Got out of the shower a while ago and am now backing up my photos from December 2006 until now. I had this weird feeling, especially now that our Norton’s expired, that something bad might happen to my computer — like getting a virus — and I’d lose my precious photos. I’ve had it happen to me way too many times and I’ve learned my lesson!

Alaethia’s asleep right now (the boys have been asleep since 9:30, late for them even) and Mario’s out helping Eddie with something. I should be in bed too, taking advantage of her early nap, but this is my quiet time. Now I shall try and type as fast as I can since I probably just jinxed myself and she’ll be up any second!

It’s the start of a new week and the boys are already tired of school. They keep complaining more and more each morning but I keep trying to instill hope in them by counting down how many weeks of school are left. They don’t care.

I’ve been running on four hours of sleep all day. Alaethia didn’t fall asleep till 2:30am last night, it was awful. I skipped my morning nap with her completely in order to get my checkbook balanced. I hadn’t balanced it since March 9th — eek! We’re about $100 less than I hoped we were, but oh well. I was close.

I filled out the kids’ insurance renewals, which are a bit late. I hope I don’t have trouble turning them in. I was supposed to have sent them in 15 days after I received the letter but it’s been well over a month. I hate when I procrastinate!

Great. The darn CD drive won’t spit my Photo CD back out. It goes from showing me the green “Occupied” light to an angry red one when I push Eject. Stupid thing. I guess I’ll continue with my back ups tomorrow. *sigh*

I had a nice to-do list typed up, just so that I could stay on track.

1. Balance Checkbook
2. Fill out, have Mario sign, and have Mary fax boys’ insurance renewal.
3. Make copies of Saturday night’s pics for Yoanna, Jannet, and Mayra.
4. Go through cabinets and drawers in kitchen – get rid of stuff for garage sale.
5. Take Jaylen’s Jeep and toddler bed to storage.
6. Back up all December through March pictures onto CDs (- half-way done!)

1. Blog
2. Upload Matthew’s birthday pics
3. Scrapbook
4. Read

At least I’m doing 2 of the things on my 2nd, personal little list. I only got to read a chapter, but it’s all good. I’m reading Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella, which I can totally relate to. Just today — after John, Alaethia and I picked Jaylen up from school and went to Target — I was tempted by so many wonderful things and was creating justifications in my mind for why buying the things I wanted was okay! They were on sale!

But — and I’m so proud of myself — I held back, and with shaking hands placed everything back on the shelves and away from my debit card. So many scrapbooking things on sale *gulp*, but at least I don’t feel my heart sinking when I’m looking at my checkbook and most purchases were made by me, heh.

John finally got himself a damn TV. That’s why we went. We drove straight to my storage unit and got a whole bunch of junk out so that I could sort through it for the garage sale. I was so pumped about doing this garage sale, especially because I need want to get the boys some new dressers, a new microwave and new TV Table/entertainment center. All of our stuff is almost as old as how long we’ve been married — which will be 8 incredible years tomorrow :). After picking Eenan up from school and after he did his homework, I took both the boys to their room and we looked through every last toybox they had so they could get rid of old toys. They got rid of one tiny box, and that was it. The rest of the stuff is brand-new, so it’s not like I could force them to get rid of anything. We spent money on them!

Alaethia slept while we sorted through boxes and only woke up about 10 minutes before we were done. I think, for now, I’ll wait on the garage sale. It’s not like we absolutely need the dressers, microwave, or TV table. My eyes have been offended by our current ones’ terrible sight this long — what’s a few more weeks or months?

Oooh! And I received the pictures I ordered from Winkflash this afternoon so I cannot WAIT to start scrapbooking! I’m so excited :)!

It’ll be soothing to the awful cramps I will soon be subjected to. It was a glorious month and 2 weeks without a period, so I’m bracing myself for the pain I’m about to endure. I feel pain at the tops of my legs already, which is a weird thing that happens to me when that time of the month is creeping up.

Alaethia has her 2 month appointment tomorrow, for sure this time. They’re going to poke and prod my little baby! And I’ve been wanting to get her ears pierced too, but I need to make an appointment at the boys’ doctor’s office since they numb the ears and everything. I can’t believe she’s 2 months already! I was looking through pictures from last year yesterday and it was weird seeing pictures of us without her. It feels like she’s always been with us :).

Oh, and Mario told the family something surprising. During the Rosarios they kept asking him how he felt being a father of three, if he enjoyed being a dad to a daughter and if we were done having kids. Know what he said? He said he wanted us to have another girl. I know, WOW. At first I was in shock, and immediately crossed my legs, but after thinking about it — sure! I’d love to have another daughter! Of course, after I’ve spent enough time with Alaethia — maybe spacing them out like Alaethia and Jaylen are (almost 5 years). We’ve got the rest of our lives :).

I was checking my e-mail yesterday morning while eating a bowl of cereal and noticed a comment from Pia inviting me to join OPAH, or One Photo An Hour (also, a Day In The Life — my first ever!). I thought this would be a fantastic idea and although I had already missed two hours since I’d woken, I starting taking pictures of my day.

11:30 am – Arriving at the nursing home. We spent some time with Gramma. We called her nurse in since she was really uncomfortable and hot. I was a little concerned, since she’s usually really cold, but this time she was hot and her breathing was labored due to another cough. I hope she gets better soon. She’s been sick for 3 weeks already :(.

12:30 pm – Looking around for new books at the Thrift Store. I found 6 awesome books, 4 of them brand-new, and a tiny clear vase for $5!

1:30 pm – Shopping for new bras at Target. Not too thrilled with taking pictures of my Boobie Holders, like John said, but this is where I was at the time.

