Leavin on a Jet Plane

We leave tomorrow for our vacation and return Sept. 1 for the all my faithful readers (all 3 of you) :) I wish I could give regular updates while I'm gone but you'll manage without me. I will try my very best to keep a good account of everything so I can relay them when I get back plus lots of pictures. See you in September...

Wow, our house looks like we are just moving in. We have a room that serves as a catch-all room where all the stuff/junk goes because we haven't found a real place to put it. We have snowboard/winter clothing and equipment, CDs, books, photos and God knows what else. Hector went through the mess to sort through things (he was looking for a specific item) and we found all sorts of things we can take on our trip but not the one we needed. So now, all the stuff in the spare room is in our family room. I have to sort what we keep and what I want to have in a yard sale.

Unfortunately, an old friend Ken will not be able to go with us to Phuket/Singapore which is a big bummer. He has to take of an urgent family situation and we 're hoping that everything will be okay and he'll be missed. The timing sucks but you do what you gotta do.

Tyler's last baseball game is today since he'll miss next week. I think he will want to continue since he has improved and had fun. Hector found some Socker Boppers so here are the kids having fun with them.

Busy, busy day...a quick note before I head on out. Hector had to work this morning which threw my plans into a tailspin but I worked out the details. Bring Joshua to my mom's for the day while I pick up Tyler early from soccer camp and get my haircut. I still use the same person for over 10 years so even though I've moved all over LA, I still drive 30 miles to Fullerton to cut my hair. Women understand the concept of you don't give up someone who makes your hair look great! I promised Tyler something fun...I found some old Chuck E Cheese tokens so we will put them to use...laters.

Dedicated To Kat

After an hour long nap, I feel much better. Picked up Tyler from soccer camp and took him to his latest favorite place, Jamba Juice. Today's choice was Banana Berry with blueberries, bananas, strawberry-apple juice and raspberry sherbet. So on to today's dedication to my best bud Kat. I think it was the Fuse channel that played Project This: Bullet in a Bible featuring our fave band Green Day. Well, Kat you'll be pleased to learn that Joshua immediately began dancing to the music. To all the others, excuse our messy house and Joshua's attire but oh well. Joshua dances with jumps, stomps and half cartwheels. It looks like both my boys have inherited their daddy's love of dance which the girls love.

Tyler wasn't around otherwise, he'd have joined in too. There was a time when Tyler was really into Winnie-the-Pooh and busted out a punk version of the theme song. Well, Joshua did the same kind of thing except his choice of music was one the tunes to the Legend of Zelda. Kat wasn't here to witness this version but I'm sure she'll never forget Tyler's one time performance.

I may have caught some bug from Hector. He was sick with a cold when the kids were sick and now is feeling yucky again. I've been really tired but I don't get as much sleep as I usually get. I stayed up late around 2 am last week so maybe my immune system is weakened. I'm tired throughout the day then later at night my second wind kicks in so I stay up. Yesterday, I felt kind of achy, just off kilter and sneezing. I usually sneeze a lot when I'm getting sick. Ugh. I think I'll take a nap.

Rude People

Before I became a stay-at-home mom, I worked at a retail pharmacy. I had to learn the customer service policy and in the last few years, the company sent secret shoppers weekly to evaluate the employee's customer service skills. So I had to go to my former company to return some bug repellent that I bought (not the right ingredients) and pick up a few other items. There was only one line with about 4 people waiting so the girl did the right thing to call for another checker. A woman in front of me left to go to the other register along with some others behind me. So there was one woman being rung up before me and some guys after. I also had the boys with me and they were doing all right but kinda ancy(?) and it's my turn. Yeah. I tell the girl at the register that I wanted to return the bug spray and buy 3 items. Then she has the nerve to ask me, "Is it okay if I ring up the customer behind you? He has only one item." I blew up at her (inside my mind), looked at her for a few seconds but said,"Fine." But I'm thinking that should be my decision to let that man go in the first place, not hers. He chose to stand behind me or he could have moved to the other line. It was friggin notebook paper he was buying. I have 2 kids with me and it was not right to bypass my place in line for some guy. As you can tell, it still irks me. Hector always tells me that I have a BAD temper that I need to calm down and I did keep it together (although it killed me inside).

Game Boys

We have several Gameboys because both Hector and I love videogames then once the boys got old enough to hold one, they each had to have their own or we'd have a fight on our hands. Even when one of the boys didn't actually play a game, we have cartridges that play cartoons like Pokemon and Spongebob Squarepants. This is a really helpful tool for us on long car rides and planes. The problems begin when one child has a game that the other one wants too. Lots of screaming (Joshua) and grabbing (Tyler). Lately, they learned to adapt and just look over the other one's shoulder. It's nice to see them be good friends.

