Congrats Tommysaurus!

Today marks an important milestone. It’s your last day of High School. I told myself I wouldn’t blink but, I did and here we are 17 years later. My baby boy, my Tomzilla, Tommysaurus…my Singular Sensation, you are no longer that little boy. Oh, how I miss that little boy! However , I’m truly impressed of the man you are becoming. You are dependable, practical and pragmatic. And unbeknownst to you, you are a sensitive guy with a big warm heart.

Everyone knows you have a brilliant mind- Always curious, always questioning. I respect your uniqueness and quirks. I envy your boldness. We have varied opinions on almost everything under the sun, but I am not here to make you conform to my ideals, beliefs, and philosophies. I encourage you to continue to find yourself, to know yourself, be true to yourself. Don’t lose track of your values and beliefs. I encourage you to challenge the status quo. Know your voice and let it be heard. You have the power to change things.
The previous months have tested your determination and resilience but you’re sensibilities never faltered. You don’t sweat the small stuff. You are always looking at the bigger picture, always finding the silver lining. It is expected that you will start this journey, this new chapter with trepidation, more so now than ever. As your mother, I know you have the grit and the guts to take on life. Never be discouraged when a wrench is thrown into your plans. Embrace life, the good and the ugly. Stay confident and passionate! Believe in yourself. I hope that I have given you enough guidance, love and support as you venture into adulthood. Remember in life, you win some, you lose some. It’s just a matter of faith, perspective and lessons to be had. What’s important is that when you are winning, be grateful, stay humble and kind. And in defeat, be steadfast, carry on and don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Congratulations on your successes in High School! Your hard work and determination has paid off. As you contemplate your future, know that you have a family to lean on…24/7, rain or shine, come hell or high water, your Dad and I will always be here for you.

From that moment I held you in my arms for the very first time, to this very day, you continue to be a source of joy, love and strength. I am truly blessed to have you for a son and my heart is overflowing. As I step back and watch your life unfold, my only hope is that I have given you strong roots and opened up infinity for you to spread your wings and soar!

I love you, Tommy, I love you very much!

The Wonder Years

Love You Forever

My son turned 12 today. He’s not quite a teenager, but he’s getting there. In fact, sooner than I really want to. He celebrated hung out with a handful of his best buddies. They ate junk food and played video games. Yes, I’m that Mom. The kind that serves junk food. Anyway, once in awhile they’d go in the backyard to play with the dogs or  just goof around. You know, typical boy stuff. Every time I whipped out my iPhone to take pictures, you can sense their body language telling me awkwardly, “please, don’t”. So I didn’t. Which is such a bummer because all I have is a video clip of the boys singing “Happy Birthday” and it’s not pleasant.

I need to get used to this. I should. I’m sad. It’s difficult to see him grow up. I try to hold on to that little boy, but I know that eventually I will have to let go. I can only hope that I’ve prepared him well for the real world. I have a friend, a new empty nester. She told me that getting them ready is easy, the tough part is getting yourself ready because no matter how much you prepare yourself, it’s not enough. It will be heartbreaking.  Indeed, time is fleeting. It goes on and you can’t control it. And all we’ll have left are memories. Sweet and funny moments imprinted in our hearts. Which just shows how important it is to make each day count. Make memories, create lasting impressions,albeit simple, are heartwarming and full of wisdom. 

With that said, let me share with you an excerpt from my favorite children’s book, Love You Forever by Robert Munsch.

The boy grew. He grew and he grew and he grew. He grew until he was a teenager. He had strange friends and he wore strange clothes and he listened to strange music. Sometimes his mother felt like she was in a zoo!

But at night time, when that teenager was asleep, the mother opened the door to his room, crawled across the floor and looked up over the side of the bed. If he really was asleep she picked up that great big boy and rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. While she rocked him she sang:

I’ll love you forever,

I’ll like you for always,

As long as I’m living my baby you’ll be. 

 

 

 

 

The Summer of 2014

Summer officially ends on September 20th,but if you’ve got school age kids, it ends when the school year begins. School resumes tomorrow for my son and I am happy that we will all go back to our normal hustle and bustle. This has been a summer of many firsts for our family and especially for Tommysaurus. And I’d like to share my favorites.

Hercules Dynamite 5k Fun Run

I did not fully train or prepare myself for this race. My objective was to have fun and burn some calories before indulging in 4th of July fare.  Before the race, I told my boys, don’t worry about me. Just run and it’s perfectly fine if you leave me behind. And sure enough they did. I ran/ walked/ran all the way to the finish line and I’m really proud of myself!

