our corner around the globe

Missing You

2012-02-01T00:08:00.001-05:00

Abui just went home today. We miss her so much but we'll see her in 5 months again :)

View

2012-01-31T00:44:00.001-05:00

We recently spent an afternoon admiring this view and eating crackers. The kids loved it

Chao 2011

2012-01-02T01:33:00.004-05:00

It's been a while since the last time I blogged and I want to make sure I post ALL these pictures before the year ends. Bye-bye 2011... I will remember you for...
Our NYE celebration

Our Christmas Eve

And our Christmas Day

Having fun with water in our backyard

Danny's Christmas presentation at his school

Our trip to Granada

Trying to take a "cute" picture in front of our Christmas tree

Celebrating Thanksgiving Day

Going to the beach with Tia Caro and Abui

Having playgroups at our house

Celebrating Halloween

Celebrating JJ's Birthday

Going to playa Coco

Going to the circus

Staying at a nice house with an amazing view in Playa Gigante

... Welcome 2012! I'm so excited about you :)

So Big

2011-11-02T23:18:00.000-04:00

They are almost 18 months and I still can't believe they're mine!

Pinatas

2011-11-02T22:35:00.003-04:00

Now that the kids are getting older they are enjoying more little parties than what they used to. Especially Danny. He goes crazy about the pinata and gets as much candy as he can. Nicko loves to hit the pinata with the stick. He cries every time he has to pass it to another kid. Emiliana is not really into the pinata thing but she knows that she can get away with a lot of things when we are at a party. Sometimes it gets too crazy and overwhelming for JJ and me to watch them but we have so much fun at the same time.

K3

2011-09-26T02:27:00.001-04:00

Danny started school almost 2 months ago. Time is flying! He looks so big to me and has changed so much in last couple of months. Where did my little baby go?
Last week they celebrated Independence Day and had a lot of activities for the kids and the parents. It was cute to see him sing and interact with his classmates.

This Summer...

2011-09-10T03:02:00.003-04:00

Emiliana and Nicko went to the beach for the first time. Nicko loved the water just like Danny. Emiliana was afraid of the waves but she liked to play with the sand...

Danny went to summer camp and dressed up as a bunny one day...

We took tons of fun pictures...

We Played with bubbles...

and we went to the beach again...

For The Love Of H2O

2011-08-14T03:15:00.004-04:00

Emiliana and Nicko love the water more and more. Danny always has and this is how we spend a lot of our days with them. I had so much fun taking these pictures.

3 is for 3 Parties

2011-08-10T02:59:00.001-04:00

I thought I was going to have more time to blog now that I'm getting more help but at the same time the kids are getting older and there is more stuff to do with them. It seems like I'm always so busy. I ask myself, will things ever slow down? I doubt it. I guess until they go to college, right? I'm having a lot of fun with them though.
Danny turned 3 two months ago and just now I'm posting the pictures from his birthday parties. That's right he had 3 parties. With all the recent changes and moves I wanted to make it extra special for him. What can I say? He's my oldest!
First, he had a party with his classmates at school. He loved that party. He had a lot of fun and his friends did too. He was really happy!
Then we had a family party took pictures, sang happy birthday, and ate cake and candy. On the actual day of his birthday, May 31st, he had a little party with his "Chiquigym" friends. That one was fun too.

Smithsonian Folklife Festival

2011-07-13T00:23:00.000-04:00

I was so thrilled to find out that one of the programs of the festival this year is "Colombia: The Nature of Culture". I hope my Washingtonian friends can check it out. I wish I could be there to go with you.

They Are One

2011-07-10T01:19:00.005-04:00

We didn't do much for Emiliana's and Nicko's birthday. We bought a couple of cakes, sang happy birthday, played with huge balloons, opened presents, and ate mexican food for dinner. They loved all the gifts that they got, especially the ones from Tia Carolina and Abui...

