The Baby Blog

Last night I was constantly being "bothered" by a crane fly, aka Moquito Eater. I got scared at first because I thought it was an actual mosquito. When Mio came around and saw it, he started yelling, "a fly, a fly!" Then we told him that it was a "mosquito eater". His response,
"oh, a Bosquitor Eater".

Needless to say I thought it was the cutest thing, so I had him repeat it over and over, and over again!

Friday night was our graduation ceremony. Always fun time for a college, except for those involved in the planning. In morning I was running around the ELC for AJ and Mio's last day of school/potluck. All the classrooms had their own certificate "ceremony". AJ brought home a "memory box" with all his pictures, his name tags, and a memory book. Mio's teachers made a photo board with a little "you are special" presentation by the teacher. then the food, but between all that, I had to run over to the gym for the graduation rehearsal. Learned all about the ceremony and where I can place myself to take the pictures I needed.

Whew, lots of chaos and running around. The boys finally left for the south bay at around 3pm. I ate my McDonald's lunch and had some "down time" before prepping for the ceremony.

Kodak moments.
Part of my job description is to take photos/archives school events such as the graduation. So I started in the President's Office, where the "big wigs" who will speaking and seated on stage were getting ready. Took their photos, and drove down to the amphitheater where they were 'staging' the students and other faculty. Ran around taking random photos of the students.

Rushed ahead to the gym to take photos while students were entering the gym. Photos of the speakers, photos of the students (who after awhile just looked plain bored!!), photos of faculty, etc. Although a seat was saved for me to use during the ceremony, I barely used it.

As the ceremony drew to a close, I ran back up towards the amphitheater / rec room where the reception was being held. Instead of taking pictures I helped serve the cake and drinks! That was a lot of standing up and running around.

I finally started my trek back home around 9pm. Without a second thought I went straight to the bathtub and took a nice long, hot, bubble bath! Timing it perfectly to the arrival of my 3 favorite boys in the world.

And that was only the beginning of our long weekend. (but I actually didn't do anything on Saturday!!)

for something you really don't want to think of. After I watched Raising Helen I started to think about "what would happen" to my kids if something tragic happened to us. Yes, it is an awful, almost unbearable thought, but something I must do if I REALLY love my kids.

With the upcoming trip to the Netherlands, Damoomoo and I really started to talk about it. There was no doubt that we would leave the children with my in-laws. Damoomoo is an only child, and our kids have been priority number one for them as well. They have the most stable lives and household out of all our parents. My dad is just finalizing divorce number 3 with girlfriend waiting in the wings (in PI). Go figure. Thank goodness I am still the only child in that sense!! And my mom still has my younger brothers to care for.

Besides, I know that our families are not the type to fight over things like custody and property. My mom, dad, and family would still be able to be part of their lives. Our marriage and family created a union beyond just us. My aunts are just as close to my mother-in-law as my mom is. And they are just as much of a grandparent as our parents are.

Having that kind of love and support reassures me that my family will always be okay, no matter what comes our way. Everyday I pray for our health and safety. I am thankful for our family's love and support. For this I know that my family is truly blessed!

Once these details get squared away, then I can think of my travelling uniform, the space saver bag for my petticoat, an extra travelling bag for performance days, daycare for the kids over the two weeks while we are gone... oh boy... so much to plan and do in one month!

Do you remember the last day of school... It was all about the final party, throwing stuff out of your locker, saying good-bye to all your friends for the summer (all my girlfriends had strict parents that would hardly let them out). In college it usually just meant working full-time for 3 months, depressed that my part of the bay never got sun. But no matter what the last day of school was always something to look forward to... even when you are in pre-school!

AJ's countdown started last week, and when I told him that Friday (today) is the last day, he responds with a cheerful, "WOOOOO HOOOOO!", with his hands reaching way up high... and of course, Mio follows along right after!

Today is their multi-cultural potluck. I forgot that I was supposed to put a performance together getting all caught up in my own stuff at work. So I called damoomoo with last minute stuff to put together. We'll see how it goes.

Now it's time to pack up all the extra clothes and "memories" of another year in pre-school. AJ will spend the summer preparing for Kindergarten, and both boys will pick out some activities for the summer to keep them busy. I doesn't look like damoomoo will be out of a job for too long, although I probably would have milked the whole unemployment thing, it's just not part of his nature!

So hello to summer vacation. Except I'll still be here although with a 4/10 schedule until the end of July. I will probably end up working late since I am NOT a morning person!

In a little over a month, Damoomoo and I will embark on an airplane, along with 30+ members of Likha and travel to the Netherlands! For 10 days we will be in another country (another stamp on my passport), without kids. Although work will definitely be involved, as is expected when on tour. I know that there will be time to just enjoy the company of our second family, and of course, everything that Warfum has to offer. Don't fret my little kiddies, we will have some time in Amesterdam as well... it will quite interesting to see the prostitute windows, and hmmm... other things that are legal there!!!

