Brandon's Puppy

So close, yet so far.

Remember that home improvement project we've been anxious to get to? No, it's not fence installation, we already have a fence. I'm talking about the siding on our house. We finally got a decent quote last month and we were going to call the guy this week to start the job, but I just did the bills and gave myself some bad news. I had to tap into the siding money in order to pay everything we had to pay which means it will have to wait another month or two. In the meantime, I ask you all to think happy thoughts to ward off the HOA meanies.

Generation ñ reborn

It's a great feeling to see a fellow Cubano succeed, especially if that person played a small yet pivotal role in your life. It seemed like just yesterday (though it's been about 10 years) I'd wait impatiently every month for my Generation ñ magazine to arrive in the mail so I could devour it from cover to cover. I loved the Cubanisms scattered throughout and the interviews with famous Cubans and Cuban-Americans, and of course the stories (including quite a few pieces written by a certain uncle of mine). I was even lucky enough to hang out a time or two with Bill and his then-girlfriend Lynn. Generation ñ's abrupt departure left a gap in my Cuban-American heart.

Well, Generation ñ is back, and with a vengeance. We've mentioned our friend Bill a few times before, and it seems that people are paying attention. He was featured a bit over a week ago in the Miami Herald, and just yesterday in the local morning news. Check him out, and check out Generation ñ online. If you liked the magazine, you'll love the site. Bigger, Better and With More Cowbell.

(Cross posted at Babalu)

Birthday Bloggage

A true friend is one who thinks you are a good egg even if you are half-cracked. ~Author Unknown

From one cracked egg to another, Happy Birthday dear friend!

Welcome to toddlerhood!

I can't top the post his mommy wrote, so I'll just direct you that way and wish our dear friends' son Felipe a Happy 1st Birthday! See you tomorrow at your big party, little guy!

Five weeks and counting

I'm so glad the week is finally over! While nothing significantly terrible happened, it was packed with meetings and errands and altered plans. My best friend was on vacation and asked me to take care of some paperwork related to her home while she was away. That was an uphill battle for three days! There are lots of changes going on at work, mixed in with the usual dose of incompetent fools that I deal with. I got home yesterday to find an ant infestation, with a trail from the window in our dining room to the far right corner of our kitchen. I don't even know how I spotted the ants since our countertops are black, but I did, and what was supposed to be my first night of relaxation all week turned into a three-hour cleaning frenzy.
I am so happy today is Friday, and thanks to my beautiful niece's birth, I left work early and was able to finally take it easy for the first time all week. I want, no, I need a vacation, and Labor Day week just can't come soon enough. Both hubby and I asked for the four days following the holiday, and there are no Caribbean villa rentals reserved, no airline tickets purchased, no itineraries to stress over. The boys will be in school, so it will be just us, relaxing, recharging our batteries for four days. So far our plans include lounging around watching movies and staying in pj's for as long as possible, and honestly? I can't wait!

My niece is here! Now named!!

Baby girl was born this morning at 2:20am. She weighs 8 pounds, 6 ounces and measures 21 inches long. She doesn't have a name yet as they are between two names. I will make the official announcement once she's named.I'll be visiting this evening, expect pictures!!

Update(9:30am): Just got this picture via email. I can't get over how cute she is...and that there's finally a girl in the family!!

Update (6:42pm) Meet Brooke Lynn Corzo. I left work early and spent almost two hours with her this afternoon. Mommy, daddy, big brother Tyler and baby Brooke are all doing great, and head home tomorrow afternoon. I'll put some pictures up on flickr later on tonight.

Brandonism

The scene: Brandon and Matty sitting at our little bistro table. Matty had an Elmo placemat, and is pointing at all the things on it and babbling.

Brandon: "He's saying the colors in baby language!"

Archives

Some of you may have noticed there are about 11 months of posts missing from the archives list over there on the right. Those archives were lost when the blog went down about a year and a half ago (wow, has it been that long?!). Luckily, I had one link saved, which fortunately contained links to the rest of them, so I'm creating this post to have them all in one place. I can't recreate them as pre-dated posts as that would involve re-loading and re-linking a bunch of stuff, and I just don't have that kind of time. In spite of not posting every day/multiple times a day like I do now, there are a lot so I listed them in the extended entry. It was bittersweet reading some of them, seeing how much Brandon has grown and all the wonderful things he experienced in his toddler years. Even harder to believe is that my second baby is going through some of those very things right now...

