The Del Toro's bull

December Photo Project -- Day 11

2011-12-11T17:36:00.000-08:00

This is a DPP cheat because this was actually photographed yesterday, but I didn't have time to post it so I'm using it as my day 11 entry. Yesterday Matthew and I spent the day visiting the Science Spectrum with a friend and her two boys. I loved that they were holding hands on their way into the building and got lucky enough to catch them jumping with excitement off one of the curbs in the parking lot. We had a busy day at the Spectrum, followed by more fun and excitement at Chuck E. Cheeses. A great day spent learning hands-on science principles with good friends, who could ask for more?!

December Photo Project -- Day 10

2011-12-11T17:27:00.000-08:00

Every year the library hosts a Christmas program and features local talent doing something. This year the high school choir sang Christmas songs and someone read to the kids. There were also holiday crafts to be made and a visit with Santa capped off an enjoyable evening.

December Photo Project - Day 9

2011-12-11T17:11:00.000-08:00

High winds from the other week managed to shake off one of our fence pickets, which makes Nero happy because he can see the comings and goings in the neighborhood.

December Photo Project -- Day 8

2011-12-11T16:58:00.000-08:00

The "study in icicles" continues" and it's a good thing I got this shot when I did. The next morning the weight of the ice on all the Christmas lights pulled everything down. Now our Christmas lights sit in a pile in the garage, no more holiday cheer as you drive by our house.

December Photo Project -- Day 7

2011-12-07T16:58:00.000-08:00

I guess I have a thing for icicles because I spent a lot of time taking pictures of them over the last few days. I loved watching them form and grow, especially around our icicle Christmas lights. Then I enjoyed watching them melt and shot entirely too many frames of the water dripping off the ends of them. I will continue with the icicle theme tomorrow with some taken at night with our Christmas lights. We'll call this section of the DPP, "A study in ice."

December Photo Project -- Day 6

2011-12-06T09:56:00.000-08:00

December Photo Project -- Day 5

2011-12-05T09:16:00.000-08:00

Apparently these mums didn't get the memo that fall is over and winter is on the way. Perhaps the foot of snow that fell overnight will help convince them. Or perhaps there's a lesson for us to learn from these mums, always be yourself, never let anyone or anything stop you from standing out and being yourself!

December Photo Project -- Day 4

2011-12-05T09:10:00.000-08:00

An Ipad and a spare pillow are part of a recipe for a relaxing Sunday afternoon.

2011-12-05T09:05:00.000-08:00

Christopher Pop-In-Kins is the newest addition and newest tradition in our house. A friend recently told me about shelf elves and I loved the idea. Christopher has been part of the family for about a week or so now and mornings are spent hunting for the elf and excited cries are heard thorughout the house as Matthew discovers Christopher's latest hiding spot.

December Photo Project -- Day 2

2011-12-02T15:05:00.001-08:00

Growing up Christmas crackers adorned our tree and served as torture devices because I so desperately wanted to open them and see the prize inside. I am now torturing my own child with them. I found some in the closet from years ago and put them on the tree. While shopping Lubbock I found these little ones that reminded me of the ones on our tree growing up and introduced the Christmas cracker to Matthew. Naturally he loved the idea of popping them open and was thrilled to know that there was a prize inside. Now the recurring question is, "Can I open this cracker now?" The response to that question when I was growing up was always "No," so I took it upon myself to sneak them open and steal the prizes. I expect that same response/tradition to carry forward in our house now that the crackers have been brought out and shared. Let the torture and prize stealing begin -- Merry Christmas!

Cruising around the Caribbean

2011-06-28T11:55:00.000-07:00

Saturday, June 18, 2011
We arrived in Miami around 6:30 p.m. local time to find something strange coming out of the sky. The locals called it rain, but since we hadn't seen anything like that before we took their word for it, enjoyed the sensation of it hitting our faces and the smell it created and headed to our hotel. After a quick Skyping session with Matthew we got a cab and headed to the Bayside Market. I read up on this place before we left and all the comments were true, this is definitely a tourist spot, but since we didn't have much time in Miami this seemed like the best place to hit to get a little bit of everything in. There were tons of shops and vendors selling everything imaginable, restaurants of all different flavors, music, water, and a view of the Miami skyline. We wandered around for several hours before heading back to the hotel. Our plans to hit more tourist spots on Sunday were cancelled because we had to catch the bus to the port earlier than we expected.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

We arrived at the Port of Miami around 10:30 a.m. and began the process of boarding the Carnival Valor. I say it was a process, but in reality Carnival has this whole thing figured out and it was pretty easy getting everything we needed to board the ship. The worst part was the wait. We sat in the port terminal for about and hour and a half before we were allowed to board the ship and there were tons of people crowded in waiting for exactly the same thing. When they called our loading number we filed up the escalator and boarded the ship.

This is officially where the deer in headlight experience began for the two of us. After our ship cards were scanned and our pictures taken we were told we could head up to the Lido Deck for some lunch. I remember thinking that was great because I was ready to eat my arm, but what the heck is a Lido Deck, where is it, how do I get there...where am I right now?! The nice thing about there being 9 million people on a ship is you can just follow the crowds and you're bound to end up in the right place eventually. Turns out Lido must be ship talk for "fat deck" because this is where the food was and there was plenty of it, anytime you wanted it! We got in line and got our food and then sat back and admired the Miami skyline. Afterwards we wandered around and checked things out, took some pictures and waited for the okay to head to our room. Even after we were cleared to go to our rooms we couldn't do much because our suitcases hadn't make it on board, so swimming was out of the question. We continued to roam around until dinner time, which is an experience I think I could get used to very easily!

Food options were actually very simple -- breakfast, lunch and dinner were served in the dining room and was a more formal, five-star type option, or you could eat on the Lido Deck where the food was done buffet style and was more casual eating. Here the food ranged from hamburgers and hotdogs to wraps, burritos, deli sandwiches and pizza. Some part of the buffet was open 24 hours so you could eat whenever you wanted. This was great when you got out of a show at midnight and you felt like you were ready to eat your arm, but this was bad because it was there even when you didn't want to eat your arm.

Most of the time we did breakfast buffet style, lunch on whichever island we were on and dinner in the dining room. Fine dining is the way to go if you're like me and have a snooty person hiding inside you, or if your are easily amused. The first night we walked into the dining room and were led to our table. The hostess pulled out the chair for me and pushed it in as I sat down and then unfolded and placed my napkin in my lap for me. On the trip home Mondo and I ate dinner in the airport and I joked that I couldn't find my napkin because no one had placed it in my lap for me! Dinner in the dining room was our choice because it was a great way to try new foods. Mondo is the more adventurous eater and a meat eater so he was quick to try anything and everything -- duck, veal, spring lamb, escargot. Not matter the choice the food was awesome!

I'm sorry to go on so long about food, but let's keep two things in mind: 1) I'm a fat chick, so food and I are a natural pairing, and 2) when you're on board the ship there isn't much else to do besides eat, so food plays a big part in the trip.

Sunday night and part of Monday was spent at sea getting to our next port. We took on some shows and explored the ship a little more before calling it a night.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Half Moon Cay (pronounced Key) is a private island owned by Carnival. This small island is in the Bahamas and is the only port where we didn't book an excursion, so we spent the day relaxing on the beach. Because it's such a small island there wasn't much else for us to do, but with white sand beaches, warm, clear waters, tropical breezes and music playing in the background, who needed anything else?!

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Day spent at sea.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

As we arrived into St. Thomas we were able to sit on our balcony and admire the beautiful islands, the turquoise waters and the amazing homes on the hills. This is what House Hunters International looks like up close and personal!

We spent our morning aboard the Bimini Breeze heading out to Christmas Cove to do some snorkeling. Those pictures will have to come later because everything was shot with a disposable underwater camera, but suffice it to say that it was an amazing morning! Nerves settled in for both of us when we dropped anchor and had to put our gear on. Mondo isn't much of a swimmer and is the only person I know who can't float in the ocean, and I just freaked out because the thought of fish touching me, the possibility of sharks, and a wild imagination all the best of me. As soon as we plunged into the warm clear waters all of those fears subsided and we were snorkeling with the best of them. Our guide Melissa was fabulous, stopping along the way to collect various sea creatures for us to see. I held a small black starfish (I can't remember what it was called), touched white sea urchin (ones that aren't dangerous), and examined, but didn't touch a black sea urchin (the really pokey, dangerous ones). We also were lucky enough to see an octopus and a stingray. Then we loaded back up on the boat and head over to Turtle Cove, aptly named because of all the sea turtles that live in this area. They feed on the sea grasses on the ocean floor and come up about every 10-15 minutes for air. Right after we got to Turtle Cove we were able to spot a large sea turtle, which came within inches of us. We were forbidden from touching them and it was extremely hard not to reach out and touch it when it was that close! We spent about 30 minutes swimming around Turtle Cove admiring the turtles and a stingray who came along for the ride too.

