It has been a long time since I've been on...but  I wanted to post some pic's of the kids as we started our new unit study last week using KONOS.  I ordered the specimens kit online so we could dissect....I had asked my hubby if he'd be the one to dissect and he wasn't so thrilled about it. But I thought of a homeschooling friend and that her son would probably love this...So she thought it would be fun, so my hubby got off the hook...he sure was happy, lol!

yes, another birthday in our house hold, there has been 3 of my kiddies every 2 weeks!....Natalia turned 4 and we had a princess party....they dressed up in their favorite dressup costume and we had lot's of fun!

older girls painting nails...in light pink

natalia getting her hair done

my niece lena ( little red riding hood) getting her hair done

girls playing "pass the ruby slipper" Like hot potato

older girls reading "princess and the pea" to the younger girls

no....Don't eat the apple...snow white!

blowing out her candles on her castle cake...

where did all the time go?  seems like it was just yesterday that I was 1st time mom holding my baby and thinking" she's all mine".....what a blessing she has been!  we had 50's theme party, here's some pic's

viiviana and her 2 friends

my aunt was the dance instructor...bunny hop

my lil greaser..Aaron with his daddy..what a little ham!

game, car race

girls learning some dances

viviana opening her presents

Today our little prince turns one.  We will be celebrating his birthday over the weekend with a small family party...This year has flown by here are some pictures of Aaron's first year!

sorry, I'm sharing this story from about almost 2 months ago.

I started giving Aaron some american cheese, noticed in a baby magazine he was at the right age to start tasting cheese.  I placed about 4 little pieces of cheese in front of him he ate each piece and couldn't get it in his mouth fast enough.

2 min. later viviana says "mom look at his face! " it had bumps and redness around his mouth and his nose was running.  My hubby was home, as we had just gotten home from the hospital(aaron had a dr. appt for his leg-i'll post later) so anyway, hubby  said what did you give him?  I said "cheese".

Aaron was sneezing non-stop and coughing!  he was looking worse by the moment,  I remember we had benadryl so i got some in his mouth( he was  screaming and fighting)  We then were really scared as his breathing seemed heavy!  so we decided to call his dr.(hubby works at the dr. office) the dr. asked his symptoms and she said it sounds like an allergic reation.  We asked if he should go to the ER she said if he looks like he's having a hard time breathing"  So we made the decision to go to the ER that is about 2 minutes away. 

Big Mistake.....i walk in and there is not a triage nurse in site( it is 1pm) there are tons of people standing around...i'm panicked, looking for help..finally, the security guard says "can i help you?"  I explained all that happened and he said he'd tell them back in the ER  so he came out minutes later and said someone will be out.  we were there for about 15 minutes!!! and no one came out!!! by then thank God his face and breathing was getting better.  A man came out and said what's the prob,  I said that the baby was having an allergic reaction to cheese, he glanced at aaron and said he'd be back! what? 

by then, I told mike that we should just take him to see his dr and if he could give her a quick call.  mean while I hear the security guard telling a person that they are backed up and won't get to him prob for a few hours and that there was no more beds!  I knew for sure we had to get out of there!

So Aarons dr. said to bring him in, we walked in and they saw him within 10 minutes!!!(by then his swelling and bumps were gone he looked normal again. The dr. said she could run to tests to find out exactly if he's allergic to dairy and see if there is anything else he's allergic to.

Well upon the results he's allergic to DAIRY and PEANUTS!!!!  oh man......poor little guy... and what i learned, if I eat those food products it can be excreted in the breast milk!  soo.....i have been trying to stay away from large amounts of dairy and will not eat peanuts anymore until he is weaned. 

