Familia Alvarez

"I know these toys!'

2010-05-29T17:04:00.002-05:00

That's what Joslin excitedly shouted (many times) when I got her water toys out of the garage. It was like she was seeing a long lost friend again. I was amazed that she remembered them. She hasn't seen any of them since last summer, which was half of her life ago.

Summer Lovin'

2010-05-29T16:43:00.004-05:00

This must be the official kick off of summer for the Alvarez family. I remember last year eating junk food (cheetos are a must) by/in the pool the first weekend of summer. There is just something about sitting outside for hours that is totally relaxing to me. I can't wait for the rest of the summer. This year we even remembered to charge the air pump ahead of time, which makes blowing up the pool MUCH easier! I couldn't believe it was full in less than a minute. Last year we spent 30 minutes with a hand pump before giving up and waiting the 24 hrs for the pump to charge.

This morning...

2010-05-29T16:38:00.004-05:00

Even purse puppies have to go potty sometime!

My Loves

2010-05-29T07:21:00.001-05:00

Last Day

2010-05-27T07:14:00.002-05:00

My mom and Haley brought Joslin to help with field day on the last day of school. I don't know who was more excited her or the kids! I think Joslin's favorite part was the yearbook singing. She looked like such a natural, we might have a movie star on our hands. :)

Easter Eggstravaganza

2010-04-04T06:53:00.002-05:00

Fashion Show

2010-03-17T16:10:00.000-05:00

As I was doing a little spring closet cleaning, Jose and Joslin decided that a fashion show was in order. My favorite part is not the hats, but the personality that is captured.

Breckenridge or bust!

2010-03-13T15:53:00.000-06:00

This trip was pretty much a bust. Jose and I were so excited to finally take our first vacation EVER (we never even took a honeymoon). We planned to go snowboarding in Breckenridge over Spring Break. I was so stinking excited just to go somewhere. We pulled into town and were amazed by the atmosphere. What a cool place! That's about where the good times ended. We both ended up so sick that we couldn't even enjoy it. Jose had altitude sickness and I had what I know now was morning sickness (not just in the morning though). We made it up the lift a total of two times. Walking back down one of those two. We finally decided to throw in the towel and head home to our baby girl. I have never been so excited to be back in Kansas! I came very close to buying a ridiculously overpriced ($12.95) I heart Kansas mug.

Walking the town

Our hotel...we watch a lot of Law and Order reruns inside this place.

So happy to be heading home :)

Spring Fever

2010-02-13T14:30:00.003-06:00

A warm day in February...

Jose got me a mini camcorder for Christmas. Its fun to just take a short video here or there. I would expect more videos to come. It's SO easy.

Baking up some Love

2010-02-12T14:28:00.001-06:00

And more snow...

2010-01-30T13:39:00.001-06:00

We drove all around Newton looking for the perfect place to sled, and ended up just a half a block from our house on a man made "mountain" (Joslin's word) of snow. And yes her glasses are on upside down. That is how she ALWAYS wears them.

Good times!

Clutter

2010-01-29T13:20:00.000-06:00

I often feel that the world is working against me when it comes to organization. I am constantly trying to find a balance that will work for both me and those around me. At school I think hard coming up with workable strategies to organize 4th graders and all of the "stuff" that we use on a day to day basis. At home Jose and I are polar opposites. At times it is really frustrating, but I am trying to let it go and be at peace with my messy life. Sometimes I do better at that than others.

The other day Joslin and I created a craft drawer just for us. Her little shoe boxes worked great for holding all of the items that we use when we have the urge to create. It reminded me of "The Bernstein Bears Messy Room" that I use to love to read when I was little. They had boxes in their closet that were all labeled and a peg board to hang things. A perfect place for everything. I always wanted to go get boxes and get to organizing after I read it. I have to admit that looking at the new drawer makes me feel a little giddy inside.

STRIIIIIIIIIIKE!

2010-01-17T13:12:00.000-06:00

Spending time with my girls always warms my soul. I love the feeling when we are all together. So natural and so full!

Poor Baby!

2010-01-10T13:06:00.000-06:00

Joslin came down with her first real sickness the other day. She threw up 5 times in the first 2 hours that she was awake. Blah! She was a trooper though. She didn't seemed to mind as long as she got to drink pop (diluted 7-up) with a crazy straw. The next morning when she was completely well, she told me "Mama, I'm sick...Pop please" in the most pitiful voice she could manage.

Another Year

2009-12-31T16:50:00.004-06:00

We started our New Year's Eve festivities at Rosalia and Luis's house. Joslin got to play with her cousin Kinley who is just 6 months older. She lives in Oklahoma now so they don't get to see each other as much as I would like. The enjoyed the playroom...and their matching flashlights. Thank goodness Abue had two. And yes, that is what's in their mouths.
Joslin stayed the night at Abues, and Jose and I headed to a party at his brother's. I have not been to a party in years! Holy Cow...even though I definitely was not the oldest there, I felt like the fifty year-old at the party. Most of the people were from Kylie's class, but some were even younger. When one girl walked in, I recognized her right away as the little 7 or 8 year old that I use to babysit for. When I realized that she had to be at least 21 now, it really sunk in that I am old. It was fun though to go out and remember what it was like when I was younger.

