Another few years older

So, now 3 years have past, lol, and i feel like a failure of a mom.  I know Lila is going to look back and feel robbed that I stopped writing when she was 4.  Sorry sister.  So much has happened in the last 3 years that i wouldn't even attempt to capture it all.  So, i'll just give an update on where we are today.  Lila turns 7 next month, and Ben is 9.  They both still go to PRCA, and they are awesome kids.  Lila is in 1st Grade with Mrs. Gervasi and Ben is in 3rd Grade with Mrs. Marcus. 

Lila loves school and she's great at it.  I'm pretty sure she's everyone's favorite student.  She is so much fun, but she also knows when to get serious and work.  The teachers always brag about how helpful she is with the other students, and how inclusive she is.  She really is a leader in her class.  It's become clear over the last several years that Lila has "grit".  She's got that determination to do whatever she sets her mind to.  She reads on a 4th grade reading level right now, and is great at all subjects.  In kindergarten, she started taking violin. Then switched to Ukulele in 1st grade, and now is learning to play the guitar like her mama.  She played softball in kindergarten, and liked it ok.  She just finished a season of soccer and loved it! She was the team goalie.  Looks like soccer might be her sport, but we want her to try basketball and volleyball.  I'm afraid she's going to ask to cheerlead, but I'm avoiding that as long as possible!  Lila is just as sassy as every, but that's what makes her her.  She is still pretty emotional, and can cry on the drop of a dime, but she's also full of life and laughter and fun. We've just got to help her funnel her passion in a healthy direction. lol.  For her birthday this year, we are letting her have a sleep over and taking her to the American Girl Doll Store to pick out her first doll.  Since she's old enough to read the books, we thought it was time to get her a doll.  We are in speech therapy because Lila has trouble saying her "r"s.   She sounds so cute, but she's self conscious about it, so we're getting her help.  We see her grit even in that.  She's working so hard and making major progress in just a few months.  Right now, her favorite show is Liv and Maddy. 

Benjamin is coming into his own at 9 1/2.  He's always been my laid back, easy going child, but that's changing a bit.  We had to have his first parent teacher conference (that we called), because we didn't like some of his conduct grades.  Basically, Ben is just very black and white like his mom.  And when he believes he's right, he tends to fight for it.  I think that will serve him well in life, but it drives his teacher a little nuts.  lol.  He doesn't like to take answers of authority and move on.  He likes to talk it out and potentially come to some middle ground.  He may make a good lawyer someday!  He's an awesome kid and does great in school.  He's still very spiritually minded, and last year, he said that he believed God wanted him to be a traveling preacher when he got older.  He is still ridiculously picky with what he eats.  Every dinner is a challenge, or at least every dinner that I cook!  His imagination is as strong as ever.  It's so fun to watch him play by himself.  Sometimes he says he wants you to play with him, but he really just needs you as an extra.  At school, he's had some trouble connecting with the other kids because if they don't play what he wants to  (which is typically some imagination based game) then he'll just play by himself.  So, last year in 2nd grade, Amy really pressed him to learn how to play what the other kids wanted to play.  She would make them take turns picking, so when it was Ben's turn, everyone had to play his creative option.  Although, they were never quite sure how!  He's got so many details running through his mind that the world can't see.  I can't wait to see what God does in/through that creativity as he grows up.  He still loves baseball and doesn't want to play anything else.  Hector wants him to try basketball or football in the fall.  We'll see how that works. Right now, Ben's favorite show is How to Train Your Dragon.  He's obsessed with it, and knows all the dragon names and wants us to know too!

We have fun summer plans coming up.  We are going to Orange Beach with my parents and the whole crew in June.  Then we are going to England and France in July.  Hopefully, I'll remember to update the blog after we get back!  The kids are really excited!  The Williams will be over there too, so it should be lots of fun. 

Another nine months have gone by???

So, I figure a post about every year is better than nothing!  You would think I would have more time with the kids older, but since I'm working more, I don't remember to do it!  I am always blessed by my family, but I realize it now more than ever.  A friend of ours, Chris Spradley, died in a tragic accident where he fell and hit his head, and it reminded me how fleeting life is, and it made me so thankful that we serve a God that promises so much more.  It also made me appreciate even more the wonderful family He has given me.  The kids are at awesome ages.  Ben is 6 1/2 and Lila is 4.  They are so much fun.  They enjoy each other (for the most part).  And they are independent.  I didn't realize how much I would treasure that until it happened!  I'm sure someday I'll miss them relying on me for every little thing, but right now I love their ability to do for themselves.  

Since my last post, the major thing that happened is that we finally got another dog on March 1st.... another cockapoo.  This time, a black and white girl born on January 1st.  We named her Oreo.  She is a precious dog.  So sweet natured.  It's almost August, and we're still working on the potty training thing, but she's almost got it down.  And it feels so good to know that when the kids go back to school this year, they will have a pet to talk about!  They love her, even though Dad and Mom spend the most time with her.  

So, Lila turned 4 in June, and she is now 4 going on 14.  She had a Strawberry Shortcake swim/sprinker on the trampoline party at our house.  It's amazing the difference between 3 and 4.  She's still got the spunk, but it's mixed with some serious girliness.  She loves having her nails painted and her hair done.  She wants to have a say in her outfits.  She loves shoes.  And she takes great pride in looking cute.  She only wants to watch stuff if it has girls in it.  And she would wear make up all the time if we let her!  Right now, she sticks to lip gloss.  We put her in ballet this spring at Leap of Faith Dance, and she had a ball.  She felt like such a princess in her recital outfit with a face full of make up and her hair done perfectly.  And it was such a blessing for me to see my daughter dancing to "There is None Like You".  She really wants to do gymnastics too, but we are trying to do one thing at a time right now.  We don't want to spread them too thin.  And Caleb really wants her to try Judo... we'll see!  She mastered swimming and taking a breath this summer!  That was a major accomplishment for mom.  While we always need to watch them closely around the pool, it makes me feel very good that both of my kids know what to do and how to do it if they fall in.  

She is so much fun.  She is very loving and affectionate.  She still has her temper and her dramatic tendencies but she's learning how to reign them in.  She understands consequences now, and she doesn't want to have to deal with them, so she responds quicker than she used to.  She still socks her brother occasionally when he doesn't give her her way, but it's way better!  We went to visit Mere and her family last month, and on the flight there, Lila looked over at me and randomly said, "Mom, when I grow up, I'm going to wear your wedding dress".  I would love to know where her mind was to think of that. She has told me already that she wants to marry Gray Cambron, a little boy in her class.  Her daddy does not approve!  She and I are getting to do girly stuff together like nails and hair and shopping... girly stuff I sure never did when I was her age.  But it's lots of fun to do with her now.  Next month, Lila starts pre-K with Mrs. Hudgens.  I can't believe it.  She will love it.  And Lucas is repeating pre-K so they will be in class together.   

Benjamin is getting so old.  He starts 1st grade next month with Mrs. Foster.  He learned so much in Kindergarten with Mrs. Jennings.  And he looked so stinkin cute when he graduated!  He is reading like a champ!  We haven't done the best job of making him read this summer, but we're kicking it into high gear the next few weeks.  He is so much like me with school.  He can do it easily but doesn't necessarily enjoy it.  He tells me, "Mom, it's summer.  I don't need to read".   I think I said that exact thing to my mom when I was young.  I sure hope he learns to love school like his daddy.  He is extremely witty.  His latest thing he likes to say is "Don't judge me".  And he loves to get this funny look on his face and put his hands on his hips when he's pretending to be mad.  He says one hand is kind of mad, but both hands are really mad.  Now he knows to do that whenever he wants to make me laugh and get out of trouble.  He still loves to pretend, and he loves to make new friends and have them pretend with him.  The only problem is, if they don't want to play his game, he gets very frustrated.  He's got such a great imagination, but not all of his friends appreciate it.  Instead of playing a game of capture the invisible villain who holds the key to the secret compartment that holds the treasure, some kids just want to play tag!  That really bothers him.  But he'll have to learn that part of being a good friend is playing what they want to play.  We give him that lecture a lot.  But we also don't want to stifle his imagination or discourage him from asking random kids to play.  But as he gets older, I'm afraid he'll have to learn the cruelness of some kids the hard way.  

