Tin Can Luminaries - A New Family Tradition

I love luminaries! When we moved to The Woodlands back in 1982 we were introduced into the tradition of lighting luminaries at Christmas time. Initially, this was a project sponsored by Interfaith. For about $10 you would get about a dozen bags, sand, and tea lights to line your driveway on Christmas Eve. It was quite a sight to see...all those dark driveways in The Woodlands glowing with rows of white paper bag luminaries. Of course, as pretty as they were/are, you can't help but worry about the fire hazard associated with the practice. Well, this year I did a culture project with my 5th grade Spanish students at the John Cooper School that I recommend to families. Yes, it involves luminaries, but not the fire hazard. Of course, it does involve hammers, nails, flat-head screwdrivers, and empty soup cans so parental discretion is hightly advised! Below is a picture of two of my students creating a Mexican tin luminary in a style similar to that of the Hojalateros of Mexico. Instructions follow below. You will be amazed to find out that NONE of my 72 fifth graders suffered any injuries related to this project!! :) Trust me, that is quite an amazing feat and I am quite proud of that statistic!!!

Instructions for making tin can luminaries:

1. Find an empty soup/bean can. Wash it and take off all labels.
2. Fill can with water to about 1/4 inch from rim and place in freezer overnight.
3. Take a piece of paper and fold it in half like a hot dog (skinny and long). The width of the paper is the height of a standard size soup/bean can.
4. Make a design of your choice using dots and lines ONLY. See star design above as example. Snowflakes are also popular. Initially, a basic design is recommended. The more you practice, the more elaborate you can get.
5. Wrap design around can and tape in place.
6. Take frozen can out of freezer and begin to work QUICKLY before ice melts.
7. Find a partner (sucker) who will be brave enough to hold the can in place (with pliers to add distance between the sharp implements and their fingers) while you hammer away.
8. Use the nail to create the "dots" and a flat-head screwdriver to create the "lines".
9. Your partner needs to continously rotate the can/design so that you are always pounding on the top. Don't try to hammer from the side as this can be dangerous...
10. Work fast! You only have until the ice melts away from the sides as this is what keeps the can from caving in.

The cool thing about this is that you can keep the cans and add to your collection each year. Kids can see how their designs get better and better as their skills improve. I like it because it is a holiday tradition that I have been able to start for my kids to add to the wonderful ones that were handed down to me. Speaking of which, preparations for the annual "Rivera New Year Pig Roast" are already underway! Pictures coming soon....

Nuts in December?!?

I wonder, is December nuts for everybody, or just me?? And I don't mean Christmas shopping, tree trimming, or house decorating either... That, I haven't even started!! Anyway, I guess it goes with having three kids and a plethora of activities. Here are the top reasons why I have not had time to decorate, trim, and shop:

#1- Robbie has had All-Star Football Tournaments for three weekends in a row.

(He took on all his teammates on a 1 to 1 tackle challenge and beat all of them, thus earning himself the "King of the Hill" award/trophy.)

(His All-Star team is undefeated. I had no idea little boys knew so much about football!)

#2 - Volleyball season has started again and Katja had her first tournament this weekend.

(Her team came in third place. Not a bad way to start the season.)

(She is playing Defensive Specialist (back row) this year, but that doesn't mean she doesn't get to spike the ball. Below, she spiked the ball in the first play of the game to score a point for her team. The audience really reacts when a "shortie" successfully kills the ball from the back row.)

#3 - Jack is 18 months old and is SO flipping cute and Fun to play with!
(I can't help but stop what I'm doing two dozen times a day to play with him. He's growing up so fast, and I don't want to miss a minute of it.)

(He loves balls. All kinds. Here he is throwing the football to one of Robbie's teammates who is on the sidelines. The boys dote on him and have claimed him as the team mascot. ...And yes, he is wearing a ski suit in this picture as it was frigid during the game.)

So, what am I to do??? Enjoy the kids, I say! After all, they're only eleven, nine, and eighteen months once, right?

#4 - Did I mention we got a FREE five month old AKC Yorkshire Terrier? Hmm, that's one for another blog entry!

