Thursday, November 29, 2012
Titi's present
Titi is very excited! Last night she designed some Nike shoes online and we bought them for her for Hannukah.
Photos from November
Titi was asking me how come I don't post here anymore. I am going to try to post at least photos every month.
Titi played flag football for a couple of months and she loved it. She was very good at pulling flags. One time, she pulled 8 flags during a game and all the parents were cheering for her. She was the only girl in the team and everybody loved her. Her team finished the season undefeated and then went on to win the super bowl. They never lost a game, they killed the other team every single time.
Another exciting thing is watching our little kittens grow. We have 8 cats now! It sounds crazy but they were all homeless and nobody else wanted to do anything so we brought them into our back patio. Don is allergic to cats so they cannot be inside. The 3 smaller kittens sleep in the cabana bathroom. They have lots of toys and room to play. We need to build them a shelter for the cold. For now, the sleep under the table. I put some tarps and it stays warmer under there. Titi and I have so much fun putting the babies to sleep. They are the cutest things and they purr so loudly. Carlos also loves to spend time with the cats. Don does not touch them but one of them, Thunder, loves him. When Don goes into the patio, Thunder runs to him and starts hugging his leg and rubbing his head on Don's feet.
Our sweet Ruby.
This is the smallest of all our cats. Titi named him Licky because he loves to lick our hands. He seems to have been the runt of the litter. He is smaller than the other two but he purrs the loudest. We adore him!
Sunday, August 19, 2012
When I was catless
Back in early May, when I was catless, I did not know how cute kittens could be. I did not know how much you can love an animal. I did not know that cats have very distinct personalities. I did not know that I would not mind getting up early to feed them. I did not know I would not mind spending hours stroking their fur and petting them. I did not know so many things.....
I had never had a pet before and I thought I was never going to have one. My brothers and sisters had pets when I was growing up but I did not care for them at all and most of the time I wish they were gone. I especially had a horrible time when my sister had mice as pets. I would had moved out if I had had a place to go. When I met Don, I was happy to know he did not have pets and he did not care for them. He was allergic to cats and dogs and I thought I was too so we never considered having one. We did have beta fish but after seeing a couple of them die, we decided we could not go through the same again. I always thought that people were crazy for choosing to be responsible of another being. Who needed to complicate their life with a needy pet?
Then, we met Lovee. She was a skinny black cat that was kind of friendly. We could not touch her but she would not mind to get close to us. She started to come around and Don had the great idea to start feeding her. He went with Carlos or Titi and got her a big bag of food. That was our big mistake. Then other cats started coming. I think the next one was Stripes, a very handsome tabby cat. Then, Shadow, who we think is Lovee's sister. Then we met a huge black cat that seemed menacing at the beginning and then we discovered he was the sweetest thing, scared of everything, even his shadow. He jumps and runs if anybody moves. He hates sudden and loud noises. We named him Diamond. And then there is Big Face or Fat Albert, a not very nice looking tabby cat. He has a very funny face and is huge. We don't particularly like him but he does not come every day so we tolerate him when he is here.
We noticed that Lovee seemed pregnant but we did not do anything and she had her 4 beautiful kittens in our backyard. There was a hole made by an armadillo and she used it as her nest. Don discovered 4 bright pairs of blue eyes staring at him from that hole. Carlos called them and 2 kittens came to him, a black one and a gray one. The other two were not friendly. One was kind of aggressive and would hiss at us and the other one was a scared one. She would go into the hole or behind her brother as soon as she saw us. When I read that feral cats needed to get used to people as soon as possible, we decided to keep the two friendly ones to make sure they would be domesticated and then we could find homes for them.
In the meantime, we realized we had a huge problem in our hands. People started noticing all these cats coming to our house and started making comments. I learned that people hate people who feed feral cats. I also learned it was illegal and we could be fined. I rented a trap and started catching and sterilizing the older cats. First it was Diamond, then Stripes and then without wanting, we catched the two little kittens that were still in the hole. I took them to the clinic to see if they could do something and they were spayed and neutered as well. The aggressive one turned to be a boy and the scared one a girl. The people at the clinic said they were true feral cats and there was nothing we could do for them but to release them and care for them if we could. Luckily I did not listen and as soon as we got home I released them into separate bathrooms to care for them during their recovery. Well, the aggressive one turned to be a needy little cat who wanted to be held and stroked all the time. The scared one had a harder time letting us touch her but once we did she liked it and then she would cry to ask to be held. I spent many hours talking and stroking the cute little babies.
