Covering all the bases.

Picadillo, slow roasted pork, mofongo, arroz con gandules, amarillitos and beans.

Pollo, arroz blanco y habichuelas para la nena.

San Juan BBQ

Tomorrow is our wedding anniversary but I will be working, so P decided to have our celebratory lunch today. He found this little gem and we are about to indulge in food we have not had in a while.

Funny, they have two pictures, El Yunque and La Garita del Diablo, both visited on our first trip to Puerto Rico with SS. Good memories from that one visit.

Super Hero day at the ballpark.

P's job had discounted tickets to Super Hero day at the local ballpark, plus a BBQ dinner. SS's super hero obsession served us well, since we were able to borrow her Hulk mask/fists, and Captain America Shield. We were the best accessorized among a sea of just super hero T-shirts. And the breeze makes me look like I went through a wind tunnel. SS received a Spiderman kite, a comic book and had her picture taken with a special guest.

Happy

Because she bamboozled Baba into buying her more clothes she does not need.

Last day of second grade.

P called it her Shawshank Redemption moment.

Waiting for the parade.

It's been a really long day. The happiest place on earth is beyond crowded, and SS is blocking external stimuli by sitting in her stroller. It's been quite a while since she has needed that. We are glad the Hummer makes her feel safe.

SS LOVES this ride.

Soarin' Over California for the first time.

Once SS destroyed the kraken at Knott's we grabbed a quick lunch and made it to Disneyland. On our agenda here are just two must items, Soarin' Over CA, then we chill until the Paint the Night Parade at Disney.

JJ is leaving for Maui tomorrow to help grandpa transition home from the hospital. He will be there for two months, so we wanted him to enjoy the new ride at Knott's.

His absence is going to be most difficult on SS, and we fear how she will react. Good thing we are not above bribing.

She really liked it.

She conquered the reef !

Ready for her first Voyage to the Iron Reef @ Knott's.

A Frozen Birthday Party.

Last week SS received an invitation to a Frozen birthday party. Pretty neat and looks like a lot of fun right? The thing is SS does not know the birthday girl. She is the granddaughter of one of my induction classmates. Grandma K and I spent three months in induction together, and sat at the same table for three quarters of that time. GK LOVES to organize and throw parties. During induction she arranged a lunch for about thirty of us at a Chinese restaurant, threw a baby shower for one of our classmates in the lunch room so everyone could attend, and also organized our graduation lunch.  The woman missed her calling, she should not be a CPS social worker, she should be a party planner.

I was hesitant to accept because SS does not know GK's granddaughter, and because I knew the birthday girl is a princess fan, and I was afraid SS would not enjoy a girly party. Seems GK got to know me well during those three months, because I received a phone call from GK's daughter in law. She reassured me SS's presence was welcome, and that GK talked about us, and they were aware SS was a super hero type of girl. P thought it would be good for us to attend, it would give SS an opportunity to learn tolerance, and for me to catch up with GK (she works in a different region), and other classmates who would be there.

Lucky for us SS has seen Frozen several times and likes the movie, although Olaf is her favorite character.

SS is not a bouncy house type of girl, and not for lack of trying. We have tried many times, but she either does not like the instability, or is afraid of the kids around her. Much to my surprise SS tried the bouncer twice, and seemed to enjoy the experience. Score one for progress.

SS was the only girl paying homage to Olaf, but SS is used to be different when it comes to girly things.

SS is not a princess girl, but there is no way she will turn down face painting.

Then Elsa arrived and I became nervous about SS saying something inappropriate. Elsa was a hoot in that she remained in character even when talking to the mom and GK. I was standing next to them when Elsa was going over what she was going to do. It took everything I had not to laugh, not only because she kept that helium voice, but because of GK's expression.  She could not believe the woman used that squeaky voice with adults. SS was very respectful and even sat at the table to listen to Elsa's story.

She gladly joined the girls for the group picture. 

