Home Sweet Home

This week's spin is about how you make your house a home. And to show pictures. I could show you the mess that resides in my house but I'm sure it looks just like all yours right? Right?! Please just go along with me on that one so I don't feel like a cleaning slacker! 

So instead of showing you my mess, I'll show you what I love. First my (year old) pictures of my sweet boys. I have majorly slacked on this and not printed the last pictures we had done of the boys last October. So these are from a year ago. BUT I still love them (the pictures AND the boys) so it's all good. Plus I really don't need proof that my baby is not a baby anymore and is starting to look like a real boy! Also, in the middle of my boys is the picture I painted at my *cough* 30th birthday party at the local wine and paint place. I chose the "Family Tree" and I love it.

Next is my wall art that I got on my 29th birthday trip to KC to visit my aunt. We went to a women's fair and I saw it and had to have it. I think it is an awesome saying. Accompanying it is artwork done by Leo. I love having their artwork around the house.

And then outside we have our KU flag (ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK!) and the basketball. If you can't find us inside we're probably outside enjoying family time and watching the boys hoop it up!

What makes your house a home? Join us in spinning about it and visit Ginny and all the other spinners to see their homes!

Spin Cycle: Compliments

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Compliments...hmmm.  There is a lot of ways I can go with this.  Gretchen gave some great ideas in her layout for us and I'm going to take a few from her.

I am very, very uncomfortable when people give me compliments.  I never know how to be gracious when people say something nice to me.  Not that people are constantly complimenting me, but especially when I was losing weight people were saying things to me and I was just always embarassed. 

But on the flip-side of that I have no problem giving people compliments.  And I don't give them freely but if I see something I like on someone, or if they've changed something and I like it then I tell them. 

Finally...I give compliments to Leo all the time.  As a kid I don't think that you should hold things back if you think they're doing something good.  I'm sure I tell him things way more frequently than I need to but if he does something that I appreciate I'm going to tell him.  I am not one of those parents that think if you give your kids too many compliments then it will make them feel entitled.  But I also don't give just willy-nilly compliments.  Like, Leo your hair looks so nice today.  No, not so much.  If he picks up his toys without me asking, or if he draws a nice picture then I'm going to say something.

So there you have it.  My take on compliments. Go see Gretchen and the other spinners and compliment them on their lovely writing!

The honeymoon was just the beginning

Ahhh the honeymoon. When the wedding is over and you are finally introduced to the person you married. Am I right or am I right?! No I’m just kidding! My honeymoon was something of a strange encounter. We had recently bought a house so we didn’t have a lot of money to take a huge vacation. So we decided to take a quick trip up the road to Kansas City for a few days. But we went before the wedding because there was a concert that we wanted to go to. So we headed up there and met up with one of the groomsmen and his girlfriend and went to the concert and then the next day went to a Royals baseball game. On our way home from Kansas City we stopped in a nearby town and picked up another one of the groomsmen because him and his girlfriend only had 1 car and she couldn’t come down as early as he was. We had a really good time and it was nice to spend time with people we loved.

Now as a mom I’m a little jealous of all these pictures on Facebook and other blogs I see of amazing, HUGE honeymoons. So I have started planning a 10 year anniversary trip. We are trying to decide between Seattle or New York. Since we’re in the middle of the country we could go either way. I’ve never been to either place and he’s been to Seattle but either one would be awesome. I’m leaning towards Seattle but we shall see!

And make sure you go see Gretchen and all the other spinners and see where their honeymoons took them!

The Perfect Date

Jen came up with a super-easy topic this week. Well only because I'm making it easy! She wanted to know what our perfect date would be. I'm sure some went all philosophical and chose someone famous and how they would interact with them but I'm just going to tell you what my idea of a perfect date would be with my hubby since it's been a while since we've gone on an actual date that met my "standards"!

My ideal date would start with Leo going to my parents house because I wouldn't have to worry about a sitter and if he was (mis)behaving.

My ideal date would also be a weekend event. Only because this is fictional and it can be!

The hubby and I would pack a suitcase and head to Kansas City. We would leave Friday night and get to our hotel and we would just hang out for the evening. Our hotel would be on the Plaza and it would be expensive! And for dinner we would go to the Cheesecake Factory because it is AMAZING.

