Thursday December 25 - Christmas Day!

Kayla was so excited to make cookies for Santa. But she was more excited the next morning. She woke up and called, "Mommy! Mommy!" Then she yelled, "Its Christmas!" She was excited to see Santa had eaten her cookies and drank her milk. She had presents under the tree and presents in her stockings. She has learned how to pose with her presents for pictures. We like to call her "Vanna White."

Wednesday December 24 - Eating lunch with the Chan's.

We met with R.C, Wei Yan, Max, Ryan and Auntie Janice for lunch at a local Thai/Sushi restaurant. Kayla is going to be a great big sister. She played well with Max. She was conscious of Max and was very nurturing. It was great to see the two cousins playing together.


Then, we made cookies to put out for Santa. A tradition I hope to continue every year.



The adults finished the most frustrating puzzle. It was like putting together a puzzle and "Where's Waldo" at the same time. But the family did finish it.

Tuesday December 23

The last time we were in North Carolina we tried to have dinner at Maggiano's. Unfortunately the wait was too long, but we found these duck statues that Kayla loved to run around. This time we went back to have dinner at Maggiano's. This time with a reservation. But we wanted to get a picture of Kayla with the ducks again. Boy what a difference two years make.

Monday December 22

We are off to North Carolina. This is our second time out in North Carolina and Kayla's third time on an airplane. The first airplane ride....HORRIBLE. She couldn't pop her ears so she screamed the entire way. The second airplane ride, better but still a lot of work because she was mobile and in diapers. This time. Lovely. She did well on the ride to North Carolina. It was her first time chewing gum. She loved it! Plus she understood that gum was only for the airplane.

Its a Boy!

Friday we had our big ultrasound. We found out the baby is healthy and developing nicely. And its a boy! This completes our set...one boy and one girl. But we have mixed feelings, happy we're having a boy and we get rid of Kayla's old clothes and girly toys. But a little sad because now the name debate must begin. When we were pregnant with Kayla, the name debate had already begun. Luckily for us, we found out we were having a girl, whose name we both had already agreed upon. Now, we're having a boy and Mike and I had different opinions as to the kind of name we wanted for our son.

The tradition in Mike's family is the first boy will have his father's first name as his middle name. Therefore Blank Michael Kanaly. Due to this, I knew we weren't going to get a Japanese name in unless it was a first name. So, I really wanted a first name that was different. Mike on the other hand wanted names like Nicholas, Patrick, Daniel,and Steven. I had to veto these names, I felt they were too boring and typical. Thus, I had to break open the baby name book and find names that I really liked and Mike might like. I came up with this list: Brady, Colby, Jackson, Parker, Riley, and Logan. Mike agreed on these names. So, you can bet the baby's name with be one on this list. Update provided at a later date.

Past the point of sucking it in

Everyone has told me the second time around, you show earlier and you gain more weight. Well, the first is definitely true. Since I started out this pregnancy a little heavier than last time I knew I was bound to be a little bigger. But, I'm already past the point of sucking it in and I've got quite the pooch. I've been feeling a little flutter here and there and I'm excited to find out whether its a boy or a girl. The doctor tried to see during his ultrasound, but the baby was shy and crossing his/her legs. So I guess we'll have to wait until the big ultrasound.

Black Friday

So, I woke up at 4:15am and surprisingly it was easier than I thought. Probably because I was more anxious then I was dreading it. I was determined to get all our xmas shopping done that day. So, I kissed Mike goodbye and drove to the Lakewood mall. I got to the mall by 4:45am and was shocked that the parking lot was already half full. My first stop was Macys but as I entered the mall, I noticed many stores were open including the disney store. It looked like chaos, but I decided "what the heck" I'll check it out. Oh my gosh it was like discounts galore. I was able to get about $150 worth of stuff for $60. I was so excited and the line to check out was only 15 minutes. Not bad.

After Disney I made my way to Macys to buy my mother-in-law some earrings. That line took forever but I finally made it through. By the time I finished at Macys I had about 20 minutes to walk my way to Target. When I got there I noticed a ton of people waiting. 6am hit and the doors were not opening. We noticed people were already in the store so I decided to hit the side door and go out to the other entrance. Bingo it was open! I was able to get a bunch of toys and such. The lines weren't bad at all.

