Remember me?

I feel like I have neglected my blog. Has that ever happened to you? You start feeling  guilty when you just take a few days off and by days off, I mean you are just too busy with the kids, work, life and not that blogging is not important, but we all know how everything can get so complicated in a matter of seconds. I, however, have to be honest, this was not my case. I was just too tired.  Is that wrong?

I will let you know that Christmas was a complete success. My son got everything that he wanted and more. I hosted my first ever Christmas breakfast.  It was a last minute change of plans, but sometimes we get so busy planning everything that we forget to enjoy it. Well, this year we said " the hell with plans."

 We were suppose to go to my brother and sister in law's house for breakfast,  we did that last year and it turned out so well that we said "  hey lets do that again". Anyways, the point is that we ended up having everyone over at our house and it was fun.  I will give you a quick recap:

Ralphy woke up at  6:00am  to open gifts. Yes, 6 :00am. He was so excited and I was so excited for him that I have to admit, I didn't really mind that it was still dark out.  By 7:00a, all the gifts were open and daddy had to take the munchkin for a ride on his new bike. By 10:00a, I  started making breakfast, which by the time everyone else came over, it was more like brunch. Since breakfast was not really planned, I had to  look through my fridge to see what I can whip up. So, I took it back to the basics.  On the menu, scrambled eggs, bacon, Cuban toast ( think of French bread , but flakier and with lots of butter), roasted potatoes, sausage, orange juice, coffee and  of course mimosas. We were all very full and happy campers.

So there you have it folks. This was my Christmas , well, most of it.  I hope you all had a wonderful Holiday. It came and went in a blink of an eye.   Now the  big question is:

Who's ready for 2011???

Christmas Madness

So, its  almost Christmas, its crazy I know , which also means the year is almost over. O.M.G. , lets not go there.   Anyways,  I always wonder why people go, shall we say "mad" during this time of year, I mean seriously, is it that serious if you don't get your uncle's wife's brother's girlfriend something?

 I always tell my self that I'm not going to go crazy like everyone else, that I'm not going to get mad when the third person in a row takes my parking space,  that I'm not going to get mad when I see the long line at the register, but this Christmas" madness" its  like a magnet  that pulls you in no matter how hard you  try to fight it. You are probably asking yourself   "Did I succeed this year?"  negative.

I went to Target yesterday with my mom and I told myself that I wasn't going to go crazy buying stuff, after all this is not what Christmas is suppose to be about ( more on that  a bit later).   Anyways, so we are at  Target getting a few things and when I say a few things, I really do mean a few things, we are in a recession people. First, let me tell you that I have never ever seen Target so packed , it was crazy.   It took us  just 30 minutes just to find parking, crazy I know.   Fast forward  3 hours  and I had a migraine the size of Texas.

Please don't misunderstand me, I love this time of year too.   I love the getting together with family and friends, I love the food, the weather and  yes even the shopping ( side note-I will go to the store that sells  everything for everyone , yes you guessed it, like Target I refuse to go to the mall).   I think its important to remember what we are celebrating.  We are celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ and if you celebrate other holidays like Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, I'm sure those holidays are  more about being with family  than buying gifts right?

Let's try to remember the reason for the season.  My reason for the season is to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and to give Thanks to God for all of my blessings.

So, on that note, Merry Christmas.

God bless always,

Alex

Spreading the love

Happy Friday everyone!!   I think you should all visit some of my Fab Friends:

and of course  my favorite  regulars:     

Michi's Mind

Randomroro

Ramona's Life

Have a great day! Always  remember to share the love and sharing is caring!

Xoxo,

Alex

It happended at daycare

My son started daycare when he was about 18 months.   It was a very difficult decision to make, but it had to be done.   Both hubby and I work full time and even though he is a very lucky little boy because he also has both of his grandmas that would  take care of him, it was time for him to move on.  It was time for daycare.

I was terrified when I had to leave him for the first time. I spent all day asking myself   all kinds of questions like "what is he doing?" or  "Did he eat lunch?" or  " Does he miss me?."  It was a lot to get use to, but  I knew that Ralphy had to learn to be more independent and I had to learn to let go.  There comes a time, when they want to try new things, meet other  children  and just  socialize. I believe this was the case with Ralphy.  He had the need to be with other children  his own age.

Now here we are, Ralphy is almost 3years old and he loves going to "school".  He knows all his colors and his ABC's, he comes home singing a new song every day and  he has a lot of friends that he talks about all the time.  He is also learning his numbers and  needless to say that the teachers were a great help when he started potty training. Ralphy was  even getting better at sharing.   He  was growing up and it all happened at daycare.

While Ralphy was busy being a "big boy", I was busy trying to get used to the idea that he was now potty training, that he was  eating all by himself with out any help, that he was no longer drinking from a bottle and didn't need me to hold it for him because like he  once told me " mommy I'm a big  boy, I can do it myself." I have never been so proud and sad at the same time in my life. The moment I have been dreading since he was born had come, the moment  that I realized that  my baby is not a baby anymore and it all happened at daycare.

So, to all the mothers out there that are maybe thinking about sending your kids to daycare, I know that the  thought of sending them may be scary at first, but it does get better.  My advice is to  you is to do your research and trust me,  you will know when you  found the right one.  I'm  happy with the little person Ralphy is turning out to be and it all happened at daycare.