June 20, 2004
June 28, 2004
July 1, 2004
July 2, 2004
July 12, 2004
July 16, 2004
July 23, 2004
August 3, 2004
August 4, 2004
August 5, 2004
August 7, 2004
August 10, 2004
August 11, 2004
August 26, 2004
September 7, 2004
September 14, 2004
September 21, 2004
September 29, 2004
September 30, 2004, post 1
September 30, 2004, post 2
October 4, 2004
October 5, 2004
October 15, 2004
October 27, 2004
November 13, 2004
November 25, 2004
December 7, 2004
December 11, 2004
December 24, 2004
December 31, 2004
January 5, 2005
January 6, 2005
January 8, 2005
January 10, 2005
January 11, 2005
January 13, 2005, post 1
January 13, 2005, post 2
January 13, 2005, post 3
January 17, 2005
January 19, 2005
January 22, 2005
January 31, 2005, post 1
January 31, 2005, post 2
February 1, 2005
February 4, 2005
February 10, 2005
February 13, 2005
February 14, 2005
February 17, 2005, post 1
February 17, 2005, post 2
February 19, 2005
February 22, 2005
February 24, 2005
March 1, 2005
March 3, 2005, post 1
March 3, 2005, post 2
March 5, 2005, post 1
March 5, 2005, post 2
March 10, 2005

Birthday Bloggage

Happy 32nd Birthday, Sarahk!

32 ain't so bad...then again, how would I know? I don't get there for another 5 months. ;-)

Have an awesome birthday weekend, my friend!

Good food, good times

Marta and Amy are in town for a few days, and the boys and I met up with them for dinner tonight at La Carreta. We had an awesome time, talking about everything from red lipsticks to an eventual trip to Disney World together. We were sitting at the table for so long, the waitresses were orbitting around us to see when we would finally be leaving so that they could proceed to clean the disaster area we left behind (a preschooler and a toddler...need I say more?!) I would post pictures of our meeting, but I did not take my camera out of my purse the entire time. Marta promised she would send me the pictures she took within the next few days, and I'm counting on it.

Thanks for dinner, you two! One question: why, oh why, is California so darn far away?!

Semi-TMI

Several people have told me lately that I look as if I've lost weight, but I feel exactly the opposite. I feel fat and bloated, and my gastritis has been acting up, even though I've been taking lunch to work and therefore eating somewhat healthier. My best friend recently purchased some Orovo detox pills, and I think I might steal a few from her, see if maybe I'm just full of s....err, I mean, toxins. Have any of you tried something like this? Has it worked?

21

My little brother turns 21 today. I was in summer camp, between 5th and 6th grade, when he was born. My stepfather came to pick me and my sister up at school. I guess he or my mom had called ahead to pull us out of our classrooms because I remember waiting in the office for him to arrive. I don't remember visiting at the hospital (though I'm sure we did, since we got pulled out of school and all), but I do remember once he and mom were home watching him in his crib. I remember helping her change him and feed him, and strolling him around the neighborhood, playing with him, watching movies with him, and when he was Brandon's age, I'd be the one to read stories to him and tuck him in at night.
I can't believe it's been 21 years...I see him in front of me, but I can't wrap my head around the fact that my little brother is now a grown man. It's been a rough couple of years. He got into some trouble, as kids his age are prone to do, but he has a heart of gold, and it pleases me to no end when I see him playing with my kids, same as we did with him when he was their age.
Happy birthday, little brother. I'm so proud of the man you have become, but I'm even prouder to be called your sister.

overdue

WB did this meme almost a month ago. I just realized, after filling it all out, that I wasn't tagged. I do, however, owe her another, and I owe Pam one too. I'll get to them, but I have to find them first. In the meantime, here are a bunch of questions with one word answers.

Only ONE word can be used in your answer and it can NOT be used twice.

