Spanish language frustrations

I feel like I have come a long way with my Spanish, and it's improving every day.  I speak with my host family in spanish, and Cesar will clarify in English if necessary.  I like my spanish teacher here, and we also spend a lot of time just talking, and especially me listening, as I can know a word when it is written, but not always recognize it when someone else says it.  But, I am still having major misunderstandings.

Last night Isabelle asked me about my lunch - she used both the english and spanish words for lunch.  I told her that I had had 2 ham & cheese sandwiches - they are on very small rolls - and grapes and then when I returned to the GVI casa, I had a small salad with lettuce and tomato.  Well, when she called me down to dinner - cena - there was a salad of lettuce and tomato, ham and cheese on the table, and bread!  I was quite surprised and realized that Isabelle thought I was asking for those things for dinner!  Dinner is usually either a bit of left over lunch, which is the largest meal of the day, or just bread and tea.  Cesar was not there, but the neighbor girl was.  It took a bit, but I explained that I had had that for lunch, and was not asking for it for dinner! I felt terrible, because she had had Cesar stop at the store on the way home to get the lettuce and tomato!

I have a cold AGAIN, playing "carnival" with water balloons.  On Saturday, I stopped at a pharmacy and asked if they had a decongestant.  I didn't know the spanish word, but used the english word and pointed to my sinuses.  I bought the pills, asked a 2nd time about how many to take and when, and I thought her answer was a bit strange that I should take them before each meal.  But, off I went, took one and went to bed, and woke hours later still totally congested.  Isabelle came to check on me, and I told her I had bought and taken a decongestant.  She asked to see them, and then started laughing...they were for diarhea!  The medicine name for both of these ailments is quite similar!  They  got me some decongestant and I was doing better (but this morning, I am totally congested again and need more meds I think to clear it up).

The other day I was telling Isabelle that I like to have time to write as I am writing a blog.  A few nights later Cesar commented that Isabelle told him that I was writting a book and he was quite impressed!  Unfortunately, I had to tell him it was a blog and not a book. 

In spanish class yesterday, I found out that words that I have been using to tell the kids what to do - that I was taught by someone (probably not a spanish teacher) - are wrong.  I need to conjugate them first before adding the suffixes.  Argh... now I have to relearn them! 

Someday.......