Interview with Brady: On turning 7!!

It's been a few weeks now since Brady turned 7 but time has gotten away from us! So it's time to record a bit about him, our 3rd boy. 

His actual birthday was August 14th, a week before school started. On their birthdays we let the boys choose an activity they want to do and a restaurant they want to go to as a family. This year since we were going on a little holiday as a family earlier in August, we let Brady choose the hotel he wanted to go to (there is really only one option in the boy's minds). 

He also chose the restaurant, which was Olive Garden, as he loves the bread sticks and he wanted them to sing for him. He remembered from another time there that the waiters sing for the birthday person and he would not let us leave until they came and sang for him. He doesn't shy away from attention that's for sure!

A week later school started and they celebrated him there as a class and Dallas and I took a cake for him to share with his friends. 

So his birthday celebrations lasted a few weeks by the time it was all said and done. 

I can't believe our youngest is already 7. He seems like 7 but yet with being the youngest it feels like he should be much younger than that. I'm sure all mothers feel that way ;) He started Grade 1 this year and he is so happy to be in the "big" school with the big kids (in Canada he would be in Grade 2). 

I'll let Brady do the rest of the talking in this post and tell you a bit about himself: 

1. What is your favorite color? Red

2. What is your favorite toy? My potato head America

3. What is your favorite fruit? Mango

4. What is your favorite tv show or movie? How to Train your Dragon

5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Waffles

6. What is your favorite game? Padres vs. Hijos
(A Spanish board games where parents and kids ask each other questions about Mexican history, culture, etc)

The boys love to help decorate their cakes

7. What is your favorite snack? Lollipop

8. What is your favorite animal? Chihuahua

9. What is your favorite song or music group? Sugar  

10. What is your favorite book? The Book with No Pictures 

11. Who are your best friends? Mateo, Santi, Cesar, Ale, Enrique, Agustín, Niki 


12. What is your favorite cereal? Lucky Charms

13. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Play with my neighbors. 


14. What is your favorite drink? Coke Light
(oh dear!!)

15. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas

16. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? My blankie, my teddies, my pillow  

17. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Bagel with nutella, toasted

18. What do you want to be when you grow up? A video game maker of Plants vs. Zombies

20. Imagine that you can become invisible whenever you wanted to. What are some of the things you would do? Eat all the food in the tiendita and go behind a person and then go uninvisible and scare them.
(The "tiendita" is the snack shop at school where they can buy lunch items)

21. I am very proud of…I don't know... 

22. If I were President I would…tell everybody to be Christians.

23. I am afraid to...dive from a cliff into the water.

24. Name one thing you do really well: Making Jack playful.
(our cat)

25. Describe what it means to be a good friend: To help kids that are sick or hurt. To be nice to them and to play with them. 

26. What is your favorite time of day? Mid-day because that's the time where we usually play lots.

27. Describe your best day ever? Playing with my lego.

28. Describe your favorite hobby: Play with my friends at school.

29. Climbing trees is…boring. 

30. I wish there were a law that said...go to the jails and read the Bible to the robbers.

31. What makes you feel sad? When you guys give me punishments.


32. What makes you feel happy? When I play with my neighbors.

33. Pretend that you can fly whenever you wanted. Where would you go? To the clouds because I want to see all the fog and see if I can make shapes with them. 

34. If I could choose a different name, I would choose…Toby. 

35. Where do you want to go on vacation? To the crocodile slide.
(A water slide at a hotel they like)

36. What is your favorite thing to do with Mom or Dad? Do these questions with mom, and watch dad play games.

30 Days of Writing: WHAT SPEAKS TO YOU (literally, today)

My day literally starts every morning with Logan giving me a hug and a smile (how is that my roughest child is also my cuddliest? I guess they both have to do with touch).

And then I'll usually get a good morning or some random comment from him.

