Surfing in Dallas!!!

Swimming!!

After seeing one of our previous videos, Landri and Avery decided they wanted to check out the Coppell Aquatic Center with us. So they came over yesterday, we packed up the cooler, and we all headed out for some summer fun at the pool. The kids had a great time jumping, climbing, leaping, sliding, and swimming. We almost didn't notice it was 107 degrees.....almost. Afterward, we headed back to the house for some rest and dinner before saying goodbye. It was a great day and we hope they come out and join us again soon.

The rest of July

So, as much as I didn't think I liked these "catch up" posts and videos....I suppose it's really the best way when I only have a couple photos of everything. I mean, how interesting is a post about our trip to the movies with only a photo or two?? Or a post about another trip to Lowe's to attend their build and grow workshops? I think it's way more fun to see a re-cap of everything instead, what do you think?

Anyhow, we've been mostly trying to stay indoors during our 100 degree plus temperatures. We did venture out to two different aquatic centers, we went over to my friend's house for kid swim day, we explored the local farmer's market, and we built and filled our sandbox. The rest of the month was spent indoors enjoying Lowe's Build and Grow projects, swimming lessons, library visits, indoor play spaces, roller skating, story time theater, hanging out at home, hanging out with family, and our first "full length" movie theater movie: Winnie the Pooh. The boys did great overall, but thought we had to wait too long before the movie started. Good thing we got the giant bucket of popcorn to keep them busy, and they finished the entire thing!! So, without further ado...here is our "The Rest of July" video:

SOLD!

Well, it looks like the Traveling Wilburys actually bought a house!! We closed today and now have a lot of work ahead of us....but, we have a house. Here are just a couple pics from today:

Our House

   

Could it be??

Well, Jaime started working for a company in Las Colinas called Terremark almost a month ago. He's still settling in, and hopes to have his own customer or two soon. So far he seems to really like it.

Just before he began his new job, we moved into a temporary apartment in Irving so that we would be closer to Las Colinas. It's a three bedroom and they have a great pool, plus it's a VERY short commute for Jaime, so we are enjoying ourselves here while we look for a house.

It seems like we've been looking at houses since before Christmas, although I'm pretty confident we didn't start until sometime after that. We've looked at tons and tons of houses on-line, and, as I'm sure our realtor would agree, we seen many, many, many houses in person. While we've found a couple that we liked, none have really worked out for us....until now.

Last week we decided to look at a house that was a bit older than we originally wanted and that needs a little more work than we originally wanted to put into a house. We liked it. It's still close to Jaime's work, and, with a little negotiation, we were able to settle on a price. The inspector came out today, and, for the most part, everything looks good. So, we are moving forward!!

Can you believe the traveling gypsies might actually settle down for a little bit? Ha!! We can't either!!! Here's a sneak peak at the house we just might get:

Let it Snow in Dallas!

When I said that Friday would be the last day of good weather for awhile...I had no idea it meant we would see snow!

While we were spending the rest of the weekend with friends, the weatherman changed the forecast from really cold to really cold with SNOW. About mid-morning on Sunday the snow began to fall. The boys and their friend, Lucas, were super excited. They had a great day hanging out together and playing in the snow. The boys loved it so much, they just had to get out again on Monday to play a little more...

NYE Weekend 2010

We had a great NYE weekend over at my brother Trav's house. We had tons of food, fireworks, games, grapes, and fun. On Saturday, we went to the park, sat on a horse, and celebrated Trav's 35th birthday with my other brother Trevor and his family.  On Sunday we had a leisurely breakfast and then packed up the kids for the final day of Holiday in the Park at Six Flags over Texas....I don't think we could have squeezed anything else into our last weekend of 2010 and our first weekend of 2011. Happy New Year Everyone!!!

See you in Dallas...

For those of you who don't know...we are heading back to Dallas for awhile. It might take some time to get settled in and back on-line, but we'll certainly be up and posting as soon as we can. I'm sure we'll be up to lots of fun things especially with the Christmas season just around the corner.

Bugs, Bugs, Bugs!!

Besame Mucho

We can do it!!!

