Brandon's Puppy

Three

My little boy turns three today. He’s growing so fast I can barely stand it! He’s in the midst of potty training, and you can all imagine what an adventure that’s become. He knows his full name, his colors and basic shapes, and can count to 20 in both English and Spanish (with a little bit of help). He loves animals (particularly a certain bunch of doggies), emulates his big brother, and is beyond cariñoso. He’s as stubborn as a mule, but has a grin that can melt your heart. Three years ago, he made our family complete. We can't imagine our lives without him.

Happy birthday, my little monkey. I love you so much, my heart hurts!

We are terrible, horrible parents

You might remember me mentioning that Buster the fish died on December 26th. My husband had the brilliant idea (*eyeroll*) to leave the fish tank in the kitchen, and not say anything to the boys, “to see how long it takes them to notice”. Well, I can tell you now that it took Brandon exactly one month and a day to notice. As they were having dinner yesterday, B glanced that way and said, “mommy, I don’t see Buster”. I called Eric and told him, “they finally noticed”, and his reply to that was, “you know this makes us terrible parents, right?” I immediately rebutted, saying, “Don’t put your little experiment on me. I wanted to tell them when it happened.”

B was quite sad throughout the evening. I apologized for not telling him sooner. We talked about the circle of life, and I told him that if he wanted, we could get a new fishy soon. He asked me if Buster was in heaven, and I said that yes he was, he was up in heaven looking out for us and our other pets. Then he said, "but how can he see if he's dead?" I had no answer for that one, all I could do was keep consoling him with hugs and kisses

He must still be very distraught over the whole thing….he made this picture to (in his own words) “show all my friends in after school that Buster died.”

He told me, “I told my friends that Buster died after Christmas. And they told me things that happened to their pet. Lucas said that his brother caught a fish, and he named it Fluffy. His brother cut it in half. (editor’s note: I’m guessing this was a fish caught for sport!) Then Stephanie told me about her puppy getting runned over with a car.”

He was telling me all this with his eyes welling up with tears. Poor little guy.

Bunch-a-Stuff

Finally got an oil change today. I think it was close to 10K miles since I last did one.

My coworker lent me a crate for the pups, which we set up last night. Puppies slept rather well in it (can't say they slept all night, as they never do). Sandy will be in there tonight as she was a very bad girl today and pooped in the boys' room.

Oh, and I'm taking Olivia with me to work tomorrow! She will be leaving with her new mommy, my coworker, and go to her new home tomorrow evening.

Hubby and I went to Old Navy today after work....I had no idea they redesigned the store! I really like the new layout, it's set up almost the same as Forever 21.

I forgot to mention a little experience we had at the grocery store on Sunday. We are still undecided if it was a man or a woman...he/she was almost six feet tall, wearing a neon pink shirt and navy cargo shorts, talking on their cell phone, which had a matching pink cover. Definitely not an avid user of testosterone cream, by the looks of it...he/she had bigger boobs than I do. And honestly, I'm not judging, but it's like a car accident...you just can't look away.

Did you read the February issue of Parents magazine? There's an excellent article in there regarding blog moms (hey, I'm one of those!!), and how they've made a difference in different sectors, from social networking sites to advertising, all because of the power of the internet. My fellow snackpicks mom Renee is featured as one of the ten Parents Power Moms. Pretty cool, huh?

Recent Brandonisms

Last week's Homework assignment:

For my birthday I made a list of things I wanted. They were on sale so mommy bot me eight presents. four of them are SPIDER-MAN toys. I like those the best.

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This afternoon, discussing his current events assignment:

B: Mommy, don't print the paper so small. If you do I'll need a magnet-fine glass to read it.

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A short while later, after reading an article about an 8-year-old spider monkey that had a baby at the local zoo:

B: How come monkeys can have babies when they are eight? Can people do that?
Hubby: No, only animals. Sandy is only one year old and she had babies.
B: That's too young! You're not supposed to have babies until you've grown-up!

Puppy update, and pictures!

Sandy has been down all day. Brandy left for her new home yesterday around 5pm, and Sarah (or, TPFKAA*) left with her new family around 8pm. I'm sure Sandy noticed their absence as soon as they were gone, but my heart broke this morning when she tried to call them. She barked towards the door, and paused. The five puppies still here barked, then Sandy barked a few times more, looking towards the front door. Then she looked at me and hubby, walked around anxiously, and looked towards the door again. I was just short of tears after witnessing that.

