dear blogging, how i've missed you!

My fellow blog readers,

I apologize for neglecting you! It has been a stressful and busy past 3 weeks. Back to school madness! And on the weekends, we've been cleaning or just resting. So, not much has gone on. But I am hoping things slow down a bit soon, so that I can plan and think about the exciting months ahead. Within the next 6 months:

-I turn 28! ah!

-My pa's 50th birthday in Miami! BIG FAMILY PARTY!

-Ronnie's best friend's Lino's Bachelor party in Miami in October.

-Ronnie turns 30 in November!!!! The BIG 3-0!

-Our 2 Year Wedding Anniversary! Where does the time go!

-Then, the holidays, of course. We are thinking of doing Miami for Thanksgiving.

-My best friends Jackie's bridal shower in November in Miami.

-Then Jackie and Lino's wedding in Walt Disney World in January!

-And last but not least my best friend's Janelle's bridal shower and wedding in February!

Whoa! Told you there would be excitement within the following months! We are looking forward to everything. There is also A LOT of changes that might be happening in our lives, but I am not ready to reveal what they are. Good changes, but non the less, difficult decisions to be made. We are excited for whatever our future holds. But the "waiting to see" part is very hard.

I will keep you posted on the latest happenings.

Like Mickey Mouse....see ya' real soon!

I'm Checking in...

Heeelloooo!!! I know I've been away for a while. I swear I HATE neglecting the blog. But ladies, I am on my summer vacation....it's the time to do all the fun things I can't really enjoy during Aug.-June! I will be quick because hubby and I are almost out the door to grab a bite to eat. But here are some things that have happened since I last blogged..

1. I spent an amazing week at home in Miami!

2. I am set on the dresses for both of my best friends weddings!!!

3. I am now OFFICIALLY on a MAJOR dietaaaaaa.....walking everyay, drinking more water, and eating MUCH better.

4. We've been hit by the economic virus. But it's not the end of the world yet. We are looking into our options and being POSITIVE. No worrying about us...please!

5. California trip is confirmed! Plane tix purchased, TIx to Disneyland are in my possession (Thanks Jackie!!!) and have decided on the hotel we will be staying at.

I will be back to discuss more on these topics! Love ya!

Golden Girl For Life...

There was a time in my life when DANCE revolved around my life. It seems like so long ago. But, I will never forget the friendships I created being a Miami Sunset Golden Girl.

I remember how much I wanted to be part of the dance team when I attended my high school freshmen orientation. They were so awesome, and I was determined to make it my sophomore year. (You had to be a Sophomore to be able to audition.) I worked so hard that following year during the week long audition. And it paid off. Little did I know that working hard was what I would be doing for next 3 years of high school. I learned so many life lessons being part of this team. I learned how to believe in myself, prove myself, responsibility, determination, but most of all, how to be a friend.

My very best friends continue to be my best friends after all these years because of the bonds we formed during our days as Golden Girls. I treasure them, but I also treasure every friendship I made as a Golden Girl. This time of my life holds a BIG space in my heart. One of my best friends Christi shared some wonderful pictures from our GGs days. I wanted to share them with you all!

So in Loooove....

Our 2009 Valentine's Day was INCREDIBLE!!! Seriously, it was the most fun we have had in a long time. It felt like we were back on our honeymoon. Yes, THAT GREAT! (As it should be, right?) We forgot all about our stress and just really enjoyed the day to the fullest. And it wasn't anything out of the ordinary.

He woke me up this morning just like every Saturday. After he made coffee, he came up stairs and said "Honey, I am going to get your tag today!" (Mind you, he has been putting off to get my new NC car tag since December an he knows how much I've been frustrated about it.) And that TOTALLY made my day already! Then I felt him place something by me and he curled up next to me and said "HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY DORKY!". He had placed a huge box of chocolates and a goofy card that read "Honey, I want to let you know that all of your HARD work has not gone unnoticed. - I've been watching you during commercials on the couch!" I LOVED IT! It was cute and funny....and so US!

Then, I asked him if he'd take me to go see "He's Just Not That Into You". The ultimate chick flick. And he said "SURE!" and did not FUSS about it! YES!!! (BTW, I loved the movie....and Ronnie seemed to enjoy it, too!)

After, he planned our dinner date and took me to a new Thai restaurant. He's been wanting to take me for a while, but I have been hesitant because I've never had it before. But let me tell you....It was quaint and that was great, but my dinner was FANTASTIC! He surprised me, yet again! He was so happy I liked it. So, I think that will be our new date night restaurant.


