Spring Break 2012 - Tampa/Clearwater Florida

 This past week we went on the PERFECT spring break vacation courtesy of Delta (we were bumped a while back and used free tickets), our tax return, and my parents. We flew into Tampa very late Saturday night and made the 50 minute drive to New Port Richey to stay with Madie. For those of you that don't know the "Mod" - she is my godmother. This is going to be the biggest blog post ever for many reasons:

 1. Because I have my wonderful new camera.

2. Because my mom wants to see every ounce of the trip!

3. Because we had so much fun each day.

Day #1: Horses, Silly String, and an Exploration Walk  

The first thing we did when we woke up was have the biggest breakfast ever. Madie stocked the house with egg casserole, fruit, toast, cereal, yogurt, and her famous jam that she makes. I swear it was like we were in a restaurant. Then the kids ventured outside to explore the backyard. Her house backs up to a pond, woods, and the golf course.

 After breakfast we packed a picnic lunch and headed off to the barn to see her pony Lucy. Lucy is a little pony which was perfect for Carmen.  She loved to brush Lucy and enjoyed cleaning her up before the big ride. The kids fed Lucy and the other horses carrots but were scared at first.

 Carmen did great on Lucy. She even started to get to the point where she could swing her leg over and get on almost by herself ! She was confident on Lucy and loved to ride her.

 Carmen also rode a big horse named Black Foot with Madie's friend Gail. Even up on the big horse this child had no fear! Gianni learned a lesson on horses this day. He walked behind Lucy early on in our day and she kicked him. From that point on he was very scared and only took one ride (and that was after tears, and a lot of persuading by mom and dad). There were dogs running loose and Lucy thought that Gianni was one of the dogs and gave him a little kick. Gianni was not hurt but I think the whole thing just freaked him out. He learned that you never walk behind a horse!

 Lucy is too small for Abel and I, so we got up on Black Foot for a quick ride!

 That night we went back to Madie's house and she made the yummiest dinner of grilled pork and spinach salad. The kids had a silly string war in the back yard while the food was cooking.

 After dinner we went for a walk to explore the woods. We saw lots of critters in her backyard every day. We saw wild turkey and she feeds raccoons every night. They come right up to her porch. That was sort of our nightly ritual: take a bath and then watch the raccoons!

Day #2: Manatee Park and a Small Beach Stop 

On day #2, we drove a little over an hour to a park that is the home of many animals but the coolest part of this park is the manatee exhibit.

 There is an underground viewing area where you can look at the manatees through glass. The kids thought this was the coolest thing.

 After the park, we headed back towards Madie's house and stopped at a small beach. It was really tiny but man the kids could have cared less. We were there a couple of hours before stopping off for some dinner at a yummy little Greek place.

  Sandcastles were built, dolphins were spotted a hundred feet or so from the kids while they were swimming, and then Gianni had a little wildlife encounter of his own. Look what he spotted at his feet while playing in the water.

 It was an all around perfect and relaxing day yet again!

We are so lucky to be here! Loving life today!

Day #3 Busch Gardens

We woke up early, hopped in the car, and got to Busch Gardens right when it opened. We got a great deal on tickets and for 10.00 more you got the food package which meant that everybody could eat and drink all day as much as they wanted for only 10.00 (which is pretty good for an amusement park). Busch Gardens is a mix of a zoo and an amusement park. Lots of animals, shows, and lots of rides.

The kids loved all of the rides. Surprisingly, Gianni did not want to go on much. There were so many rides that he is tall enough for but he was very scared. Sometimes I forget that he is tall, but he is only 6. I'm not sure I rode big roller coasters at 6! Anyway, they did most of the rides while we watched from the sidelines. We did some rides together as a family. The first was the log flume ride. Carmen needed to be 42 inches and she is exactly 42 inches. We put her in between my legs and I hung on so tight to her. She was totally excited until we started to climb the first hill. Too late now! At the end she said, "that was so scary mommy, but can we do it again ?" We also went on the Congo River Rapids where we got totally soaked. We went on a train ride together around the park and also went on a jeep safari ride where we learned about some of the animals.

