Broccoli for dessert??

Growing up we were expected to eat whatever was put in front of us. How I remember my mom making 'caldo de pollo' (chicken stew) with all the veggies under the rainbow. Oh, how I dreaded the days I would see the big pot of boiling soup on the stove. And if I didn't eat it all, my mom would save it for breakfast. How thoughtful of her, huh? What cracks me up now, is that it is probably one of my FAVORITE meals now. Especially when I am pregnant. I request it all the time and is such a comfort food for me. My Mom taught us to love food. To be thankful for it. And that picky eating was not going to be happening under her roof. I am so grateful for that. I have had the chance to experience some amazing foods because of this and am such a foodie now. If you would have told me that I would love cow tongue tacos or sushi when I was 8 I would have asked you to 'gag me with a spoon' and barfed all over you. (I was way into my valley girl talk back then, like totally.) So, it has been a blessing to have all of my children love food, too. Of every kind. With parents like Tim and I, that have a very open mind when it comes to food, they would have to be.



I started my children off with all kinds of veggies as babies. This way they were so used to it, they couldn't decide to not like it. Miguel would eat everything on his plate and Karizma would ask for broccoli for dessert.

"Well, only if you are a good girl and finish all your dinner first."

And finish it all she would, because broccoli was amazing to her. "Trees" she called them. Even when we would go to Home Town Buffet for dinner, she would request broccoli for dessert. She was a bit of an odd duck back then.

So, the other day I remembered her broccoli for dessert days fondly when the boys and I had this conversation:

(Setting: Me preparing the broccoli salad for Thanksgiving.)

Me: Who wants a tree?

Walker, Christian, Zack: I DO!!!!!

Me: I said tree NOT treat.

All the boys again: I DO!!!!

Walker: Mom, broccoli IS a treat!

Zack: Mom, can I have some more trees, PLEASE!

Me: Ok, but only if you are going to be a good boy today.



Did you know you could bribe your kids to be good with broccoli? Hmm, or is that just my kids????

Happy Thanksgiving

My sweet bloggy friends... HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Thank you for your continued support and encouragement. I love that although we have never met in real life, I have built some amazing friendships here. God bless you and your families!

I am so thankful!! I could sing of HIS love forever!! He has made me glad!! And it is all because of Jesus!!

I am thankful for:
...a husband that doesn't have to into work for 4 entire days!
...a six year old that said to me other day about his 2 year old brother, "Zack has such a servants heart!"
...a 5 month old daughter that says 'Mama' and 'Mom' clearly and only to me. And that she is sitting up so well now!
...a mother in law that is willing to host her entire family for Thanksgiving, including my parents and sister.
...a sister in law that has blessed me with yet another beautiful niece, Hadassah Rose.
...a sister in Texas that has blessed me with my first 'blood' niece, Angelina Bella, last night.
...a brother and sister in law that are preparing to welcome another niece for me, into this world.
...a home that is secluded enough that I can sweep the porch with my robe on and no one would even know it.
...parents that are willing to sacrifice their beautiful home so I can raise my children in it.
...the privilege to be an American.
...the mercy and love of a savior.
...friends that make her laugh.
...teenagers that do not fit the world's mold.
...a cousin that has been my best friend through thick and thin..literally, ha ha.
...a 4 year old that is ready for kindergarten.
...a dog that blesses my sweet Karizma on a daily basis.
...my washer and dryer.
...the constant comfort I receive from the Word of God.
...all of her extended family.
...a little boy named Zack that is teaching her that she can be a better mother.
...her church, church family, and pastor.
...her eternal salvation.

Oh, the list could go on and on.

We are all doing well.
Really enjoying life.
Giving God all the glory.

Isabella turned 5 months 10 days ago.
It is amazing the things she can already do! But, the best is that she calls me 'Mama'. And she has been doing it since 4.5 months old. I wondered if she knew what she was saying, but I know she does, because she only says it to me and says it when she is really hungry or wants to be picked up and held. She has also started to 'kiss' me. She will grab my face and pull me to hers. She is insistent that she kiss my lips only. If I give her my nose, she will fuss and make sure to get my lips. I adore her! Karizma and I often ask ourselves what we would have done without her. We have such a blast playing with our living doll. God knows my heart and when Karizma never played with dolls as a little girl, he still fulfilled that desire for me by having her play with our little living doll, Isabella. Do you see how He cares for your every thought, desire, need? I serve a loving God!


Isabella Grace also started to sit up 1 week before she turned 5 months.

She is just so eager to be grown. I love seeing her attempt to stand on her own and do things that I did not expect her to be doing for another month or two. She is such a happy girl, except when she is in the dark. That seems to be the only time she is upset now.. or when she is hungry. She expects to eat NOW! And, Mom's Diner is open 24 hours, so I accommodate her as she pleases. It truly is my pleasure!

