Thursday, December 4, 2008
New Photos . . . Finally!
Here's a bunch of Photos from Aiden's 2nd Birthday, around town and whatever. The pictures of his ear are after he got bit by a gigantic bee. Nana got bit too. It was quite a mess. He is a boy in all ways possible!! He is one big bruise, just like his mother!! Can you believe how big Nana is? She towers over Aiden and when he gets frustrated with her, he bites her. It's a comical event!!
Friday, October 24, 2008
Neighbors . . . the Good, the Bad and the Ugly!!!
Living in this new area has been interesting, needless to say. I have an iguana that lives on the back wall, a dog that barks at it every time because she's scared (that would be mine), a lady next door who thinks she's better than us and hardly acknowledges us and is also remodeling her house which has cut down our trees and left all the garbage for us to pick up, and a fabulously large lime tree where the family thinks its funny that I ask for limes. Every time I go over there, they give me a bag full. I've been here since June and I've met a few people. They are always nice and love Aiden. It's nice for him to have "little girlfriends" because all the kids that want to play with him are girls. I'll post pics of everything on my next entry.
It shocks me that October is almost over. Time is flying by and we are doing our best to try to make the most of our time here. We try to go to the beach once a week, it's tough taking Nana though, she loves it, but she gets car sick like nobody's business. EEWWW!!!! It has been the hottest month I've experienced since I've lived here, I am so glad I've got A/C. I think I would NOT survive if I didn't!!!
Ben has been working at the Port sometimes and at the same Hotel sometimes and with me sometimes. It depends on what's going on. Work here is a very strange thing. He is however working VERY hard on his education. He studies every night and I am so proud of him!!! His first 2 exams have produced A's. This has really helped motivate him!! He still has a very difficult time on the computer, and I lack patience in teaching that, so hopefully he'll be able to take a course sometime soon. We've been trying to get his brother to bring the car that's sitting there, not doing anything, here, but he just won't do it, so we have a lot of problems coordinating with work and Aiden. But so far, it's been working. He takes Nana running in the morning if he works in the afternoon, or not at all and then he takes Nana and Aiden at night. If it's just me, then I take them. It's an experience!!! As of last Friday the 7th, Ben was told that they wanted him full time at the hotel until April. I feel really good about it and he does too, but he is torn because he makes more money at the Port, but if he were to take the job he was offered, he would work from 7-3 one week, 3-11 the next week and then 11-7 the next week. Sometimes he would have to work double and that would be really hard on our family!!! I just don't feel that that would be a good choice for us. It was a tough decision, but I think that the hotel is where we need to be.
Aiden is growing up so fast! He's talking more and his language is split right down the middle between Spanish and English. He knows everything in both, but will say some in Spanish only and others in English only. The only time he says both is when you ask him "Yes" and he says "Si" or you say "Si" and he says "Yes". He's also saying words backwards, which we find REALLY funny! The word for tractor is Topo, and Aiden says Poto. No matter how many times we say Topo, it's always the same Poto. He can get quite cranky when he's tired, but I guess so does everybody!! Right now we're finally past the Elmo stage and moved on to "Lady and the Tramp" and if I can squeeze something else in, it's usually "Hercules". Ben and I can quote just about every word for both movies. It's REALLY annoying!!! Aiden has also come to the conclusion that "mamapapa" is one word. We are one being. I hate to admit it, but it annoys me! I am telling him over and over that I AM MAMA NOT PAPA!! Oh well. We were walking to the local market the other night and we caught 2 frogs. A really small one and a medium one. It was fun and he loved it!! And I did too!! Catching frogs has always been something I enjoy . . . call me CRAZY!!! Since the time change a few weeks ago, we were a week before you, he has really gone downhill. He has been a real challenge at daycare. I'm surprised they haven't kicked him out yet. He's picking fights, hitting the teachers and throwing temper tantrums. He has this really high pitched yell and it's awful. It's been scaring the other kids. I've been called a few times to pick him up. I sit him down outside and talk to him and make him apologize to all the kids, but when I get him home, I put him down and he's asleep within 10 minutes. His body and mind are having a tough time adjusting and I am having to keep him home this week to try to get the sleep back on track, because it is really embarrassing to go to daycare and have them tell me how awful he was!! That doesn't work for me or Ben. It's been a stress, but hopefully after this week, he'll get back on track and get it together!!!
I am VERY busy!!! I have started Yoga classes M/W/F mornings, which I love!!! They are free and I feel so at peace with myself when I leave. I have also started a business cooking out of my home. I'm selling cakes and cookies. So far they have been a hit, it's just taking a lot time to get the word out. It's called Guera's Goodies" which means "Blondie's Goodies". Ben has had real issues with the name, but he's warming up to it as the $$ comes in. I go to the Port area 2xs a week and sell out of the back of my car. Mostly I sell to my students, but I have also picked up some "regulars". Last week I ended up making several dozen cookies, cakes and cheese cakes from orders only. It was CRAZY!!! It's been a rough start, but I'm hoping that it will continue to grow!!! I've gained weight since I started this which has really annoyed me. I'm trying to kindof run with Nana, but as you all know, running is NOT my favorite thing. I like going to the beach, but Nana gets carsick and throws up every time. That's a real hit with Ben, let me tell you!! I'm still teaching and I'm beginning to really get into the groove of things. There are still some grammar teaching issues that I have and hopefully I can continue to improve my "methodology". I have a meeting with my boss this week to discuss it.
I can't believe that yesterday the 8th was my 5th anniversary. We went to dinner and movie. It was nice. 5 years . . . WOW!!! Man a lot has changed in those 5 years. I hope that the next year brings us some good luck and stability!! I hope all is well with all of you and I hope you all had a great Halloween!!
It shocks me that October is almost over. Time is flying by and we are doing our best to try to make the most of our time here. We try to go to the beach once a week, it's tough taking Nana though, she loves it, but she gets car sick like nobody's business. EEWWW!!!! It has been the hottest month I've experienced since I've lived here, I am so glad I've got A/C. I think I would NOT survive if I didn't!!!
Ben has been working at the Port sometimes and at the same Hotel sometimes and with me sometimes. It depends on what's going on. Work here is a very strange thing. He is however working VERY hard on his education. He studies every night and I am so proud of him!!! His first 2 exams have produced A's. This has really helped motivate him!! He still has a very difficult time on the computer, and I lack patience in teaching that, so hopefully he'll be able to take a course sometime soon. We've been trying to get his brother to bring the car that's sitting there, not doing anything, here, but he just won't do it, so we have a lot of problems coordinating with work and Aiden. But so far, it's been working. He takes Nana running in the morning if he works in the afternoon, or not at all and then he takes Nana and Aiden at night. If it's just me, then I take them. It's an experience!!! As of last Friday the 7th, Ben was told that they wanted him full time at the hotel until April. I feel really good about it and he does too, but he is torn because he makes more money at the Port, but if he were to take the job he was offered, he would work from 7-3 one week, 3-11 the next week and then 11-7 the next week. Sometimes he would have to work double and that would be really hard on our family!!! I just don't feel that that would be a good choice for us. It was a tough decision, but I think that the hotel is where we need to be.