I had never had a pet before and I thought I was never going to have one. My brothers and sisters had pets when I was growing up but I did not care for them at all and most of the time I wish they were gone. I especially had a horrible time when my sister had mice as pets. I would had moved out if I had had a place to go. When I met Don, I was happy to know he did not have pets and he did not care for them. He was allergic to cats and dogs and I thought I was too so we never considered having one. We did have beta fish but after seeing a couple of them die, we decided we could not go through the same again. I always thought that people were crazy for choosing to be responsible of another being. Who needed to complicate their life with a needy pet?
Then, we met Lovee. She was a skinny black cat that was kind of friendly. We could not touch her but she would not mind to get close to us. She started to come around and Don had the great idea to start feeding her. He went with Carlos or Titi and got her a big bag of food. That was our big mistake. Then other cats started coming. I think the next one was Stripes, a very handsome tabby cat. Then, Shadow, who we think is Lovee's sister. Then we met a huge black cat that seemed menacing at the beginning and then we discovered he was the sweetest thing, scared of everything, even his shadow. He jumps and runs if anybody moves. He hates sudden and loud noises. We named him Diamond. And then there is Big Face or Fat Albert, a not very nice looking tabby cat. He has a very funny face and is huge. We don't particularly like him but he does not come every day so we tolerate him when he is here.
We noticed that Lovee seemed pregnant but we did not do anything and she had her 4 beautiful kittens in our backyard. There was a hole made by an armadillo and she used it as her nest. Don discovered 4 bright pairs of blue eyes staring at him from that hole. Carlos called them and 2 kittens came to him, a black one and a gray one. The other two were not friendly. One was kind of aggressive and would hiss at us and the other one was a scared one. She would go into the hole or behind her brother as soon as she saw us. When I read that feral cats needed to get used to people as soon as possible, we decided to keep the two friendly ones to make sure they would be domesticated and then we could find homes for them.
In the meantime, we realized we had a huge problem in our hands. People started noticing all these cats coming to our house and started making comments. I learned that people hate people who feed feral cats. I also learned it was illegal and we could be fined. I rented a trap and started catching and sterilizing the older cats. First it was Diamond, then Stripes and then without wanting, we catched the two little kittens that were still in the hole. I took them to the clinic to see if they could do something and they were spayed and neutered as well. The aggressive one turned to be a boy and the scared one a girl. The people at the clinic said they were true feral cats and there was nothing we could do for them but to release them and care for them if we could. Luckily I did not listen and as soon as we got home I released them into separate bathrooms to care for them during their recovery. Well, the aggressive one turned to be a needy little cat who wanted to be held and stroked all the time. The scared one had a harder time letting us touch her but once we did she liked it and then she would cry to ask to be held. I spent many hours talking and stroking the cute little babies.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Happy Birthday Grandpa
Today is grandpa's 90th birthday!! We are so happy to celebrate such a special birthday. Unfortunately, I was not able to go out to dinner with them. I had to work until 4 and by the time I got home, Carlos and Titi were very eager to go out and play with some of the kids. Don said they had a really nice time. Irving looks great!
Good bye elementary school
Titi had a wonderful time in 5th grade. She finished the year with a lot of success. She got 3 awards from her teachers. We did not know it was going to happen but she was called back to the stage 3 times to receive the awards. We were so proud of her. We are going to miss Sunrise Park. It was a wonderful school for Carlos and Titi. We loved all the teachers and administration.
Titi's birthday
Titi wanted to spend her birthday at Disney so we made reservations at Animal Kingdom Lodge. She loved the weekend. She had a pirate makeover. It was really good and she loved all the attention she got with the eyes' makeup.
Friday, March 02, 2012
February 2012
February was a very busy month for us and especially for Titi. She participated in the Samaritans Club at her school and they were featured on one of the local channels. They only interviewed 3 kids but we could see Titi on the video. We were excited to see her on TV! She also has been having Chorus rehearsals on Tuesdays so I have to pick her from school, which is not always easy since I have to leave work at a specific time but it is worth it. She lovs to be part of it. Her teacher invited her to participate in something called "Spotlight of Young Musicians" and Titi is going to be part of the elementary school chorus that will perform at the Kravis Center in May. Rehearsals will start in March.
Another exciting thing was that Titi's soccer team made it into the playoffs. They were in almost last place of the regular season. I think they placed in 7th place but once the playoffs started, they got better every time they played. They beated 3 teams and then played against the Gold team, the only undefeated team up to that time. Titi's team, the Champagne team, played hard but they lost 1-0. Then, they won another game and went to the finals, against the Gold team. Everybody thought the Gold team was going to win and they were going to end the season and the championship undefeated but Titi's game won! We were super excited! Titi played defense and she had to cover a girl that was very tall. Titi did not even reach her shoulder! The division is for under 12 years old at August 1st, 2011 so some girls that were 11 at that time, they had turned 12 already. Titi is still 10 and not very tall so it was interesting to see the little ones play against the tall girls. We had two older girls that were very good and helped the team win. Alissa and Ashlyn. Titi loved playing with both.
