2017 Holiday Edition : Oh What a Year!

The fact that we have a Xmas card this year (as opposed to last year where we completely missed Xmas) is a good sign that just maybe... we are finally catching up with life and such... maybe...

2017 has been a whirlwind of changes and challenges that started at the end of 2016. We have had our share of events reminiscent of HGTV horror episodes, workplace drama, a forced mid-life career change, several mishap trips to the ER, food allergies, home flooding and destruction of half our home, and growing pains of transitions to new environments - new school (for Liam) and a new work (for me). However through it all, we have managed to keep up the climbing, incorporating short trips here and there, and kids manage to find ways to have fun regardless of the situations. At the end of the year, we've grown a little more resilient and adaptive. So.. all in all... it's been a good, challenging year, though, I must say, I'm looking forward to 2017 ending, and for the 2018 new year to begin.

Some highlights this year were :
* Emilia became a backup drummer for a band one day night
* Connie completed her 2017 New Years Resolution of 365+ miles in a year and completed a legit, outdoor roof-style V3.
* Kids are becoming more independent and better at climbing. Emilia participated on a climbing team for a short stint. She became belay certified, and technically, the kids can climb on their own.
* Ryan continues to consistently train and build his climbing skill level. We're optimistic a legit, outdoor V8 is within his reach. And he's got our home gym underway...

* Connie managed to transition to a new industry and job.
* Our most memorable trip this year was to Bishop. Climbing at the Happies.. produced some great, memorable moments for all of us.

* And the kids continue to be the best of friends, and worst of enemies...

With this holiday season, we are happy to have a breather and catch up, at least a little. Wishing our friends and family good health and cherished moments of happiness.

(Miss you cousin Luke and great-grandma)

Whirlwind of A November : Updates

Actually, it's been a whirlwind of Sept and October and November. I have done 4 trips in the past 3 months to the Bay, while the kiddos & Ryan have done 2 trips in 1 month. Throw on a slew of various events between work, school, and misc personal schedules, we have been non-stop juggling the busy-ness. Hope December is not as hectic! Here are some highlights recap.

Halloween

We kept Halloween simple this year since there was so much pre-Halloween stuff already (Liam's birthday to LegoLand Brick Or Treat and Halloween fun at school and at Jiujitsu). Kiddos Trick-Or-Treated for an hour in the neighborhood and got just enough candy. A few pieces for themselves, and the rest filled up a large ziplock bag that was brought to work.

Mesa Rim Mission Valley Grand Opening

Another new local gym opened up, so we had to check it out. Especially the training area. Ryan is getting ideas to develop our own training area at home.

Kiddos testing out the training wall.



Notice Liam's cast is off. Arm is weaker, but he is all good for climbing around.

Chris and Nancy's Wedding

We did a quick trip to celebrate the wedding of my cousin. The trip was short but memorable and fun for the kids. From first airplane flight (for Liam) to the first wedding that the kids have attended. They enjoyed all the new experiences. In fact, the names "Chris and Nancy" are now synonymous with "celebration" in the kids' view. In fact, Emilia would ask Liam if he wants to play "Chris and Nancy".. which actually means "let's dance and twirl with glowsticks".

Kiddos wanted a clear view of the wedding ceremony, so out in the aisle they sat.

One of the rare occasions that all of us are dressed up! Liam and Ryan have matching ties.. and we didn't even plan it.

I take credit for bringing over 50 glowsticks to create a kiddie rave at the wedding. I give credit to Emilia though, for being the dancing queen of the night!



This is what happens when sugar runs out and dancing adrenaline is gone. Less than 5 minutes into the car ride back to the hotel.

Ryan researched these great travel booster seat / Ride Safer vest which we got that provide carseat safety for the kids, but still convenient enough than lugging two gigantic carseats around for our travels.

The day after the wedding, our flight was delayed leaving SFO and we spent most of the day waiting around at the airport. Luckily we kept some creative crafts handy to keep the kiddos entertained.

Playing monster make believe doesn't really work well without a mask...

That's better.

We're going to have to work on that mask. The scare factor is just missing. =)

That brings us up to date on highlights through mid-November. Next up, Thanksgiving holiday fun. To be continued....

Same Ol' Same Ol'

We're still here, doing the same thing... just been busy as usual.

School applications and open houses have been part of our regular life. We have completed and turned in 5 applications, and visited 6 open houses. I have 2 more applications to fill out and turn in, and then the waiting game. This is like a preview of college! Or maybe even high schools?! At least we have a heads up in school research now for when it is Liam's turn!

