Finally!! Pictures of our house!!!!

I keep meaning to post this but, keep forgetting to! So here is my new (well not so new now!) house:

My Kitchen:

I so need a dishwasher!!

The rec room:

I need to buy a sofa and chairs, right now, this is all except for a minifridge and microwave

My bedroom:

My husband is no good at bed making! Note: the pillows! ;)

Our bathroom:

I need a real vanity, not just a sink!!

My daughter's room:

Messy as usual!!

My son's room:

Not as messy but, still.

The hall bathroom:

Very small and needs a vanity, too.

The front of my house with the tiny carport that, we normally use as a porch, and our nice little balcony up top.:

Miguel and Chata had to be in the picture!!! I wish this car was mine but, no it is a loaner from my boss until my truck is legal again.

My little back patio with my lemon tree:

Chata again!

As you see, I now have a real house!! I love my little house even though, I complain about the smallness! It is private and nobody tells me what to do and how to do it!

So, while I am on pictures, I will post soem of the dogs, they are getting big and Kaila, the chihuahua, has turned into a little escape artist!!1


They love to get their pictures taken! Kaila is 4 1/2 years and Chata is only 7 months old but, she is about 3 times the size of Kaila! They lay at the door because, they know, we don't allow them in the house. So smart!!

Well, there you have pur little house and our growing dogs. I will post some pics of the family this weekend! By the way, I am feeling much better, I had food poisoning, I will NEVER drink water from the faucet here again!!  I don't care how clean and potable they say it is!! I am proof it is not that healthy!

Have a great day!!!!!

Yuckkkk!! I am sick.......

Well, I guess, my body decided it was going to get the break it needed. I woke up in the middle of the n ight with major stomach pains and later this morning, I felt even worse, my stomach is killing me and I haver fever for a while then I am burning up! So, needless to say, I am in bed today but, am still half working, on homeschool stuff that is.

In the US, when I was sick with anything, I always drunk Dole Pineapple Orange Banana juice, God would I kill for a carton of that now!!! Oh well, not in Mexico all I can find is fake juice and sometimes Lala Naturales but, only in plain orange.

Hopefully, I will be better tomorrow. I don't need to cancel my classes 2 days in a row.

Enjoy your evening everyone.

Truth Tuesday

I refuse to let the stress win!

Very stressful and upsetting day

Well, things have been going great and I have been very optimistic until now.

I have been super busy as everyone can see and haven't had time to really think and I think that is what happened today.

Miguel is starting a painting and remodeling business so, we were trying to register it on the SAT website but, even though, I thought I speak Spanish, I found out, I have a lot to learn and Miguel has never used business Spanish. He went to the US when he was 17. So, we didn't understand half of it and that caused it to take forever. Would you believe that, you HAVE to have a partner or other employee besides yourself. The website requires a socio, we tried to put me but, I don't have my Fm2 or 3 so, no go. After we filled in everything except the socio, we were able to send it in for approval and guess what? We got denied, we need a moral partner and their approval, what ever that is. I will have to investigate this a little.

Throughout this ordeal, I was assigning weekly spelling words to the kids and giving them math work. By the time I finished, it was almost 12 and I had to be at work at 1 so, I gave the kids a review assignment for English and a writing assignment. Then, I got dressed and left.

I was thinking the whole time that, I just don't have enough time in my day. I have to work, have this HUGE responsibility of my kids education in my hands, have to cook lunch and dinner, and plus plan my classes for work. This caused an eruption, I sort of went off on Miguel and then told everybody, I loved them and left.

All the way to work, I was crying and almost called in to cancel my classes but, remembered, hey! This is your responsibility so, I kept going. Some how, i got thru the day but, I don't remember hwta we did in the classes just, that I gave conversation classes today. More like, they talked and I half listened. I know, not a good teaching style especially for English classes but, for today, I don't really care. Today was my "I want to go back to the States" day but, not really. I do miss all the benefits of having family around to help with anything and here, I don't have that.

I have come to a conclusion, I have way too much on me. Miguel is a life saver but, he can only do so much. He is no cook so, that will continue to be on me and the kids education will be, as will my classes so, I just need to figure out how to balance this.

I think, right now, what I need is "Me Time" I have always had it and in the past 7 months, I have only had me time a few times. In the States, I had "Me Time" every week so, yea, I need it. Nobody understands this concept here. they all think that if you had the kids, it is your responsibility to be with them 24/7. So not true.

I just don't understand how things can be going so great and just all of a sudden, just like that, change! I don't know, maybe, I am Bipolar or something but, I feel hopeless right now when yesterday, I felt great. I don't know what is going to happen right now but, I do know, I will get through this, one way or another!!

