Where have I been???

The other day I realized that I am not doing right by my kids right now. Here lately I have been not happy, and while I have been here physically for my kids, I haven't really been here mentally for them. I get up and do the minimum that needs to be done here at home and for the kids. But anything else, I really havent been here mentally.

I just wanted to be alone and left alone, and sit and stew in my unhappiness. I couldnt wait for bedtime, because then that meant I wouldnt have to pretend to be paying attention. Its all because right now, it has been a hard holiday for me, with my husband so far away, and not being able to talk to him that often, and having a new baby - and all the crazy hormone swings that go with it, and just everything else piled on top of it. And while I have the right to be sad and what not, it isnt my kids fault, and I don't have the right to take it out on them so to speak.

So now I am trying to pull myself out of this depression, I guess you would call it. So tomorrow is a new day and a new year. So I am giving myself tonight to still be sad and what not, and then tomorrow it has to stop. Its time to stop sulking and get on with life. Plus this month (January) is the beginning of the crazy time, and I need to get in the right mind set for it.

Although I am listening to my brother in law, who is a dj for a radio station where my husband is, and it is helping me smile through the tears :) (anyone who is interested, you can listen to estereo liberacion here)

Anyway, that is what has been going on with me, and why I haven't been online. I am working on my resolutions, and *hopefully* I will be posting them tomorrow. Lets see how well that works out, LOL seeing as how I have a post from Christmas that I have been *working* on since last Tuesday, so who knows, LOL.

Its all about me

I haven't been on here for a couple of days (more about that in another blog) but I figured the first post I post should be a meme. :)

Karen from The Rocking Pony tagged me the other day for a meme. I am supposed to be telling you 7 random things about me. I dont know how random they will be, but here we go anyway...


1) Many people think I am a horrible mom, well not horrible, but they dont agree with how I raise my kids. They think its horrible that my kids have to learn how to wash their own clothes, and do the dishes and *gasp* have to clean up and vacuum their rooms. They have alot of responsibility, and horrors of horrors, they have to listen, or there is consequences. I am told all the time how mean I am.

2) When I just had Andre and Jordan, I had a rule. No toys with noise. Now that I have 7 kids, that rule seems to have gone out the window. You would think that with just two kids, I wouldn't care, and with 7 I would enforce it more. But I guess I am just tired of fighting it. Or maybe I just have learned how to tune out more things.

3) I would love to learn many other languages besides just Spanish. Why, I dont know. What I would do with it, I dont know.

4) I have to fight myself to get outside to play with the kids, or go for a walk with them. But once I am out with them I enjoy it. So I dont know why I have such a hard time getting out there with them.

5) I am a night person. I can stay up until 3 or 4 AM with no problem. Its getting up with the kids that is the problem. So I have to change who I am because I have kids.

6) I am having a real hard time with my husband so far away. This time is many many times harder than before.

7) I cry easily at movies. Even if they are just a bit sappy, I am crying. Sometimes there doesnt have to be anything sad/touching etc. about it, and I cry.

I had to come back and edit this - I forgot to put down who I was tagging :)
However, I don't like to tag people, but if you read this, you can consider yourself tagged, and if you want to, go ahead and post about it as well.

Comcast has issues, but then again... so do I

I was going to write about how Comcast cable company is full of idiots, then I changed my mind. Then I changed it again. Oh it is so nice being a woman, and being able to change your mind on a whim, LOL.

I tried to switch to comcast the other day, but because I have an outstanding balance of $.21 they wouldn't let me. I told them I never received a bill and they said they dont send out bills for such a small amount. Ummm ok, how am I supposed to know I owe them then. So if I want to switch to Comcast, then I have to pay the $.21 on a credit card, where they cahrge me $4.95 convience fee, or drive 20 minutes away and pay it at the office. It is against their policy to allow me to give the person who will hook up the cable a quarter. They could even keep the change. LOL

My mom said I should threaten to go Mona Shaw on them. If you haven't heard this story, click on the link, it is the BEST story. A truely heartwarming story of a 75 year old woman who took on Comcast and their crappy customer service into her own hands. I also love how there is now a blog for comcast haters.

Anway, since I decided not to tell you about my dealings with the comcast idiots ;), I decided to share some children fun. My favorite is the second video - I love the way Levi dance.

I tried to post the video on here, but it wouldn't work. So here are the links. I hope you check them out, because they made me laugh! Especially the second one...

The oldest 5 of mine and a snowball fight

The younger two dancing

The Man Cold...

If only things were so easy for the men... LOL. There is nothing much else to say. Oh to be a man...

Google reader is making me anti-social

I know that last week I was talking about my trip to the Consulate on this past Monday, and how I was going to write about it, because I was sure there would be something to write about. Well I was wrong. The traffic on the way there was great. We got there, got in and out of there in 2 hours or so. It was just a smooth trip all the way around. But sometime in February I have to go back to get Honduran passports for the youngest 5, so maybe I will have a good story or too then.

I have alot of blogs that I read on a regular basis. Some of them are listed on my blog rolls to the right, and others, I just haven't had a chance to add to my blog roll. I spent alot of time going to each blog via my main page, clicking on the link so that it would open up in a seperate window, and taking my time to read the blog, read the comments, and leave a comment. However, it would take me so long, I wouldn't be able to visit everyone, and read everyone's blog and leave comments.

So I decided to check out Google Reader. If you don't know what google reader is, well its awesome. You put in your favorite blogs, and everytime one of those blogs is updated, the update shows up in one spot. Sort of like an email with all your favorite updated blogs. Since I got the Google Reader, I have been able to keep up with most of your blogs. The only problem now is while I have the updates all in one place, I am not able to leave comments on the blogs. To leave comments I would have to open up the main blog, and go from there. Which in theory, is no biggie. But because I have been in a funk, and just in a blah mood, it has become much easier to sit back and say nothing, and read everyones blog. To become anti-social. A wallflower so to speak. One who watches everything and everyone, but doesn't talk to anyone. And while that suits me right now because I am in a funk, it doesn't help me get out of this funk. Usually, when I am in this mood, I have to force myself to talk to people, and to interact, and eventually I will kick myself out of the mood.

So I guess that means that I have to give up on my Google Reader, so that I can talk to you all.

An alternate universe.

Some days I swear I think I live in the twilight zone. For those of you who dont know, I was married before. My ex husband and I usually have a good relationship, and I consider him my friend. Well sort of. I am the type of person who will help you out if you need it, it doesn't matter who you are. And Lale hates that. He doesn't understand how if someone has hurt me or done me wrong, how I can just forget about it, and still help them out. He especially hates that I help out my ex husband.

Well let me give you a bit of background about my ex-husband and I. We met when we were 20, in the month of September. We got married in November the same year. Yeah I know. I fell for him, hard and fast.

Our relationship was very passionate. Not like that, get your mind out of the gutter, LOL. With us, when we fought, we fought with all we had. When we were getting along, we were best friends. We never did anything half-way. The problem was we were to young to know how to deal with out problems, and that eventually caused the relationship to end. Well that and I grew up, and he wasn't ready to yet. I still care very much for him, but not like that anymore.

Anyway, in 2005 he (my ex) got remarried. When he told me he was getting married, I told him to not make the same mistake as he did with me. Put her first, and not to worry about the beer and his friends. And it looked like he listened to me. He changed alot. Before he got married he didn't take Jordan very often on the weekends, and he spent all of his free time drinking. Once he got married he became a great dad to Jordan, pretty much stopped drinking, and just did a total 180. I never met his wife in person, but I have talked to her many many times on the phone, and we get along. I have helped them both out whenever they needed anything. Whenever he did drink though, he never forgot to call me and tell me how much he loved me, and how much he regrets losing me. I always blow it off, and ignore him. I have told him many times that he has a wife, and I have a husband, and our road came to a dead end, and when I tell him that, he backs off.

