E Mealz!!!

I have to say that I am soooooo thrilled with a new Dave ramsey recommendation! Its Emealz.com...and its AWESOME!! it gives you a weekly meal list, a grocery ist of everything you need, and it goes by grocery stores and there weekly circular...HOW AWESOME IS THAT??? its $5 a month...now I must admit that I am a pretty OBSESSED coupon clipper...i love saving money,  mostly bc it leaves more to spend on FUN things! I love consgiment stores and finding GREAT stuff for little money! This website has definately saved me time and money!!! I just wanted to recommend it to all my mommy friends!!!

thanks for listening and hope you find it of good use!

Teacher or Mommy?

We are getting ready to pull Max out of preschool...for a few reasons! One, we might be out of work for a few months while Mike changes jobs, and we really cant afford the $200/month that it costs. Second, we are trying to get out of debt. We have cut back on all our expenses and should be down to the STUPID car ( yes its a stupid car), by Summer!!! YIPPEE!!! Thirdly, we want to homeschool. Max is a creature of habit and I am really worried that he wont adjust to homeschooling after being used to a classroom setting.

All that said, I am also worried that he wont be able to relate to me as teacher and mommy. Mike and I know that homeschooling is whats best for our kids. We know its how God would want us to raise them. We want to protect their innocence from the sex-crazed, defiant, dumbed-down, no-child-left-behind, school systems we know he would be sent to. I have wanted to homeschool my children since college when I did a research paper on the benefits of homeschooling vs public school.

So my question, How do I help Max relate to me as teacher and mommy? How do I teach him and learn at the same time how to fill this role in his life? I must admit I am nervous, and afraid that we might not succeed. But I am also DETERMINED!! I will accept this challenge bc I know in the end, I am doing whats best for HIM!!! I have been looking at different curiculum's online and I am really impressed with the Kolbe academy. I like its design, and I like that they offer supplements too. I am looking into  Little Saints preschool curriculum for finishing his preschoool years, but to be honest, Max is way ahead of the game. He knows all his prayers, numbers up to 20, colors by recognition. I dont say this to pat myself on the back( but dont think i havent...wink wink), I say this bc I am afraid I wont be able to teach him and satisfy his yearing for knowledge. He has started asking where places are like India, and the Jungles? How do I explain that to a 3 year old?

Luckily, I have a plethora of moms to choose from for advice. I am sooo blessed to have moms willing to share information and help us moms who are just starting out!

thanks in advance!!!

The "Miracle" Bagel!!!

OH my son, my son....I love him but man can he be a challenge, and a blessing all in the same day! I have started taking him to Mass EVERYDAY, bc he seems to think that church is the ONE PLACE he can be on his worst behavior, and mommy and daddy cant really do anything about it until afterwards. Yes, he is that child screaming" dont spank my hieny". as he is being dragged out of Mass. Yes, he is that child banging his feet on the pew during the Consecretion. and Yes he is even that child who sings "Thomas and Friends" during the homily. He slams kneelers, stands on the pew, runs up the aisle, and all of this in an hours time!! SO to fix his behavior, I decied to take him EVERYDAY until he learns, CHURCH IS FOR PRAYING, and if you arent praying, you are going to be respectful of the people who are.

Now I must admit, today my son made me laugh!! He has been behaving better, and rewarded with a few trips out for breakfast after a good morning in Mass. Today he was a little bit bouncy, which he fully admits to now. After Mass, I asked my mom if she would like to go get a bagel. Max said he would like "pampakes", as he calles them, and I informed him that bc of his behavior he was coming but not allowed to get anything. SO we sat down, and I went to order and when I only came back with only 2 cups, Max asked the obvious question: Where is my cup?". Now Im not a mean mom, I had ordered him a blueberry bagel, is favorite, but I was going to enusre that he learned something here. I then explained that "mommy and nonna behaved in Church and therefore we get breakfast, and that bc you couldnt behave mommy didnt get you anything" Well, the water works burst open and he just sobbed and sobbed and sobbed somemore. He couldnt believe that I didnt get him anything, was just heartbroken, which of course i said " I bet next time you will behave in church".

Well, our food comes and Max's Blueberry bagel is placed in front of him, and his draw DROPS in disbelief. I said" Mommy didnt order that for you, it must be Jesus". I said " Maybe Jesus is trying to tell you that He knows you can behave in church and wants you to remember to ask Him for help when you get restless and cant sit still...did you say 'thank you' to Jesus?'. Max inquisitively asked " where does Jesus live?" I said " IN your heart...did you thank HIM?". HE said I did in my heart"... Now thinking that I have TOTALLY won this battle...I settled down to eat my Bagel with the smile of VICTORY on my lips.

to which max responded " but I told Him I would have been happier with pampakes"...oh my son!!!

