Sunday, November 29, 2009

A Pearson Rios Thanksgiving!

This year Brian & I decided to go to Tucson for Thanksgiving. This is the first time in 3 years that we have gone home for Thanksgiving.

The first year (2006) in New Mexico half of the Pearson's came to us and we hosted Thanksgiving (YES, I cooked EVERYTHING!!)
Yay! My first turkey is done!

Anabelle & Willard (Sue named the turkey)
Marianne, J, & Avery
Brian, Lucy & Anabelle Sue & Lucy


In 2007, Brian & I went to the Dominican Republic for Brooks & Rebecca's wedding which was on Thanksgiving weekend. No cooking that year!

Thanksgiving Day! Not a bad way to spend it.
Can you see a tiny Jaxon?

Wedding Day!
The beautiful bride Rebecca and Brooks
2008 brought Grammie Sue to Rio Rancho once again and we enjoyed a nice quiet Thanksgiving with the cutest 6 month old baby around!

Mama & her pilgrim
Daddy and his pilgrim Grammie Sue & JaxonTa Da! Willard the 2nd!
Grammie Sue feeding Jaxon mashed potatoes. He wasn't a fan that year, but this year he ate a feast!


That brings us to 2009. This was also the first year, in a long time, that my dad did not have to fly on Thanksgiving! So all the Rios' were under one roof. The Pearsons came over to my parent's house to celebrate. It is so nice to be able to have our 2 families together. We all get a long and we have a wonderful time!

Jaxon and Abuelo waiting for food.

Daddy & Jaxon (no pilgrim this year)
Or Mommy & Jaxon... Jax will only call Brian Mommy!

Brian, Jaxon & Uncle Mike

Chloe, Jose & Misty

Uncle Mike, Aunt Kathie, Kory, Kailey & Brandon

Misty & Chloe

Chloe & Jaxon


Grammie Sue & Jaxon

Anabelle, Brian, Jaxon & Sue

Our nephew, Kory

Proud Grandparents

The Pearson and the Rios Families:

Standing: Brian, Anabelle, Misty, Jose, Aunt Kathie, Uncle Mike, Kory, Brandon, Kaylie. sitting: Grammie Sue w/ Chloe, Abuelo w/ Jaxon, Lola


I just want to say that while I am short, I'm not THAT short. I'm barefoot & Misty is wearing heels!


Happy Thanksgiving! We will be together again in a few short weeks of Christmas... we can't wait!





PS... While Brian drives I get snacks, drinks, change the iPod, keep the conversation alive, read magazines or picture books aloud, etc, etc.

This is what I get when it's my turn to drive

Friday, November 27, 2009

The 80s Called...

They want their sweat shirt back!
Holy shoulder pads, Bat Man!


I just found these pictures and couldn't resist!








Monday, November 16, 2009

Mother-of-the-Year Monday... Playing with Knives!

Oh it's that time of the week again! The day I admit my faults as a mom.
As moms, we all know what a challenge it is to cook dinner and keep your kids entertained and out of the kitchen. If Jaxon is being especially needy I put him in his high chair, give him a snack and pull his chair over to the kitchen so he can be part of the action, but still safe. Innocent enough right? WRONG! On this particular evening Jax is eating his snack happily while I move around the kitchen and don't really pay attention (I'm starting to see a trend in my motherly mistakes). I go to the refrigerator to get some veggies and wash them, I turn back to the counter to start chopping and who do you think has the BIGGEST KNIFE in his hand?!? The one and only Jaxon Pearson! He is happy as a clam waving this gigantic knife around. I automatically think of the fastest way to get to the ER from my house. But, no worries, I was able to calmly & safely take the knife away from Jaxon and the evening went on as planned.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Mother of the Year Monday

My friend Ami is a fellow blogger (http://www.bunchbabies.blogspot.com/) and she has committed to blogging everyday for 30 days (insane yes!), so in my attempt to help her I suggested she do a blog title "Mother of the Year Monday".

Ever since we became mothers, 18 months + 1 day ago for me & 7 1/2 months for her, we always tell each the not-so-smart things we have done to our poor unsuspecting children. Usually, these moments are kept between the two of us and sometimes we don't think it wise to tell our dear husbands, so why I thought it would be a good idea to share them with the world I don't know! Well, when I told Ami she should have this weekly feature she immediately said, "You have to do it too!" Being the good friend that I am I decided to go along! I figured if two educated girls can do stupid things, we must not be alone, certainly there are lots of you who have done some pretty dumb things (I hope).

SO... here is my first Mother-of-the-Year moment....

One day this summer (before Jaxon could walk) Jax & I headed up to the pool to meet some friends. We get to the parking lot, I unload the stroller from the trunk & open it up. Now, when you unfold a stroller you usually here a click letting you know it's good to go, well, I didn't hear the click & I remember thinking, "Hmm, that's odd. The stroller is upright though so I must of just missed it." I turn back to the car to get Jaxon out of his carseat & put him in the stroller. I turn back to the car to get our pool bag out and I hear, CRASH! Oh yeah... Jaxon is folded up in the stroller and is lying flat on the concrete! I was terrified! I honestly thought I killed my baby! I don't think I have ever moved faster in my life. I popped that stroller open so fast only to see my smiling little boy looking back at me with not a scratch on him! He didn't even shed a tear. If I remember correctly he may have even laughed!





