He's Always Listening

Last winter I was missing my family pretty badly and prayed for more quality time with them. I was really missing the bond and happy times we have always shared together, and that have been few and very long in between within the recent years. God heard and He answered. This summer was filled with lots of busy days, fun days, and family visits. My tank is full and my heart is satisfied, but yearning for more. I am just now getting a breather and able to catch up to my daily life. Normally I would be stressed out that the house is a bit messy and that everything is not in order, but honestly, right now, I don't mind. My heart and my mind are in order and that is all that counts. I will blog about our visits in future postings, but for now I must go because life calls...

Yes, I've been MIA

It's been such a crazy busy summer. I have done so much. I have been through every emotion you can imagine. I am now exhausted and am in the homestretch. Back to school is around the corner and then I will rest. I have so much to update you all on. Love ya!

Reminds me of Me and My Baby Girl!

A Losing Battle

It finally dawned on me that there are people in this world that will never get my point of view, that to try and explain things the way I see it, is a losing battle.  I realized that when dealing with this type of person I cannot win that instead of losing precious moments in time arguing that I will just listen.  (By winning I don't mean being right, by winning I mean being heard and understood).  I will hold my tongue and just listen. That I will offer up my patience to God and let Him handle it because I know that I cannot.  To try and reason and share hurt feelings when I am not be understood makes me frustrated and creates more pain.  Instead I will just listen with an open heart.  Hopefully this will be enough to drowned away that loud voice in my heart that wants to be understood, heard, and acknowledged.  I will surrender that voice to God and I know that He will listen when no one else can.

Some of the Chaos

Here are some pics of some of the chaos. Keep in mind this is one month into it when things weren't as bad. I wish I had taken pics of the flood and of the clean up efforts.

Fridge in our office.

Our foyer 

Some of the mess

More of the mess and plastic covering on doorway. 

Coming Together

My home finally has floors! The refrigerator is no longer in the office and most of the cleaning is done. I am ALMOST breathing a sigh of relief. Thank you to all of my friends and family for praying for us. We really needed it. I am now looking forward to a regularity in my routine. I get to enjoy my husband, my children and my new baby who is just so freaking cute, without having to deal with chaos...

Someone from Sears has Stepped up

A very nice gentleman from Sears read my blog and has offered to help.  I am encouraged that some humanity still exists in this company that we have supported for so long.  I have emailed him and we will see where this leads.  I will keep you guys posted.

Still in Disarray

Nope, no repairs have been done and we are still living la vida loca...

Thanks Sears, you guys SUCK!

Sears Sucks

My nightmare began about three weeks ago when I set my dishwasher to wash, right before bedtime, like I always do because it's the most energy efficient time.  The next morning I woke up to ankle-deep-water in my fist floor and my basement was raining.  As I was coming down the stairs I wondered why my home smelled like a log cabin, you know, kinda musty.  It wasn't until I stepped into cold water that I realized why and then it took me about a minute to process and a few seconds to start screaming and crying. My two middle kids cried along with me and then we ran upstairs to wake my oldest son up.  


When my teen came downstairs we called my husband, who instructed him to shut off the main water valve when the one under the sink didn't stop the water from gushing out of my dishwasher.  We then tried to clean up the mess with towels which was a never ending job.  I am so proud of my son.  He worked hard that morning without complaining and when I told him to take a break he said "I can't mom.  I have to clean up our home."  


When my husband came home he tried using the Shop-Vac to help clean up, but it was useless.  I then called my best friend to pick up my two middle kids and then my home owner's insurance to report the damage.  My home owner's insurance sent a company to clean up the water. I must write a review on this company, ServePro, because they have the NICEST men working for them.  These guys were so courteous, respectful, and sympathetic to what we were going through.  They had to rip out our NEW floors and leave these huge dehumidifiers and fans to dry up the water.  Oh my, the next few days were a nightmare.  My home reached a temperature of 95 degrees because we were not allowed to turn on the AC or open the windows.  There was dust everywhere and the noise level was crazy.  We had to shout just to hear each other. 


