Category: Family

I’m so sad that Halloween is over!

Briana had been planning an Alice in Wonderland themed party for Mia for about 8 months. I, myself, have always wanted to go to a Wonderland party so I was super excited.

The girls’ costumes were easy: they wanted to be Kitty Cheshire (Emily) and Madeleine Hatter (Alaethia) from Ever After High, so that worked out.

Dina was amazing and got card costumes for all 5 boys, and a King costume for Jules.

Jorge decided that he’d be the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp version, of course) and although I was undecided between Cheshire Cat and The Queen of Hearts, I eventually decided I’d do a mashup of the Queen of Hearts from Disney and the Red Queen from Tim Burton’s version. Pinterest became my best friend. Heh.

I also offered to help with the candy buffet table, so I got tons of awesone jars and vases from Dollar Tree, and bought things here and there from Walmart, which is also where I got the tulle for my skirt, which took me the entirety of a kidless Sunday to complete.

I also bought the rick-rack and satin for my cami-turned top at Walmart. Now I just had to figure out how to sew everything!

Last week was certainly a creative-y and DIY-y one. First, the girls had Red Ribbon Week, which encourages them to dress up according to an anti-drug theme daily.

Monday was 80’s Day. I’m sad I couldn’t find fishnet gloves for them, but at least they had legwarmers!

We attended the boys’ (Jaylen and Jorgie’s) last football game that evening. We miss Justin’s because he plays at the same time as Jaylen :(.

Mary took the girls shopping for boots right after the game, so they were ready for Give Drugs the Boot on Tuesday.

This was the evening Emily and I finished up her Sam I Am pumpkin character and book report.

And also the evening I worked on Jorge’s Mad Hatter eyebrows, which I made with orange feathers :D, and my scepter, which Jorge helped me with, and my white roses that were painted red (with red puff paint).

The next day was jean day and Picnic with Parents Day at the girls’ school. It was nice to hang out with them and, John, Jenny and the girls :).

Thursday was jersey day :).

It was Mario’s week, but we agreed to switch Thursdays, so i picked up the boys and we got pizza for dinner. Dina, Briana, Javi and the kids arrived that day, as well :). Once the kids were in bed, I worked on my crown. I cut and glitter decopaged the heck out of a blue Solo cup and stuck it to one of the girls’ old headbands.

I was pretty satisfied with it :).

I was pleasantly surprised that the girls’ school was allowing them to dress up in their costumes on Friday. I dressed them up, sans wigs, with a little bit of blush and lip gloss :).

I rushed to work, and was annoyed that it was so drizzly and damp since I’d spent 45 minutes flat-ironing my hair *sigh*. Our driver was already at work and we waited for my boss since we had a delegation from Tampico visiting. It was run, run, run till about 3pm, when they finished with their agenda and we dropped them off. I finished some stuff up at the office and rushed home to meet Briana, Dina, Javi and the kids.

Jorgie and Justin wanted to come over and were dropped off at our house seconds before we were leaving to a Halloween event in Peñitas. I was glad, since Jorge had already been told they weren’t allowed to be with us this Halloween. My kiddos ended up meeting us there with their dad, and we met Lisa and Noni, too. It was a free event and the kids had fun in the moonjumps, haunted house and eating :).

We got home and I finished my costume. At 1am. Briana and my love were kind enough to stay up and help me with the sleeves, because those sleeves were about to give me a stroke. Hadn’t busted out the old sewing machine in a long time, and I couldn’t for the life of me get the direction of the sleeves right! But hallelujah, I was done!

Jorge had to work the next morning so Briana and I cleaned up. She started hanging decorations in the trees and I cleaned my bathroom (for the sole reason my cats are gross, not for the party). The lawn guy showed up so I went to get cash out, paid him, then went to pick up my kiddos from Mario’s work. I dropped them off at home, picked up tables and chairs with John, the boys unloaded them, and then I started on the white chocolate covered pretzels and Oreos. I realized I was going to be short on white chocolate, so I went to HEB. Got home with groceries, filled containers with candies and the girls finished getting ready. Then Jorge and I got ready. I did his face paint, he sprayed my hair red and Briana helped me with my fake eyelashes and Jorge’s orange eyebrows. We got dressed and joined everyone outside.

Of course I took tons of photos. I would have taken even more but my phone was running out of space! I missed out on several things since I was fumbling, trying to switch the save option to my memory card. I didn’t even get a pic of the candy buffet table!! And I didn’t take more than one pic (the group pic) of Eenan since he was mopey due to friend stuff. But I still got some pretty great shots!

