road trip

We decided to take a road trip this Memorial day weekend. I'm hoping it works out but all the places we've narrowed it down to has rain in the forecast practically the whole weekend. We can't decide on Albuquerque, Santa Fe or Phoenix. I'm partial to Phoenix because I used to live there and miss it tremendously. Plus, I've never been there with Rodrigo or the kids. Well, Brianna just as a baby. I think it'd be kind of nice to take them to my old hang outs. Well, some of my old hang outs. I'm looking through Phoenix's online newspaper to see what's going on this weekend and I found video of Kathy. She and her husband are pretty well known (ok, famous) over there. I practically hyperventilated when I saw that she had my page as one of her links!
But I digress. . . .
So, if we do go, I'll be sure to take pictures. If not, I still have things to do around here. One of my bank clients has been a ballet teacher for over 40 years and yesterday she took me some tickets for the recital this weekend. She's the sweetest lady ever. I hope I have that poise and posture at her age. Come to think of it, I don't have it now at 28. :(
There's also something that's been keeping up busy lately. I'm not supposed to be excited about it yet (but I am tremendously excited) until we know that it is a for sure thing. I'll keep you all in suspence for a while until I know I can share. Oh, and it's not a baby. I'd have told you all about that the second I found out.
Anyway, I hope you have a great Memorial Day weekend. Have fun, reflect on our fallen heroes and be safe.

feeling: excited!
watching: The Today Show
what I should be doing instead of blogging: putting away clothes

argh, kids!

If my children hadn't been mine today and I was just some babysitter, I'd think long and hard about ever having any children of my own. They were horrible. Just absolute nightmares. Brianna wasn't as bad as Alec but together they were the perfect recipe for a headache. It was Brianna's last day of school and the parents were invited to attend the class party. I thought it would be a good idea to take Alec because I was on crack. He wanted to be right with the kids so when one of the little kids in the class would stand up, Alec would run to take the seat and grab whatever was on the table. I became the ridiculous mom running around after the uncontrollable baby that screams when he doesn't get his way. The teacher was pretty unaffected by all the commotion since she is, afterall, a kindergarten teacher. I'll spare you the rest of the details since they are long and boring.
Later that evening, Rodrigo was also on crack and thought we should take Brianna out to dinner to celebrate her last day of school, good grades, and various awards. (Yes, let me boast a little) We went to one of our favorite places and were seated in a place they had sectioned off as a "family section". Because if you have children, you automatically love all children. Right away I spotted this tremendously annoying girl that frequents the bank, She was with her husband who's even more annoying than her. The whole time we were there, he was talking so loudly about themselves and turning their relationship into some sort of newlyweds episode. He was yelling about how he'd lost her in an airport once. Anyway, he spoke so loud he woke his baby. So now we were next to a crying baby and they came over to our table to rock him. Yes, right next to our table. They were right behind Alec who was already being bad and so now he was trying to grab the baby and paying no attention to us. Then, some lady from another table came over to rock her crying kid right next to that girl. RIGHT NEXT TO OUR TABLE. I mean, if we tried to get up, we wouldn't have been able to. They started chatting and went into a full conversation right there. How annoying. Meanwhile, annoying guy is over screaming into his cellphone. Ugh. When we finally got home, the commotion continued with the kids running around screaming and playing with each other, jumping on the bed, chasing each other, you name it. I couldn't wait for them to go to bed. Then right before I put them in bed, they came and snuggled up to me smelling good like baby lotion and start giving me kisses. I'm a sucker.

