Category: Home Improvement

Today is Good Friday, which means I have a day off from work. The kids are with the other parents, and since the family is coming down from Austin and we’re hosting everyone on Easter Sunday, I figured it was the perfect chance to tidy up and take care of some more tidying-up-things I hadn’t had a chance to do. But first, I wanted to go jogging! I started up again this past Tuesday when I went with Emmos.

And then Wednesday, both girls went with me and we literally RAN since it was about to start raining.

So of course I would wake up today feeling like a chicharron; completely sore and immobile. And guess what? I slept till friggin’ 10:30 a.m.! So I didn’t accomplish that part of my to-do list. I made some breakfast, Keto Pancakes, instead!

And then I got to cleaning. First I started with my bathroom, which the cats completely destroyed. I love Kika, but my gosh, that cat is sooo messy!

I’d recently finished the book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” because this chick needs HELP with tidying. So I used the KonMarie method last week by starting with all the clothes I own…and got rid of 1 garbage bag. ONE. UNO. I must have done something wrong! But Jorge installed a 2nd rod below one side and now I have space for my pants! Now all my clothes finally fit, thank God. Maybe that’s all I needed! 😆 I still have a mess on my futon though: stuff that needs mending, stuff that needs to go to the cleaners and stuff I want to sell on eBay. (That last one probably isn’t going to happen and the stuff’s gonna end up at Goodwill anyway *sigh*.)

Anyway. Cleaning out my closet entailed pulling out my large storage bin of photo albums. Those albums have been in that bin since Mario and I got divorced and that bin followed me to each house, each closet I’ve had since. They stayed in the bathroom all week until today when I removed some 80’s toys from the bottom shelf of one of my bookcases and organized all my albums. Of course, my ADD didn’t allow me to just PUT the books on the shelf; I had to look through each one of them. I’m not sure if flipping through and seeing my boys as babies, frozen in time, and now I don’t even speak to them on some days because they don’t answer their damn phones! Or seeing the girls as babies, or all the family photos with my ex-family, or photos I had of Jorge with other girls I despised LOL (we were friends our whole lives, remember?), or seeing photos of Gramma and just missing her…but as the day went on I felt this huge cloud of sadness just engulf me completely. I had already finished cleaning the bathroom, the bookcase and was halfway through organizing and chucking stuff in the kitchen when I realized I felt…defeated. I looked around and I felt tired, and I felt like I wasted my day off…and then I suddenly started bawling. For no reason. I just stood there in front of the sink and cried and sobbed. And I just let it happen. I went outside to the porch to get some fresh air, and just as I was calming down, Sandra calls me. I take a deep breath before I answer and we talk and I tell her she called at just the right moment. We talk about her goings on and my goings on and then we hang up. I was tossing out papers in the kitchen and was about to start vacuuming when I decided I needed a break. So here I am. It could also be that I haven’t really eaten; I just had some iced coffee and a few bites of a One bar. But writing has helped. And I called the kids to get an update on their day, so I feel better.

Maybe cleaning made me emotional 😆 ! Jorge got home later on and we went to pick up wings at Pizza Hut and as he’s telling me about all these awesome plans I just start bawling again! He said I was scaring him and that I have no reason to stress right now…and I really don’t! So, who knows, but I feel better now, thank goodness!

This post should actually be titled: “Not Much of a Spring Break 2017”. But anyhoo…

In my previous post I mentioned I had a lot going on currently (at work, at home) that was stressing me out. I was even more stressed out about not being able to take sufficient time off work to take the kids somewhere during the half-week they were with us (they’d be with the other parents the rest of the Spring Break week). But, I told myself that I wasn’t going to let it get the best of me. I did good on my promise to myself, even when I was going 100mph at work.

We had several meetings on Monday alone and I even stayed at work late trying feverishly to finish all my tasks so I could take Tuesday off with the kids. I was ALLMMOOSSSTT done with everything, until I realized I needed my “Boss Boss'” signature on some important documents I needed to mail out. Darnit. So I came in for half a day Tuesday and rushed through the (growing) to-do list. By 12:30pm, I finally had everything done and I was OUT!!

