November Notions

November, the time of taking family pictures to send out in your Christmas cards. When you dress up in wintry clothes, sweating as you try to smile and pretend that the temperatures outside are anything close to cold weather. This year I scored free pictures, which was nice. A perk of cleaning for a photographer.

November 19, 1963- Exactly 50 years ago, a beautiful blue eyed baby girl was born who would one day be known as the world's greatest mom who doubles as my best friend. We threw a special family party to celebrate and her big brother Mark drove down from Yuba City and surprised her.

So I know I haven't mentioned Daisy since her arrival on our doorstep back in August... that's probably because she is pretty much pure evil. She is a very ornery cat who shreds us up during the day, then cuddles me with reckless abandon at night. However, she went into heat and it changed her from a fighter into a lover. If Keira even thought about touching her before, she'd get scratched or bitten. Now look at her... 

As much as I enjoyed Daisy behaving like warm butter, I couldn't stand the incessant yowling that would take place all night long in an attempt to summon her kitty boyfriend, so I had to take her to the vet and get her fixed. Poor Daisy came home wearing the cone of shame. I tried to take it off a couple days later, but she immediately chomped down on her stitches and pulled as hard as she could. She was literally attacking herself, so I had to put the cone back on until she was fully healed, at which time she also resumed her evil duties.

And the grand finale for the month of November... a skills award for my Cutie Keira. She's doing so awesome.

October Festivities

For some October fun, we went to the zoo then came home and carved pumpkins. Keira isn't a fan of pumpkin innards so I was pretty much on my own.

A rare family photo at the zoo.

I think I did a pretty good job!

Keira and I had fun at her first field trip to the pumpkin patch last week!

Kinsley and Keira

Me and my Girl

Here is my smarty smart Keira receiving her October skills award in kindergarten. She has taken to school like a fish in water. I am so proud of her and feeling very blessed.

Making Progress

I went to Keira's first parent teacher conference today and she got AWESOME grades. 4 being the best score, she got all fours except ONE 3. She is one of the youngest in her class, but among the top in the class. I couldn't be more proud of my little smarty.

I can't say how relieved I am that she is doing so well. In the past year she has matured and blossomed so much. I know there were times in the past that I felt like she would always be a very challenging child, but she has really come around since her sister was born. She used to be impossible to contain, and "difficult" didn't scratch the surface of what she put us through from the age of 1-4, but 4-5 has been so much better and I know 5 is going to be GREAT!

Keira Turns 5

Keira had an awesome Marie party complete with pink hair bows, face painting, and bracelet making for all! She got lots of cute clothes, some Hello Kitty attire and accessories, some video games, a couple movies, and a new big girl bike!

Keira is super afraid of face painters, but we talked her into painting her hand.

Keira with Grandma

Grandma Suzy and Aunt Sophia with her baby Elani

Keira with her school friends Makayla and Ha Ani

The girls made bracelets at the table.

Aunt Vivian and Cousin Braden

Aunt Lauren, Grandma and Grouchy Sis Liana

Out riding her bike the next morning.

7 Years of Matrimony

Today marks 7 years that Arthur and I have put up with each other in the loving bond called matrimony and refrained from kicking each other to the curb. It has taken great self restraint on both our parts, but I'm proud to say here we are 8 years and 2 kids later maintaining a degree of happiness. Happy Anniversary, Arthur. I love you and I wouldn't change a thing... except that time I was mad at you and ran the hot water while you were in the shower. 

Learning and Growing

3 weeks ago, I learned that Keira was going to have an assessment before she started kindergarten. This made me very nervous, because Keira wouldn't cooperate with any attempt I made to teach her preschool things. She would not answer questions, she would not color, draw, or write on request. I knew she possessed a certain amount of knowledge because she would do things on her own, but if I asked her to, she'd completely shut down, clam up, or downright refuse to cooperate. I had a good idea of what they would be testing for and I wanted her to test well, so I thought it would be a good idea to sit down with her each day for the few days leading up to her appointment to practice and review. I'll admit, it took a bit of bribery to coax her cooperation, but I was pleasantly surprised by her sudden participation and interest in learning. She had never written her name in completion, and by her assessment was writing her uppercase name- on command. I couldn't have been more proud of her at her assessment. My biggest fear was that she wouldn't answer their questions at all, but she answered everything and wrote her name, although, did not get credit for it because she wrote in all uppercase instead of lower case.