My Black Boots

I love this time of year, especially the weather. Part of the reason why I love the weather its because if I'm lucky, it will get cold enough for me to wear my cute Winter gear and this week I've been very lucky. Its been a very chilly the last couple of days in Miami and I LOVE it. How chilly? Its been in the 30s and 40s.

While the rest of the country worries about shoveling snow, I worry about which sweater to wear ( Don't hate). I have so many cute sweaters that I never get to wear because its never cold enough and don't even get me started about my boots, I never get to wear boots, until now.

If you read my letter to Santa, you know that one of the things that I asked for was a pair of boots and guess what?? Santa came early! I know , I know I got them early, but in my defense I had to wear them now because when we get a cold front in Miami, we have to take full advantage of it and if that means that I have to wear my nice, brand new, shiny , black boots early so be it! That is a sacrifice I am willing to make.

Aren't they so cute? and not only are they cute, but they're also super comfortable; but lets be real, I would totally wear them even if they weren't because like my mom always said " no pain, no gain." My hubby, Santa did I good job and I am a happy camper. Don't I look Fab?

I hope you are all staying warm, I know I am.


Smooches,

Alex

Live a little

Life flies by, soon you will be old
You may already be
Maybe your a kid, maybe your in your primse
But, when it comes down to it...
Your age is what you make it, how you feel

Live a little, have some fun
Embrace the drama, it's what your gonna be laughing at years down the road
Forgive your enemies, set aside your differences
Just live a little, have some fun

Take chances, be a risk taker
What have you got to lose?
Your life? You might lose that tomorrow
Your life is borrowed, it aint no promise

When you see romance never fail to make it
And always be sure to tell them how you really feel
It could be the last time you ever see that person

Party it up, make everything an adventure
Live a little, have some fun

Live a little, have some fun
Embrace the drama, it's what your gonna be laughing at years down the road

Forgive your enemies, set aside your differences
Just live a little, have some fun
Life is for livin; not livin uptight
Live a little, have some fun

Think about how you want to be remembered
Think about if you're life was a movie
Would it be worth watching?
Think about it your death was tomorrow, how would you live today?
Just live a little, live today
Before  it's too late!

By Rachel

I found this poem at  Inspirational Poems.

Hope you all have a great Monday!

Xoxo,

Alex

Waste of a day

It was a beautiful day in Miami today.  The sun was shining, my son woke up at 8:00a ( this is a great thing from his usual wake up time which is before 7 :00 a ) .   Well, the plan was to get some laundry done, do some cleaning and run some errands.   We were expecting our cable guy to come early in the morning to fix a problem from an installation that was not done correctly the day before.   So, I figured I'll get the laundry and cleaning done while we waited for the cable guy.   Can you believe that the cable guy never came?.

I was beyond pissed!   Not only did we spend the whole day waiting for him, but I'm still without service and to top it all off no one ever even called me.   I had to call them back ( 3 times ) before I finally got some type of resolution. Whatever happened to customer service?   Whatever happened to common courtesy?

Well, they are suppose to be coming tomorrow.   Let's see how that goes.   By the way, because they are suppose to be coming tomorrow in the  morning, that means that I won't be able to go to church.


There goes my Sunday.

Hope yours is better,

Alex

Happy Friday!!!

Today I will be the featured blogger at:

One month and counting

Today marks  one month that I started blogging and seems like forever ago that I wrote  my first post ever.   So much has changed in so little time and even though I have only been doing this for a short period of time, there are a few things that I have learned so far.   First, my writing has improved.   I know its only been a month, but I can definitely see the difference between my earlier posts and now.   The second thing I've learned and I think this might just be the most important of all, is  that  support is very important and I'm not  just talking about support from your family and friends, we all know that's always important. I'm talking about support from your peers.

Like I have mentioned in previous posts, blogging is something  that I've been thinking about doing for a long time.  I know you are probably wanting to know  which posts so you can go back and read it, but I don't remember which ones, so  you'll have to go back and look, sorry.   Anyways, I've always enjoyed writing, but was just too scared  of  the possible rejection.  I started reading  my friend  Ro's blog  Randomroro and Michi 's blog Michi's Mind and I thought to myself  "if they can do it, I can do it to."  So, I did and here I am. So, ladies, thank you for your support and for the inspiration.

My goal is to keep to writing;   to keep learning from all of you because I still have so much to learn and as long as I have people reading I will continue to write.  My main goal with my blog is also to improve my writing skills and like people always say " practice makes perfect" right?.   I also wanted to take this opportunity to  share with you   a few blogs  that I read on a regular basis.   This does not mean that I read only  the ones I mention, I want to make that perfectly clear. I love all of the blogs I follow.  If I follow your blog is because I can relate to it in some way and I enjoy reading it.   I try to read and comment everyday, but the ones I mention here  are my  favorites (in no particular order) :

1. Random Roro -she is hilarious. She is a wife, a mom and  a very funny lady.
2. Michi's Mind - FTM and a wife who just recently went back to work full time.
3. Ramona's life - She is very spiritual and  writes beautiful  poems.
4. Mommy Glow  We both have the same name so I automatically like her. I love that she is so positive. she is doing it all and doing it well.
5. The baby mama Chronicles- She is going back to school, a mom of a 5 month old, her husband is in the military AND she works out! ( Yes, really).
6. Sofia's Ideas- She has great ideas.
7. The duchess and I - come back I miss your posts
8. Sarah's memories for my girls  a mom of 3 girls, talks about her life as a mom, wife and everything in between.

