Ironically enough, now that I have more time (wth less work hours) I have less time to do things.  I am trying to get my stuff together in the house, trying to survive the horrible X mas season and I mean horrible because of the chaos, traffic and the constant whinning of Miss C everytime she sees a commercial with a new toy:

"Awww momma can you ask Santa for that???"

Her list has grown over the past few weekd and my pocket has shrunken.

Her latest accomplishments have been equally grand.

She managed to scratch off a piece of my skin from my arm yesterday while I was driving in a rage of fury.
She managed to scream at the top of her lungs in Denny's in front of all the patrons:


"I wish you would die and if you don't I will break your bones!!"

See, a killer in the making...maybe Tony Soprano could give her a part time...or something.

She has called me ugly every single chance she gets in front of everyone.

Her list of presents might just get shorter before the 25th.

The Christmases at home are still a "fun" family event.  I put up two Christmas Trees, managed to get into a fight with Vietnam, found out that one of the Three Kings is missing from the Nativity Scene and that we can't put any  lights outside because Isabela The Destroying Lab is out on a mission..."chew up EVERYTHING".

As for the rest I've been trying to spend as much time with my goddaughter, Kamila, squeezing her whenever her mom ain't looking and trying to catch up on all those cheesy Lifetime Christmas movies such as the Box Office Hit:


"Christmas with two Dad's"


::snicker::


We've managed to divide our dates as to who goes where on what days and I am just anxious for a couple of days of sleep...lots of it...with no little girl whispering in my ear, "you must make breakfast I am a very hungry person".


Yeah, well, I'm a very sleepy person.


And there ya' have it...classes are out this week until the 13th of January and I'll be stuck with a kid, The Holidays and TV Christmas movies....


I think I need some alchohol

So how was my weekend?

Well let's say that Friday we made our way to Vader's for our traditional UNO card tournament.

Every Friday, bro,his gal, my cousin, Vader and I get together to eat and play...every Friday there is a main target:

DESTROY ALL OPPONENTS.

The rule: THERE IS NO FAMILY.

Every Friday Vader always makes some hairbrained mistake like throwing random cards and ends up being the butt of the joke.

This Friday, Vader got her revenge.

Empress showed up with her husband since they had no electricity and joined in on the fun.

We started to play, have a great time, when....

::rumble rumble::

My stomach.

Good Lord, my stomach.
Hey, I know we've all had stomach issues, but stomach issues with these folks around, was a big hellanono, especially in a small apartment with one bathroom almost next to the UNO table.

There are no more words needed. Let's just say I spent most of the night NOT playing UNO, hearing my 'friends and family' have a jolly ol' time at my expense.

I don't think I have laughed so hard in a looong time.

In the end, it was a swell swell time. I had become the butt of the joke, literally. Vader's eyes sparkled with glee.

And to think that Kamila (my pronto niece) will have a swell bedtime story about the week before she was born...

Ah, the memories...

::cringe::

“DO NOT TAKE ANY FOOD UNLESS YOU HAVE MY PERMISION. I DO NOT HAVE ANY MONEY TO FEED OTHER PEOPLE”.

That is what it’s come down to folks. I have my father or brother feeding off my fridge. They use my spare keys, walk inside and help themselves.

They help themselves to the humble items I have purchased with great sacrifice mainly for Miss C.

It’s not that I am a selfish bitch.

It’s that, that food that they are stealing isn’t even mine. It’s my daughter’s.

Thanks to them I am short of a bag of crackers and some soup she loves.

No one is guilty.

It seems the crackers and soup have eaten themselves.

Maybe I have mice.
Maybe it was the dog.

Maybe my dad is lying, since he had a smirk on his face and couldn’t stop chuckling while swearing on God that it wasn’t him.

While am I still here?

Because I pay cheap rent and for now I can’t possibly afford to live anywhere else.

So basically I’m screwed. I have taken back the spare keys and have given them to someone who I know will never steal from her family…Vader.

So there you have it…my dad steal food from his granddaughter…

Only in my home people, only in my home.

Yesterday was Miss C's 6th birthday. How times flies!

We didn't have anything grand planned, since what she really wants (Wall-E the movie) can't be done until the 27th. We decided to fill up the pool and invite our closest friends: Vader, Vietnam, Bro, V, Empress & Husband...for an afternoon of food and presents.

But just before that could take place, you know there had to be some drama. Vietnam knowing we were gonna fill up her pool and have the festivities outside, decided that 4pm (estimated guest arrival hour) would be a great time to clean the front of the house (where we were going to put up the pool), hose down the gate and have our cars removed outside of the garage so he could clean it up.

