my very first blog post....

Monday, December 3, 2007
my crack of sunlight
I named my blog this because even on the darkest grayest days, my children are my sunshine. Like a room with the shades pulled down but that crack of sunlight can't help but shine through, that's my children. I will share many pictures of their shining little selves.
Introducing my first born, Jordan Toledo, now 8 years old
Loves to read Goosebump books,
Play on the computer his Lego Star Wars games,
eat Funions onion rings,
watch School of Rock with his mama - me ")
and have sleepovers at his grandma "Gigi's" house
Introducing Maxwell, my second born, but never ever second in my life!
Macky (as his baby sister Bella calls him) is a pure lovebug most of the time,
because now that he has hit the fours a little more frustration has arrived in his loving heart,
I am hoping it is just a phase...
Macky loves to play cars, he would all day every day if he could, he loves to
take tubbies and play with his big matchbox boat in the tub,
wrestle and chase his big brother,
help bake cookies and eat them all with his mama
and
read bedtime stories
Isabella Laila, my babygirl, she has made my life complete.
She is the most vibrant little sunshine,
she loves to talk and talks very well,
she loves to shake her bootie and play dance freeze
and give her babydoll and hello kitty hugs and kisses,
She loves wearing hats and shoes
and rock out to Dora and especially YO GABBA GABBA, it's the best show, i get some serious cardio in when we watch that funky show!
I am so glad they have eachother
and that I have them in my life.

Happy Birthday to my Mariachi Girl!!!

After an amazing night at TiJuana's, few drunk chica's in this shot, what a good time we had! Let's do it again soon!

the tourists at the water fountain and at this point we didn't even know the 3 amigos were right there across the street waiting to serenade jenny mariachi 4 times!

Nothing but the Best!

O, isn't he a cutes! He was rockin on the accordian, i couldn't keep up with him with the dance moves!

Just keepin it safe in sweet Chelsea



Feliz Cumpleanos a ti, Jenny Mariachi!!!! I am glad these 3 cutes made your dream birthday come true!!!!
O what a night! From looking like tourists in front of the water fountain in sweet downtown Chelsea (Nothing but the best baby!) to walking it in to "TiJuana's"! It was such a fun night. We were in that restaurant for 4 hours! And the 3 cutes Amigo's were so proud to mariachi at our table. They were proud because we actually paid attention to them, we smiled and clapped and busted the moves. It seemed at every other table they were playing at, the peeps just kept on eating and didn't really acknowledge them. We could say it was because it was our first time at a Mariachi Band playing mexican resturant or we could say it was because it was a special night out for Jenny's birthday but really we would react to them the same way on any night! Ay yi yi LaBamba!!!
And by the last song that they performed for us, little cheeko on the accordian was literally spinning it around in circles and leaping & jumping, he even gave his cheeko cheeks a slap and a big smile as if to say "thank you for appreciating us"!
We sure did! We'll be back cause not only was the service great and the mariachi amigo's so nice but the food was the bomb. Quesadillas, Chimichangos and rice ~ muy deliciouso!!! Adio for now but we'll be back "TiJuana's"!

Take it back now ya'll...June22nd ~ a very special day!

Showing off her new "Life is Good" t-shirt!

Buggin out in awe that we got her the cuisinart blender! She is not gona like this picture posted but I love her and I love the candid action shots, gutta represent baby baby!!!

a Peek-a-boo!


That poundcake creation looks classy in the pyrex dish, again I never said I was Martha ~ but it was made with love!


She never stops talking and we never stop listening, love you Mama!

My Mother's Birthday was last Sunday and it was also a very special day that we walked the NSMC Cancer walk in honor of DENNIS RICH!!! Although, we were late and missed the bus to start with the awesome group of people in Dennis family, we jumped in the walk and met Hungry for Lifer's along the way. I was so happy to finally meet Katie and her beautiful family! I promise next year we will be there extra early and ready to rock the whole walk! My Mom felt so good about walking and said it made her feel good about people, seeing so many people doing such a meaningful and good thing. Because though we all meet some real asses in life on the bright side, "most people are geniunely good", I remember Obama saying that in an interview with Oprah like 2 years ago and that always stuck with me "Most People are Geniunely Good". So, my Mom's birthday will always be remembered as a special day because we walked for Dennis on her birthday, June 22nd. We only wish we both could of met and known Dennis. My Mom rocked her Hungry for Life t-shirt all day and again in the week. She loves her t-shirt! We had a little cookout and I made a really delicous pound cake type cool whip strawberry/blueberry desert for Mama, it's what she wanted instead of a regular birthday cake! It looks good in the pyrex dish, I am so not Martha Stewart but it tasted really good, we almost ate the whole thing right then and there. We love deserts!
We love you Dennis, We love you the whole Rich family ( Jodi & the girls!) and we love deserts!!! Forever!

My Father - Nothing but the best.