He still loves to cuddle with his mom and dad, but he also talks a lot about when he grows up and gets married.  He's very intrigued by the husband/wife relationship.  He had a major crush on a girl named Briley all year.  I know Hector is going to have to have the talk sooner than later.  Tonight he told us that when he gives his marriage speech, he's going to start out by saying that he doesn't have a job and won't ever have a job because when he has kids he wants to protect them and take care of them, and that will be his job.  I hope he marries a career woman!   We have begun talking to Ben about the role sin plays in our lives.  He's really hard on himself when he messes up.  He starts calling himself names.  And so, I've really focused on how our behavior doesn't define us.  God defines us.  He created us just the way we are.  We all screw up (sin).  And I'll talk about how Hector and I screw up.  Then I'll ask if he would want me to call myself those names.  Anyway, yet another parenting challenge to tackle.  I want Ben to be led by his conscious, but only to the cross!  At the end of the school year, Ben came to Hector with a secret he had held for months.  Earlier in the year, he had taken a crayon from the teacher, because it was a color he really wanted.  Then he started feeling bad about it and wanted to put it back but he couldn't figure out how.  Then once school let out, he realized he had missed his chance to right his wrong and he was devastated.  He confessed to us like he had committed a capitol offense, poor baby.  It was such a sweet teachable moment to show our son grace and affirm his repentant spirit.

We have had a crazy busy summer but it has been great.  The family has gone to Salado with me twice.  Both kids went to Camp Thurman for the first time and loved it!  We've been to NYC to see Mere and the crew.  Hector and I went to float the river with some friends.  And we just got back from seeing Caleb and Savannah in San Antonio and going to Sea World.  The kids also got to spend any Friday that we were in town with Mrs. Jennings at the museum.  School starts in about three weeks and it feels like it just let out!  And I think Hector has really enjoyed their independence this summer too.  It's allowed him to do some of the things he loves to do in the summer, like sleep in!  We are still very thankful for our family at Park Row (as small as it may be), and for PRCA.  Dad and I chose to join the board this year, and hope to help the school take some significant steps forward.  It's neat to really play a role in your children's schooling.  We can't wait to see what God will do in and through our family this next school year.  Hopefully, I'll update the blog before they are in high school :).  

God is good!  When the kids leave to go anywhere, we ask them, "What's your job?"  To which they reply, "Share His love, shine His light".  I want my kids to know that no matter what they do on any given day, their primary mission doesn't change.  I hope we're planting that seed.  Along the way, Ben and Hector added a part.  After they tell us what their job is, Hector asks "Why?" and Ben says "Because Jesus lives"!  He does indeed!  And before they leave we always remind them that "God goes with you".  I learned that from Becky Brooks along time ago.  Better to send your kids off reminding them of God's presence that just asking for his blessings.  My prayer is that in midst of all Hector and I might do wrong, our children will see clearly how much we love our Lord and depend on Him.  I want Ben and Lila to not only believe, but truly be in love with the Lord.  And I want their lives to truly be ones that share His love and shine His light for the world to see!  Thank you Lord for giving me such awesome kids, and a wonderful husband to share this life with.  

My how time flies

So it's been eight months since my last post.  I can't believe how fast that time has flown.  Lila is now three and a half.  Ben just turned six.  We had an awesome summer, and the first six weeks of school has been great.  I'm going to try to give a brief recap of the fun.


The summer started out with Hector and I celebrating our 10 year wedding anniversary in Galveston.  We had a wonderful time!  We stayed at the Hilton and tried a different Galveston restaurant for pretty much every meal.   We spent most of our time by the pool, which is my favorite place to be.  It was really nice to get away just the two of us and spend some time together.

Next was Lila's third birthday.  We had it at Chuck E. Cheese.  Her birthday theme was Little Mermaid.  She loves Ariel!  All of her friends came, and she had a ball.  She wasn't even scared of Chuck E. anymore.  She's really into princess stuff now, so that's most of what she got for her birthday, that and Strawberry Shortcake stuff.

A few weeks later we headed back to Galveston as a family and stayed at Moody Gardens.  The kids LOVED it.  And we did too. We will definitely be back.  It's like the Disney Land of Texas.  It had a huge aquarium pyramid and an indoor rainforest pyramid, along with a mini waterpark called Palm Beach.  Now Lila always asks when we get to go back to Palm Beach.  We went to the actual beach a couple of times, but the seaweed was ridiculous this year.  The smell was awful, so we had fun on the white sandy beaches of Palm Beach most of the time instead.  The kids got to do their first ropes course, and Ben loved getting to see Rio 2 in 3D.  We stayed up late every night and Hector let the kids eat a late night snack and watch a show every night before bed.  They were in heaven!   Sweet memories were definitely created.  My favorite memory was Ben seeing the Blue Macaws in the rainforest.  He just knew they were Blue and Jewel from Rio.  He was star struck.  It was so sweet.

The rest of the summer was filled with swimming, fishing, camping out in the backyard, and friends coming over to cookout.   It was probably one of our best summers yet.

Then it came time for Ben to start Kindergarten!  I was definitely anxious about it up front.  Ben is a home body.  He loves just chillin at home.  But he has done fabulous.  He seems to love it, and all of the teachers love him.  They talk about what a sweet heart he has, and how well behaved it is.  I can't tell you how many times they've told me what a good kid he is.  I tell them I know! :)  It's amazing how much he's already learned in the first six weeks.  He's already begining to read.  He's memorized about 20 sight words, and he spends about 20 minutes a day reading small books that he's put together at school.  Then we'll read him bigger books before bedtime.  It's so fun to see his mind work, and to see how proud he is of himself when he learns something new.

Lila started her three's class a couple of weeks later.  She is in Ellie's class and it has worked out really well.  She loves it, and Ellie keeps me in the loop with how she's doing.  She has a different teacher, Ms. Natalie, on Fridays.  She seems to love her too.  Right now, she and Gray Cambron are pretty much inseparable at school.  They play mom and dad all the time.  It's pretty sweet.  They play alot with Elliott Avaritt too.  Lila is at an age where she'll be playing house one minute and then power rangers the next.  It's great.  Just in the past couple of months, I've really seen her imagination take flight.  She loves playing make believe, just like her brother.  But most of the time, its house or restaurant unless it's with the boys.   Yesterday, we were in Hector's classroom and she was playing with an ax he had that had a furry handle.  She turned it over and said it was a duster.  She definitely doesn't get that from me!  We are still working with Lila on using kind words and not being quite so bossy.  She's a woman who knows what she wants, and she's not very happy when she doesn't get it.  We call her passionate!  That will serve her very well one day.  Today, Mom and Dad get to help her learn to manage it... one melt down at a time.  She likes to say things like "Well if you do that, I'm not gonna be your daughter anymore".. or sister, or friend, or granddaughter, depending on who she's talking to.  She also has a tendency to just hit when she doesn't get her way.  I have no idea where she got that!  We're teaching her to use her words, but to choose kind words.  She does well expressing herself, but she tends to do it very intensely, and not all that nicely.  So, we're really working on kindness.

