T'was the night before Christmas......

It's Christmas Eve and there was soooo much to do today.

 ----visit Santa (taking in one more visit before he takes flight)
 ---- Christmas eve lunch (love spending special moments like this with my little ones)
 ----make cookies and sweets (we're so excited for CHRISTMAS!!)
 ----set out luminaries along our driveway and sidewalk (taking a spiritual moment to reflect)
---- Calls to NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) This North American defense follows Santa's route around the world.

We're beyond excited.

We wish you a very..... MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE

strolling among thousands of luminaries

May visions of sugar plums dance in your head

Be safe, be warm and have a good night......
(CLICK HERE to check out our Christmas eve blog from last year)

unfathomable

summer lovin'

Today is the quintessential summer day...

Warm and Dreamy

Beautiful scenery

Soul hugging sunshine

Oh summer why can't you stay longer!!

Uncle and pizza makes everything better.....

I'm still feeling under the weather....

One banana pepper, spinach, olive pizza
and
One olive and mushroom pizza

Lucky for us.....Bam, Sweetheart, Fifi and Cookie have the best Uncle (and I the best brother)
in the WHOLE WORLD!!!!!!
Uncle Ahsker came over to check on us......He knew I was still feeling ill with fever.
He took time away from his day to play, entertain and listen to my little ones and then watched movies on tv with them.
(I never asked him to..... he did it out of the kindness of his heart )
He knew I needed some rest to recover.
It was mind assuring that my little ones had him if they were to need anything.
Uncle Ahsker even took care of lunch by ordered the most delicious pizza.
(so I heard..... my appetite was zilch)
Thank you Uncle Ahsker, you're the BEST

Happy Mum's Day

Good day....

 Doggie loves his mama

Today we've left town to see Nana (aka my mom)

Balloons, stuffy and sweet fruit....... Mmmmm

We wanted to surprise her (and Cheii)

Even cat's love their mom

Bam, Fifi, Sweetheart and Cookie made her cards and crafted little objects of love just for her....

Filling the room with the smell of fresh flowers.....just for Mom

We also brought her flowers and took her out to lunch.

(at our favorite super special super secret Mother's day location)

We were only able to stay for just a few hours..... 

We love you Nana

(I love you Mom)

Happy Day

♥♥♥♥♥

my love my life....

"But Mummy, every day is mother's day...."

That's why I feel so loved every single day....... I have these little smiling faces in my life.

I was chosen to be here for them.

It was destiny....

I ♥ being Mom

Tomorrow is "officially" mother's day..... I feel so fortunate for being a MOMMY.

I certainly don't have to wait a whole year...... to know I'm appreciated!

My heart skips a beat for these little faces of mine.....

I live and breath the essence of motherhood and loving every single minute.

Thank you--Bam, Fifi, Sweetheart, and Cookie for being my world.

Mommy loves you more than anything or anybody could possibly.

♥♥♥♥♥

fluffy, puffy pillows under my head.......

The weekend is here......

 My Bam is in Santa Fe for state competition tournament.

Fifi, Sweetheart and Cookie are excited to make this a girls weekend.

--Sorry babies, not today.....

Mommy's throat is irritated and I feel feverish  

 I can't get ill.... I'm a busy mum.

Ohhh no..... I feel woozy now.

Fifi says,"Relax-Rest-and Recuperate Mommy" as she fluffs a pillow for me.

Cookie and Sweetheart assured me, "Don't worry, we're here for you...."

xoxo

So lucky to have the best children in the UNIVERSE

I love my Mumma......

Tonight Bam, Fifi, Sweetheart, Cookie and I have planned a FANCY Valentine candle light dinner (oh la la)

......the table is covered in a beautiful red tablecloth,
fun heart fabric napkins, with a beautiful string of red beads artfully arranged as the center piece.
For dinner I've prepared a rosemary roast lamb, buttery croissants, fresh green beans and
a wonderful spinach-beet-strawberry salad.
Fifi made her amazing red velvet cupcakes
(to die for...)
Bam will play a mini concerto he recently learned
(so sweet)
Sweetheart is formally setting the table
(salad fork--dinner fork..........hmmm??)
and Cookie just presented me with a little secret hand made gift and a letter that reads:
NO BLOGGING

(That means I must get off..........Valentine's Day is not a time to be on the computer)
I must be with my lil' lovies
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥


Have a Happy Valentine's Day...........

the great (weekend) escape

Mornings begin early at the ranch.

Rooster is crowing his beautiful morning song.

