It's the little things

Things have continuted to be crazy busy since my last post, TWO freakin months ago! Rock's basketball team is 3-1, games on Sundays, practices two nights a week. Briana has photography class on Thursday's and Mari has Volleyball on Tuesdays and Thrusdays. Thank goodness, Julia's dance doesn't start until January and Mikey is too young to be in a sport/activity. Some nights I go crazy, and some mornings at work I wonder if I spent enough time with (fill in kid's name). I brought the three youngest with me to work on Friday, day after Thanksgiving. We left around 2pm since it was slow. So, this Monday morning, I get to work to find a lil note from my Julia. It say's "turn over". I flip over the pink post-it to read: Hi Mom Just want to say I love you hope you have a good day at work love Julia (with a heart over the i). This little note made my day. I have to remember to breathe and love life and think positive even during the crazy times. Thank you my Julia.

So proud of my lil Hero!

On the first day of school, my kids were supposed to take the BIG YELLOW BUS home. This would be their first year, as years before they would be bussed to daycare. They were so excited! I reminded Rock to remember, Mari (my oldest going to middle schoo this year) wouldn't be there. He was now in charge to look after Briana and Julia. If there were any problems on the bus he'd have to stick up for them.

The first day of school came. Mari was home waiting for the kids to get off the bus. She called me at work to say she saw their bus come by, drop off kids at the stop but Rock, Bri, and Jules didn't get off. I was a little worried. Did they get on the wrong bus? Were they just not paying attention and didn't realize they missed their stop? I left work and tried calling the school only to reach their vcmail. Ugh! I was worried but told Mari not to be and to call me when they get home. She called just as I pulled up to our house. Bri and Jules were giggling in the driveway, and Mari and Rock looked serious.

It turns out, at the end of the day Rock, Bri and Jules lined up to get on their bus. But a teacher pulled Bri and Jules out of Rock's line and told them they were supposed to be in a different line for a different bus. Rock stepped up to say he was their big brother and they're supposed to be on the same bus. The teacher actually told Rock to get on "his" bus and they had to send the girls on the bus that is on their (stupid) list! Really?? This is the Hero part....Rock refused to get on the bus and told the teacher AND principal he's not going anywhere without his sister's! He said the teacher and principal stared at eachother for a sec then questioned eachother as to what to do. Rock tried giving his address, but I guess, this principal and teacher were taught to ignore nine-year olds, I dont know, maybe he should have raised his hand first so they would listen. A nice teacher stepped forward and listened to Rock, confirmed our address and sent them home on a bus together. I am so proud of him and have been telling him all week! He's gotten extra hugs and a trip to Jeff's Sporting Goods for a pack of baseball cards, along with Bri and Jules retelling the story in the most dramatic way possible over and over to anyone who will listen.

Love him so much!

Nervous Bellies and A Hero

My babies went back to school yesterday! Finally the day came! The supplies were loaded up and they finally got to wear their new clothes, shoes, and backpacks. (Something they've been asking me, everyday for the past month).

Mari was so ready for middle school. She didn't seem nervous the night before, just really exicted. We made sure to have her schedule, her locker # and comb in every notebook and folder, just incase she loses the one on her locker door and the one in her pocket. Better to be over-prepared, right? :)

So when it came time to drop her off, I thought she was ready. But, outta nowhere came tears. I almost lost it, too. She was scared, and had every right to be! Her middle school is huge! I reassured her that she knows where her classes are, knows how to open her locker with no problems, and she was as prepared as she was going to get. We went to parent info meetings, meet and greets, practiced her locker til she memorized her combination and walked around to each class in the previous weeks to this first day of school. She agreed she was ready, took a big breath, wiped her tears away, checked herself in the mirror and said she was ready. (I wanted to ball like a baby and just tell her nevermind, stay home, be little again, dangit). But I swallowed and gave her a huge smile telling her I know she's gonna rock today (which made her laugh, I guess, I'm a dork) told her I love her, and with an "I love ya too", she jumped out, caught up to a friend and was smiling and talking. PHEW! I thought I could let out my sobs now, but I had the girls in the back and Rock Jr. next to me, askin "You ok, mom?" So, I sucked it up again, smiled and told him, "Yeah, I'm fine", and I held his hand so tight while he laughed at me. Her day ended up going better than great! She has a friend or friends in every one of her classes which, I guess is THE most important thing in middle school. I love her so much! I gotta go for now, so I'll post about Rock being the girl's hero later tonight. Here they are! All ready to go!

My baby ::sobs:: is at middle school!

