Always, Sometimes, Never 2

i always...
thank the Lord for giving me my wonderful children.
try to make the best of bad situations.
feel proud to be a mother.


i sometimes...
want to give our dog Gus away to the dog pound.
want to give Gio away to the same place.
think some people are of a different species, totally different than me.

i never...
want my kids to feel like they are less than anyone.
let my feelings go unnoticed. 
allow anyone to come before my kids. 

Way Back Wednesday 3

 

This picture was taken on the holiday season of 2005. It was a few days before Christmas. My cute kids, they were posing in front of our little Christmas tree. That year was a good year for the children. Santa was very kind and brought them lots of toys :) I loved that apartment, and some of the best times the kids and I had were in that place. They were so little then, Vanessa was missing teeth! Julian was 3, Jocelyn 4, and Vanessa 7.

Touch Me I'm Going to Scream part II

Way Back Wednesday 2

 

This picture was taken in early October, 2006. Vanessa was 8 years old. This was taken at her first concert. I usually just went to my shows with Carol, but Vanessa was slowly becoming a fan of the same music, and she kept insisting that she be taken to a show. She was very grown for an 8 year old. We went to go see Circa Survive. She knew all their songs and really liked them. She was so cute! I remember this show was at The Glasshouse in Pomona. I remember us going upstairs to watch the show because Carol and I were afraid of Vanessa getting stomped when the other concert goers started moshing. So to be safe, we went upstairs, and it was actually a very cool experience for Vanessa. It was such a great show, but the cutest thing was watching Vanessa sing along to all of Circa Survive's songs. She looked so "rock", with her little jeans, black t, and chuck taylors'. I remember other people watching the show kept staring at her and whispering, "how cute!". And she only had eyes for the band. It was adorable :) This was the beginning of my little emo china doll...

Thankful Tuesday 1

Today I am thankful for our home. We are not homeowners, but I feel very thankful that we have found a house to rent big enough to give our 5 kids and the dog enough space to run around. They each have their own space. And we have our own space. The place is old, falling apart, everything is breaking. The house is not even painted a color I am fond of, but it is our home nonetheless, and I love that we have a place to lay our heads every night. I love being able to come home and feel good because we are in a house. We don't have to keep shushing the kids to be quiet because the neighbors can hear all of our conversations or hear every step we take. The kids can go play in the gated yard all they want, and I don't have to be afraid that something will happen to them out there. The kids can be as loud as they want. We don't have to have all the kids crammed in one room. We have more than one restroom! It's our home, and we love being home. If I don't feel like cleaning I don't have to clean to please anyone else. We have been here for 4 months, and I wouldn't trade it for anything (unless is was our own house, of course!). Thank you God for allowing us to have this place, as shabby as it is :)

MMJ Monday 1

"It Beats 4 U"

Silent Sunday 1

Homemade Chicken Soup

Ok, so as you all know, the kids and I have been sick for about 2 weeks now, on and off. One of my favorite things to cook when we are ill is Homemade Chicken Soup from scratch. It is so easy to make, and it will definitely get those juices flowing out of your stuffy noses! It is also very inexpensive to make, for those of you who have to feed a big family on a not so big wallet. You don't have to use all these ingredients I use, some can be taken out. It just depends on what you like. This will feed a family of 7 for a day and a half :)

Ingredients:
2 packages of Chicken pieces (one package of thighs, and one of drumsticks) or 2 whole chickens, cut into pieces
3 large carrots
5 large potatoes
3 sticks of celery
1 chayote squash
5 whole corns, cut in half
1 pound of green beans
2 cups of broccoli cut into pieces
1 green bell pepper
1 cilantro bunch
1/2 an onion
2 garlic cloves
1 cup of rice
1 half cup of pasta (i use shells or alphabets for the kids)
salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, knorr chicken bouillon(either cubes or powder)