Anyway, in the mix of all this I called Sears to come repair the dishwasher.  This happened on a Saturday and the earliest appointment for them to come out was Tuesday - not my first choice, but not unreasonable.  What was unreasonable was their repairman trying to blame my water for a faulty valve and then not having the part to fix my dishwasher.  He said hard water was at fault because the mineral build up disrupted the valve from closing.  This makes sense and is a reasonable explanation.  However,  there was no proof of this.  When my husband asked why he came to this conclusion, the repairman was at a lost for words and said it was a "hunch." In my development everyone has the same water and yet, I am the only one whose dishwasher failed because of it.  We aren't talking about a 20 year old dishwasher.  This baby is only five years old.  Not only that, but we splurged for stainless steel, not just the outside, but the tub too and it's an "Elite" model.  There was no sign of mineral build up on the valve or anywhere in the dishwasher. The repairman said that he could not do anything else without the needed part and put an order in for it from our home.  We asked when the part would arrive and he replied, "next Tuesday."  My husband then had to ask if a rush delivery could be requested.  We were told yes, and a delivery date of Thursday was given.  The repairman said that if we received the part before Tuesday that we could call him for an earlier repair appointment. 

Thursday came nothing. Friday, nothing. Weekend and Monday, nada. Finally, it was Tuesday evening and I hadn't heard anything from Sears, so I called.  Mind you that my entire home is in disarray and repairs are at a standstill until the dishwasher is repaired.  My home owner's insurance will not proceed until the repairs are done. So when I called Sears, the first two people I spoke to gave me the run around. The third person, told me that she would put a request so that the "Parts Department" could call me. An hour later the Parts Department called me to let me know that the valve was out of stock and would not be available until May 31 st!  Seven weeks from that day!  Almost two months!  I couldn't help, but cry.  I asked to speak to a manager and from this point on I spoke to about 5 different departments.  I pleaded with them.  I explained that I have four children, including a newborn baby.  I explained that my husband is a Fire Fighter and in the military, that I am mostly alone dealing with a house that is not function-able.  "Sorry Mrs. T***** all we can do is give you a $50 gift certificate."  Are you kidding me?!  That's like telling a gunshot victim, "here, put this Band-aid on."  I told that person "Fifty dollars?  Ma'am, I have no floors what is a fifty dollar gift certificate suppose to do about that?"  I asked if there was any way that I can get a new dishwasher since the part was almost two months away from being available and I was told that my warranty would not cover that.  The only way I could get a dishwasher issued to me is if the old one is "not repairable."  So we paid the extra $200 + for a warranty that is basically useless.  I am so frustrated.  My home owner's insurance cannot go after Sears because in the state that I live in we have passed the statue of limitations. 

I feel that Sears is a heartless company, that they would allow four children to live in a home, under these conditions for two months.  I am so upset.  I am sure that if I were the daughter of some top Sears Executive I would have had a new dishwasher the very next day.  My husband and I were loyal customers of Sears, not anymore.  

.

I betcha...

...my daughter will decide to be born tonight.  "Why?" you ask, ha, because it's snowing, because our hamster just died, because my other son has broken his foot, and because my other son is sick with a stomach virus!  That's why!  

Why me?!$&%!+*%!!!

Pray for Life

On the anniversary of that stupid law, please don't forget to pray for the unborn and the sanctity of life.  Not sure how this is still a debate!  Life is a gift not a choice! 


Wouldn't it be great if my baby was born today!  Ha! 

"The greatest destroyer of peace is abortion because if a mother can kill her own child, what is left for me to kill you and you to kill me? There is nothing between." -Mother Teresa

"It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you live as you wish" -Mother Teresa

Sorry...

...for not having blogged anything lately. Just know that school is taking up all my time. I am in the home stretch. All I have is this semester and a few loose ends, like taking the TEAS exam, getting my background check, etc., and then I will FINALLY be in the RN program.

I am learning so much this semester. Our bodies are amazing and with each thing I learn I feel closer to my Creator and His perfection.

Kids Say the Darndest things

So, I was telling my family about my upcoming cat dissection, and my children were both fascinated and grossed out. I had to explain the necessity for practicing medical procedures on test subjects, which sometimes include animals. I reminded them of a movie we had seen about the life of Dr. Vivien Thomas - how he discovered a cure for cyanotic "blue" babies, by experimenting on dogs. They understood, but still found it incredible that I will be "operating" on a cat.

