third of all . . . .

Rodrigo was talking to me about work . . .

him: first of all . . . blah, blah, blah (what was said here is not important, plus I only understand a little of his work talk)
me: and then?
him: and then what?
me: I was expecting more
him: no that's it
me: oh, I thought it would be a list of things
him: why a list?
me: because you started off by saying "first of all". I was expecting at least a "second of all".
him: oh.
me: and you do that a lot; start off saying "first of all" when there's just one thing
him: (laughing) so I should say "last of all" or "only of all"?
me: no maybe just start off with what you want to say in the first place
him: finally . . .
me: (laughing)

He makes me laugh every single day. It may not even be things that are funny to others, but he cracks me up.

feeling: I can't wait for our TV to get fixed
listening to: Weezer (Dope Nose)

10 Banana Cream Pies . . . . .

Alec's 6th birthday is tomorrow. Happy birthday, Alec! We already had his party, though. It was the first time he had a party with his school friends and was very excited. The theme was Star Wars and I'd ordered those cakes that they print out a thin picture wafer for. I chose this picture from Alec's Padawan training in Disneyland.



The party was scheduled to start at 2:00. The cake was to be ready at 1:00.
Now, this is what always ends up happening at Casa Yvett . . . . . Rodrigo and I start getting ready at about the same time only I have to get Alec ready and get Brianna's clothes ready, then comb and style Brianna's hair and help Alec with something then comb Alec's hair then clean Alec's face again because even if he just bathed he always gets something on his face then Brianna asks if the earrings she picked out match then they all go into my room for something until I finally get them out, then and only then am I able to get ready myself. By this time Rodrigo is already ready and is wondering why I take so long.
This was the case. He was sitting around and asked if he should go pick up the cake. It seemed harmless enough. He left and I finished up. I was checking things off my to-do list to make sure I had everything ready (candles, camera, treat bags). Everything was fine. I kept waiting . . . I finally went to call him and noticed that the phone had a "Check Telephone Line" message. I fixed it and called him. Busy. He was calling me.

me: (I didn't even say "hello") where are you?
Rodrigo: I've been trying to call you. I dropped the cake
me: (total, complete silence)
Rodrigo: hello?
me: you're kidding, right?
him: NO! I dropped the cake. It's windy and I was trying to open the door and blah, blah, blah (I sort of drifted out or passed out for a while)
me: (quiet again)
Rodrigo: oh, so what, now you're mad?
me: uh . . . .no . . . . just . . . .well, go buy another one. I mean, what else can we do? (I was in a sort of daze really. I wasn't even mad, just numb)
Rodrigo: what kind?
me: It doesn't matter. Any cake. Just so long as Alec has a cake.
Rodrigo: OK, I'll call you back

He took the smashed cake back inside and they made him a new one at no charge. Plus it was ready in like 10 minutes. Aren't they awesome? I thought it was really nice of the bakery but joked that they must've felt really bad for Rodrigo. They must have imagined him with a Rodrigo & Kate style wife and were thinking he'd get the lecture of his life when he got home. I couldn't stop laughing at that because I am the furthest thing from a tough wife as possible. Luckily all went well. Scandalous interruptus.
Alec was oblivious to any cake drama and had a great time!



feeling: I can't believe my preemie baby is about to turn six
listening to: Yeah Yeah Yeahs (Zero)

wanted: fake cake

Jenn's posts always make me laugh. It was for a different reason today, though. I'd just been talking about fake food a few minutes before I read her post and then I see that she has a picture of her kid holding fake food. Hilarious!

Let me explain. . . My mom gave us a crystal cake stand that I absolutely love. Right now it is displaying some cookies I baked yesterday. That's just it; I feel like it always has to have something. Rodrigo was saying that we should get one of those fake cakes like they have in model homes for when we don't have something fresh baked.

me: (laughing) yeah, we should. You know people use fake cakes for weddings
Rodrigo: huh?
me: yeah, they make a fake wedding cake and only the bottom layer is real so they could cut into it, then they send it to the back and just slice off some sheet cake
Rodrigo: OK, but a wedding cake wouldn't fit in there
me: (laughing) I know, I'm just saying. I don't know where I'd get one, though
Rodrigo: a fake wedding cake?
me: no, just a fake cake for the stand. Where do they buy those?
Rodrigo: we should just into a model and take one

Both of us just laughed.

