Category: Doh!

Mario and I went to sleep pretty late Saturday night (the 8th). I didn’t feel like waking up the next morning and because I still had that strange feeling about going to Mario’s Grandpa’s property I wondered if I should wake Mario up at all and just forget the whole thing. But no. I knew if I did that he’d be upset. So I got up at 9am and woke him up at 9:30. Mom stayed with the kids and we were out the door with ammunition and weapons in tow by 10:30.

We took the scenic route in Mario’s truck and saw an array of birds, like cranes and parrots. It was such a nice day, sunny and breezy. All the way over there I questioned Mario and nagged about this being a bad idea. I clearly remember his words: “When I start to worry, then you can worry, okay?” Besides, his uncles would practice there all the time.

I was nervous, but I believed Mario and started to calm down. I took pictures of the beautiful scenery before me: Mario’s grandfather’s property is right on the Rio Grande River border with Mexico. The property’s on a cliff and you can see the river below and the brushy fields of Mexico just on the other side. There’s about 10-15 feet of space between the fence of the property and the edge of the cliff.

I actually got kind of excited watching Mario shoot his handgun at the paper target he placed on the large mound of dirt, or berm. I wanted to try. He reloaded it and let me try. It was an unexpected jolt, that first shot, so I closed my eyes and Mario corrected me and told me to aim as best as I could. So I did better. We took pictures of each other and then Mario started shooting with the AR-15. It looked so awesome. Mario reloaded and handed me the rifle. It felt sort of uncomfortable and I kept changing my mind because I thought I’d dislocate my shoulder or something if the gun kicked back too hard, but I did even better with the rifle than I did with the handgun. I even hit a few targets!

Mario was on his way to reload the Glock when we see a Sullivan City police cruiser drive up in the tiny space between the fence and the cliff. My heart sinks and I shoot a look at Mario that says, “TOLD YOU SO!” He hands me the Glock and I put it on the bed of the truck. Mario was already at the fence speaking to the officers by the time I got enough courage to walk over there myself. They asked if we knew it was illegal to be shooting there. Mario said, “No, sir, I didn’t.” The first cop, who was being really aggressive, told Mario, “Oh, c’mon! You know you can’t be shooting here.” He immediately gets on his phone and we turn our attention to the other cop. He was an old co-worker of Mario’s back from his hospital days. They started catching up and then he updates Mario on what’s going on and why they’re there. Turns out they got a call from someone reporting that people were shooting into the Rio Grande River, which is illegal. Then they heard that people were exchanging fire between Mexico and the U.S. Then they heard that someone had gotten shot in the arm and was being transported to a hospital in somewhere called Santander. It was all too much to take in. They didn’t have a straight story, but what alarmed me was that someone might possibly be hurt. We were just there to practice and all of a sudden one of us may have shot someone, more than likely ME because I missed a shot. Just one freaking shot.

When the cops had walked away I whispered to Mario, “Are you worried yet?” He squeezes my shoulder and says, “No, I’m not.” I asked him what they said before I got to the fence and he said they asked if we’d heard any screaming. I thought, “WHAT? How terrible!”

They told us they’d have to hold us there for questioning and filing statements; something I never thought I’d have to do in my life. My head was spinning. I just wanted to know if I did shoot someone. Border Patrol showed up with their own AR-15’s to “back-up” the cops because they, too, were told that there was an exchange of fire. By now I was bawling and all these thoughts were going through my head like, “How much will we be fined for shooting here illegally? Did I hurt someone? What if the bullet had gone just a few inches to the right or left–I could have killed someone! Will I go to jail? Will I see my kids again?”

The cops noticed I was inconsolable and the aggressive one softened up. The one that new Mario walked up to me and said, “Ma’am, don’t get that way. You didn’t do anything wrong. It was an accident. Don’t get sad.” But still, no matter what anyone said, I couldn’t help but feel a ball of guilt in my chest.

