Random musings after lunch at Chili's and grocery shopping

We had lunch at Chili's today and for the first time we were the family that had that baby who slept all the time. 

We were already half way done by the time Zayden woke up and when he did, he stayed in his car seat for quite a bit. He was watching the other baby at the table behind us. He was very amused. 

After lunch we went grocery shopping and it's the first time I've gone grocery shopping with the boys for a quite a while. I didn't know that Zayden had already graduated from laying in his stroller to sitting in the cart. I shouldn't be surprised at all because he has been sitting up for a while now...but still. I didn't even take a picture. I was in denial that badly. He was very well behaved the entire time. He loves looking at things and being part of everything. He is very, very observant. He loves his Christmas blanket from grandma so we've been brining that with us. It's huge but it is very soft so I don't mind having it with us. I could use it, too if I needed. There's going to be more than enough for the both of us. 

Zayden had his 6th month check-up the first week of January. I was absent again, but husband enjoys taking him and having time with his baby anyway so it all works out.

At 6 months Zayden measures 28 inches and just a couple ounces short of 17 lbs. He is also now eating regular food...the food that we normally have. We've been given the go ahead since we told his doc we tried giving him grandma's home-made beef and noodles and he loved it. She said since he has responded well that that's very good and to continue. 

So last night he had fried rice. Not mashed...carrots and broccoli cut into small pieces. I can't believe he can eat that well now. Ever since we gave him those crackers he's been able to practice chewing and has been doing very good. He loves yogurt so he has that in the morning. He's been eating bananas, not mashed but the whole fruit. We watch him and regulate the bites to make sure he's not getting big pieces he could choke on. Ever since I tried that, he has not liked mashed bananas at all. It's either the whole thing or none at all. I pulled off a piece and tried feeding him that but he refused. He wanted the banana that was still attached to the banana peel. Oh goodness...

He's been on his walker too. He would still rather be held but he has managed to move himself around when he goes on his tippy toes, his walker doesn't go any lower. 

He's going to be 7 months next week. We think he's already trying to say doggie.

Sleeping at Chili's.

We arrived at Chili's and he looked like this. He fell asleep with his toy in his mouth! 

My Little Genius

It's that time of the school year again...Science Fair!!! This year Zenon gets his inspiration from the Mythbusters with a little twist on how to execute it from CoSi. 

As always Mom and Dad's roles are to make sure he works on it continuously so he doesn't miss the deadline, plus making sure he sticks to the criteria set which includes -- following the scientific process and keeping it neat and clean. He mostly needs help with the keeping it neat and clean. 

The only help he has needed in the past projects he's had are to make sure he is able to focus his ideas because I tell you this kid's brain is wired to explore everything and ask every question possible. As he does with everything else, we just need to help tone down the excitement but keep the enthusiasm up. 

This year we're also back to hand-writing everything...which is annoying because I never realized that he wasn't as familiar with a keyboard as I thought he was (using it for Minecraft doesn't count!). So last year when the school said typed text is good which is how I learned about the whole keyboard issue, I jumped to the opportunity of him sitting down and typing. 

I had to make sure of course that I sat by him because his hand-written notes are so neat he sometimes needs help reading it. Besides, I had him type it in an egg-shaped text box to keep with the topic/"theme" he had going.

I still remember the very first time he had to do a science fair project. It was also the very first time we went to Ohio thus our very first time going to CoSi. 

We came home and went through his binder and there it was, the science fair packet. We were sitting down and asked him what he wanted to do and he blurted out excitedly, "Sound waves!!!". 

Andrew and I looked at each other in shock and awe. We were very proud and quite confused. All amazement and all these questions in our head started popping up.

Where did he get that idea? Sound waves?? What does he know about sound waves?? Oh my god he's so freakin' smart! I always knew he was smart but this?? My god our son's a genius. Wait, science fair, sound waves...yes, awesome idea, but wait...how in the world???

So our brains processed all this a million miles per second and Zenon unfazed by the reaction we had simply continued explaining like everything was normal, "Yeah like the experiment at CoSi. I want to replicate that." 

Replicate. Did he really use the word replicate??? ...Okay, okay, calm parent. Remember, parent not child. Who's the parent??? Oh yeah...yay!!! I'm the parent!!! 

Okay, calm. Ask him how and if he can't answer we make him do a different experiment. One that he actually understands.

We got shut down by a 6 year old. He explained how to he was going to make his experiment. He was going to get speakers like the one dad has on his computer (old school! Haha!), then get a water bottle or tube then play his favorite song on Mom's iPad and go from there. 

Well, what do Andrew and I know, we're just the freakin' parents right??? 

Zenon has so far placed first in his very first Science Fair when he was in 1st Grade and 4th place the following year. Praying for a win again this year! 

Zenon is by no means aggressive even when it comes to sports but his competitive side comes out when it comes to this. He always goes for the gold. 

God my son is gonna make me so rich! Hahaha!!! No seriously, we have lotto tickets but I have a million times better odds Zenon will make us stinkin' rich than winning the lottery!

Zenon's First grade Science Fair project on sound waves won him First Place. 

His Second grade Science fair entry was on staining teeth using hard boiled eggs and the effectiveness of brushing your teeth. For a project that is not very original, he did a very good job and won 4th place. He got his idea from me nagging him about brushing his teeth. 

New Year's Resolutions 2016

I never used to believe in New Year's Resolutions until recently. I've always tried making some nonetheless but without any success, not even a hint. 

