Trendy Trinkets Give-Away!

I am so excited to announce that I am hosting my very first give-away!  YAY!

Trendy Trinkets is an up and coming jewelry boutique that offers a wide variety of beautiful pieces for all tastes.  After viewing their inventory, you're sure to find something to your liking... or in my case, a lot of somethings!

Trendy Trinkets is owned and operated by my beautiful and talented cousin, Melissa.  She puts her heart and soul into every piece of art she creates and you're guaranteed a stunning and unique piece of jewelry art!  She runs her business out of Miami, Fl and displays her items at various art fairs throughout the city.  But wait, you don't live in Miami?  Never fear... her online store is great too!

If you do live in the Miami area and would like to see her pieces first hand, her next showings are:

March 5 & 6 at Carnival on the Mile Art Show (Miracle Mile)

and

March 12 at the St. Patricks Day Festival and Art Show (2800 Ponce de Leon Blvd.)  

So, now for the moment you've all been waiting for.  The GIVE-AWAY! (Say it in Oprah's voice... it's soo much more fun that way!)
Trendy Trinkets has offered to give away a $15 gift certificate to be used towards the piece of your choosing either at the online store or in person (Miami only).  Here's how to enter:

1. Visit www.trendytrinkets.net and browse through the inventory.
2. Leave me a comment telling me which is your fave piece.
3. If you are a public follower of my blog, you may enter twice... just leave me another comment saying you follow publicly.  If you don't follow publicly, but want to, click on the "follow" button (on the left side of your screen... scroll down a bit) and post an additional comment saying you are a new follower!

I will select a winner using Random.org on Friday, March 4 at 2pm!

Ready... Set... GO!

Breast-Food?

This morning, Mauricio emailed me with this article today.  If you don't have time to read it, it's about a cafe in London that is selling breast-milk ice-cream for $22 a bowl.  That's a little steep for a bowl of ice-cream, don't ya think?  And here I am complaining about the $7 we spend at Cold Stone every once in a while!

Well this got me thinking.  I have a freezer FULL of breast-milk!  See, no food... just milk!

When I was originally pumping this milk, while Jonas was in the NICU for 28 days, I had considered donating it.  (See  this post).  But the more I looked into it, the more I read about guidelines and regulations... such as, storing, freezing and shipping methods.  Unfortunately I had already bottled so many of them, that it wasn't going to be feasible.  So I figured I'd just use it up little by little, and then in his cereal.  Problem is... we can't go through it fast enough!

Maybe I should look into using this milk in other ways, instead of just dumping it once it expires.  I started researching ways to use my milk.  Some sites say to dump it in coffee as creamer... but we don't drink coffee.  Then I found this site that has recipes... REAL RECIPES... using breast-milk.  I guess basically you can use breast-milk in anything... only it's thinner and sweeter than cow's milk.  But seriously, who would know?!

When I asked Mau if he would have some breast-milk ice-cream, his answer was simple... "no".  I asked, "Not even mine".  Again, the answer was "no".  And I thought this man loved me?!  haha.  But, if I slipped some breast-milk in muffins or a cake, would he even know the difference?  If I make a delicious smoothie using iced breast-milk, could he tell?  Probably not.  (And now he's always going to second guess... bwahahahaha).

That site also has a recipe for breast-milk soap.  This is great because you can used expired milk for it too!  It's probably so nourishing for dry skin and sensitive baby bottoms.  I think I'll definitely try that... even if Mau "refuses" to use it.

Ok, I can feel the faces you're making just reading this.  No, I'm not a hippie and no, I don't want to live in a commune, and no, I'm probably not going to start a compost any time soon.  But, why waste it?!  Let me just step up on my soap box for a minute here...