When you write out my certificate for Mother-of-the-Year, please remember my name is spelled with only one N! Thank you!

Please feel free to tell me you mother-of-the-year moments in the comment section. It is pretty therapeutic actually!

Saturday, November 7, 2009

I am Thankful For...

I'm hopping on the band wagon! My friends Ami, Nicole & Jen Corbelli have blogged about 29 Things they are thankful for, so I thought I would do the same. The idea came from Jen who bought the book, "29 Gifts in 29 Days". So here goes, in no particular order...



1. Brian. He is the best thing that has happened to me. He drives me crazy like no other person on earth can, but I truly couldn't be without him. He is a great husband and I am lucky to be married to him (as he is to me!)



2. Jaxon. I love this little boy more than anything! He has been such a gift to us, we cannot even imagine our lives without this little guy. He is such a happy, easy-going, friendly kid.



3. Abigail, the mid-wife. I don't think a day goes by that I do not give thanks for Abigail. She is the one who found the lump on my thyroid and told me to get it checked out. If it hadn't been for her, who knows how bad my health would have become.



4. Dr. Coffman, aka Dr. McDreamy. As thankful as I am for Abigail finding the lump, I am as equally grateful for Dr. Coffman. He was able to take out more thyroid tissue than expected and was able to remove the cancer that had spread to my lymphnodes. He also did an amazing job on my scar (does that make sense?). It has only been 7 months since the surgery, but my scar is almost non-existent. We have seen other people who have had thryoidectomys and their scar does not look nearly as good as mine. Dr. Coffman had the best bedside manners. He was genuinely concerned about my health, was patient with Brian & me when we asked a million and one questions, and truly didn't mind that we called him a few times on his cell. And, let's be honest, I'm also thankful that he was so cute!



5. Health Insurance. Boy am I ever grateful we had this! I can't even imagine where we would be financially after that surgery without health insurance.



6. Hospital Bills are done! Whew, this one was a doozy. For months after the surgery we would get bill after bill after bill. I am thankful those have been paid and have stopped cluttering our mailbox!



7. Healthy Preemie. This is another one of those things that I think about almost daily. I am amazed that Jaxon was born 6 weeks early and never had to go to the NICU and has not had any health problems. We were super blessed!



8. My Parents. I cannot even begin to say how thankful I am for them! They have always been parents that would do anything for their kids and they certainly have showed it in the past year and half! They have done everything from taking care Jaxon while Brian and I go on vacation, to showing our house to possible renters, to taking care of their "sick" daughter after surgery and making special meals while I was on my low iodine diet for 2 weeks, etc, etc. Brian & I really don't know what we would do without them!



9. Living in New Mexico. I never thought Iwould ever say this! I am happy that we moved here almost 4 years ago (can you believe it's been that long?) I believe that living here has made our marriage stronger and made me more independent.



10. Brian Saving Money. Again, who would have thought? But, yes, I am grateful to Brian for being as financially savvy & smart as he is. If it were up to me we would have loads of cute clothes & shoes and absolutely NO money in the bank! But thanks to BP, we have savings and a "future".



11. Team Work. I am truly happy that Brian and I are a team when it comes to raising Jaxon. We truly work well together in parenting. We always take turns with getting up in the middle of the night when needed,changing diapers, giving baths, getting Jaxon dressed, etc.



12. Frances. Frances is Jaxon's "new" babysitter. She started taking care of him at the end of May. She takes care of about 9 other kids who range from 5 months to 4 yrs. She loves Jax as if he were her own. She takes great care of him and her other "charges". She feeds him healthy meals, gives him love, makes sure he sleeps and provides a nice routine. I am happy to have found her.

13. Lucy. Lucy definitely has her quirks, ok, lots of them! She is obsessed with light, plastic bottles & food, but we love her just the same. She is such a wonderful dog. She loves Jaxon (almost to a fault) and is extremely patient with him when he yells at her, pulls her hair or kisses her.

14. Working Part Time. I found out this summer that being a stay-at-home mom is NOT for me! I have also learned this school year that working full time is not for me either! I feel so lucky to have found a happy medium in working part time. It is the perfect arrangement for our family.

15. My Principal. Strange, I know, but I am thankful to her for allowing me to work part time. This year has been a bit of a whirlwind for us... working full-time, then hiring someone to go part time with me, then that lady quits, working full-time again, then finding someone NEW to work with me. Through it all, she has been patient and supportive. She could have told me that I had to stay full time for this year, but she didn't.

16. Patience & Strength. I always new I was a patient person, I mean how could you teach kindergarten and not be, but having a child of your own teaches you a whole new level of patience. I am thankful that I have ALL of the patience that I do because Brian certainly does not :) This year has also taught me that I am a strong person. Being diagnosed with cancer and not breaking down is a sign of a strong person (not to toot my own horn or anything). I am still amazed at myself and how well I handled a tough situation.

