How not to break a pinata

So, over our Thanksgiving vacation to Utah we also celebrated my brother-in-law's 30th birthday. They threw a surprise party at their church building, but the surprised ones were the guests when birthday boy Teran walked in through a completely different door than all us party-goers. We were all watching the door we had used to enter the building when all of a sudden someone turned around and there was Teran! Surprise! But I digress...

At this birthday party there was a pinata that was overflowing with candy--and the good kind. Not the cheap, lead-filled Mexican candy I was used to as a kid. Let me start by saying that 99% of the people in attendance were anglos--white people, if you will. Growing up in a Mexican home, with Mexican parents, and Mexican friends we never realized that when it came to breaking a pinata those crazy white folks do it all wrong! They're all civilized and polite about the whole thing. Had this been a Mexican party it would have been complete chaos just to get the kids in line, and to keep them there--not at this party.

So they put all the kids in order of height, and had a plastic bat about 12 inches long to hit the pinata with. Mistake number one. Any Mexican would have known to use a broomstick if no special pinata breaking stick was available. None of the kids were blindfolded and then spinned around a bajillion times before they were set loose on the pinata...boring!

As the kids walked up to politely take their turn they would whack it 3 times and politely hand the bat back to the pinata coordinator and then--get this--get right back in line to have another turn!! This group had "novice" written all over it! Any seasoned pinata breaker knows that once you have your turn you stake out a good spot to enable you to be the first one to dive in when the pinata rained it's sweet goodness on you. And not only that--how many of you have been to a party where the kid willingly gives up the bat, so the next in line can have their turn? It usually turns into a shouting/wrestling match--sometimes the adults went as far as to taser the kid in order to get him to end his turn.

So, when my mother-in-law tried to get Lola to get back in line to wait for her next turn I quickly informed Lola that that was a bad move. Obviously, she saw it my way, and we found a prime spot--of course, this wouldn't have been very difficult cause all the other kids in attendance (the white kids) were all lining up, one behind the other--putting the last kid in line considerably farther away from the pinata than the rest of them.

When at last that pinata was split open guess who the first one was to dive in? That's right...ME! I'm sure all the adults there thought I was insane, after all, wasn't the pinata meant for kids? To this I say "No way, Jose!" Any Mexican will tell you that once that pinata breaks it is a free-for-all--kids getting trampled on and smothered by adults. It's a complete no-holds-barred wrestling match. There are always a handful of kids that end up crying cause some grown-up stole all their candy, and we all would just laugh--cause it was funny! But at this surprise party I was the only one over the age of 10 to jump in, and we scored tons of delicious candy!

The best part was when one of the little kids there dropped his baggie of pinata loot and all these kids went diving for it (including me). His older brother was ENRAGED and yelled at the top of his lungs: "THAT'S MY BROTHER'S CANDY!!!!!" He proceeded to cry uncontrollably. I was tempted to point and laugh, but since the party was being held in a church building I felt a little bad, and had Lola impart of her loot to get this crybaby to shut his trap.

This isn't the first time I've been part of such pinata breakings--so I know this wasn't the exception to the rule. But it still amazes me every time I see it. Maybe it's cause we were poor growing up, and the thought of free food brought out the animal instincts in us, or maybe it's cause we're Mexican, and we all know how those Mexicans are...

Oh the good ol' days!

Does anyone remember cops giving away baseball cards? Someone has got to remember this. When I lived in East L.A. the cops would come down our street and all us poor neighborhood kids would swarm their patrol car and they would stop and hand out Dodgers baseball cards. We loved it!

I was thinking about this today cause yesterday Lola and I went to El Pollo Loco (as is our weekly ritual) and there were 4 cops sitting there eating lunch. I prompted Lola to say hello and was just about to tell her to ask them for a baseball card when I realized they probably don't do that anymore. I think they should bring that back--us poor kids really enjoyed those cards.

Maybe if the LAPD did "Baseball Cards for Guns" instead of "Cash for Guns" they would get a lot better response. I'm just throwing that out there for consideration.

Go Cougars...or Not.

I originally recorded Lola singing the BYU fight song before the "big game" started today. After tinkering with stuff and adjusting my angle I completely missed posting it before Max Hall choked on the field today.

But since I am a loyal Cougar, and not some fair weathered fan I will post this anyway. After all, there's always next year. My only consolation is that BYU might get to play in the Poinsettia Bowl which takes place here in San Diego!

I think Lola is an excellent Cougar in training. My husband calls it "brainwashing." I call it "leading her in the right direction."

