The Baby Blog

2 weeks from now we will be having a family reunion! I'm pretty excited cuz it's the WHOLE family on my maternal grandmother's family. Here is one reason why John and I cannot have a small wedding.

My grandma, who we call "Nanay" is one of 13 children (3 who died as little children in PI). Her oldest sister had at least 5 children. My nanay had 10, and from those 10 came 36 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren (+ my stepsister/bro's kids = 12).

The last family reunion we had was in 1991. seeing the video you can see how young we were dancing the cabbage patch and running man, 15 + pounds lighter, but the hair was definitely bigger!!

As we grew older our large family gatherings grew smaller, and we began to grow farther apart. While I was working at the Disney Store, I didn't even realize that the guy I was buying my pretzels from was a cousin (actually an uncle of mine). Our family generations overlap in age! Pretty crazy, huh?

Well, we have some fun stuff planned and looking forward to seeing everyone, although I probably won't remember their names or recognize their children!! I'm even telling John to just introduce himself... although he did meet most of them at my "auntie's" wedding anniversary event while I was pregnant with AJ. We definitely taking family portraits and making a family tree...more like a forest!!! Does anyone have contact info for the Wilson's, I was hoping to maybe hire them for the event?!

I'm really sorry that Rok star won't be there, cuz he'll be busy wrapping things up in Brazil! Will miss you Cos!!! take care while you're out there! BTW, really glad your playing with our group now!! You may be playing the "ol skool folk stuff" on stage, but we all now you ROK!!! Proud of you... (hey, he was like a younger brother to me!!! Can't help it!!)

Congrats to my cousin Trish who after 5 years of marriage is pregnant w/ their first child. Hope all goes well...(maybe even trigger a change of heart in both her and her hubby). I admit that lots of things have been said and done, some more hurtful than others, but I hope that things will work out someday...

There actually isn't much to say or happening in my/our lives right now. I made my mitsado last night which turned out pretty good, but I couldn't find the potatoes! For some reason I've never put potatoes in the refrigerator, and that was the 1 place I didn't look last night! oh well, next time.

I've been reading Likh-ers' blogs and everyone is going to Target (and then some) preparing for the Brazil tour. Mucho jealous!! However, I don't think I would have been able to hang without my little ones for 2.5 weeks! Mrs. Cruz.. best of luck to you, and your pregnant... watch out for those hormones raging! I hear breast implants are really big out there... but I'll suggest just sticking to the double bras! hehehe

Isn't it funny/cute how little ones hold their "thingies" when they have to go pee-pee. Yesterday, AJ ran into the house yelling, "I have to go... I have to go to the bathroom!!" He stood in front of the toilet waiting for me. The strange thing is, he had had shorts w/ an elastic waist, & really didn't need my help except he was all wet from playing with the sprinklers... at least that's what I hope it was!?

paycheck to paycheck SUCKS!
We've reached that point where every $ really counts/matters. I really need to shop for some new pants/skirts for the summer. It is just really hot out here. I'm even trying to see how long I can last before I make that desperate trip to Target...initially to buy just some toilet/bathroom cleaner, but I just know I will walk away with so much more!

I really want to read Harry Potter... UPSer, are you done with your copy...can I borrow!?

decisions
I will be meeting with my former supervisor to discuss some possible options of returning back to the Comets! I am definitely negotiating a higher starting range to compensate for the commute! We'll see what the job looks like first, and if I'm really cut out for what they need. I would really love to get back into real student services. I feel like all I do is paper-pushing under the facade of student services. I need interaction. I need to feel I can assist the student... we'll have to wait and see.

Finally, one week after I went home early to take care of my sick boys, I ended up staying home for the rest of the week trying to recover. Today was my first day back to work, and I just felt a bit "off". Almost like I was re-training my body to do what used to be normal --- driving, opening up the office, answering questions over the phone, typing, etc.

I couldn't wait to get home, but it was way too hot! I quickly changed into my shorts and waiting for the boys to come home. Got to chat it up with MnM girl who is back in the bay from the twin cities for a temp job that will last thru January (?). Got to make some plans in attending the upcoming "leos" party, and have a slumber party to catch up on all good / bad stuff!!

Since today will be my first day back to normal, I am hoping to catch up on some house chores, first being to sanitize the downstairs! The whole week we were sick, it was just easier to stay downstairs. It gets really hot upstairs, and if you wanted/needed to get something --- it was downstairs. It just seemed logical. You have to thank the inventor of scotchguard and children's stain cleaner, which have been our saving grace for our new red couch. It has so much juice, Oreo cookies, Children's Tylenol, soup, and dinner bits.