You will drink COW'S milk... and feed your children COW'S milk, but not breast-milk?  Does this make any sense?  Cow's milk is for... COWS!  Goat's milk is for... GOATS!  Mammals lactate to feed their children... not to feed other species' children!  We are mammals, and hence we should use OUR milk... HUMAN milk, to feed our families.  Wouldn't it be something if once we became mothers and started lactating, we began feeding our entire families with our milk?  We could make all dairy products, cook with it and drink it.  And now with the whole "organic" and "green" movement, this makes more sense than ever!  What's more organic than "home-grown milk"?!  By the way, have you ever seen a cow's utters... gu-ross!  Do you personally know the cow that is providing your family with milk?  It probably isn't Bessy, your families cow that you raised since calf-hood.  You have NO IDEA what cow it is... you have NO IDEA what that cow is being fed... you have NO IDEA the living conditions or cleanliness of the cow.  And yet, this is preferable to milk from a woman living with you... because it's not as "icky"... yeah, that makes a lot of sense!

Now, that said, I'm not about to continue lactating indefinitely to feed my family.  I hate pumping and I'd probably have to force feed it to some people!  But, I'm not going to let my entire freezer stash go down the drain, so YES, I am going to be looking into these recipes and preparing some breast-milk friendly food.  If you come over, best ask before you eat!  You never know what might be hidden in our food.

Readers, I'd love to hear what you have to say about this!  Please leave a comment!

What a Difference Hair Will Make

Today I was look through some photos of Marco throughout his short life.  More impressive than his growth through this time, is his HAIR growth!  I mean, I never realized what a difference hair will make on a person.  His face looks pretty much the same, but with the added hair on top, it changes his whole apperance.  Let me show you:

 Here's Marco at 7 months.  Face looks pretty much the same.  Those cheekers... those big brown eyes.  He melts my heart!  But look on top... nothing but peach fuzz.

 Here's my boy at 12 months.  This is his official "big boy car seat" picture.  At the time, I remember crying because he was "SOOO BIG".  His hair is a little longer on top, but so so thin that you see more head than anything else.

He needed a mini-hair cut at this point, because the back was long... like a mullet.  One day, we were sitting for breakfast and Mauricio snuck up behind him and chopped it off!  I was furious!  Not because I like the mullet, mind you, but because I wanted his first hair cut to be special and real... like at a place.  But, I must admit, it looked pretty good and since that was all that was needed, it didn't make too much of a difference.

 Here's my cutie pie at 15 months old.  (Don't judge me for letting him drive... it was in our complex AND he was THRILLED about it so nanny nanny boo boo)


Now, I thought THIS was a lot of hair.  And granted... that is a good amount of growth for 3 months time.  But he's still got a receding hair line (thanks Dad, for those genes).

This was Marco today.  He's 20 months old.  Now THAT's a lot of hair!

We have yet to get his official 1st hair cut, and quite honestly, I don't really want to.  I hate the look of a fresh hair cut... too dorky.  Plus, I really like his shaggy look.  Pretty sure my kids are going to be the ones with long, surfer-ish hair cuts... and why not?!  He's got the hair for it!

The Best Rip-Off Ever

Today we went to the mall.  I am not a shopper... in fact, I loathe shopping.  So girly of me, right?  But I go to the mall because they have a pretty rad and small play area which is perfect for Marco to burn some energy.  After a full week and a half of being sick and cooped up in the house, we desperately needed to go out.

Marco usually has a blast with all the other kids, running around, jumping off the equipment, and going down the slide face first.  Today however, there was a distraction that kept him from all of his former playground shenanigans.  There was a train.  That's right, a moving, choo-choo-ing, rideable train.  Well, as any mother of a boy knows, this is the end all.  Instead of playing, Marco was standing on top of the seat next to me shouting "CHOO CHOO" every time the train would go by... so like about a thousand times (give or take).









What kind of mother would I be if I didn't let him ride?  Tell me!  So, we went to have a ride.  When I get to the "train station", turns out it costs $4 to ride... per person!  But when I looked at Marco, he was already bouncing up and down in the stroller in anticipation.  I just had to let him do it.  My little boys happiness is worth $4, right?  Of course!  So, I hauled myself over to the ATM and took out some cash to buy his train ticket.



When he got in the train car, he couldn't wait to take off.  He was moving from seat to seat, trying to decide which would be best for his trip.  He was so excited that he was on the inside, while Jonas and I were on the outside.  He's big... and he knows it!