Here lately he has been working M-F from 6AM until midnight, but on his time off during the weekends he was never home. He has started going out again with his friends and drinking again. He must have forgotten my advice.

Well yesterday I needed him to sign a paper stating that he does indeed pay child support, so I met him at the bank, and because it was so cold, I gave him a ride back to his apartment. As he was getting out of the car he asked me for a kiss, and I told him to go kiss his wife. I *think* he was sort of playing, but I am not sure. He wasn't drunk, so who knows. Anyway, then last night he somehow figured out that my husband was now in Honduras, so he kept offering to come over and keep me company. Again he was denied. (and yes, this time he was drunk)

Jordan called him today after church to see how he was doing, since she didn't go over there this weekend, and talked to him for a few minutes. Then she handed me the phone. Here we go again, I thought. No he didn't want to talk to me to hit on me. Now it seems he needed my help. His wife has gotten fed up with him never being home, and anytime he was off to go out drinking and hanging with his friends, so she left him. Now he wants my help. He wanted me to call her and talk to her. While yes I have talked to her, and we got along, I somehow don't think me calling - his first wife - and trying to talk to her about why she left him, and try to convince her to go back to him would be the best thing for them. But would he listen to me? NOOOOO. He swears that she would talk to me. (ok, um, I know as a woman if my husbands ex-wife called me to try to get me to go back to him, that would really irritate me. No matter if we got along or not).

When I hung up with him, I really felt like I was in a totally different universe. One that doesn't make much sense.

Cheese Confusion...

I was online today doing some research on how to make cheese from fresh milk. I was trying to find out if from the same milk can you make fresh butter and fresh cheese. And while I didn't get the answer I was looking for, I did come across this. Go ahead, click on the link, I will wait. I think I am a bit speachless. I don't know why I am speachless. Is it because someone actually thought to do that, or that it didn't work or what.

Some of the comments though did have me laughing.

But I thought I would share my confussion with all of you. Enjoy...

Making plans to become annoyed...

As long as it doesn't snow to to bad this weekend, and the weather/roads are ok come Monday, I am off to the Honduras Consulate this Monday for another fun-filled day like the last time.

After the fun of last time, from my house I am trying to only bring myself, Levi and Johan. Gloria and Larry will be going as well. I am hoping that schools are in on time Monday morning too, otherwise I will have to bring everyone except for Andre, and Lana. Lana because I have someone else willing to watch her, and Andre because he can stay home by himself. Jordan is old enough to stay home by herself, but if I left Andre and Jordan home together by themselves, well there would be no house to come home too. I am excited to go and spend a good portion of my day sitting (possibly standing - depending on how many people beat us there) in an overheated little room waiting for people who seem to be doing nothing to decide to come out and call my name. Then to go back out to the waiting room to wait some more for the Consulate to decide to sign the paperwork. Last time waiting for the Consualtes signature took 4 hours or so. I will be taking my camera though, so there should be some fun there.

And just because, here are a couple of videos of my little ones...

Johan counting in English and Spanish

Lana showing how she feels about her papi

This girl, when she gets ahold of my cell phone, she knows how to turn on the songs that I have downloaded. I never noticed until I saw the video, but when the music comes on, watch her lips. I bet one day soon she is going to come out and just start singing.

Lana when she gets in trouble

I don't know why she started to do this, but anytime she thinks she is in trouble she will look at me and go MOMMY!! with a smile, then pat my arm. But it makes me laugh everytime.

Levi just chilling

Dear Santa...

I saw this earlier today and thought it was the perfect wishlist...

Dear Santa,

I've been a good mom all year. I've fed, cleaned and cuddled my children on demand, visited the doctor's office more than my doctor, sold sixty-two cases of candy bars to raise money to plant a shade tree on the school playground.

I was hoping you could spread my list out over several Christmases, since I had to write this letter with my son's red crayon, on the back of a receipt in the laundry room between cycles, and who knows when I'll find anymore free time in the next 18 years.

Here are my Christmas wishes:I'd like a pair of legs that don't ache (in any color, except purple, which I already have) and arms that don't hurt or flap in the breeze; but are strong enough to pull my screaming child out of the candy aisle in the grocery store.

I'd also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month of my last pregnancy.

If you're hauling big ticket items this year I'd like fingerprint resistant windows and a radio that only plays adult music; a television that doesn't broadcast any programs containing talking animals; and a refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone.

On the practical side, I could use a talking doll that says, "Yes,Mommy" to boost my parental confidence, along with two kids who don't fight and three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of power tools.

I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting "Don't eat in the living room" and "Take your hands off your brother," because my voice seems to be just out of my children's hearing range and can only be heard by the dog.

If it's too late to find any of these products, I'd settle for enough time to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same morning, or the luxury of eating food warmer than room temperature without it being served in a Styrofoam container.

If you don't mind, I could also use a few Christmas miracles to brighten the holiday season. Would it be too much trouble to declare ketchup a vegetable? It will clear my conscience immensely.

It would be helpful if you could coerce my children to help around the house without demanding payment as if they were the bosses of an organized crime family.

Well, Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is ringing and my son saw my feet under the laundry room door. I think he wants his crayon back.

Have a safe trip and remember to leave your wet boots by the door and come in and dry off so you don't catch cold.

Help yourself to cookies on the table but don't eat too many or leave crumbs on the carpet.

Yours Always, MOM...!

P.S. One more thing...you can cancel all my requests if you can keep my children young enough to believe in Santa.

911 what is your emergency?

I so didn't want t have to make the call. I did everything I could NOT to make the call. I called everyone I could think of who could possibly help me out, and they all said - make the call.

When I was little I was given a wooden rocking chair by my father. When my father died, and we were going through his stuff, I found it, along with pictures of me in the chair, so I decided I have tons of kids, they would love to use it, so I took it home. It has been in my house putting up with abuse from my kids for almost 4 years now. Until today.

This morning was a pretty normal morning (other than Mickey and Isa missing the bus, and me having to take them to school) and I was catching up on my emails, and rocking Levi, while Johan was watching Dora, and Lana was sitting at the little table coloring.

Well for some reason she got up from the table, and decided to crawl through the openings in the chair. Well, she did, and no sooner did she get through one opening did she get stuck. No biggie I let her try to get out for a couple of minutes, then decided she needed help. Johan had gotten stuck in the same chair before, and like Lana he couldn't get out. So I had to turn him around so he could climb out. Only she put her head through a different hole. I couldn't help her. She is to big in the belly and waist to be able to pull her out, and her head is to big for her to be able to back out of the chair the way she got in. I really dont know how she got into that hole. I dont even think Levi's head could fit in that space.

So I get a hammer and try to hammer away at the part where the arm-rest met the back of the chair, and other than making some dents the chair wasn't budging or breaking. So I called around and a friend down the street had a saw. So I sent Andre down to get the saw and when he came back, I had him hold her hands and the chair in one spot, and with her leaning across my legs, I tried to saw the arm-rest off. But I didn't have a good angle, and she kept screaming and having a fit and I was scared I would end up sawing off an arm or something. Plus I would still have had to saw off the other side and she was in the way.

So I had to make the call. I felt so stupid telling 911 what my emergency was. But they were very very nice, and came out and with their little tiny saw, took it apart and got her out of the chair and told me there is no reason not to feel bad. It only took them 5 minutes or less to get her out. She was in awe of them, and Johan was angry that they broke his chair, LOL. They were leaving and he was yelling at them to come back and fix it because they broke it. Now my family heirloom is out back in the trash waiting for trash day to come so that it can go to its new home.


