Moments in My Life

San Francisco Day 1 Part 1
San Francisco Day 1 Part 2
San Francisco Day 2 Part 1
San Francisco Day 2 Part 2

October 19th 2008

Finally it was the last day for our trip. We woke up around 7 something in the morning. Had the deluxe breakfast at the hotel. Finished packing up and left around 9am. We drove down to Gilroy and then drove through the 152 Pacheco Pass Highway to reach 5 freeway. Our next destination was to get to Harris Ranch for lunch. Brandon napped for about 45 minutes and woke up when we arrived at Harris Ranch.

Firstly, we visited their restrooms. Then we waited for a little while for a table. One of the main seating/dining rooms was under renovation and there was a wait line for lunch crowd. Once we were seated down, I looked at the kids menu. We ordered these dishes for our hungry stomach.

Brandon finished two slices of the pizza and some fries. We helped finished up his other portion. It was a very delicious lunch. Before we began our road trip, we made a stop at their deli store next to the restaurant. Here is a loot at their fresh selections of USDA Certified Natural Beef.

We returned to our car after another stop at their restrooms.

An hour down the 5 freeway, something really funny and unusual happened. If you are worried about gross and if you are eating your meal now, don’t continue, just stop reading at this point. If you are not afraid … what you can do is to highlight using your mouse the paragraph below to continue on my story.

We were still out of no where. Both sides of the freeway are farms. My son prompted me that he needs to go, “Sshh Sshh.” I told him to do it in the pull ups but he gave me a funny look. So I told Alan to make a stop at the next exit. We parked beside the dirt and pushed the driver seat all to the front to make more room at the back. Alan was forced to wonder around outside the car. I found an unused paper cup which I took from the hotel room. I wanted him to do it in the cup while standing up. My son gave me another funny look with his eyes squinted. I couldn’t help but I laughed out really hard inside my throat. You see, I didn’t want him to be startled. After 5 minutes or more, he still not going yet. He then bend down a little bit and give me another weird look. I didn’t know what it was initially but I was glad my mind shifted in time to know what was coming. I moved the paper cup to his behind. I was glad the paper cup was big enough. A small piece fell down the car map but it was dry anyway. Alan got a plastic bag and tied tightly with everything in it. We didn’t chuck it by the road side. We took it home as souvenir for our garbage bin.

After that incident in the car, Brandon was a happy boy again. He even napped for about an hour during this segment of the road trip. We got home around 3pm. All and all, it was a very nice trip.

I believe all children would love to receive Letters From Santa. This is an age old tradition and usually is more fun if the child receive a real letter (not electronic emails) from the man himself. But still, the electronic and internet will come in handy when we need to make one. You can personalize a special letter for your child by visiting the link above. A basic personalized letter from Santa will include a letter with realistic handwriting font illustrated on premium stationery mailed directly from the North Pole. It will also come free with a Christmas Eve door hanger. All this for a low price of $9.95. There are also other packages available, just visit their website to find out more.

May I have …. please?

*sneeze* Excuse me.

*burp* Excuse me.

*pott* Excuse me.

Please help me.

No, thanks.

Yes, please.

I am trying to teach him mannerism.  He is lacking in that.  Most of the time, I have to remind him to say.  For example, if I give him something, I have to remind him to say Thank you.  He will say it, when I remind him. 

After a few days of “May I have … please?“, he begins to get the point.  So when he wanted something, he will say May I have … ?  But the word please usually is not added until I silencely move my lip to the word for him to see.  These are the things he would say using this phrase:

May I have Scott Emulsion please?

May I have Orange Juice please?

May I have crunchy fish please? (crunchy fish - baked baby ikan bilis)

May I have broken ceiling fan please? (here he means to watch on youtube his favorite clips on ceiling fans)

This morning, I taught him to say Excuse Me when he sneezed.  When he heard the Daddy sneezed, he said Excuse Me.  The way he says it is more like, “Eh-Keh Me.”

Now I have to teach him to say No Thanks and Yes Please when something is being offered to him.