For the individual pictures Elsa asked the girls to pose just like her, and SS would have none of that. It was hilarious to watch Elsa try to coax SS into posing. I am proud of SS because she is usually very outspoken about not liking princesses, how useless they are, and other choice words. I am alsoproud of SS for not losing her cool. She simply repeated that she did not want to pose that way. Elsa was obviously shocked that a girl would not want to do the princess pose. She finally asked SS to at least do something with her arm. SS just held her arm out and that made Elsa happy.

The face painting obviously went well, because SS returned to adorn her other cheek.

Piñata time.

Goodie bags.

Saying goodbye to the birthday girl. Both SS and I had a good time. I was able to catch up with GK, and two other classmates. One classmate was the recipient of the baby shower. Her daughter was born April 1, and since the mother is breastfeeding came along for the party.

The hostess encouraged the parents to take advantage of the face painting, and I thought why the heck not.

Totally a California girl dude.

Happy Mother's Day.

We have had a very laid back day today. My Friday did not end up the way I expected, and I will be up late tonight and early tomorrow writing a court report.  That being said I am incredibly grateful to have always had my children by my side, and when they weren't it was my choice, and they were in the hands of people I trusted.

I did score two pairs of leather boots and a mini refrigerator to put under my desk, where I can keep my sodas, and snacks handy.  I will scan SS's crafts later, because I really do need to get to that report.

She loves a rainy day.

We don't get many rainy days, so SS loves being able to wear her rain boots to school.

SS has really cool new kicks.

The cool part of getting P's Vans was the buy one get the second pair 50% off. SS scored these cool Darth Vader (aka the good guy in the Star Wars movies) kicks.

Saturday JJ and SS went to see Avengers: Age of Ultron. P was at work as usual, and I decided to indulge in some alone reading time.

Below is my baby keeping me company as I return to the land of cortisone shots.

A good example of the things we do for our kids.

I am glad that last night was the daddy/daughter dance, because it was the one positive thing in my brutal week.  With our schedules, SS's omnipresence, and her stealthy ability to squat in our bed; we decided to go out for a bite, alone, once a week. This week was supposed to be our first date night, and of course it almost didn't happen. I had a situation that I had gone through hundreds of times pre SS. You do your best, but in the end you end up going to court.  By the time that decision is made, you are beyond exhausted from the field work, and come to the office to settle who goes where. You manage a couple of hours of sleep, then turn around to write a court report that must be factual, compelling, and has very specific legal language.

I used to do that in rote mode... pre SS (Before S or BS doesn't feel right). This was my first court venture here, so I could not even draw on previous knowledge. Every County has their own style, and a lot has changed in the seven years I was pretending I would never do this work again. Two nights my baby went to bed without seeing me, and one morning I was out of the house by four in the morning. Sadly it needed to be done, and P had to take time off from work to get the girl to school. I felt like a heel cancelling date night Wednesday. Then it dawned on me that if I canceled our first one, chances are something will always come up.  On Thursday, P and I etched two hours to grab a bite, and do some shopping for the dance.  I will be paying my penance to SS for God knows how long. And there are many more weeks like that in her future, she just does not know that for now.

The Fridays I work are supposed to be my short days, eight hours instead of nine. Except that I needed to play catch up with my other responsibilities, neglected over the time of consuming court madness. I was out in the field all day, and actually skipped one visit because I needed to come home and at least see P and SS before they left for the dance.  I arrived with enough time to do that, and get two pics with my phone, no time to grab the good camera.  After they left I returned to the office because I really needed to get a few things, and enter some work on my laptop. After one hour and forty five minutes I said screw it. I brought the laptop home to hopefully get things done while SS sleeps.

P was a trooper because he had to pick up the slack in my absence.  He arrived tired and hungry, to shower, dress, and hit the dance floor. Pizza was provided,so he knew he'd at least get something to eat. But SS wanted to line up for the dance picture first. We were disappointed they went cheap this year. For the kinder dance they had a professional photographer. This year the principal took the pictures, and it shows. I know we are being snobs about this, by Ms. R taking the pics, they kept the admission fee low, $10, including pizza and pictures. But we would have gladly pay what it took to get good pictures. There's an advantage to having only one child to provide for (once you add costumes). 