Aiden is growing up so fast! He's talking more and his language is split right down the middle between Spanish and English. He knows everything in both, but will say some in Spanish only and others in English only. The only time he says both is when you ask him "Yes" and he says "Si" or you say "Si" and he says "Yes". He's also saying words backwards, which we find REALLY funny! The word for tractor is Topo, and Aiden says Poto. No matter how many times we say Topo, it's always the same Poto. He can get quite cranky when he's tired, but I guess so does everybody!! Right now we're finally past the Elmo stage and moved on to "Lady and the Tramp" and if I can squeeze something else in, it's usually "Hercules". Ben and I can quote just about every word for both movies. It's REALLY annoying!!! Aiden has also come to the conclusion that "mamapapa" is one word. We are one being. I hate to admit it, but it annoys me! I am telling him over and over that I AM MAMA NOT PAPA!! Oh well. We were walking to the local market the other night and we caught 2 frogs. A really small one and a medium one. It was fun and he loved it!! And I did too!! Catching frogs has always been something I enjoy . . . call me CRAZY!!! Since the time change a few weeks ago, we were a week before you, he has really gone downhill. He has been a real challenge at daycare. I'm surprised they haven't kicked him out yet. He's picking fights, hitting the teachers and throwing temper tantrums. He has this really high pitched yell and it's awful. It's been scaring the other kids. I've been called a few times to pick him up. I sit him down outside and talk to him and make him apologize to all the kids, but when I get him home, I put him down and he's asleep within 10 minutes. His body and mind are having a tough time adjusting and I am having to keep him home this week to try to get the sleep back on track, because it is really embarrassing to go to daycare and have them tell me how awful he was!! That doesn't work for me or Ben. It's been a stress, but hopefully after this week, he'll get back on track and get it together!!!
I am VERY busy!!! I have started Yoga classes M/W/F mornings, which I love!!! They are free and I feel so at peace with myself when I leave. I have also started a business cooking out of my home. I'm selling cakes and cookies. So far they have been a hit, it's just taking a lot time to get the word out. It's called Guera's Goodies" which means "Blondie's Goodies". Ben has had real issues with the name, but he's warming up to it as the $$ comes in. I go to the Port area 2xs a week and sell out of the back of my car. Mostly I sell to my students, but I have also picked up some "regulars". Last week I ended up making several dozen cookies, cakes and cheese cakes from orders only. It was CRAZY!!! It's been a rough start, but I'm hoping that it will continue to grow!!! I've gained weight since I started this which has really annoyed me. I'm trying to kindof run with Nana, but as you all know, running is NOT my favorite thing. I like going to the beach, but Nana gets carsick and throws up every time. That's a real hit with Ben, let me tell you!! I'm still teaching and I'm beginning to really get into the groove of things. There are still some grammar teaching issues that I have and hopefully I can continue to improve my "methodology". I have a meeting with my boss this week to discuss it.
I can't believe that yesterday the 8th was my 5th anniversary. We went to dinner and movie. It was nice. 5 years . . . WOW!!! Man a lot has changed in those 5 years. I hope that the next year brings us some good luck and stability!! I hope all is well with all of you and I hope you all had a great Halloween!!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Aiden turns 2!!! AAAHHHH!!!!!
I can't believe that October is halfway over. I started the last blog entry 3 or 4 weeks ago and just published today. Life has been hecktic!!!
For Aiden's birthday we went to Burger King, had ice cream and played on the toys. He loves it! Whenever we drive by there, he wants to go in. The frustrating thing about it is that the place where we grocery shop is in the same area. The following Sunday we invited several people to the beach for a little "party". We made ceviche and chicken salad. Only one person came. We were very frustrated!!! And to top that off, we had been there about 45 minutes and it started to pour!! It really wasn't a great birthday for Ben and I. Thank heavens, Aiden will have no recollection.
Since then, work has gotten a little better for Ben. He's gotten on the list more and usually shoves his way into the gates to work. My work is fine. Today was my last day with my Nissan Boys and it was very sad. I've had them for 3 levels and become quite attached!!! Hopefully, I can pick up another Nissan class in the next 2 weeks. The pay for that is AWESOME, even for the US!!
Crazy as it seems, I'm trying to start a dessert business. I am going to do a trial run next week. I'm going to sell cheese cake, cookies, chocolate cake and banana bread. I'm really hoping that this works out. The only downside is that my shy husband is going to be the one that has to sell. He's going to the Custom Agencies and during breakfast/break time going to sell pieces of everything and hand out flyers. He is TERRIFIED!! I think it will be good for him. I'm hoping that he'll make more money in an hour than an entire day of working. We'll see. Please pray and keep your fingers crossed that this will work out!!
I had to renew my FM3 Visa last month. As always, it was a nightmare. I got fined $525 pesos because I didn't report my move within 30 days. On top of that was the renewal fee of $2,000 pesos which my work paid for. I can't express my thankfulness for that. I didn't have the money for that one!!! I would have been an "illegal alien" in Mexico. How ironic is that? But it's all fixed and we're back in the groove.
Here in Mexico they offer free health insurance to people that work. It totally SUCKS, but it's free. When you go there, it is complete chaos and people wait for hours!!! I went and had a complete female check-up and it took a month for the results. I went to go get them yesterday and I had to schedule another appointment to have the doctor go over the results with me. That's really going to help . . . you know me and Espanol. Not happening!!! But you do whatcha gotta do!!!
We had some problems with our car and went in and got it fixed . . . or at least that which they had the parts for. That set us back $150 and we still have to pay for the parts when they come. If it's not one thing it's another.
Mexico is getting very scary these days. Maybe it's always been this way and I've been oblivious. Manzanillo has been the safest city in Mexico forever, but that is changing!! I'm ready to make the move out of here. When I finish my semester of teaching in May, we are leaving. I don't know if it will be to the States or Canada, but we're through with Mexico. The optimism is quickly deteriorating and Ben is so stressed out that he can hardly function.
HOWEVER, he is working on his schooling and placed in the 90% area!! I am so proud of him. That really helped motivate him for the next part of the course. He's spending every free amount of time he has studying. Frankly though, it's about time.
I can't believe that when I leave here in May, I will have been here 2 years and a month. WOW!!! It's seems like forever and just like yesterday when I got here. Time flies yet goes so slow.
I hope you're all doing well!! We are here. I'm trying to get my optimism back up for this bakery business.