Happy Fourth

2011-07-05T02:50:00.001-04:00

Our 4th of July celebration this year was really ~~boring~~ low key. We went to a party on Friday but we were rained out. By the time we got there, the fireworks were going off, but ended up leaving early because it was raining so hard. Today, we were in and out of the house. Danny went to school and swimming class, JJ and I went to a grown-up party, and that was it. I thought about my DC friends. I miss them a lot, especially on days like today. Last year we had an awesome BBQ at the Pinegars and it was a lot of fun. I never posted pictures from that day but here are some. Our kids and our friends' kids had changed so much in the last year. They keep getting cuter and cuter. Hopefully there will be more Independence Days that we can celebrate together again.

E & N (12 Months)

2011-06-17T11:15:00.003-04:00

1 year!!! I can hardly believe it. I still remember being sick when I was pregnant. I also remember when I only slept for 3-4 hours a night because they kept waking up. The first night we took them home Nickolas cried and Emiliana slept the whole night. They have changed so much and sometimes I miss having them as little babies. Sometimes I look at them and think they are the cutest things in the world and I ask myself, "Did I gave birth to these two precious babies?"
They are my life, my joy, my world, my everything. And yes it was worth looking and feeling terrible for 9 months. I would do it again if I had to...
Happy Birthday Emiliana and Nickolas. You make my life shine...

She Is A Lot Of Fun

2011-06-04T01:50:00.007-04:00

Emiliana has her moments, you know... When she gets mad, she screams and cries like nobody else. But then when she's all smiles and love my heart just melts. I can't help it!

All Together Now

2011-06-03T02:27:00.002-04:00

We have been together for a month now and still having so much fun at our new place. Danny loves to play with JJ, and I think Nicko and Emiliana are getting used to the idea of having their papa around 24/7. As for me, I can't complain. I love my papichickenhawk!

April Happenings

2011-05-17T02:04:00.002-04:00

Danny went on an Easter egg hunt at school. He really enjoyed it this year. He also went to a fun birthday party and played all afternoon with his friends.

Easter

2011-04-25T01:33:00.000-04:00

We had tons of family over for Easter. The kids met more aunts, uncles, and cousins. It was a real party. Danny loved eating candy, and the babies had so much fun playing with the eggs. I just had a lot of fun taking pictures of them.

Coloring Eggs

2011-04-24T01:40:00.001-04:00

Danny loved it!

Happy Day Earth

2011-04-22T16:42:00.002-04:00

I found this awesome website today. Perfect to be used on Earth Day! I wish I could buy some of the things they have. Have you used it before?

E & N (11 Months)

2011-04-20T01:34:00.000-04:00

Nicko and Mami

2011-04-20T01:18:00.000-04:00

I recently flew to DC with Nickolas. It felt weird not having Danny and/or Emiliana around, but it was a lot of fun. Everything was new for him. He loved looking at the planes outside the window. He also did very well during the flights. He was so cute!

Cars, Airplanes, and Cakes

2011-04-12T22:34:00.002-04:00

Danny had a "lecture night" at school a few weeks ago. He had to wear his pjs and play different games. His favorite activity was to ride a yellow car with his friend Simon.

E & N (10 Months)

2011-04-10T01:36:00.000-04:00

Buddies

2011-04-10T01:00:00.001-04:00

This is how Danny lines up his friends before he goes to bed...

Clown Face

2011-04-08T00:29:00.000-04:00

I know it's been a while but I want to post pictures of special events that have happened lately around our house. Danny's class is so into birthday parties, so I went to his school to paint his face and his classmates' faces like clowns. We ate cupcakes, sang happy birthday, and played with balloons. I had a lot of fun with those kids. They are really cute!

Nickoleto!

2011-03-18T23:41:00.004-04:00

He loves playing with the grass. He's been a little sick today :( So sad. It breaks my heart. Nicko is so loving. He always comes to me when he sees me. This picture of Nicko reminds me of this one of Danny. He was 9 months old!.

Mis Gatinhos

2011-03-16T00:13:00.002-04:00

My friend Rafa brought these onesies for Emiliana and Nicko from Brazil. Once I put them on I couldn't stop taking pictures of them.

Abui's Day

2011-03-01T22:56:00.001-05:00

Danny had his first Grandparent's day at school last week. My mom had so much fun with him. First, she went to a conference on how to be a better grandparent. Then the kids sang a few songs, danced, gave each grandparent a present that they made, and had a little picnic with them. It was lovely.

