John's been taking over the computer in the evening so it works out that my blog entries go in the next morning!
My day was nice and quiet yesterday until the end of school. Isn't that the way it always is? I expected to see all three of my wonderful children getting off of the bus and only one showed up. Ahhh! Seems that Lisette has decided to help out with the middle school play and Jake had one more Circus lesson. I was a little less than happy. A lot less.
So I walked Nicole down to her manicure appt. then stopped at the bakery on the way back home and got some goodies for our guests - medialunas (croissants), an apple pie for dessert and some dulce de leche cookies.
Before Nicole was finished I had to drive and pick up Jake from Circus. While I was in the school getting Jake, Nicole called - she was finished. Zipped over and picked up Nicole - thought I was heading home to work on supper, but no!! Nicole had to go to the school to help with the play too. That's when I called John and said "WHERE ARE YOU??" as nicely as I could.
John was home when Jake and I arrived. He picked up Lisette from school for her nail appt., got her when she was finished then picked up Nicole from the school when play rehearsal was over.
We had a delicious roast chicken dinner with mashed potatoes and green beans. John had a glass of wine poured for me before I agreed to have any. Smart guy!! :-)
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Brrrrrr!!!!
It's cold here. Barely above freezing and it's only May...winter is months away. Our heating system doesn't seem to be keeping up but I just turned up the heat again so we'll see!
John's parents arrived yesterday!! It was so great to see them! We picked them up at the airport and brought them to the house - John and I had stayed at a hotel in the city Monday night because the traffic that early in the AM would have been brutal to get through.
After a tour of the house we went to our favourite restaurant down the street for lunch. Much chatting and two hours later we headed back home via another route so they could see our little "downtown" area.
Jake had a "Tennis Presentation" after school so we met Nicole there...she had forgotten to tell Lisette about it so poor Lisette was on the school bus home! Jake was an ace! He did great!
Another reunion awaited us at home - Lisette seems to have grown a little according to both Nana and Abuelo! Go Lisette!!
I made a pasta dinner as it was the 29th (Gnocchi Day!!) so we'd all have good luck. Hope it works!!
John's parents arrived yesterday!! It was so great to see them! We picked them up at the airport and brought them to the house - John and I had stayed at a hotel in the city Monday night because the traffic that early in the AM would have been brutal to get through.
After a tour of the house we went to our favourite restaurant down the street for lunch. Much chatting and two hours later we headed back home via another route so they could see our little "downtown" area.
Jake had a "Tennis Presentation" after school so we met Nicole there...she had forgotten to tell Lisette about it so poor Lisette was on the school bus home! Jake was an ace! He did great!
Another reunion awaited us at home - Lisette seems to have grown a little according to both Nana and Abuelo! Go Lisette!!
I made a pasta dinner as it was the 29th (Gnocchi Day!!) so we'd all have good luck. Hope it works!!
Monday, May 28, 2007
Blogging Withdrawal
Wow! I haven't blogged in days!! Is there a BA (Bloggers Anonymous) when the time comes to lay down that keyboard??
We had a busy weekend (obviously) cleaning up the house sans maid who's sick. Poor Lilian! Poor us! I must say, John did an outstanding job in the office!! Sometimes my evil plan works beautifully. I figured I'd go to bed (at 10), read a little then finish whatever job he'd left for me this morning - the plan worked perfectly! Not much to do but general picking up. I'm hoping Lilian is feeling well enough to be back to work today but it isn't so bad if she doesn't make it - thanks to the elbow grease of the five of us!
Today would have been my Dad's seventieth birthday. Most of you or all of you know we lost him in July of 2005. I still can't talk about him without welling up but I certainly can't go without mentioning him today. I imagine he'd be thrilled with our adventure here. His sense of adventure was one of my favourite things about him. This is the post I wrote 12 months after he died, on his memorial website ~
"Well Pops, it's been a year. Can you believe it? It's been rough without you around to encourage me or to raise an eyebrow at me or to pass the phone to Mom because you hated to talk on the phone.
We're doing well down here in Florida but my "Honey-do" list stays pretty long without your bi-annual trips here. John is an amazing man, in many ways I did marry my dad, but he's just not quite as fast as you were to get those jobs done.
We might go to Barnhills for dinner tonight, in your honour. I've never seen a man chow down at a buffet like you could. Jake has your intensity at the dinner table though. He's been giving me extra hugs today, has you on his mind too.
John suggested we go sailing but that didn't feel right somehow. He then suggested we let Jake play with power tools or take something apart just for the heck of it, that seemed like the right idea!
I was wishing I was in Hamilton today then realized you aren't really there anyway. You're off sailing or fishing or just watching some race or antique show somewhere but you're not wasting time moaning about things. That was never your style. I know you're watching over the bunch of us but expecting us to look after ourselves, just like you taught us. We'll do our best.
Thank you for teaching us. Thank you for being an outstanding example of a parent. Thank you for the hundreds of little things we saw you do that showed the way. Thank you for my sisters, I couldn't have got through the last 42 years without them much less the last 12 months.
You were and always will be my hero. I have always been so very proud to be your daughter. I will carry you in my heart and soul forever.
Your Shelley"
Happy Memorial Day!
Please pray for our Military and give your dad a call! :-)
We had a busy weekend (obviously) cleaning up the house sans maid who's sick. Poor Lilian! Poor us! I must say, John did an outstanding job in the office!! Sometimes my evil plan works beautifully. I figured I'd go to bed (at 10), read a little then finish whatever job he'd left for me this morning - the plan worked perfectly! Not much to do but general picking up. I'm hoping Lilian is feeling well enough to be back to work today but it isn't so bad if she doesn't make it - thanks to the elbow grease of the five of us!
Today would have been my Dad's seventieth birthday. Most of you or all of you know we lost him in July of 2005. I still can't talk about him without welling up but I certainly can't go without mentioning him today. I imagine he'd be thrilled with our adventure here. His sense of adventure was one of my favourite things about him. This is the post I wrote 12 months after he died, on his memorial website ~
"Well Pops, it's been a year. Can you believe it? It's been rough without you around to encourage me or to raise an eyebrow at me or to pass the phone to Mom because you hated to talk on the phone.
We're doing well down here in Florida but my "Honey-do" list stays pretty long without your bi-annual trips here. John is an amazing man, in many ways I did marry my dad, but he's just not quite as fast as you were to get those jobs done.
We might go to Barnhills for dinner tonight, in your honour. I've never seen a man chow down at a buffet like you could. Jake has your intensity at the dinner table though. He's been giving me extra hugs today, has you on his mind too.
John suggested we go sailing but that didn't feel right somehow. He then suggested we let Jake play with power tools or take something apart just for the heck of it, that seemed like the right idea!
I was wishing I was in Hamilton today then realized you aren't really there anyway. You're off sailing or fishing or just watching some race or antique show somewhere but you're not wasting time moaning about things. That was never your style. I know you're watching over the bunch of us but expecting us to look after ourselves, just like you taught us. We'll do our best.
Thank you for teaching us. Thank you for being an outstanding example of a parent. Thank you for the hundreds of little things we saw you do that showed the way. Thank you for my sisters, I couldn't have got through the last 42 years without them much less the last 12 months.
