Gonzalez Family

Back to School

2011-09-01T09:09:00.000-07:00

I know I'm behind on blogging. You might think I have tons of free time now that both girls are in school but literally every minute of my day until they go to bed is accounted for. Matea's only at kindergarten for 3.5 hours and I work from home during that time so I can have more time available to hang out with them after school and in the evenings. Anyway, here are my kindergartner and second grader on their first day of school...

Summer So Far

2011-06-30T12:20:00.000-07:00

Backyard Picnic

Squeezing Baby Grace

New hair do's for all!Writing in journals

Growing a fairy garden
Making homemade blueberry muffins
And eating veggies from our garden

Not too shabby, especially with a surgery and recovery thrown into the mix!

Feather Hair Extensions

2011-06-04T19:32:00.000-07:00

Award Winning

2011-06-04T19:29:00.001-07:00

Yes, shockingly, the girl who literally let the soccer ball hit her in the shins rather than kick it during a game received the PE award for her class.

Graduate

2011-06-04T19:25:00.000-07:00

Thursday was Matea's last day of preschool. She was really sad and cried as soon as she woke up because she was upset about not seeing Miss Sandy anymore. While she was at school, I got a text message from Miss Sandy telling me that they were reminiscing about the good times they had together and Miss Sandy told her she could come visit any time she wants to this summer. Then Tatey told her she could come to our house any time she isn't in school. Such a sweetie.

Almost Kindergartner

2011-05-27T16:54:00.001-07:00

Matea had kindergarten roundup today which is when the teachers assess each student's level to determine which class they'll fit in best. She was so excited and spent a lot of time picking the perfect outfit. She's really in to pulled-up socks with dress shoes right now.

She was so independent at round up and seemed suddenly so much more grown up. I'm dreading August when my baby officially leaves me:(

Pinkalicious

2011-05-17T10:57:00.001-07:00

Bella presents her diorama today and decided she wanted to dress like Pinkalicious.

Can you see the resemblance?

Dioramas

2011-05-15T17:07:00.000-07:00

One of Bella's school assignments this week was to build a diorama based on a scene from a book. This is right up her alley since she usually spends her entire weekend doing some sort of major art project. In fact, a few weeks ago, she made this fairy house...

She did it all on her own. The idea was all hers and Steve and I didn't even know what she was making until she was finished with it. She scavenged through the trash can in my craft room and found other bits and pieces throughout the house.

Do you see the walk-in closet? So creative. And the shoe is the fairy's dog's bed.

So for her school diorama, Bella chose to do the page from Pinkalicious where she wakes up pink. Since all the page includes is a big picture of Pinkalicious, Bella looked through the book and used her imagination to improvise the rest.

We both think she did an awesome job and I'm confident hers will be one of the best. And I'm proud to say she did it all on her own...the one and only thing I helped with was the glitter on Pinkalicious' dress.

Of course, Matea had to do one too but she's much more easily frustrated than Bella and I believe, has lower creative standards.

Yeah, it's supposed to be an ice cream shop but Bella spelled it "ice crime". I earn extra awesome mother points for containing my laughter when I saw it.

Easter 2011

2011-04-26T11:29:00.000-07:00

Preschool Easter Egg Hunt

2011-04-20T20:55:00.000-07:00

Tatey and her BFF's. I think she's really going to miss them next year.

Matea wanted to go all out for her preschool egg hunt. Fancy dress, sparkly shoes, and curled hair. When she was all finished getting ready, she said she looked like Ramona Quimby:)

Camping at Montana de Oro

2011-04-20T20:49:00.001-07:00

Twins!

2011-03-28T10:11:00.001-07:00

Imaginary Friend

2011-03-22T12:34:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, Bella was in the garage with Steve and noticed their fleece blanket was kind of standing up instead of in a pile on the floor. She used paper and tissue paper to turn it into an imaginary person and then the girls posed for pics with their new friend. Her level of creativity is amazing.

Crazy Hair Day

2011-03-22T12:33:00.000-07:00

Two weeks later and I can still see traces of silver and glitter on their scalps.

Bella's New Do

2011-02-25T16:00:00.001-08:00

Bella announced last night that she wanted to get a pixie cut like mommy. Steve and I told her we thought a pixie cut was a little too grown up looking for her and we were both worried that if she doesn't like it, growing it out is a bitch. On top of that, she has tons and tons of hair which just isn't ideal for a cut that short.