I do want to take a minute to thank the Chargers for bringing my husband and teenagers such joy. My family wears the Charger gear faithfully during game day (except during church service, although I promised them that if the Chargers ever won the superbowl, they could wear their jerseys the next Sunday.) and they all sit in front of the TV with Dad and spend that time with him. It has become a tradition and some very blessed man will love that our daughter is very well versed in all things football, but is also well versed in all things girlie, too. Karizma will give her husband the best of both worlds!

I have so many posts to catch up on: Karizma's 15th birthday, the zoo with the Hammang's, our weekend away to west LA, and we just drew names for this years sibling secret santa. I will try and be better about posting. Thanks for your loyalty, friends. You guys rock!

One last thing... I am very thankful for Dan and Natalie. My brother and sister in law. They just had their 5th child earlier this month and I love how their love for eachother and Jesus shines through them. The other day, they came to service (their baby was still in the NICU, 5 days old) and I saw this during worship...
Can you still see Daddy's hospital bracelet on? It touched my heart and I am glad I captured the moment. I love you both very much and am blessed to have you in my life. May God continue to bless your marriage, your roles as parents, and your walks as Christians.

Now off to have fellowship with all my family, eat some yummy turkey, and plan out our black Friday route! I love this time of the year!!!!

XOXO,
Veronica

Duggars Homemade Baby Wipe Recipe

My last post was a mish-mash of tips. Someone in the comments section had mentioned she made her own wipes. I recalled that the book 'The Duggars: 20 And Counting' had a recipe in their book. Some of you asked for it, so here it is:

This recipe was shared with the Duggars by the Bates family.

Cut a whole roll of Bounty paper towels into 2 halves. (We found that Bounty is the only brand that works. Use an electric knife for best results.)
Place one of the halve rolls vertically in an empty and fully cleaned 1 gallon ice cream bucket.
In a large measuring pitcher, mix 2 cups of water, 2 tablespoons of baby oil, and 1 tablespoon rubbing alcohol. (Some families also like to add a tablespoon of baby bubble bath.)
Pour the liquid over the halved roll of paper towel in the ice cream bucket and soak for 30 minutes.
Remove the cardboard center.
Feed the top corner of the paper towel through an X shaped slit you have cut in the lid of the ice cream bucket so you can pull out and tear off one "wipe" at a time.


I personally have not tried this recipe, but will have to now and will do a review. If you do try it, please share and let us know how it went! Now off to eat a gallon of ice cream so I can use the tub. That must be the BEST part about making them, right girls?!!

XOXO,
Veronica

Mish Mash Post

Mish Mash. Yep. Mish mash because it is a bit of this and a bit of that as far as information. Hope you can find it useful!

TEETHING BABY?

Our little Isabella has been teething for a little over a month. She is actually pretty mild mannered about it, but I can tell she is a bit uncomfortable. Here are some things that have worked for me over the years with teething babies:

1. We LOVE using teething tablets. They are natural and have worked with each of the kids. 'Hyland's teething tablets'. You can find them in most Walmarts and also in natural food stores.




2. Green onions. Yeah, you read right. My mom suggested it to me with my first, over 16 years ago, and it really works. Especially if you stick them in the freezer for it bit to make them extra crisp and cold. Before putting them in the freezer, rinse them really well, and don't dry them. Stick them in a freezer bag wet. Yeah, there breath will smell odorous, but they will grow up to be open to onions in their food. All my kids love onions! But, seriously, though... it really works.

3. Frozen wash cloth. Do the same thing that you do with the green onions. We use the soft baby wash cloths and use these only for teething, not for bathing. Gross. Anyway, you also soak them in water, wring out the excess water, and store it in a freezer bag in the freezer so they are ready to use.

My kids have liked teething rings, but we lose them often and they can be costly. I have found these other methods work as well, if not better. However, the truest and best method of all...

4. Breastfeeding. Nothing seems to comfort my babies more than some quiet time at Mama's breast. Not only does it help them to sleep, it gives me time to sit and enjoy them as well. Win win situation.





Isabella is officially 5 months old as of yesterday. It feels like a bit of a blur. Many hard days, but many more joyous ones. She is really starting to open up more, but is still very attached to being at home and is so sad if we are not home before dark. Hard to do when it gets dark by 5pm now. Anyway, it helps us be a bit more laid back. I am really enjoying being a mommy to a little girl again.




Here are a few other things that have helped me lately:

1. Mitten clips... you can find a pair of them at the dollar bin in Target. I use them to clip Isabella's toy to her clothes so she doesn't lose them or drop them. No lost toys or dollies yet!




2. Aquaphor. They recommended this ointment instead of any diaper rash cream while Isabella was in the NICU. We apply it after each diaper and she still has not gotten a diaper rash. Awesome stuff! We also use it for Walker's dry lips...not from the same jar, though ;0). And it can be used on really dry skin as well. You kind find this stuff at Costco, behind the pharmacy counter for 1/2 the price of Target!!



3. You all know I am a HUGE fan of the miracle blanket. Well, we use ours at home, faithfully. Now that it is getting colder outside, we have found that Isabella sleeps much better while swaddled in the car seat. One Step Ahead, makes a swaddle blanket that can be found at any Walmart, Target, Babies R Us, for as little as $10. This blanket comes with a slot in the back to slip the carseat buckle through. We keep one in the car for her, and it has been great.



