Memorial Day Weekend

This weekend is the official start to summer…

…and also a day to remember all of those men and women whom are fighting for our country and its freedoms! Thank you to the American heroes of the past and present for fighting for our nation and all its people!

Since 1997 Memorial Day weekend as always been something I’m excited about…for many years it was because I was a lifeguard and our waterpark opened for the season on Memorial Day…nowadays I’m excited because I KNOW it means that summer break from school is literally just around the corner. Time off means more quality time with Owen…beach trips…pool time at Nana’s and just having free time to enjoy one another! I love it. I seriously don’t know how people with “real” jobs do it…like working ALL year long for only 2 weeks vacation…gosh it would be so tough. This time of year teachers are soooo ready for a break from students! 

Its American tradition to BBQ, Spend time in Swimming Pools and relax this weekend…so we did just that!

A day of BBQing and Swimming at the Green River Community Clubhouse.  The kiddie pool is AMAZING…Owen loves it…he feels comfortable since the whole thing is 1 1/2 feet…its awesome!

Followed by relaxation time at the Cilderman’s. The kids got to play…Daddies got to play board games…and Mommies got to plan pinterest crafts and more Girl Nights Out.
It was nice!

Today, Yosh woke up motivated to get some yard work done. So I went right ahead and let him! It was going to be a warm day so I figured I’d bring Owen over to Nana’s for a quick swim before lunch and nap. My friend Taryn has been a zombie this week…newborn baby Connor has been keeping Mommy and Daddy busy. So I thought it would be a good idea to bring Addi (Connor’s big sister) out for some play time.

Away we went to Nana’s. I kept thinking to myself…my GOSH this is what my friend Allison must feel like with twins…NUTS! The two were amazing…they chatted away in the back seat like an old dating couple. They chatted about the music, baby Connor, swimming…it was hilarious!

Addi is quite adventurous compared to Owen…but it was cool to seem them swimming around the place with their floaties and jackets.  We then got out and dry since Nana made a McDonalds run (yes I provided Addi with a nutritious lunch)

Memorial day was quite relaxing…got some shopping done for our cruise (t-minus 5 days before departure!!), spent time with some friends…unfortunately missed other parties but we can’t be in 2-3 places at once….and even got MY OWN nap in! haha
Back to work for 3 crazy busy days…then SUMMMER SUMMER SUMMER!!

Heavy Hearted

I have a heavy heart this evening…that seems to be the best way I can describe how I’m feeling for a friend from high school. Over the weekend a friend of mine named Mandy’s dad had a stroke.  Now, let me say…Mandy and I aren’t besties or anything BUT we are definitely friends and I love all the chances we have to hang out together…she's hilarious after a few cocktails, and seriously one of the kindest, soft spoken people I know!
Myself, Mandy and Valerie on the bus ride home for my 30th…teeheehee.

Anyway…over the weekend Mandy posted on fb “I wish this was all a nightmare.”  And later she confirmed that her dad had had suffered a stroke and he wasn’t doing well in the hospital. So I have texted or messaged her everyday since to check on him. Unfortunately there was no improvement and he ended up passing away today. Don’t know details but it doesn’t matter. My heart is hurting for Mandy and her family. Her dad seemed to be very involved with Mandy since we were kids. He was a father figure to many of her best friends as well…so I know all of them are hurting tonight. I’m feeling very helpless!! When I know that people are hurting I spring into “help mode”…but I know there is nothing I can do as of now…

I’m finding his passing to be oddly effecting me…as well as a few of my besties whom I spoke with today. We all agreed that for some reason this one is hitting us hard…we didn’t know him well BUT it just seems to be hitting too close to home. We can imagine the paid of losing a parent, especially now that we are ALL parents ourselves. I know we are all getting older…and the idea of us starting to lose our parents is becoming more real with every day.  Something like this just puts us all in check with reality…again! We must cherish life…and the relationships we have daily! I know I’ve said this a good few times but its true…and we all need the constant reminder. I’m sad tonight thinking about Mandy…and the numbing effect of shock that has probably taken over her body. How does she explain to her 4 year old daughter that Grandpa is in heaven….brings tears to my eyes just thinking about that conversation…ugghh breaks my heart!! She shouldn’t have to be explaining that…not yet.  We are too young…our parents are too young…but as Bernie said….”honey…that’s the circle of life”…

So tonight I’m praying that Mandy’s Dad rest in peace…and may God please comfort all of his family…thoughts are with you guys!!! ((big hugs))

Operation Root Canal…COMPLETE! And Baby Gerke arrived too!

Today was, HOPEFULLY, the last time I’ll have to wait in a dental office waiting room for Owen…for MANY years…well at least until he has his adult teeth…hopefully!  We finished the Root Canal…and again today he did AMAZING!!!

