Visiting friends

Juan is away for the weekend for the annual Chargers away game trip. This year to Green Bay. So what do I do with 3+ days alone with the kids? Keep busy!

In the morning we took a trip to Costco and what would have been a quick shopping trip turned into a verrry long visit where we saw all the Christmas decorations and toys they had to offer. It was fun, but seems early....

After nap time we went to visit my friend Doris and her two kids. Callie just adores baby Julian and this time Diego took a liking to him to. He kept pointing at him and saying baby. We stayed all the way past bedtime then drove home and both kids went right to bed. Day one full of fun and went smoothly. 3 more days to go.

Just walking down the street

Callie had a follow up appointment in nephrology today for her high blood pressure. I haven't written much about it as its stressful enough for me to deal with and I don't want others to worry if we have no reason to. Despite all the tests and doctors visits we have had we still have not found a cause. To be truly sure the blood pressure is high before we go looking into more invasive imaging, we will be doing a 24 hr blood pressure monitoring. She just walks around with a cuff and a tiny machine all day. It's sounds easy but for a 3 year old I bet it will be more challenging than I think. I'm already starting to bribe her. We don't have a definitive date but sometime early next week. I just want it done like yesterday. It's the worst not knowing.

Another thing I haven't written about but it's adding to my stress level is that I quit my job! I have 4 days left and am trying to get everything all tidied up and finished for the next person in line. The stress is only on the feeling finished and starting anew which I need to just let go. It's all going to be fine even if I don't finish everything.

This was a really big decision for us but I decided to accept a job for less money but more time with the kids. I'll only work 3 days a week and have 11 weeks off a year (school schedule). This will allow me to travel to see my family and just spend some quality time with my kids. I'll also get back to seeing kids (clients/patients) directly. I'll be working with birth to three year old kids with various disabilities and delays. The services are provided in home through a school program. I'm really excited to be back working directly with the kids and families. Of course I'll miss all my friends at CCS as its been a great 8 year run there. For now I chose time over money, I'm sticking with my motto of money isn't everything and I'll soak up all the extra hugs and love from my kids being home more. They are only little once and these are the only two we will have. I'm so thankful to have this opportunity and be able to make this work. Having a super supportive and loving husband who stood behind me to make this big leap and even pushed me to do it is incredible and I love him every second for it. Onward to the next adventure!

Today it was a simple walk around the block with Callie and her baby, in the baby carrier of course. She's just a doll and wise beyond her tiny 3 years.

Happy Birthday Daddy

Happy Birthday Daddy! The kids were so excited for daddy's birthday. Callie acted like it was her own birthday. She made him a card and attempted to write Happy Birthday but gave up after Happy Bir and then scribbled some "Halloween ghosts" instead. She sang happy birthday daddy at nap time by herself and insisted on wearing a dress out to dinner to be special. Diego was thrilled to see daddy too and was showing off his squishy face to everyone at dinner. He's quite a ham these days and also rattled off all the sounds of animals for daddy. I have to get this on video as its impressive to me. The other night he was even copying Callie singing Let it Go. These two kids truly love their daddy and we are so thankful for all his fun, smiles, love and support. So lots of birthday wishes to Juan today, we love you!

Daddy the car ramp

Usually Diego plays with his cars on the couch arms which he uses as ramps. Today he's been sick with a virus and had a fever. He was very whiney and barely played. But when dad came home he got all excited and decided to use dad as the car ramp. He started at his knees and ran the car down right into his face. He loved it and thought it was funny. It's the little things you will do to see your kid smile... Like lay on the floor and be a car ramp.

To the beach in the rain

It's been so so hot. So on our last day with GiJu and my day off we figured legs go cool off at the beach. Of course then it was strange weather in the morning with clouds, cool weather and even rain at the beach more than once. It didn't stop us and there was no one else there! I tried making Diego a swimming float out of a pool noodle and a onesie and it sorta worked but he still found a way to submerge himself and then he was done with the water. It helped keep him up for the most part but not enough that I didn't need to hold his hand most of the time. Guess it's not an invention that will make me a millionaire. 

Callie and Gij swam all around and far far out for a long time. We played on the playground and had a picnic "lunch", it was so early it might as well been breakfast. We rounded out the night with a fire and smores even though it's so hot still. Callie knows that when GiJu or PaPa comes to stay it's the time to ask because usually I would just say no. But we did it and stayed up late. It was a short visit with GiJu but enough that we don't feel like too much time passes without seeing her. And we will see her for 3 weeks in December and January between her visit and our trip to CT. Yes that's right, after I said we would not go back for a long long time and we are headed back in only 6 months. Tickets are booked officially today!

Celebrating love

Yesterday Juan and I traveled to Malibu for the wedding of my childhood friend Chris and his beautiful bride Molly. We left poor GiJu behind with the kids in 90 degree weather with no a/c. The wedding location was a private residence beautifully set overlooking the ocean. It was amazing! And the night away was a nice break, thanks GiJu. Congrats to Chris and Molly and wishing you a lifetime of love and happiness!

More walking around the block

The kids and Manny just love walking around the block. Neighbors and strangers think I'm nuts as Diego walks by himself sometimes 50' away from me. Both kids have always been really good at staying on the sidewalk and staying with me. I know strangers think I'm nuts but they do really well. One neighbor has a cat that actually likes my kids. Most of the other neighborhood cats run when they see them but this orange cat actually meows and purrs for them. It just happened to be a great time to walk this morning as well as the school buses were all headed to school and we saw two school buses and two city buses in the course of 5 minutes. Diego gets so excited about buses it's crazy so I tried to get this quick video of him so excited about the bus. My favorite part is the bye bye bus at the end. He's just too adorable.