2 Years ago today.........

It was my last day at work before going on Maternity Leave.....to give birth to this amazing little angel.

I can't believe how fast it's gone by and my baby boy will soon be 2 years old in less than 2 weeks! So tomorrow night Daddy, babies and I will be doing nothing but snuggling up with some sparkling cider {well that's in the kid's glass, mama might have something else} and spending a quiet New Years at home.  Ah the joys of parenthood. 

Hope you all have a safe and Happy New Year! 

God Bless and see you in 2012!

Word{ful} Wednesday - Christmas and a Car Crash.

Sorry I haven't posted since last week.....but yeah..... you read that correctly.......I was in a car accident! Merry flippin' Christmas to me ...right?!?!?! I was driving with my son in the backseat to the supermarket and a 90 year old lady ran a stop doing at least 30-40 mph. I was already part way into the intersection when I could see she wasn't gonna stop, so I hit my break so she wouldn't hit me on the driver's side door and instead she plowed into the front end of my car!  So after dropping a few {by a few I mean like 20} F-Bombs {don't judge me!}, I got out of my car....and spoke to this lady.  She really had the nerve to say, "I'm sorry I didn't see you.  The sun was in my eyes."

Ummmm.....last time I checked ....if you can't see and the sun is in your eyes......you STOP......or go super slow! You don't drive 40 mph through a stop sign!  Luckily it wasn't on the other side where my son was sitting ..Praise GOD!

Oh well now her insurance can pay for all the damage she did.  It may not look like much from the outside but my front bumper was hanging.  The lights are smashed, turning signals don't work, windshield wipers are acting up, alignments off, steering wheel is shaking like crazy, rims scratched and bent a little, and the whole innner frame is smashed to pieces...GRRRRRRRR.  Don't mind the SNOOKI-ESQUE tape job courtesy of Alberto.   I guess it suits me since I am in Jersey.....LOL

This pic was taken from above and shows inside the bumper where the frame is smashed.

In more positive news we had a great Christmas but my camera battery charger is MIA and my phone was dead too so I got not ONE.SINGLE.PHOTO. of my bebes opening presents ...BOO! But it was great ...we spent the day at home cooking and eating and enjoying family.  Hope you all had a great holiday as well....now off to worry about my car :(

Wordless Wednesday - Cheap Bastard

I spotted this in the supermarket.....Nothing says forget last-minute christmas gifts for your kids and come get wasted for a mere $5.99 Merry Christmas like a bottle of Cheap Bastard.  I mean seriously.....what is the world coming to?!?! I guess people have lost their creative marketing anymore.

EYE see you!

This weekend I wanted to play around with some editing....particularly eye enhancement or making the eyes "pop" in photos. My baby girl has amazing eyes so i thought why not get some eye shots with her....but sure enough shes still in the phase of making crazy eyes at me when I whip out the camera. Plus getting shots of her in soapy bath water wasn't the ideal location but at least she was contained here.....LOL....anywhere else shes won't sit still and is running around like a wild woman!

(all of these are SOOC but I will post the after editing later)

Twinkle Lights - Part One

I decided after ooing and aahhing over all these gorgeous photos in the bloggy world that I would attempt some twinkle light photos and I'm actually amazed at how simple the setup was! Ok well not that simple, but definitely easier than expecte.   However, for part one....you will notice that my photo shoot involved 0 live children and only my son's little minions :)  And they were so well behaved!

Monster Boy

Isn't he sweet?  He even put his arm around Simba. These two would make great toddler models!

I'm amazed at how well they turned out for my first time.  Part 2 should be coming in the next couple of days ....and hopefully will involve real bodies this time :)

Wordless Wednesday - A New Toy

What little boy doesn't love Bob the Builder?!?!?!!

 

Holiday Pictures = FAIL

Saturday we had our much anticipated appointment at Picture People so mama made sure all were up getting ready at the crack of dawn. Sure enough the day was stressful to say the least  and just to give you an idea of what I'm talking about.....Let me break it down for you. Keep in mind the appointment was for 2 pm.

7 AM - Coffee is brewing and Antonio is waking up.


8 AM - Sofia is still sleeping and trying to get her up is like waking the dead....so I decide to let her sleep a little longer while I make breakfast for Antonio.