Snow-Round 2

2009-12-30T16:38:00.002-06:00

I woke up Wednesday morning to find a fresh layer of snow on the ground and a temperature that was not bitterly cold! We didn't even eat breakfast or shower, we just put on lots of layers and headed out to play. This was what I had missed the first time it snowed, and I wasn't going to let that happen again. It was perfect snowman snow, but there wasn't enough of it. We tried our best.

The Squeakuel

2009-12-28T16:26:00.003-06:00

Over break Joslin got to see her first movie in the theatre. We went to see Alvin and the Chipmunks "The Squeakuel". She kept calling them "the squirels". I think she was actually more excited about the pop and popcorn than anythings else. When I told her she could have pop she said "Pop's not for Nene's (kids)" She was pumped when I said that even kids can have pop when they go to the movies. For the first ten minutes, said "pop please" took a drink, put it back and then immediately said "mas (more) pop".

OUCH!

2009-12-24T16:11:00.000-06:00

Christmas eve at Abue and Papa's Joslin was dancing her heart out and having a blast when her feet slipped out from under her. She hit the tile floor chin first. We headed to the ER. A couple of shots and 3 stiches later mom decided to skip leaving cookies for Santa and we crashed out at Grandma's. At first I thought I didn't get a single picture of her stitches, but I found one that Jose took while Jos and I were playing in the snow a few days later.

Christmas-blur

2009-12-24T14:00:00.000-06:00

Christmas seems to get a little more stressful every year. This year that was definitely the case. The entire month of December was a blur. Even the week after Christmas I found myself too busy running from here to there and opening and organizing new toys. By the end I was wishing for a vacation from my vacation. I think this explains why I have a total of twelve pictures from Christmas eve (none very good) and zero from Christmas day.

Fort Alvarez

2009-12-11T13:09:00.003-06:00

Reading Spot, Vet Clinic, Beauty Shop you name it.

Everything but the kitchen sink.

snow

2009-12-08T12:29:00.001-06:00

At school I received this video text from Jose. For those of you who do not speak 2 year old, she is telling Bubba (Barkley) that it is snowing. It made me cry. I was missing her first snow of the season and all of the excitement that came with it. I was jealous that I was not the one to be putting on coats, hats and boots with her. Luckily Jose and Maggie both documented it well for me. Several times over the next week, I heard her sweet little voice say "It's snowing momma, it's snowing".

Another year...

2009-12-06T12:01:00.002-06:00

Joslin is officailly out of the ones. I could talk for hours about how quickly it has gone and how amazing it is to watch the development process, but I feel that my words would still fall short. So here are some pictures from the year instead.

What an amazing year it has been.

Fiesta

2009-12-06T10:40:00.003-06:00

Full

2009-11-26T12:57:00.001-06:00

My life is always overwhelming. Sometimes that is overwhelming in the way of too many todo's, too many energetic kids, in general just too many frustrations and not nearly enough patience. Thankfully most of the time, it is overwhelming in a different way. In a way that makes my heart light up and smile because I feel so blessed. Blessed to have Joslin and all of her spunk. It is amazing that one little person has brought so much joy to our family. Sometimes I feel that it might be possible for my heart to burst because of how she makes me feel. Blessed also to have steady employment that allows us to provide for our needs and some extras too. Blessed to have two loving and supporting families that we can call at anytime. (Sometimes too many times right mom?) Blessed to have friends that understand me and love me just like I am. That lift me up when I am on the other side of being overwhelmed. Simply blessed.
This year as Thanksgiving came around, I found myself full. Yes, full of wonderful food like Maggie's cheesy potatoes but also just full of life and love. What a great place to be.

Thanks

2009-11-26T12:28:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving day at Maggie's.

Joslin and Courtney, Maggie's step-daughter. They were inseparable that day.

Go Long Daddy!Delmi, Rose, Maria and Maggie

Look closely, she is hooked to the dog's chain. Her idea.

Primos de Joslin

2009-11-18T12:21:00.002-06:00

Joslin now has two new baby cousins.

Juan and Rachel's baby Isaac born 11/13/2009

Andi and Titus's baby Drake was born 11/18/2009

Tick-a-Teat

2009-11-01T11:56:00.005-06:00

I have always loved the renewed energy that comes with the changes of seasons and the excitement of holidays. It's even better now that I have a little one to share it all with. She (ok we) have been looking forward to "Hah-meen" (Halloween) for a while now. We have made pumpkin cookies, orange collages, googlie-eyed monsters, leaf collections and painted several pumpkins. All she has talked about is being a witch as she practices her "tick-a-teat" and "tank-you". I think she finally realized that Halloween was here when we got to my parent's house last night. She was super hyped and loving every second of it. She hadn't even had any candy yet. Her ear to ear smile lit up my heart. She's still wearing her witch hat around the house as I type this post and kick myself for not thinking to video tape.

