Happy 4th of July

O! say can you see by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming.
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner, O! long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more!
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!


The Star-Spangled Banner by Francis Scott Key


We had a slow start to our day. We are still trying to get back into the swing of things and fall into our old routines. I was the last one to go to bed last night, and the first to rise. The rest of the family snored away into the morning. We ended up easing into our morning eating cereal, getting pedicures, and dressed for the 4th of July. This year's theme is pink and stars. At least that's what it is for the kids. Robert and I sported our reds and blues.

Robert made Aquadito con Pollo, while I got our picnic ready for our evening at the the Laguna Hills Community Center and Sports Complex. We finally found a great place to watch a FREE fireworks show, get good food, FREE games, crafts and face painting, a playground for the kids to run around in, and music to go with the fireworks. There were a lot of people, but we still found great parking at the high school at 5 pm. There was also plenty of places to spread out our blanket and browse the food booths. Robert even got a kabob plate for a decent price, plus all the money benefits the high school.

The most awaited part of the evening began around 9 pm. The girls were enthralled by the colorful, sparkling display of fireworks that lit up the sky. I can still hear the booming and crackling of the fireworks, and see the lights dancing in the sky. It leaves a smile on my face, as I picture the look on their faces. I am so glad that they love it as much as I do.

Most of all, I thank God for the freedom we have in this country and the freedom we have from sin's grasp in our lives through Jesus!

Waiting for Sleep

I remember having sleepness nights. Then I would hear Savannah get up and make her way down the dark hallway, open our door, and crawl into bed next to me. As soon as she is with me, snuggled down under the blankets, I could finally close my eyes and drift off to sleep. Tonight is one of those nights. Goodnight Savanah ...I love you!

Summer Time

I love summer! The birds seem to chirp louder. The sun shines brighter and warmer. The days last longer. The ice cream and watermelon tastes much sweeter.

I'm looking forward to BBQ'ing and baking cookies with my little bakers-in-training. I can't wait to take them to the lagoon and watch them go down the water slides, wade in the water, and build sand castles. I can already smell the sun block, and feel the sand and grass beneath my bare feet.

I've switched my work schedule to accommodate our summer activities. We have our traditional Tuesday movie dates at the Irvine Spectrum or Foothill Ranch. There are a lot of repeat favorites from the previous years, and a few we've been waiting to see. We hope to schedule some play dates with old and new friends, and maybe a couple of beach days at our newly found favorite baby beach at Seabridge Park. And, depending on how my schedule and cousins' and sister-in-law's schedules go, we would like to set up a day to visit the water park in La Mirada, hang out at the pool with Auntie Kelly or Auntie Pearl, and go bowling.

A new activity for us this year is gymnastics and jazz and ballet. I was hoping to enroll both Savannah and Gaby into gymnastics, but I could only get one to work my work schedule. Gaby started her first day of July taking her first class at Wildfire Gymnastics. Although Savannah is typically the one climbing poles and swinging on bars, Gaby is not far behind, trailing after her big sister and attempting to copy all that she sees Savannah doing. I hope to see her get more comfortable and confident in what she can do, to let go of some of her fears, and do her best learning something new.

She had a great first day in class. She learned some terms and positions, like "pike" and "candlestick". She got to stretch like a cat, and lay on her belly like a dolphin. She walked on the balance beams, with help from Mommy. She seemed to enjoy jumping on the trampoline and was somewhat okay being thrown a few times by me into THE PIT. At one time, she wanted to stop but I urged her to finish her task. At the end of class, she got stamps on both hands and feet. She also got to see all the trophies on display. She definitely has her eyes set on her prize, for at the end of her 4 weeks, she wants to earn a trophy!

As for Savannah, she will be taking Jazz and Ballet starting next month. I know she is dying to walk the balance beam and swing on the bars as she watches Gaby playing in the gym. Still, she is also anxious for her own class to start. Nina is still a little young for these classes, but we will see about getting her started in taking a Mommy-and-Me swimming class.

It is an exciting time for our little ones as they discover new things this summer!!

Savannah is Enrolled in Kindergarten

Almost 5 years I gave birth to a beautiful little girl, and this year she is going to start Kindergarten! I cannot believe that time is coming soon. I spent the past month getting myself organized, and preparing all of the paperwork and setting up dental and doctor appointments.

On Thursday, she had her first visit to the dentist. She walked back all by herself and got her teeth cleaned and x-rays taken. She came back after eager to show her bag of goodies to me and Gaby. She was so happy to get a new toothbrush and toothpaste that tasted like "bumblegun". The coolest thing she got was what she called "medicine", a gum that turns her teeth pink if she doesn't brush well.

The next day was her turn for a nurse visit at Bristol Park. She had just finished watching Gaby get a couple of shots earlier in the week, and she was not happy to be going for the same thing. Stuffed animal in hand, she laid down on the exam table and bravely took the remaining immunizations she needed to be set for Kindergarten. On top of that, she also needed to get a TB test done. Lips tightly pressed together, she endured it all without a single tear or whimper. She uttered one word: OUCH!