Little Heaven

2011-02-23T22:14:00.003-05:00

My friend Juli invited us to CENIVAM last Saturday and it was awesome! CENIVAM is a research center that studies plants and trees. They also make essential oils with aromatic and medical herbs. When you walk through the garden the smell of the plants makes you happy and gives you a sense of peace. Danny was overwhelmed with the labs and the classrooms inside the center. He was pointing at the circles, triangles, numbers, and colors, especially in the one with the big matryoshkas painting. It's beautiful! Juli painted with her mom Helena. Helena is the brains behind the Center. She's such a sweet and smart woman. Danny's favorite part of the visit was to play with the dogs and the water in the fountain.

E & N (9 Months)

2011-02-21T16:42:00.000-05:00

Love Day

2011-02-18T16:17:00.000-05:00

I made Danny some felt hearts and gave him some heart shape gummies. In return I got tons of kisses and hugs. We love VD!

Just For Fun

2011-02-11T23:21:00.000-05:00

We went to get new passport pictures for the babies, and I ended up asking the lady to take a few pictures of them playing and one with me. I love how they turned out.

Heart Cards

2011-02-10T17:22:00.003-05:00

We went to Danny's school to make Valentine cards on Monday. We brought some cards and a bunch of stickers and foam hearts. First, they drew inside the card, then they stuck the hearts and stickers on the outside of the card. I took a picture of each kid holding a big paper heart with my Fuji film camera. Then we glued each picture inside the card. We gave the kids a goody bag full of candy and they gave us a big hug. They all were so cute.

She Goes To The Pool

2011-02-09T15:30:00.001-05:00

We took Emiliana to the pool for the first time and she loved it. It was such a fun family date. After we got home we realized that we didn't have the house keys so we patiently wait in the park until my mom arrived. We all had a great time.

Happy Times

2011-02-08T21:42:00.000-05:00

We miss you...

Happy B

2011-01-30T00:45:00.000-05:00

I had a wonderful day!!!

Little Chef

2011-01-29T00:18:00.000-05:00

Danny went to a pizza party last week and he loved it! He had such a fun time making pizza, eating cake, ice cream, and candy.

Smiles

2011-01-27T21:44:00.000-05:00

My sister took tons of pictures of us when she was here. These are some of my faves...

8 Months (E & N)

2011-01-24T16:17:00.001-05:00

New Year's Eve With Style

2011-01-24T15:12:00.002-05:00

My family threw a big party for New Years. It was awesome! Everyone wore a wig and/or mask. The party lasted three days, seriously!

Our Christmas

2011-01-21T00:14:00.001-05:00

The babies had their first Christmas and Danny his third. It was a lot of fun. On Christmas Eve, we went and visited some friends and family. We came home, ate traditional Colombian Christmas dinner, and opened up one present each at midnight.
On Christmas day, Danny and the babies woke up extremely early. We opened presents, took a lot of pictures, and made an American Christmas Dinner for JJ. We ate tons of great food.

Catching Up

2011-01-09T10:51:00.002-05:00

We have done so many things in the past few weeks. We have been really busy. Danny is talking like crazy! He repeats everything you tell him. The babies are good. Nickolas is always smiling. He dances when he hears music. Emiliana is so delicate and quiet. She's such a good baby. I need to blog more often but it's been impossible. You'll see why :)

We have been going to the pool quite often.

We celebrated "el dia de las velitas" on the 7th of December. It's a Colombian tradition where you light candles outside your house as a symbol of faith to get ready for the birth of Christ.

Danny went to a few parties.

We visited some parks.

We played with some of my old toys.

We had visits from lots of family.

We played cards.

We have been taking tons of pictures.

We have been going out to eat.

We threw a party for my sister and saw some old friends.

We took Nicko to the pool for the first time.
And many more things... More pictures to come...

7 Months (E & N)

2010-12-21T23:56:00.001-05:00

It's getting harder to take pictures of the babies. Nickolas is moving around all the time. Emiliana is sitting by herself but she doesn't seem to be into the crawling thing that much. I like how they entertain themselves now. I have to be very careful though, Nicko is always trying to poke Emiliana's eyes!

