Toddler Speak: I couldn't wait for her to be able to tell me what was on her mind, BUT NOW...

Vivia just squealed from the tub "My face is ruined, my face is ruined!!!"

This just one of the Vivia-isms that she puts together all by herself. (WARNING: Gratuitous Parental Bragging to follow:) She's been speaking full sentences since before she turned two. In two languages. Our pediatrician shows her off to the rest of the staff at every visit, saying "This is the one I was telling you about..." WONDERFUL, right?

Weeeeeell, One bad thing about my toddler being SO well spoken at such a young age is that there is no awareness of discretion. She just says what's on her mind or in her emotions! No matter who is in the room, where we are, or which social situation we find ourselves in. Which, most of the time is fine. And even cute. For instance, the other day we were cruising through Target, and I let her out of the carriage (which is still a rare thing), and she shoots down the Christmas aisles both singing at the top of her lungs, and shouting... "I LOVE Christmas, I LOVE Christmas!!! Look Mama, Christmas trees, look Mama, decorations!!! OOOOh I LOVE decorations, I LOVE Christmas trees!!!" to some made-up tune. She (nor I, for that matter) could contain her excitement. She drew a crowd from several aisles over. And they all commented on how she made their day.

THAT part is ok. Or the part where at church, after the Band goes quiet, and after she has danced her heart out, she says "THAT was FUN!!!" and the whole congregation laughs.
Or the part where she walks up on stage after a meeting is over, grabs the mic and says as dramatic as any ring master... : "Ladies, and Gentlemen! Boys and Girls of all ages... Wanna see me do a trick?" where does she get this stuff??? yah, yah laugh it up...
HOWEVER...

The part that is NOT ok is this>
Vivia has two volume levels... 1. LOUD and 2. ASLEEP
So, at her normal level, in the middle of a quiet, crowded room she says:
"HAAAA HAAAA!!!! Mommy, you FART!"
Now, for the record, I DID NOT fart. No, I didn't~! But the sound was heard by her, and the damage was done.
OR when we walk by someone who obviously DID just fart, or is doing their business in shame behind the stall door and she says, "I smell something, STINKS Mama!!!!"

But the one to top all:
During the election she must've loved the sound of BARAK OBAMA's name b/c she pranced around the house saying it over and over, like some little Pop Warner Cheerleader. Well, so as to be fair and balanced, I taught her to say "John McCain," as well. Both of them were all over the tv for sooo long that she knew who they were by sight too...
SOOOOO: One day (in a crowd, she tends to draw a crowd...) someone had given us a brochure with both cantidates on the cover. She takes it and says "that's Barak Obama, Mama." Yes, yes it is, "And that's John McCain." Yes, right again. Then she says... "He's a really really really black black black boy."
OMG!!!
I FROZE in horror, and also because I was trying not to bust out laughing. She decided to have that revelation in public, rather than private. Then she says "And he's a really really really WHITE boy."

Now, upon further questioning, I find out she's talking about their HAIR color, not their skin color. So, we can save that whole conversation for another time.

I have days now where my ears are ringing by bedtime because of the constant chatter! I blog late into the night, just to hear grown up conversation in my head. I relish peace where I can find it~ even in the most unique situations, like this gem:
One night at a family sit-down dinner, we forced Vivia to eat "one more bite" of chicken so that she could have a cookie for dessert. So, in her defiance, she chewed and sucked on that piece of meat without swallowing for (no joke) 30 minutes -her way of still being in control. Gabriel says to me, "Babe, shouldn't we do something about that?" and without skipping a beat, I reply, "Nope. I am kinda enjoying the quiet."

I wish I could record her sweet little "cartoonish" voice of all her little sayings. I don't want to forget a ONE of them! Gabe and I have a "Vivia-isms" journal that we started so we could write down a glossary of her 2 year old terms.

I recently found the "Olivia" books. And they made me laugh so much, because they really could be called "Vivia." Maybe I'm on to something there. I just won't make my main character a little pig. A parrot... maybe. :)

Merry Christmas: Rio's first, Vivia's 3rd

Vivia's Christmas Dress. I bought for her when she was a few months old, knowing it would be a while before it fit...









































Singing "Christmas Music" Her favorite songs: Mele Kaliki-liki-liki-liki maka, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle bells AWAY!!!
And "Sleigh Ride"


















































Ridiculous amounts of presents!!!
And a partridge in a 7 foot-pre-lit-Christmas TREE...
(which was much quicker to put up this year of newborns, and much to do... but not as gratifying as the real thing.) Fake trees look, well... fake.






























Santa left Vivia a letter, and took a humongous bite out of the cookie.

















I hope I never forget the HUGE smile on her face ALL day long!!! And what it looks like to see her say the word presents with her little lisp (tongue against the huge gap in her two front teeth... so precious!!!)


























HE LOVED HIS NEW RATTLE/CHEW toy.






















Vivia plays with her presents from Santa, while Rio kicks happily with his new toy.











I love his big fat baby legs!!!!
His shirt says "I love presents!!!"




































Playing with the foil holographic crinkly wrapping paper WIPED him out!!!

