Blogging

In this class it was the first time I experienced blogging. I didn’t enjoy it but I didn’t dread it either. I did not jump up and down for it when it is time to blog. It was a good experience though. I enjoyed reading the different blogs and enjoyed writing about my favorite people. I have so much pride in my family. Unfortunately I will not be keeping the bog up. I just have so much to do and sitting down to blog just might not fit in my schedule but I am thinking it might work as a stress reliever or a venting session. So for whoever will continue to blog, I hope you enjoy it and don’t write anything that might get you in trouble. Have an awesome summer!

                Stands at about 5 feet 10 inches, light brown skin, black short hair, strong nose and chin with light brown droopy eyes describes my husband. He is calm and athletic. Firm but, loving. My husband is very important in my life. He is the father of my children and he is my best friend, my lover and my soul mate. My husband has treated me like a queen since the first day we met. He has shown me that I do have what it takes to accomplish anything I set my mind to it as long as I want it really bad. He has always encouraged me to do my best until I cannot continue anymore. The phrase, “I can’t”, does not exist in his vocabulary.

                My Mother and Father in my eyes are one. They are important in my life first because they are my parents and they have raised me and loved me. They have taught me the values of life and gave me good morals. They have supported me in everything I have done. They showed me what love was because they shared their love with me and my siblings. If not for the way I was raised I would not be the person I am today. I consider myself to be a good mother and good wife. I love my family as much or perhaps more than my parents demonstrated. Parents make adults.               

                My children are two persons. But because they are loved unconditionally and without prejudice, I consider them one because my love and importance is the same. They are the reason why I have returned to school. At the age of 30 I could have stayed at my $14 an hour job and not bother to go back to school. I Thank God for my kids all the time. They are by pride and joy and my calmness. They are important because they are a part of me and I am setting an example for them. The example that no matter how old you are learning is an important part of your life and it will never come to an end. My kids are full of energy. One  is age 6 and the other is 4, almost 5 years old. My son is a strong boy standing at 52 inches, just 10 more inches and he will be my height. My daughter is 42 inches tall. she is cute as a botton, beautiful long hair

Good, good, good.

                Tierra Vista Apartments are located in the north eastern part of Oxnard. Three blocks away from St. John’s Hospital. This apartment complex is very quiet and relaxed. It is clean and well maintained. When you see the beautiful landscapes full of violets, vibrant green grass, and the line of trees that surround the complex, you just want to take in a deep breath and inhale the fresh air.

                Friday was our move in date. We have been here at Tierra Vista for a full weekend and so far it has been wonderful if you don’t include the whole moving part.  What caught our attention about these apartments was the location and the fact that every unit includes a washer and dryer. When you have small children doing coin laundry is just not an option. We compared many apartments and looked at pros and cons and ultimately we went with Tierra Vista.

The kitchen has everything you need. Plenty of counter space, refrigerator, oven, dishwasher and a microwave. The bar opens up to the living room and dining area. The lighting in the kitchen and the dining area have a dimmer which comes in handy if you want to have a at home romantic dinner with your spouse. I have a bar table with six chairs and it fits perfect in the dining area. Most places don’t have the space other than for a four chair table.

The rooms are a very good size and every room has a walk in closet and a built in desk with cabinets above which is also a space saver. To give an idea of the size of the kids room, I have two twin sized beds, each one along side of the opposite wall. There is about four feet of clearance between the beds which comparing to other places, it is big.  My favorite part is my tub. It is a soaking tub. I am able to rest my head on a small bath pillow and sit in my bathtub and relax!

Above all of this, the professionalism is awesome. They have treated us very well. They have worked very hard to figure out and to get what we really wanted which was a 2 bed, 2 bath facing the sunrise on the first floor. The administration is courteous and friendly. With all of this plus, two playgrounds, two pools, a Jacuzzi, media room, BBQ area, and a gym is why we decided Tierra Vista.

.

I thought Fast Food Nation was not going to change my mind or make me second think about eating fast food. This book has a lot of information and the author did a great job investigating and researching different areas, cities to experience first hand the affects of the fast food industry.
   Fast Food Nation has in fact made an inpact in my life. It has opened my eyes to a variety of issues. First the issue of the workers of the warehouses and how they are not treated fairly. Second, the slaughter houses and how easily the meat can be contaminated with viruses and illnesses that can lead to death or severe brain damage like Ecoli. I could not believe what part of the meat is served to the public schools.
   I have been trying to make better food choices when I have to eat out. It makes it difficult that there are so many fast food restaurants on every block. I have been cooking more at home. We have been eating more fruits and vegetables and more water. My kids love McDonald's and I have decided if they really want the toy from the happy meal, I will buy it but eat somewhere else. Small changes at a time can make a huge difference.

My Semester and My Truth

Last week’s I shared some information from which only one statement was true, which is: I am 30 years old!! Ouch it hurts to write it.

       School so far has been a blast, easy. No, that is not the truth. Earlier on one of our blog entries I shared that I had a decision to make in order to better my grades in school. It was whether or not I should quit my part time job.  Last Friday, April fool’s day, was my last day working. This semester has been a little crazy for me because my family and I are living with a friend and her son. We moved at the end of the year to Oxnard from Sylmar, which is the San Fernando Valley, and moving in with a friend was much easier than driving here every week to find a place to live. We also moved in for moral support, her husband is deployed.

      Living with other people apart from your immediate family is hard. Don’t get me wrong. There are no arguments but I feel the pressure of having to wash dishes at every meal when I honestly don’t want to. I have very little space to put my things away, have no desk which makes it difficult to keep my school books and notebooks in order. So that makes me feel out of place in a way, scattered.  But, the good news is that in 10 days we will be moving into our new place. I am very excited to get our space back.

      I am taking English 101, History 102 and math 14. The instructors are great and any low grade I have received has been my own fault due to my own organization which was caused by work, school and homemaker. Well I quit work, so now I have more time to dedicate to my studies. I am working the best I can to complete my assignments when the kids are at school so I don’t worry about it at the end of the day when I have to cook, clean, bath the kids and put them to sleep.  Also, this will give me time to spend with my kids on the weekend.

       At the end, this small sacrifice will be of reward to my family as well as to me.  It’s has been a long time since I was in school but it is never too late to start off fresh. I may not be 18 or 21 but I have the drive and ambition to complete school and become a nurse to serve and help others. My two beautiful children are a motivation for me because I see them learning new things in school and I want to be of example to them. I want my children to learn and understand that learning is a life time journey. My husband keeps me motivated and tells me all the time, “Honey, you can do this!” He just started school two weeks ago. We are a learning family.

What to do?

     I have realized that sometimes even as an adult, we have to relearn how to organize our lives because otherwise we encounter stress. I have been under stress these couple of days, weeks. I go to school full time, work part time and I am a full time mother. I can’t seem to find all the time I need to do my homework, read, study, do laundry and clean my home. It seems like I am scattered everywhere and am not able to complete a task. I am not being productive. I have been contemplating quitting my part time job for several weeks and I have come to the determination that my priorities are my family first, school and last laundry. Tomorrow I will be giving my two week notice and I feel good about it. I am not doing as well as I would like in the classes I am taking right now and part of it is having too much on my plate. What do you guys think?