Falling

2009-10-24T11:31:00.002-05:00

Diving

Chasing

Working

Digging

Swimming

Loving

Young Bloggers!

2009-10-15T11:20:00.002-05:00

I finally got my students' blog started. They are completely in charge of maintaining it. I hope to use it as a communication tool with parents, as well as a way to teach some Internet safety and computer skills. They seem to like having complete ownership. Each week a pair of "blog editors" take the pictures, write the post, upload the pictures, edit the post, and then I hit the publish button. the best part for me is that they then become our classroom "experts", and are in charge of helping next weeks pair if they have questions. So far so good...
Check it out here

Fall Fest

2009-10-11T10:45:00.000-05:00

Soup, Pumpkins, Cool Weather, Coffee and Lots of Love.

Re-telling

2009-10-10T22:36:00.006-05:00

It use to be that Joslin would just mumble as she "read". Mimicking what she saw mom do. Now, she has started re-telling what she remembers using the pictures for clues. The other day I caught her "reading" Arthur's Eyes. She was saying some of the exact phases with the correct pages. I continue to be amazed and fascinated by the language/memory development process.

Today she was re-telling a Dora story. She pointed to and named all of the characters as she explained what they were doing. I just sat back and observed.

Notice Joslin's new "smile". Now anytime she sees me with the camera, she raises her shoulders and scrunches up her face. What a silly girl.

Costume Shopping

2009-10-10T21:53:00.000-05:00

Taste of Newton

2009-10-01T22:30:00.000-05:00

Once again... good food, good friends, good time.

Cool Rainy Evenings

2009-09-25T22:13:00.000-05:00

What could be better on the first cold night of fall than Joslin's first taste of hot chocolate?

GOL!

2009-09-16T21:42:00.001-05:00

When we found out that Jose's favorite soccer team from Mexico, Club America, was playing in KC at Arrowhead stadium we jumped at the oppurtunity to go. It was a friendly game (not qualifying) against their arch rivals Las Chivas. It like KU vs K-State, Halstead vs. Hesston or Barkley vs the mailman but on a much bigger scale. Soccer is religion to these fans. It was quite an experience. Before we got there I asked Jose if I needed to be worried if our team didn't win. But it turned out to be a friendly rivalry. The crowd was alive throughout the entire game. The energy was awesome. A cultural experience that I won't soon forget.

Pud-das

2009-09-02T21:28:00.001-05:00

Several rainy days plus one uneven driveway results in days of puddle-splashing fun. She was soaked from head to toe by the time we finished, and had a slightly skinned knee, but lots of smiles and squeals to remember. I wish I had more pictures of this, but I was working with Dollar Store batteries. Bad idea. I got one picture, replaced the batteries another night and got only one more picture.

McDonald's at the Park

2009-08-22T21:17:00.001-05:00

As we were playing at the park, Jose and I were discussing the rubber flooring. I don't know if you can see from the pictures, but it is like one big rubber mat. I asked him if he thought it was durable. Before he could respond Jos piped up, "Yeah... dur-ble... yeah" as if she actually knew what she was saying.

We also meet a very outgoing, yet friendly, squirrel that ran right up to see what was for lunch today.

One Week Later

2009-08-15T21:06:00.001-05:00

As I was putting Joslin's laundry away one morning, she kept her self busy digging through a box of garage sale clothes from Grandma Rose. I turn around to find that she has replaced her pajama bottoms with some rocking shorts (backwards of course).

Perseverance!

2009-08-07T15:41:00.002-05:00

Joslin is not the most patient when it comes to fine motor tasks. Puzzles and shape sorters are a source of frustration. She tries once...pushes harder...push harder and grunts...then yells for mom or dad to do it. She loves to try on mom and dad's shoes, but putting on her own in much harder. This morning I got out of the shower and found this. She was super proud of herself. And, I only heard a few grunts as she was working on it.

Not a care in the world

2009-08-07T15:30:00.000-05:00

Girly Girl

2009-08-04T15:35:00.000-05:00

This was first thing at 7:00 in the morning, Joslin grabbed her purse before she came to the door and called for me.