My daughter especially thought it was gross and "I can't believe you are going to do that, MOM." I told her that what I was doing was nothing compared to what doctors do. Doctors have to perform such things on dead people who donate their bodies to science. I went on to tell her that her First Grade Teacher's daughter-in-law is in medical school and she had to dissect a human last semester. My children were fascinate and wanted to hear how it works: how do you donate your body to science, are your eyes open, do the medical students get to see you naked, where is your body kept? I patiently answered all of their questions and finally got to the last one, "where are the bodies are kept?"

"Well, they are kept in a freezer."
"In a FREEZER," exclaims my daughter
"Yes, honey, so they don't get spoiled,"

"Well, I am a human. I've NEVER been in a freezer and I HAVE NEVER gone spoiled!"

Hahahahaha. Yup, that's my daughter!

First Day of School

It has begun and already I am in over my head.

My hubby told me last night, "Don't worry Babe, tomorrow will be filling out paperwork, going over syllabus, easy stuff." Yeah right! We got right to business. In my Anatomy and Physiology class (part II) we started the class with a lecture on the Respiratory System and after that we were looking at slides of alveoli, epithelium, and a mammal's lung. I have tons of reading and terms to memorize and on Tuesday we get our cat. Awwww - NOT! We are dissecting him, so no "awwww" there. Egyptians would be horrified!

Sociology I am taking online and haven't had a chance to review everything, but it looks like tons of papers.

And then there's my Drug Dosage Calculations class... will not even get into that.

So, pray for my sanity. PLEASE!

So, so busy!

Sorry for the lack of entries, but with school starting for EVERYONE in my household we are running around like chickens with no heads. Hubby and I start this Thursday and the kids start on Monday! I know some parents love this time of the year, but not I. I become so sad to think that I will not have them around all day. I really, really, miss them when school starts. And with the beginning of the school year also starts, religious education, dance, soccer, violin recitals, etc. Oh boy!

So to all of my friends who I was meaning to visit this summer I have to say, I am so sorry. I am sorry that my summer flew by and with it, my good intentions. I must make some time and we must get together. I miss so many of you, especially mi Boricua, Catholica, linda who lives a town away ;) You know who you are my wonderful friend.

Okay, so if I am MIA it's b/c my classes have me hostage. I will devote another entry to my decision about school and life.

Thanks to all who have prayed for me.

*Image by Larry Jones

Pet Peeve - Name Dropping

Okay, I love all of my friends dearly - I really do. Even the heathens (LMBO). However, just because I love them doesn't mean they don't do things to annoy me ;)

I get sooooo annoyed that some of my dear friends think that I care that they are wearing Manolo shoes, a Jimmy Choo handbag, or were just hanging out at the rooftop of Plunge. Seriously people, I am happy for you if you are happy, but sorry to be harsh, I don't care. I love all things beautiful and if your Jimmy purse is beautiful, I will compliment you, but I would compliment the same purse if it came from Target. A name tag doesn't impress me. I've evolved as a person and there are more important things to care about then what you are wearing and who you hung out with last weekend, which is another peeve, my friends who celebrity name drop. Listen, J.Lo poops too!

Things that do impress me:

1. Being a good person
   
2. Being Pro-Life
3. Spending quality time with your children / family
   
4. Donating your time to the Church and other worthy causes
5. Donating blood
6. Donating your money to sponsor groups like Women for Women International
7. Making it to church on time (we have gotten so good with this!)
   
8. Telling me about a great book you just read
9. Spewing some scientific names (lol)
10. Knowing useless trivia, like Lymes Disease got it's names b/c it derived in Lyme, Connecticut (thank you for that one Dan :)
    
11. Burping the entire alphabet
12. Nursing a baby while you use the toilet, eat, cook, etc.
13. Anything to do with motherhood
14. Doing something daring like Sky Diving (yeah!)
15. Sharing a great food recipe
16. Being a history buff (since my memory sucks, anyone who can retain this stuff impresses the heck out of me!)
    
17. Doing things with your feet (my mom takes her socks off and puts them one inside the other with her feet)
18. Spewing out useless movie quotes "So what would you little maniacs liked to do first?" (what movie is that from?
19. Remembering who Corey Haim and Kirk Cameron are (lol).
20. Doing a mean "chicken dance" at a wedding - with no shame or embarrassment, just shake that bootie.
    

Okay, so now I am getting pure silly, but you get the point. Impress me with goodness, humor, and your personality - material things do nothing for me. If you have them and can afford it, that's great and I am truly happy for you, but it's not what's important. Life is too good and full of wonderful things that have nothing to do with superficiality.

