Cough

Elan seems to be coming down with a cough. He We had a rough night last night because he was obviously not feeling well. It's such a helpless feeling when you can't make them more comfortable. Of course, with little ones, medication has been a hot topic lately. Do you or don't you? Personally, when it comes to my own illnesses, aches, and pains, I try to stay away from medication whenever possible. I'm not quite a hippie, but I prefer more natural ways to remedy the situation. When it comes to Elan, I kinda feel the same way, but I can't feel his pain or discomfort, so I'm quicker to act (reach towards "medication"). Of course, this is only after I have explored less aggressive options. Here are some things that we try.

No fans- The ceiling fan is immediately turned off. 

Hot Lemonade-  This is my favorite. Heat a cup of water for 30 seconds in the microwave, squeeze in half of a lemon, add 1.5 teaspoons of honey (local), and mix. Drink up. It's tasty and soothing.

Humidifier- This is also controversial. Some doctors recommend the warm, moist air, much like what you could get from a steamy shower. Others are now recommending the cool, moist air. We go for the warm, moist air. We don't use this in the warmer months, though. So, I won't be taking out the humidifier this time around. Also, I don't use the gel that is sold to put in the machine, just plain water.

Vicks VapoRub- I guess some might say this is medicine, since it is medicated. But it's not an oral medication, so I'm not counting it. Growing up Vicks (commonly referred to a "beeks") was applied to the chest and back. I recently learned that many people put it on their children's feet and put socks on. Doctors can't really explain why this works, but it does.

All Natural Cough Syrup- This is our last resort. It's sold over the counter in most places. I'm not sure what the brand is. It doesn't seem to make a huge difference, so I prefer not to use it.

How about you? Do you know of any home remedies that seem to work for coughs?

Ohhh, Memorial Day!

Although today is Memorial Day and most of the country has the day off, Austin ISD was open for business. Not that AISD doesn't care about those who served in the military, but it was our bad weather make up day. So, it was like any other day for us. We went to work, came home exhausted, and thought of ways to entertain Elan.

Monday is one of the days I go to boot camp, but I'm usually so exhausted by the evening, that I'm usually dragging my feet to go. I go because I know it's what's best for me and once I get there I don't regret going, but I usually don't feel like going. The hardest part for me is getting there. So, today like many other Mondays, while dragging my feet, I changed into clothes that make me look like a pack of sausages, filled up my water bottle, and headed to Mueller Park. As I approached the park, there seemed to be very few cars. Strange. I pulled into the parking lot anyway, and looked down the hill where we meet. No one. Hmm. "Today is Monday," I thought. And that's when it hit me, "Ohhhh, Memorial Day." So, that's what I get for skipping class last week. They must have announced that we'd be off for Memorial Day.

I was in my workout clothes. I could have very easily parked and gone for a jog. I did have my headphones. But no, I continued on home to do laundry and hang out with the boys. And I might even make cookies. I know what you're thinking.... I didn't earn the cookies. Oh well. I'll make them for Julio and Elan. :)

Be a Ring Bearer- Check!

This weekend was a fun one. Julio's cousin Gaby got married in San Antonio and Elan was the ring bearer. When we agreed to let him be in the wedding, we weren't really sure if he'd actually do his job and walk down the aisle. Despite his recent openness with strangers, he can be very shy. I wasn't sure how we were going to get him to do this. At first, they were going to have Elan and Camila walk together, but they can become quite silly when they're together. So during rehearsal, it was decided to have one of the older flower girls walk in between them. That seemed to do the trick. They both did very well. Here are some photos that I stole from Julio's camera before he could touch them up. So, don't be surprised if I end up changing them out later. I was just too excited to post some pictures for family members who didn't get to see Elan all dressed up. Plus, this week, like last, will be a busy one. It's our last week of work, which means it's crunch time to get everything done. I hear camping calling my name.

Sporting his suit.

With Camila before walking down the aisle.

Walking down the aisle. 

Me and Elan. :)

The Politician

It seems we have a little politician on our hands. Elan has, all of sudden, become a social butterfly. Anywhere we go, he says "hi" to people and is sure to wave until he gets their attention and a response.

If anyone reading this knows my dad, you know he is the same way. My dad has never run for office, but sometimes it looks like he's running for some public office. We're from a pretty small town, where you run into people you know. When you're with my dad, you're sure to bump into someone he knows. And if you go with him to Skillets, you're sure to stop at every table before you get to your seat. Then you can be sure that every other person that walks in afterward will come by and say hi. That's just the way it is in Del Rio. Or so I thought. My parents were in town 2 weekends ago and we took a quick trip to Sprouts. As we were entering the store, an older lady stops my dad, and we realize they know each other! As a matter of fact, they are related. So, apparently he knows people in other places, too.

