Florida Trip

Yes, it's been almost two months since we got back home from FL and I still haven't posted these photo. Where does the time go?


The day after we arrived we headed to Tampa to hang out at the aquarium with cousin Mia, uncle B, and Jenny.

They had such a great time together.

Mia and Arden are really good friends and they love to play together. Maya, on the other hand kind of gets ignored by the Arden and Mia, but it's okay, she has Jenny. And we all love Jenny.

Some more photos of the children playing at the aquarium. It was our first time visiting the FL Aquarium...it was pretty nice.

One of their favorite things was, after touring the aquarium, playing in the park. The aquarium has a water park and it's pretty fun, including a shaded sandpit.

Maya didn't remember playing in the sand many months ago, so this felt like her first time playing in the sand. She really enjoyed it. She carefully placed her feet in the sand and you could tell she was studying the texture of the sand. Then, she proceeded to touch it with her hands, and it was love. She loved it.

A couple of days later we hit the beach. This time she was familiarized with the sand and the fun began right away.

We love the beach. I missed it terribly. How did I end up living in a land locked state?
We had so much fun. We dug pits, filled them up with water, build castles, crushed the castles, etc. I feel like it was one of the best trips I've taken to the beach since I've had children. I really had so much fun. It was relaxing. It was nice to play with them, just play.

Maya was super good. She didn't run off, too far, she stayed by our area and greeted all the grannies and granpas who were sun bathing.

Unfortunately, we needed to head back home. I forgot to pack a real lunch. We only had snacks and we were starting to get hungry. However, before we went home, we took a detour.

After the beach, we headed to Leffis Key for a little hike and a biology lesson.
When I was in 8th grade I took a field trip to Leffis Key, when it was being build/fixed...and I helped plant sea grass around the park. It was neat to be part of something like this...I didn't play a major role, but just helping that bit made me love this estuary. Throughout the years, I've gone back and watched it grow and develop into a save haven for small fish and other sea creatures.
Here, the children are looking at the baby fish... They were so interested in their surroundings. Biology/ecology lessons at their best...hands on.



This is one of my favorite photos. Mayita was really into this hike and climbing the fence.
Both children were great. Arden would push the stroller, while Maya happily rode in it. So nice.

In between days, we also visited some friends...but of course I forgot to take some pictures. Thanks for the b-b-que Jenn. It was nice to see some old familiar faces and catch up with them.

A few days later we went to Busch Gardens. Of course it's one of our favorite theme parks. I'm definitely not a Disney person. As a matter of fact, my children don't know that Disney Land and Disney World exist...may be one day...may be.

These guys had so much fun. They loved looking at the animals, going on rides, and seeing shows.

This was Mayita's first ride ever. I was so excited to see her act like a big girl. First time stuff is pretty fun...and of course she loved it! That little dare devil!

A couple of days later, Arden went fishing with his Lito (my dad). This is Arden's favorite activity he likes to do with Lito. And they are way good fishermen. Arden really likes to catch the fish, play with them, name them...I think this one was named Logan Deese...whose name is a lot like our friend Logan Deans =)

And the rule is, if you can bring it home and you want to bring it home, you have to eat it. We can't waste it. I thought he would have a problem with that, but he doesn't. Arden is fine with naming his pet fish, playing with it, and then eating it.

Maya got sick while we were on our trip, so we were kind of out of commission for a few days. I ended up taking her to a walk in clinic where they prescribed 3 types of medication...including an allergy medicine. Darn pollen. Eventually she got better. One of those days, it was so pretty, we headed to park.


Oh, I almost forgot, my grandma (Abuelita) was visiting from Nicaragua, so we had a chance to spend time with her. These are her only great-grand-children. I believe she enjoyed spending time with them. She came with us to the park that day.

A few days later, we visited some more friends. This is Gabby. I used to take care of her when we lived in FL. Arden loves her Gabby. It was fun to see how quickly they reconnected. On this photo, they are watching TV together. She's really mothering, so she tucked him in with her and her blankie. So cute.