Owen now knows the drill when we get to the dentist…its so awesome that he has ZERO fear of being there. I love it. I remember vividly being a kid…going to the dentist in Long Beach, California and being TERRIFIED. Mom would trick us…not tell us we were going until we turned onto the street. (How horrible huh?!?) I have such a crazy fear and hatred since such a small age. I remember them making me drink “juice” (had relaxers in it) but I hated it. Thank GOD Owen has no fear…I think he actually likes it! haha Today as we were getting out of the car when we pulled up, he told me that he didn’t need his drink because the dentist will squirt water in his mouth! haha

 

 

Again…I sat and waited in the waiting room for him. I swear I feel like my heart was going to POUND out of my chest the WHOLE time he’s back there and while I’m sitting so quietly trying to hear him from the waiting room. This visit I asked if I could get him on video a bit…for Daddy. The really nice hygienist said she’d get some silly video of Owen on nitrous for me. (Unfortunately I don’t know how to post video to my blog…anyone can help me here??) It’s a crack up when they are “intoxicated”.

“Look Mom…my new nose thingy” 
Notice how all the hygienists watch him..he’s captured all their hearts. They are amazed that he’s only 3 and able to sit through all that. My brave little man…he does NOT get that from me!

Owen’s favorite part…the treasure chest of toys!

And here is the tooth….if you remember what it looked like the day after the fall (March 12th)…

It turned an ugly shade of gray and actually moved back forward (thank you pacifier) over time…and we were pretty sure that the root was dead. So we decided to have a mini pulpotomy (root canal) in hopes that we’d avoid it abscessing and getting infected in the future, which would lead to extraction.

Then after the temporary root canal a few weeks ago…

And….now today….

So thank GOD everything is done with that tooth. It looks absolutely amazing…and now we are back to the regularly scheduled check-ups every 6 months!

Also today we got to welcome a new addition to the group.
Owen’s best friend Addi became a big sister today!!! Yay.
Baby Connor Kristopher was born at 8:47am at 8lb 5oz and 21inches long

I didn’t get to see Addi with her new little brother yet, but I can’t wait for her to show him off to us when they get home from the hospital!!  And I totally can’t wait for Owen to meet him too…it’s another new best friend…Congrats Taryn & Kris…he’s gorgeous!!!

We got some major Baby Fever goin’ on over here!!!!

Not feelin’ it!

Don’t judge me for his meal…he’s a picky eater darnit!!! haha

I’m having a blah day…it started out horrendously…my “adorable” 3 year old is starting to not be so adorable all the time. Recently in the mornings he has been a handful. Putting my child in time-out at 6:30am isn’t exactly very fun!! I thought it was hard to get boys up in the mornings when they are a tween or teen…NOT when they are only THREE years old…geeeezus!!! He’s screaming and shouting at us…not wanting to get dressed or out of bed. Running from us to brush his hair…pissed when his cartoon is over and we hve to leave….Please Lord let this JUST be a few weeks of the terrible threes (be quiet everyone that wants to tell me differently!)

And this week I went to see my dermatologist…I see her every 6 months because of my “history”, job and my skin tone…its ok…I don’t mind. Since my friend from Zumba, Jennifer, was recently diagnosed with melanoma I willingly go to the derm…JUST to be sure!  Anyway…everything looks good…except the “sun damage” I had on my forehead. She said it was no harm BUT froze/burned some of them off. So I’ve been looking like this all week.

Yeah…NOT so cute!! I’ve had a hat on at work ALL WEEK!!!!!

On top of the yucky face…the wart on my foot is back…and man it seems to be back and REALLY PISSED off that I tried to get rid of it (check out that blog here)

Isn’t that one of the grossest things ever…I’m disgusted! I’m scheduled for a surgical removal on June 15th…Doc didn’t want to take it off BEFORE my cruise because the wound probably wouldn’t be healed by our departure date. So I wait…and this bad-boy is tagging along to the caribbean with us. Its so huge I might have to get it its own freakin’ stateroom!

SO I’m feeling BLAH…and today was the time of year in my Health class that I talk about Hodgkin’s and how it affected my life. In health, we go over infectious diseases and we cover cancer. Kids pick a disease or disorder and make a power point…so I’ve made a very personal one of my journey through Hodgkins.  Its weird…I talk in front of TONS of students everyday…but the few times I have presented this power point I get really emotional. It takes me back to that feeling and place in time when I was so scared. The time that I asked my doctor “Am I going to die?” and he replied “Not necessarily”.  I see pictures of the “old” me and Owen when he was a baby in the power point…and it makes me sad to think about the first 10 months of his life..and how it didn’t revolve around him but around chemo! Pretty sad! 

Seeing pictures of yourself like that is a tad disturbing…Never want to go back to that time in Feb 2012!

