WBD: A Post by my HUSBAND!

Today I'm linking up with Allie from Table For More, (I love her) and Kay from Life After for their weekly link-up called :

This should be fun!  

This week, we were asked to get our HUSBAND's to answer the questions... basically blog for us.  Ummm, Mauricio does NOT blog.  It was pain staking and I may or may not have had to bribe him with "favors" in order to go through with it.  (TMI? Maybe...)

It took him THREE tries, but eventually he hunkered down and did it. 

I sent him the questions to read over and his first response was:

The answer to all of these questions is... boobs

Reeeeeal mature...

So I told him to try again...

His second response was:

I feel like this is a plot for wives to force open conversations about these topics with their husbands.

Can you say STALLING?!  

But finally, third time was the charm.  

Here are Mauricio's answer's for Wedded Bliss Wednesday!  Enjoy!

What was the first thing you noticed about your wife?

-The way she commanded the room and unwillingly had everyone's attention.  Kind of intimidating at first, but it was nothing a little game of "hard to get"  (on my part) couldn't solve.

When you first started dating your wife, what kept you calling/asking her out?

- Well when I first started to date her, she didn't quite know about it because I hadn't actually told her yet so a majority of my efforts were on getting her up to speed with all the date she had missed and actually getting her to agree to join me for one.  Once that was out of the way, I had a moral obligation on behalf of all daters to call her back and try to correct all the mistakes I made from the previous date.  It was a tough mountain to climb, but here we are I guess! 

What is your wife's best quality? 

She's the bravest person I know.  Some would say she's got some crazy chutzpah, or cara-de-pau, or nerves of steel. Things (mostly but not limited to, occurring in some sort of medical environment) that scare the daylight out of me are a walk in the park for her.  But it could also be considered a double-edged swor...uhh, I mean, that's all for this question!

What's your favorite thing to do with your wife? (ahem, keep it clean).

Going on long road trips by ourselves, (or more recently with quiet/sleeping kids).  There's something about being locked in a car with nowhere to hide out or seclude to that inspires bolder/healthier conversations.  Even when we're done talking, just sharing the same exact agenda for a couple of hours is a good thing to do (in moderation of course). 

And folding laundry... that's the cleanest thing I could think of involving me... and her... and random clothes on/around the bed.

What are you most excited for the future with your wife?

Sharing every given experience with her and accomplishing marital, family and financial goals. 

How do you make your wife feel loved?

By letting her choose whatever vacuum cleaner she'd like for her birthday.

Totally kidding!!

By doing the little things; the expected and most importantly the unexpected.  Getting her flowers on a Tuesday, filling up her water cup at night, taking over with the kids when she's had a long day, telling her she's beautiful, listening to her, remembering anniversaries, planning birthday part... errr, umm, just overall being a perfect husband by doing all of these things all the time ;)

He blew me away...

As he usually does.

A Perfectly Ruined Engagement

It was two and a half years into our relationship.

We had survived the "Worst First Date" ever.

We had survived his High School graduation.

We had survived my college graduation.

We had survived moving to another city together.

We were ready.  Ok, I was ready.  He was stalling.

The last 3 months had been a whirlwind of emotions, anger and frustration.  I wanted to get engaged and get married already!  I was ready for our lives to officially begin.  And I wasn't shy about telling him these things... on a daily basis.

Annoying much?
Very much.

And then when it finally came, I ruined it.

Let me back up and tell you the whole story.

It was September 27, 2006.  My best friend Jennifer had just started dating this guy, Tommy (who she would end up marrying and having their first baby girl just LAST week!).  She really wanted me to meet him because he was "the one".  So Mauricio and I met up with Jen and Tommy at a comedy club that was hilariously NOT funny.  We decided to leave after Jennifer almost got kicked out for heckling the comedian.  (It wasn't her first time doing that either).  And we chose a restaurant to meet at.

I was driving the car, and on the way to the restaurant, Mauricio asked me to pull over at a nearby park with a beautiful lake to take a walk with him.  I looked at him strangely.  Didn't he know we were supposed to join someone for dinner in like 10 minutes?  I told him no and kept driving.  I wanted to find out more about Tommy and I thought Mauricio was being rude.

So we have dinner, we both approved of Tommy and then it was time to go home.  I was driving on the way to his house,  and he again asked me to stop at another nearby lake to have a walk with him.  Again, I looked at him strangely, wondering what the heck was up with this guy.  Uhhh, it was like 11 at night. There were homeless people at the park... and wild animals... and bugs.  No!  So I kept driving and dropped him off at his apartment so he could get his car and come back to mine.

When I get back to my place, I close and lock the door and go to the bathroom to pee.  As I'm in the bathroom, I hear a knock on the door.

Why is Mauricio knocking on the door when he has a key?

I say, "Mau, I'm in the bathroom... come in".

Again, a knock.

"Mau! Just use your key and come in!"

Knock... knock...

So I get up, with my pants still unbuttoned and look through the peep hole just to be sure it's him... but I don't see anyone.

"Mau, are you there?"

Then I see him crouched on the floor... hiding from me.

"Mau, I can SEE YOU!  What are you doing?!  What's wrong with you?!"

Then softly and defeatedly, I hear him say, "Can you just open the door please?"

And I do.

And there he was, at my door step, on one knee with a beautiful ring.

I was shocked.  Shocked.

He asked me to marry him, I said of course, and the rest is history.

Later he told me that he had been trying to propose the entire evening but that I kept on blocking each of his advances.  That's why he wanted to take me to the park!

And THAT's how I ruined my own engagement!  But it turned out pretty perfect anyway.  I love that he proposed at my door.  I love that he didn't do a grand gesture... that wouldn't have been us.  We're comfortable.  We're best friends.  We don't need a romantic-comedy-esc scene... we just need each other... with no frills.