We were home for most of the day, but had a couple of errands to run and left the house around 5pm. We were gone for just over 3 hours, but when we got back all five pups were roaming around the house, greeting us with pee puddles everywhere. I was only slighlty annoyed after having cleaned yesterday afternoon. Hubby rigged their whelping box with two pieces of wood he found at work and made the edges higher. Let's see if they make it out tomorrow....I've got a friend's crate on standy-by just in case!

(*The Puppy Formerly Known As Alice)

Matty and Rosie

Olivia, Brandy and Butterball planning their escape route.

My sister and her baby, Music

Sarah/TPFKAA

B with Butterball, M with Bella

Not quite sure how that "sharing" concept works....

As Brandy's new mommy and I were talking in the kitchen, B quietly went over to their box, took Brandy out and said his goodbyes...so sweet.

Butterball and Rosie playing

And then, there were five: Music, Olivia, Rosie, Butterball, Bella

How do we get out of here now?!

Productivity level: FAIL

I woke up full of energy, with big plans to put away all the Christmas stuff, clean the house, attack my bathroom (which is desperately in need of a good scrubbing), and possibly start scrapbooking. Hadn't heard that word in a while, had you? I realized earlier this week that it's been about a year since I last scrapbooked. Even worse, my baby boy will be three next Saturday, and he still only has 7 pages in his book. I know there's no way I'll catch up before his birthday, but I'd like to make the effort to complete the book for his first year before the end of February. But I digress...

It is now 3:30pm, and not one of the tasks above is complete. Most of the Christmas stuff is put away, but the outside decorations are still out as I'm waiting for Eric to get home from work so that he can help me put them in the attic. I swept the floor, but that's as far as I got with cleaning.

In my defense, my sister stopped by earlier today, and we spent at least an hour playing with the puppies. Today is their last day together, as two are getting picked up in a couple of hours. I took a bunch of pictures, I'll be back later to post those. The boys and I are going to have a late lunch now, then we'll see how much further down my To-Do list I get. I'm hoping my second wind hits soon so that I can at least dust the furniture and mop the floor.

My imagination running wild

So WB has been telling me since December that she and sherlock were planning to visit us in January (it's January 23rd...where are you?!). My subconscious is so excited about this upcoming, apparently-delayed-until-February visit that I dreamt last night that she came to live with us for six weeks. In my dream she snagged her dream job, but training for their super-special, state-of-the-art cad drawing software was only held here in Miami, so she asked if I would provide room and board during those weeks. Of course I said yes, so she lived with us Monday through Friday, driving back and forth on the weekends to see sherlock and RTY.
Isn't it amazing the way the mind takes one little thing and just goes wild with it while you're sleeping?!
Oh, and WB? Hurry up and visit! I'm going through WB withdrawal!

Birthday Wishes....Got Kleenex?

March 27, 1977. Val was 12, I was 4 months. An unbreakable bond was formed that day, when that boy, my uncle, became my Godfather. That boy, who grew up and became one of the people I most admire, has graced the fondest of my childhood memories: swimming underwater in the Hilyard pool, watching SNL after he got home from dates, teaching me to dance, taking me to my first concert, trips to 7-Eleven for Haagen Daz ice cream bars, sacrificing his social life for mine (he chaperoned me to GradNite and prom, for crying out loud!), chocolate gold coins, teaching me how to drive stick in his Alfa Romeo, helping me move countless of times, walking me down the aisle.
Thank you for being you. Thank you for inspiring me. For teaching me so many things, both tangible and intangible. And for being there for me, always. I love you with all my heart, and I wish you the best birthday ever.

Worn out

It's time of a vacation, and I don't mean a weekend trip to Disney. I mean a real one, someplace where the only requirement is lounging by the ocean or hanging out by a pool. A cruise would be nice, or maybe a few days at one of those all-inclusive Puerto Vallarta hotels.
I get a few vacation days after my 1-year anniversary in April, and those packages are fairly cheap. I'm gonna make it happen!

Overdue update

I'm finally, FINALLY over the cold that has been plaguing me since the first of the year. I have a mild, occasional cough, but the congestion and sinus discomfort is long gone. The boys are well too. Brandon got a weird little rash on his chest around Christmas. After I medicated it with allergy meds and Benadryl cream, it's gone as well. Matty got a mild cold the first of the year, but if left as quickly as it came. Hubby, on the other hand, has had a nasty phlegmmy (yuck) cough for over a week. Whenever he gets a cold, his bronchials are the first to be affected and the last to get over it. It's quite annoying to wake up the the sounds of a barking seal next to you at 4 o'clock in the morning.