As the train took off, he began squealing with happiness... his smile was from ear to ear.  He was so excited, he didn't know what to do with himself.  When he wasn't waving at me and laughing, he had his head out the window screaming "CHOO-CHOO"!  It was THE MOST adorable thing I have ever seen.


The train ride was a total and complete rip-off.  It only went down the short arm of the mall, made a u-turn and went back.  The ride was MAYBE 3 minutes long.  And, remember it's $4!  The only thing that makes it kinda worth it is that you get a free chick-fil-a ice-cream with the ticket... but I wouldn't give Marco ice-cream anyway, so we didn't benefit from that.  (note... I do not deprive my children of ice-cream, I just think it should be a weekend treat).  Now, since this is a new but perminant fixture at the mall, I'm going to have to remember to pack $4 whenever we go.  Just to see that face of joy and hear that laughter of excitement is WELL worth the measly $4.  This was the best rip-off ever!

My Own Medicine

Like me, my mom was a stay-at-home-mom.  She stayed home with me until I started school.  In order for her to be able to do this, my parents had to make huge sacrifices.  She wasn't able to buy new clothes, go out or take vacations.  She had very few friends and lived away from her family.  Sound familiar?  For my first year of life, we lived in Okinawa, Japan (yes, I was born there... no, I'm not Japanese) and the next three years, we lived just outside Seattle, Washington.  

She didn't have (or take advantage of) the things I have such as MOPS, play dates, play groups, bouncing babies, etc.  Basically, we stayed home all day, and since I had no siblings, she was my playmate.  She would play with me all day long... we'd sing songs, read stories and play pretend.  When we played house, she even let me be the Mommy!  She was my best play bud! 

 

But sadly, this wasn't good enough for me.  I would drop her like a sack of potatoes the moment my father walked in the door.  I'd hear the door begin to open and I'd shriek in giddy delight.  I'd sprint over to him with arms open, hug him and say "My Papito lindo is home" (translation: my beautiful little Daddy is home).  My mom would always jealously say, "What am I?  Chop liver?".  Yes, she was.  I would snottingly reply, "Go away Mommy, I'm with my Papito lindo".  It didn't matter how much fun my mom and I had during the day, once my dad came home it was all about him.  (We have an audio recording of me at 2 to confirm all of this). 

Now, I'm a SAHM and in a VERY similar predicament.  And I must say, I have tasted my own medicine... and it is BITTER!  

I plan every single day out so that Marco has fun.  We go to the library... for him.  We go to play dates... for him.  We go to the park... for him.  We go to the mall... for him.  I plan fun activities... for him.  I read and re-read and re-read the same books... for him.  I sing the ABC's one HUNDRED times... for him.  It's ALL about him.  And yet, the minute that door handle starts to turn, that little boy begins to shriek and jump around on his tip toes in anticipation for his dad's arms.  Marco has got Daddy love-itis and he's got it BAD.  

Honestly, I DO feel like chop-liver.  For example, today Mauricio put Marco in time out.  Marco cried and whined and when it was all said and done, he looked at ME like as if I were the one that had put him there, turned to Mauricio (his savior) and cried into his neck.  It wasn't even ME!!!  

No matter how many activities I do with Marco, I can not compete with the coolness that is Dad.  I mean, I always knew Mau was cool (I did marry him, ya know?) but this is a little over-the-top!  Sure, Mau is the one that dangles him by one foot and swings him around the living room.  If I could, I would do it too... but I'm not strong enough!  Maybe he's just too used to me... he needs the opportunity to miss me, like he misses Mau everyday while he's at work.  

Oh well, at least I still have Jonas... for now.

Sorry Mom! 

I Need A Vacation

I'm starting to get that itch.  You know the one... when you want to break free from your mundane life and be extraordinary?  That's it.  I'm feeling like I need something more.  More "me time", more romance, more fun and excitement.

