White Macaroni

9.5 Months

Well... summer is almost over. It's been busy, but I really don't have to say that. You know. It seems that if I can catch up on here once every three months, then I'm doing a good job.
Right now the kids are upstairs in my room together - Nayelli taking a nap in her crib, Mila on the iPod watching any kid video with girls dressed up, and Luke playing Minecraft on my phone. (I was just thinking earlier today... will I ever know what is "in"? Probably not. Because I don't allow the kids on certain things, and I don't download certain games, and we don't have all the money to spend... so no, we won't know what Fortnite or TikTok or anything like that is. We won't know the names of the dance moves. And... I'm not really that broken up about it either. Our kids are really well rounded and I'm proud of that.) So I'm downstairs in the quiet with Bandit resting for a second.

The latest news is -
We had a budget meeting. (I know that doesn't sound like a big deal, but following the Dave Ramsey advice of a budget meeting was probably one of the best things we did as newly weds.) We talked about our income with the insurance, expenses and all the changes through the years. It was crazy to see the numbers associated with each childbirth, and each household. We were at mom's house for over 6 years and it feels like a little blip on a screen. Anyway, we decided together that Aldo wouldn't do pursue insurance any more. When we got back from camp Mila made a comment that "Daddy was always working" and I think that really hit him hard. So he stayed home on his days off, and it felt like he was home for months. We went putt putt golfing, we went swimming, we stayed home. It was amazing. <3
Yesterday he got to see Luke show Bandit in the 4H dog show. We've been working up to this since January (unknowingly). We joined 4H only to get the free dog training. Who knew it would be so hands on...? Probably my mother. Ugh. (Side note: my mom is not the most empathetic. I told her today we might not do it next year because of the huge commitment, and she proceeded to tell me how it's nothing compared to what all my Grammy was involved in, and if she can do it with 4 children then I can do it with 3......... in not so few words. JUST WOW.) Anyway, we entered Bandit in Obedience Sub-Novice, Rally Obedience 1 and Pre-Agility. I didn't think Luke or Bandit were ready for Showmanship yet. Here's a quick explanation:

• Showmanship - Usually what you see on tv. The dogs are groomed and everything is looked at... ears, teeth, hair, nails. Behavior. The owner has to show them in a way that makes the dog look really high class. And the way they walk around the ring, the owner has to know how to turn so that the dog is always where the judge can see them (human can never block the dog).
• Obedience - Both the dog and it's owner are judged on how well the owner commands and the dog's response to it. So the judge says something like "recall your dog" and the owner should know to make the dog sit, stay, walk back as far as he/she can, call the dog to front position, and either choose to make the dog turn rotate to the left or circle completely around his/her body to the right to get back to heel position. 
• Rally O - Same as Obedience, but instead of the judge telling you what to do, a sign tells you what to do. There are 17 exercises at minimum.
• Agility - This is the obstacle course. It has the "dog walk", tunnels, jumps, see-saw, and I forget what those multiple poles are that stick up and the dog has to zig zag through them really quick.

So we spent all day yesterday at the Leavenworth County Fairground for the dog show. First we watched Showmanship, then some of Rally O before it was Luke & Bandit's turn. They did really REALLY well. I thought it might be a little bit harder actually and we had been practicing all week! We knew coming into it that the longest Bandit would sit still for us was 30 seconds, so... he bombed the 1-minute sit and the 3-minute down exercises. Actually he turned upside down and got his belly rubbed for nearly 2 minutes of it. Luke won a white ribbon.

After lunch, Luke was the first to start the Rally O off. He had no one to watch how it was done... and, going into it Bandit seemed really excited to just be out of his kennel. My first thoughts were - ok, he's too excited.... another white ribbon. They did so well! On the spiral they went around the last cone twice, which the judge must have missed. After he completed a... I'll call it a "recall"... Luke lost track of the sign and had to peek at it again, then turned and asked the judge, "Did that count?" (1. You can't talk to the judge. So he was deducted a point for that. And 2. Band it was a little slow to complete the forward part of the exercise so a point was taken there.) And the other two points that were taken must have been for multiple commands. HIS SCORE WAS A 96 OUT OF 100!!! He got a purple ribbon! What's funny is, when he left the ring we went outside to let Bandit go to the restroom and I had this huge talk about how they did really well, but listed the things I noticed. And I said, "You know, if he gets a white, I'm ok with that. If Bandit gets a high score, we'll have to move him up a level and that's off leash." He seemed ok after that talk (the morning after receiving the white ribbon had been really emotional). So we watched the rest of the owners and their dogs - some wouldn't lay down at all, some went the wrong direction, some didn't pay attention to the numbering, some didn't walk between the final two cones to leave the ring! And next was just a fun costume competition. We were so focused on getting Bandit dressed up, that we weren't ready to get his purple. They called Luke's name and when he saw the ribbon, he looked at me and I looked at him. Shock and confusion. Sooo awesome. Then, in the costume contest, Luke and Bandit took 1st for Funniest. I can say that it was all Luke. It wasn't that funny compared to the little dog in the stroller, but when the judges came by Bandit hand un-banded his mask and was chewing on it. Luke quickly improvised and pretended like he caught the thief and was going to hand-cuff him. We have such a fun kid. <3

The whole day was quite an experience. I'm glad things are.... slowing down...? I say that, but we still have VBS ("Block Party") coming up the first week of August, mom's birthday day trip to Amish country this coming weekend, Mila's birthday in August, and working at County Fair with the final Agility competition.

