A Work of Art...

Hereʻs what Miles (& grandma) sent Justin for Fatherʻs Day:




Heʻs an artist already! Iʻve heard that heʻs been having art time with his grandparents, coloring and painting away. I wish I was there to join him! It feels I havenʻt seen him in ages! The only thing that keeps our spirits up is when we hear him blow kisses on the phone and also when we hear the stories about his vacation.

At 18 months, heʻs learning so fast. His grandparents have been teaching him so much. Yesterday, Jus and I learned that Miles knows the basic colors. You know--red, white, green, blue, yellow...Ask him to pass you the white crayon and heʻll understand you! Iʻm so proud of this little boy!! I miss you Miles!

Fatherʻs day

Today, Justin started his day off with his Sunday record digginʻ at Alemany. Weʻre heading to Vallejo to celebrate with some BBQ with Dad and Eric and the whole fam. While Miles is not here to celebrate the day with us, he is making his grandparents very happy in Hawaii with his presence. Iʻve gotten many pictures of Milesʻ adventures in Oahu and many stories already. First of all, Miles can swim!! What a milestone (one that I havenʻt reached yet! hehe)!!! Thanks to Sprint and technology, mom recorded it on her video phone and sent it over to Justinʻs phone for us to watch. I felt so proud to see him swimming on his own! Ofcourse, he is wearing his floating wings on his arms, but he really is just kicking his legs and moving his arms on his own. His papa is teaching him well! I heard he has been disciplined with time-out in a corner! Hehehe..so funny to hear. He looks so much older and itʻs only been about 2 weeks since Iʻve seen my baby! Heʻs having such a good time at the beach and spending time with his ohana. He even got to attend the Kamehameha parade, one of his first parades.

So, hereʻs a glimspe into his life in the sunshine:

4 days have passed....

...since our baby has left for paradise. I didnʻt think too much about it but now Iʻm feelin just how much his presence is missed! From phone calls to grandma, I hear that he is ofcourse at home in Waipahu, having his papaya and waffle breakfasts, and going pashal everywhere with grandma, grandma Rosey, and papa. Oh, they are so lucky to have him!

Before he left, Miles stayed a week in Vallejo to spent quality time with lola on her last week of vacation. We got to hang out with Dang-dang all day and night! It was so much fun. Then on the weekend, everyone came to SF and we all had dinner at Celiaʻs with Bob, hung out with Bob and Awts (virutal Awts on icamera) at their apartment. Afterwards, we went to the Def Ed jam at cellspace where Justin spun for the all-city Bboy kid jam. So much fun! Miles got to kick it with Gani before he left. And as bad as his teething was, he pretty much was distracted from the pain with all the loud music and dancing.

We took him to all his favorite SF spots before he left too...the parks. Playground, Golden Gate, Washington Square, etc...Miles got to feed his friends, the birds or "berrr" as he calls them.



Monday, I drove Justin and Miles to the airport to see them off and was with him up until the check-in point. And thatʻs when it really hit me that I would not see him for a whole month! Itʻs such a drastic change from my normal stay-at-home mom life. Iʻve been able to do a few things that I havenʻt been able to do in awhile! But what a trade-off. Got my hair did, bought a dress (whoa!), took the muni around with no restrictions--no worrying bout Milesʻ naps, diaper, hunger, been able to do cardio (besides walking), and Iʻve been able to take my time eating. But all in all, I still would not trade these few things for Milesʻ presence. I love that boy so much. Justin keeps staring at his picture phone la tratos. Seriously, we are missing our arm and leg without that boy.


When Iʻm driving, itʻs so quiet and boring. Iʻm so use to having my buddy in the backseat while Iʻm driving yo.



The good thing though, is that he is sooo happy to be with some of his favorite peoples in the world, grandma and papa. And he has the chance to spend time in the most bestest place ever, the warm, clean, blue Ocean--white sand, coral reefs and everythang.



When Miles comes back home, July 5, we are going to party. Lolo will finally be home to see him after over 3 months, and so will Awts. Sheʻll be home for good because she.....drum roll......passed her boards!!! Wooohoooo! Miles will always have someone to clean his teeth for life! hahahahha!! Congrats Aunty Awts!