The day continues with a hundred words a minute coming at me from all 3 boys. Yes, they speak to me even before I've had my first cup of coffee. Oh, what brave children I have!! Dallas has long seen that important conversations are best left until I've been awake at least an hour. 

But regardless of the time of day, I do love having the boys talking all the time! They have the most interesting conversations and I learn a lot about what goes on in their minds just be listening to them talk amongst each other. 

This evening we also had some "sharing" time as a family, as we watched Masterchef and had to pause it every five minutes to let it download some more. During each pause, we took turns asking each other in the family questions that we all had to answer.

Would you rather be an elephant or a turtle? 

Would you rather be invisible or be able to fly?

Would you rather sleep in a tent or a cabin? 

What's your favorite thing that happened this year?

What's something you like about yourself? (no hesitation here, their answers were that I'm handsome, I'm crazy, and I'm awesome)

What's something you would change or do differently that you did this year? 

So there's the kids talking to me all day. 

And then there's Dallas. Last night at 10 pm he handed in his last big assignment for the class he's currently taking, a class that is so interesting (to me as well as I hear about it! all about the brain and it's connection to our emotions and behaviors) but a class that also has taken more time with homework. So today we had more time to talk and hang out together, which was nice! 

Oh yes, and Jack the cat, meowing to go out.

Today this verse became a focus and an encouragement for me. 

Other people that "spoke" to me today, in person, via Whatsapp, etc.......a lawyer, several friends, my mother...

30 Days of Writing:
DREAM, SENSES, LIGHT, INSPIRING, WHAT-SPEAKS-TO-YOU, HAPPY, FLY, MUSIC, TASTY, SUPPORT, SPECIAL, PLACE, BREAK, TOMORROW, DESTINATION, BRAND, EVENT, NO, LAUGH, FEED, MIND-BLOWING, FABULOUS, COMPARE, EXCLUSIVE, FUZZY, FRIEND, BATTLE, SIGN, GRATITUDE, SMILE
*#an_snapaword

Cell Dump (prepare for an onslaught!)

Yes, here comes an onslaught of pictures from the past month or so! Bits and pieces of some everyday life moments, mostly of the boys as that is what I tend to take pictures of!

Let's begin back in Feb.5, on my birthday. It was on a Sunday, so we were with our cell group for Bible study. Everyone stayed for a bbq afterwards as well. This cell group has people from all ages, from a 2 year old all the way to an almost 70 year old, but we all love each other and learn so much from each other.

They insisted on Dallas wearing a hat as he bbq'd ;)

February also brought numerous events for the boys at school.

Carter's class went to the Centre to a Wax Museum, and he then had to dress as a historical figure and his class put on a wax museum at the school where each student had to enact something their figure did. Carter chose Alexander Graham Bell.

Logan's class all had to write stories and then dress in formal wear for school one day to read their story in front of the class. 

Brady had to dress as Abraham Lincoln (for President's Day) and recite part of his speech. 

The boys and I also stopped by Red's burgers on the way home from sports class one day...love these burgers!

 Last Sunday was Juan's birthday, from our cell group, and since Dallas' was just this last Thursday, we celebrated the two of them together.

With all of our activity and Bible studies each week, the boys love the opportunity also to just hang out at home sometimes. They play all day, or ride their bikes around the neighborhood, or play a bit of wii.

We are the kings of family selfies......

A month or so ago all 3 boys also started a sport. Two of Carter's friends are on a soccer team close by so he wanted to join them. We were hoping to put Logan and Brady in soccer as well, as there is also a class for their age at the same time. But....their age groups were full so they're on a waiting list and in the meantime are doing Taekwondo! It was the only sport available for their age at this same location so that's what they'll do for now...they love it though! We do hope to switch them to soccer yet though as it's cheaper ;)

The bonus for me is that I have two friends there to hang out with for the 1.5 hours of practice, as their sons are the ones on the team. They are families we've gotten to know well over the past number of years.