Being a mom has been the greatest joy of my life, and I don't want to diminish it's value, but I can't say that that's ALL that I am.  I try to fill up my life with other activities... MOPS, play-dates, visitors, trips to Miami, books, blogs, writing classes, volunteering... I can go on, but I'll spare you.  It's not enough.  I'm feeling BORED.

I am not the type of person who is all about "me time".  I never have.  I don't really like Girl's Night Out's, I'm not about to spend $40 on a mani/pedi, and I think massages hurt.  Also, I'd rather spend my "me time" with my husband... "us time".  If I'm going to spend money, I'd rather spend it together and do something that fills up both our cups.  Unfortunately, "us time" is hard to come by.  We'd have to pre-plan, get a sitter and then figure out somewhere to go. Anywhere but Whole Foods or Chipotle PLEASE!  But we have to do something... and quickly too.  I'm getting stale and worn.  I need to be rejuvenated!

We NEVER take vacations.  Since we live in a different state than our family, our vacation time always consists of going back to see them.  This is NOT a vacation.  It is 2 ridiculously packed weeks filled with obligations and commitments.  (See this post).  The last vacation we took was our honeymoon... and that left a LOT to be desired.

Quick back story:  We went to the Dominican Republic for our honeymoon to an all inclusive hotel.  By day 2, I had developed some kind of food/water poisoning and spent the rest of our trip laying in bed (in the least sexy way) and in the bathroom.  I just couldn't wait to get back to the States.  It was the worst honeymoon in the history of honeymoons!

So, since our last (and only) vacation clearly sucked, I think we deserve to take a 2nd honeymoon... round 2!  Next year we celebrate our 5 year anniversary (already, i know!) and I would LOVE LOVE LOVE it if we could go on a romantic vacation... just the two of us.  Now, as a SAHM who makes very little money, and a family of 4 living on 1 income, this is much easier said than done.  But if we save for a WHOLE year... why not?!  And, I'm not asking to go to EUROPE (even though I'd love it)... just on a Caribbean cruise for 5 days.  I think this is TOTALLY doable.

I just feel like I need something to look forward to... even if it is a year away.  I can't handle feeling like all we have to deal with are responsibilities, obligations, commitments, bills, blah blah blah... it makes me feel like the light at the end of the tunnel is VERY far and VERY dim.  We need things to look forward to and be excited about.  If not, then life is just plain ol' boring.  And that's how I'm feeling lately... BORED.

This is where I'd like to be... is that too much to ask?

PS, readers.  Did you know that you could help me make a little extra cash so I can take this vacation?  Yeah, YOU!  I don't advertise on my blog for nothin'!  Do me a favor, and click a bit.  Thanks!

Sick & Needy

One is sick, the other is needy.  Well, really both of them are needy.

As you read in my last post, I was sick last week.  This was the worst... or so I thought, until my little darling angel-faced baby Marco got sick.  I passed on my evil stomachache-y germs to him and now he's got it bad.

It all started on Sunday, when he had some stomach discomfort, with stinky burps and other nasty stuff coming out of another end, which led to diaper rash.  Great.  So, changing time was a joy with a wiggle worm who was screaming his head off!

Then yesterday, he was very moping, not playing, wanting to be held all day, etc.  I have NEVER seen Marco act this way.  Even with all the ear infections and little colds, he's never been knocked down.  In the past, he has always wiped his nose with his hand (all over his face and hair) and continued to play.  This is how I know he is truly sick.

Last night, he refused to eat anything, and had a very high fever.  Even after a warm bath, his fever was still 103.3!  We gave him tylenol and it broke, but was back up once the dose was up.

This morning, he continued to be ño ño with a touch of mamitis... for those of you who do not know what either of those symptoms are, let me explain:  Ño ño is when a child is whimpery, whiney and clingy.  Mamitis is when a child wants nothing but their mom... it's like saying "Mom-itis".  He has these above mentioned symptoms so bad that he made me hold him WHILE I was breastfeeding Jonas!  Picture, Marco laying on my lap and Jonas laying on top of Marco, eating.  In essence, Marco was my Boppy pillow.  So, with these symtoms at hand, plus a diaper full of diarrhea, and a fever that would not quit, we decided to head out to the pediatrician.