I hope you really do check these ladies out. They are all fabulous. Don't forget  to also check out the ones that are on my blog roll. We  all may be doing the same thing, but we all have an  unique voice and deserve to  be heard. 

Thank you for your support and stay tuned because I'm going to be here for awhile.

Xoxo,

Alex 

Want an IPAD???

Hi Guys,

So, I have been dying to get an IPAD since, well since it came out DUH!! So, when my totally awesome friend Randomroro posted about this giveaway I had to enter and because I'm totally awesome as well, I had to  share. Sharing is caring people!!!. You are welcome.

So here is the  link to enter   http://www.theartofrandomwillynillyness.com/2010/11/ipad-giveaway.html




There is like a million and one  ways to enter.  What are you guys  waiting for?? GO!!! and thank you Carolyn G! You Rock!

Eight simple reasons

Why I love being his mom:

1. His eyes, my baby has beautiful eyes...

2. The way his hair gets when he needs a hair cut :

3. His smile, because no mater how I'm feeling, his smile always makes me feel better:

4. Because he says " I love you mommy" for no reason at all :

5. Because there is nothing better than his hugs...

6. Or his kisses, especially in the morning and sometimes mommy gives TOO many kisses :)

7. Because I love his silly faces

8. Because I can't imagine my life without him

I thank God every day for him and for making me his mom.

P.S. I was feeling a little bit emotional today, so I went with it.

Xoxo,

Alex

Happy Saturday

I hope everyone enjoys their weekend. Last night, I went to my hubby's Christmas dinner for work; we had a wonderful time. Here is my favorite picture of my hubby and I from last night:

Today, we are taking the munchkin to a birthday party, so it should be a fun day. I wanted to also take this opportunity to thank everyone who is following and reading my blog. Thank you guys so much! Also, I'm doing the weekend wander blog hop. Blog hops are a great way to not only get your blog more traffic, but you also get to "meet" new people and read really cool blogs. So go for it!. Have a great weekend!!

Xoxo,

Alex

My Inspiration

Ever since I started my blog, people have been asking me " what made you start blogging?" or " I didn't know you liked to write."   Well, I've always enjoyed writing; when I was younger, I use to write in my diary and my  journals every single day, especially when I was really upset. I would write about boys, school and all of my "problems".   My mom used to tell me that I should write a book and she still does. I would always tell her "what would I write about?."  Until one day, I was bored out of my mind because hubby bought a new video game. Yes, that's all it took, a video game.

I should first mention that I started blogging on November 9, 2010;   that's when I wrote  my first post ever.
It was a very scary experience for me because this was the first time I wrote for the world to see, up until then the only reader and the only person that I wrote for was myself.   I started thinking about what I would write about?, what inspires me? and  nothing inspires me more than my family and being a mom.

As a first time mom, to say that my son inspires me is a pretty common feeling.  He not only inspires me to write, he also inspires me to try new things, to work harder, to be a better daughter, to be a better wife and to be a better person in general.  I feel the need to share my thoughts, my happy moments and even my not so happy ones and whenever I think for a second that no one will read or no one will be interested then at least it would be something to show him when his older, something that I can say to him "look, these are the things I use to think about or talk about when you were a baby."

I can also say that my family inspires me.  I can tell you that I am the person that I am today because of my mom,  so I can definitely say she inspires me. She inspires me to be strong, independent and to always have faith in myself.  My hubby inspires because  the love we have for each other inspires me;  we  made this wonderful little person together and I got my second chance at happiness because of him.  If you want to know why I say I got my second chance, you would have to read   run away bride..kind of  and  Run away bride.. kind of part 2 .  Another inspiration is the relationship I have with my brother.  We share a special bond that is hard to even explain, but if I could describe it in one word it would be unconditional.

I thank God every day for them and for all the people and friends in my life because they truly do inspire me. It would take many, many posts to mention them all.

Please share your thoughts, what inspires you to write?.   I'm looking forward to reading your responses.

Xoxo,

Alex

Not in Public

Okay, so as many of you already know I am a mom.  My son is 2 years old and his the best.  I drop him off at daycare every morning and he loves it.   He gets to play with other kids and he learns a lot  and he comes home singing a new song almost everyday.  Anyways, on one particular day, I was dropping him off like I always do.  I signed him in and  he said good morning to all the teachers in the hall way ( he really is a nice boy), but then as we turn into the hall way, we see a mom screaming at her son because he wouldn't eat the breakfast they were serving, but the thing is, this was all going on while all the other children and teachers were watching.

I was so embarrassed for her son.  I could see how hurt and upset he was because everyone was watching. Please do not misunderstand, I am all for correcting a child when it needs to be done, but I asked myself "was that really necessary?" I mean,  I think in her shoes, I would have taken my son to the side and calmly explain that it was important to eat his breakfast.  I do not believe in screaming and correcting a child in public, not like that.

I remember when my brother and I were little, all my mom had to do was give us "the look".  I'm sure most of you are familiar with this "look".  If my brother and I tried to misbehave or get away with anything because we were in public, all my mom had to do was give us "the look" and  say " we will speak when we get home." Oh how I hated when she said that.  I hated it so much in fact, that I would start crying the minute we were in the car.  My mom never corrected  us in public.   All she had to do was give us "the look" and we knew what was coming.