Keira's first day of school

Keira's first day of school was pretty rough for her. None of the other kids seemed upset when they walked into the classroom, but Keira was pretty distraught. I knew I had to stay strong for her so I put on my poker face and heart of stone and told her many times, "Be brave. You can do this." But as much as I was talking to her, I was telling it to myself. It is said that being a mom is like having a piece of your heart walking around outside of your body. Well, now that piece of my heart was going to be in the care of strangers, in a new place, doing things she had never done before. Her teacher had to hold on to her as I left the class to keep her from following me. I felt like my heart was going to explode. It was the hardest thing I've ever done, leaving her there so scared, but I stayed strong and trusted in the Lord to care for her while I could not.

My Little Pony Backpack

As much as I was unsure of how Keira was going to adjust to being in school, I was equally unsure of myself. Can I be the mom I need to be? Can I get up at 6:00 every morning? Can I get her to school every day on time and be there to pick her up on time? Can I be responsible for her school work? Can I be brave enough to talk to her teacher when there's a problem? I used to think that I was as "adult" as I was ever going to be after I had kids, but I have learned now that there are going to be stages of life that require a lot more responsibility and effort than before. It's intimidating... entering the world of being a school mom... becoming more of an adult than I used to be. And just like I am growing and changing for Keira, she is already growing and changing in school.

During Keira's first week, she got in trouble a couple of times for not doing her work in her class. I asked her teacher why she thought Keira didn't want to do it and she said, "Honestly, I'd call it passive defiance." That definitely sounds like Keira. She had expressed being unhappy with her teacher telling her what to do, and was aggravated that they made her stay in one spot and not get up whenever she wants to. Classic Keira. She hates being told what to do. She is getting used to it now that she has realized she doesn't have a choice and that's just the way things are at school. Despite her couple incidents of reluctance, she has done surprisingly well. Now that she has put her mind to it, she is learning so FAST. She is soaking it up like a sponge. If you show her something once or twice, she's got it. I think she is going to be ahead of her class in no time.

After school started, I began teaching her to write her name with lower case letters, and she caught on immediately. I was going to have her trace in on her tracing light one day and she turned the light off instead and wrote it on her own from memory. She wrote her uppercase K, then did a perfect lower case e. So I told her, "Wow! That e is perfect!" She glared at me menacingly. "Don't tell me that!" So I said, "Fine, it's the ugliest, worst e I have ever seen." She smiled and nodded contently. Then she wrote her lower case i. "Great!" I said. GLARE. "Oh, I mean that's the worst i, don't ever write an i like that again." Smile and nod. Same thing with her perfect letter r, then she finished with a capital A, which I am almost certain she did on purpose because that's exactly the kind of thing she would do to be a turkey. She is such a character. So quirky and unpredictable.

Kindergarten has recently changed and become much more advanced than it used to be. Among other things, they are required to know 2D shapes (including hexagon) and 3D shapes such as cone, sphere, cylinder, and cube. I taught her all of that this summer except for the shape hexagon, so I cut out a set of shapes from cardstock and asked her to pick out the one she doesn't know. She found the hexagon and asked me what it was called, and I explained to her how a hexagon has 6 sides. She walked away and came back with a piece of paper and pair of scissors and started cutting. I had no idea what she was doing. Moments later, she held up her paper and said, "I made my own hexagon!" Sure as day, she was holding as perfect of a hexagon as I could freehand myself. I was blown away.