Though I am not nearly as close to my father, as my Mom, I still have to laugh as I type this one...Every Sunday morning he calls me at 11;45 to tell me to put on 92.9fm for the song "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by the big sumai hawaiian man. He loves that song! So he has to make sure we are rockin out to it up here every Sunday when they play it at the exact same time. 11:50 on 92.9fm. Then I say "we'll see you later this afternoon (cause we usually always visit on Sunday afternoon with the kids) and then he tells me "i'm gona go to Harry's retirement party yep - "Harry" , but I'm just gona pop my head in, cause they are only having light refreshments, so that means no beer, so I ain't staying there too long"....that's good....only stay, if they had the beer. Good.
Nothing like a little irish Gramps who likes to drink little too much and rock out to Somewhere over the Rainbow every Sunday at 11:50! cutes.
My Mother is in Virginia on a little vacation, so I know he is missing her like crazy and she had to leave out some spiffy clothes for him for Harry's retirement party cause she gets nervous of what he'd put together himself. If that ain't love then I don't know what is. I am sure he will look like a spiffy Gramps drinking a light refreshment at Harry's party. No Doubt!

i need some....

The Questionnaire

Why I Blog Questionnaire


1. Why did you start a blog?

I first came to blogspot when I found Hungry For Life, the most touching and beautiful blog about an amazing and beautiful man, named Dennis Rich. I then saw that Hungry For Life was created by Dennis sister Katie, whose blog also rocks!, she inspired and helped me to get mine started so I have actually been apart of blogspot since November/December 2007.


2. What did/do you hope to accomplish with your blogging?

To remember the special times, it's like journaling for the world to see and maybe one day my children will be interested to look back at all the pictures, their picture addict mama took and what i wrote about them. Maybe one day it will mean something to them as it does to me. Plus, it is relaxing and a little time for myself.

3. Have you found that you don't post as much as you did when you started?

Actually, I post more now then when I started. I really didn't have a clue at first, until Katie helped me out alot setting my blog up, (thank you, Katie!!). I use to be a myspacer but I am not feeling that myspace nearly as much as I like doing this blog. This is more personal and sincere. Although, this week was a tough one so I haven't blogged as much as I would like to be.

4. If yes, why not?

I do post more now but slacked cause of a tough week, I will try to get back on track!

5. How important are comments to you?

I love comments.

6. Do you ever find yourself wishing people would not always leave comments that agree with you?

I don't mind, agree, disagree, just be nice and don't leave any comments you wouldn't want left on yours. I say it like, I get alot of comments, I am grateful for the comments I do get.

7. Do you comment on other people's blogs a lot, sometimes, or very little?

Sometimes.

8. What determines why you don't post a comment on someone else's blog?
Time and if I don't know what to say.

9. Do you have more than one blog? Where?
Just my crack of sunlight and my blog on my myspace, which like i said is so not as good as this one!

10. Do you read random blogs either off of random blogger or friend's lists?
Yep. I love to people watch and blog read, I love learning about other people & their lives.

So yeah, that kind of stunk but I will finish what I started. Let's do a funny one again. Someone start that up!

I now tag the following three bloggers: Jenny and Stephie Says (cause that is all I can tag, ha ha ha!) Please don't be weak for me. Just get the party started!! Ya know what I mean!

Sometimes we just chill at sweet revere beach...

Play in the sand

Collect rocks

Build rock houses and sand castles

Throw rocks in the murky kaka brown water

Wet our feet (and then bleach them when we get home :) )

Eat some snacks with our shades on

Have a few juice boxes

And just look cool

Be cool

Cause we're cool

Peace out!

Summer Breeze, Makes Me Feel Fine....

See the curtains hangin' in the window, in the evenin' on a Friday night.
A little light a-shinin' through the window, lets me know everything is alright.
Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind.
Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind.

See the paper layin' in the sidewalk, a little music from the house next door.
So I walked on up to the doorstep, through the screen and across the floor.
Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind.
Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind.

Happy Daddy Day!

Make a Smilebox free ecard

Make a Smilebox photobook

Max graduated from The Kidz & I Preschool!!! We will miss Miss Nancy & Miss Maria, they loved Max very much this year. He has come along way from September when he would try to run out of the classroom. Eventually they made a big red Stop sign to post on the door and with that Max learned too Stop and not venture out of the classroom anymore alone!
To say Thank You & Goodbye, Max created Miss Nancy & Miss Maria a very special card, which he cut and glued shapes and some of my scrap booking decorations onto to some card stock, it came out beautiful because he then glued the 2 cards side by side to make 1 big card. Very unique, very Maxwell. They loved it! Also we gave them picture frames of them each with Max and a little poem that says:

Now I know my ABC's, colors, shapes and days
I learned some poems, sang some songs, rhymes and fingerplays
I played outside on sunny days and inside when it rained
My little hands and little feet were busy everyday.
My teacher's are Miss Maria & Miss Nancy, I kept them on their toes
They smelled my hair (cause they loved the smell of max's cologne "versace"), tied my shoes and even wiped my nose.
But now it's time to say good-bye to all my preschool friends.
School is over, summers here, but learning never ends!!!
Do you remember way back last fall
When I tried to break down the wall and run out?
But soon a Stop sign was designed
And I was safe and then things were fine
I have learned a lot this year
Too wait my turn, to slow down and share
But this is only the beginning not the end
Because we made so many friends
We won't be sad
We will remember
We'll be so ready to learn more in September!
I love you Miss Nancy & Miss Maria!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Love,
Max

My Brown Eyed Girl!