We celebrated Ben's birthday a couple of weeks ago.  It was a Power Ranger party.  He is definitely in a Power Ranger phase right now.  We had it up at the church like we do every year, with a big bouncehouse and slide.  Tons of kids came, and he had a ball.  We also had lazer tag guns for them to play with.  Ben got lots of Power Ranger and other super hero toys.  He had me make him a chart three months ahead of time leading up to his birthday.  He likes to count down to big events!    We had to rearrange his room because he now has enough dress up clothes to take up a whole corner of his room.  It's a bit out of control, but he loves it, and I love seeing his imagination in action.  That imagination got him the lead role in his Thanksgiving program at school this year!  We're so proud!  He's the chief!

Tomorrow is halloweeen.  We've already taken our annual pumpkin patch pictures and done trunk or treat at church.  Benjamin was a tiger at Trunk or Treat and he's going to be Captain America tomorrow.  Lila originally wanted to be a spatula... yes, a spatula, and yes, she knows exactly what it is.  Fortunately, we talked her into being Ariel instead.  She's way cuter, and you can buy the costume!  This mama isn't a costume maker.  Now she's saying she wants to be a spatula for Christmas.  That child keeps us laughing.

Some things I want to remember about the kids at this stage:
Lila - LOVES sweet tea. Her favorite foods are spaghetti, broccoli and watermelon.  She loves to sing.  Right now her favorite songs are from Annie, especially "Dumb Dog" and "It's a hard knock like" as she calls it.  She has really started pretending.  No matter what she's playing "Aleah" is always the main person she's interacting with, and then all other characters follow that name form... "Azeah", "Aceah", etc.  She doesn't do dress up like Ben, but her imagination is definitely showing.  Her favorite shows are Strawberry Shortcake and Care Bears.  She loves Barbie and Littlest Pet Shop but I limit those because they are about teenagers. She doesn't need any help in the attitude department!  She really has grown into a fun little girl.  She's not a baby anymore!  She's gotten tall and really slimmed up.  We taught her the song "All about the Base", and she loves to sing it.  If she's anything like her mama, she'll have plenty of base!

Ben - still doesn't like to each much, other than pizza and bread.  He's a little more willing than he used to be but not much.  He's not playing Judo or Baseball right now, but he wants to get back into both.  We told him he'll have to choose in the spring, and he thinks it's going to be baseball.  He still misses Sugar tremendously, and prays for God to bring him back alot.  His first book he wrote at school was titled "My dog sugar", and explained how his dog died.  The teacher told us we need to buy him another dog!  Ben got Star Student of the Week this week.  He was beaming.  He got to bring a bag filled with things that he likes... he brought a pic of Sugar :( along with many other things.  He's still having trouble with bad dreams.  At night when he prays, he asks God to have the angels block his bad dreams and send them back to the devil so he'll have bad dreams.  He's such a deep thinker.  Heaven is on his mind alot.  He doesn't want to go to heaven because he doesn't want to leave his room.  He's really learning a lot about the Bible at school, and then we talk about it when he gets home.  He told me that God changed Abram's name to Abraham and then to Abraham Lincoln and then to Father Abraham Lincoln.  LOL.  I'm not sure where he got the last two, but he's learning!

As always, I'm so thankful for God's goodness and His grace.  Spending a few minutes to reflect on the last several months makes me even more aware of just how good He is!  That's all for now.  Hopefully I'll post again before 2016.  Lol.

First update of 2014

2014 has been a great, all be it, very cold year so far!  First an update on 2013 Christmas.  It was a great Christmas!  The kids LOVED the trampoline.  It's been so cold the past couple of months, we haven't used it much, but they love it.  We had a great time with Mere's crew in town.  Bowie and Lila were attached at the hip.  They had so much fun together!  Bowie's hug was more like a headlock, but Lila got used to it and felt the love!  Lila's favorite gifts were her dog and kitties that look/act real, and most of all... her gumball machine!  I saw that one coming!  She also really liked her Karaoke machine, but that one doesn't get used as much.  She loved her Barney and Lamby stuffed animals.  She hasn't played with the Barney and Daniel Tiger figures as much as I thought she would.  She's not quite into that kind of play yet.  She loves playing house and school.  So, her babies and stuffed animals work well for that.  Benjamin loved all of his Skylanders.  He also loved his Tummy Stuffer, and his guitar.  I've got a great picture of him playing guitar with dad.  Made me want to cry.  It was really a sweet family time.  And praise God, no illness!!! Other than Bowie having a little cold.  Before the school year started, I began using Essential Oils, and I really believe it's helped keep the kids healthy.  I hesitate writing that, because it seems like everytime I do, they attempt to come down with something... I truly believe it's Spiritual warefare.  It may sound silly, but I don't think Satan wants people to know about the oils, and so every time I say or write something about them, he takes a little jab!  But I'm gonna keep talking.  I love that something God created directly can help my kids stay healthy.

So I mentioned in the last post that we bought Ben and Lila new beds.  They have really worked out great.   The transition however, did not.  About that time, Lila started having nightmares about a blasted mouse that was crawling in her bed.  She says she saw it on Charlie and Lola!  Go figure.  I won't let my kids watch Super Hero shows so they won't be scared of the bad guys, and so now she's scared of a mouse!  Anyway, for a while, we let her sleep in Ben's room.  Then we realized we needed to stop that before we couldn't get her back in her own room.  Then, for a week two, I basically slept with her because she truly was scared.  Then I realized we had to phase out of that or I would create a monster.  So, now we're in the phase where I lay down by her to go to sleep, but if she get's up in the night, I will stay right outside her door until she falls back to sleep.  So... there's been a cot set up outside her room for the past couple of weeks.  Now i've got to move to the next phase of staying in my bed!  Oh for a full night's sleep!  But that's ok.  Lila has alway been my sleeper.  I can't complain about this!

So, for the last several months, we've known that we had to make a decision about school for Ben.  So Hector took off a couple of weeks ago to go tour Duff and Hill and to talk to the Kindergarten teacher at Park Row.  We had really been praying that God would make our decision clear.  And He certainly did, although it wasn't the decision we thought it would be!  Ben is staying at Park Row for Kindergarten at least.  Hector and I both felt strongly that they had the better curriculum, but more importantly Ben would be loved and shown Christ daily.  We feel really good about the decision and know that God will provide the funds.  We'll continue to make the school decision on a year by year basis, although I would love to keep both of them in private through at least 3rd grade.  Ideally, they could both stay at Park Row through 6th and then go to Bailey where Hector would be.  But I know that's a long way out, and who knows what God has planned for us between now and then.

As always I feel incredibly blessed and thankful.  Hector is growing more and more every year as a father, a husband, and a spiritual leader.  He went to a men's conference at Richland Hills with Dad a couple of weeks ago, and I've even seen a change in him since then.  I am so grateful to have a husband that continually humbles himself to become better.  We went to a marriage conference that same week, and my main take away was kindness.  I'm really working on being kind to him, and I know he is to me.  Seems so simple, but makes such a difference.  God is good, and he continues to guide our steps and fill us with His awesome Spirit.

Good stuff!

