I AM BACK....

I have so been slacking in the blog department – so much has happened since our mini vacation to Washington in July to see our friends the Wiggles. Quentin is still talking about that trip, I am so glad that we did that!

Quentin got a new bike this summer and rode it almost every day!

So what has been happening in the Chavez house you may be asking yourselves….

I have been trying to teach Adrianna how to vaccuum to earn her keep!

In August I had another birthday (nothing spectacular) I turned 33 and found my first 2 gray hairs…LORD I was devastated but have since gotten over it with a little highlight and new cut from my stylist Kirsten.

The weather this summer was SPECTACULAR we spent a few weekends at the Market downtown - Quentin did a little painting....

In September Quentin moved to the FISH room in preschool and what a difference – we had some MAJOR issues with his teacher last year she refused to make adjustments for Quentin and expected him to do everything just like every other “average” 3 and 4 year old in his class, well for OBVIOUS reasons that just didn’t work out. Within a week of being a FISH they had modified a stool so that he can use the bathroom and reach the sink – they have also modified recipes during “cooking class” so that Quentin can participate. His teachers Missy and Jenna are such a blessing!!

In September Adrianna also turned 1 – I started a letter to her but then just got too weepy so I didn’t finish it and obviously never posted it. She is such a joy – I can’t imagine life without her. She is such a different baby than Quentin was – still I am not complaining because I know that every child is different and she is a GOOD baby – as my mom says she is “NORMAL” Quentin was “ABNORMAL” in the fact that he never got into ANYTHING – I turn around for a half a second and Adri already has something torn up or is getting into something. Joe still stays home with her and she is giving him a run for his money – I love it! She is starting to try and repeat words and has been walking unassisted since mid August!

Also in September I escaped to Las Vegas for a girls weekend! I met up with some long lost girl friends on FACEBOOK of all places and we planned the first of many girls getaways! I know that I was truly blessed and made lifelong friends at St. Martin’s but it was proven to me once again as I met up with Amy and Judy who I have not seen since I left SMC in 1997 – the moment we saw each other after we were done SCREAMING with delight we hugged and then it was as if we had just seen one another the day before!

Now as we are gearing up for Winter (I HATE SNOW AND WINTER) I have set my goals to have my Christmas shopping completed by Thanksgiving – I have already started so I may just make my goal.

Halloween is the big topic at the house right now – Quentin will have two costumes – the costume he will wear to school and for the school party is Captain Feathersword (from the Wiggles) and then for the party at my mom’s work, trick or treating and the family party he will be a Guitar – YES I WILL POST PICTURES!
Adrianna will be a lady bug – she loves her costume – although it cracked me up because Joe totally started laughing when I tried it on her – she was strutting (yes at 1) around the house and then when he was laughing she started crying – he must have hurt her feelings.
I have appliquéd (Baker aren’t you proud?) Trick or Treat on an orange tee shirt and purchased a ghost headband that will be my Halloween costume.

We will be getting our condo ready to put on the market and hope to god someone will purchase it quickly so that we can get into a house – we are running out of room as our family grows!
Hope that you are all doing well.
I promise to be better at keeping up with the blog again…sometimes life gets in the way although that is what the blog is for right.

Love to you all!!!

I must be crazy...but it is for the kids!!!!

I think that most parents would agree that we want to make our children happy, well at least I want them to be happy most of the time.

So last Wednesday I was looking at the Sprout website for coloring sheets for Quentin and there was an ad for The Wiggles they are joining the Sprout line up. Quentin LOVES the Wiggles, well I guess LOVES is a bit much. He did LOVE the Wiggles when he was younger, he does watch them every now and then but not addicted like when he was 2. So I clicked on the ad which then flashed that the lovable Australians will be on tour this summer, I took a look at the cities which they will be visiting and saw they will have one show in Western Washington in July. I immediately went to my mileage account with Alaska Airlines to see how many miles I had and if we could sneak away for a long weekend to see the Wiggles and of course all my peeps in Tacoma and Olympia!!!

I then called my mom and asked her what she had on her calendar and if she was up for a quick trip to America? She said YES - she was in!! I booked the tickets, hotel and car! BTW my mom said she is "super excited to see Captain Feathersword" I really do think that she is the best Grandma - I mean to know the characters of the freaking Wiggles - AWESOME!!!

My next call was to Aim (my BFF) I wanted to make sure she was going to be in town the weekend we would be down, YES she was - the planets were all aligned because everything was working out BEAUTIFULLY! I asked Aim if they wanted to come to Everett to see the Wiggles and she said she had to talk it over with Brian, so I told her I would call her tomorrow.

