His First Dentist Trip

He doesn't know what's coming to him!

Miles had a very special visit to the dentist today. It was his first time going and luckily had a private session because the dentist was his Aunty Cheryl aka Awts. But let me just call her "Dr. Elacio" for this entry. I knew beforehand he would do ok since he let Dr. Elacio check out his grill and pick his teeth a week or so ago. If anything, his inquisitive mind was interested in this new experience. He loved the chair which Dr. Elacio told him it was like a robot chair, moving him up and down on it. He also was intriqued by the x-ray camera that moved like a robot. And when Dr. Elacio put on her special flashlight/binoculars--he looked like he was thinking, "what the?" But relaxed and followed directions accordingly.

The dentist was pretty good at getting Miles to follow directions using toddler/kid talk, peep game:


Dr. Elacio: That's Mr. Thirsty. He sucks up your saliva./ Miles: What's saliva? (he's use to the Tagalog word "laway")


Dr. Elacio: Do you want to try to kiss Mr. Thirsty?



Dr. Elacio: Open your mouth wide like a lion! Let me count each tooth...

Thank you Aunty Cheryl for making his first dental experience a comfortable, exciting and fun one! He was so excited about the electric toothbrush that he begged to buy the spongebob one he saw at Target and as soon as he got home--the first thing he did was brush his teeth!

Oldie but goodie

Found this one on Aunty Xtina's facebook and started cracking up!


It's birthday weekend over here and last night we had a delicious Indian dinner for Uncle Rube's 21st birthday @ Saffron Grill on Fulton, such a cute intimate restaurant. I always passed by this spot on my way down to Aunty Lea's old pad but never tried it. Anyway, the waitress was so sweet--she gave Miles a bottle of the mango juice before we left. Miles was so happy--he felt like he hit the jackpot and as soon as he got up this morning, he asked, "Where's my mango juice?"

Weekends are always so relaxing when Justin's home and playing with Miles. I can officially be off duty for a while. I headed to SF once again for another birthday but this one was for the home girl, Sheila. Had some good food and good laughs and drove back home feeling refreshed. It's always nice to be surrounded by dope women--not to mention funny ones!


Happy Birthday Sheels! (via Irene's twitter)

Happy Birthday Ninong Ruben!

SF Chillin'

After his gramma & papa left for Hawaii w/ Rohawn, Miles was bummed. To cheer him up, I told him about the day of fun ahead with Aunty Cheryl aka Awts, and the play date with Gani. He then said, "Ok, I'm not that mad anymore." Resilience is key! When life gets us down, I say we all bounce back as kids do!

It was good to spend time in the city. Miles loved walking around Hayes Valley but complained that his legs hurt when climbing up the steep SF hills. Lucky for him, Aunty Cheryl has toys stashed away at her pad and Miles kept busy with his new piggy bank. He's also been busy at home, collecting the trail of coins his dad leaves behind--everywhere!



Later that afternoon, Miles was reunited with his Frisco homeboy, Isagani, one of the most charming 4 year olds you'll ever meet. Forget the boys, I had so much fun playing with them! They bring out the kid in me! Let's see, we pretended we were captains on a playground ship, caught in a storm and we had to save the ship and our lives. So Gani imagined that he was fixing the broken anchor, and Miles imagined that he was fixing the broken engine. But before that, Miles and Gani got reacquainted with a stimulating debate over Transformers names and over which was the "best" crew, Autobots vs. Decepticons.


The Decepticon vs. The Autobot


Jet fire? Jet Stream? Who knows the names of these darn robots?!





Check it out Kimmy...our best creations EVER! High Five!

They play so well together. It was a bit sad to see Gani and Uncle Perci leave--we wished they lived closer but were so happy to hear about how they have made such a nice home for themselves in Long Beach. Justin and I seriously need to hang out with more hip parents to balance out our nerdyness...where are you guys at?

Friday, we got to see WAR with Uncle Eric, Aunty Jen, Dengs, & Aunty Xtina. Miles got to enjoy "Galaxy" performed live. He was more into the green gun that Aunty Jen bought him though but other than his crazy tantrum beforehand, we appreciated good music LIVE! I enjoyed the opening song, "Me and My Baby Brother" (that's the break son!), and Jus loved "All Day Music."


And, met a cool robot...