That weekend, we headed off to Miami...or Yourami...Arden thought whenever I said Miami...that I was say My Ami. So, he would ask me "Mommy, when are we going to get to Yourami?"

We laughed hard and laughed a lot. He didn't get it, no matter how many times I tried to explain it to him.
Whenever we go to Miami, it's usually to visit family and to eat food from Nicaragua. This time we visited my Tia Melania. Arden and Maya were enamoured with her dogs, birds, and fishes. Arden has been asking me for a pet for a while, but I think after seeing all of those animals in one house, it really gave him a pet fever. Now, he asks me on a daily basis, at least twice a day, "Mommy, can I have a snake for a pet?"

"Mommy, can I have a cat...dog...lizard...tarantula...monkey"And the list goes on. A pet is yet to be decided, for our house. However, he does have a pet fish in FL. He's a Beta fish...named Jelly...correction...Jelly is a female, not a male.

Do you know what Maya is sitting on? It's one of those stands where people place figures/statutes of saints. Is this Saint Mayita? I guess so.

On this trip we did a lot of driving and overall the children were pretty good. Well, Arden was really good. Maya, most of the time demanded my attention and constantly asked for 'nacks' (snacks).
Arden entertained himself by reading books or making silly monster faces...like these ones...Are they scary?

My dad adores little girls...he's so happy to be the grandfather of one. And his granddaughter sure loves him.

I love how these guys can play so nicely together, most of the time.

Tio Nephi and Maya at Tio Eli's birthday party.

Mayita liked hanging out with Tio Nephi.

I remember when I used to take care of these guys, even change their diapers, on rare occasions. Now, they are young men. Time sure does fly.

My cousin Johanna and Maya...instant friends. Arden also loved playing with Johanna...she's the baby of my generation. And we are the only female cousins from my mom's side of the family.

More beach time. I do regret not going to the beach as much as I wanted to on this trip. Between the children and I getting sick and recovering, time flew by.
Yet, the beach was still so fun.

On this day, it was just Maya, my mom, and I at the beach. Arden and Lito went fishing, again.
I did have a really cute naked photo of Maya at the beach, as I chased her around to try to change her diaper, but I don't feel comfortable showing off her little booty.

And here is the fruit of their labor. Yes, these guys caught 3 fishes. Significantly big ones, too.
The seven of us ate two meals with those fishes. Can you believe it? They were yummy.

Of course, Arden named them.

Before I forget, for posterity/scapbook reasons...cleaning out the fish was also interesting. Arden really enjoyed seeing how it's done. Peeling the scales, cutting it open, and studying the insides, like what the fish had eaten...the organs and their names, the gills, etc. You get the point. I was really glad I was able to teach him this. When I was a child I really enjoyed watching my relatives gut the fishes or defeather a chicken. I thought it was so interesting. I wonder if he'll remember these things.

Maya pulling weeds.

BG once again. Each time we went to BG we did something different. We saw different animals on this day, and went on different rides.

Of course it was loads of fun. Each time we went, Mia was there with Jenny, somehow, I don't have photos of the children playing together.

This was funny. One day, I had to pick up my mom from work and my brother Nephi came with me. After we arrived to my mom's job, she made him sit on the back seat with the children. Well, Nephi is not small and couldn't fit in the seat. We laughed so hard when we saw this:

His shoulders are covering both of the car seats. Mom did switch seats with him. She sat in the back, instead.

A trip to DeSoto Park.
We love the gumbo limbo trees.

That was another fabulous day. The weather was just perfect. I keep mentioning the weather a lot on this post because for the previous 3 months before we went to FL, we were wearing coats, gloves, snow shoes, and other type of snow gear. There were lots of cloudy cold days...did I mention the snow? Yeah, I'm not a big fan of the cold.

We stopped by the visitor center and then went out for a walk along the trails. We also got a chance to play in the water for a little while.

