Cabin Fever

It's exhausting being cooped up with the little guy. He has more energy than even he knows what to do with.  I am really starting to feel like I am going crazy.  The big guy as much as I love him has been sleeping all day he wakes up just as we go to bed.  It's really making me sad.  It's lonely knowing he is in the house but too tired to partake in any family activity.  I might just be having a negative attitude about the whole bit.  Don't get me wrong our relationship is wonderful.  I feel so blessed to have the big man in my life.  He works hard to provide for us, he does his bit to help out around the house (granted it may all take place in the middle of the night but better then than never).  I wonder how other people do it ? Having opposing schedules to their spouse, be married have kids the whole Chang?  I feel as though we are always just passing by each other, every once in a while stopping to exchange sentiments.  It breaks my hear when the little man pass by our bed room door he puts his finger over his mouth and says "shhhh daddy's sleeping", weather he is there or not.  Granted it may not be the typical life style but it's my lifestyle.  I guess I need to focus on the bigger picture we are happy, healthy, have a roof over our heads, ice in the drive way and another snow day on Monday.

The wedge

Today a wedge was driven between the little man and the big guy.  We had been cooped up in the house all morning, the big man wanted to get out and go get some lunch (that was not turkey) and do a little shopping. So we all got cleaned up to look presentable much different than the pajamas we had been in for a day an a half. It was 1 in the afternoon we left the house headed to Applebee's.  We were quickly seated.  We placed our order and. Sat there and sat there the big guy was happy the manger came over to put soccer on the tv where we were sitting. The little man was growing impatient waiting on some much anticipated macaroni and cheese.  The little man became restless repeatedly asking for his food.  The waiter finally came with our waters and some appetizer plates after sitting there for a solid ten minutes. We were not in any hurry to get any where but when you have a little man who is acting as if he has not eaten in weeks ten minutes seems like an hour.  The waiter apologized for the wait. At this point little man thought the empty plate was a curl joke.  He wanted to know who took his macaroni and cheese. He began to loudly verbally express him self with hoot and hollers and screams for his long waited macaroni and cheese that never came.  We were getting those stares from people, you know the ones, where you are the only parents in the world who lack the parenting skills to control a hungry two year old.  The big guy also losing his patience waiting on the food we ordered over 30 minutes ago that had still not come, nabbed up the little guy and headed out to the car.  Left me there to apologize to the waiter for departure and scrambling for my purse and our jackets. We headed home and the big guy sent the little guy to his room, angry that we could not go out to eat with out making a scene.  Since his stern scolding the little man won't talk to the big guy.

It's the Season

I don't know what it is about the holiday season that makes a little blue. It could be the hubby aka Big Guy, who has been working like a mad man to save up enough money for the plan. (I will have to tell you about the plan later) any how his working causing me to miss him so much.  He works nights and sleeps days,  it often takes him two full days of sleeping to recover from working a full week of nights.   Either way,  I am soo grateful for the big guy.  The big guy choose to continue his education hence why I have not been blogging much lately, I have been on homework motivation duty.... (Nay I said duty on my blog...lol)  His work as interesting as it may makes me appreciate what I do.  Helping him with his home work makes me miss being in college.  I am such a nerd, I had aspirations of being a life time student, but then realized I could not afor the cost of an advanced education. So after racking up $90,000 in educational loans, and two degrees later, I retired from being a college student and join the world of the working folks.  If I could go back to school I think I would want to try a differnt profession, not that the one I have is not great, I love it, but It would be nice to make more money.

Secret Posts from the Little Man

When things are going great BE PREPARED for set backs.