We weren't being serious, but I started thinking seriously about it. I don't think I've ever seen a whole cake at those places. Just slices like they have in restaurants. I started wondering . . . where do they get those?
Of course, when I don't know something, I always ask Mr. Google. I was shocked to see the results. There are sooooo many fake food manufacturers. I'm having a blast looking at all the fake desserts I'd like to display in my stand. Just now I was looking at all the pictures I took in model homes and Alec came up behind me.

Alec: what are you doing?
me: looking through pictures
Alec: of me?
me: both of you playing with fake food
Alec: oh yeah, look they're I'm making eggs
me: yes, you are
Alec: and there's Brianna in front of a giant cookie
me: what? a giant cookie? -pause- Bwah, ha! ha!

It turned out to be this picture . . . . .

What might be nice wall decor for us equals a giant cookie for a kid.

feeling: I need to start packing
listening to: U2 (Magnificent)

lonely, lonely yvett

I know a lot of women get happy when their husband or boyfriend has to leave town. I am not one of those people. I hate when Rodrigo leaves. Everything feels so, I don't know, not the same. He's in lovely "real autumn" New England and will be gone until next Friday (not tomorrow). Suck.
During the day, everything is the same routine. Kids to school, volunteer at the school, cleaning house, etc., but the evenings are odd. I'm so used to being together, it feels really sort of lonely. We tried watching last night's debate on the phone together (because we're in high school). That didn't work our too well. We were watching the same channel but the sound wasn't synchronized and it was driving me batty. Plus, I pause the TV a lot. A lot.
Each time he leaves, I have some sort of huge plan. "When he gets back I'll have reorganized the whole garage" sort of plans. They don't ever really work out. Mostly because we spend free time on the phone or on chat.
Cooking is also odd. I always make dinner for everyone plus enough for him to take for lunch the next day. Not having him eat makes a big difference. We're on day 4 of a pot roast I made on Monday.
Brianna has been on the phone with him asking him every possible thing there is to ask about the city he's in. Alec has been making drawings he wants me to mail. Poor Badger has been looking for him. When Rodrigo gets back I'm going to record Badger greeting him like that lion video on you tube. LOL!
OK, well, anyway, time for you to tell me "aww" and stuff like that. . . .

feeling: see the above title
listening to: Death Cab for Cutie (Soul Meets Body) but now I have that I'll Always Love You song stuck in my head. Thanks a lot, me

the size of a dash

Sometime last week . . . . .
me: bloggy Nanette was in my dream
Rodrigo: is that the one that bakes?
me: no
Rodrigo: The one that got married?
me: yeah her. I told you she's having a baby, right?
Rodrigo: yeah
me: well, they call their baby Em Dash and in my dream . . . .
Rodrigo: (interrupting) en dash or em dash?
me: Emmmmm. In my dream they were naming the ba. . . . .
Rodrigo: (interrupting again) why Em Dash?
me: I think the baby was the size of an em dash when they started calling her that
Rodrigo: and what size is an em dash?
me: (making "little fingers") like this
Rodrigo: how do you know? what about the font? Or what if it's an em dash on a billboard?
me: -blank stare- (then after a while) I don't know. I didn't ask. I just figured it was their baby and they could call her whatever they want to call her. What about Alec? We called him Banana because he was the size of a banana. Nobody said "What kind of banana? Is it a banana or a plaintain?
Rodrigo: if we meant the size of a plantain, we'd have called him plantain.
me: -just walked away- Unbelieveable

