I'm back, per many requests...okay 2

Dearest Castillo Children,

Your momma got lazy. I just couldn't get into the habit of writing every week. I just get distracted by a butterfly or something and flit off in either direction. BUT your Grammy and Pop Pop are serving a mission in Spain for the next two years and this little blog will let them know all the amazing things you're doing and allow them to see your pictures. So I'm trying to get BACK into the habit of writing...or at least create a habit. Here's what we did the beginning of February 2013! (Small side note - the year 2013 seemed like SO far in the future and here it is, happily starring at me. You'll know what I mean when the year 2031 rolls around. Seriously. Weird)

Last Saturday I bought my dream bike! It's a beach cruiser style bike and... wait for it... it's pink! Nora was in love at first sight and was sure that the bike was for her. Sorry, little girl, you'll just have to watch your mother riding off with the coolest bike ever. My super nice neighbor down the street happened to randomly ask me if I needed a bike since he was selling one. I didn't "need" a bike since Grammy left her bike for me, but it's a mountain bike. Honestly, I can only see me riding a bike on a mountain if that is the only way for me to escape zombies. Which could happen. I try not to discount anything. ;)

My new beauty of a bike!

 

 

On Sunday we drove up to see cousin Ben Wach get blessed. I'm really glad we went since it was a family event and I just love your dad's family. I feel like I was raised with them sometimes. It was nice to see the family. I'm so glad the two of you are so use to the 2 hour drive up to Mesa. You're usually so quiet and sweet. Give you some snacks and a drink and you're good. Love you SO much!

 

 

Monday I went to a Dr. appointment to talk to him about possibly having a gluten allergy. Gluten is in everything, like bread and even random places like soy sauce. I honestly hope that I don't have a problem but I feel so much better when I avoid it. We'll see what the test says probably this next week. Nora has also found a new favorite place to stay! I bought an armoire (sp?) from someone in my community for $20 (awesome!) that matched my furniture set in my bedroom. I LOVE it and I plan to use it for storage since I'm cleaning out a big portion of my closet to keep food storage (my big goal for the year and to build my year supply). I wanted somewhere to keep all the other stuff. Then Nora found it. I can usually find her there.

 

I don't know if you can tell but I also painted my bedroom recently. (yay!) I somehow talked my Home Teacher to come over and paint my bedroom. He says he likes to do it...and he IS serving us... :)

 

Annalise also received a package in the mail for Grandma for her birthday that came a little late. It was like she got two birthdays. She was so happy. She got some cute clothes, some toy cars (she is OBSESSED with cars right now) and a Minnie playset. All of her favorite things. Nora also got things for Valentine's Day like a Minnie shirt (Anna also got a matching one) and I got some truffles from my mom. Mmm... It was very sweet of her to think of us.

 

Opening presents from Grandma and Grandpa!

 

Please excuse the underwear showing in all the pictures. Annalise is still doing wonderfully on her potty training and as long as she doesn't wear pull ups for too long she doesn't have accidents. She's so smart, she knows that pull ups are basically a diaper so she uses it as such. I'm not ready to go completely without the pull ups yet (naps, bedtime and outings). But other than that she's awesome. Goes without me asking. Does all the business herself and then yells for me to come see so she can get some candy.

 

 

I've been teaching preschool at my house this week and we learned about the letter Q and that's been a lot of fun. At first teaching preschool was stressful but now it's totally easy and relaxed. It does help that I lost two students because one moved away and another is taking a little break. After next week I won't have to teach preschool again at my house until the next school year. Awesome. I also starting teaching voice lessons! I have two students and I LOVE it. I am amazed how much one of my students has improved! She's doing so well after only a month. It's exciting to see so much progress in her. It's really fun to see how much I know. I've been doing choirs for years and read a lot once I got my choir calling. I am amazed how much I have to give a new singer. It has been such a great thing for me. I honestly think it makes me a better mom because then I want to instruct my own children instead of just telling them.

 

Thursday our preschool class went to Pump It Up, which is a big bouncy castle place with a huge slide, obstacle courses and crazy jumpy rooms. We're talking about the body so I thought that would be a fun field trip for the kids. They played for 90 minutes and the played HARD. They were so tired at the end, which was kind of awesome.

 

 We learned about bodies and drew life size pictures of their bodies for preschool.

 

 Nora going down a giant slide.

 

 Annalise landing after sliding down. She could climb all the way up all by herself. So proud!

 

 Nora getting ready to go up again!

 

Friday morning Nora had her friend Theresa's birthday party and then I went to my writing group meeting. I joined a group of LDS writers where my friend is a member. Kaylee actually has a really sweet LDS book that got published called Meg's Melody. I've been kicking an idea around my head for about a year and I'd really like to turn it into a play. I'll share more as it develops. I decided if I ever really was going to write it then I needed someone to be accountable to and this group is perfect for that. I'm hoping to start really working on it this week so I can have something to show them in a month. After that your Dad was so AWESOME. I was late getting back from my meeting and I had told someone I would watch her kids so she could clean her house in peace. She's due with her third in a few weeks and just feeling a little worn out. So she comes to drop off her kids and I'm not here! Todd is awesome and says he's fine watching them and that I had told him before hand. I'm glad she was comfortable enough to leave them with him since I was late! When I got home he had everything under control so I asked him if I could go over and help her clean for an hour. I helped her clean buy doing dishes and mopping her floors, and the whole time my husband watched all the kids. He's so wonderful! Love that man!

 

Saturday was a fundraiser for another ward at church. The Young Women put on a Valentine's Day dance every year with dinner and free babysitting. What?! Sold! We went last year and LOVED it. I love any excuse to dance with my husband, really. It was funny, during dinner the DJ for the other ward remembered us from last year and said he was looking forward to seeing us on the dance floor. Yeah, there's a reason for when I realized I was in love with my husband while we were dancing. :) It was western theme so Todd wore his cowboy hat and I wore pigtails. The girls had a ton of fun and we got to eat dinner with friends, try out roping and dance for an hour and half. Todd even requested our song "The Way You Look Tonight". That was the song that I realized I was in love with him. We got a family and couple picture but we'll have to wait for those to come. The girls just wanted to wear daddy's hat. 

 

 

 

That's our week! I hope to keep doing these...so please leave me a message to let me know someone is reading this...so I can be accountable to someone for writing!

 

And to my beautiful little girls, everyday with you is magical. I see the world in a whole new way when I'm with you. I've decided my new philosophy is that I get to live my 2nd childhood. I'm taking piano lessons (learning Moonlight Sonata right now, SO hard!) and I get to play with my best friends everyday. Sure I have chores, but I did when I was a kid, too. My homework is paying bills, and sure, I have to make dinner most nights but at least I get to pick! And another reminder why childhood is awesome, check out Annalise's gorgeous style. You wish you could look this good!

 

 

 

With All My Love,

 

Your Mother