You were and always will be my hero. I have always been so very proud to be your daughter. I will carry you in my heart and soul forever.
Your Shelley"
Happy Memorial Day!
Please pray for our Military and give your dad a call! :-)
Friday, May 25, 2007
Busy as Bees
My inlaws are coming to visit! Hence, it seems like a good time to finish unpacking. Nothing like visitors to kick the nesting instinct back into gear.
I snoozed late yesterday morning, back to bed after getting the kids on the bus. So my shower was quick and my to-do list was short.
Jake had a Spanish presentation yesterday afternoon so John skipped out of school early and arrived just in time! My baby was wonderful and spoke his lines like a Spaniard! He was mostly thrilled with the fact he'd been able to grow a beard and moustache over lunch period. Thankfully he "shaved" before we took him to the Book Fair. So we spent a million dollars on books before heading to an ice cream shop with friends.
You have to see these ice cream cones to believe them. They shape the ice cream into long peaks then dip them in chocolate. The things are a good foot long, the littlest guy could hardly reach the tip of his cone while holding the base. The girls were at their soccer practice and Nicole was none too happy we'd gone to this place without her.
Lisette went to the church youth group "Lock In" and Jake slept over at his friend's so Nicole had us all to herself. It was a nice quiet evening with our baby girl who's been on her very best behaviour of late. :-)
Today (Friday) is an Argentinean holiday, related to their independence - the signing of it anyway. So no school for anyone. John and I spent the day working on the house. My kitchen looks amazing! We finally hung our Italian tapestry and John didn't fall off of the ladder!! Whew!
I did a shower run for some of the girls at the church, they didn't want to go 24 hours without decent hygiene facilities. We got five girls showered in less than an hour!
Now Lisette's still at the Lock In - I think they're at the mall watching Pirates of the Caribbean, Nicole is at a friend's and Jake is happily up in the attic playing video games.
Here's to another quiet evening!!
I snoozed late yesterday morning, back to bed after getting the kids on the bus. So my shower was quick and my to-do list was short.
Jake had a Spanish presentation yesterday afternoon so John skipped out of school early and arrived just in time! My baby was wonderful and spoke his lines like a Spaniard! He was mostly thrilled with the fact he'd been able to grow a beard and moustache over lunch period. Thankfully he "shaved" before we took him to the Book Fair. So we spent a million dollars on books before heading to an ice cream shop with friends.
You have to see these ice cream cones to believe them. They shape the ice cream into long peaks then dip them in chocolate. The things are a good foot long, the littlest guy could hardly reach the tip of his cone while holding the base. The girls were at their soccer practice and Nicole was none too happy we'd gone to this place without her.
Lisette went to the church youth group "Lock In" and Jake slept over at his friend's so Nicole had us all to herself. It was a nice quiet evening with our baby girl who's been on her very best behaviour of late. :-)
Today (Friday) is an Argentinean holiday, related to their independence - the signing of it anyway. So no school for anyone. John and I spent the day working on the house. My kitchen looks amazing! We finally hung our Italian tapestry and John didn't fall off of the ladder!! Whew!
I did a shower run for some of the girls at the church, they didn't want to go 24 hours without decent hygiene facilities. We got five girls showered in less than an hour!
Now Lisette's still at the Lock In - I think they're at the mall watching Pirates of the Caribbean, Nicole is at a friend's and Jake is happily up in the attic playing video games.
Here's to another quiet evening!!
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Proud to Habla
I had my manicure appointment early this morning and zipped down the street, arriving only a few minutes late. Thankfully, that doesn't cause the blink of an eye around here!
All day I've been excited by the fact that my manicurist and I chatted through the whole appointment. Usually we exchange a few sentences but the shop is usually bustling so we're mostly watching (me) and talking (her) to the other employees and their patrons. The shop was extremely quiet today - only one other employee who was mostly busy in another room. So we chatted. In Spanish! I'm so thrilled! She was very patient and was very clear with her speech so that helped immensely. Still - I think it was my first lengthy Spanish conversation outside of my teacher. Okay, it was a big deal to me!! :-)
On my way home, I stopped and grabbed a few trays of sandwiches to donate to the schools' Teacher Appreciation Tea. As luck would have it, another mom was there doing the same thing and offered to take my sandwiches in with hers as she was heading right to the school from the store. Bonus, I didn't have to walk home with two big ole trays of sandwiches!
I then received an lunch invite so scooted home just in time to brush my hair (had to go to the nail appointment with semi-wet hair - not a pretty site after an hour or so) before Mary came by to pick me up.
Soup and salad for lunch - quite yummy! The weather is definitely feeling brisk but it was sunny and gorgeous out with the leaves getting more red every day. Soup always feels right when it's chilly out.
John came straight home then the girls came home via the bus. Jake was at his last Circus class...they'll be putting on a show after Nana and Abuelo get here!
The kids chose to stay put for dinner but John and I went to our friends' for some Peruvian chicken soup (yes, I love soup) and some good beer. Satisfying all round.
It's nine o'clock and time for American Idol. They say it's a bad season but I'm hooked. Not much else on around here obviously!
G'night!
All day I've been excited by the fact that my manicurist and I chatted through the whole appointment. Usually we exchange a few sentences but the shop is usually bustling so we're mostly watching (me) and talking (her) to the other employees and their patrons. The shop was extremely quiet today - only one other employee who was mostly busy in another room. So we chatted. In Spanish! I'm so thrilled! She was very patient and was very clear with her speech so that helped immensely. Still - I think it was my first lengthy Spanish conversation outside of my teacher. Okay, it was a big deal to me!! :-)
On my way home, I stopped and grabbed a few trays of sandwiches to donate to the schools' Teacher Appreciation Tea. As luck would have it, another mom was there doing the same thing and offered to take my sandwiches in with hers as she was heading right to the school from the store. Bonus, I didn't have to walk home with two big ole trays of sandwiches!
I then received an lunch invite so scooted home just in time to brush my hair (had to go to the nail appointment with semi-wet hair - not a pretty site after an hour or so) before Mary came by to pick me up.
Soup and salad for lunch - quite yummy! The weather is definitely feeling brisk but it was sunny and gorgeous out with the leaves getting more red every day. Soup always feels right when it's chilly out.
John came straight home then the girls came home via the bus. Jake was at his last Circus class...they'll be putting on a show after Nana and Abuelo get here!
The kids chose to stay put for dinner but John and I went to our friends' for some Peruvian chicken soup (yes, I love soup) and some good beer. Satisfying all round.
It's nine o'clock and time for American Idol. They say it's a bad season but I'm hooked. Not much else on around here obviously!
G'night!
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
And now for Tuesday...
I have a beeping box beside me - very annoying but John seems to think it's necessary to protect the computer et al from the evils of 220V/?? wattage electricity. I'll just have to take his word for it but the beeping is driving me beeping crazy!!
Played nanny to a four yr. old and a puppy for a few hours today - fun again! They are really both quite sweet.
Off to the grocery store for a whole lot of stuff but couldn't track down fat-free milk in either of grocery stores I went to so had to settle for partially skimmed - isn't my life exciting?
