Lawyers' services - DC Area

I hope you never need the services of a Medical Lawyer, that means you have a great life out of medical trouble. But in case you do need a lawyer you can find in DC a great Law firm called The Abelson Law Firm and they can help you in several fields. Washington DC medical malpractice lawyers also offer the services for car accidents, defective products and other problems needing law assistance.

Quoizel Blowout Sale - Check it Out

In case you are interested in quoizel lighting please be informed that you can find a Quoizel Blowout Sale at lightingshowplace.com. For a limited time you can take advantage of 70% off in the discontinuous models. You can find lights for outdoor and indoor at really low prices.

Take advantage of this sale, visit the site and check the best models for your home.

Home Movies

I'm really annoyed and sad that paid opportunities have decreased a lot. I was getting extra money that has been a life saver for me.

This last two weeks I've been writing mainly for one company let's be realistic I already know which opps are available so some days I don't even check. Maybe there was a little lost of interest caused by the sadness of the PR0's

I took advantage of this little free time to spend with my kids at the end of the day and on Sunday we watched Shrek the Third and yesterday and today (half each day) we watched Treasure Planet.

The kids really enjoyed the movies and they were quiet watching them. I said quiet? Well...yes we can say that they were relatively calm watching the movies.

Candles in the Bathroon: Decoration or real use?

Do you use candles in your bathroom? I don't spend much time in the bathroom once I have the kids always around, and even when they are already in bed I just take a shower never a long bath.

I've seen some friends bathrooms with candles but I really think they don't use them for lighting purposes but yes as bathroom decor. I know there are some candle we can even use in the bath but I wonder, with all the steam caused by the hot water will the candles stay lighten up. Just curious...

I want a Platform Bed for my Bedroom

Refurnish my house is something that I want to do soon or later or better, when I can afford it.

On a previous post I already mentioned what I want to do with my living room, and with my master room, well...I want a whole new bedroom.

I have white furniture that over the years has turned yellow and with spots that don't disappear. There are beautiful modern platform beds in pine that I love. I enjoy the Japonese style with straight lines but i don't know if I can find it in pine. Although my room is not that big, I'm sure a platform bed would fit in there together with two side bed tables. Other furniture I needed I could put it in the dressing room.

Plans I have, solutions...well...I NEED EXTRA MONEY.

Danger at School

My son is in a "wrong school" what caused me a lot of headaches. Not only he is among much older students, there are some, lets call them "nasty boys", around, that mess with the younger ones.

My nephew is also in the same school, he's 12 and he got really scared yesterday. Some "nasty boys" asked him for money and he said no and...he saw his life in danger. He was able to get help in school, called her mother (my SIL) and she immediately went to the school where her son was in a shock state, vomiting and very disturbed. A complaint was filled and I hope someone will do something.

Every day that goes by I'm more afraid that my son is on that school. He's 8, can't defend himself as a 12 years old.

These "nasty boys" enter in the school with white weapons and they are very aggressive.

They are from "Cigana" race (Gipsy) but, has any other child, they have the right to education, the problem is that they already beg for money outside with their parents and they take that education to the school. I don't want to see them discriminated just because they live on the streets or belong to a different race but the truth is: they can be dangerous and measures must be taken. Some of them with 10 or 12 years old already smoking and taking drugs.

I know that a special program should be followed with these children including a drug rehab program but when they leave school they find a family environment that doesn't help them at all.

I keep warning my son about those kids, the nasty ones. Regarding the "good ones" my son already has a friend at school, but I'm still afraid...

Note: I have nothing against "Ciganos".

My new Blog - Laura's Daily Life

Some of you already know, some didn't noticed but I have a new blog: Laura's Daily Life: Parenting and Reviewing. That domain was supposed to replace this Blogspot blog but I just started writing there new posts and the future will tell if I will transfer or not these blog posts to the new domain.

Laura's Daily Life as the name says, it's my daily life put into words, specially child related. What do I mean?