In other news, the puppies will be 7 weeks old this week. Can you believe it?! Three of them will be going to their adoptive homes this weekend, and the other three will be with us for a bit longer. My mom is taking Bella on weekends at first, to get used to her and the new changes she will bring to the household. My sister is keeping Music on weekends only for a bit, as her apartment has a no-pet policy so he needs to stay home with us till she moves. And we're holding on to Butterball until his bigger and more manageable for my grandparents to care for him. Poor Sandy....she's going to be miserable when her babies are gone.

(click to make bigger)

From left to right: Music, Brandy, Bella, Rosie, Butterball, Sarah (fomerly known as Alice) and Olivia

I just realized that I totally forgot to share that I went to a book reading/signing on January 9th and met Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love. She was promoting her new book, Committed, which promises to be just as good as its predecessor. What an awesome experience...she is such an inspirational, intelligent, and all around lovely woman.

That's the extent of my update for now. It's late, and I've got to get to bed or I'll be completely useless tomorrow.

Shopping List

Guess where I haven't gone since "last year"? As surprising as this may sound, I haven't gone to Target since December 26th. My shopping list is growing by the second. We're running low on paper towels, clothes and dishwashing detergents, hair gel, and baby wipes. Oh, and we have to replace the A/C's air filter. I foresee a very expensive shopping excursion this weekend....

Homework Time

B's teacher changed the instructions, now he has to write a short story with six or more of the vocabulary words:

We were going to the game, but the temperature was too cold. We stayed home to make a cake instud. My titi came over and spant the day with us.

Seven

Seven years ago, on a day like today, you changed my world. You, who were once so tiny that even preemie clothes were slightly big on you, have grown and flourished into a bright, happy, adventurous, creative little man. I am both awed and inspired by you. I am so very lucky that God chose me to be your mommy. You are my first born and my first true love. I am many things, but on the very top of the list is the most important thing of all: being your mommy. And today, on your 7th birthday, I wish you enough joy to last a lifetime, enough strength to surpass any hurdle, and enough conviction to make all your dreams come true. I love you.
-Mommy

Resolutions

My latest Snackpicks post features my seven resolutions for the new year:

1. Keeping the house clean-er.
2. Become truly debt-free (easier said than done...the hardest of the seven, by far.
3. Friday night play-dates (for the boys)
4. More "real" dates (for the grown-ups)
5. Just a little patience
6. Monthly mommy spa time ('cause mommy needs some "me" time)
7. Remember to not sweat the small stuff…and it's all small stuff

As simple as they sound, it won't be so easy to implement them, but I am at least going to try.
I read somewhere that making your goals public gives you more motivation, making you less likely to abandon them if someone is holding you accountable for your actions. So I'm putting them on here, and hopefully you all will cheer me on as I tackle each one.

What are some of your goals for the new year?

Homework time

Winter break is over, which means we're back to the homework routine.
Last night's sentences:

1. She is tall.
2. Hermit crabs live in shells.
3. Some times my mom gose shoping.
4. We went on a crese ship.
5. I have a pet fish. (uh...not anymore)
6. Lets push this box out of the way.
7. I have a chin.
8. Mommy choped vegetables for dener.
9. Ther are chicks on the farm.
10. My mom like cherrys.
11. Don't eat so much.
12. It is chilly outside.
13. My birthday is in January*.

apps for my non-existent iphone

So I didn't get an iphone for my birthday, and Santa didn't bring me one either. I guess that means I'll have to get it myself when my phone is due for an upgrade in March. I already know the apps I'm getting as soon as I get it. I want the barcode scanner app for when I'm shopping and want to compare prices. I want the SmackTalk app, because that little gerbil kills me! I want the bubble wrap app for my the boys' entertainment. And of course, I'll have Facebook, Twitter, and some kind of music player.
What are your favorites?

Decade in review, part 2

(clearly my resolution to improve my punctuality went down the toilet...)

Here we go, part two of my decade in review:

2005
Babalu Blog gets its first booth at Cuba Nostalgia.
Titi turns 25!
In August, Hubby and I traveled to New Jersey for my cousin's wedding, and spent a couple of days in New York City. Came home to a hurricane, and while we were spared by Katrina, those in New Orleans and the surrounding areas weren't.
My big brother and my cousin/SIL found out they were expecting.
My grandfather ran himself over. Really.
The stork was really busy, as no less than six babies were born to friends and family this year, with some spill-over into 2006. This is also the year we decided to "try" for baby #2, shortly after returning from NYC in August.

