New Desk Idea

Around our home, space is always an issue. We seem to "hunt" down a little space. And mark our territory. I don't think small families have this issue. I'm not certain. Being that I've always been from a large family.

As our kids get older, the issues just seem to grow. We need sleep spaces, play spaces, and know homework spaces. Since we moved into our home, the office has always been David's space. He needs it for work. But I had a small desk, and some space in there. A place, for me to go and do work. You know, pay bills, write letters and Thank yous, things like that.

But last year, I started to notice something, I was getting squeezed out. You see, this also happens to be the space, where Marissa and Maribel do their homework. Mostly because it's quiet. And the younger kids know, it's off limits.

Their little desks moved in. Mine got harder and harder to get to. I wondered if I'd ever have a little "space" again. While I was browsing through Pinterest the other night, I came across this picture.

And it's given me some ideas. We have 2 large closets in our den. One that we don't really use. I talked to David about this. Showed him this picture. And instantly, he started sketching some ideas.

Looks like this mommy is getting a new "space." That's all hers. :) Honestly, this setup is much better than the one I previously had. Don't tell anyone. But maybe just maybe, this will also help me stay organized. Goodness, I can't wait to get started!!

For the Birds

It's Summer! My older girls, I can tell they're getting a little bored. I can just see it all over them! You see, we have ridiculous weather here. Weather that is happy to stay 100+ for weeks at a time. Most of the time we're well over 105 degrees.

I know. My kiddos would enjoy, staying in the pool all day long! But with 5 of them, and 1 of me, that's not a possibility. Not even close!! We only go in the pool, when David is home. That means, I must come up with some good ideas. You know, to keep Familia G happy.

It's crazy. Especially being that my husband works, 7 days a week. No, really. Monday-Friday he has his job. You know, where he has a career, as an engineer. Then on the weekends, he's working with the Mariachi. We're sorta used to this. You know when we have a routine.

But now that it's Summer, our routine has changed. Marissa is in Summer Camp. Because, well she needs it. We need it. I NEED it!! But that's only during the week. On the weekends, I've got everyone. By myself!!

I turned to Pinterest. I needed a plan. For this past weekend. My husband was working all weekend. And I just knew, Marissa and I would butt heads. We needed a plan.

Well, turns out, we had some fun projects to tackle. That honestly, kept everyone busy. And happy! What did we work on? Something for our little feathered friends. :)



Now if you're asking yourself...."What is this?" It's a bird feeder. Shut up! I know. Just call me "Crafty Mommy." We made 3. Maribel and Marissa each had their own. The 3 youngins' and I, worked on another.

These lovely feeders, are made with slinkies! Shut your mouth!! That's what I said. A slinky, some wire, a bit of paint, and bird feed....made for hours and hours of fun! And I'm 100% positive that our feathered friends, were happy with our crafting too!

Life Changing Ideas

Sometimes I just have to admit it. Life with 5 kiddos can be....well let's just say, a little crazy!! And I welcome all things, that will make my life easier.

When you go this route, things may not be done perfectly, but they will be done. My kiddos are getting to those wonderful ages, where they can now do things for themselves. And remember our "Color System." It's still in action. And doing GREAT things for us!!

Now that we have older kiddos, I'm looking for those things that make our lives a little easier. Pinterest is a great place to find ideas and inspiration. That's where I found this idea!!



We made a quick trip to Target yesterday. Everyone picked out their favorite cup. You know, in their color. When I got home, I washed those babies. Glued a few magnets on. And now, my kiddos can get their own water. Day or night.

It's one less thing, that I'm worry about this Summer. Yes, I've noticed a bit more water on the floor. But Chente is enjoying the cool water. It's a win-win-win. The kiddos are becoming more independent. Chente is getting a steady amount, of cold water. And well, I'm able to make snacks, do laundry, and perhaps run to the bathroom....without searching for water cups.

Do you have any more ideas I could use? Simple things. Things that my 6 year old, and 2 year olds can handle? I'd love to hear about some more good ideas!!

French Braid Updo

David is at work. Marissa is at school. Maribel is at dance practice. Mariella is sitting here with me. And the twins are napping. Mommy Love needed a little break. :)

So we're watching some YouTube videos. And I found this one...



I just love this hairstyle! So cute. I have such straight hair. And I don't do much with it. Because I don't know what to do with it. I've always had this problem. It was much more of an issue when I worked. But now that I stay home with my 5 kiddos, well it's usually down. Or in a bun. Or something like that.

But David and I are going on a date night soon. So I was looking for some nice things to do. I'm trying to make an effort at looking nice for my dear husband. My plan is to practice this at nap time this afternoon. I really want to try this for our date night. :)

Marissa's 5th Birthday

Dear Marissa,

We can't believe that you're already 5 years old! Where did all the time go? You're already such a big girl. I still remember the day you were born. The day you made us parents. That beautiful smile that we've grown to love, that was the first day we got to see it. :)

You have taught us so much in the last 5 years. So much about love. And patients. About answering the never ending questions. And loving all things pink and NASCAR. Yes, our little girl, you've taught us more than we've taught you. It's just that simple.

I know. You're a big girl. I see it every week. The way you take care of your little sisters and brother. And yes, you're still working on "loving him." But we're getting there. We just love watching you grow. How excited you get to go to school or your "biolin" lessons. The love you have for church. And dancing is your life. It's amazing to sit and watch.

But most of all, we're just happy and grateful for you happiness and health. It's something we'll never take for granted. It's been 5 years since we welcomed you into the world. 5 very short years! But were has the time gone?