Deliverance...Revisited

So you know that movie "Deliverance"? You know, the one with the inbreds that take these canoers hostage and do all sorts of horrible things to them? It has Jon Voight, and Burt Reynolds in it? Well, anyway, I had this horrible dream last night that I was IN that movie and they had taken ME hostage. They were after me, and no matter how hard I tried to get away in my Suburban (which I don't own in real life) those inbreds kept popping up all over the place. They even flattened my car tires by piercing them with a pitch fork!!

I remember someone once talking about "Dueling Banjos" and how anytime they heard that song it reminded them of "Deliverance." Well, now I keep hearing that song in my head over and over and it's kinda creeping me out. Here's the scene from the movie with that song in it. It's kinda entertaining, but it will stick in your heard and you may have dreams of inbreds taking YOU hostage...consider yourself warned!

Pretty Cool

I saw this on Facebook, and it made me laugh. Reminded me of an Office episode--where Andy Bernard records himself doing 4-part harmony...you know which one I'm talking about?

What the....?!

I walked into the kids room a couple of days ago, and this is what I found:

I don't know why it shocked me so. It usually looks like this a couple of times a day. I think I was just taken aback by the colors--it's kinda pretty in a way--until I realized I'm gonna be the one cleaning up all that mess. This is usually the way the conversation goes:

Me: Lola, what happened in here?

Lola: I made a mess. Just a little one.

Me: Oh...and who's going to clean it up?

Lola: umm...everyone. Teamwork, mom! We clean it togedder!

Me: I don't think so! I didn't make the mess. You did. You clean it!

Lola: But mom! We're girls! You're my best friend!

That's when she gets me and I give in to the whole teamwork thing--which translates into me cleaning up and her pretending to clean up while still playing with her toys. But!! I have also discovered that Lola is not the only culprit. Noah has become an expert at knocking all the books off the bookshelves. Caught him red-handed!

Sombody's Got the Sickies :(

So, a few days after I got back from Mexico I started to feel really weird. A little tired, dizzy, yucky. Thought maybe I just needed more sleep. My lentil soup from lunch wasn't sitting to well. I laid down and slept for a couple of hours. When I woke up I had a fever and started to feel the body aches.

As the days progressed my fever continued to rise--upwards of 103 degrees. I had bone-shaking chills and was really nauseous. I finally gave in a couple of days ago and went to the doctor--thinking he would just tell me I had the flu and tell me to go home and sleep it off.

When I got to the doctor's office I was handed a mask. My fever was still high and they had no idea what kind of funky disease I might be carrying so they made me wear it. I am SUPER clausterphobic and started to panic within seconds of putting it on. Somehow I managed to sit there till my name was called. The doc did his doctor thing and when he asked if it hurt when I breathed or if I was short on breath I answered "no," well, I was, but I atributed it to my fatness, like it wasn't some new discovery or anything. He was about to tell me it might just be the flu when I mentioned we had gone to Mexico recently. He quickly changed his plan of attack and sent me to the E.R.--mostly cause I was severely dehydrated and cause my blood pressure was really low--but I think the whole Mexico thing tipped it over the edge.

So they ran labs at the hospital and gave me all sorts of good pain meds and hooked me up to an IV, and this is what they discovered shortly after taking some x-rays:

That's right, I have freakin' PNEUMONIA!! I only use such strong words cause I'm mad at it for making my lungs their home. Who does it think it is? I thought only old people got pneumonia. I bet you some crazy Mexican gave it to me. They're probably sitting under a palm tree drinking some fruity drink with an umbrella in it and laughing hysterically at my demise.

On a happier note--I felt a lot better after leaving the hospital. They gave me some antibiotics and some vicodin--that's like a vacation in a bottle!

8 Things Tag

You know--I get these emails almost every day, and just like my friend, Joanne, I ignore every single one. I love to read what other people write, but I just don't bother. And yet, when I saw I was tagged I had to oblige--mostly cause I've been feeling guilty about not updating my blog.

So here we go:

8 Things I am Passionate About:

• My kids (could technically count as 2--3 if you count my husband)
• Reading
• My calling in Primary
• Family in general
• Learning
• Having Me Time
• Cougar Football
• Neil Diamond

8 Words or Phrases I say WAAAY Too Often:

• No (or any variation thereof)
• Sucka!
• Why!!??
• Lola! Leave Noah alone!
• Psych! ( I still think it's cool to say it)
• I'm hungry
• I'm freakin' tired
• Shut yo mouth!

