Another day.

No school yesterday since it was Martin Luther King day. We knew at some point Papa J would have to go into work so we tried to make most of our morning. I've been meaning to plant the daffodil bulbs my mother gave me but with my broken wrist and broken planter box I've needed some help. Papa J got to work for me. It was wonderful. The girls both jumped in to help as they always do. They really can't leave their daddy's side.

Just after he poured the dirt into the planter box he got the expected call and off to work he went. The girls and I finished planting our bulbs and then got ready to head to the park.

We met our neighbors at the "train park." We've never been before so it was new to us. We loved it!! So much we stayed past lunch time. So as my tummy rumbled we left the park to have lunch at home.

Since Z had a slight cold I've been having her take naps to get the extra rest her body needs. So the best trick I have learned with my girls is to have them snuggle in my bed with me and read books. After a couple of books we all roll over and nap together. It's the best bonding time and we all get our much needed rest! I usually wake up with both girls snuggled on each side of me. I love it. And I'll take it as long as I can.

Of course Papa J had to stay late at work so it was an easy dinner for us. I tried waking Z up around 5 o'clock but she wasn't ready. I thought maybe she would sleep the whole night but she finally woke around 6 pm. Luckily she went to bed around 9 without a problem. Her cold is gone so the extra rest was a success.

So much of my days seem to fly on by these days. I don't get in the crafting, sewing, or extra activities I used to anymore. And the one thing I've neglected the most is writing down our everyday adventures. I used to blog more often and I love looking back on those days. So I'm determined to keep fighting for this here blog so that I can relive these small memories and details of our little life.

Avocado chocolate mousse.

Every since Z was a child, she never liked avocados. It was hard to believe since I'm an absolute avocado lover. But even to this day, she will not touch them. Until now.

Awhile ago a friend of mine had told me about a chocolate mouse made with avocados. It sounded weird, but when I had a few ripe avocados on my hands, I finally decided to give it a try. And guess what, my kids were in heaven. They thought I was the greatest mom on the planet! I rarely make dessert and to be honest we don't even have a lot of sweets in our house. So for me to make a chocolate mousse was such a surprise.

Though they saw the avocados go into the blender, they didn't question them after seeing the carob powder (cocoa) go in. Immediately they were willing to try it. And they LOVED it. Cici even licked her bowl clean.

I used this recipe the first time, but there is also a more simple version here (which is supposedly more fudgy).  I have made this twice now and the girls go crazy over it. So if you ever have some avocados on hand (or are on sale), I dare you to try it. It's healthier (as in healthy fats) than regular mousse and it whips up in seconds. I'm not a chocolate lover, but together with avocados, even I was a fan.

Lemonade stand.

After our move, I consulted with my neighbor and we decided to have a combined garage sale. I love getting rid of stuff! I purged/sold a lot of our belongings when we moved after medical school, but there is always something lying around that I can sell or donate to create more space. And since it's summer and most don't use their lemons on their trees, I talked Z into having a lemonade stand. It didn't take much convincing since I told her she could use the money to buy THEE pony at Target she'd been eying.

The lemonade stand was a success! And when I say a success, I mean a $28 success! The neighbor boy was an excellent salesman and Z even had a friend from church come over to help her out. It was such a fun day! And yes we were able to buy her pony at Target which she is in LOVE with. Little Cici also got to pick out a toy for all her "cooperation," too.

I  think the next time we do a lemonade stand, Z must be older so she can actually count out money and give proper change. But I think this was a great start. I didn't have opportunities like this when I was little so I'm living vicariously through my children. Papa J didn't think the girls would really make any money, but when I texted him that the first sale of the day were the $1 cookies, he was sad he couldn't be there to see their faces light up.

Stopping to smell the roses.

It's been quite awhile since I've blogged last. But alas, I'm hoping to get out of my hiatus. Let's just say I've stopped to smell the roses. Literally!

We moved out of our apartment to a duplex and I'm in heaven. I feel so spoiled! All the stars aligned in our favor and I feel so blessed. We now have a garage and a wonderful rose blooming backyard. Need I say more? Oh yes and all for less rent. I tell ya, I feel spoiled. But I am so thankful for what we have. I just love waking up in the mornings and looking at the rose bushes and checking on my garden. My eggplant is growing steadily and my tomatoes should be turning red shortly. I've yet to see any peppers, but we'll see. 

So though I have not been documenting my life as it's been happening, I'll hopefully be catching up soon.

Its officially summer.

You know it's officially summertime when on the last day of school you run to 7-Eleven for your free slurpee!

Laundry.

Who knew laundry could be so exciting? We've never had a washer or dryer in our apartment until recently (we did when we were first married, but not with the kids) and the kids get super excited when the spin cycle comes on. They call for one another, run over to the washer and massage their little feet and hands.

