Another proud parent moment

 Huda thunk... that one of the proudest moment for SW... will be for athletics and not academic.  HA!! 

I am blessed

Last night... I got [another] text from a church family complimenting our kids and how well a job we did raising them.  I don't think we did anything special... just reaping the benefits of being blessed.

Then I visited mom last night... and she said the after care that went to her house were surprised how independent and healthy she is.  She walks.  Bathes.  Cooks.  Unlike many of their clients around the same age. Same with dad.  The way they've both taken care of themselves.... makes it so easy for us.  Again... reaping the benefits of being blessed.

Aromatic Coffee

 Got some King Cake PB from New Orleans... something I missed out on last year cuz it was sold out.  And it's definitely something I will never try again.  Aroma infused coffee.... no thanks.  Ruins the coffee experience.  

Slipping Through My Fingers

Had a wonderful dream last night... we were in some home and Joyce tells me there's a spider in the bedroom.  I grab a slipper about to fulfill my husband and fatherly duty... when a 4 year old NN comes out and a 2 year old SW comes out and gives me a hug.  NN then repeats Momma and calls me 老公。 Then SW mimics NN and says the same thing... then gives off his signature SW chuckle.  I give the two of them a giant hug.   One of the best dreams I've had... in recent memory.

[Chorus]

Slipping through my fingers all the time

I try to capture every minute

The feeling in it

Slipping through my fingers all the time

Do I really see what's in her mind?

Each time I think I'm close to knowing

She keeps on growing

Slipping through my fingers all the time

Raising your kids right

There are moments when you know you've raised your kids right...

• like the time some random strangers came up to applaud us over the kids' dinner table manners and how well they eat.
• or the time NN went on her service trip and spelling out her Bon Jovi knowledge.
• today... she kept up with all the boys and was able to sing Linken Park on karaoke.  

"And in the end... it doesn't really matter....."

Counting coins

Was at a El Pollo Loco last night.  They have three touch screen machines for ordering and there where two Latino families that were struggling with them.  A young man that worked there was helping them out.  Meanwhile, I'll say, us locals, were ordering on the third machine pretty quickly.  

Then as I was ordering... I saw the family next to me... counting pennies on the counter.  And with the few leftover coins, they stashed it back into a paper envelope.  Not a coin purse.  Not a wallet.  In that envelope... there were maybe a couple of bills.

Kinda makes you think... how long have they been here.  Was that their wages for that day? Were there kids at home... waiting for mom and dad to bring dinner home?

Land of opportunities... roll up your sleeves... work hard... and start climbing.  For a better tomorrow... 

Open Gym

 Went to my first volleyball open gym since... i dunno.. high school??!?

It was actually a means to get SW a chance to touch the ball a bit before tryouts.  Got there and I immediately start making small talk... with old and young.  I guess people generally like friendly people... not necessarily talkative people.  And got SW signed up with a team that had 5.... which I guess was a bad move... as I find out later on.  He wanted to find his own team... a team of peers and maybe folks that weren't as good.  

As for me... I start roaming around and find a father son team.  We had a threesome.  And slowly.. we figured out the house rules of 2 and out.  We slowly formed a team of 6 and we waited to get on. I wasn't nervous but I knew within a few serves, I was not in volleyball shape.

I couldn't get down to pass.  My timing was so bad with my hits.  The "kids", or the 30 year olds, were out-jousting and over-dinking me.  The only thing I can do... oddly enough... was set!! Got so many compliments on my soft, impeccable hand and bump sets.  I was actually amazed how perfect they were.  Haha...

At the end of the night... I didn't even get one clean hit.  And now... I'm paying for it.  Sore in my neck, arms, thighs, calves.  Ohhhhhh.... pain never felt so good.  

Accredidation

 On this day... I officially left SJCAC and have become a charter member of New Vine.  I asked a dear sister... who also made the transition from SJ to NV. 有沒有心酸? 有沒有感觸?

She said. Not really.  Maybe she didn't understand my question.  Or maybe... she did... and she felt exactly like us.  Not really.  Not so much.  

To new beginnings..!! CHEERS!! 

40 Days of Prayer and Fasting

After a weeklong holiday full of tension and angst... we've decided to come together to pray and fast during our 40 Day Prayer Journey. 

Day 3... and we've settled to praying together after dinner at the dinner table. The kids don't resist... it's almost like those days when we prayed as a family during advent.

As for fasting...  SW is fasting Crash Royale.  NN is fasting Tik Tok, Youtube, IG, and her favorite game Rock Blast.  Joyce is fasting Royal Crush... a mobile game she's been playing for over 2 years.  And me....I'm fasting speeding.

Not even 6 hours into day one... NN started to regret overfasting.  And now on Day 3... they've re-neg'ed.  SW is now fasting social media but he can play Crash Royale.  NN still fasts Rock Blast... but she's changed her fasting to doom scrolling.  She can still watch long videos.  

Heh... let's see how long this lasts.  

My little girl is growing up...

 After a bout of senseless, meaningless, valueless infighting... NN and I sat down and discussed our differences.  She was quite mature... to a point where she asked for some time and space, wrote out her thoughts and read it to me in a calm manner.  At the end... I told her my thoughts and in summary... I see so much of me in her.  To a point, I don't want her to turn into me.  I don't want her to win every argument but lose the fight.  I don't want her to always be right.  I don't want her to ostracize those around her, even if it's by the rules.  My biggest fear for my little girl.... is she'll become like me. 

My boy is growing up...

 In one of the most heartbreaking yet much needed revelatory talk I had with my son... he announced to me that one of the biggest regrets of his life, was when neither momma or Bah B was present when he received his NJSF certificate.  Joyce and I, together, can count, on one hand, how many of his performances or events.  And yet... the one event... the one seemingly insignificant to us, event, turned out to have left the biggest void in his life.  He values, above all, his own academic achievements.  And we... as parents, both failed to acknowledge that.  

He was bursting in tears.  And it took all my 40+ year's strength... to hold back my own.  My boy... all grown up.