feeling: exhausted
watching: Conan O'Brien
what I should be doing instead of blogging: sleeping

words I have to stop using

1. Like: Let's face it, I'm not a teenager anymore and I don't live in the valley. There's no reason why I should say "like" so much.
2. Really: I really, really use this word a lot. Too much.
3. Y'all: I know I'm from Texas but, come on. I'm from WEST Texas. No one says "y'all" around here. Why me?
4. Idiota and Estupido: I use these two frequently while driving. I have to stop because Alec copied me the other day and said "dota". Oops.
5. Trite: According to Rodrigo, I use this word way too much. My friend Liz emailed me a list of a whole bunch of synonyms (banal, bathetic, bromidic, chain, chestnut, cliché, clichéd, common, commonplace, corn, corn-fed, cornball, corny, drained, dull, exhausted, familiar tune, flat, hack, hackneyed, hokey, hokum, jejune, mildewed, moth-eaten, musty, old hat, old song, old story, ordinary, pedestrian, platitudinous, prosaic, ready-made, routine, run-of-the-mill, set, shopworn, stale, stereotyped, stock, threadbare, timeworn, tired, uninspired, unoriginal, used-up, vapid, warmed-over, well-worn, worn, worn-out). I mess around now and use these too much.
6. Anything using "ass": This was definately Liz's doing. Now I make up "ass" words like ass munch, jerk ass, stupid ass, ass wad and all sorts of others. Oh, working with us is fun.
7. Goathead: Whenever someone says, "go ahead", I ask, "goathead?" I know. That's corny. Forgive my middle school sense of humor.
8. Rock/suck: I use these instead of "cool" or "bummer". Too much. I don't say "that rocks/sucks". I just use the single word.

I can't think of any more for now although I'm sure there's many more. I also need to stop with the run-on sentences.

feeling: sleepy
listening to: nothing. everyone else is asleep
what I should be doing instead of blogging: sleeping

complain, complain, complain

I'm going to use today's post to complain. I'm not in a bad mood but a couple of things are bothering me. First of all, I sat here at the computer, checked my email and again received a bunch of spam. I'm so tired of it. I have a spam blocker but now all the spam emails are from random names and the subjects are things like "hi there" so they're all let through. Ugh. What I just found out is that my email address is apparently being used to send these out. I don't know how those people get ahold of addresses or how it is legal to do this but it is happening. For about a week, I've been getting delivery failure messages. I thought it was also some sort of spam so I never opened those messages. I finally told Rodrigo and he was the one who told me what was going on. I opened up one of emails and it had a list of the people that I'd supposedly send out a message to. There were many, many names on it. Ugh. So now my address is one of the ones sending out these annoying spam mails. How is this permitted? I don't understand. I think it's time to stop using this address. The thing is that this is an email address that I've had for years. In fact, it was my first one I ever created and the primary one I always use. I have a yahoo and a gmail one but I always use my roadrunner (my ISP) account for everything. Well, enough about that. I'm sure you all have some sort of spam nightmare stories. Oh, I'm pretty sure you all already know this, but just in case, you're not supposed to send those "remove me from your list" replies. That is only a way for them to confirm that it is a valid address.
My next complaint is something that I have no control over. It's hot! Too hot around here. We're expected to reach 105 degrees today and have had record heat the past few days. Another ugh. It's too hot to drive or do anything outside. When I get in the car, my hands burn on the steering wheel and seatbelt. It's not even summer yet. I can't even imagine what type of summer we're going to have. You know, for someone who complains about the heat so much, it's funny that the only places I've ever lived are El Paso and Phoenix. How smart is that? Anyway, now that I've gotten that out of my system, I'm planning on having a good day. Heh, heh.

feeling: hot
listening to: Morrissey (Whatever Happens, I love you)
what I should be doing instead of blogging: picking out clothes