Another exciting thing was that Titi's soccer team made it into the playoffs. They were in almost last place of the regular season. I think they placed in 7th place but once the playoffs started, they got better every time they played. They beated 3 teams and then played against the Gold team, the only undefeated team up to that time. Titi's team, the Champagne team, played hard but they lost 1-0. Then, they won another game and went to the finals, against the Gold team. Everybody thought the Gold team was going to win and they were going to end the season and the championship undefeated but Titi's game won! We were super excited! Titi played defense and she had to cover a girl that was very tall. Titi did not even reach her shoulder! The division is for under 12 years old at August 1st, 2011 so some girls that were 11 at that time, they had turned 12 already. Titi is still 10 and not very tall so it was interesting to see the little ones play against the tall girls. We had two older girls that were very good and helped the team win. Alissa and Ashlyn. Titi loved playing with both.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Valentine's Day 2012
Carlos and Titi love to wake up on holidays to see how Don and I decorated the breakfast table while they were sleeping. They also look forward to see what we got them. This year it was a small plush animal, one bag of candy and an ITunes gift card.
Donuts for breakfast
Friday, January 27, 2012
Carlos, the entertainer
Everybody always tell me that Carlos is going to be a famous entertainer one day. More exactly, he is going to design rides for Disney or for fairs. He has always been fascinated by rollercoasters and all kind of wild ride and he loves to recreate them here at home. He has a big imagination and he wants to do lots of things that we cannot do here at home. His brain is always working on ideas and we feel bad for not being able to help him bring them to life. He sees things in a different way than other kids. Any kind of color light is good for rides like Splash Mountain, the office chairs are excellent for spinning kids and adults widly. He is lucky to have been born at this time, when any music he desires to hear is available in YouTube.
I usually go crazy about all this. At any time, one room of our house is being used by Carlos for a ride. He uses all kinds of things for props. Everything he sees reminds him of something in a ride and he wants to use it. I think we are the only family with two giant plastic garden carts in our family room. I try to encourage him to use the garage but it usually gets hot, even at this time of the year and he begs to let him do it inside. He has done The Cat in the Hat ride from Universal in his room, making a real mess and guiding kids in chairs with wheels while he plays the music and recites the verses. He has made Halloween rides, (at any time of the year) with strobe lights and scary music, water rides, and right now he is into Space Mountain. I rode the one he made yesterday and it was good but he spinned the chair too much. Today, all the kids in the cul the sac were outside and he immediately made one in the garage. The kids came running and waited patiently for their turn at the ride. I was nervous, thinking the chair was going to fall and one of the kids was going to get hurt. I was working in the computer and I could hear screams the whole time. They always encourage Carlos to make more and to make them as wild as possible. I kept going to the garage to ask Carlos to be gentle but I am sure he made them spin fast as soon as I went inside. I really hope people are right and all these messes in rooms are worth it.
I usually go crazy about all this. At any time, one room of our house is being used by Carlos for a ride. He uses all kinds of things for props. Everything he sees reminds him of something in a ride and he wants to use it. I think we are the only family with two giant plastic garden carts in our family room. I try to encourage him to use the garage but it usually gets hot, even at this time of the year and he begs to let him do it inside. He has done The Cat in the Hat ride from Universal in his room, making a real mess and guiding kids in chairs with wheels while he plays the music and recites the verses. He has made Halloween rides, (at any time of the year) with strobe lights and scary music, water rides, and right now he is into Space Mountain. I rode the one he made yesterday and it was good but he spinned the chair too much. Today, all the kids in the cul the sac were outside and he immediately made one in the garage. The kids came running and waited patiently for their turn at the ride. I was nervous, thinking the chair was going to fall and one of the kids was going to get hurt. I was working in the computer and I could hear screams the whole time. They always encourage Carlos to make more and to make them as wild as possible. I kept going to the garage to ask Carlos to be gentle but I am sure he made them spin fast as soon as I went inside. I really hope people are right and all these messes in rooms are worth it.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Somebody has an Iphone 4S
And it is not Don... Titi has been asking for an Iphone and for the 4S since it came out. We kept telling her kids her age did not get Iphones but of course, in this neighborhood most of the kids have one. Emilia got a 4S as soon as it came out and even Don was impressed with it. Titi saved money from walking dogs, Mema and grandpa's presents, etc. and she kept asking us to get her one. Don and I talked about it and decided she would get one. We do not want to spoil her but since most kids have one around here, she is at a disadvantage. She loves technology and gadgets and she would learn a lot from it. Carlos has not asked as much but now that Titi got one, he wants one too (and Don and I as well).
