in which my family might decide they don't need to visit after all

The Deli declared on Thursday that until I bought him Scooby Doo or Transformer underwear he would no longer wear any.  Which makes it different from any other day of the week how?  Considering that the moment he made this statement, only two out of the five of us (the Papi was at work, I'm pretty sure he wears underwear to work.  Unless he doesn't.)  were actually wearing underwear, his threat carries very little weight.

~~~~~

Any of you MK's out there seen a book called "You might be an MK if....."?  I've thought up a few extra entries.

You might be an MK if....


.... you say, "That hurt as bad as amoebas!" and know what you are talking about because you have actually had them.

.... you aren't annoyed because you have to wait in line for five whole minutes to pay a bill.

.... you can calmly answer back, "Yes, I do know what that means, and please don't call me that."  In the jerk's native language.

.... you have lived in the US for twenty years and have yet to completely figure out how to greet people.  When do you hug?  handshake? give a small wave?  So you opt for nothing.  Which you would never do in your old country.  Americans are so confusing.

Anything to add?

~~~~~

We have a robin's nest out back and Mikey discovered it.  Yesterday he came in yelling about eggs!  He had the eggs in his hand.  Four beautiful, blue, little eggs.  After I finished freaking out in the ugliest over the top manner, we put the eggs back in the nest and watched the Mama bird make her way over to check on her egglets.  This morning he woke up earlier than he has all week and went right out to check on the nest.  Mama bird started dive bombing him the moment he got within five feet of the nest. Good for her.

He is persistent though.  He wants to see those babies hatch.  "Even if she pecks me, Mom, I will keep checking the nest.  I want them to live."  I hope she pecks him and I hope he keeps checking.

~~~~~

Can you guess where we went?

~~~~~

Yesterday Mikey brought a comforter downstairs and told me, "This blanket stinks like pee!  It needs to go in the ropa sucia!"

Me:  Why?  Who peed on it?

Mikey:  Oh, I think just some pee from the pee box spilled on it.

Me:  The WHAT?!!!!

Mikey:  Oh, you know, the box that Deli peed in.  Some spilled on the blanket.

(Why at this point, is he staring at me as if I am the crazy one?  He's giving me this disbelieving look, as if he cannot understand why I don't know what a pee box is.  And he feels sorry for me.)

Me:  WhoWhaWhyHow Pee box?

Mikey:  Don't worry Mom, we emptied it.  It doesn't have pee in it now.  

What a relief.

Still want to come out this summer, familia? 

It started out innocently enough

First we went to the Field Museum, and we were all

but then we came home and the kids were fooling around while putting away dishes, and Josie clocked Mikey in the head with a Pyrex bowl, so he was all

and the doctors gave him shots in the forehead and a couple of stitches,

which made him all

but the night ended with an oreo blizzard at DQ, which made everything aaaall right.

As the nurse was explaining to us that we need to keep the stitches dry and clean, Mikey stopped bouncing off the walls long enough to exclaim, "Well, I don't know about clean, I'm not a very clean boy, you see."

And then there were haircuts

We started with a fairly decent Blago.




Stopped for a moment at toupee with lollipop.

Took a breather for some naked mirror gazing.

I can assure you the Papi was not also naked.
It just so happened I cut his hair as well, and he took his shirt off.
Or so we want you to think.

And we ended up with a young and spastic Dr. Spock.

I think I want my money back.

Recent doings

Our first attempt at making Naan - deemed a big success.
"And I only burned myself twice!" says Josie.




The fort.
I don't even know how this happened.
What started as a silly gathering of the neighbor's extra tree limbs. I thought we'd make, I dunno, a tee pee? A trellis for peas? Turned into a full fledged fort with a flag. It is not finished yet, but don't worry, you will see it in all its glory.

Mother's Day at my in-law's house.
With the best kids ever.
Isn't he sweet in Grandpa's hat?

And today, Pinkalicious.
The musical.
It was Pinktastic.