So, we settled on a compromise. She wanted something short and different from everyone else at school and I wanted something that wouldn't be hard for her to do every morning. And here's the new Bella.

Tatey got hers cut too but she just looks too goofy in all of the pictures I took of her. Oh, and the new Bella is down one more tooth too!

More Birthday

2011-02-23T16:01:00.000-08:00

Disneyland-February 6th and 7th

2011-02-23T15:59:00.002-08:00

Valentine's Day

2011-02-23T15:59:00.001-08:00

Bubble Bath

2011-02-23T15:58:00.000-08:00

Snow Day-Frazier Park, February 20th

2011-02-23T15:54:00.000-08:00

Birthday Girl

2011-01-14T20:52:00.000-08:00

New robe from Matea. An adult xsmall!

Preschool Pajama Day

2011-01-14T20:51:00.000-08:00

Monterey Bay Aquarium...January 2-3

2011-01-14T20:47:00.000-08:00

An Early Christmas Gift

2010-12-23T08:12:00.000-08:00

Last night, after brushing her teeth before bed, Bella said that her mouth was bleeding. I told her it was probably her loose tooth, and sure enough, it was barely hanging on. She got very excited and was ready to pull it out and then reality set in and she freaked out.

After spending some time crying and getting snuggles from Mommy, we decided she should just go to bed and see if it came out on its own tomorrow. Right before bed, Bella told Steve she wanted him to just pull it out. She said he pulled three times and on the fourth pull, the tooth came out.

She was so happy she couldn't sleep! She ended up in bed with me after 10:00 and she was still hyped on adrenaline. She's so excited to go back to school after Christmas break and finally be on the lost tooth chart.

Here's her cute new smile.

Rain

2010-12-22T13:38:00.000-08:00

It's been raining almost non-stop since Friday evening but there's finally been a break today so I took the girls outside to jump in puddles and test out their new rain boots.

All Dressed Up

2010-12-16T18:19:00.001-08:00

When did this happen?

2010-12-16T18:13:00.000-08:00

Two little girls gettin' ready and doing their hair in the bathroom mirror every morning?

Artist

2010-12-06T13:36:00.001-08:00

Bella recently started taking a weekly art class for kids. She's always been very artistic and interested in crafts and we were very pleased when her teacher described her as a "gifted artist" at her school conference. She can literally spend 3 or 4 hours straight working on one of her art projects.

The class she's taking does a different project every week and teaches a lot of different techniques. Last week they painted a snowman which was the perfect addition to my Christmas snowman collection.

Bella also had her first spelling test last week and got a perfect score:) She's been moved up to the highest level reading group so I knew these spelling words would be easy for her but it was still nice to see her do so well.

Yep, I'm bragging quite a bit about her but I don't care, she deserves it.

Decorating the Tree

2010-12-05T20:20:00.000-08:00

Showing off a friend's Christmas card?Being Grumpy

Halloween 2010

2010-11-08T20:37:00.000-08:00

Pumpkin Carving

2010-11-08T20:34:00.000-08:00

Field Trip

2010-10-21T20:18:00.001-07:00

Bella's class had a field trip today to the pumpkin patch at Avila Barn. Luckily, I was able to go and take Matea so both girls got to have fun.

The barn was seriously crawling with kids. I'm guessing over a dozen groups were there and literally hundreds of kids were running around. I was really thankful to be there to supervise Bella and some of her classmates (who needed the supervision far more than she did!) but also kind of wished I had never seen the chaos. I mean, now if I'm not able to attend a future field trip, I'll be freaking out remembering what today was like. But Bella had fun so I'll focus on that instead of my over-protective mommy issues.

Back from Big Sur

2010-10-10T19:56:00.001-07:00

Click on the picture below to see our trip album...

Bella's New Do

2010-10-02T20:16:00.001-07:00

Before After The Big Reveal

Family

2010-10-02T18:50:00.001-07:00

taken October 2, 2010

Disneyland

2010-10-02T18:43:00.001-07:00

We surprised the girls with a trip to Disneyland a few weeks ago. Neither of them had any idea we were going and we just whisked them away after their soccer games. The trip down took forever but they were troopers...and they thought we were just going to deliver car parts! We got a cheap hotel that ended up working out really well.

The park was crowded but we never had to wait longer than 20 minutes or so. And everything had just been decorated for Halloween which was really cool. Our passes expire in February and we're hoping to squeeze in one more longer trip before then.

Super Soccer Stars

2010-09-11T18:16:00.001-07:00

Matea having her super soccer moment...until her teammate came in and stole the ball. Nice.