Saturday we would wake up whenever we wanted because there would be no human alarm clock waking me up asking me for milk or to turn on cartoons. There would also be no TV in our hotel unless I deemed it appropriate because I want to spend the weekend talking to each other and not worrying about what the score is or what-not. We would leisurely get ready and then head out for day 1 of our date. We would walk around the Plaza shopping all the cool shops and not feel like we are rushed or need to be anywhere. We would spend as much or as little money as we wanted on things that we don't need. Later that afternoon after a loooong nap we would get up and get ready to go to a nice dinner anywhere where there is not a kids menu. We would dress up. Not suit, dressed up but just nice pants and shirt for him and probably a dress for me. And after dinner we would go to a movie. After the movie if there was time we would go to an area where they serve ice cream AND have a nice little walk-around area where we could maybe walk around a pond or something. Something semi-romantic! :) After that we would go back to our hotel.

Sunday morning we get up and have a nice brunch at the hotel or a local eatery where they serve french toast. Yes...that is a requirement. I love me some french toast! Then we would just get packed up and head back to town. We would enjoy each others company on the drive home and be refreshed to see our little heathen who would be so overjoyed seeing us since he always misses us so much when we leave him overnight somewhere.

Ahhhh....I feel relaxed and awesome just writing about that. So yeah...if anyone wants to donate to my dream date fund and would also like to knock my hubby out so he would agree to this date then that would be amazing! Be sure to see the other spins about their dream dates. Maybe we'll get ideas (realistic ones) and have awesome dates in the future!

Haunted Traditions

When I saw the spin this week was family traditions I thought that we don't have a lot of actual traditions for our little family. But then on Sunday my mom and I took Leo to the pumpkin patch and it hit me that, DUH! This was our family tradition. Since Leo has been 1 year old my mom and I have taken him to the pumpkin patch and had such an awesome time. We go to one that is about 45 minutes from where we live and each year the little farm gets bigger and bigger and always adds more attractions. And each year as Leo gets a little bit bigger he is able to do more and more. We were talking about how next year Leo would be in, GASP, kindergarten and so we would probably have to go on a weekend again but we both thought that we might be able to take him out of school or if they had an in-service day we could use that one to go and enjoy the time together. So our family tradition is nothing crazy but we sure like it! Here are some pictures from years past at the pumpkin patch...we don't have any from this year because I haven't gotten them from my mom yet.

Leo's favorite thing to do is play in their sandbox filled with corn and drive their dump trucks

Leo wished we could take this giant pumpkin home with us last year!

Leo and me in 2008

Each year we see how tall he is compared to the giant pumpkin! 2008

A little bigger in 2009

And in 2010!

And yes I am the obnoxious mom who makes her kid pose in the same spot every. single. year!
2008

2009

2010

To see other traditional spins go see Jen. I'm sure it should become your weekly tradition!

Spin Cycle: Plz dnt make me hurt u

Ah the power of language. And what you can do with it. I am not a linguistic but I was a communication major. And in those few years (and many thousand dollars later) I learned a few things. And that is that I am an editor at heart and people who don't use grammar/spelling correctly annoy me. I notice little errors in newspapers, magazines, books and of course blogs and social networking. I'm not one of those people though that point it out but every time I see an error I cringe a little bit. But the two things I hate the most are when people use abbreviations in texts and tweets and when companies don't spell things correctly or are grammatically incorrect.

I have several people who text me on a regular basis and use the silly little abbreviations like LOL and R U...and it drives me crazy. I never say anything to them but hot cheese it drives me crazy! And of course the tweets from companies is just a no-brainer. They are putting their products or stories out there for the whole world to see on Twitter. Don't you think it would make sense to have someone proof-read what they are putting out there so hacks like me don't blog about it later! They definitely should!

That's what I have for language today. I probably should have blogged about my sailor Kendra who uses language that would make even the roughest of the rough blush but that's a story for a different day! Go see Jen and the other spinners to see how they can spin their words into gold.

Spin Cycle: The Eyes Have It

This weeks spin cycle is an interesting topic. Nature vs. Nurture. What traits are passed down. Or are they really passed down? Welp...let me tell you. In my house we have noticed a trait that Leo has been displaying loud and proud the last month or so. And it is the ever obnoxious eye-roll. And unfortunately he got it from me.

Anytime we ask him to do something that he does not want to do he looks up at us over his cute little shoulder and rolls his eyes. If you say something that he deems completely ridiculous...yep. You guessed it. An eye-roll.

And I was making the comment to my mom about it and I was fessing up that I'm sure he got it from me when my mom just cracked up and said that my dad HATED when I would roll my eyes at him. And I won't lie. It happened a lot. And I'll continue to tell the truth when I say I still roll my eyes. On a daily basis. And sometimes I don't even realize I do it. Which is unfortunate since I work in a retail position. So I know I've rolled my eyes at customers and don't even realize I do it. So I'm sure that has been a reason to yell at me when they are doing it. And in our house the hubby and I have an ongoing joke about my eye-rolls. I have a special knack for rolling just one eye. So he always calls me out when I am using my creepy eye. And then sometimes I do it just to mess with him.