At our engagement dinner celebration with the fam!

A Staycation

On Monday I told you all about my horrible honeymoon and yesterday I explained how I had to give up my dream of a fabulous vacation to make way for bigger dreams. 


Today, I'll share with you how even though we didn't share a 2 week vacation through the Mediterranean or a week long drive up the Californian coast, we still had a blast. 


Why?


Because it's not about where you go... it's about who you're with. 


And I love my husband...
He's awesome...
And hot. 


So for weeks before the momentous 5 year anniversary, I had been moping around and sighing and rolling my eyes, making passive aggressive comments towards my husband...
"You don't really love me"
"Yeah, we're getting a house, but I want ALONE time"
"Ugh, I never have a chance to relax"
"You never do anything thoughtful for me"


Can you hear the WAAAAmbulance?  Yeah, that was me.


And all he would do is smile and say, "You're gonna look real dumb in a few weeks".


The day finally came... I've been waiting for 2 years... and he told me that we were going to spend the night in a hotel... he had already arranged for his parents to take care of the kids and take them to church with them in the morning! 


WOOOHOOOOO... 
Aside from Jonas' birth and a hospital stay when I had pneumonia, this was the first time we'd been away from the children.  Ever.  That's in over 3 years.


So we went to a lovely outdoor shopping mall and walked around sneaking in and out of designer furniture and decorating shops, dreaming of how we could enhance our new home.  We were just dreaming... not buying.


Then we went to eat at a trendy little outdoor restaurant that had a little of everything and I got to have sushi!  (This is a rare treat, as Mauricio doesn't like it). 


We stopped by Publix and picked up a bottle of champagne and headed to our hotel to toast our 5 years together there. 


And I slept.  
Soundly.
With no crying children.
No pee-pee wake up call.
No shouts of "MAMA!"


Unfortunately my body is still accustomed to my 7:45 wake up call, that I did in fact wake up, looked at my phone, noted the time, cried out "DANG IT" and went to sleep for another hour and a half.


It's funny because I thought I'd really sleep in... like the days before kids.  You know, wake up at 11:30, roll around for half an hour and finally get out of bed around noon.  But no.  By 9 I couldn't take it anymore... I had to get up.  
Ahh, adulthood.


We headed downstairs and had breakfast in the lobby, which was delish.  I'm always up for a good omelet station.  And Belgian waffles? Yes please!


Once we checked out, it was only 10:30 and the kids were at church, so we wanted to take advantage of our freedom and go to the beach, but on our way there, it began to pour.  At that time, we noticed a church that was about to begin, so we decided to check it out.


Not only did we like the church, the atmosphere, the pastor, the music... but they also gave first time guests FREE movie tickets!  YES!  So when church let out, we figured the kids were going to be on their way to have their nap, so again we took advantage of our freedom and went to the movies!  (This is also a rare treat... we never go to the movies anymore).


We saw Moonrise Kingdom.  We liked it.  When we got out, we figured the kids were probably still sleeping (ok, maybe not but hey) and took advantage by watching a second movie!  Yes, we did just go to church and now we were sneaking in to a movie... shame shame... whatever.  We saw Spiderman.  


So after sneaking away for almost two whole days, we now knew it was time to go back to reality.  Plus I missed my babies. 


When we got home and saw our kids, this was the welcome:
To Mauricio from Marco:
"Papai!!! I've MISSED you, I LOVE you".


To me from Marco:
"Mom!  We went to TARGET". 


Great.  I can feel the love.  Thanks a lot.  So a day is long enough to miss Dad but not long enough to miss Mom.  I see.  


So that was it.  Our Staycation.  And it was so fun!  
Maybe not quite as fun as a weekend trip to New York, but it'll have to do.
For now...

A Horrible Honeymoon

Today I will recount to you a horrible journey that began 5 years ago today... no, not my marriage... my honeymoon.

Every girl dreams about her wedding day... the flowers, the cake, the guests, the DRESS.  But they also dream about their honeymoon... the sun, the sand, the romance, the SEX.

We had our wedding, it was beautiful.  Then we spent two nights in a luxurious and modern hotel in downtown Miami.

 Then we headed off to our exotic week long vacation at an all-inclusive hotel in Puerto Plata,  Dominican Republic.

The first day, everything was ok.  We were a little disappointed with the hotel, but we kinda let it go seeing as the DR is a 3rd world country and all.  The room had a kitchenette, a living area, a bedroom with a balcony and a bathroom... none of which were luxurious.  The worst part was that there was a "window" that was basically an opened wall between our bedroom and the hallway with a wooden shutter covering.  No glass.  Not soundproof.  On our honeymoon.  In our bedroom.  You trackin'?

Anywayyyyy...

We go down to the buffet and the food was good.  I was careful not to drink any water... but I was not so careful about eating salad.

The next morning, I woke up with a TERRIBLE stomach flu.  Terrible.  Disgusting.  On my honeymoon.

I spent the next two days between the bed and the bathroom, not eating a morsel of the food we had already paid for, watching bad Spanish tv.  I was miserable.

And the sex?  What sex?  Sex and a stomach flu just dont' mix!

On one of the days, I was strong enough to make it out to the sand for a few hours and we decided to book an excursion.  I had had big plans of doing several awesome excursions throughout the course of this trip, but we were only able to do this one.

We booked it for the following day.  A bus picked us up and took us through the city.  It was really sad to see the children running beside the bus asking for candy while rich American's tossed it out the window... (I made a mental note to bring toothbrushes to toss out the window the next time I go).  We ended up at a trail where we had to hike through brush and streams in order to reach a waterfall.  From there, we could climb further to see more falls.