After getting settled in on the boat for the ride back to shore the crew started mixing drinks. St. Thomas is known in part for all the pirates who used to frequent the area and rum is found in large quantities there. Those who know me know I'm a fan of rum and it's hard to say no, especially when it's free. One thing I figured out on the trip is that you can put rum in anything and it tastes good. For the remainder of the trip back to shore I took part in free rum, pineapple and orange juice drinks and soon realized that just because you can't taste the rum doesn't mean it isn't there. About half way back to shore I realized I was wasted! I saw a lot of people drinking a lot of alcohol on this trip and can say I enjoyed the rum (a lot!), but I'm glad the majority of the trip was done in a sober state.

After returning to shore we headed out with our cameras in search of some local sights to photograph. We were short on time and didn't get to see a lot, but enjoyed the parts that we did. St. Thomas is beautiful and I know there is much more to it than what we were able to enjoy. That's the downside to cruising, not enough time at each port to see what's there and enjoy it. Perhaps a return trip is in order some time down the road.

Thursday, June 23, 2011,

We missed the sail into San Juan, Puerto Rico because we arrived earlier than expected -- 6:00 a.m. After spending time on small islands like Half Moon Cay and St. Thomas, San Juan came as a bit of a surprise to me; it's big and urban. We were up and at things early this day because we had scheduled a zip lining adventure through the jungle canopy. After winding through some very narrow streets and hiking up a hill I'd rather not meet again, we arrived at the start of the zip line adventure where we were put into helmets and harnesses.

We had to hike up some more pretty serious hills and before we reached the first platform I realized just how fat and out of shape I really am! I'm not sure how it happened, but we ended up at the front of the line and ended up being the third and fourth people on the line. Maybe that was good because it didn't give me time to chicken out! After being clipped in and safety checked the trip downhill began. I'd love to tell you about the view, but the reality of things is that you go pretty quickly across each line and much of my attention was focused on the line, finishing and trying to remember how to brake. I didn't do the braking the right way and tried numerous times to rip my arm from my body. Two platforms remained and I met a lovely young man from Puerto Rico and we stood and talked about Puerto Rico, cruises and other miscellaneous subjects before he reminded me how to brake. He sent me on my way and wouldn't you know it, I figured out how to stop with only two platforms left! I had a blast though and would totally go again!

After zip lining and some of the most insane traffic I have ever seen and been in, we made it back to old San Juan and began a self-guided tour around the city starting with lunch at Cafe Puerto Rico. It was here that we had our first real taste of the local cuisine, a dish called mofungo. While I'm not exactly sure what it was that we ate, it was delicious and something I would try again and again. We had the chicken and plantain mofungo, which was made from shredded chicken marinated in something and placed in a bowl made of mashed and seasoned plantains. Delicious!

Afterwards we began our hike around the city with a stop at San Cristobal, a fort dating back to Columbus. The architecture reminded me of the missions in San Antonio and the size and construction of the fort was amazing. We also hiked to Fort Morro, but chose to take pictures from afar rather than paying admission into this fort. I enjoyed the walk, albeit a long walk, past the colorful houses. We eventually made our way to a huge grassy area in front of the fort where tons of kids were flying kites. I assume from their t-shirts that they were with some sort of summer school program that was there for the day, but I couldn't' tell for sure. I enjoyed watching the kids and noticed that no matter where you go or what language you speak, kids are kids and smiles and laughter cross language barriers.

As we made our way across the grassy area I noticed a building that I was certain must have been the governor's palace. It's bright colors, domed roof and prime location near the ocean and Fort Morro made it an easy guess. Unfortunately I was wrong! A park ranger informed me that it was a school for the arts. My AABV friends would be envious!

To write about our day it doesn't sound like much, and many of my pictures are similar in composition. Architecture has always been my favorite thing to photograph and a walking tour, no matter who's leading it takes time. We headed back to the ship shortly before setting sail for the day and we were both hot and exhausted, but satisfied with the way the day had been spent.

Friday, June 25, 2011

I knew we had arrived in Grand Turk when I looked out our window and saw a dramatic change in the color of the water. I forgot to get a picture of the entrance to the island, but this is the kind of scene postcards are made from and exactly what I imagined the tropics to be; turquoise waters, white beaches, palm trees everywhere and a wooden pier jutting into the water -- picture perfect! We headed onto the island and waited to begin our excursion, horseback riding on the beach. While I'm not a big horseback riding kind of person, it has always been a bucket list item to go riding on the beach. We spent a good 30 minutes riding around part of the island, in the sand and on nearby roads before heading back to the stables to change the horses into bareback gear. We couldn't take our cmeras on the horses during the bareback part of the ride because we actually went into the ocean and swam on horseback. It was amazing and I smiled whole time!

Before heading back to the port entrance we made a quick stop at the Grand Turk Historic Lighthouse for some pictures. If time had allowed I would have liked to have walked around looking for just the right angles and ways to frame the lighthouse, but unfortunately we were on a tour bus and time wasn't on our side. Instead, some quick shooting and sightseeing and we headed back to the beach. Mondo took this time to look around the shops while I went swimming in the ocean. Before we left the port we walked a short distance to a local restaurant where Mondo ate and I tasted some conch. Conch is plentiful in Grand Turk, as evidenced by the number of shells laying around the beaches, and apparently the locals use the conch meat to create any number of meals from the sea creature. We were only able to get conch fritters during our stay, but something was better than nothing. We couldn't really taste the conch itself because of the batter from the fritter, it was more of a textural kid of meal. The conch was a bit chewy, but the seasoning from the fritters and the sauce they used on top made for a nice local snack.

As we boarded the ship from Grand Turk I realized that our trip was over and I felt some sadness. I wasn't ready for the tropics and the sightseeing adventures to be over. Usually I find myself ready to return home from vacation, ready to get back to the people I know, my own bed, etc., but that wasn't the case this time. Sunday morning we were eating breakfast and waiting for clearance to debark and I noticed a lady across from us wiping her eyes. The gentleman sitting with her asked if she was okay and she replied, "I don't want to get off the ship, I don't want it to be over." That summed up my feelings and setiment precisely! I think it's a good thing Matthew stayed behind with my mom so that I had a reason to come home, otherwise I think I'd be job hunting somewhere in the Caribbean right now!

Monthly Photo Project -- March (Taiban)

2011-03-20T14:17:00.000-07:00

This month's photo project had me heading west to what is essentially a ghost town on the way to Fort Sumner. Taiban has never been a thriving town, at least not in my memory, but there was a time when there was a general store that was open daily, and a handful of people who lived there. These days the only claim to fame is the building on the hill that captures the attention of passing tourists and photographers alike.

The common misconception is that this building was once a church, but after reporting on this structure years ago during my newspaper days, I learned that it was actually a one-room school house. Years ago there was even a swing set on the west side of the building; that has since been removed. The school was repainted years ago, but has continued to fall into a state of disrepair ever since. There are no longer any windows or doors on the structure and the wooden floors inside are starting to deteriorate as well. Surprisingly there isn't much graffiti, and what is there is of a religious nature.

All of my previous visits have centered around the school house, but today we ventured off the beaten path (or down the dirt path, as it were) and found more, old, decaying items of long ago. A run down house was littered with a fortune in rusted tin cans, aluminum cans and glass bottles. Old cars also left clues about when Taiban might have been in its hey day.

We also followed a dirt road that seemed to be leading us to one of the many mesas in the area, but instead took us to a cemetery we never knew existed. We explored the cemetery and read headstones, finding that deaths went back as fars as the late 1800s and dated to as recently as 2010. Some headstones were impossible to read because they had been there for so long, or because families weren't able to afford more than a piece of stone or concrete. Others looked like fallen silos with headstones in front of them, and yet another one was a giant crypt type memorial to a lady who passed away in the 1960s. I always wonder about the people who are buried in country cemeteries -- where did they come from, what brought them to this remote and dry area, how did they die.

The Monthly Photo Project was designed to get me out on a monthly basis, taking pictures of the things I love (landscapes) and blogging about the adventures. This months definately hit all of the project's challenges/elements. I enjoyed the fresh air, looking for the right angles, playing with settings on my camera and doing all of this with my family. I look forward to seeing what April has in store for me!

The month isn't over yet!

2011-03-18T15:32:00.000-07:00

Okay so I haven't done my artsy fartsy photo for the month of March yet, but I have been thinking about it. Of course spring break was the perfect time to get out with my camera and look for something, but I've been busy spending time with Matthew. In my book that's more important and more special than looking for art for the sake of filling a spot and a promise on a blog no one reads anyway.