 I'm trying to teach my son all about " the look" early.   I will never want to see the look that the child in the daycare had on my son.  I think its completely unnecessary. I think situations like that need to be handled in private.

Luckily for me, my son is usually pretty good in public and he saves his tantrums for when we are at home.  I happen to like it that way.  Hey, better at home then in public right?

What are your thoughts? How do you feel about how that mom was handling the situation at the daycare?  I love to read  your comments.

24 hours..not enough

Do you ever fee like 24 hours is just not enough? stupid question I know, but today was just one of those days.  I feel like no matter how early I wake up in the mornings, it just doesn't matter because I always feel like I'm rushing!

I wake up between 6:00a-6:30ish everyday, I take a shower and I start my coffee ( I can't do anything else until I have my coffee).   I start making breakfast ( my hubby has to be at work by 7:30a),  so I make breakfast so that he can have it before he leaves , by this time my little one wakes up and wants his milk;   while his drinking his milk I make my bed ( if there is 2 things I can't do is leave the house with my bed unmade and dishes in the sink) I can't do it! ( sickening I know), so once my bed is made, I give my little one breakfast while he watches playhouse Disney.   Now, mind you, I'm doing all this while drinking my coffee.

Then I have to pick out what I'm going to wear to work and I know what you're thinking " why don't you do that at night?" and my answer to that is that I do, but I end up changing my mind in the morning so whats the point? Anyways, by this time I'm half dressed, the little one had breakfast, I picked out his clothes, brushed his teeth, got him dressed and used the potty for the last time before we leave. Oh and by the way, did I mention that my mom lives with us?

I really don't know what I would do without her help.   I work full time ,so she takes care of pretty much all the cleaning and the cooking for me and she picks up my son from daycare.   I don't want to sound like I don't appreciate her help because I really really do.   So, my mom if you are reading this THANK YOU!

Anyways, so we fast forward to when I get home, which is about 7:00P.   By this time, dinner is made ( by my mom) and shes given the little one dinner, I give my son a bath and we relax as a family for a couple of hours before we start the bed time routine.   That will be another post all together and if you have a 2 year old, you know why.   By the time he falls asleep I am so tired and the best part is that I get to do it all over again tomorrow and I wouldn't want it any other way.

The Joys of motherhood, I love it!

Back to reality..

I live for the weekends.  I love to be home with my son and my hubby.  I love waking up on Saturdays and just stay in bed and watch cartoons without having to rush to get ready for work and school.  I actually love the weekends  so much that I wrote a post about why I love Saturdays,you can read it here.  Anyways,  the one thing that I hate about the weekend though, especially a long weekend, is the fact that I have to mentally prepare for Monday.

After a long weekend,  preparing for Monday is always difficult.  Its like when you go on vacation for a few days; the whole routine goes out the window. You wake up later, eat breakfast later, you do everything at your own pace and at your own time, but then its time to go home. I have that same feeling on Sunday, every Sunday. This Sunday was no different.

I rewind back to Wednesday night, I was so happy that Thanksgiving was the next day.  I was excited about hosting my very first Thanksgiving at my house.  I actually cooked, yes I cooked ( I don't really enjoy cooking), but that will be a topic for a different post.  I was looking forward to cooking with my mom. We even  watched food network to get inspired.  Needless to say that Thanksgiving was a complete success. I also wrote a post about that, you can read that one here.

Now that's all in the past, its time to mentally prepare for Monday, the routine, the commute, the picking up and dropping off and everything in between.  I think this post was my way of preparing for Monday this week. What do you do to get over the Sunday blues?.  Remember, sharing is caring.


Here is to having a productive week!


Alex

My letter to Santa

In the spirit of the beginning of the holiday season, I thought it would  be nice to write a letter  to Santa.  I think everyone should write one, no matter how old you are.  Here is mine: 


Dear Santa,

I've been a very good girl this year, stop laughing I really have.  I wanted to get a head start and tell you of a few tiny little  things that I wanted  and just to be clear I'm very thankful for everything that I have;  however  I think these are just a few upgrades  necessities that I think I deserve.

Here is a list of a few items  that I hope I get, but lets be real, I'll be happy with just one thing out of this list. To make things a little easier for you, (I'm so nice I know) I've included a brief explanation of why I want need these items. 

•  Camera- yes, I do have a camera, but in my defense its been through a lot and its starting to give me signs that it needs to be retired. What signs? well, its taking blurry pictures for one and two,  it has a few dents and scratches.
• Cell phone- yes, I do have a cell phone( who doesn't), but I want  need an I phone.  I mean, do I need to explain why I need one. Maybe this will help click here. Oh and by the way, I'm not picky  the older 3G model will do. You're welcome.
• Black boots -I know its not cold in Miami, but I think I need to be prepared just in case it does get cold enough for me to wear them and I want them in black because they will go with everything.
•  A  purse-  you should know the answer to this one. I love purses and I think its time for a new one.  You don't know what kind of purse to get?  no problem just click here.
• Gift certificate for any of these places Target, Victoria secret, or Macy's . No specific amount, just whatever you think is fair (50.00 dollars at least).

