go to school.....so i will get a peacefully one complete hour during sophie's nap time.....sooo looking forward to it!

uffff...

2010-05-17T20:02:00.000-07:00

i can believe it has been a month since i blogged! time goes fast, so fast i just celebrate sophie's first year, yesterday!, it was a great party, with our best and closest friends...i know sophie is almost one year and a half by now, but i couldn't just let it go, she is my baby too, and even if she is just growing on her sisters clothes, toys, dishes, etc, i had to do her a party too!...but lets face it, beeing a second child socks! ...... emily had like 8 video tapes by her first birthday and thousands of pictures, sophie just has just one completed tape and it could be ilegal to buy her more clothes or toys, she has sooooo much from emily that she hardly wears them all.....

anyway, i have been postponing this party for "n" reasons, armando's many job interviews, me dont wanting to do cleaning, emily and sophie's health problems, me been sick too, etc.....it doesnt look like i did much but cleaning it is a big deal right now, emily has been coughing since we came back, that it is already two months and a half, just once or twice a day dry cough...armando's friends got to her a big stuff dolphin, after playing in a carnival, it was emilys best friend for a long time, even sophie got to enjoy it, everybody play jumping on that poor animal that my mum saw almost all over trying to keep his insides in....when we came back to lincoln the jumping didnt stop till it broke on the side, then sophie found it a start having her own "snow shower", i think it was filled with technopore, different sizes of that blast all over our bed....it was really fun for sophie, and i should have taken a picture but i was in panic mode for how much cleaning i had to do......i sew it myself and a week later i trough it away cause there was a white dust coming out of it and i thought that maybe the cause of emily's persistent cough..... i wait for any positive reaction but nothing change, actually i got sick and a couple of weeks later she start coughing even more, so now she was really sick.....

after a week the coughing got worse and i took her directly to an asthma clinic at her pediatrician, i dont really get this asthma thing, it is well know that in Peru we get too much antibiotics or medicine in general for simple things like just cold, so when sophie was also coughing and getting sick every month i got scare and follow the doctors recommendation on giving her asthma medicine.....i dont know it was really a good move...no wait, it was good because she got better in few days, i am just still afraid of steroids...in peru emily got sick just once during our five months stay....after a week emily got sick, the doctor give her some pills (asthma pills, no steroids) and told me if she didnt get better really fast take her again to the office cause she will probably need steroids......after 3 days the really bad cough slow down and started to sound more like a normal one but her sister got sick too, so i took them both to the see the doctors, just in case...sophies doctor told me that she was fine just with a normal cold, and something very important: NOT EVERY COLD DEVELOPS INTO ASTHMA SYMPTOMS"....i got relieve.....and for emilys case, it seems she was getting better but developing a sinus infection, so she needed antibiotics for 2 weeks....

the two weeks are gone, she looks great, but still coughing once or twice every single night....why????, really.....why????...

could be the detergent.....i change from powder to liquid.....nothing change yet, but it hasnt been that much time....could it be the books and boxes......i am doing a big cleaning up, reaaaaly big one.....and it is taking all my time.....and after i will be or washing the carpet or moving somewhere else.....and the problem is where?...i will be moving soon somewhere for armando's job?, how much longer are we going to stay in lincoln?...isnt it the health of emily most important than anything?......that really gives me headaches.....

one day i want to move and the next it fells like it is not the best idea, with all the things i need to pack!, our friends, and just for maybe 6 months???? it is really killing me....

and for the cherry on the cake (or something like that...) i am having bad thoughts....i am thinking it willl be good for me to get a job....emotionally speaking......maybe it is just hormonal and it will go away....ja, ja!...or maybe it is just me, when i have a problem, i just have to make it really reaaally big, and kill myself trying to resolve it.....i guess i really need a job to keep me busy......other kind of busy if you know what i mean..... and as always, i am up to the challenge, but i think i am getting to old for the game....

my flowers are blooming!

2010-04-24T18:36:00.001-07:00

busy, busy, busy...why am i always busy???...the weather is getting nicer and nicer and sometimes it is better just to let everything on its place (or better said, out of its place!) and just relax.....
well, right after my birthday armando flew to Brasil for 7 days for a job interview!, yes, seven days with all its nights...very, very scary!....things weren't so bad, just emily who didnt understand well about how many days have to past before dad comes back....so i made a "cadeneta" (in spanish-we use to do this for birthday decorations) that my friend Lori made to his son when his grandma was coming to visit....so we will have to cut one layer for every night it passes....and it work!....first day emily wanted to cut it in the morning again, but i told her that she would cut just before bed time...and after she will count how many were left... she didnt forget about it every night and she will always ask me for a picture to send her dad....

and they really got me busy!, but as always emily was a big help!, usually she changes her clothes, i am just fighting for maker wear long sleeves and please not to wear shorts yet! it is spring, some days are wort to use shorts but some others, better not get to cold with the flu going around...

emilys new passion (it started on peru) is to take pictures, she takes pictures of every corner on the apartment.....her toys, her sister, glasses, etc, you named!...yes, she had taken a picture of the loo too....
but it had to happen...the camera it is not working anymore because it felt on the floor, really badly.....i need a new one ASAP! (uhmm...this can work as a hint for mothers day!)......

i have lost many good shots all those days so i start taken pictures with the recorder camera, which has not more tape by the way...we have like 20 recorded tapes still with emilys stuff, and sophie has none!!!, poor thing, my husband is right, she is growing just like a wild weed on the grass....but not for long! i gonna buy at least one! for her birthday party, (yes i am still thinking on celebrating it!)...

so, this pictures are not as nice but i was dying to take a close up of the trees and their flowers of many colors, they are so nice, white, pink, dark pink....and when the wind hits it seem like snow its falling from the sky.....