 Remember, I had not eaten in 3 days... I had survived on Saltines and Gatorade.  I had zero energy.  I couldn't walk more than 20 steps without feeling fatigued.  This is when I learned that my dear new husband really loved me... he CARRIED me to the waterfall.  Like 5 miles.  On his back or in his arms or over his shoulder.  But basically somehow, we got to the first waterfall... just barely.  Then we had to  turn around and go back... carried again.

I was dragging my @ss... it's about this point where he just decided to carry me.  My shirt is quite fitting, don't you think?

So the next few days continued to be the way the first few had.  I would leave my room for small intervals to go lay on the sand.

this is my sick face... not my sexy face.

I wasn't finally feeling better until the day we had to leave.  It was my happiest day.  I couldn't wait to get back to the luxuries of the States and have some good ol' American food!

I crossed every line that shouldn't be crossed that early in a marriage.  Any noise or smell that he hadn't heard or smelled before the wedding, he certainly had during that trip!  There was no mystery left between us.

So that's the story of our Honeymoon.
Not luxurious.
Not romantic.
Not sexy.

I think we need a re-do, don't you?!

5 Years Strong

Today is our 5th wedding anniversary!

On July 14th, 2007, Mauricio and I said our "I do's" in front of 250 family and friends.  It was a wonderful day! (see more wedding pics HERE)

By July 14, 2008, we had survived a full year as husband and wife.  We were on our own in a city away from family, but had developed awesome friendships along the way.  We knew we were ready for phase 2.

On July 14, 2009, we celebrated our 2nd year of marriage with our first born son.  He was only 3 weeks old and had to be our third wheel on our date night.  He ruined our date... but we forgave him.

By July 14, 2010, we were celebrating 3 years and expecting our second child later that year!  We found out just a week later that it was another boy.

By July 14, 2011, we were finally getting settled.  Phase 2 was officially complete.  And then, we decided to move back to Miami just a week later. (I was really skinny back then... whoa)

Today is July 14, 2012.  5 years in.  Still in love.  Still going strong. And on Tuesday, we will officially be HOMEOWNERS!  Now, there's a GOOD anniversary gift!  Yeah, my husband got me a house for our 5th year anniversary... booya!

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day!

I have been planning Mauricio's Fathers Day for some time now.  You see, since Father's Day always lands on Marco's birthday weekend, Mauricio always gets the short end of the stick.  But NOT this year.  This year, I had done a little pre-planning and was able to ensure that his Father's Day projects were completed and "out of the way" before I began planning Marco's big day.  I want them both to have the best days ever.

So, I decided to make Mauricio a special book called "Love Letters for Papai".  On each page is a picture of him with the boys and a letter... A,B,C, etc.  I think the finished result came out beautiful.  I used Shutterfly and it was so easy to put together and really inexpensive too.  The quality of the book is top notch!  Here's the finished result.

Then we also created customized cards, so the boys could each show dad just how much they love him!

 One card of each of their hands

Marco's hands when opened say, "I Love You"...

and then Jonas' when opened says, "This Much".  
(thank you Pinterest)


And lastly, I interviewed Marco, asking him questions about his Daddy.  His answers were... interesting.  This was the 10th take, more or less, so I was getting a bit frustrated with it.  That's what happens when you've got a (almost) 3 year old with a short attention span.  Enjoy!

Mauricio loved all of his Father's day presents... he was thouroughly surprised and touched.  It made my day just to see how happy he was with it all!  He said that I'll have a hard time topping this one! I'm sure I'll think of something...

I hope all of you had a stellar Father's Day as well! 

Bible Stories: David & Goliath

Mauricio tells the boys Bible stories before bed... He alters them a little so that they're less violent and at their level and I just think its the sweetest thing! This is what I heard pouring through the baby monitor the other night:

One time there was a boy named David and David was very brave. Brave means not scared. And his Papai told him to go take care of the sheep. But one day there came a lion... And how does a lion go?
Raaaaaaawrrrrr

So David took a stone and put it into his sling and began to swing it around and around faster and faster like this. :making whooshing sound: and when it got real fast, he let it go... it went flying and hit the lion on the head!  The lion scared and ran away!  Then David knew he was brave.

Then another day the Papai told David to go take his brothers some lunch... David had 8 brothers. How many brothers do you have?
One

So when he got there with the lunch, he saw a real big guy... His name was Goliath. And Goliath was big like a house! Goliath was saying real mean things about God and David's brothers were upset. Goliath said he would only stop saying bad things about God if someone came to fight him... And everyone was too scared. But not David... He was brave because he had already fought the lion. So he said, "I'll fight you!" and Goliath started laughing saying "you can't beat me, you're just a little boy". But David was brave so he went a took a rock and put it in his slingshot and began swinging it around like this :make whooshing sound: and faster and faster and he threw it at his head! Goliath was hit and he started crying and ran away!!! All of David's brothers were saying "yay David! You're so brave!".  But David knew that he was only brave because he loved God and God made him strong.

The End.

The Worst First Date

It was this week, 8 years ago, that I had my first date with the boy that would one day become my husband.

But, before you start thinking stars, moonlight and romance, let me curve your thinking.  It was none of those things.  In fact, it was pretty much the worst date I've ever had.

Before I go into the gory details, let me make a case for the man I love.  He was young... really young... only 17.  And I was 20 (almost 21).  He had never been on a "real date" before and he was very nervous.  After all, I was (am... will always be) the girl of his dreams.

Mauricio and I had known each other for years before this "first date".  Which may have made it more awkward.  We were friends.  And now all of a sudden we were trying romance.  Awkward.  We had been in the "friend zone" for a whole 6 years before deciding to take it out of there.  And, for those 6 years, he had a wicked crush on me... I thought he was a cute kid, but he was so much younger than me that I never really thought much of it.  I would torture him and say things like, "Oh Mauricio, if only you were older.", part of me knowing that he could never be and the other part genuinely wishing I didn't care about the age difference.

