I'm Just a Girl

I've recently been asked why I don't write more on the blog. Why I just post pictures and give updates about the kids.

Well, I guess for a few reasons.
One, this blog started when we moved from CA so that family and friends could keep updated on our lives. Then after Marissa was born it became more of a tool for friends and family to watch the kids grow. Since the kids are here now it's really all about them, none of our family and friends care how Jose and I are doing. lol

Another reason is because at one time I had gotten in the habit of reading blogs that all seemed to portray perfect little lives, complete with perfect husbands, perfect children, perfect houses, and even the perfect pets.

One particular blog went on about how she wakes at 5 am and cooks breakfast for her husband, drives her son to school, comes home and gets her house squeaky clean and then takes her well behaved 3 yr old to play dates, to the park, to mommy and me classes. Returns home to cook a 4 course organic dinner for her family. And on and on. (This is no one I know just a random blog I stumbled upon.)

Well, I have none of that to write about. Don't get me wrong, I am very very grateful for my life and overall it's a great one. But if I were to write about my day it would go something like this.

I hear Jose's alarm go off in the morning and struggle to open my eyes because I have been up most of the night because I am an insomniac, and happen to have a sleep disorder.

On mornings where I actually am able to get to sleep before 4 am I do get up with Ruben and put a pop tart in the toaster which he won't eat anyways. But on most other days, Jose gets him up and he gets himself ready with clothes I've laid out the night before. He is very proud of getting himself dressed he says "I'm a big boy I can dress myself." He comes in my room to be inspected and kissed goodbye.

By that time Marissa is in her room screaming "Mommy, out please." She has a gate on her door because she can't be trusted while we are sleeping. :) I stumble into the kitchen grab my Pepsi, put her in the high chair and give her a bowl of cereal, let the not so perfect dog out and finish trying to shake the cobwebs from my head.

After she is done with her cereal, I turn on cartoons (all the good mothers are gasping) and I get some housework done. How much depends on the day, how I feel and if Miss Priss will actually sit and watch cartoons.

By this time it's lunch time, Roo comes home, we eat lurch, which is usually something very easy that does not have to be cooked or can be microwaved.
We run errands if we have to, nap time for Rissa, quiet time for mommy, and Roo can has quiet time in his room and even *gasp* watches cartoons, KET because that's the only channel he gets in his room.

Yes, I play with my children, I take them outside. But it's not a set scheduled kind of thing. And the closest we get to gymboree or mommy and me classes is toddler reading time at the library, we have only been once but it's counts.:)Marissa is not the structured scheduled play time kind of gal.

I don't cook dinner every night, some nights my husband even cooks dinner. I have days where the last thing I want to be is a stay at home mom, and times where I want to strangle my husband because I can't believe how many things he just doesn't get about being a stay at home mom.

I question God about something almost everyday, I get mad at Him too but I come around eventually and He is always there. He knows the kind of person, mother and wife I am. He knows what goes on behind the closed doors of my home, so why should I try and hide it from anyone else, when His opinion and approval should be the only one I seek.

See, I'm just a girl who has become a wife and mother. Just a girl trying daily to get it right but failing just as many times as I succeed.

I believe that is what we all are, just girls who love our family and want to get it right. We want to be the perfect wife and mother. But I think it's dangerous to perpetuate that perfect image to other mothers. Because then they feel like they are less and are failures for not being able to measure up.

Next time you see someone who looks like they have it all together, just remember you don't know what goes on behind the closed doors of their home, and she could probably use a friend to let her know it's ok to not be perfect all the time.

Fall Fun

Finally Have Internet Access

We have been without Internet access for about a week. Newwave finally came out today and hooked up a new modem and now I have access to the outside world once again.

I also have a nasty cold, so does Jose and Roo. So I will keep this update short.

Roo was so happy today because he was one of only three kids in his class of 26 to get a treat (candy, no less) for being good today. Apparently, I'm not the only one who is cranky on Monday's, so is most of Roo's class.