We went at the back of the apartment and play with the flowers for a while, and of course sophie taste most of them, including rocks and dirt.....

last week Armando flew away again, but just 4 days in the country....

it was hard to get early to school those days, it was hard to get dinner ready or specially hard to feed emily....

so i made twice her favorite food, hot dogs with cheese and slice of bread and apples and broccoli and juice....it look like she got a sandwich but no, she eat it separately in her plate one by one....but at least on her OWN!....

and as you can see, sophie did her part during snack time by herself too!! way to go girls!!!!, thanks for helping mommy!!!.....

one of my flowers is going to kindergarten this year....i am so scary.....she is non stopping, questioning and getting the answers...she is catching up her english again, but this time her spanish its a keeper....

before, after school she always spoke english, but now, she is keeping her spanish and even teaching it to her friends.....her spanish teacher at preschool says she is very funny....i know that for sure, she likes to make us laugh....

my little one it is on the mood of kissing now, she had forgotten many of the word she spoke before, but she had add "peguis" for her little toes, she built blocks and knows where is her head and eyes....but mostly she does it because i will clap to her, she loves it!.....

we are still fighting for her sleep time, i think she is going to change to just one time nap, and it is just me fighting it to get one more nap from her.....so, sometimes it is 15 min and others one hour to get her to sleep....

yea! some days are...and some days ARE.....still i love to take care of my garden, i love my flowers so little and fragile....sweet dreams, mommy will be right beside you waiting for the next day to come.....

Easter time!

2010-04-07T19:20:00.000-07:00

And the time came for emily, she was going back to preschool....just 3 times a week, and still only in the mornings....but it is good for both of us....she has to catch up with her english, and i need some time on my own (that means with sophie....at some point i cant wait for her to be 18 months to go to preschool too....)
Emily had a hard time getting ready for school, she didnt want to go, she wanted to stay home and play with sophie......she didnt want to speak english, she was crying saying that she doesnt speak english, she speak spanish she learned in peru....

.....and we talk for a while, reminding her when she went to school and her Miss Cindy and Miss Christin speak some spanish, and of course Miss Barb (her spanish teacher) will speak with her, and also she can teach some spanish to her friends....she wasnt to sure about it, but when we arrived, her teacher said Hola! and como estas?....and she smile......i never ever believe how hard this was going to be for her, i always heared how kids are like sponges and bla, bla bla....but it is not that easy, still i am glad that i didnt knew it because i may have not go to peru....well it is not that bad, i am just not happy seen her with this kind of troubles.... probably because i started them...that day she also told me that Miss Chistie ask her to "lavar las manos", after that i knew she was going to feel better really soon....
for her luck, the day she started school they were doing the egg hunting!, one of her favorite celebrations!, of course because it involves candy.....

and as usual, father and daugther got prepare for the hunting....i am happy they didnt visit so many places as last year, and also this time daddy didnt practice with her before going, well she didnt need to practice any more, she knows very well that more eggs means more candy!!!

we have fun getting eggs and riding the ponnys, we got ballons and made lots of crafts....

this time we talked more about Jesus and why we celebrate Easter....we read her bible stories and she asked for more.....now we read it before her nap time everyday.....

we went to a new Chinese restaurant after, sophie got so messy that they clean under her place twice before we leave.....i felt pretty bad, but it is nice that somebody else clean after her and not just me....well, i left a god tip after....emily got some ice cream, just like dad...and sophie got a chinese cookie!

after we eat, we took a nap (dad, emily and sophie...not me but i tried)....then sophie woke up and she got me distracted and BAM!, she got some chocolate!, there was not point in trying to get it from her mouth, so i just took the pictures....i watch her for the rest of the day and i am glad to say that she it is not allergic to peanut butter!....and bubble gum....and candy few days after....

how she gets so fast!....now i am started to think daddy is right, Emily was the easy one and i am paying all my debts with Sophie.....but i having a great time! they make me laugh all the time!!!....
the other day Emily was hugging me and watch me directly to my eyes and said:" mommy, you are getting small.....you are going to get as a baby...i can not take care of you, i can not drive!!!"...
she has something about driving....and when i told daddy about it, he ask her who was going to take care of me and she said "you daddy!"...of course!
then she also said after we came back from the library: " the library is where the books and dvds live on..." and today she speaked with her dad by phone and told him to walk from his work to home because she was watching Dora the explorer....she was too busy to pick him up with me....

back in Lincoln...

2010-03-21T14:09:00.001-07:00

Daddy...he is so happy with us, he loves playing with the girls, and i love watch them, how carefully he is with sophie, how he likes her to laugh, give all his attention to emily and her silliness....and mommy's silliness too...

Emily...she is happy to see daddy, she plays with every single toy she finds and is not much into helping put them back...i have to put half of the toys away because of that...all in my big corner pile....she is not speaking to much english, it seems like she has forgotten a lot, but she is trying every time she meets her friends....

Sophie.... climbing climbing and falling falling....eating paper, i vacuum every single day, and she keeps finding them!!!...she even chew the baby wipes!....she doesnt eat much, probably is the new food she is trying (gerber products), the first weeks are still hard to get fresh food on the table, but now it is getting better....

after two weeks of crawling to every corner of the house, she decide it is time to walk a little more than two steps!!!, i love when she walks towards emily, and how the big sister encourage her to keep walking...