It was funny the other day because I remembered one of Hector's first dates about 15 years ago. We were both living in San Diego, Hector was in med school and I was finishing pharmacy school. We didn't have a lot of money so we spent a lot of time driving around. One time we ended up at the beach that was very secluded that could only be accessed by a steep trail from a cliff. It was a popular for hangliders because of the cliff. We made our way down to the beach and whoa, walked onto a nude beach (Black's beach) & Hector knew it. We hadn't planned on hanging out on the beach so we just walked (clothed) along by the water. It was quite a sight. I don't have any problem with nudity so it was interesting. Also about 95% of the people at the beach were men. I have never seen so many naked men in my life. They were going about their business, sunning, jogging (with sneakers, nothing else) and playing volleyball au naturel. I even saw old men ...so I saw into the future how men age. So now I look into our past and decide that this was an unusual date. I still have a few more crazy dates in my past but I'll hold off for now. My most unusual dates are when I am the observer and things are happening around me. I'm sure most people have done something that one wouldn't expect...so what have you done?

Discovery

I love my iPod. Hector gave me my 1st iPod about 3 or 4 years when they became THE hot item for Christmas. Of course, every place he tried was sold out and just by chance his brother Carlos found the very last one at a Best Buy in Las Vegas. The 3rd generation iPod had battery issues and it kept dying on me so the next Christmas, Hector gave me the 4th generation iPod which is my main one I use. Since then, he has given me a shuffle and a nano which makes it a total of 4 iPods. Each one has a use in my life and I thought that would end there. But there are the accessories...cases, chargers, adapters for home, car and the list goes on.

It becomes a personal extension of the owner and I've enjoyed all the music that we've collected over the years with the addition of itunes to fill in the gaps. I forgot when podcasts began but in the beginning the picking were very slim. A few interesting topics from people all walks of life. I subscribed to a few and quickly lost interest. Just recently, I went to the podcast section to check it out again and boy, was I surprised!. Podcasts are now slick, entertaining, professional (for the most part) and FREE. Television shows have them and some are even in video. Tim Gunn from Project Runway (my fave show this summer) has one which is so good. I don't have a video iPod since I didn't feel the need for it. I mean I can watch the shows available on TV ; I don't want to see it on a small screen. Although I am coming around now, maybe I should ask for that video iPod for this Christmas.

I also have a connection so I can play my iPod through my car stereo. It is not the FM transmitter type but the kind that is hard wired into my car stereo via the CD changer. So I get super crisp sound and all my music that I own. It is great for long trips and Vegas. Hector is my handy man and saved me $50 installation by doing it himself. My car is my baby and he removed the backseat to get the cables from the trunk to the front. He put my car back together again with everything hooked up. If you have an iPod and plan to keep your car for a long time, look into this method because it is awesome.

Jambaaa!

Today after we did some errands, it was time for a cold treat. Tyler wanted a slurpie but I decided to try something new. Jamba Juice. I wanted him to try something not so sweet or sugary. Tyler picked out Raspberry Rainbow and I chose Berry Lime Sublime. We watched the person put the berries, bananas into the blender. It was good treat and Tyler enjoyed his smoothie. After drinking it, Tyler says," I feel a bit more healthy." That's good.

I don't know how kids can fall asleep slumped over in awkward positions but they can. Here is a picture of Tyler on our way back from Legoland and he even has his legs crossed. It's a nice thing that the kids can sleep when they need to. That will come in handy when we're on our flight(s) for almost 24 hours! I'm still trying to wrap my brain around that one. Our plane leaves at 2pm and it'll take us around 18 hours to fly to Singapore with a stop in Tokyo. We arrive in Singapore 1:30am (their time) and our plane to Phuket doesn't leave until 8am. I'm sure we'll sleep a bit on the plane ride and there is a transit hotel at the airport. This rest area is located in the terminal where you can rent 3 or 6 hours blocks to rest, shower and hang out. I don't know what kind of condition I'll be in when we land but I will love to lay flat out. Who can sleep comfortably on a plane anyway?

Details

As you probably know, we will soon be off on vacation to Phuket and Singapore starting August 21. We are the do-it-yourself kind of tourists that don't do the usual tours but some things are too good to pass up. I already booked an elephant trek tour on Phuket and may look into a sunset cruise for the hubby & I. We have 6 days & nights to explore Phuket and 3 days for Singapore. A while back, Hector mentioned that we could have "Breakfast with the Orangutans" at the Singapore Zoo. I forgot about it until today and had to do a little research on it. Yes, they still have it and I booked us for that just now. The price ($130) seems reasonable for 4 adults and 2 children. We get transportation, zoo entrance and breakfast which should be interesting to say the least. And when I googled the breakfast topic...the San Diego Zoo popped up! So Kat, maybe we can do the same thing here if it's available. Oops, sorry, not the same thing after all. It was a animal care worker blogging about the orangutans.