Other than that, Miles and I have been busy at home working on new paintings of caterpillars, taking walks around the 'hood, baking, and having our music sessions. Miles spent some time with Dengs, swimming in his new pool and also enjoying Papo's garden.


Miles & Darrien--the cousin/brothers.

He loved picking the calamansi off the tree and he made his own calamansi juice. He got really excited when Papo pulled one of the fat peaches off the peach tree, devoured it, and confirmed, "Mama, this is organic."

Justin is still on his training schedule at work which allows all of us to spend some time together during the afternoon and evening. Today, we were coming home from Target and in the car Salt N' Pepa's Push it song was on. Miles says, "How come they are saying, aw smoosh it?" Oh, that was the best.

I'm back to my balancing act of motherhood/the domestic arts and making time for myself.I am actually 30% done with one of my new mixes and I'm pretty excited about that. If you're a parent, I'm sure you understand how It's challenging to get things done with an active child when you don't want him/her to be sitting watching TV all day. So to actually have made time to be productive with music is practically a miracle! But yo, I'm determined to keep making these miracles happen. It feels so good to dig through my records, create a vibe, record the blend onto Protools, and listen to what I've made thus far. I'm just having fun relearning Protools since I forgot practically everything! As soon as it's done, I'll post the mix for a download right here...

Patrick x Nara

More pictures from:



Brought to you by:

Bob x Awts (aka Aunty Cheryl)


The boys are scheming and rollin' with Kuya Andre.


Shaka!


Ninang Jen & Dengs..I really love this one..a mother's love!

And the fun begins...










And I had to add one of my hot thang...

Miles' Music

The Solano County Fair is here once again and this time, Miles' most favorite musicians are performing live on Friday! He's really excited and hopes that they play his favorite song:



Honestly, his dad and I are looking forward to seeing them live too! I love this fair cause they always have the best performers. I was lucky enough to check out James Browns here one year, thank goodness! Miles would have loved to see him too (his other favorite musician). He is also looking forward to the reptile exhibit!

Today was a good day for the boy. He woke up happy and papo & nanay picked him up with Dengs to take them to the Cache Creek for kids, Chuck e. Cheese. He came back home so excited to tell me about the games he played, bringing back unused tokens and a roll of tickets--he said, "we have to go back mommy." Clever. Anyway, today is also nanay's birthday so we will continue with the festivities! Happy Birthday Nanay! We love you!

iBooth is What I'm Talkin' Bout...

Saan ang camera ko?

...thank goodness for Justin's blackberry...

This T-Rex diggin' 4 dino bones kit kept him busy and stimulated for over 2 hours!

And this Ikea build-your-own-vehicle-and-flip-styles kit kept him busy since yesterday!

"A Little Bit of Love is all it Takes..."

"...A little bit of love goes a long, long way!" New Edition sang it best!

These past few days of unconditional parenting has so far been showing nothing but positive results. All it has taken from me, is just a little bit more patience and love than to resort to time outs. When Miles has his frustrating moments, I hug him (when he allows me to) and rub his back, tell him I love him...and just like that--he melts into all the good vibes and let's go of his anger. Now, it's not like that all the time--but for the most part--it's been working like a charm! I'm getting the hang of this unconditional thang, realizing that my old calls for time outs have also been largely due to my own frustrations for wanting him to do what I wanted to do. What kind of parenting is that?! I'm totally unlearning what was done to me as a kid. My parents never grounded me or gave me time outs but the threats in Tagalog, "Bahala ka!" and the equivalent to time outs-- the cold shoulder a.k.a. the silent treatment.

But I'm saying, trick all that silent treatment and the "Bahala Ka!" threats. Kids definitely do need our love, especially when they are still forming words and ways to express their own emotions and need help and guidance to articulating how they feel. I am aware of Miles watching what I do, and what his dad does, especially when we have our own frustrating moments. He sometimes mirrors what we do. Now that I am trying to model more patience and love--for him--at those low points, I'm hoping he internalizes that to be more patient with himself, more loving towards himself. I believe this is possible this way! I'll keep you updated.

Oh Miles. He is almost like an experiment in a way. Whatever we learn from him will definitely switch up with the next kid. I guess that's what happened with Awts and I, then to Eric. Looking back, I definitely "had it easier" than my sister, who was practically my 2nd mom, and Eric had it even easier. This is probably debatable between my siblings and I. Anyways, everything in life is pretty much trial and error.