So, it's been over six months since I reported on the development of my kids.  So much has happened since then.  I'm sure I will miss stuff but here we go:

In July, we potty trained Lila.  It went pretty smoothly.  She definitely had her share of accidents, but with the 3 day potty training approach, it was done pretty quickly (not in 3 days  mind you, but quickly).  She is rising up to the role of terrible two, but in the cutest way possible.  She wears the title of "Jill Jr" with pride.  "No" is one of her favorite words right now, along with "I do it myself".  She presses us on a regular basis, almost asking us to discipline her.  And she responds very well to discipline in most cases.  If she's melting down for no particular reason or at least not one that warrants the level of melt down she has, I tell her to go to her room until she's finished.  A few minutes later, you'll hear her yelling from her room "Mom, I'm done crying."  Then she comes out and begins to play.  Time outs tend to work for her better than spankings, although she get's her fair share of those as well for "felonies".  But Lila commits far more "misdemeanors".  Although she did bite a chunk out of dad's shoulder about a month ago.  It was funny to see Yaya, who doesn't believe in spanking his grandkids, handle that one!

We talk regularly about joy.  I want her default to be joy, and it tends to be frustration.  She hears me say "This is the day that the Lord has made.  Let us rejoice and be glad in it" on a pretty regular basis, along with me singing "I'm happy today".  She still loves to sing... especially in the car.  She typically sings from the time we drive off til the time we pull up to wherever we are going.  Her newest love is chewing gum.  Mom introduced her to that, and now she's obsessed.  She does very well with it, and it's a great leveraging tool!  She has also become a great little gymnast.  She climbs all over everything and flips off of whatever she can.  She'll do the splits between two dining room chairs and do a handstand against any wall around her.  We really want to put her in gymnastics in January.  We'll see if any place will take a 2 1/2 year old.  The kids are getting a trampoline for Christmas and she is going to be in heaven.  She has so many cute facial expressions and sayings.  The nose squench is my favorite look right now, and "Oh my goodness" said with a squeal is my favorite saying.  Lila does great in school.  She still cries a lot when I leave her, but does fine once I'm gone.  She still loves baby dolls, and her favorite thing to do is to play "Mommy and Daddy" with Gray Cambron.  Hector's not sure how he feels about that!  Her favorite shows right now are Barney and Daniel Tiger.  Hector and I love Daniel Tiger.  It teaches Ben and Lila both some great social lessons, like how to share, and how to handle their anger.  The kids will sing the songs from the show when they are dealing with those situations.  It's great.

Benjamin is growing up so fast.  He is doing great in Mrs. Hudgens Pre-K class.  Ellie decided to hold Noah back this year, so now he and Ben are in the same class.  They are really enjoying being together. The teacher says he's right on track, and sometimes gets frustrated when the other kids aren't getting it.  I don't know where he gets his impatience from!  I'm beginning to panic a little bit because we are having to make decisions about kindergarten.  I can't believe that!  The school we're zoned to is not acceptable, so we plan to transfer to either Hill or Duff.  We're also considering keeping him at Park Row, although we really can't afford it.  We ultimately want him in public school, I'm just not sure if I'm ready yet!

We have totally changed our approach to the tv he's allowed to watch.  No more super hero stuff.  His favorite show is Wild Kratts, and he loves Sophia the first, strangely enough.  He's into spy stuff right now, and we've let him watch Spy Kids, but that's about it.  I think it's really made a difference in his nightmares.  He still have some but not near as many as he used to.  He's sleeping in his own bed 90% of the time.  Speaking of his bed, last month, we bought ben a used bunk bed for $30.  How can you pass that up?  He loves it!  And so does Lila.  We bought Lila a full size bed to have in her room because she kept asking us to lay down by her, and that wasn't happening in her toddler bed.  She loved it at first!  Until she started hanging out in Bubba's room.  Now, Ben has a new roommate.  Lila wants to sleep on the top bunk every night, which works well, because Ben likes to sleep on the bottom so that I'll lay next to him.  Ben still prays most nights that Sugar will come back.  We've told him we'll get another dog when he's big enough to help.  The other night I was talking about how cool it is that Jesus is our brother.  And Ben immediately said, "my other brother died... sugar" .  That broke my heart!  He is such a deep thinker.  I often times say, "that's a great question.  Let's ask daddy".  Because the last time I answered a question about heaven, Ben stressed out about it for months.  Heaven's cool and all, but he wants to stay in his home!  Because of that, I was really worried about how he would handle Granny's funeral, but he did great.  We really prayed about how to handle it with him, and God marked our steps out for us.  He saw her body and everything, and said she looked like a statue.  He was a little upset when Meredith was upset during the funeral, but that's it.  And I'm very thankful that we were able to address the topic with him at a young age.  I've heard that the older they are, the harder they take it.

I know that doesn't even scrape the tip of the ice berg, but it's better than nothing.  I will do my best to be more frequent in my posts.  I'm sure I'll have plenty to report after Christmas.  There are so many sweet things they say and do on a daily basis, that a blog every six months can't come close to capturing it all!  As always, God is so good, and I am so thankful!

Sad/Glad Day in the Santiago House

So lately, it seems to take a death to spur me to write a blog entry.  It’s been 6 months since my last entry, and that’s when Sugar died. I’ve been meaning to update the blog for all of those 6 months.  There is so much to tell… about Lila and Ben, about great things that have been going on in the Santiago house, but I haven’t gotten around to doing it.  Then…

This weekend was crazy.  We were iced in like I’ve never experienced before.  Our street was basically an ice skating rink.  Fortunately, my husband is brave and helped us venture out a couple of times or I would have gone insane.  We had an extra child this weekend.  Kaylee stayed with us, which Ben and Lila loved.  And Haley and Will stayed with us for a couple of nights because their heat was out.  So, needless to say, we had a full house.  Sunday morning, Hector was nice enough to stay home with Will and the kids while Haley, Ellie and I went to Ted and Deanna’s for a time of worship (church had been canceled due to ice).  It was nice to get out of the house and enjoy a few kid free moments.  Not long after Ted started the conversation, his phone rang.  He stepped out.  A few seconds later, he pulled Craig out.  I assumed it was someone in the congregation needing something.  Then a few seconds later, he pulled me out.  And that’s when Ted told me that Granny died. It was Dad on the phone.  Craig didn’t have his phone with him, so that’s why he called Ted. 

It was a very surreal moment.  I knew we had already lost Granny a long time ago, and I knew that we needed to celebrate her promotion to heaven!  So, at first, I wasn’t very emotional at all.  It was a good thing.  I was thankful the suffering was over for her and for her boys.  But the more I thought about it, the more it sunk in that she was really gone.  And the more that sunk in, the more I began to realize just what a significant presence she was in my life.  It’s like over the past few days a flood of flashbacks have occurred.  I’ll picture myself sitting at the dining room table with her playing wahoo.  Or sitting at the bar while she made me the breakfast of my choosing.  Or watching All in the Family and eating ice cream with chocolate syrup before we went to bed.  Or her defending us to Granddaddy when he was yelling at us for something.  Or her turning on the heating blanket before we went to bed, so that we would slip into a warm bed.  Or the late night talks we would have about my role as middle child and the particular challenges I faced with all Angela and the family had gone through in her teen years.  Strangely enough, during that whole time, Granny was probably the one that I talked most.  She sincerely wanted to hear from me and I remember being anxious for bedtime so we could have one of our talks. 

In the midst of all of those flashbacks, I also realize how much I underappreciated the extended family dynamic she created for me.  Tiffany put a post up on facebook a couple of days ago of all the cousins together around Granny.  And it really hit me that she created the connections we had as cousins.  She fostered those relationships.  She made sure the brothers came together.  She passed on a legacy of family fun.  I have such sweet memories with my cousins at Granny’s house.  And I have her to thank for those memories.

