My baby is in Kindergarten

So today was Solomon’s first day in Kindergarten. I think I was more nervous than he was. He already attended elementary school the year before but only for half day so this is going to be a big adjustment for him. I woke him up pretty early and the first thing he asks for are pancakes, eggs oh and yes Spongebob. Thats my little boy :)  So we head out with plenty of time to get there and mingle in his class. As we walked in he was a natural, already knew where to look for his name. He quickly seated himself and began coloring the sheet the teacher was passing out to each student. He looked so adorable that Isaac and I couldn’t help but continue to watch him. He looked up with a stare that said it all “you’re still here!” So we blew him a kiss from far and walked out. We were excited when the clock hit 3:00 pm, we wanted to hear all about his day. He was so excited to see myself, daddy and brother. We met my sis-n-law and the family at McDonalds to celebrate the kiddos first day at school. Later that evening lil Solomon and I had a good mommy-son talk…every little detail about school and friends finally spilled out. I was so impressed with his little mind…I am confident that in the name of Jesus this school year will be awesome for my little guy. I still can’t believe how big he is already. Just the other night he and I and daddy were looking at all his baby pictures and I reached over to him and said, “you will always be my first baby”….he leaned back over to me and smiled. He is something amazing. 

Hello Blog World

OMG…where has the time gone? The last post was 2 months ago!!!! Well of course like always since then so much has happened in the Castillo’s home.

First off, we moved, thats probably the biggest reason I have not sat down and blogged. We moved about 10 minutes away from where we lived before, a nice, quiet area. We met Solomon’s new teacher at a new school and I think she is perfect for him. She seems so sweet. My little Solomon will start school this Monday, and this time a full day…wow…where does the time go??? He has all his school supplies, his transformers backpack (his request) his sneakers and the rest of his new school clothes. I have yet to buy him some converse shoes. That is still on my list.

We have also been attending Community Bible Church, absolutely love it. We are planning on becoming members very soon. Pastor Emmitt is quite enlightening and both Isaac and I have grown to respect him and his family. His wife, Julie volunteers at the Children’s Hospital…we know that because we ran into her while we were spending sometime with my neice, Davina. I really respect that, shes not superficial, not trying to be a stepford, shes actually out doing good in the community, which speaks volumes. The pastor is not a paranoid freak….hes a laid-back kind a guy…I like to refer to his personality as Tommy Lee Jones/Dr. Phil/ President Bush…good’ole Texan boy…don’t give a hoot if he offends but with class if you will!!! People need to hear the truth…and you what I’m absolutely ok with that. I’ll tell you what I don’t approve of….pastors who are so paranoid, which then leads to bad judgement which then leads to a cover-up of bad actions which then leads to a guilt-lead sermon of how much the church needs tithe…which will then lead you to an AWESOME/INCREDIBLE/SUPER/POWERFUL/TENACIOUS/INFLUENTIAL……individual…….blah blah blah blah blah!!!! “Oh wait this sermon actually worked…you know what now lets start a conference where we can charge more money!!!” Yup can you believe it I actually attended a church like that…what a waste of precious time.  Anyways let me get off this soap box and never return!!! We are in a far better place than what we were about a year and half ago…Life is good.

Well to change the subject, my mother-in-law will be moving to SA soon. Thats exciting for the kiddos. Speaking of parents, mine were in town for a couple of days…was very nice. Got to drink some coffee and eat pan de dulce…yup thats the way we do it My brother and his family will be moving here as well in about a year, can’t wait for that. My other brother was in town on the 4th of July, in fact the whole family was visiting, it was a lot of fun. Here are some pics from our get-together.

 Well I think thats all for now.Oh and Isaac’s business is doing pretty awesome, God-willing he’ll be in his office come January 1st.