Ericka....for me it has been very weird, since i have arrive i seem kind of lost, trying to think twice to be sure what i am doing, i trying to hard to speak english......this last sound so weird to me, to hear my voice like that....and the worse is that not much people understands me anymore!...what happened, i dont know, it it not the first time i have been away for that long....

on the other hand, i am happy to be at home, taking care of my "ninias", with emily it was very different, i was desperate to get out and talk to other human being, i mean not a baby being.....things are quite easier here, sophie is free to go everywhere she wants and for that i had lots and lots of things to do to baby proof the apartment, but i took the easiest way, i just grabbed every harmfully thing and made a big pile on one corner where sophie cant go, and then i will organize it little by little...it may take one year or so, ja, ja, ja (maybe when my mommy visits me again!).....life keeps going, the cooking, the cleaning, the playing, etc...they dont stop just for me....

this weeks i have been trying to take sophie to the doctor for her poor eating, her vaccinations, her changes...., i guess the worse was to get an school for emily, just few days after i came back my friend told me to hurry up because registrations for kindergarten were pretty close and i needed many things like her vaccinations list, an appointment for medical, vision and dental, her birth certificate (i had one, i just had to look in my big pile at the corner!)....and my big shook was to know that i can not register in the school i want, i have to register in a school of my area (i wanted one close to work), after searching my friend found there is a petition to transfer her to another school, but on the day of registration the school told me the dead line for that application was already in january, but i can take a chance sending it to the public schools department...and from there it was almost sure they will denied, but i can re-apply within 10 days......

well if i cant change her school it is ok, at the end, i guess, i just didnt like not to find this information on the web page of lincoln public schools before all this...

then daddy had to travel to Brazil for a job interview, so he was pretty busy too, with his work and this presentation...

We have had 2 "snow storms" since i came back and on the day before the last one, a lovely sunny day! we visited the big park! i was happy to do all the walk and specially of not being tired...at least not for walking...

it has been pretty busy, but the weather is a relief, i take my stroller and just go out to get the lovely spring air to fill my lungs and give me some happiness to continue my journey in this life....

and by the way, we also celebrate my 35th birthday!, i almost forgot about it with everything going on, but my lovely husband remind me just after 12 am...i was watching a late movie!...and of course few days later, sophie's 1 st year!, we are going to properly celebrate it after daddy comes back...we dont want her to be mad of not having anything on her First B-day after her sister had her nice party...that woulnt be fair...

last pictures from Peru....

2010-03-19T13:55:00.000-07:00

i wanted to show many pictures from Peru but of course, there were no much time for that...but here are some from the farmers market that make me smile, because it is different i somehow i missed...i think because of the interaction with the people, you go there everyday, find fresh food, and they are really nice and kind...

like: good morning!, what would you like to have today!. ah, you are going to prepare chicken with rice!, oh yes, today i have my kids here helping; so how many pieces of chicken, would you prefer....etc....

this guy was very attentive and kind....for chicken you can choose any part of the chicken, and by any i mean ANY...includind heads and feet, liver and heart, neck, etc...

and you can watch how they kill the chicken and how they take the feathers off...very scary when i was young, but i haven see it this time...maybe they do it very early now...but, they have some chikens and hens alive just in case they do need more to sell.....

the fish section was even scarier when i was growing up, they sell fresh fish and they cleaned in front of you, and cut it the way you like...you can find crabs walking in the big pan...and lots of sea food!

the vegetables section looks like this, but is not the only one, they are maybe 10 like this in the market (as well as for the chicken and meat and just few for fish)....most of people now sell vegetables peeled and cut it already!....depending of what are you preparing they will mix some of them in small bags, and in a Peruvian food you will need carrots cutted in circles, squeares or grated (big and small)...i hate that!....

when my mum was in US, she took some of the mix vegetables (the frozen bag) and separate what she dont use for lets say "chicken and rice" (like beans and green beans) and start cutting the carrots really small, etc.....i just use everything together...

they also sell already cooked beans (and some veggies too), and when you get home just have to seasoned and add anything else you like.....i guess they are trying to compete with some big markets with ready to use foods that nowdays are getting very popular...

and the fruit!, yummm!!! lot and lots of cheap fruit! like: lima, uva, maracuya, carambola, peras, tunas, melon, papaya, naranja, durazno, melocoton, mandarina, mango, lucuma, etc.....different kind of bananas (they are not in the picture), pineapples, etc...

i ask my mum to get this pictures when i was already back in Lincoln....she took them from a bridge and i guess it maybe around 9 am because just the upper bridge is full of cars...around 8 to 9 am both lines going to the city center are very very busy...they just go maybe one meter every 10 minutes...it was really bad...and i also wanted to show the buses at this time are full of people, they even block the doors!...

on the right picture, also to the right you may see a light blue house with 2 floors, to blooks from there is my parents house...i grown up here, next to a very busy "highway", but before it was just two lines to the north and two lines to the south....what you see know was made 3 years ago and it took 2 years to complete it!...crazy!!!

i coulnt find the pictures of my parents home...what it is interesting is that next to our block there is what is call a "huaca" and this is like hill with rest of ancient civilizations...you can see some walls, and if you search (like my friends and i when we were kids) you can find some material and broken pieces of ceramic..... houses around here get very dusty beause of this hill.....and on the top we have a crucifix, i think this a tradition, for the souls to rest in peace....

i found this picture of my mum...this is a cementery on the countryside...my mum and my grandma's sister went to visit their relatives...this kind of cementery is very common, and cheaper.....we have some cementeries like in US very nice ones and more are being built....

i took this picture at the back of my parents house...there are 3 schools very close together...and one of them had a "procesion"...this is a famous celebration of a paint of Crist that a slave niger paint in a wall, and this was the only wall that didnt brake during a big earthquake...during the october month we have many small quakes and we have this procesion in that month too....this is a copy from the real paint, in Lima city center the celebration is really big, some devotes wear purple clother during this month and they walk many kilometers praying and singing...some of them go by their knees...

this orquids from Peru are my passion, i love them...and some day i dream i will grow them and sell them....i would like to do this know, like working at home thing...but i guess i will have to wait a while...

this is another pictures of my parents...this is call la laguna de huacachina...it is south of Lima, 2-3 hours from the city by bus...is an oasis..it ia really beautifull...

this is a beach at the north of Lima, 1 1/2 hour from my parents house (because of sophie i didnt want to go far) we went in january..bad weather but we coulnt wait to go...i would recomend beaches from the far south or far north part, because they have less contamination from the city....

