Y.M.C.A.

This is the only song I could think of with what I've been experiencing and thinking of. They say it takes a village to raise a child. I BELIEVE it!!!

I am one of the lucky ones who has family all over the Bay Area or just all over who are willing to help me out. As some of you know, my husband, Greg, works in technical theater. He's been home for over a year, but has had to go back on the road to keep our health insurance going (60 days = 6 mos. coverage...not bad and it's really good insurance). So, I've been home since the middle of this month and will continue this for awhile as a "single mom".

Thank God for my cousins. My cousins are very close to me. We grew up together, but more importantly, it reminds me of my Asian heritage and how valuable the family is. They are my village. On some occasional Fridays, my cousin in Palo Alto will have me over and our kids (she has 3, I have 2) will play late into the evening while we have appetizers, a drink or two, dinner for everyone, etc. I get to chat with an adult and relax a bit. It's a lot of fun. The benefits other than myself having some adult time and a drink or two, are that my boys really know their cousins. They understand who they are and how important they are. My boys know that their cousins are family and they will defend them to the end.

It's really quite amazing. My youngest son was happiest when he had a birthday party just with his cousins at our house. I ask him, "Chuck E. Cheese?" "Gymnastics?" "Pump It Up?" He said no to all of that and said he just wanted his cousins over at our home. Easy enough and very sweet. The reward is that my boys understand the value of family.

My other cousin in Castro Valley calls me today and states that she wants to take the boys out for a belated shopping spree while I go get a massage. What?!!! Really? She was dead serious. I have the best family and my heart is filled with gratitude, love, and respect.

No worries people.....we do get to see Greg in Chicago for Thanksgiving and D.C. for X'mas. Adrienne, my sis, will meet up with us since she lives in NY. So, all is good.

Broadway Baby

As some of you know, I love listening to NPR/KQED (local area) and came across in the beginning of this month a great talk about kids. It was on "Forum" and the guest was Po Bronson. What an amazing discussion on his topic called Nurture Shock.

Essentially, it was about how "we" as parents have an innate tendency to overpraise our children. We want our kids to do well. We don't want them to feel like they are not worthy, etc. Instead of making these praises in a general statement, we need to be very specific. Now, I have heard all of this before and I have always tried to be very specific (having been a teacher and school counselor), but it's different when they are your own children. Added to the genetics is the fact that caregivers can get rattled and end up reacting rather than being just present and conscious (a lot harder than most people think when your own children have needs and continue to share them with you). I am guilty of doing the general statements and then catching myself or not. The great thing is that Po Bronson normalizes it.

I loved the information shared on NPR, but what I got out of it is the understanding that we, as mothers, try to do it all and do it all perfectly. Crazy, eh? This leads me to another book I read many years ago by Bruno Bettelheim called "The Good Enough Parent". I learned that if I take the anxiety away from myself trying to be the "forever conscious" parent, then my kids don't get anxious. I"m not saying it's okay to be in zombie-land while parenting all the time, but those that try so hard to be the "great parent" can chill out a bit.

Isn't this great?! Now go have a glass of wine!!! :o)

One Love, One Heart

One love, one heart
Let's get together and feel all right
Hear the children crying (One love)
Hear the children crying (One heart)
Sayin', "Give thanks and praise to the Lord and I will feel all right."

Ahhhh....Bob Marley and my high school daze!!! Felt the need after a friend of mine who is no longer at ACT, but in Florida teaching at the university, sang Marley. Also, it helps that I was just at a Science Committee meeting and remember those days when I was a teacher staying late at night for the students. Students weren't there, but parents and teachers were there to help kick start the year with a science bang! I figured it's tough being a parent whilst her husband is on the road, but then I see the teachers and realize I don't have it that rough. Or, if I do, the teachers are still there. So, I will be too. That's right Marley........"I will feel all right".

I"m Sorry

Oh dear.....it's been so long! I'm so sorry for neglecting my blog. I get into these modes where I want to blog and then I'm tired of blogging. Life gets busy with a family.

What all has happened since 2008? A Lot!!!

1. Our cabin in Tahoe burned down and it's finally getting re-built. Yes, it looks like Mars up there, but it's getting done. Added square footage and hopefully, it'll be done by winter time.

2. Greg, my husband, has been home for over a year. He turned away 3 jobs. I know it's not the best time, but he really missed being with the boys and I dont' blame him. I got spoiled with him around. He's now on the road again with Young Frankenstein.