After dinner we came back home. Ronnie opened a bottle of champagne. I had planned to make us dessert....Chocolate fondue. We put it together and had our dessert with our champagne. YUMMMMMM!!!! He freaked out about the amount of food, but then he went for it and loved it too! When we were through......we went upstairs, of course! And this is where my personal blog shall end!

HOPE YOU'RE VALENTINE'S DAY WAS FILLED WITH LOTS OF LOVE!!!!

Jackie's Disney Wedding!!!

It's official and confirmed! Jackie will be getting married on January 15, 2010!!!! But wait...she's not just getting married and having a wedding....NO! She's getting married and having a DISNEY WEDDING!!! Yes...in WALT DISNEY WORLD! I know.... you can believe I am beyond excited!!!! So, the wedding planning has begun. I am very saddened I can't be "by her side" physically every step of the way. But, she knows how much I support her and I will pay back all of the support she gave me through-out my wedding planning. We will be heading to Orlando next year on Jan.14 and staying for the entire MLK weekend.
She will have her ceremony at the Grand Floridian Wedding Pavilion.
This is the view inside. If you look closely to the center window, you can see the castle.

This is the pavilion from the outside.

And her reception will be in Epcot's American Rotunda in the American Pavilion!


It's still some time away, but I am still really excited for her. This has always been her dream. I am so happy she is blessed for it to come true! :))))))

A Teacher's Remedy

I have to admit, lately, teaching 5th graders has been kicking my butt. They are totally hormonal. They are so mean to one another and no matter how positive I am and/or how much I praise those that are doing a great job, they still seem to wear me out and the DRAMA continues to catch on fire. Well, the good news.....18 more weeks left! If I've made it this far, I know I can make it. I do happen to have the most supportive colleagues I could ask for, which has been my sanity. But seriously, I get so overwhelmed I just want to cry! But I don't do that, of course. I do, however, find solace in 2 things....

a warm bubble bath!

an a cup of hot tea!
Occasionally I opt for a glass of wine...but I leave that for Friday nights!
Ahhh....feel a lot better! Now for a good night's rest.....

Bride Wars

I finally went to see "Bride Wars" after work this afternoon. I've been anxious to see this movie since it came out. So, you could imagine how excited I was allll day! (I am a dork, I know!) And let me just say how absolutely cute this movie is. I totally fell in love with it. It reminded me much of my wedding planning and the emotions an engaged bride can have. I thought the ending was great, as well. But I won't give that away, of course!

And another thing, Kate's character is named Olivia and Ann's is Emma. These have been definite names on my baby list for girls. I adore "Olivia" and "Emma". :)

Finally,I loved the wedding dresses both girls wore. Personally, I adored Kate Hudson's character Olivia chose. So dreamy!!! Which team are you on? Team Kate? Or Team Ann?

Anyways, if you were a bride or hope to be one, this movie is a must see!!!

Happy Inauguration Day!

Happy Inauguration Day!

I feel renewed. And I am filled with hope. May God protect and guide our new leader!

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

I am ready for Spring...in DC!

Ronnie and I have decided to head to Washington, DC this Spring for a 3 day weekend. Not only will DC be re-awakened and renewed by President Obama, the Cherry Blossoms will also be in full bloom just like every year since 1912. I am way too excited! DC is about 5 hours from our house and we plan to take road trip. I think we've convinced our friends Rick and Melissa to go. And I've talk to my mom about going, too. This has been one of my dreams ever since I was little. I've visited DC twice in my life, but never in the Spring. The forecast usually calls for trees to be in full bloom at the end of March and beginning of April. I know it will be absolutely breathtaking. These trees are beyond amazing. Did you know these trees were a gift from Japan. They were given to us to enhance and celebrate the friendship between Japan and the US. Click on this link for more information,

Any suggestions on restaurants and hotels?

I am concerned.....

After a long day of teaching, I get home and I don't want to lift a muscle. What is wrong with me? I try to accomplish things early in the week. Then Wed. and Thurs. comes, and I lose it. I have no motivation. I used to love to work around the house and keep it tidy and organized. I used to LOVE to cook. Now, I loathe to do it. I am so backed up with the laundry, its not even funny. I still have to change and wash the sheets in our guestroom from our friends visit in late December! I do my best to catch up during the weekends, but I can't catch up. Weekends seem too short. What do I need to do to get more energy? This is very concerning. I don't know what else to do! What will happen when we have children? I need to get a grip on myself. HELP!

Planning for the future?