Having two kids in the house, 5 years apart, a boy and a girl, as you probably can imagine a lot of issues comes on a daily basis. They have different personalities, different ways of living, talking, behaving, and I do a lot of research and reading trying to find ways to deal with them and give them the appropriate education.

With my real parenting questions and issues and with the answers I get from the research and reading I'll write about how to handle certain parenting situations. In the middle I will write some reviews of books, movies, toys, games, etc.

If there are full time working moms out there reading this post please leave a comment with your URL, I'll be please to read your blogs and know how you handle a full time job (I work in an office - I'm not a SAHM), your children and a house to take care of not to mention your marriage with all the stuff you have to do.

Extra Money is welcome

Although all my page ranks dropped to Zero and there are fewer opportunities for me to write, PayU2Blog was generous to me last week and assigned me some extra tasks. I'm very pleased they did this specially because, and I'm not thinking about Christmas presents, in January I have my term life insurance and a semester of medical care to pay for. It's a lot of money for only one month and extra money really comes handy.

Going on a diet when you like sweets so much

My husband is overweighted and for the last months I've been trying to convince him to go on a diet. We changed our meals because of his gout's problem and he really tries to eat healthier (at meal time). He eats a lot of soup and fruit but the problem is when he just grabs a pack if cookies or chocolates and eats them all.

He's not a beer guy or alcohol drinker in fact he doesn't drink anything with alcohol , but he likes to eat what he shouldn't: cookies, fried potatoes, chocolates, gums, sodas. He doesn't want to take any loss weight pills or even use a diet patch. He does daily medication for blood pressure and gout and he is afraid it could interfere. I guess that unless he wants to lose weight he's never going to go on a diet for real.

Hoping and dreaming for free

Will there be a time when I can afford to go on vacation, even only for the weekend, and don't worry about laundry, cleaning, floor wash, money, etc etc etc. ?

Well, there is a saying here that says "Hope is the last thing to die" so I keep hoping some day I can go away for the weekend without having to worry about those things.

As I live near the ocean I wouldn't mind changing landscapes and head to the mountains, Pigeon Forge cabins are very tempting, who knows...one day...

Crazy Weekend

I haven't written a single post this weekend. Why? I was among all the clothes I had to wash, put out to dry and iron. Plus 2 kids that drive me crazy all weekend, screaming at each other, asking for things, I want this, I want that....and when I want something they don't do it.

My son is changing his approach towards his sister, when she does something he doesn't like he just screams at her very loud and wants to beat her. I know she can be very annoying and stubborn sometimes but it's not her job to tell her so. Saturday morning I was alone at home with them and I really had a hard time with them.

This weekend I barely had time to play with them or to be near them...I have a terrible backache because I spend the whole Saturday and half Sunday standing up doing laundry and cleaning.

On Summer we just use a T-Shirt or a shirt, pants or shorts and that's it, now in winter is clothes over clothes and that means a lot of clothes to wash.

Since my husband changed jibs he arrives home late, that means a little more money but also little time at home and almost no help around the house so...I get everything on my back.

I need to spice up the couple relationship

My relationship needs to spice up. I know, you can say that we can jump in bed and spice it up. Not that easy.

Working both full time, with too kids, no one to help around the house with the house issues (laundry, cleaning, shopping) we barely have time to speak. Even when the kids are occupied with something we take advantage of that time to do the things we usually don't have time to, like fix something that is broken, wash some walls, etc.

At night even when the kids are asleep, my husband likes to watch TV and I like to blog. With some paid assignments schedule I can't avoid blogging, I can't deny that sometimes is not for the money but I also love to blog and write my posts. I get mad when I have stuff to write and I don't have time and then I feel it's to late to write about something that happened a few days before.

Every week I say to myself that I have to schedule the blogging with the house duties and kids issues to have more free time to be with my husband, even if it is just watching a movie, but I always end up not having the time or falling asleep.

