Brandon's Puppy

EOAS, Week 20

Yup, I had completely forgotten about my "weekly" feature. Had you? This is the second to last batch before I run out of pages to share. I've got plans to scrap regularly after the upcoming birthday party. Are you listening, Claudia and Lilli? Even if it's once a month, we have to have frequent crops. I have a lot of catching up to do!

Brandon tried to hold out until midnight to welcome 2006, but he just couldn't do it. He curled up on Adrian's couch at about 11:30, and didn't wake up at all during out countdown ruckus. If I remember correctly, he stayed asleep until we headed home.
The banner says, "It's hard to make New Year's resolutions when you're already perfectly behaved!"

Easter 2006, our first at the new house. We took advantage of the yard and had an Easter Egg Hunt for the kids. This layout hardly took time to make at all. It's so simple, but the end result was exactly what I wanted.

Future
Major
Leaguer

Brandon is completely fascinated with his uncle, my brother. I guess it's because my brother is such a "child at heart" that he relates to him very well. My little brother treated Brandon to his very first ice cream from the ice cream truck in my grandmother's neighborhood, and they sat on top of my grandfather's truck to enjoy their treat. It's these little moments that I love capturing and will look back on with a huge smile 20 years from now.

Father's Day, 2006. From family of three to family of four.

What are you doing for SuperBowl Sunday?

We have no concrete plans yet, but odds are that the gang will come over to watch the game. Ours is the biggest home, and the kids can hang out in the playroom while the adults watch the game (and by adults I mean the men, us girls will probably scrap between commercials). I know our living room doesn't have an entertainment center, and the TV is only 27 inches, but it's as close to a media room with leather home theater seating as any of us are going to get.

9 Pricks

The boys' doctor appointment went rather well overall. Matthew is now weighing 19 pounds, 6 ounces (7% percentile) and measures 30 inches (50% percentile). Matty can officially drink whole milk now (Yay, no more expensive formula!!), and in a pound or so can transfer to the bigger car seat. As for Brandon, he weighs 37 pounds. Unfortunately, that's just about the same as he weighed last year. The pediatrician is a bit concerned that he hasn't gained any weight. I told her that my husband is very thin, and is in fact underweight, and I wasn't too concerned since it could be hereditary and he does eat rather well (Only kid I know that would pick vegetables over french fries). Besides that, we had a block of about 10 minutes that were absolutely terrible. Matty needed 3 vaccinations, and Brandon needed bloodwork and 5 vaccinations since he starts Kindergarten in a few months. I was not a happy camper about having to console both of them simultaneously, but I'm sure they felt worse than I did. Matty took a while to calm down, and one of the nurses had to carry him while I held Brandon during his turn with the needles. He was very brave, and a promise of a visit to Toys R Us for a little treat cheered him up pretty quickly. I just bathed them both, and Brandon was very excited to get a new band-aid for his arm, Thomas-themed of course! He's excited to show off his new band-aid, tell his friends how brave he was, and about his new treat (a pull-back Thomas with Easter eggs in his freight car) tomorrow. I, on the other hand, am so glad it's over, and that I don't have to go through that again until Brandon hits middle school.

Busy

My apologies for the silence. I'm leaving at 2 to go pick up the boys and take them to their well-check visits. As a result, I actually had to work today...had a few tasks to tend to, as well as get a few things ready for our courier to drop off at another office. I'll be back later tonight. Have a good afternoon, all.

1!!!!!

A year ago today, at this exact time, I was getting dressed to head to the hospital. The last 12 months seem like a blur. I know I've said this before, but I really can't believe how fast the time has gone by. And today my baby is no longer an infant, he is now a toddler, doing all sorts of things.

Happy 1st birthday, my gordo rico! Thank you for completing our family, and bringing even more happiness into our lives.

Close Call

I understand how convenient automated payments are, but they tend to cause me distress instead of convenience. Every month I forget to write down the two recurring payments we have in our banking register, and every month I’m caught off guard when those two transactions hit my account. Thank goodness hubby’s most recent paycheck was deposited on the same day. Otherwise, we would have needed a cash advance to cover this week’s expenses. Now I just have to figure out a way to remember to write them down next month!

Monday-UPDATED, Again

The cold front had us waking up to 51 degrees this morning. It is now 68 degrees and lovely outside. It's supposed to be more of the same tomorrow. I don't mind it so much, but I'd much rather be able to stay home, under the covers and do nothing all day.

Funny little thing we discovered yesterday: The woman we bought our house from almost two years ago was my principal in 7th grade.

Led Zeppelin may go on tour after all. We're keeping our fingers crossed.

Speaking of tours, there were rumors of a New Kids on the Block reunion over the weekend. Not sure how accurate these reports are, but I'll definitely attend this too if it happens.

Hubby is really excited about casting his first vote ever in the primaries tomorrow. We'll both get a chance to vote before heading off to work in the morning. Our designated polling place is the clubhouse for our community, which is next to Brandon's school. I hope you all take the time to vote too.

Update: wRitErsbLock just reminded me that today is the 22nd anniversary of the Challenger explosion.

Update 2: And my uncle reminds us that today is also the birthday of Cuban poet and hero Jose Martí.

