Miscellaneous Funnies

My kids love Tom and Jerry, especially Xavi.  I personally don't get Tom and Jerry.  Tom will scream bloody murder if he sits on a pin, but getting split in half with a sword by Jerry's hand, a shoulder shrug.  Go figure.

I don't recall reading anything in the adoption books about "girl drama".  Lizet came home with a strongly worded letter from another girl asking if she's decided whose BFF she's going to be.  A three-page letter!

When I picked up my middle-schoolers the other day, I wore Xavi's dilation sunglasses from his eye doctor visit.  He and Angela were both fighting laughter, but when Xavi got in the front seat, he tore them off my face, yelling, "¡Mamá!"  I told Lizet later what I had done and she smiled and said, "That's what I love about you, Mom.  You're so fun and funny - other mothers are so serious."

Lizet has given Fletcher the name Husband, as many of you know.  But today, she started calling him Lucky Ducky since he gets to ride with us to school.  

Xavi loves breakfast for dinner, so I established "huevos los jueves," or Eggs on Thursdays.  He looks so forward to breakfast-for-dinner day.

Lizet came up with "new technology".  We asked what this new technology is and she showed us that she is beginning to hide her candy in her music and jewelry box.  So now, anytime someone snatches her candy, the dancing ballerina lets her know.  Clever girl.

Every other Friday, Lizet's school has a fundraiser called Popcorn and Pickle day.  She takes a couple dollars for this HUGE dill pickle enclosed in a vacuum-sealed package with all the juices, which she loves to drink, and a small popcorn.  I didn't have change one day so I gave her a five dollar bill.  She was so excited, I received about fifty kisses.  As she approached kiss number thirty, she stopped and asked if she could finish later since her lips were tired.

I made a big mistake... I introduced my children to Starbucks!

Dave and I discovered a restaurant in Tulsa - a South American restaurant called Mi Tierra.  It features foods from Peru, among other South American countries.  It also has a market.  The kids were speechless - well not Lizet.  Lizet is never at a loss for words.  Our waitress was from Peru and dressed in the traditional attire.  The girls had their favorite drink, Chicha Morada, while Xavi and Dave had lucuma juice.  We had a variety of Peruvian dishes; lomo saltado, tacu tacu, relleno de pollo, and plantains.  Our waitress asked us if we were familiar with Peruvian instruments and I said, "Xavi can play the zampoña!"  She immediately went to get one and Xavi, sitting across from me begins repeating, "Ma, please.  Please, Ma."  I guess it's official.  I know how to embarrass my children.

Of my children, Xavier is my vegetable eater.  He will even eat turnip greens!  The girls seem to only eat them if they are in a casserole with cheese or in a soup.  The day I made buttermilk cornbread, black-eyed peas, and turnip greens, the girls asked me if they were being punished.  

I walked in the girls' room one day and Angela was wearing my wedding veil.  She asked what it was and I told her.  She asked if she could wear it one day... Yikes!  That question came fast!! She looked beautiful in it, too.

We found a cool activity in town!  The Rock is a fun place for youth which is operated as a ministry.  It has Wiis, arcade games, billiards, and skate boarding ramps.  BIG skate boarding ramps.  Xavi took his board and helmet and had a blast!  This 40-year-old woman even ran up the ramp three times to join my girls, sliding down on burlap sacks... FUN! I'm thrilled I was able to get Angela to do it, too.  After a few tries, she did it solo.  After pizza, sodas, and cookies, we were ready to head home.  

We are waiting on snow...  Expecting 14" tonight!  

  

School Projects

Xavier has finished his Science Experiment - board and all!  His experiment was testing different kinds of popcorn and graphing which popcorn pops the best - basically, kernel counting.  

Lizet has been reading about Martin Luther King, Jr., for her book report project, which was making a “bust” out of a 2-liter bottle.  Her choice of bottle:  Inca Kola.  I found a styrofoam head (for wigs) at Hobby Lobby - it even has a hole in the neck and fits perfectly on the bottle; Dave used some brown shoe polish to color the head, and Lizet applied the black yarn for the hair.  I made a minister's robe and tie.  She also filled out a 5x8 index card full of facts.  She's ready to go...  Her choice was based primarily on the fact that we were out of school on his birthday - she wanted to know why and did some investigating.

Angela has been busy knitting.  One of her teachers has taken her under her wing, letting her eat in her classroom while she has no students.  Angela is very much an introvert and hates noise and crowds.  This teacher has taught her how to knit and has lent her yarn and knitting needles.  I was so excited for her, I bought her own set of purple needles and purple and white yarn.  She is currently making a scarf.  It's beautiful.  She's trying to teach me how to knit.  She's a very good teacher.  Very encouraging and reassuring... Angela is an absolute doll!