Sunday de Familia

Things have been pretty boring here lately (this can be a good thing.) so, I don't have much to blog about, sorry.

Yesterday, we had an American cookout: American Hamburgers and Hotdogs! yayyy!!! My husbands cousin and his family came over and finally brought back my grill and cooler that we loaned them about 2 months ago and that was only because we asked them to bring it so, that we could cookout while they were here! I have learnt, do not loan anything out here unless you want to have to beg for it back. Well, I made my special hamburgers with, worcestershire sauce, seasoning salt, pepper, and minced onion mixed in the meat. We had all the toppings except for pickles, :( my favorite. Other than that, the food was awesome. The night ended early, around 8:30, everybody was tired and Miguel's cousin had to work today.

Today, we had planned a lazy day at home but, my sister in law called to tellus to go eat breakfast, they had made menudo. Now, I can't stand menudo, there is just something about knowing it is the stomach and intestines that just makes me nauseated. Miguel on the other hand absolutely loves menudo (I tell him that is the Mexican in him LOL) so, we get up, and urggg! get dressed, and after about an hour and a half of telling the kids hurry up and get in the shower, hurry up and brush your hair, check that the dogs have water, and about a hundred times saying get in the car, off we go! I hate going there because, the Transitos like to harass and constantly want "mordidas" or bribes. My favorite one is, your fine will be in the passengers name because, the title is in her name, the fine will be around 6500 pesos, and I will have to take possession of the car title and owners license until you pay the fine. The fine will be around 6500 pesos, are you sure you can pay this? Here, I say (I am the owner and a very angry owner at that) what you can keep my title and license? My license are property of the US. They say yes I can but, we can get around this. How much money do you have? At that, hubby will say, we only have about 10 pesos and the transitos says well, I'll tell you what, go get some money and then come back. We can get around this with about 300 pesos. We say ok but, we make sure, we don't go through there for a few weeks. These guys are "perros"as the call them and now I see why! I have learned to hate them as much as any other Mexican!

Ok, back to my story. We get there and as usual, sis in law has her little attitude but, oh well, that is her problem. I am so over it! We have a good 3 hours there. Miguel eats 2 huge bowls of menudo and I ate a couple of steak tacos. The kids had gotten up and fixed the leftover hotdogs for breakfast so, they weren't hungry. While there, we pre-planned a Halloween party for the neighborhood. We have made the decision not to go trick or treating, it is just too dangerous here right now for that. I will post more on the party later. We also, decided to give my sister in law a surprise 18th birthday party in November. We will plan it better when, she is not around and all of the other girls are around. We went to La Michoacana afterwards, for those of you in the US who have been to a Michoacana there, my favorite one is in Gainesville, GA, the ones here are almost exactly the same only less variety of toppings. Now, we are at home and I am thinking bout what to make for dinner as I am writing. Multitasking!!

Well, here is another peak into my boring life that I am loving so much, right now. For all I care, it can stay boring but, just with more money!! Which reminds me, I am plannig on starting English classes at my house for groups.

One more thing, I have started another blog about homeschooling my kids, it is called Homeschooling in Mexico. Take a look and see what we have planned for this year.

Thank you, Valerie from This is Life for giving me the idea of homeschooling again this year.

That's it, have a great Sunday!!

Welcome to "My Crazy Life"

Well, my last post was about my calm weekend. Well, unfortunately, my life is no where near calm, normally.

On a normal day, I teach 5-6 classes at different locations, homeschool my children, and cook lunch and dinner. I get up at 5:30 AM and finally get to take a break at 9:00 PM. Usually at 9:00 PM I am planning classes or sending emails from bed! I have yet to figure out how to put in some "Me Time"but, hopefully, I will soon. Like, before the nervous break down.

I am home schooling the kids now, I decided that, since we still have a tourist permit and no real legal residence in Mexico, I would just register the kids in the homeschool program in the US and send in the forms through my mom. So, I have a 4th grader and 2nd grader. the 2nd grader is so-so easy but, the 4th grader is difficult. I don't have access to traditional Home school books here like I used to buy at the book stores in the US so, I used the internet to get curriculums and from there I find lessons and readings online.

   Jeni, is in 4th grade and she drives me crazy. She doesn't have the desire to study this year so, she is whining and complaining constantly! Plus, to add to that, this year she is learning long multiplication and long division and she forghot her multiplication tables! Atleast, she loves to read and write so, that part is easy. her reading level is a 8th grade level as of February of this year.

   Luis is in 2nd grade and he is learning regrouping and place values right now, he started last week and has already learnt it. But, not to brag but, he is my little Genius! He had an IQ test done last year and it was 142, only 2 points away from Genius level!!! I am so proud!!! He also, loves to read and write. His reading level is a 9th grade level as of February of this year.

