Hello, ola--tudo bem? This is Julie...
Please sign my guestbook--(the link is below) or leave a comment! :B
I'm a happy wife and mother residing in Northern California. I'm a native Californian, 1st/2nd generation American - and this blog is needed so I can express myself and share my Portuguese/Azorean culture and its influences to the world with all the drama and craziness that sometimes goes along with it!! Enjoy your your paposeco com linguica! No, I'm not a rabbit! :B
Erik Estrada My Birth Coach Entry
"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."Maya Angelou
http://julielangley.avonrepresentative.com/
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Here is the slideshow I was working on the weekend. If I wasn't for my sister-inlaw Becky, there wouldn't have been ANY pictures of me in this. I was taking a lot of pictures you see.
Vegas was fun, but the little getaway had a very S L O W start. You see, due to weather conditions, (lightning storm) our little commuter plane (the smallest plane I've ever been on--you could actually see the pilot from your seat) had to make a stop in Fresno, California. So, what should have been only a 1 hour and 15 minute flight, ended up being a 5 hour flight--not fun.
But we got there anyway, and we did have a very nice time. My husband got to see his brother for the first time in many years, and I even got to meet him for the first time. It was a nice visit, but too short of a vacation; but alas-aren't they all?!
Wherever we went, we saw advertisements for Donny & Marie... Their toothy smile is plastered all over the Flamingo. I was very impressed by the Flamingo--nice pool, and the best margaritas on Earth--of course they were a bit pricey. $10 each, but, man...so yummy!! Elton John is still preforming there, and hopefully will still be there next year. (I'm making plans for my daughter's 21st birthday.) Cher and Bette Milder is also there right now as well. Didn't see any shows--no time to, but may be next time!
Twenty years ago, life was different.
I was 22, and ready to give birth to a little baby girl.
No matter how many times you hear the phrase: "Once you have a baby, your whole life changes." You don't really comprehend it until you experience it first hand. It's an unexplainable fact, that no one, but you can understand. Your first instinct is to protect your child from all the ugliness in the world. Unfortunately, you can't protect them from all of it, but you do your best. Having a baby will not save a marriage. You make the best of things, you shield them as much as you can. You hope they don't sense that something is wrong at home, but they know.
I will never forget the 8 year old girl holding her suitcase of belongings at the doorway. Never again.
Seems like yesterday when I was in the car with my parents on the way to JCPenney in search of a basinet. I was due to give birth in 2 days, and there I was wearing my acid wash, oversized denim jumper, and size 10 slip on espadrilles. Yes, I was so huge, my feet were so swollen they were actually coming out of my shoes! It was that day I decided on the full name of my daughter: Elizabeth Rose I didn't realize it was Queen Elizabeth's name--it just worked out that way. My grandmother's name was Rose, and I liked the sound of it. It was either Elizabeth or Jennifer (after my beloved pet chicken), so I picked Elizabeth. Her father liked it too, so that was that.
So with the help of Erik Estrada (yes, can't forget him), 20 years ago, on her due date, I gave birth to a beautiful, curly haired, brown eyed little girl named Elizabeth Rose. God had answered my prayers when I saw the dark spirals of hair growing on her scalp. As soon as she was given to me for the first time, wrapped in the hospital blanket, I noticed how she began to survey her surroundings. She was wide awake, and she looked right at me. It was as though we had met again for the first time after years and years of knowing eachother before. Her eyes went about the room, curiously looking around, expecting life around her to finally happen.
That baby has not changed much since then. She is a bag of energy, a pillar of strength, courageous and determined, self-confident and beautiful. People stop and listen when she speaks--she makes things happen-never made to be a victim-never. She is everything I wish I was more of...
Happy Birthday Elizabeth---I'm so glad you were born. I've been very blessed to be in your company.
I'm back...
I'm tired though...no time to blog.. Will write more tomorrow...
Vegas was hot and fun, but much too short of a visit..... It was great to finally meet my husband's brother, Sam and his girlfriend. Again, too short of a visit. Will write about it more later..with pictures...
Right now I have a splitting headache, and I'm VERY tired.
First day of kindergarten for Nicholas--no tears! Just a huge smile, and a hug and kiss goodbye.
First day back to work after vacation...urg.. Piles of boxes to sift through, and a 2 hour wait just to get my computer running. Lolly luring about, and annoying as ever... My new office is nicer, but hot! No air circulation. I got a fan-and I felt better, but head started to hurt-not even Advil or chocolate could cure it.
I got home..tired. It's so hot over here--Northern California is experiencing a little heat wave at the moment. It's too hot to cook, and luckily, mom fed the kids, and the older ones made their own.