One day, while my cousin was visiting, the boys decided that they didn't need to use floaties to swim anymore.

So, they took them off and just "jumped" right in. They already think they are expert swimmers...which they just might be by the end of the swimming season.

It's amazing how much they learn on their own from one day to the next. We are happy that they are SO comfortable in the water, but now we need to be even more careful with them when they are near the water.

Here's a short video of what they are up to:

Major Storm hits Tenerife (Video)

Some (The Miami Hurracane center) are calling it Tropical Storm "Candelaria," and others are calling it a hybrid storm (since the waters here are technically not warm enough to sustain a tropical storm)...whatever you call it, it brought high winds, high waves, and torrential rains.

On Monday, the government of the Canary Islands declared an orange, or ‘Level 2,′ state of emergency, closing schools and advising people not to leave their homes.

Water flows of up to 144,000 liters per minute were measured in Tenerife. Roads became rivers, slowing or stopping traffic. The roads were washed away in many places, and some roads even caved in, exposing water and sewage pipes. Tons of soil, vegetation, stones, logs and branches were carried down through towns and into the ocean.

From our place in Taibaiba, we saw plenty of rain, flooding, curtains of water falling from the expressway, and lots of waterfalls where it's normally dry. We lost power and water service for over 6 hours the day of the storm, and then lost water again the next day while they were repairing it.

We were home safe and sound during the entire storm. Jaime did his best to keep our patio from flooding and I entertained the boys with flashlights, shadow animals, and play-doh by candlelight...Then, it was dinner in the dark and an early bedtime for all of us.

Luckily, Tuesday was an Island-wide holiday so most people already had the day off from work and/or school. We headed out to check out the damage. By the time we got out of the house, crews had been working for several hours already, so we didn't get to see the "best of" things. We did still see plenty of flooded cars, roads, garages, businesses, and streets...we saw bulldozers, tow trucks, emergency vehicles, and a tour bus load full of emergency workers just in our town.

They are still cleaning the island, but things are starting to return to "normal" around here. As you watch this video, keep in mind that this is a normally dry area...the "waterfalls" do not exist at any level on a regular day.

Climbing Monkey Update

As Jaime says, the cribs are more of a psychological barrier than a physical one these days. The boys love to climb on everything and we rarely need to take them out of their beds anymore. Still, we are trying to hold off on toddler beds as long as possible or at least until after we return from our trip to the States....but then, that's when potty training will begin....so, who knows.

Back from La Palma: Part III

Wednesday: Although there were big plans to visit the South of the island to hike around some volcanoes, then head to lunch, and then swim and play at another beach... we all got a late start on the day and spent too much time playing and wandering around the Villas.

We still headed South, but the lead car decided to go straight to the beach and skip the hiking. As luck would have it, the boys fell asleep in the car just as we arrived, so Jaime and I stayed with them while everyone else went down to the beach. I did finally convince Jaime to head down and take a quick swim before the boys woke up and it was time for lunch.

The Beach:

We planned to have lunch at the small bar/cafe on the cliff above the beach, but the wait was too long and it wasn't quite toddler friendly. So...we headed back to a Bodega carved right into the hillside that we passed earlier in the day. There was a small wait there as well, and we didn't eat lunch until nearly 4:30, but it was worth it. After such a late lunch, we all returned back to the apartment for a swim and then the boys were off to bed...

The Bodega:

On Thursday some of the guys were going to go spear fishing in the morning, and then we were suppose to have lunch (the loot from the fishing expedition) with one of Jaime's cousins that lives on La Palma...unfortunately, both Jaime's brother and sister woke up with different ailments, but feeling horrible. So, the plans were called off and each family sort of did their own thing. We didn't do much to speak of except hang around the Villas and then head into the town of El Paso for some groceries (it was our turn to cook dinner) and a little wandering around to look at the beautifully decorated town.

After lots of rest and medication, everyone was ready to go again by Friday. The two other families headed out earlier to fish and visit with cousins, while Jaime and I left a little later hoping the boys might nap on the drive up. The roads were so curvy and there were so many tunnels, that I don't think the boys even considered napping. They LOVED going through all the tunnels, each time asking for more "nunnels."