Updates on the other two -

I've been getting things slowly together for Mila's 4th birthday. It's all things pink and going to be a tea party. She's going to have so much fun. I actually feel bad for her. Luke has Bandit and also watches Yu-Gi-Oh with Daddy. Nayelli is a baby and does baby things and gets Mommy's attention. But what does Mila get? How does she get our attention? I can't say. So... I've been really thinking about having a "school time" for her this fall. Maybe even ordering the material for the ACE pre-k that Luke went through. But I can't remember the pricing of the instructional materials. I know it was expensive. But my thoughts are, if I buy it now, I can use it for both Mila and Nayelli later. Right? But I also wonder if Mila is the type that has to learn from someone else other than her mother...

Nayelli's upper tooth on the left popped through. And then the rest of her mouth just looks inflamed. Ever since we got back from camp, she's been really clingy, so this hasn't helped. And we took her to the doctor the other day for a regular check-up - this is the age of parent separation anxiety (or whatever you want to call it). Oi. Her little personality is popping through. I can say - it's not little... just like her big brother and big sister. She loves music. Loves "Gangnam Style", "Man in the Mirror" and the theme music to Friends. She'll shake her shoulders back and forth, throw her hands up in the air, clap and also head bang. Don't ask where she learned her moves. I blame the siblings. They're usually the ones right??? 

Just some other things I wonder about -

I used to like blogging because I could get my thoughts down, and instead of writing it all out by hand, typing goes a lot quicker. It helped me get my emotions out and wrap my head around things. Let go of emotions. Nag and complain without actually having to go to those people about it. But I haven't been blogging as much, so I just got to keep stuff to myself, or unfortunately, Aldo gets to hear the brunt of it.

• I'm not so sure about the church anymore. I keep wondering about when we'll be leaving. Is that a normal thing to think about? When you are going to LEAVE the church that you are currently at? Even more, currently PASTORING at? I love the kids, and by no means want to leave them, or even the families. But I'm taken aback by the politics that have popped up. I understand that our pastor is getting older and that his family may take over the church, but I can't believe all the talk that happens behind the scenes. And should it be labelled GOSSIP? I don't know. And, since we don't have meetings between the department heads any more, most of the time I don't know what people are even talking about. And why do people ask me what's going on? I'm in back, dude! (They really don't. They more ask about how someone is doing after they lose their position. But like, did I know that?! How should I know? I'm in back!!!) I was daydreaming on the way home from church today. We've been talking about Elijah and how God provided for him. I totally believed that God put us in back for a reason. The kids. That's obvious. But I didn't think that he had more than one! Like, there's a protection that came from being in back. We're protected from all the politics in a way. Because what would have happened if we were in adult service while all of this movement was taking place? Pastor T and Miss C are no longer "associates", new worship leaders were brought in, the youth pastors were let go, the worship team was let go, we no longer have meetings, the youth were renamed and taken over again. It's like EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED. Thank goodness we've been in back. It's really been a safe place. I feel like we would have picked up some offense or offended somebody or gotten involved or been more apart of the "gossip". I feel protected and I'm really thankful for that. So I'm wondering what it's going to look like when we do end our time in the Children's area. Are we going to be asked to step down? Are we going to make that decision? Are we going to be at the same church? Are the same people we went in with going to be there? Will it be soon or in a year or in two or in five? Will we raise up someone to take over? It's just weird. 
• Dad and his life. He's been talking to me more and more, like really talking and opening up. I love that he is, but at the same time I worry for him. I don't like seeing him stressed. He is in the middle of moving to an apartment because something happened with his duplex that broke his agreement (not on his part). It tore him up that he made the decision to leave because he had to let go of years of collecting things and memories. It felt forced rather than him having that time to be ok with it. Then, he recently found out that the company he works for isn't renewing their contract with the building they are in. So to keep his job in 2020, he either has to move to Colorado, work from home (if he has that option), or take a severance package.

HOW THINGS CAN CHANGE IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE.

I'll end with a final note. One day, while grocery shopping I came across the cold Suddenly Salad meals that we used to buy. They didn't have the Tuna Helper in that aisle any more, and I was like - my kids like macaroni... Suddenly Salad is another take on it, but cold. This will be a good alternative option. So the day came when I chose to cook it. I forgot that it took a ton of mayonnaise and had this ranch-y powder to combine with it. I tasted it first, just to know what to expect and prep the kids for something "new". UGH. First bite was disgusting. So I got up my nerve and scooped out the kids' bowls and told them - if you eat all your white macaroni, you can have ice cream! THEY DID NOT LIKE THE WHITE MACARONI. They didn't fall for the ice cream bit. At one point Mila went to brush her teeth, came back and said the macaroni tasted better. That's because she still had toothpaste in her mouth. It tasted better because all she could taste was mint. So... we don't talk about the white macaroni any more. Anything that is gross will probably be compared to the white macaroni incident of 2019, which ended with me dumping more than half the pot in the garbage.

They're trying to starve me, I'm sure of it... & Other Matters

28 Weeks, 2 Days (Entered into the 3rd Trimester)

So, whatever happened before camp, it seems like we went right back there after camp. It's been non-stop in this house and I'll try to catch up as much as I can.

For some reason Aldo decided to host 4th of July at our house. He invited the church, the family, and the neighborhood. After catching up on rest from camp, I immediately went to work on getting the house ready. One day, I cleaned out the garage and basement (because I figured that's where people would hang out since it would be hot and Aldo would be working the grill), only to realize... I did absolutely nothing to help out the house, which people would also walk through to use the restroom or cool down. The next day, which was the day before the 4th, I worked on the bedrooms, ran a load of dishes and finally a load of laundry. It was pristine! But of course, again, I missed the kitchen, bathrooms and floors... all much needed places to clean if we want to host anything ever. So then, I got up early on the 4th and did the rest of it while Aldo used the weed wacker. We went over time by a little bit, but it actually ended up working out just fine; EVERYONE was running on CPT.
After picking up Aldo's dad, we went to the fireworks stand and got a pretty good deal. Noted for next year. Got back, fired up the grill, and the people showed up gradually.
From cleaning, taking the kids to the parade (Also noted: not fantastic, but lots of candy collected), and going around entertaining everyone... I was exhausted.