This morning, after her soccer game, Don and Titi went to the AT&T to get one. Titi was ecstatic! She has been using it all day. She loves Siri, the assistant that answers the voice commands. It is funny, because many times it does not understand what Titi is asking and she says funny things. When Titi asked Siri to text mom, Siri answered something like "I am sorry but you do not have a mother". I don't remember now but it was so funny we both started laughing. Titi told her "I love you" and Siri answered "you must say that to all your Iproducts".
This morning, after her soccer game, Don and Titi went to the AT&T to get one. Titi was ecstatic! She has been using it all day. She loves Siri, the assistant that answers the voice commands. It is funny, because many times it does not understand what Titi is asking and she says funny things. When Titi asked Siri to text mom, Siri answered something like "I am sorry but you do not have a mother". I don't remember now but it was so funny we both started laughing. Titi told her "I love you" and Siri answered "you must say that to all your Iproducts".
Friday, January 20, 2012
Titi's Safety Patrol trip to Washington
Four days after coming back from Mexico, Titi left for Washington, D.C. She went on the same trip that Carlos took last year. It is organized by the school district and approximately 1,500 fifth graders that are in the Safety Patrol program, all from Palm Beach County, go every year. They go in two trips and Titi got to go on the first trip. There were more than 800 kids going. The tradition is to go by train but it takes 22 hours to get to Washington! They say it is like a huge sleepover but the kids are very well supervised by teachers.
Titi's chaperone was one of her third grade teachers. We like her a lot so we were happy to know Titi was going to be in her group of 12 girls. Titi's roommates were Emily He., Celeste and a girl namede Julie but I don't remember her. Gigi was also in the group so I was happy for that. She is a very friendly girl and Titi and her get along very well. There were 4 groups of 12 girls and two of the teachers in charge of the other groups knew Titi very well.
I packed way too many things for Titi but I was worried about the cold. She used to not feel cold but now that she has lost weight, she seems to feel the cold much more. When we were in Mexico, she kept saying she was cold and it was not that cold outside. I never had to wear a hat or scarf but Titi did and she insisted she was still cold.
Titi was able to use her phone a lot so we kept in touch. She was fine on the train but by Friday night, she was tired and started to feel homesick. It was hard talking to her on the phone, knowing she was not feeling happy and I was so far away. The teacher assured me Titi was having a great time and that she probably was just tired. Every time we talked she seemed homesick and would say she could not wait to come home. On Sunday night, once she was on the train, she texted me for 3 hours! Last year, Carlos was only allowed to use the phone 3 or 4 times and just for a couple of minutes, this year, Titi was able to text for most of the trip back.
I could not wait to see her and Carlos and I left home early to go and pick her up at the train station. The train arrived around 5:30 and most of the girls requested "good food", they said they were tired of turkey and cheese sandwiches. Titi requested McDonalds and that made Carlos happy too. We had banners and a cake waiting at home and a happy dad waiting for his little girl.
Titi's chaperone was one of her third grade teachers. We like her a lot so we were happy to know Titi was going to be in her group of 12 girls. Titi's roommates were Emily He., Celeste and a girl namede Julie but I don't remember her. Gigi was also in the group so I was happy for that. She is a very friendly girl and Titi and her get along very well. There were 4 groups of 12 girls and two of the teachers in charge of the other groups knew Titi very well.
I packed way too many things for Titi but I was worried about the cold. She used to not feel cold but now that she has lost weight, she seems to feel the cold much more. When we were in Mexico, she kept saying she was cold and it was not that cold outside. I never had to wear a hat or scarf but Titi did and she insisted she was still cold.
Titi was able to use her phone a lot so we kept in touch. She was fine on the train but by Friday night, she was tired and started to feel homesick. It was hard talking to her on the phone, knowing she was not feeling happy and I was so far away. The teacher assured me Titi was having a great time and that she probably was just tired. Every time we talked she seemed homesick and would say she could not wait to come home. On Sunday night, once she was on the train, she texted me for 3 hours! Last year, Carlos was only allowed to use the phone 3 or 4 times and just for a couple of minutes, this year, Titi was able to text for most of the trip back.
I could not wait to see her and Carlos and I left home early to go and pick her up at the train station. The train arrived around 5:30 and most of the girls requested "good food", they said they were tired of turkey and cheese sandwiches. Titi requested McDonalds and that made Carlos happy too. We had banners and a cake waiting at home and a happy dad waiting for his little girl.
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