Yesterday, it did hit me, with tears starting to form... I WILL be without kids for 10 days. I will not have my daily conversations with them. No High School Musical soundtrack for 10 days (maybe I'll download it to my iPod). No "hi, mommy", and hugs. No good night and good morning kisses. Wow, ten days, can be a long time! I know I will end up crying at the airport. So to all my dancing sista's please bare with me during this trip. My little rugrats have been part of my life. I have had a hard time being away for just weekend.

I know, I must find a way to enjoy and concentrate on my "vacation". I will... I promise.

Yesterday, the pre-school part of the Center took a field trip to the Bay Area Discovery Museum in Sausalito. Unfortunately, by the time we got there, the area was covered with fog, that you couldn't see the Golden Gate Bridge!

Anyways, more parents signed up to chaperone... thank goodness, because I think 2 kids to one adult is definitely a handful already. The hard part is if one child wants to go somewhere, and the other wants to go somewhere, the adult must work out some compromise. I decided to call it a vacation day, and tag along. Damoomoo was already signed up as a chaperone, and was already planning to be a parent carpool, which worked out great since we had the van & fit 5 other parents! The place is really nice, if the weather would have cooperated. The different buildings and themed activities, with a large educational playground. Of course evertything was themed around the "bay" water life, and and shores. Unfortunately there was not enough description at each of the activities to tell you want they should be learning, or enough instruction from staff on how to make things work! So it was just one big playground!

1 of the parents I met through the scholarship ceremony the night before also ended up being AJ's best friend's mommy!! So when we saw each other again the next day, we were already planning for summer playdates! AJ and his friend (plus one other) is the little group that the teacher says gets AJ distracted!

The boys were really excited when they saw that they are riding a school bus. And although the trip was only about 3 hours long...all the parents just looked EXHAUSTED by the time we met the bus back at the center. Neither of our boys took a nap, so by the time we got home, after short visit to nana's house and the mall, they were OUT for the count, and so was I.

I guess there will be more to come... I can't wait... but I think I will make sure that either damoomoo or I chaperone each field trip!!

which is why we blog, right? So here goes...

I was originally hired by the Comets in '03 because of my ability to plan events. Part of my original duties was to plan this annual Scholarship Ceremony... might I add I have done a kick ass job --- until now.

Last April I left for a position with the Hornets. By August I came back only to find out that they have not hired someone to permanently replace me. So part of the agreement upon my return was to help out as much as possible. An interim was hired which GREAT... but only until the end of March... just in time to bail out before the planning of the event.

Dates had to get changed for this or that reason, and now it has come--- tonight is the night! But this whole time in planning for it (the past month), I keep telling me myself that I could have done a better job... I know I could do a better job! It sucks going into this event knowing how much had to half ass it...

Oh well, by 8pm tonight it will be ALL over, and this will be someone else's responsibility by next year... we are scheduled for the interview process sometime next week... Ugggh, but now I have to catch up on all the work I have putting aside during this planning process... I can't even see the top of my desk anymore....now that sucks!!!

Because I forgot about my first one, I re-scheduled so that I would meet both their teachers in the afternoon (not trying to fight traffic in the a.m.) on a day that they are actually there (MWF)! Does that make any sense?! Being a mom is all about scheduling and juggling...

AJ's teacher showed me where he was when we first met at the beginning of the school year, and how he has progressed with his numbers and letters. He has picked up soooo much! There are still some letters that he is not recognizing based on how they are printed (t and f), and he doesn't seem to get q either.... maybe I should show him my maiden name? He is still getting distracted when his two buddies come around, and his determination to play in the block area (their class doesn't have a working computer) hasn't changed. But he listens once he told and the teacher seems very happy with him. So I was happy... but there is some homework down the line, so damoomoo better get crackin'

Mio's teacher complimented him on his fine motor skills (holding the pencil, using scissors, etc). In fact she was laughing because she tries to collect some of the children's work to show, but Mio's are confetti that it ends up on the floor and in the garbage. (he takes the creative cut scissors, and just cuts away into little pieces!) But I knew that his delayed speech would somehow work it's way into the conference. His inability or shyness to speak has created a barrier to his interaction with the volunteers, his classmates, and sometimes the teacher. He will answer definitive questions, like what color is that? or how many is that?, but things in conversation format, he tends to shy away. So our homework is to get him more comfortable with speaking, and reading more books!

Now I must really get back to work... I have two different deadlines that I am up against and not to mention planning a scholarship ceremony for tomorrow! uggggh... I can't wait until tomorrow is OVER. I can't wait for my 4/10 schedule where I can have some fun time with the family (Marine World here we come!)

on the second floor balcony of San Franisco City Hall, I became Mrs.'moomoo! I make that sound like the mother cow!

