Spring Break Vaca "Science Fair Project/ Homework Day"

Its the last day of the girls spring break vacation!! I'm excited they go back to school tomorrow and they are excited too!. Today's plan was to work on Jojo science fair project for school. It was really fun to do although i did most of the work and she did the drawings and some writings. While working on the project, it brought a lot of memories of my middle school years when i used to class group projects. I didn't have a problem doing the crafting part of the project, i just really didn't like the writing and doing the research part of the project. When ever i'm doing any kind of work i procrastinate a lot, like right now i am procrastinating on the projects i want to for my sister baby shower. I know it's bad and i have to stop wasting time cause the baby shower is in a few weeks!. We spend the whole day working on this project while Amelia was finishing up her PreK homework. Our science fair project was about plant growth and development, we wrote about onions being propagating planting more onions. The finishing product looks amazing done since i was the one who help her set it up, the science fair is next month so i hope i get to the work at the fair. It was a really fun and busy spring break vacation for both the girls and i. I am glad i decided to this these activities for the girls. It was all about planing base on your budget, cause we don't want to spend so much especially if we have children, unless we can afford to, in this case i was able to afforad these activities. Also do your research you never know what deals you can get, just because i travel a lot to the city doesn't everything we did was expensive. So i hope you all readers enjoyed reading our daily vacation blogs, don't forget to leave comments and you thoughts on each day. We really appericate the time you take into reading our blogs. I had so much fun writing and share our adventure with you all and....

Until the next Blog....

Spring Break Vaca Day 8 "Not Myself Day"

Mondays for me are my lazy days but this Monday i wasn't feeling like my usual self. As a mother its understandable we have those "not myself" days where our body is there but our minds are in a different worlds. And that is exactly how i felt today, i needed to get out the house for some fresh air to get my mind back to my body. It got worst till the point i ended up having an argument with my husband to the point that i found out why i was feeling the way i was feeling. Have you ever had one of those day?? I would like to know what you have done to cope with your "not myself" day. I didn't get to do laundry yesterday and it gave me the opportunity to get that fresh air i needed. The girls and i did just that and while the clothes were getting dry we went to the same pizza shop (which is now our favorite pizza shop) to get lunch and to the discount store a few stores down to finish buying all the stuff for JoJo science fair. I felt a little ok while folding the clothes, it was just something about folding clothes that keep mind off what i was thinking. It's always go to find that one thing that helps cope with your "not myself day" and its ok to get these days we are human not a machine.

Today's plan was "homework day", the girls had to finish up any homework before they go back to school this Wednesday. That plan did not go as plan but it's ok. When we were heading back home i notice Joannelly outfit and she reminded me of a little girl from our favorite store series, "
 Fancy Nancy" Its about a little girl who finds anything she does and wares very fancy to her. She love all those fabulous things and walks around like she is very fancy wearing all the girly clothes,bags and shoe. Joannelly does the same-thing she finds what she wears very fancy. I love that JoJo can pick out her own outfit, she is growing up so fast and doing thing own her own being a little more independent. I am not ready for them to grow up but i do have to prepare for those stages. The girls have one day left to their spring break vacation but surprising they are happy to go back school.

Until the next Blog...

Spring Break Vaca Day 7 "Easter Day"

 Happy Easter Everyone!!

Our Easter was kind of a mellow one, only because i woke up really late and the girls got home from their sleepover. Our plan for today was to spend Easter at my grandma house but instead we stay home. i Didn't want to ruin the activities of the day which was coloring Easter eggs and some Easter treats.The day was spent cleaning up my kitchen cabinets, cleaning out all these bugs that we really hate so we hire an exterminator. So hubby and i are very tired, the girls were pondering around the house saying "i'm bored mommy!!" As tired i was i didn't want to leave my girls hanging and it's Easter they were expecting some fun activities i had store for them to do. The first activity, which it was mostly eating, I had made some jell-o Easter jiggles a few days ago (maybe Friday) and today they go to eat them. The next thing on our agenda was to decorate some eggs, i did't have any so i had to go downstairs to buy some. The girls had so much fun decorating the eggs, tinting the eggs and painting them too. The last thing we did was made cupcakes! Not just any cupcakes but Easter Baskets Cupcakes!! Joannelly was really into making these cupcakes i guess she get that enthusiastic from me i'm a baker myself (just not a professional one) Amelia just wanted to eat her cupcake, can't blame her. I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter, not much for me to write i'm so tired and i will call it night.

