Category: Yay!

Being Grateful

I have loved today. Woke up “late” (at 8:30), which is much better than waking up at 6:30am. The kids were already awake and were watching TV quietly in the living room. Made breakfast (breakfast sandwich for Mario and French toast for the rest of us) and just sat in absolute quiet bliss while enjoying my warm toast.

And then the kids started screaming. But only for a little while :).

This, the not having to rush around and leave the house to pick up/drop off kids 3 times a day, makes me wish Summer vacation was already near. We’re about 6 1/2 months away but at least I have 3 weeks of Christmas vacation to look foward to. Yay!

I decided that this year I wanted to have Dad over for Thanksgiving. I’ve never invited him over before, mostly because I was afraid I’d be scoffed at by the family, namely by my dramatic mother. And I couldn’t stand the thought of him spending another Thanksgiving either alone, or with other family-less friends at the Salvation Army dinner.

I spoke to Mario about it and he thought it was a great idea. I asked Mary first if it was okay, whom I figured wouldn’t have a problem with it since Elda’s already having her whole family over. Sure enough, she said it was fine. I presented the idea to John and Mom simultaneously. John didn’t say anything, which meant he approved. Mother, on the other hand, threw a fit.

“Oh, now he’s your father?”

“Oh, since he’s always been around!”

I tell her he’s always been my father; she’s the one who’s always tried to turn me against him. I tell her I know what he did–I’m well aware that he was a horrible parent, but I’d like to make ammends since he’s been making the effort the past couple of years to actually be a part of our lives. And why, when he’d call, would she spent at least half an hour to an hour talking to him like they were good ol’ pals? Why couldn’t we have a relationship with him?

I never had a grandfather–I’d like my daughter (along with my boys) to know hers, all of them. I let her know this. After she huffed and puffed and stuck her nose up at us (because John expressed his opinion, which matched mine, too) I gave up and said, “You know what, FINE, I won’t invite him!” She says, “How can you have him over with Mary’s family? How ridiculous!” I tell her, “Um, Mom, you’re kind of going to be there too, with Mary’s family.” I know there’s a difference, because she’s known Mary for years now and contributes to most holiday dinners/get-togethers, but there’s a similarity in that she’s not Mary’s blood, and that’s what my Mom was trying to use as justification.

When I tell her again to just drop it, I wasn’t going to invite him, she softens up and says, “Just tell him to come then.” Grr. My frustration with this woman never ends!

Which is also something I’ve been thinking about lately. Since Mom lives right next door she’s always here. I had to plead with her not to come over before 11am, because she was at the door at 8am every day. She talks during my tv shows, talks while I’m reading, yells at John for whatever reason when he comes over, amongst other annoying things. I’m probably even more irritable considering the pregnancy, but lately she’s had me at my wit’s end. It’s like I have a 3rd child.

At the end of the day I start thinking about it: what if she wasn’t here? Like, really not here. What if something happens to her? I’d feel horrible and guilty for snapping at her all the time and wishing she’d just go home. The day she’s not here anymore to “bother” me, is the day I’m going to wish she was.

I’m learning this Thanksgiving holiday that I need to be grateful for every last thing I have. I need to learn to appreciate everyone, regardless of their quirks and vexes. You never know how life will change; who’ll be taken away from you at the drop of a dime.

I’m grateful for so many things: the roof over our heads, food, working cars, our health, being able to pay our bills, Mario’s job, this pregnancy, my husband and children, my whole family, friends: old and new and ones I’ve thankfully gotten back in touch with this year. For another day in this world! I’m just thankful for everything.

If I don’t get around to individually telling everyone, I hope you have a great Thanksgiving, full of love and family and friends!

5-Day Weekend

Well, I finally published my October 20th entry. I’d been putting it off since I couldn’t get myself to write that last part about Wookie passing away. I figured I’d put it off long enough so I finally tackled that this afternoon.

I’ve spent a good chunk of today trying to upload old 2005 entries. I still need mid-March and a few 2006 months. Bleh. I hate it. It would be much easier if I didn’t have to read through them to categorize them, but I’m anal about that so I just *have* to do it. It’s so much easier having them on here when I need to “remember” something.

I spent some of yesterday annoyed, so I’m glad today was better. I hate having to do things I don’t want or need to do, and Elda just so happened to send a bill for me to pay with Brandon in the morning. I didn’t get a call asking me to do it or anything. I was just expected to do it. Pisses me off.

I picked up a few things at the Dollar General after I picked up Jaylen and paid Elda’s stupid bill. I desperately needed a new cookie sheet, so I got one and some Mega Man toys for the kids that were only $2! Pretty darn cool. I was supposed to save them for their stockings if I found them but there was no way I’d be able to hide them from Jaylen =\.

My stupid toilet tank was overflowing, so that pissed me off, too. It’s finally flushing correctly so I was thrilled, but oh no, something else always has to go wrong. After using about 5 huge towels to sop the mess up 3 times I lowered the faucet thing down a little and it didn’t overflow anymore. Stupid toilet.