Never knew how complicated the education system is. Public schools, charter schools, private schools, Christian schools, even home schooling guidelines are complicated. There different teaching methodologies - traditional, common core, Montessori style of independent leaning, project based learning,etc. And good/bad rated schools are not necessarily location based. Within a one block radius you can have a highly rated school next to one of the worst schools around with a vast difference in ethnic demographics and perceived income (aka kids eligible for government funded lunch programs). Anyhow, don't get me started on schools now that I'm learning how the system works!

What's down the pipeline:

Connie's work --> Work is going into "All Hands On Deck" mode again very soon.. which means Ryan will be a single dad for a while, while momma will be playing with electronics and succumbs to junk food in desperation during estimated 80-hour work weeks again.

Kiddie's school --> Acceptances/Denials will be trickling in, so hopefully we will have an idea of where E will be going to school. Liam will be switching from part-time to full-time school. With that will come changes to our daily schedules as we juggle sending two kids to two different schools on two different schedules.

Ryan/Connie --> Both of us are working hard at getting our things done... which incorporates each of us having a regular climbing schedule. Definitely not easy to juggle, and more often than not, we have to compromised. We still work in the family climbing days.. though it turns into more of us trying to fit in a climb here and there while chasing/feeding/tending to kids majority of the time. =P

Liam --> Oh, and Liam got bitten by a squirrel. Yes, a SQUIRREL! We did the whole go-to-the-ER thing to have him checked out. Good news is that squirrels around here should not have rabies. We are still waiting for Animal Control to get back to us just in case there are other diseases, and if the squirrel needs to be tested. In the meantime, we have a "pet" squirrel that is driving Ryan nuts. Liam's on a course of antibiotics for just in case, preventative measures.

And that's all for the updates for now! Til next time...

2014 Holiday Edition: The Year's Highlights

2014 was a year of typical daily life, but filled with lots of kiddie shenanigans. The kids are at a great age where it doesn't matter where we are or what we do, they can find fun and laughter in just about anything with their wild imaginations. (Something we can learn from them!) It is good since we didn't really go much anywhere or do much anything! =) The consistency of routine helped make life manageable between juggling our work loads, Connie's intensive PT/rehab, and the kids' schedules. We still have our challenges, especially with time management, but it was a great year where being routine was monumental in slowing down the hectic feel of life with kids and allowed for all of us to have both, individual and family growth.

Liam transitioned from being a toddler to a little boy. He said good-bye to his toddler days, moving out of his crib and into a big-boy bed. Growing up is hard to do at times, and he had to part ways with the binkie. Preschool turned out to be an easy transition, despite his initial hesitation. The hustle and bustle of all the kids at school can be overwhelming, but luckily Liam has an independent nature like his parents, and he does not mind doing his own thing. Just like dad, Liam loves any kind of motorized vehicle as they bonded watching motorcycle races at Laguna Seca and checking out mini-motos.

Emilia has always had a natural big sis tendency towards Liam, but this year, she realized he makes a great partner in crime. The two combined have become the "Double Trouble", scheming up imaginary adventures to share together. They fight as hard and as much as they play wild together. In fact, the parental units are thinking of sending them to jujitsu so they learn to "wrestle out" their arguments. Emilia is a veteran at school now, showing Liam the ropes. She loves going to school and has a group of close girl friends. She loves princesses, as do the rest of her gal pals, but we also project our influences, so she and Liam are fans of Ninja Warrior, especially Kacy Cantazaro. They play obstacle games and run races together, and many times Emilia will do them in her princess dresses.

Connie, 2014 was a year of recovery, with a main focus on ACL rehab with a goal of running the Spartan Beast around the 1 year post-ACL surgery mark. Obsessive personality is a positive attribute in this area as it fueled the discipline needed to consistently do physical therapy rehab on top of strength and endurance training. Life was defined only by 3 aspects - juggling time with kids & Ryan, work, and multitude of gym memberships. Knee has recovered, but the injury left imbalances that indirectly causes other minor injuries. All in all though, improvements are made. Maybe 2015 will be the injury-free year!

Ryan maintains being the rock of the family - helping Liam, Emilia, or Connie with whatever comes up. There is always a list of home improvement projects to do, with priorities that jump up due to circumstances, like setting up obstacles for Connie to practice on pre-race and hopefully not injure anything else, or when the raccoons came to terrorize the backyard... Ryan was set on a mission to deter them (in a safe way) from hanging around - setting up motion sensing automatic sprinkler and metal tree guards to prevent them climbing up. There were nights he would go on stake-outs for raccoons and try to scare them off. Ryan is non-stop in keeping our home organized and our lives organized. This year he manages to fit rock climbing in regularly, and we are slowly making it a new family routine.

