Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Yeah, I don't think so

So since I'm new to this stay-at-home mom lifestyle, I was happy to find this little article and realize I'm not the only stay-at-home mama out there who has gotten one of these, and HATES it.

10 Things Never to Say to a Stay-at-Home Mom

Mom bloggers sound off on the worst things to say to a stay-at-home mama.

1. When the kids are older, do you think you'll get a real job?

2. How June Cleaver of you!

3. Oh, so you don't work?

4. Since you have extra time on your hands, could you whip up a few dozen brownies for the bake sale tomorrow?

5. All day with your kids? I can't even imagine.

6. I'm jealous. I wish my husband were rich so I wouldn't have to work either.

7. What do you do all day, anyway?

8. I'm sure you're not the only one who's ever wasted money on a college degree.

9. That explains why your son is so clingy!

10. Weird. I assumed your house would be superclean.

—Candy Kirby of thelaughingstork.com, with help from her Twitter followers and friends

Here is the actual link if you'd like to read it from the exact source: http://www.redbookmag.com/kids-family/advice/stay-at-home-mom-pet-peeves

So far in my 10 months of being a stay-at-home mom, I've already gotten # 3, 4, 7, and 8. Really people?

#3 - Oh yeah, I don't work. If nursing, taking care of a sick child, playing, feeding, changing diapers, cooking, bathing, cleaning, doing laundry, comforting and trying to calm a crying baby, entertaining, trying to communicate through baby talk and signs, constantly and carefully watching every move he makes and what he puts in his mouth, feeling physically sore from carrying 20lbs+, continuously educating myself about his progress, and much more isn't "work", then I don't know what all those things are. Doesn't sound like leisure to me.

#4 - I haven't been asked to bake brownies, but I've gotten the "since you have all this extra time" line. Yeah, that's why I blog and go on facebook after 11pm because that's when my "extra time" begins. And I do these things for my own sanity. I remember a person once asked me after I got married if I was going to be one of those "wives that have nothing to do with their time so they start a blog", and for the LONGEST time I avoided starting this blog because I didn't want to seem like that and I didn't want people to think that about me. Shame on me for feeling like that. I started this blog because I feel good when I write, especially when I can vent like this and because blogging allows me to create a record of memories for my family. I totally regret listening to that person. I actually think that person wastes more time on facebook looking at others' profiles than I do in my blog.

#7 - Read #3 just to get a slight glimpse of what this is about

#8 - That one hurt. The sad part was that I was actually contemplating that they might be right. Shame on me again. If anything, my education encourages me to be a better mother and to already begin educating my own child. I think I've been successful with my career during the time I practiced it, but I look forward to practice this new career, which is I think is strengthened by the education I received.

Anyway, I look forward to get the other six lines sometime or another throughout my full-time mom career.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Because I'm not selfish...

I am sharing this recipe.
I cooked it for the first time tonight and it was delicious. I recently discovered www.eatingwell.com and came across some delicious meals that I've already tried with my family and they loved it! They have some low-cal, on a budget meals, along w.desserts, salads, and what not.
So far I've learned how to make fajita turkey burgers, how to mix baby spinach and lettuce with cantaloupe for a yummy salad and tonight, this meal took the award home. Please read my comments (which are in red) because I made some small changes, but it was scrumptious nevertheless. and did I forget to say HEALTHY!?!?!?

Aqui va:

Chicken with Whole-Grain Mustard & Zucchini in Packets

Mustard and thyme flavor chicken and veggies in this easy dinner.

