the twelve days of christmas v2.0

although life has been incredibly busy these past few weeks, 

i had to, had to, HAD to blog about my excitement

of it finally being december!

yaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!

last year for the month of december, our family started a new tradition called

the twelve days of christmas: 12 activities (big and small)

that carry us through the month and gets us in the spirit of christmas.

this year is especially interesting as emma is learning 

about advent and christmas and what it means to prepare for this joyous time of year.

and with olivia being a year older, she'll be more receptive

and hopefully start to get into the spirit too!

december has been jam packed with things to do

pretty much since october..but reminiscing about

how much fun we had and how much time we spent together as a family

made it that much more motivating to get the ball rolling!

to make things a little more festive, i cut out holly shaped

construction paper and wrote down the different

activities we would take part in throughout the month

the activities are anything from christmas movie nights, to going for a drive

in search of crazy christmas lights or visiting a local christmas event.

here are the 12 activities placed in their corresponding pocket..

every year around this time our family also helps out those in need

by donating clothes and jackets that are no longer being used

and by donating to our local food bank. emma is also 

taking part in a fundraiser at school called 'children helping children'

where she does chores or activities to "work" for

the money she collects that gets donated to the foundation.

she has also made sandwiches for one of the local catholic

missions that will help feed one of the many people 

that rely on this system to survive.

my purpose for this 12 days of christmas idea is not only to get us in to the

christmas spirit, but to spend time as a family, growing and reconnecting

in the midst of our perpetual busy lives.

it's actively making time for the ones you love and building new memories

each year.

eep! its december 1st already! i'll keep you updated

with our activities!

Happy Holidays :)

happiness is....halloween fun!

so much fun to be had over this past week!

as hectic as life has been, i have to say i'm feeling pretty blessed at the 

fact that we've been able make time to take part

in the festivities of halloween (although we literally squeezed in the time!)

we made a visit to a local farm to visit their pumpkin patch

but to our dismay, the admission line up was extremely long and

we figured that by the time we had actually paid to peruse the pumpkin

patch, petting zoo and go for a hay ride, the place would be closing its doors.

so! we made a quick visit to aldor acres' pumpkin shop and wandered

a bit really only taking about a half hour to see a few things

and pick up some baby pumpkins!

all dressed for the farm!

the girls!

me and emma

the girls looking at the chickens

getting ready to pick out a baby pumpkin..

olivia stealing the spotlight!

ain't she a cutie!?

attempting a quick photo on the bails of hay...

of course emma's not looking at the camera (?!?!?!) and olivia's squawking

about the hay 

hooray! a baby pumpkin for livi!

cheeeese!

i think olivia's favorite part of the farm was this little tractor..

emma and the big pumpkin!

and of course miss emma needs to take the tractor for a spin..

hey! look at me i'm holding TWO pumpkins!!

so after the farm, in true de paz frugality, we went over to the nearest farm market

and bought our pumpkins there instead of the patch, not only because we didn't pay to 

see the pumpkins but that they were quite overpriced too!

(i mean c'mon its a carve and toss kinda thing!)

our home is slightly spooky seeing as how we're still trying to

sell our condo and not scare our buyers away hehe!

every year the hubs and i let emma choose a stencil that him and i

will carve out of the pumpkin she picked. i'm thinking next year

she'll be old enough to draw the face of a jack-o-lantern that

we can carve out for her..

and this one couldn't get enough of the pumpkins!

she kept asking to carry one!

voila! dora for olivia, rapunzel for emma, jack skellington (for our fish stewart)

the wicked queen in disguise for the hubs and where's mine you ask?

*huff* my pumpkin was rotten so i couldn't carve my tow mater

but that's okay my hands were full with dora and rapunzel!

we even had a spooky spiderweb on our window!

for trick or treating, my husband and i decided we'd

match whatever our kids were so since emma was belle from beauty

and the beast, the hubs was cogsworth

<tootingmyownhorn> i whipped up this costume the night before

with poster paper, glitter foam, tempra paint and a pirate's hat from the dollar store!

AND the face paints from emma's birthday made an appearance..see i knew it was a good

investment!