A couple of days later as soon as I woke up . . . . .
me: Nobody asked you "A real banana or a banana on a billboard?"
Rodrigo: (laughing) you're still with that?
me: yes, it really bothered me
Rodrigo: it's not the same. If someone asks if you want a banana no one thinks it's a symbol for a banana or a representation of a banana. You know it's a real, tangible, physical banana.
me: physical banana. Sounds like some band name. or a long lost Led Zeppelin album
Rodrigo: (laughing) you never told me what your dream was
me: and I'm not going to either
Rodrigo: (still laughing) awww
me: (under my breath) jerk
me: bloggy Ani called her baby Cheese Doodle and you didn't ask what size cheese doodle.
Rodrigo: I didn't know. And how many size cheese doodles are there
-here we went into a lengthy conversation about cheese doodle sizes including those Cheetos that used to be in the shape of paws with a hole in the center. That led into a conversation about high school and a kid who used to wear those on a string around his neck . . . . .

The day after . .
So I went and looked through Nanette's posts to find out the reason and I was right. It was about the size and in the book it said something like "your baby is this size" and showed an em dash. I knew it had to be something like that. Ugh, now Nanette is going to hate me and/or Rodrigo.


feeling: I hate Rodrigo ;P
listening to: a new Radiohead song

the banana debate

I was telling Rodrigo the same things I wrote about in yesterday's post . . . .

- me: . . . and she bought just the one banana
- him: (says nothing for a while) and?
- me: that's it. that's crazy
- him: maybe she had a craving for a banana
- me:: then why not buy the whole bunch?
- him: maybe she was going somewhere, I don't know. I mean, it's allowed to buy just one, right?
- me: I don't know. She was at the self check-out. Oh, so if I'm craving bread I could buy just one slice or just one potato?
- him: bananas aren't packaged. Well, the organic ones are. Was it organic?
- me: I don't know. But if it was then she was handling the bananas. She was touching them and I don't wash bananas
- him: so you always buy the first bunch you grab?
- me: huh?
- him: you said she touched a bunch, but so do you, right?
- me: yeah but I'm not crazy. She is. Who knows what other crazy things she touches
- him: (laughing)
- me: are you making fun of me?
- him: (still laughing) no
- me: why are you defending the banana girl?
- him: I'm not. I just don't think it's that odd to buy a single banana
- me: why? have you done it?
- him: no. Ok . . HOW DARE SHE?!?! How's that?
- me: look, she bought ONE banana; that makes her a WEIRDO
- him: yeah, she's the weirdo.
- me: just watch. I'm going to go and buy just one grape
- him: (laughing) go ahead (keeps laughing)

I hate him.

feeling: am I the weird one? You guys are with me, right? Except for you, Michelle.
listening to: The Jesus and Mary Chain (Far Gone and Out)

waffles and balloons

Alec: did you and Dada live in the same house when you were kids?
me: no. Dada lived with at Grandma Lupe's house and I lived in Mamen's house (that's what the kids call my mom)
Alec: and where was I?
me: uh. . . you weren't born yet
Alec: so where was I
me: you were up in the sky somewhere (remembering what my grandma would tell me)
Alec: and then you found me?
me: yes
Alec: was I three when you found me?
me: no, you weren't any age yet
Alec: was I one?
me: nope, you were zero
Alec: zero?
me: yes
Alec: and where did you find me
me: you were born then I saw you
Alec: and where was I before?
me: you were in my tummy
Alec: YOU ATE ME?
me: (laughing) uh . . .
Alec: and where did you find Dada? Was he in your tummy too?
me: no, not Dada. Just you and Brianna
Alec: and Badger?
me: not Badger, don't you remember when we went to get him?
Alec: oh yeah! Badger was born in a basket
me: (laughing)
Alec: and where did you find Dada?
me: I found him at a place we worked at
Alec: was he alone?
me: yup
Alec: and was he sad?
me: yup (thinking "yeah, right")
Alec: and then you took him home and then you got married to him?
me: something like that
Alec: it's very nice of you and Dada when you get married
me: thanks
Alec: I like Dada.
me: me too
Alec: and Brianna
me: me too
Alec: and Badger
me: eh, I'm kidding I like him too
Alec: and I love you
me: I love you too
Alec: can I have waffles now?
me: sure (I was making them the whole time)
Alec: I think we should make waffles for Dada for his birthday
me: he's already at work
Alec: no, for dinner. Dada likes waffles on his birthday
me: he does, does he?
Alec: yeah, waffles and balloons -sighs- those are his favorite!