    So, now I am trying to balance all of my responsibilties and hopefully include some freetime! Have a great day people!

Relaxing 3 day weekend...

Happy Independence Day to all!

Well, thanks to Miguel Hidalgo, I got a very needed 3 day weekend. Well, almost. Haha. there is always a catch, right?!

On Thursday, I got off early at 3:00PM. We had planned on going to the festivities, it would have been my kids and my  first time seeing the "grito" and Miguel's first time in 6 years but, about a mile from our house they killed 3 Transitos. So, needless to say we stayed at home. We did go to the 7 Eleven and get ice cream for the kids, Modelo for micheladas for Miguel and coffee for me (my addiction). From my son's bedroom window, we could see the fireworks in San Nicolas. Here in Monterrey, they did the fireworks early due to all of the issues here. So, we saw the fireworks and then ate dinner. After that, we played and All Mexican game of Dominoes for a while. This was a first for the kids, they had never played. Well, Jeni had beginners luck, she won almost all games!! we went to bed early but, watched the "grito"on TV, I loved Felipe Calderon's enthusiasm!!

On Friday, we did chores all day. I figured I would get the weekend chores out of the way and have Saturday and Sunday free. My inlaws came over that afternoon for a while but, not even long enough to stay for dinner. Oh well. That night, we went to bed early because, I recieved a phone call that I had a class at 9 the next morning.

Saturday, I woke up to my phone it was a text from one of my students. No class today!! Yayyyyy!!! Well, here is where the catch comes in. I had a class with 3 kids in the afternoon so, at 12Noon, off we go. I say "we" because, my son is my assistant teacher. I have an 8 year old, 12 year old, and 13 years old. I give them a 2 hour class and the 8 year old can't handle that. So, my son goes with me to play and conversate the last hour with him in English. So far, it is working out great and was the parents idea. Well, Saturday evening was a late night, the kids have turned into "parranderos" since we moved here. They now have friends around the block and the neighborhood is very safe so, on Saturday nights, all the kids are running around from house to house. Fortuantely and unfortunately, my house seems to be the most popular one, we brought the kids Wii and X-box when we came to Mexico so, my house is the "Arcade". I say fortunately because my kids are at home and I know they are safe, unfortunately because, all the noise and plus, I 'have' to furnish snacks and sodas for the kids. They are around 20 kids in and out of my house!

Sunday, we watched Cantinflas on TV. So, we relaxed and had my second Mom over for dinner of All American fried chickem!!! MMMMMmmmmm!!!

Have a great week everyone and maybe I will have something more interesting next time!!!!!

Truth Tuesday

Everything is finally coming together.

I got my permit and you will never believe how! Well, you just might believe it...

Well, I was all set to go to Laredo to spend at least 2000 pesos to get my permit with travel costs. A friend told me last night that, I should try the airport first. It is an international airport so, I went to the airport this morning. The official said that I could either do as I planned or... I could pay a fine of 1196 pesos, including the permit fee and get my permit right then. I talked with my husband and we decided that it would be the best way.

First of all, we would spend less. Second of all, we wouldn't be taking the risk of driving all the way to the border unnecessarily.

I turned in my permit, signed a couple of papers, filled out the new permit, payed the 1196 pesos, and I was done!! So easy, I only drove about 20 minutes and it took 15 minutes, PAINLESS!!

My truck is officially illegal here but, hey, it will get legalized soon. I don't have the money to legalize it right now so, for now, it will be parked at my house. I was really worried about that but, I have been assured that, it is not the first nor the last truck to stay past it's permit so, everything will be ok.

I will be renting a car for a few weeks so, I can get back and forth to my classes.

So, all is well in paradise again!! Thank you all for your support and advice! have a great evening.

HUGE PROBLEM!!!

Ok so I have this HUGE problema!!! We arrived here on March 13, 2011, 178 days ago so, guess what is about to expire?! My, my children's, and my truck's permit, they expire on September 8. I admit, I am in this predicament by my own fault but, I was under the understanding that my boss had the Fm3 in process but, I find out that it isn't in process, yet. I should have just went to get it with my husband but, my boss said it was easier with him. Well, now, I have to renew my turist permit but, can't find how to do it. I have read that you have to leave the country for 6 months to get another one. But, I have read that it is only for a few days if the INM officer refuses to give you a renewal. I don't know, has anyone been in this predicament? Or has anyone atleast renewed a tourist permit and the permit for their vehicle?

I will be going to Nuevo Laredo tomorrow and would love to have a little more information before I leave. My husband is planning on going with me but, we need to know if I will have to leave the country or not. He won't be able to go if I need to leave.

If I can't get the tourist renewal, does anyone know of a loop hole or another type permit/ visa I can get?

Any help will be greatly apreciated!!!