Until the next Blog!..

   

(Jojo's Cupcake is the first one..lol)

Spring Break Vaca Day 6 "Making Cookie Meaning Day"

    The girls and I did something out of the ordinary. Our Saturdays are usually me being the last one to wake up or the first one to wake up to get ready for work. This Saturday I had a plan for the girls to do for Easter and I had to be at work that afternoon. It was a crazy day for me but the girls were going to enjoy and they did. The plan for today was a cookie-decorating class and we went to the east side of the city to a place called Make Meaning. 

        The place is a craft store for children and adults  to create different things. The cookie-decorating class was a last minute thing I decided to do the day before. After so many local buses to exchanged I managed to make it the city in the express bus on time. The girls had a blast at the place, they socialize with the other kids and had so much fun putting their creative side in the cookies. As yummy as it look I was very surprised at their work, I help a little but the rest was them. We fell in love with the place we wanted to do more stuff but we had to go and i didn't want to be late for work. To end the night hubby and I went out to the city for a date night while the girls had a sleepover. I'm not all about sleepovers unless it's with family, this sleepover was with hubby long time friend. She has a daughter the same age as Amelia and the beautiful thing about this little girl is the minute the girls are together its like they are cousins. The ended well and the adventure still continues till tomorrow so...

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Spring Break Vaca Day 5 "Cousin Date Day"

This NYC weather is driving me crazy! Its the middle of April and i'm feeling cold! Like I kept telling people, i am  not a  weather woman but we will have a long summer. Today was day 5 of our Spring Break activities and i'm pretty sure you all reading along thinking to yourself "oh how i wish I was those little girls" or "I would love to do that with my kids". Its funny because these are the same comments I've been getting since I started my plan. Its all about creating a plan and making sure the plan fits your budget to how much you decide to spend, most importantly do your research, I know I did. It is a lot of work to be planing and monitoring all these activities which is why I got some help. Thankfully hubby was off from work today we were able to go the aquarium today, despite the breeze weather, I made sure the girls were learning something and having fun. My niece was also off from school so I brought her with us didn't want her to stay home bored. Because of Sandy and new renovations that were going on, we really didn't see much. 

   The girls love the idea of watching fishes in a huge fish tank was amazing to them but for daddy he was making sure the girls weren't bumping into people which was impossible because it was crowded. I just want to clarify that I am not doing these vacation posts to brag about what my girls did on their spring break but help parents plan trips that are easy and affordable to do with their kids. Not many parents know what to do with their kids because either they don't have the time to search or not sure whats suitable for their child's age. I'm not rich or spend crazy money, i am just blessed to have what i have and fortunate enough to share this experience with my readers. After we finished watching whatever sea animals were able to see, we walked right over to the boardwalk to grab some lunch. I can't wait till we come back in summer to Coney Island and enjoy the attraction and the beach. I remember when I was little I came to Coney Island with my mother, brothers and a few of my cousin. I wasn't sure where I was but I do remember the beach by the boardwalk it was beautiful sun and hot sand. As weird as this weather was today I know the girls had a good time. So now i end this blog here for another adventure awaits for tomorrow. ....

Until the next Blog....