I definitely need to start doing some laundry, cuz I can't even tell where I left off. Must clean the bathrooms, but just as I was about to start, I realized I was out Soft Scrub, so that will have to wait until I can make it out to Target (where I hope I can snag a copy of the new Harry Potter book) and find out who dies in the book... sssshhhh...don't tell me!!!

And of course, must catch up on all the blogs I've been missing! Glad to be up and roaming, but much too much to catch up on... while I watch the season premiere of Laguna Beach, of course !! hehehe

Little Spills
John already wrote about Mio's little tumble off the kitchen stool. That was scary for me... all I remember seeing was his mouth full of blood, and looking at my clothes which were stained in the time it took me to get him to the bathroom. And the bleeding didn't stop, even after he started his nap. It has since healed a lot, but a bit swollen, and his gums and upper lip are still looking bruised. My poor baby! I just know that this is JUST the beginning! GREAT!

I have always been the one to avoid any experience that could get me hurt, so just seeing how "gung ho" Mio is scares me already!

Yesterday, when we arrived at a Christening reception for my cousin's son (dad's side) I noticed that AJ was burning up. It couldn't be from the heat anymore, cuz I had the AC going on in the car all the way to the restaurant.

I knew he was sick when he wouldn't get up to play or even have cake! He just laid there with his head on my lap as I ate, and caught up with relatives. Luckily since John was dj-ing a gig, my dad and uncle (living singles) were there to entertain my boys so I could enjoy my food.

Duties of a parent or anyone around a sick child...
1. catch what you can when the child throws up just about everything that has gone into his stomach. My uncle, who never had kids of his own, was a trooper... Have to commend him for not throwing him off his lap as soon as it happened... nor was he going to charge me for the dry cleaning of his shirt!

2. be the largest tissue ever made... when the nose is running and there is no tissue/napkin in sight... my first instinct is to grab my shirt.

3. wake up every 1/2 hour while everyone is sleeping and snoring to check your child's temperature. I end up taking it 3 to 4 times until i get readings that are closer, to get the most accurate reading. It's weird how I can start off at 96.2 and then go all the way up to 101.4!!

4. worry all night and morning while your child sleeps through everything not eating/drinking much, and thinking something bad is happening, and you can't rest until you hear from the advice nurse or doctor that he is okay.

So we did---we called the advice nurse who set up an appt in V-town. The really strange part... all the way there and even in the exam room you can tell that AJ was not himself. He was somewhat lethargic and not into watching the movie playing or even strong enough to sit up on his own!

When the nurse came in to take his temp he used this new thermometer that he rubs across his forehead, around the head, and around the ear, all in one swoop. But when he read the temp it was 98.1! Now I know that was wrong because just by touching AJ's forehead and back you can feel him burning. But we paid our $15 for the doctor to just tell us to give him Tylenol. Didn't ask anything more than that.

We went to the in-laws and Nana took his temp there which read 101.2, and with an ear thermometer it usually means the true temp is at least 1 degree higher, which translates to 102!!

So far I was able to "trick" him into taking Tylenol by dropping little dosages into the red otter pop. He finished 2 pops where I was able to get my 1 tsp of tylenol in there... but eventually it was all thrown up about an 1 later... so now...

another mommy duty is to clean up all the stuff off the shirt and body of your little sick one. But with him "not feeling so good" he still managed to say "I love you, mom!" and patted me on my leg as leaned on my arm...

Just for that... it's all worth every minute... John just told me today that he has never had Chicken Pox... so if ever my kids come up with it... I'm left by myself!!! [knock on wood]

FINALLY. with the late night on Wednesday (softball and pizza w/ friends), and a late nite last night (in home presentation of Celebrity Foods), and the HEAT, I am just purely exhausted. This in home presentation was about a service that delivers and packs your selected food items straight to your home. I personally never heard of it, and since we weren't on the "do not call list" at the time, I got suckered in to hear it out.

It was originally scheduled for Tuesday, but the presenter was stuck in Modesto, so we re-scheduled for Thursday at 6pm. Homeboy got lost, and arrived at 7pm. (before that I didn't want to start cooking and have to stop or interrupt the presentation, and I even rushed through 2 tours/inquiries at Kiddie Academy and La Petite Academy for the day care hunt. I didn't get gas, thinking I can do that after the presentation.