here is something i also miss a lot...my church....this is just half a block from my parents house...it is more like a chapel but a prist come for just sunday mass...i love the songs, the lirics that make me cry everytime a hear them when i visit Peru....unfortunately, this year i havent visited as much as i wished.....this is one of the songs, it is not my favorite but i felt a little bad filmimg (so i didnt try it again), i didnt know if it was correct or not...

in this past 5 eyars i saw Lima growing bigger and beatifull...Lima the horrible, was the nickname of the city...but not anymore!!!...now is a renowed and safe place to visit, and mainly CLEAN!!!!...

before not even I visit the city center! i was to afraid to go...i always have been...but know it is nice to walk around....The city has grown with lots of malls and markets and now i can find many thing from US and europe in Peru, and i dont have to go too far from my parents home for my shopping.....

but appart from all this, my family is what i miss the most...i loved this time with them...with all the difficulties...which i dont remember that much right know....i love my family!, my brothers, so caring with my "ninias", my dad (always coming earlier from work to play with them), my mom (taking lots of care, watching their food, their health), my aunt hortencia (always helping me and my best confident), my cousins "las marias", always coming to visit me or calling to asking for the girls....my neighborgs, etc...it was awesome!!!!

10 years ago....

2010-03-05T10:06:00.000-08:00

The first time we ever meet was at the end of 1997, when i went to his university to get some lab experience in plant tissue culture, by then i was in my last university year and he was the lab teacher....then we meet again in the middle of 1998, after he came back from Atlanta; we date for a while but he had to come back to his studies in the EEUU.....

He came back at the end of 1998 and we started dating again....

In november of 1999 we got engaged...here we are with some friends....

and in march 3rd 2000 we got married....

a couple of weeks after, we celebrated my 25th birthday as a married couple...

few months after we did travel to study in Ireland...it was very hard at the beggining, but the beauty of the country and the friendship of our lads really help us to feel like home, day by day....here we are in Glendalough, the glacial valley......

Traveling around ireland, here at the north-west, in Donegal...

here in Northern Ireland (Causeway) the north coast, our friends Connie and Stephen showed to us this incredible rock formations!

here at Bushmills, trying many different kinds of whisky....they got us drunk to choose the best of them!...and give us a certificate!

At the weats coast in Connemara....it was reeeaaally sunny, but the water was so cold, it really hurt my bones!

In 2002 we travel to Paris, it was in november, kind of sad weather, not as rommantic as i expected, but the museums, the churchs, the palace, etc, were really amazing!

My graduation was in summer 2003, i really missed my parents....

In 2003 we visit York in UK, we went to a conference and end up traveling around with some brand new conference friends! they were really really great people!

Same year we traveled to London to celebrate Armando's 30th birthday!

In 2004 we visit Czech Republic, Prague is such a beautyfull city....we enjoy it with our best couple friends erika and michael!...we heared that the city wasnt bombarded during WW because of its beauty...

Our religious wedding was in Peru, march 11th 2005, Emily was in her way!...We moved to Lincoln, Nebraska in the states, i was at home during my pregnancy, and i just ate and slept all the time...

At 7 moths pregnant the baby's room was ready!, we didnt know if we were expecting a boy or a girl, but because of my mom i really believe i was going to have a boy!...i got few blue outfits and just one was pink....thanks to our friends Nivea and Marco, we were not lost in the city or in the parenhood journey because they were expecting too...

On september 14th 2005, my beautyfull daughter was born by an unexpected c-sec! thanks mamita came to help us out a couple of days later....Emily weighted more than 8 pounds, my OB told me it was good to had an emergency c-sec!

by Emily's second month!

Emily's first year!, she didnt talk much, but she was walking since her 10th month!....Larissa and Salvador help us in everyway with their experience as parents, and as incredible friends ever since we meet...

i cant believe Emily was so little once.....sometimes i really miss her like that, then i see her again and i realize she is still my little baby!, she maybe four now, but yes! it is just four tiny years!....

Autum 2007, Emily is 2 years now!

Christmas 2007 family picture!

Christmas 2008 family picture! mommy is 6 months pregnant!....we meet our lovely new neighborgs Lori and Kyle, they have a cute little boy Caileb and are expecting too!.....our due dates are 2 weeks apart!

Winter 2008, Emily is 3 years old and mommy is 8 months pregnant!

March 19th 2009, my precious little Sophie was born (by c-sec).....mamita came 2 months before to helps us out!.....when emily was born i had to much anesthesia, i was very sleepy, but with Sophie i was so awake that for me it felt like a had a natural birth! (without the pain)....i cried so much when i heared her crying...

My sweet Emily meet her little sister Sophie, this time we knew we were expecting a girl.....she was close to 8 pounds, so i was happy with my c-sec again!

Sophie is now 11 months, she is real trouble, and she doesnt walk yet!, she is a real talker, she ask for water, says woof when she hears a dog, she says up, night, she calls her sister Emiii, and of course her favorite, mommy!!!

Emily has been a real helper with her sister and they are best friends!, they play and fight, they give kisses to each other and pull their hairs too....i love to watch them playing, not much when i take sophie from the back of her sister but it is still funny!

This 10 years have been amazing, with ups and downs, but mostly for the great gift of my girls....for my family and friends....Thank you God for all your gifts and help me to be a good mommy and wife every day.....Amen

Sophie's troubles

2010-02-12T16:10:00.000-08:00

we had great times in peru, but also sickness visit us home, little sophie got sick, once every month.....
It started from low, to mild, to something less than severe...i found myself counting the days to go back home, for so many reasons, but lately, for a dry weather.....here in Lima the humidity is so high (99.8%), that carries lots of allergies problems, even with me, i remmember when i was going to school, how bad started my day, with lots of itchy and watery eyes, i wanted to take off my nose, my mum always told me i was going to have a big nose if i keep scratching like that...i didnt care....i know i have a big nose because my dad has a big one too!!!!, but she kept me thinking for a while....

my little one is trying to smile! she was feeling so misserable that i give her strong medicine (prescribed by her doctor here), some antihistaminic, and some corticoids for inflamation....but all this time i was feeling so guilty!, i dont know what her doctor in Lincoln will tell me about this....

but that didnt stop her to get in trouble!...she was so happy after she got out!

she loves to climb on anything!, here she is over emily's car....keeping her balance!

still sick, smiling for mommy....

and again getting in trouble!....i let her sitting on this "chair", while i hurry to wash my hands, when i hear a little cry, more like a complain, so when i finish i find my daugther became a snail!

she even got confortable for some reading!

when the virus was getting close to her lungs, the doctor prescribed some inhalators, i was so sad and even more scare than before, but the doctor said that inhalators are less bad than the same medicine in a bottle.....i had to trust him...so another story started....he told me i will need three people to do this, and he wasnt kidding!

one will hold her hands, another aply the medicine and a third will do as a clown...

some times we need three, other just two, me and the clown (see how she is so concentrated in the clown!).....other times it is just me doing funny noises....and repeat every 4 hours! twice!....the other medicine was just twice morning and night....now, after a week it is less, today the doc told me to do it every 8 hours.....

she is truly getting better, coughing less, just once a day....but it is a slow process.....

Meanwhile, they keep growing and enjoying each other....emily is a little bit rough but sophie know how to deffend herself..she had to learn!

i really have to keep a close watch.....uffff....she is ok.....and happy!

Fun with daddy!!!

2010-01-29T15:48:00.000-08:00

yes! daddy is here! after almost 3 years, he took some vacations in Peru!!!!!...we had lots, lots of fun!, specially me! because daddy help a lot with the girls....he play, feed, shower, read to them and specially change sophie's diapers! and even watch them while mommy went out...ahhhh, it was awesome!!!!...until he complained....ok, he was on vacation too....point taken!.....

but now it was one child for one parent, so that was good enough...

we didnt travel far, just to see armando's parents in caniete (2-3 hours from Lima) and around Lima city....

(i couldnt organize the pictures from dates this time...something is wrong ggrrrrrr!)

Armando arrived on 10th and by 12th we were on caniete celebrating important events....Armando's birthday and Sophie's Christening, it was so special to me because on the 12th catholics celebrate the day of Virgen de Guadalupe, she is Patrona of the church we attended in Lincoln when i got pregnant (after doctor's told me it was going to be very difficult to have a baby again)...we listen mass that day and after we had Sophie baptized, and the priest give her 3rd catholic name: Maria.....so from now on she is Sophie Mia Maria.....what a great gift.....

both our families were reunited (from left to right) my dad max, me, milagros (arma's sis), chinito (milagros's son), daniela (daniel's daughter-arma's bro), gloria (arma's mum), sophie, bryan (richard's son-arma's bro), betty (my mum), ivan (my big bro), karina (arma's sis), Carlos (karina's husb), carlitos (karina's son), and on the top daniel (arma's big bro) and armando and emily.....there is missin my younger brother max, he is the godfather, he took the picture...armando's dad is filming....and armando's younger brother richard and his family was around....

this is with my cousin Tonia, she lives in France and came to visit with her daughter Ninon...i also meet roxana and carlitos (roxana is Carlos's wife, my cousin and Tonia's brother)

emily is giving sophie a ride around the house!!!!...this was fun and scary at the same time....i was afraid she feel off and hurt her head...but no, she was happy and ride very quiet in that bath tube...

we had fun with our friends we meet in Lincoln, Marco, Nivea and little Sophia....we went to a park for all the afternoon....it was a great fun for everybody!!!!....Sophia just speaks portuguese, but that wasnt a problem for the girls, they play and laugh and share and eat and play more together....unforgetable day.....

this other pic is for the day armando left Lima, we eat turkey because on christmas day on armando's parents house, something went wrong and the turkey became butter....so my dad went to find some turkey by 7th of january, he didnt have much luck in the market, but he is very persistent (like me), if we have something in mind we have to have it.....so he went to the distributor place and we enjoy the meal! very yummy!!

this day we went to visit Lima city center, behind armando is the cathedral...this place is call La plaza de armas, on armando's right is the president's house....this place has a lot of colonial arquitecture...

this was another great place! is call El parque de La reserva, it is suposse to be the biggest park with fountains in the word..i am not sure, but that is what i heared.....it has something like 10 color fountains....some of then are just to watch, but some others you can play in them, it has diferent places where the water can come from, so the people has to "memorize" the sequence, if not they will get wet!, we play there but not so much because the weather wasnt good yet, and emily was a little scare....

In this park they also had a Santa's factory, it was nice to see Elfs, and they made a presentation how they fabricate the toys, etc.....and they even take us a picture with santa with our own camera, without charge....this was a nice event from coca cola, they just ask you at the entrance to bring some toy for less fortunate kids in Peru....

this was one of the fountains, emily like it to touch it a lot! she got really wet!!!

this was on new years night, i has just arrived from the emergency room an hour ago..... i wasnt in the mood for celebration, i couldnt even eat or drink....i just drink my eletrolites....it tastes horrible....

the girls opening the presents!!! they got a lot of them, specially sophie because emily's taste is very dificult....and she mostly like cars, airplanes, etc....so, sophie was enchanted with the dolls emily got from her uncles.....

and even if we didnt travel, or rest, or have time alone as i planed, it was nice to be with our family, my husband's parents, my own ones and our "kind" of new family....everything has its moments, and that is what life means, living this moments, this instants of hapiness with your loves ones....and i feel very bless for that.....

Happy B-day Caleb!!!!!!

2010-01-25T06:49:00.000-08:00

Hello from Peru!!!!!...We hope you had a great birthday!, we are sorry our greatings are late, but our hearts are always with you!!!!, and if you havent celebrated yet we wish you a reaaaallllly reeeaaallllyyyy fun day with Isaiah, mommy, daddy, and everybody!!!!...God bless you always...
big kisses and hugs from Emily, Sophie, Ericka and Armando!
and a HUGE HUG for Isaiah first year too!!!!

PD. we got some "decorations" from a cousin's party we went yesterday!

almost ready for Christmas!

2009-12-09T12:36:00.000-08:00

we are anxiously waiting for daddy this past week...finally the day came.....the day came with a snow storm, and with a delay plane, and with a crazy emily asking for her father....

Daddy is on the airport since tuesday....and maybe will flight today, if somebody gets late....if not he will be here tomorrow (friday) at midnight....

in between, we have been bussy preparing the tree....emily was a big help!, she broke some lights because she step on it, and she got very sad, but they still worked!....at the end, she keep asking for more ornaments, she wants one ornament for every leaf!....and of course, she is upset because there are not presents under the tree!!!!! horroooorr!!!!....i am waiting for armando to buy some here......

she is so happy about christmas that every morning she says! Merry Christmas mamita!!!, Merry Christmas uncle!!!!.....and everyday she waits for the presents......

and because we are going out of town soon, I would like to wish you a wonderfull holidays!!! The birth of Christ bring peace on your hearts, on your house and to all your families.....God bless you all.....

Merry Christmas Caleb!!!!!

Merry Chistmas Yakub!!!!!

two sundays ago

2009-11-30T14:04:00.000-08:00

we have been in the house for a while, with a horrible horrendus, terrible tremendus flu!....it start with emily, of course, the one who goes to school....on monday, then mommy on wednesday, and then little sophie the following day.....for some reason, emily's flu past very fast, but with sophie and me, it was the worse thingh ever!, we sneeze, we cough, we didnt sleep, we had funny voices, we didnt eat much, etc.....the doctor give sophie an antihistamin and antinflamatory, something that emily hasnt ever taken before....it scare me, but she couldnt breathe at night with all that mucus....we are getting better, we are sleeping better, i am just afraid to catch something else...so this past sunday we were at HOME!....quite boring......but i owned pictures for the past TWO sundays!, times goes fast....so here they are!

This is in a park call Parque de la Reserva...before was like a japanisse garden, with lots of fishys of beautifull colors....now they are some but they are more other thinghs....

emilys favorite!, boing, boing

we are in the middle!

i was scare of emily riding this!, but she didnt got sick or anything! she even eat popcorn during her fast ride!

This was really, really fun!!!! i havent try this in yeeeaaaarrrrs!!!!!!!!!!

The next sunday we visit "the princess castle", she was sooo happy!!!, she look at the castle with her big eyes!!!, it was so nice!!!!......she even brought candy for snow white and the prince, but because they were sleeping in the hight towel, we just give the candy to the lady (she sells the entrance tickets) at the front door (she was very happy with the candy!)....

This castle is call Chancay Castle, its 1 and a half hour away from the city, its from the early 20th century....it was a small castle when i first went there, before there wasnot pools or hotels...now it has places for camping and for party...and it has grown a lot....

my big brother (emily's god father) and my parents
it was nice sunny, here my parents, my small brother (sophie's god father-we will baptize her on the 12th), emily, sophie and I.
this was the view from the restorant....we couldnt wait to go to the pool!
yes emily, we have to eat first...
It was a nice day with all the family, but later it got windy and cold and i guess that is why we got sick......

Little Sophie...

2009-11-19T06:16:00.000-08:00

just two weeks ago i was so happy watching my little sophie moving around the house, but also taking a lot of paper of her mouth, who knows from where!...

then she learn to sit on her own, emily was so amaze!!! mommy mommy! sophie is sitting!!yeeeah!!!!hurrey sophie!!, mommy mommy, again!!!...

then she just wanted to be standing on my chest, or suppoted with my arms...and i think she is so far to stand or even walk...

then i was again happy/worried to see her grasping with her little tiny index finger, she is having so much fun playing her toy and also watching what else she can get from the floor!.....something like, "if you move i will get you in my mouth!".....and also, the freckles on my back, and some fascination with the black circle in my eye....pointing!

and finally she is also teething!, i say finally because she has been a drooling machine since she was 3 months if i am correct....the front lower teeth on her mouth came, firts the left and few days latter the right one....poor thing, i lost her baby orajel, i need armando to get some more...and poor me too, her bites are more painfull now...when emily started teething, i wasnt breastfeeding anymore....

today she is 8 months, and a couple of days ago she pulled up on her on.....my little baby is growing up, i still see her so little and fagile, she has her baby face that makes me happy because i always think how much i am enjoying her baby time, because emily's time was fast i didnt see it comming......is funny to think how much i love her tinny face, but her weigth and that pain in my back cant lie!.....sometimes i still rock her to sleep, and the next day, like today, makes me say to stop it!!!!!, yea, pretty soon i guess....big hugs, ericka.

another great sunday!

2009-11-10T15:15:00.001-08:00

this was an awesome day! we got a lovely sunshine so papito took us to the zoo!!!! yeee!!!!... some time ago i wouldnt recomend any of my friends to visit the zoo, it was a sad place to go for me...but now it is totally different, it is a gorgeus place to visit, the animals are good with big and clean spaces to go around....there are also big places to eat, either you bring your food or many places to eat there too....and lots of playgrounds for the kids!, for toddlers, for little kids, big kids, it was great!.....

we have the zoo divided in 3 regions, the 3 principal regions of peru, the coast, the mountains and the forest....we start at the forest because its the biggest....we start at 11:30, we leave at 5:00 and didnt have time to see the rest of the regions, that will be the next time....

at the entrance we came across with this guys and with clowns for painting faces....this guys carry some lollypops on their hads and they offer to the kids and tell their parents that is free, then they also offer you to get a picture, but after you take the picture they ask you for money for the picture....or they do the opossite, they tell you to get a free picture, but when your kid gets the candy, they ask you to pay for that.......i think it is fine to pay for either, but i dont think you have to use does tricks...

I like it better this lion, the guy was funny and he say since the beggining you will get a free picture, just buy some popcorn.....and he likes to bite the kids head!, i also liked when one kid start to cry just waching him, he took off the head of the lion and kicked away, and explain him that is just a mask, and that the mask was nicer than his own face....

the forest has a lot of houses like this, it was pretty cool with lots off green!

after we visit part of the forest, we went to eat and rest on the grass, and play too, this is what i did when i was a kid!

there are also new ways to enjoy the park, like jumping like this, emily was enchanted!.... and mommy also had some fun too!

there is a suspension bridge that has lots of lovely deers under..they are really meek..

at the end, my sweet emily was very tired...

when we were ready for the train, it was not working anymore...but we got nice pictures, we will ride it next time..

last pictures....there were some big gorgeus animal pictures!!!

i love this one, it looks like she is under water!!! but it is just another nice wall picture!

i luv ya 2!

2009-11-06T17:30:00.000-08:00

ahhh!!! so sweet, so loving sisters....
you are my baby, yes you are, oh yes you are.....

oh, you are getting so heavy sissy, were you eating all my breads??!!!,
get out of my face!

didnt you hear meeee???!!!!!

you ask for it!!!!

.....my hair!!!!!!!

no, no ,no, sisters dont fight sweethearts, sophie you go with papito and emily with mamita.....say cheesse!!!!

....can you guess who won??!!!

oh mommy, i love you so much....i love you too my sweet little baby....

i love you too mamita!

and you!!!!....by the way, who are you?...emily's friend?, that's good enough for me! give me you head!

just you don't get jealous mommy! come here!! ahhhhhh!!!!

a fun day!

2009-11-04T09:46:00.000-08:00

on sunday, papito took us to the connie park, and emily had a great time! she forgot about me, she just wanted to go with papito to every single play....specially the gusanito (wormy) and the cars to smash each other....it was really fun!

Dia de la cancion criolla or halloween?

2009-11-02T09:32:00.000-08:00

here in peru, since 1944 we celebrate "el dia de la cancion criolla", the president Manuel Prado made this a day to celebrate our music...the music of the "crossbred" i should say, because is not the music of the incas or natives...this is music from Lima and you dance like a waltz but with more movement because the music has more flavor....the instruments are mostly a guitar, a cajon (a box with a hole-this is used a lot by the african comunities in peru), spoons.....some people feel very proud about this, like my mum, but for me, i love the songs, i know the lirics, i would love to learn to play the guitar, but i wont fight about it...and my little emily wouldnt understand about it either...

So when i ask at emily's school if they were going to celebrate halloween, they almost kick my ass...kindly of course.....they told me they celebrate el dia de la cancion criolla and i should dress my kid as a "pregonero" (braker-crier) this people sell stuff in the 1700, they sell flowers (mixturera), sell tamales-food made of corn (tamalera), sell milk, bread, water, fish, fruit, sweets, etc and the sereno, a person who at 10 pm say "holy Mary, it is 10 oclock, bless the peruvians", and blow out the lanterns on the corners of the streets...all "pregoneros" had a special song....

so i dress Emily as a "tapada limenia" this is how a women dressed like during that time...they just showed one eye.... she loved to have a dress to move around, and she remember when she dance with her friend Caleb: ay, ay , ay....but they used a blanket insted....

For sophie's party, she dress as a ballerina, she even made some twist positions!....

all this was on friday, but on saturday night we went to a halloween party!, yeeee!!! Emily dress up as a little mermade (as last year) and she was very happy to see me drees as a snow white...after eating all the dwarfs! i look so fatttt!!!! this is the yummy bread's fault!!!

Extra! Extra! I am craw....creeping!

2009-10-30T14:00:00.000-07:00

Prepare everybody! Now i can get my own paper if i want too!!!!......Hold on people! where did my "chuping" thing go? stop cleaning around me!!!

noises, noises...

2009-10-28T07:27:00.000-07:00

it is kind of fun "to see" and hear all the noises around here....except, when you have a baby that haven't hear such noises before, or even a little child like emily....what's that mommy??!!!!

first we have "el panadero", it means bread maker, but he actually just deliver fresh bread to homes...warm yummy bread of many kinds, like french, whole grain, snail, yolk, horn, etc, to name few, the girls love them!

he starts very early in the morning, first at 5:00 am and 5:30 am (he goes around just one time), then from 6:00 to 7:00 am, he goes around many times playing his bugle...can you see it under his hand?...he also goes around 6:00 pm (tea time).

I ask him for a picture, i told him i will send it to my friend who has never seen a panadero before (he wanted to see how he look in the picture and he blush)... then he said: is she married?....i say yes!!!!.....then another customer came and i went home, almost running....

then comes the ones who sell fruit, strawberries, bananas, pineapples, mangoes, papayas..umhhhh i am getting hungry..... it is a little bit more expensive, so most people prefer to go to the market that is just 2 blocks from my parents house (there are quite few markets like this around-kind of farmers market)….can you see his microphone and amplifier so everybody can here them?

Then we have the mototaxi, this are motorcycles adapted to carry 3 people sitting at back, they do taxi up to around 10-15 blocks, without crossing main streets….people use them to bring their children to school, to go to the farmers market and bring their shop bags, or just to don’t walk 3-4 blocks anywhere….

Then comes the people who sell ice cream!, Emily was very happy to discover this!, this heladeros, like the panadero, goes around the streets with the bugle, and plays a special song that just means: I have icecream!
From 1 to 3 pm we have “la movilidad” this are guys with their vans that bring back the kids from school, so they honk for the parent to get their children…and they are very persistent…
While I was waiting for the panadero I came across with the recyclers (they were checking the garbage) and the guy who bring the gas tank to your home (on his bike-we use this gas just for the kitchen)….they don’t make any noise though…

At around 7 pm comes the garbage trunk and they also honk a lot, they come everyday…and finally from midnight we have “security guy” he transit the streets of our neighborhood watching for ladrones (thief-they can get to your house usually at night and steal anything), and this watchmen has a whistle and use it every hour just to remain us “he is around”. This ladrones can steal even your laundry, even if it is still wet…..we were robe twice when I was growing up, once they took all my wet clothes and the next time they took the gas cylinder and the blender….that is why houses look like this now...my parent's house is the one in the middle, i will show you how it look 35 years ago when they first buy it!

there comes more....

2009-10-22T10:42:00.000-07:00

during this week i also got a preschool for emily, this was great because we both like the place and her miss gabriela...emily goes from 9 to 1 everyday, i love the exercise, walking or running (she loves to run!) and talking to her while we go to her school. it is 5 blocks from home and the weather during the day it is not so bad, its spring, but we still have cold early mornings and nights, although some days can get very nice and shiny!...

we also got some classes for sophie! kind of Gymboree class, we are in the "no crawlers" group... there we do massages, exercises and dances (cumbia songs) in 1 hour, it is fun, just 2 times a week.....surprisingly, this class is a little more expensive than a gymboree class in USA, but emily's preschool is 6 times cheaper!....my pocket is very thankful!

during this time sophie wasn't eating enough, just 2-3 onz of milk, she didn't want to breastfeed as usual, just few drinks...so, she was mad most of the day....and solid food was worse than ever, she complete refuse it.... and then came

day7: i will always remember this day.....all morning was as "normal" as it can get, sophie went to bed around 6pm (she wakes up at 6 am/and twice in between), we use white noise to avoid all the peruvian noises (i write about this later)...and then, around 8 pm we had a blackout in the area...i couldn't believe it...i was reading emily's book and everything went black....emily got scare and ask me to turn on the lights... luckily she has a "ladybug" that reflect stars in the roof, its pretty nice, it save me from emily's petition....i didn't hear sophie, so i run to the shop to get some batteries for the white noise machine and candles for the house....the shop it is just three houses from my parents house, so i got back on time just when sophie woke up.....that night sophie woke up so many times, my arms hurt, my back hurt, my side (from my surgery) hurt even more, around 4 am, i just couldn't do it anymore, she was in my arms arching and crying, half awake half sleep....so i cry in silence, let her in her crib, and ask for some rest.....and we both got it....

first days...

2009-10-21T16:25:00.001-07:00

day1: its so cold!...outside and inside the house....i don't know how much, but i need my jacket...i have 2 blankets to sleep, and i still feel cold....i need my husband!....i got home at around 1 am in the morning, i was in bed at 2 am....sophie woke up at 3 am and i slept with her in my bed, finally i was warming up, though she didn't like to sleep with me till around 4 am...then we had 4 hours of sleep.....it was great....but a need to find my old heater!.....as you realize, the house has no heating, in peru just new houses are starting to have this privilege....and sadly, in the mountains, where temperatures gets as cold as in nebraska, is even worse, because their houses are rudimentary....

day2: the water heater is not working, well, the one from the shower because we don't have hot water it in the faucets....i got scare, but my daddy fix it during the day....

day3: the microwave is not working...oh well, we didn't have one when i was growing up...we will do just fine...right?!

day4: the washing machine is not working!!!!!, just kidding...but it doesn't work as it should...we have to watch how much water we are getting into the machine because the hose is broken.....i wanted to cry after 2 hours of getting my first laundry.....but my mom is a timer now, she knows all the cycles....and after i flood her laundry room by my second wash, we realize that she will be in charge of that....hurrey!

day5: sophie got fever....i got an appointment at 3:00pm..i didn't got the call, but when i got to the doctor they told me there was no one and i had to wait till 5:30 for the next doctor???!!!....and we wait...sophie had sore throat (viral), and the doctor give me one thing for her mucus+tylenol, something else just with ibuprofen, and if the fever didn't went down, something else with just tylenol????....anyway, it wasn't bacterial, so i just give her tylenol during the day and ibuprofen at night and forgot the rest.... she was better next day....

day6: emily got fully potty trained!......i cant believe it!....we had a really bad time training her to the point she was holding number one and number two.....at age 1, 1 1/2, 2 1/2....we had to go back from zero....but last year, when we came to peru for a visit when i was 5 months pregnant, i gave her one car (from the movie cars) for every pee pee i got from her...two days was all we need....and one year after, she was hugging her tummy, i ask her and she said it hurt...first thing in my mind was food poison, so we run to the toilet....she was like: i need my diaper!, and i told her there is not time honey.....she protest a little bit, but after she felt better.....luckily it was not food poison, just something she ate she wasn't use to it......but she still jokes about it and tells me: mummy i need my diaper!, uppss i forgot, i need the big potty!!!!...she got a new bike from her grandparents for her big success (well they owned her four year old gift from last month anyway)....

i thought everything and anything what happened this week was nothing, i got the greatest gift...you parent know what i mean.....but i guess i talked to soon..

beggining...

2009-10-21T09:53:00.000-07:00

i never knew it was going to be so hard to start...i thought, like magic, my problems will go away....day by day i finded really hard not to say, what i am doing here?...but at the same time, with every weird day over my shoulders, i find my family beside me, my girls smiling, i love them...i also got new "challenges", things that you just dont expect anymore, like my 4 year old asking me to go to the toilet with her and help her wash her hands, and watch tv with her, go with me to the kitchen, bathroom, to open the door, in other words, to be my shadow....dont take me wrong, i loved to do those things when i was in lincoln, but here it is very hard to watch her and my 7 month old sophie at the same time....and i tell you why, because this is peru....