Relaxed in front of the T.V. and watched Big Brother. Poor Michelle (my Portuguese player) got kicked out..oh well.
Guess who else is Portuguese, from the Azores? Meredith Vieira. I knew she was, but on Monday I saw the today show and saw the following:
http://www.beloblog.com/ProJo_Blogs/shenews/2008/08/meredith-vieira.html
Although her family is not from the same island, it is amazing how so many people come out of these small 9 islands in the Atlantic--spread across the world. Very sweet, and surreal.
Okay.. I'm beat.
Goodnight good people of Jland.
Well, the end of summer is finally upon us.. I'm heading for Vegas tomorrow, and the kids start school the middle of this week; why they don't start after Labor Day is beynod me. Yes, I'm not ready yet for school!
I went to the beach with my oldest and my youngest, and my mom on Friday..
Saturday was spent at the mall to do back to school shopping...the place was packed..
Today was spent grocery shopping for the kids, and a party at my brother's house..
I am packed, but there are still some things to get done before the trip... Who knows, may be I'll find Elvis.
I'm looking forward to some peace and quiet, and possibly some some fun? The kids will be staying at home-so I will try not to worry too much, but of course I'll be checking up on them throughout the trip. I hope to take some pictures... I will share them with you later.
Take care good people of Jland!
I got this in an email from my cousin, the Rabbit, aka: Coelho. It made me want to cry... It's sooo cute, and amazing at the same time.
Get out of my way… Julie is on a rampage!
Yes, today I’m on a rampage. I got a few things done that I’ve been meaning to accomplish, and it’s done.
First of all I had an issue with a pharmacy in town. My mother had purchased a neck brace from this certain pharmacy, and she paid for it. I was there. I helped her write the check because she couldn’t move her head. We were told by the mousey little woman with the British accent at the cash register that she would be reimbursed once her insurance “verified, or approved” it. Okay, whatever—insurance stuff still confuses me. A few weeks later we get something in the mail from her insurance stating that is was approved. I bring it over to the pharmacy, and the mousey woman gave me something to fill out for my mother for her to get reimbursed. I filled it out, handed it over to the lady, expecting to get cash in return. Instead, the mousey woman with the tiny British accent informs me that she’ll get reimbursed soon.
Well, a month and a half goes by, and I go to the pharmacy again for another reason, but I decide to stop and inquire about my mother’s refund that she had yet to receive. The mousey lady of course was gone. Everyone knew who the mousey lady was (she is the only one there with the accent) but no one could tell me where she was, or if she was going to return. It was if the tiny little woman with the accent had vanished in thin air. (Perhaps with large sums of money?!) I explain to another woman what I was inquiring, and I am then informed that my mother didn’t pay it, her insurance did. What? Yes, her insurance paid for it, because “that is what our system says.” Of course I don’t have a receipt, and I don’t have a cancelled check for the purchase handy to prove she did pay it, so I’m standing there with a blank look on my face, being looked at as a person who is trying to swindle the pharmacy a lousy $33.
Well, my mother finds a copy of the check in question, and of course I put it under the seat of my car, with good intentions to clear the matter, but naturally I “forget” about it for awhile. I’ve been meaning to go to the pharmacy, but I always find better things to do. Just the thought of going there, with those ladies again, to try and resolve the problem, after being looked at as someone who was trying to swindle $33 did not sound very appealing. Well, today, was D day. In the mail was a bill from this said pharmacy, demanding payment for the “remainder of the cost of the neck brace that insurance didn’t pay”. Yes, I was a little mad.
Okay, it was a lousy $4.50… But still.. How dare they ask for more money from my mother! I was THRILLED to find the cancelled check STILL under the seat of my car, where it had been sitting for the last 2 months!
I called the pharmacy, and instead of wasting my time going there, I faxed them the cancelled check with a letter. It wasn’t a nice letter; but it wasn’t mean either. I simply told them that they needed to check up on their policies with clients-especially older people who may not have someone overseeing what is going on to clear up their accounting errors. Good Lord! If that check for $33 isn’t in my mom’s mailbox by the end of next month there will be hell to pay!! It’s not the amount of the money---it’s the principle!
In other news, earlier this week, I picked up my son and his friend at the train station in town. It was the first time he had ever been on a train, and it was the first time I ever had to pick him up at a station. Well, apparently I was waiting at the wrong place, and almost got locked out by this official looking girl holding keys. As soon as I realized I may have been in the wrong area, I got up and motioned her to open the door and let me out. You have to realize, that I thought I was being locked up in the station. By the look on her face, it didn’t look like she was going to open the door. I kind of freaked. All I saw where tracks! (Along with some really questionable looking people sitting on the bench that I definitely did not want to get to know) Well, she gave me a crazy look and finally opened the glass doors to let me out. As I explained to her that I was waiting for a train coming from the San Francisco area, she completely blew me off, and told me that there were no more arrivals that night, and the only arrival was a bus coming from Stockton.