It's been a busy summer, of traveling, toddlering, and organizing play dates, and mommy days off.  I am very sad to see summer almost over.  I guess I am having a midlife crisis, I have decided to make some major changes in my life.  I have chosen to take control of my weight, with the loving support of the love of my life I have started a new diet program.  The decision to do this was brought about by seeing the success with one of my husbands coworkers.  I did some research, we went out there to talk to the  Medifast people and see what the program was all about.  My only skepticism was the Medifast food.  I had the preconceived notion that all diet companies that produce food only makes tasteless food that is less than filling and lest than desirable to anyone with a taste bud or two.  I took the plunge and did it.  I had a great first week the program was not hard to follow I ate four of their Medifast  meals that I would rather refer to as snacks.  Since everything seems to be yummy chocolate coated goodness.  I find it amazing that I lost weight eating what tastes like candy, ice cream, and chai lattes.  The food was much better than I had expected.  And the success of the first two weeks was phenomenal I am down ten pounds.  And I am looking forward to losing all the weight I put on after my pregnancy.  I am also looking forward to getting down to a weight I have never really been at.  I have always worn my "fat kid" label with pride I learned to love myself the way I am.  I just hope I can love me as skinny as much as I do fat.  

I choose to write on this simply because I have had a really bad week it being my birthday on Sunday and having had one of the worst in my life, I am feeling a little guilty for straying from the diet.  I find myself making excuses and making justifications for my little cheats.  Ultimately I know the only person I am cheating is myself, but I am hoping that in my confession I can find a light at the end of the tunnel.

From what I can tell I am still losing weight but the habits are what got me to this point are the ones I am trying to break.  For my birthday we made our rounds of visiting friends my husband being Nigerian I always find it hard to decline the large plates of food they offer, Since most of them take it personally as an insult that I don't want to eat food that they prepared especially for me.  This is most definitely a topic I need to take up with my Medifast counselor.   

Its the beginning of spring in may?

To My blogging community I am very sad to report iPad #2 has taken a tumble this time it's my own fault for not putting it where it should have been. I had to take a small hiatus from blogging to try and get my house cleaned... Which as most of you know is not an easy task if you have a husband and a two year old. That and my Pinterest addiction has grown in to an obsession I am happy to report I have made several hundred scrabble tile necklaces which if I knew how to hold a give away on a blog I would. But for now I will settle for a blogging mentor that I could pay with my crafting knowledge and art classes, any one that would be willing to help me better understand the world of blogging and how to step it up. To get some real interaction I feel so alone in here with no one to communicate with other than my own thoughts. Any how back to my obsession I have also been gardening crazy.... I am even to the point where I want to sew little man his own garden gnome outfit and have him frequent my garden.

It's hard enough being inexperienced and even harder trying to learn something new, but even worse when it's under unusual conditions. This weather it's getting me all kinds of confused. So we go the potatoes and onions in the ground back in February. The garlic was planted some time in November I think... I should have written that down. We have had strange weather... Nice warm getting hot one week then bam outta nowhere drop down to freezing three or four times since our supposed last frost. We lost the green part of our potatoes.... To one of the freezes then they came back.... I am still working on them... They now have small bushy greens with ver small flowering buds. I hope the potatoes the produce won't be an embarrassment to our school... All our hard work we would like to feed more than one small child.

So the garlic and onions.... Harvested them today. I could have probably waited a few more weeks on the onions but the ants were beginning to make nice and walk away with our onions. I have to admit this is my first time to grow garlic. Now that its grown and harvested I am trying to figure out what to do with it all. I have done my you tube research and learned that I need to cure the garlic. (Just so you know I live in surburbialand and don't have a back shed for drying out vegetables). I brought the garlic and onions home to learn about this curing process. I have some laying out on my sons little tykes climbing castle thing, and the onions on a lawn chair. I feel like a real urban gardener. So please don't burst my bubble just yet. I am still patting my self on the back and working on my gardener of the year award.

I had my students unwillingly weed and de-ant one of the raised beds. We now have 3 tiny tomatoes plants, planted in there, Tomorrow I am taking another two tomato plants for that bed. We also planted six bell pepper plants and tomorrow I plan to add a mammoth jalapeño plant and a red chili plant. As well as get okra and corn planted. I don't know anything about corn other than i like to eat corn, and Sandra Cisneros has a poem about my friend Lucy who smells like corn, well only one way to find out I plan on growing half a bed of corn and the other half cucumbers.

Till next time I get my hands dirty. Lets all try to learn something new.

