Kə myo͞onəˈkāSHən

Com·mu·ni·ca·tion (kəˌmyo͞onəˈkāSHən)

There are many definitions of this word; the imparting or exchanging of information or news.  A letter or message containing information or news.  Social contact.

My choice definition is: The successful conveying or sharing of ideas and feelings.

I know that this is going to come across as hokey.  I know that this is going to come across as clichéd.  What I don't want this to come across as preachy, snobby or "I know better than you" because that's not the intention.

The intention is to let you know how important I found this word, communication, to be in my life.  As hokey as it sounds, communication helps bring my husband and I closer.

I get upset with my spouse at times, but keep the anger in, not wanting to rock the boat.  He does not say anything negative, not wanting to rock the boat.  Eventually, though, my blood gets to boiling over a perceived slight that he did not even realize he'd made. We fight and realize we're both thinking the other is thinking something else/wrong.  Why?  Because we don't communicate like we should.

Recently, (after a fight the previous day over a perceived slight, that  ended in me crying that I hated his night work schedule and I missed him)  we were in the kitchen alone together, and he hugs me and says "I know this is going to sound weird, but thank you for the fight.  Thank you for letting me know you feel the same way I do about us."

How'd he not know that I miss him?  Had I not communicated this in my actions and my words?  No, I had not.  I got lazy.  Shame on me.  Shame on him too.  We both got lazy.  Were we a bit proud too? Probably.

Together 14 years, married 11.  You'd think we'd have it down, right?  Nope.  It's a never-ending lesson, communication.  It's about knowing that your spouse/mate is not a mind reader and  you are not to be expected to be one either.  It's about not keeping it in, tamping down the emotions until they burst out in anger or tears.  It's about being able to talk to your "other" with love and affection, not accusations and contempt.  It's about sacrifice and putting "we" before "me."  That's hard to do.  We're  not wanting to be the first to cave; to show weakness.  For me, it's VERY hard and I have been making a super-strong effort  to be "we" before "me."

It is  not hard to communicate, when both parties are willing to try, that is.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Thanks to by sister Brenda for the cute banner.

44

Wow.

Between my 11th anniversary at Buca Di Beppo, 

celebrating early on Sunday so my hubby could sing me Happy Birthday and watch me open gifts

and receiving a watch brand I have been wanting since high school as a joint anniversary/bday gift

I've had a heck of a great time!

Paint Dripping, MLP Friendship is Magic, & Hulk Smashing

Don't you just hate it when you spill paint?

Isabel wanted My Little Pony Friendship is Magic nails.  There was no way I could paint ponies on her nails, so we decided instead to paint "Cutie Marks" on them instead.

White with blue diamond is Rarity's cutie mark.  Red Apples are on
Applejack's cutie mark.  Pinkie Pie has yellow and red balloons as her mark.

After working on her left hand, she lost patience and left.  :)  I never got to make Twilight, Fluttershy or Rainbow Dash's cutie marks.

HULK SMASH!

I was just playing with colors and it just looked like The Hulk to me.





This next picture is completely fantastic, in that I did not do these at all.   Isabel  decided she missed having the Power Puff girls on her hands and asked if she could do them.  With instructions and techniques from me, she did these all by herself!!

Bubble, Blossom, and Buttercup.  SO COOL, ISABEL!

I did her right hand because that would have required her to use her left hand and she was not confident with it.

Lastly, I created these nails based off of something my sister Vicky pinned or posted.  The one she liked was more of a Tiffany blue, and actually in person, the nails looks less baby blue and more aqua.  SO cool to see come together,

Eleven!

Happy 11th Anniversary to us!

I love you David!

Dance!

Isabel's taking dancing classes.  She's SO not coordinated.  Sadly, she does not have my Puerto-Rican rhythm.  I love her gumption though.  She's taking dance classes, dagnabit!

She took classes during the summer.  The class was mixed ages because it was summer.  This fall, she's in an age-appropriate class with kids ages 7-10.  She's had ups and downs.  She is very much like her big brother; if they can't get it right the first time, they get upset and quit.  This I do not understand.  I have explained to her over and over "These are dance lessons.  So you can LEARN.  This is supposed to be fun.  There are no tears in dancing."

This week, the class was in low attendance.  The chatty gal that tends to get herself (and Isabel) into trouble was not there.  Isabel was focused and for once, no tears!  I was very excited.

