MB Concert

Someday, my girls will be crazy about a particular artist. And when that happens, I am sure I will roll my eyes at them. I will shake my head. I will think that being so excited about someone you've never met - and likely will never meet - is completely, 100% RIDICULOUS.

I will probably also think that their music or particular skill is horrendous. The way they dress, dance, or carry themselves may even be offensive to me. I will begrudgingly buy my kids tickets to go see them.

When that time comes, I know my girls will get mad at me because I don't understand them. They will be in complete disbelief about how unemotional I will be about their artist. They will think that I was never in their shoes.

So this post is a gift for them...

Today I am taking my sister to the Michael Buble concert in Columbus, which means we are driving couple hours each way for it. And at 33 years old, I couldn't possibly be more excited about it. I paid some serious money for 5th row tickets because I wanted to have good seats. That's the advantage of being as excited as a 15 year old, but having the budget -and freedom to spend it- of a grown up.

We are also leaving early so that we can get there during the sound check and hopefully at least get a glimpse of it all. And you bet I am dressing up!

I saw him back in March in Cincinnati for the very first time, but we had terrible seats. And Lionel and I will see him in Vegas, but in terms of seats, this is as good as it gets for me. So since we are going to be so close to the stage, I decided to do what I have never done before: Make a sign. In fact, I actually made two, one for my sister (you're welcome Gabi) and one for me.

Fun in the sun

All things considered, today was a great day. We were disappointed to see Mexico lose against Argentina in the world cup, but at least we were in good company. Some of our friends came over and hung out with us all day. We watched the first game at 10:00am, then grilled out for lunch, and then watch the Mexico game at 2:30pm.

It was really hot out there, so it was a good day to hang out by the pool. We did not make it all the way to the neighborhood pool, but instead used an inflatable one I bought for just $25. The girls had such a great time! Isabella did not want to get out. Every time I told her it was time to get out she said "No! No!", and waved her arms so I couldn't get a hold of her.

While they were playing I just stood by them with a watchful eye. Sofia does great at the pool by now, but Isabella can still slip and go down. So I wanted to make sure I was prepared to pick her up if I had to. It was so hot that I finally gave up and stepped inside the pool. And sat on the edge to hang out with them. It felt so good that I did not even mind getting my dress all wet. Eventually Lionel joined us as well.

Too little, too late

Lionel has made me so mad today. Once again, I ended up cleaning the front yard all by myself. He is just like my ex-coworker from hell. She seemed to believe that if she pretended to not see things, the work would just go away. The truth is, somebody else had to compensate.

I've been telling him for over a month that we need to clean the front yard. And with each passing week, things just got worse and worse. The last time I brought it up he told me "Nobody will notice. You are the only one who sees it". And yes, he was referring to the 4 FEET WEEDS right besides the front door. That really is some nerve... And the fact is that even if I was really the only one seeing it, does that mean that I don't matter? It doesn't even bother him that I am unhappy about it?

As we say in Spanish: "No hay mas ciego que el que no quiere ver".

This weekend we are having people over, and not even that made him do something about it. I know he is busy, just like me. But he did not have to do it himself. He could have just hired somebody, but I guess doing that was just too much effort. I really wish he took more pride on the way his house looks from the outside.

Since I don't want my friends to be welcomed by a nasty front yard, I took matters into my own hands and decided to get out there. Half way through, Lionel came out and asked me if I wanted him to come out and help. Sorry pal, that is too little too late.

So now I am done, and the yard looks much better. But I am hot, and dirty, and almost sunburned, despite using sun block. And I am very mad at him. So I am locked in the bathroom, writing this. Because after all that hard work, I think I deserve a moment of peace.

Isabella Estrada Bey

Today is exactly 19 months since I held Bella in my arms for the very first time. My parents where right: Time does fly!

When she was born she felt so tiny to us. At 6 pounds, 3 ounces, she was a full 2 pounds less than when Sofia was born. Her small size meant she couldn't hold as much food in her stomach, which translated into many, many sleepless nights. She also tended to spit a lot. Throwing up was so effortless for her. But she did not seem to mind. Other than that she was always a happy baby. Maybe because since the very first day she knew we all loved her very much.

I remember she was so small at the beginning that we couldn't even put her on the bouncy chair. She just wouldn't stay up. We had to prop her up with two receiving blankets, one on each side. We also used to swaddle her all the time. But we never called it "swaddling". To us, we made her "taquito", which always seemed to calm her down.