 

They make an awesome 80's couple.  Notice P's shoes, more on those later. And since we have been so busy, we are lucky they got the costumes. Courtesy of P's Amazon Prime membership (yes, we ordered that late) and my rewards card.

Check out my man ROCKING the pink wristbands. This picture is going to be on my desk Monday, a framed 8x10. Someone asked M's (SS's friend) mom why her husband did not wear some pink to match her daughter. She responded that there was NO WAY her husband would wear pink. That's sad, it's just a color, and for two hours of your life. P texted me from the dance to let me know the wrist bands came in handy. It was hot as Hades in that room, and he was sweating something awful. I should have made him wear the headband.

It would have been nice to have them wear neon color sunglasses, but they both needed to see. Their prescription sunglasses came in handy.  I did worry at the thought of SS jumping all over the place and breaking her sunglasses. Especially when P took off her Croakies (holders), because there were no Croakies in the 80's. That is the down side to marrying a science guy, they are anal about accuracy. 

M's mom was a chaperone, and sent me this picture of a slow dance.

M and SS giving us a taste of what we have to look forward to when they are partying buddies.

Now this picture is just creepy, because they look like they are in whatever the version of Studio 54 was in the 80's (AREA?), and after having way too many Cosmopolitans. 

P took a few action shots that ended up looking LSD trip like.

P is not a shoe guy, he is a frugal guy. He doesn't mind getting us things, he just doesn't like spending money on himself.  Imagine my surprise when we left dinner Thursday night and he asked me if I was buying him shoes for the dance. That was indeed my plan, all white shoes for that Wham! look. I also knew he would probably not wear those shoes again. Meaning buying him a throw away pair. P said that I might as well do it right. He suggested we look at the Vans store. So behold P's first ever pair of Vans, and it was money well spent. Especially when I found out that the man never owned a pair of Vans or Chucks.  Now neither did I, but they were not popular in PR. And P has bought me two pairs of Chucks since Christmas to rectify the situation. I think I will be shopping for him in the near future.

SS danced her non existent butt off. I so wish I could have been there. But even if I was not at work, the dance is not open to spectators. It really bummed me out, especially with this song. I used to dance to this song with both JJ and SS when they were wee ones. 

Check out how SS and M are dancing, then take a look at the little girl on SS's left.  She is doing the unfortunate slide side to side thing. Oh wait, so is her dad.

Yup, she IS excited. I got a good laugh when I noticed the guy in the background. And that is why I love these dances. The dude is obviously not into dancing, or has no clue or rhythm.  But he is there for his little girl. Because by the time they graduate from elementary school, these girls are going to be too cool to go to a daddy/daughter dance. And part of my selfish self is sad that I won't get the chance to experience a mommy/son dance.


PS. Way to go Bruce Jenner! I can't imagine living a lie for so long, nor the courage it would take to do what you did last night. May the love and support of your kids be your reward for putting them first.

Today SS reached a very special milestone.

When I registered SS for kindergarten I unknowingly made a serious mistake. I identified myself as bilingual, not knowing the label would be indiscriminately passed on to SS.  That made her an "English learner," and SS has been pulled from her classroom to get extra help learning a language she is doing very well mastering. Also kind of dumb, aren't all school age kids English learners? It is something that bothered us, and no matter how hard we tried she could not shake off that damn label.  And you better believe that if there is another child for us, I will shamelessly claim to be monolingual. 

Last year we let it go after SS's amazing teacher explained to us that it would help us when we asked for a speech evaluation (lots of monolingual kids need speech services too).  We dropped it then, until we got speech help for Sula.  This year we approached SS's teacher, who although nice, is very doom and gloom. Whenever we ask for tips on helping SS go beyond what she is learning, Mrs. R always points out how three quarters of the kids in the classroom have yet to master the skill we want to improve upon.  It's been rather frustrating, because while we do feel bad for those kids, our job is to focus on our child.  We do not want SS to just get by, we want her to perform to the best of her abilities.