The children trying on Conquistador gear. Three generations hanging out together.

The Saturday before we went back home, we spend the morning hanging out with JP and Jan. Jan as always, made a yummy lunch. She packed it and we headed to Emerson Point. It was such a nice day to be at the beach. The children had so much fun. JP and Arden went for a walk where they found lots of sea creatures, including a dead fish. Arden played with that fish for a super long time, pretending it was alive. It was so cute and funny. Maya loved the mild waves by the shore. She played and played. Jan, JP, and I caught up in our lives. Afterwards, we headed back to their house, but first made a stop at one of the chanels by their house. There we were treated to see real wild manatees swimming about. It was beautiful. There was a sea cow with her calf among other manatees.

That night, it was a girls night out for me. I had the chance to hang out with my best girlfriends. It was Jenn's birthday and we went out to celebrate. What a fun evening. I love my girls.

Family Photo: Yes, almost no one in the family wanted to take a group photo, especially the guys, but I won.

By this time I was dreading coming back home. Not because I didn't miss Newel and the family, but because we were having such a wonderful time and it was coming to an end. I felt like I didn't do enough, like I didn't spend enough time with all of those whom I love so much.


However, before our trip ended, we hit BG once more. This time my parents went with us. It was fun to spend that time with them.

Mayita of course loved Dragon land. Aren't we the cutest little dragons you've ever seen?


I was so lucky to go on a ride with my girl.

Maya on more rides.

Arden hanging out with his Jenny.

Sadly our trip came to an end. The airport has a new addition...a playground for the children. It was so much fun. I didn't have to try to chase them around nor entertain them. They were kind of sad that they had to get in the plane. I'm glad they had a chance to play, since the 4.5 hours we spent in the plane on the way home were awful. Maya was so naughty. Arden was so well behaved. Thank goodness Arden was so nice and helpful.

MAD

Last Thursday, a week ago, I went with Arden and Maya to Arden's Kindergarten orientation. I was excited about going, but it turned out to be...emotional...for me.
Also, I made a few critical mistakes:
First, we were almost late. Unfortunately, we couldn't find any parking, therefore, we were super late and frazzled.
Second, I brought Maya with me. She didn't want to sit still, who can blame her...she's only 18 months old and it's a cafeteria/gym...lots of running space.
Third, I didn't fill out Arden's registration packet and they gave me more stuff...I ran out of hands, between carrying a purse, the old and new packet, and chasing Maya.

It gets better:
As the meeting is ending the teacher/PTA person mentions that the children need to fill out some work sheet to assess them...to see what is their skill level.
WHAT!!!!
Since we've arrived in UT, I've asked Kindergarten teachers and parents, what are the requirements to get into Kindergarten. "Oh, there are no requirements." Was the response I got, over and over.
No, there are no requirements. BUT they failed to mentioned that they still assess your child to see what level they are in. Yes, there are recommended skills the child should have. They don't tell you that. They don't tell you that they need to know how to write their name, numbers, recognize letters, cut with scissors, etc. It's the same things I had asked...that specifically, if they needed to know these things. 'No' was their response. There are not required skills because Utah doesn't have a state mandate pre-k program.
As we walked from table to table, my mood grew darker. I was frustrated. I was frustrated, no, MAD.
I was mad that I brought Maya with me because I couldn't concentrate on helping Arden...I mainly chased her around. Why didn't I set up child care? Stupid me.
I was mad that they were assessing my child!!!
I was mad that I wasn't prepared for this.
Mostly, I was mad at myself.
I felt I had failed him. I felt I had failed as a mother.
What's the point of me staying at home, if I can't even teach my son these basic skills?