I called Aim the next day and she said that they were in!! I was at my mom's office so we jumped online to get the show tickets. We had some issues with the website so ended up calling the arena - now get this visual - I am on cell phone talking to Aim, my mom is on her office phone talking to the ticket agent at the arena - my mom kept telling me to hush which then I relayed to Aim whispering of course and then busting out in laughter because Aim and I were being told to SHOOSH.....Aim and I are a bit crazy when together and apparently on the phone as well!! LOL!!!
So the tickets secured and reservations made we are set, now I just have to wait 4 weeks and then our adventure will begin! Those who know me well know that I am not a good waiter!

I have not told Quentin we are going to see the Wiggles, I did tell him we were going to see Amy (he loves Amy) and that Grandma was going to come too! He was very excited about that!!

This morning I was getting ready for work and Quentin was eating breakfast watching Sprout and a commercial for the Wiggles concert came on - he asked me if they would be coming to Alaska, I told him no they weren't. He had the saddest little face and said "No body ever comes to Alaska" I mean I wanted to bust out and YELL - we are going to see them in Washington. But I didn't for two reasons 1) I don't want to count how many sleeps until we leave and 2) I don't want to hear for the next 4 weeks "Mom today we are going to see the Wiggles?"
So I am going to wait until the morning of the show and tell him, he is going to FLIP out!

So I must be crazy for taking a whirl wind trip to Washington for the sole reason to see a children's concert - but when I imagine how excited Quentin is going to be it is all worth it!!

The added bonus is that I will have a day in a half in Olympia to hang with my friends/family!

There have been additions to families, I can't wait to meet Kate's Daniel and for everyone to meet Adri - plus it has been a couple of years since I have seen everyone -so I am just plain EXCITED!!!! OK a little confession - I am a smidge excited about getting to see the Wiggles too!!!

15 hours of Scrapbooking!!!!!!!

pasta salad!

Cold Cut lunch meat for sandwiches

My work space - very messy!!!

Emily journaling! Notice the beautiful glare from the sun in the window - behind her a demonstration going on!

Working hard on her project!

Aunt Lisa with her Scrapbooking Flair

National Scrapbook Day was this past Saturday and I was lucky enough to get to scrap with my aunt and friend Emily for 15 whole hours!!

It was so much fun!!!! Emily was kind enough to pick me up at 8AM we were meeting Aunt Lisa at Starbucks for breakfast before heading over to More than a Memory to scrap at 9AM. The agreed time to meet was 8:15AM - at exactly 8:02AM I received a text message from Aunt Lisa that said "WHERE ARE YOU?" I mean this woman is crazy, she had her bags packed for weeks and had laid her clothes out Friday night when she got home for work for Saturday...I mean she is NUTS!

Once we all had our drinks and a delicious breakfast sandwich we were on our way to start our 15 hours of scrapping!!

There was a great bunch of ladies at the shop scrapping, we met a new friend Liz who is a Creative Memories consultant and our new BFF! There was also a very annoying girl who was sitting next to Lisa and literally did not stop talking from the moment she arrived to when Tonya (the shop owner) kicked her out after midnight....Emily, Lisa and I were texting each other very rude comments about the girl. I would get up to use the SIZZIX or the Cricut and would come back to the table and the girl would still be talking - I would say "still talking" it would have been one thing if she was talking about something interesting - but she was talking about such stupid stuff...it was rather annoying. At one point I said that my throat hurt and that I probably have the swine flu - as a joke. The annoying girl jumped in and said "you know swine flu has not come to Alaska yet" I just looked at her and said "well I am probably the first case" I rolled my eyes at her which did not phase her and she kept talking........I really wanted to take a sharp object and shove it in my eye at one point.

Drawings were held throughout the day - we all won at least 2 prizes which is always fun! I won a Christmas paper pack that included stamps, stickers and embellishments. I also won a Birthday pack which was perfect since I had been eyeing that paper line at the store!

Aunt Lisa and Emily both won cutting systems which were valued at $60 - Emily also won an album and I can't remember the second prize that Aunt Lisa won.

We also had a wonderful lunch of cold cut sandwiches and pasta salad and chocolate chip cookies.

Dinner was taco salads and ice cream sandwiches for dessert!

There was a lot of laughing while we worked!

I got both kids albums caught up - I have this past Easter to scrap so I am pleased!

It was a long day but so worth it, the only thing that would have made it perfect was if my scrap-sister Brenda was here, she moved to Florida exactly a year ago...I miss her especially when I do these types of things we started our scrap addiction together!

Another Giveaway!!!

Thank you to Kate and Amy who have alerted me of a fantastic give away! A HUGE CRAYOLA package, from Blissful Kids!!!

Whenever we visit Target Quentin always asks to go down the Crayola aisle! I love doing this too as I LOVE to color! I think that I get more excited when there is a new product than he does!! LOL!!!

I bought him the PIP SQUEEKS markers as they fit his little hand much better than the regular size markers!!! I love the washable paints too, messy but fun!!!

Quentin also received the floating desk for his birthday - so we can even do art projects in the bathtub!!

Good Luck to everyone!!!

Thanks again Amy and Kate!!!!

Happy Crafting!