Poor Puppy

2009-07-20T20:50:00.000-05:00

Learning and Language

2009-07-20T20:49:00.003-05:00

I have become increasing more aware of the learning process that is taking place as Joslin goes throughout her daily activities. It is a beautiful and truly amazing process. The sponge analogy is very appropriate. I wish I could crawl into her brain as the connections are being made to see how it is all happening. She is continually making connections and transferring previous knowledge to new tasks and activities.
I think my favorite is when she says new words that she has never been prompted to say. The other night she was saying "namas". It took a few times before I put it together, pajamas. However, a couple times lately she has been repeating words that I could not figure out. This is frustrating for both of us. Then, there are also the times when she repeats the words that I wish she would not have heard. I must remember that she is ALWAYS listening.
It is amazing to me how observant she is of the environment around her. I guess we have learned to filter out most of the information that we see/hear so that we can focus on what is important to us. She on the other hand notices everything as she tries, so hard, to figure out how the world around her works. The other morning there was only one pillow on the bed. That was cause for concern to Joslin. Once she saw it on the floor by the bed, she had to immediately put it back where it belonged. She also saved me from leaving my wallet in the Dillon's bathroom the other day. She noticed that I had set it down and not picked it up. (That should have been one of the things for me not to filter out huh?) Then there are the sounds. Every siren, train whistle or rumble of thunder get an "Oi"( meaning "to hear" in Spanish). Things that I never would have heard otherwise.
I am also extremely curious about how music and learning are intertwined. She often starts dancing or singing along before the words even begin. She just knows from the tune what to do. What a strong link between the notes and the words in her little head. It must have something to do with why we can remember all of the words to songs that we haven't heard in a decade or more. (Note to self: Use music more in the classroom)
I think that it is partly amazing to me because everything that she does is amazing to me, but also the teacher in me loves to see this foundations of learning being built. It is a truly amazing thing to see.

Saturday Pancakes

2009-07-18T20:26:00.002-05:00

Hmmm what should I pick?

That sounds good! Too many choices. "Pepi" (Pancakes)

Nebraska

2009-07-13T12:45:00.003-05:00

Last week, Jos and I drove to Nebraska to visit Cat. It was an awesome trip. Cat planned a wonderful, kid-friendly, day. We went to a gorgeous garden, then the zoo (Jos's first time), then had dinner out and a short tour of downtown Lincoln. This might have been my first time to see downtown Lincoln in the day light. I think that we all had a great time.

Here is a link to the picasa album.
http://picasaweb.google.com/alvafamilia/Nebraska?feat=directlink

Favorite Mug

2009-07-12T12:38:00.003-05:00

Crash

"Whoops" says Joslin

When we got inside she pointed at the coffee pot and said "Mas"(More)

Red, White and BBQ

2009-07-04T22:00:00.000-05:00

Jose and I hosted our first 4th of July BBQ. Good Times!

There were 26 people in all. Jose's dad got a group picture using his tripod. I wish I would have had my camera ready for that photo op.

Cabin Trip 2009

2009-06-28T21:43:00.001-05:00

Over the years, our cabin trips has evolved and changed, as we changed as well. One thing that has not changed is the feeling I get being with these girls. We do fun things each year, but I think my favorite part is always coffee and conversation on the porch.

Father's Day Celebrations!

2009-06-21T21:15:00.002-05:00

This year we celebrated Father's day at the cabin with my dad and grandpa on Saturday with a fried chicken dinner. My mom posted those pics on her blog (See Links: Marcia's Blog). Then on Sunday we went to Juan's (Jose's brother) for a BBQ. We had a wonderful time celebrating all of the wonderful dads and grandpas at both celebrations.
These are pics from Juan's BBQ.

Jose, Grandpa Chato, Juan

Rosalia and Joslin, Maggie and Kinley

Father's Day Art

2009-06-19T21:07:00.001-05:00

I tried to get her to look at the camera, but she was so proud of her artwork that she just couldn't stop looking at it. Jose LOVED it!

Chalk Art

2009-06-08T21:00:00.002-05:00

This one was funny because I drew around Jose for fun, then he did me. Before we could ask Joslin, she was already laying down ready for her turn.

Water Baby

2009-06-02T21:14:00.004-05:00

12 hours later (ok closer to 24)... Joslin LOVED the pool. We"swam" together Sunday afternoon. On Monday morning, she saw the pool out the window and kept saying "agua, agua, agua" and "outside, outside, outside". She couldn't wait to jump in again!

We also started water babies tonight at the rec center. I thought the big pool might be a little intimidating, but she was excited from the beginning. When I was drying her off after class she kept trying to wiggle free to get back in.

Shoe Fetish

2009-05-30T21:05:00.002-05:00

Fun in the Sun!

2009-05-30T20:25:00.003-05:00

My summer break has officially begun, and Joslin and I are enjoying every minute of it. Last year, I had a list of projects that I felt I needed to accomplish. They hung over my head all summer causing me some unneeded stress. This year my main priority is to have some serious fun with my baby girl.

We spent the majority of last weekend out in the backyard, grilling and soaking up the sun.

We did however, have some difficulty blowing up the new pool. Who knew that the pump would have to charge for 12 hours before you could use it. We tried to air it up with a bicycle pump, but eventually gave up and waited the 12 hours.

While we waited Jose made some agua de sandia (watermelon juice-YUM) and Joslin played in her little duck pool from last year. She spent at least 30 minutes filling and dumping that cool whip container. At times she is easily amused.