SHAKE YA BOOTIE!



"Do You Remember When We Use To Sing, SHaaa La La La La La La La La La La La Dee Da, just like that, La Dee Da"!


A little backyard photo session, sepia style!.... starring "Isabella Roselini" (that's what I call her sometimes, in an italian accent) or Bella Lu Lu or Isa or mostly just Bella, but she knows her real name is really Isabella Laila.
Love You, Bella! xoxoxoxo

Today, it was all about the Banzai!!!

We decided to take a chance on this Banzai slide. We have had many pools/blowup slides in the past that just never got us through a whole summer. This one got good reviews & seems to be made very well. The kids had a blast and can't wait to jump back on it tomorrow for another hot day of fun in the sun! Even, me (aka big mama tried it out) still no leaks, so it really does have great durability. Bella wasn't have any part of it for awhile, she told me "i'm too little, it's too scary for me" and then when daddy was about to dry it off & deflate it, she decided it was time to give it a shot, off came all the clothes (she associates water with a tubby so she just thinks it is the thing to do, too undress) and she was having a blast!
Peace.

Happy Preschool Graduation to my GodDaughter!

I am so proud of you, Jalina! And I love how your daddy looks like he is the one graduating in the picture,....check the cap!
As I sat watching you on stage sing all your songs, I thought back to when you were just a little teeny tiny baby, born at 26 weeks, weighing barely 2 pounds and your Mommy would go in every single day to the hospital and hold you close to her heart. Now you are 5 years old, beautiful, bright and loving barbie's. I love you very much!
Love,
Titi

So it is the computer's fault.....

My husband (aka big daddy) honestly told me today, as he prepared his arroz con pollo (rice & chicken recipe from the new puerto rican cookbook, i got him as an early father's day present!) that "you've probably gained the weight from always being on that dam computer"....oooo, isn't that nice to say to the mother of your 3 children.
He knew I was a little pissed about that comment. Yes, I enjoy the computer, my pictures, my blogging but I am not muted out on a video game for 4 hours ignoring the world around me! I jump on and off when I can in the day,let me correct that, if I can in the day, Otherwise I am usually hangin at the computer at night, when finally the house is peaceful. But I know he was just aggravated so he had to lash that one out at me. A real zinger when he knows how I am so frustrated with myself for gaining this weight and he is probably right, I eat more and move less these days, I eat, when the kids whine sometimes I just run to get a cookie for comfort! So sue my cellulite ass! Anyways, after that very honest comment and a few minutes went by, I was doing dishes (see not always on the computer!) and i asked him "so how much would ya say that I've gained???"....he got a little nervous & was caught off guard with that question, cause he could tell I was little pissed and so he gets all sweetie sweetie and says get ready for this...and says "like 1 or 2 pounds" HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
I just had to laugh. I told him, thanks for keepin it real big daddy! 1 or 2 pounds....so we'll just blame the computer for those "1 or 2" pounds.

Our First Official Beach Day

Official means, the kids actually rocked the bathing suits, though Bella's brand new 3T didn't fit so good. She had a letter in her mailbox (as my grandmother, Chickie, would say) my poor baby just kept getting the wedges & then she just wasn't feeling too comfortable with the straps, so she just took the whole suit off and of course bid daddy kane gets so nervous and I try to tell him "please relax, she is 2 years old, calm down, the boys did the same exact thing at her age"! So then he had no choice but to chilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll.
And then we all put our feet in the yucky mucky revere beach water (just our feet) and threw rocks in that lovely ocean and headed back to our spot and built a lovely rock house. Bella collected all the rocks, Macky helped pack the walls.
I am so happy Summer is finally here!

And he's proud to be an American

Jordan's 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Doherty was so kind to take a picture of each student, on Famous American Day and put it in a clear magnetic frame. When I took it out of his backpack, it really made my whole day! Of course, it went right up on the proud refrigerator.
Love you, Indiana "Jordan" Jones!

Go Shortie, It's Ya Birthday!

June 1st, I turned the big old 32! woooo whooooo! It was a beautiful sunny day, with my 3 wild n crazy kids aggravating the crap out of us, fighting & fartin(that would be Jordan)& Jordan accidentally poking me in the eye with a stick while trying to pop bubbles but on a brighter note my husband got me a Hello Kitty ice cream cake, so cute & delicous!!! And my wonderful Mama got Hello Kitty plates and napkins and it looked just like a little girls party! Thanks, Mama, U Rock!!! And her potato salad was da bomb!
She then created a ramp for the kids to roll down on their bikes and of course we did bubbles (that's when i got poked in the eye) and barbecued. It was such a happy chaotic birthday, I am truly blessed & so grateful.