Changes

2010-12-17T00:26:00.001-05:00

We shaved Emiliana's head. I know some of you will be disappointed :) I just like to continue my family's tradition. Plus it was all weird anyway. We also pierced her ears. I think she looks SO CUTE!. I love her new look. Nicko has changed so much in the last few weeks too. He's already standing up and he also cut his first tooth! These two amaze me everyday. I seriously can't get enough of them.

Danny Goes To School

2010-12-03T22:31:00.001-05:00

Danny went to school for the first time this week. He loved it! When I went to pick him up the first day he didn't want to leave the school.
I was a little sad at first but he's really happy.

6 Months (E & N)

2010-11-27T13:15:00.002-05:00

Six months already? where has time gone? It's been too quick.
Picture taken November 18th.

Little Concert

2010-11-25T11:45:00.001-05:00

Danny loves to play his guitar. He does it all day long. Emiliana and Nicko love to listen to the music and look at the lights. They think Danny is so cool and Danny is always showing them how to do it. It's cute.

Many Thanks

2010-11-24T15:34:00.001-05:00

Thanks everyone for being so great to us.
Happy Thanksgiving!

5 Months (E & N)

2010-11-21T22:17:00.002-05:00

Pictures taken on October 18th.

Having Fun

2010-11-21T21:52:00.000-05:00

I love this picture with our friends the Bergers. We have so much fun every time we get together. We miss them.

We Had A Balloon Party

2010-11-19T23:29:00.007-05:00

We made it safe to my mom's house. My grandma welcomed us with tons of balloons. Danny started to play with them and then the babies joined him.

4 Months (E & N)

2010-09-22T01:11:00.003-04:00

Dosh +

2010-09-09T22:05:00.003-04:00

Danny finally had his birthday party. It was really fun to get together with friends, see all the kids play with each other and to eat cupcakes. Danny was a little confused when we sang happy birthday for him but he had a great time in the play ground. Thanks everyone for coming.

It's Bumbo Time

2010-09-07T00:25:00.002-04:00

Nicko can sit in his bumbo chair and he loves it! I think he looks like an old man watching tv. It's really funny.

Emiliana and Nickolas Blessing

2010-08-30T23:14:00.003-04:00

We blessed the babies yesterday. It was such a special day for our family. The blessings were beautiful and we had a great time with people we love.

Somebody Had Fun

2010-08-23T21:22:00.004-04:00

Danny went to Six Flags this past weekend and he loved it! He had so much fun in the water but his favorite part was riding on the little trains.

3 Months (E & N)

2010-08-18T20:38:00.002-04:00

Tres Son Compañia

2010-08-18T18:12:00.002-04:00

I can't have enough of these 3! Rey Sol, Reina Coronada y Rey Leon :)

Big Brother

2010-07-27T17:59:00.005-04:00

Danny is such a loving brother. He's always kissing and hugging his brother and sister. I love it. It's the cutest thing.

2 Months (E & N)

2010-07-22T11:56:00.002-04:00

July 18, 2010

Happy Bicentenario

2010-07-20T11:08:00.003-04:00

No matter what I'll always be Colombian! I love my country and I'm grateful for it. Más Colombia, más de mi País. Mas quiero vivirte y ser parte de Ti!

My Happy Boy

2010-07-18T01:25:00.001-04:00

This is how Danny looks after his swimming class.

1 Month (E & N)

2010-07-10T00:55:00.004-04:00

These pictures were taken the 18th of June.

Emiliana, Nickolas, and Me

2010-07-07T01:24:00.002-04:00

I haven't been able to post a lot of pictures of the babies but this is how they look now.

Daniel is Doshh

2010-07-02T15:31:00.004-04:00

Danny turned 2! On his birthday he started the day by having a super breakfast and a few presents. Then we took him to the zoo and he loved it. By the end of the day he got more presents and ate a yummy cake. He's my one and only Rey Sol.

Papa de 3

2010-06-21T15:41:00.003-04:00

JJ had a really nice Father's day with great food and cool presents. The best part, he spent the day with his two boys and little girl.