We have thrown out peanut butter.  If anyone wants peanuts or peanuts they'll have to eat it else where.  As far as the milk, we need to keep him away for all dairy, It will take extra work to keep this little guy away from it but the good thing is i hear he'll outgrow the milk allergy by 5 yrs but the peanut allergy only 20 percent grow out of it!!!  So if anyone has had the same experience please do share with me

Hi ladies,

just wanted to see if anyone out there lives in chicago?   if so, We are starting up our married couples group this friday and wondering if anyone is interested for more info please email me @ julietrodriguez@sbcglobal.net

we meet on fridays @7:30 pm

sorry there is no childcare available, babies under 1yr are welcome

It has been a long while since I've shared.  I've been on to see how some of you ladies are doing but just haven't taken the time to blog!  I've been having some problems again posting pictures so that has contributed to me not blogging much as I want to share pictures and just see a box with no pictures, any ideas what i'm doing wrong, let me know!  suddenly it doesn't work anymore...

We are enjoying our summer.  We've been to the library just about every week, I am happy to say my oldest, Viviana, is reading about 1 book a day, decent sized books!  I pray she will love to read, It really seems like it!  She is into the Nancy Drew Mysteries and American Girl Books.  My other two girls have enjoyed us reading to them too.  We came home with about 15 books or so and am happy to say we read through everything!

We have decided to go with KONOS curricullum for the new school yr.  Totally feel The Lord leading us to it, we sure have to work on some Character issues!  Our books arrived yesterday and so far it looks like a curricullum that we will all enjoy to learn from.  We also ordered Math U See for the two older girls.  I will supplement with abeka for grammar and some math for Viviana.  I am also working wth Bella to get her reading at a faster pace, she is breezing through her sight words so that's awesome!

I will be getting together with another family that i met through a homeschooling website and we will do a co-op once a week so we are really excited about that.  I am so amazed how the Lord is blessing us with 2 new families that I met through the computer!

About 2 months ago I discovered I had a desire to work with fondant and decorate cakes!  I have been creating some cakes for fun, next week will be my first actual cake that will be for an event, a friends bridal shower then i will make a fondant cake for my nieces 2nd birthday, I'm going to do an elmo theme.  As I said, i've been having problems with posting pictures so I will try again to post as I'd like to share some of my creations with you and also pictures of the children.

Aaron just turned 8 months old.  He is such a smiley happy baby!  He is soooo loved here...his big sisters are always around him making him laugh and carrying him around( Will he ever learn to walk!)  He is eating some solids not too much mostly oatmeal for babies, he's still adjusting to the new tastes of fruits and veggies.  Nursing is still going strong!

God is so good, he had blessed my husband with a bonus so we were able to pay off another credit card and also use some for the curricullum.  And with the stimulus check we used some for another credit card.  So little by little we are moving towards our goal, to be debt free!  We once again have been blessed through church as my husband received a call from a friend saying they had diapers for use, they had months ago blessed us with diapers galore for both children!  pullups too!  let me tell you when we were on our last pack of diapers that's when he got that call that they had more diapers for us!  isn't God so Good!  this time we have a lot of pullups which is a blessing, let me tell you...Aaron is 8 months and we have never had to purchase diapers for him!  The blessings of our Awesome Lord....JULIET

Wishing all my blogger friends a very Happy Mothers Day!!!  Enjoy your day!

Today we were going to go out to eat with my brother and his family but early this morning it was pouring rain and winds were about 35 mph so  we decided to just stay home .  Hubby ordered  beautiful multicolored roses ( white, peach,pinks reds )in a beautiful vase with delicious chocolates. The flowers are breath-taking! beautiful handiwork of our Lord!                                                                                                                                                                                               My girls all made a beautiful card and came with lots of hugs and kisses to share!

I enjoyed a nice hot bath, and just relaxed for about 30 minutes, It was wonderful!

Mike went out in the horrible weather for some brunch for us and we ate upstairs with my parents.   We had a good time talking and eating.... My mom is so sweet she bought me some very beautiful silverware, they are silver with gold edging, all in a nice wooden storage box.  It's so funny, yesterday Mike and I were at target and he put some silverware in our cart and I said do we really need this?  so I put it back good thing....

