Out of the mouth of Gabe....

I woke Gabe up this morning and started with our usual morning routine. He pees, brushes his teeth with help from me, and we wash his face and I help him get dressed. During this process he is eyeing the jacuzzi and says:

Gabe: "Mommy, I like to take baths"

me: "You do"

Gabe: "Yes.......I need to take a bath right now because I really dirty"

me: " You just took a bath yesterday and you're still clean"

Gabe: " No I dirty because..."

me: " because what??"

Gabe: " 'cause I farted this morning when I in bed and it was really stinky so I dirty and need to take a bath mom!"

I busted out laughing. The things this kids says. He is doing "school work" in his Kumon books this morning. Currently he has 7 of these books which I like a lot. He has been doing a lot of tracing and right now is tracing letters in his Uppercase Letters book. Here are some pics.......he's so proud of writing the letters L, T, H, and I.

It's been awhile.....

Ever since we got back from Spain we have been catching up on school work and traveling to local venues. Honestly, I have been struggling a bit with homeschooling. As a mother I sometimes get caught up with comparing my kids to others and also struggling to balance it all and still have some time for myself. I know it sounds very selfish, but lately I have been wanting more and more me time. I've been questioning where these feelings may be coming from. I have always been the mother who gladly put her dreams and ambitions on hold to stay at home with my kids. Now suddenly I have these gnawing feelings of resentment, wanting to spend time away alone, wanting to pursue my dreams, and feeling of being under appreciated. I guess what triggers some of these feelings is my PMDD , but what really strike a chord deep within me is the lack of respect and sass I recieve from the kids from time to time. That's when I have feelings of " You spoiled little brats ...I've given up so much for you and this is what I get" or "Where the hell did I go wrong ...I'm just not a good mother...I hate this JOB!!" I have been so blessed and would not hesitate to give my life for my kids, but God why am I struggling at this time??? I know it may sound horrible, but it is what I feel. I just need to get to the root of these feelings and balance things more better :) It just might be stemming from Trents upcoming deployment. Thankfully I will be around family and back home while he's away.

Okay enough of the whinning. LOL Besides school and sightseeing Noah finished his baseball season. I really liked his coaches this year. They were two great young sailors who voluteered their time to work with our boys. Both young men set great examples for the team. Here are Coach Rock and Coach nick at the teams end of season cookout.

Noah turned 11 yo at the end of the month and had a sleep over at Carney Park with his friends. He recieved a lot of Lego sets from Trent and I which have kept him busy along with the new Wii games he got from friends.


Facebook has become a new addiction of mine. It has been so much fun catching up with old friends I haven't spoken to in years.

Trent and I went to the Island of Capri for the day. It was so much fun and I enjoyed having him all to myself. We ate pizzas, gelato, looked at some sights and took a boat ride to see the Blue Grotto. We also had a busy week as a family visting Pozzuoli, a beach in Gaeta, and the Royal Palace of Caserta. This Friday we are heading out to Sorrento on a USO tour. Then my friend Janet and I are heading to Capri on Sunday for the day. Here are a few pics from our recent excursions:

The Blue Grotto

The fountains and gardens at the Royal Palace in Caserta

Inside the palace

Wordless Wednesday........More from Spain

Out of the mouth of Gabe....

Here's a short conversation I had with Gabriel earlier today.

me : "Honey you need to eat more fiber"

Gabe: "Mommy I don't want to eat fire."

me: " Not fire...fiber"

Gabe: " fire"

me: (slowly) "fiber.....fiber"

Gabe : "FIBER"

Hello from Spain...

This will be brief, just wanted to say we are having a fabuloso time in Spain. We got here on Monday evening and have immersed ourselves in the culture. Last night we went to the Feria in Jerez and it was one experience I will never forget. I am loving the food, culture, and people here. I'll write more later.


Flamenco dancers in Jerez

Seafood and chicken/pork paella

Sangria

Trent & I at the beach

Have you seen these guys?

The Numberjacks are Gabriel's current obsession. He watches this show everyday and even though it's in Italian he sings along and seems to figure out what they're saying. This show is made in the UK...thus I can't seem to find their DVD's in the American market. I don't know if this show is shown in the states, but the only place I can seem to find it in English is on You tube. Even then it isn't an entire show just different clips. I'm hoping that we can easily find these DVD's on our planned visit to London this summer because he absolutely loves them.

Childhood obesity....

After reading an article this morning on childhood obesity it got me thinking about the things my children put into their bodies. The health and physical fitness of our children is very important to me. I may serve healthy fare in our home, but my kids don't always eat it nor do they always make healthy choices when it comes to snacking or eating out. As their mother, I need to help them improve different aspects of their diet. For example,while Lesley is not afraid to try new foods and eats a variety of fruits/veggies she often skips breakfast because she isn't hungry. {which I hate 'cause it's the most important meal of the day} The boys on the other hand are picky eaters and really need to expand on the variety of fruits and veggies they eat. All I want is for them to have a balanced healthy diet, eat junk food sparingly in moderation, and to always be active.

Kids can be so cruel....

The story below is so heartbreaking. As a mother of an almost 11 yr. old my heart goes out to this beautiful little boy's parents and family. I am thankful Noah is able to learn in an environment free of peer pressure and bulling. Some might say I'm being over protective, I'm sheltering my kids, or bulling/harrassment are just a part of life,but I completely disagree. That type of behavior is not just a part of life, nor should any individual have to put up with it anywhere. {school,work, etc...} The author Barbara Coloroso has a book out on this subject and recently spoke to Anderson Cooper who was talking about 11 yr. old Jaheem Herrera. She was here just last month speaking to the all the military kids on this subject. ===================>

Note to self...

How are you going to set a short term weight loss goal in the morning and then head to the commissary to buy 3 half gallons of ice cream at noon???? Duhh...ya ice cream freak. Straight from the lips to the hips!!!! Yes I'll be at the gym tomorrow doing damage control :D

No medicine mommy...

Trent has duty which means he is in charge for the day and has to spend the night at the hospital. This morning I got a little taste of what my life will be like while my honey is deployed. Hectic and stressful at times, but with the right attitude every thing falls into place.
I was about to drive Lesley to the school bus stop when Gabe started throwing up all over himself in the car. Thankfully I covered him up with a small blanket because most of his puke landed on it and not him or his carseat. I automatically wiped him up and carried him inside to give him a drink of water. The first words out of his sobbing mouth as we walked in the door were "No medicine mommy"....which he repeated in between sobs. Poor thing!!! I placed him with a towel on the couch and tried to make him comfortable.
All this caused Lelsey to miss her bus. I had to deal with a sick toddler who may throw up again soon and trying to get her to school on time. Plus Noah my homeschooler is still in bed so he needs to wake up and get ready so he can go with me to the base 10 miles away to drop Lesley off. {Lesley's bus stop is at the end of our street }
I did manage to get out the door and have Lesley at school just on time. When I got home though Gabe threw up again in the car. At least it didn't happen while I was driving. Currently he has a fever and I was able to give him Tylenol via the suppositories his pediatrician gave me at his last visit. Hopefully this will stablize his temperature.
Get well soon little man.