Bella (#2) getting to do a goal kick...field kick...I don't know what it's called.
Looking nervous

Both girls had their first soccer games today. Bella was really nervous and anxious about it and Matea was excited. Poor Bella spent most of her game fidgeting with her hair or tshirt because of nerves and just really looking confused and lost. She definitely had fun and her team did great (they have a GREAT coach) but I think Bella may be the only one on her team who hasn't played soccer before so she's still really hesitant to kick the ball and hasn't quite figured out the game. Luckily, her coach is a great teacher and really patient with her.

Matea was amped up for her game but it was a bit of a let down. The other team was clearly more prepared and our girls had absolutely no direction from their coach. Matea started off having fun but burst into tears a few times toward the end of the game. Unfortunately, one of the girls on our team (coach's daughter) is overly aggressive and physical, even to her own teammates, and she knocked Matea down more than once. I think it's going to be a looooong soccer season.

First Grader

2010-09-03T12:06:00.001-07:00

Bella looked so cute the other morning, I couldn't resist taking pictures of her before we left for school.

Thanks Grandma for all of the new back to school clothes and Great-Grandma for the money for school shoes!

School Update

2010-08-24T16:33:00.000-07:00

Bella is really liking her new teacher and her new school. Our experience last year doesn't even compare to what I've seen this year. The difference is like night and day and I think we're going to be really happy at this school.

Bella has already made new best friends - a girl who sits near her named Darby and a girl from a different first grade class who she went to pre-K with. She's been in a great mood everyday when I pick her up and seems excited about her new class.

I'm happy to report I've perfected my bike riding/trailer towing skills and haven't gotten in trouble with the crossing guard since the first day. Let me tell you, having a super cute pink beach cruiser gets you tons of attention, from kids and adults. I think I've heard "I love your bike!" and "Mommy, look at that cool bike!" at least 5 times a day.

First Day of First Grade

2010-08-18T08:48:00.000-07:00

Some nerves.

No tears.

We know at least three of the families in the class from our old MOMS Club days.

I'm biking the kids to school in the bike trailer. Got yelled at by the crossing guard.

Going to find an alternate route to school so I can avoid the mess at drop off.

The house is super quiet without Bella singing her way through the day. Matea and I have a coffee date with a friend, then I'll drop her off at school at 1:00, enjoy just over one hour to myself, and be there to pick up Bella at 2:35.

No More Summer Funnin'

2010-08-17T08:07:00.000-07:00

Today is the last day of summer for our family. It's kind of bittersweet. Summer went by so quickly and I really enjoyed the lazy pace. On the other hand, there's far less fighting and mess to clean up during the school year and I think the stricter, packed schedule makes me much more productive.

To celebrate the end of summer, we went on a quick camping trip to Morro Bay. Working at Carters totally put the brakes on our formerly frequent camping trips and now that I'm not working there, we've planned a few trips over the next few months. Matea was a total turd, either whining or getting into mischief the whole time. Other than that, the trip was fun and I kicked Steve's ass at checkers (which needed to be put in writing).

Toddlers and Tiaras

2010-08-11T07:54:00.001-07:00

Good makeup application.

Drunk makeup application.

Important Notes

2010-08-11T07:45:00.000-07:00

-Matea slept in until 9:30 yesterday. When she woke up, she couldn't believe I was dressed. I guess it's been a lazy summer.

-We went to Ross to buy the girls some new school shoes and I got Bella the cutest little girl high heels which she will never wear to school. As a result, we're going school shoes shopping at Kohls today.

-I'm having my hair highlighted by a former beautician friend tomorrow. My home dye job isn't strong enough to cover the grays anymore and I'm hoping some lighter highlights will confuse people. Is that gray? Or is it blonde? I wanted to do one pink streak but my mother made it clear she didn't approve. Someday, I will do it to test her.

-One week from today, Bella will be a first grader. She'll be inter-mingled with all of the other big kids and I will probably have to take anxiety medication for a few days.

-I did a masssive clean up/purge in the girls' room yesterday. At the end, I was left with millions of tiny little things in the bottom of a basket. I did a quick scan for anything important like game pieces or puzzle pieces and then dumped it all into the trash. I consider that my greatest accomplishment for the day.

-Steve and I celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary last week with a pink champagne cake from Madonna Inn (Steve's request). As Steve was cutting the cake and serving the girls a piece, he smashed it in my face. I was shocked and laughed hysterically. Apparently, not getting to do that 10 years ago at our wedding has really bothered him.