(or as Sweetheart says, Rooster is calling to be read to......click here for that story)

The smell of fresh brewed Folgers coffee fills the air.

The faint feel of humidity floats around from a morning shower

The sound of KTNN's native songs and country music drift into our dreams from the recently turned on radio in the kitchen.

Nana quietly checks on the children and gently pulls the blankets up and over them.

Not too long afterwards, we all begin to wake.

Cheii begins making a hearty breakfast of farm fresh eggs, oatmeal, and bacon.

Nana is making the dough for tortillas to compliment our breakfast.

Sweetheart, Princess Fifi and Cookie are washed up and ready to be Nana's lil' helpers.

As too, Bam, is up to be Cheii's helper.

Cookie's tiny hand patting out the tortilla dough

Today, Nana and the girls are making heart-shaped tortillas for breakfast. 

Sweetheart is shaping the tortilla dough into a heart shape

Nana, Sweetheart, Princess Fifi and Cookie have made a delicious stack of warm, heart shaped tortillas for breakfast.

It's a delightful and lovely tribute for the upcoming Valentine's Day.

After breakfast, Cheii and Bam, decide to head out to feed the cattle.

They take the ATV and a truck full of alfalfa hay. They should be back by lunchtime.

The ranch---It's our great escape......... it's what frees our soul and brings smiles to our faces.

LOVE one another

Today we are taking the DAY to honor our Creator.

 We're remembering those who matter most to us with a blessing and the sharing of a meal.

We are acknowledging the true origin and remember the pain, loss and agony of our ancestors.

Those who suffered at the hands of others and those afflicted with unknown foreign diseases.

We're not celebrating the Thanksgiving of pilgrims and "indians".

We are simply remembering and NOT forgetting.

We are acknowledging the love for rich human diversity and humanity.

LIVE LOVE and LEARN

We have concern for those without love, family, homes and food.

Our hearts are with children who are alone or scared.

We pray for those in difficult situations to have the courage and strength to escape domestic violence.

We are thinking of those with little to none...........worldwide.

We prepare this meal for you.

We are thinking of you.

Sweetheart hand washing dishes / Fifi is cleaning and cutting the veggies

melody of veggies for our stuffing

Bam's award winning salad ready for tossing

Cookie mixing the dough for the rolls while Sweetheart supervises

 fresh apples for the scrumptious apple pie 

The house smells AMAZING.

If only there was scratch and sniff blogs.

HAPPY DAY OF HONOR AND REMEMBRANCE

gobble gobble

--Special Thanksgiving luncheon--

I had a very special lunch date today with Sweetheart and Cookie. 

The school hosted a Thanksgiving luncheon for the students and parents. 

We had roast turkey and gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, dinner roll, cranberry sauce, 1/2 pint of milk, and pumpkin cake with whipped topping.

happy parents and hungry kids

There was a long line of parents joining their kid for lunch today. 

The tables were festively decorated for the occasion

 I asked my girls what they were thankful for this year.

"We're THANKFUL for YOU, MOMMY"

Sweetheart told me,"You make my heart feel as full as my tummy," 

Cookie complimented me with, "You're sweeter than the whip cream on my pie." 

I love you.......

11.11.11

LUCKIEST DAY

11.11.11

I am the luckiest person in the world to have such FANTASTIC children. 

 A Salute for the Veterans

My precious little ones put a smile on my face every single day and night.☺

They make me laugh 

They sing to me

They write me poetry 

They dance with me

They have the best hugs and kisses just for me

I'm LUCKY to have the world in my heart because of my children.

♡♡♡♡♡

This is for Grandpa-Great.........

Earlier this month Sweetheart's class has been building ofrendas for their Day of the Dead project.

This project has been finished and was on display at the Hispanic Cultural Center for public art viewing.

Sweetheart made one of the alters on display, commemorating her Great Grandfather, Richard Persinger.

--Click here for a quick reference to my previous blog about the Dia de los Muertos tradition--

She made a traditional Mexican (alter) ofrenda in memory of her Grandpa-Great. 

On Dia de los Muertos it is believed that spirits are welcomed back into the realm of the living world for one night a year to enjoy memories, food and fun.

The ofrendas was filled with all of the items she believed her Grandpa-Great would have like when he visits.

--Fine Red Wine (actually sparkling grape juice)--

-- New York style Pizza--

 (He once told Sweetheart that it was years since he had pizza and he'd love a slice)

--Real chocolate pudding with a side of whole milk--

--Fingertip glass--

--Wall Street Journal--

--Wagon--

--Pictures of family and friends--

-- A string of clear non blinking Christmas lights--

And many origami cranes and marigolds for delight

She misses her Grandpa-Great very much. 