Spent some time chatting with our dear Lilian, her husband has the virus that's going around. It's a nasty thing, high fever, chest congestion, extreme fatigue. Gotta love Autumn.
Leaf colours are beautiful here, reds and golds. The piles of leaves are everywhere. The scary part of that is underneath the leaves are the dog piles that are everywhere too. Scary!!
Dinner was pork chops and applesauce! Brady Bunch anyone? I found some German applesauce, yummy but too sweet for some and not sweet enough for others?? The chef in me came out to play and I made homemade mashed potatoes although the salad was grocery store put together. :-)
Now Lisette is talking to her sweetie (Dylan), Nicole just got out of the shower, Jake and John are reading together and CSI is calling my name. No American Idol here until tomorrow night - and it's three weeks behind so shhhhhhh!
Goodnight!
Played nanny to a four yr. old and a puppy for a few hours today - fun again! They are really both quite sweet.
Off to the grocery store for a whole lot of stuff but couldn't track down fat-free milk in either of grocery stores I went to so had to settle for partially skimmed - isn't my life exciting?
Spent some time chatting with our dear Lilian, her husband has the virus that's going around. It's a nasty thing, high fever, chest congestion, extreme fatigue. Gotta love Autumn.
Leaf colours are beautiful here, reds and golds. The piles of leaves are everywhere. The scary part of that is underneath the leaves are the dog piles that are everywhere too. Scary!!
Dinner was pork chops and applesauce! Brady Bunch anyone? I found some German applesauce, yummy but too sweet for some and not sweet enough for others?? The chef in me came out to play and I made homemade mashed potatoes although the salad was grocery store put together. :-)
Now Lisette is talking to her sweetie (Dylan), Nicole just got out of the shower, Jake and John are reading together and CSI is calling my name. No American Idol here until tomorrow night - and it's three weeks behind so shhhhhhh!
Goodnight!
Sheesh!!
No one is blogging today! All my favourite blogs have the same old thing on them! It must be Spring - where they are, it's Autumn here.
I played good friend/taxi driver yesterday. Actually, it wasn't selfless as we made a stop at the gym we're likely going to sign up at. Met up with a wonderful British lady friend of my friend, as she was heading in to the gym to actually exercise not just look around and feel guilty. After she hit the treadmill, she came by Mary's and we all had a cup of White Chocolate Mocha coffee (are you sure just walking into the gym doesn't count?) and spent hours chatting. We discussed the guilt we sometimes have over the perks of living "abroad". She pointed out (the Brit) that we go without all our dearest family and friends, all the niceties of familiarity, so we should enjoy the perks as much as possible. I'm with her.
Spanish class was relatively painless, I finished my homework with about 15 minutes to spare. Then I picked up Mary and her boys for the Elementary School play. We met Nicole and Jake at the school and enjoyed the hour long production. Parts were amazing, parts were funny, parts were painful. It was a terrific production considering the participants were only 9, 10 and 11 years old!
The six of us went to McDonald's for dinner. One familiar thing I just don't miss. The little guys do though so it's always a treat.
Back home in time for Jake to scramble through his homework, a shower and bedtime. The girls went into a last minute panicked frenzy as it turned out their Biology test is today not Thursday.
Success!! Just before I post I do a spell check. I get a little thrill every time it says "no misspellings found" - thought I'd share a little of my Aspergerish ways!! Ooops, that won't pass the spell check! :-)
I played good friend/taxi driver yesterday. Actually, it wasn't selfless as we made a stop at the gym we're likely going to sign up at. Met up with a wonderful British lady friend of my friend, as she was heading in to the gym to actually exercise not just look around and feel guilty. After she hit the treadmill, she came by Mary's and we all had a cup of White Chocolate Mocha coffee (are you sure just walking into the gym doesn't count?) and spent hours chatting. We discussed the guilt we sometimes have over the perks of living "abroad". She pointed out (the Brit) that we go without all our dearest family and friends, all the niceties of familiarity, so we should enjoy the perks as much as possible. I'm with her.
Spanish class was relatively painless, I finished my homework with about 15 minutes to spare. Then I picked up Mary and her boys for the Elementary School play. We met Nicole and Jake at the school and enjoyed the hour long production. Parts were amazing, parts were funny, parts were painful. It was a terrific production considering the participants were only 9, 10 and 11 years old!
The six of us went to McDonald's for dinner. One familiar thing I just don't miss. The little guys do though so it's always a treat.
Back home in time for Jake to scramble through his homework, a shower and bedtime. The girls went into a last minute panicked frenzy as it turned out their Biology test is today not Thursday.
Success!! Just before I post I do a spell check. I get a little thrill every time it says "no misspellings found" - thought I'd share a little of my Aspergerish ways!! Ooops, that won't pass the spell check! :-)
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Tennis and Football
They don't actually mix very well but that's what we did!
We headed over to the school with tennis rackets in hand. Neither girl was excited with the idea of a family tennis outing, not surprisingly. Upon arrival, we found out the high school athletic field, including the tennis courts was inaccessible. Oops. John suggested we go play at the Elementary School playground.
Unbeknownst to me, we had brought a basketball and a football!! There happens to be a small basketball court and a small soccer field with artificial turf at the ES playground. We started with tennis, switched to football and then back to tennis - all played on the soccer field. All of us had a great time. Some basketball was played in between but the focus was mainly on our really bad tennis...but at least we were all really bad!! The football was touch with a tiny bit of tackle thrown in when John and I were too tired to run. :-)
We dragged ourselves home quite exhausted. Crawled into the shower then all except Lisette went out for a steak and rib dinner. Yummy!! Too bad Lisette had too much homework to catch up on!
Bedtime is around the corner - thank Goodness!! We should all sleep well tonight!
We headed over to the school with tennis rackets in hand. Neither girl was excited with the idea of a family tennis outing, not surprisingly. Upon arrival, we found out the high school athletic field, including the tennis courts was inaccessible. Oops. John suggested we go play at the Elementary School playground.
Unbeknownst to me, we had brought a basketball and a football!! There happens to be a small basketball court and a small soccer field with artificial turf at the ES playground. We started with tennis, switched to football and then back to tennis - all played on the soccer field. All of us had a great time. Some basketball was played in between but the focus was mainly on our really bad tennis...but at least we were all really bad!! The football was touch with a tiny bit of tackle thrown in when John and I were too tired to run. :-)
We dragged ourselves home quite exhausted. Crawled into the shower then all except Lisette went out for a steak and rib dinner. Yummy!! Too bad Lisette had too much homework to catch up on!
Bedtime is around the corner - thank Goodness!! We should all sleep well tonight!
Saturday
My "e" key on the keyboard is gone...the key is actually still on the keyboard but the e is no longer visible. All of the other keys look fine, "n" and "o" is slightly faded but the e is gone. Weird, huh? I guess Nicole is to blame - she has all three of those letters in her name! I'm thankful it's not the "i" - that would be embarrassing. :-)
John was not well yesterday, he ended up spending nearly the entire day in bed. He hadn't had a great deal of sleep over the last few weeks so it was catch up time!
