My Neighbors

 I am very very grateful to have sweet neighbors at my new house. It's a young couple and the wife's brother (e-hay is a hole-way other-nay ory-stay) with two young kids. The little boy's name is Edgar - he was real shy towards me at first. His sister's name is Ximena and she is the CUTEST little thing. I mean...cute, cute, cute. She is outgoing and curious and Edgar has to translate everything she tells me because I can't understand her. She just points and goes, "eh!" or does a series of different voice tones. Edgar always knows what she wants.

When I first moved in, I was excited to see I would be having cute neighbors. I gave Edgar a little Hot Wheels car and Ximena a little toy cat. From that moment on, we were BFFs!! I'm not kidding - ha! If I want any peace and quiet after coming home from school I have to remove my house key from the ring so they don't hear my keys jingling. Edgar caught me the other day when I was trying to sneak into my house. I was tiptoeing up the stairs when I I heard a shout of joy from inside his house then out he runs with his arms stretched wide, like, "TA DA!!!!!! I'm here!"

 I am always so embarrassed when Ximena runs out of my house screaming crying. There is no in between for her - she always cries like someone is cutting off her hand. Of course, it's not my fault, but I still feel guilty. The first time, I was fixing Austin lunch and had my back turned to the kids. All of a sudden Ximena BUSTS OUT with that awful wail. I whip around....the first thing Edgar said was, "I DIDN'T HIT HER!" Augh! That little booger.

Edgar came over one day after I'd put up my Christmas decorations. He was playing with one of the plastic ornaments and threw it down really hard on the floor. Of course, it broke. I was like, "Heyyyy...why'd you do that??" He got a shocked look on his face, climbed off the couch, and told me, "I'll be right back."

 He came back a few minutes later with a handful of candy and said, "This is for you." 

HAHA! 

 Ximena likes to get into the roller carts I have under the kitchen counter. She takes out my tea bags and gives them to me, one by one.

 I sent this picture to Nicole as a joke one day - 

"The kids are over and I am entertaining them!"

It is a joke in my family - everyone knows I like fire. LOL.

 The kids like to take all my shoes off the rack I have by the door and have me try them on. It was during this game that Ximena had another one of her crying episodes and embarrassed me yet again. HAHAHA. I picked her up and am trying to shush her before her mom ran over, but to no avail. I tried to explain to her mom what happened...as Ximena is screaming at the top of her lungs and doing that no-breathing thing. "SHE HIT HER HEAD ON THE CORNER OF MY COUCH WHILE TRYING TO TAKE MY SHOES OFF THE SHELF RIGHT HERE." Both kids left at this point so I had to do the walk of shame and take back all the toys they'd left at my house.

 I don't know why I am so paranoid around kids. Maybe because I never really babysat when I was younger. I just don't feel like I have that much experience...I don't consider myself as being very "kid-friendly". I mean, I LIKE kids. But...I don't know. I kind of feel nervous around them. 

I am doubly paranoid around Mexican kids though, especially babies - like Ximena. Some people here have so many eird-way beliefs, you never know when you are breaking a rule or doing something that their mom thinks could kill them or put their health at risk. I like to run around barefoot in my house and I don't know how many times someone from my church has seen me and said *gasp* "You're going to get sick!" One guy told me that my oes-tay were eventually going to get spread all out. He'd seen it happen before! *EYE ROLLLLLLL* (Now that I think about it, was he trying to say I am fat?!)

 Ximena took her shoes and socks off and refused to let me put them back on. Me and my neighbors share a porch so when her dad came outside I made sure to get on to Ximena loudly..."Girl, you better put your shoes on or you're gonna get SICK!" I'd done my part - it was out of my hands now - ha!

Technically, we are not allowed to have pets in this apartment. But....apparently Edgar threw a it-fay and ended up with a puppy. It is just a mutt, but part pit bull. I was happy about this development - ever since Nicole got engaged, the idea of having a little animal to snuggle with and keep me company has sounded better and better. I am figuring if my landlord doesn't say anything to my neighbors, he won't say anything to me and I can get one of my own. :-/ (We'll see how it goes.)

(Dad? Hi. Umm...If you are reading this - I've decided on a Yorkie. ☺ They are small, hypoallergenic, and oh so cute. Heh heh.)

She never wants to sleep in her bed. She'll sleep on top a bag of trash, a pile of clothes, or in the dust pan.

I've always thought all puppies were cute until I saw this little gal. My first thought was, "Man. This is gonna be one ugly dog." However, one night she was outside my door whining and it was really cold. I got a blanket and wrapped her up and put her in her little box. She snuggled right down and didn't budge for the rest of the night. I cringe as I type this: It was really, really cute. Ugh. I am tryyyyying not to get attached. She itches constantly and is losing patches of hair on her bum. I know she needs a flea color and some de-wormer pills...but she's not mine. I am scared that soon I'll be picking up her p**p. Gaaaaa.

 I'll come home from church sometimes and she'll be splayed out on the porch beside a ripped-into bag of trash, obviously having just gorged herself on some treat. She is so fat...you pick her up and she just grunts. (This pic was taken before having noticed the sores on her belly and hair-loss on her posterior. Anyone thinking of the same diagnosis as me? The one...the only...the feared....MAAAAAAAANGE!!! Let's all go wash our hands.)

~Bethany~