Not Me! Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

It's been a while since my last Not Me Monday post, and I haven't really done or said anything that I should put in here because you know that's not me at all. I totally didn't sleep in this morning because we had a snow day here in Arizona. It didn't take me an hour yesterday to clean out our fridge nope not me it's always clean and organized and brand new looking we are not the sort of family to have leftovers from a week ago and finger prints on the doors, nope not at all my house is ALWAYS spic and span even with three wild rambunctious boys in the house. I didn't decorate this year the day before Halloween, nope I had everything out and ready weeks in advance. I didn't squeal in delight when this past Saturday all of the boy's soccer games were cancelled because of snow and rain here in AZ, I mean I wouldn't at all be thrilled with the notion that we could possibly have one Saturday free, with nothing to do. Well that's all for now, what have you not been up to?

three boys who love soccer

This fall for the first time all three of the Briseno boys are playing soccer. Although getting all said three boys to and from practices and games requires a LOT of planning and organizing this season has been wonderful. We've watched each of them learn new techniques and get so much better, we've watched them build great friendships...Manuel and I even made some new ones too. As much as I thought soccer was going to be nothing more than a burden and another thing to add to our already full to do list, it's been a blessing. Here are a few pics of the boys ahem... I mean soccer stars!

ZUMBA is taking over my life, and I love it!!

So it's been a month without a single post (AGAIN!!), I promise I will get better, I promise. So for today it's mostly pictures. I participated as an instructor in a Party in Pink Zumbathon for the Susan G. Komen foundation last Saturday. The day was amazing, full of booty shaking and calorie burning fun but it was also full of some very special heartfelt tear jerking moments. Here are a few pics of a great day!

summers end

With such a busy and warm August I'm so happy that fall is approaching and cooler weather is sneaking in. August was such an unusual time for our family, we had to deal with back to school for three out of three children this year, I admit right here right now a month in I'm still trying to get used to it. Every time I go somewhere it feels like I'm forgetting something, and I've noticed that I longinly stare at other moms with infants an toddlers, thinking to myself that time has passed way too fast. I am getting more done though with all this new found time on my hands. Today I will start my first of hopefully a weekly event My Monday Menu. For the last month each Monday I've been scanning the sale adds looking at PioneerWoman.com and planning our meals for the entire week and then shopping and organizing all of it. This has been a real time saver for us,and it's budget friendly I like doing this because not only are all the boys in school they are also all playing soccer and I've added two new Zumba Toning evening classes to my schedule. Needless to say I've been using my croc pot quite a bit. So here's my menu and at the top a couple of pics from our last few days of summer, Happy Monday!

My Monday Menu

Monday: Tomato & Mozzarella Tort with a side salad of arugula, red onion, cucumbers and what ever other veggies are on sale

Tuesday: (this is a very busy day I teach two classes, do reading groups at school and we have two soccer practices, so it's a croc pot night for us)
Italian chicken soup

Wednesday: Green Goddess pasta with shrimp (YuMMY!!)

Thursday: (our busiest day of the week, I teach on day class, one evening class and two of the boys have soccer putting us home after 7pm...second croc pot night of the week)
Croc pot lettuce wraps with a side of brown rice and steamed green beans

Friday: Healthy mushroom and shallot quiche with a salad.

I love knowing that my family will eat healthy and well prepared meals all throughout our busy week. With a little planning and a little organization it's possible and makes life so much easier. There is nothing better than coming home after a hectic day on the verge of starvation to find a wonderful, warm and healthy meal waiting for you. We make meal time a priority, with such busy days I think it's very important to let dinner be a time when we as a family all sit down together and talk about the highs and lows of our day, upcoming events, or topics that need to be discussed. Well I better get moving I have lots of grocery shopping to do and I can't wait for dinner!

change

For those of you who don't know me very well there is really only one thing you need to know to know exactly the kind of person I am....I am a creature of habit, I love consistancy, structure, routine....I get totally overwhelmed and turned upside down when anything in my world changes. Change takes a hold of me and obviously since my last post over a week ago, it takes time for me to get used to anything new. I've had many days lately with peace and quiet. I've learned a lot about myself lately, for one that I totally do not like as much peace and quiet as I've had as of late. The quietness is my house it literally depressing and I haven't figured out just how to get used to it. I've been a stay at home mom for more than eleven years now, and to not have any kids at home with me through the day feels well weird. I don't have to make mac and cheese for lunch, I miss nap time terribly, I can just get up and go anywhere at anytime without having to find little shoes. It's just sad! My heart aches and I miss my kids so much, I know that this too shall pass and I will learn and get used to being alone all day but until then my world feels small, lonely and for goodness sakes I miss tripping over swords and stepping on legos. So I selfishly ask that you all please pray for me, pray that I get used to being with out chubby little cheek kiddos all day, pray that God will teach me what my new role will be now and that I will be open and accepting of all that He has planned for me in this new stage of my life. Thanks so much, happy Saturday y'all I'm off to go play with my little kiddos and make as much noise as we all possibly can.

