what's up with m

We're doing pigtails now.


And watching a lot of Snow White.


Also, someone please help me, because I've been singing this song for three days straight now and I can't stop. I'm driving myself crazy.

people amaze me

I jumped on CNN today. More of this. These acts of hate boggle my mind. It's heart-sickening and I don't understand it.

But then I jumped on here. And my heart swelled. With thanksgiving for good people. For people who make our world profoundly sweeter by their simple acts of kindness and inspired choices. I am grateful for these people. These people amaze me.

ouch

I had to kiss this little one goodbye today. I physically hurt for at least half the day and I've had a perma-frown ever since. I tried to keep her port-a-crib up so I could pretend she was still hanging around here, but my maid was too efficient and packed it up. I also tried to keep her leftover jar of baby food in the fridge for sentimental purposes, but the maid was on it like a moth to the flame.


Oh, have I not told you about my live-in maid yet? Next post. But for now, Belen, know that you are loved. And so missed. You, too, Aud. Come back soon, chicas.

another year older, another year wiser

B turned six years old today, but the moment he entered this world is forever emblazoned on my memory. Like any mother could forget. His face was familiar at first sight. I'd know this boy anywhere.



And we haven't outgrown CARS yet. Maybe I don't want to anyway.




Happy 6th birthday, B! I love being your mom.

attack of the tias

This is why aunties get a bad rap. All the kissing and smooching and squeezing. I still remember all my mom's siblings coming to visit one time and they were all squee-ing and going crazy over the fact that I was starting to "develop" and wear training bras. "Ohhhh, our little Noelle!" they kept saying. Scarred me for life, man.

danielle

After a long hiatus apart, my sister Danielle came to visit. I've missed her and wrapping my arms around her felt like home: warm, comfortable, whole and familiar.



More to come... have I said this before already? I feel like I'm repeating myself.

so uh...

We saw the 10pm showing last night in the VIP theater at the cinemex. I just... so can't even comment right now. But uh, we're going again tonight. Don't judge me.

nincompoopery.

so... warning: long post; picture overload.
bc this is audrey writing (noey's sister). and i tend to ramble.


green twins.

i was snooping through noelle's photo files, searching for pictures i could post of her, because we never get enough shots of this super-mom. but moms tend to be the ones always behind the camera; thus, i STRUGGLED to find a good collection. my goal this week (or one of) is to take more of my beautiful sister.


SO, you mothers out there who use up so much of your computer's memory on gigabytes of your adorable posterity, don't forget to narcissistically (i know--this word keeps surfacing lately) capture your own existence too...

(i'm a hypocrite, by the way, for i hate to have my picture taken--


--yes, that's me on the left, a jumble of hair and awkward hands, shying away from the lens.)

but either way, the sentimental in me knows better. what's that quote... "we each have within us enough poetry to be subjects of great art" (said by someone whose name starts with a j... maybe).

my sisters and i loooove the collection of fabulously quirky, immodest, and beautiful pictures of my mother's past lives. glimpses into her dimension and growth. maybe belén will appreciate some of me one day??

(read HERE, my favorite entry on "the self-portrait," about a girl we call Nie.)

speaking of portraits, noelle's three kids are HILARIOUS. and absolutely portrait-able.

bryson.


he turns six in a week. he says adulty things like "more or less," and bruce-y things like "yo" and "dude." he's been articulate since he could walk! at like two years old, i remember him memorizing the Articles of Faith as well as saying, "this is a lincoln navigator" (he's kind of into cars, if you recall.) i've been doing lots of puzzles with him the past couple days, and at first he goes, "tia audrey, you're not that good at puzzles, are you?" (more of a statement than a question.) apparently, i've improved in his eyes, for he often says, "oh good job there, tia audrey." or, "wow, nice move!" same goes with chess.


he's extremely bright and super competitive. he made me count a GAZILLION times how long it took him to dive to the bottom of the pool to pick up a little toy. he improved one second every time, until of course he didn't get any faster, and then he was TOTALLY upset.


he knows how to manipulate his little siblings with the art of distraction (veering them away from some object or task he wants using this high voice that sounds strangely like his mother) and COMPLETELY convinces them that they would rather do or have something else... sneaky, sneaky.

he LOVES instructions (i.e. the pamphlets that come in the lego boxes, etc.) and he HOARDS batteries.

then there's luke. ohhh luke...


he's our snuggly but adamantly passionate one. you know that movie madagascar? and the part where the animals sing, "i like to move it move it, i like to move it, move it"? well, i have GOT to get some video footage of lukie re-enacting it. PRICELESS.



but i'll share more about him and 'kenna later... this post is long enough already.


ps. noelle was on the couch reading and asked me, "where did the word nincompoop come from...?"

nincompoop, noun (origin unknown): a silly, foolish, or stupid person; one deficient in judgment and good sense. related to: nincompoopery, noun.

e.g., this nincompoopery of a post.

eternity

I have no pics of just Bruce and me. All these kids keep getting in the way. However, I still feel warm and smiley when we are in close proximity of one another... surely a good sign.

