The Past 9 days...

So 9 days ago my husband brought me home a brand new iphone. Let me tell you I have not really cared for the iphone ever. I have had nothing but droids and I feel like I like them better even though I never owned an iphone. I don't see all the hype of paying the high price of an iphone, then paying more in service, and then paying for Apps! With all of my droids they were reasonable priced and usually never paid for them technically anyway because my husband would sell our current one to buy the new ones he wanted for us. And let me tell you had a new phone every 3 months for the past 2 years. He can never have the same phone for too long. I could care less as long as it was an Android. I like the layout of them. I get free GPS. I get free Apps. And mostly any app that an iphone has, a droid has a very similar version, and in most cases free of charge. I never not once paid for an app on ony of my phones. It was also very easy to sync my phone to my computer and such. And like I mentioned the free GPS. I need someone to talk to me while I drive because trust me I would be lost everywhere I go.

So anyway he bought me an iphone and although I like it, I still feel all they want is your money. A downside, we don't have free GPS. It's got maps but that doesn't do crap for me. Not only do I need it to get myself anywhere outside of my little area, but my husband always relied on his for work to find customers houses. It was vital! Now in order to have GPS we'd have to pay a monthly subscription. Yeah not happening. So I am not convinced. I can do everything I do with my iphone with my Droids.

The only good thing I can say about my iphone... the instagram App. I just love it. So to conclude my review of my iphone (which wasn't supposed to be a review when I started this post) here's the past 9 days of my life with iphone photos :)

9 days ago... he bought me a phone:


My sister, before I even had a chance to do anything with my phone downloaded instagram for me right away. And it was also her birthday so here she is on her 24th Birthday.


My littlest Princess being my model


I let my oldest daughter Alayna comb my hair one afternoon


My middle daughter Arielle who lives in dress up clothes. Really she does. I think the past 2 weeks she's only wore regular clothes maybe 2 days. She thinks she is Rapunzel.


And here she is singing with her pet spider... before this she was pretending to be Cinderella (I mean hello she is wearing the dress afterall) and asking her pet spider to help her magically clean the curtains in the kitchen. Hence why she is standing on a chair. And also singing while she worked.


My son Diego had his closing ceremony for his little league. It was such a hot day!






And Arielle of course soaked up all the time she could with her "#1 Grandpa"


I love freshly bathes baby parts. Like clean little piggies <3


I've spent lots of time in my office working this week. Lot of orders. Lots of 4th of July stuff I need to hurry up and get out. Tons and Tons of Tutus I am starting to see cross-eyed. So it's been a lot of coffee in my favorite cup and netflix on my computer to help me get through hours of work.


But it results in these cute things coming out of my office and into the mail for my customers!


Now that Arielle has her brother home for the summer she is totally taking advantage of him. She loves him to death. She is his shadow. And he would do anything to make her happy. So there has been a lot of playing Princess and King at her request. He never says no to her.


And Dancing at the Ball of course


We also put a pool up and had our Goddaughter and nephew over for some swimming and lots of bbqing has been going on too. Even during the week!












And then this weekend:

Friday night we had 2 of my nephews here again to spend the night. (And if you're keeping track only one night in the past 2 weeks I didn't have someone else's child here or multiple children... that's our house in a nutshell run by kids)

The kids watched movies after dinner and well...


But all that fun resulted in this literally 30 mins later!


Yesterday consisted of more swimming all day long...(and 6 kids who took a very long nap in the afternoon yes!)


And Atalie's first time in a little pool :)




And when baby woke up before everyone else... she spent a lot of time with Daddy in our bed playing and playing. She loved playing airplane on his legs and looking at the world upside down.


Then she spent a good 45 mins with me in her room reading books and playing around. She is SUCH an awesome and calm little baby. And she totally loves one on one time.




So who has instagram? Care to follow me: mrsmamaduckie :)

What I Woke Up To

This morning I woke up and looked at my clock...

Oh crap it's EXACTLY 10am I thought! I jumped up out of bed and looked for my shoes... put some pants on and trying to rub the sleep out of my eye!

No I didn't have anywhere to be... but I had 5 kids home and hello 10am is way past the time those little buggers wake up. I don't hear any noise upstairs so I go into the baby's bedroom. She was still asleep! I could always count on my baby... she takes after me.

But there was no sound downstairs. So I braced myself for the worst.

I mean a 3 year old, a 5 year old, a 6 year old, and an 8 year old can make a big mess if not supervised. So I walk downstairs and don't see anyone. I

I walk into the kitchen and saw a great big mess of empty paper plates full of remnant of waffles and traces of syrup. And then I remembered today was Thursday and my husband was off. He is rarely home from work. And even on his days off he goes in sometimes. But not today.