Juggling

This week, besides the standard "drop-off-Matty,go-to-work, rush-home-to-pick-up-the-boys, help-Brandon-with-homework, make-dinner, bathe-and-feed-the-boys, try-to-keep-the-house-somewhat-presentable, go-to-bed, do-it-all-over-again", I've got to finalize some of the party preparations, and the boys have their well-check appointments later on in the week. Some days I wonder if letting a couple of things slide through the cracks throughout the week in order to keep my sanity makes me any less of a good mother/wife/employee. Then I read about sites like Work It, Mom, that are filled with moms having the same issues, Click here to see what I'm talking about. I guess I really shouldn't worry, I seem to be doing alright with this wife/mother/employee act, and I haven't dropped a ball yet! I'm quite satisfied knowing I'm part of the norm, not the exception. So click here if you need some reassurance too.

Weekend Recap

Once again it was a non-stop weekend in our house. On Saturday morning we had a tech come check the dryer to see if it could be fixed. Unfortunately, it can't. Well, it can, but it would not be worth it when we could get a new one for the same price. So now we're saving up for a new dryer. Afterwards I called my Godmother and she and my uncle met me and the kids for lunch at the mall. While there, she went just a little crazy getting them their birthday presents. She got each of the boys this sweater, this fleece hoodie for Matty (in solid mustard, not camo print), this bodysuit in red for Matty, a blue and red striped polo for Matty, jean overalls for Matty, and two pairs of jeans for Brandon. All of that for under $55! Oh, and we these fleece footy pj's for Matty at JcPenney for $2.50. I love it when I come across these kinds of awesome deals! It was a very productive shopping day, with the added bonus that I won't be the one paying the bill next month.
After getting home I rushed to make dinner since Adrian, Lilli and the baby were coming by. We all ate and Lilli and I did some scrapping while the men watched the boys (or was that the boys watched the men?!). I only completed one page, and got halfway through a second one, but I'm quite pleased with the results. We went straight to bed after they left, and woke up around 8 this morning when Matty started crying. That worked out since we needed to get up early anyway, the boys had an appointment at the studio for their birthday portraits. We have great shots of each little guy, but we couldn't get a decent shot of the two of them together. Ah well, next time. The place we went to does not provide online access, so you'll just have to trust me on the greatness of the shots, at least until I pick them up in the two weeks and can scan them. Then you can judge for yourself (though I know you'll agree with me). The appointment was followed by a visit to my mom's, where hubby and my brother climbed into the attic and cleaned it out for her while I did our laundry. We got home about an hour ago, and both boys are already asleep. I'm just about ready to join them in dreamland too, save for a couple of things I need to prepare for tomorrow (another work week...ugh!).
What did you do this weekend?

It sounded better on paper!

I didn’t mention this earlier so as to not jinx it, but hubby had a job interview with the public school bus system this past Tuesday. I think I’ve mentioned before that he has been studying to get his commercial driver’s license. Well, he was hoping to be able to train and get his commercial driver’s license through them. If he liked the job, then he’d stay, but if not, then he’d have gotten the license out of it and could apply somewhere else later on. The interview went well and he was offered the job, but there are several hoops and hurdles to go through just to get a position with benefits, and they do not provide on the job training. Instead, he would be sent to a class for 3 hours a day for two weeks where they would basically provide study time for the CDL. They would not provide actual training with vehicles, or administer the test. Oh, and the two weeks are not paid, yet he’d already be employed by them. In other words, he wouldn’t be getting paid for studying he can do at home. We really can’t afford that, and this along with a few of other reasons led him to not accept the job.
For now I told him he should just continue studying on his own. His only real study-time is on the weekends, since he lacks the mindset for studying after his 12-hour shift on weekdays. He’s been at this for a while, and I mentioned to him that there are a few sites online that might facilitate the process. We’re going to look into www.idrivetrucks.com. From what I’ve seen on their site, they provide learning materials in various forms, (reading, videos, audio commentaries, and interactive quizzes) which should prove helpful and he can finally take the test. I know he’s as eager to get this out of the way as I was to finally finish my degree, and once this is done, it’s one more step towards our financial stability.

TGIF!!

I haven't been very productive at work today. wRitErsbLock and I have been playing scrabble all day (And I won....YAY!), and I've been shooting the breeze with various coworkers throughout the day. Not to say I haven't done anything at all, I just have not been as efficient as I should. And you know what? I don't feel bad about it at all. It's Friday...who really works on a Friday anyway?! ;-)

Duh.

Men finally figured this out, and we women have known it all along. That alone proves it to be true. Heh.

More Matty News

Oh yeah, I almost forgot: We purchased Matty's big boy car seat last night. We're waiting for his weigh-in at his well-check visit next week to install it, but it's fabulous! I saw it on sale at Target (where else?!) and I told hubby we had to go get it before the sale ended on Saturday. Check it out. Isn't it great?! And it's a booster seat later, when he's outgrown the 5-point harness. And no, this isn't a paid post. I just love Eddie Bauer baby gear, especially the car seats. In fact, we still have Brandon's, it's in hubby's car.