Matea's First Day of Pre-K

2010-08-02T17:11:00.000-07:00

Thanks Grandma for the new boots and dress:)

Jimmy's Wedding

2010-08-02T17:02:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest heart aches in the girls' lives is that they never get invited to weddings. With the exception of my cousin's wedding when Bella was 2 1/2 and Tatey was 12 days old, I can't remember them ever being invited to a wedding. And since they play wedding all the time, they've really felt like something is missing in their lives.

On Sunday morning we went to the wedding of Steve's former coworker, Jimmy. He's a really great guy who has always been very sweet to the girls and they were super excited about going to his wedding. It was small and simple and the whole family had a great time.

Lumpdate July 2010

2010-08-02T08:03:00.000-07:00

Matea had another follow up ultrasound on the lump in her neck. It was three months from her last ultrasound and 7 months from the time Steve first found the lump. Once again, it was pretty much the same size. Of the three measurements, one was a millimeter smaller, one was a millimeter bigger, and one was the same.

The doctor scheduled us to come back in six months for another ultrasound and just told me to check it once a month to make sure it isn't growing. He said he still feels strongly that it's just a large lymph node and if it were his kid, he would just leave it alone. But then he has to thrown in, "...but it could be something and you could choose to remove it." Gee, thanks a lot doc.

I've broken all rules and researched some on the internet and really feel strongly now that it is nothing. Matea has no symptoms of illness, no other lumps, and the one she does have isn't growing and doesn't have any blood flow to it. That said, we're still considering the possibility of getting a second opion and I'll discuss that with her pediatrician later this month.

Matea's Berry Sweet Strawberry Shortcake 4th Birthday

2010-08-02T07:57:00.001-07:00

Perfect Day to Head to the Beach

2010-07-15T16:02:00.000-07:00

The weather is absolutely perfect today.  Not too hot but definitely warm enough to hang out in your bathing suit on the beach.  The girls and I spent the afternoon there and may go back tomorrow if they can continue being nice to me.

New Short and Sassy Haircut for Tatey

2010-07-09T15:59:00.000-07:00

More 4th of July

2010-07-08T16:11:00.000-07:00

Lunch with Grandma at Firestone's. Outfits assembled by the children.

Tatey's sunglasses were a gift from Grandma...for her Build a Bear Kitty. They don't fit the cat but they look cute on Matea!

4th of July

2010-07-05T18:22:00.000-07:00

We had a quiet 4th of July at home this year. We've been out of town the last two weekends and Steve will be occupied most of this weekend so we both wanted to do something low-key. Lucky for us, we're in charge so we get to make the decisions:)

Grandma came over and bought fire works for the girls. This was the first year we were able to do our own fireworks because they weren't allowed in our old community. The girls did a few sparklers and snakes and then we sat in the garage while Papa entertained us. 4th of July at Mesa Dunes was non existent. 4th of July in town is CRAZY. I couldn't fall asleep until midnight and I still heard fireworks going off then! Living around people under age 60 who stay up later than 8pm can be so exciting.

Yard Work

2010-07-05T18:20:00.001-07:00

In pajamas.

According to Matea...

2010-07-02T07:49:00.000-07:00

"I had the bestest dream last night with just a little bit of horrible. Like two drops of horrible."

"Horrible" is their new word. They both work it into any sentence they can. Bella likes to say, "We're so horrible, we're adorable!". That's just great.

Summer Fun...So Far

2010-06-18T10:46:00.000-07:00

Homemade mini pizzas

Playdates with friends

Late night reading in mommy and papa's bed

The Graduate

2010-06-11T15:04:00.001-07:00

looked especially pretty this morning.

Toddlers & Tiaras

2010-06-10T13:18:00.000-07:00

When I was taking pictures of the girls in their rollers last night, something happened to Matea and she started doing all of this weird pageant posing. She'd pose, hold for three seconds, and then do a new pose. Mascara, a spray tan, fake fingernails and me cussing at her for not doing her routine correctly are all we needed for her to be on "Toddlers and Tiaras"!

Before & After

2010-06-10T13:14:00.001-07:00

In preparation for tomorrow's grand Kindergarten graduation, I decided to put rollers in Bella's hair last night as a test run. Of course, Tatey has to do anything Bella does, so both girls went to bed like this...

And woke up like this...

