Two Post in One Day - Gotta Get Caught Up!

Dearest Castillo Children,

 

 

The following week we spent our FHE outside. The weather has been so nice around 6 that we love spending time in our green and beautiful backyard.

 



 

Nora drew a turtle - and it actually looked like a turtle! I was impressed.

 

 

Annalise with my tall sunflowers. (I think she looks like Ellie here)

 

 

Annalise catching the moon again with Daddy.

 

 

Nora's portrait of me.

 

 

The girls coloring together.

 

Annalise spent the rest of the week sick. She had a pretty nasty cold, but since she has such a weak gag reflex she also throws up if she coughs hard.

 

 

What she ended up doing with her throw up bucket most of the time.

 

 

Nora got brand new princess panties! She got too big for her other panties and it was time to get her some really cute ones.

 

 

I decided to try to get back into drawing since it was something I use to do casually but haven't done in forever. I decided to draw Annalise but I made her look older - like what she'll look like in a few years. Todd thinks it looks like my mom.

 

 

My picture of Annalise.

 

 

Annalise holding her picture.

 

 

I also finally got around to painting my laundry room. (The girls are pretending to help.)

 

 

That next day I took Nora to go see The Wizard of Oz, put on by a local theatre company called Christen Youth Theatre. I was so excited to see a show with Nora, but I forgot that the Wizard of Oz is kind of boring. Half way through Nora was saying she didn't like it. It totally made me laugh. i didn't expect her to be so confused with the blackouts either. She always asked, what's going to happen when ever the stage went black. I realized this was her first time having that happen, since movies don't do that. The show was like a really good high school production, the actors were pretty talented. The best thing for me was how they did the twister. A long funnel piece of materials with gray and black pieces coming off that they ran along the catwalks. It actually looked good. Could have use more lighting cues though... ANYWAY!

 

 

 

Just before we left (doesn't Nora look thrilled?) :)

 

 

In her seat, waiting for the show to start.

 

 

I think intermission was her favorite because I got her a chocolate covered pretzel. (they did all their treats by donation - which was so smart!)

 

Happy with her treat.

 

Sitting on one of the crazy seats outside of the theatre (notice her red sparkling shoes?)

 

 

I kept asking her if she wanted to go home and she did at one point. Then she wanted to finish the show so we ended up going in a little late for the second act.

 

We went to BJs afterwards for a special dinner.

 

 

We got their speciality dessert (gluten free, of course!) to share. Nora just wanted the ice cream.

 

When I got I realized how much money the little theatre group is making and getting to do theatre everyday I started to day dream about doing my own theatre group someday based off of the same program. Then I dreamt that Rod, Todd's dad, did the theatre program with me when we finally moved back to Phoenix one day. How awesome would that be!? I can't imagine doing it now with small children. Maybe in the very distant future. ;)

 

On Sunday we found ourselves in the backyard again. We love looking at our garden and playing in the grass. Seriously, one of our favorite activities.

 



 





Our garden is growing strong!

 



 

Sunflowers finally made it over the fence.

 

 

Playing with bubbles.

 

 

Nora can do it all by herself

 

Annalise letting us know that she can do it too!

 

Playing in the sandbox (her Santa present)

 

That's it everybody! That's all I got in me. I am sure I missed adorable stories and super cuteness, but I guess these cute pictures will have to speak for me. Love you my little ones!

 

 

With All My Love,

 

 

Your Mother

Preschool End of Year Party and Mother's Day

Dearest Castillo Children,

 

 

Earlier this month, the week before Mother's Day, we made decided to make play dough since the one that Nora got for her Christmas present from a friend all dried out. Nora was so sad that I decided to whip up a batch for them. I decided to just leave it the regular dough color since Nora just mixed them all together until they turned brown. (This post is going to be heavy on the pictures since there are a TON for that week!)

 

 

 

Nora rolling out the play dough.

 

 

She was very proud of herself! (I like you can see our cabinets here, because in July they'll be re-done!)

 

 

Nora and Annalise working the dough together.

 

 

Nora loved showing off the dough to the camera

 

 

Annalise liked putting the cutters on her head.

 

 

Making the dough was just as fun as playing with it for them!