More pics later!!!
Gotta go feed the kiddos now.

More perspective...

One of my BFF's miscarried last night. This after a very painful miscarriage earlier this year, then 6 months of trying. I am deeply saddened by this turn of events but it serves to remind me of how I am so very blessed. I have a happy healthy baby boy that came with his share of challenges that we are still facing, but praise God, we have him.

Giant Rio

Rio has been going through a growth spurt of massive proportions the last few days, and I woke up this morning with an giant infant instead of a newborn. This boy is GROWING so much and so fast! It really does fly by! He has been an eating machine- which the timing is a little off, seeing as I am SOOOO extremely busy this week. But, he will not be ignored! So, I have just had to stay up late into the night to get all things done.

Here are a few more pics of him holding his head up. Before you know it, he'll be doing long division! Doctor Rio! I love the pic where you see him mid-drool! I think he may be teething already~ is this possible? He's only 11 weeks!

He also found his thumb a few days ago. He is ALL boy. With this new-found skill, this is all he wants to do. He sucks it ghetto-style, with it cocked to the side, and his four fingers extended to cover half his cheek. It is so funny! I have yet to catch it on camera. This is my goal in the next few days.
7 days 'till Christmas! I am ready to have the BEST Christmas yet!

Magic Kingdom Christmas

Vivia was in heaven on Sunday when she was surprised with a trip to the Magic Kingdom for being such a good girl last week in her re-potty training. We went directly to Fantasyland where she rode Dumbo, and the Carousel, and we walked through the Castle. She called it "MY castle", then we went to Toon Town to see where Mickey and Minnie and Donald live. She went on Goofy's rollercoaster- NO FEAR, just screams of FUN! We then went on the train that circles the whole park. And then headed over to Epcot for a dinner she will not likely forget. At Norway, you can have dinner with all the princesses! She was in her Belle dress, and she met Belle (in the same dress), then Jasmine, Aurora, Ariel, and Cinderella all came to our table to talk with Vivia and to take Photos. Of course, my camera battery was DEAD by then, but we do have LOTS of video of it. If I can figure out how to get the video on to my MAC, I will post some.
Christmas this year just keeps getting better and better!
I love how it is Christmas ALL MONTH long! Not just one day!
We will be spending New Years in Cancun with extended family. I haven't even BEGUN to think about that yet...
eeeeeeeee.

Here with Us

This song is amazing! Definitely what Christmas is all about. Lyrics are posted below.

MERRY CHRISTMAS.

Here With Us
It's still a mystery to me
That the hands of God could be so small
How tiny fingers reaching in the night/ Were the very hands that measured the sky

Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Heaven's love reaching down to save the world
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Son of God, Servant King- Here with us
You're here with us

Still a mystery to me/ How His infant eyes have seem to gone with time
How His ears have heard an angels' symphony
But still Mary had to rock her Savior to sleep

Jesus the Christ born in Bethlehem
A baby born to save...to save the souls of man

Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Heaven's offering sent down to save the world
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Son of God, Servant King- Here with us

New Name board for RYAN

A friend of mine, *Hi, Miranda* asked me to make a name board for her nephew. Here it is... and like the others, it has become my new favorite!
Merry Christmas Ryan!

Hanukkah Supper Menu Recipes... festival of lights for all my Jewish friends out there...

Hanukkah has always fascinated me since I learned about it as a child. This holiday that is celebrated by my Jewish friends is a yearly reminder of God's miraculous provision for his children.
I have incorporated a menorah into my family's personal seasonal tradition. We light the candles for the eight nights, taking a moment to be thankful for the things we have been provided the previous year- much like Thanksgiving. Any holiday that encourages a grateful heart, we will encourage it!
For all my friends out there that light the menorah, GO HERE for a Hanukkah Menu plus the recipes.
L'Chaim!

Rio's first conformer

Just a quick update...
Rio had his first appointment with the Ocularist on Tuesday. He was fitted with a conformer. The O put it in his eye and told us to leave it there. Not to take it out. You can see it in this photo. It is clear but with a little black dot on it, so we can tell if it is in or not. When they are clear like that, I guess people weren't able to tell when they had fallen out, if that were to happen.

So, he will continue to wear this one until his next appointment when this will be replaced with a larger one. The O said that probably as early as a few months, we will be able to get him in a piece "with art" as he called it. Which is basically another shell that has a pupil painted on it- matching the color of his eyes. This is when you really wont be able to tell that he has anything different. So far so good. He is doing great with it in. It doesn't seem to bother him at all. The O told us it may even make his eye feel better to have something in there.
He is so precious, I can't stand it!
He is getting progressively more vocal. Making so many little noises and trying to talk and sing. A lot more than Vivia at this age. He is already a great orator!
More updates as they come.
Peace out.

A love story... for my groom

I am making new friends. I have made 2 new ones in the course of one week. It's funny when you are married with kids how excited you get when you get out and actually meet somebody new. Like, REALLY excited. Like, *kindergarten, running home from school all giddy* excited. Or even like, *I met this new guy and I think he likes me* excited, from back in the dating days. Nostalgia kicks in of all-night-long phone marathons, and slumber parties. And connecting, really connecting with another female. In the kind of deep friendship that only women can have with each other...