So today's post has me teary eyed because my baby keeps proving to me that he's not a baby anymore, but also has me beaming with pride because he's growing up into such an awesome little boy. As much as I hate to think about the baby long since passed, I find myself looking forward to seeing the amazing young man he will become. It seems like only yesterday that we were learning that after years of trying, we were going to have a baby of our own. We brought him home from the hospital nearly five years ago and we must have looked like deer in headlights (or every other parent leaving the maternity ward). We didn't have a clue what we were doing or what we were in for, but it didn't matter; our prayers had finally been answered.

Over the course of the last four and a half years we learned that there may not be a parenting handbook, but grandparents are great for answering those late night questions and calming concerns. We have relished in the fact that God blessed us with a healthy baby boy with a disposition like his father's and a sense of humor like his mother's. Matthew is always happy and spends a lot of his time playing in the dirt, with bugs, fighting (in a good way) with his Dad and singing nonsense songs for all to enjoy.

I could go on forever about how fabulous my child is, but the real reason for today's post is the pride he has bestowed on me by becoming a soda stand entrapeneur at the age of 4. This afternoon, as I cleaned the kitchen, Matthew came in from outside and asked if he could set up a lemonade stand. While I don't the idea was his, it has been him, and only him, out hollering at anyone and everyone driving up and down the street, "Coke for sale...25 cents." I thought it would take longer to set up the lemonade stand than it would for him to stay out there trying to sell drinks, but he has proven me wrong. He has hocked soda's to the neighbors and continues to try to reel in those passing motorists and has been doing so for more than an hour. He has even told his dad that we need to go around town trying to sell the drinks. I think we may have created a monster, or maybe we have created the next Donald Trump (please don't have the hair), or the next Mark Zuckerberg or the next...Matthew Del Toro, millionaire. I am so proud of you son!!

Seeking motivation

2011-02-26T11:15:00.000-08:00

I have a friend who blogs on a fairly regular basis. I enjoy reading her posts, seeing her pictures and catching up on her life. For the most part, her blog is the only way I keep in touch and know what's going on with her and her family. The other day I opened my blog page up by mistake and started looking through old posts and photos. I came the stark realization that the only time I really post anything is in December when I am participating in the December Photo Project.

I began the DPP two years ago as a way to try and motivate myself to blog more, but that obviously didn't work. This year a coworker said she really looked forward to my daily posts and was sad to see them go when the project wrapped up. This morning, for no apparent reason, I was thinking about my blog and decided to try some new inspiration.

So, this will serve as the first posting in the newly created Montly Photo Project. It's not as catchy at the December Photo Project, but I just made it up and it can be edited later if inspiration strikes or someone else comes up with a better title. The plan now is to post (at least) a photo a month of something artsy fartsy that strikes my fancy. This takes care of two things: a blog post, and a way to get me out shooting again.

The first post is a few pictures that I took while in Santa Fe with a group of fabulous women earlier this month. We went up to accept an award for outstanding bilingual teaching on behalf of the other fabulous men and women we work with. While in Santa Fe we shopped in Old Town and that is where I took the picture of the fence. Also, a trip to Santa Fe isn't complete unless I take some sort of picture of the cathedral. Finally, I snapped a quick picture of the flag outside the capitol building. It isn't anything fancy, just one that "talks" to me. See you in a month.

December Photo Project -- Day 23

2010-12-23T16:44:00.001-08:00

December Photo Project -- Day 22

2010-12-22T08:02:00.000-08:00

When I woke up this morning the temperatures were quite different from yesterday's and it was foggy. On my way out to take Matthew to school I noticed a lone tree in the field by our house and the fog added an element of interest prompting me to run home and grab my camera.

December Photo Project -- Day 21

2010-12-21T09:03:00.001-08:00

December Photo Project -- Day 20

2010-12-20T12:08:00.000-08:00

The joy of having two weeks off of work isn't just being able to sleep late (theoretically), or lounging around the house. The joy is being able to enjoy time with Matthew without having to worry about getting papers graded or lesson plans done, or cleaning the house, or running errands. It's nice to just be in the moment and enjoy having a great kid.

Today was a flashback to my childhood. I don't really know why we did it except that it was fun, but we used to take all the cushions off my mom's couch and chairs and build forts with them. This activity provided hours of fun as we built the forts and then played as many games as our imaginations would afford us. Today Matthew returned the favor. The couch cushions came off and became diving boards, leaning tables of piza and finally a table for a tea party..."Well really I'm going to have a Coke party because I don't like tea" party. Matthew set up one of the cushions as a table and arranged two of his chairs so he and Dimples the bear could enjoy a Coke party. He has never done any of this with us, so I immediately grabbed the camera so I could document our first ever tea party. Excuse me...our first ever Coke party.

December Photo Project -- Day 19 (late)

2010-12-20T10:27:00.001-08:00

Another post that's a day late and a dollar short, but for a good reason. Last night we all drove to Lubbock to ride the Polar Express. We did the trip last year as well and enjoyed it, so after some convincing, Mondo agreed and we booked our tickets. I'm glad we did because it was a much more enjoyable trip this year, more bells and whistles this year, and Matthew seemed to understand what was going on even more this year. He took every opportunity to tell everyone 1) he was going to ride on the Polar Express, 2) he had seen the movie the Polar Express, or 3) he had ridden on the Polar Express. His excitement over the whole process made the trip worth it's weight in gold!

December Photo Project -- Day 18 (late)

2010-12-19T07:34:00.001-08:00

We spent Friday night at the zoo enjoying their annual Christmas celebration. Although it's always really cold, it's still nice to see the animals at night because they are so active. The hyena's were up and moving and the wolves were howling at whatever wolves howl at, and the bobcats and cougars were playing chase with each other through their cages. After the trip to the zoo we made our way around town looking at some of the Christmas lights people had put up. I always enjoy making the trip to the zoo and to see the lights because of Matthew's enthusiasm; I know that's only going to last for a short time.

December Photo Project -- Day 17

2010-12-17T13:34:00.000-08:00

Mondo and Matthew were busy baking in the kitchen and there Betty Crocker-ness was too much to pass up. Matthew was helping me make pinwheels for school and Mondo was making muffins for Matthew's Christmas party.

December Photo Project -- Day 16

2010-12-16T14:49:00.000-08:00

Today was Matthew's Christmas program at school. The kids entertained with a few Christmas songs, some catchy tunes about the vowels and some stuff about Thanksgiving. Afterwards it was time to get the kids amped up on sugar with heavly iced cookies and juice. We capped of the afternoon's events with a trip to the coffee shop for some hot chocolate with the grandparents.

December Photo Project -- Day 15

2010-12-15T17:24:00.001-08:00

December Photo Project -- Day 14

2010-12-14T17:24:00.000-08:00

One of the nicest things about Christmas is getting cards and letters from friends you only hear from once year. Today was a busy mail day for us; lots of cards and letters to read through tonight when I got home from work. After catching up on everyone's year I realized that I better get on the ball if I was going to get our letter and cards out before the new year. I started the letter on December 4, but have procrastinated since then. Tonight I sat down and finished it and it's ready to go. Now I need to get copies made, and cards addressed and mailed. This mean you should be getting your Christmas card around January 22 or so. It will be a nice surprise when you check the mail that day and realize that not everything in the mailbox is junk or bills. Hiding way in the back, hidden under the electric bill and Christmas credit card statement will be our delightfully late Christmas card. It's the thought that counts!

Top photo: Matthew waits for our annual Christmas letter to come of the printer.

Bottom photo: Matthew signs the Christmas letter. This is the first time he has actually signed his name on our letter, which was exciting for me anyway. He go a little lost as he was writing his name, but it's cute to see his letters adorning the bottom of our letter.

December Photo Project -- Day 13

2010-12-13T18:33:00.000-08:00

Sometimes the pressure of realizing I need a photo for the day's photo project post results in some last minute creativity and sometimes it results in just plain old garbage. I'm not sure where this one fits in, in that mix. Tonight I headed out with the idea of getting some timed photos of cars passing through the neighborhood, but all's quiet on the western front tonight! In my attempt to not look like a creepy person hanging out on the front lawn in the dark of night I started playing with angles (nothing exciting), zooming, and timed exposures. Here's the result of some last minute, "let's try this and see what happens."

December Photo Project -- Day 12

2010-12-12T13:03:00.000-08:00

My mom always says be careful what you wish for because it just might come true and I found that to be the case today with the family advent calendar. As a child we had a long-standing tradition of getting a small piece of candy about 30 minutes before bedtime. We got a piece of candy, then brushed our teeth and headed off to bed. At Christmas those candies were put on an advent calendar my grandma made and on the 24th there was always a small package for us to open to help curb the question my parents were being bombarded with, "Can we open a present now?" After I bought my house I remember asking my mom if I could have the advent calendar, but was always told no. When we had Matthew I asked again and was told no. Last year, without asking, my mom brought the calendar over and gave it to us. To Matthew really, but he won't get it now until he has a child. Last year I don't remember getting it in time to adorn it with candies and packages, and this year I've been very slow in getting the days filled with goodies. So today I sat down and started placing Tootsie Rolls on each day, quickly learning that this was no easy task. I don't know how my mom did it for so many years, and how she managed to get two pieces of candy on the calendar AND keep her sanity. It took me far longer than I anticipated to get everything on there, but it's done and Matthew's anticipation in getting a piece of candy tonight is hard to deal with. Every few minutes he asks if its time to have his Toosie Roll yet. We know also have regular conversations about when Christmas is going to be here and when he gets to open his presents. And by regular I mean, when he's not talking about Tootsie Rolls and eating them, he's asking about Christmas and presents. I may be ready to clear off the calendar by the end of the night. Despite the challenge of affixing candies to a calendar and the never-ending stream of questions, I'm thrilled to be able to pass this tradition on to my son. And secretly I can't wait for Santa to get here either!