 One of the neatest attractions was the Tiger area. I took this picture below through the glass peep hole that you climb up into. The camera was right up to the glass and inches away on the other side was this huge tiger.

 I went to the other side of the tiger enclosure and snapped these pictures below as my kids popped their heads up to look at the tiger. The tiger is right next to them behind the glass bubble. If you look to the left of the glass peep hole you will see his paw on the ground. So cool to get that up close.

 Although the kids loved the whole park, they had the most fun in Sesame Street Land. There is a huge climbing area, rides just their size, and a wet play area. After we did the entire park we went back and ended our day there. We stayed until they kicked us out. When they came on the loud speaker and said that the park was closing Carmen actually cried. So cute.

Of course, Abel had to use his wrist band to his advantage and had a $15.00 plate of ribs right before the park closed! When the park did close, it was 7:00pm so we hit a Panda Express for some dinner and headed home to Madie's for a bath, a session of raccoon feeding, and bed. The kids slept in until 9:00 the next day!

Day #4 The Little Toot and Honeymoon Island

On our final day we headed down to Clearwater...which let me tell you took forever. Florida really needs a better highway system! If something is like 25 miles away it takes an hour at least. We packed another picnic lunch and headed down for a 1:00pm tour on a boat called, "The Little Toot"! This boat takes you out for a dolphin encounter. It was so relaxing to be out on the water.

 The kids looked and looked and no dolphins. The boat was heading back in when somebody spotted dolphins. The captain turned the boat around and went right over them at full speed hoping that they would want to play in the wake....AND THEY DID! It was totally amazing!

After we left the Little Toot, we headed a few miles north to Honeymoon Island Beach. Let me tell you, we are totally spoiled now. The kids will never want to go to San Diego again. This beach reminded me of Jamaica! Crystal clear water, beautiful sand, and tons of shells! The water was about 72 degrees and it felt warm once you got in!

 

 This day was a perfect paradise. It reminded us of our honeymoon! This was one of the best vacations ever.

 We were so sad to leave Florida! On this trip we just let loose. If we wanted a $9.00 cocktail at the airport then we had it! If the kids wanted a treat at the park then they had it! It was nice to be able to afford something like this. Thanks to Delta, our tax return, and of course my parents and Madie. It was the perfect spring break. 

Everybody is Lost!

"I can't buckle my seatbelt because my car seat is not in the same spot daddy puts it!"

"Mom...my baby's arm fell off and daddy is not here to sew it!" FOLLOWED BY TEARS..lots of them!

"Mommy, are you going to leave the basketball net out all night. I know it's heavy but daddy puts it away! Somebody might take it!"

"My game on the NOOK started me back at level one...I need daddy to fix it!" Followed by INTENSE TEARS!

 Carmen had a good day but one girl was extra kind and got treasure box and that made her sad. Gianni got 1st base for participation during reading today.

 I had an unpleasant start to my day so I did my best to take the kids out to play tonight to take my mind off of things. Everybody is just OFF today! The kids are behaving very well....we are all just off!

15 minutes of tears this morning! Look babe....I can sew....but that doesn't mean I like it!

WE MISS YOU DADDY!

Warmin Up!

The weather is warming up in Arizona and we are taking advantage of things! The Casillas Family has been busy as usual and the weather makes us all more active. Carmen is still dancing every weekend. I am really trying to figure out how to get her into a sport. She wants to try a sport but it means moving her dance class to a different day. She has been dancing with these girls for a while and I would hate to have to move her but we will probably make the switch this summer so that she can play a sport in the fall. She wants to try baseball or soccer. We will see. Her next dance recital is June 4th.

 Gianni ended his football season last Saturday with a double header and they lost both games. He was just happy that his Nonna and Papa were there to cheer for him. He received a trophy but we skipped the party due to an event at his school on Wednesday. Baseball begins this week. He is very excited!

Here is Carmen cheering on Gianni as she watches from Papa's shoulders.