Spring Break Vaca Day 4 "Lunch/Movie Date Day "

It is getting closer to the end of the week and so far has been bittersweet. For the first time in my life i am actually enjoying this Spring Break Vacation, growing up i do remember my mother doing fun things with us what we had consider fun. Our fun growing up was making home videos and being very creative at home or outside at the park. So today's adventure was a movie date with Amelia's friend from school. We went to see Rio 2 which was a lovely movie to watch and it was funny too. I love how the birds were singing and made the performance looked so beautiful and colorful making me want to go to Brazil even though the birds were in the amazon (not the website..lol) I honestly can say that i love this sequel better than the first movie, i just hope there's no part 3 cause there are movies that don't need a sequel and then there are movie that do need a sequel just to give the title a good name.

            We had lunch at Applebee's before we went to the theaters, i order both the girls the same thing, chicken tender with fries. Knowing my girls and the fact that kids do this, they didn't finish all their food. Parenting tip #1 If you are in a budget and don't want to spend a lot when out at a restaurant with your kids just ordering one meal for the kids (if they are little kids) or order the same thing for the kids and order yourself the appetizers that way at the end we eat the kids leftover there's nothing wrong with that. This method worked for me only because i had breakfast and hour an half before we ate lunch i wasn't that hungry. So i spend $25 on us three, that's two entrees, an appetizer and three drinks (water, apple juice and ice tea). I had to stop by one the department store at the plaza before we went to the theaters, i had to buy Jojo some cough drops. I was fortunate to have Amelia's friend whose mother is a paramedic she was able to recommend cough drops that were suitable for Joannelly. Parenting tip #2 reward cards are your friend! I was able to spend nothing from my pocket when i got the large bottle of water from the movies, that water cost $4.75 i was able to use my reward card from the movies to pay for it, you can also use it on movie tickets too! So if you don't have one i suggest you get one. The girls and i really had a gracious evening with Amelia's friend and her family.

 I delighted myself with this yummy chocolate snack from Brookside, i found an interest in eat different kind of foods into my diet. I was hearing and seeing the fruit called Goji Berries not sure what it was so i did some research, found out that Goji berries are from china and they are really good for you. It helps with your immune system as well as good source for anti-aging and the other good stuff for our bodies. After seeing its at the supermarket once then i see everyone buying them i finally got my hands on the Brookside Dark Chocolate Goji and Raspberry snack. The rest of the evening was spent at home, usually we would be home by 6-7pm and yes i know its late but this time we got home at 5 way before daddy got home from work. Parenting Tip #3 To get your partner to do the things they least like to do, use their own words against them. This method only work if you know your partner very well this may or may not work but the key to a healthy relationship is compromise not everyone does it or like it but can't keep a car going if you don't give it gasoline. My husband, i know him well enough to make this method work... keep in mind i do it with love and respect. As tired as he was i use his word against him to put Jojo to bed he didn't like it but i stated everything he use to say to me whether its about cleaning the house or being the provider of the house and i use the key word "your baby girl wants her daddy" Parenting tip #4 Our children's comfort comes first then ours. We went back and forth with each other, its all about using your words very sweet and kind so what i said was " If you complain about keeping the house clean how can i clean the dishes if the girls are going to keep getting up from the bed, i need your help to keep them in bed". Like i said that method only works if you really know your partner if not there will be consent arguments. Is not easy having the "growing old together" relationship, i mean its works for some relationship and for other it don't but as we get older we are learning everyday. My husband and i are the same age we are a young couple but what makes our relationship fresh is that before our relationship we are best-friends and i know we have a lot of learning to do. Our Spring Break is not over yet so...

Until the next Blog.....

Spring Break Vaca Day 3 "Broadway Show Day"