Antonio...my angel {sense the sarcasm?}....had other plans and decides, that at almost 2, he can make his own cereal......and dumps and ENTIRE box of fruity pebbles on my carpet.  Thanks kid.  and as luck would have it as soon as I turn on the vaccuum, I sucked up a stray sock and snapped the belt.  GRRR!

So after 20 minutes of trying to scoop 20 lbs of fruity pebbles of the carpet....I get most of it up....only to have that powder from the bottom of the box get ground into the carpet by little feet who think its fun to run through whatever messes mommy is cleaning up.  YAY! Thanks again kid!

8:30 AM  - Sofia yelling, "Good Morning mommy......I peed all over your bed"  PERFECT.  Lets's go right to 9 am, because I'm sure I don't need to explain the last 30 minutes.

9 AM - I make scrambled eggs .......since that's all I have and need to go food shopping ASAP.

Antonio loves scrambled eggs ....but today decides he would rather spit them on the carpet.. {Remember there is no vaccuum at this point}..and Sofia ....whines "I hate scrambled eggs, I want boiled eggs"  SERIOUSLY KIDS? What kid asks for boiled eggs?


10 AM - After a 2nd breakfast of boiled eggs, kids are in the tub. Hmm let me run and finally grab a cup of coffee in the kitchen.  Sure enough, before I even get a sip.....Sofia yells, "Mommy Antonio dumped a cup of water on the floor!" (INSERT 4-LETTER WORDS HERE) Coffee will have to wait.



11 AM - Kids are dressed now {mom still hasn't showered...or had coffee}.....and they feel the need to jump from the Sofa....to the chair....to the floor....REPEAT {about 50 times}...and I'm sure the neighbor downstairs wants to kill my children by now.

11:30 AM - I realize...."HOLY SHIZ-NAT! Sofia has no headband or bow!"  How the hell could I forget that? MOMMY BRAIN.  So I grab my glue gun and some needle and thread and red ribbon and slap together a pretty awesome headband in about 30 minutes.

12:00 PM - Kids and in the car and were driving down the street....2 hrs ahead of schedule.  I forgot the coffee...and the shower. (INSERT MORE 4-LETTER WORDS HERE...only said in silence since kids are close by this time). 


12:15  PM  - I hear, "I'm hungry and I really have to pee!".  Ummm didn't you just have boiled eggs? and empty your bladder all over my bed? Detour now....to McDonald's.  Forgot coffee...AGAIN!


1 PM - We're back on the road only to get to Picture People and have to drive around for 30 minutes looking for parking...GRRR....I could really use that coffee right about now!


2 PM  - We get to Picture People right on time and sure enough there are 5 gazillion people in line and I hear the lady saying, "Yes we are taking walk-ins, and there is about a 30 minute wait"


Is this #$%^ crazy?  What about all the people with appointments?......You're telling people they have to wait and you're still squeezing walk-in's in? WHATEVER!  30 minutes you say?  FINE.  We can manage.

4 PM - I won't go into details about the last 2 hours {full of whining and tantrums of course}.....YES I said 2 FLIPPIN' HOURS.  Not 30 minutes.....but we finally get with our photographer at 4 pm.  Neither kid will cooperate.  PERFECT!  Antonio also spots a fireman's hat and will not let go for the life of him.  Great....all of our Christmas pics will have a fireman's hat! Just what mommy wanted!


4:30 PM - Photographer seems a little frustrated.  Mommy is VERY frustrated.  I.GIVE.UP.  Pictures did not come out at all like I expected and while we were choosing our pics the lady said she would "soften" them which actually only made them look out-of-focus.  I gets that's what we get for going somewhere they hire teenagers to take professional pics!  Honestly...I could have probably taken better pics in my house ....which I plan to attempt this week.

5 PM - We finally walk out of the place only purchasing 5 pics and I take my butt straight to Starbucks before I kill someone! So to anyone who reads this and actually received some of the photos we took ....

I went through a day of HELL.....to get these to you! Merry Christmas! 

(BTW I can't post any online yet but I will try later this week.)