1. Where is your cell phone? desk
2. Your significant other? dealer
3. Your hair? head
4. Your mother? sick
5. Your father? work
6. Your favorite time of day? evening
7. Your dream last night? none
8. Your favorite drink? frappuccino
9. Your dream goal? Europe
10. The room you’re in? office
11. Your ex? moving
12. Your fear? loss
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? home
14. What you are not? sad
15. Your Favorite meal? Grandma’s
16. One of your wish list items? book
17. The last thing you did? talk
18. Where you grew up? Miami
19. What are you wearing? clothes
20. Your TV is? old
21. Your pets? wet
22. Your computer? slow
23. Your life? satisfactory
24. Your mood? happy
25. Missing someone? kids
26. Your car? blue
27. Something you’re not wearing? pants
28. Favorite store? Target
29. Your summer? hot
30. Your favorite color? green
31. When is the last time you laughed? shortly
32. When is the last time you cried? weeks
33. Your health? well
34. Your children? active
35. Your future? optimistic
36. Your beliefs? semi-traditional
37. Young or old? young
38. Your image? good
39. Your appearance? decent
40. Would you live your life over again knowing what you know? yes

Commentary on comments

Some of you may have noticed that comments are acting a bit weird lately. I don't know why. Real comments are being identified as junk, and the real junk is getting through the MT filters. I've played with the settings a million times and can't figure out why you, dear reader, are getting the "Your comment has been received and held for approval by the blog owner" message. Until I figure it out, please bare with me. And please keep leaving me comments. I love the attention. ;-)

Groggy Monday morning

I don't know what's worse: hubby not being able to sleep and having the TV on at 3 in the morning, or me not being able to sleep because hubby can't sleep and he has the TV on at 3 in the morning. He says I was fast asleep, but I vividly remember infomercials for acne treatments incorporating themselves into my dreams. Yeah, I'm sending him to the couch next time.

Success!

Tere and I spent almost 6 hours shopping. I bought a very nice, brown, pin-stripe suit (finally! I've never owned a suit.), a pair of slacks for work, a really cute knit cami that I can use for work or play, some bracelets that match the cami, and a pair of shoes, and I spent less than $200. Believe me, this is great. I expected the damage to be far worse. It was not only very successful shopping day, but a lovely day spent with a friend. Thanks, T!

Now I need to finish re-organizing my closet. I have so many pieces that I haven't worn in ages (several that haven't fit for just as long) and they are just taking up space in an already cluttered closet. I may not be able to afford an entire new wardrobe right now, but at least the few items I buy here and there can have a comfy new home.

Someday New Yorker?

The other day I bought I Feel Bad About My Neck, Nora Ephron’s book. You know who she is, even if you don’t necessarily know her by name. She’s written a bunch of screenplays, including three of my all-time favorite movies: When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, and You’ve Got Mail. I just finished reading the chapter about Nora's love of living in Manhattan’s Upper West Side (where most of You’ve Got Mail takes place, in case you didn't know), and this passage really struck me:

Someone I know once wisely said that the expression “It’s a nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there” is completely wrong where New York is concerned; the opposite is true. New York is a very livable city.”

I’ve never lived in New York, but I completely agree. It’s no secret that hubby and I have an obsession with the city that never sleeps. One day, maybe when the kids are grown and away at college or something, I would love to do an internet search for mover NYC, pack up our essentials, put the rest in storage, and sublet an apartment in New York for a year or so. Of course, it’s not that easy. There are jobs to think about, and our home here would need to either be rented or sold, not to mention how expensive living in New York will be in 18 years or so. It’s a very iffy “maybe…someday…”, but it's something we'd love to do.

good things

Hubby got paid more than we expected this week. We were expecting a much shorter check because of those days he called in sick when he had the stomach bug a couple of weeks ago. It's not much more than usual, but it's more than we thought it was, so that's good.

I bought two very cute, very comfortable pairs of shoes yesterday afternoon. While I do not hate shoe shopping like my friend WB does, it is very difficult for me to find shoes. I guess it was my lucky shoe shopping day yesterday because I got two pairs for less than $50. I hope the luck continues on Saturday as there will be more shoe shopping to be had. I am in desperate need of comfortable shoes for work and play, and Tere and I are hitting the mall this weekend. Dangerous, I know, but I shall behave. Maybe.

Following my successful shoe shopping, we ran into our favorite membership warehouse establishment, where we quickly purchased $80-some of groceries and filled up on gas. As aesthetically unpleasing as this store is, I really like shopping there. I love that you can find just about anything, from giant bottles of shampoo to laptop memory cards. We are very careful when we shop there, though, since the total can quickly escalate. The good thing about them though is they only accept one particular credit card, cash or debit, so it's easier to avoid overspending.

I'm also happy to report that I received a notice from our auto insurance carrier that our monthly premium will be decreasing by $60 as of next month. I have this crazy idea, tell me what you think about it: I'm going to pretend we're paying the higher premium, and put the extra money in our savings account. Shocking, I know!

