One year older and wiser too. . .

I'm 40. I meant to write about all the things I have learned in the first half of my life. It seems to have flown by. Just yesterday I turned 16 and was excited and anxious about my first real date. If I could go back and give myself advise I think I would say:

Make friends with your brother while he still lives with you. He may never change, but you will.
Your sisters will end up being your best friends, so enjoy them now.
Your dad turns out to be pretty great at being a dad.
Savor every moment with the good people around you and worry less about what everyone thinks.
Quit drill team sooner and get your cosmetology license like you planned. That last year just about did you in anyway and wasn't worth all the trouble.
Prepare for a mission, because it will be a reality and one of the best experiences of your life.
It's okay to miss your mission, but real life is good too. Love it too and let it go.
Enjoy your time at BYU and don't get hung up on boys that don't call! There really are more fish in the sea and you'll find him. No use dwelling on the past.
Enjoy your classes and be open to meeting new people. Be HAPPY! Life only happens once.
Don't sweat the small stuff.
Vote.
Keep on dancing. Life is what you make of it.
Don't be afraid to travel! It's kind of cool!
Tell the people you care about that you do. You never know how the conversation will turn out, but you will never regret being honest about your feelings. Sometimes, it's okay to make the first move.
Just being friends with boys doesn't really get you very far and there is no such thing as a forever friend who is a boy, unless you marry him.
Cry when it hurts. Tears are healing, not a sign of weakness.
Take risks. You never know!
You are a catch, so don't worry about the boys that don't like you. If they don't well, their loss.
Know that it will all turn out okay. The right boy will find you.
God's promises are sure so trust Him and his time tables.
When life hands you lemons, trust that lemonade is in the works.
Grad school is not as big of a deal as you thought. In fact, you will love it, so just go for it!
When you quit teaching that year, don't toss your TRS! You will want it back later.
SAVE your money!! It's better than getting into debt.
Listen to the spirit. Trust it and follow the promptings you've been given.
Learn how to have a natural birth so it doesn't about kill you when you haven't got enough time for drugs.
Find your own happiness, because marriage can be tough! Boys and husbands don't make you happy. They're just along for the ride.
Just when you think you know it all, you don't know a thing.
Even when you grow up, you will never really feel like a grown up.
Life is really too short to live with regrets. Figure out what you want and make it happen!
Now on for the next forty years.

I hope my kids will be able to benefit from my mistakes. I hope and pray they will be happy, confident, and fulfill the missions they have been sent to do here on earth. I love them so much and I'm so lucky to have them in my life. There really is nothing quite so good as being a mom and watching these spirits grow and mature. I'm amazed at their unconditional love for me no matter what kind of a day I'm having. Jessica is the best friend and confident I could ever have. She listens to me like no other. Lily is the most optimistic soul who entertains me constantly. Gavin is chivalrous and the kind of little man I've always dreamed they should all be like. Some little girl is going to be very lucky to be his princess some day. Ammon is a mystery in the making and getting cuter by the day.
Our children truly are our greatest joy in life. *sigh* Can't believe it's about half over.