See, that wasn't so  bad now was it?.  I hope you find this list  helpful.  Thank you in advance.


Xoxo,

Alex

My weekend so far.....

Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend. My Thanksgiving was wonderful. The company was the BEST and the food was AMAZING!. Here are some of my favorite pictures:

A special thank you to everyone that shared this special day with my family and me. Also, I can't take all the credit for the food. Thank you to my hubby,mom, sister in law and friends that helped make the food. It truly was a very special day. Stay tuned to see what I'll be up to for the rest of the Holidays!

Xoxo,

Alex

My thoughts for Thanksgiving

I love thanksgiving.  Its one of my favorite holidays.  Its the day you get together with your family and friends and eat yummy and delicious food and give thanks to God for everything and everyone in your life. This has been a difficult year for me and for a lot of people I know.  Many have lost their jobs; some have lost someone close to them and some ( and by some I mean most of us) are going through tough financial times.


I'm one of those people that believes that everything happens for  a reason.  I also believe that there is always a lesson to be learned and I've learned a lot this year, believe me.  I've learned a lot about family, relationships, friendships and life in general.

First, I want to thank  God for my family.  We  have family "issues".  My family is not perfect, we get on each others nerves, we get mad at each other, we fight, we yell, but at the end of the day, we are there to help each other and to support each other. This Thanksgiving I am extra thankful for them, because of my family, I am the person that I am today.

I've learned that in relationships, whether its a  relationship with your  husband or wife or a relationship with your partner the important thing is how you handle the tough times and how you get through it.  Everyone can love someone when things are great, but its when you make it through the difficult  times together that makes your relationship stronger.  So, for my other half I am thankful.

Last but not least, I've learned  a lot about friendships.  I know a lot of my friendships have changed this year.  For whatever reason, we don't have the chance to talk as often or see each other often, but that just makes me appreciate the time I do get with them when I see them.  So, for my friends, I am thankful.



Everyone has something to be grateful for.  Lets be grateful and not take anything or anyone we have in our lives for granted.


Happy Thanksgiving and God bless,

Alex

What do you mean you don't speak Spanish?

If you have  been reading my blog for a little while,  now you might know that I was born in New York, but both of  my parents are Dominican.  When my brother and I were growing up, my mom made sure that we spoke Spanish at home, in order not to forget our first language.  I remember that I didn't  really mind; I mean, both of my parents speak Spanish so I didn't think I had a choice.  My  brother, on the other hand, only wanted to speak English. My mom was very persistent, took us to the library on Saturdays to check out Spanish books so we wouldn't forget our first language.

I remember that during the Summer, we would meet up with my dad and spend the whole Summer in the Dominican Republic. The  best Summers of my childhood were there. Sometimes, some of my cousins would  be there spending their Summers as well.  Most of them lived in New York and it was a lot of fun. One thing that I could never understand, though is why some of my  cousins didn't speak Spanish. I mean, how do you have  Hispanic parents and not speak Spanish?.   I recall having to translate for my grandmother sometimes because my cousins couldn't speak or understand her when she spoke to them.  At my young age, I thought that it was the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard.

As you know,  people always say that children learn by example. Well, I think this is so true. Ever since I became a mom, I made it a priority that when we speak to our son,  we speak to him in Spanish.  He speaks it  very well and he understands it. Most of the TV he watches is in English ,but he also watches cartoons that encourage him to speak Spanish like Handy Manny for example. so I don't worry about him not learning it. I want him to be able to communicate with his family that might not speak English.  Being that we live in Miami, Fl, the melting pot of the world, he also gets a lot of Spanish at school. Another reason that I want my son to be bilingual is because I remember how the rest of the family reacted to my cousins not speaking Spanish. Needless to say, they were not very nice.

As a mom , I believe its my responsibility for my son to grow up to be a well rounded person. I want him to be proud of his background and were his family comes from. I believe that learning to be bilingual at such  an young age will benefit him in the future.

What is your primary language in your home besides English?. Do you think its important for kids to be bilingual? why or why not? I would love to hear your feed back.

The High light of my weekend

Was taking my son to his first holiday parade. I mean, it was no Macy's Thanksgiving day parade or any thing like that, but we had a great time. My son woke up Saturday morning asking to go see Santa Claus; he knew he would be at the parade. It made it extra special that he not only got to share the day with mommy and daddy, but also with his grandma,uncle, aunt and his cousin.

Here are some of my favorite pictures of the day:

Sometimes is not about where you go or how much money you spend; its about being with family and creating memories.

I love Saturdays

Why do I love Saturdays? Where do I begin?
First, I love Saturdays because is the only day that I don't have to rush to go somewhere.  You know how it goes, Monday through Friday you have the usual routine; make breakfast, pack everyone lunch  for the day and then off to work and school we go.  Now, I should mention that part of my daily routine includes getting my 2 year old ready  and that by itself is a mission and half.

I don't know if you know this; I guess if you have kids you could relate, but getting my son ready in the mornings can be quite challenging.  I mean , kids  that age have the attention span of what 5 minutes, if you're lucky. So, eating breakfast, brushing his  teeth and using the potty just becomes a whole ordeal. On Saturdays, however; I don't have to deal any of  that. Not because he doesn't brush his teeth or use the potty obviously, but because we can just take it easy.