star wars

I have a confession to make. . I haven't seen the first two episodes of Star Wars. Sorry. In fact I hadn't seen any of the movies until they were rereleased in the late 90's. I saw the original and The Empire Strikes Back. I've never seen the one with the little bears. Sorry, I'm being corrected here, the one with the Ewoks. It wouldn't matter but the thing is that Rodrigo really likes these movies. I feel a little bad because he really wants us to go see the new movie but I don't want to be lost. I think I'm pretty much aware of what's going on, though. The little kid who is now hot Hayden Christensen is turning into Darth Vader and he's married to Natalie Portman. They're going to have kids and those are Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia. I don't know all about the other characters and certainly aren't a huge fan of like some clone or something. (I'm referring to one of the characters that Rodrigo likes, Boba Fett. He looks the same as the others to me but I know there must be some hidden story there.) I'm a little confused about this because when I was little I thought Luke and Leia were boyfriend and girlfriend. I guess I was wrong. I just remember the boys in class playing Star Wars during recess and they'd pick one of us to be Princess Leia. I hated it because all we did was hold on to a fence because the princess was captured and tied down or something. Whoever was playing Luke would always come rescue me. Or was it Hans?
So I guess I'll be renting episodes 1 & 2 soon so I can know what the heck is going on. Rodrigo's buddies already went to the midnight showing and I'll feel bad if he doesn't go see it. I just don't know if I can sit through the whole thing.
On another note. I think the movies should've been made in the order they went in. The reason is because from this movie we go the the 70's Star Wars, right? Well, it doesn't match. I mean, we're going for Mark Hamill over Hayden Christensen? Come on. The order that they're in makes the next ones look cheesy. Plus, it looks like this really good looking couple ends up having really dorky looking kids. That's just my opinion. Anyway, let me know what you thought about the new one if you've seen it. I guess I'll be watching it soon without having to camp out for weeks.

Since I'm on the subject . . . .

Your Star Wars Name and Title

Your Star Wars Name: Yvebu Loel Your Star Wars Title: Solem of Cela

Your Star Wars Name and Title

feeling: I can't believe I'm posting about Star Wars
listening to: Poe (Dolphin)
what I should be doing instead of blogging: chosing clothes for work

can't decide

There's so much I want to write about today that I can't decide. I've been here for a little more than an hour typing something then going off in a whole other direction. I end up not saving any of the posts.
-I want to take Ani's quiz.
-I want to post the songs I have so far on the iPod and see what you all think.
-I want to tell you about some celebrities that I'm really having a beef with right now and direct you to some fun links.
-I want to tell you guys about my newest customer service disaster and how it makes me want to move to Mexico.
-I want to post about Mexican president Fox's comments and how I feel the cultural differences are to blame.
-I want to tell you about lady I've declared the new villian at work and how I found out she is the biggest gossip.

I wish I knew you all in person and you could all hear me babble on all day about all my opinions. For those of you I do know, I wish we were still spending lots of time together and I could bore you with all my stories some more. I really have to get up now.

feeling: I have a lot to say
listening to: The Mars Volta (The Widow)
what I should be doing instead of blogging: anything

happy birthday, Rodrigo

In the time that I've been with Rodrigo he has told me the following . . .

- ". . . but you're not ugly enough to be on Extreme Makeover."
- "Your pores are big."
and my favorite. . . .
- "Years from now when remember wearing that blouse, you'll think you looked ridiculous." (He really does hate that blouse.)
Sounds endearing, huh?

Then there's times when he shows up at my job to give me a Hello Kitty pencil he bought me, or takes me breakfast. There's times when I'm really tired and he tells me to go nap and he'll watch the kids. Times when I get home and all the dishes are washed and put away. Nights when I'm cold or can't sleep and he holds on to me and makes it the most comfortable place in the world. He is my strength, my best friend, a wonderful daddy, my favorite comedian, my free 24 hour computer repair guy (I always call him that), the man I've built a home around and with, the unlucky guy that gets to listen to every detail of my day and just overall a person I completely adore. Happy Birthday. Te queremos mucho.

Now, I will totally embarrass him with a picture from one of his previous birthdays.



feeling: in a birthday mood
watching: morning news
what I should be doing instead of blogging: making breakfast

crash

We went to watch Crash today. I was prepared for some politically incorrect comments and maybe a few laughs but was in no way prepared for how emotional it was. I absolutely LOVED it. I never cry at movies and I was crying a few times in this one. All the characters say the most racist things but in a way, you can understand where they're coming from because of their situations. This is easily one of my favorite movies I've ever seen and I absolutely recommend it. Come on, how often have I told you to go watch a certain movie? Have any of you seen it yet? Did you love it too? Rodrigo and I both did so tell me what you thought after you see it.