Happy Holidays

So it's been a while since I've posted. The semester is almost coming to an end and I'm looking forward to a couple of weeks off work. Ammon is growing, but he doesn't like to eat much more than mommy's milk which makes for a very tired full time working mom. I'm hoping he learns to eat real food soon. It's exhausting.
So last week, Jhonny and I went to a recruiting fair for South American schools. So far, we came up empty. No one wanted to accept us with four kids in tow. It was a bit disappointing for us and sad that the investment of money spent on the conference came up a bust. On the happy side for those around here, it looks like we're sticking around for a while longer. It's kind of a relief to think I won't have to get rid of all of our earthly possessions down to two suitcases per child. I can't get Jhonny to get rid of furniture I was ready to let go of a year ago, let alone an entire house full of stuff. Yikes. Who knows if we will try again. For now, I'm enjoying the bliss of staying put and throwing around the idea of buying a house here in the next year or so. That makes me nervous. Just when we sign the papers, I'm sure there will come some kind of transfer. That's just the way my life goes.
My life seems pretty routine as of late. Work, dinner, chauffering kids to dance, voice lessons, activity days, girls scouts, church, stopping every three hours to feed a baby and start again. Nothing extremely exciting around here. I'm just trying to keep up with 4 kids. Who knew it could be so hard. Perhaps if I wasn't working oh 40-60 hours a week, it wouldn't be such a challenge.
To send cards or to not send cards. I'm not much in the mood to send anything, especially after spending way too much money to go to Atlanta last week. There isn't much to report anyway that hasn't already been posted here or on facebook. Yep, I'm cheap. I can admit it.
Lily asked me what I want for Christmas. I stared at her for a minute, because what I want probably is out of her price range. So I had to think hard. Hmm. . . a day or even better - a week of no WHINING, fighting or need for me to referee, laundary that gets done, folded and put away on it's own, dinner made and cleaned up without my help, tickets to a movie (preferably Les Miserable on Christmas day) without the need to take the baby or pay for a babysitter, a full night (8 hour minimum) of uninterrupted sleep. These are all things I've sacrificed for my children. Most days they are worth it.
Last night we had our ward Christmas party. It was a pioneer theme. We had a live strings band that played while there was dancing, stick pulling, old fashioned crafts, a gingerbread house display, and treats set up in a seperate room. At the end, Sister Millett pulled out a bell choir set and the kids played a song or two. Then we sang silent night and there was a visit from Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus. Santa did not come to the gathering. It was nice. Jessica's friend's family and our neighbors down the street came for the fun. It was a very nice evening. Kudos to the planning commitee.
This week I'm looking forward to a very busy week at work, kids' activities, a choir concert, a dance party, hopefully Christmas pictures of Ammon now the he is close to 7 months old and sometime we've got to get in for tithing settlement. I'm tired already. Yikes! Happy Holidays!

Three of my kids were featured in my friend's website photo shoot advertising her bow business. "Buggie's Bowtique" for specific reference. It was a stressful day for her, but fun for my kids. They were especially happy to take home free bows from the experience.

Adjusting

Tomorrow is the first day of school. I know many households that are having anxiety over getting up early tomorrow for the first time in months since school let out in May. We've had a little more warming up to that since I started working three weeks ago and Jhonny a week and 1/2 ago. And yet, the kids are still anxious about the first day of school and had a hard time getting to sleep tonight. I remember those days.
So far Ammon is adjusting just fine to our wonderful babysitter. I couldn't have asked for better. Sister Kellogg has taken Ammon all over for playdates and visits to the school. I get text pics throughout the day. He responds with a grin when he sees his little buddy (her daughter). He is doing great. I miss him of course and would love to do nothing but hold him all night when I get home from work. Not possible since I have three other kids vying for attention as well.
This pic was taken during RS today. He was sitting in my lap staring at his hands for the longest time looking so serious. I thought for sure he was falling asleep, but alas those eyes were open. Too cute.
He is growing bigger everyday and changing. His head is expanding so much that his hair looks like it's thinned out considerably even though I can tell he has new hair growing in. It just doesn't look quite as thick as before. He's still cute and adorable.. . and crying to be fed. Right now. So gotta go!

2012 Family Foto shoot

Ammon's Blessing Day

Grandma Ellis and Ammon

Grandpa Ellis and Ammon in church

I caught his grin!!

 

Texas Cousins

Marcano clan

With the girls (Grandma, Mom, and Aunt Mandy)

The boys - three generation - Dad, Ammon, and Grandpa

Proud Daddy

Ammon Merthan Marcano was blessed in the Round Rock Texas Ward August 5, 2012. The blessing was pronounced by his father, Jhonny Marcano and assisted in the circle by Grandpa Randy Merthan Ellis, Bishop John Howell, friends Dario Alvarez, Dallen Strong, and high councilor, Richard Cutler. Ammon was quiet for the whole blessing and just looked around the whole time. After church we had a big roast dinner with family. Cory and Joanna Ellis came over with their boys to join us. Besides Grandma and Grandpa Ellis, Mandy and her kids came for the occasion. It was a busy wonderul day.