By this time, I was super tired. I hadn't had anything to eat or drink yet so the blood sugar was definitely low. But, I had one more store to go to before I could call it a day. I made a trip to the car to drop off my stuff. I walked outside to find the parking lot completely full and other cars lined up to park. I had to give the "I'm not leaving wave" and headed back into the mall. I walked into Bed Bath and Beyond and bought the last gift for Gary.

It was 7:45am and Mike and Kayla were up and Kayla was asking for me. Good thing I was done. I picked up some Starbucks for breakfast and headed home. We all ate breakfast and then made our second trip out, now that everyone was awake. It felt like 11am but it was only 9am when we made our way to Marukai. After Marukai, Mike wanted to go to Universal City Walk to the Team LA Store and the Dodger Store. So we walked around Universal City Walk, had lunch and headed home.

We got home by 1pm and I was done for the day. But I will say I was able to finish all my xmas shopping (with the exception of Chuck and Danielle). In one day! And I had a great time doing it! I'm definitely doing this again next year. Does anyone want to join me? Maybe some moms can get together for this while their husbands sleep and take care of the kids. Just let me know.

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to All!

This is the first Thanksgiving that Kayla can say the word Thanksgiving. But of course she's not as excited about Thanksgiving as she is about the up and coming Christmas. She sees the lights all around and gets so excited about the "Christmas lights" and seeing Santa. I remember when she was less than a year and just looked like a ball of blubber in Santa's arms. Now she's really excited about seeing Santa and runs up into his arms.

I am thankful for a healthy family. I am thankful that Dad finally got help. I am thankful to have aunts who take on the responsibilities they have regarding my dad. I am thankful to have friends who are there for me to help and provide support. I am truely thankful for my mom who is always gracious to watch Kayla or pick her up from school if I need her to. I am thankful that my family members are doing well even while going through extensive chemotherapy.

Thank you to all who love and care for me.

Energy has returned!

Well, with the first month of the second trimester down, the energy has finally returned. I don't pass out at 7pm at night. I have enough energy to keep the house clean and play with Kayla. I'm starting to feel little flutters in my belly so I know the baby is pretty active. We have our big ultrasound in a couple weeks so we should find out soon whether we are having a boy or a girl. Any guesses?

End of the Quarter and the End of the First Trimester

Yesterday marked the end of the 1st quarter. It also marked the end of my first trimester. What does that mean? It means, more energy, less sickness (although still a little), and more belly. I go in next week to take blood so they can check for early signs of genetic disorders. I guess 30 is the magic number. I don't remember if they did this screening when I was pregnant with Kayla. Then the big ultrasound is scheduled for December 12. Almost over the biggest hump. Once all those screenings are over then I can rest assured that the baby is fine.

The end of the quarter ended without a hitch. I think my pregnancy is trying my patience, but other than that most of the kids are doing well. Of course I know I can't save everyone, but I'll be damned if I didn't try. Only two more quarters to go before maternity leave. It couldn't come soon enough.

The Pumpkin Patch - 10/26/08

We took Kayla to the pumpkin patch on the way to the Uyemura's. She loved it. She wanted to pick out the biggest one home. So we compromised and settled on a medium size pumpkin. The pumpkin patch had a bunch of rides she wanted to try. Kayla opted for the ponies. It was her first pony ride. I don't think she liked it at all. What do you think?

Preggers again!

Its been a while since I've posted, but I wanted to let everyone know that we're expecting child number 2 the end of April or beginning of May. We are very excited. This pregnancy is definitely different from the first. I am bloated and gassy (not like with Kayla). I am already showing (but that may be because I'm starting out fatter than I was with Kayla). I get nauseous at night (right around dinner time). And, I get really tired around the time I get nauseous. I'm not too into meat (which was similar to Kayla). And I'm all about the fruit. I definitely have the pregnant woman's bladder (I could out-hold Mike last time). Finally, I'm already wearing pregnancy pants, because the pressure on my stomach is just uncomfortable. I've told my bosses and some of my coworkers, but I'm going to try to hold out and tell my kids right before the holiday break.

Kayla is really excited. She kisses my belly every day. She really wants a baby sister, so hopefully she won't be disappointed. She understands there is a baby in my tummy, but she thinks I swallowed it. It's really cute! When we moved into the house, we went through her toys and she gave her baby brother or sister her toys that she doesn't play with anymore. I was really proud. She did a really good job giving her toys away that she doesn't play with anymore. She's definitely growing up.