My Bella Baby!

I never thought that I would have a daughter. TRULY. my first 2 babies were boys and growing up I always wanted a house full of boys. I was a girl, a teenage girl at that, and I never wanted to experience the things I did or went through with my own daughter. Any woman can relate to the confusing time teenager-hood is, and the hormonal craziness it can bring. For some reason, I thought being a boy couldnt be as bad as what I was as a girl...so thats why I wanted boys.
  Now that I have a daughter of my own, I am completely lossed in the emotional bond I have made with her. Its not more than what I have with Max, but its definately different. I think I bonded with her much quicker than I did with max, for many reasons, but mostly bc we have alot in common. I know my own experiences will be a major factor in how I raise her, where as with Max, he cant really relate to what I went through. Aside from getting to dress in pink, I never realized HOW girly I was myself, until I had Bella. She has really brought out a hidden side of me that I love. Picking out clothes for her and for me, now matter? WHAT? Who is this person? I was always concerend about what I looked like but realized that being a single parent didnt allow my wardrobe to be ever expanding as I would have liked. With Bella, I was really surprised to have a true calling to being more modest. Not that I dressed to expose myself, but I really want for  my example to lead her. I am realizing that had I been more modest in my youth, I would have expected MEN to TREAT ME BETTER! I would have respected exactly how God intented my body to be seen, and would have definately waited for marriage to have sex. Now that I have Bella, I am realizing that how I dress will be her example. How I expect men to treat me, will be how she expects men to treat her. Now understand, I dont expect her to wear a brown sack, and be a nun. I guess I want her to realize that being modest, in the end, will attract a man that likes her for her INTELLECT,PERSONALITY, DEVOTION,FAITH,MORALITY, etc. AlLl the things I always wanted to be respected for, and never actually expected, I can show her how with my own example.

Having a daughter has really opened my eyes to what I should have been doing all along...LISTENING TO MY OWN MOTHER...go figure. I always knew my mom was right but was more comcerned with being a dork, that the state of my soul. I never saw wearing a low cut shirt as leading men into sin...and I would never want Bella to have those things on her soul, without being made aware that it is sinful for her and she is leading others into sin as well. Bella as opened my eyes to a whole new realm of my faith...and I am so glad that I have her to help me lead her by my own example.

I am an ADOPTED BIRTH MOTHER!!!

There are alot of things in life that some people are just much better off not knowing... I think I have finally discovered the reason God sent my life on a drasctic turn in 2003.

 I have just returned from the March for life in Washington, D.C., and I am more than speechless as to the experience of seeing hundreds of thousands of people standing up for the RIGHT of all babies to LIFE outside the womb!!! I was honored to march along side people of all ages, faiths, ethnicities, backgrounds, and countries (* yes there were people there from Australia and France bc they dont have anything like this is their native countries), and make known that " a person is a person, no matter how small".(horton hears a who) For those of you who dont know, I am adopted. Not just me, but my brother and sister as well. Its been amazing looking back at my life, and realizing that I could have not been here. That my birth mother didnt have to make the choice she did. I sit in awe of the AMAZING power of God bc He  HAND PICKED me to be born for my parents. I have such love for my birth mother, a woman named Johanna that I have never met, Bc she had the courage and the guts to STAND UP for me, when my voice couldnt be heard. She had the faith to know that she wasnt ready to be a parent, and SELFLESSLY gave a piece of her heart away to people she didnt know, ALL FOR ME, so that I could have the chance to become someone! THere are no words big enough or GREAT enough to say "thank you". I am who I am in big part to her, and in big part to my parents, who waited 12 years to get me!!!

Now for my story.