It's Spring and My Dad Won't Let Me Break It

This is the time in the year that give teachers the the little bit of rejuvenation they need to make the hard push to through standardize testing time, the kids go crazy for three months suffering from summer fever time and the time of the year teachers are too busy and broke to have choir practice. (wink wink).  Spring Break Yo!  its down hill from here I am already visualizing my self on tour of America's best beaches.  None the less I was hoping fro a preview this week.  Since moving away from good ole San Antonio twenty years ago... The Texas coast has been somewhat out of reach.  I was not willing or had any desire to drive eight hours or more to see sand and some less than ideal beaches.  However since the little man and I made the trip via The Megabus to San Antonio I figure why not your almost there,  I thought I would rent a car take the little man to go see sand and some Cheeto eating Seagulls for the first time in his tiny life.   I was all ready with credit card and cellphone in hand when my father, little mans grand pa, puts a big huge stop to that idea... With his negative Ned attitude and 1 million reasons why we shouldn't and can't go.  I now feel hostage in my parents home... No car,  having to ask permission to go out with my friend... My parents just want to oodles over the little guy who is now pumped full of sugar, arms stuffed with toys and treats to keep intoxicated and addicted to the land of Grandparentville.  

As always my allergies are flaring as they always do I. San Antonio I am laying on what in my mind should be a lounger located on a beach in south Florida waiting on an exotic tropical adult beverage basking on the sun. But instead I have a recline chair, a box of tissues, some allergy medication and, the glaring light from the TV to enjoy on my week off.

To Party or Not to Party That is The Question

OMG...WOW... my my where has the time gone? The big day is two weeks away before little man turns two. The BIG terrible two, I have been trying to prepare myself for this day for a long time (2 years 220 days 7 hours 33 minutes the time I found out I was pregnant) I have been reading all the self help books and child instruction manuals I can to be ready... Unfortunately everything I read tells you no matter what you can't predict how your child will handle the the terrible twos. That is some what assuring but at the same time I have the self delusion setting in. I know that wont be my child throwing him self on the floor in the middle of theToys R Us rolling around screaming, throwing the content of our grocery basket at the passing shoppers at Wal-mart. Running around church during the sermon going up to the priest and giving him a high five for the awesome distraction he was. Been There Done That!!! I survived that in the one year old stage... I can handle anything.... I am a Mom.

Now to decided to have a party or not. We went all out for birthday number one, had fancy decorations, food, cake, adult beverages, mommy and daddy friends and family from near and far. Had a nice spread for the five kids that came with their parents. (By the way we don't know many folks with kids... I am hopping to make friends at the park some day... When other people start to go to the park). We could have another mommy daddy party.... But I am to tired for company and would be humiliated if the little unpredictable man puts on a mother show... Then I will be looking for new friends and family. The dilemma is I can maybe invite two of the neighbors kids that we know that wouldn't be uncomfortable to be around their parents. At the bounce party place they require ten kids minimum. However, I don't know etiquette when it comes to a kids birthday party... Who do you invite if you kid can't tell you who their friends are from the daycare.

What we have decided is to send a birthday in a bag to the day care I talked with them... They said it would be fine since all five of the other kids in his class have birthdays within days of each other. (New mission to get to know the moms of the other kids at the daycare... I see new friends in my future.) We have opted out of birthday at home and are just going to buy the little guy a swing set. Next year if he asks for a party maybe by then I will know more of the parents from his daycare and will have more kids to invite to a party.

Discipline and Donuts

Everyone sound asleep in the house I set a pot of coffee to brew for my most amazing husband. I sneak quietly out of the house to go buy the donuts. Everything going as deliciously planned in my head to treat my family to donuts. When I get home the big man has the little man in a time out for climbing on the furniture. Little man sitting there crying gets up to run to me for sympathy and rescue the big man tells little man to sit back down. The defiant almost two year old runs over an takes a swat at the daddy and screams "NO MAS" in true Beverly Hills Chihuahua fashion. Of course this just helps to aggravate the big man who is suffering from a caffeine deficiency demands the little man to go back to time out. once again the little guy is sitting there crying because he is in time out. I bring a nice big cup of coffee stirred up just the way the big man likes it, and the box of donuts to the living room. Big man hand the little guy in time out a donut who gleefully stops crying to eat the donut. I guess this means time out is over... No wonder we are not in the running for the parent of the year award.