Our Weekend

This weekend was quite relaxing and super fun! On Saturday we headed out to Seaworld. We have season passess…yippee! So Isaac, I and the boys packed in the van geared up with swimwear….because that was the plan, to chill in the waterpark area. Oh so so nice, sun beaming down at full force while floating in a tube and going through the waterfalls. The boys were a little hesitant at first, but quickly began enjoying the water. I held Benji in my tube while Isaac held Solomon in his. I was beautiful to see the bright big smiles on their cute faces. We must have floated for a good two hours…flew by very fast though. When we left, both of the boys said, “Mama, dada that was fun!” So worth-it. We headed home, then ordered in some pizza, from Big Lou’s….OMG this is the pizza to die for…absolutely delicious. Everything is made from scratch. We’ve met the owner, he’s a down to earth guy. The biggest pizza you can order is 42″…I’m not kidding. Then you have to pay $5.00 extra for the box, oh and you need a truck or a van to fit the pizza if you’re ordering out! And you must have a big crowd to feed or you’ll be having pizza for the next two days! Here’s a pic of one of the many times we’ve ordered from Big Lou’s. Thats little Solomon. My family was in town that weekend.  

The next day, Fathers Day, we slept in and just relaxed for half the day. We finally got ready and took daddy out to the movies and to Outback Steakhouse. We had a pasta bowl and jumbo shrimp…yummy! On the way back home, we saw a dozen deer including their young that looked like Bambi, seriously…such beautiful creatures. We got close enough to snap a couple of shots. Here are some pics, enjoy.     

Hope you’re day was special honey, I love you.

Today

I have so much I’ve been wanting to write about….but where does the time go? So much has gone on since my last post.

 About a month ago, my little Benji was admitted into the hospital due to an asthma attack. My poor little baby was in there for 4 days, felt like an eternity. And then a month prior to that, he was rushed to the ER because he had had a seizure. He is alright now. You wouldn’t be able to tell, he has so much energy. He is definately gonna be the one that throws us for a loop as he gets older. You know what they say, the ones that were born itty-bitty will grow up to be strong and tall. That definately applies to my brother, George. He was 2 lbs when he was born, you could put him in a shoe box, thats how little he was. You look at him now….he’s one healthy strong soldier…really a soldier stationed in New York at the present time. His height surpasses mine, he’s really tall. So I see my little Benji growning up to be tall and strong as he gets older. No worries with him, the Lord has him in his hands.

 Going back to the week prior to Benji being admitted into the hospital, my neice Davina was also admitted into the same hospital due to her appendix rupturing. Poor little Davina, she was in there for a whole week. She was a very sick little girl. It was such a trying time for all of the family. She wound up having surgery, but thank God she is ok today.

We also had Solomon’s party in Corpus Christi, but I want to blog about that another time with pics included.  I must add it was fun catching up with family and friends again. We are use to everybody coming to our house, so it was nice to head back to good’ole Corpitos.

 I also discovered that a day after Solomon’s party my dear friend, who was actually at the party, well sadly her mother passed away. I hurt so bad for her. I don’t even know how to comprehend this. My heart hurts so much for her and her family. She is in my thoughts and prayers. My dear friend is also expecting her second baby, which makes it double the pain. I pray peace and comfort over their family. This just makes me stop from all the rush of life and realize that we have to cherish the moments we have with our loved ones. Like a strike of lightening, that loved one can be gone. You can be talking to them today, and tomorrow they’re gone…..unthinkable! I cannot imagine. “I know that the days to come will be difficult sweetie, but I am here for you if you need me.”

Another thing that we are now having to look into is finding another home….great! Well I guess its kinda exciting. The house we currently live in is having some issues plus our lease is going to be up, so we figured this would be the time. Another good thing is that its summer, so it doesn’t affect Solomons school. So we are waiting for a phone call, which of course is dragging! We do plan to buy a home within the next year. Still trying to find the perfect location. San Antonio has so many beautiful subdivisions…just when you think you’ve seen it all, you come across another neighborhood you had no idea was there! And then Isaac’s business is continuing to do great. He and his business partner are looking into finding an office space sometime at the end of this year, very exciting for Echo Design Solutions. I am so proud of him. He has five contractors working under him and one in training. Pretty good for a year of self-employment! You go boy!! hehe.

 Well I guess thats all for now….at least for the time being. I hope to update this blog more frequently.

Nighty-night

Plan plan and plan!