Time for Thanksgiving

Life, with its ups and downs is never perfect, but it does provide "perfect little moments" for which I am Thankful for they become the memories we cherish. Below are pictures of a few moments which were special this year...

Family

(at Thanksgiving)

Cousins to play, fight and grow up with...

(Jack & Jayce cheering for "their" favorite college football teams... )

more cousins to have fun with...

(Zeke, Jack & Baz visiting the Firestation during Spring Break.)

and and even more cousins...

(celebrating Grandpa's big birthday)

FUN!
(Robbie getting to play quarterback and trying to run the option for a touchdown...)

Even More Fun!!!

(Robbie's team winning the Super Bowl & the All-Stars tournament.)


Katja playing the viola at the Junior High All-Region Orchestra Concert...
(even though she is still only in middle school)

...and more fun
Robbie celebrating his 9th birthday & that of three of his buddies at Lazer Rage with his entire football team...


Giving & Receiving...
(Robbie and his birthday buddies opting for canned goods in lieu of presents to donate to the Interfaith food pantry. They all ended up getting one gift from their football coach anyway...)

Smiles...

(and NO fighting...my favorite part!)

Hugs...

(in Galveston on the jetty on a very cold & windy evening)

and Kisses ...

(Jayce plants a juicy one on his favorite cousin!)

and more Kisses...

and Friends...
(Gig 'Em boys!)

and more friends...

(Katja, second from right, and some of her girlfriends at Lake Livingston)

etc....

Sir Lancelot Du Jack

Behold my pint-sized Knight in Shining Armor. Is he not the cutest thing ever...?!?

Sir Lancelot was prepared to fight dragons and other scary things on All Hallows Eve. He was so prepared that he even remembered to take his "paci" along for courage (see his left hand.)

Since the kids were little we have had a tradition of having the ENTIRE Rivera family get together at our house on Halloween. The host family TREATS to pizza, I make Witches Brew (lime sherbert & 7up) for the kids, and the adults bring their own "spirits" and TRICK the older trick-or-treaters with water, etc... We usually invite friends to join us in our driveway celebration. Even Nana and Grandpa from Oklahoma have made it down for the celebration in the past. This year, Paco requested that the celebration be moved to his house since Jayce is so particular about his bedtime curfew. It was neat to see all the cousins together with other little friends. We had superheroes, cowboys, pirates, specters, princesses, rock stars and knights in shining armour. For Jack & Jayce this was the first time they were old enough to participate going door to door and actually get to eat some of the candy. The latter they embraced with reckless abandon.
"Jack & (his friend) Jude went up the street to fetch a bunch of candy.... Jack discovered Skittles (and is now addicted). Jude prefers lollipops. And they both got belly-aches thereafter!" j/k ;)

Cousins Sir Lancelot du Jack and SpiderZeke considered dueling, but were easily distracted by the sweet bounty which abounded.

Fall Fun

So, we took the kids to the pumpkin patch on a beautiful, cool day and we had our cameras ready so we could take the annual pictures among the mountains of pumpkins and bales of hay. It was all going according to plan. The camera batteries were fully charged, the memory cards empty, and the boys (still) clean! The only thing missing? A couple of smiles.... Was that so much to ask for?!?

The boys were NOT impressed!

However, we did not give in so easily. You see, we had a secret weapon the boys cannot resist....(drum roll, please).... ROBBIE- to the RESCUE!!! :) :) :) Did he pull the wagon at speeds innappropriate for toddlers? Of course, it's Robbie! Did the boys eventually tumble off wagon on to the ground? Of course they did!!! BUT nobody got seriously injured, we got lots of smiles and pictures to prove it...and that makes it all worth it!In order to get the boys to smile for this picture, we got Robbie to push the wagon backwards until it crashed (repeatedly) against the bale of hay as Robbie yelled "boink" aloud. The boys thought the ensuing whiplash was hilarious, resulting in many smiles! ;)

NO smiles were to be had around the pumpkins as we could not come up with any stunts the boys would enjoy which would not result in broken necks.

Oh, look, yet another picture where absolutely everyone BUT Jack is smiling. Sighhhhhhhh......... (Can you guess the flavor of the sno-cones Katja & Robbie had just finished eating?)

What is the fascination of boys with cars???