For Aiden's birthday we went to Burger King, had ice cream and played on the toys. He loves it! Whenever we drive by there, he wants to go in. The frustrating thing about it is that the place where we grocery shop is in the same area. The following Sunday we invited several people to the beach for a little "party". We made ceviche and chicken salad. Only one person came. We were very frustrated!!! And to top that off, we had been there about 45 minutes and it started to pour!! It really wasn't a great birthday for Ben and I. Thank heavens, Aiden will have no recollection.
Since then, work has gotten a little better for Ben. He's gotten on the list more and usually shoves his way into the gates to work. My work is fine. Today was my last day with my Nissan Boys and it was very sad. I've had them for 3 levels and become quite attached!!! Hopefully, I can pick up another Nissan class in the next 2 weeks. The pay for that is AWESOME, even for the US!!
Crazy as it seems, I'm trying to start a dessert business. I am going to do a trial run next week. I'm going to sell cheese cake, cookies, chocolate cake and banana bread. I'm really hoping that this works out. The only downside is that my shy husband is going to be the one that has to sell. He's going to the Custom Agencies and during breakfast/break time going to sell pieces of everything and hand out flyers. He is TERRIFIED!! I think it will be good for him. I'm hoping that he'll make more money in an hour than an entire day of working. We'll see. Please pray and keep your fingers crossed that this will work out!!
I had to renew my FM3 Visa last month. As always, it was a nightmare. I got fined $525 pesos because I didn't report my move within 30 days. On top of that was the renewal fee of $2,000 pesos which my work paid for. I can't express my thankfulness for that. I didn't have the money for that one!!! I would have been an "illegal alien" in Mexico. How ironic is that? But it's all fixed and we're back in the groove.
Here in Mexico they offer free health insurance to people that work. It totally SUCKS, but it's free. When you go there, it is complete chaos and people wait for hours!!! I went and had a complete female check-up and it took a month for the results. I went to go get them yesterday and I had to schedule another appointment to have the doctor go over the results with me. That's really going to help . . . you know me and Espanol. Not happening!!! But you do whatcha gotta do!!!
We had some problems with our car and went in and got it fixed . . . or at least that which they had the parts for. That set us back $150 and we still have to pay for the parts when they come. If it's not one thing it's another.
Mexico is getting very scary these days. Maybe it's always been this way and I've been oblivious. Manzanillo has been the safest city in Mexico forever, but that is changing!! I'm ready to make the move out of here. When I finish my semester of teaching in May, we are leaving. I don't know if it will be to the States or Canada, but we're through with Mexico. The optimism is quickly deteriorating and Ben is so stressed out that he can hardly function.
HOWEVER, he is working on his schooling and placed in the 90% area!! I am so proud of him. That really helped motivate him for the next part of the course. He's spending every free amount of time he has studying. Frankly though, it's about time.
I can't believe that when I leave here in May, I will have been here 2 years and a month. WOW!!! It's seems like forever and just like yesterday when I got here. Time flies yet goes so slow.
I hope you're all doing well!! We are here. I'm trying to get my optimism back up for this bakery business.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Money Doesn't Grow on Trees . . . However, Limes Do!!!
We've been under almost UNBEARABLE living conditions the past month. Not in the sense of "thing" i.e. roof overhead, health, etc. But Ben hasn't had a steady job, my income hasn't been enough to cover all our bills and Ben has been so stressed out and physically sick that the atmosphere at home has been REALLY tense!!! I found out on Saturday, however, that September and January are the 2 most difficult financial months in Mexico. I felt better knowing that, hoping that there is a light at the end of the tunnel! I lived on $8 for 3 days. It's very degrading when you have to call your parents and ask for money. We usually ask Ben's brothers, but things are just as tight for them right now.
Ben got let go from the Hotel about 2 months ago and we've been trying to get him into SSA Mexico, which is the biggest Port Company here in Mexico and the States. BUT . . . in order for him to get into the gates, he has to go at 5:45am every morning, see if his name is on the list and if not, wait in a line, hoping that there is enough work for him to push his way through the gate.
As for the limes, I have a neighbor that has a HUGE lime tree and has given me bags full. I made Snickerdoodles and took them a plate. It's fun getting to know my neighbors. It's a slow process, but getting better!!!
Ben got let go from the Hotel about 2 months ago and we've been trying to get him into SSA Mexico, which is the biggest Port Company here in Mexico and the States. BUT . . . in order for him to get into the gates, he has to go at 5:45am every morning, see if his name is on the list and if not, wait in a line, hoping that there is enough work for him to push his way through the gate.
As for the limes, I have a neighbor that has a HUGE lime tree and has given me bags full. I made Snickerdoodles and took them a plate. It's fun getting to know my neighbors. It's a slow process, but getting better!!!
Sunday, September 14, 2008
The Little Things . . .
In my Coversation Class the other day, we were talking about personalities and what makes us happy, angry, etc. As each person answered the questions, I thought about myself. One of the questions was if we were content with who we are. I've thought often about this question over the past 2 years and I can honestly say I am. It's taken a lot of heartache, stupid mistakes and hatred of myself and the world to get here, but I have. I thought back to the way I was in high school and up until my early 20s. I was a COMPLETELY different person than I am today. I am SO glad that I am. I am genuinely happy with who I am and proud of who I have become!!! I never thought I would like myself, I hated who I was for so long that I didn't think I would ever get out of that frame of mind. I am complete in myself.
Another one of the questions I asked was "What makes you happy?" It's interesting that the things that make you happy depend on where you are in your life. When I lived in the States, the BIG things made me happy, expensive classy clothes, having a beautiful big yard, being able to go to any sports game I wanted whenever I wanted, go to a big shopping mall whenever I wanted, etc. Now, it's the little things!! My son's laugh, my husband's unbelievable ability to be a fabulous father, the fact that I have a patio (a miracle here in Mexico), the fact that I have a roof over my head that doesn't leak, the sound of waves, coke, when I have enough money to go to a movie, that I don't have to wash my clothes by hand: I can rent a washing machine, the fact that I actually have a job, walking and jumping in the puddles of water from the crazy downpour 30 minutes ago and the amazing people that I have met here in Mexico that are so selfless and loving and willing to do anything for us. Yes, those are the little things that make me genuinely happy.
I hope all of you have found content in who you are and where you are at in this life!! Believe me, it's possible to get there!!!