At 17 years old, I was a freshman in college and SOOOOO not ready to be away from home and have the freedoms that being away at college brings. I was a partier to the fullest extent. I gave up on school, and focused on what party I was going to and WHO I was going home with. Needless to say, that lasted about  6 weeks before a pretty little +sign appeared on my pee stick. *now as a side note here: the last 2 things my parents said to me, jokingly, were dont call us and tell us you are pregnant, and dont call us from jail bc we are NOT coming to get you.* So, I wrote them an email. CAN YOU IMAGINE waking up to reading an email like that. I knew the day I found out I was pregant that I wasnt ready to be a parentt, although I knew that was what God was calling me to be, eventually...I knew this baby was not meant to be mine. How did I know? BC of my own birth mother, who knew I wasnt meant to be hers either! I told my parents in that email that I was going to give the baby up for adoption. I knew the blessing this baby would bring to a family who went through the same struggle to have kids as my parents did. It was an honor in the end. Joseph Michael Rigel was born June 23, 2003! He was the most awesome thing I had ever laid eyes on. PERFECT in everyway, but not mine! I remember those 2 days in the hospital after he was born and I never let him go! I loved Him like my own, knowing that he wasnt going to be. I dreaded what was going to happen to me in just 2 short days, probably much like Jesus dreaded what He knew was going to happen to Him, yet He did it anyway, and gave me strength too! After 7 days in foster care, I laid eyes on this AMAZING little boy for the last time...I was the one who put him in his mothers arms. I say the tears of joy that fell from her cheeks in apprecation for the gift of Life I had given to them. IT MADE EVERY HEART WRENCHING MOMENT to come...WORTH IT!!! I saw in her eyes the joy and healing that comes from DOING THE RIGHT THING! I saw in that moment, the happiness and fulfillment of doing God's will above my own...and it paid off BIG TIME!!

I will never regret my decision to give Joseph up for adoption, nor was abortion ever an option for me. I know that there are thousands of women faced everyday with the decision I made, and I know how they feel. ALONE, SCARED, BETRAYED! they sit in the abortion clinics all across this GREAT counrty of ours thinking how did I get here?, wondeirng if someone BRAVE ENOUGH is going to walk through the door, and save them from the LIFETIME of REGRET they are about to embark on. I WILL BE THAT PERSON!!! I am no longer AFRAID of sharing my story, and I want the world to know that GREAT THINGS COME FROM DOING WHAT GOD EXPECTS of us!!

I was rewarded for my decision. I have 2 great kids who I love, and I have a great relationship with Josephs parents. I think someday soon I will meet the young man who grew in my womb, and I will cry tears of joy!!!
I know he will hold a special place in my heart FOREVER bc he saved my life, and bc HE is one of a few who know what my heart sounds like from the inside... and thats something I wont ever forget!!!

Welcome to our PARTY!!

Welcome to the Mayulianos Family Blog!  I hope you enjoy reading about our everday life,and getting updates on whats going on in our world. Right now,we are in the mddle of an amazing time for our family. Mike, my husband, got back in December from a Deployment in Iraq. We are so happy to have him home safe. The Lord has TRULY blessed me with the best friend I could have ever wanted. Many know our story and our struggles, but we are witness to the healing power of our Lord , when we lay down our own will and followHis! We are coming upon our first wedding anniversary, and I am thankful with all my heart that we have lived to see it!

Now for the rest of our gang.Max, who is 3 years old, is the best big brother EVER! He is a little rough around the edges, but we wouldnt have hm any other way! Max became a big brother for the first time this past November. Along with that change, he also started preschool 3 days a week. He seems to love it, and so does mommy. I enjoy the quiet mornings and it also allows me to be more productive since i dont have to entertain him. He is a sweet boy at heart, but the 3rd year of  his life hasnt been the easiet for him. We are learning to understand our temper, and WHY God really gave us ears...the tantrums were getting ridiculous. He is a nerdy nature kid when outside, which has really surprised Mike and I. He lovesa to learn about flowers and bugs, where trees come from, and digging up worms. He loves puddles, and riding his bike, which he just learned to pedal on as he out grew it ...KIDS! He has a great interest in Thomas the tank Engine...which inferiates me b/c I can NOT stand it. It teaches a good lesson but if i have to listen to that theme song one more time, im going to pull my hair out. We have limited TV time to one hour a day...if he is on his best behavior! He challenges us everyday in the patience department , but I know that God will never give me more than I can handle, so I am learning patience through Max..what a blessing!!

Our newest addition is ISABELLA NAOMI. She was born the day before thanksgiving, we are sooooo thankful for her! She weighed in at 8lbs 1oz, and had some trouble in the beginning gaining weight, but now is about 12.5lbs and growing like a weed. She has a great mix of both mike and I , although I see much more of mike and his sister ,Christina, than I do of me. She started smiling and talking back at you this past week, and it just reminds me of the true miracle of life. I cant wait to have more, but for now we are enjoying Bella where she is!

Just a bit of insight and introduction into our world! thanks for reading, and hope to continue keeping everyone updated on whats going on! Next up, Bella's Baptism, Homeschooling, and my new hobby...Sewing!!

the mayo's