Father's Day Fun

We met my parents and Jason's parents at Tom's Farms for lunch on Father's Day. We got there before the lunch crowd and found a great table in the shade by a grassy area for the babies. Derek loves Tom's Farms almost as much as Disneyland, I think. He enjoyed just about everything they have to offer...

He rode the tractor ... finally tall enough!


Danced to the beat of the band with Grandma Sue


Rode the train with James & myself


Rode the pony.. of course. And thought he was too cool for such a little pony since he's been riding big horses.


He even got to help the lady make his shaved ice...


Rode the canoes... complaining that he didn't have a paddle like when he goes kayaking (spoiled kid!)


And lastly, panned for gold


I can't leave out Grandma & Grandpa Castellon...


And another attempt at a family photo. I chose this one because it was the most memorable. Jillian taking aim for James, Derek not wanting to cooperate because he sees a clown in the corner, and Jason and I trying to get the kids to look up.


A very fun day!

5 Months

James and Jillian turned 5 months old on 6/18/09. So here are a few things they have been up to...

James:
*Continues to roll over and seems to prefer sleeping on his side or stomach.
*Laughs at just about anything; his grin makes me grin! It's totally cute!
*Although he laughs and smiles a lot, he is my big baby! He cries when he wants something and doesn't give up until he gets it.
*His times of waking up once during the night seem to be gone (crossing my fingers I didn't just jinx myself)
*Still no teeth!

Jillian:
*Rolled over on 6/9/09 and thinks she's pretty cool now that she can do what her twin brother does.
*Purses her lips all the time! She makes the funniest faces.
*LOVES her brothers! She is in awe of Derek and smiles when he enters the room. When lying next to James she can't keep her hands to herself, usually resulting in James crying.
*Her first tooth is all the way in and today I just noticed a 2nd tooth trying to push through... which explains her mood the past few days. Poor little girl.

Just look at how different their hair and eye color is!



The days of dreading being alone all day are gone, for the most part. I think I have gotten used to being a mother of 3 now. I still don't fully enjoy going out with all 3 kids in tow, but I manage when necessary. I can't wait until they can sit up on their own and we can be finished with the infant car seats... I despise them! They are SO HEAVY!

I do laundry almost daily because I find that doing 1 or 2 loads a day is better than doing 8 loads on one day. If I could hire someone to do our laundry and cook dinner, I would in a heart beat! But wouldn't any mom?

I look forward to seeing what 6 months brings....

Happy Father's Day

I'll start with my dad first... How do I describe a perfect dad? I'm not positive, but I'll give it a try.

The first word that comes to mind when I think of my dad is honest. I have never met such an honest person in my life. I've never known him to tell a lie. He is the king of jokes and one-liners, but will always tell you the truth.

Giving. My dad would give the shirt off his back if need be. He diligently gives blood every month. He has always provided for our family without ever complaining or asking for anything in return.

A great listener. You can talk to my dad about anything, and he will never cut you off. He also gives the best advice.

Smart. I think my dad knows the answer to everything, SERIOUSLY.

Patient. This is one trait I did not inherit from my dad. I lack patience, but my dad has a lot of it! He's put up with all of us and all the shenanigans we've pulled and very seldom have I seen him mad. He definitely knows how to keep his cool.

The BEST babysitter you could ever ask for! My dad watches my kids often. When Jason is working late, my dad is always here to babysit so I can go to yoga in the evenings. And I don't have one ounce of worry in me when the kids are with him. He has such a gentle nature and the babies love him. Derek loves to play with him too. He would drop everything if I needed help with the kids.

So Happy Father's Day, Dad. I couldn't ask for anyone better than you! And I couldn't ask for a better grandpa for Derek, James, and Jillian! I love you!

Now for the other 'Dad' in my life.. my husband.


The funniest person I know, REALLY. The guy can come up with a joke in no time at all. He can make people laugh at a funeral! I can never get mad at him because he makes me smile and forget about why I was mad at him to begin with.

The hardest working person I know (my dad also fits this category). Jason works so hard to take care of myself and our children and I have never heard him gripe about it. Since staring his own business he will wake up at 5:00 am to go to work with his guys and they work HARD. When he gets home around 3:30 or 4:00 in the afternoon he immediately asks how my day was and plays with Derek. Whether it be taking him to the park or swimming in the pool, all his free time is devoted to making his family happy. He always asks if I want to go anywhere without the kids when he gets home too.. I take him up on his offer quite a bit. After he helps me get the kids in bed he goes in the office and starts working more. And does this until about 1:00 am. Then sleeps a few hours to wake up again around 4:30. Again, I don't know anyone who works as hard as he does. He deserves more than I could ever give him for Father's Day, and everyday.

Personable. Jason gets along with everyone. EVERYONE. He is so approachable and can carry on a conversation like he knew you his whole life. He is always the life of the party and people gravitate towards him.