2014 was consistent busy-ness that helped to form good foundation of solid habits for all of us. One of the traits of highly successful people is that they develop good habits - make their beds, clean up right away, make lists/plans for their day/week/month/year and work on it regularly, becoming a habit of progress. Working out became like brushing one's teeth... just do it without thinking. The kids naturally gravitate towards organization and clean up.. as much as kids can. =) All in all, we are very grateful for the year we have had in 2014. We sympathize with friends and family that we have seen go through hardships this year and those that will be continuing hardships. Keep pushing forward, one step, one day at a time.

Wishing you happiness and laughter all the days in 2015!

November?? Already?!!

October was good. I felt on top of all the events going on and we had a good amount of birthday celebrations and Halloween fun for the kiddies. BUT November??! Already??!

I was so busy planning October, I did not adequately prepare for November. I had to change my entry for a local, women only, half-marathon race to a 5K due to inadequate preparation and a nagging hamstring. The flip side of it was that I rarely run 5Ks, so it felt quick and fast.. just enough to break a sweat, but not enough to have major impact on my strained hamstring.

Yessir.. I am a total race poser!

I took it easy by stopping and chatting at the 3 water stations (that's a lot for a 3 mile race... you're lucky if you even get 1 water station for a 3 miler), and focused more on my running form versus speed. All in all, my time was okay. Definitely not my best, but since it was a local race, I did end up placing 3rd in my age division. (Ignore the fact that two 60 year-olds and two 10/11 year-olds beat me among many others... but hey, they aren't in my age group!). I was in the 47% percentile overall.

Since running has been reduced temporarily, rock climbing and upper body training has bumped up in priority. It just so happens that there is a new gym opening in town which is geared towards ninja warrior training and OCRs (obstacle course racing). I am hoping they will install the Ultimate Cliffhanger, but a sneak peak shows a 14' Warp wall and Spider Climb/Rope climb.

I have been wanting to get the kids into activities as well, but way back when we tried swim lessons, we found it very time consuming and difficult to work into a regular routine. I clearly recognize though, that my kids have NO activities unlike many of their peers that are enrolled in gymnastics, soccer, dance, swim, etc. So, not to be too much of slacker parents, we are starting them off with rock climbing; It seems like a great choice for our family.

Em trying on her (and Liam's) new rock climbing shoes Ryan purchased for her.

Em trying out climbing back when we went to the grand opening of a local climbing gym a while back...

Ryan and I do have more Spartan Races coming up in January...so, on top of holidays, it is time to up the training again.

Update : E's EEG Results

It came back all normal!! E has not had any episodes since the school incident and there is no detection of anything out of the ordinary. We most likely will never know what exactly happened, but that's okay. She is doing fine, all the tests are normal, and she is completely herself, and that is what matters. Thanks for your thoughts!

Update : EEG

A few weeks back, E was sent to the ER for having an "unresponsive" spell at school. We're not sure what exactly happened since she was fine and acting her usual self when we got to her. It was a hot day with lots of excitement at school since they were having a themed-carnival day (hence the face-painting).

The standard tests were done and came back normal. The pediatrician recommended to have an EEG done for a piece of mind, and that is what we did. Poor kid was required to be sleep deprived, going to bed at midnight and then wake up at 4am, and then stay awake until test time, 8am.

They placed little electrodes all over her tiny scalp while she stayed still watching Strawberry Shortcake.

They did an awake test where they flashed intervals of bright lights and then had her blow a pinwheel for 3 minutes. Then they did a sleep test where she needed to fall into a deep sleep. She was great and did everything the docs asked of her!

I owe her a treat now for being such a champ! No results til next week, she has not had anything unusual except for that one incident. I used to zone out a lot as a kid, so maybe she's just like me. Anyhow, the test will give us an ease of mind, so we just wait for now.

2014 Summer Update : The Parents

So... continuation of the 2014 Summer Update edition.

Ryan Updates :

Ryan has been extremely busy with juggling home projects, work projects, maintaining everything, and taking care of the kiddies. The home project list is long as he continues to fix and create a great home and environment for us and the kiddies. Depending on near future events or plans, some projects get reshuffled to the top of the priority list.

Such as when the fires came through a few months ago. Re-assessment on fire safety led to the removal of the big pine tree close to the house. Pines are notorious fire hazards, and since this is a high fire hazard season, removal makes sense.



The deck is unofficially done! So.. that means it's not done done, but done enough so that we get to use it and enjoy it. We needed the deck to be safe and functional as we hosted a baby shower for a friend and Emilia and Liam's UnBirthday Party earlier in the year.

