Santi received a special and celebratory package from our friends at Pull-Ups! Now a child in YOUR life can have a chance of receiving one too! Check out Santi’s fun potty-training gifts and enter to win the GIVEAWAY!
Happy Birthday Sweet Santi!
November 29, 2012
My middle baby is 2 today! Everyone says this, but honestly, I really can not believe it.
This past year I have been worried about Santi feeling left out as his older brother keeps us so busy and the baby was arriving. We were wrong! Santi demands attention, is hilarious, mischievous, and so compassionate. He can hold his own really well around here. He always looks out for Diego by taking two of whatever he is going to eat to give to his big brother. He recently started patting Jordi on the head, a clear indication that he is being initiated into Santi’s world.
Baby boy, if you ever read this, I want you to know that I love you with all my heart. You have brought so much laughter, joy and passion into our lives. Happy Birthday little honey badger. You are truly one cool kid.
Wordless Wednesday: The Tiniest #1 Cubs Fan
August 15, 2012
Your Friend,
Betty
P.s. The Tiniest #1 Cubs Fan was photographed in three days. Day #2 was the day Mom had the most time to capture Cubs Hat and Santi’s adventures. Cubs Hat was never propped against Santi’s wishes. Santi did with Cubs Hat as he wished. Cubs Hat was most likely harmed in this project.
Queen B
April 23, 2012
I went to the nail salon this weekend and while picking out from the rainbow of OPI choices, I noticed a lot of mother/daughter pairs and I thought, “There must be a little girl’s birthday party going on!” I sat in the waiting section and while pretending to read from my iPhone, I looked around and realized there was no party. It just happened to be that the weekend is very popular for little girls ages four and up to get their nails done with their mothers. I watched how patiently the moms helped pick out up to ten nail polishes for their little girls’ each and every tiny nail (poor nail techs)! And I watched how they could barely reach the foot bath on the pedicure chairs…but there they sat, giggling from the foot scrub. I smiled with them but felt a little emptiness in my heart.
When I tell people that I am having my third son in a few weeks some say, “How awesome! Boys are so easy.” My favorite has been, “Mothers of all boys are bad ass!” But I have definitely have had the, “Awwww…will you still try for the girl?” or a blunt, “Were you sad when you found out you were having another boy?” I don’t lie to people (even if they are strangers). But honestly, now that I know what is coming I tell people, “I’m-having-my-third-boy-I’m-super-excited-It-will-be-a-lot-of-fun-and-that’s-it-three-kids-are-enough-for-me.” I say it all in one breath so I don’t give them a chance to be sad for me. I think about my aunt who had three boys and when she became pregnant the fourth time with twin boys, I remember thinking, “It was just meant to be.” But I never felt bad for her. Things happen for a reason. So I don’t lie. I tell people that I was sad for a few hours after Jose and I went right before Christmas to a special 3D scan in Chicago. We were hoping to be able to surprise our families with the news of a baby girl. I was sad to think that I would never go prom shopping with a daughter, I would never be mother-of-the-bride, I would never help her with her children the way my mom has helped me… But I think about how I will raise gentlemen, how amazing three boys will be and how truly blessed we are to have such healthy, cute, good boys.
I can’t wait to meet my baby boy #3 (less than three weeks!) and I can’t wait to see how he will get along with Diego and Santi. The two have just started to really play together (four year difference in age is huge with boys) and it is hilarious to see them interact. They are gentle, they are silly and they are sports fanatics. It makes my heart melt to see Jose so happy with his boys and that he won’t have to have his heart broken by a little princess later in life. I love that I am their queen and that I will rule this kingdom! I will teach them to be gentle and to be kind. I will teach them proper etiquette, I will build their confidence and hopefully one day… far, far away, they will bring me amazing women. I look forward to meeting the girls they introduce to me and I’m sure I’ll be able to squeeze in a nail appointment or three.
Happy Monday!
Your Friend,
Betty
Two Worlds…One Love
April 10, 2012
I’m sitting here staring at this picture in awe at how different and of course how special both my boys are to me. This picture says so much about their personalities. The big one rushed into the house after church on Easter Sunday looking to see if the Easter bunny made a stop at our home. The little one, clueless, followed his big brother around until they made their discovery. I didn’t label the baskets but with one glance, Diego’s eye’s lit up when he saw them and quickly declared, “This is one is mine”! I found it amazing that they each stuck to their basket and picked out one item each, Diego the book and Santi picked the ball from his basket. They focused on those items for a few minutes but I didn’t notice (until I took this picture) how much this says about my boys. Diego loves sports too and Santi is starting to take interest in books-but this is their personalities. What comes to mind when you see a boy engulfed in his books? What about a boy who only plays with balls?