December Photo Project -- Day 11

2010-12-11T18:58:00.000-08:00

Today I made the annual shopping trip to Lubbock with the girls. This is a tradition that was started many years ago with so many of us going we had to take two cars. As the years have gone by, so too have the number of people making the Christmas shopping trip. This year I went with my two very good friends and enjoyed a full day of laughter, some great lunch from Olive Garden and some shopping. It was nice when there were car loads of people making the trip, but it's way nicer when it's just us laughing and having a great time. I am so thankful for my friends, the laughter and the stress relief that they provide.

Tonights picture isn't very good because I was laughing so hard that it affected the focus, but it's too good to pass up posting it. After a long day of shopping we were making our final stop at Academy Sports and my friend Misti told me to drop her off at the door because she was tired. Instead, I found parking spot waaaaay out and parked there. As the three of us piled out of the car and prepared to hike across the parking lot, Misti found a shopping cart, climbed in and told us to push her. My friend Jody began pushing, and laughing, and about that time I remembered the camera. So here it is, our moment of acting like we were 16, caught on "film" for all to see. Don't judge, it was funny and you would have laughed if you had been there too! :0)

December Photo Project -- Day 10

2010-12-10T18:11:00.000-08:00

Ingredients: Take 1, 100-pound dog, add in a four-year-old, mix in some strong New Mexican winds and you have yourself a recipe for fence picket destruction!

Several of the fence pickets on our backyard fence have come down because of one of the previously listed reasons. While it doesn't look so great to have part of your fence coming down, it does make watching the neighborhood a little easier if you're the resident guard dog!

December Photo Project -- Day Nine

2010-12-09T16:43:00.000-08:00

I think I had a post like this last year too, but when the sky is so beautifully painted pink, I feel compelled to take a picture (and apparently post it!).

December Photo Project -- Day 8

2010-12-08T15:38:00.000-08:00

Nothing spells fun like a sucker and some sidewalk chalk!

December Photo Project -- Day 7

2010-12-07T18:18:00.001-08:00

Tonight at the library's open house, Santa was in a hurry to get the kid's Christmas lists so that he could move on to the next kid in line. No lap sitting, no orders greater than one toy, no lolly gagging, he was a man on a mission! Until Matthew came along! Santa asked Matthew what he wanted; Matthew proceeded to tell him. The conversation went like this:

Santa: "What do you want for Christmas?"

Matthew: "I want a light saver (lightsaber) that comes apart and you can put it on your arm."

S: "Okay, I think I can handle that. Here's your..."

M: "...And I want a Buzz Lightyear that moves his head."

S: "Okay, here you..."

M: "...And I want a Bullseye that you push his tail and he goes like this (shows how he rears up) and a Woody that doesn't do anything."

S: "...."

M: (nothing further)

S: "Okay, here's your bag."

I think Santa was a little taken aback by our son and I'm not sure if I should be embarrassed because he wanted to get his whole list in, or proud of him that he didn't let Santa run him off before he was done. Matthew is so excited about the Christmas lights, the tree and especially Santa, so I'm going to lean more toward the side of being happy that he got stuck to his guns and got his list in. The REAL Santa is more patient and understand than the library Santa anyway!

December Photo Project -- Day 6

2010-12-06T15:55:00.001-08:00

My mom bought these cool Crayons for Matthew that you can use to write on windows and he has used them to do all sorts of things on her picture window: write his name, to spell words my mom has taught him and to decorate for holidays. Last night after dinner he felt the urge to decorate and announced that he was going to make a snowman. Much to my surprise, he did it, complete with stick hands, a carrot nose and a top hat. This is the second time in a week that my son's newly developed drawing abilities have surprised and entertained me. I know I sound like an idiot, commenting on his drawing, but I didn't know he could do such things and to see him sit down and work so diligently on these projects, and then to see the finished product warms my heart.

December Photo Project -- Day 5

2010-12-05T07:45:00.000-08:00

Last night's Christmas Light Parade had about 70 floats, according to the paper, which makes it WAY better than the parade we saw in Muleshoe! I think the best part about going to the parade every year is sitting in the window of my mom's shop and watching the parade and the people go by. Last night a man stood in front of the window and told his wife, "they look so real." When I waved at him, he jumped and said, "they are real!" It's hilarious seeing people's reaction to us sitting there. The other part of the tradition is the hot chocolate afterwards. It's good family time and a tradition I look forward to every year!

2010-12-04T14:29:00.000-08:00

This morning we braved the cold temperatures and drove to Muleshoe to watch their Christmas parade. To call what we saw a parade is laughable; a traffic jam with candy is a more appropriate description. A mere 5 or 6 floats made their way up and down two streets tossing candy to those of us brave enough (or dumb enough) to brave the temperatures. Afterwards we went to Mondo's parents and hung out for a while. It was nice to sit and visit because I haven't been able to spend much time over there lately for one reason or another.

Tonight we brave even colder temperatures as we head out for the annual Christmas light parade here in town. Every year this parade gets bigger and it's always fun to see the floats all lit up. I look forward to this parade every year, just dread the cold. A hot cup of hot chocolate will be a great treat afterwards!

December Photo Project -- Day 3

2010-12-03T15:09:00.001-08:00

Living in the desert, we enjoy mild temperatures in the winter most of the time, but today has been especially warm, even for us. Also, in the world of normal, keeping shoes on Matthew is a constant battle and it doesn't usually matter what the temperature is outside. Hot, cold, warm or freezing, he will shed his shoes and socks and leave them spread across the front yard while he plays. Tonight I came home from work to find him barefoot and driving like a crazy person up and down the sidewalk in front of our house. It's hard to enforce a shoe and sock rule when it's 70+ degrees outside today, but it will have to be followed tomorrow because our spring like temperatures are coming to an end. Tomorrow -- 40s and a chance of snow. I much prefer the no sock kind of weather to the ski boot and hat kind of weather!

December Photo Project -- Day 2

2010-12-02T18:27:00.000-08:00

Day 1 -- December 1, 2010

2010-12-01T20:06:00.000-08:00

I have always known that I wanted to be a mom, but I never knew, or expected that it would be as great and rewarding a job as it is. Just when I think I can't love my son anymore than I already do, he says or does something that makes my heart feel like it's going to explode with pride and love. Lately that feeling has multiplied as Matthew is discovering the world of reading and writing. I am so proud to see him grow and blossom into the young man he is becoming and each day he amazes me with the new things he's learning at school. Today he wanted to help me grade papers and when I told him that he couldn't read so he couldn't help me, he quickly corrected me and informed me that his teacher had taught him to read at, bat, and sack. To prove his case he asked for paper and a pen and proceded to spend the next 30+ minutes writing the word bat on a piece of paper and drawing the most adorable pictures of bats I've ever seen. Today's photo shows Matthew hard at work on one of his many drawings of bats -- daddy bats, baby bats and a mom bat. And for those of you who just said, "Oh! That kind of bat!" That's what I did too; bat the animal, not bat like in baseball!

December Photo Project revisited

2010-11-30T15:58:00.000-08:00

Last year my friend Haley posted a link for the December Photo Project on her blog and I decided that I would give it a shot and participate. It was a challenge to come up with a photo, especially one that was worth a darn, every day, but a fun way to document our life and the days leading to Christmas. This year I am excited to take the challenge again, but find myself with sweaty palms and heart palpitations as I realize that tomorrow is the first of December and the first day photos have to be taken and posted. I don't know what I'll shoot, but let the blog posts and pictures begin!

Dust bunnies BEWARE!!