8 Things I Want To Do Before I Die:

• Learn to play DDR
• Dance at my Children's Weddings
• Learn to Quilt
• Ride in a big rig and blow the horn
• Learn all the words to "Rapper's Delight" (Way to go Smash!)
• Learn to iron--my husband must've married me for my looks
• Walk or cycle the trail to Santiago de Compostela

8 Things I Have Learned From My Past:

• The Lord knows best--don't agrue with Him
• Prayer works
• My family is always there for me
• Whatever doesn't kill me only makes me stronger
• Listen to the Spirit
• Repentance hurts--but it works!
• It's okay to ask for help
• I can enjoy the music so much better if I'm not standing in the mosh pit

8 Places I Would Love To See:

• Hawaii
• Spain
• Brazil
• Graceland (I've been obsessed with this since Jr High)
• Austria (Sound of Music tour)
• Prince Edward Island (I love Anne of Green Gables)
• Machu Picchu
• Disney World

8 Things I Currently Need or Want:

• My own house
• To be skinny
• More sleep
• More patience
• Financial security
• A burger from In-n-Out--animal style, of course (kind of defeats #2)
• Courage
• A housekeeper/cook (sometimes)

8 More People I Tag:

• Heidi E.
• Tracie B.
• Smash
• Karyn T.
• Lauren H.
• Jessica G.
• The Mulcocks

This pretty much exhausts my list of friends with blogs...or maybe my friends don't want me to know they have blogs...hmm...

Stuff

Do you ever wonder where all your time goes? Like right now I'm trying to figure out what I have been so busy with that I've neglected my blog, and I can't think of a single good answer. I've been playing catch up with some shows I had on DVR--maybe that's it--but when I stop and think about the last few weeks I realize I have nothing to show for it...isn't that sad?

There have been some days I wake up and think: "Here we go again. Another day in paradise." and sigh at the fact that most of my days are almost exact duplicates of each other. There are also days when I fret at the thought of leaving the house with two kids--it's no easy project packing bags and snacks and dressing two wiggly kids--not to mention trying to make yourself look presentable.

I gotta shake things up! Find a new hobby. Join some kind of club. Maybe I need a new hairstyle! Maybe things will start looking up next week when Lola starts school on Thursday (not that she's the source of my rut) but it will be a nice change, and I'll actually get the chance to miss her a few hours a day, and then I wont feel like pulling my hair out so much anymore.

On a happier note...Mexico is only 4 weeks away, and to celebrate Mexican Independence day Noah decided to get his first tooth!! He's been teething for months and it's nice to see all his hard work pay off. We're all very proud at this great achievement, and look forward to all the other teeth with much anticipation.

Congrats Noah!!

What Happened to the Classic Cartoons?

I don't know how many of you are familiar with "kid-friendly" TV nowadays, but it's nothing like it was when we were kids. There are no more classic cartoons anymore. Instead there are shows like this:

This is Yo Gabba Gabba. Not only has it invaded kid TV, it is now invading toy shelves. This show is so low budget--it's like Teletubbies, but for a slightly older audience. The guy in the orange...well he's just plain scary. He's stuck in the 70's with that orange jumpsuit and white shoes.

Then there's Wonderpets...oh Wonderpets. What catchy tunes you have--I find myself singing along during the show and then it's stuck in my head all day long. Once again--you can find Wonderpets toys at your local Target or Walmart. It's hard to describe why I find this show so annoying--the baby chick talks like a baby--says things like "this is sewious." I think that's what it is.

Aside from these two shows I'm just amazed at how many grown men are on kid shows--is this the pinnacle of their acting careers? Have they dreamed their whole lives of getting to where they are now? Sometimes I watch them and I'm slightly embarrased for them. Don't get me wrong--some of them I really like (Mr. Rogers, that guy from Blues Clues), but there are others like Imagination Movers, The Upside Down Show, and Yo Gabba Gabba that kinda give me the creeps.

How Sweet the Sound

So, I decided yesterday morning as we climbed into the car to go to Church to try a little experiment. I wanted to see how many times Lola would say "mom" or any variation thereof in a day. I don't know if I'm a bad mom, but I think I need a vacation from my kids. I'm counting down the days till Lola starts preschool--though I'm sure I'll be a big, blubbering mess on her first day. I must've just hada bad weekend. I don't know. I do know that I was tired of hearing "Mom. Mom. Mommy. Mom. Mom. Mommy..." You get the picture.

So we left for Church at 9:15 am yesterday, and I think that by the time we got to Church the tally was at like 30. I continued to count during the first hour--and I lost track around 50. Curran thought this was hilarious--I think this is a very good reason for my lack of sanity. I love my kids--they just need me a little too much--and I know as I type this that I am gonna cry the day they don't need me anymore. But there are days I wish I was someone other than mom.