Toddler v's Car Salesman

So.... my husband and I may be in the market to replace my gas guzzling mommy mobile.  I could pull out my soap box and go off on a rant about the gas prices and how it is crippling my social life, not to mention putting a HUGE damper on the much needed retail therapy, I need to be a functioning part of society.  But if you live in America I am sure you can understand.  We all want a few more dollars in our paychecks to level out the constant fluctuation in gas prices.  Even if you don't have far to drive your still paying for it at the grocery store.  none the less we suck it and pay for it anyway, and penny pinch on all the not so necessary necessities that make life worth living.

In a true family fashion we loaded up the car and rolled on down to the closest Ford dealership to go checkout the most gas efficient family friendly car they have.  So we spout off all the things we are looking for in a car and of course the sales man said"I have just the thing for you."  He left us standing there in the lot surrounded by shinny new cars.  We were soaking it up until the sales man drives up the a bran new 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid in my favorite color red.  I was over taken by the new car smell I didn't notice the GPS navigation the Bluetooth syncing abilities the sound system etc... My husband on the other hand,  a much more practical shopper, begins asking questions. Questions about the engine, the mileage, the warranty the important stuff.  I, on the other hand blurt out where is the spare tire?  (My attempt to stay active in the car buying process...  At first the man looked at men went around to the back of the car started talking about the back door and the spacious room in the trunk and hidden compartments lifted the cover in the back and no spare tire.  At that point flashes of being stranded on the side of the road with no cellphone service was going through my head that none of us noticed the little man had climbed in to the drivers seat and had closed and locked the door.  The sound of the sales man closing the back door snapped me out of my delusion.  I tried to inconspicuously to open the door but couldn't I motioned to my husband about the situation at hand who began to freak out.  By the time the sales man caught wind of what was going on he stared looking for the keys just to realize he had left them in the car with the toddler.

To his embarrassment he had closed them in the back while he was looking for the spare tire. He had to call his boss to get the extra key to get my son who was in heaven pretending to drive to far off places.  Come to find out there is no spare tire on the Ford C-Max.  We followed the little man joyfully back to our gas guzzling car, I think we keep it for a few more months.

Motherhood and Poop Culture

    Do you ever wonder how they do it?  I sure do.   Dirty diapers, trips to the grocery store, cooking dinner, drinks with the girls... celebrities make motherhood look so easy.  Little man is 7 weeks away from his second birthday and he is out of control.  I am sure this is all normal I have seen it in other peoples kids, but I am realizing how delusional I am as a first time mother.  I used to believe that my kids would never do that, today my son was that kid.  You know the kid that people walk by and mummer under their breath that she needs to learn how to control her kid.   While my son is screaming at the top of his lungs resisting being buckled in to the shopping buggy after the second trip to the restroom for his second wardrobe change.  Throwing anything within his reach off the shelves and out of the buggy.   I am happy to report I did survive the Sunday trip to the market. 

     I don't know if it is just exhaustion, stress, and fatigue.  I am realizing how hard it is raising a kid while the village is under construction.  I really wish my parents lived closer now, it would be nice to let the little one go visit Nanalita for a while so I can get the house cleaned up or get some grocery shopping done without the aid of ear plugs.  I  feel like I should just stand in a closet to get a few minutes to put myself back together.  I hope I can survive my little mans temper tantrums, toy throwing, and a multitude of daredevil stunts.  I try to keep the in mind that boys will be boys.  In the mean time I will stick with prayers, patience, and penny pinching. 

 

The Save Money Challenge

I am in no way a saver I consider my self more of an uneconomical superstar. My solution to saving up to buy something out of my price range was to pick up an extra job or two. In my younger years any job opportunity that came my way I took. I watered and cleaned plants at a hotels and offices, I was a babysitter, a house sitter, I worked at a sandwich shop, I designed website graphics, I cleaned houses, I worked at a factory. I did what I had to do to get what I wanted. I didn't have very good financial role models growing up. I got my first credit card when I was in high school of course with out my parents knowledge. I maxed it out in no time. It did take me a while to really understand the the evils of credit cards as well to learn about a rubber checkbook. But I am now all grown up and responsible. No credit cards, and rarely use my checkbook.

