Thursday, April 12, 2018

Travel, Travel, Travel

Whoa! Where has our family been lately?  It feels like everywhere but home.

At the end of March, we traveled to San Antonio with the Granados family to see Daniel Tiger Live. We rented a house in need of a little TLC located in a somewhat sketchy part of town.   All the more reason to get out and enjoy ourselves.   It was an awesome weekend, and we are so lucky to have friends with kids who want to travel with us despite the beautiful chaos it may entail.

Cutest little vet at the Children's Museum.

Riding the mini train!

This is 30 minutes parking and 45 minutes waiting for a table.

We walked almost an hour in search of this trolley and then we
left a phone on it.

Trolley snacks.

Tailgating before Daniel Tiger.

Daniel and his Trolley.

Daniel Tiger live was so exciting Chris
fell asleep.

At the end of a busy weekend.

The weekend following Daniel Tiger was Vivian's wedding and Katy's first flower girl gig.  Despite Katy's reserved nature in group settings, she did so well walking down the isle by herself with all eyes on her tiny self.   About halfway down the isle, she ran out of petals and looked back despairingly at Chris, which of course made everyone chuckle.  Luckily, I had the forethought to tell Katy before the wedding that if people laugh, it meant she was doing her job well and that everyone was happy.  So, she took the laughter in stride and continued walking down the isle empty handed like such a big girl.

The wedding was gorgeous, of course.  I missed the first part of the reception because Katy needed a nap, but I woke her up in time to listed to two mariachi bands (my mother-in-law accidentally booked two bands without realizing it until they both showed up at the same time!), eat the delicious popsicles, take pictures in the photo booth, sit for a caricature drawing, and run around barefoot on the green lawn with my three-year-old.  It really was a beautiful wedding.

Pre-wedding Pictures.

Mad at the wind because it kept blowing petals from her basket.

So. Stinkin'. Cute.


Sometimes a picture gives me a glimpse of my future big girl.  This is one of them.

Wedding reception nap.

Yay for popsicles.

Two weeks after Vivian's wedding, Katy and I were back in North Texas for the wedding of my long-time friend, Heather.  The wedding weekend was a blast! Katy shared her second flower girl gig with 14 flower children, including two of her cousins.  It was fun (and perhaps slightly chaotic) to see so many children in one wedding.  Heather went above and beyond by accommodating all the children with festive kid-sized tables at the reception filled with food and treats just for them.  Whenever I tried to take Katy around to meet people I hadn't seen since before she was born, she quickly wiggled away from me and ran back to her spot at the exciting kid's table.

Katy and I stayed in town a few extra days after the wedding to visit family.

Bachelorette party!

Sleeping on the edge in preparation for flower girl duties.

Katy and her cousins with the bride!

Look at that fun kiddie table!

Love this beautiful bride!

Reading with Gigi.

Katy loves her Gigi!

And she thinks Pops isn't so bad either.


My grandma said this was her first time to paint.

Four generations of ladies painting together.

Three days after returning home from our trip for Heather's wedding, we were on an airplane.  We met my brother-in-law, Jesse, and his family in Washington DC and spent the week touring the capital with three kids three-years-old and under.  We were a slow moving operation consisting of two strollers.  We interrupted pedestrian traffic, filled elevators, clogged escalators, and delayed passengers exiting or boarding public transit (especially during rush hour).  We toted the kids from monuments to museums to cemeteries to restaurants, we denied them nap times and regular bedtimes, and we bribed them with loads of snacks and even a little time on the i-pad.  Despite all this, we had a blast and the kids did pretty well (until the last couple of days when everyone was just plain tired).  Our last day in DC, we swapped baby sitting duties, allowing the kids to stay in our rented apartment all day while Chris and I went out in the morning and Jesse and Vanessa went out in the afternoon.  It was a brilliant idea discovered way too late.

The cherry blossoms were starting to bloom!

Cousins.

Cousins running.

She found her favorite at the Natural History Museum.

Winning at parenting.

At the Air and Space Museum.

She was so excited to see "el lapiz."

Snacks with a backdrop.



Kids ran up the stairs, while the parents dragged their strollers behind them.

Underwhelmed by Lincoln.

Fala was her absolute favorite.




More running.  Until socks were soaked.

No Katy meant we could sit for a lecture at the Supreme Court.

Finally a museum the kids really enjoyed!

We found Chinatown.

Easter Sunday Easter Egg Hunt.

The loot.

Add caption

Jammie time!

Grocery shopping in a suitcase.

Cherry blossoms by the white house.

Pedicab ride.

We loved the pedicab ride.

We loved the National Portrait Gallery.

Clogging the elevators with confidence.

And now we're home.  For now at least.


Saturday, February 3, 2018

The Yellow Table Cloth

El Mantel Amarillo

I had a yellow tablecloth.  It was plastic with tiny white flowers and green leaves on it.  I bought it on clearance at Target not knowing what I would use it for.  Then I used it for Katy's first birthday celebration at our house.  I'm not one to throw away plastic tablecloths unless they are torn or stained.  This tablecloth, being extra thick, was neither.  So I saved it.  And I used it for Katy's second birthday celebration.

