Busy Mom

Yay! Its been almost a month since Emma went back to school after her Christmas/winter break. Lily fell off the wagon during this time and gave up her nap. Slowly but surely, she's returning to her usual routine. She's back to napping at her usual time and her nighttime bedtime as well. I am happy about this because I get a little break and I can WRITE! Since Emma is back at school, I am also back on my usual routines. It goes something like this, Wake up, breakfast, carpool, (the kids have named my van "the cool bus" a play on "school bus", PTA meeting, and one of my favorites is helping out in the classroom.
Valentine day is  already next week and I love any holiday that involves love, hearts, friends, and family. One of my favorite things about being a teacher and having my own classroom was our classroom parties. It was awesome to see the students stress free and enjoying their natural environment. This is why I enjoy being in Emma's class as Room Mom. I get to be her and be part of her school experience as well as do something fun for her classmates. I am currently getting ready for the Valentine's class party. So far, I've put together the Halloween and Christmas parties. They have both been so much fun. For the Valentine's party, I am planning for the students to make their own strawberry shortcake for a snack and a Valentine card for their family. In Addition, I've bought each student a cute tote bag from the dollar store so that they can store all their treats and goodies they receive from their friends. Stay posted for part 2 to read about our Valentine's Day celebrations.

My little helper

My big girl having fun ( game is from Target)target.com

Christmas activities ready to go

2017 so far

What have you been up to so far this year? As for me- No New Years resolutions here! I have never been good at making them so I don't even bother. I just go with the flow and let it be! I feel that it's way too stressful to keep up with any resolutions. I do set goals and do my best to stay focused. My goals are short term and usually are achieved or forgotten. So far, my goal is to just be content and satisfied with what I have. During the first week of 2017, I had a lot well meaning and motivational quotes on my IG feed. The ones that really stuck out to me is one that read, "Get out of your comfort zone to become who you want to be or get what you want." I was like, I really like my comfort zone and don't want to leave. I honestly feel complete, peaceful, and don't have the need to go anywhere. Don't get me wrong, I would love to lose a few pounds and feel healthier. But to me, those things I can easily do and still be in my comfort zone. I pray for peace and happiness to be part of my life. Thank you for reading and may all of you have a wonderful 2017!

Just Be Grateful!

Christmas is in 3 days and honestly I haven't been in Christmas mode like my usual self these last few weeks which makes me a little sad. I hope to shake off this funk in the next few days since Christmas Day is soon approaching. The reason I've been in this funk is because I've had a sick child at home for the past week. But regardless, I have found ways to feel blessed and fortunate for what I have. With this said, I love my Emma and her ability to always make me see things through her beautiful eyes.

My Life Guru
Wise Beyond Her Years

One day, sometime last week, Emma and I were on our way to our local Panera for lunch and some shopping at Target for our monthly "girl time" when I began to complain about the food and our service at dinner the night before. She was quick to remind me of the fact that we should just be thankful that we're able to go to a nice restaurants and get dinner served to us regardless of the service. Her exact words were, "Mom, just be thankful that we got food when other people don't!". This wise statement made by my baby had me think about other moments in life and I realized that we tend to focus on the negative and ignore the good within.