Well, we continued to get sucked in on the idea, meats, seafood, packed frozen (vacuumed) to keep it fresh and prevent freezer burn. It really sounded like a pretty good deal because they also sell household items like papertowels, laundry detergent, toothpaste, and not the generic kinds, but the labels you buy at any store. The catch was that they deliver 6 months worth of food/items, which means you have to purchase the freezer to hold all the stuff. It ended up bringing our monthly to around $300 something. Not bad considering we make trips to Costco and buy 1/2 the kind of food and spend close to $200. that doesn't include all the other stuff either.

Wow, but $300 and not completely everything was kinda hard to swallow, too. We'll see... we have until Monday to decide whether or nor we will stay with it... Maybe with all that food, we'll go from eating the same old stuff 3 days a week, to 4-6 times with an occassional salmon filet or steak mixed in there!

I'm still considering whether or not to take a job offer back at my old work... do I want to add more time to my commute... but I will be back to my family and a little more in touch with the bay... versus out here with just the heat! hmmm.

Yesterday was hot...again.. 103! Today the radio person said it could reach 105! So when John asked if I wanted to watch his softball last night in Benicia at 6:30, I agreed, without much hesitation. The night before it was just TOOO hot to do anything. I barely got up to nuke the chicken and rice dish from Costco to have for dinner, and REALLY did not want to do laundry in that crazy heat.

Anyways, I picked up the boyz from their sitter in Cordelia and headed out to Benicia. We were actually about an hour early so I decided to take the kids walking around the strip mall area (next to our old condo). As we reached the end at Raley's I began turning the kids around. AJ stops in his tracks, and says, "Mommy, let's go in there [pointing to Raley's] and buy some juice".
"No," I reply. "We don't have any money to buy juice" [Not much of lie cuz I didn't have any cash]
"Okay," he pauses and lets go of my hand, "let me just think!" He crosses his arms over his chest, then lifts one hand with a semi fist and stick it under his chin. Then he lifts his fist to his temple... My lil guy was actually trying to think!!

I couldn't help but laugh, and wonder where the heck he got this stuff from. I let the cuteness of the moment go and lead us back towards the car. We parked in front of a pet store and decided to walk in. AJ wants a Mellow, the pet hamster he had in the classroom. So my thing was to see how much all that stuff cost, the cage, the food, the filler stuff on the bottom, the toys/running wheel, etc. We'll just have to wait on that one!

Shopping for schools
John and I decided to shop around for pre-schools for AJ. I figured that if we could, try and send both AJ and Mio to one place so we don't have to worry about going to 2 different places in 1 day. Unfortunately with the costs of pre-school AJ may be the only going at this time. I think I just got spoiled with the great deal we got at CCC, where AJ first started. Now that they can't get in here in Sac, I'm thinking of just finding a place in the double V.

My boss was kind enough to hook me up with her friend who has lived and sent her 2 kids to daycare and pre-school in the double V... and it turns out that they recently moved into the developments across the street from us!

She recommended 2 places, Kiddie Academy and Childtime Learning Center. Kiddie Academy seems to be the place that gets all the good teacher and the director from Childtime. So I think I might try and check it out. They also serve hot lunches and have a bigger playground than Children's Discovery Center that I checked out earlier this week. If you check out the tour, Mio would be in the Toddler room, and AJ would get the pre-school room.


She also told me that the Lutheran schools in VV are also pretty good, (actually the best in Solano County) and that we may want to consider putting them on the waiting list. John and I are just concerned about religious based schools right now, because of what they may be teaching them. We want our children to be tolerant and welcome different backgrounds/cultures/ and people in general. Not the, "if you don't pray to God, then you are evil", nor the "we are going to have our people molest your children, then just transfer them out to another area!". But a Lutheran or Christian based school may actually end cheaper for us...except for maybe all the extra costs that come with private school education!

oh the dilemma... oh the stress... Calgon take me away! I can't wait for the weekend... I really need to clean the house!

first off... my car thermometer read: 103 degrees on my home at 4:00pm!!
H---O---T...

Yesterday, I saw an email pop-up from my former boss with the subject: Hypothetical Question.
When I opened it it basically read: "what would it take for you to come back?"
My first reaction was WOW... then I thought.. hmmm what would it really take...

1. to have a full-time position with full benefits (they should fall under the same as "CA state employees") that defiinitely paid more than I was getting before and now (especially to make up for the commute)

2. to be in a position that can offer more room for growth and learning. Being the "Scholarship Lady" was great, but that was all I did... meet students, publicize scholarships, and plan the event, but if I worked it right, it never really challenged me nor did it really take up ALL my time most days.