It's a good quality to have, being social. Being social and friendly, paired with other good qualities can take you places in life. Of course, we're probably going to have to have the "stranger danger" talk pretty soon, but I hope Elan continues in this friendly way. 

Here is the politician and his running mate (not sure who is who). They both also love sweets- take a look at Elan's face!

I ♥ Central Market

I'm talking about Central Market, yet again. I promise I don't get a cut of their sales or even a discount. I am in no way associated with them. And to be perfectly honest, I don't really even care for the food at their cafe. But there are some things I love.

I've already mentioned the playground, so I won't go into that. Our most recent trip during the week, confirmed that love once again. Elan and I went to the cafe to order a smoothie for him and a blended mocha for myself. When asked which kind of milk I wanted, I was surprised to see almond milk as an option. I was very excited, as this is the same milk I use at home to make my blended mochas. It's less calories and adds a very good flavor to it. I've never seen almond milk as an option at any other coffee shop. So, they earned a point with the almond milk.

They earn point #2 because they are nice. As Elan and I waited for our drinks to be prepared, we were talking and the girl working in the cafe heard us speaking in Spanish. So, she began talking with us and she offered Elan some free gelato. I told her he hadn't had dinner yet, but she insisted, saying he earned it for being so calm and well-behaved. I think he charmed her with his Spanish. But either way, he got free gelato!

Not the greatest photo, but here he is with his free gelato. Thank you, girl at Central Market!

Why?

Elan is definitely in the "why?" stage. Sometimes it's funny and sometimes it's exhausting. He wants to know everything- when? where? who? why? how?, but his favorite question of all right now is "why?" A typical conversation with Elan goes something like this (in Spanish, of course):
Elan: Let's go to the pool.
Me: No, we can't go to the pool right now.
Elan: Why not?
Me: Because it's windy.
Elan: Why did you say it's windy?
Me: Because it IS windy.
Elan: Why is it windy?
Me: I don't know!!!!

I try not to show my exhaustion because deep down inside I hope he never loses his inquisitive nature. I lost my imagination and wonder for the world a long time ago and I hope that never happens to him. Julio's imagination is still in tip top shape and I hope Elan takes after him.

Mother's Day Weekend

Mother's Day weekend was so nice and relaxing! On Friday, Elan and I met up with my friend Mari and her newborn Ellie at Central Market. The weather was great, there was live music, and we munched on some good bread while Elan ran around the playground. Elan loves parks and playgrounds, but I think this ranks as one of our favorites because there's a little bit for everyone. I think it's safe to say Ellie likes it too, since she was so calm and content the whole time we were there. After getting home, Elan and I snuggled up on the sofa and fell asleep watching a movie.

Saturday I put in a few hours at work in the morning, while Elan and Julio stayed home and cleaned and prepped food for Sunday's BBQ. It was nice to come home to a clean house. After an afternoon of lounging around and napping, we decided to go to Central Market again. Yes, again. I'm telling you, it ranks as one of our favorites. So, it was another night of nice weather, live music, and munching on treats. It was a great night for people watching, too. Some people are really out to keep Austin weird (while dancing). Like Julio and I always say, "They're just doing their part." Anyway, this time Elan was able to get up close to a turtle who decided to hang out on the grass. Although it doesn't sound like we did much, you'd have to see the look on Elan's face when he experiences these things to understand how much fun and special these times are.

After putting Elan to bed, Julio and I watched 127 Hours, which I wasn't sure if I was going to like. I have to admit, they did a good job making this movie. I was pleasantly surprised. Maybe not award worthy (in my opinion), but entertaining.

Since we stayed out a little later than usual on Saturday night, we got to sleep in on Sunday morning. Elan didn't wake up till 9:00 a.m.! Not a bad treat for my third Mother's Day. :)

As a special touch for Mother's Day, Julio slaved away in the kitchen (and outside at the smoker) to prepare an extra delicious BBQ meal. We had a few friends and family members over and it was nice to hang out and relax. We had a child of almost every age- a 2 month old, a 1 year old, a 2 year old, and a 3 year old, so it was fun to watch them all interact. Thanks to Julio for making the day extra special!

Only negative- I forgot to take pictures! So, I have none to share. I know, I know.... I'll work on that for next time.

Going live... again

We're at it again. Or I guess I should say, I'm at it again. Blogging, that is. I was never into it much. Julio was the one who maintained our old blog and I was the occasional poster. He got tired of keeping up with it, and with Facebook he found it to be somewhat unnecessary. I can see his point, but sometimes there's more to be said or more to be shared. And Facebook status updates or notes just don't cut it. So, I missed our blog and decided to create a new one. It's going to be used the same way as our last blog- updates on family events, random thoughts, a few recipes, or whatever else comes to mind. We had quite a few readers (not necessarily labeled followers), and I'm hoping they'll return to read the latest. I'll be honest, Julio is a better writer than I am. I tend to write as I think... in short spurts. I hope it doesn't turn you away. :)