I see in the movies housewives seducing their husbands with beautiful lingerie like babydolls or corsets but that's the movies, people that usually don't work, and have time and money to buy good stuff.

After a full working day, after house duties, I just want a good night sleep. Yeap I know...there are better things I could do...

I'm still digesting the no-surgery issue

I'm still recovering from he no-surgery of Flower. Right now she's here sleeping next to me and is snoring like hell, if she had done the surgery she would be breathing silently.

I started giving her yesterday the antibiotic prescribed in the hospital but once she has no infection I don't know what it really will be good for. Maybe as a prevention for flu and colds but it will only last for a couple of weeks, after that she will be again in touch with the real world and when they call her again in January she can be sick.

I just hoped this could be over and that I could buried this surgery thing this year. Well, I guess I have to start 2008 already with at least one issue to take care of.

Surgery Day or better: No surgery Day

The night was very, very windy and rainy. We left home at 5:30 and it was raining just a little bit. Flower was awake for a while and only when we almost in Lisbon she felt asleep.

At 7.10am we were at the hospital, we waited a little and at 7.45 we were in. As usual, in the morning, Flower as a little expectoration on her throat that after coughing a few times it goes away. The anesthetist, a real b*i**** was in a bad mood and when she heard flower coughing the first time she said she did not authorized the surgery because she was full of expectoration. This was said only with one cough. I said it was normal in the morning but she insisted and although her lungs were clean she refused to make the surgery. She prescribed a antibiotic and sent us home.

She was very rude and I really was not impressed with that behavior and I even doubted her skills.

We come home, two more hours driving, in the afternoon Flower slept 3,5 hours, she was exhausted. When she woke up we ate and I decided to take her to a private clinic we are associates and get an appointment with a doctor once I heard no expectoration and I doubted the anesthetists report.

I was right, her lungs are clean and she could have had the surgery. The doctor says he doesn't understand the report and the only reason for the antibiotic is prevention, not treatment because she has nothing. We don't know now when she is going to be called again, probably only in January. If I give her the antibiotic now there is no certainty that she's going to be ok in January.

Due to the difference of temperatures, we had between 10 and 12ºC outside with 20ºC inside the car and 26ºC in the hospital, we are all having running noses and sore throat. I just hope Flower isn't really going to be sick now due to all this...circus.

My point is that she went to Lisbon well, no cough (only the morning one ...like clearing her throat), no fever, no pain and she ended up with no surgery. She's sleeping here next to me, snoring like crazy and she could be sleeping here already cured. I'm mad...really mad.

I wish I could pay for an Orlando rental home and get some vacations.

Preparations for Flower's Surgery

Yesterday it was time to prepare everything for Flower's surgery that was taking place today.

My son was sleeping over at my SIL, he was anxious but a little nervous since it was his first sleep over. Bags prepared for two days, the surgery was only one day but something could happen and I prepared everything for two days.

At 6.15pm I received a phone call at work from my husband saying my car was broken and we didn't have a car to drive to Lisbon for the surgery today. I got mad... After several failed solutions I ended up asking my bosses fr one of the companies car which they immediately accepted.

After dinner I stayed with flower and my husband took Sun, already on his pajama ,to my SIL' house. Sun was really happy to sleep over with his cousins and he feels really confortable at their house. One of the things he loves is the exercise room where my SIL has some exercise equipment and is also used as a library.

When my husband arrived home we set up our clocks for 5am and went to sleep.

Twitter - Twittering with Bloggers

Although time is scarce, I signed up for Twitter and I'm loving it. I use Messenger everyday day for leisure and for work but Twitter goes beyond chat.

This service allow us to follow what a certain people is doing by sending message through internet or cell phone (also IM). You don't need to engage in a long chat, or jumping from tab to tab to read what people are doing. I use TwitterFox to follow all the messages and reply to some. I have all messages in one window and I can reply from that same window. So far...so fun.

Only two days for Flower's surgery!