I now sit here and wonder what kind of men they will turn out to be. And I wonder as I anticipate the arrival of baby boy #3…what will he be like?
Your friend,
Betty
Easter Baskets!
April 3, 2012
I’m ready for Sunday! I finished the very simple Easter baskets I put together for Diego and Santi…from the Easter Bunny of course! This year I decided to spend a little more on the actual baskets. Every year I end up buying new ones because they don’t end up lasting very long. These baskets are from Target and they were $15 each (I picked up a third for baby #3 and already stored it away for next year)! I didn’t spend much on the actual contents of the basket though. I had to put a lot of thought into what to add to the baskets because let’s face it…we just had two birthday parties and Christmas in the last four months! [Read more...]
Pre-Kinder Senioritis
March 19, 2012
Diego Rivera. Agrarian Leader Zapata. 1931
The weather has been amazing, next year’s kindergarten placement for Diego has been decided and Baby #3 will join us in 7 weeks so I have a bit of senioritis around here! Jose took a day off from work on Friday and we all headed in to the city for some quality family time. I feel like every weekend is packed with activities, parties, and errands. We find that scheduling a trip to New York City to do something with the boys must go on our calendar…otherwise we never get around to it. So we scheduled a trip to The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) to see Diego Rivera’s temporary exhibition and we scheduled a lunch at Edward’s, Diego’s favorite in our old neighborhood! We then took off to Brooklyn to visit our dear friends. Here are some pictures of our day at MoMA. [Read more...]
Let’s Send Him to Chicago!
March 7, 2012
Ten minutes before this picture was taken Diego was in tears. Santi, our 15 month-old, made him cry. This happens a lot in our home. Santi is demanding, a screamer and even scares me…often. So Diego ran up from the playroom in hysterics to tell me that Santi was all over his space, taking his toys and “bothering” him. He said he didn’t want Santi near him and that he couldn’t wait for his new baby brother to arrive because he was going to love him more than he loves Santi. Oh brother. Literally. I told him to relax and like past conversations we have had, I explained all the benefits and joys of having a little brother…he didn’t buy it. So I said, “Let’s just send Santi to Chicago”. Why do I say things like that? I don’t know. Yes I do. But I’m afraid to say out loud. Santi is a handful. Can’t Tita Che (my mother) deal with him for a week? I kid. Santi isn’t that bad. Anyway, Diego looked up with wide, teary eyes and whispered, “No! Don’t send him away.” Proof! Thank goodness! He does love his brother!
As we approached the playroom, I caught Santi with a look of surprise on his face. Did I just catch him listening to our conversation? He ran back to the little track Diego was working on and just started handing things to Diego as if to say, “Mommy, Diego is lying. I didn’t do anything! Look at what a great helper I am! Please don’t send me away!!” Diego continued to build his track, Santi handed over the pieces and then…miracle…they played together. Was this really happening? I ran to get my iPhone so I could take a picture and it was pure bliss…for ten minutes. No one is going to Chicago. Hmmm…what if Diego would have said, yes, send him? Oops. Even mothers say the darnest things.
xoxo
Photobook Idea
March 1, 2012
I’m thinking that sometime this summer, I have to do one-on-one pics with my little Santiago, my middle child. Diego and I took these pictures back in 2009 with a dear friend and photographer Nancy Huayek. Nancy is based out of Chicago and great with children and families. [Read more...]
Our Favorite Kid Apps
February 16, 2012
My friend Tiz just got an iPhone! Welcome Tiz! She has two little girls and wanted to know what are our favorite iPhone applications for kids. Now, don’t get me wrong, Angry Birds will definitely keep your little one still at the restaurant while waiting for food! But there are so many educational and fun apps out there! Why not have them learn while glued to your phone?
My suggestions have been approved by Diego and I am a little guilty of not having many left on my phone at this point. This assignment has me hunting to re-install old ones that Diego loved and some new ones that Santi can be introduced to soon. [Read more...]
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