We watched Mary Poppins with the kids, I really enjoyed just being home with my hubby and my little blessings!

                                     MERRY CHRISTMAS !

I had my dr. appt. last week and forgot to post....My dr. was able to find the babies heart beat immediately!  Praise God!  She said it is nice and strong.  I even gained 6lbs since my last checkup!!  I wasn't to happy to hear that! 

In my 3 other pregnancies I barely gained a pound until my 4 th month!  I know that this time around I am always hungry way thru the night hours....but I now need to start watching what I eat and start exercising.  My dr. didn't mention anything about my weight gain, I once had a dr. be a little stern with me because I gained 4 lbs in 1 month!  But I love my current dr.  she delivered my youngest also.  She said i'm on target and the due date is November 10th, just what I thought!  Tomorrow I will start my 13th week!!!

just started this on Tuesday, I plan to stick to it as much a possible.

block 1 ( 7:00am -  10:00am)

7am --I awake, devotions  (except thursdays wake at 4:45am with Mike)

7:30 -girls awake, dress, wash up

Load of laundry

8:00/8:15 breakfast (viviana)

-Girls morning chores ( clean off table, sweep, Morning dishes- mom)

 set timer for 10 minute room tidy

devotional with girls (praise & worship, prayer requests, scripture memory)

BLOCK 2 10:AM-1:00

2nd Load of Laundry

-pledge

Viviana -(abeka) penmanship, Spelling, Math

Isabella- printing worksheets-(enchanted learning) abc song and letter recognition, Numbers 1-30 and recognition, computer learning games

Natalia- abc song, puzzles/blocks, Nursery rhymes

10:30am morning snack

12:00 Lunch

lunch clean up chores (same as Morning)

free play if time allows

BLOCK 3  (1:00PM-3:00PM)

Nap for Natalia

3rd Load of Laundry

Viviana Science/health(abeka)

mom/viviana read aloud (library book) to Isabella

bella- pbs tv show, (help fold laundry)

Free time if time permits

misc. cleaning for mom

BLOCK 4 (3:00PM-5:30PM)

afternoon snack

P.E time

mom computer time/phone time

afternoon chores (cleanup before daddy arrives)

Prepare dinner (girls alternate and help mom)

BLOCK 5 (5:30-8:00PM)

eat dinner 5:45/6pm

dinner cleanup (same as above)

baths

free play

viviana-finish any homework

Set timer for 10 minute room tidy

Lights out for Natalia 7:30pm

lights out for Viviana and Isabella 8:30

BLOCK 6 8PM-10:30

Any cleanup

time with mike

take shower

favorite tv shows/read

lights out for us 10:30

yes it is here!  early this morning at 1 am I decided to take another pregnancy test as my period was 7 days late.  I took the test..... and proceeded to wipe oh no my period was here!  I just wasted a test!

I can say I wasn't upset but okay with it, I know that the Lord has his plan for us.  It may be for the children we have now, or maybe he's trying to teach us something !  Whatever it is I will TRY to wait patiently for he has the perfect timing...

Some months ago I had gotten my period and was sort of complaining about it to my hubby, he said" be happy that you have a period, one day you will not get a period and wished you would" wow, that really changed my thinking! yes, he was right! One day I won't be able to conceive anymore.  I have never thought of it before...  

So I will rejoice that I have my period!

I can't believe the new year has arrived!!!!

Sunday morning didn't start off too good....Natalia woke up about 6am with a runny nose, so I put her in bed with us.  My hubby got ready for church I decided to stay home, natalia was under the weather, she was very clingy and crying.  So we thought it would be best to let her sleep in.

We had been invited to celebrate New Years with our friends from church but were not sure if we would attend.  We were not sure what to do, with our little one being sick (we could leave her with my mom and dad) so we could go to party, but we didn't want to leave her while we would be having fun, also our 2 older girls were looking so forward to getting together with all there little friends. 

