This Close - Slice of Life

We just got back home from picking up the girls from school about a half an hour ago. Diana is eating a snack while Alice is holding the baby and watching The Princess Diaries. In many ways it feels like a typical afternoon, but it isn't.

It's the last week of school. Two days complete and two more to go.

We're expecting some big visitors. My parents called to say they were walking out of the airport from picking up my sister, her husband, and their daughter. After eating (about an hour) and driving here (about another hour), they will be stopping by for a quick visit.

I haven't seen my sister for three year. Three long years. Needless to say, my girls and I still call her daughter "Baby" Aissa even though she is four years old now.

A typical day blended with moments of the unordinary.

(And as I write this, I realize that at exactly 6 weeks since the baby was born, my days have found a rhythm tat feels everyday, ordinary, rather than a novelty.)

Around Here - Slice of Life Story

Around here flowers are blooming, the sky is blue, and in the mornings there is my favorite weather of the year - not too hot, not too cold.

Around here the school year is winding down. June is right around the corner - the month when the girls will be turning 7 and 10.

Around here I'm spending a lot of time holding the baby. I'm noticing that at 5 weeks she already looks like she has grown a lot. Soon we will need to switch some of her smaller clothes out of her drawer.

Around here I am grateful for fresh air. Anytime I start to feel my stress level rise (or just tired of being inside too much while on maternity leave), I instantly feel better upon stepping outside, taking some breaths and just enjoying the peace.

Around here I am gearing up for summer vacation with the girls, imagining a vision of what I want it to look like to set the tone from the start.

Neither Here, Nor There

I'm the type of person who likes to feel settled. Right now there are a lot of transitions or looming transitions. As the school year is winding down, it is starting to hit me more and more that we will really be moving. Last week the girls had their last Día de los niños celebration, this week will be their last spring performance and their last week of soccer, next week will be their last Art Sale/BBQ, and then one more week after that will be there last day of school. No more uniforms. No more bilingual education. Some hard traditions and values to say goodbye to. Of course, we will also be saying hello to new traditions.

I'm the type of person who likes a sense of financial stability. Depending on what happens with our house, we will be here or there for June and most of July. Whether our house sells or not, by the end of July we will be moving - we're just not sure where since we won't look until we know when we are going. I am hoping that we will be able to find a rental in the school boundary where my nieces and nephews attend school so the girls will be in school with their cousins. In midst the uncertainty, it helps to remind myself that the worst case scenario (an eventual foreclosure as a last resort many months down the road that hopefully won't happen), is not life threatening.

I'm the type of person who like to plan ahead, while also savoring the present. Lately, I have had to try to calm some of the worried thoughts about all of the uncertainties while also slowly saying goodbye to a community that I love. We have a lot to be excited for in our new community. I keep reminding the girls of the advantages and what they have to look forward to. In the meantime, I don't want the anxiety around the transition to get in the way of really enjoying our last moments here. Having one foot here and another there can be messy.

My Three - Slice of Life Story

My Three

Three weeks old today
still mesmerized by her
staring and staring
as she experiences her new world
my schedule shaped by her needs

Almost 7 years old
filled with energy
thrilled to be a big sister
but every once in a while
wanting a little bit more attention
as she navigates this new family of 5

Almost 10 years old -
How can that be?
more and more independent all the time
easy to get to the end of the day and realize
I didn't spend enough time with her,
focused just on her
she doesn't demand it
but she still needs it -
I need it

Trying to savor and juggle
the unique ages and stages of
My Three

A Few of My Favorite Things - Baby Edition: Slice of Life Story

Right now I love...

BumGenius 4.0 Pocket Diapers, Thirsties Wipes, and Soap Bits Wipe Solution. I'm thankful for my big sister's experience with cloth diapers in order to orient me toward knowing not only what to get but how to use it/care for it all. Not only that but she organized a diaper gift package with many of the necessities with my other sisters.

Manuel and I did a trial run of using the cloth diapers for a couple of days, and once I use up the rest of her newborn disposable diapers, I plan on making the permanent switch over. Although, I know there might be times when we use disposable. So far I am really happy with all the products though. The wipes work so well, and so far have been even better than regular disposable wipes as far as quickly and efficiently cleaning up.

Aside from the rookie mistake of separating the insert and the diaper and tossing them in the wet bag without much care in thinking about how I was doing it, everything has been really smooth. By the second round I had remedied that and my wet bag was a whole lot cleaner on the inside when I carefully unloaded the diapers into the washing machine.

It is fairly easier to get into a routine while I am at home on maternity leave. The real test will be when I transition back to working full time in August...

Literacy's Beginning - Slice of Life Story

103 minutes after I clicked publish on this post, I was laying in a hospital bed holding my baby girl just staring and staring.

That afternoon Diana excitedly walked into the room telling me that she chose a David board book in Spanish from the monthly Bookmobile visit. I smiled knowing that after seeing her sister right before school, she must have been on her mind all day. Often before leaving for school Diana reminds me that if the baby cries, I need to remember to read her the book.

When she was two days old Alice was holding the baby with the Boppy while writing a note to the baby in my writer's notebook. Shortly after she was asking me to bring her some books to read her.

But what will hopefully turn into a lifelong love of reading, writing, and language didn't start there with her first days. It began before, nourished by big sisters who would tell her stories and read to her during pregnancy.

The Big Day? - Slice of Life Story

It feels like today could very well be the big day. As I pulled up the post I was feeling like maybe I would be able to slice after all, but here comes another ... pause, breathe, breathe ... contraction. Teetering between the question of whether or not I should go to the hospital just yet. I'm thinking it is just about time. Just in case. I might be coming back home with a wasn't quite ready yet, but I think it's time to go check.