San Francisco Day 1 Part 1
San Francisco Day 1 Part 2
San Francisco Day 2 Part 1

October 18th 2008

After meeting up with Vien and her family, that afternoon we drove up to San Francisco. I managed to stop at the Ichiban Kan shop in San Marco while we were driving up. Alan was caring for Brandon when I was going through the store to see what items I need to get for myself as well as for this Bento Frenzy Lady.  While I was seriously shopping, Alan had to bring Brandon to search for toilet as he wanted to go ‘Sssh sssh.’  There was no bathroom for customers in Ichiban Kan so he left and went to Togo, bought a bottle of soda for $1.25 so that he could use their restroom.  I was paying up for my items when they returned.  We then continued our car trip up to San Francisco.  Brandon napped in the car on the way up. 

There was a slight traffic when we were getting into the city.  We proceed the drive to San Francisco Fisherman’s Whaft.  It is our ritual to be at this place everytime we visit San Francisco. Here is a picture of Daddy and Brandon.

It was a chilly afternoon, which we weren’t expecting. Brandon was wearing a pair of shorts, so I cover him with the baby blanket I took from the car. We walked to Boudin Restaurant to meet up with Alan’s co-worker and wife. While waiting, I gossip around the bakery and took some pictures of their beautiful baked goods.

After we met up with Joe and Rina, we took a walk to Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory by the west side of Fisherman’s Whaft. I have never been here before. When we walked into the shop, each of us were given a sample square of the Ghirardelli’s chocolate. Brandon loved it so much, I had to take him out and in the shop a few times to get the free chocolates. I bought a few bags of their chocolates but still their freshly made ones (the samples) are the best. We parted with Joe and Rina after Ghirardelli and we headed back to San Jose.We stopped at Daly City’s Serramonte Center and had Panda Express dinner at the food court. This is like the Filipino’s mall. Actually my plan was to visit the largest Daiso around SFO, just outside the mall. This store is huge, I only have 10 minutes to go through the store. If time allowed, I think I could stay for hours!

Then we headed back to San Jose, the traffic was OK. We were all tired, took bath and rested for the night.

Christmas is less than two months away. I have something special in mind to create for close family members and friends as gifts. You are right! As the title has said it all, I am looking to design and personalize print calendar of Brandon as stocking stuffer for my family. First of all, you might think that it is expensive to customize any desk calendars, but at Vista Print, you can get it for as low as $1.49 each (if you are ordering 100 and above). We would probably end up ordering about 10-20 pieces, that will come at $3 per calendar. I am sure my family will be keeping this for the next twelve months on the desk where they will see a different picture of my son every month.

This desk calendar will measure 8.27″ x 3.74″ and you include any photo you want in each page of the month. The finish product will be printed on Premium, 80 lb card stock paper with glossy finish. You can start of using one of their designs as a template and change the pictures in it as you want. It is very simple to use. All you need is to understand English and a few clicks here and there, your design will be ready to be placed for order.

I may have to put in my order at least one month before Christmas to make sure they will arrive here on time with their lowest standard shipping (I prefer to save on shipping). But I still have plenty of time since we are just in the beginning of November. Better put a note to remind myself to order this by mid of this month.

Picture credit: Copyright © vistaprint.com

The result is out.  Obama won with an electoral college landslide to become the first black president for America.  He and Senator Biden will be taking oath on Jan 20th 2009 as the 44th president and vice president of our country.  It is time for the change we’ve been waiting for.  It will be interesting to see how this new president and his office handle the problems we are encountering now - the two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the soring high gas prices, down turn in the economy, real estate in foreclosures and more.  I have confident in this new presidential office will help us bring a better tomorrow.  Go Obama!

Spring is my favorite time of the year. We are now in the Fall Season and in a month or two, we will be in the Winter time. Lucky for us in Los Angeles, our Winter doesn’t last too long and the weather is considered as mild comparing to some other parts in United States.