Then Joslin got her first physics lesson in friction. (This one didn't involve Mr. Engel sliding down the lab table in his socks) We made our own water slide. Wow, it is amazing how much speed a little water can add.

And no day in the sun could be complete with out a little bit of ice cream.

snip snip

2009-05-27T20:20:00.002-05:00

more pictures to come

Fry Burger!

2009-05-21T20:32:00.001-05:00

Last night, Jill and Slade came to town to have dinner at the park. We went through the drive-thru and got some burgers and headed to Athletic park. When I got out my burger I quickly noticed something was missing. There was no burger. There was a bun, chesse, onions, pickles, ketchup and mustard, just no burger. How can you forget the burger in the burger! Somebody suggested using the fries as a substitute. It wasn't too bad.

Jill snapped this picture on her cool iphone and emailed it to me while we were at the park. She is so tech savy :) I wish I would have had my camera for more pictures. We all had a great time. Jill loved the swings, Slade loved the twisty slide, and Joslin loved the sand. She tried to bring it all home in her shoes, but couldn't quite fit it all. I really have never seen so much sand in one pair of shoes. It was amazing there had been enough room for her feet in there too. I learned another mom rule...Always dump the shoes before you get into the car!

13 days

2009-05-04T21:15:00.000-05:00

But, who's counting.

How does a garden grow?

2009-04-25T15:29:00.001-05:00

I have found that now, every task is much harder and dirtier, yet much more rewarding and enjoyable. Joslin forces me to stop and pay attention to the little joys in life, that I might otherwise rush by. This year plating flowers included, examining sticks, tasting rocks (Joslin's favorite), splashing in water, and of course digging in the dirt until we were both covered from head to toe. Maybe that is why it took us two weeks to get my flowers planted. Time well spent :)

Easter!

2009-04-12T14:41:00.002-05:00

This year, the Easter bunny came while Joslin and I were at church. Can anyone tell what theme her basket ended up being? She was super pumped!
Then we went to Abues' house that afternoon to hunt eggs with the family!

Joslin is trading eggs with her cousin Kinley. They did a great job of sharing!

Checking out their loot

Enjoying a special rice crispy egg made by Abue.

Check out my mom's blog for more pics of Joslin hunting eggs (a week later) at their house.

Art Night

2009-03-21T00:21:00.001-05:00

...to see two people that I love so much, loving each other. His love for her is never ending, as is his patience with her. I am blessed to have such an wonderful little family.

The Aftermath

2009-03-06T00:14:00.000-06:00

Daddy's girl

2009-02-23T00:09:00.000-06:00

A lot of love

2009-02-18T23:56:00.000-06:00

Joslin has not one lovey but two. She is very attached to her bear Alfie at our house and her monkey Nene at Maggie's. The other night Nene accidentally made it home with us. Jos didn't know what to do with herself. I wish the video camera would have been charged. They were each laying on separate sides of the family room. First she picked up Alfie and kissed him over and over. I am talking the cutest little lip smacking kisses. Then she gave him a humongous bear hug. Next she threw him on the ground and walked across the room to Nene, where she repeated the whole thing. She went back and forth, and back and forth for at least 10 minutes (and that's like 10 hours in toddler time). She just didn't want either of them to feel left out. The cutest part was her waddling all the way across the family room each time. My heart was melting the whole time. She kind of does the same thing with Jose and me. Whenever one of gets some lovin's she always head to the other next. What a sweetie pie.

Tu-Tu!

2009-02-15T23:32:00.000-06:00

Thanks to our wonderful babysitter Maggie, Joslin has already started to use the potty some. We are a LONG way from potty trained, but it is a awesome step. It started with Maggie saying Tu-Tu when Jos was stinky. Which turned into Jos telling Maggie Tu-Tu when she was stinky. Then one day she said Tu-Tu, and she wasn't stinky. She repeated herself adamantly to Maggie, and then went in her diaper. Which meant that she knew she needed to go before she went. I couldn't believe it when she told me. Now she tells us about half the time before she has to go, and with enough time to get her to the bathroom. At this point, I think it kind of a fun game for her. We will see where it leads.

Rules

2009-02-15T23:14:00.000-06:00

Joslin is working on learning a few rules. For example: No splashing in Barkley's bowl. No playing with Mom and Dad's cell phones. She also decided she should make a few of her own.

Joslin's Rule #1: Kidney beans do NOT belong in mixed vegetables!

We have a tough time getting Joslin to eat meat. We have tried other forms of iron and protein without much luck. The other day I thought I would be slick and mix some beans in with her mixed vegetables. I figured since she likes the Lima beans it just might work. Right...nope! She picked them all out. Notice the pile on her tray, and the look of accomplishment on her face. That's her "I'm silly, and I know it" face.

Joslin Rule #2: Frog's must stay on the edge of the tub at ALL times!