At the pediatrician, they took his temp and it was at 104!  Holy cow!  While I was force feeding him some tylenol, he proceded to vomit ALL over me, himself and the floor.  It was a huge mess.  Thankfully I had taken off my hoodie to make a pillow for him in the stroller, so I could just wear that instead of my sopping wet shirt.  If you notice from the picture above, Marco is sporting the robe given to him at the doctors, since his shirt was also soaked.

He was tested for the flu, and praise God, it isn't that!  But the doctor just told us to keep him hydrated, not to worry about food, let him rest and don't worry about the fever unless it's around 106.  (That seems crazy high to me, but ok).  The entire time we were at the doctors office, my needy sweet son, Jonas was screaming his head off.  The poor doctor could barely concentrate enough to give me those simple instructions.

When we got back to the house, it was CrapFest 2011.  To spare you all the gross details, lets just say, I have never picked up so much crap before in my life.  We ended up sticking Marco in the shower for 2 reasons... 1. His fever was still at 103 and 2. He could crap in there all he wanted.  But, I'm a smart one... and I decided to stick all the crapped and vomited on clothes in the washer with hot water.  I wasn't thinking that this is the very SAME water that runs to the shower.  When I got back to the bathroom, Marco was sitting in a cold shower.  Duh.  Poor baby.  We grabbed him out, proceded to try and dress him, while dodging even MORE crap, and finally, finally got him in his crib for a nap.

After experiencing having one of my children sick, I will never say that my being sick sucks again.  This is physically and emotionally draining.  My heart breaks for my little boy with each whimper he makes.

Now I'm just praying that this bypasses Jonas.  Since he's exclusively breastfed, I don't know what we'd do.  It's not like he has any weight to lose... you know, he is a whopping 7 pounds!  Please pray along with me that my family gets healthy soon, so that I can have 2 healthy and needy babies!

Working 24/7

There are so many perks to being a stay-at-home mom.  You get to see your children grow and learn and you don't miss much that goes on.  However, it is a 24/7 kind of job.  Most jobs are 40 hours a week... 9-5, Monday-Friday.  Not being a SAHM!

Your babies don't know its a Saturday and it's customary to sleep in on weekends!  (I don't know why they didn't get the memo).  Their diapers still need to be changed and their mouths still need to be fed.  Your babies don't know your on vacation and would like to enjoy care-free days a little more.  They're still calling out for "MAMA"!  Your babies don't know that you are sick.  They still want to be swung, played with, picked up and tickled.

No weekends.  No vacation days.  Worst of all... No sick days.

I've been sick for the last 2 days.  The stomach bug.  Not fun.  I have such a weak stomach... I get it at least once a year.  This bug has hit me so hard, and I'm so weak, that I can't even stand long enough to change a diaper.  Luckily, I have the most AMAZING husband in the world, and he makes huge sacrifices to help me out.

It wasn't always like this though.  Last year when I got my annual stomach bug, Marco was 7 months old and required a lot of attention (or so I thought it was a lot... until he became a toddler!).  I couldn't keep up with him, and every time I stood up, I had to rush to the bathroom.  I called Mau to tell him I needed help and he said he couldn't come... I would have to suck it up.  That was one of the worst days ever.  It wasn't until about a month later when we BOTH came down with food poisoning, that he realized how hard it was to care for a baby while be in the bathroom all day long.  He admitted that he couldn't handle it and now he saw why I needed help.

So this time around, he has been a-ma-zing!  Yesterday was the worst.  I could barely stay awake and within the first half hour of trying to care for both kids, I was failing big time.  He came home from work and stayed with the kids till nap time so I could sleep.  I woke up for the day once Marco woke up from his nap... at 4pm!  I really needed that sleep!  Once Mau got home from work, he cooked and fed Marco, bathed him and put him to bed... all while I sat on the couch.

Today, he's had to make up some of the hours he missed yesterday, but he still came home to change Marco's stinky diaper for me AND once again to feed him lunch.  Of course, these are the perks from his work being across the street from our house.  I am so grateful that God has given me this loving and sacrificial man to be my husband.