I was supposed to be sewing curtains for Mary’s bedroom (blah) but she didn’t leave me the pattern (which is an old curtain) so I didn’t do them. I’m not going to do them tomorrow, no way. I fully expect to be left alone so I can enjoy these 5 days of no-school. Like Mario said, they figure I’m “not doing anything else” so everyone gives me little chores and errands to do. That’s the one thing I don’t like about living here =\. I don’t mind doing them for the in-laws, it’s everyone else that gets on my nerves.

Bitchyness aside, Jaylen got a dinosaur toy for behaving all six weeks. When I spoke with his teachers this morning they said only 3 boys and 1 girl didn’t give them trouble all six weeks, so they got to choose a prize. Jaylen was thrilled. I’m so proud of my little dude :).

Eenan placed 9 out of 30-some kids in UIL. He’ll be receiving a ribbon, which he’s just elated about. I’m so proud of him, too. His coach was gushing about him this morning. *beams*

John is humping the air while laying on my couch because he’s bitching that he wants to get online so I think I shall go now before I throw the monitor at him. Now he’s rolling around whining for me to remove this part of the blog, but I’m not. Neener, neener.

Okay, I’m going to read my Harry Potter book now (have you seen the teaser trailer?! AWESOME!) and kick the kids’ cousins out since they’re fighting over the Game Cube. What happened to their Game Cube, darnit?? They’re only here to play because once time is up and I tell them to turn it off, they leave. WTF?

Anyway, yay! 5 days of not waking up at the crack of dawn!!!

Mario’s 25th & Miscellaneous Woes

It’s so nice out right now. I’d lost faith in our local meteorologists since the past few “Cold Fronts” we’ve had have been nothing but 2-3 degrees less scalding than usual. Last night though, it started to get really nice and cool outside (albeit windy) and this morning it was a crisp 45°! Love, love, love this weather. It officially feels like the Holidays. I still can’t believe Thanksgiving is next week. I knew once Halloween passed the rest of the holidays would zoom by, and it certainly feels that way. By the time I know it, it’ll be Christmas, then New Years and then Alaethia will be here! Ahhh!

Mario’s birthday was Sunday. We slept in and he got up to take a shower. He couldn’t find a shirt to wear so I presented him with the squirrel one I got him the day before. He loved it :).

We had plans to go eat at Jesse’s Mexican Food, one of his favorite restaurants, and then catch a movie. He checked out movie times online and was disappointed with his choices. He decided we’d go watch something for the kids, like Flushed Away.

We went over to Mary’s to see if everyone was ready to go. Noelia and Andy were there and so was Mary. The day started to crumble when we told them we were going to eat first, then catch a movie. Well, since Noelia and Andy had already eaten, they wanted to catch a movie first. We’d had breakfast too, but were willing to eat lunch right away. I was especially willing since it was Mario’s birthday and of course it was his choice what he wanted to do. Noelia and Andy decided to go to the movies alone and then Mary said she didn’t think she’d go anywhere with us. Talk about upsetting. Mario was quickly getting in a bad mood.

We started piling into the car and Mary said she changed her mind, she’d go with us but she’d meet us there. Cool.

We were barely out of our town and going into the next one when the kids started a fight over one of their game boys. Mario gave them two chances to calm down and when they didn’t he turned the car around and we came home. I thought he was being too impatient, but I didn’t dare say anything since I knew he was upset his day wasn’t going at all how he planned.

We got home and he locked himself in our room and watched Mallrats, which was one of the DVDs his mom gave him. I didn’t get near the room till I got some kind of sign that he’d calmed down. I know how he is already. His parents don’t apparently since they both came over and knocked on the door till he peeked his head out. First his mom, then his dad. Once his dad left he came out of the room and said, “No one leaves me alone!” and left to drive around. I figured he’d meet up with Chris and vent. When he was gone for an hour I called him to his cell and he didn’t answer. Another 30 minutes passed so I called again and he didn’t answer. I started feeling really bad, since I didn’t do anything to him. He got home just a few minutes later and went back to the bedroom. I snuck over there and tested the waters. He was fine. I laid in bed with him and the boys, who’d been grounded in their room for misbehaving, came over hopped on the bed to watch the Star Wars marathon on HBO. We ended up taking naps and once I’d slept enough, I got up and made dinner. The rest of the night was like every other Sunday. I watched Desperate Housewives while Mario went to Jorge’s. I got really upset at first because I thought, ‘How dare you throw a fit and have a miserable birthday while moping around the house and once nighttime comes around you happily run off to Jorge’s?!’ but he only went to pick up the pool balls since we’d forgotten them on Friday.

We uncovered and dusted off the pool table and got it as leveled as we could. We played about 4 games, two if which I actually won :), probably because the table wasn’t as leveled as it should be and the balls were rolling around everywhere, helping me get the balls into the pockets, buahaha. We had fun and ate peanuts (he had salty, I had honey roasted). We got tired around 12am and went to bed. While we cuddled I told him I’d make it up to him and he told me it wasn’t my fault, I didn’t have to. I want to though. I just need to figure out how.