As for Lana, she is fine. She is going to be covered in bruises on her back and belly/chest, but other than that, she is back to normal getting into everything.

Lana after she was freed by the firemen.

Lana's back


My poor chair all broken up - you can see where I was sawing the arm, I did most of the main cut, but couldn't go further without hurting her, and then on the other side I started to cut it there. They also took out the back peices, and the rocking peice on the one leg was broken off.

Oh what a suprise. Snow...

For those of you who don't know, I live in Maryland. I have lived here my whole life. In MD we get all four seasons. Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall. In the spring, its usually rainy, in the summer its hot, in the fall its crisp outside, and in the winter we get something called SNOW.

I really don't understand these people. Really I don't. As I said, we get snow every year. EVERY YEAR. Sometimes earlier in the season, sometimes later, but we always get it. It isn't like this is Florida where it never snows. Because if it was I would understand. But its not. It is Maryland. Where we get snow every freakin year. If you are one of those people who forget how to drive when it snows, then you need to move to Florida, Hawaii or some other hot weather place where it never snows.

Yesterday I had to go to Baltimore. Ok, I didn't HAVE to, but I really needed to. I had to get the box ou to Gigante Express so that my husband would get it so that he could sign certain papers and get them back to me. I had planned on going yesterday for a while now, and I wasn't about to let a little snow keep me home.

The exit into the city of Baltimore is less than 20 miles away from my house. Usually it takes me less than 15 minutes to get to the city. Once in the city, its another story to get where I need to be, but thats due to city traffic. In an hour and a half I went 12.3 miles. On 95. Not side roads, but on I-95. At no point was I stopped. Traffic was slow going due to trucks and cars that were on the side of the road in a ditch - trucks that obviously rolled over - more than once. Now I don't know how it happened - it was yucky out, but not really wasn't that bad out. It wasn't great, but how someone (well more than one someones) ended up rolling thier cars was beyond me.

Anyway, once I got to 695, and it was already 11AM, and I was only halfway there, I decided to come on back home. Being stuck in the van with most of the kids, going less than 10 miles an hour down the road, freezing our butts off is not, (since the heater isn't working right now in the van) then possibly not being able to make it back home in time to get Mick and Isa off the bus because of the idiots going down 95 (on my way up there were 3 spots that I passed in those 12.3 miles where there was no cars passing. Three DIFFERENT accidents that caused 95 to come to a standstill in THREE different places. And I am sure there were more farther down the stretch of 95 that I didn't know about.

But today I made it Baltimore and sent the box, and now I can sit back and relax, my letters, passport papers for the kids, and all the home videos that we made will be in Honduras in two weeks or so. Now I need a nap.

among other things...Why I want to move to Honduras

To me, this is beauty.

I have to feel like i am doing something - being productive. While I know that June is still a ways off, I am beginning to get more and more excited. I know that once January hits, and it will be the same year that I am leaving. (meaning it will be 2008, and I can say we are leaving this year, and mean THIS year, not within the year - yeah I know, silly things make me happy)

So I have been going through my closets and stoage areas and just other places as well, and have began to pack up stuff that I want to send to Honduras. I have found a moving company that isn't to to expensive to send a container. The difference between a 20 foot and a 40 foot container is only $400, so I am trying to see if the in-laws that are here would like to pay for half of the container and they would be able to send 20 feet worth of stuff there. That would save me a thousand dollars doing it that way. I so hope that they do, because I have some stuff, while not alot, I would love to send down, and its to bog to fit in the van. Like my washer/dryer. My freezer. My king sized bed - its brand new (bought this year) and its awesome, and I have heard that they arent as nice in Honduras. And a table. Not a dining room table, but butcher block kitchen storage like table thing with 2 shelves and 3 drawers. Nothing big, but I do love it for some odd reason.

I now have 7 boxes of stuff packed up and sitting in an alcove downstairs. Mickey and Isa have gotten into the spirit of things and keep bringing me stuff telling me that want me to send that stuff to Honduras too. They are ready to pack up and leave too I think.

Even though we wont be here but 6 and a half more months, I am redoing the family closet downstairs. I will post more about that with pictures once it is done. I love the family closet though and wish I had thought to tell Lale that before he left, so that down there we could have a family closet too.

I was thinking about why I am moving to Honduras, and thought I would share some of them with you.

• We all know my number one reason is my husband. To bring my family back together.
• beauty - everywhere, but real beauty, not the commercial beauty. When people think about the beauty of Honduras, they think about the beaches. Yes the beaches are beautiful, but it the people that make Honduras beautiful.
• I want my children to experience a different culture. To learn to not take everything for granted
• I want my children to grow up in a place where things aren’t as important as people and family.
• Back in 2001 I went to Guatemala and I knew when I stepped off of the plane that I was home. Once I got to know the people it just became more concrete in my mind. I had found my place. Not necessarily that country, but that culture. I knew that I would be back to live some point in my future.
• One day I as online and I came across a website – http://www.casadelosangeles.org/ - and I cried. And I had a feeling that this is what I am supposed to be doing. And Si Dios Quiere – God Willing as everyone says in Honduras– I will be able to do something along these lines in Honduras. Maybe not on such a large scale, but something along these lines to make a difference.
• I am a country girl at heart. I cant wait to become a farmer/ranchers wife. (man that sounds odd to call my husband a farmer or rancher, LOL)

When I spoke about the beauty of Honduras, I said the people. But I find beauty in so many things. Simple things that others may not see as beautiful. I think for me, the best way to describe it is that there are so many things that are "ugly" to society, that to me are beautiful. There is a blog on my blogroll. My Life In Chacala, and it is a blog written by someone in Chacala, Mexico. And some of the pictures that are posted there to me are the most beautiful pictures. But they are pictures of the area. Not the touristy places, and not beautiful by tourist standards, but to me they are beautiful. The fabrics, the colors, the people. All of it. Here is one of my favorite posts, and the pictures that show some of the beauty that I am talking about. I wish that when I went to Honduras, I had thought to take more pictures. I wish that when I went to Guatemala, when I got the film developed, I had gotten it on a CD too, so that I could share some of them with you.

Prozac anyone?

Jordan - Taken October 2006

Today my oldest daughter turns 10. She is becoming such a beautiful and loving girl. Well I guess not girl, young lady maybe? Muchacha?

Although she was my quickest, and easiest labor - an hour and a half from first contraction to her being born, when she was a baby I hated her. Well not really hated her, but man she got on my nerves, LOL. Andre was my first, and he was a good baby. slept through the night, was independant etc. etc.

Jordan would wake up at night every 2 hours to eat a little bit of formula - she wouldn't eat more - and take an hour to eat what little she did. During the day she wouldn't sleep or nap. I swear to you, the most she slept was 15 minutes at a time, then she was crying again. Looking back on it, I wish I was more confident in my abilities of being a mother, and didn't look to the doctors for everything. I think she probably would have been a great sleeper if I had put her on her belly. (yes my kids now will sleep on their belly as babies if they sleep better that way. I break tons of rules now, and my ped is A-OK with it, he trusts my ability to be a mother, LOL) So as a little baby I never got any sleep. It took her forever to sleep through the night. I mean she was potty trained (which was awesome - she trained herself at 14 months) before she slept through the night.

When she was 6 months but couldn't crawl, if I left the living room to go into the kitchen, she would sit there and SCREAM her head off. I never got a moments peace from her. I loved her (still do) but man she drove me insane.

Now I don't know what I would do without her. She is the biggest help with the kids, and she does it willingly. Sometimes I have to remember not to pile everything on her, and let her be a kid, because she just does this on her own to help me out.