Border Patrol left because they figured out they had nothing to do there. Everyone was getting frustrated because stories were being criss-crossed here and there and they weren’t getting anywhere. The cops were communicating with someone on the other side of the river; shouting responses and gesturing with their hands. This was around the time Jorge, Jose and Isiah got there. I turned to Mario when I heard feet crunching on branches behind me and said, “Oh no.” The last thing I needed was to be made fun of or be scolded. Neither of which ever happened. Jorge saw me crying and said, “Don’t cry, you didn’t do anything wrong. It was an accident.” Mario was being great and held me and said everything he needed to say to keep me from hyperventilating and passing out. Mario called his mom during this time to let her know what was going on. She rushed over there between one of her meetings stayed with us for moral support. Jose crossed over the fence to see what was going on and talk with the cops. We couldn’t see what was going on over the cliff, but he said they’d been shouting and gesturing to a group of men on the other side; men who were supposedly working in the fields, which later raised questions because only two of the men had hoes and the fields hadn’t been worked on in 10 years. They’re still not sure if they’re the ones who called, because whoever called, called the Sullivan City police and it wasn’t a hospital or any type of institution. Jorge and Jose were convinced that these guys were ready to cross.

About half an hour later the Sheriffs show up. We give them our details and he asks Mario, “Is she your girlfriend? Wife?” and Mario says, “Wife. 9 years.” The sherriff chuckles and says,”Happy couple? You’ve got to be after 9 years! Only a happy couple would shoot together and not at each other!” LOL. We apologized for shooting in the property. The officer said, “Who said you couldn’t shot here?” and Mario replied, “Well, the cops from Sullivan did.” The sheriff shakes his head and says, “This isn’t part of the city. This is County. You have every right to shoot here as long as you’re following the rules — which you were by shooting at the berm — and as long as you’re not shooting into the river, across the river, or towards houses.” I shook my head and tell him, “I don’t understand how I can’t hit a bull’s eye on the paper target, but I shoot the only Mexican standing on the other side of the river.” I didn’t mean it to be funny at the time, but he laughed LOL.

So we weren’t going to be fined. Now it was a matter of finding out if this guy was okay. Sobbing, I asked the sheriff if they knew if “he” was okay; that we’d even take care of hospital bills, I just wanted to know if he was okay. He, like everyone else, tells me not to cry and that so far they couldn’t identify anyone and now they’re wondering if anyone got shot at all.

We were there another hour before they heard anything else. Mary had left to her other meeting and Jorge, Jose and Isiah stayed with us. I told them they should go; it was hot and we were going to be there a while and they shouldn’t have to suffer for my mistake. They said we’re family and we stick together. Aww :*). I’m so glad they were there. They helped us relax a little and they’d joke around and we even went to the fence of the ranch next door to feed mesquite tree greens to the goats. I kept thinking about Carmen’s babyshower and how I was going to miss it. I texted her to let her know I wouldn’t be making it.

Meanwhile, the sherriffs had been making calls to every hospital in the area in Mexico and nobody had any info on anyone who’d been shot in the arm, or taken in for being shot anywhere on their body. They also started questioning the path of the bullet; it was windy, which wouldn’t affect it’s direction too much, but the area where the man was supposedly shot and the area where we were standing and shooting on the property weren’t adding up. We got cards from the sherriffs in case we needed to speak to them and the older of the two men told me again that I hadn’t done anything wrong and we could continue to practice if we liked. The younger one even told us how to create a higher, less-penetrable berm.

They stayed with us till the crime scene investigator showed up a while later. He took our info, our statements, took pictures of the crime scene (my gosh, I never thought I’d be saying that either) which was just pictures of the berm, the targets, and the casings that were littered on the ground; all the while joking with us and trying to keep us calm. He also told us we weren’t doing anything wrong and that, so far, it didn’t seem like anyone did get shot. He said I would have had to be standing on the edge of the cliff, shooting down in order to have hit anyone on the other side. He said, “This guy would have had to be the unluckiest guy in the world to get hit with a stray, one-in-a-million bullet, and I doubt yours was the millionth one.”

So I felt much better after that. They held our weapons just in case someone who’d gotten shot came forward; then they’d have to run ballistics. It’s been two weeks and we haven’t gotten them back, so I’m assuming that no news is good news.

