The proper care and bandaging of husbands...

Last Friday, Luis rode his bike home from the gym. And this is what happened:And this is what's happened every day since then:

In spite of the so-very-many reasons I worry about my ability to be a good mother, this incident has reaffirmed the (small) voice inside that tells me I have it in me to learn how to 'mother'. I was reminded of the part of me that loves to take care of people.

When Luis arrived home he was in a lot of pain. My (maternal? worried? wifey?) instincts kicked in and within seconds I had him propped up in the bathtub with a bottle of hydrogen peroxide poised and ready (sorry, Lui). I got his leg cleaned up and bandaged, prepared a comfy spot in the living room where he could beckon for the essentials with an elevated leg, and made lunch with a side of ibuprofen before the swelling even had a chance to go down.

While sterilizing, bandaging, cooing, and soothing, the thought was running through my head that this could have been so much worse. Granted, it was/is certainly painful and will take awhile to heal, but it could have been his head that split open. His leg could have been broken. There could have been a car passing in the instant that Luis swerved into the road to miss the guy with the weed-wacker (conveniently turning with his whirling yard tool just as Luis passed by). It could have been a million things that it was not. And I loved my husband that much more for being alive, for being here and not in the back of an ambulance, for sitting on the edge of the bathtub while I poured bubbling hellfire into his leg and telling me that he loved me while I was doing it.

If I have learned one thing recently, it is that people need care. Children, husbands, parents, friends... even us, the ones who write about the others, we need to know that we're loved and cared for. We need to feel that someone will be there to clean us up when we fall. This is the proper bandaging of people, really. I certainly have need of it, and I think most people do. And in addition to that need, we have the need to bandage up each other. I think it makes us feel grateful when we do.

I wub you, Wui. I'm so grateful that you're safe. I'm so happy to clean you up when you crash on your bike. I'm thankful for the blessings we have... we may feel they are numbered and few, but I'm grateful that they are ours.

Folks, do something good for the human race tonight... take care of someone you love.

Where we live...

Hi friends! Come on in...

The things we make...

I married an artist.

While he was sleeping...

Thank you for leaving comments!! People read my blog! Real people read my blog! And it's extra super-duper because now I can read yours too! I am as Kip, singing these timeless words of praise: "Yes, I love technology... but not as much as you, you see... Always and forever, always and forever". This blogging stuff is fun!

I eluded to a few things in my initial post. One, that Luis is a sleep talker. Two, that we have created some cool things in our months of marriage. Three, that there is a story behind our meeting, dating, and courtship. Four, that I need to catch up on a couple of years of blogging and a subsequent bevy of photos. I've had a hard time deciding in the last couple of days where to start. I mean, do I start from the beginning and work my way to the present, or do I start with today and work myself backwards while trying to keep up with the present? Or do I simply skip a designated order and just say what's on my mind? (Any advice from the experienced bloggers in the crowd?) I decided to at least touch on one of the teasers I wrote about last time, so here it is... my first installment of "While He Was Sleeping".

In the early morning hours a few months ago, Luis semi-awoke to sleep-walk himself to the loo. I assumed he was fully awake as it takes some degree of small motor skills to use the toilet, but when he returned to bed I realized that he was not only exempt from this small motor skill division but was apparently capable of doing his business without the need of full consciousness. I, on the other hand, have to be completely awake. But I digress.

As he climbed back into bed, these were the words that came out of his mouth: "I, Huicho (pronounced Wee-Cho, a common nickname in Spanish for the name Luis), having received many, many blessings of the Lord, I do now go back to bed." After which explanation, he promptly pulled up the covers and was dead to the world within seconds.

We laughed about this for days. Obviously. Then there was the night he re-enacted the great Mexico City earthquake of 1985 in his sleep. He dreamt about the rolling pavement and crumbling buildings he had seen in his youth, vocalizing these images as well as their coinciding emotions for all the neighborhood to hear, without waking himself up for even a moment. Remarkable. Or the time I kept poking him to roll over (here it comes... he snores), and rather than rolling over, it went something like this:
Ali: Lui... Lui...
Lui: Mmmphhhhrrhhh.
Ali: Lui, honey, can you roll?
Lui: Aaaaaah, yeah. I can rock and roll.

Now, granted, he can dance and he can sing. But he did neither of these things. Nor did he roll over. He just made the statement and went right on snoring. I've finally adapated to wearing ear plugs at night, but I don't want to miss all the good stuff so I usually end up taking them out. He often sings little songs and speaks foreign languages while he's dreaming. Only occassionally will I wake him up, mainly if it sounds like his dreams are taking him to not-so-pretty places, like the earthquake. Or the Veggie Tales dream where he was Bob the Tomato, joyfully skipping along with Larry the Cucumber. Not that this wasn't a pretty place to catch some zzzz's, it had more to do with the wild flailing movement of his limbs. Surprising, since the Veggie Tales don't have any.

Yes, we have had some good laughs in the morning when I recount the night's events to my darling dear.

First, a little background...

As we (finally) make our blog debut (it's about time) on this 18th day of May (should have been months ago), we open our cyberspace arms to you, dear readers (please, let there be readers) and declare ourselves... (drum roll, please)... The Bi-Cultural, The Magnificent, The Hilarious...Dos Bonillas!

As you will soon become an avid follower of our antics, quips, and sage advice, you should know that Luis eats his favorite candy, grape Nerds, in the shower; that I am a habitual eyebrow-plucker... doesn't matter whose, yours, mine, Lui's, (yes, I have openings should you need an appointment,and my, my, my... it looks like you do); and that Luis talks in his sleep. A lot. I figure if all I ever wrote about here were the funny things he says while sleeping, we could both quit our day jobs and live off the charitable contributions our blog following would surely provide (less work = more sleep = increased occurence of funny things murmed while sleeping... math really does make sense). Yes, he is that funny, ladies and gentleman. Oh, and one last important thing, we're crazy about each other.

We've been married for almost two years and live in Midvale, Utah. We are fortunate to have family surrounding us on every side and while it does get a little squished living like this, we are so happy for the time we're able to spend together. We love playing Bananagrams with my parents, making snow cones with our nephews, eating Luis's sister's authentic Mexican food, and hosting impromptu barbecues out on our patio. Luis and I enjoy cooking together and have often thought about opening a restaraunt (all in favor say 'AYE' to the tune of a $5 donation?!!?!). He is a genuine salsa wizard and has delighted the palate of many a guest. I like experimenting with different cuisines and coming up with my own adaptations (which, translated, means improvising with what's in the pantry). We are both artistic people with a passion for creating and have really had fun putting our talents together.

I feel so blessed to call Luis my husband, my friend, my co-conspirator, my buddy, my light, my joy, my Wu. He brings a lot of laughter to our home with his, er, interpretive dancing (the "Bumble Bee" is my personal favorite), his little songs (he'll sing "Oh, Crispy Butt" by request... just ask!), and his sparkly eyes. Really! If you've ever met him you'll know what I mean. He has eyes that literally dance with happiness. They are the shiniest eyes I've ever seen. I suppose that was one of the things I liked about him the most when we met. Oh, but 'how we met'... well, that's another story for another time.

For now, we have a couple of years of blogging to catch up on and I'm pretty sure I hear Lui hollering from the shower. He must be out of Nerds.