A New Saint in Heaven

Yesterday my beautiful Godmother passed away. She died on her 90th birthday. Despite knowing that she is in a better place, words cannot describe the sadness in my heart. My Godmother was the epitome of what a Godmother should be. She taught me how to love God through the eyes of the Catholic Church, how to pray the rosary and how to always trust in Christ. She complimented everything that my parents taught me at home and sometimes even surpassed it. My Godmother was loving and fun. Also, very very funny. I wonder if some of my humor comes from her?

I was very blessed to have gone to Puerto Rico two years ago to spend time with her. I took her to eat dinner and to the mall. She was in awe. It was wonderful seeing things through her innocent eyes. Technology amazed her. She hadn't been out of her immediate neighborhood except for church in over 20 years b/c she was too busy caring for my Godfather who was a WWII and Korean war vet. When he became ill with cancer he digressed and at times became violent. To top things off my only Godbrother is autistic. My Godmother had to care for him as well. Although his intelligence is of genius level, his personality is of a toddler. My Godmother had a heavy cross to bear, but she did it with grace and without complaint. When my Godfather passed on, she missed him dearly and said she would have cared for him till the day she died. May sound simple to those reading this, but it was not. My Godfather was not able to control his bowels and had to wear a diaper towards the end of his life. At times when dimensia kicked in, he would take them off and dirty his entire room. He would also see Germans and Koreans throughout the house and would break things, hide under the bed, and at times even attacked his wife. Despite all of this, she loved him and cared for him until his last breath. She put her entire life on hold for him and said she would do it all over again, if given the chance. This is coming from a women who lived most of her life in NYC. A women who was independent, who worked and studied. Who on the weekends got together with my mom and took me and my sibblings to museums, the Statue of Liberty, Rockerfeller Center, broadway shows, etc. She was very cultured and intelligent. I wish I had more time with her. Wish I could've pick her brain and ask her things that I didn't know to ask when I was a child. My visit with her was too short. I had planned on going back sometime this year with my family. I wanted her to meet my Marine (as she called my husband) and my children.

My heart aches. I miss her so much. Please pray for her soul, that she may get to heaven quickly.

Madrina, te quiero mucho y te extraño un monton

Decisions

Have you ever felt God talking to you, calling you to do something, yet you choose to ignore Him?

For the past year I have felt that God has been calling me to be a better mom. Like my good friend Father Deusterhaus says "God calls you to be a great mom, not a good one." Well, lately I've been a good mom period. I am being pulled in too many directions. School and work are taking up a lot of my time. Yes, I am blessed to have a job where I can work mostly from home, but it still takes me away from my family. I am physically there, but not really present. And school, I've dreamed of being a nurse for a very long time and I am only three classes away from being in nursing school, so why would God choose to call me to do something else when I am sooooo close?

Late at night, when I am alone with my thoughts, I feel this yearning in my heart for a simpler life. I think back at times when my children were younger and they make me smile. I miss playdates, naps, and our daytime routine. I miss leisure. Right now my life is structured, but in a way that leaves very little time for leisure. I guess I miss JUST being a stay-at-home mom. However, I am scared to give up the dream. I've worked so hard. Have learned things in school that I thought I was incapable of learning. When the sun is up and life kicks in, God's voice dims and I give into society. I give into the notion that being a mom is just not enough. In school I feel smart. I feel vigorous and want more. However, I feel that what God is calling me to do, is dramatic. It's not just about me ending my schooling and quitting me job. If you can believe, its bigger than that. I feel that He is calling me to something extraordinary - what that is, I am yet to find out.

Sometimes I question, "is God really talking to me?" or is it mommy guilt that is making me feel like quitting my dream. I honestly don't know. I am being very candid here because I want input. I am at a crossroads and don't know what to do.

Pray for me that I may listen with my heart.

You Know You're Puerto Rican...

When... (Para mis Amigos Boricuas)

You've ever used your lips to point something out.

You've ever been hit with "chancletas", "la correa", or the cord
of "la plancha".

You get really scared whenever someone mentions "El Cuuuuuco!!!"

You've gone to Titi's house and passed through the "bead
curtain" in the living room.