We went back to Bristol Park first thing Monday morning for the TB test result, which was normal. She was afraid that she was there for more shots and was so relieved to know that the nurse was only going to check "Mr. Smiley Face" on her arm. Later in the afternoon, we walked to Northwood to fill out school forms and turn in all our necessary documents. She is officially enrolled for Kindergarten 2010-2011. We go back on August 24 for her assessment to see which group she will be placed with. By that time, she may already be reading. We have been practicing reading a few sight words, and she just loves to write and learn how to spell so many words.

Our Starlette

We've been told many times that we should get our kids into the entertainment industry. Our usual response is to say "Thank you" and smile at the thought of seeing them start modeling or being an extra on one of Disney's sitcoms. We will not deny that we believe our children are gorgeous and talented! After all, as parents, we are completely biased! But when I think about our girls standing in front of strangers, and being asked to perform, I envision them grabbing on to my leg, shaking their heads profusely and hoping to disappear behind me. They seem so shy, and the last thing they want is to have a spotlight shining on them.

So, on Father's Day, we were walking around the Irvine Spectrum, heading over to the pet store, when we passed by this lady with her adorable, little white dog. I pointed the dog out to Gaby and urged her to say hello. Too shy, she wouldn't utter a word. The woman stopped and let Gaby have a closer look at her dog. She proceeded to talk to us, and commented on our girls. She gave us her card, and encouraged us to call and set up an appointment to visit her work place, ICT (I C Talent). As usual, we smiled and thanked her for her compliments and went about the rest of the day.

This time, we did more than just giggle at the idea and fantasize about seeing Savannah play a younger version of Alex Russo on Wizards of Waverly Place. We talked about it a little more seriously and decided that it wouldn't hurt to go and see what ICT was all about, and see where it would lead. I called and set up an appointment. Wednesday night, pictures of each of the girls in hand, we drove to ICT and sat through a presentation about the school. It was hard to really listen and pay attention with Nina walking back and forth between parents, siblings, and strangers. Savannah and Gaby were both getting restless and hungry for snacks they were eyeballing in the vending machine. When the kids in the audience were called up to participate up front, I tried to urge the older two to join in, but they shook their heads.

I took the girls for a potty break and by the time we came back, the room was almost empty, with a few families gathering their things together and disappearing into three rooms. We waited for our turn. We were there for almost two hours. The kids were okay as long as they got another round of snacks from the vending machine while watching a movie on the big screen.

It was finally our turn. I think we were one of three more families left waiting. We walked into Helen's office. The video camera was on, taping us as we introduced ourselves and settled on to the couch. Nina did not waste her time and moved on to exploring the new room. Savannah, taking on her big sister role, went after Nina making sure she was behaving herself. Gaby sat down on the couch and was fascinated to see herself on the TV, and started to admire her very pink tongue (colored by a handful of strawberry fruit snacks).

Helen interviewed Gaby first. I tried to help refocus Gaby's attention to Helen's questions. She was too interested in seeing herself on TV. It was hilarious what she was doing and saying. She did sing Helen a couple of songs. I had to stop her abruptly when I realized she was about to start singing her "I REALLY LOVE TO FART" song.

The rest of the interview was focused on Savannah. She did well answering Helen's questions and talking to her. She was still taking in the situation and the environment, trying to figure out what she was doing there. She was not quite ready to "come out of her shell". She was soft spoken repeating lines Helen would give her. Last of all, she didn't want to stand in front of the camera.

Gaby and Nina have a 6 month wait, mostly due to age and development and available work in the industry. Helen encouraged to put more of our focus right now on Savannah. She wanted us to come back the next day for a evaluation and final interview. She sent us home with a few lines to go over with Savannah. The main purpose for the evaluation would be to determine if Savannah was coachable, not to see if she could memorize the lines perfectly.

Our heads were dazed with all the information and talk of the possibilities. We went home not quite sure what to make of it all. If ICT could help develop Savannah's skills and bring out her personality and confidence, and she actually gets into the entertainment industry, there are so many benefits she could have in her near and distant future. Our main concerns are that she enjoys her classes and finds fun and enjoyment in her "jobs". We would also like to keep her grounded. Whatever financial gains she makes sets her up for college--and can help her sisters too.

We went back the next evening and watched our little girl shine for Dawn, one of the teachers at ICT. Whatever Dawn asked her to say and do she did. Gone was our shy little girl. We've never seen her warm up so quickly, especially to a stranger. Who knows what her future holds. We can only pray that God continues to be the shaper of our sweet girl, and that He be the director of her path. We signed the papers and she starts her classes at ICT on July 17th. We are excited to see her tackle this chapter in her life with as much drive and enthusiasm, and most of all joy.

Here are the pictures we shared of Gaby and Nina--they all are our shining stars!