Dog Tag Award

2010-06-08T13:22:00.000-07:00

At today's awards assembly, Bella was her class' recipient of the coveted dog tag award! It goes to the student who has best shown the six pillars of character that the school follows. I'm so bummed I didn't get any great pictures. Steve wasn't able to make it so I wasn't able to rush the stage and be a crazy picture-taking mom without dragging Tatey with me. She was pretty pissed of that preschool didn't give out any awards so I just took pictures from my seat.

Anyway, Bella was really happy and was beaming. And I'm pretty proud of her too:)

And yes, that little girl next to Bella really is about to be a first grader. She's tinier than Matea! Her mom is barely bigger than Bella!

Disneyland...Again

2010-05-25T21:12:00.000-07:00

We were in Southern California last weekend and decided to surprise the girls with a day trip to Disneyland. Thank you annual passes:) We booked a super cheap, no frills hotel room and were at the main gates when Disneyland opened at 8:00 on Sunday.

We had pretty low expectations for the trip since we were there on a weekend and during nice weather but we were able to go on about 20 or so rides and never had to wait longer than 15 minutes. Bella was a lot more nervous this time and wouldn't do any of the roller coasters but Matea was finally tall enough for them and she was so excited. She rode The Matterhorn with Steve and Thunder Mountain Railroad with me. When I asked her which one was more scary, she said, "Both of them weren't scary enough for me!". That kid is crazy.

Our passes are blacked out for most of the summer but we're definitely planning to fit in a few more visits before our passes expire in February. Oh, and one of the most exciting parts of the trip was that the girls can ride some of the rides together with us sitting behind them. They thought that was so cool!

Crazy Hat Day (Not)

2010-05-14T09:53:00.000-07:00

So, today was crazy hat day at school.

I got Bella all set up with her minnie mouse princess hat and she looked really cute.

When we drove up, there were only a handful of kids on the playground with hats on and Bella said she didn't want to wear hers anymore.

NO ONE else in her class had on a hat except for the sub. She told Bella she'd earn a dolphin dollar if she wore a hat but even that wasn't even to make her ok with being different. Sad. I didn't know peer pressure and comparison started this young.

Mother's Day 2010

2010-05-11T09:51:00.001-07:00

For Mother's Day this year, we went to the valley to see our moms and celebrate grandma's 80th birthday. It was a long day but definitely worth it to see how surprised grandma was when we arrived.

The Gray Beast

2010-04-23T20:10:00.000-07:00

Named by our neighbor who seems excessively excited (in a "dude, they're totally crazy" kind of way).

A 1965 Falcon Squire Wagon. We hope to take it from it's sad gray self to something fun.

Not a full restoration to show quality but something fun we can work on together and take on day trips (once we get the appropriate seat belts:) ).

Lumpdate

2010-04-23T20:06:00.000-07:00

Matea had a followup ultrasound on Wednesday and the lump in her neck has only grown a fraction of a millimeter so the doctor is still thinking it's just an abnormally large lymph node (and just slightly on the abnormal side:) ). She'll go back for another ultrasound in 3 months and if it's still relatively the same size, we'll wait six months and do another ultrasound and then just keep increasing the time intervals.

Cousins

2010-04-05T13:28:00.001-07:00

Hunting for Eggs

2010-04-05T13:27:00.000-07:00

Easter Dresses

2010-04-05T13:26:00.000-07:00

Dying Easter Eggs

2010-04-05T13:24:00.000-07:00

Crazy Hair Day

2010-04-02T09:14:00.000-07:00

Today is crazy hair day at Bella's school and of course, Matea had to be in on the fun. I can't look at the girls without laughing or smiling. They look so crazy and cute.

These pictures are my favorite. You can totally see their silly personalities and the pictures really say, "we're crazy and we may hurt you." They also indicate that Matea may be have joined some type of baby gang because she's throwing signs in every picture and appears to have a tattoo on her hand.

Bella

2010-03-28T10:55:00.000-07:00

Allow Me to Translate

2010-03-26T14:15:00.001-07:00

Bella has suddenly become really confident with her writing and it seems that every day I find one of her secret notes stashed somewhere in the house. She writes these all by herself and is really making great progress with her phonetic spelling.

Note 1-an invitation hand delivered to Steve and I in bed early on a Sunday morning"Everybody come to my tea party in my room."

Note 2-an original story, written by Bella for her teacher to read to her daughter.
"Once upon a time there was a little dog. He had so much fun so he laughed all a way into the dog house. The end."

Note 3-a warning sign for Matea (that's her face in the circle with a line through it)"No Mateas. Go in to your room."

