I'm going to Batman's house

Yesterday I told Sammy he had to go to the doctor for a check. He asked if he was going to get shots, I told him probably. He asked me how many, and I answered I don't know. He got sad, and said "why did you tell me that?"
So today we went to the appointment. Both him and Emma had check ups and both were going to be getting shots. Sammy also passed his vision and hearing tests. Then when it was time for the shots I asked if he wanted Emma to go first, or if he wanted to go first. He bravely said he would go first. After the TB test, he was ready to walk out, but of course he couldn't because the nurse and I were holding him down. After his shots were over he asked if he could go get his sticker...he said he didn't want to hear Emma cry. He then covered his ears. Emma did cry a tad but only for the second and third shot. After the shots were done she was chilling with her pacifier.
Sammy got an Iron Man sticker, and was sooo excited to be leaving the office. He then mentioned he was going to Batman's house. I asked him why and he said that Batman doesn't have to get shots, and he is healthy and strong. Now how can you argue with that logic.

Sammy it's time to get up

This morning I went to wake up John David to get ready for school. He came down from his bed and then told Sammy to get up. In typical Sammy fashion he said "oh, thanks." I asked John David why he woke up Sammy, he said because Sammy told him he was crying that morning when he didn't get to say good bye. Apparently there was some talking in their room last night before they went to bed. Makes me curious...what do they talk about?

Princess Pea

Emma had peas for the first time today. She ate them no problem because they were made with love since mommy was able to make her food today. My intent is to try to make her food if possible. I bought veggies to try to keep that going, but only time will tell if this is going to possible in our crazy house with four kids.

I didn't even tell him to have a good day

This morning Sammy woke up around 8. He asked me to confirm John David was still asleep. I told him John David had already left to go to school. He got upset and said that he didn't even tell him to have a good day, then he sat on the sofa facing the wall. He was quite sad, and was close to crying. I asked him if he wants me to wake him up, and he said yes. Most mornings Sammy is up before John David so it is not an issue, but now I know how important that good bye is.

Dogs have superheroes

This morning I had planned to go to the playground. However Gavin was too tired to go. So he slept and Sammy and Carlos got to play in the backyard. When Sammy first went out he sat right next to Jasmine, who was laying around. He asker her if she wanted to hear a story about Batman. I asked Sammy a story about what...and he answered dogs have superheroes too. Then he continued with his story because Jasmine apparently wanted a story because she kept giving him kisses. Then Carlos decided to go sit on top of Jasmine. It did not phase her any, and let him sit on her. It was quite cute to see Sammy telling her a story and Carlos trying to lay on her and give her a hug. This is the most the kids have ever interacted with the dogs on their own. Then before we came in Sammy went and told Jasmine bye and that if she was good then maybe next time he came out to play again he would tell her another story. way too cute!

I can ask my friend

I forgot to mention Sammy's reaction to the car ride without a carseat. He did not mention anything about the carseat. His only comment was that he could ask his friend how to fix the Tahoe. Apparently Sammy's friends are very handy.

Big Munchkin

Our friends Raja and Sharmila were over for dinner last night. Raja came up when I was putting the boys to bed to tell them goodnight. As Raja was telling them goodnight, Sammy started saying "goodnight big munchkin" and laughing. It was very cute!
Raja has always called the boys his little munchkins, so intelligent Sammy figured out that if he was a little munchkin then Raja was a big munchkin.

Paying attention

On tuesday when I picked up John David from the bus stop he was all excited to tell me about his day. He said that after snack they went to the cafeteria, and someone talked to them. He told me he had to bring the little book the next day if he wanted a prize. He also said that they needed money for the school, and that is when I finally understood what he was talking about. Their school fundraiser was starting that day. After getting home and seeing the materials I saw the little book he was taking about. Needless to say I filled the book with 7 names and addresses of some of you. Then I had him write his name on the seven pages. He told me he had to write a message to everyone. I told him I had already done that. It took him 15 minutes to write his name 7 times. Can you imagine how long it would take him to write a message? I was just shocked at how much attention he had paid to a random person talking to him about fundraising. He actually knows a lot of what is going on...things like this remind me how fast he is growing up.

BTW...He came home with a duck keychain. It quacks and lights up when you squeeze it. He showed it to me when I picked him up from school on wednesday. He was so excited because only three people in his class got a prize. I opened it for him as he was getting in the car. As soon as Sammy said he wanted to play with it, he asked me if I still had the wrapper so he could put it up. I let Sammy play with it for about a minute then it got put up. John David left the duck in his cupholder in the car. I asked him why...he said because he didn't want anything to happen to it. I guess he knows that is a safe place from his brothers.

What are you doing in the garage?

