Trip Highlights

It's taken me weeks to get my bearings after our vacation.  But the amazing news is that I was completely unpacked the day that we got home.  I KNOW!  Amazeballs!

Any-who, I wanted to share some of my fave pics (but my iPhone went into a coma after an unfortunately pool accident- long story but it's fixed now) from this trip, and write down my favorite highlights of the trip.  It's the small things that I enjoy most.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Diego speaking Spanish.  "Subese, Subese!"  [Get in, get in] whenever we piled into a taxi.  Asking me for "otro" [another one]
• My husband's pissed off face from the second floor balcony holding up chunky Mateo to show me that Tater had climbed the stairs with Diego and creeped into his room while he was sleeping (I know this was totally dangerous, but now that it's said and done and Tater was fine I think it was hilarious).
• Playing at SO MANY parks and visiting so much family that by the end Diego was referring to any kid at the park as his "Baby-cousins"
• Diego inside a pool.  Say what?!
• Mateo trying to hug any mangy mutt or bird within 10 feet.  (he takes after his mama!)
• 8 older kids trying to kick Diego off the spinny-thing at the park.  When explained that Diego wanted to "go fast" they said "ohhhhhhhh!" and all had fun afterwards.
• Mateo leaning over to touch a cockroach, and Diego practically had a heart-attack.  "No Brother.  No!!!!!!!!!!!  No, touch!"  He believes he saved his brother's life.  I agree.

FAVORITE INSTAGRAM PICS






-Shirley  (Instagram:  justshirley08)

Real Mama

Over the weekend I felt like a real mama.  On the real! I had the kids under control.

The boys were calm enough to let me clean (a lot) in the morning after breakfast (I haven't been able to clean like that in years!), then we played in the yard for an hour and a half, then we went back indoors and washed up, then we ALL SAT DOWN AT THE TABLE and ate our lunch peacefully!  I had everything under control.  I finally felt like a real mama.

Of course let's ignore the fact that the kids pulled out all the stops to get to the chip cabinet earlier...

They couldn't be angels for the WHOLE day.

That would be too much to ask for.  - Shirley

Wordless Wednesday 20/Feb/2013: Baby Cousin

Take a Picture, Brother!

While we were on vacation, Diego insisted (almost on a daily basis) to "take a picture, brother".  What he really meant was that he wanted to play with my big-girl camera.  Here are some shots we took on different mornings.  He's havin' a ball!




Other things he wants me to say he says now:

"Change your diaper" when I need to change HIS diaper
"I'll get you one?" after I tell him that I don't have or he can't have something.

-Shirley

14 Months!

Tater turned 14 months the other day and I'm hoping this month will keep trending for the better.  Since we've been back from vacation, Tater has been pretty calm after work, and not as needy.  Say what?  I know, huh?!

I can recall peaceful moments of me sitting on the couch or even walking by him, without setting off his "I NEED YOU TO CARRY ME MAMA!"- Alarm, which got pretty bad while we were in Peru (I blame grandparents spoiling him).  It could be that he's still settling in from our long trip, but I'm SO hoping that this calmness is here to stay.

OTHER TATER TIDBITS

• You like pretending to talk on the phone and answer the phone saying, "Ball?".  We played phone on the plane to Peru and the flight attendant called us out, thinking we were actually on the phone.  LOL
• You started running;  Well it's more of a cautious jog, but you're having fun playing chase with your brother.
• You started saying "Wow-Wow" when you see dogs (just like your brother used to).  And you REALLY missed Qori while we were gone.  You can't stop hugging him these days.
• You almost had a tantrum over a banana in Peru and as I went to get you one, I swear I heard you say "Banana".  My cousin heard it too.  That's a hard word!
• You still occasionally wake up at 2am crying, but I give you some time and then you fall back asleep.  I think once you have a solid track record of sleeping through the night, we're going to force invite your brother to start sleeping in the room with you instead of with us.
• You're really into climbing things now.  You stealthily climbed the stairs in Peru while your Grandma and I were shooting the breeze.  We didn't even know that you'd made it all the way up there.  Your dad had to tell us as he was awoken by two little devils that barged into the room while he was sleeping.  Yikes!
• You're getting it!  You're starting to understand.  When I asked you where your shoes were, you looked down at your bare feet.  When I tell you to close the kitchen cabinets, you close them.  When I tell you to give me a kiss, you lean over.  

-Shirley

Thank you, Jetlag!

We're back home now, and the red eye flight went pretty well.  However, Mateo did NOT like the check-in, immigration, and customs lines.  He hates lines.  So impatient.  Takes after his father.

I'm already unpacked (amazeballs!) and back at work.  Last night I was worried that the boys wouldn't fall asleep until midnight due to the time difference.  But by 9pm, they were fast asleep so that I could watch the 2nd half of the Bachelor in peace!  Oh how I've missed The Bachelor.

Jet-lag: it's a wonderful thing! - Shirley

Qori's front-seat ticket home from Grandpa's!

Ladies' Men

I'm probably blinded by a mother's love, but I think my boys are handsome and it seems that the mini-Peruvian ladies think so too. But MAN is it ever time for me to start teaching these boys some values!

If I could judge these boys by what I've seen during this trip - and I can, because I'm the Mama -I'd describe Diego as the gigolo, using ladies for what they can do for him (like putting his shoes back on after a good trampoline-jumping session) and Mateo would put the nail in the coffin of chivalry (blatantly taking things from the ladies and letting them fend for themselves!)



Alright, so maybe I'm jumping to conclusions but I can already hear the future comments. He was a good kid, but he had mother issues (because you KNOW they're going to blame the mother!)

So I need to make sure that these boys don't have mother-issues...

They're gonna LOVE me, damn-it! -Shirley