I will use this blog to keep a record of this pregnancy and Kayla's adjustment.

Back in the Swing of Things

I'm Back at School!

Things are crazy!

A new computer system at school has found all of my classes needing somewhere around 12 changes, on average. I've got kids who are missing a period, missing a core content class, kids who are not supposed to be in my classes. It is absolutely crazy! But, you do what you can. I refuse to hold back just because the front office can't work the new computer system.

Then there's the house. We've moved in with all of our stuff and are living in rubble. Mike and Gary are putting up drywall on the door to the garage, the rooms are textured but not painted. We've got boxes everywhere. Well, at least we've got the master bedroom put away. But, Kayla's room is filled with boxes that I can't put away because she has no closet. Our den is full of boxes that we can't put away until Mike's dad paints the room. We've got to pull up the old hardwood floors in the living room by next week but we've got some big pieces of furniture in there that we can't move until we paint the den. Things are crazy around the house.

Kayla's birthday party turned out to be a huge success! The kids and adults had a great time. I didn't have to do much but play with the kids and talk with all the parents. That is how kids parties should be.

I'm sure something else will throw a wrench into the mix. I just have to take one day at a time, one hour at a time, and remember to take lots of deep breaths.

I am so DONE!

It is all over. All the hard work this summer is finally over. Thursday was our last assignment and now I can officially say I am done with my Masters degree. No more research, no more writing papers, no more sitting in boring lectures. I am no longer a student. I can just be a Wife, Mom and Teacher and be happy.

Thank you to Eileen and Tabatha, without which I would never have kept my sanity.

Thank you Mom for doing everything you could to help lighten the load this summer.

Thank you Mike for the support.

Thank you Kayla for putting a smile on my face every day.

Now, to tackle the house.

You know you're a parent when...

1. You call each other mommy and daddy even when the child is not around.
2. You find random kid socks in your purse.
3. Your "purse" is your diaper bag.
4. Your shelf for cups has now turned into your shelf for sippy cups.
5. Your refrigerator is plastered with your child's "artwork."
6. You can often be found with your hair in a ponytail.
7. You begin to find nicknames for foods and other such hard to pronounce items.
8. You have at least one CD in your car changer that is kid-themed.
9. You can name every Backyardigan and what type of animal they are (i.e., Austin is a penguin).
10. Your fridge is filled with togo boxes of your child's leftover food.

If you can think of any please post on your blogs.

OMG!

Have you ever had the feeling of panic?!

I experienced that today, when Ei and I accidentally ran across the outline of the paper that was due today. To say that it was not what our paper followed was an understatement. So, the race was on. 3 hours till class starts and an entire 1250 word essay needs to be reworked. We were panicking!

But, we got it done. It may not be what we wanted it to be, but it's done.

Cross that one off the list.

Thank you Ei

Down the Home Stretch

Well, just two weeks left folks and my masters will be finished. I can't tell you how ready I am for this program to be over.

- Tech paper will be finished today.
- Pedagogy PCK done by next Wednesday.
- Action Research paper due August 11.
- Presentation for Action Research paper 5pm August 11.
- Exhibition for Tech August 14.
- Paper for Pedagogy due August 13.

Done by 4:00 pm August 14.

Motivate, Motivate, Motivate!

Dear Grandma

Dear Grandma,

The matriarch of the family. The glue that held us all together. I will miss Christmas and Thanksgiving at your house. How we would all come together to eat food, play games, and spend quality time together. I will miss my favorite meal of tacos on my birthday. You didn't have to say a word to let me know you were proud of me. You amazed me with your active life, sense of humor, and support. Golfing, bowling, bingo, Vegas, you could never be found at home. You made sure everyone was taken care of before you took care of yourself. I know you will be my guardian angel and I hope I make you proud. I love you and I will miss you.

Love,
Krisdee

2 going on 16

Yesterday, Kayla was playing with the next door neighbor. She runs over and asks me, "Can I sleep over Bella's house?" My heart melted, and I wanted to say yes. But, as it was a school night. I had to say no. She was so upset that she stomped out of the house right over to Bella's house and told her that I said yes! Lying already! I couldn't believe it. I had to go over and tell her, Bella, and Stacey that she couldn't spend the night. She was upset, but I knew she wasn't going to stay over there anyway. We would get a little knock at 11pm when she realized we weren't going to be there to soothe her. We might try next weekend, when we have the time to rest if it is a long night. Wish us luck. Kayla's first sleepover!