Needless to say I put my two cents in, in forms of utter screams of anger and promises of complete vengeance and he caved in and let us get on with the show.

I mean, sweet Lord, out of all the days!

Anywhoot.

After a close knit pool party and some hotdogs, we made our way upstairs to get ready for our guests. The guests arrived while Miss C was still the shower but she made sure to make her entrance with sunglasses and all. She quickly prompted where were her gifts and was delighted with all the stuff she got.

I suggested this year that instead of Littlest Pet Shop toys (which she got anyway), she'd get arts & crafts stuff (since I was gonna get her an Arts & Crafts station) and clothes. Only thing was that everyone was in sync with gifts and there were a few repeats.

Empress who always loves to take the title of "Kick ass" present of the year, was ludacris at the fact that V got Miss C the same exact gift. I, on the other hand was dismayed at the fact that V got Miss C the same exact Littlest Pet Shop toy I got her as a second gift.

V must be stopped. ::snicker:: Empress and I plotted our revenge during dinner, but a kidnapping over a box of Crayola Crafts sounded harsh. All jokes aside, V and everyone else were VERY generous with their gifts. Especially Empress who is making way for a new family addition...a baby girl named Kamila...but that's a whole nother' post...

Miss C was delighted with all her stuff including her PAINT which she immediately wanted to use.

::squirm::

Miss C wanted a piñata although there weren't any other kids, so I made one, which came out pretty darn cute (post pics later). We decided to make our way to the piñata session, which Miss C insisted should be broken with a stick, but with a baby on board (Empress) I didn't think it would be a good idea, so we just pulled the strings on the end of the sucker. Thing is, I made such a sturdy piñata, the sucker wouldn't break, so I "helped" it out a bit. Miss C was delighted with the toys and goodies.

Especially the Littlest Pet Shop toy I snuck inside.

Vader fixed up a nice dinner and we played some Pin the Tail on the Donkey (another request by Miss C). She was the first to go and pinned it right on the dot, which made us squeal in delight on how bright she was. Everyone but me that is. I had this kid, I know she is sly, so I made her go again. I placed the blindfold and sure enough, she positions it in a way that she can see. Either that or she is really gifted on knowing that there was another tail in her way and removed it in order to place hers.

The fruit doesn't fall far from the tree.

We cut the cake and around 10pm everyone was gone.

I lay in bed with her as she smiled in delight.

"Mom I had fun. I had fun with my new family. I loved all my presents. Thank you mom".

No kiddo, Thank U.

I have no ideas what my plans are this weekend, but they somehow revolve around meeting up with the Ex who happens to be on the island, so he can spend some time with Miss C. All together, since he is here on military orders and doesn't have a car to move around in.

As weird as it may sound to some, well, it's isn't weird for me and it's in my daughter's best interest.

True has become more aware of the fact that this isn't going to change and that I have a good relationship with my Ex and that Miss C loves her dad.

So that comes first.

But it doesn't make it eerily strange having all 5 of us bond over dinner or a playdate.

So pray for me.

Miss C has a way with words. Her Spanish not so good, she doesn't get the order and symantics of certain stuff; but her English, my Lord, her English is borderline perfect, I'd say even better than mine.

"Mother, did you know breakfast is a very important meal?"
"Yes".
"Mother, what did I tell you this morning? That we must be on our way to school now".
"Ok"
"Mother, do you know what?"
"What?"
"You are my very best friend. Now drive".


She has a wonderful way with words.

***********
In other spectacular news...I saw a WHOLE game last night. A WHOLE GAME WITH NO INTERRUPTIONS.

Miss C stayed over Vader's and I got to watch a game. A game we won!

It's the little things in life that are grand

************

In other non-related things.
Wednesday's we go to Vader's. Always. Everyone.
Bro, Gal, Miss C, True, my cousin and my Aunt.

We always sit,eat, make jokes, play boardgames, etc.

We talk about all sorts of stuff, politics, news, politics...

We had a few weeks ago talked about the Digital Era and how come Feb. 2009 everyone goes digital. Here in Puerto Rico, some boxes are going to be available for those who need them in order to watch digital tv.

So it seems my cousin (older adult cousin) is fixated on this and every single Wednesday for the past 9 years, all he talks about is this.

He doesn't just talk about it...he interrupts our conversations on other subjects to mention the damn Box and the Damn digital thing.

"So...did you hear that Hilary won the primary in so and so state yesterday?"
"Yes....I was also reading about the next primary state..."
"...did you guys know that the Box is gonna be available one per family".