Camp Royaneh and Trinity Alps Trek

For the last two years, I sent my son to  CYO Camp for a week. This year, we skipped CYO because he went to a Boy Scout camp, Camp Royaneh. My in-laws were visiting from New York while he was at camp. So we decided to visit our Boy Scout and check out Royaneh. We only spent a good ten minutes with Tommysaurus because he had a busy schedule. Aside from camp activities his troop participated in, he was also working on 2nd Class and 1st Class rank requirements and 4 merit badges: Fish and Wildlife Management, Mammals, First Aid and Soil & Water Conservation.   So what was supposed to be a quick visit became an all day event for us. We explored the campgrounds, observed the boys work on their merit badges, ate with 300 scouts and we even got a chance to try archery and throw a tomahawk.

My son was home for a week after Camp Royaneh and off he went to the Trinity Alps on his first 50-mile hike with his troop. Even though it was a rough week for me, I am glad that my son had a great time. He came home with a few blisters, an empty stomach, smelly laundry and a ton of wonderful memories. The assistant scout masters  promised to compile the pictures that they took. I’ll post pictures as soon as I get my copy.

Weekend at Yosemite 

My husband has a bucket list of sorts for our family. He wants to hike all the dog-friendly trails in California.  We’ve been to a couple already in and around the Bay Area. Since summer will not be complete without at least one family road trip, we took the girls to Yosemite National Park. We’ve taken Bailey on camping trips before and she did well. It was Pepper we were unsure of and the fact that we are travelling with two dogs. We knew this was going to be quite the experiment. Aside from the car ride, Yosemite is not exactly dog-friendly. There are only a few trails where dogs are allowed. I decided we stay in a dog friendly hotel instead of camping since my son has already roughed it for two weeks with his troop. I was surprised to find quite a few lodgings in and around the Yosemite area that accommodate pets. However, since this was a last minute change, it was slim pickings. We stayed at Comfort Inn in Oakhurst. The reviews were mediocre, but I thought we’ll be out all day, we just need a place to sleep at night. It was a 3 and a half drive to Oakhurst. The girls did well, we stopped at a McD’s in Manteca for lunch and to give the girls a chance to stretch their legs and do their business. We arrived at Oakhurst at around 1:30 pm.

Our first destination was Lewis Creek Trail. Each review I read about this trail were good. Like the trails in Yosemite, dogs must be kept on a leash at all times. It was 95 degrees when we started our hike, so we packed lots of water! From my research, it’s a 3 mile trail geared for all skill levels. What was promising were the two waterfalls, Red Rock and Corlieu Falls. That could be the reason why I failed to notice the information regarding the minor climb and a steep descent to the viewing area of the falls. The trail was shaded and that helped a lot with the heat. It could be the elevation or perhaps I’m just out of shape that’s why I frequently yelled out “break, break!”, just so I can catch my breath.  There are no signs telling you what falls you are looking at. It also didn’t help that I couldn’t  use online images as a reference because there just wasn’t enough water. I blame the drought for that. I don’t know if we reached Red Rock or Corlieu. When we reached the falls, there was a man who was already skinny dipping. Eew! We left immediately and proceeded to follow the trail, stopping often to sip water or catch our breaths. It was really a steep descent. After 15 minutes of hiking down, I told my husband and son that it’s going to be a difficult climb back up if we go on and I don’t think I have enough energy for it. On our way back, my son took a wrong turn.We were no longer on a trail, I kept telling my husband, “I don’t remember going through here” and before you know it, I slipped and fell on my butt. Oh dear! I thought I broke my ankle! Good thing I didn’t. We managed to find our way back. What a relief it was to see the parking lot! We were exhausted!! I will always remember Lewis Creek as the trail from hell. We drove straight to Comfort Inn afterwards. The boys spent the rest of the afternoon cooling off at the pool while I stayed in our room with the dogs thoroughly researching the dog-friendly trails in Yosemite.

Yosemite National Park is 45 minutes away from Oakhurst. It was a warm and pleasant day to explore the park. After our crazy afternoon at Lewis Creek, we took the girls to easy and flat trails in Yosemite:  Bridalveil Fall (.5 miles), Lower Yosemite Fall (1.1 miles), Cook’s Meadow Loop (1mile) and Wawona Meadow Loop (3.5 miles). Bridalveil and Lower Yosemite Falls were both a marvelous site in spite of the drought. Cook’s Meadow Loop offered stunning views of Half Dome, Glacier Point and the Royal Arches. Not included in our itinerary was Devil’s Elbow and El Capitan Picnic Area. On our way out of the park, my husband noticed a handful of cars parked on the side of the road. I’m glad he gave in to his curiosity, if not, we would have missed this spot which is overlooked by many. My son and both dogs cooled off  in the Merced River! What a great way to cap off our day.