Tuve un mantel amarillo.  Fue plastico con chicos flores blancos y hojas verdes.  Lo compré en Target en venta sin saber que haría con el.  Lo usé unos meses después para cubrir la mesa durante la fiesta del primer cumpleaños de Katy.  No me gusta tirar un mantel plastico en la basura si no esta sucio ni roto.  Entonces, lo guardé  y lo usé para cubrir la mesa durante la fiesta del segundo cumpleaños de Katy.  

I used the same yellow tablecloth for Katy's third birthday party last month.  As I was unfolding it, it smelled a little old but also brought back good memories.  I thought to myself, "this is our birthday tablecloth."

Usé el mismo mantel para cubrir una mesa durante la fiesta del tercer cumpleaños de Katy.  Cuando lo abrí, olía un poco viejo pero también me trajo recuerdos buenos.  Pensé, "Este es mi mantel de cumpleaños."  

In the hustle of cleaning up after Katy's third birthday party, someone threw away the yellow tablecloth.  It made me a little sad. It was a good tablecloth, it had a lot of life left, and it had good memories.

En la prisa de limpiar después de la fiesta del tercer cumpleaños de Katy, alguien tiró el mantel amarillo en la basura.  Me lo hizo un poco triste.  Fue un mantel bueno, con recuerdos buenos y mas potencial.  

Farewell yellow tablecloth.

Adios mantel amarillo.

First Birthday: the yellow table cloth under the paper table runner. 

Second Birthday: The yellow tablecloth over a read tablecloth. 

Third Birthday: The yellow tablecloth one final time.

Dancing like a Vacuum

Bailando Como Una Aspiradora

During a recent dance party in the kitchen, Katy told me (in Spanish) that we were "dancing like vacuum cleaners" as we spun around in circles with our arms out.  I couldn't help but respond with a joke that was both inappropriate for her and over her head.  I said, in English, "why, because we suck?"  She laughed really loud because I was laughing and said, "yes!" as she continued to dance.

A mis lectores en Español, lo siento.  No puedo traducir este chiste porque lo depende en una palabra en Inglés que tiene dos traducciones.  La misma palabra en Español no tiene las mismas traducciones y sin esto, no es un chiste.  Pero, es suficiente saber que Katy pensó que ella estaba bailando como una aspiradora cuando estaba girando en circulos con sus brazos extendidos.  No sé porque ella pensó esto, pero la idea es un poco graciosa. 

January Round-Up

Celebrations dominated the first month of 2018.  We went to our first Dia de los Reyes celebration.  We didn't find the baby in the Pan de Rosca, but we enjoyed the sweet bread and an evening with friends.

Enero era una mes llena de celebraciones. Fuimos a nuestra primera celebracion del Día de los Reyes.  No encontramos el bebé en el pan de rosca, pero disfrutamos comiendo el pan dulce y una noche con amigos. 


We also attended Esli's first birthday celebration.  Katy enjoyed the pretend play area at the party venue so much that she didn't even want to stop playing to eat pizza or cake.  She also sat for her first face painting.    

Fuimos a la fiesta de Esli para celebrar su primera cumpleaños!  Katy disfrutaba mucha la area de juegos que estimularon su imaginación en el salon de fiestas y no quería dejar de jugar para comer pizza ni pastel.  Además, Katy se sentó para su primera pinta-caritas.  







Love these girls so much!



Katy's birthday was next.  Because we were out of town on Katy's actual birthday, we had a little celebration at home with Katy's friends the week before her birthday.  She chose mini M&M's to decorate her homemade cake.  She was so excited to have mini M&Ms that she jumped for joy and giggled when I pulled them out of the pantry.  

Proximo era el cumpleaños de Katy.  Porque Ã­bamos a estar viajando sobre su cumpleaños, tuvimos una fiestita en la casa con amigos una semana antes de su cumpleaños.  Katy escogió M&Ms chiquititos para decorar su pastel.  Estaba tan feliz a tener M&Ms chiquititos que brincó  y rió cuando los vió en la dispensa.  


So many little boys.  Thank goodness for Esli!
Chris set-up the projector outside and showed Cars 3 for our small birthday celebration.  Katy had never seen any of the Cars movies.  When the first car started talking, she turned to Chris with big eyes.  In a surprised and excited tone, she said, "Carros que hablan?" ("cars that talk?).  

Chris usó nuestro proyector para mostrar la película Cars 3 durante nuestra fiesta.  Katy nunca había visto uno de de los películas de Cars.  Cuando el primero carro empezó a hablar, Katy miró  a Chris con ojos como platos.  En una voz sorprendida y emocionada, ella dijó , "Carros que hablan?"

The day before Katy's third birthday, she crawled out of her crib on her own for the very first time.  I had read that toddlers usually outgrow their crib by age three.  Apparently Katy was determined not to be an outlier.  So, the day before her birthday, at 3 a.m, she crawled out of her crib, navigated her room, opened the door, walked down the hall, opened my door, and began telling me about the cars that talk.  She was wide awake and didn't go back to sleep until noon.  It was a long day, especially because we started an eight-hour road trip later that evening.