This week has been all about adjusting. Justin is also adjusting to his new job at Genentech. Miles believes his daddy is no longer a teacher at the Boys & Girls Club but a "scientist." It's really cute how he already looks up to his dad. During our days of swimming, playing at the park, having our art times--Miles will occasionally chime in, "Oh daddy's missing out on all the fun." So far though, we are all thankful for Justin getting hired at one of the top companies to work for on the Forbes list. Thanks to the Hiphop connection--it really is about networks. The great thing is that he's working alongside Miles' Ninong Paulskee. This job will allow them to have free weekends, having the flexibility of travelling if necessary. The draw back is that I can no longer do these mid-week gigs that I've been having so much fun with. But that doesn't mean that I won't have time to work on music either. It will just be more work in the "DJ room" as Miles calls it. And I can still do my Friday or Saturday night gigs but honestly, Miles and Justin are my priorities for the weekend. Family time is my number one priority especially once the semester starts. Anyway, no matter how scheduling can be--anything is possible! It's just more of a juggling act with a kid!


Chillin' with Ninong Paulskee & Daddy Jones.

Yesterday, Papo called early noon to pick up Miles to take him to the park with Dengs. Miles was so excited when I told him Papo called, "he's picking me up cause he misses me? cause I was in hawaii so long?" And I was just as excited cause that meant some time for me to work on a mix ;) When I picked him up later in the evening, Miles was all covered in chalk--and so was Darrien. They had created such wonderful artwork on Papo's drive way. The mess + smiles = a very good time!

And for a good time Saturday night..peep game:

He's baaaaaack!

..and on the loose! Sneaking some juice at bedtime...


...covering up his third eye!


Justin & Justin Jr. doing the power shaka!

Miles finally came home with gramma & papa (now on a roadtrip from Vegas to SD to L.A. to the Bay) and let's just say, we are all adjusting. So far, the transition has been smooth sailing with the exception of a few bumps. At the airport, we were just so excited to see each other! After saying Iloveyous, Miles informed me, "Mommy, did you know that Michael Jackson died?" And when I asked him how he passed he said, "too many drugs." I guess he's been watching plenty of news reports in Hawaii. One of the activities he's been busy with at home is dancing. Seems like he missed B-boying so he's been practicing with Justin and requesting Michael Jackson's music. Some of the new things he's learned from his vacation in Hawaii, includes doing Shaka and saying some Pigeon "Shaka bradda!" He also has picked up his gramma's vocab, commenting on things with the words: interesting and neat. Miles is also more knowledgeable on the different planets of our solar system, saturn being his most favorite. And he is also able to tread in deep ocean waters now! All in all, he's told me that he loved his vacation in Hawaii and says that he can't wait for his vacation next year. Thank you gramma & papa, for being such loving grandparents and spending quality time with your apo ("grandson" in Tagalog).

Yesterday, we celebrated at his Uncle Patrick's and Aunty Nara's wedding, where Miles ran free and wild with his cousins. He hasn't seen everyone in such a long time so he was pretty excited. And he also had a good time being nanay's dance partner.


Congratulations Uncle Patrick, Aunty Nara, and baby cousin in the oven!


Kuya Andre, Aaron, Dengs, & Miles buggin' out!



Dengs x Miles reunited!

Right now, I actually have time to blog cause the boy is exhausted and napping from a hot afternoon of walking. We walked for about a mile (which was forever for the poor boy) under the blazing sun. On our way, we spotted a green caterpillar, a few white butterflies, bees, and ants. Miles was pretty excited to run into these bugs. It was just another reminder for me, to stop, slow down, and notice these things that I've been passing up with Miles in Hawaii. So, thank you Miles for helping me appreciate these simple things.