WHY IS THAT?
Well, I think it's the pending possibility of being understood - there's only so much daddy "gets". Of having someone to hang with. Of something new or different going on, in general. Of taking a break from the norm and the mundane. Maybe you'll be able to discuss all that norm and mundane with this new friend and then you may become "best-ies". And you may have a BFF again. And then you may grow to become life-long kindred spirits whose children grow up together... So that when you go home, your emotional quota of the day has been filled and you can return as a lover to the man you cook and pay bills for, instead of trying to turn him into a woman by "talking him to death" and getting angry because he doesn't understand something that is impossible for him to.

...Or you may just lose her phone number and never run into her again.

But, for the night, it felt good to have some good-old-fashioned, innocent excitement before bringing in all the groceries, picking up all the toys, changing one more diaper and laying your exhausted head down on the pillow only to be awakened in a few hours by a hungry baby boy that you are in love with. Or to be awakened by a little girl, needing some hugs and cuddles, that you are in love with . Or to be awakened by another hungry boy that you have been married to for 8 years today, and are in love with. And while laying there awake in the dark, you remember that you really love the home you have built together. And that you are happier than you ever thought possible, and that you have learned more about yourself in those 8 years than in the sum total 33. And realize that a bunch of seemingly mundane days added together with some really amazing ones equal one beautiful life full of memories.
A life better than you could have even imagined for yourself. One where you are so at peace that if you were to die tonight, you wouldn't feel cheated out of a single thing. Or that you missed out on something life was supposed to have given you. Or from the satisfaction of working hard to achieve it. This is the peace that comes from knowing you are exactly where you are supposed to be, doing exactly that for which you were created. Knowing you are loved exactly for who you are, just as you are. And that love and peace filling you up so much that you can't help but let it overflow into the lives of those around you.

I can't wait until the number of years we have been together, outnumber the number of years we weren't.
I love you more today than yesterday, but less than I will tomorrow.
I love you more as a father to my children than I did as my lover. But not forgoing the latter to the former.
A fine wine grows better with age- as does love.

I am in love with my groom.

Happy Anniversary.
You are my Best-ie

Why am I posting this, instead of just sending it to my Husband in a private email? Because this is the modern *shout it from the rooftops* kind of thing I am feeling right now. I am married to THE BEST man in the whole world. Sorry, ladies. Get your own.

got my hair did...

Yep, Occasionally I am one of "those" that posts photos of self on blog-slash-social networking site. Not because I am vain, but when a photo of me better tells the story than me just writing it, I gladly "add a thousand words" without actually adding them.
I have always loved Asian hair. Not only are Asian women of the most strikingly gorgeous on the planet, but add to that, long luxurious locks, and we've got ourselves a Lucy Liu! So what if she's 5'2" in platform flip-flops?
Well, this year at a Christmas party that we go to annually, the hosts decided to change it up a bit and add a theme. It is "A Cowboy Christmas". Those of you who know me, know this is the farthest thing from my personality- except that I would love to have horses- so, after my gagging reflex kicked in, I realized I could get creative with it. I have come up with an idea for Gabe and I to go as. And the hair is part of it. I can't tell what it is exactly, because some of the people who read this blog are also attending this party in the hay, but the hint is the hair.
"I got my hair did." just for the occasion.
Now I need a spray tan, because the problem with jet black tresses is that they tend to pale every other part in comparison...
Next step of the plan... Hit the thrift stores for our threads.
:)

Yes, I will update.
Yes, we will win for best costume.
Yeee Haw, or shall I say "Giddyup"?

I love Christmas

I love Christmas I love Christmas I love Christmas I love Christmas I love Christmas I love Christmas I love Christmas I love Christmas I love Christmas I love Christmas I love Christmas I love Christmas I love Christmas I love Christmas I love Christmas I love Christmas I love Christmas I love Christmas I love Christmas I love Christmas I love Christmas I love Christmas I love Christmas I love Christmas I love Christmas I love Christmas I love Christmas I love Christmas I love Christmas I love Christmas I love Christmas I love Christmas I love Christmas I love Christmas I love Christmas I love Christmas I love Christmas I love Christmas I love Christmas.

Did I mention, I love Christmas?

23 days and counting...

Hilarious- in Spanish too!

My husband is from Venezuela, originally. He is in line for his US citizenship. But, being that the entirety of his family speaks Spanish, we are teaching our children both languages. The way that we have researched to be the best approach to this, is that I speak only English, and He speak only Spanish to them. Which we have done since Vivia was born. Although we kinda both speak both to them.
She is fluent in hearing Spanish, and is less interested in actually speaking it.

Well, this morning- being the expert that she is, the following is a very funny quote from Vivia and Rio's interaction:

My mother enters the room to find Vivia talking baby talk back to Rio, who is increasingly more vocal in the last week. She LOVES to mimic his vocalizations and have conversations with him. Well, she proceeds to tell Bella this:

"Ah-goo" is 'Ah-Bwah' in Spanish"...

ROTFLMAO!!!