I have tried my hand at couponing to save a few bucks. It was fun I may have been saving money but it got a little challenging to lug the "notebook" along with the diaper bag, the purse, and the toddler to the store. Often times, to find that some other couponer beat me to it and cleared the shelf. I know we waste a lot of food so I think I might start there. In most places in Europe they don't have the luxuries of the room for a large refrigerator. I am going to try to buy only what I am planning to cook. The grocery store is just down the street from my house. I am going to make an effort to keep track of my spending. I find it funny that there are all those recipes for dinners for 25 dollars however none of the ingredients are at my local shopping market. We will see about that.

My goal this year is to not over spend. To live in less than my means. I want to save. To take a trip, to have a lavish wedding. I have accomplished living within my means but in order to do the things I want, I need to learn to live less with in my means.

The First Fib of the Year.

Today is my mothers birthday, which I may have almost forgot in my teacher calendar mentality. (Confession#1)Yes, I suffer from selective amnesia during school break, I maybe just be trying to make myself feel better but I like to think all teachers disregard counting days and keeping time, when they are on Holiday. It's the one thing we hold on to dearly no numbers no responsibilities no time keeping no cleaning up after the OPKs. Just peace and quiet. (Confession#2) since I have had my little on my life has had a major deficiency of silence. So maybe I have just basked in a whole lot of peace over the past two weeks. Don't get me wrong i love my little on but to have a little one lurking out side of the bathroom door yelling at the top of his lungs "Where are you?" while you are trying to get your business done can feel a bit intimidating.

So sorry, (Confession#3) ADD kicks in and my mind wonders. My mothers birthday and the fib. I may have called her a day early not realizing the day, with the intention to wished her a happy birthday. (Confession#4) I get off track often when talking to my mother. The conversation proceeds and ends with no celebratory "Happy Birthday."

January 6th my moms birthday. Granted, I am not a my best today, being slightly under the weather my have something to do with it. Or it could just be that it is one of those lazy Sundays where you catch up on all the things you put off on Saturday. (Confession#5) I may have only washed the bathroom rugs and put laundry off for another day. Knowing my son is at the age of repeating what you say I may have called my mom just moments ago at 9:45pm hoping it was not one of the nights they are practicing senior sleep time. (Confession#6) I coheres my son to say "Happy Birthday" using the say it and he repeat it method. My mom overwhelmed with happiness I blurted out with no self control the fib. The little white lie. I told her "WE HAVE BEEN PRACTICING ALL DAY". (Confession#7) My lovely little family spent all day in bed watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. And one trip to Sears to catch a good deal on a set of larger than life Soup Pots. A big thank you to GF#1 who posted her excitement about the biggest looser being on tonight did it click in my mind. (Confession#8) I let my one year old son stay up past nine.

Please Pass The Box of Tissues and NyQuil

I am pleased to announce I made it through 88% of my winter break with out getting sick. Unfortunately the 22% that I didn't make it through is these last two days. Serves me right, what good teacher would get sick during the school year. (And if my math is wrong do beat me up about it I am an Art teacher not a math teacher.) The funny thing about me being sick to day is not that I look like I am related to Rudolph Reindeer but I was so worried about not getting enough steps in for the day to be competitive with my +Fitbit buddy. The Mad Scientist that I work with convinced me to get a Fitbit. They are a little on the pricey side so it took a bit of saving to get me one. But now that I have one I am obsessed with it. It tells me how many times I go up the stairs, and how many steps I took and calories I burned. In other words its a fancy pedometer. I am so looking forward to going back to school and walking during my lunch Tim a putting the smack down on The Mad Scientist.

My GF#3 back in Ol San Antonio, lost 50+ pounds using the Nike band thing in one school year. I figured if she could do it so can I. LoL I have to laugh at my self I don't sound like a sick person even though I have mad a total of one trip up stairs to check on the little man while the big man went to get me some NyQuil and 376 steps from the bed to the kitchen, to the bathroom and back to bed. All I have to say is that I am the luckiest girl in the world to have such a wonderful man in my life to care for me when I am sick.