Now, if only I could feel better before the weekend starts, that'd be great!

Feeding Time Torture

As if it's not bad enough that I spend multiple hours a day sitting on the couch breastfeeding Jonas, but he always has to add to it with torture.  Jonas always releases the stinkiest farts while he's eating.  And lucky for me, they float upwind and straight into my nostrils!  This is my own personal torture session... 6 times a day, at least.

But I guess it's worth it because I look down and see his little angel face with sweet satisfaction.  You know I loooove breastfeeding, and not even the most rancid smelling gas could ever keep me away from it!

Not by me, but by Him

Some may say my life has been one of meeting my obstacles head on, not allowing life to get me down, but moving forward always.  I can agree.  My life has not been easy, but the grace of God has always guided and strengthened me.  I have so many examples of which I can write, but I will choose one.

After being married to the love of my life for a ful year, we decided it was time to start thinking about bringing a little "us" into the picture.  We prayed abou tit and decided to consult my doctors about the decision.  Since I had always lived with major health difficulties, it was important to get the green light from them before proceeding with our plans.

I made an appointment with my Pulmonologist and informed him of our plan to conceive.  He looked at me with skeptical eyes and with very little sympathy in his voice, he said, "That's probably not a good idea.  You should just adopt, but don't risk having your own children".  I sat in my paper gown atop the examination table and began to shiver.  Tears swelled in my eyes and poured down my cheeks as my dreams of having my own children started to evaporate.  How could he dismiss all of my dreams and desires in one simple sentence?  I was devastated.

Mauricio and I began to pray feverishly about what God had planned for our life.  He had always made a way for us and given me strength to do things beyond the limitations set for me by others.  He reminded me of all the things He pulled me through in the past.

* When I was a 5th grader and I wanted to be a cheerleader, people said it wasn't a good idea.  But I did it anyway.  Although I was quite possibly the worst cheerleader in the history of cheering, I completed the season.

* When I was 16 and they told me I needed a lung transplant and would no longer live the life of a normal teen, I proved them all wrong.  Time and time again I was TOO healthy to recieve a transplant and kept on getting skipped on the list for people who needed a lung for a life or death situation.  Eventually they pulled me off the list all together.

*  When I was applying for college and wanted to be an Opera major, the professors and administration said it wasn't a good idea.  My lungs did not have the capacity to handle the rigor of the repertoire.  And my arthritis would be affected too greatly with the staging and long days on my feet.  But I did it anyway.  And I graduated on time!

*  When I wanted to move out on my own and begin working, people said it wasn't a good idea.  They said I should stay near my family in case something happened.  They said I wouldn't be able to handle working full time with children and maintain my own house.  But I did it anyway.  And I was good at my job too!

God pulled me through all of these things that mere man said I could not do.  I realized it wasn't by my efforts, but by God's grace.  I realized that if he pulled me through those petty and insignificant desires, how much more would he grant me the true desire of my heart... to be a mom.  We decided to trust in Him completely.

In October of 2008, we conceived my first son, Marco and decided to move 700 miles away from our family.  People said we were crazy to have a baby and do it all by ourselves while being so far from my family.  People said we couldn't afford to live off of one income, to allow me to be a stay-at-home-mom. People said we would struggle.  And when we conceived our second son, Jonas, they said it all again.  But we are doing it anyway!  And not by our hands, but by God's hands, which guide us every single step of the way.

Movin' On Up

We've decided to move.  (Don't get excited, O-Towners and Miamians, we're only moving 3 miles down the road).  Our lease at our current appartment expires in March and we were faced with a decision... find something else or re-sign.  We were praying for God to point us in the right direction.

For a while, it felt like God was telling us to stay.  We had been looking for rental properties and the options were limited, expensive or just nasty.  Then we went into our apartments leasing office to give our 60 notice (just in case) and they informed us that rent was going to be increased this year by $150.  That week we also had a run in with our upstairs neighbor, who called the cops on us because Jonas was crying! (what a witch... with a B!).  So, we then thought maybe He wasn't telling us to stay... but there still wasn't anything else out there.