</tootingmyownhorn>

a close up of his face..

belle and cogsworth

and since olivia was rapunzel, i thought i'd be mother gothel

from the tangled movie!

not bad for a value village purchase eh!

olivia started off quite confused but had a great time going 

from house to house...

looking at this photo just reminds me that my girls are growing

up too fast..just look at them!

there's me rearranging her hat over and over..i mean you can't be

rapunzel without the hair right!?

and the piece du resistance of the whole night...

my mother dressed up as lord knows what giving out

candy at my sister's place...good effort mom!!

a great halloween week! we're so stoked for next year not only because

that the girls will be a year older and olivia especially will have a better grasp of

what this is all about, but we'll finally be in our new home by then and who

knows what the loot will be like there!

hope everyone had a safe and happy halloween!

this post is participating in the happiness is...blog hop! join me!!

ownership.

this angry post stems from my complete frustration of people who can't seem to take ownership of their own lives. it's always excuses, illegitimate reasons and just plain laziness.

the unfortunate thing of it all? (apart from the obvious, obviously) is watching the people around said people, pick up after them, enable them and have their own lives fall apart because of it.

you got yourself into this mess, GET YOURSELF OUT OF IT! 

everyone in life has their hardships -nobody is perfect- but its how you choose to deal with the cards you've been dealt that makes all the difference. of course, family is there to help you along the way, but to blatantly take advantage of them, riding on their coat-tails so you can have an easier life is wrong.

if all YOU'RE concerned about is what people think of YOU and whether or not you're being judged that you sit around looking for excuses for why you've lost friends quit kidding yourself. it's because people can't stand your lazy attitude and the fact that you depend on others to get by in life. if you've never had a job, go get one. if you go partying every weekend, drinking, smoking, (using the money you should be using to live/support your children) STOP. if you're living in your parent's basement (and you're 24+ years old) quit taking advantage of your parents who have worked so hard and MOVE OUT.

its YOUR life. you only have ONE. start taking OWNERSHIP for the choices you made in life, and start living the life you were meant to live. 

</rant>

THAT parent.

you know, THAT parent?

the one who's there at almost every pick up and drop off, the one who knows parents of students on a first name basis, the one who the teacher knows by name?

the one who engages in extra-curricular activities, volunteers at school and tries to know absolutely everything about what's going on?

the one who fumes when they hear about a classroom quarrel, the one who is in constant contact with the teacher and the one who will report to the principal if things do not seem right?

THAT parent, is me.

see, when i was growing up, i'd be lucky if the same person was picking me up from school on the same day. i'd be lucky if my mom or dad could come along for a field trip. i'd be lucky if they could come watch a school play or volunteer at school. but that wasn't the case for me. that is why i'm THAT parent. 

as children grow, they learn what it means to be independent and how to speak up for themselves. some are outspoken from day one and others shy away so as not to create conflict. 

PARENTS: you are your child's only advocate!

while i COMPLETELY understand it is every parent's dream to be totally involved, it is without a doubt, very difficult if not impossible to achieve. because i am so blessed with the work schedule i am able to maintain, i throw myself right into my daughter's school life because i want to set an example and a standard for her. i want her to know that as much as she's learning the foundation of independence at this early age, i will always stand behind her and be a support system for her.

people may scoff at my attitude about parent's involvement in their child's schooling, but i can't express how important that is. teachers are not babysitters: they are building the foundation for future doctors, lawyers, farmers, plumbers and bakers. but, it is not without the parent that these little people will become amazing adults. school is only 50% of learning. the other 50% comes from repetition and implementation and it is up to us parents to make that happen.

no matter how your life runs, look for THAT parent in you!

i found some amazingly inspirational quotes that i'd like to share with you! take from them what you will:

“Live so that when your children think of fairness and integrity, they think of you.” 

- H. Jackson Brown

“Affirming words from moms and dads are like light switches. Speak a word of affirmation at the right moment in a child’s life and it’s like lighting up a whole roomful of possibilities.”

- Gary Smalley

“What a child doesn’t receive he can seldom later give.”

- P.D. James

“Life affords no greater responsibility, no greater privilege, than the raising of the next generation.” 

- C. Everett Koop

“You don’t really understand human nature unless you know why a child on a merry-go-round will wave at his parents every time around – and why his parents will always wave back.”

- William D. Tammeus

“If I had my child to raise all over again, I’d build self-esteem first, and the house later. I’d finger-paint more, and point the finger less. I would do less correcting and more connecting. I’d take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes. I’d take more hikes and fly more kites. I’d stop playing serious, and seriously play. I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars. I’d do more hugging and less tugging.“

- Diane Loomans

Happy Belated Birthday Blog Emma!