In her last several years, I probably saw her more than most of the cousins just because of proximity.  Her retirement home was right down the street from me.  I didn’t see her as much as I should have, but I’m thankful that my kids got to spend a little time with her and that I have pictures to pass onto them when they can no longer remember their time with Granny. 

The different faces she made, the funny saying she had like "Great honk, Good night nurse, and Good hobble hooble, and the priceless songs that she taught us will stay emblazed in my memory. ... or at least I pray that they do. 

Granny taught me you’re never too old to play games, that family is precious and should be actively pursued, and that songs are one of the sweetest gifts you can give your kids.  She always told us and showed us how much she loved us and just how special we were, and we totally believed her!  I am so incredibly blessed to call her my Granny, and I plan to carry on the legacy of Bum Bum Bumble Bee and Here we go Singing in the Kitchen,, along with Donut Shop, Little Blue Man, and 3 Little Mice (voice and all)!  My kids will know what it means to love somebody more than the whole wide world and China!  And I'll make sure they know I'll love them more than they love me, just like she always did to me! 

Countless precious memories.  It hurts to remember, but I don’t ever want to forget!

Post soon to come about good stuff, I promise!

Sad day in the Santiago House

The day we knew would come, but that we thought would come in a couple of years, came yesterday.  We woke up yesterday morning, and Sugar didn't.  The world's most awesome dog died.  On Monday, he seemed just fine.  He was barking relentlessly at the lawn guy in the afternoon.  He was with me in Lila's room when I put her to sleep.  Then he came into our room for a while.  Then he ended up in Ben's room for the night, and that's where Hector found him yesterday morning.  Ben actually walked right passed him when he woke up, but thankfully, he just thought he was sleeping.  Hector walked into the living room and asked me if I had noticed the poop on the floor.  I hadn't.  But Hector saw that it was black and knew something was wrong, so he went to look for Sugar.  He found him on the floor in Ben's room.  We are choosing to believe that he didn't suffer.  He made his rounds to say goodbye to all of us, and then ended up in his brother's room. 

Hector and I are taking it far harder than we thought we would.  We haven't known post college life without Sugar.  He's been our family member for the last 12 years.  He was somewhat our firstborn! Dealing with the death and telling Ben was really hard, but Ben actually took it really well.  We stressed out about how to tell him, but Hector took the lead and did a great job.  We were honest with him.  We told him Sugar died and went to doggy heaven.  Then we quickly proceeded to play with water balloons to distract him.  He had a few questions and didn't really understand why Sugar wasn't coming home, but he didn't really seem affected much by it.  He wasn't emotional at all.  And for that, we are extremely thankful.  He continues to ask about him, but in a healthy way, i think.

Hector and I, on the other hand, are blubbering idiots.  You don't realize how much a dog is part of your day to day life until he's gone.  He's not there to greet us at the door.  He's not there to grab our food when we drop it.  He's not there to protect our home.  He's not scratching at the back door to get out.  He's not running from Lila.  He's not cuddling with Ben.  He has a specific spot that he lays in pretty much every room of the house.  So, no matter what room I walk into, I miss him.  With two kids, Sugar definitely took a back seat the last several years, but he was an awesome dog, and he loved Ben and Lila.  We are so incredibly thankful for the time we had with him.  We're thankful for the experience he gave our kids.  We're even thankful even for the way he died.  We love that dog more than we even realized, and it will hurt for a long time, but it was totally worth it. 

Thank you Sugar Daddy for all you were to the Santiago family.  You were my gift to myself when I got my first raise.  You were there when Hector and I dated, when we broke up, when we dated again.  You probably even played a role in keeping us together.  You were there when we got married, when we bought the house, and when we had our two kids, and you've created memories that will last our lifetime.  You were God's gift to us, and I choose to believe we will see you again.  As far getting another dog, my mind can't even go there right now.  Sugar was the only dog in my life that I truly called mine, and now he's gone.  Any future dog will be more for the kids.

Sugar Daddy Santiago:  Born June 16, 2001.  Died June 25, 2013. 

She's officially 2!

So our little girl is officially 2 years old!  I can't believe it!  May and the first part of June still seemed to be filled with sickness.  This year, that seems to be a theme.  Lila and Ben both have had strep twice over a 6 week period.  Four cases of strep in 6 weeks is not fun, especially when Lila comes down with her second case on the morning of our 9 year anniversary, and Ben comes down with his second case on the morning of Lila's birthday party.  But it all worked out just fine!  Mom and Dad watched the kids on our anniversary long enough for us to grab a quick bite at BoomerJacks, and Savannah came to the rescue during Lila's party to take care of Ben. 

Lila had a Minne Mouse themed party!  We had the party the saturday before her birthday.  When she woke up and saw the decorations, her jaw dropped.  I think she liked the decorations as much as the gifts!  She had a ball at the party.  We had all of her friends from church (Elliott, Caleb, Mason, Brooklyn, Lucas, Noah, Eisley, Micah) and then Hector's family came so Janessa was there as well!  She was so excited to have her baby cousin there!  We missed having Bowie and Gabe!  She behaved perfectly, which is great because hector and I were running around like chickens with our heads cut off.  Fajitas sounded easy in theory, but since Hector had been at the doctor with Ben that morning, it put us a little behind on prep.  Fortunately Mom stayed to help in the kitchen for a while!  Lila opened every gift with a smile and said thank you each time.  She was the perfect hostess.  She got Minnie dress up stuff, Hello Kitty clothes, a sit n' spin, books, and a bunch of other stuff.  Her birthday was on Tuesday.  We went with Mom and Dad and Sav to chuck e. cheese.  The kids had a blast.  And Lila loved all of her toys we got her too!  We ended up spending more on the two parties than on her gifts, but that's ok.  She was in heaven.  And since Ben didn't get to come to her first party, we wanted to celebrate with him.

For my birthday, Hector did this gift game for me that's kind of hard to explain, but basically, he gave me a bunch of cool gift options, including an IPAD, a family vacation, and a ranger game ticket package.  Then he said I could choose ONE of those or open the last envelope.  If I opened that, I had to take it.  Ben convinced me to open it!  When I did, it was an envelope filled with almost $1000 cash that Hector had saved up throughout the year of his own money!  He knew the best gift for me would be one that was already paid for!  So, with that money, I will be taking Ben to Sea World on an airplane!  Ben has been begging to go on an airplane for over a year.  I can't wait.  We're going July 16-18.  I think it will be a really special time for us. That was actually the gift option Hector originally intended us to use it for, but then decided to turn it into a game!

Both of my kids are awesome.  They have incredibly strong personalities and strong wills.  I have no clue where they got it! :)  Ben is going to be a lawyer when he grows up.  He never just takes no for an answer.  He has to convince you exactly why the answer should be yes.  Lila is on track to be an actress.  If she doesn't get her way, she just melts down in the middle of the floor like her world will end in an instant if you don't change your mind.  They play very well together, but they are also starting to fight like brother and sister, which I think is cute ... for now.  I'm sure it will get old fast.  Lila's still a great eater.  She now loves broccoli and tomatoes.  She's especially a fan of stir fry.  But she also loves candy and will eat it whenever she can get her hands on it!  Benjamin is still very picky but now his new favorite food is pizza with sauce and pepperoni.  We're trying to move away from corn dogs because of how bad they are for him.  Both of them have become water drinkers which I'm very thankful for. 