Second day of school with her friend Elisa

Prior to school, I had not taught Keira any letter sounds (phonics). I had no idea they would be testing for that at her assessment, so she got marked 0 out of 26 for letter sounds. I started teaching her that day and she caught on very quickly. A few days ago, I thought I'd stump her by asking what sound an X makes. But apparently she has been learning letter sounds in school, because she quickly responded "KSS!" and gestured her two pointer fingers in an X shape like clashing swords. It was the cutest thing! lol She also surprised me by counting to 30. Every day I'm amazed at how fast she is learning, and so proud of her for the big, brave, smart girl she is becoming.

After Keira's first day of school. I bought her flowers to cheer her up.

Daisy Gato

It was the year in which the rain had not fallen. The wind was big and the basket was small. For days she bounced along. A hungry little kitten with no milk, no mama and no litter box. Until she came to rest at a home for lost kittens. Just a feisty little gato, who would soon be known by the name Daisy.

Making a Difference

I have been doing residential housekeeping for the past couple of years, which was a big change from my long history in an office setting. Housekeeping is a very rewarding job despite the fact that it's not glamorous. You spend several hours doing someone else's dirty work and often end up needing a second shower for the day by the time you're done, but when you see how great it looks when you're done you can literally see that you accomplished something good.

Even better is when you can see the difference that you're making in someone's life. This is something I never experienced in a job setting before and never expected to happen in my role as a housekeeper. Sometimes when I take on a new client, their homes are cluttered, unorganized, often with a pile of laundry and a sink full of dishes. Then after they hire me to start cleaning for them, I notice an immediate change- not just in their homes, but in their hearts. They go from stressed and overwhelmed to organized and happy. The dishes and laundry disappear along with the stress and they are able to spend more time enjoying their families and doing activities they love.

I frequently receive expressions of gratitude for the good cleaning job I do, but occasionally I receive heartfelt thanks for making that "difference" in their life. Here are some excerpts from some positive feedback I received after cleaning a new client's house this week.

The house looks amazing! My husband and I were so impressed. You showed attention to detail, professionalism, and pride in your work. You are my dream come true! The fact that we were able to spend quality time with the kids was just the icing on the cake! Each morning since you came, I have been making the beds, cooking a full breakfast, and cleaning the kitchen spotless. I have not even left a cup of water on my nightstand. My house feels so clean and put together! Please know that the time you spent has helped me be a better mom and wife and you have made my life easier and better! I haven't felt this put together in forever. I feel like I have an assistant now, one who cares as much as I do! You have improved the quality of all of our lives.

I began cleaning houses out of desperation for employment and the need of a flexible job where I could determine my hours, but I continue to do housekeeping because of moments like these... the times I know I'm making a difference.

GREAT Grandparents

We took the girlies to see their GREAT grandparents this weekend. They really are great people. Whenever we get a chance to go out of town, going to see Grandma Kathy and Grandpa George is at the top of our list. They are so good to us, and just love their great grand-babies to pieces. I was so excited for this trip, because they haven't seen Liana since she was a few months old and I knew they would love to get to know her and her sweet silly personality. We were hoping she would nap in the car on the way there, but should have accepted by now that she is NOT a car sleeper. Once she had her travel crib set up, she slept like a log. Art spent lots of time in the pool with Keira. Art's cousin Hailey came over and painted kitties and paw prints on Keira's nails. She usually bites the polish off her nails within a day, but she loves the kitties so much she hasn't messed them up and it's been DAYS! We got to visit with lots of the Navarro family members and had a fantastic and relaxing time.

Sweety Sweet

It's been a couple months since I have given an update on Liana (we still call her Sister). She is just the sweetest baby I could imagine. I call her my little sweet shop because she is like an entire candy store bundled into one sweety sweet baby. She is so cute and cuddly, toting her soft white and pink heart blanky around. She brings it up to you to sit in your lap and cuddle and when it's nap time or bedtime she gets her blanky and cuddles up. She practically puts herself to bed when it's time.

Cuddly Girl

Liana learned to walk at the early age of 9 months, and quickly mastered the skill. However, we noticed that she doesn't walk only forward like most babies. She walks all directions- backward, sideways, backward circles. You name it. She would be walking forward, then bust out with a sideways walk, or a backward circle. One day, I was sitting on the living room floor and she walked up to me standing face to face with me then started turning backward and did a complete circle to sit in my lap.