Mari went to her school's Meet and Greet tonight. I was excited to hear they were planning a Meet and Greet, because I assumed they wouldnt since it is Middle School, I mean it's the big time, right? Well, excited until I saw "NO PARENTS ALLOWED!!" Okay, really it said parents drop off your kids....but same thing. What? I thought. Me? Not invited? But, I'm her mom. I should meet her teachers too. Wrong. I dropped her off at the doors with a bazillion other kids and almost cried my eyes out. How will she find her friends in this huge school with a bazillion other kids? She walked in alone. Without me. I totally said a little prayer, made a wish, and begged thin air to please, please, please let her have a good time, not be too nervous, and find her friends easily. Ugh! My stomach hurts thinking about her, my baby, my first-born. She's so much tougher and cooler and awesomer (yes, awesomer!) than I was at her age so I'm sure she'll be fine. I know she's ready for this new "adventure" of Middle School, but I'm not. Forty five more minutes til I pick her up. If I only had the remote from the movie Click to fastforward time, or better yet, rewind time and hold her in my arms again as my little baby. Why did these years go by so fast?? How are we here, already??

I love my crazy lil man!

Mikey is now 17 months old and has been a crazy lil man lately!.He's becoming a lil naughty, but he's just the cutest thing in the world! I've learned from my four oldest not to laugh or pay too much attention to the naughty things (at his age) so it won't encourage them to continue. But when Mikey runs away laughing carrying something he shouldn't have, I find myself laughing too, chasing him, and scooping him up in my arms for hugs!  Yeah, I'm totally encouraging him. But he either has an infectious lil laugh when he's doing something wrong or a sweet inncocent look. Last, week Julia left her empty glass bowl on the kitchen table, before anyone noticed what Mikey's motives were, he had grabbed the bowl, headed to the hallway, and threw it, smashing into pieces on the floor. Then looked so innocently at it, like, he didn't mean it.

But, really...how could anyone get mad at this lil guy and those big, brown eyes?

I love him soo much!

I've got PROOF!

So, like most men, my Rocky has a problem with listening (which he denies).

Sample recent conversation...

Rocky: "When are Rock's games this week?"

Me: "Monday and Wednesday, they're both Away games, Mari has cheerleading and band practice on Thursday, and Volleyball camp all week, and Rock has Basketball camp, so it's gonna be a crazy week!"

Rocky: "Oh..."

Me: "Yup!"

Two hours later...

Rocky: "When are Rock's games this week?"

Me. "ummm...Monday and Wednesday remember?"

Rocky: "Oh yea, are they Home games?"

Me: "really??... no, they're both Away games, I just told you this."

Rocky: "No, you told me Monday and Wednesday but didn't say if they were Home or Away games."

Me: "Yeah...ah...I did, you're just a horrible listener..."

Rocky: "(laughing) No, I'm not...."

Me: ::Rolling my eyes::

So, onto last night....

I was sitting next to Rock looking through a magazine while he was watching something boring on t.v. I usually pull out the perfume samples and ask if he likes 'em. Well, last night there was a small advertisement for watches in the magazine. I showed it to Rock, and clearly said to him, "Ya think this one's pretty?" He leans in, eyes still glued to the t.v., and SNIFFS the watch ad, saying "yeah, it smells, ok".

Proof! He does not listen!! Gotta love him.

Anthony James

My heart hurts today. Four years ago today my nephew passed away. He was 4 years old. A babysitter was not watching him and he jumped into a pool. He fought hard for a few days in the hospital before he went to Heaven. I am his Auntie Lilly. We tried to teach him to say Auntie Cindy when he first started talking, but he refused and would only call me Lilly. I love him so much.

I think about him often but even more so on this day and his birthday. I remember when he painted Rock's Tonka truck with nail polish, when he colored down my hallway stairs with red permanant marker, and emptied an entire bottle of air freshener spray in my bathroom. I'm glad that each time I laughed with his mom for him doing those things. He never walked, he only ran. He was always on a mission, loved Harley's (Harley Bikes, as he called them) and racecars. I miss him and wonder what he would be like today.

His parents were brave enough to donate his organs. After he passed away I noticed butterflies constantly around me. I'd see them everywhere, but even more special they would fly right in front of my face, or sit on the edge of a my window. I mentioned this to other family members and we cried when they were having the same experiences. A few months after he went to Heaven, his mother and I went to an special event to honor family members for donating their loved one's organs. The parents were given special ornaments, some birds, some angel wings, each different. When Melissa (Anthony's Mom) opened her box to look at her ornament there was a beautiful carved white butterfly. I know Anthony's still with us in spirit. I love him so much and wish more than anything I could still give him big hugs, even if they were just for a second before he was off and running again.