Happy Birthday, Rodrigo! I wish I could save every single conversation for you when you're not here. We love you. I love you.

feeling: sneaky, making plans for this evening
listening to: the theme song for "Franklin"

the non-existent registry

So people have been asking us where we're registered for the wedding. Uh, it wasn't really a wedding and we're not registered anywhere. Yup, I missed it. Ever since Rodrigo and I started living together, whenever we'd be out shopping and liked a lot of things in one place, we'd say that we should get married just for the registry. Yeah, we were kidding but I'm convinced that a lot of people get married only to have a wedding and/or only to have a registry. Since I had neither, I'm entitled to a do-over. Yes, again, I'm kidding.
I never expected goodies but we've gotten cards, wine and gift cards. How sweet! So thanks, all and thanks especially to Diana and Darcy!
Diana, your Mr. & Mrs. #78 envelope made me laugh a lot! Thanks!

feeling: I love my friends
listening to: the same two songs that Brianna listens to all the time and stick in my head whenever she is not listening to them . . . . I Don't Think About It by Emily Osment and See You Again by Miley Cyrus.

take my wife, please

Thanks all for the good wishes! I've been married for a little over a week now and so that qualifies me an expert. I could give counseling and such.
So, I feel like that dentist from Seinfeld that converted to Judiasm just for the jokes. I feel like we got married just to make jokes. As it is, I laugh way too much already. I feel like I added material to the routine. Rodrigo came home one day and told me he was was saying something about me to his co-worker. He said that he'd said, "My girlfr . . . uh, my wife" because I think it was the first time he called me wife. I was teasing him for the longest time saying that he just couldn't say it and it was actually more like "My wuh, wuh, wuh, wife". Then, of course, I was saying that I wouldn't be able to say husband and I'd be like "My huh, huh, huh . . " until somebody whacked me in the back and I could finally get it out. Hmm.... this doesn't sound so funny now that I'm reading it, but I was cracking up then. :P
The thing that's made me laugh the most is "irreconcilable differences". It used to be that when Rodrigo said or did something that I didn't really like I'd say something like "I don't like you anymore" or "You're not my favorite person". Well, during the week he was trying to rap or something. He was trying to immitate someone pretty badly and all I could say was "irreconcilable differences". I find it quite hilarious. The next day, I'd gotten a cut on my head and I was picking at the scab (yes, I know its gross, but I couldn't stand having it there) Rodrigo asked me what I was doing. I said, "picking a scab on my head". He made a gross-out face and said, "Eww, irreconcilable differences". We've been saying it since.
Lastly, because we act like we're in seventh grade, ever since we got the marriage license, and especially now that we're married, we've been imitating this clip. . . . Yes, we're immature like that.