           Today was the biggest surprise for the girls today. The plan for today was to see a Broadway musical show, which better than Cinderella!!! with Fran Drescher and Carly Rae Jepsen. The girls were very tired but excited to see the show, I guess because of the Disney story of Cinderella that they know not the Broadway version.  This morning I didn't get to clean up the house only because I was a little moody and tired from yesterday's work oh I also got the "time of the month".  When we women get our period its kinda like an off switch to our mood...everything bothers us and it makes everything we do around our surroundings so frustrating.  My mood today was off because the girls woke up extremely early.. well Jojo did and then Amelia. I was not ready to deal with children at 7 am especially on a vacation day, as a mother I shouldn't say that but as a human being its the truth. I thought maybe if I turn on the t.v. in my room (yes I do have a t.v. in my room for those days when its just me and the girls at home) maybe just maybe the girls would stay in my bed to watch t.v. while I rest for another hour. Yeah that didn't last long only one episode of Doc Mcstuffin and they were out of my room playing. Ok I got up made breakfast,  printed out our reference to pick up our tickets then i read that we had to be at the theater an hour before the show, it was 11 and I had 2 hours to get ready to be downtown by 1. That didn't sound to appealing it sound more like chaos rushing the girls to get ready and be at theater at 2. 

         As i mentioned in my pass blog about transportation, in the city we have local buses and express bus that travels from one borough to another. So desperate times calls for desperate measures, we took the express bus, its cost us triple the price of the local bus fare. We got to the theater, sat in our seats while we waited for the show to began. Lets keep in mind most Broadway musicals are about 2 hrs long so I was proud in keeping the bathroom breaks down pack and snacks only because I brought our own made lunch from home. This was the girls first Broadway show and my second (my first show was off Broadway a class trip many many years ago) so the girls didn't know what to expect. As tired as they were, they skipped nap-time, they really enjoyed themselves.  The show was amazing and funny, its a show you never expected certain part of the story to happen which makes it unique.  We laugh a lot and clap a lot despite all of that I too enjoy myself, Jojo was so into the story and Carly too. Amelia on the other hand was busy keeping herself awake didn't work cause she took a nap on my shoulders.  

           The experience was memorable cause all I kept thinking to myself that this was something my mother (who is no longer with us) would wanted us to explore different things with our children. And the fact that she admired Fran Drescher in the show "The Nanny" to now being able to see Fran in person then share it with the girls just made it even more special. To me its hard doing these adventures with my girls without my mother because she wanted to take us to do these kind of adventures that we are doing now with own children. I know if she was still with us she would have enjoyed school shows, graduation,  birthdays and family vacation trips. But the funny thing about all of this is that its exactly what she wanted for us to do with our own kids, is to have these experiences as they got bigger. I love her for teaching us that no matter who we become in life never forget where you started from. So our adventure continues tomorrow and I want to apologize if these post are late its just that I feel more free writing when everyone is asleep. If you are following us on our Spring Break vacation blogs I really appreciate you taking the time to read about the girls experience. 

Until the next Blog....

Surprise Spring Break Vaca Day 2 "Mommy had to work Day"

Well today wasn't really a big surprise, the girls had to stay with their grandmas cause I had to work. The plan for today was suppose to be a play date with one of Amelia close friend from school but it got cancel. I hate canceling dates on people its not something I like to do but in certain  cases it just has to be done. No biggie,  its OK the world is still going around. Anyways the good part about this is that something cool happen on our way to grandmas. When you are living in the city the best way to travel is through public transportation, maybe your transportation is not as great or clean but it does takes us where we need to go. In our case it was an hour and half from a bus to a train to our destination..Washington Heights. When traveling with kids can be a little difficult whether its with a stroller or you have more than one kid. And it can be scary, the kid gets left behind at the station or in the train, even worst falls into the tracks. We should always be cautious with our little ones in any situation.  OK we woke up this morning, me being the last one to wake up, fed them breakfast, got them bath and dressed to be out the door. So that took us about 3 hrs to complete. This rain was not our friend today, it was so windy we couldn't hold up our umbrellas.  By the time we were out the door the girls were getting sleepy being that this weather does make you wanna stay home all cozy up watching t.v. all day. 

35 minutes later now we are on the train, it took me a good minute to realized an ad. When I saw my eyes pass through this ad we spotted one of our favorite You Tuber Rosanna Pansino from Nerdy Nummies! If you have no idea who i'm talking about then let me explain....she does baking videos inspired by video games (since she loves video games) or anything nerdy. So if your kid has a birthday coming up who love video games check out her channel and your treats would be the life of your kids party.