feeling: comfortable
listening to: The Sundays (Summertime)
what I should be doing instead of blogging: i don't know

christmas in may

I've been M.I.A. because I have a new baby that has been requiring a lot of attention. Ever since Mother's Day it's been like *#$@! Christmas around here. Sunday, Brianna gave me a little card, a tea cup with tea that she made and a plant. I love those little handmade gifts from little kids. I also got some really cute pajamas and a few of these boyshorts. I haven't posed like that while wearing them, though. I had taken a picture (of them not on me) because I love the material but I can't stand thinking that whenever someone sees me, they'd wonder if I'm wearing those. Monday, I got home and received a package from the lovely Giao. I had ordered one of these and she threw in some goodies. She's the sweetest! Thanks, Giao. You absolutely didn't have to. Monday Rodrigo also got me a new phone. Tuesday when I got to work a customer had dropped by with a cd that he burned for me. He used to run a local college station and had a few clubs and so he has the most amazing music. The c.d. he gave me included a song from the Rave-Ups that I'd been looking for for YEARS. Really cool. He made my day. Then Rodrigo got home and brought about a million of the mint frappuccinos we're addicted to. Yum!





So, back to the new baby. My Mother's Day from Rodrigo was none other than . . . . an iPod mini! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! I've wanted one for the longest time. I TOTALLY didn't expect one for Mother's Day. I was even excited about the USB thing that he added to my computer. So, he made me take back the rule that I never wanted any techy gifts. I sort of ammended the rule and added "unless it's pink". Oh, I love my iPod even though I am one of the last people in the free world to get one. Plus, he also got me the car adapter thingy so I'm driving around with proper late 80's and 90's music in clear digital sound. I was so excited when I got it that I was dancing around like Bugs Bunny & Elmer Fudd. Really. Anyway, I have to go back to playing with music. Have a good weekend!





Oops, the last picture is of a pretty bookmark I also received. Almost forgot about it because it is already stuck in a book.

feeling: super happy
listening to: Depeche Mode (Everything Counts)
what I should be doing instead of blogging: caring for baby iPod

ringtones

After having the same cell phone number for many years and the same phone for a few years, yesterday we finally switched. We hardly use the cell phones anyway and so Rodrigo and I finally got a plan where we have shared minutes and can call free to each others' cell (and others, of course). That makes sense since we practically only call each other. We used to talk on the phone sooooooo much and now it's only like "Where are you?", "Do you need anything?", "How are the kids?". We tried to get our old numbers switched over but couldn't. Suck.
Anyway, with these new phones there is hardly any selection for ringtones which means that you are practically forced to buy one/some. I was looking through the website and found a few that I like but here's the thing. . . Aren't those music ringtones really annoying? I hate when someone's cell phone rings and it's some cheesy song. Even if it's a song I like, I hate it. Ugh and if it's some song like "Big Pimping" or "Drop it Like it's Hot" I practically want to grab the phone and fling it across the room. The only time I think it's mildly amusing is if it's some really silly song. Then you know the person is not trying to make a statement but just being silly. Like when you hear someone playing "Eye of the Tiger" or something. That's funny.
So, I was looking through these songs and I like these:
Vertigo- U2
Shake the Disease & World in my Eyes- Depeche Mode
Drive- Incubus
and several from The Cure, Coldplay, Audioslave and Pearl Jam
All of these will make me look like a huge poser, though. I'm trying to imagine myself in a crowded place and how I'd feel if my phone rang with one of these. Or what I'd think if someone else's phone rang. Hmm. So, I'm looking through some silly ringtones. I kind of like "Rock Lobster". There's also the "Meow Mix" jingle, "The Pink Panther" and "Peter Gunn". I wish I could find that "Mahna Mahna" song from the muppets. I know there are lots of sites that would probably carry it but if I do get a ringtone I will ONLY get it from my carrier's page. I get enough spam on my computer and have no intentions of also getting it on my phone. I guess I'll just keep looking for hours previewing each one and then end up buying nothing. There's nothing I do better than waste time. Bye for now!

feeling: confused
listening to: System of a Down (B.Y.O.B.)
what I should be doing instead of blogging: picking a ringtone already

I'm "it" again

I've been tagged again! This time it was by Ani. Here are my answers:

THREE NAMES YOU GO BY:
1. Yvett
2. Carmen (this is my first name so some people sometimes call me this)
3. Miss Yvett (for some reason, some people at work call me this)

THREE SCREEN NAMES YOU HAVE HAD:
1. helloyvetty (sorry but this is the only name I use for everything)
2.
3.