Nicole went to play paintball with friends. Then out for dinner - it was her girlfriend's birthday. We have the rule - one social event a weekend. When I called her around 7 to see what the plan was, she asked if she could sleep over at the house of the friend whom she'd slept over LAST night...again. It's a blessing you can't actually reach through a phone and throttle someone. Her single social event for the weekend had been going on for 24 hours and she still asked for more. Needless to say, she's in the doghouse now. Any suggestions for a fair punishment? I'm ready to stick her in her room until July. Fairness is not my strength at the moment, so help if you're able!!
Lisette told us that one of the boys (16 yrs. old) at the after party Friday night ordered a bottle of wine at the restaurant. Then drank the majority of it himself. Welcome to Argentina. She wasn't impressed with his drunkenness though she did admit that she had a sip of the wine. We've offered her sips of wine ourselves and have had the long discussions about the difference between use and abuse of alcohol. I'm hoping this was a scenario that showed the extremes outside of parental lecturing.
Jake's been good! LOL He's been watching too much TV but we're going to go play some tennis this afternoon so to get us all out and moving!
Talk to you later!!
John was not well yesterday, he ended up spending nearly the entire day in bed. He hadn't had a great deal of sleep over the last few weeks so it was catch up time!
Nicole went to play paintball with friends. Then out for dinner - it was her girlfriend's birthday. We have the rule - one social event a weekend. When I called her around 7 to see what the plan was, she asked if she could sleep over at the house of the friend whom she'd slept over LAST night...again. It's a blessing you can't actually reach through a phone and throttle someone. Her single social event for the weekend had been going on for 24 hours and she still asked for more. Needless to say, she's in the doghouse now. Any suggestions for a fair punishment? I'm ready to stick her in her room until July. Fairness is not my strength at the moment, so help if you're able!!
Lisette told us that one of the boys (16 yrs. old) at the after party Friday night ordered a bottle of wine at the restaurant. Then drank the majority of it himself. Welcome to Argentina. She wasn't impressed with his drunkenness though she did admit that she had a sip of the wine. We've offered her sips of wine ourselves and have had the long discussions about the difference between use and abuse of alcohol. I'm hoping this was a scenario that showed the extremes outside of parental lecturing.
Jake's been good! LOL He's been watching too much TV but we're going to go play some tennis this afternoon so to get us all out and moving!
Talk to you later!!
Friday, May 18, 2007
Midsummer Night's Dream
It was dreamy, to say the very least. But more on that later...
I was able to watch the little guy for my friend again for about an hour this morning. I spent the entire time just watching him play with dirt. It was so much fun! He was in his own little world in their backyard. The dirt was usually airplanes and they crashed... a lot! Everywhere. They also have a beautiful puppy, an Irish Setter. She was a happy camper, running and chewing anything that fell in her path - dirt, sticks, plants, grass - they all looked like filet mignon to her! She's only the size of a football right now but her legs are so long! She'd run and run and run and then collapse in the sun. Too cute!
The rest of the day was quiet and mellow.
Tonight was the second and final evening for "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and it rocked our socks!! They were truly awesome - much more relaxed and it showed. Jake was on the edge of his seat and guffawed at parts. The place was packed and the audience laughed in all the right places. Lisette was fabulous!! Here's what the program had to say about our girl ~
Lisette (Helena) - Lisette has recently joined the sophomore class and our school is reaping the rewards of her talent. Lisette performed in the Fine Arts Festival and is a member of NHS (National Honour Society), as well as Choir and Drama. She has performed in numerous productions including "Arsenic and Old Lace."
She's now at the after party - well deserved!
Three cheers for Lisette!! A job well done!!
I was able to watch the little guy for my friend again for about an hour this morning. I spent the entire time just watching him play with dirt. It was so much fun! He was in his own little world in their backyard. The dirt was usually airplanes and they crashed... a lot! Everywhere. They also have a beautiful puppy, an Irish Setter. She was a happy camper, running and chewing anything that fell in her path - dirt, sticks, plants, grass - they all looked like filet mignon to her! She's only the size of a football right now but her legs are so long! She'd run and run and run and then collapse in the sun. Too cute!
The rest of the day was quiet and mellow.
Tonight was the second and final evening for "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and it rocked our socks!! They were truly awesome - much more relaxed and it showed. Jake was on the edge of his seat and guffawed at parts. The place was packed and the audience laughed in all the right places. Lisette was fabulous!! Here's what the program had to say about our girl ~
Lisette (Helena) - Lisette has recently joined the sophomore class and our school is reaping the rewards of her talent. Lisette performed in the Fine Arts Festival and is a member of NHS (National Honour Society), as well as Choir and Drama. She has performed in numerous productions including "Arsenic and Old Lace."
She's now at the after party - well deserved!
Three cheers for Lisette!! A job well done!!
Thursday, May 17, 2007
I'm Back!
Do you miss me when I'm gone? Sometimes I feel like I'm talking to myself out here. Probably because I do talk to myself a lot... :-)
Hmmmm. Yesterday. Can't remember much about it so it was probably not very exciting. John stayed late at school for a ceremony. Watched TV. Went to bed. John stole the covers so I didn't sleep well - the heat is off for some reason.
Today was much more fun. I went to the mall with a girlfriend - helped her buy a suit, had lunch then picked up some groceries. It was nice to have some "mom" time. We got back to the house just in time for my Spanish lesson - just plugging through the espanol!
Jake got his haircut today - finally! It was getting pretty shaggy, he hadn't had it cut since December. I was worried he'd be upset because I had just asked for the sides to be cut and the lady went to town on his whole head. He liked it! Whew!
I made lasagna for dinner. That the first time in a long time that I've made that particular dish. Turned out great too - not fabulous but really good. The intention was to make it for Lisette. It was opening night for her play! She ended up not coming home after school - went to a friend's house to fix her hair. Oh well, she had some when she got home!
John and I went to the play - it was great! "A Midsummer Night's Dream" was a student-led production and the kids did a wonderful job! If you haven't seen the recent movie of it, rent it! Lisette has Ali McBeal's part. John was on a mission before we got to the school. He was bound and determined to get Lisette flowers. At the end of the play he presented her with a single white rose. Damn, he's good. :-)
A good evening to thee!
Shelley
Hmmmm. Yesterday. Can't remember much about it so it was probably not very exciting. John stayed late at school for a ceremony. Watched TV. Went to bed. John stole the covers so I didn't sleep well - the heat is off for some reason.
Today was much more fun. I went to the mall with a girlfriend - helped her buy a suit, had lunch then picked up some groceries. It was nice to have some "mom" time. We got back to the house just in time for my Spanish lesson - just plugging through the espanol!
Jake got his haircut today - finally! It was getting pretty shaggy, he hadn't had it cut since December. I was worried he'd be upset because I had just asked for the sides to be cut and the lady went to town on his whole head. He liked it! Whew!
I made lasagna for dinner. That the first time in a long time that I've made that particular dish. Turned out great too - not fabulous but really good. The intention was to make it for Lisette. It was opening night for her play! She ended up not coming home after school - went to a friend's house to fix her hair. Oh well, she had some when she got home!