El día antes del tercer cumpleaños de Katy, ella salió de su cuna por la primera vez.  Había leído que usualmente, los niñitos no usan una cuna después de su tercer cumpleaños.  Aparentemente, Katy no quería estar atipíca.  Entonces, el día antes de su tercer cumpleaños, a las 3 en la mañana, trepó  de su cuna, caminó  en la oscuridad por su cauarto y el pasillo, abrió  la puerta de su cuarto y mi cuarto, y empezó a hablar a mi sobre los carros que hablan.  Ella estaba completemente despierta y no durmió hasta el mediodía.  Fue un día muy larga, especialmente porque comenzamos un viaje de ocho horas en el carro el mismo día.  

We were in the Burleson on Katy's actual birthday, so we did something we've never done before: We threw a big birthday party.  We rented a party room and paid for all her cousins to go swimming at an indoor pool.  There was a theme with decorations and cake.  We ordered way too much pizza and our families helped with salad and chicken salad. 

Estuvimos en Burleson en el cumpleaños de Katy y hicimos algo que nunca habíamos hecho: tuvimos una fiesta grande!  Alquilamos una sala de fiestas y pagamos por los primos de Katy a nadar en una piscina.  Tuvimos decoraciones y pastel y mucha comida!





Tia Vivian makes the best cakes!

Daniel Tiger is Katy's favorite!


Katy was confused about her second birthday celebration.  She kept telling me, (in Spanish), "my birthday already passed," or "for who was the cake with the M&Ms?"  

Katy estaba un poco confudida sobre su segunda celebracion de cumpleaños.  Me dejiste más de una vez, "Mi cumpleaños ya pasó," o, "Para quien fue el pastel con los M&Ms?"  

While staying with my parents over's Katy's birthday, Amanda found a snake in my parent's house.  Katy, Layla, and Nolan watched intently as Chris and my dad used a stick to catch the snake in a bucket.  The snake was not happy and began striking and shaking.  On the way home from Katy's birthday party, Katy noted that it was already dark.  I told her, "Yes, it's time to sleep."  She replied, with big eyes and a serious tone, "Con la vibora," and then began shaking her body like the angry snake.  Yes, the snake was a real highlight for the kids.

Mientras nuestra visita con mis padres sobre el cumpleaños de Katy, Amanda encontró un serpiente en la casa de mis padres.  Katy, Layla, y Nolan miraron atentamente mientras Chris y mi papá usaron un palo y una cubeta para atrapar el serpiente .  El no estaba feliz y empezó a golpear con la cabeza y sacudir su cola. Después de la fiesta de Katy, ella dijo que estaba oscura afuerra.  Le dije, "Si, es la hora de dormir."  Ella respondió en una voz seria, con ojos grandes, "Con el serpiente," y empezó a sacudir su cuerpo como el.  Si, el serpiente fue el aspecto más interesante del fin de la semana para los niños.

The day after Katy's birthday, we attended my cousin Kelly's wedding.  While standing in line during the wedding reception, Katy saw a lady with toe nails painted the same color as hers.  Excited to show Papi her discovery, she walked over to the lady, bent down, moved the lady's pants to the side, and began touching the lady's toe nails as she exclaimed, "Mira, Papi!"  It was a discovery that turned out to be exciting for both Katy and the stranger.

El día después del cumpleaños de Katy, fuimos a la boda de mi prima Kelly.  En la recepción, Katy vió a una mujer con el mismo color de pintura que ella en sus uñas de los dedos de pie.  Katy caminó  a la mujer, se dobló, movió la pierna de los pantalones de la mujer, y empezó a tocar las uñas de la mujer mientras exclamó con mucho emoción, "Mira, Papi!"  Fue un descubrimiento muy emocionado para Katy, y una gran sorpresa para la mujer.  










We left the wedding at around 7 p.m. and headed home.  Another crazy road trip is in the books.  

Saliamos de la boda a las seite en la noche y empezamos el viaje a nuestra casa.  Fue otra noche larga y llena de manejando. 

Katy and I ended the month with a lovely library and park play date with several friends.  

Katy y yo terminamos el mes con un día bonito en la biblioteca y el parque con nestros amigos.


Between all the celebrations this month, Katy and I went to the children's museum and another sea turtle release with friends, and I helped throw a baby shower for a church member and organized a pancake recipe bake-off with some girlfriends.

Entre todas las celebraciones este mes, Katy y yo fuimos al museo de niños y a ver otra liberación de tortugas del mar a la playa con amigos.  Además, ayudé con un baby shower para una mujer de la iglesia y oranizé una noche con mis amigas haciendo panqueques de muchas recetas diferentes.  




This month's activities were a reminder that while we are isolated from family most of the year, family still shows up to celebrate milestones with us when possible.  When we aren't near family, we are so lucky to have a network of friends who are as close as family.  

Este mes fue un recordatorio de que aunque vivimos lejos, nuestras familías estan listas para celebrar con nosotros cuando es posible.  Y cunado no tenemos nuestras familiía cercas, estamos afortunados a tener amigos que son como familía.