Here we are... He was 13, I was 17.

So finally, the week before Christmas in 2003, I decided to give it a shot.  Things were starting to heat up between us and my feelings for him were undeniable... but I was still skeptical about his maturity. (What I soon learned in our relationship was that I was the immature one!)


We were on the phone one evening and he asked me if I wanted to go see a movie with him.  Uh, yes.  So he told me he'd meet me at the theatre at 8.

Strike one.  Meet me?!  What?

I told him that if he wanted to go out with me, he'd have to pick me up.  To which he replied that he didn't want to waste the gas to come get me and drop me back off.

Strike two.  Waste the gas?

I told him it wasn't "wasting" it... it was "spending" it... and there's a difference.  So he did me the honor of picking me up at my house.

On our way to the theatre, our conversation was lacking.  I don't remember the details about what we talked about but I do remember it being awkward and forced.  I was pulling teeth to get him to talk to me.  I couldn't wait to get to the movies so we didn't have to talk anymore.

As we get up to the ticket window, he steps in front of me.  And I think to myself... wow, how nice, he's gonna pay for me... at least!  Then he says to the cashier, "one student for Stuck On You".

Strike three.  ONE ticket?!  Aaaaaalright then.

So I went up to the window and bought my own ticket.  Which would have been ok, but everything else leading up to this point was going so poorly that I thought and hoped, that he would have tried to redeem himself.  He was so clueless.

We briskly walked past the concessions, not offering or asking if I wanted something to drink, and found our seats.

During the movie, I kept my hand on the arm rest, begging him to take it.  But he didn't take my cues.  Eventually, I just went ahead and grabbed his hand.  Finally.  We were on the right track.  Maybe this date still had some life in it.

But then, he got up, and without any explanation or even a look back, walked out of the theatre.  He walked out.

Strike FOUR.  What the heck!?

I was so confused, I called my friend, Jen, and told her to be on stand by in case I needed a ride home.  I really didn't know where he had gone.  I was partially hoping he went to get us some drinks, but thought that it was also likely that he just left.  I now know that he went to the restroom, but really!?  Couldn't he have at least told me!

I don't even remember watching the movie.  I was in such a state of disappointment that I couldn't concentrate.  On the way home, conversation was just as awkward as before.  And all I could think of was: I knew he was too young to date me.  I knew he couldn't handle it.  I knew it would be too hard of a transition from friend to more.  I shouldn't have pushed this.  Now how could I go back to just being friends without this awkward weight between us?

As we pulled up to my street, I was already anxious to get out of his car.  I was fuming.  When he stopped his car in front of my house, he leaned over and pulled out a dozen yellow roses from his backseat.  What a sweet gesture!  But it was wasted on me.  I was already so upset, that the roses only added insult to injury.  I said thank you and got out... slamming the door behind me.  What did he think that those roses would make up for the rest of our debacle?

After that date, we went back into the friend zone... and it wasn't until the end of March that we tried again and succeeded.

I always tell Mauricio that he's just lucky that I forgave him for that first date and gave him another shot.

But really... I'm the lucky one.

Challenge {never} Complete

Remember last month when I posted about a 21 day Challenge?  It was a post for ladies eyes only.  Well, here's my recap.

Although I completed my 21 day challenge, I realized that the challenge is never really complete.  Because it's not a challenge that's meant to last only three weeks.  It's meant to become a life-time change... a way of life.  And it's a pretty good way of life.

I started off really strong.  My first 7 days were really thoroughly planned and recorded.  But then week 2 landed along side Thanksgiving, so I missed a day here and there in trying to plan our holiday... but I didn't throw in the towel, I picked back up where I left off.  By week 3, I figured out the gist of the challenge. You don't have to follow the challenge to the letter.  So by week 3 I began to do things that were not stated in the book but that I knew would please my husband.  I was thinking outside of the box and personalizing it.

What was most striking to me during the whole experiment was just how simple it was.  Really, it took no time at all to be sure that my husband was extra blessed.  Some days it was as simple as taking a few minutes to send him a flirty text.  Or when I'm already out at the store, picking up his favorite drink as a little surprise.  It didn't take much thought and really no time at all, but it blessed him and made him feel special.

Now, since this challenge is intended for MARRIED couples, it's not rated G, if ya know what I mean.  But you know what I think made the biggest splash with my husband?  And it's not what you think... it's not one of those X rated challenges.  The thing he liked the most was when I made the bed.  Yep, that's right.  The day(s) I made the bed, he just went on and on about how nice it was and how he really appreciated that and bla bla bla.  I was like, really!?  Making the bed?!  Not "being in the bed"?!  Oooooookkkkk...

So all in all, I think it went well and continues to go well.  I don't think of things to do EVERY day, but like I said, it's so simple that it's not a chore to do it every day.  And, every day he didn't notice.  In fact, there were many days he either didn't notice or didn't comment.  But that's ok... it wasn't about receiving recognition.  

I realized it was just as much for me as it was for him.  While blessing him, I became blessed as well.  My heart softened just a little bit more towards him.  I was brought back to the reason I married him.  I was reminded that regardless of the kids and the routine and the responsibilities, HE was the one I chose.  And that nourishing our relationship is more important than all the other things.

A Challenge

Ok guys... as in my male readers... this post is not for you.  Don't worry, you wont miss anything fun... I'll just be ranting for paragraphs about girl things, like periods, pre-natal vitamins and placentas.  Ew, gross, right?  Ok, now scoot.

And if you happen to be my husband, seriously, close this page right now.  Not even kidding, just do it.  For real.  NOW.

Ok, ladies, we should be alone now... and if we're not, this is your LAST chance!  Get!