Midnight cough treatment and smiles 

TLC and Rest
Doctor's Orders

I began to think about the last few days and how I've been feeling down about my Lily's awful cough (she had croup that is now a lingering cough that worsens at night due to post nasal drip and congestion). I realized that we are so blessed to have great health insurance, a warm home, medicine that's conveniently available, a car, and all other material things that we often take for granted. These feelings of being grateful and feeling blessed became more significant and meaningful as pictures of war torn families in Aleppo, Syria were displayed on my Instagram feed. Hence, I found it really hard to complain about my life and a cold that's easily treatable.
After this, I didn't focus so much on Lily's cough but rather accepted it and knew that regardless of the inconvenience of being awaken at night and the mild discomfort she might have, there are many other things that I could be thinking about. Such as having a loving husband who helps me out and stays up with the girls (although he has to be up early for work the next day) so that I can get some sleep, having the medical care that we have so easily available, our warm home, our cozy beds, and even the girl's general health. Bottom line is that now whenever  I begin to feel bad for myself, I look for the good and focus on the positive. I find it much easier to live this way.
BE POSITIVE! DON'T DWELL ON THE NEGATIVE!  I've had heard these encouraging words many times before, but for some reason had never paid attention to their true meaning until Emma said them. Maybe it was the way she said it, or the fact that we have told her the same words many times (they do listen) or that it was coming from the innocent mind of a 7 year old that helped me understand the true meaning of being blessed. As the new year gets closer and we begin to think about the future, I hope this post helps you guys find the positive and goodness in your bad and negative moments.

Christmas Cheer

What are some traditions that you guys look forward to around this time of the year? I am trying to establish a few traditions with my girls. I want some of these traditions to be meaningful as well as fun. My hope is that Emma and Lily can pass them down to their children. I want these activities to help my girls become aware that they are very blessed for the things and people in their lives and to feel fortunate for what they have. As a result I want them to always be giving and thoughtful of others around them.

One fun activity that we have been doing since Emma was 6 (she's now 7)  is donating toys to our local fire station's fundraiser Spark of Love. This year, we're also going to thank the firefighters by baking cookies and taking Starbucks to them. If we get lucky and the firefighters aren't on a call we get a personal tour of the fire house. The girls enjoy learning about the different parts of the trucks as well as the station itself.  Although it is something simple, the girls enjoy it and feel part of something special.

Being part of the community is also important and something that I hope the girls appreciate. This year Emma participated in the Whittier Christmas Parade with her gymnastics group!!!! We are very excited since its our first year being part of something in our city. We have attended the parade before and enjoyed it as spectators and have had so much fun looking at the floats and marching bands. If you know my Emma, you know that she doesn't do well with big loud crowds. However, I was totally proud of her determination to want to be part of it and not quit. Her anxiety was real but despite of it, she finished the whole route. She's already talking about participating next year and being more prepared and less anxious since she now knows what to expect. Enjoy these few photos of my girls making memories.

David Ono (Celebrity GM)

Lily hanging out while waiting for Sister

Finally, we also do all the typical Christmas baking, gingerbread house building, and decorating and we definitely enjoy all the Christmas Shopping!
We wish you guys a wonderful holiday season and the best in the new year 2017. I am so beyond excited to see what the new year has in store for me and my little family. Please leave a comment and/or comment to share your traditions.

Holiday Shop

This week Emma's school has a holiday shop. This is where the students get to go shopping for their family and friends. The School's PTA buys items from the Dollar Store and lays them out in the MPR so that the students can shop as they please with out the assistance of the parents. This year I'm going to focus on having Emma think about others during the holiday season. I want Emma to stay focus on what she wants for other people in her life and not just herself. 🌲I usually give Emma $10 to spend as she likes during her shopping trip. I'm looking forward to see what she picks out this year. Usually, she buys for her cousins and Lily, but ends up keeping most of it for herself. Which is why we're going to focus on thinking about other people in our circle.  I'll keep you guys posted on what she buys. 😂 
UPDATE:
Kiddo walked out with a rubic cube and golden ear buds for her big cousins, a pin for her teacher and some cool shades for herself. Nothing for me, dad, or little sister. Oh well, at least she knows what she wants.  I gave her $20 and she had $14 change when she was done shopping. At least, she's not a big spender. 

Hello There!

Welcome to #momlife. My name is Dolores Cerezo. My family is my work and my work is my family. I have two daughters. Their names are Emma and Lily. Since these two girls are my world, it is obvious that  I will be writing a lot about them and our every day adventures around our city. I hope you guys enjoy reading our blog and look forward to hearing about our life.