Where did all the time go?!

Baby Miles


As the days go by, I realize how much a baby Miles is not. And I canʻt help but miss the days when all he needed was for me to nurse him. I donʻt know what was easier, all that nursing, or feeding him the meals we eat. I guess its cause at least with nursing, I knew he was getting the best nutrition. Miles is too clever for me to try to slip some brocoli into his macʻnʻcheese. I canʻt fool the baby anymore because heʻs not one. So sad, really. This week, we are just giving him regular soy milk, from the carton. No more formula. Bye-bye. Itʻs like the end of his baby era. Iʻm sure once the bottle is completely out of the picture, it will really feel like he is a grown-up. He might as well move out. I donʻt know why but besides feeling excited everytime he reaches another milestone, I also feel a lil sad that time is going by that fast. But back to the nursing thing, actually--Iʻm really glad that I did nurse him for about a year, but Iʻm also relieved to not be nursing him. I just remembered the other day at Rochambeau park (Milesʻ stomping grounds), I witnessed a toddler being nursed and throwing a fit, back nʻ forth, back nʻ forth. It seemed more challenging than ever. I canʻt imagine having to nurse this big boy in his present monster-form.

Nursing is no joke! No one told me how much work it really is--so I was really shocked in the beginning. You literally are bound to the baby by the breast. Itʻs a loving sacrafice but a sacrafice, indeed. Iʻm tellin you, I had to be alcohol-free and everthang! Anyways, Iʻm so glad that I did nurse Miles, it was full of bonding moments and calorie burnin sessions. That was the easiest way to work out, ever. All you do is sit there, feed them, and voila--you burned 500 calories, gave your baby all the nutrients, and connect with baby. Itʻs a whole package. Anyways, I donʻt know why Iʻm thinking of nursing. Maybe because I realize that itʻs also been a long time since I did that. Miles is so far from being the baby he was. He is such a big boy.

The other day, Justin woke up, decided to shave Milesʻ head, handed him soy-icecream & popped in a Bboy DVD to distract him, and shaved him clean. All his baby hair was on the floor! I was kind of in shock. Iʻm so attached. I was thinking, "Am I suppose to save this? Why did Aunty Ely save my cousinsʻ hair? What would I do with it if I saved it?! Itʻs his baby hair! Itʻs his first hair cut!" Geez, what a big deal I made in my mind....I ended up sweepin it up and throwing it out. No point in saving anything really...Iʻve been giving up his baby clothes. Iʻm not trying to save it for the next baby being...gotta make room for change and growth. Thatʻs what Iʻve been practicing (trying to at least!). Miles is now calbo. We are hoping that his hair grows out all even this time. When Rube-dude saw him calbo, he said, "Hey you donʻt look like a little boy but a big baby."

L.A. L.A. Big City of Dreams

What a great month! I got to do many fun things with Miles this past month. May is the beginning of all kinds of outdoorsy events, including different types of festivals and concerts. The weekend of Ericaʻs birthday, Miles got to party it up with her whole family and before that we spent the day in Berkeley for Hip Hop at the park. Jen and Darrien rolled and it was a great time for the two rascals. I swear, as soon as we got to the corner of Amoeba, hearing the music bumpinʻ, Miles started dancing down the street! Heʻs really a dancinʻ machine.






The following week was real nice, taking a short break from the Bay to dwell in Hollyhood (Ok, too much MTV yo). We flew out there (courtesy of grandpa & grandma) and spent the week with family in honor of Milesʻ Aunty Terri, graduating from USC. It maybe a long time until Miles sees his Aunty because sheʻll be leaving for Texas for 2 years. Her graduation was a trek to get to but once we arrived and saw her in the procession, we all felt very proud and happy for her!
After the ceremony we celebrated with dim sum at Chinatown. Yummy! Miles loves him some dim sum.







Miles enjoyed every second of his time in L.A., so happy to be reunited with his grandma. The first thing he did when he saw her at the airport is grin really big, then started pointing in all directions to take attention away from him. Heʻs so silly. Once grandma carried him, he refused to even go to Jus!





Miles got to spend time with his grandpa-ninong Cesar in his lovely abode in Pasadena with Uncle Hoa.

