Technical Difficulties

So my camera was dysfunctional for 90% of the last week due to battery issues. I did manage t0 catch one shot of Mason at his soccer game. No action shots - they come out too dark there.

Mason is running great! Unfortunately a side cramp slowed him down in the closing minutes of the game. He still had a good time.

We also went to Gloria's b-day party yesterday which would have made for a great photo op but alas. I can't even post the avocado green color she informed us that she wanted to paint her house. Think 1970's puke green. I voiced my opposition. Perhaps a bit too much.

I'm now coming down with Siena's cold and between that, the Blazers losses, and my iPod technical difficulties, I'm surly at best. Luis would call me worse right now I think...but this blog is rated PG.

That Not Supposed to Happen!

That's right. The Blazers weren't supposed to embark on their first playoff game in 6 years by getting slaughtered by the Rockets. At home. No. As Mason would say "that not supposed to happen!"

That's the only thing that could put a damper on this beautiful weekend. Almost.

We hit the park on Saturday. Siena is the swing queen!
Mason LOVES to go for walks around the park. Unfortunatly, at the tail end of his walk with daddy, he bit it on the pavements and skinned his knees. He needed some mommy hugs after that.
The classic Cruz family picture - Mason in tears over his knees and Seina climbing on something.

We went to Baskin Robbins after the park to try to lift the injured boys spirits. Ice cream defintily did the trick.

Luis had a soccer game today (he's the one in the light yellow jersey). The kids and I went to watch him and we all had a good time. Note to self: taking toys for the kids to these events was a good idea.

Here's some common phrases around our house:

Siena: "I tiny one!"

Mason: "What are you saying?!?"

Me: "Siena, why don't you have pants on?"

Siena: "I watch Stwaabely Shortcake!"

Mason: "Siena hit me!"

Mason: "I want you."

Mason: "I having a bad day!"

Siena: "I go potty..."

Me: "Siena, where are your pants!?!"

Me: "Siena, get dressed!"

Apparently Luis is less repetitive than the rest of us since neither he nor I can think of any of his catch phrases.

Back to watching my E True Hollywood Story on Punky Brewster!

Bunny Hops and Puppy Drops

Seriously, another one? Apologies for the blurry picture. Luis took it. You get the drift though.
If we have many more of those things, one of these days I'm going to look in the back yard and see this:

But I digress...

So we went up to Yaya and Papa Ron's for Easter celebrations. Of course it was raining. It is Oregon after all. When we pulled up, this is what we saw. I knew right away who the culprit was.

This wasn't the culprit. This is the little girl that fell asleep on the way to YaYa's clutching her Easter basket.

But she was the first one seated and ready for Easter dinner!

We made a smart decision in doing dinner prior to the Easter egg hunt. Full bellies make for a little less candy eating. Not much though.

Is there one here? Nope, Mason got it already.

Hurry, hurry...those eggs move pretty fast!

Happiness is: finding an egg filled with chocolate.

Happiness is not: finding Toby's poopie under the dining room table.

Displaying the loot.

Aaahhhh, the boys. Dad's shirt matches the couch. Mom must have picked that out.

This was an attempt at a picture of Luis, Siena, and Annette. Too bad we can't exactly see Annette.

Siena got the bright idea last week to grab the scissors and cut her own hair. This is the result. Yup, the hair on top is about the length of Mason's. Guess it'll be a while before we get her bangs grown out.

Oh, and there's Easter chocolate around her mouth to boot. That's my little girl! Speaking of my dainty little girl...quick, move before Toby lifts his leg!!!

Yeah, Annette and Mom got a kick out of noting that my daughter was just like me in a dress. Hahahahaha...

Mason's Easter disco ball.

One plus about my kids is that they actually like hard boiled eggs. I never did as a kid (though I do now) Thank goodness since they provide some semblance of balance against all the sugar.

Whew. It was a good Easter. Maybe one of these years we'll be able to do the egg hunt in doors but regardless, we had a wonderful dinner and a good time with the company. Now its back for another work week. As I type, Mason is screaming about his poopie (he's already done 7 in the toilet, not sure why #8 is a big deal) and Siena is taunting him. I think I'll stay down here just a little bit longer...