4 servings

Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, (1 1/4-1 1/2 pounds), trimmed and tenders removed (see Tip) - I did not have boneless breasts, so i just left the breasts with the bones and just split each breast in 2 so it's not so big
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard - Couldn't find whole grain mustard at the store so I used regular mustard
2 small zucchini, thinly sliced - I used 3, I love zucchini!
2 sweet banana peppers, or cubanelle peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 shallots, thinly sliced - I heard shallots are just fancy onions, and I didn't have them so I just used regular yellow onions
1 1/2 cups halved grape or cherry tomatoes
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F
To prepare packets, start with four 20- to 24-inch-long pieces of parchment paper or foil. Fold in half crosswise. With the parchment or foil folded, draw half a heart shape on one side as you would if you were making a Valentine. Use scissors to cut out the heart shape. Open up the heart. (I would just use aluminum foil if you're using the oven. I didn't bother being specific about this. I just cut some pieces of foil big enough to wrap each piece of chicken and that would hold up the chicken juice)
Place a chicken breast on one side of each open heart fairly close to the crease and leaving at least a 1-inch border around the edges for folding and spread with mustard. (Before placing each chicken breast in the foil, I put the chicken pieces in a bowl and let it marinade with mustard and smashed garlic for a few minutes)
Toss zucchini, peppers, shallots, tomatoes, oil, thyme, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Place about 1 1/4 cups of the vegetable mixture on top of each piece of chicken.
Close the packet to cover the ingredients. Starting at the top, seal the packet by folding the edges together in a series of small, tight folds. Twist the tip of the packet and tuck it underneath to help keep the packet closed. Place the packets on a large rimmed baking sheet (packets may overlap slightly). Bake until the vegetables are tender and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken registers 165°F, about 25 minutes. (Carefully open one package to check for doneness be cautious of the steam.) (I don't have a thermometer, I just poked the meat with fork to see if it was cooked.). Let the packets rest unopened for 5 minutes before serving.

I also made some mashed potatoes, grilled peppers and mushrooms, and steamed carrots to accompany this delicious meal. It was soooo good and the house had such an enticing scent! MMMMMM....oh the smell of the onions with the banana peppers and the cherry tomatoes....yummy~!
I'm not normally one who likes to brag about her skills, but I think I'm beginning to master the art of cooking. hehehe...because this was incredible!
I invite you to make it! Easy, fast, healthy and sooo good! Can you say 243 calories?!!? and that's with a whole chicken breast! that's like 2 granola bars! not bad at all!
so if you want the original link, here it is http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/chicken_with_whole_grain_mustard_zucchini_in_packets.html

Good luck everyone!

ps: The important stuff below.

Nutrition

Per serving: 243 calories; 9 g fat ( 2 g sat , 5 g mono ); 78 mg cholesterol; 7 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 30 g protein; 2 g fiber; 522 mg sodium; 619 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (60% daily value), Potassium (18% dv), Vitamin A (15% dv).
Carbohydrate Servings: 1/2
Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 4 lean meat, 1 fat

I can be a Hairdresser too, you know?

I've been wanting to post about this for a while already so here it goes.

Alex and I thought Alejandro needed a haircut since he had a few long hairs that would get into his eyes and would just give his head and face a messy look. Alex wanted to take him to a barbershop. I refused by saying that as his mom, I would know how to cut his hair and make him look his best. He didn't really believe I could be a good hairdresser. And unfortunately, he was right :(

Here's what happened on March 8th. A scary day indeed. One of the scariest ones I've had as a mom. Can you say super mobile 10 month old and mama with sharp scissors trying to trim some hair? i get goosebummps just remembering it. I was so afraid snap off an earlobe or his eyelashes.

Here is the "Before" Picture

Then I got started. I sat him on his dinosaur tricycle, hoping he wouldn't be too distracted and would stay still. wrong. not even with the mickey mouse clubhouse playing on my laptop. It only made him bounce and dance!

I was tempted to blow dry it and give him the Justin Bieber look, but my son is too cute for that look. hehe

And then.....

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!! it's crooked! i messed up! bad!

Pobrecito mi gordo :(

this went into the memory box...Los Primeros Pelos

I couldn't fix it because he was moving so much. He was being such a gusanito. I had to wait till he took his nap so I could fix it a little.

and this was the final cut. during his sleep.

Then he woke up...

And his Tia Angie said he looked like this dude:

Should i be offended?!?

jajajaja..