Flower's Ballet Classes

My daughter has been very excited to start Ballet classes, so yesterday she was able to go to a "test" class just to check if she liked it or not. Well, she was a "must", she loved the class and according to the teacher she did everything "relatively" right.

At night at home, we had to sit in the sofa for a Ballet show, and imagine what: she really has the "ballet motion".

As she's having the surgery next week I will only enroll her in the beginning of December. Let's see how it works.

Santa Claus, I need a new car. Can you bring me one for Christmas?

My husband's car went to the annual inspection and we were already informed that next year it won't be approved. This means...trouble. We will have to buy a new or used car next year and we probably won't have the money. Loans are out of the question once we can't afford any more monthly bill.

I've been checking some brands and models (both our cars are FIAT) and I really would like something from Toyota or Honda but they are reaaallyyy expensive. Maybe I can buy a old one and put some Dodge Charger accessories on it to make it look newer.

P.S.: I just received a phone call from my husband saying that the car must have some battery problem because in the morning it didn't want to start. Urhg.....

No feeling well.

Yesterday night I didn't even connect to internet, I was too sick to do so. I was feeling nauseous and faint sensation so I just drank a glass of water with sugar and went to bed.

I think the anxiety is here to stay until next Tuesday. Why? Because it's Flower's surgery and I'm already stressing about it. Even knowing that it is a simple surgery well, she'll be under general anesthesia and there are always some risks.

Today I'm feeling sick, with headaches, and I just want to go home, but...I have to work and I've got to be in the office for 9.5 hours, so, still a along away to go.

Change to new domain or not?

I'm really thinking about changing this blog. How? I already have a domain for two months waiting for it. My doubt is that I have a PR2 here that allows me to take a few paid posts (although very, very few lately). The new domain is a PR0 of course, so I don't really know what to do:

1. Keep the two blogs

• Advantages: I'll continue to take opps on this blog as a PR2
• Disadvantages: I'll have to maintain two blogs and I might not get a good PR in the new domain

1. I change this blog to the new domain now:

• Advantages: I will have only one family and parenting blog that allows me to keep all posts in the same blog and build a PR.
• Disadvantages: I will lose the PR2

Thinking...

Any opinions?

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The surgery day is approaching

The clock is ticking, days go by and Flower's surgery day is approaching. Only one week away. Although it is a simple surgery, the anxiety is increasing. She will be fully anesthetized, so there are always some risks.

We have already arranged for Sun to stay the night at my SIL once we have to leave at around 5.30am. I hope Flower will sleep all the way because she can't eat or drink after 00.00am and if she is awake she will ask for her milk. It's going to be tough.

There is also another issue, she can't be sick until the surgery, the weather is changing but I hope it doesn't affect her in any way, otherwise we will have to postpone the surgeru.

I haven't told her about what will happen and I won't tell her. I just wish it was tomorrow and finish this.

Mexico Vacations and White Sand Beaches

In the office we work mainly with Mexico. My bosses spend a lot of time there, visiting clients and also on vacation. They say beaches are wonderful and that Riviera Maya is a wonderful vacation destiny.

Karisma Hotels are the right choice for accommodations while on Mexico Vacations. There are several Karisma beaches resorts along the Riviera Maya that offer their clients an exclusive and unique reception and services.

Whether you are looking for a great couple vacation, a family vacation, honeymoon or just a casual vacation, at Karisma Hotels you will find the outstanding staff sympathy, delicious meals (not only Mexican meals but from several countries), SPA treatments, gorgeous rooms and suites and other services depending on the type of vacations you are on.

I hope some day I will be able to visit the Mexican white sand beaches and have a great vacation.

Husbands' Birthday

Yesterday it was my husband's birthday. As usual there was no birthday party, just a birthday cake, because without a cake it is nor a birthday for the kids.

His presents were Brut After Shave and a T-Shirt. I wanted to take some photos but the camera run out of battery before I could take one, and when the battery was charged...well...the cake was already reduced to half.

A friends showed up after dinner and we had a great time chatting, laughing and drinking champagne.