A trip to the park.

She has also developed a love of climbing, which makes me crazy. I can't turn my back on her without finding her on the kitchen counter, up on the back of the couch, or on top of a dresser. I had to move her toy box, because she kept standing on the top of it and it's super wobbly. I'm telling ya, if an object will give her 2 inches more height, she will stand on it.

Climbing on the back of the couch.

Sister gives the best great big hugs and even knows how to give kisses. You tell her "kiss kiss!" and she gives a big smoochy on the cheek. She hasn't quite learned how to stick out those lips yet, they are pretty much tucked in. Nonetheless, her kisses will melt your heart.

Fun at the Mall

Since Liana turned one, she has gained a strong independent streak. She used to ride in strollers and carts without complaint, but those days are now behind us. Even when I buckle her in, she Houdinis her way out. She can no longer be contained, which makes it "fun" to sit through church. She climbs over and under the bench and tries to escape at every opportunity.

Lounging in the Target shopping cart for once instead of trying to escape.

Another skill she learned after turning one is what I refer to as "evasive maneuvers." She learned pretty early that if she's not going to get trampled on by Keira that she needs to stand up for herself. Keira has a habit of taking things out of Sister's hands so now when she thinks something is going to be taken from her, she grips it tight and starts dodging her arms back and forth. She looks like a football player trying to keep someone from taking the ball.

Bowling with Keira

Whenever she is in a restless or grumpy mood, we put on a Tinker Bell movie for her. We have learned that, for whatever reason, she is completely intrigued by any of the Tinker Bell movies and will stop what she is doing and watch the whole movie.

Watching Tinker Bell.

Lately, she has been pretend cooking with a bowl and plastic spoon. She walks around with the bowl stirring and pretending to eat.

Pretend "cooking"

Liana LOVES to eat fresh fruit which surprised me, because Keira doesn't like any fruit. Her favorites so far are strawberries, bananas, watermelon, and grapes.

Eating watermelon at the 3rd of July Fireworks Show

Liana is such a bright, beautiful, and loving girl who brings joy to each of us every day.

Where You Want Me To Go

When I started playing the flute 2 years ago, I came across a choir arrangement of the hymn I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go that had a flute obbligato that played throughout the whole song. I knew it was way above my skill level at the time, but I printed it out and began practicing it now and then. What I love about playing the flute is that each song is a challenge to conquer. I know I will never play "perfectly" without the formal training most flutists receive, but I am happy if I can get to the point where I can play a song without any fingering mistakes, obvious pitch problems, or squeaks. I challenged myself to learn this flute part well enough to play it for the ward choir at church, so I buckled down over the last 6 months or so and gradually mastered the sections of sheet music that I couldn't previously play.

Being the ward music chairman, I suggested the song to our ward choir director and scheduled to have them perform on May 26th. In the weeks leading up to that date, I practiced the dickens out of that song. I probably practiced an hour a day almost every day. I was determined to get it right. I even practiced with the pianist twice. By the time performance day came, I probably could have played the whole song without even glancing at my sheet music. I may have gotten a little obsessed. :)

Sunday morning, the choir gathered in the chapel before sacrament meeting to practice and warm up and I joined them to warm up on my flute part. Keira sat on the step between me and the piano throughout most of the practice so when she asked me if she could go back up there when we perform, I agreed based on the fact that she was well-behaved during our warm up. Boy, was that a big mistake... The moment I started playing (which is immediately when the song begins) she got up and started meandering around the stage knowing there was nothing I could do about it. Stay focused. I did my best to ignore her and just keep playing.

I came to a couple measure rest, lowered my flute, and commanded her through angrily clenched teeth to sit her butt down and don't move. Her buns hit the floor with amazing speed and a look of fear came over her face so I was pretty sure I wouldn't have a problem from that point forward. Wrong again. The moment I resumed playing, up she popped and the meandering intensified. She was walking through the choir members, she was creeping behind the piano, she was grabbing my music stand. Please don't knock it over! I silently pleaded as I continued to play. The song ended and, all considered, I did quite well.

