My aunt Isabel is really great. Since she first moved here ten years ago, she’s always had a magical quality to me. She upholds this now with her own children, too — they think she’s quite literally capable of doing anything and seeing everything they do. (The other day Sophia said during conversation, “But how do you know? Is it because you’re a mommy?” I told her that I am in fact, not yet a mom. Then she said, “Did you know that when you become one you get to know everything?” It was precious). 

Anyway… Isabel is wonderwoman. Her skills in everything are incredible. (She started college at sixteen, if that gives you any idea of her intelligence).

She’s really sweet, too. I was kind of nervous while driving the other day, and I thought she couldn’t tell… but she put her hand on my shoulder and said: “Relax. It’s not brain surgery, mi vida.” She also tells me to “just keep swimming” when we’re merging onto the highway. Hahah. :) And when we put the kids to bed at night, they want to snuggle with us both, so we all climb in and make a snuggle pile. I’ll never grow out of that love of being mothered and she gets that. (Isabel understands, because she admits that she would snuggle with her mom every morning before work up until she got married, which was in her thirties. In Venezuela, she never really had a need to move out of the house. There was always something she could be helping with and doing. Not to mention, if it’s not easy to buy your own car there, imagine how it is to buy or rent your own living space). Living with her is just really great, but it’s also making me realize the love I lack with my mom. Kind of a wakeup call of sorts. Mom and I used to be really close, but now she’s swamped with work all the time, and we never have any genuine bonding time. It makes me want to better my relationship with her, for sure. 

But anyway… it’s gnocchi time. Can’t wait. 

Catch you later, dudes.

• Woke up
• Got dressed
• Went downstairs
• Didn’t want breakfast
• Made the tiny humans breakfast
• Took the tiny humans to their last day of school
• Went to the post office
• Mailed letters for my uncle
• Carried out two huge boxes for my uncle
• Arrived in driveway
• Struggled to get them out of the backseat
• Finally succeeded
• Carried boxes inside
• Said “Hola!” to Delores, to which she simply but affectionately replied: “Hola, niña!”
• Went upstairs and did this

But at noon Isabel comes home, we start making the gnocchi and sauce from scratch, and then all is right with the world. Tiramisu for dessert, maybe…. because I had some last night, and my body seemed to have no idea what to do with either the espresso or the rum. It’s been two years since I’ve had anything even remotely close to coffee or alcohol, and I combined both into one eating experience. Too much. 

But maybe it’ll be better this evening. Who knows? 

In the meantime, I’m just going to do what I do best: Chill out.