2010-04-18T09:28:00.000-07:00

I have a friend who is pregnant, like due any time pregnant. She is a self professed neat freak at the best of times, but it becomes even more OCD when she's pregnant. She has blogged throughout her pregnancy about all these obscure places that she has cleaned so that she's ready for the babies arrival. I say obscure because it's not a secret that I'm not the best housekeeper in the world. Much of my housekeeping is superficial. If it appears clean then it must be, that's my philosophy. Would I pass a white glove test? NO WAY!! But that's okay with me, most of the time.
I stepped outside my cleaning zone at Christmas when I followed Haley's lead and I wiped down all the walls with bleach and water. I noticed a difference, but knew that anyone walking in the house would never know that I had spent two days wiping walls from top to bottom. It didn't matter, though, I felt good about the state of the house. The refrigerator followed suit shortly after that, then I cleaned behind the stove and last week I took down the curtains and washed them. Ahhh, spring cleaning at its best!
With all this new found stuff that needed to be cleaned I sat back and enjoyed that fact that I now had a clean house and that I could get back to my usual superficial stuff. NO WAY!! An innocent visit to facebook and I learn that Haley is cleaning under her bed. Now I know that it's a bit dusty under there, but my feeling (until now) has been that you can't see under there so why bother?! Since Haley's post I've done a lot of thinking about the dust under the bed and then the slap in the face came when I dropped a pair of Mondo's black socks under the bed and they came back as a brown pair.
This morning I have torn apart our bedroom so that I could vaccuum and dust under the bed. Suffice it to say that it was beyond disgusting and my new plan is to never let it get that gross again. At one point I was afraid that my husband and son would return home from their Sunday jaunt and wonder where I was. "Where's mom?" Matthew would ask. "I don't know," Mondo would reply. Meanwhile the herd of dust bunnies would be hauling me out to the nearest open field and proudly displaying their latest sacrifice. Luckily I got them before they got me.
I'm proud that my house is clean, even if no one else will really notice, but mostly I wish that Haley would hurry up and have her baby so that I can stop learning about all the places I should have been cleaning all along!

December Photo Project: Day Twenty-five

2009-12-25T19:09:00.000-08:00

I just watched my mom pull out of the driveway and head home and commented to Mondo that this has been a really great two days. We had such a good time in Muleshoe last night with his family, playing cards, unwrapping presents, eating and laughing. Then today it was a three part wave of gift opening, more food, a visit to the movies and then dinner over here. The family, the fun, the memories have all been things that make me warm and fuzzy inside. I'm sad to know that it's over for another year and almost can't wait to see what next year brings. Having Christmas with a child brings a whole new element to the holidays and each year, seeing Matthew understand things more, makes it more memorable and more fun for us as well.
Gift giving was done in waves because of the huge amount of presents Matthew had to unwrap. After opening three or four, he stopped to play with the Imagitex jungle he got. We had to explore all the animals, various levels of jungle and buttons and put all the spiders, snakes and the parrot in their appropriate places. When he was done exploring that it was time to move on to the wireless computer system he got. That sounds fancier than it really is -- it's a Leap Frog learning system that has a wireless keyboard and mouse that work with a console that plug into the TV. The game cartridges teaching letter recognition, number recognition, shapes and patterns, most of which he can do without too much trouble, but it's all done using a computer keyboard so he also learns how to use a mouse and a keyboard. He navigated his way around things without too much trouble and quickly found his favorite games, which occupied the better part of his day.

Part two of the gift giving took place at my mom's right before lunch and also involved play time with the new treasures. After opening each present, he investigated what it was, opened it and played with it when necessary and then was ready for the next gift. We also are blessed with a child who seems to understand that he is lucky and thankful for what he has because he stopped several times today and offered a heartfelt thank you to us and to my mom for the gifts.

Tonight saw round three of the gift giving and this round brought about the gifts that will stretch his imagination and exploration. Mondo and I got him a doctor's kit and a fireman's kit, both of which contain all the necessary goods to make work easier -- a stethascope, thermometer, blood pressure cuff...fireman's helmet, axe, fire extinguisher, all of which come in handy and work extremely well with the fire truck Santa brought.

I don't know where we're going to store all the goods Matthew got this year, but it has been so much fun watching him play with everything. Blessings, blessings, blessings.

December Photo Project: Day Twenty-four

2009-12-24T10:15:00.000-08:00

The weather reports said we had a 60% chance of snow yesterday and just when it seemed like we were going to miss out, the rain turned to sleet and the sleet turned to snow. It's not much, only about an inch, but it has blown and blown and blown all night and made some pretty significant snow drifts in places. This morning Matthew and I headed out to get goodies for Santa and when I opened the front door and saw a snow drift as big as my child I decided an alternate route needed to be sought out. After we returned and got the baking out of the way, Matthew and I headed out to play in the drifts. Matthew started out very tentative, not really wanting to do much, but the more we played the more adventurous he became. I'm really enjoying my Christmas break with him this year, lots of memories and good times being had by both of us. Merry Christmas!

December Photo Project: Day Twenty-three

2009-12-23T13:11:00.000-08:00

I watched Challenge on the Food Network last night and they were making gingerbread houses. Contestants were all ages and the gingerbread houses took all sorts of shapes and forms. I watched, impressed that even young children could fashion such masterpieces out of things edible. Today Matthew and I tried our hand at a gingerbread house and for the first attempt I'd say it wasn't bad. We're a long way off from even considering entering the Food Network's next competition, but it was still fun putting it all together. I don't know what we're supposed to do with it now that it's finished, but it was fun putting it up anyway.

December Photo Project: Day Twenty-one and Twenty-two

2009-12-22T18:13:00.000-08:00

Inspiration has taken a back seat and my excuse is that the last two days of my vacation have been spent working my tail off. Yesterday morning I began cleaning the walls and base boards of the kitchen, a job long over due and quite disgusting. I was then offered a much needed break to go and look at beds for Matthew. My mom, Matthew and I all headed over to Portales where we found a bed and found that my car was too small to transport it back to town. I then drove Mom and Matthew back to town, traded vehicles and went back to Portales. By the time I got home and did some more housework, the day was shot and pictures weren't. Yesterday's picture is a couple of days old and is all about Mother Nature. The first picture is of Matthew playing outside in the 60 degree weather. We started out playing golf and then moved to a game of baseball, except the bat was his putter and the baseball was one of the golf balls. I love baseball no matter how we decide to make it happen. The other picture is of a flock of geese that make their way over our house every evening around 4 p.m. I love to see them and hear them as they go off to parts unknown.

Today has been somewhat of a repeat of yesterday. I took Matthew to school and ran a few errands this morning and then fought with the bed frame and tried to set up Matthew's new bed. When this failed I began working on my dossier, which was also a failure for most of the day. My picture from today is of Nero, our husky-mix dog, who got to pay the vet a visit this morning. His nose has been peeling for months now and I kept thinking and hoping it was going to get better. When I bonked him on the nose the other day on accident and it started bleeding I decided it wasn't getting any better and it was time to see the vet. She said he has some sort of auto immune disorder and sent me home with $80 worth of medicine for him. I may be playing the fool here, but I hate to think that Nero is suffering, his nose looks really painful. I have to give him these pills 3 times a day and I think he'd be just as happy eating them with his meals, but I spruced up the first batch with some peanut butter. He was thrilled to have the treat and to choke down three pills.

December Photo Project: Day Twenty

2009-12-20T08:04:00.001-08:00

I can't believe there are only 5 more days until Christmas, where has the time gone?! This holiday season, and every holiday season for at least the past 16 years, I am thankful for family. Christmas Day 1992 my sister and I flew to England to be with my Dad who was very sick. Three weeks later we lost him and the holidays have been tough ever since, especially for my mother. I am blessed to have a Mom who is always there for me and who is supportive. She is always there when I need her and is always eager to have Matthew. Last night she sat with Matthew while Mondo and I went to his Christmas party. When we got home the two of them were snuggled in watching a movie and soon after our return, they enjoyed some books together. My mom is an avid reader and I hope that's something Matthew picks up from his "Baba" because Mondo and I aren't readers.

I am also thankful for my sister, who always keeps us guessing about where she's going and what she's doing. Secretly there's a part of me that would like to be the adventurer like she is. I am thankful for my loving and supportive husband. I don't know how he puts up with me some days, but I love him more now than I did when we met. He's amazing, strong and so fabulous to watch with Matthew. I love sneaking moments when he doesn't know I'm watching and seeing him and Matthew interacting together.

And finally, there aren't enough words to express my love and feelings for the amazing miracle that blessed us nearly four years ago. Matthew is everything I hoped for and more of what I didn't know I wanted or needed. His amazing smile, wonderful personality, keen sense of humor and pleasant demeanor make him the bundle that I call son, and I couldn't ask for anything more.

I am thankful for what I have and miss what I have lost. Merry Christmas to friends and family near and far. I love you and I'm glad to have you in my life.

December Photo Project: Day Nineteen

2009-12-19T07:19:00.000-08:00

We spent part of our Friday night going to the annual Christmas light/nativity scene at the zoo. Last year was the first year we went and we really enjoyed it. This year they added to it and allowed viewing at more of the exhibits. It's kind of hard to see the animals in the dark, but there is enough light to see them moving about in their cages. It's actually fun to go at night and see the animals because they are more active. The event is free and they offer hot chocolate to everyone, which makes it even better. After we were done we headed out and looked at Christmas lights. It was so much fun to have Christmas music playing in the car and to drive around with the ones I love looking at the lights. What made it even more fun was the excitement Matthew had for every house he saw decorated with lights. At one point I was driving and the little voice in the back said, "slow down, you're driving too fast." So followed orders and slowed down so he could see the lights. Then he said, "when I tell you to stop, you stop." Of course we had to stop outside the next two houses and analyze everything they had in their front yards, but it was entertaining to hear Matthew and my mom point things out, so it was worth it. Christmas is so much this year because Matthew gets it!