John and I went to the play - it was great! "A Midsummer Night's Dream" was a student-led production and the kids did a wonderful job! If you haven't seen the recent movie of it, rent it! Lisette has Ali McBeal's part. John was on a mission before we got to the school. He was bound and determined to get Lisette flowers. At the end of the play he presented her with a single white rose. Damn, he's good. :-)
A good evening to thee!
Shelley
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Weird and Wonderful Day
It couldn't decide whether to be rainy or sunny today...so it was both. Not at the same time though.
I met John downtown for lunch at a fabulous Chinese restaurant I went to weeks ago. Did a little shopping before he got there so I'd properly worked up an appetite by the time we were sitting at the table.
On the way home, via train, we had stopped at the station about three stops before ours. A lady pushed this huge, overloaded cart onto the train into the area where John and I were. It was full of recycling - all metal including a small hot water heater. The train employees were very unhappy and told her to take it off the train. She wouldn't. They just stood there on the platform and wouldn't let the train leave the station. People argued with her, quietly at first but she got pretty verbally tense. I recognized one word just before the gasp came from the crowd. I was trying hard not to crack up - it was quite a show. Finally, two young men pulled her cart out of the train. No physical confrontation thank goodness, but the "train police" just stood there the whole time. I thanked one of the young guys as we left the train at our station a few minutes later.
We arrived home just in time to grab Jake and scoot to the school for Lisette's induction into the National Honour Society. I'd post a picture if I had one - forgot my camera, again!! It was a really nice ceremony and John pinned her pin on her - jokingly pretended to give her a "blood pin" but of course didn't! We're very proud of our girl!
Nicole is very disappointed at not being selected for the NHS. We haven't quite figured out why she wasn't but we're sure she'll be there next year...our superstars!
Jake had another good day at school - I gave him a high five and a cookie. That's all it takes to make his day!
Hope your day was more wonderful than weird!
Love,
Shelley
I met John downtown for lunch at a fabulous Chinese restaurant I went to weeks ago. Did a little shopping before he got there so I'd properly worked up an appetite by the time we were sitting at the table.
On the way home, via train, we had stopped at the station about three stops before ours. A lady pushed this huge, overloaded cart onto the train into the area where John and I were. It was full of recycling - all metal including a small hot water heater. The train employees were very unhappy and told her to take it off the train. She wouldn't. They just stood there on the platform and wouldn't let the train leave the station. People argued with her, quietly at first but she got pretty verbally tense. I recognized one word just before the gasp came from the crowd. I was trying hard not to crack up - it was quite a show. Finally, two young men pulled her cart out of the train. No physical confrontation thank goodness, but the "train police" just stood there the whole time. I thanked one of the young guys as we left the train at our station a few minutes later.
We arrived home just in time to grab Jake and scoot to the school for Lisette's induction into the National Honour Society. I'd post a picture if I had one - forgot my camera, again!! It was a really nice ceremony and John pinned her pin on her - jokingly pretended to give her a "blood pin" but of course didn't! We're very proud of our girl!
Nicole is very disappointed at not being selected for the NHS. We haven't quite figured out why she wasn't but we're sure she'll be there next year...our superstars!
Jake had another good day at school - I gave him a high five and a cookie. That's all it takes to make his day!
Hope your day was more wonderful than weird!
Love,
Shelley
Monday, May 14, 2007
Aspergers Syndrome
On Friday, we had a meeting with Jake's principal. His "anger issues" had graduated him from seeing the school counselor to seeing the principal. Not really excited about that. However his principal is a wonderful lady, very patient and knowledgeable. After talking for about 45 minutes, she suggested we get Jake tested for Aspergers Syndrome. It's a very functional, high level functional form of Autism. Ahhhhh! The "A" word. Well, after doing some Google searching, we've decided we all suffer from it - it's a family affliction!! We've just always said we were anal retentive!
So, maybe Jake will be tested or maybe we'll just threaten him so he'll stop losing his temper over ridiculous things like the difference between a violin and a cello. According to him, I told him a cello was a violin when he was two and he refused to believe it wasn't on Thursday. Took on his whole class including his teacher, fighting (not literally, thank God) for his "violin". Sigh...
At dinner today, I asked John if he'd been a nice boy in school today, had he not started any fights? He thought I was talking about Jake. Hmmmmm. The old apple saying is true!! LOL
The girls and I had Spanish today. I again asked John if he thought my Spanish was getting better. He said it was great! We compared my speaking with my friend's who has a much better grasp on the language. John said Mary spoke like she was very careful, taking baby steps per se. Me, I take off running until I "crash into a wall." I kind of like that!! :-)
So our new family motto is "Aspergers Spoken Here" - wanna join our club?
So, maybe Jake will be tested or maybe we'll just threaten him so he'll stop losing his temper over ridiculous things like the difference between a violin and a cello. According to him, I told him a cello was a violin when he was two and he refused to believe it wasn't on Thursday. Took on his whole class including his teacher, fighting (not literally, thank God) for his "violin". Sigh...
At dinner today, I asked John if he'd been a nice boy in school today, had he not started any fights? He thought I was talking about Jake. Hmmmmm. The old apple saying is true!! LOL
The girls and I had Spanish today. I again asked John if he thought my Spanish was getting better. He said it was great! We compared my speaking with my friend's who has a much better grasp on the language. John said Mary spoke like she was very careful, taking baby steps per se. Me, I take off running until I "crash into a wall." I kind of like that!! :-)
So our new family motto is "Aspergers Spoken Here" - wanna join our club?
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Friday, May 11, 2007
Post 100!!
I've never been able to keep a diary in my life! Somehow combining the Internet and a journal finally worked for me!
It's not been a very busy two days but looking after a little four yr old boy wiped me out yesterday and I was busy this morning so no blog for Thursday!
Our friends have now moved into their beautiful house! Yeah! I watched their younger boy so he wouldn't get crushed or stepped on by the movers. He has an enormous amount of energy!! He's the cutest thing and is wonderfully affectionate but he really wore me out!
Today John and I ran some errands before I caught a nap. We went to a party tonight - fun, crowded and tasty wine. Worked for me but we did come home early. We drove with friends, arrived early so we could leave early - it was work related but still a very nice time.
Now I'm going to bed, it's after midnight and my nap wasn't long enough!
Sweet dreams!!
Shelley
It's not been a very busy two days but looking after a little four yr old boy wiped me out yesterday and I was busy this morning so no blog for Thursday!
Our friends have now moved into their beautiful house! Yeah! I watched their younger boy so he wouldn't get crushed or stepped on by the movers. He has an enormous amount of energy!! He's the cutest thing and is wonderfully affectionate but he really wore me out!
Today John and I ran some errands before I caught a nap. We went to a party tonight - fun, crowded and tasty wine. Worked for me but we did come home early. We drove with friends, arrived early so we could leave early - it was work related but still a very nice time.
Now I'm going to bed, it's after midnight and my nap wasn't long enough!
Sweet dreams!!
Shelley
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
It's A Beautiful Day!
Sunny and cool. Perfect!