 Holly and I ran a very fast 5 K yesterday. About half way through I told her I was bored and this is why I could never run a 1/2 marathon like she did! I just wanted to be done. We made great time! Fastest one yet! Today we invited Sydney and Holly up to Papa's house for a swim and hot dogs on the grill. The kids had fun and Holly and I got to soak our tired thighs in the hot tub! The kids are doing great with swimming and I pretty much only make Carmen wear her fishy when I am not in the water with her. Holly and I are single moms for a lot of this week (Abel is at training in California) so we figured we might as well get the kids together and my dad made it a perfect and relaxing day for us. Thanks dad!

 When we got home tonight the kids could tell I was pooped. Between a movie Friday night (The Lorax), running around Saturday (the busiest day ever with getting the kids shoes, wedding attire for Abel's sister's wedding, running a 5 K, cleaning, laundry, yard work, grocery shopping) and then Sunday was swimming and oohhhhhh yes, never ending cookies which I will explain in a minute, I WAS EXHAUSTED! Gianni was so sweet, he said "mom, since you are by yourself I am going to take a shower all by myself and you just take care of Carmen and I will do everything". He not only gave himself a shower, which he normally does, but he did it QUICKLY! Those of you that know my kid know that he is so SLOW! He dressed himself, hung his towel, brushed his teeth and was back downstairs in 5 minutes. Couldn't believe it! And then....I got treated to the "we love you mommy" show where the kids played music and sang beautiful songs to me. It was the cutest thing. Oh yes, that is Gianni in his underwear. Can't get him to wear his pj's.

 Ok, this story is soooo long. It all started with a pink princess cookbook that my daughter selected from the book fair. In it were these super complicated ladybug cupcakes. We were supposed to make them this weekend but then we ran into Carmen's teacher who told us that in two weeks they are studying ladybugs (so save the cupcakes for then) and that we should make shamrock cookies instead because this week they are doing shamrocks. Couldn't find the cut out for a shamrock so these were done by hand. Took forever. Kinda wishing for the cupcakes now! Couldn't leave Gianni's class out. His class is Mrs. Merrbaugh's Major Leaguers because she is a baseball fan, spring training starts this week, and he starts baseball so we made baseball cookies for his class.

 The kids are in bed and now I get to relax. Oh the sweet sound of sleeping children. Back to work tomorrow.

Got My New Camera and My Mama

Ok, so I am crossing my fingers that everyone notices the difference in my pictures. This camera is amazing. I love it! It has really cool effects that I would do with an editing program built right in, a touch screen, and crystal clear images! I am still getting used to it but all of the pictures in this post are with my new Sony NEX 5n. I would love to hear from you and tell me what you think.

Of course none if this would be possible without my MAMA! Thank you mom. She paid for 90% of it! I am so glad that she is here. And it goes beyond the camera. Tonight, I am sick and I feel horrible. I came home from my mom's house, took a hot shower, and I could not believe how relaxed I feel. Normally, my brain is going, what do I have this week, what do I need to do, but when my mom is here, it's like I know that everything is going to be okay and I don't have to worry. She makes me feel relaxed and happy, and I am so glad she is here! I should be cooking for her and preparing food for her but it is the other way around. I just hope one day I can repay her for all that she has done for me, Abel, and of course the munchkins! My mom got here Friday and we had a wonderful meal at Carrabas. Saturday, we headed up there and the girls all went for a pedicure. Carmen got pink sparkle nail polish on her fingers and toes. The kids played so hard in the yard at my parents. They are getting to the point where they just play out there and the adults can sit inside and just watch which is nice for a change. My mom made "fancy" sloppy joes! I call them "fancy" because they are, and never in my childhood did she ever give us sloppy joes! It was such a relaxing day Saturday. Here are some pictures of us just enjoying the day. Oh...with my new camera of course : )

   On Sunday we woke the kids up at 6am for breakfast and to get dressed for the IMS Fit Kids One Mile Fun Run. Gianni is part of a little running club at school called "Kids Rock Stars" and they celebrated the IMS Marathon with a 1 mile run today. The whole family registered and we got to hang out with all of our friends while we celebrated fitness! Sydney was there of course and we love to hang with our favorite girl! She always puts a smile on our faces!

 The Pearson's were there and our other Palm Valley friends! I love Palm Valley and am so happy that we are a part of such a wonderful school.

