Category: Family (Page 8 of 16)

We purchased a tent the other day in anticipation of our great camping trip to the island of Vieques for the 4th of July.  Being a new tent, I set it up in the backyard as a test.  I thought it would be fun to spend the night out there with the kids in a backyard camp out.  I started the evening off with a nice meal cooked in my little hibachi; pureed carrots, pork chops, and Laura’s leftover rice dish.  Oh boy was it good.  Then we piled into our tent.

Note the carrots still lingering in the corners of Javier’s mouth. 

The tent is so huge that there are actually spaces to explore inside.  We bought an add-on that has a portable shower and changing room.  This monstrosity sleeps 10 adults. 

Asier is getting more guapo every day. 

The theory was sound, but at precisely 7pm, the wind died and I spent the night in a sauna.  I hardly slept a wink from the heat, but the kids were out cold… well except for Javier who cried so much we put him in his bed… and Asier who wanted his bed too.  Sigh, so in the end, it was just Jaimito, Olaia, and myself.

I think it’ll be much better though when we set this up on the beach in Vieques.  There’s always a sea breeze.

Jaimito:  Daddy, Mommy said I deserve a prize.

Me:  Oh really, Jaimito.  Why?

Jaimito: Because I picked up.

Me: Oh great, thanks.  I picked up too.  What do I get?

Jaimito: I don’t know.  Ask Mommy. 

Growing up, I always looked forward to winter, the snowball fights, fort building, and the sledding.  I miss it, but we’ve attempted to recreate a little bit of that fun here in the tropics.

We call it sledding criollo style.  Grab yourself a piece of cardboard, find a nice grassy hill, and away you go.  No cold weather gear required.  As usual, Javier had the most daredevil bad ideas, but everybody had fun. 

Even Asier got into the action.

This Christmas, my nephew and his mommy (my sister-in-law) made me the most awesome gift. Check this out, folks:

That is one fine hand-made high quality popcorn receptacle for the containing and the despensing of delicious salty, buttery popped corn.  The name carefully lettered on the side is to assure destruction to all who dare touch it.

Only the problem was that I couldn’t get it on the plane, so they had to ship to Puerto Rico.  When it finally arrived, we sat down with the kids and said to them that under no circumstances are they to touch the bowl.

This is my pop-corn bowl. No touchie, under pain of death.

Aw, who am I kidding, you should see how the kids react when I make popcorn.

“Daddy,” exclaim the niños, eyes as big as dinner plates, “can we use the ‘Popcorn Bowl’?”  It’s like the highlander of popcorn bowls; there can be only one.

Does it makes the popcorn taste better or something.  After careful consideration (i.e. eating popcorn)  I think it does.  It makes popcorn an experience.

Check out those cool little popcorn kernels painted in there.  Those are the little fingers of my cute little nephew and his mommy.  I am impressed, and it goes to show me that a 4 year old and his mother can outstrip Chinese manufacturing any day.

That is quality “Made in America.”

Here is a little list that I wrote to my kids before I was mobilized for Iraq in 2003.  Laura came up with all the subjects.  I just filled them in.

Daddy’s Top 10 Cartoons and Super Heroes

1. Spider-man
2. Daredevil
3. Wolverine
4. Samurai Jack
5. Iron Man
6. Bugs Bunny
7. Tom & Jerry (old)
8. Conan
9. Power Puff Girls
10. (I couldn’t think of 10)

"Javier, come here, little boy.  You need supervision.  I’m tired of you getting into things!"

"I not a super hero."

"Huh?"  What could he be saying, I thought.

"I not super vision.  Not super hero."

"Haha,  no, Javier, you’re not going to get super vision.  Hehe, you crack me up."

"I funny, daddy, yeah?"

"Yes, Javier."

My brother and I played a lot when we were young. I was sometimes mean and teased him too much.

I suppose I was writing just the absolute first thing occurred to me, keeping in mind that Olaia and Jaimito were only 4 and 1 at the time.  Was it a lesson for them in case I never came back?  Don’t tease your brother/sister.  Play a lot together.  Or maybe you should tease each other, just not too much.  Chuckle. 

Probably it was because the hour of my departure drew near.  I was tired and anxious.  I scribbled it down, stressed, worried, and in the process of re-evaluating everything in my life.

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What is she doing turning 9 already?!  I’m traumatized.  The flip side is that she has been and continues to be a lovely little girl.  I guess I’ll just try to enjoy every one of these moments.

I baked her a Rainbow cake.  It’s a tri-colored/flavored cake in with lemon, almond, and vanilla.  The frosting is butter, confectioner’s sugar, with the skin and juice of 2 lemons.  It is so good.

Look at that beautiful cake.  Yum!

The funny thing is that the food coloring does funny things to your, ahem, excrement.  Turns it green, it does.  I can imagine a few surprised parents later in the week.  🙂

When I was mobilized to go to Iraq in 2003, Laura put together a series of little cards of recordatorios (rememberances, keepsakes?) for the kids. I’m going to post them here, because they seem poignant to me as I read them. These were the exercises I was going through days before I was to leave and potentially not come back.

My favorite things:

• Animal: Froggies
• Smell: English leather
• Ice Cream: Cookie dough
• Food: Hamburgers
• Snack: Popcorn/Cheetoes
• Candy: Nestle Crunch
• Chocolate: Dark
• Drink: Cuba Libre
• Restaurant: The Waterfront (where I proposed to Laura)

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