              Now back to our day, I was able to drop off the girls at grandma and manage to get to work an hour early. This meant a stop at Target. I think Target is a drug because it has everything and it gets you coming back for more. So I was there getting all the Easter goodies for Sunday, just so you know as part of my preference I am not making any Easter baskets for the girls this year instead ill make some bake goodies!!. (A post of that while be up in the future) Then I bought a notebook to keep track of my sister's baby-shower, after all I am in charge of such a beautiful occasion. I did my 4 long hours of work to get home with none other...... SNOW!! Its spring time and it clearly states "April showers brings May flowers" but why more snow, the good thing is that the snow is not sticking to the ground. To end my night I was surprised to have read from a text message my husband sent me that Joannelly lost a tooth, so he wanted to award her with a little something (obviously mommy did the work for him) I also took some time to prepare our lunches for tomorrow's adventure. I learned from my older sister that everywhere she went she would always pack a lunch, it may seem weird but in some cases it would save you a lot of money.  Especially if you live in the city with small portion for a big price, unless you know a spot that's worth the price then your tummy and wallet would be happy. I like preparing things the night before that way in the morning all I have to worry about is making breakfast and cleaning up. When coming back from a trip the last thing I want to worry about is cleaning up because i'm going to be tired from being with the kids all day. So now that everything is ready to be packed tomorrow i'm going to get my rest for tomorrow adventure.

 

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Spring Surprise Vaca Day 1 - "Spa Day"

So as the title reads "Spa Day" yup! that was part of the PLAN. Well i thought of it and daddy mention it with the intent of paying for it. I mean before that even happen I just wanted to do my nails so bad before they chip off..no luck for my right thumb :( Then I figured it wouldn't be nice if the girls stay home with daddy watching Mad Men marathon while I go get my nails done. And besides they are girls, girls do manicure so why not take them. I on the other hand, was worried they wouldn't stay still and started fighting... every moms worst thought when being outside with their kids. The key is to set rules before leaving the house...that helps if the rules are strictly forward that they completely understand what your stating (this refers to children 3 and up of course, you can't stay serious at a cute little baby)

  It turns out the girls behave like girls at a nail salon getting pamper. If you have boys I don't recommend doing their nails instead take them out to the park and play sports whether its stick ball, basketball or just throwing the ball towards them or each other, the point is to keep them busy. The girls did just that they kept busy in a chair while the nail lady did their nails and the best part was no fighting or whiny just complete silence for 20 mins (for moms that's a lot of happy silence more like heaven to our ears)

Our next trip was to the fro-yo place, the place is the only one in our neighborhood and their prices are very affordable we order the medium size which we can pick 4 toppings. As a mother we encourage our kids to share so as a good mommy I had to be at the moment, the girls each had to choose two toppings. We ended the afternoon at the shopping plaza then a long ride on the bus back home to a package notice congratulating my girls on a spot in a charter school for September. And here I am at 2 am working on this blog enjoying the long silence of the girls and hubby asleep knowing I have to be up early to start another day. Hope you all enjoy reading and seeing our day in pictures and....

                         

     

                                

Until the next Blog adventure....