As it turns out, Keira will NOT "go where you want her to go." She knows exactly where you want her to go and behaves in a contrary manner. Perhaps some day, she will take this song to heart and learn to be a little more submissive and heed directions. Until then, I reckon she will continue to provide me with humorous stories like these.

Camping Capers

A few years ago, I began a tradition of getting my family together to go camping annually. My mom, Uncle Mark, and my brothers and sister all get together, pitch a village of tents and have a good time. Last year we didn't get to go since Vivian and I both had newborn babies, so we were excited to take our little ones camping for the first time this year. We usually camp at the beach, the past two times being at a campground in Henry Cowell Redwood State Park near Santa Cruz. This year I really wanted to go back to one of our favorite spots, Montana de Oro State Park (where I have camped all my life) but unfortunately I waited too long to make our reservation and the campground was full. After desperately searching for a seaside campground to no avail, Brent suggested camping at the Wishon Point campground at Bass Lake in the Sierra Nevada Forest. I figured if I already didn't get to go to my campground of choice, I might as well go with what someone else wanted to do. I'm glad we agreed to go to Bass Lake. It was our first time camping there and we had a great time. The weather was perfect in the mid 80s, it only takes just over an hour to get there, the campground was quiet, our double campsite was large enough to accommodate our group of 10 adults and 4 cars and was fairly secluded. It was also just a short walk to the lake and you could even see a sliver of the lake through the dense trees and brush.

As I mentioned previously, Liana doesn't like to nap anywhere besides her crib and she will reluctantly nap in the car seat. I was hoping that she would take a good nap in the car on the drive there, but after she had only been asleep about 30 minutes, I had to put on the brakes pretty hard for a light that turned red on the highway and it woke her up. She spent the rest of the day pretty grumpy and tired. My mom finally got her to fall asleep at about 9:30 by walking her in the pitch dark. She said any light she saw would keep her awake so she even had to stay out of the moonlight. Then she slept solid as a rock all night in her crib in the tent. Keira is a seasoned camper and had a great time hiking around, putting sticks in the fire, tossing the Frisbee with Grandma, and swimming in the lake with Daddy.

My mom and I prepared our foil pack or "hobo" dinners for the first night. We used her yummy chicken, broccoli, carrot, cheesy casserole recipe of deliciousness, wrapped in foil and cooked on briquettes in the fire ring for about 20 minutes on each side. It came out very good, except for the couple of foil packs that didn't get sprayed with nonstick cooking spray before we put the food in. For breakfast, we just warmed up some Costco muffins and pastries on the fire. At lunch time, Brent and Vivian rented us a patio boat on the lake and we barbecued hamburgers on the gas grill. It was a fun experience trying to cook on a moving boat. Every time a ski boat went by, moments later the waves would hit our boat and rock it back and forth. Everyone had a good time on the boat, snacking, eating burgers, and riding around the lake. Once again, Liana, who only likes to nap in her crib, was pretty grumpy on the boat because she was so tired and toward the end, we laid her on the seat in the boat and she finally fell asleep for maybe 30 minutes. Crazy girl. I guess I can't blame her though. I'm not the type to fall asleep anywhere besides my bed either.

At the very end of our boat ride, we saw an eagle fly across the sky and land in the very top of a tall pine tree. We could see it's nest and at least one more eagle in the nest. I don't think any of us had seen an eagle in the wild before. That was a very cool ending to a very fun trip. We may be adding Bass Lake to our list of regular camping spots.

Vivian, Braden, and Brent

Arthur setting up the tent.

Me and my sleepy Liana.

Grandma and Sister

Playing card games.

Our foil dinner.

Grandma and Sister eating dinner.

Breakfast by the fire.

Me and my perpetually sleepy girl on the boat.

Uncle Mark and his dog Neesaa on the boat.

Arthur burning the corn on the cob.

Daddy and Keira taking a very brief swim in the cold lake.

We never did get a picture with all four of us.

 Patrick and Lauren

Captain Brenty

The Eagle