She says she can imagine sitting and listening to all his great stories and adventures he had in his lifetime.

This was a nice opportunity for reflection for all my children and I.

Read more and see more about our Grandpa-Great 

Here

"We miss you and we LOVE you Grandpa-Great"

♥♥♥♥♥

"......me, a name, I call myself"

Today Bam is going camping in Santa Rosa with a few of his buddies.

(www.santarosanm.org) (www.srnm.org)

Sleeping bag and duffle full of camping goodies

They have plans for camping, swimming and hiking amist the red mesas, lakes and mineral springs that Santa Rosa is known for.

Always perfectly prepared for EVERYTHING

While Bam left for camping, Fifi, Sweetheart, Cookie, and I had planned a trip to Santa Fe to visit the annual Indian market. (www.swaia.org/Indian_Market/Indian_Market_2011_FAQs/index.html) (www.swaia.org)
But then we had a change of plan, when we found out that Cheii and Nana came into town for a visit.
We decided to lunch with them instead of running around Santa Fe in the hot, hot sun.
Sorry Santa Fe but Nana and Cheii come first!!
--------------------
We had a beautiful lunch with a wonderful garden/apple salad
homemade pizza with cheese and fresh green chile
side of super juicy fresh sliced sweet pineapples
and of course, Nana's warm, freshly made tortillas with a smear of butter.

Nana and Sweetheart's loving hands are what make the tortillas taste so fabulous

"Dough Re Mi Fa So La Ti Dough"

Do-Re-Mi

growing pains

It is time to think about back-to-school, which is just around the corner.

Getting four little ones ready for school is no easy task.

We've have to get the doctors appointments, dental appointments, school registration and school supplies before we think about clothes, shoes and backpacks!

Today is registration day for Cookie and Sweetheart at the elementary school.

The view from the window

I was handed pages and pages of forms to fill out for both of them. My hand was so tired after filling everything out in duplicate! (whew.......)

It never fails, I always begin to feel the blues when my children head off to school every year. I feel exact like I felt when they went off to their very first day of Montessori. 

Every year I'm always the mom standing outside the classroom with a tear in her eye waiting to rush back in the moment my child should cry out.

But they don't cry out nor do they ever cling to my leg. They're always happy, ready and eager to begin the school year. What can I say? My kids love school. 

✄  ✎  ✄  ✎  ✄  ✎  ✄  ✎  ✄  ✎  ✄  ✎  ✄

It helps having people like Ms. Jo, Ms. Christine and Ms. Sue at the school. They helped me with my registration documents today and always show care and concern for my girls. Plus I'm always just a phone call away or 42 steps..........(but who's counting)  

chess, checkers and italiano

Today we're spending the day "at home" (Grandma-Great's home that is).

The birds are chirping, the flowers smell beautiful, perfectly relaxing.
 I love to see the smiles on the faces of my little ones as they chase butterflies and each other.

The girls planted various flowers in the garden and trimmed the mint.

Bam trimmed the hedges, moved heavy objects, cleaned and scrubbed the car plus he set up a perfect parking system in the garage for Grandma-Greats car.

The garden house is prepped and arranged, the summer home is being cleaned for a cookout and the outdoor garden table has been repainted. 

Stories of travel, adventure, accomplishments and goals were shared with Grandma-Great.
Plus games of chess, checkers, board games and computer games are enjoyed by all.
-------------------

For lunch, we went to the local Italiano Restaurante Pizzeria in the village for calzones, soup and subs. The meal was fine but was in no comparison to the those served at Grandma-Greats-where the food is always super scrumptious and the company is ultra divine.

"Mommy why are you taking pictures of the  garlic bread?"

rockin' the city

We headed to "the city" on this hot and humid day......

Sharing a fan while waiting for the train

We traveled via the train to Grand Central Station.

"Guess where I am??"

We always enjoy riding the train and arriving to Grand Central Station is the always so quick.
I just love the grandeur and splendor of this massive terminal.
(www.grandcentralterminal.com)
 We adore the astronomical ceiling mural,
the massive skywalk windows,
the grand stair cases,
the many stoneworks
and (of course) the enormous chandeliers.

The first thing we love to do is to go to the Oyster Bar Ramp to the whispering wall.
 Bam tells me that when he grows up and builds his very own home; he will have walls just like that to whisper from to the person on the complete opposite...... 'LOVE IT'

The architecture is absolutely impressed and amazing......

