Category: Grr

So.

I just renewed my domain for another year. And I’m still paying for monthly hosting so I guess I’m keeping the site another year. Me and my packrat tendencies; I’ve had it so long (2001, or 2002–don’t remember) that I can’t bear to get rid of it. Even though I’ve hardly updated in the past year and have missed blogging about TONS of details of the girls’ lives…I just can’t get rid of it.

I’ve made a promise to myself that I’ll try updating again. I’m just so out of…practice, I guess you can say, that it’s kind of odd for me to try and update like I used to. I’m going to aim for at least once a week. Let’s see how that goes LOL.

So I’m going to try right now. I’m drinking my coffee and eating a bowl of sugar Cocoa Crispies. I just finished feeding Emily her baby cereal and she’s doing her Funny Face in her high chair and drinking her bottle.

Okay, scratch that. Alaethia woke up so I moved Emily to her play pen so I could stick Alaethia in the high chair to eat her breakfast, which consists of strawberries. Yes, she’ll be 3 in January (already, OMG!) and I’m still having trouble trying to get her to eat breakfast and sometimes to eat in general. Fruit is always my back up.

Took a break there to get Alaethia situated in the living room to watch her Noggin–I’m sorry, Nick Jr. And I dusted the shelves in the living room and moved 2 more from my bedroom to the living room…don’t know if that was a mistake or not, after last night (I’ll get to that in a bit, heh). I’m so happy that this year I’ll get to actually put up a few Christmas decorations. I just need to FIND them.

We had everyone over last night, Jason, Mirella, Brianna, Jose & Elda, Adan, Aide & her kiddos and Mom & us of course. It was a nice night but the moments that’ll stick out in my head are when Jaylen & Jason were tossing a pillow back and forth & my Disney Jasmin snow globe broke. I left a gel pen uncapped and it stained the sofa bright blue. I almost had a heart attack but a few baby wipes did the trick–I love Enduro-suede sofas! And then–the climax of the night–the moment I walked into the bathroom and Alaethia and Belle were happily tossing cat litter all over the bathroom…again! They’d also dumped the cat’s food into the toilet and replaced both the food and water bowls with soggy litter. My whole world closed up; I didn’t know where the hell to start cleaning up. Mario, at first kind of rudely, had to take over and did a pretty good job cleaning up. Alaethia got reprimanded; I’m hoping this’ll be the last time she assists with that.

(OMG this darn cat just scratched my legs again!!!)

I guess this is enough blogging for now (it’s taken me about 3 hours to type this up little by little!). I just put Emily to sleep by singing “Morning Lullabies” by Ingrid Michaelson to her. They both love that song when it’s time for bed.

I need to do more laundry, wash dishes, vacuum the living room and practice everything for Taekwondo. Our Yellow-Advanced test is on Nov. 28th, 2 1/2 weeks from now. *gulp* I need to work on the form because I get mixed up if someone else is doing it at the same time or if someone even TALKS. I need to time myself and make my movements stronger and stiffer. I also have to work on my side-kick. That kick’s the devil. I get everything else except that. Oh yeah, and I also can’t get the Mula kick with my left leg and my left leg’s the stronger of the two, which is odd for someone who’s right-handed like I am. This is why I want one of those standing targets; so I can practice here at home. They’re expensive though and right now, let’s just say the bad economy finally reared its ugly head at us. Not cool now that Christmas is coming up!

Ok, ok. I won’t stall on my chores any longer. And Emily’s up already. Nice LOL.

Sun., Apr. 26th – Mario and I got up as early as possible (at 8:30) and got ready. I called Mom to watch the girls and Eenan and Mario and I dropped Jaylen off at CFF. We went straight to Walmart to get the red paint for the flatscreen/entertainment wall and then to Home Depot, where we bought more joint compound for the texture on the walls, painting supplies and the taupe paint that’ll go throughout the rest of the living room. I can’t remember what else we bought, but it was, luckily, the last things we’d need to get the living room finished up.

We realized we were cutting it close, so I called my dad-in-law to please pick Jaylen up from CFF. He did and then at 11:30 I gathered the boys and we went to church. Yes. I finally made it to church after, what? A year? Awful, I know.

After church we went home, then I dropped Eenan off at CFF and Mario and his dad were already starting to work on the texture of the walls.

