Polka Dottie Blankie

I don't know what is more precious, the baby in this picture, or the blanket. Honestly, both are making my heart smile. But back to the blanket. It's a crochet blanket! No lie. Isn't it just too cute?

I'm working on 7 separate ones. For some very precious baby girls. Yes, I know it sounds a little crazy. But it is so much fun. I just love this pattern. All those "polka dots." Since I couldn't find a pattern, I made up my own. And it's going surprisingly well.

Mi Princesa is also a big fan, of this fun pattern. Oh yes she is! I think it's the texture, that gets people interested. And Mi Princesa may have hinted at a new blankie. You know, to match her "Nap Mat" for school. I just might be able to squeeze that in! ;) Nah, she's not spoiled at all! ♫

Little Owl Purse

My friend D, brought her kids by my office, at The Ranch today. And as I was quickly doing a search for crochet patterns, this one popped up. D's oldest daughter just fell in love with this Owl. Her little eyes just lit up!

I just couldn't say no. So I downloaded this pattern, and hopefully, will have this owl finished by Monday. Honestly, how could I say no? That adorable little face. She's 100% little girl. Loves her some purses. And shoes...

Who knows, I might just love this pattern. And I might make a couple, for a future Craft Fair or two. Now I'm off to hunt down some cute baby patterns. You know, I've got a bunch of Baby Showers coming up. I need to get busy making presents. ♫

Oh Boys!

It just seems like the big events, like babies and marriages, come in groups. I have a few friends, and cousins, who are expecting baby boys. Or have recently had a cute little boy. So I've been searching high and low, for the perfect crochet patterns. It's so tough to find little boy patterns. But I've found some cuties!



Seriously! Does it get any cuter? I just love this little hat. A "little man" hat. I don't know if it's the hat, or the baby, but it sure makes me smile!



And these booties. Too cute for words. I've never seen any crochet patterns quite like this. But I'm loving these booties!

So now that I've found some cute patterns, I'm crocheting like a mad woman! So many babies. So little time. Seriously, one of my cousins had her baby in May. I'm still working on the gift! And I'm going to a Baby Shower next weekend. I need to get some serious crocheting done! ♫

Celebrating

For a few years now, I've worked on the 4th of July. It's been amazing. I know. It doesn't sound like a good time. But it really is.

First of all, the community is amazing. Always trying to give back. They acknowledge the kids. And their health problems. And their needs. So many businesses offer to help. In any way they can. As in, donating items, giving money, or giving time. Especially for the holidays. This year was no different.

The kiddos enjoyed berry pancakes. Everything had to be red, white, and blue. The kitchen also set up a cookie decorating station. We had crafts. And at noon, DJ J came to broadcast live. Let's just say, he brought the party! Kids were dancing all around. And we had a BBQ.

We convinced the kiddos to chill in the afternoon. Naps, movies, and overall down time. But by the evening, we were back to BBQ-ing. DJ J was still there. He was supposed to go DJ at a club. Instead, he hung out with all of us. Oh, and Ol' Blue Eyes was doing a MAW at our hospital. The kiddos were so excited!

But the best, was after dark. We figured out what kids would stay on the "Play Deck," which would stay inside, and who would get to go on the roof. People were moving around. Getting kids were they needed to be.

Everyone was over the moon! Berry sundaes were delivered. And we waiting on the fireworks. The city really delivered. 5 separate fireworks displays! The kiddos "ooood ad ahhed" until almost midnight! The fireworks were amazing!

And as we wheeled kids back to their rooms, all they could talk about was the day. BBQs, flags, and fireworks. It's nice to give them, a bit of the "normal" life, that they usually miss out on.

Seeing all of this, it makes me grateful. Grateful that I am doing a job, that really makes a difference. God has guided me here. To do good. To make these kids feel better. To make the world a better place.

Some days, I wonder why I'm in this field. It can be so hard. And heartbreaking. Literally, heartbreaking. When we lose a patient, it's like losing a family member. It's tough to see all the suffering. But days like this, make it all worth while. If only, we could give the kiddos, more of their childhood back. ♫

For the Royal Familia G

I'm pretty sure that I've mentioned it on here, my friends, Familia G, are going on "bacation." They're heading to Disney World, and on a Disney Cruise. They leave on Tuesday. And I'm not sure if I'll be back, before they leave....

But I've been trying to help my Commadre, get ready for their trip. Lots of work goes into a 3 week long trip. With 5 kids! All under 5 years old!!!

