big day...

For all of you parents out there, you will relate to my big news. Today, for the first time, Bella went potty in the toilet!

Lately she hasn't been wearing a diaper, or clothes for that matter. She asks for a diaper when she had to do something. I have been asking her if she wants to go to the bathroom to potty and she always says no. She is almost 2 1/2 years old and I really wanted to get the ball rolling a while back but she has been resisting. I read some info on the net and it said not to push them. If you do, they will fight back even harder.

Since Emily is in diapers it isn't like I can get rid of them anyway so I didn't stress. I bought her some underwear hoping that would get her excited but didn't work. Grandma mailed us some My Little Pony underwear not to long ago and those are her favorite. Lately she has been asking to wear them. I was hoping it was a step in the right direction. And, I was right!

She was standing in the bathroom with no diaper or underwear and said she had to pee pee. I told her to sit on the toilet and do it and I would give her candy. Bribes are great! And, she did!

I wanted to make a big deal out of it so of course there was lots of praise from me and she got the candy, a sucker, and we called daddy to tell him and called Grandma at work. I hope she wants to do it again.

Please let this be a short, easy transition!

not the usual

There are plenty of things in my current daily life that are different from how they used to be. Some of them, well, most of them are now the norm for me. But, the other day we were driving to the store and I was thinking about the things that are different. Not really good or bad, just different.

I thought you might be interested in some of them so here they are...

• Since living here I have only drove the car one time. Jorge does all the driving.


• We eat fast food about twice every three months.


• When I cook a meal, most of the time I have to make everything from scratch.


• Even on hot days we don't use the air conditioner in the car.


• We don't use an alarm clock unless I have a flight to catch.


• We don't have an automatic water heater. If you want hot water you have to light the water heater manually. It takes about 20 minutes to get the water to the hottest temperature.


• I only use the dryer for loads of towels.


• We set our trash out daily for it to be picked up.


• I have to manually light the stove and burners after turning on the gas.


• We unplug all unused appliances and turn off power strips because the electric company sort of penalizes you for using electricity. The more you use, the more they charge per kilowatt.


• I never close the windows. Now that we have screens they are always open.

I'm sure there are plenty more things that could be listed, but these are the ones that come to mind.

the reason

I just realized, after working on this quilt, why I am always in such a rush. I get bored. Well, I am not sure that is the right word. I start getting antsy when I realize that I am just at the beginning and there is so much more to do. Almost like I don't want to mess with the middle, although I know it is necessary.

I lose interest too fast. I get bored with the detail work. I am ready to be finished. I cut all my strips of fabric. Thankfully the way I order the fabric, most of the cutting was done for me. I had to cut each strip in half and in half again. Not too bad.

I think I will enjoy the rest of my free time (the girls are at Grandma Ramirez's house) with Edward, the vampire (the third book of the Twilight series for those of you that didn't get my reference).

she's crafty...

(Flowers from my *garden*)

I have always been drawn towards crafty things. I have never really thought of myself as crafty, but I try anyway. I have been in awe of Martha Stewart for a long time. Let's not mind her brief stint in jail. I am sure her jail cell was beautiful, though.

I tend to attract crafty, artsy people in my life. I am not sure the reason, but it happens. My friends Julie and Penny are pros! I only wish I could be like them. Even though my hands are not as skilled as theirs, I still like to challenge myself. Both of them can paint like the devil. I, on the other hand, stay away from that medium all together. I find fabrics more comfortable.

The problem is that I don't have the patience to do things. I am the kind of person that will come across an idea and I want to have it done, like 5 minutes ago. Just like that. I don't slow down. I get what I need to do it and I am almost racing to get it done. That method seems to make a lesser quality item. And, honestly, it drives me insane!

Lately I have tried to slow down. Do things, let's say, more correctly. It is a challenge for me to slow down. I have ran across a website that have wonderful tutorials. This particular tutorial caught my interest. It looks obtainable. Something that will challenge me to be a little more patient. To slow down and get it right.

