Happy Halloween!!!

I bought each one of my kids a Halloween shirt since Diego didn't have school today and I knew if they didn't feel special somehow... they would bug me ALL day to put on their costumes. Worked like a charm. They loved their shirts and didn't ask about their costumes at all.

So I decided to try a mini photoshoot with my kiddos. But since I put Arielle and Alayna to nap a good part of the afternoon they didn't wake up until about 45 minutes before sundown. Which meant I had to hurry if I wanted any kind of light for decent pictures. I hurried them all outside and tried to use what little light I had left.

Being that I mess with the setting on my camera constantly... I have no idea what I moved recently but my pictures are not coming out as great as they used to. They used to be so full of color and crystal clear and vibrant. To me they're looking a little dull lately. So until I figure out what I did... these will have to do. Most are straight out of the camera except for the black and white conversions. Once I get photoshop back maybe I will mess with them some.

Enjoy!

Fairytale Ball

Monday Diego got into my car after school very excited to give me an invitation. The Invitation was for the "Fairytale Ball" in which the kindergarten classes we going to re-enact different fairy tales. Diego's class was doing Goldilocks and the Three Bears... and he was so excited to tell me he got chosen as a tree!

Oh the pride I felt at that moment when he told me he was a tree was in indescribable. Sure he's just a tree but I was proud dangit!

So today as soon as Jr got home from work we drove over to his school to get good seat for Diego's debut. Here he is posing with some adoring fans...

I even caught him rehearsing how to be a tree while waiting for the show to start. Let me tell you he took his role as a tree very seriously.

Then it was time to hit the stage! This was a proud moment for me... isn't he an amazing tree?

Look at him back there... holding his tree position!

Then he even got to be in a 2nd act... some of the kids didn't show up from another class and they asked him to fill in as a spider as well for Itsy Bitsy Spider.

So here's the video of part of their act. I caught most of it... except the very beginning because I was taking pictures. I am so proud of my little Tree!!!

Halloween is Approaching

I love Halloween. There's just something so fun about getting dressed up. I still get dressed up every year. I am not embarrassed. For one night you turn into someone you're not... you're no longer yourself, but another person, thing, being... or whatever you may be. The more creative you get, the more fun you have trying to transform and be the character in which you are trying to portray.

I see it in my kids. Alayna was a witch for my birthday/Halloween party and she tried to fly everywhere on the dollar store witches broom I bought her. I little costume and $1 broom and the girl thought that she could literally fly. She was jumping off of everything "flying". I was also a witch but being that I am ghetto... and brooms cost a lot these days... and you know with the economy the way it is... I had to settle for a vacuum. You know Ala Sanderson style. And Diego was the Incredible Hulk (don't you dare tell him he's JUST the Hulk because he'll lecture you on how that's too plain and the Hulk isn't plain... he's Incredible)and he seriously thought he had these HUGE muscles. Little did he know he's the skinniest Hulk we've ever seen. My brother and I laughed our butts off when he came out in his costume... he looked more like a string bean than the Hulk. But either way... it's fun to see everyone try and portray their character. It's fun to pick out our costumes.

So Alayna now decided that maybe she doesn't wanna be the witch for Halloween this Friday. She's trying to decide between Raggedy Ann and Cinderella. I will be Raggedy Ann... and Diego says he still wants to be the Hulk. I am not sure what Jr will be yet. I'm sure we'll have a vision soon though. And little Miss Arielle will be a Tutu Mouse. She'll be wearing the costume that Alayna also wore for her 1st Halloween but it originally belonged to my niece Brianna who wore it on her 1st Halloween. After my niece wore it I took possession of it and that was before I even had kids. I knew I wanted my future daughters to wear it as well and now it's been a tradition. Plus she doesn't care... she's only 6 months old.

Anywho... I'll leave you with these images from last year. I archive all my digital pictures by year and as I was going through last years October folder I found these from Halloween. It's crazy to see how big my kids are. Alayna's hair looks short and now it's well past her butt when it's straight. Insane!

My mom the "working girl", me as the bride of Frankenstein and Diego was Dracula.

Alayna first costume was Snow White

Her second costume was a Barbie Princess.

My babies

Just wanted to post these images. I love my babies!

My 24th Birthday

Wow crazy to think that next year I will be a quarter of a century old. It's true when they say as you get older the years seem to go by faster. I can't believe how fast the year has gone... and how fast they will continue to go.

Have you ever heard the song "Don't Blink" by Kenny Chesney? If you haven't please youtube the video and watch it. That's what I love about country music... it has a story... a message... and in most cases is real, true, and something you can relate to. In this song, Kenny Chesney is saying how he's watching the news one night and a there is a man being interviewed. The man was 102 years old. So they ask what's the secret to life... and he says...