Monday, August 11, 2008
Utah Excursion July-August 2008
Wow! Where do I begin? Let's see, the sickness. Two days before we left, Aiden and I started feeling ill. I should have stayed home!!! But we went and from the start, leaving the house was in total Mexican fashion. Drama in the making! Ben was supposed to get off at 12:30 and I wanted to be at the airport at 2:00p. Of course, he walked in the door at 2:10p. I was SO happy!!! I had packed up the car and was ready to go. I basically had to shove him out the door. We finally got to the airport in a manic attempt to be somewhat there in time for international travel. We rushed in and then after check-in we sat outside in the waiting area. This waiting area was before going through security. Apparently, on the other side of security there is nothing, but a few chairs. So, we sat there and tried to keep control over my son. It was tough. All through this, I was thinking, this is going to be a great airplane trip!!! We finally go our call to go through security, kissed Ben goodbye and left. It only got better from there. We left 1/2 hour late, but I will say this, Aiden was pretty good. I was surprised. However, about 15 minutes off the ground I realized that I had forgotten the car seat. Not exactly the thing I wanted to forget considering that mom reminded me SEVERAL times to bring it. I was panic mode. When we got to L.A., which is a custom NIGHTMARE we got through and I attempted a collect call to Debra to tell her that I had forgotten the car seat. Oh boy did that go over well!!! She was SO happy and I was happy that she was happy!! We then got on the next flight which was a night flight and Aiden slept for most of it. I sat next to the most interesting man!! We talked about a lot of fascinating things. It was cool!!! We got to SLC and Mark and Debra were there waiting. The first thing dad said to me was where I had gone, meaning my body. I was happy to hear that. We loaded up the car and went home. Thank goodness Aiden was so tired or it would have been a LONG night!! He was in a strange house, bed and I wasn't in the room with him. The next morning we got up and went upstairs. He was overwhelmed!!! We walked into the front room where there were so many toys, I thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head! Debra was so excited she started playing all the loud toys. It terrified him! He slowly adjusted and began to relax. It got even better when Cooper arrived!!
Then the boat loading drama!! I don't quite know how to explain that one. We've done it the same for 15 years . . . there shouldn't have been all the stress and bitching that there was. But, it got done and we got on our way. We've gone to Lake Powell every year for 15 years and taken the boat every time. There has NEVER been a problem with the tires on the trailer. But for some reason one decided to blow. That was exciting. Everybody standing on the side of the freeway watching Brett and Chris change the tire. Good times. We got to Powell LATE! It went downhill from there. Aiden and I were sicker because of the altitude change, the dry heat and the houseboat that was kept in freezer like condition. We were also on a 2 hour time difference, everybody was white, speaking English and he didn't know anybody. It was AWESOME!!! On top of that, everybody felt that my child was not disciplined the right way and he was "out of control" and they all wanted a say in how I was to discipline. It was GREAT!!! However, the eyes of my son the first morning when he could actually see all the water, was worth EVERYTHING!!!
By the end of the "supposed to be 10 day vacation" that lasted 4 1/2 days, Brett had gone to the hospital, Cooper was sick, Hank had green boogers in his eyes, Mark and Debra weren't feeling too well and we decided to go home. Which is too bad because the newly remodeled houseboat was absolutely GORGEOUS!!!!! Here are a few photos.
After our shortened Lake Powell trip we headed back to Bountiful on Friday. I went to Ben's sister's house and that was fine, I got offended, but that just added to all the offending that had already happened. What's one more. After that, I spent a lot of time shopping and trying to see as many people as I possibly could. Didn't get to everybody I wanted, but I tried. I did get to see a lot of my mom's side of the family and my dad's parents. That was really nice!!
It was so AWESOME to see the bond between my son and his cousins. It was like they had never been apart and never met!!
Although it was nice to be there, it was better to get back here. As soon as the plane landed in Manzanillo, a huge weight of stress left my shoulders. I even got stopped by customs and I didn't even care. It's interesting where home is. Here are some pics from the trip!!
Then the boat loading drama!! I don't quite know how to explain that one. We've done it the same for 15 years . . . there shouldn't have been all the stress and bitching that there was. But, it got done and we got on our way. We've gone to Lake Powell every year for 15 years and taken the boat every time. There has NEVER been a problem with the tires on the trailer. But for some reason one decided to blow. That was exciting. Everybody standing on the side of the freeway watching Brett and Chris change the tire. Good times. We got to Powell LATE! It went downhill from there. Aiden and I were sicker because of the altitude change, the dry heat and the houseboat that was kept in freezer like condition. We were also on a 2 hour time difference, everybody was white, speaking English and he didn't know anybody. It was AWESOME!!! On top of that, everybody felt that my child was not disciplined the right way and he was "out of control" and they all wanted a say in how I was to discipline. It was GREAT!!! However, the eyes of my son the first morning when he could actually see all the water, was worth EVERYTHING!!!
By the end of the "supposed to be 10 day vacation" that lasted 4 1/2 days, Brett had gone to the hospital, Cooper was sick, Hank had green boogers in his eyes, Mark and Debra weren't feeling too well and we decided to go home. Which is too bad because the newly remodeled houseboat was absolutely GORGEOUS!!!!! Here are a few photos.
After our shortened Lake Powell trip we headed back to Bountiful on Friday. I went to Ben's sister's house and that was fine, I got offended, but that just added to all the offending that had already happened. What's one more. After that, I spent a lot of time shopping and trying to see as many people as I possibly could. Didn't get to everybody I wanted, but I tried. I did get to see a lot of my mom's side of the family and my dad's parents. That was really nice!!
It was so AWESOME to see the bond between my son and his cousins. It was like they had never been apart and never met!!
Although it was nice to be there, it was better to get back here. As soon as the plane landed in Manzanillo, a huge weight of stress left my shoulders. I even got stopped by customs and I didn't even care. It's interesting where home is. Here are some pics from the trip!!
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Quite a bit has happened over the past three days. Ben had Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday off of work. The first two days we cleaned -- not just regular cleaning -- but down and dirty. It wasn't fun!!! Today, we finally got the hammock up and it is fabulous. Ben slept in it for 3 hours. I spent about 10 minutes. I had to teach tonight.
Aiden was a real stinker at daycare today. When I picked him up he was in time-out, sleeping (that sure says a lot about how much he cares about time-out). When he's with me, I put him in time-out at least 4 or 5 times. If he kicks the dog and I tell him "No" and try to comfort Nana, he kicks her harder, that then leads to time-out. He could care less. He sits there and watches what's going on. It's really annoying!!!
It's strange, but Aiden has NEVER had his own room. He has slept in the same room or bed with Ben and I since he was born. Circumstances made this the way it was. But now we have an extra room and we put him in there by himself for the first time Monday night. He went to bed fine, but at about 3 am, he realized that he was by himself and went crazy!! Last night he sort of fell asleep, but when he heard me come home, he let loose, of course I gave in and put him in bed with us. Tonight I'm really going to leave him alone. He's asleep as of now, but I don't know if that will last all night.
Yesterday Nana was really lethargic and didn't look so good, so I took her to a vet. This vet was a little old man who was sleeping when I arrived. He checked her out and gave me medicine (for free, I might add) to get her high fever under control. How cute is that? She is very stubborn!! She pees all over and I have swatted her over and over with a newspaper to get her to go "potty" on the newspaper. As is the practice of my son, whatever. She'll hide, but that's about it. She carries on like normal.
Tomorrow we are having a washing machine brought to our house for 24 hours. It will cost us $7. I am SO excited to not have to wash by hand!!!