He calls Uncle C, "no-nong." Thatʻs how he says "ninong." Hahaha....Oh, and he learned a lot from his cousin-doggies, Chico, Ann, & Pepe, panting and barking with them. Now everytime he sees a dog, he starts panting! So funny yo.

Miles got to showcase his toprocks and freezes for everyone in the hotel we stayed at afterwards. Everytime James Brown plays, he is all ears, waiting for that 1 to hit and bam...heʻs on the go! Itʻs very entertaining. So besides dancing and catching up with fam, we pretty much spent a lot of time eating, shopping, driving in traffic, and sleeping. We even got to go for some deep fried goodness at Roscoeʻs with freddy-5-sac. Good times! I enjoyed it and so did Miles. But after 5 days in L.A., we were definitely so happy to be back in the bay.

Bye Lola! Hello May!

On Monday, Lola came to visit me before she left for the Philippines for a month. I was totally surprised when infront of our door stood Uncle Eric, Ninang Jen, and Deng-deng! You know me, when I get excited I just point everywhere to take attention away from how shy I am when I first see you. So I was pointing away and avoiding too much eye contact. We all jumped into the car and drove it across the street to Baker Beach for a lunchtime picnic. It was Deng-dengʻs first time at the beach so you know we were so excited. Uncle Eric had to yank my hood--along with me--up in the air when a big wave came unexpectedly. I didnʻt even notice--I love the water, cold or hot, clean or mercury-infested--I love it.








When they left, I was lookinʻ at my mom, like "whatʻs next?" Iʻve been demanding that she entertain me. She mostly chases me around the apartment and hides behind doors and couches to surprise me. When weʻre outdoors, we usually go to the park. We had another picnic on Wednesday cause it was daddyʻs day off. This time we went to flower conservatory in Golden Gate park. After our meal, I got to play with a band that was drummin under the sun. It was so fun, I was mesmorized by the rhythms!





Since mom & daddy got the hookup on museums for the month of May, I got to check out the de Young Museum. I wasnʻt really impressed by anything but the large glass fruit in the middle of the room. I was mostly impressed by how loud my voice echoed when I yelled!

Another free.99 thing we got to check out was the California Academy of Sciences. We only had an hour to hang out cause thats how many quarters mommy put in the parking meter. Next time, she promises to bring more quarters. Now that Iʻm much older than I was when I first went, I really appreciated the place a whole lot more. I mean, I can say "turtle" now and seeing one in person was a real treat. I was running from one acquarium to the next in awe of the fishes. I even got splashed by the big ones with daddy! Daddy was really surprised when a big splash of water fell on top of our heads at first, but then he relaxed when he thought of it as "sea water."

Mommy & daddy promised to take me to the other museums this month to maximize their playa club memberships. This month just begun but Iʻm already having fun and enjoying the great weather weʻve been having. Next week, I get to see grandma, grandma Rosey, Auntie Terri & Auntie Bri, & grandpa Robert, & Ninong Cesar!! If we get their intime, I might get to see cousin Lucy, Aunty Teresa & Uncle Tom. Iʻm going to L. A. to chase my Hollywood dreams! Sike. Iʻm gonna see family!

Frisco crew.

Miles has been spending most of the week hanging out with his homeboy, Diego. I had an evening with the two of them going wild at our place. The thing they loved doing the most was playing records on the portable vestax and dancing! Miles had to give Diego his orientation of toys, play space, and ofcourse--dance moves! I swear, everytime we play James Brown, Miles will just break out! He even has his own style of footwork!





Yesterday, Lorraine (our neighbor and friend), and I took Diego, Miles and our other neighborsʻ son, Gabriel to the park. We met up with Monique and her son Jackson. I guess you can say we started our own Mothers of Color group. Well, except for Gabriel who happens to be French! Anyways, all our boys are so close in age, Jackson is 12 months, Miles is 15, Gabriel is 17, & Diego is 19 months. So you can imagine what happens when these 4 boys get together. Thereʻs a lot of energy, excitement, pushing, throwing, laughing, fighting, etc....itʻs pretty entertaining to watch them socialize but it is also great to be around other mothers who are experiencing the same things.