Getting Home

2010-06-19T23:51:00.004-04:00

I'm so behind in my blog but I'm trying to catch up. Well sort of..
After being at hospital for almost a week we made it back home. My sister and mom were a HUGE help. They took care of Danny and came to the hospital to help me with the babies too. Danny got tons of attention from his tia and abuelita. They made my life so much easier during those rough first days.

They Are Here

2010-06-11T23:31:00.004-04:00

Well they have been for a while but as you can imagine it has been pretty crazy at our house.
Emiliana Paz and Nickolas Jay arrived safely on May 18th! Emiliana was born first at 3:47 a.m. and Nickolas followed at 4:11 a.m. I ended up having a normal delivery for Emiliana and a c-section for Nickolas. Everything happened so quick!.
This picture of me is before heading to the hospital.

Almost Here

2010-05-10T15:04:00.005-04:00

My mom will be here in a few hours. I can't wait to see her. She'll be staying with us for a while, and this time she'll have her own room. Well, sort of... She might have to share it with the babies sometimes :) We have pretty much everything ready. I'm almost 37 weeks which means the babies can come any minute now. We're so excited!

My Danny Boy And Me

2010-04-28T13:33:00.005-04:00

I found this picture a few days ago. It made me a little sad to think that the days of just Danny and me will be gone soon. But I know he'll love his brothers and/or sisters.

We Had A Shower

2010-04-26T19:06:00.004-04:00

My friends Rafa and Fabi threw us a baby shower a couple of weeks ago. It was great! The food was SO good, and I enjoyed chatting with all my friends. We had such a good time. Everything the babies got was so cute. Gracias! Oh yeah, I'm humongous and still have 3 more weeks to go!

Verde

2010-04-17T21:16:00.003-04:00

Mockus Presidente.

He Is Getting Ready...

2010-04-11T22:36:00.003-04:00

For the 2010 World Cup in 60 days!

Project Two

2010-04-06T23:03:00.002-04:00

I finally finished organizing Danny's toys and hanging frames in his room. He loves to read books, play with cars, and put together his puzzles. Now that he's used to his own space, he's ready to be a Big Brother! I hope...

Want To Learn About Colombia And Its Music?

2010-04-06T22:44:00.003-04:00

Watch this video...

Easter

2010-04-04T21:04:00.003-04:00

Hope you had a good one! Danny loved what the Easter bunny brought him.

Bunnyland

2010-04-03T16:05:00.003-04:00

There were so many things for Danny to enjoy at Bunnyland. He went down giant slides with his Dad, saw bunnies, lambs, and chicks, and walked through a little maze, but as you can see in the pictures his favorite attractions were the tractors. He wasn't down for egg hunt but with all the fun stuff around, he was just happy to be there.

Candy And Friends

2010-04-01T18:15:00.003-04:00

Danny went egg hunting for the first time today. I don't know if he quite understood the concept but he sure enjoyed the candy and the company.

Hello

2010-03-28T16:47:00.004-04:00

It's getting nice outside and look at these beautiful flowers.

Happy Spring!

Five Years of Happiness

2010-03-26T17:58:00.002-04:00

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

Tons of hugs, millions of kisses, un Rey Sol, two babies on the way, and so much LOVE!

Project One

2010-03-18T23:37:00.004-04:00

I've been wanting to make a book with pictures of Danny's favorite toys for a while and I finally finished it! He loves staring at the pictures and recognizing what they are. I got the idea from here.

New Favorite

2010-03-11T14:43:00.003-05:00

Danny got these Uncle Goose blocks from tia Carolina for Christmas, and he absolutely loves them. They are his new favorite toy. His are in Spanish but they also come in French, Greek, Chinese, etc. I can't believe it's been almost a month since my last post. I 've been really busy finishing up some little projects lately. I will tell you about them once I'm done.

Be Mine

2010-02-15T22:08:00.002-05:00

My little valentine got sick last night. He's doing better today but still it breaks my heart :(

All You Need Is Love

2010-02-12T11:17:00.002-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day!
Check out this article for new ways to celebrate this fun day.

Too Much Attention

2010-02-11T19:22:00.003-05:00

With all the free time that we have had this week Danny has been getting tons of attention from JJ and me. We love spending time with him, playing, teaching him new things, and laughing at all the stuff he does.