When I came back from picking Eenan up Big Mario had set a chair and table with my laptop on it in front of the windows in the nook. I. Loved. It. I could sit there and watch the kids playing on the deck! There was a nice breeze and I sat with Emily on my lap watching Alaethia blowing bubbles. It was the best.

Everything went so quickly! By the time I knew it, the texture was dry so I changed and helped Mario primer the walls. We ate lunch and then Mario went to take a nap. Jorge called about an hour & 1/2 into his nap and told us the Lumber Liquidators place, where he got his laminate hardwood floors, was having a huge sale. Mario got up in a flash and, all paint-spackled as we were, went to the place.

I couldn’t decide what color of laminate wood I liked and then we saw the perfect one. It took some doing, but the guy gave us a really good price! We had to buy 10 boxes; he gave us 5 for $1/sq. ft. and then the other 5 boxes he charged at $2.19/sq. ft. The original price was $2.79–we got a steal!

When we got back home I had the dreaded task of helping Eenan finish his castle model project. I don’t know why I say I “helped” him…I mostly did the darn thing on my own since I didn’t want him to burn his flesh off with the glue gun. We got all the walls glued in and then he had the task of painting it gray. We needed to get a brick pattern going on, so I cut a little square out of one of my new dish sponges and I had him blot the square into black paint and onto the walls in a brick pattern. It ended up looking really awesome. He had to get into bed at 9:30, but I stayed up finishing the details till midnight. I am SO GLAD that I’m not working anymore!

Mon., Apr. 27th – John invited me to Kumori so of course I said yes and got ready. Mom and Alaethia stayed at home happily watching Noggin while Emily went with John and me. I had my Fiesta roll and ordered an Omega roll for Mario and took it to him at work. I didn’t get to chat with him long since we were rushing to get everything done and pick up the boys on time.

We stopped by Walmart and one of the first things I did was pick out the nook wall color. Mario wanted cocoa brown, but all they had were reddish-brown colors. Still I ended up finding one I liked:

Since Mario wanted cocoa brown I got the Hershey’s syrup I already had in the cart and matched it up to the last one, Sienna Redwood LOL.

It took a while longer to shop around since they’re remodeling the store. I’m assuming it’s going to look a lot like the new one in Penitas. It was hard to find some stuff. Still, I finished up with the shopping and was thrilled that I stayed within my budget!

Emily woke up and started grunting for her bottle as I was paying. She usually does that. I tried fumbling for my wallet and making her bottle until I made John take over. At least she didn’t scream her head off like the last time!

We got home and I unloaded the car, put the perishables away and went off to get the boys. As I was sitting with them watching TV I started feeling a little more and more nervous about the swine flu. Everyone was panicking. I couldn’t even find little bottles of Germ-X at the check-out and I think two cases had already been confirmed in Starr County. Or was it Cameron. Either way, both counties are in the Valley and that was just too close for comfort.

I ripped myself away from CNN so that I could start cooking. I stuck Emily in her sling and cooked and did laundry just fine. My back was hurting a bit by the time I was done, so I handed her over to Mom and washed dishes.

John came over before I was even done with dishes to print a report at Mary’s. Dork kept talking in a Forrest Gump voice and telling me, “Hurry up…Jannay,” because my middle name’s Jannet and he thought it was hilarious. So I started calling him John-nay LOL.

I was running all over the place doing stuff for the kids and Mario and I finally, 3 hours after I made dinner, got to sit down to eat.

I chilled out watching TV and surfing the ‘net that evening with the girls. Mario was off somewhere, probably outside with Adan or at Adan’s. Alaethia came up to me and asked me for milk. When I said she could have some and got up to pour her some she said, “Thanks. You’re a super good friend, Mom.” She says the cutest things, that girl!

Tues., Apr. 28th – Mario was off that day. We woke up late, as usual and Mom was already chilling out outside. She offered to watch the girls since we needed to go to Home Depot, yet again.

First we stopped at WB though, since we hadn’t eaten breakfast or lunch. I ordered a WB Jr. with bacon and cheese. I couldn’t eat in peace since the darn bacon smelled weird. Mario said it smelled fine. I pulled most of it out and prayed that I wouldn’t get sick with food poisoning.

