playing catch up

Easter was fun!!! Maya and Eric loved looking for Easter eggs. Maya did the toddler hunt inside with the other 3 yr olds but Eric had his own special hunt in Josh's backyard. He likes it better when things are hidden in plain sight but he managed to find all 20 eggs after 15 minutes or more. We had good food and even better chocolate. Jose had the whole week off before Easter but Eric had the week before that off...so no family vacation this yr. maybe next yr when they are both at Annie Wright. BTW Eric is in officially at Annie Wright next year; both scary and exciting. Exciting because Eric will be attending the most prestigious school in the Tacoma area and they have a God centered curriculum. Scary because his education will cost as much as a small foriegn car yearly. Lucky we get a healthy discount...I really thought it was still expensive even with the discount but hten I priced Cascade Heritage and TBS and then I loved my mother even more. Who knew she had spent so much on my education.
So is it worth it. Yes, I hope I am right but I think so. My mothers side of the family almost all did private school and it seems like my cousins all turned out "OK" (some are still turning out). Lets face it, working full time I need all the help I can get with my kids and Annie Wright is all inclusive...swimming, music you name it , you can get it.

What more...the date Jose was supposed to leave came and went and we are still here....for now...we'll see. I know nothing so nothing new to post.

it's about time

Yeah I know, my blog is a little dusty.  I have been so preoccupied with life.  We got a letter 3 weeks ago telling us Jose has to be in Cuidad Juarez by April 6th for his deportation.  I cannot believe after 9 years they havn't done another amnisty.  It is kindo surreal.  But I guess panic mode gets me moving some.  So the bad news really is that the National Visa Center misplaced or destroyed his file which takes about a year to create..so my attorney says we should sue them and then they won't be able to make him leave while wearein a active lawsuit.  Ugg.  

So I wrote Oprah, Norm Dicks, Obama, Maria Cantwell etc. and everyone is pretty much unable to help.  

I used to wonder why people snapped now I get it.  I think the worst part is this is a horrible market and it is not like I can sell my house and move to Mexico with him....I don't think I could even sell my house.

We will see how things go...Annie Wright has been great about it and there is even some talk of doing a fund raiser in Jose's name so we don't loose our home while he is gone......I am tired of fighting and ready to take a vacation somewhere other than the ocean.   

Jose and I just got back from our very first adults only mini vacation. We spent 2 nights sleeping in and going to restaurants and eating in the bar to avoid the wait. We went skiing yesterday. Well actually I fell and Jose snow boarded. I used to be so fearless and now the speed just scares the bejeebers out of me! For a Mexican Jose does very well in the snow. He finally is good enough he is ready to take on teaching Eric how to board. It is so funny how excited we were to get away alone but the whole time we were gone we missed the kids so much! So we have made plans to take the kids to he mountians in three weeks. Jose will take Eric down the slopes and Maya and I will go tubing. We figure they won't last longer than a couple of hours. It was nice but I was glad to be missed back home too.
It was so strange trying to figure out where to go eat,,we did no have anything to consider but ourselves....so we just said where do we love to go that the kids like to act out...and when we got there and were told seating would take 45 minutes we didn't have to consider if a child might have a melt down in the foyer of the restaurant.
All in all great fun and we have decided to go for atleast 1 night every 3 monthes.
If nothing else, we can enjoy dinner without someone on our laps and I can take a bath without someone banging on the door yelling that they need me..and we can watch a adult action movie to gorry for their precious eyes......then we can come home and enjoy dinners with someone snuggling up on our laps...I can take a bath and smile as my heart swells when someone is begging me to get out because they need me, and we can all curl up and giggle over some totally appropriate for all movie together!

Seeing santa

Yesterday was Eric's garage and pinata party. Today was Santa at the cannery.

Long lines and lots of Whining we found Eric had no desire to talk to Santa because he had already sent a letter and Maya was scared of him.

Wonderful!

Thanksgiving was nuts. At the last minute 7 additional people decided they wanted to join the fun.. You would think after being married 9 yrs I would be used to the unexpected company...but it still puts me thru a loop. I had a mini panic attack but once I decided just to let it go I actually had a pretty good time with these 7 stangers....funny (that is usually what happens). Elvia, Rosey and I woke up at 3 am to do black Friday. We had it mapped out totally OCD style. Yeah,,,,not very smart. After waiting in line for 2.25 hours just to pay for Elvia's two sweatshirts at Kohls we headed to walmart where they were sold out of almost everything I wanted but the kids pj's was the real bummer. Every year they have kids pj's for 4 dollars. So we went to Freddies, target, jc penney's and Toysrus. After all the crazy lines ets. and no stopping for food or potty breaks (as any real shopper knows food slows you down and drink increases the chances of needing potty breaks) I thought both girls might die or kill me (this was thier first yr tagging alog....and probably their last). We got starbucks and headed home where our kids and boys let us all take naps! What a blessing!

So now I have the wrapping and cookie itch.

Then we went to church and I was reading that the next sermon series is called real simple and it is about the holidays and christmas. And for a moment I froze and really thought about why I do all of this...3 am shopping 9 pm cookies and closet wrapping...and I wonder if in my effort to make the holidays a wonderful and memorable time, do my kids really get what it is about...yeah, I tell them, but does it sink in?