 The plan was for Gianni and I to run together and for Abel to run with Carmen and then carry her when she got tired. Got tired....what in the hell was I thinking! Gianni took off, I swear we ran that mile in less than 7 minutes! Carmen ran the whole way with daddy and they were right behind us! They ran so fast. It didn't even feel like a mile! I am so proud of both of them but especially Carmen. I didn't think she would do it but she did! Look at her little red nose. Its was cold out there this morning!

 I am so glad that we participate in events like this because it really does make the kids feel good about their accomplishments and also shows them that we truly are a FIT FAMILY!

This afternoon it was back to my mom's for an afternoon dinner with my cousin Christopher and his wife Tracy. It was so nice to sit and eat with them. The kids played all afternoon in the backyard at my parents place. They ran around that pond and over the bridge at least 100 times. On the way home we looked in the back seat and Carmen was out. They both played so hard today and this whole weekend. Thank goodness we have one more day to relax before it is back to the normal grind. 

Valentine's Day Week

Tuesday was Valentine's Day and the kids had lots of fun at school. They each had a Valentine's Day party and gave treats to their friends.  For Valentine's Day I woke up super early and made the kids a special breakfast of heart shaped pancakes. They each got a stuffed toy and a little heart candy. We kept it simple.

Carmen attended Lola's 4th birthday party this past weekend. It was a princess party of course and she dressed up for the event. She had a wonderful "girly" afternoon. While the girls were at the party, Papa, Gianni, and Abel went to see Star Wars in 3D.

 Both of my munchkins are doing well. Carmen had a little trouble at school this week and we are trying to teach her the importance of honesty and that she needs to take responsibility for her actions. Gianni had strep throat and an ear infection this past week. He saw the ENT doctor Thursday and his tube is out in one ear already. The tubes (his 3rd set) have not even been in a full year and I can't believe that one is already out. We will see how he does, but I am crossing my fingers that he doesn't get anymore infections.

As for Abel and I, we continue our weight loss journey together. He is doing great and recently has dropped about 10 pounds in the last month or so. This week I hit a milestone of 70 pounds lost since I started in 2009. It is a daily battle for both of us but one that we must continue for the rest of our lives to stay healthy for these two munchkins. Being around for your kids is the best motivator ever!

I am on the market for a new camera thanks to my mom. She would like me to upgrade and when she settled her contract she promised that I would get a new one. The search has been on. I wanted a big fancy camera like a Nikon or Canon. We looked and looked and the more I talked with Jenni and Angela I realized that I am not a professional photographer, and I may want something smaller. I did lots of research online, went on to photography blogs from professionals all over the country, went and played with the cameras at the store multiple times and got it down to two cameras: Nikon D 5100 and Sony NEX 5n. The Nikon is big and the Sony is small. Do I really want to lug a big camera around? The Sony it is! I made my decision! I learned about the sensors on the camera and how they help with clarity, and compared them and I truly believe that the Sony is right for me.  In addition, when you change modes on the Sony, the screen displays messages that teach you what to use each mode for. People that have this camera say that they have learned so much from it because at the touch fo a button it tells you what to do, and what the mode works best for. The decision is made, so then it was off to buy it. Nobody has it! Every place we checked is sold out. I can't even get it online at this point. It is a new camera and we just can't find it. Well, Abel has been on the best buy site everyday and this morning they say that they have 2 in stock. He called last night when the truck arrived but they didn't unload before close. He is going to get there when they open at 10am and maybe we will get lucky today. Here is my camera. Some of the reviews of this camera say that it is like a compact and DSLR had a baby together. It isn't the prettiest camera in the world but man is it fast! It will fit in my purse and we can buy extended lenses when we save a little more money. I will probably get the 55 - 250mm lense eventually for those times when I need it. Here it is:

Capture detailed photos with this digital camera that features ISO sensitivity up to 25,600 for clear photos, even in dimly lit areas. The 3" Xtra Fine touch-screen LCD monitor ensures easy viewing and navigation through menus.