On the first three Wednesdays of each month we head to our homeschool co-operative and have a great time.  Sometimes we even learn things!  This Wednesday differed only in that after co-op we had a yearly check up for the Mikey.  Co-op ends at 1 and our appointment was at 2, so we stopped at the Goodwill by our pediatrician (I love resale stores, but this Goodwill always stinks.  It smells of mothballs and stale cigarettes so badly that I hesitate to buy any clothes because I'm not sure I can get the smell out.)  But I threw an adorable skirt for the girls and some light up Buzz Lightyear slippers for Del in the cart.  But the Mikey!
The Mikey didn't get anything!

He was swiftly succumbing to tears and quivery lips when he spied THE THING!  Just the thing he needed!  Mom!  I neeeeeeed this!  I need this baby!  And Mom, faced with the liquid brown eyes of love begging for his very own baby, succumbed.  (And it's an ugly baby, too.  So ugly, I shuddered in revulsion when face to face with it.  yech.)  But the Mikey, happy with his baby trotted out to the car and took his baby, now named Herbert, into the office so he could get checked out by the doctor too.

Everything went well.  Even though the Mikey was not wearing underwear - surprise, Mom! - and had mud (real mud, not poop!) crusted to the seat of his jeans, the doctor declared him in great health.  We finally made it home and everyone headed to their separate corners for some quiet time.  The Del and I retreated to my bed for books and a nap, interrupted as usual by cries of "I'm doooone!" from the bathroom and multiple requests for snacks.  Then Mikey interrupted one last time with a request for me to "tie this thingy on me".  Yes, yes, Mikey, I'll tie it, now please, please, let me nap and go have your quiet time.

 That tying was well worth it.  After quiet time I found the Mikey happily tucking his baby into his rebozo and carrying Herbert around.  Mikey talked with Herbert, loved on him and even held him through dinner and a show.

yes, Mikey and Herbert are lounging on a basket of laundry.  Clean and cushiony!

 Tonight Mikey made his baby a bed right next to his own, undressed the baby and placed his clothes lovingly on the bookshelf.  He tucked Herbert in and tucked himself in his own bed.  I told him, "Mikey, you are a good Papi, you know that?"  His reply?

"Yes, I am."

Awesome baby.  Awesome boy.


This sweet little boy and his baby made me think of the sweet babies and their parents who are not able to simply head to their local Goodwill and get a baby.  There are parents who go through heartbreak.  Families who go through heartbreak.  Beth, along with her sweet family, went through their own heartbreak.  She has taken this deep sadness and turned it into beauty.  She and her family want to support other babies and other families.

Through March of Dimes, they have formed Team James and Jake, with a goal of raising $1500 (I think they're gonna make it).  You can donate at March of Dimes.  You can just send prayers their way.  Or you can buy pretty pictures!  What?!  Yes.

Beth just opened June Afternoons, and Etsy shop of fantastic photos taken by all kinds of talented people.  You can buy prints of the pictures, which is lovely.  But the best part of the deal is that ALL proceeds go to Team James and Jake!  So to recap, you get a pretty picture, they help sweet babies. Pretty good, no?  Yes.

I don't know if you can help the babies be more like Herbert, though.  Because in Mikey's words, 

"He can fly.  And shoot lasers."

A Super-tastic time

On Saturday, we celebrated Mikey and Elia with a superhero birthday party.  We somehow managed to not take any decent pictures, and now Blogger/Picasa is not allowing me to post any edited pictures, so once again you get the grainy ones.  Enjoy.  

All the friends arrived and donned their super capes (courtesy of a a Super Grandma - she sewed up 20 capes, can you believe it!) and joined the festivities.  We played pin the rope on Wonder Woman, find the Kryptonite and bash the pinata.  

We did not take pictures of the fun, but we did take one hundred different pictures of the Suuuper Caaake! (sung out loud in a big Taaa Daaa!)  It was indeed super.  It was amazing...ly...

Super...

...roBUST...ly..

can't.  look.  away....

What was I saying?

Oh!  Yes!

The cake!

It was awesome!