She is a big pain in the you know what as well. But thats due to being pre-teen and hormones and what not. At the doctors today, her ped told me she is at the beginning of puberty, and should have her first period in 2 years or so. I told him I didn't think she would live that long, if I had to wait 2 years for this hormonal stuff to become monthly, instead of ALL THE TIME.

Case in point. She was going out to dinner with my mom tonight, and I asked her if she wanted all of us to go, or just her. She said all of us. Then she was crying because she NEVER gets time alone with my mom, so she didn't want us to go. Ok, no big deal. So I started to make dinner, and she asks me why am I making dinner, aren't we all going out. I told her no, she said she wanted to go by herself, and she ran out the room screaming and crying because I was putting to much pressure on her and she wanted us all to go to have fun together.

WTH??? I swear I don't think I was this bad when I was her age. I really don't. So I sat down with her, pulled her into my lap and asked her again, trying to figure out what it was that she wanted. She said she didn't want to feel like she was selfish. I told her she wasn't being selfish by wanting to go by herself, and really it was no big deal. So she went by herself.

She comes home from dinner in a good mood. Everyone had cupcakes, my mom left, and Jordan once again turned my home into hormonal hell. She threw herself on the couch and began to cry hysterically again. Mickey asked her whats wrong, and she said everything. With the exception of dinner with my mom this day was HORRIBLE. Mickey said that she loved her, and she hopes Jordan liked her present. Jordan asked what it was, and she said she got a hug and a kiss for her because she loves her, and a dog from the toy bucket downstairs that Jordan can sleep with. (Mickey is 4). Jordan said thats a stupid present, ran to her room and proceeded to cry for a good 15 minutes.

Then she came out and apologized to me and Mickey for her behaviour and went to bed all smiles and happy as can be.

Maybe I should give her a Valium instead of, or along with a Prozac. sheesh. At least she still talks to me. I know the time where I become her enemy is on its way.

Jordan, earlier this summer

Happy Birthday Jordan. Hormonal or not, I love you!

Pictures and Videos Oh My...

This was my attempt at getting a good family picture. Out of all the ones I took, this is the only one they are all looking at the camera. To bad they aren't all smiling.

This is my new shirt. Well it isn't so new, but it didn't fit before because I had the baby belly going. It now fits. I love this shirt.

I think the boy needs a new hat. Maybe one that fits.

I don't even know what to say about this. Andre (who is almost 12) was yelling about the dryer shrinking his coat. He comes around the corner wearing Lana's winter coat. (she isn't quite 1 and a half). Man I wish I was as thin as he is.

I love to harass Lana. She is such a faker. I love to tell her she is Mala (bad) just to see her fake her cry, LOL.

Gang Signs - you know how babies are awake they sit there and move their hands all around, opening and closing them? Well Levi does that. The other day Levi was laying on the bed, and Lana climbed up to give him some loving. He was awake and moving his arms and hands all around, and she sat there and watched him for a few minutes. Then she started to copy him, and I swear it looked like they were throwing up gang signs to eachother. I wish I had my camera close to take a video. It was so funny.

And just for a laugh – one of the funniest commercials I have ever seen…
The Tea ParTay


the red pants and blue shirt with the white sweater thrown over the shoulders – oh how I wish my man would dress like that. LMAO

The boy is 1 month old today...

How did that happen? Wasn't he just born yesterday? Notice that HUGE double chin?

a little bit of everything and a whole lot of nothing

My mother – My mom was going out to dinner tonight, and she wanted to tell me that I wouldn’t be able to get ahold of her, so she told me she was going to be incognito. I think she meant incomunicado.

Chicken Out - I used to work at a restaurant called Chicken Out. They sold - wait for it now - CHICKEN. Well they had a grilled chicken breast sandwhich, and after about a month of me working there, they got a new supplier. With the new supplier when you ordered new chicken breast filets, you would have to order random breasts. Do you know how much I enjoyed that. I tried to explain to my sister in law why I thought it was funny (it made me laugh because I can just imagine them going around and whacking off random breasts) but for some reason it didnt translate as funny in Spanish.

enriques journey - an awesome book. This book is about a boy from Honduras who takes the trip north to the US. No matter what your thoughts are on immigration - legal or illegal - or anything else, this is a book that I think EVERYONE should read. Its a true story. It comes in English and Spanish

Painted house - My husband painted our house. He wont tell me what color it is. Or what colors it is. All I know is that he is extremely fond of the wine/burgandy color. I hope that I dont have a wine/burgandy colored house. I keep asking him, and he wont tell me. he tells me to wait for the pictures, or maybe he wont send me pictures, maybe he will let me be suprised when I show up. Does he not realize I need to know, because if I don't like the colors, I am bringing my own rollers and my own paint when I come.

They are waiting for me - At least once a day he says that someone from the area stops by to ask if this is where the gringa lives, and when the gringa is coming. The "town" if you can call it that isn't that big. He says the people as the come by the house always ask about the gringa. Even if they just asked him yesterday.

Stair Dance - Man, I am so happy I saw this post. Its called the stair dance - learn it. If you have kids, teach it to them. Make sure you click on the link to read all about it!

Hungry Boy - I think Levi doesn't like my 3-6 month clothing, because it seems he is doing his best to get to 6-9 month clothing. Last night he ate at 8, at 9, at 10, at 11 and at 12. Six ounces each time. Then he ate at 4AM and at 7AM, then at 11AM (he was fussing to eat since 10AM, but I kept shoving the pacifier in his mouth to hold him off, LOL) then at 1:30PM, at 4PM, at 6PM and at 8PM. At this rate I am going to have to get a part time job to keep formula in the house as fast as he is going through it.

Lawyer - I have a lawyer for getting everything fixed as far as my residency goes. I am so excited. I have had him for a while, I just kept forgetting to let you all know. I was given the number and email of 4 different lawyers. I sent each one an email, and the lawyer I have now responded the next day. Two of them have yet to respond, and its been over a month since I sent them an email. The last one waited 10 days sent me an email that said they were busy right now and would send me an email with information at a later time, then after another two weeks sent me another email telling me if I wanted information I should send my husband to their offices so that he could talk to them. Um no. I want to talk to the lawyer myself so that I know what needs to be done. My husband is a typical man, he can be in the conversation and get everythign screwed up. When we went to the consulate, he asked the people there what needed to be in the letter giving me permission to register Levi, since he wouldn't be in the states. I wasn't there when he asked (thank God I thought to ask when I went to the back - but he didn't know I asked) So he called me the other day and asked me what needed to be in the letter. What makes it even worse is that this was the 8th time he has asked me what needs to be in the letter, and the last time he asked me he had already written the letter. See why I want to do this myself, and not my husband?

Johan the cat/dog/vacuum - I dont have a little boy, I think I have a rare type of cat/dog. Johan wanted a cup of milk today. Normally cups are to be drank (drunk?) ONLY in the kitchen. Somehow he got by me and was in my room with his cup of milk. He sat down in front of the TV, poured his cup of milk onto the carpet in front of the tv, then leaned over and started to suck the milk out of the carpet. He told me he didn't want to drink from a cup anymore. WTH?? Maybe he thinks he is a steam vacuum, I dont know.

Hurricane Johan

I was going to post an update on my house in Honduras, but life with kids happened this morning, that I thought you would enjoy hearing about it more... See I am always thinking of my readers, LOL.

Lack of sleep, the beginnings of a cold, (both on the adult) and an unsupervised (sort of) 2 yr old does not a good combination make.