I just don't understand the male fascination with motorized vehicles, but then, they don't understand our fetish for shoes.... Anyway, the latest testament to Robbie's love affair with cars was a few weeks ago when he opted to miss a friend's birthday party in order to go to Texas World Speedway with Jeff to watch some random car race. Somehow, they sweet-talked themselves into the getting up-close and personal with some of the drivers and teams. A couple of the drivers went so far as to give Robbie rides in their cars all around the road-course. I don't even want to know how fast they drove, or I might have nightmares.... Below are some pictures that will mostly appeal to the male-half of this blog's readers.

Robbie wearing a helmet and (I'm assured) a fireproof suit while securely buckled with a 5 point harness prior to being driven through the road-course. Check out that smile of anticipation!!

Robbie in another car, with another driver. Hello?!? Where is the helmet and other safety items??? Hmm... for my sanity, I will chose to believe that this driver drove Robbie around veeeery slooooooooooooowly so he could just check things out....
Robbie meeting even more drivers and getting autographs. I have absolutely no clue who this man is and wonder if Robbie does?
Robbie in the garage checking the cars out from up close. For some reason the male of our species find this interesting...

OK, I have to admit, even I would find the OO7 car somewhat cool to look at.

Do I think Jack will have the same fascination with cars as Jeff and Robbie do, you ask? Hmm, as he's only 17 months old, it's probably too early to tell ;)

Super Saturday!

Once in a while life surprises us with a day when everything seems to go right.  Today was such a day.  It began at 7:00 a.m. I went to the kids' rooms and woke them up and told them to get ready for the day.  The both did it in record time & without much fuss.  

• Jeff and Robbie left for football while Katja and I left for her All Region orchestra audition. We were all even running on time!  
• I called to check on Jack, who had spent the night with grandma & papa, only to find that he was happily enjoying a large breakfast. I could hear him laughing and babbling (he's quite the chatter box these days) in the background.  I can't remember the last time I had a stress free morning routine.
• 9:00 a.m.- Robbie's football game began while Katja was ushered (with about 50 other violists) to her audition room.  
• By 9:33 a.m.- I was a nervous wreck on Katja's behalf, and received a text message from Jeff.  Robbie's team led 21-0 at half time.  Already, one of my children seemed destined to be happy for the rest of the day.  
• 9:40 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. - I walked around, and tried to read while trying not to wonder how Katja was holding up competing against 7th & 8th graders from Conroe, Willis, Magnolia, and Klein ISD's.  I tried to remind myself that I had done a good job reassuring her that just being invited to audition as only a 6th grader was an honor and quite the accomplishment already.  Unfortunately, I could not shake the knowledge of how hard she had worked and how disappointed she would be if she didn't make it.  
• Robbie played true to the number #1 on his jersey as he earned MVP of the game!
• 
  11:17 a.m.-  Call comes in letting me know that Robbie was MVP of the game (wohoooo!), and I missed it!!  :(  Sniff, sniff. He made numerous tackles which included diving, ramming, and even sacking the quarterback WAY behind the line of scrimmage. Coaches said that Robbie was most valuable player and played his best game yet.
  Katja practices before audition
• 
  11:30 a.m. - Katja emerges from audition room feeling good about her performance.  I remain skeptical, however, as Katja is the proverbial optimist.  I assure her that the reward is in feeling that she did her best and gaining valuable experience in the audition process, blah, blah, blah.....
  
  Katja and Mrs. Brosvik (Katja's teacher) in the midst of (chaos) hundreds of aspiring musicians all tuning their instruments at the same time!
• 
  12:15 p.m. - results are posted.  As I approach results I am passed & dazed by a mob of rushing students who push and shove their way to the front.  The teacher in me reprimands a student before I remember that I am being a "mom" at the moment and should not do anything to embarrass Katja.  Katja somehow manages to reach the results list, turns around and yells "I MADE IT!!!".  She runs off to find her teacher.  I endure more shoving and pushing before being able to scrutinize list and confirm the results. Sure enough, not only did she make it, she had an impressive ranking.  I am stunned and amazed.   We leave school with Katja floating on a cloud and calling all relatives to share her news.  She is the first 6th grader in CISD's history to make All-Region Orchestra! Go Kat!!!
  