Here's how the deck looks populated with party people.

It can hold quite a few people. =)

The avocados were harvested around May this year and, as expected, it was the lowest yielding crop on the records. Other growers around here are also yielding 30% from their norm. With so much going on and a poor avocado season, we ended up not having the yearly AvocadoFest.. for a 3rd year in a row.

We usually save one tree from being harvested so that we can pick and eat for the remainder of the season. However, the end of the season is near and we had to pick off our last remaining avocado tree.



The last of our avos for the season...

Not only is the deck done, but also grass area under the deck. The kids and I love the under-the-deck area especially since it provides shade and has a relaxed feel hanging out on the lawn. I use it a lot for exercising on, and the kids like going bare feet in it and playing lawn games.

Ryan has a grand plan for the overall development of this place. Even I don't know what it is! But this here is the foundation of something I know the kids and I will like. I cannot wait for this area to be built up. I am pretty sure once the grand plan is done, we'll be staying home even more often than we do now!

In the meantime, we're using this area as a makeshift Spartan spear throw training area and the kids use this area like a dirt box (not at the same time.. since that wouldn't be safe.) I'm even contemplating setting up a temporary gladiator jousting arena.





And the kids area has gotten a few upgrades.. a climbing structure, a bench, and a newly cut pine table/boxjump/etc.

Mr. Bunny makes a frequent appearance too. It lives in back of the workshop.

So, you remember the Spartan Race we were suppose to do back in January? Well, that never happened since I had knee surgery. The Spartan Sprint (3+ mile race) was postponed to the next available Spartan Race in our area. Well, that is the Spartan Beast (12+ miles, 25 obstacle) course this coming September. At the time we did the transfer, it was still a good year away. I had hoped we would ease into the Spartan Race series with the Sprint, but the ultimate goal.. my goal for the past 3 years, has always been the Beast. So.. in 3 months time, Ryan and I will be running the Beast. Crunch time!

So, in Ryan's free time (which is none), he has been building obstacles to help with our (really it's more for me) training. He has built mens/womens slosh pipes, a rope climb, bucket carry, rock carry, and spear throw. All according to Spartan guidelines.




(Notice our different techniques to get up that rope.)

Connie Updates :

Obsessive compulsiveness is still ever present and any free time is spent on training. Focus is still getting the knee back to 100% and myself back to pre-injury condition. Currently the knee is at 85-90%. Goal is to get my knee (and mind) functioning confidently to run long distance and to handle jumping. Training has slowly increased as the months passed, and now am at a good point of doing cross-training regiment, 6 days/week, which include physical therapy exercises, Pilates, Olympic weight-lifting, rock climbing, trail or hill running, and HIIT (High-Intensity-Interval-Training) with plyometrics.

Yes. Olympic-weightlifting! I am part of a barbell club now and get Oly weight-lifting training from a 20+ year USAW National coach. Turns out MOST EVERYTHING I learned about weight-lifting from Crossfit was WRONG. Back to re-learning the basics and already seeing the benefits. (Roger, if you are reading this, you HAVE to come down and have a one-on-one session with my coach!)

Doing some "cleaning" on a weekend. =)



My form still needs work. The barbell still travels a little horizontal versus straight up vertical, but it's slowly coming along. Oly lifting has helped tremendously in posture, recognizing left/right side imbalances, and has allowed the knee to strengthen faster and regain a wider range of motion.

I also completed the 2 month Paleo challenge back in February through April and successfully decreased body fat by 3.7%. Since then I have maintained a modified Paleo, focusing on more veggie/fruit intake and varying my protein intake to incorporate a little of non-Paleo plant-based protein (non-GMO soy and chia seeds) for protein variety. I have happily steadied to a 17% body fat and back in the "athletic" category.

Other than working out as much as I can and experimenting with healthy food recipes, I have also been hosting a "Mama's Workout" group Sunday mornings where the neighborhood mamas and kids come over and the moms get a workout while the kids have a play date (multitasking!Score!).

It's been going pretty well that we've even had a few friends and acquaintances, Spartan dads, join for a Spartan Obstacle Training workout session. With the current run of American Ninja Warrior Season 6 on TV along with Spartan Race prep, there is an excitement of discussing new obstacles and obstacle strategies and developing a "wish list" of obstacles in our yard. I cannot wait to see what more obstacles Ryan will build in our home training playground! Stay tuned!

Here's our "Devil Steps" obstacle (yes.. it's just an open staircase):

Pretty much the yard has become a playground for both the adults and the kiddies. Lots of fun for all of us.