Usually Levi wakes up once a night for me, around 2:30 AM, then he eats and goes back to sleep until around 7:00ish - which is when my alarm is set to go off anyway. And sleep with that one interuption, while not ideal, is good. I can deal with it. Well last night when Levi got up at 2:30 AM, I got up, made his bottle, sat back down on the bed with him, and within him drinking 2 ounces I was asleep. I am guessing he was too, since he didn't cry for more. The only bad thing about that was he didn't get enough to eat. So come 4:30 AM he was up again. I made him another bottle, and this time managed to stay awake long enough (barely) for him to eat all 6 ounces. Well the alarm went off at 7:00, I rolled over turned it off and back to sleep I went. At 7:15 AM Mickey came downstairs telling me I needed to do her hair. (The bus for Mickey and Isa comes at 7:30ish) Still half asleep - think more along the lines of barely alive - I tried to get her to go to school with her hair just brushed, no ponytails, but she got upset because she said her bangs kept getting in her face. So I sent her for the brush, and ponytail holders and sat up, and when she came back, I put her hair in ponytails. Not once did I open my eyes. When she asked about Isa's hair, I told her to tell Jordan to pull it back for me. (can I say as much as her constant hormonal outburts drive me nuts, I love that girl, LOL) The next thing I knew it was 8:10 AM and Levi was ready to eat again. As I stumbled to the sink - still with my eyes closed - well one was half open so that I knew how much water was going into the bottle - I double checked with Jordan that the girls got on the bus (the bus stops in front of our house, so they just have to stand at the front door - I didn't send a 3 and 4 yr old out the door to some bus stop far away all alone, I promise) and made the bottle and went back to bed.

Before I fell asleep again, I called Johan and Lana into my room, turned on cartoons, put Lana in her toy and after feeding Levi, went back to sleep again. Periodically I would hear Dora or Diego say something, and the kids respond, and I would raise my head enough to make sure all was well. Well at 11:00 AM I finally was feeling well enough to open my eyes. (yes a hungry Levi woke me up) And at the foot of my bed, this is what I was greeted with...

Hurricane Johan

Do you see how it sort of looks like what a hurricane looks like on the satelite system on your local tv station? And the poor frog - one had managed to get away, but it seems one was not quite so lucky.

Because my bed is in front of the tv, Johan was on the floor in front of my bed, and while I saw him everytime I opened my eyes to check on him, I couldn't see the floor to see what he was doing, and I assumed (you know what they say about assuming) that he was being good watching cartoons.

Lana watching Blues Clues - my view when I would open my eyes to check on them

It has been a while since Lana had formula, so I forgot how much Johan loved to eat they powdered soy formula straight out of the can. I wish my brain was coherent enough that I would have thought about taking a picture of Johan BEFORE his bath. But since I didn't you just have to use your imagination. Think powdered wig as hair, and a lovely white crustiness all over his face. And while I fussed at him just a tad - reminding him that formula is not for big boys - I really couldn't get that mad at him since I was the one who was not fully awake. He was then put into the bath, and his clothes, along with the big pile already in the laundry room, into the washing machine. He looks so innocent though when he is fresh out of the bath.

Mr Innocent

I figured that my day could only get better right? It sure did. I was done feeding Levi and went to wash out his bottle, and I stepped out of my room into the hallway. Or creek I should have said. It seems that yesterday when Andre stuck Lana in the big sink in the laundry room to wash her hands yesterday he took out the hose that drains the washing machine, and put it on the floor. Then forgot to put it back into the sink. So when he turned on the washing machine this morning, it also cleaned the floor.

I swear the laundry room floor has got to be the CLEANEST floor in the whole house. Two days ago Johan was "helping" me by dumping half a box of Dreft on the laundry room floor, and with a peice of sponge was scrubbing the floor. And that was after we got him dressed because I had to go somewhere. So I had to dump water on the floor and scrub it up then dump more water and towel dry it. Can I tell you that laundry soap - either liquid or podwer - on a concrete floor + water make a nice ice skating rink, without the ice. (I say liquid because earlier this year Mickey and Isa had dumped a whole 2.3 gallons of liquid tide - a brand new container - on the laundry room floor too, and again, we were skating all over the floor trying to get it cleaned up. Although it did make the basement area smell wonderful for weeks!)

My boys taking a nap - well supposed to be taking a nap. One is, one isn't. Can you see the mark on Johan's cheek where he made Isa mad and she scratched him. You would think he would have learned the first time she got him - she is worse than a cat.

nothing much to say today

I had a blog all written out, but I was reading the news online, and I was so disgusted and upset (I cried while reading it) by something I read, so upset that I no longer wanted to post it. I will post it another day.

Instead I just want to hold my children extra tighter so that they know that I love them, and that I would never hurt them. So instead I am just going to post a couple of pictures of my fashion challenged Lana Bear, and of my FAT boy (these pictures were taken at 3 week 4 days. Can you believe how FAT he has gotten - look at those cheeks) Can you believe that at 3 weeks he has outgrown 0-3 month clothing, and is now in 3-6 month clothing.

(by the way, in case you are wondering what exactly is Lana wearing - she has on a lovely flower hat, a white Punta Gorda dress that I have no clue where it came from, the lovely red and black samurai jacket, and some blue sweatpants of her brothers.)

I want some presents...

Ok, I dont know what happened with this whole christmas tree thing, all of my gifts were taken away, then all of a sudden I had 28,400 gifts and they were horrible items - and horrible remarks, so I am going to assume that I was spammed somehow. So I took it off.

But thank you to those who left me a gift anyway.

The Last Thanksgiving (& as requested, more Levi pictures)

First things first - madmad asked me in one of her comments where are the pics of Levi - so just for her, here are a some pictures of him making funny faces. (my favorite one being the sepia toned one. He was sleeping when I took that, and he happened to make a face and open his eyes, LOL)

Yesterday was Thanksgiving. *What? Are you a little confused? Didn't know it was Thanksgiving did you? That would explain all the turkey that was on your table yesterday* It was the last Thanksgiving that I am going to celebrate here in the US. Or at least for a while anyway. I thought I would be somewhat sad, or something. But nope. I am actually happy because with my next Thanksgiving, I will be saying thank you for being able to be with my husband again.

I went to my moms for dinner, it was just us, my mom and Rob, her husband. It was a nice calm dinner- well as calm as it could be with 7 children - 5 of whom are 4 and under. Oh wait, I keep forgetting, I only had 6 kids with me. Jordan was at her fathers house.

I gave my mom the turkey to cook, and she made mashed potatoes, green beans and had applesauce. I sent over some pudding mix, and some graham cracker crusts so that I could make a couple of "pies" for dessert. (can you really call pudding mix in a crust a pie?) I sent it earlier in the week so that it was less that I had to bring. So I was in charge of bringing milk to make the pies, as well as stuffing, or at least the mix to make when I got there.

When I left, I left with the kids, a package of hot dogs and buns (for lunch) and thats it. I didn't bring the stuffing, nor the milk.

The reason why I forgot to bring everything was because I got detained. About 10 minuted before I was ready to walk out the door my husband called, and for once, the day that I wanted to get out the door on time, he wanted to talk for more than 5/10 minutes. It was nice though, I needed to just talk to him for a while. To connect with him, if that makes sense. He had his son Sendi there with him, and by the time I hung up I was in a great mood.