As I was reading in the Health Textbook about cancer I noticed a little graphic that said warning signs of cancer…and the usual's were listed: weight loss, night sweats, blah blah blah. BUT one of them caught my attention…it said “a drastic change in either a mole or wart”   What a WART??? I NEVER knew.  So of course YOU know this girl was on my email with kp.org to my podiatrist to make sure that they will be biopsying this bad boy! yes I’m a paranoid freak…but my oncologist said that’s normal! bahahahahaha

Anyway…I must go now and make myself feel better…gonna get my ZUMBA on baby!! But I actually already kinda feel better…I swear sometimes blogging is like therapy! haha

Mothers Day Weekend

I’m a lucky lady…I do love Mother’s Day because its an excuse to ask my husband for a late night Cold Stones run OR a reason to get together with family (and my dad can’t complain!) and having Yosh go to the grocery store (while I’m still asleep) to get stuff to make breakfast (and spend WAY to much money on ONE meal!) BUT its awesome. Many women loved to get pampered today…but I feel like I’m lucky in the sense that I get it all the time. Usually every weekend Yosh lets me sleep in until whatever time I want…he gets up with Owen with no complaints. The hubs KNOWS how I need my sleep…and gives that to me whenever I need it. Pretty awesome if you ask me!!

But MY Mother and I started celebrating our day on Friday. We went to dinner to Wabi Sabi’s to enjoy some sushi and a glass of wine (Mom was having one of those “I’m going to seriously get out of my car and kill the next bitch that drives slow in front of me” kinda day)…so I thought a glass of Zin would make her feel ALL better…and it did!!

From sushi we headed to a Mother’s Boutique hosted by Maverick’s Volleyball Club. It was fun b/c we got to learn some country line dances…shop around at some vendors (I paid $10 for a sparkly head band…which I’ve been wanting since I was bald…so I was very excited to get ripped off like that! haha) and we got a few Zumba dances in as well. It was a good time!

Saturday morning we were up bright and early in the Souza House.  Yosh was up at 3:45am to go deep sea fishing (bought it on groupon for him about 5 months ago)…don’t think he was thrilled about going but said he had fun when he got back.
Owen and I were up early to participate in the Revlon 5k for Women’s cancers. We participated last year…

Mom, Karen, Erika, myself, Owen and Gabby

So of course, we participated again this year as well…but were definitely missing a few friends this year!

Mom (and a few other ladies) were wearing a shirt in honor of a little boy named John. John’s dad is a principal at an elementary school in Fontana Unified (where mom works)…and John will be starting kinder this fall… while battling leukemia. Mom said the lil dude is such a cutie and total fighter. So this year during our walks Mom will be honoring him. WHY don’t I have a shirt you ask…well I wasn’t suppose to be doing this walk…with all the difficulty I’ve had with my feet this year I didn’t think I’d be able to do it. And last minute I said eff it…we’re in!  So THAT is why I don’t have a cute “It’s On…For John!”  t-shirt.
The walk is very cool…but you definitely need patience for it. Trying to navigate around 35,000 other individuals for 3.2 miles is tough…but its fun and we just love the reason behind it all.
The funniest part of the day…when we were standing, moving .01mph trying to walk TO the starting line Owen and I were dancing (had some of our favorite songs!!)…people move soooo slow because at the starting line Halle Berry, Mario Lopez and 2 other celebs are there waving, dancing, motivating, blah blah blah. So we’re dancing away…Owens getting tired and goofy…and all of a sudden…my lovely son motor-boats my booty! Yes he put his face in my butt crack and wanted me to shake my booty! hahaha And he wouldn’t stop. It was funny and totally embarrassing! haha You know its one of those things you do at home…like being silly and then he goes and does it in public…haha Oh Lord.

Sunday I got a great gift…SLEEP!  I saw on facebook a lot of women getting breakfast in bed…see my husband KNOWS me…don’t come NEAR me…the gift isn’t the breakfast it’s the SLEEPING! haha So when I rolled out of bed…I had breakfast waiting for me!

French Toast, Pancakes, Bacon, Sausage, Eggs…all so yummy!! AND Yosh was putting together my Mothers day gift…which was outdoor table and chairs…I’m very happy with that!!! Perfect for outside dinners now that the weather is warming up!!

We went over to my parents house after nap for a day by the pool and dinner. Heaven.

Sipping cocktails…chatting with my loved ones…and watching Owen’s excitement to be in the pool at Nana and Granda’s in priceless. He even learned to “choo-choo” all the way around the pool!
 

I know Mothers day is tough for my Mom…not having both her children has got to hurt her heart (even more than the day to day hurt!)…I hate that she hurts on days like this without Paul!

But while I was laying out…I was just overcome with happiness. It was so awesome to get to hang out, no stress…and relax. Doesn’t always happen like that in my family, so it was a day that I will really cherish!   I put on fb “Happy happy happy”…and everyone thought I was posting that I was pregnant…haha negative. No little Souza's coming right now!!! I’ve got a cruise to get through! haha

Later this week we’ll do “Mothers Day” again with my Mother-in-Law…Owen made a fun presents for her!!!

Hope everyone had an amazing Mother’s Day…I surely did!!!