Why?

Hello, ok so I need to get better at keeping this up, LOL. I've been working like crazy, then come home to work like crazy (even double) and by the time I'm done all I want is to crawl into bed. Well, you might be wondering about the title of this post? Very simple, I can make a list of maybe 100 questions starting with why. My mother in law - oh gosh, what would I do without her - I met her almost 9 years ago and back then she was a great friend and a great human being, she is even better now, especially after she accepted GOD as her only savior. You know, I can happily say that I have a great mother in law - can't really complain. Well, today she send me an email - a very powerful and strong email - that made me cry. Yeah, most of her emails make me cry. Well anyways, why the world it is the way it is? I mean don't get me wrong, some of us have a great life and we have to be grateful about what we have, but this world is so unfair to some. There are a million people out there that don't have a thing, that they are dying of hunger, that they don't make it to tomorrow. Why did I cry? Because it made me realized how unfair I can be at times...it made me realized how much I complain and I have it so good - I'm healthy (except when the flu hits me, LOL), I have two wonderful kids, I have a beautiful family, I have a job, I have food on my table, I have clothing, my kids (my daughter for now) it's getting a great education...and the list just goes on and on...and here I am at times complaining about the things that I want and don't have, about the stupidest things...and who knows if right next to me there's someone that its struggling to have a roof over their head, to have food on their table, single moms that are working two jobs in order to feed their kids, or even worst people that don't have a home, don't have food in their tables, don't have clothes to protect them from the coldness. What's up with me? I need to become a better human being and more thoughtful of others...and no, this doesn't mean that I'm a bad person or that I don't take into consideration other people...I do...it's in my nature....what it means is that I have to be more grateful about the life that I have....thank God that I'm alive and that I am who I am and have what I have....and that I have a place that I can call home and a beautiful family that I can call my own. Stop complaining Bessie about the house being a mess, about hubby not helping you at times, about my boss being who he is, about the money that you don't make, about the people that cuts you off while driving, about the traffic, about the cold weather in New York, about all the things that you complain....that are nonsense. Stop it Bessie, and be more grateful of what you have...because maybe....just maybe the person right next to you would die to have what you have. Thanks for reading!

It's Sunday!

So, today is Sunday - not much went on today, cleaning day in the Cintron-Villegas household. I couldn't even scrap :-( Oh, well! Anyways, let me tell you about the snow storm that we had on Friday. We had like 6-8 inches of snow. This weather is really crazy! That is why we keep getting sick. Well, my parents and I took the kids downstairs to a park by my house to build a snowman - they had a blast. Shawn was amazing. He hates the cold, he usually cries when is extremely cold and we go outside and Friday he was just enjoying the snow so much, that I was so surprised, but happy that he enjoyed it. He was running around throwing snowballs at all of us and saying "snowballs" he was so funny. My daughter did snow angels and also helped with the snowman. Thankfully it wasn't really cold and we got to enjoy the time that we were there. The snowman was pretty awesome. Here are some pictures:

On another note, I bought Hillary's book Scrap Simple and it is amazing. If you like simple yet beautiful pages you are going to love this book. It is definitely worth having in your library. Here is a layout that I scraplifted from Tracey Odachowski - one of the contributors to the book. I'm telling you this book is awesome. I love this layout. I see this picture of my son when he was only 3 months (he's almost 3 years now) and it just brings so many memories. That is why I love to take lots and lots of pictures and this amazing hobby of scrapbooking.

Two more layouts and feeling better!

Hello, I did two layouts for class #9 of Hillary's 1-in-48 class. I'm really loving this class. I'm feeling much better, but now my dear daughter is sick and my son was coughing this morning. When is not one thing is the other. I don't know who feels worst when they are sick if them or me, I really hate to see them sick, it breaks my heart at times....and oh gosh, my daughter is so good, she doesn't even complain; all she does is lay in bed and watch TV. She's not eating well, something that has me in a bit of a worry, since I don't like forcing her to eat, I have her on lots of liquids...at least that's working somehow. Well both layouts are very simple...this is the main characteristic of Hillary's sketches, that's why I love them so much.

The first one titled MINE is about me holding other babies and finally holding my first born: Yarelis Michelle. The journaling reads: I've always liked kids. On three of these photos I'm holding someone's else baby...never imagining that shortly there after I would have one of my own. Holding someone's else baby is wonderful...feels good; but holding your own is an experience that goes beyond words. I will never forget the first time I ever held my first child. I could finally hold MY BABY...MY GIFT...BABY OF MINE.

And the second one is a very simple one also about Yari when she turned one. It's titled You're a Natural Beauty. Thanks for looking everyone.

On another note, I can't wait to March 22, I'm going to California to see my in-laws and I really can't wait. It will be my first time going to California, so I'm really excited. We will visit Disneyland and probably Sea World. Needless to say that I will take tons of photos.

And finally, I'm kind of feeling sad, I talked to one of my long time friends from middle school, that graduated with me and he's being send to Iraq today. I will have him in my prayers and hope for him to come back home safe and sound and sooner rather than later. Thank you all for looking! Nite, nite!

Getting better slowly but surely!