Then after a day or two, his hair looked more like this:

And his Tia Danella said he looked like this guy:

Who's dis?

DA-DDY YAN-KEEEEEE!

Watch out Ladies, que ya viene el Cangri Jr!

Here you get a better close-up of how much I messed up on his right side.

Ay que verguenza, casi lo dejo calvo de ese lado. Pero aun asi, he looks adorable and keeps smiling :)

So I figured, hey, we might as well have fun with his new look :)

Here's how's been looking like these days. At least it grew a little and he still looks cute and edible!

PS: Check out this link....it cracked me up and at least I'm glad we didn't go through anything like this! http://smilejunkie.com/getting-first-haircut-is-the-most-scary-moment-of-your-life/#more-2110

Monday, March 28, 2011

My Sisters, My Friends

I can say that 3 months ago, moving to Maryland scared me quite a bit. I was so attached to Utah, especially after living there for 8 years. That's where I went to college, where I developed my career, explored new talents and adventures, where I became close with members of my church and where I made new friendships and reunited with old friendships that gave a greater meaning to my life. I was in my comfort zone. I was afraid of moving and starting from scratch, of feeling lonely, friend-less, and afraid of just breaking down. I think this is what scares most women who become new homemakers and move away to a place where her husband is employed, and where she is far away from her family, friends, and loved ones. Especially if that place is cold. because that would mean hibernating. No fun :(

Well, I can now say that that fear is gone.

And I am very grateful to the women that God has placed in my path and has given me the chance to get to know better. They have made this move and this new chapter in my life a lot smoother and happier.

I titled this post "My Sisters, My Friends" for a purpose. Because these women, are in a way, my sisters. So here they are.

THE "SISTER" MISSIONARIES

Sister Clark and Sister Gordon are two wonderful missionaries who served in our ward and who kept me busy! I loved feeding them, driving them, going out with them and visiting people, etc. It reminded me of one of the happiest times of my life, when I was a missionary too. It was refreshing. It was a spiritual re-awakening. It made me feel what I once felt for an entire 18 months. They reminded me of Whom I needed to turn to for that extra strength and comfort I needed. I really do feel that spending time with them helped me to strengthen and add more to my relationship with my Heavenly Father and also with my husband and those around me. I remember when I was a missionary, people would tell us that we had something special and that they liked having us over because we would bring something "special" to their home. Sometimes I would just think that they were just trying to be nice, especially since we were away from our families and we had to face daily rejection and often insults from others. It was so easy to think, "I'm not really that special, but that's nice of them to say." But now, I completely understand what they meant by "special". It's the mantle that missionaries have. Having the constant company of the Spirit and being able to greatly inspire, comfort, serve, and just being so close to the Spirit that they just say the right thing. Oh how I miss that. I know I have the Spirit with me, but as a missionary, it was something else. It was another dimension. So tangible. Felt like I was led by the hand everywhere I went. Being with the sisters brought a lot of that back. Thank you so much Sisters. I am excited to one day tell my son that he had his first missionary experiences when he was 9 months old :)

MY "SISTER"-IN-LAW

Before moving to Maryland, I could easily say I knew Angie as mostly just "Alex's sister" than my own sister-in-law. Having the opportunity to live together now has definitely changed that. I am happy to say that it has been a blessing and a lot of fun. I love watching Angie play with Alejandrito. He loves his auntie so much. He gets so excited whenever he sees her and then cries a little when she leaves the room. He loves to kiss her and play with her face and share his bottle and his food with her. He loves it when she plays with him and whispers in his ears. And it makes me so happy to see him so happy! As a kid I was very loved and spoiled by my aunts and i loved it! That has allowed me to create a special bond with them and I am excited for my son to do the same. I know that as he continues to form this relationship with his aunt, he will develop stronger feelings of love, trust, and respect. And I look forward to that.