Matty News

It's time for a Matty update. Every day that passes he surprises us with something new. Here are some of the latest achievements:

Tooth #6 sprouted on Monday (I think). He didn't fuss too much so we aren't absolutely sure it was Monday, but concluded that it was because I had checked him out on Sunday and it wasn't there, and the sitter mentioned the tooth peeking out on Wednesday.

He's walking everywhere, practically running in fact, and hardly lifts his arms up for balance. He can also balance himself enough to bend down and pick up things without holding onto or leaning on anything.

He's trying to talk. Beside Mama and Daddy, which he says often, he's tried to say ball ("ba") and Brandon ("enen", or "dende"). He also says "Ya!" and Aleida, which is the babysitter's name. He puts his head down as if he's hiding when asked "where's the baby?" He waves during the "El Pollito Asadito" song, and puts his hands up when you tell him "para arriba". His Titi taught him that. :-)

And he's learned to point at things he wants. Just the other day he was pointing at a bag of chips at my friend's house, and grunting for some. And yesterday when I picked him up he was talking a stroll with the sitter along the sidewalk and pointed to a car and a flock of birds flying overhead.

All of this before turning 1...is it any wonder why I have my hands full?!

Brandonism - You're-too-young-for-this!! Edition

Brandon: "Mommy, Nicole looks so pretty the other day."
(possibly referring to the day of Matty's baptism)

Me: "She did, but did she look pretty just the other day?"

Brandon: "No, mommy, she's pretty every day."
He paused for a couple of seconds.
"But she's even prettier with her hair down."

!!!

When breathing is no longer involuntary

My best friend’s father recently came home with some bad news. He had already been diagnosed with emphysema, but apparently, it was getting much worse, faster than they thought. Recently, he found himself unable to go into stores and offices because of the smell of the perfume that the women were wearing. He was becoming increasingly sensitive to smells and her mother can’t even wear lotions anymore. They were getting very frustrated because it was really causing him to become reclusive, even in their own home. Her mom was told by the doctors that an inogen one portable oxygen concentrator would really help her father get back to a better quality of life. It was a bit out of her budget, but my friend helped her mom by getting the doctors to speak to the insurance and use medical records to show it was a necessity, and though he can’t run around and do the funky chicken, and at the very least feel comfortable in his own home again.

Tragic

Heath Ledger was found unconscious yesterday in his NYC apartment. Paramedics couldn't revive him and he was pronounced dead at the scene. This has me disheartened. He was one of my favorite actors. I found this post at Celebrity Baby Blog which contains a few quotes (one quite eerie) from Heath, as well as pictures wth his daughter. And here are some kinds words about him from Sheila.

Be warned: This post may not be coherent

It should come as no surprise that I have allergies. I sneezed a couple of times in the car on the way to work (humidity and change of weather at fault), but of course things got worse when I walked into the office. I took one of my favorite little pink pills about two hours ago. I'm slightly drowsy, but at least I stopped sneezing.

I was up until 12:30 last night, but for a good reason: I was (FINALLY!!) able to sit down and scrap. I did three pages in two hours, mostly because my stuff is not currently organized. I plan on sitting down tonight to make a few more, now that I'm on a roll.

Did you go visit my uncle to wish him a Happy Birthday yet??? What are you waiting for? Go. Now.

Speaking of birthdays, Matty turns one next Wednesday. Can somebody please tell me where the heck the time went?!

Happy Birthday!!

It's my uncle's birthday today. Go over there and wish him a happy one, will ya?!

Pictures!

Still recovering from the festivities this weekend. The Baptism was wonderful, and Matty behaved perfectly. I'll give more details tomorrow, but in the meantime, check out my flickr account for pictures from yesterday and Brandon's birthday last week.

Product Sample

Last week I received a 16-ounce water bottle and filter in the mail. I was asked to use the water bottle and give you all an honest review, so here goes:
This is a pretty unique water bottle. While it looks like a standard water bottle, it actually comes with a filter inside which attaches to the drinking spout. According to the company’s website, the water bottle filter is designed to remove chlorine, bad tastes, bad odors, lead, mercury and other heavy metals from ordinary tap water. The filter can be used for up to 80 gallons of water, roughly 2 to 3 months. I used the bottle several times this week. I would fill the bottle with tap water before going to bed, and left the bottle in the refrigerator overnight to cool (I don’t like to drink water at room temperature). I’d then take the water bottle to work, bring it back home, and repeat the process all over again. Since I only used the bottle for a one-week span, I can neither agree nor disagree with the statement regarding the filter working for up to 80 gallons; however, I can tell you that the filter did remove chlorine and bad taste successfully from the tap water I sampled. The one thing I didn't like is that the way the filter is designed to attach to the spout limits the flow of water through the spout. I had to squeeze the bottle with more pressure than I would other bottles, and the flow of water released is noticably less than with other water bottles. That’s the only real con though. The pros are it’s easy to clean, includes a cap for the spout, and both the water bottle and filter are made of lightweight plastic. You really can’t tell the difference carrying this bottle or a standard water bottle. It's also fairly inexpensive. The bottle I received retails for $12.95. That's really a money saver since you are able to drink from the tap, as opposed to buying pre-filled water bottles. Overall it’s a good product. I would recommend it to any who have reservations about drinking unfiltered tap water, or who'd like an alternative to buying pre-filled water bottles.