Yesterday after church, my Compadres invited A and I over. For dinner. And yum! It was delish! But while we were waiting, A and I were exploring the internet. We may or may not have gotten on facebook. Yes, I started one, to communicate with mi familia. My FB page, for my friends, well that will stay private. Ya, some things are better left that way. :)

Anyway, A and I are Mi Princesa's Godparents. And she is super excited about this trip. Being a princess and all. I may or may not have made her a few "special" outfits. And A...well he is sending her off with a few hundred dollars. Yes, for a 4 year old!!! What is he thinking?!?!?!

Now you can probably imagine, why people think, that she is our kid. But it's the truth. We spoil her to death! And after some FB time, we decided to hunt for some "princess" stuff. Our Princesa joined us. And we found this...



Mi Princesa gave me "that look." And I folded. I went to my car and dug out some lavender yarn, and a hook. And I got to work. By dinner time, it was nearly done. And when her sisters came in, they wanted one too!

After dinner, I set to crocheting. A was entertaining all of us. Reading the ninitos books. Amazing voices and all! He pulled out his guitar, and serenaded us. Which I'm sure, my Compadre just loved!

An hour after the ninitos bedtime, and my Compadres had finished the dishes, A had gotten all into a PBS special...well, I finished 5 crowns. 5 different colors. You know, Familia G has a "color system" for their kids. So the crowns had to be 5 different colors. But it was fun!

I'm sure they will all have a great time! And I'm glad I could add to the "magic" of their trip! It kills me that I can't go to! Who wouldn't want to visit the "Happiest Place on Earth?" Especially when O offered up his house. Yes, Familia G is staying with him. And there is still plenty of room for a few more amigos. Too bad I have to work...and I still don't have any money.

And to top it all off, A just called. He's heading out with the guys. They're flying to a gig. He joked with me, that the entire Mariachi wanted a crown. What is that you say? 20 crowns for grown men? I just might have to go to the Dollar Tree. Because those are the only crowns they're getting from me! Happy Friday! ♫

I Can Count on Him

It's really funny. The last person I thought I could count on, has really been here for me. If you would have told me this 2 years ago, when we barely muttered hi to one another, I would have laughed! But in the last year, My Music Man, has really stepped up his game.

Let's just talk about the last 48 hours...

Yesterday, I had planned on cleaning my yard. Let's not even talk about the disaster I found, when I got home. You know, last week, we had the graduation party. And I was gone for a few days. I should know better. But when I got home, I found almost all my flowers were dead. The grass was yellow! Triple digit temps are literally killing me.

And for anyone that lives around here, they know that Codes Enforcement is all over these things. So I needed to clean. And I had a crap load to clean! And only days to do it in. Because I'm going back to my hometown, later this week.

My neighbor...well she was on her 3rd day of partying. At 11AM, on a Sunday morning. The street was lined with cars. And I didn't want to "ruffle any feathers." So I put off the cleaning. Because we share a fence. And I really respect her parents. They no longer live there, but they own the house.

So I went in my house. And tried to occupy my time with something else. Until I heard bottles breaking. I found that the party-ers were throwing their beer bottles into my backyard. I didn't go all psycho. I probably should have. But I didn't. I just went back inside. And tried to cool down.

Hard to do, when the outside temps are near 100. You can just imagine what it was like inside my house. With no AC. But I tried. I could feel my blood boiling over. And somehow, he just knew. Before I knew it, My Music Man was at my front door...

He came over to help. He knew I had a lot of work to do. And he is only here, until the middle of the week. So we had sorta planned things out. He'd come over and help for a few hours. Well, nothing was getting done. I was getting madder by the second. And a certain hombrecito, well, he suggested we head over to his house.

You see, last week we made plans. Which included taking Big M out to dinner. That was the plan for Sunday night. So we headed to his house. He put on the NASCAR race, made me lunch, and left me to cool off. I was that mad!

Meanwhile, he left. To go pick up Big M. By the time he got back, he had Mi Princesa, and Little M. Oh, and My Jellybean. :) 4 girls, 3 sisters, 2 Goddaughters. Oh, and Jeff Gordon won the race! Things were looking up.

We went out to dinner. At the Double Eagle. Yum! Everyone thoroughly enjoyed dinner. About 20 people came to our table. To compliment us on our beautiful and well behaved daughters. :) Do I look that nuts? 4 under 5? But we smiled and said Thanks.

And we met my favorite chef...My Music Man's little brother. He works at the restaurant that is 1/2 a block away. He met us at the Candy Store. Where we all had some yummy ice cream. Well, My Jellybean had some leche. :)

The girls ran around. We may or may not have taken a detour. You know, for some new toys. :) There was a little bit of Echo watching. And pleading with a certain uncle for the videos. And eventually, we got them home by 10PM. We're such a bad influence! But their parents' all looked very happy. A few hours without the kiddos...