Note 4-an apology for the above note"Sorry Matea. We need a break (or c). I don't know which one." --- I like how she addressed the spelling issue right in the note.

Note 5-I have no idea what this one is about. I just found it next to my side of the bed this morning. It's quite cryptic."The things you are looking for are not in the same place."

Tatey

2010-03-26T14:14:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2010-03-17T11:25:00.000-07:00

The girls enjoyed green milk, chocolate coins, and holiday t-shirts left in the bathtub by leprechauns this morning! Bella's pretty sure she figured out how they go into the house and is planning to investigate further after school.

Taking Turns

2010-03-15T09:15:00.000-07:00

Now Tatey and I are sick. We just came home from dropping off Bella at school and she said she thinks Papa should come home and take care of us.

And I agree.

Lumpdate

2010-03-10T20:14:00.000-08:00

Get it? Lump and update in one word. I'm so clever.

So, Matea had her 6 week followup and ultrasound with the ENT today. He measured the lump (about 12mmx4mm), checked blood flow to it (none), and checked the rest of her neck for other lumps or abnormalities (none). He concluded that it's not a tumor and is just an enlarged lymph node. He said there's still a very, very small chance it could be cancer but it's just barely above the "normal" size and it's only one lymph node out of about 300 in our bodies that's swollen.

He said our options are 1. to follow up with another ultrasound in 6 weeks. If it hasn't grown or changed, do another ultrasound in 6 months or so. 2. Do a needle biospy now to rule out cancer. 3. Do surgery to remove the lump and find out definitively what it is.

My initial reaction was to remove it. I'm ready to not have this hanging over my head anymore and just want to get a definite answer and move on. But the doctor really recommends waiting and doing another ultrasound in 6 weeks which is also what Steve wants to do so I think we're going with that option.

At Matea's appointment 6 weeks ago, the doctor estimated that the lump was about 10mm which means it hasn't grown or has grown very little. I keep reminding myself that it's kind of a freak thing that Steve even found the lump in the first place and there's really nothing else that concerns us.

2010-03-08T08:05:00.000-08:00

ETA: After a trip to the doctor yesterday, we're now armed with eye drops for the pink eye and an antibiotic for an ear infection (she hadn't even complained about pain!). Bella's out of school again today because she still has gunky eyes and Matea's been fake coughing all morning to try and get out of preschool.

I haven't posted much lately because there hasn't been much to share. Our most share-worthy news right now is that Bella's home sick from school again today. She was out Friday with pink eye and is home again today with a terrible cough. So, she's snuggled in our bed with Matea, watching "Alvin and the Chipmunks".

Matea has her followup with the ENT on Wednesday. He'll do an ultrasound on the lump (it's still there) and get a better idea whether it's a tumor or just a random lump. That's just about all the news in our world right now.

Career Choices

2010-02-17T15:44:00.000-08:00

Makeup artist or face painter at Disneyland?

Happy Almost Valentine's Day!

2010-02-11T11:07:00.001-08:00

Both girls have little Valentine's Day parties at school today since Bella is off tomorrow and Monday. So, they dressed up in their new outfits from grandma this morning and packed up the valentines they made for their friends. Apparently, they (or their mother) didn't do a very good job fixing their hair.

Disneyland

2010-02-09T19:27:00.001-08:00

Just got back from our trip late this afternoon. Ignore the watermark on half the pictures (thanks a lot Steve!).

Recent Pictures

2010-01-28T15:59:00.000-08:00

Lump Update

2010-01-25T17:03:00.000-08:00

Matea had her appointment today with the ENT. He said several things that were all positive...

1. Swollen lymph nodes in this location are very common for her age group. He said he sees them all the time and that if we checked all of the kids in her preschool class, he's almost positive we'd find at least one more kid with a lump in the same spot as Matea's.

2. Her lump is actually small even though it feels big to us. Up to 15mm is considered "normal" and not worrisome and he estimates her lump is 10mm or less.

3. Steve and I may be the ones causing it to stay swollen. He said lymph nodes in children are very sensitive and our daily checking of the lump for growth could be what's causing it to not go away.

So, he told me to keep our hands off of it and bring her back in in 6 weeks. If the lump is still there, he'll do an ultrasound in his office and be able to get a good idea whether it's really just a swollen lymph node or a tumor. If it does look like a tumor he'll do a needle biopsy to see whether it's malignant. When he said "needle biopsy" Matea said, "No, I don't want that!". I asked him if the lump is still there and it does look like a tumor and it is malignant, what kind of cancer are we looking at? He said that the probability of that is so low that he won't even discuss it with me.

