Movie review: "Kung Fu Panda 3"

It has been a while since I've written a movie review and not for lack of movie attendance but rather lack of time to blog about it. But what better than a well known franchise to come back to my review writing days?
This past Friday we watched "Kung Fu Panda 3", and even though I've never considered this franchise to be GREAT...I think this 3rd installment was!
The movie has a much "lighter" and "upbeat" storyline compared to the previous two; it is also loaded with wonderful messages about life and learning.. my favorite being "If you don't do more than you know, you won't be more than you are!"; it is such a "feel good" movie and the kids really enjoyed it... Oliver included! ;)
The story revolves around Po and his ever important role as the "Dragon Warrior"; he is given a huge responsibility when he is asked to teach his fellow kung fu fighting friends.  In the process, he is reunited with his real father who takes him up to visit a beautiful panda village.
Po's challenges get even more difficult when evil Kai returns from the spirit realm and wants to steal all the pandas' chi (energy force) to be the most powerful being in the mortal realm.  Po is faced with having to create his own panda army to help him defeat the evil Kai.  He finds himself creating the strongest and most powerful army out of the most unlikely characters and that's where the message of the movie gets really good... "it's not about teaching people to be someone they're not...it's about teaching them to be their best selves"  I really like how to movie capitalizes on the value of each person and on the skill that each person has; every individual skill can make all the difference... "be the best version of YOU that you can possibly be".
As predicted, Po (and his friends and family) end up being the ultimate winners and come out triumphant and happy.
I really like that the movie is colorful, upbeat, features great music, amazing animation and the same warm and joyful humor that every character owns.  I really enjoyed this one and give it 4 out of 4 stars.  Great for all families!

Oliver: 4 months

Our baby boy is 4 months today! To say that time is flying is an understatement, I can't believe how fast everything is having this time around!

Oliver is such a HIGH MAINTENANCE baby.. as cute and adorable as he is, he is also extremely demanding and exhausting!

At 4 months he STILL doesn't sleep longer than 4 hours at at time and wants to eat every 2 hours during the day. He cries inconsolably when he's not being held and I always joke around and say that he has 3 modes: Sleeping, Crying and Eating.  I never imagined having such a needy baby, let alone succumbing to his every need and whimper; there are nights I wish God had given me a different baby and then I feel awful for feeling that way and I just keep on loving the one I got, which is perfect in every way...even when he drives me insane!

Oliver currently weights 16lbs 13oz and is 26 1/4 in long.. he grew over 3 inches in less than 2 months and the doctor was very impressed about this...what can I say, we make them big! LOL!

When Oliver isn't crying, he is such a pleasant baby...he smiles ALL THE TIME (even when he cries..LOL!) and LOVES attention and company.  He already started to grab stuff and shake toys and can roll from back to tummy and tummy to back...he's quite the active little guy. 

We are still exclusively breastfeeding and going strong..this little guy loves the boob so much and I am in absolute awe about the bonding we have, so unique and wonderful.  I almost feel guilty for not having breastfed my 2 girls exclusively, but that's in the past and all I can do is enjoy this last chance I got!

I won't lie... I'm really hoping Oliver starts some sort of pattern/schedule because I live in zombie mode most times and I know I can't keep this up much longer! 

I won't introduce solids yet so food isn't going to help for a while; we'll just have to wait and see what this little guy has in store for us!

Here's a couple of pics! Happy 4 months, baby boy! :)

Oliver's Baptism

Our sweet boy was baptized this past Sunday and I just can't get over how much joy that moment brought to us. He looked absolutely angelical with his beautiful outfit and the ceremony was very touching. 

We chose to have 4 godparents; my two good friends Pechy and Maria Isabel, my uncle Daniel and my brother in law Luis were the "chosen" ones for this event and I am so thankful for all of them giving us such honor. I know Oliver is lucky to have such wonderful people in his life for spiritual guidance and overwhelming love. 

Oliver threatened to be the disruptive baby at the start of the ceremony, but somehow he was able to settle down and fell asleep; he slept through the blessings, the water, the oil, the candle..he basically missed his own baptism! 

After the ceremony, we had an intimate family lunch at a local restaurant and ate some delicious baptism cake. 

It was such a beautiful day for our baby! Thank you God for this wonderful blessing.

Here are some pictures. 

8.5

My "little lady" is 8 and a HALF today!..this also means I've been a mom for that long and that simple fact fills me so much joy...
Olivia is the epitome of a wonderful daughter and one of the biggest blessings we have received as a family. She is smart, sassy, funny, beautiful, caring...and every possible (positive) adjective there is to say.
Olivia LOVES to read, she is my little book worm and really enjoys the Dork Diaries and Wimpy Kids series; I've already lost count of how many books she has made me buy her and I love that about her.
She is an amazing big sister to both Gaby and Oliver and has slowly turned into a little mommy to her little brother. She loves singing, dancing and everything art and has the best personality out of everyone in the family.
She has her own sense of fashion, which is a hippie-like style; loves long skirts, dresses, flower prints, etc.. and I love to see her loving herself the way she does.
She is also a bit of a drama queen and is currently in an awkward "pre-teen" stage (that's right..8 going on 12..or 15!), where she gets involved in silly girl arguments at school, which preoccupy her more than they should...I'm sure (*I hope*) this stage will end soon but it can be very exhausting.. teaching her to "pick her battles" can be so challenging sometimes.
Olivia does great in school and is really loving 3rd grade; she does hate homework (who doesn't?!?) but is an incredibly responsible student with perfect attendance so far! (yay Olivia!)
I'm so proud to be Olivia's mom and pretty much everything she does makes me happy (except for the night time battles!) and I can only hope that she continues to be the sweet person she is and can share her happiness with the world!
Happy *half* birthday Olivia! You're amazing!

6.5

My little Gaby is halfway through her 6th year of life and I can't help but get emotional when I start thinking of how much (and how fast!) she has grown..
I know it's hard for all mothers to see their kids turn into little people; but I also know it is very rewarding to see them thriving and learning new things every day.
Gaby is incredibly smart and astonishingly mature; she navigates through tough situations with such ease that I'm often appalled (in a good way, if that's even possible) at her reasonings and reactions.  She does so well in school and is well above average in both reading and math. She has recently taken an interest in reading very complex chapter books but math continues to be her strong subject.
She is bossy, stubborn, unpersuadable and completely loving...all at the same time and I simply love the broad range of feelings and emotions that she demonstrates at such young age.
Gaby is the typical free-spirited kind of girl that follows no fashion trends and basically lives life that way she wants, within a child's world and limitations, of course.  Her happiness and sense of humor are contagious and that's why she has so many friends.
She enjoyes playing with Legos, Barbies and Shopkins...oh yeah.. those Shopkins are a HUGE part of her life at the moment and she spends a great part of her day trying to convince me to buy her more of those little things because for some reason she HAS to collect them all!
She is a great little sister to Olivia and an even better big sister to Oliver; I just love to see her interact with her siblings and enjoy her role in this family.
I am so proud to be Gaby's mom and I thank God every day for this little person he entrusted me with; I couldn't ask for a better daughter (better daughters!) and I know that she will continue to bring so much joy to our family and our life....
Happy *half* birthday, Gaby! We love you so much!!!