Ok, so I'm feeling somewhat better. I went to the doctor today - she said I have a viral infection and there's not much she can do - lots of liquids, rest, some Motrin for the body ache, and Robitussin...and she made $130 just to tell me that...sad but true. Anyways, I got caught up in both classes - Debbie's and Hillary's - I'm so excited! Yay!

You know, this whole week that I've been sick I couldn't avoid thinking of how for granted we take our health - we don't take care of ourselves as much as we should (at least I don't) and I realized that without health there is not much you can do. Everything around you gets affected: work, housework, kids, etc. I could barely make it out of bed and yet I still had to go to work, run the house (hubby was so good though), and deal with the kids (things that only mommies do)...but I will survive.

Here are some layouts I completed:

The layout above is of how much my daughter enjoys life - she's always dancing and running around making silly faces and making the best of life. This is a lesson she teaches me every day of my life, and I'm grateful for that.

This layout was for one of Hillary's class - very simple - it's about how my daughter loved her swing. Good memories here!

This layout is about my boy. Wow, he's getting so big, he's my handsome boy, my baby, my love, my pride, my joy.

This one brought back memories, good memories that is. I used to work as a manager assistant in Video Avenue in Puerto Rico and these are some of the people that used to work with me and that although I'm not in touch with them anymore I remember them dearly.

And this last one, also brought good memories as well, is about Luqillo Beach in Puerto Rico, one of the most beautiful beaches of the Caribbean. I miss home, I really do. Thanks for looking everyone. See ya soon!

Uff, I'm sick...not good

Hello all! I am sick, and here I am working, working, working, when all I want to do is be in bed. Like two weeks ago I recovered from a mild bronchitis, and now I think is coming back. I feel horrible. My throat, my ears, my nose, my head, everything...my whole body. It sucks, you know. I haven't been able to scrap because of this, I'm behind in both: Debbie's class which btw is over already. Oh gosh, what a great class, can't wait for the next one in March...it's called Scrap Yourself, you can go check it out http://debbiehodge.typepad.com/scrap_yourself/scrap-yourself.html. So, like I was saying, I need to catch up in her class, and also in Hillary's class - I'm not being a good student - I'm falling way behind, but at least I'm planning to get all the LO's done, just can't promise that there would be on time. On Sunday, we went to see Hannah Montana, the movie, my daughter loved it, and my son was dancing and looking all cool with his glasses...it was too funny. There's not much going on right now, just struggling to get past this. March is coming and I can't wait. Beware California, the Cintron-Villegas Family is coming. LOL. Have a great one everybody!

Some layouts

Hello! It's been a few days that I haven't posted, been doing school work and working on Debbie's class. I truly love this class, I have to tell you that the most important lesson that I have learned with this class is to be more aware of the simple things in life, which are the most important; to savor every little moment that I spend with my kids; to srcapbook not only the important events, but our daily lives; and to take more pictures about myself (I'm pretty much aware that my kids would love to see more pictures of me when they grow up). I have to thank Debbie very much, for giving a new meaning to scrapbooking, for making me realize that scrapbooking is more than cute supplies and telling stories about special events in our lives; but also about our everyday lives: our strenghts and our weaknesses, our happy and not to happy moments, our lives, period. Debbie, I can't thank you enough for this. I can't wait for the next class, whichever it is, I'm sure that I will learn more lessons and be more grateful of who I am and the life I live. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Whoever is interested in Debbie's class can go to http://www.nycscraps.com/ that is the website for NYC Scraps owned by Hillary Heidelberg, which brings me to the next class that I'm taking, 1-in-48. This class consists in one LO every 48 hours. Monday was the first class and the LO is amazing, very simple and nice. I have to work on that LO later on. Well, here are some LO's that I have completed for Debbie's class.

Parenting skills

Ok, so parenting is starting to get more and more difficult as my kids grow. My daughter is 5 years old, and I'm starting to catch her in little lies, something that of course I don't like. People tell me that all kids lie, and ok it is understandable but how can I stop my daughter from doing it? Just because all kids do it doesn't mean that it is right? I firmly believe that the sooner you correct a "problem" the less headaches you will have in the future. You know this got me thinking...why would she lie to me? Have I given her reasons? Am I doing something wrong?

This was the scenario: I asked her if she was done eating, and she said yes, so I asked her to bring me her plate. She brings her plate and it was empty, so I said to her Good Girl! I continue cleaning the kitchen and when I go to my room I see all the rice and chicken wrapped in a paper towel....and when I say all of it, it was all of it. Now, someone would think that she did it because she was afraid of getting yelled at or something to that effect if she didn't eat. Well, no, that's not the case since I never force my kids to eat. So, why? What lead her to lie about it? Then of course I got upset not only because she lied to me, but because I hate to throw out food. So, I told her that lying was not a good thing to do and that throwing out the food is not good either because they are a lot of children just like her that don't have anything to eat and they go to heaven because of that reason.

How well did I handle this? I'm not sure, but later on I felt relieved because she came to me and said to me: Mommy, I'm sorry I didn't mean to lie, plus I don't want my nose to grow really big. :-) The fact that she came to me to apologize, confirmed to me that although I may be making lots of mistakes with parenting....I'm also doing good things and giving some example....what a little peace of mind.