2:30 pm – Back at home and organizing my new books in my corner shelf.

3:30 pm – It looks like I’m subjecting her to torture, but I swear I’m not. Here we’re all getting ready to leave to Mary’s co-worker’s little girl’s birthday party.

4:30 pm – The boys playing games at the pizza place where the party was being held. They spent most of their time doing this, of course.

5:30 pm – Jaylen playing his harmonica (one of the prizes he got in exchange for his tickets) for me while I get our things together so that we can leave.

6:30 pm – Bathing Alaethia before getting myself ready for Albert’s birthday party Mario and I would be attending, alone!, that night.

7:30 pm – Reading my Harry Potter book (Order of the Phoenix) while en route to Mario’s workplace. John didn’t let me read much since he was making me laugh as always.

8:30 pm – A beautiful hanging ornament (I forget what these are called, I think it’s a thermometer of some kind), one of the many beautiful hanging things, displayed at the home where the party was being held. The house was beautiful. The deck we were on was like one out of a house on HGTV; there was a pond, extra deck with a pool table on it, a pool with a slide, and Ivys that were hiding frogs! Loud, croaking frogs!

9:30 pm – What the table in front of me looked like at 9:30. We also had cheese dip and chips and great conversation with Mario’s co-workers and their wives :).

10:30 pm – This picture was actually taken around 12:40 am, but this is basically what the night consisted of after 10:30: pictures, the men playing tricks on each other (Mario got at least 2 wedgies), the girls laughing at the crazy men and more pictures. I got distracted, what can I say? We went home shortly after this, where I drove because Mario was a little tipsy. Alaethia’d been a princess, according to Mother, and the boys were well-behaved, too. She woke up for a bottle around 1:20 and we slept till 6:40, then again till 8:30.

Today was spent mostly at home, with only a quick trip to McAllen for some Taco Bell for lunch. Paul came over so Mario was outside with him for most of the day doing boy things like installing radios and bar-b-q’ing hamburgers for dinner, and I was inside trying to console a moody Alaethia and fold her baby clothes (that took all day, no joke). I finished my Harry Potter book, finally and am ready to start on something new!

I’m having an extremely late and unhealthy dinner of Burger King chicken fries and onion rings. And a Coke. And then I wonder how I gained that extra pound.

I did not feel like cooking dinner at all. Alaethia’s been in a mood since yesterday, so it’s not like she would have given me a chance to cook anyway. The only reason I got to make dinner yesterday was because Mom came over a bit late to ask me something and found me carrying her little screaming body in one arm and trying to mix everything for Spinach and Artichoke dip with the other hand.

The recipe I used for the spinach and artichoke dip yielded a lot of dip. We all had some (except Eenan of course. He has an aversion to green foods, namely in vegetable form.) and there’s still a ton left over. Want some?

Alaethia didn’t fall asleep till late last night, around 1am and then woke up at 4 for a bottle, which she hasn’t done in weeks. Then she woke up again at 8am and finally at 10:30. The boys got ready for school with minimum tantrums and I took a quick shower before I had to pick Jaylen up. Mario was off work but was up early doing extra work and couldn’t watch Alaethia for me. So, I did the next best thing and put her in her carseat and took her into the bathroom with me. She was actually really quiet and was entertaining herself with the crinkly little bugs hanging from her carseat handle. She’s been trying to make her hands do what she wants and tries to grab things. It’s the cutest thing :).

We didn’t do much all day. We drove to Mission and back real quick after picking Eenan up and that was the highlight of my day. Other than that, I’ve been doing my best trying not to go insane since Alaethia’s been extra clingy today, probably due to a stomach ache. Mom said someone gave her Ojo since she’s been inconsolable. If that is true, I remember the exact moment that it happened: Wednesday at the doctor’s office. This girl I was talking to kept saying how cute she was and was just staring at her, but she never once reached over to touch her and I never remembered to ask her to. I do that. If someone oohs and ahhs over her I ask them to please touch her, and they always oblige, even if they don’t know about the Evil Eye. I’m Mexican, what can I say. Mexican folklore rubbed off on me.

I was desperate tonight and finally took Mary’s advice to call Elda’s Mom, Ofelia, over so that she could “sweep” Alaethia with an egg to cure the Ojo. She came over and held her in one arm while sweeping her with an egg with the other while saying a silent prayer. I’m not kidding you, she stopped crying right away and fell asleep. Before that, she’d slept a total of 1 hour, if even that, all day. Mario finds it silly, and I admit, I did too at first, but I’m a believer now.

Ofelia even had me make her some Manzania (Chamomille) tea to help soothe her tummy, and although I don’t like to do that I gave her some. Less than half an ounce, but it worked. She pooped seconds after drinking it. I hope she’ll be okay.

The boys were with Mary this evening watching The Last Mimzy. We would have gone, except Mario was exhausted and I knew that if I went, I’d be standing in the hallway again trying to console Alaethia. We were supposed to go to several friends’ houses tonight and all plans were out the window for one reason or another. Mario’s at Chris’ right now. We’ve been at each other’s throats the past few days, but he swears it’s not him at all. It’s both of us. I admit that I’ve been a tad bit frustrated and moody lately, what with being at home and struggling with Alaethia the past few days that she’s been feeling ill. I snap at him for everything and he makes rude remarks even when I haven’t done anything to “annoy” him. I blame it on our 8 year wedding anniversary that’s looming ever-closer. 8 years ago, on a dark, dreary, rainy March 27th, we got married. Who’da thought we’d still be together after all this time, with two sons and a lively, screamy daughter who’ll hopefully let Mama sleep tonight.