Part of the beautiful drive of steep mountains and deep ravines:

Eventually we met up with the rest of the group and followed them through amazing amounts of banana trees to the family cave. The yellow arrow points to where the cave is located: (click on it)

The cave is in a sort of "neighborhood" of caves and began many many years ago with Pedro's (Jaime's cousin) grandfather who started using the "cubby" as a fisherman's storage of sorts. Over time, they built it up and it evolved into a one bedroom abode complete with a dining table, a kitchen, electricity and running water (but no bathroom). No one actually lives here full time, it's more of a short term stay kind of place.

We all trekked down to the cave and hung out while mainly Pedro prepared a delicious meal of seafood, potatoes, and wine. The older kids played in the bedroom and closely around the area. Our guys were mostly confined to the dining room and the front porch. The ocean was just a bit too rough and too close for comfort.

Since the Ocean wasn't fit for swimming from the cave on this particular day, Pedro guided us to a grouping of man made ocean pools nearby. Everyone went for a refreshing swim except for the boys and me. I wasn't hot enough to want to swim and I just didn't want to get everyone's swim gear on for such a short visit. The boys enjoyed wandering around and looking at the fish. We only stayed for a little while and then had to head back to get the boys off to bed...with such an interesting day and no nap, they fell asleep almost as soon as we drove away.

Next Up:
Our last full day on La Palma

The Never Ending Story...

Yep, we are still sick around here. We are going on our 7th week of fighting the various daycare bugs. Every time we think we are getting better and almost "out of the woods," it seems to start all over again. We had to keep the boys out of school a few days last week because the fevers returned, but it looks like they will head back tomorrow.

Jaime and my MIL took the boys to see the doc today (I was taking a Spanish final exam). The good news is that they don't have an ear infection and it still seems to be all upper respiratory. She said that this is the basic and common story of starting school. If we all don't go through it now, we will when they start preschool, or kindergarten, or whenever they start going to any sort of communal germ fest. It's pretty much like the club initiation. She did say that it should calm down a bit once summer arrives since the germs and viruses aren't as common during that season... let's hope so.

In the meantime, we just have to manage through the hacking coughs, the restless nights, the frequently messy diapers, the sometimes poor appetites, the occasional up-chucking (how long since you heard that term?), the visiting fevers, and the crankiness...

We haven't ventured out much since Jaime's birthday, but we did let the boys stop and play for a bit after their appointment today (I met up with them after my test.) I didn't take any pictures, but we just had to take some video of our little "rock" climber...

Mushrooms

Remember when I said that, with all the rain we've been having, all sorts of things were popping up in all sorts of places? Well, here is what popped up most recently...

Our own little patch of mushrooms in one of the strangest places:

On the welcome mat in front of the apartment next door. Guess mushrooms will grow just about anywhere, and I'm glad we discovered them before the boys did.

Anyhow, the sun is finally shining, for the most part, here in Santa Cruz... Yippee!!! But, now the boys are sick from their daycare adventures... more on that next.

Update on Alex

It's officially been a week since Alex fell over the balcony. It seems that we all got very very lucky this time. For the most part, he is acting like himself - hearing but not listening, testing his boundaries, fighting with his brother, and climbing on top of everything.

We went to the pediatrician for a follow up today, and she said that Alex most certainly has a guardian angel. She said that since he seems to be acting normal and he is moving/functioning symmetrically, we don't need to watch him any closer than we would watch his brother. Kids are amazing.

Of course, we will continue to be extra careful with both of our little monkeys who just LOVE to climb and still have no fear. We will also remember that we did get lucky and luck doesn't last forever. As an added precaution, we put up some higher fencing on the balcony where Alex fell, and, so far, they haven't shown any interest in checking it out. Thanks to everyone for all your concern, good wishes, and prayers. Here's a picture of the "new" fence:

"Luck never gives; it only lends." ~Swedish Proverb

First trip to the ER

"The guardian angels of life fly so high as to be beyond our sight, but they are always looking down upon us."