Spring Break Aventures

So the girls started their spring break vacation that means one whole week and a half of hearing "MOMMY I want this MOMMY she took that!!!" which is all not that bad unless there's a plan. I do plan on keeping them busy all week. I feel that's the best way to avoid all the fighting and whinny about who hit who or she snatch my toy fiscal. This Spring break since we did not plan a getaway vacation like when we went to Walt Disney World (best family trip ever!) the girls started their vacation break by spending the weekend with my little niece. My brother needed someone to stay with his daughter for the weekend and I offer to help since i'm the only member of the family who stays home with their kids. It was a fun weekend for the three girls, i spent the weekend hearing "I want my papi!! (daddy in Spanish)" from my niece. On Friday afternoon my niece came to my home, Saturday we went to the playground around my neighborhood and they played while I was doing the mommy usual...taking pictures!  Then Sunday came around which was laundry day and spent the day at the laundromat, as the clothes were getting dried we were able to get lunch at the pizzeria across the street. I knew the girls were so tired when they have droopy eyes looking like walking zombies and whiny all the walk home. Our Sundays are usually mellow and comfy more like a movie Sunday watching movies all day in the couch. So as the weekend ends however their spring break is still going on full affect. Remember when I mention about a plan? The plan for the rest of the week is a surprise not just for the girls but for my readers!! So have seat and sit back for I have decided to make this week blogs a very special one prior to the girls spring break vacation I wanted to make these daily blogs more to help other parents that do read my blog and non-parent how life would be if there were kids in it. And if this is too much to read I do have a YouTube channel (mylifetheirrules) where you can see how life would be with kids. I hope you all enjoy reading my mommy blogs it helps to know that there are people who walks the same shoes (parenting) as I do.

Until the next Blog!...

Reasons Why I Shop at BJ's

This pass week the family and i went shopping at BJ's. There are many reasons why we all love BJ's, the family size food for a decent price. And provide the fresh fruits and veggies as well as bake goods. And that fact that most of the food we buy would last us probably a month however i have my own motherly reasons why i love shopping at BJ's its not a long list but its something. My 3 reasons are as follows:

• I can make the girls school lunches

• I can make and eat healthy meals...

• My fridge looks nice and full...

•  I can store the rest of the stuff in my bag storage closet.

So the next time i go shopping at BJ's wont be till the next 2 1/2 weeks from now my family are not a big eaters just a big snackers. 

Until the next Blog.

The Hubs Birthday

Yesterday was my husbands birthday. I was trying to get the girls excited to celebrate daddy's birthday since they were so tired from walking and being in school all day. We made a stop to Rite Aide cause Amelia wanted a toy and I felt bad that i pick up jojo 20 minutes late from school, I felt the need to get her something. We ended up buying daddy his birthday present. By the time we got home I was able to prepare a nice meal before hubby got home from work. I didn't get to finish setting up his birthday table but thankfully he did. Our menu for dinner was brown rice, baked porkchops with parmesan cheese and caramelized onions with peppers,  then some spanish beans to put over the rice. We also had diced cherry tomatoes with kettle corn bites salad with a tastful vinaigrette, simple and easy to make. To finish off the meal a nice Entemann's chocolate fudge square cake.  Daddys surprise dessert was left for another day.  The hubbs was very surprised about everything but I was so beat trying to get things done with no car, two tired girls and this rainy day!!! But all ended peacefully and everyone enjoyed the the day. I love doing small birthdays like these because even though we don't have alot in our pockets to plan big parties and we living on a budget, its the small things that make it very special. So HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the man in my life and in hopes he gets better from the cold.

Until the next Blog.

Zoo Trip! April 2, 2014

Joannelly had her first kindergarten but i was too please because it was the same trip as last year. We ended up going to the Bronx Zoo. I even ask if the teacher if there were going to be any more trips in the next coming months and she didn't even know. This trip was exciting for JoJo because she was able to be with her friends outside of school. I ended up leading the trip because her teacher didn't remember her way around the zoo, keep in mind the zoo is a pretty wildlife environment with tons of different animals with so many different names. If you are planing to visit New York the Bronx Zoo is one of the most beautiful places to go and explore the wildlife. On our trip we were able to see a few animals like the lions and their cubs, some rhinos, bears, alot of birds. We had to take a break because we did a lot of walking for these tiny feet. Although it wasn't a beautiful sunny day out, the whole class enjoyed themselves watching whatever animals we were able to see and we got back to the school safe. I just hope this isn't their last trip and that JoJo school would come up with better trips for these kids, im not saying that the zoo wasn't fun which it was despite the long walks and the "don't know where i am going" moments. All i am saying that my girl school should plan on more better educational trip that fit their budgets. If you think otherwise i would like to know.

Until the next Blog...