Ok, to start, get a pot big enough. Get your chicken cut, peel the skin off (you can leave the skin on the drumsticks and wings), wash it. Put your clean chicken in the pot and fill the pot up with water almost all the way to the top. Make sure you put enough water to make soup, but leave room for the vegetables you will be adding later. Your best bet is to fill the pot 2/3's. Put the pot to boil on a high fire. While the chicken is boiling, in a blender, put half a cup of water with the onion, garlic, bell pepper and cilantro cut up. Blend this together. Put it to the side. When the chicken boils, turn the fire to low. As the chicken boils, it will let out this white residue at the top of your pot. You will need to remove all of this as the chicken is cooking. Take a big spoon and scrape this stuff out and dump it in the sink. Once all that stuff is cleared, you can pour the mixture in the blender into the pot. This is when you will add your salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin and chicken bouillon. You basically will just add to your taste. It depends on how salty you like your food. Cover it and  leave it cooking. Peel your carrots and potatoes. Slice your carrots a little thick and cut your potatoes into big cubes. Put that in the pot. Now peel the chayote and cube it. Put it in the pot. Now you take the green beans and cut the ends off. When all the ends are cut off, you break the green beans in half. Wash them, and put them in the pot. Now take the corn, clean them up and cut them in half. Put those in the pot. And lastly, you wash the celery sticks and broccoli. Slice the celery and cut the broccoli into pieces. Throw those in the pot. Now you have all your veggies in there. Let that cook for about 20 minutes. Then you wash your rice and pasta. throw that in the pot. Let it cook for another 10-15 minutes. Stir it often so your pasta and rice wont stick to the bottom. When the rice is cooked, you are done. Turn the stove off and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy.

My family really loves when I make this. While it is cooking you will get this aroma going in your house. It is really good, and it makes you feel better when you are feeling sick. Even the most finicky eater will eat this...

11-20-09

 I am just doing this survey for fun today. It seems like a good way to express myself and my feelings...

What is your current obsession?
at this exact moment I would have to say that my current obsession is a cross between this blog and Sorority Life on facebook... LOL

What do you hate the most that everyone else seems to love?

i really am not liking katy perry's music. i don't know why, but she even gets on my nerves a little...

What are you wearing right now?
honestly, right now i am wearing gray sweat pants, an orange t-shirt, and socks... the kids and i have been sick for almost 2 weeks. i spent most part of my day yesterday at the ER, so i feel really drained, sick and tired today... 

What's for dinner?

i think i am going to keep it simple tonight and just make some hot wings and french fries... like i said, i am not feeling very well today.

What would you eat for your Last Dinner?

wow, i think i would have some pernil and tostones. omg, my gio sure knows how to cook his puerto rican food... it is so goody!

What was the last thing you bought?

i know this sounds boring, but the last thing i bought was some veggies, chicken, and some other groceries to make a chicken soup...

  

What are you listening to right now?

I am listening to my radio station on slacker.com. I have my fav. artist's on there, such as, dredg, my morning jacket, deftones, morrissey, sparta, erykah badu....

If you could have a house right now, fully paid for and furnished, where would it be?
wow, i think i would go to northern california. i am not from northern cali, but it would be cool to be there cuz i would still be near enough to visit home, and i would be in a beautiful place...


What is one of your hobbies?

i would have to say knitting... 

What is one way you don't want to die?
i would def. not want to die in a fire... scary. 

What are 3 things that annoy you most?
1. fake people.
2. liars.
3. gossip. 

What is your favorite piece of clothing in your wardrobe?
i think i would have to say it is this gray knit sweater i bought when i was pregnant with noah. it is so comfy and warm...

What is your dream job?
i would love to be a personal shopper for babies :) 

What does your book collection say about you?
that i am a hard person to figure out...

What are you doing after this?
i think i better do some house chores, even if i do feel like crap, or else i will have a shitty weekend...  

What inspires you?
my kids, they inspire everything about me...  

What is the last dream you remember?
oh wow, i dream a lot, but the last dream that really stuck with me was a dream i had about vanessa. she was going on a school field trip, and when she was supposed to come home i saw her friends walking, so i asked them for vanessa. they told me she never even made it to the trip. i remember going crazy looking for her. i was in such desperation looking for her. what a nasty feeling that was... 