2014 Summer Update : The Kiddies

So.. we've been really slacking on keeping this blog up to date, and not because we're having tons of adventures. We're actually at home most of the time doing the typical busy work of maintaining the home, keeping the kids entertained, and the usual juggling around everyone's schedules.

Ryan multitasks getting chores done AND entertaining the kids, though not his original plan. =)



Emilia Updates :

She completed another school year and recently had her school promotion & graduation ceremony.

Parental fail on my part, the one day that she is willing to wear jeans instead of a dress to school and I jumped at the opportunity, forgetting that it is a special day where the classes would all be doing a recital for the parents. So my gal is the only gal that is not dressed up for the special occasion. Whoops.

Emilia is officially moving onto the "kid" stage versus a "toddler". I'm not sure where the transition point is, but she has a mind of her own versus doing things I ask without question. That's been for a while, but I find her more skilled now at trying to reason and negotiate with me. She'll even use the re-direction approach with Liam to get what she wants!

I do have a recent proud-mama moment of my lil' girl. Parents had brought in cookies and pastries as a post-promotion treat. I'm the only parent that brought a healthy treat of strawberries. Emilia asked me if she could have a cookie and I said yes. I didn't tell her how many or add any regulation. She took only one cookie and commented that it has lots of sugar and too much sugar is not good for you. She then proceeded to eat strawberries and would get some for Liam too! Other kids I saw had piled their plate full of several cookies. Proud mama moment seeing her make good food decisions.

Liam Updates :

He left the baby stage a while ago, but I see even more toddler behavior in him now. He loves to sing and on occasion, will climb up on the ottoman, and put on a singing show for me. Best part is when Emilia will join him and two "sing" their own made-up songs.



He has also learned how to say "No" to Emilia. She still gets her way majority of the times, but Liam will put his foot down and stop her. He knows which buttons to push to aggravate her too, and sometimes, he'll do it just because. He will take a toy that she is possessive of and then zip off fast while Emilia starts to throw a fit. After she's thrown herself onto the floor crying, he'll come back over to her and then toss her the toy and walk away. Apparently I hear this was similar to Ryan's younger days...

Liam recently made the upgrade to a BBB, Big Boy Bed. No more crib and now more freedom for him to come and go as he pleases.

Liam's allergies are still plaguing him and us. In the photo above though, turns out Liam contracted Hand, Foot, Mouth Disease and his eczema amplified the symptoms. Poor baby.. I mean, toddler. It was a tough week for him to go through. The strain of virus he caught was a more potent one, enough that even I caught it and was out of commission for a week. The entire daycare had it as well!

Ryan Updates :
TBD

Connie Updates :
TBD

Haven't gotten around to gathering the parental updates, so that'll come in another post. =)

Other Highlights :

Other highlights this past few months were having family come and visit for a few days. We had my cousin and his family out here as well as a visit from grandma and grandpa.

The kiddies had a blast hanging out and playing with their cousins. Emilia was inseparable from cousin K. The two shared playing princesses, ring-around-the-rosie, and had sleepovers every night. Liam was possessive of his cars and toys from cousin E. In the end, he still did not learn how to share his cars.. so its still a work in progress.

Liam stares down cousin E while cousin E has Liam's Boots.

Our family also went on a day trip up to Idyllwild to "help" out with Adopt A Crag. Volunteers go up climbing trails and help with trail maintenance. We didn't do any maintenance since it took us the entire time to get the kids up the trail and then back down, but it was great nonetheless, to get outdoors with the kiddies in tow and hiking around. We even had time to go up the Suicide Rock trail and Ryan and his friends were able to climb a few.

Another one-day outing was we made a trip up to Santa Ana/Huntington Beach to see family. Specifically, we watched Ryan's cousins kid compete in the Regional Climbing Championships at Sender One Rock Climbing Gym.

Proud to see that rock climbing skills run in the family, cousin Elizabeth took 1st place and is moving on to Nationals. Cousin Emily took 11th and just missed the cutoff for Nationals.

A pit-stop at South Coast Plaza Shopping Mall for lunch.. and a carousel ride.

After the competition, we had a chance to hang around and boulder. Emilia got to try a few climbs with assistance from dad.

We also met up with grandma, grandpa, aunties, uncles, and cousins for dinner. Finally exchanged 2013 Christmas presents (Yes. We were THAT late.) Time was short, but seeing family was sweet. Here are the kiddies with their cousins, laughing at a comical Auntie Gail.

All in all, we're keeping plenty busy. With summer time around, we just hope that we get to be outdoors more even if it is just at home or at local parks.