We all went to eat at El Pato after that. We were starving. Mario and I hadn’t even had breakfast that morning and it was now 4:30pm. Now we were alright and somewhat in the clear and everyone took the opportunity to joke around. Jorge started calling me Annie Oakley, and now everyone calls me that LOL. We get home and Andy and Noelia are on their way to visit and Andy’s dubbed me Killer! By the time we’d made it home both sides of the family had somehow gotten word about our fiasco and were calling to make sure we were alright. Word really travels fast!

We had a meeting yesterday to discuss the move to the new school. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it, but we’re being housed at an old middle school (old middle school — it’s from 1926!) till the new building is completed. (Right now work’s 5 minutes away…when we move it’ll be about 15-18 🙁 .) We kept hearing different things about when the actual move would take place — first we’d only be there one month, then we were moving the 2nd week of October, then either the week before Christmas vacation or the week after we got back. Well now, for sure, we’re supposed to be at the new building December 3rd. A new elementary is being built and the kids who are going there are being housed at another elementary and they’re desperately overcrowded, so they need the middle school we’re at fast. Poor kiddos…that school is not suitable for little ones. It’s too old, unsafe, and way too full of mold. Seriously.

So I was feeling pumped this morning and asked the boss when we’d start packing. She said as soon as possible. So we got to searching for milk crates (much more convenient than cardboard boxes) and started packing up the books. I’d gotten twelve crates done and took a bathroom break. On the way back I took the exit I usually do and was heading out as a girl was coming in. She’d swung the door too hard and it came flying back. She didn’t notice it was about to close on her so I nudged her gently out of the way…and the door slammed into my hand, pushing into my wrist. I immediately felt a snap. I told the boss what happened and I just shrugged it off and was about to get back to work when she told me to report it. She regretted not reporting an incident that happened to her and now she’s having a lot of trouble with her injury. So there I went, to the nurse.

She started making a fuss and I kept saying I was fine — it was only a little sore. She put an ice pouch on my wrist and jotted down my info. She told me to follow my doctor’s instructions exactly as they were given to me and told me where to go. She sat next to me to check my wrist once again and as she lifted the ice pouch I was shocked to see just how swollen my wrist had become. She said she could tell I had a bit of Carpal Tunnel going on but she was concerned about just how huge the bump was. She bandaged me up and sent me off.

I went to see the assistant principal to get the rest of my info taken down, went to the doctor, was sent back to Risk Management, went to the doctor again and was finally seen about an hour and a half later. I was told not to use my right hand/wrist at all, had some pain meds prescribed and got an order for an x-ray.

I came home and had lunch then Mom and Alaethia joined me on the ride to the radiologist. Alaethia was made a big fuss about at the doctor’s; they kept talking about how cute and tiny she is. She adores attention!

I was told to take a pregnancy test, “just in case,” even though — on top of everything else — I “started” today. Bleh. No wonder I was feeling so emotional when they told me I’d have to go to the doctor and all that LOL.

I was, of course, not pregnant, so they went ahead with the x-ray. I hope everything’ll be alright. I know it’s not broken and I can move my fingers, but I feel this weird, tingling, hot pain that shoots from the front (palm side) of my wrist to the middle of my arm.

John thankfully picked the boys up for me when they got out and I stopped at Target real quick since Mom needed detergent. Then we went home. The boys were so sweet — they were really concerned and got really sad when they saw my wrist all bandaged up and sad looking. I told them it was nothing. It’s kind of funny: everyone keeps asking, “What happened?” when they see the bandage and I can’t even tell them some awesome story — no. I have to say, “I got hit by a door.”

It really sucks that this had to go and happen when we’re going to be so busy getting everything ready for the move.

At least everything at home’s nice and low-key. I made spaghetti for dinner (no meatballs since I couldn’t roll them up =/) and we ate at Mary’s with Jorge, Yadira, Mom, all the kids and even Mario who got out of work early. I got to speak to Sally and Karina. And I got the boys’ insurance enrollment fee ready to send off. I’m thrilled that they got accepted! And now it’s 12 months instead of 6, which is awesome. We’re also getting a reimbursement from Mario’s insurance (which we’ve canceled since he won’t be needing it) and I’m also getting a reimbursement from my dental insurance for paying more than I should have.

