Friday, December 23, 2011

Everday IS special


 I really strive to make everyday count. And doing stuff with the kids, even everyday stuff, tops my list. Like earlier this week while I was writing Christmas cards, both Gigi and Gavin wanted to get in on the fun...so I let them. I want them to have an appreciation for hand written sentiments and what better way to do that than have them alongside me writing away :)
Gigi showed great focus creating her cards and adorning the envelope's rim with stickers :)



The two were so excited to go to the post office and deliver our goodies (this was batch #2, batch #1 I completed alone last week.) Gigi said to Gavin, "Let's do teamwork Gavin!" Yay, I thought to myself, another concept her mama taught her is sticking!

All that hard work definitely needed to be rewarded =)
:)
"CHEERS!!"



Friday, December 16, 2011

What really matters

Gavin, Mang, & Gigi

I gave Gigi the choice this morning to either go to her school's holiday party or have brunch with Mang (her great grandma), Gavin, & I. She chose to come with us and I was pleasantly surprised :)
Gigi chose the venue: IHOP


Fiercely independent. Touch him while he's trying to feed himself and you'll get slapped.

Getting out of the house was a whole 'nother story though. Gavin was extra clingy and Gigi decided to mimic his behavior. Two munchkins crying, screaming, grabbing at you while you're trying to get ready is not fun. I thought about cancelling brunch for fear they would continue being little monsters in public..but I did not.

bellies full hearts happy :)

My grandma is in her late 70's and I'd been thinking about her a lot lately. She was a big part of my childhood and unfortunately, is known to play favorites with her own children & grandchildren. I really wish she would have spread her love a little bit more judiciously but some people are just not emotionally equipped to do that. She is my only grandparent alive and despite her faults I have a super soft spot for her and love her dearly.

"Mommy, take a picture of us"

We don't choose our parents or grandparents. As imperfect as we all are the best gift we can give each other is acceptance..you know full-on, meaning loving them for all their glory and gore, lol ;D It appears that leading by example works as Gigi chose to spend her time with great grandma, a choice her mama is definitely proud of =)

Happy Friday all :)



Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Happy Places


Everyone needs a happy place. I have several: home, park, library, and of course, coffee shops. (Notice "mall" and other crowded places in general are not mentioned here.) All of these places hits a soft spot for me especially during the holidays. When I need to retreat I go to one of these places and I'm back to feeling complete again. As I write this I am at "my starbucks" sippin' on some decaf tea and munching on a biscotti. Who's happy? This girl ;D



We can't always be happy though. This past Saturday we attended the funeral services for a young man who left this world too early. When you see someone you care about in pain all you want to do is remove it and make it stop. When we grieve for a loved one who is no longer here, nothing can really make the pain stop. Only the support of one's friends and family can make that pain bearable. Our deepest condolences go out to the Atienza family...Crystal & Mark, we are here for you should you need us for anything.

Armand Ryan Atienza

Home

Gerald and I came home that day and really wanted to make some Holiday memories with the kiddos. We thought making smores over our fireplace and decorating a ginger bread house would do the trick.  It did!



I truly believe that wherever one dwells, as long as its inhabitants connect daily is a home. Anything less, no matter how extravagant the dwelling is, is not a home.




Park

I frickin' love going to the park. To run and to play with the kiddies is my personal fave. I'm a little under the weather today, but I took Gigi and Gavin to the Newark Library and the park nearby to play. It was cute. Gigi made three friends in about a 40 minute time span. Two girls and one boy...she's a friendly one like her mama :)



She even raced the boy on the slide and she won several times. The boy was one year older also. And Gavin? He thinks he's big boy now. He kept saying "no" and pushing my hand aside when I tried helping him. A year ago he was a drooly, crawling baby and now a toddler. *Sigh* Time flies, man.

December 2010
December 2011

Library

I personally love the library and I want my kids to love it there too! If the library charged money to get in, I'd totally pay it but luckily we here in the US have a plethora of free services to us. Our libraries and parks are the best! =) :) Studies show that if children are exposed to reading early on, they are more enthusiastic learners as they progress into school. I like to think that I am my children's very first teacher and I have a lot fun with that ;)




Here's to our happy places..Hope you visit yours soon :) Have a C&B week!


Thursday, December 8, 2011

Holidays..NASA style

With her inflatable friend

The Rapunzel Show and actors were AWESOME!

Encore!!

Weee!!

With a Holiday Fairy!

With Santa!


DePerios with Santa


Daddy leading the way

More entertainment: Polynesian Dancers


Father & Son


Gigi learning to shake it

Shake what yo' mama gave ya!

Siblings :)


Face painting (Gavin opted out)

Cheese!


Quick diaper change in daddy's office & a pic with the kiddies

Monday, December 5, 2011

MOVE IT!



The human body is an AMAZING machine. I know this first hand because a year ago when I decided on a healthier lifestyle I could not jog, let alone run one mile without stopping. I could not complete an abdominal crunch without my tummy quivering with pain, ready to give out. (Check out last year's post about this HERE)

Today I can run one mile at 8 minutes 20 seconds. I can do numerous crunches, incline sit ups..easily.

Good health is not something achieved passively. You have to WORK for it. And, if you don't MOVE YOUR MACHINE (YOUR BODY), how in the world can you say you're HEALTHY? If you SMOKE how are you healthy? If you OVEREAT on a regular basis how are you healthy? If you DO DRUGS how are you healthy? If you are continuously OVERWORKED and OVERSTRESSED how are you healthy?

All I'm saying is that in our American society of "More is Better," "Bigger is Best," "Quantity Rules" I say THE HELL WITH ALL OF THAT! In my book, living simply and purposely is best. The rub is that YOU have to figure out what that means to you.

Replace REASONS** with ACTION and REPEAT.

Everything else is irrelevant.

**(in your mind they are REASONS when in actuality they more likely resemble EXCUSES..but I'm trying to be nice here) 

BE YOUR OWN SUCCESS STORY BECAUSE NO ONE ELSE CAN DO IT FOR YOU!!

BOTTOM LINE: YOU CAN DO IT!!!

One year ago..

Sometimes all you need is a change of perspective when something is not going right. Mine happens to be that as my children grow in age and appearance, I thankfully have been going the opposite direction: decreasing in size and age by being stronger & healthier :) Here's to continuing this trend and the healthy habits that are now my lifestyle. May you meet all your fitness goals this coming new year!
december 2010, gavin 8 months old, gigi 2.5 years old
december 2011, gavin 18 months old, gigi 3.5 years old
millie december 2010
millie december 2011