When we were on our way to Home Depot I texted John to ask him WTF was up with the stinky bacon at his workplace. All he texted back was: “I tell you not to eat there” LOL

We got to Home Depot and went straight to the lamps and lighting. We needed a nice lamp for the nook area and we found the perfect one. It was actually two of them for $14.87!

We looked around and I fell in love with the bathroom lights I want to install when we re-do the bathroom…again.

We got the rest of the stuff we needed, mostly painting supplies, and went home. I picked the boys up and Mario stayed behind installing all the outlet covers and so on.

Emily had woken up with a little bit of congestion that morning out of nowhere. By the afternoon the cold was progressively worse so I decided to take her in to the doctor before she really couldn’t breathe well at night.

As I’m driving into the parking lot I think, “Shit!” I don’t ever think I’d seen the parking lot that full of cars, and I’ve gone to the doctor when it’s packed. I was lucky to get the last parking space. I walk in and my friend Elisa’s at reception. She puts her hand on her hip and says, “You’re not here because of Swine Flu, are you?” I laugh and tell her no, that Emily just has a cold, no fever. It hits me; no wonder the doctor’s office was packed! Everyone there thought they had swine flu!!

I had Emily in her car seat and the car seat on my lap since there wasn’t any space on the bench I was sitting on to set it down. As heavy as it was, there was no way I was going to put the car seat with her on the floor because there were kids running around everywhere. This woman next to me, with three little girls, kept telling her (mucusy) kids to look at the baby. So of course they began putting their hands into the car seat to touch her. I almost hissed and told them to back off because she was sick, because apparently none of them thought that they were. When I’d finally had enough I texted Mario to please bring me Emily’s sling. I hadn’t brought it with me because it had been in the dryer. He brought it to me and helped me lug all my bags and the car seat to the car and helped me with Emily while I got her in the sling. I couldn’t thank him enough. I’d only taken out the most important things from my bag, left it in the car and only took Emily in the sling, her diaper bag and my book. Much better. And you can bet the kids didn’t try sticking their hands in the sling!

It was the longest wait ever. I even finished Eclipse while I was there! Emily was the very last patient, even though I was 4th to the last to sign in. Apparently the 3 people behind me had kids with fevers so they were taking them in first. We didn’t end up leaving the office till 6:20. They close at 5:30!

Mario had painted the nook wall with the brown color while we were gone. Although it wasn’t the paint we’d originally envisioned for that space, it came out looking pretty sweet.

Mario tried rounding up some of his friends to start installing the wood floors, but of course that didn’t happen. It makes my blood boil. Mario is always going above and beyond for his friends when they need help with stuff, no matter what it is, but when he needs something, are they there? That’s a big NO. He hates it when someone calls him up asking for help and I start bitching that he shouldn’t help them because of this or that. I hate being so mean and cynical, but I already know how some of his “friends” are after all these years. That’s just how Mario is, though. He’s nice. He wants to be there for people. I just wish some people would feel the same way about him!

The only person who did show up was Chris. He helped Mario install a part of the floor, about 3 rows since it was really late. Somehow–even though Mario works 10-12 hour days–we were going to finish up that floor that week.

Yes, I realize I’m posting this 3 weeks later. I give up on trying to be on top of my blogs. I never have time to blog, understandably!

Fri., Apr. 4th – I woke up around noonish, as I usually do and fed the girls, put Emily to sleep and had my breakfast. Mario sent me a text about going to Cheddar’s that night. I had completely forgotten about our double-date of sorts with Jorge and Maggie that we’d planned since the week before. I was excited. Cheddar’s is a fairly new restaurant and I hadn’t been there yet.

I got on Yahoo and chatted with Maggie almost the whole day. She asked me who was staying with the kids and I told her the boys would stay with Mary and the girls with Mom. She told me Mario said there was no way we’d go anywhere if Mom was staying with Emily, because Mom’s not really good with small babies. She panics and I guess the baby can sense it so Emily starts screaming her head off. Then Mom can’t get her to stop. So he calls me and confirms that we’re not going if we haven’t found someone else to babysit. Grr.

So there I am, searching, calling everyone I know that I thought was available and nothing. So I tell Maggie, “I guess we’re not going anywhere after all.” I spent the rest of the day moping.

I picked Eenan up from school only. Jaylen had gone home with Aaron since they had a playdate set for that afternoon. I’d told him I’d pick him up around 6, since I wasn’t going anywhere anyway.