A Glimpse into the Future?

I certainly hope it isn't! Lola loves to dance. She took a tap/ballet class a couple of months back when we were still living in L.A. and managed to get in trouble a couple of times for dancing to the beat of her own drum and doing her own form of interpretive dancing. There were days when she would wear her tap shoes all day long.

She was in the mood forSdancing today. She had dad pull out her tap shoes and we discovered that although they fit a couple months back, they are now a little snug. That did not stop her! She just discovered dancing on top of the laundry basket, and the sound is even better with tap shoes on! I just hope she doesn't think she can make a career out of dancing! But she sure is cute!

Dirty Mexicans!

So, I was walking through Target yesterday with the kids--something we do at least once a week. And it's an unwritten law that we must always visit the toy department and the movie/book section just to browse. We made it out of the toy dept. without any major meltdowns--although Lola now goes crazy for all things "Hannah Bontanum." So we make our way to the book section and there is this older lady (ethnicity will not be disclosed) and a little girl about 3 yrs old. They were sitting on the floor in the middle of the aisle and the little girl hands the lady a Dora the Explorer book. The little girl sat down waiting for her mom/grandma to read it. The lady proceeds to open the book and after the first 2 lines says: "I don't want you to read this book. It has all those Mexican words in it. I don't want you to get all confused. Don't pick books with Mexican words."

Now...I've never heard anyone say the word "Mexican" and make it sound like a cuss word. But she had the uncanny ability to make "Mexican" sound dirty and vulgar. She sounded almost disgusted by those "Mexican words."

I stared at her in disbelief--I was speechless. First of all, she said that out loud with lots of people around. Secondly, we live in San Diego--minutes away from the U.S/Mexican border. Needless to say, there are quite a few Mexicans around. And lastly, Dora is way too funny looking to be Mexican--we don't want to claim her--let Central or South America have her! Us Mexicans will stick to Handy Manny--the Disney channel cartoon character that works as the city's handy man. Disney, however, made the mistake of giving him his own store. They should've just had him standing outside the local Home Depot.

I'm Addicted!

I am officially addicted to reality TV. I think it gets on Curran's nerves, but I can't help it. I finally realized a few days ago that there is one thing that the reality shows I watch have in common...really dramatic gay men (that's kind of redundant, though, isn't it?). I am in love with Project Runway and Shear Genius! I gotta admit that the only reason I started watching Project Runway is because my friend Smash made such a big deal about it. I just had to see what it was all about. Shear Genius I just caught one day on TV and have never missed an episode since.

Actually, the one other show I watch doesn't have the same common thread as these--I've got two words: Hai! Majide! It's that show "I Survived a Japanese Game Show." I had zero interest in this show when they first announced it. It sounded ridiculous and lame. I told myself I would never be caught watching that show. Well it IS ridiculous and lame, but also highly entertaining. I've decided that if I wasn't born Mexican I would have chosen Japanese. They sure do know how to entertain an audience. Although, if you've ever watched a game show on Spanish TV those can sure give the Japanese ones a run for their money.

Reality TV has had some real winners and some real losers. I personally feel like it has redeemed itself with the above-mentioned shows. If you haven't watched them you are missing out on some quality hissy fits, cat fights and physical challenges.

Crash,Boom, No Splat (thank goodness)!

It's been a while since I've posted--things have been a little crazy. Curran is 5 weeks away from finishing his MBA at Cal State L.A. Since we reside in San Diego he has to drive a little over 100 miles on Thursdays to attend class. He's been doing this since June so last Thursday was just like any other for us. I knew I wouldn't see him until about midnight, so I went over to my friend's house to entertain myself and the kids.

I got a call from Curran a little before 6 pm. He was involved in a 5 or 6 car pile up on the 710 freeway on his way to school. He had just left my parent's house (where ironically he had just complained to my sister about how unhappy he was with his car and how much he wanted to buy a new one) when he was rear-ended by some kind of big delivery truck (like a Uhaul) and that sent him smashing into the Jeep in front of him. He stayed in his car, afraid to move, until he was transported by ambulance to the hospital where he laid strapped to a board for a few hours.

The kids and I drove up the next day to figure things out. I was amazed at how well Curran was doing. I was even more amazed when we went to the tow yard and saw the car. Curran calls it a "minor accident." We're very lucky that he is as well as he is--all things considered. He had minor cuts from the back windshield shattering, a bruise on his leg and some whiplash. He also finally got to buy that new car he's been wanting!

How Noah Feels About Mom's Cooking

It's official--my kids hate my cooking! Why do I even bother? They'll just have to live off of cereal and Hot Pockets.