- Jean Paul Richter

I swear our little Alex has some sort of guardian angel watching over him!! From being born all blue/grey, not really breathing and having the cord wrapped around his neck, to our NICU neonatal necrotizing (NEC) watch, to the scare he gave us on NYE....

It was just before 6:00 p.m. and Jaime and I were preparing the house and patio for our festivities. The boys had been "helping" us and playing all day, when Alex decided to climb over the banister above the garage. Jaime had just run down the GATED staircase to put something away, and I was just inside our apartment.

All of a sudden I hear Jaime yell "No! No! No! No!!!" I jumped up and ran outside expecting to see that one of the boys had fallen off the Little Tykes playground or something... As I rounded the corner, I only saw Connor and the gated staircase. Then, I saw Jaime coming up the stairs with a screaming/crying Alex in his arms.

He had fallen just over 3 meters (10 feet) to the concrete floor below!! I can't even describe how I felt, mostly nauseous and scared I think. I took Alex and Jaime called his brother, Arturo, to come take us to the urgencias (ER) since neither one of us was in any condition to drive and he lives nearby. We loaded everyone into the car and got to the hospital as fast as we could trying to keep Alex awake as we drove.

The ER was pretty busy, but they took us directly to a room in the pediatric area. I suppose a screaming toddler with head trauma is a pretty urgent thing. Everyone there was very nice even though I didn't understated most of what they were saying. Arturo checked us in and watched Connor while Jaime and I stayed with Alex. The "chichon" (bump) on his head was so huge his head looked deformed (a la Elephant Man), his head and ear were scraped up and he kept crying and crying.

Luckily he never blacked out or vomited, so that was a good sign. They took his temp and gave him some Dalsy (their brand name for ibuprofen) and then took a couple of X-ray's. Then we waited...

I went out to see how Arturo was doing with Connor, and Lela (grandma) was there as well. We were so lucky to have concerned family there to support us and watch Connor who was, understandably, a bit upset as well...not to mention starving. Lela and tio Arturo gave him a Kit Kat which he inhaled...he must have thought that was pretty great.

Back in the ER the doctor told us the X-ray's looked good and that she thought Alex would be okay. She said that the X-ray couldn't detect any bleeding, and we would just need to watch him for unusual symptoms or behavior. Because of the size of his head/bump and the distance he fell, she also gave us the option to leave him there overnight. They would not monitor him in any way other than to look in on him occasionally, and only one of us could elect to stay with him. The primary benefit would be that we would already be in the hospital should something happen. We decided to bring him home where we could all be together and both of us could watch him all night (and where we were with germs we knew).

We arrived back home around 8:00 p.m., we fed the boys, got them to bed, and then prepared for our guests. Of course it was NYE and there were parties and fireworks all over the neighborhood, so the boys didn't have a really "fair" shot at at good nights rest, but they did well overall. Alex woke up several times, we gave him more ibuprofen, nothing major.

He woke up as usual the next morning with his head "back to normal" except for the scraped ear. He was a bit off balance and perhaps a little more tired and sensitive (could have been the meds), but you almost wouldn't know anything happened...Although, we certainly remember.

It's difficult not to "replay" those moments over and over and, I can only imagine all the other possible scenarios. Certainly, none of them would have turned out like this. It's all still so unbelievable, and a scary reminder of how life can change in an instant. We still need to watch him for a couple of days, but hopefully all will continue to be well. Here are some pictures and a video of our angels on New Year's Day:

Kamikazee

Last week we went to lunch with Jaime's brother, Arturo, and his family. They took us to a restaurant in the North with a view and a wonderful area for children. They had a large soft lawn with a swing set, a little basketball court, and other fun stuff for kids to play on and run around. They even had "free" ice cream and high chairs!!

This is the only picture we got of the place:

The boys really had a great time once we let them out of their chairs. They each have their own style of adventure. Connor tends to be "full-on," jumping before he looks... while Alex tends to be a little more calculated, assessing a situation before diving in. They both watch each other though, and seem to try whatever the other is doing without hesitation.

Connor LOVES slides and couldn't get enough of this particular one. Once Alex saw all the fun to be had, he and joined in as well. They both got really dirty and were VERY tired by the end of the day.



"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."
- Helen Keller