My mom (back in the day) used to babysit her grandchildren. As long as I can remember, there were always assorted nieces and nephews underfoot. But these three.... Michael, John-Paul and Nicole. The three of them gave her a total run for her money. And Michael, as I recall, had the advantage of being 2 weeks older than Nikki and so he ...
My Big, Fat, Cuban Family
Family is everything to me. I love them more than words can describe.
Real jewelry AND expensive perfume? You must be Cuban! ;-)
Imagine a beautiful young lady emerging from a giant clam shell a la Botticelli's The Birth of Venus - tastefully dressed, of course, but maybe she could actually get the full-body hair extensions... (never mind.) Ormaybe the young lovely could be lowered hydraulically on a flower-covered swing, dropping rose petals from a wicker basket as ...
Coming of age – the Cuban way
Okay. So you know that when it comes to my kids, I'm going to gush.Yes. There's going to be gushing. Just accept it. ("But why is she gushing today?")Well, because it's Lucy's birthday. Her 15th.Say it in Spanish now....quince...as in quinceañera. Her now-she-is-a-genuine-Cuban-woman age.Her ...
08.08.08
Sixteen years ago today, I said that I would.... take him to be my lawfully wedded husband, tohave and to hold, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from that day forwarduntil death did us part. Of course, those vows were easy to say, not knowing what was life had in store for us... But ...
Some Perks that come with being the First-born
Kikita here. You know, "La Hija de Marta La Cocinera de Babalú." (but only in the blog world)Otherwise, it's just Kikita. In case you didn't know, I live with my abuela (yes, Luza). In her house, above the mantel, there is this AWESOME picture of her (and my abuelo, Papi) with all of my tias and my tio. There are two factors to ...
“That’s MY mom!”
One of the most wonderful things about the ages of my kids is that they have always been in such different places in their lives that there's never been a dull moment. Amy was in Junior High when Jonathan was born, so I've had a teenager in the house for at least the last thirteen years except for thirty-three days in 2006 when Adam had turned ...
Eight is great. (yes, I can rhyme!)
She was born in 2000 on this date.I remember being in an emotional state.(I don't know if you can relate.) She's my Grand-niece, which makes me, not just her Aunt, but her Great. Being half-Cuban is her happy fate.(I'm a little alarmed by her growth-rate.) Her name is Daisy - let's just get that straight. She's not two, ...
“She’s THAT Marta??”
I never feel like I get enough time in Miami to see all the things I want to and visit with all the people I want to. (sigh) But my mom (yes, Luza, the 94 year old), has been there all summer. Which means she has connected with lots of people from her life. When she arrives in Miami the first thing she does is pull out her address book, sit ...
Looks and Brains
I don't get to see all of my big, fat, Cuban family as often as I'd like.Don't get me wrong. My sisters and I and their families who live nearby are in each other's lives and business a good chunk of the time (obviously, if you've been reading my blog for a while you know this, but that's not important right now). But of course, being Cuban, ...
How lucky can you get?
It's taken me a full week to sort through the hundreds of pictures and the range of emotions that my nephew's wedding evoked. I know. Everyone who's older than 20 does one of those "I remember when....." things. I think that's what's so lovely about weddings. So many of those present are thinking the I-remember-when thoughts about the bride or ...
