Today is my sister's birthday. Hi, Alina! Happy Birthday! She shares this day with our cousin Ricardo, who still lives in Havana. Sometimes their birthdays coincided with Mother's Day and the frenzy of celebration was mind-boggling. In this picture, Alina and Ricardo get center stage, although being older, he was quick to understand and act ...
Lifestyle
Posts about everything going on in my life. Enjoy!
Worth a thousand words…
I don't have a picture to post today which kind of weirds me out. And I don't have wireless access, so I'm sitting in a public lobby typing away. And they have me on a 15 minute timer - can you believe it?? This is so not my life! Ah, but it is today and for the next couple of days. Let me paint a picture. The temperature is a balmy 80-ish. ...
Salvador y Coca-Cola
This was how we celebrated birthdays back in Cuba. These are my sisters and me at different ages. (If you're really curious, just count the candles on the cakes) There was always a big, beautiful, almost-too-perfect cake from a fabulous bakery.We always got a fancy new dress (think linen, satin, ruffles). By the time I turned four (in the last ...
Why I go to the dentist – an essay.
My mom spent the weekend with us. And that means that I've been speaking in Spanish for 48 hours. Which means that I was also thinking in Spanish. Which means it was pretty taxing on my poor bilingual brain. =( I am delusional enough to think that I express myself pretty well in both languages. ;-) But sometimes I just can't find "the ...
Grounded?
Yes, we homeschool.And yes, of course, we leave the house. I know that sounded a little snotty. Sorry. But there are people who still think that homeschooling means we are terminally grounded and my kids never interact with other people - ever. So I guess I was a little defensive there. I'm over it now. Our days are pretty predictable for the most ...
Trendsetting
I found this catalog in my mailbox today. And look. They totally knocked off my brightly painted adirondack chairs! I'm not sure how I feel about this. So, at first, I thought, "How did they know?" But, then I thought, "How cool am I ?" They say imitation is the highest form of flattery. But, obviously, the good folks at ...
A cautionary tale
I have stacks and stacks of pictures. From every era in my family's history. And obviously I take a ton of photos daily, too. This is an original family photo, circa 1940.Hard to believe, isn't it?I mean, considering we had to leave all of our worldly possessions behind in Cuba, especially family photos. But this little guy made the cut. I ...
Time.
Breakfast on the patio today.I have found that my kids do better, think better and are more creative when they are allowed to wake up gradually. I like that. They have a leisurely breakfast, usually with a good book in their hands. We won't start formal schooling until around 10 am. And even then, we're pretty relaxed. But I have also found ...
Making a Memory
My kids were all born here in Southern California. My husband is also a native Californian. So the only kind of churros they've ever known have come from a cart at Disneyland. But those are Mexican-style. They are hard and crunchy with lots of brown sugar. They are tasty enough, but I am used to light and fluffy Cuban-style churros. Oh, ...
Stop. Look. and LISTEN.
I could not let this pass without sharing. I believe it is worth your time and energy.I NEVER want to miss something like this.Get yourself a cup of coffee and take your time to read:Pearls Before Breakfast. (H/T Ali) ...
