Talented One | It's a Vivas Thing!

Jun 13 2010

VIP Weekend!

Our weekend started out with Chicken Noodle Butt coming home as his class VIP! This meant that he got to keep the classroom pet…a stuffed lizard…for the weekend! He was very excited about his new friend!

It was the Talented One’s 17th birthday on Saturday, making him one VIP for the weekend, too!

Does he look happy?

We didn’t get to celebrate his birthday much on Saturday though, because hubby was in a wedding. Once his wedding duties were over, he changed out of his tux and we had some fun on the dance floor! Well, they had fun dancing while I had fun snapping pictures!

This is the Drama Queen dancing with her cousin.

And then there is Punky having a ball with the Drama Queen, Chicken Noodle Butt, the Princess, and a family friend. Can you see Chicken Noodle Butt getting down in the background? They boy went crazy on the dance floor! I wish we’d thought to video tape it as I’m sure we would have won some type of award!

And finally, the Drama Queen got her wish and was able to dance with her daddy. She was able to twist her way down while Daddy did his best to keep up with her, laughing the whole time. I just love this shot! I’m sure one day when she gets married and has her own slide show, she’ll have this one on it as a Daddy/Daughter memory!

And after all of that, we finally had a family celebration for the Talented One’s birthday. And I never even took my camera out and snapped a picture! But I did manage to have a nice time just talking and eating and hanging out. Not a bad weekend at all!

Jun 10 2010

Games

I love it when I don't look forward to a week, and then, all of a sudden, God gives me little things to help make it so much nicer.

Like unexpected quiet times.

Unexpected moments with my children.

Unexpected moments with friends.

Last night we had a pre-celebration for the Talented One's birthday. One of my dear friends spends every Wednesday with us. B-boo and I used to go to her house every Wednesday while the little ones were at AWANA. Then I got sick. So she started coming to my house instead. The best things ever…because my whole family just loves her visits!

Last night, she brought brownies and ice cream…and marinara sauce. We invited some of my son's friends over and we had spaghetti and dessert. The Good-Looking one came over, too, so it made for such a nice evening! We spent the evening laughing and playing Mexican train. I was exhausted, but it was fun.

That's the kind of unexpected moments that I like...Just for the Joy of It!

May 19 2010

See…It IS a Vivas Thing!

After a longggg day yesterday, I picked up the teens from spending some time at a local refugee *camp.* I don't think that is what it is really called, but they had gone to play games with the refugees. And they had fun, too! So afterward, our youth pastor takes them to Sonic. They go in to order and the next thing they know, they're being told to get back in the vans. The Talented One states he never saw our youth pastor move so fast, so he knew it was serious! All they saw outside was a tour bus and lots of police with rifles.

Fast forward to this morning. I'm sound asleep. I hear a voice calling, "Mom! Mom! Wake Up!"

I roll over in my bed in time to watch B-boo crumple to the floor. Swoosh! Just-like-that! (It was like she had turned into a rubberband…swoosh.)

(May I just state right now, that that is NOT the way a mom should have to get up in the morning! It is just plain rude!)

I yelled at hubby to wake up…WAKE UP! Something's wrong with B-boo!

She was mumbling and he was yelling at me to take her to ER while trying to figure out if she was ok or not. I ran downstairs to grab some pants. (Ok, the ONE TIME I run out of pj pants and regular pants is the one time I need them?!) As I ran downstairs, the Talented One comes running in asking me what is wrong. I tell him that his sister is upstairs on the floor and to go help dad. I grab the first set of pants that I see and meet them at the bottom of the stair case and off we go.

Didn't get to brush my teeth.

Didn't get to comb my hair.

I'm in my pj's.

She's fine, btw. She's been fighting a virus for a week and a half now and isn't resting properly. She's stubborn like that. She needs to drink more fluids and take care of herself.

Back to last night.

While we're in the ER, we talk to Punky about last night. We found out that an attempted robbery had happened and the guy with the gun had crashed into the bus that was in front of the Sonic that they kids were about to eat at. I am SO glad pastor got the kids out safe with his quick thinking.

Back to this morning.

B-boo has had a cough, too. So last night I gave her Nyquil. She took the CORRECT dose and almost 10 hours had passed before her little episode. But the Good-Looking one…he wonders if it was the Nyquil, just because one little time he took a little too much and ended up asleep in the bathroom. He just won't let it go! You'd think after over a decade he'd move past it, right? No, son, I did NOT overdose your sister!

See, it's times like this why we say, "It's a Vivas Thing!"

May 09 2010

My Mommy Made Me Do It!

For those of you who didn't know it, today is Mother's Day. That's the day where you tell your mom you love her, and if you are a mother yourself, tell your kids, too.

I've had several moments over the past couple of weeks to kind of reflect on Motherhood. I've been thinking about this particular post for a while, thinking it would make the perfect Mother's Day post. So…here goes.

If you're a mom, have you ever thought about how the things that your mom did with you are now reflected in what you do with your own kids? Even the things you didn't necessarily want to do, but did anyway because your "mommy made you?"