It has been raining quite a bit the last couple of days which is nice because it cools everything down. However, there is no place for the water to go, so the streets are flooded. I LOVE IT!! I drive around splashing as much as I can. Of course I am careful around people, but oh, it's a great time!!
That's about it for now. I've put some pictures of our house on here. It is such a 180 degree turn from where we were and have been!! But it's ours.
Aiden was a real stinker at daycare today. When I picked him up he was in time-out, sleeping (that sure says a lot about how much he cares about time-out). When he's with me, I put him in time-out at least 4 or 5 times. If he kicks the dog and I tell him "No" and try to comfort Nana, he kicks her harder, that then leads to time-out. He could care less. He sits there and watches what's going on. It's really annoying!!!
It's strange, but Aiden has NEVER had his own room. He has slept in the same room or bed with Ben and I since he was born. Circumstances made this the way it was. But now we have an extra room and we put him in there by himself for the first time Monday night. He went to bed fine, but at about 3 am, he realized that he was by himself and went crazy!! Last night he sort of fell asleep, but when he heard me come home, he let loose, of course I gave in and put him in bed with us. Tonight I'm really going to leave him alone. He's asleep as of now, but I don't know if that will last all night.
Yesterday Nana was really lethargic and didn't look so good, so I took her to a vet. This vet was a little old man who was sleeping when I arrived. He checked her out and gave me medicine (for free, I might add) to get her high fever under control. How cute is that? She is very stubborn!! She pees all over and I have swatted her over and over with a newspaper to get her to go "potty" on the newspaper. As is the practice of my son, whatever. She'll hide, but that's about it. She carries on like normal.
Tomorrow we are having a washing machine brought to our house for 24 hours. It will cost us $7. I am SO excited to not have to wash by hand!!!
It has been raining quite a bit the last couple of days which is nice because it cools everything down. However, there is no place for the water to go, so the streets are flooded. I LOVE IT!! I drive around splashing as much as I can. Of course I am careful around people, but oh, it's a great time!!
That's about it for now. I've put some pictures of our house on here. It is such a 180 degree turn from where we were and have been!! But it's ours.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Moments
About a week and a half ago, a dear cousin of mine lost her 14th month little girl in an accident. I have been extremely impressed with her daily writing on her blog. I've read it everyday and cried many tears. My heart and prayers go out to her and her family. But in one of her daily entries, she told us to write down little moments we remember or notice about our little ones. I've thought over the past couple of days about doing this, but haven't gotten around to it, but it's something that I feel is important.
Aiden Diego Rodriguez
I love my son so deeply but sometimes he is very difficult to like. But just the thought of losing him, makes my heart hurt and my eyes fill with tears. Things he does that I can't help but smile . . .
- When he gets excited or a song comes on with a beat, he does this little shimmy with his upper body.
- When he sees water of any kind, whether it be in a cup, on the street, the ocean or in the shower, he gets so excited and has to be in the middle of it.
- Putting my ipod headphones up to his ear and smiling so big when he can hear the music.
- Taking any phone there is whether it be a real one or his play one and talking into it. His favorite thing is when Ben or I pretend to answer it and talk in "Spanglish" -- "Bueno. You want to talk to el Gordo? Quien habla? His novia?" And then we hand him the phone. He gets so excited, you can't help but laugh.
- He's now starting to do the copycat thing. Everything Ben or I do or say, he tries it. Granted his speech is a little garbled, but he sure tries.
- He thinks that Nana (our new family addition, a puppy) is his own little toy. He doesn't realize that she's so small and he tries to lay on her, pick her up by the tail, kick her like a ball and hold her upside down.
- He loves being read to. Especially "The Itsy Bitsy Spider". I've taken on singing this to him as has Ben. There's a spider that lives in the top corner of our shower, not large, but I'm aware that he is there, as is Ben and Aiden. When we get in the shower, we have to sing the song and he is happy.
- Feeding himself . . . what more can I say?
- There's a drink here that is called "Yokult" and it has been his favorite since he was 2 months old. Don't ask why he has been drinking it since that young, it wasn't exactly my idea. But he goes to the fridge and has me open it and looks for Yokult or yogurt. If there isn't any, he just looks. He doesn't care that all he sees is pots and pans, he just want to look.
- He has now caught me in a web of singing him to sleep. It's terrible for me, but a great comfort for him. One song in particular shuts him right up and he listens. I rub his back and my fingers through his hair. Usually he falls asleep rather quick. Tonight was a different story, but it happens.
- Body functions: farting, peeing on the floor or me and burping are things for him to laugh at. Unfortunately, his father encourages it. It makes me crazy!!!
He is an angel sent to Ben and I. I mean that in the sense that he is a gift, as for being an actual angel right now leaves something open for negotiation. I am so grateful to have him! I am so grateful that he has this opportunity to spend a couple of years in a place that part of his ancestors are from and learn their language.
Yes he drives me crazy and tries my patience (what little I have) but I wouldn't trade him for the world!
Aiden Diego Rodriguez
I love my son so deeply but sometimes he is very difficult to like. But just the thought of losing him, makes my heart hurt and my eyes fill with tears. Things he does that I can't help but smile . . .
- When he gets excited or a song comes on with a beat, he does this little shimmy with his upper body.
- When he sees water of any kind, whether it be in a cup, on the street, the ocean or in the shower, he gets so excited and has to be in the middle of it.
- Putting my ipod headphones up to his ear and smiling so big when he can hear the music.
- Taking any phone there is whether it be a real one or his play one and talking into it. His favorite thing is when Ben or I pretend to answer it and talk in "Spanglish" -- "Bueno. You want to talk to el Gordo? Quien habla? His novia?" And then we hand him the phone. He gets so excited, you can't help but laugh.
- He's now starting to do the copycat thing. Everything Ben or I do or say, he tries it. Granted his speech is a little garbled, but he sure tries.
- He thinks that Nana (our new family addition, a puppy) is his own little toy. He doesn't realize that she's so small and he tries to lay on her, pick her up by the tail, kick her like a ball and hold her upside down.
- He loves being read to. Especially "The Itsy Bitsy Spider". I've taken on singing this to him as has Ben. There's a spider that lives in the top corner of our shower, not large, but I'm aware that he is there, as is Ben and Aiden. When we get in the shower, we have to sing the song and he is happy.
- Feeding himself . . . what more can I say?
- There's a drink here that is called "Yokult" and it has been his favorite since he was 2 months old. Don't ask why he has been drinking it since that young, it wasn't exactly my idea. But he goes to the fridge and has me open it and looks for Yokult or yogurt. If there isn't any, he just looks. He doesn't care that all he sees is pots and pans, he just want to look.
- He has now caught me in a web of singing him to sleep. It's terrible for me, but a great comfort for him. One song in particular shuts him right up and he listens. I rub his back and my fingers through his hair. Usually he falls asleep rather quick. Tonight was a different story, but it happens.