I knew this was a bad idea

So, after much thought and quite of bit of convincing I gave in last week and we finally got high speed internet and cable. After the first 24 hours, though, I knew we were in big trouble. First let me start by saying that I never really found the thought of hundreds of channels very alluring. Maybe it's a guy thing...I don't get it. I just find that it takes entirely too long to scroll through the entire guide. By the time you make it all the way through the guide and actually decide on something you want to watch the dang show will be half-way over. Then there's the dilemna that you think you found something interesting, but something inside nags you that there might be something better, so you scroll through the guide and pretty much end up watching nothing cause you're so indecisive.

The other big issue is who gets control of the remote. Curran and I have quickly learned that we don't ever agree on what to watch. He thinks my shows are trash. I think his shows are dumb. For instance I choose to watch and sometimes record: Golden Girls, Splendor in the Grass, How William Shatner Changed the World, Deadliest Catch, Trauma: Life in the ER, and Reno 911. Curran chooses to watch and record: Drumline, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Ultraviolet, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, and My Cousin Vinny. You've heard people say that finances are the biggest cause of contention in a marriage? I personally think it's cable tv. We both make fun of each others choices in television programming, but in the end we always give in--except for My Cousin Vinny. I don't think I could ever bring myself to watch that.

Middle of the night

So, last night I woke up--don't even know what time it was and I started to think...I don't think I like the new swimsuits the potential olympians are wearing. What happened to the good ol' speedo? I liked those--on guys who actually have the body to wear that kind of thing, but then again...does ANYONE have the body for those things? But seriously, I'm a little disappointed. And not just cause I don't get to see guys in speedos, but the girls are wearing them too. I know there was this controversy about how tons of world records have been broken since the inception of the new swimsuit, but I don't care about that. Aesthetically, the speedos worked for me. Luckily, as my husband pointed out, the divers are still wearing them! Go USA!

It's not all "Bastards" and "Big Dummies"

I may not be the best example--but moments like this make me feel a little better about the job I'm doing raising my kids.

48 Hours in review

The last 48 hours of my life have been quite interesting. Here is a brief account of what I have experienced:
I ate an awesome salad and quesadilla at Chevys :)
I dyed my hair! (No more awful roots!) :)
Lola told me my cooking stinks :(
I had a nightmare that I was captured by terrorists :(
Lola told me she had big boobies then proceeded to lift her shirt and pat her ribs :(
My mom told me I looked fatter and then asked me if I was pregnant :(
I was called "stupid" by a 2 year old :(

Logos Lola Recognizes Without Knowing How To Read

1. McDonald's

2. Pollo Loco

3. Target

4. Jamba Juice

5. Curves (a.k.a. Mommy's work)

6. In-n-Out--we had a little discussion about how In-n-Out is NOT McDonald's--even though they both sell fries--Refering to In-n-Out as McDonald's should be a cardinal sin--I'll consult the Pope about that.

Aren't They Cute When They Repeat Everything They Hear?

A week or so ago I was driving up with the kids to LA to see my parents and was listening to talk radio (something I rarely do when Curran is in the car with me). I know that the show I listen to isn't very uplifting and sometimes has some pretty crude stuff--but it can be quite entertaining as well. So I was listening in--thinking Lola was asleep in the backseat. The guy on the radio was talking about who-knows-what and made his final point by yelling "Bastards!". Lola perks up and says "Bastards?" and I respond "Huh?" thinking she would forget what the word was. She continues by yelling it out again and then saying "Ohhhh bastards! Bastards, mommy. Bastards! Hurry!" So I go--"Yeah faster! Mommy goes faster!" And thanked heaven I managed to save myself some future embarrassment by adjusting the meaning of the new word she discovered.

Though I also discovered earlier this week that she listens to EVERYTHING I say when I'm in the car with her. I was cut off by some little old lady in the Ralph's parking lot and I honked my horn. Lola then proceeded to yell "You big dummy!" out the window. I guess there are worse things I could teach her by example.

And Baby Makes 4

Though you may not know it, and the picture on our blog doesn't show--we actually have a baby boy--Noah. He was born 5 months ago. I used to think that life with one child was chaotic--I now stand corrected. Five months have come and gone and still no official pictures with darling poses or family portraits. So here's one I took with my camera just so you all know he really does exist!

Jumping on the bandwagon!

We did it! We're officially part of the blogging world--mostly inspired by my good friends--Smash in DC, Trake in DC, the Felixes in Tennessee, and The Walkers in Seattle. I just wanted a spot to share my rants and raves. Don't know how good I'll be at posting, but ready or not...here we go!