43 of 52 of 2021

Today, Dan and I went on a date!  We went to Thorne Brewery in Barrio Logan. The kids had a day with their Aunt Rhonda for their annual fall get together.   We had a day of no kids and what better way to spend it than at a brewery.  We tried out Las Cuatro Milpas, a well know taco shop in Barrio Logan that always has a line out the door. The food was disappointing.  With all the hype I thought it would be spectacular but sadly it wasn't.   After lunch we sampled Thorne's stouts and we were not very impressed with them either. Our favorite still remains the golden stout. 

42 of 52 of 2021

This week was a tough and busy one. We started Monday off with an appointment to the dermatologist for moms keloid.   Instead of steroid injections we opted for a highly potent ointment that will take weeks/months to shrink the keloid. We ended that journey with flu shots. 

The rest of the week was busy with work and more work.  Today is my first day home for the next 2 weeks. What better way to start it off than with a visit w dad.  

41 of 52 of 2021

Last week Jim came down to stay with mom Friday and Saturday so i can spend time with the family.  Last Saturday we went to eat at Long Island Mike's.  We've been trying to maximize the little time we have together these days. 

This week Jim came down again to spend the night with mom on Fridag and Saturday.  Unfortunately it was not planned.  Paul decided to plan a camping trip and casually tell me 2 days before he was set to leave. He asked if I could cover Friday and Saturday night with mom. Of course I lost my shit over this and asked him to reschedule and of course the answer was no.  So I asked Jim to come down because this was 3 weeks straight of me staying with mom 18 hours a day.  

What my brothers don't realize is me caring for mom for 18 hours is taking a toll on my family.  I have been in this situation since April 2021.  The 5 hours I have at home mean so much to us and to ask me to give that up is huge. I will never give it up unless mom is in the hospital.  I can't give it up. My family and I need these 5 hours a day to connect.  These 5 hours are our normal. And quite frankly the new normal sucks.

So of course, me not wanting to give up my 5 hours a day for Friday and Saturday I called Jim.  Thankfully him and Ting were able to make this work for him to come down.  This was a bonus for me. 2 night at home. My family was excited that they have me for 36 hours.  It's time well-spent with them. 

Next weekend Ralph will be here for 2 weeks so I'll be home more than 5 hours a day while he's here and I can't wait.  

Oh and today I got to watch Hannah practice riding her bike.  She did awesome!  Now time to fix the other bike so I can go out with her.

40 of 52 of 2021

Monday was national sons day. Since I honored Hannah for national daughters day it's only fair I honor my little man. 

Tyler is the gift that changed me to be a mom and have a family.  He is one of the best things that happened to me. He's full of life and and is his own character. He was diagnosed with autism when he was about 2 years old and has exceeded our and everyone's expectations. 

He has a big heart and aims to make everyone around him happy. He tells things as they are with no reserve. He's strong willed and will work hard to complete what he sets his mind to.  He researches almost about everything at length to educate himself about whatever it is.  He's one of the awesomeness kids I know and love him to death. I can't wait to see what his future holds for him.  

39 of 52 of 2021

Today is National Daughters Day.  It's a no brainer for me to acknowledge and celebrate my daughter, Hannah.  She's an awesome kid with a ton of personality and a very caring heart.  When I first found out that the baby growing in my tummy would be a girl, I was bummed yet happy at the same time. I knew that having a daughter would be extremely challenging because I know the hell I put my parents through and quite honestly I didn't want that. So I told myself that I would parent her to be a happy, confident and caring person.

Since I started staying the night at mom's back in April, Hannah has stayed the night with me on days she didn't have school and through the summer.  She's extremely caring and thoughtful of my emotions and time.  Taking care of mom has been one of the most challenging times in my life because I'm missing out on so much time with my family. Yet Hannah understands the sacrifice I'm making and why I'm doing what I'm doing.  She is definitely wise beyond her years.  She's a big part of my world and I'm very glad she's my kid.  I'm super proud of the person she's becoming.  

38 of 52 of 2021

Yesterday was the last full day I had with my family before I spend the next 4 weeks staying at mom's again. Dan took me out to a sushi lunch where we enjoyed each other's company, good sushi, beer and hot sake.  It was pretty awesome.  I'm glad we are spending some alone time together when we can cause the living situation sucks and we really dont know how long it will be this way. 

The last 2 weeks with the family were pretty awesome.  I enjoyed every minute of it...even when the kids were fighting.  I need to make an effort to make it home in time to pick up the kids with Dan since I won't be seeing much of them for the next 4 weeks. 

On our drive over to spend the night with mom, Hannah mentioned that she has few memories with her Lolo.  One that sticks out was hiding under his chair and tickling his feet with the back scratcher.    Hannah was born the same year my dad was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer.  She was 5 when he passed away.  I'm just thankful that both Tyler and Hannah spent some time with my dad before he died.  I was always worried growing up that my kids would never be able to meet my parents because they had me so late in life.   

Here's to the 1st night of 28 at my mom's. This is the longest I'll be away from the family since I started staying here at the end of April. 

37 of 52 of 2021

This was my first week home every night after 4 weeks of staying at moms each night. One person was definitely happy about me being home....Sophie!  I've been with her every single day since we brought her home 8 years ago.  This is the first year that I haven't stayed home at night for mom than a few nights at a time.  She's been having a hard time with it too. Yet she still loves me the same and I couldn't be happier about it.  I have 1 more week left of being able to sleep at home each night before I'm gone for another 3 and a half weeks.  Im going to make the best of every day I have at home w my family.