Talent

Raya and Malia participated in their school's talent shows. They both sang "Set Fire to the Rain" by Adele. I video taped both the girls but unfortunately I didn't take my camera along with me. I wish I had four hands so I could do both. Fortunately, I had a friend who brought her camera to Malia's and was able to capture a few good pictures of her performing:







I will post the videos of the girls once I get them uploaded and edited. Look back, I will be posting them here!

Tile Art

Ethan and Malia had an opportunity to create a piece of art that was transferred to a tile and then hung as a mural on the wall up at the school. The art wall celebrates the 50th anniversary of the school. I think it's pretty cool that my kids get to go to the same school that I went to. We purchased a tile to be put on the wall for both of them. Here's the wall:



Ethan's tile is the flower:



And Malia's is the dolphin. She was a little upset that they hung it the wrong way:

Two Years!

Two years ago, on April 20th, we got the keys to our house. We started a tradition last year to celebrate the house's birthday. This year we decided to have a cake decoration bake off. Well, actually Patrick couldn't decide whether he wanted chocolate or white cake so he baked both, then he decorated one and I the other. Take a guess on whose is better...ummm, that would be mine, but I'm not gloating or anything.












Happy 2nd Birthday House!

B.F.F's

These two kids are awesome!



Yesterday when we were visiting the Atilano's, Anthony kept following Carly around. He just wanted to be right next to her and pat her and feel her hair. Carly caught on and decided to run back and forth in the room and sure enough, Anthony followed her around...back...and forth...and back...and forth!

Today when we went and visited, he did the same thing. And when he came over later, he followed her around our house. He just loves her and she loves him. She likes to play with him and be his "mommy" and feed him (as seen in the picture above).

They are total BFF's!

Ella Overload

Excuse the "proud aunt" posts. I'm sure there will be more of them coming when we get to hang out with baby Johnny, but for now here are some more pictures of us hanging with the little lady!




I just love her!

Ella Fox

Here are some better pictures that I took yesterday of my new niece Ella! I'm in love with her!

Speaking Cursive

Apparently I am an audience for a comedian in training. Ethan is just full of wise cracks and riddles. A few that Patrick and I heard today...

Ethan: "I don't know how to write in cursive but I know how to speak in cursive."

Me: "Oh really, and how do you speak in cursive?"

Ethan then proceeds to speak with a hint of cowboy twang...it was so funny. He even said his bedtime prayers in cursive!

The following conversation took place after the sound of the "dreaded fart"

Malia: "Ewww Ethan!"

Ethan: "I'm a man, and so I fart like a man."

This kid is seriously killing me. I have a feeling that I will have a lot of posts dedicated to the things Ethan says. This could be a reference for his future comic career...Hahaha!

A Momise

Ethan: "Mom, what is a Momise?"

 Me: "I don't know, What is it?"

 Ethan: "It's a promise with your mom."

 Me: "Hahahaha, where did you hear that?"

 Ethan: "I just made it up."

 A stand up comedian in progress? I think so!

Baby Extravaganza!

I had the opportunity this week to be a part of two different births. Both were completely different and both were miraculous!

On Monday I stayed up for 38 hours straight to see my sister Sarah A. bring my little niece, Ella Fox, into this world. It was a long labor but with three pushes, this little darling made her appearance:


7 pounds 10 ounces of complete perfectness!


Today I spent a very long day in the hospital with Sarah P, my brother's wife. After many hours of intense labor, 2 epidurals that wore off, and 3-4 hours of pushing, I watched as they wheeled her off into surgery to get  what we like to call "linebacker quality" out. 9 pounds 2 ounces of chunk! I was one ounce away on my weight guess...sorry Sarah, but I could tell he was a big boy! Meet my nephew, John Mason:

I am one happy Aunt! Two new babies in just 4 days...such wonderful little blessings!

Call It What It Is!

Our family made a trip to Carl's Jr. after our outing at Six Flags. While ordering Ethan's food, the following conversation took place:

Me: "He would like chocolate milk."