Wow, five years have gone by already. In that time span we have had 3 different addresses, I popped out 2 handsome boys, we bought a house, a car, and adopted a hamster. Between the 2 of us we have held 11 jobs, and got laid off from 3 of them. We may not yet be the richest couple monetarily, but what we have as husband and wife (and family) is priceless.

It has not been a perfect journey for us, but it IS a journey i will take over and over again as long as I have Damoomoo standing by me. Happy Anniversary!

Yes, we are still planning to have a Church Wedding AND a BIG party!

No I am not about to post about who got voted off... to be honest I am really not interested in the show anymore. But I am going to boast about my own "Idol"...

Last Sunday, the day after the wedding, Damomoo dj-ed a Christening reception for ones his high school friends at the San Ramon community Center. Can I just say that it was a beautiful day to be out with the fountain, the trees, and just lots of families!

Anyways, because it was really casual damomoo played the High School Musical Soundtrack. I have mentioned already that this is all my boys listen to. And that day just proved it. Of course microphones were set-up for the parents to make their "thank you speeches" and announcements, but what we didn't expect was ----

Mio standing front and center, microphone in hand, singing along to ALL the songs on the soundtrack! He was also a mic hog because anytime one of the boys would come up and sing with him, he say: 'Top it, I'm 'tinging! or when the tween girls would try and "scratch" to the song, you see Mio quickly turn his head, shoot them the "look", and turn back to the mic when the music returned to normal.

I thought it was cute, but I didn't realize that he was actually being amplified! Everyone could see and hear him singing. Yes, yet another thing I blame or credit to their daddy! It just melted my heart!!!

Our weekend started on Friday. I came to work late (as I have been since our time changed, yes, I know it's been a month!) But an hour later I get some personal news from Damoomoo (I'll let him blog about it when he is ready!) that had me in the "shock mode" all morning. Later that afternoon was our first All College BBQ, so I volunteered myself to help out (just to get me out of the office)

Damoomoo and the boys joined me for some hamburgers and banana bread pudding! yummy! The best part was watching our Management (including our President and VP), Staff, Faculty and students compete on tri-cycles, eat 5 red vines (it's harder than you think), hula hoop, and shoot a basket!! It was exactly what I needed that day... but, I forgot to put sunscreen...

I now have a red forehead, cheeks, nose and v-neck on my chest! Just in time for Weekenders wedding. I rushed through traffic to meet at the hotel just so I can shower off the "amoy ng araw" smell off before rehearsal dinner. My boys were at the church waiting for me.

The Rehearsal
Of course was kind of rough, but it's only a rehearsal. But here was the fun part:
AJ and I were in the wedding so we lined up in the foyer for the processional. Mio wanted to join so they let him line up, too. He saw the flower girl, and was just hooked. He tried that whole time to hold her hand, and you can just see his frustration when she wouldn't respond! So he finally told me, "(s)he won't hold my hand!". I told him to ask her daddy's permission, who was a good sport and played along. Mio did it, he asked very nicely, "Can (s)he hold my hand?". When daddy said it was okay she gave in.

He walked her down the aisle holding her hand and AJ just wanted to get to the end of the aisle. Throughout the "ceremony" part he sat with her in her pew! Oh boy, I have definite "lady's man" in the making! I blame that on the daddy!

The big day
I spent the night and Suk-ies apartment which was just across the lake from the church to avoid driving all the way back the next day. We had to be at the bride's hotel by 8am to begin getting ready. As we waited our turns Voodoo did Tarot Card Readings. Mine was all about transition and the challenges I have to overcome to make it through. Maybe even giving up the driver's seat a little... It was quite interesting.

Well, of course the bride was beautiful as can be... she definitely had the "bride glow"! I admit I teared up! We did manage to intercept the bride from her mom... another blog, just to make sure she didn't feel stressed out.

AJ looked VERY HANDSOME in his tuxedo, walked by himself down the aisle, with a smile on his face! He was a really good sport that whole day! The best part was during the pictures he was front and center, and when I told him to smile, he stood there, holding his pillow smiling at for ALL the shots... you can hear all guests commenting on how cute he was!!! That's my boy!!!

At the reception a friend of ours who is getting married in October asked if AJ could be his ring bearer, too! Wow, I was honored... hmmm should I start charging professional ring bearer fees?! Just kidding!

The best part was of course watching the Weekender be so happy throughout the night, and seeing all our "old skool" friends from our PACE days! It was a mini reunion for us! I want a copy of that picture!

Congratulation to Mr. and Mrs EtchaSketch (now enjoying their honeymoon)!!!