My little men

Every day I am reveling in how quickly my little boys are growing into little men! And I'm amazed that soon, I will have not two - but THREE of them!!



Sitting at the big table, nibbling a waffle for breakfast

Testing out some big boy undies. We've begun the very early phases of potty training - Sol has gone #2 on the potty twice!!! - but we've still got a ways to go.

Looking more like a little man every day

Whatever Sol does, Nefty has to copy. Monkey see, monkey do! :)

This summer, enjoying the sunshine at local park

Talking to daddy via Skype

October 31st

Trying to get a family snapshot - minus Daddy :( - isn't so easy these days. Solomon rarely cooperates!

Gazing out at the pumpkin patch

Solomon did pretty good trekking his way through the pumpkins and vines. But after a couple spills, he clung pretty tightly to my index finger.

So many to choose from!

Bringing our pumpkin in. Nefty is a great driver!

Though we don't celebrate Halloween in our household, we still enjoy many of the fall activities associated with the end of October. I took the boys to the pumpkin patch yesterday afternoon, and they were so excited to ride the tractor out to the patch. Nefty even remembered, after starting this tradition last year, that we would be riding a tractor. I mentioned pumpkin patch, and off he went with excitement! We waded through the thick mud and wandered the countless pumpkins in search of the right one for our family. We giggled with delight as the tractor ride bounced us around on our hay seats. When we made it back to the garden area, we loaded up on the little wagon to pull our pumpkin to the check out counter. Neftalí did a great job - and inspired his brother to want to help too! After pumpkins, we went to get some delicious caramel apple spice (cider) from Starbucks. What a perfect way to wrap up our adventure! Once home, we took a warm bath and got ready for bed. Now, all we have to do is carve the pumpkin and bake some tasty cupcakes. We'll even try to parade around our costumes at a local harvest festival! The fun is just beginning!

The Colors of Fall in Oregon

Playing at a park near my childhood home

King of the mountain!

Posing in front of some yellow flowers near the UO library

A friendly squirrel, posing for a pic with lunch in his mouth

Nefty posing in front of one of the colorful trees at the entrance of the university cemetery.

I had many English literature classes here...

In front of the College of Business

We wanted to take advantage of the beautiful, sunny day and cool weather. So I decided to take the boys to the campus of the University of Oregon for a refreshing walk, in hopes to also capture some brilliant fall colors. And we were successful. As we meandered through the walkways of the university, we were all taken by the changing colors, and the boys were captivated by the squirrels as they busily searched for (or recovered) nuts. What a delight! I just couldn't help but come back to the same conclusion I've held for the last 20 years that I've lived here - I LOVE OREGON!

Friday at the park

Me and my boys...and Savannah. I promise - Neftali isn't picking his nose - he's sucking on a honey stick. :)

My dear friend Michelle. Or, as the boys call her, Auntie Michelle.

Savannah and Solomon racing to the top of the stairs

My little climber

After climbing those stairs about 100 times...Needless to say, he took a very sweet nap this afternoon!

Today I didn't have to go to work. It was an elected furlough day for the school district - which means an unpaid day off. But I don't really mind, because I was really looking forward to spending some time with my boys outside before the sun goes away for awhile. We went to Skinner Butte Park, a beautiful park along the Willamette River, and had a picnic lunch with Michelle and her daughter, Savannah. Then the kiddos played, mostly on the slide. Solomon just couldn't get enough! He was able to climb up the stairs all by himself, and slide down by himself too! I can't believe how big he's getting! So independent. What's next? :)

5 1/2 months

My 22 week tummy

I can't believe I'm already over half way to meeting my third son. Where does the time go? All I know is that for those who have told me that I don't look 5 months pregnant, I sure FEEL 5 months pregnant! :)

Birthday Celebrations

Grandma Ethel and the birthday girl (and kiddos) at Applebees

Angie and her two kiddos, Aaliyah and AJ. We've been friends since 1991...wow...I'm old.

Birthday cards from my students! What a treat!

Talk about joy...almost all students wrote that I was the "best teacher in the whole world!" Pretty adorable! And VERY creative with their pop up cards!

Thank you to all of my loving friends and family members who made my 31st birthday a special one. It started out as a typical day as I got the boys ready for church. It was a cool, damp day (my favorite!) and, as usual, the message was amazing. Then we headed to lunch with my grandma, who treated us to deliciousness at Applebees. After our tummies were full, we headed home and the boys both napped - allowing me to take a nap myself. What a delightful present! Grandma Elena brought us a delicious ice-cream cake from DQ, and my childhood friend Angie brought a delectable chocolate cake AND cupcakes to share with her two kiddos and her daughter's friend. Needless to say, we had a great time.

And it doesn't stop there. On Tuesday at school (two days after the official day), my teaching partner surprised me as she brought her entire class AND the principal into my class to interrupt with the birthday song, a mountain of home-made birthday cards from students in both our classes, and yummy chocolate cookies. What a special day!

Family

Solomon's cousins love him so much that Sam tried to pack him in his bag and take him back to Portland! :)

Sam, Nefty, and Roman, chillin'...

Roman, Benny, and Solomon smiling for the camera.

The cousins (right to left): Ben (9 yrs), Neftalí (3 1/2 yrs), Roman (6 yrs), Elise (4 yrs), and Sam (13 yrs)

Over Labor Day weekend, my brother and his four kiddos came down from Portland to visit. It was such a blessing! Six kids and 2 adults in a cozy little home is a recipe for a delightful time. Neftali and Solomon adore their cousins, and I think you can see that, by the photos, the feeling is mutual. They stayed from Friday evening to Monday afternoon, and I thoroughly enjoyed cooking for everyone. It was a nice change from fast food, or single entrees. Maybe it was good practice for my growing family?

School

I can't believe we are already in October! Time flies by so quickly! Especially when you're a full-time working mother of 2 1/2! :) But things are so good, and I have really been enjoying teaching. Though I'm struggling with enforcing Spanish-only in my classroom, the kiddos are so excited about coming to school, and I do feel like I'm getting a grasp on planning. Yesterday, we had a guest speaker come and talk about trees (in English) and forest science. The kids were so engaged! And in the afternoon, she guided us all through the paper-making process. It was so great! When the kids get to school on Monday, they will each have their own piece of home-made paper. What a treat! I was even able to find a clip of "Planet Earth" on Youtube - in Spanish! that reinforced what we learned in English. Thank you Jane such a wonderful experience!