Cashier: "We don't have chocolate milk, we only have white milk."

Me to Ethan: "They don't have chocolate milk, they only have white milk."

Ethan: "What's white milk?"

Me: "Regular milk."

Ethan: "Then why don't you just call it milk?"


That kid is just like his dad...

Encounters

I don't even know what to say about the latest and greatest adventure in parenthood. I was chatting with Patrick while he was at work about the incident and for times sake, I am just going to post the conversation here. You might want to put your Depends on...

 Rachael says: So I was in my room and Ethan and Malia were outside playing. All of a sudden I heard two bloody murder screams. I got up as fast as I could and started running and screaming trying to figure out what was wrong...

 Patrick says: omgosh

 Rachael says: I got out there and Ethan was tied to a chair. They were playing...

 Patrick says: what? where?

 Rachael says: They were both screaming and I was trying to figure out what the heck was wrong...

 Patrick says: in the living room? or dining room?

 Rachael says: outside

 Patrick says: back yard?

 Rachael says: ya so after they calmed down, they told me that there was this bug with a red face that flew by them and into the house. I was shaking sooooo bad!

 Patrick says: haha

 Rachael says: I thought for sure someone's leg got cut off or someone was trying to take them or something.

Patrick says: right,  a bug with a red face

 Rachael says: I am sure our neighbors had phones in there hands ready to call 911, it was that bad!

 Patrick says: like a devil bug?  It was that bad?

 Rachael says: It was insanely crazy screams...like death,  seriously! Ethan was crying and freaking out because he was tied to a chair and couldn't move.

 Patrick says: haha omgosh

 Rachael says: they both followed me around the house for like an hour after that before we left for the spaghetti dinner

 Patrick says: you never found the bug?

 Rachael says: Nope and the first thing Malia said when we pulled up in the driveway was "do you think the bug is still in the house..." I told her to be quiet so Ethan wouldn't hear. You should probably bless the house when you get home so the devil bug doesn't bite us...

 Patrick says: lol dude that is so funny _________________________________________________________________________________ 

I think my kids need to go on Fear Factor or something. Eating bugs and laying with snakes would surely toughen them right up! The look in their eyes after this ordeal, and let me assure you this was a major ordeal, was pure terror and by the sounds of their screams, one would have thought that Freddy Kruger was trying to play "good guy, bad guy" with them. I swear I'm still shaking.

UPDATE: 4/30/12

The next day, I was outside and found a bug squirming around stuck on its back. it had a red face. I called out to Ethan and asked him if this was the bug and he confirmed that it was indeed the "devil bug". It wasn't larger than a dime. Here's a picture:

The Backyard!

A little word of advice...when you are looking to purchase a house, do not...I repeat DO NOT underestimate the amount of time and money you will need to put into your yard... I specifically remember when looking at our house that the yard "would't be that big of a deal"...it's been the biggest deal to date. I must have been delusional!

There are still some things we need to do to finish up the backyard. I'm looking forward to a weekend (fingers crossed it comes soon), of concrete pouring, and overhang destruction to finish up the back. Here are some pictures of our backyard throughout the process...and let me tell you...it was (is) quite the process!

BEFORE:















Time to clear it all out!















JUST SOME OF THE CRUD THAT WE PULLED OUT OF OUR YARD. I'M TELLING YOU, THE OWNERS BEFORE HAD SO MANY RANDOM THINGS IN THE YARD...IT WAS LIKE THE DUMP THREW UP OR SOMETHING:



THIS WAS THE PILE FOR NEIGHBORHOOD CLEANUP...IT ALMOST TOOK UP OUR ENTIRE PROPERTY LENGTH:



GETTING FENCES PUT UP:



PRETTY MUCH CLEARED OUT, FENCES UP, SPRINKLERS IN...READY FOR LANDSCAPING:







AND FINALLY! LANDSCAPED AND ALMOST FINISHED!!!!!!!