Her dance instructor is a high school classmate of Jacob's.  They graduated the same year and share all the same friends.  The instructor's mom goes to my church and is the lady that gave me the "Shine" award for my  volunteering efforts.  She's a nice gal who I am sure was not sure what to do over Isabel's tears.  We were both happy about this most recent lesson.

I asked if I could record the class so Isabel could practice her dancing at home and she & the other parents were ok with it.  Of course, my hi-def video camera was at home, so I used my craptastic non-Smart phone video recorder.  Ugh.

The two kids in the front are doing separate dance moves while Isabel and the older kids dance on the "stage" a few beats later.  They are rehearsing for a December showcase.

I just want to pinch her, she is so darned cute!  She's just trying her darndest, God bless her.  :)

Silent Hill Mall

On a Sunday, we decided to take a drive.  A Sunday drive.  We ended up alllll the way down in International Drive.  You tourists who have visited Orlando know where this is.  Almost 12 miles of touristy stuff for tourists to do.   Traffic is a nightmare there.  We normally avoid it.

We decided to go see the Festival Bay Mall.  I had heard from another blogger how desolate and sad this mall was.  A dead mall in the middle of tourist-mecca had me confused.  How is this even possible?

If you go to their official website, it looks great!  Here's what it says, with my changes in yellow:

Festival Bay Mall features a one-of-a kind collection of stores, restaurants and exciting entertainment venues with Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World (closed), Ron Jon Surf Shop, Sheplers Western Wear, Cinemark 20 Theatres, Universal Orlando store  (closed) and many more. Discover Orlando's best family entertainment including, indoor glow-in-the-dark miniature golf at Putting Edge Fun Center  (it's the size of a small store in a mall and just a little sad), Monkey Joe's  (closed) fun-filled inflatable play center and Vans Skatepark  (closed). Hungry? Enjoy great dining options Fuddruckers, Asian Café (never saw it), Subway and Villa Pizza (never saw it.)

I copied this from their website tonight.  Vans has been closed for at least 2 years.

We parked in the empty lot, walked in and walked around.

All those stores are boarded up.

Another section, all boarded up.

It was CREEPY.  I sent these pictures to my nephew and he replied "Silent Hill!!"  I totally felt like I was in a creepy movie/game.

We saw the western store, the Ron Jon's and then nothing for stretches at a time. We passed a teeny store with a woman selling fake jewelry, then nothing for another long stretch until we got to the other end where the sad mini golf place and the movie theater were located, plus a bookstore selling books that I mostly was not familiar with.

On our way OUT.

I just do not understand how this mall died.  It only opened in 2002.   It made us sad, so we left and went to Giordano's for dinner, which was a bit of a disappointment.  The location was not the one we have been to in the past and was TOO small for the amount of people in there.  We definitely won't be back to that location.  What a weird day.

Enjoy the Moment While It's Actually Happening

We're so stuck to our phones and mobile devices.   I don't have a smart phone, mainly because I refuse to raise my cell phone bill even higher than it already is.  I have a computer at work and at home; I'm good for now.  The men in the house, though, have smart phones. So we go to dinner, and Isabel and I are doing the talking because David's racing a car on his phone or crushing some candy and Jake's doing whatever it is he does on his smart phone. There we are, Is and I, playing tic-tac-toe or coloring on the kids' paper menu, while the boys have their smart phones.

Text messages are  the norm for communication.  I know several people who won't answer their cells and won't even listen to voice mails; they delete them.  If you want them, text them. Pop in to  Facebook &  post about having your baby, and then forget to call your best friend, who is rarely on FB,  to tell them.  True Story.   It makes me sad.

I've seen this video shared by several  people this week.




I just want to enjoy what I am doing while it's actually happening.  I don't want to ignore people I am eating a meal with to take a picture of said meal and post it online.  I sound old-fashioned and anti-technology.  I don't hate Smart Phones. They are amazing and give us so much information at high speed.   When I am driving and need to find something out like a location, or random trivia, my son whips out his Smart Phone and has the answer for me in seconds.  It's wonderful.

What I don't like is visiting with people and they're all on their phones.  I'm sitting there, wishing I had a book with me.  Or better yet, wishing I was talking to them. enjoying the moment while it's actually happening.

I Mustache You A Question

 Do you like my nails?