Question of Fifi: "Why is the constellations mural painted backwards?"
(not upside down)

It is so hard to find a mini van taxi in NYC!! We can't ride in the traditional yellow cab because we're a family of FIVE...... not enough room.

Grrrr........

So we walked while grumbling at those mini-v cabs with only one passenger zoom by us.
As we walked, we enjoy the sights of the massive Helmsley building on Park Avenue illustriously standing there with a crown atop the building.
The mystery of the life of a mogul doesn't really impress us......but the building does.
We wondered about the stories of love and adoration Ms. Helmsley must've had for her maltese pup to leave it a trust fund of $12 million dollars.
Was it pet child adoration or mad insanity??

Nevertheless, this building is ABSOLUTELY lovely to our eyes

We stopped to admire the Romanesque St. Barts (www.stbarts.org) and the Neo Gothic American Catholic, St. Patricks.
(www.saintpatrickscathedral.org)
We are in love with the historic stone, metal and stained glass art work found throughout many old churches of N.Y.C. 

The breath taking stone relief work of the last supper taken by Bam at St. Barts.

Some magnificent stone relief of the Early American Gothic alter taken by Cookie at St. Pats.

Vivid imagery on stained glass taken by FiFi at St. Patricks.

"What influence did Gothic Architecture have in N.Y.C?"
My children know......do you??

After the children's Art History Lesson and Religious Appreciation we headed to the the famous  Rockefeller Center (www.rockefellercenter.com) aka 30 Rock.

Soooo COOL.........Prometheus sitting on Bam's shoulder

We were delighted to looking at Manhattan's 30 Rockefeller Plaza from the ground.
Although the perspective from up top looking down must be equally amazing.
So we decided we must view for ourselves......so we headed up top the rock to stand on the observation deck!
(www.topoftherocknyc.com)
 The ride in the elevator was super fast and not like any elevator ride ever.....
 70 floors up to the observation deck......
We're proud to report the perspective from up top was beyond amazing...... it was fantasticly--memorable and wonderful and made even more special with my special little faces to share.
Every time we come its like the first time......

"Mommy, I feel like a star!"

Contemplating world issues........

We watched the sunset of another amazing day.
 Afterward, we headed to Times Square for some global adventures at the cross roads of the world. (www.timessqurenyc.org)

"Mommy, when are we gonna having dinner?"

Time to call it a night and grab a bite before we head back on the train.

over the river and through the woods to grandma-greats house we go........

Every year we look forward to visiting the Greats in Dobbs Ferry. (the Greats are the children's Great Grandparents)

Cookie in front yard of "The Greats Estate"

The Greats reside in Dobbs Ferry in the Greater Westchester area. The village of Dobbs is so very beautiful, quiet and close to the New York City right along the Hudson River.
Our eyes are in love with the stone bridges, large green swaying trees, flowers, vines and historic homes........and our hearts are filled with love for the Greats.

Sweetheart says everything smells lovely here.....

"Here.... Squirrelly, Squirrelly"

We've seen so many cute beavers, friendly squirrels, fat chipmunks and gentle deers.

"They make me feel like Snow White or Cinderella" says Princess Fifi.

Today we'll spend the day relaxing with our Grandma-Great and catching up on.

"Grandma-Great is so super sweet and so loving...... the very best Great Grandmother in the whole world!!" says Cookie with love.

This picture makes me smile in my heart every time I look at it.

 Grandma-Great is known worldwide for her humanitarian work with the United Nations and woman's rights. 

http://www.hollins.edu/library/speccol/persinger.shtml

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mildred_Persinger

http://www.worldywca.org/YWCA-News/World-YWCA-and-Member-Associations-News/World-YWCA-honours-Mildred-Persinger-at-World-Service-Council-Event

http://www.worldywca.org/YWCA-News/World-YWCA-and-Member-Associations-News/Honouring-Women-of-the-YWCA-Movement-on-International-Women-s-Day

A few months earlier this year our honorable Grandpa-Great left Mother Earth for Heaven.
Bams recalls that, "He was a lovely man with many great stories, lessons and knowledge that he enjoyed sharing with us."
He was bold and intelligent with a soft spot for his great grandchildren. 

"We miss you, Grandpa-Great"

RP on the left----RP on the right

Kindly read the history and legacy of our Grandpa-Great and his life time of accomplishments on the following memorial site. Our Uncle Phil is an acclaimed and accomplished writer. For whom we have to thank, for taking the time, effort and love to put Grandpa-Greats memoirs online to share with everyone.
http://persinger.com/wordpress/