Last Minute Craziness

Sorry guys, haven't had any time to post today. My plans went south last night when my dryer broke. Something seems to have burnt out (which we've concluded from the lovely aroma of burnt dryer in the laundry room), but luckily we noticed in time and stopped the dryer and pulled the plug out of the wall. Hubby had to go to our friend's house to dry the two loads I had washed while I stayed home with the boys and tried to get some more stuff done around the house. I didn't get to vacuum or clean the bathrooms. In fact, I've yet to vacuum or clean the bathrooms. I spent the day running last-minute errands and got home around 5pm. Hubby got home not too long ago from picking up chairs and tables from my dad's house, and he's now going to watch the kids so I can do what needs to get done. I'll be back later, I have a paid post due today, but I probably won't be around tomorrow. Have a great weekend, y'all!!

Preventive Measures

I keep forgetting that I need to back up our computer. We haven’t backed up any documents, except a handful on a thumbdrive, since 2005 (I’ll wait for the collective gasp). I know, I know, what am I thinking?! I shouldn’t be so careless. It’s been on my mental to-do list for months, and I just haven’t gotten around to it. My fear is losing all the pictures of the boys. We have very few prints since all we take is digital pictures. I know I have the option to contact a data recovery company if the situation arises, but really, I can avoid that completely by just backing up. Let’s see how much longer it takes me to finally get around to it...

Party Prepping Update

Though you can't tell by looking around my house, I have been quite successful in gettting our home ready for the festivities this Sunday. On Wednesday I folded two loads of laundry, hung a large pile of already-folded laundry in our closet, and de-cluttered the living room. Last night after I picked up the boys we did some grocery shopping. We got home and I put the groceries away while hubby picked up the garbage around the house for pick-up this morning. He bathed Brandon and fed Matty as I started dinner, and while dinner was cooking I helped Brandon with his homework while unloading and reloading the dishwasher. I also organized, labeled and stored all of the baby clothes Matty has outgrown as well as the 2T and 3T clothes Brandon has outgrown. They are now stored in the attic, rather than in pile in their closet. Today's tasks include cleaning both bathrooms and vacuuming all carpeted areas so that all I'll have to do on Saturday is mop the floors.
I know you're hanging on the edge of your seat reading this post, all this talk about cleaning and organizing is so enthralling!

Money doesn't buy happiness, but it does make the bills go away!

I know our financial situation has been an on-going topic around here. While things have been slowly falling into place, hubby and I both feel that if we're able to re-finance soon, then things will get better for us a lot quicker. There are a lot of Florida mortgage companies sending us ads in the mail, and it's been tempting to apply, but we need to wait for the real estate market to improve for it to be worth our while. I'm just hoping it's sooner than later.

Back in Business

PayPerPost is back to normal, and I was able to snag a couple of opps. I'm sorry if it seems that it's been nothing but blogging for money around here. I'm trying to get make it interesting, and as I've said before, paid posting forces me to blog more in a general sense.

Say it with flowers

One of nature’s greatest gifts is flowers, they convey feelings just as well as words do. Daisies and sunflowers are uplifting and cheerful, and roses and lilies are elegant and romantic. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, the Earth laughs in flowers. With February just around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about Valentines gift ideas. I know which bouquet I would love to get. Do you?

Frustrating!!!

PayPerPost has been slow all week, but nothing like what I've experienced yesterday afternoon and this morning. Yesterday I almost couldn't submit the blog entry below about the cute onesies because I kept getting a proxy server error. Today it won't even let me log in. When I do manage to log in, I get the same errors from yesterday. There are a bunch of opps today too, probably because all other posties are having the same problem. Hopefully I'll get lucky and get to make a few bucks before the end of the day. I was so excited about this paid posting stuff when the money was rolling in, but with the page rank issues, and now this...I just don't know anymore. Yes, any little bit extra I can make helps, but not when I'm wasting valuable writing time just trying to log in.

'Cause I'm a sucker for cute kid stuff!

There are people who think babies should only be dressed in light pink and light blue hues, with bunnies and puppies decorating the clothing. I am not one of those people. Don't get me wrong, Brandon and Matthew both had (and have) lots of cute baby clothes that make you say “Aww, how cute”, but they’ve also both been the proud wearers of cool baby clothes. I think these items are just as cute as “traditional” baby wear, and more unique. Who doesn’t grin when they see a little girl with this cute surfer girl logo on her onesie, or a little boy showing his love for his momma?! And the items featured on Crazy Baby Clothing are a bargain at $12.99 each. That's way cheaper than similar items I've seen at the mall.

I had a feeling this was going to happen...

Bad news about the bunks: I called the customer service number in the instruction manual. They no longer have the hardware, much less the guardrails. I can get the hardware I need at Home Depot, but my only option for guardrails is to see if the universal ones sold by Pottery Barn Kids will fit properly. If not, the boys won't be in bunks, instead the beds will be separated. Their room won't be crowded, we can put the other twin bed where the crib is now, but it alters our plans significantly. And of course, we have a ladder that won't be used. Good thing it only cost $4.30. Yup, I guess it's all better when I remind myself how little we paid for the bunk beds.

