On girls

I got to the café just as my parents were sitting down to eat. Here in Mexico, we have different meal hours. Like, breakfast is of course, early in the morning. Then we don't lunch at noon or so, rather we have the heaviest meal of the day around 2 pm. We call it, simply, Eating, comida. And then we have dinner, only it is usually something very light, around 8:00 pm, and we call it just Supper, or Cena. Ok, stop yawning now.

Well, we sat together and started talking. We mainly talked about my daughters. How cute they are. How nuts they are. How none of them took after me. But then again, I was a freak.

What would you call a baby not 11 months old that spoke like a grown up. Damien? LOL! that was me. I could not walk, I was not even 3 feet tall and I talked. Not baby talk either. My parents tell me that one day, I just started talking like a grownup. No ba-bah. No Ma-mah. No cute little baby-isms. How boring was I? how uncute! how unbabyish! LOL!

I have come to the conclusion that it was in self defense. I was the only baby in a house almost full of grownups. My brothers were five and six years old when I was born, so they already dominated the formal speech (ha!). Two uncles and an aunt lived in my house, all grown up, plus mom and dad and a girl that helped my mom (with such a housefull, you must imagine the ammount of work!). The cousins I had nearer my age were not yet living in this COUNTRY, so I guess I figured I HAD to catch up with everybody, and one day decided to begin talking, just like that.

And freaking people out! Dad likes to tell this one story, a bit after I started talking he was holding me (remember I did not walk yet) and looking at magazines while my mom was shopping, and a woman came to the magazine kiosk. While my dad was absorbed with his mag, I turned around and started speaking to the lady... who did not respond, but looked at me with a look of real fright. Dad turned to me because he thought I was speaking to him and then he saw the woman, who looked at him and asked him how old I was. "Eleven months" he answered, and then she just said "ay que perica!" (yup, she was comparing me with a parakeet, but I think my dad softens it up for my benefit), turned and left, magazines and all forgotten.

And I haven't stopped talking since.

Oh and if you wonder, my littlest is 16 months old and STILL won't even say Mommy or Daddy. She'll call us "mah" and "pah" and say "no" and "cheche" (leche, milk) but that's about it. And my eldest was almost as bad as the little one!!!!!

What do I do to relax?

Well... This, of course!



Meet granny squares number 31, 32 and 33
This is supposed to be a delicious raspberry colored yarn... but you know my light issues, don'tcha?
And I love the fact that this blue is called "baby Boy Blue"... :D cute!


You see I'm not slacking? :D

Busy much??

I have been absent. Picture me with a dejected look, head hung, quite forlorn...

Wait, is that... a smile I have on there, half concealed by the black locks?

Yup. Sorry. I promise I HAVE been working hard (what with two jobs, plus my girls, plus my addiction to knitting and sewing and all). Really!

But I've also found my new knitting reading place... check out the side bar... yup, up front, under the(quite needing for an update) photo of my two gorgeous, funny babies...

There's a woman with four beautifull kids. If you have something to do with your time that is remotely important, say cooking, taking care of the kids, living, please, refrain from stopping by that site

It is a black hole. It'll suck you up and hold fast to you.

It will crack you up.

I chanced on it on some other blog post, I cannot remember which, but commited the error of reading her "Black heels to tractor wheels" Don't, just don't. Or do. But be warned.

It is SO engaging!forget Twilight! this real life romance is pure gold, and if she chose to mold it, expand on it, she would have a best seller on her hands. Because the woman can write!!!!

She's held my attention while I've crocheted over 30 granny squares (I blame you, Ree, for all the dropped stitches! for all the misplaced double crochets! for the fourty times I've had to re-do that particular square that will be from now on, and perpetually, frazzeled!) and has had me laughing out loud, with the antics of her children, of her Marlboro Man, of all her story. Go check her out. And later if you still remember me, come back and tell me how did you like it.

Just for fun, and then some stuff NOT fun at all

I saw this game in Alessandra's and then in Libby's blog, and I thought I would give it a try!

Rules: Use the first letter of your name to answer each question. They have to be real places, names etc. Try to use different answers if you have the same initial as someone who has already done this. You cannot use you own name for the boy/girl question.

1. What is your name? Talina
2. A four letter word? Time
3. A boy's name? Thomas
4. A girl's name? Tammie
5. An occupation? Trovador! hehehehehehe!
6. A colour? Teal
7. Something you wear? Topcoat
8. A beverage? Tea!
9. A food? Tamales!
10. Something found in the bathroom? Towel
11. A place? Timbuktu

Play along if you want!

On other news, I finished yet ANOTHER hat (I should really stop, i'm gonna wear out the only circular needles in that size, and it was HARD to get them! lol!) for my hubbie and it looks great. I have yet to convince him to pose for a photo ("no, YOU wear it and I will snap the pic" "but it is YOUR hat" "yes, but YOU knit it" and so on and so forth), even with the new job and all . Please do NOT bear in mind that last sunday all I had to do was the decrease rounds. TEN rounds in one week. PSHEEESH!