Saturdays are about waking up a little later, watching cartoons, eating breakfast whenever we want and just relaxing. You might be asking yourself  when do you get all your cleaning and laundry done?." I do all of those things in between the cartoons and the breakfast.  There is also an afternoon nap and then we do whatever we have planned for the day. Today, for example, we are taking my son to his first Holiday Parade.  Check back with me for a follow up post on how that went.

I hope everyone gets to do whatever makes you happy today, but whatever you do make sure  you do it with all of the important people in your life.


Happy Saturday!

Its Friday, so why not

Now, we've all done it, you wake up one day and its Friday and you were wishing it was  Saturday ( unless you work on Saturdays too which in that case it would suck to be you),but its not Saturday and you have to go to work; unless  you think of a good a excuse..right? So I decided to go online and see what I could find. First, let me tell you that I found some interesting excuses, some  that I have never even heard before.  I also found some that I couldn't even believe were on the list to begin with  and  I also discovered some  real funny ones.  I should  mention that the title of the list is 101 excuses to miss work .

I'm not going to mention all 101 excuses,  but I will  tell you which ones were my favorite.  To better understand why the ones I picked  are my favorites, I will break them down in 3 categories: Interesting, funny and are you serious?

Okay, lets begin:

The interesting excuses:

•  The voices told me to clean the guns today
• I've earned a day off
• I have cramps ( I have never used this one EVER)
• I'm still drunk from last night
• I don't feel up to par ( HA)
• My cat is having kittens and I need to help her
• My washing machine broke and  I have no clean clothes.

The Funny Excuses: 

• My wife's breasts are sore from her breast enlargement so I need to stay home to massage them.
• You can't handle the truth.
• I didn't pay the electricity bill, so I can't see to get ready.
• My wife says shes going to conceive( Yes conceive , this is what makes it funny) today and I want to be there went it happens
• I won't be in today, I'm calling in dead
• I'm sick with the lack of ambition
• My water bed busted and my room is flooded

The "Are you serious?" Excuses:

• My daughter ran away and I should stay home in case she comes back
• My shrink put me on a new depressant yesterday and I'm feeling a little weird
• If I tell  you why I can't come in I would have to kill you
• My cat was alarmed by my sleep-talking, jumped off the bed, knocked my alarm off the dresser, of which the batteries fell out ; so I overslept
•  I need a mental recovery day
• I'll be stalking my previous boss who fired me for not showing up to work
• I was up all weekend with this new girl/guy I met and I didn't get any sleep.. if you know what I mean

So there you have it. You're welcome!

My Life List- in no particular order

As long as you're going to think anyway- you might as well think BIG- Donald Trump

I got the idea of making a  "Life List" from the List Maker herself, Michi; everyone should have one of these lists; I think its  important and  it  keeps you focused.  You can check Michi's list by clicking here.
I hope this  inspires you to make your own.  So, here is my list: I will be adding more to it later.

1. Learn to Swim ( so that I can do #2)
2. Swim with Dolphins
3. Go to  Italy
4. Learn to drive stick
5. Buy a house
6. Finish School
7. Learn  to bake  a cake ( from scratch)
8. Become a  pro at eating with chop sticks
9. Write a book.
10. Have my own business.
11. Become a mom
12.  Start a blog
13.  Buy my dream car ( BMW 750i)
14. Get closer with God
15. Become more involved with the  church
16. Learn to speak another language.
17. Take a 14 day cruise to..anywhere.
18.  Learn a martial art
19.  Learn to draw
20. Take  a dancing /salsa class
21.  Learn to play a video game.
22.  Cook a Thanksgiving dinner all by myself.. (not this year don't get excited)
23. Take a Mediterranean cruise
24.  Learn to skate
25.  Learn to Ice skate
26.  Learn to play poker
27.  Take a creative writing class
28.  Write a poem
29.  Walk a marathon for a cause ( I would say run,but lets be real).
30. Go to Vegas.
31. Go to a Broadway show.
32. Learn to play a musical instrument.
33. Go to Japan

Ten reasons to visit the Dominican Republic

Here are Ten (10) reasons why I think everyone should visit the Dominican Republic:

1. The Beaches- I think the Dominican Republic has the best beaches in the world and no I'm not being biased just look at this:

2. The People- To put it in simple terms you will feel right at home:

3. The music- 

4. The food :

4. Culture/History-

 5. Beautiful Women:

 6. Amazing all inclusive resorts :

7 .Great Beer:

so great in fact that even she likes it

8. Home to world's best Baseball players: Alex Rodriguez

 9.  Everyone should see this :

10. The best scenery:

 Want to book your vacation like right now?? This web site will help www.goDominicanRepublic.com.

Why I waited ...