It’s taken me forever to type this up. At least now I know I can care for an active baby, drive, and type up a semi-long entry with my left hand!

(started on 10-5-07 @ 9:30pm) Although I’m nodding off, I figured I’d try and update as much as I can since the house is nice and quiet. Alaethia’s napping and Mario, our boys, and all the male relatives are outside under the carport playing Halo 3 on Big Mario’s projector. I’ve gotta admit: it looks pretty damn cool.

So when I last left off it was Tuesday (the 25th of September) and I was going to have my benefits/insurance meeting. I got out of work feeling confident, with my head held high and my mind made up. I knew exactly what plans I was getting and had come to terms with how minuscule my paycheck would be, but it was okay because we’d all have insurance.

My smile was quickly wiped off my face when I realized exactly how much I was going to be paying. Even though I was barely having my insurance meeting the 25th, they wanted to charge me for the whole month of September, the new month of October, and for some reason they make you pay an extra month by default. Since they didn’t hold the $350 for the first two months from my first paycheck — which I’d just received that day — they were going to have to triple deduct it from my October paycheck! I almost fainted. As I was going through each sheet in my packet and feeling like my heart was falling rapidly down my body, the woman presenting told me it would be better to keep my kids on Chips, get the free insurance for myself that work offers, and Mario…well, he just wouldn’t have any.

I felt so helpless and confused I hightailed out of there before I started bawling in front of everyone. To add insult to injury I only had a month from the time I started working (Aug. 27th) to make a decision about my benefits. So that left me with a lovely TWO DAYS to figure out what the heck I was going to do. I was panicking tremendously because I didn’t bother renewing the boys’ Chips insurance (which they’d sent me late to begin with) since I was so sure I was getting it at work and I wasn’t even sure if we still qualified.

I get home and I’m so emotional that when my Dad-in-law asks, “How’d it go?” that I cup my hands over my face and start bawling. I feel so embarrassed and I’m sure he felt really awkward, but I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I explained everything that happened and he offers words of support and tells me we’d figure it out and that everything would be okay. I felt a little better and try to control myself. I get inside the house and Mom and John are both here. I immediately break down and tell them what happened and I’m halfway through when Mary, who’d just gotten home from work, comes in and then I’m explaining to everyone. I felt like my world was crumbling apart. I could have cared less if I had insurance; I was worried about the kids. John offers to lend me the money and I decline, then Mary offers to let me use the money for bills I was giving her towards the insurance and she said we could worry about paying her back during tax-return time. I felt really humbled and blessed to have such great family, and then felt awful that I’d have to tell everyone there would be a change of plans; I’d offered to take everyone out for dinner on Friday to Chili’s with my first paycheck, to celebrate, but that wouldn’t be happening now.

I figured I’d fill out the Chips application, which I thankfully still had, and would go with what Mary told me to do. Although I hate being in debt with people :(.

Mom stayed with the boys while Mary, Alaethia and I went to Mexico to buy Penicillin for Mario because he was sick. I got 2 more packs of birth control, so I’m good for the next three months. I got some potato chips, too, since you can only get those in Mexico (Mayra, remember the Tostitos and Crujitos chips we’d buy at school with the crema and Sabrosita salsa? THOSE!). I felt much better on the way home and began filling out all the paperwork I needed.

I was going to march up to the benefits dept. on Wednesday and let them know it was unfair and I would only allow them to deduct a double payment, not a triple. I felt really nervous and just down the next morning. Even Mrs. G. noticed. It was a slow morning and during my downtime I couldn’t stop thinking about my insurance problem, when suddenly I had a stroke of genius. I called Mary up and she didn’t answer, so I left her a message to please give me a quote for insurance for Mario. She calls me back with good news: she asked a girl at the office who is in contact with people from Chips (I’d been trying to call and never got ahold of anyone) and she said we may still qualify, even with me working. We were cutting it close, but we would most likely qualify. She gave me the quote for Mario’s insurance, and it was more than half off of what I’d be spending per month at work. So I decided to get him that insurance, faxed all the Chips stuff to their office and went into the benefits dept. that afternoon and got only the free insurance for myself and the dental insurance for both Mario and I (which is really inexpensive, surprisingly!). After I felt like a thousand pound weight had been lifted off my shoulders and I breathed a sigh of relief, Mary joked, “Now you can take us out to Chili’s!” Yay!