Independence Day 2018

So then I tried to catch up on rest again. But then on Saturday, it was Home Depot Day. The kids love it and it gets them off of electronics and out of the house. So I went and did that... and then went to the Home Store and bought organization bins for the kids' rooms... and went through all their toys (that took two days alone).

Nephews <3 Mateo & Joshua

Home Depot Day!

(They made a fishing game and I learned about "Portrait Mode".)

The next week, we had Luke's follow-up appointment for x-rays on his feet. Originally we were told he would have to wear his cast for 8-10 weeks. But we were both surprised to find out that he was getting his cast off that day! And the rest of the month would be spent transitioning from the boots into tennis shoes in the house, and then tennis shoes outside the house, and then to regular play. Our final appointment for his feet!!!

THE SUMMER OF THE CAST IS OVER!!!

Not the last appointment forever though. After getting back from camp, I had that weird glucola testing done that happens with every pregnancy. The next day, the office called back and said I didn't pass my test. At first, I was surprised. And then I read a ton of information online on what it means if you have gestational diabetes and freaked myself out. (The only thing that seemed to calm me down was a blog I found about a lady who said it was the best thing that could've happened for her health and the health of her baby. That it went away right after birth. Her child was fine. Things were regulated because of the early detection. And she had it again with her second pregnancy and was already in the habit of eating right, so it was easy to do.) I had to schedule an appointment for a 3-hour test for the following week. Fasting again. Hear the excitement? <sarcasm>
Had a bunch of people encouraging me and praying for me. Went in feeling pretty good. Glad I took the books and downloaded a movie on my phone. During the first hour I read a book and toward the end started feeling nauseous so I had to stop. The next two hours, I just watched a movie because it felt like my eyes were going cross-eyed and all I wanted to do was sleep. But I was stuck in the uncomfortable chairs of the waiting room.

The following day, Aldo had his yearly health screening with his work. Just another medical thing I had to attend. (Apparently his cholesterol is off.)

That weekend I worked at the library. Thank goodness I was busy doing displays and research so the time went by quickly.

Also during the weekend was the church's 50th Anniversary. Wonderful words from the speakers. Challenging too. I'm glad they provided lunch on Sunday because it felt like a healthy meal and as of late all I've been eating, it seems, is carbs from noodles and potatoes. After that we celebrated with Asher for his birthday. He had a messy party, which unfortunately Luke couldn't participate in wholly (specifically he CAN NOT be on trampolines, bounce houses, slip n slides, etc.), but he sure made the best of it. And Mila just doesn't like being dirty. While we were there, the kids loved on Asher's golden retriever puppy. I don't know why I thought it was a good idea to bring it up while Aldo was holding the puppy in his arms... but I asked what we were going to do for Mila's birthday, which is coming up in August. I've been thinking along the lines of a dance party with ballet-type decor but also fun stuff for the boys too OR a Paw Patrol party or adopt-a-pet party like what Ember had years ago. Aldo blurted out, why not get a dog? ... <pause>
You can imagine what I was thinking. We're having a baby. In 2-3 months. Seriously??? And usually he's the one that holds back and I'm the one that pushes for the big thing.
Things went kind of quick. For the past three days, I haven't been able to sleep through the night because of anxiety from thinking about a puppy - Are we going to have one? Can we afford it? Is it the right time? Am I ready? What do we need to do to prep? What should we call it? The next day, Aldo talked with the breeders, sent an offer, and it was accepted. We are in line to have a golden retriever puppy, brother to the Gutz puppy, by THIS FRIDAY! ... <pause>

It's starting to look like a little sunshine in our week.

Back to medical... since I didn't get a call the next day from the Women's Clinic about the 3-hour testing like I did the first time, I figured everything was alright. Because they get back pretty quick with the unwanted results, and if they're good that's when it takes 2-3 business days. Today I found out that I did not pass.
> I have diet guidelines to follow.
> I have a nurse appointment where I learn about gestational diabetes and how to use a finger pricking device and monitor my sugars.
> I have a dietitian appointment next week.
I was on the phone for most of the afternoon talking to scheduling and insurance providers, seeing what's required and what's covered, filling out documents, and seeing how much things will cost.

I AM EXHAUSTED.
I've kind of had enough medical issues for a while. (That's my feelings right now.)
After a good talk with a friend, I know I can get through it... many people have... and I know God has given me the strength and provision; He's made a way EVERY TIME... I don't need to worry.
Sincerely, I think my brain is just fried for the day.
No more thinking please.

The next few days will be busy and informational. With a little puppy-breath sweetness thrown in. Then next week (why did I do this to myself???), the kids have VBS at Jerad's church. And near the end, Aldo is going out of town to hear about selling insurance. I'm not looking forward to that Thursday...

• Husband leaves early in the morning. 
• Luke goes to VBS.
• I lock up the puppy (*tentative) and leave for my next appointment with Dr. Holmes, since seeing the nurse and dietician.
• I go back home to let out puppy*.
• Jerad picks up kids, I go to work from 2-8pm. Who takes care of puppy?*

Not to mention, I have to run Children's Church all by myself that Sunday. <sigh>
I may be taking naps throughout the following days just to prepare myself for what's coming.
And seriously, what IS coming????

