Polka Dottie Blankie

I don't know what is more precious, the baby in this picture, or the blanket. Honestly, both are making my heart smile. But back to the blanket. It's a crochet blanket! No lie. Isn't it just too cute?

I'm working on 7 separate ones. For some very precious baby girls. Yes, I know it sounds a little crazy. But it is so much fun. I just love this pattern. All those "polka dots." Since I couldn't find a pattern, I made up my own. And it's going surprisingly well.

Mi Princesa is also a big fan, of this fun pattern. Oh yes she is! I think it's the texture, that gets people interested. And Mi Princesa may have hinted at a new blankie. You know, to match her "Nap Mat" for school. I just might be able to squeeze that in! ;) Nah, she's not spoiled at all! ♫

For the Royal Familia G

I'm pretty sure that I've mentioned it on here, my friends, Familia G, are going on "bacation." They're heading to Disney World, and on a Disney Cruise. They leave on Tuesday. And I'm not sure if I'll be back, before they leave....

But I've been trying to help my Commadre, get ready for their trip. Lots of work goes into a 3 week long trip. With 5 kids! All under 5 years old!!!

Yesterday after church, my Compadres invited A and I over. For dinner. And yum! It was delish! But while we were waiting, A and I were exploring the internet. We may or may not have gotten on facebook. Yes, I started one, to communicate with mi familia. My FB page, for my friends, well that will stay private. Ya, some things are better left that way. :)

Anyway, A and I are Mi Princesa's Godparents. And she is super excited about this trip. Being a princess and all. I may or may not have made her a few "special" outfits. And A...well he is sending her off with a few hundred dollars. Yes, for a 4 year old!!! What is he thinking?!?!?!

Now you can probably imagine, why people think, that she is our kid. But it's the truth. We spoil her to death! And after some FB time, we decided to hunt for some "princess" stuff. Our Princesa joined us. And we found this...



Mi Princesa gave me "that look." And I folded. I went to my car and dug out some lavender yarn, and a hook. And I got to work. By dinner time, it was nearly done. And when her sisters came in, they wanted one too!

After dinner, I set to crocheting. A was entertaining all of us. Reading the ninitos books. Amazing voices and all! He pulled out his guitar, and serenaded us. Which I'm sure, my Compadre just loved!

An hour after the ninitos bedtime, and my Compadres had finished the dishes, A had gotten all into a PBS special...well, I finished 5 crowns. 5 different colors. You know, Familia G has a "color system" for their kids. So the crowns had to be 5 different colors. But it was fun!

I'm sure they will all have a great time! And I'm glad I could add to the "magic" of their trip! It kills me that I can't go to! Who wouldn't want to visit the "Happiest Place on Earth?" Especially when O offered up his house. Yes, Familia G is staying with him. And there is still plenty of room for a few more amigos. Too bad I have to work...and I still don't have any money.

And to top it all off, A just called. He's heading out with the guys. They're flying to a gig. He joked with me, that the entire Mariachi wanted a crown. What is that you say? 20 crowns for grown men? I just might have to go to the Dollar Tree. Because those are the only crowns they're getting from me! Happy Friday! ♫

I Can Count on Him

It's really funny. The last person I thought I could count on, has really been here for me. If you would have told me this 2 years ago, when we barely muttered hi to one another, I would have laughed! But in the last year, My Music Man, has really stepped up his game.

Let's just talk about the last 48 hours...

Yesterday, I had planned on cleaning my yard. Let's not even talk about the disaster I found, when I got home. You know, last week, we had the graduation party. And I was gone for a few days. I should know better. But when I got home, I found almost all my flowers were dead. The grass was yellow! Triple digit temps are literally killing me.

And for anyone that lives around here, they know that Codes Enforcement is all over these things. So I needed to clean. And I had a crap load to clean! And only days to do it in. Because I'm going back to my hometown, later this week.