And that's when I looked outside and saw this:


He was out there cleaning the yard with the kids. The boys shirtless and the girls in tutu dresses and rainboots. All nicely feed from looking at the mess in the kitchen.

So I got to sleep in :)

But then I got the baby up and ready and cleaned up the lovely mess they created.

And all the while the went from dry to this:




The children had a good time out there. After a while she even got Atalie in on the fun.

Just Another Day in Paradise

Yesterday I babysat my 2 nieces and 2 nephews and they stayed the night because my sister-in-law's Mom is in the hospital and my Brother had to work today. So I had 9 kids in my house. My 4, my brother's 4, and my sister's son... all I was missing was Laila... but she cries at my house.


But it was very nice. The kids were all really well behaved. I was expecting chaos... it usually is... but surprisingly they were in good moods and happy kids. Yeah!

I mean my nephew Juanito even performed a concert of songs at the table while eating!


I decided it was a good day to have salad for lunch...


It was very good... and Diego agreed!


While I was cleaning up after lunch Diego noticed a fire out the back door... so we ran upstairs to Alayna's room to get a better view.




This evening was Diego's final baseball practice. His last game will be Wednesday and Monday we have closing ceremonies. Of all the activities Diego has done so far I have enjoyed baseball the most. It's in my blood I guess.




Even Alayna has really loved watching them practice and play their games. Don't tell her I told you but I think the real reason in Diego's best friend Detrick. She swears she is going to marry him... she tells him all the time :)




And this little girl is obsessed with Rapunzel now... like overly obsessed... it's all she talks about.


Arielle: Mom I am going outside.
Me: Okay but you have to put your shoes on.
Arielle: No I am Rapunzel... she doesn't need shoes.
Me: I don't care who you are I said you need shoes.
Arielle: But Mom... I am am Ariel... mermaids don't need shoes.
Me: If mermaids want to walk on land then they need shoes so go put them on.
(She goes and puts her shoes on defeated)
Arielle: Okay Mother I put my shoes on...
Me: I told you Rapunzel... Mother knows best! (A quote from the movie)
Arielle: (Giggles) As she walks out the door singing the Mother Knows Best song <3



My littlest Princess is always content to be outdoors... and even in June the weather is great to spend the evenings watching baseball.




And here's my boy in action! (I can't figure out how to put more than one video together so you get 3 little clips... sorry!)







After the game we headed home but as we approached the cemetery Diego screamed, "Oh Mom can we please stop and say hi to Jamma?!" And Alayna followed up with, "Yeah please I really needed to talk to her!"

So a quick right and we parked to visit with my Mama.

Alayna was the first one to the spot... Diego got lost trying to beat her (Alayna has a good memory sometimes) and Alayna stopped right at her stone and said, "Grandma I needed to tell you I graduated Kindergarten. You would be so proud of me!" And she said it in the most confident proud voice ever. And then she said, "I hope you got the balloon that my Mommy bought me for my Graduation that me and Diego and Ducky sent to you with all our kisses on it."

Diego kinda looked at her insanely when she sat there literally talking her heart out to the ground. I sat there the entire time with a smile from ear to ear just watching this amazing little girl. I love that she could just sit there and talk not worrying that we'd think she was crazy. Not embarrassed that she was talking to a plaque on the ground.

Because this wasn't the case at all. She was talking to her Grandma the only way she knows how. And sitting there with the hopes that Jamma heard her every word. Amazing is all I can say.

Diego and I sat there more quietly, I imagine he would rather be alone with his thoughts... I did the same.

-Mama, We Miss You
A year a half has gone way too fast...







And for good measure... here is my conversation with Arielle about Rapunzel:

First Day of Summer Vacation

Started our summer off with a bang already.

Today was our very first summer movie. Clifford. It was boring for me but of course the kids loved it. I think it was just all the excitement. But Arielle really did like it. And she liked the popcorn too she said.

So here's my gang. Ducky got to come with us and use Jr's ticket because Jr had to go into work that morning to pick up his paycheck. So he was pretty happy about that.


Ready to watch the movie... munching on their snacks.


Me and my Princess


Me and my Mermaid


After the movie the kids HAD to take their picture with the Transformers




And we can't WAIT to see Cars 2!!!


Then the entire rest of the day was spent at stores... with all the kids. And by the end of the day we ended it with an hour and a half trip to Costco... 6 kids... 2 men who are like kids... equals one tired ME!