In just 19 months she has come a long way. Our tiny little baby has transformed right before our eyes. She is still very happy, but is also now a busy and devilish toddler. She climbs on chairs, she uses them as a step to reach the table, she chases after her sister, and always manages to make a mess. And now I am just waiting for her to also climb out of bed.

Little Sister. Big friend.

This afternoon, when I picked up the girls from school, I went through the regular motions: collect the crafts of the day, put empty containers in backpacks, get dailies. Except that today, when I got Bella's daily, there was a hand written yellow sticky note on it.  Here is what it said:

Dear Isabella's parents,

My daughter, Molly, has recently started at Goddard and we had a rough drop-off this morning. She was very upset, and your daughter, Isabella, was so kind to her. Molly loves to play with the dolls, and Isabella brought one over to her as if to say: We can have fun today. So I wanted to let you know how sweet and caring your daughter was.

Thank you!

This was written about our [almost] 19 month old girl, who takes after her sister in her caring ways.

Just when it couldn't get any worse...

Today my work day started with me being ignored. I had just arrived to the office, and was walking down one of the main hallways, when I ran into somebody at a pretty high level in my company. There was nobody else around; it was only the two of us. So I did what I always do when I make eye contact with somebody at work, whether I know them or not. I said "Good Morning" and smiled.  This person then looked at me. But instead of saying something back, smile, or at the very least shake her head Hello, she decided to look at me, look away, and keep walking. "Wow!" I thought. "How incredibly rude is that?"

Later in the day I got attitude from somebody who was probably bitter because they did not get their way. So I guess they decided to take it out on me.

But not everything about my day was bad.

Lionel picked up Sofia from school so that I could have a moment to myself and go workout. And my amazing mom, who had already spent the day taking care of our devil little girl, also made us dinner, and made the big girl's bed.

If my mom only knew what a difference she made in my day!

Cold

Tonight I am in a particularly bad mood. I could go on and on about why, but I can summarize it in just one word: WORK.

I am just not feeling good about it at all. It is one of those days when I feel like nothing I do is good enough. Right now I am totally drowning in bad vibe. I feel like I am standing alone in the cold.

I don't even want to eat dessert tonight. I guess at least my waist line will thank me for that.

My sister. My twin.

Today was my sister's birthday. It would be wrong of me to just write here how old she is, but I can at least say she is older than me.

So I’ve basically known her for 33+ years. And I can honestly say that for most of that time, she has been my best friend. I am sure we went through stages when we were not all that close, but funny thing is, I don’t really remember any of those. What I do remember is my big sister constantly being there for me.

She is my only sister, but I’ve never really felt like I needed more than that.

Throughout the years many people have thought that we are twins. If you ask us, we don’t really look that much alike. But for some reason our familiar looks seem to throw people off. When we were in college, some people even though there were three of us.

I love my sister so much, that not only I would trust her with my life. I would trust her with something even more important than that. If Lionel and I were to leave this world before my girls are all grown up, she is the one person I would want to remain in charge of their lives.

Now that we are adults we each have our own families. So we have to share our time and affections with more people than ever before. But I know we will always have a special place in each other’s heart.

Feliz Cumpleaños Gabi!!

Bella's incident...

Tonight, when I picked up the girls after work, one of Bella's teachers announced: "I have an incident report for you".

When teachers welcome you that way, it can only mean one of 3 things ... none of them good:

1) Your child did something he/she shouldn't (such as biting, hitting, etc.)
2) Somebody did something to your child (such as biting, hitting, etc.)
3) Your child got randomly hurt (like the time Sofia caught a frisbee with her face).

"What happened? What did she do?" I said, remembering how once, when she was still in the baby's room, she bit someone as they were fighting for a book. "Nothing. She got bitten by another child", she responded.

I feel bad about this, but I was kind of relieved. Not that I was happy about her getting hurt, but I was happy that she was not the one causing somebody else any pain. And she was ok. Apparently the offender (names are never disclosed) came all the way from the other side of the room and bit my Bella in her arm. Good thing she still has plenty of baby fat.

Forever my girl...

Tonight I went out for dinner with my mom, my sister, and Sofia.

Sofia was not necessarily part of the original plan, but she asked if she would come with us. So I thought: "Sure. What's the harm..." We got ready and headed out to pick up Gabi and my mom.

By the time we made it to Gabi's house Sofia was clearly exhausted. She had taken a shower before we left the house, which clearly helped her relax. So we asked her "Sofia, do you want to go back home?" But she said no, so we all headed to the restaurant, half thinking "Uh-oh. We better not have a meltdown".