I've decided to challenge myself.  I'm starting The Husband Project tomorrow.  What is The Husband Project?  Well, it's 21 days designed to bless your husband.  It's a challenge to go above and beyond your norm to give extra blessings to your man.  It probably wont be easy, but I hope it'll be fun.

In the book it says that it's for 21 days because it takes that long to make or break a habit.  And in this case, I'd be setting a very good habit into place.  I occasionally think of special sweet ways I can make Mauricio happy, but not consecutively... and not for 21 days in a row, that's for sure.

At first I decided to do this because I was hoping I'd also bring a change about in him.  He is wonderful, but he's not spontaneous and he never splurges on me... and sometimes I want to be spoiled.  He loves me in other ways, but sometimes I wish he was a little more romantic.  So, I thought, maybe if I showed him I could do it, he'd start trying too.

But then, in a matter of a second, God changed my heart about my motives.  My good friends were visiting us this weekend, and my friend pulled me aside and said, "Wow, Mauricio is such a gentleman... I wish my husband was a little more like that".  And it hit me.  Dang, I am soooo blessed already.  My husband has an AMAZING servant's heart.  He cooks, he cleans, he changes diapers.  He gives the kids baths and sometimes lets me sleep in.  He takes care of all the "man things" and even some of the "women things" too.  He's truly amazing.  And, shouldn't I try to go above and beyond for him?  Shouldn't I bless him to show him just how much I appreciate and love him?  Yes!  So, tomorrow I embark on this journey.

Although I wonder how he'll respond and react, I know that I'm doing this just as much for me as I am for him.  Sure, I want to bless him, but I also want to learn to be a more thoughtful and considerate wife.  Sometimes my marriage gets pushed to the second page, that happens with kids.  It'll be nice to make my marriage a top priority and put some real effort into it.

So for the next 21 days, I'll be doing sweet things to try and please my man.  Some of them are simple and silly, while some of them really stretch me out of my comfort zone.  

I'll recap the whole experience when I complete my project, but in the mean time, please keep me in prayer.  I'm sure I'll need it. haha. 

"Don't Touch the D*ck"

Toddler speech is hilarious.  Sometimes I feel like a translator.  I am nearly fluent in Marconese.  We'll have to say that I am the best translator for him... better than dad even! (woohoo, I win again!)


In our house, we have some strict rules.
Don't push your brother
Don't do caca in your pants
Don't open the door
Don't touch the disk

Marco knows how to turn on the xbox, open the tray, put in a DVD, turn the tv to "component1" and press play on the remote.  What a man!  Problem is, he does not yet know how to handle a DVD disk.  He doesn't know that the disk is not bendable (goodbye Monsters Inc.) or that the disk can scratch on the shiny side (see ya, Cars).  The real problem boils down to this:  He thinks he's big.  


So today we caught him, yet again, handling a DVD disk improperly.  To make matters worse, it was a Netflix one.  So Mauricio scolded him and said, "When you see a disk, don't get it, just say 'Papai, the disk!'"... "What do we say?"  to which Marco proudly responded, "Papai, the Dick!".  Then things went like this:
Mau: Say Disk
Marco: Dick
Mau:  Disk
Marco:  DicKKK
Mau: Don't touch the disk
Marco:  Don't touch the Dick... Papai, don't touch the Dick!

What about me?  Oh, I was just dying... no straight faces over here.

But really, I hope Marco learned a valuable lesson here tonight.  Not to touch the disk... or the dick for that matter!

Who's That Baby?

I'll give you one hint... it's NOT Marco.

This is baby Mauricio.  Look alike much?!  That man has got some STRONG genes!  

Wedded Bliss

Yesterday was our 4 year wedding anniversary.  4 years later... still living in wedded bliss.  I love looking at my favorite pics of one of the best days of my life.

7 Years and Counting

Tomorrow, March 28th, is our 7 year dating anniversary.  Yes, even though we're married we still count AND celebrate our dating anniversary.  There are several reasons we do this: 1. We do not celebrate Valentines Day, so consider this our very own private and personal V-Day, and 2. If it weren't for March 28, 2004, the day it all began, there would never have been a July 14, 2007 (our wedding day), or a June 20, 2009 (the birth of our first baby), or a September 28, 2010 (the birth of our second baby).  So, yeah... it's a pretty big deal.

Mauricio and I rarely get to go out on dates.  In fact, our last date, was on my birthday, and before that was Mau's company christmas party.  So, we decided to take a few hours this Saturday for us.  I asked one of my most trustworthy students, Anna, to babysit, (Don't worry, she's 20!).  She came over around 2 in the afternoon, and we took off!

My original idea was to have a picnic at Falls Park with a bunch of goodies from Whole Foods. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans.  It was windy, cold and rainy.  But we headed to downtown  anyway to try out a restaurant that everyone has told me they absolutely love; The Lazy Goat.  I knew absolutely nothing about it.  I didn't even know where it was exactly, and we ended up parking very far and walking in the windy, cold rain down a bajillion stairs and then up another bajillion stairs just to get there.  Finally we were in, dry, warm and ready to chow down!

The place was rustic looking, with large windows overlooking the river, (which was a lovely shade of caca brown on Saturday?).  They serve Mediterranean and Greek style food.  We had no idea... but we were pleasantly surprised!  We ordered a warm feta artichoke dip with pita for appetizer.  I thought Mau was going to lick the bowl... it was yuuuuummy!  Then for our entrees, we shared two panini's... a chicken parm and a greek lamb meatball.  Both were scrumptious!  I even ordered a Mojito as a special treat! (Oh, and on a side note, I did not get carded... what is that about?  How old do I look?!  Maybe not 21 exactly, but it could be questionable, right?  Am I delusional... almost 30?)  Then we had a delicious caramel flan thingy for dessert.

Do you think I liked it?

 Once we were done with our meal, it would have been nice to walk around a bit, go window shopping and such, but the weather was still not cooperating, so feeling a food coma coming on, we headed back home.

