Then on Monday, a property that had been on the market, reduced their rent and became in our price range.  It's exactly what we need; $50 less than what we pay now, more space, no upstairs neighbors, a back yard and porch, and a garage!  And it's available the 1st weekend in March... which is the same weekend we'd have to move out of here.  Is this a God thing or what?!

So, this new place is a 3 story townhouse, only 3 miles from where we currently live.  On the 1st floor is a 1 car garage, and a bedroom with a bathroom, which will become my studio.  This is absolutely ideal because that way my students will only be on our 1st floor and we can have some privacy in the rest of the house.  The 2nd floor has the living room, dining room, half bath, kitchen (with an island), breakfast nook and a porch.  This is also ideal because we can now eat in the breakfast nook, which does not have carpet!  And, the dining room can become a playroom for the boys!  The 3rd floor has the master with a bathroom (with a garden tub and TWO sinks), a hall bathroom and another big bedroom.  This is ideal because the boys will be sharing a room and it is way big enough for both cribs, and will still be big enough when we turn those cribs into "big boy beds".

God is sooooo good.  I am always amazed at how He provides for us and guides us in every step.  His timing is always right.  We are truly blessed.  The only thing I'm worried about is handling all the stairs, but I know God will take care of that too.

So in the next few weeks we have a lot of packing to do to get ready for the big move.  We've got to pack tons of boxes with clothes, toys, books, knick-knacks, dishes, and whatever else I may have forgotten.  Oh yeah, and we can't forget our kids!

PS.  We are now accepting volunteers to help with the move.  Free pizza will be provided! :)

Proud Musical Mama

I love music and singing.  It's always been a dream of mine to have little musical children.  Mauricio is also a musician.  In fact, that's one of the first things that attracted me to him- ooo, he plays guitar... ::drooool::  So, when we got married, I saw my musical family becoming a reality!

Although we're both have a love for music, we are not pushers.  We do not see the need to enforce this in our children's lives.  We'd prefer it if they would naturally come to love music, on their own.  This would make us so happy!  We hope that by being surrounded by music and by seeing how FUN it is, that they will be attracted to it as we are.

I'm happy to announce, that our first son is a prodigy!  Ok, maybe not really, but he loves music, singing and dancing.  He's been dancing since he was 10 months old and you all remember the show he put on at my brother's wedding! 

He has also been singing since he turned a year old.  And, I don't just mean baby singing, I mean REAL singing.  Since I give voice lessons from our house, he has grown up listening to a lot of vocal warm-ups.  At a year old, he was able to sing a downward 5 tone (Sol-Do) on Ya.  No kidding... he did it the right way.  He had all the intervals down and many times could match my pitch!  AMAZING!

About a month ago, we noticed him singing to himself a lot.  When we listened in, we realized that he was singing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star".  He didn't have the words... it was more like "Tik, Tik, iiii staaaa", but he did have the correct melody!  Again, we were shocked.  He was only 18 months old!

Since then, we've been playing games to see what kind of an ear he has for pitch recognition, and for the most part we are very impressed.  I'll sing a pitch (Laaaa) and then say, "Marco's turn" and see if he can match the pitch.  Sometimes it takes a few tries, but he probably gets it 8/10 times.  Like I said, a singing prodigy!

Marco is also very particular about the kind of music he wants to hear.  For example, I'll usually sing to him while changing his clothes and diaper.  In the morning I like to sing a "good morning" song or "Red Robin".  This is no longer acceptable.  He shakes his head and whines, "eeeeehhh".  He ONLY wants to hear the ABC's or Twinkle, Twinkle... they have the same melody... coincidence? I think not!

We hope that since he is growing up in an environment where music is an everyday common occurrence that he will only know a life filled with music. We live in a house where instruments are readily available to be used and he doesn't need special permission or a special occasion to get his hands on them.  And with our encouragement, "beautiful singing Marco", "I looooove your singing", we know he'll fall in love with music just as we have.

I am one proud musical mama!