I get home, excited, and walk into the boys’ room, only to find all of them except Julien still asleep. I annoyingly sing-song, “Get up, childrennn,” and it still takes them a while to groggily ask, “Why?” 😐

I tell them we’re going to Ben & Jerry’s, and the big boys protest, but I don’t care 😆 . I swear: these kids would rather lay in their rooms playing video games all day than going somewhere. 🙄 They all take turns showering and I ate lunch (a Hot Pocket. Can you believe that?? A HOT POCKET!! I never eat Hot Pockets, wtf!!), while I (wait for it) watched, “My 600 Lb. Life”. –The irony…

Eenan said he wanted me to sit and watch a new Disney show, so I did. The pilot episode of “Andi Mack.” He said the little girl’s art reminded him of me and he thought I’d really enjoy the story. And my boy knows his mama: it was great; I really, really enjoyed it!! One of the more mature shows Disney’s produced for sure. Can’t wait for the next ep!

So the kiddos finally finish getting ready and we take off. My 7 ducklings and I beat the rush; it got really packed as soon as I put in their last order.

We finished up and headed to the park.

While the big boys played football (minus Eenan, he stuck with the Littles and me) and the rest of us were at the playground, I had a conversation with Emily’s friend’s mom (AKA, Ryan’s aunt), about my little Emily’s behavior 😡 . She was being…proactive about a bully but started being somewhat of a bully herself telling her friend over iMessage that she was becoming “like her” (like the little girl they claimed was the bully) and whatnot. So much so, that her mom got on the phone and said her friend wasn’t available. Embarrassing! I had already gotten after her for being mean to Maddie, and now that. She got yet another lecturing, much to her irritation. I know she’s headstrong and really takes no sh*t, but I don’t want her to be the mean girl 🙁 . I have no experience in this, especially not with the boys or Alaethia! When Alaethia was having drama with her friends last year, it was nothing like this.

But anyway, her friend’s Mama and I spoke and got everything sorted. I’m glad that it wasn’t too awkward and that she didn’t tell me off for my kid’s behavior, heh. She was very understanding and we agreed we just want our kiddos to get along.

I dropped the kiddos off with Mom at home, picked Jorge up from work and then we took Jorgie with us to order Domino’s for dinner. Then the kids wanted to watch “My 600 Lb. Life” again. I’m converting them 😆 ! I don’t know why I like that show so much!

The day, unfortunately, came to an end and then it was time for bed since Jorge and I had work the next day ;? .

The kiddos left with the other parents on Wednesday afternoon and the rest of the week at work was a blur of working on Taste McAllen.

I picked Jorge up from work and then we stopped for some snacks at the Food Park before going shopping at the mall (oh, joy 🙄 .

I had to mentally prepare for an interview I was having with Chef Larry the next morning. I despise interviews; I get nervous and bumble all over myself and my skin wasn’t cooperating with me AT ALL. Plus: not happy that the camera adds 10 more lbs. 😥 !! But I sucked it up and went with it. Alan Campbell was our host and is such a jokester, so he eased us into the interview and was really good about prompting us on what to say.

I had an event at the food park that Friday, so of course, we had to indulge a little. I mean, why not? We were already there!

We spent the rest of the weekend cleaning out our garage. John still had TONS of boxes in there, plus his table and chairs from when he lived with us and used the garage as a storage unit. I called and asked him what to do with everything and he said to chuck it. 😐 Really?? We coulda chucked them a long time ago!!

So several trips to Goodwill, Walmart, Target, Home Depot later, we got rid of tons of junk and bought additional storage bins and shelving. It hadn’t looked that nice and clean in a looong time!

I took the opportunity to clean up the box of Dad’s records I inherited. He had lots of old-school “Regional Mexican” records, but he had the Beatles, some opera and waltzes as well!

We also got some pavers and new mulch to re-do the greenery bed under the kitchen window. We were literally in the dark, with the flashlight of our phones, digging and planting and so on. But we finished!

So although we didn’t get to do much for Spring Break, our time with the kiddos and each other was pretty damn great 😀 .

Pixydust.net has been renewed for 2 more years! Not that very much has been or will be done with this website, but I just can’t let the darn thing go. (As much as it creeps me out sometimes,) there are too many visual memories saved here and I just can’t do away with it!

We got a 3-day (surprise weekend) at work, so I was off since Friday. It worked out perfectly since the girls had their Veteran’s Day program. Alaethia and her cheer team were performing and Emily’s class was singing. I’d missed Alaethia’s very first performance last month since it was when we had that delegation here from San Miguel De Allende.