I have never been the type to really plan for the future. I mean, sure, I am a DREAMER. A total DREAMER. But that is it. I tend to take things step by step. It's been the way I've always been and I've been successful at mostly everything I've accomplished in my life. Especially when I got engaged I was never the type a girl who had their wedding mapped and planned out already. I had to start from scratch. It was very overwhelming, but worthwhile and memorable. But decisions were tough to make, especially since I had at least 3 wedding magazines in my presence at all times and my macbook set on The Knot.
So, what does this lead to? Well, I think I am about to change my ways for just this one time. My DREAM is to have a little girl one day. Again, I am DREAMING! Who knows if that will come true, but never the less, I stumbled upon a FABULOUS play room design that I have totally fallin' in love with. It's already set in my favorites and I hope I will one day be able to re-create this. So, I had to share.
A GARDEN THEMED PLAY ROOM. ADORABLE AND OH SO PERFECT!!!



For more inspiration go to,buterflycraze.com

Almost One year ago...I married my best friend!

Almost one year of marriage! WHAT? I can't believe it. Can you?!

It feels like just yesterday when I was planning a storm and having panic attacks. Wait. No. It still feels like I got engaged just yesterday! I guess that is a good thing because I am the happiest I've ever been still. I am truly blessed. I love being married to my best friend.

Sure, we've been together for 10 years. But let me tell you....I sure have learned A LOT about Ronnie and myself over the past year. Here are a few things I've learned about being "newlyweds".....

1. 2x the income is great! Sure, it took us over a year to manage 2 incomes, since I recently found my permanent teaching position. But I've learned to appreciate it. Having only one income sucks. Period.
2. Marriage can be both the easiest and hardest thing to ever go through. I'll hold nothing back - sometimes I can't stand him!! (Especially with Election 08' and only having ONE TV!)
3. My favorite part of the day, though, is when we turn off the TV and get into bed and cuddle with each other until we fall asleep. I really cherish those moments.
4. When it comes to that time of the month, I am the worst! I am needy and whiny. I don't know how he puts up with it!
5. I'm not sure if he always thinks what I say is important, but he tries to make me feel that way. And then there are times when I get into those "dream" moments. And he tries to "Dream" with me. And when I go overboard, he makes me know it!
6. Why don't people have a name for the weight you gain post wedding, like the freshman 15?
7. Just because we are married, it does not mean we are ready to have the baby. OUR TIME WILL COME! Please stop asking! LOL
8. I ABSOLUTELY HATE DOING LAUNDRY FOR 2 PEOPLE! But I think many of you know this already. It's cute and fun in the beginning, but forget it. I can't keep up! I am surprised Ronnie hasn't had to wear MY underwear yet!
9. I'd much rather lay at home on the couch with my hubby than go out any day.
10. When we first bought the house, Ronnie had a lot of opinions about how we should decorate or where we should put things. And let me tell you....it hasn't changed. He has a much better eye for that than I do and has an opinion about EVERYTHING! Who knew?!
11. I can't believe it's been one year already...pretty soon it will be 5 years, 10 years, 25 years! And I can't wait!

it hurt. a lot.

Sometimes I wonder if I were really supposed to be born a blonde. Seriously. I mean, these things only happen to me. I am sure when you read this you will probably end up cracking up. I am used to it already. You will also think "AY ERIKA!" or ask "She did what?!" ... so yes, I did...I totally walked into a pole.

BADLY!

I was walking and talking to a student to the bus when all of a sudden my glasses went flying and I began to cry....I had just ran into a pole. And no, I didn't turn to look (there wasn't time). I just smacked my head right into it. When I called my mom she responded with "Pero que? You drove into a pole?" No. no. no. Believe it or not I walked and bumped right into it myself. When I called my dad he was concerned with "who I was voting for" and "which was my favorite baseball team", to which I responded with "OBAMA" AND "THE RED SOX", and therefore my dad concluded that I was "JUST FINE!" Yeah, yeah, yeah. I sure as hell should write a book called "All the Things that Can Happen to You as a First Year Teacher" and none of the advice would be about actually TEACHING the children.

Ronnie zoomed to the school to pick me up. I went to the closest clinic to get it checked out and x-rayed. Everything is fine. Thankfully. I have my big bottle of Tylenol next to me. And I have to go for a check up next week. I hope I sleep OK. So far, so good though.

There is the bump. On the top right side of my forehead. It's gone down a lot. But it's not pretty and it doesn't feel like it, either.

My Birthday....coming soon!

OMG. My birthday is coming soon! I can't believe it....27! 27?! WHAT?! WHEN DID I TURN 25?! NOW 27?! Ay!!!
Anyways, I usually don't really WANT many things for my birthday. But this year, I actually have some things in mind. LOL Here is my wishlist: hint hint

Buy it here, X-Large I heart this new SBTB tee. I have no shame. I will wear it!