I have been a busy bee putting my little Solomon’s upcoming party together. It is going to be a pirate theme and you know how we do parties…its gonna be big…its gonna be the premier event this year so far!!! LOL! So we are planning games like walk the plank, pin the eyepatch on the pirate, spin the bottle of rum (not to worry, very kid friendly, no kissing involved), a bean bag toss game, a craft of putting a pirate together, a treasure hunt and of course a pinata…and lets not forget a moonwalk. We are also going to have lots of tattoos, eyepatches, bandanas, and lots of “loud” music (solomons request). My mother-in-law is hand-making the loot bags. There will be lots of gold coins and treasure to give away. Isaac is also hand-making a treasure chest and a plank, I will post pics of everything afterwards. We are going to serve pizza, Solomon’s fav food) and cake of course. Solomon, the Captain will be dressed as a pirate. I can’t wait. Invites will go out soon, which my wonderful husband is designing, of course! Lots of family and friends will be joining in to celebrate our little boy who is turning 5…..wow seems like yesterday he was just born.

When Solomon was born, the doctor handed the scissors over to Isaac to cut the umbilical cord, Solomon reached up so fast and grabbed those scissors with a tight fist, as to say “I don’t think so!” I knew at that point, this little boy of mine was going to be a fighter, that its “his way or the highway”….my my how that rings true today.  He is certain of what he wants and he will do anything it takes to get his way. He is determined to never grow up….he tells me, “momma I don’t want to grow up I want to stay a kid forever.” I don’t know any other kid who has never wanted to grow up! He has also taken an interest in photography. Isaac is planning on getting him a nice camera soon….like better than mine!!! Thats so not fair! Well we are gonna have the best, youngest photographer! Trust me, this little guy has a eye for photography.  I certainly cannot wait for his big day. God thank you for my little guy, he is truly a gift.

Family…Feelings

Where to start…always the difficult part…to begin…where to begin?

 Well I just learned a few minutes ago that one of my little brothers, George will be heading to Iraq in a few months. He is stationed in New York (Army), has a little girl that will be turning two next month. I guess my feelings are confused about the whole thing. Patriotic or protective…I don’t know? Ever since I can remember, my brother has always loved pretending to be a soldier…the boy would pretend to make bombs and fires…ok real fires! My parents have a picture of him with a soldier hat when he was little, that picture is as clear as the light of day in my mind. My prayers go out to you brother that the Lord may keep you safe on your journey. I can’t wait to see you guys in May.

 My baby brother, John just became a father again to a precious little boy…a whopping 7lbs and 14 oz. How life can change at the drop of a hat. That boy, has the biggest guardian angel a human can have. You’d be here forever if I wrote the many stories of all his close encounters! He sure is something else, but I still love him. I remember as a little boy, he made my teenage life miserable….that annoying brother of mine..haha!

My younger sister who is a twin, Toni, lives in Colorado…well just found out this month that she and newlywed hubby are expecting…YEAH! I really wish we would have grown up together, but in retrospect it turned out for the best. Nonetheless, she’s my lil sis and I love her like we did grow up together. I hope that in the years to come we will become closer. Even though miles seperate us, the same blood flows through our veins and yes…I am having her cravings!!! haha! When I first became pregnant with Solomon she had a dream I had had a little boy with lots of hair! Thats too crazy!

My other sister, Tiffany, who is Toni’s twin, is an exact replica of my biological mother. She has water in her brain and has to be cared for all the time. God bless my aunt Gloria and uncle Bob for raising her. They love her so much, they sure do have all the patience in the world. God bless them. I do know that love has surely kept her alive past her life expectancy. She is truly a miracle.

I also have three older sisters, Priscilla, Rosemary and Judy. They are part of who I am today regardless of all circumstances in the past. Three different women, three different lives. Priscilla is the prayer warrior. Rosemary is the hospitable one. Judy is the one you better not piss off…hehe…j/k! I love her the same. She’s a fighter. She is stationed in Hawaii (Coastguard) and just had her fifth child, a beautiful little girl who I have not had the pleasure in meeting just yet, just seen pictures.

Those are my brothers and sisters…I really had no idea where I was gonna go with this blog…..whata ya know, it turned out pretty meaningful.