Who knows where that one came from. I often flick them back into the water just to make her work a little.

Saturday Pancakes!

2009-02-15T23:00:00.000-06:00

It continues to amaze me, how Joslin loves to copy our behaviors. She truly wants to be JUST like us. It is very humbling. She is always watching and soaking it all in, as she attempts to figure out the world around her. I hope that I model the compassion and respect for the world that I would wish for her to immulate.

Art Work

2009-02-14T23:42:00.000-06:00

The media:

The products:

She was a little confused by the fact that the stickers were stuck to the paper. She kept trying to pick them back up.

New Independence

2009-02-07T22:40:00.000-06:00

This warm weather has allowed Joslin to test her wings. This is the first time we have been outside to play since she was walking. She started out hanging close by.

Not so sure about the sand Then she realized that she could walk away from us if she wanted to.

And then turn to smile about how proud she was of herself!

Growing up is hard to do

2009-02-03T22:03:00.000-06:00

Joslin has now graduated to the big tub. At first she was simply terrified.

Bath #1- She screamed the entire time. This broke my heart. Bath time had always been such a fun time in the past. No matter how much I wanted to put her back in that little tub, I knew that she was not going to fit in it forever.

Bath #2- A little better. There was a lot of tears and crying, but not near as much screaming. The sweetest part was when Barkley came in and tried to give her kisses to cheer her up. They are just quite the pair.

Bath #3- Maybe a hint of a smile or two mixed with the unhappiness.

Bath #4- Smooth sailing. She was actually trying to get into the tub before I was ready for her. I had to grab the camera to get record of this one :) There was plenty of splashing and playing this time!

Cooking up a storm!

2008-12-26T21:03:00.000-06:00

Every great dish starts with a little stirring...

a lot of salt and pepper...

some more stirring...

just a little more stirring...

and it's ready for tasting!

Mmmmmm!

The Day After...

2008-12-26T20:40:00.000-06:00

It was important for us to see both of our families during the holiday season this year. To make this happen without stress, we decided to have our family (our new, little, yet wonderful family) Christmas the day after. I think Joslin's favorite part was unwrapping this bilingual frog from Kim! She just tore right into it.

We decided to get Joslin a kitchen from Santa for Christmas this year. When we started looking around on the Internet we quickly found that there are a ton of kids kitchens. It is really a little (actually a lot) insane! We got it ordered, and then began the task of assembling it. It was a fun, after bedtime, project for us. Jose had to be in charge of the stickers, because I just could not handle the slightest bubble or crookedness. I know...But it turned out great! Her favorite part was definitely the built in phone. It makes sound and everything. For a little while, we thought we had just bought the most expensive toy phone in the world, but she really gets into cooking now.

Christmas Afternoon- Williamson Style

2008-12-25T15:09:00.000-06:00

We spent Christmas afternoon at my Grandpa's cabin that is up by Kanopolis lake. It is a family tradition that I really enjoy. There is always yummy food to eat, fun games to play and usually a good time to be had by all.

Joslin got to play with her Cousin Cady. Cady was such a sweetie. She loves to twist her little feet around, and can really get after a good book.

Cady did a great job of sharing her toys with Joslin. It was really nice for them to have a chance to play together. I can only imagine the Christmases to come with all of the new little ones that are on the way.
...and this picture was just too cute not to include. What a silly little girl :)

Christmas Morning: Neal Style

2008-12-25T14:47:00.000-06:00

We celebrated Christmas morning at my parent's house. It was nice to wake up there Christmas morning with the whole family, even Kylie:) I am so grateful to have a family who loves me, and who I love so much. Haley and Joslin had to take the traditional grand kid Christmas tree picture before we could commence the opening of the presents.

Christmas Eve: Alvarez Style

2008-12-24T14:34:00.000-06:00

Every Christmas Eve we go to Jose's parents house for his extended family's Christmas. It is always a crazy fun time. There is a lot of wild dancing, which I love to sit and observe. Joslin was loving all of the action. I am sure next year she will be right out there in the middle of it all. I wish I had more pictures to share, but here is one of Joslin opening her gifts.

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

2008-12-07T14:27:00.000-06:00

Ok, so not really but it makes a cute picture

A little help please...

2008-12-07T14:14:00.000-06:00

When Barkley's favorite ball, "Wilson", gets stuck under the couch it results in a lot of scratching and whining. Luckily, this time Joslin came to the rescue.

Party Time

2008-12-07T13:22:00.000-06:00

Joslin's birthday party was on Sunday at Rosalia's. I was a little apprehensive about how she would respond to the all of the action. Most of Jose's extended family came, so there were quite a few people. Honestly, I was preparing myself to handle a meltdown...but there was no need. She was eating up all of the attention...and a little cake and ice cream too!She was actually VERY neat while eating her cake and ice cream. She just took little bites, one at a time. I had envisioned much more smashing. I think she ate her ice cream one sprinkle at a time.

