There's some strange creature living inside our walls. I don't know what it is exactly, but at times, you can hear some sort of rustle sound. The problem is that I can't figure out what it is, or how to get it out of there, or how to kill it. This is happening in our bedroom, and it's been happening since very early on.

It doesn't happen every day, but that strange creature loves to move around in the middle of the night. It's very annoying and at times it takes me a while to go to sleep because of it. I'm afraid it's going to open a hole in the wall and surprise me in the middle of the night, or that it'll hit the wall so hard that one of the hanging ornaments is going to fall on my head.

This sounds like some crazy Edgar Allan Poe story, but it's the truth. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. In the meantime, I have enlisted the help of Liam Neeson.

Once again, Elena and I are at the dinner table while little Ellie sits on her car seat. (She would usually sit in her regular play chair, but she...had an accident on it.) While we are talking, Ellie starts blowing raspberries and makes a really loud noise.

A classic viral video. (Did I just say that?) Happy friday everyone!

Elena and I have very interesting conversations at the dinner table. Our dinner conversations mostly take place when we are not eating in a hurry because of little Ellie freaking out. In the moments when she is calm and happy, we dine and we converse. This is from a recent conversation.

Alright, so we are about halfway done with 2012 (time has gone by fast!), so I figured it would be a good time to present you with the the top 10 posts, thus far. These are the most popular entries, the ones you have read the most. So enjoy them again, or if this your first time reading them, then enjoy!

This video is so cheesy and bad, that it ends up being good. It's Friday!!

My wife Elena has written frequently in her blog about how hard it is to get Ellie to sleep. Besides the fact that she refuses to go to sleep earlier than midnight, there are other roadblocks in the way to her sleep, i.e., our sanity.

I just created a free eBook filled with your favorite Cubanisms from the blog, plus a few more new entries! I'm sure this is the first of many to come, and it is completely free! Just download the PDF and that's it. You got Cubanisms on the go now!

you can also click here to get it

Hello everyone. First, I want to bring the word "funky" back. I think it is pretty great and rarely used. Second, I introduce to you a new feature on the blog! Every friday I will post a funny or interesting viral video. Some are old (like the one below) but still pretty fantastic. Check it out!

Ellie Marie is a beautiful and wonderful baby. However, taking care of her is a full-time job plus overtime. There is barely time to do anything. For example, I love to read. Right now, I have about 10 books that I want to read. They are just staring at me from the shelf, taunting me even.

The other day, while I was having some play time with Ellie, I thought of something. Don't kids like being read to? Well, I grabbed the Steve Jobs biography I've been meaning to read and starting reading it to her. It was a win-win. We got to spend time together and I was reading a book I liked. It lasted about 20 minutes, which is like a hundred years in baby world. It was great.

Looking at my shelf, I have books on Public Relations and Marketing, Graphic Design and CSS. Going a this pace, by the time Ellie is 10 years old she might become a genius marketer, technological innovator and savvy web designer.

Watch out Zuckerberg!

Don't let my unreliable Acer fool you, I am a big Apple fanatic. I always have been. For the record, I do own an Apple computer, an older Powerbook G4. Anyway, I'm asking for your help. Many times, you, or someone in your family comes across an old computer that you don't need any more.

As a writer, I can appreciate the crafting of a clever Facebook status update, or just a sweet note to a loved one. On the other hand, I can also easily spot things that annoy me. So, this is my list of the most annoying Facebook status updates:

There seems to be a misconception, or just plain ignorance, where people think I'm Mexican because I'm Hispanic. (I took the ignorance route, rather than just old fashioned racism to give them the benefit of the doubt.)

Newsflash! Not all Hispanics are Mexicans! I know, I know, maybe you were out sick for the entire year when they taught geography in middle school, but there's a whole world of Spanish-speaking nations out there. About the only thing my Mexican brethren and Cubans have in common is the language. Our foods, music, customs and even holidays are different.

I'm sorry that the education system has failed you miserably, so let's learn some things:





As you can see, Cuba is an island, the biggest in the Caribbean and is not even connected to Mexico. The United States on the other hand, is connected to Mexico, but you don't see everyone calling themselves Mexicans.

Yes, many of us may have darker skin (not all, actually) and may speak English with an accent (not all, again), but if you got to know us as individuals, you'll discover an immensely rich and amazing cultural history. I am Cuban and very proud of it, and all my other Hispanic brethren are proud of their nationalities as well. To finalize, I'll leave you with a small list of other Hispanic nations. And who says you can't learn something through a blog?

Argentina
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Cuba
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Guatemala
Honduras
Panama
Peru
Puerto Rico
Uruguay
Venezuela

When my mom was here, she went with Elena, Ellie and me to a friend's house. It was an early fourth of July celebration where many people were gathered. We parked the car, gathered all our belongings (which have quadrupled since the birth of Ellie) and we started walking toward the house. Before we reached the entrance, one of the many guests approached us to meet Ellie and my mom.

July 6-

This was my first fourth of July living in America. Well, not really, but as you know by now Miami is sort of an extension of Cuba. We like fireworks over there, but not to the extent and obsession of my Kansas neighbors.

Over here, it seems that people have been using fireworks since Valentine's Day. A couple of nights ago I woke up terrified to the sound of what sounded like a cannon. "The British are coming!" was my first thought. But I quickly realized that my neighbors decided to defy the authorities and set off fireworks well past midnight.

My mom was also here for the 4th, so she also had a glimpse of the fireworks obsession. Almost every time she heard a loud explosion she asked, "What is that?" or "Are those shots?"

While I can't say for sure that no one pointed their guns to the air and let a couple of bullets test gravity, I assured her that it was only fireworks. But I wasn't going to let my neighbors have all the fun. Earlier in the day, Elena and I bought some fireworks off some tent with a giant balloon-gorilla on it. I know, the previous sentence sounds like the premise for a bad horror movie, but it's the truth. However, after I got going, the fireworks became addicting and soon my supply was dwindling. My sister in law, Rebekah, drove me to another tent in Gage, called Big Daddy, where I bought some more fireworks. I then realized that I became as obsessed with setting things on fire as my law-defiant neighbors.

My wonderful and creative wife came up with this:

My love, you are the most wonderful woman any man could ask for. All the languages in the world don't have enough words to describe what you mean to me. You are a great friend, a wonderful wife and an amazing mother. I wish you a happy birthday and can't wait to spend it with you!

Te amo!

It really helps to have Photoshop at home. I was able to design this simple (but hopefully effective) ad for Elena's photography page.

Last night, I held Ellie in my arms as I watched Elena and mom communicate. Usually, I'm the one translating back and forth. After a while though, I get it all mixed up and speak to my mom in English and Elena in Spanish. But last night was different.

I asked my mom to speak only in English and Elena only in Spanish. It was really great! Of course, I had to step in here and there, but for the most part, both of them did a great job. It was a very fun night and a great way for them to talk more, and learn too.

As far as Ellie goes, she still speaks in her baby language, which is not always easy to figure it out. I'm getting better though.