When All You Can Do Is Laugh...

So it's been an eventful two weeks. This is how it went down...
It started with our big camp meeting that we have every year. During the prayer, when the leaders spoke against opposition, I couldn't help but feel a little weird. This year has been different for us, especially financially. We've donated more than we have ever before, more so that even with the past years put together this year's donation was more than that figure quadrupled. On the way home, the only "opposition" I could think of was when we tried to find babysitters for the kids. So I talked about it with Aldo. He calmed my weirdness over the situation referring to the story of friends holding up Moses' arms during the battle against the Amalekites. In a way we were stepping in to hold up the arms (financial burden) during a time when our friends experienced job loss. That settled things.

Not even a day later, the opposition came. If you're one to look at it that way, I guess. We were in a meeting at the church and were just about ready to go when Luke climbed up the welcome booth for some unknown reason because he's usually not a "climber" (a booth that was on wheels to be thrown in the trash) and it fell over on top of him. Thankfully he was thrown as it fell down so that it only fell on his feet. Thankfully it bounced so that he could remove his feet and didn't get stuck underneath. Thankfully, Mila had moved closer to me seconds before to say she was ready to go home. And thankfully, Aldo made it to the meeting because he hadn't been feeling well that morning and took off work (otherwise he would have been a closer and wouldn't have been at the meeting). It took only seconds. But it felt like I stood there for 10 minutes in shock. I honestly cannot tell you what I did in between the time I saw Luke's face after the impact and getting Mila in the car. I remember the breaking of glass and initially thinking Luke was crying because he broke something that belonged to the church, not because he had hurt his feet. The face he made is forever ingrained in my head. It breaks my heart that I didn't react more quickly. Aldo, on the other hand, went into calm, yet fast, parent mode and asked the all the right questions. We made the decision to take Luke to the ER. I'm sure that Aldo was worried, he just never let it on. Mila came with us; it was already late and she was worried about Luke. She said, "Luke's crying so Mila's crying," and talking about getting Luke a band-aid.

I hate going to the ER. It seems like if you are gushing blood and guts coming out (sorry for the graphic imagery), they just take their sweet time. But I am thankful for doctors and nurses and everyone that is working hard to get you in and out. On the way there, all we could do was tell Luke to breathe through the pain. We waited for a while in the waiting room, then we went to triage, where they decide the urgency of your care. Then we went to his room and waited some more. In between all of that, I saw that Luke was tearing up and asked if he would like me to hold onto his glasses. So I was put in charge. By the time we made it to his room and Luke went to the restroom, the glasses had disappeared. No one has found them since. One minute I had them hanging on my shirt. I did not touch them. And the next minute they were gone. Aldo has no words for it either. Probably because we just picked up our new glasses two days before. And probably because that night we had found the camp flashdrive that I had "lost" in my computer bag. Pregnancy brain... it's a real thing. So while waiting, I was also mad at myself for losing Luke's brand new glasses. Let's just pile on the bills, shall we?

They took x-rays and ended up putting Luke in ace bandages on both feet and a splint on the left foot, which was tender, already bruising, and swollen. They also gave us crutches and told us we could follow up sometime in the next week with our doctor. It was about 5 o'clock in the morning when we were discharged. Aldo went to go get the car while we waited in the waiting room. Mila had fallen asleep finally after going between laps, coloring, and eating everyone's hospital snacks. A minute later I got a call - we had a flat tire. Aldo said to never pray for opposition ever again. I didn't pray for it! All I said was I felt weird!!! As Aldo was changing out the tire as the sun came up, I was in the waiting room hoping someone would turn in Luke's glasses before we left the building. :( It never happened though. We made it home at 6:00 am and were exhausted. I called in to work. It was supposed to be my first Wednesday going in early... but there was no way I'd be able to function on an hour of sleep.

On the way home, Luke said, "Mom, I'm lucky. It could've been worse. The booth could have fallen on my legs!"
Me: "Or on your body and broken your ribs!"
Luke: "Or on Mila!"
Me: "Yeah, bud"
Luke: "Mom, I think God was watching out for me."
Me: "Luke... I think he sent angels around you!!!"
He's so sweet. I am proud of the young man he is becoming...

But that's not all!

Wednesday morning we were woken by a phone call. The ER told us that they were looking over the x-rays again and were pretty sure Luke had fractured his foot, so we should get a follow up right away with a pediatric orthopedic specialist. (Note: Something of concern for Luke's age are the growth plates.) That day we went in to the specialist -- awesome, awesome doctors and nurses -- and found out that Luke's foot was broken in two places... the right foot. Seriously? Luke had been walking around on a broken foot?! It took them less than 15 minutes to put a cast on Luke's broken, right foot with a walking shoe and a boot on the other foot. The other foot was too swollen to see fractures or breaks at this point, but better to err on the side of caution. We made an appointment for a week later to get x-rays again and look at the left foot. Then, we proceeded to Walmart where we had the tire fixed.