So on Monday night I was putting the kids to bed, and JP went to close the garage. At first I kept hearing the door open and close. I continued to put the boys to bed. Then I heard banging. I went outside and and saw that the garage was not completely closed but it was at an angle. I asked JP if he was in there. I asked what happened, he said he heard a strange noise in the garage when the door was closing, so by trying to fix it he got stuck in the garage. I went back in and unlocked the entry door from the laundry room, so JP could come inside. He and I tried to unjam our door with no luck. So after a few phone calls, and a couple hundred dollars later our door was fixed around 11pm.

I'm so excited...I never ride up front.

That was John David's quote as he was instructed to ride in the front seat of a vehicle for a one time opportunity. Let me start by saying no state laws were broken, but all of my kids are used to riding in carseats with 5 point harnesses.
JP was driving the kids home in the Tahoe. With Emma crying in the background he called and said that the Tahoe had stopped running, and he was on the access road of IH-35. I was at home because I had been at work last saturday.
I drove over to 35 to pick up my kids. He was stopped 50 feet from the exit of the highway so the cars were flying by. This was not a safe spot to move carseats, plus there was no guarantee that I could fit four carseats in the Maxima. I had the carseat that John David uses in the mornings to go to school, so Carlos got to ride front facing, he is still rear facing in my car. Then Sammy sat in the middle of the backseat, with just a seatbelt. I moved over the base to Emma's carrier, and she was on the other of Sammy. Then I moved the front passenger seat back as far as possible and buckled John David in.
It was only a 10 minute car ride home, but I was driving as carefully as I could. JP waited for the tow truck to bring him and the Tahoe home. Tahoe was fixed on sunday afternoon, and now we are back to normal.

John David the meteorologist

Who knows, but he was today for his class. He came home and very excitedly told me that he was the weather person today. I aksed him what he did as the weather person. He said he went to the window and told his class what he saw. My intelligent son told me that it was very sunny today. I figured that has is 100% so far, and the real meteorologists are never at 100% so that might be a future career. As the weather person he was also responsible for pulling the wagon with the class water bottles when they went to the playground. To be honest he was more excited about the pulling the wagon, than the whole weather thing.

Muchas Gracias to Jilly-O

Over a week ago, Jill was honest and told me that Emma's chongitos were not soo cute. When I tried to argue with her she said Emma looked like a martian when her hair stood up in her chongitos. She even went as far as to say that Emma would be embarrassed by those pictures when she got older. So after that conversation I must say that Jill pushed me to take even longer to do Emma's hair, in order to assure that she is girly cute, and not martian cute. I now curl her chongitos down, and I must admit that she does look way cuter. So I must thank Jill for helping me find a better and cuter way for doing Emma's hair. I'm sure Emma will thank her in the future as well.

A good pair

After having had GG, Gavin, at our house for a couple of weeks he is now comfortable here. Carlos and Gavin get all excited when they see each other in the morning or even after nap. They play well together and truly enjoy each other's company in the house, car, and stroller. Today I found both of them in the dining room. Carlos was using his sounds to get GG's attention. When he saw me he kept talking and pointing at his cousin. GG was dumping puzzle pieces, and Carlos was trying to pick them up. It was too cute to see Carlos trying to teach GG the rules of our house.

You know more than me

Sharmila was over at our yesterday. Sammy was having fun playing with her. She started reading a book and then all the fun ended. He got upset because she knew more than him. He just kept saying that over and again, and got upset. He didn't even want to read books anymore.

Sammy is four

Sammy turned four on sunday. If you ask him about his presents he will say that he got a v.smile, Batman, and Mickey Mouse. I can't believe he is four already...so happy, yet so sad. He can do almost everything by himself. He has even started to clean himself after going potty. He is happy to be with mommy all day long, without John David, but at night he still gets into bed with is brother once in a while. He is definitely vocal about having to walk instead of getting in the stroller. GG has replaced him in the stroller, but soon enough Emma will take that place.

Sit at the table, please

I must say that 1000 times a day if not more. I tell the older boys to stay at table until they are done eating, and if they need something they can ask from the table. Well now I am saying it even more as I am trying to teach Carlos and Gavin to eat at the little kids table. Since Emma has started to eat some solids, I figure that the high chair is her seat now, and Carlos can eat at the little table. I guess I will keep saying my favorite phrase for quite a while longer.

Where's the rain and wind?

I tried to explain to the boys what a hurricane was...lots of rain and wind. Well to our suprise Ike did not deliver to Austin. So John David and Sammy kept asking when the rain and wind were coming. You try explaining how meteorologists are not perfect to a five and four year old.

V.smile

Sammy has been asking for a v.smile for his birthday since february. His older brother got one in January, and he has been wanting one since so he doesn't have to share. He had kept asking Abuelita for his v.smile. Thanks to Ike...on thursday I told him we were going to change his birthday celebration to indoors. His only concern was how he was going to get his v.smile. I reassured him that Abuelita would be coming over with his present.