Dad and I had a confrontation of sorts, that could have escalated into something nasty if my Dad were not as goodhearted as he is. I felt SO ashamed afterwards. I had been building up pressure ALL WEEK and friday I finally snapped. You see, my eldest brother and I are like oil and water, and it takes all of my willpower NOT to lash out at him when he starts provoking me. And he loooooves to do that. A lot of the time I think it is because I am the only girl, and he was about 7 years old when I was born, so he resents the attention I got from everybody ( or so they tell me). And then, he was a brilliant student that decided not to pursue a degree in medicine (which he now regrets, as he told me in one of the FEW candid moments we shared) because it would mean being appart from his girlfriend (now wife) and he didn't want me to go to college in a city about 100 miles from home, because he did not want me to study when he didn't (he's told me on ocasion in about as much words). AND I have a short short temper and he is quite ingenious at pushing my buttons.

Why am I sharing all this dirt? (don't worry, I aknowledge that I have as much guilt in us not being closer as he does) Well, Dad was telling me about some data processing he wanted me to do and while explaining he said it might be too much for me, that I wouldn't understand what it was about, and that I would mess it up. And my brother let out a giggle. That did it. I knew my Dad was just thinking outloud, not meaning to underestimate me but was rather preocupied, but when BB started laughing at me, tears of humilliation/rage started rolling down my face. Dad saw it and asked me what was wrong, but I did not answer. I did not speak AT ALL during the remainder of my BB's visit to the office.

When he had left, Dad asked me again what was wrong, and this time I told him. I told him that he had been telling me all week that I was not up to the job, that he had no time to explain and that I would not understand and I had said nothing, because i knew he was stressed. But that doing it with BB there was too much.

And then, I felt like the lowest of the lowest worms... Dad just said"I'm sorry I made you feel that way. I promise I'll be more careful"

DAMN!

I should have been more humble. I knew that it was not my Dad's attitude that made me snap, but BB's making fun of me. I knew that Dad was only saying those things because, well, we feel more comfortable with the ones we trust, otherwise he would not have asked me to work with him. And then I'd done exactly the very thing I had been complaining about

I lashed out at him. When I really wanted to punch BB's lights out (not really practical, if you bear in mind he is a full foot taller and at least 80 pounds heavier than me).

Wanna know what was worse? Next morning, Dad was as cordial and jolly as if NOTHING had happened.

I wanna kick myself. Anyone wanna help me do that?

Do you suppose I am crazy?

Remember I told you I had a ton of stuff to take care of and that was the reason why I would not blog?

Guess what?

They got done. Halfway.

I finished some items for my Etsy shop, and all I have to do now is photograph them so I can upload them. THAT is the part that hasn't been done. Wanna know why?

I have a new job. A Full Time Job.

And no, I did not quit my other full time job. Yes, you read it right. I have not one, but TWO full time jobs.

How do I manage? The new job is helping my dad with the office. And he moved his office next door to the café, and the new office and the cafe's kitchen are comunicated by a narrow door. So I spend my days running from my desk in the office to my apron in the kitchen or at the bar.

Call me crazy and hit me with a stick!

And it is stressful!!!!!!!!! not because of the bunch of work, that I can manage. But rather, my instructor, ahem-dad! He is the jolliest of men, until he sits at his desk. Then he is a bundle of stress and on whom do we take out our stress?


yes, you are correct! our loved ones! in this case, yours truly! I try my best to keep my trap shut (I am quite beligerent by nature) because he certainly doesn't need more stress, and I have to force myself to remain -externally- calm. Never mind if inside I'm a pint sized volcano.

Sigh... sorry about the rant. I HAD to vent, or I would explode and go everywhichway at once. I cannot do it with my mother because she has enough stress already, and she would be mortified, but I DID ask her permision to hang a punching bag in the storage room. It is an absolute necesity, I need to take up boxing again if I am to relax. Picture myself yelling at the top of my lungs, sending children and small creatures running for cover.

What do YOU do to relieve stress, folks?

Impatience and a need for show and tell

Just so you know I'm not slacking... here's a sneak peek at SOME of what I'm up to...



Plus, a whole bunch of knitting and some sewing!!!! Oh la dee daah! I'm so happy I'm almost chirping!

He's here!

Little Lucas, Welcome to the world!!!! And congratulations, Alessandra!!!! Lucas was born on Saturday, March 7th... the same day that 29 years ago, my brohter Alex was born!

YAAAAAY!!!! congratulations!!!!!

Creativity in all fields

I recently finished reading "The Element" by Sir Ken Robinson. WOAH. What a think-fodder! If you have not read it, I reccomend it. Talk about an eye opener!

oh, and check this girl's cool stuff!

Attention all testers!

heheh! hey there friends! I want to enlist your help in testing a pattern for a very simple beanie that I want to sell on Etsy (really cheap! tell your friends! lol!). It can be done easily in an afternoon, and it is oriented primarily to new crocheters or as a quick, one afternoon gift. So if you are interested, email me at citlali(dot) talina (at) gmail (dot) com.

Thank you so very much!!!!!!

A brief pause

I won't blog in a few days. I find I must do this in order to get some things done that (hopefully) will pleasantly surprise my friends. It may not take long. It may be a couple of days. It (GASP!) may take a week or so. But I promise, It is super important! well, at least for yours truly. See you in a few days!Pinkie promise.