You step into a house that has all those little figurines taking
up every inch of space on the TV and under the TV.

Your mother has a porcelain cat, dog, Buddha or elephant in her
living room.

Almost everyone you know is nicknamed "mira".

You've eaten "esporsoda" with butter.

You have a perpetually drunk neighbor.

You know your mom is sneaking up on you because you can hear the
'clack-clack' of her "chancletas".

Someone in you family is name "Maria".

You have actually met several people named "Jesus".

You treat fevers with "alcoholado".

You know "Don Francisco" from "Sabado Gigante".

You need a cup of coffee after every meal.

Your uncle owns more gold than the jewelry shop down the street.

You've sat in a two-passenger car with over seven people in it,
and there's a person shouting "Subete que caben mas!".

You put a big Puerto Rican flag on your car come June.

You've sung "Japi Beldei Two Yuuuu" more than you care to
remember.

You scrunch up your nose to ask a silent "que ?".

You've ever left grass out for the camels on the night of Jan.
6th., instead of leaving milk and cookies for Santa Claus on
Christmas.

You remember Ricky Martin as the little one from Menudo.

You were raised on Goya products (Si es Goya, tiene que ser
bueno).

You ever wished El Chapulin Colorado would come and save you.

You've dropped food on the floor, picked it up, and eaten it
after saying "lo que no mata engorda".

Your sofa or rug growing up was covered in plastic.

You start clapping when your plane hits the runway.

Your cousins have "original" names, like a blend of their
parent's names (ViMari = Victor + Maria)

Your mother, tia, or hermana's hair is black cherry, "sun in"
red, or a burgundy that would make Celia Cruz jealous.

You go to a wedding or Quinceanera party, gossip about how bad
the food is, but take a plate to go.

You can dance to merengue, cumbia, or salsa without music.

You think Christina can beat Oprah any day.

You can get to your house blindfolded because the smell of
chuletas is SO strong.

Your mother yells at the top of her lungs to call you to dinner
when you live in a one bedroom apartment.

Telenovenas have the status of holy ceremonies.

You think platanos are a whole separate food group.

You have a picture of "Cristo" in your house.

You think your name begins like this: "Ave Maria Purisima,
__________".

You walk around saying "Chacho", or "Chacha" or "Ay Bendito".

Others tell you to stop screaming when you're really talking.

You know someone who drives a "Cheby".

You call all sneakers "tenis".

All breakfast cereals are called "Con Fley".

All tissue papers are called "Klinex".

All brands of diapers are called "Pampel".

A balanced meal consists of rice and beans and some kind of meat.

You know the difference between "Carolina Rice" and everything
else.

You appreciate the difference between "Agua de Florida" and
"Superior 70".

You've put a penny on your forehead to stop a nosebleed.

Your mother has put a balled up piece of thread on your baby
cousin's forehead to stop her hiccups.

You have at least 30 cousins. At least! (Dan, in our case - at least 100)

You know how to drive an "estandar" or "estic chift" car.

You can tell the difference between "Cafe Crema" and "Bustelo".

And last, but not least:

Your grandmother thinks Vick's Vapor Rub is the miracle cure for
everything!

Yaya's Top Ten Funniest Sayings

The other day I was talking with someone about some of the funny things that my mother says, and later in the day it got me thinking of my mom. I was walking through the supermarket and I actually randomly laughed out loud. People must have thought I was nuts. I got such a kick out of thinking of my mom that I had to post this...

10. He's no Paul Newman.
(This is said to any man who thinks he is good looking).
9. Come here Missy Foo / Mr. Foo
(??? she calls everyone this. I still don't know who Foo is).
8. Carambolas
(This is yelled out when she gets hurt, surprised, etc. It may be a form of caramba?)
7. Whatcha talking bout Willis?
(My mom looked at me one day & said this! I almost peed my pants.)

6. I am still waiting for my marriage license to expire.

5. Don't go into the fridge after a hot shower. Your face will freeze in place.
4. El diablo empuja
(The Devil Pushes. In order words, be careful with temptation)
3. Turn off the lights! I don't sleep with Con Edison.
(Con Edison is the electric company in NYC. Since she's not Con Edison's mistress she still has to pay the electric bill...lol)
2. You think I am married to Rockerfeller? Go get a job.

Drum roll please. The number one funny thing my mom says...

1. I may be short but I can still reach your face