Before school starts up again, I'm trying to read all the books I had on my list (plus a few more). Right now, I've been busy with Alfie Kohn's Unconditional Parenting. Besides reading it, we are trying to apply it in our parenting styles, doing away with the time outs, bribes, etc. It's an adjustment on both ends, I'm realizing how much of our discipline was through positive reinforcements (a.k.a. "treats") and solitary confinement a.k.a. "time out via the corner" (terrible, i know!) but so far--just being as loving (through the good & the hard times) and as patient (as EVER!) helps soothe Miles when he gets frustrated or angry. For him it's an adjustment, because he is use to being reprimanded or offered a bribe--but getting nothing but hugs and help. One of the things I've noticed that's a new thing he does when he gets mad, is that he starts hitting his head. He did it last night when he got frustrated, slapping his forehead and yelling to the top of his lungs. Talk about frustrated...it reminds me of how guys punch holes in the walls when they are mad. We gotta get Miles back into using his words to express all that he feels...it's really quite a challenge. But, I'm so thankful for all the parenting resources out there and having access to it. I'm also thankful for having a partner who is pretty open and down to flip styles. I know in the long run, Miles will be a happier, healthier (mentally, emotionally, spiritually) boy--with sane parents!


"Shaka bradda!"

Rest In Peace Michael Jackson

According to my mom, when I was a toddler, I chased this kid who to me--looked like Michael-- down a grocery store isle, yelling, "Ben!" after I watched the movie (even though, Ben was the rat!). Michael Jackson's music was as much part of my theme music growing up, as it was for my mom in the P.I. with the Jackson 5. I remember when thriller came out, my aunt rented it from the video shop and my cousins, Teresa & Lea and Eric and Awts watched it over and over in that Yankee Jim Ct house. I remember watching home videos of my cousins in the P.I. dancing to Billie Jean and doing the moon walk and that pelvis move Michael is known for. And when We Are the World came out--my sister, Eric, and Lea and I would pretend would sing it and have our solos, swaying back and forth in our old Roger St. house. Oh, such fun childhood memories! I wonder which musical artists of today will be apart of Miles' childhood theme music. There is just such a lack of quality and originality nowadays--it's really unfortunate. But one thing I know, is that Michael's music has already been apart of Miles' theme music, the stuff he gets down to at jams, hearing his dad play breaks off Jackson 5 albums and also getting down to Off The Wall and Thriller joints...today is such a bittersweet day. Rest in peace Michael Jackson...

When You are Old Enough To Read This Miles...

....I want you to know that I support you in all that you decide to do in life (as long as it's something positive!). Whatever makes you happy, go for it. I hope that your dad and I will have raised you to become a compassionate, loving, humble, and confident person--traits that I already see in you at this early age of 3.5! You are such a blessing to us--and I would not trade motherhood for anything in this world.

I am 29, writing this--and yet as old as I feel with the things in life that I have already experienced (good, bad & all the in between)--I still feel like I have a long ways to go--to learn, love, and experience. It hasn't been the easiest role I've had so far in life, being a mother and also a wife to your silly but loving dad--but it's so far been THE best. I'd say, as a parent, I've become stronger, grown a thicker skin, and also have become more grounded, resourceful, open minded, and especially more appreciative of being alive and having this human experience with you and your dad and all our friends and family. But above all, being a parent is truly a selfless role. You have taught me what it truly means to take care of someone, nurture another human being. And on the flip side, also what it means to take care of myself and don't get lost in the process of becoming anything or anyone in life.

No matter what it is you decide when you are at this age, whether you choose to have a family, raise kids--or not--always make time for yourself and continue to be passionate about what it is in life that you love. Whatever you want in life, you have the ability to manifest it. I'm telling you this now because I'm your mother (haha!) and also because as a deejay, your dad and I would love for you to also be creative with your life. Sometimes, it may feel like the world does not hold so much weight on creativity but it is so important for our spirit--God given, and it IS all around us and in you! And right now, you show so many of us that you have such a creative and imaginative quality--something very natural--and I pray that we will be able to nurture this side of you as well so that you will continue to experience life from this perspective.

I love you so much and want you to know that I entered DMC partly because of you. I want you to know that your mom was able to do what I love while raising you. I want you to know what you said to me when I told you what I was going to do when you were on your vacation. I said, "Miles, Aunty Diane and I are gonna battle in a DJ competition." You replied, "You're gonna battle the boys or the girls?" And I told you, "The boys. We will be the first women to enter this one." And you said, "You beat the boys mommy!" You see, we have each others backs, son!

While your Aunty Diane and I did not "beat the boys" on paper, we placed 3rd...we know in our hearts that we did the best that we could and it was so much fun doing it--being creative, working as a team, and going through the whole process of composing music. There is a lesson gained in everything we experience in life--so no one ever loses anything!!

Love,
Mama



The guys we competed against...


Aunty Diane and I getting ready to do our thing