- Body functions: farting, peeing on the floor or me and burping are things for him to laugh at. Unfortunately, his father encourages it. It makes me crazy!!!
He is an angel sent to Ben and I. I mean that in the sense that he is a gift, as for being an actual angel right now leaves something open for negotiation. I am so grateful to have him! I am so grateful that he has this opportunity to spend a couple of years in a place that part of his ancestors are from and learn their language.
Yes he drives me crazy and tries my patience (what little I have) but I wouldn't trade him for the world!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Reflection over a year . . .
That's a long time to reflect on! That was actually when I entered my last blog. I've found that it's easier to upload photos here than on email, so we're going to try this for awhile.
Reflection:
As I've lived here over a year, I have met and made some amazing friends!! Because of them, I have been able to survive!! I've also learned that I need a lot of faith to get through the tough spots!! Circumstances here have made some friendships tough and literally impossible which breaks my heart! These are the friends/family that were there through the roughest times at the start. I am so thankful to God for sending them into my life when he did. I think about them often and find myself feeling a tightness of chest and regret. But there are so many others that I can't even begin to tell you have made a difference!!!
I was in my conversation class on Tuesday and we were talking about me being here. And I had actually been thinking about that on my drive to class. Was I upset at Ben for making the choices that he did that brought me here? Did I regret being here? The answer to both of those questions is ABSOLUTELY NOT!! How lucky am I to have this adventure!!! To do the things I've done, to meet the people I have, to experience an entirely different life. Yes, it's been harder than hell, but worth every minute!!!
Up To Now . . .
It's been awhile since you've heard from me, other that I was barely alive. When I said that I didn't mean by lack of food, it was stress was literally killing us! We ended up moving out of the Chateau when first the water went out (at that point, Aiden and I took a bus trip to the Ranch and left Ben to fend for himself), then the electricity and gas. So, basically, we had to use the public showers in the Jardines (a word they use for garden area) and the Kiosko (our version of 7-11) to go to the bathroom. Fine. It was time to go anyway. However, when we left we left an ANGRY family with Maria. The last night I was there, Simon, her 21 year old son threw a party from hell. It was so loud and the music was so awful, it made me physically sick. When I went down to tell them to turn it down, Simon looked at me like an innocent little puppy. I wanted to strangle him. We had talked about these parties for 8 months and nothing ever changed. So, the next morning, Ben got up to find that our car had been keyed. Up until then, Ben had been a patient individual, not causing any waves, just hanging out and letting me do all the talking. (probably not such a good idea) But when he saw that, he had me call Mike and it was over from then on. Mike was furious and when I told Simon that the parties were over, he had moved out of the house within 2 hours and Maria didn't show up for work for 2 days. They were FURIOUS with us for calling Mike. But what was I to do? I had talked to everybody several times, but nothing happened. It was time Michael knew. This was all happening the first week of May. I went to the Ranch and my brother-in-law and Ben's cousin drove me home to a house with no water and electricity. Boy was that a fun time!!!
HOUSE HUNTING
In the meantime, we had found a house that we were in LOVE with!! It was exactly what I wanted and we were going to put a deposit on it and it was going to be available the first of July. When I went to the Ranch, I told Ben to contact the lady and give her some sort of deposit. When I came back, he hadn't. Surprise, Surprise! This was still in the first part of May. Well, Nicole, my best friend here, was renting a house from the same lady that I was planning on. But Nicole's house was going to be ready sooner and she was going to California for some health testing. She told us to move into her place until the other one became available. When we were moving into Nicole's house, the Senora was there and Ben went to give her some money for a deposit and she told us she had already rented it to someone else. There was no "sorry" NOTHING!! Upset is a mild word for what I was at that moment. So, we found a bunch of houses for rent and found a man who found places for us to rent. That was his job. He showed us one the night we called. We loved it and called him within a half hour telling him we wanted it. He told us all the paperwork we needed and we got it together, the deposit and everything. He texted me the next morning telling me that the house had already been rented. That's 2. Okay, I had a roof over my head, water and electricity, but it was AWFUL living conditions. (I'll explain later) We just wanted out. So, Alberto (jack-ass as we now refer to him) kept looking and everytime he found something either there was a problem or I hated it. He found us one that we had decided was the perfect location, the perfect price, etc. First, it was available, then it wasn't because there were painters having problems with the owners, and then it was rented and then the next day, it was available. He texted me and told me to meet him at 1:30 because someone else was looking at it at 2:00. I hurried over told him I wanted it and we would sign the papers that night. That was Friday. He never called or texted (he never wanted to waste minutes calling, so it's cheaper to text). On Monday, I had had it with waiting. I texted him and told him to call me. He finally did and told me that the house was unavailable. At that point, we were finished with him. The last time I met with him to look at another house, I ran into Brenda who is now my current Landlord. We moved into this house June 15th. It's 3 bedrooms, a/c, completely furnished (beds, fridge, stove, etc.), and a large patio. One of my requirements. I finally have a place where I can hang MY pictures, MY things and feel like I actually belong instead of leeching off someone else. Of course we moved in Monday and Ben's family showed up Tuesday. It's interesting that they can always end up coming at the worst times. When I got in there on Monday, Brenda said she would have it clean. Uhhh . . . if what I moved into was clean for here, I don't even want to know what dirty is. We spent 2 1/2 days just cleaning. We found cockroaches the size of keys, dead mice, spiders. It was so disgusting!! GROSS!!!! But we got through it, his friend came and fumigated, but that will probably have to be done a couple of times. At least here, we don't really have to worry about scorpions. It's cockroaches and I can handle those!! I'm becoming quite good a washing clothes by hand, BUT I did find out that you can rent a washing machine for $8 per 24 hours. And if you get one on Friday, you can keep it until Monday for the same price. Yeah, will be doing that!! Ha! Ha!
Marimar -- Nicole's house
This house was such a blessing. Ben and I can't thank Nicole enough for her generosity, but it's for one person. And it's in the perfect location for Nicole because it's right by the highway and that's how she gets to work. For Ben and I it was REALLY far away. He had to walk a mile to catch the bus in the morning. It was so dusty out there that you'd clean something and within minutes it had a inch of dirt on it. We had nothing to put our clothes in so we were living in bags and boxes. We had a fridge and microwave, but that was it. There wasn't anywhere to hang our wet clothes so we became very good at improvising!!! The neighbors had 3 children and one of them was crying at all times. They didn't take baths and the dad beat on a regular basis with a belt. Not exactly my cup of tea. The neighbors on the other side were fabulous! They have a dog named Blackey and boy did that dog love Gordo and I. He smiled everytime he saw me! (Those of you who know what a dog looks like when they smile, will understand) Nicole had bought two couch/beds (not futons--different) and the 3 of us slept together. Not so much my favorite thing!! It was really camping. The floors were cement and impossible to keep clean. I'm not complaining because if it hadn't been for this house, I don't know what we would have done!! I'm just telling you how it was. I attached some pictures of me washing clothes there. I really am getting good at it. But I HATE it with a passion!!!
