conversations

With Nicholas:



Nicholas: "It's ten till 8" or "It's a quarter to 11." (Not sure where the interest in time and how to properly tell it is coming from, but I'm always amused.)


Sitting in back seat of the car in an undisclosed parking lot...

Nicholas: "That sign says Bud Light because the h is silent."


I'm unloading the dishwasher...

Nicholas:"Mom, I just really like you and Dad. And Pudding and Avila."


Me: "Nicholas, we are going to grill hamburgers tonight."

Nicholas: "Are you serious?"


Andrew: "Nicholas, is Henry your best friend?"

Nicholas: "Yeah, he's hilarious."

With Christiana:

8 .m. coming downstairs....

Me: "Good morning!"

Christiana: "Can you get me warm?"

Me: wrapp her blanket around her, carry her downstairs...

Chrstiana: "Oh thank you Thomas!" (I'm Thomas, or sometimes Percy, from Thomas the Train)

*They have not watched Thomas the Train for six months now, but the effects are clearly still lingering.*

Me: "Christiana you and Avila are going to be great friends."

Pud: "No, I'n Henry."

4 minutes later

Nicholas: " Pudding, eat your cereal."

Christiana: "No, I'n Henry."

4 mins. later (Christiana gets up to use the bathroom in the middle of every meal EVERY day)

Nicholas: "Pudding, your cereal is going to get soggy."
Pudding, from the pot, in a gruff voice: "No it's not...snapped Henry."


Pudding gently reminds us, without fail, for about month now, that she is Henry. The name change came along with very great imaginary play stage. Sometimes Henry is changed to Rio or Chick Hick. I'm usually Thomas and Dad is Rocky. She and Nicholas go about their day finding animals, trains, cars, or if everything is taken away (at the dinnertable), fingers and carry on very serious conversations.

I was reflecting on how I love hearing their little voices around the house all day long. Some very sad day, all too fast, it will be quiet in our house, so I will relish their voices and thoughts while I can.

What a fun weekend. Cousin time all around. William and Bridget came for the weekend and so did Kristin and Jora. It was time well spent. Didn't capture all the many events that took place: International Dinner Party which featured Italy, Fall Leaf Pick Up, Pure Fashion Mother Daughter Tea...long weekend.

Did manage to get but a few...

Hoarders, Ugg Boots and Heaven

In today's news...Avila spit up on my Ugg boots. Really? The love story behind the Ugg boots is that I was not going to pay $100 for them - no - instead I very proudly waited 5 years after everyone else to get them - searched in July on Ebay to finally pay only $30 some odd dollars for them. They are the only things that keep my abnormally cold feet toasty. I'm trying to be frugal and understand I can not affort to buy nice things - hence ebay - and then....sigh - spit up was splattered all over them at approximately 11 a.m. this morning. And on top of that I let the yeast sit too long tring to bake bread.


I know this is a trivial matter, that I'm not wearing these boots into Heaven, but I just want to know why? Ok, I know why, but it doesn't take away my stomache ulcer. God knows how much I loathe being spit up on. I LITERALLY just told someone that it is a form of suffering for me an hour earlier, trying to incourage a friend who was having a bad day to offer it up. Coincidence? No such thing. It's All Souls Day today and I have, in good faith, God intentionally allowed this. Funny what forms suffering come in - I mean, I myself find it odd that being spit up upon could un-nerve me so much EVERY time. I'm think God is helping to detach from my love of clothes and shoes because they are slowing being ruined from over washing and stains. Death by spit-up.


I once heard of a man, who when buying a new car, would come home and put a dent in it, just to keep himself from getting too attached to material things. What a good holy man. Then there is Kim Kardashian who completely looses it when her $750K something earing is lost in the ocean. Who would waste that much money on earings?! But to some degree I spend money on something material that, in the end, is just as pointless. I don't want to turn into Kim but since I wouldn't naturally choose to detach from my goods God must kindly be helping me detach by using a fat, cute, little, pudgy baby. I can offer this up for something, it is so very painful, feeling the purge of soul is healthy.