So I am going to say that this trait is both nature and nurture. Becuase I'm sure I've rolled my eyes at Leo before but I think it takes a special something to get the eye roll just right and boy does he!

Spin Cycle: What I've Been Doing

Jen gave us a super easy assignment for the spin this week and I put it off. But I won't lie...I've been extremely busy. And since the spin is whatever we want this week I'll give you a little update on what we've been doing.

The past few weekends the hubby and I have been house hunting. We have a friend who is a real estate agent and so we enlisted her help and have gone on our merry little way and looked at several houses in our area. And we found some that we like. So that put a little fire under our behinds and I crunched some numbers and said...hey! We might actually be able to pull this off. And so we have been working our little tails off this week to try to get our house market-ready. We've painted the bathroom and master bedroom. We've updated all 29 (yes...29!) knobs in our kitchen and the hubby has replaced the entryway stick-em tiles with new colors. I've also packed almost all of Leo's 17 bajillion toys and cleaned up our closets so they look as though someone would be able to fit their stuff in them. And this weekend we are planning on packing and painting the spare bedroom (and what will be the baby's room if we can't sell the house). We also will be updating some ceiling fans in the master bedroom and kitchen, packing the items in our kitchen that we don't use all the time and just all-in-all trying to make our house clutter free so again, people will be able to imagine themselves here.

So yeah. While I haven't been around my little place in the blogosphere and definitely haven't been visiting others I have been doing something. Although last night I was in bed at 8 because the past week has kicked my prego butt! Next week the hubby is taking a week of vacation and hopefully getting what little we have left to do accomplished and then by the 15th we should have our house on the market. So about 10 more days and then I can just relax for the next 2 1/2 months until baby time. Yeah...2 1/2 months. From the 15th anyways. Yikes!

Go visit Jen and see all the other random spins!

Spin Cycle: The Kids Will Be Alright

The spin cycle this week hits pretty close to home. Kids and technology. Wow. A lot can be said about this. With Leo his fascination with technology started at a young age. He was born around the time Rock Band was popular and the hubby and I like to play some games and especially when it comes to rocking out we deemed it necessary to get that game. And so of course Leo would “watch” us play. And he would sit there with his own guitar and pretend he was playing with us. He was just so darn cute! ( I was going to insert a picture here but stupid blogger wouldn't let me. Annoyed!)

As he’s gotten older he has continued with his fascination with all things technological. He loves playing on our Iphones. He got a DS for his birthday from his grandma and grandpa who love to spoil him. And of course his dad is a gamer so he felt he needed multiple games to go along with it. He plays Nick Jr. and Playhouse Disney on the computer. He got a Smart Cycle from his other grandma and grandpa that love to spoil him for Christmas. He also has a Superhero Squad computer AND a Bob the Builder computer. Both were given as gifts and he plays with both of them. Oh and yeah, he has a TV in his room because I can’t stand to watch Blue’s Clues and Bob the Builder and and and. And to top it all off he has learned how to play the Wii. While we always knew the Wii would come in handy for a kid because of the ease of use I was not prepared for the monster it would create.

I think it was just a few weeks ago that I said I loved the Wii because it gave me some uninterrupted time to myself while he could occupy himself while playing. Well I would like to retract my statement. While I still love that Leo is capable at 4 to get multiple hole-in-ones while playing Tiger Woods golf with his dad I feel like kids spend WAY too much time playing games and watching TV. And I NEVER thought I would be that parent. I figured that the kid would be diversified enough and that he had sooooo many toys that he wouldn’t want to watch TV and play video games all the time. Boy was I wrong. And maybe as he gets older and has more friends that live by us that are his age he will be able to spend more time doing other things. But right now I have to step in and set limits for him. Like two Sunday’s we woke up to the child bouncing on our bed asking to play the Wii. I told him that he could BUT he could only play for 30 minutes. And I had a headache the size of Texas and this would have been the perfect opportunity to let him play for as long as his little heart desired. But I didn’t. I set my alarm for 30 minutes later and when I woke back up I made him turn it off and do something else. And I’ve done the same thing with the computer and the TV recently. Unfortunately it’s been so hot I’m afraid to send the little bugger outside because I don’t want him to get heat stroke (seriously…it was 111 here today). And as much as he sweats he would probably get dehydrated in a matter of minutes! So finding other activities for him to do that will keep him occupied has been difficult. But I’ve bought some preschool/kindergarten readiness workbooks and he loves doing his “homework.” I’ve also told him that he needs to use his imagination and make up stuff to do. And I know that his dad does not impose the same limits on the games that I do and that’s fine. I also think it’s fine that the hubby and him spend time together playing the games. I actually think it’s pretty darn cute. I just want him to grow up learning that there is more to his life than technology.