Mario texts me around 5:50, that he’s on his way to get his hair cut and to pick out some nice clothes, but nothing too fancy for our outing that night. I was completely confused. I thought he’d decided for us that we weren’t going ’cause we didn’t have a more “suitable” sitter for Emily?

I text back and ask, “I thought you said we weren’t going? I didn’t find any one else!” He says we have no choice. I was so annoyed. I spent the whole day feeling crappy for nothing.

I go pick Jaylen up and start flat-ironing my hair. It’s already 6:30, since I spent some time talking to Aaron’s grandma. We’re supposed to be meeting at 7:30 or 8. Good thing I’d already taken a shower earlier.

I knew Mario was on the verge of asking me to hurry up a number of times, but he knew better. Had he let me know earlier I could have spent all day getting ready. Plus, Jorge and Maggie were running errands and had barely gotten home at 7, so I wasn’t rushing. He busied himself outside while I finished getting ready. He comes in a while later and tells me Elda offered to watch Emily for us while we’re out. Oh, thank goodness.

I went over to Elda’s next door to check if Mario was there since Jorge G., Adan, Aide and Belle were over there for a bar-b-q. I look down the driveway and become even more annoyed when I see that Mario’s checking the system in some guy’s truck. Perfect timing!

Aide says she’s going to help mom babysit Emily till Elda’s ready to watch her, so we come over here. Mario’s done with the guy’s truck around 9:20, so we take off.

Maggie and Jorge had arrived at Cheddar’s 10 minutes before we did and found a great table. We ordered our drinks: a Michelob Ultra for Mario and a Maui Margarita for me. OMG. That had to be THE BEST Margarita I’ve ever had in my LIFE! Jorge had recommended it, saying I only needed 2 or 3 and that was it. Mario cleared his throat and ran his hand under his neck to gesture, “Shut up, dude!” It’s hilarious that after 10 years of marriage, he’s still trying to get me drunk to get frisky LOL.

It was a full house at Cheddar’s so everything was taking really long to get to the table. Jorge had invited the bosses, so they arrived about an hour or so later. I was told I looked beautiful, which creeped me out and brought up my deficient self-esteem simultaneously.

Our food arrived about half an hour after that and even though it took forever I have to admit the food was delicious and really cheap!

We toasted and then it hit me that after all these years of knowing Jorge and Maggie (about 11 for me), it was the first time we’d ever gone out in public as group! We’ve always hung out–even moreso now than in years past–but we’ve never gone out to have drinks or eat together or anything. I’m glad we’re still friends after all these years :).

The bosses left and we chilled out a bit more until it was getting close to closing. We moved the party to Fanatics, a bar. I had a Piña Colada and we sat around chatting with Maggie’s friends till Mario and I both started getting sleepy around 1am. We’re elderly already, at the ages of 26 and 27.

I drove home, of course, and we collected our children. Emily had been asleep since 12am with Elda and Alaethia was asleep as well with Mom. We managed to sneak into bed and get some sleep before Emily woke up at 4am. That was one of the best nights, ever.

Sat., Apr. 5th – I didn’t feel like doing anything that day, but I had to get Eenan’s eyes checked at the optometrist’s office and I was going to have my appointment too, since I was already there. I was taking Eenan with me only. Mario was supposed to stay with the other three kiddos.

I get a text from Mario when I’m barely getting to the signal light at the corner saying, “I can’t watch this little girl,” meaning Emily. I deposited at the bank and went back to get her. So much for a quick trip.

I dropped Mom off at Gramma’s nursing home (we really need to move her to a closer one!). We get to the optometrist and…they didn’t take Eenan’s insurance. LOVELY. I got my exam done anyway because I didn’t drive all the way over there for nothing. My left eye is “significantly worse” and the doctor said it may have something to do with either my sugar levels or that I was recently pregnant. Great.

We visited with Gramma for a bit when we went to pick Mom up. While I was looking at the photos on her wall she patted me on the butt and said I was chubby. I sighed and said, “I know, Gramma. That’s what happens when I have my babies.” And she started laughing.

We went to Walmart after that. OMG, it was the longest shopping trip, ever! We had to keep stopping at almost every aisle because Emily needed something. She’s never like that when we’re shopping, so it surprised me. Halfway through the trip she spit-up all over my blouse, and she never spits up!!