Another Month

Well May n June have come and gone and we're now in July!!! Shame on me, I didn't blog once! I blame Rocky. I need want a laptop so bad. I think I would blog more if I didn't have to sit alone in the family room once the kiddies are in bed. They're usually in bed by 8pm and Rocky and I will watch a movie or he'll watch a boring war show and I'll sit and read a book or complain about how boring the war show is. Instead I'd much rather be sitting next to him blogging. I'll continue working on him, my birthday's in a few months, so we'll see. ;)

May was crazy. The end of the school year came up quick! I had a fun Mother's day with everyone over for a BBQ, on Memorial Day my girls danced in the parade followed by another BBQ at our house afterwards. We've been so busy with baseball now that Rcok Jr (9) is on a traveling team! It's been fun, but keeps us super busy! Our nights have been, rush home from work, load up the babies, eat junk from concession stands followed by McDonald's or Pop's for dinner. Nice. I'm sure I'll gain 20 pounds by the end of baseball season! grr! We played two tournaments, one in Germantown and one in West Bend and ended up with 2nd place at each one! Pretty awesome!

The kids are glad to be outta school! I can't lie, I love summer break! It gets tiring every night to go through four folders, signing papers n assignment notebooks, practice spelling words n checking over homework. I'm still trying to make sure they read daily, but love the break from school nights and mornings!!


I really can NOT believe my Mariana (11) is going into 6th grade! Middle school....Jr. High....::sobs:: She's now taking clarinet lessons once a week and is in cheeleading again, practicing two nights a week. Crazy how time flies!

When the heck did my kids grow up? And where was I?

So yesterday it was yucky, rainy and cold outside. My kids are already used to winter being over and were stuck in the house, driving me crazy  bouncing off the walls. It was about noon, so I took them to McDonald's for lunch hoping the could burn off some energy in the Playland. We haven't been to the Playland in forever so I was totally THEE best mom in the world. Anyways, we ate and then went to play That's when I realized something I haven't noticed or maybe I just refused to see.......my babies......aren't babies anymore. ::tears::

My eyes honestly started to tear up, and no, it wasn't from the mixed smells of urine and stinky feet, they were real tears I was trying to choke back. I had the oldest kids in all of the Playland (of course, besides my Mikey). Rock Jr (9) actually came up to me and said "I think I'm too old for this, mom." He said he was running around but was scared he was going to knock a little kid over. I was like, but you're a little kid. I hugged him and he decided to hang with Mikey. When it was time to go, and I announced "Time to go" they came running. And put there shoes on. And put on their jackets. No one complained. No when begged to stay five more minutes. They got themselves buckled in the truck and all thanked me as we pulled out the of McDonald's parking lot. Gone are the days of telling my babies a bazillion times "It's time to go" helping eight little feet with shoes, carrying two kids while telling the older two not to let go of my jacket, where I then work up a sweat getting get everyone buckled, and pull out of the McDonald's parking lot with someone still crying that they weren't ready to leave yet. I never thought I would miss those days. I guess I will still have these days with Mikey (1yr), I just wish life would slow down.

Why do the days, months, and years have go by so quickly?

Bri and Jules,  Christmas 2003

2006

2007

4th of July, 2009

Feb 2010

Here's Rock (2), where his love for sports began....

and now, (9) One of the best players on the team!

My girls

2007

2008

2010

My Mikey

PrayforKate.com

About two months ago Rock Jr. (9) started complaining of headaches. Mari (11) had the same problem when she was 8 or 9 yrs. old and her pediatrician said she could just be getting a little dehydrated. Sure enough, her headaches were only on gym days and she was just a little dehydrated. Anyways, we made sure to remind Rock to drink lots of water before and after gym and baseball practice, but the headaches were still coming around almost weekly. So, I made the appointment with his pediatrician. She questioned possible allergies, dehydration, if he's fallen in the past 30 days, bumped his head, and a bunch more questions that all came back "no". She requested that he get a CT scan and my stomach turned. In the back of my mind I had a little worry bird flying around making me think about all the horrible"what ifs". I couldn't help it, I'm a mom. She referred me to Pediatric Imaging and told me to schedule the appointment for their next opening. I could feel my heart pounding faster as she talked. I think she saw my fear, (Rock Jr didn't) and told me I will feel better after we see a clear CT and most likely he's just is having tension headaches. My son??...tension headaches?? He's nine, what can any nine year old be tense about? I guess he was kind of stressing about how his 8's were coming up for his timed multiplication test, but we studied. He had those 8's down!