From the mouth of a 5yr old.

At school, Z had a Mother's Day program I was invited to. In fact I was scheduled to work in the classroom that day. But to keep the program a surprise, I switched classrooms with the class next door and helped the other teacher prep for their program.

The program was sweet. The kids sang three songs and then we had sandwiches, fruit and dessert. The biggest surprise was an 'All about my Mom' letter. Each child answered different questions pertaining to their mother and we were given the answers. It was so sweet and extremely funny. I wanted to post in my blog in case the paper were to get lost, thrown away, or ruined by a nameless child. So here is Z talking about me:

My mommy is 13 years old. She weighs 31 lbs and is 4 ft tall. Her hair is dark brown and her eyes are dark brown. The favorite thing my mom likes to do is type on the computer. She likes to wear shirts, pants and leggings. My mommy's favorite household chore is cooking. My mom loves to cook oatmeal. My mom's favorite TV show is people movies. And her favorite song is Justin Bieber. When my mom goes shopping, she loves to buy sugar. If my mom could go on a trip, she would go to Grandma and Grandpa's. And she would take jello! Mommy always tells me, "I love you." I really love it when my mom helps me!

Isn't that sweet? Another special surprise were the gifts I received. Lotion, nail file, and coupons for a massage, a kiss and a hug. Her teacher taught all the children how to give their moms a massage. It was brilliant! When we got home Z and Cici both rubbed lotion on my legs, feet and arms. Daddy also got some of the action when he got home. It was really a memorable Mother's Day and it reminded me of how special my two daughters are to me.

The side table reveal.

I'm laughing at the title only because it sounds so much more exciting than it really is. This was just a little project, though a first for me. I hesitated and procrastinated for a long while on trying to decide on a color. Then one day my motivation sparked and I got to work. So I set up a corner on my patio and made it my painting station. Papa J brings home lots of items from the hospital (gowns, towels, etc) so I used them as a barrier to my patio walls. It was an ugly work station, but it turned out sufficient. Small projects are okay, but for my bigger projects I'll have to use a friends back yard for sure.

Like I said, this was a little project. I sanded a little bit, primed once, spray painted, and then sprayed a mini wax over for a little more protection.

At first I was excited about the color. And then I added it to my living room and every time I saw it I would do a double take. I'm not used to having colored furniture in my house! But I do love it and I like the little pop it gives to my living space. Now I'd like to add some coordinating pillows to our couch to try and tie everything in. I'm slowly working on it. It takes time people!

Feliz Cumpleanos!

This little girl of mine turned 5 last week. She was so excited to be celebrating her birthday at school. She (and I) were in charge of snack, an "all about me" poster, and she also got to share her special toys with all of her classmates. It really was a special day. And since we went on vacation right after her birthday, she's been talking non stop about her upcoming pool party to celebrate with her friends. I almost forget how exciting birthdays can be.

Soccer continues.

Z continues to play soccer and has been enjoying it thus far. I was surprised to see how well she caught onto the game and played in her first game. (She's #9)

The other teams have been playing together for a couple of years now and are a lot more experienced than our team. But with good spirits we have been just enjoying the sport and supporting our 'Pink Ice Cream' team. The girls have fun and that's what matters at this age.

Doesn't Z look so tough?

 

She fell a couple of times and looked at me to see my reaction. I told her to get up and keep going! I think she may just have my knack of competitiveness. I'm not sure soccer is her thing, but I'm glad to see her active and enjoying it nonetheless. It helps she has three friends on the team to keep her motivated.

Homemade Easter baskets.

Since I've been sewing away at my fabric stash, I thought it would be fun to make some Easter baskets for the girls this year. They turned out pretty cute, but nothing fancy. I didn't have fusible fleece the tutorial called for, but I did have some heavier fusible interfacing I used for the body of the baskets. It just wasn't strong enough to hold up the handles. Not a big deal. I even used up the rest of my piping from the girls Christmas seat cushions. I'm feeling very frugal these days and proud of it :) Sometimes you don't realize what you have on hand, it may just surprise you!

The girls loved their baskets. Z was so excited when I showed them to her. Not only did the Easter bunny use them, but the girls play with them often loading them up with toys, books or baby dolls and blankets for their everyday use. It's been great to see them used for multiple purposes. It's what I had in mind. And I'm hoping even if they get dirty before next Easter, they could easily be cleaned right up.

Train Museum.

For Easter weekend we headed to Sacramento to visit with family. It was also our final goodbye to Papa J's brother and his family. They flew out the day after Easter and headed to their new home of South Korea. Unless we somehow manage to scrounge up some money to visit them, it will be another two years, at least, until we see face to face again.