December Photo Project: Day Eighteen

2009-12-18T15:40:00.001-08:00

Today was Matthew's Christmas party and I was lucky enough to get off of work early enough to attend the festivities. The kids had a gift exchange, well really a gifting to the classroom and then sat down to enjoy WAY too much sugar. After the kids were sufficiently stuffed they began making their way in my direction and asking me to read the books they received from one of their teachers. Before I knew it I was swarmed by three and four year olds coated in cookie, candy and chip residue. Within about 30 minutes of all of this I was ready to go, but couldn't convince Matthew. Finally, an hour later he was ready to go. Now I'm happy to be home, but ready for a nap!

December Photo Project: Day Seventeen

2009-12-17T16:39:00.000-08:00

It would seem that my DPP pictures run in themes. First I did the two part series on icicles, now I'm working on sleep. Yesterday's photo showed Mondo trying to enjoy a nap on the couch, but the three year old in the house doing everything he could to make sure Dad didn't sleep. Today's picture shows the three year old asleep in the chair thanks to Dad (see how it comes full circle).

When I got up this morning I made my way through the living room and saw the quilt in the chair and began wondering when Mondo had gotten up in the night and why because the quilt wasn't in the chair when we went to bed. As I reached for the light I realized that there was a person under the quilt and after my initial shock, realized it was Matthew. I sat and enjoyed my ritualistic cup of tea and Good Morning America and Matthew never stirred. Okay, he stirred once, but only to reposition himself into a comfier position. During the first part of the stir he put his hand under his chin and reminded me of Mondo, that's how he sleeps. Then Matthew slung his hand over his head and there was me, that's how I sleep. He looked so cute I couldn't help but take a picture.

Even with the TV going, dryer on, computer starting up and mom flashing pictures in front of him he stayed asleep. When I woke him up and asked how he had gotten into the living room he explained that Dad had taken him in there because he was scared of the monsters in his room. Those darn monsters have been disturbing sleep for all of the Del Toro's for about a week. It's time for some monster busting so everyone can enjoy a full night's sleep.

December Photo Project: Day Sixteen

2009-12-16T15:38:00.000-08:00

December Photo Project: Day Fifteen

2009-12-15T05:39:00.000-08:00

Sunrise this morning from our office window.

December Photo Project: Day Fourteen

2009-12-14T05:40:00.001-08:00

I am on the ball this morning. I'll probably be late to work, but it's worth it to know I have posted my DPP picture before the day is done! Last night Matthew took his first candy off the advent calendar that my sister and I used to use. My grandma made it and has been around for as long as I can remember. It was always a treat, literally, to be able to pick a candy of the calendar as we eagerly counted down to Christmas. Of course my favorite advent day was Christmas Eve because my mom always put a small package on the calendar for me and my sister and I was excited because we got to open something. I'm surprised my mom cut loose with the calendar, but thrilled to have it in the house and to pass on the tradition to Matthew. Now to find something for the 24!

December Photo Project: Day Thirteen

2009-12-13T15:23:00.001-08:00

Matthew officially decided he was a big boy yesterday afternoon and threw his "higher" (pacifier) in the trash. He told us that he wanted to be a grown up and that he didn't need his higher anymore. We have been trying to get him to give this up for months and months, Mondo trying harder than me, with no luck. Then all of a sudden, out of the blue Matthew makes the decision and throws not one, but two of them in the trash. He went to bed without one and I convinced him that he was a big boy and didn't need one at nap time today. To celebrate this milestone Dad said he could get a toy while we were at Walmart. I'm not thrilled with the decision, but it's what he really wanted -- a giant machine gun complete with lights and sounds. The gun is almost as big as he is, but he goes and finds it every time we go to Walmart. He also explained that he wanted to be a grown up and pay for it, so I handed him the debit card and he made the transaction. My baby isn't a baby anymore and I'm having a tough time coming to terms with all this growing up in such a short amount of time!

December Photo Project: Day Twelve

2009-12-12T17:36:00.001-08:00

Matthew woke up sick yesterday and has done a whole lot of nothing the last 24 hours. His day has basically centered around juice and cartoons. He doesn't have much of an appetite and doesn't seem too interested in getting dressed and doing anything. I guess boredom caught up with him after nap time today, though because I caught him sprawled out in the chair, watching cartoons and casting and reeling in his practice lure.

December Photo Project: Day Eleven

2009-12-11T14:47:00.000-08:00

Today's picture is not the most exiciting picture I've ever taken, but it pretty well explains my life right now. The state of New Mexico requires teachers to submit a professional dossier before the completion of their fifth year of teaching. Basically it's a VERY detailed and lengthy paper on your teaching practices and it includes references and work samples. There are three sections, each requiring different information, different work from students, work with colleagues, blah, blah, blah. I have been working on this since September and at any given point since then it can look like a trash can threw up in our office. Papers, documents, resources are all strewn about in an effort to get to the finish line. While there is no set deadline, I have a self imposed deadline of Christmas, so I have taken a couple of days off of work this week to try and make the mad dash to the end. The end is in sight, but it still isn't complete. Today's effort was a little lacluster, but I have officially finished the first section and made the corrections. The next two sections should be easier to finish and my Christmas vacation should be dossier free. Now if you'll just send good vibes my way and pray that state says the ENTIRE dossier meets expectations so I don't have to redo anything.

December Photo Project: Day Nine and Ten

2009-12-10T15:21:00.000-08:00

Okay, I missed yesterday, but I have a good excuse. I am taking a master's class so the district will let me keep my job. :-) Our school district has made it mandatory that everyone have a master's degree within five years or something along those lines. So I had class last night and no opportunity to take or post a picture. So the first picture is of Matthew writing his first Christmas letter to Santa. It's an old photo, but still cute, I think. I also like how we arrived at the photo.

One night recently Matthew said to me, "Mom, I can ask you a question?"

I wasn't sure where we were headed and just assumed he was going to ask for something to eat, but this is what came next: "Santa is coming to town?"

So our conversation centered around Santa and how he was going to get in to deliver the presents. I then asked if he wanted to write a letter to Santa so that he knew what to deliver. Thus our very first Dear Santa letter. For the record, Matthew has asked for a red firetruck for himself, a yellow firetruck for Mom and a jungle for Dad. I have it on good authority that all of that is going to happen. ;-)

The photo for today is of the ice on the window of the car this morning. The afternoons are shaping up to be quite decent, but the mornings are frigid. Yesterday we were in single digits, negative 1 with the wind chill. It was slightly more respectable today with a balmy 19 when I left for school this morning. I wish the picture was better, and like to think it would be if I shot it with my 35mm, but it's the best I could get with my digital.

December Photo Project: Day Eight

2009-12-08T07:53:00.000-08:00

The sun is out right now for the first time in days. I think this may be a weather tease because rumor has it that a storm is going to hit tomorrow which is going to make the bottom fall out of the thermometer again and perhaps leave some snow. I don't know if it's true, but I am glad to finally see the sun and temperatures above 30, even if it means the wind is going to blow 90 mph today. Here are some pictures from this morning, before the sun made its appearance.

December Photo Project: Day Seven

2009-12-07T15:30:00.000-08:00

Once again I found myself with a cool photo opportunity and no camera, and once again it involved birds. I'm starting to smell conspiracy! We had an assembly at school today that was the coolest thing ever. Usually I find assemblies to be a waste of time and they're pretty lame generally. When I heard that we had one today from the Fraternal Order of Eagles I couldn't imagine that it would be anything worth getting out of class for. I WAS WRONG!

This group was from Georgia and is part of SOAR - Save Our American Raptors. They brought a variety of different raptors, owls, hawks, eagles, falcon and a turkey vulture. Not only did we get to see them up close and learn all about them, they flew a couple of them right over our heads. I mean like within inches of your head! It was so cool!!

Okay, but that's not my photo, just thinking about how nice it would have been to talk about it and have a photo, but no camera. We did have a camera for our visit with Santa, though, and that is today's DPP entry. Matthew got to visit with Santa and let him know that he wants a red firetruck for Christmas. While we waited for the photographer lady to get the camera ready Matthew and Santa also talked about other things including the Texas Tech Red Raiders, which is when we were able to capture Santa and Matthew Gettin' Their Guns Up! Apparently Santa is a Tech fan too.