Fortunately she fell asleep in the car for a few minutes, which gave her enough of a boost to make it through the night. She was really good at the restaurant, but clearly she was still tired. So I asked if she wanted to sit on my lap and she said yes. Too sweet, just like the good old times...

Ay que pesado, que pesado...

I’ve never been one of those people who are crazy about exercise. I am no couch potato either, but I just can’t bring myself to workout everyday. I would if I had unlimited time, but clearly that is not the case. By the time the girls go to bed it is basically 9:00pm.

I think the best I’ve ever been was after Isabella was born. My health was so bad for an entire month, that by the time I got clearance from the doctor I was determined to get out, and get moving. The fear of not losing the baby weight also helped my case. Not even the awful, frigid winter weather prevented me from getting out there - almost every day.

As a result of my newly found dedication to exercise I lost all the baby weight, and got in great shape. I promised myself I would keep up the good work after I went back to work, but unfortunately I only had some mild success.

It’s been a long year since I went back to work and I feel like once again I am putting on some weight; Probably the result of some bad habits and a healthy dose of stress. I am still playing tennis twice a week, but clearly that is not enough. I either start working out more, or I stop eating dessert. But what would life be without the latter? No! I MUST save dessert! Definitely more workouts are coming my way…

Unconditional love

There's no question on my mind: My children love me!

Tonight, as we were playing around, Isabella found a few months old magazine. In the back of it, there was a picture of a swimmer with unbelievable abs. So I lifted my shirt and asked Sofia which stomach she liked best: The swimmer's, or mine, which clearly has seen better times.

And as the loving - and clearly biased - child that she is, she immediately pointed to mine...

Negative thoughts

Today was a "blah" kind of day at work. I had things to do, but nothing that would cause my world to crumble if they didn't get done right away.

Days like these should be rather welcomed given the busy and extra stressful year I've had at work. But for some reason, instead of enjoying them I end up feeling like I am totally useless. While my friends are running around, working of high profile projects, I am just sitting here, wasting my time.

Days like these are bad because they allow me to have negative thoughts. And they make me question my being here Vs just being home and enjoying my girls.


So to continue with my "blah" kind of day, here are the top three things that have been really bugging me at work nowadays:


1) The new boss in my area has not officially met me yet. Obviously nobody told her I should be in her "MUST MEET" list. This, to me, tells her everything she really needs to know about me: I am just not that important around here.


2) My work friends are working together on a project, while I am on the sidelines. This invariably means they will get closer and closer, and I may end up feeling like the odd one out.


3) This last year I have worked extremely hard, like never before, and I feel like I will still find myself eating everybody else's dust.

Rain, rain, go away...

Today I went grocery shopping in the pouring rain. If I can, I usually avoid going out in the rain, but today it was Ok. I had just come back from the gym, so I knew I would have to take a shower anyway. Besides, it looked like it  was going to rain all day.

This was really my second rain encounter of the day. When I was at the gym I left my car’s rooftop open. You probably know what happened next.

The grocery store was surprisingly not empty. I cruised most of the isles looking for good stuff not on my list. And even bought some beer as I was hoping my dad would come visit later in the day. Not that he is particularly a big drinker. I just thought that would make me look like I was a better and more prepared host than I really am.

As usual I spent a lot of money on food, and on my way out I made small talk with my cashier; and old lady with a wrinkled 3 hearts tattoo on her left wrist. I am sure she welcomes the opportunity to say more than “paper or plastic?” throughout the day.

I then finally made it to my car, with my feet soaking wet and a bunch of random thoughts in my head.

Me llamo...

This is what happens when you tell Sofia it is Ok to write her sister's name. She runs out of room, so she continues wherever she can.

El Mundial

The 2010 World Cup starts today.

I am usually not one to watch sporting events, much less to get excited about them. I do like playing sports. I just don't like watching them.

But THIS? This is different. This is "THE" sporting event around the globe. And for me, this is a little piece of home. It's amazing to think that this is something billions of people can enjoy, regardless of their countries of origin, religion, occupation, or social status.

So yes, I am actually excited! It also helps that Mexico is playing the opening game.

Of course we will have a divided household. I will be supporting Mexico and Lionel will be supporting France. And they will be facing each other as they happen to be in the same group. But we'll get through it. We'll just have to be good sports about it.

Here we go...

Pelitos

Isabella always wakes up with crazy hair. It is easy to get it under control, but today we were running so late that we had to sacrifice "hair taming" time. Hopefully the teachers will do something about it. They are good like that.