50 Random Things About Moi

I saw this little meme floating around the blogosphere so I figured I'd join in the fun :)

1# Where were you 3 hours ago? - Sitting here enjoying my dream job. [Can you sense the sarcasm?]
2# Who are you in love with? - My two angels Antonio and Sofia.
3# Have you ever eaten a crayon? - I hope not.
4# Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you? - Yes tons of flowers and ribbons for Sofia's Bows :)
5# When is the last time you went to the mall? - Yesterday since I work right next door.
6# Are you wearing socks right now? - Unfortunaely....I wish I could be barefoot or in flip flops all the time.
7# Do you have a car worth over $2000? - Yes my Toyota Avalon was $15,000 but I got it for $10,000
8# When was the last time you drove out of town? - Well if you live in NJ you do it everyday because all of towns are connected...I think NJ is one big town.
9# Have you been to the movies in the last 5 days? - I haven't gone in years...Which is DEPRESSING.
10# Are you hot? - as in Sexy hot?  I'd like to think so ;-)
11# What was the last thing you had to drink? -I'm drinking water now
12# What are you wearing right now? - black pants, boots, a button down shirt and a pea coat since my job is freezing cold!
13# Do you wash your car or let the car wash do it? - I never do it....Alberto does all the car stuff for me.
14# Last food you ate? - Wendy's ...ewww....now I regret it!
15# Where were you last week at this time? - See question number 1.
16# Have you bought any clothing items in the last week? -yes I bought 2 sweaters in Gap.
17# When was the last time you ran? - HIGH SCHOOL...I know ...SAD
18# What's the last sporting event you watched? - Yankees Baseball over the summer.
19# What's your fave animal? -I love Dogs but I don't have any at the moment.
20# Your dream vacation? - Seychelles Africa.......Check out THIS POST
21# Last person's house you were in? - My Own.
22# Worst injury you've ever had? - Fractured Rib.
23# Have you been in love - Yes Three times.
24# Do you miss anyone right now? - My Babies.
25# Last play you saw? - HA! No clue its been years!
26# What is your secret weapon to lure the opposite sex? - Maybe it's sounds conceited but just being myself I guess.
27# What are you plans for tonight? - Diapers - Baths - Bedtime - and probably a few tears and tantrums thrown in to the mix! Same as always LOL
28# Who is the last person you sent a myspace message or comment to? - I haven't used MYSPACE in like 2 yrs.
29# Next trip you are going to take? - Probably Harrisburg to visit my Great Granny since she had a little fall last week :(
30# Ever go to camp? - Not a summer cap....but my family went camping together alot.
31# Were you an honor roll student in school? - YEAH BABY! Straight A's ....most of the time!
32# What do you want to know about the future? - If I will be blessed to marry my love and if we will have more babies :)
33# Are you wearing any perfume now? - No.
34# Are you due sometime this year for a doctor visit? - Yeah Im way overdue.
35# Where is your best friend? - In NJ ...and it's sad we don't see eachother or talk as much as we should.
36# How is your best friend? - A great career driven woman and an excellent wife and mother! Best most caring person ever. Love you Angie!
37# Do you have a tan? - No I'm transparent since I got rid of my tanning vice years ago :(
38# What are you listening to right now? - Co-workers typing away and talking.
39# Do you collect anything? - No ...except hair accessories for Sofia :)
40# Who is the biggest gossiper you know? - I won't say names but they know who they are and this is the exact reason we aren't friends anymore!
41# Last time you got stopped by a cop or pulled over? - I can't even remember honestly.
42# Have you ever drank soda from a straw? - Ummmmm Doesn't almost every restaurant give you a straw?
43# What does your last text message say? - My phone is off so I cant check but I think i sent pics of my kids.
44# Do you like hot sauce? - ON.EVERYTHING.
45# Last time you took a shower? - This morning.
46# Do you need to do laundry? - Always.....I have a 4 yr old and a 1 1/2 yr old.....someone is always covered in something.
47# What is your heritage? - Spanish, Belgian-French, Panamanian
48# Are you someones best friend? - Yes
49# Are you rich? - Moneywise.....Not even close.....but rich in spirit.
50# What were you doing at 12 am last night? - Making a bottle for my son who decided to wake up in the middle of the night.....but I still love him even though he robbed me of sleep!