Too much to do, too little time

I was hoping to start getting the house in order for the Baptism this weekend, but that was not to be. I got yet another allergy attack at work, and by the time I got home I could not stop sneezing. Fortunately hubby came home from work early and was able to tend to the boys while I laid on the couch, doped up on Benadryl. I know I should go to an allergist, but I'm waiting a couple of months until my next PCP appointment so that he can refer me to a good one. I am not being facetious when I say I am allergic to work. It's our office environment that has issue, and it's affecting me and a few other employees on our floor. The good news is our employer's health and safety office has come by and made recommendations. The bad news is that the building is managed and owned by a different entity and they are being highly uncooperative. We'll see how it pans out.
In the meantime, I have to be doubly productive tonight in order to stay on schedule.

Big Break?

The internet is so vast, and there are so many cool things to do and see online that many haven’t even heard of. Take YawpBox, for example. Users create personal profiles where they can catalog pictures and audio and video clips, and share experiences with other users. Other members can view your submissions and rate them, from cool to ridiculous. I’m a sucker for anything romantic and baby-related and that’s I looked through for now, but there are all sorts of categories to browse through.
YawpBox is currently promoting the Lex & Terry Challenge, where the hosts of YawpBoxTV are asking members to upload videos with specific content to be used in a weekly 30-minute show. Basically, users can try their hand at 15 minutes of fame and end up on TV. I think this is great for those that want to get out in the public eye, be they musicians or performance artists, and can’t afford the “traditional” methods of hiring someone to market them. I am too shy for this kind of thing. I get embarrassed when I see or hear myself in our personal home videos. But I know that there are people out there that are total hams, and love being on camera, and this seems like a great way to self-publicize.

Random Thoughts

I really miss watching new episodes of my favorite shows. I was eagerly awaiting 9pm last night to watch Desperate Housewives, and five minutes till I realized that it wasn't airing. I hope the strike ends soon!

Brandon will start getting homework today. He gets four pages of homework, one for each day, to be turned in on Friday. I'm excited and dreading this at the same time.

A year ago today we were at my baby shower, chowing down on some excellent grub, and receiving lovely gifts. Now, a year later, I've got a walking almost-toddler that has outgrown most of those gifts. =/

I made stir fry for dinner last night, coached by my friend Adrian. He was supposed to be doing the cooking, but he was cutting the strips of meat and with one of those cuts got his finger instead. He's fine now, but I had to take over. It didn't turn out half bad, I must say.

The trainwreck that is Ms. Spears is scheduled to go to a hearing today. I'm anxious to see if she does indeed show up, or lose her kids indefinitely. As a mother, I could never let things get to the point where she's at now. Then again, I have most of my screws on tight. I hope she snaps out of this craziness soon, for her kids' sake...

That's all for now. More later.

A Healthy 2008

This year, I finally decided to enroll in a flexible spending account. I suspect it will come in handy. Paying for prescriptions with the FSA instead of our "own" money will be a nice change. Hubby has been in need of some dental work for some time now, we just didn't want to spend the money, but now we can. And hubby also needs to check his vision and get a new pair of glasses. He lost his over a year ago (while I was pregnant!) and hasn't had time or money to go to the optometrist again. We'll save even more money with my new, great discovry: $ 8 Prescription Glasses From Zenni Optical. Hubby isn't high maintenance at all, and doesn't really care if his eyewear is designer brand or not. His only requirements: comfortable and durable. And, since we can get his frames for such a low price, we can more of the FSA money for my health goal: lasik surgery before the end of the year!

Brandon's birthday wasn't the only thing to celebrate last week.

This blog is now 4 years old. For those who don't know, Brandon received this blog as a 1st birthday gift from his Uncle Val and Titi Maggie. Its main intent was to document Brandon's milestones and other memorable events. But the blog has evolved, and big changes came this past year. Brandon now shares the spotlight with his little brother Matty. Earlier last year there we some changes made, with a new layout and some technical upgrades. And, of course, we're making a little profit for our household as well with some paid posts. I'm not the best writer, but my favorite two subjects make it quite easy. I feel that as the years have passed, I've gotten better at this blogging thing, becoming more creative and consistent in my writing. I'd like to thank you (all ten of you) for visiting and hope you'll continue to do so for as long as this blog is around.
Happy Blogiversary to Us!!! =)

Baptism Busy-ness

The Baptism is in a week, and I’ve got so much to do. I’m going to clean the house a bit each day after work so that it’s done by the time the weekend rolls around. I also need to go grocery shopping and figure out what I’m going to wear (and go buy it if I have nothing in my closet). I have to order the food and cake, pick up the Baptismal gown I'm borrowing from my sister and make sure it fits Matty, make whatever favors we decide to make, and of course the usual work and parenting responsibilities.I’m really hoping those espresso machines at work are functioning this week….I’m going to need my caffeine fixes to keep me going for the next seven days!

Brandonism

Me: Brandon, what else did you get for your birthday? Tell Tia Lilli.