I got home to find the party in full swing. And my neighbor managed to party until 3AM! I was not a happy camper. At all! Third night in a row! But I had plans on Monday. To CLEAN my yard. I didn't care how it was getting done. Or who was still partying next door. I was going to be cleaning!

At sunrise, My Music Man showed up. And we got to work. Pulling and dragging dead tree limbs. Every single time it is windy, at least 4 big limbs break from my trees. We pulled weeds. Bagged leaves. Where were they from? I have no clue. We picked trash off my fence. Mowed the lawn. Pulled out the grass in the flowerbeds. And did whatever else needed to be done. I had just cleaned my yard. The day before I left for my hometown...

My neighbor, she wasn't happy. At 6:15AM, she was screaming at me. At 6:30AM, she was cussing out My Music Man. By 7AM, I had 3 bags full of broken beer bottles, and 2 of cans. She was also calling her dad.

By 8AM, my old neighbor, was apologizing to me. I wasn't trying to make his daughter look bad. But I wanted him to see what I was dealing with. We had pictures. And bags of trash. She was still screaming. The 2 elderly neighbors, one lives across the street, the other next door, soon joined us. And we all talked.

I think things were sorta figured out. That nut job was still screaming. Her dad was still apologizing. Her little girl was crying, and her ex, well he was just trying to pick up their daughter. And he was thanking me for his daughter's birthday present. The same one, that had been thrown at me, just an hour before. I'm pretty sure, the dresses had gotten dirty. But little A was in heaven with her present.

All this time, My Music Man had my back. He defended me. Kept his cool. And tried to help me keep mine. Which at this point, was tough. After all the excitement died down, we got back to work. And by 1PM, we were ready to die! Red faces, 2 broken shovels, and 20 bags of yard waste, we were done. He went home. I went inside to clean up.

I was gone for days. Yes, days. As in, less than a week! And my yard got that bad. You see, I spend about 2-3 hours working in my yard. Every single day. During the summer. It's that big. And requires that kind of maintenance. Some days, I just wish that it was all dirt...

But my friend, he was there to help. And he even came back...with lunch. This evening, he returned. With Big M, some flower bulbs, and ice cream sundaes. We enjoyed the shady part of the yard. Ate all of our ice cream. Big M helped plant the bulbs. And my psycho neighbor yelled until her roommate came home.

Friends like this, they don't come around often. And I don't just mean the ones that bring you stuff. I mean the ones that are there for you. I can sit here all night, and tell you about the amazing things he does. Like going to Patrick's funeral. Just in case I needed him. Or protecting me from my psycho stalker. Or bringing me chicken noodle soup, when I had the flu.

He's a great guy. An amazing friend. And one of the best people I know. Who else, would spend their days off...helping me with my yard work? Or taking a bunch of kiddos out to dinner. Or putting up with my cranky butt? Not many.

I'm glad that we're friends. I'm glad that we met...almost 10 years ago! And that he talked to me every single day...until I caved. Because My Music Man is much more than a friend. We're starting to feel a heck of a lot like familia. More than family. You know, we were just meant to find each other. ♫

Operation

I don't know about you, but I really do enjoy playing board games. I've always really enjoyed them. And now, I'm sharing my love of board games with the "itty bitties." We've got a pretty good collection going on at my house. Everything from Scrabble to the Disney Princess. And don't forget Cootie!

Most of the girls just LOVE to play Candyland. It was one of my favorites growing up too. Until I was about 5. But that story is for another time and another day. One of Care Bear and I's favorite game to play is Operation. She just loves it! And honestly, until a few years ago, I'd never played it!



We can easily get lost for hours and hours, just playing operation. Using our "skills." And just laughing at one another. Why did I not know about this game when I was younger? Maybe I wouldn't have been so opposed to dissection, in my high school Anatomy class. :)



And recently, I've run across this game. For the more "itty bitties." "My First Operation." More fitted for little hands. So as to not frustrate them. Now I just need to buy it! :P

What about you? Are you a "Closeted Board Game Lover" too? What's your favorite? I'm a HUGE fan! And I'm always looking for more games. Even if it's just me and a bunch of little girls playing. Ya, I'm the cool "Tia." ♫

Princess Perfection

We happened to have a little "Princess Party" in my hotel room this morning. Being that some of my Goddaughters, and many of my favorite little girls are here, we decided to celebrate the Royal Wedding.

A was a great help in that. Of course all the girls were dressed to the nines! They had all of their princess gear on. Because what princess leaves home without all of their princess attire? Not these little ones.

We also made sure, that all these girls took a nap. A LONG nap. Last night. You know, while us grown ups were working. So bright and early this morning, they were up. A was setting up a tea party for them. And we had tons of yummy food. I'm telling you, A is a catch! Any single ladies looking for a good man?