On a serious note, I really, really hope everything works out with Chips. I’m going to call Monday to follow up on the fax because they sent me a “you haven’t sent your renewal” letter and since they take so long sending their mail out in the first place I don’t know how long it’ll be before I hear from them. I don’t want my kiddos to stay without health insurance, especially the boys who’re in school and get sick all the time.

I picked Jaylen and Brandon up from school on Wednesday since Eenan was having UIL practice. When I went back to pick Eenan up, I brought his best friend, Rolando, home with us. I offered to pick him up from practice every Wednesday and bring him home from Meets if his parents wanted. I met his mom for the first time that day. I’d already met his dad when Eenan had gone over to his house after practice once. He’s such a sweet kid and so respectful and polite. I’d totally adopt him LOL.

Thursday was the morning I dropped my darn phone into the toilet before I left to work. Those darn black pants with the tiny back pockets. The phone just slipped out when I pulled my pants down. It had already almost happened once at work while I was wearing those exact pants, except the phone crashed right on the floor. I pulled the phone out, removed the battery and left it drying on a towel after a quick spray of Lysol. I felt so naked that day without my phone.

We had our first pep-rally that Thursday, so the parent volunteers and I were helping Mrs. V. with all the cheerleading stuff and anything else she needed help with. Mrs. G. brought us some Burger King breakfast around 10:30, and I was so grateful because the biscuit and sausage they’d brought for me that morning (school food) tasted and smelled like catfood. I feel so bad for the kids who don’t eat at home and have no choice. We had a kitten (yes, a kitten) stuck in one of the walls of school for two days, so I saved the awful meal for him, just in case. (The custodians ended up scaring him and he ran out into the parking lot later on that day.) We closed the library at 12:30 and went to the gym and then I realized I wasn’t going to have lunch. The pep-rally was a great success and finished when school ends for the kids, at 2:30. I went up to Mrs. V. and asked her what I should do and she said I could leave right then. Awesome.

I was starving, so I get home and John’s here. He jokes that he wants Kumori and since he doesn’t like Chili’s and wasn’t going with us on Friday Mom watched the kiddos while we left to Kumori. It was so awesome to eat sushi after what felt like forever. Too bad I completely forgot to ask for my Fiesta Rolls without the darn fried salmon skin they put in there. Bleh. John had already eaten chicken strips from his work that didn’t agree with his stomach so he didn’t enjoy his food as much either. I picked up dinner for the family (Burger King) on the way home since there was no way I’d have enough time to cook and do everything else. I don’t want to get too used to getting take-out, but gosh, it sucks to have to cook all the time now that I’m working!

Friday passed by pretty quickly and when I got home we all just chilled out till it was 6:00. We met everyone (mom, Mary, Jorge, Andy, Noelia and the rest of us) at Chili’s at that time. It was a great meal and it was nice talking and catching up with everybody. The first thing I ordered was the Spinach and Artichoke dip and Alaethia helped me eat it. She LOVED it! We had a really nice time. Hope to do it again. And it wasn’t as expensive as I thought it was going to be, so that’s a plus!

That was also the night Mario decided to use our almost-paid-off Circuit City card to buy the Xbox 360, the Legendary Halo 3 thing, and another controller. It came with a helmet and poster. He was in heaven. And now we’re in debt again LOL.