One day closer to retirement. :)

School rollercoaster

My son is on 3rd grade, a very difficult year that requires a lot of follow up and teacher/student complicity. My son's teacher, who is 52, decided to retire from teaching. She entered the papers in September and last week she received the notification that she was retired. How do I know that? Because my son told me, no one else, the teacher or a school representative, informed us of this situation.

The substitute teacher well she was pregnant at the time she was assigned but now she is in maternity leave, meaning, she can come to give classes to the students, and...a substitute of the substitute teacher was assigned. Confused?...well...i haven't finished yet...she's pregnant.

Let me explain: So, my son now is having classes with the substitute (that is pregnant) of the substitute teacher (who is in maternity leave). What is going to happen we really don't know but if the pregnant teacher gives birth soon, my son will have two substitute teachers on maternity leave and a new substitute must be assigned. This substitute will be the substitute of the substitute of the substitute teacher. Even more confused' Me too.

My son this school year, that was supposed to be a regular and well taught year, on my point of view will be a messy one.

All start because my son's teacher, who is a public employee, can require retirement at the age of 52 when a regular worker of no matter what job, can only ask for retirement at the age of 65. This teacher will receive a pension equal to the salary she was receiving while teaching AND she opened a study center where she is going to received her students for extra curricular activities and get paid for that. Is it fair? I don't think so.

Teachers work 25 hours a week plus a few to correct tests and prepare lessons (which I think are already prepared from past years and tests are corrected in class while the students are doing other activities) and a regular worker has to work at least 40 hours a week. Regarding retirement payments, teachers receive the same amount as if they were working and a regular worker only receives a percentage of the salary.

I just home my son can cope with all these changes and that his grades don't fall down.

A bad day...just letting it out

Today is one of that days I feel like I'm fed up with everything. I want to quit my job, I don't want to prepare coffee for my bosses, I don't want to prepare the daily remedy my boss drinks on his bottled water, I don't want to go to their office 50 times a day because now they want this, 5 minutes later they want that.

I'm fed up of hearing suppliers complains about not getting paid and with Ferrari and Mercedes and Hummer and so on, on the office parking place.

I wish I could worry less about office issues. Of course they are the ones that pay me at the end of the month but I have the right to be fed up don't I?

I know I could make some money on the internet if I had more time. The PR changed to 2 so almost no tasks to write, also being a No-US resident is a problem because most tasks are for US and Canadian posties. I could make a salary out of internet income if I tried but, what about next year, in two years time, will I be able to still make money online? What if US companies just "close" tasks to Europeans? Portugal is on the tale of all this, no one knows what a PR is or SEO or post advertisement, or paid link, no one knows that some companies could improve their business if they did it.

I could spread the word around here but most people would think it's not worth the try. Some don't even use internet and think that advertising on the internet is a waste of money.

I wish I could establish my own business. I know many people are with the same thoughts. This is just a bad day, I'll get over it.

From the Weekend - Sunday

On Sunday we went to another park we have in the city and sun played with his knew toy: a Radio Controlled boat. It's a simple one, but for Sun it was a present he was asking for a long time. Dad found a cheap one and he bought it, Sun was excited but had to wait 6 hours to charge the battery. Unfortunately, after so many hours of charge, the battery lasts less than an hour.

Of course Flower wanted to try it too but...she really needs some driving lessons.

The ducks were a little surprised by the sudden water traffic increase, although sometimes there are 2 or 3 boats on the lake.

It was a sunny day, very hot for this time of the year. After the park we went for our weekend visit to the sea. It was blue and very calm. Better than some summer days.

From the Weekend - Saturday

On Saturday we spent the afternoon in the play park where the kids played in the sliders and the swings.

It amazes me how parents can leave the kids playing freely all over a big park that also includes tenis and football courts, a small stage for live concerts and a part for radical sports besides the lake and the coffee store where "some" parents relax.