Work
Ben is still working at Hotel Tesoro. Right now is Mexican season which is a lot of work and no tips. As of this minute I have 50 pesos to my name! ($5) Thankfully he gets his tips today and paid on Friday. I get paid Monday. The reason we are running on nothing is because we had to come up with rent and deposit for the month of July. So, thankfully, July is paid and what I make over the next little while will go straight to saving for August's rent and bills we haven't had to pay until now. Although that's a new stress I'm okay with that. I'm still teaching English and Tech and I enjoy it. I picked up a group of engineers at Nissan and they are so much fun!!! We are on a break for now, but hopefully starting up again in a week or so. Exams are next week for all my other classes so, I'm preparing those and that's about it on that front.
Aiden . . .
Now this is a topic that is hard to put words to!! He is so damn cute!! He's so funny! And he has endless amounts of energy. He just isn't gentle. Does that make sense? At daycare, he is the bully. He picks fights, he pushes, he hits, kicks, bites, whatever he feels like doing. It's so awful. There's one little boy that cries the minute he sees Aiden because he's scared of him. That is so NOT okay with me!! I am at a loss of what to do. They put him in time out. He's usually there about 30% of the day and doesn't cry once. He doesn't care. On Sunday, I put him in time out almost the entire day and he just sits there. I was under the impression that that was supposed to be a punishment. Apparently for my son, it isn't. He's not as picky as he used to be at eating, which is nice. He's slimming down, kind of. He's tall!!! His obsessions are still the same: agua (water), pelota (ball) and wow-wow (dog). I don't think he could survive if these things did not exist. He has started to get into the Disney cartoons. But we have to be careful with what he watches because he gets scared REALLY easy. When a plane flies overhead, he freaks out! In the movie Mulon, he gets really scared with the Huns. We have to hold him. So, we are trying to monitor his cartoon watchage.
The Weather
HOT! HOT!! HOT!!!! It finally came. It hit about a week ago and hasn't stopped. It's rained a few times which makes it even worse! It's so hot that when you step outside it's hard to breathe because the humidity is so thick! It's like you have stepped into worldly sauna. Yuck!! And as humid as it is, you would think that my face and hands wouldn't be dry, but they are. What's up with that? I've lived here for over a year and not once have I gotten burned and I've spent a lot of time at the beach!!! But when Ben's family was here, we went on a Party Boat and I fried! It was so wonderful. Up until that point my skin was pasty white because of stress and I looked sick. I feel a little bit more spunky. My husband's cousin bought us a hammock, we just need to get it up. I am SO excited!!!
The Surprise . . .
I waited until now to tell you. We're excited and a little overwhelmed right now. I'm Pregnant!!
Gotcha!! We are excited and a little overwhelmed but not because I'm pregnant, are you kidding? I'd probably kill myself!! We were given a gift and her name is "Nana". She is one cute mut! She's 2 months old and finally clean. I've had to shower her 3 times with special soap to get rid of all the fleas and ticks. And then I had to give her worm medicine. That was the worst!! She was so full of worms. The poor thing. I'm a little stressed right now trying to potty train her. It's easier when Aiden is at daycare, but when he's here, it's almost impossible! He picks her up by the tail and drops her. He wants to lay on her, but he doesn't realize she's too small. I can't even imagine having another child right now. Nana is almost as tough as another baby. Mariah, I admire your willingness!!
That's where life stands right now!! I'm heading up north July 19th and will be in Salt Lake around the 1st. I would like to see as many people as possible! This time, I won't have any doctor's appointments except one! Dentist. :)
I hope all is well for everybody!! Loves and kisses!
Reflection:
As I've lived here over a year, I have met and made some amazing friends!! Because of them, I have been able to survive!! I've also learned that I need a lot of faith to get through the tough spots!! Circumstances here have made some friendships tough and literally impossible which breaks my heart! These are the friends/family that were there through the roughest times at the start. I am so thankful to God for sending them into my life when he did. I think about them often and find myself feeling a tightness of chest and regret. But there are so many others that I can't even begin to tell you have made a difference!!!
I was in my conversation class on Tuesday and we were talking about me being here. And I had actually been thinking about that on my drive to class. Was I upset at Ben for making the choices that he did that brought me here? Did I regret being here? The answer to both of those questions is ABSOLUTELY NOT!! How lucky am I to have this adventure!!! To do the things I've done, to meet the people I have, to experience an entirely different life. Yes, it's been harder than hell, but worth every minute!!!
Up To Now . . .
It's been awhile since you've heard from me, other that I was barely alive. When I said that I didn't mean by lack of food, it was stress was literally killing us! We ended up moving out of the Chateau when first the water went out (at that point, Aiden and I took a bus trip to the Ranch and left Ben to fend for himself), then the electricity and gas. So, basically, we had to use the public showers in the Jardines (a word they use for garden area) and the Kiosko (our version of 7-11) to go to the bathroom. Fine. It was time to go anyway. However, when we left we left an ANGRY family with Maria. The last night I was there, Simon, her 21 year old son threw a party from hell. It was so loud and the music was so awful, it made me physically sick. When I went down to tell them to turn it down, Simon looked at me like an innocent little puppy. I wanted to strangle him. We had talked about these parties for 8 months and nothing ever changed. So, the next morning, Ben got up to find that our car had been keyed. Up until then, Ben had been a patient individual, not causing any waves, just hanging out and letting me do all the talking. (probably not such a good idea) But when he saw that, he had me call Mike and it was over from then on. Mike was furious and when I told Simon that the parties were over, he had moved out of the house within 2 hours and Maria didn't show up for work for 2 days. They were FURIOUS with us for calling Mike. But what was I to do? I had talked to everybody several times, but nothing happened. It was time Michael knew. This was all happening the first week of May. I went to the Ranch and my brother-in-law and Ben's cousin drove me home to a house with no water and electricity. Boy was that a fun time!!!