Brandon: Hookers!!

The Bed Building... UPDATED!!

...is complete! Well, as complete as it can be without adding the top bunk. We re-arranged the room (moved the crib and changing table) and dressed the bed in new linens and a quilt set I found at Target (where else?!).
We also added a hookrail next to the bedroom door, so Brandon has a place for his school things. I think it's lovely! What do you think?

(Yes, I know, we still need window treatments. I haven't found something I like yet...)

We're on our way to pick up the boys now. I can't wait to see Brandon's reaction to his "new" room!! =D

UPDATE (5:30pm):
He loved it!

They both did. ;-)

Money Mission

I know I think out loud a lot about our monetary issues on this blog. I strongly believe that when it comes to goals, writing them down helps in reaching them. So I want to say, here and now, that I am putting my MasterCard away by mid-February (after the boys’ party, I know I’m going to use it for a few party essentials). I don’t want to rely on plastic anymore. If we don’t have the money for something, we don’t get it. I am serious this year about sticking to a financial plan. Once the debt decreases, we can enroll the boys in our state’s pre-paid college program. If they grow up to be geniuses and get scholarships, GREAT! But if they aren't, I don’t want them to have to rely on TuitionWise student loans, or any other kind of loan, to get an education.

Special Delivery

I got a filter water bottle in the mail a couple of days ago. It's for a review for one of the companies I do paid posting for. It's fun to do these, since I get to try something fun and new. In this case, it will also force me to drink water during the day. It's a win-win all around!

Bunks

The good news: The boys are staying at my dad's tonight so hubby and I can build the bunk beds.

The bad news: One of the boxes is missing the hardware, and I called the number on the instruction manual and they are open Monday through Friday.

This doesn't work out so bad, because we can build the bottom bunk and add the top bunk later. We need to see if they also have the guardrails, since they were no longer in stock when we bought the bunks. This forces him to sleep on the bottom for a while (and get used to a Big Boy Bed), and he'll still be happy because he'll be in his new bed.

5

Five years ago today, we were bouncing off the walls, waiting for you to arrive. We ran through so many emotions as you decided to make your grand entrance: excitement, nervousness, happiness, anxiety. It's been an amazing experience showing you what we know about this thing called life. There are not enough words to describe the joy we feel when we look at you and see the funny, smart, loving, independent, beautiful boy you are becoming. Funny thing is, we still don't know what we're doing. All we know is that it's been 260 weeks since we welcomed you into this world. 1827 days that you've been brightening our lives. 43,824 hours of watching you questioning and wondering about everything, and soaking it all in. 2,629,440 minutes of laughter, and a few tears here and there. 157,766,400+ seconds of loving you. It's been a fun, crazy, frantic roller coaster ride, and we wouldn't have it any other way.

Happy 5th Birthday, Brandon!

Love,

Mommy and Daddy (and Matty too!)

A New Milestone-UPDATED Now with pictures!!

We have plans to take the boys for haircuts today. This means Matty's getting his very first haircut! We're only planning on giving him a slight trim, I don't want to get rid of the cute little curls in the back of his head. Pictures to follow...

UPDATE:

Here are some before, during and after shots. More on flickr.

Feeling a bit productive...

I finally mailed out the Baptism invitations this morning. I was pleasantly surprised yesterday afternoon when I went to Office Max to buy the labels and paid $12.08 instead of $20.32, thanks to a corporate discount card I remembered I had. And for once, I didn't mess up when aligning the labels and inserting the pages in the printer, and got them right on the first try. Also made and had dinner, loaded the dishwasher, and prepared leftovers for today's lunch. Today's to-do list is much longer:

Take boys for haircut
Clean bathroom(s)
Sweep/mop floor
store Christmas tree in attic
Go to the grocery store
Put away laundry

Let's see how much of it actually gets done. I won't fret about it to much though. Since I'm leaving work early tomorrow, I can take care of any pending items after I pick up Brandon from school.

Work Rant, version 1.0, 2008 edition

Have I mentioned before how much it irks me when people insult your intelligence, particularly in the work environment? I think I have...well, here we go again. I do not appreciate it when you try to get me in trouble by claiming that we are invoicing you for service over a year old, when in fact the invoice is dated Sept 7th, and we billed you for it on Sept. 28th. I also do not appreciate you stating that you previously sent payment, and as I'm reading your email, your courier shows up at my office with said payment. Once again, do not insult my intelligence. I know how to fight back, and it's not gonna be pretty!

/rant

I'd like a caffeine IV, please!

After my crazy day yesterday I am in need of a strong cafecito to get going today. Unfortunately, the two espresso machines in the cafeteria downstairs are broken, so there’s no cafecito to be had. I’m not happy about it, but I’m sure the manager downstairs is unhappier. They have all sorts of goodies down there, but from what I’ve observed, there are constant orders for expressos, Café con leches and cafecitos. It may not seem like much, but I’m sure the machines being out of order puts a dent in their revenues for the month.
I guess I’m getting a Coke instead, but there’s just something weird about having a Coke in the morning.