Two Broken Bones in the Right Foot

Our Trooper (& First in Our Family to Break Something)

I must also mention, prior to all of this I had asked Luke what he wanted to do for his 8th birthday and his one request was a Skating Party. As it turns out, I never got any contact information for his best friend from school, who I really wanted to be there. And both of Luke's cousins are out of town for the entire summer. We agreed that it wasn't worth the money to have the party without the people he would want to be there, and especially because he can't skate. We made plans to take him to the Omaha Zoo with some of our best friends, who would definitely make his birthday special. After the entire foot debacle, we had to tell Luke there would be no Skating Party. He was devastated. (He didn't know about the Omaha Zoo surprise coming up that weekend.) He said, "I guess I'll have a Dinosaur Party". I found this really cool cast design that makes it look like scales and a dinosaur/dragon foot. When I showed him, I said, "Luke, do you want to be a real hybrid?" His eyes LIT up. (We tease, but not really, that the kids are hybrids because they are half Mexican and half American. They think it's cool that they have the best of both worlds. Man, how the world has changed...) So back to Walmart - I let him walk through the isles and show me what toys he liked. Indoraptor (aka Utahraptor). LEGO Pachycephalosaur set (the one that looks like it has a skullet and rams into things). Anything from Jurassic World. Which is ok since he would actually play with it. Luke and Mila have been building a Jurassic Park out of LEGO men, plastic dinosaurs, stuffed animals and babies, and just about anything else they can get their hands on. Their summer project. Daddy said he couldn't get anything that night, but maybe he would get something on Friday (hinting at a zoo-type something from our day trip).

The zoo was so much fun! The car ride was long, and a little uncomfortable. Luke didn't try to guess where we were going or question much at all - even when he saw the sign for Omaha! It wasn't until he saw the desert dome that he put two and two together. And we chose the perfect company to come with us. The kids were all excitement. So much so that we had to continually tell Luke to take it easy. Although the weather seemed like it might get unbearably hot, we chose to see everything outside early in the day. A good choice. And everything inside during the afternoon. Mila wasn't scared of the skylift at all. She said, "We're flying!" and pointed out the rhinos, the big birds (ostriches), and the lions. We did get Luke a wheelchair, but for that first part he had to walk. And he didn't care. Toward the end, he was offering ME the wheelchair. My favorite parts had to be the butterflies (that Natalie is scared of and Mila loved), the aquarium that you walk through (we saw divers go in with the sharks!), and the lied jungle (with free-flying bats that Natalie is also afraid of). We had it easssssy this year - only a single bat sleeping in the long tunnel! Luke told me today that all he can think about is the monkey that was picking his behind. I mean, he was digging! At several angles!! :P Yuck! Oh, and there was the "escape ape", the orangutan that started to unscrew his glass enclosure. While the husbands went to get the cars, the wives and the kids checked out the after-hours family festival. They had vendors everywhere. When we asked what was going on, all they said was that they come twice a year and everything is free, so go get something. We took the bubbles ("that help with asthma"), went to the photobooth, made some sensory bags, grabbed some cotton candy and free Dip N Dots too!! That's when we found out that it was for special needs kids. !!!! Good thing the husbands called for us to pack up because we would have done balloons and face painting too! Instead we went down the walk of shame. Haha! The misadventures of us!

Our Day Trip to the Omaha Zoo

(I didn't get many pictures because we were travelling with a professional photographer, who blocked all my shots... but that's alright... 

I expect to see some good ones posted.)

You would think after that, we'd go back to something "normal".

Well, it's not so much family-related, but this week has been crazy at work too. There's construction going on outside. The road in front of the library will have improvements later on, and to prepare for that they have to move the water line, which is right at the entrance of our parking lot. The first day coming in this week, no one was here to let me in. I had to chance my key code and hope that no cops showed up. The second day, there was a huge hole in the entrance and I wasn't expecting that until the following week, so I drove around thinking we might be closed if no one called me back. We had to park on the street. It was also the day of a bus trip. The hole got filled in right before that showed up. And then the guys cut into our phone and internet line. Nice. It's been a wild week at work.

So then, there's today. Today we went back to the pediatric orthopedic specialist to see how Luke's left foot is (the one in the boot). The Dr. still couldn't see any brakes or fractures on the x-rays, but was certain that something was broken because of the amount of swelling, discoloration and tenderness in certain areas. We go back in 3 weeks. For the time being, Luke has to wear his boot most of the time. The exceptions are at night he can take it off to sleep, when he takes a bath, and possibly the pool (but if he's at the pool, he's not really swimming... it will be hard for him to move around and he can't get hit either). Then, getting into the car to go home we hear a hiss coming from the vent. And then the cold air was gone. I'm hoping with all the hope that I have for my car, that it's just a valve come loose and let all the freon out. Because at this point... all we can do is laugh and keep going.

Camp is 9 days away. <sigh> And boy am I counting down...

California Knows How To Party

2 Years Old

  

 Birthday Girl & Her Cupcake

My little girl turned two last Thursday. We didn't do anything huge because 1) we already had our California trip coming up and most of our money was going to that 2) personally I was worn out from all of the other birthdays throughout the summer and weddings... I just didn't have the energy to give her a fantastic birthday party 3) I couldn't find the right time or venue that would bring all of her favorite people together at the same time and 4) she's young enough that it isn't as big of a deal to her yet. I WILL throw a big party for you baby girl... just you wait! Seriously thought, I can't wait myself. It's going to be fun and a huge success! So on her birthday, we went to Strouds and she had a lot of packaged crackers and green beans. (She's so weird. I've never met a child who loves vegetables and iced tea and things like that as much as she does.) I was surprised that she ate the cupcake they gave her. It did have a sparkler on it though.

The next morning we set off for our trip to California.
So...