We were playing in a big swing were several children can swing at the same time when a little boy asked to swing. I looked around and saw no parents. I started asking a few questions like: Where are your parents? He said: coffee. How old are you?, he said: three; what's your name? and here start the problem, we couldn't understand his name. From the small conversation we had I realized that the boy had speech problems. At the age of three he couldn't make a complete sentence and his speech was based on screams, growls and a few loose words.

After the swing we went to the lake where we watched the ducks ( I didn't take pictures of these ones...) and the boy followed us, I repeatedly told him he should ask his parents if he could come because we were out of range of the coffee shop. He refused and I thought: I'm not the one that should be worried. The boy was with us for at least 45 minutes without his parents caring to look for him.

We went back to the swing and only when I was taking to someone I know from the City Hall, that even thought he was my son, his mother, probably realizing that we were talking about her son, approached us and started talking to his son.

Maybe I worry too much, but if my son was out of my visual range, I would look for him, approach to see who he was playing with and even start a conversation.

Being invited to a wedding means: spend money

My BIL was invited to a friends' wedding and although the usual gift we give is money, he wants to give a gift once he's the groomsman, something physical.

He was talking about giving Cufflinks as a groomsmen gift and I said: Do men still use that? Well it's seems it's fashionable but it confuses me how the cufflinks don't fall, they are not sewed to the clothes like buttons.

I'm happy it's not me that was invited to a wedding. Even if we already have clothes to wear the amount of money we usually have to give as a gift is very high specially for my budget.

All Saints Day

Yesterday it was “All Saints Day”. On this day kids are all over the streets asking for “Bread” or “Cookies”, it’s a sort of Trick and Treat but it’s done on the morning and without costumes.

Sun and two neighbors, went all over the surroundings of our location and for 3 hours he walked and brought home cookies, chestnuts, sweets, chocolates, jellies, apples, etc., etc.

I walked with Flower for 1.5 hours and we also brought home a lot of sweets and chocolates. For her it was a little strange the fact that we were knocking at other people doors asking for “Bread”, but she loved it although in the end she was already tired of walking around.

On the condominium, in the afternoon we bought some chestnuts, wine, cookies, appetizers, etc.,etc. and all the neighbours gathered outside chatting, eating and drinking. We don’t usually gather together like this and it was a good experience that we want to repeat.

Am I the only one that it's not travelling?

While we were chatting with the neighbors yesterday I realized that we are the only ones that never travel or goes away for the weekend. After 13 years of marriage I still struggle with money and don’t have the chance to spend some for travel and leisure.

I live near a singer and this morning he and is wife were heading to Maldives one week without the kids. I can understand how: he’s a singer and therefore a lot of income; she works in a bank meaning a good salary.

Another neighbor family was going today to Serra da Estrela and is staying there until Sunday. I can understand: they have only one kid and since she is her own boss she doesn’t have to pay for daycare.

Another neighbor family went a few weeks ago to Mexico: Big salaries or family members help.

Others have a RV and go away very often. Others...well it doesn't matter.

I'm not envying them, each person has the life that can afford and I hope next year will be a better year and I can spend at least a weekend away from home. I don't need to go to Vegas to have fun, there are a lot of wonderful places in Portugal I don't know and Serra da Estrela is destiny my son has been asking for a long time. It's the only place in Portugal where we can see real snow, so I hope we can go there for a day or two.

Choosing the right present

Buying presents for grown-ups is a big problem for me. A book usually is a good choice but a book every year it's not appropriate.

Gift Certificates are always a good choice. Many Supermarkets, clothes and shoes shops, even home articles shops are getting into the spirit of the gift certificates. I think it's the best choice when we don't know what the other person wants or needs. With a gift certificate they can buy what they really need.

You can also buy a Gift certificate for a beauty treatment on a SPA or a massage and in some hotels you can buy a bed and breakfast gift certificate, this one is good to offer a couple.

If you don't know what to give me over Christmas or on my birthday you can give me a Gift Certificate or...a Paypal transfer would be great. :)