My neighbor...well she was on her 3rd day of partying. At 11AM, on a Sunday morning. The street was lined with cars. And I didn't want to "ruffle any feathers." So I put off the cleaning. Because we share a fence. And I really respect her parents. They no longer live there, but they own the house.

So I went in my house. And tried to occupy my time with something else. Until I heard bottles breaking. I found that the party-ers were throwing their beer bottles into my backyard. I didn't go all psycho. I probably should have. But I didn't. I just went back inside. And tried to cool down.

Hard to do, when the outside temps are near 100. You can just imagine what it was like inside my house. With no AC. But I tried. I could feel my blood boiling over. And somehow, he just knew. Before I knew it, My Music Man was at my front door...

He came over to help. He knew I had a lot of work to do. And he is only here, until the middle of the week. So we had sorta planned things out. He'd come over and help for a few hours. Well, nothing was getting done. I was getting madder by the second. And a certain hombrecito, well, he suggested we head over to his house.

You see, last week we made plans. Which included taking Big M out to dinner. That was the plan for Sunday night. So we headed to his house. He put on the NASCAR race, made me lunch, and left me to cool off. I was that mad!

Meanwhile, he left. To go pick up Big M. By the time he got back, he had Mi Princesa, and Little M. Oh, and My Jellybean. :) 4 girls, 3 sisters, 2 Goddaughters. Oh, and Jeff Gordon won the race! Things were looking up.

We went out to dinner. At the Double Eagle. Yum! Everyone thoroughly enjoyed dinner. About 20 people came to our table. To compliment us on our beautiful and well behaved daughters. :) Do I look that nuts? 4 under 5? But we smiled and said Thanks.

And we met my favorite chef...My Music Man's little brother. He works at the restaurant that is 1/2 a block away. He met us at the Candy Store. Where we all had some yummy ice cream. Well, My Jellybean had some leche. :)

The girls ran around. We may or may not have taken a detour. You know, for some new toys. :) There was a little bit of Echo watching. And pleading with a certain uncle for the videos. And eventually, we got them home by 10PM. We're such a bad influence! But their parents' all looked very happy. A few hours without the kiddos...

I got home to find the party in full swing. And my neighbor managed to party until 3AM! I was not a happy camper. At all! Third night in a row! But I had plans on Monday. To CLEAN my yard. I didn't care how it was getting done. Or who was still partying next door. I was going to be cleaning!

At sunrise, My Music Man showed up. And we got to work. Pulling and dragging dead tree limbs. Every single time it is windy, at least 4 big limbs break from my trees. We pulled weeds. Bagged leaves. Where were they from? I have no clue. We picked trash off my fence. Mowed the lawn. Pulled out the grass in the flowerbeds. And did whatever else needed to be done. I had just cleaned my yard. The day before I left for my hometown...

My neighbor, she wasn't happy. At 6:15AM, she was screaming at me. At 6:30AM, she was cussing out My Music Man. By 7AM, I had 3 bags full of broken beer bottles, and 2 of cans. She was also calling her dad.

By 8AM, my old neighbor, was apologizing to me. I wasn't trying to make his daughter look bad. But I wanted him to see what I was dealing with. We had pictures. And bags of trash. She was still screaming. The 2 elderly neighbors, one lives across the street, the other next door, soon joined us. And we all talked.

I think things were sorta figured out. That nut job was still screaming. Her dad was still apologizing. Her little girl was crying, and her ex, well he was just trying to pick up their daughter. And he was thanking me for his daughter's birthday present. The same one, that had been thrown at me, just an hour before. I'm pretty sure, the dresses had gotten dirty. But little A was in heaven with her present.

All this time, My Music Man had my back. He defended me. Kept his cool. And tried to help me keep mine. Which at this point, was tough. After all the excitement died down, we got back to work. And by 1PM, we were ready to die! Red faces, 2 broken shovels, and 20 bags of yard waste, we were done. He went home. I went inside to clean up.