I made the appointment the next day and got all teary eyed to Rocky Sr. with all the "What Ifs" I was thinking. He told me everything would be OK and not to worry. Rock Jr. is what I always call my healthy kid, rarely gets colds or fevers and now I was scared I jinxed him. We went the next day, Me, Rock and Mari. The nurse was awesome. We had to wait a little while for her to make sure they got all the right images. I could not stop my mind from thinking the worse. I told myself to shut up so many times and kept praying they would find a perfectly healthy brain in there!! Driving home my worries again took over and brought me to tears. Luckily, Mari and Rock were in the backseat talking and laughing and I covered my eyes with my sunglasses.

Our pediatrician stays open to 7p.m. some nights so I called her nurse when we got back to the house to tell her we got the CT scan and asked if she could get back to me that night (if at all possible). She called about a half hour later, (thank goodness) letting me know that NOTHING was wrong with my son (Thank God!!). She said everything looks as it should and to have him to take it easy at his baseball practices and see to her back in 6 months. I got off the phone, told Rocky Sr. and prayed, thanking God for a perfectly healthy son. Those awful thoughts and fears only ended up being thoughts and fears and were off my shoulders the second she said everything looks great.

My heart hurts today for a mother I don't even know and her daughter, Kate. One of the blogs I follow had a link to her website and blog prayforkate.com. Her sweet, beautiful, blue eyed, 6-year old daughter, Kate (McRae) has brain cancer. I'm sure her mother sat and waited having the same worries and fears and thoughts that I had. I'm sure she prayed as hard as I did while waiting to hear her daughter's CT results. I'm sure her husband told her to not worry, that everything would be fine. But for her it wasn't. All of the awful thoughts and fears she probably had, instead came true the second her doctor said everything wasn't OK and her little girl had a massive tumor. She wasn't able to hang up the phone as I did with a sigh of relief. Instead she went from the CT appointment to emergency care to start fighting for her daughter's life. My heart breaks for her, and her family, and her sweet daughter. God has His plan, I will pray that it includes this little girl surviving and beating this horrible, ugly cancer she has, and that she will grow up and live a full, happy life. I will pray for Kate's sister and brother that their hearts won't hurt when their mom or dad are gone caring for  Kate. And I will pray and ask God to continue to give Kate's Mom and Dad strength, courage, and hope. I hope one day they will be able to tell everyone that this horribly mean, scary and cruel disease was beaten by their sweet, beautiful, blue-eyed little girl.

Please pray for this family. I'm going to go and squeeze all my babies now!

PrayforKate.com.  Kate McRae

Where are you Aunt Flo?

Dear Aunt Flo,

Where've ya been? I miss you and it’s been like 34 days since you came to visit last. I’m worried about you. I know I was in a bad mood and talked major crap last month when you were visiting and I’m sorry. But you were really bugging me that week and arrived on mine and Rocky’s date night! I know it wasn’t your fault. I planned the date even though I knew you were coming to visit that weekend, so again, I’m sorry. If you come and see me soon, I promise I won’t ever talk bad about you again. In fact, I’ll tell everyone how happy I am that you’re back. Even Rocky, who’s always hated you, is wondering where you’ve been. We miss you Aunt Flo, please come back!

Your friend,

Cindy

Late Easter Blog (Warning Picture OVERLOAD!!)

Happy Belated Easter!! The Easter Bunny has come and gone. It was a busy day. Walking up early to (loud) whispers from my girl's bedroom, wondering if they should sneak to start looking for their baskets. Had breakfast and candy for dessert. Then got everone all fancied up and went to my dad's house for Easter. We had an Easter Egg Hung and then got stuffed with ham for lunch. Then went to visit my mom at my Abuela's house where I stuffed my face again. (Ugh!) My Abuela is in her upper 70's and made some fideo (an awesome Mexican dish I LOVE) so I had to eat it! Then I begged Rocky Sr. to go to a park near my Abuela's so we could take pics of our babies all dressed up. They were all having rollercoaster of emotions the whole day from supper giggly to tired to grumpy and back to super giggly thanks to all the candy. But we still went and I got some good pics. (The lighting is a lil off in the pics, I'm still editing some with my new Corel Art Photoshop).

We unfortunately, didn't make it to church, but I totally thought about going. Does that count? One of my goals this year was to get involved with a church. It's already April. So far, I've failed.

Anyways, the day was a lot of fun but very exhausting! Here are some pics!