Gray

Lately I've been feeling pretty disconnected from everybody. Like I'm just going through the motions: work-home, work-home, work-home. The fact that the weather has been gray, haze, stormy, and in one word "depressing" definitely doesn't help. I need sunshine! Where did it go? Isn't this supposed to be the summer? Shouldn't I be by now enjoying the parks and the zoo with my kids, going to barbeques, wearing tank tops and shorts, eating on the deck?

And what happened to the days when every weekend you would hang out with your main group of friends, and the question was not whether or not you would see each other, but what exactly you would be doing? ... I know ... We got married, we had kids, we moved away. We still only have 24 hours in a day, but more people and activities to share it with. So something had to give.

I feel that for the most part I've managed to keep a social life. But it probably goes in spurts. And right now I am feeling somewhat forgotten. Have my friends given up on me? Do the things that matter to me still matter to them? Have they moved on and should I do the same?

Maybe tomorrow the clouds will go away...

Clutter me bad

If there's something I am 100% certain about, other than my love for my family, and my family's love for me, is that my house is not as clean as it could be.

It is not for the lack of effort. For instance, yesterday I spent the better half of my day cleaning the house. But you wouldn't know it by just looking around. It's just hard to keep up with the girls, who are always moving things out of place. Isabella is particularly bad, much worse than when Sofia was her age.

We had somebody who helped us for a short while, but she had to move away. It took me a while to trust her, so I did not feel like starting all over again with someone else. At least not yet. And our real problem is not that the house is really dirty anyway. We just have plenty of clutter EVERYWHERE. I have couple spots I have declared clutter-free zones, but even those have been taken over by the kids now and then.

Sometimes I wonder what people think when they come in, especially those who don't have kids. And I hope they don't think badly of me.

The truth is that clutter is no fun, but I know it won't last for long.

T-ball

This morning Sofia had her first T-ball class. We were all going, and were doing our best to show up on time:

Lionel: "Come on, come on girls, hurry up!..."

Me: "Sofia, Isabella, listas?, apurenseee!..."

Lionel: "Hurry up or we are going to be late for your class"

Sofia: "Why do we need to show up on time? Mami and I are never on time for my tennis class"

Lionel: [just laughing, and looking at me]

Me: [embarrassed smile] “Sofia, the reason we are always late for your tennis class is that I come straight from work. And sometimes I just can’t leave work early, but it is important to show up on time to your class.“

Sofia: [nothing further]

Bella: [oblivious]

So we finally made it to the class, and were happy to be on time.

We were surprised Sofia was the only girl. That she did not seem to mind. But she did not seem to have much fun either. I think the only reason why she went through the entire class was the promise that if she stayed, we would go to the playground next.

We think the class was just too slow for her. She stood there in the middle of the field, yawning at times because the ball rarely came her way. At some point they were put in pairs and practiced throwing and catching the ball. And Sofia was looking at the other kid as if he was the most boring person in the world.

The only time she seemed to enjoy the class was when she had her turn at bat. She did a great job with that.

Now the question is if she will want to go back. 

Girly Girl

This summer Sofia can't go to her Tennis class, since they moved it to a time that is completely inconvenient for working parents. So in order to keep her athletic spirit going, we decided to sign her up to another sport. We scanned the possibilities and ended up giving her a choice of either Soccer or Baseball.  She chose the latter. Not surprising, considering she has played with a bat before and she can actually hit the ball.

Yesterday I received a phone call to remind me that her class starts tomorrow morning, and that she needs to bring her own mitt. So this morning Lionel and I were discussing who would stop by and get it after work. Sofia wasn't sure what we were talking about, so we had to remind her we had signed her up for that class. She then told me: "I don't know how to play baseball". To which I replied: "That is Ok. They are going to teach you". She then had just one request: "Can Daddy buy me a pink mitt? I want it to be pink".

Up and down. Up and down.

The other night we were having dinner when I had to get up for literally about the 10th time. The reason? One of the kids needed something ... AGAIN.

It never fails. You sit down, and one of them needs an extra napkin. So you go get it ... By then, the other one spills something all over herself. So you run upstairs to get a new outfit. You make it back… You are then finally about to put a bite in your mouth when child #1 announces she needs help cutting her food. Aargh…

So I asked Lionel: "How many times, on average, do you think we get up during each meal? Because I think it's at least 20". “Nah. That's too many", he said.

I am sure he is dead wrong. So I told myself that next time I would count each and everytime one of us had to get up. The problem is, everytime I actuallly thought about counting I quickly got distracted by having to get up yet again. Funny how that works…

So if anybody reading this has small children, and you have a good estimate on the amount of times you have to get up during a meal, please let me know.