I get this question all the time." Why did you wait so long to have a baby?" " Do you regret it?". I guess, one of the main reasons I waited, was because I wanted to get "everything out of my system" and by that I mean, the clubbing, the going out with friends on weeknights, I wanted to enjoy my freedom and I also wanted to make sure I was mentally prepared. I don't think you can ever be one  hundred percent prepared, a lot of the learning is hands on, but I wanted to be as mentally prepared as I could possibly be. Being a parent is the biggest and most important  job anyone could ever have. Not only are you financially responsible for this little person  ( and its EXPENSIVE) believe me, but you are also responsible for this child's mental heath and happiness.After seeing what my own mother went through, alone,with two kids non the less, I knew that being a mom was no easy task. My friends that were having kids, were mostly in their early to mid  20's and they  would all talk about how wonderful and fulfilling it was  to be a mother, they would speak  of that love that you feel when you see your child for the first time and they would all tell me the same thing" you will only know when you have your own baby". But then there was the complaining of how tired they always were or how they never got to go anywhere anymore.  So, at that time, I decided I will wait until I was closer to my 30th birthday to have a baby. I was not ready to give up my freedom and all the fun I was having. I was selfish. I'm 33 years old now and my son is almost 3 and I don't regret waiting.  At the time I got pregnant I was one hundred percent sure I wanted to have a baby and not only that, I knew it would only happen when the time was right. Now that I am  a mother and I see all of the struggles, the constant worrying, the taking care of them when they are sick, the having to  make sure they are taking care of in every way that a person needs to be taken care of, I've realized damn, this is hard and then I ask myself, " how do younger moms do it?". When I think back  to the person that I was at that age, I don't think I could have done it . I applaud  all of the  young moms  that are working hard every day to provide for their  kids, whether they are with their husbands/baby's father. I applaud  you for taking care of business. If I had the chance to do it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing.
I would love to hear your thoughts . What age do you consider to be "too old" to have a baby?.  At what age did you have your baby?. If you had a chance to do it all over again, would you wait?

Happy Friday !!!!

"A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks he becomes" -Mahatma Gandhi

I hope everyone has an excellent day!!.. I woke up this morning feeling blessed!.... Sometimes we are  all to busy with our daily lifes to enjoy things that are around us. Today make it a point to be thankful for the people and things in your life. God is good. I for one, I'm thankful for my family and my friends. I'm also thankful for my job and for all the opportunities that I know are going to come my way. I've realized sometimes you also have to be thankful for even bad situations. I believe that from something negative always comes a positive, even if you don't see it right at that very moment. I also believe that everything happens for a reason.. good things and bad things. Make it a point to surround yourself with positive people, people that are going to help you grow as a person. Negative energy or attitudes are contagious, so smile.. its really not that serious!


Xoxo,

Alex

Veterans Day

"We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude." - Cynthia Ozick

A national  holiday celebrated in the United States every year. Most people when they think of this holiday they think " yes! another day off from work or school".. or if you work on this holiday ( like I do) you think " I wish I was off". But then I started thinking of all of those military moms, wives, sons ,daughters, brothers and sisters and I feel guilty. These families have to deal with the reality that their loved ones are away  in another country not knowing when they will see that person again ( in a lot of cases).I think of the mom's that have their sons or daughters in the military and my heart aches for them. Just the thought of my son one day telling me "mom I want to  join the military" makes my heart ache and even though I would support his decision to join and I would be very proud of him, it would still hurt. A lot. So, I would like to take this opportunity to Thank you all for your service. Its because of you that we enjoy the freedom that we have. Thank you for your sacrifice. I would also like to thank the military  families, for given your soldier your  love and support. To all the veterans Thank you for dedicating your lives to servicing your country. God bless you today and always. Please  know that you are always in  our prayers and we can't wait for all of you to come home safe and sound.

Common Courtesy..not so Common

I know most, if not all of you have heard this before "common courtesy is not so common". why is that? why do people look at you like you have spinach in your teeth when you say Good Morning or Good afternoon.
This  happens all the time and it happened to me this morning.

I walk into the elevator getting ready to go up to the office and its full.. I was the last one to get in and  I say "Good Morning".... Can you believe not one person said it back!!.. Not one!! and not only that, but one lady looked at me like " how dare she say good morning to me.. don't you  know I am having a bad day".Well I'm sorry  that you are not having a good morning geesh! I think if people were a little nicer.. just a little the world would be a better place. I know some people say" well I'm not a morning person" and to those people I say I'm sorry you're not a morning person, but one thing has nothing to do with the other.

So people, be nice. Say good morning or good afternoon. You don't want to come across as rude. Remember it only takes a second to make a "great first impression and a life time to change it".. is that how the saying goes??.. if not, you know what I mean.

 Okay  I'm done.

25 things you don't know about me:

25. I do everything with my left hand..except I write with my right.
24. I was born in NYC( a few people just recently found this out)
23. I have  2 other siblings ( from my dad side) a brother and a sister.
22. I have a terrifying fear of roaches..I mean its really serious..I'm scared of them even when they are dead.
21. I love sushi, and  I don't know how to use the chop sticks ( I'm learning though)
20.I'm 33 yrs old and I still can't watch a Freddy Kruger movie.. which brings me to number  19
19. I hate scary movies... and if I do watch one I can't sleep for days.
18. I love my job ( stop laughing) I really do
17. When I was growing up.. I wanted to be a teacher ( yes me a teacher can you imagine) needless to say I got over that..quick! See number 16.
16. I hate math... I don't like numbers at all
15. I can't draw..anything ..NADA ..to save my life
14. You know that show  Everybody loves Raymond? .. I love that show.. that's my life ..except its funny on TV.
13. When I retire, I want to go back to the Dominican Republic and sleep in a hammock.
12 .I drink a lot of water.. a lot.
11. I love coffee!!!!.. I can't function without it.
10.I suck at every video game known to man kind..
9. I love to read- since  I used to work next to the library, I used to go there for lunch... and just read..Yes, for real.
8.  I love to write.
7. If I ever win the lottery the first thing I would do is put money aside for my son's education.
6. I can't drive stick... automatic chick all the way!
5.I can't swim. Its never to late to learn right??.. right??
4.I learned to drive when I went to driver's ed in school.
3. I put ketchup on  EVERYTHING.. it makes it better.
2. I know the Movie Titanic almost word for word.
1. I Google everything!!