First day of school

I will post more later....

bruised and broken

So my happy post from just a few days ago has turned into more of a post of a series of injuries that occured at the lake. So the cute pic of my mom from below well that was pre fall, thus preinjury. She took a pretty hard fall just a few moments after I snapped that cute pic and we just found out that she broke her 7th rib. She's been in so much pain, poor mom. She had surgery on her shoulder last October and it was a slow recovery and in the last couple of months she was just starting to get back to her old self again and now with this injury it will again be a slow healing process that will limit her activities a bit, mostly her doing Zumba so she's not a happy camper right now. I also managed to snap a pic of my dad just moments before he took a major head dive into the water as well. He too has been in so much pain and he saw the doc yesterday and I'm happy to say it's not a concussion but just some bruising and swelling in his neck, shoulders and head, a few days of rest and some pain meds and he should be good as new. Thank goodness because he's headed to NM to go on a canoe trip with his sister tomorrow. I'm glad it's nothing serious, that man can't stay down. I'm just so surprised with all of these injuries with all the times we've played on the toys at the lake not one has ended with an injury. I will keep y'all posted but I'm sure they will both be fine. Happy Friday.....well it's a nervous Friday for me, I take Nicolas to decorate his JUNIOR HIGH school locker today and pick up his books. I really can't believe my baby is starting middle school and my baby baby is starting Kindergarten next week. This coming week feels so bittersweet, I will post more about it in the coming days, as I journey through all this uncomfortable gunk.

Happy Birthday Dad, and a fun lake getaway!

a few more because I can't help it

more vacation pics

California

We are just back from a wonderful and much needed family vacation. We made the six hour drive west to San Diego where we spent a fabulous five days. We hadn't been on a family vacation for four years so it was a much needed break from our usual routine. We were able to meet up with some of my hubby's wonderful brothers and their families. Our first night there we went to a Padres game, that was fun, Isaac had never been to a MLB game before and at the end of the game was a wonderful firework display, coming from our little town it was the best I've seen in years. We also went to Sea World, spend a wonderful day at the beach and went on a boat and road excursion. We had such a great time, makes me wish we had more family around so that we could all get together more often. Here's a few pic of our week.

A day at the lake

What a fun day we had....just sitting and playing at the lake.

Good morning Monday

Remember all those posts about having such manic Mondays? Well I think those days are over at least for a little while. Here it is just about ten in the morning and I'm drinking my second cup of coffee, browsing the internet and lounging in my Pj's ahhh life is wonderful. Mondays from now on will be my free day, I don't teach or attend any other classes on Mondays it's so nice. Part of me feels like I should fill the day with errands, or cooking, or cleaning, or totally exhausting the kids with playtime and outings and then the rational sane part of me loves sitting here listening to my kids play and lounge around in their pj's too. I think I will for once listen to the rational sane part of my brain and just let the day happen instead of having each hour planned out in my daily planner, imagine just one day with no rushing around well that's what today is, a beautifully boring, no to do list kind of day and I couldn't be happier about it.

Today was the day

So it's finally the moment I've been dreading since May, today is the day I finally turned on the AC. I was hoping to make it until at least July before we had to turn on that money stealing cool air blowing machine, but I just couldn't do it. Today is also the day I've been saying would come for a while now, our spring was unusually cold and the wind still hasn't stopped, I've been waiting for eternity to put on my flip flops and shorts or slather on some SPF 1000 and hit the pool but it just hasn't happened, until today. Today is the day where for the next few months I question our decision to live in AZ, I hate the heat, I despise rattle snakes that scare me to death, I have horrifying nightmares of scorpions, so why oh why did we chose such a place to call home...well in a few months when we dip back into the 70's and stay that way for much of fall and have a winter of only enough snow that it's fun I will remember why AZ is our home, but until then I will continue to complain about the heat and spend my days at the pool trying with all my might to avoid a sunburn. So with that I should run or rather drive because it's just to hot to walk to the pool. Happy Saturday!

Shiri Briseno's Zumba Profile

Shiri Briseno's Zumba Profile

Santa Fe

So we've been in Santa Fe, NM the last couple of days and it's been so relaxing and wonderful. I don't know what it is about this city that just makes the busyness of the day slow down. The kids have spent their days either visiting with my Grandma (who feeds us all the most wonderful food, I wonder how many weight watchers points are in skin it chicken?!?!) or playing outside in the lush green beautiful backyard at my parent's house here. And then there is just something wonderful about still being able to visit the house I grew up in, and watching my boys climb the same trees I did, play basketball on the same court my brother and I played on. This morning I enjoyed my coffee outside, had some computer time and watched my kids play I am feeling so blessed this week, I have such amazing family ( I got to meet the newest member yesterday) and friends here. Missing my hubby this week but enjoying our trip to land of enchantment. Happy Wednesday everyone, I hope you are able to slow down and enjoy the day.

