Royal Memories

Real life Fairy Tale.....  

One year ago, yesterday, Prince William and Kate wed in London.

We woke 3 AM to watch the Royal wedding.......Cray-zy 

we loved it!

It was the fairy tale we all grew up hearing.

Prince Charming and the beautiful Cinderella.

Disney had us all hooked from birth.

Prince William and Kate's Royal wedding was Historic and EPIC..... we had to see this.

We planned an early morning ROYAL WEDDING breakfast party....... just for us.

We had English tea, crumpets, mini breakfast quiche, fruit, yogurt and toast.

As a family we made decorations of Union Jack flags, Will and Kate tea bag bobbles and centerpieces.

It was FUN.

It was ROYALLY FUN. (hahaha)

We had tiaras, facinators and a top hats for everyone.....even our dogs were dressed for the occasion. 

I think it was the most fun we had....one year ago....at 3 AM!!!!

The decorations from our Royal Wedding Party still hang in our home to this day!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

All Native SK-8 Jam

We headed to the All Nations Skate Jam at Los Altos today.

We thought we'd check out the skaters on this Gathering of Nations weekend.

Bam brought his skateboard..... 

"Better to be prepared"

Super Fun Family Event.....

There were mostly native skaters at this skating competition...making it an AWESOME extension for the youth stemming from the Gathering of Nations Powwow.

There were so many super-experienced skaters competing at this event.

The female skaters were AWESOME!

(....the guys were too) 

I enjoy bringing my kids to safe, family-friendly skating events like the 

All Nations Skate Jam

(Most events aren't like this one!!)

GON volunteering

Tonight is an important night..... volunteering at Gathering of Nations.

NO PICTURES PLEASE.....

Here's a few very nice snaps of 

NORTH AMERICA'S BIGGEST POWWOW

Enjoy......

(click here for Blog about setup)

enjoying the magic

Community Night at Fifi's school

Sweetheart, Fifi and Cookie taking it all in at Community Night

That's us at Community Night.....

Community night is when local organizations, businesses and educational tours provide information about their services, entertainment and educational opportunities in one location...... Tonight its at Fifi's school.

 Some of those participating tonight include:

Albuquerque Isotopes Baseball

NM Stars Indoor American Football League 

NM Mustangs Hockey Team (NAHL)

UNM Lobo Club

Van of Enchantment

Zoo to You Van

Wildlife Rescue

Cliff's Amusement Park

Planetarium

Hawks Aloft

Sigala Taekwondo

NM Solar Energy

USDA / Fire Safety Education

Challenger Learning Center

NM Museum of Natural History and Science

Rattlesnake Museum

Ewww.... LIVE Scorpion!!!

Educational, slithery, subjects..... Ewww 

This is a LIVE rehabilitated OWL from Hawks Aloft.
"Such big eyes you have Mr. Owl
"The better to see all the children!" 

Cookie is maneuvering the Challenger Learning Center's robotic arm to pick up a leaf to drop it in the container.

Excellent Skills Cookie!!!

Great job

Look at all these walking trail maps for the area that the forestry provided....
--- hiking is fun---

Also, some clubs from the school sponsored fundraising events like:

Pie in the face 

Face Painting

Jewelry Sales 

Quilt Auction 

Garden Plants Sales

Petting zoo

Magic Show

Sweetheart assisted the science teacher
with a chemistry demonstration

This student had a vinegar reaction science experiment with story

Then the Science teacher magically transformed himself in a magician.
The children were amused at his jokes and attempts at magic.
"Abracadabra"

Pie in the face ...... winner or loser?
Depends how you look at it.

There was so much to do........We had FUN tonight.

I also had the opportunity to meet some of Fifi's friends.

Good times for all.... and to all a MAGICAL night.

The Gathering....

The annual Gathering of Nations Pow Wow is this weekend at the University of New Mexico Arena aka THE PIT.

This event is known as North America's Biggest Powwow.

The powwow runs April 26, 27, 28....beginning with the Miss Indian World Talent Presentations at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino at the Isleta Pueblo. The crowing of Miss Indian World is on Saturday evening at the Pit. There will be plenty of traditional native competition dancing, traditional native music, traditional arts and craft market, powwow, and Native talent on Stage 49. We love this time of year, when many NATIVE AMERICANS and other INDIGENOUS TRIBES from other countries come to ABQ. 