2006
January: we went to see Billy Joel. again. He rocks!
In March, we upgraded from our 2/1 condo to our 3/2 townhouse.
My nephew Tyler is born.
Andy Garcia's 15-year labor of love, The Lost City, was released in April. Definitely one of my favorites!
June: We're pregnant! This is also the month I changed departments at my former employer.
July: Met WB and (sherlock too, of course)!
Brandon started pre-school in August.
It's a boy!
My big sis has baby #2, Maxx Logan. For those keeping track, all grandchildren to date are boys.
Another cruise, this time we leave B behind and go on our sea voyage with my BFF Viv, her husband and their family. That was the most hilarious 4 days ever. (BTW, this is the 3rd cruise in as many years, and for two out of three I was pregnant. Weird, huh?)
Sad.
December: my 30th birthday, Brandon gets his first bike for Christmas, waiting for the new year, and the new baby!

2007
Had a beautiful shower for the new baby, and I received an amazing gift.
I became a Mother of Two.
Late April/Early May: Went to Disney with a 4 year old and a 3 month old. Yes, we're nuts.
After 6 years (and 2 kids), I graduated!
A couple of months later, another happy milestone in our family: hubby became a citizen.
Adrian and Lilli have their first baby, Felipe.
We visited WB and sherlock for their annual Halloween party, where we were mocked for not participating in karaoke.
In December, Eric and I were lucky enough to attend the Republican presidential debate. Very cool to be a part of history, even in a small way.
Also in December, we found out that my big brother and cousin were expecting another baby.
Matty walks!

2008
Brandon freaked us out when he stuck two beads up his nose. Also, he got hookers for his 5th birthday.
Heath Ledger passed away.
Finally, a girl among the cousins!
Our red betta, Fishy, died in April after being with us for four years. The next day we got a new one, a blue one Brandon named Buster.
My mom, family friend Tere, my sister, two of her friends and I Marched for Babies.
I met some famous people at Cuba Nostalgia, and hung out with two of my favorite Cubanitas.
My cool Uncle Val visited the White House.
The Pereiras visit Casa Dufau.
Brandon graduated from Pre-K!
Gas hit $4.
On May 31st, Claudia and I re-lived our youth at the Freestyle invasion concert.
BFF Viv had her baby boy.
The accelerator cable on my car snapped as I was driving home on the Turnpike with Matty. I wasn't sure I would be able to stop the car...one of the scariest moments of my life.
My little brother turned 21 in July...I feel so old.
My niece was born!
More milestones: Brandon started kindergarten, and Matty started (pre) Pre-K.
My grandmother passed away at 94 years old.
Finally started work on replacing the siding of our house (still haven't finished it, a year and three months later).
After a 15-year wait, Claudia and I saw NKOTB again!
Part of history again: attended the John McCain rally, 2 days before election day, with my mom.
Went to a Clinton Kelly Meet-and-Greet with friend C.
December: I got hooked on Twilight.
Uncle Val goes to the White House again. *pride*

2009
Car accident meant that trusted Kia Sportage was a "total loss" for the insurance, so we took our payout and got a 2006 Kia Sorento. After four years, we have a monthly car payment again. Not fun.
Around the same time, I began looking for a new job. Things were headed downhill fast at work, and I wanted to get out before I got outted.
Book Club Meeting/High School Reunion! ;-)
Started losing weight, and my blood pressure rose, thanks to job scenario. The doctor put me on a beta blocker. The next day, I am no longer employed. Two weeks later, Fabulous New Job was mine. Proof that things happen for a reason.
Kikita visited Miami, and stayed with us.
A priceless gift.
In June, hubby and I started discussing the possibility of maybe getting a dog.
July: we went up to Orlando for my cousin's wedding. Finally took the boys to Islands of Adventure and Universal. Hung out with WB and sherlock. Satiated the Orlando craving for a while.
Hubby got demoted. I'm still bitter.
Felipe becomes a big brother to little sister Francesca.
Went to Key West to celebrate our anniversary. Hadn't been there in at least five years.
Got my cool gig as a subcontractor for Kellogg's Snackpicks.com.
My great-uncle passed away.
A doggy adopted us.
Helped Claudia Thrill the World...so much fun!
Blogged every day during the month of November. A new record for me.
My cousin Yailen has her much-anticipated baby boy Ryan.
Sandy made me a grandmother after having 7 puppies.
December 26: Buster the fish is no more.