December Photo Project: Day Six

2009-12-06T07:11:00.000-08:00

Last night we kept with our annual holiday tradition and camped out in my mom's shop window and watched the Christmas Light Parade. It becomes more fun each year because Matthew gets it and he enjoys it, which makes it more enjoyable for me too. Last night's parade was scheduled to start at six and I would have just made it in time after our trip to Lubbock, but I got a call when I was about 10 minutes outside of town informing me that the parade had already started. I didn't get to see much of it, it was about half way through when I got to town, but it was still nice to see and fun to hear Matthew's reactions. Christmas really is more fun with a little one in the house.

December Photo Project: Day Five

2009-12-05T18:00:00.000-08:00

Today has been one of those days that has been spent mostly in fits of laughter as I enjoyed a shopping trip to Lubbock with a couple of friends. There probably should be some sort of law about the three of us getting together, but sadly no one has made or enforced such a law yet. And sadly, Lubbock probably paid the price!!

Our trip started with a trip to University Medical Center and with three Master's Degree having women getting lost at said hospital. We went to visit a friend who recently had a baby who was placed in the neonatal intensive care unit, more on that in a minute. We walked into the hospital, which at that point was more like a ghost town. The only people we saw were the people who walked in ahead of us and then for the next 10 minutes we walked around with not a clue about where we were, where we were going or how to get there. At one point I even said we should have left a trail of bread crumbs because I wasn't so sure we were going to make it back to the car. Not only did we find the car, but we were able to get a hold of Stephanie who directed us to the correct entrance and then walked us to the NICU.

This was my first trip to a neonatal intensive care unit and in all honesty it's a trip I could have gone my whole life without making and been just fine! Stephanie had her baby on Tuesday or Wednesday of this week and soon learned that Zachary has Epidermolysis Bullosa Simplex, a disorder that causes blisters to form on his skin if anything rubs on it. We stopped by the hospital to see mamma and baby Zachary and getting in was also an experience unlike any I've ever had. Stephanie literally had to teach me how to wash my hands before going in to see him. We stood and washed our hands for 3 minutes and if you don't think that's a big deal, stand at your bathroom sink and scrub for 3 minutes and see how you feel. After scrubbing and scrubbing I was sure we must be about done and when I looked at the timer on the sink it flashed in red numbers: 42 seconds! Seriously?! I've only been doing this for 42 seconds?!! I won't have to wash my hands for a week now because they are so clean.

When we walked in the babies were in their incubators and I tried not to gawk, but this was all so new to me it was hard not to. There were some teeny tiny babies in there and I just wanted to hold and love on all of them. After rounding a couple of corners we got to Zachary's little nook and I watched as Mom talked and cleaned and loved on him. He's such a sweet little boy with gorgeous eyes and I'm sorry he's going through this, but he seemed to be taking everything in stride. He was warm and dry and Mom was about to feed him, just what every baby needs. So today's picture is of Zachary -- the little trooper of the day. Stay strong Stephanie and you keep being cute and cuddly Zachary, it was nice to meet you!

December Photo Project: Day Four

2009-12-04T16:21:00.001-08:00

I've been looking at other blog sites that are participating in the December Photo Project and I have to say that I'm really impressed by the talent people have. It was nice to see the variety of pictures and the creativity. I also think that this project may have given me the opportunity or the excuse to get out and work on some more creative photos, something I really haven't done in a while. During my newspaper days creative photography was something I did on a regular basis, but since I left that world I haven't done much. Most of my photography these days centers around my favorite subject, Matthew. The other thing I've relized in the four days since the DPP started, is that I have to carry my camera around with me so I don't miss those impromptu photo opportunities, which is what happened tonight when I picked Matthew up from school. There were about a bazillion birds circling, dancing and diving south of his school and I loved how they all looked, but had no camera with me. So note to self, put the camera in your purse so you're prepared!!

Tonights picture is a continuation of the icicle theme from yesterday. While much of the snow melted today, it didn't get warm enough to get rid of it all and the icicles are growing, looming overhead as we come and go from the house. I liked the humor and perhaps a little bit of the irony that we have icicles on our icicles.

December Photo Project: Day Three

2009-12-03T15:31:00.000-08:00

I was a little surprised to find snow on the ground when I woke up this morning and even more surprised to see the blizzard-like conditions that quickly followed. We have had snow ALL day today and I'm really hoping we'll at least have a delay tomorrow. It was tough being out with all that snow. All I could think about was my warm house, my slippers and a blanket. It was still snowing when I got home and I really wanted to get a picture of Matthew catching snowflakes on his tongue, but an itty bitty tongue and itty bitty flakes made that a no go. While we were out freezing things off though, Matthew found some "ice cubes" on the picnic table that he had fun playing with. I always enjoyed playing with the icicles too, knocking them off the house was my favorite part. I don't so much enjoy snow and icicles now because it means that it's cold and I really don't like the cold. My ideal weather situation would be 80 degrees year round. I wouldn't mind the snow so much if there were a way to enjoy the beauty of it while also enjoy the temperatures of the tropics. At any rate, here's today's picture, Matthew knocking the icicles off the picnic table while framed by the icicles on the lawn chair.

Photo Project: Day Two

2009-12-02T20:07:00.000-08:00

Okay, finding things to take pictures of may be more challenging than I thought. My life involves a two mile stretch of road that takes me from my house to school and back. Grading papers, playing stupid Facebook games and spending time my guys pretty well takes care of my day and if I photograph that, the 24 days leading to Christmas are all going to look the same. I had the camera with me today when we got haircuts and while that isn't groundbreaking news, I did manage to capture some cute photos at the beauty shop, so I'm going to cheat a little bit and post a few pictures because trying to decide which is better and which to post is too hard, especially since I'm sitting her shivering and longing for the electric blanket. Hope tomorrow brings about something exciting to shoot.

Joining the fun

2009-12-01T16:10:00.000-08:00

Last year a friend of mine posted pictures on her blog every day as part of a December photo project. I loved looking at her blog to see what she was doing and was envious that I couldn't participate because my blog site didn't allow pictures unless I paid for the premium package. Haley turned me on to this blog site and now I'm going to make it my goal to participate as well. The photo project as that participants post a photo a day until Christmas and more information can be found here http://www.tredways.org/december-photo-project/ For my first picture I'm cheating a little bit and posting a picture of the snow we had on Sunday. Snow days are few and far between around here and I have to show the snowball fight between Matthew and his dad. I'll make sure and post new photos each day from here on out. I look forward to the challenge and seeing what everyone else is posting.

Unconditional love

2009-11-11T15:04:00.001-08:00

Last night Matthew and I were sitting in the living room and randomly, out of the blue, this is the coversation we had:

Matthew: "Mom, you can still keep me when I am old?"
Me: "Of course honey, I'll keep you forever because I love you."
Matthew: "But you keep me when I'm old"
Me: "Yes honey, I'll keep you when you're old."
Matthew: "But I just farted!"

Just when I was figuring out the terms of our contract and agreeing to them, he changed the rules. I guess I'm still bound by contract, even though there may be gas involved. Raising a boy is nothing like growing up with a sister. Boys are a different breed!

3=development of imagination and mood swings you would not believe

2009-08-03T17:47:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to figure out what to blog about. It seems I have lots of little snipits, but nothing that I ever feel is worthy of a single blog. I have friends who blog regularly and I'm so envious. I just feel like my life isn't interesting enough to write weekly. I either need to stop blogging or get a life. I think the latter is probably a better idea. At any rate, here are the snipits compiled into one, disjointed blog:

One look at my son and you can see that the apple doesn't fall from the tree, unfortunately the apple isn't anywhere near my orchard. Matthew is the spitting image of his dad and when I'm out shopping with him I'm sure people figure I either a) adopted him, b) I'm babysitting or c) I stole him and I'm stocking up on goods before heading for the border. The only thing I have to show for my efforts is the scar from the C-section. I was room and board for 9 months and that's it! Over the last couple of years though I have noticed a Matthews family resemblance and as Matthew gets older it seems he looks like his father and acts like his Auntie Vicky. That's not a bad thing, except he seems to have picked up one of her finer characteristics...gagging. When we were little family outings could be a bit of an adventure because Vicky was VERY particular about what public bathrooms she would use. If we walked into a bathroom and it was dirty she wouldn't even stop, she turned right around and walked out. But cleanliness wasn't the only factor in bathroom picking (apparently). If it was clean, but smelled funny, that was an automatic trip out the door. And funny didn't necessarily mean in that bad, gross smelling bathroom way. We could walk into a clean bathroom that smelled like Pine Sol, had that just been cleaned smell, and sometimes that was too much to take and out she went.