Through the years of having been with the husband I have slowly been thinking more and more about making a New year's resolution that I truly believe in. Although he and I have never spoken of this specific topic before and if we have, probably just in passing. We have however, had many a conversation about not changing but bettering ourselves.

He has taught me that to ask for someone to change is unrealistic and quite unfair. 

He explains this by taking our relationship as an example. He says he fell in love with everything that I am. To him, I am perfect in every way. Of course I start to protest this every time he says I am perfect and that I'm his angel. He shushes me and tells me to listen. He then proceeds to explain that, yes, I have some qualities that are considered not good, for example, having a temper. To him he says, all that I am, all of who I am even if it's considered bad is what makes me perfect for him. He fell in love with the woman he has seen smiling, witnessed losing her temper, has had sudden inexplicable tantrums, has given him the most loving hugs and kisses, has made him lose his mind over something so trivial, the woman who gave him his perfect little family, the same woman who starts a fight because she had a dream about him leaving her. He says all that, everything else and more is what makes me, me -- the woman he loves and he says, the woman he will love forever. So to ask me to change is stupid on his part and unfair. 

Although, we both believe that we both need to better ourselves...together. Despite the fact that we've only been married a year, The year's before when we were the best of friends, working together in the same office and both wearing the uniform, we have proven that we truly do work together harmoniously. We were both pulling each other up althrougout the time we worked together. We both kept each other inspired and aspiring for more. The goal? Nothing. We just knew we were both smart and good enough not do well with work that we wouldn't allow ourselves not to do well. We were a very good team at work. Fast, efficient and we never brought any drama to work. Work was work and everything else was private. 

At home we were raising Zenon. Although, the husband  came into Zenon's and my life quite a bit later, we acted like we've been married for years. 

We have been told we act like an old couple at work. We bickered and competed at work like an old couple - mean but respectful and loving to each other. 

We respected that we were both parents and to not have our son see us fight.. We never correct each other in front of Zenon especially when we're trying to discipline or teach him. 

Together, we've had many dreams come true, many goals realized and we continue to dream and make plans together. We have so much we want to accomplish and we know we can only do them together because apart we're very good, but together we're unstoppable.

So my new year's resolutions consist of things I want to be able to make better so we can be a better, more loving couple whose dreams are fulfilled because no matter how good things are, things can always be better, and because we never stop dreaming!

1. I want to be more confident. To stop questioning myself and my capabilities. 

Husband described me as being badass at work. I was confident and I was good at it because I knew my as we like to call it, s**t. Yet, for everything else, I always second guess myself and he says I shouldn't...I now agree he is right. I have yet to fail miserably in things I do. Although I haven't achieved some goals as of yet, it doesn't mean that I have failed. I haven't failed because the opportunity for me to make good the plans I've had, the plans I've abandoned and the goals I have yet to begin working on, all opportunities remain viable. They are viable and with all honesty so much easier for me to grasp because now I have purpose. I have a reason to push myself now and I have learned and grown so much these past few years, too.

2. Allow myself to accept that not everything has to be perfect.

"Fights will happen and it's normal". ~Husband

I have to realize that our fights shouldn't be a be all, end all. Fights are normal because we are both very passionate and we are both needy. We need each other, we rely on each other so much that fights will be inevitable but they have to be taken for what they are and not blown out of proportion.

3. To take my time and learn to relax.

Everyday doesn't have to be a hectic week and overly productive day. Lazy days are good because it's the lazy days when we're at home doing nothing that the kids will remember the most. It's when we're at home simply enjoying each other's company that they will have the most memories of not the trips, and not the expensive gifts. 

Everything does not have to be a learning opportunity. I have to allow our kids to be kids and learn on their own. I need to chill and stop worrying that they're going to fail if I don't push the learning in their souls. 

I need to be able to sleep without waking up in the middle of the night worrying about sown thing that's beyond my control yet insist on having control over. 

Relax. What matters is we said good morning, kissed each, kissed the kids to start our day right, greeted each other welcome home and hugged and kissed again, made sure wvryoen had a good day and addressed any issues we may have had during the day so we're all stress and problem free, that we said goon don't and kissed and hugged again, and lastly, repeat again and again and again to perpetuity.

Allow things to happen as they should. Not all plans unfold all at once. Some of them take years and I have to be patient.

Meanwhile my least profound resolutions are:

1. Save for our dream home, for travel, for fancy clothes, etc. just save because I'm ready for our dream home to be ours.  Also, I love to travel and traveling and experiencing new things with my little family is so much fun so more of that please! 

2. Do more of what I love and enjoy the process of getting better at it.

Write, draw, paint, even decorate the house or plan the kids' birthdays and make my arts and crafts project for it. The more I do it, the better I become.

3. Learn something new.

Sewing machine. I'm still not for with you! 

4. Read more by myself with the kids.

I used to love books and I've finally found a book that I love but I've only been able to read a fifth of the book and I've had it for 4 months now. 

Zenon is an amazing reader but he does not enjoy reading the am way I used to. I would love for him to enjoy it, too. As for Zayden, I really believe that reading a lot to Zenon helped him to become the super smart kid he is now so I need to read more to him and have Zenon continue to read to him. He loves his Kuya Zenon so much! 

So much more to add but I have to take it slow. That's part of my New Years resolution after all right? Take it slow, enjoy the process of getting to where I want to be. 

Happy 2016!

Cheers to making your own New Year's resolutions! I hope that fulfilling your goals will be an amazing journey for you!