Weekend Fun

I have had the hardest time figuring out how to start this post.  I have written and re-written this in my mind about 10 times. Fortunately, I fully understand the reason for my writers block, I'm afraid I will not convey the importance behind my actions; which by the way is completely narcissistic of me!  If you get how hard it is to plan fun and out of the ordinary things to do while working in a very demanding job...fine.  And if you don't fine also.  You see, it took me almost the whole weekend to understand that maybe, just maybe my mom did things that she thought were a big deal and I still don't appreciate.  It's a part of the composition of relationships, you bring to the table hopes and aspirations that are not and maybe will not be part of your loved ones toolbox ever.  Will that change the love that you feel for them...no.  Will it even change your attitude or even stop you from doing such actions...no?  Well, it doesn't for me, so here it goes kiddo, our second part of "Weekend Life"

If you would like to read or re-read the first blog entry that started it all please follow this link:

http://ivonneloving.blogspot.com/2010/07/weekend-life.html

This past weekends have been a worldwind of catching up with household chores, vacation planning and what I call "the two month nightmare" at work.  Needless to say, your mom is pretty spread out thin lately.  To top it all off, she has decide to quit smoking.  Through it all, we have managed to make every weekend count and do something out of the ordinary.  Here are some pics that I hope you enjoy!

Blackwater Trail 

This is at another location in the trail.  You always enjoy yourself roaming free even though your mom has at least two to three mini heart attacks in the process!  It was a very humid and overcast day but we managed to take you all out and make the best of it.

Having fresh fruit for breakfast

Always running around

You are so tall for your age and for your own good!

Carr, son, you are the sweetest child I know.  You always have hugs and a smile for everyone.

Carr loves his friends!

We even were visited by a friendly duck!

Splash Park, Spray Park (I don't know what its called park) at Riverside

If you had any say so on where to go, you would always head for anywhere there was water.  Be that a pool, this water spray/splash park or a creek.  I honestly wish we had rented a house instead of an apartment with a yard so you could spend your days outside in the dirt and grass.  You are such a boy!

Weirdest trip ever...Peaks of Otter

Let's just say that it was not what I expected at all.  Also, I would like to add that two parent excursions are way more tense than a one parent one.  Don't get me wrong, I love my husband's company, but he doesn't let Carr run wild, get dirty and just plain have fun sometimes.  As you probably would guess, Carr gets away with murder with me, Chip is the disciplinarian.  We have different public parenting skills.  I could care less what people say if Carr is loud and rambunctious - he is two.  If Carr has a meltdown, well I ignore it.  Chip gets nervous and wants Carr to behave as a grown-up or just behave.  So we end up nervous for no reason because Carr will behave as Carr will behave no matter what.  Nonetheless, the place seemed like something out of the twilight zone.  Old people everywhere, everything in slow motion and very very quiet- not the best place for our little monster.

So, what do you do to make memories for your family?  I would really like to know.  Have a great week!

Mommy and technology

photo thanks to Pure Oxygen

You know your old when you write a title like this!  But needless to say, technology rules our lives.  We used it at school, at work, for play and at home.  I am a firm advocate that children should spend most of their time outside playing and discovering but I am also a realist where I understand that technology with all its benefits and evils are necessary tools for your success.

I am surrounded by techno and gadget people, whom I love, that have introduced shortcuts via technology to make my life easier.  Here is a few examples:  Internet is a great tool for household management, my blog in replacement of a pen and paper journal, photoediting sites (thank you Aunt Ashley) even make my mediocre photos look good and social networking sites have brought me closer than ever imagine to my friends and family that are faraway.

Nevertheless, please understand that proficioncy in this has come with dedication and humility on your mommy's behalf.  I can honestly say that when I was born there were no computers much less any of these tools around.  And while I will resist electronic readers over a paperback book I want you to know that I will make every effort to understand your future world and I won't critize it - I will just show you that sometimes the "old way" of doing things brings joy to you also. And with this I go back to my knitting!

Trains and playtime

Sometime ago, I posted a Facebook update in which I said that Carr and I had a ball playing with his toy trains.  It is funny how in less than a year I can see a huge developmental leap in him.  Before, it was mostly me playing and Carr destroying the tracks and laughing.  Don't get me wrong, it was fun at the time just watching how amazed he was to see something built and then have the capacity to destroy it. Today, I observe a calmer Carr playing with the trains and making them run through the track.  When a track comes off, he runs to me and asks me to put together (yes, I am teaching him to do this slowly).  He plays quietly by himself and talks to the trains categorizing them as good guys and bad guys, steamies and diesels.  We watched a movie that had a very bad diesel that wanted to hurt everyone on Sodor! Bad cho-choo!

By the way, did you read "we watched a movie", yes, yes we did!  God has blessed us with a very energetic child, very determined, sweet as a button but so busy.  He, until now, was able to keep his attention on half-hour cartoons.  Anything that had actual actors did not appeal to him - well unless it was Spiderman- and that was only when Spidey was around (we had to fwd to the fight scenes).  Last Christmas, by mistake, I bought him a Thomas the train movie, well it had live action and he wanted nothing  to do with it.  Now he loves it, which means playing it over and over again on our TV. But he watches it from start to finish, yay!

 

My son's love for "Thomas the Tank Engine has well surpassed Mickey, Caillou, and even Spidey!  Hopefully, one day soon I will have the opportunity to take him to "A day out with Thomas", I am crossing my fingers it will be spring next year! Here is an awesome link!

http://www.strasburgrailroad.com/dowt-train-times.php

A very important person

 

 Julia Donaire, my abuela

(today)

 My abuela and I 

(39 years ago)

I want to take some time and write about a person that has influenced my life in a very personal and intimate way, my abuela.  She is the person that has made me into the woman I am and that constantly sets the bar higher for me to strive to be a better person in the future. Her life was not an easy one but yet she always has a smile on her face.  She constantly puts herself in service to those she loves.  Her family always comes first. She deserves to be celebrated every day, not just on special occasions. I am a firm believer that you must celebrate the people you love while their alive, once their gone you lost your opportunity to tell them how much you care. 

My abuela has been there for me since birth.  She sold everything she owned, left her friends and family and flew for the first time to another country not knowing the language.  She did this for her daughter and grand-daughter.  You see, my biological dad died 3 months before I was born - my mom was all alone and grieving.  She has been there for us ever since, extraordinary. Especially nowadays, when we are all about entitlements, such self sacrifice is very uncommon.  Wish she were here...

I haven't seen her for 6 years and this weighs heavily on my soul.  I miss her so much it hurts to acknowledge.  I wish I had the money to pick my family up and take them to Argentina to meet her but I can't.  I wish she was younger and she could fly here to visit (she doesn't want to travel by herself).  I keep thinking and wishing that God has a plan for us and in his unequivocal knowledge he knows what is best and that he will reunite us someday somehow.  I pray every night that she remain healthy, she needs to meet you Carr.  You are the product of everything she wanted me to have, you are what she prepared me for.  She can't pass until she meets you.  That is my prayer.

August 7th will be her birthday, she will be 84 years old.  Happy Birthday sweet abuela, you are always with me in my heart and in everything I do.  Thank you for being my mentor, my best friend, and my mom at times. I love you!