• 1:30 p.m. - As the day is beautiful the kids and I decide to walk to the park with their neighborhood friends.  At the park, we run into old acquaintances and enjoy their company. Robbie plays football with friends.  The kids get invited to a Halloween party.
• Grandma celebrates her birthday at Japanese Steakhouse
• 
  6:30 p.m. - Paco & Kerrie, Michelle & Chris, Jeff, the kids, and I meet mom and dad at Kobe's Japanese Steakhouse to celebrate grandma's birthday, the kids' accomplishments, and Jack's turning 17 months.  A good time was had by all even if we all have the cook's routine memorized already.  Really, they need some new material!  Regardless, if you have to take young children to dinner and want them to behave, take them Kobe's.  The cook's antics will keep them riveted.  
  
• 8:45 p.m. - Kids go with Jeff to neighbor's Halloween party wearing their new costumes while I stay home with a sleepy Jack.  
• 10:25 p.m. - As I type this entry I wonder if I should buy a lottery ticket...but I'm just too darn tired.

Broken Leg Trauma

Well, the Jack-man gave us quite the scare this week. It all started innocently enough. He wasn't feeling well early in the week and was extremely clingy and cranky (atypical for him). Of course, I was just informed by my pediatrician that babies go through a "cranky-clingy" stage betwee 16-18 months. Great. Just when I was really enjoying my "low-maintenance" baby. Anyway, what seemed like typical baby complaints escalated into some really scary possibilities. Here's the low-down, summarized.

-Monday: Jack feels bad. Has low-grade fever, stuffy nose, prodigious drooling. We attribute this to the fact that his molars are coming in.

-Tuesday: Jack is sent home from daycare with a fever. "He's just not his usual perky self", they said. Jeff takes him home. I notice, in the evening, that Jack is limping.

-Wednesday: Jack refuses to put any weight now on his right leg. We take him to the pediatrician. Pediatrician cannot determine what is wrong, but suspects either a) a break, b) a viral infection in the joints, or c) a bacterial infection in the joints (BAD!!!).

-a) is fixed with a cast, b) nothing can be done by wait for it to go away, c) only the pediatric orthopedists at TX Children's downtown can properly treat this....

-Thursday: Visited Woodlands orthopedist. X-rays taken (NO fun with a cranky 16 month old). He kicked and squirmed so much (while crying) that I was convinced nothing could possible be broken...

-No breaks were evident in Xrays.

-Doctor Shaw manipulates leg (after waiting 10 minutes for Jack to stop screaming) and isolates injury to the tibia. He suspects a hairline fracture.

-Cast from hip to toes is put on (while two of us held him down while he cried, and cried, and squirmed)

-Doctors orders: wait until after 9 p.m. for ibuprofen to wear off. If temperature stays low, then it is either the molars or a viral infection causing it. If temperature spikes to 102F or above, it is a bacterial infection. Get in car, drive FAST to Texas Children's Hospital Emergency Room downtown (don't call us or the pediatrician....just drive fast) and tell them to check/treat for a bacterial infection. Only they can treat it. (Sure, I won't panic!?)

-Took Jack to mom's so I could get off the emotional roller-coaster for a bit. Had a margarita with friends while I waited for Jack's ibuprofen to wear off.

-Held breath from 9 p.m. - midnight each time his temperature was taken.

-Midnight: NO FEVER at ALL!!! Hurray!!!!

-As predicted by orthopedist, it was a fracture and he is MUCH happier now that the leg has been immobilized. He even loves the sound the cast makes when he bangs it on the tile floor. ;)

-The cast will stay on for only 7-10 days. I wish I could bounce back from my injuries/illnesses as fast!!!!