It gets uglier:
I'm going to shamefully confess this.
As we went from table to table I started comparing Arden to the other children. Big mistake. Why did I do that? I know better than that.
Of course, I wasn't seeing the positive attributes Arden has. Just the negatives. I was getting frustrated that he wasn't cutting as fast or as neat as the other children. I was frustrated that he choked and didn't answer, when asked about geometric shapes, or when he wrote his name backwards...completely backwards...from right to left NEDRA.
'Great, this kid is totally dyslexic!' I thought to myself.
I even called Newel to see if he was in the neighborhood, so he could help me out. I haven't called him in over 3 years to come home to help me out. He didn't answer the phone.
When we left and got in the car. I was in tears.
I called my mom. I started crying. Telling her how we went to this horrific orientation. How how Abnormal my child was. I complained about everything that was wrong with him. My mom kept assuring me that there was nothing wrong with him.
"No," I said, "I've always known there's something not right with him. He's probably somewhat autistic, mom." I can't believe I said that.
Mom, reassured me, again, that there was nothing wrong with him. She said if there was anything different about him is his tenderness. He's so sweet and loves people so easily. I couldn't argue with that. It's true.
Later, I called Newel and complained to him, too. He said, 'he is what he is, and if there is something wrong with him, we just have to accept it.'
Still, I left Newel feeling a bit worried, and as soon as he got home he tested Arden on numbers, letters, etc. "There's nothing wrong with him. When I was in school they wanted to place me in remedial classes because I couldn't cut and glue. And see, I turned out fine...as far as bad handwriting...who cares."
At that time, I didn't know what I was feeling. I was trying to gather my thoughts and trying to understand why I felt that way. I've had time to process all of this, and what I've written (above) are some of the feelings I can put into words.
I've also had time to analyze some of Arden's behavior. There was way too much noise and too much distraction in that room. He doesn't do well when it's too noisy or too many people. It was a new place and we were late. That was my mistake.
Then, I thought about him writing his name backwards. He knew he had a name tag, so he looked down to see his name and wrote it, exactly what it looks like, if you're reading something upside down and backwards...looking back, that was pretty impressive. I can't do that.
I know Arden is an amazing little guy. He surprises me of all the knowledge he has. He's not about writing or cutting. He sees things in a 'whole nother level." That stuff is too boring for him. He wants to learn about bacteria, science, how things work, why they work.

So, I'm still upset about these people assessing my child, at the beginning and the end of the school year, they are going to 'assess' him again. What a bunch of bullcrap! They are just focused in teaching the requirements the state has implemented, so students can score better. They don't focus on the million other things Arden or another child knows and can do. As for myself, I need to stop it. Stop comparing. Focus on the positive and embrace each of my children's uniqueness.

Newel and I came up with a plan.

We're doing Kindergarten Practice. I read to Arden during the day (we've always done that), but I try to ask more questions, and we try to do more 'cutting' and coloring activities.
After dinner, Newel practices writing with Arden...numbers and writing his name, not backwards or upside down.
There, I am done.

Conversations with Arden

Arden says the funniest things sometimes. And I usually forget to write them down:
This morning while eating breakfast:
"I'm so tired," I mentioned this to Arden.
Grant it, I've been up since 4:30AM, with a crying toddler who lost her binky, and her diaper was soaked through. Then, I went running at 5:30AM with a couple of acquaintances. So, yes, I'm tired.
Arden replies, "May be you caught a bacteria that makes you tired."
I just had to laugh.
May be I do. I hope there's some medicine for it.

A few days ago.

"Mommy, do you know what I'm going to do with you when I'm a grown up and you're old?"
"No. What?"
At this point I'm thinking that he'll say something sweet or funny.
He replies, "I'm going to kick you out of the house."
"WHAT?" I'm shocked by his reply...where did he get that from? Have I been such a terrible mother he can't wait to get revenge?
"Why?" I ask, trying to be calm and not scare him, yet intrigued by what he's going to say.
"Mayita is going to be older and I'll need to take care of her...we won't fit in the house."
Phew, may be I haven't been such a terrible mother.
"Oh, okay. But we can all still fit in the house, even if you're grown up." That's the best I could say at that moment. I was still trying to compose myself from his shocking comment.