THREE PHYSICAL THINGS YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:
1. my eyes
2. my legs
3. my chest (hee, hee)

THREE PHYSICAL THINGS YOU DON’T LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:
1. my stomach has no definition
2. I'm too short
3. I have tiny hands

THREE PARTS OF YOUR HERITAGE:
1. Mexican
2. Spanish
3. nothing else I know of (Although I get asked a lot, there is no Asian heritage that I know about)

THREE THINGS THAT SCARE YOU:
1. my children being hurt
2. not being able to provide for them
3. getting married

THREE OF YOUR EVERYDAY ESSENTIALS:
1. brushing my teeth
2. bathing/showering
3. eating

THREE THINGS YOU’RE WEARING NOW:
1. jean skirt
2. grey blouse
3. ankle bracelet

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE BANDS OR MUSICAL ARTIST
1. *U2*
2. Incubus
3. The Cure

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE SONGS
1. The Unforgettable Fire: U2
2. Echo: Incubus
3. Don't Dream It's Over: Crowded House

THREE THINGS YOU WANT IN A RELATIONSHIP:
1. Humor
2. Communication
3. Love

TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE: (Which is a lie?)
1. I have a tattoo
2. I've been to Europe
3. I don't really like beef

THREE PHYSICAL THINGS ABOUT THE PREFERRED SEX THAT APPEAL TO YOU:
1. Nose
2. Hands
3. Arms

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE HOBBIES:
1. reading
2. dancing
3. computer/tv

THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO REALLY BADLY RIGHT NOW:
1. not have to work
2. have another baby
3. take a vacation

THREE CAREERS YOU’RE CONSIDERING:
1. high school English teacher
2. financial advisor
3. wedding coordinator

THREE PLACES YOU WANT TO GO ON VACATION:
1. France
2. Italy
3. Spain

THREE KIDS NAMES YOU LIKE:
1. Cristian
2. Miranda
3. Sabrina

THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE:
1. see my children grown
2. finish my degree
3. buy a home

THREE WAYS THAT YOU ARE STEREOTYPICALLY A GIRL/BOY:
1. I know nothing about cars
2. I know nothing about sports
3. I love clothes

THREE CELEBRITY CRUSHES
1. Johnny Depp
2. Colin Firth
3. Ethan Hawke

THREE PEOPLE WHO HAVE TO TAKE THIS QUIZ NOW:
1. Jess
2. Tom
3. Alexis

feeling: tired
listening to: Pixies (Ana)
what I should be doing instead of blogging: getting ready for work

tag

Jess tagged me! Ahhh! So, here's the game. . . You pick five out of this list and complete the sentences. Then, you tag three other people but NO TAG BACKS.

I am tagging . . . . . Alex, Michelle and Leslie. 1, 2, 3 no backies!

Here is the meme and my answers. . . . .

If I could be a scientist...
If I could be a farmer...
If I could be a musician...
If I could be a doctor...
If I could be a painter...
If I could be a gardener...
If I could be a missionary...
If I could be a chef...
If I could be an architect...
If I could be a linguist...
If I could be a psychologist...
If I could be a librarian...
If I could be an athlete...
If I could be a lawyer...
If I could be an innkeeper...
If I could be a professor...
If I could be a writer...
If I could be a backup dancer...
If I could be a llama-rider...
If I could be a bonnie pirate...
If I could be a midget stripper...
If I could be a proctologist...
If I could be a TV-Chat Show host...
If I could be an actor...
If I could be a judge...
If I could be a Jedi...
If I could be a mob boss...
If I could be a fast food restaurant worker...
If I could be a preacher..