Do It Again

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXXmg2-6v-I

It took 2 weeks and about 800 tries but I FINALLY got through that song yesterday on hard. I emitted a resounding "Woo Hoo!" Then I realized I was getting waaayyyyy too excited about a video game.

So moving on...

Calling all aspiring landscape designers!! See below. Somethings's gotta be done with this slope from hell. I sprayed all of the weeds today to get them to expire but it still needs a plan. Then we'll save up our money for a decade and implement the plan. This is the ultimate Landscaper's Challenge. HGTV, where are you when we need you!
The weather this weekend was BEAUTIFUL!! No, we didn't do this all weekend:

But Luis is struggling with his own Do It Again (Mountain Song) but I'm he'll just keep doing it again.

Oh, and there's my pride and joy:

Oh wait, this is my pride and joy. Mason had his first practice today for soccer. Game #1 is next week. He's on his cousin Andre's team and they're excited to play together. Mason is also made such improvement over a year ago. Now he has 100% confidence out on the pitch.

Of course, he's thrilled to come home and play cars.

Speaking of my sweetie boy, he gave me this flower on Friday. Aaawwwww.....

We may have worn out the Nannies...I should probably wake her up now but I think I'll let her have a few more minutes. She's so sweet when she's asleep.

Parenthood

No one tells you how to do this. Sure, there's books. There's websites. There's "experts." You can read all that stuff and it might help. Odds are though, it won't. They're ideas and things that worked for others. Your kids are smater than that. They won't fall for the experts tips and tricks. They make YOU figure it out - the hard way.

Mason has been fully potty trained for #1 for at least a year and a half. Its like clockwork now. He can correctly identify all of his ABC's, 123's, colors, and car engine parts. He wouldn't poop in the toilet though. He'd politely request a diaper and then void.

Then something changed. Wednesday, March 25, 9:30 AM I receive a call at work. Mason POOPED in the TOILET!!! And I beamed for the next 12 hours.

I hadn't taken any time off (aside from unplanned snow days) since last summer so I decided to take last Thursday and Friday off. On Thursday, Luis and I took the kids to Enchanted Forest.
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall...
Luis found a 'coon in the Enchanted Forest.

Luis and Siena in the Witches mouth. Mason was too scared to go in...

Standing under the tree seemed safer to him than the witches mouth.

He was also a little wary of the crooked house. Siena loved it though!

Luis and Siena did the slide...

Then we proceeded to the Wild West!

Takin' a break...

And smilin' all the while...

Happy Nannies at the bottom of another slide...

The kids LOVED the kiddie Bumper Boats that they got to drive themselves.

Mason went on it twice, the second time while Siena and I were on the big toboggan ride (the one he was scared to go on).

He wouldn't do this ride either but Siena was game!

The choo choo train was also a big hit!

Making sure Siena was tall enough to ride the roller coaster - and she is by a good 2 inches!

Siena did GREAT on the roller coaster. She loved it. She was a little wary of this one though. Too much frog hopping perhaps.

It was a great day. All of us enjoyed Enchanted Forest. Course, on the drive home the kids had to try to provoke each other. Siena wailed...

and apparently Mason's bottle of juice was the cause. Nevermind that Siena had half of the bottle of juice in her own cup. Nooooo, she wanted the bottle.

Friday the kids went to spend the night at YaYa and Papa Ron's. Luis and I enjoyed our first movie in the theater since July (we saw Duplicity which was good) and had a great dinner out with the DeCicco's.

Saturday was back to more family time. The kids were a little tired after a night at YaYa's (she was probably tired too) so we stayed close to home. Today too.

I spent 45 minutes in the bathroom with Mason today trying to coax him into pooping in the toilet again. Finally Luis was able to get him too. Apparently I thought after going once, the seal would be broken and all pooping would flow easy. Nope. Now we have 2 down though and hopefully more to come.

Luis went downtown today to see if he could get a part as an extra in a movie being filmed in town next month. Unfortunately, the rest of the Portland unemployed had the same idea...

He's not quite Hollywood enough to wait in this line...

Back to my messy house for another week.