The kids played the rest of the evening and then the dads, uncles and grandma’s stayed behind while the Moms took all the kiddos out to trick-or-treat. (All except Eenan, of course!)

We stuck to Jenny’s neighborhood and it was safe, not crowded and pretty fast to get through the houses. We even visited with Jenny, John and the girls for a bit.

When the kids the adults had had enough, we packed everyone in the cars and came home. The adults laughed and joked around and then later on the little ones all sprawled on picnic blankets and pillows on the porch to watch Alice in Wonderland, and then later a Halloween movie I can’t recall the name of.

Halloween is going to be hard to top after this one!

We 100% dodged Hurricane Patricia, thank goodness. Well, we did, anyway. Weslaco was the city with the most damage apparently. Lots of terrible flooding due to the downpour of rain and bad drainage.

The girls went to a party at Alaethia’s classmate Jimena’s house on Friday evening. They’d gone home with Jenny, since they were sleeping over at her house and Jaylen and I met them there after I dropped the boys off at home. We chilled out for a while–Jaylen, Jenny and I–on the couch while the girls decorated cupcakes then screamed with delight. Such a loud party (I’m elderly in that aspect), but the kids all had a blast. Then it was time for musical chairs and our girls and a couple of friends were so “over it” and they either sat on the couch chatting (Alaethia and her friends) or playing clapping games under the table (Emily and her friends). Are they my daughters or what?? I was exactly the same as a kid. And possibly as an adult, heh.

Jaylen and I left the party and picked up groceries and pizza. Then we chilled at home with all the boys.

The next morning, since I didn’t hear the pitter-patter of little feet in the room next to me (or, you know, toys banging around in the closet or loud giggles), I slept in for once! All the boys slept late, too. I panicked, thinking What if Emmos needed me and I didn’t answer!? So I check the phone for messages, and nope. Not one text or missed call. I text Jenny to check on the girls and she says they did wonderfully. I was only slightly disappointed that Emmos didn’t call for me, but I knew she’d have a blast :). They adore Jenny and the girls.

I lazied around with the boys all morning, even walked Justin through on making scrambled eggs

Then, just as the rain became torrential, it was time to pick up the girls (I have impeccable timing). I chilled out with Jenny and the girls a while and chit-chatted, and then we got home.

The next day consisted of working on my costume, laundry and housework, but not before visiting the pumpkin patch on 2nd and Pecan. It was the last week it would be open so we had to make it. All the kids dressed up in their Tom Brady jerseys/shirts and we headed over. I was glad Eenan was a good sport and wore a jersey, too :).

The older kiddos were a little “meh” about it, but i’m glad they humor their mother, heh.

We got home just in time to get dinner made and watch the Walking Dead before starting a new week :).

I haven’t had time to update at all lately. Usually it’s because my days go a little something like this:

Wake up, get ready for work.

Wake girls up, get them ready.

Eat breakfast with girls while packing their lunches and mine. (I had no choice to since I’d be using my lunch hour for appointments, so I’d be eating on the run.)

Drop girls off at school.

Go straight to Mom’s appointment.

Drop her off at home.

Go to work.

Work straight through till 2:50pm (and oh, how it was hectic!).

Snack theoughout the day so my glucose doesn’t drop.

Go to my appointment. I had no idea what to expect with this new clinic our workplace contracted, but it was fast, and to the point!

Go to ATM for Alaethia’s chess tournament money.

Go back to work.

Leave at 4:45pm to pick up Alaethia from chess practice.

Pick up Emily so we could go to Jaylen’s game. (It had been postponed to Wednesday at 4:30pm due to the storm the previous day. We rushed and tried to make it at least to half-time but we only got to see the last 10 minutes :(.)

Take photo of Jaylen.

Go home and start dinner.

Get girls ready for bed and tuck them in.
Workout with hubby (we started P90X3 a week ago!)

Shower.

Pass out.

So that’s it; rushing here and there, not really sitting for lunch as I don’t want to miss too much work. But I do miss lunches with my babe =/. And right when I’m feeling overwhelmed or about to go on a “why me” rampage I start checking off my mental Today I Am Thankful For list. It’s much like this one that was circulating Facebook:

Mom got her hearing aids, finally, and it’a such a huge relief for everyone. It’s so odd to hear her speak so quietly! I, on the other hand, got used to speaking loudly so the girls constantly remind me, “You don’t have to yell, Mama!” Lol

This whole month has been a whirlwind. It’s already mid-October and work is getting to that time of year of perpetual high-stress. Aye, don’t remind me…

You know what? Actually. BRING IT ON.