Not only does it make me happy to see my son with Angie like that, but I am happy that I have found a friend in Angie too. From talking about The Secret Life of blabla, to singing annoying songs like "friday", to making fun of Alex, to seeing her go through a career/job search, to singing Mickey Mouse and Elmo's song, to watching Eva Luna and then telling me I look like Maya from India (whom she doesn't think is pretty. haha inside joke), to discussing interesting topics, to making fun of each other and other what nots, I feel very blessed to share this time in my life with her. Angie has made this new transition in my life a lot easier and fun. I don't really feel alone anymore and I love being able to talk to her about random things or just laugh at whatever. She is so full of love and kindness and I see it daily, especially in the way she is towards my son. What mother doesn't like to see that?? :) Thank you Angie. For being my friend, for being there for your brother, and for loving Alejandrino so much.

And here are a few pics of my son and I, with of course, my new sisters :)

Alejandro was in love with Sister Clark. I think they are holding hands here:

Monday, March 14, 2011

The Most Important Question of My Life

The replica of the Brooklyn Bridge of the New York New York Hotel in Las Vegas is a very special and significant place for me, and I feel safe to say it is also for our little family.

Exactly 2 years ago on Saturday, March 14, 2009, Alex Rodriguez asked me the most important question of my life. One that would determine the path that was ahead of me for the rest of forever. He asked me to be his wife.

Looking back, I can't comprehend how fast time has gone by. Alex and I have known each other for almost 3 years and we have had a lifetime of experiences in such a short amount of time. And I know this is just the beginning. There's so many more to come! I am so happy to be married to such an amazing man. He truly is a man of God, one who inspires me everyday to be a better wife, a better mother, a better daughter, a better sister, a better friend, a better person.

Amorcito, I love you so much and everything you teach me. I love all the things we do together, from playing in bed with our Lil Lil every morning before you head to work, to watching basketball games and our intense squeals/grunts, to doing dishes together, to having our family grocery store dates, to sitting down and setting a budget and doing our family finances together, to having interesting discussions about work, politics, sports (even though we may have our disagreements), to setting goals and planning our future adventures, to laughing about the silliest of things, to planning about our future Lil Lil's, to talking about and going through some of most sacred and personal experiences we've ever had. Thank you for loving me and Alejandrito so much and for never ceasing to be so caring and so concerned about our happiness and our well-being. Thank you for making us your priority and for making the Gospel of Jesus Christ a priority in our life as a family, for allowing it to guide us and lead us throughout this journey. Te amo mi vida, you really have made my life more blessed than ever. You've made my dream come true, because now I really do have my eternal family. And you've lived up to that to that promise you made the day you asked me to marry you, because my level of happiness has been higher than it has ever been, being with you and our Jandrino.

Happy Engage-aversary!

Te amo mi Amor!

Here's to reminisce, our proposal story. Or the proposal, according to me, exactly as I posted it on our wedding website, shortly after we got engaged in March 2009.