Before I go any further, let me give a bit of background. There are some issues with Sendi and Gisela and I. When they met me, we got along great. They spent a couple of days with Lale and I when I was in Honduras, but the problem was they didn't know who I was. (they just thought I was a friend of their fathers, not his wife. Its a long story and maybe one day I will tell it, LOL) But once they found out who I was, I became the enemy. I became the woman who took their father away from them, and because of me, it really hit home that their mom and dad weren't getting back together. I have never blamed them for that, because I know that the way things were handled the wrong way, by both their mom and their dad. And I have been there and done that as far as being a child of divorce. So I understood. For the longest time they wouldn't even acknowledge Mickey, Isa, Johan, and Lana as their brothers and sister. But they have come around, and with Levi, they were excited for him to be born. Its been a long road these past four years, and with Gisela we are at a better place, but Sendi has never had anything nice to say about me, and has never talked to me after he found out.

Well the last time I talked to Lale, (before yesterday) Sendi was there and he actually got on the phone for a couple of minutes and we talked. Nothing big, just the how are you, hows school etc. etc. Then yesterday when I was talking to Lale, Sendi was in the background joking around with me through Lale. It was nice, and it made me happy. Maybe once we all get there, things wont be as I keep imagining them to be.

I was also happy because this is one less holiday down, and only one more big one to go - which means I got out of spending time with my one brother Dickie and his wife Angie, and their two rotton kids. I love my brother I really do. But I can't spend time with him and his family because they really don't know how to act. My brother and his wife are ignorant and 90% of the time one of them open their mouths they put their foot in their mouth. (I wrote about her in a blog last year - and I was being nice in my blog too) Or someone wants to put a fist in their mouth. Or maybe a bit of both.

I do my best not to be around them because so far I have been able to keep my temper in check, and I have done my best to ignore her, but one of these days I am not going to be able keep my mouth shut, and I am going to end up causing problems (although I am sure I would get a round of applause as well). It is sad too, that my mother doesn't like to spend alot of time with them either. How sad is it that?

So come Christmas time, I just have to be sure not to answer the phone if I see their number on my ID (which I probably wont because I think in the last 12 months they have called me once, maybe twice) and I certainly wont be calling them.

A good response to the naysayers

When people find out that I am planning to take my 7 children and move to Honduras, I get so many opinions. I don't ask these people for their opinions, but yet they feel free to give them to me. I have one friend (my landlord) who tells people he talks to through out the day (people who have no clue who I am) about me and me moving to Honduras, then he will tell me the next time we talk all of the comments that he has gotten. I keep telling him, and others, I don't care.

Its my life, my husband, my children. MY FAMILY. My choice. See the pattern? MY. The word MY - it is a word that relates directly to ME. MY has nothing to do with YOU. See how that works?

Well in one of the groups that I am a member of, someone put up something that really made me smile. I think I am going to use it when people start to talk about me moving to such a poor country. The quote is as follows...

"I had this funny conversation with God on the way thru Trujillo. I said, look at the poverty Lord. He said, what poverty? you in the US are in poverty, this is not poverty! Your country lives in such debt and doesn't own what they have. These people live simply and they
own what they have. Thats not poverty."

Tagged, and Levi's birth announcement - both by Anelys

Anelys is a friend of mine who lives in the Dominican Republic. She does awesome design work, and I had her do my birth announcements for Levi. I sent her a link to my bedding, because I love my crib bedding so much, I wanted it to match it. (Wanna see my crib bedding?)

She did such a good job with the announcements, I wanted to post it here to share with all of you!

I have them done in English and Spanish, but since the majority of my readers speak English, I will post the English version.

She also does other types of design things as well - and is VERY reasonable priced. If you want more information check out her web-page, or her blog. Then send her an email!

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I was tagged by Anelys as well.

Ok, here's the game plan. There are a few rules one must follow to play the game. When tagged, you must link to the person who tagged you. Then post the rules before your list, and list eight random things about yourself. At the end of the post, you must tag and link to eight other people.

So, without further ado, here are 8 random things about me. (you can't wait can you?)

1. I have 3 sisters, 3 brothers and yet I am an only child. My father had 4 kids with his first wife, then got married to my mom, and they had me. My mom had 2 kids with her first husband, then got married to my dad and had me. So I am the baby - and my oldest sibling is 49 years old. The youngest besides me is 38 years old. (I am still a baby at 31 hehe)
2. I have always said I wanted to have 10-12 kids, but I don't think I really meant it. Then after I had Levi I realized I want at least 3 more kids, which would bring me to 10 kids.
3. I have issues with hairy people. Especially those with hairy chests. EEWW. I get freaked out just thinking about it.
4. I used to call one of my brothers hairball when I was younger because he used to chase me around the house in a tank top with his arms raised, trying to get his armpit hair to touch me - which I think contributed to the whole hair phobia thing.
5. I love math, and anything with numbers. I am really good at math, and good at memorizing most things that have numbers in them - phone numbers, license plates, birthdays, etc. etc.
6. We used to have discussions at the dinner table when I was growing up that most people would not be able to eat afterward. It was me, two of my brothers (my moms kids) and 2 step brothers. It was always a contest to see who could be the grossest.
7. I have very big feet. My feet are bigger than my husbands and my brothers as well. I wear a 12 in men.
8. I am so tall, thanks to my father. My father was 6'9", and wore a size 23 shoe. Of his kids, I am the second smallest. The shortest sister is 5'11". Only a half an inch shorter than me. Then my other two sisters are 6'2", and 6'3". My brother - his first born - is 6'8". My neice is 6'5".

Well I hoped that you have enjoyed learning some oddities about me and my life. I am now supposed to tag 8 people but I dont know how many of you all have been tagged or not already, so I will do it this way. If you were not tagged then you are now tagged, LOL. Just leave me a comment letting me know that I tagged you.

Twilight Zone...AKA Conversations with My Grandfather

When I talk to my brothers or my grandparents I swear I feel like I am in the twilight zone. At least my grandparents are old, and hard of hearing (that is an understatement for my grandfather - he is at least half deaf)... My brothers, who knows what their excuses are.
Here are some excerpts from conversations with my grandfather.

Background...they went to Florida to visit, and on impulse bought a condo, came home, sold all their possessions (the condo came with EVERYTHING) and decided to wait until the house sold. My poor grandparents in their house with no furniture nothing for 4+ months.

(words that are in between ** mean my thoughts, not what I said)

So Paw Paw, you bought a condo in Florida huh?

Yeah we bought a condo in Florida

It has everything in it?

Yeah it has everything in it.

I guess you are itching to move then.

What? Why would you ask me that. That is none of your business.

What is none of your business?

If I am in the nude or not. **In the nude??**

No Paw Paw. A-R-E Y-O-U I-T-C-H-I-N-G T-O M-O-V-E? You know to Florida.

No we aren't watching the news on Florida. Why what is happening?

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Background...When I was diagnosed with my crazy arthritis, I called to tell my grandmother about my arthritis issues in my feet, as she has a (different) crazy arthritis too. But she was on the cell phone with my Aunt, so I spoke with my grandfather. We were talking about I don't remember what and he asked me if I was watching this tv show.

No Paw Paw, I am not watching tv

There is this new show on. It has all of these pretty women on it carrying suitcases with money in it

Oh, you are talking about Deal or No Deal

No, it isn't called deal or no deal - it is called something else. It has these people who pick a suitcase, then the banker guy calls - I don't think it really is a banker though. They never show his face, just some shadow. Why wont they show his face? If he was a real banker he would show his face. But the banker tries to get the contestant to sell him his suitcase.