So, overall, he seemed fairly sure that's it's nothing. I was hoping for a firmer answer today and wish we were going back in sooner than 6 weeks but I'm going to do my best to relax and trust him. And I'm going to remind myself that he handled Bella's lip surgery very well and that actually did turn out to be a tumor that wasn't malignant. And I'm going to have some alcohol tonight:)

"Very Original"

2010-01-21T15:32:00.000-08:00

Ya think? How many lipstick and purple tutu wearing whales have you seen?

Health Watch 2010

2010-01-13T16:27:00.000-08:00

I thought this would be the quickest and easiest way to keep everyone updated on Matea's lump.

Two weeks ago, when we were all really sick with a stomach virus, Steve found a small, hard lump in Matea's neck. It's at the base of her neck, on the left side, right around where her neck meets her shoulder. I would say it's about the size of a small gumball.

I took her to our pediatrician last Wednesday and she said the lump is "unusual". It's lower than the normal lymph nodes that get swollen during illness but higher than the collarbone lymph nodes that almost always are symptoms of cancer. She said she was 98% confident that it was just a swollen lymph node from being sick that was in a weird spot for whatever reason but she sent us for blood work anyway.

The doctor tested Matea for cat scratch fever, mono, and cancer markers. The blood draw was AWFUL. Tatey was such a trooper but because she's tiny, was dehydrated from illness, and comes from a family of people with bad veins (thanks mama, grandma, and great-grandpa), the nurse had a really hard time finding a vein and actually getting blood to come out. Once she was finished she said she was worried she hadn't gotten enough and would call us in a few hours if we needed to come back. Oh hells no!

Later that night in the car, I told Steve that I wanted to punch the nurse when she said we might have to go back in. I thought I was being discreet but Tatey piped up and said, "Yeah Mommy, if we ever go back to that place, I just think you should punch them!". That's my girl.

I called the next day and found out the results were negative. Of course that's a good thing but it means we still don't know what the lump is. Dr. Hoffman referred us to an ENT (the same one Bella saw to have the blood vessel tumor removed from her lip two years ago) and the soonest appointment we could get is January 25th.

I haven't been able to sleep at night because I'm worried about my baby. During the day, I see she's happy and healthy and I can think rationally and believe the lump is really nothing. But for some reason at night, when we're in our separate beds, I feel much less secure. So, she's been waking up some nights and I've been letting her sleep next to me because I need the snuggles.

When I took Bella to the doctor for her 6 year check up yesterday, I asked Dr. Hoffman whether she could call the ENT and get Matea in sooner. I told her I was completely freaked out and she assured me again that she didn't think there was anything to be concerned about. She said waiting another two weeks for the appointment is fine in her opinion because she really believes it's a benign lump. She said she thought back on all the lumps like this that she's seen and not one has turned out to be anything serious.

I asked her what she thought the ENT might do. She said that an ultrasound is a definite possibilty and maybe even a needle biopsy (but she didn't think he'd go this route). She said most likely, he'll wonder why she even sent us there, confirm it's normal, and send us on our way. That made me feel a little more reassured but I still want answers. I asked whether it was possible for the lymph node to still be inflamed since she hasn't been sick in over a week and she said 4-6 weeks is considered totally normal in kids.

So, keep Tate (and her neurotic mother) in your thoughts. I'm sure it's nothing, but I want something in writing, maybe even signed in blood or something, to confirm it.

Fashion Critic

2010-01-13T15:54:00.001-08:00

When I got dressed this morning, I remembered that our new district manager is coming to our store for the first time today and my boss requested that we all dress "professionally and fashionably"-whatever that means.

I don't think I'm super fashionable, but not unfashionable either. I got some new clothes with Christmas money and have a few things that are more trendy and young than I normally wear so I threw one on this morning.

As I was standing in the mirror, thinking about how cute I thought I looked, the following happened:

Bella-"You're not really gonna wear that, are you?"
Me-"Wait, what?"
"Are you really wearing that? I don't think you should. I don't like it and I wouldn't wear it."
"Um, I thought I looked cute. And it's new. And I'm supposed to look fashionable today."
"I really don't like the colors."
"But it's cream and gray. Everyone likes that. And I really like gray."
"I'm not saying you have to wear all pink. Just that you shouldn't wear that."

Thanks for the advice.

Happy 6th Birthday Bella!

