Monday, December 31, 2012

2012

This sure has been a long year. I discovered the joy of manicured nails. Pink and white baby ;). A man from Korea made us dance like a horse. E.L James wrote three books that brought bdsm into the mainstream with her trilogy "50 Shades of Grey".

My daughter became a junior at Columbia this year. Mi sobrinito turned two. He's so smart and funny. He's also super bossy just like his auntie.

I had fun this summer with a guy friend who ended up becoming more than just a friend. He taught me how to lighten up a bit and be myself.  Thanks for making this year interesting Z.

There were some sad times. Mi abuelita died. I had the honor of holding her hands as she took her last breath. The next week one of my close friends was killed in a horrific motorcycle accident. Two funerals in 2 weeks. Broke my heart.

George Zimmerman murdered an innocent teenager named Trayvon Martin. A bag of Skittles and an iced tea are not weapons. We're still waiting for justice in that case.

There was a mass shooting in Colorado. Innocent people were killed at the premiere of a Batman movie. Another evil man, Adam Lanza, decided to murder 20 babies, first graders at Sandy Hook Elementary school. Six other staff members were killed.

2012 was a roller coaster of emotions. I went from crying to singing "Call Me Maybe" in the same week. I hope 2013 will be a year of peace, gun control, and a kinder gentler world.

Paz,
Monica

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Feliz Navidad


Besos y abrazos,
Monica

Friday, December 21, 2012

Teachers

There have been so many stories in the media about teachers lately. I think I have read each and every one of them. As a teacher in the same community for the past 19 years, the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting has me rattled. I cannot wrap my mind about a man with so much range shooting a school full of first graders. Babies. My heart is broken.

I came across this post on a CNN blog. The author called herself 'Mrs.B".

I have taught preschool for 10 years. As some teachers have stated, I also found myself wide awake in bed this past weekend pondering what I would do if faced with a similar situation. Not for myself, but for them. Where would I take them? Where would I hide them? How would I keep them calm and quiet? I always call them "my kids" and although I don't have any biological children I doubt that the way I feel about my students would change based on that. I feel like some jobs/careers should be accepted with different expectations than others. This would include teachers, pilots, captains, etc. I don't think ship captains should be "falling" into rescue boats. Just as I don't think teachers should use children as shields. Whether these expectations are written in black and white or unspoken, we accept these responsibilities wholeheartedly. We are not in it for the money and as long as our bills get paid and we have spouses who accept that our weekends are not our own and the we don't stop working because we have clocked out or left campus we rarely complain. We constantly spend our own money on our class, spend our time researching the latest teaching tactics, prep and plan for upcoming days, and take home work to grade, progress reports/assessments to complete and the like. We understand that in the event of a real emergency such as earthquake or fire we would be required to stay with our class before going home and tending to our own families. So many of us feel called or destined to teach and it's an honor that we don't take for granted. My prayers and thoughts go out to each person who was affected by this recent tragedy and I pray that only people who belong in the classroom are granted the privilege to do so.


I couldn't have said it any better. The world is fortunate to have someone like you in the teaching profession. God Bless you Mrs. B.

Sincerely,
Monica

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Prayers...


Tougher laws on gun control and mental health are needed now.

Please keep the families and friends in your thoughts and prayers,
Monica

Monday, December 17, 2012

Mother

You called me yesterday afternoon. In a few minutes you could tell something was wrong. After badgering me about it, I told you I was in pain. The annoyance in your voice was clear. You told me about your problems. Everyone has issues you reminded me.

I struggled the rest of the day. I wanted to head to the ER but I didn’t have the money. I also didn’t know what to do and wanted suggestions on making me feel better. I called you. That was a big mistake. When I told you I was still in pain you said, "not again". "I’m tired of all your health problems". "Enough is enough!!" you yelled at me. You accused me of wanting attention. You told me the hospital would write in my file that I was crazy. "The pain is in your head Monica".

I hung up the phone with you. I will never call you again. I will never speak to you about anything important again. No matter how many times you ask. No matter how many times you pressure me into admitting something is wrong. If I tell you what’s going on in my life, I’m complaining. If I tell you everything is fine, you say I’m lying.

I realize you don’t understand what it feels like to have the health issues that I do. You have been blessed with good health. You go to the doctor a couple times of year. You take only one medication. Since I was 2 years old I’ve been in the hospital. I have severe asthma, allergies, a blood clotting disorder, and connective tissue disease. I take 12 medications a day. I would give anything to be a healthy normal person like you. If you were me for one day, you wouldn’t survive the entire 24 hours.

I don’t trust you anymore. I don’t even love you right now. I’m tired of being a burden to you. I realize I’m not what you wanted or expected of a daughter. I’m sorry I’m such a disappointment.

Tu hija,
Monica

Thursday, December 13, 2012

12-12-12

(AFP Photo / Saeed Khan)
This beautiful photograph illustrates balloons flying in air as newlywed couples celebrate their mass wedding in conjunction with the date 12-12-12 outside a Chinese temple in Kuala Lumpur on December 12, 2012. Some 200 couples gathered at the temple to attend a grand colourful wedding ceremony.

December 12, 2012 is a day of suerte and romance for some and doomsday fears for others. Many wedding professionals have been looking forward to this day for years. A survey conducted by US-based David’s Bridal estimates that around 7,500 brides will be getting hitched in America. Bodas everywhere.

Jiaqui Yuan signed his marriage certificate at a marriage office in central Sydney on December 12, 2012. A record number of couples were married on this day in Australia in celebration of the last time for almost 90 years that the date will have the same number for the day, month and year.



(Reuters / Daniel Munoz)

Unfortunately there are many stories about people exhibiting bizarre behavior out of fear and ignornance. If the Mayans were right, 12-21-12 is going to be even more interesting!
I'll be somewhere watching all of this unfold, safely hidden in my house.




*Some information re-posted from rt.com.

Abrazos fuerte,
Monica

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Wed Over Heels

I recently joined a wedding community Wed Over Heels. It's an awesome social networking opportunity and I'm excited to see where this takes my company.






Besos,
Monica