Frida Y Diego

2010-02-10T18:42:00.004-05:00

I bought these books for Danny a while ago and I absolutely love them.
Frida is about her life and art. The illustrations are bright and full of color. My Papa Diego and Me talk was written by Guadalupe Rivera, Diego's Daughter. The paintings in this book are of Guadalupe when she was a child, her friends, families and rural life in Mexico. Not to mention this book is in English and Spanish.

More Of Snowville

2010-02-10T14:36:00.003-05:00

And we're supposed to get 10-20 more inches today... What?!

Food Inc

2010-02-08T11:09:00.004-05:00

Do you want to know where food comes from and improve your health? Watch this documentary. It has valuable information to think about.

Snowville

2010-02-07T20:04:00.005-05:00

I'm not a big fan of snow but I like how everything looks white after a storm. I wish we had snow gear so we could play around in it more. Danny had fun running around and touching the snow, but now I want it to melt as soon as possible.

Power To The People

2010-02-07T15:17:00.003-05:00

We didn't have power for over 12 hours yesterday. When it got dark we lit some candles and played with the flashlight. I also took some pictures of Danny while he played in the dark. It wasn't that bad after all :)

Happy Birthday To Me

2010-02-03T10:58:00.003-05:00

I had such a good birthday this year. JJ and Danny took me to lunch and the food was delicious. We relaxed, ate a lot of cake, and laughed a ton. I also got a new camera. It was awesome!

This Was Christmas

2010-02-02T11:55:00.005-05:00

We were in Yuma for Christmas. Danny hung out with his Grandma Maria, met cousins, aunt, and uncles and got tons of presents. When we got home he had more presents waiting for him. At first he was overwhelmed but then he was just happy with so many cool toys.

Never Too Late

2010-02-01T21:36:00.005-05:00

I'm so behind posting pictures in the blog. I've been trying to finish Danny's book, put entries in my diary and buy things for the twins. Since I've been feeling better lately, I finally finished unpacking all our boxes from our move in August! So, yes I'm definitely nesting :) These pictures are from out last trip to Arizona. Danny did really good on the flights. He meditated haha, read books, and played with his toys. The weather was so nice that we didn't even need to wear jackets! We went to our favorite restaurant in Phoenix, visited friends and family, and did some shopping. It was a lot of fun.

Little Pez

2010-01-16T15:16:00.003-05:00

I think Saturdays are Danny's favorite day of the week. He loves his swimming classes. Now he's learning how to move his legs and arms more. He's also making bubbles and understands when to jump in the water.

GRRR

2010-01-15T13:05:00.003-05:00

This's the story of a wild tiger that wakes me up every morning. Sometimes he's a little too furious but usually he reads a couple of books and calms down to the point that he ignores anything I say. By the time I'm ready to leave him be, he attacks me with kisses and hugs. I love my little tiger. He makes my mornings so entertaining.

Danny, Nancy, And Santa

2010-01-08T22:12:00.006-05:00

The photoshoot of Danny and Nancy this Christmas went better than last year. How cute are these pictures!
I think Danny liked hanging out more with Nancy than with Santa. He only sat on Sant's lap for a second but was happy with the present he got anyways.

Party Time

2010-01-06T16:54:00.003-05:00

Danny has been enjoying a lot his buddies' parties. Here are a few pictures of them.

Happy New Year

2009-12-31T12:15:00.003-05:00

I want one of these kisses at midnight tonight.

I Want To Party

2009-12-30T22:06:00.003-05:00

I wish I was in Colombia with my family. They are throwing a huge party for New Years tomorrow. The celebration will last for three days. These pictures were taken 3 years ago at a party they threw for JJ and I when we got there. It was so much fun. I hope next year we all can be there.

Double The Joy

2009-12-15T00:14:00.005-05:00

We're expecting twins!
My dad's aunt, Antonia Avellaneda, had a set of twins many years ago. Her midwife was my maternal grandmother. So yes, it runs in my family. We don't want to find out the sex of the babies until they're born. It will be a double surprise. We're very happy and excited.