-eLaiNe

Bowling

So the weather has been cruddy and all I want to do is stay in my pajamas all day and hide in the blankets and either watch Lifetime movies or sleep! This gloomy weather sure does affect my energy level. After letting the kids do whatever they wanted…like watch their favorite cartoons and eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches….well we decided to force ourselves to get dressed and get out of the house. Next thing you know we are at a Chinese restuarant with the rest of the family and then @ a bowling alley. We had a blast with the kiddos…they loved it and thats all that matters. I think we may do that again soon. It was nice to have some fun, the music blazing away, the kiddos dancing along with the disco ball and drinking soda like no tomorrow…..yeah it was party time!

  The Rugrats

  Isaac teaching the boys about bowling

  Me and my boys

  Go Benji!

  Denise is gonna make a STRIKE!

  Go Isaac its yo birthday!

   Too cute

   Whoopie Solomon

Wow how time flies when your HAVING FUN!!!

So where to begin….hmmm…well this weekend was great. Isaac, I and the boys went out and took Easter pics. Our new city has so much beautiful scenery. Everywhere you went you knew it was Spring Break, everywhere is jam-packed. We are all in our Easter-springy wear and the weather is super nice. My parents and Isaac’s parents will be in SA for Easter, so fun….always love their company. I know the boys are anxiously awaiting their arrival.

So we also went to this event in downtown called Luminaria….so so fun. So many lights, original food and so much entertainment. They had artists doing their work right there, from spray paint to glass-blowing, a laser light show, fireworks and so much more. There were also concerts going on, DJ’s blasting away with their music and live poetry readings. So I just love our new home…..always family-friendly. I know Solomon loved it. Here are some pics from our family night.

Well thats it for now.

-eLaiNe

My Beautiful Wela.

Baptistina Aparicio 

These past couple of days I cannot stop thinking about her. It has been 16 years since my wela (spanish for grandmother) went to be with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. She was actually my great-grandmother, a beautiful godly woman full of wisdom and love. I was only 11 years old at the time. It never failed, she always had rice, beans and tortillas prepared. I recall her flipping those incredible tortillas on her little yellow stove. The beans were usually left on the burner to stay warm and the rice rested in a silver-burnt pot on the table. There was also fresh coffee and pan de dulce (sweetbread). My wela always had her hair pinned up in a bun. One day I walked into her room and saw her hair down. She was brushing her long, beautiful gray hair with a small comb. I was in awe of how beautiful she was and how she made me feel at that moment. What a site, a crown full of wisdom. I will never forget that moment. How I wish she was still alive to this day, to see how my life has turned out…she would be so proud of me.

Last night as I snuggled up with my boys in their bed as I normally do at bedtime untill they fall asleep, I began thinking about her again. I always have Klove (a christian music station) playing softly in the background. As I closed my eyes, I pictured myself in my wela’s house. The year was 1990…I walked into the living room, saw all the clutter my uncle Tali collected, then I walked into the kitchen and smelled the wonderful aroma of tortillas, rice and beans….I proceeded to walk into my wela’s room where her bed lay next to the front window and the small TV in the corner….I didn’t see her but I felt her. A deep sadness bloomed and tears weld up quickly…just then the song by Natalie Grant “I’m in better hands now” played…such perfect timing Lord. At that moment I knew God had let me experiece something beautiful…I don’t know how to explain it, but I felt her. You see, when I was only 2 years old, she was the one that brought me to Corpus Christi to live with my great-uncle and great-aunt (my mom and dad). I remember that trip and me laying in her arms. It was a hard transition for me, so I am told. She brought me to better hands and because of her prayers and her generosity I am blessed. I love you wela. When that time comes for me, I hope to see you on the bridge as some of my other family members have claimed to see as they are taking their last breath.

Yipee! My Benjamin is potty trained!!!

I am so proud of my two year old. It only took 1 week to potty train him. It just takes lots of patience and repetition. It sure paid off. So nice not having to buy anymore diapers. He is so good about letting me know he needs to go. He is talking a lot more…full sentences. It is truly amazing to see how much he has grown. He is so smart…that little boy of mine. Thank you Lord for such a beautiful addition to our family. He will do great things one day…I just know it. I’m so proud of my little rugrat!