Summer - take 2

I wrote this post several weeks ago! Then I didn't publish it right away, because - for once -  I was letting it rest for a while so I could go back later and correct any grammar/spelling errors or typos, and I also wanted to add some pictures.

But then:

Yep! This happened! At 31 years old, still wearing my Sundays best, in my driveway, riding my kids' scooter. You read that right! Don't you worry, I felt preeetty stupid immediately after! Lesson learned!

It made me completely useless. Not only because of the sling, half-cast. But it also hurt A LOT when I attempted any movement. And it hurt in my heart that I couldn't hold 5-months old Vicky so well. Dan was home with me for the whole first week after the accident, doing absolutely everything in the house and running errands but he couldn't miss too much more work and he also had a conference to attend in Boston on the following week. The conclusion was pretty obvious: someone from our families had to come to help.

Holding Vicky with just one arm, she turned 6 months old on June, 15th

Luckily, I had a spare brother who was taking some time off work to study for some exams. He was living on temporary-mode (no contracts or anything holding him up), passport and visa ready, he drives, and the kids love him! He hopped on a plane four days later. Bless his heart!

It saved our lives! Dan was even able to attend the conference. Fortunately, none of my bones split. I just had a micro fissure on my una bone. Doctor said it would took another 2-3 weeks to heal by itself, and that I didn't need the half-cast anymore. This didn't mean I could move it. My arm still felt pretty useless and painful for a long time, and just at the end of 3-4 weeks I started to feel better and to drive again and do much more things. I was actually lucky. If I had split bones I would be wearing a full cast for 6-8 weeks and might have needed surgery! Yikes!

That was all to say our summer took a very unexpected turn from what I've expected. So I guess it was good I didn't publish the post at that time when I first wrote it. But instead of throwing it all away I will adjust it in red font.

Here it goes, my adjusted-original post!
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I wanted to write about sooooo many things (because I'm lonely, remember? LOL - nope, not now, actually. My awesome friends, please don't get worried this time. But call me anyway, I'd love to chat with you again!

No, this time it's because a lot has happened since my last post! I think I should learn that once the opportunity has passed, it's gone! But it's hard for me to accept this concept, sometimes. It seems like I'm always trying to hold on to everything, always hoping - never achieving - to do all the things I once envisioned myself doing. In this case, writing everything that happened in our lives.

But, you know me, I'm a joker. I'll still try to cram all the information in this post until is gigantic and I bore everybody reading this!

So, yeah. Let's get started:

Baby Vicky's allergies. I know, I know. Everybody is tired to hear about it and I'm so done talking about it too. But there have been major changes since I last wrote about it and until I explain them here, I just can't post pictures of the foods I'm eating on Instagram without being judged!! (I'm being humorous here).

So I promise this will only take one two three short paragraphS. Does Vicky have food allergies? Yes, definitely. To all the things you thought before? Most likely, no! To what foods, then? I'll say: eggs, soy (in it's pure form of soy sauce or miso), and fish/shellfish.

What really happened is that I couldn't  keep my diet when we were on the go during our trip to Chicago/Indiana Dunes. It was just too hard. On the way driving there (hello, 10-turned into-14-hours road trip) I prayed a novena to Montse Grases, a hopeful saint young woman that she would intercede to God to CURE Vicky's allergy. And it.... kinda worked!

Well, now I'm aware some of the people reading this post are not catholic, or not even believers at all. And I know there can be numerous explanations (one of them that I was crazy to think Vicky would be allergic to everything), but thing is, my baby had a lot of mucus on her stool before, and she cried from colics a lot, but after I prayed, Vicky was a totally different baby since day one of our trip!

As she seemed fine - even though I was eating things I thought I shouldn't be eating - I started to dig in more and more! "Bring the famous Chicago's deep dish pizza on" - kinda of dig in! And she was great on the retreat as well. EXCEPT, for the last morning. So, it might have been that my miracle was actually to have a good baby on our trip and during my retreat. Or that the miracle might have been that she started tolerating new foods, in a VERY timely manner (her digestive system could have matured all of sudden). Or that the miracle was actually us narrowing down her allergies to a lot fewer things in a very short amount of time! Either way, the miracle that I needed came, and I thank God and Montse who interceded for us!

Now let me talk a little bit about our Chicago/Indiana Dunes trip! Chicago is gorgeous! I'm happy we live "close" by enough to be able to visit it again, but sad it's far enough for actually not visiting it again any time soon. Why is Chicago gorgeous? Well, Lake Michigan makes a glorious rendition of an ocean, so Chicago looks a super chic beach big city. The water has a GORGEOUS natural color, like an aqua green/blue color. There is the Nice Navy Pier and it's gigantic Ferris Wheel by the lake.

The architecture is marvelous too. And there are lots of charming, quaint features as well. There is the beautiful and famous millennium park with the bean that reflects the floors and the skies and a nice landscaping around it.