I know this post is too long already, but let me tell you first about our fun morning at Nelder Grove at the Sierra National Forest. It’s fifteen minutes away from Oakhurst and I knew we had to check it out. The trail is a 1 mile loop. When we got there it was practically deserted. We enjoyed marveling at the the Giant Sequoias. It was a self-guided tour and I made sure we stopped to read every bit of information that was on the trail. Everything seemed to be doing well until I saw a black backside of an animal. I immediately turned and told my husband and son,”We need to turn back! There’s a bear!!” Of course my husband didn’t believe me, I walked pass by hi
m and said, “I’m not going through there!” I was afraid! Seriously! But, it wasn’t a bear. It was a cow! Yeah, this Mama panicked over a cow.

This Summer sure packed a lot of memories for us and I hope you all had a wonderful Summer with your loved ones as well.

I survived the Terrible Two’s. Now on to the teen years.

Every year, as my son’s birthday fast approaches, I find myself here in this blog. Last night, I decided to take a peek and gee whiz, I’ve been gone too long! Time for some house cleaning. I was a little disappointed that pictures were missing from the posts that were transferred over from my old Friendster blog. It’s going to be tedious to try to repost those pictures.  Nevertheless, it sure was nice to read my old posts and reminisce.
Much has changed. Tomzilla has calmed down into a Tommysaurus, my Singular Sensation. So let me fill you in on what has happened in the last few years. My Singular Sensation is a nerd, geek and wannabe jock rolled into one. He’s a Straight-A student, member of the Student Council, a Boy Scout, a Tae Kwon Do Black belter, plays soccer and basketball. He loves anime, manga, Marvel/DC comics, Yu-Gi-Oh and Magic the Gathering. He is still a huge dinosaur buff and forever will be a Spider-Man fanatic.
The sense of humor is still there. In fact, it is his sharp wit, although bordering on dry humor that many of his friends love about him. And even though I don’t approve of his class-clown image, I tolerate it because I know that when it’s time for serious business he gets things done. He knows the importance of hard work and determination. Sure, I’m your stereotypical Asian mom who does not accept Asian F’s, that’s because I know what he is capable of achieving. When he was little, I used to tell him,”Practice makes perfect.” Now, I tell him, “Aim high. Never settle for mediocrity!” Often times, I refer to myself as a Tiger mom, but that’s only in jest. I am aware of my son’s limitations. I’m not cray cray, you know? He’s not a perfect kid. Sure he still manages to annoy me and drive me nuts. Every now and then I still need to remind him to do his chores, do his homework or clean his room.
He’s a typical boy. A boy that is at the dawn of adolescence. A boy that is testing the waters. Will I allow him to raise his voice, argue or talk back? Hell No! I will however allow discussions. He will be allowed to voice his opinion, his point of views, but that’s not a guarantee he will get his way. I’m still learning the art of making things simmer before making decisions. That way he is assured that I don’t make rules and decisions just because I said so.
I can’t use my childhood or my teen years as a reference point simply because my parenting style is different from my parents. Another big factor is that we live in different times. Technology and social media has a big influence on our kids whether we like it or not. And as a parent, it is my responsibility to ensure that my son gets the benefits of this new age and not the pitfalls. They’ve got the internet, smartphones, tablets and cool gaming systems. Just the other day, not knowing the answer to our son’s question, my husband’s response was, “Google it!” Then he went on his “back when I was your age” spiel on how we actually needed to crack open a book to get information and for those of us whose parents can’t afford to buy encyclopedias, we needed to go to the library to do research. I hear many people say kids today are lucky. They really are! And even if there’s almost an app for everything, kids still need their parents. No app can’t ever replace them.

He’s 11, in middle school, oh my!

Tommysaurus turned 11 years old today. Yeah, 11! And just over a week ago he started middle school.  

Middle School…already?!

I say this each year on the first day of school, “feels like I just dropped him off at Kindergarten.”