How Alex Proposed

For about 2 months Alex had been mentioning how one of his cousins was going to get married in vegas because that is what he had always wanted. I didn’t give much thought to it, until around mid February 2009, when Alex commented I should probably request that weekend off from work so that I could attend the wedding. I told him I would do so but he needed to tell me when. Whenever I would ask him he would say that he needed to recheck with his family.
Then one day, about 2 or 3 weeks prior to Alex’s cousin’s wedding, Alex gives me the exact date. His cousin was to be married on Saturday, March 14th, 2009. I requested the day off from work but needed to find a volunteer to cover me (This was for an evening session of “Conexiones”). I asked my friend Raquel Zarco and she agreed without hesitating. I was excited! I was going to go Vegas for the first time since my sophomore year in 2003 and it was going to be Alex’s first time ever! I didn’t remember much of it from 2003, so I definitely wanted to go again and maybe go to some shows, take pictures, etc.
We planned on leaving that Saturday morning so that I wouldn’t have to request Friday off as well and have to find someone else to cover me. The week of the wedding, Alex receives a surprise visit from his mom. When talking to her, she had also mentioned that her nephew’s wedding was one of the reasons why she had come to Utah, apart from wanting to spend time with her children.
Ok, so in the morning of Saturday, March 14th, Alex, his mom, his sister Angie & I head out to Las Vegas. We didn’t leave early in the morning as we had originally planned but had left early enough to find a hotel and get ready and then head out to the wedding. Alex’s mom and sister mentioned they had scheduled a hair appointment in a salon near the strip at 7pm. They were supposed to meet there with other family members. While I was getting ready, they mentioned they hadn’t scheduled me because they didn’t know if I wanted to get my hair done with them or do it myself. I told them it was fine and that I would do it myself. Despite that, Alex’s sister helped me with my hair so that I’d look nice  . They also indicated they would be done around 9pm and that it would be a good idea for Alex and I to walk down the strip, take pictures, etc, since Alex had never visited. I loved the idea, especially since it had been forever since my last visit and because I would go with my Alex!
We leave the hotel, running a little late for the hair appointments and Alex’s mom calls one of the family members in the salon telling them they are late. Alex is looking so stressed out and tense…I couldn’t figure out if he was tired from the drive or just grumpy for no reason. I kept asking him what was wrong but all he said was that he was tired and that he hated driving in a place where he didn’t know where he was going. We drop off his mom and Angie and head out to the Strip. It took us a while to find parking since we didn’t know all the casinos had free parking! (Hahaha). We finally park and walk around the Strip. Alex still seemed tense, tired, annoyed, worried, grumpy…and he just wasn’t himself…he even looked kind of sick. His laughs seemed kind of fake…or nervous. I continue to ask him what’s wrong but he just says that he’s tired, that he’s hungry, that it smells bad, and that he hates how he can’t look anywhere because there’s dirty pictures of women if he looks up or if he looks down, or there is someone trying to hand it to him. Then he mentions how much he doesn’t like Vegas and would never live there. Now, I had been wondering when and where he would propose since he had told my friends it was going to be soon. I was trying to figure out around what dates but “soon” didn’t look so soon to me because there were so many other things going on and he wouldn’t have time to propose. Then the thought out of him proposing in Vegas popped out as a possibility the week of his cousin’s wedding…but as soon as I heard him complain about Vegas, and how dirty & smelly it is, I think “yeah right, he hates this place. He would never do it here.”
As we continue to walk, I see the New York New York Hotel. I got all mission “trunky” and started rambling about living in New York those 18 months, and the awesome view of Manhattan Skyline from Hunter’s Point and from the Brooklyn side of the Brooklyn Bridge (For those of you that have no idea what I’m talking about, I was a missionary for my church in New York for 18 months. There, I met amazing people who taught me a lifetime of experiences in such a short amount of time and grew tremendously because of it. I served in Brooklyn, Queens, and Long Island, but great part of those months were spent in Brooklyn. Probably the hardest months but also the sweetest months, that’s probably why I have some sort of attachment to that place and I absolutely would feel bliss whenever I would visit the Brooklyn Bridge. Maybe it was symbolic? hehe I hope that helps! Anyway, back to the NY NY Hotel in Vegas!). I start taking a ton of pictures and walk throughout all of it…both inside and outside. I was so happy! They had a baby Brooklyn bridge! We continue our tour of the strip and walk around some hotels, take pictures, watch the Belaggio water show, take more pictures. And Alex is still looking uncomfortable. Then he tells me that his mom and sister are coming to get us to go to the wedding, so we stop outside, right at the replica of the Brooklyn Bridge of the New York, New York Hotel and sit on a bench.
We talk about random stuff, just killing time, and then Alex asks “Do you remember what you told me about your mission a while ago when we started dating?” “What exactly?” , I ask. “Why you didn’t want to come home”, he said. “Yeah I remember. I didn’t want to come home because I was afraid of losing the level of happiness I had reached on the mission because of the new things I had to face being back.” “Are you happy with me?” he asks. “Of course!”, I say, “Even happier!” We kiss, we hug, and all that great stuff. Then we start a conversation about memories we’ve had together, challenges (personal and as a couple), and how amazing it is to have someone by your side to help you carry your burdens. We talk about how wonderful it feels to be best friends and the blessing it has been in our lives. The conversation gets deeper, we get a little emotional, we kiss, we hug, then I move my purse which was between Alex and I, so I could hug him better, and I noticed he quickly grabs his coat to cover his pockets. Now his pocket looked like there was something there...and I got nervous…so I decided to believe that it was his phone, even though it’s not squared-shape. I hugged him tightly, and he kissed me but asked me to close my eyes and keep them closed. I got more nervous. Then as he kisses me, I feel him kneel down and then I already start crying and he says, “I want you to be my best friend, forever”. I hug him tightly and continue crying and holding him and kissing him, I don’t even think I said yes and he didn’t even put the ring on me, but I just tell him how much I love him and the “yes” came sometime there. Alex then says, “I brought you here because I know how much you loved your mission and I remember what you had told me about being afraid to lose that happiness you had reached, but I just want you to know that I will try my best to make you just as happy and even happier as we start our lives together.” Ok, by this part, I needed more tissue than I thought due to the tears, mascara, and runny nose. And I’m getting all emotional again just as I type this. So I’ll just end it now! Now you know the rest!
PS: There was no wedding! No cousin getting married, no hair salon appointments, not other family members, no nothings! Everything was a trick! Even his mom’s fake phone call! Hahaha. It’s ok, Alex’s mom took us to the Cheesecake Factory after the proposal so we could celebrate! Wahoo!