It's so beautiful to see so many lovely faces around.....

In front of the Pit: the lines are already forming for tomorrows OPENING DAY

This is inside the Pit where the stage AND sound are coming together.

Many people lining up for general admission tickets as well for
vendors license for those who are selling at the Indian Market.

Looks like the local news station is here to do a expose....

This is the back area location of the Indian Traders Market and Stage 49

Why.......you ask.....am I already inside???

Well, we volunteer every year for the Gathering of Nations as crowd control manager. Basically an assistant to help those unfamiliar with the Pit to find exits, entrances, special entrances for dancers and performers, and special VIP seating. Sometimes we volunteer as counter for the dancers-- to make sure they get credit for dancing during special competition events as well.

The Gathering of Nations is so much fun to attend.... the splendor of the traditional regalia is amazing and beautiful. To be here live as the beating of the drums and chanting of the singers brings your core to harmony...... NO JOKE....REALLY.

The sight of the dancers dancing....The sound of the traditional rhythmic beats.....The smells of the traditional foods is beyond words.... PUT IT ON YOUR BUCKET LIST THIS IS A MUST.....you should attend NORTH AMERICA'S BIGGEST POWWOW.

track and field banquet night....

Tonight----I don't have to worry about what to make for dinner....

The coaches hosted a pot luck feast at the school tonight for the track and field participants and their families.

It was a type of buffet style dinner: where everyone is required to bring a main dish to share while awards were handed out.

Dinner was great! We brought in chicken.

But there was also pizza, spaghetti, assorted salads and drinks.

The school provide a HUGE decorated cake!!!

It was nice opportunity to come together... share a meal....meeting new people and families that we only briefly seen at the stadiums. 

And of course...to honor the athletes.

Princess Fifi walking steady with her plate.
While Cookie (orange shirt) is deciding on a fruit salad.

Award time.... SMILE!!

GREAT JOB PRINCESS FIFI!!!

Thank you Coaches for a great season...... see you next year!

Exciting news.... summer is almost here!

The school year is winding down....

I can't believe that school is almost out for

the SUMMER.... in just about a month.

Fifi has a spring in her step as she
 skips towards me with exciting school news

I think EXCITEMENT is in the air.....whatever it is...the children are excited!!

The weather is beautiful and smiles are everywhere....

it was a great season....

Can you believe we've gone through an entire season of track and field with Princess Fifi.

She had an excellent time participating and getting some cardio as well.

We've reached the final track meet today....

Can you see Fifi and her "personal trainer" (Bam) on the field??
Can you see Cookie and Sweetheart on the sideline too?

 Fifi's event is the 800 meter dash....she is an excellent runner.

I'm so proud of my Princess.... everyone is proud of her... Bam has enjoyed being her "personal trainer"....plus Sweetheart and Cookie love cheering her on.

Coming out to the stadium has become a real treat----from Bam being on the football team to Fifi competing at track. 

I'm proud of my little athlete (and academic) achiever.

*applause* 

Yay!!

Sweetheart and Cookie
up on the top seating for a birds eye view

This is what they see.... can you see our van?
(hint: far far left)
Amazing view of the petroglyph volcanos too....

Princess Fifi and Bam reflecting the season....

Moments like this melt my heart....

Good bye stadium........... we'll see you later

fighting goose on the loose

This is what we saw on our way to the comic book store today.

Do you know what that is on the ground??

One of my kiddos said....

"Whoa, what happened here?!!"

"I think a couple of geese had a fight!

And it doesn't look like it ended well either!"

This statement made me laugh so hard I had tears running down my face.

I love it!!

This is NOT the results of a goose fight....  it's the cotton blowing around off from the cottonwood trees.

The best statement ever made...... NOW how could it be anything but two geese in a fight.

Oh....... I love being MOM to the best kiddos ever.

Now guess ...... who do you think said that.

Ice cream, you scream, we all scream for Ice cream....