3. the opportunity to still go back to school

4. get my kids in the day care center again! Since we got that letter to let us know that AJ and Mio will not make into the day care in Sac, I have been searching for an affordable pre-school/day care for both of them.

5. No typing test... I can type without looking at the keyboard and not just "1-finger typing", but when it came to the actual test I would bomb!

well, the set-up they explained met #1 and #2 and #5... now, it's up to me if I would like them to pursue this set-up.!!

No joke that Sac is just far, but my commute is much easier in that direction. I am picking up on a lot of stuff, and my boss had enough confidence in me to take a 2 week vacation leaving my by myself in the office.

I do miss that "family" atmosphere from my old job, but being in a big university has been good to me so far. And I just started in my new job... isn't it bad to just leave, or even considering it?!

I will say this, it was nice to get an offer though...

As John wrote our weekend was fun-filled and jam packed! If you haven't done so, Lake Tahoe is a really nice place to go during the summer. Instead of your snow board, skis, and chains, you have bikes, walking, boats, and swimming.

This year I let my bros stay at the Lodge and do their own thing. DOM's first game was on Sat at 9am, I already concluded that I was NOT going to get up early (7am, if not earlier) to get the kids ready and out the door for a 9am game. But when they won the first game they stayed for an 11am game, and we were just stuck in room.

It ended up working out cuz it was pretty cold outside, and my bros had B.D's nephew to hang out with as well. I got to work on the Reunion invites, which are pretty much done now, and look okay for a "last minute" assembly. I finally learned how to use eyelets, and now I am hooked! I even want to buy the "Silent setter" which was on sale at the local Scapbooking store in the double V.

As you read in John's blog they ended up losing their 2 games by the end of Saturday, which left us with Sunday to spend our Family fun time...in the pool. It was cute to see our boys playing with the other DOM kids, and to see them so afraid, but not while in the pool. Now remember, Mio is the one that screams when he gets water on his face during the bath!

I got some great shots at the pool, which I hope we can download to at least John's blog this week! With their bald heads, I have to admit there were a couple of times I had to think which one was which!?

Sorry we missed your birthday Isaac, we owe you !! Happy Birthday, buddy!

As I wrote before, our Fourth of July was pretty mellow. One point in the day, the boys decided to take a break from playing/running to actually sit on the couch with us. Daddy was already snoring!

Anyways, as we were watching one of mommy's shows, AJ turns to me and says, "I want a baby sister!" I looked at him shocked that he said it, and more that he wants another "little something" running around. Then I replied to him, "Okay, but you have to ask your Daddy. Where do we get one?"

"At Target! We can buy one for Target. I want a baby sister that's pink!"

*No, we are definitely not expecting I've got the "5 year plan", and I want to enjoy my toddlers right now.

Not so much anything I have had, but more like the one I am about to cause this weekend when I have to come out poolside in a BATHING SUIT! AAGGGGGHHHH... cuz unlike Tina, Melanie, Liza, Fides, and Michelle, I have not been able to shed those "birthing" pounds. (I've always joked that I am a victim of the Santos hips!)

I cannot blame it so much on the post-pregnancy or my genes, cuz I have basically been gaining weight since I started college. Long gone are my days when I actually weighed less than 100 lbs. Before last year's tourney in Tahoe I had John and my brothers rolling through the Roseville outlets looking for a bathing suit, cuz the one I had at the time was actually too big (last time I wore one, I was just post-pregnancy w/ Mio). Now I must try it on again, cuz I am afraid it may be too small!

Well there is obviously nothing I can do before the weekend, but it has made me a bit insecure and got me thinking of ways to lose my weight, at least before I return to dancing. I've decided to go back to my low-carb diet, which actually worked out for me last time. And hopefully even try to make use of the weights/bench that John has in our garage!

I am really not the type of person who was ever really worried about my appearance. But I was always comfortable with how I looked. Lately, I can't even say I am comfortable. When I was still going to practice I see all the girls who are skinnier than me (I can't do anything to really help my height!), and it gets me feeling a little low, and popping out of costumes, or not being able to zip up into one, just makes that final blow.

Besides, losing a little weight in the end WILL be for me and about me. I know the workouts are supposed to give a boost of energy, which seems to be lacking lately. And I feel I could use that boost of confidence that I once had. I am not the type to be trendy or "well-fitted" in terms of my outfits/make-up, and everyone knows I know absolutely nothing about fixing up my hair, but hopefully losing weight can at least change how I see myself.