 Although our date was very short, it was much needed.  We always agree that we need to have more date nights, but as time goes on and life gets busy and complicated, we seem to forget.  We really should try to make it a priority so that our 7 years can turn into 70 and still be fresh, fun and sexy!

Happy Anniversary, Mau!  These 7 years have been the absolute best of my life!  I love you!

My Own Medicine

Like me, my mom was a stay-at-home-mom.  She stayed home with me until I started school.  In order for her to be able to do this, my parents had to make huge sacrifices.  She wasn't able to buy new clothes, go out or take vacations.  She had very few friends and lived away from her family.  Sound familiar?  For my first year of life, we lived in Okinawa, Japan (yes, I was born there... no, I'm not Japanese) and the next three years, we lived just outside Seattle, Washington.  

She didn't have (or take advantage of) the things I have such as MOPS, play dates, play groups, bouncing babies, etc.  Basically, we stayed home all day, and since I had no siblings, she was my playmate.  She would play with me all day long... we'd sing songs, read stories and play pretend.  When we played house, she even let me be the Mommy!  She was my best play bud! 

 

But sadly, this wasn't good enough for me.  I would drop her like a sack of potatoes the moment my father walked in the door.  I'd hear the door begin to open and I'd shriek in giddy delight.  I'd sprint over to him with arms open, hug him and say "My Papito lindo is home" (translation: my beautiful little Daddy is home).  My mom would always jealously say, "What am I?  Chop liver?".  Yes, she was.  I would snottingly reply, "Go away Mommy, I'm with my Papito lindo".  It didn't matter how much fun my mom and I had during the day, once my dad came home it was all about him.  (We have an audio recording of me at 2 to confirm all of this). 

Now, I'm a SAHM and in a VERY similar predicament.  And I must say, I have tasted my own medicine... and it is BITTER!  

I plan every single day out so that Marco has fun.  We go to the library... for him.  We go to play dates... for him.  We go to the park... for him.  We go to the mall... for him.  I plan fun activities... for him.  I read and re-read and re-read the same books... for him.  I sing the ABC's one HUNDRED times... for him.  It's ALL about him.  And yet, the minute that door handle starts to turn, that little boy begins to shriek and jump around on his tip toes in anticipation for his dad's arms.  Marco has got Daddy love-itis and he's got it BAD.  

Honestly, I DO feel like chop-liver.  For example, today Mauricio put Marco in time out.  Marco cried and whined and when it was all said and done, he looked at ME like as if I were the one that had put him there, turned to Mauricio (his savior) and cried into his neck.  It wasn't even ME!!!  

No matter how many activities I do with Marco, I can not compete with the coolness that is Dad.  I mean, I always knew Mau was cool (I did marry him, ya know?) but this is a little over-the-top!  Sure, Mau is the one that dangles him by one foot and swings him around the living room.  If I could, I would do it too... but I'm not strong enough!  Maybe he's just too used to me... he needs the opportunity to miss me, like he misses Mau everyday while he's at work.  

Oh well, at least I still have Jonas... for now.

Sorry Mom! 

I Need A Vacation

I'm starting to get that itch.  You know the one... when you want to break free from your mundane life and be extraordinary?  That's it.  I'm feeling like I need something more.  More "me time", more romance, more fun and excitement.

Being a mom has been the greatest joy of my life, and I don't want to diminish it's value, but I can't say that that's ALL that I am.  I try to fill up my life with other activities... MOPS, play-dates, visitors, trips to Miami, books, blogs, writing classes, volunteering... I can go on, but I'll spare you.  It's not enough.  I'm feeling BORED.

I am not the type of person who is all about "me time".  I never have.  I don't really like Girl's Night Out's, I'm not about to spend $40 on a mani/pedi, and I think massages hurt.  Also, I'd rather spend my "me time" with my husband... "us time".  If I'm going to spend money, I'd rather spend it together and do something that fills up both our cups.  Unfortunately, "us time" is hard to come by.  We'd have to pre-plan, get a sitter and then figure out somewhere to go. Anywhere but Whole Foods or Chipotle PLEASE!  But we have to do something... and quickly too.  I'm getting stale and worn.  I need to be rejuvenated!

We NEVER take vacations.  Since we live in a different state than our family, our vacation time always consists of going back to see them.  This is NOT a vacation.  It is 2 ridiculously packed weeks filled with obligations and commitments.  (See this post).  The last vacation we took was our honeymoon... and that left a LOT to be desired.

Quick back story:  We went to the Dominican Republic for our honeymoon to an all inclusive hotel.  By day 2, I had developed some kind of food/water poisoning and spent the rest of our trip laying in bed (in the least sexy way) and in the bathroom.  I just couldn't wait to get back to the States.  It was the worst honeymoon in the history of honeymoons!

So, since our last (and only) vacation clearly sucked, I think we deserve to take a 2nd honeymoon... round 2!  Next year we celebrate our 5 year anniversary (already, i know!) and I would LOVE LOVE LOVE it if we could go on a romantic vacation... just the two of us.  Now, as a SAHM who makes very little money, and a family of 4 living on 1 income, this is much easier said than done.  But if we save for a WHOLE year... why not?!  And, I'm not asking to go to EUROPE (even though I'd love it)... just on a Caribbean cruise for 5 days.  I think this is TOTALLY doable.

I just feel like I need something to look forward to... even if it is a year away.  I can't handle feeling like all we have to deal with are responsibilities, obligations, commitments, bills, blah blah blah... it makes me feel like the light at the end of the tunnel is VERY far and VERY dim.  We need things to look forward to and be excited about.  If not, then life is just plain ol' boring.  And that's how I'm feeling lately... BORED.

This is where I'd like to be... is that too much to ask?