 I don't often take pictures of my food but this was a pretty one ;) On the top is Chilaquiles, which is corn chips with a salsa and sour cream, onion, and cheese on top. On the side are refried beans and an egg in a chili ring. Chilaquiles with beans and egg is a typical Mexican breakfast.

 Mangos are coming out more now and we loooooooooove Mangos!

Well that's it for now! 

This weekend Dallas is away with some friends, biking over the mountains to Puerto Vallarta. Yesterday they biked about 6 hours and today it's another 7-8 hours or so. So the boys and I are enjoying our time together and this afternoon we get to hang out together at home and relax. It's not often we have the whole day to just "be" together so we're enjoying it.

Jack the cat gives a good example of what we'll all like to do on a Sunday afternoon...

Hope you're all enjoying your day today. My coffee and a piece of banana bread await. 

to have or not to have...a pet

The time is coming to say good-bye to our dog, Zoe...

{picture taken last year when we first got her}

We have decided that we would like to not have her back when we come back in August.

Don't get me wrong, I have always loooved little dogs. Always had one growing up and hopefully one day we can have a dog again. It's just been a little difficult with her here in this house, with no yard to run around in, and cleaning up after her and giving her the proper attention that she needs. Maybe once we're out of this stage with little kids who still need a lot of help with things, we would enjoy it more, I'm not sure.

So anyway, we are looking for a home for her! The family that gave her to us was going to be coming back from the US in July and we have been trying so much to find someone to take care of her from now when we leave till they get back!! They would love to have her back. But, now they don't know when they can come back...and we can't find anyone to take care of her.

So we are advertising her :(
This gives us 1 week to find her a home. Praying someone gives us a call soon!

Our boys still think they need to have a pet. But we're not so sure about that. Maybe something small that sits in a cage :-) and Carter says no fish, b/c they are boring.

The other day our neighbour girl brought over her little parrot to show the boys! They loved it so of course now Carter thinks we should have a little parrot also.

We will see how things end up here on the pet front...

The 30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 6

{a photo of an animal you'd love to keep as a pet}

If for some reason I ever end up living in a huge place that had a huge pool or better yet, an ocean in the backyard, I'd love to keep a dolphin as a pet.

One that came whenever I called for it and took me for rides in the water.

Might as well go all out in my wishful thinking right?

right now...

...the day is just still in it's starting stages.
Carter is gone at school.
Dallas is gone at a men's meeting.
Logan and Brady are eating muffins and drinking milk for breakfast.
I am waiting for my coffee to finish brewing.
Zoe is sniffing around on the floor for stray crumbs.
Music is playing.
Windows are open, letting in the "cool" early morning air.

meet.......Zoe

 Forgive the blurry pictures....but here is our new dog, Zoe!

She is a Jack Russell Terrior and is 11 years old, which is nice b/c she's trained already, although I'm sure there will be some adjustments with a new house and new owners.

A missionary family {from another organization here} is leaving for a year of furlough so they had to give her away...and we had tossed around the idea of a pet and it just came up again this last week when we got the email from them asking if anyone wanted their dog. So....we thought about it and decided to go for it :-)

Our yard is tiny but she's used to that so it's a great fit. At least so far. We've had her for all of an hour :-) But the owners told us a ton about her and her commands, etc etc and I for one love it that she's a hyper little dog! I grew up with hyper little dogs in the house.

The boys are in loooooove. They are practicing all her commands and confusing poor Zoe but she'll get the hang of these boys yet.

today in sentences

The day started a little later than normal...after being up until midnight last night with our Bible study group, we were all just a tad tired.

That includes Carter and Logan also being up till midnight which means they slept in, Carter till 9:30 am and Logan till 10:30 am!

From the moment we were up though we were working on things...I started cooking eggs and macaroni first thing to get ready for a friends lunch tomorrow after church, with some of Carter's classmates and families from school.

Dallas in the meantime was doing some prep for church tomorrow.