Jose went out of town for the night to a conference. You would have thought the kid's world had been turned upside down. Ruben stated that he liked me getting him dressed this morning, Jose usually gets him up and makes him dress himself, but he likes it better when Daddy drives him to school and picks him up. I told him I liked it when Daddy takes him to school everyday too :)
Marissa was at the window yesterday around the time Jose was supposed to be arriving home from work, and every car that came by she thought it was "My Daddy."
I thought I would never get them in bed.

And I realized I would have a hard time being a single mother, because I look forward to Jose coming home to help out with the kids so I get a break. Oh and of course I do miss him when he is gone. :)

Roo has fall break next week. We don't have anything planned and probably won't do much but just relax and go to the new park we have not been too.


The other night I let Ruben and Marissa watch a movie before bed in Rissa's room. I did not hear anything about about 30 minutes and just knew they were into something. I walked in and this is what I found.




















Jose was shocked when I woke them both up. But it was 6 PM and there was no way I was letting them continue sleeping knowing that they would be up all night.
Nope, sorry I have to have my peace and quiet at night.

Today's Soccer Game

Ruben is really enjoying soccer. He has practice twice a week and this week he had two games. Usually he just has games on Sat. but this week he had one on Thursday night and one today. It was a bit hectic this week but it's over now. :)

He plays in the YMCA soccer league. They do not keep score, however Ruben does. He knows every game how many goals his team and the other team scores.

The first two games they played, the other teams were a little better and scored more goals. This really frustrated Roo, even when I tried to tell him it's all about having fun and not about who scores the most goals. He apparently didn't buy that for a minute.

They did better on Thursday night and also today. Roo scored his first goal on Thursday and two today. He was over the moon about this. I continue to tell him it's about having fun and not about "crushing the other team." (He used that expression when we were getting ready to go to the first game, after a very long talk he has not used it again.) Apparently, I need to explain this to some of the other parents there because there are a few kids on the team that have no interest in soccer and certainly have no fun whatsoever playing soccer. But the parents, mainly the fathers, continue to make them play. I guess it's a "my son will play sports" kind of mentality.

Ruben plays because he has been begging to play for the last year. And though he could have played last year, they can start at 3, I thought he was too young. I'm glad we waited.

Anyway, I will stop rambling and get to the pictures. :)


Saying a prayer before the game. Ruben's on the green team.



Pointing to their goal. They are 3 & 4 year olds, so this happens often in the game. Ruben is the second from the right.



Ruben (#10) getting help from his teammate.

What Happens at Nana's, Stays at Nana's

Next USA World Cup Soccer Player

Ruben has been excited about his first soccer match. Well I have been excited about his first match as well. He did very well. Mommy, Daddy and Marissa are very proud of him.

Remembering My Sister on Her 34th Birthday

To hear the music on the slideshow, scroll down to the bottom of the blog and pause the music player.

The Quotable Ruben

With the addition of Toby, Ruben has come to learn some new words. One word he has recently learned is "fetch". I'm not sure he really knows what fetch means though, but he's sure he knows "fetch".

Kiesha: Ruben, what is "fetch"?

Ruben: Mom... fetch is when you fetch, then go fetch it.

Got that?!

Happy Birthday Baby & Update

Today is, actually it was Jose's birthday. It's 1 AM now the 27th technically.
We ordered in from Jose's favorite Thai place and had cheesecake afterwards. We sang Happy Birthday to him while Marissa looked at us like we had really lost our minds. She wasn't too keen on the Birthday song. She wanted to go straight to the cake!

He got an expensive fountain pen from his Employees at work and was thrilled.
The present we got him has not come in yet but he will love it. I can't reveal it here because he may surprise me and actually pay our blog a visit. :)

This weekend the kids are going to my mom's so we can celebrate our 5 year anniversary on Sat. I want to try and paint Marissa's room this weekend but not sure I should take on a task like that when we should be celebrating.

Roo is playing soccer for the first time and is so excited. His first practice was supposed to be tonight but it was canceled. They rescheduled it for Friday.

Toby is doing great. Marissa continues to climb on his back and scream "Ride!" He hasn't caught on yet but she tries everyday hoping it will be the day he finally gets it.

Well, I'll be sure to post pics from this weekend. I'm heading to bed. Night all. :)