One way that we are trying to broaden Leo’s horizons is by taking him to many different museums and events. In our town we have different museums and he’s gone to so many different ones. He’s been to the art museum, the children’s museum, the All-American Indian Center, Botanical Gardens and a Museum of Natural Treasures. He’s also been to a few college basketball games, to see the Harlem Globetrotters, multiple Kansas City Royals games and even a Kansas City Chiefs game. This year we were thinking of taking him to see a KU football game and I was going to send the hubby and him up to Kansas City to watch the Chiefs play again but that just depends on some things in the works for the future.

So yeah. I think there needs to be some regulations put in place by the parents and it has to be what works best for your family. I know that Leo does not spend hardly any time with technology at school so at night what he spends is not a lot. And I also don’t consider the time he spends watching stuff with us or playing games with his dad as part of his allotted time. I think family togetherness is way more important than any amount of time spent doing one activity. So again…we all have to do what’s best for our individual families!

To see other people’s take on this spin visit Jen!

Spin Cycle: Meals for the week

This weeks spin cycle is food. And that is sooo easy! What I (try) to do on a weekly basis is make a meal plan and stick with it throughout the week. That way I'm not trying to go to the store on a daily basis and so I don't have to worry about what to make and if I have the stuff to make it with. So for the spin cycle this week I figured I would share my meal plan for the week.

Monday: Hamburgers and bratwurst with chips and fruit

Tuesday: Dinner at the parents house. Every Tuesday we have dinner at their house with my grandparents and parents and brother and his family.

Wednesday: Kung Pao noodles and chicken. This is a new recipe that I got from Betty Crocker and I'm a little nervous at the spiciness of it. But I figured a little change was good.

Thursday: Meatless lasagna, green beans (or other comparable veggie) and some fruit and garlic bread. This is another new recipe from Betty Crocker. I am trying to do a few vegetarian meals per week for health purposes. Plus the hubby isn't a meat and potatoes kind of guy so if we don't have meat in the meal it won't be the end of the world. Also...I am going to prepare this meal ahead of time and put it in the fridge so all the hubby has to do is pop it in the oven. I have to work late so this will be a meal that the boys will eat by themselves and I will just eat when I get home.

Friday: Chicken fajitas with beans and chips and salsa.

Saturday: Leftovers

Sunday: Cheese enchiladas with beans and chips and salsa.

For breakfasts we have pop-tarts, multiple cereals and then some sausage to choose from. Leo also has asked for a smoothie so I got a recipe for that as well so I'll try that some morning this week as well.

I have tried recently to put some variety in our meals so this spin made me dig deep for some things that we don't normally have! So thanks Jen! You made me make a meal plan and hopefully spinning about it will make me stick to it!

Forgive and Forget

Forgiveness is a funny thing. Because you have to do something to someone to cause them to grant you forgiveness or you have to be wronged to be able to give forgiveness to someone. And sometimes you think you’ve done nothing wrong but the other party feels completely different or vice versa.

I think in a marriage forgiveness is the most difficult of topics because you are so in-tune to each other that usually if you do something to the other you will know that it will cause hurt feelings before you even do them. Or you think that you are right and they are wrong so when you say something (as stupid as it may be) it could very easily cause hard feelings over the simplest of things. But I also think that in a marriage forgiveness is taken for granted. Of course I’m talking about the small things…not like hiding huge amounts of debt, cheating, etc. I think that when a spouse says or does something that they know will cause an issue they just let it linger because they think…hey, we’re married. They know this is how I act, speak, etc. and so they should be more willing to allow these actions to slide. But at the same time they have to realize that yes, the other person knew about these behaviors and while they can’t/wouldn’t change it sometimes those behaviors should be changed. Only to better themselves or to better their relationships.

So while this was not where I originally thought my thoughts were going to go when Jen gave us the prompt forgiveness I think that it’s definitely something to think about if you are in a relationship. Take a deep breath and clear your thoughts before you do or say that stupid thing because it may save you the step of asking for forgiveness tomorrow! And go see Jen and other spins...or she might not forgive you!