I bought the material to make it. I liked the colors in the one that tutorial showed, so I bought the same fabric. I now challenge myself to make the quilt (although I am not sure about the actual *quilting* part) and make it so it looks beautiful.

Results to follow when I finish. We will see how my patience holds up.

twilight

I got the package in the mail Monday with the first two books in the Twilight series. In between all my normal daily activity I was able to finish the first book.

I AM HOOKED! I am so glad there are three more books that follow. I need to get some other things done first before I start into the next book, but I can't wait!

I would like to see the movie now, to compare what is in my mind from the book to what they put on screen. I now understand what all the hype is about. This book just reels you in. I know it is categorized as a "young adult" book, but I don't care.

If anyone knows of any other series of books that are good, let me know. When I read a book I hate that your relationship has to end with the characters on the last page of the book. I always want more. With a series, I get what I want. I guess I have a hard time with good-byes.

she doesn't leave home without her

(How cute is she?)

Emily got a baby doll for Christmas from Grandma Ramirez. For the longest time that doll sat in the room by himself. Just in the past month or so that has been *the* doll. Her doll. Usually he goes to the store with us, he sleeps with her and is, most of the time, being toted around by her.

This doll's clothes were not made very well. Originally there was some patch that has since been ripped off. The Velcro tabs don't hold together very well and because of that his clothes are usually off.

The other day he fell into the bath water so I took off his clothes (while Emily cried the whole time wanting him back), washed them and laid them to dry. While they were laying there by the sink I thought why not make some clothes for him.

After looking through the pathetic amount and choice of fabrics I have, I realized I don't have anything to make boys clothes. Without the overalls and hat, the doll is gender neutral and so why not make him a her.

I got some old clothes of the girls out and cut some pieces of fabric to make a dress. Mind you this was all being done while Emily was sleeping. I had to have the doll with me to make sure the dress was going to fit. I have not really made any clothes before and especially none this small. After undoing a few mistakes and figuring out how to make it so the dress could be easily removed if washing was necessary, I finally got it finished.

She is attached to this doll. You can't trade her for another one. It is almost like she has a sentimental attachment to him, now her. With Bella, it is totally the opposite. She doesn't' have any one thing that she likes the most. Each day she grabs a different doll or toy to play with. Hopefully, for Emily's sake, we never misplace that baby.

macho banana

Last night we went to the store to do some grocery shopping. We went over to the produce section. While I was busy looking through some oranges or something I hear Jorge say, "Look at this!". I looked up to find this.

(This is a normal size gallon of milk, for comparison.)

(This weights .825 kg = 1.81 lbs. That is one macho banana.)

I immediately wanted to get out the iPhone and take a picture of it. I didn't have my iPhone with me. Unlike a large bottle of tequila, I could easily afford this item. An instant after realizing I didn't have the iPhone, I said I wanted to buy it. Jorge said, "Why, so you can take a picture of it and show your friends?". OF COURSE! Who wouldn't be amused to see such a large banana?

Even laying in bed last night I kept laughing silently thinking about how obscenely big it is. Where did this banana come from? Did it get dug up along with that dinosaur chicken egg? Is there some place in Mexico where giants live? That could definitely be a road trip!

can I get a...

Pair of tennis shoes, books in English, colorful thread for the sewing machine, felt, clothes in a size other than 2, pretty fabric, craft supplies...

What do all these items have in common? Things that are difficult for me to find here. Well, some I can find but are too expensive or just not the right kind or there is not a decent selection.

After calming down about living in Mexico and realizing that there are worse things that could be happening in my life, It is this that is the most annoying to deal with. Not finding what I want or need!

Living in Indianapolis my whole life, I became spoiled. I took for granted the ease of popping into Target ( I HEART Target!) or Hobby Lobby or any other fabulous store to pick up something. Things are well priced, there is a great assortment to chose from and everything is so accessible.

This easy way of life is what I will always miss and is what I will never get used to not having.