17. A Baby Who Sleeps. Yes, we were blessed with a baby who LOVES to sleep! I have friends whose babies do not sleep through the night, and if it were me, I would go insane! Brian & I worked hard to get Jaxon on a schedule and thankfully he took to it. He has been sleeping 12-13 hours a night since he was 3 months old, with 1-2 2 1/2 hour naps during the day.

18. Kyphon/Medtronic. This is the company Brian works for and I am so thankful he found this job 5 years ago. He has a fairly flexible schedule that allows him to pick Jax up from Frances' in the afternoon, lets him help me get Jaxon out the door in the mornings and is almost always home to help with dinner & bath time (does he ever work???) I not only love the flexibility, but I also love that it pays well enough that I can work part time, go to Target whenever I like & he can still save money.

19. Sue. My mother-in-law. She is great! She is truly the best mother-in-law any girl could ask for. You always hear the horror stories of other mothers-in-law and Sue couldn't be farther from that. We get along fabulously and I really enjoy her company.

20. Friends: Ami, Sarah, Nicole & Mary. I have a great group of friends back in Tucson that I don't know what I would do without. I love how I can pop into town and we can get together on a whim as if no time has passed at all. We have all been through our own difficult times and we always have each other to lean on. We have also gone through rough patches in our friendships, but we manage to pull through and stay friends. I guess it's because of them that I haven't made too many friends here in ABQ! They are irreplaceable.

21.Blue Puppy, aka, Papi. You all have seen and heard of the love Jaxon has for "Papi". I am thankful for him because sometimes Papi can soothe Jaxon more than even his mama can.

22. Being Puerto Rican. Random, I know, but I am thankful for being Puerto Rican. I love the food, the culture, the language, family, everything.

23. Golf. This is another one that I never thought I would be thankful for, I mean I am pretty much a golf widow on weekends. Really, I am thankful for Chamisa Hills Country Club! We live literally less than a mile from the country club and Brian is able to go up there daily to hit balls or just play 9 holes. I am thankful, because he doesn't have to invest an entire day when he wants to play golf. I am also thankful because Jaxon is now at the age where he can go with Brian and I can have some time to myself :)

24. Wine. Enough said.

25. My Toyota Highlander.

26. Sunny Days.

27. Flip Flops, Skirts & Dresses.

28. Tall, no water, non-fat Chai Tea from Starbucks.

29. Target.

The last 6 are silly, but I am eternally grateful to them. They would make my days a little less happy if I didn't have them.
That's it. My list of 29 things I am thankful for! Jaymee... it's your turn!

Friday, November 6, 2009

Jaxon is not a fan of quiche apparently...

I was just thinking that it had been awhile since I had posted any videos when Jaxon does this...

Since I already had the camera out, why not try to get Jaxon to say a few things! I love how he says "beeps" for grapes! We don't even try to correct him, it's so darn cute!

Mama's Little Duckling

Halloween has come and gone, so I guess it's time for the Halloween update. It took me the entire month of October to think of the perfect costume for Jaxon. I really wanted to dress him in something cute, embarrassing and not so common. Yup, I'm a great mom! I found a cow costume at Party City which would have been perfect for Jaxon! He loves cows and is constantly mooing, but it only came in infant sizes. So, no dice. I kept searching and searching and FINALLY I found a costume that met my criteria... a duck!! As an added bonus Jaxon likes to quack about as much as he likes to moo!

Cute & embarassing! I love it!
This is my FAVORITE part!! The tail!

I bet you've never seen a cuter duck!
As with anything, Brian was way more excited for this than Jaxon was!
Every year Jaxon's babysitter, Frances, has a Halloween party for her kids and they all go trick-or-treating together in her neighborhood. So off to our first kid party we went!
Getting all of the kids to look at a camera was a feat! Jaxon and Jacob (not pictured) didn't exactly want to stand for a picture!
Off to the first house!Trick-or-Treating was made for Jaxon! He would walk right up to the door and say, "Hi" to whoever answered, said "Ta Tou" (thank you) when they gave him candy and would tell them "bye bye" as he was walking away. My favorite though was when he would run to me and yell, "snack, snack" He was so excited that people were giving him snacks! It did become a problem when we went to a house that had dogs. Jax would get sooo excited! He would point and say, "Doggie, doggie." and wouldn't want to leave! He would cry and cry as we dragged him away from that house.

Brian was in charge of taking him up the house.



Mama, snack, snack!



I will say that I feel like a bad mom... I didn't let Jaxon go through or eat any of his candy! I don't know why, it's not that I don't want him to eat candy, I just didn't even think about it. O well, he'll never know right!

After we went to several houses, it was time to go back to Frances' for some posole, chicharones, marshmallow roasting and dancing! Jaxon had an absolute blast! He kept looking at us and saying, "Mama?" Kind of like, "Why the heck are you here? You usually leave me!"

Dancing with Kobe and Alex

All pooped from dancing!

Quack, quack!

Jaxon and Frances

Jaxon and Aaron.

Aaron is Frances' daughter's boyfriend. He comes over quite a bit to play with the kids and Jaxon adores him!

Jaxon was out by the time we got to the end of Frances' street... which is only 2 houses!