HOUSE HUNTING
In the meantime, we had found a house that we were in LOVE with!! It was exactly what I wanted and we were going to put a deposit on it and it was going to be available the first of July. When I went to the Ranch, I told Ben to contact the lady and give her some sort of deposit. When I came back, he hadn't. Surprise, Surprise! This was still in the first part of May. Well, Nicole, my best friend here, was renting a house from the same lady that I was planning on. But Nicole's house was going to be ready sooner and she was going to California for some health testing. She told us to move into her place until the other one became available. When we were moving into Nicole's house, the Senora was there and Ben went to give her some money for a deposit and she told us she had already rented it to someone else. There was no "sorry" NOTHING!! Upset is a mild word for what I was at that moment. So, we found a bunch of houses for rent and found a man who found places for us to rent. That was his job. He showed us one the night we called. We loved it and called him within a half hour telling him we wanted it. He told us all the paperwork we needed and we got it together, the deposit and everything. He texted me the next morning telling me that the house had already been rented. That's 2. Okay, I had a roof over my head, water and electricity, but it was AWFUL living conditions. (I'll explain later) We just wanted out. So, Alberto (jack-ass as we now refer to him) kept looking and everytime he found something either there was a problem or I hated it. He found us one that we had decided was the perfect location, the perfect price, etc. First, it was available, then it wasn't because there were painters having problems with the owners, and then it was rented and then the next day, it was available. He texted me and told me to meet him at 1:30 because someone else was looking at it at 2:00. I hurried over told him I wanted it and we would sign the papers that night. That was Friday. He never called or texted (he never wanted to waste minutes calling, so it's cheaper to text). On Monday, I had had it with waiting. I texted him and told him to call me. He finally did and told me that the house was unavailable. At that point, we were finished with him. The last time I met with him to look at another house, I ran into Brenda who is now my current Landlord. We moved into this house June 15th. It's 3 bedrooms, a/c, completely furnished (beds, fridge, stove, etc.), and a large patio. One of my requirements. I finally have a place where I can hang MY pictures, MY things and feel like I actually belong instead of leeching off someone else. Of course we moved in Monday and Ben's family showed up Tuesday. It's interesting that they can always end up coming at the worst times. When I got in there on Monday, Brenda said she would have it clean. Uhhh . . . if what I moved into was clean for here, I don't even want to know what dirty is. We spent 2 1/2 days just cleaning. We found cockroaches the size of keys, dead mice, spiders. It was so disgusting!! GROSS!!!! But we got through it, his friend came and fumigated, but that will probably have to be done a couple of times. At least here, we don't really have to worry about scorpions. It's cockroaches and I can handle those!! I'm becoming quite good a washing clothes by hand, BUT I did find out that you can rent a washing machine for $8 per 24 hours. And if you get one on Friday, you can keep it until Monday for the same price. Yeah, will be doing that!! Ha! Ha!
Marimar -- Nicole's house
This house was such a blessing. Ben and I can't thank Nicole enough for her generosity, but it's for one person. And it's in the perfect location for Nicole because it's right by the highway and that's how she gets to work. For Ben and I it was REALLY far away. He had to walk a mile to catch the bus in the morning. It was so dusty out there that you'd clean something and within minutes it had a inch of dirt on it. We had nothing to put our clothes in so we were living in bags and boxes. We had a fridge and microwave, but that was it. There wasn't anywhere to hang our wet clothes so we became very good at improvising!!! The neighbors had 3 children and one of them was crying at all times. They didn't take baths and the dad beat on a regular basis with a belt. Not exactly my cup of tea. The neighbors on the other side were fabulous! They have a dog named Blackey and boy did that dog love Gordo and I. He smiled everytime he saw me! (Those of you who know what a dog looks like when they smile, will understand) Nicole had bought two couch/beds (not futons--different) and the 3 of us slept together. Not so much my favorite thing!! It was really camping. The floors were cement and impossible to keep clean. I'm not complaining because if it hadn't been for this house, I don't know what we would have done!! I'm just telling you how it was. I attached some pictures of me washing clothes there. I really am getting good at it. But I HATE it with a passion!!!
Work
Ben is still working at Hotel Tesoro. Right now is Mexican season which is a lot of work and no tips. As of this minute I have 50 pesos to my name! ($5) Thankfully he gets his tips today and paid on Friday. I get paid Monday. The reason we are running on nothing is because we had to come up with rent and deposit for the month of July. So, thankfully, July is paid and what I make over the next little while will go straight to saving for August's rent and bills we haven't had to pay until now. Although that's a new stress I'm okay with that. I'm still teaching English and Tech and I enjoy it. I picked up a group of engineers at Nissan and they are so much fun!!! We are on a break for now, but hopefully starting up again in a week or so. Exams are next week for all my other classes so, I'm preparing those and that's about it on that front.
Aiden . . .
Now this is a topic that is hard to put words to!! He is so damn cute!! He's so funny! And he has endless amounts of energy. He just isn't gentle. Does that make sense? At daycare, he is the bully. He picks fights, he pushes, he hits, kicks, bites, whatever he feels like doing. It's so awful. There's one little boy that cries the minute he sees Aiden because he's scared of him. That is so NOT okay with me!! I am at a loss of what to do. They put him in time out. He's usually there about 30% of the day and doesn't cry once. He doesn't care. On Sunday, I put him in time out almost the entire day and he just sits there. I was under the impression that that was supposed to be a punishment. Apparently for my son, it isn't. He's not as picky as he used to be at eating, which is nice. He's slimming down, kind of. He's tall!!! His obsessions are still the same: agua (water), pelota (ball) and wow-wow (dog). I don't think he could survive if these things did not exist. He has started to get into the Disney cartoons. But we have to be careful with what he watches because he gets scared REALLY easy. When a plane flies overhead, he freaks out! In the movie Mulon, he gets really scared with the Huns. We have to hold him. So, we are trying to monitor his cartoon watchage.
The Weather
HOT! HOT!! HOT!!!! It finally came. It hit about a week ago and hasn't stopped. It's rained a few times which makes it even worse! It's so hot that when you step outside it's hard to breathe because the humidity is so thick! It's like you have stepped into worldly sauna. Yuck!! And as humid as it is, you would think that my face and hands wouldn't be dry, but they are. What's up with that? I've lived here for over a year and not once have I gotten burned and I've spent a lot of time at the beach!!! But when Ben's family was here, we went on a Party Boat and I fried! It was so wonderful. Up until that point my skin was pasty white because of stress and I looked sick. I feel a little bit more spunky. My husband's cousin bought us a hammock, we just need to get it up. I am SO excited!!!
The Surprise . . .
I waited until now to tell you. We're excited and a little overwhelmed right now. I'm Pregnant!!
Gotcha!! We are excited and a little overwhelmed but not because I'm pregnant, are you kidding? I'd probably kill myself!! We were given a gift and her name is "Nana". She is one cute mut! She's 2 months old and finally clean. I've had to shower her 3 times with special soap to get rid of all the fleas and ticks. And then I had to give her worm medicine. That was the worst!! She was so full of worms. The poor thing. I'm a little stressed right now trying to potty train her. It's easier when Aiden is at daycare, but when he's here, it's almost impossible! He picks her up by the tail and drops her. He wants to lay on her, but he doesn't realize she's too small. I can't even imagine having another child right now. Nana is almost as tough as another baby. Mariah, I admire your willingness!!
That's where life stands right now!! I'm heading up north July 19th and will be in Salt Lake around the 1st. I would like to see as many people as possible! This time, I won't have any doctor's appointments except one! Dentist. :)
I hope all is well for everybody!! Loves and kisses!
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