Life Happens

Sorry for the silence yesterday. I got to work and the A/C was turned off because they were working on something in the main unit, and we turned on several portable fans around the office. Bad. Idea. Not even 15 minutes had passed before I began sneezing and got an allergy attack. I took two Benadryl with lunch and toughed it out (couldn't leave early because I'm taking half a day on Friday), but I didn't feel like doing anything. This reminds me that I really should buy stock with Pfizer/J&J. Between my baby products and Benadryl purchases, I seem to be keeping them in business. ;-)
I felt much better by the time I left work at 4:30. I picked up the boys and headed to my grandparents' house for a final visit with my aunt and uncle before they headed back to NJ. Then we stopped by my dad's, which is two minutes away, where I fed Matty and bathed the boys. That was great foresight on my part because they were asleep within the firt 15 minutes of our drive home. I thought, "Great, I can go to sleep early!" (10pm) until I realized that I had to finish the last of the Baptism invitations so that I can get them in the mail today. I ended up going to sleep at midnight.
Yeah, so blogging had to be put on the back-burner for the day yesterday. But I should be able to do a couple of entries today, even do a paid post or two.

Brandonisms

While having an after-dinner yogurt:

"Mommy, saliva and lava have the same last name!"

My memory fails me, yet again...

I don't recall mentioning that the post-Baptism party/toast/whatever will be held here, at our home. I don't mind hosting, it's much cheaper than renting a hall or going to a restaurant, but I've got so much to do I don't think I'll have time to get this place in shape before January 20th. Besides the usual cleaning and tidying up, I'd like to clear a couple of clutter corners I have around the house, and I'd like to dispose of some garbage we have in the backyard. Said garbage includes a few large bags with lawn clippings and one of two wooden closet doors we removed from the boys' room when we moved in (!!!). I think the easiest way to get all the trash out of here is to haul it to the local dump in a pick-up truck with a truck rack since the door is too long to lay flat on a pick-up bed. That means we can only take care of it on the weekend, and there's one more weekend until the Baptism. Not a problem, except I keep forgetting to ask my grandfather to come by with his work truck! =/

Kiddie Curiosities

I forgot to mention the small scare we had on Saturday night while at my dad's house. My sister was playing around with Brandon. She squeezed his nose and noticed his left nostril was hard, and he says, "I have beads in my nose". It seems that while at school on Friday, he was participating in an activity that encourages fine motor skills, got bored, and stuck two of the beads he was given up his nose! We knew the best thing to do was remain calm, this is pretty common in young children, but we couldn't help it and a freak-out session ensued. I called his pediatrician and was advised to try and remove them with tweezers, but I feared pushing them up further and causing him to swallow them (or worse, getting them lodged in his nasal passage, which could lead to all sorts of infections and other things), so I used my fingernail to get them out. Nasty, I know, but it worked.
Have your kids ever put anything in their nose or ears? How did you handle it?

Tick...tock....tick....tock....

I just looked at the clock and can't believe it's only 2 o'clock. Is it me, or is the day going by wayyy too slow??

It's good to have goals...

I was telling hubby over the weekend how, no matter how badly we may want to get away for a few days, we have to resist the urge to travel this year, even if it means no New York and (GASP!) no Disney. It’s what we’ve got to do if we want to meet our financial goals, which include paying down our credit cards, creating a healthy savings account, and even possibly purchasing life insurance policies. We may start out with term life insurance just because it has a lower premium, and later upgrade to a permanent policy. Either way, we have to be as debt-free as possible before we proceed with any other financial endeavor.

Weekend Update

Sorry for the lack of posting this weekend. I haven't stopped. The circus was fun on Friday night, but we ended up leaving about 3/4 of the way through. Matty had fallen asleep, Brandon was curled up on his daddy's lap, and Eric's eyes were closed every time I glanced over at him. It was just too much for one day. We were home by 10, and in bed by 10:30.
Yesterday while hubby was at work I went to buy supplies with my little sister so we could make the baptism invitations. Afterwards I went to the toy store to return a few items, and in the evening we went to dinner at my dad's house and didn't get home till about 11pm.
Today was non-stop as well. I had so much to do but I woke up with allergies. I took two Benadryl and a two-hour nap after hubby made us breakfast, But in spite of a late start, I did all the laundry, and took down all the holiday decorations and put most of them away. My sister came over around 3:30 and we worked on the invitations, and finished most of them. Oh, and we've been keeping an eye on this guy:

So, yeah, we've been busy. How was your weekend?

The Greatest Show on Earth

We're off to the circus! We're headed over early because they have a Meet N Greet event prior t the show, and Brandon just might be lucky enough to meet some of the stars of the show. More later, or tomorrow. Have a great night!

Speaking of birthdays...

I left work early to make it to the park before picking up the baby, but that was in vain because I got stuck in traffic due to some accident in the neighborhood between my job and the entrance to the expressway. I made up the time with the lack of traffic, but was disheartened when I arrived at the park and saw a signn that said, "For shelter reservations, call ***-***-****. 9am-4pm." But luck was on my side because I called and I could see the park employees inside the office. Turns out the sign needs to be updated, they are open till 6, just as I was told over the phone.
All this to say, the park has been reserved, and party planning is under way! =)

Big boy!