And then he took a jaunt to the park with some others to sign up for a race on Father's Day morning. Which they thought was a 5 km race...but found out when they got there it's going to be a 10 km race.

Carter and Logan begged to "nap" together in our bed in the afternoon. We should know by now that they will never actually nap when they're in the same bed. Rather, we hear the pittir patter of little feet running around the room, lots of giggling, and when we open the door to see what's going on....Logan flopping around on the bed grinning and Carter lying angelicaly in bed with his eyes closed. Carter is a super-pro at fake sleeping!! seriously I cannot tell when looking at him if he is faking or actually asleep.

Carter also got new sandals and shoes today! It's a fun day for me when I actually get to shoe shop for more members of the family than just myself, since with 4 males in the house it doesn't happen that often.

He really wanted a certain pair of sandals b/c the price tag attached to them had pictures of superheroes on them. Luckily for him, they were also the sandals that met Dallas' durability, my looks test, and our price test.

A few hours of our afternoon was spent at a church here of friend's...another mission organization...that were putting on a missions conference. They did a super job! They had workshops with different missionary speakers, the ones we went to were from Columbia working with indiginous groups here in Mexico, and the other was a women from here in Mexico, working with Muslims in the Middle East.

They also had tables set up of different countries that their mission organization works in, and one was Paraguay :-) So they had tereré for us and some other typical foods. woohoo!

The 3 boys went to kids activities during that time and we were quite impressed that the boys came back to us with name tags on. Impressed b/c that means that the boys actually told the leaders their names. Actually talked to them. haha. The boys love going to kids group things, have no problem really doing it, but sometimes they don't want to talk when they're there, if they don't know the people. So thankful though that they enjoy hanging out with people in different situations!

We came home, well first we went to get some groceries for tomorrow since I still needed to cook some things, and that was an adventure. An adventure in me wanting to go to a certain grocery store that had a certain cream for my coffee {as well as the other things I needed} and then a crazy parking lot and a frustrated couple and ended in parking far away and me walking across the mall and grocery store parking lot!! Fun, fun..... in the end though I got my creamer and my other things and we came home to cook and do a bit more prep for tomorrow :-)

{don't worry folks, the frustrated couple was only frustrated during the parking lot experience....}

Anyways, that was kind of our day. It is once again time for bed!

Tomorrow's agenda: Church. Picnic lunch and hanging out with school friends out in the country somewheres. Evening: Picking up our new dog!! More to come on that :-)

out on the town

We are learning that we will need to adapt or give up our kid's "schedules" at times...

Last night we had our prayer service at church at 5 pm and afterwards we had been invited by Antonio and Leti to join them at another church where their friends attended. We decided to go, and enjoyed the service. Afterwards, it being 9 pm, we were going to go home and get the kids to bed (Carter was quite the bear from having to wake up from his nap and try and sit nicely through 2 services but it ended up he needed to run around and let some energy out...). Antonio and Leti said though that they were headed to the friends house for supper to celebrate her birthday and invited us along.

So off we went. I should note - supper here is normally eaten around 8 pm or later. Lunch is also later, around 1 or 2 pm. It's something we will have to get used to but the kids have been great with staying out late and so they're pretty flexible which helps a lot.

We had a great time there meeting their friends, plus the pastor of the church we had visited. Earlier in the evening we also met the pastor of another church in Delicias which is good to have so we can make connections with him at some point. Carter ran around with other kids and Logan was held all evening by everyone.

as we were leaving in the evening...Carter started playing with a puppy. There were 4 dogs there, and they all happened to be white. Carter has been telling us lately he wants a white dog in his home. Since we didn't say no we didn't want one, or Dallas says I didn't give a negative impression...Joel offered to ask his brother, who owned the dog, if we could have it :-) we shall see......

We FINALLY have kitchen cupboards so I can put stuff away and actually COOK and use my stuff again. It was such a thrill unpacking my gorgeous yellow dishes again... ahhh