I was gone for days. Yes, days. As in, less than a week! And my yard got that bad. You see, I spend about 2-3 hours working in my yard. Every single day. During the summer. It's that big. And requires that kind of maintenance. Some days, I just wish that it was all dirt...

But my friend, he was there to help. And he even came back...with lunch. This evening, he returned. With Big M, some flower bulbs, and ice cream sundaes. We enjoyed the shady part of the yard. Ate all of our ice cream. Big M helped plant the bulbs. And my psycho neighbor yelled until her roommate came home.

Friends like this, they don't come around often. And I don't just mean the ones that bring you stuff. I mean the ones that are there for you. I can sit here all night, and tell you about the amazing things he does. Like going to Patrick's funeral. Just in case I needed him. Or protecting me from my psycho stalker. Or bringing me chicken noodle soup, when I had the flu.

He's a great guy. An amazing friend. And one of the best people I know. Who else, would spend their days off...helping me with my yard work? Or taking a bunch of kiddos out to dinner. Or putting up with my cranky butt? Not many.

I'm glad that we're friends. I'm glad that we met...almost 10 years ago! And that he talked to me every single day...until I caved. Because My Music Man is much more than a friend. We're starting to feel a heck of a lot like familia. More than family. You know, we were just meant to find each other. ♫

Fairy Godmother???

That is what my Commadre S called me today at church. Why? I've agreed to do 2 things for her familia. What? Help her package up some fun and inexpensive toys, for her 5 kiddos. They're heading off, to the most Magical Place on Earth...Disney World. And a Disney Cruise!

They leave the day after Father's Day. And well, with 5 little ones, and 2 parents...they've decided, that they need to pack some stuff to keep the kiddos entertained. So my Compadres went out and bought some "travel appropriate" toys and snacks. I'm going to package everything up for the trip.

And I may have promised Mi Princesa a little something too...



This darling little outfit. The one that we spotted together...let's just say...it's been a few months. So off to the fabric store I go. I need to have it done by Thursday. Because I'm going out of town!

Fairy Godmother? I'm not sure. But I'm trying to help out my friends. I know that they're going to enjoy their trip. Their 3 oldest girls, well they can't stop talking about all the fun they're going to have! I'm so happy for them. :)

Now I just need to sit and sew. Never mind, that I'm still trying to recover from yesterday's wedding. And I have a HUGE yard to clean. I need to make Tinkerbell's outfit! Because Mi Princesa needs something special to wear, you know, for when she meets all her favorite princesses. ♫

Tea for a Princess

Recently, Mi Princesa and I were looking at some crochet patterns. OK, I was searching for some new patterns. And she happened to be sitting in my lap. That's when we happened to stumble on this beauty.



Tea anyone? Looks like I need to start crocheting. :) Mi Princesa already has a tea set that I made her. But I have to say, this pattern is a million times cuter! What do you think? ♫

Princess Perfection

We happened to have a little "Princess Party" in my hotel room this morning. Being that some of my Goddaughters, and many of my favorite little girls are here, we decided to celebrate the Royal Wedding.

A was a great help in that. Of course all the girls were dressed to the nines! They had all of their princess gear on. Because what princess leaves home without all of their princess attire? Not these little ones.

We also made sure, that all these girls took a nap. A LONG nap. Last night. You know, while us grown ups were working. So bright and early this morning, they were up. A was setting up a tea party for them. And we had tons of yummy food. I'm telling you, A is a catch! Any single ladies looking for a good man?

We watched all the coverage. I stayed with the girls. As the rest of the group headed to teach classes. After 5 hours of Royal Wedding coverage, I'm pretty sure A was ready to go work! :) But we had a blast!

"Nana, the princess is pretty. But she doesn't look as beautiful as I thought. How come?" The things that come out of the mouths of babes. :) I think they really thought Kate was going to be like their favorite fairy tale princesses.