MAJOR PRAISE:  Ben's stomach appears to be doing better!!! We decided one day just to stop the Miralax and after a couple of weeks, Ben's complaints have reduced to almost none.  So, I think up front, the Miralax really helped his stomach, but at some point started adding to the cramping.  I just have to choose to believe it wasn't too long ago, or I begin to feel really guilty as a mama for not stopping it sooner!  But I'm so thankful that he's doing better!  I hated seeing him hurt like that, and now he can pee standing up like a regular little boy!

Summer has officially begun and I'm thrilled.  Hector has already been doing so much to help around the house.  The garage is cleaned out!  The backyard is visitor ready!  And I have a new ceiling fan outside which we will desperately need in July and August - thanks Mom and Dad!   Ben's loving the pool and swimming like a fish, off the diving board, all the way to the shallow end, breaths and all!  Lila's still not so sure.  I'm starting at home lessons with her.  We'll see how they go.  This summer is going to be great, but it may be a little challenging.  We are potty training Lila in a few weeks.  I think she'll do really well, but we shall see.  I was gone last week for a few days and Hector experienced the whining tendencies of our children.  Together, we've decided that this summer we are going to de-whine our kids.  That means more consistent consequences quicker.  It means a new line on the sticker chart.  So far, they don't like it.  Wish us luck!

Actually, I don't know if I've mentioned the sticker chart.  We started it a few months ago, and it's really helped.  We have lines on it for being kind and obeying, eating dinner (ben), picking up, getting ready for bed, and now no whining.  We also have a Super Sticker for Ben for staying in his Ben all night.  After the first straight week of sleeping in his bed, he earned the Larry Boy Silly Suits Toy.  Just yesterday, he earned the Larry-copter for two weeks in his bed.  Now we're shooting for the Rise of the Guardian figurine set.  He has to stay in his bed for 21 days.  I hate that it's such a battle for him, but this new program, plus some serious patience and trips back to his bed,  seem to be working.  We hope to get to the place where it's not a chore.  I hate that he's scared in the night.  I'd give anything to go back in time and not let him watch those stupid cartoons.

Anyway, as always, I'm incredibly thankful for how blessed i am.  God is good!

Where do I begin?

I can't believe it's been almost 4 months since my last post.  I fully intended posting something right after Christmas, but little did I know how crazy Christmas would be.  I'm going to attempt to recap the last few months.  It's been quite eventful.

Christmas was on a Monday.  The Friday before, Lila started acting sick.  Nothing major, or so I thought, but with Christmas coming up, I wanted to get her on some medicine if she had an ear infection or something.  So, I took her to the doctor on call Saturday morning, where I discovered she was in the first few days of RSV, that it was a 12 day illness, and that it would get much worse before it got better.  The doctor also informed us that she shouldn't be around any other children not even in the same house as any other children until those 12 days were over.  That was a problem since Bowie was set to come on Christmas Eve.  Needless to say Meredith was devastated. I had mom call her because it broke my heart to tell her.  So after she got over being upset about it, they had to call and change their flight and come in the next week.  We sent Ben with mom and dad to mama joy's for Christmas Eve, and Hector and I stayed home with Lila.  We felt pretty pitiful but it ended up being a sweet family time.  Christmas day we actually went over to mom and dads since Bowie wasn't there.  Fortunately, Lila felt decent on Christmas day.  And on the day after Christmas it snowed!  The kids had a ball for the little time we were out there.  It wasn't much, but it was enough to have fun.

The next two days after that were probably her two worst days.  She literally lay listless in my arms.  She was a really sick girl.  Fortunately, she got every it in time for Bowie to get here, and we had a great Christmas!  We got a Christmas family picture taken with everyone in the family for the first time.  Mom's wanted that for a long time and despite the insanity, they actually turned out very well. So that was Christmas.

 Then January was busy but fairly uneventful and then February I can't even remember.  It's a blur. Come March, Lila started getting sick again, and it was just one day out of nowhere she started running some low-grade fever.  It started going up a little bit and it was getting close to bedtime so I was gonna wait until bedtime to give her her medicine.  She was laying in my arms and you could tell she really felt bad.  She was hungry and so she was eating what I was.  I had eggs and rice that Hector made for us.  Hector was going to go work out but decided to stay at home since Lila was sick.  As she was laying in my arms probably 30 seconds after she took a bite of food, I just felt her locked up in my arms and she started seizing.  I didn't even realize what was happening at the time.  I asked Hector if she was seizing and he said yes and grabbed her.  Fortunately because Hector has had experience with kids seizing in school, he knew what to do.  He grabbed her and he turned her on her side and just held her while he let the seizure finish and told me to call 911.  So I called 911.  Poor Benjamin was there watching TV and kind of oblivious to what was going on.  He looked over and she was foaming at the mouth.  Ben just thought she was throwing up and fortunately went back to watching TV, but I called 911 and they asked how long it lasted.  I said it felt like five minutes but probably lasted about two minutes.  The ambulance got here in probably three minutes because they are right down the road.  The ladies that helped us were great and really helped to stay calm.  They had to get Lila's car seat out of the car and used it in the ambulance.  I rode with her to the hospital. She was out cold by the time the seizure was over I guess it takes so much out of babies that she was passed out. Even though she was asleep, her heart rate was really high to the point that they were concerned about it so they gave her oxygen.  They told us they would run her through all sorts of tests and so just wanted to let her sleep in the ambulance. Little did we know when we got to Cooks that not only did they not start doing tests on her, they didn't even admit us into a room.  They sent us to the waiting area where we then proceeded to wait for probably 2 to 3 more hours before we were ever seen. we love Cooks but that was probably the worst experience we've ever had.  Before we saw the doctor, they were trying to draw her blood to do some test to make sure that it wasn't anything bacterial and they could not get an IV in.  Finally after the second attempt of her just screaming bloody murder and them pinning her down, we said we wanted to talk to the doctor.  We asked him if it was a really necessary to do and he said no that he got enough from the second time to do the basics and so we just took her home.  So now we wish we'd been able to use the ambulance for reassurance but not had to go through that whole process of cooks.  Needless to say, that was a bit dramatic for the family.  I have never seen a seizure before.  Well I guess I didn't South Africa when I was really young but as a mama that was pretty crazy.  We were so thankful at how quickly she bounced back.  She bounced back far faster than we we did!

So that was the last illness episode that we had with with Lila that was serious.  We just finished Easter which was a really blessing. We had a community Easter egg hunt that I helped plan.  I guess we served over 250 people it appears and for a first time that was pretty cool.  As a family, we had a great Easter with hunting Easter eggs and dying Easter eggs and all the fun things.  Lila did not want to take a picture with the Easter bunny so we didn't get one without her crying.

We were very thankful and I continue to be very thankful for how blessed I am with my wonderful family.  With all the major negative events that happen I don't know if I've mentioned before that Hector won teacher of the year for Bailey and he just found that he did he did not get district teacher the year but he was one of five teachers recognized in addition to the three elementary, junior high and high school teachers of the year.  He got special recognition for his contribution to the district with the special letter from the State House of Representatives.  That was real special for him to have his hard work honored. I continue to be in awe of the impact that he's having on the kids.

Lila continues to grow right before our eyes.  I can't believe how much she's talking now and I'm so thrilled. It just thrills my soul to hear her singing all the time.  She loves to sing. She sings Jesus loves me pretty much every day.  One of the sweetest songs that she's begun to sing on her own is "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus there's just something about that name".  There's something about my little two-year-old singing those words that is just priceless.  She's definitely almost two.  She's throwing her tantrums and meltdowns and yet somehow she makes them look cute and we're learning how to work through them.