Don't blink
Just like that you're six years old and you take a nap and you
Wake up and you're twenty-five and your high school sweetheart becomes your wife
Don't blink
You just might miss your babies growing like mine did
Turning into moms and dads next thing you know your "better half"
Of fifty years is there in bed
And you're praying God takes you instead
Trust me friend a hundred years goes faster than you think
So don't blink

More and more now this is how I feel. I know I am ONLY 24. I understand that. People tell me don't worry you're still young... you have a lot of life ahead of you. But it's not guaranteed. And it makes me more anxious to experience things that I haven't yet... and definitely enjoy all the little things and the little moments in life. Not that I don't already. I definitely feel I do. Everyday is a new memory for me. But seeing my life just flying by lately and seeing how BIG my kids are getting just wants me to stop and freeze time so I can fully take in some of these moments.

So, for my birthday. At midnight I was awakened by my husband's lovely version of happy birthday in Spanglish. I loved it so much I even asked for an encore. Then at 7:30 am I was awakened once again with a serenade of happy birthday, sand by my Mommy and son Diego. Luckily Mom took Diego to school so I got an extra half hour of sleep.

Then motherhood called and Alayna wanted breakfast. So I made her favorite... eggs sunny side up. As I was preparing... I noticed the time on the clock. I ran to get my camera. How cool is that?

After breakfast Alayna, Arielle and I decided to nap a little before we had to pick up Diego from school (he had early release) and I love naps! But of course I couldn't nap on my birthday. I was bombarded with texts, emails, and phone calls with birthday wishes. I was very thankful. My favorite had to be my brother's call though... it went a little something like this:

Me: Hello
Bro: Hey sister what are you doing?
Me: I am trying to take a nap but haven't been able to... and you brother?
Bro: Oh yeah.... (Pause) Well I called you for a reason but I don't remember why...
Me: Really... too bad... well if you remember call me back cuz I am trying to sleep here and you're totally harshing my mellow (no pun intended LOL)
Bro: No wait I remember!... (Pause)... So my mom and dad's anniversary is in two days right? (It is)
Me: Yeah and don't forget to call them and wish them a happy anniversary... I know you forget things like that... but I am going to sleep now goodnight...
Bro: Happy Birthday Little Sister...
Me: Thanks Brother you're the best
Bro: Well I love you
Me: I love you more

And that was that. And yes we really do call each other Brother and Sister. But I love how great of a relationship we have. He really is the best and that's not an exaggeration.

So I slept for like 45 minutes before getting up and finishing out my day.

Junior wanted me to meet him so we could go have dinner somewhere or celebrate my birthday somehow.

So I posed for some quick pics with my Alayna while photographer Diego snapped away.

Don't I just have the cutest kids? Oh man they make my whole day! Actually they make my whole Life!

While waiting for Jr, Alayna and I decided an in car photo session was required. And we're very good at those. I love when Alayna tells me... "Mommy, that face was very pretty" or "Mommy, don't I look like such a Princess?" Oh man that girl...

Then little Miss Arielle made her appearance and modeled her new Ballerina onesie for all to see. And she was quite a sight!

So we decided... to eat Sonics. Well first choice was my favorite restaurant the Olive Garden... but I can't justify spending $15 each for Jr and I... and then still have to buy the kids food and tips and all that jazz. So I am cheap. LOL

Obviously the kids had NO problem with that... plus we even got ice cream afterward! Even better!

Then we ended the night by going to a friend of ours house and playing xbox. Okay so Jr played xbox. But Louie, our friend, has a game where you can take your picture with this little webcam thingy and it imports your face into the game as a player. I thought it was so cool.

So he did one for Jr so I could see it done. Jr is known to cross his eyes for every picture he takes. And this was NO exception. Oh man... it was hilarious to see his little man with crossed eyes! We laughed so hard! It was a great night.

Doesn't it look JUST like him? Amazing!

So then we continued the festivites today. I met Jr at work for lunch with the kids again... after Diego got off from school. We feasted on chinese and McDonalds... and I spent time with my favorite people.

And I ended the day by going to visit our Goddaughter. She cries everytime she sees her Nino. Haha. Priceless memories.

And he just adores her... LOL

Birthday/Baptism/Halloween Party

My birthday isn't actually until tomorrow... but since we had family here from out of town for the baptism we decided to throw me a little birthday party as well. So Saturday night we celebrated My Birthday and Arielle's Baptism with a Halloween theme. My mom provided and cooked all the food, which was pozole... my favorite food ever! And my Tia Kika made a cake and took care of all the planning and decorations and games for the kiddos. Also my new compadre Martin brought over some carne asada and he cooked it up for us. We only invited a few people... we didn't want a big thing and wanted to keep it low key. Pretty much everyone invited showed it and we had a really good time. A couple of new friends showed up who had never met our family before. Jr met them through work and they're really nice people. They even have kids too which works for us!

So as I said... on the Menu was Pozole and Carne Asada. We had games and dancing. And we laughed so much! Almost everyone came in costume. We were worried a lot of people would chicken out and not wear one... but mostly everyone did! But after a while of wearing them people starting to slowly take them off because it was warm out.

I had a great time. Arielle got a few really nice and thoughtful gifts. And I got 2 as well! We had a good turnout and a great time.

Here's some pics: And if you wanna view the slideshow click HERE