My take on the whole affair. I think Kate looked amazing! I loved her dress. The top half, it was just gorgeous. And the veil. So simple and elegant. I love the grandeur of the British Royalty. But the simplicity that Kate and William wanted for their wedding.

What a fun morning we had! Tons of little girls, tutus, tiaras, tea, yummy food, princesses, and flowers. What better way to start a Friday! But now folks, I need to get ready for work. We have rehearsal in just over an hour. Happy Friday! ♫

My Little Monkey

Something that you might not know is, Mi Princesa, she is IN LOVE with monkeys! All and any monkeys. I'm not lying.

So recently, I shouldn't have been too shocked. I was looking fro a new sewing project. And Mi Princesa saw this picture. Needless to say, she requested that I make her a monkey. Just like this one! Because "Nana, you can make anything!" :)




I love this little girl. And if it's a monkey that she wants, it's a monkey that she'll get! I've got tons of scrap fabric. I just need to find some time to sew. You know, before finals take over my life! ♫

Abby Cababby

If you are a parent, or spend time with little ones, you'll know who Abby Cadabby is. She is one of the characters from Sesame Street. She is Mi Princesa's favorite character to be exact! And I'm trying to come up with some craft ideas. All based on Miss Abby Cadabby. Something to make for Halloween. And I'm coming up empty handed. Please leave me some suggestions. I could really use them... ♫

Just What I Needed!

Everything about today, is just what I needed. Something to kick my butt back into shape. It was Little M's birthday party. No that isn't her birthday cake. But it should have been! She is really into "algidators" at the moment.

I helped my friends get the party together. And Little M's birthday cake, just might have been even more adorable than this cake. No lie! Everything about her birthday party was fun, light, and enjoyable!

Honestly, it was everything that I needed. I really did need it. It's been a tough few weeks. And I just needed some time to laugh and enjoy myself! Mission accomplished today! Mis amigos know how to throw a good party. Or I should say a good Matanza!

As usual, it was a ton of fun! Lots of delicious food. And great music. That generally happens when the parents are musicians, and all of their friends are musicians. We did some "Mariachi Jammin'." And just had a great time. Mi Princesa and I, we did a lot of dancing. Mostly with her Nono, A.

And I'm not going to lie. It's nearly midnight, on a Sunday, and I'm just getting home. It was that much fun. I'm looking through my "Algidator" bag. Did I mention that there was a HUGE alligator pinata? Yup, lots of candy! And some really fun toys. :)

So in case you are wondering, a 2 year old birthday party can be so much fun! Really it can be. Especially when your friends are like your family. My friends are pretty darn amazing! And their kids, they're simply adorable!

This was just the day I needed. It's helping me to move forward. And the plate of chicharrones, I know they're going to make a very yummy breakfast tomorrow morning! So I'm off to bed. Happy Birthday Little M! ♫

Things I'm Missing This Weekend

This trip kind of came on a bad weekend. And there are a few things that I'm missing. And I wish I wasn't...

1. My parents are at the State Fair with the Model T. And I really wanted to go.

2. The FREE Dwight Yoakam concert. Need I say more?

3. The battle of I-10. One of the best games to go to.

But in all, this is going to be a fun weekend. Minus the somewhat boring concert last night. But whatever. Mi Princesa and My Lil' Cowgirl kept me entertained. And A kept me fed. What a good friend he is. :)

I figure, there will be other State Fairs. And I know my Dad will be in other Car Shows. I know there will be more "Battle of I-10" games. About the only thing that really depresses me is, missing the Dwight Yoakam concert. Silly me, I've had a big 'ol crush on him since I was a kid! ♫

Vegas Baby!!!

We're done with the crazy performing. Well, at least until tomorrow. And we're on our way to Vegas. Yes, Las Vegas! We're not going to talk about how we almost missed our flight. How there were at least 20 mariachis, with family in tow, running to the gate. :) Or how I still have a full face of makeup on, my big earrings, and these roses in my hair. I did manage to change into a pair of sweats though. But we're flying. Right now. Headed west.

