I Love You, Grandpa!

The loves of my life preparing for bed. We are reading our Book of Mormon while the kids are jumping on Daddy.

What can I say? It was a funny day! There were a few moments when it wasn't so funny (like when Sammy spilled apple juice from the big jug on my couch!) but overall, it was a good day.

I woke up this morning and I realized the kids were still sleeping. It was 8:45am! And then I remembered, Daylight Savings started yesterday! They were still a little off from the time change! We all slept in until almost 10am. It was kind of nice. At this stage in the game, I try not to wake up earlier than my children. If they hear me squeaking around in the morning they wake up! So, forget that, I will sleep in until they get up, thank you very much!

When the kids woke up we were in my room and Sammy was so excited to see his sister that he kept hugging her (squishing her at times) and when I would tell him that he shouldn't squish his sister because she didn't like it, he would shout, "But Mom! I love her too much! I just love her!!!" It's hard to make him stop when it is out of love. It was cute. We got going on our day and it got a little crazy! My son wanted juice but I told him he could have juice when he put his pants on. And then he wouldn't so he grabbed the juice off the table and put it on the couch where it proceeded to leak all over. Something in my brain unscrewed. I just couldn't handle it any more. And I was standing in a pile of crumbs. I don't know why things like that freak me out sometimes. I know I need to get over it, not let it get to me, but some days it just makes me lose it. And other days it doesn't even faze me. I was so glad that Arnie came home at that moment to take Sammy to school and he took the baby with him. It gave me an uninterrupted moment to clean the spill up, sweep the floors and clean the table and counters so I could see straight! It gave me some peace of mind which also gave me some of my sanity back. I don't know why I am like that. When I have a clean house I can handle things better and I am a lot nicer. When the house is out of whack, Momma is out of whack. Maybe it is because I am in this house so much! I don't leave very much. Hmmm. Sometimes I like blogging because when I write out things I am feeling it allows me to process them and understand my feelings. I guess blogging is like my own personal therapy!

After Arnie came home I wrote to my sister in Nicaragua on her mission and then I took Arnie back to work. When Izzie and I got home we cleaned a little, ate a little and the next thing we knew we had a few minutes before it was time to hop in the car. So we were in my room on the bed and the next thing I knew she had laid herself down on the pillow in front of me, with the remote controllers and started fake snoring! And then I kid you not, she looked at me to see my reaction and then laughed! And then I just had to try and get it on video so I asked her to do it again, and she totally did! I laughed so hard and sent the video to other members in my family and they thought it was hilarious! Especially my mother! We had a nice laugh over it! And then it was time to get Sammy!




Izzie pretending to be like her Grandpa Louie!

So we hop in the car and she was yelling, "Bub! Bub! Bub!" because she was so excited to get her brother. In fact, when we got to the preschool I put her down and she tore for the school, right inside to her brother's classroom where she proceeded to play with the other kids and get some toys out! We got her before she got make a mess and headed to the car. We got home, fed the kids and put her down for her nap. And then Sammy and I hung out until my first lesson of the day. I updated some of my blog and the whole time I was on the computer he kept saying, "Okay Mom, you have six minutes left on the computer." Okay Mom, you have eight seconds left on the computer!" The times were constantly changing, but I just thought it was so funny! He truly does crack me up!

And then as luck would have it, two of my lessons got rescheduled for tomorrow! I only had one lesson! So we drove over to my lesson and my little guy had a good lesson. A lot better than last week. I had to make him do all the same songs again. But at least he passed them. I felt so bad though, because at the end I realized that he truly thought he was a bad piano player because I made him stay on the songs an extra week! I tried my best to explain that he was so good and that everybody has moments where they have to stay on the songs longer than one week. It is okay! But I am not so sure he was convinced. I think I will call his mom tomorrow and make sure he's alright. It really broke my heart to hear him say that he was the worst student!

After that we went to pick Arnie up from work and as we drove up to the building Izzie starts yelling, "Papa!! Papa!! PAPA!!" It made me smile to know that she knows where to get her Papa! And then we decided to go to Costco since we were out of milk, bread, water, and so many other needful things! We bought a lot of fun stuff, I must say! Can't wait to eat! We also got pizza for dinner. And of course, our berry smoothies! We did have a sad moment when I realized that Sammy said that Izzie didn't want anymore smoothie so he drank it all by himself. Only to realize that this baby was dying for a little smoothie! Hopefully sharing goes a little better next time or it is sayonara smoothie! I hope not, because I really like getting the smoothies too!




Left: Sammy standing on his Dad's back as he prepares to jump off, Izzie is trying to get on.
Center: Izzie trying to get on for her turn.
Right: Izzie getting brave and trying to stand up on her Pop's back! Meanwhile Sammy is "The Blur" because he is moving way too fast!

So, we get home, cook food, put food away and then we prepped the kids for bed. During this time they really enjoyed using Daddy as a springboard and jumping off him onto various areas of the bed. It was kind of funny, but I am starting to worry for my husband's safety! My son is getting older and weighs more and he was jumping on my husband's spine like it was a springboard! yeesh! We are trying to get him to understand that he has to be a little bit more careful with Papa--he's just little!


Left: I love how Sammy is preparing to take flight and Izzie's legs are in the air because she just jumped off!
Center: Izzie looking quite mischievous while her brother plays on.
Right: Sammy trying to gain his balance.

After the kids went down my sister came over. I am excited because Sammy's soccer team (his very first!) needs a coach and I think I talked my sister into doing it! She was a very awesome soccer player and she loves Sammy, and I know that she is going to be at every soccer game anyways. I think she secretly likes the idea as well. I hope it happens!

And last but not least I just wanted to give a shout out to my Grandfather, Louie Rios. 20 years ago my grandfather passed away. I have missed my grandfather over the years, but I know that my grandfather is in a better place. I know that families can be together forever and I am so grateful for that knowledge. I know that at very important moments of my life he has been there letting me know that I was doing what I should be doing. I hope I have made him proud. He taught me so many things and I remember feeling so much love and joy from him. I knew that when I was with him that he loved me and was proud of my accomplishments--and believe me they weren't that big or impressive, I was only seven, almost eight when he passed. One of the things I have never gotten to thank my grandfather for was my first piano. A few weeks before he died, he helped my parents buy their piano. And they were buying a piano in preparation for my future lessons. He believed so strongly in me that he spent all of the money my grandmother and he would have used for a vacation to buy that piano. I still can't believe that he did that. I had never had a lesson! He didn't even know whether I would be any good! But that single act has changed my life in so many ways and definitely for the better. And I never got to tell him thank you or even play the piano for him. So Grandpa, wherever you are, thank you, from the bottom of my heart. You have left a huge impact on my life, in so many ways. You taught me how to be a strong, unwavering member of the church. You taught me to love and laugh and enjoy life. You taught me how to garden. You also gave me the gift of music. I will forever be indebted to you for that. Music has not only built and enhanced my life but it led me to my husband. It has helped me make some extra money for my family without having to leave my kids. And it has helped me serve the Lord and help build his Kingdom though music. I know I wouldn't be where I am without you. I can't wait to thank you in person when it comes time for me to leave this Earth. Thank you and I love you!