Family Reunion

Kate went to her first family reunion ~ as did I! Kate's great-grandmother (my maternal grandmother) and her two siblings, along with many family members, hosted this huge event in Puerto Penansco Mexico. My grandmother was one of seven children. Each of those children were represented with a particular color t-shirt. We were the "Green Team". My grandmother (and grandfather who is deceased) had three children. Those three children had nine children. Three of those children now have children themselves! My grandmother was so proud to have all of us there to celebrate. To be honest I didn't mingle as much as I would have liked since I was running after my little green speed machine! Kate had so much fun despite the 100+ degree temperature and humidity (yes, it was HOT and the events were held outdoors). Once the music started up, Kate was on the dance floor shaking her thang. Since we came home she has been crashing early ~ I guess she is still recovering. I tried to load of video of her dancing because it was so cute and funny ~ white girl (well, half white) has some moves!


(The "Green Team": Luis, Cesar, Ish, Gary, Annette, Kate, Chris, Eric (Top Row); Marilu, Fausto, Olga "Ma", Delia (Middle Row); Angelica, Barbara, Marianna, Natalia, Bianca, and Isabella. Missing: Carla, Tony, and Kassandra.


(The ENTIRE (almost) Lizarraga Family!)


(all the cousins ~ so Kate's second, third, etc. cousins)

Freedom

Let me thank god right now that Kate does not know how to unlock doors and turn knobs on doors ~ yet! I was washing the dishes the other day and it was too quiet in the house. That is usually my clue that Miss Kate is up to no good. Boy was I right. Little Miss Kate was finally brave enough to go through the dog door. I say brave because for months she has been very curious about the door. Lifting the flap. Peering her head through it. But never actually going through it. Well things changed this weekend. I caught her going through the door and it was like she escaped prison because she had this look on her face like "I did it!" and her actions were a bit confused like "now that I have this freedom, what do I do, where do I go, what to do first?" So needless to say this weekend was loads of fun. Each time I put the dog door on lock-down she yelled at me, "no no no no no no!" Clearly, I ruined her fun. So being the nice mom I am I suffered in the heat so that Miss Kate could do what SHE wanted...be outside.


"here Blake, let's play ball"


"what to do, what to do..."

I know the next step is learning how to unlock doors. She is already on her tip-toes trying to do it. She knows how to open/close doors since we have lever-door handles; thank goodness the front door is a knob. Give it time and I am sure she will get that down too. I am going to have to have her on a leash or something. I can just picture it now. My neighbor will call me, "Um, Annette, I have your kid, she was playing in my front yard."


This video may or may not work...but it shows Kate escaping "prison"

Taming of the fro

Good bye fro!


Sorry Kate my love, but seriously, your hair was out. of. control. We needed to do something to tame those locks.



Hello scissors!

I took Kate to see my hairdresser, who is also my sis-in-law and Kate's aunt. Nana showed up for the first cut too. So let me point something out. Kate will not let me comb her hair. I have tried several combs and brushes. That is not the problem. Kate is the problem. She is going to be that kid who is all "grenuda" ~ sorry Mexican folks but that is the best I could do to spell it out ~ which means "messy hair". The sight of any comb and the spray bottle and Kate runs away from me yelling, "no no no no no." So taking her to get a cut posed as an issue for me. Lollipop to the rescue! Once Nana held her and she started sucking on her blow-pop she was totally fine. Yancey sprayed her hair with water and starting combing it without any problems. Sorry I don't have any after pictures. I think I was in shock that Kate actually sat still for more than 5 seconds. She was SO good at the salon. I think I am still in shock actually. Anyhoo, stay tuned for "after" pictures.

Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail, nor 109 degrees...

109 degree weather will not stop Kate from playing outside. This girl LOVES being outside, which is awesome....EXCEPT we live in freaking Yuma! When somebody opens a door leading outside there is no stopping Kate from wanting to go outside. If you do not let her go, she will wail...falling to the the ground with fists and feet pounding on the ground and screams heard around the world. I gave in when Chris and Bum Bum left to get us take-out tonight. We hung out in the backyard in the blistering heat. But once you pop an otter-pop it isn't so bad, or we were just so hot we began hallucinating. Once the beads of sweat and red puffy cheeks were very evident on Kate I fought her to get her inside. A nice cool bath distracted her once we came inside the wonderfully air-conditioned house - ah, relief! Looking forward to the dip in temps...which still seem so far away!


"I make frizzy curly hair, red cheeks and sweat look good!"


chill-ax-ing on hot metal chairs


sitting on hot stones looking at, who knows? (but I LOVE LOVE LOVE this picture and my Kate!)