It's sooooo HOT today.
I think its time to have the air conditioner turned on for the season.
I'll have to call the service tech to make an appointment.
Until then, we need to COOL down now....
So we went to the grocery store for
ICE CREAM

We had a hard time narrowing down our choice...
but our final decision was Lychee flavored Ice Cream
(we're big fans of Lychee berries- click here)
YUMMMY
Have you ever tried this flavor......It's soooo creamy, soooo smooth and absolutely refreshing.
It's the perfect escape from the New Mexico heat.

BTW.....what is your favorite ice cream flavor???
(anyone can comment below)

family phone night

Friday Family Fun Night

pizza--salad--grapes

Cookie and Sweetheart hardly think it could be a proper family fun night tonight when Nana isn't here with us. She left yesterday and they miss her already....So I suggested they ring her.
They had a conversation with Nana------over dinner------on the phone....and I think that made everything BETTER.
After they got off the phone....they were smiling, laughing and eating.....they said Nana was missing them too--so it was perfect timing to call!

Now we can officially call tonight Family Fun Night!

Let the fun begin....

C-U L8er Nana....

Seems as if the days have flown since we picked up Nana last week.
Now it's time for us to get her back home....

We enjoyed including her in our everyday routine.
Plus it's always a pleasure to have her over.
We don't know the next time we'll see Nana (and Cheii)....Sweetheart and Cookie always say, "We'll see you Tomorrow"....even though it might be next week or next month until we see them again.... I suppose it helps to feel like tomorrow isn't that far off.

feeling young again....

While the kiddos were at school my Mama (aka Nana) and I agreed to get out of the house for a while..... We went to a few vintage and resell shops around town then lunched at
Mary and Titos Mexican Restaurant in the North Valley.
It was a great time-- just me and her.....Mother / Daughter. We
Laughing the best belly laughs--
Smiling from ear to ear--
Recalling funny family stories
Talked about the cute things the kids did. Then I just
Listening to the best advice from my Mommy.....

♥I love my Mum♥

procrastinator's headquarters......

Tax Day!

Aaaaghh.....

That means the federal and state income tax returns are due to the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) today.

Now, I'm NO accountant but I have had extensive tax filing experience....(in a past life).... So I filed our state returns via e-file....then I filed the federal returns to be "snail mailed" to the IRS.

I'm sure some people file on the deadline date because they own...... that is NOT me.
I think I do it for the adrenaline, the craziness, the insanity.... maybe that makes me an edgy mom! (maybe not)
But it's fun.
I THINK sometimes you have to invent fun events to make a normally unhappy or un-fun thing...... funner
(I know--funner is NOT a word)


Whatever it is...... everything went perfectly smooth.
The downtown post office stayed open 'til midnight in order to personally postmark the envelopes. As I rolled in at approximately 9:45p......I was not alone.... there was a super long, super efficient, super quick drive through line outside the post office.
It was quicker than if I would've come in earlier to the post office, parked and stood in line......

The postal workers were outside under plenty of spot lights.....happily stamping the envelopes as quick as they came in.
On tables beside them were the postal date maker, bins for the letters, coffee and donuts!!!
What a sight......everyone was happy and smiling.
Even the local news crew was there.... I didn't get back home in time to check the local news to see if our lil' van was seen driving through but Nana thinks she did.
Nana's staying with us.... she stayed home with the girls (as Bam and I went to P.O.)
Uncle Ahsker also stopped by for a visit.... seems we should've had a tax day party tonight with so many visitors..... because of course that would've been "FUNNER."   (hahaha...)

purple pride

It's a lovely day to be at the APS track field for another track meet with Princess Fifi.

But this time we have another person to help cheer for Fifi.......NANA!!

Nana's here with us and has decided to extend her stay.

My runner....

Our team purple finished well....finished strong....finished FIRST!!
"Oh yeah"

It's a perfect day to be outdoors....enjoying the track and field events.

....Very exciting as we cheer on our school.

There's loads of school spirit and pride in the stands as well as on the track.

.... many strong runners....the competition is intense!!

VERY EXCITING....... as if they were runners in the Olympics.

hmmm....

Fifi is the only athlete who has her very own personal trainer on the in field
....BAM

Do you see Fifi in the starting lineup for the 800 meter dash....
(purple tank, turquoise Under Armour top, purple shorts, and purple ombré leggings with hot pink track runners--and of course a bow in her hair)

Go Fifi!!!!