Outspeed

I never thought that this day would come for another 5 years or so, at least until they are teenagers. But it has arrived. They have officially outspeed me on the hills. It's such a strange feeling - mixed of frustration and joy. The competitiveness inside me still thinks that I could totally outski/snowboard them yet the cautiousness (of being a mom) has slowed me down. On the other hand, there's the motherly pride that my kids have "outgrown" me. 

I am going to give myself another season to reassure that this is really happening. Just cannot not be that these 2 daredevils have beat me on the hill. 

Culé

Ninja bawled his eyes out (again)…I was stunned by such a reaction, feeling like I was watching a Latin/European football drama…

N: 😭😭😭 Why does he have to leave? Why does it have to be PSG? 

Me: not his fault, it’s the mis-management of the club, they cannot pay him. They found a solution but it wasn’t approved by La Liga.

N: how much do they need?

Me: 50 million I guess.

N: each game? every month or?

Me: a year.

N: why cannot they just fundraise so he can stay? (that’s a very gringo solution 🤣)

Me: …I am not sure kid, not sure if that’s even allowed by La Liga. Well, at least you had watched him in person playing in Camp Nou for Barça. You got good memories…

Perhaps he’s right. Maybe a GoFundMe will work? 🤣🤣🤣

Belle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A is signed up for some theater camps this summer, first the Lion King and then Beauty and the Beast. I didn't expect her to get any "role" and just wanted her to get exposed to musicals, one of my favourite pastimes and wishing that she would go with me when she's older (since the boys are not really interested at all) 

While I was in Barna, I heard her screaming to me on the other side, "mommy, I got it. I got the role Belle. It's like a dream except that it is not a dream!". I was almost in tears. She made it to something she really wanted and she cared for (normally she didn't really care for anything). She worked hard on it and made it to the audition and had a small part.

She's got 21 lines and a solo (singing). They went through 2 weeks of rehearsal. I never imagined that I would be in tears when I saw her on stage singing her solo. She had kept the solo in secret from us for weeks (didn't want to practice in front of us) as she wanted it to be a surprise with "high pitch". I guess this is how it feels to be a "proud" parent. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to experience being a proud parent, my little Belle. 

    

(minute 46:37 to 54:13)

Lonely

Ninja is away on a sleep-away camp. It certainly feels very different having one less kid in the house. So much quieter. A always complains about having a brother and wishes he were never born…
Me: So, how do you feel about having Mommy and Daddy all for you? 
A: Lonely
Me: Really? 
A: I miss Erik.
Me: 🤣🤣 
#lovehaterelationship #bestfriendsworstenemies 

let go

Couldn’t help myself wondering how he’s doing. Really hope that he’s having a good time. It’s been 12 hours since the “last breakfast” at Norm before seeing Ninja off at the pier for his first sleep-away camp. Trying to picture that he’s hopping from spots to spots in the Catalina Island on a tall ship learning about stars, navigation, marine biology…having an adventure of his life. 

He gave me and Papi a big hug before he went off. It was funny that A actually went ahead and gave him a long hug (he was somewhat embarrassed and surprised by it). 

It’s a little bit funny, this feeling inside of “let go”. I suppose it is one of the hardest things to do as parents. Sure that we will get to practice a lot of it from now on…but practice makes perfect? I am not so sure.

“Mommy, I miss Erik. I am worried about him. I cannot sleep.” A said. She’s usually pretty “stingy” about her affection towards her brother. So It’s nice to hear the true feelings from her. She definitely takes after me in this department. 

Golden Feather

My eyes were watery when I read the email. 

It’s not the straight A’s, not an acceptance letter to some special program, not a trophy but a note such as this touches us and gives us pride and gratification of being a parent, knowing that we have raised a decent and kind kid. 

when life gives you lemons...

I remember that day, Friday the 13th, exact a year ago, the day that the kids stopped going to school in person. 

Glad that we are gradually coming out of the woods. To some extent, the experience has been a blessing in disguise, it has brought us closer as family. We've done so much and gone through so much together. And I couldn't be prouder of the two munchkins - being able to hang in there and go through the "crisis schooling" and then "distance learning” like a champ. Not only have they survived but thrived. (Pardon me for borrowing your line, Meghan, please don’t sue me 🤣). 

I wouldn't call it a "happy anniversary" but it is certainly a milestone. 

Type A vs. Type B

After Ninja’s math assessment...

Ninja: I really hope that I pass so I can be with smart kids and be smarter.

A: Why do you want to be smarter? You are already smart. 

They are really at the opposite ends of the spectrum.🤣🤣🤣

Rubik's Cube

Ninja has been tinkering that Rubik's Cube for a week now, including going online to google the best "algorithm" to solve the scenarios. He's always have the cube on his hand whenever I walk into his room, even when he's eating. He's finally got it nailed down today with a record of 2'05". Not too shabby. Well, pretty much what happens when you run out of things to do during the pandemic! 

J'tia

J'tia - it has become our go-to phrase/name when referring to a whiny, uncooperative, self-proclaimed professional yet destructive individual within a team who is not able to work under pressure. (We simply watched too much Survivor.) 