My husband, as all husbands should, will always tell me I look "okay". But there is something about knowing that your husband can honestly look at you from across the room, and proudly boost, 'that's my wife' that becomes the crowning glory!

MY GAME PLAN

Eat less carbs. Drink less soda. NO more fast food (well maybe just once a week!) Workout at least 3 times a week, and possibly pick up a tennis class on weekends. Take vitamins. Take the stairs when I need to go/up down the building. and most of all...JUST ENJOY LIFE!

And hopefully my blogs from here on out will about my progress, as well as updates on my life as a mom...

As UPSer mentioned the David's had Antonio's birthday picnic and their house blessing. Unfortunately we had to miss the picnic and had gone to a Laxa birthday party in Daly City... Gellert Park. It was one of the biggest "princess themed" parties I've ever attended. I didn't know the 7th birthday is supposed to be huge. (they say it's a lucky number! then you save up for the "debut")! hehehe

We lucked out with D.C weather which was sunny until 4pm when the clouds quickly rolled in. But the small world theory was reality when we saw my cousins with their 3 kids at the picnic. As it turns out John's cousin Amy is really good friends with my cousin Rodel and Brandy. Amy apparently was one of their first employees when they co-owned an ice cream shop back in the day.

It was really nice to see my cousins cuz nowadays I only see them on major holidays. My older nephew is now 15 with a girlfriend, my niece Ashley and godson, Ryan are just grown up now. I actually lived with them for almost a year after I left State, so seeing how they have grown just made me feel --- OLD.

We finally headed back towards V-town to attend the house blessing. It was really nice to see the Cruz's with Isaac. He really has started to grow into a toddler, a very fast-paced, "I'm on the go" toddler! Most of all, it was nice to just hang out with friends, and watch my boyz play with one of their best buds, Antonio.

At around 9 we decided it was time to head back and prep for our BBQ the next day. On my way home, I called Voodoochild... and found out that they were just getting back inot the city from the double V!! I really need to proof read my emails better. I felt so bad. They ended up eating in the front porch under shade and it was scorching hot. I especially felt bad for the baby!! I AM TRULY SORRY FOR THE MIX UP


As part of our preparation, John put together the grill he just bought Saturday morning, along with a closet rod to replace the one that collapsed in our closet! And I, along with the handy assistance of Carina (our housemate), put together our Ikea buffet table. It was a lot of work putting that sucker together, but being able to say I did it, was my proud moment!

And finally Sunday! OYSTERS were huge! It was great to hang out with friends and my family who were able to make the trek. It was good times talking and drinking. (Voodoo, I love the wine you left!) During the night I realized what a great host AJ can be as well. Out of nowhere he asked my cousin, "Eli, are you okay? Are you having fun? What about you Joseph, are you having fun?" Then later on as it was reaching 10pm, he had the following conversation with Ninong OJ:
AJ: Let's go to the park
OJ: We can't it's nighttime.
AJ: No it's not, it's park time!

As everyone left around midnite, we began to clean up. Before we were finished the boys, one by one fell asleep. AJ on the couch, and Mio in the middle of playroom. We blissfully celebrated the 4th at home, cleaning, taking a break from the heat, John BBQ'd left over meat, and I, as always, did LAUNDRY. (it was way too hot! that I could only stay upstairs long enough to load the washer/dryer and quickly fold) After each load I was drained from the heat until the next load finished!

I guess many people were smart enough to take advantage of this already "long" weekend and made it longer. We have an eraser board in our "mail/break room" area that informs the whole staff who is sick/on vacation/in late/ leaving early/at a workshop, etc. Today there was a list of about 7 people with a "V" next to their name!

I want a vacation, too...

Next week the family is heading to Lake Tahoe for John's softball tournament. This will be our 3rd year going. If everything works out right, we are in for some good times with the D.O.M (dirty ol' men) family. I enjoy hanging with them, too cuz it most are married and with kids, so there is never the "I feel left out" or behind while everyone else goes to the casino. All the kids enjoy playing, and it is a whole family affair for the weekend.

Last year, we even made the guys stay at the hotel with the kids while all the "moms" went out to drink and dance at one of the casino/hotels. I tell ya, partying with a whole bunch of moms can be quite entertaining! I may not be a size 4 anymore, but I can still get my groove on!!! hehehe (even without too much alcohol!)

Have a happy safe 4th (do Canucks celebrate Canada Day like we celebrate 4th of July?)