Wishing on Stars

As I was tweeting yesterday about having to get motivated to finish my chores and I used the hashtag #wishIwererich it made me think about the spin cycle this week about wishes. And it made me think about my greedy wishes and my non-greedy wishes. So this is going to be a two-part blog about my greedy wishes and my non-greedy wishes!

Part 1: Greedy wishes

My greedy wishes are all about me and money because in my make believe world money solves all problems! I wish I had more money and could buy a bigger house. And with that extra money I would have a maid to clean up my bigger house. I would also have a chef who would make me whatever I wanted to eat whenever I wanted to eat. The bigger house would also include a super-awesome gym so I wouldn’t have to leave my house to exercise. It would also include a trainer to help me get a super-sleek figure. I also wouldn’t have to work or if I did then it would only be when I wanted to. That way I could travel to anywhere I want to go.

And because that is all just a wish and will never happen (or at least all happen at once!) the real wish that could actually happen is I want to take a trip across the United States and watch a baseball game in all of the baseball stadiums across America. I think that would be pretty awesome!

Ok…now onto Part 2: Non-greedy wish

My non-greedy wish is all about my kids. I wish that they can grow up to become upstanding citizens. I don’t care if they make a lot of money or become the President but I want them to reach all of their dreams. Right now Leo wants to be a firefighter. While that is not my ideal profession for him (too dangerous!) if that’s what he wants to be then I hope he gets his dream. He has also said he wants to be a “worker.” In his eyes workers are the construction workers. Again…while this is not my dream profession for him (long hours, hard work, not a lot of pay) if that’s what will make him happy so be it!

I also wish my kids could grow up in a world where I don’t have to worry about them walking to their friend’s house or to school. I wish that I also don’t have to worry about them being lured into the wrong crowd or end up doing something that could jeopardize their future dreams. What I really wish for is for them to be happy and healthy and to live the life they want to!

So there’s my wish. I know we’re not supposed to say them out loud or they might not come true but maybe if I say them enough then they will! I’m a backwards thinker here! Go visit Jen and see all the other wishes that all the other spinners have put out there. And maybe all our wishes will come true!

Spin Cycle: Waiting, Waiting and more Waiting

Spin Cycle week 2. I ditched week 1 because I just haven’t had the time to blog that I used to. I would blog before the hubby got home from work. Now with his fancy-pants new job he beats me home. And I hate it. That he beats me home, not the new job. That…is amazing. But that’s neither here nor there. This is about the spin cycle which I thought was long gone but Jen decided to be super-awesome and bring it back. So it gives me a weekly forum to write a think-piece (a thank you Cameron Crowe). And this week’s topic is waiting. And oh there is so much that I am waiting for lately.

The past 2 weeks I have been waiting for my 4 day vacation. The only vacation I will get until my extended vacation come November when the bambino/a will be arriving. I have been waiting in anticipation to see how the weather was going to hold up. No tornadoes expected while we’re there. Woo hoo! And thankfully the people that we are visiting had no damage from the storms from earlier in the week. I have been waiting to see if the hubby was going to get a better attitude about our trip. Yes dear, I know we don’t have a ton of money but not everything is about the money… sometimes it’s about our sanity. And I have been waiting just because I need to get away. Work has been crazy hectic and just getting out of the city and ignoring any and all phone calls from work will be so nice.

I have also been waiting for the summer. Normally summer is just another season but this year, for some reason, I am so excited for summer. I can’t wait until my parents open their pool (I’m still waiting mom!). I am also just waiting to just have the warm weather for a nice change. There are things I want to get done outside so it will be nice to be able to do them.

I have also been waiting not-so-patiently for my upcoming sonogram. It feels like the wait is forever. But on June 7^th at 10:30 we will be going in to find out if we will have a girl or a boy. And I can barely stand the wait. Especially when my doctor’s office tried to reschedule it. Sorry but no. We will be getting it done earlier now in the day instead of later. And after that I will know what to expect. At least as far as what I need to buy (or not buy seeing that I have 3 crates of boy clothes just chilling until June 7^th!).

And of course the wait is on until the actual birth. 5 more months. So crazy! I can’t believe it is going by so slowly but quickly at the same time! And there is so much to do. We need to buy a new crib (Leo’s was recalled so we had to return it. But for a full retail refund! Score!), get the Raider room ready to be a baby room and so on.

So there is a lot of waiting going on in the Fernandez household. And I am not a patient person. So I am just ready for all these things that I’m waiting for to happen! To see what other people are waiting on go check it out!