Yeah Paw Paw, it is called deal or no deal

No, that isnt the name, it is something else. I have never heard of Deal or No Deal. I don't even think that is a show.

then we talk for a few minutes

Oh wait, here is the commercial - it is called Deal or No Deal

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I have learned he hard way that when I call him on the phone, and he answers, I need to address him by saying Hey PAW PAW, so that he knows it is me - otherwise he thinks I am my mom, and listening in on those conversations is even funnier, as I think he knows who he is talking to, and he thinks he knows who he is talking to, and then as we are talking no one has a clue what the other one is talking about

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Background...When my father died, I went to the funeral home with m sisters to help pick out flowers for his casket. My father loved to go fishing, so my sisters decided to get his casket flowers to be in the shape of a fish - a bass to be exact. (can we say REDNECK) So I called my grandfather to tell him how funny/stupid that was.

Hey Paw Paw I just left the florist, you will never guess what my sisers have decided to get for the flowers that go on my fathers casket.

What did they choose?

They want to put a fish on there.

A what?

Yeah I know, isn't that stupid. How rednecky can you get?

Yeah I know they are rednecks, but what did they want to get put on there?

A fish paw paw, a fish.

WHAT?

FISH.......F......I.......S......H **here we go**

WHAT? I can't hear that last word

You know - what you find in the lake and the ocean. Ok, here, I will spell it for you. F- you know as in Frank (the name of my brother in law, Connie's husband)

Frank? I know he is going to be there with Connie right?

No Paw Paw F as in Frank. The first letter in Franks name - write that down.

Oh. F - is that what you said?

Yes Paw Paw, F. Then I.......as in igloo

I??

Yes, I. Then S.......as in Sam

S?? (actually we had problems with that one too, but can't remember what was said about it Then H........... as in ham.

Ham? You all are going to have ham there? I like ham.

No Paw Paw, well maybe there will be ham, but that is not what we were talking about. Remember I am giving you the first letter to spell the word.

What word?? **AWWW Hell**

Is grandma there paw paw? Hello? Grandma, can you tell him that the word is fish. I was trying to explain that my sisters are getting fowers in the shape of a fish, standing on its side, with its tail flipped to put on my fathers casket.

A Fish?

Yeah grandma, just tell him Fish

Hey Hun.. SHE SAID FISH YOU IDIOT......FISH

Death becomes her... And why Johan needs more brothers

Mickey is fascinated with death. She talks about death all the time. Anytime she can get someone to listen to her, she talks about going to Honduras. But what she talks about is death and killing. Not in a bad sense, but still. She tells that when she gets to Honduras, she is going to run super fast after the chickens and catch them. Then she is going to break their necks like this (as she makes the motion of wringing their necks) then she will take a knife, cut its throat, hang it upside down, then once all of the blood is out, cook it. I guess she plans on eating the feathers? While that sort of is how you kill chickens, she is 4. Well she will be 5 in March, but still. No one has told her this, and I don't know where she got the idea that she is in charge of killing the chickens, and why she thinks she is going to be able to carry around a knife either. If we get there, and start finding dead, headless chickens strung up all over the place, I know who to look for.

In one of our all about chicken books, it shows you how to clean a chicken out, once its been plucked and what not, and how to cut a chicken - down the breast bone, and anytime she has a free moment, you will find her studying that book, on that page. (the best part was when she was describing the picture to Isa. - in the picture was them cutting the breast bone, and Mickey was telling Isa that they have to cut out the butt to get all the poop out so that you dont eat a poopy chicken, LMAO)

It isn't just the chickens that she talks about killing and death. She will ask me about my father (who died back in 04) and ask me why he died. What caused it, who killed him. (He died due to heart issues, and kidney failure issues - no one killed him.) And she will tell Isa and Johan stories about who killed my father, or really about anything - but alot of the time it involves death. Tonight her and Johan were looking at an Oriental Trading catalog, and they have a set of beanie baby style animals - and this set was a set of dinosaurs. And she was telling Johan that the terradactyl one doesn't like the guy with the gun, so he is going to fly down and chop chop chop the gun guys head off. Again, I have no idea where she gets this from - there is nothing like that on Nick Jr. And she isn't saying it like she is trying to scare someone, she is talking about it like telling Johan that a banana is yellow.

And here is proof that Johan needs more brothers close to his age...

And he isn't letting them do this to him. When the girls start to change clothes playing dress up, he goes through the buckets of clothes that don't fit the girls and picks out his own items to put on.

2 weeks, Lightning McQueen, Biz's Beat of the Day and Soldier Boy

Two weeks

Can you believe the boy is two weeks old already? I know when you have little ones in the house, the time goes by much faster. Does that mean time goes by 7 times as fast in my house? He such a sweet boy, and he is a PIG. He was eating 5 ounces, then an hour later another 3-4 ounces, then waiting 3-4 hours and doing it all over again. Trying to slow it down, I added 1 teaspoon of rice cereal to his bottles, and he is no longer eating like that. Instead he is eating 5 ounce bottles every 2 hours. So far this afternoon/evening he has eaten at 4pm, at 6pm, at 8pm and 10pm. 5 oz bottles each time. Some of them had cereal, some didn't. I dont want to give him to much cereal either. At this rate he is going to be bigger than the house in no time. He is also doing well holding up his head. I will put him on his belly for a bit, and he will raise up on his arms (his forearms like) and raise his head up and look all around. He can do that for 5 or so minutes before his neck muscles get tired.

Here are some pics taken today...

Lightning McQueen

Here is a picture of Johan's Lightning McQueen car. Only to Johan it isn't just a car. It is also his Lightning McQueen skateboard. Can you guess what happens when the boy gets on?

Yup, you got it, he falls down...

He does however, have no fear. I caught him standing on the "skateboard" at the top of the steps getting ready to skate (surf?) down. Thank God I caught him before he did it, because it is to cold to have to take 7 kids to the ER tonight.

Biz's Beat of the Day

Have any of you ever seen Yo Gabba Gabba? It is a semi new tv show that is on Nick Jr. My kids love it. Well on Monday when all the little ones were off from pre-school they were sitting there watching it, and Biz's Beat of The Day came on. (Biz is Biz Markie - from Just a Friend fame) and I heard all of the little ones - Lana, Johan, Isa and Mickey - doing the beat of the day along with Biz. It was so funny, I thought I would share it with you all... (don't you all just feel so lucky)

And Finally, Soldier Boy

Also Mickey came up to me today asking me if she was singing Crank Dat Soldier Boy right. I had no clue what she was even talking about. However I quickly found out. She had heard the song a couple of times while in the room with Jordan, and Mickey, being the musical child that she is, she memorized a good portion of it. So again, I am sharing... (she got shy though seeing me with the camera, so she didn't do nearly as well as she did when she was asking me if she was doing it right, LOL - and yes that is Jordan in the background trying to copy the moves on the video)

Well after all that excitement *insert eye roll here* that is my day, I am off to veg in front of the tv for the next hour until my boy wants to eat again...

la vida no es la misma sin mi amor...

Alacranes Musicales - "Sin Tu Amor"

I finally talked to Lale today. For all of 10 minutes. He just wanted to check in and see how we were doing. Then he had to go and bring in los machos (the male donkeys) from the upper section of land, and it was getting dark. In some ways its easier when I don't talk to him than when we just talk for a few minutes. He promised to call me tomorrow and that we could actually talk. He better, because I need to hear his voice for more than a couple of minutes.

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I had fully intended to write about my husband getting the car from the port, but I am not in the mood too, LOL. I will say though that if you are not a patient person, send someone else otherwise you will be grumpy all day long. And the following day, and possibly for the following week.

I will tell you about the adventure they had on the way home though. When they ship a car, they drain out all of the water/antifreeze from the radiator, and the gas from the gas tank. Well he knew there was no gas because the car wouldn't start. So he filled the tank again and he started for Tocoa. He had his one nephew in the car with him, and he was following Beto, my brother in law who had my father in law in the truck as well. Because the car was packed so tightly full of his crap, they unloaded half of the stuff into Beto's truck. And off they went. After a bit of driving he noticed the car was running hot. Well that was because he hadn't put any water or antifreeze in the radiator. So he pulled over to put some water in, and his brother had pulled over a bit of the ways up. (but he pulled over because they were waiting for Lale to catch up - they didn't know he had pulled over to fill the tank with water) Once it was filled he pulled out in the road again, and without realizing it, he passed his brother.