1. If I could be a linguist, I wouldn't be very cunning. (Heh, heh for those of you who get it).
2. If I could be an athlete, I'd be really fit but remain girlie like Gabrielle Reese and look super hot.
3. If I could be a writer, I'd have to have a really tragic life to be any good. Either that or always be high on opium ala Edgar Allan Poe.
4. If I could be an actor I'd be one of those really cheesy and dramatic Mexican soap opera stars and always have long names like Carmen Yvett de los Milagros Rosita Perez De La O.
5. If I could be a mob boss I'd spend all day saying stuff like "fuhgetaboutit" and "I don't know how youse dunnit but I know youse dunnit".

Ok, how was that?

feeling: sleepy
watching: local news
what I should be doing instead of blogging: getting things ready for tomorrow

mole recipe

Happy Cinco de Mayo, all. Yes, we celebrate it here on the border but no, no where near as much as in the rest of the country. Mexico has a bigger celebration for it's independence day which is September 16th. My theory is that Cinco de Mayo is celebrated more here in the U.S. because it is easier to pronounce.
Anyway, I thought I'd share one of my grandma's recipes with you. I know I've written this before but I very, very rarely go out to a Mexican restaurant because nothing compares to my grandma's cooking. Yum. Of course, she doesn't use any sort of measurements so a few months ago, I went over armed with measuring cups, measuring spoons, the ingredients, my camera and a notebook. She is pretty excited about passing her recipes on to me so she was very happy to be forced into measuring for once. I'm keeping all the other recipies for myself but here is the one for mole.
First of all, mole is a dish consisting of chicken covered in a chile and chocolate sauce. Making it from scratch takes hours and hours of preparation. Ever since my grandma was a young girl, they've been using a brand of sauce called Dona Maria which is now available in the U.S. She, of course, adds stuff to the sauce and it is DELICIOUS! For those of you who make it, enjoy!

Ingredients

- chicken (I used 6 full size breasts)
- salt to taste
- 2 cloves of garlic
- one regular sized onion
- two slices of bread
- jar of mole “Doña Maria”
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 4 tablespoons chocolate (We used Hershey’s syrup but you can use any kind)
- water
- vegetable oil

Boil chicken with salt, two cloves of garlic, and one onion. Save broth and shred chicken to desired size. Set aside.


Fry two slices of bread in a little bit of vegetable oil. Crumble. Set aside.


Blend jar of mole, fried bread crumbs, 3 cups of chicken broth, and 4 tablespoons sugar on high speed for about 30 seconds. Set aside.
Fry 4 tablespoons of chocolate in 1 tablespoon vegetable oil for a few seconds.


Add mole mix and 2 ½ cups of water.


Stir occasionally and bring to a boil.
Add chicken. Bring to a boil and boil for about 10 minutes

You can serve it straight on a plate with rice and beans or . . . (this is my favorite way to eat it!) make "Enmoladas". To do this fry a corn tortilla in a little bit of oil (just like making enchiladas) for just a little while so that the tortilla is not hard. Place the tortilla on a plate, fill it with mole, wrap it up. Repeat with as many tortillas you'd like and serve mole over the top and sprinkle some grated cheese.


Yum. . . . . makes me hungry! Oh, by the way, if in case you can't get a hold of a mole jar where you live, let me know and I'll send you some. Also, you need a bottle cap remover to open that thing (I learned the hard way).

feeling: hungry
watching: nothing
what I should be doing instead of blogging: sleeping

books

Read any good books lately? I know that sounds like a really unoriginal come-on but I'm really asking. I've read and re-read everything that I have right now. I want to go buy a new book but I have no idea what to read next. As long as it's not a romance novel, I'd really like to hear some suggestions. I'm getting some Dan Brown books but not for me. My mom really wants to read Angels & Demons so I'm getting that as one of her Mother's Day gifts. Also, Rodrigo's birthday is next week, so I'm getting him Digital Fortress from one of the kids. I'm sure I'll get to borrow them but for now, I feel really weird having nothing to read. Most recently I read The Catcher in the Rye for about the millionth time. I was pretty bored with it this time around. I started re-reading "She's Come Undone" but it wasn't too long ago that I read (again) so I'm not that into it. Anyway, any suggestions are welcome. Please help!

