Checking in

April is almost over.  I don't think this year is going to be a slow one.  That is not what I had asked for at the beginning of the year.  I told myself that I would stop and smell the roses or I mean my kids heads and enjoy every moment.  Well, not every moment, but a lot of moments. And what is happening?  These days, weeks, months are just flying by, just like last year and the year before that. 

 I have taken a lot of photos so that I can remember these days and those days and the ones before and after.  I have a phone and camera full of them.  I just have them sitting in memory cards waiting to be printed or posted or looked at and I can't find the time to do any of those things.  I can't find the time, because it keeps escaping me.  It just slips away. And by the time I want to stop and enjoy the moment I am in bed with one of the kids and the day is done.  Too late.

Jonas has one month left of school.  One month.  Then its off to first grade, where he will be gone all day.  All day.  I will definitely welcome the time with just two babes, instead of three, but I will have to get used to not seeing him until the afternoon. 

Angus has been talking so much. Yelling here and there, too.  He is my little naked boy.  He takes his pants off every chance he can get.  I am constantly chasing after him with shorts in hand.  At least he doesn't wear diapers!  

"You are my baby boy," I tell him.  "I am not a baby. I am a big boy," he says, fists at his sides.

 

Words Paloma says: mommy, up, down, bo-bo, abua, ti-ti, angy, eto (esto), that, this, ampa (grandpa)

brothers

36 months - HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

angus,

you turned three years old on wednesday.

you are my sweet, handsome little boy, with your big brown eyes and light brown hair.

you are such a wild man, too.

you

:are fully potty trained.  yay!

:love to hold chickens, baby chicks and roosters.

:like transformers, spiderman, batman, iron man and cars.

:are nice and mean to your baby sister.

:like to swing in the little red swing we have in the backyard and sometimes fall asleep in it.

:can climb up and down the tree in the front yard.

:also like to help me cook.  just like bo-bo.

:look up to your big brother and repeat almost everything he says.

:get mad and kick your legs and punch the air.  this is adorable to watch!

:like to take off your clothes and run around naked.

:will eat candy all day if i let you.  i don't let you, though, but you do love anything sweet.

:wish you could go to school with jonas.

:say 'awww' every time paloma does something cute.

:hold my face when you give me a kiss.  so sweet.

:have lots of little friends.

:have a loud, squealy voice and talk even louder when your brother and sister are sleeping.

:are always talking about coconuts.  (don't know why)

i love you, my little man.

happy birthday!

mom

On having kids

Jonas: When I get big, I'm going to have 6 kids.  I'm going to let them play video games every day.
Me: Every day?
Jonas: For two hours.
Me: That's a lot. 
Jonas: Okay, one hour.  There names are going to be Julian Armenta 'cause he'll be family and I'm an Armenta.
Me:  So, there will be a Julian.
Jonas: Yeah, Julian, Carl, Nep, Kyla, Kylia and Kayla.  I'll have three girls.
Me:  You think your house will get crazy with six kids?
Jonas: No.  If they get crazy, I'll just give them a not-hard spanking like this (gently smacks leg).

one and one and one

Whenever I feel like I am not giving each one of my children my full attention, I stop to think and realize that they aren't being deprived of love or attention because they get it from each other.  They are together when they wake up early in the morning, while we are still in bed, trying to wake up.  They sit at the table when they are eating breakfast.  Cartoons are playing while some watch and some play. 

Sometimes they fight, but who gets along all the time.  One takes the others toy, or makes the other cry.  They then learn that life is a little tough and you have to stand up for yourself and be strong or cry and wait until mom comes to figure out a solution.  

They are a brother, a brother and a sister.  Each one very different from the other. They know it, see it and feel it. 

They go outside and watch each other play, learn, struggle, climb, cry, laugh, yell, hug, explore.  Each one takes a little bit from the other and so on.
Angus and Jonas make sure the bathroom is closed so Paloma doesn't go in.  Paloma wakes up once she hears Jonas' voice every morning.  If another kid takes a toy away from Angus, Jonas is there to stick up for him.  In the backseat, they all take care of or annoy each other.  No matter what is happening, be it good or bad, they are together.

They are so lucky to have each other. 

Month 14

  

PALOMA

:knows how to make a kissing sound with her lips

:calls out to jonas by saying, "hey"

:likes to stand on top of our night stand and look out the window

:has a goofy laugh, and a goofy personality

:likes to sneak little rocks into her mouth 

:sometimes shyly puts her little head down if someone is talking to her
:says "pease, pease" when she is asking her brothers for whatever they are eating. we don't know if she is saying please or piece.  hmm...

Not bad, not bad at all

 

Last week was not a good week for me.  It was stressful.  

Today was good.  The house was a mess, but I didn't let it get to me.  It's always a mess anyway.  I stayed calm and happy and all was good.

 

A happy boy on his bike.

 All three watching cartoons. 

First there was one, then there were two, and now there are three little people who liven up this house.

Update

The thing about the phone being broken is old news. 
I have a new phone now.
A very nice new phone that I will take care of and protect. 
I will not leave it on overflowing sink counters or allow a baby (girl) to hold it, at all.

Thanks to my husband for the new phone, it's lovely!

My Tuesday

I’m spent.  Today was truly a trying, or did I mean tiring, day.  So many little things happened that had me going around like a chicken with its head cut off.  So much so, that my phone is not working now.  Another phone broken is so typical of me, it’s embarrassing. 

The babes were extra wild.   Angus kept doing the opposite of what I asked him to do or not do.  Jonas was good, but was not up for going to school after he hurt himself in the bathtub.   Paloma fell asleep in her towel, diaper-less, after I gave her a bath. 

When she woke up, I let her walk around for a few minutes without clothes or a diaper, while I served the boys some ice cream.  I walked back out from the kitchen to discover a lovely little poop mess.   I cleaned her up and was washing her hands in the sink, walked out of the bathroom without turning the faucet off.  I didn’t realize the sink plug was in.  I walked in to turn it off and saw water overflowing.  My phone got wet because I had set it down on the counter. 

I had a wet phone, water on the floor, a crying Paloma in her crib, poop in the dining area yet to be cleaned, but at least there were two happy boys enjoying some rocky road, sharing one chair.  (I want to remember them sitting there together, always, because they looked so darn cute.)  All of this on top of other spills and fits that took place in the morning.

“I’ll clean the bathtub for you.  That will make you feel better,” Jonas said after finishing up his ice cream.  He either hugs me or tries to help out when I look a little stressed.

“Be careful in there,“ I said.  “It‘s slippery.” 

Soon after I said that, he slipped and hit his face.  I ran in after I heard him cry out and saw that his nose was bleeding.  He was okay, just scared at the site of blood. 

I let him stay home from school. 

Which then threw naps out of whack.  Which means I didn't get a break.  Which means the messes I cleaned up, were followed by more messes.  Which means that by four, I was wishing it was bed time or that Miah would show up.  Well, they sure were not tired at four and Miah never showed up.

I did manage to get them to bed by eight.  All three sleeping in the same bed, at the same time.  A high five to myself for that! 

Tomorrow is going to be better.  Tomorrow will be easy after experiencing today.   Whatever happened today, will not happen again tomorrow.  There will be a new craziness that I will try to be ready for, tomorrow.

This moment