There is the most awesome playground we ever visited (and that includes all of NY Central Park playgrounds): Maggie Daley Park (If visiting Chicago with kids this is a must stop, check out their website http://maggiedaleypark.com/ ).

There is Portillo's restaurant for great and affordable italian beef, hot dogs and fries. There is one of only four Eataly places in the US (a trendy italian mall full of chic eateries. Two of them are in NYC, one in Boston and one in Chicago). And there is the great Lincoln Park Zoo, the most gorgeous zoo I've been to. And free, are you kidding me?

Dan and I are crazy people. We rented an awesome condo, but in Indiana Dunes. We drove 1h each way Saturday and Sunday (and spent $75 in tolls and parking, total) to stroll around Chicago with a double jogger stroller for Becca and Nico, plus a baby car seat stroller for Vicky. We were the ONLY family of three children walking around Chicago. and - boy - we walked! Which was actually great because I was eating all the cheese and kinder chocolates I wanted, so.... Yes, we even took our 3 kids and two strollers inside the "crowed to the brim" Eataly!!! And we even managed to sit down at a counter to eat a pizza!!!! People weren't exactly happy with us, but we have cute asian-white mixed little kids to make up for any inconvenience we might cause! It has worked like a charm every time, so far!

So yes, we had a great time! The kids played a lot each day in awesome playgrounds, they had Dunking Donuts, ice cream and other treats. True, Chicago is very windy and chilly! And it was even worse in Indiana Dunes. It felt like we were experiencing winds of a tornado. It turns out, May is still a too cold month to visit the beaches. But magically, on the last morning before I headed to my retreat, the weather was tolerable and we had a wonderful time visiting the beautiful Indiana Dunes State Park and Beverly shores.

On Monday after lunch, Dan dropped me and Vicky at the retreat house in Valparaiso, IN and he stayed at our rented condo with Becca and Nico for the rest of the trip. I had the most peaceful and prayerful time on the retreat but this is a matter for a whole new post. And Dan had a great time with the kids too. They went to playgrounds, a bouncy house place (they were there for three and a half hours!!!), to restaurants, to the local YMCA gym! On wednesday, they picked me and Vicky up and we drove back home all together!

Glorious!

We arrived just in time for the last week and half of school. Which meant field day trip, spring programs and other fun and celebratory activities. We were busy!!!

first year of preK diploma?

red velvet cupcake, anyone?

Then: school's out! Summer break. Three months of me riding solo  (with uncle Rafa) and my three kids, all the hours of the day, just starting off (six weeks ago)! I won't lie, it's a dreadful thought. It still remains!

The first week of vacation I barely survived. Yucky weather, not waking up in time to attend daily Mass like I wished to, busy kids, a new schedule to work with (or the lack of it, most accurately), Daddy working late, headaches, colds.

Even so, I managed to take the kids out 3 days of the week (to a fun and free museum with kids activities, to the gym and to the Zoo). On Friday morning I even mowed the whole backyard and in the afternoon the kids played outside with water and soap bubbles for 3h.

Memorial day 3-days weekend came and gone! We found out about a new, beautiful and super safe from traffic playground beside the nearby golf course (it's already my absolute favorite place to take the kids to). Dan and I watched a movie every night in the TV/family room downstairs. We went out to eat after Sunday Mass. We bought a kids pool for our yard. Becca and Nico played with our neighbors, I took a 2h nap on a Monday afternoon, and more playgrounds.

And today, things are - knock on wood - perfect I managed to attend a later mass. I made the kids behave at church saying we could go to the playground after church everyday if, and only if, they would be "quiet and still" during mass. It worked great! (several weeks later and this bribing technique still works). Today Vicky is even taking a successful 3h nap. Hah! Now Vicky has a fair enough sleeping schedule during the day! But I just noticed that this wasn't the case back then when I first wrote this post.

For the rest of our summer break we can expect 2 weeks of swimming lessons for Becca (she did great and now she's finally learned how to swim by herself, although she's still afraid of the water when it gets too deep), 5 weeks of tennis lessons for both Becca and Nico (pray he'll cooperate) Well, cooperating isn't the right word to describe it but these pictures do a better job at it:

Kids fun activities at the park hosted by the city (check!), a visit to the drive-in the neighbor city (check too! We watched Despicable me 3 and Wonder Woman on the night of 4th of July)

we came prepared! Kids slept during the second movie!

Playground almost everyday, outdoor swimming pools, backyard kids pool, libraries, more museums, three weddings, a possible quick trip to Omaha (check, check, check, check, check, check and check!)... Yeah, I think we've got it covered! Yep!!!! Whew, I'm tired already. Yep (2)!!!

first time at the pool

watching Cars 3 just me and Becca

first time at the swings

But, I'm also very thankful for everything we have, specially for each other. For health, for time together, for summer weather, for God and prayer time. And we are specially thankful to uncle Rafa, for being an incredible human being who, by the way,  did an awesome job taking care of everyone and everything when Dan was away, for his continuous help after that, for his companionship and also for the free babysitting, so Dan and I can enjoy ourselves a bit.