Well, my darling son seems to have inherited his aunt's over active sense of smell and her gag reflex. Matthew can smell anything, I mean anything, before most normal people are even aware of a faint scent. I think there are probably dogs that envy his sense of smell. That's great when the smell is something lovely like cookies baking, or chocolate, but if it's anything that's off, look out! Cows, grain in the grain elevator doing whatever it does in there, and public bathrooms are quickly becoming our mortal enemies. As soon as he smells these we are greeted with, "it stinks in here," followed by a never ending stream of gags. The other day I took him into the Walmart bathroom because he had to take care of some business and before we even had his shorts down he was complaining of the smell and gagging. I hadn't noticed that it smelled until he pointed it out. I agree, it wasn't the best smell in the world, but I could deal with it, especially if it meant that I had business to take care of. Quick pit stop and we were bolting out the door, never hearing the end of how badly it smelled in there.

Obviously I don't have any idea what it's like to raise a girl, but I can tell you that raising a boy has been eye opening for me. I have a sister, hung around with girls growing up and didn't know the first thing about boys until one came into my life three years ago. Now I'm frantically searching for the owner's manual on boys because they are certainly different critters than girls. Take for instance our most recent bout of "boyism." Matthew has been swimming in the backyard pool and most evenings he decides this on a whim while we're sitting outside watching life pass us by. The first time he decided he wanted to swim I told him to take his shirt and shorts off with the idea that he could just swim in his underwear. He had other plans and stripped down, thus beginning many a night skinny dipping. So Sunday we were at the public pool in Portales and we had been swimming for at least a couple of hours when my friend starts making weird sounds and pointing. When I look at what she's pointing at I see Matthew standing in ankle deep water peeling his swim trunks off. Mondo was able to get to him before I could and before he was completely stripped down. When I asked him what he was doing, he simply answered that he wanted to swim. Apparently he had a sudden desire to swim like he does at home. Note to self: Keep a spare pair of trunks outside and try to discourage skinny dipping because it may come back to haunt you.

Matthew hasn't been 3 for very long, two months to be exact, but there have been times in those two months that I find myself wondering if he'll make it two 4. We didn't really deal with terrible twos, but three is a completely different story. On the positive side of things, his vocabulary and ability to string sentences together has grown significantly in the last few months. He's more willing to try new things, from unusual foods (he insisted on having crab while we were on vacation) to finally dunking his head under the water at the pool. We're still working on potty training, but we no longer have to shell out $20 a payday for diapers. But probably my favorite thing right now is the development of his imagination. Matthew has had an interest in pirates for quite some time now and that interest has blossomed into more life like pirate play. One day he found Mondo's belt laying around and he picked it up and asked me to wrap it around him so he could tuck his sword into it. Very Johnny Depp and Pirate's of the Carribbean!

The other night he was using some boxes I had gotten in the mail to make a tent and talked about how he was going camping. He also hauled his table and chairs into the living room so he could make a train. Some how the train evaporated into something else and soon he and Auntie Vicky were going on a safari. Yesterday morning when I asked him to put his table and chairs back in his room he told me he couldn't because he needed to leave his castle there. That night he was camped out on top of the table, strategically placed on the couch, and he was the king. There seems to be no end to his imagination and it is always an adventure for me to see where he's going.

On the negative side of things, three has brought with it some monumental moodiness! Matthew can have a mood swing faster than I do when I'm PMSing and that's not a good thing. A friend of mine recently talked about the moodiness of her daughter and several other friends with children the same age have agreed that something happens at three that brings out the best and worst in them. Someone said there isn't much difference between three and thirteen. God help me if I have to do this again when he's a teenager! One minute we're playing and life is grand and the next he's got a thought that sounds good only to him. When we discourage the thought for whatever reason he's a blubbering mess. If he's tired too, then we blubbering and a temper tantrum. Good times!

Finally, I said to my family just tonight that after 20+ years of cussing I'm finding that I'm going to have to edit what comes out of my mouth or be prepared to field phone calls from his teachers. Today I was innocently talking to a friend on the phone and a little voice tells me not to say s*&t. I honestly hadn't cussed at that point, but was slapped in the face with the fact that he listens to and takes in everything. I wonder how much one of those bleepers like they use on TV will cost. That might be easier than censoring myself.

Fireworks and frogs

2009-07-01T06:11:00.001-07:00

My favorite holiday is fast approaching and I'm not the only one who is excited. It seems Matthew is also a fan of the Fourth of July and he can't seem to get enough of the rockets red glare, as it were. Neighbors shooting off fireworks is cause to run to the door screaming and bouncing all the way that there are fireworks. We sat in the office the other night and watched as the neighbors set off Roman candles and various other sparkly and colorful fireworks for our viewing pleasure. Getting Matthew to bed after the mini display took some effort because every time he heard a pop after that he wanted to run to the window and see what was going on.
In addition to his enthusiasm it would seem my little party planner has our day, or at least part of it figured out, he just can't seem to wait until Saturday for all of this to take place. In Clovis we watch the fireworks at Greene Acres Lake (which is actually an oversized puddle in the middle of town). There is always music, food, friends and a great time as the community waits for the fireworks to begin. This year Matthew has repeatedly told me that we need to get hot dogs and watermelons and go to the pond to see the fireworks. He doesn't understand or seem to care that we are days too early for the display. I can't decide if today is the day to go shopping for groceries for the fourth or not. I'm afraid if I buy it, he's going to expect to enjoy it all tonight.
So the other night, in an attempt to feed my enthusiasm as well as Matthew's, we went to one of the 10,000 firework stands and spent a whopping $10 on fountains and a few other explosive devices. Nightfall seemed to take forever to arrive for both of us, but we finally made our way out to the driveway and set off what we had. Matthew was thrilled, screaming, jumping up and down, commenting about the colors, and of course saying, "let's do another one." I'm here to tell you that $10 doesn't go far when purchasing fireworks and trying to entertain the resident three year old, but it was fun and I'll be heading back to the fireworks stand for round two.

Butterscotch Israelites

2009-06-12T20:46:00.000-07:00

This week at Vacation Bible School we've been learning about Moses, the Egyptians and the Israelites. Each day the kids have learned how God protected the Israelites and how the Israelites had to trust in the word of God.
Today's Bible story was how Moses parted the Red Sea and led the Israelites to the Promised Land. As part of the Bible study the kids went on a long walk, led by "Moses" and learned that God will always protect us. Our final destination of course was the Red Sea where Moses parted the sea and we arrived safely in the promised land.
Having survived the long walk and travel through the Red Sea we were able to head downstairs for snack time. Tonights snack followed our theme and featured Graham Crackers covered in blue frosting to represent the Red Sea. There were two crackers on the plate and in between the two pieces were butterscotch morsels to represent the Israelites and their passage through the sea. The kids quickly ate the snacks and headed back for seconds. Later, one little girl went up to the minister's wife and asked her what the people in the Bible story were called. Merry responded and the little girl quickly asked, "Can I have some more Israelites?" Henceforth and forever more butterscotch morsels will now be affectionately known as Israelites.

It's a pirate's life for me

2009-05-31T07:49:00.001-07:00

A quiet evening sitting in the backyard quickly turned into a bigger adventure when Matthew used his Dollar Store shovel and rake to search for treasure. Recent rain and a small patch of dirt in front of the deck were the perfect place to start digging and in no time our little buccanneer had unearthed a real treasure, Nero's hidden rawhide bone. Between Captain Matthew and First Mate Nero, the two of them managed to get the bone out of the dirt, which prompted the first mate to start looking for a new hiding place. Poor Nero thought he'd hidden it in spot number 2, but Matthew pulled it out of the ground and thought he'd found a second treasure. After all the digging and re-burying Nero decided it was easier just to eat the treasure.

Is it time now?.....What about now?

2009-05-29T07:22:00.000-07:00

We've booked our hotel and bought our tickets to Sea World, made plans for what we're going to do when we're in San Antonio and Corpus Christi and now I'm ready to go. The only problem is that we don't leave for another 3 weeks! I feel like a kid waiting for Christmas..."Is Santa coming today?" "Is it Christmas now?" "Can we open presents today?" "How about we just open one?" I'm ready to pack my suitcase and sit in the car until we can go, except it's a little hot, even with the windows down.

Problem solving 101

2009-05-25T06:23:00.000-07:00

First I have to say thanks to my friend Haley for steering me in the direction of this web site for blogging. Secondly, anyone reading this should know that I only strive to be as good at blogging as Haley. If I'm lucky I get something posted once a month. Maybe now that I can add video and pictures here I'll be more faithful.

As I sit typing this Matthew is feverishly working on his :strucshun puzzle," a 15 piece wooden puzzle with construction vehicles on it. For some reason this has captured his attention and won't let go and he'll sit and solve and re-solve that puzzle over and over and over again. At this point he has it memorized and has no trouble piecing things together, but before that happened I sat one night and watched him problem solve to try and figure out what piece went where. I was absolutely fascinated to watch his mind work!

When I was in college my roommates had a son who was about the same age as Matthew and I remember Donnie commenting about his son's hands while he worked on something. I didn't get it because I was 20 something and didn't have kids, but I get it now. Watching your child work on something is magic even if it is for the 1,000 time.