Day 1 - Friday, August 11th
We woke up at about 3 o'clock in the morning (but really it didn't feel like we even slept) and left for the airport at 4:15. Thankfully I had a list of everything I had packed prior in the week and what still needed to be put in the bag as far as toiletries, etc. We got to the airport and check in was so easy. First, we used a valet service. Just so you know, valet is about as much as economy parking except that they drive you to the terminal you need rather than walking and they'll pick you up when you return. My coworkers bragged about it. Was it worth it? Eh.... I don't know. I guess we'll see when we go on our next trip and opt for the cheap "nosebleed" parking.
Mila was awake. That was completely unplanned! We purposely made sure to wear her out the day before and NOT take a nap... but she was wide awake at the airport. She knew something was up. She wanted to carry her monkey bag and sit in her car seat (because it's different having it OUT of the car). Our flight with Delta left at 6 am and flew for 3 hours into LAX. Some things to know about flying these days:

• If traveling with children, you can take a car seat and stroller for FREE.
• Every person with a ticket gets one personal bag (diaper bag, purse, etc.) that has the ability to fit under a seat AND one carry-on bag for FREE. Carry-ons have to be a certain size though. AND if you are putting your liquids, creams and lotions in there then you have to follow the 3oz. rule in a zip lock bag. Checked bags cost $$$ and if less than 50lb. it's really not that horrible of a price. You can take any amount of liquids in the checked bag.
• Airplanes have wifi now! But you have to download the app. So do that before taking off if possible. That way you're set in the air.
• If you are getting snacks on the flight, get the drink too. Because the snacks make you thirsty. And the cookie snack isn't really a cookie snack. It's a hard European cinnamon cracker. Just be forewarned.

The car rental was fun. We picked our own out. Something we most definitely would do in the future as needed. Aldo said that driving in California was difficult for him because it's so mountain-y and has so many curves and turns, it's hard to figure out the system. Like, are you following the coast? What's the reason for the layout? It's not like Kansas where you can easily figure out where you are if you miss a turn or where you need to go. It's not a grid for sure. So we drove 2 more hours to Oceanside. There, we met up with our friends Zac and Rose, and their son Peter (who's slightly older than Mila), who we would be staying with for the next few days. The rest of the day was spent relaxing and getting ourselves situated. Zac had a cook out he was in charge of at the park, so we spent a couple hours there before napping from exhaustion on their couch.

Excited for the Plane Ride

I should back up real quick. Sorry this is so out of order here. But I have to tell you...

We had been planning this trip for months. And weeks before, Zac and I had talked. He asked me what our plans were for going out there. Well, Aldo and I wanted to go to the beach a lot and also our number one choice of hot spot was the San Diego Zoo. Since we had such a good time in Omaha and the kids would all enjoy it, AND San Diego is ranked #1 in the nation... it was a no brainer. Zac and Rose said they wanted to go to Lego Land too. I was ok with that. Luke would be thrilled and Mila always plays with Luke's legos so I think she would like it too. That's when he announced that they were talking and thought it would be best if they bought the tickets for everyone since he gets a good discount through the military, and that it would be more of a "CityPass" - which gets you tickets into Lego Land, the Zoo, Sea World, and....... Disneyland and California Adventure for 3 days! Say what?! I was so thrown. You got to be joking. But they weren't. I had to Google it... City Passes go for $300+ a person. Thankfully Mila is still free to get into those places, but if you count three people that's about $1000 dropped. I honestly couldn't believe it. What excited me though, was that Aldo, Luke and Mila didn't know. I kept it a secret for about a week and a half. It was so much fun scheming and planning. I searched what the must see places were at Disneyland and looked up all the tips to get the most out of the experience. I bought a My First Disney Pins and Lanyard game. I was ready!

Of course, Aldo ruined it because he called up Zac the day before, on Mila's birthday, and I remember him saying... and I quote... word-for-word, "What's your itinerary?" I knew then, that the secret was coming out. Zac nonchalantly told him the plan. I have pictures of Aldo's reaction. #priceless

So what was a relaxing vacation turned into a very busy, attraction-packed vacation. Thank goodness though, Zac made the executive decision NOT to buy the CityPass. After thinking it over, they thought it would be too much for the kids to do all of those things. (I think he underestimates how much energy they have... but still so happy they made that decision.) Instead, they bought the tickets to just the Zoo and one day at Disneyland. Still, incredible!

Day 2 - Zoo Day
Nothing in Southern California is close. It takes at least 30-45 minutes to get anywhere. And another thing, Zac and Rose are early risers. We, the Alvidrez clan, wake up usually around 10 (except me and at times Luke) and go to sleep late at around 11:30 pm. California is 2 hours difference from Kansas. So if it's 7 am in California, it's 9 am in Kansas. It was the perfect time change. When we had to get up at 7 to get to the Zoo somewhat early because it's about a 45 minute drive... we were only waking up at 9 o'clock. Yesssss.
Here is what I can tell you about the San Diego Zoo. There are a lot of aviaries. No joke. I think we walked through at least five aviaries to get to other places. And, I can't really make a decision on how I liked the zoo because I don't think we started off right (We immediately went to the oversized tortoises. You don't go there first! You go to the animals that are awake and playful, that in the heat of the day are going to go into hiding. Tortoises aren't going anywhere... they can't move that far... you can see them nearly at any time. Bad decision on our part.). And, I don't think it was Peter's best day either. We have become zoo snobs. I have made the ultimate decision (and you think we would have learned from previous experience) that we just need to go to zoos alone. It's my goal to get through a zoo in one day. And we could have done it, I think, even at San Diego. So during our stay this time around, we probably only made it through half of it which consisted of tortoises; snakes (legless, eye-lidless lizards) and other reptiles; birds, birds, and more birds; and kind of monkeys that didn't do much. At the end we took a double-decker (after waiting half an hour in line) to see the regular zoo animals: zebras, elephants, giraffes. Except a lot of them were hard to see, Mila was napping so she didn't get to experience the large-scale animals which I would have liked to see, and Luke also couldn't get a very good snapshot because we were breezing by on the ride. Not the best zoo experience we've had, but I'm not opposed to going to San Diego Zoo again if the chance ever arises. I'm willing to have my mind changed about it. But let me say this... Omaha is a hard one to beat.