Besito despues del "Si"/Kiss after the "Yes"

Thursday, March 10, 2011

What the Tootle Hot Dog?

I've always said how I don't plan on having cable at home or making my kids watch TV. Well, right now we are living at my father-in-law's home and we have cable but I try to stick to not watching much TV and not placing my son in front of a screen all day. Most of the time, I check out Baby Einstein and Baby Signing Time from the public library and he seems to be quite entertained by those shows. But since he was about 3 months old, I would turn on the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse because I wanted to see his reaction to the colors, the music, plus, it's Mickey Mouse, I like him and he doesn't have anything controversial in his background yet, so I decided to give the little mouse a try.

Man, little did I know that all 3 songs - "The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Theme", "Tootles", "and "The Hot Dog Song"- would become my anthems, my ringtones, and the most played YouTube video EVER to come upon our laptops and our phones. But they also have become my lifesavers. They allow me to take my time during my morning shower, make the bed, clean the bedrooms, cook, fold some laundry, etc. And most of all, they calm my little one from whatever he may be feeling, whether that is anger, frustration, pain (usually due to not being able to reach certain toys, or not getting his toys to do what he wants them to do, or falling on his face during his crawling attempts, or hitting his head with anything that surrounds him...which happens a lot).

So here's what we live by:

I am so GRATEFUL for the genius that compiled all 3 songs in one video AND repeats it TWICE in a single hit! And I just learned about the queue list. Things just got better!

Alejandrito LOVES this video! He never EVER gets tired of it. I have memorized the songs. Alex has memorized the songs. My sister-in-law has too. My mom learned them and sang them well. Pretty much anyone that's been around us has learned a line or two from these songs....because we play them so much!

He he he he

So back to Jandro. He is the CUTEST when he watches this video. His arms flip all over the place. He tries to reach and drags himself all over the floor so he can reach it on my laptop. If he's sitting, he bounces so much that he's lost balance and has fallen flat on his head/back. That is usually followed by a cry that is soon calmed by our friend Mickey. But seriously, this little man will stop doing whatever he was doing to watch Mickey during these songs. He will LITERALLY bend over backwards for it.

Here's proof:

This is in the family room when "Tootles" came on. Here's a better up close pic:

Yep, bent over backwards it is!

And here's a series of videos of him watching Mickey. Man he is a cutie!