Ha! I just noticed all our good news revolves around money...but somehow I'm not surprised, since that is our main source of stress. It feels good to report positive money news, for a change.

It's been a while

A few recent pictures now on flickr.

Malfunction

I was talking about my scrapbook at work today, and the lack of scrapping actually happening lately. I told hubby that I was going to put the kids early to bed tonight and catch up. Although I can't work on any new pages for lack of pictures printed, I can finish the journaling I need to do for some pages. I found a really nice quote online for one page, found the perfect cardstock to print it on,got the margins all set up, the spacing exactly how I wanted it, and then...."the device is out of paper". Uh, no it's not, I just loaded the paper. I tried again. And again. And again. And then hubby reminds me that the roller that picks up the paper has been stuck for weeks. Our old Compaq printer is in the attic, but I am not in the mood to go up there right now. And we don't even know if the printer hubby's dad passed down to us when he got a 3-in-1 even works. Three printers in this house and not one is currently functioning...no wonder I haven't scrapped in months!

85 minutes

That's how long our walk was. I had to buy a couple of things, and we had planned to go to Target, but I knew if we went there we'd spend more than we needed to. I had been looking out the window throughout the day, admiring the lovely last day of this long weekend, and decided we had to do something outdoors. So I told hubby, "get dressed, we're walking to CVS". We got the boys dressed and headed out the door at 7pm. We got back a short while ago, walking for about 2 miles. I told hubby, "look at that: we saved gas, money, got some exercise, and spent quality time together...what could be better?" "Winning the lotto", he said. Yeah, that would be nice.

Eating with the television on

We are in no place for frivolous expenses right now, but that didn't stop hubby from mentioning that he wants to put a flat screen TV in the dining room. "That corner would be perfect for a small flat screen TV, we could put it up on a plasma mount", he said. I didn't quite agree. I'm not a strict follower of the no TV while eating rule some families follow. More often than not, we eat on the couch, viewing the stuff we recorded on the DVR once the kids are put to bed. It isn't very often we get a chance to sit down to eat together, "like a family", as Brandon says, and I wouldn't want to take away from the ocassion with a distracting TV overhead.
What do you do? Do you skip the TV-watching while you eat, or do your fold-up trays double as your dining room?

Independence Day

Happy Fourth of July, from our family to yours.

Ugh, Part 2

Stayed home from work today. Spent most of the day laying on the couch with Matty playing on the floor in front of me. He took a 3-hour nap (Bless him!). I pick up Brandon from school at 6, we bought a few essentials at CVS and Publix, and just now, at 7:25pm, is when I've sat in front of the computer for the first time today. Hubby is making dinner when he gets home to give me a few more hours to recuperate. I expect to enjoy my long weekend.

Ugh

Don't know how you did it, WB, but you gave me whatever you had this past weekend. I've a sour throat, nasty nasal congestion, and body aches. The only thing that hasn't hit me (yet?) are fevers.
I'll be living off chicken soup for the next couple of days. The good thing about that is, maybe I'll lose a couple of pounds...

My commute

I left 10 minutes later than I wanted to this morning, which made me ten minutes late. In the afternoon, there really wasn't that long a wait for the train (and my coworker showed me this site where I can track it. Cool huh?). I got to the station to retrieve my car at exactly 5pm, and got to the sitter's at 5:35. I'm sure it would be less time if it hadn't been raining...a drop of rain falls in this city and people drive 10 mph.
I picked up Brandon and we were parking in our driveway at 6:20pm. Not too bad...I'll get used to this public transportation commuting thing quick.

Change is inevitable

Matty turned 17 months yesterday. In about 7 weeks he'll start attending the day care/pre-school Brandon was in. I reminded the sitter of that yesterday, and she said, "when his last day comes around, don't tell me. Pretend like it's any other day", and her eyes were welling up. I'd love for him to stay with her for a while longer. Not only is she cheaper that what I'll be paying the school, but she takes care of him as if he were her own. He calls her "Ita", short for abuelita, because he hears her two grandchildren call her that when they visit.
It will be so much easier for us when he's at the school. I've mentioned before it's not even six blocks from the house, and my commute will definitely be shorter. I can drive straight to the metrorail station, which should be about 20 minutes, then ride the train for another 20 minutes, and avoid both road rage and wear-and-tear on my car. I'll end up spending almost all of what I'll save on gas and tolls on the tuition for the school, but in the long run it's a better choice for us.
But I know Matty will miss Ita terribly, and I will too.