Benjamin is doing wonderful.  I actually just had a teachers meeting with his teacher, Janie, and she was just amazed at how creative he was.  She says in all her years, and Ben's teacher from last year said this too, she had never seen someone his agen with his creative imagination.  She said she loved just seeing his mind work.  She also said something that was really sweet. She asked if I had questions or concerns and I said you know mainly at this stage I just want to know that I have a good kid that's treating others kindly and being who he needs to be.  She just went on about what a blessing Ben was and how when another kid's afraid, he tells them that all they need to do is put their trust in God.  She said whatever we're teaching him at home he truly has taken to heart, and it was just an incredible blessing to me, far more than knowing that he can count to 20 or whatever he is supposed to be doing at this time. Also had my meeting with Lila's teacher, Rose. and she said that Lila is such a nurturer, such a motherly personality that she in her free time almost always wants to be playing with the babies and actually is pretty possessive of the babies.  That's our only challenge is that she doesn't want to share the babies.  So again like I mentioned in my last post, she is a girly girl and  I'm so thankful that it appears that she by nature will have that nurturing instinct.  She and Benjamin are doing much better playing together, and it's so neat to see them interact. The summer is going to be fun! I'm ready for Hector to get home.  He is so active with the kids and intentional in connecting with them, and they love it!  Lila loves her daddy and I think the summers can be a real special time for all of us.

 So that's it for now.  I am sure there's plenty more detail but those are the basics of what's happened between now and the last time I wrote something.  This was my first attempt at dictating a blog.  So if there are major typos, it's the dictation software's fault!

She's such a girl!

Lila turned 18 months on December 4th, and she is officially a girly girl!  Definitely, NOT her monther's daughter on that front.  Although, I will say, I enjoy the bows and tutus far more than I ever thought I would.  She loves her bows, her dresses, and especially her shoes.  She always wants her shoes on.  And lately, her maternal instinct has kicked in.  She wants her baby doll all the time.  Doesn't really matter which one.  And it can actually be a bunny or a bear too.  But she wants to rock it and sing to it and shhh it.  Then she wants to go lay it in her bed, turn the humidifier on, turn off the light, and close the door.  Then after about a 30 second nap, she's ready to go wake them up.  It is so stinkin cute.  She also like to feed them and give them her sippy.  The first time I realized she was trying to give the baby a drink, i went to look for a baby bottle, and realized we didn't have any!  Needless to say, we've asked for some for Christmas.  We've asked Santa for a lot of baby doll related items!

If there was any doubt before, Lila is definitely left handed.  She uses it for everything, from drawing, to eating, to hitting!  And her vocabulary has massively expanded in the last month or so.  She can repeat almost anything you say.  And she is saying far more words on her own now.  Not worried at all anymore.  She is addicted to "ki ki"  her word for candy canes!  She loves fruit chews and ice.  She still loves music.  We were at Grand Prairie Lights the other night and one of the girls in the show started tap dancing.  Lila stood up in her chair and started copying her.  I see dance lessons in her future!  She also plays with the singing christmas animal just like Ben used to!  It's so neat to see one of their few similarities.  She loves school now.  She's ready to head out the door before I am.  She's still a mama's girl, but she's beginning to show some early signs of independent play while we're at home which will be a life saver for me!  And she and Ben have started playing better together.  They like to build forts in the living room!  Ben gets mad when she tears it down.

Ben's doing great.  His stomach is still bothering him which we all hate.  But besides that he's awesome.  He and I are working on some reading and counting things at home which has been really fun for me.  To see him excited when he learns something new or does something he didn't know he could do is extremely cool.  It gives me a glimpse into the future, and it's pretty neat.  We are working on reading and writing his alphabet and counting and writing to 20.  We are also working on rhyming and starts with, and some art stuff.  We are really working hard at turning off the TV for a large portion of the day.  If Ben had it his way, he would watch TV all day everyday.  But once it goes off, he plays great by himself.  He plays great with Lila.  He'll draw, ready, dance.  You name it.  But once that TV comes on, he's in a trance.

I'm sure I'll post soon about Christmas, but I wanted to give a developmental update before I forgot some of the ways they're changing!

Fall update

As always this time of year, the past two months have been a blur.  Between Savannah, Angela, Mom, Mere, Carrie, and Ben's birthday, the all church retreat, the Life Challenge, Trunk or Treat, and Halloween, I'd say we've been pretty busy.  Thank goodness, things now begin to slow down so we can enjoy the holiday season as a family.  I'm determined to build in rest this year.  I don't want to blink and it be 2013.  So, as of today in the Santiago house, the Christmas season has begun.  Decorations will be coming out soon.  Christmas music is already playing.  But before we start that, I wanted to give a two month update on my kiddos.  More than anything, it's for me.  So that in 10 years, I'm reminded of all of the ways they grew and developed in such short time spans.

Miss Lila is growing more and more into her spunky personality.  She is so fun.  She was a watermelon for Halloween, and had to be the cutest watermelon I've ever seen.  She toddled down the street like she owned it.  She didn't even really need our help going to the doors.  She knew what she was doing and had no fear.  Her latest thing is shoving things up her nose and in her ears.  Pretty much anything small enough to fit, she attempts to lodge.  Drives me nuts.  If we can't redirect those efforts, we may end up in the emergency room!  And if she's got something we don't want her to have, she knows how to make a run for it, giggling the whole way.  Until it gets taken, then that giggle turns into a meltdown.  But she get's over it pretty quickly.  She's easily distracted.  Thank goodness.  She's increased her vocabulary quite a bit in the last 2 months.  She now says:  mama, dada, daddy, bubba (for Ben, bible, book, and bubbles), wawa (for water and watermelon), nana, yaya, sassa, ssshh for sugar, shoes for shoes and ssss for please.  Her favorite foods right now are watermelon and donut holes.  She went crazy for all the halloween candy.  I've actually already hidden the extra, so she can't see it.  It was sticky central yesterday!  Lila is not a big fan of school.  She would much rather be home with mom.  But typically she does well once she get's there.  She just doesn't like me to drop her off.  Lila's favorite song has always been Jesus loves me, but now it's the version where you clap and stomp.  Typically, it doesn't matter how upset she is, if you start singing that, she stops.  She loves to dance too.  I've gotta get it on video.

Benjamin turned four two weeks ago.  I can't believe it!  He's growing up so fast.  He's doing great in school.  He likes it better than last year, although he would rather be home too.  I'm afraid he takes after his mama in the school department.  Let's hope not!  He helped Hector decorate for halloween and is already singing Christmas music with mom.  He's no longer needs my help with the remote control, which is a little scary.  He's playing video games, which he still needs a little help with.  His new love is Ben 10.  He was the spider monkey alien for Halloween.  Since Ben isn't driven by food or candy, he wasn't very motivated at Halloween.  And he'll probably not ask for candy today.  But he had fun trick or treating with Noah.  He had more fun handing out the candy to the other kids at our house.  I can't wait for Christmas with Ben this year.  He's to the age where he can do so much and understand so much.  Hector and I really want to start some Santiago family traditions that he and Lila can look forward to each year.  One thing we've noticed lately with Ben is his interest in older women, whether it's Caleb's girlfriend Maryn, or the girls at McDonald's, he's drawn to them.  Cracks me up.  It starts early!  He's a great big brother, but we can already see Lila starting to drive him a little nuts.

All in all, life is great as always.  God is good and we are blessed.

Is it wild "1" and fierce "4"?