Gavin and his brain

So the other day Gavin and Lily were playing in the back yard waiting for their dad to take them to the pool. Somehow a frisbee got caught up on the patio covering that Jhonny put up a few weeks ago. Being the problem solver that he is, Gavin decided to pile up some furniture and climb up to get it. In doing so, he fell and scraped his arm and banged up his cheek bone pretty badly. Fortunately he didn't require a trip to the ER, although I'm not sure how he managed to escape worse. He got a pretty severe scolding from his dad who had already warned him against such activities before he actually suffered the natural consequences of his actions. Needless to say the kids didn't go to the pool.
Later that evening, as I was tucking my guy into bed with an icepack for his face, I was trying to help him see the flaws in his problem solving so that he wouldn't do this again with worse consequences. After explaining to him how he needed to come get me or his father in cases like this, I asked him what he would do next time. He began to brainstorm how he would secure the legs of the chair so they wouldn't fall next time he tried to climb up. "Seriously?" I asked, "Are you trying to tell me how you plan to do this again?" He nodded yes as he found refuge under his covers. Will he ever learn?

On another note, my friend had to tell me that today during choir practice Gavin was sitting behind her husband. Gavin couldn't let the opportunity go to let this brother know what was on his mind. "Your fat," he commented. The brother turned around and said, "Well, at least I'm not short." I'm afraid Gavin hasn't learned to filter his observations very well.

Last week while hanging out on a lazy summer day, Gavin was laying on his stomach and turned around to tell his leg to move. "Your leg wasn't listening to your brain so you had to tell it what to do out loud?" I commented. "Yeah," he said. "I don't like this brain of mine." I had to stop myself from laughing. "There is nothing wrong with your brain," I said as I grabbed him and gave him a big hug. That brain of his may get him into trouble, but it certainly keeps us entertained.

2 month milestones

Ammon turned two months this week. Despite the relatively little tummy time due to the fact that he loves being held and has many volunteers around here, he managed to get his head up and roll onto his back more than one time yesterday. I've been waiting for a look that was camera worthy and then decided to just capture him in all his glory. These are the many faces of Ammon that have us chuckling. I'm sure he'll grow out of this some day, but for my poor memory, I decided it needs to be posted for posterity.

First of all, Ammon has a concerned, worried look that he tends to have more than not. He's been looking like that since the day he was born. Once he knows who has him in his arms and he knows he is safe, the worried lines go away, only to return at all things new in his young life. I'm not quite sure where this worried, sometimes terrified look comes from. I hope he learns to feel less anxious about things. He is also a bit impatient. Especially when he's hungry. It doesn't take long for him to have a very angry demanding cry while he's waiting to be fed. I can't imagine where he inherited the impatience from. He quiets down quickly however as soon as the food is introduced.

So other than the worried lines and angry cries, this adorable little boy has warmed my heart right up. I don't mind just holding and staring at him. Today we had a little staring match which is a bit unusual for baby boys since they don't tend to make eye contact. I told him how much I love him and then I asked if he loved me. He gave me a toothless grin and a little coo. Since he's such a serious little man and doesn't smile that often, I'll take that as a yes!

Two more weeks and I have a feeling I won't get those moments very often. As much as I love my job and wouldn't trade it for any other in the world, my heart is breaking as I think of going back to work. How can I part with this little marvel? I don't know how mothers do it at six weeks. I will actually have gotten twelve before I go back, but it's still such a short time. I know he will be fine and he will adjust fine. All my kids have. It's just a cruel joke our society has created for us and it's just so not fair!

 Rolling over

 Weight: 10 lbs 6 oz. (25%), Length: 22 in (25%), Head: 40cm (75%). Amazing he can hold it up!

 Getting ready for church. Dad did his hair and applied the cologne!

 Not sure what is scaring him here. . .

 Lily insists on holding him. I hope he likes this.

 Little mama, Jess tries to comfort him, but he just wants one thing. . .

and there it is. Now he's happy.

San Antonio Temple, Seaworld, & Six Flags Summer Vacation 2012

This summer we spent a week in San Antonio. The first day started with a trip to Seaworld. It was beautiful, but then we got rained out and left for the hotel room. The next morning, we thought we would be inside with thunderstorms again, but the sun came out. So we headed back to Seaworld to finish our fun there. By Thursday, we finally made it to six flags. It was HOT, HOT, HOT. The rain later in the afternoon was a relief. Friday we checked out and headed home, but not before stopping at the temple followed by some shopping at the outlet mall in San Marcos. All in all, we learned to appreciate AC and home, but we had fun.

San Antonio Temple July 2012