Well, I leave the station, and of course my cell phone is dead, so I’m looking for change, so I’m searching for a pay phone, and then I notice all these cars picking up people. Hmm… She said, “no arrivals” didn’t she? Sure enough I walk around the building and there sitting on the bench is Andrew and his friend. They had just gotten off the train.
That girl working in the station was very lucky she had locked the doors already. I was ready to march in there and give her a piece of my mind. She should know NEVER to lie to a mother about the whereabouts of her children. I could have easily driven off to another station and left two 14 year olds at the station in the middle of the night. Well, I wrote a complaint letter instead. I hope when word gets to her supervisor she will know NEVER to do that again.
Urrrr….
Oh, and then there is LOLLY. I do not like this person. While cleaning my future desk, he made a comment that I may not keep the desk because it was purchased for position of a higher rank. Excuse me?! Yes, it’s nice modular furniture, but it isn’t made of gold. True, I’m not an “analyst” of any sort, or an over paid, “county executive” in fact I’m one of those “lowly, disposable records clerks”. Should I keep the storage boxes and make myself a desk?! He was so rude, that I thought he was joking at first, but then I realized that he was just being his natural, condescending jerk self. I almost threw my antibacterial tub of wipes at his little head, but I contained myself, and I looked at him, and told him quite frankly that I had to work somewhere, and it was a decision made by the Chief-it wasn’t my idea, it was his superior’s idea. Well, that didn’t sit well with Lolly, and he marched into my supervisor’s office. I don’t know what was said, but my supervisor put him straight, and he ended up coming out of the office like a doggie with his tail between his legs, being overly nice towards my direction. I do not like that evil little man—not at the least, and I’m not alone on that one.
Is it just me, or do you see the resemblance as well?
Oh well... I just realized yesterday that next week I'll be in Vegas! Whoohooo!!!
Unfortunately, because of this trip, Nicholas will be missing his first day of kindergarten. I arrive on the day he starts. My daughter was going to take him, but I'm not quite sure how he is going to behave starting a new school without me being there. We are going to pretend that his first day of school starts next week on Thursday, instead of Wednesday. Would be pretty bad if I wrote in his baby book: "Mommy wasn't able to take you to your first day of kindergarten, because she was gambling in Vegas with Dad." Lovely, huh? So, we are going to start a day late. No biggie. My other kids have started school much later.
I will never forget the day my oldest started kindergarten. Poor girl started a week late, and had a broken arm as a souvenir from her trip to the Azores. There she was in a strange classroom, with kids she had never met before, with a woman (teacher) who would take Mommy's place for the next 4 1/2 hours. My two older children never went to preschool, so the adjustment was a little harder for them. I will never forget my daughter's face, as her teacher, Ms. Welcher held her tight from her chair, while poor Lizzy was waving her cast in the air exclaiming, "Mommy! Don't go...Mommy!!"
Kindergarten teachers are special people. I absolutely loved my kindergarten teacher, and I still remember her name. Miss Maxwell. She used to call me her "lost lamb" because I was constantly following her around the classroom-I was terribly shy in school. I must have annoyed the hell out of her. She was the prettiest woman I knew (except for my mom of course). She worked with another teacher, Ms. Willett. Imagine my surprise when I got the letter from my son's school with Nicholas' assigned teacher. Underneath her name was Ms. Willett. I cannot believe this woman STILL teaches kindergarten. My God.. She must be pushing 65 already.. Now I'm curious to see if she is the same woman.
I'm bored to death here at work. I just packed another box of bunny rabbits I had displayed in my office. I'm unsure if I should take them home with me, or display them in my new office across the hall. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like Lolly man is moving any time soon, and it's going to be so annoying sharing an office with him. Oh well...what can you do. Perhaps the bunny rabbits will keep him away from me. He'll be so creeped out by them, that he will stay away, and leave me alone. I still have that Wizard of Oz calendar. I can cut out the pictures and hang them on his door..
Andrew, my nephew Brett, and my cousin Tania were not the only ones graduating this year. These were taken yesterday:
I present to you, Nicholas, preschool graduate, 2008:
Posing before the ceremony.
Walking to his diploma..
With diploma taking his seat...
My "baby" is growing up!
This is so cute.. I love this ride. Here it is, in care of Lizzy:
