Andrew's Favorite - Puss in Boots

As we've all probably seen on TV (that is, if you watch it) Puss in Boots is coming out in theaters in about 1 week (October 28th).

So this whole week, any time Puss shows his face on TV, guess who gets obsessed with that darn cat? 

Link for the trailers HERE. We've been on this app all morning long and currently, he's watching Shrek 2 because Puss in Boots is in it too :) 

Let's go to the movies yeah? YEAH!!!

remembering Halloween

It seems that I've had Jonah forever. That there was never a point in time that all 4 of us didn't exist.

When I look back at Andrew's pictures, I always have to remember that Jonah wasn't in this world yet.

Today, I just wanted to share a picture that I don't think I've shared on here before.

It's one that brings warmth to my heart when I see his bright blue eyes and messy hair.

It brings surprise because I actually made the effort to have a pumpkin for Halloween that year, too!

Which reminds me, what on earth did I do with those pj's?

Tonight we're going to a Halloween bash. Can't wait to upload pics of our costumes!

Fake Pumpkin Field...

ugh, Pumpkin Patch time again! 

We just did this last year, seriously.

That was my attitude this morning...

I was SO not looking forward to it because

 1.) Considering it's not a "patch" but merely a yard full of dropped pumpkins and 

2.) Because I didn't have my own camera...

Yes folks, I still haven't found my charger or bought another one...

This is a borrowed one and I'm so grateful for it, because at least it's not my cell phone.

Andrew had to find the unique pumpkin--he carried it for a while too...he loved it.

And then he picked one of those nasty looking pumpkins with horrible sores and bumps all over it. 

I don't know why, but those gross me out.

 Jonah running his little heart out...

The one thing I REALLY enjoyed, was how they cooperated with me and the camera.

I guess always taking pictures is somewhat paying off...

PUMPKINS ON OUR HEAD!

...but we seriously need to work on strikin' a pose, son.... 

{He'will grow out of it}

...HOPEFULLY

Halloween with a Dead Camera

Nana and Papa came to visit a while back. Nana had gotten some goodies for the boys. Goodies she knows Andrew loves. 

Goodies that we knew Jonah could eat.

Goodies = gummy stickies!!!

Gummy stickies + Jonah = no good. 

So we decided to put them up high where Jonah couldn't reach.

Andrew loves those things!!! 

 Just check that little accomplished grin! And Jonah 'embobeado' with something else that Nana had brought.

 That's RIGHT! A pumpkin carving kit, only not really. It's  one of those that you just stick the things on the pumpkin. After Andrew BEGGED and BEGGED for a pumpkin, we finally made our way to the store to get them. 

And he immediately put Nana to work. 

 Andrew helped. Jonah watched and got in the way as usual. 

 Give it back Jonah!

After Nana built up quite a bit of muscle over these, they were ready to show off our their handy-work.

 ...even though we totally got our pumpkins mixed up. 

Jonah's was supposed to be the smaller one and Andrew's was supposed to be the Spider-man pumpkin.

Great job!

We have them on our front porch, and the boys love playing with their arms anytime we go out. 

Folks, I have horrible news. 

My camera is dead. Like completely dead.

I've misplaced my charger and have no way of charging it up.

I haven't bought a replacement, because I know that as soon as I do, that darn charger will pop up.

(uh-huh, just like I said about my wedding rings...)

So I have horribly resorted to photographing things with my camera phone (ugh, just talking about it makes me wanna throw up)

I see other blogs that are really into Halloween decorations. Around here, we don't get any decorations up 'til Christmas.

But I do enjoy Halloween, it's just I can't figure out what the big deal about decorating is!

I mean, you just take it down a month later....

Anyway, it dawned on me to include the kids in the decorating process, like, duh!  

It was 9pm and I got some construction paper, scissors and a gluestick.

Immediately Andrew LOVED IT. I loved that HE loved it.

You should have seen the smile on his face. His eagerness to get started.

So I cut stuff up, and he pasted the things all over the place.

He had trouble pasting stuff together with the glue stick but man, did he try his hardest. 

Of course I helped ;)

We came up with these...

 And then later, I found the coolest thing off Pinterest!!!

These dangling bats and skulls from construction paper, tape and twine!

 Andrew loved to help me make them too! Now they hand in his room and he loves to be able to grab them and make them swing.

See how he got a stool and grabbed one? 

You don't see? Well, he totes did. 

So now his room is Halloween-y. We also have paper skeletons outside on our door. The kids love to touch the pumpkins and play with the paper skeletons. 

This was such a blast to do with him...although his taping and pasting skills need work :)

quit chucking my corn, Chuck!

Nov. 8, 2011

SPECIAL NOTE: I wrote this post unknowingly using the word "chuck" instead of "shuck"--and I'm leaving it like that because it goes with the post title :) 

Have you ever felt out of place, not-normal, or even cool?

 Well, this corn has. Check it out...it's UNIQUE!

I say OUT with the Squares and IN with the Drapes!
If you're like "whaaa!?" then click here

My folks-in-law brought over some corn they had bought on their vacation to Colorado. I've never been one to grow, chuck, and freeze corn. I'm more of a eat the corn girl. Specially with some Tajin. MmMm! That's how we Mexicans enjoy our corn...

So I ventured onto my back stairs, sat down and started chucking corn while I let the kiddos play.

Andrew asked if he could play with water, and I normally let him do so
After telling him to not point the hose in my direction...

...RIGHT AFTER I snapped this, guess where he aimed that darned water hose?
Water on my lens. OH, I freaked out,
So then, this happened...time out.

Crocodile tears and eyebrows that drive me INSANE!
If you know me well, you know I can't handle messed up eyebrows, it drives me NUTS. My children have been blessed with such wacky eyebrows. I'll take a deep breath now.
After his time out, he ventured over to me and wondered what I was doing.
He said, "ma, iwannadoit!!!"

Once again, my motherly expectations of what my son likes/doesn't like were NOT on the money.
I thought he would be grossed and creeped out, but turns out he loved it.
He loves picking at things and pulling the hairs off the corn was so captivating.

Of course Jonah had to taste it. And get in our ways. Thank goodness he's cute, otherwise...ahh, never mind.

I had totally expected to find worms, but my biggest excitement was trying to scare Andrew with them.

I guess he must be a FULL boy now, because all he wanted to do was look and pick at them.

I'm loving these fall days of high 70's temperatures. And I'm loving my back stairs even more. 

They might be small, but they are perfect for us.

Sink baths...

What is it about water that is SO much fun?

Ahhh, who cares when you're having this much fun....

Knights Night!

I remember high school. The pep rallies, the social angst, the rebellious years, the thinking "you know everything" stage, the boyfriends (ohhh, the boyfriends...), my car, my waitress job...

But I don't ever ever remember wanting to be a cheerleader. Or a Stingerette (the dancing girls)...

Oh no...I was way too good for that. I was not preppy, nor was I a hick in this self-proclaimed Cowboy Capital of the World--oh no sireee.

I was punk, rock n' roll, metal rock, concert goer who liked to piss off her art teacher with nudity artwork. 

Until I became a Mom. But that's another story.

At the end of summer, my mother informed me that my little sis wanted to become a cheerleader. 

My heart sank pretty low, I was depressed for weeks--I was in denial. 

No, not really, I just said in really bold letters, "WHAT?!?" 

{if you can actually say bold without saying the word bold out loud}

WHY? Hadn't I taught her better? Hadn't I taught her priss=bad, badass=good.

But let's face it. This gentlest cowgirl just wants to cheer, and what other choice do I have but to support her?

When I saw her in her uniform, a little bit of me died--just a little.

I couldn't help but just shake my head.

But let's be honest. She looks freaking cute. 

Looks so preppy I'd never hang out with her, but I'm glad I know her on a personal level and I'm proud that she's actually trying this cheerleading mambojumbo stuff out...

She's getting to do what she wants to do, and that's all that matters.

I came to visit because it was the Home-schooling football team's Homecoming night and of course, we had to show our support.

I experimented a lot with the sun and my camera, so maybe you can forgive my newbie-ness.

There was lots of hand signals. And a lot of girl talk trying to decide what cheer to do next.

Oh, and of course glitter and best friends...

{in my head I'm saying it super Valley Girl, so come on, try it with me}

And yes, we were there. We were there cheering with a little bell that sounded like a BIG bell, and Tia Betsy joined us too. And we actually watched football...something we Aranda-Sandoval crew NEVER did until my grandmother and my husband made it a requisite Saturdays (for college, duh) and Sundays (for the Cowboys, duh). And now, apparently Fridays (for JV/HS football, duh).

Andrew immediately spotted the big kids and decided he wanted to play football.

Off he went. The big kids didn't even care that he was all up in their faces. They just ignored him

He did manage to suffer an injury and sure made us know about it. 

Andrew has fully recovered since then.

Glittery bows. Ring Pops. Veldhuizen cheeseburgers. Life couldn't get any better.

Except it did. 

With beautiful sunsets.

An amazing Midwife/Great Aunt/Friend

 A blue-mouthed baby. 

And a mini football thrower that never stopped running.

 Eventually it got cold, we got hungry, and we ran out of money to buy 'supplies' so we packed up and jetted off!

Oh, and the Knights won.