What's with this yogurt fad?!

I'm not a big dessert fan. I won't turn down a dessert if the occasion calls for it. But, I have always had a soft spot for frozen yogurt. I am always up to go to Golden Spoon and grab some vanilla yogurt with strawberry topping. Yum! And if I'm feeling really naughty, Dairy Queen Health Bar Blizzard.

But lately I've really been into this Yogurt War. Pinkberry, Red Mango, Yogurtland, Yogurtberry, Yogurt Factory, they have been popping up everywhere. I've only had the opportunity to have Pinkberry, but I must say, I do crave it every once in a while. Today I tasted our local imitation, Yogurt Factory, and it was ok. I was a little weary about the look of the toppings but it turned out pretty good. So far Pinkberry is at the top of my list, now I'll have to taste the others and report back. If you have any suggestions let me know.

Living with the Parents

Well, we have finally moved all of our crap into storage. It took two large boxes, and two small boxes to store all of our stuff. Three guys, plus, Mike, Mike's dad, and myself to move all of our stuff in 10 hours. I think Mike and I did move of the heavy lifting than the moving guys. We moved all the boxes from our loft and extra bedroom down so the guys could take it out to the pod. But I'll tell you I don't envy dealing with the elevator. In the end, we are no longer homeowners, we are officially homeless.

We're living with my parents in a small 10x10 room. It definitely helps me though, because now I have someone to play with Kayla while I make dinner. I'm getting my exercise though, I walk Kayla to daycare every day (its 2 miles each way). It's definitely testing Mike's patience. Living with Gary and the entire family will test any husband's patience. I thank Mike that there hasn't been too much complaining so far. We've got a baseball game on Saturday, so I'm sure that will help us get out of the house.

Its a waiting game now. We've got a negotiator, we just have to wait for him to accept our offer and its smooth sailing from there. Keep your fingers crossed.

My 6 factoids

1. I am a sucker for teenie-bopper chick flicks.
2. If I like a movie or tv show I can watch it over and over and over and over again without getting bored of it.
3. I have tons of scrapbooking materials but have had no time to do any scrapbooking since Mike and I have been married.
4. I tend to start a lot of craft projects but never finish them.
5. I have a secret desire to be a shopaholic, but feel guilty every time I give in to the urge.
6. I have a purse fetish, well an overall bag fetish in general.

I tag...

Shane
Mike
RC

You're it!

Boy am i getting old!

So, it's 1:21 am and i'm on the computer trying to finish writing a noteboard posting on 6, count them 6, readings due tomorrow. i think I may have read somewhere around 75 pages of journal articles tonight. We were then asked to write 250 words about how the readings related to our game design. What?! Huh?!

I am so tired I wouldn't even type in a complete smiley face on instant messenger, to Eileen.

:
_
)

That was my happy face at 1am. Thank you Eileen! Good Night!

Short Sales!

Oh my gosh! Of course, we pick the house that is a short sale and we have to deal with Countrywide. For those who have not been watching the news...Countrywide is being indicted on mortgage fraud. This is the bank that we are currently dealing with for our, soon to be, new house. Mike and I are stressing and it taking its toll. Now, we aren't sure how long it is going to take to buy this house. So, we have been stressing and discussing where we are going to live, where we are going to store all of our stuff, and when are we going to get his house.

There is so much to consider. We are most definitely homeless for a period of time. But we don't know whether that period of time is short, like a few weeks, or longer, like a few months. We have plenty of other obstacles. Such as Roxy, our dog. This limits our choices to rent because landlords don't usually like dogs, extended stay is going to be expensive if we stay longer than a few weeks, and my parents have never liked Roxy. We also have to take into consideration the fact that I am working on my masters, which is taking soo much time I may have a breakdown, kayla's crib is probably going to travel with us, and Mike works in Marina del Rey. To make matters worse, i don't know how much to pack and how much to take with us. If we are only staying at my parents for a few weeks, then no problem I can take a suitcase full of clothes and that's it. But if we're out more than a couple weeks, we can't possibly stay in their small house for longer than that. Now I have to consider taking Kayla's toys, and other supplies for eating and cleaning.

Needless to say, I am tired, stressed, and totally anxious over our living situation. When will it end! I just hope we are in our house, unpacked by the time school starts. Not only that, but I have to start planning for next year so I'm not as stressed out as I was this year.