For 2 reasons I came on this trip, to play a concert, and because a friend is getting married. I wasn't going to come. I just couldn't afford it. But when Jav begged me to come and sing for his wedding, well I couldn't say no. I didn't hurt that he called me every single day for 2 weeks! And because he's teaching at the conference, he gets a free hotel room. He said I could have his room, because he lives in Vegas, and he didn't need it. Maestro G also came to the rescue by getting me a ticket with his "Frequent Flyer" miles. So I got a room and a flight for free. :)

It also didn't hurt, when the guys asked me to play the concert with them, on Saturday night. So I get to make some money. Actually, a really good check! And I get to hangout with some friends, listen to a nice concert tonight, and go to Jav's wedding. I'm a pretty lucky lady.

All this, and I don't have to spend any money. I'm not missing any school or work. I think it's a total score! It also doesn't hurt that A is sitting next to me, with Mi Princesa fast asleep. Yes, we are good Godparents. Keeping track of our little princesa.

So you can see, I couldn't say no. I get to spend today and most of tomorrow watching Mi Princesa dance. And My Care Bear and Big M. I get to hangout with some good friends. And enjoy a little bit of the city. But for right now, I'm going to take advantage of our time in the air. And I'm going to join the rest of the cabin in a nap. Talk to you when we get to Vegas. ♫

Earning My Pay

Take a mix of these 4 videos, add in a little Juareno style, OK a lot of Juareno style, and you have what me and A are working on. For what? An upcoming show for El Grito.













And how did this happen you ask? Well, S and I always used to dance at our gigs. "La Chiquitita" became known for it. And after the organizers of this gig, found out that I was playing, well they asked me to dance. Because S now lives in Mexico City, I needed a new dance partner...in walked A.

Because our Goddaughter, Mi Princesa, dances folklorico style, we had a shoe in. A sweet talked her teacher, and she helped us put together a nice polka. Just with a lot more Juareno style to it. You know how they dance. Do I really have to describe it? I mean, I'm sure at some point or another, you've seen a Mexican couple dancing.

Let's just put it this way, I was a little embarrassed when Mi Princesa was watching us. Oh, and after the first rehearsal, I couldn't look A in the eye for at least a week. Ya, we were THAT CLOSE! I'm sure we now have a complete and honest idea of what each other has. But that's how the people dance around here.

I'm personally more used to dancing to this type of polka. Just a lot faster.




But we are definitely going to be earning our paycheck on the day of El Grito. Playing, singing, and dancing. Oh boy! I hope I survive the 2 day celebration. :) I think we're playing a total of 36 hours in 2 days. Something insane and crazy like this. And this, it happens to just be 1 of the many dances that A and I are adding into our shows. ♫

Tweet Tweet

I'm back at work. I have a few minutes before I need to prep for surgery. So I decided to post a quick note. The party today, was amazing! We got to see both sets of new twins for a few minutes. They swung by to pick up some food. And the party, it turned into a party for Nana (me) too! A is too sweet. I even had my own pinata!

Maestro G has to be the best cook I know! He did 90% of the cooking. And we had 4 big birthday cakes. Yes, I got my own too! 4 cakes? An Ariel cake for L, a Tinkerbell cake for Mi Princesa, a cute flower and polka dot cake for My Care Bear, and a monkey cake for me! We had so much fun. And I'm still stuffed from a day of eating. :)

The guys also played. Yes, the Matanza was complete with a Mariachi. Let's not forget that Mi Princesa's parents are mariachis...and the entire group has turned into familia. Oh, her Nono and Nana also happen to be marachis. So it was a lot of fun! We even got to sing a song together.

There were loads and loads of presents. The 4 of us each had a carload of goodies. I can't believe how blessed we are! I probably had the most fun breaking my pinata. Oh and playing with my Play-Doh. Thanks A!