Well you can't go to my house

I don't know how many of you are aware of the fact that Sammy has a house in Africa. He normally tells me that when he gets his rocketship he will take me to his house. Last wednesday my invitation got revoked...he was eating dinner and he kept getting up from the table. I told him he needed to sit down and eat. He quickly responded to me "well you can't go to my house." I felt like laughing but I didn't. He said it so seriously...almost like if he was punishing me.

Why am I going now?

When I went to pick up John David he was very upset that he was leaving school early...I was only picking him up 30 minutes before the school let out for the day. He told me he still had lots of things to do. He was concerned that his teacher did not give us his take home folder, and his behavior log. He said we could go to the doctor after school...the 2:30 appointment was the latest I could get. I am not looking forward to the day he gets sick and he can't go to school. He will be one sad boy, well at least this year, I'm sure as he gets older it will change.

I will ask my friend what to do

This was Sammy's clever remark at 6 in the morning last wednesday. John David woke up coughing, and I told him we would take him to the doctor. Of course, his first question was if he was going to get any shots. I told him I did not know. That is when Sammy said that John David didn't have to go to the doctor, because he could ask his friend what to do. Needless to say we took John David to the doctor that afternoon. We got our favorite answer...virus, so you have to let it run its course.

I'm tired of being little

John David expressed his frustation that he could not reach his towel as he got out of his bath. I told him I could help him...he responded "I'm really tired of being little." In an effort to make him feel better I told him he was bigger than Sammy, Carlos, and Emma. He responded "I'm not as big as you or daddy." At that point I just told him he would grow little by little. I'm sure that wasn't too reassuring, but what else could I say.

I wanna be a carpenter

That quote is brought to you by Sammy. Today I was sitting in the living room when he told me that he wanted to be a sarpenter. I must admit it took me about a minute to figure out what he was saying, even after I had him repeat himself three times. He just clarified that he wanted to be carpenter when he grows up. By the time I figured out what he was saying, he did confirm that I had it right, but he was ready to move on to something else, and would tell me anything else when I asked more questions. SO if this comes up again I will make sure to get more info for all of you.

Dinoland in Austin

Sunday after mass we headed over to the Dinoland festival. The three older boys were very excited about the dinosaurs. Let's just clarify that I am talking about JP, John David, and Sammy. Carlos enjoyed it as well, but not as much as his dad and brothers. Both Emma and Carlos were great and stayed in the stroller for almost two hours, clearly a sign that there was plenty for even them to see. We saw a little stageshow by Dinoman, and the boys enjoyed it. Sammy kept raising his hand to volunteer, but to his disappointment he never got called up to the stage. John David was laughing at some of the jokes, and that made me realize that he is definitely growing and understands more. At the end of the show there were some inflatable dinos, and the boys enjoyed playing with them amidst all the other children.

Emma is 5 months

Can you believe it? She is growing very quickly. I had asked her to stay little and she is petite, but she can do so much already. She smiles and coos alot, and she loves to put things in her mouth. I even noticed that she had her foot in her mouth yesterday. She can roll in both directions, especially when she is upset that we put her down. Not to mention she is eating applesauce, bananas, and baby cereal. Her hair is even long enough for me to pull it up into one or two chongitos, pigtails, depending on my mood. Just in case it is not obvious I can't wait until I can do more fun things with her hair. She has so many firsts coming up and I'm glad that she will able to enjoy them.

Laughter is contagious

In case you were wondering...I have proof that laughter is contagious. John David and Sammy are watching a movie and whenever they laugh Carlos stops what ever he is doing to laugh with them. It is very cute to hear him try to imitate the way his brothers laugh.

Emma loves applesauce

SO I have been saying for a week that I am going to get some baby cereal, so I can start Emma on solids...but I have not gone to the grocery store. This morning I was washing grapes for her brothers while carrying her. She pulled a grape, and tried to stick it in her mouth. That was my cue that she was ready for solids. Later in the morning I was giving Carlos some applesauce, so I said lets give it a try. She loved it...if the spoon was not in her mouth with food, she was screaming...she didn't even make to much of a mess. So tonight after the boys go to sleep, I will definitely go to the store to get her cereal. Tomorrow when I work I will buy her a cute girly bib.

Save the date...Sammy's getting married

Sammy has been quite imaginative this week. He started by telling me that he needed to go to his house so he could get married. Then he changed the story to getting married on his rocketship. When I ask him who he is going to marry, he tells me he doesn't know. He has brought up the topic on his own everyday this week, so he has kept me amused. I don't even know where he picked up the word. He definitely knows that mommy and daddy are married, but that is all he can tell me about being married...I don't even know if fully grasps that concept. But I will keep you posted on his wedding plans.