 So there you have it folks!!..Have a great day..  Back to work!!

A

A letter to Ralphy...Warning: you will need a tissue.

Dear Ralphy,

By the time you read this you will be an adult with responsibilities and goals of your own. You might be wondering"why is mami writting me a letter?. The reason I'm writting you is because I want you to know how much I wanted you and loved you before you ever even exsisted. I'm also sure that by the time you read this there would have been times that we disagreed about decisions you are making or getting ready to make. I'll start by telling you that you are now 2 1/2 yrs old. You are very smart and happy little boy. You love to watch movies ( sometimes over and over again) and your daddy and I love to watch them with you ( on most days). One of your many favorites : Finding Nemo, Cars, Astro boy and Shark Tale. You are also a very lucky little boy. Not only do you have parents that love you very much ( more than you will ever know) but you also have your Aunts and Uncles that love you and are very involved in your daily life. Plus, you have your cousins that you love to play with and you always talk about. Even the ones you don't get to see as much..You have a big sister that even though you don't get to see her much, you love talking to her on the phone and you tell her you love her every chance you get and I am praying that the two of you beat the odds and become closer as you get older. The only reason I say that is because she lives in another state ( at this time in Virginia) and she is a tiny bit older than you ( 11 yrs).. thats nothing right?... and then there's your grandparents. You have wonderful relantionship with them and they love you very much. At this present time, there is still one grandpa you haven't met yet and I'm not sure why. All I ask you is that when you do meet him you give him a chance. I also pray that you get to meet him soon. I'm going to be honest, there were times that I still get upset becuase I still don't understant why he hasn't made the effort to meet you. Who wouldn't want to meet you?.. You're awesome!. But noone is perfect right?. Lucky for you, you have granpa very close by and you have a very close connection with him, its very special. Since the first day when he came to see you in the hospital ( you looked just like him) you can tell you were connected in a deeper way and I know as you get older its only going to get better. You are also very close to both of your grandmas.the both spoil you beyond words ( like you didn't already know that).. I told you .. you are very lucky. My point is that even though there might be times were things or people are not are their happiest or whatever the situation may be... you have a family that loves you.. no matter what. I can honestly tell you the day I found out I was pregnant, I cried, they were tears of joy of course, but I cried because I loved you so much at that very minute. It was a bit overwhelming to feel that kind of love and to know that type of love was even possible. Other people always tried to explain it to me, but no words could ever describe it. You will know when you have your own kids one day. Just know that you were made out of love.. your daddy and I love each other very much.. so much so that we had you and for the record you were no surprise. You were very much planned :). I wanted to also tell you that I am and always will very proud of you no matter what. I want you to know that I will always be here for you and your daddy of course. You will always be able to count on us. and even if it gets to a point in your life were you feel that I don't understand or that I don't get it..TRUST me I do get it and I want you to always be able to come to me. That's all for now.I'll be back!

I love you for ever , to infinity and beyond,

Mami.

Confession time!

Oh relax, its not that type of confession .LOL... So as you all already know I'm new at this and I'm super excited...really excited, so excited in fact that I barely slept last night ( No I'm not a dork) I'm just really excited. You know how it is when you have  been wanting  to do something for so long and you  for whatever reason you never did   it..And then when you finally do it  you feel like your on top of the world?. Well that's the feeling I have to today.  By the way, in case you missed it, that was my confession. .. I told you it wasn't that type of confession. Anyways,  so I have  so many ideas and topics that I think need to be addressed. Some  topics are good  and some that are not so good. I will mostly try to write about things relate to me  or to most people. And if in the process I happen to help or should I dare say it, inspire you in anyway then I will be a happy camper. I welcome any ideas or suggestions  you may all have as well. Just remember I'm new at this so bare with me.  I think anyone can do or be anything they want, the only person stopping you is YOU.

Xoxo,

Alex

Oh dear God.... Here goes nothing

Okay, so this is my first blog post ever!!!... I've always love to write and not to many people know this  about me, well my mom knows and she always told me that I should write a book. I've always thought  she was crazy. Who would read a book I wrote??( besides my mom of  course) I don't know just the thought made me laugh, but  not the "oh that's funny" laugh, but  that  "I'm nervous but I would love to do it "laugh.. Then all of my friends started blogging ( shout out to Roro and Michi )...  and one of them asked me if I was going to start a blog and I told her" one day ..maybe I'll surprise you". I should mention this was just a few weeks or maybe days ago , but I have  been thinking about it ever since. So here I am. What I'm I going to write about?.. I have no idea LOL .. no really.. I have no clue..  whatever comes to mind I guess..( well maybe not everything). I can tell you one thing for sure., my son will probably be on most ( if not all) of my posts. Yes, I am that kind of mom. I am obsessed about my son. Shoot me.

Stay tuned...


xoxoxo

Alex