So Long

Remember that married couple I know planning on moving to Alabama? The last time I spoke to her was in June when school was ending and they were in Hawaii on vacation. She said they would be home for July 4th for about 4 days then off to Alabama for a month. But wait that didn't make sense to me...her daughter starts school beginning for August. I guess our group of friends didn't make the grade to even have a last gathering or goodbye party. Yeah, sure both their parents still live in So Cal so they'll be back to visit but what about us? They've been planning this move for most of this year which put them under stress and deadlines but once they sold their house, we thought there would be a get-together.

It's not just me either, I've spoken to 3 other friends in our circle and it's the same confusion. None of us heard from the couple so we're at a loss. Sure, I could call her but it seems that I'm making all the effort.It didn't help that the husband thinks of So Cal as the evil empire and we're all going to hell in a handbasket. Hey, we lived here all our lives, our families are here and we don't care if the housing bubble is gonna burst. We are already homeowners and we enjoy living here. I understand that they are searching for a better life but it's not for everyone and don't bag on those who stay. Plus if I were in their place, I would be sure to say goodbye to my friends.

Lame Bloggerbot

I don't think I like Bloggerbot. I tried it with Kat's cactus flower and it worked but the last try was a big flop. So here are the photos I wanted to share. Tyler at the bowling birthday party.

Joshua managed to tolerate all the noise at the bowling alley but refused to bowl. Even with the ramp ready to roll the bowling ball down the lane, he did not want anything to do with it. Oh well.

one more thing...

I stubbed my pinkie toe about a week ago and it felt like the nail was lifted up off the nail bed. Ouch. So today I was taking my shower, brushed against the nail and it totally lifted up hanging by one end. UGH! So I had to remove my poor dead pinkie toenail and now it looks weird with the rest of my painted purple toenails.

The boys wishing Ryan S. a very Happy Birthday!! 

Joshua didn't want to bowl. I think the noise was too much for him. 

Waiting for the bowling ball to make its way down the lane. 

Tyler is ready to bowl!

On Sunday, the kids were invited to a bowling birthday party. Tyler had a great time bowling but Joshua was too scared to bowl. He was happy sitting and watching the other kids. They even had a ramp that very small kids could roll the ball into the lane. We finished up with a pizza lunch and birthday cake.

Ok, I'm actually on top of things right now. When I plan on travelling, I spend lots of time researching the location and hotels. Trip Advisor is a great place to see reviews of hotels, resorts and attractions. While checking out the Phuket forum, I kept noticing people talking about Phuket Richard. There was so much praise and good comments about him that I read more. It turns out that he works with diving excursions (not interested) and takes visitors to the elephant rehab center. This center takes in neglected or abused elephants used in logging and rehabilitates them. Richard takes a group out to the center where we can interact & feed the elephants then get a chance to ride the elephants into the jungle for an hour. Richard also has a rapport with some gibbons monkeys so we'll be able to get up close and help groom them. I wonder how Joshua will react to the elephants but I showed him lots of photos with kids on the elephants. I asked him if he wanted to ride the elephants and he said, "Ok, Mommy."

When we travel, we kind of go with the flow but I knew that this particular trip will go fast. I emailed Richard and he replied the same day with all the information. So now we are set with the day we will visit the rehab center! I am so excited. A friend that will be travelling with us is bringing his laptop so I hope to be able to upload my photos and post a couple blog entries.

Another Saturday, another baseball game. The kids have improved so much since the beginning of their season which is exciting to see. I think Tyler enjoys baseball so maybe he'll want to keep going. My mom showed up after complaining that she didn't know the game started at noon. I told her that I informed her last night about the game time. She says, "What do you mean? I didn't talk to you yesterday!" I respond, "Mom, you called me three times last night. Don't you remember?" It was frustrating because I know I told her and she either didn't hear me or pay attention. I don't have a lot of patience with my mom but I am still learning when to keep my big mouth shut. It's very difficult.

Kat's cactus flower 

Both kids are doing much better; Joshua's fever is gone and Tyler is almost over. But now Hector has a cold with stuffy nose and sore throat. It is like every person's illness is getting progressively worse so I'm still trying to avoid it. Other than that, it's pretty quiet at our household.

I do have to send out some congratulations to our dear friends M. & N. who welcomed their first baby yesterday. It's a boy!! We can't wait to see little Miles so all the best to the family and N. as she recovers from her C-section.

So here are some more Legoland pictures....enjoy!

Quarantine

Joshua has a low grade fever for a few days and is otherwise his normal self. I've been giving children ibuprofen and it helps but he still can't shake it. This morning Tyler complains he doesn't feel good because Joshua breathed on him yesterday. Tyler feels slighty warm but okay. Then later, he does develop a fever...great. I give him some children's Tylenol and he promptly throws up in the family room. Ugh.

The update on Tyler: so far he is doing okay. He gets to eat all the otter pops and popsicles he wants today. Hopefully, whatever the kids have, Hector and I can avoid it. Keep your fingers crossed!