Mikey's lil fat hands. You can't really tell in this pic but he cracked his egg. Kept calling it his "Ba! Ba!" (Ball) and then smooshed it!

My Julia Gulia (giggling cuz I zoomed in on her)

Rocky dying eggs with our babies. (After this pic he told them to be careful so the dye wouldnt get on the table, then proceeded to PLOP his egg into the lil cup and got dye on the table.

My Rock Jr

Mari & Rock Jr. in deep thought...

HA! Rock Jr. trying the yoke from the egg Mikey cracked.

My babies at Dad's (Papa's & Grandma Debbie's) House

At my favorite park in Waukesha

My Girls, when I asked them to pose...

My Girls, when I asked them to pose like girls...

My Girls :)

My world...

Me n Rock Jr. (Crooked pic by Rock Sr)

My sweety babies

My oldest, Mariana (11) 

My Rock Jr. (9)

My Mikey (1)

My Julia (7)

My Briana (8)

My Boys

Proud owners of the children pictured above

Ultimate Blog Party!

So, I joined the Ultimate Party Blog going on to check out more blogs, have others check out mine and maybe win something. Part of the Party is to write about me. Se here we go... (note: I am totally cheating and cutting and pasting some things from my first blog entry...I gotta pick up my son from baseball practice in 15 minutes).

I'm Cindy, I'm a 28-yeay old mom to five. My kids are my life. When I'm not struggling, I mean, helping my oldest Mariana (10), with her homework, rushing to put on some makeup in the hallway mirror while son, Rocky Jr (8) dunks a small basketball over my head into the hoop that's hanging above the mirror, or telling Briana (7) to please, please use her indoor voice and then explaining indoor voices are supposed to be quiet, or listening to Julia (6) tell a long story about something, and then starting her story over again because she thought I was listening, or making "googoo gaga" noises and silly faces at my 2 month old, Mikey, to try and get him to smile while whipping one diaper off and putting another on as quick as I can because he's known to spray me....yeah, when not doing that...I'm.... well doing a whole bunch of other stuff.

(Note: my babies have grown since this 1st post, they're now 11, 9, 8, 7 and 1).

I work full time for my dad's plumbing company. I've been working with him for almost ten years now and have been lucky enough to bring all my babies to work with me. Not at the same time of course, my oldest four go to daycare, then bused to their elementary school and little Mikey comes along with me.

Life is fun and busy and perfectly crazy with five babies and a boyfriend. Yes, boyfriend. We're sinners. Five kids and never married...yet. Sooner or later that'll happen. Right now, were fine where we're at. About him? Hmm... well he's Rocky Sr. going to be 30 this year! I met him when I was almost fifteen at a party at a house owned by trusting parents of a 16 year old boy. Somehow through friends we both new the guy and fate or (Vodka and Sunny-D) brought us together that night. I knew of him as a "bad boy" before I met him. So when he said his name, "Rocky Martinez" and I remembered he was that guy who just beat up that one guy, it was love at first sight. We had our first date at the Homecoming dance and had our first kiss in his parents driveway in the rain. We've been through a lot, make ups and break ups, and a whole lot of drama. But, we're making it work, we're not afraid to fight with each other, realizing it's better to talk or yell it out now, then hold it in and resent eachother later. He makes me mad, he annoys me at times, we can yell and scream at eachother, but in the end I still love him like crazy.

So this is blog. My goal is to post something atleast twice a week whether it's a cute pic, random thing someone did or said, and hopefully more about my Perfectly Crazy life!

                                                                              

My Mikey is One!

My baby boy is ONE already! We had a big birthday party for him at our house with the family. He was too cute when it came to us singing Happy B-day to him. I almost teared up when singing to him wondering where did his first year go? It went by so quick. I'm very grateful that he is so happy and that he's healthy, and mine! Before he was born, I always got the feeling someone was missing. The day he was born, I felt complete. I love him more than I will ever be able to explain. Here are some of my favorite pics from Mikey's 1st year.

Moments Old...

Words can never express how much love and happiness I felt at this moment.

a few weeks old

Look at those hairy little shoulders!

holding mommy's hand

1st bath. This is the 1st and last time you ever cried during bathtime.

Love those toes!

Hanging with your big Bro!

Loving the fresh air at the park

Love those big eyes!

Nice full belly.

teething...

Love that smile!!

1st teeting cookie! Very messy!

Learning to crawl...

1st time touching pumpkin guts!

My little football, 1st Halloween

Stuffed after 1st Thanksgiving!

Playing wtih the paper more than the presents 1st Christmas

Happy 1st Birthday, my sweet Mikey. You make us complete. I love you!!