I am in desperate need of a new camera. I want this one: Canon PowerShot SD1100IS 8MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Blue)

In the Heights Cast Album (Preferably gifted through iTunes)

Also, gift cards to Macys, Pier One, Target are also appreciated! ha! :o)

Wedding Anniversary coming soon..

I've begun researching where Ronnie and I can celebrate our one year wedding anniversary. But we have some set backs. For 1. It has to be affordable. and 2. It has to be close by because we don't have any vacation days to spare. I have some ideas. But I think we might decide on visiting Asheville, NC and tour the Biltmore House/Estate. I hear it's gorgeous and it seems romantic. I think it would make a nice weekend trip where we can see beautiful NC in the fall and have a nice romantic dinner.

But I have to take to reflect. It was this week last year where I was getting ready to mail out my invites. And it was this month that I had my bridal shower in Miami. sigh. I can't believe it's been a year already! It did go by fast just like everyone said it would.

Here are some of my favorite pics of the most amazing bridal shower my mom and my bridesmaids could have ever thrown for me! I will never forget the memories from the day!

Going Green

Go and buy this! I have been trying to buy non-toxic kind of cleaners. I think it's important to use earth friendly and healthy products in our home. And I am in love with the Method product brand. You can find it almost anywhere. But Target seems to have the best prices. I've been using the hand liquid soap and they smell delicious. Then I needed new wood polishing spray. And I decided to go with Method's and it's oh so yummy! For me, the smell of cleaning products is very important. And this one is a great Almond flavor. It's so gentle and sweet! So, not only is it non-toxic and made as a biodegradable formula, plus in 100% recycled plastic, it smells delicious! My wood furniture wasn't even left with streaks or any residue. It looks great! Go out and try it. You won't regret it. :o)

Go and explore their collection of cleaning products, plus kids shampoo, conditioner and body wash!
www.methodhome.com

I am Cuban-American

I never realized how "cuban" I really am. Sure, I do acknowledge it. But since moving away, I've come to realize it even more. Miami is a whole other world. And you may think, well, so is where I am now. That's true. But they are so completely opposite, yet both worlds fit "me" so well. In Miami, what was normal to me, is not normal here. Like, I've noticed how much cafe con leche I drink. I can't get on with the day without it. I never paid much attention to my habit because EVERYONE drinks cafe con leche in miami. And what happens when I am running the streets and I want cafe con leche in Miami? I can stop by Vicky bakery and get one for $1.25. I can't here...not even for $5.25 at Starbucks! Can you imagine?! Aqui, no existe esto. That is why I had to stock up on Cafe Bustelo last time I was home. And now I have so much, it can last me till 2010. And while in my classroom, when the kids drive me up the wall, what are the first words that WANT to come out of my mouth? You guessed it! "Ay, Dios mio!!!" If I say that here I am sure the kids will look at me funny! So, I watch myself. LOL And it's ok. How many times have I caught myself "almost" talking Spanglish? I never noticed how much "spanglish" I really speak. Also, I've realized how important it's always been for me to have a manicure. Almost all Cuban women take their appearance seriously. Since I was 17 years old, I've gotten my nails done on a weekly basis. Aqui no. Women don't particularly care too much about their well manicured feet and nails. I pay twice as much for a mani and pedi. But I don't care because even if I am wearing a sweatshirt and jeans, I believe I still look good because I have a manicure. The tiniest and smallest details of who I am stand out like a white sheep in a green field. I've realized how much I have taken my culture for granted. I watch "I love Lucy" differently now. I am proud of what Desi Arnaz was able to accomplish during those times. I turn on Univision because I WANT to just listen to it. Listening to those telecasts reminds me of who I really am. It reminds me of home. I watched Gloria and Emilio on The View today and I felt like I was watching my family on TV. Does that sound weird? I will be in Miami next Friday. And I will be going to Vicky bakery to get my cafe con leche, tostada, and 2 croquetas. I can just taste it already! Ay, Dios Mio!!!!

I guess you can take the Cuban-American girl out of Miami, but you can't take the Cuban out of the American girl.

haircut

I missed my Saturday appointment because of SkyBus. Luckily, I managed to squeeeeeeze another appointment while in Miami. Phew. I would have cut it a littttle shorter, but I wanted to make Ronnie happy. I love it either way. Here it is!
*I wish you could notice my highlights more.*


My hair has come a long way. Here is one of the first Photo Booths pics I took when I got my Macbook in 2006.