So to start off the weekend we met up at Old Sacramento to ride the train. We've never rode the train before and we probably won't do it again. The kids enjoyed it, but questioned why it didn't go faster or up any big hills! It's just one of those things we've checked off our list.

In the middle of the ride, you can watch the conductor switch the front engine and attach it to the back in order to return the train to the station.

The most scenic part of the train ride was passing by downtown. I quickly snapped a picture of the capital building. Papa J proposed to me at the very top of that building known as the cupola, 8 years ago.

The kids enjoyed being with one another and were sad to say goodbye at the end of the weekend.  I'm thinking as the kids learn to write more, they should be pen pals :)

Our Spingtime Centerpiece.

Our grass grew! And fast.

This was such a fun, easy and inexpensive centerpiece. The girls and I just loved it! We'd wake up every morning to see how much the grass had grown. From start to finish it only took 6 days. I first found the idea on a friends blog. Then I searched Pinterest to see what other ideas would come up. I knew I had to try this since everyone said it was so easy and virtually foolproof.

I found the red hard wheat berries in the bulk section at a local grocery store (Sprouts). The berries cost me .50 and I still have more left. I then measured out 1/3 cup and soaked them overnight. The next morning I placed them on top of the soil, covered it in saran wrap, and placed a towel over to give it a greenhouse effect. The next day I removed the saran wrap and towel and made sure the seeds received enough light. And sure enough in a couple of days the grass had already grown inches! I loved how fast it all took place.

I thought about juicing/blending the grass for the health benefits, but ended up not. I'll have to grow some more and try it out next time though. I also can't wait to do this every year as it's so cheerful and bright. It really made Springtime so special in our house.

Dew drops.

This morning when Z and I got out of bed, we checked our wheatgrass. I'm telling you this stuff grows fast! But what I found more interesting were the dew drops on the grass blades. I quickly grabbed my camera for a few shots because (to me) it was beautiful. And the vibrant green color is making me so happy just looking at it.

And then of course Z wanted to be in the picture. And she made sure her pony was in the shot too. These shots were taken this morning and looking at my grass now, it has almost doubled it's length just during the day!

Daddy's little girls.

I captured this moment yesterday.

Daddy and his girls. I don't think it gets much better.

Relaxing by the pool.

No it's not exactly pool weather, but on our warm days the girls always want to get into the pool. And since we have one in our complex, I try to take advantage as much as possible. We've been in a few times this winter. Oh wait, let me rephrase. The girls have been in a couple of times this winter. As for me, I sit on the sidelines watching.

Our pool is heated, but only to about 78°. Since Z swims on her own, I can usually talk Cici into staying on the sidelines with me to avoid getting in. But this time around, she insisted on going in, so I stuck a life jacket on her. She wouldn't swim in the pool on her own and stayed on the steps. After awhile she tired of the life jacket and wanted it off. I'm happy to say she was very obedient and continued to stay on the steps playing with her toys. And yes, I kept a very close eye on her. Now if only I can get her swimming on her own this summer, I'd be a happy camper.

We even had a little friend join us for a short while. He left after Z dived in after him.

Wheatgrass

Our wheatgrass is sprouting! It's only been a couple of days and I'm so excited to see it grow some more. I planted it in hopes of having some beautiful grass for Easter (I'm using it as a centerpiece) and I knew the girls would love watching it grow before their eyes. So far we are successful. I'll hopefully post pictures by the end of the week with our grass!

I'm a soccer mom.

It's official. I'm a soccer mom. Season has begun!

I wasn't going to sign Z up for anything right yet, but since some of her friends had signed up for soccer and they needed more girls, I went ahead and did it. She's never really shown any interest in soccer, but is loving it. It helps that she has friends on the team and her coach is great as well. I think this will be a good experience for her and that's all I'm planning on right now.

I feel she's too young to really know what she'd like to do, but as her mother, I'd like her to experience a few things. Of course we all have dreams of our children following in our footsteps in music, sports, etc, but I never want to push her. She has a natural love for water, so I have a feeling swim team will be around the corner, but till then, it's soccer season.

The pictures below are of our first practice. Papa J is trying to help coach the team, but his time is limited. Hopefully he'll be there more often than not.

Cici loved being on the field with all the girls. She blended right in. I'm not sure what direction I'd like to encourage Cici, but I have a feeling gymnastics might be a good choice. She's strong and loves to do "tricks."

Here is team Pink Ice Cream. They have pink jerseys and the girls were able to come up with their name on their own. I suggested to Z Pink Panthers, but it didn't stick. I guess we'll have to have and ice cream party at the end of the season just to celebrate their name.