Mom had gone off shopping on her own, because she usually takes long, so Eenan was helping me shop. He did such a great job. It’s much easier when only one of the boys helps me grocery shop. If both of them go, they fight the entire time or fight about what food to take or who’s going to help me.

We were already frustrated, tired and hungry so he wasn’t too happy when we were already at the front of the store–so close to the registers–when I realized I’d gotten the wrong diapers. We went all the way to the back of the store where the diapers are, and as we’re walking I smell something. I (stupidly) run my hand along the edge of Emily’s diaper…and smear a lovely shade of yellow poop all over my hand. She’d filled her diaper up to the brim.

I yelled, “OH MY GOD!!” And Eenan runs to my side. He’s as horrified as I am. Suddenly I remember thinking “Oh, I won’t need the wipees,” and leaving the travel case on the center console of the truck. I tell him, “Eenan! I forgot the wipes!” as a nice employee overhears me. Her jaw drops open as she sees my yellow hand and says, “Well, you’re gonna have to use some! There’s some over here, c’mon on!”

She points me in the direction of the wipees and I locate the travel sized ones, tear the wrapping open and tell Eenan to hold the piece with the barcode so I can pay for it, and proceed to get all of Emily’s things out to change her. Thank God I’d brought the changing pad and a change of clothes with me!

I wrapped up all her dirty clothes in her blanket and found a trash bin to dispose of the diaper and pile of wipees, which I wrapped in a whole bunch of paper towels I found above the trash bin. I was too happy to pay for everything and get home.

I put everything away when I got home. Mario was already home and the men were bar-b-q’ing again. I went outside with everyone and tried to fix the new carrying pouch I’d bought for Emily at Walmart. I’m going to have to return it. The “easy release” clips are huge and hurt her little thighs. It would be a good sling if she were larger.

Mario brought me some Bacardi Silvers in strawberry but I didn’t like them too much since they kept making me burp and I eventually became bloated. I don’t know if it had anything to do with that or if I really did look chubby like Gramma said but when Jorge (Mario’s Nino) saw me he said, “Are you pregnant again? Because it looks like it.”

I didn’t know what to say!! He didn’t say it to be mean, and tried to take it back immediately after, but I felt awful! That’s what I get for squeezing myself into my old jeans. When I was wearing my during/post-maternity pants, everyone kept saying how “good” I looked!!

When everyone left the bar-b-q, we went to Jorge and Maggie’s with the girls. Maggie and I chilled out with her nieces and the babies and had some drinks. I shouldn’t have eaten, but Maggie had made food so I served myself a little tiny bit of everything. I really wanted more of the guacamole, but I resisted.

Mario started falling asleep around 2pm and the guys found it to be the perfect opportunity to “tea bag” him LOL. I tried to warn him–Maggie and her nieces are my witnesses! He says I didn’t. Jorge got him. We all took pictures LOL.

Since everyone started calling him an old man for falling asleep he made us stay till 5am! Before we left, though, he was flipping through pictures in Jorge and Maggie’s camera and said something to piss me off. We will be having a “talk” later.

Sun., Mar. 5th – We woke up super late, of course. Mario actually got up earlier than I did and he and his dad worked on the new living room. My Dad-in-law had already done a lot of the insulation and then Mario did the rest of it and helped with the drywall.

It was so nice seeing that drywall go up! It gives me a sense of completion, like it’s the light at the end of the tunnel. Mind you, we still need to get the cement to level out the floors. And that darn stump is still there…

Anyway, Mario and I went to get a few more things at Home Depot that he and his dad needed, not before stopping for some frappuccinos. I collected as many paint samples and (free) idea booklets as I could. I can’t WAIT to get this room painted! I also got some cute ideas for the girls’ color scheme.

I made Enchiladas Swisas for dinner and after that we went to Jorge and Maggie’s again. They’d invited us to go over but at first he didn’t want to go over. He said he didn’t want to get in trouble again (he was referring to what he’d said/done to piss me off). We eventually went but Mario didn’t drink. It was a little hard to joke around there was even a little altercation between Maggie and Javi. Like Jorge said, I believe, the atmosphere was a little “hostile” LOL. We eventually went inside to watch videos on YouTube. We (only LOL) stayed till 1am that night.