2010-01-12T15:55:00.000-08:00

Hope that someday you'll enjoy the new bike you're currently too scared to ride.

Christmas Fun

2010-01-04T08:32:00.000-08:00

Looks like we'll live

2010-01-04T08:28:00.000-08:00

We've spent the last week sick. Like really, really sick. Steve and I are both hoping we had h1n1 so we don't feel like we endured a week of pure hell for nothing. Steve had to call in sick to work for the first time in years. I called in (twice!) for the first time ever. We didn't get out of our pj's for days and lived on a diet of gatorade. It was bad, bad, bad...and we're still not completely over it.

Visiting Santa

2009-12-22T14:34:00.001-08:00

Gingerbread Houses

2009-12-22T14:33:00.000-08:00

Almost Six

2009-12-22T14:31:00.000-08:00

Matea

2009-12-18T19:55:00.000-08:00

She's growing up.

Bella's Letter to Santa

2009-12-14T09:58:00.000-08:00

(written with ZERO assistance)

"Deer Satu. I wut Loo Loo the cat and a toy cat and reeol jolree."

Translation: "Dear Santa. I want Lulu the cat and a toy cat and real jewelry."

Let me just say 1. I think she did a great job. 2. I love that her list is really modest in requests. 3. We already got everything on the list and still kept things on budget. :)

I laugh so hard...

2009-12-11T08:05:00.000-08:00

I get teary eyed every time I look at this picture. Proof that a tripod, self timer, and beautiful winter background don't guarantee a nice picture.

Snow Day

2009-12-10T20:21:00.000-08:00

Bella's been asking us for two years to take her to the snow. So today, we ditched school and work and drove about 2 hours to Frazier Park and took the girls to the snow for the first time. We planned to go this Saturday but with rain heading in tonight, we knew we needed to hit the snow before the snow turned into ice. So, we borrowed snow gear and sleds and made our way up the mountain. We all had a great time and are hoping to go back in the next few weeks. Bella said, "This was the most amazing day of my life!". She was such a little trooper, climbing up the hill by herself over and over again, half the time sliding down on the disc and the other half losing control and just plummeting down on her hiney. So much fun! I wish we didn't have to do the school and work thing tomorrow and could just all stay at home and hang out. It was so nice to have an extra day together. Maybe we'll make ditching school a habit.

Decorating the Tree

2009-12-03T12:44:00.000-08:00

It was around 70 degrees today

2009-11-30T19:27:00.001-08:00

Definitely snow hat weather.

I am thankful for...

2009-11-26T07:49:00.000-08:00

(Bella)
-my mommy
-my sister
-my papa
-my whole family and my friends
-the treats I get from you (mommy) because they're really yummy
-the things you (mommy) let us do and how much fun you let us have
-holidays because there's always something fun you can do

(Matea)
-getting m&m's

So, at least one of them gets it.

Family Day

2009-11-24T08:06:00.000-08:00

I had all of last weekend off so we took advantage of it and made a spontaneous road trip on Saturday. First, we drove down to Thousand Oaks and met a friend from Southern California at PF Changs for lunch. Steve was picking up a bike from him so he can start biking to work a few days a week and save us even more money every month. After a nice lunch, we headed back up this way, stopping at Kohl's for some clearance rack shopping and at a convenience store for grape ring pops. Last stop was the Santa Barbara Zoo.

Crazy Hair

2009-11-24T08:04:00.000-08:00

Halloween 2009

2009-11-01T12:03:00.000-08:00

Steve was Diego, I was a punk rocker, Bella was Belle and Matea was a hula girl by day (it was so freakin hot!) and Michael Jackson by night.

It was so fun to trick or treat in a "real" neighborhood last night. A few neighbors had mini haunted houses/Disneyland style decorated car ports so Steve has decided we need to out-do them next year. We spent all morning hitting all of the stores for clearance spooky decorations.

Cheesy Weenie

2009-10-30T14:12:00.000-07:00

That's what one of Bella's classmates kept repeating today and now I can't get it out of my head. It makes me want to barf a little.

Halloween festivities began yesterday with Matea dressing up for preschool. After months of preparation to be Michael Jackson, she chickened out and was a unicorn instead.

This is her with the infamous "School Bella". Too sweet.

Bella dressed up as Belle from Beauty and the Beast today and sported a costume made by mom. This was my first time making a costume for one of the girls and I was pretty pleased with the result. Apparently, so was Junior at school because according to Bella, he told her exactly six times that she looked so pretty today.