Making Motherhood Look Easy

I know all of us mothers have days like this, you know the days when the world is off its axis, the kids have been possessed by crazy chickens and the neighbor stops by in the middle of it all to confiscate you mother of the year trophy. It was my turn for that day. My husband has been on the night shift, and has taken to sleeping days, which means the rest of us have to tippy toe ever so silently around the house. Now that i am in to my second week of christmas vacation i am getting a little stir crazy. Due to circumstances beyond my control my little guy has decided that yesterday was the day to practice his talking at decibels no large urban city would consider appropriate.

I try to every thing i can to keep the natives quiet so the big man can sleep. I like him to have his sleep so he will be the congenial man I enjoy on his days off. So i decided to take a much needed trip to the grocery store. I had to grapple with the little man to get a fresh diaper and some pants socks and, shoes on. Now time to load up the MoMobile, get the earth friendly shopping bags in the car (check), get the little man strapped in to his executive chair make sure I have a bra on grab my purse and keys. I don't know if its just me... But it seems to be more of a challenge to get my self presentable for a public appearance on my days off than the days i have to work. The ladies in the Moms Club always seems so cool and put together when we meet up. Those days we get together I envy them and think how great it would be to have five kids and be a stay at home mom, I would have time to look posh and fit. I would have time to get a workout in. Those ladies must think I am a nut case. I have one kid and seem to constantly look disheveled every time we meet. I am hoping with practice one day I will make motherhood look easy.

The Characters in My Story: A Reference Page

I know I do not yet have followers, but one day I will.  Here is my +commitment to you. If you ask I shall respond. If you comment I will take it to consideration.   All are welcome to an +opinion since you are taking the time to consider mine.  For all of that I am  greatful.

To introduce you to my life so you know where I am coming from.  I like to consider myself a modern but modest, contemporary but independent an +educator, a +student to all i am a thinker a doer a skilled +artist who has many interest.  I guess that is what makes me such a great educator I am +overweight by more than I would like to mention.  I am not talking like 5 to ten pounds overweight its almost a three digit number.  I am a real person with real life issues. I am not rich but I am not poor, at least not yet. I live paycheck to paycheck.  I am an art teacher at a public school. A second generation American.  So in other words I have assimilated.  I am of  Spanish decent a daughter a sister a mother an aunt A Role Model.

To introduce you to the people in my story I will give you a bit of a description but to minimize the humiliation I will change their names to protect the innocent.  Lets start with my son he is my only child.  We will refer to him as little man.  He is a strong tall little guy who is just learning how to talk. He is at the stage of repeating everything we say.  Little man takes after his dad, my fiancé,  the love of my life.  We will refer to him as big man.   A little about my future husband he is from Nigeria. I met him four years ago.  We met off of one of those +dating websites.  Surprising we instantly were attracted to one another.  We quickly got engaged, but have run in to many financial complications to getting married.   (I will go in to that some time when I start blogging about planning my wedding. Hopefully my experience will help young couples on a budget who are trying to get married.)

Then there is my best girlfriends from back home in San Antonio.  We will refer to them as Las Three Amigas for my non +Spanglish speaking community that means the thee girlfriends.  GF#1 is my better than best who is getting +married in October (a little bride war drama between us), I am to be her maid of honor at her +wedding.  GF#2 is a labor an delivery nurse and as most would put it keeps it real. GF#3 was a big girl like me, but has recently lost a considerable amount of weight.  Then I have my Teacher friends here that I work with let's call them Ms. English, older set in her ways very old school manorisms, and not afraid to let us younger folk know how it should be.  Then we have the mad scientist and the super violinist. The mad scientist is my partner in crime she helps me keep it interesting at +school.

I will think of this post as a reference post for all to get acquainted with the characters in my story.  I welcome you all to ask questions, comment and post your thoughts. I will consider you my new +friends. An it will be a pleasure getting to know you.

Hello,

Chamomile is a flower that has been used for ages as medicinal teas and drugs. My grandmother used to crush and boil chamomile when I was little and give it to me to get over all the little bumps and bruises of life.  In my eyes as a young child it would solve everything.  I have chosen to begging blogging to share my lifes knowledge, experience, and inspirations in hopes to inspire and educate. Happy Blogging.