Jorge and I started walking a few weeks back and, believe it or not, I didn't own a pair of tennis shoes. How was I to find a pair here? I wasn't. I relied on my trusty mother to do me yet another favor and be my middle man. I went online and bought a pair and had them shipped to her. She, in turns, mails them to me. Luckily, most sites offer free shipping. Since the post office offers flat rate international shipping I usually try to find something else I need so she can fill up a box. It kind of reminds me of coupons. I never used coupons because I know they are not really money saving. At least not for me. I would end up buying things that I didn't need because "I had a coupon". That would have been money I wasn't going to spend. But, in my case I guess I buy things I need or really want that I can't find here. But, either way I end up spending more money so the postage doesn't up the price of that item by it's self.

(My new shoes. Only $55. Good deal, right?)

I was only able to bring a handful of books to read when I moved down here. You try to fit almost everything you own in the back of a Chrysler Pacifica and see how much you can get in there. Everything just wasn't going to fit. Finding books in English is not impossible, but limited. So, with the shoe purchase I bought the oh so popular Twilight series. You see those books/movie mentioned all the time, so I thought I would read the books.

(The first two Twilight books. My mom is sending the other two in a separate package.)

Shopping on Amazon.com was kind of interesting. I was curious if they offered shipping here and on certain items they do. The books they would ship here but I wouldn't get them for over a month and at the same price my mom could fill up a flat rate box. Shoes, no. Clothes, no. I think it is more frustrating that stores will/can ship some items and other not. I did find an online fabric store that I can have my purchase shipped here, and for only $10. I thought that was a good deal.

No matter how I get my items, via my mom or straight from the Internet store, it is still annoying that they don't have these things here. Even in the bigger cities I can't find some common items. Am I asking for too much?

(NOTE: I can't get my spacing to show up correctly when the entry is posted. I am not sure what is going on. I have several small paragraphs but when I "publish post" it shows up as one long paragraph. And, sometimes it shows more spacing than there is pre posting. ANNOYING!)

a good day

The title of this blog entry has been long awaited. There have been a lot of days lately where I have been down in the dumps. Because of very supportive people I feel I am back on track a bit. Some stresses have been lifted.

Yesterday I spent the day without the girls. I know, it was Mother's Day, but I guess you can interpret it however you like. Since I spend almost all my time with them, I looked at it as a day off. A day for me.

Jorge took me to Aguascalientes. We went to the movies and then walked around in the mall. We didn't end up buying anything. We then planned on going to Chili's. I love their chips and salsa. It was so packed and our stomachs couldn't handle the wait so we ended up going to McDonald's. I know, McDonald's? Hey, when you are living in a tiny town where there are no food joints other than hole in the wall dives that don't offer much of a variety, any chain restaurants are a treat.

Then we ventured over to Home Depot. This was the place I was looking forward to. I wanted to buy a few flowers and some pots to add to my *garden* (which is growing like crazy) on the front patio. Not having anything green around sucks. Plus, taking care of the plants and watching them grow helps with my stress. I would love to move to a house with some real outdoor space with a small patch of grass or dirt. Maybe one day.

(The Gerbera Daisy is my favorite flower. Of course I had to buy a pink one.)

(And, I didn't want the pink one to not have an orange friend. They are sitting on each side of the front door. A nice way to come home.)

(The watermelons had to be transplanted to a bigger container.)

(The bean plant is getting ready for Jorge to climb it.)

(The tomato plants are flowering. Soon I will have to find some kind of support for them.)

Since it was *my* day and all, Jorge was going to stop by the fabric store in Aguascalientes without a fight. It is the same store as the one in San Juan (where I normally go if I want to attempt to find some fabric), but this one looks a lot bigger and I was hoping (crossing my fingers) that they would have a better, larger selection. Unfortunately it was closed when we drove back by it on our way home. I guess next time.

All and all it was a nice relaxing day.

mother's day

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY, MOM!