All we want is for you to grow up and be happy. I'm not sure were the years are going to take us. Or how the journey is going to be. But we're excited! And ready for it. We just want for you to continue to grow and be such a happy ninita! Feliz Cumpleanos! :)

Con amor,

Mommy Love and Daddy Bear

Planning for 2

I'm sitting here, completely blank. I have no clue what we're going to do for Marissa and Mariella's birthdays. Marissa wants another Dale Jr. party. Mariella, I'm thinking something with animals. But I don't know. And David, he's insisting that we need to have 2 separate parties.

So I'm sitting here trying to think about it. If you have any ideas or suggestions, please leave them here. I need them. I don't have a clue what to do. It makes me wonder about March...

Play Doh

I'm pretty sure my parents hate me. They bought our girls this big pack of Play Doh. And today, I was trying to be a good mom. I let them play with it. Like always, Maribel played nicely. She didn't mix the colors. Or put the Play Doh in the grass or dirt. She didn't throw it into the pool. No, that would be Mariella.

We played outside with the Play Doh. Because I didn't want to find it in our carpet, on the curtains, or in the furniture. So after 2 hours, we headed back in. All Play Doh was confiscated. Put away in the garage. Out of my little girls' reach.

Then after bedtime, I found it. In the carpet. Blue Play Doh in our light carpet. And I couldn't get it out. Good thing David is patient. After the clean up, we went to sit on the couch. Watch some TV. Pink Play Doh was between the cushions. How does this happen? I know I took it all away from Mariella.

I'm wondering, did she hide some? Is she just trying to drive her mom crazy? What's up? Note to all grandparents, no Play Doh, markers, finger paints, etc. Not until our youngest 2 are at least 4. Then we might be able to deal...

Urban Rain Giveaway

Nothing says girly goodness like this shop, Urban Rain. And My Cakies is hosting a giveaway for them. For a $25 gift certificate! I'm sure I could get lots of hair bobbins for my girls. 4 girls...they like their hair accessories!

Made Me Laugh

I seen this commercial this morning and it made me laugh. I think David wanted to cry. But as you all know, we have 5 kids. Our last 2, being twins. And the color system, it's been in place since our 2nd daughter was born.

Everything is color coded. Their towels, blankets, and sometimes clothes. I'm just trying to keep up with them here. But this commercial just made me laugh. I hadn't yet thought about the day we have to buy them all school supplies. And how are they going to keep it all organized. I'm hoping, there are our 5 colors that we use.

And why exactly did David want to cry? Because we made the decision to send our kids to Catholic School. Why? Because the public school system here, it really is not good. And the Catholic Schools are really good. Secondly, our religion is really important to us.

That means, we spend less money on other things. Like toys and vacations. But it was a family decision. One that we're very happy we made. But Marissa is starting her 3rd year of pre-school there. And I have to admit, it's pretty costly. Not crazy, but that's money we could use in other areas. Just wait until next summer when we are facing 2 tuitions.

So this commercial, it's just a reminder of what we are going to face in our future. Not that we have triplets. But 5 kids, 2 twins, isn't that crazy enough? But you have to love the color system. It still allows for creativity and individuality. :)

Friends

Friends are pretty amazing. They're right there when you need them. You never have to ask for them. You never have to tell them what's wrong, they're just there.

On Friday, both of our older girls had events to go to. My parents were taking my grandma to the doctor. David's parents were busy. David had to work. And well, these days, it's tough for me to get out of the house. Breastfeeding twins is a FULL TIME JOB! But I do love it.

Maribel asked her Nono (Albert) to take her to her dance performance. And Marissa called up her Tia Bonita (Lola.) She had a field trip to the park and the museum. Tia Bonita immediately said yes. I know it was going to be tough for her. Being that she was supposed to be across the country. But she came.

And our girls had a blast! Maribel did so good. And Albert even recorded it for us to watch. :) Marissa had a great time too! And she even talked Tia Bonita and Tio Berto into taking them out for pizza. From what I hear, Marissa "bought" Maribel dinner. She has a bunch of those free pizza coupons from school. Because my daughter reads and reads. The coupons are their rewards.

But we've got some pretty amazing friends. This is just 1 example of our amazing friends. I never used to understand the saying, "It takes a village to raise a child." But now, I know that is true. There are so many things our kids would miss out on.

Our friends are always doing things like this. Borrowing our kids to go to the library, store, or the park. Papa Memo coming and picking up our girls to take them for a sleepover and cooking. The girls really enjoy that.

But then there are things like when Lola comes over for a visit. And I'm looking like a "hot mess." Just ready to fall apart. And she tells me to hand over my screaming babies. Mariella is running around, Marissa is asking a million questions, and Maribel is quietly playing. That's a pretty average day around here.

Lola sends me to my room to just collect my thoughts. And she is wonderful with my kids. By the time I come back out, my bigger girls are happily coloring. And my twins are laughing away in their little chairs. How she does it, I'll never know. But Lola really does need to have children.
She just knows that I need some time. And she gives me 5 minutes. Heck, one time I took a nap. A 2 hour nap. And the kids and Lola were just having a good time. That's what good friends are. People who come running to you when you need help. They're there for you during the good times and the bad.

David and I are so lucky to have amazing friends. All of our friends. But especially Albert, Memo, and Lola. Thank you guys from the bottom of my heart. I know I couldn't survive most days without you. Your friendship means the world to me!