All this plus trying to eat healthy and workout so I at least have the energy and stamina for all this summer has thrown at me. If I'm short and to the point with you, or I snap at you now you know why. I am going to need major me time at the end of the summer. I hope we'll have a chance to focus on ourselves for a few weeks.

WE SOLD!

I think it's safe to say that we have sold our house. We are past the 17 day no penalty part of escrow, so I think we are going are to move. We didn't get the price we wanted, but we sold within a week of being on the market and we have lived here for 4 years. I say that's pretty good in the market today.

I've started packing. You really don't know how much CRAP you have until you try to move. Oh my gosh, I've been packing for about two weeks, just boxes here and there, and we've probably gone through at least 40 boxes already! Now, those aren't all big boxes, but still 40 boxes! It's insane!

But, we're excited about the house we will hopefully buy. We found a wonderful house in Lakewood/Long Beach area. It has three beds and a den, two baths, a dining area, a decent backyard, and a two car garage. Not only that, but we'll have plenty of money to design the kitchen and baths the way WE want it. I am super super excited. Now its just a waiting game to talk with the bank because it's a short sale. What a process! But, for this house...I'm willing to wait. Wish us luck!

Back on the Market Again!

So, we're back on the market. We're trying for the third time to sell our place. Those people that say selling your house is one of the most stressful things you can do was definitely right! We chose a realtor who seemed to be selling quick and for good prices in Seabridge. Well, we found out why. She seems to be out for herself, which we should have expected given the market. We feel like we're not only arguing price with buyers but with her as well. Well, keep us in your thoughts and prayers that we'll sell soon. Kayla is so active we need a yard and an extra bedroom for baby #2 (whenever he/she decides to be born). Please let us sell, please let us sell, please let us sell.

Bad Words

When does a parent start to consider words as bad or name calling? And, how do you address something like that?

Let me explain, a couple weeks ago, my mom and I realized Kayla was calling people "bumblebees." But this wasn't the casual ha ha to be funny. She would look at us and say, "Hey you bumblebee!" Especially when we were doing something she didn't like. How do you approach a subject like that? Its obviously not a bad word, but if she is purposefully calling us this "bad" name, then how do we address that and do we try to stop her from saying it? Don't we wish kids came with a handbook?!

Back in the Swing of Things

As I sit in my Saturday Masters Class I am reminded that it is that time of year and I have to go back to student mode. It seems this summer is going to be impacted with numerous papers of various lengths. But, it also seems like its going to be a great time. We are going to make a computer game for our kids! I hope I'll make one that will be effective and efficient.

My Summer Goals:

1. Complete my masters program.
2. Work out at least 5 days a week (get down to a size 2 or 4)
3. Spend at least two days a week doing something fun with Kayla.
4. Read at least two books a month.
5. Plan the recycling or student store project.
6. Plan out Peer Tutoring for PTLC.

Busy Summer. Get 'er done!

Mother's Day

Well, its my third Mother's Day and we had a great day! First, we got up early and spent the day with Grandma and Grandpa at the happiest place on earth. We all have passes, so we try to bring Kayla once a month so we can get our money's worth. My advice to those mothers out there is get there right when the park opens. We usually have a chance to ride all of Kayla's favorites before noon without waiting more than 15 minutes. Once noon hits, Kayla is tired and the crowd starts filling in. Our routine is usually Disneyland until 10 am then on over to California Adventures. There are more rides Kayla enjoys at California Adventures.

After the happiest place on earth, we headed home to take a nap (Kayla and Mommy both). Then we went to the Bella Terra Shopping Center in Huntington Beach. Mike's plan was dinner and a movie. Kayla's first! We took her to Horton Hears a Who which was great because it was in a small theater and there were only about 20 people in there. She did pretty well. She wanted to leave the last 15 minutes of the movie. But we were able to convince her to stay and watch it all! I was so proud. So now we know we can start taking her to movies. Although I'm not sure how many movies we can afford. I couldn't believe it! $10 each for Mike and I AND $7.50 for Kayla. $7.50 for a two year old! Geesh. This movie theater charges from age 1. We'll have to limit our movie theater visits.