4. This one is kind of random, but very worth mentioning. A friend recommended a Leap Frog DVD by the name of the Letter Factory. This has been amazing! My 2 year old knows all his letters now and their sounds. It has a catchy song that my 4 year old and 2 year old sing all the time and I have noticed them making an effort to try and understand words from this DVD. Worth the $10 and can be found at Walmart or Target, too. Sometimes they carry them at Costco.




Lastly, I want to congratulate my SIL, Natalie over at Raising Miracles. Her little girl, #5 of their brood, was born last week. Hadassah Rose comes home today and we thank God for answering prayer where she is concerned. Welcome, little one!

Do any of you have some tried and true tips you can share? I love hearing what other mom's think about new products, or the old in home things they use to make mommyhood easier.

Miss you all,

Veronica

Catchin' Up

This one is for you, B...thanks for always remembering me. xoxo

Yeah, it has been another long time between posts...again. I am going to come clean as to why.

Two words...

Face Book.

Or is that one word?

I have been asked, prodded, and finally coaxed to try it. It has been a blessing because I can really stay in touch with family. But, it has meant that I am neglecting my blogger family. Forgive me? You do? You guys rock!

Well, let's catch up!

We have been to pumpkin patches and a fall festival, so here are a few pics...

Pumpkin pickin'...brother style!





Kelsey and Walker. (this was not planned, but isn't it cute?)





ROAR!




Clark Kent???




SUPERMAN!




Little foot




Our happiest dino






Lobster for dinner tonight!



Daddy's Princess







The kids are growing fast, so here is a quick update on each of them.


First, the biggest kid here, my handsome husband, Tim.
Tim was never baptized by submersion. Only by sprinkling of water when he was younger. He talked to the Pastor and Tim has decided that he wanted to be baptized under submersion as well. He will be doing so this weekend, and so are his parents. We are so excited and love that they will doing so together.

Miguel
Can you believe he is almost 17? That makes me super old. He gets smarter and more handsome by the minute. He is still helping his grandpapa build their house and has also been helping at his other grandparent's jewelry store. I am excited to see what God has planned for our son.

Karizma
Karizma has started her 2nd semester of 9th grade, and she might be able to start 10th grade a semester early. We are proud of her! She is sad she had to skip soccer due to her broken toe this season, but hopefully it will keep her from kicking any sofas in the future. She is still Isabella's favorite person, but do you blame her?

Walker
He is rockin' 1st grade! I am amazed at how fast he has learned to read and write and spell. He blesses me daily. He is the mediator between his 2 little brothers and often the voice of reason. He does remind us often that he is now 6, so believes this entitles him to many 'grown up' things. This could mean watching a detective show with us and the big kids while the little ones watch a little kids movie.

Christian
He is the one with a heart of gold. He is always serving. Always thinking of others. I love that he still has a baby face and he loves still being my baby. I think watching him grow up has been the most difficult, because he was and still is my biggest mama's boy.

Zack
Tough guy. Fearless. Independent. Spunky. Zack. He cracks us up when he sings. He cracks us up when he is in trouble. He gets away with a lot, because he knows how to work us already. And he is only 2. What are we to do?

Isabella Grace
She has her daddy wrapped around her little finger. And her mama around the other one. And her sister wrapped around her thumb. And her brothers wrapped around all the other fingers. She is the princess around here, BIG TIME. She is rolling both ways now and loves to eat at Mom's Diner, especially since it is open 24 hours a day, which she gladly takes advantage of. She is a big smiler, but will only laugh for Walker. She is Karizma's living doll and still lets us dress her and put big bows in her hair. Hope that lasts. And as of 10 minutes ago said 'Mama' for the first time. Now she has said it over and over because she is hungry. My 4 month old genius!

Me
I have been through quite the roller coaster this past month.
I had to watch a very dear friend lose her Daddy. That broke my heart, but I am so blessed to know they will be reunited again someday in heaven.
I am really enjoying having my parents live so close. I try to go down to hang out with my mom at least once a week. She makes me a cup of tea and we talk. No little boys interrupting. It is one of the highlights of my week!
My sister blesses me with her hilarious updates on life. She is on fire for JESUS and always has an awesome story to tell about how she is sharing Christ with people. She inspires me.
I am excited that I have 3 nieces on the way. My sister Mayte's baby due in 2 weeks. Natalie's little girl due in December. And Susan's little girl due in April.
We are still dealing with Tim's ups and downs from new medications and the old ones, but have hope in Jesus. We are praying that 2010 will bring a new normalcy for our family since Tim's is having the surgery to implant the stimulator on new year's eve. Please be praying for us.
I continue to be in awe of how awesome it is to mother 6 children, homeschool them and be a wife somewhere in there, too. God's grace. Only by HIS grace. Nursing is going well and it is one of the best times of the day when I can just hold my little girl and look in those glorious blue eyes. Speaking of which...looks like this diner never gets a break...my favorite customer is a callin'.