As dinner time approached we decided to to go, Natalia was running around, we had given her some medicine.  At the Estrada's house we all brought some appetizers and they supplied the chicken and italian beef sandwiches.  The kids made their own mini pizzas, they had fun making and eating their pizzas!

We danced with the kids a bit then we had them make some noise makers, they decorated their noise makers and couldn't wait til 12 am rolled around to use them!!

We all sat around and did a mini devotion and wrote on little slips of paper some things we as a family wanted to leave behined and put them in a bag and the things we wanted to do this year to please God and put them in another bag....I like that part a lot...the kids also got involved!

We all counted down the time as 12am approached...all the kids were still awake, even my little sick girl, she seemed to be feeling well.  we all blew our noise makers and hugged our friends and children.....

After we put a movie on for the children, with pillows and blankets while some of the parents played a game.....we left at 2 am!  what a great time we all had!!

Okay so I was expecting my period 3 days ago...and nothing!  Hoping maybe a baby?  I'm ready...all my friends have little ones and holding my 5 month old niece lately has got me wanting another baby.  My little one is 2 years old now. 

I have been anxious about buying a pregancy test right away as soon as my period is late,   my hubby said to hold off....well, I listened and held off until today, what a sweetie...he came home with a test....took the test and it said Negative!!! what???  I thought for sure we were pregnant...my face has broken out like my other 2 previous pregnancies and i have been cramping for about 2 days on and off now. 

I usually get my period like clock work...I of course was a bit dissapointed, my hubby had also thought i was pregnant....but know that the lord knows the right timing... So I am awaiting for my period to arrive.....

Maybe next month.....juliet

We had a wonderful Christmas with our families....... The Lord really changed my husbands families focus this Christmas, the past Christmas's have been horrible to watch....everyone there has been  greedy and just thinking about gifts and who gave the best gift ect.

My hubbies cousin brought this up to the family some months back and suggested this Christmas we adults do a grab-bag gift for 20.00 and buy for the kids..... wow,  what a drastic change it would be for them...My hubby and I were excited to see if they'd go for it.  At first no one wanted to participate besides us and his cousin . 

 So when we got there for Christmas eve......my hubbies aunt spoke about how she forgot what the true meaning of Christmas was (she and her children where the main one's who had that greedy attitude), My husband and I felt good inside, that the Lord answered our prayers about this day.  They are not believers at all.  At times we feel like the outsiders!  We are though....I was dreading going over there!  but I was obedient and watched as the Lord touched their hearts.... 

 They even said they would like to help out other families who have less and maybe work in a shelter!! wow, that was on my husbands heart months ago-- for our little family to do!!!  So I have to remember that we need to let our lights shine even when we don't feel like it!!!  My daughter even shared a bible verse about Jesus's birth ...who knows what they thought about that but, the lord is showing me that we need to share with our families a little at a time.....

For Christmas Day we had my brother and his in-laws over...we had a great dinner and then before we opened gifts he, my daughter and my SIL read some bible verses about Christs birth.....MY SIL family are not believers but again we need to let our lights shine.... We made Jesus a birthday cake and lit candles and sang "Happy Birthday"!  I pray they left our house that night with the Love of Christ!!!

For my self:

1. Read my Word Daily
2. affirm my husband daily (his love languages)
3. Work out 3-4 days a week( to tone)

For Viviana:

1. Spending 1on 1time (just the 2 of us) with her once a week..
2. give her some easy cooking responsiblilites (making breakfast, lunch)
3. teaching her how to sew (threading machine, straight stictch)
4. P.E. Class daily (get her active)
5. practicing spanish

Bella

1. write first and last name clearly
2. start reading rhyming words
3. limit tv time
4. practice spanish

Natalia

1. potty trained
2. schedule nap and bedtime
3. teaching her words in spanish