For instance, my mom taught me how to sew. (I actually enjoyed that!) My mom is one of those moms that can do anything. I'm serious! I can't think of a single thing she doesn't know how to do or isn't willing to try! Anyway, she can also sew anything. She made all of my prom dresses, dresses and outfits for all of us when we were kids. She even made my wedding dress! I can't sew anything near what she can, but I knew how to make my own barbie clothes and once time I even won an award for an outfit I made. I stopped sewing after I had my third child. I had a sewing machine, but it didn't work and I never got around to getting another one. This year, B-boo is taking a fashion class. Guess what? That means she has to learn how to sew. I thought it would be great; except that the teacher doesn't really teach the kids much. She just tells them to make such and such and they are on their own for the most part. So, I am teaching her how to sew. Only…I don't have a working sewing machine. So we were borrowing my mother-in-laws to help her with the quilts and other projects that she was making. Then, when my parents came to visit while I was recovering, they brought a brand new sewing machine for B-boo! Her last project was a stuffed elephant. She had to follow a pattern and do certain stitches. I was sooo glad my mom had taught me how to sew and made sure I knew the different stitches; because I was able to help my own daughter with the same thing. And she got an "A." I am looking forward to teaching my younger daughter how to sew now, also. And all because my mom did it with me.

Another thing my mom taught us was how to draw, paint and make crafts. I'm not great at that, either, but I do know the basics. Last week we were making props for our Children's concert tomorrow night. We were tracing, drawing, painting, etc. At one point, I needed to draw some stuff free hand. All those lessons from my mom came pouring back, and I managed to do a pretty decent job! Then, I got to give a certain teen a mini painting lesson when it came to painting Kermit the frog. And then, there was the mixing of the paint to get the particular colors that we wanted. Again, all learned from my mom. And while I always enjoyed the painting and crafts (still do), it was nice to put it to good use with my own (and other people's) children!

There is one thing that I never cared to do, but my mommy made me. My mom was a cosmetologist and loved to cut hair. I never liked it. I admit it. I never wanted to do it and had to learn great patience at being forced to learn how to cut hair. She always insisted I needed to know how to do it. I'd much rather pay someone else to make my family look beautiful, but…my mommy said I could do it. And insisted that I learn. So I did. I've been cutting my hubby's hair for years. It's not something I really enjoy doing, but he likes it, so I like it. I used to cut my boys hair when they were little, and even the girls. But as the teens have wanted certain styles and such, I started having someone else do it.

And then my hubby lost his job. And well, everyone needed hair cuts. Including myself. So, I started with my nephew one day because he wanted a cut and he knew I had the stuff to do it, so decided I needed to cut his hair. And then, I got brave and did my own hair! And the next week, I did my own hair again, a little bit better! And then, my teenage son asked me to do his. I REALLY didn't want to, that made me VERY nervous. This boy likes his hair just right. Somehow we made it through and he states he actually likes it. It kind of made me feel good to have his approval, because he is so very picky. He trusted his mom to cut his hair; something I wouldn't have known how to do if my mom hadn't taught me!

And speaking of hair, B-boo needed a french braid for her recital this week. That's something I never could quite get! So, she had to have a friend do it for her. Sorry about that, B-boo.

My mom also instilled the love of cooking in me. She loves to cook; bake, too. I grew up not afraid to try new recipes, etc. I am forever grateful for that one! Especially since I have two children with serious food allergies. Trying buying something these days that doesn't have at least one of the following ingredients in it: dairy, egg, nuts, wheat, soy, gluten, or apples. It is nearly impossible! And if you do manage to find something, it costs way too much! So, I make bread, bake cakes, learn how to substitute ingredients and manage to make some pretty good meals, too. What's even better, is that my children like to cook; especially the ones with food allergies! They will grow up learning to cook whatever their hearts desire! And all because my mom instilled the love of cooking in me when I was a child.

Mom also loves animals. Doesn't matter what kind they are; she likes 'em all! So do my kids; which is why we've had pets such as snakes, lizards, rats, birds, rabbits, fish, etc.

There is one thing I have never managed to learn from my mom. That is a taking care of plants. I try, I really do, but I did NOT inherit her green thumb! I will kill them dead after trying and trying to keep them alive. I'll give them to her for burial, and she'll have them resurrected within days!

One thing my mom was not. She was not afraid to be a mother. She taught me all about being a mom to my own five kids. She also taught me to welcome other children into our home; something my parents always did. Our home was always open to others; and now, our home is always open to others.

I've not physically been with my mom in several years now on Mother's day. She lives 12 hours away. This year, she is getting to spend it with my oldest brother. Something she hasn't done in years, so I am sure she is having the time of her life!

And me? Well, tonight as I write this to post on Mother's Day, I am sitting here typing while my own two daughters cuddle next to me. I'm needed tonight because the Drama Queen is sick. So I'm going to finish this and give my full attention to her now. Tomorrow, she's going to bless me with her beautiful voice in a Mother's Day concert, provided we can get her well!

Happy Mother's Day, Mom. I love you!