The hat was clearly not her favorite part...
The presents on the other hand were pretty cool!

All in all, I think a good time was had by all.

Happy Birthday Joslin Ana!

2008-12-06T22:59:00.000-06:00

What an amazing year this has been. From that first scream at the hospital to the giggles and babbling of today. So many memories made and milestones achieved..and so many more to come. We are truly, truly blessed.

Does this girl look excited or what?

Oops...just a little distracted!

Hmm..which one should I play with first.

Priceless

2008-11-23T22:47:00.000-06:00

Silly girl

2008-11-10T22:39:00.000-06:00

The other morning Joslin was "reading" some of her books while I was getting ready in the morning. I start hearing a little distress in her voice, and when I walk into her room this is what I find. She has crawled all of the way into her box of books and is stuck. What a silly girl!

Hmmm... does it make me a bad mom that I took a picture before I took her out.

Joslin's Baptism

2008-11-09T22:15:00.000-06:00

Joslin's baptism was a few weeks ago at Trinity Heights. She was her typical squirmy self during the church service, but she held it together for her moment in the spotlight. She LOVED crawling around the sanctuary after the service. It meant so much to have both sets of grandparents there for her special day. Joslin is lucky to have such wonderful grandparents who live so close, and love her so much! We love you all :)

More Fall Fun!

2008-11-02T21:25:00.000-06:00

As a kid, we never had many leaves of our own, but Grandma Dort didn't ever mind sharing. I remember raking, jumping in, and re-raking the leaves for hours with Ryan and Kylie. This year when the leaves started to fall we took Joslin outside to enjoy them. It was so much fun to watch her play in the leaves.

This was right before she leaped off the edge. This girl is fearless!

The sight of this tree gives me mixed feelings, as the raking and bagging of all these leaves is not quite as much fun, but I guess I will take the good with the bad.

Cats

2008-11-01T22:09:00.000-05:00

I think she is trying to tell us something...

Baby girl

2008-11-01T22:00:00.000-05:00

I blinked and my baby girl grew up!

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T22:20:00.000-05:00

Here are pictures from Joslin's first Halloween. We planned on her being a monkey, but it was way to hot for her costume. Luckily, Carter's had one costume left, and it was even in her size. She made a pretty cute cow.

So happy...

So strong...

So ready...

So cute...

So loved...

Fall Festivities

2008-10-26T21:46:00.000-05:00

Last weekend, Joslin and I traveled to Manhattan for fall fun with the girls. We carved pumpkins and ate really yummy beef stew, pumpkin cookies and baklava. It is always so good to see these girls.

There was the shopping,

the carving,

and no get together is complete without a couch picture.

While we were in town, we also got to see Ellie and her kids. They were so sweet! I just can't get over how polite they were. They wanted to share all of their toys, and they were incredibly patient and gentle with Joslin.

I'm Cruising Now

2008-10-25T21:43:00.000-05:00

So Many Hats, So Little Time

2008-10-25T21:26:00.000-05:00

Pumpky Goes to a Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-25T20:50:00.000-05:00

The Saturday before Halloween, Jose and I took Jos to a pumpkin patch just north of Newton. None of us had been to one before. It is so much fun to start developing family traditions for our little fam. We passed on the pumpkin slinger, and the corn maze but did pick out 6 pumpkins. Jos and I also went down a really big slide together.

10 months!

2008-10-06T20:45:00.000-05:00

The monthly pictures are getting harder and harder to take. Notice the absences of month 9. I put it off for so long, she turned 10 months on me. Oops! We tried, and tried, and tried, with the bear but he was old news. We got the football to hold her attention, but she still wouldn't look at the camera. I have no idea what people did before digital cameras.

Mmmm Tasty!

2008-10-02T20:35:00.000-05:00

At the beginning of the month Joslin and I went to the "Taste of Newton" with Jill. I really thought this was a fairly new thing, but Jill proved me wrong. (See post on Jill's Blog) Now, I am not sure if I have been before or not. Hmm? Well anyway it was wonderful. I could not believe how many food vendors there were, and how many people were there. The whole town really came out for it. The atmosphere was wonderful. We waited in a super long line for some yummy tacos, and then had some pie. We ran into some friends, and all in all had a great time. I can't wait for next year.

Update

2008-10-01T20:33:00.000-05:00

First, I can't believe that it has been more than a month since my last post. WOW! I will have to do better. We went through a period of pretty broken sleep, which resulted in me going straight to bed instead of updating the blog. I can't really remember too much that happened during the last month but here are a few highlights :)

Joslin now has two bottom teeth. They arrived a few weeks ago around the same time as the sleepless nights. Correlation...maybe. Now she is back to her old self and sleeping better than ever. Cross your fingers that it continues. She quickly put her new teeth to work chewing the side of her crib. She started when she only had one tooth, and she made some serious progress. I would like to include a picture, but there is no way I am going to wake my sleeping baby for that one.