Eenan had a UIL competition on Saturday, so we woke up bright and early and I dropped him off. We freaked out a little because everyone was parked on the edge of the street since the custodians or whoever were supposed to open up the place were late. They eventually came and opened the gates and when I was done being paranoid and collecting numbers to reach the sponsors I came home. I cleaned a little then Mom, Alaethia and I went shopping. Jaylen stayed with Mary. I made the mistake of going to Ross first, where I was supposed to find some nice work shirts, a shower curtain and a bath rug, but ended up finding a white $13 jacket, a nice shower curtain, 1 blouse and some photo boxes. No nice work shirts and all the rugs were torn. We were in line for 45 minutes and I was not going to make it on time to pick Eenan up from the meet. So I called Mary and she said she’d get him. He placed 7th :).

We picked up Mario and then met Mary and the boys for lunch at Burger King. We chilled out and talked for a while, then dropped Mario off and went over to Sally’s mom’s house where Sally and Pete were. We picked up the invitation for their baby shower and OMG, Sally’s belly’s gotten so big! She’s still got 2 months to go. The baby’s gender is still a surprise. I can’t remember if they know or not, but I admire their strength LOL. There’s no way I could have waited to find out the genders of my babies. We caught up and laughed and Alaethia kept freaking out because she didn’t recognize where we were, and then we went to visit Gramma. We kept making jokes and she was laughing her butt off. She also told us the lead singer of a Mexican band, Los Bookis, is her boyfriend, aww LOL. She scared the crap out of me when she was going to choke on a Hershey’s, though. We didn’t make her laugh again till she finished it LOL.

What was really sad was that her room mate, Carolina, isn’t there anymore :(. The last time I remember seeing her, she was playing with Alaethia and was smiling and really cheerful. The next time we went she was at the hospital and this last time all her stuff was gone and someone else was occupying her bed. So sad. I hope nothing bad happened to her. Or maybe it happened like it did to Gramma the time she went to the hospital? She was only gone two days and they moved her out of her old room and in with Carolina. I need to ask what happened.

We didn’t get a chance to go grocery shopping or to Walmart because Mary needed to leave somewhere but the boys didn’t want to go. So we went home. She didn’t end up going anywhere after all and I got ready to go to church with her and Eenan (Mom stayed with Jaylen and Aly). It was a nice service, even though Eenan was bored. He even freaked me out by giggling when he saw the word “Sex” in Sexto in the prayer book. I pretended not to be horrified and asked where he heard that. He said Rolando told him but he didn’t know what it means. Thank God. I’m so not ready for that talk yet. He’s barely in 3rd grade for Pete’s sake! Thinking back though, that’s when everyone started becoming curious and asking questions when I was little. *gulp*

As we’re walking back from church that night (it’s a block away) Mary says she feels like having a strawberry margarita and says we should totally go to The Outback to have some drinks. Mario had gone straight to Chris’ to help him fix something and came straight home when I called him about going out. Mom stayed with the kiddos and then we all picked up Jorge and went. That was the best margarita I’ve ever had in my life! Too bad it’s so darn expensive. Everything there is! And the waiter lied to me. He said the spinach and artichoke dip was so much better than Chili’s, no comparison. Not really. It was too darn salty. The bread they give you with butter was SO GOOD, though! And so were the lobster-crab cakes I had.

Let’s see. We chilled out most of Sunday and then Mary, Mom, Aly and I all went to the groceries. The boys stayed with John. Later that night, after Mario got home from work (it was his Sunday to work) Jorge, Mary, Jaylen, Aly and I went to visit Cat and Annie at their new house. Eenan was too busy watching TV so he stayed with Mom. Their new house is awesome. Too expensive for the square footage, but it’s because of it’s location that it cost so much. It’s a gated community and they live right next to the community park and pool! It was a little awkward after a while though, because some drama got stirred up as usual, so we came home. I didn’t mind; I needed to get the kiddos ready for school the next day.

Gotta finish this up…gotta start dinner!

I came straight home Monday and took Mom to the bank to deposit money John lent her because she’d overdrafted. I don’t know how many times I have to tell her to write her expenses down in her transaction book! Alaethia got sick on Wednesday night; she was up every two hours and at 3am I realized she had a bad fever. 103° is what the thermometer said. I gave her a lukewarm bath and she played happily in the water. That’s why were never know when she’s sick; she never actually “feels” hot like other babies and she’s in a good mood. Only her neck and legs feel hot when she’s got a fever.