Well his brother and father were waiting and waiting for Lale to pull out and after a while they got out and went looking for him. They eventually drove all the way back to San Pedro Sula to make sure that Lale got out of the port ok. Meanwhile Lale was on his way to Tocoa, angry because his brother left him. At some point everyone was headed to Tocoa - Beto figured that maybe Lale passed them, and they just never saw him.

Sometime around 11:00PM Beto and my father in law were pulled over by the police in La Ceiba, and detained because they had a truck full of stuff and no proof that it wasn't stolen. Meanwhile Lale is on his merry way to Tocoa. He doesn't have a cell phone, no one knows that he is on his way to Tocoa, they think he is somewhere in San Pedro Sula, and no one has anyway to get in touch with him. About 1:30AM or so he gets to Tocoa, and by that time Beto had already called how to say if/when Lale arrives send him back out to La Ceiba. So back to La Ceiba he goes with the paperwork showing that everything is his. They didn't get back to Tocoa until after 4:30AM. Oh yeah, can we say fun times? LOL.

why you always need your cell phone charger

Its been a while since I have been able to talk to Lale, and I was getting irritated. I talked to him last Friday to tell him about the baby, and to hear the saga of him picking up the car from the port, and all the problems that entailed. (I will be posting about that later this week). We talked for all of 15 minuted, maybe. Then on Tuesday morning he called for a couple of minutes and after that I hadn't talked to him. I asked him on Tuesday if he knew what Thursday was and he said no what was it, and I told him the 8th, and dhe laughed and said that must make Sunday the 11th. I don't know if he really didn't remember or was just kidding. But come Thursday, he didn't call. And I wasn't mad, because I know its hard to get to his moms house some days, and if he is working up on the mountainside he either stays in the house up there, or he gets back and its late. But it got to the point that everytime the phone rang I was getting upset to see that it wasn't him. Just the stupid bill collectors, LOL.

This morning I wanted to call his moms house, but I said no, I'm not gonna call because when he gets a chance to get to his moms he would call me. All day long the phone rang, and it was never him. So I finally bit the bullet and called his moms house tonight to at least see if things were ok and come to find out he was trying to call me this morning. The only problem was that his cell phone battery has died - because he left the charger here when he left, and I haven't had a chance to send it to him - and he doesn't know the phone number here. His neice was telling me the phone number that he had dialed. He was dialing my cells phones area code (which is different than the area code for the house) the first three numbers of his sisters house, and the last four numbers he was dialing was from a phone number that we had A YEAR AGO. I had to laugh. It struck me as funny though his neice told me that Lale had said maybe it will pass Jennifer's mind to call here now. And it did. But I didn't follow through with it. And that made me sad because I missed the chance to talk to him, and it made me laugh because it isn't the first time that although seperated by over a thousand miles, we are on the same wavelength.

I also had a nice talk with my father in law though, and he said that all he hears our of Lale's mouth is Jenny this, and Jenny that, and that makes me feel good. I know he misses me, but sometimes its hard to believe that he is thinking of me, and since he is alone, that he isn't out hanging out with friends and drinking and what not. I don't know why its so hard to believe that since I am here missing him too. I did find out though that he has taken lots of pictures, and a video, so even when he is telling me he isn't going to take pictures or a video for me I know he is doing it just to get my goat. Which he is good at doing. I am hoping he trys to make it back to his moms house tomorrow so that I can talk to him. I miss hearing his voice.

It Came!!!! It Came!!!!!

A couple of posts ago, I blogged that I had won something by leaving a comment on Karen's blog aka The Rocking Pony. I promised that when I got it in the mail I would tell you all, all about it. Well on Wednesday afternoon it came, but I didn't open it until yesterday. Then it took me until today to get a picture of it.

And if you look at the picture above, you will see Mickey modeling the item that came. What is it you ask? It is an Essential Diaper Case. What that means is for those who are only running out real quick, or maybe you have an older child that doesn't need a whole diaper bag full of things you can use the Essential Diaper Case. It is big enough to fit 2 diapers and a travel pack of wipes. I love it. I usually keep the size 5 diapers (for Johan and Jolani) in the pocket that is on the back of the passenger side front seat. Along with a big pack of wipes. But the diapers, when they sit in the pocket, they get all squished down and when you go to put them on, they look like they shrunk about 10 sizes. So this case keeps them nice and neat, and a pack of wipes too. Perfect for when my mom takes Johan and Lana, perfect for Sunday School drop off for them two - I don't have to take two bags, and they dont have to hunt down the main diaper bag with the infants. Even though I have a diaper bag right now, as you can see from the picture, this diaper bag is already in use! It can stay in the car, and if I go somewhere, I can grab it and throw it in the big diaper bag (which once Levi is a couple of months older, the big diaper bag will be gone too - I hate big diaper bags) and off we go. It is nice because I dont have to figure out which diaper belongs to who, since I can just pull out the Essential Diaper Case for the older two.

If you haven't yet checked out The Rocking Pony - the store, please stop by and see what neat things Karen has up for sale!

More in love with each passing day

Happy Anniversary Viejo!

4 years ago today I was in Sava, Colon Honduras and it was my wedding day. Saturday, November 8, 2003 at 1pm I got married for the second, and last time.

I was there with Mickey, who was 9 months, and with Isa - who was not yet born, but I was 8 months pregnant with her, so technically she was still there. Because I was 8 months pregnant, I was only given permission by my doctor to be out of the country for five days. Those were the shortest five days of my life, and it killed me to leave. I told Lale that all he had to do was say the word, and I would stay. I cried the whole flight back to the US. When I got home I cried because of how empty my apartment was without my husband.

It was funny how our wedding was planned - sort of spur of the moment, but not quite. But it was a civil wedding, and while we both agree that we are married, when we are together 10 years (2011) we will be having a church wedding. This is as much for me, so that I get to have a wedding with that white dress, and walk down the aisle, and my family can come if they want, as it is for him to have the proper church wedding. And even though its 4 years away, those 4 years will pass quickly.

In the past six plus years we have been together we have been through alot. There were more than a couple of times that I didn't think we would make it, but by the grace of God, and fighting for our love, we have made it so far. Its been difficult, but I wouldn't change anything.

We met at a place where we both worked and just hit it off. And from there we started to date and from our first date we were pretty much inseparable. Actually from our first date, we were together and not apart until August 17th 2003 when he went back to Honduras for those 10 months. Then once he came back there wasn't a day (well not counting when I was in the hospital giving birth, LOL) that we were apart until he left this time. I have already made it clear that once I get back to Honduras, we will not be doing this again. We will grow old together, sitting on the front porch sharing jello watching the grand kids run and play :) I thank God everyday that he put my husband in my life. I thank God that we were able to deal with some issues - and their were MAJOR issues on both parts, but we have been able to work through it all. With each day that passes I love him more. Yes he gets on my nerves - even 1000+ miles away, but that doesn't change my love for him. I truly believe that he is the one that God has for me. My media naranja as they say in Honduras (my half orange/other half of the orange - don't ask because I don't know).

The pictures below were pictures that were taken at our wedding. This was before digital cameras. Or should I say before I had a digital camera, LOL. I don't know who took these pictures, but they didn't do the best job, but they are the only pictures that I have, and I cherish them anyway.