A Family Man. I have never known anyone care for his mom the way Jason does. He always puts family first and I love that about him. The way a man treats his mom says a lot about his character. That's one characteristic that attracted me to Jason.

Can fix & build anything. This kind of fits in the hardest working man category, but I think it deserves a paragraph of it's own. We have never had to hire out anything to be done. (Except for a new roof on our last house). Jason remodeled our Huntington Beach house from the ground up. Gutting 2 bathrooms, re-texturing and painting every wall in the house. New kitchen, wood floors, tile, recessed lights, fireplace, exterior stone on the house, painting the outside of the house by himself in one weekend, outdoor bar and grill, retaining wall.. the list can go on and on. Can you tell how proud of him I am?

#1 Sports Fan. This category makes me laugh. Jason could watch ESPN 24 hours a day if he wanted to. He knows just about everything about every sport. He knows players names, birthdays, alma mater's, etc., that played football in the 1960's! He is the biggest sports enthusiast I know. He has taught me so much and I love football because of him.

The best dad & husband I could ask for. Jason loves his family. It shows. He does a lot for us and I love him for that. There is so much more I could say, but he already knows how I feel about him. So babe, Happy Father's Day to you. Enjoy!

(I know this was a never-ending post, I apologize. I just started going and couldn't stop!)

My Little Rancher

I just had to copy this picture of Derek from my sister-in-law's blog. He was helping feed the horses and looks so cute.. I think so anyway. Any time he goes to Aunt Cindy's he HAS to wear his jeans, leather cowboy belt, the hat, and cowboy boots. EVERY single time! He even has to waer his shirt that has a picture of a bull on it. He has one in beige and one in blue. I always have to make sure at least one of them is clean or I'm in for it!

A 'Laugh-Out-Loud' Movie!

Movie Recommendation: The Proposal. I love Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, and together they make a great film! I went to see this movie with my friend Jennifer last night and LOVED it! We both did, and I think 99% of everyone in the theater did as well. It's a good thing we got there 20 minutes early, because every single seat was filled. One part in particular had me laughing so hard my eyes were watering. I want to go see it again with Jason! It really was one of the better movies that I have seen in a long time, so go see it!

The Hass Girls Visit

On Tuesday Genny and her girls come over to play for a little bit. It was a nice day outside and Derek was excited to show Hannah his club house. It's always fun to visit with Genny! And Derek gets along SO well with Hannah! Unlike he and his cousin, or any other boy for that matter, Derek plays so nice with girls. What a nice play date that makes!

They shared some sour gummie worms. Can you tell by their faces that they were sour?


Derek thought Claire was pretty cool...


Thanks for coming over guys! Can't wait until next time!

I'm THAT Mom

I never thought I would be the mom who would consider this a bath:



But after a day of babies crying and teething, and not one child taking a nap, I put Derek's pajama's on after he went swimming and called it a night.

Fly-by Bombing!

I got pooped on! Never in my life have I been pooped on by a bird, until yesterday. I was walking into Old Navy with the twins and my friend Jennifer when I felt something on my head. I thought that a bobby pin fell out, so I touched my head to check and there was white stuff on my hand...

Me: Jennifer, is there crap on my head?

Jenn: Oh my gosh, YES! (While cracking up)

I grabbed a baby wipe and made her start wiping. Luckily there wasn't too much, but enough to be grossed out.

I remember at Corona High so many of my friends got pooped on by the many seagulls that hung out where we ate lunch. But this was my first experience.

... And yes, I washed my hair when I found time that day!

Boys Will Be Boys!

This picture was taken a couple of weeks ago. I wasn't going to post it because of it's graphic nature, but then remembered I could do some editing on picnik.com. Now that these boys aren't babies anymore, I don't think booty pictures are too appropriate! But this was just so cute not to post. This is how I found Derek and his cousin Aiden in the bathroom...

Happy Days

This guys is ALWAYS happy. But when he's hungry (which is often) he really lets you know! He has some lungs on him!



This little girl is always pretty happy too. She loves to be held! And has finally rolled over on 6/14/09. She also is a bully... or maybe I should just say she isn't afraid to protect herself. When Derek is bothering her she actually swats at his face and lets out a scream. And she always gets her little fingers a hold of James' face and makes him cry. I know when they get older and the boys are picking on her, she will be able to hold her own!


When they are laying next to each other, they can entertain one another for a good hour. I LOVE it! They really notice each other more now than ever. They grab for their hands and suck each other's fingers. And lastly, Derek is really starting to enjoy his brother and sister.