Giving Thanks

This week's spin cycle is about gratitude. And I think gratitude is a funny thing. Only because people don't always think they have something to be thankful for but they definitely do. I do not really have high expectations for me or my life (only my son!). I am satisfied with what I have. And I think that most people overlook the simplest things that they should be thankful for. So I'll tell you a few things that I am grateful for and I hope that you look into your lives and be thankful for some of the simpler things. I'm sure there are a lot of things that we could wish for that we think would make our lives better but I think that if you think about what you currently have you will realize how lucky you are!

• I'm thankful for my family. Especially the family members that take time out of their lives to spend time with me and my little family.
• I'm thankful to have a loving husband that even if we don't always agree on everything we can come together and without saying anything laugh at the silliest things. And of course raise the cutest kid in the whole world. (I'm not biased or anything!)
• I'm thankful for my baby boy. He may not be a baby anymore but he will always be my baby and he is super awesome!
• I'm thankful that me and my hubby both have jobs. And we haven't had to take any furlough hours or paycuts in the last few years. They may not be the "perfect" job but they are good enough for now and they do what they need to do.
• I'm thankful that we have a roof over our head and food in the fridge and cabinets. We may eat mac and cheese or ramen sometimes but we always have a full belly.
• I'm thankful that we got to take a trip as a family a few weeks ago. It was only for the weekend but we had so much time and it was all spent as a family. AMAZING.
• I'm thankful for my blog and all my readers. Sometimes when I've had the worst day I can type out my feelings (even if I don't post it!) and then I get the best feelings when I get responses. You guys make my day!

So that is just a small sample of what I'm thankful for. I hope to see other posts about gratitude and I'm sure from that I'll realize more things that I am thankful for! Have a very thankful Thursday! And check out Sprite's Keeper to see the last Spin Cycle for a while.

A Rose is a Rose

So this week’s spin is supposed to be about perfection. And I was thinking about, ah yes. Perfection. The elusive thing that is. Because to me (right now) perfection would totally be not having to be at work and being able to spend lots of time with my family. And lots of money on things that I want instead of things that I need. So of course, perfection would be winning the lottery. Because I would not be one of those crazies that blow it all in the first few months and then have to go to lottery winners anonymous meetings. Because honestly I’m not that crazy! Ok, well maybe I am but I do have a pretty good head on my shoulders and I would really just want to pay off my debt and then buy a nicer house than we currently have. Then I would have like 99.9 million dollars left because I’m totally winning the huge jackpot of 100 million dollars! You know the one I’m talking about? The one that we always dream about winning but don’t want to shell out the $5 to buy a ticket. Yeah, that’s me. I’m pretty lucky but I still don’t like just throwing away money. But I will never, ever win if I never, ever play. And so of course with my 99.9 million dollars left over I would definitely shell out some money to my family members and then the church. And then I’d still have a crap-ton of money left over so I would just get to sit at home and play. I’d still send the monkey to daycare because he needs the structure and the playmates but he definitely wouldn’t be there from 8-5 every day. And then I wouldn’t have to worry about the money for another baby because, duh! I have tons of it! And in my new house there would be a huge gym so I would be able to work out. And then I might have time to pursue hobbies that I don’t have time for now. Like scrapbooking. And baking/cooking. That would be totally awesome! And I would definitely hire a house cleaner. Because that would be the first thing I would spend money on! And I would finally have some alone time to spend with my hubby. So then the baby thing might actually happen!

But then…screech. Reality sets in. Would this really be perfection? But don’t answer that. Because even if really does seem like perfection I’m still sure that I would find that something bothered me, so no. Not perfection. And I know this because I took Leo to go get his pictures taken on Wednesday. And it was the perfect day with the perfect weather. And the session was already paid for, so it was like we were rich. And Leo just wasn’t into it. He has been sick so I understand him not feeling well but it was just for an hour. Couldn’t he just sit still?! And his cousin Chloe were in some of the pictures also and the photographer asked if Leo could kiss Chloe on the cheek or let her kiss him or even just hug one or the other and he wouldn’t listen. It was killing me. The funniest part of the night was when I asked my mom if I was being mean and she told me no. Then I asked her if I sounded mean. She hesitated for a minute and then was like, yes. But no meaner than I ever was to you kids! She was trying to be nice but I knew what she meant. So I just had to sit down on a nearby bench because I didn’t want to sound like a crazy mom. And when I was driving home I was like, All I wanted was the perfect pictures. And it struck me. I have a 3 year old. How much of my life is the perfection that I strive for? I have a body that does not resemble what I would like it to because of him. I have a messy house because of him. And I’m sure those pictures are not going to be perfect because of him. But my life is as perfect as I need it to be…because of him! Even though I complain about the little things that don’t always go right he makes up for so many things that aren’t perfect. The little kisses that he gives me in the mornings when he comes in our room. The way he giggles out of control when we do something silly. The fact that he recognizes music like his dad and could sing part of the Black Eyed Peas song without even hearing it! And then calling it “his song!” Also, the fact that he sleeps just like me and so I know we are just alike! So even though perfection does not look as I imagined it I think I have reached a piece of perfection. And I like how it looks!