So if you see me in my Ugg boots with one of them that has a seriously dark splatter stain - know many souls were saved by that sacrificial boot. Shoot - see how long this post is about a pair of boots? Confirmation that I was too attached.



In other news.....


Somebody is hoarding all her milk and storing it for winter....Somebody (Avila's nickname is "Somebody")


Is it unnatural for me to want to keep nursing her throughout the night just so she can keep getting plumper? Andrew keeps wondering why I haven't let her learn to sleep through the night yet and I think deep down this is why.

Heart attack...
Is it the thunder thighs, flabby knee caps, padded feet, or double chin? I can't decide.

Alert: Official new member of the pack...

Halloween at this age is just for parent viewing pleasure...and there was much to be had. Although somewhat stressful - ok very stressful - after a mix of 20 bribes and threats and then ending with a "Who's Excited for Halloween" we made it out the door and into the streets for 1.2 hours of candy bliss.
Somebody didn't make a peep the whole night- it may have been because she screamed for an hour that afternoon refusing to take her nap (she must have been too excited for Halloween)

All I can see in this picture is big head of rainbow hair on a little body...delightful.

Showing Dad our treasures after each house. Christiana would tell Dad she got some for him too.

I would like to remember tonight and life right now in these moments. I'm likely to forget. Nicholas is 4 1/2 Christiana almost 3 and Avila 4 months...their ages and this phase of life is prime childhood state and when family life for Andrew and I is in full swing. I know this is currently "the good ole days" when the kids are so little. Everything in their eyes is magical, new, and evokes so much wonder.


Nicholas and Christiana have such a strong sibling friendship. It is even virtuous. Christiana always makes sure "Didi" has a snack. Nicholas always reaches up to turn the bathroom light on for Pudding so she doesn't have to go in the dark. They wake up anxious to start their play time, usually being trains or cars.


Almost every day these past few weeks they wake up and look outside and yell, "Mamma the leaves are turning colors!! Fall is coming!!" Then Nicholas will ask if we can drink hot cider and make cookies (because that is what they did in a book we read).


On Saturday went on an "adventure" to Meechies backyard and collected different colored leaves to paste onto paper. Christiana relished using the glue stick and generously coated her leaves over and over.(which when stuck to paper were missing most of their shape and she noticed and said they had holes in them).



Nicholas calculates the months and goes over in his head that summer is ended, this means it is fall and that means winter is coming which means snow. The only sad part about fall for him is that it is too cold to wear his basketball shorts. Since football is is favorite sport (or whatever sport is in season is favorite) he is seen on Saturdays in his helmet and mimicking all the college pros play by play on tv....in our living room. We kindly remind him not to takle Pudding.


Introducing holiday activities to them is a highlight to my life. Since I am sentimental and love traditions, I LOVE being able to start traditions with them.


Tonight was Pumpkin Carving night. As Zuniga tradition would have it, it is proper to wait to Halloween weekend or the night before to carve the pumpkin. Dad would make us each draw out a pumpkin face and he would pick a winner - usually eyes, nose, and mouth each from a different sibling. Then he would start carving - by all means SAVE THE SEEDS! - because mom loves to roast them. Then the lights go out and the "Great Pumpkin" visits...we tell stories and with the candle-lit pumkin and there are usually treats on the floor when the lights come on. This tradition has evolved over many years in our house.


This year the kids are old enough to start something fun. I got them bathed and in their pjs and told them we could have a "Family Movie Night" with popcorn and fruit snacks (a big deal in our house). So I you-tubed Charlie Brown's Halloween. After the show we got out the newspaper and knives and carved away. They ooed and awed at the insides that came out. Avila was kind to let us work while she watched in her swing. We lit the candle and turned out the lights. They loved it. I loved watching them. We then proceeded to have a dance party in the living room. It was a good night.

I'm looking forward to trick or treating this year because Christiana is old enough to remember it and I can't wait to see the reaction on her face when she gets candy at each door in her pillowcase. Lord, thank you for the gift of children.