We watched all the coverage. I stayed with the girls. As the rest of the group headed to teach classes. After 5 hours of Royal Wedding coverage, I'm pretty sure A was ready to go work! :) But we had a blast!

"Nana, the princess is pretty. But she doesn't look as beautiful as I thought. How come?" The things that come out of the mouths of babes. :) I think they really thought Kate was going to be like their favorite fairy tale princesses.

My take on the whole affair. I think Kate looked amazing! I loved her dress. The top half, it was just gorgeous. And the veil. So simple and elegant. I love the grandeur of the British Royalty. But the simplicity that Kate and William wanted for their wedding.

What a fun morning we had! Tons of little girls, tutus, tiaras, tea, yummy food, princesses, and flowers. What better way to start a Friday! But now folks, I need to get ready for work. We have rehearsal in just over an hour. Happy Friday! ♫

Breastfeeding Baby Doll

I'm sure that you all know, I study nutrition and medicine. Along with that comes lots of teaching. In subjects that I never really thought of, prior to college. Like fertility, breastfeeding, and L&D. But times change.

So with the teaching that I do, I learn about all sorts of new things. I can sit here and rattle on for days, about breast pumps. I can give you suggestions on how to increase your supply. And give you some tips for weaning.

But this, well I'm not going to lie, stopped me in my tracks!



A breastfeeding doll. For little girls. Huh? I was a little bit "taken aback" when I first heard about it. But then, I stopped to think...

The best part about being the "youngest" out of my friends is, I learn from them. And their kiddos. Like when my Commadre G was breastfeeding her twins. Her young girls would mimic her. Trying to breastfeed their baby dolls. They didn't think it was wrong. No. Because they watched their mommy feed their younger siblings.

Even though she covered up, the girls knew, that was the way the babies were eating. So they would pretend play in the same way. It's not a bad thing. So I understand the reasons for this doll. As do my friends.

That could be why, we just ordered a few. What do you think? I know it's going to wrinkle some feathers. Especially since they're not stateside yet. But they're coming this summer.

Did I mention? One of the clinics I work at, they just ordered 20. Since we promote breastfeeding real babies, they figured why not. We can start making females more comfortable with their bodies. Breastfeeding is not a sexual act. It's a mothering act. ♫

New Baby Boy!

I just want to say a big Congratulations to a dear friend of mine. Her and her husband, welcomed a new baby boy, into their family. SJ was born yesterday. An honest gift from God.



It's been a while since I've seen my friend. We met at a work event. And become super close over time. She now lives in our neighboring state. But what a blessing her and her family have been to me. Amigos that are familia. Congrats again! God has truly blessed you. ♫

Just What I Needed!

Everything about today, is just what I needed. Something to kick my butt back into shape. It was Little M's birthday party. No that isn't her birthday cake. But it should have been! She is really into "algidators" at the moment.

I helped my friends get the party together. And Little M's birthday cake, just might have been even more adorable than this cake. No lie! Everything about her birthday party was fun, light, and enjoyable!

Honestly, it was everything that I needed. I really did need it. It's been a tough few weeks. And I just needed some time to laugh and enjoy myself! Mission accomplished today! Mis amigos know how to throw a good party. Or I should say a good Matanza!

As usual, it was a ton of fun! Lots of delicious food. And great music. That generally happens when the parents are musicians, and all of their friends are musicians. We did some "Mariachi Jammin'." And just had a great time. Mi Princesa and I, we did a lot of dancing. Mostly with her Nono, A.

And I'm not going to lie. It's nearly midnight, on a Sunday, and I'm just getting home. It was that much fun. I'm looking through my "Algidator" bag. Did I mention that there was a HUGE alligator pinata? Yup, lots of candy! And some really fun toys. :)

So in case you are wondering, a 2 year old birthday party can be so much fun! Really it can be. Especially when your friends are like your family. My friends are pretty darn amazing! And their kids, they're simply adorable!

This was just the day I needed. It's helping me to move forward. And the plate of chicharrones, I know they're going to make a very yummy breakfast tomorrow morning! So I'm off to bed. Happy Birthday Little M! ♫

The Electric Company

Do you remember The Electric Company? I don't. It came out in the 70s. That's before I was born. But I've heard some people talk about it. My Mom is always telling me how my brother and sister watched it.



And then, it was cancelled. I'm thinking that Sesame Street probably killed The Electric Company. Anyway, it's back. And on PBS.



If you are like me, you might catch it on TV. Or you can find it on YouTube. They have a few episodes posted.



And how do I know about it? Because some of my Goddaughters and I sat and watched it the other day. It's actually a good show. I know. Surprise, surprise. But I really did enjoy it. As did the cutie patootie little girls I was hanging out with. So did you used to watch it? Or are you a new fan too? ♫