Bedtime Fun

So originally this was supposed to be a Wordless Wednesday post but all day I couldn't get this darn video to upload. It was uploading about 1% every 5 minutes no matter how fast my connection was. Apparently i need to convert the file type .......so I downloaded a converter .....which turned out to be only a trial version ....after I waited 30 flippin' minutes! Hence the water mark on the video at the end so just ignore that!

But for now just enjoy the cuteness that is my little princess and ....yes.....She does sleep all night with that Hello Kitty mask ....EVERY.SINGLE.NIGHT.

Love.Her.

Please ignore the psycho-path type laughter in this video ....I think the comibation of too much sugar and not enough sleep did a number on her ;-)

Show Me Yours.......

Because I would love to show you MINE! My Christmas list that is! Get your minds out of the gutter people! But really...I love doing this post every year.  It always takes me back to childhood when I would start thinking of all those things I "needed".  Now my own 4 yr old has finally started her list and I was amazed that at the very top of her list....before she put what she wanted, she wrote:

"Santa...please bring a truck for my brother .....and a new laptop for my mommy"

Yup ....my kid is AWESOME!  And I'm also writing this .....just in case you happen to be reading Santa! I've been a really good girl......well at least for the last couple of months...I think :)  

1. 90mm Macro Lens - for when I really wanna get up in my kids' faces :)
2. Photoshop CS5 - who doesn't want this?
3. Sandwich Maker - I have wanted this for years and its only $20 ...lords know why i haven't just bought it myself.....but it makes some kick butt sandwiches!
4. A nice comfy pair of TOMS 
5. Apple iMac Desktop - Santa, a laptop would be awesome too but I'm more of a desktop gal!
6. The KEURIG!!!!!! What I love this! For lazy people like me who dread making coffee....this is the best invention ever....pick your flavor and put it in the machine....2 seconds!
7. A nice vacation in sunny Puerto Rico - but this I WILL get no matter what :)
8. Number 8 is self explanatory :::hint hint Santa!:::

Link up your Lists @ From Mrs. to Mama

Christian Ladies.....I need advice.

What to do? What to do? Right now I'm super torn. I recently started attending a Baptist church which I fell in love with instantly. The message was awesome the people were amazingly friendly too! My children also fell in love with the nursery and Sunday School. There was only one problem. I noticed I was the ONLY one in pants .....aside from a few 12 and 13 year olds.

So I spoke to the pastor and the Sunday School teacher's wife and both advised me that the best thing I could do is keep reading the bible and not to try to "fit in" if you will.  They also told me for now, not to worry about conforming or trying to be like others.  What got me is that they told me eventually GOD will speak to my heart on the matter ......insenuating that eventually I would be led to change my dress from pants to skirts or dresses.

So here is my problem. I know whats in my heart and so does GOD and I know myself and no matter what....pants are not something I could ever......I mean EVER ....give up. So should I even keep going to this church because I know eventually I will be expected to change, or should I find a new church?  I was able to find a more liberal or contemporary baptist church not to far from home and I spoke to the pastor there as well.  He advised me there is no dress code as they welcome people from all walk of life.

Some would advise me that in the bible specifically there are statements advising against pants...such as this one:

“The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.” - Deuteronomy 22:5

I feel like at the time when the bible was written dress was alot different between men and women.  Nowadays women wear pants and I think they look gorgeous! There is nothing manly about them.  I think if you are "cross-dressing"  then that’s a whole other story though.  

So in my case would you change churches if the dress code was the only problem?

A week late but ....

While the world was out shopping we spent our Black Friday at.....

Much to my dismay they didn't have any Salted Caramel cupcakes but they had everything else so i got a Pistacharetto Cupcake and Sofia got the Classic Vanilla :)

Her face says it all :)

This is the only pic I got of Antonio before his face was covered in frosting

Then we went up to check out the gorgeous view at the Sept. 11th Memorial at Eagle Rock looking at NYC!

Checking out the wall of names of the victims of 9/11...so sad!

And check out these pretty flower pics taken by my baby girl! She was so funny because i kept telling her to turn the wheel to focus but she kept replying..."I can't get it so I will just back up till it's clear...that's easier mommy!"

And one last one of my guy being silly as always!