3. I"m a year older. Love it!

4. Went to Hawaii for Dec 08; NYC to visit Adrienne Apr. 09; San Diego Aug. 09. It's been fun!!!

5. Still in the window business and now distributing and getting acquainted with Passive House regulations that are great for our environment!!!! Such energy efficiency!!!! Love it.

6. Kids are older and wiser. Wiser? Well, they try. They are adorable and I love seeing them grow and learn new things in life.

I'm off to a Science Curriculum meeting now to keep our school in tip top shape since...well....everyone knows how the Ca. State Budget is these days. I have to do my part!

Will be back soon.

Why C an't You Behave

I'm so sorry. I've neglected my blogging. It's been months and well.............I'm a mom who works and tries to stay fit amidst the chaos.

My husband and I survived the summer with our children going to summer camps and all. My schedule was FULL at ACT and our business kept us busy. But, there is nothing more satisfying than going on a vacation when all the work is done.

We went to Northern, Northern California to experience the Giant Redwoods. We rented a beautiful farmhouse in Ferndale called "Morningstar". My cousin decided that she and her family would like to join us and off we went. Thank goodness for minivans. All 8 of us drove up and it was a blast!!! The house was huge and everyone slept comfortably in their own rooms. The weather couldn't have been more perfect.

These redwoods were GINORMOUS!!! Our boys and my nieces had the best time finding their "caves" inside the trees. As I walked near these trees, I couldn't help think how old these trees were and how much history these trees have witnessed. It was quite profound. We looked so small in comparison to the large tree trunks.

The kids did a great job with all the hiking we did in the forests. My husband had to teach the kids about poison oak which was in abundance. The kids got really good at spotting them and leaving them alone. We eventually came upon a river that had little water in it, but enough for the kids to experiment.

What we also loved about our vacation home were the dairy cows that would greet us. We were on a few acres of land and right next to the house was a pasture for these cute yearlings. The kids just enjoyed them and I think the cows enjoyed watching them as well.
As fun as the giant redwoods were, the kids really enjoyed the beaches the most. I think the tidepools were a hit and just playing in the water. It was quite overcast on one day, but we had another day at the beach where it was sunny and windy (quite cool actually).


We had the best food up there. I had a great time relaxing and getting the "city" out of me. It was fun, fun, fun.

Old MacDonald Had a Farm

Now, is that the real title of the song? Hmmm.......

Well, Greg was home from the road and we decided that we were not going to fly anywhere too far or drive across 2 states for our family vacation this year. We decided on staying in California and exploring it. I'm getting excited about it since it's so typical of us to not really get to know the state we live in because we're always thinking about what's "out there". Greg, being from Arizona, really wants to see the Sequoia Redwoods. After he brought that up, I realized it's been eons since I've visited them. The Avenue of the Giants, if I remember.

So, off we go doing research on the area. Luckily, I"m a member of AAA and just received the Via magazine. Lo and behold, it's Ferndale. The Victorian Village of Northern California!!! Wow, what amazing kismet. I look around and find some great B&B's; however, not much for kids. Hmmm...I think.....and then I do the "I Love Lucy" look....BINGO! A vacation home rental is the answer. I find this 3,000 sq. ft. farmhouse that has been converted to a home with modern amenities (http://www.vacationferndale.com/) . I"m getting excited now. It's about 1 mile from the main street of Ferndale which has one grocery store, one gas station, and one pharmacy with a lot of boutiques along the main street. It's about 2 miles from the Lost Coast and has farmland all around. Even better, the kids are welcomed!!! The backyard is huge and a private patio for BBQ's. The best part is that the land is also used to raise Arabian horses. My kids will think I'm the bomb!!! My in-laws have a quarter Arabian. They are horse lovers and ride a lot. My children love my in-laws horses and now we'll have them nearby. The Avenue of the Giants is only 30 minutes away. This is just heaven for me as well as my family. We are very excited!

You have to love California and it's diversity in land and people.

It's Too Darn Hot!!!

I've been away for awhile..........sorry! So busy as the school year starts to come to an end. Teacher appreciation week, field trips, etc. So fun and yet so busy.

So, our minivan read 100 degrees yesterday @ 3pm. What? It's really hot right now. We typically get that 3pm breeze here, but it was just a hot breeze. Out came the slippery slide for the boys. They stayed cool this way and no cooking. Not having it right now. Too hot!

Still hot now, but a bit cooler....I think. Not sure. We Bay Area-ites get so spoiled when the temperatures get extreme. We're wimpy, wimpy, wimpy.....but isn't that what we pay for? Oh well. Needless to say, most of us don't have a/c because we normally don't need it.

Well, off to take the boys to their swim lessons. Maybe it's BBQ time for dinner tonight.