Anyway, Mom actually went along for once, and their dad, too. It was a quick, but very sweet and emotional program. Of course I got goosies and was all choked up during the National Anthem, and got teary again at the end when Mr. Guerra sang “God Bless the USA”.

I didn’t get to take very many photos, especially because Emily was far and Alaethia was in the middle of her cheer team, but I snapped one when they were dispersing to their classrooms. Once I helped Alaethia change into her regular clothes, we hugged them goodbye and then Mom and I searched high and low for the new NES Classic console. I don’t know why I thought I’d actually find one, when all the crazies were out making lines at 5am 🙁 . I wish I could have been one of those crazies, but I forgot! Oh well. Maybe the next batch 🙁 .

Mom treated me to Wing Stop (those fries and nacho cheese. Mmph.), and then I dropped some off to Jorge, who was stuck at work without a chance for lunch.

I went back home afterwards and started taking down and wrapping up Halloween decorations. Mom went crazy buying little things here and there, which ended up turning into a dining table full of stuff to put away. I had to get another box.

I spent the evening watching Food Network and browsing Pinterest getting ideas on how to finish decorating my living room. Jorge and I decorated together when we moved in 5.5 years ago, but I wanted something bright and fresh that won’t break the bank. I started with dusting off two art pieces I had that I wanted to frame. So I went through my box of cheap Goodwill frames and found 2 that I would need to paint.

When Jorge got home from work he showered and then we had dinner at the Food Park!
We had our usual aguas frescas from Antojitos Beba and then we headed to Nuri Food Truck where I had a Q-dilla, Jorge had his favorite Devine Swine tacos and we shared the extremely delicious Bulgogi Pork Belly Kimchi Fries (Fries Carlito’s Way). They are literally finger-lickin’ good!

We went home and caught up on Grey’s Anatomy, and it wasn’t long till I passed out!

The girls had a UIL meet early the next morning, so I got ready, saw Jorge off and headed to their school to meet them and Mario.

It felt like time went by in a flash, then John (Audrey and Maddie’s dad) reminded me it’s because we used to have to stay all day for Chess! It’s a welcome change 😆 .

I saw my little ladies off when they were done with their stories/competing and I headed to Goodwill, for yes, another frame. I found nothing except Monster High and MC2 dolls for the girls.

I went across the street to Wal-Mart to purchase a bin for the Halloween decorations and ended up finding some AWESOME pillows on clearance that would match the theme I was going for in the living room in my head 😆 . They would match perfectly with my Otomí embroidered pillows I purchased from one of my awesome Artisans! I couldn’t believe my luck; they were $7 together!

I got home and started fixing things up, but not before I got bored enough to stop and meet Jorge for lunch :D. (I feel like my life really does revolve around food *sigh*.)

We went to Siempre Natural, where I had my usual turkey and bacon pita and fideo soup. I only ate half the pita and was so proud of myself. I dropped Jorge off at work and went straight to get my hair cut. It had literally been–wait for it–a YEAR since I’ve cut my hair. Jorge said if I didn’t go cut it THAT DAY, he and John would hold me down and he’d chop it himself!

So Ms. Rosie (my hairdresser) and I had a great, long talk while she chopped away at my hair. It’s still long (it was halfway down my butt; now it’s above it), but I should have asked for a more diamond-shape at the bottom like before 😕 .

Mom and I went to see Gramma and then to Walmart because I wanted to find another one of each of the pillows! After searching high and low (literally), I found one of the pinwheel ones. It’s something, at least! I got a few grocery items and then got home and made Jorge some lemon butter salmon and some zucchini noodles :).

After dinner, Jorge and I sat to watch TV while I paid all the bills online. He got to see first-hand just how long that takes me (almost 2 hours!!).

We woke up the next day and I made us some chorizo, egg and bean tacos with queso fresco. I’d bought some refrigerated tortillas from one of my artisans the week before, and he gave me 2 more packs! They are delicious.

We lazied around and then spent the rest of the day running errands, like purchasing bathroom repair stuff from Home Depot and then Jorge took me around 2 more Wal-Marts to find more pillows (only found 1 more pinwheel one, but for $2!! WIN!!)

We got home and he worked on the bathroom, while I stood by for support (and later tidy-up duty). I made dinner and we watched “The Walking Dead”, which I’d missed the week before. I was passing out before we could even watch the current one 😕 . Alas, as restful and productive as my weekend was, I could still use a whole other week off! It goes by too fast!