But I'm back to work. And I signed up for a twitter account for this blog. You can find it here. And I also included a link on the right side of this blog. Now I've got to go help save a life. Happy Saturday! ♫

And the Love Continues

Yesterday, the love just continued. So many of my friends stopped by the hospital. They brought me presents. And J brought me some amazing cupcakes! OMG! They were really good. My Auntie Bug called me. It totally made my day! Except, our call kept getting dropped. But it was nice to hear from her.

My parents and I also talked during my entire dinner break. I think they're still in shock that I'm 27. Believe me, so am I! Last week when I went to visit them, they took me shopping. So I already got my present from them. :) I'm such a cheat! But I got some clothes from Old Navy. A few skirts, cardigans, and tops. I already wore one outfit for a gig that we had on St. Patty's Day. I'm seriously in love with these earrings that my mom gave me. I need to take a picture so I can show them to you.

But it was a really nice day. Today, Maestro G is taking me out to dinner. We're celebrating MyCare Bear, Mi Princesa, and my birthday. I just realized that of the 6 Goddaughters that I have, 3 of them have birthdays around mine. :) Anyways, we're going out to dinner tonight. And I'm going out to dinner with my friends tomorrow night. Oh ya, I'm on "Spring Break" this week. At least from classes. But I'm still working this week. You have to love a good internship!

This weekend, A and I are in charge of Mi Princesa's birthday party. Or should I say Matanza. Yes, we're good Godparents. :) S is already here at the hospital. Looks like our 2nd set of twins are going to be making there appearance any day now. Big M is less than thrilled. But she's going to be having a baby brother by the end of the week. L's birthday party didn't happen because M was in labor. So we might just combined the newly 3 year old girls' birthday parties. They're best friends already. So they're over the moon!

And I'm going to try and go home sometime this week. Just for a quick visit with my parents. I have 2 days of in the middle of the week. So I'm excited! I already got my cake from my mom too! Funny, it's the 1st birthday cake I've had from my parents since I was in elementary school. I'm not lying! But it was yummy! Yellow cake with chocolate frosting. :)

I've definitely been feeling the love. As usual, I didn't hear from my brothers and sisters. But I'm used to that. Like I always say, they've never really been interested in their little sister. But it's OK. I have more than enough people that love me. Including everyone at the hospital. All my kiddos made me cards. The cooks made me special strawberry pancakes for breakfast. And yummy Chicken Parmigiana for lunch. Dr. S brought me a delish Steak Dinner. I felt like a Queen! And all day, they sang to me. So I'm not lacking.

I'm looking forward to all the dinners this week. And maybe I'll take some of these flowers home. I got so many delivered yesterday! Who knew that they deliver flowers on a Sunday? I didn't! I even got a special delivery from Mr. Blue Eyes. He cracks me up! So 27 has definitely started off on a good foot! ♫

Happy Birthday Mi Princesa

Mi Princesa,

Happy Birthday! Yesterday, you turned 3 years old! Such a big deal, and a big age. I'm so happy you are in my life. It's been such a blessing.

Not more than 3 years ago, I really got to know your padres. We chatted almost daily. They were so happy that you were almost here. And me, I was just so excited for them. We lived in different states. And I longed to know you. And your family. I was so blessed when your padres asked me to be your Nana.

Time has flown by! I've been so blessed. To be this close to your familia. You've moved just minutes from mi casita. And I LOVE spending so much time with you! I know, your Nono just LOVES our time too!

We've been so blessed to watch you grow. You've become a big sister. A dancer. And such a smart ninita. I just can't believe how quickly you've grown. Or how much you've learned. The highlight of my day, is cuddling with you. And hearing you sing such beautiful music.

Your life is still very much in the beginning. And I pray every single day that it's filled with happiness. And love. And so many blessings and opportunities. Have a very Happy Birthday today! I LOVE YOU so much Mi Princesa!

Besitos,
Your Nana ♫