Oops, sorry. Thanks, Michelle. I guess I should've elaborated a little on my taste in books. These are a few of my favorite books. . . .

I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb: It was long and kind of tragic but I really like it
House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubuss: Again, really tragic but such a good read
The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown: I love the way this book gripped me and I couldn't put it down!
The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan: Sad and beautiful and I just loved it.
100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez: I love the way he tells a story. Really reminded me of the way my older family members tell stuff. They tell you this incredibly unbeliveable story really matter-of-factly and expect you to believe it.

Hope that helps.

feeling: refreshed
listening to: Oasis (Wonderwall) I hadn't heard this song in like 50 years
what I should be doing instead of blogging: getting ready for breakfast

alec

Here's Alec. He just finished eating, or rather, getting food all over his face, hands, tray, and clothes. I know he's old enough now for me to let him start eating on his own. Hmm. He's all cleaned up now. Still making a mess, though. He's been a real terror today and I've spent most all day running around after him. I don't know what happened today but I guess it's all that Red Bull I gave him. (I'm kidding, of course.) It was a little fresh this morning and we didn't go play outside, so I guess he had all that stored up energy. He poured out some of Rodrigo's cologne, climbed up to "wash dishes" (which I was almost tempted to let him do), poured his cup of water all over himself, jumped on the couch, climbed up on a table. I think this is exactly what I get for watching those stupid Nanny shows last night and talking about how my kids were nothing like that. Still, compared to those kids, mine are perfect angels. Ooohh. American Idol is on. I must go watch it so that I can complain about it later.

feeling: can I go back to work yet?
watching: American Idol (we call it American Fido at my house)
what I should be doing instead of blogging: finishing dinner

four day weekend

I had an unexpected four day weekend and I'm loving being at home! I didn't find out that I'd be off four days in a row until the very last minute, though, or else I'd have made plans for some sort of getaway. Besides, Rodrigo had already made plans to work on some 55 million page report that he has to submit on Wednesday. Saturday we all went out for breakfast and then took the kids to the zoo. Brianna acted like she's been there so much and could be a guide. She was reading out all the animals' names and describing what they do (she was part of a tour about a month ago). Alec was really surprised at actually seeing the animals "in person". He kept saying bye- bye to all the animals and was calling then by the sound they make. It was pretty cute. Later on at night, Brianna and I went to Wal-Mart quickly to pick up a couple of stuff. I hate going to Wal-Mart, but I was looking for bottled frappucinno, a video cassette cleaner, and some baby food. There's really no other place that carries all these things since Target was already closed. On the way home, Brianna (who is six years old, by the way) told me that she needed to stop by Starbucks (she calls it the mermaid place). This struck me a little odd, but she had said this once before. We walked in and she picked out a Plum Delicious tazo tea and a flower shaped cookie. I think I may be going to Starbucks too much since now my six-year-old is requesting to go.
Yesterday I decided to give Rodrigo some peace and quiet so that he could work on his report so the kids and I went over to my mom's. My little nephew was there, and combined they have sooooooo many toys. All three of them were playing outside on their little bikes and scooters and really got along all day. My dad grilled some burgers and hot dogs then took the kids for ice-cream. It was a really pleasant day over at my parent's. I hadn't just hung out there in quite a while. We got home and Rodrigo and I watched The Family Guy. We're very big fans and were both disappointed when it was cancelled. I was a bit worried that they'd tone it down some now that they're back on but after last night's episode. I think everything is the same. I still gasped at some of the things they do on there. I wonder how many complaints they receive per episode. I still have two days off left and plan on being super productive. Oh, who am I kidding. I slept late today and haven't really done anything yet. Have a good day, all!

feeling: lazy
listening to: Juanes (Camisa Negra)
what I should be doing instead of blogging: cleaning house