What delighted you the most today?
lol... my warm coffee...

What is the funniest movie ever made?
i love friday and dumb and dumber...  

What is a quote that helps you?
"Don't be afraid of perfection, it will never reach you" Salvador Dali
so true... nobody is perfect.       

Noah

My baby, oh my gosh, how I love you so. I did not think I was going to have anymore children, and then a few years later you came along with your beautiful face to brighten up my life. I lived all I thought I could live, and I never imagined how wonderful you could be. I love you so so much! Your brother n sisters have grown up on me, and I feel so lucky to have you now in my life. I get to experience motherhood once again. I feel like you renewed me. And you love me! Oh my goodness, I have never met a little monster so in love with his mommy! You are my little "butt buddy", as your daddy would say :) We spend all day together, and I am incredibly amazed by how bright you are. You are such a smart little dude, you really impress me. You have a character all your own. You are funny as all hell! You crack me up with all your little funny faces and the funny noises that come out of you. I love to sit with you and read books to you. You love, love books. At the moment, you are in love with your Sesame Street book, "Come Play with Us". I have read it to you so much, I already know the book by heart. And you can be doing some crazy thing, all I have to do is start reciting the book, and you will drop what you are doing to sit down and listen to your favorite story. You are so amazing! It's incredible. I love you so so much, and I wish I could cheat time and keep you at this stage forever. You bring a smile to my face always. Thank you for loving me so much. Thank you for being so vocal about it. Thank you for giving me hugs n kisses, thank you my little angel. Thank you for showing me true love...

Jocelyn

My sweet, cooky Josie. I am so thankful to have you in my life. You have taught me many lessons, even some I did not want to learn, but nonetheless, I am still thankful for them. I love you, Josie. You are bright, so so funny, giggly, friendly, and so loving. You crack me up with your craziness. For some reason, I think you will be the one to take care of me when I am old and can't take care of myself. Why? I just do. I can feel your love for me, and I know that you love me soo much. Thank you for loving me. Sometimes you are kinda ditsy, but not a bad kind of ditsy. It's kind of endearing. You are very sweet. I love when I ask you about your day and you start jabbering your little mouth. You love to tell stories, and you have a great imagination. It helps, I know with you I can never get bored. And you have this personality, you like to take care of people and help out. I love it when you come to me and ask me if I need help with something. I think you are the only one that does that.. I want you to know that you are a very beautiful girl. Don't ever change. I love you, my flaca...

Way Back Wednesday 1

This is a picture of Julian and I @ Cafe 50's. This was taken about 4 years ago, when we used to live in Westwood, CA. It had become like a family ritual to go have breakfast at Cafe 50's every Sunday morning.  As far as I knew, they had the best breakfast burritos in West L.A.  The good thing about this place was that it did not matter what time you went, you could have breakfast at any time, or lunch at any time. And they also had a great menu. Their onion rings were to die for! The kids used to love going there. Every week Cafe 50's used to have a coloring contest. They used to give the kids a little coloring page, and the kids used to sit there and color the pages while we waited for our food. Before we left, we used to hand them back in. And it was so cool, because I think not too many kids used to turn the coloring pages in, so every week, the kids used to receive a little prize from Cafe 50's in the mail for winning the coloring contest :) They used to love getting their prizes in the mail. It would light their faces up. Also, on Sunday's, they had a magician there, and he would walk around performing magic tricks. It's a really cool place, and I miss going there so much...

Always, Sometimes, Never 1

i ALWAYS...

check to make sure the doors and windows are locked at night. (i read The Night Stalker, the story about Richard Ramirez)
put lotion on after i shower.
kiss my kids faces and tell them that i love them every chance i get, especially when i say goodnight to them.
wear a seat belt when in a car.
wear socks with my sneakers. 


i SOMETIMES...
see my father when i look in the mirror.
get teary when i see my kids laughing when they have not noticed me looking at them.
cry when i am angry.
secretly daydream that i am rich.
want alone time.


i NEVER...
want to take my loved ones for granted.
regret standing up for what i believe in, regardless of the turnout.
go to bed without praying and talking to God.
trust anyone wholeheartedly.
forget what i have lived.