   

Snow Days

I couldn't wait to post these pics for our Peruvian friends who may, or may not have ever seen snow. Our kiddos had not!  So, this was especially special!  The fact that there was no school was even better... So far, we've missed two days of school this year due to snow.  I was able to teach them how to make snow ice cream...  Gather clean snow off the top, add a little sugar, a little vanilla, and a splash of milk... They loved it!  Again... You'd have thought I'd invented the wheel!  

Movies, blankets, hot chocolate, and playing in the snow made the day SO much fun!  Of course, no day is complete without eggs (whisked and cooked in the shape of a tortilla) and toast.  They even whipped out some Christmas movies.  I think Elf is the favorite one so far!     

Lizet's 11th

Dave purchased two princess cakes for Lizet. One was Belle, and the other was Cinderella.  She received a carrier for her "baby," a portable DVD player for all those road trips (now they each have one and don't have to share one using a headphone splitter), new boots, and movies galore!

Her choice for her birthday dinner was Rib Crib.  To top it off, Dave bought a tub of the margarita mix.  She's always wanting a margarita when we eat Mexican food... Naturally, we veto anything containing tequila.  So... They ate it like a granita.  That works!    

Throughout the week, she received lots of cards, gifts, money and love, love, love...

Thank you family and friends!  

Christmas Trees and New Year's Day

Dave and I arranged for the kids and me to fly home to spend time with family and friends.  On the way to the airport, Lizet began singing "Santa is Papí, Papí is Santa!"  After the girls packed their suitcase, they informed us that they discovered the very stickers that Santa used on his presents.  Oops!  We told them it was quite a big coincidence that Santa and Papí shop at the same store.  They didn't buy it.  But somehow, Lizet insists on believing in Santa anyway.  Angela isn't so sure, and Xavier couldn’t care less.  

We flew down on Wednesday night (a 41-minute flight) and Grammy and Gramps picked us up from the airport at Love Field.  We were greeted at the house by Grandma, Eric, and Tony.  Their air mattresses were ready;  so, after a few finger sandwiches of turkey or peanut butter and banana, they hit the beds.  Of course, not until putting on their pajamas.  Xavier - Perry the Platypus (Phineas and Ferb), Angela - Westies, and Lizet - stars and more stars.  Lizet missed her Michael Jackson music that lulls her to sleep.

    

The next couple days were filled visiting friends, going to On the Border, and seeing Mimi and Tía Kathy.  My best friend Lisa, and her girls Kylie and Maggie came over to meet the kiddos, along with  my fake aunt Carla (a longtime family friend), my parents’ friends Bruce and Brenda, and their daughters, Julia and Jacquelyn, Tío Marty and Tía Cathy, and Nazee, a family friend.  We snacked on Christmas treats, ate Mom’s lovely dinners, and shared lots of laughter.  Gramps also introduced them to his Marshmallow Blaster a student gave him for Christmas.  That was hours of fun!     

Saturday finally rolled around with Dave arriving around 8:30 with all the presents, which filled the Chevrolet Suburban he rented.  We had a quick breakfast of Shipley doughnuts and then it was time for presents.  It was so fun for the kids to see their family open the gifts they picked out and purchased.

  

We had a GOOD LUCK lunch of Hoppin' Johns, Cornbread, Mexican Fudge, and Iced Tea.  Mom and Cathy made the lunch and it was delicious!!!  

We headed to Dave's family in Plano around 1:00, arriving around 1:45. About 3:00, Tía Kim and Tío Russ arrived, then Tías Kelly and Amy and baby Parker.  We had a dinner of many different kinds of pizzas, dips, chips, and sodas.  Next, we all headed to the tree.  Baby dolls, art supplies, clothes, remote control cars, and more makeup were added to our additional baggage.  Everyone had a great time!          

After we had lots of time with the baby, Abuela Marilyn brought out a birthday cake to celebrate Lizet's birthday a little early!  After a full day of fun, family began leaving and it was bath time for the girls in the grandparents’ jacuzzi.  Bubbles galore!  The kids also adore Stormy, their grandparents’ Cocker Spaniel.  They're so lucky to have three dogs in the family - that they KNOW of - they haven't even met Coco, Murphy, or Vegas, yet!  

The next morning we visited Christ Church, enjoyed a meaningful service - which included a sermon from Father David about being adopted into Christ’s family and weaving our story within it - and visited with all our Roof Dog friends in the Fellowship Hall. Later, Grandma and Grandpa treated us to Mexi-Go for lunch and we headed to Oklahoma around 3:00. 

This has been the BEST Christmas I've ever experienced!