Here are some pics of the kiddies assembling their Valentines Day Cards for their classmates.
Jordan isn't in school yet, but she'll throw a fit if she's not part of the action. She actually finished up her cards before Orion did. Orion just had to sign his name on 24 cards, but by the time he got to card #13 he had excuses galore on why he couldn't finish them:
- his ear is broken
- his knee hurts
- his classmates don't really want a card
- his writing hand doesn't work anymore
Karena was done in no time at all. She also nicely packaged her teacher's gift. Overall, it was fun watching these kids work on Valentines Day Cards. Rick and I were reminiscing back to our elementary school days and how the Cards nowadays are waaaaay cooler.
Speaking of which, Rick and I do not have any special plans for the Vday. We'll probably order some sushi for take-out. Maybe take the kids out to get some cupcakes from Coronado Cupcakery for dessert. (My faves are Mexican Maria and Black Bottom Betty!!) We really don't do anything fancy smancy for Vday. Sometimes we'll go out to dinner, if we have a babysitter. But it's no biggie..
Happy Valentines Day 2011!!
***** My Valentines just got sweeter! Thank you to my #1 Valentine! With the help of an accomplice, he was able to surprise me with flowers sent to my work! Good one guys!! Love you babe! *****
I actually wrote this a couple nights ago, but didn't have a chance to post.
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Right before I drifted off to sleep last night, I had an urge to write the "future me" a letter. I started the letter in my head and eventually I zonked out...zzzzZZzzz. I also oddly dreamt that I had to go to Fresh N' Easy supermarkets a whole lotta times for various people. But that's something I need to decipher at a later time.
So here goes the letter:
Dear 50-year old Rendel,
The year is 2011 and you recently turned 30 years old several months ago. You've had an interesting past year, past decade even. You are currently balancing the duties of a full-time job, full-time IT student, and yet manage to spend quality time with your 3 kids and Rick. You even have ambitions to start up your own business and although it's slowly coming to fruition, you are still doing what it takes to make it happen. With all these responsibilities, you have somewhat limited the amount of time you invest in yourself. Gone are the days when you get biweekly manicures or monthly pedicures. Or go on shopping trips every payday to buy new shoes or an outfit. You rather get much needed sleep or rest, than force yourself to get up at the crack of dawn for a morning run or workout session. This has caused you to be a bit on the squishy side, but you realize that and try to go to Zumba class or you do Wii Fit. But you're not too horribly depressed about the squishiness. Your children find you quite huggable and you still captivate the attention of your husband (every night.. wink wink).
You've gone through a lot of ups and downs and learned several lessons the hard way. You've had major fall-outs with some people, but were able to rebuild some of those connections and the foundations of those relationships are now a lot stronger. Those relationships that didn't survive, serve as a reminder of the foundation you stand on. What you stand for, what you believe in, what you expect from the company you keep. You deserve respect, compassion, and the same love you pour onto others. You strongly believe in the aloha spirit, the golden rule, wwjd (what would Jesus do, remember that?), and karma. But by doing so, it has exposed your soul, allowing you and your emotions to be an easy target. You hurt easily because you wear your heart on your sleeve. You have just recently decided that you were gonna toughen up your skin. Keep your attention focused on the items that you've deemed more important that anything else. Your family and your self.
Despite the problems that you may have with your family and the stress you sometimes feel when "your life" gets a bit overwhelming. But after the whining kids quiet down, the house is finally clean and in order, and laying in bed with Rick talking about the most random things, you realize nothing else really matters.
Does this mean, you've turned into that "mom" that has no friends and does nothing fun? It may feel like it, but I know that I have a core group of girls that I can depend on to be there for me. And they have... over the years of friendship, despite the dry spells we may have of not being able to see each other or hang out for whatever reasons, such as state lines, buns in the oven, or their own ambitions and success, I know without a single drop of doubt, that they love me unconditionally. And vice versa. An opportunity to talk on the phone or hang out will transcend us right back to where we left off.
So does that mean, I have shut myself off to creating new friendships or to nurturing the ones that I currently have in place? No of course not. I don't think that part about you will ever change. As I mentioned earlier, about the aloha spirit and all that other jazz, you'll always continue to believe and act in that manner, I think you'll just prepare yourself to be tougher when the going gets tough. Not be so naive to think that people you love and trust will never do anything to hurt you. Continue to live and love and be happy. You have so much to live for, so many people to love and that love you right back. And why waste our time on this Earth being anything but happy.