This morning I went and picked up a friend from their new house - they're so happy to be getting out of the hotel!! We ran errands and grabbed lunch.
The sun was shining all day...unfortunately I forgot to walk to the school to pick up Jake. He was disappointed too!
Got a bit of bad news today. With budget cuts left, right and center, the military is stopping our Commissary flights. No more delivery of grocery items from back home. No, we're not exactly suffering from starvation down here but we are hearing about cuts all over the place, this is just the latest. Things aren't waiting until summer to come to a screeching halt. The AF has lent the Army millions of dollars - rightly so, but that money wasn't just hanging around looking for a home. Our mail system is going away. Family support programs are the first to go. Political cries of "We support our military..." make me want to scream. Sadly though, it doesn't surprise me in the least. Military families have borne worse burdens than a missing paycheck. Just don't tell me "We support the military, it's the war we don't support"...please. Their Congress is saying they're looking out for us but that includes not paying us???? With friends like that...
Okay, breathing. Little things, I know but still. We're blessed to be in a stable situation. More than likely, we'll just be inconvenienced. Others are already suffering from this political stunt. It's just not right to hold our support structure or our paychecks hostage.
I'm going to go have a cup of tea, cuddle with my puppy and focus on my sunny day.
:-)
Besitos!
Shelley
This morning I went and picked up a friend from their new house - they're so happy to be getting out of the hotel!! We ran errands and grabbed lunch.
The sun was shining all day...unfortunately I forgot to walk to the school to pick up Jake. He was disappointed too!
Got a bit of bad news today. With budget cuts left, right and center, the military is stopping our Commissary flights. No more delivery of grocery items from back home. No, we're not exactly suffering from starvation down here but we are hearing about cuts all over the place, this is just the latest. Things aren't waiting until summer to come to a screeching halt. The AF has lent the Army millions of dollars - rightly so, but that money wasn't just hanging around looking for a home. Our mail system is going away. Family support programs are the first to go. Political cries of "We support our military..." make me want to scream. Sadly though, it doesn't surprise me in the least. Military families have borne worse burdens than a missing paycheck. Just don't tell me "We support the military, it's the war we don't support"...please. Their Congress is saying they're looking out for us but that includes not paying us???? With friends like that...
Okay, breathing. Little things, I know but still. We're blessed to be in a stable situation. More than likely, we'll just be inconvenienced. Others are already suffering from this political stunt. It's just not right to hold our support structure or our paychecks hostage.
I'm going to go have a cup of tea, cuddle with my puppy and focus on my sunny day.
:-)
Besitos!
Shelley
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Drive then Walk then Drive then Delivery
The refrigerator was looking mighty lonely and the shelves looked depressed so I went to the big grocery store (called Jumbo, how appropriate!) to fill them up. That was the first drive part of my day.
Lilian wasn't feeling fabulous today so I sent her on home early with some medicine I picked up for her while I was out. Made her some tea first - she does make my day most every day!!
Though I sang "I'm so Lonely" John still wasn't convinced he needed to walk down to the vet's with me to pay for Buddy's bath so off I sauntered all alone. :-( Phooey on him, it was a gorgeous, cool and sunny day and the walk was lovely! I paid for the bath and then bought Lisette some medicine as she'd come home complaining of some nausea...belly stuff is going around. While I was out, Nicole called looking for a ride home. John was busy at home - our landlord had come over with a cool espresso maker for us!
Power walked home, pecked a hello kiss on the cheek of the landlord and headed to the garage. Round trip of about 10 minutes to pick up Nicole and her friend who lives around the corner.
All that grocery shopping didn't include dinner so we ordered out!! Mexican food - my stomach wasn't impressed. Actually, my taste buds weren't very excited either, oh well.
Now, Jake is late going to bed - restaurants only deliver on Argentinian time! Nicole is finishing her homework and Lisette just took the Vonage phone upstairs (hello Dylan!) while John reads to Jake. Buddy's been asleep since he ate his dinner at 7!
Rest well! I miss you all!!
Love,
Shelley
Lilian wasn't feeling fabulous today so I sent her on home early with some medicine I picked up for her while I was out. Made her some tea first - she does make my day most every day!!
Though I sang "I'm so Lonely" John still wasn't convinced he needed to walk down to the vet's with me to pay for Buddy's bath so off I sauntered all alone. :-( Phooey on him, it was a gorgeous, cool and sunny day and the walk was lovely! I paid for the bath and then bought Lisette some medicine as she'd come home complaining of some nausea...belly stuff is going around. While I was out, Nicole called looking for a ride home. John was busy at home - our landlord had come over with a cool espresso maker for us!
Power walked home, pecked a hello kiss on the cheek of the landlord and headed to the garage. Round trip of about 10 minutes to pick up Nicole and her friend who lives around the corner.
All that grocery shopping didn't include dinner so we ordered out!! Mexican food - my stomach wasn't impressed. Actually, my taste buds weren't very excited either, oh well.
Now, Jake is late going to bed - restaurants only deliver on Argentinian time! Nicole is finishing her homework and Lisette just took the Vonage phone upstairs (hello Dylan!) while John reads to Jake. Buddy's been asleep since he ate his dinner at 7!
Rest well! I miss you all!!
Love,
Shelley
The Walk
Yesterday was boring. Hung around the house. Wasn't feeling up to going anywhere but did enjoy the quiet other than the roof guys making lots of noise.
Then I decided it would be an excellent idea to walk to Jake's school to pick him up instead of driving. Turned out, I was right.
Firstly, it was an invigorating walk to get there. I left a little later than I should have! The only bad part, I walked on the main road so it was kind of stinky and noisy.
I think Jake was the last kid to be picked up. Ooops. Like that's never happened before! :-) He didn't seem to mind though. I had brought him a snack. The way to a man's heart...works with little men too.
It was about a fifteen minute walk home and we took the smaller streets. We talked about everything. Topics covered...school, swimming, water pollution, pet allergies, damaging other peoples tubs, world travel, sports, Mothers Day, poetry, homework and video games. I'm sure there were more but it's too early in the morning for full recall.
The tub story - when we were staying at a newly opened B&B in Umbria, Italy Jake was about 3. As John was filling the bathtub to wash the grubby little munchkin, Jake decided he wanted the cute little ducky to join him in the tub. Unfortunately it was a brass ducky and a iron tub. Chipped the tub. In the week we were there, we had the duck incident, Jake fell in the pool, John broke the hammock and Nicole was punctured just below the eye with a model bird wing. Lisette and I behaved (although the puncture was kind of Lisette's fault). When we left the B&B we were told they were reconsidering allowing children - and they were serious!! Wow, the power of our kids!
Jake was the one to remind me of his duck incident and we laughed over his baby naughtiness. I think I'll be walking to the school more often.
Then I decided it would be an excellent idea to walk to Jake's school to pick him up instead of driving. Turned out, I was right.
Firstly, it was an invigorating walk to get there. I left a little later than I should have! The only bad part, I walked on the main road so it was kind of stinky and noisy.
I think Jake was the last kid to be picked up. Ooops. Like that's never happened before! :-) He didn't seem to mind though. I had brought him a snack. The way to a man's heart...works with little men too.
