Barbie World

Sierra: I don’t like Barbies.

Me:  That was random.  Where did that come from?

Sierra: I don’t know.  I was just thinking about it.  They don’t boost my self-confidence.

Me:  That’s okay.  You don’t have to have any then.

Sierra:  Self confidence?

Me: No…Barbies.

"If it make you happy"

Following a testing-the-limits incident, I told Gabriel he needed to apologize, to which he responded, “Sowwy mommy... if it make you happy.”

God did!

As part of our routine bedtime prayer time, Gabriel and I talk about everything God made.  I love how his little two year old face lights up when he gets the right answer and my heart swells with motherly pride.  “Gabriel, who made you?”  “God did!”; “Gabriel, who made the sky and the ocean?” “God did!”  So cute, right?  Well… it started out that way.  Of late it has turned into, “Gabriel, who spilled applesauce on the carpet?”  “God did!” or “Gabriel, who put rocks in the potty?”  “God did!”  This morning when Sierra went to go open her bedroom door, I heard her exclaim, “Who locked my door?!” to which Gabriel piped up, “God did!”  

...me thinks "God" may have taken on the form of a 2 foot tall little boy...

November 8, 2011

Upon exiting the shower and making his way to his room, ‘lil Tony lost his towel.  While he quickly recovered it, he still cried out, "Quick, somebody fetch me my dignity."

 

January 15, 2011 

**NEWSFLASH** Cordless house phones do not float. I repeat, they do not float. Thank you, Gabriel, for enlightening us all.

February 2, 2011 

I'm speechless. Sierra to me: "Mom, I just realized that if we're here during all the tribulation stuff and everything is all crazy, we won't even have time to shave!"

February 5, 2011

Sierra to me: "Mom, last night I had a dream that you were on What Not to Wear. Weird, you had on that same shirt you're wearing right now."
Christmas isn't looking too promising for her already.

February 5, 2011

Today is Super Saturday Clean-up day at our home.  As I announced that this Saturday morning it was met with a groan in unison.  As I was making the list of chores that would be assigned to each happy child, Christian came in as though he had already gotten ahead of the game and asked, “Is brushing my teeth a chore?  ‘Cause if it is, I’ll do that today.”

February 8, 2011 

**NEWSFLASH** Like it’s close cousin, the cordless house phone, the Blackberry cell phone also does not float.  I repeat, it does not float.** This update brought to you courtesy of Gabriel.

February 8, 2011

Tony to me:  Mom, is it okay if I siphon gas from your truck for my dirt bike?  Me: I already told you after the last time that we added that to the “Things you’re not allowed to do” list.

The Great Flood

As four year old Nico has a soft spot for his big sis, he often sneaks into her bed in the middle of the night.  On one such occasion, Sierra woke up and exclaimed, “Nico, you peed in my bed!”  Nico looked around and surveyed the damage and gave Sierra an exasperated look.  Then he took a deep breath and responded, “Well I wasn’t planning on it!”

November 15, 2010 – I just witnessed three terrified boys run by, followed by a fourth small child chasing them with a dirty diaper. 

November 22, 2010 – I just overheard the boys having an argument and had to intervene when Christian called Antonio "Obama" and Antonio retorted with "Biden" before it got any uglier...

Today was Antonio’s and Christian’s first day of school. The whole family loaded up to wish them a farewell on their big day. The first stop was their school; Sierra’s was second. We waited at the gate until it opened. Once they got out of the car and walked through those pearly (okay, fine, they were steel) gates, Tony and I looked at each other and said, “Yes!” emphasized with a high-five. From the back seat we heard Sierra respond in shock with, “You guys better not do that when I get out of the car.”

July 28, 2010 - Raymond is four days old today.

Sierra: Mom, is bi-polar when you’re just fine one minute and then the next you’re really, really mad?

Me:    Uh, sort of.

Sierra: Oh, well then is that what Raymond has?

May, 2010

As we were in the company of non-Spanish speakers, I gently corrected Nicolas (4 years) with a, “...¿Quieres que te pegue?” also known as “Would you like a spanking? He looked at me with an exasperated expression, raised his hands up in the air, and replied, “What? I don’t understand when you talk crazy!”

April 3, 2010

In the spirit of the Easter holiday, I spent various times with the kids discussing why we celebrate Easter and what it really represents. On Friday, when I asked them what this Friday was called, I got responses that ranged from “Good luck Friday” to “Black Friday”. Then Saturday night, when I asked Nico (4 years) what Easter is about, he responded with, “Spring break.”  I am no longer sure that I qualify as a Sunday School teacher.

She followed the trail of a dozen egg yolks and broken egg shells along her bedroom carpet until they led to a once cute but now guilty looking four year old. He shall be missed...

Today when I told Tony (9 years) that he had to clean his room he said he was calling his lawyer.

November 18, 2009
While I’m not one to stifle the artistic tendencies, I must draw the line at one painting one’s baby brother in thick permanent marker, thus causing one to look as though one is covered in prison tattoos.

November 10, 2009

I lost two doors in one day. While Sierra and Tony were home alone, they started a competitive squabble. During their attempts to attack one another, they ended up fighting on opposite sides of an innocent door, my bedroom door to be exact. In the midst of their tugging, they managed to rip the door completely out of the frame, hinges and all. In their mad dash to call me to tattle and blame it on the other first, they broke a second door belonging to Sierra’s room. This door was also innocent. Sierra used her cell phone to call me on my personal cell phone, while Tony used the house phone to call me on my business cell phone. I received the calls simultaneously while enjoying a leisurely and, until that moment, quiet stroll down a shopping aisle. Fortunately for us, we keep a supply of spare doors for such an occasion. The downside, we used up the last good door after the last tragic loss, and we are now down to the second class doors. Another reason why I cannot give up my avid Saturday bargain shopping at the local garage sales. Although, I am now in the market for steel doors.

November 18, 2009

Christian just prank called my business phone and said his name was Dave and his son was sick so he needed to hire me to put ointment on him.

November 15, 2009
Today Tony (nine years old) advised his older sister that she was throwing off the ecosystem by not shaving her legs.

October 15, 2009

While drinking his morning vitamin/protein shake, Tony bemoaned the task ahead by proclaiming, “It tastes like defeat.”


October 21, 2009

Nico (3 yrs) learned how to cross four of his fingers at once and keeps telling me, “I come in pieces.”

October 22, 2009
While we were running errands today in the car, Tony (9 yrs) declared to me, “I think it’s time I made my mark on this world.” I hesitated to ask how, as that could have so many unpleasant answers, but I asked anyways. His reply, “I am going to be the leader in armpit noises.”

Nico (crying): Mommy, Tony hit me with his knuckles.

Me: Oh no, why did he do that?

Nico: I don’t know.

Me: Okay, let’s go talk to Tony. Tony, did you hit Nico with your knuckles?

Tony: Yes, ‘cause he threw that big truck at me.

Me: Nico, did you throw that big truck at your brother?

Nico: Yes…but he hit me back.