Turtles & Tortoises

Fun Fact: Back in the day, these giant tortoises were fed dog food. The dog food had so much protein that it made their shells grow too fast and so now some of them can't fully extend their legs out how they're supposed to because the shells don't fall where they're supposed to. (Ok, so NOT "fun" fact.)

<3 They Love Each Other  <3

A Long Day at the Zoo

Ooh, also during our stay Zac and Rose took us out to a lot of delicious places to eat. One of my favorite spots was Wulan Ramen Tap House in Oceanside. I don't know if it's Japanese or what, but their spicy shrimp appetizer and bbq pork sticky bun things were sooo good. I imagine it is something I would crave and go to if we had one in our area. And the ramen soup or teriyaki rice is incredibly flavorful. They also took us out to In-N-Out Burger the day before (the cool part about here is that they have a secret menu) and to a bubble tea place (the drinks that have the extra large balls of black tapioca in them). <Shakes my head> Zac and Rose and their bubble tea. #noted

The Delicious Ramen of My Dreams

Day 3 - The Beach at Oceanside
The plan our hosts came up with was that it would be wise to go back and forth from big day to relax day. That way the day before our flight out wouldn't be extreme. Makes sense.
For our beach day we started out with brunch at Swami's. A little expensive and one of those ... organic, vegan, weirdo hang outs. The smoothie was delicious. But I ordered straight up coffee. Oops. And the eggs and croissant were delicious, and so was Mila's black bean burrito (which she DID eat, but couldn't finish).

Our Day at the Beach

~ water so cold and sand so hot ~

Livin' Up Every Moment

 Beach Babes

(yes, I got burnt)

Palm Trees

The beach was wonderful. The sand was hot until you go to the wet sand, which was cool and smooth on your feet. The water was ice cold, but felt like it came to life when a small wave would hit you, or the broken white of the wave would chase you back to the beach, and the water would slowly creep up more and more to where the towels were because the water changes like that. Aldo and Luke were amazed by the grandioseness. And how salty it was. Mila, surprisingly, was made for the beach too. She loved it just as much. She didn't care if a wave pulled down her britches, or made her running slightly more wobbly. It was fun. It was a game. It was thrilling. I spent a lot of time chasing Mila. Aldo and Luke, along with Zac, spent a lot of time trying to catch waves on the boogie board. Only to find out later that the board (we bought from Walmart) was too small and not enough weight for someone large. You have to be able to ride ON TOP of the wave, otherwise you aren't going very far. But it was perfect for Luke. He had one really sweet wave that I didn't have my phone on me for. After that, he wiped out and went under, and didn't want to get in again. But we convinced him. And he probably had at least four more really nice runs. I got to try too. It's hard because the waves you don't want to catch keep bringing you back in toward shore and carry you a little farther sideways too (if you've been aiming for where the water breaks). And if you go deeper, you can't touch. Must be a good swimmer. And, I wasn't going to "duck dive". I get too many ear infections to do that. And I knew how salty the water was. I imagine salt in my eyes would sting and salt in my ears would be hard to get out. One day, maybe. Maybe on something bigger like an actual surf board.
Zac and Rose left early because Peter and Rose aren't water people. So we spent another 30 or so minutes taking it all in. And then slowly made our way back to the house. For the next beach day, know this: wear clothes and sandals, take beach bags and towels that you don't mind getting sandy. Leave the purse in the car. SAND GETS EVERYWHERE. And it's difficult to get off. And, it can burn too when you're scratching it off.. so don't shave on that day. My legs still hurt from that. Also, don't use spray sunscreen. Or if you do, make sure you get every part of your body. Otherwise you'll end up with an abstract, ink-blot-test on your back. Just take my word for it.
A plus - no sharks in sight.

A quick word on sharks. Before our trip I had a very scary dream where we were attacked by sharks and basically shredded like paper. Afterward I couldn't keep myself from looking up the migration of sharks in California's waters. The latest news said that there have been increased sightings because it's a nursery for great whites. Over 40 shark sightings were logged since May and for a time there was a group of baby great whites that weren't moving along. A lot of beaches closed. I researched shark defense.

• Don't look like a seal. On a board? In a boat? Flopping around? You look like a seal. Don't look like a fish either. Bright swim suits and shiny jewelry look like the metallic scales of a fish.
• Don't go swimming when you're bleeding. Duh.
• Swim with a buddy. The more the merrier. Don't swim at night though.
• Avoid areas where sharks are known to be. And also, watch the turtles, fish and birds. If they're freaked out, there's a reason.
• If attacked, go for the nose, eyes or gills. 

I just looked it up using the Dorsal Fin app. There was a great white sighting on August 12th (our zoo day) at Oceanside. About 12 ft in length and 7000 yards from shore. And there were several sightings near Capistrano Beach (which I remember seeing a sign for on our drives) where the shark was 20 yards from shore. How far out were we? Aldo and Zac could have been 30 yards out easily (120 yards is a football field and you've heard of "10 yard lines" where each line is marked). Oy vey.
Remember this: "You're more likely to be bitten by a New Yorker than a shark."

