Lina is an author! ;)

This morning, Lina was looking through her giant coloring pages and saw a package of paper that is blank on the top and lined on the bottom.  She said, "Mom, what is this paper for?"  I told her it can be used to draw pictures at the top and writing a story at the bottom.  Right away, she said, "Let's write a story!"  So I took a few pages, folded them in half, and stapled them together.  She wanted to write a story about Sleeping Beauty.  She did most of the pictures, wanted me to draw a few, and I just wrote down what she said.  At the end, she asked why she doesn't need to write her name on the back.  I told her, like all of her books that we read, the author's name is almost always on the cover.  Then she yelled, "I'm an author!" with the cutest giggle ever.  I think that was my favorite part, hearing her be so excited that she was an author!!  For an impromptu, first-ever story, I was pretty impressed!  Maybe it's more of a "retold by" story, but I say it's definitely a keeper!  Hope you like it as much as I did.  :)

She did not want help writing the 

title "Sleeping Beauty" at the top. :)

The Queen is saying, "Oh no"

Sleeping Beauty is saying, "Yay"

She wanted me to draw Sleeping

Beauty on this page.

She said, "You draw the king and 

I'll draw the queen."

She asked me to draw Sleeping 

Beauty and the prince.  haha

Published author!  ;)

Diaries of Baby Bump #3

When I was pregnant with Lina, I took pictures every week almost, then every few weeks, etc.  I stood in the same spot, facing the same direction, wearing the same outfit, so you could see the growth over time.  I pretty much did the same thing with Isandro, but I mostly took pictures monthly.  With this one, I'm just taking the pictures whenever, wearing whatever, standing wherever!  Feel free to follow along.  :)

First picture we took.  November 15th, 2013.  11 weeks.

New Year's Day 2014.  18 weeks.

Holy cow, there's a baby in there!

Another at 18 weeks.  

~20 weeks... tried to get Isandro to kiss my belly, but he just wanted to admire his own face haha.

My little photographer, Lina girl. :P

~5 months... more than half way there!  Lina really loves her baby brother/sister, even though he/she is not here yet.  She was amazing with Isandro when he was born, and she was almost 3 1/2 years old.  When this baby comes, she'll be 5 1/2, even more of a big sister and I know she'll be a great helper!!

Leon's Christmas Day 2013

Our Christmas Day was great!  Of course I was a little tired (staying up until nearly midnight these days is torture for me), but it was probably the most fun year to date as far as watching the kids open presents.  Isandro is finally old enough to get it, and Lina was such a great helper and acted so excited about Isandro's gifts and wanting to help him.  It had been really windy and rainy lately, so it was nice to have a sunny (still COLD) day, enough to take a little family bike ride.  Lina had been aching to ride her bike, and since she got a new helmet for Christmas, she had a blast.  Hope everyone else had a great Christmas also, enjoy the pictures.

One of Lina's stocking stuffers: a Rapunzel headband.

I wanted to start reading chapter books with her, 

so I got her The Wizard of Oz.

Isandro is OBSESSED with Bubble Guppies.  

He loves his new pajamas!

Lina is growing like a weed, so she got

some new long-sleeve shirts!

Isandro also loves anything that moves:

trucks, cars, planes, and trains!

There he is, driving a truck over other presents.

See the Pop Rocks on the counter?  One of my faves

as a kid.  She thought it was funny, at first.  If I'd

snapped another picture, you'd see her crying hysterically.
Note to those thinking about giving their kid Pop Rocks

to relive that childhood moment: five is probably still too young!

Trucks, trucks, and more trucks!

He's so excited about his Bubble Guppies toys!

And Lina seems to be too!

She's showing Isandro his new book.

Christmas breakfast: Irish bacon and one of Manuel's 

favorites: Pioneer Woman's breakfast potatoes!

Overnight cinnamon rolls were yummy!  However,

they were pretty hard the next day, even warmed

up.  If anyone has any suggestions, let me know!

Clear skies on Christmas Day!

Painting fun!

Isn't painting supposed to be relaxing?!  Well maybe it was, for everyone but me! Thank goodness for washable paints! Both Isandro and Lina had a blast. The pictures kind of speak for themselves lol!

Visiting Santa at Lullymore Heritage & Discovery Park

Lullymore Heritage and Discovery Park is a beautiful area in Rathangan, Ireland, about 25 minutes from our house in Straffan.  On any regular day, it would be a great place to take the kids.  There are walking trails, farm animals/petting farm, train ride, etc.  In December, they do a whole Winter Wonderland for the kids.  Thank goodness that part was all inside, because the day we chose to go, it was raining!  Lina and her buddy Isabelle enjoyed the fun of the friendly elves, snow on demand, play areas, getting to see where the elves sleep (the elves slumber quarters, haha so cute), and then wait with anticipation to see Santa.  This was an Irish Santa all the way with his true Irish accent.  I can't wait to go back again when the weather allows us to really enjoy the walking trails and all of the animals.

Inside the Winter Wonderland.  They made it snow for the kids, and Lina loved it!

Big deal!  Mailing her letter to Santa!

All is right with the world... her letter to Santa is on its way.

Heading into the fun!

They set it up beautifully!  Thank goodness the Winter Wonderland 

part was inside, since it was cold and rainy that day!

One of Santa's elves talking to the kids, right before they made it snow.

Lina and Isabelle were in awe.  They made it snow!

Look!!!  It's snowing!

They got covered!  

Here come the Santa pics.  Lina is talking 

quietly to Santa after waiting in anticipation.

Clearly Isandro was not interested. (He actually got sick that day, ended up with a fever.  Poor guy just wasn't himself.)

We still did some walking outside and saw some of 

the animals.  Can't wait to go back on a sunny day!

Our visit to Lullymore Christmas ended with a train ride.  

This was how Isandro was pretty much the entire day.  My sick little fella'.