Santa Fe bound...see y'all soon!!

fear and letting go

As a mother I am protective sometimes almost over protective, I care way too much about trimmed clean nails, high fructose corn syrup, flossing, fish oil I could go on and on. The bottom line is I want my kids to be safe, healthy and happy. I pray every day a prayer I heard years ago I pray that God will bless and protect them and keep his hedge of holy protection around each and every one of them. To be honest mostly I started praying this when we lost our health insurance, that kinda freaked me out, with three boys in the house I know it's when and not if one of them will get hurt or sick. I am learning however in the last few months a very simple but very hard faith building lesson. I'm learning to let go a little more of my kids, to let them venture out a little more. I let my oldest go on a four day road trip with my dad last week, that's something that scared me so bad. I think it's because I feel that if my children aren't with me they aren't as safe, mostly I think it's a control thing. And that is what I think this fear with my children is all about, I can't control everything and them ( mean to a certain point I can, we all have to be cautious with children but things are going to happen) and the older they get the less control I have over them and situations. I really want to find that balance of being cautious but also letting them be free. I really really don't want to be the mother that is the root of 25 years of therapy for them down the road. It's so simple it reminds me of something I hear on finding Nemo....If you don't let anything happen to them nothing will happen to them. Wise words out of that fish face, if I'm constantly trying to control their world, protect them from everything...I'm really hurting them, they won't learn important lessons, or have amazing experiences, or more importantly realize that mom is right, ok ok maybe not so much that one but I will be hurting them and keeping them from experiences that might be some of their most precious memories or from incidents that will teach them priceless lessons they will remember all their lives. So I will continue each and every day to pray for them but in that prayer I also pray that God will help me let go of my fear because with faith there can't be fear.

My first ever Zumba chartity event

So last weekend I conquered one of my biggest fears, I went up on stage and taught Zumba to a crowd of people. It was a charity event that Costco was sponsoring May is for Miracles, for Children's Miracle Network. I was very nervous about it but as soon as I was on stage and the music started all my nerves went away and I had a blast I could have stayed on that stage all day, I LOVED it!! The woman on stage with me is one of my fabulous students and she has lost over 100 pounds by doing Zumba and eating healthy. She is also head of T.O.P.S (taking off pounds sensibly) in our area, she is such a wonderful and inspirational woman I was very thankful to have her up there with me. That's one of the wonderful things about my job, I absolutely love it and I get to share it with others and see significant changes in their lives too. Well it's time to get going the boys have a VBS party to go to and then we may go enjoy the pool and jacuzzi for a little while. It sure feels weird having only two kiddos this week, I'm missing my Nicolas terribly but I know he is having a wonderful time with his Pa.

bad bad blogger, but for good reason

So it's been almost a month since my last post, I know bad bad blogger. In my own defense it's been kinda crazy around here. Since my last post my sweet Nick turned eleven, we celebrated that milestone with a party at home and a huge sleepover with all his friends. The boys also finished up their school year and Nicolas was awarded two very prestigious awards at school one came directly from the oval office signed by the president himself. This award was given to Nicolas because of his academic excellence, he has made the honor roll every quarter k-5, he was very excited about this award and the two pins that came with it, we are all very excited about it. The other award was Outstanding citizenship award he was voted by all the kids at school to receive this award, he was awarded this because he is a model citizen, has outstanding academics (he was on honor roll every quarter throughout his k-5), he is a leader among his peers, he is friendly and outgoing and teachers and kids alike love him. Needless to say we are very very proud of him!! Isaac finished up preschool, and we are still undecided as to whether or not he will start kindergarten in the fall. Academically he is ready but socially and emotionally he may still need some time before school especially all day Kindergarten. So we will wait and see, and I'm not stressing about it anymore, he's registered for five day preschool and also for kindergarten so we have all our bases covered and I know that God will put Isaac exactly where he is supposed to be so my worrying about a decision is no more.
Nathan also finished up the school year on a wonderful note. I shared many many months ago that Nathan has always struggled with reading he has been seeing a reading specialist several times a week for the past two years and she just informed me that Nathan is reading at a fourth grade level and he will be in third grade next year, that makes me so happy and brings much relief. I am a reader always have been and I see how important it is to have a solid foundation at a young age with reading, I've seen so many children and young adults struggle later on because of their reading skills.
We are all just taking a few moments to catch our breath, relax and unwind after a very busy month. Nicolas is on a road trip (first ever!!) with my dad at the moment and the two younger boys have been at Vacation Bibles school this week, so it's been a nice quiet week. We have play dates and sleepovers starting next week and we will slowly go back into the world and start enjoying summer, well that is if this darn wind would stop. And speaking of wind, if you wouldn't mind please pray that our state (AZ) gets some rain our state is battling several very big fires right now and many people have had to leave their homes. So please pray for rain, for the people that have been evacuated and for all the wonderful firefighters that are working so hard to put the fires out. Thanks!! Happy Happy Thursday, Happy June, and happy Summer!!