Brandon turns 5 in a week, and we've got a great surprise for him: Next weekend he'll be spending the weekend at my dad and stepmom's house (Note to self: ask dad and stepmom about sleepover). While he's over there, we're going to build the bunkbeds! He's going to be thrilled when he sees it. I haven't quite figured out what we're going to do about mattresses. I know which ones I want to get, and they are rather inexpensive, but monetarily speaking we're not ready for that purchase yet. We may end up purchasing just one for now. Matty won't need his just yet anyway...either way, I can't wait to see Brandon's face when he walks into his room and his big boy bed is waiting for him! =)

A Futre Rock Star is Born!!

My friend Michael (aka the bassist for Rhett y Los Borrachos Empeñados) and his wife Mimi welcomed their baby boy into the world on New Year's Eve morning. Dylan Jay was born at 10:20am, weighing 8 lbs, 14 ounces and measuring 20 inches long. He's a cutie ain't he?! And if he's got daddy's talent and his and mommy's love of music, he's gonna be a rock god! Please join me in welcoming the new addition to their family! =)

The Gentle Giant

My grandfather has been a welder all his life. He’s shown me that welding is not just a job, it’s an art. He can make just about anything, with experience ranging from arcwelding to plasma cutting. He can bend steel with his bare hands. His hands are coarse and calloused, bearing the scars of this life-long vocation. In spite of his rough touch, he is a gentle giant when it comes to my boys. He's ever so careful when he holds them, especially the baby. He's always wary about holding them, "pero mis manos son muy duras!" (my hands are so rough), but it's the sweetest scene to see him tenderly holding their hands or carrying them in his big arms or playing with them. These are the things I'll carry with me twenty years from now, when he is no longer with us, and my children are no longer children.

Brrrr!!

It was 35 degrees when we left the house this morning. Unfortunately, we were not as lucky as wRitErsbLock, there was no frost or ice to speak of when we walked outside. I would have loved to see Brandon's reaction at either of those. He told us last week that it wasn't Christmas because there was no snow.

Bundle up everyone!!

According to weather.com, Miami is under a wind chill warning, red flag warning, and frost warning for tonight/tomorrow morning.

MINIMUM TEMPERATURES ON THURSDAY MORNING ARE EXPECTED TO RANGE FROM THE MID 20S TO THE LOWER 30S ACROSS THE WARNING AREA...WITH NORTHWEST WINDS IN THE 10 TO 15 MPH RANGE CONTINUING THROUGH THE NIGHT. THIS COMBINATION OF TEMPERATURE AND WIND WILL CREATE DANGEROUS WIND CHILL READINGS BETWEEN 15 AND 25 DEGREES FOR MUCH OF THE NIGHT.

What does this mean, exactly?! It's going to be F&*%ING cold!!

Damage Control

I’ve been fancying a new digital camera for a while now. Nothing is actually wrong with our current one, but I’ve destroyed the LCD on the thing. I tend to throw the camera in my purse, where the varied items contained within scratch the LCD screen. I took it in to BB not too long ago, and for what it costs to get the LCD fixed I could get a new camera.
It’s my fault, of course. I should have kept that clear film thing that came from factory on it for as long as possible, and I should carry the camera in its case. But it’s just so bulky, and I fear leaving it somewhere, with the camera in it. I wish I’d known about invisibleSHIELD sooner. It’s too late for my camera, but if I get an ipod (which has been on my “Things I’d like to buy” list for some time now), I’m definitely investing in an ipod case before it faces the same fate as my camera.

It's Crunch Time!

This month is going to be genuinely chaotic for me. Brandon's birthday is in 9 days, Matty's baptism is in 18 days, and Matthew's birthday is in 28 days. I had to postpone the birthday party from January 27th to February 10th because that was the day the park we want is available, so that's at least one thing I have time to plan properly for. This post serves as a warning for many party-planning rants coming up in the near future. ;-)

Moving On Up!

After being out of the office for five days, I’m back at work and it seems like I sure missed a lot. One person resigned, effective immediately, and another two are leaving by month’s end. They are moving out of the area, and have been talking all morning about all the things they needs to do, from packing to closing on their new homes to hiring moving companies. I told them I’d help in whatever way I could. I’ve never hired moving companies before so I directed them to homebulletin.net for quotes and moving tips. I even offered my assistance with packing duties. Because, you know, I’m not busy enough this month. ;-)

First post of 2008

...and I'm sorry it's not very exciting. Hubby let me sleep in till about 11:30am, which was very nice. We had a late breakfast around 1pm, and spent the rest of the day lounging around. I was slightly productive, folding four loads of laundry and working on the invitations for Matty's baptism in three weeks. I really don't want to go to work tomorrow. Fortunately, it's a short week, and I'm leaving work early on Friday because we're going to the circus.
I just uploaded the pictures from last night onto Flickr. I've noticed that hubby and/or I haven't been in many pictures lately, it's all about the kids. We didn't even take a picture of the four of us on Christmas. I guess that's just the way it is...
That's it. I'm rambling and I should take advantage that it's still relatively early and the kids are already in bed and go to sleep. Good night!