A has the tendency to throw the J'tia-tantrum from time to time when she gets frustrated and is under stress. And she did today, on the hill - literally crying her lung out saying that she didn't want to ski anymore, in the middle of Broadway. 

I used the magic word "J" and asked her to calm down with deep breath (I wasn't sure if it would work and it had crossed my mind that the worst case scenario that we might need to ask the paramedic to get her down). Then we told her that when the slope was steeper she would have to take her time to zigzag down instead of dashing down because she simply couldn't stop with that speed. After having her butt on the slope for a while contemplating with that typical expressionless face, she put it into action. For the rest of the day (and the rest of the trip), she was just cruising, enjoying the ride and loving it. 

I could not be prouder. I didn't even know that it was possible - seeing her turning the situation around and being in control of her emotion and making the experience fun! No J'tia no more. 

Powder!

It has been snowing non-stop since we got here in Mammoth. Don’t think that we have ever seen Mammoth with so much snow ever since we first came here in 2015. Don’t blame it on Mammoth, I would say it is more because we come here usually earlier in the season and spend Thanksgiving right after the first snowfall and the “snow dump” doesn’t usually happen until later in the season. 

I have been extremely stoked and it is just so exciting to actually go tubing, (disc) sledding, snowball fighting and skiing/snowboarding with kids on powdery snow. I wanted to show them what the “real” snow is like, not the man-made, artificial groomed, icy runs they have played with and skied on over the years (except for Valle Nevado in Chile but they probably have no recollection of it at all since they were too little). 

“Mom, can I go with you tomorrow morning? Can you wake me up at 7am?” Ninja asked me last night. “Of course!” I was ecstatic. Finally I get a ski/snowboard buddy. I know that Papi wouldn’t want to wake up that early to catch the first lift up to the mountain for the fresh powder and I didn't even bother to ask.  

“I don’t want to go in the morning and I just want to sleep in.” A said. Not surprise as she totally takes after her dad in this aspect – sun and beach are more of her things. 

So we (Ninja and I) did. All ready by 8:15am and walked up to the lift by 8:30am. 

After the first run down the mountain, Ninja exclaimed, “Wow, Mom, this is so powdery and amazing. So silent and quiet!” I was rejoiced when he discovered the difference. So nice that I was able to show him what I had experienced growing up and how I love about being in the cold, crispy, fresh, powdery snow. 

Perhaps this is what being parents is about - passing down what we have known, experienced to our kids through stories, anecdotes, and things we do together, and these are the moments and memories they will remember us by when we are gone. 

Alexi Ana

A had to make a "Culture Doll" for school. I figured that it's about time for her to learn about all the cultures that she represents - from panama hat to maple leaf to flamenco dancer to bubble tea to Miss Universe. So instead of making a culture doll, we made a multicultural doll together, measuring A's exact size, her avatar.

"This is my multicultural doll, Alexi Ana. What's yours? 

the soul party

Ninja was in the mood of total makeover. I think that he’s just tired of everyday and everything being the same, wanted to spice things up a little bit. He first did a total makeover on his room by rearranging all the furniture. Then he went on to rearrange A’s room. She was so surprised that she burst into tears when she walked in. (I felt that I was watching a reality TV show, LOL)

Then around 6pm when they were done with all the work, I heard music blasting from Ninja’s room. Someone’s having a “soul” party. Pretty rad I must say. Genuinely impressed with all the light show, music, mini lounge, groovy moves and fun! Desperation is the mother of invention! Just grateful that they are able to create fun out of nothing to make themselves happy and keep themselves entertained. Let’s get party started!

Mission on Minecraft

One of the “advantages” of “homeschooling” (distance learning during the pandemic) is that I (as a parent) actually get to know what the kids are learning (curriculum wise) "at school". We seem to receive more communication (emails, google classroom) from the teachers.

So apparently, one of the biggest topics for the 4th grade social study is learning the history of California, which could be summed up by Spaniard’s colonization through religion and force. They need to learn all the original 9 Missions built by Juan Junipero Serra and choose one of the 21 Missions in California as a research project. 

It somewhat echos the family catechism we do (during the pandemic) at home. We also made a stop at Mission Santa Inez on our trip to Pismo during the Thanksgiving holidays. It seems that our lives have revolved around Catholicism these days. 

Normally, one of their (the 4th graders) biggest projects of the year is to create a diorama for a chosen Mission. Since it’s pandemic, most teachers make it optional. Yet, Ninja decided to do it with Minecraft to see if he can get extra credits for it. I thought it was an awesome idea, not only he gets to be creative but it makes learning fun (and they are already playing video games, might as well.) It took him just 3 hours to complete it (though he claimed for 7 days, assuming 30 minutes a day based on his calculation). I must say I was genuinely impressed of his Minecraft version of Mission Santa Ines and he also made a YouTube video for the visual tour. Pretty rad! Welcome to the eGeneration! 

p.s. Ninja had deleted his original video, this is a remake of the original one, the structure of the project is the same just that the recording is updated.