I decided I wouldn’t go into work Thursday morning. I hated to call in after only working a month and a week, but she needed me. I got the boys ready in the morning and made sure they went to Elda’s, tried calling the number we’re supposed to call to report absences but it never worked, got Mario’s stuff ready and made him breakfast, I called everyone I needed to call at work to let them know I was going to be out and then called the front desk to let them know I’d be in half a day (or so I hoped). I ate breakfast, got Aly in her carseat and Mom accompanied us to the doctor when it opened at 8:30. There were only 3 people in front of us but it was still 10am by the time they called us in. I was panicking since I had to be at work at 10:30. I was about to ask someone to hurry when the Nurse Practitioner walked in. Alaethia had a slight infection in both ears. She was prescribed antibiotics, Tylenol, cough/congestion medicine, and ear drops. I got home just in time to give her Tylenol; I’d have to pick up her meds after work since I wouldn’t have time to do it that morning. I didn’t take my lunch with me because I was under the impression that I wouldn’t have a lunch since I was going to be making up my hours. Turns out I get 10 days of sick leave and I’d only used up half a day so I didn’t have to stay in extra time after work, yay! I started feeling a little under the weather myself that day and I’m still trying to get over this darn sore throat.

We went to Cat and Annie’s house on Thursday night to have cake and pizza for Isiah’s birthday. I went over and saw Nelsy’s (Annie’s sister, who lives right across from her) house and Mario got there right when we were walking back. I came back home with Mary, Mom and the kids and Mario was in his truck. We arrived before he did and we watched him drive into the driveway. When I walk over to him he asks, “What did I run over?” and I look under the car. It was one of the two kittens :(. Now 3 have been run over! I don’t even know how it happened; he drove in really slowly!

Friday went by pretty quickly and I was so grateful to get home and spend time with Mario, mom, John and the kids. We called Chris and Nancy after a while to accompany us to a liquor store to buy Midori to make drinks with since we invited everyone over for Bailey’s milkshakes. NOBODY CAME. It was a pretty hard bitchslap to the face, but oh well. That was the night I started this entry, when Mario set up the projector to play Halo outside with his cousins.

Yesterday Mary and I went to Target in the afternoon to get stuff for Annie and Cat’s housewarming party later that day. I was still pretty upset that not even they came the night before so I wasn’t going to go, but I was convinced. Mary got us some mango smoothies and then we came home. We wrapped stuff up, I got the kiddos ready and then we left to the Housewarming/Tupperware Bingo. The boys immediately went to the pool when we got there. Jorge and the men who were at the pool were watching them. Alaethia was still feeling sickly so she was incredibly moody, but my spirits lifted when I won 2 bingo games in a row! Mom won the last one and gave me her Tupperware and I gave one to Mary because she didn’t win anything =\. I got myself a Jell-O Mold! Woo!

Mario was waiting for us at home. He’d rented movies and set up the screen again and we watched Premonition outside. The movie (and watching it as if we were at the movies) was awesome. Elda, Jose, their boys, Jorge and Tommy joined us about halfway through the movie. That’s definitely something we should do more often!

I woke up early today and cleaned the house! I had tons of laundry to put away. Mom thankfully does laundry for me throughout the week, but I do not have time to put anything away after work. I didn’t get everything done but at least we can walk through the living room now!

I also finished reading The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. I can finally turn it in LOL. I ordered Shopaholic Ties the Knot and Shopaholic and Sister off Ebay, so I can’t wait to get started on those. Then I can start reading all the awesome books I keep running into at work!

Yay, I finished the entry! I never thought it would happen. Now I can start dinner. I’ve really gotta start making time to blog. I hate not blogging as often as I did before, even though it was sparse at that time, too. Anyway, Alaethia’s moody and crawling all over me, so I have to calm her down before I start cooking. Hope all of you are well, that your eyes didn’t glaze over and that you’re not in a coma after reading this entry LOL.