Like that alliteration? (tee hee)

It has been far too long since I've last blogged..almost a month! Life has been incredibly busy ever since I started working (that deserves a blog of its own!) that I've unfortunately lost that moment of time where I can sit down and blog. In the midst of the busy-ness, we've celebrated a couple of birthdays..mine (eep! I'm 29 now!) and my sweet little angel Emma's.

Emma's had her heart set on a princess birthday party since the day after her FOURTH birthday party. Its kind of funny but that's sort of how she's decided her birthday themes since the age of 2. Needless to say it was loads of fun gathering up princess themed party supplies! To be inclusive, I threw in the idea of a princess/pirate party to accomodate all of Emma's male and female friends/cousins that were sure to attend. We even had the pleasure of having Princess Belle visit us all the way from Disneyland!

Here are a few photos from her special day:

5 princesses for a little girl turning 5! made by yours truly of course!

arrr matey! cousin jacob getting all dressed up as a pirate!

miss olivia torn as to whether or not she prefers to be a princess or a pirate...

even auntie coco made an appearance as a princess!

mini belle with princess belle!

getting her make-up and nails done!

it's official! Emma and Belle are best friends!

everyone had a fantastic time watching all of the kids enjoy the party. me as always 

was running around like a chicken with her head cut off but in the end 

the smile on Emma's face reassures me that my 

efforts don't go unnoticed :)

*sigh* so now, she's 5.

my little baby is now a little girl who is absolutely loving life.

having started kindergarten, i am learning a whole new side of

my little girl who suddenly knows how to express herself

and say words i thought she was too young to understand.

she can pray the 'hail mary' all by herself!

she knows words in french!

and as much as i am sad in having to let go of my baby 

who prefers her independence a little more and more each day,

i can't help but be joyful for the fact

she's growing and doing things just the way 5 year olds are supposed to.

Emma, you are truly the best thing that ever happened to me.

You are beautiful and bright and possibly the

silliest girl I've ever met. You are imaginative, creative,

brave, outgoing and best of all, you're mine!

Here's a snapshot of my first born over the years:

2006

2007

2008 

2009

2010

2011

Happy Birthday Emma!

the first day of school!!

i honestly couldn't believe this day had come. it was one of the thoughts i had once my little emma came into the world: one day this little one will be off to school. but i never thought it would fly by this quickly. so while the hubs and i fretted and fussed over squeezing every last moment of emma time before d-day, emma on the other hand was literally counting down the days to when she'd be able to put on her uniform.

so we got the girls in bed early (as we have been for most of the summer) and before i knew it, it was 7am and emma was already awake! she did complain of a tummy ache (which i knew was nerves) but still managed to happily don her uniform, have breakfast, pack her backpack, freshen up and be out the door!

of course, there was no way olivia would leave the house without looking like her big sister, so we let her wear her dora backpack out (which by the way, deserves a post of its own, she's obsessed with dora..help!)

we hit every red light on the way to school..i think God's way of giving us just that extra minute of time to be with our little girl who's growin' up...hehe. we arrived and parked and being the neurotic mother that i am, i made her pose with this sign in direct sunlight..which took a few takes since she was squinting..lol, but there you go.

first arts and crafts project of kindergarten!

wanting to be just like big sis'

proud papa and emma...

proud mama and emma!

a successful first day! her first day was a 45 min class and the next day was a real first day..as parents were not allowed in. i unfortunately missed this day because i had to work..and i think its a bit of a blessing because i know i probably would have been a sobbing mess that needed to be picked up off the floor! but the hubs did say he got emotional and did his best to bite back tears.

so, in honor of starting school, the hubs and i decided we'd reward emma with a pet fish to call her own. she's talked on and off about wanting to own a dog (which is out of the question at the moment!) that we thought a fish would be the next best thing.

  

as soon as we got him in the bag, she started talking to him, telling him "not to worry, that he was safe" and that "he'd love his new home". she also chose the name stewart, so we have a fish named stewart. lol

here she is adding the rocks..

and some more rocks..pink ones for good measure..

we added a little plant and a life preserver..which stewart loves!

voila! fishy home!

welcome stewart! please don't die.

all in all, a fantastic day. i can say it til i'm blue in the face that time zoomed by so fast and that i can't believe we're already here, but i think more than anything i feel truly blessed that our first born daughter is growing and thriving in the crazy world we live in and that she gets to go to a really fantastic school. i know i will see great things from her and i look forward to all the many milestones we'll reach in this new chapter of her life!