It was about a fifteen minute walk home and we took the smaller streets. We talked about everything. Topics covered...school, swimming, water pollution, pet allergies, damaging other peoples tubs, world travel, sports, Mothers Day, poetry, homework and video games. I'm sure there were more but it's too early in the morning for full recall.
The tub story - when we were staying at a newly opened B&B in Umbria, Italy Jake was about 3. As John was filling the bathtub to wash the grubby little munchkin, Jake decided he wanted the cute little ducky to join him in the tub. Unfortunately it was a brass ducky and a iron tub. Chipped the tub. In the week we were there, we had the duck incident, Jake fell in the pool, John broke the hammock and Nicole was punctured just below the eye with a model bird wing. Lisette and I behaved (although the puncture was kind of Lisette's fault). When we left the B&B we were told they were reconsidering allowing children - and they were serious!! Wow, the power of our kids!
Jake was the one to remind me of his duck incident and we laughed over his baby naughtiness. I think I'll be walking to the school more often.
Sunday, May 6, 2007
PJs
We were up until 2 AM last night - don't have a good reason why! So today we were up at the crack of noon again. Shameful!
Still, it was a beautiful day - sunny and relaxing. I'm planning a trip for when my in-laws are here. It's a surprise so I won't tell you where we're going, I'm hoping it'll work out though.
Watched a few movies, cleaned out my drawers of sleeveless tops/shorts and such. The temperature outside is on the downswing!
There was a very persistent bird on our stairwell window. It kept tapping on the glass and would not be scared away. Both Nicole and John were swatting at the window with towels and the bird would just look at them. It's a very high window, you're at eye level when you're on the upstairs landing so we couldn't physically touch the glass and this tough but annoying little bird seemed to know it. We finally gave up and as I worked in the bedroom I could hear the pecking continue.
Dinner was chicken (no, not the annoying bird! Sheesh! LOL) and rice...a family favourite. Table is cleaned, dishes are in the dishwasher, Jake is in the shower, John and the girls are studying and I'm at the computer - still in my pjs. Good day, good day!
:-)
Still, it was a beautiful day - sunny and relaxing. I'm planning a trip for when my in-laws are here. It's a surprise so I won't tell you where we're going, I'm hoping it'll work out though.
Watched a few movies, cleaned out my drawers of sleeveless tops/shorts and such. The temperature outside is on the downswing!
There was a very persistent bird on our stairwell window. It kept tapping on the glass and would not be scared away. Both Nicole and John were swatting at the window with towels and the bird would just look at them. It's a very high window, you're at eye level when you're on the upstairs landing so we couldn't physically touch the glass and this tough but annoying little bird seemed to know it. We finally gave up and as I worked in the bedroom I could hear the pecking continue.
Dinner was chicken (no, not the annoying bird! Sheesh! LOL) and rice...a family favourite. Table is cleaned, dishes are in the dishwasher, Jake is in the shower, John and the girls are studying and I'm at the computer - still in my pjs. Good day, good day!
:-)
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Rain, Hail and Hamburgers
I woke up with a start - Lisette had forgotten to wake someone up to take her to her soccer game. When I stumbled into her room, thinking she'd slept in...her response "Yup, we've got to leave in three minutes" ever so innocently. I just shook my head and went to get dressed.
So I scooted her to her game, came home and pretended I was a housewife (actually did dishes, picked up the living room) before enjoying my morning coffee.
We didn't see Jake until 11:30. I finally dragged him away from his new Playstation 2 game and insisted he have some breakfast. Perhaps this is could be a new way to diet - the VGD (Video Game Diet), your hands would be too occupied to feed yourself. Hmmmmm. Maybe not.
Did a great deal of taxi work this afternoon. Picked Lisette up from soccer, she gobbled some lunch then had to be at a play rehearsal. Picked up Nicole then stopped at the grocery store for food stuffs and to pay the power bill. I was worried what our first power bill would be, it only shows up once very two months and we had the a/c blaring the first month in the house. It was only about $170...cool!
Picked up Lisette from play rehearsal, she showered then John (whew!) took her to a get together for the cast. One of her friend's mom is bringing her home! Good thing gas is so cheap - not!
Nicole is babysitting the boys of friends of ours. The four of them (Jake, their two boys and Nicole) were hanging out in the attic playing more Playstation when the hail starting coming down. The house has clay roof tiles, I imagine it was terribly loud up there!
John and I waited for the weather to improve a bit then headed out for dinner. We were all dressed up and decided to try out a place we'd driven by regularly but didn't know much about. It was a burger joint! Yummy but we were definitely over dressed! :-)
Now I'm going to open a bottle of wine and have some dessert! Salud!
So I scooted her to her game, came home and pretended I was a housewife (actually did dishes, picked up the living room) before enjoying my morning coffee.
We didn't see Jake until 11:30. I finally dragged him away from his new Playstation 2 game and insisted he have some breakfast. Perhaps this is could be a new way to diet - the VGD (Video Game Diet), your hands would be too occupied to feed yourself. Hmmmmm. Maybe not.
Did a great deal of taxi work this afternoon. Picked Lisette up from soccer, she gobbled some lunch then had to be at a play rehearsal. Picked up Nicole then stopped at the grocery store for food stuffs and to pay the power bill. I was worried what our first power bill would be, it only shows up once very two months and we had the a/c blaring the first month in the house. It was only about $170...cool!
Picked up Lisette from play rehearsal, she showered then John (whew!) took her to a get together for the cast. One of her friend's mom is bringing her home! Good thing gas is so cheap - not!
Nicole is babysitting the boys of friends of ours. The four of them (Jake, their two boys and Nicole) were hanging out in the attic playing more Playstation when the hail starting coming down. The house has clay roof tiles, I imagine it was terribly loud up there!
John and I waited for the weather to improve a bit then headed out for dinner. We were all dressed up and decided to try out a place we'd driven by regularly but didn't know much about. It was a burger joint! Yummy but we were definitely over dressed! :-)
Now I'm going to open a bottle of wine and have some dessert! Salud!
Friday, May 4, 2007
Well Rested But Now I Need a Nap!
After all that sleep yesterday, I was feeling all energized this morning!
Nicole went to school cutely braided, then off to shower I went. Sent Buddy off for a bath - oops, just remembered I forgot to go to the shop to pay for it! He was delivered, mostly dry and smelling like flowers! He didn't seem impressed but I was happy!
I scooted a friend over to check on her rental house - they're hoping to FINALLY get out of their hotel after almost four months!! We left her little guy here with Lilian, he cries every time he has to head back to the hotel, it's so sad!!
John did very well on his test - 10 out of 10...very proud of my guy! He celebrated by picking up Jake early and heading to see Spiderman 3. They both really liked it but it ended up being too violent for Jake. Ooops. Messing up our kids again...sigh.
Nicole went to a sleepover. I spent three hours trying to figure out our cell phone bills. They will be the death of me - this cell phone business down here!! I finally figure out that John paid the March bill over the phone on the 29th of March then I paid it again in cash on April 10th. Ahhhhh! I thought we'd paid for my phone a long time ago, but no, we're paying through installments. Yo no hablo espanol!