So as I bring this letter to a close. I hope 50 year old Rendel that you have stayed true to yourself. I hope that the determination and the faith, that you have in yourself right now will stay with you for years to come. It's the driving force that keeps you motivated. It's the little chant of "I think I can.. I think I can" that has been playing over and over in your mind for most of your life. It was playing in the background during the districts Spelling Bee in 4th grade, at the County Write-off competition in high school, or while delivering all three of your kids.
I hope that all the dreams and goals you set for yourself came true or you at least kept reaching for them. I hope that all things positive about you rubbed off on the kids as they grew older and matured. And that they too were able to learn from all the mistakes and faults that I may have. I am sure that 20 years from now, Rick and I, have been able to maintain and further nurture the relationship that we have. We may not be the typical lovey dovey couple but instead are true best friends who never gave up on each other. Hopefully, we've continued communicating, which is essentially the reason why we do so well together. Although communication make sometimes take the form of yelling, screaming, crying, or even whispers, at least we let each other in and never shut the other out.
50 year old Rendel, I hope these words still hold true for you. You don't think you are the BEST and BETTER than everyone else.. But instead you do your BEST for yourself and others, but are still humbled and believe you can always do BETTER!
Cheers! I look forward to meeting you.. In the meantime, enjoy the journey!
XOXO,
30 year old Rendel
Several weekends ago we went on a road trip to San Jose, CA for a family special occasion. It was just the 4 of us, since Nena was with her dad that week. Right after class on Thursday night, we decided to pack and load up the truck. Packing for a trip in general SUCKS, but when you have to pack for yourself and for 2 kids.. ahhhhh.. forget about it! Took me forever. Eventually, {inhale} we got all the clothes, shoes, diapers, wipes, thick jackets, toiletries, cooler with snacks and water, iPad, laptop, nintendo dsi's, chargers, pillows, and blankets {exhale} packed into the truck. And f i n a l l y I was able to lay my head and go to sleep..
5 hours later we started our 3-day weekend. We got on the road and everything was fine and dandy. Traffic here and there, but it was worth it, once we bit into a potato ball from Porto's in Downey, where we stopped for brunch. And just as good or maybe even better is their cheese rolls. Trust me!!
All of us happy and content with our Porto's fix, we got back on the road. We had an awesome 5 hours worth of driving ahead of us that we were looking forward to....NOT! The kids kept themselves occupied, Orion with his DS and Jordan was lip-syncing along to songs (which she's great at). We eventually arrived to the area on the 152 where you can smell the scenery before you arrive. Apparently, Orion smelled it too, as he resurfaced from his DS and proclaimed.. "Where am I.. Cow Wold?" It's not a typo.. the "r" is deliberately missing, because that's how he pronounced it.
We eventually arrived to our destination and continued on with our family weekend. We had an opportunity to do some sight-seeing in San Francisco. The kids got a kick out of driving on the Bay Bridge . Something about looking like Transformers or something. Glad they enjoyed it because it cost $5 just for the toll. Geez!!
We walked around Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf. Since Orion absolutely loves seafood especially fish and shrimp, I made sure he had a chance to try some fish and chips. Initially, he and I were supposed to share, but I literally had a bite or two while he ate the WHOLE THING. Little oinker!
On our ride out of the city and back to the hotel, apparently Orion was bored and asked that we just go back to Cow Wold and pet the cows. What is up with him and cows? Haha.. We stopped by Japantown in San Jose because I wanted to reminisce back to when Karena was a little baby, when she, her dad and I used to live down the block. It looked familiar but a lot of the stores changed. It has been 8 years since I was last there. Felt kinda trippy pushing Jordan around in the stroller, it brought back flashbacks and forgotten memories. Back to the time, when it was kinda lonely being all the way in San Jose, away from family and friends. Finding ways to past the time with my little baby Karena while her father was at work. Now I feel like there's never enough time in a day. Funny how the Universe works itself out.
After a Saturday night of fun, entertaining times with the family our road trip was coming to an end and we eventually had to make our way back to San Diego the next day. Stopping by relatives house to say our Goodbyes, they had a gift for Orion, a hat that looked like this.
Kinda random to get a Texas Longhorn hat, but still nevertheless much appreciated. Orion loved it.. "Awwwww cool a Cow Wold hat!!" Why yes, Orion it is a Cow Wold hat.
The purpose of our road trip was 2-fold. To do something as a family and out of our norm, but it ended up being on the same weekend as an extended family special event. 2 birds with 1 stone. Awesome!
From the perspective of the little ones Jordan and especially Orion.. It was a trip to Cow Wold! Years, years from now.. I can just hear us.. Hey Orion, remember that time we went to Cow Wold?