Mario felt really shitty the next day, so he stayed home from work. I napped after dropping the kids off at school and figured he would too, but couldn’t sleep after he called in to work. Our stupid toilet had died on us again during the weekend, so we’d been having to use the bathroom at my mom-in-law’s. I woke up that morning to the toilet completely overflowed all over everything. I tried sopping up what I could, which was totally disgusting, and left it alone.

When I wake up Mario’s laying on the couch watching TV. He tells me, “Go look at how horrible the bathroom looks!” I brace myself and with one eye open, peer inside the bathroom. Everything’s sparkling white and the water’s at a good level again. I ask him, “Does it work?” and he says, “Flush it.” It works flawlessly. I have a great, handy husband. Instead of sleeping he spent the two hours I was sleeping fixing the toilet. Now that’s love :).

Nothing exciting happened during the week. I went to Muffins for Mom at the kids’ school on Monday morning. I read to them for half an hour in the library while we ate muffins and drank punch. They were so excited since they were having a Reading is Fundamental distribution, where they give all the kids a cute book of their choice.

Mario and I went grocery shopping that night, which is always nice because I hate to go alone. We always end up spending twice what I budget when we’re together though, which isn’t always a good thing LOL.

John didn’t work on Thursday and he asked me to accompany him to the National Lube Express to get a radiator flush on his car. I kept saying, “I think I should follow you in my truck,” but at the last minute I changed my mind and just left with John. When we got to the light at the end of the road I had this bad feeling in my chest and I told him, “Why do I get the feeling I should have followed you?” It was, after all, 1pm…I had to be back home and ready to pick up Eenan from school at 3. The car overheated and then started smoking after we left the place the first time, when he got an oil change done. Since he was getting the radiator flushed, we figured we’d be fine and done with plenty of time.

We spent about half an hour there trying to figure out if someone was in the bathroom because the light was on and the door was locked. I needed to pee really bad since I’d downed a Pepsi right before we got there. We kept making jokes about a person being in there and me being all rude, saying stuff like, “How long does it take to use the restroom?” I finally just asked the guy if I could borrow the key and prayed that nobody was in there when I opened the door. No one was in there. I suffered for 30 minutes for nothing.

The guys get to work on John’s car and call us over. They ask if we’ve been having trouble keeping the car on. We look at each other and say, “No?” We tell them it sometimes acts up when he first turns it on in the morning, but other than that it’s fine. He asks if it’s been smoking, which was a yes. We tell him about the fan behind the radiator that doesn’t move. He says it can be fixed. He says he can’t do the flush because the car needs to stay on to do it. Darn. They check the oil and to our absolute horror the liquid on the end of the dipstick is WHITE. They tell us there’s water in the oil, which is probably being pumped back from the radiator due to a cracked head in the engine. Lovely. The guy is nice enough not to charge John anything. We try to leave and it won’t turn on. It turns on and when we’re getting ready to leave we notice a lot of smoke coming out of the exhaust and 3 of the guys are waving their arms around to stop. I get off the car and get splashed with warm water. The exhaust is SPEWING water out like crazy. I realize I don’t have my cellphone. The guy lets me borrow the office phone. We decide to call Noelia to pick us up. I’m freaking out because it’s already 2:20 and I need to pick Eenan up at 3!! We can’t get ahold of her, so we call Mary, who thankfully gets ahold of her and she comes for us. Thank God she was home!

So yeah, John was pretty upset about that. I’ll be dropping him off now and he’ll be borrowing the car on Fridays when Mario doesn’t work till he figures out what he’s going to do with the Death Mobile. He figured he’d sell it for parts since he doesn’t want to waste any more money on it.

The kids had Pajama Day today. It was too cold out for them to wear their pajama tops and bottoms, so they just put their pajama tops on and some jeans plus their jackets. I saw lots of kids and teachers in their slippers, so tomorrow the boys will wear another pajama top plus their slippers (Jaylen has Hot Wheels, Eenan has Pikachu). Why didn’t we get to do cool stuff like that when we were in school?!

Both the kids are sick with colds again. Eenan’s getting worse and worse. I hope he can get some rest tonight. He had UIL practice today and his coach told me his cough wouldn’t let him hear anything. She’s afraid the same thing will happen Saturday, which is when his 2nd meet is, if his cough doesn’t get better. I don’t know what to do anymore. December can’t come fast enough. I NEED their damn insurance! I’m just praying they don’t come up with some bullshit when I try to use it. Supposedly I can use their confirmation letter as proof that they have coverage even before I get their new cards. We’ll see. Keep your fingers crossed and pray Eenan’s sickness doesn’t turn into Bronchitis or Pneumonia :(.

I hope I can get some sleep tonight. I have a terrible headache, partly because I didn’t get to take my nap this morning. I had to buy and drop off crimpers for Mario at work and John and I took Mom’s ridiculously long grocery list and bought everything she needed. Grr. My back hurts, my neck hurts, Alaethia’s trying to rip a hole in my right side (which I’m grateful for because at least I know she’s moving in there), and I wake up to pee 5 times a night now. I pee at least every 45 minutes to an hour, if not less. And the gas and constipation? Not cool.

I’m going to cuddle with Mario now. Maybe I can get him to give me a massage :).