Eight years ago, we made our way to the Bountiful Temple on a freezing, snow-covered November day, under a miraculously blue, cloudless sky. I thought I was happier than any one person could possibly be. Who knew. Eternity looks better every year.

for andy.

because his girls are away from him for TWO WEEKS. so we thought we'd send him some love.

belén.









twirling m around on the swivel chair...

vainglory

My new favorite word. So Aud and I cruised over to the Anthropology Museum today. While we did take a few pics of the artifacts, we also snapped plenty of ourselves, because we're vainglorious like that. When you're with your sister, it doesn't feel as narcissistic. I think.





I have lots more to blog about, but later. Although, I will leave you with one more pic.

Random fact: This is the exact contortionist pose Audrey used to do when we were little to take off her glasses with her feet and wow the masses. That's right. Be amazed.

naps before bedtime

It's 8:31 p.m. Aud just fell asleep on my couch. You don't need to tell me. I know we're awesome party animals. But that's the beauty of hanging out with your sis. You can fall asleep on each other's couches at 8:30 p.m. at night. No problema. There's a tradition in my family where we often take evening naps before we go to bed.

This might be something we inherited from my dad. He's really good at it. The guy can sleep anywhere. He'd come home from work late, take a nap on the couch or the carpet, then he'd get up around midnight, eat, do dishes, do dictations, and then back to bed for a couple hours before leaving for the hospital again at 6 a.m.

Maybe I'll go watch Friends until she gets up.

happy day

Guess who came to visit today...


We finally found each other at the airport after an hour and a half. I was standing inside at la puerta 7. And they were standing outside la puerta 8. So close and yet so far away...


So happy they're here. More to come. Oh, but this is not the outfit she was wearing on the plane, in case you were questioning the fashion selection.

your inner song

I once read somewhere that everyone has an inner song. A song that, everytime they hear it, motivates, moves, inspires or just plain resonates through their soul. It's telling a story, evoking emotion or memories, or creating an ambiance of your mood. A few of the songs that get repeated an embarrassing few thousand times on my ipod have a driving beat and are evoking emotional heartbreak, like "Apologize" and "Beautiful Love". Maybe I'm harboring some kind of inward emotional masochist. Sarah McLachlan was the musical voice for my teenage angst. Other songs are meant to be sung in the shower, like "Time to Say Goodbye" or "Unexpected Song." Some songs make me feel like dancing, like "All I Want For Christmas Is You." My kids and I have had plenty of nightcap dance sessions with this one.

I'm thinking about this, because Bruce just plugged my ipod into our stereo and skipped to "Starlight" by Muse. He's so happy now, humming and singing along in the next room. This must be his inner song today. I love this guy.

For my repeatedly repeated list, click 'play' below. And turn it up louder... a little more... that's it. Excuse me while I close my eyes and lean my head back awhile...

P.S. What's your inner song today?

Attitude with a capital A

This is M giving L some of that.




Serious anger in those eyes. The girl literally lost her voice last week from yelling at the boys all day long. (They were on a school break, cramping her style, you know.) Her three most commonly used phrases:

"NOOOOO!!!!"

"STOP IT!!!!!"

"ARRRRRGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!"

It's a tough world. I really don't know what to tell her, because it's like she took the words right out of my mouth. She suffers from two very conflicting emotions when it comes to her brothers. One is complete adoration for them, and the other is this sweeping, unmitigated fury from the tip of her toes to a slap across one of their faces. Even I'm scared of her. I don't know what to do about her. I really don't. I have this fear she'll end up like those big girl bullies on the playground that make all the boys cry.

Maybe it's time I did something about this Bruce Lee hairstyle she's sporting.


Perhaps therein lies my problem. You think?

news and commentary

So my dear friend Erin emails me this afternoon to tell me she heard about a plane crash in Mexico City, close to where I live and is wanting to know if we're okay, etc. I had no idea what she was talking about, so I went and CNN-ed it:

Mexican interior minister among dead in plane crash

There were also whispers of drug cartel involvement. Lovely. Apparently, this crash happened like half a mile away from where I live. 7pm last night. Ask me if heard anything at all. I know I'm not known for my impeccable hearing. (I walk around with ipod earphones in my ear half the time and our motto at the gym is "Turn it up louder!"). But seriously. Apparently nothing short of an atomic bomb will interrupt us from living our daily grind. Amazing.

Now, on to our new president-elect. I came across this article that seems to fit my sentiments about this democratic turn of events.

America Has Chosen a President

I feel a sense of privilege to be a living witness to this hallmark moment in American history, but I also feel a sense of urgency and wariness. And I am reminded that there truly is no time to procrastinate or be lax or less than vigilant and stalwart in my faith. Now, more than ever. And it begins in my home. It will be my home that is the only place of refuge for my children for the values we hold sacred and dear. When the laws of our society become so far removed, where else will they be able to learn the laws of God?

the art of taking family pictures

Our good friend Josh took some pics of our family yesterday morning. It was eventful, wouldn't you say, Josh? Out of the 70 or so pictures he took, I think there were two that had us all looking in the direction of the camera. Maybe a few more. It's hard to say, because you get distracted by the queer face at least one of us (usually L, sometimes "against-my-religion-to-smile" B) is making in every picture. It's a good thing Josh is such a great photographer - see here for a taste of his awesomeness. But unfortunately, our fam isn't as cool - or as cooperative - a subject matter as Rome. So sorry, dude. We hope you still want to hang out with us after this.