We also went to the doctor for her 9 month check-up. This was the best check up yet because, we did not have to get any shots! It also got me a half-day off of school, and breakfast out as a family. You really can't beat that. She weighed in at 17 lbs 1 oz and is 27 1/2 in long. I can't believe how fast she is growing up. I have found myself holding her a little longer each night when I am putting her to bed.

Joslin has also learned several new tricks. I think that clapping is her favorite. She practiced for a long time (weeks) before she was able to make any noise. You should have seen the look of accomplishment on her face the first time she made that little "smack".

My favorite is the waving. There is nothing better than when I see her at the end of the day, and I get a huge smile and a big wave!

Giving high fives is another trick of hers, but she seems to save that one for special occasions only. Like, when she saw Jilly last Saturday!

We also went to Hesston for Joslin's 9 month portraits. We are definitely in the thick of the stranger anxiety phase. He did a wonderful job with her and was incredible patient, but she just would not cooperate. We ended up getting two usable pictures. Here is the one from his website.

Big Helper

2008-08-24T21:09:00.000-05:00

OK...I definitely learned that you can not turn your back for even 2 seconds. Jose and I were hanging the blinds in the living room, while Joslin was hanging out in her walker. She headed off into the kitchen, and when I followed her in, this is what I found.
Yes... she is cooking and cleaning at the same time. She had pulled the cook-books off the shelf, and started vacuuming. I have no idea how she was able to pull the vacuum over from its upright position. Now, if only I could teach her how to plug it in and turn it on, I would be set.

***Please ignore the really ugly kitchen carpet :)

8 Months, already!

2008-08-06T21:18:00.000-05:00

Here is my attempt at 8 month pictures. I am pretty sure they get harder every month. She is super squirmy now. I ended up with several partial pictures of her feet or arms as she wiggled out of my picture. But this one tops them all. It's the action shot as I threw my camera to catch my baby, just before she dove off the couch.

New Trick

2008-08-05T20:35:00.000-05:00

Here is Joslin showing off her newest trick. I just can't believe how big she is getting! The only problem is she hasn't learned how to sit back down yet.

New Cruiser!

2008-08-05T20:14:00.000-05:00

We decided it was finally time for a new car. Chip (my old car, named for it's lack of paint) will be missed. We just needed something that was a little more reliable. When I bought the second water pump ($500) in less than 2 years, I decided the time had come. We had a car transferred by Carmax from Oklahoma. It is an '06 Nissan Altima. It only has 38,000 miles and runs great! There are few goobers on the interior, but I really can't complain.

This is Jos and I on our way to get the new car. I am not sure who is more excited :)

The new cruiser! We still need a name for this one. Let me know if you have any ideas!!!

Lots of room for Jos in the back! And there are cup holders-VERY important.

Blown' in the wind

2008-07-31T20:42:00.000-05:00

Here is the newest addition to our back yard. This was my birthday present from Kylie (Thanks sweetie!) It only took Jose running into it once for us to figure out that glow-in-the-dark clothes lines would be nice :)

My Sanity

2008-07-27T20:49:00.000-05:00

Last weekend, Joslin and I took a much needed trip to the cabin. The girls meet us there for our yearly weekend at Kanopolis Lake. We have been going off and on since we were in 6th grade. It is always a wonderful time to just relax and be together. First, we made some jewelery. I kept wanting to trade with everyone, because their stuff was so much cooler than mine. I did however end up with some pretty nice necklaces and bracelets. That is after I dropped them several (the biggest understatement) times and had to re-string them.

This is actually only about half of our creations. It ended up being quite addictive.

The weather was gorgeous. It was suppose to be 100 degrees, but it ended up being rainy and cool. We went for a walk to enjoy the weather and Joslin got to ride in her front pouch for the first time. With a little adjustment from Nan it ended up being kind of comfortable.

The next morning we headed down to the beach to find our rock. We originally carved our names in '96. It was important that we add our newest member to the rock. I hope my daughter doesn't turn into a graffiti artist because of this.This trip was a great reminder of how lucky I am to have the friends that I do. These girls are wonderful. They truly are my sanity.

Time

2008-07-21T21:14:00.000-05:00

Where has the time gone? I really can't believe that my summer is coming to an end. The time spent with Joslin has been wonderful. However, I do get a little (ok, a lot) depressed when I think of leaving her to go back to school. I just love that little girl SO much, and we have been inseparable all summer. My first day back is August 6th, so it is time to start thinking about school again. Since I will be teaching 4th grade next year, I boxed everything up at the end of the year and moved it across the school to my new room. Needless to say, it has sat there untouched for the summer. This week, Haley, her friend Kienze, Joslin and I started sifting through things, so that I will be ready for the kids. They were a HUGE help. I am excited for the change of age group and content. I am sure that the 4th graders will keep me on my toes. Hold on Jos!

Joslin is 7 Months!

2008-07-06T21:09:00.000-05:00