To see more spins on perfection go see Sprite’s Keeper. It looks like a lot of us have an idea of perfection that may not be perfect to some but it’s just right for us!

Halloweenie Weekend

My friend Mrs. Ruby came up with Memoir Monday and I am going to participate this week! And because I'm lazy I'm totally using this as my spin for Sprites Keeper! So here we go...what I did with my Halloween weekend...






My weekend started on Thursday last week because I had some vacation days that I needed to burn and I thought what better time than Halloween! Thankfully I took the time off because I waited until the last minute to make Leo's Captain America shield. And if I do say so myself I think it turned out pretty good! Friday night we particpated in his Trunk or Treat at his daycare. It was the first year they did it and it turned out pretty good. Then Saturday we went to 2 local museums. Exploration Place is a children's museum and then Cowtown which is a historic museum that is interactive with people walking around in 1800s era clothing and you can visit houses and businesses that were from the 1800s in Wichita that have been restored and moved to the museum. It's pretty cool and both museums had Halloween activities. Finally on Sunday we had the Halloween carnival at the church in the afternoon and then went trick or treating with my brother and his little girl. We had such a good time but I am glad this weekend is over. It doesn't feel like I had a vacation at all!

My awesome Captain America shield that I made!

Leo getting his fortune read



My sweet neice dressed as a witch and Leo

The cool kids trick or treating!

My brother and Chloe trick or treating

Leo mad that the paparazzi was taking his picture with his mask off!

The Great Pumpkin (Patch)

When I was a freshman in college my friend introduced me to this awesome pumpkin patch about an hour away from where we live. It is Walter's Pumpkin Patch and they have so many awesome things that even as a college student we found so much stuff that we could do. And even though I was unmarried and childless at the time I vowed that I would take my future children there. And take my child there I have! For the past 3 years my mom and I (and then my sis-in-law and her mom and baby girl tagged along the past 2 years) have taken Leo there and we have had such and awesome time! This year was no different and it actually is getting better each year because Leo is able to interact more with the attractions at the pumpkin patch. I love taking the day off and just spending an entire day with my mom and Leo. This year we even hit the local McDonalds and let him run off even more energy in the Playplace! This kid has energy for days!

Here are just a few pictures we took of our awesome day at the pumpkin patch!

This pumpkin is too big!

Very thoughtful on they way out

Searching for the perfect pumpkin

Not this one...it's funny looking!

Our giant wagon full of pumpkins

Leo's perfect pumpkin

My perfect pumpkin

Leo loving the corn filled sandbox.
He could play with his diggers!

Jumping on the pumpkin pillow

Our finished pumpkins

And then them as jack-o-lanterns!

So as much fun as you think you see in these pictures multiply that by 100! We had an amazing time and I hope to take Leo (and any future Fernandez babies!) there for as long as it is around! It has definitely become our Halloween tradition! To see other spins about Halloween go check out Sprites Keeper.

Getting My Education

This week’s spin cycle is about education. And while I have no children in school I know several teachers and people that are attending college for higher education. And the thing about education I find the most interesting is how different everyone is about their ideas of education. I went from school from 1989 until 2006. That was 17 years of my life being educated. I finished college in 4 years and while I definitely did not attend all my classes I graduated on time and with a pretty good GPA. I felt that I needed to finish school as quickly as possible for my sanity and for my budget. I am indebted to Sallie Mae a cool 25k so I can only imagine the kids that took their sweet time. Or maybe those were the kids that had their parents paying so they didn’t mind! Hmmmm…maybe that was their way of staying out of the real world for a bit longer. But that’s neither here nor there. So that was how I felt about college. My hubby went back to college because I was a good influence on him and told him he needed a degree. So he went back and finished. He ended up with a criminal justice degree and while he does not use that degree at all in any way, shape or form he has a degree. Woo hoo! He’s a college educated man! I got me a good one! But he took his classes pretty seriously. And his sister and her husband are both back in school and they take their classes extra seriously. And I don’t know if it is just because they didn’t finish before and now they want to make sure they finish with perfection or what but we never see them. They are busy during the week and then on the weekends they are bogged down with homework. And while this annoys me because I went to school full time *18 hours* and worked 2 jobs I always was doing stuff on the weekends, I understand that they want to get the most out of their education while I was only there to please my parents! (sorry mom!) Not that I don’t think college is/was important, but I didn’t know what I wanted to do and so I just closed my eyes and blindly picked a major. Ok, well maybe not quite, but the advisors were terrible and I just took the classes that I thought I would enjoy. And while I did enjoy the classes our area of the state is not extremely conducive to the types of jobs that my major creates (that don’t need years of experience—that comes from unpaid internships that I couldn’t afford) so that kind of left me out of the loop. And now the job I am at is looking to be my career which is fine, but a college degree is not a requirement so I could be in debt quite a bit less. Hindsight’s 20/20.