We love you and miss you!

And, to all of you other mothers, too!

Hope all of you had a great day.

thank you

I wanted to thank everyone that sent an email or posted a comment or did other extraordinary things the other day when I was down in the dumps.

I am so far away (physically) from everyone that sometimes I feel alone and at a dead end. When everyone comes to the rescue, like the other day, I realize that I am not alone. I have all of you to help me in your own ways. I am learning that taking or asking for help is not as painful as I thought it to be.

Anyway, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart to all of you!

one more

I blog surf because it leads me to interesting people and things, plus I usually have time to do so. I have a new *blogger friend*, Cutzi, and the other day she posted a link to make an apron out of a dish towel. I thought I would make one for Bella. I had a really cute towel with cherries on it and thought that would be perfect. I made it a little bit different but it still does the job.


Bella seems to like it. Now she can be my official helper in the kitchen. See for yourself.

recycling--sewing project--mother's day gift

A few months back I got a care package in the mail from some of my awesome friends (Heather, Julie & Amy). They had went to Target, a place I miss dearly, and bought odd and ins that they knew I would love. One thing that was in the box was a table runner. It was so pretty and I opened it and put in on the table immediately. You can see on the table in the picture below that it barely fit the table and I wasted no time to iron it. After a few uses I had to wash it and didn't pay attention to the instructions. Oops! It shrunk. Now it has been in a bag with all my fabrics for sewing.



As you know Mother's Day is this weekend. I wanted to get something small for Jorge's mom. She has had a hard life and I think she deserves something on Mother's Day.

The other day we were over at her house and she was cooking gorditas for us. She was about to drop the dough in the oil and before she did she went to get a button up shirt and put it on backwards as a make shift apron.


Sitting here in the house thinking about what to get her, a light bulb went off! I can use that table runner and make an apron. It is a thick canvas like material that would be perfect for an apron.


I did just that. It took me about 3 hours but I made sure to make it look as nice as possible. Here are the results.








No money spent yet a thoughtful gift. Anyone need an apron? :)

photos...the good and the bad

Pictures are great. They capture times that you wish to always remember. But, at the same time they are rather good at being painful. The digital age allows us to look back so easily at all those good times. It is those same good times that can sometimes bring you heartbreak.

I was just looking at some older pictures on my computer and came across these pictures of Bella and Emily within a week of Emily being born. How small both of them were.




I also ran across these pictures. They are of the times when life made sense and things seemed to be going well. We were building a life. Thoughts of the girls running around in the backyard, playing in a blow-up pool, cookouts with family and friends. Trips to Kroger to get anything you need. Just a different time.

We had just had the house built. We opted again the builder putting down sod and did it ourselves. Having no grass allowed us to easily (well, let's use that term lightly) put a patio out back. Jorge was so proud of himself. He did it pretty much all by himself. It is all this work and love for something that makes it hard when you look back at what you had. I realize that all of these things are just that, things. But, they are also a life, a start of a family, and a comfortable way of life. These are the things when I think about them makes this journey a bit harder to swallow.


So, when I see pictures of the house it makes me think about how easy and nice life seemed to be. Not that it was always peachy keen, just now I want it back. The house we rent now is not uncomfortable and other than not having a dishwasher and garbage disposal, it has all the comforts of an average house. I guess it wasn't what I wanted or planned so it might never be good enough. I need to get over it, I know, but how?

(That is Bella on the corner of the couch.)

When I get sad about being here Jorge is always sweet about it. He asks me if I want to go back, back to the US. The problem is there is nothing to go back to. The good days I have here are ones where I just don't think about anything. My average day is working on the computer, doing dishes and/or laundry, feeding/bathing/playing with the girls and watching TV then going to bed. A girl can only stay in that state for so long and that is when I have my bad days.

I am not even having a bad day today, just this seems to be on my mind. I think I am trying to figure out how to deal with this. You would think after a year I would be used to all of it and stop thinking about. I guess not, though.