May you stay forever young

My singular sensation turned 10 years old yesterday. I’ve said this a million times and I don’t care if I sound like a broken record but I still can’t believe that my baby is no longer a baby. I actually have a 10-year-old son! Maybe if I say it over and over again it will feel real. The almost seven pound baby I gave birth to on a beautiful Sunday morning ten years ago is now a big boy, a tweenager. Time and again I tell myself not to blink and make each moment count. Each milestone, every achievement is documented. The everyday funny and tender moments Facebooked and Instagrammed. I’m astonished at how the rambunctious toddler whom I almost had checked for ADHD is now a bright and talented 5th grader. He never ceases to amaze me and Tim and I will forever be proud of him.

And what best describes what I wish for my dear son? Audra Mae’s cover of Bob Dylan’s song Forever Young. Here it is…

May God bless and keep you always
May your wishes all come true
May you always do for others
And let others do for you
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young.

May you grow up to be righteous
May you grow up to be true
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you
May you always be courageous
Stand upright and be strong
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young.

May your hands always be busy
May your feet always be swift
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift
May your heart always be joyful
And may your song always be sung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young.

 

Getting here and going there

I was organizing my photos and getting them ready to be transferred to my external hard drive for safe keeping when I decided to go through our old photos. And when you go through old photos, you know what happens, don’t you?

It always begins with  a smile and that feeling of unexplainable joy as you browse through folders and folders of photographs. It feels good to recall and be reminded of  those good times, those precious moments. You’re in awe of the changes. The startling images of development and growth.  And since you’re already going through your photos, why not pull out the old photo albums and the memory box while you’re at it! Before you know it, there’s this unreasonable feeling …your heart gets heavy and then it sinks! You choke up and everything gets blurry. Thus, you find yourself reaching for the box of Kleenex, well in this case it’s a box of Puffs.

This always happens to me everytime I go through old photos. Sometimes, I’d like to tell myself just go ahead and cry already. Get it over with! I know why I cry when I get nostalgic. I know why happiness turns into sadness as I open each folder and touch each article of baby clothing or that piece of paper with what appears to be chicken scratch to everyone else but me. There are no regrets here but only joy. I’m glad that I have all these photos, videos and mementos tucked away in a box in my closet. Because, I can’t hold on to my little baby forever.

All I have now are memories. Beautiful memories. And my treasure chest is ever growing. It will always be full. It will be over flowing! Over flowing with priceless reminders of how it was back then, that in the beginning all he needed was me. Everything is different now. And I know it will continue to change. I don’t know what the future will bring. And I refuse to be burdened by my fear of what lies ahead. I can only hope. Hope and pray. Guide him. Encourage him. Support him. Because at the end of it all, no matter what, I will always be his Mama and he will always be my little boy.

Making Memories with you

The Holidays is about upholding and maintaining tradition. It centers on our loved ones, our family and our dear friends. And it’s also about making memories and creating new traditions. In my family he always gets the drumstick and his Aunt Linda gets the wings. For as long as I can hold a camera, I will be taking the same picture each year, every Thanksgiving.

You’re still a kid, so please, be a kid.

You know Fall is here when pumpkin patches open for business. Aside from picking pumpkins, we look forward to visiting them because of the bounce houses, hay rides, corn mazes, arts & crafts activities and petting the farm animals. They’ve become part of the fall/Halloween tradition. Pumpkin patches, Halloween carnivals, trick or treating…

My son is beginning to lose interest in things most kids his age still find fun and exciting. Last year, he did not want to get dressed-up for Halloween. Why? Because we couldn’t find a Bowser costume and he didn’t want to settle for anything less. So, for the school’s Halloween carnival he went in his  Taekwondo uniform.   And after watching a feature on the evening news about swine flu, he did not want to go trick or treating.  Now, as for pumpkin patches, sadly, it has been crossed-out from the list of things to do during this time of the year.  He probably just outgrown it. Come to think of it, I sort of don’t mind not going anymore simply because pumpkin patches charge way too much for everything!

So today, after school, I took him to the grocery store and told him to pick out any pumpkin he wants because we’re carving pumpkins.  He can ditch the pumpkin patch if he chooses but carving your own jack-o’-lantern is a tradition and it’s fun. As soon as we arrived home, he began sketching possible faces for his pumpkin. This made me happy because I could see that he got excited. We’ve carved pumpkins in previous years, but he usually has a small to medium-sized pumpkin and I always draw a generic looking face.  This time around he was in control.

I may have pushed him but I’m glad I did. I’m thankful that we got to spend the afternoon doing something that he enjoyed. And what pleases me even more is that he already has plans for next year’s jack-o’-lantern.