But on to school that I liked! I really enjoyed elementary school and my favorite teacher was my kindergarten teacher Mrs. Lyons. She was a little old lady and she was so nice. My favorite parts about her class was there was a table that was filled with sand and then in all the sand there were “dinosaur bones” that we had to dig for. It was so awesome! Then in 1st or 2nd grade my teacher had a bathtub filled with pillows and that was where we got to sit and read if we were good. My friend who teaches kindergarten told me now that she had wanted to do that but pillows carry lice so if a kid gets lice then she would have to clean all the lice-covered pillows. So thanks Lindsay..for ruining my perfect image! And I can’t wait to send Leo to school. He already loves going to daycare to see his friends every day and he seems to be interested in the learning parts of his day (his favorite is math and science, well other than going outside for recess) so I think that he would enjoy the structure of an actual school. And I am really excited about being the mom of a school kid. At his current daycare they don’t really have class parties that parent’s come to and they don’t go on field trips. And those are the parts I’m really excited to be a part of. I want to be the mom that goes on the field trip to the zoo and to the children’s museum. I kind of feel like I already do that but it would be even more fun when it’s part of Leo’s school and I can meet his little friends. Oh lord. Just writing that I realized I’m going to be the creepy mom that Leo’s going to have to tell me to stop being a creeper. But I don’t care! Haha!

And so how I got so far off-thought that this came out to be such a random post I don’t know and bless you those who finished it! BUT it is about education and that was the original topic so I stayed on point a little bit! So happy Friday and I hope I didn’t dumb you down by having you read this! And check out the spin cycle to see other posts that I am sure are much better articulated about education!

Outside

I like being outside and I figured that I could tell you the things I don't like about the outdoors quicker than I could the things I do like about the outdoors: Yardwork and cleaning outside! So because the Spin Cycle was about the great outdoors here are some of the reasons I love being outside (when the weather does not threaten death by melting!)
We can golf .

Wave to our adoring fans

Ride the wild animals that populate suburbia

Get rides in the summertime

Visit awesome trains with dad

And of course play baseball!

Check out the spin cycle to see other thoughts on the great outdoors. And thanks to Heather for my idea for the pictures!

Father's Day Spin

So I'm getting a jump on my Father's Day spin because I have an opportunity! My sweet boy woke us up this morning about 5:30 crying that he was sick. So my dear husband got up with him and took him to the bathroom. He couldn't go but he was burning up. I got up to see what was going on and I got Leo some 7-Up. He couldn't go to the bathroom but he definitely didn't feel good and he was burning up so I was rocking him when he ran back to the bathroom to throw up. So all day we have been dealing with a sick boy. Poor little thing has been running a temp of close to 103. Yikes! So the hubby has taken his fatherly duties quite seriously today and has been laying with Leo all day. I'm sure the rest is much needed but the love showed between daddy and son all day has made my heart melt.

So, while this has been a pretty rambly post and one about just my monkey being sick I will leave you with a few quotes my son has made this week that makes me know he's his dad's son!

Me: Leo, what do you want for dinner tonight?

Leo: FOOD.

A few days later:

The scene: We are sitting at a stoplight behind a truck on the way home from daycare.

Leo: MOM. GO.

Me: Baby, we can't go. There is a car in front of us.

Leo: Mom, it's a truck.

Like I've mentioned before my family is full of sarcasm and smart-alecness. Apparently these are genes that can be passed down because Leo has picked them up!

And if I haven't expressed it enough...Happy Father's Day to the best dad in the world!

Head over to www.spriteskeeper.com to check out other Father's Day spins!