Toys

Toys, toys, toys. My son seems to have a bajillion toys. Yes, a bajillion. From hand me down toys, from his Lolo and Grandma buying him toys, to his Ninongs and Ninangs, and his Papa. And yes, I'll admit I am part of the problem sometimes. I mean educational toys are an exception, right?

In order to control the massive amounts of toys, I box about 70% of his toys and only let him play with the rest and rotate them out about every three months. I also donate a lot of his toys after he has lost interest in them.

My Boy was looking for a specific remote control key that he has taken interests in for the week. I always tell my son to put his toys away in his toy bin and clean up after playing with it so he will know where to find it.

My Boy: Mama, where's my key?
Me: I don't know. Where did you put it?
My Boy: Mama, where's my key???
Me: Did you look in the living room? Is it under the bed? Or maybe in the kitchen?
My Boy: No <insert sad face here>
Me: Well, I'm sorry son, but you know I always tell you to clean up. You know that means you have too many toys and I'm going to have to give some away because you can't take care of your toys.
My Boy: No, my key is just playing hide and seek with me.

Mother's Day and Everyday

Mama, Mama you know I love you
Mama, Mama you're the queen of my heart
Your love is like tears from the stars
Mama I just want you to know lovin' you is like food to my soul
Yes it is, yes it is, oh, yes it is, yes it is, yes it is oh"

---Boys to Men

My mom... I miss her so much. This Mother's Day I will be taking my daughter for the very first time to visit my mom. Just me and My Girl. Painfully, it will not be in her orchid garden, or a dance studio where she loved to jive and cha-cha, or at one of her favorite restaurants, but at her memorial site.

I lost my mom when I was only 17 years old when I was in high school. She passed away from metastasized colon cancer at the young age of 53 years old. There is so much I could write about my mom... her laugh, her smile, her generousity, and the list could go on forever. But today I just feel like grieving (and that is the absolute thing I love about writing. It's mine. I own it. I feel it. I'll write it. The good, the bad, and the ugly).

 I miss her. Miss her so much. At the tender age of 17 years old, I was naive, selfish, and immature. When my mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer, I was scared, upset, and sad. However, I was a scared, upset, and a sad teenager whose world revolved around me. I was in that immature adolescent stage and didn't know how to wrap my head around my mom's illness. I was there for my mom and family during the trying time, but I wasn't fully there. Looking back during that time, if you were to ask me if I'd do anything different...absolutely. I would spend every waking second with her. I would have told her I loved her more. I would have hugged her and never let go. I would have brushed her hair. Smell her more. Yes, smell her. I miss her sweet smell of perfume. I would have taken more pictures of her. I think subconsciously that is why I do take so many pictures is because of my mom. I want to savor each and every second of my children. They are my world and I love them so much. I want them to know that, and I think that's why I try to capture as many memories for them to cherish. I didn't have that opportunity with mom. I sometimes day dream if my mom were still here on Earth with me of how much she would have loved my kids so much, but only for a little bit because it hurts too much. I know her heart would be pouring out with joy and love for my children. I could picture me always trying to get a photo shoot of my children with my mom and how much she would have love that. To pose by her orchids, or dancing and playing with my children at the park. She would have loved that. I would have loved that.  

Quite frankly, I thought that time would heal all wounds. Unfortunately, it has not in my case. Time has made losing my mom even more painful for me. As I was giving birth to my son and daughter, I was screaming for my mom. I wanted her more than ever to be the one by my side... and she was in spirit. Ever since I became a mother, espcially when my daughter came into my life, I find myself grieving more than when I first lost my mom. Not until I became a mother myself, did I know how much my mom loved me and I loved her. A mother's love is like no other.

So this Mother's day, and everyday, kiss, hug, cherish, and love your mothers.

My Pretty Flower Child

First time My Girl in the grass...The prettiest flower I have ever seen.

Soldier

We went to the Army surplus store and My Boy insisted that we buy him a pair of ACUs just like his Papa. My Hubster was more than delighted to buy his mini-me a pair, and I was elated because that meant I could take his picture in them.

 My Boy played around in the backyard, ever so proudly, telling his Papa that he was going to work. He even marched in place and saluted my Hubster LOL.

I still can't help but grin at the fact of how much my son is a carbon copy of my husband. They look so much alike.

Just Us, a Blanket, and Our Imagination

This afternoon was a great afternoon. It was just us, a blanket, and our imagination. We spent the afternoon playing outside in the backyard, enjoying the beautiful weather. My Hubster and I enjoyed the giggles and laughs from our son, and the cooing and babbling from our daughter.

My Hubster tossed our children up in the air, and flew them up like superman... and superwoman.

We watched all the different birds fly by. My Boy of course, naming each one..."a robin, a bluejay, a crow..." We also looked at the clouds and imagined that they were different things. My Boy somehow saw an elephant drinking water.

All in all, we had a wonderful afternoon. No television, no video games, no money spent. Just us, a blanket, and our imagination.

A Picture is Worth a 1000 Words

I love my dear husband. I also love photographing him. I know I may be a little bias, but I think he is absolutely drop dead gorgeous. In another lifetime, if he were a few inches taller, I think he could be a model :).I love his cute protruding ears, his bushy eyebrows, the cute indent on his chin, his long eyelashes, his beautiful hazel brown eyes, his sweet slender lips, his round bald head, and I could go on forever in a day. We are high school sweethearts and ten years later I still feel like that 17 year old teenager anxiously waiting to see my boyfriend during passing period.

However, my Hubster dislikes hates taking pictures. It either has to be a special occasion, anniversary, birthday, pictures with the kids, or I have to bribe him. Most of the time, I just take my camera and click away, hoping that I'll get a few solo shots of him.

This past weekend, I struck gold.

Posing for me on this park bench? No, watching his son run around.



Giving me a model pose? No, he just turned around when I called, "Papa!"

 

Thank goodness for my telephoto lens. I was about 25 feet away.



We were just sitting on a blanket watching our son feed the ducks while our girl was napping.
Camera is always ready, and captured between our conversation.



It is always a challenge taking pictures of my kids and my husband, but a challenge I love. I always tell my Hubster that he's going to thank me one day for taking the many pictures I take when we are old and gray and look back on our life because we will have the memories saved in our pictures.

Ribbons, Flowers, Bows, Pigtails, Oh My!

I love ribbons, hairbows, tutus, braids, headbands, hats, flowers, and everything girly... especially pigtails. As My Girl's hair gets thicker and longer, I get excited to try and see if her pigtails will stay in. We have now upgraded to alligator clips from velcro bows! However, my daughter's hair is still too short and thin, sigh.

So for now, our flower headbands will still do the trick.