PS, readers.  Did you know that you could help me make a little extra cash so I can take this vacation?  Yeah, YOU!  I don't advertise on my blog for nothin'!  Do me a favor, and click a bit.  Thanks!

Working 24/7

There are so many perks to being a stay-at-home mom.  You get to see your children grow and learn and you don't miss much that goes on.  However, it is a 24/7 kind of job.  Most jobs are 40 hours a week... 9-5, Monday-Friday.  Not being a SAHM!

Your babies don't know its a Saturday and it's customary to sleep in on weekends!  (I don't know why they didn't get the memo).  Their diapers still need to be changed and their mouths still need to be fed.  Your babies don't know your on vacation and would like to enjoy care-free days a little more.  They're still calling out for "MAMA"!  Your babies don't know that you are sick.  They still want to be swung, played with, picked up and tickled.

No weekends.  No vacation days.  Worst of all... No sick days.

I've been sick for the last 2 days.  The stomach bug.  Not fun.  I have such a weak stomach... I get it at least once a year.  This bug has hit me so hard, and I'm so weak, that I can't even stand long enough to change a diaper.  Luckily, I have the most AMAZING husband in the world, and he makes huge sacrifices to help me out.

It wasn't always like this though.  Last year when I got my annual stomach bug, Marco was 7 months old and required a lot of attention (or so I thought it was a lot... until he became a toddler!).  I couldn't keep up with him, and every time I stood up, I had to rush to the bathroom.  I called Mau to tell him I needed help and he said he couldn't come... I would have to suck it up.  That was one of the worst days ever.  It wasn't until about a month later when we BOTH came down with food poisoning, that he realized how hard it was to care for a baby while be in the bathroom all day long.  He admitted that he couldn't handle it and now he saw why I needed help.

So this time around, he has been a-ma-zing!  Yesterday was the worst.  I could barely stay awake and within the first half hour of trying to care for both kids, I was failing big time.  He came home from work and stayed with the kids till nap time so I could sleep.  I woke up for the day once Marco woke up from his nap... at 4pm!  I really needed that sleep!  Once Mau got home from work, he cooked and fed Marco, bathed him and put him to bed... all while I sat on the couch.

Today, he's had to make up some of the hours he missed yesterday, but he still came home to change Marco's stinky diaper for me AND once again to feed him lunch.  Of course, these are the perks from his work being across the street from our house.  I am so grateful that God has given me this loving and sacrificial man to be my husband.

Now, if only I could feel better before the weekend starts, that'd be great!

Not by me, but by Him

Some may say my life has been one of meeting my obstacles head on, not allowing life to get me down, but moving forward always.  I can agree.  My life has not been easy, but the grace of God has always guided and strengthened me.  I have so many examples of which I can write, but I will choose one.

After being married to the love of my life for a ful year, we decided it was time to start thinking about bringing a little "us" into the picture.  We prayed abou tit and decided to consult my doctors about the decision.  Since I had always lived with major health difficulties, it was important to get the green light from them before proceeding with our plans.

I made an appointment with my Pulmonologist and informed him of our plan to conceive.  He looked at me with skeptical eyes and with very little sympathy in his voice, he said, "That's probably not a good idea.  You should just adopt, but don't risk having your own children".  I sat in my paper gown atop the examination table and began to shiver.  Tears swelled in my eyes and poured down my cheeks as my dreams of having my own children started to evaporate.  How could he dismiss all of my dreams and desires in one simple sentence?  I was devastated.

Mauricio and I began to pray feverishly about what God had planned for our life.  He had always made a way for us and given me strength to do things beyond the limitations set for me by others.  He reminded me of all the things He pulled me through in the past.

* When I was a 5th grader and I wanted to be a cheerleader, people said it wasn't a good idea.  But I did it anyway.  Although I was quite possibly the worst cheerleader in the history of cheering, I completed the season.

* When I was 16 and they told me I needed a lung transplant and would no longer live the life of a normal teen, I proved them all wrong.  Time and time again I was TOO healthy to recieve a transplant and kept on getting skipped on the list for people who needed a lung for a life or death situation.  Eventually they pulled me off the list all together.

*  When I was applying for college and wanted to be an Opera major, the professors and administration said it wasn't a good idea.  My lungs did not have the capacity to handle the rigor of the repertoire.  And my arthritis would be affected too greatly with the staging and long days on my feet.  But I did it anyway.  And I graduated on time!

*  When I wanted to move out on my own and begin working, people said it wasn't a good idea.  They said I should stay near my family in case something happened.  They said I wouldn't be able to handle working full time with children and maintain my own house.  But I did it anyway.  And I was good at my job too!

God pulled me through all of these things that mere man said I could not do.  I realized it wasn't by my efforts, but by God's grace.  I realized that if he pulled me through those petty and insignificant desires, how much more would he grant me the true desire of my heart... to be a mom.  We decided to trust in Him completely.

In October of 2008, we conceived my first son, Marco and decided to move 700 miles away from our family.  People said we were crazy to have a baby and do it all by ourselves while being so far from my family.  People said we couldn't afford to live off of one income, to allow me to be a stay-at-home-mom. People said we would struggle.  And when we conceived our second son, Jonas, they said it all again.  But we are doing it anyway!  And not by our hands, but by God's hands, which guide us every single step of the way.

Christmas in Miami

This should have been posted weeks ago, but I'm a bit behind gathering the pictures.  I'm a super unorganized mom, and forgot to take my camera on vacation ::hits forehead::, so I had to rely on other people giving me pictures, which took a while.

We went to Miami from December 24- Jan 3, during which time we were bombarded with festivities, meals, plans and obligations.  It was both fun and exhausting.