Then Mike gave Kayla a bath while I started on some work. Only five weeks and counting. This year was so stressful but has seemed to fly by. We've got our last week of testing this week. Then the following weekend is prom. Then two weeks of regular instruction before we begin reviewing for benchmarks. We just found out that all of our rooms will be used to house 4,000 students for summer school so I'll be working hard to lock up all my stuff this summer. I am so glad I will not be teaching summer school.

Happy Mom's day to all the Mom's reading my blog. No one can ever understand how much work you all put into your everyday lives. Thank you for working hard to provide your kids with everything they need to be intelligent, thoughtful, and caring people. I love you all!

Conference, Conference, Conference

So, I had a conference in what other place....Las Vegas. Viva las Vegas! Well, the conference itself was good. But we were sooo busy with the conference, the only thing we enjoyed was Mama Mia on Saturday night. Not only that, but I was nodding off a couple times right after the intermission. It was a good show though.

There is nothing like knowing how bad California education really is. We were talking with a counselor of a 7-12 school in New York and he was complaining about their class sizes moving from 25 to 28 to 1 next year.

We said, "Are you kidding me! We would welcome 28. 30 even!"

How could we place such a low value on education? I don't care who you are, you want the best education for your children. You can't expect the best unless you are willing to pay for the best! I think moving to another state is Kayla's best bet for success!

Oh by the way, this picture is of the masks that had fallen after landing above OUR seats. I guess all our hot air must have triggered it!

Its time for Dodger Baseball!

Well, its that time of year again!

The smell of the freshly cut grass, the weather that can't make up it's mind, I know its time for baseball season to begin. And of course the fact that Mike tells me everyday "The Game is on in 10 minutes" on his commute home. I do have fun watching the games as long as the teams are scoring and I am rooting for some team. Although, give me a Laker game any day!

But this year, we've started to take Kayla to the games with us. She went to the infamous "Coliseum Game" and fell asleep shortly after the first pitch. Then, we just recently went to the Dodgers vs. Padres and it was Kayla's first game where she really knew what was going on. She had a great time...although I'm not sure if I can say I did since I had to take her to the bathroom 6 times and she didn't pee once. I think she's afraid of the bathrooms at Dodger Stadium. I don't blame her, if I was two and half I might be afraid too. But other than that we all had a good time and I got a chance to share some knowledge with some Australians who had no idea what this whole baseball thing is all about.

Education? Expendable!

As you all know, California is scrambling to handle the possible budget cuts our way. There have several reports that every school district is going to lay off hundreds of teachers. This is a possibility. In my school district alone, 100 teachers were told they might not have a job next year. How is this all calculated? The answer is seniority. Hired last, fired first. Luckily I was saved from this round of layoffs, but who is to say that I will always be safe? How can the governator take so much money away from education? How can he sit in his pretty little chair and take money away from the children? I find it difficult to trust this man who was all about education before he became governor. But now that he needs to reduce the state spending, he decides to take money away from our future.

How can this be a good a idea? Isn't there a better way? There has to be. How can we compete with the rest of the world if we won't invest in it? The state of this country makes me worry everyday for Kayla. Why can't we fix the things that are wrong in our country before we begin to butt into the affairs of other countries. Why don't we spend defense money to defend our borders? Why don't we focus on saving the US first? I wouldn't mind paying a couple extra dollars in taxes if it meant good teachers would keep their jobs. Maybe they should find a way to weed out bad teachers before they layoff good teachers because they were hired last. If you have the time, write to your representative and tell them that this is a travesty. Let them know how you feel about it all.

Is the ability to be accident prone hereditary?

It has been sooo long since I have written a blog, that I felt it was time. A couple weeks ago, Kayla broke her arm. She fell out of the booth at the Lazy Dog Cafe in Huntington Beach. This just goes to show you that even a small fall can cause a lot of pain. We took her to the emergency room and found she had a small fracture in her arm. She had to have a cast placed on her arm. Three weeks later I took her back to the doctor where he took off the cast but the arm was still broken. So, she is currently in a shorter cast for another week and a half.

Meanwhile, two weeks after Kayla broke her arm my mom and stepfather took Kayla to the park. My mom took Kayla down the slide where she began to tip over. To brace her fall, she put her foot into the ground. Needless to say, her foot did stick but the rest of her leg kept moving. My stepfather had to walk Kayla back to the house while my mom sat on the ground in pain. He got the car took her the ER where they took xrays that showed my mom had broken both bones in her leg above her ankle.