I love both my children with all of my heart.  I am so thankful for each of them, how uniquely created they are.  They are so different from each other.  Ben is mellow and very even keeled.  Lila is a roller coaster.  She smiles a lot more than Ben, but she also screams a lot more than Ben did.  Just within the last month, Ben and Lila have really started to play together.  Lila loves to get behind Ben and tackle him.  She also loves to cover him in kisses.  He's not a big fan of that.  He does however, love to wrestle with her.  And she is one tough cookie.  He'll lay on her with his full body weight, and she just lays there and smiles most of the time.  But when she's had enough, she'll do something like grab his face really hard!

Even though they are very different, they currently have one thing in common.  They are both going through some sort of acting out phase.  I'm afraid Lila's phase is going to be around for a couple of years if she's anything like me.  Mom says that she's as strong willed at 1 as I was at 2.  Help us all!  She has actually taken a few steps back in her nonverbal communication.  I used to be able to understand exactly what she wanted.  Now, she's alway pointing to the kitchen asking for food, but I can never figure out exactly what she wants.  I think she has something very specific in mind that I'm not getting.  She still really likes to be held.  The only difference is, now if I put her down, she has a complete melt down and chases me through the house screaming like I beat her.  It makes it a little tough to get much done.  Today, was actually one of our best days yet.  She played with her brother for  a few minutes on several different occasions, so I was actually able to get the house picked up!  She still is the best cuddler in the world.  It cracks me up.  She'll hit me in the face and then when I spank her for it, she cuddles with me.  Such a complex girl!  I take for granted what a good sleeper and eater she is.  She may be high maintenance, but she let's her mama sleep to get ready for it!  Oh, and Lila has mastered the art of walking.  No more crawling at all!

Benjamin, our sweet Benny, has always had a stubborn streak to him.  He and I will have a good 30 second stare down occasionally.  He's got this scowl he's had since he was born!  But recently, he has started blatantly disobeying and being disrespectful.  Calling us names, telling us he's going to punch us in the face.  His favorite name for us is "chicken boy".  Where he got that, I have no clue.   He also likes to become a super hero when he's getting in trouble.  So when I'm reprimanding him, he'll shoot his web at me.  It sounds so silly for me to say "don't you shoot your web at me".  But as Kim Avis put it, he's basically found a new way to flip us off!  So, he's been getting in a lot more trouble than normal.  He's also learning what it means to do something on purpose vs. accident and about making good choices.  So, it's presenting good opportunities to teach him.  It's just new territory for us with our laid back mellow child.

After my last post, Miralax became a life saver for Ben.  It cut his stomach aches down from about 4 or 5 a day to 1 every one to two days.  But since he was still having them after a month, Harris wanted us to see a GI specialist.  So we went last week.  She has put Ben on a pooping schedule.  Right after breakfast and after dinner.  After we started that, Ben didn't have one stomach ache for a week and a half.  We were so excited!  Then Saturday, he had 3 or 4.  We think it might be donuts that caused it.  Either that or pizza.  Because that's what he ate, and he hadn't had either of those in the past week and a half.  So, we're going to try to figure that out.  But in the mean time, we're praying for no more episodes.  Because the next step is a scope!  And we really don't want that for Ben if at all possible.

I think that covers the major stuff.  My kids are awesome.  They've got so much personality, and they like to keep mom and dad on their toes!  They start Mother's Day out in a couple of weeks.  I think that will be really good for both me and mom, since she keeps them those days when I work.  I thrive on routine, and I'm about to get a good one going!  God is good!

Oh - here's a couple of pictures from our last photo shoot.  Let's just say I'm glad it's still shots and not video.  What a day!

Jill Junior

It's amazing the development that can happen in 6 weeks.  Since I last posted, several things have happened:

First for Lila:
- The big news is Lila turned one!  I can't believe a year has already passed.  We had a big family birthday for her.  She did great, and did quite a number on her smash cake.  She wasn't quite as eager as I thought she would be, but once she got into it, she definitely made a mess.  Her favorite gifts were her stroller and her riding toy.
- She is taking 6 or 7 steps at a time.  That just started happening in the last couple of days.  All she lacks is confidence.  Dr. Harris said at her one month check up that as soon as she gains confidence, she won't walk, she'll run!  If I hold her hand, she can walk right along with me.
- Lila has turned into the toddler that I was rumored to be.  Her nickname is now officially Jill Jr.  She will kiss you when she loves you and head butt you when she's mad.  She's already mastered the tantrum, an art Ben has never even attempted.  She arches that back, double kicks her feet, and screams like she's possessed.  She has got quite the temper.  But it's really hard to discipline because it's so stinkin cute.  Her fuse is nonexistent.  She goes from 0-60 in .5 seconds.  But that same crazy child, will cuddle up with me and give me lots of kisses, something this Jill was not willing to do with my mama. She's got a smile that lights up a room and she smiles most of the time.  She laughs a lot of the time.  But when she chooses to get mad, watch out! One thing's for sure, she's got her mama's strong will, which I have a feeling will be her greatest strength/weakness in the long run!  It's so neat to see her personality emerge, even if it's a little scary.  It shows me what a determined and intelligent girl she is. She's been good at this for quite some time, but I don't think I've mentioned it.  She can communicate nonverbally so well.  She will let you know exactly what she wants.  She points.  She pulls.  Whatever it takes.  Very rarely can I not figure out what she wants.  It's so nice not to have to guess.

Now for Ben:
- The past month has been tough with Ben.  He has been having severe stomach pains, several times a day.  We've had urine tests, blood tests, xray, ultrasound, and nothing.  No answers.  Yesterday, we had the church pray over him, something we should have done a long time ago.  He seemed to have a better day today.  Right now, he's on reflux medicine, miralax, a probiotic, and milicon as needed.  Since other things have been ruled out, she thinks it's a motility issue.  I didn't even know what that word meant until Friday.  It basically means the rate that his intestines move food through them.  So, instead of being constipated, sometimes he has pain from working it through his intestines, slower or more difficult that it should be.  The Miralax is supposed to help with that.  We have him on Nexium just in case his reflux is back, contributing to the problem, but I don' think that's it.  We already took him off milk for a week to see if he was Lactor intolerant.  Found out he wasn't, but it was a tough week for Ben.  He loves milk, but hates all other forms of it.  It's so pitiful.  He hurts so bad that my son who typically refuses to take medicine is asking for it.  It's very hard as a mom to see your little boy in pain and not be able to fix it.  I'm praying this regimen  of medicine is the answer for now.  If it doesn't significantly reduce the problem in the next week, we're going in for a CT scan to rule out appendicitis and other more severe things.  Praying we don't have to go there.  He's handled it like a trooper though.  He's a tough kid.  You see him hurting far more than you hear him complain.  He told Angela that there are ghosts in his tummy trying to come out.  Poor baby is just trying to find an answer like we are!
- His eating has gotten even worse.  Now he won't eat fried chicken (unless its from mcdonalds).  Not a fan of grapes anymore.  He likes waffles, pizza (without sauce), donuts, ice cream and corn dogs, oh and barbeque chips.  Yep, that's about it.  Everything else is a battle.  No vegetable.  No fruit.  Very little meat.  And with his intestinal issues, it's a battle we've been having to fight even more than usual.  I'm so praying that this changes over time.  We're giving him V8 fusion again so he can get his serving of fruit and vegetables, along with a multivitamin.
-   He's a fish again.  It's summer time, and it took a couple of weeks, but Ben's back in the water, swimming like a fish.  This summer, we really want to teach him to take a breath while swimming, but we might have to get some instructor help to make that happen.  Lila's still not to sure about the whole swimming thing, but she will be soon enough!
- Sonny Lawing, the tic tac man, died today.  He was so good to Ben.  He will be missed.  I'll tell Ben for years to come about his sweet relationship with the tic tac man!