It was no surprise when the teacher poo pooed on our desire to have SS rid of that ridiculous, unwarranted label.  She explained that children are tested quarterly and must achieve a score of 5 to be considered English proficient. Mrs. R added that she had yet to see a kid test out, it is a difficult test, and when kids complete fifth grade the label no longer applies; the kids simply age out. WTF? We have been very frustrated with the bureaucratic idiocy.

Today is my so called flex day off (I have been running around since I woke up at five), and I had the privilege to take SS to school, and pick her up in the afternoon.  SS is usually one of the last kids out, because girlfriend takes her time walking.  Mrs. H, the resource teacher, recognized me and asked me to go to the office after Sula came out because I needed to sign some documents. OK, color me clueless on that one.  Mrs. H excitedly told me that SS tested out of ELD. HUH? We thought it was a six year sentence? She picked up on my confusion and informed me that she has never had a kid test out, let alone a second grader.  Mrs. H has been an SS fan since kinder, and she was very excited for our little girl. Documents signed I drove off to get SS a much deserved treat.

I tested out, OH YEAH!

I had planned to take SS for a frozen lemonade but this development made the treat much more important.  Funny because I was thinking about posting on SS's language development.  The funny thing is that reading super hero stories vs. Disney crap has been to her advantage.  The language in comic books is just at a higher level than that found in one day my prince will come stories. In first grade SS was able to read the word commissioner. That word is not usually found in first grade reading, but is a staple of Batman stories. Another reason to be thankful for SS's super hero obsession.

Last week we were in the van in the morning , listening to music while waiting for the school gate to open. SS excitedly told me something rather funny.  There is a van just like ours, same year, model and color. The difference is that the other van has an advertisement for the owner's day care business on the back window.  SS told me, "Mama, I saw a van just like ours. Then I thought, IMPOSTOR!" And the girl meant it, her delivery was hilarious. 

We dropped by Baba's work to bring him a frozen lemonade and for SS to collect her kiss. Right now I'm really curious about that freaking test. I'd love to get my hands on a copy to see why it is such a juggernaut. 

Maybe she's a little spoiled.

Yeah, we know the answer to that, and she is. What other perfectly healthy eight year old gets pushed around amusement parks in a stroller? Then again, her stroller serves as mobile locker for us.On our last Disney outing on Easter we had a change of shoes for all four (sandals for water rides, sneakers for walking), change of clothes for SS, a towel,  8 frozen water bottles, and a bunch of snacks we hid under her seat. So SS's laziness is mutually beneficial.

It's obvious SS is going through a sticking out her tongue stage, and we can't wait for it to pass.  But to the point of this post.  Yesterday SS's donned her first pair of prescription sunglasses.  Two weeks ago I watched SS squint through yet another soccer game, and I went to our vision center, where SS had already tried the sunglasses and I paid for them. I did not even tell P, because, oh well, I'm working, my treat. P has them, I have them, it's not SS's fault that she needs eyeglasses and lives in sunny Southern California. Then there's amusement parks days, water park days, just being out and about days.

Check out our baby's Ray Ban's sport shades.  SS had been coveting them for a while and she deserves the treat.  I'm hoping not to jinx things, but SS has yet to lose her glasses (P and I did that, but found her second pair a week later), and has not broken them either.  That is quite the feat with a child who loses and breaks everything.  The picture above was taken in the lobby of my work. I had SS's soccer ball in the van and she needed it for practice. I gave her a two minute tour of my office.  Now P can stop complaining that SS has not seen where I work. He fails to understand that my job is not show and tell oriented.  The last thing I want to do is explain to my very young child what I really do, and why are there kids in rooms visiting. Or worse, have her watch one of my coworkers come in with crying kids just removed from their home. Rant over...

Crud, I just realized I forgot to take a picture of SS at my desk.  She is not coming to Bring Your Daughter to Work Day (what P wants), so that would have been a nice consolation souvenir.  I can always take her in the future.  One last picture of our way too cool SS.

Now, we spoil the girl but we are not stupid. I paid a lot for those sunglasses, SS won't be taking them to school or B&G Club. She can wear a hat on those occasions.