After Winter, Spring will arrive. To me, Spring is like a gift from Mother Earth to us after a gloomy, cold and dark winter. We will see beautiful flowers sprouting and birds come out from hibernating and most importantly we will have longer day time then too. Remember, our Daylight Saving Time has been moved forward since 2006 and for this coming year, we have to change our clock one hour forward on Mar 8th, 2009.

I hope I will be able to find time to plant some spring bulbs before winter comes. My backyard is so bare and empty. I need to add colors to it by having more flowers, plants and birdfeeders. I have in mind to plant tulips, daffodils, bonsai and some spring annuals in planters and pots. That will bring some color to my backyard. As for the birdfeeders, I saw this Garden Song® Hibiscus™ Hummingbird Feeder which I like. This colorful piece can be placed on a flat surface and be an inviting spot for hummingbirds to my backyard.

I just can’t wait for spring to come and enjoy the nicest time of the year.

Picture credit: Copyright © birdfeeders.com

Our Daylight Saving Time ended at 2am this morning.  We had to shift our clocks an hour backward when we woke up.  Suddenly, we have an extra hour to spend.  It was good because I do need some extra time.  It is my Hubby’s job to change all the clocks but I will help with one or two because he doesn’t know way to change those clocks. 

With this change of time, we will get sunlight earlier in the day but also by the time it is 5pm, the sky will be dark.  I don’t like shorter day time.  It makes me feel very gloomy and tired by the time is 5pm.  Can’t wait for Winter to end and change the clock back an hour ahead in March.  It will be only 4 months away.  Shouldn’t be too long.

Happy Halloween and Happy Trick & Treating everyone.

We had a splendid time today.  My hubby is off from work and he took care of the boy while I did some real estate work at the office this morning.  Our activity didn’t start until after Brandon’s afternoon nap.  We drove up to Palos Verdes looking for some exciting and fun time at the PV Peninsula Center but when we arrived at the location they were having puppets show.  Brandon wasn’t really interested in it.

So we drove back down from PV to Torrance and stopped at Del Amo Mall.  Some of the stores were giving out candies.  We brought Brandon’s costume in a bag and put it on when we were inside the mall.  It is easy to put on his Red Dragon Costume.  He just wore it as a jacket with his T-shirt inside.  We didn’t bother to put the dragon’s pant on him, just use his regular navy blue pants from home. 

At around 5pm, we had out dinner at Pat & Oscars somewhere besides the Mall.  And later, we were joined by another blogger mommy friend of ours - BabyKnowHows.  She brought her husband and her little 2 years old girl to join us for trick & treating at South Torrance. 

When we arrived at the South Torrance neighborhood, it was around 6:15pm.  There were not too many cars yet and the sky was just getting dark.  Brandon put on his Red Dragon Costume again and he went trick & treating.  I also put on my witch costume & hat which I had from 6 or 7 years ago.  The hat kept flying away so I took it off.

Brandon walked all the way, one block round trip. He had a lot of fun. He knew how to say “Happy Halloween”, “Trick & Treating” and “Thank you” when he met these people giving out candies. We probably hit about 20 homes more or less in this one block.

By the time we left the neighborhood it was 7pm already. I asked Brandon if he had a nice time, he answered “YES!” He enjoyed going up to these people and wishing them Happy Halloween and seeing so many people dressing up in costumes. After all, he still doesn’t know much about candies. Me and my hubby will be the one finishing all up for him.

The message above is for me.  I have to stop being a baby and snuggle with my boy to sleep.  I really really want to sleep and snuggle with him but I am trying not to because I want him to sleep by himself.  The feeling of sleeping next to my own baby is very comforting and peaceful.  Most of the time if that happens, I can fall asleep very easily.  Sometimes I wake up may be 3 hours after that and go back to working on my laptop on things I left undone.  This is the best way to get him to sleep.  I just lay very quietly on my side of the bed and he will slowly doze off. I would like to do this once a while but once I did it in one night, he wants me to stay with him for the next nights.  Arghh … I really want to sleep with you baby, but I can’t because Mommy has to grow up and stop being a baby too.