Julian

My Julian, thank you for being the sunshine to my everyday. You are such a smart, gentle, funny, loving, and cute boy. Anyone who knows you, loves you. I love you so much. Thank you for being such a good, sweet boy. Thank you for loving me so much. Thank you for putting a smile on my face everyday of your life. Thank you for being so silly, making me laugh all the time. Thank you for being such a good brother. You love your sisters, and you treat them like a gentleman. Thank you for that, because by these actions, not only are you being loving with them, but you teach them how men should treat them in the future. You set the standards high. If you continue to be that way, you will grow up to be a great man and will make some lucky girl very happy. Thank you for being such a great big brother to Noah. He loves you and loves playing with you. You make him smile all the time. Thank you for creating so many fun memories for me. You are the best! You are growing up to be a little man, and you make me so proud. I look forward to knowing you as a grown man. I am so thankful for having you in my life. Thank you for letting me be your mom. I love you now, and always will. You will always be my sunshine. I love you poppa...

Vanessa

I am so thankful for you, Vanessa. So, so, thankful. Words cannot explain what you mean in my life. You are my first born, the one who I started my family with. You have been with me the longest, which is probably why you know me so well. You are like my right hand, how could I live without you? It's impossible. With you I learned how to be a mother. Thank you for teaching me to be a mother and for making being a mother so easy. I know that I am a great mother because of you. Only a great mother can create someone like you. Thank you for all the life lessons you have taught me that I will never forget. Thank you for being the light in my eyes. Thank you for loving me so much. Thank you for always having kind words to say about me. Thank you for loving me unconditionally. You are so wonderful. I love you more than you will ever know. I feel like it has always been you and me. I don't know what life would be without you. You are my special friend. You are so important in my life. You are growing up so fast, and I want to remember you as you are now, my loving little girl. You are so beautiful. So beautiful Vanessa, inside and out, you just don't know. You are so  smart, you make me so proud, everyday. I get to go to your school and be proud when your teachers speak so well of you. You are so much like me, but not so much at the same time, it's amazing! Please always stay the sweet girl you are, and never forget everything I have taught you. You are beautiful, smart, and strong. I feel great because I feel confident that you will grow up to be a great woman. You make me so proud. Thank you again for being who you are in my life. I love you with all my heart. Never forget that. I LOVE YOU, my china doll...

Gio

Today I am thankful for you. I am thankful that yesterday, November 11, 2009 was our 3 year anniversary. You and I, we have our ups and downs, but what couple doesn't? I know that in the end, we love each other and are there for each other, unconditionally. We have a beautiful family, and you have proven to be such a great family man. I love you. And sometimes I might not show that to you, but I love you so much, and I appreciate all you do for me and our kids. I am thankful that you support me in everything I do, even if you do not agree with it. I don't expect you to agree with me always, because you are your own person, as well as I am, but your support means a lot to me. I am thankful that I am able to stay home with our kids, while you go out to work and bust your ass everyday for us. I can truly say that I have enjoyed Noah these last few months. I have stayed home with him and taken care of our home solely, and you don't hold that over my head. Thank you. You are my best friend, really. I can tell you anything. And even if I think you will get mad, I know that you love me and will be there with me regardless. Thank you for being so loyal. Thank you for being so responsible. You have proven to me that not all men are deadbeats. You take care of yours, and mine, without complaining, and that shows just the type of man you really are. Thank you for being so loving. You might not be as affectionate as I would like you to be, we need to work on that, lol, but with your actions, I know that you love me. Trust me, your actions do not go unnoticed. I know that you are devoted to your job, and that the reason why you are so devoted is for us. Thank you for being a man of your word. Words could never show just how much I love you. Just know that I do, I LOVE YOU.