On another topic. While drinking that margarita with friends waiting for Jack's fever to either make, or not make, its appearance, the topic of the product "Little Noses" came up. Since all nasal decongestants for infants and toddlers have been taken off the market (thanks to a few dense mothers who overdosed their kids because they couldn't follow the directions on the label), now millions of infants and toddlers (and their unfortunate mothers) are having to suffer scores of sleepless nights dealing with saline drops and bulb syringes (which are used so often that the mere sight of one triggers children to cry)and only work marginally (in my opinion). Anyway, after one particularly tedious night I was desperate enough to ask the pharmacist for advice on what to do since all products which had previously worked for me where taken off the market. She recommended "Little Noses", but then realized that it too had been taken off the shelves. To my good fortune; however, I found five boxes at HEB which had not been yet been confiscated from the shelves. I bought ALL of them. I even made sure I paid for them in the "self-checkout" line to avert any chance of an astute cashier taking them from me. They worked like a charm. I now swear by them. They are back in the market now, but without the words "infant" and "toddler" off the label. Anyway, last night after I thought I had imparted what I thought was an exciting and useful discovery with said friends at the table over margaritas, I was told that the product only contained saline. I felt like an idiot at the time, so when I got home I googled the product. As it turns out, we were all right. It seems there are two products made by "Little Remedies" called "Little Noses". One only contains saline drops, while the other are nasal decongestant drops with "Phenylephrine Hydrochloride" as its active ingredient. I've put a link on the sidebar with a review of the decongestant drops with information about ingredients and effects. I highly recommend them. At least, they work great for Jack and since he is about 24 pounds now (the minimum recommended weight), I don't feel guilty using them.

Chicken Pox or Mosquito Bites???

Right after the hurricane we thought Jack had the chicken pox. My poor baby had little bumps all over his head, his arms, his legs, his face, and his shoulders and torso even had a few! He even ran a low fever and was miserable at night. So, I ran to the store and bought Caladryl & Calaclear, coated him, and called the daycare and the doctor.

As predicted, the daycare freaked out and told me not to bring him back for three weeks. Yeah, right! For those of you with little kids, know that the state health guidelines say that kids can go back to school "seven days after the onset of the rash if the blisters have crusted over..." Then, the doctor said that it was not chicken pox, it was MOSQUITO bites. You know, those annoying little creatures that seem to reproduce more prolifically after hurricanes than rabbits in Spring. I mean, are they annoying anyone else as much as they are us, or what??? I now have a new appreciation for the words "pest" and "infestation." I heard that one man in Galveston was bit over one thousand times (I spelled that so you wouldn't think I got carried away with the zeroes), yes, 1000+ times, and had to be life flighted to a hospital. Thankfully, the Texas Department of Health has recognized the problem and has ordered planes to spray against the little monsters between 10pm and 6am. I think they were supposed to have done this already. Has anyone noticed an improvement?  I think they have, but that may be wishful thinking on my part????

Meanwhile, the stores are making a killing selling mosquito repellent. Some stores have been completely wiped out. Robbie's coach brought a can with "40% Deet" to football practice the other day. Even the most finicky moms allowed their children to be sprayed. Then the moms sprayed each other. I have never closed my eyes, held my breath and allowed anyone to spray my face and neck with mosquito repellent. Ugh, I was THAT desperate! Of course, I am a former West Nile Virus victim, so I'm probably more paranoid than most! See my link to Insect Repellent Reviews on the side.

Hooked on Fishing

Fishing was the kids' favorite pastime while visiting Nana & Grandpa in Oklahoma during our evacuation from hurricane Ike. The pond was just a skip and a hop from their front door and the weather was fabulous. Robbie caught the biggest fish by far, the bass below. Jack caught the smallest and came home with fishing fever! He truly was hooked (yes, pun intended :) on fishing.

Grandpa Bill showed Jack how to reel his fish in using his Star Wars Light Saber kiddie fishing rod. Notice Jack's concentration. I mean, this was serious stuff as far as he was concerned!
Not only did Jack catch a fish, he lit up when he saw it up-close and even dared to touch it. Ugh, what can I say? He's a boy. Katja may be eleven years old, and she does enjoy fishing, but someone else has to take the hooks off of her fish and throw them back in, thank you very much! Last spring she caught so many using pizza crust as bait in the pond near uncle Paco's house, that after the a while "uncle" Jesse told her that there is a rule stating that "after the 20th fish you have to remove the hooks yourself." ;)

Eventually, Jack insisted on fishing by himself so we removed the hook and let him go at it. He didn't seem to care that he caught no more fish. I think casting was his favorite part....