 Flying with a toddler and an infant is something straight out of a horror film.  How do you keep a toddler entertained and seated for an hour and a half?  FOOD!  Marco was stuffed full of cookies, pringles, and juice for a complete hour and a half! Even with that glorious entertainment, he was still climbing the walls.  Jonas did pretty well.  He slept a little and cried a little, but it wasn't too bad.  Thankfully, the airline gave us a 3 seater for the 4 of us to share.  Even though Marco is a lap-child still, he was able to have his own seat, which made our lives a whole lot easier.

We flew in to Punta Gorda, and spent a few hours with my family in Naples before heading to Miami.  My grandparents have a farm behind their house with a chicken coop and horse stalls.  Marco LOVED it!  (Once again, I'm a dork and didn't take a single picture of Marco's cuteness).  He figured out that he could corner the chickens and then run after them.  The chickens, of course, were terrified at this and began flapping and running around... Marco thought this was hilarious.  He chased the chickens for a while and then went to go pet the horses.

When we finally got to Miami, there were a ton of people waiting for us at my in-laws house.  Being "Noche Buena", we were expecting a late night party with lots of food, friends and family.

The next day was Christmas and we headed over to my dads house for our annual Christmas morning breakfast.  We got to see my whole family, and Marco and Jonas got more presents and clothes than we could even count.  By the end of the day, Marco was practically begging for a nap!

 As if Noche Buena and Christmas aren't enough, but the next day was my birthday!  I turned 28 this year.  I can't believe I'm almost 30... eeeeekkkk.  After church we went to a super yummy restaurant (can't remember the name) at the Falls for brunch.  I even had a mimosa!  Mirella bought me the most enormous and delicious cake ever... it was a kalua cake with vanilla filling and chocolate ganache frosting.  Can you say "yum"?

Mauricio kept asking me what I wanted for my birthday, and whenever I'm asked that question, I come up with a blank.  I really don't know what I want.  I'm just a content person, I guess... LOL.  All I really wanted was to have a nice date out with my husband.  So, Mau researched a restaurant and took us to an all organic Italian place on the beach; Escopazzo.  This wasn't your typical "spaghetti and meatballs" Italian place.  As you can see from my picture, I was eating lamb and root veggies.  I loved this place because it was very intimate and romantic... there were only 12 tables in the room!  After our fine dining experience, we drove up and down the beach streets and spent some time talking and holding hands.  Unfortunately it was too cold to walk, but the drive was just what we needed.

The next few days were rather exhausting for me.  Little did I know that I had developed a pneumonia that was wearing me out.  I couldn't make it through the day without a nap and I swore I would never feel better again.  But, I persevered.  There were things to do... people to see!

 Marco got to play with his cousin, Andres, for the first time ever.  They had seen each other on rare occasions, but had never had the opportunity to play together.  Andres is a very sweet and soft natured boy... the opposite of Marco.  Marco kinda beat up on him a bit, as he often does, but in the end I think they became fast friends.

We also celebrated the marriage of my brother, Miguel, to his lovely wife, Alaina.  (This event deserves it's own post with TONS of pictures... look out for it next). 

The day after the wedding, I woke up and told Mau to take me to the hospital immediately.  I knew I had pneumonia and was just waiting for the wedding to be over with to deal with it.  They admitted me to the hospital and I was there for 2 nights... including New Years Eve.  I saw the ball drop from my hospital bed... Happy New Year! 

Thankfully, I knew my boys were being well taken care of and were having loads of fun playing with their grandparents.

We didn't think we were going to make it out in time to catch our flight.  Our flight was leaving from Punta Gorda on Monday morning, and on Sunday evening, I was begging the doctors to release me from the hospital!  Every time they got close to releasing me, something would happen that would delay it.  We were almost in panic mode!  Finally, at 10pm on Sunday night they let me go.  We had to wake up at the crack of dawn on Monday to drive the 3 hours to Punta Gorda to catch our flight... but we made it!

Our vacation was 10 full, packed, exciting and exhausting days.  Once we got home, we realized that what we really needed was a vacation from our vacation.  Whew.

Snow Day

Greenville is snowed in!  This is exciting... for about 5 minutes.  As I've mentioned, as a Florida girl, I'm not fond of the cold weather.
They've been announcing all weekend that it was going to snow on Monday, but I was in denial.  I didn't want to believe it was true.  Snow in Greenville is a rarity.  It usually snows once or twice a year... and honestly, that's once or twice too many for me.  This year, however, it's been more frigid than usual.  It already snowed on Christmas... a real "White Christmas".  We missed this snowfall because we were in Miami experiencing a "Warm Christmas".
The thing about snow in Greenville is that since no one is used to it, everything stops.  They close up all the stores, roll up the streets and hibernate until the snow melts.  So, in preparation for todays snowfall, we went to Whole Foods last night and stocked up on the essentials to last us through the week.  We're probably not going anywhere for a few days.
The good thing is that Mau didn't go to work today!  We were able to wake up late, enjoy some breakfast, play with Marco, nap and relax.  We decided it would be fun to take Marco outside and let him have a go at the snow.  We're so unexperienced at this though... we didn't even have gloves for the poor kid and ended up using socks, which got wet in the first minute outside and were then useless.  It took us 20 minutes to bundle us all up and then we were outside for a total of 10 minutes.
Once outside, the snow reached Marco's knees, so he couldn't walk.  He kept looking at us like, "What is this and what am I supposed to do?".  He didn't try to throw himself in it, or fling it, or lay in it... nothing, just a blank stare.  Maybe he's still a little too young to get it... or maybe we're just not fun enough.  Mauricio bounced him around a bit, but he didn't seem really impressed.  Needless to say, we went back inside, took off our clothes and threw them in the drier with a sense of defeat.
Later we tried again.  We opened the door and bent Marco down to touch the snow, but he turned around and wanted to get back in the house.  Maybe he's a true Floridian at heart too?!