 

 

Later that week was Nora's Preschool party to celebrate the end of her first year of Preschool. I still can't believe that a whole year is done! I'm having a hard time deciding on what to do with her for Preschool next year since almost every little girl her age is paying for Preschool and I just can't justify the cost. I know Nora will be ready for Kindergarten, but I worry about her social aspect. She's a little immature in that aspect. She still has a hard time following directions and playing nicely with others. I take that back, she's great depending on the day. I just don't know if socially she'll be ready. I guess I have a whole year to decide what to do with her. Since she's an August birthday I can keep her home another year without any problems but I think she'll be bored. I think she would love school now, honestly. Like I said, I have a year to decide.

 

 

 

We brought cookies to share in the park for the party.

 

 

Nora's Preschool Class - and Annalise since she insisted on joining the group. :)

 

 

Nora with her year 1 completion certificate.

 

 

My little Nora is getting so big!

 

 

Playing on the slide

 

 

Nora with her friend Chase

 

 

Coloring with chalk at the park. They decided the fence needed more color.

 



That weekend was Ellie's birthday party and my groupon for the Phoenix Children's Museum coupon expired. We decided to drive straight to the museum and then go to Ellie's party afterward. Since we drove straight up we decided to stop at a Taco Bell near the museum for a quick bite. After we got out of the car and went inside Annalise started to look sad. Just as I was about to pick her up she started to throw up ALL over the Taco Bell. I mean, from the front counter, all the way down the hall to the bathroom. It was horrible! I asked for a mop and explained she gets car sick to the poor employees. They were super nice about it, all older ladies I think they must have kids or something. We got her cleaned up as best we could but I didn't bring an extra shirt. We thought about stopping somewhere to get a new shirt but decided we might have to give up on the museum. Todd cleaned her up the best he could and then it dried while we ate. We figured... it only smelled if you got close to her and it wasn't because she was ill... so we went to the museum anyway! Ahh! I don't think anyone noticed that she had the slight smell of throw up on her! The museum was a blast, WAY better than the Tucson Children's Museum. Here are a ton of pictures!

 

Climbing in the giant tree house!

 

 

Nora was quite the explorer!

 

 

In a floating boat suspended two stories up.

 

 

Me and my little throw up-ing Annalise

 

Crawling inside the tree house.

 

 

Nora liked how things moved.

 

 

In the art center

 

 

Annalise and Nora made me paper flowers for mother's Day. Todd was hilarious helping all the other people in the place to make flowers.

 

 

Annalise reaching for the lights.

 

 

 

Nora going through the "car wash"

 

 

A little blurry, but I LOVED her expression. This is how they looked the whole time we were there.

 

 

Lounging with my girlies.

 

 

At the pretend ice cream stand.

 

 

This was a huge hit with the girls. So simple to... might make one...

 

The girls serving other children.

 

 

There was this huge room just for grocery shopping.

 

 



Another room full of tracks for balls to roll on.

 

After the museum we went to Ellie's birthday party. There were a ton of kids there and it was kind of crazy. We tried to hang out and chat with Todd's family member but it was a little loud. So we decided to go to Geneva's to get a chance to visit with Elena and see baby Miles! He's adorable! Todd and I both got time to hold him while Nora and Annalise played with Jaela. Elena even made us dinner. It was hard to say goodbye and make the LONG drive home to Tucson.

 

Holding baby Miles

 

 

The next day was Mother's Day and a woke up to two happy babies and breakfast.

 

 

Sadly, on the way to church Annalise threw up all over herself again... so I went back home with the girls and dropped Todd off since he was helping out in Primary since it was Mother's Day.

 

What my Mother's Day looked like. It wouldn't be a holiday celebrating parenthood without cleaning up throw up or poop.

 

 

Happy Mother's Day from my cute girls!

 

 

After dinner we had family music time. At first Nora wanted to play piano.

 

 

Then she wanted to sing. (That's the guitar stand that they are pretending to use as a microphone.)

 

 

Annalise used the music stand to sing her part.

 

 

Nora started to rock out...cause she's a Rock Star

 

 

Annalise helped Daddy with the guitar.

 

Although not the perfect Mother's Day, it was a very real one. I'm so grateful I get to raise children, even when it's exhausting. I hope to someday add to our family, but I know that will happen in the Lord's time and I'm trying to be patient. I love seeing all the new babies that have joined our extended family.

 

 

Anyway, love you my girls. I hope you remember more of the fun things we did and less of the time outs I force you to take!

 



 

Our "bed" we made from couch cushions.

 

 

With All My Love,

 

 

Your Mother