#1: He's just enjoying him during a weekday morning

#2: I began to badger the little man...you know, just testing his patience. But to no avail, I quickly learned that no one comes between my baby boy and his homie the Mouse.

#3: I continue to badger...but I think this time I took it too far. This is frustration and attempt to quit at 0:53 seconds. But he did move all around!

#4: He learned not to bounce as much because of the falls, so he just looks like a baby chick, a little "pollito", flapping his arms up and down. He's so cute!

As I review this blog, I notice I've been overly repetitive with the word "cute" or "cutie", but you know what? I don't care! This ain't no research paper! It's a blog! MY blog! and I'm gonna say it over and over again, my baby is cute, a cutie, a cutie pie, mi pedacito de cielo, mi corazon, mi little little, mi wawita, mi cuchifluy, mi chiquilines, mi chiki chiki, mi bello, mi cuchirilis, mi hermoso, mi vidita, mi cholito, mi bebe, la cosita mas linda, mas tierna y mas dulce que me ha podido dar Dios en esta vida. But that's gonna be a another blog entry. I won't jump into another tangent, this is about Mickey, so here are some pics when they met back in December at the magical land of Walt Disney World.

Have a "Hot Dog" Day!

*hot dog, hot dog, hot diggity dog...*

Monday, March 7, 2011

Nana Yova's Surprise Birthday Visit

El cumpleanos de mi mami fue el 2 de Febrero y se que ese dia fue muy especial para ella, ya q lo paso en compania del resto de la familia como mi hermano, su esposo, sus hermanos, y mis abuelos. Lamentablemente mi pequena familia no pudo estar presente ese mismo dia, pero poco se esperaba mi mami lo que le venia en unos dias.

3 dias despues de su cumpleanos, osea el 5 de Febrero, Alejandrito y yo nos encontrabamos rumbo a Orlando, FL. Con la ayuda de mis abuelitos (Pichuzita y Viejo), Sue, y las ideas creativas de mi esposo, pudimos planear este viaje sorpresa y atrazado regalo de cumpleanos.

Look who welcomed us when we landed! That's right ladies and gentlemen, none other than Alejandro's favorite character, Mr. Mickey Mouse!

Despues de una corta espera, Sue (mi tia/la hermana de mi mama) y su esposo Rolo llegaron a recogernos. En camino a casa, paramos en un Publix para comprar los ultimos detalles de la sorpresa. It ended up looking a little bit like this:

In case you can't see it too well, he's holding a Winnie the Pooh balloon with "Happy Birthday" printed on it, and he is also holding a pink rose. I apologize for the messy background, but hey, it's a garage!

Sue y Rolo entraron a la casa de mi mama y disimuladamente Sue se dirigio al garage para dejarme entrar sin que mi mami se diera cuenta. Una vez q ya estabamos adentro, acomode a Alejandrito de esta manera para q la sorpresa este lista. Rolo se quedo conversando con mi mama y le dijo si podia sacar algo del garage q el necesitaba. Mi mama fue para el garage, y en voz alta empezo a preguntar por que el porton estaba abierto. Ni se habia dado cuenta que mi hijo estaba sentadito en el piso y q yo andaba en una esquina con la camara. Cuando derepente mi mami suelta un gruto de una mujer en pleno parto y sigue gritando sin parar y diciendo, "NO, NOOO, NOOOO, NOOOO, NOOO, AAAAAAAAAAAAAH, AAAAAAAAAAAAAH, AHHHHHHH, AAAHHHH!" or something along those lines. Lamentablemente, yo tambiem me encontraba media temblorosa, pero estas son las mejores tomas de lo que fue su expresion y su grito.

and here's a lovely CLOSE-UP:

And here's an even BETTER close-up:

PRICELESS

As you can all tell, my mami was way excited. So excited, and so loud, that Alejandro wept for about 15 minutes nonstop because he got scared. hahahaha.

Here's a few seconds of it:

But things got better...