This would cause my mother to have surgery on her leg. The break was so major it took a metal plate and eight screws to put it all back together. She just went to the doctor yesterday to get a permanent cast. She took pictures, gruesome. The incision had to be about a foot long on each side of her ankle. I could not believe the sight of it in the pictures. The doctor placed another cast on her foot and told her she had to stay off of it for another month. He even told her she wouldn't be putting any weight on it for four months. I cannot believe that my mom goes from chasing Kayla around the house to sitting in a chair and getting up only to pee.

Now, if you know anything about me or my brother you know how we have the craziest injuries to ourselves as well as the people around us. ME: both ACLs torn, broken jaw, knocked out a tooth and cracked the two next to it, broken collarbone, several sprained ankles. ERIC: broken collarbone (twice), hyperextended arm, several stitches, several sprained ankles. Could all this be hereditary? Is is possible Kayla is destined to be accident prone? Let's all hope and pray she isn't. This is all I handle at the moment.

Potty Training

This is for all the mothers out there. We've been semi-potty training Kayla for the past couple months. We've had a lot of advice, looked at a lot of websites, and read some books. We tried taking her every hour, potty chart, asking her when she needed to go, rewards, but in the end it was all her. It was like a light turned on in her head and she suddenly told my mom, "I have to go potty." And since then, only one accident in the car and we are officially potty-trained. Well, I say official with the exception of nights. Although, no pee in the diaper the last two days at night. But, personally she could take forever for that, I can handle one diaper a day. But I am relieved for her to be using both the public restrooms and the potties at home.

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2304657

This travel potty chair is genius. Before we bought this chair Kayla did not want anything to do with the public restroom. But now, no problem! Yes, the reviews are correct it doesn't fit perfectly, but it lays on top, it doesn't move and it doesn't fall in. It's genius I tell you!

Potty training down...next step...dressing herself!

Exhausted!

Have you ever been so tired that you fall asleep and wake up not knowing when or how you fell asleep? Of course you have! Well, this has been happening to me at least once a week, during the work week. I get home from work and feel tired. But right after dinner I am so exhausted that I can't stand up. I lie down, usually with Kayla, and I almost instantly fall asleep. Then, I wake up to Kayla crying because her favorite show is over, and I put her to sleep. The next thing I know I'm waking up at around 2am in the morning with my contacts still on my eyes. I can't believe how exhausting this year has been! I need to get more sleep. Hello end of the semester next week. Two minimum days, no students next Friday. Ah!

Week 1 of the new year

As week one come to a close...I can't help but beam with pride. I just finished grading my kids first quiz and I am proud to say that the class averages have been around a 75%. Now some of you are reading that and can't believe I'm proud of that statistic, but I am. Lately, my kids have been pulling D and even F averages. Now, maybe I'm a bad teacher...maybe my tests are too hard...but I have a feeling that's not the case. But I have vowed that I will get through this year and my kids will be successful. I'm implementing new things that hopefully will make my life easier and them more successful. Well, we'll see the true test will be the benchmark they will take at the end of this month. Let's all pray for the kids.

No more ranting and raving. Its the weekend...rest.

Back to School Again!

Well, its Jan. 6, 2008 and I have to make my way back into the classroom. I wish I had just one more week of my vacation. Do you ever feel like you need a vacation from your vacation? That is how I feel at this exact moment. I'm giving myself an easy day tomorrow because I have no idea what my kids are going to come back like and I don't want to have to deal with the complaints of new material. I hope they are ready to work.

Mike has started a new job at Stamps.com. He's been there three days so far. It's in Marina del Rey. It takes him about 45 minutes to get there and an hour to drive home. Our days of early dinner and early to bed are over. He took us by his office today to "borrow" equipment from another coworker. We set up all our benefits and everything. The downside is now its up to me to keep the house clean, cook dinner, take Roxy out in the afternoon, and keep kayla occupied. I don't know when I'm going to find time to plan and grade papers. I guess I'm just going to have to be as efficient as possible. So, for those of you who would like to see us, you better contact us at least a week in advance so we can set something up. Between our two schedules its gonna be busy!

Shout out to my cousin Robin who is due this month! From what I hear it'll be within the next couple of weeks so make sure Wei Yan gets as much sleep as possible (cuz i know you probably have trouble sleeping at this point).

In closing, I would like to wish everyone a belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Love you all!

XOXO