Day 4 - Disneyland

"The Happiest Place on Earth"

 Pulling the Sword from the Stone

Another early start for us. Finding parking takes quite a bit of time, so some advice would be to show up 30 minutes early for that reason alone. Do you need to do the early morning thing? No, not really. As long as you have a MaxPass on a busy day, you'll have no problem. I think for our stay the crowds were rated as a 6 out of 10. All I know is that there were 70 min. waits for rides, which is ridiculous. But with the MaxPass we could save our spot in line for a ride about every 30-45 minutes and it would give you a time window to show up. In between those windows you could find another ride, most likely a kiddie ride, or eat or shop or meet characters. I wish we took time to meet more characters, but overall we did a good job. Don't waste your money on the button trading. Characters DON'T have buttons. Helpers at the end of the lines have buttons and very few of them are cool. If you purchase a button, it's like $7 alone and a pack is around $30. That's just crazy. Disney is not going broke any time soon. Just saying. Luckily, I had a short list of rides that were "musts" according to various blogs, and I looked up how thrilling they were to see if Luke would ride it or be traumatized by it. Here's what we rode: Storybook Land Canal Boats (total waste of time and boring as all get out), Pirates of the Caribbean, Indiana Jones Adventure, Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters (twice!), Star Tours, Space Mountain, and the train that was more of a way of transportation to get from one "land" to another than a ride. I just realized... we didn't get to see Peter Pan, which was on my list.  :( Bummer. And unfortunately the Fantasmic Show didn't have any passes available by the time we could save our spot. We also saw the Electric Parade, but from far away. And we were at just the right spot for the "Dreams Come True" firework display by the castle... only for it to be cancelled due to wind conditions. It really wasn't windy at all.

Waiting in Line for Indiana Jones

 Buzz Lightyear Ranking

(Aldo DID NOT get Level 7... more like Level 3)

What I found out was that Disneyland is different from World's of Fun in that the rides are not really focused on as much as getting into the "theme". So while Pirates had a couple of dips, it was more focused on being IN the world of pirates. And fun fact, Pirates was a ride before the making of the Pirates movie. Only after was Jack Sparrow added in.
Two apps I used a lot were: Magic Guide (great for showing wait times and what "lands" the rides are located in) and the Disneyland app (to operate the MaxPass, wait times, where characters are located, and find showtimes). Another handy thing was the $30 battery pack we bought to charge our phones on the go. After all the MaxPass business and taking photos, it drains the phone's battery and we really needed it to find our way back to the house. I hear from a lot of people that you really need to spend at least 2 days exploring, but I think we could have done it in one. I know I said it before, but my only wish was that we got there at opening so we could meet with more characters. And, that we wore our Disney shirts, which I still don't have one, and bought our merch (like the Minnie ears) through Amazon rather than at the park.
This was hands down my favorite day. Nobody had attitudes. I felt like it was a vacation day with my family. Everyone enjoyed it, even Mila, who was able to ride quite a bit actually. And Luke rode all the bigger rides twice with the Rider Switch (where if you have a kid in a stroller, one parent can go with older kid and then immediately after the parents switch and can go to the front of the line). Luke's favorite ride was Buzz Lightyear where you shoot at Zerg and evil aliens. I agree that it was fun because we could all go, all shoot, turn our "cars", and get a score and a picture in the end. I also liked the Pirates but only because Mila wanted to cuddle with me after the two dips. Space Mountain was even too fast for me. And I was surprised that there was nothing more than utter blackness and then some stars, galaxies and time warps thrown in. Space Tours was better. It was like you were riding a ship in the Star Wars movie. It had humor thrown in which I liked. But, Aldo's ride with Luke on Space Tours was different than mine. He wasn't attacked by a giant underwater crocodile-like monster, and an alien didn't throw paint on their windshield in the end. I guess that one needs to be ridden a few times too. By the end of the day, we were all worn out. Mila even fell asleep on my head, when I put her on my shoulders to get a better view of the firework show that we didn't see. Haha!

Disneyland's Famous Castle

A Fun Day with the Fam

Day 5 - Trampolines & Rest
Zac and Rose wanted to take us to an indoor trampoline place. Peter was ALL over it. Mila also enjoyed it, but she hasn't figured out how to jump off of both feet yet. She enjoyed racing up and down the long trampoline in the kiddie area and throwing (or I should say "cleaning") the foam blocks back into the pit. Luke got better at his front and back flips. And Aldo and Luke worked on walking across a tight rope type thing. By the end, both of the boys were sweaty, so it must have been a good time.
When we got back, we rested and packed up for an early morning because we had to leave at 4 am. It was a bittersweet goodbye. Peter was finally getting used to having us around (although he and Luke kicked it off right away). And Mila was finally understanding how to treat Dally, their skittish dog. But it was probably the best we could have done anyway.

 Pretending to be "Tired"

 Way to Balance, Luke!

Day 6 - Back to KC
We could have slept in. We made time on the highway because we used the carpool lane most of the ride and not too many people are awake at 4 am, except in LA. The reason we left so early was because of the 2 hour drive and also, LAX seemed like a busy airport. Check in was right outside the terminal doors and super easy. Security pushed us through as fast as possible. So we were stuck in the waiting area for nearly an hour and a half. Kids. Wide. Awake.
On the airplane back, Mila did sleep for at least an hour, so I took advantage of the time and watched a partial movie. Luke and Aldo watched Harry Potter on the other side. American Airlines didn't let us on first to set up the car seat (which I liked about Delta) and we had a bit of turbulence in KC from storms. Other than that, it was a great flight. Toward the end, you could tell Mila was itching to get out because she wanted to play with the tray on the back of the seat.

My final thoughts: It was a great trip, but in the end... there really is "no place like home". (So timely because I just saw a coworker in the production of The Wizard of Oz and... we're from Kansas and... we took a bunch of KC gear to Zac and Rose.

Probably our last BIG trip for a while, but for sure one for the books.