I need a nap! :-)
Nicole went to school cutely braided, then off to shower I went. Sent Buddy off for a bath - oops, just remembered I forgot to go to the shop to pay for it! He was delivered, mostly dry and smelling like flowers! He didn't seem impressed but I was happy!
I scooted a friend over to check on her rental house - they're hoping to FINALLY get out of their hotel after almost four months!! We left her little guy here with Lilian, he cries every time he has to head back to the hotel, it's so sad!!
John did very well on his test - 10 out of 10...very proud of my guy! He celebrated by picking up Jake early and heading to see Spiderman 3. They both really liked it but it ended up being too violent for Jake. Ooops. Messing up our kids again...sigh.
Nicole went to a sleepover. I spent three hours trying to figure out our cell phone bills. They will be the death of me - this cell phone business down here!! I finally figure out that John paid the March bill over the phone on the 29th of March then I paid it again in cash on April 10th. Ahhhhh! I thought we'd paid for my phone a long time ago, but no, we're paying through installments. Yo no hablo espanol!
I need a nap! :-)
Flu Bug
It's been rumoured to be going around. My Spanish teacher was down with the flu earlier this week. Now it was my turn.
I was all dressed and ready to go yesterday morning. Places to go, things to do, people to see. Then my tummy reported a wee bit of trouble. Then my tummy reported a whole heck of a lot of trouble. Eventually I spent a few hours in bed.
Feeling all better now! So far, no one else in the family has had bad reports from their tummies. John left early this morning...I think to get away from potential tummy issues though he said it was to get some cramming in before his test today.
Nicole had asked me to French braid her hair this morning so I dragged my well-rested (thanks to that nap) butt out of bed early to braid her hair. There was a horrendous thunderstorm going on at the time too. Poor Buddy stayed close by while I worked on Nicole's head.
Now I have the house to myself...except for Buddy of course. He's lying on the other side of the desk, never far away!
I was all dressed and ready to go yesterday morning. Places to go, things to do, people to see. Then my tummy reported a wee bit of trouble. Then my tummy reported a whole heck of a lot of trouble. Eventually I spent a few hours in bed.
Feeling all better now! So far, no one else in the family has had bad reports from their tummies. John left early this morning...I think to get away from potential tummy issues though he said it was to get some cramming in before his test today.
Nicole had asked me to French braid her hair this morning so I dragged my well-rested (thanks to that nap) butt out of bed early to braid her hair. There was a horrendous thunderstorm going on at the time too. Poor Buddy stayed close by while I worked on Nicole's head.
Now I have the house to myself...except for Buddy of course. He's lying on the other side of the desk, never far away!
Thursday, May 3, 2007
EKGs
I stayed home all day yesterday (Wednesday) then picked up the kids from school to go to the Embassy to get our EKGs done. As I'm a mean and somewhat cruel mom, I had explained to Jake what happens when you have an EKG done. Wires are attached to your body then they turn on the electricity! His eyes shot open wide and followed with his very worried look. "Really?" I grabbed him in a hug and laughed, "No!"
My husband is usually the prankster of the family, always making up scary stories to worry and scare the kids. Nothing damaging, more like "Your teacher called and you have a big test tomorrow!" kind of thing. Their faces usually turn immediately to me to see if it's true. I'm the honesty-meter. So sometimes I just have to throw them off balance...you know?
The EKGs were all normal and we loaded up our arms with our mail (it had been more than a few days since our last visit to the post office!) to take home.
Dinner was out, though close to home and not in the city...I was a wee bit disappointed. John and girls had studying to do so I was outvoted.
Back home, Jake showered, the girls did their homework and I watched American Idol. I'm getting a little hooked. We're a few weeks behind down here so don't tell me how it ends when the time comes! It was J. Lo week and I was less than excited with the performances, even less than Simon!
I'm not sure what time poor John finally climbed into bed but he's studying for his first round of exams and he's stressing! Keep him in your prayers!
Have an awesome day!!
My husband is usually the prankster of the family, always making up scary stories to worry and scare the kids. Nothing damaging, more like "Your teacher called and you have a big test tomorrow!" kind of thing. Their faces usually turn immediately to me to see if it's true. I'm the honesty-meter. So sometimes I just have to throw them off balance...you know?
The EKGs were all normal and we loaded up our arms with our mail (it had been more than a few days since our last visit to the post office!) to take home.
Dinner was out, though close to home and not in the city...I was a wee bit disappointed. John and girls had studying to do so I was outvoted.
Back home, Jake showered, the girls did their homework and I watched American Idol. I'm getting a little hooked. We're a few weeks behind down here so don't tell me how it ends when the time comes! It was J. Lo week and I was less than excited with the performances, even less than Simon!
I'm not sure what time poor John finally climbed into bed but he's studying for his first round of exams and he's stressing! Keep him in your prayers!
Have an awesome day!!
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
May Day
My husband calls it something else but that's his political freedom of speech!
Nicole spent last night at her girlfriend's house and hung around all day. It was nice to finally see her again this evening - her foot is much better, still bruised but not nearly as swollen.
Lisette went to a friend's house today to watch a Lord of the Rings marathon. She was dropped off after dinner and trotted up to her room, happy-go-lucky that she is!
Jake spent the day with John and I. We waited for the rain to stop (it rudely showed up unexpectedly!) then walked down to yet another cafe. John read some magazines while Jake talked my ear off with his wonderful ideas and then tried (unsuccessfully) to make me understand the importance of certain Yu-Gi-Oh cards.
A headline caught my eye today. It read "Illegal Aliens March to Demand Citizenship" and the article went on to document the plight of a few of the individual marchers. I went through the roof. John just shrugged and shook his head. As an immigrant, I was appalled that these people, who "fessed up" that they were in the U.S. illegally would have any feelings of such an entitlement. Residency, yes in some cases but citizenship?? Burned me up!! I am all over letting those that are honest, hard working people a chance at legality but again..."demand citizenship"?? Grrrr.
Okay, venting over. Will head to bed now!!
Sweet dreams!
Nicole spent last night at her girlfriend's house and hung around all day. It was nice to finally see her again this evening - her foot is much better, still bruised but not nearly as swollen.
Lisette went to a friend's house today to watch a Lord of the Rings marathon. She was dropped off after dinner and trotted up to her room, happy-go-lucky that she is!
Jake spent the day with John and I. We waited for the rain to stop (it rudely showed up unexpectedly!) then walked down to yet another cafe. John read some magazines while Jake talked my ear off with his wonderful ideas and then tried (unsuccessfully) to make me understand the importance of certain Yu-Gi-Oh cards.
A headline caught my eye today. It read "Illegal Aliens March to Demand Citizenship" and the article went on to document the plight of a few of the individual marchers. I went through the roof. John just shrugged and shook his head. As an immigrant, I was appalled that these people, who "fessed up" that they were in the U.S. illegally would have any feelings of such an entitlement. Residency, yes in some cases but citizenship?? Burned me up!! I am all over letting those that are honest, hard working people a chance at legality but again..."demand citizenship"?? Grrrr.
Okay, venting over. Will head to bed now!!
Sweet dreams!
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