Today, Justin was off so we spent most of the day outdoors, walking under the bay bridge at the piers, playing in Crissy field, and finishing it off with more play at the park. Miles is exhausted and so is Justin which is why I finally have some down time to update this blog.




Since Miles has been walking and communicating clearly (he can say what he wants or point to it or sign), the days get easier. He is so much fun at this point! His baby days were fun but Iʻd say it was more work than today. Nowadays, heʻs been helpin us sweep, throw trash out, and cook. Hehehe...Itʻs amazing what you can teach toddlers! His tantrums have been less and less because we decided not to pay attention to them really, allowing him to just let it all out. Since he sees that we donʻt respond when he throws himself on the floor, he stops crying after a few seconds and gets up as if nothing happened. Thank God! If anything, its so easy to uplift his emotions at this point. Music is especially soothing for him-and for us!

Happy 1st Birthday Darrien!

This past week was full of family celebrations! On April 9th, Uncle Eric and Ninang Jen were officially married in San Francisco. Darrien and I got to roam freely while we waited for the ceremony to begin. By the time it started, Darrien was asleep in his stroller. Ninang Jen and Uncle Eric looked so happy! We had a big feast following at Buca Di Beppo and got the hook up from mommyʻs DJ friend. The next day was daddyʻs 27th Birthday. Unfortunately, he was sick with a fever but mommy and I sang to him anyway and made him aroz-caldo. The next day, mommy had her energy work done while I hung out with daddy, Uncle Arjuna, and Aunty Christina. I mostly danced around and got all up in the mix when daddy & Uncle Arjuna were talkinʻ records. We picked up mommy after she was finished and had a very delicious dinner at Uncle Arjunaʻs. My favorite part was the ice-cream! I got to see the new kittens!

The rest of the week was pretty busy because we were getting ready for Darrienʻs big day! His birthday was on the 12th, Thursday, but we celebrated on Sunday at Papoʻs & Lolaʻs house. Mommy decorated the house with Ninang Jen. Lola & her sisters--my grandma Meg & Mening, cooked pounds of katsu, pancit, lumpia, baked fish, mac salad and Papo cooked beefsteak. I couldnʻt eat much because I still had the stomach flu! But I did enjoy a bite of cake. The whole day was really fun but I was over-stimulated by the crowd of family and friends. I got to hang out with my homeboy Ian and kuya Andre.

Kuya Andre and I were playing chase and he made me laugh so hard. I got to hit the pinata and flop around in the astro jump. Most of the day was spent in the backyard!




Darrien was just chillin out with everyone, enjoyin the party. We had a lot of fun, especially Uncle Eric & Ninang Jen! We stayed until late at night before returning to our home. I canʻt believe Darrien is 1. Heʻs already starting to smack me back because he is so smart and he knows Iʻm not the only one who can do that. Darrien! got so many gifts! I canʻt wait to see him and play with all his new toys!

Papo left for the P.I. for two whole months. When he comes back, who knows what Darrien and I will be doing!?!

I will post more pictures of Ninang Jen & Uncle Ericʻs wedding and Dang-dangʻs birthday party soon!

$Free.99

Wednesday was the 1st of the month which in SF means--the Zoo is FREE! So I had a fun-filled day planned with my dad, mom, & Aunty Awts who arrived in the morning from Connecticut. We picked her up from SFO and headed to the Zoo to meet up with Uncle E, Deng-deng, and Papo. We had so much fun, so much macararoni to eat, so much walking, so much animal watching! I also got to pet a few of the farm animals with daddy. I canʻt wait to go back on a less busy day with Deng-deng. There was a stampede of people! I stomped everywhere myself. Here are some of the highlights of my day:



We love Papo! He must carry the both of us at the same time--or else!



Deng-deng and I are rabbits. Happy Easter!



Checkinʻ out the flamingos yo.



Deng-deng loves the flamingos!



Walk it out!



Deng-deng is happy to be on his 2-feet feet and daddy makes him laugh!



Uncle E & Deng-deng check out my friends--owls and hawks.



Mommy bought me a sword balloon but I was sad later because it deflated.



So I was cheered up with a sweet treat. After a long day of animal watching, I had Polly Anneʻs Ice Cream with Aunty Cheryl.