And also made by the Super Grandma.  Did we make anything for this party?  No.  We just decided a theme, then called up Grandma and Grandpa and had them make us stuff.  They ARE super heroes that way.

  You should get you some of them.

The little heroes of the day loved the cake.

We didn't take any pictures of all the goings on, maybe because we were having too much fun celebrating two of our sweet kiddos with a great bunch of family and friends.  Thank you to you for coming out and joining us. A super time was had by all.

No Respect

THE QUEEN

Also known as "this is what I wear on Wednesday"

Aaaargh! Queen! Gimme all your moneys!



I said, gimme all your moneys!
Or I will take it by force!
I have a knife!


Aha! I got the moneys! aaargh...

two!

We recently had a birthday in livo land. The Mikey turned a big two! There were birthday pancakes and some presents from Abuela on his big day. He now tells everybody that he is "three". He likes to get ahead, that one does.
There will be more pictures to come...
and... to all you spanish speakers, I apologize for turning into some kind of crazed Spaniard. What is up with my accent?!

Dread Pirate Roberts

and some captured urchins...

How We Cook

I have a lot of help when I cook. Everybody has a job. Deli makes sure the faucet is turned on occasionally - for hand washing, of course! - he also makes sure the hand soap is never too far from his mouth, mmm tasty!

Mikey's job is to keep track of all my wood and metal utensils. He lays them out on the counter and hands me all the items I might need. Making cookies, mama? Hows about a meat pounder? No? Maybe a whisk? Wooden spoon? Here, take two!

The girls pull up chairs or stools and direct things. They do a lot of taste testing. Baking soda tastes good, flour tastes good, butter tastes Really good. Ginger is too hot and sugar should be eaten by the handful.

Both girls help measure and pour. Sometimes we pour a little for the floor and the counter and the various mouths, but usually all the ingredients make it into the meal.

So if you come by my house unexpectedly, please forgive the mess on the floor. I've had a lot of help. And besides, if I clean it up what will Del do for an afternoon snack?

Bang-ing

Papi was working on some trim and things in the kitchen and took out the dishwasher to get into a small space. The Mikey was a very big helper with the hammering. Or as he calls it Bang-Ing!


We are big believers in safety. Nothing but the best work boots, safety goggles and gloves for our little workers...

Wicked Witches

This is what happens when your mama works at a flower shop. I brought home some of the wrappers that Birds of Paradise are shipped in and we suddenly had a house full of cackling, evil, wicked witches. I believe they were both named Maleficent. There was a prince too, but he only had three pointy fingers. And they kept falling off. So he spent the night crying in frustration. And being poked by his sisters.

In on the Act

Mikey enjoys helping with the baby feedings. He especially enjoys helping when it's yogurt.

One for you....

One for me...




One for you....

One for me...

Sometimes, the one for me's win.

Hat?

In library class the girls made pyramids. Mikey prefers to think of them as hats.

Feel free to add your own racially insensitive comments here...

How to Cut Mikey's Hair in 6 Easy Steps

So it was Saturday night and we didn't have anything going on, so we thought... let's give Mikey a haircut! With clippers! That would be lots and lots of fun!

One: we stand you up on the toilet. Are you sure that's smart, Mami? Of course it is! What could go wrong? A toddler standing on the toilet and Mami holding clippers and trying to keep him still, that will be great!

Two: Push too hard on the Mikey's head with the clippers, knocking him off the toilet, into the tub. There are no pictures of that part, since Papi put the camera down to help us. Very nice of him.

Three: Cry, cry, cry and cry some more.

Four: Pout, glare angrily at Mama. Makes for a good time. Remember to scream at girls, out!out! out of the bathroom! Can't you see we're cutting Mikey's hair?!!

Five : Would candy help? Yes? Why didn't we do that sooner? Say, before I knocked you down? Note: when you drop the clippers and break the guard, remember to put a new guard on before trying to resume the haircut.

Six: Show off your handywork. See? Not such a bad haircut! This is Papi asking me if I can give him one of those cool sideburn fades. All the kids are wearing them.

Handsome Mikeys.

Mucho Mikey Pa' Madrina