mrs. yvett #78

I hope everyone's weekend went well. Ours was really, really good. Different, but really good. Friday evening Rodrigo and I got married!
Note: If you are a friend of mine that is just finding this out, please know that I am going back on our $100 bet, or eating my foot, or anything else I might've said I'd do to prove that I'd never get married. You win, you were right and knowing that should be enough.
Yep, we just went ahead and did it. That's what I was talking about when I posted about the ring he gave me. He had the lovely ring along with the whole proposal and I obviously accepted. Although I love, love, LOVE weddings, I knew that I didn't want anything like that. It's just not, well, me. Or him for that matter. I know he would've gone along if I'd had an elaborate plan, but what we both wanted most of all was to get married quickly, quietly and something simple.
We'd had the license for a couple of weeks and had decided to do it on the 1st. We told few family members and friends, but were there with just the kids that day. It was the weirdest, tackiest thing, really. We got to the courthouse and there were about 75 million people there. There were a few girls really dressed up in gowns, a few that looked way too young to be getting married and some people that were there in their wedding jeans. We didn't know why all those people were there. I mean, I figured it was to get married, but I thought it was way too many people. Rodrigo went to ask and we were told to take a number. All those people were, in fact, getting married that day. We were couple #78. Can you believe it? I thought it was hilarious! There was a guard who was calling out the numbers and sort of trying to be funny at the same time. He'd say something like "Number Seventy Twoooooooo........". Rodrigo looked over at me and mouthed "I'm sorry". I wasn't, though. I thought it was very, uh, memorable and funny. It could'nt have been tackier if there was an ice-cream truck circling around (For my El Paso friends, think Juarez Mercado with the vendors telling you "Pasele, pasele" and you'll get the picture).
Once our number was called, we had to go into a waiting room eerily similar to a DMV. I regret not having a video camera to record what it looked like there. We of course had a private room once we did the actual ceremony. We grabbed a newlywed couple and asked them to be our witnesses. When we were saying the actual vows, I got completely verklempt and felt my knees sort of buckle. It seemed surreal to actually be hearing the vows that are sooooooooo often heard being said to me. Oh, and I messed up! I missed out on my big chance to say "I do". I said "yes" instead. Can you believe that? It was all I could say at that moment because I didn't want to start crying. I told Rodrigo we had to go back and do it again. :P It was over pretty quickly, although not fast enough for the kids because they couldn't wait to go out to dinner.
So, anyway, I wanted to share and let you guys know that I am no longer yvett the spinster.

feeling: happy
listening to: Jack Johnson (If I had Eyes)

scrabble dorks

A few months ago, Rodrigo and I were wondering what we could do to be bigger dorks and we came up with playing Scrabble. Ok, not really. The truth is that on Thanksgiving morning, we went out shopping the sales and one of the things on sale were board games. We bought a couple for the kids but decided to get a Scrabble for ourselves. Now, we're both really competitive, so there have been a few arguments. Heh, heh. I've always been the score keeper and when we first started playing, he was saying that I wasn't tracking his points. I have a whole system now. I have a Scrabble notebook where I write the date and time of each game. I keep a column for each of us, then track the number of points per word, the word and the total of the points. That way there is no way he could say I don't track or no way I could forget. Ever since we got it, we've played at least once almost every day. I thought I'd have a huge advantage because I think I know more words than him. What I've found out is that I know more "mostly used in England" and fashion words while he knows more science and technology words.
Anyway, I'm totally going to cheat and ask for help. The letters that always stump me are the "x" and words for the "q" without a "u". Any suggestions?

feeling: like a huge dork
listening to: nothing! My house is completely silent!

ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

It seems that there's a lot of changes and a lot of time has passed since I last wrote. In reality, it hasn't been all that long. Since I've posted . . . .

- We've gone to spend time with family in Texas and have come back. A good time was had by all. We were freezing.

- Rodrigo went out to get the oil changed in my car and came back hours later in a new car. It's not the first time he does that and I really, really don't like it. I feel that I should have some say in the matter. I mean, I should at the very least get to choose the color (since that's basically what I care about). He traded in his Mazda and is now driving one of these in midnight blue. I call it his "dad car". His whole excuse, er, reason for buying it is so that I could drive it (I don't drive standard).

- Brianna turned 9 years old and the changed overnight. Gone are the days of her loving all the little Disney princess things. She's now really into music. She has a c.d. player in her room (along with the iPod we gave her) and so although she still plays with toys, now she does so while listening to music. We're also forced to listen to RadioDisney in the car. The kid artists she loves are soooooo popular now. Either that or I have to hear a lot about them around here. The cool rock music Rodrigo and I listen to is slowly being replaced by The Jonas Brothers and others.
She also begged me for "side bangs" and she looks very different now that she has them. I find it funny that she and all her little friends are really all into the same type of thing. They stand around in their new more grown-up hairstyles, with their new eletronics wearing lip gloss and talking about what Santa brought them. It's a very interesting "in-between" time.

- Last but not least, Rodrigo gave me the ring for Christmas. It's lovely and simple and perfect! My head is nearly exploding because I want to share more about this, but, uh . . . . well, I will. In time.

That's it for now. I want to go in and check on all the blogs I've been neglecting and catch up.


feeling: making lists in my head
listening to: The Juno soundtrack, I don't know the name of the song