I Chickened Out

I could not get the babies to sleep for the life of me today so I thought I would take an outing to Chick-fil-a in hopes that the twins would fall asleep in the car and then I could eat in peace while watching Derek play. But when we pulled up to Chick-fil-a and saw how crowded it was I chickened out and went through the drive-thru instead. We took our lunch to the park, the babies slept in their car seats and Derek played. Happy babies, happy 3 year old, happy mom. The end.

4 Month Check-Up

James and Jillian are almost 5 months old, but they had their 4 month check-up on Tuesday. The stats are in...

James is a whopping 18 pounds and 26 1/2" long.
Jillian is 15 pounds, 14 ounces and 25 1/2" long.

Both are very healthy babies and doing great. James continues to roll over onto his tummy. Jillian is almost there, she tries so hard but can't seem to get her arm out of the way. They both are such happy babies. Always sleeping through the night, except for the occasional awakening of James... the bottomless pit who always wants to eat!

Jillian has beat James in the teeth department. Her first tooth cut through on 6/9/09 and she isn't very happy about it. She is usually very calm and content, but this tooth must be really hurting. I feel so bad. I hate the teething part! Poor kiddos. I have a feeling James is right behind her.

I hear them both crying now so I better cut this short... more to come soon.

The Happiest Place on Earth

Yesterday Derek and I had a "Mommy/Son date". While my Aunt Sandy, Uncle Jim and Gramma Enlow were here last week, they had bought a 5-day Disneyland pass for my Gramma. They only used 3 days so they gave me the pass to finish it off. Thank you again! It was SO FUN with just Derek and I! We got there at 9:00 am and didn't leave until 8:00 that night. We seriously had a blast! We went on so many rides and he just kept going and going. I thought by 5:00 he would for sure be tired, but I was wrong. He cried and cried when I told him we were going home now.

The best part of all is that he is now exactly 40" tall and can ride Thunder Mountain, Soaring Over California (which he LOVED!), and all the good ones! Thunder Mountain was our last ride we went on. I tricked him by saying it was exactly like the train the circles Disneyland, just a little bit faster. He held on to me so tight and made sure my arm was wrapped all the way around him. But he didn't cry or scream. I just kept telling him what a big boy he was and how proud of him I was. When we got off he said, "Mom, I was just a little scared."... Then I felt bad!

First we drove the cars...


Went on the Jungle Cruise, met up with Aladdin and Jasmine...


Bought a new pirate sword and climbed the tree house, then rode the carousal...



Hit up The Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Winnie the Pooh.

Then went over to California Adventure and watched a really cool parade... and learned why Jason's shoulders hurt after having Derek on them. After 20 minutes of having 40 pounds on my shoulders, I was dying!


Went on Souring Over California, such a beautiful ride, SERIOUSLY love it! Then of course the Toy Story 2 ride.. another great one! Fun for adults too!

Back over to Disneyland to get stuck on the Buzz Lightyear ride for about 20 minutes... a great ride for a 3 year old to get stuck on! Lots of gun shooting entertainment!


Watched Mickey & Minnie dance...


And lastly rode the Mark Twain into the sunset... my first time on this boat, as well as Derek's. What a great view of the park!





It was probably one of the best days at Disneyland I've ever had. Derek is going back on Friday with my mom to use the last day of the free pass. He's so excited to show Grandma around!

Sicko's

I have 3 sick little kiddos. Derek started out with a cold and cough on Wednesday, so of course the twins have it now as well. Poor little Jillian seems to have the worst of it. James isn't as bad, but it's tough, nonetheless. He did sleep this morning from 9:30 until 1:30. WOW! Awesome! He needed it after the 'hell of a night' he had. It was like having a newborn again. He went to bed at 8:30, woke up at 10:00, back up again at midnight. I thought that would be it, but then 2:45 came around and there was my crying baby boy again. For sure I thought that was the end of it and then came 4:15 am... could he possibly want another bottle, NO! But I was wrong.. he gulped down another 6 ounces! Then came 6:00 am.... and of course hungry again. All of this while his little sister slept peacefully until 8:00 am!

How could these 2 cute littles faces be such hard work??

Our Weekend

Derek and I picked up my grandma and grandpa Olha from the airport. We've had fun visiting with them and introducing them to James and Jillian.

I had my hair done with Genny and cut bangs... love them! Thanks Genny!

Aiden came over and the boys shared some M&M's and laughs in Derek's 'fort'.


We went to the movies and saw "Up"... very cute! Derek really enjoyed it and was an EXCELLENT boy. So we treated him to Chick-fil-a before we returned home to the rest of our clan.


James and Jillian enjoyed some sweet potatoes for the first time, and Derek had to be included too!


We had 4 generations of family together on Sunday for the twins' blessing at my parents house. It was so nice to have ALL of the grandparents and great-grandparents together!

The Most Handsome Boy I Know....

Who continues to crack me up everyday! His latest phrase:

Mom, I told you 3 times already! Please get me some grapes! I'm not going to tell you again!