What's Included

•Sony NEX-5N 16.1-Megapixel Digital Camera with 18-55mm Lens

•E-mount 18-55mm lens (SEL1855)

•InfoLITHIUM rechargeable lithium-ion battery (NP-FW50)

•Battery charger (BC-VW1)

•USB cable (mini B), shoulder strap, lens cap, CD-ROM

•Owner's manual

Product Features

•16.1-megapixel Exmor APS HD CMOS image sensor

Captures high-resolution images up to 4912 x 3264 pixels.

•3x optical/10x digital/30x total zoom

Through a Sony E-mount lens for precise zooming and accuracy.

•18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens included

For intricate picture detail. Metal lens construction provides durability.

•3" Xtra Fine touch-screen LCD monitor

With 921K pixels and 45° down and 80° up tilt capabilities for clear images.

•Full HD video recording

Utilizes AVCHD and MP4 codecs and shoots video with resolutions up to 1920 x 1080 pixels for stunning images with intense realism.

•BIONZ image processor

Features chroma noise reduction to ensure high-resolution, low-noise shots.

•ISO 100-3200 (selectable to 25,600) For shooting in most lighting conditions.

•Up to 10 fps (frames per second)
•Preflash TTL flash metering system

With auto flash, fill-flash, rear sync, slow sync and red-eye reduction flash types to capture a variety of shots.

•Advanced 1200-zone evaluative metering

With multisegment, center-weighted and spot metering modes.

•Object Tracking AF

Locks onto an object and maintains focus, even as the subject moves. Intelligent autofocus prefocuses as you compose the shot for reduced focusing time.

•Media card slot

Golf, Bikes, Food, and Football!

 It seems like life has been so busy lately. I feel bad about not posting any pictures lately. Work has been crazy and the kids are always busy with something. A few weeks ago we went on a family golf outing. Everyone played! Even Carmen! She did great and walked the entire 9 holes.

 Carmen is doing very well in school. She loves to do groups and art. She continues to dance every weekend and loves dancing in her room to Justin "Beaver" as she calls him. She is a girly girl! She wants her toes painted and her nails done. Recently I bought her some new clothes and shoes and she was in heaven.

 Gianni is growing at warp speed. He is so tall. His bike was getting small for him so we went to the store and got a new one and a new helmet.

 Gianni is also doing great in school. He is working hard at increasing his reading fluency and loves to read "The Magic Treehouse" and other books on his Nook. He is a math whiz! He is playing football every weekend and has practice twice a week after school.

 As for Abel and I, we spend our time keeping up with these two. Last week I made what I am going to call, "Mexican Stuffed Peppers." I basically used ground turkey, cumin, and egg, some breadcrumbs, cilantro, green onion, and dumped all of that into a pepper with salsa and shredded jack cheese. They were delicious! Last weekend, we had our Winter Supper Club. It was a traditional Christmas Dinner with a twist. After dinner we played a fun game called, "What's Yours Like?" I think that was the name. There were lots of laughs. Uncle Justin was on babysitting duty so that Abel and I could enjoy the night out with friends.

 Carmen went to Good Night Pediatrics last night around 9:30. She has the "Carmen Coughs" again. At least that is what her teacher and I call it. When she is lying flat at night, it sounds like croup, but during the day it normally goes away. Last night she coughed for 2 straight hours and at one point she was gagging and said that she couldn't breathe so in they went. She was given a steroid and cough syrup with codeine to keep her comfortable. Of course later on that evening she coughed so hard that she threw it all up in her bed. Ohhhhh Carmen! Today I stayed home with her since she was up so late. The boys headed off to Scottsdale for Gianni's football game. He was quarterback for most of the game which he has never done before (and I missed it). Also, he scored his first touchdown! Go Gianni! The ball was passed to him and he caught it and ran it in. When he came home, his face was still lit up. I am so very proud of him. Maybe next weekend it will happen again so that I can be there.

 After the boys came home from the game we finished cleaning the house. I am so lucky to have my husband. He helps me all the time. There is no way I could do it alone. Carmen took a long nap today so I headed off to the gym to get a run in and then it was back home to make cookies. Tomorrow is Superbowl and we have a party to attend. We made football cookies. We are sad that the Cardinals are out but can you tell who we are cheering for?

 Cookies took longer than expected so my husband said we could go out to dinner. It was a nice treat!