Wow, what a decade! What are you highlights?

A decade in review (aka, Everybody else is doing it!...) Part 1

I was thinking of writing this late last week, but I didn't get around to it. Not enough hours in the day, and days in the year, apparently. So without further ado, here is my version of the decade in review: (my decade in review is in two parts...you all know how long-winded I am!)

2000
My older sister got engaged.
My dad and stepmom got married.
Val and Maggie got married.
First and only time I went to Halloween Horror Nights. It turned out that my stepbrother was working there and snuck up on and scared me and my sister!
December: Graduated from college!

2001
Hubby and I were on our break in 2001, so there was a lot of socializing and going out, mostly with my older sis and her friends. Good times.
For my sis's bachelorette party, we went to Cancun during Memorial Day Weekend. That was so much fun.
In August, I went on a week-long cruise with the maternal side of the family, in lieu of staying at the beach. More wonderful memories.
Spent the second half of September crying for those that lost their lives, and what could have happened to family and friends that didn't.
Sometime in the late Fall (I think it was around November) hubby and I got back together.
Celebrated my 25th birthday, last one as a single lady.

2002
February, April: Went to Disney. This was back when they used to sell the 4-day and 3-day passes for around $100. I miss those ticket prices!
May: went to Disney with my dad, stepmom, sisters, BIL, brother, cousin, aunt, and uncle.
That was one of the best trips ever. Oh, and B was on his way, but we didn't know it just yet.
June: peed on several sticks before it finally hit me...we made a little baby! Also in June, I was maid of honor at my BFF Christie's wedding.
July 28: My bridal shower. It was beautiful, and I'm still so grateful to my "cousin" Sandy for lending us her house, and my sisters for putting it all together.
August 4: we got hitched!
The following weeks consisted of three trips, which we consider our three honeymoons: we went to Casey Key on the Gulf Coast, we went on a cruise with my family a couple of weeks later, and during Labor Day weekend we took a trip to NYC with hubby's BFF and his new wifey Lou. Right before the cruise we got the news: It's a boy!
During the latter part of the year, we were house-hunting but were quite unsuccessful. I was working full-time and going to school, so we decided things would turn out well one way or another, and focused on bringing a healthy baby into the world.
Hubby's Goddaughter Beka was born on November 17th.
My baby shower was on December 8th, and the next day I went to a doctor's appointment and he sent me to the hospital. I'd had horrible migraines during my last trimester, so they did an MRI to see what they could find. A new year was on the horizon, and so was a new little life.

2003
First week of January, I was back in the hospital. This time we had a diagnosis: pre-eclampsia. That meant I'd have to be in the hospital for another four weeks, or until baby was born, whichever came first. January 10th at 10:30pm, my water broke. January 11th at 6:30am, Brandon Allan Dufau was born.
I had a great time on maternity leave. We lived with my grandparents for the first six weeks, until we were able to rent a bigger apartment than the one we had (I really miss that first apartment, such a shame it was too small for our family).
My stepbrother and cousin Sherri got married in March, and I was a bridesmaid.
I went back to work after three months. I think I started on April 30th or sometime around that date.
In August, and 7 months to the date of B's birth, my older sister had the next addition to the family: Mikey.
We were going through some serious Disney withdrawal, so to celebrate my birthday in December, we took B on his 1st trip to Disney. He was so well behaved, we took him at least six times during the following year.

2004
A blog is born!
B leaves infanthood and enters toddlerhood.
February: he walks!!
April: First Season Opener Marlins Game.
In September, we went on a 4-day cruise to Cozumel.
In October, we bought our very first place, a 2/1 condo. I miss that mortgage payment more than I miss the old apartment!
Adrian and Lilli got married in November, and Brandon and Beka (not yet two years old) were the ring boy and flower girl. He made everybody melt when he ran up to Lilli as she was walking down the aisle after the vows and yelled, "Lilli!!" thinking she was going away.
My little sister moved away to live in Virginia (Boo hoo...but no worries, she came back!)

Stay tuned, 2005-2009 coming up tomorrow.

2010

Started the new year sick and with an empty bank account. I think my "prosperous" is hungover in a corner somewhere. Would like to be productive today, the last day of the boys' winter break, but all my body wants is to lie down.