::pause::

"yes.."

"So, did you read about the Columbian Guerilla, that are demanding the government to free some members so that they can free their hostages..."
"Yes, I believe they are asking to free..."

::cut right the crap off::

"..did you know that the stars are complaining because with the digital era, their blemishes are gonna be more visible".

Jeeeeeeeeeeesuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuussssssssssss, these people don't use maybelline or covergirl...they have industrial makeup artists...get over it...

"So, how's Miss C doing in school?"
"Well..they were telling me the other days that she..."
"AAAAAAhh.....now I get "I am legend", I didn't get that movie until this morning"

WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And this goes on, ALL NIGHT LONG.

I have to contain myself from the urge of wanting to hit him with a Digital Box over his head, because all he talks about is Boxes, and Cable and his nonsense commentary.

What do your relatives do that suck the joy out of your life?

My family has never been a loving one.

There is no way to deny it.

We don't go around proclaiming our love for each other, or hugging or even less, God Forbid, kissing.

We just do our thang and we know we love each other and that's enough for everyone.

But every once in a while, there will come a weird day where someone will do something to demonstrate their love like for example:

Buy a pound of smoked ham, have it deli sliced and place it in your fridge.

With a voice mail that said: "I bought you some ham cause you said you like it the other days".

Who ever knew smoked ham could say I love you.

Vietnam you are a weird man.

"Momma, wake up, it's the Holidays! It's Christmas" She whispered in my ear, in English no less.

She woke up around 8pm, very patient, went to the tree and saw her gifts...she opened them with a huge smile. She was delighted.

I even threw some presents near the chimney. She squealed.

She got tons of Pet Shop toys, a V Tech V smile Game Console, new sneakers, "Rabatooie" (Ratatouie), clothes, pj's, the dancing My little pony, Spongebob Operation (which she is terrified of) and lots more.

I got a wonderful, much needed Elizabeth Arden Makeup Kit from True.

No perfume.

Thank God.

I got clothes from my mom and candles from my bro's girlfriend.

We spent the morning at home, had a huge breakfast, pizza for lunch and then headed off to True's house. We spent the afternoon with his parents then headed out to Vader's in the evening.

There Miss C had a blast, bro and girlfriend went overboard with presents for her.
Hasbro should give them a prize for buying them out. I think she officially has all the Littlest Pet Shop collection.

We all exchanged gifts, then sat down for a little Pictionary. We giggled and almost wet our pants with our expert drawing skills. Vader looked on in delight.

Empress showed up bearing gifts for us as well.

She looked at us playing and said: "You guys look like the wholesome all american family".

That was the nicest comment I could have received that night.

Pictionary, good food and an almost normal family.

Now if I could only fast forward New Year's Eve and The Three Kings Day.

try saying that, ten times fast...


The Holidays are back.

I've done all my X mas shopping. Everything is done.

I put up my tree yesterday.

I just have to get around stringing up the lights and putting on the decor.

Tomorrow we have our church's Thanksgiving Day celebration.

I'm supposed to talk about what I'm thankful for.

Geez, talk about pressure.

Well, I'm thankful for good friends, not tons of em', but good ones,

For shoes, for a website where I can buy kickarse shoes and not drain my wallet.

For a good guy, who drives me up a wall sometimes, but who else will put up with my
crap,

For a job, unstable one at times, not my dream job, but it pays the bills,

For a home, where everything inside it, was paid outta my pocket. cool huh?

For the family. Vader and Vietnam are still difficult folks to deal with, but
we are managing.

For family Wednesday's at Vader's, where Bro, sister in law, True and I play boardgames and stuff our faces,

For the Kid, aka Miss C, who has come such a long long way, who is my joy, my pride, the smallest person in the world who can get me laughing, who has humbled me and made me a better person and sometimes also manages to make me wanna smack her right in the mouth, like this morning when she told me in front of the cash register lady in the supermarket:

"Momma, shut up, you talk to much".

For the tears and the hard moments, I suck at them, but I've survived them, so that must mean something, right?

For God's blessings. In a time where there are so many tragedies, poverty and lack of love, He has blessed my home with love, health and wealth. He had not forgotten my address, like I so bluntly used to say, he was waiting on the front steps for me to unlock the door.

I'm going to Vader's on Thursday...another year where I cannot develop my culinary skills, because God forbid I try and take the spotlight away from her and make the turkey.

We are all gonna be there, True, his parents, bro, the girlfriend, the kid, Vader and I....

can't think of a better reason to say thanks!

pray for my family...
a serious emergency has surfaced...and right now I need the prayers...